#arch-sariel-posts

[eliza1911o1]

Angel beauracracy

This absolutely BRILLIANT post by @halemerry ties together a lot of the s2 content in ways I adore and wish I had seen myself but for now I’ll just continue to praise and think over it. One particular detail I loved was the insistence on Crowley remaining true to the character and not taking on a specific role. What’s more, since there’s clearly been such emphasis on his past as an angel, there’s also the mystery of just who Crowley was and what place he’s held in the Divine Plan

We know GO takes many liberties with its source material (and with such a notable and vague text such as The Bible, there is a lot to work with), especially in regards to known individuals (i.e. Michael’s minor status in comparison to Gabriel, Sandalphon’s disappearance and Saraquel/Sariel’s introduction, Aziraphale as the Guardian of the East Gate). Though not directly translated into the story, the outlines of the source material are still recognizable and the broader concepts very much applicable (as is intended by a religious satire and/or parody of The Omen). So, this could imply that instead of impressing a specific persona onto a familiar character, a known character’s traits/background might be utilized for Crowley

As for who or what role that may be, that’s confusing for many reasons. When it comes to angels, there is very little blatantly mentioned by The Bible. Furthermore, setting of GO does not have specific theological distinctions, as it blends denominations and appears to take inspiration from many forms of worship, though presenting primarily as Christianity. And most importantly, the work is fictitious, so any and every kind of logic can be made up as long as it seems to work for the story. Nevertheless, according to a response by Gaiman, the structure looks something like this:

Metatron (“The Metatron is at the top, but he wouldn't actually show up on an organisational chart. He's just above everyone, and below God.” -Neil)

Archangels with a capital “A,” composed of the Chief Archangels (formerly, Gabriel), Higher Archangels (Michael, Uriel, and probably Saraquel), and lesser Archangels (Sandalphon)

Principalities (Aziraphale)

archangels with a lowercase “a”

Regular angels, such as 37th-degree recording angels (Muriel)

Season 2, while it does help give a better picture of Heaven’s structure, it also no longer completely explains this specific hierarchy as “Thrones” and “Dominions” are mentioned in ep 6, drawing a direct reference to the Christianity-based, Pseudo-Dionysian hierarchy

Generally speaking, Christian angelology organizes angels into three levels of three subsections: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions/Lordships, Virtues, Powers/Authorities, Principalities/Rulers, archangels, and Angels. There are a variety of angels rankings throughout Jewish scriptures and other texts, making a neat list nearly impossible, but all listings share the concept that Archangels (“arch” or “chief” angels) stand closest to God. Some refer to a singular, head angel (usually, Michael), a group of three (Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael), a group of four, sometimes denoted as “throne-bearers,” (Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel) a group of seven (Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Raguel, Saraquel, and Remiel as referenced by The Book of Enoch, which is a apocryphal script) or eight. We also know that the “Guardian of the East Gate” is referenced as a Cherub, so Aziraphale has either been demoted or the role changed entirely and he has always been a Principality

Assuming we uphold the Pseudo-Dionysian hierarchy, it looks like this:

Metatron

Chief Archangel and Archangels

Seraphim

Cherubs

Thrones

Dominions

Virtues

Powers

Principalities

archangels

Angels

For now not all of these types have been confirmed and more might be added, so only applying current canon ranks, the heirarchy looks more like this:

Metatron

Chief Archangel

Archangels

Thrones

Dominions

Principalities

archangels

Angels

However, the first few minutes of season 2 ep 1 actually some of this into question. In the Bible, there are no distinct, cosmic roles that the angels fulfill outside serving the Divine, but Jewish Kabbalah describes the Archangels acting as conduits for God’s power and vision in creating the universe. There is actually a lot more description of angels within Judaism than Christianity and seeing as Neil is Jewish, there is the possibility of it being influenced in such a way

There have been clear relationship between Crowley’s and celestial objects (the universe, planets, stars). Although stars can simply refer to angels, these connections could also be entertaining a further idea; a) he was an Archangel b) he was the Archangel Raphael, who has not been mentioned before and is related to the Kabbalah Tree of Life or c) he was an original character based on someone notable like Raphael. Or d) it’s none of these, but the story has thus far made many implications (verbal, physical, and canonically) that Crowley is a high-ranking demon of at least Dominion rank, so an Archangel is not out of question. And when Muriel is talking about the classified document, she says "You'd have to be a throne, or a dominion, or above." -- not, "you'd have to be at least a dominion" or "you'd have to be above a dominion" but "You'd have to be a throne, or a dominion, or above." There is this implication that Crowley was something much higher up, especially in the way he comfortably approaches the secret meetings of the Archangels.

Some other possible, relevant identities would be Samael (an archangel associated with tempting Eve), as well as Baraqiel (fallen dominion of the sky and seen in Aziraphale’s book about himself) or Kokabiel (a fallen high-ranking angel associated with astrology). Furthermore, the seven Archangels referenced in the Book are sometimes viewed as the angels who beckon the apocalypse in The Book of Revelation, which would fall in line with idea of season three following “The Second Coming.”

Other than that, as fire has been associated to him as well, there is the possibility that he might be considered a seraphim, “burning one,” or be associated (literally or metaphorically) with The Leviathan, an ancient, powerful serpent-like creature quoted about on Gabriel’s matchbox.

Either way, Crowley’s former status was high up and him being fallen has not stripped him of all his power, sense of duty, or kindness…

[ask-the-archs]

¡¡NOT CANON TO HAZBIN HOTEL, this is for fun interactions because I like this idea!!

Rules:

Don’t be weird

Ask before touching mod or characters (there are exceptions, but this is the main rule)

No explicit NSFW (but be advised of heavy topics here at times)

Anyone is welcome to interact, but Mod gets to make things silly

If you cross any of these and/or make me uncomfortable (even if it’s for ‘no reason’) I get to choose not to interact with you in the future

“Gabriel Speaking, they/them…”

Michelle Speaking, she/they

•Noah Speaking, Any•

#Bea speaking, they/them unless otherwise specified, please!#

|Ariel… writing. It/its.|

/Barachiel speaking, ve/vir/vis/virself./

≈Jophiel here, I don’t care what pronouns are used!≈

¡Sariel speaking, anything but he/she.¡ ( @reluctantly-angel-sariel )

(Mod speaking, they/them or any neopronouns)

[Sign Language, with colour signifier]

‘Thoughts, with colour and symbol if more than one person in a scene’

Quick temp reference for Michelle: (her design is wip)

Noah (left) and Gabriel (right):

Barachiel:

Ariel:

Jophiel:

Loki (Gabriel’s service dog):

Appearance

Why he’s probably gonna be a character used for the foreseeable future

Days since this blog has been post-limited: 0

Post Limit blog: @aask-the-archs

Main account is @nerdyquestier

[mythriteshah]

A Fashion Tycoon's Missive

A clear sky welcomes the arrival of dawn as the sun rises upon the greater region of Garlemald. The blustery arctic winds of northern Ilsabard are reduced to a mere zephyr, and its surviving denizens prepare to face what challenges may await them.

Within the fringes of Camp Broken Glass, three individuals stood vigil: each garbed in attire suited for the cold, but all bearing the symbol of a mythril blue shield flanked by angelic wings. This was the insignia of the Diamond Sultan's personal retinue of combat-ready maidservants - Lord Thiji's Angels.

Himmeya Twelvefist, Kaori Hanabira, and Swoztu Wuotwyrstwyn stood guard as they laid eyes upon a black-robed figure approaching from the Eblan Rime. The sound of beating wings soon followed, and they would turn their gazes upward to behold a curvaceous Duskwight female, gowned in the likeness of the Creator, trailed by a host of tiny magitek bits. Once within several yalms, the woman touched down upon the frosted earth, striding stately towards the Angels.

"Good Morning, Angels," she began.

