verity's fictions and reactions. she/they. @verity@kitty.town
My first real audiobook experience (not quite counting Good Omens, because at that point I'd read the book several times, watched the TV adaptation and circled round to the audiobook to listen more to David Tennant and Michael Sheen's narration).
Cosmic horror in Jim Crow-era America. Horror-level stakes (fate of the universe, and so on) mixed with the real-life stakes of racist institutions and police. Cutting commentary. Also, good fantasy. Enjoyed it.
more good omens fanfic for Tuesday's inktober prompt: An unwelcome encounter leaves Aziraphale... itchy.
I say this with caution, but it has been going alright so far
As I work my way through Michael Sheen's filmography...
football management is up there in Things That Fundamentally Do Not Interest Me, but because this was mostly about headology, I could see where the sports was just a mechanic for one man's ambition, and not being able to do it properly without – well – love
not romantic love, not loyalty
the big love that makes people really think about the best interest of, say, a football club
I have discovered my inner aziraphale because the highlight of the day has been a a new kettle arriving, meaning I can finally get a fresh cup of tea (doing a decent parallel park being a distant second)
also because I have a bookshelf where, to my delight, I have discovered space for MORE BOOKS.
[edit: I was clearly distracted and forgot to give some explanation]
I have unfortunately developed a bit of a fixation on Good Omens.
Sorry.
If I knew theology and Calvinism etc better I would have loads MORE to say about it. So I hope everyone is very grateful about this.
Basically I realised I am, despite everything, an Aziraphale.
Anxious to do the right thing, avoidant, don't always get social cues, wears the same clothes for years... (though not for centuries) Always looking for lifts from people. I love food. I create a routine, if I don't have one, and seek comfort. And yes, sometimes to my detriment, but
***
Spoilers for S2E5-6
***
Some complain that Aziraphale's Regency-type ball was a form of manipulation: a miracle of unexpected, unwarranted intimacy. As if giving the Whickber St traders party clothes wasn't enough, he miracles their emotions and even their movements. Intrusive. Not very angelic.
As if one of the themes of Good Omens, and Gaiman's and Pratchett's works in general, isn't autonomy. Throughout Good Omens, Aziraphale particularly struggles with the moral quandary of autonomy vs best interest – sometimes a triangle of autonomy/best interest/God's will. (Now this is starting to sound like work.) Is it really so out of character for any of the divine/ethereal beings to sacrifice human autonomy to achieve their own aims? Crowley and Aziraphale may love humanity enough that they might think twice before doing it, but they still do that often enough.
Was the ball beyond the pale? Well, it was a situation with dubious consent. Aziraphale probably got carried away. If the entire series was distilled to a point, though, rarely is an action purely one thing or another. It was a darker shade of grey than the angel usually inhabits, and a particularly exuberant demonstration of their tendency towards escapism/illusion. (Oh, Mr Fell and his amazing tricks...)
on a recent camping trip, a friend brought her (excellent, adorable) dog
the whole weekend, most of us got to hold him while his human e.g. went to the toilet, eat some grapes
most of us reached out a hand to stop a puppy from venturing into the campfire
in return of course we had the acquaintance of this excellent dog
taking care of each other as a community is so nice though!!
just re-discovered my tumblr, along with discovering a new bookmarking app
this means I'm flicking through years of posts and reposts
I used to be the type of person that read thousand-word-long reflective essays (I use this term lightly) about how a med student met a patient and it Changed Them Forever
and write about the lectures I was having
(I stopped using that tumblr when I went into clinical years)
I'm such a very different person now
diamine sepia, Lamy Al-Star (B)
diamine emerald, Jinhao 992 (F)
rohrer + klingner verdigris, twsbi eco (B)
parker quink blue-black, parker ??? (M)
diamine syrah, Lamy Safari (A)
Diamine Disdainful Damson in Kaweco Sport (BB)
R+K Verdigris in Lamy Al Star (F)
Diamine Pumpkin in TWSBI Swipe (F)
Diamine Sepia in Pilot Metropolitan (M)
in which I try to like the Swipe, again, and don't. Just give me wet nibs all day and I'll stop talking about it, I promise!
Also found a leak, which I think localises to a Jinhao converter. The Faber Castell Grip is now subtly maroon thanks to Diamine Syrah.