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#he doesn't want to associate them with neil
actual-changeling · 1 month
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The Metatron's outfit obviously has meta reasons/the costume department and Neil decided on it for a reason, but I think that there are also in-canon ones we should talk about more.
Now, the thing most people notice immediately is the colour—angels were whites, beige, light colours that match the job and heaven's sterile whiteness. His, on the other hand, is black, a colour usually associated with hell and demons.
As a small meta reason side note: I do not think that they chose the colour to signal that he is a demon and broke them up because he has Big Evil Plans because that goes against everything Good Omens is about. The Metatron is at the top of heaven's hierarchy and only subservient to God (assuming She is actually still involved), he can have bad intentions and universe-destroying plans as an angel, the whole point is that the angel/demon dichotomy is an ideological fantasy.
Why did the Metatron himself choose that outfit though? One would assume that he would have the most pristine white clothes possible, but every single time we have seen him so far, he has been a floating head without a body.
So before he came to earth, he actively made a decision to dress the way he did. We also know that he did his research on Aziraphale and Crowley, hence his knowing that Aziraphale consumes human food and getting that coffee. The entire situation was the Metatron creating the most beneficial set-up for his plan—to convince Aziraphale to come back to heaven with him.
He knows Aziraphale likes food, but what else does he like?
Crowley.
The person we see wearing exclusively black and dark colours.
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Give Aziraphale a coffee, make his subconscious associate the Metatron with Crowley based on his clothes, sweet-talk him and lie to get him attached, and then offer him everything he could have ever wanted—heaven, the ability to change heaven, and Crowley and him being angels together.
Just like his off-hand mention about consuming food, the black suit is also meant to make him seem 'other', someone who—just like Aziraphale—doesn't really fit in with all the other angels. Aziraphale sees all of that, and the conclusion he comes to is the following:
The Metatron, the Guy In Charge is like me! He understands me, and we're both different, but he still wants me to be the Supreme Archangel. It IS possible to break some rules and still be a Good Angel, I was worried for nothing, everything is fine, and he will even revise the mistake of Crowley's fall.
Consequently, Aziraphale accepted the offer and didn't even think further than his own moral qualms finally being resolved, which is exactly what the Metatron wanted.
I think he vastly underestimated their relationship though—Aziraphale almost changes his mind—but overall it was a complete, clean success for him.
For my part, I am incredibly curious if he will keep the black suit in season three, turn back into a head, or change into white/lighter clothes. Now that he has Aziraphale where he wants him, he can dial down the persuasion and manipulation techniques.
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ineffablydaydreaming · 7 months
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Okay i might be a little pissed off. Expect typos, im on my phone.
A character does not need a specific label, have a gender, nor have sex/romantic physical gestures in order to be queer rep
Aziraphale and Crowley are not gay men.
They are played by male actors. They present male most of the time. But that means nothing, because gender presentation =/= gender identity or sex.
Neil has said multiple times that angels and demons are sexless. It's on the book. It's on several of his tweets and answers to asks. This implies that angels and demons are non-binary by default. Gabriel isn't a man, Michael isn't a woman, Beelzebub isn't a woman, Furfur isn't a man.
And now, you could argue that a genderless creature isn't necessarily queer and I agree! Several animals are genderless irl.
But here's what makes them queer: it's not that they don't have a gender, it's that they don't give a fuck about it. Crowley presents female i believe up to three times in the show, Neil was planning a minisode where both he and Aziraphale are fem-presenting in the 60s; Michael is a male angel name and he's played by an actress and (At least in the portuguese dub? Correct me if im wrong) still called "he". Same for Beelzebub, who I think is also reffered to with they/them in english. Hell, God has a female voice and is still called God (the male version of the word!!!) and even Her pronouns are a bit flexible in certain dubs.
What makes them queer is that their genderless aspect isn't just biological, it's their identity, too. These characters are all non-binary, they know it, and they don't mind it.
"But they present male and call each other 'he'!"
As I said, gender presentation does not equal identity and neither does pronouns. It's words: words that get often associated with a certain gender but are, in the end, just words.
Not only that, but this argument also comes from the expectation that non-binary people cannot present themselves in a binary way, which is an absurd thing to expect. People irl have all kinds of different hormonal balances and many enby folk may be hypermasculine or hyperfeminine due to high testosterone or estrogen respectively. And you know what? They might not want to change that, and that is completely fine.
Non binary people do not owe you androginy.
Being trans isn't about appearances, isn't about transitioning, it's about identity. Thinking otherwise is borderline transmedicalist ideology.
Good Omens breaks gender norms all the fucking time in both seasons, something many shows are afraid to do, and it's not just for comedy reasons, which tends to be the norm when shows do it. They do it because it's fun, it's fine, and because they acknowledge that gender norms are stupid.
That's queer as hell.
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My second point, no need for labels. Just like angels and demons don't need gender labels, they don't need sexuality labels. At all. Especially since they're often intertwined.
Just because two characters don't have their specific labels revealed doens't mean they aren't queer or, fuck's sake, don't love each other.
In A League Of Their Own, no characters get specific labels, what they are is simply implied. Greta is very implied to be lesbian but they never say the exact word. Does that mean she isn't queer?
In The Song Of Achilles, no characters get specific labels because hell, the labels didn't exist at the time the story takes place in. Both main characters are implied to be bi/pansexual but it's obviously never told in the text. Does that mean they aren't queer?
In Undertale and Deltarune, no characters get specific labels, but in both games the main protagonist is nonbinary (and is in both cases a human being!) and both games have several mlm and wlw couples and several more nonbinary characters across the storyline, but it's never specifically labeled. Does that mean it doesn't have queer rep?
Neil has said several times that Good Omens is a love story, that Aziraphale and Crowley love each other, that even if they're not 'gay male humans' they still feel love for one another. That's the entire point of season two.
And now, I get it, okay? I don't like authors tip-toeing around labeling their characters either, especially since in most places we are past the age of having to code characters instead of just make them openly queer. I get the fear and uncertainty that often came from some sort of trauma from bbc's Sherlock, I felt it too. I get that for some it may seem as if it's queerbaiting, or pink money, or simply being too scared to say a character is queer.
But that's just not the case with Good Omens. The point is not to avoid labels because they're scary. The point is that, for Good Omens, and aziracrow, labels are useless. They're not humans, they don't have a gender, they don't need the labels.
And you know what?
That's also queer as hell.
Society has to put people into boxes, has to separate folk, has to label everyone. No one can be different, and id you are you need to fit this specific box of different. If you go out, you're too much, you're too rebellious, you're a freak. If they just let people do whatever they wanted it would be hard to marginalize them and keep the system going.
A quote I once heard feels important for this occasion:
"To define yourself is to restrain yourself."
When you define something in strict terms you're putting rules to it. Rules that can be broken. Rules that should be broken. And the rulebreakers get insulted, hated, violated, killed.
