#and eventually they run into Muriel

[littlest-nightingale]

Genuinely thinking about a self insert Good Omens fic

[actual-changeling]

everyone is so caught up in the bee/gabe and crowley/aziraphale relationship mirror that the entire thing just gets reduced to that when it is telling us something much more important.

angels and demons aren't the enemy.

out of ALL angels and demons, aziraphale got the best life. away from heaven, free to do however he pleases, no one cares. his issues are self-made morality spirals he cannot find his way out of because facing that heaven is not what he needs it to be is terrifying.

but all the other angels up in heaven—they're not evil. they're not irredeemable. they're practically traumatized children kept in an environment defined by gaslighting, isolation, and neglect.

on the other side you have demons in hell forced into close proximity, forced to be cruel to survive, taught that they are evil and bad. their righteous rage got abused and twisted and they are traumatized children just like the angels.

it does not excuse the behaviour of the archangels or dukes of hell but it explains it. hating them is not the solution to any of the problems heaven/hell has because they're not the ones causing them. they are victims of the system just as much as crowley and aziraphale are.

THAT is what jim shows us. without heaven he is just a guy! a guy who loves hot chocolate and asks questions and creates sorting systems for books because he wants to.

and beez is stuck in a job they hate, stuck with people they hate, feeling the full force of neglect and subsequent abuse. they want acknowledgement, someone who tells them hey, you're doing a good job. you're doing great. YOU are great.

yes, they mirror aziracrow, but they show us that they hated their jobs just as much as aziraphale and crowley hated theirs. michael has arrangements with demons in secret, they work with the EXACT SAME denial and deception mechanisms as our two do.

muriel was isolated and is eager to please, meanwhile the archangel had to learn how to survive with the consequences of failing burned into their minds.

aziraphale will get up there and eventually they will be on the same page—more or less—because the enemy is the person running the system. the one who keeps it in place, and that is (as far as we know) the metatron.

aziraphale and the angels can help each other. they have different skill sets, different kinds of knowledge and approaches to their trauma, and if you combine them and give them the time and space to think shit through they will tear heaven down from the inside out.

[somehow-a-human]

The angels don't have to ask to enter the bookshop.

DO NOT ASK NEIL ABOUT FAN THEORY.

We've been operating under the assumption that BOTH the angels and demons have to ask to enter the bookshop, but I don't think that's true. I'm pretty sure it's one of our red herrings for season 2.

Continued under the cut.

When Gabriel shows up to the bookshop nude and oblivious, the doors are closed and (I believe) locked. Gabriel doesn't even know who or where he is, so he does what the default is... he knocks, and asks "Can I come in?" Aziraphale is frightened at first and tells him he can't come in but eventually our angels empathy wins and he says "Alright! Just... just get in!"

>> It's never clear that Gabriel would have physically been unable to come in otherwise.

When the Archangels show up Aziraphale literally cuts them off before they reach the door of the bookshop. Saraqael suggests, "Shall we discuss this inside?", and Aziraphale continues, "By all means. Would you like to come in?"

>> If Aziraphale hadn't rushed out to meet the angels, why wouldn't they have just walked into the bookshop like they did numerous times in season 1? Additionally I am fairly certain Aziraphale's "By all means. Would you like to come in?" was added in post via ADR. That doesn't necessarily add credence to anything, just an observation.

When Muriel arrives to surveil Aziraphale they ask, "Great! Well, could I come in and do it inside please? Only cause it's really noisy out here and I can't hear anything." Aziraphale replies, "By all means."

>> Muriel is an endearing angel who doesn't know much about life on earth, but had the shop been open and unlocked at the time of their arrival, they might've just wandered in as well.

We're never told the angels *can't* enter the bookshop explicitly like we are for the demons. We've always just assumed the same rules apply to all of the ethereal and occult beings.

But then, might I ask, why does Aziraphale tell us "Technically, this bookshop still counts as an Embassy"?

If the bookshop is still an embassy, the angels wouldn't need permission to enter, they would still have jurisdiction, and would still be able to monitor what's going on there... yes?

Let's compare this to the demons attempts to enter the bookshop, because Shax states clearly that she can't enter without permission. We see this again when she tries to get into the Bentley after it's canonically 'our car', and therefore at least partially owned by an angel.

I'm pretty sure John and Neil make a point of having the angels all ask in some way to enter, and Aziraphale seem to grant them permission as a red herring. They don't need to, but they want us to assume a false sense of security, to think that the bookshop is a safe space for our duo, outside of the reaches of both Heaven and Hell.

