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#purely because they know david and angel
empydoc · 21 days
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that isn’t me. [a “self-aware” angel concept]
“Angel? Have you seen my jacket?”
it doesn’t take a genius to gather if it is or isn’t themselves when they look in the mirror. at least, at face value. nobody shares your face as much as it is your own.
you might have a twin or a sibling that looks like you. they aren’t you, though. they don’t have your blemishes or your teeth. not your hair or your eyebrows. none of those little details.
some people might wake up and look in the mirror and think ‘wow. i look so different today.’ and go about it.
i can’t. that isn’t me. that isn’t my face.
“Angel?”
he opens the door and i look away from their reflection.
“What was the question?” I smile bashfully. He gives me a faux annoyed look- one that feels like it should be gentle, but in some way there’s judgement there. Is that something they’ve come to terms with? Something I should find endearing?
“Have you seen my jacket?” He appears to repeat, his tone softer. I give a general scan of the room, their fingers playing with the sleeves of my shirt before I shake my head.
“No,” I reply, “I’m sorry. Maybe you left it at work?”
He pauses, giving me a look that holds what I could consider confusion. He’s leaning against the doorframe with crossed arms.
there’s a silence in the pause that i don’t like. what did i say that sounded wrong? what would this person say instead? how do you pretend to be other than yourself?
He then interrupts the discomforting silence.
“That’s definitely possible. I’ll look when I go in.”
I nod, thinking the conversation would end at that point, but it doesn’t. There’s only a short pause before he tilts his head to the side, his eyes softening.
my- or, their- heart is pounding.
“Hey. Are you alright?” He asks.
it’s at this point i realise i don’t actually know this man’s name, but it feels as though it’s on the tip of my tongue. i look back at him almost dumbfounded, looking over his face for an answer to a question i hadn’t asked.
“Yeah.” I lie through my teeth, “when’re you leaving?”
“Five minutes?” He responds, before insisting upon the previous question, “are you sure?”
then is when i realise.
“David,” I smile, “don’t worry. I have, like, a little headache. Not even that.”
David looks at me quietly. He doesn’t seem satisfied, but not because of my poor excuse. Instead, it’s as though he’s heard news he couldn’t hear.
“Okay,” he then says, practically a whisper- “rest up.”
He leaves the room and I blink a few times.
there’s an air of confusion to me. a man who calls me angel. david. a person who isn’t me. angel.
i look back at the mirror. it feels a bit clearer now. not a smudge. my hand reaches out and presses fingertips against the surface, leaving prints.
i pull away and whisper to myself words i don’t speak.
“You aren’t me.”
I then respond.
“Pretend to be so.”
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inhonoredglory · 10 months
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Defining Ineffable Love (or, Aziracrow Learn the Rules of Romance)
(In response to this ask about ineffables and asexuality)
One of the major threads this season was Aziraphale and Crowley asking themselves what exactly is their relationship. Not what it is in terms of how much they love each other. (That's a given.) But what it is in terms of the human implications of their love.
Crowley and Aziraphale definitely come at the relationship with different perspectives, in terms of what they’re willing to admit to the relationship being. I don’t think we can entirely interpret it in human terms. –David Tennant (source)
For 6000 years, they’ve never put a name on their relationship. They didn’t, because they’re inhuman, genderless, sexless beings and they didn’t grow up (as it were) with labels. And even when they did learn them, they couldn’t say it was love, because admitting that was a death sentence.
All of Aziraphale’s heart eyes and pining could live comfortably in his mind if he never admitted what that said about him as an angel (trauma compartmentalization). Crowley tries desperately to be cruel and nasty to add white noise around the blatant reality of his constant loyalty to Aziraphale. If you don’t put a word to it, it’s not real and they can’t punish you.
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After the Not-pocalypse, for all rights and purposes, Aziraphale and Crowley chose humanity as their identity. We see Aziraphale “playing house” in various human roles (as a landlord, a private eye, a magician).
We even see Crowley intentionally taking on human behavior to handle emotional issues: “Just breathe, that’s what humans do.” They’re slowly and intentionally enculturating themselves into the world they want to belong––earth.
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Yet it’s setting up Maggie and Nina that makes Aziraphale and Crowley start thinking about their relationship as a human construct.
Because fundamentally, Aziraphale and Crowley are not human. Like Neil Gaiman tells us constantly, they can’t be defined in human terms when it comes to gender and sexuality. They can shift and move through each and any of those markers at will, purely for the pleasure of the thing: “angels are sexless unless they really want to make an effort.”
IMO that makes them originally asexual, in the sense they were created without the need for sex. And it makes them fundamentally transgender and genderfluid, because while on earth, their sexless, eldritch spiritual bodies take on human, gendered forms and clothing. What gender (and sexuality) they identify with while on earth varies through the eras. Crowley definitely has a fluid gender identity, while Aziraphale appears to have settled on gay man (aka THE southern pansy) for his internal typology (although all of these identities are subject to change).
In the midst of all this fluidity, it’s no wonder Aziraphale and Crowley haven’t thought of their relationship in human terms before. There’s just so much different in them and their bodies than what they see in humanity. And there are no books and songs that show the kind of love they have, in the malleable, sexless bodies they have, with the background they have; it’s all ineffable.
Aziraphale and Crowley didn’t start out thinking they were in a romantic relationship. Whatever feelings they had were long repressed, redefined, and shuttled away. But they did love each other, without question. And it was that love which scared them, because it was bigger than anything they saw among humans, a love that was beautiful and blasphemous and unfathomable.
Kinda like what David Duchovny said about Mulder and Scully in The X-Files, “I don’t know if they’re in love. In a way, their relationship is deeper than that, because they cannot live without each other.”
Now take this profound, ineffable love and drop it into the little boxes and labels human culture has created for itself.
Full disclosure: I’m an asexual demiromantic person in a queerplatonic relationship, so I’ve done a fair bit of research on what romance is and how the rituals of romance are, in many ways, social inventions that vary from culture to culture. There’s love and then there’s romance, and they don’t always overlap. So my interpretation of Aziraphale and Crowley comes through this lens and the fact that Neil Gaiman has affirmed the validity of an ace-spec reading on our ineffables.
Which brings me back to my thesis: That only now are Aziraphale and Crowley thinking of themselves as a romantic couple, precisely because they are interfacing with humans and taking on their social rules.
I like this one asexual person’s description of their experience, which feels very much like our ineffables (from a very good article, I def recommend):
If there is a border between friendship and romance, then in my internal landscape, it goes right through a misty forest where no one has ever bothered to place signs.... Neither of us had intended to start anything even vaguely romantic, but the activities we did and the intense kind of immediate connection we had was coded as romantic in our culture.
That’s what Crowley realizes when Nina confronts him about his relationship to Aziraphale.
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“It looks like that from here.” What Crowley and Aziraphale share is beyond definition, but Nina cannot imagine the anything beyond the human labels she was taught. The tragedy of an everlasting love is that it can only be conveyed properly to other humans if it is cast in such small human words––partner, boyfriend, husband.
Because when Crowley denied those human roles for Aziraphale, Nina slid down the path of thinking Aziraphale was just his “bit on the side,” because there were no labels left she could imagine for them. If you don’t put a word to it, it’s not real.
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That’s the purpose of labels, to culturally validate a person's identity. Labels, of course, DO NOT create reality; people's experiences are always real, in all their varied ineffability. But labels allow a space for culture (ie other humans and political and legal society) to recognize formally your lived reality.
So Crowley started really thinking about him and Aziraphale, about the ineffable love between them and realized that in human terms, those would be the things he’d call Aziraphale, because those were the words that gave Aziraphale that place of importance in his life.
But with that realization comes all the human trappings and behavioral patterns around those words (the candlelit dinners, dramatic rescues, drinks at the Ritz, etc.) which Crowley had never thought of before, and yet… maybe romance is what he and Aziraphale have been doing all along.
That’s why this season centered so much around Aziraphale and Crowley using cultural artifacts (film and literature) to understand romance, because romance is so deeply socially-defined.
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Aziraphale himself has been leaning hard into the romantic social cues (he’s more well-read in the cultural trappings of romance than Crowley is), especially post-Blitz. But when he watches Maggie and Nina dancing, he works up the courage to do something with Crowley that’s even more explicitly loaded as “traditionally romantic” than anything he’s done up to that point.
Because while risking their lives for each other and defying everything for each other is love in its purest form, dancing (specifically in Jane Austen’s world) is a public performance coded for potential marriage partners. It's an intimate ritual of the entire body. (And in British slang, dancing has been used as a euphemism for sex.)
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Crowley's "We don't dance" is really telling, because it shows Crowley’s awareness of the unknowable devotion between them vs the human roles Aziraphale is asking him to fill, specifically its physical aspects. Aziraphale is asking to make their relationship more public, more physically explicit, more coded as romantic in a setting specifically intended to couple individuals.
While Maggie and Nina inspired Aziraphale to progress their relationship into a publicly physical direction, Maggie and Nina inspired Crowley to think of the emotional implications of their human roles: the commitment, security, and monogamy of a husband, a partner, an us.
That’s what he decides after Maggie and Nina confront him in the end. “You never say what you’re really thinking.” He wants to codify his relationship so they each become responsible to one another. Aziraphale has always been his soulmate, the one he could always rely on. But he wants to place a word and a role to their love that will bring with it Aziraphale’s commitment and dedication to him.
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And that's another reason why Crowley kisses Aziraphale, because he knows Aziraphale was willing to make their relationship physical, and he wants that, too. To consummate this bond in the way humans do.
But Crowley doesn’t really know how to kiss; he’s not as worldly as he makes out to be. (It’s Aziraphale who owns the gun, and Crowley who’s never fired one.) He uses the kiss as a tool to get across to Aziraphale what he wants for them, in the physical language Aziraphale has been using, because "one fabulous kiss and we're good," right?
But it doesn’t work, because real life and real emotions don’t work like that; life and love don’t follow a script, despite the novels and plays and songs.
Aziraphale and Crowley spent this entire season trying to figure out what their relationship is and what they wanted out of it, trying to make sense of the unfathomable thing they share and the human implications of it, and not quite landing on the same page.
Part 2 of this Analysis, covering a correction in Crowley’s statement (“You don’t dance”) and the further implications of dancing/sex.
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fuckyeahgoodomens · 5 months
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David and Michael in the interview with Ali Plumb for BBC Radio 1, 10th July 2023
I compared it with it's podcast version and there are some bits that are cut out in the video 👀 but I added them into the transcript ❤ 🐍😊 .
AP: If you're thinking I'm the kind of guy that rocks up to a Good Omens interview with...
Michael: With the book.
David: Oh, well done.
Michael: We'd be correct.
AP: Yeah.
[GOS2 Promo]
AP: So after such a successful and well received first series, what gives you guys?
David: Why risk it?
AP: Why risk it.
Michael: What gives you the right?!
AP: What gives you the cojones to do another one?
Michael: I know.
AP: How dare you?
Michael: It's terrible. When I wrote it.... Well, no, I mean, that's the thing, really, I mean, it's Neil and Terry's baby. And we'd always known that they'd gone beyond the world of the first book. In fact, there's stuff that's not in the first book, in the first series. So Gabriel is a character, you know, who's not there. So we'd always known that there was a lot more.
David: The ideas, the threads.
Michael: Exactly. And they even had a name for a sequel. 668: The Neighbour of the Beast. Which is hilarious.
[A cut out part that is not in the video, but you can listen to in the podcast version of it:
AP: Just take, write the joke and then work it out later.
Michael: The best Good Omens joke isn't even in the Good Omens book.
David: Yeah.
Michael: And so we knew there was all that. So I think given that, that gave certainly us the confidence to know that we were in, you know, safe hands.
David: Yeah.
Michael: And I think gave Neil the sense that it was worth exploring, going further, because I think without that, he would never have done it. If he didn't feel that Terry was part of that ride as well, then I don't think he would have gone on it.
]
AP: At the risk of reading from the scripture, this is what's in the hardback copy of Good Omens: 'Why isn't there a sequel? Neil: Well, we know how the sequel goes. We played around with the idea whilst we were on tour. We even discussed a few scenes, but we could never quite work up the enthusiasm. It'd have been fun. We'd split the cash. But we both had other things to do'.
Michael: Yes. It's very much how we felt, isn't it? We'll split the cash.
David: Yeah.
AP: And run.
Michael: You know, and if we got nothing else on.
David: Well, yeah.
Ap: And you kind of enjoy each other's company?
Michael: I mean, enjoy is a strong word.
David: We're very good at faking it.
AP: Actors. I love it.
David: Yeah, exactly, exactly.
Michael: Yeah, exactly.
AP: When, outside of a show's context or the film's context, have you felt physically, visually the silliest? Because I think in this show there have to be moments. Green screen, full orange wig hair, that you go, no one take a photo of me right now.
David: The opening scene of Season Two is set in space and we're dressed as sort of old fashioned-
Michael: That makes it sound like sort of an episode of Blakes 7 or something, it's not Sci-Fi space, is it?
David: There's nothing wrong with that.
Michael: No, there's nothing... I mean I love it.
David: Jesus,
AP: Are you stepping up saying Sci-Fi's rubbish at this-
Michael: No, no, no! Of course not! No. But what I'm saying is-
David: I don't know who this is
Michael: David is making it sound like it's like Aziraphale and Crowley are in a rocket ship.
David: It is set in space!
Michael: Well, yeah.
David: First series set in space! You can't... it's just factual.
Michael: But not like space 1999.
David: Just space.
AP: It's pure, undiluted space.
David: It's set in space. In fact, it is undiluted space. And for that, we were dressed as a traditional angel in a sort of nighties...
Michael: Yes, we weren't in silver spandex.
David: We were in nighties.
Michael: We were.
David: And we were strapped to make this floating in space - and they didn't have this on Blakes 7 - we were strapped onto these gurneys and moved up and down.
[hehe bonus pic :)]
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Michael: I had a jetpack.
[again, cut out in the video but present in the podcast version
David: I mean, it looks beautiful. The finished, the finished piece.
