#house of furfur

[house-of-furfur]

Summer vacation

for Crowley, Aziraphale and Furfur

Artist: とよ @toyo_chang_ on Xwitter

[house-of-furfur]

🦌 Crowley doesn't remember me at all…

🦅 l think your impression is weak.

🐟 Why don't you change your makeup?

Artist: @toyo_chang_ on Xwitter

[house-of-furfur]

Furfur having fun with everyone

Artist: とよ @toyo_chang_ Posted on Twitter

Full size on pixiv

[house-of-furfur]

Yes, he took a picture of Crowley's butt. Well, well, well, what have we here ....?

That's why he's called @furfurs-fotos ...

I feel like we often forget that Crowley's clothes are technically not real

aka, how this scene shouldve went

[house-of-furfur]

Artist: @owlgams on Xwitter

[house-of-furfur]

Furfur: The kind of (de)man* I am

Musical Source: "The kind of man I am", song sung by Reece Shearsmith in the stage musical comedy Betty Blue Eyes

* Spelling according to the witch and demon hunter Mr Warren

[nogoodninny]

I think Furfur and Izzy would get along like a house on fire.

[spyroid101]

Hortus Infernal: The Jester (Mascot Mode)

Jestdeer time!

When the summoners called in an Angel to use as a blood donor, the last thing they expected was for a Furfur to suddenly get dragged in as well.

The Angel, the future Bouncelia, vaguely informed them that she and the Furfur were quite firmly connected via an already long established pact, and that if they want to deal with her, they'd have to deal with them as well.

The concept of dealing with an Angel that was so cooperative with their goals was far too good an opportunity to let slip by, so they quickly drew up a contract with the Furfur, dubbed them "The Jester", and made a clause that they couldn't do harm unto sinners... Unless they laugh at their terrible jokes. ("If someone actually legitimately finds THAT funny, they deserve to die." quote the bound, to which they got harshly reprimanded for... but also at the same time no one exactly disagreed...)

However, it was ultimately moot, as the second their backs were turned, Bouncelia used her powers to break the bind and the contract, ordering The Jester to just lay low and play along, so they all thought they were still under contract...

That ruse all ended for the humans, after they stole and hid away Bouncelia's staff, as Bouncelia then ordered the Jester to MAKE them tell her where they had hidden it.

But despite showing them that they were fully willing and capable of throwing the humans into the giant, seemingly bottomless abyss, into the open maw of the incomprehensible creature that dewelled within it, they all refused to talk.

And the few that had managed to escape to the upper floors, quickly scrawled a warning onto the nearby whiteboard, right under their ill fated To-Do list for that day:

Do not let the Jester find you.

[luxthestrange]

WTDSIK Incorrect Quotes#46 LEAVE!?

Furfur*Talking about You at 3am*-She could kill me and I’d thank her for it~

Furfur watched at Allocer whom he "borrowed" from his house and brought to Jazz's bedroom to ...once again fester his pupils about how hot you were and to help him out to get you to like him-

Allocer & Jazz*Both now Trying to sleep, like Jazz would mind his partner in crime sleep with him on his bed, he bunking with him* We'd thank her for it too

[house-of-furfur]

[drconstellation]

Brazil and The Dream of Escape

I was delighted to find in the Xtras that the machine created to be used by Furfur to use to find out how many demons Shax could requisition for storming the bookshop was inspired by the movie Brazil. This is another nod to Monty Python member Terry Gilliam, who directed this film, and who almost directed the failed GO film in the 1990's.

I love this film. Always have. Yes, I was around when it came out in 1985. I'm that old. It's always been in my top 5 favourite films. And its totally relevant to Good Omens.

Brazil can be described as a dark dystopian story based on the novel 1984. It doesn't have a happy ending, but its funny, horrific, ludicrous, romantic and timelessly beautiful all at the same time. Its so iconic that when ever I see its influence in other productions its been unmistakable.

It stars Jonathan Pryce long before he was a James Bond villain or the head Sparrow in Game of Thrones, a comedic turn from Robert de Niro and a handful of other famous faces that you are bound to recognise, such Bob Hoskins, Ian Holm and Jim Broadbent.

