#lucifer graye

[alexiethymia]

Hazbin Hotel Ep 5

Ok wow Ep 5 (and 6) was such a ride.

It's so fun to dissect Alastor since he's pretty much the only one who's character is hard to pin right now.

I can easily believe that Lilith is the one he has a contract with (hence the on a leash comment). I can believe that he might or might not be there because of Lilith (either he's obeying Lilith or he's getting close to Charlie because that in some way will help him get rid of his leash). I can also believe that he is intentionally pissing Lucifer off.

BUT

The thing is, even with all of this, I really thought that the Alastor we would see was the same Alastor we saw who handled Vox with so much class. Someone did a mini analysis about their face off. Alastor was completely unbothered and in control of the whole situation. He didn't bother interrupting Vox and the whole encounter with Vox losing his top and Alastor keeping his cool definitely showed that Alastor won that round.

But with Lucifer, it's different. Lucifer is pathetic and desperate. It would be so easy for Alastor to rile him up while still being calm, but there's none of that here. Where's the manipulative persona? Rather, it even seems like Lucifer brought Alastor down to his level of pettiness.

There's visceral rage right from the beginning when he sees the welcome banner, and the uncontrollable twitching of the eye when he sees Lucifer hug Charlie. The funny thing is Alastor is the first one to react to Lucifer while Lucifer is completely focused on his daughter. Twice we saw this petty eye twitching - when he was annoyed with the Egg Bois and when Carmilla could care less about where he disappeared to. So we know Alastor is capable of it. He's not as high and above everyone as he thinks he is.

Lucifer's lame comeback was enough to get him to swear?? It was such a whiplash from what was established about Alastor so far. But for him to show his annoyance at Lucifer in such an obvious way, shows that there's something about Lucifer that just pisses him off, enough to slip his usual control.

Same with his final encounter with Mimzy. They're established as good friends, but the hotel is a red line. He's not all lofty like in the past episodes when Mimzy confronts him about whether or not he actually cares about the hotel. We as the audience are supposed to be sure that he doesn't, but I was expecting at least a smirk or his usual pleasantness and I-know-something-you-don't attitude. But he was as serious as he ever has been when he gives Mimzy an ultimatum. And the thing is, it's not a show he puts on to get on Charlie's good side or to piss Lucifer off since neither of them see it.

Again, I could easily interpret the entire sequence between Lucifer and Alastor as Alastor still being on top, and willfully manipulating and using Charlie just so he can have one over Lucifer if not for those two things. His uncontrolled reactions - swearing at Lucifer and the uncontrollable eye twitching when Lucifer and Charlie hug - because what benefit even does that get him??

So maybe he is taking this step-dad thing seriously because Lilith and him are involved somehow (which, yikes in so many ways), maybe he hates Lucifer for a separate reason unrelated to Charlie and/or Lilith or his hatred of Lucifer has everything to do with Charlie (even if it started with a deal with Lilith initially) and Charlie (as well as the hotel) are starting to have more of an influence on him than he expects.

Either way, it was awesome and this was exactly the found family chaos I was hoping for and I sure am glad to get it.

[vagevurig]

Inkdriantober Day 16 and 17

Day 16: Graye Noir Day 17: Freyr the Inkdrian

I am taking commissions! Check my pinned post.

[aratedfreyjablog]

There is no such thing as “Good Guy”

A concept that makes WHB “charming” and appreciative is how there’s no true villain or hero. The line that defines evil and good, despite there being angels, dragons, demons, and humans, is nonexistent.

Disclaimer: Spoilers for Chapter 5, Events, Gamigin, and Lucifer!

We are put under an illusion such a line exists when we see the human MC get attacked by Gabriel, only to be saved by Satan. From that point on and all the way to Chapter 4, everything seems to be set in stone that the villains are the angels, whose goal is practically to assert their race as the only living race as a mean to receive all of “God’s” love since they are jealous that they aren’t the ONLY race to receive his love. This includes the whole issue of them targeting the MC as they are the descendent of the sole human who received most of “God’s” love (i.eSolomon). Hence, the MC and us, the players, are put under the impression that devils are victims since they are trying to protect their homes while owing them a debt for saving (reviving) Minhyeok. 

Chapter 5, however, shows us that this isn’t the case and the situation wasn’t that simple. Though we learn of how the angels used to run a lab to experiment on a large population of devils, including Leviathan and Orias, the devils weren’t completely innocent. When discussing as to why the Seed of Knowledge would be in Tartaros, we learn of how said country used to do just the same as the angels where the devils of Tartaros had previously ran a lab and experimented on angels before Mammon, himself, destroyed it due to the experimentation posing as a threat to his people.  