Aziraphale and Crowley are breaking these rules by 'existing' as who they are. They're not gay men, they're not lesbian women, they're not bisexual agenders, but at the same time they are all of those things at the same time, whenever they want to, whenever YOU want them to, as Neil himself put it. Because fuck labels. And you're hating them for it, hating them because they're refusing to enter those boxes.
Humans are weird and complex. Let the angels and demons be weird and complex too.
Lastly, queer relationships don't need sex - nor kisses.
There's this expectation that romantic love is only true love if they kiss, if they live together, if they sleep on the same bed, if they go on dates, if they marry, if they have kids, if they have sex. Break one of these and people will raise an eyebrow. Break two and they look at you weird. Break three and everyone judges you. Break all of them and, suddenly, you and your partner have been declared "just friends" by outsiders who don't know you in the slightest.
Welcome to amatonormativity.
Or, better saying, another stupid box, another set of rules.
There's this headcanon that Crowley kisses Aziraphale as a last resort not because it's a gesture if love (even Neil said it wasn't out of love) but because he's seen it in human movies and, in movies, kissing someone in despair is a cliché that often ends in the other person not leaving.
This wasn't a love kiss. But Crowley still loves Aziraphale. Do you know why?
Because angels and demons, most likely, do not need human gestures to show love. They, most likely, comprehend love in an entirely different light.
Maybe Aziraphale is touchy with Crowley because he likes it and that is a good enough reason, but it's an individual reason, just like a person irl might be more fond of hugging their partner than kissing them, and that's fine. Nothing wrong with it. There's no right or wrong way to have a relationship. Acting like there is is reinforcing the rules set by amatonormativity, and it is also completely disregarding the experiences of asexual and aromantic folk. The entire spectrums btw.
Now think about the rules I mentioned earlier. Must kiss, must fuck, must marry etc.
Aziracrow also breaks almost all of them.
That's also queer as hell!!!
Being queer and celebrating pride isn't about having labels. It's about breaking societal norms: heteronormativity, cisnormativity, mononormativity, amatonormativity, etc. Norms that are used to opress us, to put us in boxes, to separate us, to marginalize us, and to kill us.
A show that gives the middle finger to all of these and just tells its story however way it likes, not caring about labeling the characters or having a long monologue about homophobia or showing a explicit sex scene between the two characters or following any of those stupid rules imposed by society, a society ran by cishet folk, is as queer as a show can ever be.
To deny that is to reinforce a narrative that is literally used to opress us.
That's all, bye.
Also, some of you guys are giving "I call beez she/her because of the actress" and that's cringe, but not surprising, ngl.
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our-king-bree · 7 months
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woke up loving the headcanon where Katelyn finds out that Andrew calls her "the cheerleader" –and mind you, she's very proud of being a cheerleader but she's been told that Andrew does it with a condescending tone and that just won't do– so she starts calling Andrew "the goalie".
When Andrew finds out he doesn't get mad but he's offended like c'mon Katelyn couldn't think of something else? He's getting associated with the position he, reluctantly, plays in Exy? That's just wrong. Of course he doesn't tell anyone that this bothers him, he will rather die than admit that the cheerleader got under his skin –annoying, intolerable, should've got rid of her when he got the chance. Whatever now's too late, Aaron's too attached and they're making progress, he won't harm the cheerleader but only because he's on good terms with his brother and he doesn't want that to change–. So he doesn't tell anyone but he, slowly, progressively, definitely not rushing, he doesn't care that much, stars referring to Katelyn as Katelyn.
The first few times he calls her different varieties of her name along with "the cheerleader". It goes like this:
"It's the cheerleader Kamila coming?"
"Will the cheerleader, uhm, Kara be there?"
"With who? The cheerleader? Kaylee?"
Aaron can see that something is going on but whatever it is will probably be good for them as brothers. After all, he still refers to Neil as Josten –and sometimes asshole, sue him Josten is an asshole–. So he doesn't say anything but just nods along and says "Yeah, Katelyn it's coming" "Yeah, Katelyn will be there".
When Andrew finally calls Katelyn Katelyn, Aaron can't stop smiling and he even texts Kate the news with a lot of emojis and exclamation marks ((((HE CALLED YOU KATELYN LIKE ACTUALLY KATELYN AND NOT KAVINSKY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT!! ☺️☺️💕💕❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹🙏🙏)))
Katelyn beams proudly. She does not stop calling Andrew "the goalie" for at least another eight months, she is petty like that. And if she sometimes calls Andrew "Andres" no one needs to know.
All the Foxes know, she calls him Andres in front of every single one of the Foxes cause she may like them but she knows they can't keep a secret if their life depended on it. Once again she is petty like that.
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callmearcturus · 8 months
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what do you mean by TC is a black box? what does that mean?
/pops gum loudly.
Sure, I've been avoiding this landmine a while lemme shove my foot onto it.
TC doesn't do serious interviews. He barely does press. everything out of him is a soundbite, and that's obviously a very deliberate choice on his part that probably has a few motives behind it. He consciously, actively avoids sharing anything beyond his enthusiasm for cinema and his work.
As someone who clearly has found a Problematic Fave in McQuarrie-era Cruise, I have thought about all that a lot.
One. I think that TC had to work consistently and deliberately to rehab his image after everything, and I think he's damn careful not to endanger the tentative equilibrium he's managed to build over literally about twenty fucking years.
Two. I'm old enough to remember Tom Cruise Crazy era, and one of the things that's... interesting to me with the maturity and hindsight of sitting here in 2023 is that, yes, a lot of TC's actions and associations were concerning back in that period, back when he was in the news. But the world didn't react with concern. The world, broadly speaking, called him a fag and a freak in a way that I hope we wouldn't today. I hope that "hey this huge star is part of a cult and is acting erratically" would cause even superficial concern today and not... what it did back then. Because I def remember songs and memes about that shit, and my family made jokes about him being a lunatic. Classmates talked about him being a closet case. It's what everyone did. I didn't realize that was fucked up for a long time.
I do genuinely wonder what TC's relationship with his audience and with the media would be if there was literally an ounce of compassion in the coverage about him. But we'll never know.
Three. TC has been literally world famous since 1983. Forty years. I....... literally cannot fathom that. What that does to someone. The very idea of it hits me with existential terror.
Four. I don't know anything about his life today. I don't really want to know because I've always been of the opinion that... I don't want to know shit about celebrities major or minor. I don't need to know, and I think it's weird that we accept that people must forfeit their privacy for even minuscule fame.
(The disgusting hounding and harassment of Jonny Sims, writer of The Magnus Archives, comes to mind. This is why I don't follow anyone like Neil Gaiman on Tumblr either, it feels invasive to me personally.)
Like, I know this cuts both ways. I am relieved when a famous person is a cool person. But also I would rather know nothing about them, because that inherent demand that they present their self for scrutiny and entertainment seems like bullshit to me. I don't think any of us are entitled to that. I think the fact so many entertainment industries demand that is repulsive and I wish that was a bell that could be unrung.