Pryce, as Sam Lowry, lives in a world that is strictly controlled with paperwork that comes in multiple copies, where people are routinely arrested and tortured and a long running unexplained terrorist campaign sees bombs explode in the most random of places. Sam has dreams of a beautiful woman floating in the sky, and he is a sliver-armoured winged hero trying to rescue her. He eventually finds that she is real, and finds out her name through various means via his work and contacts. He tracks her down, but that is where it all starts to unravel as she is mixed up with an unfortunate case of mistaken identity.

Its easy to see the common themes and elements that run through the film with GO: the desire to run away and escape (that doesn't work,) a totalitarian authority controlling the masses, propaganda, piles of paperwork, an undercurrent of rebellion, torture and abuse, forbidden love between classes, a villain hidden in plain sight.

There is an art deco aesthetic to the film that also carries over to other films and shows it has influenced, and the busy work floor scene that stops on a dime to watch the tv show de jour while the boss isn't looking is one of the highlights of the film.

It was a reference of this that caught my eye in the Cohen Brothers modern fairy tale The Hudsucker Proxy, where they copied the busyness of the work floor for their mail room scenes, but also the art deco aesthetic. That's another film that is always in my top five films, and could go a round of comparisons with GO - its got time stoppage, an angel appearance and a near-godlike manipulator.

It also appears, surprisingly, in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The casino at Canto Bight is Brazil inspired, in the way its introduced to us, its decor and the music. I know some people hate this film because of what they did to Luke, but I love it, the whole thing is just utterly gorgeous to look at.

And if you've watched any of Loki recently, since S2 of that show finished not long ago, you would also seen some influence from Brazil in the retro look.

I love the classic art deco style. my grandparents had an art deco house that I spent many of my childhood hours in. The style itself is a clean, unadorned look, and often is meant to give a look of movement, speed or strength. A classic example of this is the Bentley, of course, which comes from the height of the art deco era in the 1930's.

Hell is the other place we see the Brazil influence in GO, where is looks like it's constantly several decades behind the times, with overhead projectors and manual typewriters and odd looking not-quite steampunk contraptions.

Brazil is available to stream on Disney at the moment, if you'd like to take a look. I highly recommend it, its one of those influential films that once you know it, you see its long reach in the most unexpected places.

[amagnificentobsession]

Good Morning my Lovlies,

It’s Saturday and that usually means brunch at my house, but today we are all meeting at Doc’s. @docdust @i-dream-of-sheeny @neo-of-sporin

Chuck and Winnifred are coming home!

I’ve brought most everything we could need from the house. (The neighbor insisted on cooking until Angelo gets here.) @angelo-rib-shack @mr-crawleigh

Today’s brunch will be much scaled down. I don’t want to overwhelm Chuck. @angelo-chuck-wagon @sliceocheese

I love you all and appreciate you for understanding.

@the-metatron I hope you will come welcome your boy home. @baby-angelo I’ve asked Muriel to pick you up and bring you with them. @muriel-not-the-dim-one

@trans-darbie bring the children and Furfur, I know that’s actually a redundant statement.

@dream-of-pain I’m sure Fufurby Zombie will have fun too.

@gandalf-big-oos @kleenexwoman @god-in-the-basement @god-wednesday @loretta-dont-you-oppress-me @e-w-w-morningstar @one-coming-is-enough @curlish @andagon

This singer reminds me of someone. Great voice, speaks several different languages, allegedly.

Enjoy!

[actual-changeling]

In a pervious post you said "the implications throughout the show that Crowley was a pretty powerful and high-ranking angel, and is still one of the most powerful demons". Where/what are those, exactly? How high are we talking, because I don't think the opposing ranks are equal to one another. Like, if Crowley had been an Archangel he isn't an Archdemon now, right?

Hell has a completely different kind of command structure, yes!

It seems to be wayyy more democratic for one, and has varying kinds and levels of ruling authorities. They have proper trials and rules, contracts to sign, several demons working on earth, a multitude of positions of employment (for lack of better words), provide living spaces for their earthly representatives, and overall function, while heaven seems to have—well, none of those things.

Figuring out a demon's rank is—in my opinion—pretty easy because of that.

Crowley makes a comment about bottom of the barrel demons, we see different jobs and how respected they are (e.g. Furfur being stuck in admissions, which is more of a grunt job, while anyone in temptations is in a more desirable position pun intended), and if we make some smart guesstimations, we can probably figure out the job & relative rank of any demon we're introduced to.

