#but I also forgot how long they take

[phantom-of-the-501st]

Aziraphale's Decision

A mini essay on why Aziraphale's decision in S2 Ep 6 makes sense and why the Ineffable Husbands need to learn to communicate.

Let's get a couple of things out of the way first. 1. I've seen a lot of people discussing this over the last month and a half so this isn't exactly super unique but... whatever. I have thoughts! and 2. I am aware that have a posted in the past that I am a supporter of the coffee theory. Do I still agree with that statement? Errr... I'm not sure. I definitely think that there is something up with that coffee but Zira's final decision is so in-character that the idea that he is under the influence of something is weird to me. So I don't really know where I stand on that right now. But this isn't about coffee! This is about why Zira's decision makes sense.

TW: Mentions of manipulation and emotional abuse.

Abusive Relationship

Aziraphale's relationship with Heaven is definitely toxic, with the latter being the abusive power in the dynamic. For his entire existence, Zira has been trying to do what is good and for a long time he believed that that meant doing whatever Heaven asked. But being around Crowley, he began to realise something: Heaven's morals are actually rather questionable and the way they go about things leaves much to be desired. Crowley knows how unfair the system is and he spends many years trying to show Aziraphale that he shouldn't just abide by Heaven's laws.

"You're just an angel who goes along with Heaven as far as he can."

Crowley isn't trying to manipulate Aziraphale into being bad, just trying to make him realise that Heaven isn't quite all it's cracked up to be. And Aziraphale is aware of this, which is why he chooses to take the position of Supreme Archangel: not because he wants to go back to their way of doing things, but because he wants to use his new position to change the way the system works.

"I can make a difference."

It isn't about going back to the old way of doing things, it's about changing the system to fit what is the right thing to do. And Heaven knows that Aziraphale wants to do what is right, but they also know that Crowley has planted seeds of doubt in Aziraphale's mind which could cause him to dismantle the system.

So they manipulate him. They bring him back by offering him something he wants but they know he will never have: working in Heaven with Crowley by his side. The Metatron knows that Crowley would never come back, but he also knows that Aziraphale could never turn down the chance to have his closest companion by his side as an angel. Aziraphale takes the bait because, in his mind, he can create positive change; he can use the chance that Heaven is giving him to make a difference.

But that was never going to happen.

Parallels with Gabriel

Aziraphale believes that his position as Supreme Archangel would give him enough authority to make a change. But there are others (The Metraton, Crowley, the audience) who know that this isn't the case because Gabriel was the perfect example of how unfair the system is. Gabriel said no to Armageddon. He went against Heaven's wishes and flat out refused. And because he was Supreme Archangel, no-one could dispute him, right?

Wrong.

Because they will always be people higher up the ladder.

Gabriel didn't do what was required of him, so Heaven demoted him and wiped his memory. It didn't matter what his station was before, they kicked him down before he could cause any more trouble. And the same will end up happening to Aziraphale. It's a perfect example of why Heaven is so abusive: they offer Aziraphale a position of power, under the guise that he can make changes to the system while also having his most trusted companion by his side. But they are making this offer with the knowledge that they will always have the upper hand and at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what Zira does because they will always be able to kick him back down.

And the thing is, Crowley knows this. And not just in the sense that he knows that Heaven is a hierarchy made of abusive arseholes because of his own experiences. He knows because he saw exactly what happened to Gabriel. He saw the former Supreme Archangel's decision to refuse Armageddon, he saw the complete injustice that was the trial and he saw just how easily Heaven managed to knock him back down the ladder. And Crowley knows that the exact same thing can happen to Aziraphale.

Yet he doesn't tell Zira.

At no point does Crowley explain what he found out. At no point does he tell Aziraphale that Gabriel's position as Supreme Archangel meant absolutely nothing when he went against what Heaven wanted.

"When Heaven ends life here on Earth it will be just as dead as if Hell ended it!"

