#Crowleys laurels

[naturallyteal]

Did you know Aziraphale modelled for Simon Vouet in France in the 17th century?

😉

Allegory of Virtue between 1625 and 1650, Louvre Museum, Paris (with changes made by me: head exchanged; laurel and wing colours)

(Fake) Interpretation: The symbolism of the colours the Angel is wearing, are clearly hinting at the involvement between him (his favourite colour is yellow for Crowley’s yellow eyes) and Crowley (whose favourite colour is of course blue, for Aziraphale’s multicoloured-but-mostly-blue eyes). The title “virtue” is thereby subtly questioned, just as by the less than proper attire, uncharacteristic for Aziraphale. Also, the silver victory laurel (clearly Crowley’s) he holds triumphantly, makes the onlooker question how exactly he won that trophy from the Demon.

Used from the show:

View more posts of famous artists and their Good Omens fanart:

[Titian]

[Raphael]

[Vincent van Gogh]

[René Magritte]

[drconstellation]

The Golden Lions of Heaven

S2 has several prominent lion symbols in it, and at first watch they don’t appear to have anything to do with the main story line. But there are lions in both seasons, and they are all connected.

Lions are intrinsically linked with royalty, and are often called King of the Beasts or King of the Jungle. They also symbolize courage, nobility and strength.

Whenever lions appear in GO they are always coloured gold, which is associated with Heaven. Nearly all the angels have some bit of gold on them somewhere - unless they have just discorporated.

In Christian iconography Jesus is represented as a lion upon his return. When he was crucified he was a sacrificial lamb, but the Second Coming is a time when he returns to reign again. As a descendant of the royal house of David, it therefore seems quite logical to assign this symbol to the king of kings.

There is also this paragraph from the Medieval Bestiary:

“In Christian allegory, the three main natures of the lion each have a meaning. The lion erasing its tracks with its tail represents the way Jesus concealed his divinity, only revealing himself to his followers. The lion sleeping with its eyes open represents Jesus, physically dead after crucifixion, but still spiritually alive in his divine nature. The lion roaring over his dead cubs to bring them to life represents how God the father woke Jesus after three days in his tomb.”

There is also an often misquoted line “when the lion shall lie down with the lamb,” but it’s not that at all. The full verse is:

“The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.” [Isiah 11:6]

It is referring to a time of peace that should come once Jesus returns. Somehow I don't think we are going to get that in S3.

The Two Lions in the Dirty Donkey

There are two large golden lions sitting on the ends of the bar in the Dirty Donkey. Because one of the underlying themes in S2 is about the Second Coming, even if its not obvious until the end, its fairly easy then to interpret these two as being connected to this event. The Dirty Donkey itself can be seen in several ways: a simple donkey that needs a wash, or a black horse. Both are relevant to referencing Jesus. In the former, Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem the first time to signify he came in peace, but the second time he arrives will be like on the back of the black horse of a conqueror come to rule. One lion for each occurrence.

The Lion under the lamp in Jimbriel’s room

While there is some argument for Jim’s character in S2 re-creating parts of the life of Jesus from two thousand years ago, such as the cleansing of the temple and facing temptation from demons. I think we shouldn’t also forget that this is also Gabriel the Herald, and he was doing some ominous heralding of doom at various points in S2 that in hindsight we can see were warning us about the Second Coming. So this lion at the base of the lamp Jimbriel is playing with has to alert us to Jimbriel’s connection with Jesus. (I will probably revisit and add/rewrite this one in the future, I think there is a bit more to it)

The Lion Rampant on Aziraphale’s Ring

At the end of S2 we learn that Aziraphale has been manipulated into going back to Heaven to run the Second Coming by the Metatron. In hindsight, its hard to see how he wouldn't be involved, somehow. What is surprising, however, is that this expert in prophecy didn't see it coming - but then he didn't expect to see Jimbriel arriving either!

Usually the first thing we notice about Aziraphale's ring is the stylized lion rampant on the shield. We know it's definitely a lion because it upright - if it was down on all four paws it would be referred to as a leopard. The upright tail tells us its on guard.

There are more elements to the ring that also add to the story here, it's a much more complex ring than Michael's. The crown on the top is a symbol of victory and sovereignty, and also a connection to God, who considered the "King of all." On either side of the shield are two stylized sprigs of laurel, reinforcing a picture of triumph and fame.

Then there are a fringe of feathers, banded in sharp triangular spikes. Feathers signify willing obedience and serenity of mind in heraldry, so I would tend to lean towards the former. The triangles represent celestial rays, so they reinforce his obedience to the will of Heaven.

