#good omens metapost

[atlas-hope]

AZIRAPHALE'S PLAYLIST (2)

Since I’m joyfully suffering from an immense amount of Good Omens brainrot, I’ve been collecting all of my Thoughts™ regarding the list of songs that Prime gave us before Season 2 came out. Now that these songs (and the events of S2) have been churning around in my brain for a few weeks, I feel like I’m able to put my thoughts into words. This will be a series of posts!

Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien

I had to look up a translation of this song (since I don’t speak French), but I am SO glad that I did. Without the translation, this is just another vintage-sounding song that fits Aziraphale’s aesthetic. WITH the translation, it reveals deeper implications.

First off, the title itself translates to “No, I Regret Nothing.” Aziraphale has never been one who experiences overwhelming regret, even when he’s made a supposedly unwise decision. Even if he thinks he’s going to get dragged to Hell. Even when he’s too late (like with Wee Morag). Even if he goes to heaven to become the Supreme Archangel.

Now I’m going to focus on the lyrics themselves:

There are a LOT of things to unpack here. First off, there’s the repetition that the singer regrets nothing that she’s done, even taking into account the good and bad things that have happened. It’s a carefree, c'est la vie attitude that Aziraphale is rather famous for, especially after Season 2. (Note: I am of the opinion that Aziraphale was VERY AWARE of the danger around him in S2; he just chose to pretend it didn’t exist by acting as if he was in a Jane Austen novel.)

Now that I’ve addressed the first four verses, we can get to the more… alarming ones. “I set fire to my memories. My troubles, my pleasures, I don’t need them anymore.” Oh, boy. The reference to MEMORIES in particular sets off alarm bells in my head. We already know that Heaven has a Thing for erasing the memories of problematic angels, no matter their status. Will Aziraphale’s memories get tampered with in Season 3? Have they ALREADY been tampered with? Will Aziraphale put his memories in a safe place—like Gabriel did—in Season 3, in order to protect them from the Metatron? Will he become willing to withstand the stark bareness of Heaven without his memories? There are a lot of unanswered questions within those lines.

Here are the rest of the lyrics:

Of course, those first two verses immediately make me think of the dreaded Final Fifteen. I don’t think I have to elaborate. (T-T) The next few verses are just repetitions of the verses I analyzed above. However, the last verse ends on a VERY hopeful note: “Because my life, because my joy, today… it begins with you!” Since Good Omens is a comedy (and since Neil Gaiman has assured us), I am 100% certain it will end on a happy, peaceful note in a South Downs cottage.

tl;dr: This old song reflects Aziraphale’s c’est la vie, remorseless attitude. It also throws around some hints about potential memory alteration. Overall, it ends on a joyful, hopeful note that reaffirms that Crowley and Aziraphale will eventually be happy together.

| PREVIOUS || NEXT |

[halemerry]

no thoughts just Crowley and Bookshop windows

[mellohirust]

Personally I can never see "Aziraphale loves Crowley better as an angel" holding up when I think about the opening scene in Eden. Aziraphale hadn't even known the other's new name but boy was he going to learn it, and so little into the conversation they already confide in each other with their worries of displeasing their sides, even when Heaven would certainly not approve of any of it. The rain pours and Aziraphale shields him with his wing for no reason other than he thinks he ought to (and to repay the kindness Crowley had already shown him before; he cares for the other's actions far more than his status). If Uz is anything to go by, he truly doesn't think Crowley has changed in a way that would make him unworthy of his trust in him to do the right thing (and then he does it, over and over and over, and Aziraphale falls that much more in love). What more is needed to prove he loves Crowley exactly as he is, not in spite of?

[vaguely-in-vogue]

Everyone around me (funny thing to say on a non-physical platform, but I digress°) is talking about GOS2 and its characters, themes, plot, setting, and the ending, but I'm still stuck in S1-land. I entered* the fandom right before S2 aired---intentionally---and it still feels like I'm sorting through the S1 fics^, some of 'em written in 2019 right after S1 aired, trying to play catch-up and look through the old metaposts as the fandom buzzes about S2 and potentially S3. Which is to say most of braincells are stuck contemplating Aziraphale and Crowley in Alternate Universe form or as they inevitably hit their post-Armageddon happy-ending, or else as they romp through history as pining messes; all of this rather than canon. I wonder if that's why while the Good Omens fandom is still trying to "recover from the heartbreak", I've been sat here trying to recreate the depth of emotional intensity most other people are experiencing.

°I am not digressing. A lack of a good system for footnotes is not going to stop the roiling waters of my extremely weird mind, Tumblr.

