#sorry about your kids sitis

[prophetickisser]

we're a tiny bit busy weathering the wrath of god

A Companion to Owls

#good omens #crowley #bildad the shuhite #david tennant #** #goedit #goodomensgifs #goodomensedit #goodomenssource #userdebs #useremi #once again i just make gifs because i like how the light is here #sorry about your kids sitis

[drconstellation]

i'm sorry i'm a bit slow when it comes to reading comprehension...i thought crowley saves the goats because he doesn't want to kill them, not because they're associated with demons? or did i get that wrong? 🙈

Angelic Sheep and Demonic (Scape)Goats

[Just for reference, the question above was prompted by another meta: Goats, Crows and The Flood]

Thank you for the question. This gives me a chance to write up a sheep and goat meta at length - but I hope you're not going to regret asking it, because its not a simple answer. While I am always saying "it never is in the GOmens AU" I have to admit this one took off with a life of its own (the metas do that sometimes) and has ended up much longer than I thought it would and went to places I didn't expect it to go, but sometimes that is the joy of writing these.

Crowley doesn't want to kill them because he thinks they are innocent and blameless, just like the children of Job - and by extension, we are meant to see he thinks he was unfairly blamed and condemned to be a demon as well. That's it at its most simple level, but by understanding why there is an association between demons and goats will give you a much deeper insight into Crowley's story and why he would act this way. S2 of GOmens is like an onion, you need to peel that thin dry skin off and then slice through several more juicy layers to get the full depth of flavor into the complex meal that has been created for us. Its worth the tears that the chopping of the onion releases in the end. Are you brave enough to find out?

Take the conversation above, between Sitis and Bildad/Crawley. Sitis is a parallel-character to Aziraphale here, wearing the angel's signature teal green, and she questions the demon about the children being threatened with destruction. Then let us put these two parallel scenes side-by side: Sitis vs Bildad and Aziraphale vs Heaven

AZIRAPHALE: Oh. So just his worldly goods. MURIEL: Exactly. Oh, nothing important, no. Just his farm, his camels, his goat, his oxen, his children, his geese… AZIRAPHALE: His WHAT?! MURIEL: His geese. You know, big cross ducks.[flaps arms] AZIRAPHALE: His children?

So we have Sitis looking in horror at a demon at the potential death of her children, and then we have Aziraphale looking in horror at Heaven acting demon-like, not caring if children are destroyed in pursuit of victory over Satan. "Trust in God's plan, Aziraphale. Always," admonishes the shoulder-demon Gabriel (he is so often a shoulder demon - I have words to say about this! - in another meta) In other words, be a good sheep, Aziraphale, and have faith in the Almighty. Don't worry about the goats, or kids. They aren't important.

If you listen carefully during the Job minisode, A Companion to Owls, you'll notice Gabriel prefers to emphasize the number of sheep that will be returned to Job in the end. The Christian church is very big on the sheep imagery! Sheep are considered to be modest, humble, obedient (because they follow one another - you need to be a good follower!) and patient. They follow their shepherd's voice and goes where he directs. (Uh huh...) Followers are described as being part of a flock.

Goats, on the other hand (ah, yes, we'll talk about that in a moment) are considered to be a bit on the nose. Literally. A rutting billy goat is described as having a 'fetid' smell, they can be promiscuous, capricious, devious (wily?) and contrary. Their strong-mindedness, singleness of purpose and leadership qualities (!*) make them the opposite of sheep. While going your own independent way is frowned upon by Heaven, this leading quality of the goat is sometimes used to lead the sheep.

"There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king with his army around him." Proverbs 30: 29-31

Did you get a good whiff of that sinister archangel, Shax?

(oh boy, some of the stuff I found researching this for more detail...such as "going your own way creates disunity...this leads others astray..." wtf! Looking at this in context with the show makes it kind of, well, some things make more sense to me now? I guess that's a big reflection on the kind of culture I personally grew up in, because I know there are cultures where unity and togetherness is looked upon as happiness and harmony.)

In the tv show, we know the scene blocking - where the characters stand - has great importance. Standing on the right-hand shoulder of another character makes them a shoulder-angel (the dexter side), standing on the left a shoulder-demon (the sinister side.) By watching who stands where usually tells us what moral stance they are taking in that scene.

If we take the example from the Job minisode below, we can see quite an interesting dynamic from the scene blocking. On the left, we have Sitis and Job, who is crouching down. They are an Aziraphale-Crowley parallel-pair, and they are even colour-coded with their colours! Sitis, in Aziraphale's teal on the angelic right of yellow tunic-wearing Job, who's modelling Crowley's suffering for sin but without understanding why. Job has crouched down to highlight Crowley's entrance. On the right the glowing angels are arrayed - Michael on the angelic right shoulder, Gabriel in the middle (more often than not he stands on the demonic left) but this time Aziraphale is taking the far left demonic position, and we know why - he's about to lie like a demon! But even on a grander scale, Sitis, Job and Crowley all stand on the angelic RHS of the visiting angels, making the archangels and Aziraphale all collectively LHS demons in this scene. And Gabriel thought they'd won the bet...*snort*

You should all take a moment to appreciate this piece of Art. Go on. Do it.

Sheep and goats had this right- and left-handedness meted out to them long ago in the bible. The sheep belong to the morally righteous right-hand side, of course, the side of angels, and the goats to the demonic left.

But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Matthew 25:31-33

This passage and the following lines from Matthew describes how Jesus will judge the righteous from the sinners, and those who have been deemed good will be saved, but those who are deemed unworthy will be treated like goats: "Then he will say also to those on the left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the the devil and his angels" Matthew 25:41

So we've established the link between goats being demons, and the left-hand side, so they have an affinity with Crowley. We can do a bit of humorous visual and word play between kids and children.

Children.

ah.

oh. OH. Hang on a minute...

Lets just take a step back to the beginning of the minisode, where Crawley delivers his short monologue to the assembled goats.

CRAWLEY: You should know why you're about to die. God has abandoned you. The God who claims to love you, who demands your praise, has given you up to be destroyed.

They're rather small goats, aren't they. The kind of size that makes you wonder if they are goat children or grown goats... you know, it doesn't matter - they are little, cute and innocent. You are meant to associate them with kids, now, and in the past. (Like, in the way, way back past. Like not just the Flood, but the Before the Beginning past.) What matters is Crawley's speech to them, because it sounds very much like him repeating his own experience about his Fall from Heaven. We already know from S1 there is a conflict around Crowley's Fall involving wanting to ask God questions. We get to explore this further several times in S2.

Then later, after emerging from Job's cellar, they witness God talking to Job.

AZIRAPHALE: I don't suppose he's getting any answers. CRAWLEY: No. But just to be able to ask the question.

We don't hear all the lines God speaks to Job, but we hear enough to them to understand that they come from the Book of Job 38 and 39. The context behind these two verses is...interesting. I was going to delve into them a little more but I think that will get us off track on this meta, so perhaps I should come back and revisit it separately, but we can note that several ops have pointed out that the lines we do hear God speak clearly to Job can be connected to Crowley. There are no coincidental accidents in S2.

But just look at Job in that last image - the light of God shining brightly down through a hole in the clouds, darkness all around...

Hmm. Remind you of anything. Like maybe... another Voice from above?

Who we've seen has shown a particular dislike for a certain demon, even though most certainly remembers what his name is.

