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addledmongoose · 5 months

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Best of 2023 Good Omens Fanfiction

This is my list of the 20 best Good Omens fanfiction works I've read in 2023.

A few notes:

These are all complete works; there are no WIPs in the list.

Please feel free to let me know if a link stops working

It's not an ordered list. That would be far too difficult.

You'll probably recognize some of the most popular ones. They're popular for a reason, after all, but I hope you find something you haven't yet read.

The majority are full-length works, but there are definitely some shorter pieces.

These are certainly not the only good works I've read, but they are the ones I'm most likely to read more than once

Click the Keep Reading to see the list

If you're the author of one of these, first off, thank you! But second, if you want me to add your tumblr name to your story, let me know, and I'll edit.

This first section, all the stories are canon-compliant or canon-adjacent. In other words, it's at least somewhat set in the Good Omens universe.

a lighthouse (burning) (108K; Rated M)

This one is canon-adjacent and set in the 19th century. Aziraphale goes to a lighthouse to figure out where all the lighthouse keepers disappeared to, and Crowley follows along. This one is a bit of a spooky mystery along with the romance, and the writing style is simply beautiful. You really get a sense of being trapped in this lighthouse in the middle of nowhere.

***

The Grindr Logo Doesn't Even Have a 'G' In It (79K; Rated E)

It's honestly hard to remember that this one isn't human AU, but they're still just as angelic/demonic as ever. Aziraphale joins Grindr and starts texting (and then sexting) with a charming young man. It's no secret to the reader who this new hookup is. This story is genuinely funny at times. I like the funny ones.

***

The Whole Damned World Seemed Upside Down (103K; Rated M)

This is one of the best reverse omens stories I've read that isn't technically a reverse omens. Crowley wishes things were different after leaving the bookshop, and the universe gives him his wish. He finds himself in a world where Aziraphale hates him, Death has trouble taking lives, and basically everything you knew about the world of Good Omens is upside down. It's very funny. It uses inline footnotes (which is good, because it has a LOT of footnotes), and Death is hilarious.

***

it's a new craze (5K; Rated T)

Another one that seems like it should be human AU but isn't. Crowley and Aziraphale start up a podcast after the Notpocalypse and gain a loyal fanbase who can't figure out if they're a couple or not. They often forget who their audience is and often reference events in their shared history that make no sense to the humans listening.

***

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a demon in possession of a mobile phone, must be in want of attention (6K; Rated G)

And yes, that is the entire title. Another funny short story where a couple of podcast hosts receive a call from a certain angel whose demon trapped himself in his phone and won't leave.

***

In Mixed Company, or the Corporate Retreat of Heaven and Hell (52K; Rated M)

I've read this one at least three times, and it's probably my favorite of all. Every 300 years, Heaven and Hell share a company retreat on Earth during which angels and demons surrender their celestial powers and hold retreats. It has a great new angel friend of Aziraphale's; Hellish Powerpoint presentations; Gabriel being annoyingly chipper; and Aziraphale and Crowley sneaking around like teenagers trying to find some alone time.

***

How To Woo A Demon (24K; Rated T)

Aziraphale researches demonic courtship rituals and starts implementing them in order to convince Crowley he wants to take their relationship to the next level. Crowley is very confused by Aziraphale's actions. Another cute, funny one.

***

Factory Settings (107K; Rated T)

This one is famous for coming out practically as S2 dropped, making people think whoever wrote it (the author is anonymous) had something to do with the production of the show.

This is the only one I'm going to say anything negative about. There are a lot of spelling errors and typos in it. It needs a hard editing pass. Despite that complaint, I devoured this story as fast as I could scroll. It's that good, and even knowing all the errors are there, I'll probably still re-read it. I'm usually pretty picky about errors like that, so for me to overlook it and even recommend it, means I really liked it.

Crowley gets reinstated as the angel, Raphael, with no memory of his time as Crowley, and Aziraphale struggles to return him to his demonic self. It's heart-breaking and wonderful and I absolutely loved it.

***

One Night In Bangor (And the World's Your Oyster) (17K: Rated E)

Much like In Mixed Company, Heaven and Hell come together for a corporate retreat on Earth. In this one, some totally random demon who's name definitely doesn't rhyme with Bowley created a wager in Hell to see which demon could bed an angel first.

Another funny one. This time, a lot of the humor comes from the demons doing their best to pick up the angels with really bad pickup lines.

***

We Only Said Goodbye with Words, I Died A Hundred Times (9K; Rated E)

If I could learn to write even half as good as this, I'd be ecstatic. The emotions the author packs into this story are mind-blowing.

Crowley receives a cursed amulet that creates an ever-increasing need for the person he wants the most and goes to see Aziraphale.

***

To reveal my heart in ink (29K; Rated E)

Aziraphale starts writing letters to Crowley by mail. The letters they exchange slowly get more and more explicit.

***

Pray For Us, Icarus (66K; Rated G/T)

The author wrote this one as a series, so each one varies in chapter count and rating, but they tell a single, contiguous story.

This was the first long-form GO fanfiction I read, and it was way too close to the ending of S2. I really should've waited a while, because holy cow, is this one heartbreaking.

For three hundred years, Crowley has been reincarnated over and over as a human with no memory of his past. Aziraphale has spent those three hundred years trying to restore him to his true self.

The author, Atalan, is probably one of the best writers on the site. This story is stunning in the quality of its writing, in the pacing of the story, and in the emotions evoked. I normally don't like being sad (like I said, I like the funny ones), but I've saved this story off to make sure I always have it.

***

Pretend For Me (53K; Rated E)

In a panic, Aziraphale tells the archangels that he survived hellfire due to his soul mixing with Crowley's because they're in a romantic and sexual relationship, but now they want them to prove it.

I'm a sucker for fake relationship stories, and there aren't a whole lot of them where the characters are still angel/demon, but this one is. It's another fun one, though a bit more angsty than some of those I listed above.

***

The following are all human AU. Good chance you'll recognize all or most of these.

Married At First Sight (147K; Rated T)

One of the most recently completed stories in the list, this is a fake relationship story where Aziraphale and Crowley join a reality show that marries complete strangers off to each other. Their new marriage starts off on a less than idyllic foot and they decide to fake it for the show. The author is a master of making you want to scream "for fuck's sake, just talk to each other, you walnuts!"

Probably one of my favorite fake relationship stories.

***

Postcards From Paris (12K; Rated G)

The author, ghostrat (@mrghostrat), is a fantastic writer of human AU, and it's worth going through his entire backlist (and read his current WIPs, too).

Crowley moves into his Mayfair flat and starts receiving postcards addressed to the previous tenant from one A.Z.F., who is in Europe hunting for bizarre bibles and rating wine. Sweet and fluffy and the perfect antidote if you've just been on an angst binge.

***

Or Be Nice (151K; Rated E)

I stayed up until 6:30 in the morning reading this one, crashed for three hours, then read until I finished it. Then that night, I started it again.

This is, without hesitation, my all-time favorite human AU. It's funny. I love the author's version of the characters, and I will probably end up reading it again in just a few months. I probably already would have if it wasn't for the length of my Mark For Later and Subscription lists.

Crowley and Aziraphale are neighbors who get into a noise war. They both have their reasons for their actions, though to be honest, Crowley is a bit of an ass at first. Once they really start talking, though, they are absolutely wonderful together.

Even if you've never read a human AU, I recommend at least giving this one a try.

***

What We Make Of It (Shotgun Wedding) (213K; Rated E)

This is the third charlottemadison work on this list. 15% of this list is just this one author. That's how good they are.

Aziraphale works as an English teacher. Crowley is the guardian for his nephew, Adam, and works for a school testing company. Crowley can't risk his job dating his nephew's gorgeous and charming teacher. Unless...

Crowley comes up with a crazy plan. Now he just has to convince Aziraphale to go along with it.

Again, another very popular human AU. One thing I love about this story is how there's a lot less angst between the two characters, and how they both really care for Adam.

***

Slow Show (95K; Rated E)

The very first human AU I read. Didn't even think I'd like that specific genre until I read it. Now, as you can see, it's about half of my reading list.

This is an actor AU. Aziraphale (named Avery here) and Crowley are actors working together on a new show. Avery is an award-winning, straight-laced, well-respected actor; Crowley is a mess who immediately falls head-over-heels for him and somehow has to get through the show without letting his (apparently straight) costar realize that.

***

South Downs (76K; Rated E)

Another actor AU. This time, Aziraphale is an openly-gay actor, well-respected for his period drama work. Crowley is a once-blackballed actor who jumps at the chance to star in a gay Regency romance with Aziraphale in the hopes it can restart his career. The trouble is, Crowley is struggling to play the romantic lead opposite a man.

I love the growing friendship between these two as much as the romance. I love how comfortable and confident Aziraphale is here; and how caring he is toward Crowley's growing awareness of his sexuality.

***

This one doesn't really fit either category, so I'm putting it here.

The Rose and the Serpent (56K; Rated M)

By the same author as Pray For Us, Icarus comes a GO retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Aziraphale is sent off by his older brother, Gabriel, into the forest to be held hostage by a giant snake in a cursed castle. Turns out, neither the snake nor the castle are what he was expecting.

Light-hearted and with very memorable characters, the relationship between Crowley and Aziraphale is simply stunning. I love how Newt and Anathema are used here. The quality of this one is as good as Icarus, and I loved this one so much I could easily have read 300K more words.

***

And bonus: mine!

The Beginning of the End (Again) (79K; Rated M)

The first fanfiction I've ever written and the first book I've written in a decade. I had the first two chapters in mind after finishing S2, and the story grew from there. I actually have a sequel in mind after I finish another, separate fake relationship story.

Crowley spends months drowning his sorrows after Aziraphale accepts the Supreme Archangel position, until a group of demons shows up one day and tells him the Second Coming is nearly upon them, and they want him to stop it. Turns out being a demon isn't much fun if there are no humans left to tempt.

Aziraphale has spent these last months in Heaven looking for ways to stop the Second Coming while mourning the way he and Crowley left things. After discovering that Hell's minions have been tasked by the Metatron to escort the son of God on a tour of Earth in preparation for his Second Coming, he hurries down to see what's going on, fearing the worst.