*That's a bit dramatic, "enter." Really, I just shuffled through a side door and found myself in this massive state. I managed to locate a small outhouse and ducked inside. It's connected to everywhere else via these thin hallways, and sometimes it's hard to get back; eventually I find a lovely bungalow and it seems quite a manageable place, only there are mirrors absolutely everywhere, and it's so crowded and at the same time someone has hung art all over the walls and you just get so distracted staring at them you forget there are other people around, people who actually have ideas about this art, house, fuck, this whole state, but you're enamoured by this Rembrandt and don't know how to express it, and that's okay too. Okay, that's even more dramatic.

^which all have their own specific plot beats and happy endings and call-backs to canon

[kopibihun]

I found good omens last year through the sheer volume of fan art on my feed. I'm never patient enough to watch anything in sequence, so I read ahead before watching the show. Then I read the fics, metaposts, events, anything I could get my hands on. Those two idiots resonated with me a lot more than they should, and I should say that I've never been in a community that made me so eager to create like this one did.

I can feel flashes of

Love

TL;DR i have gross sappy feelings

Happy 30th anniversary!

[atlas-hope]

AZIRAPHALE'S PLAYLIST (1)

Since I’m joyfully suffering from an immense amount of Good Omens brainrot, I’ve been collecting all of my Thoughts™ regarding the list of songs that Prime gave us before Season 2 came out. Now that these songs (and the events of S2) have been churning around in my brain for a few weeks, I feel like I’m able to put my thoughts into words. This will be a series of posts!

(Also: many thanks to the Instagram user anninsiberia for coming to the incredible realization that the first letter of each lyric spells INEFFABLE!!)

What a Wonderful World

It makes a LOT of sense that such a warm, wholesome, classical jazz piece would end up #1 on Aziraphale’s playlist. This song is the musical representation of a sunrise.

The song is literally just a tribute to the beauties of this world. It literally includes everything Aziraphale loves. Plants, flowers, the sky, fluffy clouds, days and nights. This song simply oozes love for everything in creation. Louis Armstrong’s smooth voice is just the icing on the cake. The overall message delivered by this song is one that believes in inherent, natural human goodness.

Louis Armstrong did not compose this song. Rather, Bob Thiele and George David Weiss created it as a protest against everyone who thought the world was doomed (or too sinful to be worth saving). That sounds awfully familiar, doesn’t it? The fact that this song is the FIRST one on Aziraphale’s playlist also says something about his priorities. He’s willing to do anything to maintain the beauty and goodness of the world he sees… even at the expense of his own happiness.

I don’t have a lot of deep analysis for this song; it simply encompasses Aziraphale’s whole personality and worldview. Even after everything he’s been through to suggest otherwise—like the Bastille incident— he wholeheartedly believes in humanity’s innate goodness, and he’s willing to fight for it.

| NEXT |

[atlas-hope]

AZIRAPHALE'S PLAYLIST (6)

Since I’m joyfully suffering from an immense amount of Good Omens brainrot, I’ve been collecting all of my Thoughts™ regarding the list of songs that Prime gave us before Season 2 came out. Now that these songs (and the events of S2) have been churning around in my brain for a few weeks, I feel like I’m able to put my thoughts into words. This will be a series of posts!

Angeleyes

Oof. OOF. That summarizes most of what I have to say about this song choice. OOF. I’ve had to gather my thoughts together for WEEKS on this song. Before Season 2 was released, this was a pretty quirky and goofy choice of song, given the fact that it’s a peppy Europop song (and Aziraphale is not the half of the ineffable duo who is known for their striking eyes). AFTER Season 2 was released, this song choice is UNNERVING (and more than a little painful).

A lot of the verses don’t seem to directly apply to Aziraphale, like the ones below:

Last night, I was taking a walk along the river, And I saw him together with a young girl. And the look that he gave her made me shiver, 'Cause he always used to look at me that way. Then I thought maybe I should walk right up to her and say, "Ah-ha-ha, it's a game he likes to play."

Do I think Aziraphale will show up with a new best friend/romantic interest in Season 3? Will Crowley have to witness the angel bestowing his affections upon another? NO, I don’t think so. That’s why I don’t think these verses are meant to directly apply to Aziraphale.

HOWEVER, I have a small theory. If you stretch the metaphor a bit, the lyrics appear to connote that Aziraphale is more duplicitous than he seems. 

Let me explain! After the ending of Season 2, we could be tempted to immediately assume that Crowley has the role of the singer in this song. After all, Aziraphale seems to have performed an immense betrayal. No matter his good intentions, he’s left Crowley on the Earth alone. 