METATRON: Ah, well, always did want to go his own way. Always asking damn fool questions, too.

Well, doesn't that sound just like a demon goat.

That withering look the Metatron gave Crowley in S2E6, the comment about asking "damn fool questions," - just about the only conclusion you can come to is that the Metatron had something to do with Crowley's Fall. What and how exactly is still unclear, but there are some clues in Gabriel's story, as Gabriel is acting as both a parallel and foil to Crowley in S2. At this point we should also talk about the scapegoat ritual that was widely practiced around the near Middle East regions for quite some time.

The scapegoat ritual involved two young goats being chosen for sacrifice, but one of them had the sins of the community spoken over them then set free to wander into the desert wilderness to die, while the other was sacrificed as a Burnt offering to God. This was a symbolic way of removing sins from the community.

It is also applied to the Passion of Jesus. When the gathered crowds are offered the choice between letting Jesus or Barabbas go free, they choose Barabbas. I've written at length how I see this applied to S2 in this meta here: The Passion of Jimbriel: Resurrection and while Gabriel and Crowley share the role of Jesus fairly equally throughout the Passion story line, there is one point it can be split and Gabriel becomes the Barabbas and the goat that was released into the wilderness and Crowley becomes Jesus on the cross - but he turns into the sacrificial lamb! Perhaps that needs to be changed to the burnt offering...

I know there are quite a few meta ops that are aware of the scapegoat ritual, and more often than not I see Aziraphale being suggested as the current scapegoat. But the way I see the ritual being used in GO is not so much in the present story but in the past, and Crowley was the unwilling scapegoat for the rebelling angels that fell.

OK, I think I've run out spoons on this meta, but seeing how its managed to be at least twice the size I initially envisioned it to be, and its since generated two more meta ideas in the writing of it on top of the ones I'm already trying to do, that isn't too bad.

I'll wrap it up by saying no matter who the scapegoat is, Aziraphale needs to let his inner lion out so he can be The GOAT in S3. I'm sure the original nanny-goat will applaud that.

*talking about that topic...I should have a meta out soon centered around Crowley and Gabriel that will cover this. I will probably come back and edit a link in to it.

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens meta #crowley #goats #sheep #crows #job minisode #a companion to owls #aziraphale #gabriel #michael #muriel #the metatron #shoulder angels #dexter vs sinister #scapegoat

[snek-eyes]

Hello! What do you mean that Crowley is cold in the flashback with Job? Like, in a mean way? I always found he acts a little cool and demonic to keep up the charade knowing him acting demonic and uncaring will better veil the fact that he didn't kill the goats and doesn't intend to harm the kids since we know he'll be in big trouble if anyone finds out. And he knows everything will be fine, and that the kids won't get hurt and that the animals are safe as well so I figure that's a big factor in him seeming so cool/lacking compassion in the scene with Sitis. It reminded me a little of the scene in S1 where he turns the paintball guns into real ones and acts all cool and careless about it until begrudgingly admitting that nobody gets shot 🤔

Oh! And I forgot to add: the cool, rather uncaring demeanour Crowley has with Sitis is the same he first has with Aziraphale when he "kills" the goats and when he tells him he longs to destroy Job's blameless children. Until he realizes Aziraphale isn't on Heaven's side with this. Anyways, sorry for the ramble and I love reading your meta!

(re: this post)

Hi there! Never any need to apologize for rambling to me, discussions like this are fun, and you are drawing some very good points. And it gives me an excuse to put more thought into this!

To clarify, by "cold" I'm not saying Crowley's being mean, but he's definitely not being nice. Crowley is a "kind but not nice" big picture kinda guy, and he's got a lot of plates to be juggling here.

This is the one real time we see Crowley "at work." Like you said, acting as a demon. But not the bwahaha type of demon Aziraphale keeps bringing up with his 'avaunt!' and 'I bring a warning!' over-the-top angel shtick.

Crowley's got a wall up, by necessity. He comes across sort of... aloof and impatient, verging on condescending at points. He's steering this interaction by his plan and can't be stopped by how these people are suffering in the meantime.

And yet he's doing all he is with Job's family because he cares. Crowley thinks it's not fair that Job's being put through this, that God still has Sitis's faith even now. How much of that is the specific situation in front of him, and how much is him projecting his own trauma isn't exactly clear and I think kind of irrelevant. They're both at play. Crowley I'm sure would love to pretend he doesn't care about either.

But these humans are simultaneously A) in his way and B) not at fault. Crowley is a big picture guy: He does his best work on a large scale, he's fond of humans in general but they're often too much for him one on one. He'll support sacrificing one life to save the whole world (And yet, he won't personally pull the trigger) (But he will get frustrated when Aziraphale won't either)

Basically, Crowley can be frustrated by individuals enough to not be comforting while they're upset, to turn them into newts, etc. while also able to see on the broader scale that being annoying to him personally isn't reason enough to deserve truly awful things. Also there's some element of not wanting to let himself get attached because if he cares he will care.

That's a fascinating character trait, especially when you contrast him with Aziraphale who also has a big heart, but often gets distracted by that big picture of how things Should be.

I have more to say about your second message, because I actually think there's an important difference in his attitude with Sitis & Job vs how he's confronting Aziraphale there. But I've been turning this part over for long enough, so I'll release it into the wild.

#vee replies #Anon and on and on #good omens meta #v watches good omens #job flashback #a companion to owls

[iwyzz]

♡ All too well ♡

♡Pairing : neteyam × f!omaticaya!reader

♡warnings : crying, arguments

♡: fluff, angst

notes : english is not my first language. so I'm sorry for any mistakes.

《Btw》: I changet the lyric a little bit to fit in the story

Enjoyyy!! ♡

I walked through the door with you, the air was cold. But something 'bout it felt like home somehow

You walked with Neteyam into his family's hut for the first time. It was cold but you felt nice and safe. "I like your hut" you said when you two were laying in his hamock. "I'm glad you like it." He smiled "But I'm scared about meeting your family here" you looked up from his chest into his eyes. "You don't need to be scared. It will be okay. My parents or even my siblings won't kill you. And you know Kiri and Tuk a little bit so it will be alright." You nodded your head. He was right

And I left my scarf there in your sister's hamock

"You've still got it in your draw, even now?" You asked Neteyam when you were looking for your items to make Tuk a new bracelet and noticed your scarf. "Well yeah. But I still don't get why you have it" you laughed at his confused tone. "The sky people wear it when It's cold and I wanted to try to wear it too" you shrugged. "Fine, then you need to start wearing another one. I will keep this red one" you looked at him and smiled. He did keep it.

Oh, your sweet disposition and my wide-eyed gaze

Sitiing on the grass playing with Neteyam's hair was calming. Moments like these were one of your favorites. You looked down to your lap to see Neteyam looking at you. "What?" You asked "Nothing. You are just so beautiful" He saw the blush on your cheeks but you still tried to hide it by looking at the tree in front of you "Don't look away from me, my love" he chuckled and took your chin between his two finger making you look down at him. "You are beautiful. And I love you so much" you blushed again. "I love you too" Were you Naive? Maybe.

We're flying on your kran, getting lost upstate. Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place.

You were enjoying the view from Neteyam's ikran. "You are not scared anymore?" Neteyam asked behind you "Should i be?. Look how beautiful it is" He smiled. "Look down there!" You poited under the two of you with your index finger. "It's amazing!" You were amazed by it. Then you flied throught a falling leaves. You lauged while putting your arms up to touch the leaves. "How beautiful"..