We also see from the two events, Requiem of the Survivors and the Life Investigation of Leraye, how Orias attempts to take Leviathan’s life just so he could consume Leviathan’s soul and obtain long-lasting youth while Astaroth is found by Sitri coming back from the human world after corrupting and ruining the life of a human. We would think the devils wouldn’t be like this as they are introduced as more of a pure and innocent existence especially when, according to Solomon and other devils, they can’t even lie. Based on these events and from seeing in Chapter 5 how the devils of Hades are able to lie, that’s not the actual truth.

If anything, it can be argued their nature and cruelty is almost closed to the angels. The few things that doesn’t make the devils from being on the same level as them is how they don’t intend to assert their race and commit genocide for said goal but exhibit consideration and sympathy towards their fellow and other races. From The Two Stars event, Gamigin’s comic, and Lucifer’s comic, we see how the devils show kindness even towards angels and dragons where the original Gamigin gives his life up to save dragon Gamigin while Satan’s camp and Satan, himself, show neutrality to Lucifer when he first arrived in Hell and takes down his fellow angels. In addition to this, the devils of Paradise Lost choose to follow Lucifer and acknowledge him as their king and “hyung” despite him being an angel. 

All of this being said, there’s no “good guy” or “bad guy” in WHB. Instead, we see how war brings out both the good and bad sides of all beings that justifies reasoning for certain actions but not excusing them.  There’s also emphasis that the POV of the MC can’t be completely relied on due to bias where they are mostly interacting with the devils on a normal and mutual basis. The concept of moral-grayness makes the overall story all more intriguing as more lore is revealed through interactions between MC -to- characters and characters-to-characters. 

Hopefully PB will drop more content soon so we could learn more about the story and characters!

[oldtvandcomics]

Not to contribute to a Discourse, but I keep seeing the "should we ship Alastor or not" thing, and. Like most other things, it lacks nuance.

It is true, many people don't understand how to write him in a relationship without it feeling very weird and very out of character. But this is also true about most popular ships? The voices of the characters are not right, and they keep acting in a way that is too sweet, too romantic, and the actual dynamic that made that ship interesting in the first place is missing. "He would not fucking say that" is such a popular phrase for a reason.

In Alastor's case, his asexuality is one of the major things that fanfic authors get wrong. Another is his moral grayness, his difficulties expressing (or even noticing) his emotions, and, at least in the Alastor/Lucifer ship (which is what I have been reading) the antagonism of the canon relationship and how they would navigate it with their absurd fight for dominance. And yes, these are definitely problems.

But, as someone who has been bingeing these fics faster than the tag is moving, these are only some of the fics.

And every popular ship has got a lot of bad writing in it.

The good fics, despite being shippy and more often than not, smutty, all acknowledge Alastor's asexuality in some way. It depends on that author, how, but I have seen him confused about this new situation, participating in sex for his own reasons like manipulation and enjoying having control, I have seen what in other fics would be sexual desire replaced with hunger for blood, hunger for power, or desire for closeness, I have seen asexual and aspec authors use him to talk about their own experiences with being sexualized against their will, or to explore what they would and would not be comfortable with doing. I have seen Alastor look for and find ways around his discomforts, using magic and staying clothed and making sure that he is in control.

So I don't know. Are people being weird about him? Heck yes. But I feel like fics, even shippy and smutty ones about Alastor are also doing some actual good, representation-wise. I can only speak for myself, but I can say for certain that watching a powerful, asexual character navigate his way around sexuality has filled a need in me that I didn't even realize that I had.

I'm really not wanting to start any fights here, just, you know. Different angle to look at this from.

[virtuouswhitehatorganization]

Why Helluva Boss Fails Where Villainous Succeeds At Making A Morally Grey World Questions The Moral Spectrum

I think what makes Helluva Boss fail at it's depiction of a morally grey world where things aren't as traditionally defined by good and evil is that the biggest thing it's supposed to be in hell. While Vivziepop claims she wants to reclaim hell, she also wants to make it a place of torment where the worst goes. The series implies that it's heaven having strict standards but on the other end we do see the types of sinners that populate it. Also another thing that makes it fail is that instead of showing moral grayness they just make apologies for character flaws that protagonists like Stolas and Blitzo have. While we are supposed to see them as complex, the same can't be said for antagonists who are clearly made to be one dimensional like Stella and Striker. The former is made into a stereotypical bitchy, abusive wife who is getting in between Stolas' happiness, while Striker is derailed into being labeled a supremacist when he really has a point about how corrupt the system in hell is.