"Good Morning, Princess Telphie," the Angels answered. The Magitek Maestra chuckled and waved her hand dismissively.

"Be at ease. I bring grand tidings, which I will explain later. For now, it is time we were off home."

"So soon, Princess?" Himmeya interjected with an arched brow. "Is our tour here finally over, then?" The cloaked figure gave a bow to Telphie before turning toward the three.

"My Ladies, if I may - Mamai's Vigil will be arriving shortly to receive you, during which it will send you all to Radz-at-Han. Our Lord Sultan has deemed our duties here fulfilled," the hooded Au Ra stated.

"With the situation in Garlemald well taken care of, and the newly-established trade agreement with Radz-at-Han, it is safe to say that this nation is well on its way to obtaining autonomy once more," Telphie followed, "and with the Ilsabard Contingent close by, our involvement grows less founded. Though I had served this nation for a time, I am satisfied in the work we have done to help these people build back better. And lest we forget, Miss Youmei and House Kyria has lent us their support as well, granting us a formidable ally in the Near East. She will be joining us in Radz-at-Han as well, further strengthening our bond!"

Swoztu and Kaori heaved sighs of relief as Himmeya gave a triumphant yell, eager to return to her fellow Angels - or perhaps eager to try out the spicy Thavnairian fare.

"I won't miss the cold, but it's small wonder Lord Thiji enjoys it so much," Swoztu commented as they accompanied Telphie back towards camp.

"And what of our hooded friend?" Kaori asked. "Will she not be joining us?"

"I am humbled by your offer, Lady Kaori," the mysterious Au Ra said, her head lowered, "but I must return to my own matters. Unfortunately, that is all I can say for now, but know that you've allies in the shadows..."

Not wont to pry further, Kaori simply gave a shrug and waved farewell to the mysterious individual, and soon they would part with Garlemald at long last...

The following evening, the streets of Radz-at-Han were abuzz, from Alzadaal's Peace to the High Crucible. A joyous occasion had befallen the city, and a grand feast was being held at Mehryde's Meyhane. The place was filled to capacity as the citizenry and visitors alike reveled. At one of the corner tables, a team of Radiants were either splayed across the floor or struggling to remain upright as a trio of Lalafellin women laughed haughtily. This trio was none other than Sesena and her sisters, Sosona and Susuna.

"Goodness, dear sister, what's that put us on now?" spoke Sesena.

"Five! And we're barely getting started! Another round, if you please!" Susuna proudly declared. "And, er, some water for our Radiants!"

At the Guildship Hunt Board posted toward the entrance, Sarielle Emeraude - the Regalia's Chirurgeon - was inspecting the daily and weekly marks in preparation for a hunt. Meriri Meri approached and offered her a drink.

"Lassie Sarielle!" the Plainsfolk chimed. "Ye can worry about the huntin' later! It's a time for celebratin', after all!"

"I know, I know, Miss Meriri," the smaragdine Elezen replied. "I was only passing the time so as to assist where needed - and it appears Miss Sesena and them have already drunk the third team of Radiants under the table. If you'll excuse me."

"Och! They're a bunch o' lightweights anyway!" Meriri retorted, heading back towards her table.

Upon the stage where the traditional Thavnairian dance would be performed were Veeveena and Veeveera, performing their own rendition of the Kriegstanz, but with the power of wind infused in their chakrams. They gave quite the show, captivating the audience with their frenetic movements mixed with wild gesticulations which culminated in a small cyclone that filled the stage. And - just like something one would see out of a magic show - a silhouette emerged from the gust: a slender Viera sporting garb never-before-seen on Etheirys. Accented with a large golden Usekh, this off-the-shoulder dress was form-fitting, with lavender-violet hues, and trailing along the skirt's end were numerous tendril-like appendages which glowed a scintillating blue, and billowed lightly even in the calm winds which blew from the balcony. Her white-blue tresses and face were obscured by a veil of similar color, with numerous tendrils that each ended with a gilded gradient.

She took one, two, three, four paces forward before flipping the veil with just enough force so as to reveal herself: the Regalia's Prime Model, Isja "Coldgaze" Kaltablik. Striding from behind her was another familiar face: the Diamond Sultan in his signature garb. Everyone gasped in awe as those who were privy to the Higuri Regalia's practices knew full well what this entailed.

"Th-That robe...! Mistress Isja...!" spoke a bystander.

"The Diamond Sultan, too...! Could this be...?!" gasped an Arkasodara.

As everyone deliberated in hushed whispers and gathered around the posing Veena, the "V" Twins (Veeveena & Veeveera) escorted their lord and master backstage, though they would be met with some light resistance as eager fashion fans clamored to speak with the merchant-lord himself.

"Just a moment, everyone. Our Lord Sultan will be with you shortly," Veera assured. Once they were out of sight, the two Dunesfolk maidens would greet him with a bow, to which he would give one in return.

"We are grateful that you went out of your way to do this... Prince Horu," Veeveena whispered. The Lalafell garbed in the shimmering icy sherwani was, in fact, not the Diamond Sultan, but his twin brother - whom bore striking similarities to Thiji, but the main distinction being the position of their multicolored orbs.

"It's the least I could do to help keep up appearances, Miss Veeveera," Horu replied with a smile. "This is a monumental occasion for all of Thavnair. The Satrap's sister is returned to us, and no doubt my brother has a lot of thoughts to put to paper as we are now poised to proceed with the next phase."

"If I may be so bold, Prince Horu," Veera interjected, "you truly did not have to do this. We Angels could've definitely held our own in your stead - especially with Princess Telphie among us."

"I understand, Miss Veeveera," Horu began, "but a venerable storm of events has befallen the Near East in recent moons, and needless to say that it has given House Higuri - among others - quite a stir. After seeing everyone being called to action, I was compelled to do so as well. I could not stand idle any longer whilst my brother dearest and our allies were hard at work to maintain stability at home and abroad. And now, on this night of nights, the people of Radz-at-Han will know that Thiji Higuri himself graced the celebratory feast, and gave the fashion faithful the long-awaited premonition of our coming clothing line."

"Spoken like a true leader, My Prince," Veeveera said with a grin. "Then let us not keep them waiting."

They would soon return to the festivities, and the revelry would move on well into the late bells of the night. Meanwhile, within the confines of his chambers was the actual Diamond Sultan, focused on fulfilling his new tradition of pre-release portents.

And, within the waking hours of the following morn, his newest letter would at last be disseminated to the public...

“Honorable friends, associates, and allies of the Regalia,

I  pray that this message finds you all well.  As for myself, it is with great pride that I voice my own tidings of good health. The continual stability of the realm and its regions is once again a testament to the strength and resolve of the countless protectors of Etheirys.

But, as always, this only affirms my statement that the realm continues to maintain its status quo of perennial incursions, supernatural uprisings, and all-around buffoonery.  The Power in Beauty Catalogue continues maintaining its absolute hold of the fashion scene with the release of the Hyogan Gallery, but it is in no small part due to you all who have made this a reality - from our chosen models, to our collaborators, to the spreading of the good fashion word.  It is absolutely astounding that we of the Regalia have provided a means of form and function for citizenry and adventurers alike.  And while I may shower you all with praise for bells on end, the true reason for this missive’s creation is of even greater magnitude than the previous.

Firstly, I have taken an apprentice under my wing. Some of you may know her, and others who do not will surely come to know of her in due time. She is Izayoi T. Keer, a seasoned courier whose eye and passion for haute couture have surpassed her peers. Seeking to better herself in the field of aesthetics, she - with the Sisters' blessing - took it upon herself to serve under me as my Mythrite (or Diamond) Apprentice. With this knowledge, you may all be pleased to know that the time will one day come where the Higuri Regalia will open its own guild or school to train other aspiring fashion designers. With the Sisters' blessing, they may acquire the skills and talent necessary to create their own label. Izayoi may be the first to study under me, but knowing how fate operates in this realm, she will definitely not be the last in search of aesthetic tutelage.

