#(tired and good to be here)

[joycrispy]

Awhile ago @ouidamforeman made this post:

This shot through my brain like a chain of firecrackers, so, without derailing the original post, I have some THOUGHTS to add about why this concept is not only hilarious (because it is), but also...

It. It kind of fucks. Severely.

And in a delightfully Pratchett-y way, I'd dare to suggest.

I'll explain:

As inferred above, both Crowley AND Aziraphale have canonical Biblical counterparts. Not by name, no, but by function.

Crowley, of course, is the serpent of Eden.

(note on the serpent of Eden: In Genesis 3:1-15, at least, the serpent is not identified as anything other than a serpent, albeit one that can talk. Later, it will be variously interpreted as a traitorous agent of Hell, as a demon, as a guise of Satan himself, etc. In Good Omens --as a slinky ginger who walks funny)

Lesser known, at least so far as I can tell, is the flaming sword. It, too, appears in Genesis 3, in the very last line:

"So he drove out the man; and placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." --Genesis 3:24, KJV

Thanks to translation ambiguity, there is some debate concerning the nature of the flaming sword --is it a divine weapon given unto one of the Cherubim (if so, why only one)? Or is it an independent entity, which takes the form of a sword (as other angelic beings take the form of wheels and such)? For our purposes, I don't think the distinction matters. The guard at the gate of Eden, whether an angel wielding the sword or an angel who IS the sword, is Aziraphale.

(note on the flaming sword: in some traditions --Eastern Orthodox, for example-- it is held that upon Christ's death and resurrection, the flaming sword gave up it's post and vanished from Eden for good. By these sensibilities, the removal of the sword signifies the redemption and salvation of man.

...Put a pin in that. We're coming back to it.)

So, we have our pair. The Serpent and the Sword, introduced at the beginning and the end (ha) of the very same chapter of Genesis.

But here's the important bit, the bit that's not immediately obvious, the bit that nonetheless encapsulates one of the central themes, if not THE central theme, of Good Omens:

The Sword was never intended to guard Eden while Adam and Eve were still in it.

Do you understand?

The Sword's function was never to protect them. It doesn't even appear until after they've already fallen. No... it was to usher Adam and Eve from the garden, and then keep them out. It was a threat. It was a punishment.

The flaming sword was given to be used against them.

So. Again. We have our pair. The Serpent and the Sword: the inception and the consequence of original sin, personified. They are the one-two punch that launches mankind from paradise, after Hell lures it to destruction and Heaven condemns it for being destroyed. Which is to say that despite being, supposedly, hereditary enemies on two different sides of a celestial cold war, they are actually unified by one purpose, one pivotal role to play in the Divine Plan: completely fucking humanity over.

That's how it's supposed to go. It is written.

...But, in Good Omens, they're not just the Serpent and the Sword.

They're Crowley and Aziraphale.

(author begins to go insane from emotion under the cut)

In Good Omens, humanity is handed it's salvation (pin!) scarcely half an hour after losing it. Instead of looming over God's empty garden, the sword protects a very sad, very scared and very pregnant girl. And no, not because a blameless martyr suffered and died for the privilege, either.

It was just that she'd had such a bad day. And there were vicious animals out there. And Aziraphale worried she would be cold.

...I need to impress upon you how much this is NOT just a matter of being careless with company property. With this one act of kindness, Aziraphale is undermining the whole entire POINT of the expulsion from Eden. God Herself confronts him about it, and he lies. To God.

And the Serpent--

(Crowley, that is, who wonders what's so bad about knowing the difference between good and evil anyway; who thinks that maybe he did a GOOD thing when he tempted Eve with the apple; who objects that God is over-reacting to a first offense; who knows what it is to fall but not what it is to be comforted after the fact...)

--just goes ahead and falls in love with him about it.