Michael: It was very odd, wasn't it? Yes. We were both sort of just like.
David: Yes.
Michael: Hovering around each other.
David: And it was, it was ignoble. Some of the being strapped in and out.
Michael: It was. Yeah.
]
AP: At least it's not Jon Hamming into a room... full Hamm.
[GOS2 Promo]
[again, cut out in the video but present in the podcast version
David: The naked Hamm? The naked Hamm was... yeah. He seemed pretty...
Michael: He seemed very relaxed.
AP: He insisted on spending more scenes in that costume.
]
Michael: That was never in the script.
David: No, he just turned up on set.
Michael: That's how he showed up.
David: I had an idea, guys!
Michael: Yes. No, there's lots to look forward to.
AP bursts out laughing: Sorry.
Michael: And lots to look back on.
AP: This second series, having a little bit more wiggle room in terms of where you might be able to take the characters, I think it's fair enough to say. Do you feel more active input.
[again, cut out in the video but present in the podcast version
AP: Into where they might go? Because to me, they strike as having a very strong Woody and Buzz factor of...
David: Right.
AP: Bear with me here. You're both not very good at your jobs.
David: How dare you?
AP: It's true. One's no angel. One's far from evil.
David: That's true.
AP: And you kind of are fudging it constantly.
]
AP: Do you feel you have more room to kind of fudge here and fudge there and really muck about with the characters now?
Michael: I mean, I every day when we start, I like to first of all say, Neil, I've got no interest in hearing what you're going to say. This is what I think should happen.
David: Yeah.
Michael: I mean, the thing is, when you've got Neil Gaiman writing it-
David: Yeah.
Michael: -you should have just go, off you go, mate.
David: The last thing you want to do is start putting in your ideas. You don't want to limit anything that's going to come out.
Michael: It's like brain. It's like when Ringo says, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
AP: Yesterday, I have notes.
Michael: Listen, listen to what I've come up with.
AP: There's too much guitar in this.
David: Yeah.
AP: More drums.
David: Yeah.
Michael: Yeah. I think one of the things about Neil that is so wonderful is that he is so open and generous with ideas,
David: Yes.
Michael: and he's so not precious about what he's written. He is very respectful of what he and Terry created and is probably a bigger fan than any other fan, but he's not precious about it and he's very open to collaboration. In fact, he's probably the most collaborative
David: Yes.
Michael: I'd ever come across in my life.
David: Yes, absolutely.
Michael: So he loves watching what other people bring to the table, not just actors, but, you know, designers, everyone. And then I think he takes from that and is influenced by that. So it's very collaborative in that sense.
David: Yes. But if we influenced where the characters went in season two, it was sort of circumstantially.
AP: Right.
Michael: Yeah.
David: It was sort of by the act of what happened during season one and getting to know Neil and getting to know each other. But the great joy for us is turning up to these wonderful scripts and going, oh, I get to take this character here now. What a lark.
[again, cut out in the video but present in the podcast version
Michael: I mean, I wrote some very stern emails to him.
David: Yeah.
Michael: Which I was glad to see that he totally ignored.
AP: Screen time for me.
Michael: Yes, exactly.
AP: I like to think the 'I was right, or rather, you were right and I was wrong' dance was organic in the moment, not in the script. And could you give us a quick how might I recreate that beautiful...
David: Absolutely not. No. I worked with the choreographer for some days.
Michael: It's true.
David: Yeah.
Michael: It's true. And am I right in saying that... I wonder if this exists? But when we were filming it, didn't I, on the last take, I made you do it once with you thinking that you were doing it for real, but actually it wasn't for real. It was just so I could do.
David: It was so you could have-
Michael: So I could Strictly Come Dancing [british dance contest]-
David: Exactly that. Does it exist? I think it does exist.
Michael: It must have actually built... I had cards made with scores on them and David, God bless him, came in and did the whole thing again, thinking that he was doing it for the filming. And in fact, it was literally just so at the end I could go, 'SEVEEEEEEN'! [It was filmed, hehe, see here :)]
David: Yeah. But I don't want Amazon to think we're wasting your production...
AP: Money and time. No.
David: And it will show up on a blooper reel somewhere.
Michael: There was no film. There was no film.
AP: It was definitely not a waste of time. No, absolutely not.
]
AP: What would you say the fans have responded most to from the first series when you meet them at comic cons or on social media or what have you? Are there moments from the first series where they love talking about that scene?
Michael: Well, I think people really enjoy the going through history stuff, don't they? I mean, we thoroughly.
David: We certainly do. There's just something about the characters and their relationship, though, that seems to have just caught fire. I mean the amount of...
AP :I won’t read some ot the stories I’ve glanced upon.
David: Right.
AP: Yes. Fanfiction is quite….
David: Oh, I see. Oh that is not for us to read.
Michael: Oh I read it all.
AP: Oh you should. You write most of it, right?
Michael: I write most of it.
David: But it's lovely to see. And I have seen more than I can count. Aziraphale and Crowleys showing up. People dressed and always in twos, always in pairs.
Michael: Yes.
David: You know, and that's lovely. And that seems to absolutely encapsulate what the whole show is about, I think.
AP: Tattoos, fan art.
David: Definitely, yes. Seen a couple of tattoos.
Michael: Yeah.
AP: Yeah. Do you get fans in the street quoting lines or just pointing and staring? Because you two together can't really walk down the street.
David: Michael doesn't walk anywhere.
Michael: Those days are long gone.
AP: Jackpack.
David: Yeah.
Micheal: Yeah.
AP: Yeah, that's fair.
Michael: Well, I get a lot of ‘To the world’.
David: Oh, yes. Nice.
Michael: People like to… yeah.
David: Yeah.
Michael: And 'You go too fast, Crowley.’
David: Ooh.
Michael: There’s a lot of that. That gets jumped around.
AP: What about... and this is a kind of BAFTA winning question, so just send it my way.
David: Wow.
AP: Would you say these characters are in your top three most fun characters you've ever played? Because they strike me as being... I'd probably play these characters forever if I could.
Michael and David: Yeah.
Michael: This is like on what's that show when people have to say whether they want to date each other again? You go first. Top three?
David: I mean...
AP: Number two...one?
David: It'd be a weird scenario to say it wasn't.
AP: Yeah, I agree.
David: In this situation.
AP: Yeah.
David: To start something: well, I mean, it's sort in the little twenties. But... No, we did have an irresponsible amount of fun.
Michael: Yes. Not really like working.
AP: No.
Michael: I mean, I very much hope that we eventually get to, in one way or another, in one form or another,
David: Yeah.
Michael: get to play them just very, very old. And it may well be... I mean, we joke about doing a theatrical tour.
AP: And swapping.
David: I'm not joking. I'm not joking about that.
Michael: No.
David: It's a lovely little retirement plan.
Michael: I know.
AP: I'm dead keen on Good Omens 666. I think...
Michael: Oh!
AP: It's just there.
Michael: Yes.
David: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
AP: Think about it. Post apocalyptic...
Michael: Part, like Good Omens 1, 2, 3, all the way up to 666. I mean, that's a long running series. That's longer than Frasier.
AP: Big words. If a bad joke's worth telling. 666.
Michael: Telling over and over again.
AP: Over and over and over.
David: Yeah.
AP: Guys, I'm going to ask you one last favour as I wrap things up, which is I have at the front of this book, one Mr. Neil Gaiman.
[shows a copy of Good Omens signed by Neil Gaiman].
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AP: He signed it and he said as he often does: Ali, have a good doomsday. Would you care to deface?
Michael: I heard the other day that someone went to interview George Harrison and the person who interviewed him said, would you mind signing this record? Whatever it know, the white album, whatever. And he went, do you want them all? And they used to all write each other's name, all sign each other's names.
David: Wow.
Michael: Because they had to do it so much.
David: Do you want to do mine?
Michael: Just get Neil to do that.
AP: Could you please sign as your man? I'll be very lucky.
Michael: On a different page.
AP: You pick your own page, deface as you will.
Michael: Yeah. Look at that. I do a little halo.
David: Oh, that's given me an idea.
Michael: Oh look at that, yeah.
AP: And then while I'm here, I'm going to do the super unprofessional thing of asking for a photograph, if that's allowed.
David: Yeah.
Michael: Oh, look at that.
David: That's perfect.
Michael: That's nice, isn't it?
AP: Beautiful. Would you mind helping me out?
David: Do you see what we've done there, Ali?
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AP: Oh, thank you!
Michael: And yours is D for...
AP: I'm going to kneel behind you.
David: Sure.
Michael: I thought I should turn my M into wings.
David: Oooh.
Michael: This is, this is...
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AP: Guys, as you may have worked out, big fan.
David: Cheers, Ali.
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Text
Hello... again! Are you hyperfixated on RedactedAudio?
Do you want (need) to know who to follow to cultivate your dashboard and feed your gremlin brain good, good boyfriend roleplay content and my first recommendation post of magnificent fan-artists and fan-writers wasn't enough dopamine for you?
Cool, I’ve got you, and I’ve got even more hyperlinks. Buckle up.
(Note: This is by no means a comprehensive, objective, or complete list, as I have biases and favorites and limited time. If you feel I've missed someone, please feel free to reblog with your additions! I just would have loved a guide like this when I got into the fandom back in August 2022 and wanted to spread some positivity~!)
Fanfiction:
@agentplutonium: they/them
Pluto is just one of the many gorgeous people who've migrated to Tumblr now that Twitter is, ya know, on fire. I've been following them on Tiktok for ages, and I'm so pleased they joined us on tumblr now! Highlights: "Constant" and "Inconvenience" mean the world to me, because there are just not enough aspec headcanons in the fandom, we could always have more.
@angelicaether: they/them
Aether is a fucking gem unto this fandom- not only do they run Sky Side, a friendly, closeknit (hehe) server for 21+ Redacted fans but they also were who we have to thank for Redacted Kinktober 2023, bless them~ Highlights: New Job Posting is magnificent if you’re in the mood for some David/Angel smut today and this cute couple crossover fic if you’re feeling more SFW!
@caelumsnuff: they/them
Phoenix is magnificent, creative, and endlessly sweet. I also respect the hell out of anyone that can take the anon hate that they get with as much grace and attitude as they do /gen /pos Highlights: I love this gift for the Quinn-fuckers they wrote, I do, but I have to admit I'm partial to the Imperium!Vincent/Imperium!Asher piece they did, because their tension and hatred was just too palpable to deny, I needed it.
@empydoc: any pronouns
Empy's Soul Eater AU has not only taken over my life but has also got me deeply wanted a Soul Eater rewatch. God forbid xe succeed because this post has already been delayed enough /j Highlights: I love the Marcus/Asset post, because that's my favorite pairing but also because Asset as both an android and a weapon is so, so interesting. Blake/Bestie's is also a particular gem, because being a meister just gives him a new dimension to his manipulation and I love it.
@floofdeloop: she/her
Not only is Floof a beloved fic writer but she's also one of the adored DJs of the fandom. Are you really a fan if you haven't looked up Redacted on Spotify and saved all her playlists? /j Highlights: Her whole playlist page is literally so good, but I love the cute, domestic vibes of this Geordi one or the tragic, angsty, Britrock vibes of this Porter playlist~!
@joshusten: they/them
Sten is one of if not the writer that comes to mind when you're looking for amazing Guy/Honey content! Highlights: Bitter Melon is my personal favorite of their work; what can I say? I'm a sucker for a little jealousy in my fics. You also can't miss Honeysuckle, their most recent piece which gets into Guy's canonically less-than-pure mind~
@pinksparkl: she/her
Gosh, where would we be without her? Pink never has a bad word or thought for anyone and just persists in being a delightful, sweet presence in the fandom. Highlight: I can't decide what I'm more obsessed with- their Adam-centric fic exploring the Progeny/Maker bond or their nsfw Gavin-centric with his tail exploring Freelancer nudge nudge wink wink
@redlikeredacted: they/them
Just as their blog says, they are the CEO of Dasher. In my head, they are the president of both the David/Asher and the Autistic!David fan clubs, and I'd vote for them a second and third term okay I love Red Highlights: Their "David bottoming for the first time" fic is everything to me okay I am here for nothing but this except maybe this Milo fic where he gets Aggro~
@teafairywithabook: she/they
A lovely writer, voice actor, and person, Cheri does it all! With a whole 34 Redacted works on AO3, they are a must-follow. Highlights: I'll provide the masterlist of previously mentioned works, but I must recommend her nsfw Avior/Starlight fic keeping us sated until we finally get an Avior BA and their fic of Alexis's POV of Sam's turning I couldn't not okay I'm just a person I have biases
@tepid-judas: he/they/it
My favorite Adam stan, my friend, and the person who converted me into an Adam/Brighteyes shipper, I thank Judas every day for that. Highlights: I love their series of epistolary fics, because who doesn’t love a good letter, but I would be remiss if I didn’t rec his DAMN polycule plus Xavier fic cause fuck canon let's add frosty the snowman to the orgy /lh
@themonotonysyndrome: she/her
Lady, my dearest friend and greatest foe~ How else do I describe the gorgeous, sociable, friendly person who bought Alexis/Christian into the world and ruined my life? (affectionate) Highlights: Let these two assholes in love take you on a ride, fall in love with them too. If that's not your vibe, I cannot recommend enough her insane, gen z Bright Eyes being an absolute fucking terror /pos
Fanart:
@androgynouspenguinexpert
Can YOU believe Penguin's only been posting art since, like, December? I certainly can't, because it's like they've drawn every boy at this point and each is as smoochable and adorable as the last. Highlights: Their Porter is one of my favorites; what can I say? Who can resist this high ponytail and cape combo? I also love their Hush, cause look at him~! He's adorable! Penguin gives all these boys such luscious, floofable hair; I love them!