There is also the fact that certain moral greyness doesn't make sense when you think about the fact that the Sins like Beelzebub and Asmodeus which call for moderation and consent which makes them seem counter to their sins. While it's supposed to supposedly give them moral greyness, it just completely misses the point of sins which is unlimited hedonism not matter what the cost. Also it doesn't help you can blatantly see which ones are Viv's favorites and as a result they get the sympathetic treatment that colors their portrayal. And from the leaks we see Lucifer is also getting neutered so that heaven looks worse than him including Adam who is supposed to be the first man but is depicted as sexist and enjoying slaughtering sinners. Again in that instant all that moral greyness is just bs and we know what side is really getting that fake greyness which is hell because she has a misguided idea that they can reclaim it for themselves. By making things too nice, it's obvious she really isn't making it hell but just some fantasy land with inconsistencies which sucks.

This is where I think Villainous succeeds because it plays around with the superhero genre which is ripe for looking at what is considered wrong or right. The premise is that superheroes are hunted by an organization that helps villains defeat heroes. The premise instead of trying to apologize that they are not so bad reminds us they are villains and can be ruthless. If you see all the stuff in the orientations, commercials, and other materials you can see the characters except 505 have even killed people. However, even with the characters not being good you can't help but love them because of the fact they are people with feeling while still being evil. You do feel a certain closeness with each other that prevents them from being totally unlikable.

Also the setting just being in the mortal world with villains and heroes doesn't have to adhere to the standard of hell which is how far can you go to make it still be hell. Nope, it's in a superhero world where supers are focused more on fame, fortune, and clout rather than helping people. They are even shown sometimes not to be so different than the villains with many of them having complex and sympathetic backgrounds. The true pure evil being is Black Hat who unlike how the great demon lords in Helluva Boss is blatantly shown as unrepentant and has no qualms about being depraved. He truly lives up to his image of being the embodiment of evil unlike Beezlebub and Asmodeus. While you can make Demencia and Flug sympathetic, you can't with Black Hat since that would go against his image of being the master of supreme evil.

Overall, I do think Vivziepop could take some notes how to really make a grey moral setting actually be grey. It can help her with her work.

[atticsandwich]

om nightbringer spoilers but not much bc im too lazy lol //

i know i kinda guessed that michael was gonna try disguising as raphael again but like lmao at least they saw right tgrough it this time. anyways though i'm really excited for his design reveal (which i feel like is gonna be soon-ish... maybe by the end of this season?) i'm still kinda iffy abt his whole character (not to say i don't like the existence of his character, moreso i do not like his character in a narrative sense) but it'll still be interesting (i hope) to see how this all develops (and if he finally lets go of his weird one sided almost-obsession with the brothers (especially lucifer) and accepts that they fully embrace being demons etc etc) and of course how the whole simeon thing pans out (again, another point of contention about why i'm iffy about his character and motives but that's a rant for a whole other post)

anyways i like that the moral-grayness of the celestial realm is fully exemplified through michael, even moreso because we are still completely in the dark about how his mind truly operates (not to mention he's still one of the most enigmatic characters barring the demon king/father/nightbringer/barbatos to some extent) plus the lack of canon design adds to that mystery

anyways ramble over!!!!! i still wanna punch him bc of the angel event from og. iykyk

[kinkydents]

I love how you write Lucifer. He’s so complex in Penance. He’s still that goofy clingy -yet neglectful- depressed dad from Charlie’s perspective, but then there’s moments of the fact this is a guy who created the prison for the exiles where fallen angels are killing themselves and not hearing shit from him. Then there’s the whole his deal with Alastor and the implications there. Down to his glee at the crumbling of the Eldritch family. Even his reaction to seeing Alastor again and that shitshow. He really does have many titles. Just, had to say I love him and I’m excited for more.

omg and i love writing lucifer! 😭 thank you so much!

i'm so glad that i can convey this "moral grayness" to him properly!! i feel like there's a lot of potential with him in his position as the "king of hell" that doesn't get explored a lot in the show.

if you enjoyed those tidbits about him, i hope you'll like these upcoming chapters!!!