And I can picture it after all these days. And I know it's long gone and. That magic's not here no more. And I might be okay, but I'm not fine at all

You were telling this memory to Kiri after you and Neteyam broke up. "It was amazing" you sighed "but well..Its not here anymore" She smiled sadly at you "It will be okay again Y/n" You nodded your head "i know. I just miss it, miss him so much" you wipped your tears "I don't know how to get myself together" Maybe it will get better. But when? You didn't know

'Causе there we are again on that little meadow. You almost ran over the stump 'cause you were lookin' over at me.

"Well it was amazing today" you were telling him about your day. He was listening carefully sometimes nodding to tell you that he is following the story. "Kiri and Tuk told me that you found some new place today" he smiled when he saw you nodding happily clearly remembering the moment. "Yeah, yeah. We did. It's so beautiful. The flowers and trees are making it look like dream." Neteyam's eyes were starting at you and you smiled when you noticed but stopped saying "Wait!" when you saw him almost running over the stump. He laughed looking at you again "Well i almost Killed myself today" You laughed at his note. Wind in your hair, You were there You remember it all too well..

Photo album on the counter, your cheeks were turning purple. You used to be a little kid with glasses in a twin-sized bed.

You smiled when you saw his cheeks turning purple. He was blushing while you were looking through the album. "Look at you on this photo!" You said happily showing him photo of himself. "Its so embarassing, love" you shaked your head "It's not. I like your old photos" he smiled "I didn't know ypu wore glasses" you looked at him "Well you know now" nodding your head saying "they suited you".

And your mother's telling stories 'bout you on the first training.

You were laughing along with Neytiri. "I wish i could see it" she nodded still laughing "Me too. But even though Jack just told me this story its funny." You two stopped laughing after a second. "Do he remember it?" She shaked her head "I don't think so. But when we told him this he was so embarassed." She chuckled.

You tell me 'bout your past, thinking your future was me.

You were smiling, looking into his eyes, standing in front of him on the spot you two exposed your feelings for each other. You didn't know what was coming. "I love you" he suddenly said. Your lips parted a little bit at the surprise. You thought he sees you "I love you" You said a little sad about the words. "Some years ago i wouldn't even think about standing here with you in my arms but now? Now I know you are the one" . You smiled. Not knowing what was coming.

We were always skipping forest.

Flying on your ikrans, laughing and enjoying every second with each other. "I will win this time" you yelled at Neteyam. "No, I don't think so". Ofc you didn't win.

And I was thinking on the drive down, any time now. He's gonna say he sees me..

Smiling and hoping that the three words will leave his lips any minute. "You enjoying the view, yawne?" He asked. Even though you were tired you still looked at the nature around you. "Yeah. But I want to sleep" he chuckled "Then sleep. I will take you home after we arrive.." ..you never called it what it was.

Till we were dead and gone and buried. Check the pulse and come back swearing it's the same.

After three months in the grave. And then you wondered where it went to as I reached for you.

His heart skipped a beat. Your heart too. The two of you felt like the pulse wasn't there. He was wondering why. "I love you. I won't end it" he said. "You yelled at me literally for caring about you then said you think this won't work anymore and now you are saying this?" You were confused. You didn't do anything. "I know, I know. And I'm sorry. I will make it up to you. Just don't do this to me" ofc you didn't do it...

But all I felt was shame and you held my lifeless frame.

It was like He was holding your lifeless body after the fight. You were so tired of everything. You felt ashamed. You should just end it..

And I know it's long gone and. There was nothing else I could do.

You were again arguing "Its happening again. I don't know what to do, 'teyam" he shaked his head knowing that you wanted it to end. "I love you so much okay? I just didn't think in that moment" he walked closer to you "just give me another chance. The last one. Okay? I don't want to loose you" you just looked at him for a second before nodding your head. There was something else you could do..

And I forget about you long enough. To forget why I needed to.

Kiri shaked her head "Don't get me wrong, I love my brother but you just need to move on" you sighed. "I know. I just can't" she looked you in the eyes "Or you don't want to?" You eyes widened at her words. Maybe. "Why I need to get over him? It has been so long." Kiri hated the words leaving your lips "I can't believe it. You were hurted, crying yourself to sleep and now you just say this?" You couldn't believe it too. "Maybe you are right, I don't want to forget him" the last thing you remember is Kiri's eyes widening.

Cause there we are again in the middle of the night. We're dancing ‘round the forest in the moonlight.

His hands on your waist, your hands around his neck and head on his chest. "Is this how the sky people dance?" He asked. You laughed "Yeah. But like on the dates or weddings or like we right now. Just because they want to" he smiled "I like it". You looked at him in the eyes "I think its time for me to say I see you" you were shocked. Your eyes starting to tear up. Neteyam took your silenece as a reason for not being ready to say it back "If you are not ready to say it back, It's okay." you shaked your head "No, no, It's not that" you smiled "I just thought you would never say it" you took a deep breath "I see you". he smiled, pulling you closer to him and started dancing slowly again. I was there. I remember it all too well

And there we are again when nobody had to know

"Shh you need to be quiet or they will find out" he whispered when you chuckled a little. You were sneaking out together. Where? You didn't know. Maybe just to take a walk around the village. "Maybe we should tell them" You said while walking in the forest "It's too early, my love" you looked at him confused "three months are too early?" He turned his head looking at you "I just-" he took a deep breath "I want to take things slow. I don't want to rush our relationship" you nodded "Okay. You are right. I'm sorry" Why?

You kept me like a secret but I kept you like an oath.

Crying in Neteyam's arms was..embarassing for you for some reason. "Its okay. I'm here" his strong arms were wrapped around your body, keeping you close to his chest. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry" he shaked his head "Don't be. It's okay." You pulled away from him, looking into his eyes "Maybe your parents are right. You need someone strong and responsible. Someone who won't cry in your arms because of stupid things" his eyes softened "What?" He didn't know ypu heard him talking with his parents about finding the next Tsahik. "I heard you talking with your parents and they are right. Look I can't even keep you like a secret anymore." He smiled putting his hand on your cheek "I want only you. Only you, ma yawne" He wipped your tears. You didn't keep him like a secret, you kept him like an oath..

Sacred prayer, and we'd swear. To remember it all too well, yeah.

"No. Neteyam, you promised me to be careful. But you weren't" you said looking at his body full od bruises and wounds. "You almost died today" he walked to you "I know. But I came back. I came back to you." He put his hand on your arm, caressing it. "I'm here with you. Alive.". After this you found you two laying in the grass just enjoying each others presence. "I swear to remember this all even after leaving this world." He suddenly said making you surprised. You looked at him smiling "I swear to remember this too". And you did remember it. All to well.

Maybe we got lost in translation. Maybe I asked for too much.

All you wanted was him to look at you like at thhe only one he ever loved. You wanted him to keep you save, to whisper in your ear calming things when you were sad, you wanted him to love you. And he did. But sometimes you just felt you asked for too much.

Running scared, I was there. I remember it all too well.

And you call me up again, Just to break me like a promise.

