#LIKE with crowley saying 'just to be able to ask the questions' in job it probably means HE DIDN'T EVEN GET TO DIRECTLY ASK HIS QUESTIONS TO | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

taurielofmirkwood77777 · 9 months

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Can we all stop with the "Aziraphale is wrong, Crowley is right" mentality please? The whole season was spent of saying "nothing is just black and white, everything is in shades of grey" and yet a lot of people are still falling for the black and white thing. BOTH were right and BOTH were wrong. Let's unfold this, shall we?

Starting with the elephant in the room, yes, Aziraphale was wrong for thinking he can change Heaven. We, as an audience, saw just how awful Heave can be, when Aziraphale didn't for the most part. He doesn't know why Gabriel is fired and he never learned how Heaven treated "him" after he averted Armageddon. He doesn't know all of that, but we do, so it's not fair to blame him for it. Him believing that he Crowley wants to be an angel again is simply due to the lack of communication between them. Both in season 1 and 2, Crowley mentioned multiple times that him falling was not fair because he never did anything more than just ask questions, unlike other demons who were all against Heaven. So Aziraphale assuming that that means he would like another shot at being an angel is completely reasonable.

Now, Aziraphale was also right for taking the job. Considering the events of season 2, it was very clear that Heaven wouldn't simply let Aziraphale and Crowley exist in peace after everything. Yes, they had 4 years of peace, but for immortal beings, that's more like 4 hours. Aziraphale wants to make sure that he and Crowley CAN exist without the constant fear of revenge or punishment. After all, we were just introduced to the Book of Life and there's nothing stopping Heaven from erasing one or both of them from existence forever. Aziraphale doesn't want to be with Crowley if that means living in constant fear, because that's not really a living, is it? He needs to do something about it. Even if Crowley doesn't see it that way, Aziraphale has to do something to keep them both safe, if not the entire Earth. So his choice of going to Heaven may not be "good", but it sure is the most logical.

As for Crowley... poor Crowley. He doesn't get it. In season 1, he came to Aziraphale and had to work to convince him to stop Armageddon from happening. And the moment he thinks that it can't be stopped, he decides to run away. And that idea stuck. Up until that moment back in season 1, Crowley didn't even entertain the idea of leaving Earth. But from that point onward, it's the only thing he thinks about. He brings it up every chance he gets. You could even argue that being a coward is one of the reasons he became a demon in the first place (sorry not sorry). But running away isn't an option. Running may save him from the problems going on on Earth, but no matter where he goes, he can't get away from Heaven and Hell. They can always pull him back, they can do worse things from afar. But Crowley doesn't see it. He tells Aziraphale "You can't leave this bookshop." as if that's not what he was planning to do since episode 1. Crowley loves the Earth. Even more so than Aziraphale. He plays dress up every chance he gets, he drinks poison for fun, he cares about the health of ducks and is clearly indulging himself in alcohol much more than Aziraphale does in food (speaking of, he was also the first one to consume human food and drinks and the reason Aziraphale does so in the first place). He's the one who convinced Aziraphale to stop the destruction of Earth in the first place. But Crowley is also very stubborn.

At the same time, Crowley knows better than anyone how Heaven and Hell work and how that can never be changed. He saw first hand how Heaven treats its own angels (I'm including Gabriel in this) and realises it's all a trap. He can tell. He fears for Aziraphale's life, and even for his if he were to accept it. Crowley tries to warn him more than anything. But just knowing everything is a scam is not enough.

The only way for Aziraphale and Crowley to be able to just be together is for them to make sure they can. And the only way to do that is by going in the belly of the beast.

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens s2 #good omens season 2 #good omens season two #good omens analysis #aziraphale #crowley #aziracrow #ineffable husbands

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gotholdladywithadhd · 1 month

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Unpopular opinion, probably.

So I've read many metas, and thought a lot about it and have come to my own personal conclusion about the final 15.

I'm taking it at face value.

Because it was the most human Crowley and Aziraphale have probably ever been and I think that is at least part of the point. Love makes people stupid and they are navigating a very human thing in very unhuman circumstances, and it's hard enough to do as a human in human circumstances!

I think Aziraphale believed the Metatron about Crowley bc he was expecting the worst when TM mentioned Crowley but instead got the one thing he wanted most (him and Crowley together and safe, not Crowley being an angel. ) Crowley was absolutely the carrot here. (and no I do not think Crowley would have been safe or happy, but that's besides the point.) I can't tell you how many times I've believed patently ridiculous things because I wanted to believe them so badly even though if I was looking at the same situation objectively from an outside POV I would see how ridiculous it was, so I totally get it. This isn't to say I think Azi had a real choice to go to Heaven or not and I think he did understand that as well, but I get the temptation the Metatron threw out to him, I really do.

As for Aziraphale literally saying all the wrong things to try and get Crowley to come with him? Um yeah been there done that too, the nerves take over, the brain shuts off, the mouth goes into autopilot pulling stuff out its ass, and "WITAF did I just say?" happens.

Crowley not taking any of it well and only hearing what he expected to hear (I'm not good enough for you bc I'm a demon and you only really want me if I can be an angel) *and* also being more able to see through heavens bullshit bc he has lived it, and can see it from the outside, *and* all whilst being the most honest and vulnerable he has ever been with Aziraphale in 6,000 plus years (or in fact possibly to anyone, ever. the closest before this admitting he was lonely to Azi during the Job minisode,) *then* hearing what he took to be the same Heaven will save us line from Azi was enough to trigger a massive bout of RSD and a broken heart. Everything was supposed to "vavoom and sorted! " and instead the stupid awning broke and everything went wrong. I think I've said it before that at this point Crowley can't hear anything over the sound of his heart breaking into a million pieces.

That's a whole lot to pack into the brief moments before Azi has to leave with the Metatron (who let's be honest was rushing him before he could change his mind) esp when neither of them are used to discussing their relationship openly. They didn't have time to think, to ask questions, to share information, (like hey guess what really happened to Gabriel?) Crowley tried to communicate as much as he could about his feelings with the kiss but Azi didn't have the time to properly process all that and said the wrong thing again and Crowley was rejected (he thought) again and it all just went so very wrong. You can't fix a 6,000 year relationship in 15 minutes, you just can't no matter what the story books say.

It's about two people wanting the same thing but not being able to get it (yet) because of circumstances and personalities. All of S2 was about them seeming to be closer than ever (and in many ways they were) but really they were opposed at almost every turn. (in RL not the minisodes, those actually showed them working together and coming out okay mostly, if you don't count wee Morag or Crowley getting dragged to hell) The way they both handled the Gabriel situation, how they both worked to solve the mystery, even how they tried to make Nina and Maggie fall in love were all either done alone, or in opposite ways. I've said it before and I'll say it again, as it was pointed out right in ep1, their exactlies aren't the same and until they are, they aren't going to be able to be together. The one time they did work together in the season, they produced a 25 lazuri miracle. That is the point of the final 15, and the whole season 2 in my opinion.

They'll get there in the end though!

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kimberleyjean · 5 months

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Aziraphale's Illustrated Bible

There are a lot of interesting items stored within Aziraphale's bookshop and one I find fascinating is the bible (or bibles) that are typically on the stand next to his desk and which they use for the Job flashback/memory sequence. Here's what these books look like in episode 2 - the blue detailed folio, the beige folio held by Aziraphale, and this same beige folio when opened to Job:

You might not have noticed yet, but there are several other images shown in this book in the second season! Often the book is out of focus and far from the camera, but some sleuths on reddit were able to identify the particular images being shown.

Let's take a look at those images and where they occur in the show. All of these images are famous illustrations by Harold Copping:

1. "Joseph knows his brethren" - Book of Genesis, Old Testament

This image is on display in episode 1 and looks like this on camera. To spot it, I used the little telltale shadow that is created on the ground:

The story of Joseph may be more familiar to you as "Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat". I've certainly had to brush up on my bible knowledge myself, so please, if you know more than I do and I've gone wrong anywhere let me know. Joseph is rejected by his family and they believe him dead. He then gets promoted to a high-up position in Egypt. The image depicted is when Joseph is reunited with his estranged brothers and they don't recognise him at first (something which happens a lot in season 2!). However, Joseph recognises them and he pretends to be a stranger to them at first. Eventually, he clears the room and says to them "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?". I'm sure there is more to unpack in this story but I'll leave that for someone with better biblical knowledge.