Instead he discovers Crowley escorting the Messiah around Earth. Is his demon taking the son of God on dates?

#good omens fanfiction

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fellthemarvelous · 11 days

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Aziraphale hate makes my brain hurt.

Like let's be really fuckin' for real here.

Neurodivergent fans have repeatedly said that Aziraphale is autistic coded. I agree with them. I have never been diagnosed but I wonder about myself. If only I could get a doctor to take me seriously enough to test me for it, but alas, I'm a 43-year-old woman living in the good ole US of A.

Those with religious trauma have repeatedly said that they identify with him as well. I'm one of those people. I endured 12 years of Catholic schools and just as much time being taught a very black and white view of things that I've had to spend more than 20 goddamn fucking years working to unlearn.

I find that my views as a survivor of religious abuse are often dismissed because people keep wanting to say "Aziraphale doesn't have religious trauma." Yes, thank you, I get that, but unless you've been indoctrinated and brainwashed into a very black and white view of the world, you probably don't understand the kind of feelings Aziraphale's onscreen experiences evoke in so many of us. Heaven might not be real, but the feelings of "God is always watching" still stick with me today even though I no longer believe in God. I have entirely denounced Christianity because of my own personal experience, and I refuse to allow people to try and guilt me or shame me for trauma that I didn't ask for. I wasn't given a choice.

As a child I was told that God was real and always watching everything you do (just like Santa Claus) and can hear everything you say and knows everything you are thinking. Do you know what I learned to do in order to cope with this overwhelming and anxiety-inducing information as a small child? I learned to censor my thoughts. I never spoke up, and I have always felt like I was putting on a show for people because I had to be who I was told to be or I would get into trouble.

Aziraphale said "poverty is a virtue" during The Resurrectionists, and as someone who grew up in the Bible belt and went to private schools, I was taught this very same shit by the Catholic church. He learned in that very same episode that "poverty is a virtue" is actually a tool of oppression to keep the poor poor and the wealthy wealthy. I know we all watched the episode. He went into that episode believing what he said, but by the end of it he knew it was actually utter bullshit. Aziraphale is not ignorant. He's highly intelligent, and he has never been too proud to admit when he has been wrong. He accepts that the information he learned before is not matching up with reality.

And it's so obvious some of you have zero experience with that type of indoctrination because of how very little empathy you show Aziraphale for his "mistake" of "choosing Heaven over Crowley" and "making Crowley sad" so clearly Aziraphale must somehow be "abusive" and "manipulative" and "selfish" and "self-centered" because he didn't choose to run away with Crowley at the end of season two.

First of all.

FIRST OF ALL...

Aziraphale has a mind of his own.

Aziraphale is always going to try and do what is right.

Aziraphale is an angel. He's a being of love. And the reason he's so "bad" at being an angel is because he actually wants to protect humanity. He has always loved humanity. He repeatedly has to contend with what is "right" versus what is "good" and "wrong" versus "evil". Yeah, he has flaws. He's an angel, not a goddamn fucking saint. He has lived on Earth for more than 6,000 years. He has seen everything. He loves doing human things.

He's obsessed with magic. It makes him so happy. He's not very good at it...well not when he's trying to put on a show for Crowley.

He chose to learn French the hard way, so even though he knows every single language in the world, he chooses to be mediocre at French. Something that annoys and amuses Crowley at the same time.

He loves to dance even though angels aren't supposed to dance, and dancing with Crowley was what he wanted the most.

He owns a bookshop and refuses to sell any of his books because they are books he's had for as long as there have been books. He will chase customers away from his collection, and Crowley understands how much they mean to Aziraphale because he refuses to sell any when Aziraphale leaves him in charge.

He and Crowley have been speaking to each other in coded language for more than 6,000 years. They have to be very careful about what they say because Heaven and Hell are always watching.

Heaven has photographs of Crowley and Aziraphale sitting or standing together throughout history. Hell had one photo of Crowley and Aziraphale actually working together and it was Aziraphale's quick thinking and how good he actually is at sleight of hand tricks that managed to get that photo out of Furfur's hands so he wouldn't be able to turn Crowley over to the Dark Council.

Aziraphale saved Crowley from being taken to Hell again. He wasn't able to save Crowley from Hell in Edinburgh, but he sure as heck managed to save Crowley from Hell during WWII. He took Crowley to his bookshop and showed Crowley that he stole the picture from Furfur. He saved Crowley.

You get that, right?

Aziraphale SAVED Crowley.

People always talk about how it's "always Crowley saving Aziraphale" because apparently heroic acts are only heroic when they are grand gestures. The sleight of hand wasn't heroic at all, am I right? It wasn't sparkly and showy. It wasn't interesting enough, therefore not heroic. At least that's all I'm hearing when people start with their "blah Aziraphale deserves to suffer because I have no imagination or ability to understand the media in front of me blah", and all these reasons he deserves to suffer is because Crowley almost got hurt.

Aziraphale did that without flinching and I watch that part closely every single time. He's not scared for himself. He's scared for Crowley, and he managed to hold onto that photograph. He did not fail Crowley. He protected Crowley.

And so here's another thing that we like to point out. The way that Aziraphale, an angel who is effeminate and male presenting, an angel who is soft and full of love, an angel who is kind and forgiving because he has empathy and compassion, is somehow painted as abusive and manipulative. He's not violent, but he could easily fuck up your world. He doesn't use his powers. We have no idea how powerful he is because we only ever see him do small acts. He's used to hiding. It's the only way he has ever been able to protect Crowley.

And I'm not saying that Aziraphale has actually saved Crowley before means that Crowley hasn't also saved Aziraphale. Like, you get that those are not mutually exclusive and their relationship is not transactional, right? They have spent their entire existence protecting each other but never actually getting to be together because Heaven and Hell are always watching.

Yeah, Crowley fell. We all know this. We are aware of this. He was the serpent of Eden. He gave humanity the knowledge of free will.

But what we don't talk about is what Aziraphale gave humanity.

What did he give them?

We all know what it is!

Let's say it together!

He gave Adam and Eve his flaming sword because it was dangerous outside the garden and Eve was pregnant and she was already having a really bad day. He showed them compassion and gave them his extremely powerful angelic weapon so they would stand a chance on the outside of the garden. He gave humanity the gift of compassion. It's just unfortunate that his flaming sword became a weapon of War.

And then what did he do after that?

Ooooh, yeah, that's right.

God asked him about it and he straight up lied to her and pretended he had no idea where he'd managed to misplace it. She didn't say anything after that. He told Crowley the truth though. He told Crowley the truth even though Crowley fell.

Yeah, we know Aziraphale has done some really fucking questionable things. He and Crowley both suck at passing for human in front of observant people like Nina. They're not human. They are still learning, but they managed to experience human history together despite being on opposite sides and their experiences with humanity are what has shaped them into the compassionate and loving duo they are now. One of them is not better from the other.

This, my friends, is what we call meeting in the middle. It's why shades of gray is so important. Aziraphale constantly breaks the rules. Crowley refused to play by Heaven's rules. It's the reason he fell. He doesn't play by Hell's rules either. These two dorks figured out how to cancel each others' miracles out throughout human history in order to have more time learning about humanity and each other because working all day every day sucks when there are so many new things to learn and experience with the people you love.

We know Crowley and Aziraphale both love each other. Neither of them are good at hiding the hearts stars in their eyes.

But here's what's really fucking annoying about the Aziraphale hate.

Aziraphale was already crying when Crowley grabbed him and kissed him. Aziraphale is trying so very hard to do the right thing. He loves Crowley. He does. But he also has a duty to humanity, and he has taken that job very seriously since the creation of Adam and Eve. He sent them out into the world with a flaming sword so they would have a chance at surviving beyond the walls of the garden.

And he knows that Something Terrible is going to happen and he spent all of second season trying to figure out what that Something Terrible was while trying to have some sort of more honest and open relationship with Crowley, but again, they aren't human, they are a demon and an angel approaching life from opposite sides who met in the middle and fell in love with humanity together.

He wants more than anything to tell Crowley how he feels about him, but he wants to do something grand for Crowley because Crowley has always been grand and dramatic and sexy and a little bit scary.

Crowley is impulsive and has a temper and sometimes says the wrong thing but he has always trusted Aziraphale because Aziraphale gave him a chance even after he fell. Aziraphale chose to shelter him instead of smiting him while they stood on top of that wall. He knew he was supposed to kill Crowley, but oops, he gave his sword away to the humans so he didn't really have anything to kill him with and Crowley is the one who created nebulas. The Pillars of Creation is Crowley's work and Aziraphale was there to witness that, but he watched Crowley more than he watched the nebula. He witnessed the pure joy on Crowley's face when he said "let there be light" as a nebula full of colors exploded before their eyes. He was fascinated by Crowley.

But Aziraphale is going back to Heaven even though he has made it perfectly clear he absolutely has no desire to go back to Heaven. He told the Metatron this during their conversation. He spoke these words out loud. They exist.

But then The Metatron said this....

The Metatron. The very same angel who told Aziraphale in season one "to speak to me is to speak to the Almighty." He's the boss. He's the big guy. He's used to existing as a giant head and he had to give himself a body so he wouldn't stand out on Earth. And he knows that Aziraphale and Crowley have been working together since the beginning. He knows they worked together to prevent Armageddon in season one, and now he's made it clear he knows they were working together long before that. And let's face it, Aziraphale really wants to know what this Something Terrible is that Gabriel is running from so he can try to prevent it from happening.

It makes sense that he would want to take Crowley to Heaven with him because he would be able to keep Hell from getting their hands on him again. Aziraphale hates it in Heaven. He doesn't want to go, but Something Terrible is happening and Metatron isn't taking no for an answer, and maybe Heaven won't be so bad if Crowley is there with him. At least they can fix Heaven together.

But Crowley can't go back. We all get that. We don't blame him for saying no. It doesn't change anything.

Something Terrible is about to happen and Aziraphale has to figure out what it is. He wants to change Heaven.

