I’m extremely late in posting this list! Honestly, it slipped my mind - I was so wrapped up in trying to finalize the zine that I forgot to post more promotional information. That’s very silly and embarrassing because I’m so proud of all our wonderful contributors! They deserve to show off!
Click the “read more” for a text version of the list. I will tag some of them on Tumblr, if I know their URL.
A Nice and Interpretive Fanzine is open for preorders!
[ID: A purple promotional banner with a photograph of a book, a candle, and a clock in the background. The image is sourced from “free-photos” on Pixabay. The text says “A Nice and Interpretive Fanzine: Preorders Open”. /ID]
Have you ever been browsing around fandom spaces on Tumblr, run across a long post full of meta-rambling about Good Omens, and thought, “Wow, this is such a complex story, I love discovering new things about it”? Or even, “Oh, this fandom is so insightful, people are constantly noticing new details”? (Surely someone out there has thought that, because I’ve seen it show up in the tags when they’ve reblogged meta posts.)
Well, then have I got the zine for you.
A Nice and Interpretive Fanzine is a collection of interpretive essays written and illustrated by your fellow members of the Good Omens fandom. We’ve got over 160 pages of analysis and commentary all about Good Omens, its place in the world, and its place in our hearts. I’m not going to give away every single essay because surprises are exciting, but here’s a sample of the discussion topics within:
Aziraphale and Crowley. So much Aziraphale and Crowley.
Gender and sexuality, in canon and fanon contexts.
The real-world context of Good Omens as a piece about politics, society, and “human nature,” whatever that may be.
The philosophical and spiritual underpinnings of Good Omens as explored through the series’ themes and the characters’ motivations.
And much more!
The individual essays in here are complex, but the project as a whole is simple: we’re a passionate fandom and we have insight to offer, so let’s see those insights printed in a real book we can hold in our hands and enjoy alongside a nice cup of hot cocoa (or your preferred beverage).
There’s more detail on the product description pages at the links above. Do feel free to send questions to this blog or the zine email at [email protected]! I will be posting this promo in the Good Omens tag a few times, probably a couple times this week and then once a week in September, so do what you’ve got to do.
[ID: A cream-colored banner that says “A Nice and Interpretive Fanzine: essays and art about the meanings we’ve found in Good Omens.” There is a photo of a book page with a key on it behind the banner text. The photo source is rosy_photo on Pixabay. /end ID]
A Nice and Interpretive Fanzine: Information Masterpost
Welcome!
This is a zine for those of us who love the subtle, complex work that is Good Omens, and who’ve enjoyed the thoughtfulness of the fandom as people interpret how the many moving pieces of the story come together, creating a slightly different meaning for each of us.
To put it simply, it’s a book full of the fandom’s own analysis and commentary about the Good Omens TV show, enhanced with illustrations from our brilliant artists.
This zine is analytical in the sense that all the writers are expressing their own nonfiction thoughts and feelings about the show, rather than writing fanfic, but it is not meant to be heavily academic. Anybody who likes to pick apart the series and discuss it should be able to enjoy it.
The zine will contain essays by fans who are passionate about analyzing and interpreting different parts of Good Omens - the characters, the plot, the writing techniques for the book and script, the cinematography of the TV show, the popular content of the fandom itself. Accompanying these essays will be black and white illustrations from our artists.
How are you organizing this process?
May 1-May 15: Everyone submits their application to do writing or art through a Google form. Behind the scenes, I’ll be setting up a separate email and Discord.
May 16-20: Applicants will be screened during this time.
May 20: I’ll email everyone to let them know the outcomes of their applications. The final participants will get a link to the Discord server for the zine (totally optional, of course).
May 21: If there’s any clarification or solidifying of ideas that needs to happen, I’ll contact you and discuss with you by this point. This is also when artists will be matched up with essays.
May 22 to August 14: This will be a period of just working on our essays and art. The Discord chat and Tumblr will be there for support and for exchanging ideas!
August 15: Participants need to email their full works to the zine’s email address by this date. No special formatting is needed; I’ll do that in InDesign.
August 15 to August 31: I’ll be putting the zine together in InDesign.
September 1: Preorders will open.
September 30: Preorders will close.
October 1: The zine order will be placed!
