Latest Posts by thechangelingsea - Page 4

Today, Aziraphale felt self-conscious. He wasn't usually one for vanity, but he caught his reflection in the mirror and just stood and looked for a moment, frowning. Crowley spotted him, approached him rapidly, grabbed his shoulders, and kissed the daylights out of him until he was pink-cheeked and bright-eyed and had completely forgotten there was anything else to think about before.

As eras de Crowley ✨️

Good Omens Fandom pebbling like crazy with art and hair photos

The Sleeping Beauty - my latest cartoon for Guardian Books

WIP TAG GAME

I was tagged by @anatomic-girl to share a sentence or excerpt from my WIP(s) that start with the letters POSH. I had to really delve in for the O but I found one in the end yeay! All in good omens wips.

No pressure to do anything but if you want to play … tag along! Maybe @copperplatebeech @foolishlovers @sapphosewrites @di-42 Listen well, the next word is HARK. 😉

P. WIP ficlet from the bookshop years between s1 and s2. Gentle domestic fluff. The plants seem to be taking over my writing.

O. WIP loose retelling of Diana Wynne Jones fantasy story. Tanacrow and his family of travelling entertainers sometimes smuggle things to the North. This time the packet is a posh blonde.

S. WIP short story set in early 1800s, or a bit later possibly. Regency era! Aziraphale is sold off to lord Crowley for a gambling debt.

H. WIP short story. Crowley is pressured into giving a lift to a friend of a friend, who turns out to be an irritating fribble.

………

P. Prowling around the bookshop muttering to himself Crowley finally settles the plant in the corner of a well-lit reading nook in front of a north facing window. The brugmansia waits expectantly (this day was progressing far differently than he had assumed, in as far as it had had expectations. Less doomfull for sure). The demon shakes a finger at him and splutters. "Look. You-. Hmph." He angry-walks a small circle. "You keep on growing and blooming okay! No spots, no mold. For him", he hisses.

………

O. One could not say certain things in the South, you had to be careful in choosing your words. People were always watching. And listening. And reporting.

He stood up at the exact moment when Shax opened her mouth to admonish him for dreaming yet again. She let out an irritated hiss and he felt her mild glower following him into the wagon. Bee chuckled from the driving seat as they softly murmured to the horse pulling their home towards the next village, their next show.

………

S. Swinging their hands gently to and fro the redhead smiled winningly up at him. “I’m quite drunk y..know.” For the first time since the angel had entered the room his face softened infinitisemally as he spoke in a soft yet clear voice. “Yes, I can see that.” Crowley’s smile grew.

Ignoring the rest of the intoxicated company around the gaming table the blonde spoke without ever taking his eyes off the slightly swaying man in front of him. “I will go and pack my things, Gabriel, since you’ve apparently sold me to Lord Crowley. We will be off to Gretna Green I suppose.”

………

H. He stared. Surely this was not the same ill-clothed, rude, boring, irritating person that had stepped in his car? These clothes fitted him, flattered him, suited him. The clothes did not suit the time perhaps but they certainly fitted Aziraphale. The velvet waistcoat delectably fastened around his sturdy middle, just waiting to be… (no. Nope. Not going there. ) The angelic vision gave him a coquettish smile when he strutted out into the street and loosened the bowtie around his neck. Crowley swallowed, repressed the urge to help him loosen his bowtie (nope, stoppit, not going there either you dimwit) and stared some more. His elbow slid of the roof of his Bentley and he staggered slightly. The angel, observing the effect he had, widened his smile a fraction. “Well, my dear,” Aziraphale murmured, “now I think I am ready for this trip as well.”

………

You can find me on AO3 as thechangelingsea. If you’re excited by any of these projects let me know. I’ve been on a forced digital detox bc of concussion. Now I am slowly getting back to writing more than scattered sentences in notebooks and I am dithering between all of these projects, which to continue first?!?!

A new day...

the question of fic comments is very straightforward actually. readers do not owe writers comments. writers do not owe readers fic. there is no bargain, no transaction, no debt.

fic is a gift. comments are a gift. gifts are exchanged between friends, out of love, not out of obligation.

I write for myself. I post it for others, as a gift, because their joy brings me joy. I read for myself. I comment for the author, as a gift, because their joy brings me joy. perhaps we were not friends before, but we are now, however fleetingly, because we have given each other gifts out of love.