He is fully aware that Heaven sucks. He still has faith in God. His faith isn't in Heaven. He deserted his platoon in season one and threw himself back to Earth so he could figure out how to make sure the war between Heaven and Hell doesn't happen.

But see, here's the thing. Heaven is at the top. Heaven has all the resources. Heaven is responsible for the creation of Hell. Heaven is empty and Hell is overpopulated. Aziraphale knows this. Crowley knows this. It's obvious every time we see either place. Both sides are desperate to go to war and will not hesitate to destroy humanity in the process. This is the opposite of what Crowley and Aziraphale want for humanity. If anyone can change Heaven, it's Aziraphale. He's the only one up there who gives a shit about humanity as far as we know. No one else is going to speak on humanity's behalf.

Some of us are so busy getting mad at Aziraphale for going back to Heaven and giving Crowley a Big Sad. Newsflash: Crowley is not the main character of Good Omens. Aziraphale and Crowley are equals, yet we wanna hold Aziraphale to higher standards because he's an angel, and when he makes mistakes it's proof that he's the bad guy.

Holy mother of all things that trigger my religious trauma, let me tell you. I spent my entire life hating myself every time I made mistakes. I've had to teach myself that just because I mess up sometimes doesn't mean I'm bad. It means I'm human. I still struggle with it. I probably always will. So when you say that Aziraphale deserves to be punished for breaking Crowley's heart, you not only ignore that Aziraphale's heart is also broken, you're saying he deserves to be punished for doing what he thinks is right.

Wanting to change Heaven for the better is not a bad thing.

And some of y'all wanna see him suffer for going back into the lion's den that is Heaven, knowing that he is already an outcast, that they have already tried to kill him once, knowing that he is a deserter, that he has been lying to Heaven about a lot of things, and you still think he's blinded by Heaven? You think he's just so naive and that's the only reason he's going back. He doesn't show his emotions the same way Crowley does so it means he doesn't care as much. He's expected to consider Crowley's feelings over his own when making choices. Like holy shit if all of that hasn't defined my experience as a woman with religious trauma in this fucking society. He's expected to be subservient to Crowley and if he doesn't do what Crowley wants then he's being unreasonable and illogical.

What the actual fuck, y'all.

Like seriously.

I'm sick of this bullshit. I had to step away from this fandom because of how toxic some people in this fandom are. It's not chasing me away, but the fact that I chose to hang out in a a more toxic fandom that is already notorious for being really toxic over a fandom that claims to be more open-minded and welcoming should probably tell you something.

It gave me a lot of perspective, and yeah, I'm still gonna speak up against the bullshit Aziraphale hate.

People are entitled to their opinions, but the Aziraphale hate isn't an opinion. It's just ableist, misogynistic garbage. At this point we all know y'all say these extreme things about Aziraphale because y'all get more joy out of the harm and alienation it is causing others.

Keep being loudly wrong, but if you think I'm not entitled to challenge shitty-ass, harmful, hateful discourse, bite my ass.

I'm not the one who lost the plot in this fandom.

#autistic coded character #religious trauma #good omens #aziraphale #aziraphale defense squad #i'm in a mood #like i'm begging y'all to learn what empathy is #like goddamn i know i'm not perfect but at least i don't forget that the reason for everything in good omens is love #neil has said this several times #it's one thing to dislike a character #it's another to assassinate characters in ways that blatantly contradict what the narrative has told us #and try to pass it off as canon #if you wanna send me hate just hit the block button instead #i'll try to be really sad about it #and if you just have to send me hatemail at least have the courage to attach it to your name instead of hiding behind anon #i'm too old for this shit #i'm gonna go back to the star wars tag now #it's been a minute since i went off and today proved to be the perfect day for it

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books-and-omens · 10 months

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Okay okay, so I really want to talk about S2 Crowley.

I’ve been thinking about who Crowley is in the book and who he is in the show, and the gap is significant. (@tbutchaziraphale has fantastic meta over here which I think is spot on.)

Book!Crowley is an optimist, yes? I mean, we’re outright told this:

“Because, underneath it all, Crowley was an optimist. If there was one rock-hard certainty that had sustained him through the bad times—he thought briefly of the fourteenth century—then it was utter surety that he would come out on top; that the universe would look after him.”

Honestly, what a thing for a fallen angel to believe! And to me, it’s powerful, yes, but it never quite answers the question: where is he getting that certainty?

Tv!Crowley, in the meantime, is emphatically not this. He’s never been an optimist, not even in S1—although in S1, it might have been easier to look at A & C and consider them essentially similar to their book selves if a little out of sync.

In S1, Crowley gives the whole “don’t test them to destruction” speech. He cares about humanity deeply, even if he won’t admit it. He will try to stop the Apocalypse.

And there is still a moment when he feels helpless. When he has no innate optimism to carry him through, no deep belief in the universe looking after him or anyone. When his instincts tell him to run, and he tries to follow them. When he despairs. Aziraphale pulls him back out of that despair; they make a stand together. As we know, it works.

But the thing is, the thing is. I find tv!Crowley’s lack of optimism so very relatable.

I find despair so very relatable, too.

We live in an age of deep anxiety. (Climate change, anyone? Just for starters! The promise and wonder of the Moon landing and the end of the Cold War are far in the past; day to day, we deal with the effects of capitalism, of reactionism, of continued exclusionism. It’s far too easy to feel helpless.)

So in S2, Crowley is very much the same character as he was in S1, except we see it even clearer.

He is not an optimist. He wants to run; he wants to escape when faced with Gabriel’s arrival; he wants to protect Aziraphale and himself, and believes that the best—perhaps only—way to do that is by them retreating as far away from the problem as they can.

In Heaven, Crowley finds out about The Second Coming. His need to escape and to keep his angel safe become overwhelming. But he doesn’t tell Aziraphale about the Second Coming, does he? And his repeated offer to run away together doesn't even make sense to Aziraphale. (Not that Aziraphale would want to run if he knew. Quite the opposite, in fact, which Crowley must know.)

Anyway, Crowley already knows that the clock is ticking. Aziraphale is about to find it out. (Do you notice how often, in the last fifteen minutes of S2, we hear nothing in the background but the ticking of a clock?)

And just—the despair, the desire to retreat and escape when you are faced with overwhelming odds, with a fundamentally broken system, are so relatable.

And yet escape has never been the answer.

I hope, of course, that this is what we’ll see in S3 if there is a S3. Crowley deciding, emphatically, that running away is not the answer.

We didn't get there yet. We were dropped out of the story at the darkest point.

But I think being at this point is precisely what makes Crowley’s confession at the end of S2 transcendent.

Because it’s the same conflict, isn’t it, except on a personal scale. Despair in the face of overwhelming odds, followed by the decision to not give up.

Crowley, who’d been ready to confess, sees what is likely to happen. He sees the way the deck is stacked against him, sees that he is unlikely to get through. He feels the coming loss.

And then he does it anyway.

He confesses anyway. He says what he has set out to say, gasping and clawing for every word. He does it at the point when everything appears lost.

And no, we don’t see the effects of it, not yet. We don’t see what he has launched, the hook that sank into Aziraphale, the change it has wrought in Crowley himself.

But his bravery won’t be lost.

We live in a dark timeline. I maintain that this is precisely what makes this story so compelling.

Be brave. Do the difficult thing anyway. Do it anyway. Do it anyway.

Even in the face of overwhelming odds. Especially in the face of overwhelming odds. While not being an optimist in the slightest.

This is what hope is.

This is what we have to do.

(And to all of us who’d lost a comfort story: I’m so sorry. I, too, am still grieving for it. I know, I know.

Emphatically: all is not lost.)

#good omens #good omens season 2

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ineffablesuffering · 8 months

Text

There Must Be an Angel (Aziraphale x reader)

I'd like to thank @avocado-writing for the inspo for this fic. They recommended I add this song to my 80s playlist (because I totally forgot this song existed) and this fic was born! I think this is classed as a songfic? I'm not too sure, anyway enjoy! <3

Pairing: Aziraphale x Reader

Warnings: unorganised bookshelves

Word count: 948 (short and sweet, might write a part 2?)

Masterlist

--------------------------------------

“Aziraphale?” you called as you walked through the door of the bookshop, the familiar comforting scent of dust, tea and incense filled your nostrils.

“Ah, Y/N! I was wondering when you would get here,” he said appearing from the back room. “How are you, my dear?” he asked, embracing you.

You gladly returned his embrace “I’m good thank you, how are you?”

“Much better now that you’re here,” he smiled “Shall we get started?”

You had agreed to help Aziraphale organise his books after Jim/Gabriel (you never were sure what to call him) had attempted to sort them in his own unique way. It had been driving him up the wall as he could never find what he was looking for. You were more than happy to help out a friend in need, besides, you enjoyed his company. You nodded and let him show you where he wanted you to start.

“It’s been so frustrating trying to find anything since,” he stopped and sighed “I’m not even going to mention it because it just annoys me. If you want to start here with whatever this is, I’ll start over there,” he pointed to a bookshelf on the other side of the room.

“Sure!” you said cheerfully, “you don’t mind if I listen to some music while I work, do you? Helps me concentrate.”

“Not at all my dear,” he said with a smile, “whatever helps you.” He gave your shoulder a pat before walking off to where he would be working.

You smiled at him as he walked off, pulling your headphones out of your bag and connecting them to your phone. You selected a playlist and got started. The shelves were a disaster zone but at least they were all of the same genre otherwise it would have taken all day to fix whatever was going on. You began by gently taking off all the books from the shelves and placing them on a table nearby before deciding that it would be best to alphabetise by author. Getting stuck in, you bopped along to the music playing on your headphones, singing quietly to yourself every so often. The time passed rather quickly and soon you were on to a new section.

You decided to take the section next to the one where you had started and repeated the process. Taking books of the shelf, placing them on a table and reorganising them. You changed your playlist to an 80’s one and continued to sing along quietly. The smooth sounds of Eurythmics played through your ears. You smiled and continued to work. “I walk into an empty room, and suddenly my heart goes boom, it’s an orchestra of angels and they’re playing with my heart,” you sang.