Yes, he tells Zira that Heaven can cause just as much destruction, be just as unfair as Hell, but he never tells Aziraphale the exact conditions that led Gabriel to where we saw him at the beginning of Season 2. Crowley knows but he doesn't tell Zira because these two have an awful habit of not actually telling each other important context (like how Zira never tells Crowley that he has Agnus Nutter's book while at the bandstand). These two are notoriously bad at sharing information.

Crowley knows that Aziraphale is never going to be able to enforce the change that he wants because he knows what happens when angels try to do that. But Zira doesn't know that he's getting himself into the exact mess that Gabriel did because no-one actually decided to explain anything to him!

Misunderstandings

And because Crowley and Aziraphale are notoriously bad at communicating, it means that they are on different but parallel wavelengths to each other. They want the same thing but they think the other person wants something different. They're final fight is very similar to the one at the beginning of the season, just in reverse.

"I fell like your exactly and my exactly are different exactlys".

At that point, they were saying the same thing but meaning two different, while here they want the same (to keep each other safe) but they are saying different things, which is leading to just as much confusion.

Aziraphale knows that the way that Heaven currently functions is bad; Crowley's lesson did reach him. But rather than abandoning it like Crowley, he believes that trying to change the system is the best way to go.

"It will be just like old times. Only even nicer!"

Zira wants to go back to having Crowley by his side in Heaven and he believes that after he has made the changes that the system needs, everything will be even better than before. He believes that it'll be nicer because he believes that he can fix the problems that Heaven has.

But Crowley doesn't see it that way. He thinks that Aziraphale will find things better because there will no longer be something wrong with Crowley. He thinks that Zira is saying he isn't good enough as he is and that only when he chooses to go back to Heaven and choose the path of righteousness that he will be what Aziraphale wants. They just don't understand what each other is saying.

Aziraphale believes that he can change Heaven so that it'll be good enough for Crowley, good enough to accept the Angel that they unfairly cast into Hellfire for simply asking questions. But Crowley thinks Zira is trying to make him good enough for Heaven, good enough for Aziraphale.

Aziraphale Was Never Going to Stay (and Crowley Was Never Going to Go)

And here's where things really fall apart and why it makes sense that they did. Not only do the two of them fail to communicate with each other, but they were never going to make the same decision because their beliefs as to what the right course of action is are different. Aziraphale believes in changing the system, digging out the rotten core of Heaven and making things better, making things the way they should be, into a system that doesn't punish others for asking questions. And he believes that he can do this.

But Crowley knows he can't. Crowley knows that there will always be a bigger fish in the pond, will always be a hurdle that is too great to jump over. In his mind, the best thing to do is to just leave it be, to walk away, to sever ties with a system that will never be anything other than toxic. But Aziraphale doesn't see this because Crowley never told him about how "Zira" was told to shut his stupid mouth and die without a trial, or how Gabriel had his memory wiped for daring to not do what was expected. Aziraphale was never going to be on the same wavelength as Crowley because he never knew the same information that Crowley did.

At the end of the day, they were never going to choose the same thing. While they both want to keep each other safe, and while they both want to spend the rest of their existence together, they were never going to be able to do so because their perspectives on what needed to change were never the same.

Concluding Thoughts

Aziraphale's choice isn't out of character. Nor is Crowley's. The problem is is that they can't communicate in a way where they truly understand each other's feelings and goals. And the thing is, their arguments are both entirely reasonable and unreasonable.

With the information that he has, and the manipulation that he has been through, believing that he can change the system makes total sense for Aziraphale. At the same time, asking Crowley, who he knows has had an incredibly painful past with Heaven, to go back is definitely not a good choice on his part. Similarly, Crowley's decision to stay away from the systems that have caused him so much grief is the healthiest choice for him to make. But to expect Aziraphale to make the same choice when Crowley himself has been keeping important information from him is unfair.

And they both need to work this out. They need to learn where they went wrong, they need to know where they need to heal and change and in order to do that they need some time apart. They need to face the consequences of their choices to understand where they stepped out of line.

