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what-gs-watching · 1 year ago

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"And I can guarantee you, it will be a night to remember."

Okay. I’m getting my wit’s about me. Sort of. It’s a process. But it’s also probably why I’m about to go all Charlie from It’s Always Sunny with his crazy conspiracy board (seriously though, this took me three days to write) about Good Omens episode 4. Because y’all, it’s the 1941 episode. And there’s sooo much going on. Pivotal, heart wrenching shit.

The most important of the ‘present’ stuff happens in the opener, of course. Aziraphale is driving back from his fun little romp in Edinburgh when he sees a hitchhiker on the road, but he’s resolute in not stopping, he’s trying to get home to Crowley. Only after he sees the hitcher a few times and almost hits them does he relent, and guess who climbs in the car - Shax.

She knows who he is, she starts talking about the Bentley and wondering why it had never been upgraded. She wants information from Az, she insists that Crowley is hiding Gabriel and we all know he’s not a good liar, but he does his best. At one point she says she’s confused as to why Crowley would risk destruction for Aziraphale, she says “you don’t seem his type at all.”

Michael Sheen, sweet sweet Michael Sheen and his mastery of facial expressions, just tips Aziraphale’s eyebrows, just a bit, just perfectly so. You can hear him thinking ‘giiiiiirl you don’t know shiiiiit’ and. I. love it.

She also says “I remember 80, 90 years ago hearing that you and Crowley were an item, didn’t believe it then….” and she’s trying to mess with his mind. He again tells her that Crowley isn’t with Gabriel and he doesn’t know where Gabriel is. She asks him to let her out in the middle of nowhere, says he’s already told her where Gabriel really is, and when he gets all huffy asking how he’d done that, she says “You didn’t, you have now.”

Truth be told, I am not a huge fan of Shax. She’s the one pushing this entire situation, I mean sure Beezlebub says she wants to find Gabriel but Shax is a bootlicker and she’s ratcheting the entire thing up to 11. In an extremely annoying, fumbling way. Always so fumbling.

Whatever, though, it’s fine. We need to dig into the past.

Of course we all remember the 1941 scene in the first season. And, if we’re clocking our timeline right, 1941 is the first time (that we know of) that Aziraphale and Crowley see each other after their dustup in the 1860’s. When Crowley asked for holy water. And Aziraphale outright refused, not wanting to provide a suicide pill. When Azirphale said they were ‘fraternizing’ and Crowley was incredulous about it, an argument ending with both of them insisting they didn’t actually need the other one.

So like 80-ish years in between, right? But then Crowley literally hot-steps into a church because Aziraphale is playing spy games that he doesn’t understand.

My theory? After their little tiff, Crowley realized pretty quickly he’d gone too far (too fast) with Aziraphale, my dude doesn’t have anyone else to fraternize with, let’s face it, and he missed Az. I have to assume he’s had low-level Aziraphale detection since they met (alright, maybe it’s not so low-level, I’m sure it’s jacked up as fucking high as it can GO), so he just had to bide his time and wait for sweet little Az to get into one of his rescuing situations, because he so loves being rescued, and it would allow Crowley to apologize in his own way. You know, instead of actually explaining why he needs the holy water in the first place.

Baby girl had to have had a plan in mind, because the entire story after the church burning? Hard ‘doting boyfriend’ vibes. He was gonna make Aziraphale want to be friends again. The internet seems to think that when Crowley saved Aziraphale’s books from the bomb, that’s when he realized he was in love with a demon, and that could be - and if it was, the rest of the night absolutely solidifies it, with the way Crowley comes for him. All of the heart eyes, all of the squealing.

So, they escape from the church. And then we see the three German idiots in hell, being processed by Furfur, who, it had been established prior, wanted to get out of his shit desk job and into something better. Fucking Shax of course, tells him to be on the lookout for any good information and to bring it to her, she’ll help him out. She’s the worst.

The Germans of course say they don’t belong there, their plans were cocked up by someone named Crowley and his friend and Furfur puts it all together. So he tells them they can go back to earth and be free of hell’s grip if they help him find proof that Crowley and Az are working together. After our favorite two have driven off, we see the Germans reanimating, and eating a drifter’s brain for good measure.

In the Bentley, (everytime I hear Crowley say “lift home?” in the scene before all nonchalant, my brain breaks a little) Aziraphale is still gripping his books and he tells Crowley he did a very nice thing and then says “there must be something I can do for you in return…” and I enjoy the implications y’all have assigned to this little exchange. We all love suggestive, dark horse Aziraphale.

It blows (haha I’m sorry) past Crowley though, and he takes them to a theater in the West End so he can deliver some bootleg booze, which of course turns out to have been shattered in the bomb drop. The theater owner is livid about it, and distraught over losing her magician for the night and immediately Aziraphale offers his services in ‘prestidigitation’. Because of course he thinks he’s a magician. That’s so Aziraphale.

Back at the bookshop Az is aflutter at this opportunity and Crowley thanks him for getting him off the hook, to which Az replies a little hesitantly “that’s what friends are for.” Clearly he’s also feeling bad about their last interaction and he’s trying to make up for that, and the church rescue all at the same time. But I have to assume he’s terrible at magic and I think Crowley does too but again, he’s all in on being a doting boyfriend. Both of them are working so hard to get back to a good balance with each other.

Crowley sits and lets Az practice some close-up tricks on him and he does a terrible American accent pretending to be an audience member. He encourages Aziraphale so delicately while suggesting he needs some bigger, better tricks for the show. He isn’t mocking him, he isn’t condescending, just supportive. When Crowley says they should buy a trick and Aziraphale insists the shop is for professionals only, the way he says “You, my Nefertiti fooling fellow, are about to perform on the West End Stage. If that doesn't make you a professional conjurer, I don't know what does” is loving, with only the slightest tinge of amusement.

At the magic shop, the two poke around, while being followed by German zombies, and Crowley picks up a trick that the shop owner opens, covering them both in confetti. There’s a meme out there with this gif that just says :excited demon noises: and that’s exactly it. He’s so tickled the entire time.

Meanwhile, the shop owner tries to suggest amateur tricks to Az but he’s not having it and his eyes fall on something called the ‘bullet catch’ which requires a rifle, and as we find out, a trusted confidant with a steady hand that Aziraphale has to really trust because a handful of people have died attempting it.

So he pulls Crowley aside after saying “I’ve got the perfect man for the job” and he swears he’ll do all the tricky bits, all Crowley has to do is fire the gun. He’s so excited and sure of himself and he assumes Crowley has plenty of experience with firearms and Crowley agrees to do it, sticks his hand out for a shake but Aziraphale grabs it with both hands and glows and wiggles and shakes vigorously. It’s another fun little adventure for Aziraphale.

They get a little manual that’s supposed to explain the trick and off they go to the show because who needs to know how to actually do it, they’ve got miracles. They’ll be fine.

The zombies follow of course, and take up in the back of the theater and then summon Furfur. Aziraphale’s magician name is “Fell the Marvelous” and they give him a ridiculous intro and he slinks onto the stage and he’s so nervous, it’s sweet. Az is really all in on the human experience - he took magic lessons and he wants to be so good at it that he just dives in without really thinking it through.

He asks for a volunteer from the audience, indicating he needs a marksman, and all the hands go up except for Crowley, which is very on brand. He’s sweet boyfriend right now, but he’s nervous and yet, up to the stage he goes. Of course, in the background, Furfur has activated a miracle blocker so when Aziraphale tries to warm up the crowd by turning a turnip into an inkwell, it doesn’t work. He tries a few times, Crowley tries from the wings, and he realizes what’s happening. Kid pulls out the manual from his coat and frantically flips through it. They’re in actual danger. Ya know, like they do.

When he joins Aziraphale on the stage they both confirm their miracles aren’t working, but Az knows they need to plough ahead with the trick. He tells Crowley to load the gun and he looks a little unsure and confirms he hasn’t actually fired a gun, “not as such”.

Meanwhile, as they pass the gun between themselves, Furfur takes a polaroid.

The anxiety between them is palpable. Az instructs him that he’ll need to fire on Aziraphale’s signal. They stare each other down. Crowley aims at him clumsily, he’s supposed to aim for his mouth but shoot past his ear. Neither one of them bothered to learn the trick at all, whatsoever. And they’re in it.

Aziraphale seems to mouth something. There’s a post out there from Neil Gaiman confirming the sweet summer child said “trust me”.

So, he gives the signal. And in my mind Crowley maybe shuts his eyes a little bit and just goes for it. And it works, no one gets shots and Aziraphale pulls a bullet out of his mouth and the crowd goes wild. Furfur is disappointed, but it doesn’t matter, he got what he needed.

Afterward, they’re in a dressing room and Az is absolutely tickled pink, he’s floating around with a boa and he asks Crowley if it really went well and he gets the affirmation that he needs. Az needs encouragement, all of the time, and it’s always all the better coming from Crowley.

But their celebration is interrupted by Furfur, ready to have his own little moment. He introduces himself to Az and says he knows Crowley but Crowley truly seems not to recognize him whatsoever (which is the first time this happens in the season, but isn’t the last. Crowley has cobwebs y’all, and I know we are all curious as to where they came from).

The point, he says, is that Crowley is in violation of the infernal code because he’s cavorting with an angel. He pulls out a little booklet that educates demons on angels of earth, open to Az’s page. The way he butchers Aziaphale’s name is wonderful, and gives Az the opportunity to correct him in a perfectly stern and authoritative way.

(Side note: if you blow up the page you can see that Az is classified as dangerous, and it says that if anyone runs into him, they shouldn’t approach and instead contact Crowley immediately. Boy has been protecting that sweet little angel's head for so long. But to be fair, he is potentially dangerous, guardian of the eastern gate, and all.)

Crowley tries to pass the whole thing off as coincidence but Furfur has the instruction manual for the trick, citing needing a “trusted stooge and confidant.” He tells them not to try anything funny because of the miracle blocker, and then he says to Crowley, “Shall we?”

The demon is unaffected though, he says “we shan’t” and he lays himself right out on the couch he’s been sitting on, covering his face with his hat. They don’t know about the photo of course, but each of them get a look at it and Furfur says Crowley can expect a legion to come for him in the morning, he should enjoy his last night on earth.

He then tells the zombies they’re free to go, but surprise! They’re gonna need to stay zombies. Hell’s deals are always trash. Don’t forget that, kids.

Next thing we know, Furfur is back down, ready to show off his proof and get his promotion. Shax is looking on, interested, but when the envelope is opened, it’s just a flier for the girlie show, polaroid nowhere to be found. Our heroes have pulled one over on him.

Back at the bookshop, Crowley is impressed with Aziraphale’s skills. He tries to recreate how he recovered the photo and swapped it, but of course he can’t. It worked when it mattered, and that’s all that matters.

And then Aziraphale goes for it, he says “I knew you’d come through for me. You always do” and he’s using a quieter tone and it’s more of an acknowledgement of their relationship than Crowley’s gotten in a long time, maybe ever. Crowley just says “well, you said trust me” and Aziraphale’s voice goes up a little bit and he says “and you did.”

That’s the entire Arrangement, gang. They trust in each other that both will protect the fragile, whatever it is that they’ve forged, from everything. It’s not about helping out with the odd temptation or blessing, it’s about the fact that the only thing they have is each other. Which is why Aziraphale refused the holy water, and also why Crowley asked for it.

True to his nature, Aziraphale insists that if Crowley was as evil as he says he was, he would have walked away from the trick, from the situation, but the demon says that you can’t just see things in black and white, you need to blur the edges. And Aziraphale actually agrees, he says there could be something said for shades of gray. Light gray, of course. And they just smile at each other.

SO my question is, all of this is lovely, right? They’re back to the two of them, whatever that might be, everything mostly worked out and Crowley thinks he’s successfully navigated their last fight and so does Az. Aziraphale is even starting to admit that maybe he could step out of the confines he’s trapped in (sometimes).

But the next thing we know (from a timeline standpoint) is Aziraphale delivering a thermos full of holy water 20 some-odd years later and desperately saying “You go too fast for me, Crowley.”

That poor angel spent twenty years thinking about 1941 and he’s got to be feeling guilty. Maybe he realized what the holy water could really be used for - after all, his love for human pageantry almost got Crowley dragged back to hell. Again. Like his need to do the holy thing had done in 1827. And his newfound interest in shades of gray could make everything even more dangerous. Especially with the way Crowley had treated him that night, the books and the trick and he never even tried to deny the compliments Az showered him with, and Aziraphale’s own feelings.

So maybe it does make sense after all. Doting boyfriend was too much for him. I imagine him purposely avoiding Crowley at all costs through those years, until he could work up the nerve to deliver that thermos. He stepped out of his box ever so slightly and it almost ripped his only friend from him. All of the mini-sodes in this season are really about Aziraphale trying to get to gray (Crowley getting him there, so slowly, so patiently) and he does, and then it’s horrible somehow.

Do I now kind of want an entire season about the years between 1941 and 1967? Yes, obviously.

The point is, Aziraphale is still in his goddamn box throughout the season even though he’s more accepting of doting boyfriend as a general concept, and they’re still not fucking talking about any of it. Because that’s the Arrangement, and doing so would definitely skew more toward the dark shades Crowley prefers. 6,000 fucking years and the shade is still agonizingly light. It’s too light and y’all really need to find the correct hue and fast.

Because in the present, Shax gets authority to amass as many demons as possible, and attack the bookshop, that asshole.

And Aziraphale returns home and Crowley thrusts a box of plants at him and coos to the Bentley about missing him and he asks how it went and Az unconvincingly says nothing weird happened at all but they aren’t hearing each other, they never ever hear each other properly.

But, Crowley’s awning of a new age has failed, and so it’s Aziraphale’s turn to mess with human emotions that he doesn’t (quite) understand. Whickber Street Shopkeepers Association monthly meeting, here we come.