[monsterfuckermilligan]

Chuck x destruction. I love it. And it’s not that his and Amara’s polarities were reversing, exactly. Metatron referenced a god who smote. Who gave into his wrath. Maybe the “opposites” theme is too reductive for Amara and Chuck? Maybe it was used as a way to control her.

oh yes, this is interesting!

i also believe that it’s far too reductive, and is probably just a narrative to control things and put himself in a more positive light (pun intended). he even tells dean during their initial conversation after he’s revealed to be god that he used to be hands on and part of that was punishing. metatron (worst person you know makes a valid point) remembers this version of him and we see bits and pieces throughout, but he also asks why. and chuck says because metatron, and the archangels, angels, etc, all disappointed him. and when chuck is disappointed with something, his solution is to either get rid of it, go on to something new, or both.

so despite how chuck/god is ‘supposed’ to be the personification of the light—pure and good and righteous—that’s clearly not the truth. i mean, his favorite pastime is making sam and dean suffer simply because he can while he watches. he ignores anything he could do to help the world because anything that doesn’t bend to his exact will is a failure in his eyes, and his will is always correct despite multiple people disagreeing. so he wants to start over, go back to the beginning, and get what he wants. maybe this time he will finally be satisfied! maybe this time will be different!

the whole reason he wants amara’s powers in the first place at the end of s15 is because he can’t truly destroy, only she can. but amara is shown to have grown, changed, and wants to continue healing. she’s shown that she doesn’t want to just destroy and instead simply just exist. she barely even uses her powers after a certain point, despite being the most powerful being on the planet. which makes her less pure darkness and more gray.

but since he can’t make her work with him out of her own free will, he manipulates her into consenting to being absorbed because she won’t just do what he wants. he can’t actually control her, and she is a threat, and he can’t have someone more powerful than him. let alone someone who doesn’t agree with him. and one of the biggest issues chuck has with amara is that she calls him out on his shit and his lack of growth, which is why their reconciliation doesn’t go well after a point. he doesn’t grow or change, in fact he becomes more of what he has always been (*cough* the mark) after he stops pretending. and it’s interesting that he stops pretending after she comes into play, but that’s when we truly see how truly gray he is, because she’s the darkness! she’s evil! he doesn’t need to play pretend because the embodiment of destruction is right there! it’s in the name! she’s in direct opposition to creation, which is always good! (*coughs* lucifer creating jack….)

the irony of all this, of course, is that he doesn’t need the power to destroy in order to be destructive. he views destruction as being able to wipe the slate clean, but his lack of being able to take accountability for his flaws, have any sense of wisdom, or need to improve keeps him in the same ouroboros cycle. his existence is nothing but metaphorical self destruction and disappointment while he views himself as the good guy. he doesn’t see that he doesn’t amara to be gray. he doesn’t see that he’s already gray because the grayness doesn’t come from the power itself, it comes from what one chooses to do with it. chuck only sees himself as the light so there has to be darkness and it can’t be him.

[soullessjack]

ooh I love this!

it also just occurred to me, Jack has a very specific fixation on the media trope where “heroes crush bad guys” (re ‘the facts’ Cas told Lucifer about ‘his son’)—stories where the battle between good and evil is extremely simplistic and cookie-cutter, and the reality of a gray area (the reality jack was born into and actively lives in) is fairly nonexistent. fairytales are literally a textbook example of these such stories, and only in modern interpretations is there any expansion made for gray area (think what Wicked did for the Wicked Witch of the West).

Jack is also heavily fixated on the Hero/Good Guy archetype and puts great effort into embodying it as much as he can in his attempt to escape from his/Lucifer’s inherent nature. To bring up an old idea of mine from my TMNT fixation of all things, Jack pretty much functions as a dragon who wants to be a prince/knight in shining armor. So, like, him being an avid reader of fairy tales, of throwing himself into a reality where he is a Hero and a Good Guy Who Crushes Bad Guys, of abandoning the perpetually confusing moral dilemma presented with his existence and hunting, makes a lot of sense in that regard.

I’m not sure if there’s any way to dissect his fixation with zombies, but I’m sure we could think of something. The zombie horror genre typically touches on topics like humanity, mortality, survival, critiques of society and/or capitalism, perseverance + hope, moral grayness as a result of survival, etc., all of which have some overlaps in SPN’s running themes, but not quite enough to fully fit. There’s also a certain tragedy to be found in zombies though, as despite being bloodthirsty cannibalistic unthinking monsters, they are still semblances of a person; shambling victims of uncontrollable circumstances.

I know Jack’s only canon zombie media is TWD but I also think he’d really enjoy TLOU; the infected there are (mostly) alive and conscious and being parasitically puppeted by the Cordyceps nesting in their brain and nervous systems. within the game there’s multiple instances of hearing clickers actually cry and sob, especially while in the process of eating another person, because they don’t want to do what they’re doing or be what they’ve become, and yet they do it anyways because they have no control over it. Despite being the literal namesake monster/threat of the genre, zombies are also fundamentally victims as well, and I think that would speak a lot to Jack’s own nature/nurture struggle.