It was some time after your break up with Neteyam. You shaked your head at his words "No" he looked at you confused, not expecting your words "I won't do this" you said showing the two of you with your hand. You looked at him, you eyes watering "I can't and I won't" he made a step foward you "I love you" you scoffed, shaking your head "You don't. You know you don't, 'teyam". He knew you were right "I know. It was a mistake. The break up was a mistake. I shouldn't do it." You wipped your tears "Just let me go Neteyam" Crying yourself to sleep the same night. Just thinking about all these things. Just remembering it all too well.

So casually cruel in the name of being honest. I'm a crumpled up piece of paper lying here.

Lying your head on Kiri's lap, she playing with your hair. "I don't know what to do. It is good thing that we broke up?" You looked up at her "Well I was a big fan of you two. But to be honest you were just killing yourselfs. It's good that you ended it before the relationship could hurt you more." She looked down at you "Don't cry." She wipped your tears "I feel so weird. And so phatetic. It's like tenth time i'm crying to you" she shaked her head "you are not phatetic. You just remember it all" All, All Too well

They say all's well that ends well but I'm in a new hell. Every time you double-cross my mind.

You said if we had been closer in age maybe it would have been fine. And that made me want to die

Before Neteyam and you started dating he was scared of your age gap. Even though its just 2 years it was long for him for some reason. You were friends but he was always saying "It's better for us to just stay friends. Our age is not the same". And when you were fighing over something he always said "It's the age". You always rolled your eyes at his note. You hated it. That was why you were more angry than sad when you heard Neteyam talking to Lo'ak saying "Maybe if we were closer in age it would end up differently" Pff lie.

The idea you had of me who was she. A never-needy ever lovely jewel whose shine reflects on you

He was the next Olo'eyktan and you were a healer in the village. Was he not embarassed dating you? No. You were the prettiest girl in the village. Maybe he was proud to date you. But maybe embarassed. Was he happy with you? Or bored? Were you enough? Or just lovely jewel?

Not weeping in your hut. Your sister asking me what happened. You, that's what happened: you

Wipping your tears while walking to the healers hut. "Are you okay, Y/n?" Tuk asked when you entered the hut "I'm okay. Tuk don't worry" you smiled "What happened?" You furrowed your eyebrows "Nothing. I'm okay. Really,Tuk" she looked at you for a second then nodding her head. "Okay."

You, who charmed my dad with self effacing jokes. Talking about everything like you're on a late night show.

You weren't scared about Neteyam meeting your parents. He was the next Olo'eyktan they knew him and knew that he was sweet and kind. Your parents loved him immediately. Especially your dad loved him. He was charming and funny and your parents mainly your dad loved that. Your father and Neteyam always talked about everything. Really everything. And after meeting Neteyam he told you something you will never forget. "He's a good guy. If he won't hurt you, keep him."

But then he watched me watch the front door all night willing you to come

You looked up from the bracelet you were making just to see your mom walk in. "You are waiting for someone?" Your dad asked when he noticed the disappointed in your eyes. You shaked your head no, going back to making the bracelet. In the middle of the night you were sitting in your hamock willing he would show up. But he didn't. So you just stared at the etrance not knowing your dad was watching your sad face.

And he said it's supposed to be fun turning fifteen.

"You are not going out with your friends?" Your mom asked when you were helping her cook. "No, It's almost eclipse. And I'm tired" you said. "You should have fun on your birthday" you smiled at your dads words "I am having fun with you two".

Time won't fly, it's like I'm paralyzed by it. I'd like to be my old self again, but I'm still trying to find it

After plaid shirt days and nights when you made me your own. Now you mail back my things and I walk home alone.

Your stomach hurted from how hard you were laughing. "It happened a long time ago, love" Neteyam chuckled "I know but that doesn't mean it's not funny" you smiled. Wearing one of Neteyam's plaid shirts, which he got from the lab and him wearing a neklace you made for him to match with you, was making you feel so happy. Your head on his shoulder while his arm was around your body made you think you were his. That was why you were crying when you walked from the spot, this happened, alone now. And that was why you were crying when you saw the neklace in the box with your things.

But you keep my old scarf from that very first week.

You were babysitting Tuk because Neytiri and Jake were on a date, Kiri was helping her grandmother in the healing hut and Neteyam and Lo'ak were hunting. You were telling Tuk a fairytale about a Princess and a Prince. "I'm cold." Tuk suddenly said. You smiled handing her a big red scarf. She happily took it from you and wrapped it around her. "Neteyam has the same one. But the one he has is smaller." You looked at her confused "Wait, really?" She nodded "Yeah. He always uses it like i pillow" she laughed "I don't understand why" Why he didn't give it back?

'Cause it reminds you of innocence and it smells like me

"But why would he keep it, Kiri?" You were telling her about what Tuk told you. You were confused. "I don't know" she shrugged "But he gave me my things back! He even gave me the neklace i gave him!" She looked at you surprised "Wait, he really gave you the neklace back?" You nodded "Yeah. So why would he keep something that is mine?" Then she realized something. Her eyes widening a little "What?" You asked "Maybe it reminds him of you" she looked in your "He can't get rid of it. 'Cause he remember it all too well" ..Yeah

'Cause there we are again when I loved you so. Back before you lost the one real thing you've ever know

Laying in Neteyam's arms, listening to his heart beat was something you did almost every day when you two had a break from everythingsnd everyone. "This one looks like a flower" he pointed at one of the clouds on the sky. "Yeah you are right" you said "You don't see it right?" You shaked your head no. He started laughing "Stop. It's not my fault". You looked up to see him already looking at you. "You are so handosme" his cheeks started turning purple "Neteyam is blushing" he hid his face in his hands "Stop hiding your handosme face from me". Oh, how you loved him ..

It was rare, I was there. I remember it all too well. Wind in my hair, you were there. You remember it all

Your relationship with Neteyam was amazing. Even though he wasn't acting the same in the end you wouldn't change anything about your relationship with him. He made you feel like the most perfect girl on the planet. He made you feel loved. It was rare for you. For everyone.

Down the stairs, you were there. You remember it all. It was rare, I was there. I remember it all too well

And I was never good at telling jokes but the punch line goes. I'll get older but your lovers stay my age

From when your Brooklyn broke my skin and bones. I'm a soldier who's returning half her weight

And did the twin flame bruise paint you blue. Just between us did the love affair maim you too

Cause in this city's barren cold I still remember the first fall of snow. And how it glistened as it fell, I remember it all too well

Just between us did the love affair maim you all too well. Just between us do you remember it all too well

You knew he remember it. You knew he remember every single thing all too well.

Just between us I remember it, (just between us), all too well

You can't forget anything that happened. Anything that happened in the relationship and anything that happened after the relationship. Maybe bacause it was rare..

Wind in my hair I was there, I was there. Down the stairs I was there, I was there

You looked into his eyes, seeing love. "I love your hair" he suddenly said "I love how they look when the wind is in them" you smiled.

Sacred prayer I was there, I was there. It was rare you remember it all too well

Wind in my hair I was there, I was there. Down the stairs I was there, I was there

Sacred prayer I was there, I was there. It was rare you remember it

Wind in my hair I was there, I was there. Down the stairs I was there, I was there

Sacred prayer I was there, I was there. It was rare you remember it

Wind in my hair I was there, I was there. Down the stairs I was there, I was there

Sacred prayer I was there, I was there. It was rare you remember it

__________________________________

Hii! ♡

I hope you like it.

It has been a while.

But here I am with another neteyam×reader!

