#aziraphale is definitely able to see between the lines

[canarybell]

De facto partnership

…De facto partnership.

In Metatron’s words, ”I've been looking back over a number of your... previous exploits, and I see that in quite a few of them you formed a de facto partnership with the demon Crowley”.

You know, English is not my first language, and I’m not a lawyer at any point, so I just was thinking “Yeah, this is about Aziraphale and Crowley basically being in relationship unknowingly for Heaven”. But today I decided to google it. And turned out, this term actually has at least two meanings??

I mean, the first one is something I expected, more or less:

A de facto relationship is a relationship between two people who are together as a couple, but who aren’t married or in a civil union.

But the second one?

A de facto partnership, sometimes called an “Ad Hoc Partnership”, is an informal business arrangement between two or more parties.

Business arrangement. Arrangement.

And we know that for some time aziracrow tried to position their Arrangement and their relationship as a purely business transaction.

And well, by the time of S2E6 Aziracrow being “together”, be it in romantic or any other way, has been a secret for no one for four years. And it is definitely not a secret for Heaven at that point. It doesn’t exactly needs “looking back”, you can just ask Uriel about them.

But by implying he knows about the Arrangement, Metatron is all but confirms that he indeed looked back over Aziraphale’s files – you know, the same way Michael did in S1. And he looked through them carefully.

What else he could see? I don’t know. But there is at least one thing that potentially could get into these files undetected – at least at first. One thing that both Aziraphale and Crowley gravely need to keep a secret from Heaven and Hell if they want to survive.

You know. The secret behind them surviving in the end of season 1.

And there is a possibility that Heaven (or at least Metatron) already know everything.

[ineffable-suffering]

The meaning of "I forgive you"

Alright, hello again, I involuntarily dipped for a bit because real life outside of this lovely Tumblr Good Omens bubble got a little bit stressful, but! I'm back for a quick little post to say that I'm currently reading the script book for Season 1 and seeing this line again, spelled out on paper, just shone some more light on the whole „I forgive you“-scene of Season 2 for me again.

Because really, this first time Az says it to Crowley in front of the bookshop tells us exactly what the second time during the Final Fifteen means.

Aziraphale is not forgiving Crowley for kissing him. Or for using this moment to confess and make things explicit between them.

No, Aziraphale is forgiving Crowley for not trusting and believing (in) him.

Let's shove the Final Fifteen to the side for a second and look at this scene from Season 1 under the cut.

The situation at hand: The World is ending, with utmost certainty. In addition, Crowley is absolutely f*cked and Hell is out to get him. He tries to apologise for their Bandstand fallout and explain the other two things to Az (poorly, but he tries). Because to Crowley, Armageddon is a done deal already. Wherever the actual Antichrist is, he's gonna come into his power and the World will be wiped out for Heaven and Hell to wage their war on. Also, Hastur is coming to kick his demon ass. Time to dip!

And yet, Aziraphale doesn't want to come with him. He is adamant that he will be able to reach the Almighty, talk to Her and turn this around. Because if Aziraphale, Guardian of the Eastern Gate, thinks there's even the slightest, tiniest morsel of a chance that he can turn things around the right way, he will do it. Even if it sounds ridiculous. Even if it's a lost cause to everyone else. Even if all the other angels gang up on him and (literally) beat him up.

Even if Crowley calls him stupid.

Aziraphale decides not to be offended by this.

Because this is what he does. This is what a Guardian does. He stays and protects to ward off the intrusion, until the very last second.

Now listen, I'm the last person to blame Crowley for intrinsically wanting to choose Flight over Fight in this very situation, because Lord knows (literally) what happened to him back when he chose Fight and lost.

But at the same time we have to keep in mind that despite his last name, Aziraphale never Fell. He never made the horrible experience of being chucked away by the one who made you to love Her because you chose to question her ways. And yes, in so many ways this choice of his, to still believe that he can change something by questioning and suggesting (both here and in S2), is utterly maddening and hurtful to Crowley. Because it's a mirror of what Crowley himself did and a reminder of just how big the price he had to pay was. Aziraphale seemingly not realizing or understanding this stings. It does.

And yet.

Yet Aziraphale's choice to not take no for an answer, to not let a punch to the gut derail him from his plan, to not let even the most definitive thing such as Armageddon keep him from fighting back, is the one thing that ends up saving the World.

Because even when it all seems impossible and completely hopeless and bloody Satan himself is erupting from the pits of Hell, ...

... Aziraphale picks up his sword and fights back.

And he wins.

Not without help, of course. But might I remind you of what got Crowley to cooperate and not simply surrender like he'd almost done that second?

You might not see it at first, but tucked in between all the posh hedonism, hidden away underneath that tightly buttoned waistcoat of his, Aziraphale is a fighter. And a good one at that. I mean, for Someone's sake, he got discorporated, beamed himself down back to Earth, found Crowley somehow, possessed a psychic prostitute (love you, Madame Tracy), rode a scooter all the way to Taddfield and fought off Lucifer with sheer willpower (and a bit of emotional coercion).

Aziraphale can fight. Smart and hard. And not only that: He can win, too. And he knows it. Because he believes, truly, firmly and wholly, that he can make things right. It's the only thing he will settle for. This, ladies and gents, this is how he ends up saving the World, together with Crowley, Adam and the rest.

Because he didn't accept no as an answer. He didn't look at the impossible and accept it as such. Even when Crowley thought him to be an idiot for trying and even after his initial attempt at talking to God had failed, Aziraphale still found a way to stop The Big Bad Thing from happening.

Which is exactly what his plan is when he ends up being forced to come back to Heaven by the Metatron. (If you still believe this was a voluntary choice, read here). And which is exactly why he is so hurt and still ends up forgiving Crowley for the fact that Crowley doesn't end up coming with him. Doesn't end up understanding, trusting and believing (in) him, just like all the way back at the end of the World in Season 1.

Aziraphale decides not to be offended by this.

[mrghostrat]

some tips for writing flow

i've had a lot of comments complimenting my writing style, most of which don't know how to explain or describe what they like about it. i never really knew either, but i've been paying more attention to the way i write things lately, in the hope of being able to understand and explain it.

a lot of this is "based on feel" with no hard and fast rules, but there's also very tangible techniques you can hopefully work into your own writing, if that makes sense? idk is this anything—

1 - sentence beats, and alternating them.

this is probably the biggest thing in my writing. i've realised my sentences can be measured in beats, based on their length and how many sections they can be broken into. the pattern changes often, and i don't have a concrete rule in how i fill a paragraph (again, i've only just put words to any of this), but it's probably the most important part of my flow. let's have a look:

1 beat: • this is probably the biggest thing in my writing.

2 beats: • i've realised my sentences can be measured in beats • based on their length and how many sections they can be broken into.

3 beats: • the pattern changes often • and i don't have a concrete rule in how i fill a paragraph • but it's probably the most important part of my flow.

it looks like a favour certain patterns, the only real "rule" i use is to construct a paragraph with various beats, and never put two side by side. whenever i'm struggling with my flow, it's usually because i've put two of the same beats next to each other and everything feels either stiff or crowded. i rarely put two side by side, unless it's for specific emphasis.

the other exception are paragraph breaks: these are a pause for breath, and allow us to reset the pattern. i often start and end my paragraphs with single beat sentences, and it doesn't feel like they're running on because there's that lovely breath between them.