Or who knows, maybe he just thinks they’re cool. By this point in time (three years since the ending with no viable evidence of a continuation) I doubt we’d ever know it for sure

what's a fave Supernatural moment for you -ed

CAS: She's been enchanted.

JACK: Like sleeping beauty.

CAS: No...No.

And then Jack gets frustrated/worried that Cas can't simply heal her. (Because, in Jack's eyes, Cas is still the invincible dad that fixes everything. Their dynamic, oof. See how Jack interacts with Gabe n' Cas in 13x23 Exodus.)

[mewmewchann]

I wonder how many unfollows I’ll get for this

Some art of some of my RWBY OCs for Pride! (I will do some with some of my DR OCs too)

...Oh yeah. Lucifer’s bi. Forgot to mention that.

What do you guys think? (my inbox is always open!)

[dreamwishing]

The Fallen Angel: Lucifer

Now, Lucifer isn’t exactly the Lucifer we all know, but he is still the devil, and an important part of Destined for Grayness.

Her beautiful wings were no longer so beautiful. They were completely useless, dead weight. Bones poked out through the tender red flesh. She let out a soft whine.

“I might be able to help you,” came the unfamiliar voice again, “if you’re willing to help me.”

She nodded. “Of course. What do you need help with?”

“Well, I don’t need any help right now, but I’ll be sure to let you know when I do, kid.”

@incandescent-creativity @knightedwriter

[milfsatan]

man the questions last night were so bland like. you are asking the man his thoughts on true good and evil in the world and their grayness. i am asking him his thoughts on putting lucifer in a maid costume. we are not the same.

[tilkikedi-blog]

(This is probably going to be all over the place, and for that I am sorry.)

I definitely agree with your point about morally grey characters/actions. My point in the original reblog was more of me trying to explore why they made this descion, because it just feels like such an odd plot twist. (The reason I keep thinking/talking about it is because it just feels so out of place.)

But I definitely agree that morally grey characters can work and be interesting.

(Tangent #1)

I would like to add that, while OM is no stranger to morally grey characters, I think has a changing relationship with those characters/actions. OM used to be more dark fantasy than it is now, and that dark fantasy is what originally fueled the moral grayness. I feel like Nightbringer has finally brought back some of that moral grayness, but didn't bring the dark fantasy like in previous seasons. Season 1 is a good example of "dark fantasy as a source of moral greyness." The setting and characters are actively hostile towards the MC (the demons act demonly). MC is in an unsafe enviorment, that's the dark fantasy component, and the morally grey behavior directly leads to that unsafe enviorment (specific examples include: literally anytime any of the brothers try to attack MC)

This compares to Nightrbinger examples of morally grey behavior. The best examples i can think of are Solomon's pact with Asmodeus as well as his "side with humanity" thing, Diavolo's reasoning for helping the brothers after their fall, and Rapheal's (i guess Micheal's) message from the Celestial Realm. All of these actions have a moral grayness to them without actively making the setting itself unsafe. (The message from the Celestial Realm definatly adds tension in a way that COULD make the setting unsafe, however this doesn't feed into a dark fantasy narrative or tone. Its not dark fantasy, it's just a war threat)

Basically the way Moral grey characters are used in OM has changed over the seasons.

(Taneget 1.5, because either can't figure out if this is the same topic) But OM also has the weirdest hesitantcey towards having antagonists, for some reason. Season 1: it like switches between Lucifer, Diavolo, and Belphegor, but they all end up as "good guys" in the end. Season 2: Its kinda sorta Solomon and Diavolo (maybe maybe MC's "ring" (the ring power thing, not the Ring of Light)), but once again, they are good guys by the end of the season. Seaosn 3: has like,,, no antagonist, except maybe the boogeyman for that one arc (I suppose you could argue that Mammon and Leviathan's combined stupidity is the antagonist). Season 4: once again, like no real antagonist. Some people might say Micheal, for making Simeon human. I personally would say God (or I guess Father) cause I think He's the one responsible. And then Nightringer: actually has an antagonist maybe in the form of Nightbringer (maybe). If in a season Nightringer is actually chill... I guess maybe not, but we will see. (There is not antagonist, and I must scream)

TLDR: OM has goofy relationship with morally grey characters and antagonists.