Thank you for reading btw♡.

#neteyam #avatar #neteyam×omaticayareader #neteyam×reader #all too well

[comicteaparty]

July 12th, 2018 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on July 12th, 2018, from 5PM - 7PM PDT.  The chat focused on The Guide to a Healthy Relationship by Dani .

Featured Comment:

Chat:

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

COMIC TEA PARTY START!

Good day everyone~! This week’s Comic Tea Party is now officially beginning~! Today we are discussing The Guide to a Healthy Relationship by Dani~! (https://tapas.io/series/TGtaHR) For those new or in need of a reminder, discussions about the comic are freeform, so please feel free to bring up whatever you wish. However, every 30 minutes I will be dropping in a discussion question to help those who would like a prompt. These questions are totally OPTIONAL to answer, and you can pay them no mind if you wish. If you miss out on any though, they’ll be pinned for the duration of the chat once they’re posted~! Remember, constructive criticism is allowed, but the primary focus here is to have fun and appreciate the amazing comics that the community makes~! As a bonus, each chat a top comment will be picked and featured in the archives and on an ad for CTP! All that being said, let’s get started and have a great discussion!

QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?

snuffysam

i don't know why, but the scene where apollo is asking around and trying to find julian really stuck with me. it's not the most artistically vivid scene (there are quite a few of those), but that one stood out.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

anything particular that made it stand out to you? just asking out of curiosity cause honestly i barely remember that scene just because its not the most artisticially vivid(edited)

snuffysam

i'm not sure. i think apollo realizing he wasn't crazy in seeing julian the other night made me feel, like, emotions.

turnish

Really any scene with Julian that exhibits his psychosis are ones that I particularly like Like, I find it very relatable and the art just perfectly displays what that Actually Feels Like imo

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Hello!

snuffysam

the way the art reflects mental states in general is incredibly well done

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Just wanted to pop in and say hi.

turnish

I agree

snuffysam

hi justin

turnish

Hi!

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

hi justin

yeah i have to agree with turnish that my fave scenes are probably the ones showing julian's mental problems. although i think the one that sticks with me the most is the one where julian is talking to a younger version of himself and his younger version is calling him lazy. i feel like its a great blend of mental illness but kind of normal self esteem issues perhaps. in that he does seem kind of sick yet here his younger self is berating him. @snuffysam thats a fair point. i did feel emotions when it turned out apollo was indeed not crazy. XD

turnish

HH YEAH that was like a punch to the gut

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

If I had to say anything about this comic, it's got a really nice traditional artstyle and all the detail in the characters populating the pages

And some great BG work too

DanitheCarutor

Hello everyone! I'm the creator of 'The Guide to a Healthy Relationship', I'll be helping my ma out with dinner so I won't be on much, but just wanted to pop in to say hi and answer any questions and such whenever possible.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Hi Dani!

snuffysam

hi dani!

turnish

Hi!

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

thanks for coming dani~!

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Great to have ya here~

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yes. i really like the day of time reflections. particularly i think the way night is portrayed is really spectacular. https://tapas.io/episode/804141 like that page. youve got the light glow effects going on, you have some excellent reflections on the door that really make it look like night. its just all really well done.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Yes

it's all very well done

especially the glow from the sity

snuffysam

the colors and lighting are just incredible

in general

turnish

i reread it today entirely bc my brain is Crap and i don’t remember stuff well but man i agree

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

lol

snuffysam

yeah i probably should have done that lol

turnish

The night is still young

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

indeed

I wonder how you do sunsets cause I have a soft spot for epic sunsets

turnish

tbh big same

snuffysam

I like how the colors are shaded with completely different colors most of the time (e.g. a blue shirt has orange shading). that's super cool to me. something that very few artists do.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Same

Colored shading alone is awesome when done right

turnish

color theory is so important

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

and it also brings out the colors themselves

snuffysam

it also helps capture that feel of night time. which is when most of this story takes place.

turnish

yeah! agreed

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

This is a cool looking comic all around

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yeah there are really just great color choices all around. i especially like the contrasts. cause one of my biggest issues with traditionally colored comics is theres not usually enough contrasts. so everything kind of winds up looking muted and its hard to tell things apart from one another. but i feel this comic doesnt have that problem at all

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

and all in traditional too!

and I second that

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

I made it. ^^ I'm inclined towards the Julian scenes too, though I actually liked the scene where he was doing his janitor stuff and tidying up, making things sparkling. In retrospect, it was nice to see him (seemingly) taking pride in something.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Hey Math!

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Also, I'm very impressed by going the traditional route with such a blend of colours.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

QUESTION 2. Given he was supposed to be dead, Julian’s appearance in Apollo’s life opens up many questions. First off, do you believe this is indeed Julian, or do you have reason to doubt this claim? What do you think Julian meant by telling Apollo that, “his friend is dead?” Was it just a way to get Apollo to leave, or is there a deeper meaning? Where do you think Julian has been all this time? Throughout, we also see that Julian has both physical and implied mental health problems. Do you believe this has something to do with his appearance? Do you think Julian dealt with these problems all his life or are they a new development? Lastly, where do you think Julian came from considering Apollo relays they pretty much found him in a bag?

DanitheCarutor

Ah! Thank you all! Seeing the positive reactions to Julian's mentally ill scenes is really encouraging. I've been doing a lot of research on the subject since I've never experienced it myself, and it's tough to know when it's being done well. Also I feel so bad for having Julian ruin that emotional scene with Apollo, slamming the door in his face was kind of a mood killer. Lol. @Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨ A sunset scene is going to be coming up in a couple pages, so we'll all see how that turns out. xD I've never drawn a sunset before.

DanitheCarutor

Sorry! I type a lot, and I type slow.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

SUNSET SCENE CONFORMED

and that's alright!

snuffysam

I think Julian metaphorically died when... something happened to him. Don't know what.

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

I think there's a deeper meaning in that the person he was doesn't exist any more. Though honestly, I'm not sure they were as good of friends as Apollo thinks; Julian seemed to keep to himself even then.

snuffysam

Julian was a nice person to Apollo, but I'm not sure if he ever really liked him.

turnish

when reading “your friend is dead” I chose to interpret that as the Julian Apollo once knew no longer exists, and Julian considers himself a different person now. or he’s running away from his past

i think i made the same point as math whoops

snuffysam

in terms of where he came from, i'd imagine russia, because he only spoke russian

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

It may be worth saying that, as a 40 year old teacher, I don't think I'm the demographic for this comic. Every time I see Apollo I kind of want to get in his face and shout "shape up man!". If he was as oblivious now as he was in the past, I kind of get why Julian would want to move on from his old life.

snuffysam

yeah honestly i get why julian wouldn't be too psyched about seeing apollo again. he's kind of a difficult person to have in your life.

especially if you have your own mental health problems to deal with

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i feel apollo is a bit self involved and just wouldnt notice julian's suffering. so while julian was there to care for apollo, apollo wouldnt notice when someone needed to care for julian persay

snuffysam

i second that

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

I think Julian saying something to the effect of "I don't have what you need" kind of emphasizes that.