Point is: I don't know shit about TC's personal life. My genuine hope is that in this part of his life, as he's surrounded himself with people who seem passionate and supportive, i hope he's found his way out of the turmoil of the CoS (or is in the process of doing so). But while that is my hope, I don't think the details are any of my fucking business. And frankly, I think its obvious that he agrees.
Hence, he is a black box. Which I respect, as I'm a big fan of boundaries.
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highlandwhackamole · 2 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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billlydear · 1 year
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pandora, 21, she/her, requests open for billy hargrove + harringrove. if you're here for one and can't tolerate the other, please block whatever tag you don't want to see (billy hargrove x reader or billy hargrove x steve harrington), i'm aware that these audiences don't typically mesh but i write both and i don't want ridicule for it, please keep any negative opinions to yourself.
masterlist | tagging system | rules | latest fic
upcoming fics:
basic biology - billy hargrove x reader: y/n is paired with billy for a biology project. she only visits his house once, but it's enough for her to understand why he doesn't want her to come over again. when he starts showing up more and more in her life, she realizes that it's basic biology: she was made for him, and he was made for her.
girl talk - billy hargrove x reader: max starts breaking out and needs to develop a skincare routine. billy's girlfriend y/n steps up to the role of older sister and walks her through each step. billy lingers by the bathroom doorway, putting himself in the position of the perfect model.
guilty by association - billy hargrove x reader: y/n doesn't much like having billy hargrove as a seat mate, especially when he acts out and lands them both detention. she's not sure how to navigate the punishment, because she's never been before, but billy feels bad about dragging her down with him, so he steps up as her protector for the hour.
every breath you take - billy hargrove x reader: billy hargrove has had his eye on y/n long enough to know that something’s wrong. when he witnesses it first hand, he ends up revealing his own situation, and it binds them together in a way they can’t shake, even if she tries.
brother's best friend - billy hargrove x reader: billy doesn't think twice about sleeping with tommy hagan's sister for a bet. but the aftermath makes him feel guilty, and he doesn't know how to deal with that.
like we'll never have sex - billy hargrove x reader: you're not expecting billy to let a date go by without sex, and billy's not expecting you to get out of his car without jumping his bones. after all, that's how it always goes, doesn't it?
playing house - billy hargrove x reader: your first sleepover with billy is not planned. in the midst of your baby project for science class, a storm hits hawkins that closes down the roads. it means his family can't come back, and you can't leave. so where does that land you? billy hargrove's bed, his hand slung over your waist, and a plastic baby between you.
refugee - billy hargrove x reader: billy learns a thing or two about friendship from the girl seeking refuge in the gym from her terrible clique.
friendship bracelets - billy hargrove x reader: a collection of vignettes that starts with a friendship bracelet and ends with a wedding ring
babysitting - billy hargrove x reader: Neil Hargrove's latest attempt at discipline is humiliation. When you're asked to 'babysit' his son who can't be trusted alone, you're expecting a toddler. But your English classmate stalks up to your door glaring daggers at the man escorting him.
home and garden - billy hargrove x reader: You and BIlly work at opposite ends of a home and garden store, and he's quite appalled that he only found out because he rammed into you on the way out of the break room.
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sectumsempress1 · 7 months
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Good Omens Season 3: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Sectumsempress1, Hag
Or that one time I watched Good Omens, felt the claws of hyperfixation sink into my flesh for the first time in years, re-watched Good Omens more times than I care to admit and then drowned in a mind palace of analysis and delusion, resulting in this season 3 predictions bingo card coupled with unnecessarily long explanations for each square.
I'm gonna post these explanations one or two squares at a time, and honestly my first theory (probably not mine, I'm sure others have also come to this conclusion) deserves its own post because wowee I'm insane about this one.
Let's talk about why I think Crowley may have been Jophiel or Jeremiel before they fell.
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I have seen endless theories about who Crowley could have been before The Fall; Lucifer, Barachiel, Raphael, Samael... and I see some evidence for all of these. However, I raise you;
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Great question babygirl.
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Okay me when I lie.
Yes, I took this throwaway line and went insane over it don't worry about it. Anyway. First J angel that I think could make sense is:
Jophiel "Beauty of God"
Jophiel is described in some texts as the guardian of wisdom and a teacher of languages to souls at the dawn of creation. She is also recognised as a teacher to Noah's children (specifically Shem) by C.E. Clement, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa and Thomas Rudd.
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And yes I am aware this is post-Fall Crowley and not the angel they were, but it's interesting that Shem was mentioned specifically regardless. Neil has wounded me so, I just feel that nothing is unintentional. Anyway, any iteration of Crowley as a teacher just feels right based on all we've seen of them.
(How he acts with Muriel, answering Jim's questions, showing Jesus the kingdoms of the world.)
Jophiel is also heavily associated with beauty and creativity.
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Okay Mr. 'Pointedly Unusual Imagination.' Bit beautiful and creative of you.
Now here's where it gets buck wild. So Jophiel is not explicitly mentioned in the bible (in fact only Michael, Raphael and Gabriel are consistently mentioned) but scholars interpret Genesis 3:24 as referring to him.
"He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and aflaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life."
Yeah. It is widely agreed upon that Archangel Jophiel wielded the flaming sword and cast Adam and Eve out of Eden. Now, obviously, in Good Omens canon, Aziraphale did this. But... what if that wasn't the original plan? What if, after Jophiel and the others were cast out, the work rosters in Heaven had to be shuffled around a bit? And what if Aziraphale, having met this beautiful, curious starmaker so long ago took on their role himself?
What if Crowley and Aziraphale began the arrangement long before either of them had the words to understand what it was? All because the angel couldn't understand why he felt so drawn to the Fallen who couldn't remember.
(Edited because I've already come up with a new theory. I still stand by all of this and want it to be true so badly, but I think that Crowley does remember. I think Aziraphale is the one whose memory may have been tampered with. That doesn't change the core of the Jophiel theory, I just think that upon reflection, a personal relationship with Crowley is not what caused Aziraphale to take his old job.)
It also makes sense to then make Crowley the Serpent of Eden, if they had perhaps already planned to go to Eden anyway.
Jophiel is also widely known as Metatron's companion, which explains why he is so aggressive towards Crowley in a really cold, personal way. Yes, Metatron knows of everyone and everything so him knowing Crowley's story isn't odd in itself. But the glare...
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To me, this reads as "I know you. I've known you. I know exactly what you're capable of and I will not take it. Not again. Behave." It's like a glare a parent would give their toddler for misbehaving in public. It feels pointedly personal. Almost as though they've worked together in the past in a way that ended badly for Metatron and he is on high alert to ensure it doesn't happen again.
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Again here. Metatron doesn't speak about Crowley in a general 'all fallen angels suck' sense. It's personal. His choice of words, the tone, everything points to him having been personally wronged by the angel Crowley was.
Also just look at Jophiel's goddamn curly little red hair are you kidding me right now Neil Gaiman I am in your WALLS.
