#it wasn't/isn't always one-sided & Aziraphale does put work into it

[skyborneveggie]

I wanna talk about the Job episode, how Crowley is the one who is saying "We are not on the same side, I'm on my own side & mine alone" and Aziraphale is the one who is pushing for Crowley to let him in & for them to work together.

[trashworldblog]

METATRON IS SUCH A MASTER MANIPULATOR MOTHERFUCKER AND I HATE HIM SO MUCH OMYGOD HE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS DOING

(written all in one go after rewatching the finale, apologies for mistakes)

1) he went in person, although he SAID this wasnt that big of a deal, i seems like it definitely fucking was. not only does it make him seem more "just like you!" and likeable, he can also do things like bring aziraphale coffee to warm him up. (coffee that has almond extract in it, btw. that could be used as a threat of eventual calamity, or simply that god is watching. which also could be a threat that if angel doesn't take this offer, he could fall)

2) he resolved a complication in aziraphale's favor. he swooped right in with perfect timing in order to do so. it definitely was no coincidence that the second the angels started threatening extreme sanctions, the megatron stepped in and put them in their place. for aziraphale's entire existence, it seems like those angels have been making angel's life painful, and shutting them up so quickly must seem like a godsend (lmao) to him.

3) taking aziraphale away from crowley (basically isolating him) to chat about promoting him. ok, to be fair, this a bit of a stretch. but i think it still plays a role! after fixing up that whole mess and offering angel a latte, he asks to speak in private. crowley easily lets them go, likely because of the previous points, maybe some devine intervention, and metatron gets aziraphale alone. he talks about it like its a promotion (i thought aziraphale was retired?) and all the perks he will have. he can work with crowley! as an angel! together! (note how he can seem to only work with crowley AFTER he becomes an angel again. something the metatron already expects crowley to refuse). it seems like a perfect deal after everything they just went through.

4) he brings him back to crowley to "break the good news" knowing that crowley will hate the news, and they will end up fighting about it. he even says so after he picks angel back up (but we'll get to that in a bit). he must know quite a bit about the two of them, and how they have major troubles communicating with each other. he knows he's buttered up aziraphale enough to make him think this is a perfect ending for them, and he knows that after everything crowley's experienced (and completely losing the rose colored glasses that heaven seems to give to all the angels) they will definitely disagree about the whole offer, AND they wont be able to talk about WHY its a terrible offer for both of them. they also will struggle to see things from the other's perspective and will blow up into a big miscommunication mess.

5) after that major rejection (and the shock that comes with a rejection as big as that one) megatron sweeps on back, giving aziraphale no time to process what crowley was saying or why he was saying it, and takes him off to heaven with no lose ends at all. "dont worry about a thing! muirel will look after the bookshop. anything else you need? no? well, on our way!" at this point, the metatron easily looks like a night in shining armor for aziraphale. here to stop those mean angels from destroying him, accepting his dear friend crowley, hammering a wedge between the two of them, and coming back to save his day and take him to heaven to his new job.

6) he very subtly shits on crowley. it can't be major, yet, but a big part of manipulating someone is to isolate them, often by talking about how terrible they are. he starts doing this by saying "well he was always the type to go his own way" its subtle enough to fly under the radar, but it tells aziraphale : well, crowley is always on his own. he isn't with heaven, he isnt with hell. He's on his own side. and he likes to do things just to oppose and upset others! you couldn't possibly be with him. you just had a huge disagreement! how often does that happen between you two?