I’m here to suggest that the singer COULD be someone else, in this verse specifically. Could the singer be the personification of Heaven's opinion of Aziraphale? He’s certainly infamous Upstairs. Even Muriel, a 37th Order Scrivener, knew who “the Traitor” was, and about his relationship with “the Demon.” I’m saying that there might be a certain amount of mythology around Aziraphale and Crowley up in Heaven, post-ApocaNope. After all those years of fooling the heavenly host, there has to be a great number of angels that gawp down at the ineffable duo’s relationship, marveling at the deception that they had managed.

That being said, I DO believe Crowley is the only feasible singer for these next lines:

Look into his angel eyes, One look and you're hypnotized! He'll take your heart and you must pay the price. Look into his angel eyes, You'll think you're in paradise! And one day you'll find out he wears a disguise. Don't look too deep into those angel eyes.

Need I say any more? This face says it all:

Anyways, back to the lyrics.

Sometimes when I'm lonely, I sit and think about him. And it hurts to remember all the good times, When I thought I could never live without him. And I wonder, does it have to be the same, Every time? When I see him, will it bring back all the pain? Ah-ha-ha, how can I forget that name?

I believe that we will see the ineffable duo mourning the demise of their relationship in Season 3, on both sides. I can’t wait to see what will happen when they finally see each other again. It’s definitely bound to be painful.

On a lighter note, let me reiterate that I still think it’s utterly hilarious that a disco Europop song was put on Aziraphale’s playlist. Somehow, even though I didn’t expect it to, it totally fits his vibe.

| PREVIOUS || NEXT |

[atlas-hope]

AZIRAPHALE'S PLAYLIST (5)

Since I’m joyfully suffering from an immense amount of Good Omens brainrot, I’ve been collecting all of my Thoughts™ regarding the list of songs that Prime gave us before Season 2 came out. Now that these songs (and the events of S2) have been churning around in my brain for a few weeks, I feel like I’m able to put my thoughts into words. This will be a series of posts!

Feelings

This is definitely the most morose and downtrodden-sounding song on Aziraphale’s playlist. I feel like the inclusion of this song in his playlist summarizes the conflicted nature of the angel’s feelings regarding Crowley. 

Feelings, nothing more than feelings, Trying to forget my feelings of love. Teardrops rolling down on my face, Trying to forget my feelings of love.

Without the context of Season 2, these lyrics symbolize Aziraphale’s hesitancy towards even accepting the fact that he has feelings for Crowley. It would make a lot of sense, after all! Aziraphale has a long history of vehemently rejecting any overt boldness on the demon’s part. Almost every interaction between them has to have the veneer of work-related jobs. The facade of professionalism, when there truly is none.

Aziraphale seems to have completely embraced the concept of thoughtcrime. He avoided confronting his feelings for so long that he literally had his Realization of Romantic Love™ in 1941. It is no secret that he has been quite fully traumatized indoctrinated by Heaven’s propaganda. Therefore, it’s no wonder that the angel would have moments where he’s paralyzed by the mere existence of his feelings for a demon. These moments would probably lead to him obsessively trying to wave away his tender emotions.

With the context of the end of Season 2, it is possible that Aziraphale will try to forget his feelings for Crowley while he is in Heaven as the Supreme Archangel.

Feelings, for all my life I'll feel it. I wish I've never met you, girl! You'll never come again. Feelings, whoa, oh, oh, feelings. Whoa, oh, oh, feel it again in my arms.

Okay, those are some STRONG words. “I wish I never met you”? Really, Aziraphale? Do you really feel that way? Is the demon too alluring for you to handle?

In seriousness, this is very understandable. As someone who has gone through the painful process of unraveling my thoughts from my religion’s thoughts, I often yearned to be something my church would accept. Even though it wouldn’t make me happy, I so desperately wanted to be “normal.” Aziraphale most likely feels the same heartwrenching desire to be a “normal” angel, one that doesn’t get caught in the web of a beguiling (and achingly kind) demon.

Also, as a side note, the last line there kinda grabs my attention. What could you possibly want to “feel in [your] arms again,” Aziraphale? Could it perhaps be the very same demon you were angsting over earlier? “Do it again, right now,” indeed.

Feelings, feelings like I've never lost you, And feelings like I've never have you again in my life.