So—where does Crowley fall?

His position in heaven as the Starmaker may or may not have had an influence on his position after the fall, but we do know that he had and still has strong miracle powers. Let's take a look at the tasks hell assigned him:

a) the Serpent of Eden and Original Tempter

b) a long-term and (assumedly) one of the main representatives on earth

c) he's not just in Temptations, he works on a global scale and regularly impresses his bosses back in hell

d) he was tasked with helping Satan win a bet against God by taking care of Job's property, house, and family

e) Satan personally chose him to deliver the Antichrist and start Armageddon, which is THE job in the history of heaven & hell.

Hastur and Ligur are also explicitly jealous of the kind of jobs Crowley gets to perform, and while there is a general 'he's gone native' sentiment, they leave him alone as long as he does his job and doesn't break the rules in a way that fucks with hell's plans.

In season 1, we are told that Crowley is partly as powerful as he is because he has an imagination, which allows him to navigate the burning M25 while Hastur gets discorporated. When hell is told about the 25 Lazarii miracle that was performed, Crowley is seen as a viable candidate for either having done it himself or working with whoever did it.

Beelzebub also decides—for good reason—that if ze wants to find Gabriel, ze'll need his help:

They hold a trial when they could have just killed him like Hastur melting the Usher to test the holy water, but because of his rank Crowley gets a (more or less) fair trial. If you think about it, deciding he's guilty and then giving him the same kind of punishment he used to melt Ligur is actually not too bad of a treatment; lower demons, on the other hand, are punished on the daily without as much as a blink.

Crowley solves the mess in the bookshop, Beez and Dagon listen to him when he talks and explains, they see him as someone almost equal to them. It is believable to Hastur that Crowley is involved with the Dark Council and capable of recommending him for a promotion.

If Crowley had been a 'better' and more ambitious demon, he probably could have been a Duke of Hell even before Job. He can stop time, he can stop Satan himself in his tracks, and he is respected by both heaven and hell—so whatever you want to call his rank/job/position, it is undoubtedly one of high regard and power.

[house-of-furfur]

Oh, we like it.

This gorgeous piece I commissioned from @beelzeebub reached me today 😍❤️💚 It's perfect.

[mimisempai]

I'll find you at the end of the road - Chap 4/8

Chapter summary - Tying loose ends

Crowley and Aziraphale are closing bitter chapters in their pasts... but Harry is a mischievous rabbit... and could change the course of their lives...

On Ao3

Rating G -  3092 words

Chap 1 - Chap 2 - Chap 3 - Chap 4 - Chap 5 - Chap 6 - Chap 7 - Last chapter

2024 - Lake House

Heart pounding, without looking at it, he pulled the phone out of his pocket and picked it up, "Hello?"

"Crowley?"

"Yes?"

"It's Furfur."

It took Crowley a few seconds to realize who it really was on the other end of the line and to let the slight disappointment fade.

"Crowley? You’her still here?"

"Yes, Furfur."

"Hi, I'm in London. I came for a seminar, but it was canceled, so I thought I'd give you a call. See if you were free."

An hour later, Crowley and Furfur walked in awkward silence. 

Crowley hadn't wanted Furfur to get any ideas, so he'd preferred to meet him on neutral ground. Not at his house or any of the places they'd gone when they were still together.

Furfur said quietly, "Thanks for coming."

Crowley shrugged and replied, "Sure, no problem."

"It's been too long."

Crowley didn't answer, he didn't want to start a delicate discussion. 

In fact, he didn't want to be here at all. He was thinking of Aziraphale, whom he'd left in the lurch, granted, in the past, but still. 

Furfur obviously wanted to get the conversation going again and asked, "How's Harry?" 

"He's fine."

"Is he adjusting to life in the city?"

"Yes, he's doing well."

Furfur nodded and replied with a melancholy air, "That's good. I miss him."

Here we go... handkerchiefs out...

Exactly the kind of discussion Crowley didn't want to start. 

Once again, he preferred not to take the bait and rather let the awkward silence return.

Furfur asked, "Have you eaten by any chance?" 

"No, but..."