October 15: Assuming all goes well with printing and shipping, the zines will be shipped out in waves starting on this date. If the printing or shipping from the manufacturer is delayed, then shipping will just start ASAP.
Read below for more detailed information about the zine in a Q and A format!
What are the specifications for the zine contributions?
For writers, I’m starting with 3k words or fewer per essay (approximately 10 pages at the size of this book). This depends heavily on how many participants we actually get, so it may change!
For artists, I’d be looking at black and white works, 300 DPI, 5.5 x 8.5 inches or smaller. If your art is supposed to fill up the entire page (i.e. no white space), please make it a total of 5.75 x 8.75 inches with nothing too important around the edges to account for bleed during the printing process.
Can I submit an essay to this zine if I’ve already posted it on Tumblr?
Not as you’ve already posted it. We don’t want to just copy/paste the exact thing that hundreds or perhaps even thousands of people have already read.
However, it IS fine and maybe even a good idea to take the same thought from your post and refine it, preserving your same thesis. For example, a lot of Tumblr posts are just us fans jotting down 5 or 6 paragraphs of random thoughts at 2 AM, but some of them are really cool thoughts! Expanding them and turning them into a bona-fide Essay would make those posts into excellent zine chapters. And you can copy small pieces of your own language as long as the whole thing isn’t just pasted word-for-word.
How long do essays have to be? Is there a limit?
With the number of writers we have, I’ve calculated that each person should ideally keep their essay to about 6000 words. There is wiggle room.
There’s no real minimum for your contribution; some analytical ideas are really good but can be expressed concisely, so it’s okay if your essays only come out to a few pages typed. For reference, with our book size, a page is about 300 words.
What happens if the zine sells a lot and you end up not only breaking even, but turning a profit?
It’ll go to charity. While I’ll ask the participants what they want to do for certain if we do make enough money, my suggestion will be donating it to Alzheimer’s Research UK in honor of Sir Terry Pratchett.
I’m not really comfortable calling this a “charity zine” up front since I simply don’t know if it will raise a significant amount. For the most part, I just want the thing to physically exist, which means breaking even, and don’t want to make it more expensive for buyers than it needs to be to afford the printing costs.
What kinds of essays are you talking about? What could be included?
In short, any analytical thoughts about the Good Omens TV show - and possibly even the fandom as it interacts with the show - are possible inclusions for the zine.
To expand a bit, think about the meta posts you see floating around Tumblr. Often these involve analyzing characters, or picking up on patterns in the plot. Sometimes fans use their own background knowledge to write posts about the significance of certain costume choices or the way music plays into each individual scene. Some posts examine the ways the series approaches gender, while others might discuss ways that the characters present as neurodivergent. That’s how diverse the pool of possibilities is for subjects in this zine.
How does art come into this?
Images will be black and white, to match the bookish mood of the project overall. Images can range in size from a half page to a full page.
I’m planning to talk to the artists and authors and loosely pair artists with essays that appeal to their personal interests.
I know how to illustrate a story, but how do I illustrate an essay?
There are infinite answers to this! I’ve seen some beautiful symbolic artwork in the fandom already (e.g. a number of takes on Aziraphale munching on an apple with Crowley in snake form curving around him), and there are tons of symbolic motifs to draw from, but these are not the only options. An artist illustrating an essay about cinematography, for example, could draw a well-known scene from an alternative angle. An essay about Heaven as a capitalist corporation could be illustrated with a cartoon of Gabriel giving some sort of excruciating PowerPoint presentation. A character analysis could be accompanied by a simple portrait. And on and on. I’m not interested in limiting the possibilities by trying to make a list, but just know that there are many and you don’t have to make it complicated if you don’t want to.
If the writers can reuse their essay ideas, can artists reuse their drawings?
Similarly to the writers, if you already have an interpretive drawing that you’re in love with, artists can use the same ideas and the same fundamental composition that is present in their own existing work. However, it has to be redone in some significant way. Whether it’s taking something you drew in 2019 and redrawing it using an updated style, taking a sketch and turning it into a lined and shaded piece, or redoing a full-color drawing so it presents more strikingly in black and white, it shouldn’t be identical to the thing you’ve already posted.
So how are you choosing participants here?