Well, that’s depressing. It probably summarizes Aziraphale’s feelings as he ascended into Heaven next to the Metatron. He was probably wondering if he had permanently damaged his relationship with Crowley. As a matter of fact, that’s what the entire fandom is wondering too. I guess all we can do is wait and see.

| PREVIOUS || NEXT |

[atlas-hope]

AZIRAPHALE'S PLAYLIST (4)

Since I’m joyfully suffering from an immense amount of Good Omens brainrot, I’ve been collecting all of my Thoughts™ regarding the list of songs that Prime gave us before Season 2 came out. Now that these songs (and the events of S2) have been churning around in my brain for a few weeks, I feel like I’m able to put my thoughts into words. This will be a series of posts!

Fly Me to the Moon

At first glance, this looks like just yet another romantic vintage song on the angel’s playlist. But, once I started thinking about the words of the title, I nearly had a heart attack. Just think about it—how romantic is it for the angel to be thinking about the Starmaker Crowley while listening to a song called Fly Me to the Moon? It’s an incredible song choice (and incredibly painful, given the ending of S2).

Fly me to the moon! Let me play among the stars. And let me see what spring is like, On… a-Jupiter and Mars. In other words, hold my hand! In other words, baby, kiss me.

I cannot get over the celestial imagery here. Surely I don’t need to elaborate? The ineffable duo, meeting each other up in the stars?

Fill my heart with song, And let me sing forevermore! You are all I long for, All I worship and adore. In other words, please be true… In other words, I love you.

I don’t think this song requires a whole lot of analysis. It’s all pretty self-explanatory. The only thing I want to point out are the lines saying “You are all I long for, all I worship and adore.” That’s a pretty dangerous statement for an angel of the Lord to make! In order to be in God’s favor, it is well-known that you must treasure Her (or Him) above all else. Anything else is a “false idol,” and having false idols is a great sin. In fact, it’s a sin that might cause an angel to Fall. 

:)  That’s all, for this one! Just some food for thought.

| PREVIOUS || NEXT |

[mellohirust]

Cannot stop thinking of what must've been running through Aziraphale's mind in the s2 finale. In his eyes he is being asked to choose between the one he loves and the chance to fix Heaven, to make things right and fair, as they always should've been. And of course even that is for Crowley's sake!! It's done with Crowley in mind!! He wants him to come along for the ride and take back what's his!! Be an angel again!! Be seen as good by everyone else, because he always had it in him!! Be safe!! He cannot understand why the other would reject it, why the other would give him no choice but to do this alone, because he still believes in the inherent goodness of Heaven that Crowley (and the audience) sees through much more easily. He loves the other more than anything!! But he has to do this. He'd never forgive himself if he didn't, when it could change so much; not only for them, but for humanity, for Earth, for the universe itself. He chooses a spot in decision-making for the good of the world and for Crowley's sake just as much. He inserts what was their side, their ideals, into the ring. Their morals that used to be deemed foolish just might be taken seriously. But he sacrifices both the other's happiness and his own, their true wants, in order to do it. He's selfless to the point it endangers himself and hurts those who care about him and it kills him that they both hurt each other as their farewell. But I hope he saves himself. I hope he finds the good in himself without longing for Heaven's opinions to justify it. And I hope that when he breaks free of it, Crowley thanks Someone that he did.

[goodomensafterdark]

4.5k followers?! CALL FOR ARTISTS, WRITERS AND PODFICCERS

Oh my god, we just hit 4,500 people following the account!

(okay, missed it by a few days, we were busy okay)

What are you all doing here and when did that happen?! Well well well…  

*adjusts waistcoat*

We have something very special in mind in order to celebrate this milestone: we would like to do a bit of a rebrand of the Tumblr account.

And for this, what better than a little contest?

This will go into three directions : 

Artists

We would like to change our pfp ! We of course love @vavoom-sorted-art ‘s, but since this one was put in there, the subreddit changed 20 times! So it is time to do a bit of undusting.

Draw a riveting pfp for the Tumblr account!

Writers

We have been trying to give a good summary of who we are and what the sub and this account are all about, but… we are missing YOUR interpretation!

Write an epic/crack/lewd presentation of our sub! 

Make us LAUGH and make us HORNY!

Try to keep the main presentation at a maximum of 500 words.

If you want to write a companion fic that would be longer, go for it, but we need an actual presentation that would be a bit shorter 😉

Podficcers

You heard us, YOU TOO get to participate! We have special plans for those celebrations, you see, and for this, we will need you!

Choose a fic in our collection that is less than 1500 words and podfic it.

You will have 1 month to complete this task, so until the 28th of July!

How will the choices and results be handled

Submissions

Please submit your art, fics and podfics on the Good Omens After Dark file share here.