You might think, "well this makes sense, Aziraphale is a Principality, he's a protector, that's why there is a lion," but I think it more complicated than that. It tells us something about both the past and the future at the same time. The purpose of the rings remain a mystery to us at the moment, in that we don't know why some angels have them and others don't, or if they have any function. Aziraphale has a tendency to touch his when he is feeling troubled or worried (its easy to miss if you aren't paying attention,) so perhaps it helps to strengthen his connection to Heaven somehow, or is a reminder of his duties.

There is another connection Aziraphale has to a lion, and that is through his past status as a cherubim in the Job minisode in S2E2.

As pointed out in this post, the pattern is stylized to represent the four wings that Cherubim are said to have, with a pearl in the center for an eye. These Cherubim also have four faces: an ox, an eagle, a lion and a man. Well, we sort of get all of those with Aziraphale at some point in the wider story. And the angel set at the eastern gate of Eden with the flaming sword was supposed to be a Cherubim, too. Yes, Aziraphale changed rank from Cherubim to Principality, we just don't technically know whether it was a step up or down...

The Honolulu Roast Lion

There is a lion you don’t see in S2 – the lion logo for the Honolulu roast coffee, mentioned briefly on a blackboard in the background of a shot inside the coffee shop.

The islands of Hawaii were a kingdom up until 1893, when a commercial coup took them over and allowed them to be annexed by the US. You can read more about it here. While the op in that post relates it the Eldritch Ball in S2E5, it still connects a lion to royalty.

The lion at the beginning of S1E1

Right at the beginning we have a lion as well – a real live lion! After Adam and Eve leave the Garden of Eden they meet a big lion out on the dunes. As Aziraphale and Crowley watch and talk atop the walls of the Garden, Adam confronts the lion with the flaming sword Aziraphale gave him and eventually kills the lion before he walks away with Eve.

What are we to think of this? I've see one op suggest that it was Aziraphale "throwing them to the lions" as his first act. To me it seems more like Adam has just slain God instead to gain their freedom.

The Lions on Crowley’s “throne”

There are two lion heads on the arm rest of Crowley’s “throne” (I don’t know what else to call it, really) in his Mayfair flat in S1. If I understand correctly, this should first be viewed as a homage to the US show Supernatural, as this chair is the exact copy of the one the demon Crowley in that show sits in, only his one is black. But if I’m to look at it in terms of GO symbology, my brain keeps going [error 503: Server cannot process the request due to a system overload; should be a temporary condition...] because I can’t quite believe what its telling me. And I should, because I’m the one running around touting a list that is now 22 items long for why Crowley was once a very powerful archangel and written a batshit-crazy meta on King Arthur themes presenting in GO. So I’ll just present my quandary this way: There are lions, they are golden, of course, so they are connected to Heaven, and a symbol of royalty – but they are being used by a demon in a residence paid for by Hell…(too.much.gold...! what were they thinking?)

Further reading: The Golden Lion by Cobragardens

[greenthena]

Ides of March, ba-bee!!!! Time to start that Halloween costume. Only…hang on a second…230 day left. (Roman Crowley, thanks for asking.)

Sewing technically counts as stabbing.

[tivstiv]

My honest reaction to the new mitski album:

[weird-but-hey]

Huh..

[enbycrip]

I still think the hair at least is Crowley deliberately genderbending and getting annoyed because the Romans are such dicks about gender and “effeminacy”.

I think he really likes presenting femme, the way he was at the Crucifixion. I wonder if the hair was his favourite part of it and then someone was a dick to him about it and he Happened to them but then started thinking “ugh the person I’m tempting won’t take me seriously with this awesome hairstyle” so he covered it up in a hurry, but he was already fucked off with everything about Rome by that point so he semi-deliberately picked something that was off. Because self-sabotaging is very Crowley. And then he’s angry at himself because tempting is the only bit of his job he actually enjoys.

Maybe he had just spent time in Hibernia or bits of Britannia where they were still a lot less shitty to women or people presenting female and that’s why he’s sticking to bits of the stuff he *liked* from there because honestly he’s already up to *here* with Rome by this point. Fucking Rome. Fucking order-obsessed patriarchal arseholes. Bad as fucking Heaven, really.

Crowley’s Roman Look is Very Strange

I didn’t. I didn’t want to be this person. But Aziraphale is sitting RIGHT THERE looking like A TOTALLY RESPECTABLE Roman citizen circa 40 AD. Maybe the hair might be unusual, but the Romans LOVED blonde hair. They thought it was cool and foreign and exotic in sort of a sexy way.

But Crowley is so historically confused. And I think the production design is too good and Neil Gaiman is too on top of his game for this to be accidental. It must mean something. 

I - HAIR

What is on your head Crowley. Are you the emperor? Are you a victorious general currently participating in a victory parade? 

Sure, you sometimes see laurel wreathes in portraits. But FUNERAL portraits.

