#Gabriel and Beelzebub

[pineapple-lover-boy]

I find it hysterical that the headcanon that ineffable bureaucracy would take the shortest possible amount of time to fall in love, figure that out, and get together while our ineffable husbands take 6,000+ years to even get close to talking about their feelings is now canon.

[heohl-art]

✨preview✨ of the new comic page~

• The Date • (page 2, first panel)

Since so many of you really liked my previous artwork (Crowley and Aziraphale's date at the theme park), I decided to draw a whole new page~

Crowley's plans definetely involved less Hastur, less Furfur, less Muriel and less Ineffable Bureaucracy!🤭

What will happen next? It's a five-panel page💫🩷

[nerdylittleguy]

"we're on opposite sides!"

"we're on our side!"

[ozzie-draws-dark-stuff]

🎶 Everyday it's a getting closer 🎶

[cautiousyoungman]

I'm sorry but Gabriel and Beelzebub's relationship is just so damn wholesome and it's also so different from Crowley and Aziraphale.

Crowley and Aziraphale are never on the same page about what the other wants or what the other is trying to say/do. Crowley is an expert at anticipating what Aziraphale wants or needs, but he doesn't have a good grasp on how Aziraphale communicates. Aziraphale can't anticipate what Crowley wants, needs or what he'll do next, but he understands Crowley's words better.

To explain, Crowley knew Aziraphale would love food before Aziraphale had ever considered trying it. It is now one of Aziraphale's favourite things on earth. Crowley went to Aziraphale immediately after the whole ordeal with Job, which to me suggests that he knew Aziraphale would need comforting. He rescued Aziraphale in Paris, 1793, from the Reign of Terror and he rescued him in London, 1941, from the Nazis. When it comes time to talk about Armageddon, Crowley knows the things Aziraphale will miss when Earth is gone. He knows the things that will drive Aziraphale insane in Heaven for eternity. Crowley knows Aziraphale the way people know their first language: it just comes naturally to him. It's been ingrained in him.

Aziraphale cannot anticipate Crowley. Even with Job, when Aziraphale knows that Crowley doesn't want to kill the children, his attempt to stop him feels like he's bluffing. That he isn't 100% confident that Crowley won't do it. He is puzzled and (pleasantly) surprised to find that Crowley didn't even have the heart to kill the goats. But, when it comes to verbal communication, Aziraphale is more in tune. He quickly picks up on when to take Crowley's word seriously, and when not to. We see this a few times, like in Edinburgh, 1827, when Crowley responds (as he often does) in anger to being praised for his kindness, and again in modern day S1 at the old satanic hospital. Aziraphale isn't the slightest bit affected by what Crowley says or does in response to him. He just patiently waits, and almost smiles, as Crowley talks. He isn't afraid of him, even when Crowley slams him against a wall. He isn't off put. He deeply understands what Crowley is saying, why he's saying it, and that it isn't personal. He's just being defensive. And throughout the show in general, Crowley says plenty of hurtful things to Aziraphale that Aziraphale just knows not to take to heart.

In most of the show, these are great strengths for both characters and their collective dynamic. But in their final interaction, it shows that they need to learn the understanding that each of them is respectively lacking.

The entire dispute starts because Aziraphale can't anticipate Crowley. He thinks Crowley will be happy about going to heaven, but the viewers (and, if you ask me, the Metatron) all seemed to know that he would be upset. Aziraphale should know him better than anybody does, including the viewer. But he doesn't. He never learned a fundamental part of understanding Crowley, which leads to...

Crowley takes everything Aziraphale says personally. In the gazebo scene in season one, he is better at taking Aziraphale's hurtful words in stride. But in S2E6, Aziraphale doesn't do a great job of explaining himself or the proposition of them returning to Heaven. And Crowley doesn't have the patience to try and give his explanation the benefit of the doubt. He takes it at face value, so things Aziraphale says - such as saying "Of course you said no to hell, you're the bad guys." when Crowley mentions rejecting hell - Crowley takes that as a personal attack or rejection. He never learned a fundamental part of understanding Aziraphale.

Now I know this seems like I've gotten off topic, but trust me, I'm about to bring it back around.

The difference is, Gabriel and Beelzebub could anticipate each other immediately. I'm sure there's a lot of meetings between the two of them that we didn't get to see in the show. But, with the evidence we have, we see two people who are always on the same page. They say there's no reason for them to meet up anymore, and give each other a knowing look that suggests "but we will continue to see each other anyway." Beelzebub likes a song, so Gabriel (who doesn't even have a grasp on what music really is) plays it on an infinite loop for them. Beelzebub is soft spoken and more gentle with Gabriel than anyone else we've seen. Gabriel buys them drinks and food to keep up appearances, and immediately reassures them that they don't have to consume any of it. Beelzebub brings him a fly, seemingly knowing that things will go poorly in Heaven soon. They have an equal exchange of gestures and communication that works so perfectly for them, its like its inherent. And when it comes down to where they want their future to go, they both essentially say, "I just want to be where my love is." They're on the same page, and that page is just that they want each other.

Aziraphale and Crowley will always try to find the next big thing to make the other one happy. But doing that will always sacrifice the present moment. They both think they understand the other, when in reality, they're hurting themselves - and each other - to comply with rules no one made for them.

Aziraphale thinks Crowley will be happy in Heaven. He thinks he can fix Heaven for Crowley.

Crowley thinks Aziraphale is choosing Heaven over him. He thinks Aziraphale wants to fix him.