It’ll be based on what people are interested in writing about (or illustrating). I’ll be looking for people who are passionate about their essays, but I’ll also be looking for variety. It all depends on what people want to offer, so I won’t know for sure what it will look like put together until everyone’s application is in.
For artists, I’ll be trying to figure out whose style looks like it would adapt well to illustrations in black and white, and also who demonstrates an interest in the same subjects as the writers.
If we don’t get a lot of applicants, I’d love to simply include everyone, but I can’t commit to that without knowing for sure how many people are involved.
Do I have to use a formal writing style to participate?
No. You should use a style that makes your thoughts and ideas as clear as possible, but as long as it’s understandable, you can also get a little artistic with it. You can “write like you speak,” though perhaps in a more organized way. You definitely don’t need to worry about stylistic rules like not using the first person. This is not academia.
Is this zine going to center only on Crowley and Aziraphale?
That remains to be seen! It depends on what ideas show up in the applications. There will be a lot of the ineffable partners for sure, but whether the whole zine will center on them or whether there’s plentiful stuff about other characters will depend on what the participants suggest.
Do we have to agree with all your personal interpretations of Good Omens to be in the zine?
No! In fact, I’m assuming that a number of essays will contradict each other, too, and that’s perfectly okay. The zine is a sampler of fan interpretations meant to inspire, not instruct. It’s not “Here’s a fan-made guide on how to understand this TV show,” it’s “Look at all these moving parts and how many meanings we can find in them. What does it mean to you?”
However, there are some basic rules and assumptions by which I’m working here.
I don’t personally have the energy to include essays that are highly critical (“negative”) in this zine. It’s analytical but also meant to be fun.
I’m pretty focused on the TV adaptation. This isn’t “no book analysis allowed” but just that the essays will end up being weighted toward subjects that apply to either the TV show or both the book and the show.
Each writer should focus on making their own points over disproving other fan interpretations. If you’re writing in an expository style, it’s normal for the essay to contain rebuttals to opposing ideas, but these should be minor supporting points, not the heart and soul of your essay. For reference, I’d say the majority of meta I see floating around on tumblr would follow this rule just fine.
Essay ideas that seem to contain bigoted or exclusionary sentiments will not be accepted (no TERFy stuff, for example).
What kinds of editing will go into the zine? Are you going to argue with us about the contents of our writing?
While I might ask you to elaborate on certain points in your writing or clarify your thoughts about your subject, I’m absolutely not here to ask you to change the thesis, opinions, or headcanons on which your writing is based. If I really have a problem with your initial idea, I’ll tell you that up front and politely decline the contribution.
While formatting the zine, I’ll make minor edits if I think I see a typo or misspelling, something small and obviously unintentional. As with any other zine, your content won’t be changed without consulting you.
Is this a SFW zine?
Yes. If people want to discuss sexuality in a theoretical way, like erotic subtext, that would be allowed. There are canon references like Newt and Anathema’s moment under the bed that might come up, too. But there will be nothing explicit, and since these are essays instead of stories, there will be no “action” going on between characters. Let’s just say sex isn’t a forbidden topic, but it will be like discussing it in English class.
As for other topics that could make the zine NSFW, like gore or extreme language, I don’t think they will be an issue. Some dark topics, like abuse by Heaven and Hell, may be discussed, but they will be warned for, and these are not stories, so you aren’t going to see violent actions playing out.
Will there be any “extras” like charms or stickers?
I’m not sure yet. I’m most inclined to keep it simple, because of the nature of the zine, but would be open to including some bonus items if there’s an artist who’s really passionate about it.
With that said, I am pretty committed to making a hardcover edition of the book available, in addition to the standard softcover version.
You’re doing this with only one mod?!
Yes. I personally find it easiest. While I’ve worked on multi-mod projects in other domains and adore all of my co-mods, it’s a little bit different when it’s a project with this many moving pieces that includes real-life components like printing and shipping. Though there are a lot of individual things to be done, I am experienced with all of them, so it’s less overwhelming to just take on the whole project. That way, I know exactly what needs to be done and when, and there are no issues with assigning tasks.
What qualifies you to run this zine?
The résumé answer: in fandom, I successfully solo-modded a large not-for-profit zine in the past, the @soulmakazine2018, and while I can’t speak for the whole fandom, it definitely seemed to be well-received. <3 In real life, I’m a case manager and this involves coordinating and communicating with a lot of different people including my 100-person caseload, budgeting services, and filling out all kinds of paperwork on the fly, all skills that can be imported into zine work.
