#i can see the first time its said being about crowley falling

[ritz-writes]

i have listened to this so many time and just keep imagining crowley falling and aziraphale questioning and for the love of someone i need an animatic with this

[cobragardens]

My Favorite Good Omens Moment:

An Essay on Why It Is Cool and Rad (Part 1)

There's this moment in Good Omens that makes me cackle every time I see it and leaves me full of warmth, so here's an essay on its context and meaning, because explication and analysis are how I show love. I will try to keep my thoughts as tight as possible, but they do have a tendency to spiral outwards, and I am very stoned. Come, sistren, and get nerdy with me.

My favorite moment in the series so far occurs in 1601. To approach it we will first need an assload of context. There's a TL;DR in bold at the end of the Context if you don't fancy reading the whole assload. Key arguments are in italics and bold throughout.

David Tennant gives Crowley a very consistent facial expression every time Aziraphale says something so outlandish Crowley can't quite believe he's hearing it. It's this one:

Chronologically, we see the Eyebrows of Disbelief twice before my fave moment in 1601: once (above left) in that scene on the Garden Wall that familiarizes the audience with Crowley's face before adding the dark glasses, when Aziraphale admits he's given away his sword; once when Aziraphale tells Bildad the Shuhite that he, Aziraphale, has Fallen because he lied to the angels to save Job's children.

The Eyebows of Disbelief always signal surprise and amusement with something Aziraphale has said or done. This amusement is sometimes at Aziraphale's expense and sometimes not.

In the gifs above, Crowley is laughing because what Aziraphale has just admitted to doing is fantastic and unexpected and frankly pretty gd punk rock. He's not laughing at Aziraphale, he's laughing because he is delighted with him. The only record we have thus far of Crowley laughing at Aziraphale is this one:

Crowley laughs when Aziraphale informs him--him, a demon who has personally been through the process of Falling--that Aziraphale is Fallen and must be a demon now. As though of the two of them Aziraphale is the expert on how and under what circumstances this occurs.

And yet when Crowley sees Aziraphale's distress--not his fear of being taken to Hell, but his heartbreak and lostness over the fact that his conscience has diverged from God's stated will--Crowley stops laughing, and instead he acts very kindly towards Aziraphale. He validates the gravity of what Aziraphale has done and assures him he won't turn him in. He sits with him so Aziraphale isn't totally alone (like Crowley probably was) as he goes through the loneliest moments of his existence to that point and picks himself up newly weighted with the secret he must now bear.

And after this scene (in canon as it stands thus far), we don't see Crowley laugh at anything Aziraphale says or does again.

And he really has to work for it sometimes. We talk a lot about the things Michael Sheen is able to convey with his face in Good Omens, and absolutely rightly so; David Tennant earns a chunk of his paycheck in this regard as well. If you haven't given yourself the treat yet, rewatch the scene in Will Goldstone's magic shop in 1941 and focus on Crowley's reactions:

Tennant takes great care to show, with precision, that Crowley is expending effort not to react to Aziraphale's nervous chaos Muppetry and lack of self-awareness. Crowley is self- and socially and contextually aware enough that he knows (better than Aziraphale, at least, which is not a high bar to clear) what's cringe, what's funny, what's ridiculous, how to behave. But whenever Aziraphale crosses a boundary of normalcy, or even sanity, and there is opportunity to laugh at him, Crowley very carefully doesn't react. He doesn't interrupt him, he doesn't try to correct him, he doesn't make fun of him, he doesn't even smirk; he just watches him, as stone-faced as he can manage, no matter how bizarre Aziraphale becomes.

We should be reading this lack of reaction to Aziraphale's social and rational transgressions as powerful positive action. Go watch the Doctor Who episode "Human Nature," or literally any episode of The Inbetweeners, or read or watch Regeneration, and reflect on what it shows you about English masculinity; then consider again the depth of significance in how English- and male-coded character Crowley treats English- and male-coded character Aziraphale in an England created by an English and male-codedpresenting author based off a book written by himself and another male-presenting author. Within its context of English masculinity, Crowley's lack of reaction is not a neutral stance; it is a very fucking loud show of support.

This is not even an inference; it's stated outright in the show. Crowley himself puts it into words 422 years after my favorite moment:

You know how Crowley calls Aziraphale "angel" because the factuality of the descriptor offers him plausible deniability to any Heavenly or Infernal agents who might be listening? Remember how Crowley is a great equivocator? Crowley is equivocating here, too: he's using the cover of what Maggie and Nina will take as a disparaging joke at Aziraphale's expense in order to make a perfectly sincere statement. This is his genuine perception of one of the relationship dynamics he has with Aziraphale and how he feels about that dynamic. Crowley thinks he himself is quite witty (an accurate assessment), Crowley thinks Aziraphale isn't sufficiently self- or contextually aware to hide how strange he is and therefore frequently says and does mad things (also an accurate assessment), and Crowley is Into. That. Shit.

Okay. Now let's look at 1601.

Chronologically it's been almost 1,000 years since we last saw Aziraphale and Crowley. In 537, Aziraphale isn't willing even to consider a labor-saving working arrangement with Crowley of fucking off home out of the damp of Arthurian Wessex; but by 1601, he's worked (and met, and Arranged) with Crowley "dozens of times now," Crowley says, and Azirapahle does not correct him.

In that millienium, Aziraphale has grown to care deeply about Crowley:

In fact he may be somewhat smitten with him:

Seriously, go back and watch Aziraphale here as Crowley approaches and starts speaking to him: he doesn't start smiling until he recognizes that the person speaking to him is Crowley (but he only smiles at Crowley while Crowley's not looking at him).

And Crowley is definitely become smitten with Aziraphale:

Our man(-shaped entity) is so allergic to work he sets up a meeting to weasel, cajole, or (as it happens) cheat a coin toss to get Aziraphale to do an easy temptation for him in Edinburgh, and then in the same conversation agrees to miracle a play into success because Aziraphale gives him a single hopeful look. Crowley's got it bad.

TL;DR: The Eyebrows of Disbelief happen when Crowley is surprised and amused by something Aziraphale has said or done. Sometimes that amusement is delight with Aziraphale; sometimes it is at Aziraphale's expense. Crowley is aware of this distinction, and when his amusement is at Aziraphale's expense, he suppresses it, even when it takes some effort on his own part, and remains stocially composed. This is equivocation on his part: to Celestial/Infernal operatives lacking knowledge of the intricacies of human behavior, this non-reaction would seem like neutrality; to Aziraphale, who shares with Crowley and the audience the contextual knowledge of English masculinity's utter viciousness, this non-reaction is a profound show of support; and in the safety of support from Crowley, Aziraphale lets his weirdness blossom.

As another meta points out [link if I find it again], we also see in Aziraphale's wordless request about Hamlet and Crowley's immediate understanding of it that by 1601 Aziraphale and Crowley have developed an unspoken, coded method of communication with each other.

Now that we have all of that in mind, here's my favorite moment in Good Omens:

Ixi of Fuck Yeah Good Omens has even kindly archived a closeup of the aftermath, for Crowley, of "Buck up!" In gif 4, above, you can see that the tiny smile is an involuntary reaction that happens as Crowley's eyes widen: for a fraction of a second, he's caught off-guard. In the closeup it's easier to see that he suppresses the smile and gives a tiny shake of his head, Eyebrows of Disbelief heading for his hairline.

There are a number of things Crowley's reaction could mean and what messages it could communicate (we'll get to that in a sec), but regardless, his reaction is, unquestionably, one of surprise and suppressed amusement. This is an aspect of Crowley and Aziraphale's relationship and characters that I like very much, viz., that one of the reasons Crowley likes Aziraphale (though Aziraphale is judgy and occasionally, unintentionally, horrifyingly cruel) is that in addition to being one of the kindest and most courageous beings in existence, Aziraphale is mad as a bag of frogs. Crowley does not know what is going to come out of Aziraphale's lovely mouth next, but Crowley does know there's a good chance he will struggle to believe he's hearing it, and Crowley likes that.

That's what makes this my favorite moment. What makes this moment so cool and rad, though, is its ineffability. We know from the Eyebrows of Disbelief that Crowley is surprised and amused, but any of several things could be read in that almost imperceptible headshake. Like:

What are you doing? or

Why are you like this? or

How can you be aware that you say these things out loud and yet still say them out loud? or

How has my existence come to this? this moment of listening to such insanity?

each of which is a fair and just feeling to have/message to communicate to a man(-shaped entity) who is yelling "Buck up!" at Hamlet.

But that's only if we read Crowley's amusement as being at Aziraphale's expense. And I don't think we should. Because watch Aziraphale here:

He's doing it on purpose. He is shouting a hilariously inappropriate, 100% authentic Aziraphale-brand thing over arguably the gloomiest passage of Shakespeare's famously gloomy play--right after Crowley complains about its gloominess--and he is watching Crowley as he does it. Look at his smile! He knows he's being Deeply Uncool, and he is doing it literally right into Crowley's face.

Remember that we just talked about how by this point in the chronology Crowley and Aziraphale have learned to communicate with each other nonverbally through facial expression? So what does it mean when Aziraphale responds to Crowley's grumbling about Hamlet's gloominess by smiling his minxious Mona Lisa Aziraphale smile, looking right into Crowley's face, and yelling at Hamlet to buck up? Aziraphale, in a carefully coded, carefully Aziraphale way, is joking with Crowley. His silliness in this moment is for Crowley.

So with aaaaaaallllll of this essay in mind, what does it mean that Crowley's reaction to "Come on, Hamlet! Buck up!" is widening eyes, an involuntary twitch of his mouth toward a smile, and then, his eyebrows still showing surprise and amusement, a tiny shake of his head?

Once more, with inferences:

I do propose, y'all, on the basis of this web of evidence I submit for consideration, that what we are seeing here in my favorite moment of Good Omens is the ineffable equivalent of Aziraphale and Crowley sharing a laugh.

Crowley's amusement here isn't at Aziraphale, because Aziraphale is eliciting that amusement consciously and deliberately. Aziraphale, in good spirits and happy to see Crowley, uses his Aziraphaleness to offers Crowley not only an opportunity for amusement, but the opportunity to be in agreement with him about what in this situation is funny. They're on the same side of this joke.

And his humor lands just as he wants it to: Crowley, just for a moment, is caught off-guard, and tickled--

But remember, Crowley is worried in this scene about being surveilled ("I thought you said we'd be inconspicuous here"), and he worries about audio surveillance a lot ("Walls have ears"; "Don't say that. If my lot hear [etc.]," etc.), so he's very limited in what reactions he can show or voice. Aziraphale knows Crowley must be perceived by anyone watching or listening to disapprove of his, Aziraphale's, behavior (just as he must be perceived to disapprove vociferously of Crowley's). Both of them know this.

--so Crowley suppresses the smile almost successfully, and shakes his head at Aziraphale, minutely, to say Stop. What you're doing is working, you're close to making me laugh, and if I show how much you have just delighted me, it will blow our cover of "just an Arrangement."

I offer three final data points in advancing my argument that what we see in my favorite Good Omens moment is Aziraphale successfully attempting to joke with Crowley and Crowley recognizing that overture from Aziraphale and being momentarily surprised into a reaction of genuine delight before pulling his face back under control and indicating to Aziraphale that he must stop:

Datum 1. Nothing going on with Crowley's face in this moment is accidental. We know for sure we're not seeing David Tennant react to Michael Sheen here not only because of literally every other point of Tennant's and Sheen's performances in the show, but because Tennant is wearing opaque contacts and sunglasses under film lighting and therefore cannot be reacting to anything more compelling than a level-10-lift blur because Tennant cannot see shit. Crowley's reaction is a deliberate and careful performance choice on Tennant's part, and it's underscored by director Douglas Mackinnon's choice to film Tennant in 1/2 profile to keep Crowley's eyes visible and face readable to the audience. This reaction is supposed to be there and supposed to be meaningful.

Datum 2. The husbands in 1601 is not the only moment in Good Omens when we may be seeing an angel and a demon communicate the message Stop doing that, it makes us look too familiar between themselves with a little headshake:

Datum 3: There is another moment in Good Omens when Aziraphale offers Crowley the opportunity to enjoy a joke with him. There, too, his humor lands just as he intends, so we can use this other moment as a comparison to our 1601 moment. I don't have gifs for it, but go back and watch it, S1E6 49:27-42. Snips below.

Aziraphale says something that surprises and amuses Crowley (he asked Hell for a rubber duck while he was sloshing around in the holy water)--

--but what Aziraphale says makes Crowley smile long before it makes him laugh.