7) i wasn't sure where to put this one, but this all happens so fast. aziraphale doesn't have much time to think, weigh his options, and less time to talk to crowley about it. metatron swoops in, fixes the issue, grabs angel, explains everything, and picks him up as soon as crowley leaves. angel has no time to recover from *waves vaugely at love confession and angry kiss* all he can do is look around helplessly, struggle to put on a brave face, and accept that this is whats happening now.

okay great. theres 7 reasons the metatron is a big manipulating bitch but WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

when we pick back up with the boys aziraphale is gonna be either chugging the coolaid (please neil if this happens i will cry again) Or angel will be seeing through what is being played to him (demonic intervention? tbh this is less likely but it makes me less sad so i want to include it). um so expect the metatron and other angelic things to be huge manipulating bastards, and for aziraphale and crowley to learn the hard way why communicating properly is so important with your partner.

i think the second coming is a big thing (idk just a guess lol) and the metatron needs a good leader (that he can manipulate quite a bit). maybe he's planning something, maybe this is just how heaven does things.

either way, im excited to hear more next season. keep rewatching s2 for renewal, support the wga and sag aftra in the strike, i hope it ends soon with payment and benefits going to the amazingly talented writers and actors that made this show possible. i know a lot of people are hoping the next season is done quickly, but i just want a good third season, and that takes time and effort. thank you, neil, for this amazing story. good luck making s3! <3

[orionchildofhades]

i wonder how crowley really feels about Heaven. how Aziraphale really feels about it too.

This swason we learned much more about the Fall and who, or rather, how Crowley was before before. Several characters, be it demons or angels, recognize him from before. And we see him, creating the sky, his lovely nebulas, matter and gravity and light. Whoever he was, his name and role, it's not important. What matters is that Crowley used to be happy. He laughed and squealed and jumped around in excitment, delighted by his creation. He held a deep love for the univserse and the things around him. During the battle he was excited, acting like a kid alongside the other angels who fought by Satan's side before they lost and fell. Crowley was curious and wanted to know things, he questionned God not for any belief that God was wrong, or even, or anything, just because he thought they could do better. And yet he fell. After all he did, and all the love he held in their chest, he fell. She says it multiple time, he hang out with the wrong people, he didn't mean to fall. Metraton says that he always asked too many questions. And Crowley fell and was condemned to an eternity of sorrows, away from the sky he loved so much. He never wished to be bad or wicked. He always used it as an excuse to do what he wanted. No wonder he told Aziraphale that he understood better than him what it meant to be brought back to Heaven. It had abandonned him when he simply wanted to keep his creation safe*

Aziraphale on the other end, doesn't seem at first glance to understand what Heaven can do. He always says he is an angel, he does good, he is on God's side. Yet, he was the one who saw it all. He was the one who met angel Crowley and worried for this pearl of care and love. He was afraid, he already knew not to ask too many question. And he watched as this angel fell to be a demon, and rose back to earth to work there. He saw the kind and happy angel become this demon who said to be different, not the same person he was before. And yes, Crowley changed but at the end, whether he realises it or not, his nature seems the same. And Aziraphale could saw it too. Because even as a demon, Crowley keeps loving and caring. He hides it better because he understand that people, not just Hell but Heaven too, don't like this. He helps Jobs' children even if he is tasked to kill them. He lies and put everything on fire, but he helps. He threatens and scares Wee Morag's friend to assure she will flee the dangerous life of a grave-digger. Crowley lies and does 'terrible' thing in the eyes of heaven to make sure he can help people. And Aziraphale had to watch this, his fear and discomfort in front of Heaven growing. Because he wasn't punished, was he? For lying. Isn't God supposed to be all knowing? Crowley fell for caring and Aziraphale was kept because he understood that Heaven was to be feared. He was a loyal soldier not by belief but because it scared him too much to do otherwise.

*I'd like to note that Crowley stays someone important wherever he is. In Heaven or Hell, he is known, mainly respected, he has access to information, the boss know him, he is the one who works on earth, who is sent to tempt eve and adam for the apple, who gets his hands on the litteral antichrist and has to keeps an eye on him, he created the sky and the universe and is the serpent in the garden of eden. and yet there is not a hint of greed or desire for glory in his dementor. he doesn't want to be a duke of hell, to be promoted of whatever. he wants to chill and live his life and love his world and his angel with whom he worked since the beginning of time