@cute-brainz: she/they/it
Kindly, lovingly, respectfully, Cute's listeners designs reduce me to a sniveling, simpering puddle of a simp. I become nothing but a humble, simple straight man, and none of you came blame me good god their listeners are hotter than all the redacted men- Highlights: Like, look at their Lovely: the hair, the singlet, the VIBES? Fuckin irresistible; like Vincent, I'd give them anything their heart desires. And their ANGEL? The MINUTE David Shaw fumbles that bag, I'm on my knees with a ring hello earth angel will you be mine
@darling-solaire
Darl has been posting art for only a month and a half at the writing of the post, and yet I feel like I've loved their Solaires for forever. They, as a unit, are hot and tragic as fuck, and I love them. Highlights: I am obsessed, particularly, with the Solaire family portraits, but maybe that's because my girl Alexis is up there, and I love her. There's also this bust compilation of more Redacted boys in case you didn't find your favorite in the Solaires~!
@free-boundsoul: she/her
Okay so, like, vibe with me did you ever love Lisa Frank products with the bright, saturated colors and sparkling eyes but wish instead of cuddly animals that there were really hot men? Then Savvie is the artist for you~ Highlights: One, it's fun to see a Regulus that's not blue, okay? It's thinkin outside the box. Two, the CRACKS? WITH THE GOLD PEEKING THROUGH? I'm inconsolable my god. Speaking of daemons, Fool!Gavin is sort of everything to me. He's just really rocking that sweater vest!
@hotmcrodz: he/they
I know for a fact that I'm not the only one obsessed with the way Jai draws human anatomy. I have unironically seen a Jai piece in the tag and gone "WOWZA" like I'm Jim Carrey in The Mask; that's what they do to me. Highlights: This Milo was one of the pieces that made my eyes pop out my head like a cartoon wolf; I think it's the shirtlessness plus the muscle pose. I just couldn't handle it. I also reacted like that to their Babe because I am an equal opportunity pervert /hj
@izzuku: he/they
Izzuku designs characters with the most realistic and gorgeous body types; like, I love the soft jawlines and how warm and touchable they draw skin. Every Izzuku design is kissable as hell. Highlights: I have to recommend his Regulus and Hush designs, obviously, they're my favorite men. However, I can't let the world go by another rotation without recommending this special Halloween version of Vincent~!
@kilarthmac: she/they
In case we needed another reason to love and appreciate the iconic timestamping account we all recognize from the Redacted comments, we cannot neglect their fanart! Highlights: Like, look at this brought-back-wrong Vega! This Hush with his cute face and off-putting air! He's so cute and so weird! I also love this piece they've done for one of my favorite rarepairs, Imperium!Lasko/Adam~
@latenightsleeper: he/they/it/she
My kinfolk and my beloved, one of the few people who understand me and the vision that is beautiful, blonde, dumb and lovable Christian. They will give you so many feelings about Darlin and Christian, and they will cause you agony /pos Highlights: Obviously, I'm obsessed with the Tank/Christian art like this one (Christian is just so cuuute), but we're all obsessed with this Sam/Darlin animatic set to Eat Your Young.
@maxpaulll
An amazing artist that I'm so glad we managed to get to migrate to Tumblr from Twitter so I could put them on this list~ Highlights: I am obsessed always with their Indigenous character designs, especially David. Like, look at him, he's indescribably beautiful, outshone by no one except maybe Max's Imp!Vega, because oh my god look at him~
@nortyourself: she/her
I don't think there's anyone who's not obsessed with at least one of Rachel's pieces; like, I believe she'll get to every Redacted man with the speed and beauty she works. Even Reticuli has gotten the Rachel treatment and been made hot af. Highlights: Technically, this Imperium!Damien just takes me breath away; like, it would be blown up and framed in his palace (for all of his short and tempestuous reign). Personally, her Hush has a dear and special place in my heart. He's just my favorite~!
@penncilkid: any pronouns
One of the most gorgeous and darling and non-stop creators in the space! They're a true triple threat, kicking our hearts in the butt with their art, their writing, and their audio roleplay series~ Highlights: With so many mediums under their belt, it's so hard to choose. If you're looking for purely Redacted content, their art is prolific and so creative, I've got to share the whole gallery. If you're in the market for a new VA to fall in love with, you've got to check out their youtube channel~!
@pycth: any pronouns
I dont have anything creative or profound to say here- all of pycth's designs are smoking hot and would render me selectively mute with a glance, 'nuff said. Highlights: How can I PICK? Ugh, hottest of the hot that comes to mind has got to be their President Moore art; like, this pose isn't FAIR. On the other end of the spectrum, if you want your heart kicked in the butt, I don't think any of us are over this Sam piece or ever will be.
@rainingcatsandjune: any pronouns
Another new artist who's only been here since April, and yet- I would die for his and his fine-ass, touchable Sam. Like, hell, render any man pretty like that, and I'll die for him. That's how pretty this art is. Highlights: Like, look at him. How does one do anything but look at him, especially in this pose? Again, look at him! Look at the hands. The soft, touchable glow and how it lights and shades his and Darlin's skin. The broad shoulders good god~
@sainthowlzon: they/he
You can't turn a corner on tumblr without seeing some of Howl's adorable Scribble Dolls or Icons! (Or any other social media actually. I feel like I've deffo seem some of Howl's icons on Tiktok too.) They're cute, they're iconic, and there's one for almost everyone! Highlights: Here's that full set of icons for your perusal; my personal favorite is Asset's. And here's the full set of Redacted Scribble Dolls; my favorite is Regulus, I think, because of his freaky vibes, but it's so hard to pick!
@sincerelywhistler: any pronouns
Like everyone with a working set of eyes and a beating heart, I am obsessed with all of Wes's designs; like, who wouldn't fall in love at first sight with all those beautiful and often shirtless people? Highlights: There's honestly too many to pick from, but I'll TRY. Their Gavin is an absolute must, I share it with the Discord on sight, he's that it girl if you will. Oh, and one cannot neglect Avior's HBS piece; I'm not even an Avior girlie, and I was like daaaaaamnnnnnnn~
@slushiepizza: they/them
Where would all the guy-lovers be without Slushie and their absolute cornucopia of Guy and Honey delights? Like, where else would we get our homemade, MacGyver'd serotonin? Highlights: The "Everyday" series is everything to me, and I mean everything; Guy has become too relatable and has struck me right in the heart. If you're not in a Guy mood, I'm also in love with their older, cozy Anton~!
@s0lairee: she/they
Jo's style is just so clean, so cute, and I really love it when they play with lighting in their pieces. Like, we are almost, almost there to making me stan Vincent if you're gonna drape him in moonlight like that... Highlights: ...thought, if I had to pick, I'd probably lean more towards Vincent's partner. They're rocking the red eyes, I love them! I'm also obsessed with their freckle-y, sweet Lasko, because who isn't?
@strawberrybouvine: he/they
The artistic equivalent of gourmet candy, I am absolutely obsessed with the gorgeous colors of Jasper's art and cannot get enough of the sweetness! Is this sugar running through my veins or unparalleled cuteness? Highlights: I'm not even a David stan but, like, jesus christ, the long hair and hairy chest makes me want to go feral. Don't even get me started on the cuteness of his chibi art, I really will start foaming at the mouth.
@theflowersaremine
I don't know exactly what medium Haylin uses or what colors or effects they use, but goddamn it makes those men so dreamy. I'm not even a Sam stan, but that's a smoochable man right out of Gilmore Girls /pos Highlights: Like, are you seeing the Gilmore Girls vision? That's a handsome man from a wholesome show geared for women- almost as handsome as this art of David. I see this smile in my dreams; it's so beautiful.
@venuslove-28: any pronouns
Venus's art is strawberry and vanilla soft serve injected straight into my heart; it's so familiar and cute, so charming, and I want to stim and bounce in excitement when I see it. Does that make sense? It'll make sense when you see it. Highlights: Personally, I have never and I will never stop thinking about this Huxley, I am simply not capable. Their Avior is also cuter than all get-out, I must admit.
@wingless-cupid
I don't think anyone does cute and colorful and pastel and kawaii quite like Cupid. You can't help but look and admire all the eye-catching colors and then want to hug their cheery, dynamic characters! Highlights: I'm highkey obsessed with their Freelancer and DAMNily and all their d(a)emons in general. Like, look at this! Minh is such a cutie and a simp, I love them! I'm also constantly thinking about this art in particular, because look at all these PRICELESS EXPRESSIONS!
@yoteako: he/it
Would you like stunning, high quality art and tragic, old man yaoi on your dash? That's a silly question; of course you do which is why we're going to follow and love on Yote. Highlights: See how beautiful, doomed, and intimate this multi-page comic is about two characters who've never canonically spoken? That's devotion. On the less forsaken side of the narrative, their Gavin/Lasko ship art is embedded into my heart.
If you’re reading all the way here, I hope you found the post helpful and smiled while making your way through it! Or both! The RedactedAudio fandom is truly one of my favorite spaces on the internet; it’s so intimate and creative, and I’ve found some amazing, perfect friends here, so I hope you will too 💖
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beerok23 · 7 months
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I am a happy heterosexual female being involved in a healthy (gratefully) relationship with my awesome husband. I've got two kids, the first one is 8 and the second one is 3.
And I simply adore Good Omens. My husband loves it. My first kid Andie, loves it. She’s been watching GO2 on repeat since she found out about it.
I don’t love GO because I'm a huge The Sandman lover – I only discovered Neil Gaiman's masterpiece in the last few months, after my mother's death. Btw, she was a huge Good Omens fan, too. I’ve watched GO1 a few years ago, and I loved it immensely, but I hadn’t realized the power in it. Not until I watched season 2.
I don’t simply love Good Omens for the funny bits, for the incredibly well written dialogues, for the exquisite scenes from the Bible revisited in the most peculiar way. God, I don’t even love it *just* for the incredible talent of David and Michael (and they became such a light in my life that I felt the need to watch Stage in less than 3 days.)
I feel the need to clarify this: I love this wonderful tv show because the relationship between Aziraphale and Crowly is so pure, so intense and yet so delicate. It makes you believe in true universal love, in soulmates, in trust and compromise – which should be the keywords in every relationship. And David and Michael's acting is so perfect, I mean they are so in tune with each other, they incarnate these two ineffable idiots in such a perfect way that you can't stop picturing Aziraphale and Crowley as them. They simply ARE them, Angel and Demon, in a perfect portrayal full of undeniable chemistry.
I’m so proud to be able to grow my daughter and son in a world where this awesome piece of television exists.
What I want to say is this: when you don’t know what to watch to explain what LOVE is to your kids, and I mean Universal, Inclusive, Unconditonal Love, please remember Good Omens. I’ve never watched anything as capable to move me for such a pure and special form of love.
David and Michael say that Aziraphale and Crowley are like the Yin and the Yang: the one cannot exist without the other. And that’s the kind of energy I want to pass down on to my children. And...nothing, I just felt the need to put this here. Sorry.
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Peace At Last
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A purely self-indulgent Ten x Reader fic because I just love Ten so much okay! (gif made by me)
Let me know what you think!
Read on ao3
Tagging some people I’ve recently followed who I think might like it: @denaliwrites @tatennant @doctor-donnaa @quite-right-too @theetherealbloom @my-lonely-angel @casasupernovas @kbishop @tennant @raining-stars-somewhere-else @davidtennan-t
Ten x Reader, she/her/hers pronouns, one use of Y/N
(Sorry if this causes pain especially since it’s the last episode with Fourteen and David Tennant as The Doctor today. Wishing everyone so much love and hope you can cope with the pain we will all be experiencing in 5 hours!)
They bumped into each other.
Literally.
He wasn’t looking where he was going, just trying to focus on not collapsing in the street before he could make it back to the TARDIS, and she was coming out of a shop.
This was almost the end.
He could feel it.
He felt it when he saw Rose but he couldn’t let go.
Not yet.
He had one more stop.
He wanted to be near where she lived.
He just wanted to be near her.
One last time.
He didn’t want to wipe her memory but he had to.
It wasn’t like it was with Donna but he knew that one day she would die because of him and he didn’t want that.
He couldn’t bear the thought.
It had to be done so she could live and she never would have left of her own accord. She would never leave him willingly so what other choice did he have?
Especially after trying to change time and becoming The Time Lord Victorious. Look how that turned out.
Adelaide Brooke still died only it was his fault instead of it being an accident.
“Oh shit! Sorry! I should have been looking where I was going!” A voice said.
“No, it’s m-” He knew that voice. His luck really was great(!)
He must’ve paused for a beat too long because she spoke again. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”
That was her all over. Always worrying and caring about others (him especially).
“Yeah! I’m fine!” He replied, trying to sound nonchalant. “Just feeling a bit under-the-weather. Winter and all, you know?” His voice didn’t sound like him. It was nervous, slightly high-pitched, and shook a little. He hoped that she didn’t know that there was something wrong.
“I know. You might want to invest in some actual winter clothes though to keep you warm. Converse and winter are not the best combination,” she laughed, looking him up and down at his unusual (to her now anyway) attire.
He could’ve cried and hugged her at hearing the jibe she’s told him multiple times while travelling with him. Instead, he forced himself to laugh and smile at her.
“Yeah, I suppose I should. Maybe one day,” he replied, scratching the back of his neck. A habit that he had developed when he was nervous.
She would have noticed and usually tried to comfort him. But not now. The thought made his hearts ache.
“Sorry but do I know you?” She asked, staring at him with a slight frown. His hearts leapt into his throat. “You just seem so familiar. What’s your name?”
He quickly composed himself before replying with a classic phrase. “No, sorry, I don’t think you do. I guess I just have one of those faces. Name’s David. David Smith.”
She had told him to stop with the John Smith alias as “no-one believes that’s your name. I may as well call myself Jane Doe.” So he had changed it as soon as he wiped her mind. Just in case he ever saw her again and the name John Smith made her remember.
“David…” She trailed off, as if she was trying to place the name, still slightly frowning until the crease between her eyebrows eased. “I guess you do just face on of those faces. Sorry about that,” she finished, smiling sheepishly.
He mentally released a breath that he didn’t realise he was holding.
“No worries,” he replied, smiling to try to ease her embarrassment that he knew she was feeling.