In fact, his laugh, though a genuine cackle, is quite delayed, and he laughs only after Aziraphale starts laughing too.

In other words, Crowley's reaction to Aziraphale offering him amusement they're both on the same side of is exactly the same as his reaction to "Come on, Hamlet! Buck up!" right up until he laughs instead of shaking his head. Here, after Armageddidn't, Crowley doesn't have to suppress his reaction, so he can let the smile bloom; he doesn't have to control his response, so, although it takes him a few extra seconds, he lets the smile turn into a laugh.

But in 1601, it's not safe to laugh at Aziraphale's humor. It's not safe even to smile at him. A single piece of evidence or eye/earwitness testimony that he and Crowley have anything more friendly than the most passing and acrimonious of professional relationships could mean death to either or both of them, and depending on what Falling is like, maybe something worse than death for Aziraphale.

But Aziraphale is so funny, so effervescent for Crowley, at Crowley, that it catches Crowley just for a moment. Crowley's eyes widen and the corner of his mouth twitches toward a smile.

And that's dangerous. If Aziraphale keeps acting so charmingly mad, Crowley is going to laugh, and they can't afford that risk, so he shakes his head at Aziraphale. Stop, or I won't be able to keep a straight face around you.

And Aziraphale apparently receives that message, because he immediately eases off. Less than 60 seconds later we learn that he's deeply concerned for Crowley's safety--and that it's not so much that Aziraphale has Crowley wrapped around his little finger as it is that Crowley has wrapped himself around Aziraphale's little finger like a snake arranging itself on the tree branch it calls home.

UPDATE 14/10/23: HOLY SHIT Y'ALL IT GETS EVEN BETTER! THERE IS A SEQUEL!

[caplanbuckybarnes]

Dean Winchester Drabbles/One Shots

updated December 12 2024

Main Masterlist

Adoration || Summary: it’s no secret Dean adores her.

Baby, I'm Yours || Summary: When news of your pregnancy comes to light, Dean rushes to your aid.

Blood Stained Hands and a Broken Heart || Summary: Dean thinks he did the right thing when he slaughtered a pack of innocent vampires. You disagree.

Bold Statements || Summary: mercenary work has its perks.

Broken Weddings || Summary: Dean misses your wedding to go on a hunt with Sam

Brooklyn Vice || Summary:  you finally catch the famed mafia king, Dean Winchester, in Brooklyn, NY. You won’t let him get away from your sights this time.

Can't Be You || Summary: you discover Dean isn't human any longer.

Celestial Stars & Candy Apple Eyes || Summary: You’re torn between man & angel, and cannot handle the jealousy anymor

Could Happiness Last? || Summary: Dean holds his child for the first time.

Daddy's First || Summary: Dean dreams of having a baby with you.

Demonic Taunts || Summary: Winchester brothers were psychotic in their own rights.... it seemed as though they'd gotten off on the fact that you were being tortured.... maybe so.

Drinks With Demons || Summary: looking for demons doesn't end to well for you.

Ever Play Tag, Darling? || Summary: Ever played tag with adrenaline running through your veins?

Freckles and Green Eyes || Summary: You and Dean had a lazy morning.

The Falling of Icarus || Summary: Dean winchester will do annything and every to take down Crowley. So when one of Crowley's supporters come to him in a time of desperation, Dean does anything he can to take it.

Forevermore Revenge || Summary: Years ago, you'd witnessed the murder of your parents. After tons of consoling and peace of mind, you decide to finally have a chat with the man who did the deed. It wasn't at all what you'd expected.

Give Me One Chance || Summary: Dean returns to you, months after he left to defeat Michael and Lucifer.

Impala Drama || Summary: you find out your best friend, Crowley, painted your boyfriend’s beloved car.

In the Lonely Shadows || Summary: Crowely's always there to help convince you everything's going to be okay after Dean leaves with Lisa & Ben.

It's Going to Be Okay || Summary: you’re stressed about the apocalypse

Leather Confessions || Summary: By reading your journal, Dean finds out a secret of yours

Little Pet Shop || Summary: After gathering the shopping list, you and Dean run out to grab some things, only for you to convince Dean to stop at a nearby pet store.

Losing Control || Summary: You’d never tell a soul where Sam was being tortured.

Love of the Rivaling Seaboard || Summary: After being at sea for months at a time, you'd never expect to see your 'rival' at the docks with your crew...however the reunion is anything but hostile. [tumblr link]

Miscommunication || Summary: you left the bunker after overhearing a conversation with the Winchester brothers.

Mourning You || Summary: are you a demon or human?

Never Again || Summary: he was still normal… right?

Never Be Yours Again || Summary: dean runs into his ex partner on a hunt in a hotel. (Male!reader)

No Love For You || Summary: Dean knows exactly where it hurts….

Not The Man I Knew || Summary: you couldnt even recognize him anymore.

Not Your Time || Summary: when you can't find Dean, you go looking for him, only to come to find your worst nightmare.

Patience With Love || Summary: Dean comes home feeling sullen about the loss of his favorite patient.

The Price of Love || Summary: you never knew how far-gone Dean had become. [DEANMON]

Quit Playin' Games || Summary: Dean leaves because he loves you too much and doesn't want to hold you back from yourself any longer.

S.O.S. || Summary: you find out Dean had said yes to Michael after all…. [TUMBLR LINK]

See You Again || Summary: When dean turns into a demon, you make the ultimate sacrifice…

Sleeping Cuddles || Summary: One morning laying next to Dean.

Sneaking Away || Summary: Dean catches you just before you leave the bunker for good.

Snuggles || Summary: Dean holds his newborn baby in his arms while you watch in amazement.

Something Wicked This Way Comes || Summary: Living as a witch isn’t as fun as you’d think.

Sunshine in Darkness || Summary: You always loved waking up next to Dean

A Thousand Years || Summary: Happiness never lasts

Traitors Everywhere || Summary: You try and find dean before he kills the innocent

Trusted Loss || Summary: Dean finds out you cheated on him with lucifer.

Wedding Dates || Summary: Dean aks you to pretend to be his date at his father’s wedding.

Worrisome || Summary: you went out for groceries only to be rescued by Dean after being captured by a pack of werewolves.

Your Savior Will Come || Summary: you run to your best friend for help after you escape your abusive boyfriend dean.

[aziraphales-library]

Hello and big thanks for your work! I was wondering if you know some fics where Aziraphale protects/saves Crowley from trouble. I'm not talking about bamf!Aziraphale tho. More like clever Aziraphale, sneaky Aziraphale, maybe even doing-something-shady-and-manipulative Aziraphale. But mostly clever :) I think something like oopsie!omens (where Aziraphale took the fall instead Crowley and successfully hiding it for thousands years) or You Never Had A Heart by HotCrossPigeon where Aziraphale put himself in trap to put a show for Hastur, or just like his trick in 1941? But if it's too narrow, any good protective Aziraphale will do. Thanks in advance!

Hi! Here are some fics in which Aziraphale helps/rescues Crowley by being clever...

You Can't Un-See a Dog by HolyCatsAndRabbits (T)

A couple of humans summon the demon Crowley to be a sacrifice. Aziraphale is not amused. Actually, wait, he's very amused.

The Enlightened Fraternity of the Serpentine Demon by The_Bentley (T)

A secret society moves in down the street from the bookshop and shows a particular interest in Crowley. They don’t appear to be very competent at first glance, but Crowley feels better poking around to see what they’re up to, just in case. When he fails to return from his investigations, it’s up to Aziraphale to rescue his demon from the group’s clutches before they end up doing something they’ll regret.

Binding by Icka M Chif (T)

“That’s the tether.” Aziraphale pointed to one circle, then back at the other. “That’s the anchor. If I’m bound to Earth, and you’re bound to me… Then Hell can’t take you back."

the many-venomed earth by curtaincall (T)

It’s the trial of the century: bestselling mystery author Anthony Crowley stands accused of poisoning his former lover. He’s got means (arsenic), motive (the breakup), and opportunity (a meeting the night of the murder); his guilt seems certain. Certain, that is, to everyone except Lord Aziraphale Eastgate, rare book collector and amateur detective. Aziraphale’s not sure why he’s so convinced of Crowley’s innocence, but he’s determined to save him from the gallows--by finding the real murderer before it’s too late.

A Business Arrangement by CopperBeech (E)

Aziraphale Fell works for the family business, Archangel Security, which is still struggling to find its niche. Doing what his strait-laced, class-conscious family expects has helped him ignore the problem of his sexuality right into middle age, but he’s decided it’s time. For Anthony Crowley, sexuality isn’t a problem. It’s a slush fund that he could always tap into when he couldn’t pick up enough shifts to pay the bills, or wanted something nice (a profitable strategy for someone who’s always been able to do weird things with his tongue). But for the past couple of years he hasn’t had options. At least business doesn’t affect his personal life, because so far, he’s never had much of one. It’s about to get complicated.

So Much Discounted by WanderingAlice (T)

After asking Aziraphale a strange question, Crowley disappears. Can Aziraphale work out what happened to him? And more importantly, can he save him before it's too late? --- “No.” Aziraphale sat up, throwing his senses wide, searching, seeking, all the way to the edges of the world. “Crowley!” His frantic cry, amplified by his angelic power, rippled through the minds of every being with even the slightest occult sensitivity. Miles away, Anathema sat up in bed, and reached in panic for her lover when she felt the new absence in the world. Down the street from Jasmine Cottage, Adam Young tumbled from his covers, reaching out himself with what remained of his power. What he found was so terrible he fled from it, running to climb into bed with his parents like he hadn’t since he’d been very small. “No,” the angel said again, his voice small and lost amid the stacks of lonely books. “No.” He pushed himself up with trembling hands, climbed to his feet, and didn’t stop running until he stood outside the door to Crowley’s Mayfair flat.

- Mod D

[antiphilosophia]

Crowley's pre-fall name is BARAQIEL (THEORY)

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS OR RATHER CLUES FOR GOOD OMENS SEASON 2 CONTENTS, PROCEED WITH CAUTION 🤍

Very well. Who doesn't love the Crowley is the Archangel Raphael theory (I am certainly of those people who do). During my first watch of Good Omens S2 I was even somehow almost confident that that was the case.

However, my second, more careful, viewing of this lovely (but equally heartbreaking) season made me change my mind, likely for good. In episode 4, Furfur's book "Demon's Guide To Angelic Beings Who Walk The Earth" shows us a name of a certain angel Baraqiel. (see photo below) Knowing Good Omens that can hardly be a coincidence.

Unfortunately, the very text is quite unreadable. One thing, other than the name, which is pretty clear is the subheading "Angel of the Sky" and since the episode 1 lets us take a look at how Crowley did indeed take part in creation of what is to be seen in the night sky, one can hardly find that entirely non-fitting. One other sentence I was (at least I think) able to read is "Often draped in red."

(On a different note but certainly worth noticing are scribbles that generally just roast Crowley – his suspiciousness, hair and name (though I am not absolutely sure of the latter) "His hair is bad!" Wow, Furfur really does hate Crowley.)

Then there is something written above the name of Baraqiel, unfortunately in none of the picture frames does it get a bit readable. I wonder though, couldn't it be "former"? Since it comes precisely after mention of Crowley to whom should one report on Aziraphale.

Crowley is very powerful. Dominion

A word that is not exactly readable but can be deduced from its placement (it is situated just as Aziraphale's "Principality") is Baraqiel's rank – Dominion Angel. It should be noted here that I very much lack proper knowledge of either Jewish or Christian mythology and I would hate to provide any incorrect claims. I therefore think it is better for me not to overly state things, even more so since everyone can look into it on their own and figure out what that might mean for our beloved demon. What I will say, however, is that they are (as I understand it) very powerful and, placed within the 2nd triad in the angel hierarchy, ranked higher than the Archangels. This would go well along with the emphasis that was in my opinion laid on Crowley's powers quite a lot this season.

For example: "A miracle of enormous power happened last night. The kind of miracle only the mightiest of archangels could've performed," said Shax to Crowley, to which he replied: "How'd you know I didn't do it?" He didn't get an answer.

What I think (and I may be very wrong, obviously) is that a miracle of this vastness wouldn't have happened simply because of a regular angel and a regular demon did together half a miracle each. What is also worth noticing is that the tool with which Crowley created the Nebula is the same as the one he used to temporarily stop time at the end of season 1 right before Satan's arrival. So much to the size of his powers.