The practical answer: well, I’m the one who decided to start this project, so if you like the sound of it, you’re stuck with me. I say with encouragement and enthusiasm that if you’d like to do a different take on a commentary zine, you should absolutely do it.
Summary: Aziraphale is trapped inside the apartment and we finally get to know the person who captured Crowley. But who is this young lad who imitates the demon’s style? And what is his goal?
Sneak peek: Aziraphale doesn’t even know why he’s so surprised and horrified at once. He had expected that Crowley’s capturer could only be a demon, yes, and yet it makes so much more sense. The disguise, the stolen holy oil… of course! No demon could waltz that easily into churches, a human could. Suddenly, Aziraphale has a very dull feeling in his stomach.
“Evil never sleeps, huh? Judging by the dark shadows under your eyes, you should rest a bit, kiddo,” Crowley suggests, his voice layered with honey, stickily sweet like a fly-trap and equally perilous. “Or is it just eye-shadow? I don’t get your emo-style completely.”
Aziraphale winces inwardly by Crowley’s bold words, but he also realises that the demon is trying to buy him time. It’s a diversionary manoeuvre, extraordinarily foolish and reckless, a hundred percent Crowley style, to distract the human and give Aziraphale the chance to sneak outside the apartment. Oh yes, he should leave now, right? Thirteen energetic steps, and he’ll reach the door in a jiffy. Very well. He was leaving. Any second now.
He hesitates, though.
Crowley is captured by a human. A thin, breakable human . It would be easy for the Principality to overpower the young man, wouldn’t it? Force him with all his angelic powers to free the demon and end this ridiculous business immediately. It might be a little unpleasant for all of them, yet the only reasonable solution. Simply one problem thwarts the plan.
A very big THANKSfor proofreading again goes to @ineffableomenshusbands who has the best beta reading style and puts two and two together perfectly, haha ;D
Summary: Aziraphale has convinced the gullible Remiel to enter the apartment alone to get the chance to talk with Crowley privately. What he gets to see there is not at all what he expected, and brings him and everyone else in great danger.
Sneak peek: At the time he enters the room with the big flat screen and opulent desk, Aziraphale is almost giving up on finding anyone, and then he sees it… or him, a person, actually, but alarmingly lifeless. For seconds Aziraphale forgets everything he’s supposed to do, he forgets the mission, his orders and the waiting Remiel, and he forgets the fact that he has just willingly gone to an apartment full of evil demonic energy. At this very moment he does not think, he does not feel, his fingers are numb and long for a miracle.
“Crowley!”
His own panicked shout echoes from the cold walls. Without any recollection of how he got there so fast, Aziraphale finds himself in front of the chair. For seconds, he just freezes in motion, because the first glance at the man horrors him, and he couldn’t even tell why. Ginger hair frames the pointy face, a mane just as curly and long as the first time they met, somehow familiar and yet so seemingly strange to Aziraphale.
“Crowley?” he asks again, more cautiously, hardly daring to believe it is really the demon in front of him. Strands of hair stick to his sweaty forehead, which Aziraphale removes carefully to get a better view. His face is pale, there are dark smudges under his eyes and his lower lip is blood-encrusted.
Aziraphale could see the pupils twitching uneasily behind the other man’s lids. He has got small rosy marks on his forehead and chest as if his skin was burned there. Though he cannot see any other signs of external injury, the man in front of him doesn’t look very healthy either. More specifically, apart from the twitching of his eyelids, he looks pretty dead.
Author’s note: Thanks dear reader for still following the story! This is one of my favourite chapters so far, because yes I admit I’m one of these fangirls who is living for the hurt/comfort moments. I hope you will enjoy it too. And also a huge thank you to @ineffableomenshusbands for beta-reading this a long time ago!
Crowley touches his neck, unconsciously, feeling some smooth scales beneath his bristly line of hair. He’s still not used to his shorter hairdo. It was more or less a hasty decision after he witnessed the crucifixion at Golgotha, the exhibit A of how cruel mankind can be and how little Heaven cares about… anything. Seriously, the young man screamed for hours, and no one showed mercy, not a single human, not the Almighty herself, and certainly no angel showed his feathered arse to support the poor man. Heaven is broken and evil, that’s it. Almost comparable to Hell, but with more sickening hypocrisy and less fancy drinks.
