#bottom muriel

[emihotaru]

Mermay day 5: Muriel!

And yes, little spoiler, in "There are stars at the bottom of the sea", Muriel is TransMasc! 🏳️‍⚧️

He's 25, an accomplished sailor, and of course, he'll sew hi own flag in our story, like the rest of the crew in OFMD! (not this one, obviously, but one which represent his sweet personnality!)

We wanted to post this picture today, because the trans kids are in danger here, in France, right now, and there were a lot of trans rights march and assembllies in a lot of French cities, today.

🏳️‍⚧️ Trans rights are human rights, trans kids are precious. 🏳️‍⚧️

Take care of yourself

You can read the first chapter of our fic on Ao3!

[empyrealbiscuit]

Hi! It’s empyrealbiscuit, the world’s most intriguing username.

Hey guys

Guys can you tell I like Muriel

[uhhomens]

ok but the whole 'oh crowley could open the book so he used to be sooo high ranking' thing. i thot the securty measures just only applied to angels like. i thot that was the joke

[brahms4thrackett]

Late night Deep Thoughts about Muriel and Saraquel. What if… hear me out… sweet, dim Muriel used to be Raphael? We know there are things happening in Heaven, and I am starting to turn to the idea that someone has been wiping memories (bc there’s more of a problem than Heaven wants to admit). I mean, we know it happens already! I have suspicions about Saraquel and whether they’re a goodie or baddie in all this, but regardless, they do seem to be more than they appear, and they do appear to be the one who does the memory wiping. So what if Saraquel was once responsible for clearing Muriel’s memory when they were demoted, and now Muriel reports to Saraquel as 37th class scrivner (they did bring Saraquel the matchbox after all) I mean, then they were going to make Gabriel 38th class, one now below Muriel (who didn’t know there was a 38th class) Saraquel didn’t report Crowley being in Heaven. In fact, they let him in on the trial. And they were likely the one who sent sweet, dim Muriel to “verify” the miracle when obviously they were a terrible choice for the job? Is Saraquel quietly trying to overthrow whatever is rotten in the state of Denmark? They were the only one who recognized the Metatron and they looked actually quite worried to see him…

And if Muriel was once Raphael it could explain the one glaringly missing Archangel?

Sorry for the rant. It’s late, I have a cold, I can’t sleep and now I’m medicated ����

Anyway, my point?

[youwererightcrowley]

Its 20 years after that day. Crowley has taken over the book shop with Muriel's help. Aziraphale regretted leaving the second he did but why has it taken him so long to return? Well, he's at Crowley's door step to explain, beg for forgiveness, and ask for help. The Second Coming, a scarier, worse armageddon, is upon them. Will Crowley and Aziraphale kiss and make up to save the world again? Or is the damage too irreparable?

something for Micheal Sheen in every chapter

[kimberleyjean]

Good Omens S2 Discontinuity Roundup

Hello Good Omens fans! Did you know the Good Omens team has put a lot of work into making “errors'' in the second season? Whether you were already aware, or just catching up, please take a look at the links below. Clicking any link will take you to one of the original posts that mentioned the discontinuity.

This post will continue to be updated and extended as new meta are published. Is there anything missing that you'd like to add? Reblogs, comments or messages are welcome!

Why are there so many discontinuities? Well, existing theories include different perspectives being shown, time-loops, separate timelines, a story told “out of order” and more! What's your opinion?

Discontinuities across multiple episodes:

Crowley’s sideburns.

Crowleys’ sunglasses.

The bookshop clock is frequently showing the “wrong” time (and other time inconsistencies).

The bookshop porch pillars/columns are sometimes clean, sometimes marked.

Randomly dusty streets (on a closed set no less!).

Street signage (Maggie’s and 1001 nights).

Almost every scene with visible extras, see here, here and here for examples.

Episode 1

There's TWO scrolls in Before the Beginning?

Gabriel’s/Jim’s entrance happens twice.

Crowley's conversation with Shax in the park shows him putting down the newspaper twice, and Shax's bag is all over the place.

Honolulu Roast sign.

Moving lamps inside GMCoGMD.

Disappearing eccles cakes.

Crowley's watch is set an hour ahead of his phone.