Listen, sometimes a ship is less about wanting them to kiss or have sex or whatever, and more about needing them to be so endlessly intertwined and connected to the point where they might as well be one creature.

“We’ve seen a lot, haven’t we?” said Crowley, contemplating the New Year’s festivities on the telly. The cottage was quiet, a gas fire going against the damp chill. They’d foregone any local celebrations for a bottle of port indoors; if Aziraphale noticed the miracle that caused it to refill every time they poured out another glass, he didn’t comment.

“A good many calendars too,” said Aziraphale. “It’s properly 5784 in the old reckoning, isn’t it? – or, no, eighty-five. And four thousand and something, I think, in China. Until sometime in February. The only constant is they all celebrate. Though I can’t think the Earth itself takes much notice.”

“Ah, humans. Any chance to get smashed.” Crowley gestured with his glass. “Or laid.” Eyebrow lifted.

“Is that a grandly romantic proposition? My, my. How old and married we’ve become.”

“Show you married.”

The handclasp that followed was, regardless of commentary, very fond, and very married.

“I think,” said Aziraphale, “it’s because humans tumbled to something early on that Heaven and Hell never did. We got to it in the end, you sooner than I, I fancy.”

“Wot’s that?” Crowley settled back against the cushions, regarding the blue glow of the London Eye on the screen, soon to be engulfed in cascades of fireworks. It always took him back to moments before Time started, though he never mentioned that to Aziraphale. Maybe he should.

“Well, that things can change. All those centuries, our Head Offices were playing what I believe is called a zero-sum game. A certain number of souls, a certain number of blessings and curses, a final reckoning where one side would win or lose. Eternal perdition or eternal glory. The best to be hoped for was a static and, to my mind, rather dreary perfection.”

Crowley hummed the opening bar of “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” (his pitch was execrable, but Aziraphale recognised it).

“Exactly. And then Adam came along and upended everything. Because he was, ancestry regardless, to his bones human. He’d learned humanity from the way he was raised. And the best thing Humans do, I think, is imagine that things could be different.”

A presenter was breathlessly advising viewers that in a few minutes, the display would commence, as if this were unexpected.

“They blunder and they do horrid deeds, and far too often they put your old firm to shame -- to say nothing of mine -- and yet somehow enough of them always seem determined that it doesn’t have to be that way. That misery can have an end, and cruelty isn’t inevitable. And even the least thoughtful of them mark these rather arbitrary dates with celebrations, and vows that next year they’ll work to become better. Even when there’s very little to celebrate, and everything seems to be dragging them backward into the dark, there are always those who carry on. That wonderful defiance that they do so well.”

“Lot on their plate this time,” said Crowley. “Let’s hope they don’t make a bollocks of it.”

“Here we go,” said Aziraphale, as flowers of fire began to bloom, blue and gold and crimson, across the small screen. Crowley chinked his glass against the angel’s.

“To hope,” said Aziraphale. “Happy New Year, darling.”

Comment and toast on AO3

Happy New Year, love you all ❤.

Cheers to the fact that we get an ending, however it may end (please don't break our hearts)

If you want a specific movie or tv show please request them. I'll do my best to get the posters all out. :)

Okay, so I posted my first story on AO3. *waves shyly into the wide unknown that is called tumblr*

About 700 words. Focused on domestic fluff, because I can’t get enough of it basically ;).

Comments and/or kudoes are appreciated.

Something is up. Dancing in the sunbeams in the bookshop. Aziraphale suspects a certain demon might have something to do with it.

✨page 3✨ of my Ineffable Cats' (short) series is HERE🩷🐈🐈‍⬛

• "Jim", p.3 •

(Cat-Crowley being as dramatic as he should be 🩷)

EDIT: I just realized that I forgot to make Aziraphale wear the bowtie collar in this page😱 (I'm dumb)

ps. A little poll for you all~

Here is a little step by step for my Good Omens fanart The Braid^^

you can also find it in my print shop!

Things Real People Do in Dialogue (For Your Next Story)

Okay, let’s be real—dialogue can make or break a scene. You want your characters to sound natural, like actual humans talking, not robots reading a script. So, how do you write dialogue that feels real without it turning into a mess of awkward pauses and “ums”? Here’s a little cheat sheet of what real people actually do when they talk (and you can totally steal these for your next story):

1. People Interrupt Each Other All the Time In real conversations, nobody waits for the perfect moment to speak. We interrupt, cut each other off, and finish each other's sentences. Throw in some overlaps or interruptions in your dialogue to make it feel more dynamic and less like a rehearsed play.