Secondly, it is with a heart once heavied by concern - now relieved of this burden - that I inform you all that - against all odds - our beloved Satrap - Lord Vrtra of the First Brood - has returned home with his sister, Lady Azdaja.

Though many are worthy of gratitude: to Ser Dione Averre (@lizardywizard) and all of White Wings - it has been a most grueling journey, and I know it was taxing for you and yours. I have long hung up my adventuring ways, but that does not stop me from fighting for the home my family and I have moiled to create. But I know that you all were at the forefront of the operation to liberate Lady Azdaja with the other brave souls who dared to brave the darkness of the Void. This mission was successful twofold: first, with the vanquishment of the Archfiends and the malign force which threatened to breach the sanctity of the Source, our peace has been assured as the Voidsent will now encroach in lesser frequency. Second, with Lady Azdaja's ensured survival, this means that half of the First Brood is alive and well alongside Lord Hraesvelgr and Lady Tiamat - though it cost Lord Vrtra one of his eyes to grant his sister a corporeal form.

This means a great deal to not only the Regalia and House Higuri, but to all children of Thavnair. I feel I speak for us all when I say that we owe much to Midgardsormr's progeny for founding and fostering such a unique culture that can now be fully shared with the rest of the realm. Without them, Radz-at-Han would more than likely never have existed. And when I heard the First Brood's cries ringing across the heavens... I shed a most genuine tear of joy knowing that another great wyrm perseveres (though "great" may be a subjective term for some). Not since the establishment of the Regalia's empire have I felt such joy, and now we can show Midgardsormr's daughter the beauty of the land her brother helped create. So, from the bottom of my heart, you have earned a Sultan's gratitude. To you, and the other champions who answered the call: the Higuri Regalia thanks you.

Moving on to less touching matters, the third and perhaps equally important of tidings: the announcement of the Regalia's upcoming line. To those whom recall: one of our previous editions was known as the Blessed Wardrobe, which was made in homage to the Light-infused beings of the First: the Lightwardens. As an antithesis to this - and as a sort of way of remembering all that has transpired - this next clothing line will be dedicated to those Dark-wreathed beings of the Thirteenth shard - the Void. But not just any rank-and-file Voidsent - we will be focusing primarily on the nobility within their hierarchy as established by Eorzean scholars, thus shortening the scope (because let's be real: creating outfits for every conceivable type of Voidsent would see me well past my prime). As a means of providing backstory and inspiration behind this, those who are unaware of Radz-at-Han's nascency should know that the city-state was actually founded atop a void fissure - the selfsame fissure which is now destroyed thanks to a certain Archfiend of Fire. And it is because of this knowledge I will be blending our designs through a unique fusion of Voidal and Near Eastern aesthetic - I believe a better term coined by adventurers is "Gothic". At the time of this letter's dissemination, my latest project is at forty percent completion, and I aim to bring it to light (pun not intended) by the commencement of the EBL's next season.

Lastly, and this may come off as a surprise to some as my business prides itself on generosity: in light of these auspicious events, I have taken the liberty of providing you all with a teaser of what to expect when this clothing line is brought to fruition. Enclosed within is a "sample" photo of one of the many outfits that will be showcased in this upcoming edition to the PiB Catalogue. As previously stated, expect its grand unveiling by the coming of spring - for all, and Etheirys at large, will be reminded why my empire’s credo is ‘Where There is  Power in Beauty.’”

Sincerely,

Thiji Sor Higuri, Diamond Sultan of the Higuri Regalia

[moodystimmy]

Angelcore / angelkin moodboard with themes of red and gold colors, immortality, soulmates, visions, and god.

Requested by: @arch-sariel-posts || Images not ours.

Requests Open!

[missingjackklinehours]

IM GONNA CR Y

michael putting lil bowties on his ducklings i am ascending goodbye

[thenoirdesire]

Today’s post is a little late but nevertheless it is here! Since last week I vaguely discussed my thoughts on angels and demons, I decided to go a little more in depth about these two topics. They will be split up into two different blog posts. So here is today’s Spiritual Sunday post. A little bit more about angels and archangels...

According to Brittanica’s online encyclopedia, the term angel, is derived from the Greek word angelos, which is the equivalent of the Hebrew word mal’akh, meaning “messenger.”

The 9 orders of angels are as follows: The First Hierarchy which consists of the First Order(Seraphim), Second Order(Cherubim), and Third Order(Thrones). These are said to be the most holy of the angels. The Second Hierarchy, which are those who protect God’s will, consist of Dominions(First Order), Virtues(Second Order), and Powers(Third Order). Lastly the Third Hierarchy, which are those that can communicate between humans and God, consist of Principalities(First Order), Archangels(Second Order), and Angels(Third Order).

The Catholic Church does not agree with there being any more than 3 named archangels because they are the only 3 archangels named in the officially canonized version of the Bible. Those archangels named in the Bible are Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, however there are other archangels named in other sacred texts. These sacred texts called the apocrypha, include books that have been removed from the bible. It is in these hidden books that there are other named arch angels besides the three named in the King James Version of the Bible. There names can be found in the apocryphal book of Enoch. They are Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Raguel, Phanuel, and Sariel.

So what are your beliefs about this topic?

[aha-my-villainous-thoughts]

Please, keep me. (Good Omens)

I hope everyone’s pandemic is going ok, things have certainly taken a turn for the apocalyptic. I am still working full time as I work in a hospital, not frontline, but support, so I have had even less time than normal. I have found coming back to this fic very therapeutic and calming, after such long days. 

I’m now up to Part 13! This chapter was getting so long I had to split it up into two chapters, and I’m close to reaching my 50k goal, and likely to surpass it with some of the chapters I have planned. I hope whoever is reading is enjoying it! If I have some more time, I will eventually put it on Ao3, but for now this is still a lovely place to post. I’ve been collecting images that support chapters or illustrate what I’m trying to describe, and I’m hoping to turn some of them into illustrations to accompany this, but that would require even more time so maybe I’ll return to that idea once I have finished the actual writing part, which given my pace will likely be for the end of next November’s NaNoWriMo. 

Part 1 is here, and also the Masterlist is here, which I will update with new chapters as I finish them. 

Enjoy Part 13, I hope whoever is reading enjoys it!

When Crowley made his way up the stairs into the Heavens, he made sure to keep his head down and avoid any eye contact. He didn’t want to see Sariel again, at least so soon after his scolding. He tried with every step upwards to remind himself of the safe space in the attic with Aziraphale, and of leaving all of the worrying thoughts the Keeper had wriggled out of him there on the floor. He tried not to let the feelings rise up in him again, but instead focussed on every step in turn, following the Starmaker in front of him. 

Arriving at his work station, he lifted his eyes and made a face - apparently all that distress yesterday had left his little patch of sky suffering from an intense lack of editing. He had created something bulbous out of colour and cosmic dust, three pillars rising up like a hand reaching out for starlight. It was definitely a little more ostentatious than his usual work. 

He stood and stared at it for a moment, his brow furrowed. 

“Interesting,” came a voice behind his left shoulder. “Very… interesting,” 

He turned a little, catching sight of an angel who he didn’t recognise. He flicked his gaze over the familiar blue robes, noting that she was just a Starmaker like himself, and not a superior like Sariel. He turned back to look at his handiwork without saying anything. The angel behind him came closer. 

“It’s very spirited,” the angel said again, her voice giving the impression that she was giving encouraging feedback. Crowley snorted a little in amusement.

“I suppose,” he said, although mostly to himself. 

“A fan of colour, I take it?” 

Crowley shrugged, and looked over his shoulder at the angel again. She was looking at his work with an inscrutable expression on her face. Her arms were crossed with one hand up under her chin like she was studying it. 

