Fandoms: KUROSHITSUJI/GOOD OMENS

Pairing: n/a

Length: 1545 words
Author on LJ:
 unknown
Author Website: vitalsigns1719 at ff.net

Why this must be read:

So, two demons walk into a bar . . .


Kuroshitsuji and Good Omens make for one of those natural combinations, the kind that enhance each other like raspberries and chocolate. Two representatives of Hell walking the earth, each with his own perhaps less than officially-sactioned motivations and agendas: surely they must have interesting matters to discuss.

Like angels, and corsets, and the nature of humanity. The Crowley voice here is pitch-perfect, and Sebastian as seen through Crowley's eyes is not to be missed.


His Butler, Dreamwalks

Title: The Nice Young Man Upstairs by irisbleufic
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Aziraphale/Crowley
Author on LJ: irisbleufic
Author Website: On AO3
Why this must be read: It takes a lot to unsettle Sherlock Holmes. Crowley does it by merely being in his presence. This is a short, darkly wonderful piece that will leave you feeling decidedly unsettled as well. In a good way.

The Nice Young Man Upstairs

Fandom: SUPERNATURAL/GOOD OMENS
Pairing: Gen. Characters include Dean, Sam, Castiel, Becky, Zachariah (briefly), Chuck (briefly) of Supernatural; Aziraphale and Adam of Good Omens; Crowley of both.
Length: 15,426 words
Author on LJ: gladdecease
Author Website: glad_fics
Why this must be read:

There's a good deal of Supernatural/Good Omens crossovers, many inspired by the fact that each canon has a demon named Crowley. That's the common thread that pulls this story together but there's so much more to it than that. The author really melds the fandoms together into a single universe, with a plot that works well and is drawn from both sources. To be honest, I'm a sucker for stories with clever plots, and this really works with that interest.

Also, the Becky in this fic is perfect. This is how Becky should be used! (Becky is my favourite.)

Amorphous

Title: When Summoning, Please Watch the Wording
Pairing: None
Length: ~4976 words
Author on LJ: ryuuzakochou
Author Website: Profile page on FF.net
Why this must be read: There simply aren't enough GO/SPN crossovers, in my opinion. This is an early one - before angels were a part of the show canon, back in the days of the Yellow-Eyed Demon (YED). A trio of amateur Satanists intent on summoning the YED are in for a bit of a surprise when their spell brings them someone else entirely. Crowley isn't one to suffer fools lightly, and brings in the big guns (namely Aziraphale) to settle the situation. Sam and Dean get their first taste of angels and demons who play by their own rules - sadly, it's not an encounter they'll remember for very long.

The story has a few small errors and it does reside at the infamous fanfiction.net, but those minor details don't negate the fact that the story is fun and engaging, and the Good Omens characters in particular shine.

( A man landed in the circle, stumbled slightly and righted himself. )

Read the story: When Summoning, Please Watch the Wording

And don't forget to feedback the author.

I've had a fabulous time showcasing GO fics this month. One final story to finish off the month, then the Bentley goes back in the garage for a little while - let's not make it too long, though, okay? Small fandoms need volunteers too. Thanks for reading; hope you enjoyed the stories!

Fandom: GOOD OMENS
Pairing: Aziraphale/Crowley
Length: ~ 4500 words
Author on LJ: the_con_cept
Author Website: AbstractFics on Insane Journal
Why this must be read: Anyone who's ever had to endure an office Christmas party with a bunch of people they don't really know and don't really like knows they're Hell. Apparently, we have Crowley to thank for that special holiday tradition - he takes credit for inventing the office party. He even wrote a handbook for it. So, how poetically just when Hell decides to have a party and follow the handbook to the letter - of course, Crowley doesn't want to show up alone, so naturally it seems like a good idea to take an angel with him. To Hell's holiday party. What could possibly go wrong?

( 'What’s wrong? What’s wrong? Hell’s having a Christmas party, that’s what’s wrong!' )

Read the story:
The Holidays are Hell - Part 1
The Holidays are Hell - Part 2


Don't forget to feedback the author - it doesn't matter how old or new the story is. Authors love to hear from you!

