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maravinc · 2 months

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"Veronica's" [part 5] (Epilogue)

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But first, I want to thank @clowny-rolls for the ideas, my two friends for their moral support and myself, for finally fulfilling my little dream after so much time - I wrote a full-fledged fanfiction.

Secondly, will there be a sequel? Perhaps, if I have the strength, time, my own desire and ideas for this. But for now, the "Book One" is officially completed.

Thirdly, is it possible to read this fanfiction somewhere else? Not yet, but I will try to make it more accessible as soon as possible.

Fourth, (for all the "especially knowledgeable"). Yes, it would probably be worth adding the OOC tag... But you know what? This is MY fanfiction. And it's up to me to decide what it's going to be like!)

And that's it. Enjoy.)~

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Many would say that "you can't build your own happiness on someone else's misfortune"...

Vinc absolutely does not agree with this well-established expression among the people. And not only because of the methods by which he got Nick, which, by the way, he was still unaware of, despite the fact that tomorrow the once-newborn cute lump turns exactly ten years old...

Someone could say that Vinc's main job is terrible, someone that his work is pleasing to God, someone would ask questions like "who in their right mind would agree to make a living from THIS"...

No, Vinc did not "trade his body", as one might think from the description but he would say that his profession is as old as this one...

Sticking a shovel into the ground, Vinc sighed wearily. It was going to be a long day today, the sun was slowly creeping across an almost cloudless, saturated blue sky like a cornflower, and only a rare light breeze diluted the approaching pre-storm heat.

Vinc looked up at the sky, trying to shield the screen from the blinding sun with his palm and calculating how much time had passed since he had just started digging this grave this morning.

Twitching because of a bird that suddenly chirped on a branch, Vinc straightened up and, wiping his hands from the still damp earth, took the phone out of the inner pocket of his black work cape.

Yes, you got it right. Vinc's main profession is a grave digger. The gravedigger-bureaucrat, to be precise.

And as already mentioned, Vinc absolutely does not agree with the phrase "you can't build your own happiness on someone else's misfortune", because it was other people's misfortunes that led to a fairly stable and good salary for Vinc, on which he quietly lived alone from the age of seven, and now he is also raising his son.

Speaking of him...

Vinc looked at the clock on his phone, mentally noting that it was time to wrap up and pick Nick up from school.

After finishing his work for today, Vinc put his phone in his pants pocket and pulled his favorite shovel out of the mountain of freshly dug earth next to the ready-made grave for some guy's funeral, which was scheduled for the end of this week.

This morning was the most ordinary: Vinc woke up, cooked breakfast for two, woke Nick up, then there was breakfast and a stop at school on the way to the workplace, a cup of coffee and chat with a couple of colleagues who were not particularly sociable like himself, sorting out documents and, finally, digging graves for the deceased.

Entering his room in a small one-story building built near the church of St. Veronica, Vinc took off his soiled cape and threw it on a chair that smelled of damp earth for a long time, and an old shovel took its usual place in the corner of the room near the closet. After that, Vinc quickly washed his hands and wiped his monitor in the employee restroom.

After closing the office and deciding not to put on his jacket, Vinc slung it over his forearm, pulling the car keys out of his pocket.

Not that he really needed her, but he wanted to make the journey from home to work/school and back pleasant (as well as find a reason not to show up at work right away, he-he).

No more than 10 minutes later, a well-restored manually (to the best of Vinc's knowledge and abilities) blue-purple 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 stopped again at the main entrance of the city school. Clearly waiting for his dad's arrival, still nine-year-old Nick said goodbye to the fox cub boy, who continued to wait for his parents, and almost ran towards the car, smiling at the whole screen.

- I see someone in a good mood! So how did it go, kid?

- Great! Lily, Lini and Jack promised to come tomorrow! - Nick happily shared the news.

- I told you, now sit down, we need to go to the store for sweets for tomorrow... Oh, yes, since you're a birthday boy, you can choose WHATEVER you want, I'll let you.

- CAKE! - Nick exclaimed.