Technicalities are big in season 2 and I definitely think they're a huge underlying string running through all of Good Omens. In season 1, Crowley and Aziraphale stop Heaven and Hell from trying to restart Armageddon on a technicality. Gabriel and Beelzebub don't technically know if the great plan *is* the ineffable plan! It's definitely a favorite trope of Terry and Neil's to mock unfair, broken, bureaucratic systems, and Heaven and Hell are a PERFECT example of this.

**Somebody has written a meta on technicalities, I know I've seen it but I cannot for the life of me find it so if anyone could tag me so I could link it that would be brills! (Yeah that's right I'm adopting that from Charles from Dead Boy Detectives, 80's british slang ftw, I'm obsessed; please watch it, please, I need a second season.)

Neil has mentioned that the plot for season 3 might've had to be changed from he and Terry's original vision a bit, based on the political climate of the current day, and I'm sure that means we'll see some technicalities being the downfall of Heaven and Hells systems in Season 3 as well. I don't think the metatron is a villain, nor any of the other angels or demons. They're just fulfilling their function, following a set of rules, very much to a fault. This is all just God's big experiment after all, freewill, choice, eating the apple, and the angels and demons aren't exempt.

I wouldn't be surprised if there's some sort of technicality about the angels and demons themselves in season 3. We've seen that they're of the same stock, and we know Crowley at least is technically still the same person he was when he was an angel... more or less. Could the book of life end up revealing something like that the demons still exist perpetually as their angelsonas? A technicality, if you will?

Given the bookshop is still technically an embassy, is everything that happens inside observable by Heaven? Can they access the bookshop in their Earth Observation Files? There is some questionable blocking surrounding the bust in Aziraphale's bookshop, coupled with a curious record cover from Maggie's bookshop pointed out by @noneorother

Anyway... Let me know your thoughts. I haven't been posting as much, I have been mega busy and I'm trying to be thankful for it. Love you all, hope you have something nice happen for you today! <3

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

Hi! Could I request full HCs for MC getting in trouble/arrested for something they didn't do, but nobody believes them? Eventually they're proven innocent but maybe even the M6 might have a little flicker of doubt for a moment?

The Arcana HCs: MC gets falsely arrested

Julian

If you've ever worried that he can't relate to you in the past, he certainly can now! He's been in handcuffs plenty of times -

On a more serious note, he's not giving up on you for a second. Every moment that he's allowed to be by your side, he's there, and he's taking the best care of you that he possibly can

He doesn't doubt you for a second (he remembers what it was like) but he does doubt himself

What if this is secretly his fault? What if he did something he doesn't remember doing, and you got mistaken for him? What if he made someone angry so they framed you to get back at him?

Will suggest lying to take your place multiple times and might actually try it if you and Portia don't stop him

Might also suggest actually committing some kind of legal infraction of his own so he can at least join you in there

So relieved when you're acquitted that it's all he can talk about to everyone he meets for the next two months. Rubs it in the face of every friend who ever doubted you

Asra

They're annoyed, more than anything. And shocked. But mostly annoyed

Not at you, of course! No, he's annoyed at the fact that you're being confined somewhere that he can't be for you and that you're being treated so poorly

When you tell them the charges against you aren't true, they believe you completely, but truthfully they're less concerned with your innocence and more concerned with your wellbeing

Can and will attempt to break you out regardless

Would much rather blip you out of where you're being held and start a completely new life from scratch somewhere else then let the process drag on and on, watching you be silenced and doubted

Never misses a single visit

Never lets you feel like things are out of control. As long as you want to subject yourself to this, it's your decision, and as soon as you choose otherwise, say the word and you're both out

Immeasurably proud of you when you stick it out and are acquitted

Nadia

Furious. Absolutely furious. Seething with rage

A person of your character? Who holds the trust of the Countess herself and the admiration of the city?? Accused so recklessly???

Absolutely unacceptable

That said, she remains completely calm on the outside and allows things to proceed. She's been a fierce advocate of establishing a new, effective justice system, and she intends to see this through

Does her best not to extend her influence far enough to count as making the process unfair, but still ensures she gets to visit you at least once a day

There is a point as the evidence is assembled that she does find herself wondering, for a brief moment, if you really are guilty. If you forgot, if there were extenuating circumstances you can't tell her

And she hates herself for it as soon as she sees your face again

So smug when you're exonerated that the people who argued against you nearly make a run for the hills

Will make a point of publicly proclaiming your innocence after

Muriel

Triggered. Triggered. So. Very. Triggered

Hadn't heard anything about the incident itself until you were arrested, so he didn't know what to think until you told him you were innocent. Once you did, though, he believed you

He knows when someone's lying and when someone's telling the truth, and he needs to make sure that others can see your honesty