2 - short paragraphs

the rule we learn in school is that new paragraphs are for new ideas. convert this to prose, and we can consider "ideas" to include the character's thoughts, new narrative tangents, and physical movement around a scene.

one of my biggest struggles reading "bad" fanfic is when paragraphs are too lumped together. crowley will walk into the bookshop, see aziraphale across the way, wander over to a shelf, select a book, then pour himself a drink all in one big chunk. i can't parse that. there doesn't have to be a new line break for every new action, but grouping the relevant ones together and breaking in between broad motions (i.e. walking across a room, acknowledging a character) can help ease readers through the scene.

paragraphs are a breath, not only for sentence flow, but for processing the action within a story. similarly, purposefully keeping multiple actions confined to a single paragraph can make them feel quicker, while breaking them up into multiple paragraphs will slow down the pacing (even if the amount of detail describing each action is the same). included some examples because i'm struggling to explain this one

3 - mixing metaphors

this might sound less flow related, but i used to struggle with it a lot as a young writer, and paying more attention to it has definitely helped clean up my flow and writing overall.

i love a good analogy, but it can be easy to get carried away, and this can bog down the prose. my personal rule is that i can get silly with my metaphors (see: the mon chéri magnet), but i can only use one at a time. no talking about the magnet in aziraphale's chest and the angel and demon on his shoulder within the same scene.

if i'm getting silly and long winded with a metaphor, i also try to limit the length of it to one or two paragraphs. paragraph 1: set up the metaphor, establish the analogy. paragraph 2: come back to the reality of the scene, then mention the metaphor once more to link it all together. if i'm feeling cheeky, then i mention the metaphor again ONCE in passing, a couple of paragraphs or even chapters later

the magnet was a fun one, because i kind of flipped how i would usually present a metaphor, with the long winded tangent coming last instead of being the set up. and even though i used the metaphor 3 times, it felt like 2 because the set up was really just a planted seed for what i'd be mentioning later in the theatre. referencing the "whispered curse in the dark" also helped tie the scenes together and keep the analogies neat and tidy in our heads

meanwhile i got a little more carried away with the space metaphor in postcards (i feel like there's probably a 4th and maybe even 5th mention during the bookshop scene), but each one was blink-and-you'll-miss-it brief that didn't slog down the prose.

4 - avoiding repetitive pronouns

we're all going to struggle with this, and i don't have a secret hack for avoiding a wall of "he this, he that, he then," and i honestly try not to beat myself up over it too much. but there are two things i check to make sure it's not getting too repetitive:

1. looking within a paragraph

apparently everything revolves around paragraphs and the breath between them lmao. i don't have a strict rule like "use the character's name once per paragraph, then 'he' for the rest" or anything like that, but it's in that kind of vein. i simply pay attention to one paragraph at a time to watch for too much repetition, and if i notice it's been one or two whole blocks without switching from 'he' to a name, i'll chuck one in to break it up.

2. paragraph starters

this is so picky. and i don't know if it does ANYTHING, but it bugs me when i'm writing and i notice every paragraph starts the same way. maybe it has no effect on the flow at all. but i like to make sure my paragraphs aren't starting with the same "he" "he" "he", and that forces me to go back and switch around the pronouns in recent sentences, so the next paragraph can flow on more smoothly.

5 - use interruptions appropriately

edit: sneaking this one in here as a final thought! i just want to mention the use of em-dashes, semicolons, footnotes, and parenthesis mid-sentence. it's common to favour one in particular, but each have spectacular uses and can add miles to the pacing and flow of your prose.

em-dash (—) interruptions, cutting off dialogue— pausing to make a point — like this — in the middle of a sentence.

semicolon (;) helps with making lists and continuing a compound sentence that doesn't really link with 'and' or 'but'; when you want to pause, but a new sentence would break the flow of things.

footnotes (¹) these should be optional additions to the text imo. you should be able to keep reading without looking at the footnotes and not lose an ounce of story. they're additive, not necessary.

parenthesis ( () ) a great way to interrupt yourself (less sharply) than with em-dashes, include longer pieces of information (like what you might put in a footnote, except more crucial to the narrative that you don't want people to miss!) and adding sass (lol) and tone to your prose.

[paperclipninja]

An angel, the Metatron and a choice he never had

I know it's been analysed and poured over by many before me, but I am incapable of sitting in the many thoughts and feelings without throwing them out into the ether. And with the entire Aziraphale leaving situation, the thoughts and feelings have been swirling around and recently, upon my completely-normal-teenth re-watch of the final 15 minutes, I feel very certain of one thing: Aziraphale had no choice.

From the moment the Metatron walks into the bookshop and Crowley recognises him (I'll put a pin in that whole thing for another time), Aziraphale is reduced to something between terrified and starstruck, unsure what this unexpected visit signifies. And from the get-go, the Metatron establishes the illusion of choice.

We know that thanks to Crowley, freewill and choice are a part of being human, require the influence of heaven and hell to create the shades of grey and that Aziraphale has grown accustomed to being able to make his own choices, even if they do still subscribe to a set of rules he feels bound by. The Metatron also knows this.

The Metatron knows that the influence of being on Earth and with Crowley has corrupted the subservience expected of an angel, however he also knows that Aziraphale has only ever wanted to be seen to be doing the right thing, be considered a loyal and righteous angel of God.

When offering Aziraphale the coffee, he asks, 'are you going to take it?'', as though Aziraphale has a choice in the matter, yet the Metatron's tone here is rhetorical and it is clear that 'no' is not an option. Aziraphale also defaults to seeking permission and direction, 'shall I...?', and so the Metatron's charade to get this angel back in line begins.

The conversation that we see opens with the Metatron asking Aziraphale who should take over from Gabriel, with our favourite angel extremely surprised to learn that he is the no. 1 pick. 'You're a leader, you're honest, you don't just tell people what they want to hear...', the Metatron fills Aziraphale with praise in order to entice him to the role, talks about all the projects, 'and I will need you to run them'. Now here's the thing, usually one would expect (and the Metatron would DEFINITELY expect) this would've been enough. If the Metatron, whose power likely includes casting angels out of Heaven and God knows what else (literally), says I need you, that's it.

But Aziraphale is used to choice and up to that point, the Metatron is engaging with Aziraphale as though this is a discussion, until the angel declares, 'I don't want to go back to Heaven'. And that is when the Metatron shows his hand, the illusion of choice the Metatron has carefully crafted is ended the moment he says, 'I've been looking back over a number of your previous exploits...'

It is then that Aziraphale begins to realise that this is not a conversation, his discomfort growing as the Metatron continues with, '...and I see in quite a few of them you've formed a de-facto partnership with the demon Crowley...', at which point we see panic flash across Aziraphale's face as he understands it's all a ruse. The Metatron made a point of telling Aziraphale he's honest before calmly letting him know that he's looked back over his previous exploits carried out alongside Crowley. Friends, that right there is blackmail. Aziraphale panics in that moment because he realises that the Metatron is basically saying, 'I know all the things you've done and as long as you come back and do my dirty work, you will remain an angel'. The coffee, the 'offer'. It's not an offer, it's a command. He has enough to cast Aziraphale out of Heaven or burn him in a hell-fire tornado, but most importantly, he has enough to force Aziraphale to do as he says and for him to stay in line (spoiler alert: he won't).

So the Metatron tells Aziraphale that he can reappoint Crowley because he knows that Crowley would never go for it, it's a false offer. And whether it's because our beloved Aziraphale is eternally optimistic and thinks that perhaps Crowley will go for it (in which case maybe returning to Heaven would be ok) or he is trying to convince himself that this is what he wants because he is still torn between his duty to God and desire to be with Crowley, I am not sure.

Perhaps he is hoping Crowley will believe it's what he wants and come so he'll be safe, because he knows Crowley likes to give him what he wants. Or if he acts happy about it Crowley will want him to be happy and support it somehow. Perhaps it's none of those or all of those. If Aziraphale can't convince Crowley to come with him he can't protect him, so he pushes him away. It's self preservation as well as trying to keep Crowley out of harms way, because he never wanted to go and he certainly didn't want to go without Crowley. But he has no choice.

The absurdity of it all is that right until the very end, the Metatron is still behaving as though Aziraphale has the option of opting out:

"You don't have to answer immediately, take all the time you need"

"I don't know what to say' 

"Well, then go and tell your friend the good news".

There was no need for him to answer immediately because, as confirmed by the very next sentence out of the Metatron's stupid celestial mouth - 'go and tell your friend'- the decision has already been made. Because THERE IS NO CHOICE.

And viewing it through this lens makes Aziraphale's, 'I think I...' split second reconsideration, as Metatron leaves the bookshop after asking Aziraphale if he needs to bring anything, even more heart-wrenching. Because if you consider that he has no choice but to go, in that second he was willing to risk everything to stay.