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Also some more fun facts: Jophiel is shown as male and female presenting, leads people to a deeper understanding of the beauty of the universe, is regarded as an angel of wisdom, is known to protect those who seek truth, battles against forces of darkness and ignorance... and is strongly associated with the colour yellow.
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Nice eyes babe.
Anyway, I am so delulu about this specific theory because if it is true it would show Aziraphale and Crowley's grand cosmic connection in a way that is honestly just ineffable.
But however much I long for Jophiel to be it... there is also some evidence for it being:
Jeramheel/Jeremiel "God shall have mercy"
In religious texts, Jeremiel is known as the angel who presides over true visions, often appearing in dreams and visions to bring truth. He appears to decipher Baruch's visions and give him a tour of heaven in the book '2 Baruch', and God sends him to answer the prophet Ezra's questions regarding the apocalypse in the book '2 Esdras'.
He also served as an angel of death, watching over and guiding souls to heaven and helping them learn from their earthly experiences.
This again goes back to Crowley's belief that everyone has the right to answers and being a good teacher because of that. It would make sense for them to have had this role in their angelic days as well, despite it eventually coming back to bite them.
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Jeremiel is often depicted with a book or a scroll, symbolising the importance of knowledge.
Also, while Zadkiel is known as the angel of forgiveness and mercy, many people also consider Jeremiel (god shall have mercy) in this role... which would make Aziraphale's constant attempts to forgive him and his insistence that he is unforgivable even more devastating, and why I have ongoing theories about a role reversal occurring when it comes to this theme of forgiveness (more on this later).
Right. So I am obviously clutching at my delusion of it being Jophiel, but Jeremiel is a wider known angel with more canonical basis for actually being an archangel, which is why he also makes a lot of sense to me.
Thank you for joining me in this downward spiral into insanity. Look forward to part two!
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hiraya-sa-dilim · 8 months
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good omens s3 predictions
ye boy jc is a major character. he is west asian and a most wonderfully human Being
and fruity (there will be a joke about his luscious locks)
he doesn't want to do the second coming because of all the suffering it will cause (there will be dialog refering to the calvary and him not wanting anyone to go through the same thing he did), just as adam rejected armaggedon
there will be a scene of ye boi jc and adam (older and ocassional baysitter on roster with the them to anathema and newt's four children, the youngest of which is named agnes) delighting in eating apples under a tree with an old Dog
god face reveal
ye boy jc calls them Mother (he calls mary, who he likes much better, mom)
god is either the biggest bitch alive or is surprise-revealed to be the type the metatron will coup against
ye boy jc somehow gets wind of his archangel's 6k yr old dilemma and goes out of his way to do something about it instead of attending operation second coming logistic meetings
he officiates the ineffable husbands wedding in the finale himself, during which a nightingale sings at berkeley square. there will be extremists shitting themselves irl
weddingsinger!tori amos cameo
wedding band!queen cameo
god and satan are godparents somehow
SHADESLESS KISS SHADESLESS KISS TENDER SHADESLESS AZIRAPHALE-INITIATED KISS IN THE RAIN UNDER A METEOR SHOWER I WILL SHIT MYSELF IRL
aziraphale's one night only apology dance spectacular featuring the modern ladies of camelot and/or ms. sandwich's girls + the shopkeepers association + lower ranking angels + lower ranking demons + ineffable bureaucracy + madame tracey in a special role + what's left of the chattering order
hastur returns semi-majorly and gets one (1) badass moment with shax before being foiled yet again by a narrative in need of a laugh
eric gets the promotion they deserve
muriel gets the promotion they deserve (they get to stay/keep the bookshop)
crowley attempts suicide by holy water; earth friends stop him
crowley gets discorporated (azi already did in s1)
crowley fires a real gun
the plants wilt and crowley spends the whole season trying to revive them but they don't until he and aziraphale get back together. he almost throws them about but holds out until it seems like all hope is lost. he's in the process of throwing them out during The Reckoning
crowley moves into the bookshop. there will be a scene with aziraphale clearing out some prime spots for the plants
aziraphale sets the bookshop on fire to save crowley and/or earth friends
muriel names the bentley
AZIRAPHALE CROWLEY PVP
nina and maggie are ready for a relationship (i will cry)
one of aziraphale's first ordinances as archangel is to miraculously raise population interest in vinyl records
aziraphale v metatron face-off
aziraphale, crowley, and ye boy jc v god
aziraphale and crowley visit gabriel (still in sweaters and faux fur coats) and beelzebub (still punk) on separate occassions, and in both times are told to stop being idiots and get their shit together
aziraphale drives the bentley in crowley's prefered form at breakneck speed (possibly to save crowley at some point)
neil cameo
hillywood show cameo
more tumblr references/representation (the 'wait-and-see' dialog!! why is nobody talking about that?!)
crowley keeps off the first phases of the second coming but gets involved when his earth friends are put in danger
maggie is revealed to be Something Else Entirely
mr. shadwell and/or madam tracey die and go to heaven where they reunite with aziraphale and contribute to his shenaniganery and/or slap some sense into him
anansi boys cast cameo
american gods cast cameo
discworld adaptation announcement post credits
god and satan makeout sloppy style
...BEFORE airaphale and crowley
everything will be okay
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deramin2 · 7 months
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I've head Crowley and Aziraphale referred to as a "will they won't they" story. I can understand that interpretation, but it feels like it misses the depth the historical minisodes add: They will. They always will in the end because they always have. (This isn't the end.)
For millennia they've been drawn together. At first by many chance meetings. And then because they liked each other. Crowley pushed Aziraphale to have free will and examine what he wanted to do and experience beyond what Heaven said he ought to. And Aziraphale saw past Crowley's scowling exterior and associates to the kind person he actually is. They're both answers to questions the other's been asking.
And end of season 1 they were brave enough to choose each other over their respective sides openly and defiantly. When they thought the bookshop had burned down, Crowley offered to let Aziraphale stay with him until it was sorted. Aziraphale turned him down under the excuse that Heaven wouldn't like it. (Even though he's already been kicked out of heaven.)
Season 2 we see the fall out of their defiance. They've had peace but it's transient. Crowley respected that Aziraphale didn't want to live together even temporarily so he never told him he was living in his car. Crowley compared angels to bees. Aziraphale has lost his hive. Even though he has his earthly delights and Crowley, he's feeling very alone. Crowley is used to that kind of loneliness, Aziraphale isn't.
That's the weakness Heaven exploits to undermine his freedom. They promise him he can have heaven and Crowley. All it takes is Crowley agreeing to be a subject of heaven again. But of course Crowley is never going to do that. Crowley knows both sides are equally toxic, manipulative, and violent. He's an abolitionist of the entire system.
Aziraphale is a reformist. He thinks that this is all a big misunderstanding of God's great plan and if he was in change they could get everything sorted out and it would all be how it's supposed to be. He thinks the violence is an accident and not inherent to the system.