And then they need to talk.

But it is both entirely their faults and not. It very much feels like a right person wrong time situation, where they are both what the other needs, but neither of them are in the right position to act as the support system that the other half requires. They both need to heal in order for things to work out.

And while it's painful and heartbreaking and a complete and utter mess, everything about the choices that they make makes sense.

@saturn-sends-hugs @nobody-expects-the-inquisitorius @here-comes-the-moose

[moonsun2010]

If there's one thing I've seen over and over again in the Dracula Daily + Re: Dracula fandom, it's the desire for an animated adaptation. Not of media-inspired-by, but of Dracula itself. And so, I've made:

...something that is decidedly not animated.

Yet.

I'm hoping to get Dracula Reanimated (tentative name) in exactly 1 year from now, by the end of DracDaily's 2025 run, perhaps even the beginning of it if I'm really good. But in all honesty, it could take till 2026 given the teeny complication that 1) I've no animation skills whatsoever 2) fulltime job.

So, I hope you'll stay around for the next 2 years at least to see this completed.

In the meanwhile, if you'd like to support a project by actual professionals, try @theholmwoodfoundation . It's a found footage horror fiction podcast by @georgiacooked and @fiotrethewey set in a time long after the events of Dracula, and yet the characters find themselves haunted (literally) by vestiges of the past.

Goodnight, stay safe, and rest well.

[xxplastic-cubexx]

if i said i picked up this issue for anything but drunk erik i fear i'd be lying

(Wolverine (2020) #3)

[cowardlykrow]

"That is where you are wrong, my boy!"

@ratb4stard3 and I deliver another Cowardlyghostbro's(™) collab ✨💛

[mercurymacaroons]

arrives 15 min late with a latte

......sup

[pokeberry5]

TIMMY 🌈

the outfits were a result of anita, cissie and steph's combined efforts

(the red dress was his mom's)

crops under the cut:

[buwheal]

So... uh... Im not saying that I bought a digital camera specifically for this trip today so I can take pictures of aquarium exhibits and draw spamton interacting with them..... BUUUUUTTT actually I am because thats exactly what I did. This is a teaser!!!! :-)

[zarnzarn]

(check the tags for more and also the tag for other fics in the story!)

athena, scowling as she gets bullied into marrying the people she pined over for the last 1000 years, suddenly realising something: wait a minute

odysseus: what?

athena, frozen: wait a damn minute you know what this gives me rights to do

penelope, also realising: oh fuck yes

odysseus: I don't like the sound of whatever's happening here what are you two fucking talking about?

athena, grabbing the marriage wine and tossing it back, then kissing her new wife and husband and handing penelope a spear as she picks up a mace: we'll be back shortly, you can start celebrations without us.

penelope: do u have anything that can start a fire

athena, pulling out an old contract and scanning it before throwing it over her shoulder: yes. are you scared of heights or can we fly.

penelope: fucking bring it I've waited years for this moment

zeus: where are they going

hermes, picking up the contract: they're going to... Ogygia? Oh fucking shit they're going to fucking kill Calypso- hey, hello, WAIT-

[crystalpallette]

frye inspires this sort of manic "i can do whatever i want" kinda will in people and god. I sure did do whatever I wanted here

[pineappical]

in light of tedtrent becoming so real, im also jumping on the tedtrent epilogue 😊

there's just no way ted wouldn't keep in touch with the others (and have weekly zoom meetings just like in the christmas special) and I just love the thought of the whole team having reunions once in a while.

and going back to trent's arc in s3, the sunflowers conversation, "And your daughter?" "She's never been happier." I think it could go the same for ted.. we've never really properly saw how henry felt about his dad being in london, it's always other people that told ted his son misses him, who's to say henry would rather see his dad happy because that in turn would make him happy too? he was there to win the whole thing, right? I just know ted’s story isn’t done yet when he still hasn’t learned to let others take care of him in return and who else to pair him with than the man who blew up his career because a man was nice to him (and also because they were so. so cruel for the fakeout tedbecca scenes for that finale) 🥺