She may not remember him but he still knew her like the back of every hand he’s ever had.
They stood there for a few moments, longer than two seemingly strangers should, just smiling at each other before she looked away, a light blush colouring her already flushed cheeks from the cold.
His hearts ached again and pain filled his entire being.
He would never get to see her blush from embarrassment due to looking at him for too long again.
“I should probably go before the snow gets worse,” she said.
He looked around and noticed that the snow had started to get heavier since they had been talking.
“Of course. Get home safe.” His voice cracked. Home should be in the TARDIS with him.
“You too. Before you go,” she said, putting a hand on his arm as he was turning the leave.
He could feel the pain of having to leave her almost bring him to his knees due to feeling her touch again. It had felt so long since he had felt that and he never wanted her to stop.
He would never feel her comforting touch or her hand in his again and he was starting to break
She was rummaging through her bag and took out a blue scarf. TARDIS blue.
“Here,” she said softly as she leaned up on her tip toes and wrapped it around his neck. “I don’t know why but I just bought this. It’s not really my thing and I don’t have anyone else to give it to but there was something in my mind that urged me to buy it. Maybe this was fate,” she chuckled. “There! Looks great!” She grinned, smoothing out the scarf and his breath caught as her fingers grazed the back of his head.
“Thank you, he responded quietly, tears filling his eyes “Truly. Thank you.” He took her hands in his and kissed the back of them.
“You’re very welcome,” she said, just as quietly as him, and blushed once more.
He let go of her hands and took a step back. He swore that he saw disappointment on her face at that.
He didn’t have time to dwell on it for too long as she had thrown her arms tightly around his waist and pressed her face into his chest, taking a deep breath of him in.
He wasn’t sure if his hearts had stopped completely or if they were beating so fast that he couldn’t feel them beating properly anymore.
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head, taking in the familiar and comforting scent.
The hug ended as quickly as it had started but before he could feel too disappointed, she had placed her hands on his shoulders, almost wrapping her arms around his neck like the scarf was, and pressed her lips to his cheek.
She stepped back and smiled brightly at him
“Merry Christmas, Doctor,” she said as she walked away.
He was frozen.
Did she just-?
Could she-?
No.
She couldn’t remember him.
Could she?
His brain was working faster than normal.
“Merry Christmas, Y/N,” he called after her before he knew was he was doing.
She briefly turned back and waved, that beautiful smile still on her lips, lighting up her whole face.
“Merry Christmas, my love,” he whispered, turning the corner as quickly as he could to find the TARDIS before him.
He could feel the old girl humming happily in his head and he smiled at her in return.
The image of his love didn’t leave his mind.
Not even as he noticed Ood Sigma.
Not even as he started to feel the pain of death returning.
Even when the Ood started singing to him and he felt himself burning, he could still see her.
Her smile bright and warm, helping him find peace.
At last.
~ A few streets away ~
“Huh. That was weird,” she said out loud.
Shrugging, she entered a café, still smiling and felt a warmth that travelled deep into her soul.
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fluentmoviequoter · 2 months
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Let Me Help
Requested Here!
Pairing: Dominique Luca x fostered!SWAT!fem!reader
Summary: When Los Angeles is hit with a freak cold front and your apartment loses heat, you don't ask for help. Luca sees how sick you are and pays you a visit which ends with him taking you back to his house to heal.
Warnings: reader was a foster kid, angst, sickness (pneumonia), fluff and comfort! there's also several Batman references. oops.
Word Count: 2.6k+ words
Masterlist Directory | Luca Masterlist | Request Info\Fandom List
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In hindsight, becoming a member of S.W.A.T. may have been a mistake. Not because you don’t enjoy the work or get along with your team but because your past makes certain things hard for you. Growing up in the foster system is a lot of things, and it caused you to be incredibly self-reliant. You learned to be responsible and take care of yourself at a very early age. More than that, you were led to believe that no one would ever want to help you. So, now that you are an adult, you find it hard to ask for help. No matter who it is, asking for assistance or backup is not easy, which makes it hard to be a member of 20-David sometimes.
When you’re in the field, you can switch that part of your brain off, and become a S.W.A.T. officer rather than a foster kid. But the moment you get back to HQ and need your teammates’ help, the words seem to disappear, and you forget how to ask people to be there for you, even those closest to you.
Joining 20-David, however, saved your life. Before S.W.A.T., you were, for the most part, alone and lost. They gave you a home, a family, and everything else you never had before. While every team member cares about you, Luca shows you what it is like to be loved and appreciated.
✯✯✯✯✯
“It’s freezing out there,” Hondo complains as he enters HQ.
“Coldest winter in history according to the news,” Street replies. “Which means desperate, cold people and more calls for us. Any chance this is like Batman, and Alfred can make us special winter uniforms before the first one?”
“Sure,” you answer. “I’m sure that’s precisely what Hicks is doing right now.”
“What am I doing?” he asks as he rounds a corner.
“Nothing,” you and Street answer together.
“Alfred,” Street whispers to you.
You press your lips together to keep yourself from laughing while suppressing a shiver. It is certainly cold, and the heat in your apartment complex went out in the middle of the night. Most people then left and found somewhere else to stay, but hotels are booked, and you can’t find the right time or words to ask your team to lend you a hand or a place to stay.
“Sorry I’m late,” Luca says as he joins your side.
He rubs his hands together to warm up and smiles at you. Hicks gives you information on a fugitive warrant and pulls up a blueprint of the man’s house. There are several points of entry, but the man knows how to barricade all of them, so your team will have to take a unique approach.
“Cut the power and wait for him to get cold,” Deacon suggests.
“Man, what do you have to complain about?” Hondo asks. “You’ve got a wife and four kids to keep you warm.”
“Really?” Hicks asks. “You wanna bring up body heat, playboy?”
You chuckle and stick your hands farther into your pockets. Luca shakes his head beside you before lowering his voice to ask how you are.
“I’m alright. Ready for sunny Los Angeles to get sunny again,” you answer. “What about you?”
“I’d have to say the same. If you want to come over for my world-famous hot chocolate tonight, feel free,” Luca offers.
“Hot chocolate?” Street asks.
“That got his attention better than I ever have,” Hicks grumbles.
“Luca’s hot chocolate is like Christmas and happiness and pure warmth in a cup. And I do pay attention to you, Commander, but my eyelids are frozen shut.”
“Just, go execute the warrant and get back. It’s going to be a long week with this cold front,” Hicks interjects.
“Yes, sir,” Hondo replies. “Let’s roll.”
When you open your locker and realize you forgot your second long-sleeved t-shirt at home, you lean your head against the locker door.
“Here,” Luca says as he extends a jacket to you. “It’s an old one, but I accidentally picked up both.”
“I can’t accept that,” you begin.
“I don’t need it. Seriously, I’ll feel better knowing you’re warm. Work with me?”
Luca smiles, and you accept the jacket with a smile. It’s warm and smells like Luca’s cologne, so, once it’s on, you regret arguing against it. If you could live in this jacket, you would.
“We got this,” Luca reminds you as he walks by your side to Black Betty.
✯✯✯✯✯
The following morning, when your alarm goes off, you feel like you can’t wake up. Your apartment is still without heat, and the permeating cold sucks the energy out of you. When you finally pry your eyes open, you remember that you are still wearing Luca’s jacket, and that gives you the surge of energy you need to get out of bed and get ready. You’ve been sleeping in too many layers, and with each one you strip off, you feel the cold settle further into you. Your joints are stiff, your nose is runny, and you can’t shake the tiredness caused by the dropping temperature. Something needs to change, but you don’t know how to fix it. There has to be a trick to surviving this without help… if only you knew what it was.
In the warm locker room, you scroll through your phone in a sad attempt to find a hotel or rental house you can afford. They’re all booked through the end of the week or ridiculously overpriced, so you turn the phone off and lean back against the bench.
“How are you?” Luca asks when he enters. “The jacket looks good on you.”
“Oh, do you need it back?” You sit up as you ask, but Luca smiles and waves you off.
“No, keep it as long as you want. Can’t remember the last time I wore it. Everything okay on your side of town? Some of the buildings in my neighborhood lost heat during the night.”
You shake your head as you prepare to lie. “Everything’s good.”
Luca nods but glances over when you sniff. The cold can be blamed for some of what is happening in Los Angeles right now, but Luca suspects there is something that you aren’t telling him. He’s repeatedly told you he’s here for you, but Street explained that foster kids aren’t great at reaching out, no matter how close someone is. So, Luca will wait for you to come to him, and his arms will be open when you do.
✯✯✯✯✯
By the end of the week, you are miserable. The cold front has stalled, so meteorologists have little idea about when it will warm up again, and your apartment is getting colder every day. You’ve been able to sleep despite the conditions, but each morning, waking up is harder than the day before. You’re constantly tired, and your sniffles worsen, becoming an ache in your chest. The joint pain has worsened, and while it eases at work, it only intensifies each night you return home.
Luca keeps a close eye on you and can tell you’re tired, but he doesn’t want to push you to talk. If he could convince you to tell Street what's up, maybe you’d be more open, he thinks. You interrupt his internal debate with a deep cough. It rattles your chest and hurts your body as it escapes.
“That does not sound good,” Luca says as he turns toward you.
You’re shivering and can barely keep your eyes open, but you shake your head and reply, “I’m good. The cold is just bothering my allergies, I think.”
Hondo yells for you, and you stand quickly, ignoring the pain as you do so. Luca watches you go and grows more concerned for you. He asks Deacon if he’s noticed you acting differently and Deacon immediately answers that he is nearly certain you are getting sick. They both know you won’t tell anyone, preferring to risk your safety at work rather than asking for assistance. It’s part of your personality, even if it worries them.
Out of stubbornness and not recognizing that your team is worried about your well-being, you brush off their questions and concerns about your health. You’ve been living in the cold for nearly a week now, and you are sure the heat will be fixed soon (even if you have to figure out how to repair it yourself). So, you return home to a freezing apartment and silently hope you wake up in the morning.
✯✯✯✯✯
Not only do you wake up, but you wake up while it’s still dark out because you’re coughing and shaking. You’re burning up, which is the first of many clues that you are not okay. After picking up your phone, you find Luca’s contact and sit with your finger positioned over the call button. He would happily come to get you and let you rest in his heated house, but when you imagine him answering, you no longer want to admit you need help. So, you get up and slowly get ready before driving to S.W.A.T. HQ. At the least, you can sit in a warm room before your shift starts.
When you enter, Rocker’s team is about to start a training exercise and invite you to join. You have an hour before you have to be in uniform, so you agree, mostly so they don’t get as suspicious as 20-David already is.
At the end of the exercise, you are holding your coughs in and fighting to hide how hard your arms and hands are shaking. You feel terrible, and anyone who looks at your target from the shooting range will be able to see that it’s affecting your work.
You don’t notice Luca standing at the edge of the rink, and when Rocker knocks you to the mat with a single hit, he jumps onto the mat beside you.
“Hey,” he calls as he gestures for Rocker to step back.
His words don’t reach your ears over your coughing, but you see him and force yourself to calm down. Luca and Rocker stand over you, clearly concerned, and you smile as you accept their help.
“I’m fine,” you promise. “Just wanted to see if Rocker would pull his punches for a girl.”
“The fist of justice is unisex,” Rocker replies sarcastically.
“You and Street should have a Batman marathon,” you reply as you follow Luca to the locker room.
“I’m just going to be direct,” Luca begins once you’re alone. “I’m really worried about you.”
“Luca, I’m just not doing well with the cold. I’ll be fine, though. I appreciate the concern, but it’s unnecessary.”
You stand, and Luca says your name. Stopping, you can’t decide if you want to let go and tell him everything or push him away like you normally do.
“Luca, I am fine.”
“You clearly are not.”
“I know that you care, but leave it alone, Luca.”
You walk away before he responds. As you pass Deacon, you realize that Luca touched your skin, so he probably suspects you have a fever. However, your conversation with Luca makes you feel worse, so you decide to power through the day and then call your landlord about your heater. Again.
✯✯✯✯✯
Luca watches you leave the minute your shift is over. You don’t change or wash up, and he decides that he can’t leave it, or you, alone any longer. As he drives to your apartment, Luca plans to remind you that you need to rest and take care of yourself, especially in this weather. He sees a drugstore and stops quickly to gather a few things he thinks may help you feel better. Maybe you’ll surprise him by accepting his offer to help you care for yourself.
When Luca pulls into the parking lot of your apartment, he’s surprised to find it nearly empty. He parks behind your car and rushes to your door. His concern grows with each moment he waits for your answer.
✯✯✯✯✯
You continue to shiver painfully despite being dressed in your tactical uniform, plus several sweatshirts, Luca’s jacket, and a blanket around your shoulders. Someone knocks on your door, and the only reason you force yourself off the bed is out of hope that it is the heat repair guy. When you open the door, you can’t decide to be happy or disappointed that it’s Luca.
Your voice is broken up by your harsh shivers as you ask what he’s doing there. Luca immediately feels how cold your apartment is and pushes inside. He sets a plastic bag on your counter before walking into your bedroom. He moves silently around your home like he belongs there and gathers your things as he goes.
“What are you doing?” you ask quietly.
“Are you out of your mind?” Luca replies. Despite the harshness of his question, his voice is soft, if a little annoyed. “How long has your heat been out? You said the cold was getting to you – because you let it in. Living like this is the reason you are sick! You should have told me, any one of us, so that we could help you. My house is always open to you, you know that.”
You get confused watching Luca gather your things while ranting about how you should have told him something. He reprimands you and helps you at the same time, it seems.
“Let’s go,” he says as he puts the bag he brought in your stuffed backpack.
“Where?” you inquire as you pull the blanket tighter around you.
“My house. Someone has to help you overcome the pneumonia you probably have.”
“But-“
“No more buts,” Luca declares. “I’m not asking, babe.”
The pet name catches you off guard, but you take Luca’s offered hand without question. You didn’t ask for help, but accepting it isn’t necessarily easier than asking for it. Once you’re at his house, he makes you comfortable on the couch before bringing you a warm drink and some medicine. His requests are soft-spoken, and you obey wordlessly.