He also knows that he's not the person best suited to publicly helping you. Regardless of his circumstances, he has his own history in the cells that still make his stomach turn to walk past

He'll talk to Asra. He'll talk to Nadia. He'll put himself through hours of conversation with them and whoever else is determined to exonerate you, supplying every detail he has

And he'll brave the personal hell of seeing you live out the daily misery of his worst memories, behind the same bars, staring at the same stone walls, to be with you as the hours drag by

Beyond relieved when you (and he by extension) are freed and he can hide away in the woods with you to recover

Portia

She actually assumed the charges were true until you told her otherwise - you're her partner in crime for life, she's just wondering what pieces are missing to justify you and why she wasn't included

Until you tell her you're innocent, and she's furious

There is NO WAY you're getting falsely imprisoned on her watch. She will march to hell and back and drag whoever she needs to with her to get you out

Pushes nonstop both to have you acquitted and to sway public opinion about you. It feels like a hopeless task at first, but she doesn't give up and she has enough friends to pull it off

Might miss a visit or two, but never goes longer than a day without stopping to see you and always smuggles treats and comforts past the guards for you no matter how often you tell her not to

Actually manages to stage an impressive protest in your favor the day the decision is made

Takes you home and dotes on you nonstop afterwards ... and then victory marches you all around town to thank the helpful friends

Lucio

He tries to help you. He really, really does

He argues with the guards, screams at the people who sent for you to be arrested, and makes the racket of a lifetime

Which, unfortunately, only makes things worse

(Neither does him admitting to all of his own criminal history, in his attempt to argue that if he got forgiveness then you should too)

He's relieved when you tell him you didn't do it, and he clings to that belief like his life depends on it. You're the good thing in his life. Nobody takes away or denies him that good thing

All that pent up frustration needs an outlet of some kind, and that results in him hounding the assigned investigators instead into letting him help them

And help them he does - not with the books and papers, but with long nights and rabbit trails until the true culprit is found

One can imagine how proud he was to drag them by the collar to where you were, shaking the confession out of them and leaving with you. He deserves so many kisses and cookies for this -

[sxftkxssxs]

hi hi! if its not too much trouble could u do M6 with an MC who rarely cries (im talking like 6 months in between each time they cry) who just breaks down sobbing one day and wont stop crying for hours? srry if this is too angsty lmaoo

i am so sorry for how late these new posts are gonna be in advance jfkdslds (also peep the new banner hehehe)

Gn!Reader

Asra

For how long he’s known you, he’d likely know that this would happen

Knowing the MC for nine years gives him the advantage

No matter what they might’ve had planned for that day they’re taking all day to comfort you

You don’t even have to ask for anything, Asra’s already got it ready. He’s got tissues on standby, your favorite food and some tea.

Faust will wrap around you, occasionally squeezing to give you some comfort

Asra will hold you as long as you need him to, you’re the most important thing in their life and they’ll stay there without question

He’ll recommend taking a nap together once you’re alright again, knowing after crying that long you’ve got to be exhausted

Definitely will go get you that pumpkin bread from the baker in the morning.

Julian

Immediate reaction is to panic

His brain runs at a mile a minute and in this situation it's no different

If you allow him to, Julian will hold you while you cry, whispering to you

If you don’t want him to touch you, he’ll get you anything you need!

Malak is such a good bird, sitting on your shoulder, letting you scratch his head (win-win on his end)

When you calm down he’ll ask you what exactly caused you to break down so badly

he’ll take you to Mazelinka’s after a while, hoping her motherly tendencies will help you and her soup, don’t forget her soup!

Julian definitely drags you to rest once you've calmed down though, he knows you've got to be exhausted after that

He'll make sure to be way more prepared next time (and have extra soup)

Nadia

Her first reaction is to wipe some of your tears away

She’ll keep her voice down, asking you what’s wrong and if there's anything she might be able to do 

She’ll take you both to her tower, offering to be there for you for as long as she’s able

The water in that tower is extremely calming, very effective at getting you relaxed

If you don’t want to tell her what exactly has you in this state she’ll understand, allowing you to come to her when you’re ready

Holds you very close that night, letting you listen to her heartbeat

Kisses your cheeks once you’re calmed down <33

Muriel

He’s definitely not built for this. 