I don't doubt that the system of Heaven and the impact of his time there still has a hold on Aziraphale and some of his excitement about being in charge and making a difference is genuine, but it is the product of a system in which he had no choice. Choice has shown Aziraphale what's possible in a way the binary thinking of Heaven is incapable of and while he may be forced back to Heaven through no choice of his own, I believe his ability to choose, to operate in the shades of grey, will ultimately grant him his freedom.

[snek-eyes]

Ineffable Husbands eras

So I named the first section of history the Pre-Arrangement era, which of course led me thinking to how I would divide up the rest. This is of course just how I interpret the vibes, I'd love to hear thoughts!

Pre-Arrangement (4004 BC ~ 41 AD)

Getting to know each other—and themselves. They're both learning and growing in this brand new world, and they test each other out whenever the job brings them to the same place (There isn't a whole lot of place else yet to be). During this time they learn that they can not only trust each other, but the era ends with them realizing they actively enjoy each other's company. They have much more in common with each other than their respective sides.

4004 BC - Eden (Meeting. Surprising each other)

3004 BC - Mesopotamia (The flood. Aziraphale disappoints Crowley by sticking to Heaven's line.)

2500 BC - Uz (Job. Crowley tries to get Aziraphale to disappoint him again, but instead the angel puts his faith in the demon. Their Own Side is formed way back here.)

33 AD - Golgotha (Crucifixion. Crowley tests Aziraphale again, the angel passes and Crowley opens up about his name change)

41 AD - Rome (Oysters. Aziraphale is the one to reach out this time, and doesn't shy away from being unangelic.)

Formation of the Arrangement (537 ~ 1601)

Let's do this on purpose (for Strictly Business reasons). What defines this era is that Aziraphale is nervous and Crowley thinks they've got it made. Even well after they've agreed to working together, they're still doing the song and dance of Aziraphale pretending he doesn't know what's happening and Crowley seducing him into it.

537 AD - Kingdom of Wessex (Knights. Still running into each other by accident, Crowley proposes a more radical version of what will be the final agreement)

[1020ish - when the book says they reached the Arrangement]

1601 - Globe Theatre, London (Hamlet. They've switched jobs "dozens of times" by now, presumably that's at least 24 occasions but less than 100.)

And now I've gone and done math about it, so...

if the start date is also accurate for the show... by the 1600s they're meeting up at least once every 25 years on average.

(and that's for the minimum of 24 Arrangements)

In my unlikely scenario of them having 99 Arrangements already, that would bring it down to 5 years

Even if for some unlikely reason Aziraphale changed his mind and went back right away in 537, 24 Arrangements would have them meeting up on average every 44 years

Of course, these are exact averages and they aren't robots. It's likely meetings started out less often and increased in frequency as they got more comfortable. Maybe it was every 100 years in the beginning, who knows exactly! (only one man and he's not talking) Do with this information what you will. Let's move on.

Definitely Not Friends (1793 ~ 1862)

Let's do this on purpose (for personal reasons). No longer are they only arranging to meet up in-between going to each others' jobs so the other can stay home, this is going out of their way to spend time together.

During this era, Aziraphale has finally started to relax, while Crowley is doing the opposite. Turns out (in classic Crowley form) this might not have been as good an idea as he originally thought, but he's in way too deep now. The era ends when Crowley shatters Aziraphale's growing comfort.

1793 - Paris (Revolution. It's plausible that Aziraphale may have arranged this on purpose, to see Crowley without admitting that's what he wants. For his part, Crowley goes out of his way to stage a rescue, even though he's now able to admit it could get him in real trouble.)

1800 - London (Bookshop opening [from the script book, semi-canonical]. In Paris, Crowley knew Aziraphale was planning to open a bookshop, now he knows the exact date and is swinging by to bring him presents. Also sneakily puts a stop to the other angels recalling Aziraphale from Earth; just as he knew Aziraphale wouldn't like hell, he knows he wouldn't like going back to heaven either.)

1827 - Edinburgh (Grave robbing. Crowley invites Aziraphale to hang out in a graveyard in the middle of the night in what is totally not an old-timey date. The only pretense is a personal excuse ['hey angel come see this statue of your boss lmao']. This is just straight up spending time together.) Interestingly, this is also the last time we will really see them traveling together, everything from here on out is around London.

1862 - St. James Park (Holy water requested, denied. This meeting is oddly formal for all that came before it, even back in S1 when it followed right after the Paris rescue. Crowley is seriously rattled. The Holy Water request is a declaration that he would take on hell for them. Aziraphale doesn't understand and isn't ready to hear it even if he did.)

We Both Know that We Both Know (1941 ~ 1967)

We are dangerously aware of what's going on here. It is made very clear that they will both go to insane lengths to ensure the other will stay in their life. They still can't say it out loud, but the remaining pretense is tissue paper thin.

1941 - London (The Blitz. It's been 80 years since they've seen each other, and yet Crowley saunters back in right at the moment Aziraphale needs him. They spend a giddy night being ridiculous together, only to get the wake up call of their closest call yet from head office. It's the night of Aziraphale's two realizations: That they're in love, and the full weight of the danger that puts them in.)

1967 - Soho (Holy Water given. Aziraphale isn't happy about it, but he makes the decision to trust Crowley in hopes being on the same team will keep him safer than he'd be otherwise. It's the complete opposite of the decision he made to walk away 105 years ago. He also gives them both a slim glimpse of hope for the future.)

A Test of Faith (2008 ~ 2019)

Whose side are we on? 6000 years of becoming more and more of Earth while pretending that's not what they're doing, and it's finally time to either admit that or don't. Still not quite ready to admit that choosing "the world" also means each other, but they do choose their own side.

2008 - Baby antichrist delivered (Present day dates aren't outright stated, this is technically "11 years ago")

2019 - Apocawasn't (date from when S1 aired)

What Are We [Limbo] (2020 ~ 2023)

Finally free (what are we waiting for?). Stuck in a holding pattern, neither of them know how to move forward. All the coping mechanisms they've developed and sunk into over millennia are breaking down. Crowley is more stressed than ever waiting for the other shoe to fall, Aziraphale doesn't know who he is without the structure of heaven. Something needs to shake things up, and when it comes it shakes them apart.

2020 - Lockdown short (Semi-canonical. The excuse to hole up together is right there and they both clearly want it! But neither of them knows how to take that step.)

2023 - Gabriel disappears from heaven and chaos ensues (season 2 airdate)

As for what's next, I'm guessing something like:

Divorce Era (Figuring out who they are and what matters to them without the other for the first time. Throwback to the pre-Arrangement)

What Are We [Redux] (allied again, but the plot is giving us a convenient excuse to not address things between us. This is 'We Both Know' and 'Limbo' combined)

Ineffable Husbands time (when they've finally finally gotten it all out on the table. They are going to be insufferable.)

And those are my thoughts! Let me know what you think :)

[sylwritesstuff]

“Well, if it isn't the Supreme Archangel.” Disdain dripped. “To what do I owe the pleasure of such an honourable visit?”

Look at me.

The sunglasses were dark. Impenetrably dark. So much so that Aziraphale was reminded of 2500 B.C. again, of demanding the demon look him in the eye and tell him he wanted to kill children.

The demon had and he'd lied well. He needed to lie well. It was safer for him that way, both before and most definitely after, their Arrangement. Ever since Crowley had lit Job's first house ablaze and Aziraphale's panic had simmered into something he hadn't felt since the first of God's Grace had touched him - trust (as simple, as terrifying, as awful, as glorious as that) - he had been able to see right through those lenses.

He couldn't see through them now.

(He hadn't been able to see through them at the bookshop those last few precious moments they'd shared together.)

He watched the demon Crowley finish examining his wine label. He watched him pour a glass. He poured exactly the right amount. No more or less than a well trained sommelier might.

(Crowley had lost control of so much. Aziraphale knew he could control this, however. How much he poured. And how many glasses.)

A second glass didn't appear.

A second glass was not filled.

Crowley picked the single glass up and looked in his direction. The glasses were so dark.

Look at me.

The glass moved, an impatient gesture that sent the wine rolling along the edges like the sea disturbed by the Kraken. (Great big bugger.) “Well?”