“Thank you,” you murmur when he finally sits beside you.
Luca shakes his head and clenches his jaw quickly. “I’ll always be here to help you. I enjoy protecting you, caring for you, all of it. But you have to stop acting like it’s an imposition.”
“I can’t tell if you’re being sappy or are just really annoyed with me.”
“Both!” Luca exclaims. “Look, I can understand being independent to a degree, but living like that could have been so much worse than this, and this is bad.”
You nod and look down at the blanket. “I have trouble asking for help,” you admit. “Growing up, I didn’t have people I could ask for help. The few that I did ask wouldn’t help me, so I just learned to do everything by myself. Finding the words, the opportunity to ask… it’s hard.”
Luca’s eyes soften as he lays his hands over yours. “I promise that I will always be here. I will always be ready, able, and willing to help you. I want to help you because I care about you.”
“Why am I so important?” you whisper as you look into his eyes.
Luca licks his lips before deciding to tell you a version of the truth. “Because I care about you. More than I’ve ever cared about anyone before.”
He says care, but he thinks love. Maybe after he’s gotten you healthy again, you can have an open and honest conversation with one another. For now, though, you close your eyes and lean against his shoulder, warm and happy. 
“I care about you, too. More than I should,” you mumble against Luca's shirt before falling asleep.
Luca smiles and tugs the blanket tighter around your shoulders before kissing your forehead. He will help you until he can’t help you anymore and love every moment of it, he thinks.
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3d-wifey · 3 months
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NSFT Alphabet: Star (poly!lost boys + Michael) Edition
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A/N: I needed to add my girl Star to the equation. It's been a WIP for ages, but I decided to finish it to give my brain a little break from writing Chapter 14 of the Finnick story---which should be the next thing I post. This is to be read in conjecture with the nsfw alphabet: poly!lost boys edition since it's all the same universe.
A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)
Out of all of your partners, you and Star are certainly the closest. Emotionally, at least. When it's just the two of you, it always ends in caressing skin, giggling, and whispering declarations of love to each other. All in all, it's very soft. You're very soft on each other. If you're with the other boys, she'd love for you to lay on her while the two of you watch them goof around.
B = Body Part (Their favorite body part of theirs and also their partners)
Her favorite body part of hers is her legs. She loves how it feels when you rub your hands up and down them. She especially loves wrapping them around your waist. She loves all of you, especially your hips. She's insatiable, standing behind you with her hands gripping your sides, always touching. She can't get enough of you.
C = Cum (Anything to do with cum, basically)
She loves it when you cum on her strap. That way she can fuck into your mouth while she makes you clean it off. She loves coming on your face the most. The pure joy in your eyes when she puts her full weight on your face is almost as gratifying as the orgasm.
D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self-explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)
This is a shared one between you and her. The boys will usually send you out together to lure them a meal or two in. I mean, the combined beauty and seductive power between you two is enough to make a nun break her vows. 
And whenever that happens, Star has the nifty idea to play up the flirting, so to speak. You could very well get the job done with fleeting touches and coy smiles, instead, Star hangs off of the arm of one guy and you play with the hair of another. Of course, in full view of the boys. The entire point is to make them jealous. And when David, because obviously, confronts you both about it with snippy little comments like "Have fun, girls?" or "You two were playing longer than expected." You just shrug with innocent smiles and hold hands. After all, they're the ones that told you to seduce the prey. They can't get too upset at their own idea, especially when it works so well (they can and they do). 
E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)
Star was turned in the 70s, the era of free love, so she's had her fair share of partners. That being said, she has more experience with girls than she does with boys. So you're in good hands.
F = Favorite Position (This goes without saying)
Need I say more? I will say more. She loves being on top of you as you grind your wet cunts together. What's not to love? From up there, she can dictate the pace and just how hard she wants to go. Watching you writher and whine under her, the sounds of your begging, and just how wet you both are. It makes her feel desperate to reach her high until she grinds faster and faster against you. 
G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment? Are they humorous? etc.)
She might grace you with one of her angelic laughs every now and then. But honestly, it's almost always a very giggly affair. You're a couple of giggly girls in love. 
H = Hair (How well-groomed are they? Does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)
Picture this: you're at Woodstock, you're on crazy hard drugs, the guy on stage is on crazy hard drugs, the people you're having an orgy with are on crazy hard drugs. It's a time of peace and nature and free love, man. You don't need any of that consumer shit the Man says you do, like razors or scissors or basic hygiene. That kind of mindset has sorta stuck with Star even after she turned. But she does trim it before it can get too wild. So, think more of a shrub than a bush.
I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment? The romantic aspect.)
Now, you're speaking her language. The only person who can rival her in this department is Dwayne, but why would you pit two queens against each other? Between the two of them, you're gonna be showered in so many romantic gestures you'll get a rash in the shape of a heart. 
J = Jack off (Masturbation Headcanon)
No need ;)
K = Kink (One or more of their kinks)
Enthusiastic consent: There’s something about the desperation of your begging, it’s a heady feeling knowing just how much you want her.
Mommy Kink: You may have awakened Michael's, but he awakened hers. Now, it's almost guaranteed that whenever you and Star have sex with the boys, they're getting dominated. You're a tag team, a dynamic dom duo. Everybody say “thank you” to Michael. You give up the reins to her whenever it's just you two. Good choice. 
Overestimation: To others, of course. Even if you think you can't cum anymore, she surprises you by coaxing another and another and—you get it. Doesn't stop until you and your pussy are crying (Paul loves to be a witness to this). The guys aren't exempt from it. When the dynamic dom duo is loose, the boys get to find out if that accelerated healing is fast enough to stop them from shooting blanks.
L = Location (Favorite places to do the do)
In her room, one of the surviving rooms of the sunken hotel the boys eventually cleared out for her and moved her bed into. 
M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)
Pain, but not her own. Odd, for how compassionate she is. She’s not getting horned up over Michael stubbing his toe or grievous harm done to her partners. There’s more nuance than that. Like, the first time you let her give you a piercing, she got alarmingly wet. That kind of pain. Regardless, you wanting her gets her going. Especially if you’re begging her even if you don’t have to considering she gives into you the easiest. 
N = No (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)
No anal, that hole is off-limits. It's never interested her before, and it sure as shit doesn't now. Sorry, Marko. No period sex, for obvious reasons. If she thought resisting blood was hard before, boy was she in for a surprise. Your period is almost harder on her than it is on you! But she endures it because she loves her baby :(
O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)
Prefers to give you head even though she enjoys your mouth very much, hence why your period is a tricky time of the month for her—for the tribe as a whole, honestly. The boys are especially greedy around that time, they make you feel like a damn capri-sun but at least they take care of your cramps. While the boys are enjoying breakfast in bed, Star and Michael learn the true meaning of restraint. 
Prefers to get head from the boys though. Queen shit.
P = Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)
Depends on many factors and what position. She's strapping you down from the back? Fast and deep strokes. Missionary? She's going slow and deep, making sure you feel every inch despite your begging for her to go faster. Tribbing? Fast and rough, she's usually just as desperate as you to cum. The pace with the boys depends on who she's with and if it's more than one person.
Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)
Quickies for y'all involve either fingering or oral. The boys might like the thrill of doing it in public, but she prefers the cave where she can lay you out the way she likes. But, she will be taken by the urge to make you cum, and if it just so happens to be in public? Welp. Que her fingers honing in on your G-spot in a truly diabolical fashion. It feels like she knows the intricacies of your vagina better than you do. (Off-topic side note: it's a toss-up between her and Dwayne for who makes you squirt for the first time.)
R = Risk (Are they game to experiment? Do they take risks? etc.)
Like I said for the boys. Safe, sane, consensual—but, unlike them, she actually cares about the sane and safe part too. It's hard to consider much of anything a risk that isn't garlic, holy water, stakes, and the sun. If it's something all parties involved are okay with, then Star is too. (Still no anal).
S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for? How long do they last?)
Supernatural stamina, even as a half-vampire. Goes for a loooooong time, especially with that overestimation kink. If it's just the two of you, you won't even remember how many rounds there's been. Truly insatiable, you'll need someone to tap in (likely Michael).
T = Toys (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)
Strap-on, obviously. You actually go pick it out with her since, you know, you're the one she's using it on. Michael tags along. She mainly tops whenever y’all break the strap out. Even if you're wearing it, she's riding you.
U = Unfair (How much they like to tease)
She loves to tease. She’s not teasing you, you're her baby, and she can't deny you anything. Now, the boys are a different story. She much prefers to tease them with you. 
Something she likes to do with you when they’ve pissed her off, or pissed you off, or just because she wants to is to start making out and feeling each other up in the cave while the boys are distracted with wrestling or smoking or doing something other than doting on their pretty girlfriends. 
But the gag is, the boys aren't allowed to join in. It’s always so fun getting them desperate and seeing their reactions. You two usually make a bet about who’ll cave and approach the two of you first. They typically send in Michael or Dwayne since Michael typically isn’t the one pissing you off and Dwayne is, well…he’s Dwayne.
It’s even more fun to do it on the boardwalk because their pride won’t let them grovel like they need to in order for you and Star to let them in on the fun. So they’re forced to watch and not touch.
And if anyone is dumb enough to say anything in front of your five very protective/quick-to-anger boyfriends when they’re already frustrated, well, free meal, am I right?
V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)
Ah, so pretty. Surprisingly raspy. Low tones and sweet moans. She really makes you feel her voice.
W = Wild Card (A random headcanon for the character)
This goes for the whole tribe actually, but she can smell when you’re ovulating. Yeah, and it affects her viciously. Especially when it falls a week after your period. She’s a weak woman, she’s already had to abstain from you for, like, a week. She needs her fix. Truly, as soon as you step foot into that cave when you’re ovulating, you’re getting accosted by seven ANIMALS (>)0o0)>
X = X-ray (Let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)
A perky B cup with brown nipples that get hard even when it's not cold. A proud member of the FPS, Fat Pussy Society
Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)
Very high, and she is a fiend. But she’s also a lady, so she wears her horniess better than the guys.
Z = Zzz (How quickly they fall asleep afterward)
Like I said in the aftercare, you’re very soft together and then you pass out together. It’ll really happen between one blink and the next. Suddenly you’re kissing each other, and then, bam! You’re drooling and snoring together. The boys find it adorable, sans Michael who’s passed out with y'all. Makes their undead hearts skip a beat.
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stupd000 · 3 months
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TW: me complaining
Can we talk about Guy for a second? I love him but he has absolutely NO DEPTH. From what we know, he’s a writer, was Honeys roommate, and was a talker in middle school. But we have been yet to get an audio where we get a look into his mind. There are so many questions I have about him. Is he always to talkative? Does he let Honey talk at all? And from what we can tell, he’s a purely fluff/humor character. Maybe this is just me but I want there to be more to him.
It’s upsetting because we’ve gotten snippets of him being something other than being funny, for example in “Taking Care of Your Sick, Chaotic Brat of a Boyfriend” we got to see how he was stressed about him having to reschedule his pitch meeting. Guy has a good amount of audios, but we only get tiny snippets of what their everyday life is like. Let’s take David for example. In David and Angels relationship we see the good, the bad, and the ugly of it all. With audios like “Jealous Tsundere Werewolf Boyfriend Confronts you.” We can see their relationship isn’t perfect. They work and grow together. But we haven’t seen any growth from Guy or Honey, they’re just- there.
I love Guy and I really hope that Erik will eventually decide to add some depth to this fan favorite character. 😔
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mvltisstuff · 1 year
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What about a fic where reader is Evan’s sister and gets into a bad car accident? Lots of angst but also some fluff please. 🫶🫶
slipping through my fingers - e.b
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summary: request :)
evan buckley x sister!reader (a lot of maddie too 🩶)
a/n: i have an eddie diaz oneshot in the drafts currently that i’ve been debating on posting. it contains a pretty sensitive subject, so i really wanted to get it right. it was inspired by another request, along with another show. i hope you enjoy this and i’ll keep on writing some more for you guys :))
y/n could say growing up with as the youngest buckley wasn’t the easiest task. the consistency of begging for attention was draining from the start. going above and beyond for just a grain of appreciation was the default in their house. she was repeatedly looked through, almost as if she wasn’t there due to her parents grief.
she had come after buck in a desperate attempt to be able to save david, but failed in the end. he was gone too soon, so therefore, y/n was almost like a chore. sure, her parents loved her, but she wasn’t the child they wanted. dealing with the discovery of why she wasn’t loved enough was just as bad as experiencing it. maddie was in boston with doug, and buck had gone onto his own adventures. meanwhile y/n was stuck at home with nowhere to go and no plans of leaving. she dreamed about it, though. she heard about buck moving to los angeles and immediately wanted to be with him. she was almost done with college, and after that, she packed up her diploma and degree and flew away.
life in california was amazing. she had friends, she was loved, and she had no reminders of the lonesomeness she felt at home. for once, she was able to make a home out of where she was. maddie was safe, and it felt like they were a fixed version of their family.
out of the pure intentions in her heart, y/n invited her distant parents back to LA. with maddie expecting a new baby, and the years of a few texts, there was a new hope that maybe things could be turned around. it wouldn’t change their childhood experiences, but maybe they could heal them. maddie was on board, but buck was still skeptical. their words were like knives and the scars couldn’t be helped. he showed up anyway, wanting to give maddie and her baby the opportunity to have a life with them.
they travelled six hours, and chimney and maddie were gracious enough to host a dinner for everyone. maddie received hugs and gifts as buck and y/n were kind of nudged away. when maddie got her baby box that her parents had from when they were kids, buck and y/n had just become dusty figures. they didn’t say anything, at least not about that.
an explosive speech from buck had ignited from the judgmental words from their parents, causing him to be begging for love and expressing his inner teenage self. he had removed himself from the dining room of the apartment, and y/n sat in her seat, slumped over with her head in her hands.
“god, can you guys please just do something other than reprimand us?” y/n breaks the awkward silence.