For 6000 years Crowley's been trying to persuade Aziraphale to stop being complicit. Their biggest wins are when Aziraphale listens to him. But he doesn't win every time. Aziraphale's entire existence has been defined by upholding the belief that God has a plan and that plan is inherently good. If that's not true, they Aziraphale has no certainty. This is a man who's worn the same outfit for over 100 years. He likes the comfort of the status quo.
Choosing his own way with Crowley is utterly terrifying to him. So he was promised that he could have all his certainty back, AND he could have Crowley. It was a very expertly crafted temptation. And of course it's a lie. He won't have any real power and the power he is given will just make him more complicit and drive him farther apart from Crowley, which is the real goal. If they just deny Crowley to Aziraphale, Aziraphale will fight them. This way they make it look like it's Crowley keeping them apart and Heaven is being the reasonable ones. It's a kind of deceit Aziraphale isn't used to from angels. But it's been shaping his whole life. He's so used to that kind of emotional manipulation that it looks like love. It's an amplification of what happened at the Bandstand.
So this is their trip into the underworld where they have to face their greatest foe: their own selves. But the point on that story form is to come back out again transformed, not just stay there. To be that's not the "will they won't they" trope of straight media, it's the core queer trope of the cyclical fight for the relationship against a world that wants to tear you apart. Personally I wasn't expecting Neil Gaiman to write the tone of Big Eden, I was expecting Torch Song Trilogy. Especially when the story was being written. The adaptation is new, but the story comes from a particular queer media tradition.
Famously Torch Song Trilogy was three plays, but if you tried to stage the first or second play without the third it's just a bummer. The second play in particular has a devastating ending. But add the last play and get to the end of the story and it's a masterpiece. It couldn't hit that high without either of those lows.
Queer love stories are about how love isn't per-destined, it's something you choose and fight for. Sometimes you fight yourself for it. Sometimes you fight your partner for it. But you always have to fight the world for it. And it's worth it. It's so worth it to love and be loved. "The mortifying ordeal of being known." It's about being brave enough to do what you know is right against a world that says established power and decorum is better for everyone.
Queer media is all about cycles. They haven't been waffling about their relationship for trivial reasons. It was never going to be that easy. Their love represents a very real threat to institutional power. as do Beelzebub and Gabriel. Angels and Demons are not supposed to have free will by definition. Free will and choice is supposed to be a human trait. Is love and compassion stronger than God's plan?
Challenging and subverting systems of power like Heaven and Hell isn't a one-and done. They don't lose a battle and give up the war. Crowley and Aziraphale chose their own side but their still combatants. It takes courage to keep fighting and that slips. But I also trust Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett and the places they guide their stories to in the end. The minisodes of Aziraphale and Crowley's history shows that however many times they get cold feet and withdraw, they always come back together. That's their nature, and it's more powerful than Heaven's schemes.
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trebol-negro · 7 months
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What type of angel was Crowley before he fell?
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This is going to be a longer post, but researching this during the past few days has been a fun mental exercise and I wanted to share my conclusions with you.
Before I begin, please remember that English is not my first language and that I just started researching this topic recently. Any corrections are appreciated, as well as other people participating in this post. Don't be afraid to share your ideas!
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I'll be using this hierarchy, as it's implied to be the one used in the series
What we know
Aziraphale
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Thanks to Furfur's book, we know that Aziraphale is a principality. Both his personality and appearence fit the description of principalities.
Principalities are the ones who protect the different groups of people. Their main trait is their knowledge.
They have a human body with one pair of wings
We also see that when he and Crowley interact during the creation of the stars and Crowley asks him for help, he doesn't question him at any point and won't stop holding the plane (?) with the stars until Crowley tells him to. This plus the fact that he introduces himself while Crowley doesn't makes me think that Crowley is above him in the hierarchy. So we can discard archangel and angel.
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Muriel
When Muriel leads Crowley to the folder with Gabriel's information, they mention that only a throne or dominion or above is able to open it. Since Crowley could, we can assume he fits Muriel's conditions.
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Archangels vs archangels
Neil commented on his blog that in Good Omens there is a difference between Archangels and archangels. See post here
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This would put Archangels above seraphim, but just below the Metatron.
Crowley
We know, thanks to what he tells us during the creation of the stars, that while he wasn't the one who designed them, he "worked very closely with upstairs", meaning that he isn't on the top of the hierarchy. So, we can discard Metatron (obviously) and Archangel.
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Possible choirs
Seraph
Seraphim comes from the word saraph, which in Hebrew means "burning". Saraph is also used to describe a "fiery flying serpent".
Appearence:
- Three sets of wings. The first to cover their faces, the second to fly and the third to cover their feet.
Function:
-To sing and hail God's glory.
Neither their appearance nor their function matches Crowley's.
Cherub
Appearence:
- Four faces of different animals. A lion (wild animals), an ox (domestic animals), a human (humanity) and an eagle (birds).
- Straight legs, with the soles of their feet like the hooves of a bull.
-Four wings.
Function:
- To guard God's Throne, His Chariot and the holy places that the Lord indicates. They also were the ones who watched over the Tree of Life.
Neither their function nor their appearance matches Crowley's.
Throne:
Appearence:
- Great wheels with many eyes.
Function:
- They observe the fulfilment of divine justice.
- They announce judgements or resolutions to humanity's problems
- They function as the chariots of God
- Characterized by peace and submission
Neither their function nor their appearance matches Crowley's.
Dominion:
Appearence:
- Human body
- One set of wings
- Often depicted wearing jewelry and white or green tunics.
Function:
- They coordinate and organize the angels belonging to the lower choirs.
- Associated with the step between the spiritual and material world.
- Also associated with healing and medicine
This is where Crowley most likely belongs based on his appearance and his job.
Now that we know where he belongs, let's see how that fits with his character.
Crowley is a dominion
The number of wings he has matches the number of wings a Dominion have
We see Crowley wearing a white tunic when he's an angel
Dominions are associated with healing. The snake is the animal that represents medicine.
Dominions dress with white and green. The opposite is black and red, Crowley's main colors.
While Crowley doesn't wear much jewelry, we can see him putting more care than Aziraphale into following fashion trends, changing outfits frequently instead of using the same one over the years.
Implications
It makes sense that he was asking for Aziraphale, an angel from a lower choir, to help him in the beginning of season 2. His job is to coordinate the lower angels.
He fell because he questioned God. While this was likely seen as a bad thing coming from other angels, given that dominions are the ones who supervise and lead the lower choirs, he could have offended God by implying that God belongs in a category below him.
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stranger-rants · 10 months
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Do you think Billy warned Max to stay away from Lucas for Lucas' own safety? Neil is very likely racist like Dacre said, and I think Billy wanted to scare them apart to avoid trouble.
I feel very conflicted over this, because I don't think that's what was intended but at the same time...
It makes sense.
Back when people were speculating as to why the family moved, one of the popular theories was that Billy was hanging around the "wrong" people. Neil wanted to keep him away, because he's a bigot. It's plausible given that Billy says something you learn is to stay away from certain people, and we all know who Billy learns his "lessons" from.