Baraqiel, lightning of God. Fallen angel

Finally, to Baraqiel himself. My lack of knowledge concerning this matter still stands and frankly I don't even know where to find valid information about angels and such on the internet. Baraqiel should, however, stand for "lightning of God" and is also regarded as the angel of lightning. In season 2 there are (as far as I remember) two occasions where Crowley is put in correlation with lightning. (1) His poor anger management issues in episode 1 and (2) his not at all better matchmaking in episode 3 ("I haven't done weather in ages"). Furthermore, Baraqiel is considered to be the one who taught astrology to people. Nevertheless, what points to Crowley and Baraqiel being one even more is that Baraqiel is indeed a fallen angel.

•

So... That is probably it. I usually tent to theorize about stuff in quiet, in fact, this is the first time I've used Tumblr for anything other than reading Neil Gaiman's posts. I didn't even think that I would actually post it but then I've searched on Twitter, TikTok and here on Tumblr if anyone else has already come up with this theory. The only post I could find (hopefully I haven't missed anything) was by @valaza_04 on Twitter (click here) where they refer to the same frame shot as I do here.

Now I know, we are still recovering from heartbreaking (but if you ask me, absolutely amazing) finale and the main thing currently on our minds is figuring out why would Aziraphale choose as he did and the many wonderful theories that come with it. However, considering the utterly virulent look that Metatron shot at Crowley before walking out of the bookshop with Aziraphale and also his "Well, [Crowley] always did want to go his own way. Always asking damn fool questions, too." makes me think that he absolutely does not care for Crowley and whichever angel he was before the Fall. And I reckon it won't remain unnoticed in season 3 and might even be really important (or that is just me wishing for more pre-fall Crowley scenes). Hence I decided that I will post this. And it doesn't matter if no one will see this in the end, it was quite fun to write. However, if there is someone who will read this all the way through, I hope they will accept my apology for the mistakes I have most possibly made (English is not my first language) and also for the ridiculous length this post has come to gather. It turns out, I am just as chatty of a writer as I am speaker.

Well maybe I will come around to write one more post about this theory, only with a proper research this time. Till then thank you and, please, support this season by streaming as much as you can so we can have season 3 of this masterpiece of a show. And be kind to those bringing it to us in your comments regarding the ending, even though it is very frustrating and heart-shattering, it is also maybe the best ending we could have hoped for with the prospects of season 3.

Thank you for letting me talk my heart out, Tumblr.

[vidavalor]

Bread: A Good Omens Sex Meta Thing

Let's talk Aziraphale and blasphemous sexual innuendo, shall we?

We are still going to talk about what the deal is with the Fish soon as promised but I wound up finishing this shorter one first. You do not have to have read my other metas to read this. NSFW under the cut.

What do *checks notes* Jesus Christ and Ella Fitzgerald have to do with Aziraphale's "get thee behind me, foul fiend" moment in 1.01... and how do they make it somehow even more delightfully filthy?

Probably as a result of putting on a show to sound angelic and demonic when speaking to one another in public, Crowley and Aziraphale seem to have a thing for using scripture, Bible references and/or Heavenly mandates as sexual innuendo.

It overlaps at times with their general love of wordplay and also their repeated use of destructive/apocalyptic terminology as sexual metaphor and innuendo, which is not unique to them but which they do a rather stellar job at. While all of these things are in multiple scenes and one of them-- the "seeds of destruction" scene in the car on the way to Tadfield-- is especially interesting and will be its own meta at some point soon, I'm not sure we've fully appreciated just how completely, gloriously obscene the "get thee behind me, foul fiend" moment in 1.01 is and that is largely what this meta is about.

In Good Omens, it's established in the 1.03 Cold Open that Satan himself didn't tempt Jesus Christ-- he sent Crowley to do it. While Crowley and Aziraphale witness the crucifixion of Christ, Crowley tells Aziraphale that he's the one who "showed him [Jesus] all the kingdoms of the world", which establishes that it's Crowley who tempted Jesus in the desert, in what would have been an attempt to claim Jesus' soul for Satan but which we can probably figure that Crowley wasn't particularly wild about, especially since he liked and admired Jesus. Spoiler alert for The Bible here lol but the story goes that Jesus rejected Satan, as you no doubt have heard. In Good Omens, this would then mean that Crowley failed to tempt Jesus, which he likely wasn't exactly heartbroken over.

Crowley appeared to tempt Jesus on three occasions and, throughout all of it, Jesus was fasting in the desert over 40 days and 40 nights. The first temptation was to turn stones into bread to relieve Jesus of his hunger. The second was to jump from a high cliff and rely on the angels to break his fall. The final temptation is the one that Crowley references to Aziraphale in the Golgotha scene-- to worship him in exchange for all the kingdoms of the world. Jesus rejected Crowley at every turn and so was spared from Satan claiming his soul in what is arguably one of the most famous stories that has ever been told in all of human history, right?

The way this relates to sexual innuendo in 1.01, though, is related to the first temptation of Christ, which was to try to get Jesus to alleviate his own self-imposed hunger. It was to try to get him to eat bread-- actual bread for actual hunger for food. In Ineffable Husbands Speak, though, bread is related to sex by way of it being euphemistic for participants in partnered sex. (See: Mrs. Sandwich, who arranges for different breads to come together; references to black bread, brioche, sourdough, etc..). In 1.01, when Aziraphale drops "get thee behind me, foul fiend" while inviting Crowley into the bookshop (and into him), they have just come from eating lunch and 'lunch' is also their word for a food kinky date that ends with sex, as we looked at in the Crepes post, which I'll link at the bottom of this post, for anyone who hasn't read it and is interested.

So, what we're saying here is that Jesus refused Crowley's offer of relief from hunger for food and we know from The Bible that, in rejecting the last of Crowley's attempts to tempt him with all the kingdoms of the world, Jesus said: "Get thee behind me, Satan" (all of Satan's ministers being referred to as "Satan" as they are-- theoretically, anyway-- of The Devil). Later in The Bible, it is noted that Jesus also repeats "get thee behind me" in an intentional reference to his temptation in the desert when admonishing Peter for being too concerned with "worldly" things and not things that Christ felt were "of God."

Aziraphale. Knows. All of this.

Not even just because it's one of the most famous bits of The Bible and because parts of what is retold in The Bible are things Aziraphale has lived through. Just to make it abundantly clear to us that Aziraphale knows the story and that it was Crowley in the desert, they gave us the 33 A.D. scene, in which Crowley directly tells Aziraphale that it was him who failed to tempt Jesus... which adds some layers to Aziraphale using "get thee behind me" in 1.01, no?

Aziraphale-- an angel-- is standing there in 1.01, intentionally saying to Crowley the same words that *Jesus Christ* used to reject Satan through rejecting Crowley's temptations-- and he's using those words of Christ to invite Crowley *to fuck him.*

After Jesus rejected the temptation of bread but Crowley and Aziraphale? They just went to out to eat...

Aziraphale is enthusiastically not resisting any temptations and satisfying all the hungers here lol. Which is the point--

--much like the "tempt you to a spot of lunch?"/"temptation accomplished" scene, they're joking about temptation.

Pleasures like food and sex are not a sin and Aziraphale happens to like having both of those things with Hell's most notorious tempter, whom they both know Aziraphale has wrapped around his finger. Aziraphale is not risking his soul to enjoy being with Crowley-- the stakes are not the same, nor are the temptations, as what Jesus faced-- which is Aziraphale's dirty joke. Aziraphale's partner is a tempter for Hell who takes pleasure in being with Aziraphale, an angel who rebels against the repression of Heaven and allows himself to enjoy the good things in life. Crowley and Aziraphale tempt each other as they find each other tempting, in the sense that they're attracted to each other, but they don't view alleviating hungers for food and sex with one another as truly sinful.

Crowley is loving every minute of it, of course. His sweet, kind, lovely, clever angel who is also just so very deliciously bad that he's using innuendo related to that poor bugger Jesus to talk to Crowley about what they want to get up to in bed. Aziraphale is all Jesus might have resisted you but I've no such inclinations.

That's profane lol.

You just know they've also had conversations about how hot Jesus was that included some smirky references to consumption of "the body of Christ" and a dry "amen."

There is another thing "get thee behind me" references as well-- something that I think is a sharper reference after S2 added in a connecting piece to it. Here's where Ella Fitzgerald begins to come into this...

In S2, during The Resurrectionist minisode, Crowley, at one point, quips to Aziraphale: "you say potato, I say 'excellent'", which is an example of one of Crowley's historical anachronisms. As we know, he sometimes says things outside of historic time and place and another musical example of this occurs in this same minisode, when he sings "O Flower of Scotland" before it was actually written. The "you say 'potato', I say 'excellent'" has the lyrical rhythm of the famous Gershwin song "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off." The phrases "you say potato" and "po-TAY-to, po-TAH-to" literally come from the lyrics of this song so Crowley's "you say 'potato'" in The Resurrectionist minisode is 110 years before the song was first written and performed in 1937.

The fact that this reference is happening in the scene in which Crowley has switched his accent to Scottish, causing him to pronounce things differently than Aziraphale, is also part of a joke that goes along with that song, which is a duet built around using the different pronunciations of the same words to illustrate the love between a couple who sometimes see things differently but actually adore it in each other and really never want to be apart. The lyrics also use wordplay to marry food with love throughout the song (yes, it really is the most Crowley & Aziraphale song that has ever been written lol) and include a line around oysters, which are more than a little relevant to Crowley & Aziraphale's story.

Maybe funnier is that if you take Crowley's "you say 'potato'" moment in The Resurrectionist and you add it to Gabriel's arrival in 2.01-- in which an enormous bin of tomatoes spills at his feet and roll into the street-- you have a further reference to "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" because the first two lines of the song are centered around potatoes and tomatoes and what happens in the Gabriel scene? He turns around after putting down the box and the crowd gasps, right? There's been endless debate over what Gabriel's whole deal down below is and the show-- which basically couldn't show us even if they wanted to because it would up the content rating of the show past what the studios would prefer-- had an opportunity for ambiguity and took it. It ultimately doesn't impact the story they are telling if Gabriel was efforting in that moment or not or what kind of effort he was sporting-- the answer can be whatever you want it to be. The debate over it is very "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off", as it's "'you say 'to-MAY-to', I say 'to-MAH-to'". The end result of the scene is the same no matter what Gabriel's deal was in that moment, which is the point. To some extent, this is the show itself overall, too.

Okay, so why am I going on about Crowley's historical anachronisms in a meta about Aziraphale's blasphemous innuendo?

I'll explain how it relates to the "get thee behind me" moment on the other side of the song, which I've included in case you think you know this song but you aren't sure or if you do know it and just want to listen to some Ella. :)

I bring this up in a meta about biblical blasphemy because it's actually the second, subtle reference to Ella Fitzgerald in the series-- the first is actually "Get Thee Behind Me, Satan"... which is also an Ella Fitzgerald song from the 1930s. Specifically, it is an Irving Berlin song that was also, like "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off", written for film, during the same period. ("Get Thee..." was written in 1935 and first played in a film the following year; "Let's Call..." written & performed in 1937.) The fact that the Jesus-ish "The Resurrectionist" minisode had another subtle nod to Ella Fitzgerald might strengthen the idea that Aziraphale is also referencing the Ella Fitzgerald song in 1.01, as well as the Biblical story that it references.

Making things even more interesting is one of the possible reasons for Crowley's historical anachronisms in the series in the first place, which might be that they hint at some of the ways that our professional midwife/cobbler Bildad the Shuite has been subtly influencing humans towards different ideas throughout history.

There's another meta on my blog about a different reference that ties to this a bit and it relates to how some of Crowley & Aziraphale's dialogue during the scenes of The Blitz so far (both parts) reference the 1957 film 'North by Northwest', which had the same screenwriter-- Ernest Lehman-- as the film adaptation of 'The Sound of Music'. Since the film came out 16 years after Crowley & Aziraphale first said these things in 1941, the implication is that at least one of them might have known Lehman and the two of them are actually partly the inspiration for the main couple in the film. I talked in that post about how this is hinted at by Crowley's repeated euphemistic references to trains in S2, as 'North by Northwest' is responsible for originating trains-as-sexual-metaphor forevermore through some now very famous scenes.

If it's already canon that they knew classical composers and Shakespeare and such, it's not far off to suggest that this type of interaction continued into more modern times and that maybe the Gershwins, Irving Berlin and/or Ella Fitzgerald were people Crowley and Aziraphale knew whose work was then inspired by bits of their story. "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" could have been kicked off by one of them recounting (or Crowley repeating) the "you say 'potato'", which is bound to happen anyway, since Crowley and Aziraphale are so self-referential about their past in how they speak with one another, like every old married couple. (This would also be interesting as it might point to them in New York in the mid-1930s.)