That crown is a symbolic thing, to celebrate your victories in life. It’s not STREET WEAR. 

And okay. It’s 40-41 AD. Caligula is emperor. Military chic is in. If you’re a guy, you’re wearing your hair short and un-styled (LIKE AZIRAPHALE.) Those dramatic little spit curls wouldn’t show up until at least Nero. 

But actually, pulling back for a second - are you appreciating the absurdity that is this hairstyle? Because it took me a second to notice that only the FRONT HALF is curled.

Which is a Roman hairstyle. But it’s a Roman LADY hairstyle. 

(It tends to get called ‘Flavian Hair’ because the Flavian era ladies of the 70s-90s got pretty extreme about it, but you still had less… dramatic versions in the 40s.)

That’s you, Crowley. That’s your style reference. Honestly, if you had just kept your hair long everybody would have thought you were a cool barbarian chieftain or something. 

II - CLOTHES

The black is fine. It’s eccentric, but fine. Romans wore black. Wearing black was Cato the Younger’s *thing.* It gets associated with mourning and/or protest, but it would have been really visually confusing to have Crowley wear some other color. This gets a pass.

Nope, my question is about his articles of clothing. There’s a charcoal grey garment that seems to be a toga + undershirt. It’s looped over Crowley’s arm, which is a classic toga give away. 

That part’s fine. But over the top, he’s wearing a true black… short cape? Shawl? it’s really hard to tell, because whatever it is, he is NOT wearing it correctly (is it folded in half?) Also, that irregular red zigzag pattern is very strange and I do not recognize it from anywhere. Seriously, I can’t even decide on a continent for this garment.

III - JEWELRY

Emperor Nero usually gets credit for inventing the first sunglasses, after he started watching gladiators fight though a green gemstone. He won’t be emperor for about ten years. But hey, he probably got the idea from somewhere. And dark glasses are just a really sensible way to hide your snakey eyes. This is also the first time we see Crowley put up some proper emotional barriers, so it’s a good place for the glasses to be introduced. (@theladyzephyr has a wonderful meta that goes into a lot more detail here.) 

So the sunglasses are good. BUT THAT BROOCH.

Okay. This is Aziraphale wearing a fibula plate brooch

It’s a really Roman style, and a really Roman shape (a “pelta”)

I’ve never seen one that looks like angel wings, but a Roman citizen is going to look at that and see a soppily patriotic Imperial Eagle. How nice that this lovely man from Germania/Greece has made some money and become such an exemplary citizen!

But Crowley is wearing a penannular (pin-and-ring) brooch

That’s not roman. That’s a style from the British Isles (Irish, Pictish, Scottish, Welsh.) It says barbarian, boonies, outskirts of the civilized world. 

And nobody @ me with pictures of pin-and-ring brooches from Rome. Those are small, cheap, and undecorated. They’re the cultural equivalent of safety pins. This is patterned like a snake, and it’s the size of Crowley’s palm. 

AND THAT’S ANOTHER THING. They didn’t do snake-themed jewelry in the British isles. Snakes didn’t have the best cultural associations there, and there weren’t too many of them there to begin with. This isn’t something Crowley picked up because “hey, a snake, cool,” and then got attached too. This must have been commissioned special. 

But you know who LOVED snake jewelry? 

ROMANS. 

Romans associated snakes with healing and rebirth - clinics sometimes had lil snakes crawling around on the ground to give the place good vibes. 

You cannot tell me that Crowley could have existed in Rome for any length of time and not picked up some of this jewelry. Which leads me to my conclusion:

IV - CROWLEY IS EXTREMELY NEW IN TOWN

The unfashionable pin and hair? The clothing draped the wrong way? The cultural colorblindness of wearing a laurel crown when you’re not supposed to? Crowley looks like a tacky tourist because he is one. He’s not staying here long, he “just nipped in for a quick temptation.”

He’s in a bad mod because he’s had an awful day, everyone keeps looking at him funny, the temptation was a complete bust, he has culture shock, and now he’s just trying to get a drink. But they don’t have any PROPER drinks like ALE or MEAD here, so he just orders “whatever’s drinkable.” He’s even not sure what they drink in Rome. 

But then Aziraphale shows up and invites him to lunch some place fashionable. So everything’s going to be okay.

[edosianorchids901]

When You Fall Asleep

Ace Omens Hugfest prompt - "an accidental hug"

Rome, 41 AD

“Would you like any more oysters?” Aziraphale asked, leaning forward to acquire a bowl of grapes. “Or are you all set?”

“Nnnh, this m’ set. I don’t, er. Eat big meals all that often.” Blinking slowly, Crowley pushed his tiny dark glasses up onto the top of his head. They knocked into his silly silver laurel wreath, and he hissed in irritation. “Guh. Here, hold this.”