He’s trying his best, and if you’re able to speak through your sobs and tell him what you need he’ll do it

Inanna just plops herself in your lap, letting you put a hand in her fur

Muriel’s not saying much, but he’s rubbing your back, getting you tissues when you run out, and silently offering to let you hold his hand

when you’ve calmed down he’ll wait for you to tell him what has gotten you so upset 

Muriel gives your hand a squeeze every so often to show he’s still there, and still listening

Muriel and Inanna agree that a snuggle pile doesn’t sound so bad for tonight 

Portia

She’s very good at comforting you

There's been times that someone in the palace needed some comfort, and she’s gotten very good at learning what everyone needs

She won’t touch you if you don’t want her to, but otherwise she’ll bundle you up in some spare blankets and sit with you and Pepi

She’ll have tissues somewhere in the room, she’d much rather wipe your tears herself

She won’t directly ask you what’s wrong until a long while after you’ve calmed down

Pepi just sits in your lap the whole time, purring as loud as possible

Portia will make sure you know that you can come to her any time for any reason 

Lucio

Before Lucio even finds you, Mercedes and Melchior find you first

Melchior is kind of all over you until he settles down (in your lap ofc.), but Mercedes just sits pushed up against your side

Eventually Lucio will find where you’re at, though he’s very confused on what he’s supposed to do for a second

He’ll sit with you and ramble a little, but that’s mostly because the silence feels quite awkward to him

Lucio will get you tissues if you ask him to (please don’t get snot on his dogs)

He’ll let you rant to him if you’d like, he will make small comments though! Things like “She did what?!” “That’s just ridiculous.”

He’s very good at hyping things up, the man did nothing but party while he was the Count and he’ll hype you up any time this happens

Good luck getting up though, the dogs fell asleep and they don’t plan on getting up any time soon

[ineffectualbookseller]

there is something to be said for how much the Metatrons' offer of restoring Crowley to an angel changed things for Aziraphale, even beyond the face value of the offer

Azirphale eventually (and reluctantly) accepts the promotion under the presumption that he will be able to change heaven - "if I'm in charge, I can make a difference."

and obviously, Muriel and Jim/Gabriel are two key narrative players to show us why Aziraphale would think heaven can still be reformed - Muriel who was unbelievably lonely in heaven and, despite all their ineptitude, is so excited to experience earth for the first time (the fondness in Aziraphale's face during their scene together in the bookshop is so touching) - and Jim/Gabriel who Aziraphle once knew to be cold, unsympathetic, and remorseless but after having the memories and influences of heaven stripped away turns out to be helpful, curious, and self-sacrificing (we see Aziraphale come to terms with this change over the season, telling Jim in e2 that he's really not sure if he's still terrible but when Crowley is questioning Jim in e5, Aziraphale's sure he's just being silly)

but even after witnessing this, Azirphale isn't jumping at the offer to run heaven. He says so point blank, "I don't want to go back to heaven," but everything changes when he gets the offer to restore Crowley as an angel

and clearly, Aziraphale is so excited by the face-value offer, he and Crowley would be safe and they'd be together, and Crowley would never be punished for doing good again. Just look at his happy little hands when he's asking Crowley to pause his confession so he can share his own great news. He's beyond thrilled to be able to offer this to Crowley, to live this life with Crowley (before he realizes it's not a life that Crowley wants - those happy hands are devastating in hindsight)

so if bringing Crowley to heaven with him was the selling point, why is he still going after Crowley says no? Because in Aziraphale's eyes, the power to restore Crowley is the power to correct heaven's mistakes. So heaven can make mistakes - Aziraphale thinks the Metatron just admitted that heaven is fallible

that is HUGE

(this is also not what the Metatron was saying - but in this context what Metatron said doesn't matter, only what Aziraphale heard)

and this isn't just coming from some angel - the Metatron is the voice of God. The closest thing to speaking to God we have witnessed since 2500 BCE in the Job minisode (the most recent evidence of God speaking directly to a character). Regardless of where God actually is during this story, Azirphale would be taking the Metatron's word as the word of God

Aziraphale has been acting against what heaven says God wants since the beginning: giving away his sword in Eden to protect Adam and Eve from their punishment (which he then lies to God about but is still allowed to stay on Earth), lying to save Job's children and openly question God's role in the plan ("I… I don’t think… that is what God wants"), and of course stopping Armageddon with his Great Plan vs Ineffible Plan pedantry (and before this, his plan for most of s1 is to get in contact with someone higher than Gabriel because of course, God wouldn't actually want this) - and when he is finally found out, Gabriel and Michael cut his ties with heaven

but now might-as-well-be-God is walking into his bookshop and scolding the middle managers and saying they've been fucking up. And he tells Aziraphale that they were wrong about him and they were wrong about Crowley and Aziraphale's the one that's been in the right

(keep in mind that Aziraphale does not know that the Metatron has been on the same subcommittees as the archangels - after Michael and Uriel don't recognize him, he's probably assuming they have very little contact)

if Corwley falling was a mistake maybe everything else Aziraphale has been internally questioning is too. If heaven can make mistakes than something has been going wrong in heaven - a fault in operations not in design - there must something to fix