So, right, Aziraphale and blasphemy, yes, yes, we're back to that now... :)

Mah point is that whatever you think of Aziraphale's present musical tastes, he was absolutely listening to the then-current music of the 1930s and Ella Fitzgerald is an example of an artist that both he and Crowley would have liked and still like. They both know these songs so, at minimum, saying "get thee behind me" to Crowley is potentially not just referencing Crowley and Jesus in the desert but also referencing this Ella Fitzgerald song and what's of note here is that this is a very sexy song that is pure, blasphemous innuendo in the best way. It describes a secret night of passion between a couple in a forbidden relationship as being unable to resist temptation by comparing it, just as Aziraphale does to Crowley in 1.01, to Jesus' successful rejection of temptation in the desert.

Lyrics like this:

Get thee behind me, Satan I want to resist But the moon is low and I can't say "no" Get thee behind me

Get thee behind me, Satan I mustn't be kissed But the moon is low and I may let go Get thee behind me

It's possible that Aziraphale suggested the Biblical metaphor to Irving Berlin at one point and the song is actually inspired by Crowley and Aziraphale, even if no one but them knows just how much. At minimum, Crowley is responsible for this song in GO in the sense that it wouldn't exist without his interactions with Jesus in the desert, which would also be enough for Crowley and Aziraphale to just have a thing about the song. "Get Thee Behind Me, Satan" also being from the mid-1930s means that it pre-dates "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square", so maybe there's even an element of this being one of their songs. At the very least, Aziraphale totally thinks of it as one.

...and have I mentioned that the last lyrics of the song are just the recurring Crowley line of "It's too late" repeated?

Someone I'm mad about Is waiting in the night for me Someone that I mustn't see Satan, get thee behind me...

First post in the 'GO sex meta things' series:

[eugenoid]

After some hesitation, I decided to post a piece of a fic draft I've been working on (the very start of it, really). Aziracrow, post season 2, and if I manage to see it to completion, it'll be a hurt/comfort, fix-it fanfic (because of course it is).

People frequenting Whickber Street have noticed a peculiar weather phenomena: for a good couple of weeks now, dark storm clouds wouldn't leave the small area surrounding the "A. Z. Fell & Co" bookshop, and every day a heavy rain would fall, lasting precisely 66 minutes and 6 seconds at a time. What they haven't noticed, however — an amusing coincidence, really — is that it all started on the day the owner of said bookshop disappeared, and would end the day he came back.

"Why are you not inside?"

Crowley's demon heart starts racing from hearing a familiar voice, but he makes an effort to not move an inch from his spot, and not even acknowledge the angel's presence. Crowley is sitting on the cold roof of the bookshop, drenched in water; damp, gross clothes and hair sticking to the skin. He hears a poof and there's a big, blindingly white wing over his head now. He stays silent. Instead of getting an answer, Aziraphale is met with the rain getting worse, almost turning into a hailstorm. It starts hurting his wing, but the angel is determined to stay right where he is until he gets a response.

"Haven't showered in a while. Figured, why not," Crowley finally says flatly after several minutes of silence with a shrug. He refuses to look at Aziraphale, instead observing people rushing down the street.

"You are being silly," Aziraphale responds without fondness.

"Can't you see I'm rain… uh, bathing? Move- move your stupid wing out of the way," Crowley stutters in a rush, feeling nervous all of a sudden. And stupid. And small.

"I am just trying to protect you."

"From my rain," the demon says, getting irritated now.

"No, from everything. Well, including your rain, I suppose.” Aziraphale wishes he was better with words.

Crowley shuts his eyes and squeezes a damp roof tile with the force of a python choking its prey to death. It crumbles into scorching hot, dry dust on some poor bastard's head. The demon still doesn't turn to face Aziraphale.

"You are not protecting me from shit," he hisses through gritted teeth.

"Alright, this is getting ridiculous," Aziraphale sighs and with a wave of hand makes the rain stop. Clouds finally part, sun rays hitting the ground below for the first time in a while. He begins to put his wing away.

Crowley's response is to wildly flail his hands in the air which brings both the clouds and the rain back. Aziraphale groans in annoyance and raises his wing over the demon again.

"This is a bit melodramatic, even for me," the angel says under his breath and waves the rain away, again. Crowley brings it back with a snap of his fingers.

"I can do this all day," Crowley responds without even a smirk Aziraphale would expect from him at a moment like this. Angel realizes he longs to see it again. He wants to say something about it, but decides against it.

"You are attracting quite the crowd," he notices instead.

At this point most of the people on the street pulled out their phones to record the rapidly changing sky. Crowley wiggles his fingers, and suddenly everyone remembers they have urgent business to attend to, leaving no time to be standing outside videotaping the weather or (especially) the two figures on the roof.

"Crowley, please,” Aziraphale says with the hint of desperation in his voice that doesn’t go unnoticed by Crowley. “We need to talk."

Crowley lets his head fall. Puffs his cheeks and lets out a sigh. Taps fingers on his knee. Frowns. Clenches and unclenches his jaw. Frowns again. Finally, he looks at Aziraphale over the shoulder as the sky gradually clears and the last rain drop falls on his face, and begrudgingly manages:

"Fine. Let's talk."

OKAY this was my first attempt at writing in about... 8 years, and my first ever time writing in English, a kind feedback would be appreciated!

[tylered-up-in-blue]

Response to “The Magic Trick You Didn’t See” / The Coffee Theory

I, like many people in the Good Omens fandom, have already read the big essay “The Magic Trick You Didn’t see” –which blows up the coffee theory that’s been circulating on my twitter page to greater heights and big claims. I have some thoughts.

First of all: I think that the original essay has a few details wrong, essentially because it falls into a kind of utilitarian perspective with the whole magic show metaphor. The thing is –sometimes details which are left hanging, or themes which are shown to be important, don’t always tie up somewhere. Sometimes they’re there because they’re interesting, or poking at intrigue –trying to get you to notice and note down for later, rather than evidence of one ultimate solution that’ll be revealed as a holistic great plot. Also “I didn’t think the writing was good in this moment” isn’t very convincing to me, I’m sorry.

But –I do think that they were onto something. I hesitate to make any grand claims, like “Maggie isn’t real,” or “The Metatron is editing the book of life,” because -to be honest- I don’t trust myself to put my name to something as big as that, and I don’t want to erase my favourite thing about Good Omens: its whimsicality. But I will say that there are themes and notable elements which I think will be important later and hint at some larger fuckery (if you’ll excuse the OFMD reference) going on, so consider this a kind of rejigging of the theory to be a more thematic approach that lays out things I just thought were interesting under an more open-ended (or flip-floppy, depending on how you take it) idea:

Something was going on this season which will be revealed as a Heavenly plot to split Aziraphale and Crowley up by the end. It worked. And the person to reveal the greater plot will be Muriel.

I’ll write down first of all a list of things that have been introduced to the world of Good Omens which I think are important, and highlight why one of them sticks out to me. Then I’ll work on a thematic basis of what things are shown to be worth narrative focus/presuppose S3. The first two themes are very much commentary drawing on the essay I’m responding to, and the second two are more my own ideas –certainly the fourth.

Okay, so: there are introductions to the Good Omens-verse which are clearly there to expand our world for later use. I don’t know if all of these things will come up again, but by the end of this season we know:

There are Nazi (and possibly more) zombies running around London.

There is a gun in Aziraphale’s bookshop -in case it’s needed. 

Heaven is interested in keeping things quiet, and they will fiddle with memories to do so. Erased memories can be “stored” in things/creatures.

There is a thing called “The Book of Life” that if you’re written out of, you NEVER EXISTED. (It can be edited, too, presumably.)

Crowley is possibly the most powerful being in the show. “Half a tiny miracle” ends up being enough to resurrect someone 25 times over, and his attempt to stay calm after a little tiff with aziraphale results in draining the street of electricity. Also he created the entire universe. (coming back to amend this with the fact Neil said he got going just "that tiny corner of space" -but I still feel there is significant evidence to say he is very powerful:) )

I lay these out because they’re just good to have noted down, really, and because they’re definitely GOING to be important. ALSO because the last one makes sense for the greater aim to be breaking up the ineffable husbands. Emphasis on Crowley’s power –and for their shared power– sets up a REAL threat for what we KNOW will be the basis of s2: The Second Coming. If you’re Heaven, and you want the second attempt at an apocalypse to be successful, you’d be stupid to let the two celestial beings who were meddling in the whole averted-apocalypse ordeal last time to just be AROUND for it. Especially when one has the ability to stop time!!! You’ve GOT to break them up. 

Theme 1: Investigation (Muriel!)

Investigation is a fun little theme in s2: Aziraphale goes full detective mode. He loves the clues, he’s in his little trilby investigating. All the marketing was very investigative and invites the audience to pay close attention. And there are SO many little easter eggs. From The Colour of Magic appearing to Gabriel reading the first lines of Good Omens –even as small as a Terry Prattchet impersonator speaking over the tannoy in Hell, or the film in The Resurrectionist being chosen specifically to play because there’s a scene where Jimmy Stewart talks to a fly. 

So! Investigation is fun! It’s important. And my favourite part of the essay I’m responding to is definitely that about Muriel. I think that all this build up to the detective-vibe is going to cumulate in their s3 role. Essentially: I entirely agree that they are coded as the one to blow open this whole case in S3. The police costume and giving them The Crow Road are certainly suggestive–but more than anything, leaving them in charge of the bookshop (full of Aziraphale’s diaries and books and everything) props them up perfectly to earn the promo they got for s2. Because I’m not sure about you, but my mutuals and I were shocked that the NYCC scene (“hello hello hello, I’m a human police officer!”) didn’t happen until episode three. From the way the promo was going (character profiles, trailer etc.) I thought Muriel would be in s2 WAY more.

They also make a HUGE point of how Muriel is considered “nobody.” They say it themselves, they’re called “the dull one” by Metatron.

They set them up perfectly to solve this later.

Theme 2: Memories and Stories:

Memory! Another theme! –memory that can be tampered with, contained, erased and returned.

Heaven is willing to meddle with and erase memories if necessary. They are, then, SUBTLE.

There is no God narrator.

There is a statue immortalising a very real Gabriel (somehow/for some reason –Gabriel was also involved in its making?) 

My favourite part of season 2 was definitely the minisodes. The costumes, the settings –I was so surprised to find the horses and carts in ep 3 were CGI in the X-Ray! They look so good! I loved how every single flashback was incredibly vital and interesting to expand on Aziraphale and Crowley’s relationship –that convo on the rock in ep 2? WOW. Stunned. Anyway, not to go on.

I completely disagree with the conviction that these were edited. I think that, to the contrary, these memories are (IF there’s something going on with temptation/persuasion (more on that later) and The Book of Life) are ENTIRELY real. And the reason for that is highlighted in the very essay: each memory is tied to a physical record of it happening. The Book of Job; the Polaroid in ‘41, and Aziraphale’s diaries. This is not to say that there aren’t still gaps: where was the “I’m sorry” dance of ‘41? If Aziraphale wasn’t drinking in 2500 BC then when did he start? Just little things like this.

This is the thing: stories, words, are vital. The challenge that they gave the guy who did Sherlock (I can’t remember his name I’m sorry!) –it’s talked about in the X-Ray– was to have words pop out in 4 different ways across S2. This a fun stylistic choice, but it also gives words narrative attention, so ties in with all this. Without God to narrate, narratives and accounts are left to the characters within the world. It’s fun and important both. So is the spelling stuff. Maggie can’t spell, neither can the demons. (She may be a demon herself –I’m not entirely convinced it’s this simple, tbh, but Aziraphale’s miracle not working on her in ep5 is definitely a red flag.) Anyway – it’s also interesting.

With all this, my idea that Heaven/Metatron had been planning the aziracrow divorce from the beginning might mean they’re tampering with The Book of Life –it also could mean that they’re ABOUT to do something weird with Aziraphale’s memories, or all these pieces are going to become very very helpful for Muriel’s investigation.

I really do wonder what this role of records, memories and narratives will come to, but I have a feeling it’ll bleed into s3.

Theme 3: Food

Crowley was the reason Aziraphale tried food in the first place. I just wanted to put that down because of course he was, but also it is deeply INSANE that he INTRODUCED AZIRAPHALE TO THE CONCEPT OF EATING. God, David was right. They really don't exist without each other.