He wrenched the wreath off and put it on Aziraphale’s head. It slid to one side and bumped into his ear, threatening to topple off.

With a chuckle, Aziraphale adjusted the wreath and fluffed his hair up to accommodate it. “Very stylish. What is with your outfit, anyway? I don’t think togas are supposed to be black, are they?”

“M’ not gonna be caught dead in white, am I?” Crowley snapped, snatching the jug of wine. “Probably literally caught dead. D’ya have any idea what Hell would probably do to me if I showed up wearing white? Besides, blood shows on white. S’ not exactly a good thing for a demon to be wearing.”

Aziraphale frowned, confused by the sudden outburst. “I know you’re a demon, but it’s not as if you’re running around stabbing people. Are you?”

“No! I’m the one getting stabbed, usually. And beaten, cut, whipped, whatever.” Crowley’s irritated expression slid to deeply glum. “It’s better when I can stay on Earth. I like Earth, even when I’m having to deal with bastards like Caligula. At least it’s not… I can get away from it all, up here.”

“Ah.” Unsure what to say, Aziraphale twisted his hands together. He eyed Crowley, suddenly quite chilled. “And you had to go to Hell recently?”

“Whatever gave you that idea?”

Even Aziraphale, who sometimes struggled with such things, couldn’t miss the heavy sarcasm in Crowley’s voice. Swallowing hard, he slid a little closer on the dining couch. “I’m sorry. Is there, um… anything I can do to help?”

Crowley shrugged and poured his wine. He largely missed the cup, pouring wine all over his leg. “Shit. M’ not very coordin… whatever. Maybe had too much to drink.”

He drank more anyway, then clumsily topped off Aziraphale’s cup as well. Aziraphale drank, a trifle lost. He was quite intoxicated himself, and that made it rather difficult to determine the right course of action. But there must be something he could do.

“Are you injured anywhere?” he asked, leaning to look at Crowley’s toga. He didn’t see any bloodstains, but it was black, after all. Much harder to see blood, indeed. “I could heal you.”

“Nuh. Not hurt anymore.” Crowley swayed, reaching for the jug again. He let out a derisive snort. “Too bad we didn’t run into each other yesterday. Coulda used it then.”

“Oh! Oh dear.” Stricken, Aziraphale clutched his hands together again. “Oh, I didn’t realize you’d been hurt so recently. I’m sorry. You really ought to be resting, rather than me pestering you to spend time together.”

Something odd tugged at Crowley’s expression. He took another drink, then set the cup down and leaned back. His dark glasses fell off his head and vanished amid the pillows. “Nah. This is, er. A good distraction. Hanging out and everything. It’s loads better than just sitting around being all blah. And we can argue and stuff! I like when we get all…”

He did some sort of complicated flailing gesture with both arms, as if trying to demonstrate the enthusiastic verbal sparring they’d engaged in earlier. Then he overbalanced, toppled over, and slammed into Aziraphale’s side.

“Oh!” Aziraphale automatically caught him, pulling his limp body closer. “Crawley— Crowley, are you quite all right?”

“Nnnnyeaaah,” Crowley mumbled, eyes closed. “I just. Just. Er. Drinking.”

“Yes, you certainly have been drinking.” Concerned, Aziraphale hugged him closer. Then he realized he was hugging a demon, and wondered if he ought to stop.

But no. He didn’t want to stop. And Crowley was certainly too drunk to straighten up. Really, Aziraphale was more than slightly drunk, and therefore possessed lowered inhibitions. It was quite reasonable to hug a demon, under those circumstances.

Crowley had been rather tense all day, a fact Aziraphale had noticed earlier without realizing the cause. Now, though, Crowley went quite liquid in his arms, like a cat fitting into an oddly shaped container. “Oh. Wow. You’re really ridiculously warm, you know that? S’ like. Like. Sunning on a really soft rock or something.”

“Quite a compliment,” Aziraphale teased softly. “And you look rather thoroughly intoxicated and on the verge of dozing off.”

“Nnnhrgnmph.”

Smiling, Aziraphale cradled the demon to his side, Crowley’s head on his shoulder. Crowley had somehow gone even more liquid now, his lips slightly parted, eyes still closed. His breaths slowed, deepening. Perhaps he really was falling asleep.

Remarkable, that Crowley could feel safe enough to sleep here after being hurt so recently. The trust was quite an honor, really, and Aziraphale gladly settled in to watch over him.

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌈 Queer Books Coming Out in February 2024

🌈 Good afternoon, my bookish bats! Struggling to keep up with all the amazing queer books coming out this month? Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR before the year is over. Remember to #readqueerallyear! Happy reading!