As for Crowley --I barely need to explain him, right? People have been making the 'didn't the serpent actually do us a solid?' argument for centuries. But if I'm going to quote one of them, it may as well be the one Neil Gaiman wrote ficlet about:

"If the account given in Genesis is really true, ought we not, after all, to thank this serpent? He was the first schoolmaster, the first advocate of learning, the first enemy of ignorance, the first to whisper in human ears the sacred word liberty, the creator of ambition, the author of modesty, of inquiry, of doubt, of investigation, of progress and of civilization." --Robert G. Ingersoll

The first to ask questions.

Even beyond flattering literary interpretation, we know that Crowley is, so often, discreetly running damage control on the machinations of Heaven and Hell. When he can get away with it. Occasionally, when he can't (1827).

And Aziraphale loves him for it, too. Loves him back.

And so this romance plays out over millennia, where they fall in love with each other but also the world, because of each other and because of the world. But it begins in Eden. Where, instead of acting as the first Earthly example of Divine/Diabolical collusion and callousness--

(other examples --the flood; the bet with Satan; the back channels; the exchange of Holy Water and Hellfire; and on and on...)

--they refuse. Without even necessarily knowing they're doing it, they just refuse. Refuse to trivialize human life, and refuse to hate each other.

To write a story about the Serpent and the Sword falling in love is to write a story about transgression.

Not just in the sense that they are a demon and an angel, and it's ~forbidden. That's part of it, yeah, but the greater part of it is that they are THIS demon and angel, in particular. From The Real Bible's Book of Genesis, in the chapter where man falls.

It's the sort of thing you write and laugh. And then you look at it. And you think. And then you frown, and you sit up a little straighter. And you think.

And then you keep writing.

And what emerges hits you like a goddamn truck.

(...A lot of Pratchett reads that way. I believe Gaiman when he says Pratchett would have been happy with the romance, by the way. I really really do).

It's a story about transgression, about love as transgression. They break the rules by loving each other, by loving creation, and by rejecting the hatred and hypocrisy that would have triangulated them as a unified blow against humanity, before humanity had even really got started. And yeah, hell, it's a queer romance too, just to really drive the point home (oh, that!!! THAT!!!)

...I could spend a long time wildly gesturing at this and never be satisfied. Instead of watching me do that (I'll spare you), please look at this gif:

I love this shot so much.

Look at Eve and Crowley moving, at the same time in the same direction, towards their respective wielders of the flaming sword. Adam reaches out and takes her hand; Aziraphale reaches out and covers him with a wing.

You know what a shot like that establishes? Likeness. Commonality. Kinship.

"Our side" was never just Crowley and Aziraphale. Crowley says as much at the end of season 1 ("--all of us against all of them."). From the beginning, "our side" was Crowley, Aziraphale, and every single human being. Lately that's around 8 billion, but once upon a time it was just two other people. Another couple. The primeval mother and father.

But Adam and Eve die, eventually. Humanity grows without them. It's Crowley and Aziraphale who remain, and who protect it. Who...oversee it's upbringing.

Godfathers. Sort of.

#good omens #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #good omens 2 #crowley #aziraphale #good omens meta #I have no idea if I've made a coherent point here but I'm tired of this being in my drafts; RAW FEELINGS IT IS #it's about being sent to destroy and instead staying to love and protect and nurture I'M CRAZY I'M CRAZY RAAAAAAAGGHHHH #gnu terry pratchett

[wearenotjustnumbers2]

Hello, a little rant here. I don't know whether people are becoming insensitive or I'm just taking things very seriously these times, but I beg of you, when I post about an update on the situation in Gaza, or about a lost life or any piece of news that is most likely horrifying and heartbreaking, do not repost or reblog with "yikes" or "real bullshit" or whatever goes in the same line. It just makes it seem so trivial when in fact it's world-shattering. Not to mention the horrible edits I see on Instagram/tiktok.

I literally came across an "Instagram reel" of my friend's UNCLE (who lost three of his kids, and was saying his goodbyes while they were in body bags), it was edited into a reel, with the effects and changing colors and the trending sound of the song "daylight by David kushner". I was speechless.