I think Billy does internalize Neil's biases, but he doesn't commit to them in the same way that Neil does. This is a common experience for survivors who get abused by bigoted parents. Being around people who are different from you is associated with fear. Fear of being found out. Fear of being abused. I think Billy was afraid of what could happen.
Since he had no power over his father, he took that fear out on Lucas. I don't necessarily view it as him trying to keep Lucas safe by pushing him away, but rather trying to keep himself safe. There doesn't seem to be any negative consequences for Lucas and Max dating, but that doesn't mean Neil won't take out his anger over it on Billy.
When Billy pushes Lucas against the wall, it sounds like he's begging. He begs Lucas to listen to him because Max won't. And it's that part which people often ignore. They think Billy went there to kill Lucas when he absolutely did not. He was already in deep shit because Max was missing, and targeting Lucas was his way to get some power back.
That targeting did not involve wanting to kill Lucas. I don't believe he ever even thought about killing any of the kids and I can't take people who make that accusation seriously. He did intend to push them apart, and the only reason he would do that is because it would lead to bad consequences for him. There's no other logical reason for it.
People can say, "Oh, Billy's just racist. That's why." However, even racists have motivations. Neil as a bigot believes in white supremacy as it affords him privileges he wants to hoard over marginalized people. Billy has been conditioned to do what his father wants because any rebellion he shows is dealt with violently.
I think people are uncomfortable discussing the motivations behind bigots and bigoted behavior because they think it's excusing it, but it's really not. Billy's behavior was still bigoted regardless of the motivation behind it because it ultimately was informed by his own negative biases about Lucas as a black person.
That said, I do think it's possible that Billy was afraid of what would happen if Max and Lucas started dating. I don't think The Duffers planned for all the implications that would be made by juxtaposing Billy's bigoted actions alongside the explicit abuse he experiences from his bigoted father, but the text of the show makes all of this plausible.
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ineffableducks · 8 months
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things that are spot on about beelzebub in good omens as someone who worships the demon they're based on
(i'm a demolator which means i worship demons. yes srsly.)
(for complete clarity, i'm going to refer to the entity beelzebub with he/him bc that's how he presents to me as, and refer to the character beelzebub as they/them)
(and if you're going to be mean about demonolatry or my beliefs/experiences then go away)
first of all, demons don't really have consistent genders. beelzebub (entity) presents pretty consistently masculine throughout history, but he can take feminine and androgynous forms and has been recorded to do so. the non binary rep and interpretation is my favourite thing.
some stories go that after jesus descended into hell and subsequently escaped, satan was dethroned as the ruler of hell (this doesn't mean that his power was taken away - just that he doesn't personally manage the demons anymore). the title was then passed onto beelzebub who is referred to consistently as a high ranking demon, specifically as a duke or a prince, among others. i really love how beelzebub is the one running things in hell as grand duke. ppl love to give satan all the attention, and it's not like i'm slandering him, but it's tiring to see big bad cookie cutter satan in EVERY show. beelzebub (GO) is a breath of fresh air.
absolutely commands attention when you're in their space. needs you to know that they are the Lord of the Flies, Supreme Chief of the Empire of Hell, Archdemon of Gluttony, and you cannot make any mistake about it.
the buzzing noises when they talk - absolutely canon.
they both appear in a swarm of flies when you least expect bc they have something to say to u that cannot wait. this is how beelzebub first made his presence known to me. just sent me a swarm of flies. twice. can't say he's ever manifested his form into the swarm but hey.
also if he needs my attention, he sends a single fly to buzz in my room until i find out what he wants. sometimes i forget and try to kill the fly. i never can. the fly harassing gabriel who is unable to kill it is so real in this way.
in the final episode when beelzebub holds the fly on their finger... that has happened to me. a while before GO2 came out, he sent me a fly that did exactly that to me, and then i saw the promo photo of beelzebub (GO) holding the fly and i lost my mind.
afaik beelzebub (entity) and gabriel (entity) are not interested in each other but i could be wrong????? it's definitely not rare for demons and angels to interact.
the packet of crisps... they're a demon associated with gluttony and find it amusing when gabriel says they 'don't have to consume.' also, both appreciate booze.
both enjoy music and give ominous warnings like 'every day, something is getting closer.' like ok.
overall, i like how they were watered down from the first season. yes, they're a demon, but demons are not inherently malevolent. ppl who worship them do not think that they're brimming with evil. they're just entities that have been literally demonised over the years. it was nice to see a morally grey portrayal of beelzebub in season 2 and to have them gain agency and choose something that matters more to them than hell.
Ave Beelzebub and thank u neil gaiman.
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arachidenitida · 1 year
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SOLDIER POET KING — DPS VERSION 🍂
[these days many people made the trend "soldier poet king" and I wondered who would be the poets for me, so I decided to write my opinion. I searched the meanings of the three figures and tried to associate them with poets.]
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a soldier is someone who will punish the sinner, sees everything as a fight, and walks into conflicts by his own choice
to me, this is charlie dalton
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a soldier is a risk-taker and wants to reestablish justice. he pursues the glory
steven meeks (maybe not for the pursuit of glory but I think it makes sense to put him among the soldiers)
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a poet is a solitary, a peaceful creature. he uses the power of words to change the world
todd anderson (he's DEFINITELY a poet)
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a poet is individualistic and sees the beauty and poetry of the world
knox overstreet (I saw people associated him with different figures but, to me, he's a poet)
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poets are artistic types. the quiet power of his character can change the world as much as an act of war
gerard pitts (someone wouldn't agree but I don't care lol)
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the king is bound to serve and to do his duty, he has many responsibilities.
he feels the burden of being the one who has to manage and take accountability for the world.
duties are inevitable, he feels he must take them on his shoulders and follow what the world expects
neil perry (he's the king who wants to be the poet, argue with the wall)
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the king has much honor and power. he will be welcomed as the rules of this world and will have the duty to take ownership.
richard cameron (the quote doesn't sound like him entirely, but he's a king 'cause I said it)
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I am curious about your opinions, you can write them if you want <3
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olddogdevotion · 3 months
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〔 Itō Hideaki, cis man + he/him 〕 SUGIMOTO MINORU, some say you’re a 49-year-old lost soul among the neon lights. Known for being both Devoted and Calculated, one can’t help but think of Black Mambo by Glass Animals when you walk by. Are you still an UNDERBOSS OF THE DEAD HAND, and an investor at Yami Ink and Torn Traditions even with your reputation as the old guard? I think we’ll be seeing more of you and munewari under white tailored dress shirts, the alluring but suffocating warmth of a heated car in the chill of winter, bullet holes in emerald green granite, cold metal that melds in the right hands, funerals in the rain, a stray strand of hair tucked back into place after a moment of weakness, and tired brown eyes that have seen too much. However, we can’t help but think of Denzel Williams (Nopixel), Izzy Hands (OFMD), Magneto (X-Men), Neil Mccauley (HEAT), and Noboru Kudo (Sympathy for the Underdog) whenever we see you down these rainy streets.