2. "Jacob's vow" - Book of Genesis, Old Testament

This image appears in episode 2:

In the episode, it first appears in the background looking like this:

According to comments on the reddit post, this image could refer to "Jacob’s vow in Bethel, that’s when he promised to worship God if God took care of him, and it was the day after his famous dream about a ladder in heaven. It is generally a symbol of the link between heaven and Earth." Here is a quote from the exact passage: "Genesis 28:20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then the lord shall be my God. And this stone which I have set as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me, I will surely give a tenth to you." We see a lot of emphasis on food giving this season. The Eccles cakes get offered to Maggie then handed to Crowley. Gabriel offers up lots of little snacks at the ball. The Metatron gifts Aziraphale the coffee. At the ball, we see people being given new clothes as well - is that what this could be referencing? Why do you think these particular images have been chosen?

3. "The Brazen Serpent" - Book of Numbers, Old Testament

What do we think of when we hear "serpent"? Anything snake-like refers to Crowley in this show, so that's where my mind immediately goes.

This appears in episode 3 looking like this (partially occluded):

The story is that God had sent fiery serpents to attack the Israelites for making complaints about God and Moses (no asking questions, no complaints? What kind of organisation is this? They really need to unionise). However, God seems to then have a change of heart and commanded Moses to erect a snake upon a pole, referred to as "Nehushtan", so that anyone bitten by the snakes can just look at this pole and they will survive.

We get some pretty wacky stories about God's fickleness in Good Omens, especially in the S2 Job flashbacks. Is this a reflection of that theme, perhaps.

4. "By the rivers of Babylon" - Book of Psalms, Old Testament

If you don't have a Christian background, you may be more familiar with the song than the story itself. From the wikipedia article: "The song is based on the Biblical Psalm 137:1-4, a hymn expressing the lamentations of the Jewish people in exile following the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 586 BC".

It appears in episode 5 and looks like this:

One Redditor has explained it as such: "The rivers of Babylon symbolize deep grief and longing for freedom by people exiled from their homeland and doomed to live in captivity."

5. Closed Book(s)

The book also appears closed at times. Let's take a look at the scene where Aziraphale retrieves the book for the Job flashback. We see him getting out the beige folio and putting it onto the stand but over the top of an almost identical book. The only difference is that the Job one has blue detailing and the other is a plain/beige cover (seen here in this third image with Crowley, episode 6).

So what is this other book? Well, looking online, it appears that Harold Copping's illustrated bibles could come in sets of two - one for the Old Testament, and one for the New Testament. All the illustrations we see in S2 are from the Old Testament, so why would the New Testament also be there? When explaining this to someone they mentioned that Aziraphale has a lot of misprinted bibles in his collection. So could they instead be two different versions of the same text - one with misprints and one without? I'd be keen to hear your thoughts.

6. Bonus Season 1 Appearance!

In Season One, we also see a Harold Copping illustration - Adam and Eve after the Fall.

The book is in the same place inside the bookshop, as show in episode 1 (26:21) and episode 2 (51:40).

Beyond supporting the themes of Good Omens these books are useful in another way too - finding discontinuities! If you are interested in the discontinuities of Good Omens S2, then please check out this post:

#good omens #good omens meta #good omens theory #good omens clues #harold copping #ineffable mystery #good omens analysis

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kiralena · 7 months

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Theory: Crowley's snake form was a GIFT from God, not a punishment

GIF von capinejghafa

We all thought Crowley's snake form was part of his punishment for asking questions.

But: what if it wasn't meant as a punishment?

Imagine: the angels are angry about Crowley asking questions. God is pleased: Crowley is appreciating the creations. He is curious, intelligent, brave, has a pure heart, he cares more about truth than following rules. He truly cares and values the creations, because he is asking questions and thinking about it. The other angels are all kind of: 'oh, yes, God made it, so it has, needless to say, to be beautiful. No questions necessary, because we trust in God's great plan.' They don't waste a single thought to think about why the creations are beautiful.

If you create something, you LOVE it when people poin out why they love your creation. You get excited every time someone notices a hidden detail. Conclusion: God must be so incredibly bored with the angels just praising him without truly recognizing what is praisable.

And then there comes Crowley, our Starmaker, with his joy, excitement and actually being aware of why the universe is beautiful. God must have felt like an artist getting a compliment for a hidden detail.

Pushing Crowley to hell wasn't God's decision, it was the angels - removing someone from the office who doesn't cheer to the rules. All the heavenly buerocrats don't like questions, because they profit from the system and don't want changes. They are very comfy with just cheering to everything God does. Have trust in his plans, always. The heavenly buerocrats don't want Crowley to ask questions, because he is indirectly pointing out none of them cares about anything else than themselfs. (Like in the Job minisode when none of the angels was aware of the value of a human life and the love between humans) Crowley always put himself at risk for helping others, he is a guardian, even as a demon.

So when God saw what the angels did, he decided to make a gift to Crowley, which will always remind him about the fact that God loves his thoughts and questions. God gave Crowley his snake form, and made him give knowledge to the humans. God knew Crowley loves knowledge, so what could be a greater gift than being able to share knowledge? And since God has an weird ineffable sense of humor, nobody will recognize the gift as such, and Crowley's snake form is a disguise to sneak an intelligent, caring, pure hearted guardian into hell's bee hive.

What if God gave Crowley the snake eyes as a symbol of Crowley seeing things differetly? It is God's weird ineffable way to tell Crowley: 'I appreciate your ability and will to look behind the things, question the reasons and to truly care about my creations.'

But because of heaven's buerocracy God had to disguise his gift as a punishment, so the buerocrats won't recognize it. Like, telling hell: 'hey, wouldn't it be fun to see him crawl? You know....some kind of snake? Won't it?' And hell: 'oh yes, sounds like fun. For us, not for Crowley of course. Let's do that.'

God has a weird ineffable sense of humor. Giving someone a gift which isn't recognizeable as a gift would fit perfectly in ineffable humor.

Conclusion: God gifted Crowley the snake form and the ability to bring knowledge to the humans. He is a guardian disguised as demon in hell's bee hive. God knew Crowley would care about humanity, appreciating their curiosity and hunger for knowledge. For someone who cherishes knowledge and the ability to ask questions - wouldn't it be utter joy to share knowledge?

Crowley becoming the serpent of eden was God's GIFT to Crowley, and his snake eyes are a daily reminder for his love of knowledge and care for others.

God knows it is a burden, but he is well aware about Crowley's strength. He knows Crowley is strong enough. And he loves Crowley for all the things, heaven and hell hate about him: his curiosity, his pure heart, his questions, his kindness. (the same things, Aziraphale loves about him, amongst many other things)

#snake Crowley theory #Crowley #good omens theory #good omens meta #god is playing a game #snake Crowley #snake form Crowley #snek Crowley #serpent of eden #how to sneak a guardian into hell without even the guardian being aware of it #we all love snake Crowley - don't we?#crowley you precious #good omens

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thatweeboverthereisthirsty · 1 year

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Are requests still open?

If they are can we get a one-shot or whatever is easier with poly dorm leaders and MC? Maybe with them deciding to stay with them at twisted and their reactions? I loved your previous poly fix with them 😊😊😊

Hello friend, here are some headcanons! I am glad you liked my fics! Please enjoy!

POLY DORM LEADERS

You gather all seven of them first and foremost: “Hey @everyone I’ve got major news! Come to Ramshackle quick!!! ;)”

A quick text to your relationship group chat gets everyone together pretty quickly, save Leona and Malleus

Leona is an easy fix, you simply text him privately, knowing he keeps the group chat on silent but his phone will ring for you

If that doesn’t work you usually just text Ruggie and tell him to get your boyfriend (one of them) on the phone asap

Malleus on the other hand is tricky

It’s hard to know if he’s actually seen your text or not because he isn’t very good at keeping his phone on him or even responding if he does see the text

Luckily you’ve worked around this with a clever magical hack he shared with you

For your last birthday, Malleus gifted you a bracelet that could ‘summon’ him

All you had to do was grip one of the beads and think about him and he would be able to sense you

Sometimes you gripped the red bead: (you are sending him love), sometimes you grip the blue bead: (you are feeling down), and sometimes you use the green bead: (you miss him or would like him to come see you)

The green bead is directly in the middle so you can grip two beads at once depending on why you would like him to find you

(Big scary fae boy gets anxious that you’re hurt or sad and will show up guns blazing, no questions asked, so you have to reassure him that sometimes you just miss him)

It doesn’t take long for everyone to get together, sitting in various areas and positions in the Ramshackle lounge

You take a deep breath and smile big even though you are a little nervous

“Guys, Crowley found a way to send me back home.”

For a moment there is only silence, long, tense silence

Then an explosion of reactions

Riddle turns white, red, and then back to normal in under 30 seconds, nodding stiffly

Leona lets out a growl and Azul blinks in stunned silence

Vil’s eyes widen and his jaw hardens while Malleus stands calmly despite the thunder that cracks outside

Idia and Kalim have completely lost it, each in their own way, Idia whimpering and shifting uncomfortably and Kalim throwing himself into your arms, bawling

“QUIET!” Riddle yells and everyone turns to him “If y/n desires to leave then we should support them with our best efforts!”