I know people show their solidarity differently, I know this. Especially through music, I've literally been listening to Samer songs as well as "Telk Qadieah", etc. But the edit I saw was way too much. I don't know how to explain it, because I've seen many reels of Palestinians in Gaza grieving and I thought it's important to share them but this one is different. It was like the edits you'd make for characters from a TV show or movie that died or had a sad storyline.

I don't know, maybe I'm overreacting but I genuinely feel like I'm going crazy. With everything going on and how it seems like some people are living in a parallel world rn.

I hope I don't get misunderstood, I'm not talking about the general clips with sometimes sad songs on them, I'm talking about certain edits the people started to make that are so weird and insensitive. Like the people they're editing aren't real, like they're some entertainment material.

#I'm not good with words honestly i just am tired #i might even delete this later bc i never share personal stuff here but still #text post #gaza #palestine

[shuaaflower]

I‘m a burden for everyone. I’m even a burden to myself.

#tw depressing thoughts #alone with my thoughts #depressing shit #feeling alone #sad thoughts #mentally exhausted #mentally tired #sadnees #overthinking #self h@te #i dont want to be here #self h@rm #i hate everything #overthinker #tw selfhate #i am useless #im not feeling good

[sentientsky]

breaking news: local divorced not-man is having a terrible fucking time

#I feel like I say this every time but sorry for the shitty pixelation — my dumbass forgot to change the canvas size and dpi #this isn’t all the way done (not to the point where I’d consider it finished) but I’m too tired to keep working on it #so here [chucks the .png through your window] #good omens #I fuckign hate drawing the folds in clothes oh my god why is it so harddddd #my art #crowley #ineffable husbands #good omens 2 #aziraphale #aziracrow #go2 #ineffable lovers #ineffable wives #good omens season 2 #good omens fanart #Crowley fanart #good omens angst #gomens #gomens 2 #David tennant #anthony j crowley #aziraphale x crowley #crowley x aziraphale #ineffable divorce #final fifteen #art #fanart #gomens fanart #good omens 2 fanart

[archivebottles]

Happy birthday to the most special girl in the universe!! Wanted to try something ambitious and ended up with the biggest comic I've done to date

#signalis #ariane yeong #elster #overestimating elsters ability to paint so ignore how it looks probably way better than she could have done ok? #myart #i have nothing cool to say here i am so tired. i baked a cake from scratch lol and that took so much out of me... #im old.. #im like cycling(hah) thru three diff elster designs bear with me here #elster seems like the type of person to be really good at gifts..kinda feel like u gotta be when ur on the same ship for um like. 15 years

[hailsatanacab]

"Well, this is a bad idea," Tim says, hands on his hips as he surveys the mess they’ve made in the cave.

"Nah," Danny replies, twirling his screwdriver in the air in what is probably meant to be an impressive trick to inspire confidence, except he fumbles it and it clangs to the floor loudly, "we good. If a younger version of myself hasn't come forward in time to stop me, how bad can it be?"

"Shouldn't it be the other way round?"

"What?"

"Normally, it's an older version of yourself going backwards in time to stop you, right?"

"Not in my experience."

Danny's grin is impossibly feral and a shiver runs up Tim's spine.

"This is definitely a bad idea."

#dpxdc #dcxdp #batpham #dead tired #dead tired ship #there is a more expanded upon version of this with actual backstory and context rotting in the recesses of my brain #but its only half on paper and the conversation made me laugh so #here: have some feral danny leading tim down a path to disaster #danny: this is going to go so well! i have such a good feeling about this!! #tim: this is going to go so poorly. i have such a bad feeling about this. #danny: 🥺🙏🙏🙏 #tim: i never said we weren’t doing it. i just reserve the right to tell you i told you so when it inevitably goes wrong #danny: leave that to younger me - he always makes very valid points in the form of fists to the face! #tim: can you stop talking please this is making me want to do it less #danny: no.