This is kind of the point I make with food here: it’s a HUGE theme in s2, largely just to emphasise the fact that it’s powerful.

For some reason (jokey or otherwise) eccles cakes can “calm you down.”

Aziraphale becomes significantly bonded to Crowley by eating the Ox in ep2. Later, Crowley is “as strong as an Ox." –fun little echo.)

They drink the same wine as always in ‘41 –they share no wine in s2, just the sherry and whiskey respectively. They also don’t share a meal, which seems interesting. I personally think that it’s to do with consumption being a metaphor for queer desire, and the absence of it being a sign of C/A being on “their own side” in s2. Crowley abandons temptation as Aziraphale abandons attempts to “save” Crowley. –-Or it may mean something else!

Crowley drinks laudanum and it makes him go lala. It ALSO makes him turn tiny, then giant, and he does something kind –kind enough to get him dragged off to hell and tortured so badly that he’s asking for holy water as “insurance” 40 years later.

That fucking oatmilk almond coffee. Okay. So if food is powerful, this has weight. From the colour of it being weird against the background to the fact (to quote my dear friend Jey) “nobody fucking drinks almond syrup!!” –I’m sure you’ve see all this going around. Almonds are obviously very poison-coded, and considering the above point I smell something strange. (I don’t believe it was quite a case of drugging per say, but more metaphor: Aziraphale is being tempted. He’s being manipulated, and drawn back into the culty office world of heaven.)

So what we know here is that food is powerful. An important metaphor and force (especially for aziracrow.)

Theme 4: Resurrection

OKAY: so, this is the most original of my listing in these themes. I am so interested in this resurrection thing they’ve got going.

The Resurrectionist pub: where Gabriel and Beez come to their plan. We see that The Dirty Donkey is a lift to heaven (which NOT enough people are talking about) –so what about The Resurrectionist? What power does it hold as a space? Why is the legacy of Mr Dalrymple important?

Why did (wee) Morag’s eyes glow briefly? Is she a zombie now?

Zombies exist. We know this. They’re also tied to the concept of consumption, which is cool.

Heaven measures miracles by Lazarii.

Gabriel, in one of his flashes of prophecy, says: “there will come a tempest (...) the dead will rise from their graves and wander the earth once more.”

These are all cool. Thematically, it seems that being raised from the dead is going to be something big. I’m interested in this, considering that after Gabriel said the above mentioned prophecy my good friend Jey said “hold on, is this going to be about The Rapture?”

Now: we know that “668: Neighbour of the Beast” was supposed to be set in America. Whether it actually is or not, I don’t know, but I think that if it is about a second coming on American soil, The Rapture feels VERY pertinent. The dead are the first to rise and be with God in The Rapture, but all believers join them: and they join them permanently. In some versions, there is a period in which Christ rules the earth. All very fun and interesting prospects for s3!

Where this leaves us:

S2 is the “bridge” between 1 and 3, in Neil’s words. It’s the “romantic filling” of the sandwich.

I would argue that some seriously tough bread started with “oh Crowley, nothing lasts forever,” but hey ho, that’s the very ending of the season. I just want to talk about coded language/draw on what I’ve just said to talk about how we’re set up for the structures of s3:

Heaven is a CULT. A serious cult. From the (temptation) manipulation of the coffee, to the man at the pub calling Gabriel a “mason” –which I’m assuming he means freemason– to the frankly INSANE smile on Michael Sheen’s face as the credits roll (also sickening lighting there)– they are a big threatening cult, and that is going to be important. I think it’ll just get increasingly so.

FurFur and Shax have it OUT for the ineffable husbands. Like they are NOT fans. And they seem to also be buddies now so… not great news.

In The Scene </3 Crowley stops himself short of saying he’d like to spend eternity with Aziraphale, and instead asks him to “go off together,” just like s1 –I think their language is going to develop hugely in s3. It’ll go back to being the space they “carved out for themselves,” only further.

And finally: a bet. The last time we see Crowley, he’s in a car full of plants because he’s carrying “their side” away with him. I am willing to bet –not that this is a hottake or anything– that it’ll end, as it began: in a garden. S3 will end in the garden of their South Downs Cottage !!!

[halemerry]

Hello, hello, I wanted to ask for your opinions or theories about how "power" works in Good Omens. What I mean is when an angel or a demon gets demoted (for exaple Aziraphale being demoted from a cherub to a principality) do they get to keep their level of power? Aziraphale to me didn't seem all that powerful even though he was a cherub which is one of the highest ranking angels. Crowley on the other hand is kind of confirmed to be really powerful even though he is a quite low ranking demon now. I'll assume that the Fall doesn't effect ones magic (I can't find another synonym for power) so Satan and Crowley (who was propably an Archangel) and everyone got to keep their abilities. But like I said, Crowley is a low ranking demon (I think), he gets tossed around, constantly threatened and all that but he seems to be still very powerful. I might have missed something obvious but it's late and I'm too tired to think about it. (Power doesn't sound like a word anymore..)

Hi there! Thanks for the question - honestly I’ve tried to answer it a few times since you’ve sent it because I can’t quite find the angle I want to come at this with. Because power in Good Omens is sort of complicated, especially once you start attaching it to things like hierarchies. We don’t know much about the canonical ranks aside from the fact that they seem to pull mostly, but not always, from the Christian hierarchy compiled in De Coelesti Hierarchia. And honestly I really love that we don’t have real solid answers to this stuff - it makes playing in this space really interesting and gives a lot of freedom and I genuinely adore the idea that in this world humans got some of it - but not all of it - right when they were first putting this stuff to paper. It suits the story to exist in this space.

But it does make trying to parse stuff like this a little complicated. After all, how do we address how powerful someone like Aziraphale is when we don’t even actually know if the cherub to principality rank shift is one that goes up, down, or laterally. Just as an example, depending on which hierarchy you’re using, a cherub in terms of rank can be second from the top, third from the top, fourth from the top, third from the bottom, second from the bottom… you get the idea. And that’s not even getting into the fact that Good Omens isn’t actually beholden to any of those ranks. It can and does just do its own thing fairly often.

Now, interestingly enough, that doesn’t mean we don’t know anything about how power works. Because we actually do get more on this than I think is immediately obvious.

I’ve talked a little bit before in a different ask about why Aziraphale’s lie works on the archangels when he first brings the Maggie and Nina’s B plot center stage, but I want to revisit it for a moment. Because I think this provides a really important context just in the sheer fact that this lie works.

The archangels don’t question this despite the fact we will get Aziraphale telling Crowley a few scenes later that miracles don’t work like that. And this is important to the point I’m trying to make because, well, honestly, when it comes down to it I genuinely don’t think they know how their own powers actually work.

Because think about it - it’s not like God left clear instructions behind.

You have a set of Plans that may or may not have come from God at all that you follow and as far as we know that’s it. We see clearly that much of the way they interact with the world is awkward and unsure, even for characters like Shax who theoretically dealt quite a bit with human souls in Admissions. They don’t know how the world works or how they work in it and I think that has to apply to their miracles too. Hell, they barely know how their powers work in their own domains.

Not only do they not have an obvious successor for Gabriel lined up to fill that power but Michael, whether bluffing or not, threatens several times to utilize the Book of Life, a thing that most characters aren’t even certain is real let alone a threat that can actually be used.

They can’t even isolate who has done a miracle and occasionally watch a demon and an angel perform a miracle involving some ribs, some geckos, and a mockery of human anatomy right in front of them without even recognizing the demon in front of them let alone the fact that miracles had been performed.

And honestly, as far as Heaven and Hell are concerned, they haven’t really needed to learn the limits of what they can do. Up until the past decade they all thought they were following the Plan. They kept to their own spaces and their own boundaries for millennia. This is why you get Crowley’s dialogue about bees right? He can waltz right into Heaven because there’s never been any reason for Heaven to think that anyone ever could or would infiltrate them.

Which in a roundabout way also gets at the one way we know power actually does work. Because in Good Omens power has an intrinsic tie to belief. If you believe something to be true that has power in a very literal way. The same logically goes in reverse. This is explicitly what makes Crowley as powerful as he is - because he has the imagination to consider things possible for him that no one else ever has. I suspect he can do things like stop time because he believes it can be done. (Though it probably doesn't hurt that the Starmaker would’ve likely worked with time as a malleable object if he was building objects in space but I digress). He and the Bentley can survive things that should have destroyed them through the sheer force of will to imagine that it is survivable.

This scene is where we get the literal word of God calling out Crowley's imagination as purely unique. This is also how Adam’s powers work. He believes something to be true then it is. The universe wants to shape itself to his beliefs.

This is also how the Horseman work - they are manifestations of evils of humanity that are defeated by humans choosing to defy them.

So that all being said, I genuinely think Aziraphale seems less magically 'powerful' not because he literally is and more because he's more inclined to doubting himself in this particular way. Notice he pretty immediately does some pretty intense miracles the moment he has his epiphany about being able to possess someone like a demon could. I also think Aziraphale's strengths are less in this realm of power as in others, but that's a whole different meta.

We also got some interesting stuff from Gabriel's memory wipe this season. Namely that no mattered how many times Jim insists he can't remember anything, he repetitively does in fact remember.

It leaves an imprint even if it's difficult to access. They don't change the passwords, even if their filing systems grow more sophisticated. I suspect power also works like this. Demotion might make it harder to access, especially if you believe it will, but it can't define you in that way unless you let it.

We also know now that Aziraphale and Crowley are stronger together. We know that they both have known this for a very very long time. Crowley's confession and Aziraphale's choice all but explicitly say that they both understand they are capable of incredible things together. But their big miracle in itself is undeniable proof that they actually believe that to be the truth on a fundamental level.

[ineffablydelighted]

[How exploring the Ineffable Husbands' dynamic in Good Omens can help us figure out what the show/book is all about, Part 2/?]

Also called: This human has, apparently, too much time on her hands and will be trying to Effable the Ineffable for [...] hours.

'Ello, 'Ello, 'Ello! 👋

Hope you are doing well since Part 1 😇 If you have not read it, you're losing a significant part of this analysis and I encourage you to please read it first 🥰 [because, well, it has been called Part 1 for a reason, hum-hum]

Now that we are in the sole company of Part 1's survivors, let's dive into Part 2 [THIS PART MIGHT BE LONGER, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED, ANGELS!] 😎

[This gif is here to entice you to grab a snack and a drink you might fancy because, TRUST ME, I do not know how to shut up when I'm analyzing things and you're here for a long a** time. I know it is super hot outside for some of us but we can totally PRETEND it rains and cosy up in our favorite blanket. Remember: Autumn/Fall is a mindset, not a season.]

As I previously announced, the next bit of my analysis [and the next idk how many parts tbh, I'm a mess, but I believe I'll treat two encounters by part - told you this was gonna be LONG, don't hate me, homie 😣] will treat Aziraphale and Crowley's every S1 & S2 encounter, explaining why Aziraphale slowly falls in love with Crowley and using their dynamic to try my best to explain what Good Omens must be about as a whole.

Ready?

Let's go!

Before the Beginning

In S2, Aziraphale meets Then-Angel "Crowley" (as we do not know his angelic name, we'll have to stick to that) and that is also the first and only time we, the audience, see him.

What does Aziraphale see in Angel Crowley?

First, he is super dynamic and cheerful: he really seems to ADORE creating stars [ask me to show you a nerdy dork before nerdy dorks even existed and Angel Crowley will always be my #1 from now on] but, also, he is already very frank, straightforward, and innovative (he invented the suggestion box sole concept, I believe 🤔)

[By the way, my take on this is that Angels, having been an active part in Creation, have the ability to create Concepts out of nothing but their own minds, and since they also have a "beehive system" [As S2 Crowley states when he is "arrested" by Cinnamon-Roll-In-Chief Muriel and is "brought" to Heaven], the Concept created becomes instantly real for every other Angel in the universe.]

That worries Aziraphale instantly: he watches everywhere around him, afraid someone higher-ranked is listening.

This scene is very important because that shows us what differentiates Crowley and Aziraphale the most throughout the entire book/show: 

Aziraphale has somewhat of a Fear of God (which is encouraged by most religions: God is Right, always, you are nobody to state the opposite) that Crowley does not have because he has Trust (which is still having Faith, just a more optimistic one - most times.)

Crowley is, first and foremost, a creator at heart.

He loves creating things, he develops a bond with his creations, and cannot fathom how the Creator with a capital "C" wouldn't either.

That is why he does not mind stating out loud that creating a star factory for it to serve nothing is "idiocy"; even worse, to not even let it follow its natural course? It feels utterly wrong to him! 