“Thank you, Riddle,” you say calmly as Kalim pulls back sniffling, “However that leads me to my next point; when do I leave?”

All of them hold their breath praying for varying answers all of which sounding like “not for a long time”

“I miss my home very much. I had a life there and people I loved. But I don’t know how I will be able to fit into that life anymore. And so, I have decided to stay, permanently.”

Again silence, but this time, nearly all of them leapt up to hug you and most of them even shed a few tears

Idia, Malleus, and Leona hung back for their own individual hugs, each of them appreciating their own space when it comes to you

Malleus and Leona because they are pretty territorial when it comes to your affection and Idia because he simply doesn’t like unnecessary physical contact with anyone who isn’t you

Kalim cries out about a sleepover/feast/party/parade that needs to be held in celebration of your decision

Leona and Malleus both offer financial support for you if you decide you want your own home

Azul decides he will cook a nice dinner for the two of you and present an official job in the management of the Mostro Lounge as you will need stable employment

Vil promises a spa day and assistance in redoing the Ramshackle dorm since you “simply cannot live in a large scale hovel for the rest of your life”

Riddle busies himself with calming Kalim down and trying to restore order to the impromptu ‘meeting’

Idia stayed quiet, seemingly too relieved to say anything or participate in the celebrations

As chaotic as it was, you secretly loved it

Chaos was these boys and these boys were yours and being with them made you happier than anything

You looked forward to staying with them for the rest of your life

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heyimdove · 7 months

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Good Omens meta post:

Okay. I’ve spammed poor Neil Gaiman many times about this, but he hasn’t replied. He probably hasn’t seen it, but maybe (~thrillingly~) he’s not answering on purpose…

Here’s my question. When trying to bring Anathema up to speed, Aziraphale says Crowley was a wily old serpent in the Garden of Eden, and that he, Aziraphale, was “technically on apple tree duty”—

Um, what? We knew he was the guardian of the Eastern Gate, but being on “apple tree duty” sounds like a rotating position held by angels in the garden. If so, what was it that Aziraphale was getting up to that distracted him enough to allow Crawly to slither past him and tempt Eve?

At that stage of the game (the very fucking beginning!), it’s wild that he would, to borrow a phrase, let such a cock-up happen. Here’s what we know about Az up to and immediately following the apple tree business:

1. Again, Aziraphale is “technically on apple tree duty”. God, or someone in charge anyway, thinks stopping the humans from eating from the tree is important enough that they should assign guards for it.

2. Aziraphale has reasonably good instincts for what is acceptable angelic behavior and wants to act accordingly.

3. More importantly, he has the foresight to know that God may implement consequences for transgressions against her, even transgressions no one has yet done (i.e. asking questions).

4. He remembers pre-fall Crowley (“I know the angel you were”) and believes some essence of his former self persists in his demonic iteration.

5. God has just built a whole universe specifically for Adam and Eve and their eventual progeny. This whole thing is for humans. Crowley literally fell for asking questions about the background set pieces for what’s basically HUMANS: The Musical. Guarding the tree for these very important beings seems like a crucial role.

6. Aziraphale is very smart.

So with all this in mind, how could Aziraphale be so irresponsible that Crowley is able to slip past him and tempt Eve? What on earth could possibly distract Aziraphale from such an important job?

Well, if the rest of the story is anything to go off of, the answer is, and has always been, Crowley.

Aziraphale seems to have had a bit of a crush on pre-fall Crowley (enough to think this was directed towards him and feel embarrassed when it wasn’t).

Is it possible that Aziraphale was looking for the-demon-soon-to-be-known-as-Crowley and left his post? Perhaps he even hoped that Crawly would reach the tree and Az would have to have some kind of interaction with him, but got there too late to stop Eve from taking a bite?

Maybe he did more than just hope Crawly would sneak through. Maybe Aziraphale allowed him to intentionally, with the selfish hope they could interact again.

Which makes sense. Aziraphale doesn’t even seem to be upset at Crowley for tempting Eve into doing the ONE THING Az was supposed to prevent. He’s mostly just stressed about giving away the flaming sword- an act that thoroughly impresses Crowley.

Makes you wonder what God’s really planning, honestly. Because if I was God, and I built a whole universe to watch what two human beings do with it (but still wanted my angelic creations to think I was the good guy), I would:

1. Put the forbidden apple tree in reach (not on the moon, for instance)

2. Put an earnest guard in front of it

3. Figure out the one thing that could draw that earnest guard away and let hearts take care of the rest.

#good omens #good omens meta #aziracrow #aziraphale #crowley

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applecidersstuff · 6 months

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How about we talk about the whole “Metatron, the voice of the god” thing?

Because it’s a bit weird to me. Like no one in Heaven ever questions the fact that only Metatron can talk to the Almighty. To be honest for me it looks like he doesn’t even talk to them anymore; I mean, maybe he did it before, but now it seems like he just pretends to do it.

For example - the first scene of the second season - Crowley creating the universe.

You know, when you’re making a prototype, you’re usually informed about it; I mean, it’s not like you finish a phone, and then someone goes, “Hey, it was actually a prototype, so now I need you to smash it.”

When Azira comes to Crowley and tells him that the universe will be destroyed in 6000 years, he seems surprised, and it feels like he was told something different. He also mentions that he worked very closely with the original creator, who’s supposed to be God. And Crowley is absolutely sure that he can ask a couple questions and maybe even suggest something.

I highly believe that the Almighty themselves ordered Crowley to create the universe, but then Metatron told Azira about Armageddon. But it wasn’t an order from God but something Metatron wanted. He just masked it to sound like Her order. And when Crowley started doubting what Azira told him, he became a threat to Metatron. In the last ep, Metatron says that Crowley asked too many questions, so what if it wasn’t God who threw Crowley out of Heaven, but Metatron?

And if you’re saying, “God wanted Armageddon, they didn’t do anything to stop it!” you’re wrong. If they really wanted Earth to end, they wouldn’t allow Adam to go to the wrong family. And they would punish Crowley and Aziraphale. Which they didn’t do; Heaven and Hell did, but not God. In fact, they sounded way happier that Armageddon didn’t happen at all.

In the book, there is Metatron in the scene with Adam and the horsemen instead of Gabriel. And when Crowley and Angel start to argue with him and Beelzebub, there is a line that says, “said Metatron, but in a worried tone of voice.” While Beelzebub was angry in the book, and both them and Gabriel were annoyed in the show, Metatron was worried. And it wasn’t the type of worry that ineffable bureaucracy had; they were concerned about sending their sides back to work. But Metatron sounded more like he wanted everyone to forget what Crowley and Azira said.

Crowley’s reaction to God talking to Job is also weird.

When Job talks to God, Crowley seems surprised. He says ‘’but just to be able to ask a question’’. Which is weird considering that it was God, as we’re told, that threw him down for questions.

Crowley was downcasted from Heaven, basically, for annoying God, not for plotting something or joining Satan’s friend group, but for asking too many questions. And now we know that those questions were about a project he and Saraqael were working on alongside God, not with Metatron, not Gabriel, but the Almighty Herself. Also, what Crowley suggests, putting Earth in the middle is reasonable. But that’s not the point now.

So according to that our ‘thin dark duke’ wasn’t supposed to be surprised by God talking, it could’ve been Aziraphale, but not Crowley.

That flashback in fact is really important for the storyline and especially for Crowley’s backstory, she has many suspicious lines, like “the same god that wants me to kill children?” which kinda implies that the actual God doesn’t want to kill them but someone who’s pretending to be god is, or, again, the whole dialogue with Aziraphale while god talks. He also stops Sitith from cursing God, while he as a demon shouldn’t have any problems with that, so maybe he didn’t want her to curse not Almighty but Metatron.

Then we have - Saraqael. They are the only character confirmed to have known pre-fall Crowley and known to work with them. (Aziraphale doesn’t count due to him meeting Crowley shortly before his fall and Crowley not even introducing herself.)

But Saraqael is interesting to me also because they’re the only archangel that we see with a disability(I don’t have any problems with the character or actress being disabled; I love that we have representation.); demons have plenty; angels, on the other hand, mostly appear as perfect creatures. But not Saraqael, and them being disabled looks much more interesting once we learn that they’re an archangel who worked with Crowley.

We know that angels didn’t want to send Gabriel to hell because that may have created wrong thoughts among angels. Considering that Saraqael worked on the universe just like Crowley, they would most likely have the same questions as him, but they’re still an angel and haven’t changed their status.