"Neither have I," Furfur replied, not even letting Crowley speak. "I just realized I'm starving. Maybe we could grab a bite somewhere."

Crowley nodded reluctantly.

They just passed the Ritz and Furfur exclaimed, "Oh, when we were students, we never could have afforded to go there, but now, how about it?"

Crowley protested, shaking his head, "Oh, no, Furfur, that place is way too.... ".

But Furfur was already on his way inside, and Crowley had no choice but to follow. He always had in the past. 

Of course, as Crowley suspected, it was already very crowded. 

But Furfur approached the hostess anyway.

"Good evening, table for two, please."

The stewardess looked puzzled and asked, "For tonight?                

"Yes, please."

The young woman replied in an apologetic tone, "I'm sorry. We're completely booked for tonight. That's why you always have to make a reservation to eat here."

She looked at the reservation book before continuing, "But in three... no, I'm sorry, four months, we have an opening for dinner if you'd like to make a reservation. Half past five or half past eleven?"

Furfur turned on his heels, visibly disappointed, without answering, and Crowley followed him after giving the hostess an apologetic smile.

A short time later, they were eating at a pizzeria two streets away that still had a table available.

Seeing Furfur's dejected expression, Crowley took pity on him and said gently, "It's all right, you know. This is one of the best restaurants in the city. That's what I was going to say when you asked me to eat there."

Furfur sighed, "It's not that... " he paused before continuing, "I didn't do it well."

Crowley realized he had lied to him and sighed before saying, "You didn't actually have a seminar, did you?"

His ex-boyfriend shook his head, and Crowley waited for him to continue.

"I figured you'd meet me if it didn't seem like a big deal, a surprise, a quick coffee.... But coffee might turn into dinner. And dinner could turn into..."

Crowley asked curtly, "Turn into what?" 

Furfur replied sheepishly, "Anything."

"So this was an ambush."

"Yes... "

Crowley, annoyed, said, "Another one."

Furfur, now on the defensive, asked him, "What do you mean? "

Crowley wearily replied, "Furfur. You were always ten steps ahead of me. A week after we met, you were already planning our entire lives. When I was still in college, you were picking out real estate. I'd come to visit you for the weekend and you'd invited all your high school friends, almost the whole town, to your house to meet me".

Furfur defiantly replied, "At least I didn't date anyone else when we were together."

Crowley asked him in surprise, "What do you mean?"

"At the surprise party for your birth..."

"I didn't go out with him! I kissed him once, and he was just some random guy, and even then we were drifting apart. Admit that party was an attempt to hold me back. "

"Okay. You're right. I don't want to fight. It's just... part of me wonders... if we had moved in together when..."

Crowley replied firmly, "We didn’t, and I had to leave.  Water under the bridge, and it's time for you to move on. Like I did."

Furfur looked disappointed but nodded, "I'm sorry. I never should have called. I just... miss you."

Crowley didn't answer. He didn't want to, because if he were honest, he would have to tell Furfur that he didn't miss him anymore.

But he missed someone else, someone he had never met before, and he couldn't stop his thoughts from drifting to his mysterious pen pal and the connection he had with him.

He and Furfur finished their meal in an uneasy silence. 

Crowley was impatient to get back to his apartment and write to Aziraphale.

2022 - In front of the HH building

Aziraphale got out of his Beetle and climbed the few steps to the entrance of the imposing building. He paused, took a deep breath, and stepped through the door.

He took the elevator to the top floor, and when he reached his destination, he made his way to the door in front of the elevator, pushing away all the memories that flooded his mind as he walked back into the familiar place.

As familiar as the voice that answered him when he knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Aziraphale opened the door, then paused in the doorway, waiting for his mother to look up.

When she saw him, she said in a cold voice, "What a surprise, the prodigal son has returned.

Aziraphale replied, "I was in the neighborhood..." then paused, realizing that once again he was about to obfuscate the truth, and continued, "Hello, Mother. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Not that you care. Get to the point."

Aziraphale walked over to his mother's desk and pulled an envelope from his pocket before placing it on the desk in front of her.

His mother immediately grabbed it and opened it, a look of surprise crossing her face as she pulled out a check.

She raised an eyebrow and asked, "What is this?"

Aziraphale calmly replied, "It's what I owe you."

"I beg your pardon?"