That time Apollo jumped out of the bushes.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Lol, Prince

I lost it when you brought up "shape up man!"

snuffysam

i wouldn't want to go back to that kind of one-sided relationship either tbh

DanitheCarutor

Aw man, those are really good questions, with some really good answers! I won't confirm much because I like things being left open for interpretation, but Apollo is 100% a moron. Also I don't mind throwing it out that he's a homeschool kid, so no social skills.

turnish

I love a moronic boy

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

tbf i could also see the hes dead mean something deeper. like maybe julian was in an accident and lost part of his memories. like all the good memories of apollo and just remembers the shitty times.

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Also "Get off my lawn". (Your drunk ass is scaring the squirrels.)

snuffysam

that's awfully convenient re: losing all positive memories of someone

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Interesting, so I guess Julian was homeschooled too? Since they grew up together?

(Also, for a moment I read that as "Apollo is 100% a mormon" and I did a double take.)

snuffysam

yeah that doesn't exactly fit with most of the stuff he's done lol

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Rebel: Maybe? I kind of feel like Julian might have faked his death to get away from creditors and people who just generally were treating him lousy though. But maybe things didn't go as planned.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Perhaps

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

What's kind of interesting is how Apollo has problems too, with his eyesight, so you'd think he'd be able to empathize a bit with Julian having his own issues. But it does seem like he doesn't have much experience with that.

snuffysam

empathy and sympathy both seem to be problems for apollo

DanitheCarutor

Math: Lmao! Oh no, not a mormon! But for the homeschool question, nah. Julian is a public school kid, they hung out almost 24/7 but they grew up in different environments with Julian staying in an orphanage and Apollo living in a fancy house.

snuffysam

especially when it comes to julian

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Ahhh, interesting. I think I misunderstood and thought he'd been adopted like a brother. That adds an interesting element of class to things too.

Apollo is very much "live in the moment". I would not want him doing my tax returns.

snuffysam

the fancy homeschool tutors may have neglected to teach him, like, responsibility

going back to what rebel said - were there any positive memories of apollo julian had to begin with?

like, even apollo's recap at the beginning paints himself in a bad light

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

probably. homeschool can be pretty lax from what i hear. so apollo's education in general might have sucked.

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Maybe they went sledding together.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

and yeah its possible that julian doesnt have positive memories

albeit there must of been a reason julian chose to ahng out with apollo

snuffysam

though that may have something to do with apollo's mental state making himself out to be worse than he was

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

and why julian didnt make an effort to move farther away

cause if i didnt want someone to find me i would not be living in driving distance of them

snuffysam

maybe he couldn't move further. relocating is hard

especially if you don't have financial means

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

true but he has had something like 5 years to make arrangements. i think 5 years. its years at least. but it really all depends where he was. it could be that hes been in the hospital or something

or a mental hospital

DanitheCarutor

Misunderstandings is totally understandable, a lot of stuff in the comic is very vague right now, and some of it will only be shown in snippets. I can't say much, but Julian does have some positive memories, there's just not many and it's harder to focus on the good over the bad.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Yea

DanitheCarutor

Also as a homeschool student myself, the education does suck. I pretty much cheated my way through middle school because my teacher was a Christian booklet.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Oh really?

That's... interesting

DanitheCarutor

Oo! Since this isn't super important, Julian and Apollo actually grew up in Ohio in a town based of Newark. When Apollo "grew up" he moved to a city in California based of a mix of San Diego and LA.

snuffysam

is it possible julian faked his own death specifically to get rid of apollo for a while? like, he didn't have the capacity to take care of him anymore, so he just cut him out of his life.

lol "grew up" in quotes

so yeah, julian may not have known where apollo was, and didn't intend to be in the same city as him

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

man now thats got to be the shittiest coincidence

julian is like "im free from apollo oh shit wait theres apollo"

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

No kidding

snuffysam

yeah, but looking at julian's reaction - he clearly did not intend to run into apollo any time soon

DanitheCarutor

"and Julian's evening was ruined" -ugly cry-

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i wonder if apollo just didnt even know how julian "died." like one day whoever took care of julian was just like "nah man he dead" and apollo just made a goofy face and accepted it

QUESTION 3. Despite most definitely being adult, protagonist Apollo is a little bit immature. Why do you believe Apollo is so irresponsible? Is it just his personality, or are his habits a way to avoid certain aspects of his life? Do you think his ocular albinism plays a role in why he acts the way he does? Do you think it will be good for Apollo to reconnect with Julian, or will the events of the past send Apollo into a downward spiral? What do you think Daniel’s role will be in Apollo’s life? Lastly, what do you think it will take for Apollo to get his life together a bit more?

snuffysam

if his ocular albinism plays into his irresponsibility, it's only as an excuse. "well, i can't see normally. better get sloshed!"

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

(Sorry, sometimes I have to dash off if the little one is crying.) Oh, being away in a mental hospital would be an interesting development.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

^

snuffysam

i think apollo just has serious issues with self control. he started out with alcohol and drugs to get away from some aspects of his life, and then it just got worse from there.

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Snuffy: I don't know about that. If he's sensitive to daylight, it makes sense that he'd be out and about at night, which is when the parties happen.

snuffysam

true, that may be a source of some temptation. but if he was healthier, that wouldn't be a problem.

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

But yeah, agree about the self control thing. Guy doesn't know when to say "no". Also doesn't seem to know a good thing when he has it.

Fair. I don't think he eats from the proper food groups.

snuffysam

i meant mentally but yes

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Can't help you feel active.

Like, if you're always eating junk food I mean.

Ahh, gotcha.

snuffysam

he doesn't have much of a support channel to help him with his issues, and a lot of the people who do try and help him out don't like him very much because of the whole personality thing

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i think the ocular albinism does play a role. cause as someone who is awake all night, there is nothing to do outside. like the options are go to dennys, go to waffle house, go to walmart, or go to a bar. so i think it more than increases the temptation for apollo. it hampers a lot of paths to recovery.

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Is it cool to bring up Daniel? Because he's such an interesting counterpoint.

I cannot see Apollo as a greeter at Wal-Mart.

snuffysam

his boss puts up with so much from apollo, it's a wonder she hasn't fired him

DanitheCarutor

Math: Sure! He's going to be in the comic a lot more from this chapter on.

Apollo really does have control issues, it'll come up why later but he's never had an issue with getting whatever he wanted as a kid.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Oh cool~

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

they dont have greeters at night. in fact i think the greeters all leave before 8pm at the latest

yeah apollo's boss deserves a boss of the year award

cause man

i wouldve fired apollo 10 billion years ago

turnish

Ahhh Apollo’s boss deserves the most

snuffysam

and his other coworkers too. who was the woman he asked for help and then called a slur? galia?

DanitheCarutor

Rebel: Yeah, being awake at night sucks. I used to be a night owl, waking up at noon and staying up till 4am. There isn't anything to do, at least anything that's a good idea.

Yup, that's her name! Poor Galia, she's only been in the comic a couple times so far and it sucked for her.

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

I'm hoping Daniel can get through to Apollo. Challenge him without going so far as putting him off.

turnish

Same here Math

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i feel at the very least daniel will openly pull up his flaws in a way others dont. cause the others say it with anger and derision and lots of ppl just flat out tune out criticism at that point. where as i feel daniel would be the one whod be like "hey apollo maybe you should clean up your place some?"

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Or maybe Apollo will just want to, so that his date doesn't get a bad impression.