Episode 2

The lane where Crowley parks his Bentley varies between being wet and dry as well as the position it’s parked in, the colour grading, and the amount of dust on the Bentley windscreen! Also - the backdrop of the lane where Crowley parks the Bentley is impossible.

The amount of dust on Jim’s book changes in between cuts.

Job Minisode - varying wigs used for Bildad.

Episode 3

Muriel's arrival continues from a much earlier scene in E2 - see here and here.

Aziraphale parks in an unexplained location before going to the Resurrectionist pub, and also mysteriously loses his suitcase.

Resurrectionist Pub’s outdoor sign has two versions (no I don’t just mean the Jesus side!).

Bentley now 4-door (may be explained by the transformation sequence).

Awning of a new age, extras are discontinuous and standins for Nina and Maggie are visible.

Edinburgh Flashback - Crowley’s muttonchops change in size during the mausoleum scene.

Episode 4

Each time they are at the Windmill theatre, items in the background keep disappearing.

The polaroids (yes, two!) on screen are different sizes.

The polaroid itself is very confusing with Crowley’s weird arm.

The morse code in Hell is saying something slightly different to the loud speaker...

Episode 5

Nina and Maggie switch places? (Who knew they could teleport like that lol?)

High ranking demons are bottom of the barrel?

The “Surrender the angle” sign is thrown in twice?

A child randomly appears upon exit from the ball (approx 32:36).

Episode 6

Gabriel’s statue sometimes has a cross, sometimes not.

Crowley/David's stand-in is visible as Nina and Maggie leave.

French restaurant Fairy lights.

Final 15 clock shenanigans - why does the clock change from 9:25 to 9:40?

Are there two suns at the end of the episode?

These are the one's I've seen published so far and I'll keep adding to the list as more are published. In the meantime, if you spot anything missing from my list, please share the post about it :)

[tonydaddingham]

latest s2 promo pic looks so good!!!!!!!!!,,,

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

Vesuvia Weekly: MC is M6's embodied impulse control

Hear me out, Julian mutters, elbow deep in ink stained parchment sheets with eyebags for days. It's moments like these that you can really understand where the "mad scientist" rumors of him started. He's been obsessing over this new article published in a Prakran journal ever since it arrived at the clinic - three days ago. You can't even tell which eye is plagued and which is just bloodshot.

"Julian, you need to sleep."

"Hear me out, my dear -"

"No."

~

Hear me out, Asra chuckles, that impish smirk dancing around their face while they hold their latest creation out of your reach. Should you have known better than to leave him unsupervised with the shipment of new sample items to add to your shop? Yes. Did it happen anyways? Also yes. Does the mystery glob in their hand appear to be gaining sentience? You don't want to know.

"Either let me see it or take it outside, Asra."

"Hear me out, my love -"

"No."

~

Hear me out, Nadia croons, two slender, gauze covered arms circling your waist. You know better than to fall for her suggestions as easily as you normally might. Tonight is a meeting of all kinds of important guests, crucial to Vesuvia's progress on the international political and economic stage, and about to be very boring. You'd like to give in and discover what her sultry tone is offering, but you know better.

"Nadia, you know how important this event is."

"Hear me out, my darling -"

You groan. "No."

~

Hear me out, Muriel grumbles, burly arms protectively folded around the bundle of muddy fur and a furious blush creeping its way up his face. You love his heart for nature, you really do. You also love your indoor living space to feel like an indoor living space. Having what appears to be a muddy, hyperactive, flea-ridden skunk with a nervous tick as your new bed mate doesn't feel very "indoors."

"Muriel, I just cleaned the hut."

"... hear me out."

*SKREEEEEE*

"No."

~

Hear me out, Portia slurs, loose curls all spilling to one side as her eyelids droop and her lips stretch in a relaxed grin. You love it when she tells Barth to "surprise her" with her drinks on date night. You love it, but you don't necessarily support it when she suggests setting fire to the ship of that one sailor who looked at you wrong several hours ago and making off with all the gold in the hold.

"Portia, that's arson."

"Exactly. So hear me out, cutie -"

"No."