Then-Angel Crowley already has his own understanding of what Creation is all about, while Aziraphale, being a "people" pleaser through and through, follows the mass, no questions asked, definitely no suggestions.

That first conversation holds their first debate as well:

Are they, as Angels, simple executors or are they collaborators? And, to go further: what is the point of THEM altogether?

Although, Aziraphale does not engage in the said debate for long.

Especially when Angel Crowley says:

"Well, you know, if I was the one running it all, I'd like it if someone asked questions! Fresh point of view!"

That is the precise moment Aziraphale starts PANICKING out of the Fear of God I mentioned earlier:

In his eyes, Crowley commits the utmost BLASPHEMY the minute he tries to PUT HIMSELF AT GOD'S PLACE.

That is precisely how Angels FALL: In the Bible, God expresses their wrath whenever Humans and Angels alike defy/deny their authority/their Almightyness.

Out of terror, Aziraphale tries to distract Angel Crowley by bringing his attention back to his creation. He ends up genuinely worrying for him and expresses it:

"Look, word to the wise; I'd hate to see you getting into any trouble."

Angel Crowley thanks him for his concern and says this sentence so full of dramatic irony because we, the audience, already know what will happen to him:

"I wouldn't worry, though; How much trouble can I get into just for asking a few questions?"

Then, Angel Crowley will show an act of kindness and concern of his own by protecting Aziraphale from the explosions (Fire).

It will also create Alpha Centauri in the process.

[I'm not sure why he does it but I do have a theory:

Since he never created a Nebula before and Aziraphale had not been a part of this project at any point, he might have been afraid that God and/or the Nebula's creators had somewhat forgotten to include all the other Angels in the "do not harm" category.]

But would it be what Aziraphale remembers the most about this encounter? I do not believe so.

As he will constantly do over the ages, he will miss the POINT:

I believe Aziraphale mostly associates this encounter with the moment he saw Crowley as his HAPPIEST.

And joy, both as a concept and a state of mind is something really, really important to Aziraphale.

[PURE JOY right there. Also, I need my doors to creek like that.]

4004 BC, Garden of Eden

In S1, During this encounter, the Cherubim/Guardian of The Eastern Gate Aziraphale meets the Demon Crawley for the first time since the latter has fallen.

What makes me think that is that Aziraphale asks for his name.

But there are indications they have met prior (both as angels, I mean, and not just at the Beginning): Crawley asks Aziraphale about the flaming sword that has been given to him in the past.

More so, it is most likely that Aziraphale showed him the sword.

"You did, it was flaming like anything, what happened to it?"

I'll even go further by stating they must have been somewhat friends during that elapse, for two reasons:

One, because of this sentence Crawley says:

"Lost it already, I mean?"

Meaning: you have a tendency to lose things and I would not know that if we hadn't met plenty of times.

 Two, because Aziraphale answers HONESTLY to Crawley's question.

That becomes even more baffling when we discover that, being asked the same question later on, Aziraphale proceeds to LIE TO GOD'S FACE.

What really interests me about this encounter, in particular, is how at ease (even if he is experiencing stress because of the flaming sword's situation) Aziraphale feels by Crawley's side, even though he is now a Demon.

Sure, he does insist on Crawley's new nature and that is most certainly because he is thinking in dichotomy, but

He feels safe enough around him to be honest and, more importantly, vulnerable. Deep down, he already knows Crawley will never use that information against him.

[And that, Angels, is the cutest thing ever, amr?]

Also, as they always will over the years, they will

Have a debate on what is Right and what is Wrong.

Aziraphale is worried he might have done the wrong/bad thing by giving Adam his flaming sword.

However, he acted out of kindness and empathy, which Crawley is very receptive to. Aziraphale can see that and also that Crawley tries to reassure him by saying:

"Oh, you're an angel, I don't think you can do the wrong thing"

But then, being his honest self, he contemplates whether or not HE might have done the right thing, crushing Aziraphale's brief moment of rest.

But, contrary to Aziraphale, it does not worry him that much: he had fallen already, so he learned a thing or two about Heaven and Hell and has started not to care about their opinions at all since they did not care about his when he was actually invested in the Ineffable Plan.

[Also, I just love how Crawley, by being the one who gives Eve the apple, is the official Earthy Creator of Free Will™ (even if God and Satan must have been its sponsors) - it does align with his sense of self since the suggestion box falls into the same thinking pattern.]

During their debate, Aziraphale totally misses Crawley's whole POINT (again): 

Crawly states that God WANTED Free Will to be introduced.

Otherwise, they would not have made it remotely possible for humans to gain access to it. By that, he also implies (at least) three things:

One: God created the Tree that holds the Forbidden Apple, even if they called it Forbidden. They'd put it on sight, in the middle of Eden, not outside of it. They let Satan send Crawley to tempt Eve who later temps Adam.

Meaning: God and Satan are, on occasion if not all the time, working TOGETHER and playing their own game, so why wouldn't THEY?

Two: If there is such thing as Fallen Angels/Demons, it is because God WANTS it in the first place. 

Meaning: Therefore, how can their actions be BAD as in "wrong" or as in "shouldn't happen"?

Three: If a Demon can, in fact, do Good/Right and an Angel can do Bad/Wrong actions, are they, really, that different? How much do their actions matter anyway? How is that even possible for them to do the opposite of their apparent purpose? Unless, of course, God WANTS it that way.

Meaning: Good and Bad are much more INTERTWINED and CODEPENDENT than what Heaven and Hell appear to make them believe.

In fact, Crawly is already starting to believe Good and Bad MUST. ALWAYS. COEXIST. no matter WHO does it.

UNLESS, of course, they... do not exist at all?

Is there, really, Good or Bad anyway?

[I've tried to warn you through the tags: philosophy haters, the floor is now LAVA.]

Aziraphale does not think like that at all. That kind of belief shakes him, but being his Angels = Good = Right self, he refuses to believe it.

Also, he considers it as Blasphemy and Temptation.

But, guess what, that is normal. During this debate,

Aziraphale does not interpret why God put the Forbidden Fruit in the middle of Eden the way Crawley does.

Aziraphale does not think of the Ineffable plan like that: to him, he is supposed to do what he is TOLD.

In other words, Aziraphale's theory is that

God is TESTING its creations, and the creations/subordinates in question must prove they are stronger because they respect/fear God MORE than they are inclined to follow their own wishes.

It is a very common religious belief if not THE most common.

Crawley is more... let's say "Oscar Wilde-ish" in his thinking. [The -ish is important here, the man was very paradoxical but that was the first that came to my mind]

[I would like to drop in here some glimpse of cinematographic analysis as well [because this is MY essay and I can do whatever the Hell that I want.] :

During the debate per se, they never share the screen, even though they are willing to talk peacefully and respectfully - hence the fact both actually turn to each other, look at each other, etc.

Basically, their debate is a true one, but none will change their minds anytime soon.] 

They find common grounds to "Agree to Disagree" when Aziraphale protects Crawley from Earth's very first Rain (Water)

Why does Aziraphale do it? In my opinion, probably for the same reason Then-Angel Crowley did it: The rain could have been God's way to destroy the Demon who was there, since Fire is, at that point, already related to Satan.

[Well, even if it was God who gave Aziraphale a flaming sword... Good and Bad are ALWAYS totally mixed up in Good Omens. See?]

It was a gesture of protection, courtesy, and empathy. A "just in case this is a danger for you" act.

[I might go back to this part to add some things as I will soon rewatch very carefully both seasons in case I miss something - and I will, because I'm chaotic AF. Although, this girl likes to think of herself as being thorough when she puts in an effort.]

So, yeah, this book/show is very interesting to me because, as I've stated in the tags and as I'm trying to prove to you (and to myself) in this very lengthy analysis,

Good Omens is a philosophical essay disguised as comedic/satyric/romantic fiction.

It does not mean it is NOT a comedic/satyric/romantic fiction, though. Of course not! It is both. And many other things in between.

[Now, I'll let that sink in and give both of us a well-deserved break.]

[Friendly Space Ninja, I know you'll never see this but I'm manifesting all the admiration and respect I can to wish you a good day.]

During Part 3, we'll treat the next two of our favorite pair's encounters:

S1 3004 BC (Noa's Arch, The Flood) and S2 2500 BC (Job's case).

Can't wait, I'm a big fan of the Job's episode.

Toodles, Angels! See you soo-oooooooon!

[Do you hate me by now? Nah? It will come.]

Need help to find the rest of this analysis? I've got you covered! Follow me, Angel 😇

Previous - Beginning - Next

[frootloopscos]

Welcome to the Villians' World (6)

Previously

"Well this is partially your responsibility you know! So help me catch the furball! The useless bodyguard here can't use magic so that means it's up to me and you!"  And just like that, the two boys began to chase after Grim.

Now

The two boys managed to chase the monster cat into the Cafeteria. Ace groaned trying to catch the quick cat in his arms, "argh! Stop jumping around like that!" He yelled as Grim avoided him, "heh heh heh! Catch me if you can!" Grim yelled back as he avoided the ginger again. Deuce glared at Grim, "no fair climbing onto the chandelier, you coward!" He yelled at the cat, "I haven't really learned flight magic yet. . . What could I summon to hold onto him...? Hmmm... Oh! That's it!" He yelled suddenly getting an idea.

"Did you come up with somethi- Oi, hey! Stop! What are you doing?! Why are you pointing your pen at the bodyguard?!" Ace yelled, "because I'm going to launch them." Deuce said, (Y/n)'s eyes widen, "what?! No way in hell will this end well! Don't use your magic on me!" They yelled as they began to rise into the air, "seriously, do not launch them! Abort! ABORT!!" Ace yelled at Deuce remembering the punishment he tried to avoid after he had injured the bodyguard.

Deuce shook his head, "just make sure to grab him tight. I've got him in my sights, and... Go!" He yelled before throwing (Y/n) at the chandelier. Grim yells in surprise as (Y/n) reaches out to grab the cat before they end up being thrown into the fragile light figure. The two of them fall to the floor and (Y/n) hisses as they land on their back, holding Grim to their chest. Ace coughs as dust from the debris fill the air. "I cannot believe you just did that!" He yelled at Deuce.

Grim groaned in (Y/n)'s arms, "oh right! I probably should have come up with a way to soften your landing after you caught him..." Deuce said looking at the demon slayer on the ground. "You complete and total moron! We got Grim, but we hurt the bodyguard and broke the chandelier! If the headmage finds out about this—" Ace was interrupted by Crowley appearing, "if I find out about what, dear Ace?" He asked crossing his arms with a glare.

Ace's eyes widen seeing the bird man, "ah! Headmage Crowley!" "YOU. THREE. AGAIN. What have you done this time?!" Crowley yelled at the three teens and the monster cat. Grim groans as he lays on (Y/n)'s chest. "Myaaah... Everything's spinning..." Crowley's widen seeing his bodyguard on the ground with the broken chandelier, "first you attempt to burn them alive, that wasn't enough for you? Now you've injured them again and destroyed a chandelier?! Enough. All of you are expelled." Crowley said as he carefully helped (Y/n) off the ground and using his magic to hold Grim.

Ace and Deuce looked at him in shock, "what?!" They asked in surprise, "headmage, please! Give me a second chance! I can't get expelled from this school! I need to be here!" Deuce said to Crowley, "then blame yourself for your own foolish behavior." The headmage said, "I'll pay for the damages and for the bodyguard's medical bills! However much it costs!" He said in response, clearly desperate to stay in the school, Crowley shook his head.

"That chandelier is no mere light fixture. It is a magical chandelier. Its candles are powered by a magical energy source, enchanted so that they will burn for eternity. It was created for us by a legendary artificer. Possibly their finest creation. It has been here since the school was established, and I imagined it would be here forevermore. Considering its historical value, I would estimate its worth to be no less than a billion thaumarks. And you intend to repay that sum? Not only that but our bodyguard isn't from our world so they can't be while with minor magic, Professor Crewel is the one who helped heal them earlier." He stated glaring at the boys.

"A... A billion marks?!" Deuce asked in surprise and horror. "B-but I'm sure with your magical talent, sir you could snap your fingers and fix it right up!" Ace said trying to help out his dorm mate. "Even magic has its limits. Furthermore, its magestone — the figurative heart of any magical artifact — is cracked. A magestone cannot easily be replaced. I fear the candles of this majestic chandelier will never burn again." He said in fake remorse. (Y/n) groaned quietly in pain.