Cuz the Apollo/Daniel ship is sailing.

turnish

heh

snuffysam

yeah, i think that's going to be one of the major themes coming up. trying to reconnect with julian isn't healthy - julian doesn't want anything to do with apollo, and he has his own physical and mental issues to deal with without taking care of apollo. meanwhile daniel will push apollo (either wittingly through calling him out, unwittingly through apollo wanting to get better for him, or both) to get healthier and turn his life around

whether apollo goes into a downward spiral or begins recovery depends on which path he chooses

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

It's a good point though, Rebel, about how to get across criticism.

I wonder if maybe Daniel starting to spiral down would help shock Apollo to his senses?

snuffysam

in that, apollo drags down everyone around him with his toxicity?

could happen, but i hope not. i like daniel.

DanitheCarutor

Oh man, I'm loving the Daniel discussion! He'll definitely be challenging Apollo in one way or another.

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Maybe Daniel starting to date Julian will shock Apollo to his senses.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i believe in daniel to be self confident enough to fall down apollo's hole. but on the opposite turn i do think julian will be important for apollo cause i think only julian can point out some of apollo's flaws from the past and give apollo pause. tho im not quite sure how outside of giving apollo more clarity of the things julian is dealing with

snuffysam

daniel can even use the perfect pickup line that he's been saving for such an occasion

"i like my men like i like my alcohol - russian, and found in a bag"

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

11/10

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Okay, you win with that one.

snuffysam

julian can point out problems that apollo has had since childhood, but question is, will he want to?

or will he just want to keep apollo out of his life?

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Back on the question of why Apollo is so irresponsible, I think it comes from his position of privilege. His parents probably made sure that he never suffered real consequences from his actions.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i feel julian wont succeed in keeping apollo out of his life because 1) apollo is apollo and 2) julian's young ghost self is telling him to not be lazy and i think julian will give in to that for a while

snuffysam

yeah it absolutely stems from that

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

A restraining order might be needed to keep Apollo out of his life. ^^

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

and yeah i agree with math, i think apollo has no real concept of consequences

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Napples agrees too.

snuffysam

where are apollo's parents anyway? do they know what's happened to their son's life?

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Do they care?

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

they might not care? or they might not know. cause apollo does not seem the type to call home frequently and i doubt their once in a blue moon phone calls consist of apollo saying "yeah i got wasted every night this week"

cause consequence conscious or not thats just not a thing i think any kid would talk to his parents about XD

QUESTION 4. The comic’s title, “The Guide to a Healthy Relationship,” seems rather revealing of the story at hand. What does the title mean to you exactly? How do you think the story will live up to that title? Furthermore, the three chapter titles (“Hypomania,” “Monophobia,” and “Psychosis”) all share a theme of mental issues. Does this change how you interpret the title at all or how you interpret the story itself (whether the entire story or a specific chapter’s content)? What role do you think these titles play in regards to the mental illnesses we’ve seen in the story so far? Finally, do you feel the story is about relationships with others, relationships with ourselves, both, or something else entirely?

snuffysam

yeah there's a reason i've been referring to things as healthy and unhealthy all night lol

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

for me personally i feel the title is both about relationships with others and with ourselves. tho i lean more towards the latter if i had to pick one. because of how apollo treats his own self.

snuffysam

yeah, having a healthy relationship with yourself seems like a big theme

i also think the unhealthy relationship apollo had with julian growing up will keep coming back

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Wow, I hadn't even picked up on the chapter titles. Hmm, I guess at first my mind went to romantic relationships, but yeah it makes sense to be more friends and such.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

lol

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

"Guide to a Healthy Relationship - Don't act like Apollo."

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

thats the real lesson we should take away from this

dont be an apollo

be the best daniel you can be

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

I gotta wonder a bit about Apollo's circle of friends too. They seem like real enablers, I wonder if they have day jobs.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

probably. despite their party habits more of them seem to have their crap together perhaps.

tbf tho i think apollo is equally an enabler. so i think its just a circle of friends who see nothing wrong, enable each other, and spiral down and down

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

There is that, yeah.

snuffysam

do they know how bad apollo's life is? or do they just think he's that wild guy who likes to drink on the weekends?

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Speaking of spiralling down, that one panel with the pill on the tongue was cleverly done. Just wanted to get that out there.

I think they believe Apollo's got an amazing life. Bartender with access to free drinks, his own place without a roommate to bug him, the ability to afford random merchandise for thousands of dollars... what's not to like?

snuffysam

true

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

thirded

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

If anything, the search for Julian might be helping to pull Apollo away from the bad influences.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

math has a point

cant be out drinking when youre haunting a school at night

looking for ghost friends

maybe apollo will be like "wow so this is what being sober is like"

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

"I can walk without running into trees. My friends, however..."

snuffysam

though nothing stopping you from drinking before starting the search

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

maybe julian will say something

like "please dont come here reeking of alcohol"

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Julian just needs to keep throwing water into Apollo's face. Like that first time.

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

Yeah

Try it like eight more times

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Though the fact that he did reach out there implies that at least part of him doesn't like seeing Apollo down on his luck, perhaps?

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yeah i dont think julian hates apollo persay. i think hes just tired of dealing with apollo

cause ive dealt with ppl like that

where you dont hate them

but man do you have your own shit going on and theres only so many hours in the day

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Truth.

"And now I have to mop the floor AGAIN, geeeez."

snuffysam

yeah, that's the thing, i think julian does care about apollo, but their relationship is so one-sided that it isn't worth it

DanitheCarutor

The answers about the tirle, and this discussion is soooo gooood! I didn't think anyone would pay that any mind. -sobs- I wish I could spill the beans, some of you guys had some really spot on theories.

turnish

Sorry I’m hella cleaning so I couldn’t participate as much as I wanted to,,rip

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Apollo knows not of this "cleaning".

snuffysam

yeah didn't you learn from the story, turnish? you have to live your life like apollo! that's the moral!

turnish

Dang ur right I should become a slob

shixjdj

Superjustingo of ✨Time🕑&Space☄✨

kek

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Don't lose your glasses though. That's a bad plan.

DanitheCarutor

Yeah, man. Just throw it all on the floor, the nanny will take care of it. Everyone's got one of those, right?

turnish

Man I Wish

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yeah i store my nanny in my closet when not in use

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Hm, this sequel to Mary Poppins took a NSFW turn...

DanitheCarutor

Ah, I'd suggest storing them in a jar. It's more cost effective.

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Anyway, last remark from me, again impressed by the use of colours and drive to experiment with some different perspectives and the like at times.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

COMIC TEA PARTY END!

Unfortunately, the scheduled Comic Tea Party time is now up~! Thank you everyone so much for reading and joining this week’s chat~! We want to give a special thank you to Dani, as well, for making The Guide to a Healthy Relationship and volunteering it for our reading queue. If you liked the comic, please be sure to support Dani’s efforts however you’re able to. All that being said, if you would like to continue discussing this week’s comic, we highly encourage you to do so~!

For next week, Comic Tea Party will focus on Wednesday7 by Viki Kuli. As always, please use the next several days to read as much of the comic as you would like. We hope to see you next Thursday on July 19th from 5PM to 7PM PDT for the chat~! Until then, happy reading~! Comic: https://tapas.io/series/Wednesday7%20

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[snek-eyes]

Hello! I'm the anon who sent the two meta messages, I love your take on the matter and I'd love to hear what you have to say about the second message with Azi vs Sitis.