~

Hear me out, Lucio whines, bottom lip jutting out and hands folded in his attempt to plead with you. It's not easy to interlace your fingers when one set of them is made of spiky gold but he does it somehow. You glance from his silver puppy eyes, to the traveling fair of curious wonders, to the absolutely ludicrous prices posted at every booth, to the half-empty coin purse hanging limply at your hip.

"We can have fun there, or we can eat for the rest of the week, Lucio."

"I have an idea, hear me out -"

"No."

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

The Good Omens Season 2 Soundtrack! 😍❤🎵

The Soundtrack CD has wonderful cover and pics and look at the brilliant booklet! :D When you open it it looks like a box with a fly! :D

Options :):

(best to use the local store of course :), the Silva Screen page is thewebpage of the recording company)

CD:

Silva Screen 15.99 €

Amazon.co.uk £10.99

Amazon.com $30.79

Vinyl:

Silva Screen 39.99 €

Amazon.com $53.99

Digital:

Silva Screen 10.99 €

More digital listening options :) (some free)

Episode description and Track Listing :):

CHAPTER 1: THE ARRIVAL - Retired angel Aziraphale and retired demon Crowley's lives are upended when a visitor arrives on the doorstep of Aziraphale's bookshop, bringing chaos. Local shopkeepers Maggie and Nina get locked in to Nina's coffee shop when Crowley loses his temper. Heaven and Hell are suspicious, and Crowley and Aziraphale have a disagreement.

1. Before the Beginning 2. Good Omens 2 Opening Title 3. Into Soho 4. Something Terrible 5. To The Bookshop 6. Maggie and Nina 7. He’s Smoking 8. Tiny Miracle 9. Heavenly Alarm Bells

CHAPTER 2: THE CLUE featuring the minisode A COMPANION TO OWLS - Heaven and Hell are determined to find the missing angel. An overheard song provides Aziraphale with a Clue. Crowley and Aziraphale visit the pub to discuss ways that humans fall in love. While almost 5,000 years ago Crowley is sent to inflict punishments on the righteous Job, God's favourite person, as Aziraphale learns at first hand about temptation, and what Gabriel will and won't believe.

10. Avaunt! 11. The Song is the Clue 12. It’s What God Wants 13. A Mighty Wind 14. Whales 15. Gabriel Returns 16. His New Children 17. Am I Awful Now? 18. Fallen Angel

CHAPTER 3: I KNOW WHERE I'M GOING featuring the minisode THE RESURRECTIONISTS - Heaven sends the angel Muriel in disguise to spy on Aziraphale and Crowley. Aziraphale drives to Edinburgh in pursuit of his Clue, and learns a little about a lot. The couple's visit to Edinburgh in 1827 involves graverobbery, a statue and an unfortunate encounter with a vial of laudanum. In the present, Crowley is in charge of the bookshop, and is disappointed by human beings and the weather.

19. Police Arrive 20. Scotland 21. We’re Going to Hell 22. People Get a Choice 23. My Car is Not Yellow 24. Beelzebub in Hell 25. The Book 26. The Fly 27. Mr. Dalrymple 28. We Need to Cut 29. I’m Going to Save Her 30. Crowley Goes Large 31. Not Kind 32. Beelzebub Isn’t Happy

CHAPTER 4: THE HITCHHIKER featuring the minisode NAZI ZOMBIE FLESHEATERS - Aziraphale's good deed of picking up a hitchhiker on his way back to Soho proves to be a serious mistake. In 1941 Crowley and Aziraphale encounter some surprising adversaries, old and new, as the Nazi spies who almost entrapped Aziraphale return as zombies from the dead, intent on preventing him from attempting a bullet catch on the West End stage.

33. Hell-O 34. Nazi Zombies 35. March of the Nazi Zombies 36. Crowley Pep Talk 37. The Magic Shop 38. Catch The Bullet 39. Zombies in the Dressing Room

CHAPTER 5: THE BALL - Aziraphale tries to bring Maggie and Nina together by organising a meeting of the Whickber Street Shopkeepers and Street Traders Association. In Hell, Shax is determined to launch a full scale attack on the bookshop, with a legion of demons at her command. Nina's heart is broken, as is a bookshop window. Gabriel has a close encounter with Mrs Sandwich and a small plate of cakes.