#good omens season 2 #what g's watching #good omens #aziraphale x crowley #ineffible husbands #gomens #fell the marvelous

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erme-aeterna-arts · 1 year ago

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oh op i love you for saying it, because i kept seeing posts joking about crowley only just realizing his love for aziraphale after nina mentioned it and this was not what surprised him and later (after another conversation) convinced to tell aziraphale about his feelings.

i think the shock on crowley’s face - that scene where the background went extra blurry - from nina mentioning that his relationship with aziraphale as a “love life” had more to do with how casually and matter-of-factly she was about it. because in crowley’s (and definitely aziraphale’s too) mind them having this human physical relationship with him was unthinkable for the same 6000 years. he has always been conscious of his love for aziraphale, BUT it has always existed somewhere between the lines and in the safety of his own head. so that heaven and hell could not come to his home and burn it down, he had to keep his love unreachable for them but it also meant that for himself too. crowley quite literally never touches aziraphale - unless it’s accidental (like the church and the handing over the books moment) or the literal end of the world (they stopped time together + the “jim” miracle). but both crowley and aziraphale knew of their love for each other. the existing two seasons are literally about that, and what was stopping them.

what was revelatory for crowley was the idea that actually he could have those things now too. to have this love present in physical reality rather than be implied, rather than tiptoeing around it and speaking obscurely of it. that’s why he tells aziraphale straightforwardly in the end, that’s why he kisses him. because that’s what made their relationship different from it was before, not the sudden realization like “i’m in love with my best friend”, they knew that before, they didn’t dare to hope though that it could be something they could reach and touch.

ADDITIONALLY, this is also a nod to the queer themes of the show, and why did crowley go through with his confession despite knowing that aziraphale would leave? of course he wanted him to know, but i think it was incredibly important for crowley’s own identity. to speak out loud of his love, to kiss aziraphale meant to make things real, destructible by heaven and hell and yet not fearing anymore, or, to be precise, accepting this risk as lesser to his love. the scene is an “i’ve bared my heart for you, this is the most precious and vulnerable part of me and it’s yours” and “i know it’ll change nothing but this for me too”. like this is me, i’m here, but we are here too, and we are in love and it is real. it’s like them holding hands and casting a miracle together and trying to conceal it as much as possible and crowley poking at the fabric of reality and then going like huh it’s like it’s not there at all cool and then this fucking miracle is gigantic and apparently sending ripples through reality. it’s very much there in fact.

and this parallels somewhat with the experience of coming out and how life-changing it is. like of course a person knows they’re queer way before they tell anyone, but to hear the words said, come out from your own mouth, solidifies your presence in the reality somehow, and the world is, for better or for worse, different afterwords. the fabric of reality has been altered, so to speak.

i suspect such experience, as i have described it more or less metaphorically, is applicable to love confessions in general, but you know in media it would just be a break-up scene, were it some other show, crowley would not have the courage to keep talking after being interrupted with these horrible news, he’d take aziraphale’s decision as a sign not to bother confessing. but crowley needs it too and i think that’s because his love for aziraphale is not the solo reason for his confession. it’s about who he is for loving aziraphale and owning it.

and crowley refusing to be turned into an angel contributes to this as well, the one thing he wouldn’t do for aziraphale is give up who he is.

Reasons why, "And we've spent our existence pretending that we aren't" is haunting me weeks later:

There's a self-awareness here that wouldn't exist if Crowley only just realized he and Aziraphale act like a couple once Nina said it. He's known this for a long, long time to say they've both been pretending

Relatedly, Crowley says it's mutual. He thinks Aziraphale has acted like a romantic partner towards him, knows it, and has been in denial

Crowley thinks they've been like a couple since the beginning. It's not, "We've spent the last 100 years pretending that we aren't" or "We gradually drifted from our sides and formed our side." He thinks their relationship has been fundamentally the same their entire lives

The voice crack

How frightened Aziraphale is that Crowley is breaking the rules of their little unspoken dance and actually calling out what they are

#ranting at 4am #so obviously this post is messy #black sails has rewired my brain and now i’m looking for themes everywhere #good omens #ineffable husbands #azicrow #azicrowley #aziraphale #crowley #anthony j crowley #crowley x aziraphale

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fuckyeahgoodomens · 4 years ago

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Ineffable Con 2020 Fun Facts

Fun facts from the Ineffable Con 2 (2020) guest panels :):

Neil Gaiman, Douglas Mackinnon and Rob Wilkins

David G. Arnold (the music composer)

Claire Anderson (the costume designer)

Peter Anderson (Peter Anderson Studio created the opening title animation and in-show graphics)

Paul Adeyefa (Disposable Demon)

Jeremy Marshall-Roberts (the owner of Mary the Bentley)

1. Neil Gaiman, Douglas Mackinnon and Rob Wilkins

What do they have from Good Omens:

Rob has the statue from St. Beryls, all four motorbikes from the four horsemen, Crowley’s Devon watch, box signed by David Tennant with Crowley’s sunglasses and Aziraphale’s cocoa mug with Michael Sheen’s DNA :).

Douglas has the playing cards from Episode 1 and heavily annotated Good Omens book they used for filming with inscription by Neil: ‘For Douglas, make us love, make us cry, 3rd August 2017’.

Neil has Aziraphale’s chair from the bookshop that he bought from the BBC and he uses it for Zoom meetings.

What is their favourite thing that was not in the book and was added to the TV show:

Neil: all of the first half of Episode 3 - an absolute joy.

Rob: also the beginning of Episode 3.

Douglas: David Arnold’s music and Peter Anderson’s front titles.

Could Aziraphale get out of the Bastille easily if he wanted to?

Neil: if he could: absolutely. Did he have any conception of the mess he was in: probably not. It’s one of Neil’s favourite pieces of acting - the absolute delight on Aziraphale’s face when he realizes that Crowley’s there and then he turns around and rather petulantly, grumpily goes oh it’s you - that moment of joy on Aziraphale’s face when he realizes that he’s been rescued is one of Neil’s favourite things.

Neil and yoghurt starter: I had this slightly mad thing where I would explain to everybody that fans were yoghurt starter. And I said, ‘Basically you start out with yoghurt starter and you put it into your warm milk and you leave it, and the yoghurt starter goes off and turns the entire thing into yoghurt.

Neil realized that there was a cat in his house (Neil doesn’t have a cat :)). After the panel Neil said that he was going to look for the cat with a can of sardines and Douglas joked that he would find Michael Sheen in a cat costume.

What was the best and worst about making the series:

Douglas: the best - the camaraderie, getting to know the people, the cast and crew.

Rob: the best - realizing that the book could be translated to the screen and watching it happen. The worst - coming to the end of the shoot and saying goodbye to everybody.

Neil: the best - the amount of love from everybody, the worst - fighting budget battles (producers wanted gone all of the cold opening and the death of Agnes Nutter).

Did they expect that Good Omens would attract so many LBGTQ+ people and how they feel about that:

Neil: Yes, absolutely. There are definitely people out there who seem to think that I accidentally wrote a love story with all of the beats of a love story including a break-up halfway through, without somehow noticing that I’d written a love story. And I may not be the brightest candle on the candelabra, but as an author who’s been doing it for a long time, I’m very well aware of when I’m writing a love story, thank you very much. And so from my perspective I knew that the love story would be one of the driving things that would get us from the beginning to the end. And I also made a bunch of decisions about our angels and our demons in terms of casting, in terms of gender that everybody backed me up on, which I loved. You know, the idea that the archangel Michael is played by Doon [Mackichan] is something that is... or Beelzebub is Anna Maxwell Martin, whatever, there’s... it’s not like we are going: these are women, there are men, we are going: these are demons, these are angels. They... this is not a thing. And also doing something like Pollution, where you go in and go: okay well if we were doing this in... if 1989 was now, if there were they pronouns, we probably would have done that. We didn’t think of it at the time but that’s no reason why we can’t do it now. And we did and I remember having a... not exactly a battle, but a... my very tiny skirmish with one of our execs who was very nice and very bright and was like: ‘Why are you saying they?’, and I’m like... and I... explaining, and he’s like: ‘Well I’ve never heard of that before.’, and I’m like: ‘Oh, okay, but trust me, just trust me, it’s all fine, just trust me.’

Douglas: And you know I have to say, just following on what Neil’s saying, I’ve been directing for quite a while, and I tend to notice if characters are falling in love, I tend to notice a love story happening in front of me, and I think it’s there, and everything is meant, guys, everything is meant.

Neil added: I would just say, there are some things that you do while you’re writing a script intentionally. The fact that... I wanted to do this, well, it was a thing I did that I really enjoyed doing... where whenever people accuse them of being a couple: they don’t deny it, they don’t argue, there’s no flustering on their part. They absolutely… you know, everybody… what I’m trying to say is: yes, other people in the story are perceiving them as a couple too. And here is Uriel perceiving them as a couple, here is wonderful Dan [Starkey, playing the passerby] …and you know, you do scenes like that because that’s... you are trying to make a point here and you’re trying to make a point on how people are perceived.

Season 2, yes or no [fiends, all three of them!]:

Douglas: What’s that?

Neil: Of what?

Rob: Is it muted for me as is for everyone else?

Neil confirmed that they are going to be Funko Pops. [yay!]

2. David G. Arnold (the music composer)

He didn’t read the book before he was approached to do the music. He was asked to do it by Douglas Mackinnon he knew from the Victorian episode of Sherlock and he said yes before even knowing what it was about because he wanted to work with Douglas again.

The first piece of music he wrote for the show was the brass band doing the Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon [Episode 6, in the park before the kidnapping].

The second piece of music he wrote was the lullaby that Crowley sings to Warlock. He always liked the lullabies like in Mary Poppins so he said to Neil: Why don’t we do it like Walt Disney, but if Walt Disney was possessed by Satan? That was about 7 months before he needed to write anything again while they were shooting and it kept going round his head the whole time - the melody stuck with him and when it came to the Opening Title of the show, this became the middle bit.

The original opening title was Everyday by Buddy Holly and each episode was supposed to be closed with a different version of it: a death metal version, an angelic choir version, a carmina burana version... and he actually made all those. But he likes to find the musical identity of the show and put it in the opening titles because it’s important and it tells you: ‘This is the word you’re going to experience’, so he wrote his own opening title with the lullaby in the middle and played it to them [probably Neil and Douglas] with Buddy Holly as the backup and: Neil just turned around in his chair and said, ‘That’s Good Omens.’. From that point the instructions were with no rules, just to create whatever he wanted: the further you can go the better, the weirder and the stranger you can think the better. It’s a rare thing to be shown a world like Good Omens and be let free to run around in it.

His favourite ending title is the Queen one in Episode 1.

One of the reasons he didn’t do a theme for Crowley and a theme for Aziraphale is that the theme of the show is theirs - it’s theirs and they share it and it’s both of theirs and there is no separating in that regard.

About Aziraphale and Crowley’s relationship reflected in the music score: It’s interesting isn’t it, because the relationship changed in a way slightly frequently and majorly infrequently. It seemed right from the start that their relationship was somehow seeded and planted and had begun by the time we saw them even though they may not have realised it themselves, you know, with the pair of them on the wall, considering one is a demon in the Garden of Eden and one is an angel. They act very charitably towards each other and they act with a lot of things you might not expect. And underneath that there is a sort of sense of togetherness and support even though they both know that their paths are going to diverge and they have different responsibilities. So I always felt like, right from that moment, when the wing came up on the wall, that there was something special about their relationship. Three moments that stuck with him: in Episode 3 saving the books in the church when they completely rely on the other for survival in the way that they were very open about, one in the car outside the nightclub in 60s Soho - the Holy Water, you go too fast for me, that genuinely tearing, that there was reluctance in those words that he spoke and that sort of things as a composer is gold, it’s about making those moments more, and in the last episode in a scene they’re not event in when we see Adam and Dog in the fields and Anathema that music there which celebrates Crowley and Aziraphale’s music which is the theme of the show - their shadow has passed over everyone’s emotional journey, and everyone’s emotional journey is theirs as well. The argument in the bandstand was important as well.

His favourite leitmotif from the series is the lullaby.

About the scene in the car in episode 2 when Thomas Tallis changes into Queen: Terry’s favourite piece of classical music was the Thomas Tallis piece [Spem in Alium] so Neil asked if they can go from Thomas Tallis - a choral piece from 16th century - to We Will Rock You, and: ‘You never say no. You don’t say that you can’t do it. What you have to do is to be the first person who solves the problem.’ In the end it was a two-days work just for this little bit and he mentioned that he never had these sorts of challenges anywhere else before.

His favourite non-musical detail in the show - the crucifixion, how the scene was shot, how it was upsetting, and how it was made more effective by Aziraphale and Crowley’s inability to stop it, that they had to observe and watch it, that it had to happen. I remember seeing that at the time and thinking, I wasn’t expecting that level of brutal honesty, in terms of the pictures that I was looking at and what they chose to show. And I think all the more effective for it.

3. Claire Anderson (the costume designer)

When creating the costumes for the characters she started with mood boards.

Aziraphale - she knew that he needed to have something winglike in his collar so that’s why there are sweeping lapels very often. Using velvet [for the waistcoat] because that was nice and soft and had all the appropriate qualities. His watch and fob that has little gold wings hanging from it and other tiny bits of symbolism. Tartan bow tie. Beautiful cashmere checkered trousers - not quite tartan but a nod to it. A mid to late Victorian coat, Michael only made his decision on the coat a couple of days before the filming. Aziraphale in the present settled on a ring with angelic symbol and harp cufflinks, earlier his ring in ancient times has got a much more roughly hewn set of wings on it, so before jewellery making became sophisticated he modernised slightly - he magicked it up to be a bit more modern, more gentleman signet type of ring, but he never modernises entirely. His heart is much more in the past.

After they began to define Aziraphale they started to look at how the Heaven army of angels might look - the element of tartan came sort of from Aziraphale and the angels have a not-tartan kilt with a semi military type jacket and a military band across that might hold arms or not, because they are not really violent. She used spats to make them look quite neutral and genderless so hiding fastenings and concealing little details like that seemed a way to do that.

Gabriel doesn’t wear spats because he’s on Earth such a lot. His shoe has a cover with two buckles on the side giving the same neutral element. He wears a cashmere light-as-air suit.

The other angels are all in bastardized versions of what era they may have died in, so they could have died in the 1930s or the 1800s and the costume would have an element of that era about it - though of course as an angel you can change things.

The Quartermaster Angel - the costume is a combination of slightly Indian type military, maharaja pants, longer spats from another era, all combined pieces of military tailored to be magical and slightly nonsensical, as Heaven might be.