2. They Don’t Always Say What They Mean Real people are masters of dodging. They’ll say one thing but mean something totally different (hello, passive-aggressive banter). Or they’ll just avoid the question entirely. Let your characters be vague, sarcastic, or just plain evasive sometimes—it makes their conversations feel more layered.

3. People Trail Off... We don’t always finish our sentences. Sometimes we just... stop talking because we assume the other person gets what we’re trying to say. Use that in your dialogue! Let a sentence trail off into nothing. It adds realism and shows the comfort (or awkwardness) between characters.

4. Repeating Words Is Normal In real life, people repeat words when they’re excited, nervous, or trying to make a point. It’s not a sign of bad writing—it’s how we talk. Let your characters get a little repetitive now and then. It adds a rhythm to their speech that feels more genuine.

5. Fillers Are Your Friends People say "um," "uh," "like," "you know," all the time. Not every character needs to sound polished or poetic. Sprinkle in some filler words where it makes sense, especially if the character is nervous or thinking on their feet.

6. Not Everyone Speaks in Complete Sentences Sometimes, people just throw out fragments instead of complete sentences, especially when emotions are high. Short, choppy dialogue can convey tension or excitement. Instead of saying “I really think we need to talk about this,” try “We need to talk. Now.”

7. Body Language Is Part of the Conversation Real people don’t just communicate with words; they use facial expressions, gestures, and body language. When your characters are talking, think about what they’re doing—are they fidgeting? Smiling? Crossing their arms? Those little actions can add a lot of subtext to the dialogue without needing extra words.

8. Awkward Silences Are Golden People don’t talk non-stop. Sometimes, they stop mid-conversation to think, or because things just got weird. Don’t be afraid to add a beat of awkward silence, a long pause, or a meaningful look between characters. It can say more than words.

9. People Talk Over Themselves When They're Nervous When we’re anxious, we tend to talk too fast, go back to rephrase what we just said, or add unnecessary details. If your character’s nervous, let them ramble a bit or correct themselves. It’s a great way to show their internal state through dialogue.

10. Inside Jokes and Shared History Real people have history. Sometimes they reference something that happened off-page, or they share an inside joke only they get. This makes your dialogue feel lived-in and shows that your characters have a life beyond the scene. Throw in a callback to something earlier, or a joke only two characters understand.

11. No One Explains Everything People leave stuff out. We assume the person we’re talking to knows what we’re talking about, so we skip over background details. Instead of having your character explain everything for the reader’s benefit, let some things go unsaid. It’ll feel more natural—and trust your reader to keep up!

12. Characters Have Different Voices Real people don’t all talk the same way. Your characters shouldn’t either! Pay attention to their unique quirks—does one character use slang? Does another speak more formally? Maybe someone’s always cutting people off while another is super polite. Give them different voices and patterns of speech so their dialogue feels authentic to them.

13. People Change the Subject In real life, conversations don’t always stay on track. People get sidetracked, jump to random topics, or avoid certain subjects altogether. If your characters are uncomfortable or trying to dodge a question, let them awkwardly change the subject or ramble to fill the space.

14. Reactions Aren’t Always Immediate People don’t always respond right away. They pause, they think, they hesitate. Sometimes they don’t know what to say, and that delay can speak volumes. Give your characters a moment to process before they respond—it’ll make the conversation feel more natural.

Important note: Please don’t use all of these tips in one dialogue at once.

“We are here, and this is now.” Constable Visit, a strict believer in the Omnian religion, occasionally quoted that from their holy book. Vimes understood it to mean, in less exalted copper speak, that you have to do the job that is in front of you.

--Terry Pratchett, Night Watch

A horrifying cartoon for Halloween (originally for Guardian Books).

Finished my Good Omens Halloween animation thingy! In time! I’ve never done anything as complex as this before and it probably has waaaayyy too many things going on in the background, but it was just so much fun to draw and animate all of this. Hope you like it. Happy spooky season, everyone!

An early Halloween cartoon for New Scientist

My cartoon for this week’s Guardian Books

My cartoon for this week’s Guardian books.

Are you frustrated you can't leave second kudos on AO3? or third kudos? or whatever-who's-counting kudos?

Well, have I got the html for you!