Aziraphale knew every line on that face and every inflection of that tone. This was so tightly controlled that Aziraphale couldn't help but think of a snake coiled and poised to strike any threat to his nest. (Peaceful, fragile existence. Aziraphale hadn't known how fragile.)

“The Second Coming-”

“Don't care.”

It was a lie. His throat worked as he swallowed wine.

Crowley cared.

Crowley had always cared.

“I'm not going to do the dance-”

“Didn't ask you to.”

“-and I'm sorry I made you.”

Lips tightened at the corners. Lips that were firm and warmed by far more than internal damnation. Lips that had clumsily, desperately pressed to his own. (“You idiot...”)

“If that's all-”

Aziraphale shifted, fidgeting, restless. The movement seemed to lodge itself in Crowley's throat, silencing him when that hadn't been the intention. Crowley could ask him to leave. He had every right to ask him to go.

Aziraphale laid a book (he had so many books) down between them. It was embarrassingly, painfully old. The sort of old that would've had someone claiming it to be a miracle that it had stayed together for so long. For its part, the book was just as surprised to be intact for all the use it had been getting as of late.

“I've gotten as much information as I can so far on the plans.”

“I said I don't care.”

(Had they really said what they meant yet? They hadn't. They must. They would.)

“His plane is scheduled to land in the States tomorrow.”

“What part of I don't care-”

“Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't care.” (He remembered how to be bold. Heaven tried to make him forget. It would always try.) “Look me in the eyes and tell me you would let this world turn to ash. That you would let them all die for a war that has never had anything to do with them.”

Lips curled. A fang glinted threateningly. The glasses didn't come off. (Aziraphale could be sad later. He would be sad later.)

“All of them,” Aziraphale said quietly, “against all of us is what you told me.”

And there, there, a flicker. The most minute adjustment of long fingers. (Did you catch it? Could anyone without so many years spent learning everything possible about someone who needed to remain at arm's length?)

“I'm a good soldier, Crowley. I always have been.”

There wasn't another adjustment. There was only... (Faith. It was always faith. I could always rely on you.)

A steadying breath. Aziraphale pushed the book closer. “I shall see you tomorrow.”

And Up he went.

[feelingsinitiate]

I don't understand how people can be so calm about it

@ingravinoveritas

Hi, I started reading your blog recently and really enjoy it. I don't know if you have written about this part of this interview. (I can't find any, but I might have missed it.) I don't understand how people can be so calm about it:

I love watching what David does with Crawley, around the idea of someone who, underneath everything on the surface, there is a kind of decency and a love there. And being able to see how he expresses that through a kind of a mask of Crowley, I find that endlessly enjoyable and fascinating to watch. And I think — that's me Michael, but as Aziraphale, I think that's also what pushes Aziraphale as well. So in scenes that are very emotional — I think you're right, I think in season two, we get to some incredibly emotional places. And **seeing what David's doing, and what Crawley is doing, definitely pushes me and Aziraphale into places** that you wouldn't necessarily think that that character would go to.

We all know Michael has been constantly blurring the line between character and actor, like when he uses "I/me" we can't be sure if he's talking about himself or Aziraphale. But here he is unusually clear about who he is talking about. He clearly states that both himself as Michael and Aziraphale are pushed to the same emotional state by David and Crowley. And we all know Aziraphale is in love with Crowley. I feel this is as open a love declaration as it gets without him actually coming out.

[gaiaseyes451]

Of Kings and Kids - Chapter 4

Penultimate chapter is up for Of Kings and Kids, the collaborative work between myself and @vavoom-sorted-art. Head over to AO3 to read the entire thing and see more awesome artwork! Happy Holidays!

Excerpt from Chapter 4: Read More on AO3

“Herod requested the magi return after paying homage and tell him the location of the child, so he can send his own delegation to ‘worship’ him.” At that Crowley stopped his pacing and drew a line across his neck with his index finger, as if Aziraphale needed the clarification.

“When are they coming to pay homage?”

“Tonight, they’ll set-off from Jerusalem in the late afternoon and will spend the night in Bethlehem.”

“Crowley, we can’t let them report back to Herod. Do you think they can be dissuaded?”

“Not likely, angel,” he dropped onto the boulder beside Aziraphale. “They don’t seem to be fans of his but they are in his kingdom, they’d need some pretty significant convincing to slight him.” Slowly Crowley turned to stare intently at Aziraphale. “Some divine motivation might do it.”

Aziraphale didn’t like that look, he eyed Crowley warily. “What do you mean?”

“Can’t you just, you know, angel them? Appear in a flash of light? Burn a bush?”

“You know I need a permit for those sorts of things,” he said, shaking his head. “I would have to disclose the entire story to Gabriel. Besides, not enough time to get through the paperwork. Could you…?”

“Not a chance. Hell agreed not to interfere – it’s a period of neutrality, I’m already walking a fine line.”

After considering for a few minutes Aziraphale spoke again. “I may be able to manipulate a dream, create an apparition or a feeling of divinity speaking to them. It’s a gray area to be sure, but not prohibited outright. But, I’d need to appear to them all at once, in one dream.” He turned to Crowley, waiting for his opinion.

Crowley drew his brows together, nodding slowly. “Could work. They’re so wrapped up in everything – the prophecy, Gabriel, meeting the Savior – they should definitely be impressionable. As for getting them all susceptible at the same time,” a wicked grin played at his mouth, “leave that to me.”

*~*~*

A huge Thank You to @goodomensafterdark for supporting this collaboration and a special thanks to @sohoscribblers!

[tonydaddingham]

Just whacking this out there, but I mean, much as I do think the "past exploits" comment serves as a warning about Heaven's rules/standards, and reach, and the fact that they've exposed Aziraphale's 'crimes' - sort of a 'you know what we expect from your conduct, and you've been continually stepping way out of line, and we're choosing to overlook it for now, but know that we know, and that we will know about future missteps as well, that we don't approve and could still intervene' flung out there for no immediate particular purpose, just to serve as a reminder - by and large, I find the whole restoration offer thing much more bribe than threat, and, well, frankly, personally, I'd consider a bribe of such proportions more concerning than any threat could have been, no?

hello lovely!!!💕 i think ive shared my thoughts on this in dribs and drabs over multiple posts but no harm in going over it again, fuck it-

essentially, i completely agree with you. splitting those two parts of the conversation into two, i definitely see the first part as a warning, and simultaneously an unspoken threat:

what particularly speaks to me is how the metatron hesitates over both 'previous exploits' and 'partnership', as if he's specifically searching for the right turns of phrase. trying to make light of it, keep it friendly and unassuming. but the small, smirky, private smiles, compared to aziraphale's reaction of flitting eyes and tight lips - it feels like metatron is playing a cat-and-mouse game... the guise of it being that it's all a great opportunity, but truthfully they both recognise the unspoken threat is there

(but - to clarify - i don't think the metatron realises that aziraphale has seen it as a threat. ie the metatron thinks he's being slicker than he actually is, when aziraphale is very much able to read between the lines).

i remember making the comparison in a meta somewhere but it just simply strikes me that - if we're continuing with the 'sleeper/secret agent in the height of the cold war' allegory - the metatron is playing the part of the seedy villain that is doing the 'i've been watching you all along, i know precisely what your pressure point is and why' bit that we all know and love from any kind of dramatised espionage story.

essentially, as you said, "we could still intervene" - ie. 'dont think that i haven't seen every single thing, because i have. i know how deep this 'partnership' runs'. there doesn't even need to be an allusion to what metatron could do with this breadth of knowledge - just simply that he has the knowledge is enough, and aziraphale can draw his own horrific conclusions quite easily, even if they never come to fruition.

