#dollsome

“Obviously?”

“In a very nerdy way, that is. In a way with a very stupid bowtie.”

“I’ll take it,” Aziraphale says, pleased.

In which people keep mistaking Crowley and Aziraphale for a couple, and Aziraphale starts to wonder if there might be something to it.

Length: 6,748 words

AO3 Rating: Teen and Up

Best for: Pick-me-up, Fluff, Safe in Public

Triggers: None

Read it here, fic by dollsome

*Minor Spoilers* Slapping the roof of this fic yelling, “this baby can fit a lot of fluff inside it!” This was the first Good Omens fic I read after season two aired. And it is so warm and loving. It’s short and simple, and just perfect for our pair. Written before season 2, Aziraphale starts with simple questions about his relationship with Crowley. Are they what the humans assume they are? Are they a couple? We’re then treated to some soft scenes where the walls of denial slowly fall away. Whenever you need a fluffy pick me up this is an excellent choice. Completely safe in public too! Really it’s your duty to read this on your phone at work on the clock. You deserve it.

your silence, simple, as a ring by arriviste It was an accident. Enjolras certainly put no thought into it; one moment he was standing nose-to-nose with Grantaire, and the next he had his hands on Grantaire's wrists, and their long bones were flexing within the circle of his fingers. Enjolras/Grantaire, 4k, T Note: my favourite fic ever, if that counts for anything

lélio & ophelia by firstaudrina Find me, Lestat is saying in a thousand different ways, find me find me find me. Lestat/Louis, 4k, T

Desert Sand by VillaKulla The origin story of Goodnight Robicheaux and Billy Rocks Billy/Goody, 34k, M

there’s probably a word for it in unmodified sumerian by ghostsoldier It’s weirdly flattering, in a way, that Cecil can wax rhapsodic about his very cells. Carlos can empathize: every single one of his tests has shown that Cecil is just as human as he is, and yet he’s also absolutely not. Carlos knows he’s not, with the sort of bone-deep certainty he usually reserves for universal constants. Cecil’s not human, but he is, and Carlos finds he wants to shout it from the top of the radio tower. How wonderful this makes Cecil. How beautiful. How imperfectly and uniquely perfect. Carlos/Cecil, 1k, T

my whole trajectory’s toward you, and it’s not losing momentum by theappleppielifestyle 14 year old Eddie gets a glimpse into what's coming. Richie/Eddie, 8k, G

An Invitation You Can’t Decline by thehoyden “I have standards,” Aziraphale huffed. “Don’t I know it,” Crowley sighed. And then, like he’d done it a hundred times before, he covered Aziraphale’s hand with his. Aziraphale/Crowley, 1k, E

Love Hath Made Thee a Tame Snake by thehoyden He was the bloody Serpent of Eden, and he wasn’t going to stand for this kind of flagrant trespassing. Aziraphale/Crowley, 3k, E

all of this then back again by firstaudrina Magnus is joking when he says, "You," but Alec says, "Okay." Magnus/Alec, 2k, M

Believe Me if You Can (The House at Pooh Corner) by gyzym  In a world where Arthur is Rabbit, Eames is Tigger, Cobb is Pooh, Yusuf is Eeyore, Ariadne is Piglet and Saito is Owl, nothing makes sense anymore. Arthur/Eames, 11k, T

not so different, you and i by theappleppielifestyle Three years ago, the idea that Tony Stark being one of her best friends would have been something she’d laugh at. Not even laugh- she’d have given whoever suggested it a dry look and changed the subject. Nat & Tony, 15k, G

unintended results by theappleppielifestyle Tony stares at the ceiling, white-knuckling his pockets. I will not get off to Steve jerking it. I will not get off to Steve jerking it. I will not- That thought is put on hold as something starts to buzz, and Tony has to bite down forcefully on his tongue to stop himself from groaning out loud when he realizes what it is. Steve/Tony, 2k, E