Also, their name is mentioned two or three times and they aren’t treated like an archangel, the way Michael and Uriel talk, or rather they don’t talk, about them really reminds me of the way they talk about Jim. And Gabriel can’t remember their name, although he didn’t have that problem with Sandalfon or Aziraphale, but he has one with his actual colleague? Both Sandalfon and Aziraphale are not archangels, yes they have a high rank but it still doesn’t make them archangels.

Then again, not only do they not tell Michael or Uriel about Crowley, but they tell Muriel to show him the trial. Why would an angel, especially a high-ranking angel, cover for a demon who’s looking through very important files?

And while Metatron and Crowley have one interaction, things Metabitch says after Crowley leaves are also suspicious in a weird way; while Angel is crushed he tells him that he never really needed Crowley, and then he says “he was always asking damn fool questions” Like, how would you know?? he was talking to God not you.

So my idea is - Metatron isn’t talking to God anymore. I also think that Metatron tried to get rid of God(don’t ask me how I don’t know) and God, knowing damn well about it, ordered Crowley and Saraqael to create the universe, then they created humans so she could hide among them (“And God created man in their own image, in the image of God created they him; male and female created she them.” Genesis 1:27) and ran to earth. They are hiding on earth and waiting for the right moment to come out.

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good-soupmens · 8 months

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Maybe this is just me being a christian in the good omens fandom, but a lot of people say Aziraphale's arc needs to end with him *entirely* dismantling his religious beliefs and stop following God, and I would disagree (I do have religious trauma, so hear me out 💀)

Yes, it was VERY necessary for him to learn that heaven didn't have humanity's best interest at heart. In fact, the archangels are incredibly selfish. Questioning their morals led him to stop armageddon with Crowley. But as the narrator of season one, God is somewhat mysterious, even cheeky ("a dealer who won't tell you the rules, and who smiles all the time"). I don't think we're SUPPOSED to dislike her as a character, but we're meant to question whether heaven is really carrying out her plan.

I often see heaven as the equivalent of a corrupt church; the kind that scares you with hell, says they have power over the bible so you should listen to them, and asks you for donations when they'll probably just spend it on themselves. They're toxic.

Crowley is wise to want to distance himself as much as possible. But I can't say Aziraphale is wrong for wanting to fix it. Heaven existing at ALL isn't the problem, it's the way it's conducted. If they really cared about the earth, they could help people. Crowley saved a girl from killing herself, Aziraphale forgave Maggie's rent, Crowley helped Shakespeare get his plays off the ground, Aziraphale healed Anathema and fixed her bike. Both stopped hell from ending the earth (and heaven orchestrating it). Crowley saved things every time that he was sent to destroy them.

They're constantly doing little miracles, sometimes big ones, while still letting the earth run, where humans can make their own choices and decide what to believe. If heaven was anything like Crowley and Aziraphale, there wouldn't be a system in need of destroying.

I wrote more detailed meta on good omens God here (and my therory on the ineffable plan), but my point is to say that destroying Aziraphale's faith entirely is not the solution. He doubts that heaven is even doing God's work. The end goal for dealing with religious trauma isn't always letting go of your belief in God (that's okay if it is!) but many of us need to deconstruct toxic ideas taught by toxic churches. Some people wouldn't survive without their faith. And FAITH in God isn't the problem, people misrepresenting God in order to devalue, shame, and oppress others for personal gain is.

Given that she canonically exists in the good omens universe, that means that she created everything. She made Aziraphale, Crowley, the universe, the earth, everyone who went on to create anything else, and life itself. Every moment, every place, every feeling, every choice, and every experience was possible because it was created. She's the reason anything that in the history of time was able to happen at all, good or bad.

God may not tell anyone about her plan, but I have a feeling it's going to be the end result of the series, where Crowley and Aziraphale were a part of it (I could be kidding myself, but that's my theory)

The concept of the "sides" being heaven and hell doesn't work without everyone getting a real choice. Neither Crowley or Aziraphale truly belonged to their respective sides because they were morally against them. Just as heaven needs to be fixed, hell shouldn’t be run by *obligation* to do evil. The good omens book said that many demons just considered it their job ("Go up there and make some trouble")

Thinking back to Aziraphale's line, "But humans...get a choice" makes me think that THAT'S what will change.

It's not "this group is nice. go out and do good" and "this group is bad. go out and do evil", it'll be everyone making choices (whether they want to spread misery and destroy the earth, or truly help better the earth and show people the light in a flawed world). Heaven would have a real job of thwarting evil if they weren't the ones administering it, and maybe that's what Aziraphale will try to change.

(End of essay personal rant!!)

This is for queer christians especially, I know people forget us. My religious trauma comes from homophobia. I have to remind myself daily that it's not a fault of God, but people. It's PEOPLE who harbor hate for what they don't understand, and many use religion to justify their wanting us not to exist. They fundamentally misunderstand the point of following christ, and others have to work to change that.

It may seem like the best solution is to object to christianity entirely, but I find genuine happiness in it despite the bad eggs. I wouldn't be here if not for it, and it doesn't take brainwashing and manipulation for me to be a follower. I want to be. That's the reason I say any of this; for good omens to end on a positive note with God would mean a lot to queer christians. We're often caught between christians that hate gay people and gay people that hate christians, and it's hard for us to accept both parts of ourselves. Good omens helps me love both :) and thats why I relate to Aziraphale as a character

Also. queer christians and non-christian queer people with religious trauma, you're all so valid and cool, I love you <3

#good omens meta #ineffable plan #god good omens #religious trauma #queer christian #Aziraphale #good omens #good omens season 2 #good omens season 3 #good omens theory #gay christian #trans christian

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secondstar-acorn · 8 months

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there is so much shame and humiliation entwined in how heaven and hell treat aziraphale (“you pathetic excuse for an angel” “the softest touch, the one who went native. do you need more big human meals, aziraphale?”) and it makes so much sense that he would internalise that (“I’m..soft”) and desperately keep trying to be better—which I think is why he tells crowley when he’s done something good/clever, because he wants to be affirmed and he knows crowley won’t insult him (“but do you really think it went well?” “absolutely”). so of course, of COURSE the metatron getting him coffee and drinking coffee is something he sees as an affirmation of him as a good, respectable angel (“I’ve ingested things in my time, you know”) when every other angel and demon has treated him terribly for it.

and when the metatron tells him he can restore crowley, aziraphale is thrilled because he assumes that crowley, like himself, feels ashamed and humiliated by his status as a fallen angel (as aziraphale was so afraid of in the job chapter); that crowley, like him, wants affirming. that he wants to be told that he is good, and he’s done well, and he’s not wrong, just misjudged. when crowley says that they’re on their own side, aziraphale hears: “we both want to be in heaven, but there are certain things we disagree with.” and what crowley says is “we’re not heavenly or hellish, we’re our own people, and we never have to follow orders again.” their exactlys are two different exactlys.

“oh we’re better than that, you’re better than that, angel, you don’t need them, I certainly don’t need them!” crowley has had thousands of years to process his heavenly trauma; to realise that what god did to him was cruel—“but to be able to even ask the question” is a longing statement which eventually turns angry as the years pass. he assumes, because they’re on their own side, that aziraphale has processed his trauma as well; that he’s also realised the institutional problems with heaven, because they don’t TALK. and when aziraphale tells him what the metatron said, of course crowley is angry. because the person he loves hasn’t figured it out. he’s still stuck in this abusive cycle, and it’s so frustrating, because “how can someone as smart as you be so stupid?” aziraphale is better than them, why can’t he see that?

and aziraphale. well, he’s been shamed and humiliated by what is ultimately his family, yes, but the metatron does the same things he does, so they can’t be all bad. and if to speak to the metatron is to speak to god, then god must approve of him too. god must forgive him, too, which means crowley can be forgiven. the other angels just don’t understand god, but now that aziraphale does, he can “make a difference.” he and crowley, as misunderstood angels. because crowley has never been a demon to aziraphale, not since job, not since edinburgh, especially not since 1941. and so for aziraphale, “nothing lasts forever” is a statement full of hope. he and crowley will be forgiven, their hiding and their arrangement forgiven, and this horrible shame he’s felt all his existence will not last forever. they’ll finally be approved, in the eyes of heaven. affirmed. just like aziraphale wants.

but for crowley. oh, for crowley. “nothing lasts forever” is crushing. they’ve spent their existence pretending not to be friends, to not care about each other, and in the past four years it’s been better. they’ve been free, and crowley couldn’t work out what was missing until nina and maggie told him. and now he’s trying to say it. he “could always rely” on aziraphale, could always trust him the way he no longer trusts god, or heaven, or hell. he can be himself with aziraphale and take off the glasses. but aziraphale said nothing lasts forever: earth, the bookshop, them. their “us”. he can’t trust aziraphale anymore. he can’t rely on him. so he puts the sunglasses on, puts his walls up again.