Aziraphale stopped in the middle of putting a book back on the shelf a few aisles away. He could hear you singing softly to yourself almost as if you didn’t think anyone could hear you. You weren’t singing loudly but it was definitely loud enough for him to hear. He tilted his head slightly, not recognising the song but the fact that you were singing about angels definitely caught his attention. He peaked out from the bookshelf that he was organising and walked around to where you were working.

“I must be hallucinating watching angels celebrating,” you continued to sing.

He stopped when he reached you and stood and watched as you continued to sing softly, not noticing he was standing there. He watched with a soft smile on his lips, you seemed so content organising and singing. You continued to place book by book back on the shelf in an organised manner and he just watched. You started to sing what he assumed to be a different song.

“I hear your voice, it’s like an angel sighing, I have no choice, I hear your voice feels like flying,” you sang.

Aziraphale leans slightly against the bookshelf just watching you. His eyes danced across your figure as you worked, he felt like he could watch you all day. You turned around ready to start on a new set of shelves and jump at the sight of Aziraphale watching you.

“Jesus Christ!” you said, getting a fright “I didn’t hear you come up behind me, is everything okay?” you laughed taking off your headphones.

Aziraphale chuckled, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I just heard you singing, you’ve got a lovely voice.”

You blushed and bashfully dropped your gaze to the ground. You hadn’t realised that you were singing loud enough for him to hear you. “Thanks,” you mumbled. Aziraphale stepped closer to you, taking your chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing you to look at him.

“There’s no need to be shy my dear,” he smiles moving his hand from your chin to brush a finger across your cheek, almost appreciating the blush. “It was quite beautiful. Almost angelic.” You stood there, gaping at him. You didn’t know what to say or how to react. “What were you singing darling?” he asked softly, snapping you out of your trance.

“Oh! Um what song?” you asked

“The last two just there.”

“Ah, so that was There Must Be an Angel and then the second one was called Like a Prayer.”

“Hmm, I see,” he started “fitting do you not think?” Again, you were at a loss for words. What is going on? You thought to yourself. Aziraphale smiled at you, a knowing glint in his eyes. “Tea?” he asked. You didn’t say a word as you found yourself staring at him as he walked away.

#good omens #ineffable husbands #aziraphale #michael sheen #aziraphale x reader #good omens x reader #michael sheen x reader

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actual-changeling · 4 months

Note

The hypocrisy of completely dismissing Crowley's trauma from the Fall, indeed denying that he was traumatized in the first place, and at the same time infantilizing Aziraphale claiming he’s suffering so much because he likes tragedies and sad books and even believing that it was “an act of kindness” to say I forgive you to Crowley

The actual tragedy here is that it's not even a unique point of view to hold. Ableism is ingrained so fucking deeply in society, and that extends to trauma survivors.

There is the idea of a "good" survivor, the one that is soft and over apologetic, the one that people pleases and is easy to see as a victim, the kind that allows you to feel better about yourself by pitying them or being their friend. That's what people want—and Aziraphale largely fits that bill.

They look at him and see someone who is fawning and anxious, someone who does not outright goes against their abusers but plays along, someone you can look at and go "oh, but the way he is behaving is not his fault, he has trauma :(". I'm not exaggerating, I have seen this exact line of thinking over and over again, whether people are consciously doing it or not,

Meanwhile you have Crowley—who doesn't fit into that ideal. He is the "bad" survivor. The one that got angry, harsh, and built spiky walls to keep himself save. The one that never stopped surviving and keeps disobeying, keeps pushing, keeps questioning and doing things that make others look at him and go "oh but he is 'provoking' it, so it is his fault".

Once again, something I see in this fandom way too fucking often.

Both takes are incredibly ableist, one is infantilizing and robs Aziraphale of autonomy, the other is mean-spirited and fucked up. Crowley isn't a palpable survivor. Trauma did not make him soft, it made him angry, and society hates that.

Society wants us to forgive and forget—which is EXACTLY why people think Aziraphale and his forgiveness shtick is him being "kind".

People in this fandom refuse to examine their own bias and it fucking shows.

Trauma made me angry, it made me rough, it made me lonely and protective of myself, it made me untrusting and unforgiving and unapologetic for how I am keeping myself alive and safe. I cannot count how many times throughout my life I was blamed for the abuse I was tortured with. How many times people told me to forgive because it was my "family". That forgiveness is good and every survivor must forgive or they're doing it wrong.

Fuck that and fuck every single person that treats Crowley the way too many of us are treated ourselves.

#alex answers asks #alex talks good omens #good omens #crowley #aziraphale #good omens season 2 #go2 #aziracrow #crowley x aziraphale #ineffable husbands #ineffable wives #ineffable spouses #good omens meta

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nofomogirl · 8 months

Text

Why was Aziraphale and Crowley's joint miracle so powerful?

They try to make it as tiny and insignificant as possible. A fraction of a miracle. And yet it turns out to be a massive one, with power enough to raise 25 people from the dead. A power that only the mightiest of the Archangels should have at their disposal.

Why?

Theory #1: It's love.

That one must be the most popular one. It just has to. Because that's what Good Omens are all about to many fans, myself included. Aziraphale and Crowley share a very special bond and hence when they join forces they create magic.

Theory #2: It's them

Let's not dismiss the simplest explanation - the miracle was powerful because the ones performing it were powerful. If you think it's too simple to be particularly interesting, think again.

There are many hints this season that Crowley used to be a big shot before the Fall. One of them is actually the miracle in question, or rather Crowley's words to Shax when she questions him about it.

But there are some things about Aziraphale that raise eyebrows too. Mainly, how he always seems to need Crowley's help to control a single person but then is suddenly puppeteering a room full of people.

I'm just saying, with a memory wipe canonized, everybody's identity is a potential mystery now.

Theory #3: It's a fusion

Renegade or not, Aziraphale is an angel and Crowley is a demon. Their powers are opposites and if applied at once would just cancel each other out. Like fire and water that represent them, right? Right?

Well, opposite is often just a synonym for complementary.

I think it's entirely possible it isn't just about Aziraphale and Crowley personally but simply about celestial and infernal power. I wouldn't be surprised that combined they can do things neither can separately.

Theory #4: It's Gabriel

This one is a bit underwhelming and I doubt it would be to many people's liking. But can we address the fact that the plume was kind of purple? Okay, it was more pinkish than Gabriel's trademark lilac-violet, but still. I think by holding hands our boys made Gabe not just an object of the miracle, but a participant too.

Theory #5: It's the portal

That's another one that might feel disappointing, but it's something I've noticed and I'm excited about it.

Just look.

Episode 1: when Aziraphale and Crowley decide to do half a miracle each, Crowley asks Gabriel to sit on the chair which he puts on top of this light-coloured, very worn circular rug.

Episode 5: when the bookshop is under attack, Aziraphale decides to use the portal against demons. We can see it was covered with a completely different rug - a burgundy one - so probably a different spot, right? Aziraphale must own at least a dozen circular rugs.

However.

Episode 6: when Crowley cleans the bookshop, he covers the portal with the same light rug we saw in episode 1 in the miracle scene.

Normally I'd say that if we saw the burgundy rug removed from the portal, it means it was under the burgundy rug the entire time and it was Crowley who put another one over it afterwards. After all, Aziraphale doesn't exactly strike me as the redecorating type.

Except he decided to host a ball in the meantime and we saw him redecorate for that.

So when Crowley puts the light rug over the portal, it's very likely he is in fact putting things back to how they originally were.

What I'm saying is when Aziraphale and Crowley performed their miracle, Gabriel was sitting directly over the portal connecting the bookshop to Heaven. Sure, it was closed, but it still might have given the whole thing a boost.

Personally, I think it was the combination of all of the above.

What do you think?

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens meta #good omens spoilers #good omens 2 spoilers #crowley #aziraphale #gabriel

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mimisempai · 29 days

Text

Lovely in red

Summary

As they share a tender moment, Aziraphale can't help but tease the demon when he sees Crowley's reaction to his compliments.

Notes

50 Types of Kisses - Writing Prompts

Kiss #45: Shut-up kiss

On Ao3

Rating G - 536 words

As was often the case at the end of the day, Crowley and Aziraphale shared a relaxing moment on the bookshop sofa. They didn't know when this little routine had started, but they didn't really care because they both enjoyed this kind of moment to the fullest.

They were both lying on the sofa, Crowley with his head on the angel's lap and Aziraphale, as always when they were in this position, had his fingers buried in the demon's red hair.

He loved to slide the soft, silky strands between his fingers, taking particular pleasure in messing up the demon's always stylish hairstyle.

It was a gesture he'd wanted to do for too long to remember, and now he could do it without a second thought, it was blissful.

As his eyes closed, Crowley made a sound almost like a purr, causing the angel to look down at him.

Aziraphale laughed softly and said, "You're so lovely like that."

It wasn't the first time he had complimented the demon in this way, and it was with delight and without surprise that he saw a slight blush appear on Crowley's cheeks in response to his praise.

As he had a bit of the bastard in him, as Crowley had said more than once, he wanted to see more of the red blush on his lover's cheeks and so he added softly, "So cute".

As the blush spread across the demon's cheeks, Crowley grumbled, "Angel, stop it right now."

But Aziraphale, knowing his lover perfectly, had also heard the lack of conviction in his voice, telling him that Crowley, though he would never admit it, appreciated his words of praise.

So the angel ran a hand down Crowley's face, stopping on the flushed cheek and, caressing it gently with his thumb, he asked softly, "Do I really need to stop telling you how beautiful and lovable I find you?"

The demon raised an arm and put it in front of his eyes to hide his face before he sighed, "Angel..."

Aziraphale grabbed Crowley's arm and pulled it away from his face before leaning over and pressing a soft kiss to the demon's forehead, continuing, "So sweet."

Crowley's cheeks turned so scarlet that the angel could feel the heat beneath his hand, and he was about to continue when the demon suddenly straightened up to straddle the angel's lap and put his hand over the teasing mouth.

With a false scolding he said to Aziraphale, "I must stop you from talking."