❤️ We Ate the Dark by Mallory Pearson 🧡 The Paper Boys by D.P. Clarence 💛 Skater Boy by Anthony Nerada 💚 Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine 💙 A Vicious Game by Melissa Blair 💜 Clarion Call by Cayla Fay ❤️ Relit: 16 Latinx Remixes of Classic Stories edited by Sandra Proudman 🧡 The Absinthe Underground by Jamie Pacton 💛 Truthfully, Yours by Caden Armstrong 💙 Outsider by Jade du Preez 💜 Cross My Candy Heart by A.C. Thomas 🌈 The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

❤️ An Education in Malice by S. T. Gibson 🧡 The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Ann Older 💛 Never a Bridesmaid by Spencer Greene 💚 The Rewind by Nicole Stiling 💙 Good Christian Girls by Elizabeth Bradshaw 💜 The Fox Maidens by Robin Ha ❤️ The Terrible by Tessa Crowley 🧡 Blood Rage by Ileandra Young 💛 Call of the Sea by Emily B. Rose 💙 Sign Me Up by C.H. Williams 💜 Ways and Means by Daniel Lefferts 🌈 Peaceful in the Dark by A.A. Fairview

❤️ We Are Only Ghosts by Jeffrey L. Richards 🧡 Dead Ringer by Robyn Nyx 💛 Somacultural Liberation by Dr. Roger Kuhn 💚 Stormbringer by Erinn Harper 💙 A Saga of Shields & Shadows by A.J. Shirley 💜 Ghost Town by R.E. Ward ❤️ I Heard Her Call My Name by Lucy Sante 🧡 The Night Alphabet by Joelle Taylor 💛 Remedial Magic by Melissa Marr 💙 Bloom by N.R. Walker 💜 Entwined by Alex Alberto 🌈 Queer Newark edited by Whitney Strub

❤️ Tristan by Jesse Roman 🧡 How to Live Free in a Dangerous World by Shayla Lawson 💛 Daniel, Deconstructed by James Ramos 💚 Of Socialites & Prizefights by Arden Powell 💙 Lost Harbor by Kimberly Cooper Griffin 💜 Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair by Laura Piper Lee ❤️ Bunt! Striking Out on Financial Aid by Ngozi Ukazu & Mad Rupert 🧡 How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly 💛 Blackmailer’s Delight by David Lawrence 💙 Tile M for Murder by Felicia Carparelli 💜 Impulse Buy by Jae 🌈 Live for You, Die With You by Kalob Dàniel

❤️ Fairest of All by A.D. Ellis 🧡 Goddess of the Sea by Britney Jackson 💛 A Taste of Earth by Nico Silver 💚 The Moorings of Mackerel Sky by M.Z. Emily Zack 💙 How the Boogeyman Became a Poet by Tony Keith 💜 V is for Valentine by Thomas Grant Bruso ❤️ Crushed Ice by Ashlyn Kane & Morgan James 🧡 When Tomorrow Comes by D. Jackson Leigh 💛 Bugsy & Other Stories by Rafael Frumkin 💙 The White and Blue Between Us by Kiyuhiko 💜 Guide Us Home by CF Frizzell & Jesse J. Thoma 🌈 The Friendship Study by Ruby Barrett

❤️ Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender 🧡 Heart2Heart edited by Annabeth Albert 💛 No Time Like Now by Naz Kutub 💚 Bless the Blood by Walela Nehanda 💙 Vengeance Planning for Amateurs by Lee Winter 💜 Who We Are in Real Life by Victoria Koops ❤️ Prove It by Stephanie Hoyt 🧡 Mewing by Chloe Spencer 💛 Awakenings by Claudie Arseneault 💙 Born of Scourge by S. Jean 💜 Disciples of Chaos by M.K. Lobb 🌈 To Cage a God by Elizabeth May

❤️ Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly 🧡 What Feasts At Night by T. Kingfisher 💛 You Had Me at Merlot by Melissa Brayden 💚 Turning Point by Cathy Dunnell 💙 For the Stolen Fates by Gwendolyn Clare 💜 Season of Eclipse by Terry Wolverton ❤️ These Haunted Hills by Jana Denardo 🧡 Samson & Domingo by Gume Laurel III 💛 Lies that Bind by Rae Knowles & April Yates 💙 We Got the Beat by Jenna Miller 💜 The Diablo's Curse by Gabe Cole Novoa 🌈 Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh

❤️ Out There by Iris Eliot 🧡 At Her Service by Amy Spalding 💛 Green Dot by Madeleine Gray

[mimisempai]

Your loving touch

Summary

Aziraphale's fascination with Crowley's hair has only increased over the years, and now that he can touch it freely, he's not about to let it go.

Notes

I just obsessively like the idea of Aziraphale's fingers in Crowley's hair.

On Ao3

Rating G -  969 words

Crowley's hair.

One of his features that Aziraphale had always admired.