“I don’t think you understand what I’m offering you.” forgiveness, another chance, a life together as the angels aziraphale has always seen them as, freedom from humiliation. “I understand. I think I understand a whole lot better than you do.” trapped again, back with the god who hurled crowley down and forsook him, both of them stuck following orders.

aziraphale still doesn’t understand what crowley is trying to tell him. the nightingales, the us. so he kisses him, like humans do, because that’s got to do something. it has to mean something. “one fabulous kiss and we’re good.” aziraphale reads romance novels, he’ll know what it means. it will fix this.

but it doesn’t.

“I forgive you.” for not going to heaven, for forsaking god, for loving him but not choosing him. for staying on the side of evil once and for all—because even though crowley isn’t with hell, he’s not with heaven.

“don’t bother.” crowley doesn’t want to be forgiven. he doesn’t need god, he doesn’t need heaven, and he doesn’t need. well.

and that makes aziraphale angry, because he’s offering crowley everything he thought he wanted for as long as he’s known him, and he’s realising just now that they’re not the same, not at all, and then the metatron comes in and affirms that. “always did want to go his own way, always asking damn fool questions too.” crowley’s a fool, aziraphale. a rebel who doesn’t understand what he’s being offered. he’s just a fool. you’re not, aziraphale. you’re intelligent, a good leader. “I can’t think of a better angel.” aziraphale is finally affirmed by the highest authority, and in being affirmed, crowley is put down. aziraphale will fix things and make the world right again, and he won’t even have to think of crowley. because he’s back to what he wanted.

and crowley leaves and drives off because that’s all he’s ever done. aziraphale has betrayed him like god has, so he’s got to go his own way. he has to be on his own side, just like always. he’s back to where he started. without aziraphale, he’s lonely again. and he’ll just have to accept that.

#good omens #Neil Gaiman #ineffable husbands #ineffable divorce #aziraphale #crowley #star watches good omens #this uh. came outta nowhere ngl #hit me like a ton of bricks #David Tennant #Michael Sheen #anyway #help #good omens meta

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feralbutfluffy · 7 months

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55: Aziraphale

Chapter 55 of Too Wise to Woo Peaceably

*******

That had been extremely unambiguous.

Crowley really hadn’t left much room for misinterpretation. Or any room, actually.

Crowley had said he was in love.

With him.

Crowley had quite unambiguously said he was in love with him, and Aziraphale knew he was supposed to say something, but he couldn't. Even if he had managed to form an intelligible thought, his throat felt so tight he doubted a single word would have made it to his mouth.

And that mouth was dry as parchment. His teeth were clenched so tight his jaw ached, and his tongue was stuck fast to the roof of his mouth.

He was struck dumb.

He tried to swallow, and it was almost impossible.

He tried to think, but that was equally difficult.

Aziraphale pressed the fingers of his right hand to his chest in a vain attempt to calm his heart’s frenetic pounding. His breath was still catching in hiccuping stutters, but the shock had dried his tears.

In love. The way humans-

His thoughts snagged on the next word-

…Fell.

There was no question around him loving Crowley. Of course he did! He was an angel, a being of love and light! It was practically a job requirement to love all, and wasn't there a particular emphasis placed on loving thine enemy? It was only right, therefore, that he would care for the demon, that he would, in some way, love him.

Falling in love with anyone, let alone Crowley, was an entirely different matter.

The state of being in love was human. Wasn’t it?

He had a sudden memory of Beelzebub and Gabriel, holding hands, humming to each other.

... Perhaps not solely human.

He imagined holding Crowley’s hands in the same way and the ensuing wave of guilt threatened to drag him out into a bottomless sea of shame.

What would it be like, to be in love? He had read about it, of course, the adoring glances, the admiration, the acts of kindness, the hearts skipping beats. He had read about it and thought of Crowley casually handing him a bag full of books, thought of the way his body had flooded with a sudden and unfamiliar warmth, how his heart had most definitely skipped a beat, and he had worried over it for months. Worried and worried and worried before enough time had passed that he had been able to tell himself it was a false memory, that he had mixed up the emotions of what had come later with the emotions of what had come before.

That the wine had seeped through the memory, coating it all in a burgundy haze, and that lust was simply an appetite that had tainted his recollection of the day.

Lust. Not love. Easily dismissed.

He thought of Gabriel sitting in his bookshop, wrapped in a blanket.

You know what it’s like when you don’t know anything at all, and yet you're totally certain that everything would be better if you were just near one particular person?

He had denied it of course, but before he had denied it his thoughts had flashed to Crowley with such intensity that he had been somewhat surprised Gabriel hadn't been able to sense it.

Since cutting ties with their respective sides, their time together had been interrupted by lockdowns and then abruptly shattered when he had received the very first hug of his extremely long life from - in a slightly awkward turn of events - his boss, who had appeared on his doorstep as - and this had made it substantially more awkward - a naked amnesiac.

Those years before Gabriel's arrival though, they had been different.

Crowley had developed a habit of taking his sunglasses off the moment he entered the shop and placing them on a statuette of a horse Aziraphale had by the door. It was an unconscious acknowledgment of trust, a willingness to be open and vulnerable, and Aziraphale remembered the day he'd realised it had become routine. He had stopped and stared at Crowley, his skin prickling with latent awareness, and Crowley had noticed his sudden lapse into immobility and stopped mid-sentence to ask what the blazes was wrong with him.

Aziraphale hadn’t known how to explain the collapsing feeling that was happening in his chest, so he had shaken his head and brushed it off, claiming he had just remembered something that needed doing.

Then he had gone upstairs and stepped behind the bookshelves, the leather and paper and mahogany feeling like a shield, and he had tried to ground himself, wondering why he suddenly felt so disjointed and unstable.

Crowley had mellowed during those years, his hyperactive energy softening into something more content and relaxed. He had laughed more, and his presence in the shop had slowly become the rule rather than the exception. Aziraphale had found himself drawing closer. He'd taken any remotely plausible excuse to come into contact with him. He held the door open so he would feel him brush past. He took hold of his arm to emphasise a point. He touched his back to get his attention.

Each time he did so, he felt a ribbon of guilt unwinding itself in his stomach. A small arc of electricity passed between them each time, and he ached for it, and surely that was wrong?

He would spend nights sketching at his desk worrying over the circular problem.

Was he good? If he was good, then touching Crowley shouldn’t feel so pleasurable.

Was he bad, then? If he was bad, surely Aziraphale didn’t deserve to feel such pleasure?

Yes, of course he loved Crowley. He had wanted Crowley to know it, wanted him to understand how fond he was of him, had looked forward to dancing with him from the moment he had first conceived of throwing a Street Traders Association Ball, for all that it had been rudely disrupted by the powers of Hell. When he had left for Heaven he had missed him with a ferocity that defied any other possible explanation.

He had killed The Metatron fueled by twin motivators of vengeful fury and a desperation to protect Crowley from further harm.

He had done the absurd apology dance in front of Muriel - and, rather more unwittingly, Saraqael - as a statement: I was wrong. This is how much he means to me. This is how sorry I am.

Now Crowley was safe, and had been safe for hours, and Aziraphale had spent the majority of those hours trying to fight the urge to wrap himself around him, while simultaneously dealing with a maelstrom of guilt, relief, want, shame, love, and fear that bound him as securely as any chain.

He had been honest, more honest than he was comfortable being, but honesty was the least he could give Crowley after everything. It was all he could offer.

And then Crowley had said that he was in love...

And now Aziraphale was paralysed, hand still pressed to his chest, as if that could possibly do anything to alter the frantic beating of his heart.

Was it possible?

He looked at Crowley. The former demon had his eyes closed, his face grim. The pained expression crushed the air from Aziraphale’s lungs. Crowley’s suffering was supposed to be over!

He couldn’t bear it.

Aziraphale unclenched his teeth with great effort, his tongue peeling loose from the roof of his mouth. His lips parted just as Crowley spoke.

“I told Muriel love was for masochists,” his voice was rough and low, and Aziraphale felt it in the pit of his stomach. Desperation had him fumbling for the first word that came to mind, and even as he spoke it, he knew it was a mistake.

“Sorry, I-”

“No need.” Crowley cut him off, shrinking away from him. “I’m a demon. I know.”

Oh, no.

“Crowley that’s not-”

“It’s fine. Didn’t expect- Look, just thought... I mean, you might as well know. Apparently everyone else does. So.”

Aziraphale blinked at this and set it aside to be discussed at a later time.

“Crowley, you know that-”

“Don’t,” Crowley’s mouth twisted. “I don’t need you to-”

Honestly!

“Now who’s the one not listening?” Aziraphale interrupted, annoyance loosening his tongue.

Crowley shut his mouth with a click.

“I do love you Crowley. I’m an angel, it’s our function to love. The will of angels is, by nature, loving.”