Vidder: baroqu3
Musical artist: Eagles of Death Metal
Pairing: none
Vidder on LJ: unknown
Vidder's website: YouTube Channel
Why this vid kicks ass: People have been debating for years what a Good Omens movie would look like. This may be as close as we're going to get.

What this vidder has done is given us a beautifully realized end title sequence for the non-existent film, complete with casting choices for all the major characters. While I might argue with the choices for Aziraphale and Crowley, I can complete get behind casting Cillian Murphy as Famine. *g*

(My choices? At this moment, I think Paul Bettany would do justice to Aziraphale, and I actually think Benedict Cumberbatch (the new Sherlock) could do a respectable Crowley. After all, half the fun is figuring out who you'd cast!)

Watch the video: Good Omens End Title Sequence

Feedback the vidder and the artists!

Vidder: Rellie47
Musical artist: Matchbox 20
Pairing: Aziraphale/Crowley
Vidder on LJ: unknown
Vidder's website: YouTube Channel
Why this vid kicks ass: You're probably asking yourself: "How can you have a video for a literary fandom that has no movie or TV show to draw images from?" Well, that's the beauty of GO fandom. There are so many talented artists out there, and this video showcases some of that art; the images aren't just static either--there's an interesting amount of movement in this video. You get various representations of Aziraphale, Crowley, the Four Horsemen, and Them. I don't know the source of all the illustrations, but some of them are breath-taking. The one with Crowley in the top hat, holding the pocket watch (@ 1:28)? That makes me want to write fic just for that image! So, GO, watch, and be inspired (puns may be intended).

Watch the video: How Far We've Come

Feedback the vidder and the artists!

Fandom: GOOD OMENS
Pairing: Aziraphale/Crowley
Length: ~ 30,000+ words
Author on LJ: vulgarweed / quantum_witch / switchythings community for joint illustrated work
Author Website: Vulgarweed's AO3 page / Quantum_Witch's AO3 page
Why this must be read: Okay, I'm going to take a few liberties with this rec because Good Omens is a unique fandom in many ways: it has an incredible amount of talent in both art and fiction, it has a relatively small amount of epic and/or smutty fic, and it does historical fic like nobody's business.

Case in point is this series written by Vulgarweed and illustrated by Quantum_Witch. It's Epic (and the series might not be "technically" complete, but each of the three stories so far is definitely able to be read on its own). It spans centuries. It has a fantastic friendship. It has arguments. Hurt/comfort. Romance. Lust. Jealousy. Historical figures. Shakespeare. Wings! Codpieces! Swords!

I've read this twice all the way through, and I still feel like there are so many subtleties that I'm probably missing. Historical details. Character nuances. This is the kind of story you want to take up residence in for a good long time. It makes you want to be smarter. And it really makes you want to know every detail of those 6000 years--the good, the bad, and everything in between.

The illustrations add a whole other dimension to the story. They bring to life the passion, the fashion, the passage of history. You can see how much both writer and illustrator love these characters; it's in every word and every line drawn. Go and read, and encourage them both to keep doing what they're so obviously good at!

( Constantinople, Byzantine Empire, 1105 A.D. )

Read: Internal Rhyme Series

Stories in order: Amid the Sacred Wreck
Breathless Mouths May Summon
The Phoenix and the Turtle (A Metaphysical Romance)

Fandom: GOOD OMENS
Pairing: Aziraphale/Crowley
Length: ~ 2767 words
Author on LJ: tea_and_snark
Author Website: wrote when?
Why this must be read: One of the easiest ways to get our favourite angel and demon together is to use their love of alcohol. Copious amounts of alcohol.

After the Apocalypse-that-Wasn't, Crowley doesn't like the loneliness he sees in Aziraphale, and he wants to fix the situation. So he does the only thing he knows how: decides to get the angel drunk and offer him comfort. There's a sadness and a sweetness to this story as you realize just how long these two have known each other. Their world has shifted, and they're trying to make sense of that in order to go on.

(And if you're worried for Aziraphale's virtue, don't be: as always, he's harder to fool than Crowley believes.)

( Crowley looked at the glazed blue eyes that swam above a trembling wineglass. There was something in the angel’s eyes that Crowley hadn’t seen before. A desperate sort of loneliness that would never be remedied by the sufferer. )

Read the story: Debauchery

Don't forget to feedback the author - it doesn't matter how old or new the story is. Authors love to hear from you!

