A reminder of the allegations against Neil Gaiman, as shared by Hire Survivors Hollywood, a non-profit group who support survivors of sexual assault. These survivors aren’t just “the victims”: they have names and stories, and their voices deserve to be heard.
Scarlett, who worked as a nanny for Gaiman’s children, revealed that he sexually assaulted her in 2022 when she was 22 and he was 61, initiating an ongoing non-consensual sexual relationship.
K, who met Gaiman at a book signing in 2003 when she was 18 and he was in his mid-40s, describes a similar pattern of rape and sexual assault after they began a sexual relationship two years later.
Caroline Wallner, who worked on Gaiman’s property, revealed that he coerced her into sex by threatening her job and housing, and that he used explicit images and sexual demands to exert control over her.
Julia Hobsbawm was forced to fight off an assault by him in her London home in 1986.
Claire, who came forward anonymously in a podcast series, shared that Gaiman assaulted her during a book tour in the US in 2013. Gaiman took her to a room on his tour bus, got on top of her, kissed her, and groped her under her dress. In a 2022 phone call recording, Gaiman can be heard apologizing for his behavior, and offering $60,000 as a “tax-free gift” to cover the cost of a decade of therapy.
I’ve grown up in an age that told me that denying yourself was good. Oh, you want cake? Here, have this chalk-dust square of not-cake - fewer calories, don’t you know! You want to lay on the sofa and read? Don’t you think you ought to clean the entire house first? Then perhaps you’ll deserve ten minutes. Make sure it’s approved book though - no reading purely for pleasure!
And most importantly - you must work hard to maintain yourself and your life in a certain way or no one will love you!
You know, the sort of thing S1 Gabriel said.
And then there’s Aziraphale who loves food and books and peace and his comfy clothes and his music and he is deeply loved by his demon who wants him to love all that. Aziraphale just wants a soft, sweet, delicious life - not a soldier or a leader, to just be him.
And Crowley loved that about him.
I just think that was very important about S1 Aziraphale (and not something that made much of after that) and it felt like I was being given permission to enjoy my life and I would still be able to be loved and to achieve things, even if I’d rather eat cake.
I think S2 and S3 forgot that about Aziraphale but I think that soft hedonism is a hugely important part of his character
Serenity_Black (she/any) has been writing fanfiction since she was very young, but fell into a dry spell from creating for a while. Then after finding a pair of lovable ethereal beings, Serenity_Black’s love of writing was reignited, further strengthened by an ineffable fandom who welcomed her in and brought incredible encouragement. Keep reading to learn more about her ideations into our beloved Good Omens world.
Serenity_Black has some major upcoming plans in her personal life, but always manages to find time for many other activities when not writing about Good Omens:
“I'm currently in America in Kansas, but will be moving to the East Coast later this year. I'm eyeing the UK for a future move though cause I've always wanted to explore other countries. When I'm not writing I do art, game, stream on TikTok, or I work lol. I'm a pretty simple person who spends most of her free time online with her friends.”
The Good Omens series has been available to view over the last several years, but Serenity_Black didn’t latch on to it immediately…for reasons 😁
“I was aware of Good Omens through ads I saw on Amazon. It 100% looked like something I could enjoy and obsess over. However, I didn't have time for another hyperfixation so I intentionally avoided it! XD When season two dropped I was in a better space and was like 'Sure, I have time!' And I watched the first episode, then the 2nd...then the 3rd and next thing I knew it was 6am and S1 was done xD I've been obsessed ever since!”
This show has SUCH a pull once you dive in - and for Serenity_Black, it did more than just generate a place in her heart for a certain angel and demon:
“Good Omens [was my inspiration to create]. I hadn't been able to write anything, let alone Fanfiction, in 10 years and as soon as the final 15 ended I sat there with all these theories and needed an outlet. I ordered a Bluetooth keyboard from Amazon 3 days later because I was running out of paper. Bought a whiteboard and got to work xD”
That’s absolutely incredible and we are so fortunate that it brought you into the GO fold!!
And if it isn’t pretty obvious by now, we’ll share Serenity_Black’s answer to the one question that we ask all of our writers about who is their favorite pairing😇😈:
“Aziracrow lol I haven't written for any of the others to be honest. I love our Ineffable idiots.”