(Tanget #1 had no place in this conversation, but I had to shoe horn it in anyway)

But yeah, I definatly feel bad for anyone who was looking forward to more Rapheal content. This plotwist is kinda a slap in the face if you were really hoping to see more of his character. I guess it's a good plottwist if you are a Micheal Stan, of which this fandom has many (joke, I know most people in this fandom think Micheal is an evil little man. Those people are wrong, he is a pathetic small sad creature.)

(Tangent #2, which also has no place in this conversation)

I'm biased, but I was like really surprised how nice Thirteen is in Nightrbinger compared to the other two new characters. Mephisto and Rapheal drew the short sticks this season. Thirteen is so nice and helpful, and actually likes the MC. Meanwhile Mephisto is like "MC... Ew" and Rapheal(I guess Micheal) is like "How do you feel about... war?" I was concerned Thirteen wasn't going to fit in well considering the events during season 4 seemed to struggle to include her sometimes. Those older events seemed to have an easier time having Raoheal and Mephisto make appearances, but Thirteen would only show up for "special" events, so I was very relieved to see that she was featured in Nightrbinger.

Sorry to all the Mephisto and RaphealMicheal, they were kinda dicks this season

TLDR: I'm gay

(Tangent #2 concluded. Rapheal literally does not have screen time. RIP)

I'm excited to see where the next season goes. This possible war plotline is interesting, and whether the messenger isn't as important as the outcome. Still don't like the plot twist though. I will factor in this plottwist into Micheal's character though. We now know 2 more things 1) he is able to disguise himself (now whether it's a spell or his own ability is up for debate, unless I missed something from a previous season) and 2) he is willing to disguise himself as someone else (where does that put us on the "angels can't lie" debate).

(Tangent #3, but its actually related)

What is the role of the Hard lessons or the additional unlockable lessons? (This question is more pondering how these additional story bits should add to the overall than any specific stance. I'm just curious if you had any thoughts on what makes a "bad" hard lesson/unloackable) Obviously they add to the story, but they often come later than the original plot. So what type of information should be for the hard lessons/unlockables, and what information should stay in the normal lessons.

I have already stated that I believe this instance should have been in the normal lessons. It feels like too big of a plottwist to "hide" in the hard lessons, since it actively changes how I am supposed to view every interaction with Rpaheal in it. But I can't think of any other hard lesson/unlockable which I feel strongly for/against changing into a normal lesson.

It's worth considering that the hard lessons are often unlocked after the normal lesson, and depending on how "on the grind" a player is the may not see the new plottwist for months after playing the normal lesson. (Speaking from personal exspierence, I'm only midway through the hard lessons on Nightbringer, and literally would not know about this plotwist without you're post (also thank you for posting the hard lesson). And I likely won't catch up for another couple of months as I level up my cards.)

TLDR: What should the hard lessons be used for?

(Tangent #3 concluded)

I think.... I need to stop talking. I still feel weird about this plottwist, but it gave some more tidbits about Micheal. Is that worth sacrificing the tiny development Rpaheal would have gotten without this plotwist.... Probably not, but like.... the writers already did it.

No but fr fuck that Hard lesson, Raphael stans keep losing I guess 👎👎👎

[silentwcrds]

muse ;; uriel

:: GENERAL INFO ::

Uriel. ❝God is my light.❞ Patronage of the arts, poetry, judgement. She doesn’t mess around, and doesn’t see the grayness in the world, either. Uriel deals in quite a lot of absolutes. It is wrong or it is right. Lying doesn’t become her, and she despises the taste of it, loyal to GOD and Heaven above everything else. No matter what.

She is one of the seven archangels (as mentioned in lore) but doesn’t mind that humankind has mostly forgotten her contributions. She works best in shadows, delivering her solid judgements to those who deserve them, and leaving the rest of the world to ‘run along’ and develop. To grow. But to get rid of a stain, she might even burn the whole house down, as it were. If the stain is too cancerous, too debilitating, too… ruinous.

A terrifying weapon in Heaven’s arsenal, so to speak, she represents the dual-nature of things. Being both an ardent patron of the arts, of the good nature of humanity, of the softness and tenderness–and the judgement of the wicked. Of punishment.

The War in Heaven found her on Michael’s side, for she saw beauty in humankind. Saw their potential in ways her brother, Lucifer, did not (more spn- and biblical-lore centric, of course). Uriel is close to (a twin, in dominion lore) Raphael, though she stays out of the fighting that sometimes is bound to occur in a family that has been around since the dawning of creation. She already gets the violence fix she needs in delivering her judgements…

FACECLAIM :: Kat Graham

[stcriedtales]

[ about ] Uriel

:: GENERAL INFO ::

Uriel. ❝God is my light.❞ Patronage of the arts, poetry, judgement. She doesn’t mess around, and doesn’t see the grayness in the world, either. Uriel deals in quite a lot of absolutes. It is wrong or it is right. Lying doesn’t become her, and she despises the taste of it, loyal to GOD and Heaven above everything else. No matter what. 