“Of course,” said Crowley dryly.

“I’m not sure... Crowley, I’m not sure you can be ‘ in love ’ with me.”

Crowley’s humourless laugh made Aziraphale wince.

“Oh believe me, I can. I am .”

“Why…” the question died in his throat and he forced himself to try again. “Why do you think so?”

Crowley let out an exasperated exhale and hissed his response through gritted teeth. “What kind of a question is that?”

“Well, how do you know? How does it feel different to..." Aziraphale made a vague gesture with one hand, "...natural love?”

Crowley ran a hand through his hair.

“Natural love is… Ngk. It’s gentle, and kind, and soft. You, basically. It’s enjoying things, and caring about them, and worrying about them. You can love anything! Wine. Ducks. People. Cake.”

Aziraphale nodded. He understood all that quite well, and he did love cake.

“Being in love is nothing like that. It’s- It’s- ” Crowley looked up at the ceiling. “It’s bloody awful.”

“Awful?” Aziraphale wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but it certainly hadn’t been ‘awful.’

“I’ve risked destruction for you, angel. I would again.”

His voice was soft and resigned, as if what he had said was unfortunate, but eminently reasonable.

And Aziraphale supposed it was, because he’d done the same, and would again. Unquestionably.

“Being in love is like- it's like faith… it’s trusting in someone.”

Aziraphale thought of a room engulfed in flame...

Are you sure, angel? Yes, quite sure.

He’d never been so certain of anything.

He thought of Crowley’s doubtful face, eyes trained on the gun...

Not… as such. Trust me.

He’d stood in front of the gun anyway.

He thought of Crowley stumbling to his knees on shaking tarmac...

We are fucked! Come up with something or… I’ll never talk to you again!

He'd believed Crowley was clever enough to figure something out.

... And of course, being Crowley, he had.

He turned his attention back to Crowley, who had leaned forward and was staring down at his hands, his expression bleak.

“Being in love is wanting to be around you all the time, enjoying your company but still always hoping, the same way a stray dog might follow you around if you fed them scraps.”

And Aziraphale understood that too, because if something good happened his first thought was to call Crowley, and if something bad happened, his first thought was to call Crowley, and if nothing at all had happened, he wanted to call Crowley. He couldn’t help himself. He always left room for a sliver of plausible deniability to protect Crowley, but it was rather a thin veneer. He would spend every day with him if he could. And Aziraphale wasn't even sure that would feel like enough.

Crowley continued.

“Being in love is..." he sighed, a frustrated, rasping sound, "... it's trying to keep you safe, even when I should probably have left you to suffer the consequences of your actions because frankly, your actions were stupid. Braving the guillotine for crêpes?” Crowley made an incredulous noise.

He still wasn’t over that, then.

And Aziraphale understood, because hadn’t he handed over a thermos full of Holy water to prevent him from carrying out an honest-to-God heist to steal it from an open font? The very idea of it splashing Crowley by accident made his blood run cold.

“Being in love with you is wanting you to feel comfortable with me, even though I’m a demon. Even though you’re an angel.” His voice was hoarse, and he ran two fingers idly down his jawline as he thought about what he was trying to say. “It’s asking you a question and hoping you’ll smile and say yes, even though I know it’s far more likely you’ll balk and say no. It’s banging my head against the same wall over and over even though it hurts like blazes and by the time I so much as make a dent I’ll probably be unconscious.”

He gave a rueful half-smile.

And Aziraphale thought of Alpha Centauri.

And he thought of Crowley offering him a place to stay when they'd thought the bookshop was a burnt-out husk.

And he thought of asking Crowley to dance, and how that whole day he had felt positively effervescent with expectation.

And he thought of the bookshop, and how he had wanted Crowley to feel like it was home; that it was theirs, not his.

Crowley swallowed and flexed his right hand nervously.

“I suppose being in love is wanting to be together - together-together - in every possible way. It’s wanting to be on our side, to be us. Properly us.”

He let out a breath and spread his hands, palms up, in a gesture of supplication. “I don’t know. It’s all that. It’s this- this gnawing restlessness that only quietens down when I’m around you. It’s violent and desperate and it wants- it wants-" he broke off and Aziraphale watched a muscle in his jaw twitch before he managed to continue. "It wants... more than you can give. It’s frustrated desire. It’s not saying what I want to say so you don’t take off running. It's... saying all of this and being surprised you're still sitting next to me. It's saying all of this and feeling like I'm choking because my own heart is caught in my throat."

There was a strangled laugh, and it was a cold, hopeless sound. When he spoke again his voice was so low Aziraphale had to strain to hear it.

"It’s sitting at a table laden with food, and resigning myself to surviving on meagre rations. It’s having willed myself to be content with that, when what I really want - what I’ve always wanted - is the whole blessed feast.”

And Aziraphale thought of lying on the floor of the bookshop with Crowley. He thought of the feel of his hair between his fingers, and the new, strange hunger that had roared awake with a ferocity that had petrified him.

He looked at Crowley’s hand, now laying flat against the suede between them, and thought about the urge to take it in his own, and wondered if Crowley’s admission was permission, and wondered if his thoughts were blasphemy.

He was afraid, because he understood everything. He had felt all of those things, and what did that mean?

Was it possible? Was it possible for an angel to be in love with a demon?

Was it possible for Aziraphale to be in love with Crowley?

“Being without you was… I felt hollowed out. Muriel- Damn them, they tried, but everything felt so hard. Getting out of bed was hard. Going outside was hard. I looked for you around every bloody corner.”

Aziraphale thought of how he had felt visiting the bookshop. The quick darting looks he had always cast at the space where Crowley would usually have been.

“Anyway. Like I said. Awful.”

Crowley looked so distressed. Aziraphale placed his left hand down next to his, hooking his little finger over Crowley's. He felt him startle, and when he looked up Aziraphale met his questioning gaze without flinching.

"That makes sense," he said, his heart beating triple time. "Although I'm not sure 'awful' is the word I would use."

"No?" The word was a cracked syllable, the tension behind it thickening the air between them.

"Not necessarily. Not unless it's-" he had to clear his throat to get the words out, "Not unless it's unrequited."

Crowley stared at him without blinking.

"Not unless it's... unrequited," he repeated.

"Yes."

"Which it is," he said hesitantly, but there was a slight upward inflection at the end and the hope in it made Aziraphale flush.

"No. No, I don't think so," he said shyly.

Crowley's eyes were wide and pleading, and his expression was so reminiscent of their argument in the bookshop that it made Aziraphale's chest tight.

"Aziraphale, don't... You can't just-" Crowley was taking shaky, shallow breaths, completely oblivious to the fact that his little finger was suddenly clenched around Aziraphale's so tightly that it was cutting off the circulation.

Aziraphale didn't mind.

He turned his body towards Crowley's, and he felt almost feverish; his body flushed hot with longing, cold pinpricks of fear amplifying it by contrast.

"It's not unrequited, Crowley."

Aziraphale felt the knot in his throat loosen and fall away.

Such a human thing, for two people to fall in love. Such a human thing.

Aziraphale loved human things.

He bought things, as humans did, and consumed things, as humans did, and had made himself a home, as humans did.

There was something about the way humans had to work at change and learn things over time despite their short lifespans that captivated him. Aziraphale had made the effort to learn many things this way; driving, shooting, French, magic, dancing… He had learned them slowly, over time.

Perhaps being in love was yet another thing he had learned slowly. Falling in love had been much less obvious than he might have expected it to be, had he given it any thought. Truthfully, he hadn’t realised he was learning anything at all until it was too late.

Aziraphale felt a tear run down his cheek.

He had spent his entire existence trying so hard not to Fall, only to find out he had fallen anyway.

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averywiseanimatedcat · 7 months

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I’ve yet to see anyone talk about this:

The verse on the matchbox being highlighted so obviously stuck out to me. Neil is clever. He did this for some reason. I looked into this a while ago but only just got round to writing it out because I’ve been sick and had the time to hyper fixate on researching something I didn’t need to…

So buckle up because Job 41 is a parallel of the minisode scene when God is talking to Job. But I think the whole of Job 41 relates heavily to Crowleys character and his storyline because it’s about a sea snake.

Full warning this post is long, but it’s all important I promise.

Disclaimer you have to read if you’re gonna comment about me being wrong in my interpretation of Job 41: I am someone who doesn’t believe it’s possible to perfectly understand the bible. I’m not presenting anything as fact because there’s looottts of different interpretations of literally everything in the bible. This is my interpretation of the chapter. I don’t care if you think I’m wrong cause you have a double degree in know it all religious studies. Disclaimer over.

So where does the verse come from?