“Not particularly, but when the occasion suits,” he said shortly, aiming for casual but it came out clipped. She nodded a little, her lips pursed. 

“It’s definitely a departure from your usual canon,” she agreed, moving closer until she was standing next to him. “Unexpected,” 

Crowley hummed through his nose, not particularly invested in continuing the conversation. He glanced around behind them and saw the majority of their shift was already starting work, but a few were still paused to chat with others. 

“I suppose Sariel encouraged you, did he?” came the voice from his left again. Crowley didn’t move his gaze from the riot of colour, but he felt something tighten across his stomach. “He’s got a very specific understanding of our work, after all,” 

Crowley hummed again, once again aiming for non-commital and landing somewhere near congested. He felt her eyes on him for the first time since she came to speak, and he kept looking forward, his eyes fixed. 

“He has a very particular point of view, don’t you think?” 

Crowley should answer. He could feel her eyes studying him just as closely as she had studied the nebula, and was suddenly aware of his fists being clenched. He had to say something. The mechanics of this suddenly felt very challenging. 

“Quite,” he said, his voice coming out in a disused rasp. He swallowed, suddenly aware how unusual his own voice sounded to him. He glanced towards her and she was smiling at him, but still with that inscrutable expression. She extended a hand. 

“Raum,” 

Crowley took it, her hand was cold. 

“Crowley,” he told her. 

“Oh, I know,” she said, and smiled. It didn’t reach her eyes, but she squeezed his hand in hers before she released it. “It was nice to meet you, Crowley,” she said. His brow furrowed a little, he wasn’t sure but it sounded like she had said his name wrong. 

“Likewise,” he said, inclining his head just. 

“Good luck with all your colours, Crowley,” she said, still smiling as she moved away from him. He watched her for a moment, and as he turned back to his work station he realised that once again his fists were clenched. With a deep exhale and a conscious release of the muscles in his form, he picked up with brushes and began to work. 

He rushed into the library when it came time to find Aziraphale. The details of his day without the Keeper slipped from relevance as he hurried to slip into his preferable form and coil himself into the books to wait for his angel. Revisiting his little nest of love notes behind the heavy books by the entrance of the library, he had forgotten the sheer amount of notes he had secreted away from his companion. The latest one was the least creased from his movements, and he retraced the words as he waited. 

‘There was snow in his hair and on his eyelashes and I remembered that I love him. It felt like something breaking with a little pain and spilling warm.’ - T.H. 

 “Little thing?” 

As always, the sound of Aziraphale’s voice from outside of his nest - a little hushed with secrecy and charged with excitement, sent a small wave of pleasure through Crowley. He moved out from the shadows, straight into Aziraphale’s waiting hands. 

“My little thing,” breathed the Keeper with relief. “Hello,” 

Crowley bumped his nose against Aziraphale’s cheekbone in greeting, winding his way through his steady hands in an action that was both restless and completely at ease. The Keeper smiled at him. 

“I am glad to see you feeling more yourself, my little thing. Our time together yesterday was so wonderful,” 

Crowley agreed, doing his best to convey his agreement through a series of wriggling belly rolls. Aziraphale’s hands followed him, curving over his coils and tickling his scales softly. 

“I’m sorry to say that I must do some work today, my duties have been neglected,” Aziraphale told him regretfully. “But if you are happy to accompany me, we can still spend the day together,” 

Anything, thought Crowley, as long as they were together. Aziraphale smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners as his hands scooped Crowley up, guiding him up his arms and around his neck. 

“I knew you wouldn’t mind, such an obliging little thing,” Aziraphale said softly, tucking Crowley’s tail into the neckline of his robes with deft fingers. 

Watching Aziraphale work was always an enjoyable affair for Crowley, even if the part he found enjoyable was the fact he could watch his angel completely without censure. Unfortunately, from his current position looped around the angel, he was in the perfect place to enjoy the warmth of his skin and the scent of his hair, but not in the ideal place to watch Aziraphale’s eyebrows furrow, or his lips mouth along with the titles of his beloved books. He tried, but a jostling of a shoulder or a quick turn of the head made it difficult. He amused himself instead by watching Aziraphale’s hands at work. 

The Keeper’s hands were nothing short of magnificent. His skin was a soft warm tone, but Crowley knew if they were to lay their hands next to each other, that Crowley’s own would always be the paler one, a tinge of starlight under his flesh. Aziraphale’s skin was made out of fresh thick cream, giving an impression of luxurious softness and richness. The hairs that netted across his forearms were the same colour as his hair. As Aziraphale reached for a book, his robe pulled down across his forearm and Crowley watched as the muscles in his arm contracted under the skin, and noted the deepening colour of his skin there, bronze tones sculpted across the top of the cream. 

Tracing his eyes down the inside of Aziraphale’s wrist to his hands, Crowley admired the Keeper’s thick hands. Again, if they found themselves side by side as human forms, if Aziraphale were to reach for Crowley’s hand and hold it within his own, the differences would be remarkable. Aziraphale’s hands were broader, his fingers moving with a kind of intentional presence which suggested the angelic strength held within Aziraphale’s form. Crowley’s own hands were slim and a little delicate, with long fingers that flickered like a candle flame in the corner of his eye. To watch them be held still in Aziraphale’s steady grip would be thrilling in a way that Crowley couldn’t find the words to describe. 

He was still pondering the exact manner in which Aziraphale’s hands would reach for Crowley, how his fingers would weave effortlessly between his own and how they would grip as Aziraphale drew to a stillness. It took Crowley a moment to pull himself from his daydream of a thumb tracing across the interior creases of his palm to realise that the steady pratter of Aziraphale’s ministrations to the books had ceased. 

“Ah,” said Aziraphale shortly, his hands still holding the large leatherbound book close to him. His attention wasn’t on the book, he was looking up and along the bookshelves. There was an archway formed into the shelves, with a wide door frame and then a large arched door made from wood and painted a glorious red colour. It was bolted with large curved plates of metal from the hinges and large rounded nails. 

Judging from Aziraphale’s pause, Crowley guessed that this door’s presence was a surprise. The library had a habit of doing that. 

“That’s certainly interesting,” said Aziraphale quietly. He shifted his hands on the book of psalms in his hands and cleared his throat. “An interesting door that will remain shut,” 

Crowley glanced up at his angel, with the same level of surprise. He had already raced ahead in his mind, wondering what delights the library had in store for them both - only to be brought back. Aziraphale’s eyes flickered towards Crowley with a little guilty look before refocusing on the book in front of him. 

“Like I said, a lot of work to do,” he told Crowley primly. “The books need…all sorts of attention…” he trailed off, opening the psalms and staring blankly at the page. Crowley moved a little to watch his face closely. The angel stared ahead resolutely, ignoring Crowley’s eyes. 

“So much to do, can’t go… wandering off wherever… willy nilly and all that,” 

Crowley flicked his tongue to hide a smirk. He wriggled down Aziraphale’s arm, plonking himself down onto the floor. He ignored the noise of indignation from his angel and made his way over to the door. 

“Now, whatever you do, little thing, do not open that door,” came Aziraphale’s warning. Crowley looked back at the Keeper, who was still holding his book but had one finger pointed at him sternly. There was an undeniable twinkle in his eye though, as he fought very hard not to smile. “Do not open it, and definitely, absolutely, do not go in there. Because if you do… well, I’ll have to come and fetch you, wouldn’t I?” 

Crowley gave a snake’s interpretation of a chuckle, flicking his tongue towards the angel before turning back to the door. 