Plop any of these in a comment (by copy&pasting the code) to make an author's day and show your appreciation!

Second kudos: <img src="https://i.ibb.co/tHMjbb6/second-kudos.png" alt="second kudos">

Third kudos: <img src="https://i.ibb.co/52bggQH/third-kudos.png" alt="third kudos">

nth kudos: <img src="https://i.ibb.co/6y7qGtC/nth-kudos.png" alt="nth kudos">

yet another kudos: <img src="https://i.ibb.co/wKtcj0s/yet-another-kudos.png" alt="yet another kudos">

It will look something like this (and will be transparent with white outline on dark backgrounds):

Feel free to spread and use these as much as you like! (and if you have ideas for other variations, let me know ✌️)

Stop interpreting my resting * face. It is RESTING, it doesn’t have anything to do with you.

* = whatever

There is nothing more precious to me as a writer than the comments left on AO3. Whenever I get that email notification, I wonder what kind of comment was left. To have a little fun, I'm going to sort the typical comments into a few different categories and share my reactions to them as a writer.

If you feel I missed a comment type, please let me know. I'm curious to learn what other classifications you think exist (positive comment types only please - let's not make this negative). Also, if you wanted to tag yourself, I'd love you know what type of commenter you think you are.

The Polite Conversationalist - Your comment confirms that you read and enjoyed the fic or chapter. You offer praise for the author's efforts and encouragement for them to continue. - If this is you, please know that I'm imagining us holding a book club together. I brought us snacks.

The All Caps Reaction - You left the most unhinged comment. - You were screaming as you read it? I was screaming as I wrote it. Let's be friends.

The How Dare You - The angst is real. And painful. And I'm sorry but the story needed it. - This is a compliment of the highest order and I'm so glad you left it.

The Conspiracy Theorist - You are so invested that you are trying to figure out what comes next. - I'm so excited to read your ideas. They let me know the story tracks for you. And I'm either smiling because you guessed right and I'm excited for you to read what comes next, or I'm grinning because I know the plot twist is going to blow your mind.

The Catch-Up - You haven't commented in a while and are letting me know you are catching up. - I'm so glad you are back! I missed you. I know life gets busy and it means a lot to me that you took the time to read my story.

The Giggle - You laughed at my jokes and let me know. - Did we just become best friends? I'm already making you a bracelet.

The Callout - You found my favorite line in the chapter or fic. - I love you so much. You just made my day, my week, my month. Seriously, all the love for the reader. xoxo

Just sit and stare a bit.

This is a neutral post

Feel free to stop here and rest before journeying to the posts below.

Remember that tough time you had? How hard everything was. If you have anything to spare, please help a friend in need.

I'm not doing okay, guys. I might be taking a break for a few days. I just need to touch grass for a minute, spend time with my kids.

I've been stressed and on the edge of tears constantly, the fundraiser has ground to a halt and every place I've been to see that I can afford is only a step or two above a hovel. I just need to take some time to be present and not crushed by the anxiety about the future.

Finley keeps asking me what's wrong. Rowan has been tearful. Neither of them really know what's going on but they can tell I'm not alright. And I haven't been able to write a word, and I feel like I'm not upholding my end of the fandom dynamic if I'm not managing to update TIALAINGO and it's all just... getting to me.

So I'm gonna be off for a bit. I'll be back before you know it. Please remember to be gentle and kind with each other, and I'll see you all soon.

Phoenix 🌹

List of British words not widely used in the United States. Lists of words having different meanings in American and British English. List of American words not widely used in the United Kingdom.

William P. Welsh - Burlesque Queen (1941)

Crowley: iuegrukfhoeuhfeoruhf Aziraphale: What is that? Crowley: it’s a keyboard smash Aziraphale: How do I do it? Crowley: just press anything Aziraphale: 7

Fandom resources intro & explainer (with a bit of history)

Hi! So I’ve been reading fic for like… 25 years (I’m 37). I’ve been around for a lot and seen a lot, but I only started writing last year, and I remember what it was like to feel like I wasn’t really involved in fandom in the past. Even though I was reading fic constantly and I wanted to be involved. And I remember the feeling of being new to something and not having any idea what people are talking about. So, I figured I’d share some resources. (If this helps just one person I will be happy.) Below you'll find more on how to figure out what people are talking about and some ideas for engaging actively with fandom. (Also, I'm not an expert, I'm just good at research.)