"This is bad..." Ace said looking to Deuce, "what am I going to do?! How am I going to tell my mother...?" Deuce said sadly, Crowley hummed in thought and then got an idea. "Ah! But there may be one way. One tiny sliver of a chance to repair this chandelier." Both the teens looked at him, "there is?!" They asked and Crowley nods, "the magestone that powered this chandelier was mined from the Dwarfs' Mine. If you can acquire a magestone with the same properties, it may be possible to repair it." He said with another nod as he gently rubbed (Y/n)'s back.

"Then I'll go find a magestone!" Deuce said, "with your permission, sir!" Crowley looked at him, "I should caution you that I cannot promise 5$343 yet remain magestones to find. The mines were closed quite some time ago. It is quite likely that all of the magestones have already been mined." Deuce nods with a determined look, "I will do anything to avoid expulsion, sir!" Crowley nods, "well then. I will suspend your expulsion for a single night. But if you fail to return with a magestone by morning, then all of you are expelled. Well, besides the bodyguard."

"I understand sir. Thank you very much for this opportunity!" Deuce said and Ace sighs, "fine then. Let's hurry down there, find a magestone, and get this whole thing done with." Crowley wraps an arm around (Y/n) as they lean on him. "You should be able to reach the Dwarfs' Mine instantly by using one of the gates in the Mirror Chamber."

——

After (Y/n) was taken care of by Crewel again, but to the adults anger at Crowley. They, Ace, Deuce, and Grim all stood in the Mirror Champer after they had volunteered to help the boys with their punishment. "Man, how did I end up in this mess? I swear, I have the worst luck." Ace said rubbing the nape of his neck. "We don't have time to complain. Let's go," Deuce said before turning to the mirror. "Dark Mirror! Take us to the Dwarfs' Mine!" The mirror lights up and the three of them enter one of the coffins to be transported to the Dwarfs' Mine.

——

Hey y'all! I'm going to try and update this more than I have been before!

Word count: 1155

Published to Wattpad: Nov. 5th, 2023

Published to Tumblr: April 24th, 2024

Edited: n/a

[tonydaddingham]

the analysis on aziraphale that exactly one person asked for✨ and that i churned out at a speed that surprised even me, but i wanted to get it out without having seen s2 on 26th/28th and therefore being influenced in any way with further aziraphale content...

anyway, i said in an ask that i find aziraphale really challenging and emotional to analyse but by god am i going to do my best✨ (im not sure when exactly i gained the emerging reputation for calling out two of my favourite literary characters, but we move-)

aziraphale has a real big issue with faith, misplacing that faith, and turning that faith into idolising certain things. now the obvious one is the blind, naive faith in heaven. there's also arguably, at times, issues with his faith in humanity, in that his faith was placed elsewhere (see above re: heaven). but lastly, he also has an issue with his faith in crowley. ive waxed lyrical on the last one already, but didn't really delve into the effect that this has directly on crowley, so let's touch in this a little now.

similarly to what i feel about crowley, i think that whilst aziraphale has a more natural affinity for kindness and compassion, im not entirely convinced that he is inherently a good person - certainly not in the show, in any case.

he is however certainly more 'good' than the majority of his kin. and not all of that is due to his literal being an angel, because we know first hand that being angelic is not synonymous with good. we know that other angels actively distort the perception of their association with 'good' (michael when talking to ligur, "of course you can trust me... im an angel!") to benefit themselves. ultimately, the literal antithesis of altruism, and so it can't be the case that aziraphale has propensity for good just because he's an angel.

as far as we are aware, he has had the relatively same experiences, on earth particularly, as crowley. the only notable exception to this is the fall, which obviously aziraphale did not go through. crowley comes out of the fall, in my opinion, very much stuck at that point in time, and hasn't truly moved on or grown from it, mentally or emotionally. so all of his experiences through the next 6000 years have been endured whilst he's still in this almost childlike mindset. this mindset might be due to (if we're applying human emotional concepts here) abandonment trauma, and a part of me agrees, but i think its predominantly out of bitterness, resentment, and possibly even arrogance and plain denial.

aziraphale however did not go through the fall, and therefore when we see him skipping through time and into the present day (s1 era), he still holds a stake of faith in heaven and its machinations. however, what sets him apart from the other angels is that he has had experiences that they have not, by virtue of being on earth and experiencing first- and second-hand the repurcussions that heaven's games have on humanity... the community that aziraphale is now essentially exiled to be a part of. part of what aziraphale has learnt, i think (and was pointed out very succinctly by the Longwinded Anon✨ in a previous ask - now officially their name), is literally how to learn from error.

aziraphale's faith in heaven gets torn down when he realises that they are choosing to retcon humanity just to be able to prove to hell that they are superior. this is something that aziraphale ultimately perpetuated in his compliancy and inaction where heaven's overall agenda is concerned, but also in his blind faith that heaven surely wouldn't want the earth destroyed, god's ultimate creation... surely not? well, that proves to be the case, and aziraphale finally twigs that heaven was not a Good Place. it was his error - his blind faith in and subservience to heaven - but he learns from it.

his faith in humanity is still a work in progress for most of s1, in that he has one foot in thinking that they are capable of great things, but also one foot out because he knows that they have capacity to wreak utter horror and terror all by themselves (just as crowley remarks time and time again). however, he has his growth moment where this is concerned, in the form of accepting that humanity is truly a mix of both good and evil, and that without one, humanity cannot truly be defined as the other. he expresses this revelation to adam during the timestop; that adam is human incarnate by being neither good nor evil, but perhaps a mix of both. it feels like an apology, an apology that could be interpreted as one aziraphale is giving to all of humankind. he's apologising for not committing to his faith in them. it was an error - but he learns from it.

but what about crowley? well, as already agonised over, he goes so far in having faith in crowley that, in my opinion, he's built crowley in his mind to be someone else entirely, and yet somehow exactly who crowley is. aziraphale knows that crowley is altogether a bit of a bastard (understatement, frankly), but he trusts that crowley will always know what the right - good - thing to do is. is this misguided, misplaced? yes, i think it is. and i think crowley knows this, at least on some level, and again in his arrogance takes advantage of this.

but what effect does aziraphale's faith have on crowley? well, i don't necessarily think it has a detrimental effect on him, because i think it ultimately benefits crowley - who, again, in his childlike mindset still, has someone who believes in him and will follow him and want to know him. id even say that crowley, faced with the prospect that one wrong move he could end up truly alone, will peversely do some pretty questionable things to keep this. a specific highlight being the tempting aziraphale to kill warlock; if he were truly trusting in aziraphale, i think he'd actually ask and explain why he needs aziraphale to do it instead of him. instead, he tries to tempt him into it and giving him quite underhanded rationalisations as to why it's necessary. this comes to a head at the bandstand when aziraphale flips this on its head, and suggests that given that he's an angel, and crowley is a demon, it should be crowley that does it.

this is where i come to the point where i think aziraphale fails as a friend and possibly is equally damaging to crowley as vice versa; he holds his status as an angel over crowley's head. he remarks pretty consistently throughout that crowley is a demon, and he is an angel; whilst on one level this is just simply an observation, it also feels like he has to clarify the power and status imbalance for a specific reason. im not necessarily clear on what this reason is, but my main thought is that it's out of insecurity with his place in heaven, amongst the angels, on earth... and with crowley.

he seems to constantly need to reassert himself as the better of the two, and at times can be outright patronising ("I am an angel, you are a demon, we are hereditary enemies... get thee behind me, foul fiend!"). now some of this equally is for comedy's sake, and in part for exposition to us as the viewer, but the clear integral theme for me is that he expects crowley to just accept it, and not to challenge it. because of course, how could crowley challenge it? it's true, it's a fact.

but the way i kind of interpret these moment is that aziraphale reiterates it very purposefully whenever crowley begins to toe the line of, 'im a demon but i might possibly want to be better than a demon... not an angel, per se, but just better'. so we can take this as crowley finally wanting to move on from his Fall-mindset, and he needs the support of his friend to do it, but his friend won't let him due to his own insecurity and instability. does he fear that crowley would supplant him? or that crowley would stop needing him? start pulling away from him, when all this time these two lonely individuals have danced around in orbit of each other, locked together in a holding pattern borne out of their respective co-dependent necessity for each other?

aziraphale's ultimately a very lonely individual; crowley was, for whatever reason he fell, ripped away from the kinship and camaraderie that he felt in heaven. but aziraphale wasn't shown this kind of perverse mercy; he has to feel the debilitating agony of knowing that on paper he still belongs, but that instead he's ostracised from heaven because of who he inherently is and has continued to become because of his experiences in earth. it stands to reason therefore that he puts crowley on a pedestal as aziraphale originally saw, and wants to see, him. he selfishly (imo) keeps trying to contain crowley, because if he changed, and then suddenly found he doesn't have any need of aziraphale anymore... well, what purpose would remain for aziraphale, a purpose that he truly cares about, if crowley's dependency were to disappear?

where would that leave aziraphale?

[bonearenaofmyskull]

Hi! I love your Hannibal meta and it's such a joy to see you back. The ask about IWTV reminds me, would there be any chance that you might write the Good Omens meta you said you wouldn't do a few months back XD? Or some hints about what you were interested in talking about? I feel S2 added a bit more depth to the characters that hasn't been discussed enough (or I haven't delved into that fandom enough to see) and the Job story did get a tiny bit Hannibal-y with the god questioning and temptation

Thank you! Glad to be back.

No, I'm not qualified to write Good Omens meta. xD But I can give you ONE piece, the sum of my opinion, which is that the commentary about the finale (what I saw of it, at least) made the common fandom mistake of viewing the characters' actions through the ship instead of through the individual characters' personalities and values. They talk about Aziraphale not being ready for an overt relationship, or just frankly condemning him for his betrayal, or that both of them do not have good relationship skills, or the Metatron's manipulations, or idk, something about the coffee being drugged?

But while all these things are important (maybe not the coffee, idk what's up with that), the real issue that I haven't seen talked about is faith. (Not that I've researched it, so my apologies if this is all going to be not new because someone else covered it extensively, and I'm just not in the fandom so I didn't know.)

And not in faith each other but in God, or more specifically, in God's righteousness.

That's the purpose of the Job story in the narrative, to illustrate that difference in their worldviews. Aziraphale has come to the understanding that Heaven is operating in its own interests, but he still believes in God's goodness. Crowley...doesn't.

That's why Crowley can't go with him because that lack of faith means he doesn't believe that Aziraphale (or even the two of them together, if he were an angel again) could possibly set something right that has no righteousness at its core, while Aziraphale must go to right Heaven because what has been happening there is an abomination of God's goodness in his eyes.

Aziraphale was wrong when he thought that Crowley would take the Metatron's olive branch, but his error is so enormous because he can't wrap his head around how to Crowley, Heaven's iniquity is just a symptom of God's own, which Aziraphale just cannot accept. So he chooses to see it as a flaw in Crowley, instead of recognizing that Crowley's moral backbone is (apparently) greater even than God's.

So what Aziraphale is forgiving Crowley for is not the awkward kiss or anything he did wrong in their relationship. He's forgiving him for his lack of faith. And Aziraphale must go, he has to make Heaven worthy of regaining Crowley's faith, and he has to prove that God is worthy of Crowley's faith as well. He's got to save them all: he has to rescue Heaven from its iniquity, God and goodness and the world itself from the grip of Heaven, and, more than anything, he has to save Crowley from his unbelief, from living in that outer darkness that Aziraphale is really starting to see for the first time.

If Aziraphale can just do these miniscule few teensy tinesy itty bitty wee things, then Everything Will Be Okay.

How this will go in S3 --whether Aziraphale falls and Crowley rises, or something else--is going to be largely dependent on how the show decides to handle God's character. Whatever the powers of Heaven and Hell believe on this show, God Herself seems to be a Deist. She was notably absent in S2, and in S1 She was definitely treating creation like a spectator sport. I think the show is going to have to finally answer the question of whether or not the angels and demons are all carrying out God's Ineffable Plan through following it, or through failing to follow it. The fortunate fall, on a celestial scale, perhaps.

As that is revealed, just how benevolent God is should also be revealed, and I imagine that could have some significant bearing on how the Ineffable Husbands' relationship resolves. They're setting poor Aziraphale up for his own crisis of faith, ofc, and Crowley more than anyone knows just how that outer darkness feels. But they're also setting Aziraphale up to understand that the belief in goodness that he misplaced with God is a belief in goodness he can safely place with Crowley instead.

