#the ball was for crowley

[the-ineffable-dance]

Holy Palmers Kiss

Throughout their history together, the romance between Aziraphale and Crowley has mostly been expressed through incredibly subtle ways. It's been centuries (if not millennia) of nothing more obvious than a surreptitious brushing of hands or yearning looks when they think no one is watching. And of course, when they have plenty of deniability.

Good work, Aziraphale... hand on the chest of the Thin Dark Duke, and if anyone asked, you were just making sure that young lady didn't get bumped.

And this is for a very good reason. It quite literally isn't safe for them to be openly romantic with one another, even now. Demons like Hastur and Shax are constantly popping up... Michael and Uriel are always watching... eyes are everywhere.

They have certainly gotten closer to being open in the years that separate the two seasons. Crawley sprawls all over that bookshop like he has a personal vendetta against chairs - removes his glasses as soon as he steps foot inside (which is an incredibly coded action that I would love to take a more in depth look at in the future) - gives up the keys to the Bently... And Aziraphale himself has those longing looks - calls him up to talk enough that Crowley knows his "tones of voice" - and then, we get The Ball.

Technically, The Ball is for Nina and Maggie... or at least that's what Aziraphale says. We get the lovely little moment in the pub where he and Crowley try to come up with the best ways to get humans to fall in love with each other. But the moment Aziraphale mentions Jane Austen having characters dancing with each other and realizing how in love they were, I think at least for him the focus changes to this... THE BALL IS FOR CROWLEY. And once he starts giving away books to make sure the ball will be perfect, there can be no question. The entire idea is a way for him to be able to dance with Crowley.

That's why, for me, the most romantic moment in all of Good Omens, at least from Aziraphale's point of view, is this moment right here.

Vavoom! Sorted! Look at the way Crowley even curls his fingers around Aziraphale's hand! This is peak Aziraphale romance as a fan of Jane Austen.

But he's also a fan of Shakespeare. Even the gloomy ones. And every time I watch this scene, I'm reminded of a different ball from one of the gloomy plays that Crowley would hate and Aziraphale would swoon over. Romeo and Juliet. A fitting parallel to an angel and a demon being in love.

In Romeo and Juliet, at the end of the first act, is another ball. Romeo tries to get Juliet to kiss him, and she turns him down with this...

"For saints have hands that pilgrim's hands do touch/ And palm to palm is holy palmer's kiss"

There's quite the back and forth here between Juliet and her Romeo about hands and lips and such, (and eventually Romeo gets his way) but the parallel for Aziraphale in this exchange is unmistakable. He, as the angel, is the saint (and stand in for Juliet), Crowley his pilgrim. Snogging in public would be absolutely out of the question for our dear prim and proper Aziraphale... but this is a chaste kiss, and one that he is showing the world. A public declaration of his love for Crowley. A Holy Palmer's Kiss.

It's certainly debatable if Crowley would have picked up on it. Like a lot of their coded language there are times when one of them misses what the other is trying to say. But in my opinion, this was not only a public declaration, but his confession to Crowley. This is his "I love you" as much as "I forgive you" is.

Just for fun, here's how Romeo finally gets his kisses (but let's have Crowley stand in for Romeo and Aziraphale for Juliet, shall we?)

Cro. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged. (They kiss)

Azi. Then have my lips the sin that they have took.

Cro. Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged. Give me my sin again. (They kiss again)

[galaxyspeaking]

He’s filled his house with chintz. To keep it real I fuck him on the floor.

[cut-pricemikeyarwood]

Can we please take one sec to appreciate how excited Aziraphale is in this moment?

He fiddles with his fingers, he breathes deep and fast,

he doesn't listen to a single fucking word Crowley is saying to him and his eyes move fast from right to left…

How can A-N-Y-O-N-E say that this little baby is not in love?

HOW?

HUH?

(... Michael Sheen and his acting, ladies and gentlemen 😗🤌 )

[mischieviem]

What could have been 😔

[the-ineffable-dance]

He deserved his Jane Austen moment…

The thing that kills me about the ball so much is that Aziraphale, beautiful and silly as he is, is trying desperately to hold everything together. In many of those scenes, his eyes are almost manic in their intensity and Neil has even said that the reason Aziraphale's miracles weren't working on Maggie and Nina was because he no longer had the spoons.

He's so overextended and he's trying so, so hard to find just a little bit of joy in all the trouble that's landed at his feet. His bowtie is even a bit askew. Despite his obvious stress, he launches straight from a long trip that only raises more questions to immediately spending all his time and energy planning this ball, both to try to get heaven's eyes off their back and to have a romantic moment with Crowley. He was trying his best.

[gleafer]

Bildad fluff?

Yes have some!

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

Aziraphale and Crowley dancing :)❤

Fun fact: The dance was created by the choreographer Abby Warrilow (who also created the apology dance :)). The brief was to make a Jane Austin style dance, it hasn't got a name but they called it the ‘walky talky dance’ in order to the allow dialogue during the ball

[igguana-art0-0]

Imagine if Crowley had a emo phase and aziraphale had a hippy faze 😭❤️

haha yeah… imagine 👀

[eefaevie]

he’s in time out for tossing the angel’s books. (this happens daily)

[the-travelling-witch]

do you think every year the sephora on sage island gets swarmed with a bunch of heartslabyul students searching eyeliner in two exact shades of red and blue or does nrc just stack up on them (surely not if crowley has sth to say about it)

↓ reference under the cut

twst tag list: @scint1llat3 @savanaclaw1996 @honehbee42 (it’s not writing but i thought i’d tag you anyway, lmk if i shouldn’t in the future)

[guavi]

On their way to a cotillion ball and a diamond robbery.

Fashion references used under the cut

Disclaimer: I am a historical fashion enthusiast but by no means an expert. Poses were inspired/referenced from two of these fashion plates. Liberties were taken based on vibes.

Aziraphale:

Crowley:

[wraithee]

As far as the end credits scene goes, I still stand by the fact that Aziraphale is smarter than everyone gives him credit for.

It’s easy to forget that he has the grace of an angel, he isn’t going to be abrasive and rude, although he can be, but most of the time he’s careful with his intentions. It doesn’t mean he isn’t aware of what is happening.

People are so blinded by s2, they forget that Aziraphale had no problem standing up for himself, in heaven or hell. He’s not one to get bowled over. So of course when Gabriel, archangel of heaven, shows up like that Aziraphale is going to try and figure out what’s going on. And when he sees how vulnerable a situation he’s in Aziraphale will help protect him.

But it also benefits Aziraphale. He’s not dim, he knows that there is something larger going on and he’s trying to figure it out. It’s a clue, right? And if you break it down, Aziraphale does figure it out. The Metatron in the end tells him they are planning for the second coming. And Aziraphale has a moment where he could still turn back. But he doesn’t.

Aziraphale is smart, and he’s brave, and he doesn’t back down. THAT is what I think the different expressions on his face are conveying on the elevator ride up. He’s going into battle, and he’s mentally preparing for it.

[dalliancekay]

Night Watch

I wonder how long it took to arrange them like that

Night Watch, by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1642

[ducks-love-peas]

Good Omens 2 | ⭑favorite moments⭑ 1/?

[mizgnomer]

Crowley vs. The Tenth Doctor - Parallels Good Omens Season 2 - Part 2

Season Two's [ Part One ] [ Part Two ] [ Part Four ] Season One's [ Part One ] [ Part Two ]

[scottishmushroom]