Fandom: GOOD OMENS
Pairing: Aziraphale/Crowley
Length: ~ 5456 / 2655 words
Author on LJ: vulgarweed
Author Website: Vulgarweed's AO3 page
Why this must be read: I couldn't let the month run out without sharing at least a couple slashy fics of the NC-17 variety. The majority of slash in the fandom runs more along the lines of friendship-turned-to-love and fade-to-black sex scenes, which is perfectly wonderful. But sometimes you just want a bit more ... more skin, more fire, more ruffled feathers.

It's Ancient Rome, circa 40 AD, the Festival of Saturnalia, where the world goes topsy-turvy, people switch places, and the natural order of things takes a holiday. Aziraphale has been named local Lord of Misrule, and his neighbours think it's high time the unassuming angel get some. In this instance (in the words of our charming author), "'do as the Romans do' involved rather publicly and noisily giving an Agent of the Adversary the shagging of his existence, while one was wearing entirely too much costume jewelry and purple drapery and the other was wearing mostly body oil, a slave collar, and a smile."

And, of course, the follow-up fic has Crowley pushing for his rightful turn at things, set in a luxurious Roman bath. Steamy, in more ways than one, and if you develop a wet wing!kink, don't say I didn't warn you.

( 'There is nobody who has ever met you in the history of the world who has ever thought you’d be interested in women,' Crowley sighed. He was sure he’d explained this before. )

Read the story: Compromising Positions
And its sequel: Detente

Don't forget to feedback the author - it doesn't matter how old or new the story is. Authors love to hear from you!

Fandom: GOOD OMENS
Pairing: Aziraphale/Crowley
Length: ~ 3100 words
Author on LJ: kenazfiction
Author Website: Kenaz's Big Fiction Index
Why this must be read: Library smut, rec #2. Aziraphale and Crowley visit the Library of Congress, although Crowley's disappointed that it apparently has nothing to do with sexual congress. When Aziraphale shoos him away and orders him to find something to read, Crowley settles down with a copy of Fanny Hill: or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, and the 18th-century sexual euphemisms (excerpts are quoted in the story to hilarious effect) go straight to his ... head. Naturally, he wants to share his discovery with Aziraphale and the Library of Congress earns its name.

( 'I don't suppose they've got a call number for porno,' Crowley grumbled. )

Read the story: A Novel Assignation

Don't forget to feedback the author - it doesn't matter how old or new the story is. Authors love to hear from you!

Fandom: GOOD OMENS
Pairing: Aziraphale/Crowley
Length: ~ 3400 words
Author on LJ: todd_fan
Author Website: unknown
Why this must be read: I have a special fondness for library smut. There's something so deliciously wrong about fooling around amid the stacks, trying to keep quiet lest one invoke the wrath of a nearby librarian. This is the first of two library fics I'm going to rec. In it, Crowley and Aziraphale have an encounter at the Library of Alexandria. This may or may not have something to do with the building burning to the ground.

( 'We are not going to do this sort of thing in a library!' hissed Aziraphale )

Read the story: Libri Diligo

Don't forget to feedback the author - it doesn't matter how old or new the story is. Authors love to hear from you!

Just for the record, I'm having a blast doing this month's recs. Remember if you want to take a turn rec'cing for your favourite fandoms, all you need to do is sign-up. Volunteers are always needed.

Fandom: GOOD OMENS
Pairing: Aziraphale/Crowley
Length: ~ 14,000 words
Author on LJ: unravels
Author Website: unknown
Why this must be read: There's a lot of time spent in GO fic on preventing or surviving Apocalypses (Apocalypsi?). This fic takes it one step further. The war between Heaven and Hell has ended with a clear victor; angels and demons are returned to their separate spheres. Now what?

After 6000 years of living with humans and each other, how do Aziraphale and Crowley cope? The short answer is "not very well," but this story is told with such delightful humour and a truly smartly-wicked Aziraphale that I challenge anyone to not be laughing by the end.

( 'You want to watch what you say to me, Crawly,' Hastur growled. )

Read the story: Its Own Place - posted in four parts. Just follow the link at the end of each section to get to the next part.

Don't forget to feedback the author - it doesn't matter how old or new the story is. Authors love to hear from you!