[aziraphales-library]

I LOOOOOOOOVE the “there was only one bed” trope. Specifically along the lines of the FABULOUS Mon Horrible Cheri, all I need darling is a life in your shape type vibes. Fluff and *spice* is always welcome. Hope you’re all fabulous ✨

Then you will LOOOOOOOOVE our #there was only one bed and #sharing a bed tags! Here are more to add...

Never Too Late by AppleSeeds (T)

It's been thirty-five years since the height of Aziraphale's enormous crush on rockstar Anthony Crowley, but when he sees that Anthony is still performing, Aziraphale feels he owes it to his younger self not to pass up the opportunity to finally hear him sing live. The last thing he expects is for Anthony to actually approach him once the concert is over, extending an invitation that surpasses every fantasy Aziraphale harboured about him as a young man and resulting in the most memorable night of his life.

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe by IneffableToreshi (E)

Earlier this year, popular romance novelist Anthony J. Crowley met the love of his life when his agent booked one "A.Z. Fell & Co." for his most recent book signing. Aziraphale is a huge fan of Crowley's books, and they become fast friends. Unfortunately, Crowley let's his nerves convince him that it wouldn't be right to initially pursue a fan romantically, and by the time he feels it's alright, they've become so close that he's terrified of the possibility of failure. But now it's nearly Christmas - a time for miracles, right? - and Crowley has a plan to, hopefully, make Aziraphale fall in love with him the way he's been dreaming of.

Editor's Note by ghostrat (M)

A.J. Crowley, best selling author of action thrillers and sci-fi dramas, wants to try his hand at romance. When writer's block rears its ugly head, his editor and literary agent suggests a romantic writer's retreat in a last-ditch effort to meet his deadline. Aziraphale can be a miracle worker at times, but there's no way a reclusive month away will spark all the romance he needs to finish... Editor AU: In which two of the least romantic men on earth try to write a romance novel.

coincidences and cosmic signs by theivytree (T)

Everyone in Aziraphale's life was shocked when he decided to attend Nightingale University in the United States. Aziraphale, on the other hand, is excited to get out of his parents' home and find a new life away from his family. Everything seems to get even better when he meets his roommate, Anthony J. Crowley.

The Ineffable’s Guide to Conducting a Courtship by everydayistuesday (T)

“Well, what’d you tell them?” Crowley raises his glass to take a drink. “I told them that I, um—“ Aziraphale means to put it delicately, make it sound logical and perfectly ordinary. Instead, it comes out as: “ImighthavetoldthemthatImiracledyoutofallinlovewithme. Er.” Crowley spits out his drink. “You what?” he sputters. Only a knee-jerk reaction of a miracle saves Aziraphale from being sprayed with talisker. When Heaven comes to the bookshop to ask about the twenty five lazurii miracle, Aziraphale panics and claims it was to make Crowley fall in love with him. Now, they’re sending someone to check. There’s only one possible solution. They have to pretend to conduct a courtship.

Married at First Sight by Aracloptia (T)

“Well, that was a thing,” Crowley said once they were out of earshot. Without talking about it, they were both heading down the field, towards the lake where the photographer (and likely a few more people from the TV crew) was waiting. “That was a wedding,” Aziraphale replied, surprised at his own annoyance that somebody called a wedding a ‘thing’. “Yeah, obviously, didn’t miss that part,” Crowley said with a shrug, and waved abruptly in Aziraphale’s general direction. “Neither did you, from the looks of it, since you’re dressed like a wedding bride and everything.” “Excuse me, I am a—“ Aziraphale stopped himself, and started over. In which Aziraphale ends up marrying a rude stranger who wears sunglasses.

And the one you mentioned...

Mon Horrible Chéri by ghostrat (E)

Apparently, Crowley could ruin his good mood. Crowley was just about the only thing that could ruin it. “Right. So. You and I, is it?” Aziraphale confirmed, just to be clear. “That’s right.” “And how long is this trip, exactly?” “One full week,” Crowley enunciated too clearly, stretching his lips around the words and sharply clacking his k. “Seven whole days.” “Great,” Aziraphale breathed. They both smiled, all teeth and no joy. (Human AU / Enemies to Lovers) • English Teacher Aziraphale gets roped into the sixth form Paris field trip, not realising his worst enemy Science Teacher Crowley is the accompanying chaperone. Are seven days of forced proximity really enough to undo a truly vitriolic relationship? Or, let's be real: How quickly does it take them to fall head over heels for each other?

- Mod D

[ingravinoveritas]

Crowley and Aziraphale always came off as romantic to me; both in the book and in the show. They have so much more chemistry than anyone else. And I always second guess me reading their relationship as romantic when I see the general public's takes. So then I go back over like, okay, if this was a man and a woman, how would this read. They do couple things all the time. They use pet names. The show leans more into pining but in the book it feels like they're already married. Both the narrator and other characters refer to them as a couple and its never contradicted. Is that subtext or just plain text. I wouldn't call it queerbaiting, but queercoding or representation doesn't feel quite right either. Are we reading too much into it or is media literacy dead.

Hi there! Thank you for sharing these thoughts in response to my post from the other day. What you've mentioned here (how this would read if it was a man and a woman) is something I have thought about as well--both in terms of Aziraphale/Crowley and Michael/David, as I have shipped them outside of the show for some time now, and especially given the increasingly fuzzy line between them and the characters (which both Michael and David themselves have talked about in multiple interviews).

I think what we're seeing is neither queerbaiting nor queercoding/representation, but instead a sort of incongruity between what was put on the printed page when Good Omens was first published and what was brought to life on screen when it came to TV. What I mean by that is I often see a lot of people point to the line "gayer than a treeful of monkeys on nitrous oxide" as proof (almost typed "poof" there--hello, Freudian slip...) that Neil/Terry meant for the characters (specifically Aziraphale) to be gay. But from what Neil has said, the main intention here was for this to be a play on words--so, "gay" as in homosexual, but also "gay" as in happy, which was the original meaning of the term. I'm then led to think that in the minds of two cishet men in the late 1980s, "gayness" conjured a particular, unserious image, which they then brought into the writing.

Fast-forward to thirty years later, and you have Good Omens finally becoming a television show. Terry Pratchett (Gnu) had sadly left us, and so the task fell to Neil to write the screenplay and honor Terry's last wish by faithfully adapting the story. And while Neil wisely decided to cast Michael for his goodness and angelic-like nature, what I think he didn't count on was Michael's long-held beliefs and ideas about the character of Aziraphale and how he would portray him, or his profound penchant for playing numerous queer characters over the last several decades. The gayness of Aziraphale on the written page was something that Neil could control, but he couldn't control the gayness of Aziraphale as interpreted by Michael.

So that led to Neil having to address some things that I don't think he was quite prepared to address, both about the show and inside himself. Mainly, that if we are to extrapolate that what we see in season 1 is a reflection (to some degree, anyway) of Neil's views on relationships, a straight couple with little to no chemistry can jump into bed together without any hesitation, but a gay couple with tremendous chemistry and who share a deep and profound connection can't express that, either physically or by simply saying "I love you."

Much discussion has been made about how it's not necessary for someone to say "I love you" to convey such a sentiment. But what I've noticed missing from this discourse is the age/experience of anyone who has been in a relationship where that wasn't said (or conveyed) by one partner and how painful that was for the other partner. And as I mentioned in my other post, even once gay/queer people started to exist in media, they still weren't allowed to fall in love. (The phrase "the love that dare not speak its name" even came into being because of this taboo, for crying out loud.)

So when we then look at the countless tweets from Neil about how Good Omens is a love story while considering the vastly different ways in which that love is regarded when it's straight vs. when it's gay, his words start to ring somewhat hollow. And if he repeatedly has to emphasize that something is a love story, then maybe it isn't coming across as a love story in the way he thinks it is. Maybe Neil being more comfortable with casual, meaningless sex than a deep commitment speaks to a larger issue on his part. Or maybe Neil was fine with the abstract idea of a gay love story, but suddenly less comfortable with the concrete, three-dimensional reality of it.

If I had to use a word to describe it, then, from a media/cultural standpoint, I think I would call it "queerplaying," which I would define as roleplaying queerness on a surface level without actually delving into the complexity and messiness of what it actually means to be a queer/non-cishet human being. (To be clear, I am applying this to the writing/the original GO text, not to what Michael and David ultimately brought to the roles as actors.)

I hope this all makes sense. Again, the second season could come out tomorrow/Friday and prove me completely wrong about everything I've just said here, which would be wonderful. But I'm glad that other people have felt similarly about what we saw (or didn't see) in the first season, and the disconnect between the perceptions of fans/the perception of the public vs. Neil's authorial intent. Thanks for writing in! x

[bakerstreethound]

🎻Send me a song 🎻 I’ll analyze it and tell you what fictional it reminds me of and the scenario that comes to my mind. currently I'm listening to timeless by Taylor Swift alot, so that one.

Gosh, many options came to mind when I listened to the song, but Aziraphale and Crowley jumped out as the stars of the show 💕

Timeless

I'd like to imagine from time to time Azi & Crowley go poking around for antiques even tho Crowley swears there's nothing else Azi could need for the bookstore 🙈🤭

Down the block, there's an antique shop. Something in my head said, "Stop," so I walked in on the counter was a cardboard box and the sign said, "Photos: twenty-five cents each"Black and white, saw a '30s bride and school lovers laughin' on the porch of their first house the kinda love that you only find once in a lifetime. The kind you don't put down.

This whole part speaks to the yearning and comfort and joy of Azi and Crowley through their journey. Here specifically I'm seeing an older Azi and Crowley hand in hand going up and down the streets of a cute antique mall and they happen upon a store so of course Crowley indulges Azi and they poke around only to find a postcard, well Crowley finds a postcard and turns it around, the outline of a familiar angel wing in the corner and the cursive can only be Aziraphales.

And that's when I called you and it's so hard to explain, but in those photos, I saw us instead. And, somehow, I know that you and I would've found each other. In another life, you still would've turned my head even if we'd met.

Come to think about it, there's a box he almost trips over too and it's filled with a cream notebook and he picks it up suprised by its weight and after flipping through a few pages he realizes it was in fact a photobook/collage/diary compiled by his beloved. Simple moments and confessions in time he never knew about and wondered for a fleeting moment how of all places they appeared now for him to see.

On a crowded street in 1944 and you were headed off to fight in the war. You still would've been mine. We would have been timeless. I would've read your love letters every single night and prayed to God you'd be comin' home all right. And you would've been fine. We would have been timeless.

He flips through it, his long legs crossed crossed on the floor hunched over a thousand years worth of writing and more, privy to the thoughts of his beloved, the struggle the uncertainty of the tasks of the Almighty and questioning of humanity. Oh, his angel the utter hope Azi holds is unfathomable it makes Crowley fall even more for him.

Crowley definitely has the fondest look ever on his face as he does so completely immune to the hours it takes, engrossed in the mind of Aziraphale and to see himself a demon, a lesser being portrayed in Azi's eyes. It almost beings a tear to his eyes how caring Aziraphale is and how big his earth is....he's too good for anyone in this world let alone Crowley himself.

Time stood still like somethin' in this old shop. I thought about it as I started lookin' 'round at these precious things that time forgot. That's when I came upon a book covered in cobwebs. Story of a romance torn apart by fate. Hundreds of years ago, they fell in love, like we did and I'd die for you in the same way if I first saw your face.

Yeahh and Crowley is picturing all the moments in time he has captured in his memory, waltzing with Azi, the lunch dates to the Ritz, picnics in the park that is until a a small cough brings him back to the present and suddenly he finds himself on the familiar sofa in Azi's place a fire in the corner giving the place a comforting glow and Aziraphale himself standing before Crowley illuminated in his ethereal glow.

Time breaks down your mind and body. Don't you let it touch your soul. It was like an age-old classic. The first time that you saw me. The story started when you said, "Hello"

"Now you know everything, Crowley." Azi fiddles with his fingers nervously. "Thing is I may have accidentally left those in the shop for you to discover and I panicked and miracled us back here....I'm terribly sorry and I-"

"Angel, love." Crowley pulls his glasses off, his serpentine eyes locked on to Azi, full of utmost softness and adoration, "you have nothing to apologize for. You're the best thing to have happened to me in all the years I've been in existence as well."

There's nothing more to say before Azi rushes into Crowley's embrace, pressing his lips against his speaking words said and unsaid over the course of centuries. For they saw each other theough their faults, locing each other from above and below, despite their dispositions in the so called universal plan, they came together, surviving, creating something wonderful, uniquely their own.

A timeless love.

******

Ace's 5yr Celebration