Aziraphale is a being of faith and he carries such guilt for questioning that faith. The idea that the Metraton is acknowledging a mistake must be such a balm to him

It's really no wonder he thinks he can change heaven after that offer

[local-critter]

I have a couple ideas for you! Obviously you don't have to do them but here are the ideas

- how m6 react to MC giving them a very expensive gift

- m6 when MC accidentally gets hurt (minor injuries)

- m6 when MC is cute and tired/sleepy or if MC gets very hyper before bed

- insomniac mc

- m6 reaction to MC ranting abt their hyperfixations

-m6 after MC worked themselves to exhaustion/overworked,

Just a couple ideas off the top of my head, would love to give more though :]

MC who rants about their hyperfixations

(I will get to the rest eventually I swear)

Asra

He encourages it 100%

They love hearing you talk, it’s one of their favorite sounds

He may fall asleep tho

If you’re already cuddling, they’re gonna clonk out in minutes

They never mean too but your voice is so soothing to them (after going so long without it)

They look at you with the most adoring gaze the whole time, hanging off your every word (they’re daydreaming your wedding)

They find passion super attractive, they love that you have things that excite you so much

They try to prompt you into a rant often, either when you're both doing things together in the same room or at night as basically a lullaby for them 

Faust lays on your shoulders and lays on you as you rant, she squeezes you a little tighter if you're very animated and talk with your hands too

She doesn't mind, she just doesn't want to fall

Julian

You are his type of person 

He is the exact same way

You two basically share hyperfixations, like if one rants about one thing for too long then the other gets into it too and you just bounce ideas off each other 

Whenever you're both free, at almost all hours can your neighbors hear you ranting 

He's a pacer, he's loud, he's dramatic; hell be throwing his arms around everywhere and running his hands through his hair until he's just a ginger blur of motion 

You take turns typically, but sometimes you two rant together and feed off each other

Malak gets startled if voices get raised 

Sometimes he gets home too tired and he just wants to hear your voice, so you'll take a seat on the couch and he'll rest his head on your lap so you can rant all you want

If you play with his hair absentmindedly, he melts into a puddle

He loves letting your voice wash over him and wash away the day’s exhaustion 

Nadia

Loves it

She finds intelligence attractive, and especially if it's something she doesn't know much about

She gets a little flustered 

Sometimes if she's in a rush she shuts you up with a kiss and tells you that you'll continue later before going off to her next meeting or event 

She doesn't really care what you're ranting about typically, just that you're talking 

As in, she'll listen regardless and she'll ask questions to prompt you to keep going 

But sometimes she'll just be looking at you with hearts in her eyes after a long day

She rants to you too, occasionally

If you listen to her with the same attentiveness, she practically swoons 

Be still her beating heart 

If you give her the same treatment, like hanging off her every word and asking questions to prove you were paying attention, she falls in love all over again

Originally, she saw rants as…not very polite I guess

Unstructured, and she wasn’t the biggest fan of them

She felt like they were really emotional, and if she was too emotional she feared she wouldn't be taken seriously

But you take her so seriously no matter what she's doing and she loves you all the more for it

Muriel

Loves them so long as you're not yelling 

It takes pressure off of him to talk, so he's content to let your voice fill in the silence as you both go about your days 

It takes him a while to feel comfortable enough to ask questions but he gets there eventually

He's very attentive

He doesn't rant very often, but rarely, you can get him talking about something like a rare flower or his favorite type of tree 

And if you tell him you just like his voice, his face is on fire 

He may have to take a few minutes to reboot 

Inanna finds it funny 

He loves learning new things, while he preferred his life of isolation compared to living in the city, he didn't always like it

And you ranting to him is an easy way for him to learn too

Portia

She's a lot like Julian 

You both take turns 

Typically you share a hyperfixation and the Palace library barely survives as you two tear it apart in search for more content

Nadia finds it greatly amusing, not that she’d ever say so

More than once has she gotten up in the middle of the night because she had a new point to rant about 

She gets cranky in the morning when that happens tho, she needs her full eight hours so you’ll have to gently judge her back into bed and hope she actually falls asleep

She, like her brother, is also a big blur of movement, pacing and throwing her arms around and hair flying everywhere as if it'll get her point across better 

She's just as passionate as you are if not more so; as a servant she feels her words are worth less than others, so it means the world to her that you’re willing to listen to her and she’ll give you the same treatment

She probably hangs off your every word

Lucio

He found it a little weird at first but he got used to it eventually 

He tries to listen but finds it hard sometimes

He does prompt you to keep talking though, it’s good practice for him to get used to hearing what others have to say

He mostly just rants when he’s annoyed, but he likes that you do it when you’re excited

After a while together he finds himself actually listening to you and remembering what you say

Like he’d be out and see something that reminds him of our current hyperfixation and he’d buy it for you without a thought

Just because he listens to you doenst mean he always knows what your’re talking about but he does try

[the-great-fusilli]

Courage the Cowardly Dog

“THE MASK”

“Dogs are EVIL”

I will never shut up about how Courage the cowardly dog gave the kids a full episode of a “Bisexual x Man-hating Lesbian” trope.