Left Side Advantage by susiecarter Post-MoS AU: A year after Black Zero, the Metropolis city government decides to hold a commemorative gala, with Superman as a guest of honor. And after a year of trying to gather intelligence on Superman without all that much success to speak of, Bruce Wayne is definitely going to attend. Except it turns out he may not be the only one with plans for Superman, and there might be a few other pieces of the puzzle that he's been missing. Clark/Bruce, 61k, T

Enemies to Lovers by susiecarter Then: Bruce and Clark argued, fucked, kissed, and didn't talk about any of it until the day they stopped. Now: they're living together in the lake house, trying to figure out how to be around each other day in and day out without stepping on each other's toes or crossing any lines. Which might be easier if Clark weren't pregnant. Or if Bruce weren't being so weird about it. Or if the mother box hadn't rearranged Clark's insides on a whim in the first place— There's a lot that could have made this easier, basically. But then Bruce and Clark always did do things the hard way. Clark/Bruce, 28k, E

dear friend by firstaudrina Jo might have said, “I left something for you in the old mailbox and I think that you should read it.” Jo & Laurie, 1k, G

le coup de foudre by firstaudrina three vignettes about desire. Lestat/Louis, <1k, G

Circuit by thingswithwings Post-movie. Watson finds a reason to go back to the flat on Baker Street. Holmes/Watson, 1k, E

2 become 1, or: these are totally normal roommate shenanigans by dollsome Chloe decides to fake-seduce June in an act of vengeance. Naturally, June strikes back. Chloe/June, 3k, T

un oubli profond by arriviste Three (in)glorious days. Enjolras/Grantaire, 6k, M

How to Tame a God by theorytale Loki is unstable. Tony is a genius. Together, they fight crime still don't like each other very much. There might be some benefit in alternative tactics. Loki & Tony, 5k, T

Ready, Fire, Aim by gyzym There's no "I" in "Avenger." Steve/Tony, 21k, M

it should follow, you know this (like the panels of a comic strip) by gyzym Four, eleven, fifteen, twenty-one, thirty-six, forty, as old as he's always been, too young, and everyone knows Tony Stark. Steve/Tony, 1k, T

music to watch girls to by firstaudrina They're both laughing, helpless and stupid with it. Izzy doesn't remember half as much of this before Clary came here. She remembers smirks and side-eye and the occasional chuckle but never gasping laughing over something that isn't even that funny, when you think about it. Clary/Isabelle, 1k, G

let me lay waste to thee by postcardmystery Ink stained fingers and ale left untouched. The cheapest paper left to rot and cuffs stained with little spots of black. A life shared but never quite lived together. A boy who wanted to be a poet, remembered as a playwright, and a boy who wanted to stage, remembered for his blood on a dagger held by no one. Marlowe/Shakespeare, 4k, M

Whaaaat, Lauren’s got another tragic ship that she’s in agony over? WHY YES.

For some background: I recently watched Dollhouse for the 1.5th time. I watched the first season sometime in 2014 or 2015 but hadn’t watched either of the epitaphs or the whole second season, so I was all-too-happy to do a sort of rewatch/watch about a month ago. Even though it was only on for two seasons back in the late 00s and very early 10′s, I think it still holds up today. While there’s some technology and style choices that date it a bit, the overarching themes and motifs are just as compelling today as they were then.

A LOT goes down in that second season and WOW. Just wow. There’s Topher and there’s Claire and there’s that ONE SCENE in season two that may actually my favorite scene in all of television. You know the one.

MY HEART HURTS. High-level Shakesperean-esque drama and angst between these two.

All that said, I was only too happy to wander over to AO3 for some more feels and am pleased to say that there’s some really well-written fic out there for this pairing. Most of what I found was written back in late 2009 or early 2010/2011 - I’m really glad the authors have kept these pieces up, even ten years later.

These recs runs the gamut from totally G to totally E. There are issues around memory, personhood, and identity due to the underlying themes of the show. 

This is a tragic pairing. You have been warned. Please be advised and read the descriptions and the tags on AO3. 

Please leave comments and kudos for the authors over on AO3!