[theminecraftbee]

etho's wonderful words of encouragement for tango!

#hermitcraft #decked out 2 #ethoslab #tangotek #also etho is VERY confused and punchy he is. so tired and sick #GOOD LUCK RECORDING SL IN AN HOUR HERE--

[chloecherrysip]

I told ya, see!? As long as we're together, everything's gonna be okay!

#mario movie #mario movie spoilers #super mario bros movie #super mario bros movie spoilers #super mario bros #cherrysip edits #oh my goodness i FINALLY got this to work #there was one gif that kept breaking it and rendering the post invisible but i won in the end!!! #anyway i wanted to turn my footage into a gif as well because OBVIOUSLY LOOK AT THEM LOOK AT THEIR SWEET LITTLE FACES!!! #i will literally never get tired of any moment of this #it is Peak Cinema and we can truly go no further. perfection has been achieved pack it up everyone #also LUIGI LAUGHING AT THE END OF THE FIRST GIF IS SO CUTE. HE IS AN ANGEL #he is just laughing all throughout the hug. nothing could be wrong anymore his brother's here!!!!

[divinebunnii]

i love perverted nerds and geeks, cocks of all sizes, and reach around pussy rubbing

#still tired of seeing big cocks v small cocks #all cocks are good #all dicks are good #ffs #tired today exhausted today why am I still here #I hate this website I hate you people #thoughts #bunni speaks

[honeysweetcorvidart]

if i had been given the choice, i still would have chosen you.

hey so i'm totally normal about the lovers reversed

#persona 5 #goro akechi #persona 5 protagonist #akeshu #digital art #sketch #viala and salex have already seen this but i am TOO TIRED FROM ZINES to Finish It(tm) so. here. sketch. #lovers is so good gang. it's so good. part 3 is gonna wrap up on the first and i'm so excited im banging pots and pans together #uh. if you somehow don't know of it do heed the tags but i PROMMY it is worth it

[turtleblogatlast]

One of the earliest examples of Leo’s “I’ll do my own thing to accomplish our goal without discussing it with my team first” is in episode one. It’s super, super quick, and ultimately inconsequential, but it subtly sets up a great precedent that I think is very interesting.

When the boys need to grab the medallion from Splinter without Splinter noticing, Raph, Mikey, and Donnie huddle together with Raph taking the lead in trying to devise a plan to get the mystic device. Meanwhile, Leo slinks away and grabs the device by clocking the situation (by knowing his father well enough to predict his actions - something he does with each family member multiple times in the series) and making a move on his own.

It works out perfectly fine, and is ultimately the best move, and it’s honestly okay that he didn’t consult everyone for something so small when it’s such a non issue to get it, but it nicely sets up how this tends to go in the series, including how it goes in the movie.

To be honest episode one is actually really good at setting up a lot of things for each character in the long run, this is just one example that caught my attention, as small and unassuming as it is.

#rottmnt #rottmnt leo #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #im just ranting at this point feel free to ignore me I’m tired lol #anyway #Leo constantly just goes off and does his own thing #and yeah honestly his own thing often works??? but he alienates his brothers/team in the process #BUT also this isn’t necessarily a one way street #when Leo DOES try to consult his brothers or give his thoughts on matters he’s not really taken seriously #best example here is bug busters where he CONSTANTLY makes his worries and suspicions known only to have them ignored #so it’s almost understandable that he doesn’t often open up about his thought process when it’s easier to just do it #than to try and fail to justify it #after all it almost always works out for him when he does so why not? #and then the movie happens #and that line of thinking doesn’t quite hold up does it? #BUT ON ANOTHER NOTE #like I said episode one is super good at setting characters up #from showing off Donnie’s preference for tech vs magic/mystic #from showing Mikey’s innate talent for mysticism #from showing Raph’s anxieties and how easily they can stack up #there’s more but I’d have to do a closer deep dive on the ep and man am I tired #so off the head rambles it is for now #sorry everyone for my constant spam of Too Many Words into things that are prob Not That Deep #it’s honestly just fun haha #EDIT: bc I saw someone mention it! yeah all the boys have communication issues through the series and it’s super interesting and realistic #Leo in particular stands out to me here because his communication issues are a constant theme that pop up much more often #but each of them experiences this in some form