Crowley - she felt that he wrapped around like a snake sheds its skin so she wanted something double breasted because that seemed to envelope his snakey charm. David wanted to be more casual than wearing a suit. Under his collar he always has a flash of red like the snake that he comes from - the red belly. They put a red seam into the sole of his boots so always there is a hint of where he came from. The red tie in the blitz. He was more rock and roll than Aziraphale and modernised more to a snakehipped rock and roll star really. His present jacket - the fabric there is quilted, they found an 80s jacket that had elements of things they enjoyed - part of that was that it had a slightly quilted quality to the fabric which was like a textured snakeskin. It took quite a long time to create the fabric and then to make the jacket from that - they quilted some fabric and washed and whooshed it repeatedly to create a bit of puckering in it. He has a snakey scarf around his neck like a chain mail linked scales of skin scarf that he wore that complemented his neck chain. The trousers he wore in Victorian times are the same he wore in the 60s when he meets young Shadwell. His present trousers - slightly waxy denim - we just were looking for a slithery finish. Crowley’s neck chain - there is only one in the world - her tailor has a Gothic church full of interesting stuff like busts and drapes with old things, this chain mail scarf was there and David was looking for something to complete his costume and liked it.

Hastur and Ligur are her favourite characters - they were so enjoyable to create. She had an amazing book of 1920s and 30s criminals and they used that as a starting point, because they were all quite worn out and bedraggled and poverty stricken and like hell might be ideally. They burnt and decayed the bottom of them as if they were rotting from the Earth and rotting back into the ground - all demons have sort of gators as if they were rotting from the ground up.

One of the most difficult things was the demons - when they realized they had a few days to create hundreds of demons in South Africa (4-5 days for almost 200 demons). It was as if I had been dissolved in holy water when they asked me for another 150 costumes.

The sleeves of Anathema’s coat have been inspired by a Victorian cycling coat.

The historical costume that Newt’s ancestor wore influenced his and Shadwell’s costumes - they used elements of the historical costume to put a little cape on Newt and Shadwell and their wax coats to give them the quality of that look. Newt's costume has a lot of mustard to make him feel a bit awkward and uncomfortable - it's not the most flattering colour on a northern European complexion.

The nuns’ headdress needed to look a little bit demonic - she bought a whole book on nuns’ headdresses for research. They also used the V in the nurse's apron because that was nicely demonic. The nurses' watch has got this Satanic symbol at the top - a little take on the medical since old nurses’ uniforms used to have watches.

For Madame Tracy she went back into the 70s, slightly Biba-esque makeup and a cape. They had only one pair of her goggles so it was always a nightmare to find them.

Which part of the cold opening is her favourite: I love ancient Rome because there is at least 6 to 12 metre of fabric in a toga and that was quite fun wrapping that around the boys and creating those., and her favourite was the Globe.

The lapels represent wings in every way and every shape and every form. Wings are very important.

4. Peter Anderson (Peter Anderson Studio created the opening title animation and in-show graphics)

The first thing that the director Douglas Mackinnon (with whom he worked on Doctor Who and Sherlock) said to him was: for all the graphics, for all the title sequence, for everything, I want you to promise me one thing, and that is very, very simple, promise that you send me emails that say: ‘this might be absolutely nuts, but my idea is...’.

The opening title it’s full of easter eggs - it’s a type of sequence that’s been designed to watch a thousand times, for example: on the escalator down to Hell there is one character running up deciding that he doesn’t want to go to Hell or the sea is full of plastic bags because we don’t look after the planet.

Every single face in the title sequence is either Crowley’s or Azriphale’s, they are repeated all the way through - inspired by Neil saying that there’s good and evil in all of us, so there is a grand procession of people of all the characters from the story - marching towards Armageddon - but all the characters have been taken over by good or evil. And along the way our two heroes are kind of playing tricks on each other, doing good, doing evil

The opening title combines multiple elements - two dimensional animation elements, three dimensional animation elements, CGI and live action (the people in the procession were created by live action on a travelator). So the result is a kind of strangeness - such as 3D figures with 2D animated tracked heads - which makes it unique.

Their first idea and version of the opening title was based on tapestries of old, subverting them, but then they wanted something more new and fresh.

Both Douglas and Neil were an important part of the opening title creation process.

The opening title sequence took about a year to make from the creative start with four intensive months towards the end.

One of things that inspired him was a Bauhaus theatre image from 1930s.

Question if the hand-drawn font for the graphics will be a purchasable font: no, because it was original and it’s unique and it was created just for this - it was for the love of the show and the story and it will be kept there.

In the scene where there are three photos of witchfinders - Neil and Douglas revealed in the DVD commentaries that two of them are their grandfathers - the third one is Peter’s great uncle.

Originally the signs telling us things like ‘Thursday’ or ‘Mesopotamia’ - were done as if somebody (who was living inside the television screen) ran up close to the screen and showed us the sign. In the end they simplified it, only showing the signs. The one time that it was sort of left in the show was when in Episode 5 a little demon in the video game shows a sign ‘GAME OVER’.

Outside of his work on it, what was his favourite thing on Good Omens: spending time with Douglas and Neil, and also working with Milk VFX - I think I can honestly say it's the best job I've ever worked on with the nicest people.

5. Paul Adeyefa (Disposable Demon)

He first read the book when preparing for the audition - the character wasn’t in the book but he got into it, loved it and couldn’t put it down.

He didn’t know about the name Eric until the script was published and people started calling the demon that, he really likes the name and thinks it fits.

There was a version of the script where the demon was going to be dressed in different costumes each time he was discorporated (for example one in long hair wearing a dress) - they would be all the same but different incarnations, in one version they had different accents.

The first scene he shot was the one where the demon goes to Heaven to deliver the Hellfire (and also wants to hit ‘Aziraphale’ which was cut). That first day was also his favourite moment of shooting because there was an immediate welcoming atmosphere and everyone was lovely and in love with the production.

Disposable Demon is like a permanent intern, running errands for the higher ups in Hell.

His favourite part of the costume were the eyelashes (though he loved the whole costume).

If he could change anything about the costume he would also want cool contact lenses - some brightly coloured ones.

Question what animal (like other demons have on their heads) comes to mind when we see the Disposable Demon: he didn’t think about it at the time, but later he saw people talking about his horns as bunny ears and found it interesting, and also the facts that there are so many of him and that he is quite happy and friendly for a demon so the bunny makes sense, so he might be a sort of a rabbit. Or perhaps something goat type because of the horns.

Question if there is another role in Good Omens he would have liked to have played: he always thought that the four horsemen were very cool and Pollution was his favourite so probably Pollution (also was the most jealous of Pollution’s contact lenses).

If there were a season 2, he would be there in a heartbeat.

Question about Eric’s feelings on Crowley, if he’s a bit of a Crowley fan: I think he might be. There is something about Crowley and how he is somehow a little bit different from the rest of the demons. - and the Disposable Demon has, much like Crowley, interest in the human world. He could well be 6,000 how many years old, the same as everyone else, but he seems to have this younger vibe and I think he thinks that Crowley is quite cool.

Good Omens fandom is his first experience with a fandom of this scale. It speaks a lot, the fact that this kind of very, this minor character, a character who is only on screen for a very short amount of time gets any kind of attention at all, it's quite amazing really, it goes to show how big and enthusiastic the fans are. I never experienced anything like that.

6. Jeremy Marshall-Roberts (the owner of Mary the Bentley)

When Crowley used a miracle to switch off the Bentley lights in Episode 1 at nuns manor it was done by: there was actually a very small guy called Louis turning on and off the switches quickly.

David Tennant was allowed to wear the snake eye contacts for only 3 hours a day otherwise they could damage his eyesight.

For Mary, the Bentley, it was the second time she was ‘blown up’ on film - first being in the Endeavour with Inspector Morse about three years earlier.

He was a bit nervous during filming the bookshop fire scene because the Bentley was so close to a real fire - not wanting the paint to blister. The car was moved off after a few minutes of filming but still.

About the damage to Mary: Unfortunately, we overran, and Rob my stunt driver had already booked a holiday and off he went and so when he returned in January, on the 10th of January, I had this new driver who really had no clue how to drive old cars, so I showed him around, I showed him to go around corners. He came around the corner, the door was not closed properly for some reason and the door flew open as he went around. And instead of slamming on the brakes which is extremely efficient and would stop him straight away he kept on going, hit another car and really smashed the door quite badly. It did take the car off the roads for 10 months. The door was completely remade because of this accident and it cost the total of £24 000 to rebuild the car to get it back to running as it is today.

The Bentley’s part most difficult to maintain and service is the engine.

Would Mary be available for a potential season 2: definitely!

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contraststudies · 4 years ago

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I’ve always had this headcanon of Aziraphale treating Crowley’s feet after the Blitz, then I saw this frankly magnificent artwork today, and wow. I need to yell about what might have happened after the Blitz scene!!

In my head, it would be impossible for Aziraphale not to notice that Crowley’s actually burned his feet really badly after the bombing at The Church, no matter how much he might brush it off. Aziraphale notices, and he decides he can’t let Crowley leave without at least treating his feet.

Let's get the obvious Biblical references in this out of the way first. Without delving too much into the spiritual aspect of it, Jesus washing his disciples' feet was the greatest act of service he could ever perform. Washing feet was a task assigned to the lowliest of servants in a time when everyone’s feet had to be washed before entering anyone’s home. (I’ll get back to this later.)

For Aziraphale to treat Crowley's burned feet? That's literally the wildest thing I could ever think of happening. Remember this is the first night they see each other after their argument over holy water 79 years ago. The entire Church Scene was Crowley's way of trying to patch things up between them again. He does this by entering a church, a place that he cannot enter by virtue (lol) of being a demon. He basically chooses to save Aziraphale even knowing that it would literally leave him burned.

Let's say Aziraphale notices Crowley burned his feet. Of course he feels terrible about it. Of course he makes Crowley sit down on the sofa in the bookshop. He fetches a basin of cool water and a washcloth and miracles up a bottle of burn ointment. (In my head he can't actually use a miracle to heal Crowley, because it would essentially be using divine power on a demon... the equivalent of smiting him gently.)

Aziraphale offering to treat Crowley's feet is the mirror of what Crowley did by entering the church. It would involve an angel kneeling at the feet of a demon - and what sort of angel would do that? It goes against their very nature. Aziraphale knows all this and he goes ahead and does it anyway.

It is inherently wrong. They both know it. It's as wrong as a demon stepping into a church. Crowley probably feels even worse about it than when he actually burned his feet. But the thing is, it would be the greatest act of service Aziraphale could do for Crowley. It's not just "let me repay you for saving me and my books." It's "let me show you that I would do this for you too."

Plus, Crowley's love language is obviously acts of service. Imagine how huge of an impact this gesture would be for him on a more personal level, on top of all the metaphysical significance of it.

Aziraphale would insist on doing it, but of course he wouldn't actually do it unless Crowley consented. This request for consent puts Crowley in a position of so many layers of vulnerability. a) Allowing Aziraphale to see his injury. b) Allowing Aziraphale to see him in pain. c) Allowing Aziraphale to touch his (bare!) feet. Yes, it's an act of humility for Aziraphale. But it's also an act of humility for Crowley to let Aziraphale see him in this state. Remember he's the definition of Cool and Suave!

In my head, Aziraphale realizes he's in love with Crowley when Crowley hands him the bag full of his books at the church. But he doesn't acknowledge it fully until the moment he offers to treat Crowley's burned feet.

#good omens #good omens meta #good omens headcanon #everything about the episode 3 cold open #you can pry it from my cold dead hands #when i'm done dissecting it within an inch of its life

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greenbergsays · 5 years ago

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I think Crowley fell in love with Az on the wall of Eden and knew it from the beginning bc of all his acts of service. Az fell in love slowly and was first aware of his own feelings in 1601, but didn't realize C. felt the same way until the bombed church scene. When you have eternity, what are a few centuries? Then Az didn't want Crowley to get hurt with holy water, and he had to realize his own feelings in the Bentley. Armageddon was nigh, Az had to decide whether to act on it or not. 😇🖤😈

See, my favorite thing about these nerds is I don’t think they realized the moment they fell for the other one. I don’t think they realized it for ages.

Their moment of falling in love and their moment of realizing they’re in love are two different things and both of those things are completely separate from knowing that the other one feels the same. (To me!)

So, I agree with you that Crowley probably fell in love with Aziraphale standing on the wall of Eden.

I mean look at that face.

That is the face of a demon whose heart, upon hearing the words “I gave it away,” is now like, “oh no, I stan (1) angel.”

However, I think he realized that he had feelings for Aziraphale somewhere between 33 A.D. and 41 A.D.

I’ve talked about this before, but I shall talk about it again, BECAUSE WHY NOT

My point is:

That? That is his moment of acceptance in my mind. That is the moment he’s like, “fuck it, he’s too adorable, I guess we’re doing this now.”

The thing that absolutely fucking hurts me, right, is that Crowley is by far the more open of the two. He’s closed off in many, many ways, but he’s ultimately a tenderhearted nerd in love with a single being for thousands of years, accepts that, and spends those years indulging his love at every possible turn.

He is the softest demon and I love him.

Aziraphale is the one that is more buttoned-up emotionally. He’s the one that’s more reluctant to admit his feelings, the one that’s less likely to put himself out there emotionally, etc.

I think that’s due, in large part, to his severe anxiety, but it’s possible I’m just Projecting. It could also be due to the fact that Heaven doesn’t make him a priority at all and is very dismissive of his thoughts and feelings, so he tries not to pay attention to them too much. It’s the only way he can cope, really.

So for me, it’s harder to pin down exactly when Aziraphale actually started to have feelings for Crowley.

Hell, man, they’ve had those same bodies for 6,000 years and have also been on earth for 6,000 years, so the implication there is that they somehow got aboard Noah’s ark and were cooped up together for 40 days and 40 nights, plus the time it took for the water to recede, so maybe that’s what did it.

I mean, Aziraphale clearly likes Crowley well enough that he inquires about his new name in 33 A.D. when Crowley doesn’t readily offer it. And he also clearly likes him well enough to approach Crowley on his own in 41 A.D.

So far, we’ve seen Crowley spotting him first and approaching to strike up a conversation, but 41 A.D. is the first time we see Aziraphale spot Crowley first. And he doesn’t hesitate to approach and strike up a conversation, like Crowley does to him. In fact, he immediately leaves his seat and his game to do so.

So, that’s an important moment. That means that Aziraphale is feeling something for him.

That being said, I personally disagree about when Aziraphale knew he was in love. I definitely think it was the bombed church scene.

I mean, look at that face???? That is the expression of an angel so overwhelmed by such a swell of emotion that it’s impossible to ignore anymore.