“we were just speaking, y/n!” says their father. “if evan wants to storm out, let him.”
“well, maybe he wouldn’t have stormed out if you didn’t nit-pick ever part of his life.”
“you invited us, y/n. i don’t know what you want us to say. you know what we went through-“
“and you think that’s an excuse? if so, it’s a shitty one and we all know it. no parent should have to say goodbye to a child, but no child needs to go unloved because they don’t care anymore. and you didn’t even bat an eye when he begged you to ‘love him anyway’. so if you want to sit here, and tear down everything we have build from your actions, be our guest.”
“you always defend your siblings, y/n. you guys have never once put yourself in our shoes!” their mother cries out.
“oh, trust me, we did. for over 20 years,” maddie breaks in.
“how do you think we feel, maddie? you all just packed up your stuff and ran away to leave us with nothing,” speaks their father, again.
“dad, i can’t… i can’t do this. everything i did, i did it myself. i made this life here for myself! so did maddie, so did buck. don’t go putting yourselves on a pedestal,” she begins to gather her things, and put hers and bucks dinner plates away for maddie and chimney.
“where are you going?” chimney says, trying to calm everything down and he’s definitely in the most awkward situation.
“chim, thank you for dinner and letting us come over. you’re welcome over to my place anytime. i’m sorry, but i’m going to see my brother,” y/n says, shutting the door behind her.
while maddie stays back, trying to pick up the broken pieces, y/n drives over to bucks apartment. she repeatedly calls him, making sure he’s okay and to say that she’s coming over. the roads were dark from the early sunsets of the fall, barely illuminated from the streetlights.
“buck,” she says into her phone. “i know you’re pissed off, and im sorry i arranged this. but i need to know you’re ok, so im on my way over. please call me back.”
she ends the voicemail and tries to put her phone back into the holder. it slips out of her shaky hands and onto the floor of the seat. she groans out, worried he would call her back and she wouldn’t be able to answer. she doesn’t reach down, but she looks at the phone on the floor.
a drunk, someone intoxicated with alcohol, must have been driving like a maniac. swerving through lanes with no warning and passing several signs. she tried so hard. she tried to move out of the way, but the spontaneous movements of the driver had confronted their cars head on.
the flash of white from y/n’s airbags flew out at her. the glass of her windshield was shattered, laying all over the dashboard and the seats. her head drooped onto her shoulder. the cuts on her face were stinging and the other pain in her body went unnoticeable due to shock. the soft ringtone of her phone was vibrating on the bottom of the car. the ringing in her ears caused the sound to be faded out, and she couldn’t even get it to call 9-1-1.
“maddie, hey,” buck says as maddie picks up the phone. “have you, uh, tried calling y/n? she left me so many calls and now she won’t answer.”
“no, i haven’t. she said she was coming to see you,” maddie replies, confused.
“where’s mom and dad?”
“the hotel, they left soon after her.”
buck pulls his phone away from his ear and the buzzing on his hand. y/n’s name appears across the screen. “oh, she’s calling me know,” he hangs up the phone and answers it to a bone-chilling sentence.
“is this evan buckley?” a deep, unknown voice asks in bucks ear.
y/n was awake in the ambulance, hearing all the chaos and jargon around her. she knew she’d never hear the end from buck, being a firefighter. she begged them to let him know, telling them repeatedly, “my brother works at the 118,” and how maddie is a dispatcher.
she was wheeled into the hospital on her stretcher, collar on and a big bandage around her waist for a massive piece of glass in her abdomen. “y/n buckley, 27, three-car pileup with an oblique fracture to the tibia and penetration wound to the abdomen, likely to not have hit any major organs.” and before she knew it, she was sped into the trauma rooms and given more morphine. she just wanted her brother and sister. not all these doctors or her parents.
buck picked up maddie on the way to the hospital, not thinking twice before smashing the gas pedal down. he ran through those doors like a strike of lighting, being seen in one place and somewhere else the next. he forced her name out to the nurse as maddie caught up to him. “relation to the patient?”
“brother, and sister,” he says, impatiently, both hands flat on the counter.
the nurse typed rapidly on her computer. “she’s in surgery, honey. but she’s stable.”
buck puffs out a sigh of relief as maddie grabs his arm, leading him to the waiting room. almost all of the 118 was in this hospital, like she was a firefighter herself. chimney had brought hen, and eddie had come as well as bobby. athena had told bobby, as she was the one who arrested the man who caused the crash.
buck tries to calm himself down remembers all the times he tried to one-up her and smiles at the memories. he and maddie exchange small and sweet memories of their little sister, as her life remains in the hands of someone else.
“hey,” maddie nudges him, trying to think of something to cheer him up. “remember when she stole 20’s out of our wallet to buy us christmas gifts?”
buck giggles a bit, “yeah, and then we tried playing tag, so we spun her around a ton of times and hid inside until she just sat there.”
“and then she fell down the stairs from being so dizzy,” maddie smiles.
“ruthless!” chim interrupts, sitting next to maddie.
“you know you two are what made it so hard to leave.”
“i know. imagine having to leave her all alone with mom and dad, though. she’s gotta be ok, maddie.”
“she will, buck. no one’s getting rid of her that easy.”
the doctor with a scrub cap on comes walking into the waiting room, followed by a few interns and others. “buckleys?”
maddie and buck shoot out of their seat first, and chimney and hen follow soon after like a train. “oh, my bad.” hen says, pulling her and chim back down to sit.
“what’s goin’ on, doc?”
“y/n will be fine. she had a fracture in her leg which we fixed up. she’ll need some help getting around, but she’ll be good as new,” the doctor informs.
they knew she would make it out, but hearing it being confirmed by the doctor made it so much more real. buck was speechless, not being able to mutter out any words. “can we see her?” maddie asks.
“you can, she’s still sedated from anesthesia and intubated, but cynthia, here, can lead you to the room.”
seeing y/n’s fragile and hurt body on the bed was an agonizing sight. maybe if buck hadn’t stormed out, she wouldn’t be in this bed and have come across that driver. maybe he could’ve driven her home. all the ‘if’s’ and ‘maybes’ in bucks head were floating through, thinking it’s his fault. he always takes the blame for these situations when it is completely the opposite.
buck sees tragedy every day, and maddie hears it. maddies only sister was in the small hospital room with a tube down her throat. she needed y/n there to help her, and her baby needed her aunt. buck needed his little sister, the one always there for him and forever will be. the thought of her not being there scared him to death. even though they see get rushed into the hospital or sent to the morgue every day, it will never prepare you from seeing your favorite people in that position.
buck stumbled over to the chair by the side of the bed, pulling it out for maddie to rest her aching feet. he walked to the other side of the bed, sitting down and grabbing lightly onto y/n’s hand like he was scared to break it. “i don’t know if we should say something. let her know we’re here, you know.”
“she knows, evan,” maddie says, meeting bucks eyes with her own. “i know that.”
buck smiles and looks down at y/n, her chest rising and falling with the hissing of the tubes and machines. he observes the iv’s and cuts and fresh new bruises. he wants to kill whoever did this, but at the moment, his only concern is the well-being of y/n.
so, for the rest of the night, maddie and buck didn’t move from their spots once until she was awoken and the tube was removed. they held her hand, and when y/n was awoken, she knew she was safe from the hands that were tangled with hers.
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genadelikesships1233 · 9 months
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Before i go to be some Good omens HC.
When freddy mercury passed away, Crowley was inconsolable and took a year long nap that Aziraphale had to wake him up from.
To add to the FM HC. Crowley would rant to freddy about Aziraphale and his love for him inspiring. "Somebody to love and Good old fashioned lover boy"
When Aziraphale gave Crowley the holy water, he went home and cried for hours truly thinking Crowley would kill himself.
Nina and Maggie doesnt exactly know what happened but they assume Aziraphale rejected Crowley.
Annathema and Newt broke up 2 years into dating because of infidelity.
Warlock visits Crowley sometimes.
Aziraphale asked muriel to sneak in a few books into heaven, Crowley tells muriel which to bring. Aziraphale's Favourites.
Aziraphale while in a womenly form for the first time got cat called and harrased so much that he never did again.
Crowley names his plants after demons he particurly hates.
Crowley has only killed 2 men, both tried to assualt her.
Aziraphale has killed 7 people. Most of them accidentally, one very purposefully.
When Nina met Aziraphale she assumed he was homophobic. But she didnt care so she hung up a pride flag anyway. He didnt know what a pride flag was.
Crowley has discorparated from alcohol poisening.
Crowley's snake form is a python.
Maggie knows the gavotte.
Aziraphale has had sex, in the gentlemens club.
Oscar Wilde had a crush on aziraphale that was immediatly friend zoned when Crowley called Aziraphale "Angel".
Crowley created the term of endearment "Angel"
Aziraphale knows how to tango.
Crowley is terrified of spiders.
Aziraphale has kissed Crowley on the head in his snake form before.
Maggie was bullied saverely that she gained an eating disorder. She has healed tho.
Nina has two gay dads.
Crowley tried to confess at Alexandria. But something came up. (Or went down)
He tempted Cieser's men to attack him.
Adam is a rainbow baby.
Beelzebub and Gabriel are asexual. But they arent sex repulsed.
Crowley is still technically a virgin. All tho he had lovers he never has penatrative.
Aziraphale is not a virgin anywhere.
Okay hope you are crying
Added
Aziraphale's wings arent white anymore, they are a shade of dark yellow.
Crowley has nightmares about the wars.
Aziraphale met hitler, he told him he would be an amazing artist
Newt is trans, FTM
Warlock uses They/he
Aziraphale got a drivers licence only to drive trucks of escaped jews.
Aziraphale can paint. Really well.
Crowley invented those weird shower thoughts.
Aziraphale accidentally invented the fez.
Crowley watches Doctor Who and really likes David Tennant.
Aziraphale hates Micheal Sheen.
Neil Gaimen is in the canon universe and has met Aziraphale and Crowley then wrote a book about them.
Crowley tempted exactly 14 teens into not killing themselves.
Aziraphale has been directly responsable for Crowley not killing himself purely by being there at the right time.
Sargent is a feminist.
Maggie had an emo phase
Nina still has an MLP phase
Crowley cried while watching titanic more than being on the titanic
Aziraphale laughs at horror movies.
Crowley get geniunely scared at horror movies.
Beelzebub changed zer face because Satan scarred it to much.
God doesnt know whats gonna happen next and she loves it.
Aziraphale reconized Crowley on the wall and thought "what did they do to you?"
Crowley also did and thought "Was he always this pretty?" Now that he wasnt distracted by stars.
Hustar had a small crush on Crowley.
Kids love Crowley's eyes.
The bentley wont change back to black, its stays yellow bc ut misses Angel.
Crowley has met Marilyn Monroe, he tried to help her with her addiction but he failed.
Aziraphale and betty white were friends.
Judie Dench.
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mostlyblues · 2 months
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In honour of his birthday, I'm going to rant about some of my favourite roles of the global treasure (yes, I'm promoting him from the ‘national’ status), David Tennant. Feel free to add your own.💙
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Fourteen Doctor: This might seem like an odd choice to start with when there are popular choices like the Tenth Doctor and Crowley, but this character holds a very special place in my heart. I've been a fan of DT for about 6 years now and it started with Doctor Who. I love Ten but Fourteen is just more dear to me. Mostly because he made me excited again for one of my favourite TV shows. As a character, he has all the trademark qualities of the Doctor - the genius level intellect, endless compassion, and love for new adventures. But he is somehow more mature and softer, and I loved this development. Also, that blue coat and that (1) button - you know what I'm talking about.
Phileas Fogg: Such an underrated TV show. The chemistry of the trio, the adventures, the title sequence music - there's so much to love about this. And Fogg is such a real character. So far from perfect, this man will often appear as aloof, vain, self-absorbed and even a coward. But I think Phileas is one of the best roles ever played by Tennant. Yes, he's flawed but he's also intelligent, so incredibly kind, and yes, even brave. If you haven't watched this show, I highly recommend it.
Alec Hardy: So different from most other charming roles of DT, Hardy is a sad wet cat. He's grumpy, not nice, and just really tired of the world (who can't relate though?). His reluctant friendship with Ellie is one of the best parts of the grim show. And the fanfic lover in me can't stop screaming about how whumpable he is.
Crowley: I was going for the top three kind of ranking but the thin dark duke slithered his way over. And how can you not love Anthony J. Crowley? From this pure delightful joy while creating stars and nebulae (I can't get over David's face and the happy noises he makes in this scene) to his reluctant and vast love for his Angel and the earth, Crowley is very easy to fall in love with (take notes, Aziraphale. I know you love him but please use your words. Crowley, at least, tried). 
I wanted to add more characters, especially the Shakespearean ones (I love Hamlet, but Benedick has my heart), but the list won't simply ever end then. So, I'm just going to say name all the ones I love and end it here - Simon Yates (There She Goes), Dave Tyler (Single Father), Campbell Bain (Takin' over the Asylum), Harry Watling aka The Sexy Vicar (Inside Man, this show was so freaking stressful but I loved David's character), every single Shakespearean character he ever played (even the ones I haven't or probably won't ever get the chance to see - cries in Macbeth), and, of course, Scrooge McDuck (DuckTales).
So, thank you DT for gifting the world with some of the best, most adorable, wholesome, gender-enviable characters to ever exist. (Except for the creeps, freaks, and ruthless murderers, which we kind of love as well). Happy Birthday! 💙
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fuckyeahgoodomens · 3 months
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David Tennant at This Morning show with Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary talking about Good Omens Season 2, 11.07.2023 :) ❤
DO: And David joins us now. I mean, this looks like a great show.
David: Oh, yeah.
DO: So, I mean, It's pure Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, isn't it?
David: It is, yeah.
DO: The whole thing. So tell us, so if people haven't seen the first series and they want to go back, set the whole scene.