They both tried their best. But they don't understand each other. And at this point, it's almost like they're not trying to understand. They're just trying to be right.

Anyway, I hope Beelzebub and Gabriel are very happy together for eternity and if they separate, I don't believe in love anymore.

[dee-morris]

Gabriel vs Aziraphale

Crowley said, "If Gabriel and Beelzebub can do it, we can too."

And it's funny that he should say that, when he's the one who brings up the earth being destroyed by heaven or hell first. I feel like that point in his argument shot him in the foot just a little.

Aziraphale is Earth's guardian, and he collects knowledge, specifically knowledge of the future. Gabriel and Beelzebub could run off together bc they didn't care about anything but themselves and each other. Aziraphale never had that luxury. He knows too much, and he cares too much.

This hit home especially hard when I watched Gabriel's trial last night. "You're sending me down to hell? All right. If I must. I'm ready to accept my fate. An eternity alongside my beloved partner, never to deal with you douchebags ever again. Whoops, I almost said that last part out loud."

Aziraphale had considerably less chill about it when he thought he would Fall for lying to Gabriel in A Companion to Owls. And I HC that the reason for this distinction isn't bc Aziraphale was scared of becoming a demon, but he was scared of losing his position as a guardian of humanity. Their magic act to save Job's children only succeeded bc the two of them were on opposite sides working together. If they were both demons it wouldn't have worked.

The ineffables are chronically incompetent, but when they do pull off a success it's bc they're working together from opposite sides, perfectly balanced. When Aziraphale is upset and scared of Falling, I don't think it's his identity as an angel, so much, that he doesn't want to lose. I think it's his identity as a guardian.

We don't know yet if Gabriel and Beelzebub will get their happily ever after, but if they do it will because Aziraphale gave up his.

[purplebunnydraws]

Have this low quality doodle of the Ineffable Bureaucracy for day 28 of Ineffable May :)

[the-blackdale]

*clears throat*

AAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

[dailymuriel]

Muriel of the day

My two moods

This feels like a core memory

[renegadesstuff]

“Wherever Beelzebub is...is my Heaven.”

“And where you are, my sweet, is forever my Hell.” 🤎

[blueallihc]

super quick doodle

[medyachan]

[insanity-laughs-under-pressure]

When Crowley was looking through Gabriel files and we saw the conversation where the Metatron was talking about what would happen to Gabriel, Gabriel was so chill with the idea of ending up in Hell and it was literally because it would mean he could be with Beezelbub.

Throwback to when Uriel said to Aziraphale "you don't think your boyfriend with the dark glasses will get you special treatment in hell" apply that to Gabriel and Beezelbub because Beezelbub would literally give Gabriel special treatment. I can imagine them giving Gabriel a whole tour of the 9 circles of hell, and Gabriel would adore them for it. He would do a running commentary the whole time and then they would compare filing techniques and complain about unnecessary paper work.

[innkeepercore]

he gets it

[lookingatacupoftea]

Gift-giving in GO

It's really sad how the angels and demons seem to have never had their individuality acknowledged and celebrated. Heaven tries to bleed the individuality out of angels, while hell seems less hostile to individuality but certainly not celebrating it either. There are no birthday parties in either place.

No wonder they seem to find presents and thoughtful gestures so intoxicating.

L gif by took-hold-of-nothing; R gif by izacore

In a bit of relationship mirroring, Crowley and Gabriel both perform acts of service that show attentiveness to the other person's interests. Gabriel miracles the jukebox to play the song Beelzebub likes and Crowley saves Aziraphale's precious books. This is an acknowledgement and celebration of who Beelzebub and Aziraphale are as unique individuals.

L gif by fuckyeahgoodomens; R gif by contraststudies

Beelzebub and Aziraphale both give their person a form of insurance, as @komorezuki and @kimberleyjean discuss here. Their presents are useful but also quite intimate. The fly seems to actually be a part of Beelzebub, while holy water is the essence of heaven and Aziraphale probably risks punishment by handing it over. These are not presents you'd give just anyone. They're gifts you reserve for someone very important to you.

In contrast, looking at the human relationship mirror, Maggie's gift of the record falls flat because it's based on the superficial similarity of the name Nina rather than on knowledge of Nina's interests or what could be useful to her. Maggie's errand at the end to help Nina restock, in contrast, is responsive to what Nina actually needs and shows that they're learning each other. 

A final gift instance is Crowley letting Muriel take The Crow Road. While he gives it to them in a flippant manner, it's almost certainly the only thing even close to a present Muriel has ever received -- Muriel who called themselves "no one" a few episodes before.

[fiercebb]

The way we all thought “Everyday” was Crowley and Aziraphale’s song and it turned out to be Gabriel and Beelzebub’s. Absolute clownery.

Not that I’m mad about that. I tried to hate Gabriel this season but he made it impossible to and I’m a sucker for forbidden love stories (clearly) so I couldn’t help but root for him and Beelzebub. It also warmed my hear that they chose each other over their respective sides (take some notes, Aziraphale!)

I know people are upset that they got their happy ending and our ineffable idiots didn’t (yet) but I think there’s also a case to be made that it was easier for both Gabriel and Beelzebub to give up their sides because they were higher up the chain and knew there’s no fixing the system (just like Crowley knows), which is what Aziraphale is still hoping he might get to do. It’s not as easy for Az to let go but be patient, if we get a season 3, he will finally be ready and hopefully Crowley will be there waiting for him the same way Maggie will be there waiting for Nina.