40. I’ll Let You Have It 41. We’re Storming a Book Shop 42. Monsieur Azirophale 43. The Candelabra 44. Here Comes Hell 45. Gabriel Gives Himself Up 46. Shax 47. The Circle

CHAPTER 6: EVERY DAY - Crowley becomes a Heavenly bee and learns the truth about the Armageddon sequel. Aziraphale defends his bookshop from Shax's army and reveals his halo, Maggie and Nina become warriors, and Jim the assistant bookseller gets some hot chocolate. Crowley and Aziraphale get to the bottom of the mystery of the Matchbox. The Metatron brings an oat milk latte, along with a final offer.

48. Bin Through the Window 49. Gabriel Leaving Heaven 50. The Halo 51. Gabriel Revealed 52. Gabriel’s Love Story 53. Leaving The Bookshop 54. Gabriel and Beelzebub 55. Crowley and Muriel 56. I Forgive You 57. Don’t Bother 58. The Biggest Decision 59. The End?

The vinyl should look like this :) (damn, it gorgeous toooo! :D):

[consul-valerius]

Apprenticember Day 3: Donna and The Main Six (or.... my version of the main six LOL)

Give a short summary of their relationship to the other main characters!

This is going to get long because I can't shut up, thank you for bearing with me besties lmao

Nadia

Donna and Nadia are very close, with Donna acting as one of Nadia’s confidants prior to the game. They initially became close when Donna began working at the palace; Nadia instantly empathized with Donna’s culture shock of what life in the palace was like in Vesuvia, and she felt the need to be a source of comfort and support for them (which got physical pretty quickly lol). This blossomed into genuine feelings developing between the two that is hard to define strictly. In some continuities, Donna and Nadia (and Valerius lol) enter a full-fledged romantic relationship, and in others (such as Damien’s timeline), the lines are much blurrier and lean more platonic for them

Portia

BRAT TO BRAT, SWITCH TO SWITCH ENERGY BABY!! After the game's events, Portia is one of Donna’s closest friends. They both instantly related to one another’s needs to prove themselves, to be the heroes of their own stories, despite everyone doubting them. Honestly, it’s the lack of any prior history that makes Donna and Portia’s relationship so special. Portia has no grand idea of Donna that she is still holding onto: she’s been there since their new “beginning” and sees them for the person they are now. 

Asra

Boy are these two complicated LMAO Asra and Donna adore one another, but after their death and revival, their relationship is permanently damaged. Prior to the game, the two were normally joined at the hip, and while there were some one-sided romantic feelings from Asra, he never let them interfere in their friendship, even when Donna dated guys Asra really didn’t approve of (cough cough, Sam and Valerius, cough cough). Things started to go downhill when Donna began working at the palace, and their relationship was effectively nuked when Donna died.

To put it plainly: Donna doesn’t know what to think of Asra after the events of the game. They love him dearly, but there will always be a sense of distrust and resentment over what he has done. They feel like they should be kinder to him and that they literally owe him their life, but there is a sense of violation over them having no say in their own death that they cannot quite verbalize to anyone. It feels like something was robbed from them, but they feel guilty for thinking that way at all.  

Julian

Julian and Donna were close during the plague and used one another as sources of comfort while working with Valdemar. However, neither have very solid memories of this, but after the game’s events, simply remain very good friends who enjoy nerding out together lol Afternoons spent pouring over books together before getting black out at the Rowdy Raven are some of their favorite times together (and neither are very good wingmen for each other but man do they try lmao)

Muriel

Donna didn’t have a relationship with Muriel until after their revivial, and even then, they never remembered the times Muriel would take care of them when Asra was gone. After the game, however, they do begin to form a bond. Both Muriel and Donna have PTSD, and while more and more of Donna’s memories come back to them, they have a harder time managing it (even harder than before their death, as now they have a whole new layer of trauma to deal with lol). Muriel really begins to stand in as a figure who can not just relate to Donna but he was deeply realistic and blunt with them about it, which is exactly what they needed.