Fandom: GOOD OMENS
Pairing: Aziraphale/Crowley (friendship)
Length: ~ 2500 words
Author on LJ: sticktothestory
Author Website: Good Omens fic tag on journal
Why this must be read: Continuing on with the theme of lists, this story is both sad and sweet. It's the end of all things, and Crowley and Aziraphale are the last beings on earth. As they wait for orders, they play out their time with lists - of what they miss, of what they don't miss - and in the process we (and they) learn a considerable amount. Even 6000 years of friendship can hold a few surprises.

( Crowley and Aziraphale are waiting for the Apocalypse. Again. )

Read the story: All Things Bright and Beautiful

Don't forget to feedback the author - it doesn't matter how old or new the story is. Authors love to hear from you!

Fandom: GOOD OMENS
Pairing: Gen
Length: ~ 26,600 words
Author on LJ: googlebrat
Author Website: Fic tag on LJ / Shewhoguards on FF.net
Why this must be read: We all have lists - things we have to do, things we want to do. Crowley has a list, too, and as they're counting down to the End of Days, he's doing his best to get through everything on it (although the list changes as they go along and with input from Aziraphale: "Well, you're not doing that. Or that. And if you actually did try telling Gabriel exactly what you thought of him, I assure you, my dear, everyone would die a lot more quickly than you otherwise would.")

What I really like about this story is that it's so much more than the list. There's a narrative thread underpinning the entire story and woven through the list so that it's more than simply checking off accomplishments - it's how the characters feel and think about those things, what they're afraid of, what they want, and why they choose to do things. It's a story of friendship and regret and trying to change things that seem inevitable (or at least, Ineffable). It's not slash, but it doesn't have to be - the friendship is wonderfully characterized and carries the story without feeling like you're missing anything at all. And Crowley's list might surprise you ...

( Swim with dolphins - 'Why do they want to swim with an animal whose only thought in life is how to convince someone to give it another fish?' )

Read the story: 100 Things Crowley Would Do Before the World Ended - in one file at FF.net

In four parts on LJ:
100 Things Crowley Would Do Before the World Ended - Part 1
100 Things Crowley Would Do Before the World Ended - Part 2
100 Things Crowley Would Do Before the World Ended - Part 3
100 Things Crowley Would Do Before the World Ended - Part 4

Don't forget to feedback the author - it doesn't matter how old or new the story is. Authors love to hear from you!

Fandom: GOOD OMENS
Pairing: Aziraphale/Crowley
Length: ~ 7000 words
Author on LJ: moshesque
Author Website: Remnants
Why this must be read: Okay, so it's not at all close to Christmas, but I'm going to rec a Christmas story anyway. Why? Because every year the GO fandom has a Christmas exchange that produces some absolutely wonderful fic and because it's a small fandom, those stories don't always get the attention they deserve.

This story has so many delightful turns of phrase, perfectly chosen details, and laugh-out-loud moments that I can't help but love it: from Aziraphale's retina-destroying festive light display to Crowley's parking lot face-off against a determined grey-haired driver. When the mulled wine is delightfully bubbling and the carollers are warming up outside, it's easy to believe in the subtle shift from friends to something more. Merry Christmas!

( It was close to Christmas. Dangerously close. And he knew how Aziraphale's mind worked. Oh no—no, no; he wasn't going to be caught out again by festive cheer. )

Read the story: The Mechanics of a Door

Don't forget to feedback the author - it doesn't matter how old or new the story is. Authors love to hear from you!

Title: Arrangements (PG)
Pairing: Dean/Castiel, Aziraphale/Crowley (implied only)
Length: ~3789 words
Author on LJ: icarus_chained
Author Website: Arrangements-verse Masterlist
Why this must be read: When I read this fic, I didn't realise it was part of a larger (and on-going) universe involving the Good Omens and Supernatural characters. However, this fic, and many of the others in the 'verse can stand alone, so it's a win-win situation. Great story in a small package, or even more wondrous things to explore if it tickles your fancy.

Put one demon, two angels, two humans -- every single one of them over-protective of someone -- an angel-killing knife and a flaming sword in one room and this is what you get. It's handsy, pushy, cheeky, tense, and funny watching all our favourite characters contort themselves into their most protective selves in what feels like an apocalyptic game of Twister for the sake of characters they're not supposed to be protective of at all. And when everyone realises they're on the same page, more or less, things have the potential to get even more interesting!