He is in love.

As for when they realize that their feelings are returned? I have no idea. Not a clue. My answer literally changes depending on the day.

Crowley is fairly easy to pin down again. I feel like he knows either before or when Aziraphale gives him the holy water. That’s such a big thing–it was significant enough to be a huge fight between them–and for Aziraphale to cave and provide it, explicitly saying it’s because he needs Crowley to be safe, that’s—that’s significant.

So if Crowley doesn’t know before, he definitely knows then.

Aziraphale, again, is harder for me to pin down. I’d like to think that he knows by that same conversation, because, “You go too fast for me, Crowley,” is such a gorgeous line and it’s even more gorgeous if you think about it from the terms of the two of them absolutely being on the same page and just not saying it.

That being said, Aziraphale’s reaction in the bandstand scene is too significant to ignore.

I mean look at that.

I can’t see that face and think that he knew before.

Because you know what the alternative is, right?

The alternative is that he knows that Crowley thinks he has feelings, but Aziraphale just knows that they aren’t real.

He could think that Crowley isn’t capable of real love, which a lot of people seem to like, or he could think that Crowley’s feelings are superficial at best–a surface-level affection that would never be anything more–and Crowley, unused to such emotions, is mistaking affection for real, true love.

Aziraphale has spent 6,000 years watching Crowley not really be serious about anything. Crowley lives his life in the fast lane, he does stuff without thinking about the consequences, he’s impulsive, he’s seemingly care-free.

Whatever Crowley may think he feels, Aziraphale thinks, it’s certainly nothing genuine or real. He’s mistaking a general affection for romantic love.

And he might not even think that because Crowley is a demon. It could just be because Aziraphale never thought he was good enough to be loved like that.

But then the bandstand happens. Then Crowley suggests that they abandon their respective sides, abandon Earth and the impending apocalypse, and just. Run away together.

And that moment of shock is Aziraphale fully understanding for the first time how wrong he’d been. That’s the face of an angel who’s realizing that everything he’s craved is standing right there in front of him, arms wide open, just waiting for him to accept it.

But this is Aziraphale and Aziraphale instinctively rejects the things that he wants because he thinks he doesn’t deserve them. So he tells Crowley “no,” and “it’s over,” even though it’s the opposite of what he wants.

#memprime #greenberg replies #long post #the nice and accurate ramblings of desdemona greenberg #kedreeva wants me to piggyback off of this #and writing some devastating aziraphale feels #so be on the look out for THAT post of utter heartbreak

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lady-divine-writes · 5 years ago

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A Christmas Story (Rated PG)

An angel and a demon watching a Christmas pageant, discussing the bitter and enjoying the sweet. (1401 words)

The First Noel,

the Angels did say

Was to certain poor shepherds

in fields as they lay …

“Hmm … They’re quite good, aren’t they?”

“Quite.”

“Shame they had to drag these poor kids out in the cold to entertain us though, huh?”

“It is nippy out, yes.”

“Speaking of … cocoa?” Crowley nudges a thermos against Aziraphale’s arm. Aziraphale shifts only his eyes to look at it.

“Thank you,” he says softly, taking it in both hands. He sighs when his fingers wrap around the comfortably hot cylinder. He didn’t realize that he’d let himself go cold – probably out of sympathy for the choir of eight through twelve-year-olds singing their hearts out while their pastor and a flock of altar tenders lay a statue of baby Jesus in a hay-laden manger.

It’s a tradition on Christmas Eve after midnight mass – the laying of the infant savior in his manger. And Crowley knows that Aziraphale never misses it.

But this is the first time Crowley gets to watch it with him.

“You found me,” Aziraphale says, unscrewing the lid to the thermos and taking a sip.

“It wasn’t all that hard.” Crowley reaches into an inside pocket of his coat as the wind blows around them, pulls out a black metal flask, and flashes it Aziraphale’s way. Aziraphale nods and tilts the mouth of the thermos towards him. Crowley uncaps the flask and, with a generous pour, makes the cocoa Irish. “Ironically, you’re the only angel out and about at present, during the one time of the year you guys should be swarming the streets.”

“Yes, well …” Aziraphale lets the remaining sentence drown inside the thermos with his next sip, not expending any energy towards defending the absence of his kind.

Aziraphale didn’t choose the biggest church to go to on this blessed night, not the sort that would have a mob gathered round it, or celebrities in attendance who would attract a crowd. This church is humble, out of the way. It took Crowley effort to get to it. He could only drive his Bentley so far. Then he was forced to park and hike the rest of the way through wet grass in the dark. As churches go, this one that they’re standing in front of is a much more accurate representation of the barn that baby Jesus was born in.

Which means the people who have come to worship must really want to be here to go so far out of their way.

“To be honest, I’m hurt you didn’t invite me to come with you,” Crowley says, taking a swig from his flask.

“I didn’t think you’d be interested.”

“I like the Christmas story as much as the next demon.”

“You were asleep.”

“Of course I was asleep!” Crowley chortles. “It’s after midnight!”

“I didn’t want to wake you. I know how much you like to sleep.”

“I like being with you more.”

Aziraphale smiles at his husband’s remark, but it doesn’t take his eyes away from his focus. Crowley observes Aziraphale from the corner of his eye, tries to imagine what he’s thinking as he watches these modern day humans act out a scene he witnessed firsthand centuries ago. But the longer Crowley watches him, he begins to notice that his angel isn’t looking where he’d assumed - not at the cherubic baby Jesus raising his chubby arms in exultation, not at the bright lights or the decorations, or the choir. He’s not looking at the rest of the players entering the scene – a shepherd wearing a stuffed sheep across his shoulders, playfully admiring it like it’s an expensive mink stole; another stoic boy, his bulky varsity jacket showing beneath his thin linen robe; a teenage Joseph who’s yawned twice already; a slightly younger mother Mary with vibrant pink hair peeking out from along the edges of a chunky knit pompom hat; a flamboyant King Caspar prancing down the aisle, absolutely dousing the audience with frankincense - as the song selection changes to Angels We Have Heard on High. The children seem to be having a blast despite the hour and the temperature, but Aziraphale has stopped enjoying their antics.

He’s gazing over their heads, eyes locked on a crucifix standing beyond the festivities, shrouded in shadow.

“These kids are putting on a stellar performance,” Crowley says, inching closer to his husband and slipping an arm through his. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a lively re-enactment.”

“They are doing a wonderful job,” Aziraphale admits, his voice thick.

“So why so glum? Hmm? What’s on your mind?”

Aziraphale takes a final poignant sip from the thermos. He screws the lid back on and stuffs it in his coat pocket. He puts a hand over Crowley’s, breathes in deep, and blinks watery eyes. “I saw that boy born. I watched him grow. I heard him preach the Almighty’s message. I saw him feed the poor, heal the sick …” Aziraphale pauses, swallowing when his voice cracks, but it does nothing to smooth it down. “We watched him die.”

“I remember,” Crowley says, squeezing Aziraphale’s arm tight.

“He was Her truest, most devout Prophet … and She let them nail him to a cross. Her own son!”

“She did it to prove how much She loved humanity.” Crowley tries to comfort his husband, but his tone stiffens. “Her great sacrifice.”

“But it wasn’t Her great sacrifice, was it? It was his. And from what I remember, he didn’t get much say in the matter.” Aziraphale scoffs. “Seems to be a running theme with Her, if you ask me.”

“Can’t disagree with you there.”

“But then, after all that, She would have let humanity die? In another pointless war to prove Heaven is more powerful than Hell?”

Crowley shrugs. “Maybe not. Maybe She let it play out the way it did because She knew how it would end. Maybe She designed it that way. You know – the Ineffable Plan?”

“The Ineffable Game, you mean,” Aziraphale says exhaustively. “I’m tired of all the games.”

“She does excel at them.”

Aziraphale leans into his husband’s arm, rests his head on Crowley’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t mind so much if She’d at least let us know the rules!”

“Well, like you’ve said before – Her plan, Her game, Her rules. It’s not for us to question.”

“You, my dear, were cast out for asking questions. We’ve been on opposite sides for over 6000 years. Regardless of our friendship, of the lines we blurred, I thought I knew where we stood – black and white, cut and dry. But now I’m beginning to doubt.”

“Times have changed. Things were simpler way back when.”

“Were they though?”

Crowley exhales long into the chilly air. “I don’t know.”

“Anyway, probably not long before she casts me out, too. The thing is … I’m not sure I’d be too upset about that.”

“She won’t cast you out,” Crowley says reassuringly, if only for himself. “You’re the only angel She has who actually behaves like an angel.”

“Even with all the tempting?” Aziraphale asks smugly.

Crowley grins at his husband’s cheek. “Even with. If she hasn’t cast you out by now, she isn’t going to. If you ask me, I think She has greater plans for you.”

“Yes, well, I don’t think I care.”

“I think you do.”

“And why is that?”

“Because you love your job. You love Earth. And you love humanity. You’ve fought hard to protect it. Almost died, too. I would like to believe that, in the end, even if no one else knows about it, it means something to Her.”

“So what do you suggest I do? Hold my breath and wait for a commendation?”

“You do what you were put here to do. You inspire humanity. You watch over them. You bless them. And you do it not because She commands it, but because you love them. You want what’s best for them. Luckily, now you have the freedom to decide what that is.”

Aziraphale snuggles deeper against his husband’s side, his eyes leaving the crucifix and rejoining the pageant right as King Caspar hands off his frankincense to a bleary-eyed Joseph and performs a dramatic death drop to rousing applause. “You know, you would have made a decent Principality.”

“Yuck.”

“A better Archangel, even.”

Crowley shakes his head. “Not at all. In fact, I’ve only ever met one being who truly deserves the title.” He drops a kiss in Aziraphale’s hair. “And I married him.”

#good omens #ineffable husbands #aziraphale x crowley #crowley x aziraphale #frankie writes

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wanna-b-poet31 · 5 years ago

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Aziraphale’s Lies and Crowley’s Truth (A 3-Part Series) Part 3: Liminal Spaces, Happy Faces

A final installment of a series I started!! Will wonders ever cease? >tbh I want to preemptively start this final installment saying that I’ve been staring at the word doc for a solid 3 months trying to will the right words to come to me... let’s hope these are good ones?< #sorrynotsorry for the delay

Honestly, I could do a whole other series about why Crowley is fallen and Aziraphale is not. However, I wanted to refocus this series on my central argument that honesty (or lack thereof) is a strategic tool for establishing their in-between status...their humanity, as it were.

To grossly summarize parts 1 and 2 (but no seriously check them out) Crowley can lie, he’s actually pretty slippery but he chooses to be honest and forthright with Aziraphale on purpose. Meanwhile, Aziraphale wields his lies like his sword, trying to protect the two of them from Heaven’s wrath.

The problem is, when Crowley is so heartbreakingly honest, like genuinely, unapologetically honest, to Aziraphale, he leaves both of them vulnerable. Without the security Heaven claims to provide him, Aziraphale panics, is afraid that revealing his hand -- that he feels for Crowley, wants to go to Alpha Centauri with Crowley -- will put both of them in danger. So, he does what he does best, he lies, cutting both of them. They fall out of sync, they’re set up for failure, they’re not on the same page, and ultimately they’ can’t occupy the same space or same side.

See Aziraphale’s face here? [a gif where Aziraphale is shouting at Crowley that “We’re on opposite sides”] The tone of voice? The desperation in his face? It’s clear that he’s lying, and it’s detrimental.

BUT when Aziraphale (and it has to be Aziraphale) realizes he’s miscalculated his lies, realizes that his position is not protecting Crowley (or the earth), but realizes that he IS, and perhaps has always needed to be, on Crowley’s side, the true nature of Heaven is revealed (to him).

Once they are reunited, their lies are weaponized, their honesty is protective, and they create a new space for themselves and humanity to exist. They don’t fit in Heaven or Hell or even in a garden. In a very real way, they become more human once the realize the impact of their actions and the weight of their choices.

No, I don’t mean I literally think they’re human now, they’re as magical as ever. But by the end of the series, they DO become a new kind of hybrid, occupying the same liminal space between holy and hellish that humans do. And the evolution of their honesty and lies -- their supposed “flaws” -- enable them to form their own side.

It allows them the freedom of choices.

ANGELS OF LIES

I think it’s important to point out that Aziraphale isn’t the only lying angel.

All of them lie. Often.

Examples:

We first see the lies appear when Gabriel praises Aziraphale for trying to “turn” Warlock to the good side. It becomes evident that by the end of the series, the angels never had any intention of stopping the war.

We see Michael lie (by omission) when she shows Gabriel the photos of our ineffable duo. She neglects to mention that she got them from Ligur.

The only true difference is the target of their lies and the fact that they all justify their actions under the flag of dogmatic loyalty and their presumed “goodness”. None of the other angels ever quite question their own actions. They simply “do” in the name of the Lord. Their prophecy of a great war drives each of their actions, and each reads it as an immutable fact.

While the vague nature of the prophecy allows them some wiggle room (like Michael conspiring with Ligur, and Gabriel with Beelzebub) to behave and build an ineffable bureaucracy around it, at the end of the day, none of them act like there is even a choice. They presume their destiny has been solidified.

Looking at Gabriel’s insistence that “Wars are not meant to be avoided, they're meant to be won” demonstrates, at least on some level, he firmly believes that angels are predestined to fight, to win, and to crush demons under his shoes. There is no question in his mind then, no wayward thought asking “should we do this” or “is this right”, he simply is following “orders”. There is the implicit belief then, that “to war or not to war” is not “find the solution with the least harm” but rather a really toxic “win or die” mentality. Any dissent, in this framework, must be squashed.

Any dissent...like Aziraphale.

In the GIF above, when Aziraphale asserts that the angels have a choice, “there doesn’t have to be a war.” Look at the condescending posture and the fake smile. His response “Of course there does, otherwise, how would we win it?” speaks volumes to how he sees the situation. There is no choice for him, not necessarily because he doesn’t see there’s no choice, but because the alternative would be losing, and Angels don’t lose.

There’s a real danger for Aziraphale at this moment, although he has been conditioned not to see it. If he is honest to Gabriel, the way Crowley needs him to be as a partner, for posing the question, for insisting that there is a third option. This moment of honesty after several bald-faced lies makes Aziraphale very vulnerable to retaliation. Retaliation, mind you, that we DO see him endure (a la Sandalphon).