She is one of the seven archangels (as mentioned in lore) but doesn’t mind that humankind has mostly forgotten her contributions. She works best in shadows, delivering her solid judgements to those who deserve them, and leaving the rest of the world to ‘run along’ and develop. To grow. But to get rid of a stain, she might even burn the whole house down, as it were. If the stain is too cancerous, too debilitating, too... ruinous. 

A terrifying weapon in Heaven’s arsenal, so to speak, she represents the dual-nature of things. Being both an ardent patron of the arts, of the good nature of humanity, of the softness and tenderness--and the judgement of the wicked. Of punishment. 

The War in Heaven found her on Michael’s side, for she saw beauty in humankind. Saw their potential in ways her brother, Lucifer, did not (more spn- and biblical-lore centric, of course). Uriel is close to (a twin, in dominion lore) Raphael, though she stays out of the fighting that sometimes is bound to occur in a family that has been around since the dawning of creation. She already gets the violence fix she needs in delivering her judgements...

FACECLAIM :: Kat Graham

[fallwithmemydear]

I’ve been listening to this lovely song a lot lately, and it recently struck me how remarkably similar it is to the story of Aziraphale and Crowley. It fits so perfectly, in fact, that I’ve decided to analyze the song, line by line, as if it’s being sung by Aziraphale and is from his perspective after the events of the book/show. (I suggest that you listen to the song first before you read my analysis of it, btw.) So without further ado:

ARMY OF ANCIENTS - GOOD OMENS ANALYSIS

An army of ancients could rise from the ground/And tear every nation apart: Obvious reference to Armageddon. The army of ancients rising from the ground is a direct allusion to the hellions and demons below, but I also take the army of ancients to mean an army of angels, too. Considering the style in which the word is sung, it could easily be mistaken for “angels.” And in Good Omens, it’s clear that the angels from which Aziraphale came use somewhat morally gray methods to accomplish their means. They care about winning the war no matter what, and damn the consequences; thus their ascension from the so-called ground, the bottom, Hell.

And I’d still be sitting there counting my cards/Wondering when will it start?: Aziraphale is used to a certain way of life - his comforts, his luxuries, his home - after six thousand years. “Counting my cards” is a reference to a game, one that likely involves gambling. The entire Arrangement with Crowley is definitely a gamble: there’s always a risk that they’ll get caught by their respective Head Offices (and they eventually are).

However, cards could also be referring to the sort of activities Crowley has successfully tempted Aziraphale into over the past millennia - going out for lunch, drinking copious amounts of wine, and maybe even gambling as well. If we go with this interpretation, then Aziraphale is saying that despite the apocalypse, Crowley and I will remain. The line about “wondering when will [Armageddon] start” can also be perceived to mean that Aziraphale is wondering when the real war to end all wars (the one Crowley referenced at the end of Episode Six; “Heaven and Hell against all of us”) is coming.

The oceans and forests could collide into one/And muddy this world in a spark: This references Adam coming into his power. The oceans represent the unknown, the ethereal, the ineffable: myths and conspiracies that Adam reads about in Anathema’s magazines. And the forests represent the world as we know it - a concrete of Adam’s world, anchored in reality; the Them’s hideaway in the forest, where he feels safe and free. The collision of the real with the unreal (as Adam subconsciously makes the unreal a reality) signals that Armageddon is here, the world is ending. The line “and muddy this world in a spark” is a further extension of this metaphor, and refers to the ruination of the world brought forth by the “spark” of Adam’s mind.

And I’d still be sitting there twiddling my thumbs/Wondering when will it start?: Aziraphale does nothing while the so-called apocalypse is happening. This could be a reference to the overall futility of Aziraphale and Crowley’s work during the eleven years leading up to Armageddon (as they influenced the wrong child and all of their work was in vain). Or it could be a reference to his knowledge that there is nothing he can do to stop it.

How did the fox get the raven to crow?: This has to be my absolute favorite line. The fox, typically known as a wily trickster throughout fairytales, represents humanity, and the raven is Crowley, with pitch-black wings. The fox got the raven to crow - change his name from Crawley to Crowley, hide his demonic, inhuman appearance, shade his snake-eyes behind sunglasses. The fox got the raven to “change” its very nature for its sake.