( Sam and Dean are already moving forward, trying to get between the angels before someone does something stupid, though Dean's not entirely sure which one he's expecting to do it. )

Read the story: Arrangements

And don't forget to feedback the author.

Fandom: GOOD OMENS
Pairing: none
Length: ~ 1076 words
Author on LJ: winterthunder
Author Website: Fic tag at journal
Why this must be read: I'm one of those people who forgets to water my houseplants until they're curled up at the ends and already seeing mirages of water. I've been trying for years to wean them off water completely, but they keep dying on me. Perhaps I'll have to try Crowley's methods of threatening the plants and weeding out the weak. This fic is a lovely bit of crack that gives us some insight into what it must be like to be one of Crowley's plants - terrified, resentful, and quietly planning to escape.

( 'You have to at least give them a fighting chance.' Aziraphale waved his hand and the salvia began to tremble. )

Read the story: The Great Escape

Don't forget to feedback the author - it doesn't matter how old or new the story is. Authors love to hear from you!

Fandom: GOOD OMENS
Pairing: Aziraphale/Crowley (implied)
Length: ~ 1400 words
Author on LJ: mercurial_wit (fic journal) / fahye
Author Website: Good Omens tag on fic journal
Why this must be read: There's something so ridiculously sexy about art, especially as written by Fahye. The title means "art for art's sake" but this fic explores much more than that as it traces Crowley and Aziraphale's interactions through the centuries, each section being linked to a style or period of art. My favourite section is, of course, the last - it sings with such sensuality and intensity, it will take your breath away.

( 'If you would not steal my apples, I might have a bowl that remained constant enough for long enough to paint,' the angel says calmly. )

Read the story: Ars Gratia Artis

Don't forget to feedback the author - it doesn't matter how old or new the story is. Authors love to hear from you!

Fandom: GOOD OMENS
Pairing: Aziraphale/Crowley (implied)
Length: ~ 2600 words
Author on LJ: irisbleufic
Author Website: Good Omens fic tag on journal
Why this must be read: In a fandom that focuses around things like averting the Apocalypse, and the dramatic confrontations between Heaven and Hell, it's nice to settle down with the occasional quiet fic. This understated piece traces the history of a cottage, shifting between an ordinary day in the lives of its most recent owners, and short sections detailing those that have come before. The story is tinged with a sense of wistfulness - of missed opportunities and lives not fully lived - yet it speaks to something each of us is seeking ... that place to call home.

( Once, in the world, there was a cottage.  )

Read the story: A Better Place

Don't forget to feedback the author - it doesn't matter how old or new the story is. Authors love to hear from you!

I don't typically rec two stories by the same author, but I happen to love both the previous rec and this one, and sometimes it's nice to explore older stories that many of us may have missed if we haven't been around the fandom that long.

Fandom: GOOD OMENS
Pairing: Aziraphale/Crowley (implied)
Length: 8071 words
Author on LJ: amberdiceless
Author Website: Stories at the Good Omens Library
Why this must be read: We all know the demon Crowley as "an Angel who did not so much Fall as saunter vaguely downward." However, this story takes a closer look at what exactly the Fall was and what it meant for those that rebelled. Where this story really shines is in its depiction of the actual Fall and the landscape of Hell, seen by Aziraphale when he inadvertently stumbles into one of Crowley's nightmares. Although that section of the overall fic is short, it's told with such vividness that the images will stay with you and give you an entirely different view of the Crowley we know.

( One of the interesting things about being an earth-bound angel was that, even after thousands of years, Aziraphale occasionally discovered things he hadn't known he could do. )

Read the story: Next Time I Fall

Don't forget to feedback the author - it doesn't matter how old or new the story is. Authors love to hear from you!

Sorry for the late arrival, but the Bentley's warmed up and ready to go, and I'm thrilled to be able to shine a light on some stories featuring (mainly) everyone's favourite angel/demon.