We meet Kitty at the start of the episode when she beats the living hell out of Courage saying “Dogs are evil.” Her “best friend” Bunny, is in an abusive relationship with a dog. Which is why Kitty beats courage. She says the dog Bunny is dating “treats her like a slave.” The entire morning Kitty is trying to get her lick back at Courage because of what she witnessed happen to Bunny.

Kitty wears a mask, and makes Ustace and Muriel uncomfortable because she can’t eat the food or drinks they give her. After they ask why she wears it, she says it’s because she “simply doesn’t wish to face reality.” When Muriel and Ustace tell Kitty she HAS to face reality, she exposes them for the realities they refuse to face. She does this to show everyone is “hiding” a part of themselves, and no one should be able to criticize her for what she’s choosing to hide. This reminds me of the whole topic of “coming out.” Why is it that queer people have to tell the entire world what they like or who they are just so everyone else will be more comfortable? I’d Imagine this is exactly how Kitty felt during that conversation.

Courage takes a stuffed mouse that Kitty has with her while she’s asleep in the attic, locks her in, locks Muriel and Ustace in their room, and drives away to a dinner. When he gets there he realized the mouse says “To Kitty, From Bunny.” He then meets a rat working at the dinner named Charlie. Charlie tells him that “Bunny’s in a bad way without Kitty,” he goes on to say that Kitty and Bunny were the sweetest girls he knew, but Bunny’s boyfriend “Mad Dog” thought they were too “friendly like.”

We later see Mad Dog verbally abusing Bunny saying Bunny is acting as if she doesn’t love him anymore, and that it must be because she’s thinking about Kitty. He talks to Bunny as if he made her everythings he is and even makes her cry after saying “If I even smell Kitty I’ll burry the two of you.” While crying in his arms Bunny takes opportunity to connect his collar to a light hanging on the wall so she can run away. She grabs her bag, but gets caught at the door by other dogs.

Courage is outside of a window watching all of this go down. His sole reason for even being there is because he’s afraid of Kitty. He thinks if he doesn’t return with her mouse, that Bunny gave her AND Bunny herself that Kitty is going to kill him, Ustace and Muriel.

Eventually Kitty jumps out the window, after going crazy from being locked in the attic without the only thing she has left of Bunny (which she realized Courage has stolen.) While this is happening Bunny finally escapes with Courage. While running away Mad Dog finds the two of them, there is a chase scene, and Courage ends up driving Mad Dog’s car into a moving train (with Mad Dog still inside.) Bunny thanks him for saving her life, and coincidentally Kitty is on that same train that just hit Mad Dog. Bunny hears her and Jumps aboard telling Kitty “THAT DOG HE SAVED MY LIFE !” to which Kitty replies “I was wrong, not all dogs are bad.” She thanks courage from the train and hugs Bunny while saying “Now we can be best friends forever.”

The reason i typed out the plot of this episode was because: 1. HAPPY PRIDE, and because 2. the symbolism in the show in my personal opinion was done so well. I didn’t get it as a kid, even though I was happy to see Bunny and Kitty go away together, but now that episode means so much to me.

The “man-hating lesbian” stereotype only exists because so many women have been wronged tremendously, countless times by men. Whether it be before or after discovering their sexuality. The problem is never that women love other women, it’s that most men do not respect women. Not only did this episode show why so many women (lesbian or not) hate men, but it also showed that there are brave men out there with the courage to stand up to the shitty ones abusing women. By the end of the episode Kitty is no longer wearing her mask, but she never made a huge announcement to anyone that she would be taking it off she just did before running away to go find Bunny. What i loved THE MOST was that upon having that “not all dogs are bad” realization, Kitty and Bunny still ended up together because they were always meant to.

[thesoulbound]

Having spent a few days in Sherwood with Will to try and get some of her sanity back and rekindled their relationship. Alice felt a little more refreshed when they came back to Marians place the night before, leaving Will in bed as she got up to start her chores.