- Okie, but you'd better buckle up now. - Vinc said, adjusting the mirror.

- Yeah.

After that, the car drove off in the direction of the hypermarket.

After about half an hour of walking between the rows of sweets and decorations, Vinc felt uncomfortable, as if someone was staring at him, but sitting in the shopping cart, Nick didn't seem to feel anything...

Vinc decided to leave the store as soon as possible, which is why the last items on the shopping list were collected less than in five minutes.

After returning home, the rest of the evening spent making small preparations for tomorrow passed more calmly...

On Nick's birthday, both he and Vinc took the day off, as did three of Nick's friends with their parents, with whom Vinc communicated only because of his son, as well as all the employees of cafe "Veronica's", reserved for the whole day.

The party was wonderful, as if by notes: the children are happy, the parents are rested, and everyone is already leaving, but Vinc is restless again... This time, Zel was there, who had known him the longest.

- Hey, how are you, Vinc? Everything okay?

- Y-yes, it's all right... - Vinc said, looking up from the surface of the punch in his paper cup.

- You know that I know when you're lying, right..? - said Zel, clearly unhappy with this answer.

- Eh... Here's the thing, yesterday I had the feeling that someone was watching me, and now it's back, and I don't understand why...

- Maybe it's because for a whole month the shadows of Wendi have been on duty near my cafe, scaring my visitors and employees?

- What?!! Why didn't you tell me?!

- Because you've only been here twice in the whole month, and then you ran home every time. - Zel sighed. - ...Look, I don't know what he wants here, but can you ask? And if anything, just teleport Wendi a few kilometers above some canyon...

- Tsk, okay. Keep an eye on Nick for now.

- Ok. - Zel replied, turning around and heading towards the birthday boy.

- Hey! Hey, you! What does your master need that you've been stuck here for a month?! - Vinc said, looking displeased at a couple of shadows hiding behind the trunks of trees nearby.

- Not to him. He doesn't need anything, but he asked us to tell you that Mr. Michael wanted to talk to you in private.

- Here's another! Go back to your place and tell your "master" that if Michael has made his choice in favor of another one, then let him have the conscience to stay with him, and let him no longer get into my life in any of the options!

After such a short conversation, a couple of shadows began to disappear, but before finally disappearing they heard a warning for themselves: "And never come back!"

The evening walk in the park began as calmly as yesterday evening had passed.

But did anyone promise that it would continue the same way..?

- Oh, hello! Who are you? You look like me! Cool! - Nick exclaimed, which caused Vinc to abruptly interrupt the conversation with Zel, and they both looked towards the already ten-year-old child. But when they saw the reason for this phrase, they immediately rushed towards the two tv-heads who had just begun their conversation...

A son and his second father.

In less than a second, Zel yanked by the scruff of the neck and hugged Nick to her, while Vinc teleported right between them and in one fell swoop slammed Michael's back against a tree, which caused Mike to also hit the back of his head, slightly glitching.

- WHAT. ARE. YOU. DOING. HERE. - an angry Vinc gritted through his teeth, holding Michael by the collar of jacket and dangerously swinging his forked tail, striking sparks. Nick definitely inherited that part from him.

- I c-came to mak-ke an ag-greement... - It seems that Vinc performed the task of catching by surprise and scaring perfectly.

- Oh, is it true? And about what?! - Michael looked at the equally terrified Nick in the arms of Zel, who was holding her ears back warily.

Vinc turned his head in the direction of his child, giving Zel a look to take him away. Fortunately, she never had to be told twice.

When Zel and Nick were out of sight, Vinc released Michael, crossing his arms over his chest. Although the tail was still swinging discontentedly from side to side while Mike cleared his throat.

- Well? Are you going to keep quiet?! - It was absolutely possible to say that Vinc's patience was running out...

- So... is it... true? Is... this... child... mine? - Michael said between breaths, barely recovering from the shock.

- No. He is mine. But you're partly right – he was conceived from you.

- Why...

- Why didn't I say? Isn't that obvious? You already had a partner. I was just sensible enough not to bother you so much.