They didn’t want to hear about how there would be better days and that their feelings were valid: they wanted to hear “this sucks—let’s go eat because I know you haven’t.” Sometimes Donna can be a bit too much for Muriel, so while they don’t see one another as often prior to Damien being born, their interactions are always positive and deeply meaningful for Donna. 

Valerius

I’M INCLUDING HIM BECAUSE HE’S THEIR LI AND I FUCKING CAN GDFIHGDIFHG but this is just another reminder that they’re gross and in love LMAO and Valerius is deeply appreciative of all the new connections he would have never made if Donna wasn’t in their life. They often are a bridge for him to let his true personality show to others, and they give him more confidence to be real and not always play noble mind games with others lol

[muriel-not-the-dim-one]

Mr. Fell when Uriel calls Mr. Crowley his “boyfriend in the dark glasses”.

Mr. Fell loves him so very, very much. ♥️✨🔥

[emihotaru]

Here is our Crowley! So, you can figure he is our merman... He's also 35, and he's part of the Revenge crew! But how did he get there? Why did he stay? Why does he have all those scars? Well, you'll know that in a few chapters...

We won't see him as a merman in a while, in the story, sooooo... I'll show him to you tomorrow... (yes, since the story is still a WIP, I'll probably spoil you some moments of the fanfic for mermay... I'll try to do it as less as possible!)

And now, the beginning of the story is available in french!

and it's always available in English!

[actual-changeling]

Crowley moves into the bookshop purely because he returns the next day to make sure Muriel isn't setting it on fire or selling books, and then - never leaves.

Mind you, a part of him was gritting its teeth and trying to force him back into the Bentley, back to his cold, lonely Mayfair flat, back to a bed that could swallow him whole, back to nothing.

The bookshop, on the other hand, is everything. It is memories, wine-drunk, clumsy touches they both pretend didn't mean anything, hours saturated with soft chatter and candle smoke, Aziraphale's cologne, still the same, and his books. Crowley knows the place and name of every single one; he knows when he bought it, why he bought it, how many times he has read it, and if he would ever sell it (the answer is a resounding 'no').

It is Aziraphale as much as his vest, coat, and tartan patterns are him. as much as the breath in his lungs and the angel on the tip of his tongue are him. It is a fragile fantasy of what could have been and what they almost had.

So yes, Crowley moves into the bookshop, Muriel sells no books, and sometimes, when the wine bottles go empty too quickly and too early in the evening, he closes his eyes and pretends.

"...and that was when he..."

Crowley isn't really listening anymore, contentedly sprawled across the couch and occasionally taking another sip from his half-empty glass. Watching him talk has the same appeal as watching him eat: the damp slide of his lips, his tongue darting out, the reverence with which he shapes his vowels and consonants.

He shuffles closer to the backrest when his hips threaten to slide straight off the cushions, and Aziraphale pauses, eyes locked on his exposed collarbone as his shirt refuses to move with him.

It is warm, too warm, the candles are almost close to burning down into puddles of wax; and they have been on the wrong side of midnight for a while now. For a few seconds, Crowley allows himself to indulge.

Never breaking eye contact, he could gracefully push himself upright (shut up, let him have this; we all know he'd look about as graceful as a newborn foal) and slink over to Aziraphale, who is sitting frozen in his armchair.

He could pluck his wine glass from his grasp and put it right next to his own, swallowing when he licks a lingering drop of red from his bottom lip. He could lower himself onto his lap, thighs spread apart and bracketing his, and he could press his fingers to his flushed cheeks and gently pull him in.

Crowley could kiss him and taste their shared wine, the lamb roast he had for dinner, and the vanilla cupcake, which watching him eat almost drove Crowley insane. Beneath it all, a spark of fresh air and ozone; lightning and power prickling right beneath his skin.

Crowley could kiss him, and Aziraphale would kiss him back, and the world would finally be alright.

"Are you alright, dear boy?"

Crowley hasn't moved, Aziraphale has picked up where he left off, and they're five feet apart, but it might as well be an ocean.

"'think I've had enough to drink," he mutters, and when the disappointment in his angel's eyes hits, he gets up (clumsy, not graceful, panicked, and attempting to flee) and is gone before Aziraphale has a chance to stop him.