Whether he was an angel or a demon, the color of his hair was as warm as a candle flame, always changing and always so fascinating that the angel always wanted to touch it at the risk of getting burned.

Whatever the length, the cut, the style, he always had the longing to run his fingers through it. 

All the times Aziraphale had had to resist the urge to touch it.

The angel's dancing curls that followed his animated movements as he spoke of his beloved stars.

The long, wavy hair that flowed down his back when they'd seen each other on the wall, angel and demon. 

The short curls under the golden laurel wreath in Rome that had made the angel want to follow the outline of each with his finger.

And so, over the years, just like his never-changing outfit, his desire to touch the demon's hair had never gone away, growing stronger each time they met.

Like when they'd discussed the evolution of the Antichrist on the bus, and Aziraphale had almost felt a tingling in his fingers at the urge to untie the tie that held Crowley's hair.

But that would have been inappropriate. 

At no time would it have been appropriate, but the urge had always been there and Aziraphale couldn't deny it. 

Even less so now that he could touch the demon's hair whenever he wanted, for no particular reason.

If Aziraphale had imagined a million times what it would be like to run his fingers through Crowley's hair, he hadn't imagined how much he would enjoy it.

Craving had turned into addiction. 

The angel would always brush a strand behind Crowley's ear, twirl another between his fingers as they embraced, simply run his fingers through the red hair, or bury a hand in it and hold it tight as they kissed.

What made it even more addictive was that Aziraphale knew that Crowley liked having Aziraphale touch his hair as much as the angel liked touching it.

It was probably one of their incredible complementarities.

Touching and being touched.

They were on the sofa, and once again Crowley was lying on it, his head in the angel's lap. Aziraphale had long since put down his book and was content to stroke the demon's hair, watching in fascination as the light played on the red strands that slipped between his fingers.

"Angel? Can I ask you something?"

Aziraphale chuckled and replied, "You're never shy about asking me anything, so go ahead."

Crowley turned his head to look at him and asked quietly, "Why do you like my hair so much? I've noticed you touch it a lot."

Aziraphale, self-conscious, wanted to remove his hands from the demon's hair, but Crowley held them back and added, "I'm not saying that because I don't like it, far from it, but I guess I'm just curious to know why."

Aziraphale cleared his throat and said softly, his cheeks slightly flushed with embarrassment, "I used to want to touch your hair just because I felt an uncontrollable need to, a need I couldn't explain, it fascinated me, in fact it still fascinates me. But now, in addition to fascination and admiration, I'd say I want to touch it because it's part of you."

He slid a hand forward and caressed Crowley's cheek, which leaned into his palm. Then Aziraphale continued to run his fingers through Crowley's hair.

Crowley, his voice filled with wonder as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing, repeated the angel's words, "Because it's a part of me..."

Aziraphale, brushing back a lock of red hair, nodded and replied, "Yes, because I love everything about you, not just a part of you. Your hair, like your eyes, your skin, your spirit, your playfulness, everything. I like touching your hair because it's something very intimate, because you let me, because you like it too, because you're not afraid to be vulnerable in my hands, for all those reasons."

Crowley didn't answer, but straightened up, and Aziraphale feared he'd said too much. After all, maybe Crowley had come to find it creepy. He didn't have to ponder too long, for the demon had sat down next to him and now leaned in to kiss him. ust as his lips touched the angel's, he grabbed his hands and placed them on his hair, letting him know that his fascination with Crowley's hair was fully accepted. After that, Aziraphale's hands were buried in the demon's hair, and the kiss lasted until they had to part to catch their breath.

When they had caught their breath, Crowley lay back as before, his head in Aziraphale's lap, his hands automatically resting on Crowley's head. In a now incredibly familiar gesture of intimacy, Aziraphale resumed his caresses of Crowley's hair, sliding the soft red strands between his fingers.

The demon said softly, in a voice clearly full of emotion, "You know, Angel, when you touch me like that..."

His voice broke and for a moment he couldn't continue. Seeing that Crowley was struggling to find his words, Aziraphale said nothing and simply continued to stroke his hair. 

Crowley took Aziraphale's hand and kissed it gently before continuing, "When you touch me like that, it's like you're touching my soul. Whether it's my hair, my hands, or whatever you want, just keep touching me, because if you love to touch me, you can't imagine how much I love it when you touch me."

Since there was nothing more to say, Aziraphale said nothing, savoring the moment, continuing to run his fingers through the flaming strands and Crowley continuing to lean into his hands, which told him as much as the most beautiful of declarations, the love Aziraphale had for him.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story  🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Ineffable Growing Love - Series post S2

Part 1 Story 1-99

Part 2 Story 100-?