Job 41:19

‘Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out’

This verse is part of Gods description of a leviathan that takes up most of the second part of chapter 41 in the book of Job. If you want to read the entire chapter before reading this I’ll paste it at the bottom of the post. It’s from the King James version. You can also just google it.

But what’s a leviathan? Glad you asked. I spent to long looking it up.

Leviathans. The general consensus is that the creature referred to in Job 41 is some kind of sea monster. The Hebrew word that translates to Leviathan (Livyatan) appears six times in the Old Testament. One of them is in Job 41. The word is derived from the root Iwy or ‘ twist, coil’ and means ‘the sinuous one.’ So I think we can establish that this creature is at least indicated to be snake-like. It could be a crocodile, a whale, a dragon, a snake, or just an indescribable monster. But we have no modern reference because this creature doesn’t exist in modern times if it ever existed at all. So for the purpose of relating it to the show, I think its important to note that one of the interpretations is that the leviathan is a snake like creature or a sea serpent Iike what’s shown in this beautiful piece of art.

The Destruction of Leviathan by Gustave Doré (1865)

Now, these two verses from the first part of Job 41 are important,

Job 41:10

None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?

Job 41:4

Will he make a covenant with thee? Will thou take him for a servent forever?

Prior to chapter 41 Job, has been questioning God about the mysteries of creation. God responds by chastising Job for questioning him and describing how Job would not be able to subdue the great leviathan and make him his servant, so why does he think he has a right to question god?

And in our minisode Job comes back from talking to god and says:

“I think the point was, if you want answers, come back when you can make a whale.”

What’s happening when Azirpahale and Crowley come across God talking to Job is exactly what’s happening in Job 41. I also noted that in the minisode Job said God talked alot about whales. Which is funny, because it seemed random at the time, but one interpretation of the ‘leviathan’ is that it’s some kind of whale.

So that scene in the minsode is based off of Job 41! Amazing. But I don’t think the connections end there…

The more obvious potential reference to Crowley in Job 41 is how God describes the leviathan being able to spit fire. The verse on the matchbox comes from this part of the chapter.

Job 41:19

Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out

Job 41:20

Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron

Job 41:21

His breath kindleth coals, and flames goeth out of his mouth

We know Crowley has the ability to summon fire. He summoned that giant sun thing that shoots fireballs to smite goats at the start of the minisode, then he sets fire to the house before saving Job’s children. So leviathan/sea serpent spits fire, our fav snake from Eden can summon fire. Fire is also just quite central to his storyline with the bookshop fire, the road/his Bentley setting fire, Heaven trying to burn Aziraphale with fire and the bombing of the church when he saves Aziraphales books.

But there’s some less obvious connections in Job 41 to Crowley. There’sa few interesting verses here that seem to relate to Crowley

Job 41:4

Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?

God isn’t talking about killing the leviathan, he’s talking about enslaving it

Job 41:24

His heart is firm as a stone: yea, as hard as a piece of nether millstone

Nether millstones, according to my googling, are millstones obviously, but it’s also a phrase that indicates something that is tough and unyielding, unlikely to submit. It’s describing the leviathan being unyielding to negotiations. God also says this about the leviathan,

Job 41:29

Darts are counted as stubble: he laughter at the shaking of a spear

I couldn’t help but think all these verses are very Crowley sounding. He is stubborn and willfull, unable to be controlled and won’t submit to servitude. He (both actually and metaphorically) laughed in hell's face when he and Aziraphale were body doubling and the holy water didn’t destroy him.

Crowleys wilfulness and refusal to be subjugated is the reason he fell in the first place. It’s the reason he fell out with Hell as well, he refuses to fully go along with either side. He believes in autonomy and freedom. He said no to Aziraphale because he cannot return to a life he perceives as slavery, especially as Aziraphales ‘second in command’. He doesn’t want to be under anyones command or to command anyone. It’s so against his very nature to return that the suggestion was ridiculous to him. And this chapter of Job is a parallel in that God uses the leviathan as an example because it’s ridiculous to imagine a giant sea monster being enslaved by a human to do his bidding. Just like in the minisode how it’s ridiculous to tell Job to make whales before he can ask God anything.

But that’s the point. That’s the whole conflict of the show, Gods ridiculous answer to everything is that it’s ‘ineffable’ and therefore you can’t ask questions.

I also think it’s also fitting that the leviathan is perceived to be a monster that must be slain or enslaved.

And it makes me think of how Crowley has always been labelled as evil because he fell. I think of how, at heart, he is truly gentle and kind, he’s a starmaker. But his fall, his appearance, his desire to be autonomous and his grey moral campus make him feared and a target. He’s a boat rocker, he keeps asking questions even when he gets told ridiculous answers and that’s the problem for those in power. It makes me think of this quote

“Draw a monster. Why is it a monster?”

-Daughter by Janice Lee.

So in conclusion, not only is Job 41 the chapter that would’ve inspired the scene where Job is talking to god, I think Crowley represents the leviathan being discussed in Job 41.

So do I think this has any meaning/hint to season 3?

I don’t think there’s a direct hint. But it reminded me that Crowleys character is truly unrelenting. He’s a nether millstone. And he won’t give up that easily. He absolutely won’t submit to anyone, and he’s shown time and time again that his blustering about running away disappears as soon as someone or something he cares about is in danger (ie Aziraphale). And the second coming will also threaten his creation (the universe) so I’m really hoping we will see so much more of Crowleys power and history in S3.

I’m really happy I looked into this, because I could be completely off the deep end with this analysis but it actually wouldn’t even matter because this universe Terry and Neil’s created is built around it being transposable. You can put any lens you want on it. And I had fun deep diving into Job 41. I never thought I’d ever say I had fun reading the bible but Neil you did it. Sneaky buggar.

Full chapter of Job 41:

41 Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?

2 Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?

3 Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee?

4 Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?

5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?

6 Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?

7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?

8 Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.

9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?

10 None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?

11 Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.

12 I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.

13 Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?

14 Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.

15 His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.

16 One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.

17 They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.

18 By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

19 Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.

20 Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.

21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.

22 In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.

23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.

24 His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.

25 When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.

26 The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.

27 He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.

28 The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.

29 Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.

30 Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.

31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.

32 He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.

33 Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.

34 He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.

#good omens #crowley #good omens analysis #aziracrow #aziraphale #crowly x aziraphale #good omens s2 #good omens season 2 #ineffable husbands

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ineffablydelighted · 8 months

Text

[How exploring the Ineffable Husbands' dynamic in Good Omens can help us figure out what the show/book is all about, Part 1/?]

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

Ah, Hello! 👋

I'm ineffably delighted to meet you all! 😇

Let's cut to the chase and bear with me as we try together to analyze further the subject of the day:

Aziraphale is in love with Crowley and I am pretty sure he is aware of that fact BUT

[yes, there is a "but", do not erase me from the Book of Life just yet, let me explain first, homie 🥺]

I do not believe he can comprehend WHY he is just yet, and what that would mean for him in terms of... well... EVERYTHING he ever stood for.

It will also be the perfect roots to answer the biggest question yet :

What is Good Omens all about, exactly?

[Yeah, it's a tough one. When I say "bear with me", I really insist on the fact that it will be LONG. I will try my best to make it fun to read and to allow some "natural breaks" but know that I would appreciate your unshared attention if you're willing to give it to me. 😇]

Although, would you have the chance to ask him about it (probably looking at a cup of tea as we would all do in Earthy fashion), Aziraphale would have somewhat of an answer to give you, probably in the range of:

"Because, deep down, Crowley is the nicest being I've ever known."

Is it false? No, Crowley IS nice. Swaggeringly nice, occasionally unhinged, but still. Nice.

And that is somewhat the core of the... "problem" for our soon-to-be Supreme Archangel [Yep, the pain is still fresh, thanks for asking, you're welcome for reminding you 😭👍] because, as much as Crowley learned nuances due to past experiences (Falling being, most likely, the most traumatic one,) Aziraphale remains bound to think in absolutes. And everything relates to THIS perfect meme right there:

[Whoever you are, person/entity who has done that, you have forever my utmost gratitude and respect]

I'm far from bringing anything new to the table here, but to Aziraphale, Crowley should NOT have fallen in the first place. Because of how nice he is. Crowley IS an angel, to him. In fact, I'll go even further by stating that, to Aziraphale,

Crowley is more of an Angel than ANY Angel in the "Main Office."

Let's present our other contestants, shall we?

When he ruled, Gabriel was an absolute a** and had an ego the size of, idk, at least A DOZEN GALAXIES. He made Aziraphale feel like... well... poop most of the time they interacted.

That is why, in S2 when Gabriel/Jim tells him "I love you", Aziraphale, even being and considering himself a "creature of love", happens to be utterly unable to either reciprocate or take the compliment. At this moment, later enhanced when he reminds himself of the Job case, he realizes he is able to feel, if not hatred, NOT love NOR admiration for somebody he should somewhat consider a role model.