(on an intertextual level, metatron kinda reminds me of how i'd imagine karla to be - from the john le carré novels... a little bit, idk.)

now as for the second part; the restoration thing:

i completely agree - this absolutely feels like a bribe. 'i know crowley is your pressure point, and you'll fight tooth and nail coming back without him in tow, so im going to offer it to you - this amazing opportunity that you can graciously bestow upon him! "go tell your friend the good news!"'

the metatron may well be disguising a threat in the exchange, but i do think that he believes aziraphale to have taken the offer to return to heaven at face value, in earnest, and therefore he believes that he has aziraphale squarely under his thumb (and none the wiser for it). however, i personally think aziraphale may be constructing his own hasty game - ie. using the offer as an opportunity to "make a difference" as he and crowley would see fit... but the spanner in the works was that crowley refuses to come with him to play on 'their side' in this little counter-game he's trying to devise.

in terms of functionality of bribe vs. threat - absolutely, a bribe promises a greater yield. threats only work so long as it's a) inescapable enough, b) serious enough, and c) the threatened person is sufficiently scared enough that they won't toe out of line. which may well be effective in getting someone to comply, but the problem with making people scared of you or hate you, is that then they all secretly want to see you ruined or destroyed.

bribe someone, however... give them something that they might have always wanted (or, as i think is the case for aziraphale - gives them the opportunity to give another what they've always wanted), and you have a greater chance of having an ally in them forever, someone forever indebted to you.

i definitely think this is where the metatron's reasoning lies. instead of threatening crowley's life, so to speak, he's offering him the chance essentially to defect - and that's way more appealing to aziraphale and likely to get him to fall in line.

for me though, it's all a gross underestimation of aziraphale on the metatron's part. i will die on the hill where aziraphale sees through what the metatron is saying - has indeed read between the lines where he doesn't have a choice one way or another - but chooses to play the part that the metatron expected him to play (of marginalised-angel who is actually the-very-kind-of-angel-heaven-needs, and therefore very-grateful-to-given-the-top-job-thank-you) so that the metatron will keep underestimating him. bribe or not, aziraphale did not want to go back to heaven... but if he doesn't have much of a choice regardless, he's going to make it work for him.

now this ask has led me to another thought: i do wonder if the restoration is actually a thing? ie. the metatron wasn't bluffing, it's actually possible.

the metatron is putting an awful lot of bank on crowley saying no, when by all accounts - even if the metatron was directly involved in crowley's fall - the metatron doesn't actually know him... right? he likely knows that crowley is resentful and angry still at having fallen, and the unfairness of the whole shebang, but does that guarantee that crowley wouldn't want to take the restoration offer? id hazard no - so the metatron has to have a failsafe for either eventuality.

either crowley says no, and aziraphale is left broken-hearted/rejected, and that suits metatron fine because then he has aziraphale ridden of crowley's influence. alternatively, crowley returns, and is restored!

...but is restored to the same position as he was when he fell - essentially like restoring a backed-up file where the last save point was ~millions of~ years ago... and that would suit metatron fine also, because then crowley is simply not crowley anymore. plausible deniability on the metatron's part too, for the latter option - 'restoration has never happened before, didn't know what to expect, but you've gotten what i promised you!' idk, interesting thought

[bluberryfields]

"I thought you said we'd be inconspicuous here."

Okay so can we talk about how Aziraphale and Crowley communicated before telephones?

When we see them at the Globe Theater in 1601, Crowley remarks that the reason they are meeting there is because Azi assured him there would be enough of a crowd for them talking to go unnoticed.

Unfortunately, it seems this particulate production of Hamlet is sparsely attended, to put it mildly. Of course this means that they are both the very definition of conspicuous (especially in those outfits!).

Anyway, it got me thinking about how they have been able to communicate in a reliable way since the start of The Arrangement (how does Crowley make that word sound so dirty?"

We don't know when the Arrangement started between Crowley noted they are canceling each other out in 537 A.D., but he does mention that by 1601 they have helped each other out dozens of times. But how have they reaching out to each other in a way that allows them to still blend in among humans? Certainly not by letter!

I would just really love to see a moment where Azi prepares a fancy little parchment and seals it with an elaborate wax seal (that looks suspiciously like his signet ring) and then cut to Crowley savagely ripping it open and tossing it in a trash pile once he's done.

Also along these lines, Azi's diary from the Body Snatchers minisode mentions that he and Crowley both happened to be in Edinburgh at the same time. I'm very curious how that realization happened. Did Crowley know Azi was going there based on a previous conversation, and then just showed up "on business" like a happy coincidence? It's a big world and they are not contained to just the British Isles for their work. I just like to think of Crowley using his free time to figure out ways to keep seeing Aziraphale without being too obvious about it.

So, yeah, I'm just curious how they've surreptitiously communicated before more modern technology.

Probably a silly thing to analyze, but my brain is broken and it's something to do instead of the actual adult things needing my attention.

[dracofeathers]

Calling Fic Writers! Story Idea? -Angst-

If this is already something someone has made, ya'll need to link me ASAP cause its been rotting in my brain all week (if not longer) and I very highly doubt I'd ever be able to write it properly LOL. Art? Maybe...

Please excuse my scatterbrained explanation. I'll probably be adding to this as my little angst-loving brain thinks of more details.

-----

So, after x amount of time, Aziraphale returns/escapes to the bookshop from Heaven and being Supreme Archangel....just completely defeated, dazed, exhausted and just about broken/verge of breakdown. I've pictured the scene with or without his wings. Crowley and Muriel are there (or at least Crowley) and are understandably surprised/confused.

He just collapses in a sobbing heap muttering and crying "I'm sorry" "Please" "You/we can't do this" "Why" "I don't want to fall" among other unintelligible words, but doesn't seem to quite be with it enough to attempt to explain whats going on. Maybe he'd gain very slight, brief clarity upon seeing Crowley (who has also been a mess), keeps apologizing, begging for forgiveness (from him? Her? Both? Maybe) until finally passing out.

Of course Crowley steps up and tries to take care of him, and figure out whats going on. Because no matter how mad he might get at Aziraphale, how hurt he was by the end of S2, he'll always return and help his angel, because he loves him. Also I'm positive Crowley already knows Aziraphale didn't make that choice easily, that he hurt the angel as well. Bountiful soft, care-taking Crowley here because I live for it.

Eventually when Azi is a bit more stable, (as he would often rotate between quiet desolate/defeated shell shock, and near hysterical crying in fear and grief) Crowley gets bits and pieces of what happened out of him.

The "Supreme Archangel" position was merely a sort of placeholder/fake title, not an actual promotion. Because why would they want to actually give Aziraphale that kind of power to potentially use against them and their plans? He was dangerous enough

The Metatron (and other angels) lied/manipulated Aziraphale the whole time to get him to do what he/heaven wanted. And to of course separate him and Crowley. Possible eventual threats towards Crowley and others to keep Azi "in line". Book of life?

Plans of course include the second coming as it was mentioned, but I'm sure there are others mixed in. More apocalypse starting schemes etc. Never really give the full details and kept the real plans secret. Jesus only mentioned, never seen (very suspicious). Azi tries to investigate but keeps getting interrupted or thwarted. Kept a very close eye on.

Much gaslighting/mental and emotional abuse and manipulation, slowly wearing Aziraphale down in order to break and better control him. No erasing/changing of memories cause its over done to me.

God is still MIA and no one knows whats going on with Her. The Metatron says he speaks with Her, but lets face it he can't be trusted. Definitely scheming on his own with others, maybe Hell as well?

Aziraphale never falls of course, I couldn't do that to our precious angel. He'd be traumatized enough anyway.

Aziraphale tries to be a good angel so bad it hurts, wants to believe in Heaven and "The Great Plan" but is only ever hurt and betrayed for all his efforts up there.

I WILL MAKE THESE TWO WILL HAVE A PROPER TALK I SWEAR

--------

I just really love hurt/comfort, angst and them taking loving tender care of each other. They would have a happy ending of course. This is how I cope until season 3, don't judge me xD

Also, what I was listening to during this ramble:

[actual-changeling]

I remember reading somewhere that Neil said the kiss wasn't about lust and I disagree, at least in part, because there is plenty of love-emotional lust between these two. What do you think? Is there physical lust as well ? Also, do you think by the end of S3 we could see Aziraphale Fall (could he actually choose to Fall?), and become a demon ?

Even though some people treat it as such, Neil's opinions aren't the gospel truth and not canon either. The show as it is—everything we can see and hear on screen—is our canon to work with, and while Neil definitely has a unique position when it comes to interpretation and analysis, his thoughts aren't automatically the only correct option.

In short, whatever he retrospectively says about the kiss is simply another possible interpretation of that scene.