Crowley knew in this exact moment at the top of Golgotha, that he desperately needed to get rid of this shit. So he cut off his hair.
Somehow, it had been an acrimonious feeling to hold the coppery strands of hair in his fingers, the last reminder of his angelic past. Odd and liberating. Sometimes he can sense the tips of his hair, touching his shoulders lightly like a ghost pain, still haunting him.
Aziraphale breathes a gentle kiss on the bare skin of his neck, as if he wants to emphasize on how much he’s intrigued by the sight he’s given. Well, in his defence, the demon’s look is rather new to him.
The angel wraps almost protectively his arms around him, warm and strong, pressing his silky-soft chest against Crowley’s back. He can feel his curly hair tickle his skin. The demon is suddenly cocooned by a naked angel. And the operative word here is naked. Aye, naked as in ‘I slip right out of my tunic and seducing you’-naked.
The oysters were to blame, seriously.
A silly smile tugs on the corner of Crowley’s lips, and he can’t do much about it. Frankly speaking, it’s not the first time, no, not really. And after their first time, he had been so surprised he had already mentally put it on his list of ‘Sod it, Crowley, that’s too good to be true’ and considered it as over and done with. Just an accident. A terrible mistake.
So much for that then.
“Don’t get me wrong, dear. I adored your long locks and braids, I truly did, but your short haircut, well…” The angel’s fingertips wander over Crowley’s spine, slowly, tenderly above every small elevation. “It’s tempting.”
A small shiver runs through Crowley’s body. He feels strangely lightheaded and his chest is tight. It’s almost as if they can slip into another role once they’re naked. And that’s just as frightening as it is exciting.
“It’s the style these days,” he says, trying to sound suavely, and not as if it scares the shit out of him that the angel’s implying he looks hot.
They don’t talk about what they tend to do after eating oysters or after a relaxing afternoon at the caldarium. It’s not angelic, and probably not appropriate for a demon as well. So, no one ever talks about wet kisses, naked skin or sweet moans. What happens in Rome, stays at Rome. That’s really fine with Crowley because whenever he does think about it, he freaks out.
“Do you miss it?” Aziraphale asks quietly. “Your long hair?”
Aziraphale slides a little closer to him, closing the last possible gaps. It’s warm and strangely comforting. Crowley really wants to touch him right now, just something small and childlike, like holding the angel’s hand. But he doesn’t even dare to turn around. Actually, the demon is filled with dread and excitement, which is a fucking combination. Some day Aziraphale will fall, no doubt about that, and it will be Crowley’s bloody fault. He’s wondering if he should regret this entire thing and cancel it before it has got a name. Angels and demons don’t fraternize for a reason.
“Pfff, hell no! It was bloody unmanageable hair,” mumbles Crowley, hating that hollow feeling whenever he thinks about the past. He likes to move forward. Or run. Fastly, without turning back. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You and your perfectly fluffy white curls which hardly ever split.” He pinches the bridge of his nose, and he knows without seeing Aziraphale’s face that he is softly smiling, not minding the demon’s well-camouflaged compliment. Instead, he starts painting small circles with his fingers over Crowley’s shoulder blades, soothingly.
Oh,sod it!
The demon reaches for his hand, finally, intertwines their fingers. His thumb caressing the oversoft back of Aziraphale’s hand, while the angel places small wet kisses on every inch of his neck. The scales on his skin are almost gone, faded to a soft yellowish colour, glittering golden in the sunset.
“Thanks.”
He isn’t sure what, exactly, he is thanking him for. The best sex of his life? The distraction? For not asking why he was sitting alone and sulky in this Roman pub? Or perhaps just for the feeling in his chest, warm and pure, that has removed all his gloominess… Everything is as good and as warm and pleasant as it can be. Mostly because of Aziraphale.
Crowley doesn’t need the bloody long hair anymore. He only needs his angel.
Author’s note: I love to write flashbacks of their past so much! I created this little Rome scene after I drew both pictures. The idea with Crowley’s hair inspired me to use parts of it for my fanfiction ‘Creating Grey’ as well. So this is kind of a (not proofread) sneak peek for chapter 4 :) Hope you enjoyed it!