That is very important for Aziraphale's present and future character development, especially considering Gabriel/Jim's own fate, so please keep that in mind.

Michael? Oh God, Same if not worse: too condescending and ambitious in the wrong way to inspire anything nice to anybody.

Sandalphon just does what they are told but can totally throw a punch if necessary.

Uriel is mostly cold, occasionally cruel, and can also be physically threatening.

[I love the actress, though. Gloria Obianyo deserves a Ph.D. in Resting Bitch Facing for her performance in Good Omens alone and I'm here for it.]

S2 Saraqael seems to be more layered but has also been hurtful to Aziraphale (especially when she ironized that he couldn't possibly be the 25-Lazarii-magnitude-miracle caster).

Overall, S1 Aziraphale refers to the "Main Office" Angels as "BAD ANGELS!" after their hostile encounter. We could see from his face he would have wanted to use harsher words but couldn't get past his forgiving, decent nature.

Before we talk any furfur-ther [Am I proud of this so-called pun? A-BSOLUTELEH 😎🤭], let's add a really important stone/layer to our favorite Angel's thinking: to him, it is simple maths:

GOOD = RIGHT, BAD = WRONG

And let's save it for later, shall we?

[Killgrave dear is just here to remind you you can take a break anytime to drink a glass of Talisker if you'd like, or, more so, if HE'd like. Also because that character is THE best David Tennant role on television - 10th Doctor being the worthy third, I let you guess which character is our second now - and I might have wanted to use this gif just to be able to say that, who knows? *whispers* Mysssteryyyy...]

Anyway.

To a being like Aziraphale, who mostly thinks in dichotomy, being an Angel requires one main requirement: being GOOD.

[Buy a farrrrrm and be good! Not just "pretendy" good but. properly. GOOD! - NO, I couldn't find the gif and YES, I'm mad about it, but since I'm also unable to make one myself, I'll just shut it.]

That is why he refers to the Main Office Archangels as simply being BAD.

At that moment, they had been mean to him, threatening, and, by doing so, they became somewhat active in Hell's Armageddon project. Making them "bad" angels, but, more so:

Bad at BEING Angels.

Aziraphale, on the other hand, is, at heart, the penultimate goody-two-shoes: he does feel bad about himself whenever he does something bad/wrong such as lying (it has started to change, and I'll nuance that statement another time, but you get the grip).

He is constantly scared he might fall whenever he somewhat defies God's will or the idea he built in his head of what an Angel should be(have).

But have you paid attention to how his "Angelmates" NEVER seem to CARE about their own displays of, let's say "unconventional characteristics" for what should be the highest "Representatives of the sole concept of Good"?

Have you ever seen Gabriel or Michael being self-conscious about their narcissism and condescending tendencies? Uriel about their coldness? Saraqael about their sarcastic nature? Any of them about their use of violence? Of course not! They seem to be perfectly fine with it!

They own their characteristics, good AND bad.

Aziraphale does not.

Aziraphale is... soft. Even if he, at times, expresses regrets to be just that, he also applies it to his Angelic nature.

You know who else is soft?

Crowley.

Crowley is soft because he cannot kill children and takes it upon himself to LITERALLY DEFY BOTH GOD AND SATAN'S WILL TO SAVE SAID CHILDREN, including two annoying ones [especially the one who DARED to hit on Aziraphale but that is a topic for another day]

[MASSIVE Bildad the Shuhite fangirl here, consider yourselves warned.]

Crowley is soft because he cannot even kill GOATS.

Defying both God's and Satan's will to save kids? Yeah, eventually, okay.

Defying God's and Satan's will to save goats? Man, that's so effingly. more. powerful.

[Oh, look! A bird flying, normal thingy, nothing to see here, buh-bye!]

Crowley is soft because he proposes/"tempts" Aziraphale to "eat a spot of lunch", especially whenever his Angel experiences stress.

We have barely seen him eat, which might indicate he does not have such a strong taste for it personally. He only goes to the Ritz to enjoy Aziraphale's company and to watch him happily eat scrumptious, comforting foods.

[Okay, also because it morphed into a proper kink at some point but that is NOT today's subject, so stop trying to make me deviate from it! 😣]

Oh, and, before you bring that up, no, the alcohol motive is not relevant since he can, in all probability have a glass of Talisker in ANY sort of pub/restaurant in London.

[As a proper peated whisky lover who happens to be French, let me tell you this is NOT the case in my country and I'm super duper jealous of you, lads.]

Crowley is soft because he takes care of both Gabriel and Aziraphale's bookshop, even if it is clear he loathes the first and expressingly said he would not be a bookseller "even at gunpoint."

And, by "taking care of", know that I MEAN IT: he kept an eye on Jim, didn't wake him up when he heard him snore, answered any question he had, no matter how seemingly stupid they were [Even if Crowley, of all beings, cannot be anything but a raging "There is no stupid question, only stupid answers" representative] and offered him hot cocoa. As for the Booksho-P[uhhhhh *exhales in asthma*], he attempted to repair Jim's messy ordering twice and meticulously rearranged the place after ✨the Ball✨

[What do you mean, "he also Killgraved him into jumping out of the window?" HE ALSO STOPPED HIM FROM DOING SO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. #NotBiasedInTheSlghtestIndividual]

Crowley is soft because he shares his Bentley with Aziraphale. Which is a VERY. BIG. DEAL. considering it was, at the time, HIS LAST ONE AND ONLY PRIZED POSSESSION.

[Should I mention that the Bentley FALLS IN LOVE with Aziraphale or is debating on whether or not that falls into the Oedipian complex territory off-topic? Yes, I'll see myself out.]

Crowley is soft because he rescues Aziraphale on countless occasions, even though, 99% of the time, that is pretty much unnecessary.

For real, guys: if Aziraphale had been discorporated in the course of his 6000+ years on Earth at any other given moment BUT on the eve of THE WAR with a capital "W", nobody in Heaven would have flinched.

[I do have a theory, though: maybe being re-incorporated takes quite a long time, which would have meant too many years apart from each other, hence the growing Damsel in Distress kink in Aziraphale, idk THAT IS NOT TODAY's SUBJECT, OKAY?!]

Also, Crowley is soft because "doing that makes him so happy".

Do you know who is supposedly "so happy" to save living things, aka GOD'S CREATIONS? Angels.

Crowley is soft because he rescues Aziraphale even when it is ACTUALLY ENDANGERING for both of them

He risked: his life, his pretty comfortable position "he carved out for himself", both his Earthy and Infernal homes sort of speak, AND EVEN HIS CAR to save his Angel's bottom/help him out in the direst situations (like stopping time to stop SATAN HIMSELF.)

[Also his past/present/future existence altogether, but the Bentley is more important, as I'm sure we'll all agree.]

[That is a Class A Protective/Helpful Husband, right there.]

Crowley is soft because he encourages Aziraphale to follow his passion for ✨prestidigitation✨

Even though he is pretty... amateurish at it. Not only does he encourage him, but he also HELPS him when he accepts to be his dashing assistant on stage.

[Yes, he does tell S1 Aziraphale to stop doing magic because he "has no idea how demeaning that is" but I'm pretty sure it was BECAUSE of S2 1941's events. Also, #WeStan1941Crowley here.]

Crowley is soft because he works pretty hard to make two humans he barely knows fall in love.

Yes, he also does it to cover his and Aziraphale's 25-Lazarii-magnitude-miracle lie BUT don't tell me his amazed expression when he thought he was about to witness Nina and Maggie actually falling for each other was not the purest, sincerest of all.

Finally, even if I could come up with more examples,

Crowley is soft because he saved Aziraphale's books JUST because he KNEW and CARED that Aziraphale CARED about said books.

That also, in Michael Sheen's very own opinion [as stated by Neil Gaiman in S1 GO DVD commentary], shared by many fans, and myself very much included, marks the moment

Aziraphale falls in love with Crowley.

[I DARE you to tell me THIS is NOT THE LOOK OF LOVE PERSONIFIED, go on, fight meh.]

So. WHY did it happen at that moment in particular? Well, because, first of all:

As a proper Jane Austen fan, Aziraphale is a slow burner.

Also, to him, an actual Angel, love is everywhere, so differentiating one love from another might be more difficult for somebody who can feel it whether or not it is even their own.

BUT [have you started getting used to my "but"s yet or should I harass you some more?] Let's go back in time to see how every previous encounter (that we know of) led to that pinnacle, shall we?

[Oh and, YES, this sort of essay will be long, and NO, I had no idea how much it would be when I started writing it, and still haven't, tbh 🤷‍♀️]

During part 2, we will also dive a little bit deeper into what Good Omens is all about.

[Yeah... I figured we would all need a break at this point.]