David: So I'm Hell's representative on Earth, Michael Sheen is Heaven's representative on Earth, put there to do the biding of our respective Head Offices. But we found out that if we became mates and sort of helped each other out, it kind of cut out the workload, cancelled each other out. So we're best mates. But in Series One we end up having to avert the apocalypse, which we managed to do, but as a result of that, we get cut off. So we're now living on Earth as independent individuals.
AH: So do you still need each other, then?
David: We still need each other. We've only got each other now because we don't have Heaven and Hell anymore.
DO: Because you both love earth so much, you both like.
David: Oh, we much prefer living on Earth because Heaven's a bit stuffy and Hell's awful.
DO: So you conspire to thwart the Armageddon. Exactly.
David: We thwart the Armageddon. That's fine. But Series Two begins when the angel Gabriel, Jon Hamm, who you just saw there, shows up at Aziraphale, Michael Sheen's bookshop, naked with no memory, holding a cardboard box. So suddenly we're locked into the politics of Heaven and Hell again. We don't know what's going on. We've got a mystery to solve. Why is the angel Gabriel here? The angel Gabriel tried to kill us both at the end of the last series, so we've got to...
DO: But now he's kind of got amnesia and...
David: Yes. So he becomes like our weird child, in this sort of weird sort of eternal marriage that Michael and I are locked in.
DO: So many shows now use a book as their base and then they do really well and you can see the company and the writers go, better come up some new ideas, I suppose. So the book's obviously Terry Pratchett and then Neil Gaiman, correct?
David: That's right. They wrote that together years and years and years ago. Much beloved. And that's what the first series was. But Neil and Terry had always talked about possibilities of this sequel that they never got around to making. Terry's no longer with us. But when the possibility came up, Neil thought, well, listen, I've got some ideas. Let's spin it forward. Let's see if we can tell the story we were always going to tell. So we get to come back.
AH: Should we have a little sneak look at the new series? Let's have a look. So good. Did you ever think it was going to be this successful? Did you even know that you were going to go into a second series
David: Oh, no, not at all. No. There was only one novel, so we just thought we were coming together to do that. And I didn't realise how beloved this book was. I first read a script. But it means a lot to a lot of people.
AH: And the look of you is so striking. Did you have any input into that? A bit, yeah, we sort of all found it together, myself and makeup and costume and Neil Gaiman, who ran the show. So, yeah, we kind of arrived... in the book he's a bit more - because obviously the book was sort of early ninetues, so he was a bit more sharp-suited and a bit more Wolf of Wall Street. So we've kind of had to find the kind of modern equivalent of that.
DO: Is he... obviously you're playing a demon. Has he got any humanity in him or is he purely self-centered?
David: Well, he's not a very good demon. He's good at sort of the snarl and the swagger and pretending that he's terribly cynical, but actually his problem is that he's a bit too...  there’s a bit too much heart, really.
DO: He's alright
David: Yeah, yeah.
DO: Must be wonderful playing a baddie.
David: Oh, it's great fun, but he's not a baddie, is not really a baddie.
DO: Yeah, yeah.
David: And just like Aziraphale angel is not always as goody goody as he likes it, so they meet very beautifully in the middle.
DO: You and Michael Sheen. I mean, you've worked together a fair bit, don't you. I loved Staged. That was such fun.
David: Yeah!
AH: Have you ever not worked together?
David: Now we only work together.
AH: All the time.
David: Yeah. I mean, He's not sitting on this sofa, but he is backstage. We can't be apart.
DO: He's speaking in his ear right now.
David: Exactly, yeah.
AH: But you are... you have got a genuine friendship. You're growing old together gracefully.
David: We're growing old together?!
AH: You look good for it, I'm not going to lie. What's the secret, babe?
David: A lot of makeup. It's very thick.
AH: We've got to talk about the fact that you are returning to Doctor Who.
David: Ah, yes.
AH: I can't believe this. And can you tell us anything at all?
David: I mean, beyond that I'm doing it? I think...
AH: No.
David: Really. Because that's the fun of it, isn't it? Hopefully tt was a bit of a surprise when I showed up. When Jodie Whittaker regenerated into me.
AH: We were shocked.
David: It was a bit of a surprise, so we wanted to sort of keep some shocks, but Catherine Tate's back, so it's a bit like 15 years never happened, to be honest.
DO: Know about it for a while. Like... did Russell T get in touch and say...
David: Yeah, it sort of gradually kind of evolved as an idea and we thought maybe they'd let us do a one off for old time's sake. And then suddenly it became a bit more than that and we were back for a bit of a run.
AH: So how many episodes did you get to do?
David: We did three.
AH: Wow. That's incredible. What's it like to be back? Did he just slot straight back in?
David: I mean, sort of. It felt weirdly familiar. Yeah. And you think, 'Oh, will I still able to run as fast? Can I still kind of...?' But it was like we'd never been away. It was joyous. Yeah.
DO: And could we talk about your son? Because is your son in Good Omens with you?
David: Ty's in... has a part in Episode Two of Good Omens.
AH: Is he?
DO: And I loved him in House of the Dragon.
David: I know. He's very good. He's very good.
DO: What a relief.
David: There he is. I know, what a relief. Exactly. No, I mean...
AH: Imagine if he was bad.
David: Imagine if he was rubbish. How would we tell him? Sit down, listen...I know it's sort of the family business, but maybe joinery? So... no, he's really good. And he's annoyingly good looking. You know, he's just got it all. So it's lovely and great to get to work together. Brilliant.
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greg-montgomery · 2 years
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I love - LOVE - your writing! It's such a happy and fluff space and well Aaron... yk 😁🥰
Could you possibly write some "enemies to lover" thingy. Like you get him worked up, all the time and disobey (like a possible background) but the one time it Porsche heavily you go outside and just enjoy rain and smile, maybe even start to Dance - thinking no one notices.
But Aaron does? And he joins you. Maybe even kisses you for the first time in rain?
Like pure fluff and romantic stuff?
No hurry and even when you don't want to write it - that's fine 🥰 thank you!
aaahhhh thank you <333
i hear enemies to lovers and i go crazy. also i’m so sorry i know you said pure fluff but i was literally unable not to make this angsty at first lmfao but it ends with fluff i swear!!
♡ ♡ ♡ ♡
“Enough, Agent,” Aaron’s strong voice startled you. “You have acted against my orders twice, and that’s from today alone. If you interrupt me one more time I’m going to remove you from the case.”
“I was only-”
“The last thing we need right now is your input. Please learn how to stay silent and listen every now and then.”
You closed your mouth and lowered your gaze, wishing the earth would open up and shallow you whole. It felt embarrassing to be spoken to like that, especially in front of your colleagues.
It wasn’t rare for you and your boss to fight in the middle of a case, but he had never yelled at you like that before. He had never before made you feel as if you were back in school, ready to cry because your teacher shouted at you in front of the class.
You didn’t say a word for the rest of the meeting.
--
“What the hell was that?” Rossi asked Aaron when everyone else left the room.
“She disobeyed-”
“Come on, Aaron, we’ve all done it! I’ve done it, you’ve done it. She didn’t deserve this.”
He stayed silent, a wave of guilt making his throat feel tight and dry.
“I was ready to go hug the poor girl, she seemed like she was ready to cry.”
Aaron didn’t expect his heart to react the way it did in response to David’s words. He didn’t expect the thought of even a tear from your eyes to hurt him this bad.
But Rossi had to keep going, and break his heart even further.
“And honestly, Aaron, what drives me crazy is how you’re the best profiler I know and yet you fail to realize that the girl is madly in love with you.”
--
It was a blessing that Hotch had decided to continue the case the following day, so you could all go home and rest for the night.
You were the last one in the office. Well except for him, but you weren’t sure if he ever went home in the first place so he didn’t count.
Every single member of the team had made sure to check up on you before they left, and it made you feel so loved. It was obvious how much everyone there cared about you, and it just broke your heart how you couldn’t earn the validation of the person you needed it from the most.
You walked down the stairs and as soon as you took your first step outside the building you felt a drop of rain on the tip of your nose.
Your eyes were still watery from earlier, but rain was one of your favorite things and you couldn’t help but smile at the feeling. The cold air and the drops of water falling around you made you feel alive. So instead of running to your car or going back inside until the rain stopped you decided to stay outside and enjoy it.
Looking up, you watched the stars and the few raindrops that were falling from the sky and you decided that that was the most beautiful thing you had ever seen.
--
Aaron saw you getting up from your desk and after fighting with himself for a few moments he decided to run after you.
If he was honest, he had expected to find you crying - but instead he found you under the rain with a smile so sweet, it made him want to cry instead.
How did he manage to be so cruel to an angel like you?
“I’m sorry, I scared you,” he said when you noticed him and your smile disappeared.
You didn’t respond to him and he started to panic, trying to come up with a way to fix things. He took off his jacket, walking closer and closer to you. He lifted his arms and used it as a shield between you and the rain.
For some reason his gesture made you laugh. “What?” he asked, confused.
“I’m already soaked, Hotch. What are you doing?” you said, giggling.
He felt embarrassed. “Right,” he said, lowering his hands again, holding his jacket in front of his stomach now. “I wasn’t thinking…I’m…I’m nervous.”
“Why are you nervous?” you asked, with a kind voice.
“Because I wanna talk to you.”
“You weren’t nervous when you yelled at me.”
“I deserved that,” he admitted. You didn’t say anything so he continued. “I’m sorry, Y/N. I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled. I feel awful about it.”
“Apology accepted,” you sighed. “And I’m sorry too. Sometimes I like to make you angry on purpose.”
“I knew that,” he said with a bland expression.
That made you laugh. And seeing you looking happy again made him completely forget the fact that his clothes were getting completely soaked already, just like yours.
“But still, that’s not an excuse,” he added.
“It’s okay. It’s just…what you think of me means a lot to me. And I hate to think that I fail you or that I don’t make you proud,” you said, softly.
“Of course you make me proud,” he was quick to reassure you. “You’re one of the best in this team and that’s why you drive me crazy when you get all impulsive and stubborn.”
You looked up at him biting the inside of your cheek so he wouldn’t see your smile. But he did. And he could tell that his praise made you feel good.
“At least wear it,” he said after a moment and offered you his jacket. “I don’t want you to catch a cold.”
You nodded and let him place it around your shoulders. The gesture forced him to move really close to you, the tips of his shoes almost touching yours.
He couldn’t resist you anymore. He brought his hand between the two of you, with his palm facing up.
“Do you need something?” you asked.
“Yes, your hand,” he said.
You gave it to him, seemingly without a second thought, and he used it to pull you slowly against his chest. He looked into your beautiful eyes and all he could think of was the question he finally asked.
“Baby, can I kiss you?”
You didn’t answer. Instead you stood on your tip toes and pressed your lips on his.
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naturalrights-retard · 2 months
Text
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
In a December 2023 article, Claire Panosian Dunavan, a UCLA professor emeritus, questioned the appeal of raw milk, citing historical efforts to reduce infant mortality through pasteurization and expressing concerns over the risks of illness from pathogens in raw milk
Sally Fallon Morell refutes claims about the heightened risk of illness from raw milk, pointing to data and analyses suggesting that the dangers are grossly overstated
Historical declines in infant mortality were more due to sanitation and public health measures than the pasteurization of dairy
Pasteurized milk has been shown to contribute to a range of health issues, including allergies and asthma
Studies from Europe and anecdotal evidence have linked raw milk consumption to lower rates of asthma, allergies, and stronger bones, among other health advantages
During the last few years, bureaucrats and public health officials have been quiet about raw milk, but then Iowa legalized its sale in May. The accompanying publicity — in The New York Times and USA Today,1,2 plus many other publications — has resulted in a flurry of pro-pasteurization, anti-raw milk Internet posts.
One of these appeared on December 8, 2023,3 written by Claire Panosian Dunavan, professor emeritus of medicine and infectious diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and past president of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Dunavan can’t understand the “risky allure” of raw milk. “Is it buyers’ faith in ‘nature’s perfect food’ or sellers’ pure, naked greed?” she asks. The main claims in her article:
In the 1890s, Nathan Straus (co-owner of Macy’s) started a private foundation to dispense pasteurized milk after his son died of typhus during a vacation in Italy — the death blamed on raw milk. (Dunavan then credits Straus with a drop in U.S. infant mortality from 125 per 1,000 to fewer than 16 per 1,000 between 1891 and 1925.)
Raw milk consumers are 840 times more likely to suffer illness than those who drink pasteurized dairy.
Recent outbreaks of illness blamed on raw milk have occurred in California, Utah and Idaho.
Raw milk contains dangerous pathogens like campylobacter and salmonella.
Raw milk may cause Guillain-Barré syndrome.
People are avoiding pasteurized milk because of milk allergy “as opposed to a serious, even life-threatening infection.”
The real villains are the people who sell raw milk “because they believe there’s an audience out there that will buy it,” even though they “know” that raw milk will harm some people.
Are Raw Milk Farmers Driven by Greed?
Let’s look at these points one by one, starting with the accusation that raw milk farmers are motivated by pure, naked greed. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I am a dairy farmer who sells raw milk.)
Conventional dairy farmers today receive about the same price as they did during World War II, even while their costs have skyrocketed. Typically, they get $1.45 per gallon, which costs them $2 to produce.4
This explains why the number of licensed dairy operations in the U.S. has steadily declined by more than 55%,5 from 70,375 in 2003 to 31,657 in 2020. More than 3,000 dairy farms stopped production during 2020 alone — that’s eight per day.
Some of these farmers have avoided going bankrupt by switching to raw milk sales. Typically, consumers are happy to pay from $5 to $10 per half gallon — enough to save the family farm, especially if the farmer reduces his costs by nourishing his cows on grass (the natural food for cows) rather than feeding grain.
Dunavan refers to farmers’ desire to make a decent living as “pure, naked greed,” but let me give you an example of real greed. Dairy company CEOs typically make salaries upwards of $3 million per year. They do this by keeping milk prices as low as possible — hence the heartbreak of losing the farm inflicted on thousands of dairy farmers. That is what most of us would call pure, naked greed.