INFO // MORE TBA
Full Name: Sugimoto, Minoru Nicknames: Mino DOB: November 21st, 1981 Place of Birth: Kyoto, Japan Martial Status: Unmarried Sexuality: Bisexual Legal Occupation: Investor Criminal Affiliation: Underboss of the Dead Hand Family: Adopted Daughter: Ono Katsuki, Mother & Father: TBA POSITIVE TRAITS: Devoted, Protective, Calculated NEGATIVE TRAITS: Tempermental, Vindictive, Resentful TV TROPES: Hidden Depths, Even Evil Has Loved Ones, Broken Pedestal, Affably Evil, Wicked Cultured, My Master - Right or Wrong, In Love With Your Carnage, My God What Have I Done? Because I'm Good At It
WANTED CONNECTIONS.
ESTABLISHED CONNECTIONS
SO YOU NEVER WANTED A REGULAR TYPE LIFE? 'What the fuck is that?' This relationship can only be described as cat and mouse. Even as an agent of the law, they have a budding respect for Minoru, his part in making the Dead Hand what they are today, his smarts, and his affable but calculated attitude. Though, on either side of the law, the gap is unbridgeable. Minoru doesn't know how to do anything else and he doesn't want to either. The same can be said for this detective. (Inspired by Heat, ft McCauley & Hanna)
EXES AND OHS An ex of Minoru's that was either not involved with the crime life or didn't know that they had opposing gang allegiances until it was too late. They kept work and personal life separate and that worked for a while, until 1. The unaffiliated/civilian found out about his affiliations with the Dead Hand and/or that he'd killed people and Felt Different about him afterwards. Or 2. They were a part of a different group but neither of them knew until they ended up on opposing sides (thinking Executioners, Hanging Man or Jade Tribe) or they ended up just deciding they were better off not dating someone from a different group (White Crocs mention, but also any other group!) HOW DID YOU RECOGNIZE ME AFTER ALL THESE YEARS? A sibling for Minoru, brother or sister, older or younger, they grew up together. Their family was associated with a Yakuza family. But while Minoru chased after movies and media of the mob life and was estranged from his family for also liking guys. Their paths split and Minoru didn't look back. This sibling has been looking for them for a few years now. They finally track him down to New York.
Ono Katsuki: His adopted daughter Nishiguchi Akira: Boss, friend & ex-lover Matsuda Hiroshi: It's complicated Fujiwara Asuza: Handler, It's complicated Janus Van Breda: Colleague and Enemy Ishino Yamato: Old colleague
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cavinginhisfvce · 1 year
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'Mama?' | ANTIS DNI.
If he thinks long enough, hard enough, Billy can almost vividly picture smooth brown skin, chocolate colored eyes framed by long, gorgeous lashes, and red painted lips. 
If he closes his eyes real tight, he can see his mother in all her wonderful glory, smiling down at him as blonde dyed curls whipped wildly in the warm California breeze. He remembers the day she swept him up in her arms and asked if her hair looked good. Billy remembers telling her they matched now! BillyBee and Mama, with their blond hair and long lashes. If not for the fact her skin had been darker than his, his eyes blue while hers were brown, Billy would've been her perfect double.
On a good day, he can hear her whispered promises of loving him forever, can hear her honey sweet voice singing along to the radio while she applied her makeup.
On a bad day, he can hear her cries from his parents bedroom, he doesn't like those days very much. 
He remembers the first time he saw his mother with a bruise tainting her otherwise flawless skin, she had tried to cover it up with makeup before Billy could see, but he was quicker than she remembered. He was growing everyday, sometimes it was so hard to keep up.
On the absolute worst days, he remembers the day she tearfully hugged him to her chest, nimble fingers carding through his mess of curls, her voice was watery, and strained. "Mama has to go, baby. But she'll be back, okay? I promise, Little Bird, I'll always come back." 
Billy wasn't sure she ever would.
He was too young to understand why she'd left, too young to understand that his father had never been kind to his mother because of who she was. His father never failed to spit nasty slurs in her direction whenever she upset him. She wishes she clocked him for the racist he truly was before they got married, before she knew she was expecting. She always wished she saw the signs before her son was born. 
Billy was too young to understand that she left to better their situation one day down the line. 
But he's older now, understands a lot more than he used to. 
He understands why Susan and Max were never allowed to see pictures of Billy's mother, he understands why neither of them know Billy is mixed with black, and a bit of Puerto Rican. Because Neil didn't allow it. Didn't allow Billy. Didn't allow his mother.
When Max meets Lucas after their move from California, the reason for said move still unbeknownst to the siblings, Billy vaguely warns Max against getting involved with him. 
He can tell based off the obvious disgust in her face, she assumes he dislikes Lucas for being black. 
Which couldn't be further from the fucking truth. 
He had wanted to laugh at her expression, but he refrained. Merely shrugging as he started up the car and peeled out the school's parking lot.
It was her funeral, not his. 
Except it would be his, because his father would just assume his son was the reason Max had associated with such people. 
In the early weeks of December, Neil had gone on a work trip, leaving Billy, Max and Susan with free reign of the house. 
Max had been asking Billy questions about his mother all day, and at first he shrugged her attempts off, his mood souring at the fact he couldn't even talk about his mother because Neil would disapprove. 
But, it dawned on him that Neil wasn't there, and he wouldn't be home for a little over a week. He could finally tell Max, at least a little of the woman he missed more with each day. 
So, he did.
He told her as much about his mother as he could bother to remember. Some memories always hurt more than others. He avoided those.
It isn't until Max asks to see a photo of her, that Billy drags her to his room and retrieves a small photo album. 
He toys with it, clearly debating with himself, before he thrusts the book in her direction, his eyes never meeting hers.
She's silent as she skims through the pictures, aside from the small gasp she let out when she saw the first photo of her. Billy's mother was beautiful. Breathtaking even. But it was not only her beauty that shocked the girl.
Max gently traced the outline of one picture, Billy was perched on his mother's hip, his smile blinding in a way Max has never seen, while his mom's head was thrown back in laughter. This picture, unlike all the others, had words at the bottom. 
She didn't recognize the writing to be Billy's, but she guessed it was his mother's. "BILLYBEE'S SIXTH BIRTHDAY"
The next picture is of an older Billy, maybe twelve, with a frown on his lips as his mother wipes at his cheek with her thumb, obviously swiping away something. 
When she flips to the next page, it's blank, despite there being several pages left. 
After a beat, she whispers, "why didn't you ever tell me?"
Billy, for his part looks ashamed, shrugging as he closes in on himself, "wasn't allowed to." 
She wants to ask what he means, but her mom walking into the room cuts her off. 
She seems to observe the pair before her eyes find the opened photo album, her brows pinched gently as she tilts her head.
Billy tenses up, prepared to hear the same insults his father threw in his mother's face, and then his own the older he got.