He felt the angel's smile under his palm, which he replaced with his lips, preventing the angel from continuing.

Aziraphale wrapped his arms around him and kissed him back without hesitation, and when they parted to catch their breath, he murmured, a mischievous little smile on his lips, "You're even cuter now. "

Crowley growled, "Aziraphale! "

Aziraphale ran his tongue over his lips and, raising an eyebrow, replied in a challenging tone, "You know how to shut me up, don't you?"

"You..."

Aziraphale laughed softly, but his laughter was soon smothered by the demon's lips, and before he let himself be swept away by the kiss, the angel couldn't help but think that, yes, his demon really was adorable.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story 🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Ineffable kisses series : here

Ineffable Husbands masterlist : here

Ineffable Growing Love - Series post S2

Part 1 Story 1-99

Part 2 Story 100-?

#good omens #aziracrow #ineffable husbands #ineffable boyfriends #aziraphale #crowley #good omens fanfiction #aziraphale x crowley #crowley x aziraphale #50 kisses

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clanwarrior-tumbly · 9 months

Note

Hey I would like to request a good omens Crowley x reader angsty sad fic where they are pining over him but he loves aziraphale and they don’t want to interfere. Kind of Laufey’s song Let You Break My Heart Again vibes. Thx!!❤️

"Why couldn't I have what THEY had, [y/n]?! Maybe it's...it's all part of God's great ineffable plan! As if fallin' weren't enough...y'know? Why not allow him to walk outta my life and crawl back to the other angelss, too? Keep fuckin' me over, I suppose. This must be karma, I swear.."

"Crowley.." You began, only to stop as the demon on the other end of the line continued his drunken sorrowful ramblings.

He was still clearly hurting, and you were his only company left.

The only one who knew about him and Aziraphale and everything they've done together for the past 6,000 years.

You've been around for a thousand or so, not aligned with Heaven nor Hell, but living as a simple immortal being.

However, only very recently have you learned that they've in fact known each other since the very dawn of Creation.

So their history goes way back.

It's no secret that Crowley's been pining after the angel all these years, forced to pretend he hates him just because he was on the "opposite side".

But he was sick of doing all of that, and finally got the courage to tell him how he really felt. He begged him to stay, to stop taking sides, and to think about just them for once.

In the end, Aziraphale still chose the side that shunned him for conspiring with a demon, halting Armageddon, and hiding Gabriel on Earth...all because he was offered a higher position of power and couldn't so easily let go of Heaven.

Not as easily as Crowley could. He couldn't understand that, or why Gabriel and Beelzebub could go off together and they couldn't.

Now you were here, having to comfort the very same demon that you've fallen in love with yourself.

It felt like such a selfish desire, knowing that you haven't lived nearly as long as either of them. You weren't there at the beginning of Everything. You weren't there at the Garden of Eden.

You could never fully understand their deep-rooted bond.

There's no way he would ever see you in a remotely similar light.

Even still, the heart wants what it wants..even if it's unobtainable.

"Listen, Crowley.." You tried speaking again. "I'm next in line, do you want anything?"

Perhaps that was rather poorly worded, as you heard a sniffle and what sounded like him holding back a sob. "I just want him to come back.." His voice broke.

There was that feeling again, constricting your human heart with pain.

It was such a fickle organ, you often thought. It kept people alive, yet when put through emotional toil..it felt like it was killing them, and they wanted nothing more than to rip it out of their chest to be rid of the pain.

But right in this moment, you felt like that because deep down...you wish he instead said that he wanted-

"W-Wait..you're..at that café 'cross the bookshop, right?" You heard Crowley mumble. "I'll get the usual..assuming she remembers. Actually...don't bother-"

"It's fine, Crow. It'll be my treat. I'm getting something, too...not that we actually need it. But we both enjoy it, right?"

"...right." He chuckled depressingly. "Fine. I'll be outside."

That was a surprise, although when you briefly glanced outside the window of Give Me Coffee or Give Me Death, you noticed the Bentley parked next to the sidewalk. You sighed, hanging up the phone before you stepped up to the register, smiling at Nina.

"Hello, Nina. I'll have my usual..and Mr. Crowley's, too. Six espresso shots, was it? And one of those [favorite flavor] pies, pretty please." You pointed to the menu.

"On it." She nodded, already getting to work on your order. "You know, I haven't seen that chap around in a while. How's he holding up? I heard he took it pretty hard."

"Yeah." You muttered, recalling how you've talked to her about your own feelings for Crowley.

You weren't expecting a human to solve the relationship woes of immortal beings when she herself was going through her own issues.

She worried that her and Maggie's little "intervention" caused the demon and angel to split up, but you didn't blame her. And neither did Crowley, although he was torn between wishing he didn't kiss Aziraphale and wondering if he'd regret not doing that at all.

He hasn't been back at the coffee shop since.

"Well, do you plan to tell him anytime soon?"

You nearly choked on your own spit. "N-Nina...I..I can't just do that. He clearly doesn't see me that way. He talks about him every day and night. I've stayed up past midnight consoling him, letting him stay with me the moment I learned he's sleeping outta his car. But...it's him he loves, not me. And I can't interfere with that..it would be wrong."

"Then...what's your plan from here?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"..I'm not sure anymore. I guess hope that one day..I'll stop falling in love with him. Maybe his angel will come back and everything will be as it was."

"Sounds like wishful thinking at this point, but I'm sure things will work out. Maybe he'll move on."

"I doubt it, but time will tell."

"Right." After finishing the drinks, she set them down into a cupholder, before giving you the pie as well. You paid and bid her farewell before heading out of the café and to the Bentley.

Inside, you saw Crowley sulking, lost in thought until you knocked on the passenger's window. He sat up with a start, fixing his glasses when he realized it was you. "S-Sorry."

The door opened, and you slid inside, passing him the tall cup with tons of espresso shots. "It's okay. So..where did you wanna go today?"

"I was thinkin'..St. James Park. Feel like I've been neglecting the ducks for far too long."

You blinked. 'Wasn't that..his and Aziraphale's thing-?'

"Yeah, I know..it...was our thing." He responded as though he read your mind. "'s just..been so lonely without him to chatter to. I hate siting all alone on that bench. But it's not like I can just walk Upstairs and tell him to screw all of them, right?"

"Sadly..no." Shaking your head, you glanced over your shoulder at the plants he's shoved into his backseat. Closest to you was a venus fly trap that had spots and other flaws, looking rather frail and wilted and sad.

Not too different from how its owner felt.

You smiled sadly and stroked the top of its head with your thumb, feeling it cease its trembles. Its mouth closed as it seemed to...purr?

How cute.

"Well would ya look at that...ya even treat the bloody things the same as he did.."

You tensed, looking back to Crowley and frowning upon seeing the tears sliding down his cheeks. But he was quick to wipe them away once you noticed them, yet a sniffle still managed to escape him.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to keep doing stuff that reminds you of him.." You set a hand on his back. "Do you...want me to drive?"

"No, it's fine.." He shook his head, sniffling loudly one last time before he managed to pull himself together. "Let's just..go."

You nodded, taking a sip of your coffee and a small bite of your pie, before you reached for the radio-

However, you forgot that the Bentley was sentient, instead turning it on for you and playing a song that nearly made you choke once again.

"--All I've had is coffee and leftover pie. It's no wonder why. Ooooh, still you take up all my mind. I don't even think that you care like I do. I should stop, Heaven knows I've tried..."

Even Crowley froze as he listened to the lyrics.

And not because it wasn't a Queen song.

"One day, I will stop falling in love with you."

Neither of you spoke a word, instead staring at the dashboard with looks of sadness upon your faces. You thought he would've changed the song by now, but...when you looked over, you could see his glasses now resting on the bridge of his nose.

His golden irises have almost completely taken over the whites of his eyes.

What little you saw of them..

Were growing redder and glossier.

"Some day, someone will like me like I like you."

You felt your own eyes start to sting, too, so you looked away and opted to pet the venus fly trap that was nuzzling your hand, clearly asking for more much-needed affection.

Sentient plants were easy to comfort.

If only your demon friend could be the same way..

If only you could show him that you wished to be more than just friends..but this simply wasn't your place to tell him that.

Not here, not now...and possibly not ever. For as long as you lived on this mortal plane.

All you could hope was that one day, the feeling will pass.

If Aziraphale came back, things might be better. You wished the idiot would at least check in with you both once in a while so you knew he was alive.

If that's the last time you hear from him, well....you weren't sure if Crowley would ever want to try loving again after what he's suffered through. He poured his heart out, only for it to get broken and stomped on before being left all alone on Earth.

He couldn't go through that again.

And you didn't wanna say anything about how you felt for the centuries you've known him. He could very well perceive that as you trying to replace him and ruin this friendship.

The wounds in his heart are still clearly fresh..and they likely will be for a long, long time.

For now, you'll just be by his side and be mindful. Perhaps he'll eventually realize how you felt about him...but you doubt it.

"Until then, I'll drink my coffee, eat my pie. Pretend we are more than friends. Then of course, I'll let you break my heart again-"

Crowley's hand suddenly shot towards the button, the car filling with an abrupt silence as he shut off the music. Then he switched between several Queen songs, eyebrows furrowed as none of them seemed to suit his current mood.

If Queen didn't make him happy anymore...he was seriously in emotional distraught.

But eventually he settled for "Somebody to Love", and you smiled, wiping your eyes as you leaned back in the seat. "Good choice."

He nodded absentmindedly, before finally driving off to the park after adjusting his glasses.

No further words were exchanged. You didn't even scold him for speeding down the tightly-knitted roads of London. That's the last thing he needed right now.

Especially since you picked up that habit from Aziraphale.

But even as Freddie's voice reverberated through the Bentley, you two couldn't stop thinking about the lyrics of Laufey's song and what it meant to both of you.

Yet the people it reminded you of...were completely different.

#ough i listened to this song on repeat while editing this </3 #hurts like a bish #clanask #good omens x reader #good omens 2 spoilers #crowley x reader #ineffable husbands #immortal reader #angst

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triflesandparsnips · 1 year

Text

I'm not seeing enough deep-dive nonsense about the new Good Omens season 2 poster drop on my dash, and by god that means I must be the one to deliver it.