Fandom: GOOD OMENS
Pairing: Aziraphale/Crowley friendship (pre-slash if you wish)
Length: 9947 words
Author on LJ: amberdiceless
Author Website: Stories at the Good Omens Library
Why this must be read: This is an older story, but it's absolutely one of my favourites and I reread it often. The voices of the characters are wonderful, and I have a soft spot for angels who find a way to defend their demon friends, even in the face of Death. Our two friends find themselves in a war zone - each doing his part to spur the efforts in the appropriate direction - when a young boy gets caught in the crossfire. The angel reacts, but not quickly enough, and it's up to Crowley to save them both, but at a terrible price ...

( 'Angel...I did something ssstupid, didn't I,' Crowley said with a feeble attempt at a grin. )

Read the story: Be Ye Therefore Merciful

Don't forget to feedback the author - it doesn't matter how old or new the story is. Authors love to hear from you!

Title: But for the Grace, by AmberDiceless
Pairing: gennish
Author on LJ: amberdiceless
Author Website:
Why this must be read: Good Omens and Hellblazer don't exactly have what could be called similar mythology - which is why this crossover is extra impressive. The callback to Chantinelle and Tali really made this fic for me, but I imagine it's just as good coming from a purely Good Omens standpoint, too.

But for the Grace

Title: Begone (Or, y'know, however I get rid of you guys) by villainny
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski, Aziraphale-Crowley (depending on the prescription of your slash goggles)
Length: 1,662 words
Author on LJ: villainny
Author Website: unseen_writings
Why this must be read:

Aziraphale and Crowley miniaturized and perched on Fraser's shoulders is, in itself, a hilarious image, and one adorable enough to make fuzzy baby animals flail and squee and possibly set up a Cute Human Overload site. IMHO.

( So, starting with that image = win. )

Begone (Or, y'know, however I get rid of you guys)

I have thoroughly enjoyed driving for my fave fandom this month, and I hope you enjoyed the recs! I could easily have doubled or tripled the numbers; I had a LOT of hard choices to make. I decided to go out with a bang.

Please, if you enjoyed the stories, leave the authors some feedback. Even if the stories are a couple years old, I bet they'd all appreciate it.

Fandom: GOOD OMENS
Pairing: Shadwell/Madame Tracy, Adam/Pepper, Shadwell/Adam
Length: oneshot
Author on LJ: waxbean
Author Website: At Skyehawke; at Good Omens Library

Why this must be read:

Good Omens is a millennia-spanning fandom full of metaphysical wit, good English sense, disturbingly wholesome children, occult slapstick, and divine/diabolic sensuality. It's also rather vanilla, and tends to focus on its most-loved OTP at the expense of all else. So imagine my delight at this story, which focuses on a very-rarely-identified-with, much less eroticized, character (Shadwell) and shows that that even a conventionally-unattractive little man with Issues can benefit from the influence of a well-mannered Antichrist and his desire to help everyone if he can. With any problem.

This is one of the filthiest stories this fandom has ever produced, and I also find it one of the most generous-spirited...in its very disturbing way.


How Shadwell Got His Groove Back

Fandom: GOOD OMENS
Pairing: Aziraphale/Crowley, extensive cast of angels and demons
Length: Novella, about 20,000 words
Author on LJ: daughtersofisis
Author Website: At FF.net. Fic journal ibisandjacquel

Why this must be read:

There are many stories where Heaven and Hell decide to come after Aziraphale and Crowley in retribution for the thwarted Apocalypse, but in this one, they decide to force the cosmic Hands because they just can't wait for the shoes to drop. Predictably, they botch it. Badly. This story has about the most canonically-apt fleshing out of Heaven and Hell that I've ever seen, right down to the horrible answering machines and the fact that in its way, Heaven is much more frightening than Hell. There's high adventure, there's Cerberus, there's a rather ticked-off Adam pulling feathers out of the fire, and there is simply fantastic language. DoS is one of those writers (rather like Gaiman and Pratchett themselves) who stops me almost every paragraph with some hilarious, eloquent, sublime turn of phrase. And I can't even linger on them long because the plot is so compelling.

"There can be no deus ex machina in a godless place."