But, no such insults came. Instead, Susan had simply smiled at them and scurried off into the kitchen. 
Max and Billy made eye contact, both curious as to what her deal was.
Eventually, the day shifted into night, and Max was once again in Billy's room, though she stayed at the door this time.
"Do you miss her?" It didn't take a genius to figure out who she was talking about, so Billy just nodded and threw his head back against his headboard with a soft thud.
"Yeah...I probably shouldn't, considering she left me with him. But, I get it. At least a little, y'know?"
Max didn't know, but she nodded anyway.
By Wednesday, any conversations of Billy's mother were gone, in their place was a house full of Max's loser friends, and Steve Harrington. Or rather, Steve Harrington's house full of children. 
Billy wouldn't admit to anyone to anyone but Steve that he was there solely for him, but he had no one else to tell anyway.
The day was going well, all things considered, until the doorbell pierced the air and disrupted the heated argument the kids were having about one thing or the other, for less than a second before they started up again.
Steve was the one to open the door, meaning Billy was dragged along with him due to their tangled hand. And Billy would rather chew off his own fucking foot than let go of Steve's hand for any reason short of his father showing up.
His reluctance to let go of his boyfriend’s hand proved to be a mistake, because the moment the door opened, all Billy wanted to do was flee. Run out the door, jump out the window. Something, anything just to get away.
Instead, he stayed glued to his spot, his eyes unblinking as he swallowed past the lump in his throat. 
"Mama?" Steve immediately went wide eyed, noting the childlike shock in his boyfriend’s voice.
Before Steve could register much else, his boyfriend had launched himself the short distance, at the woman, a sob ripping from him as she wrapped her arms around the shaking boy.
Steve suddenly felt like he was intruding, and had made to leave, before being tugged back by the hand that gripped his own. 
A silent plea for him to stay, which he happily obliged.
After what felt like an eternity, Billy had peeled himself for his mother's arms and shakily gestured to Steve, "Mama, this is my Steve, boyfriend," he paused, letting out a breath, "my boyfriend, Steve." He corrected, though he hadn't met her gaze. 
Afraid of her reaction. Of the situation. 
But the woman just smiles warmly and offers him a wave, "Hello, boyfriend Steve, I'm Billy's mother, Bria." There's a slight teasing to her tone, but it isn't unkind. 
She turns to her son, seeming to take him in as she blinks away tears, "four years later and my BillyBee is all grown up, huh?" 
Steve remembers Billy telling him his mother had left when he was around twelve, the boy was only sixteen now.
"What are you doing here?" He doesn't sound angry, just shocked, maybe a little weary. But she seems unperturbed, tucking her hair behind her ear. 
"I tried to find you last year. But Argyle's grandmother told me your father moved you all out of California. Said they had no clue where he'd taken you." She pauses, pursing her lips momentarily, "I tried to figure out where he'd taken you, but it was hopeless for a bit." She trails off, her tongue clicking thoughtfully. 
"Then I got a call. From Susan. We used to work together after I left your father. When she got married, I had no clue it was to Neil. I never told her about him. Then she suddenly moved, and I didn't hear from her until earlier this week."
Billy nods, and Steve yet again is struck with the feeling of intruding, before Billy is squeezing his hand in an effort to ground himself. 
"Long story short, she called me and told me your father would be gone, told me where I could find you." She seems to inhale sharply, fingers curling loosely into fists as she stares up at her son.
"I should've come back sooner, but I needed stability before I could even attempt gaining custody of you, baby." She reaches out and takes his free hand, "I see you've built a corner in the world for yourself here, and I won't take that from you. But, I'm not leaving again, Billy. I'm going to fight for you, for our family. I've already filed for temporary custody. The Chief was very helpful." 
Billy yet again nods his head, his eyes filling with tears as he grips both Steve's hand and his mom's. "We can stay in Hawkins? I can stay with Max and Steve…?" His mother nods her head this time, smiling up at both boys, 
"Of course, Susan told me how close you and Max have gotten, I'd never want to take you away from your sister." She swipes at a stray tear on Billy's cheek, "I don't think I could separate you from Steve, anyhow. You've got a vice grip on his hand, baby. Anywhere you went you'd drag the poor boy along with you."
Steve for his part lets out a laugh when Billy sputters, the elder boy just bumping their shoulders, "I'd probably be the one refusing to let go, ma'am. Max has to bring a crowbar to pry us apart." 
Billy's mother laughs at that, her nose scrunched up in the same fashion Billy's does when he finds something particularly humorous. "I don't doubt it." She tilts her head up to meet Steve's gaze, "Call me Bria, none of that 'ma'am' business, you're my son's boyfriend.  You're family as far as I'm concerned."
Steve returns her smile, while Billy watches the duo interact, a wide smile twinged with disbelief on his lips.
I can't wait to introduce her to Max.
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lakecountylibrary · 1 year
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Hi hi! I'm getting so tired of people trying to make arguments against libraries saying that by using a library you're failing to support the authors (monetarily). Like... do they think libraries are just stealing all these books without paying for them?? Any suggestions on how to set the record straight for these confused booklovers?
You betcha!
Point the First: As you rightly point out, libraries purchase these books that we are lending out.
What's more, we purchase them for more than what you pay when you purchase them from the retailer of your choice (especially if that retailer is Amazon.) We pay extra for library binding and then when the books fall apart after too much use, we pay again to buy replacement copies. And don't even get me started on the extortionate highway robbery er, *rather high* prices libraries pay for ebooks and e-audiobooks we lend out.
Point the Second: Well, maybe I'm biased. I'm a library after all. Let's ask the authors whose pockets we're supposedly picking.
Here's over 1000 authors who signed a petition supporting libraries when publishers and trade associations, in an attempt to defend their behavior toward libraries, tried to make a very similar argument to the one you mentioned.
(And, I know he doesn't have any social media and doesn't speak for all authors, but sometimes a specific example is better than a mob of over 1000: @neil-gaiman has long been vocal about his support of libraries. Here he is in The Guardian, far more eloquent than I have thus far been, on why libraries are deserving of your support as well.)
Point the Third: Libraries serve as points of discovery.
Maybe you don't want to take a risk on a new author. You can pick up the book at your library, discover you love it, and buy the entire rest of the 19-book series, and tell all your friends and your book club to read it, too. That supports an author far more than if you never read the book in the first place because you didn't want to pay for something you might hate.
(But LCPL, you say, I could just pirate it and eliminate the risk that way! Oh straw man, I say, did you not read point #1 in this excessively long response?)
(But LCPL, you moan, You don't have every book I want to read! Oh straw man, get thee to the purchase request page. If a library doesn't have the book, they'll have a way to get it. We here at LCPL can fill requests ~99% of the time, and that certainly puts more money in the pocket of an author than pirating the book.)
Anyhow. This answer has gone on quite long enough, and I thank you for reading this far. Here's the tl;dr: If you can buy a book and want to do so, fantastic! Do it! But don't feel guilty about using your library.
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