For those who haven't seen it yet, behold:

...there's a lot in here to go a wee bit feral over, if one was so inclined, and lord knows I love an inclination.

The Obvious Stuff

1. There Was Only One Bed Chair

This is the bulk of the commentary I've seen, and tbh, it's pretty great. "I am bored/busy and ignoring you but also what is personal space, never heard of her, we will not be taking questions at this time."

Notably, however, this is the second time we've seen them back to back-- the majority of the poster art we saw for the first season had them side by side. In both cases they're in a position to face some third thing together-- the difference, perhaps, is that side by side might imply equality of situation, while back to back implies implicit trust that the other won't stab you there.

2. The bookshop

Aw, look at them. Look at it. What a glorious little mess. This is them in London. Arizaphale looks pleased with the situation; Crowley looks bored af but he's also squished up on that one dang chair, so there's a "cat sitting next to you because parallel play and mirroring are the Best Interactions" feel to it.

3. Tea and wine

Arizaphale's got a teacup, Crowley's got a wine glass, this is very Them and indicative of their Vibes. Tbh, I think this is just a nice bit of design work, but it's worth calling out.

4. The outside street

The shop across the way is using a Gothic and reads "GIVE ME" before being cut off. No clue what it means, but it probably means something.

5. The tagline

The previous tagline we got was "Something's going down in the Up" (with that grey feather falling between their black and white wings)-- this tagline reads "Everyday it's a-getting closer."

Easiest interpretation is, oho, we're getting closer to the second season, and gosh there will be some Plot in it. And sure, yes, it works for that too, huzzah. But leaving aside the "it" and what that may mean-- "a-getting" is a fascinating word choice. It evokes similar constructions like, say, the somewhat obscure "Sumer is icumen in" (a song about the changing of the seasons and also encouraging a cuckoo to go lay some eggs in other birds nests if u no wat im sayin eyyyyy)-- and the significantly less obscure protest song "The Times They Are A-Changin'", whose ending stanza is:

The line it is drawn

The curse it is cast

The slow one now

Will later be fast

As the present now

Will later be past

The order is rapidly fadin'

And the first one now

Will later be last

For the times they are a-changin'

Gosh.

Now the Real Fun Starts

This poster is a composite image (as so many ads are), composed of different bits and pieces to form a whole impression -- based on fun stuff like relative pixelation and whatnot, you can often tell what portions of an image were there to start with, and what were specifically added in after the fact. How packed this poster is in tiny details -- which is exactly where I would hide fun hints to things -- is generally a cue for me to take a closer look, and I have been, I think, rewarded.

1. The books with legible titles

Zoom in on Aziraphale's book-- he's reading Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities. The "two cities" in play are Paris and London, and the book is set before and during the French Revolution.

It's the story of a man who had been previously imprisoned in the Bastille for 18 years, and then was released to go live with his daughter -- who he has never met, what with the whole "imprisoned" thing -- in London.

The opening paragraph is:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

The pile of books in the foreground have two visible titles: the topmost one is Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (a "novel of manners" that's considered a heavy-hitting romantic classic, and also yes the leads are both prideful and prejudiced and it takes an entire book for them to clear that up) and Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island (a young adult coming-of-age adventure story about a kid who finds himself on an adventure with a bunch of pirates to discover buried treasure).

Of note: A Tale of Two Cities, Pride and Prejudice, and Treasure Island also all have note tabs sticking out of them, and are the only books that have them. This is reminiscent of how Arizaphale studied and referenced Agnes Nutter's prophecies.

Some of the books beneath the window technically have titles, but they appear to be about as pixelated as the rest of that section, and so I suspect they're just part of the scenery.

Similarly, most of the books on the background shelves are like that as well, except:

Joseph Heller's Catch-22 (A satirical novel set in World War II; Wikipedia briefly explains that "the novel examines the absurdity of war and military life through the experiences of Yossarian and his cohorts, who attempt to maintain their sanity while fulfilling their service requirements so that they may return home." The book also coined the phrase "catch-22," which is a situation someone can't escape because of paradoxical rules-- in the case of the book, you can't ask to be evaluated for insanity so that you can be exempt from flying dangerous missions, because "anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isn't really crazy.")

Iain Banks's The Crow Road (and a first edition, perhaps? I haven't read it, but apparently it's a Scottish family drama about a perfect murder against the backdrop of the 1990s Gulf War. Its opening line is "It was the day my grandmother exploded." The phrase "the crow road" is a euphemism, in the book, for death.)

Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim (Sparknotes says it's "the story of a man named Marlow's struggle to tell and to understand the life story of a man named Jim" -- a young man who goes to sea, makes a terrible and cowardly decision while following his leaders, and then spends the rest of his life haunted by it.)

There's at least one extra, partially obscured title:

It appears to read "THE BODY ------ and ------", which makes me wonder if it's an anthology of murder mystery short stories.

Leaving aside the uncertain book, commonalities between many of these books include:

soldiers, war, and the horrors/absurdities thereof

doubles and parallels

death and murder

a young/inexperienced protagonist thrown in with more experienced/weirder folk

fragmented and out of order narratives, sometimes having to be pieced together from multiple viewpoints

...pirates

2. The strange but noticeable inserts

There are several images that have been inserted into the poster that -- unlike the teacup and wine glass mentioned above -- don't seem to make a lot of contextual sense and are therefore, perhaps, extra information. These include:

a. the three lizard boys

b. the broken smartphone

c. the matchbox with the quote on the side

d. the camera

e. this statuette that seems suspicious

f. this record and scroll that seem out of place

g. the clockface with the missing hand (which may be just for the Aesthetic, but whatever, I'm including it)

What do they mean? No clue. I suspect it will become apparent as we get trailers and/or the actual show.

In Conclusion

Uh.

Look. Design teams can do all sorts of things for all sorts of reasons. All of this could mean absolutely nothing.

But.

Using my magical powers of bullshit deduction, I might look at all this, and that grey feather falling from the earlier poster, and say... well... the war's still ongoing, yeah? So maybe... maybe there needs to be a new angel keeping an eye on things on Earth. Or an eye specifically on Aziraphale and Crowley.

And that would look SUSPICIOUS, right? So this is an angel who's maybe... a little bit Fallen. For the sake of the Mission. Like, they've agreed to sin just a lil bit, just enough to justify being thrown out of Heaven, and they're not actively in Hell because they're, oh, just stopping off, or maybe just going really slowly, or maybe they were sent back up from Hell because they were still "too good" and all that Pureness of Spirit was stinking up the place--

Whatever. Point is, they're on Earth, they're very confused, it sure would be nice if these very Established metaphysical elders could give them a few hints about how to get on. We'd then get to enjoy a Guide to Living a Totally Normal Human Life given by these two disaster dorks, plus whatever nonsense is derived from, idk, various extraneous plot shenanigans, probably involving a Murder and maybe a MacGuffin Maltese Falcon.

And most importantly: this new angel? Wow no they couldn't possibly be a spy because again WOW, what kind of angel would deliberately Fall? Wouldn't that require doing the wrong thing to do a right thing? ...okay maybe, but can it really be wrong if it was done by command? ...well, wait, it surely must be wrong because otherwise the mechanism wouldn't have worked-- but then, wait, which thing was the wrong thing--

And Aziraphale and Crowley would watch this bouncing volley of cognitive dissonance with great interest, also possibly while holding hands.

#good omens #season 2 #good omens season 2 rampant speculation

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fearandhatred · 1 month

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@knifeforkspooncup wanted angst fics so here's a rec list from the very few fanfics i have had time to read lmaoo. some of these are in my other rec list but that was a shorter and more general one so i'll put them here again

mourning doves by sleepyimpulse (22k words, 7 chapters)

“I’m sorry,” he registered himself saying between heaving sobs. “I’m so sorry, Crowley, I’m so sorry. Forgive me, please, please forgive me.” He hadn’t meant to say it like that, he knew the words were all wrong (he would never find the right ones). But the pain was coming at him in every direction and something, something had to give, and so he clung to Crowley like a life preserver. Crowley bent his body over Aziraphale’s and slowly, surely, pressed a kiss to his bloodied forehead. “I can’t,” he whispered, and Aziraphale went unconscious. (Aziraphale falls, post season 2)

i've recced this before and i'll do it again! this is my very first bookmarked gomens fic and it's so delicious. perfect amount of angst and such a thoughtful exploration of forgiveness

Ouroboros by midnightdragons (7k words, 1 chapter)

“Oh.” Muriel had frowned again, their voice confused. “Then . . . if they were special, why did he leave them?” Crowley thought that his expression must have spoken louder than any words ever could have, because Muriel had rushed to change the subject, and they hadn’t mentioned Aziraphale after that. An obligatory ‘Crowley coping terribly and Aziraphale coming to his senses’ fic because I finally watched s2 and I have a lot of Feelings (ft. Crowley being a sort-of parent to Muriel, sort-of friends with Nina and Maggie, and drinking enough alcohol to kill at least an entire civilization)

it is not a good omens angst rec list without a crowley breaking down post-season 2 fic :) and this is that fic. she is that girl

Zmija by Himitsu_no (3k words, 4 chapters)

Aziraphale would laugh and his fingers find their way into the red locks with practiced ease, and he'd bend to kiss the top of his head. "Did they do that, though? The evil deeds." Crowley would smile despite himself, eyes closed and leaning into the caress. "About a dozen, maybe. The rest were just... ordinary humans doing ordinary stuff." There'd be a long pause in which the angel would take it all in, and the demon would replay many of it in his mind with unease. Then Aziraphale would speak again, voice barely a whisper, "How long were you in Mesopotamia after the flood, my love?"

if u asked me to talk about this fic i would say 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 bc oh this hurt. idk if it's just me though because characters with kids is my sore spot lmao i have read this fic once and never again. gorgeous beautiful poetic heartbreaking don't even talk to me

Diffusing Lights, Confusing Times by snek_of_eden (15k words, 3 chapters)