True Causes of Infant Mortality
About Nathan Straus losing his son to typhus and blaming it on raw milk, according to that font of conventional knowledge, Wikipedia, typhus is caused by bacteria spread by lice, chiggers or fleas.6 Since Dunavan is a public health expert, she should know this. (I have not been able to find any reference to raw milk causing typhus, except for the case of Straus’ son.)
Typhus reigns in filthy conditions and it was a real problem, especially in cities, before the advent of modern housing, sewage systems and washing machines. Even today we see outbreaks of typhus, but public health experts typically blame them on rats, never on raw milk!7
As for the decline in infant mortality in the U.S. at the turn of the 20th century, it was during this period that public officials worked to clean up our cities with the installation of sewage systems, rubbish collection and clean water.
This was also the period when the car gradually replaced the horse and mule — before the car, our cities were stinking cesspools of manure and grime. Immigrants huddled in crowded housing without running water and refrigeration, and with only rudimentary sanitation. The death rate by the age of five was 50% — and this was blamed on raw milk rather than unsanitary conditions — officials called it the “milk problem.”
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Manure piled up on a New York City street creating deadly unsanitary conditions — health officials called this the “milk problem.”
Raw milk may indeed have contributed to the high death rate because it came from distillery dairies — inner city confinement dairies of unimaginable filth where cows were fed distillery waste. The milk was so deficient and watery that chalk was often added to make it look white — this was the milk that Straus wanted to pasteurize.
However, pasteurization cannot take the credit for the decline in infant mortality as it was around this time that distillery dairies were banned. The real hero was not Nathan Straus, who did nothing for public clean-up efforts, but Dr. Henry Coit, who worked to bring clean raw milk from the countryside to the cities.
Public health officials at the time lauded Coit’s certified raw milk with saving children’s lives and noted that children in orphanages brought up on raw milk were healthier than those given pasteurized milk.
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Questioning the Reports
About raw milk safety, Dunavan repeats the recent claim that people who drink raw milk are 840 times more likely to contract food-borne illness than those who don’t.8
But an analysis by epidemiologist Peg Coleman, based on data considered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), found that on a per annum basis, out of 23 foods considered, pasteurized milk ranked second highest and raw milk ranked seventh highest in causing severe illness.9 The real question that one must ask, however, is how accurate are reports of illness and death from raw milk?
The Weston A. Price Foundation analyzed a 2007 PowerPoint presentation by John F. Sheehan, then director of FDA’s Division of Dairy and Egg Safety, who contended that pasteurization is the only way to ensure the safety of milk.10
Table 1 shows that the 15 studies Sheehan referenced (through 2005) either were methodologically flawed or that bias or outright fabrication guided the conclusions that he drew; not one of the studies cited by the FDA actually proved that raw milk caused the illness.
We need to do the same analysis for reports of raw milk illness from 2005 to the present — one that includes the claims of illness from raw milk in California, Idaho and Utah. It’s safe to assume that many of them are bogus, given the alacrity of public health officials to blame raw milk for any illness without a thorough examination of all the data.
Table 1: Unfounded Conclusions From Raw Milk StudiesLAW OR BIASNUMBERPERCENTNo Valid Positive Milk Sample12/1580%No Valid Statistical Association with Raw Milk10/1567%Findings Misrepresented by FDA7/1547%Alternatives Discovered, Not Pursued5/1533%No Evidence Anyone Consumed Raw Milk Products2/1513%Outbreak Did Not Even Exist1/1513%Did Not Show that Pasteurization Would Have Prevented Outbreak15/15100%
According to the late Dr. Ted Beals, who analyzed reports of foodborne illness from 1999 to 2011,11 government data report an average of 42 illnesses from raw milk per year out of 90,771 illnesses from all sources.
Using these figures, Dr. Beals concluded that one is 35,000 times more likely to become ill from other foods than from raw milk. Beals also noted that there is no way to quantify whether any one food is safer than another from the data we have, but at the same time, it is clear that there is no basis for singling out raw milk as “inherently dangerous.”
Recently, melons have ranked high in causing illness — including an outbreak from cantaloupe that resulted in over 300 illnesses, over 100 hospitalizations and four deaths. Where is Dunavan’s outcry against greedy melon growers? And what about raw oysters, which kill 15 people per year?12 Where are the warnings to oyster lovers not to eat these terrible things?
Pathogen Facts
Dunavan implies that raw milk can cause Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) — a degeneration of the nerve cells that causes muscle weakness and paralysis — because raw milk can carry campylobacter, and campylobacter often gets the blame for GBS.
Of course, many, many foods harbor campylobacter. In 2019, there were over 100,000 reported cases of GBS worldwide;13 a quick Internet search does not find any of these cases associated with the consumption of raw milk.
By the way, campylobacter and salmonella, the two pathogens most commonly associated with raw milk, do not grow in refrigerated raw milk. In a pilot study sponsored by the Raw Milk Institute, refrigerated raw milk inoculated with high and moderate counts of these pathogens suppressed their growth.14
Inoculated listeria did grow in raw milk, but an association of this pathogen with raw milk is extremely rare. Moreover, a recent systematic review found that the risks of severe listeriosis infection were greater for pasteurized milk products than for raw milk products.15
Consumers Shunning Pasteurized Milk
Dunavan wonders why people would indulge in the risky behavior of drinking raw milk. There are very good reasons for drinking raw milk, but first, let’s consider why fewer and fewer people are drinking pasteurized milk. In both the UK and the U.S., consumption of pasteurized milk has declined by 50% since 1974 (Figure 3). (I would love to know whether Dunavan herself drinks pasteurized milk!)
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Figure 3: UK per capita liquid milk consumption, 1974-2018
To find out why consumption of pasteurized milk is declining, let’s consider a 2019 study out of China, entitled “Processing milk causes the formation of protein oxidation products which impair spatial learning and memory in rats.”16
The researchers subjected milk to four processing techniques: boiling, microwave heating, spray-drying and freeze-drying. (Boiling takes milk to 212 degrees F; ultra-pasteurization takes milk to 280 degrees F. Most milk sold today is ultra-pasteurized.)
All four techniques (even freeze-drying) caused oxidative damage to the milk proteins and resulted in “various degrees of redox state imbalance and oxidative damage in plasma, liver, and brain tissues.” Feeding damaged milk proteins to rats resulted in learning and memory impairment — no wonder IQ levels are falling!
The researchers concluded, “humans should control milk protein oxidation and improve the processing methods applied to food.” But how to improve those processing methods? What types of processing methods would they suggest? How about no processing at all? Why not just treat milk carefully and cleanly and let the many natural antimicrobial compounds in raw milk do their work?17
Milk Proteins Are Easily Damaged
Milk proteins are not tough like muscle or collagen proteins; they are extremely fragile and easily damaged by heat and pressure (as in heated drying). No wonder the consumption of industrial pasteurized milk is declining — the body sees processed and damaged milk proteins as foreign proteins and mounts an immune response.
This explains why milk protein is the number-one allergy and why studies link consumption of pasteurized milk with digestive disorders, rashes, asthma, diabetes … and even sudden death.
Based on statistics provided by the Allergy & Asthma Network,18 one can deduce that pasteurized milk causes approximately 20 deaths from anaphylactic shock per year! The type of milk that is truly dangerous is pasteurized milk. Yes, indeed, a good “reason not to” drink pasteurized milk is allergy — life-threatening allergy. Parents are figuring out that they shouldn’t give this junk to their children … or drink it themselves.
Pasteurized milk is the milk that causes health problems, while raw milk is indeed Nature’s Perfect Food — after all, it is the food in Nature that nourishes all mammals, loaded with vitamins and minerals, each one of which has a special enzyme that ensures 100% assimilation. When milk is pasteurized, these nutrients are largely destroyed, or rendered very difficult to absorb (Table 2).
Table 2: Destruction of Nutrients and Nutrient Assimilation by Pasteurization
Vitamin C — Raw milk but not pasteurized can resolve scurvy. “Without doubt ... the explosive increase in infantile scurvy during the latter part of the 19th century coincided with the advent of use of heated milks.”19
Calcium — Longer and denser bones on raw milk. (Source: Studies from Randleigh Farm.)
Folate — Carrier protein inactivated during pasteurization.20
Vitamin B12 — Binding protein inactivated by pasteurization.
Vitamin B6 — Animal studies indicate B6 poorly absorbed from pasteurized milk. (Source: Studies from Randleigh Farm.)
Vitamin B2 — Completely destroyed.21
Vitamin A — Beta-lactoglobulin, a heat-sensitive protein in milk, increases intestinal absorption of vitamin A. Heat degrades vitamin A.22,23
Vitamin D — Present in milk bound to lactoglobulins, pasteurization cuts assimilation in half.24
Iron — Lactoferrin, which contributes to iron assimilation, destroyed during pasteurization. Children on pasteurized milk tend to anemia.
Minerals — Bound to proteins inactivated by pasteurization; Lactobacilli, destroyed by pasteurization, enhance mineral absorption.25,26
Reasons to Go Raw
More reasons to drink raw milk: less asthma and respiratory infections, fewer allergies and rashes. These are the conclusions of a number of European studies, which pasteurization proponents in the U.S. dismiss, but which public health officials in Europe have taken seriously. These include:
A 2001 study published in The Lancet — Less asthma, fewer allergies27
The 2006 PARSIFAL study (Clinical & Experimental Allergy) — Less asthma, fewer allergies28
The 2011 GABRIELA study (Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology) — Less asthma, fewer allergies29
A 2012 study (Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology) — Less asthma, fewer allergies30
The 2014 PASTURE study (Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology) — Less respiratory infection31,32
In the U.S., asthma kills nine people per day, many of them children. When parents see that raw milk relieves asthma in their child, they go out of their way to obtain this magical product from greedy farmers.
There’s more: early studies indicate that raw milk given to growing animals confers longer and denser bones compared to pasteurized milk.33 I’ve heard from several gals diagnosed with osteoporosis who started drinking raw milk daily and passed their bone density test two years later.
Raw milk also contributes to strong, healthy teeth.34 And many people who can’t tolerate pasteurized milk can enjoy raw milk without problems. I’ve even had parents tell me that their children’s behavior improved after they made just one change in their diet — switching from pasteurized to raw milk.
Looking to the Future
For these and other reasons — such as the fact that raw milk tastes so good — raw milk sales are booming. Our website realmilk.com gets almost 400,000 visits per month, most of them to the Raw Milk Finder page.
When we set up realmilk.com in 1999, we had only a handful of listings; today, the website lists over 3,000 places to get raw milk in the U.S., and there are many more not listed. Raw milk farmers tell me that they can’t produce enough raw milk to meet the demand — which means that these greedy farmers aren’t charging enough for it.
The truth is, pasteurization is a Rust Belt technology — a bit like hitting a pile of manure with a sledgehammer. It lets the industry get away with raising cows in filthy, crowded conditions, but it doesn’t make milk any safer, and it ruins Nature’s perfect food.
We have come a long way since the days of Nathan Straus. We have the technology to produce clean raw milk — stainless steel, rapid cooling, on-farm testing, an efficient nationwide cold chain — and get it to every growing child in the country.
Raw milk is the future. I predict that within 20 years, pasteurized milk will be a thing of the past. Small, grass-based dairy farms will proliferate to meet the demand, and no couple will start a family without making sure there is a supply of raw milk nearby. Health officials like Professor Dunavan can protest all they want, but fewer and fewer people are listening.
About the Author
Sally Fallon Morell is author of the best-selling cookbook “Nourishing Traditions” and many other books on diet and health. She is the founding president of the Weston A. Price Foundation (westonaprice.org) and a founder of A Campaign for Real Milk (realmilk.com). Visit her blog at nourishingtraditions.com.
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highlandwhackamole · 5 months
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The Unbearable Greatness of our Lamentations
Crowley makes some great rainy rain. A tempest. Vavooming doesn't happen. This does:
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(GIF and interesting associated insight available here.) So. The recipe for the second coming/the big one/all of us against all of them, from the kitchen of Jim/Gabriel/God:
A tempest
Darkness
Great storms
The dead leaving their graves and walking the earth once more
Great lamentations
???
Prophet
I won't talk about most of these.* I bet folks already have. I liked this one. I'm sure there are many more out there to like.
* Okay, just a little bit. The words coming out of Jim's mouth sound biblical, but they're not from the bible. They were written for this show. So, why list a tempest AND great storms? I'm not sure, but I'd guess it has something to do with other meanings of one or both of these things.
The rough etymology of tempest comes from tempus; time > season > weather > bad weather. (Time shenanigans? In this economy?)
Storm is a thing you can do to a bookshop. Or other places you might want to start a fight, I suppose.
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GIF from here.
But I digress. Lamentations. I read Good Omens the book many years ago, and I really liked it. I watched season 1 of Good Omens the tv show a few years ago, and I really liked it. I watched season 2 of Good Omens and... my brain changed in a fundamental and likely permanent way. This story has lived in my head, rent-free, Every Day since I finished season 2. If you're reading this blather, it probably did the same to you.
Such was the emotional manipulation of Mr. Gaiman's story of the angel and the demon that I created my first and only Tumblr account so I could come share this exquisite suffering with other humans. What is existence in this fandom, if not Great Lamentations?
Final Fifteen. If I'm in charge, I can make a difference. We're a team, a group--a group of the two of us. I would like to spend... mhmm. Oh Crowley, nothing lasts forever. I need you. There's nothing more to say. No nightingales. You idiot, we could've been us. I forgive you. Don't bother.
That feeling? That's because Neil is very good at what he does, and because he knows that in David and Michael, he has powerful tools who are also very good at what they do. And he uses them with formidable intent.
He knows where he's going. He celebrates "Michael having just become this cuddly, cinnamon roll creature of pure love and joy and knowing that everybody was just going to want to cuddle him for six episodes until I let him break their hearts." He's not even the tiniest bit sorry for this.
His goal was to make us feel this way. The power to create (out of nothing) actual, palpable heartache is the beautiful alchemical magic that is great storytelling.
And the audience is required for this magic to manifest.
I think the Great Lamentations are ours.
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