Ineffable Husbands masterlist : here (Before season 2)

[infernal-scales]

❝ AM I ALRIGHT? ❞ An incredulous laugh slips past Crowley's lips as he sways on his feet. The sound is quick to devolve into downright DELIGHTED cackles.

��� You just shoved an oyster down my throat and tossed me at the bastard, knowing good 'n damn well he was SEVERELY ALLERGIC and would keel over on the spot! ❞ Maybe it was the delirium from the rollercoaster of the evening, but the normally stoic demon couldn't help but find the whole thing incredibly amusing.

❝ Are you alright? What was that whole speech 'bout not BLOODING YOUR HANDS if you had that in your back pocket? You could've told me! ❞

❝ WELL, I BELIEVE it was all shellfish, ❞ Aziraphale is quick to correct, clasping his hands in front of his chest and turning to face Crowley. ❝ He was very strict about it. Tremendously paranoid about someone with ill will finding out, and I suppose, rightfully so. ❞

He looks Crowley up and down before smiling apologetically.

❝ Are you alright? They didn't hurt you at all, now did they? ❞

[fawnlillies]

Laurel Hell (G) (6k) (8/16)

As soon as the bartender brought over the bottle, Crowley started pouring as much alcohol as he could fit into his glass, and then downed it in one go. Rinse and repeat, so to say. And by the time he finished the bottle, or mostly finished it, he swore he saw an angel that looked an awful lot like Aziraphale at the bottom of his glass.

chapters 5-8 posted of the song ficlet posted!

[intenseperpetualbrainrot]

Crowley top 10 hairstyles ranked according to me.

10. Bildad the Shuhite. I love him I know we all love him but c'mon. It's a haircut. It's there barely BC he's covering it mostly. C'mon.

9. Nanny Crowley. It's just not a banger. It's nice and serves it's purpose but it's not jumping out as spectacular to me.

8. The straggly little ginger bob in s1. Disaster puppy, so very Crowley, but.

7. Rome with the little laurel wreath metal tiara crown thing. Cute. Too ginger. But if it was the red holy shit I'd be on the floor all gay I mean all day.

6. Season one Crowley ginger quiff. Marked down for gingerness.

5. SHAKESPEARE TRIP. HEAR ME OUT.

4. Long hair. (It's far down, I know, but honestly it's not doin much for me. There's not an awwww, an ooooh, or an oh! So fourth.)

3. Angel hair. Angel hair. Angel hair.

2. LOOK the dark red season two quiff does things for everyone right? Also made my straight (?) friend go "it's not gay if they don't have genders right?" (yes it is but I love you for trying.)

1. Look I see your long hair Crowley takes and I raise you manbun Crowley. EZ top tier

[goodbyevannyart]

The wildflowers are all in bloom here, so I wanted to imagine Crowley and Aziraphale enjoying the warm sunshine, cool breeze, sound of bees buzzing and feeling safe enough to just relax and enjoy the comfort of being together.

The flowers shown are the Texas mountain laurel, Texas sunflower, lemon beebalm, firewheel, and bluebonnets.

I’m also on Twitter, Instagram and AO3.

[aziraphales-library]

Hi there, hope you are doing well!

I was wondering if you knew of any fics, preferably explicit but not necessarily, that feature Crowley in drag? I’ve found a lot of she/her or otherwise fem!Crowley fics, but very few that broach the subject of cross-dressing/drag as a male-identifying entity.

Apologies for the weirdly specific request. Thank you so much for all y’all do by the way, this blog is an absolute gem!

Hello. I can't find loads, unfortunately. But here are a couple with Crowley in drag and a couple with Aziraphale in drag...

from tonight, I know that you're the only one by wowgaypeople (T)

Aziraphale, new to SoHo, goes to the wrong door of a gay club. Crowley is on the other side of that door. Antics ensue.

The Stylings of Madam Glena by altsernative (T)

It's 1977, eight years after Aziraphale said "You got too fast for me," and Crowley hasn't seen him since. In Aziraphale's absence, Crowley helps set up the Sundown Club, a gay bar in Soho. He tells himself--and downstairs--that it's building a space for "workers of inequity," although he finds comfort in the community. He's settled into a quiet routine of drinking at the bar every week until a beautiful drag queen captures his attention. Crowley feels unexpected things. It's weird. And where is Aziraphale?

Angel, Please by GhostOfCallisto (M)

Crowley and Aziraphale are both regular old humans who met under human circumstances. Crowley is a part of a struggling band called Hellish Rebuke with the demon crew, Aziraphale is a former drag queen named Angel Fell attempting to be a professional dancer. Maggie and Nina are best friends with Crowley and big fans of his band.