Aziraphale pulled the door open slowly and stood in the entranceway. He wore an old-fashioned nightgown that was creamy in colour, and his eyes were cloudy with sleep. “Crowley…” He inhaled sharply when a drop of blood dripped on his bare foot, and Crowley winced. “Are you alright? Oh Heavens, are you bleeding?” Crowley mustered up a smile. He took a step forward, and his head began to spin. “Hey, Angel.” Then he stumbled into Aziraphale’s arms and everything started to turn fuzzy. *** Hell is terrible and Crowley turns to Aziraphale when he has nowhere left to go

basically what it says in the summary! hurt crowley and aziraphale comforts him. crowley is sad but aziraphale is also sad. angst and communication!! i don't usually read a lot of physical hurt/comfort but this is so good

when i knew love’s perfect ache by sugarskulled (1.8k words, 1 chapter)

A demon can't touch that which has been made holy by God. Crowley knows this well as anyone. And Aziraphale? Aziraphale is so holy it burns.

this is quite possibly my favourite good omens fic of all time i think about it so often bro. i love when problems don't just resolve themselves but they make it work. the angst is so good in both the fic itself and in the future implications of it (why does this sound like i'm writing a research paper)

something sweet and blue by perilit (7.2k words, 4 chapters)

Crowley’s not breathing. They don’t technically need to, but the lack of it is so jarring that for a minute, Aziraphale just stands there and trembles, overwhelmed. Lord, what have I done? Aziraphale returns from Heaven after a year away, and discovers Crowley has all but given up. Before he can put things to rights, he’ll have to coax Crowley back to living.

what? you want another post-season 2 crowley breakdown? fantastic. this is that but dialed up to 11. this is the kind of self-indulgent fic i search for because we will never see it in canon and it hurts so good

Haunted By Something Still Alive by WaitingToBeBroken (4k words, 1 chapter)

Aziraphale needs Crowley's help with raising the reincarnation of Jesus. Problem is, Crowley won't even look at him.

what's that? you want ANOTHER- ok no this isn't a crowley breakdown but it's him having to deal with aziraphale being back and the journey they take together. ft. nanny crowley!!!!!!! so many gorgeous moments in this

that concludes the angst recs for now. thank u for coming

#fearandhatred #sorry the reviews get progressively less serious lmfao i started compiling this last week #good omens #good omens fic rec #q

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queenofthearchipelago · 9 months

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Thinking about Crowley telling Aziraphale that, "You sound jealous, angel." When Aziraphale told him that, being a demon, Crowley could do whatever he wanted.

Because we know that isn't true. Crowley absolutely cannot do what he wants to do. If Crowley were left to his own devices, he would ask questions and do what's right. But in a Companion to Owls, Crowley doesn't have a side where he can do both. So he does it in secret.

And we know that already as an audience, about how trapped Crowley still is. But I think what we didn't know, that this line speaks to, is that Crowley could very well be jealous of Aziraphale too.

Aziraphale who still gets to do good. Aziraphale who can do the right thing over and over again and as long as he can twist it into being nice, he'll be okay. For Crowley, though? So often doing the right thing looks nice even if that wasn't what he was going for. And we see in the body snatcher minisode how Crowley got punished for that lack of distinction.

But I'm not talking about the body snatchers minisode, I'm talking about a Companion to Owls, where Crowley sounds incredibly intrigued and amused at an angel who would appear to be jealous of a demon. This line jumped out at me for many reasons, the main one being that this is the first time chronologically that Crowley calls him angel.

We know that when Crowley calls Aziraphale angel, that he's not just calling him by his species, he's calling him that fondly. Crowley must be thinking, I have this permit to do some wicked things and here's this angel who's begging me to do the right thing, something I was planning on doing anyway, and he sounds jealous that he can't do it himself because that would break with my permit.

And like Crowley sees himself in humans, this is the first time he truly sees himself in Aziraphale. Because I think there's a layer to this entire minisode that is Crowley mourning what he lost when he fell from Heaven. Like, yes, Crowley doesn't want to be an angel anymore. We know he feels that way in present day, and it's very possible that he felt that in Job's time as well. BUT we also know that Crowley will continue to struggle for thousands of years with doing the right thing despite how he isn't allowed to. Angels ARE allowed to, more often than not.

And this is a situation where neither Crowley nor Aziraphale can do the right thing and get away with it if they're caught.

And I think that's why, in the end, Crowley decides not to take the angel to Hell for his lies. Not just because technically Aziraphale knows that Crowley did something good and could get him in trouble for it in turn. Not just because Crowley doesn't think Aziraphale deserves to fall. But also because Aziraphale can still do GOOD. He can do right things that Crowley isn't allowed to. (Crowley being better at identifying the right thing, and doing it without question and hesitation, like in the body snatchers minisode is a completely separate analysis, though)

Crowley sees in Aziraphale how pure of heart he is. Sees how desperate he is to do good. And though Crowley doesn't know it yet, he loves him for it. And he won't take that away.

Crowley isn't an angel anymore and doesn't want to be, but Aziraphale will grow to be a part of him. The angel in Crowley is Aziraphale. They're two halves of the Right Thing and they protect each other to preserve that.

And that's who we leave looking out over the water at the end of that episode. A demon who will do the right thing even when it's nice and an angel who will do the right thing even when it's wicked.

Just a little bit of a good person and just enough of a bastard to be worth knowing. An Owl and his companion. A white knight and a black knight. A magician and his assistant. A bookseller and his company. An angel and a demon, through the millenia, for the right thing.

#good omens #good omens meta #crowley #crowley analysis #aziraphale #aziraphale analysis #thoughtsfromthequeen

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fuckyeahgoodomensfanfic · 2 months

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Good Omens Fic Rec: Spread Your Wings

In the glamorous world of high fashion, Crowley shines as a household name. Unfortunately, so does supermodel Aziraphale, who repeatedly lands bookings for the same jobs. When a photoshoot mishap traps them in a studio overnight, their simmering animosity escalates to its peak. Literally.

Length: 10,186 words

AO3 Rating: Explicit / Spice Level 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Best for: After Dark, Human AU

Triggers: None

Read it here, fic by foolishlovers

*Minor Spoilers* Fanfiction has always had a way of turning me on with scenarios and pairings that I'd often never find appealing in real life. I love the fantasy of hypotheticals in my fanfic porn, and a lot of my reading kinks would be hard limits in real life. However this one is different. This one gave me all my real life fantasies of girls riding face in lingerie and said, “OK cool, now it's Aziraphale and Crowley.” Ngk.

We meet this Aziraphale and Crowley as models, though we don't quite realize that at the immediate start. I loved the fantasy photoshoot at the beginning, which sets the stage for the tension to follow. Following the shoot, still clad in their lingerie, they find themselves locked in the studio- reminiscent of Nina and Maggie's predicament in the coffee shop. Only this time, the girls are fighting. They have quite the disdain for each other at the start. Each stubborn and quick to make assumptions about the other. I love how bitchy and haughty Aziraphale comes off as. It's endearing in a frustrating way. Crowley too is rude and callous. But is also clearly lonely and scared, her spikes are for protection really. Barbs and insults are thrown, displeasure made clear. But it's my poor darling Aziraphale's birthday, and fate has decided she'll spend it with Crowley. Eventually barriers will soften, and we will get to the main event.

At the risk of being crude, this made me squirm in the best way possible. It checked all of my “personal interests”. I love Aziraphale's soft plush body and how real she feels. She fits into command with ease, and after her first, “Will you be good for me,” I knew I would do anything for her. Crowley's submission was gorgeous. She unravels under Aziraphale's touch, and effortlessly surrenders. She’s more than eager to please. I think this is an excellent piece of sapphic erotica! I was so lost in the fantasy, I could feel how the lace of their lingerie must have felt on each other’s skin. It's a vivid and very erotic story.

After Dark read clearly! This one really said, sapphics deserve a treat.

Read it here, fic by foolishlovers

#good omens #good omens fanfiction #good omens fanfic #fanfic rec #aziracrow #good omens fic rec #aziraphale x crowley #Spread Your Wings #short #after dark #human au #femme charcter #five flames #foolishlovers

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weirdo-in-a-galaxy-far-far-away · 9 months

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I feel like both Aziraphale and Stede Bonnet could be the “damsel in distress” stereotype, but they’re not. Zira and Stede are the more “womanly” characters in their respective shows and relationships, but that doesn’t mean they’re weak and shallow like many, many poorly written female characters.

What I think is great about Good Omens and OFMD is that they transcend the “damsel in distress” character archetype in a few ways. First, both Zira and Stede are men (or in Zira’s case, presents as a man) and thus they break the gender binary. They also have more traditionally effeminate appearances and personalities while still being men and generally treated like men.

Second, Zira and Stede are far from the shallow and stupid girl-in-trouble who lacks resourcefulness and must rely on a man to save her. It’s true that Zira and Stede are often saved by their partners, but I honestly think that reflects more on their partners than themselves. Crowley and Ed (bless them both) sort of see their respective partners as the “damsel in distress” who doesn’t know shit about anything and requires saving.

At the end of GO S2, Crowley tells Zira that he understands what’s going on far better than Zira does, and he believes that Zira is being stupid by thinking he can change Heaven. And to be fair maybe he is, but what strikes me the most about this conversation is that Crowley has no faith in Zira. He just automatically assumes that Zira is making a giant mistake without reflecting on the possibility that Zira might have a plan. Maybe an ineffable one that he should really communicate with Crowley about, but a plan nonetheless.

And all throughout OFMD, but especially during scenes like the duel with Izzy and the Art of Fuckery, Ed immediately thinks that Stede isn’t up to the task and can’t be practical or aggressive enough to do what needs to get done. In lots of stories, practicality and aggression are associated with male characters, and female characters are the exact opposite.

But back to the idea that these shows are wonderful and are smashing those stereotypes to bits: GO and OFMD show that ppl can change. And I have a feeling that in their next/final seasons, both Crowley and Ed will realize just how strong and virtuous their partners truly are. Especially when Zira and Stede do something epic (hopefully while wearing something very stylish and using effeminate gestures) to show their partners just how deserving of respect they are.