“I mean it, little thing, do not-”

Crowley, through a feat of great muscular coordination and a minor miraculous coincidence, flicked his nose up and through the heavy circular latch of the wooden door, threading himself partially through and twisting in such a way that gave a loud clack of metal as the latch shifted and the door swung open, just a little bit. It was enough for Crowley to return to the floor, looking back to see his angel staring at him with wide eyes and a scandalised expression. He peered through the door and suddenly shivered as a breath of cold air slipped through, bringing with it a few flecks of white. 

“Now you’re just being naughty” came Aziraphale’s voice, with a warning tone that had the complete opposite effect than he may have intended - suddenly Crowley had every intention of being as naughty as possible. “I simply couldn’t not come fetch you, if you continue to be so fiendish-”

Oh, yes, even better - fiendish! With a resolute wriggle, Crowley nosed his way into the opening and slipped through. It was dark, the door leading into a small wooden space that seemed full of things bustled and tucked away. Oh, please don’t let this lovely door turn out to be a holy broom cupboard. 

He would never live it down. 

He pushed a little further in, giving another shiver as he registered how cold the surface beneath his belly was. His snout brushed against something soft and yielding, something tickling against his scales. 

“Now that’s enough, little thing, please-” 

Aziraphale had lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, having now been lured against his fervent wishes to the crack in the door. Crowley plunged deeper into the holy broom cupboard, pushing through soft furry coverings. The floor beneath him no longer felt like smooth wooden boards, but shifted under his body. It was also almost unbearably cold. He could still hear Aziraphale pantomiming somewhere behind him, along with the telltale creak of hinges. 

“Unbelievable, when I have so much work I would rather be doing,” came Aziraphale’s voice, but whilst the words were designed to be indignant, they came out the complete opposite - Aziraphale gave into Crowley’s deviation with so little resistance that Crowley didn’t see why his little Keeper bothered with the pretense. 

He pushed deeper and the soft hanging garments around them parted to bring him out of the cupboard - wait, no, wardrobe - and into a wide open space. Not a room, but something better. 

“Little thing, where are - oh!” 

A crunch of a footfall just behind Crowley told him that his angel had pushed through the wardrobe and was now standing behind him, his bare feet slipping into a thick pile of cold white… something. 

“Oh my!” 

Surprise turned into wonder immediately, as Aziraphale and Crowley looked around them. They were standing on a sloping bank of a forest, having just emerged from a rack of heavy fur coats. The trees were scattered ahead of them, the dark colour of evergreens bursting through a thick covering of the same white stuff that they were currently standing in. Looking down, Crowley watched how his tail created an impression in it a lot lighter than Aziraphale’s feet as he coiled around himself to conserve his warmth, but the stuff wasn’t like anything he had ever seen - or felt - before. 

“Oh, my little thing, it’s snow! I’ve read about this,” Aziraphale said, the grin evident in his voice as he bent down to scoop some up with his hands. He crumpled it in his fingers, watching as it sprinkled down towards the ground. “I knew it would be cold but my goodness! And so beautiful, don’t you think, little thing?” 

Crowley had twisted himself into a coil close to Aziraphale’s feet, but he found it was hard to care about the beauty when the cold was starting to bite into his form with an unrelenting persistence. Aziraphale’s hands moved to scoop again, but this time his hands closed around Crowley and he lifted him up and out of the snow. 

“Here, little thing, stay close, stay warm,” 

Within seconds, Crowley was wrapped around his angel’s neck and shoulders, with nearly his whole body looped under the angel’s robes and resting against his skin. His tail looped across Aziraphale’s upper back and the numb tip of his tail came to rest tucked into the warmest space he could find - Aziraphale’s armpit. The angel wriggled a little, holding back a giggle as he squirmed. 

“No tickling, you little fiend,” came the instruction, followed by sympathy, “You poor thing, it is frightfully cold isn’t it?” 

Aziraphale looked at their surroundings again, his eye catching the way the light glinted off the peaceful, undisturbed snow on the trees.  

“I suppose we should go back…” 

It was an unconvincing attempt. 

As Aziraphale turned back towards the coats and the door hidden behind them, a glimmer of light caught Crowley’s eye - too small to be the moon and too golden to be a reflection. He twisted over Aziraphale’s shoulder and sought it out, unconsciously twitching the tip of his tail in curiosity and drawing a small yelp from the Keeper. 

“Oh, don’t! You little - oh, what can you see?” 

As Aziraphale moved again, Crowley saw the light again, flickering through a small space between trees. He stretched his neck a little, twisting to angle it properly. There was something just past the trees in front of them. He looked back at the angel who had two competing expressions on his face. Aziraphale glanced back at the coats and the door back into the library, but then back towards the trees, and then finally let his eyes meet Crowleys. He didn’t say anything at first, his eyebrows furrowing and crumpling as the internal conflict went back and forth. His hands dithered, one hand flicking the palm open in query, the other wringing in a loose fist. Even his feet seemed to have opposing ideas, given the way the angel was pacing on the spot - although that may have been due to a different factor. 

“Oh, blast, I can’t think like this,” grumbled the angel, looking down at his toes which were now even paler than his hair. He turned back to the coats and thrust his hands into the densely packed wardrobe. He found what he was looking for quickly, and with a quick tug pulled free a pair of skin boots with a thick wide sole of rubber. The insides were lined with thick fur and laced up with a cord, and Aziraphale didn’t even spare the time to comment on the cleverness of the design before he stuck his feet inside and pulled the boots up his legs to just under his knees, knotting them with cold fingers. 

“She really does have quite the imagination,” muttered the angel quietly, “Making something so beautiful so unpleasant to be around,” 

Crowley had never heard the angel sound annoyed, and it was rather pleasing. Like watching a small fluffy animal have a tantrum. 

Aziraphale didn’t stop at the boots. He grabbed the longest coat he could see, a heavy one with dense white fur speckled with grey and black. Bustling into it, he buttoned it snugly around his middle and fluffed the collar up, his hands reaching in to make sure Crowley was comfortably situated within the fur. Lastly he pulled a pair of large fur lined mittens out and stuck his hands into them. 

“Ah, there we are. Now I can think clearly,” he sighed, one hand coming up to check that Crowley was still nestled in close under his chin, which he most assuredly was. The coat draped heavily across Aziraphale’s shoulders and Crowley found himself squeezed so close to the angel’s skin that he couldn’t tell where he ended and his Keeper began. He was so thankful that Aziraphale had tucked him under his robes. Feeling the warmth of his angel’s skin through his scales and the tickle of his body hair was a pleasure Crowley never wanted to be without. 

Aziraphale was looking back the way Crowley had, moving his head to try and see the light through the branches. 

“I suppose we should check what that is…” he said, “In case it’s something important,” 

Crowley smirked to himself. 

“After all, you must be dreadfully curious, and if I didn’t help you find out what it was, you would most likely just come back here alone, and we couldn’t have you alone in the cold, could we?”

It was the flimsiest excuse Crowley could have imagined, like a soft sheet of tissue fluttering in the breeze of good sense, and Crowley mentally applauded his angel for the mastery of mental gymnastics he must have gone through. Aziraphale nodded to himself, as if agreeing with himself. 

“Right, well, nothing else to be done, then,” sighed the angel dramatically, as he took a resolute step away from the wardrobe and crunched into the untouched snow bank in front of them. As he made his way towards the light, his head bent a little and Crowley felt lips press to the top of his head and a small whisper that gave the whole game away. 

“My devious, naughty, dreadful, wonderful little thing,” 

Moving through the trees, Aziraphale and Crowley followed the glimmer of light until finally rounding the side of a particular large pine tree, they saw it in its entirety. The bank they were on gave way to a clearing, and at the centre of it stood a tall lamppost. It was painted such a dark green it was almost black, and the boxed glass at the very top glowed with a gently flickering light. Despite the solitary source, the light seemed to touch everything in the clearing and turn the snow into gentle twinkling gold.

As they looked up at the lamppost, Aziraphale gave a small gasp. 

“Oh, little thing- look!”