A sentiment unfolding inside his stomach like hundreds of little insects ready to fly, makes Aziraphale walk around the bookshop like a nervous wreck. And oh, it’s not a very pleasant feeling. The situation is itchier than the last time. And the last time Armageddon was around the corner. But the true cause of his loudly pounding heart and his straying thoughts is … just Crowley.
Just Crowley. Somehow, that sounds completely and utterly wrong.
The demon never had the decency to be just Crowley. He came into Aziraphale’s life, bold, noisy, demanding and with an ominous facial expression, looking unspeakably glad to meet him in devastated eras for some reason (though Aziraphale never ascertained why) in a very terribly tempting manner. Over thousands of years that behaviour never changed. Because this is Crowley, not just , but endlessly persistent, hopelessly dramatic, cheeky, sweet and kind Crowley.
Oh. Oh Lord!
Since their delightful dinner at the Ritz, Aziraphale finds himself smiling without valid reason but with increased regularity these days. Every time he studiously shoved the thoughts out of his mind, they came back, more intrusive than before. More disturbingly, he is humming Queen songs all of a sudden, any time his mind slips away. He has that unpleasant feeling that he’s going slightly mad. It’s finally happened. Oh, dear!
It’s been nearly seven weeks since Aziraphale is pretending that it’s a quite innocuous feeling, evolving from their victory and vanishing pretty soon. But it’s not. Actually, there’s something bubbling in his chest, causing ripples like churning waters. There’s no escape, and he knows if he’s resisting he will be swept away by the flood of his feelings and finally drown. But if he lets the riptide just run over without any guardedness, it will wash away everything, leaving a mess behind which is formerly known as his life. A life that will be changed completely.
Summary: After the Almost-Apocalypse Hastur is not pleased with the outcome of the trial and wants to punish Crowley for his crimes. His threats towards the ginger haired demon also include the angel, which makes Crowley more than nervous. It seems the short breathing gap is almost over, and with Heaven and Hell conspiring against them, will it ever be possible for Aziraphale and Crowley to live their happily ever after? Or will they forever be captured inbetween black and white? Crowley has to make some life-changing decisions.
Thanks to:
- the wonderful Dashicra (@ineffableomenshusbands ) who came up with the perfect title for this story and kindly proofread this chapter.
- my friend Allanei who is always encouraging me! Her cheerleading and feedback keep me motivated!
-@teslatherat who generously offered me her help and showed me Google Docs ;)
It’s typical for me to set up a story or drabbles around my drawings, but I’m not always confident enough to share them with you due to my lack of knowledge in the English grammar. This is a foreign language for me, therefore I still make a lot of mistakes and not noticing them.
For this redrawing of Crawly I wrote a little prelude for my story “Don’t Stop Me Now” on AO3. I have finished two new chapters already, but unfortunately my friend (who has corrected my stories in the past) is too busy with her work. If there’s anyone out there, who enjoys to proofread stories, please contact me!
Prelude
It was lo-… something at first sight.
The angel of the Eastern Gate stood atop Eden’s outer wall, facing the deserted land with a concerned glance. His wavy fair hair reflected the setting sun, some soft rays gently embraced his contours. Gray clouds were piling over the garden. With his white robe and the dark atmosphere forming around him, he looked bright and shining like a star in the night sky.
He was the most fascinating thing Crawly had ever seen.
And Crawly had seen a lot of things in his immortal existence. In the old days he had been an angel himself, a builder of blazing stars and astonishing constellations. But none of his creations ever radiated in such a wonderful warm glow, giving him satisfaction and ease at once. There was something magical about the other man, which is why Crawly couldn’t avert his gaze.
Strictly speaking, Crawly didn’t cross a line here. He wasn’t in close contact with the angel, staying at the apple tree most of the time, fulfilling his demonic duty. No one ever said he couldn’t sneak away occasionally and admire his new encounter from afar, though. Nothing wrong in it. At least until it became his favourite occupation of the day.
So the serpent observed the beautiful chubby angel quite a while. From a safe distance, of course. As a demon he had straight orders from Hell to cast some trouble in the Garden of Eden. It was highly inappropriate to reach out to the opposition by whatever means, he guessed, or even conveying interest in an angel in the first place. Probably it was forbidden as well. Something demons ought not to do.