They really are so inspiring, aren’t they? 🥹 A romance for the universe!! 🥰
Now as you may or may not know, not all of Serenity_Black’s stories are for the faint of heart, as she describes some of her preferred writing themes:
“>.>...<.<... I write smut, angst, whump, and very dark themes. One tag I use a lot is Dead Dove, because when I put a tag I mean that tag and I need people to take them seriously for their own sake. Tags I put aren't just touched on, it's explored in unapologetic detail and I want readers to know that.”
Thanks for the precautions - and the reminder that tags are important!!! And on that note, you may have discovered that Serenity_Black has one other fandom that she is particularly fond of writing in:
“Hannibal NBC! I write the murder husband's cause they allow my smut to get very dark lol”
Indeed! Be sure to check out Serenity_Black’s catalog of works on all of her socials (all links shared at the end of this post):
“I'm mostly on Tumblr and AO3, and while I have a Bluesky, I need to use it more >.<”
While you are visiting these sites, you’ll also discover another wonderful talent that Serenity_Black shares with this fandom outside of writing😍 :
“I am an artist as well as a writer and I have done some fanart for the fandom before.”
Artworks are one of the greatest gifts in the Good Omens fandom!! We are so happy that you share these with us as well!! And among Serenity_Black’s written treasures in the GO realm, one stands out as her absolute favorite:
“'Of Gardens and the Second Coming' is the 78k Season 3 speculation fic I made. It was the first thing I wrote in the GO fandom. Not the first I finished, but the first one I started on. I'm very proud of it. I tried to keep it as canon as possible and make it a realistic possibility that we would get from Amazon.”
That’s pretty amazing!! 😮 And of course, finding the right storylines and themes can present obstacles for all of our writers - as one of our readers wanted to learn from Serenity_Black:
✨✨What have you found that has been the biggest challenge for you about writing GO fic?
“Staying true to the tone of the books. Sometimes I just throw that out the window and write, other times I try to keep that comedy and tone like I did with 'Of Gardens'. But when I want to keep the tone it can be difficult for me because of the subjects I'm used to writing.”
Well you do an incredible job 👏👏👏 And as we approach the final episode of the series, curious minds want to know what else is brewing in Serenity_Black’s mind:
✨✨What's the project you are most excited to be working on at the moment?
“I want to get back to a fic idea I had of a darker ending to Season 3 where Crowley and Aziraphale end up in Hell thinking the other betrayed them. Not much more than an outline is currently written…”
But Serenity_Black is honoring us by sharing what bits of this post S3 WIP that have been written so far (at least Aziraphale’s POV):
“Aziraphale sat at his Heavenly desk, surrounded by Holy Memos and instructions on the End of Days. He looked haggard, the stubble he’d been fighting had won and his beard was now full and overgrown. His normally short and wispy hair had grown out and started to spiral in on itself creating his own halo of curls. His head was currently resting defeatedly in his hands as he tried to calm himself down.
He had tried everything, everything he could think of over the last year to stop The Second Coming. He had to sit back and face the facts: whether he wanted it to or not, the end of the world was happening in less than a year.
The angel leaned back in his uncomfortable chair wishing, not for the first time, that it was the plush comfy one in his shop. He let out a frustrated sigh.
What am I even doing here? This was a mistake…Crowley was right, Heaven won't change and I’ve been a fool to think it could…
Crowley.
His mind stuck on the name as a pang of longing resonated through him. It had been a year since he’d seen him in person, heard his voice. He’d of course used the globe to peak in on him every once and a while. ‘To make sure he wasn’t causing any trouble’ he’d told himself. He didn't seem to be faring much better than himself. A fact that gave him no satisfaction as he was sure it was his continued absence that had the demon in a constant sour mood.
The other angels had made the time crawl slowly by. They insulted him at every turn, Supreme Archangel or not, and were resistant to even the smallest suggestions. Aziraphale found himself in a petty mood, one that he couldn’t even find it in himself to be ashamed of. He’d had enough of them and their snide remarks behind his back and to his face. He knew they didn’t respect him, they didn’t even like him and at this point the feeling was far past mutual.
His preoccupation was interrupted as Michael slammed a stack of texts onto his desk, knocking some important scrolls to the floor where they rolled away into the ethereally bright halls. Far from startled, Aziraphale opened his eyes slowly and cast a side-long look at the other angel from where he lounged. He’d had just about enough of this and it was about time they knew it.