THE DEMON IS IN THE DETAILS

Similarly, the demons show that they believe this is their chance to overcome Heaven. That there is no choice on whether or not they will fight, because the choice has been made for them. They must fight. The only question is if they will win. Like the Angels there is no question if they can fight or not, they simply must, and everyone is vying for a role in the destruction.

Interestingly though, while Ligur and Hastur condescend “what is the world coming to if Demons started trusted Demons”, we also see an honesty streak.

Hastur, in particular, is oddly a beacon of honesty, but particularly gullible. Yeah, he’s malicious (we see him burn down the church, threaten Crowley, and kill another demon) but we don’t really see him lie... do we see him lie? Sure he’s wrong a lot, but he’s not good at lying like Crowley is, nor prone to it like Aziraphale is.

For example, we see him openly and honestly communicate with Ligur while they’re sulking, waiting for Crowley to show up. Sure, he’s wrong about what “Caio” means, but is it a lie? It seems more like his arrogance of Italian, transliterating it to an English word than an actual lie.

The closest lie I can think about is when he’s disguised himself to capture Crowley. He doesn’t even lie when he’s reading out Crowley’s crimes to the audience.

Instead, we actually see that he’s actually surprised by Crowley’s lies. As much as he claims not to trust other Demons, when he’s actively pursuing Crowley and Ligur is killed, for a split second, Hastur looks like he believes Crowley’s lie that “the Dark Council” is testing him.

This seems to put extra emphasis on Crowley’s ability to lie but not be unnecessarily cruel (whereas Hastur is cruel but doesn’t lie). Or that choosing to lie to Hell, for the sake of Aziraphale and himself, is paramount.

Crowley, in contrast to Aziraphale, realizes this “must and at no point tries to be honest with Hell. He’s smooth, he’s suave (at least he tries to be) he tries to get out of it, flatly stating that his own role in it (delivering the anti-christ) is not his scene. Then, he tries to stop the end of the world, he convinces Aziraphale it’s needed, gives him the pretext to make that third option a reality, and actively refuses the dichotomy of their bosses.

It’s not until Aziraphale is fully out of the picture (read: presumed dead) that Crowley gives up, that he succumbs to the idea that it really is hopeless. Which, I will come back to.

HUMANITY’S VIRTUE

Meanwhile, humans don’t take well to black/white dichotomies. They neither are heaven incarnate nor hell incarnate. They simply are human. And that means they have choices.

This manifests a few different ways in the series, but first, let’s look specifically at the dynamic between our “predestined” Anathema and our “what the actual fuck is happening right now” Newt.

Anathema (in the series) is pretty much trained in the ways of reading and interpreting Agnes Nutter’s prophecies. She has trained every moment since she was a child in the ways of occult studies and believes to a fault that she has no choice. The clearest example is how she doesn’t (really) choose to sleep with Newt because she liked him, or knew him, or seemed to care at all about his feeling on the matter, but because it was foretold. There is no real sense of choice.

Now, it seemed to have worked out, with them happily ending, but it’s “happiness” balances upon the fact that with Newt’s support, Anathema CHOOSES to reject the predestined nature of being a descendant. While I’m sure Aziraphale weeps over the loss of more accurate prophesies from Agnes Nutter, her decision to burn the second book is crucial not only to her sense of self but to the core message of what it means to be human. To have choices.

Then, there’s Adam, the adversary... >incredibly long title/name<. His friend’s support allows him to make the choices he wants to make, and be proactive with his powers. Aziraphale says it best when he says he feared Adam would be Hell incarnate but hoped he would be Heaven incarnate, but he’s neither, and that’s a GOOD thing.

“An Ineffable Game of Own Creation”

But why go through all of this in an Honesty series?

Consider, for a moment, this phrase “God does not play games with the Universe”. It’s a phrase that nicely bookends the series, appearing prominently in the first few minutes of episode one, and again after Adam and his friends have bested War, Famine, Pollution, and Death. But, what does its appearance mean, if anything?

Choice.

This (book/tv) series is really predicated upon choice. And, consequently the presumed lack thereof our characters have. Again and again, we are shown that the Angels, the demons, Anathema, and even God herself, repeat the idea that “God is not guessing” or “we make no real choices”.

But Adam, Crowley, and Aziraphale reject this notion and actively create an alternative.

Adam rejects his destiny, he rejects his demonic father and chooses to leave the garden (versus the original Adam and Even who were shunned, cast out, and really isn’t that a traumatizing experience in itself?) because he chooses to be human.

But Adam is Human (at least now) how is this relevant to the ineffable duo? Two unquestionably supernatural entities?

Well, Crowley is as far as I can tell upon my 6,000th review of the series, has the series’ best ability to lie, even though few of his demon counterparts do. We’ll chalk it up to his imagination, but with this great power to deceive, he actively chooses to trust Aziraphale, to be honest, even if he’s hurt in the process.

Aziraphale meanwhile is a shit liar, especially compared to Crowley’s and the other Angel’s abilities. But he is a defensive one. He needs to protect himself, then Crowley, then humanity, but he can’t do that until he chooses to occupy the liminal space between Heaven and Hell.

But they can’t do this alone.

This “third” option that they’re carving out for themselves requires them to be blunt and honest and defensively protective of each other. This is why, when Crowley is in the bar, convinced Aziraphale is dead, he breaks down. Without Aziraphale, this third option is unobtainable because there is no one else who could share the space with him. There would be, nobody to love, as it were.

This is also why (I think) the lies from Metatron breaks Aziraphale. If it’s clear, even for an instant, that no one on his “side” is willing to consider an alternative option, an option that would spare demons, then he wants no part of that option. He flatly refuses to fight in a war that would mean the destruction of Crowley and tells the quartermaster as much in his epic swan dive out of Heaven.

This new space is distinctly not human in the literal sense (neither of them is human), but it’s also not heavenly or hellish. It’s a space for them to leave the garden, to continue to be who they are, fight for what they love and feel safe knowing they are a team (romantic or otherwise).

A third space is really what Crowley and Aziraphale have been working for since day one because no other force will consider that maybe, just maybe, there are alternatives to the good/bad, angel/demon, live/death dichotomies Heaven and Hell create for themselves. It is the place that Aziraphale will lie to protect, and Crowley will honestly confront if it means they are finally going the same speed, together.

TLDR: The way that honesty and lies work in this series allows for Crowley and Aziraphale to “break free” as it were and create a space for themselves to exist.

Thanks for coming to my TedTalk

#good omens #Ineffable Husbands #good omens meta #Aziraphale #crowley #anthony janthony crowley #gomens #gomens meta #in this essay I will #thanks for coming to my tedtalk #good omens honesty #good omens lies #meta #please give me feedback #i take constructive criticism #someone give them a hug

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ineffablegoodhusbandsomens · 5 years ago

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Guys, I just made a shocking discovery

So, we all know the church scene, right? How can anyone forget David’s awesome hopping around for like, 5 minutes straight? Anyway, I was reading the fic Someone New, by Freyjawriter24 on AO3 (it’s a really good fic, check it out), and I got to the Church scene, and Crowley was hinting to Aziraphale to protect them from the bomb. Aziraphale thinks he can’t do both at once, and it got me thinking. Why couldn’t he do both at once? And then I realized, it’s because Crowley miracled the bomb to fall, and then turned his miracles to the bag of books behind Aziraphale, and protecting them. I mean, it’s not like he was preoccupied with the bomb, after it was dropped. It literally just needed to fall, and there was plenty of time between the bomb being dropped, and the bomb exploding the church for him to focus on the bag. So, that means that Crowley noticed the bag, knew it was important, came up with a plan to save Aziraphale from the Nazi’s, and decided to do something to impress Aziraphale, by saving his books. But his dumbass realized he and Aziraphale would need to be protected from the bomb too, or else they would get discorporated. So he had to ask Aziraphale to actually save the both of them, while he saved Aziraphale’s books.

#good omens #Ineffable Husbands

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inevitably-johnlocked · 5 years ago

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Okay Okay, so I said this in the cut of this post but because I know not everyone will read a cut especially on an innocuous post, I REALLY REALLY just need y’all to see this realization I made when I was writing the post because my meta brain needs validation that it’s still got it, LOL. So I’m going to make this a separate post and expand on it a bit.

Okay so, the church scene.

I feel like there’s a deeper subtext to why Crowley ACTUALLY showed up there other than preventing Aziraphale from “embarrassing himself”.

It was to prevent Aziraphale from Falling.

Think about it (sorry, lots of jumps):

Later in the series, it’s revealed that the reason Crowley fell was because he “fell in with the wrong crowd” (among other revelations, but this is the important one).

Jump back to Azzie and acquiring prophecy books for the Nazis. Unbeknownst to him, he gets recruited by a British Intelligence agent who is actually a spy for the Nazis, who essentially said that Aziraphale is gullible for helping them (which is true in the sense that he always sees the good in people, so he often has a blind spot for the bad... probably due to Crowley’s influence, but I digress). Azzie would have been "working with the Nazis” for a little while to retrieve the books he needed. It’s made clear that he WAS searching for Nutter’s book and possibly gave up when his time ran out to do the exchange, so I’m guessing a couple months or so.

This here, I think, is Aziraphale inadvertently “falling in with the wrong crowd”.

Azzie then thinks it’s a good idea to do the exchange in a church, probably because he felt he would be safe there, especially with him believing he had the British government and God on his side. I feel like he didn’t know that doing the exchange in a church could easily have been his downfall... Why? Because IF the exchange was successful, it would have been a “demonable” offence and Aziraphale would have fallen.

Now, let me get one thing out there: I don’t know the exact logistics of angels/demons and the “laws” of the world of Good Omens (my only knowledge is of the miniseries), but just humour me here for a minute.

A “successful” exchange would have been the Nazis “killing” Aziraphale. I think the gunshot would have sent Azzie directly to Hell. It wouldn’t have mattered that Azzie’s intentions were inherently good. The fact that he was an ANGEL making “a deal with the devil” to put it metaphorically, IN THE HOUSE OF GOD, would have been significant enough for him to be demonized.

Crowley thought his intentions were good when he fell. Well, so does Azzie. And Crowley presumably was “falling” for a lot longer than Azzie was (in more ways than one, but again, I digress), and was demonized for a bunch of LITTLE things and One Big Thing.

Azzie was going all out and doing ONE BIG THING all at once. And the reason Crowley knew about it was because it’s shown that he “senses bad things”, for lack of a better phrase. THAT’S how he knew where Azzie was, and that’s why he showed up, with a bomb in tow, because fuck if the Nazis destroy the only Good thing in his life. The last thing he wanted was for his big, soft, clever, idiot Angel to fall just because the Higher Powers have a thing against perceived traitors.

So Crowley risks his life and distracts everyone long enough to NOT have Azzie shot, have the bombs fall on the church, and save them both. And because he knew that his Angel had a book kink, he saved those precious books because he wanted to make Azzie happy and not feel like a TOTAL moron for doing what he did. Then Crowley brushes it off like No Big Deal™ and his Angel is none-the-wiser.

He was saving Azzie not only from making a fool of himself, but FROM being demonized for trying to help humanity that would have been perceived wrong by the Higher Powers simply because the “evil” was done in a church. He did it because he loves Azzie for who he is and does not wish what happened to him to happen to Azzie.

It’s a sort of reverse-forshadowing with us finding out later that “falling in with the wrong crowd” is what demonized Crowley, and I LOVE it.

It makes you wonder how many other times that Crowley keeps pulling his stupid Angel out of Trouble™ so as to keep him from falling because he’s a gullible gentle idiot.

Also: Super extra of Crowley to send bombs to destroy the people trying to hurt his boyfriend...

Love bombs, indeed.

#my meta #i'm back baby #it's nice to feel inspired again #good omens #go spoilers #go church scene #ineffable husbands #writing prompts #because i'd love to see a five and one of that last line #where the last one is azzie realizing that crowley is saving him #go character analysis

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codicesandflora · 5 years ago

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I keep thinking about that moment during Episode Three in the church just after Crowley saves Aziraphale from the Nazis and Aziraphale finds out that Crowley went the extra mile to save his books too.

Aziraphale watches Crowley walk away and yes, this is clearly someone who has just realized that he has Definite Feelings for Crowley....

But the more times I watch this scene, the more I start to think that it goes beyond Aziraphale becoming fully aware of how deep his feelings are.

It’s also that he can’t deny now that he is justified in having them.

I mean, sure, they had been on friendly (or friendlier) terms for a while now, and Crowley had helped him out more than once by this point. But I think Aziraphale might have still found himself explaining away the goodwill Crowley was showing toward him in far more pragmatic terms.

“Of course he’s helping me out. We have an Arrangement after all.” “If something happened that led to my being replaced, Crowley would have to start all over again. And who knows if my replacement would be willing to go along with this Arrangement. it’s convenient for Crowley to make sure nothing happens to me.” “Besides, part of that Arrangement means helping each other when needed, right? He’s simply honoring the terms of our Arrangement.” “And he’s not so bad for a demon. He’s just doing the decent thing.”

So while Aziraphale might feel genuine gratitude and even affection toward Crowley for the kindnesses the demon has shown him, there would still be that sliver of doubt. That nagging idea that Crowley is just doing what gives him the most benefit.

But when Crowley saves Aziraphale’s books, that reasoning has no choice but to disintegrate completely.

There was no real need for Crowley to do that. It played no part in saving their lives. Heaven isn’t interested in those books and it’s doubtful Hell would be either. The only person who actually benefits from saving them is Aziraphale. Consequently, the only logical reason why Crowley would save them is for his sake.

That gesture is the embodiment of kindness. Doing something for someone else just to make them happy and with no thought of reward. Crowley, a demon, was being nice to him when he didn’t necessarily have to be.

And that is why Aziraphale can no longer read purely selfish intent into all of Crowley’s interactions with him. Crowley must Feel Something for him too. That’s the needed push for Aziraphale’s own emotions to really take hold in his heart. Because he knows now that they’re not based entirely on wishful thinking. There is something more behind what Crowley does in regards to him, something generous and caring.

Consequently, Aziraphale’s affection for Crowley would intensify because...when else is someone that nice to him? Other angels go out of their way to dismiss or belittle him. Other demons would either fear or loathe him (or maybe hold a mixture of both). Crowley is the one person in Aziraphale’s life who attends to his feelings.

Thus, I think that’s not just the look of someone who is falling even more in love. That’s also someone who has just become overwhelmed by the notion that someone is actually putting a priority on his happiness.