Greeting some of the other girls as she collected the washing, when she had cleaned the blankets and started hanging them to dry. Alice felt dread in the pit of her stomach as Muriel's voice rang out from the doorway "There you are! Thought you could avoid me forever? Get here now!"

Glancing in the direction of the field Alice debated about running, but knew it would only make it worse if she did so taking a deep breath she faced her cousin and winced when the older woman grabbed her ear and pulled it hard. "I wasn't avoiding you, I wasn't well" As expect Alice's reasons fell on deaf ears and only hurt hers more.

It had been nice to spend the day in Sherwood. Alice needed - and deserved, more peace and quiet than she was getting anywhere. They didn't do much more than wandering about, picking berries, flirt and other things, but they eventually had to return to Marian's when night fell.

He was used to waking up alone and expected it since Alice had work to do. He usually wouldn't sleep long either. He had started to spend the mornings drawing plans for things he could make and sometimes start on others. Usually Robin would offer help if and when he could.

It was when he had a need to check on Alice he found her in time to see Muriel tug her by the ear. "Lay off her!" he more or less shouldered the older woman in the side. Nothing too hard, but enough that she'd let go. "Are you talking to a toddler or an adult?" Will asked, fuming, but holding back.

[goodomens-hints]

Episode 2 plot summary

Episode 2 list of scenes

SPOILER WARNING SPOILER GOOD OMEN SPOILERS BELOW!!!!!

Scene 1: The ep starts with a flashback to 2500 BC. Crowley is getting ready to destroy goats using fireballs when Aziraphale appears and tells him not to. Crowley tells him he has a permit, which is basically a really long scroll, and he explains to Aziraphale that he’s doing this because God has a bet with Satan on how Job will still remain true even if he were suffering. He has to destroy everything Job has. Aziraphale is disturbed by this. Crowley rains down fireballs on the goats.

Scene 2: Aziraphale is in heaven, examining a copy of the “permit” with Muriel. Longhair!Gabriel shows up and pretty much reaffirms what Crowley said. He tells Aziraphale not to worry because Job’s going to get everything back anyway, and that he’ll have 7 “new” children. Aziraphale is upset because that means the 3 original children will still die.

Scene 3: Crowley pretends to be a shoemaker as he talks to Job and his wife to ask where their children are.

Scene 4: Flash forward to the present. Aziraphale is trying to read but Gabriel keeps interrupting him (this is the already posted scene where Gabriel asks ‘what comes after K?’). When Aziraphale tells Gabriel to make a noise whenever he moves, Gabriel eventually starts dusting the bookshelves and singing “Everyday”. Aziraphale asks where he learned that song but Gabriel doesn’t know.

Scene 5: Crowley is sleeping in his car, parked in a sidestreet not in Soho, and is woken up by Shax knocking on his door. Shax teleports into the passenger seat of his car and tells him Gabriel is missing and that a huge energy signature (they have a specific term for it) was detected at Aziraphale’s bookshop. Crowley feigns ignorance and jokes to Shax that it might’ve been him (Crowley) who did it.

Scene 6: Aziraphale visits Maggie’s record shop. He asks Maggie if she’s familiar with the song Every day (he sings a bit of it). She’s crying again, this time because she worked up the nerve to give Nina a record only to find out that Nina has a girlfriend. She then explains to Aziraphale what the song is and gives him a record – apparently she’s been getting a lot of copies of the Every day record from The Resurrectionist in Edinburgh because every record there transforms into Every day. Aziraphale asks her if she senses something big and she says no. Panicked, Aziraphale runs back to the bookshop just in time for Michael, Uriel and Seroquel to arrive. Gabriel greets them (as Jim) and they notice him…. But they don’t recognize him as Gabriel. Aziraphale realizes the miracle worked.

The angels interrogate Aziraphale and asked why there was a huge blast of energy from his bookshop. Aziraphale is flustered and (looking at the record Maggie gave him) lies on the spot, saying it’s because he was trying to get Maggie and Nina to fall in love. They ask “well, did they?” Aziraphale says he doesn’t know yet. The angels say they’ll send down someone to verify that it worked and then leave. Throughout this scene, Gabriel is getting their attention and at some point Michael notes that he seems familiar. The angels leave.