He pointed to the side of the lamppost. Within its little halo of light, there were small specks of white which were floating downwards towards them. Crowley followed the movement, and saw that there were more - in fact the whole air seemed to be sprinkled with little specks of snow. 

“This is how it collects like this, little thing,” explained Aizraphale, lifting his mittens to try and collect some of the specks to show Crowley. “When it gets cold enough, sometimes the rain will turn to these - look closely,” 

Crowley moved out of the warm space under Aziraphale’s chin and peered closer, moving his head side to side slightly to focus on the tiny little thing perched on Aziraphale’s glove. 

“They’re called snowflakes, they have the most beautiful, clever designs - no two snowflakes are identical!” whispered Aziraphale, as if not to disturb the delicate little creation. Crowley could make out the little prongs of ice, the way the pattern branched out into a perfectly symmetrical pattern. He flicked his tongue towards it, wondering if She had imbued a scent to this tiny artwork, but he misjudged the distance and his tongue dashed up the small flake in an instant. He started a little, moving his head back to try and see where he had knocked it but then he heard Aziraphale’s chuckle, and felt the puff of warm air against his scales. 

“Ah, I’ve read about that - catching snowflakes on one’s tongue always sounded like a wonderful thing to experience,” 

Crowley looked at his angel, finding him with his head tipped back and his mouth open. He laughed, sticking his tongue out and trying to capture more of the soft flakes in his mouth. He was smiling, the corners of his eyes crinkled as he laughed, trying to catch the snowflakes which brushed over his cheeks and settled in his eyelashes. In the light, his hair looked like soft whips of butter, and the snowflakes in his hair sparkled. 

He was so utterly beautiful. 

“Oh, little thing, isn’t this splendid?” sighed the angel, still looking up at the falling snow. A hand, free of its glove, came up to brush against Crowley’s neck. It was so quiet. The snow made no noise as it came to rest, but the dance of flakes needed nothing to guide it. Except… there was more than silence. Crowley tilted his head, but it was only faint - a flow of notes snatched on the breeze. He twisted over Aziraphale’s collar, trying to pinpoint the source of it. It was unmistakable - a low sound of music filtering through the trees just beyond the lamppost. He nudged Aziraphale’s ear, drawing the angel’s attention away from the swirl of snowflakes. 

“What is it, little thing?”

The angel’s voice was hushed with excitement, all his previous bluster about work and responsibilities completely forgotten. 

“Do you see something?”

Aziraphale followed the line of Crowley’s gaze and moved towards the edge of the clearing. As they approached the line of trees, the sound became a little clearer. Aziraphale made a soft noise as he caught it as well, and together they left the lamppost behind and pushed deeper into the woods. The swell of music beckoned them onwards, Aziraphale winding them between pine trees and following Crowley’s direction as he pointed his nose this way and that, guiding them closer to the source. 

“Oh, can you hear them singing? How lovely,” 

The music was now joined by overlapping harmonising voices. They were still quiet, just out of reach. Something caught Crowley’s eye as Aziraphale navigated them around a low holly bush, another flicker of light. He wriggled in excitement, the coloured light lighting up the snow in a cascade of scarlet, amber and blue. The trees gave way to another clearing, this one much longer. Lining the sides, large terracotta red stone pillars rose above the trees and held aloft a series of crisscrossing arches that instead of holding a ceiling of painted stars, gave way to a stunning sky of rich blue filled with hundreds of stars. The forest intertwined itself with the pillars of this church, the snow moving unrestricted through the stonework and alighting on the trees that crowded at the edges of the clearing. 

The music seemed to have no true source, the rise and fall of the organ existing within the church like the scent of incense, the voices of the choir weaving among the trees - and oh, the trees!

“Oh, my little thing, look!” 

Along the two sides of the church, within the pillars, stood a series of tall and proud pine trees. These ones were different to the snow laden others outside of the church, they were placed with purpose and each one laced with colourful lights which glowed in bright exuberance. Crowley had worked with colour for as long as he could remember, he thought he had seen every variation of the rainbow She had created, but these lights were so vibrant, each with a little pinprick of light at the very centre. Pink and emerald green, sunshine yellow and bright red. A flurry of colour only made more enchanting by the soft covering of snow on each tree. 

Aziraphale walked towards them gently, holding his breath as if not to disturb the scene. The music seemed to beckon them in, inviting them into this special place. 

“Beautiful,” breathed Aziraphale. 

He moved to the first tree to their left, looking closer at the lights. Crowley stretched out of his warm wrapping to peer at the branches, for all seemed to be decorated with small objects. 

The first hosted a collection of awkwardly made clay flowers, some so heavy that they bent the branch they were hung on. All of them were painted in bright gaudy colours, with large golden sequins glued inexpertly to the centre. There was a little plaque on the floor in front of the tree, partially covered in snow which Aziraphale stooped to brush away. 

“‘Flowers of Eden, by the children of the Sunday school’, how dear,” read Aziraphale, reaching out to twist one so its unpainted clay back wasn’t visible. 

Moving onto the next one, they were in more familiar territory. The tree was decorated with gingerbread men and candy canes, something Aziraphale had explained to him while they had perused a few confectionery books. There were also beautifully decorated sugar cookies, with delicate lines and patterns in icing creating snowflakes, stars, hearts and…

“Are those carrots?” Aziraphale asked, his brow furrowing a little. He reached out for one to confirm it, twisting it between his fingers. “A sugar cookie carrot. Of course,” he said, flicking his eyebrows in mild dismay. He lifted it off the branch and brought it closer for Crowley to see. It was a rather stubby carrot in a very cheerful orange, with little divots of chocolate sprinkles to give the illusion of dirt in it’s not unattractive wrinkles. 

Crowley flicked his tongue towards it, before looking back towards his angel with a snake’s interpretation of a shrug. Aziraphale, brow still furrowed in concern, returned the shrug and moved away from the confectionary tree, absentmindedly bringing the carrot up to his mouth to nibble on.  

They moved on, and the next tree made Aziraphale a lot happier - it was full of tiny angels all made from tiny sheets of golden metal which had been hand carved and engraved with tiny details. Each angel was different, some with different instruments, some with gifts in their hands, others with scrolls or candles. Aziraphale of course was most pleased with a small golden angel holding three scrolls in his hands, one of them looping down with tiny words engraved onto it, proclaiming that He Has Risen. 

Spoilers… thought Crowley to himself, as Aziraphale cooed over the tiny angel with its long curling hair and adoring expression. Aziraphale thought he looked devoted, Crowley thought he looked a bit simpering. 

They crossed over the middle of the church to the other side of trees, and Crowley nudged Aziraphale towards one he thought looked rather interesting. The tree held an entire series of hand embroidered animals, each one shaped with sequins, gold wire and beading. Aziraphale was delighted, and spent some minutes looking for and identifying each animal hidden among the branches - some of which included a rather handsome lobster, a slightly lopsided alpaca with a colourful tasselled pack, and a whole group of little cats with a variety of markings and colours. 

“Did you know a group of cats together is known as a clowder?” Aziraphale told him as he traced a finger across the teeny tiny silver bell attached a pink collar of a black cat. “Remind me I must show you this delightful book that lists all of the names of groups of animals who live together, it really is wonderful,” he told Crowley absentmindedly as he moved from decoration to decoration. He seemed to be checking them, reaching out to touch and inspect each one, before looking on for the next. A small frown had evolved on his face. Finally he huffed a little and gave up his search. 

“There’s no snake,” he said simply, frowning at the tree and then looking down towards Crowley, who was currently looped lazily across his shoulder. 

“Outrageous,” Aziraphale stated, as they moved onto the last one. 

Aziraphale’s hand reached out and gently cupped his hand around one spherical decoration, its surface painted with stars. Looking to the next, Crowley could see that all of the decorations were varying sizes of royal blue baubles, each one painted with a collection of golden stars connected with a golden line. 