#good omens #random thoughts #aziraphale #crowley

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pastelbrachypelma · 5 years ago

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Sooo...

Remember how I said ages ago...that I might write some Good Omens RPF?

Well...I did it.

David paced up and down the trailer, anxiously pulling at his shirt. He couldn’t rest, not until he’d heard from her.

“Hello!” Georgia’s bright, lively voice greeted him, and David felt himself relax a bit.

“Georgia...hi.” David smiled. “It’s good to hear your voice. How are you?”

Georgia giggled. “You worry too much! I’m fine! This is, like, my seventh time being pregnant. It’s not like I’m suffering.” She grunted, presumably as the baby kicked her; this little one was feisty. “...much.”

“I’m just wondering how you are, that’s all,” David leaned up against the counter in the trailer’s small kitchen. The Good Omens set might have had big-name stars, but it was a small-ish production, all things considered. Nothing like the movies he’d worked on in L.A., or even the massive demand of an American television set. It felt more like hanging out with friends...when the camera wasn’t rolling, anyway.

Georgia sighed at him fondly. “I know. I worry about you, too. You can get into your own head so much that you forget to have fun. Really, I promise I’m doing well. I’d tell you if I wasn’t.”

“That’s true.” And comforting. He never had to guess with Georgia; her candid nature was something that he absolutely adored about her. “How are the kids?”

“Being very helpful. They even made me breakfast!”

“Oh dear.”

“Yeah, it was a bit of a mess...but they meant well.”

“Don’t they always?”

Georgia chuckled, and David could picture her smile perfectly, which made him smile as well. “Don’t work so hard, all right? You’ll make yourself sick one of these days.”

“I’ll be fine.” David rolled his eyes fondly. “Suppose I’d better go catch kraft services before someone takes the last plate.”

“You had better,” Georgia warned him. “If there weren’t labor laws, I swear you’d work straight through lunch daily.”

“I just go where they tell me, Georgia.”

“As you should.” Georgia made a kissing noise through the phone. “Love you.”

“Love you too.”

David held the phone away from his ear, smiling as he fiddled with it, sliding it between his fingers. He’d been so worried about leaving Georgia while she was pregnant to do the filming for Good Omens, and now that she was showing in proper fashion, he worried even more. Especially because he couldn’t exactly catch a taxi or an Uber back home to see her. They were filming on location, which was sometimes a pain if it was far away and he got nervous like this. Most of the time, it was nice, though.

David sighed, stretching with a grunt, and pocketed his phone. Now that his fears were abated, he realized he was hungry. He’d been so preoccupied that morning, what with hair and makeup and costumes, that he’d barely caught kraft services, and by then, he had to eat a banana and report to set. It wasn’t the worst, not by a long shot, but sometimes, he longed to work on American productions again. Kraft services were amazing in America, and always well-stocked.

However, upon following his nose to where the lunch catering was set up for the day, he found that the kraft service workers were clearing up, and that only a few assistants were hanging around, drinking tea and chatting. His heart sank, and he felt his stomach turn over itself once or twice. It wasn’t very pleasant.

With a heavy sigh, David turned back to his trailer. He probably still had a granola bar or something left over from breakfast, something to tide him over. He liked to think he was never a very grumpy person to work with, but he knew that if he started to get tired, he could end up being much more aloof than usual, and with Neil and Michael and everyone watching…

“Hey! David!”

Speak of the devil. David mustered up a shy smile, crossing his arms over his chest as Michael appeared from the lingering crowd of people. That white-blond cloud of hair, chosen for the character he was playing, looked out of place with Michael’s street clothes. It only really suited him when he was in costume.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” Michael clasped David’s shoulder. He was bombastic and full of energy. And loud. Living in America had really rubbed off on him, not that David minded that most of the time. It made him great to play off of in interviews, and made David laugh in between takes, helping him relax and get back into character. Whatever Crowley and Aziraphale were actually supposed to be with each other, it always helped him visualize a centuries-old relationship after he’d broke character because of Michael making faces at him from across the room. “Where were you?”

“Trailer,” David shrugged, smiling sheepishly. “Calling Georgia.”

Michael’s smile burned from wide and beaming to fond and sympathetic. That was another thing that bonded them; they both had someone pregnant waiting for them at home. It was nice to talk to someone who understood. “Yeah, I understand, mate. How is she?”

“Well enough to tell me off for worrying,” David admitted sheepishly, chuckling. “She’s done this all before, so…”

“All your fault for breeding like rabbits,” Michael teased, elbowing him and making David laugh genuinely. “Hey, mind running lines for a bit before we have to head to set?”

“Ah, no…” David shook his head, feeling a bit woozy. “Think I might go have a lie-down before call time…”

A knowing glint sparkled in Michael’s eyes. “Ah, you missed lunch, didn’t you? Bad luck, that. It was, as Aziraphale would say, scrumptious.”

“Aye, rub it in, why don’tchya?” David swatted at him playfully. “Seriously. If I don’t get my head down, I’ll be a broody monster, and I don’t wanna frighten off the techs.”

“Nah, fuck that!” Michael exclaimed joyfully. “C’mon! Catering’s got leftovers! I’m sure we can ask them for some.”

“No, it’s all right--oi!” David found himself jerked forward as Michael grabbed him bodily by the arm and dragged him forward. “Knock it off, Michael!” He protested, though it was rather ruined by his laughter. “We’re like kids in a schoolyard!”

“Damn right!” Michael called back at him, grinning like a fool. “You’ve got top billing, David. There’s no way Neil, Douglas, or any of them would want you on set half-starved!”

“Ah...well…” David tried to protest further, but the words died in his throat as Michael dragged him towards the catering trucks. He couldn’t help it; his mouth started to water, and breakfast seemed farther away by the minute. “Mmm.”

“Good, yeah?” Michael was smiling like a dog that just brought back a particularly impressive stick. “I swear, they sprung for the good stuff today.”

David looked around helplessly at the caterers putting away half-full dishes and soup containers and felt his stomach growl. Georgia would kill him if she found out he’d skipped a meal to fuss over her for nothing, but he didn’t want to be a nuisance either. “Michael, they’re already packing up for the day, I can’t--”

“You can,” Michael said seriously, his eyes glinting, “and you shall. C’mon.”

“W-wait--!”

But it was too late. Michael paraded them in front of one of the attendants, who was busy packing away a large container of some kind of pasta alfredo dish. “Excuse me, miss, but my friend here missed last call. Any chance you could sneak him a plate?”

The catering lady shrugged. “Sure thing. We’ve got plenty left.” She grabbed a disposable plate sitting nearby and piled some pasta onto it. “Would you like fish as well? We’ve got breaded flounder.”

“Yes, please,” David said shyly, smiling kindly. “Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it.” The woman handed David the plate she’d made with a bland smile. He returned it with a genuine one; this was already more than he expected.

But it seemed Michael wasn’t done yet. “Oh, look! Those grilled vegetables were outstanding! And you’ve got to have a roll, of course...and that cheesecake was divine..!”

Once the two men reemerged, each of their hands carrying a plate, they realized they had only a half an hour before call time.

“C’mon,” Michael beckoned, tilting his head. “My trailer’s closer.”

David snorted. “I swear if I find your boxers on the counter again…”

“That was one time! And you surprised me!”

The two men laughed, sitting themselves at the booth in Michael’s trailer. The older man shoved the plates he was carrying over towards David, relaxing in the booth as the leaner of the two of them tucked in with rightful enthusiasm. Michael couldn’t help smiling, his eyes and mind drifting to the bustle of the crew outside. He marveled at them sometimes, how they did as much, if not more, work than himself and his fellow actors, and yet only got credit when the award shows rolled around. If that.

David’s fond laugh brought him back to the present moment, and he leaned in towards his friend, elbows resting on the table. “What’s so funny, eh?”

The other man sighed, twirling a bit of past around his fork. “Just thinking that I’m not going to be able to eat all this. And the scene I’m filming...I don’t think I can be too full for it.” he frowned.

“Oh, go on,” Michael flapped his hand dismissively. “By the time we get into costume, you’ll be all right. Honestly, you’ll burn it off in two seconds. Remember what we’re filming.”

David nodded, mouth full, and spoke only after swallowing. Bloody man and his manners. “Right, yeah, the church scene.”

“Exactly,” Michael watched David easily polish off the rest of the pasta and half the fish with satisfaction. “Crowley’s supposed to rescue Aziraphale. It won’t do if you’re swooning into my arms.”

“Oi,” David laughed, kicking at Michael’s shins. “You’re always saying that’s what Aziraphale really wants. We’ll give the fans what they ask for.”

“Hm,” Michael pretended deep contemplation. “Well, guess it depends on who you ask...some people seem to like Crowley dominant.”

David sputtered, coughing, and reached for his water bottle. “Oh my God,” he breathed, mock-glaring at Michael. “Bastard. I could’ve choked!”

Michael snorted. “I’d have saved you. Who else would play Crowley, if not you?”

“Aww,” David crooned sarcastically.

There was a bit of silence while David finished his plate. Michael yawned, stretching, and threw one arm over the back of the booth as he slouched, definitely not watching David eating the cheesecake. Well, he could sympathize with Crowley, at least. What was so...interesting about watching someone eat, anyway? At least David had some food in him. His co-star had looked incredibly piquey during the morning’s filming, and when pressed, he admitted to missing the breakfast cart. He’d been worried when he hadn’t seen David at lunch, but hadn’t thought to check his trailer.

“Still need that nap?” Michael asked. “We've still got fifteen minutes, and you can have my couch for a bit.”

“Nah, i’ll be all right,” David beamed. “I feel better now. Thank you.”

“It’s like I said. Can’t have you swooning into my arms.”

“Oi. I am not a blushing bride!”

#david tennant #michael sheen #rpf #real person fiction #good omens #*coughs*#personal #uhh yep so #that happened #please go comment on ao3 even if you read it here ok #it would make my day

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theres-a-goldensky · 5 years ago

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32 + 6 Good Omens Fic Recs

There have been so many good stories to come out of the Good Omens fandom that I thought I should finally go about making a rec list and give credit to the ones that have given me the most joy.

As ever, feel free to reblog and check out my other rec lists for the following fandoms:

The Untamed list one and two - various pairings, mostly Wangxian

IT chapter 2 list one and two - Reddie

Various BL Series fic (fandoms: Love By Chance, TharnType, 2Moons series, My Engineer, Until We Meet Again, 2gether, History3: Trapped)

Or just head over to my bookmarks on AO3.

All fics are completed. All fics are Aziraphale/Crowley.

** denotes a favorite

1. you knew my name on sight by brinnanza - “This wasn’t me, you know,” Crowley says, the words out of his mouth before he’s made the conscious choice to utter them. “Not just the library, but the whole civil war. You know me; I’ve mostly been getting drunk at Bacchanals.”

“I know,” says Aziraphale. (general, 8,300 words)

Reccer’s note: Aziraphale knows Crowley, perhaps even better than he knows himself. This is a bittersweet story about two human shaped-beings who love the Earth, even when it hurts.

2. End with Hope by PepperPrints - In 537 A.D., the Black Knight enters King Arthur's Tournament of Champions, with quite disastrous consequences, and Sir Aziraphale of the Round Table takes it upon himself to intervene -- which, naturally, also turns out to be quite disastrous in itself. (explicit, 15,888 words)

Reccer’s note: Such great pining from Crowley here. This is a really meaty story with a satisfying ending and a gorgeous sex scene, but it definitely leaves me wishing for a modern sequel to see what happens next.

3. Fraternizing by kalpurna - Aziraphale has an unexpected house guest. Crowley disapproves. (explicit, 5,720 words)

Reccer’s note: A curious young angel comes down from Heaven to investigate what things are like on Earth. He asks a lot of very...awkward questions about Aziraphale and Crowley’s relationship. It seems to diverge from canon in that Heaven knows about Aziraphale working with Crowley and sort of looks the other way.

4. Some strangeness in the proportion by trailingoff - ‘I assume your punishment involved the destruction of the demon, but I am not aware of the details,’ says the Angel. ‘The description was redacted from your file and labelled “Highly Classified” with a red stamp.’

*Aziraphale is trying to mourn in peace, but the cause of his grief keeps bothering him. (teen, 11,461 words)

Reccer’s note: Heavy angst warning. This one hurt, but in the best way. Angst with a happy ending. Gabriel figures out the best way to hurt Aziraphale: he makes Crowley into another soulless angel. This story contains grieving and suicidal ideation and attempted suicide. Aziraphale does not take Crowley’s passing well.

5. In Style by shinyopals - ‘You can’t get kidnapped by the forces of Hell looking like that!’ insists Crowley. ‘I have certain standards to maintain!’

Letting someone else drive your body is weird enough without them accidentally ruining your look. Luckily Crowley's around to fix things. (general, 2,124 words)

Reccer’s note: I am an absolute sucker for stories about playing with hair or massage or any kind of pleasant, comforting touching, and this is a great one. I liked Crowley’s voice in this, and the whole thing was very sweet and cozy.

6. Birds of a Feather by idiopathicsmile - “Isn’t this nice?” says Aziraphale with badly feigned casualness the next time Crowley stops by for a late night drink.

Crowley is all set to reply, words lined up in his mouth waiting to go, when Aziraphale adds, “I mean, all of the books and furniture and bottles of wine and things?”

Aziraphale nests. Crowley relearns some crucial facts about angelic courtship rituals. (teen, 3608 words)

Reccer’s note: Aziraphale decides to go all in on courting Crowley, but Crowley is entirely befuddled by what is happening. Some nice mutual pining here, followed by a bit of supernatural, glowy sex.

7. By Definition by idiopathicsmile - Aziraphale has certainly dabbled in the world of carnal delights over the years, most notably in the late nineteenth century, when a certain infernal adversary was enjoying a century-long nap and seemingly the only way to pass the time had been to develop some hobbies. (explicit, 3074 words)

Reccer’s note: Aziraphale is not that into sex, but he’s VERY into Crowley and watching him come apart beneath him. And Crowley is VERY interested in, you know, having that happen. So things work out quite nicely. Even though the physical sensations of sex don’t do much for him, the author does a nice job of showing how Aziraphale still luxuriates in watching Crowley. It’s super hot. Crowley agrees.