The antiquarian kept his composure and calmly said, "It's about the same amount of money I would have made for HH if I had stayed to the end of my contract. So we're even."

Her mother shook her head and replied, "Then you wasted your money, you didn't owe me anything."

Aziraphale replied firmly, "I feel better that way. We were both in this project originally, it was our joint project after Dad's..." He had to pause at the emotion before continuing, "...you know what I mean, and I feel like I let you down, so let's say we've come full circle."

"If it makes you feel better. Good for you. Is that all you wanted?"

"I bought the lake house," Aziraphale said in a slightly more hesitant tone.

"I heard about that. After all, despite your high principles, you don't seem to mind making money, do you?"

His mother glanced briefly at the check and tucked it under her desk blotter.

Aziraphale, annoyed by her coldness and the judgmental tone with which she had just said that, declared, "You know it has nothing to do with that, but you've never understood my way of looking at things, so like I said, we're even. Forget it, we'll never agree. Everything is perfect just the way it is! Have a nice life! And try to forget that your son was just a deception for you." 

He stared at her for a moment before leaving, slamming the door behind him. 

With the door closed, he didn't see his mother start at the sound of the door slamming. She took out the check and looked at it before tearing it in half and throwing it in the wastebasket. Then she opened a desk drawer and took out a photograph. 

It was a photo of the lake house under construction. Aziraphale's father and mother were holding hands with Aziraphale, who must have been 10 years old. She remembered the day they first brought Aziraphale here and told him that one day they would all come and live here.

But life, work and illness had decided otherwise.

At the time the photo was taken, Aziraphale told them that when he grew up, he would make furniture for the house like his father and that it would be a place where everyone would be happy.

Aziraphale's mother looked at the photo for a moment, made a gesture as if to throw it in the wastebasket, then decided not to and put it back in the drawer.

An Autumn Afternoon - 2022

Aziraphale wanted to take Harry to the vet for a check-up, since he didn't know much about rabbits, but first he parked in a parking lot not far from his shop, because he wanted to post a message on the door warning that the shop would be open late. 

He was just hanging a small sign on the door when someone called out to him.

"Aziraphale..."

He held back a sigh and put a false smile on his lips before turning to the person and saying, "Hello, Arthur."

The carpet seller said, "You told me you had a white rabbit, didn't you?"

Aziraphale frowned and replied, "Yes, and by the way, it's in the car.

Arthur replied, "Then it can't be the one I just saw running up the street, past the Give me Coffee or Give me Death?"

"What?" 

Aziraphale started to run in the direction of the coffee shop while yelling at Arthur, "How many people do you think drive around this neighborhood with a white rabbit in their car?"

He looked right, then left, and thought he saw Harry go around the corner.

He called out, "Harry! 

Aziraphale shouted, but the rabbit didn't stop, and the antiquarian continued to chase it, vaguely aware that Arthur was following him.

He chased Harry into a nearby residential street, but the rabbit was really fast, and Aziraphale swore as he quickened his pace.

Harry ran into someone's yard and Aziraphale was still in pursuit. They came to a house where Harry seemed to have stopped. 

Finally.

The rabbit looked at him, but did not seem to want to run anymore.

Then he saw Harry sniffing at the feet of a familiar-looking man who was unloading the trunk of his car in front of the house. The man was startled at first and laughed, watching Harry with an amused eye. Aziraphale reached out and grabbed Harry.

He scratched the rabbit's head and said, "There you are, you rascal. What's the matter with you?" Then he turned to the man, whose face told him nothing despite the familiarity of his figure, and said sheepishly, "I'm sorry, it's the first time he's run off like that. He's never done that before."

The man asked curiously, "What's his name?"

"Harry."

He approached and leaned towards Harry, saying gently, “Hi, Harry. I should get one like you for my friend. He loves animals, especially fluffy ones like you."

Aziraphale noticed how much the other man had to unload, saw many cases of wine, and kindly offered, "Would you like some help with that? To apologize for the inconvenience Harry caused." 

He shook his head and replied, "Oh no, I've got time. Besides, you're already loaded," he pointed at Harry in Aziraphale's arms before continuing, "in case you're wondering, I don't intend to drink all this alone."

Aziraphale didn't really want to know more, but he listened politely.

"I'm a real estate agent, and you live around here?"