- But I had the right to know! I could be with you, and we could raise him together! - Mike exclaimed, catching his breath. - I remember how you asked me then: to be only with you...

- Oh, really? Then answer my question: if you remembered THAT night yourself, then what did you do, despite all the circumstances, that I was forced to cut you out of our lives?!

- ...

- Well! Answer me! - Vinc shouted while tears welled up in his eyes, even if he was trying to restrain himself not only in terms of anger all this time. - What did you do, even knowing the consequences!?!

- ...I... - Mike began, reaching out to the left edge of the Vinc monitor to wipe away the tear that had rolled down with his thumb, but not only...

- ...I marked you. - Mike said, pushing back the collar of sweater and revealing to the light of the street lamp the mark of his own teeth on Vinc's neck, left exactly ten years and nine months ago...

Vinc's legs gave way treacherously, causing him to fall to his knees, no longer able to hold back tears.

Michael sat down on the asphalt next to him, hugging him.

- S-sor-ry-y... - Vinc spoke through crying, responding to hugs. -...I-I s-shoul-ld h-hav-ve t-tol-ld y-you-u ev-veryt-thin-ng....

- ...Hey, no. I'm sorry... that I wasn't there for you... during your pregnancy... or until now.... I'm sorry if you thought I'd be a bad father or partner, but if you... no... If you BOTH give me a chance, I will do everything in my power to prove otherwise... Please, just give an idiot like me a second chance... Please... Let's try again... I... I love you... Please...

The mental dam that Vinc had been building so carefully all this time so as not to drown his own child and friends in his despair finally cracked, and Vinc sobbed with renewed vigor.

- I... I l-love y-you-u t-too-o! - Vinc replied, hugging Michael tighter and continuing to sob when Michael pulled away only to finally kiss him.

- Dad! Dad, are you okay? - it seems that Zel did not go far after all, since Nick, who had escaped from her grasp, was already running towards his no longer the only parent.

- Y-yes, honey, it's okay. - Vinc said, forcibly breaking off the long-awaited kiss, wiping his monitor with the sleeve of his sweater and opening his arms to his frightened child to comfort him.

- I'm sorry, I tried to hold him back, but he's too dodgy... - a breathless Zel apologized as she approached the reunited family.

- It's okay, we've probably figured it out anyway... - Vinc replied, shifting his doubtful gaze to Michael. - I'm sorry for this moment of weakness... But if you only said that to calm me down or appease me, then, firstly, thank you, and secondly... I want you to know that I'm still not going to force or oblige you to anything, so if you want, you can go back to your place. I won't hold you...

- Do you want me to leave and leave my family again? No way! And this is my conscious choice! - Michael replied, pulling Vinc around his waist.

- Um... Dad? So, who is it? - Nick asked uncertainly.

- This? Heh... - Vinc began, making his son comfortable on his lap. - Nick, this is your...

- Hello, Nick. My name is Michael, I'm your second father. - Mike held out his hand to his son. Nick shook it warily in return. - I understand that we didn't know each other at all until this moment, but I promise you and your dad that I will love and take care of both of you, and I will never leave you.

- I don't want to break this very touching moment, but maybe you can continue at home... at one of you at home, not in the middle of the park, sitting right on the road! - finally, Zel gave signs that she was actually still here.

- Your truth, Miss Zel. Let's go home.

- To YOUR home? Nah, not today. This day is not over yet!

- Yeah! There's still a marathon of movies left! - Nick exclaimed, jumping to his feet, while Mike, who had already risen from the ground, offered Vinc his hand.

- I'll take him to your car. - Zel said, heading after the boy who was already running away.

- Listen... - Vinc began. - I still don't really understand why did you choose... me... after all these years?

- Because I chose to be with you, I chose to love you and our son, and I'm sorry if you still think that the relationship with my BUSINESS partner was more than just business...

- I'm sorry... - Vinc said, pressing his face against Michael's shoulder. - ...I'm such an idiot...