8. I am not scared of the elements by sparklespiff - After the loveliest meal of his entire existence, Aziraphale followed Crowley back to the Bentley. He wondered if it would be too forward to try to hold Crowley's free hand, or if he ought to wait for Crowley to reach out. Probably he should wait. Crowley had done the asking, after all, and would better know what he was doing. And anyway, riding in the Bentley was dangerous enough without removing one of Crowley's hands from doing something theoretically necessary for the operation of an automobile.

or: Two occult/ethereal beings with one (1) brain cell between them attempt to end 6000 years of pining. (general, 3609 words)

Reccer’s note: Aziraphale thinks it’s go time after the events of the show, but Crowley believes that Aziraphale has once again put on the brakes. They’re working at cross-purposes, but they both want the same thing. Eventually it all works out.

9. attachment by artenon - 1941. Crowley is hurt more than he lets on from walking on the consecrated ground of the church. Aziraphale takes care of him while grappling with the realization that he's in love with Crowley. (teen, 4455 words)

A bit of mild hurt/comfort. It’s always nice when stories have Aziraphale helping Crowley, because it’s often the other way around. And you can never go wrong with a good h/c.

10. speeding up by tamerofdarkstars - Crowley stopped calculating the minute shifts required to bring his knee into contact with Aziraphale’s and looked instead at the divine being next to him currently licking butter off his fingers.

“Wait. You picked this because you thought I’d like it?” (general, 1725 words)

Reccer’s note: This is one of the shortest fics on the list, but what it lacks in length, it makes up for in utter preciousness. So many pure ‘what if I held his hand??’ thoughts.

11.** Five Times Crowley Fails To Demonically Seduce Anyone, And One Time He Doesn't Need To by shinyopals - 'I need you to tell me how to find a human willing to have sex with me, and then how to persuade them to actually do it in the least unpleasant way possible for everyone involved. If I don’t manage at least one seduction, I’m going to get recalled back Down There.’

Aziraphale stared at Crowley for a moment. ‘I think…’ he said delicately, ‘that we should have that drink.’ (mature, 11,166 words)

Reccer’s note: Oh, the feelings. The feelings. Crowley is forced by Hell to engage in some human seduction, when all he wants to do is be seduced by Aziraphale. The pining. The light angst. The gorgeous ending. Read this story.

12. ** Anywhere You Want to Go by Aria - Aziraphale knew Crowley liked him. He'd known it with a horrible clarity since around 1100, which was at least a thousand years after the first time he'd thought of kissing Crowley, and some eight hundred and odd before it occurred to him that the specific quality of Crowley's regard could be very dangerous for both of them, if they actually admitted their feelings aloud.

It was also two weeks since any of that had mattered at all anymore. (explicit, 9990 words)

Reccer’s note: I wish this story was about 10,000 words longer. The sweet and slow coming together here is lovely. This is a South Downs cottage story, where, after everything, Aziraphale is finally ready to face his feelings for Crowley and Crowley’s feelings for him in return. Crowley’s disbelieving, besotted, overwhelmed reaction is my new favorite thing in this fandom.

13. human childcare for the occult (and ethereal) by suzukiblu - The Dowlings miraculously need a nanny and a gardener at the same time, and Aziraphale suggests they flip for it. Crowley takes one moment to picture Aziraphale nannying anyone and calls dibs. It’s not that Aziraphale’s terrible with humans, he’s just, well. Terrible with humans. Truly, truly terrible.

He doesn’t want to deal with Aziraphale getting metaphorically guillotined or kicking up security’s paranoia, basically. A gardener can be a little odd, and no one will notice or care. Except Warlock, perhaps, as the only other person with any real reason to spend much time out on the lawn, but Warlock’s the one they want noticing so that’ll be fine, Crowley’s sure.

Even if it does make him cringe a little, leaving Aziraphale in charge of the plants. (general, 11,954 words)

Reccer’s note: As with all nanny/gardener stories, you need to mentally erase Aziraphale’s horrifying gardener disguise from your brain in order to enjoy this. But this tale of Crowley and Aziraphale becoming “godfathers” to Warlock and making a cozy little life together at the Dowlings is wonderful.

14. Naps and Other Surprises by out_there - The angel is a surprisingly good kisser. All soft lips and gentle sighs, and the careful graze of fingertips along Crowley's jaw. But there's also the scrape of fingernails at the nape of his neck, the pins and needles shiver it sends down his spine, the slightest catch of teeth on his lower lip. (explicit, 4,312 words)

Reccer’s note: Another slow and cozy fic that starts with Aziraphale slowly and carefully giving Crowley a massage and ends with him slowly and carefully eating Crowley out. Pretty nice day for Crowley tbh.

15 & 16. Ineffable Endearments series by TheLadyZephyr - So far this series includes two stories: Four times Crowley called Aziraphale "sweetheart" without noticing (and One time he did) and Four times Crowley fails to cope with Aziraphale using a pet name (and One time he starts to get used to it)

(not rated, 6,130 words total for the series)

Reccer’s note: Look, if you’re going to do the pet names things, I think you have to really lean into it, and that’s what this author does. It’s sweet how adorably flustered they each get in these stories. So fluffy.

17. An Angel who did not so much Fall In Love as Settle Into It Gradually by TheLadyZephyr - Crowley was standing in the middle of the room, hands in his pockets, looking a little lost. Aziraphale eyed the distance between them. Five steps. Five steps, and six thousand years, and a battlefield spanning an eternity.

The story of the little moments over the millennia that shape an angel’s regard for a demon, and the way he slowly, with great reluctance but inevitable surety, falls in love. (general, 7,548 words)

Reccer’s note: I wish more stories would span the centuries the way that this one does. There’s so much material ripe for a good love story in it, and this author seems to understand that. Slow burn that I wish was a little slower, but still left me satisfied, especially the kiss at the end, when Aziraphale literally says “fuck it.”

18. get religion quick (cause you're looking divine) by brinnanza - So it was fine. Even if Crowley couldn’t love him, he clearly liked him well enough, and that was almost the same thing.

It no doubt would have continued to be fine, or at least fine-adjacent, were it not for a narrowly averted apocalypse and several bottles of a really quite nice Riesling Aziraphale had found in the back room of his newly restored bookshop. (general, 4,285 words)

Reccer’s note: Why, why, why aren’t there more stories with Aziraphale being sure that Crowley can’t love him? This is wonderful seeing the pining from the other side. And of course Aziraphale is completely wrong and completely silly, but that just makes it better. Stars in my eyes for this one.

19. Wings and How to Hide Them by triedunture - Crowley's been annoyingly in love for six thousand years. What's another lifetime between friends?

Or: Aziraphale definitely fucks and isn't that just perfect? (Mature,10,134 words)

Reccer’s note: Crowley knows that Aziraphale has sex, so he assumes it must just be him he doesn’t want. Aziraphale, meanwhile, assumes that Crowley just isn’t Into That. 6000 years of Crowley pining. I will honestly never get enough of this trope. Not ever. I will die wanting more.

20. the first week of the rest of their lives by Deputychairman - “Port gives the worst hangovers in the world, did you know that?” Crowley slurred when the bottle was all gone. “Don’t know who got credit for that one. Nice drink, lovely drink, shame it makes you want to die in the morning.”

“Such a shame,” Aziraphale agreed sadly, watching Crowley stretch out on his sofa. He did like port. He liked Crowley stretched out on his sofa, too. (mature, 4,618 words)

Reccer’s note: The world doesn’t end, but Aziraphale needs a bit of time to ease himself into the idea of a life with Crowley. Crowley obliges him, as ever. I like the way that the sex feels inevitable here, like they’re just falling naturally into it. I also like that Crowley is the one to ravish Aziraphale first.

21. Not So Blue by pineapplecrushface - Aziraphale presses his suit. Crowley mostly has a lot of questions. (mature, 5,501 words)

Reccer’s note: After the events of the show, things start to change and Crowley doesn’t know if he’s quite ready for it. The way that Crowley comes to recognize Aziraphale’s feelings for what they are was so beautiful.

22. Almost Human Moments by shinyopals - The fact that Crowley's largest contribution to saving the world had been to encourage a scared child was an uncomfortable fact that he was endeavouring to bottle up. He was actually doing quite well at bottling it up because of all the other uncomfortable facts he was currently dealing with that he couldn’t even begin to figure out how to bottle up.

Such as: Hell was going to find him, and make him pay.

After the Apocalypse-that-wasn't, Crowley broods, Aziraphale thinks, and somehow they manage to muddle through. (teen, 6,701 words)

Reccer’s note: The visceral and immediate reaction that Crowley has to the idea of Aziraphale going down to Hell was so lovely. There’s also some very intense hand holding that really pushes my buttons. The world needs more desperate hand holding.

23. ** Ever After by ArabellaFaith - We all know they're in love. But maybe, now that the head offices are off their backs, Crowley and Aziraphale can actually DO something about it.

A rambling descent into love confessions, sexual exploration, and what it means for these two to live happily ever after. (explicit, 16,450 words)

Reccer’s note: So much sex. So much really, really good sex. Desperate sex. First time sex. Sex with feelings Is there anything better in fanfic? I really don’t think so.

24 & 25. ** It’s Not The End of the World, Dear series by jessthereckless - Series includes two stories so far: Lie Back And Think Of Dinner and Still My Heart Has Wings

After averting the apocalypse, Crowley and Aziraphale re-examine their relationship and reach the obvious conclusion: they're retired, they're in love and they're damn well going to enjoy it. Providing, of course, that they can stay out of trouble. (mature, 20,745 words total for the series)

Reccer’s note: WHY ISN’T THERE MORE MAGICAL SEX IN THIS FANDOM? I want literally earth-shattering orgasms, give them to me, people. These stories are so good, because the author packs so much feeling and sensuality into every agonized scene between them. There’s desperation, there’s so much love, and there’s really weird-but-hot sex.

26. Taking the Liberty by CartWrite - After swapping bodies (but before their respective sides come for them), Aziraphale spends the night in Crowley's flat trying to figure out how to talk, walk, and be convincing as Crowley. Trouble is, he's such a convincing Crowley, he starts to convince himself to... well. Things get out of hand. (explicit, 3,463 words)

Reccer’s note: Is it really masturbation if you’re bodyswapped with the guy you’ve spent 6000 years pretending not to be obsessed with? Asking for a friend.

27. a city wall and a trampoline by kafkian - In their cottage in the South Downs, when Crowley eventually succeeds in getting Aziraphale to use a laptop, it takes Aziraphale literal hours to get past the default Windows screensavers of picturesque locations because 'oh, look, isn't it lovely, Crowley!'

5 times Crowley knows he’s in love with Aziraphale + 1 time he knows the reverse. (teen, 4,727 words)

Reccer’s note: Crowley just being so endlessly fond of Aziraphale fills me with so much joy. And it’s here again. It’s technically five times that he knows he’s in love with Aziraphale, but it’s also five times that Crowley tries so hard to make Aziraphale happy.

28. A Home at the Beginning of the World by stereobone - "Oh," Aziraphale says. "I think Crowley might have moved in with me." (explicit, 5,867 words)

Reccer’s note: A visit with Anathema and Newt helps Aziraphale realize some very clear things that he’s been missing.

29. Too Generous by rfsmiley - “You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged; but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever.”

Or: what happened after the [ we all got hit by a ] bus scene (aka "you could stay at my place, if you like")....(teen, 1,501 words)

Reccer’s note: Crowley offers Aziraphale the bed, and Aziraphale suggests that there would be room for two. Contains slinky Crowley, which there should just be more of in the world.

30. His Banner Over Me by pineapplecrushface - Three of Aziraphale's excellent ideas, and how Crowley (very casually) obliges him, as a friend does. (explicit, 5475 words)

Reccer’s note: Handjobs. Just...truly excellent mutual handjobs. \

And finally, because this is my blog and I can, here is a list of my own stories for after you finish all the recs above:

1. The Seduction Malfunction - “Disguise yourself,” Hastur said. “Pretend you’re a priest, or better yet, an altar boy. Their lot can’t resist an altar boy.”

Crowley held in a hysterical bubble of laughter as he imagined Aziraphale’s horrified face at being confronted with Crowley disguised as a lascivious altar boy. He’d feed him soup and give him a good talking to before sending him on his way.

Crowley gets orders to seduce Aziraphale to the dark side. It goes about as well as you might expect. (teen, 5,441 words)

2. Transference - There was always a low level hum of attraction and lust in the air when Crowley was around. In fact, Aziraphale couldn’t recall a single time, after their first meeting on the wall, when he hadn’t watched Crowley dazzle and transfix every poor human that they encountered. He’d even seen Eve give him the eye when he was in his human form, back in the day, and she’d been with child at the time.

Aziraphale couldn’t blame them for falling victim to Crowley’s considerable wiles. He was a demon, after all. Tempting was in the job description. Plus, he’d clearly designed his human form to be utterly irresistible to all humans, from his eye-catching hair down to his stylish clothing. It was overkill, if you asked Aziraphale. But then, he supposed, overkill wasn’t really a thing with demons.

Aziraphale would win a gold medal in Mental Gymnastics. (mature, 4,282 words)

3. Step in the Bright Lights - The angel was holding court on the walking path surrounded by a passel of small children and their bored parents. He wore an absolutely ridiculous magician’s costume, complete with a top hat, cape, black wand, and a painted on mustache above his upper lip that had Crowley recoiling in horror. On a table in front of Aziraphale was a sign that proclaimed: THE AMAZING MISTER FELL AND HIS REMARKABLE FEATS OF PRESTIDIGITATION.

He almost turned right around, but then Aziraphale spotted him and waved enthusiastically, stopping in the middle of a bit involving some handkerchiefs coming out of his sleeve to greet him.

“Oh, look, children! It’s the Amazing Mr. Fell’s very special assistant, Signor Crowley!”

Aziraphale picks up some new hobbies. Crowley has no chill. (teen, 3,311 words)

4. Something To Talk About - He had the sudden and almost overwhelming desire to reach out and take Crowley’s hand. An absurd notion, of course. In 6000 years, Crowley had never shown any inclination towards physical affection for Aziraphale, despite their shared feelings. Aziraphale had long ago accepted that any gentle touch from him would have Crowley stepping hastily away and otherwise ignoring Aziraphale’s attempts. Or at least he had accepted it, until their delicate status quo had been disrupted.

Aziraphale jumps to some very inaccurate conclusions. (explicit, 3,664 words)

5. To Rest My Weary Soul - “Are you saying I feel like this because of my time in Hell? I thought you meant moral consequences.”