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dyns33 · 1 year

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Good uncles prequel

Last Sandman and Good Omens crossover.

When Y/N came to visit Aziraphale in his bookshop, he was a little surprised. Of course, he was always happy to see his dear niece, little Antichrist who had chosen not to destroy the world, but most of the time it was him or Crowley who went to see her, and if the reverse happened, that meant that something was going on.

"I need advice." she said, looking desperate.

"And you come to see me... Me ? Just me ?"

"Yes. I think the divine and good side is most appropriate in this situation."

"Oh, sweet heaven, this is the best day of my long life. Sit down my child, I'm bringing tea and biscuits !"

Aziraphale's joy faded a bit when Y/N explained to him that she was here because of a man. A man she liked to spend time with, whose discussions were very pleasant, and with whom she hoped there would be more.

"... When you say 'more'... You're talking about becoming his best friend ?" "No. I love him."

"And that's very good ! Love is a noble feeling, which God encourages. We must love all the beings who populate the earth. But there are also the dangers of sins, and lust..."

"Uncle Aziraphale, I'm an adult, I don't need that kind of explanation. To be honest, I don't have those kind of thoughts. Well, I won't be against it, but what I really want is to always be with him, and to let everyone know that we are together, faithful to each other."

"Ah, the sacred bonds of marriage, good !"

"I don't know about the wedding yet. His niece told me he was married before and..."

"He is divorced !" cried the angel, putting a hand to his mouth. "That's not... Wait. His niece ? How old is he ?!"

"I'll tell you again, I'm an adult, so it's none of your business. Anyway, I don't even know if he's even interested in me that way. He didn't do anything to show me that we were more than just friends. And that worries me. Should I tell him how I feel ? But if he doesn't love me back ? If he doesn't want to see me anymore ? I don't want to lose him. But if I say nothing, and he meets someone else ? Oh, uncle, help me, please !"

The best advice he could give her was to be patient. It was nice that they were already friends, it was a good start, and at some point Y/N could clearly see if she had a chance with this man.

"What about... my situation ? Do you think I should tell him ?"

“Probably not right away, but after a while... Yes, by finding the right words. A relationship cannot go well with secrets and lies. You have to be appreciated for who you really are."

"Thank you Uncle Aziraphale."

"Thank you for coming to seek guidance from an angel."

He would probably have been much less pleased to learn that a few days later, Y/N knocked on Uncle Crowley's door, to ask him exactly the same questions, considering that it was good to have several opinions, but not telling the demon that she was to see Aziraphale first.

"You made the right decision coming to see me, little mouse. Tell me everything." purred Crowley, offering her a glass of wine.

"Well. There is this man."

"Ah. I wish you had started with a simpler sin, but if we're going to have this conversation..."

"It's really not necessary ! Anyway. There is this man, who is not really a man, I think."

"You think ?"

"Well, he's one of my friends' uncle."

"A sugar daddy, very good."

"Uncle Crowley !" Y/N growled, grimacing in shame. "It's not like that at all. He's young. Anyway, he looks young. I thought so until yesterday. I met a friend of his, we talked and he was surprised that I don't like Shakespeare. Without doing it on purpose, I said that my uncles had met him, that he was a complete idiot, and that they often had to help him with his plays, and you know what he said ? 'I have a friend who did that too !' Hob is over six hundred years old, Uncle Crowley ! And his friend is the man I love. Maybe... Maybe that's a good sign ? It's better for me to love a supernatural being, right ? You know, with my... heritage ?"

"It depends. Many people are afraid of Lucifer, so the Antichrist ? There would only be someone very nice, or a satanic not to run away, but a satanic could be bad. I'm not talking about real satanics, but about the fools who do what the demons ask them to do, they're the worst. That's my advice."

Crowley's advice was of course the exact opposite of what Aziraphale had told Y/N. For him, she had to act quickly, do everything to seduce the man she wanted, but she shouldn't tell him what she was. Either way, she had no intention of destroying the world, so it didn't really matter who found out who her real parent was, her adoptive parents were more than enough.

It didn't take long for the two uncles to discover that their adorable niece had consulted them both, and her conclusion was that it was necessary to do a little what they had said, but not completely.

Y/N therefore made the decision to be patient with the being who had stolen her heart, flirting so and so innocently to let him guess that she was not indifferent to him. She implied that she was not a normal human, but never mentioned hell. It seemed like a good decision, which they approved.

Then she invited them to meet her dear friend.

The meeting did not happen, because as they arrived near the pub, the angel and the demon saw someone who should not have been there.

"What is Dream of the Endless doing in a place like this ?" whispered Aziraphale.

"He's walking around, and it's a coincidence ? Right ?"

"I don't know. He... He's talking with people. Mortals."

"Probably servants, helping him out in the waking world."

"One of the human servants is talking with our Y/N."

"I know, he calls himself Hob, and she's in love with his friend who doesn't like Shakespeare ! She's not… No. No." Crowley sighed in despair when his niece went to sit next to Morpheus, looking at him with sparkling eyes and a huge smile.

It was a real disaster.

Of all the beings existing in this universe, and the others, Y/N had to meet and fall in love with Dream of the Endless. He hadn't had as many conquests as his sibling Desire, but he could still be considered a womanizer, whose stories didn't have very nice endings.

A bad ending could lead to the end of the world, if Y/N was not at the origin of the break up. Or if she was, and he tried to send her to hell.

"We have to tell her." growled the snake.

"I don't know. Maybe we shouldn't get involved. She's smart, and he may have already told her about his past."

"Please. He's ashamed of this past, and he's a proud man. She doesn't know anything. I know ! I saw Nada ! I saw his son. I talked to a witch who wanted to offer me a deal to get revenge on him !"

"It is true that Calliope was very unhappy after their separation. Oh, the divorce, of course ! The fairy queen is also still furious with him. And there are all the others."

"We must tell her who he is, and especially how he is with women. I refuse that she suffers because of an Endless !"

"I don't want her to suffer in general. But she really loves him, and love can make you blind. We have to find the right approach, so that she considers it would be a good thing if they were only friends."

It then seemed judicious to them to go to the essential, preparing a long speech on what was an Endless, and especially Dream. A cold, distant being, who focused on his work above all else, therefore not being available to anyone. And to avoid scattering, they chose to tell her that all his former relationships had been tragic, but to really only talk about Nada, who was trapped in Hell.

It was quite appropriate, and close to home. Y/N would certainly not want to end up here, where she would have to meet her parent.

And as always, whenever they had a great plan, things didn't go their way at all.

#sandman #good omens #morpheus #morpheus x reader #dream of the endless #dream of the endless x reader #dream of the endless imagine #dream of the endless fanfiction #crowley #aziraphale

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avelera · 10 months

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Man, having just written out how Pratchett writes Normal People as his protagonists and Gaiman writes Magical-by-Birth People as his protagonists, now all I can think of is what Pratchett would do with Hob Gadling's character.

Just, like... "Men of Good Fortune" in the original comic does not treat Hob kindly. The narrative is actually kind of nasty towards him being a Normal Guy. The show is lightyears away from that and Ferdie brings so much natural charm to the character, so it can be easy to forget this, but comic Hob really does receive sort of the brunt of some subtle classist attitudes, shown as coarse, rough, greedy, unpleasant, filthy, and disinterested in moral improvement until the far more aristocratically depicted Dream basically shoves it in his face that what he's doing is wrong.

But I'm first and foremost a Pratchett girlie at heart. I'd argue he's one of my most foundational authorial influences, I think I'm incapable of writing humor that isn't inspired by his comedy, and he was a formative influence on my personal morality with his strident egalitarianism.

Now, Pratchett isn't naive or bucolic about average, everyday people. He certainly doesn't say that normal people are never coarse, rough, greedy, unpleasant, filthy, and disinterested in moral improvement, but he says special people are too. No one is perfect in his world and being higher ranked definitely doesn't make anyone better than anyone else. Everyone is gray. Everyone is messy. And there is no absolute ideal of one-size-fits-all goodness other than minding how you go and not treating people as things (a gross simplification but I could wax poetic for hours on Pratchett's egalitarian morality).

Now for myself, I think one reason I fell in love with Hob Gadling's character is because he is such an unusual immortal character. He's not magical or aristocratic or in any way a superhero because of his longevity. He is Just A Guy who became immortal by chance and it takes him a long, long time to improve in even the smallest ways in terms of morality. Dream nudges him to examine his choices but we get the sense that Hob took it the rest of the way after that nudge and continued to improve as a person, not to saint-like levels necessarily, but resolving to move more mindfully through the world than he did before.

The narrative in the show is more gracious to him, allowing him a great deal more charm and more sympathetically implying that all of us could probably use a nudge at times to become better versions of ourselves, that it's not necessarily easy to do alone, but what's important is that upon receiving that nudge, we do try sincerely to change and improve, and might still fall short. The reimagining of Hob's character for the show feels much more mature overall than the comic source material, portraying in my opinion a more sympathetic and adult worldview.

The Hob Gadling we see in the show to me at least is a much more Pratchettian character in the sense that he is a Normal Person in an Extraordinary Situation. Now, I don't think Pratchett would necessarily go in a Dreamling direction, since Pratchett (like Gaiman) tends to shy away from Romance As Plot and he rarely focuses on it directly, at best it happens at the periphery in his stories. And in many ways I think he would treat Hob unsympathetically but it wouldn't be because of Hob's low origins. Pratchett just tends to have an even hand with making all of his characters ridiculous. No one is too high up or refined to avoid his satirical jabs. A Pratchettian Hob would probably not be the romantic hero that he's often portrayed to be in fanfiction (but then again, Aziraphale and Crowley were not the romantic heroes that fanfiction portrays them to be either when they were written by Pratchett).

Still, it must be said, that I find it fascinating to imagine what Pratchett's sensibilities would do if applied to our peasant-born immortal character who eventually, painfully, after over 500 years finally begins with a little help from a friend to bend his life towards trying to not be a complete shit head about how he operates in the world. I feel like it's a character that Pratchett would have a very unique spin on.

#hob gadling #sandman meta

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