- No, I'm sorry. - Michael said, hugging and patting him on the back. - It should have been clarified right away that it was only a job. But... In any case, you weren't the only one who was thinking of killing him...

Vinc pulled away and looked at Michael in fright.

- Although you'll have to bury him anyway.

- So that's who the "no name" is who ordered the funeral... Asshole. - Vinc snorted, again burying the screen in his beloved's shoulder.

- Maybe, but I'm YOUR favorite asshole.

- HEY, LOVEBIRDS, ARE YOU GOING HOME OR WHAT?!? - Zel shouted from the parking lot at the entrance to the park.

- Well, shall we go, mommy? - Mike joked.

- If you call me that again, I'll hit you. - Vinc warned, pulling away and taking Michael's outstretched hand, resting his head on his already familiar shoulder.

And finally, they left the park together.

It seems that one ten-year-old boy really had the "the happiest day" today.

Happy ending.

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inhonoredglory · 11 months

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Aziraphale’s Choice, the Job Connection, and Michael Sheen’s Morality

Update: Michael Sheen liked this post on Twitter, so I'm fairly certain there is a lot of validity to it.

I’ve had time to process Aziraphale’s choice at the end of Season 2. And I think only blaming the religious trauma misses something important in Aziraphale’s character. I think what happened was also Aziraphale’s own conscious choice––as a growth from his trauma, in fact. Hear me out.

Since November 2022 I’ve been haunted by something Michael Sheen said at the MCM London Comic Con. At the Q&A, someone asked him about which fantasy creature he enjoyed playing most and Michael (bless him, truly) veered on a tangent about angels and goodness and how, specifically,

We as a society tend to sort of undervalue goodness. It’s sort of seen as sort of somehow weak and a bit nimby and “oh it’s nice.” And I think to be good takes enormous reserves of courage and stamina. I mean, you have to look the dark in the face to be truly good and to be truly of the light…. The idea that goodness is somehow lesser and less interesting and not as kind of muscular and as passionate and as fierce as evil somehow and darkness, I think is nonsense. The idea of being able to portray an angel, a being of love. I love seeing the things people have put online about angels being ferocious creatures, and I love that. I think that’s a really good representation of what goodness can be, what it should be, I suppose.

I was looking forward to BAMF!Aziraphale all season long, and I think that’s what we got in the end. Remember Neil said that the Job minisode was important for Aziraphale’s story. Remember how Aziraphale sat on that rock and reconciled to himself that he MUST go to Hell, because he lied and thwarted the will of God. He believed that––truly, honestly, with the faith of a child, but the bravery of a soldier.

Aziraphale, a being of love with more goodness than all of Heaven combined, believed he needed to walk through the Gates of Hell because it was the Right Thing to do. (Like Job, he didn’t understand his sin but believed he needed to sacrifice his happiness to do the Right Thing.)

That’s why we saw Aziraphale as a soldier this season: the bookshop battle, the halo. But yes, the ending as well.

Because Aziraphale never wanted to go to Heaven, and he never wanted to go there without Crowley.

But it was Crowley who taught him that he could, even SHOULD, act when his moral heart told him something was wrong. While Crowley was willing to run away and let the world burn, it was Aziraphale (in that bandstand at the end of the world) who stood his ground and said No. We can make a difference. We can save everyone.

And Aziraphale knew he could not give up the ace up his sleeve (his position as an angel) to talk to God and make them see the truth in his heart.

I was messed up by Ineffable Bureaucracy (Boxfly) getting their happy ending when our Ineffable Husbands didn’t, but I see now that them running away served to prove something to Aziraphale. (And I am fully convinced that Gabriel and Beelzebub saw the example of the Ineffables at the Not-pocalypse and took inspiration from them for choosing to ditch their respective sides)

But my point is that Aziraphale saw them, and in some ways, they looked like him and Crowley. And he saw how Gabriel, the biggest bully in Heaven, was also like him in a way (a being capable of love) and also just a child when he wasn’t influenced by the poison of Heaven. Muriel, too, wasn’t a bad person. The Metatron also seemed to have grown more flexible with his morality (from Aziraphale's perspective). Like Earth, Heaven was shades of (light?) gray.