He did anyway.
Crawly watched the serene beauty and listened carefully to every word that emerged these rosy lips, straining to find out more about the angelic guard, trying to get the whole picture. Every piece of the puzzle dragged him closer each day. He liked the way the blond angel yielded his flaming sword when he was practicing some quite impressive combat moves. He liked the way how politely the other man was talking to God’s newest creations (especially the animals), just like he really cared. And he absolutely adored the way the angel’s name rolled off his tongue. Aziraphale… The demon whispered it a couple of times just to listen to the melodic sound.
After seven days Crawly came to the conclusion, that the angel of the Eastern Gate wasn’t a threat or dangerous at all, only confirming his initial impression. In fact, there was something tragically lonesome about him. It was almost like looking into a mirror, finding someone as isolated as yourself. No other angel came to talk to him, even God never answered his prayers. That situation felt strangely familiar. Crawly wanted to get closer to the other man straightway, literally craved for a conversation with every fibre of his body. If there was the slightest chance, that the blond angel could truly understand how he feels, that they both are broken in some way, maybe they could feel wholesome again by being together.
They barely knew each other, but as they started talking, it felt like they had known each other for far longer than just a minute. Aziraphale treated him as equal, even though Crawly had revealed his black wings, openly showing his demonic nature. There was no loathing, no rolling eyes, no distrust in the angel’s voice. It was … odd. Something, Crawly had never experienced before.
So Crawly had stood frozen in indecision for what seemed like forever, thinking of the right way to approach, the right words to say. A feeling of nervousness overwhelmed him. The first impression counted, after all.
And the foremost thing that popped into his mind was, “That one went down like a lead balloon.”
Well. Could have been worse, right?
From up close he could study the other man’s face even better. His far too cute button nose and his ridiculously bright blue eyes, just to name but a few. It completely captured the demon. The way Aziraphale smiled, chuckled in a warm tone as Crawly mentioned their possible misstep, finally tipped him over the edge. It seized his chest with something deeper than admiration.
When raindrops started to pour at the very first time on earth, the demon gazed insultingly upon the sky. It felt cold and wet and absolutely annoying on his skin. The snake-like part inside of him immediately wanted to curl away and hide somewhere safe and warm. The other part clearly wanted to stay right next to Aziraphale, cautiously coming closer. Without a second thought or expecting any kind of counter-performance, the blond man stretched his impressive white wing to shield Crawly.
And that was when the demon had fallen for the angel completely.
Crawly knew on the spur of the moment that he had met the kindest person in his godforsaken life. Cheesy but true. He remembered clearly what Heaven was like. Not as nice as everyone thought it would be, though. On the one hand, he was bored stiff all the time. No temptations or decent drinks, for instance. But worst of all were the conceited archangels and their stupid duties and expectations they placed on every low-ranking angel.
Curiosity and self-determination were two words that simply didn’t appear in Heaven’s vocabulary. As well as ‘Thank you for your hard work’ or ‘We really appreciated that you’ve done this whole crap without questioning it in the first place’ or just a simple ‘Your last nebula was mind-blowing, you incredibly talented angel’.
It’s not that Crawly was demanding or so. Really! But for some kind words you’d wait in vain.
To be fair and square, in Hell they won’t offer you cookies either (Crawly really tried to convince his fellow demons to put more effort into the right acquisition, but incomprehensibly it never fell on understanding ears). Demons don’t trust each other, they don’t even have a single feeling for one another except suspicion. You certainly don’t make friends in Hell. It is a place full of loneliness.
Aziraphale was the first person who ever cared about Crawly at all, noticing things no one noticed, really looking at him and not at the demonic shell. A pure angel as people believe angels should be, with kind and untainted affection. And that was truly something remarkable, because after six thousand years with a troublemaker like him, a demon, his hereditary enemy, Aziraphale never stopped caring.
It’s 1912 and Crowley and Aziraphale meet at a local in New York to discuss some doubts the angel has about their last assignment on the Titanic. A lot happened during those few days crossing the Atlantic and the angel has many gaps in his memory. Will Crowley tell the angel everything that happened?
A new adventure for our angel and demon couple.
Patreon always ahead. Your support means the world!