'Show not tell' is an important principle in writing, and I think in a way it also applies to here; we have what we see, and telling us what supposedly happened is not the same as writing and producing the episodes.

Personally, I do think their attraction has a sexual & physical aspect to it, and the kiss is an expression of everything Crowley feels towards Aziraphale, including lust/desire/whatever you wanna call it.

Regarding Aziraphale's celestial status—I really hope that we do not get a "he chooses to fall" situation since it would cheapen not just Crowley's traumatic fall but that of every single fallen angel. The point is that falling was not a choice, it was a punishment, and going against heaven does not automatically degrades you or changes your (metaphysical) nature.

Making Aziraphale fall now would also serve no actual purpose. Heaven has ways of punishing angels just like hell does, and while the fall was definitely a deeply physically painful experience, the symbolism of it was just as important.

Make one angel fall and the most you get is that one angel now being in hell.

Make millions of angels fall after forcing them to fight in a war against the other half of the family and effectively remove them from their home & God's love, and you get not just collective punishment but a heaven full of angels absolutely terrified of being subjected to the same thing.

The control heaven has is largely based on fear—a fear that was justified, but is no longer validated by actual experience. Consorting with hell is second nature to the Archangels, that has never been the problem, it's breaking the rules & going against the Great Plan that angers them.

Honestly, I am not entirely sure that Neil will be able to fix the fallout of season two in six episodes, and I wouldn't want him to cheapen the story by trying to rush a fairytale ending. If Aziraphale falls, I want it to be a punishment, not a choice. I want him to go through the exact same pain as everyone else because contrary to popular believe, he is not God's Special Boy; he's an average angel with average status and a shitton of luck and time on earth that he didn't use.

Aziraphale had six thousand years to choose to fall, but he never did. He prioritized his personal comfort and heaven's opinion of him over everything else, and Crowley should have drawn a line so much earlier than he did. If Aziraphale wanted to choose Crowley over heaven, he would have by now, but he hasn't, and everything he does now is something he COULD have done earlier—but Crowley was simply not important enough to him to do it while he was still co-dependent on Aziraphale.

This is a situation of "I asked you to stop hurting me but you never did & now suddenly after the break-up you are doing all the things I have been asking you to do for years".

To quote the Good Place once again: [They were] always capable of change, [Crowley] just wasn't worth changing for.

[galaxgay]

In this post about Aziraphale reveling in Crowley's trust, @ravenofazarath2 got me thinking about why Crowley is actually so different from all the other angels and demons. It's definitely something that has stuck out to me especially since S2 but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

(Apologies, this meta is gonna be unnecessarily long and also might be missing information because I need to rewatch S1 and haven't read the book yet. Also, this meta is just for fun so take it with a grain of silly salt 💕)

@ravenofazarath2 mentioned that maybe Crowley isn't brainwashed like Aziraphale (and all the other ethereal beings) because he bit the apple- The apple that contains the Knowledge of Good and Evil. And I am now going insane because wait a second-

When we see him in Eden he says this line, speculating on why it's so wrong to have the knowledge of good and evil. It's such an... interesting thing to say- especially for an ethereal.

Sure, he could very much be talking about Adam and Eve choosing to eat the apple and being kicked from Eden for it (Landlords and their obnoxious rules🙄), but for fun, I'd like to play with another idea.

To be a bit more philosophical, I want to preface this theory by saying "knowing the difference between good and evil" means understanding its many complexities. It means knowing there are times where good deeds are poisoned with malice or even have evil unintended consequences and evil deeds can be justified by means outside of one's control and have good consequences- and what is good for one person, may be evil for another.

Angels and demons do not have this "knowledge". They have their strict rules and codes that they follow almost compulsively and are all collectively in on this bit. Good and Evil are almost always about immediate action and never factor in consequences. They recognize good and evil based on their respective sides. Nothing more, nothing less.

Additionally, the phrasing of that line is interesting to me. It kind of sounds like "as someone who has bit the apple, gained that knowledge and can now see the difference between good and evil, (and perhaps fell/was punished for it himself) I don't get what's so wrong with that knowledge."

The reason I don't think this is too much of a reach is because sure, halo-hugging angels who are still apart of the "cult" are going to be brainwashed, but what's so strange to me is that demons, who are fallen angels and have supposedly seen both sides themselves, don't seem to share Crowley's sentiment. Not a single one. They seem almost as brainwashed as the angels are. Is that not bizarre? Not to be a nerd but statistically speaking, at least one other demon should be able to agree, right? Why is it only Crowley?

Because it's not about seeing both sides, it's about understanding both sides. Something you can only do, if you take a bite.

(Sure, one could say the demon's quest to ruin humanity could be an act of rebellion and revenge but again, why is it all of them? I feel like at least a few of them would in one way or another agree with Crowley, even the littlest bit and they don't.)

In S1, we get this beautifully dramatic frame where Crowley says "I only ever asked questions". Which of course, is a line that everyone has been scrambling back to after seeing angel Crowley in S2. Which makes me think of this ask that Neil Gaiman answered:

Crowley's implication of not deserving to fall and Neil Gaiman saying that Crowley isn't a reliable narrator when it comes to his fall are certainly opposing views but why can't they both be correct? (we're exercising DBT today for fun)

If we know anything about Good Omens, it's that the entire theme of the story hinges on perspective. How the same instance can be viewed dramatically different depending on who is watching and where their morals are aligned. For both of these things to be true, Crowley would probably see his fall as a punishment for having simple curiosity. To Neil Gaiman, a much more neutral, outside observer, Crowley's fall wouldn't have been such a random, out of place happening. Which leads me to wonder what the Great War was even about. (I'm assuming the Great War happened before Eden-)

Perhaps it was about asking questions and making suggestions.

It seems kind of silly to say but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. If the Great War is what caused many of the angels to fall, it would make sense that the center of that war would be a lack of faith. And the thing about faith is a lot of the time there's this idea that you should hang your questions aside and choose to believe- questions can oftentimes be seen as a threat or a lack of faith. Even more so are suggestions. I believe Aziraphale's reaction to Crowley's questions and suggestions in S2E1 are a perfect example of this being just the case.

I can imagine Crowley, and many of the higher ranking angels such as Lucifer and Beelzebub finding each other to all have the same questions and suggestions and doubts about the future of the universe. Having the rank they had, I could see them planning to go to God to ask questions- they, at this point, have no reason to believe anything should happen to them should they ask questions.

With them having those questions, I could also see there being a rift between the Angels who wished to ask questions, and those who strongly opposed it. And as they debated it, it snowballed out of control turning into a full-on war.

(Small note: sure maybe they became demons before the war actually officially starts but I still think this theory could hold pretty strongly.)

Crowley was on the side of asking questions and making suggestions. They did in fact fight with the other angels who ended up falling. Her questions and suggestions were viewed as a lack of faith. If you view faith as being able to hang up your questions and doubts, it actually was a lack of faith. To Neil Gaiman and katiebird2000's point, Crowley's fall was in fact just the consequences of his actions. To say "all I ever did was ask questions" is to negate all of the other things Crowley did.

(I'd also like to throw out there that faith in this circumstance is faith in God, not faith in doing good which I think explains a large portion of Crowley's morality throughout the story because God and good are not synonymous. Crowley believes in doing the right thing but does not believe God is the one to do it.)

And so Crowley fell. To his point of view, he fell for simply having questions. So when Crowley heard about the Tree of Knowledge, she had to go. When they heard the word "Knowledge" they probably thought taking a bite would answer their questions- provide her with the thing she was denied in Heaven. It was also the perfect first act of rebellion- to indulge in something he was not meant to indulge in.

But when he took a bite, something completely different happened. The wool over her eyes had been peeled back and suddenly the universe became so much more complicated. Perhaps tempting Eve to eat the apple was originally about temptation but then became an act of setting them free- to give them the right to choose just like the apple did for Crowley.

And everything from there on is history.

I think that's why Crowley not only loves humanity but also why Crowley himself is so human: that is the one thing he shares with humanity- the knowledge and understanding that good and evil are not mutually exclusive. Knowing that good and evil are tied by a red string of fate, destined to dance circles around one another eternally.