Crowley's head hurts something awful, and he blinks himself out of his stupor, ignoring the cooling track of tears on his cheeks. Aziraphale is gone, he reminds himself, and he reaches for another bottle without taking his eyes off the empty armchair staring him down.

Crowley kissed him, and he kissed back for one marvellous second, and then the world was not alright.

And then he left.

The lights are off, as they always are nowadays, and so he drinks as much as he can in one go and falls back with creeping dizziness in his periphery.

Crowley's eyes flutter close on their own volition, and so he rewinds and rewinds until he finds the one fantasy where everything turns out alright.

It's the one that hurts the most.

It's the only one he watches over and over again.

[ao3cassandraic]

Kayfabe: A Good Omens meta

"Kayfabe," in wrestling, is the performance (including outside the wrestling ring) of whatever storyline is being woven around the wrestlers. Breaking kayfabe is Serious Business for a wrestler; the illusion is part of the event. If you ever wondered how John Cena could anchor an entire HBO miniseries brilliantly, kayfabe is a big part of the answer.

Because of their histories and how their respective Head Offices treat them, Crowley and Aziraphale approach their version of kayfabe -- their whole "I am an angel! You are a demon! We're hereditary enemies!" schtick, also their "we are good bad proper little footsoldiers, honest, Boss" schtick to their respective Head Offices -- very, very differently.

I promise there's a point to this. I PROMISE. But let me walk through it first.

Both of them know that one awkward question to Upstairs at the wrong moment and its Fallsville. Crowley, however, knows a couple of things that Aziraphale doesn't have to:

Punishment isn't just once; in some ways, the Fall is never over. Beelzebub or Hastur can throw you in the Dung Pits whenever, after all, or feed you to a Hellhound, or zap you like an Eric. Crowley's lot do not send rude notes. (s2: we do not know what happened to Crowley after Hell dragged him back at the end of the Resurrectionists 'sode, but I think it safe to say it was not great for Crowley. Litotes: your key to quality meta.)

Downstairs can and does check in -- or drag Crowley Downstairs for a chat and possibly a bit of idle torture -- whenever they feel like it. Downstairs seems pretty disorganized, especially its leadership, so I'd expect ad-hoc surprise inspections from them. Downstairs can invade Crowley's flat's TV, his Bentley's radio, and his very mind to perform those inspections. Crowley is never, ever safe from this. He can't relax. Ever.

Heaven, on the other hand, has 37 levels of scriveners and zero interest in Earth. Talk of "reprimands" and "miracle budgets" and Michael being a stickler and whatnot suggests a formal review process happening on a schedule, governed largely by the dreaded (but quite possibly fake-able or spinnable) "paperwork" rather than direct observation by Aziraphale's peers or superiors. Otherwise, Aziraphale is usually left to his own devices. Remember how startled he is when Gabriel shows up at the sushi restaurant in s1? This is unusual!

(We also know from Muriel that Heaven's records office doesn't seem to get consulted a whole lot. It's possible this just means that first-through-thirty-sixth-level scriveners handle everything, but in my experience of large bureaucracies, it's the folks at the bottom of the hierarchy who invariably get run off their feet first. Don't see why Heaven would be any different.)

Moreover, Heaven's punishments seem pretty light, on the whole? Our angel is so anxious and so sensitive to slights that I'm sure the reprimands aren't fun, and nobody likes a reduced miracle budget... but Heavenly "needs improvement" reviews don't seem to be a patch on the Dung Pits. The real threat is Falling, which is more than horrible enough to serve as deterrent; Heaven doesn't need to add torments.

Moreover moreover, Aziraphale is mostly aligned with his Head Office in a way that Crowley really, really isn't. I'm sure Aziraphale does a lot of his Heaven assignments with a song in his heart and a skip in his step -- it's mostly not smiting or the like. Crowley... probably spends a lot of his work time figuring out how to obey the letter of Hellish law while defying its spirit. Crowley's in far more danger of angering his bosses.

So Aziraphale doesn't have to keep up kayfabe a lot of the time, not even while interacting with Crowley. He can and does save it for the rare occasions Heaven takes a personal interest. Crowley, however, must keep up kayfabe always, whether Aziraphale's there or not. The courage it must have taken that snake to slither up the wall of Eden!