Without any further ado, please enjoy these fic recs for Topher & Claire from Dollhouse.

Pas de deux by thedevilchicken (M, 2K, mid-canon) - Author’s description: “He was the first thing she remembered, after.” This fic both breaks my heart and soothes it. Claire comes back to the Dollhouse after Topher’s already started to lose it. The author uses repetition as a rhetorical device which really gives this fic a cadence that’s dreamy and flowy. Packs an emotional punch but is delivered with a tender hand, so it’s not *too* painful. My favorite fic on the list. Read it.

Electra on azalea path by dollsome (M, 1200+ words, post-canon AU) - Author’s description: “The world ends above them. They stay down here. It feels a little heavenly to her, this apocalypse.” I have read and reread this one so many times. This fic is dark - it is not a “happy” ending, but they are together. The author really plays up the tragic elements of this pairing, drawing comparisons from classic Greek tragedies. Masterfully written. Beautiful.

how to grow a woman from the ground by dollsome (G, 534 words, in-verse) - Author’s description: “It's one thing to whip 'em up and send 'em out on their merry way. It's another thing to have them right here, like, all the time.” This is a very short Topher POV fic - he’s realizing that while he wrote Claire’s code, she’s very much her own person, and he’s (pleasantly) surprised at how that’s making him feel. Short and sweet. 

Nothing Gold by kay_obsesive aka @kingkazul​ (G, 400 words, missing scene/canon divergence) - Author’s description: “She is not his fantasy.” Claire comes back to the Dollhouse after having left without saying goodbye, and Topher’s relieved and worried about her. Tender. Great character writing.

It’s Hot in Hell by @purpleyin (T, 805 words, canon divergence, missing scene) - Author’s description: “Claire/Topher UST. Good things can come from bad things – make that very very bad things and very good things too, in the reverse retrospective order.” Features underlying sexual tension in a closed space. No resolution in sight.

Mutually Exclusive by mcsmutty aka @purpleyin (E, 1500+, canon divergence) - Author’s description: “Is it because she should hate him that she tries not to, or is it because she knows he doesn't?” Claire’s teasing of Topher goes a step too far during a staff meeting, so excuses himself for some... privacy. Claire follows him. That’s all I’m gonna say about this one. Earns it’s E rating.

Waiting for Our Lives to Start Their Ending by kay_obsessive aka @kingkazul​ (T, 5547 words, in-verse canon divergence/missing scenes) - Author’s description: “They're waiting for the world to fall apart and trying not to do the same. Dysfunctional Claire/Topher between Hollow Men and the Epitaphs.” You’ve been advised straight from the author on this one - this isn’t happy Topher and Claire. BUT. It’s a great character study, especially for Claire - we get filled in on how she passes her days during this time in the canon, and we see Topher beginning to lose his mind. The rest of the main cast is present or discussed in this fic, so it’s quite a bit longer than all the other fics on this list. I’ve read and reread this one several times, specifically for the “it only happens one more time” scene. Heartbreaking and well-done.

We Just Might Feel Good by kay_obsessive aka @kingkazul​ (T, 578 words, sorta fluffy) - Author’s description: “There is a scar on Claire's hip, right side, just above the sharp angle of the bone. He spent almost three years inventing stories for that scar. Prompt: scars.” I really like when fics for this pairing talk about Claire’s scars, but this one is especially sweet because it’s not about the ones on her face. Bonus forehead touching, which I am consistently weak for.

In which people keep mistaking Crowley and Aziraphale for a couple, and Aziraphale starts to wonder if there might be something to it.

I just posted a new podfic!  If you ask me, this is is THE Good Omens fic. So adorable. Happy listening!!

i’d like for you and i to go romancing [Podfic] Story by @dollsome-does-tumblr , read by me

Length: 50 min 28 sec, Rating: T, Pairings: Aziraphale/Crowley

Genre: Fluffy get-together & first kiss

Summary: In which people keep mistaking Crowley and Aziraphale for a couple, and Aziraphale starts to wonder if there might be something to it.

Aziraphale/Crowley