Why, at the creek, did the dog lose the bone?: This, to me, is Aziraphale questioning how he and Crowley lost hold of the true Antichrist, and fixated on Warlock (the wrong boy) for so many years. But it could also be him wondering how Adam managed to win the hellhound over and take him as his pet in a small little dog form. This one is more open to personal interpretation, I think. All of the questions in this song are direct references to either fables (written by Aesop) or biblical passages.

The man could come back on his fiery throne/To measure the feathers and hearts: The hypothetical “man” here has to be referring to a divine being. Whether Aziraphale is talking about Satan or God, however, is I think up to interpretation. “Fiery” would imply that he’s talking about Lucifer, but the act of measuring the feathers and hearts is a reference to Ancient Egyptian myth, where when mortals died, their hearts would be measured on celestial scales against the Feather of Ma’at (who was the goddess of justice) to determine whether their actions made them worthy of passing on to paradise, or Heaven. A being maintaining justice, however, could be God. Regardless of who this being is, Aziraphale says they “could come back,” so it definitely can’t be anyone who walks the earth.

And I’ll still be whistling Dixie alone/Wondering when will it start?: “Dixie” is a song very commonly associated with the south (specifically in the United States) and the Confederacy of the American Civil War. This connects with Aziraphale’s supposed “roots” as the southern pansy, as he’s dubbed by Shadwell. And he’s still wondering when the real war is coming.

I don’t want to wake up/I don’t want to move: This is where the song shifts from its previous pattern. Aziraphale is saying he doesn’t want to wake up from his life of comfort and pleasure; he doesn’t want to leave Earth. He wants to stay and keep enjoying the luxuries (mostly foods) he so wholeheartedly enjoys.

I’ll skip the sermon and stick to the booze/I’m sorry: Aziraphale denounces his faith - he’s on his and Crowley’s side, not Heaven’s - and says he’ll stick to his comforts. He’ll keep drinking with his demon and dining at the Ritz and feeding the ducks in St. James Park. And he apologizes, because of course in a way, he is denouncing himself. He is denouncing what he was created for. He’s announcing his moral grayness and his love for Crowley, the importance he places on staying with his demon above all else - even the greater good.

Well, I’ll take what I want in the dawn’s early light: Aziraphale will take what he wants (often used as a sexual phrase) in the very early morning - again, sexual implications. It can be assumed that Crowley is what he wants, and he no longer has any qualms about making it clear what he wants.

How did the fox get the raven to crow?: Again, how did humans manage to make Crowley change himself - change what Aziraphale loves about him?

Why did the hen pick grains in the snow?: After a fair amount of research, I can’t actually find the exact fable the song is referencing, but I can derive its meaning. Picking grains in the snow seems like a futile, almost pointless task; perhaps Aziraphale sees himself as the (mother) hen, and is asking himself why he and Crowley went to the seemingly pointless trouble of trying to influence the “Antichrist” (Warlock) for so many years, in an attempt to balance him out and raise him to be completely neutral. (The answer, of course, is simple: because Crowley suggested it, and because Aziraphale is absolutely #whipped. So is Crowley.)

Why did the brother bury his gold?: I’ve seen this recorded as “coat” instead of “gold,” which would be a reference to the story of Cain and Abel, in which Cain kills and buries his brother. As God supposedly clothed Adam and Eve in “coats” of animal skins, it can be inferred that the brother in the song buried not his own coat, but Abel’s.

The man took the rats, but the kids came along: Direct reference to the story of the Pied Piper. I think this could also be an observation made about Adam’s “enchantment” (read: control) over the rest of the Them during his little rampage. The rats could be a reference to Adam’s “new friends,” or the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse - some pretty nasty people, if you ask me. Easily comparable to rats.

Why did the mouse help the beast with his thorn?: Another of my favorite lines. This has to be Aziraphale recounting back to the first time he ever helped Crowley, by covering him with his wing and protecting him from the first rainstorm.

Does this town know how to make soup without stones?: A barely-there last line, whispered as the song fades out. Another reference to a folk tale, but I think it can be read as more of a joke in Aziraphale’s case. The original story details a group of villagers all pitching in to help some travelers make “stone soup,” and then all sharing the end result (sans stone). However, I think Aziraphale is saying it in a way that implies he is just a little selfish - just a bit of a bastard - and he doesn’t want to share what he has. He wants to keep it to himself. And I think in this case, he’s talking about Crowley again.

TL;DR - Aziraphale is very much in love with Crowley, and is still biding his time, waiting for the real apocalypse to come.