”I can assure you that I have plenty to do already, Michael.” His voice was low and dangerous, his displeasure on full display with no pretenses took the other angel aback. He sat up slowly looking after the rouge scrolls and back to Michael. “I’m going to need those back. Now.”
Michael blinked, uncertainty and surprise written all over their ageless countenance as they slowly raised their arm and snapped. The scrolls, now miracled back, sat next to the new texts now taking up much needed space on the small desk.
“Thank you,” Aziraphale said cooly, no gratitude behind the words. Michael looked like they wanted to say something and Aziraphale’s eyes narrowed. “What now Michael? Did you forget to insult me to my face today? Because, frankly, after the year I’ve had I can tell you I am rather done with the abuse from the rest of you.”
The other angel's mouth was open, jaw nearly on the floor at being spoken to this way. Yes, Aziraphale had been known to say the off-hand petty thing, but he hadn’t yet been outright rude to them like this before. It seemed to them that the Supreme Archangel had finally snapped.
”It’s just that the Metatron wants these looked through for anything that can accelerate the timeline.” Michael replied flatly, trying not to show that Aziraphale’s tone had gotten under their skin.
Aziraphale, having just made a decision, stood up and straightened his pale waistcoat, brushing off some imaginary dust and turning away from the other. “Then you do it Michael, I’m going out.”
”Going out? Where? There’s work to be done!” Michael seethed, whatever this new attitude was they weren’t having it.
”Where I go is none of your concern,” Aziraphale retorted vehemently. “As for the work….” He turned back to the other angel momentarily, “I am delegating the task to you in my absence. I trust that won't be an issue.”
He didn’t wait around for a reply, he simply walked away from his desk in the direction of the elevator to SoHo leaving a seething Michael in his wake. "
NOTE: The next bit will be Crowley's POV <3)
OOOH that’s wonderful!! We will all look forward to more of this - including Crowley’s side - when you find the time!!
“Most of my ideas have been put aside for right now as I am focusing on getting things set up to move at the end of the year.”
We do wish you all the best on your future moves and hope that everything goes smoothly for you!!! 🤗 🤗
Before we wrap up our time with Serenity_Black, she offers these words of wisdom for anyone who is writing, or thinking of writing their own stories:
“Step away if you need to. Sometimes you have to let your mind and ideas rest. That way you can come back with a fresh perspective and a rested mind.”
Great points!! Clearing your mind is good for all aspects of life - not just writing. And here’s one more tip from Serenity_Black to help you get those creative juices flowing when you do set off on the writing journey:
“Let your mind wander to weird places and then write it down! You don't have to share it with anyone, but exercise your imagination! Give someone a hair and ears! Or make them a sea creature! Imagine what their life would be like if they lived nearby a volcano! Go crazy with it! Just explore and write. That's the important bit.”
Thank you so much, Serenity_Black, for exploring and writing for all of us. It was truly our pleasure to learn more about you and share your story with this fandom ☺️❤️
Here's some links where you can continue to follow Serenity_Black:
“Hi, I'm Becci and I've been making up stories since I could hold a pen. The first dated record I have of a fanfiction goes back to 2005, which is usually the point I count as my beginning. That means I was the tender age of nine when I started my temporarily toxic, on-off relationship with fanfic - marked by embarrassing first steps, year-long hiatuses and hyper-productive phases.
2019 - the year I was introduced to the Marvel universe - marks the point where I started considering myself an author, rather than just a writer. That's when I began producing stories that were actually readable (and fairly enjoyable, too, if I dare say so).
To me, the best part of the Good Omens fandom (apart from the people, of course) is the plethora of versions of our favourite hereditary enemies. My highest achievement as an author is when someone revisits the source material and can never get through a scene again without thinking about one of my stories. Good Omens, by definition, offers an incredibly wide range for canon-adjacent storytelling. Since they've lived through literally all of human history, there are endless gaps to fill. (Yes, those gaps, too. Especially those gaps. I see you, horny fandom.) Plus, I'm a sucker for the enemies-to-lovers trope and who embodies that better than an angel and a demon falling in love?
Also this is the spiciest fandom I've been in so far and I'm having a fucking blast providing y'all with smut 😁 ”
Oooh we love every morsel of it too, Becci😏😁
If you are a first-time reader of Becci's work, or are looking for some recommended reads, here’s some suggestions from the author:
Not A One-Night Stand: Remember what I said about intertwining canon with fanon? This is exactly that. It's an ongoing series about them fucking while pining for 6000 years. We start with Job's cellar and go all the way until season 3. Six parts are currently up, lots more to come. All canon-compliant, highly explicit, and I promise you, you'll never watch the show the same way again 🙂
The Very First Page: A Crowley-centric one-shot set before Creation. It's almost Crowley-exclusive which probably explains why it never got as much traction. But if you're into evocative prose, angel!Crowley and star-maker imagery, I consider this one of my strongest pieces.