[stiffyck]

ASEXUAL AND AROMANTIC PEOPLE ARENT MOCKING YOU AND YOUR STRUGGLES BY EXISTING AND WANTING TO BE IN THE LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY THANK YOU

#stiff talk #ive seen so much bullshit today im tired #going to sleep now good nigjt #if i wake up to any aphobes i hope you die in a fire #aromantic #asexual #ONLY LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE HERE

[noxious-fennec]

Happy independence day, brought to you by your favourite autocrat

#this is definitely not a propaganda poster...(: #i saw a lot of ppl reblogging real old art of this uniform so ykw why not #i hope it looks good i didn't put in a lot of effort and im very tired. its 1 am here so technically a day late #but it's still he 29th elsewhere #anyway enjoy bye-bye xoxo #fennec. art #my art #cwilbur #dsmp fanart

[sentientsky]

good omens + textposts

#not sure if these ones have been done yet. if so lmk and i'll take it down! <3 #obviously all references to “man” or “woman” are gender neutral here lol #tbh for most of the crowley ones i just had to go into my “that's me!!” folder. which is kind of sad actually #also gonna try to come back and add alt id soon -- brain is just extremely tired at the moment. sorry!!! #good omens #crowley #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #good omens 2 #aziraphale #go2 #good omens season 2 #ineffable lovers #ineffable wives #good omens textpost #good omens meme #gomens #gomens 2 #good omens shitpost #michael sheen #david tennant #gomens textpost #no nightingales

[canisalbus]

Hello, I'm not sure if you're aware, but tumblr is going to start helping midjourney gather data for their AI. You're one of the artists I follow here pretty actively and I wanted to warn you to maybe start nighshading your art before posting it here so it doesn't get swept up!

I've seen a couple of posts about it. Feeling disappointed but not that surprised. Also not excited about having to start nightshading/glazing my pieces but if there isn't going to be any serious regulations regarding data scraping and ai "art", there aren't a lot of choices.

Thank you for taking the time to warn me just in case, it was very thoughtful of you!

#from what I've seen the effectiveness of nightshade/glaze has been debated and I don't even pretend to understand how it works #but like watermarks it's at least some kind of preventive measure a token effort to stop your art from being stolen and misused #but I fear that if someone is determined to do it anyway chances are they will find a way unfortunately #this shouldn't be the reality of trying to share art online #it's a pretty dismal situation when this responsibility falls on the artists themselves #I've been here since 2011 I've lived through multiple tumblr apocalypses I'm not leaving unless they make this place wholly unlivable #and I don't think there are truly good alternatives with similar sense of community and as varied posting and customization options #it seems like every other major social media platform is doing this exact same thing if not worse #answered #ohdeergood #I'm tired we're all tired of this

[nothingbizzare]

Three tipes of people on valentine's day

#i completely forgot that today is valentine's day oh welp i think its because the aro/ace silly me is here for only chocolate #happy valentines day for everyone !! hope u have a good day !! #i was first thinking to draw something with fashion and terumob but then started thinking of funny comics so here have this #teru loves valentine's day because he gets chocolate #i really wanna see how cheap i can get chocolate after valentine's day #ritsu getting as well a lot of home made cookies and chocolate but like what to do with so many sweets like he is thinking about health #nothingbizzare art #i am talking too much #hanazawa teruki #mob psycho 100 #mob psycho fanart #shigeo kageyama #teruki hanazawa #ritsu kageyama #mp100 #mp100 fanart #now i am tired to tag because i was so excited to talk aaaaaaaaaaaa #i need to talk with someone about mob psycho