"I have a lake house on the South Downs and a shop not far from here."

The other man raised an eyebrow and asked, "Really?"

They were suddenly joined by Arthur, out of breath.

"Thank goodness! You found it!"

The man greeted Arthur with a nod. 

"Hello, I'm Furfur."

At the slightly surprised look on the faces of the two men, he added, "My name is Ferdinand, but ever since I was a child, everyone's called me Furfur."

Then he continued, turning to Aziraphale, "As for the wine crates, I'm having friends from high school and neighbors over tonight. You're both welcome if you like. It's always nice to meet new people."

Aziraphale and Arthur exchanged glances, and before Aziraphale had time to react, the carpet seller replied, "Thank you. We have plans."

Aziraphale wondered what plan they were supposed to have, and what was certain was that he had only one plan, to go home, see if Crowley had written to him, and write to him. Alone. No plan to spend the evening with Arthur or go to a party with strangers.

Furfur shrugged and replied, "No problem. Anyway, it was nice to meet you. Maybe see you later, Harry. Oh, and Aziraphale..."

Furfur rummaged in his pocket and continued, "Here's my business card, I might consider renting a place on the lake myself. If you hear of anything, let me know."

Aziraphale nodded and replied, "I will."

"Thank you. That would be very helpful." Furfur pointed at the house and added, "I like this house, but my friend doesn't. You know how it is."

"No worries," Aziraphale replied as he started to leave, inwardly ranting, wondering how he'd stumbled upon the most talkative men on Earth, when Furfur added, "We want to move in together after he graduates in astronomy.”

Aziraphale paused.

"He's studying astronomy?"

"Yes, at Westminster School, he wants to be an astronomy teacher. He comes to my house on weekends."

Aziraphale froze, realizing that Furfur was the one he'd seen with Crowley on the platform, the one Crowley had hugged and kissed.

Which meant that the friend he was talking about...

Furfur continued, oblivious to Aziraphale's confusion, "He's coming tonight, a little later, actually. That's why I'm having this little party."

Under Arthur's exasperated look, Aziraphale inquired, "What time does it start?"

The same evening - 2024

Crowley went out after work, tired, and started for home. 

Suddenly he changed his mind and stopped to turn around. 

After a few detours, he found himself where he wanted to go, the Dirty Donkey, the bar where the other teachers had wanted to take him on his first day. 

The place was almost empty. Crowley walked over to the bar and sat down, looking glum, and ordered a glass of talisker.

At the same time - 2022

By the time Aziraphale and Arthur arrived at Furfur's, the party was well underway inside, and there were numerous cars parked in the driveway and on the street. As they entered, the carpet seller turned to Aziraphale and said with a pout, "This better be good. I had something else in mind for us."

Aziraphale rolled his eyes, for he had never intended to spend the evening with the other man anyway.

In the hallway, Furfur was among his friends and neighbors, talking and laughing.

As soon as he saw them, he approached Aziraphale and Arthur and said, "The bar...is in the kitchen..."

They moved on, greeting people here and there, Aziraphale searching for Crowley with his eyes, then Arthur looked at him and asked sourly, "Why are we here?"

The antiquarian pretended not to have heard him, the loud chatter around them giving him a good excuse.

Eventually they sat down on the sofa next to a couple in their thirties. They greeted each other and chatted, Aziraphale half-listening, wondering again where Crowley was.

Same time - 2024

Just as Crowley was halfway through his drink, someone came and sat down next to him. Surprised, he saw that it was Eric, who ordered a drink before turning to him and saying with that smile that was his, "According to most social norms, a person shouldn't be drinking alone after 10 p.m. unless they have a good excuse. What's yours?"

Crowley shrugged.

"I don't have one."

"I do. My partner is dedicated to their work and decided we should take a break while they finishe a big project.” 

Seeing Crowley's sympathetic look, he added, "Just a temporary break, we didn't break up, okay?"

"Hard though."

He took a sip of his drink and continued, "And your relationship will hold up?

Eric replied passionately, "Of course! I trust them and I know that giving them time is what they need. That doesn't stop me from feeling a little lonely. Because I love them. So I'll wait for them as long as it takes."

He pointed to Crowley's glass before adding, "I see your glass is empty, would you like another? My treat."