[tindove]

I have so, so very many thoughts about Aziraphale at this point. But it’s a lot, and also very spoilery so this is your warning for my long character analysis/rant.

My friend and I spent so much of our time after episode six specifically discussing aziraphale and who he is and how we got to this point. because we kind of needed to get to this point, more or less, for him to be able to move forward at all. And that is where my hope for the future comes from. But. As it stands, Aziraphale is so extremely flawed (and don’t get me wrong so is Crowley but that’s not the conversation right now) and I love him for it.

Aziraphale, while I don’t believe it’s intentional, takes Crowley very very for granted. And this whole season only enforced that idea for me. The thing that specifically tipped my friend and I off, before everything went horribly wrong, is the seemingly innocent and sweet line of “but rescuing me makes him [Crowley] so happy”. And we both had to pause there for a moment. Because, does it? Maybe in some circumstances yes, such as 1793, in the ones that aren’t these awful life or death scenarios, the casual ones. Easy fixes. But Aziraphale is truly the one that always benefits. He enjoys being rescued and he enjoys the excuse it gives him to spend time with Crowley (at least in the early stages of their relationship). It’s never on him to fix these things. Though I very much think Crowley prefers the aftermath and the conversations that follow these situations, rather than the situations themselves.

I don’t know. I think a good show of it was the 1941 minisode of episode 4. Because between the shaky camera and Crowley’s shaking finger as he holds it over the trigger— he doesn’t enjoy any of it— he is quite definitely panicked. I don’t know if this constitutes as Crowley “saving him” but it was a similar moment of trust that relied entirely on Crowley to fix it. While immediately after he turns it into a quip about “no paperwork” there is that visible in the moment fear that is never addressed.

I don’t know if this exactly makes sense. But I do hope I am getting my point across, I am very much attempting to.

It all does really factor back into the fact that they don’t just fucking communicate. Which they really, really, need to work on. Could of all gone just a little better if Nina and Maggie cornered Aziraphale too and gave him the talking to as well. Of the two of them. I’d argue he was the one who needed it more in the end.

For one, Aziraphale certainly doesn’t grasp what Heaven actually means for Crowley. Or how he views it, or how he views his fall. It is true that Crowley doesn’t talk negatively about the fall around Aziraphale, not that we can see, just the “sauntered vaguely downwards” comment which is very tame. And also we know that Crowley doesn’t view his angelic self as the same person that he is today. As in a functionally entirely different person. While aziraphale sees them as one is the same, which again, while sweet in concept, it just isn’t the reality of who Crowley is anymore. Because he doesn’t want to be that. He’s just his demonic self, on his own side, on their side. Heaven and Hell are both awful, he’s known this for so very very many years, and he saw the trial— which aziraphale has no idea about! And it is such a mess.

Aziraphale cannot just give up Heaven as something he’s been apart of for over 6,000 years. Especially not if he thinks he can be the best of it, and in doing so protect everything he cares about. He can make it better. It is misguided, but man his intentions are good and I get it and it’s just… sad. Because he doesn’t get it and that’s the point. Because heaven has never been good but you can’t exactly just. Accept that. Or he can’t anyway.

There is also the fact that Aziraphale just wants any sort of approval. He needs it. It’s said so at the start. That that’s one of the things he calls Crowley about in the first place. He likes to tell people about the good he’s done, and be told that what he’s done is actually good.

Aziraphale never truly gave up on Heaven. He is far too much of an optimistic idealist for that. So when he’s seemingly given the opportunity to make everything better and he is essentially being told that he— the angel who has always worried about whether or not he was a “good” angel— is the PERFECT angel. The angel capable of taking the highest position he could get. This is the highest form of approval, something he’s always wanted to hear, from the place who never gave it to him. And it just completely blinds him to the fact he already has that approval and that’s all he really needs. Because it is so hard to give Heaven up. It is ingrained in him to want that.

Going back to my point early, Crowley does genuinely love helping Aziraphale, that much I believe, but Aziraphale puts far too much faith in him to the point it becomes detrimental. Because Crowley will always go along with what Aziraphale asks of him— or well— as far as he can I suppose. The whole business with Gabriel was almost his limit, but he stayed, because he doesn’t want to see Aziraphale hurt. So he puts them both at risk. Because he knows Aziraphale is too kind to not help, even knowing the possible consequences.

Crowley always helps Aziraphale, he will always be there for Aziraphale, whether he’s wanted or not. Because he will try. And while I know Aziraphale functionally feels the same he cannot express that in the same manner. Again. He takes him so for granted. Even at the end. Crowley makes it clear he needs to talk, and he needs Aziraphale to let him talk. And I know Aziraphale is excited and overwhelmed by the offer, but he completely disregards Crowleys request and speaks over him anyway. And Crowley let’s him, because of course he does. And their faith in each other is just so… it kills me when they read each other completely wrong. Because again, they don’t talk, so much of what they do is assuming they’re both on the same page and it just doesn’t work.

But no, back to what I was saying, the limit comes when Aziraphale disregards everything they’ve been through for this deal. Even if he doesn’t see it that way, even if Aziraphale sees this as the best possible outcome for them, even if he sees this as a perfect solution. It can’t be, not just for the reasons that there is no way Metatron has any good intentions here and the institute of heaven is fucked and Aziraphale won’t be able to fix it. But because this deal disregards Crowley for who he is.

So much of this season, flashback wise, was Aziraphale unlearning the things that Heaven idealizes. The things that get put into perspective to him by both Crowley and humanity. And he still does know and understands these things, but Aziraphale IS selfish. He’s always been selfish. He says so himself. He’s trying to have everything he wants all at once. And that’s just not possible.

They need to work on themselves without the other present, or at least Aziraphale does. Because as it was said, they did not have anyone else. Their relationship was one of necessity, and in the end, then it became all they had. Then there was no one else. All they had was each other.

Crowley has already long since chosen Aziraphale, their side, their lives together. Aziraphale still hasn’t. And he needs to be able to make that choice for himself. As much as it physically pains me this separation will likely lead to Aziraphale truly realizing that this is what he actually wants. He needs to make that choice for himself.

I feel like I have so much more to say. But this is already so, so very long. So maybe that’s for another time.

I really truly did enjoy this season so much. And I love them all so much. Even if it did crush my heart more than just a little. I am getting a kick out of all the character analyzing though, had to give it a go myself.

[amandagedddon]

My two cents on Crowley's angelic identity

I watched the 2nd season of Good Omens and was really drawn to Crowley's angelic past... But some of the other theories I've seen haven't properly answered all of my questions so I decided to type my own theory out!!

(Please keep in mind that It has been Years since I last watched season 1 and I'm not presenting my theory as the end-all-be-all solution to their past. I'm just a theology nerd and this mystery got my brain working it's magic. )

!!!!SPOILERS FOR SEASON 2 OF GOOD OMENS AHEAD!!!!

My theory is that before they fell, Crowley was Zadkiel/Tsadkiel, the Archangel who ruled over the Dominion-choir of angels.

What is my proof? Here are my main pieces of evidence for this:

First and most importantly we should take a look at the Angel Hierarchy.

(I found this picture from google but it shows the most important thing which is the ranking of angel choirs)

This chart of types of angels will serve as a guide for us during this theoretical journey.

Hint number 1:

When Muriel brings Crowley up to Heaven in 2x06, they are able to access documents meant for "Dominions, Thrones or above", defined by Muriel. This alone rules out classes below Dominion, which includes other angel choirs mentioned in the show, such as Principalities, Archangels and Angels. I think Dominions are one of the only suitable angelic choirs for Crowley. Why? Seraphim's are described as "singing God's praises" and overall being mostly on God's side in all matters. Crowley most likely fell because they resisted God's will concerning Earth and the rest of space, which is why them being a Seraphim feels very unlikely to me. As for Cherubim and Thrones, both are described as attending to God personally, either as an advisor or an actual chariot being driven by a Cherub. Either way, Crowley isn't a personal assistant to God, which is why I would rule those choirs out of the question.

This did confuse me a bit, since it ruled out the possibility of Crowley belonging to the Archangel choir of angels. That was, until I did some more digging on Dominion angels.