I'm no writer so just pretend these are snapshots of a slow burn fic where ted visits london for their team reunion and slowly realizes that trent has a crush on him and they kiss about it 💛

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Aw! XL cooking reminded me of when I was working with children and they'd get nightmares/scared of monsters, so was go to the garden and make Monster Soup! Anything that looked good would go into the nearest source of water (often a bird bath) so that the monsters would know we are kind people and stay outside and not come inside. Also the monsters would think of us as friends and protect us instead of scaring us. Now I'm hoping that I have turned any of these kids into bad cooks bc I was like that flower looks good! Toss it in! 😅😄😄😄

Thank you for reminding me of this memory!

I'm-In-Love-With-The-Monster Soup.

[cupophrogs]

I wanna know how drew found Daddy Long Legs

"And now he tags along. I think he just wanted someone to care about, I can understand that."

Pops is a silly guy :]

Transcript:

"If we're being real here, Pops found me. I was just coming out of the grinder room. That was... something. "

"I must not've been all there, could barely stay upright! Adrenaline crash, I guess. But, next thing It know, I'm face first through the catwalk with gnashing teeth and a moustache in my face, screaming "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?"

"But he stopped. "Why, you're just a boy!" He said. Then, he pulled me up, and he apologised (Been a minute since anyone did that.)"

"So now, he tags along. I think he just wanted someone to care about, I can understand that."

[skunkes]

that "i wish that being aware of a mindset being ridiculous would make it easier to snap out of it" post hitting hard every single day

[meltedmush]

how long does it take you to draw your sketches/doodles? also do you have any tips to draw faster? 🙇‍♀️

I generally take 30 - 60 minutes a sketch,,,, but honestly really depends on how detailed it is.

Like a Chibi will be done in 20 - 25 minutes (Counting in the extra time I spend on minute details like a perfectionist 😭)

I for some reason really like spending egregious amounts of time on random objects too??? Unless it’s the in the background, I’ll spend 40 minutes refining it.

Random characters that are fully colored and rendered with take like 80 minutes.

The comics take usually take an hour or two per page. (If I decide to cross hatch it, my entire day will be gone with 4 pages… so I’ve been trying to find shortcuts. But not without sacrificing the quality for time lol)

I don’t think there’s any trick or magic to drawing faster. It’s really about weaponizing your artistic knowledge, and finding what’s comfortable or convenient for you!

There was a period of time where I would spend 11 or 12 hours on an illustration, and it wASS UGLYYYYY. (Some of these artworks are still available on my tumblr,,, but it’s SO LONG AGO, AND IT WAS MY 1ST OR 2ND YEAR GETTING INTO DIGITAL ART)

Overtime I learned what worked best for me, and practiced till I felt more comfortable with what I was drawing. Eventually I managed to shorten the time to 4 hours or less! Ambition was my biggest enemy but at the same time my biggest motivator. (And it still is LMFAO) 😭

EDIT (bit more to my way too long tangent): ALSO??? BRO DON’T BE AFRAID TO USE YOUR MESSY SKETCH AS LINEART OR DRAW ON TOP OF IT. I’VE DONE IT FOR YEARS NOW AND IT ADDS SUCH A GOOD EXTRA BIT OF TEXTURE,, AT THIS POINT I DON’T EVEN USE LINE-ART ANY MORE UNLESS IT’S A COMMISSION,, (IT’LL ADD LIKE AN 2-4 HOURS TO MY WORK)

[tazmiilly]

little does he know that stanford sleeps on a couch in his own room

[snowangeldotmp3]

anyway. au where wanda tells agatha she can bring nicky back in westview so agatha can be happy there. agatha still has to get wanda to take the hex down, but….would it really be so bad to live in the fantasy for a little while? just so she could see her boy again?