Crowley nodded, "Yes."

Eric ordered and two minutes later their drinks arrived. 

After a moment of silence, Crowley said in a low voice, "Actually, I have an excuse for drinking alone after 10 p.m.”

Same time - 2022

Aziraphale and Arthur were still on the sofa with the thirty-something couple. Aziraphale was frankly getting bored, and apparently so was Arthur, because he turned slightly to Aziraphale and said, "I want to go."

Aziraphale sighed and got up after apologizing to the other couple before setting off in search of the coats. Just as he was about to reach the coat racks, he saw Furfur, who was looking out the window, turn abruptly and say loudly to everyone, "All right, everyone!  It's time!"

Their host turned off all the lights in the room and they all fell silent.

Aziraphale saw a figure appear behind the glass door. 

The door opened slowly and he heard Crowley's voice for the first time, "Anyone home? Furfur?"

Furfur abruptly turned on the lights, and everyone began shouting a chorus of "Surprise!" and "Happy birthday, Crowley!"

Someone brought in a cake with candles burning on it. 

But all Aziraphale could see was him.

Crowley.

Crowley looked stunned as Furfur threw himself into his arms.

Then his friend kissed him while Aziraphale could only watch.

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story  🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Ineffable Husbands masterlist : here

[inconveniently-discorporated]

So I was watching Doctor Who, and something about this part from Twelve and Clara really struck me in the Good Omens. (And yes it's been awhile but obviously spoilers.)

Specifically, it was the part after the Clara memory wipe where Twelve basically says that he doesn't directly remember her, but he can fill in the details based on the holes they left behind.

And that reminded me exactly of this part:

This is how I feel about Crowley's memory.

Now, I may be wrong, but the whole "I don't remember you" parts are really suspicious to me. At first, I simply took it as him being cheeky or purposely snubbing certain people, and a lot of people interpret those scenes that way. However, I feel like he seems genuinely unable to remember them. This scene in particular strikes me as him speaking from experience -- something in his tone.

Say you move all the furniture out of a room -- you might still have indents in the carpet where a couch and table would've gone, and one can thus imagine how big of a couch and where people set their drinks. On the wall, a square of paint a few shades lighter than the rest -- there was probably a picture there. In the kitchen, there is no refrigerator, but you know that houses usually have one and you see where one would go, and you also see a water line, so it was probably a fridge that dispensed ice cubes and water.

See also: the fact that Gabriel doesn't know who Aziraphale is, but he knows how Aziraphale makes people feel, and thus he seeks him out for help. Looking at the outlines on the wall, the indentations in the carpet.

Kind of like doing an escape room. You get a set of directions -- hmm, what do you do with that? Oh look, you have a directional lock. Or maybe you have a password-like phrase from Heaven bouncing around your head but nowhere it fits. Oh look, you have a password-shaped hole that belongs to this folder.

Maybe there's different kinds of memory mucking -- like maybe there's "forget everything you ever were" and maybe there's "forget everyone you ever knew" (which would be quite interesting for Crowley and Aziraphale's story).

It occurred to me as I was writing this that Gabriel's amnesia is not indicative of how Heaven's forced memory wiping works. That's because Heaven doesn't actually wipe his memory, he takes it away himself and stores it in the fly. So I can't really presume anything based on his behavior.

But the show does imply Crowley was of high rank:

And he does remember general events -- creating nebulae, passwords, the war. He just doesn't appear to remember other angels.

He doesn't even identify the Metatron by name, he refers to him as "the last time I saw you, you were a big floating giant head man" -- which he did literally just see, in Heaven. It's Aziraphale who identifies him by name.

I saw a meta earlier comparing Job to Crowley with an interesting suggestion: maybe Crowley never did anything wrong. Furfur's story implies Crowley was an active participant, but maybe there's more to it than meets the eye.

Last thing that comes to mind:

I think it's super interesting that Muriel just happens to be the lowest ranking scribe, until the plan to yeet Gabriel from his position, and then he will just happen to be the next lowest after that. It makes me wonder who they were, or will become. But I am convinced that who they are isn't who they've always been.

Because that's what Heaven does -- they take away agency, they care not for the individual but rather the role the individual plays. Once the individual stops being useful towards that role, they discard them like one of God's favorite human's kids.