“Since when do I give a toss about moral consequences, angel? No, you’ve got a Hell hangover. Must have hit once the adrenaline wore off,” Crowley answered.

“Hell hangover?” Aziraphale repeated incredulously.

Aziraphale's trip down to Hell leaves him worse for wear. (teen, 3,945 words)

Bonus: Podfic by FayJay

6. Taking the Long Way - Crawley nodded down at the sweaty humans undulating in a frightfully uncomfortable-looking position below them. “Mating,” he clarified. “One of God’s better ideas, if you ask me. Looks like it could be fun.”

“Does it?” Aziraphale asked doubtfully. “It’s all a bit sticky for my tastes. I think She had the right of it with plants. Pollination seems much more sensible.”

It takes Aziraphale 6000 years to catch up. (explicit, 6,919 words)

#good omens #good omens fic #fic recs #reclist #ineffable husbands #ineffable husbands fic rec #ineffable husbands fic #aziraphale/crowley

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duocreatix · 5 years ago

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Ok, can I talk a little thing (or two) about Good Omens impressions?

Or actually, can I talk a little about the development of their love story as shown in the (glorious) third episode?

I was re-watching the series with my husband and, when it came to this specific episode, some things came to my mind while watching the marvelous half an hour of it that I’d like to put into words for a better understanding, for me and for y’all that maybe agree with me.

First of all, I’m gonna start from the idea that Crowley wasn’t primarily in love with him since the Garden of Eden, but acquired a heavy interest, almost an obsession, towards Aziraphale (the first angel that treated him as an equal) that slowly translated into pure affection (and eventual love) throughout 6000 years together. Where this transition occurred is not clear during the scenes, since the whole flashback is told from the angel’s point of view… except the 1967 scene, and this is important.

Secondly, I’ve already seen many people discussing that, in the 1941 church scene, Aziraphale didn’t found out he was in love with Crowley, but that he was being loved back, and I personally agree with this thinking line. This is also very important.

Why? Let’s go back a little bit…

(This is gonna be long, please bear with me…)

So, based on what’s written in the book, Aziraphale and Crowley agreed on sealing the Arrangement in 1020 AD, and the series showed very well the changes in their dynamics between 537 AD (before the Arrangement) and 1601 (after the Arrangement), where I’ll start.

Aziraphale leaves this marvelously obvious when he basically smiles at the sight of Crowley (even though he also smiled when saw him at Rome in 41 AD) and, well, asking for extra favors with that puppy eyes of him…

(and Crowley accepting, which is adorable in my opinion)

They’re doing favors to each other for almost 600 years by then, seeing each other more frequently than ever, so yes, they’re already seeing each other as friends (or at least kind of coworkers). Is Crowley spoiling the angel and said angel is starting to take advantage of this demon’s tendency? Absolutely. But romance…? Maybe not yet.

And then, well, comes French Revolution and Aziraphale is locked in the Bastille in the verge of being discorporated and Crowley comes to the rescue. Maybe the angel hadn’t fallen in love yet with the demon, but I’m in favor of the theory that, being the bastard that we already noticed he can be, Aziraphale walked into France aware he wasn’t appropriately suited for the historical moment (and with a miracle restraint) hoping to run into Crowley. So, yeah, that would justify the literal stars that shone in his eyes when he listened to his demon’s voice:

I could screenshot this entire scene piece by piece to prove my point, but I won’t, ok? The entire development leaves clear their mutual pining and how used to Crowley being always there Aziraphale became in those 770 years of Arrangement, to the point of risking his human form in the name of gluttony, almost in a leap of faith because he was sure Crowley would save him at the end.

(Aaaand he does all this not so little selfish things conscious that they could bring problems to Crowley, as he mentioned during the Globe Theatre scene, but the demon keeps doing anyway just to please his angel… Is Crowley already in love? Probably yes)

And then we arrive in 1862, and that for me was the breaking point in their relationship. Up to now, as I mentioned, Aziraphale always had the certainty that Crowley would be there for him, but this drastically changes here. I have my own thoughts about the holy water situation, and what amazes me the most is the fact that, instead of reading Crowley’s request as “I want holy water so I have a weapon to use against other demons if they ever come to me”, he read like “I want holy water to end my own life in case everything goes wrong”.

You can see, right here, his change of posture:

What does it mean? Simply that, for the first time in 5840 years, Aziraphale felt the fear of really losing Crowley, forever, no coming back, and panicked. The panic was big enough to label their relationship as other thing than friendship (probably as a defense mechanism against the fear of losing, even what they have done all those millenia is, indeed, fraternizing), which enrages Crowley: So what you’re saying is that I’ve been fooling myself all these centuries thinking of you as a friend, as someone I could trust my fucking demon life???

Thinking about it while writing, the whole “I-don’t-need-you-And-the-feeling-is-mutual-obviously” sounds like pure bickering from both sides trying to hurt the other. Do they succeed into it? Marvelously: they stop talking to each other, Crowley probably goes to his century-long nap (while hating himself for the fact that he knows he loves the angel, otherwise he wouldn’t be so angry with the fraternizing thing), and Aziraphale starts attending Gentlemen’s Clubs to forget his sorrows and try to detach from Crowley (any ficwriter can insert Oscar Wilde right here in Azi’s life). Their relationship ruins from here, and they’ll never be the same.

So, we arrive at 1941, both angel and demon living their lives fully apart from each other… but Crowley is unable to refrain himself from worrying about his angel. And then, that pathetic excuse of a demon, aware that Aziraphale was manipulated by the Nazis to hand over his precious books and was about to be discorporated again, enters a church, steps on consecrated ground and diverges a whole enemy attack to save the angel he loves.

Meanwhile, Aziraphale really considers he’s totally alone this time (i.e. without the guarantee of Crowley being around, because he barely knows if he still exists), doomed, forced to being discorporated and having to deal with celestial paperwork… Look at the despair in his eyes:

Thankfully, things go well and the two escape miraculously from the explosion, and Aziraphale can breathe again, like things can almost go back to how they were before. Almost.

And then comes The Scene:

And that’s here, the exact moment, when Crowley, more than saving his life (which, btw, he had no obligation to do), also saved his books, that Aziraphale actually feels Crowley’s love for him emanating for the first time, and it leaves the angel absolutely astonished. His feelings are being returned for real, and he honestly doesn’t know what to do about it.

Look at him, look at his eyes and dare to tell me this isn’t pure love??? He thought he lost his friend, but in the end he came back in his aid, like some sort of knight in a shining armor… and also saves everything he cares about!! (bonus points for the romantic soundtrack, Mr. Arnold)

Poor Aziraphale. (evil laugh)

Finally, we arrive at 1967, where this whole consideration came from. As I said, this is the only scene from Crowley’s POV, and there’s a reason to it: up to this point, Aziraphale is finally certain of his own feelings and that he’s actually being reciprocated, but the other side isn’t. So, while Crowley keeps going with his plan, the angel decided to pay back the gesture from 1941 by providing the Holy Water he needs so much.

What does it mean? It means for Aziraphale an opportunity to stop Crowley from hurting himself again or being caught by Heaven’s lot during the robery (even if providing said water causes trouble to himself), but mostly is another leap of faith to both sides: Aziraphale is willing to trust that Crowley won’t kill himself with Holy water while asking Crowley to trust his word and keep the fucking tartan thermos closed until it’s needed (which he actually does).

So, what I really, really wanted to reach is this specific point:

Tbh, their interpretation was crucial to me here because, let’s be real, the dialogue in this scene is very subtle in its real meaning. This moment is Crowley’s time to realize and understand what’s going on with Aziraphale through the last hundred years, and it hits him like a rock: his angel loves him enough to go against his own principles to attend his request, sacrificing his rationality and risking being discovered. He’s right there, by his side, raw and truly open like he wasn’t for centuries, letting the demon sense his own feelings for the very first time. So yes, after everything he said, Crowley, he loves you back.

And, interesting enough, what’s his first reaction after acknowledging this fact? Offer a ride, wanting to spend some time with his beloved angel and, who knows, make up for lost time. But Aziraphale feels too fragile, too uneasy, about the fact that he opened himself for Crowley and now the demon truly knows his feelings, and needs time to rebuild his walls and create a convincing facade that’ll deceive his lot he has nothing to do with his hereditary enemy. He wants to reciprocate Crowley, but now like that, it’s too early for him yet: Don’t expect me to accept your advances right away, I’m feeling too vulnerable right now and I’m afraid that I’ll let you consume me completely if I surrender in my current state, so please respect my time.

Interesting enough, Crowley actually kept his cool facade in 1941, when he let the angel see his true feelings, something that seemed impossible to Aziraphale when he did the same. He’s an angel, after all, he’s unable to lie!

This way, he’ll probably only understand Aziraphale’s insecurities when he goes through the same situation, or at least the closest he’ll get: while the angel feared losing the demon, the demon really lost the angel, and with him his stability, his other half, his world:

And suddenly, running away from the Apocalypse didn’t matter anymore, to the point the sunny ballad of “You’re My Best Friend” turns into the anguished prayer of “Somebody to Love”.

#GoodOmens #Aziraphale #Crowley #ineffable husbands #my interpretation #please let me know if you liked it #never done this before #also forgive my english

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femvimes · 5 years ago

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Notes from the Script Book (episodes 1-3)

I got the Nice and Accurate Script Book and proceeded to take copious notes of things that weren’t in the show, or illuminating ways that Neil wrote things. It’s SUPER interesting but I took a lot of notes, so see them under the cut:

Introduction:

In a 1991 movie script for GO that Terry and Neil wrote, the producers pressured them into writing that Aziraphale worked at the British Museum and that Crowley OWNED A NIGHT CLUB. How’s that for an AU

Neil knew from the start that he wanted Aziraphale and Crowley to be the main characters

“I think it’s fair to assume that if, at any time in the last 6,000 years, anything interesting happened anywhere on Earth, Crowley and Aziraphale were probably there, not doing whatever it is they were actually sent there to do” (It is a gift, a gift to the foes of Mordor fanfiction writers)

Episode One:

Crowley originally hisses the “lead balloon” line unintelligibly while in snake form

Crowley’s wings are grey (why? this is super interesting to me)

Aziraphale “thinks tartan is nifty, and would use the word nifty with pride”

Aziraphale and Crowley originally had extra introduction scenes. In his, Crowley uses an army of rats to bring down the London mobile network. Then he tells them to, and I quote, “stay cool”.

Crowley runs from police in the script (like in the book) and uses RATS to sabotage their engine

One thing I was confused about in the show - Satan interrupts the radio to tell Crowley his work on the M25 was a stroke of genius, but it doesn’t sound like Ben. I think it’s actually a Freddie Mercury impersonator to make it sound like Satan is talking to him through Freddie Mercury (which is also in the book)

Crowley’s M25 Powerpoint originally happens in episode one, and in the script when he says his fateful “Can I hear a wahoo” everyone mumbles “Hail the Great Beast, Devourer of Worlds”, which is imo not nearly as funny as the non-reaction in the show

Thaddeus Dowling is a “presidential hopeful”

THE PRESIDENT IS LITERALLY BUSH IN THE SCRIPT

Like in the book, Crowley kills a duck at St. James’s Park, Aziraphale gives him the “really, my dear” line and Crowley brings the duck back to life. (I would sacrifice, like, the tip of a finger to hear Aziraphale call him “my dear” just ONCE)

Although the show never explains why Pestilence was replaced by Pollution, Crowley and Aziraphale discuss it in the park. All the Four Horsemen also have longer introductory scenes, but I’m glad they were cut because they don’t add a lot

Before Crowley and Aziraphale get drunk, they have “spent a very pleasant day together”

Aziraphale’s regency silver snuff box obsession was in the script, but dropped from the show

When Aziraphale starts to agree with Crowley, he’s described as “coming over to the dark side”, starting a trend of hinting at Aziraphale’s Fall and personally killing me, Tumblr user femvimes

Nanny!Crowley is “sexy and domineering”. Snerk.

Crowley and Aziraphale sit next to each other on the bus in 2012

The part that everyone says David and Michael improvised with the magic trick is in the script. So I’m not sure what part of the scene was improvised. Maybe the blocking?

Crowley appears to be “in charge” of the caterers at the birthday party

There’s an extended sequence at the party where Warlock fires a gun (like in the book) that got cut in favor of the food fight

Crowley brings the dove back to life by snapping his fingers

Aziraphale swears by saying “sugar” which was probably an amazing running gag which culminated in him losing his cool and dropping the f-bomb

Crowley told Hell he invented the CIA torture practices (woof)

Episode Two:

Stage direction: “the plants are terrified. No, I don’t know how we show this on television either.” I like to think that behind each plant in that shot is a production assistant shaking it.

Aziraphale brings shortbread on their trip to Tadfield

Crowley and Aziraphale both ask each other if the other side will give them asylum. (This foreshadowing is comin’ in hot, folks)

The scene where Aziraphale and Crowley get shot by paint balls was meant to be “shot like a war film”. WE WERE ROBBED

Crowley “gestures” to make the paint go away. Yeah, huh, he, uh, sure “gestures” in the gayest way possible

The full wall body slam is in the stage direction (Neil I REALLY want to know ur reasoning here)

“Aziraphale is rather enjoying having the upper hand in the ideas department”

Crowley tells Aziraphale at one point “Dude. Chill.”

Episode Three:

In Rome, there’s a few lines that get cut where Crowley buys Aziraphale his glass of wine

When Aziraphale agrees to the coin toss in the Globe, he “falls”. (I just can’t. I can’t anymore)

When Aziraphale sees Crowley in the Nazi Church scene, he’s “realizing they are still friends”. KILL ME

This seemed relevant, because I’ve watched the scene so many times: In 1967, Aziraphale opens the car door, delivers his “don’t look so disappointed” line and presumably exits the car after the “you go too fast for me” line. I prefer the blocking they kept (obviously) because it makes him seem more reluctant to leave

ALSO: after Aziraphale leaves the Bentley, a neon halo flashes on and off above his head. (WHY? did they cut all the references to Aziraphale Falling? This is all I want!)

More that got cut: some not-great jokes about Mme. Tracy’s sex work (thank God someone reined Neil in, ‘cause yikes)

We have one (1) Dear Boy: Aziraphale calls Shadwell that in their phone conversation

#good omens #the nice and accurate script book

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