Fanlore, or how to figure out what the heck people are talking about

Have you ever been reading a post on tumblr and thought, ok, everyone seems to know what this thing is but I don’t? Maybe it’s “strikethrough,” maybe it’s a reference to the founding of ao3 (by fans), maybe it’s the ball pit. Well, I have a website for you: fanlore.org

Note: this is not to say that I think we should all necessarily be using the same slang from 20 years ago, or that everyone needs to be an expert on fandom history. I just know and remember the feeling of being left out because I didn't know what people were talking about, and I love to look things up. So this is how I do that. and similar to wikipedia, it's a great starting point for research... and then maybe you'll find a thread you want to tug on a bit more.

Fanlore is the wiki for fandom, in both a general and specific sense. It’s got pages on fandom history and slang and tropes and everything else. Here are some pages that may be of interest to get you started:

Strikethrough, or what happened to livejournal? And while we’re on the subject, why is everyone so nostalgic for LJ anyway?

What's the deal with the fanfiction.net purge?

The founding of ao3 (and see the "no direct advertising" section for more on why you can't talk about commissions or sales on ao3, and the section on racism for an overview of various discussions with links to more)

What’s a lemon?

A list of tropes, fun to explore

YKINMKATO (or, kink tomato)

What's the ball pit?

What’s up with people using the word slash?

A big list of fandom slang in the fandom glossary

What's a fandom challenge?

And they have a new visitor portal! and more!

Fandom and all the ways we engage with it

Something I often wondered as a fan before I started writing was, what is my role here? How do I engage with fandom? What do fans do if they don’t write or make art?

So I thought I’d make a list! I love lists. And maybe you’ll see something in my list that speaks to you and makes you feel like you have something for you where you didn’t before. That would make me so happy. Fanlore also has a whole category page for fan activities which is way more exhaustive than my list!

Writing (fic, poetry, meta, and more)

Making art - fanart, gifs, memes, so much more

Recording podfics

Making podcasts

Organizing fic archives/libraries/fic rec pages or tumblr accounts (the hours I spent exploring the Sterek library account, y’all...)

Creating and organizing character or media archives (think of all the possibilities - outfit compendiums, dialogue arhives, etc.)

Making fic rec lists (around themes, authors, etc.) and sharing them

Making playlists (around themes, fandoms, characters, relationships, more!) and sharing them - also called fanmixes

Making fanvids (videos) and sharing them

Contributing to a wiki

Cosplay

Crafts - knitting, crocheting, sewing, woodworking, and more!

Commenting and contributing to discussions

Creating and sharing polls

Interviewing fellow fans

Fan surveys

Creating moodboards and/or collages

Liveblogging as you watch or rewatch new episodes or movies (make sure to tag it)

Sending asks and comments

Leaving kudos and comments (on ao3) and commenting/reblogging (on tumblr)

Hosting viewing parties

Running fandom events (or helping with them), like challenges

Bookbinding (not for profit)

Making zines

How do I get started?

In my experience, when people say their inboxes are open, they mostly mean it. If you see someone who makes art you love, tell them you love it and ask them how they got started. Ask them what tools they use! If you see someone making amazing gifs, tell them you love them and ask for tips or resources. And share their work!

Fanlore also has resources, so the links and ideas are out there. And reaching out to someone on tumblr is often the easiest way in. Send an ask, write a comment, reblog with a comment. Explore the tags for your fandom. Tell someone you loved something or ask them a question. And on that topic, consider my asks and messages open if you want to chat! Or talk about any of this! Or share your ideas for more ways to do fandom!

Talking to people can be scary, I know, but just remember that we all have something in common - we're waaaaaaaay too into something (or a lot of things) and would love to talk about it. We're dying to talk about it. Please talk about it with us. And that is a foundation we can build on! Even if it’s just in comments or in reblogs or in tags - we love comments and reblogs and tags.

If talking to someone doesn’t go anywhere, that’s ok. Like in non-tumblr life, we all get along with some people more than others. We all have different types of connections all across this platform, some closer than others. Sometimes people are busy or life is happening or they just can’t engage right then. Sometimes you won’t click with someone. That’s all ok! Reaching out gets easier with practice.

If you do make or share something, tag it! Use fandom tags and broader tumblr tags (e.g., 'podfic') to help people find it.

I love fandom, and I always have, even when I was the lurkiest of lurkers. So I hope this helps. 🧡 My inbox, as I said, is open.