“Oh, I see!” said Aziraphale, drawing back to take in the entire tree. “This one is decorated with all of the star formations, the ones that the humans gave names to. Or, will give names to,”

Crowley looked again, and yes, he could see it now - these were the same stars he knew, that he had hung himself, but now given a new understanding by an artist from Earth. Each of his and his fellow Starmaker’s labours witnessed and recorded by their audience, with new names and new formations to add to their stories. 

“See, here, little one - here is the one they called ‘Orion’, and his belt,” pointed Aziraphale, brushing away a little clump of snow from the top of the decoration. “And there, this is the scorpion who chases him across the sky, how clever,”  

Crowley pushed out further from Aziraphale’s sleeve, wanting to see more of them, wanting maybe to find one of his formations painted onto a bauble. He wound himself down his angel’s arm, ignoring the shiver of cold air across his body as he searched. Aziraphale moved without seemingly knowing he was doing so, aiding Crowley’s search until he spotted one he knew to be his - a small collection of stars in a diagonal formation and tilted towards their companion collection on a bauble nestled close by on a neighbouring branch. 

Aziraphale smiled wide, following Crowley’s eyes to the two constellations. 

“Aren’t they lovely? The lovers Cassopeia and her husband Cepheus,” 

Crowley turned his head back to look at his angel, hoping that he would tell him the story, and of course he was not disappointed. 

“Cassopeia was a queen of extraordinary beauty, but also quite the ego, for she knew she was so beautiful as to rival the gods, and for her pride she was flung to hang in the sky. Her husband, for he loved her so, and could not be without her even with her pride and vanity, he was hung to be beside her for all of eternity,”

Crowley looked back at his stars and gave another small shiver, not from the cold but from the words, hearing his work translated into eternity. Aziraphale’s hand reached for him again, and he let himself be guided back into the warm collar, the angel tucking his tail in with such care. 

“Such wonders, the stars,” sighed Aziraphale wistfully, pressing another kiss to the top of Crowley’s head. “I don’t get much chance to see them from the Library, but... “ he sighed deeply, with a gentle sigh of satisfaction. 

Crowley twisted to look up at his angel, who was looking down towards Cassopeia and her lover. His eyes were unfocused but crinkled at the edges, matching the smile that could warm Crowley so much better than any borrowed fur coat could. Aziraphale’s eyes refocused onto Crowley and the smile grew wider, the soft glow of the tree’s lights tinting him in colour. 

“It’s always an honour to see them, even from my attic window,” he told Crowley in a steady voice, smiling as if he was telling Crowley a secret. It may have been a trick of the light, but Crowley could have sworn that his Keeper turned a little pink across the cheeks, his eyes flicking down before flicking back up to Crowley and widening. He made a small noise of happiness, and pointed to the base of the tree, Crowley twisting to follow his gaze. 

“Oh, look, little thing, presents!” 

Underneath the tree there was a collection of boxes, each one wrapped in different coloured paper and tied with ribbons. They varied in size and shape, but each one had clearly been wrapped with great care. On the top of each box and parcel, there was a small tag.

“These are a human tradition, one that they have had in nearly every culture - where one will present the other with a token of value, whether sentimental, or practical, or maybe even ceremonious,” explained Aziraphale, using his best Keeper voice and plucking the words from one of his many books on the subject. He knelt down to get closer to the presents, to show Crowley. 

“Often they would be wrapped like this, to add an element of surprise to it. For some people, giving gifts to their companion is a gesture of love and devotion,” 

Crowley watched Aziraphale trace the large scarlet bow on the one closest to him, the mittens hiding Aziraphale’s clever fingers from illustrating the cleverness of the looped ribbon. Aziraphale straightened again, his hands once again returning to Crowley to make sure he was still tucked into his collar and not slipped out into the cold air. 

“Until I met you, I had never received a present,” he said quietly, hands still cupped around Crowley. He wasn’t looking at him again, but the same tinge of pink had returned to his face along with the small smile that wrinkled his eyes. Crowley stared at his angel, ignoring the slow ripple of emotion that threaded through him. Aziraphale’s hands moved, one peeling the glove away from the other and revealing the golden ring Crowley had plucked from the bookshelves and presented to him. Aziraphale turned his hand to let the gold glint in the soft colourful light of the tree. 

A small part of him felt at a loss, unsure what it was that had stirred up this oddly despairing feeling. He looked at the ring, and then back towards Aziraphale, noting the way his muscles seemed to be shivering a little despite the warmth of the fur collar engulfing him. Aziraphale slid his hand back into the glove and bent his head to press another small, barely felt kiss to the top of Crowley’s head. 

As he turned and began to continue forward in the snow, Crowley stared at his angel, a ray of clarity casting through the swirling confusion. A gift to a companion, a gesture of love and devotion. Had he really been so blatant? How could he, as mute and as disguised as he was, still manage to give away something so unspoken and deeply felt as that? Without even knowing he was doing so? 

[unoriginaltransman]

Ight fellas

So heres my first post and i got mega lazy so take a bunch of doodles of the Arch Angels

(mainly Sariel)

Honestly i love the Arch Angels tbh

[aliceinadultland]

The OA theories™

Has anyone looked up ANGEL THEOLOGY? So in my other post I talked about other biblical oa theories, but then I thought of THIS: if OA, Homer, Rachel, and Scott are claiming to truly be angels, then there must be angel mythology parallels somewhere… but I don’t know much about angels, so I decided to look up the specifics.

Again, I apologize if anything is misinterpreted offensively I’m not religious, just interested!

So my theory is that OA, Homer, Rachel, Scott, Renata, the Sheriff, and Haps lab partner are the seven arch angels that go to war against the fallen angel Lucifer aka Satan (aka Hap), after he has tried to recruit other fallen angels as followers. (They are also the only people with a direct connection to Hap in the mysterious research facility world in OA’s story) but anyways…

BACKGROUND INFO -If you have not heard of the “War in Heaven"…….here it is. It begins with God’s right hand angel Lucifer, the light bearer, trying to upstage God. God cast Lucifer down, making him fall from Heaven down to earth. After this he’s now known as a “fallen angel”. Other good angels in Heaven heard about this and wanted the same kind of freedom, to experience this paradise called Earth and God said OK but you have to come back. Satan now on Earth, made it his business to recruit other fallen angels, so they could follow him instead of God. Now these innocent angels who were granted the freedom to experience life on Earth, are given the chance when done exploring to then decide if they will come back to God. The ones that didn’t come back and stayed with the Devil, and some did, they became his followers and were then renamed as demons. However, the others who realized the Devil was insane, decided to go to war against him, hence the ‘War in Heaven’ and there are four specific angels who take him down. They are called Arch Angels- Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, and Uriel. Michael and Gabriel the most important, the only two arch angels to be mentioned in the Bible, but all 4 are the main [There are seven in total but I’ll get to that after if you’re still with me;)]

HERE IS WHERE THE OA COMES IN: The Seven Arch Angels

1. OA (MICHAEL) - OA resembles the leader of the four main arch angels. Michael, the name meaning “like God” the first arch angel, the warrior, named as the great prince who “stands up for the children of your people”. He is the patron of protection and love, as the protector and leader of the army of God. He is Gods enforcer and is said to have taken Lucifer’s place in Heaven after the war, as God’s number one angel. Sounds like it could be OAs personality and fate but let’s move on to Homer.