Love in a Family Dose by Fledglinger, thewalrus_said (G)

Crowley thumped his head against the door and thought a quick, sarcastic prayer at a God who had never, not once, had his back. “Aziraphale,” he said, trying for patience. “Open this door.” “Go away!” his husband shrieked. “You can’t see me like this!” “I’ve seen you every way imaginable,” Crowley said, trying the knob again. “Whatever state you’re in can’t be much worse. Newt! Get this door open!” “Sorry, Miss Azi,” he heard their housekeeper mumble, and then something heavy was moved away from the door and it swung open to reveal Newt, pale face flushed and pale hair disheveled. Crowley pushed past him into the room as Aziraphale shrieked again and disappeared behind his dressing screen.

Dust Shalt Thou Eat by ARealPip, Nix Laurel (E)

After the world doesn't end, Crowley and Aziraphale get a room at the Ritz and start working out what it means for them to be together. They can swap bodies and touch each other's souls, but their bodies interact with the world very differently from each other. Crowley's body is cursed by God, and he can't taste food. And Aziraphale, like all angels, doesn't experience sexual arousal. Now that they are together, they can expand each other's horizons. But relationships, even magical ones, are delicate and complicated, and being able to hear your partner's thoughts doesn't mean that you will agree on everything. Two magical lovers find ways to heal each other, to escape their past, and to protect Earth from all those bastards in Heaven and Hell.

Saving Eden by Aspiring_Eccentric (E)

Crowley had left Eden fully expecting death in one form or another. But what if he didn’t have to die? What would happen if he made it out of this? Trials and paperwork and news articles. His life would be ripped apart and exposed, ugly and raw to the world. But maybe it needed to happen if he wanted any chance at building a future. He’d tried running before, first burying what he was, and then who. And each time it had only led to worse things, to this. This fucking, suffocating mess that left him at the mercy of a merciless man.... Both Anthony Crowley and Ezra Fell feel stuck. Their lives have fallen into patterns they feel they have little control over, Crowley’s is controlled by a manipulative boss, and Ezra’s by his passive acceptance that he should be grateful for what he has. When the two lives cross, there are instant sparks. But will Crowley’s secrecy about his past, and his current situation, push Ezra away? A meet-cute that changed into a midlife crisis. A midlife crisis that changed into a lifelong devotion. Sometimes, persisting to exist is its own act of revolution.

- Mod D

[bigzimbra]

did a sgt pepper's guessing game with my parents. we all did pretty bad.

we were surprised none of us got marlon brando and my dad was thinking he should have known aleister crowley. i was the only person to get tony curtis, karl marx, and oscar wilde so yay for me (i also got stuart sutcliffe but that doesn't really count because i'm the beatlemaniac here. mom thought he was james dean)

my mom was the only person to get shirley temple! only one of the shirley temples though

we all got bob dylan and marilyn monroe! mom might have known edgar allan poe but she just didn't say it because me and dad already did

i got stan laurel and my mom got oliver hardy. well she just looked at hardy and said "laurel and hardy?" i thought richard merkin was hardy but in my defence he is right behind laurel, wearing a dark coloured hat with a moustache that looks more like a toothbrush stache than our yellow hat pencil moustache hardy on the cover

we were all confused by the einstein mention on the key and how none of us got him, then we saw he was tucked behind john. no one is getting that. we also knew a lot of names we did not know the faces of. fun times nonetheless

[lobotomydaughter]

🐈‍⬛ | 2024 reading list

eileen by ottessa moshfegh | in the miso soup by ryu murakami | slow days, fast company by eve babitz | ✰✰✰ the memory police by yoko ogawa | sharks in the rivers by ada límon | sister of mine by laurie petrou | y/n by esther yi | my body by emily ratajkowski | ✰✰✰✰ tennis lessons by susannah dickey | goddess of filth by v castro | ✰✰✰✰

lolita by vladimir nabokov | being lolita by alisson wood | no ballet shoes in syria by catherine bruton | an education in malice by s.t. gibson | a long time dead by samara breger | the hacienda by isabel cañas | the mermaid from jeju by sumi hahn | the lover by silvia moreno-garcia | ✰✰✰✰ água viva by clarice lispector | penance by eliza clark | monstrilio by gerardo sámano córdova | the last tale of the flower bride by roshani chokshi | corazón by yesika salgado | valley of the dolls by jacqueline susann | my body keeps your secrets by lucia osborne-crowley | the torn skirt by rebecca godfrey | a girl is a half-formed thing by eimear mcbride | madonna in a fur coat by sabahattin ali | sugar, baby by celine saintclare | cross roads by laurel hightower | dear laura by gemma amor | they drown our daughters by katrina monroe | the pure moon reflected on the water by zen cho | rest and be thankful by emma glass | the keeper of the night by kylie lee baker | the empress of time by kylie lee baker | notes from the underground by dostoevsky | white nights by dostoevsky | rouge by mona awad | big bad by chandler baker |