I think Crowley doesn't treat people any different than he treats Azi, but I think the difference is once he knows the angel can be trusted he lets himself get attached to him. Crowley is linely and human lives are fleeting so being attached only causes hurt but with Aziraphale, someone who's immortal and part of his "species" he lets himself get attached and I think that's the difference 🤔

Hey there Anon, welcome back! I definitely want to follow that up, so let's go!

the cool, rather uncaring demeanour Crowley has with Sitis is the same he first has with Aziraphale when he “kills” the goats and when he tells him he longs to destroy Job’s blameless children. Until he realizes Aziraphale isn’t on Heaven’s side with this.

The reason why I say that Crowley's cool attitude with Sitis and Job is different from how he acts with Aziraphale is for two reasons:

First of all his overall attitude with the humans, he's sort of pitying them. They're seeing this side of God for the first time; Crowley may not be all that gentle about trying to open their eyes, but he's not as in-your-face about it; it's not actually his goal here. With Aziraphale, Crowley's comments feel more pointed. The last time they saw each other was at the flood, and Crowley's still not happy about that.

(gifs by me)

More to the point I'm about to make, how Crowley acts with Aziraphale is all in direct response to what Aziraphale has just said about Crowley in each scene. Job and Sitis don't emotionally unsettle Crowley, he isn't reacting to that. With Aziraphale, Crowley is specifically trying to get under the angel's skin... Because Aziraphale got under his.

Crowley's goal in the scene with Sitis and Job starts and ends as getting them to tell him where the kids are so he can get the job done.

Crowley's goal in the scenes with Aziraphale becomes provoking Aziraphale.

I'm going to lay out the scenes with some color coding under the cut.

I'll explain what the colors mean afterwards. Lifted from flameraven's transcripts, with slight edits.

AZIRAPHALE: Stay your hand, Demon! Despised tool of Satan, in the name of Almighty God! Avaunt! Oh… It's you! Dear me. Haven't seen you since… the flood?

CRAWLEY: Ah, yeah. Mm-hmm.

AZIRAPHALE: Well, sorry about this.

CRAWLEY: No, of course.

AZIRAPHALE: [sighs] Oh God. Where was I?

CRAWLEY: "Avaunt".

AZIRAPHALE: Yes, yes. Avaunt, foul demon! In the name of the Almighty, I command thee, BEGONE!

CRAWLEY: No.

AZIRAPHALE: No?

CRAWLEY: No, thank you? See, I have a permit.

AZIRAPHALE: A permit? From whom?

CRAWLEY: From God.

AZIRAPHALE: Oh… You see, it's not that I mind jokes.

CRAWLEY: Oh no, no, no, no, no. No, no jokes. These goats belong to Job, right?

AZIRAPHALE: Yes, Job. Who is, I might add, a particular favorite of God, so…

CRAWLEY: [unrolls a comically long scroll] Shall I summarize? Satan and his diabolical ministers [waves and smiles] may destroy everything Job owns, no questions asked. Hugs and kisses, God.

AZIRAPHALE: No! This can't be real! Job is a… good and… righteous man. I mean, he really is an absolute poppet.

CRAWLEY: Well, I am a demon. Maybe I'm lying. Tell you what, let's find out. [blasts all the goats with fireballs] Seems legit to me!

__________

AZIRAPHALE: Crawley... You don't have to destroy Job's children.

CRAWLEY: Last time we met you seemed pretty confident I couldn't destroy Job's goats.

AZIRAPHALE: Yes, I was wrong. Technically you can, but--

CRAWLEY: Oh, then technically I will.

AZIRAPHALE: But you don't have to! That's the point. Surely the great thing about being a demon is you can do whatever you want.

CRAWLEY: Mm, you sound jealous, angel.

AZIRAPHALE: Certainly not. I get to do what God wants.

CRAWLEY: Like killing innocent children to win a bet with Satan?

AZIRAPHALE: I… I don't think… that is what God wants.

CRAWLEY: Well…

AZIRAPHALE: And I don't think you want it either.

CRAWLEY: What do you know about what I want?

AZIRAPHALE: I know you.

CRAWLEY: You do not know me.

AZIRAPHALE: I know the angel you were.

CRAWLEY: The angel you knew is not me.

AZIRAPHALE: Then… Then you tell me that you want to do this. You look me in the eye and tell me.

CRAWLEY: [takes off glasses] I want to. I long to destroy the blameless children of blameless Job, just as I destroyed his blameless goats.

AZIRAPHALE: Then God forgive you.

CRAWLEY: [watches the angel walk away]

__________

AZIRAPHALE: I bring a WARNING! Satan has sent a demon to destroy you! Tonight!

ENNON: Don't be silly. He wouldn't dare.

CRAWLEY: I'm sorry, Satan? Satan wouldn't dare?

...

JEMIMAH: [to Crawley] You're a funny looking angel.

CRAWLEY: Aren't I just? [winks]

JEMIMAH: Are you a demon?

CRAWLEY: Oh, she's good.

AZIRAPHALE: Ah… Yes. He is, in fact, technically a demon...

CRAWLEY: Spot on! [in an over-the-top demonic monster voice] Sent here to destroy you all! Ready? [sets the room on fire]

AZIRAPHALE: But… you said you wouldn't!

CRAWLEY: I'm a demon! I lied!

KEZIAH: Can't you save us?

AZIRAPHALE: I'm afraid not. He has a permit, you see. But… be not afraid. You're perfectly safe.

CRAWLEY: [throws more fire] Are you sure, Angel?

AZIRAPHALE: Yes. Quite sure.

_____

You've probably caught on by now, but here are the colors:

Red: Aziraphale's "demons are evil tools of Satan's will" rhetoric

Green: Aziraphale's disconnect that Crowley is somehow Good anyway

Blue: Aziraphale's "God is right and just" rhetoric

Pink: Crowley's "I'm an evil demon" schtick

Purple: Crowley's reminders of God's actions

Orange: Actual Crowley. Not really on Hell's side, definitely not on Heaven's. (And, actually rather lonely, and would, deep down, like it if someone actually knew him.)

The angel is acting friendly and supposedly putting a lot of trust in Crowley, but Crowley doesn't trust it. Notice all the "technically"s.

The pattern becomes most obvious by the third time. Crowley puts on his big show as a direct response to Aziraphale's own:

and cuts him off with it right after he tries to "technically" him out of being a demon again.

So Crowley pulls out all the stops. No technicalities about it angel, no pretending. You're going to look me in the eye this time and acknowledge that I'm a demon. What will you do then?

Remember this is (as far as we've seen) the second time that Crowley's called him "angel." It's not the nickname it'll become yet; he's goading him with the title, putting a separation between them by not calling him Aziraphale like he did at the flood. It's as much a reminder as it was with "You sound jealous, angel." You, an angel, are really going to trust a demon?

But Aziraphale looks him in the eye at his demonic worst, and doesn't flinch. Maybe the angel's not ready to be on Crowley's side against God, but here in the moment it counts, Aziraphale will put his trust in this demon.

And Crowley accepts that. Accepts Aziraphale where he is.

I just connected the dots on this conclusion as I got here (which is part of what makes writing meta so fun to me). But: I believe for Crowley, these three flashbacks are about getting Aziraphale to accept the shades of grey between their respective "sides." And this moment is the first time Aziraphale does so decisively.

#vee replies #Anonymous #good omens meta #a companion to owls #job flashback #v watches good omens #shuhite sunday