You can find these and all of Becci’s other works on AO3
Submit any questions you have for our Spotlight Author by Sunday, June 14. We will then share all of the exciting answers on Sunday, June 21.
Please fill in your questions for the author here:
I have a feeling that beneath the little halo on your noble head
There lies a thought or two the devil might be interested to know
You're like the finish of a novel that I'll finally have to take to bed
You fascinate me so
One of the beautiful things about reading Good Omens Fluff is that sometimes you read a Fic by someone who clearly really identifies with Aziraphale and you can just feel the love for Crowley radiate off the page. Sometimes it’s because the author was already kinda in love with David Tennant’s Crowley but sometimes it’s just because once you really get yourself into Aziraphale’s head, it’s impossible not to admire all of Crowley’s coolness and gentleness and dedication just like he does.
And sometimes you read a Fic by someone who clearly really identifies with Crowley and you can just feel the love for Aziraphale slithering all over the page. Sometimes it’s because the author was already kinda in love with Michael Sheen’s Aziraphale but sometimes it’s just because once you really get yourself into Crowley’s head, it’s impossible not to admire all of Aziraphale’s softness and silliness and indulgence just like he does.
Good Omens Season 3 is like the first time I felt like I was looking at a Good Omens work by someone who clearly identifies with Crowley, but has no understanding for why he loves Aziraphale and no desire to understand, either.
“two figures with their faces covered by a white cloth, locked in an ambiguous setting, and unable to truly communicate or touch. The deathlike cloth keeps the two figures forever apart”
i studied this painting at school and i couldn’t stop thinking about Aziracrow, especially after the finale…
Full disclosure that this fixit fic is 100% my way of coping. My way of rewriting the finale. My way of seeing my beloved characters placed into the same circumstances but acting in character gdi (as I interpret it*).
In the spirit of that - spoiler alert - this chapter goes a little ways towards healing the giant wound left by That Kiss at the end of S2 and That Lack of Kiss in S3.
*caveat that these are my views on the characters - you can have yours and this fandom contains multitudes and positive takes on the finale always welcome with me
Fic Premise: what if Aziraphale didn't stay away? What if he came back sooner, and he and Crowley had a chance to begin to talk and work out their differences before the high stakes rush to the end? If we just changed that one detail, how would the rest of the story of the finale unfold?
Rating: Mature (may become explicit later, or may write an explicit part 2 tbd)
Thank you to my betas @angie-words @bohoteacher @enby-xb-nomad and my writing communities @whickberstreetwriters and @goodomensafterdark
The story has wonderful art by @lutraslutra! Rated M, strangers to lovers human AU with banter, falling in love, just a touch of angst and a happy ending!
Fiction summary:
Rovaniemi! The perfect destination for a solo holiday! Quiet, charming, full of history and art! A solo trip there was just what Aziraphale needed to lift his mood after being bombarded by the pink chocolate boxes and heart-shaped cards that Valentine's Day aggressively threw at him from every shop window. Self-care and self-love, that’s all Aziraphale wanted out of that holiday.
Enter Anthony J. Crowley.
The handsome, charming novelist who chatted Aziraphale up on the plane.
Well, nothing wrong with a holiday fling, after all.
Just for the week.
And he’d never think of Crowley again, of course.
Excerpt from chapter 6:
Crowley turned to look at him again and spoke in a little more than a whisper. “Hello. Fancy seeing you here.”
“Yes,” Aziraphale said, a quivering excitement oozing from his voice. “Was just passing and thought I’d stop by.”
Crowley leaned his head against the back of the sofa. “So, uh. Is um. Your room c-comfortable?” he asked and immediately bit his lips where a mischievous smile was threatening to make an appearance.
This is such a lovely story, both the writing and the artwork, and I would definitely recommend it HOWEVER I do not recommend reading this chapter in particular at the dentist.
Normally, I like to think I can have anything going on in my mind and nobody will know, but hygienists sometimes glance at the words, and...
Trying My Best @lavendermoonlitskies - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