2. HOMER (GABRIEL) -Gabriel, the “Messenger angel on a mission”, the second arch angel, is said to be God’s hero. The name Gabriel meaning “Strength of God”, is said to be the angel to call upon when you need strength and motivation (Homer motivating OA when she was sad and Homer working out doing push ups lol idk). But Gabriel is not only most famously known for delivering the news to Mary that she will deliver a child immaculate conception, and have a boy to be named Jesus, but his actual job is delivering news back and forth from God to earth. Now We remember Homers sad little request about needing to deliver a note and money for his baby, and yet there was the odd factor of him believing it was a boy when there was no way he could have known, and somehow he just knew. Homer also had the letter in his possession already and was the one to write the message and prepared to deliver it. Lastly, Homer chose to take on the job of gathering information about Haps experiment. Going back and forth to deliver info, OA saying he called it his mission and how determined he was to succeed.

3. SCOTT (URIEL)

The name Uriel, means “fire of God” and he is known as the third arch angel. Uriel is described to be as dark as a demon himself, who brings renewal and rebirth, like a Phoenix to rise out of your own ashes. THIS IS WHAT HOOKED ME****if you’re still with me congrats, and it gets even cooler. He is the angel of resurrection and conquering of fear and doubt. Scott was afraid to swallow the gas but eventually conquered his fear when he experienced his NDE (in fire btw)! He is also the angel of wisdom and intellect, able to solve problems with divine reason and knowledge. (Scotts NDE claiming to withhold the third movement, when he solved and figured out the gas had a compliance side effect before it could have ruined their plan and when he was disappointed in OAs seemingly crazy talk, saying he thought she was the only reasonable one here). (I also bet you his special ability coming back from his first NDE was mathematics, cause Hap mentioned that when talking to OA about what people like this are capable of now doing, but he never said who, idk just a guess! …and while I’m at it, Im pretty sure Hap had an NDE also and is just lying about it, he seems to have a personal connection with it, and would he even be able to travel to another dimension if he wasn’t an angel? Idk story for another time…) Andddd then there’s Rachel.

4. RACHEL (RAPHAEL)

Who’s name means “God heals” is the fourth archangel of physical and emotional healing and peace. Raphael not only helps heal, but helps healers in their practice. Raphael aids in restoring harmony and peace, and is also the patron of travelers, watching over to ensure a safe journey. Sooooo I immediately think of Rachel’s story about her decision to travel with her brother and then watching the wreck from above… She also has a very calming and peaceful presence.

OKAY SO THE LAST 3 Archangels are…… The Sheriff, Haps lab partner, and Renata.

5. THE SHERIFF (RAGUEL)

The fifth arch angel, Raguel is quite literally known as “the sheriff angel” Ha. He is the angel of law, justice, fairness, vengeance and redemption. He checks up on the fallen angels and is ordered by God to cast vengeance and sort the ones who do not obey the law of God. Aka the sheriff always coming over asking Hap if everything’s ok………………………

6. HAPS LAB PARTNER (RAMIEL)

Ramiel is the sixth arch angel of hope, and he is credited with two tasks: he is responsible for divine visions, and he guides the souls of the faithful into Heaven. (When he told Hap to Imagine a world where people could have a guarantee to an after life, and the relief people would feel, to have that kind of hope). Ramiel was also sent by God to watch over those who have passed, until it is their time to be resurrected… (the lab morgue)……

7. RENATA (SARIEL)

She is the final seventh arch angel, the angel of guidance. Sariel is known to guide and assist those who need help. He was also mentioned for his portrayal of lust and emotion in terms of advances(which was not ok with God) But Renata obviously the lust comes from with Homer and she also guided him and clearly saw that he needed help… until she seduced him anyways lol

Well, that’s all, gonna go crawl in a hole now, and if there’s some sort of rebellion war in season 2 I will die.

Sources: (btw the last 3 angels the names vary for spelling but I just put the ones I saw spelled most common) http://www.catholic365.com/article/2094/the-catholic-teachings-on-the-angels-part-4-the-seven-archangels.html http://www.angelfocus.com/archangels.htm#Michael

[laryna6]

It has been pointed out to me that having the Maoh of Devil Is A Part-Timer and Maoyu meet would result in so many sparkles and geeking out over infrastructure and food security and how that’s forcing societies to go to war and keeping their existence hellish and trying to build a new-set-up because here is someone who gets it! 

Satan Jacob wants all of her books and Alciel will either beg for Elder Maid to instruct him to improve his house-husband skills or possibly toss Lucifer (’as useless as a roomba on an ice rink’) at her and...

The ending of Devil is a Part-Timer vol. 6 is fantastic. Alternative energy sources XD

Also the reveal that Sariel was trying not to be a creep and specifically did not do a thing because that would be creepy, but despite the fact he still had some standards his behavior was creepy and the manager lady was absolutely right to bar him from her premises and goes ‘I will get a restraining order if you pull that again.’

Also. I want to write fic re. how, when all this is over, 'somebody’ starts what is obviously a religion worshiping Chiho and the rest of Chiho’s friends are no help whatsoever. Alciel is just ‘hmm, given Ms. Sasaki’s ability to save our budget you certainly can’t do a worse job than the angels with souls...’

Former hardline Inquisitor Christia Bell: ‘I just happen to have a pamplet.’ *opens bag* *trips on staircase* *floods floor with pamphlets* ‘I was confiscating these.’

Riiight...

Suzuno’s conversion to the worship of Chiho is my main pairing for this fandom. Like, there’s heavy implications that the Devil King and the Hero is endgame (Maoyu did it~), but aside from the cracky/forced to co-parent results of Alas Ramas mistaking Emi for her mother, the focus is explicitly on Emi getting over being lied to in order to make her a child soldier (the reason she hates the MC), trying to figure out what she should do with her life now and increasing desire to punch her mom in the face for going around doing world-saving stuff without ever meeting her daughter (it’s implied her Mom is completely oblivious that this might be bad for Emi in any way because heaven is really messed up and she probably never had a mom). 

I don’t think either Lailah (which is an actual angel name, so...) or Maou are aware of the fact she was basically his step-mom - although this was before Emi was born. Her arch-enemy got more mothering from this woman than Emi did~

I like how the ‘they are probably going to be a thing despite being enemies now’ isn’t being treated like tsundere? Or her finding him attractive? The story is setting them up as mirror images of each other - in the sense that in some ways the same, in some ways reversed/having what the other lacks. The romantic tension in the story comes from other characters trying to have inter-species relationships and in at least two cases it’s ‘yeah this isn’t happening but they can still come to respect each other and be friends/be a help to each other maybe.’

Once Emi has gotten some therapy (destroying corrupt churches and punching parents is v. theraputic) can see them at some point where they’ve been working together for several years going ‘hmm an alliance marriage might be good for (the founding myth of the new society) showing that this is a relationship between the three worlds instead of anyone getting conquered and also Alas Ramas (and the other sephiroth they’ve been accumulating...?) is happier when her parents are living together so.’ And everyone else is seeing this as all Very Significant and they’re just like ‘look it’s not a big deal but I suppose the fact that you’re acting like it is when you should know better means it’ll work.’ 

Also Chiho finding a way to join Maou’s fan club (aka the army). I mean, she’s not Yako, but it’s still great to see that her crush isn’t being treated as either all of her character or a useless/stupid thing, you know? She’s said that ‘Suzuno is my rival but she’s also my friend!’ - which is great to see, although of course reservations because what’s feminist from my perspective might not be in Japan - see Sailor Moon getting dismissed as male gaze because of the transformations by some people over here.

...but post-story!Chiho going ‘I seem to have a religion and they aren’t knocking it off what do I do, I can’t have them doing bad things in future’ and hitting up google. So like her first commandment is ‘Be excellent to each other and have fun, everyone!’ and Lucifer is just like ‘see this kind of thinking is why they wanted you for their goddess, if you wanted them to stop it you should have taken my advice on how to be a First-Class Bum.’

[unoriginaltransman]

Ight fellas

So heres my first post and i got mega lazy so take a bunch of doodles of the Arch Angels

(mainly Sariel)

Honestly i love the Arch Angels tbh