Great Are the Myths

Fandom: GOOD OMENS
Pairing: Aziraphale/Crowley
Length: one-shot
Author on LJ: shiplizard
Author Website: ?? If anyone knows, please tell me!
Why this must be read:

This is more a "bromance" story than a romance, and it shows us a good up-close look at something many fanfics gloss over: an angel and a demon at work. Arrangement notwithstanding, they are often at cross-purposes, and it's not always cute and funny. This story is set in the 1920s, in the United States, and Aziraphale and Crowley have to confront what it is they really are, with a sleazy and dishonest faith healer as a catalyst. There is still plenty of humor, satire, and slapstick, and even the angst is very much in-character. The revelations are still, deftly, both painful and profound, and the resolution is beautifully earned.

"You." Aziraphale stood up. Crowley stood, too, taking a step back. "You're proud of yourself, aren't you?"

"Just doing my job, angel."

"You."

It wasn't angelic wrath. Angelic wrath is solemn and horrible, and sometimes accompanied by a choir. This, what Aziraphale was feeling right now, was helpless and angry and venomous altogether-- it was all to do with the glands in this body. And worse, he knew that, but there was something so appealing about it that he didn't WANT to miracle away the chemicals bubbling up through his blood-- the adrenaline that made this rather commonplace body feel so strong.


Human Footnotes

Fandom: GOOD OMENS
Pairing: Anathema/Aziraphale/Crowley, ensemble cast
Length: Long one-shot
Author on LJ: use_theforce_em
Author Website: her stories at the Good Omens Library

Why this must be read:

This story goes through many turns in its relatively simple events. It's an Anathema-centric story, which is hard enough to find, and it does a wonderful, warm, hilarious, slightly unnerving job of looking into her witchly psyche as she ponders what her life as a Professional Descendant and her occult skills have to do with her impending marriage to Newt, her relationships with her small-town neighbors, and her uneasy friendship with those two "consenting bicycle repairmen." Who wind up consenting to rather a lot. And what they teach her is both unbelievably sexy, and also just fittingly right. I have a serious fondness for erotic stories in which Crowley and Aziraphale's sexuality with each other is not just purely physical - after all, why would it be? This story alone might give you a fondness for them too. Or at the very least, for stories with bachelorette parties that turn into seances.

“You know, I wanted to – ”

“Apologize for your rude behavior the day we met,” Crowley finished for her. He could play that game too, if need be.

She paused at that, but when he looked up she was all smiles. “Maybe you should apologize too. You weren’t exactly a pussy cat yourself.”

And you would have liked that, wouldn’t you, you broomstick wielding, rodent gut reading, cycles-by-night, polytheistic, cauldron wench? He didn’t think it in a mean sort of way, actually, it was more in a fond I used to go join the circle myself in the old days and I haven’t had that much fun at a Sabbat since sort of way. “Mm. Well, you didn’t exactly catch us at the best time; Things were going on you know.”

“Mm,” she echoed. “Yes, we were all concentrating ferociously on Things. I suppose it turned out all right in the end, since the book ended up with your friend. But I thought you were both highway rapists when I got into the car.”

Crowley looked affronted. “Have you ever met a highway rapist who dresses like this?”

Something Like That

Fandom: GOOD OMENS
Pairing: Aziraphale/Crowley, Anathema/Newt, ensemble cast, OCs
Length: Long one-shot, with epilogue and several 'aftermath' companion stories.
Author on LJ: irisbleufic
Illustrator on LJ: linnpuzzle
Author Website: collaborative community puzzlebleuink

Note: This community and everything on it is friendslocked, but membership is open. I asked the crack_van mods about this and they said it was OK.

Why this must be read:

This is the story that rocked the fandom hard in the summer of 2005, when the second wave was really getting going. The author/illustrator team had struck gold before with an earlier romantic story, but this one was especially distinctive and haunting and a bit controversial. "Second attempt at the Apocalypse" stories are a common subgenre, and some are very good and some are very bad, but this one re-envisions and realigns the sides in the battle, adds some pivotal and charismatic OCs, inflicts several intense gut-punches, and does it all with beautiful language and absolutely luminous illustrations. The author has said she was in part aiming for a dark feel heavy on the Neil side of the Gaiman/Pratchett spectrum, but I find her evocation of the dread and sadness - but occasional unpredictable miraculous hope - of war reminds me also of Tolkien.

Some passing familiarity with Gnosticism is helpful, but not necessary.

A Crown of Stars