Hint number 2:

Once again in 2x06, Crowley and Muriel get to see the conversation between Michael, Metatron, Gabriel and Uriel. In which, Metatron says this line: "For one Prince of Heaven to be cast into the outer darkness makes a good story, for it to happen twice makes it look like there is some institutional problem." I believe Metatron was referring to Crowley in this. Why? Zadkiel is referred to as a "Prince" of the Dominion category, which made me believe the "Prince of Heaven"-title to refer to him. The Archangel Michael is also referred to as a Prince, but he is still seen in Heaven so I don't believe this to refer to him either. (This is the least waterproof of my points, but I still believe it is important to pay attention to the words used.)

This brings more proof to my Zadkiel theory, but I still have some more!!

Hint number 3:

When Shax comes to speak to Crowley in 2x02, Shax and Crowley exchange the following lines: S: "A miracle of enormous power happened last night -- The kind of miracle only the mightiest of Archangels could have performed." C: "..." S: "Somewhere very close to your friend's bookshop. Are you telling me you don't know what caused it?" C: "..How'd you know I didn't do it?" Shax then changes the subject. I think definitely confirms Crowley's status as an Archangel turned Demon. Since we know both of the demons in the car know that Aziraphale is not an Archangel (the demons' book on angels clearly show their rank being a Principality -- one rank above Archangels. This book is old but I doubt Aziraphale would get demoted during any of that time. I also assume that both of the demons have read it, considering that telling angels apart is part of their job), which leaves only Crowley being the "Mightiest of Archangels" required for such a strong miracle. Zadkiel, while being a Dominion by Christians, is described as an Archangel in the faith of Judaism. Since Crowley would need the title of Archangel while being a Dominion angel (leagues stronger than an actual Archangel), them being Zadkiel would make sense titlewise as well.

I fully understand and accept that my theory can be debunked and I don't mind. The whole faith system in Good Omens is confusing at least, mixing all of the Abrahamic faiths together and such, but I understand it gives them more room for creating more fun and diverse characters.

This isn't to be seen as an attack to any other theory or any faith at all. This is all meant to be just fun speculation and I'd hate for it to be viewed as anything but that.

Please let me know your opinions on this, any feedback is greatly appreciated!! <3

[k1ranishf4]

Has anyone talked about how well Borderline by Tame Impala works for Aziraphale and Crowley, yet?

I can’t think of much about the first four lines “Gone a little far; gone a little far this time with something. How was I to know; how was I to know this high came rushing”. Only thing I can say is that I’m absolutely convinced that this is from Crowley’s point of view. Can’t explain it but I feel it.

I was thinking about directing it to the kiss but the lyrics feel too unfitting to embody that. I thought maybe it could be seen as “I’ve gone too far by kissing him” but then the ‘how was I to know’ wouldn’t exactly fit and the lyrics are “gone a little far with something’, which means that he knows he’s gone too far but he doesn’t know with what. Perhaps that’s where the kiss fits. But I still don’t know how to interpret the ‘how was I to know this high came rushing’.

Partially because I don’t exactly know what ‘this high’ is supposed to mean contextually, seeing as English is my third language, and Google didn’t clear it up either. The definitions that make the most sense to me are

“a feeling a person gets when they are so successful with the opposite sex, that they continuously go after the opposite sex, until they hurt a person along the line and crashes into depression afterwards”

and

“an emotional high is that feeling you get when you felt so emotional that you fell intoxicated to the point where your body feel like it’s drunk/high as well / Top emotions in this high are normally sadness,lonlyness, and anger” [Source for both]

The last one, in particular, is very self explanatory if you ask me. Crowley definitely felt sad, lonely and angry about the whole ordeal. Sad because he probably thinks that Aziraphale rejected him; lonely because his only best friend, who had been around for 6000 years with him on Earth, left and probably won’t be back for a while and he’s on his own side again. Angry because how could Aziraphale not see the obvious? Heaven is as bad as Hell, they need to get away from both sides, yet the angel insists on going back and changing things.

“We’re on the borderline, dangerously fine and unforgiving” I interpret Earth as ‘the borderline’ between Heaven and Hell where they’re both doing fine, yet there’s always been the threat of Heaven and Hell discovering that they were working together instead of against each other. However, I can’t exactly find a point for ‘unforgiving’ since it doesn’t apply to Aziraphale, at all. However, Crowley’s very unforgiving towards Heaven, I’d say, and probably also towards Hell. I don’t exactly know how to explain that, though.

“Here I go. Quite a show for a loner in L.A.; I wonder how I managed to end up in this place, where I couldn’t get away” I feel like this applies to Crowley, specifically his Vague Saunter Downwards. When we ignore Aziraphale’s existence for a moment, Crowley’s just a loner on Earth, putting on a show for Hell by taking credit for the horrible things the humans have came up with over the centuries, even though he never wanted to be in Hell and knows he’ll never be able to truly leave, either.

“We’re on the borderline, caught between the tides of pain and rapture” I had to look up what rapture meant, in the first place, and found two definitions:

1) a feeling of intense pleasure or joy / (raptures) expressions of intense pleasure or enthusiasm about something

2) (the Rapture) North American (according to some millenarian teaching) the transporting of believers to Heaven at the Second Coming of Christ: thousands of Christians gathered outside Rochester and other cities, awaiting the Rapture.

verb [with object] North American

(according to some millenarian teaching) transport (a believer) from earth to Heaven at the Second Coming of Christ: people will be raptured out of automobiles as they are driving along.

I’m going to go with the second definition, for obvious reasons. So, ‘pain’ means Hell and ‘rapture’ means Heaven, obviously. Connecting that to Aziraphale and Crowley, I’d say they’re just stuck in the middle of it all (which is the whole point, no need to theorize).

“Then I saw the time, watched it speedin’ by like a train; like a train” This could be linked to the 6000 years that they’ve spent together that they watched come and go or to their first conversation in Heaven, before it all began, when Aziraphale told Crowley that everything would be shut down again after 6000 years and the time basically flew and Armageddon was at the door. Or, to the “past few years” that Crowley was referring to when they hadn’t been bothered by either, Heaven or Hell.

“Will I be known and loved? Is there one that I trust? Starting to sober up, has it been long enough? Any closer, close enough. I’m a loser; loosen up. Setting free, must be tough. Will I be known and loved? Is there one that I trust? Starting to sober up, has it been long enough? Will I be so in love? Any closer, close enough” I think this whole passage is a representation of what could be the thoughts of both, Aziraphale and Crowley (separately, of course).

Although, the ‘will I be known and loved’ seems kind of unfitting for both of them. Crowley doesn’t exactly care about what Heaven and Hell could be thinking about him and Aziraphale doesn’t make a lot of effort to be liked by the other angels. However, all of this applies to each other, wondering if the other would ever love them back, to broadly summarize my rapid thoughts.

“Shout out to what it’s done. R.I.P. here comes the sun. Here comes the sun” I’m not exactly sure what this part means, in general, but maybe it’s a metaphor for a new day, which basically means returning to reality after waking up from a dream? That’s how I’d describe it, at least.

I’m not certain about how to link this to either, Aziraphale or Crowley. Perhaps it could mean a reality check for both of them when the Metatron came? I don’t know how to properly formulate this, but, like, they had been living in their delusions, hadn’t they? Perhaps not together or about each other, but while setting up Nina and Maggie? Or while trying to hide Gabriel from Heaven and Hell and thinking they could succeed but ultimately failing in the first second by performing that miracle? Or Aziraphale when he organized the ball and Crowley when he made it rain? (which both fall under the category of setting Nina and Maggie up, but hey)

“Gone a little far; gone a little far this time or something. Rudi said it’s fine, they used to do this all the time in college” Now that I’m thinking about it, ‘gone a little far’ could also imply that Crowley went too far by suggesting that Aziraphale runs away with him and ‘Rudi said it’s fine, they used to do this all the time in college’ fits Gabriel and Beelzebub, in my opinion. Specifically, Crowley’s “if Beelzebub and Gabriel can do it, go off together, then so can we” because why couldn’t they? It’d be so easy.

I don’t know if I’m able to take my point across, this seems incoherent to me and my mind is going 1000mph so yes.