The way Crowley navigates his permanent need for kayfabe is twofold. First, his all but instinctive refusal to accept any positive word or compliment about himself or his actions from anyone ever -- "I'M NOT NICE!" If Hell were ever to hear someone characterizing Crowley that way... That's also why Crowley is a bit less exercised when Jimbriel calls him nice: "nobody'll ever believe you."

Second, a species of Orwellian doublethink: maintaining a running commentary in his head of how he's going to justify any unHellish actions to Hell, since he can never know exactly when he'll have to or what exactly they'll have a bug up their butt (sorry, Beez) about. Even high as a kite on laudanum in the Edinburgh cemetery, Crowley can explain his current justification (in a curiously sober voice -- is Crowley ever really high in that scene? or is it all kayfabe? I lean toward kayfabe) to Aziraphale, "Not kind! Off my head on laudanum, not responsible for my actions."

We can see the kayfabe mismatch play out a few times, and it does appear that Aziraphale gets more concerned for Crowley's safety and more aware of Crowley's need for kayfabe post-Arrangement. That doesn't mean he always remembers, of course -- he wouldn't, he just doesn't have that same desperate need. And, of course, the ineffable walnuts do not communicate, as s2 went to some lengths to point out. I do think kayfabe is part of that -- it's hard for Crowley to be sincere when he's constantly doublethinking, and Aziraphale's off-and-on involvement with kayfabe (and all his other tendencies toward lying) disincline him to achieve or even learn about honest communication.

One s1 scene I went back and rewatched while thinking about this was the Globe scene, which contains Aziraphale's Saint-Peter-esque three-time denial of Crowley. I find it easy now to read that as Aziraphale going "oh crap do I need to drop back into kayfabe now? I didn't break kayfabe, did I?" and Crowley grinning, at least partly as reassurance. (Partly, of course, because Aziraphale is cute and funny even when kayfabing -- and partly because Aziraphale's sudden drop into kayfabe is Aziraphale trying to protect Crowley, of course Crowley's pleased by that.)

The wall pin, now that I think about it, also gains a little nuance from this. Crowley's fear-laced ire is genuine, but how many times must Aziraphale have heard Crowley snarl at him not to break kayfabe in this way? No surprise he's a little unimpressed. (With Crowley's demand. He's clearly very impressed by Crowley.)

In the s2 Job minisode, Aziraphale hilariously drops kayfabe (and that epic whole-body halo, loved that, great job FX folks) almost immediately. Crowley allows it, because Crowley is on firm ground -- Hell will be just fine with Crowley wrapping the angel in a Chuck-Jones-cartoon amount of scroll parchment and flipping him off.

When angel and demon collude on the con later, of course, they observe kayfabe, improv-style -- Crowley helps Aziraphale deal with the Job's-children situation without giving either of them away to the watching angel posse. Interestingly, it's Aziraphale who de-gecko-izes the kids. That gives Crowley an out, sort of: "look, the mansion collapse missed them because they were in the cellar, I turned them into geckos, totally Hellish thing to do, they'd never survive in the wild, but then this bloody interfering angel went and changed them back!"

And how does Crowley console a distraught angel who thinks he's about to be dragged to Hell? Crowley explains kayfabe in the fewest and clearest words possible. "Well, yeah, you did, but... I'm not going to tell anybody. Are you?"

So yeah. That's kayfabe for the Ineffable Walnuts.

But I promised there was a point to this, didn't I? Yes, I have a point.

My point is...

my POINT is...

my point IS...

(not dolphins, not this time)

My point is, how much of s2's Final Fifteen Minutes is kayfabe?

That's my point.

[sunnibits]

I- THESE ARE JUST THE SAME FUCKING MEN. YOU’VE GOTTA BE FUCKING KIDDING ME.

I. I just realized that the two men I’m trying to romance in bg3 are literally just the same men as the two I pursued the most back when I played the arcana.

[mjart12699]

More sketches of my babes! Muriel and Asra belong to The Arcana Visual Novel but MJ and Sawyer belong to me!

Top left is MJ and Sawyer

Top right is Asra and Sawyer

Bottom left is MJ and Muriel