Folder name should be : GOAD Tumblr Contest

Name your files as follows:

[your tumblr account name]_[pfp/presentation/podfic]_submission

We will not take your submission into account if you don’t follow the GOAD account.

Your productions don't need to stay private: you can absolutely post them and mention us!

If you post ahead of the results announcement:

On Tumblr: use the tag #GOAD 4500 celebrations

On AO3: use the tag GOAD 4500 celebrations and add it to the collection

Results announcement

We know you feral goblins, so we will be planning for 2 weeks to go through the art and writing and podficcing you will have submitted.

Once we are done with it all, we will choose 3 winners:

an artist, whose art will become our new pfp

a writer, whose presentation blurb will be added to our metapost

a podficcer, whose podfic will be added to our metapost as a star example of what this community has to offer.

But for all the others, not to worry: you will of course all be celebrated for the work that you have done during this month, and will get plenty of love from us! <3

TL;DR: Celebration contest! (need to follow us here if you want to compete)

Deadline: 29th of July

Artists: draw a new PFP

Writers: write an epic/crack/lewd presentation of the sub

Podficcers: choose a fic from the collection that is not more than 1500 words long and podfic it

Prize: the winners will be part of our rebranding! The artist's pfp will be our new pfp, the writer's presentation will appear in our metapost, and the podficcer will appear in our metapost.

Good luck to you all!

[mellohirust]

YEP! I think it definitely hurt in Crowley's eyes for it to be suggested, even if he knows Heaven's always had Aziraphale stuck in their grasp and under their watchful eye. After all, while he doesn't seem the happiest about doing Hell's bidding, and deems himself unforgivable, and laments over the Fall from time to time, he still doesn't want to go back to Heaven either. It's hurt them both in many ways. It feels like collaborating with the enemy. He doesn't forgive easily, as is his right! He doesn't have to forgive them! I don't even think Aziraphale forgives them; after all, in order to think something needs to be fixed, you have to recognize it's incredibly broken. (Besides, he brings attention in S2 to the fact Gabriel "used to be so awful", and I'm sure he hasn't forgotten the fact Heaven repeatedly threatened him, called him names, and outright physically harmed him. Not even to mention the attempted murder.)

But, Aziraphale's seen Crowley dragged down to Hell. He's heard the other suggest "more than rude notes" as punishment. He's seen demons invade his bookshop, he's seen them desperate for war, he's seen them force Crowley to do their dirty work and he's seen them want to outright execute the other. He's also seen Heaven threaten them just the same. There's not a safe place in the world for them, and if he's being coerced into playing a part in their own misery, Aziraphale is going to refuse that destiny by trying to fix it and trying to keep Crowley close. Correct the wrongs of before if and where he can.

(Besides, Crowley seemed... happy, before the Fall. Making his nebulae. Giddily explaining it all. I wouldn't be surprised if Aziraphale thinks about it often and assumes a part of him must want it back, especially with how often we see Crowley do good. It's abnormal for a demon, after all.)

I think ultimately the final fifteen goes the way it does because Aziraphale's trying to make the best out of a situation he's been coerced into, panicking, desperate to not be alone or leave Crowley on his own where he can't protect him, and Crowley's just as freaked out that Aziraphale's going somewhere harmful and he cannot for his own well-being risk following him into it. It's like they're both trying to save each other but disagree on how to do it and where to go and if there's any options left at all. Both held the same fear of being alone. I don't think it was ever a competition of who was holier than thou (especially when we remember Aziraphale had no interest in the offer until it had Crowley's well-being at stake). I think it was just desperation to have something that's been once again made impossible and a question of if they ever can or will. A question of how. A request to not have to do this alone. And that kind of thing doesn't come with only liking someone better as they were briefly six thousand years ago.

(Also, too quickly we forget Aziraphale flirted with him practically the entire season. He was going to ask the other himself to be an "us"! Whether Crowley be a demon or angel or anything! Doesn't matter! It's Crowley!)

Personally I can never see "Aziraphale loves Crowley better as an angel" holding up when I think about the opening scene in Eden. Aziraphale hadn't even known the other's new name but boy was he going to learn it, and so little into the conversation they already confide in each other with their worries of displeasing their sides, even when Heaven would certainly not approve of any of it. The rain pours and Aziraphale shields him with his wing for no reason other than he thinks he ought to (and to repay the kindness Crowley had already shown him before; he cares for the other's actions far more than his status). If Uz is anything to go by, he truly doesn't think Crowley has changed in a way that would make him unworthy of his trust in him to do the right thing (and then he does it, over and over and over, and Aziraphale falls that much more in love). What more is needed to prove he loves Crowley exactly as he is, not in spite of?