Aziraphale is too good an angel not to believe in hope. Or forgiveness (something he’s very good at it).

Aziraphale has been scarred by Heaven all his life. But with the cracks in Heaven’s armor (cracks he and Crowley helped create), Aziraphale is seeing something else. A chance to change them. They did terrible things to him, but he is better than them, and because of Crowley, he feels ready to face them.

(Will it work? Can Heaven change, institutionally? Probably not, but I can't blame Aziraphale for trying.)

At the cafe, the Metatron said something big was coming in the Great Plan. Aziraphale knows how trapped he had felt when he didn’t have God’s ear the first time something huge happened in the Big Plan. He can’t take a chance again to risk the world by not having a foot in the door of Heaven. That’s why we saw individual human deaths (or the threat of death) so much more this season: Elspeth, Wee Morag, Job’s children, the 1940s magician. Aziraphale almost killed a child when he couldn’t get through to God, and he’s not going through that again.

“We could make a difference.” We could save everyone.

Remember what Michael Sheen said about courage and doing good––and having to “look the dark in the face to be truly good.” That’s what happened when Aziraphale was willing to go to Hell for his actions. That’s what happened when he decided he had to go to Heaven, where he had been abused and belittled and made to feel small. He decided to willingly go into the Lion’s Den, to face his abusers and his anxiety, to make them better so that they would not try to destroy the world again.

Him, just one angel. He needed Crowley to be there with him, to help him be brave, to ask the questions that Heaven needed to hear, to tell them God was wrong. Crowley is the inspiration that drives Aziraphale’s change, Crowley is the engine that fuels Aziraphale’s courage.

But then Crowley tells him that going to Heaven is stupid. That they don’t need Heaven. And he’s right. Aziraphale knows he’s right.

Aziraphale doesn’t need Heaven; Heaven needs him. They just don’t know how much they need him, or how much humanity needs him there, too. (If everyone who ran for office was corrupt, how can the system change?)

Terry Pratchett (in the Discworld book, Small Gods) is scathing of God, organized religion, and the corrupt people religion empowers, but he is sympathetic to the individual who has real, pure faith and a good heart. In fact, the everyman protagonist of Small Gods is a better person than the god he serves, and in the end, he ends up changing the church to be better, more open-minded, and more humanist than god could ever do alone.

Aziraphale is willing to go to the darkest places to do the Right Thing, and Heaven is no exception. When Crowley says that Heaven is toxic, that’s exactly why Aziraphale knows he needs to go there. “You’re exactly is different from my exactly.”

____

In the aftermath of Trump's election in the US, Brexit happened in 2018. Michael Sheen felt compelled to figure out what was going on in his country after this shock. But he was living in Los Angeles with Sarah Silverman at the time, and she also wanted to become more politically active in the US.

Sheen: “I felt a responsibility to do something, but it [meant] coming back [to Britain] – which was difficult for us, because we were very important to each other. But we both acknowledge that each of us had to do what we needed to do.” In the end, they split up and Michael moved back to the UK.

Sometimes doing the Right Thing means sacrificing your own happiness. Sometimes it means going to Hell. Sometimes it means going to Heaven. Sometimes it means losing a relationship.

And that’s why what happened in the end was so difficult for Aziraphale. Because he loves Crowley desperately. He wants to be together. He wanted that kiss for thousands of years. He knows that taking command of Heaven means they would never again have to bow to the demands of a God they couldn’t understand, or run from a Hell who still came after them. They could change the rules of the game.

And he’s still going to do that. But it hurts him that he has to do that alone.

#good omens #good omens 2 #ineffable husbands #it's kinda like capt america: civil war #with Azi as Tony Stark: traumatized and trying to do the right thing #and Crowley being Steve Rogers: fuck the establishment let's go rogue #gos2spoilers #good omens meta #good omens 2 meta #go s2 #michael sheen #go s2 meta #go meta #*mine #*mymeta #ineffables husbands #ineffable soulmates #*mybest

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