Scene 7: Aziraphale and Crowley meet at the pub. Crowley is surprised Aziraphale asked him to meet there and Aziraphale explains that they can’t meet at the coffee shop now either. While Crowley is getting their drinks, a man (Mr. Brown) from the shopkeeper’s association ambushes Aziraphale and tells him he has to host their annual party (the ball, basically) in a few days. Mr. Brown leaves and Aziraphale is all “this is why I don’t like going to pubs” lol. He and Crowley exchange updates about the Gabriel issue. Aziraphale tells Crowley they now need to get Nina and Maggie to get together because heaven’s gonna send someone to check if it’s true. Crowley says they should get them to huddle “under an awning” in the rain and Aziraphale’s all mm nah that won’t work. Aziraphale asks if Crowley knows Jane Austen and Crowley said she used to do all sorts of crimes etc and Aziraphale is weirded out and is all “No?? She writes books!” which Crowley is surprised to hear about. Aziraphale explains that Jane Austen always included balls in her books and that they should do that.

Aziraphale tells Crowley about Gabriel singing every day, and he keeps calling it “a clue!!” to which Crowley always looks irritated lmao. They walk to the bookshop and Crowley interrogates Gabriel, asking him what the earliest thing he can remember is.

Suddenly Gabriel gets purple eyes for a few seconds and starts reciting a quote (something about humans). He goes back to ‘Jim’ mode right after and says his head’s not big enough for these things, and slinks away.

Crowley and Aziraphale exchange glances because they remember him saying the same thing back in Job’s era….

Scene 8: Flashback to Crowley entering the house where Job’s kids are. Aziraphale blocks him off, trying to convince him not to kill them. He tells Crowley “you don’t want to kill kids!” and Crowley is all “I do want to kill these kids just like how I killed those goats”. Aziraphale says he knew Crowley as an angel and Crowley says “I’m not that angel anymore.” Aziraphale gives up and Crowley prepares to cross the room. All of a sudden the crows around them start bleating. Aziraphale smiles and miracles them back into goats. Crowley gets embarrassed.

They go meet the kids. The eldest is played by David Tennant’s son LOL who flirts with Aziraphale by saying he thought there’d be a different angel while he strokes the front of Aziraphale’s robe??? That’s when Crowley says “He seems nice” LMAO. After Aziraphale fails to explain to the kids properly what’s going on, Crowley starts lighting things on fire. The kids get scared as the house starts to burn. There’s a storm raging outside and Crowley teleports everyone to the basement.

Aziraphale calls out Crowley’s bluff again, saying Crowley meant to hide the kids and not kill them. Crowley turns the kids into lizards and hides them in a little pot.  

Scene 9: The storm is still raging outside and Crowley and Aziraphale are in the basement. Aziraphale questions Crowley about the goats and asks whose side he’s on and Crowley says “my side”. Aziraphale says “that sounds terribly lonely” but Crowley insists it isn’t. Crowley starts drinking wine and Aziraphale looks disgusted, asking why Crowley is drinking human wine. Crowley offers him some and he refuses, looking grossed out. Crowley then picks up some pork ribs and asks Aziraphale if he wants to try those instead since he won’t get drunk off them. Aziraphale is hesitant, and accuses Crowley of trying to tempt him, but tries the pork rib and immediately gets addicted to them, eating non-stop.

Scene 10: When the storm clears Aziraphale and Crowley find Job kneeling under a light, with God speaking to him. Job is asking questions but God just keeps saying nonsense like “do you know who gave the peacocks their feathers, Job?”

Scene 11: Job returns to his house and his wife asks what God said. Job says he didn’t really understand much but that God was talking about whales a lot and stuff lol. His wife asks what happened to their children and that’s when Gabriel and the angels appear. Gabriel looks incredibly proud of himself when he tells Job that because Job never lost his faith in God, he will now get everything back, but twice as much. Aziraphale arrives late and joins the angels. Job asks about his children and Gabriel says he’s going to give Job 7 new ones. Job collapses on his knees saying he wants his original children and his wife is about to curse God when Crowley interrupts and re-introduces himself as the shoemaker from before. Gabriel asks Aziraphale who Crowley is and Aziraphale says he’s a shoemaker lmao. Crowley says he also happens to be an obstetrician and that he can help Job’s wife have her new 7 kids.

Job and his wife are confused, the angels are just as confused, and Michael asks how Job’s wife is supposed to have 7 kids. Crowley mentions that Gabriel would know how humans reproduce seeing as he was there in the Garden of Eden when Eve was created. Gabriel smugly agrees, so Crowley says kind of like how Eve was made, all he has to do is take 3 of Job’s ribs.

Job and his wife are still confused as hell but Crowley whispers to them to play along. Job’s wife “pulls” 3 ribs out of Job’s stomach, and using a miracle Crowley snaps his fingers and the 3 children reappear (he’d put the pot with the lizards on the ground behind Job and his wife lol). Michael asks why the children are fully grown and Gabriel points out that Eve was fully grown too.

But the angels are suspicious because Job calls his son by his “original son’s” name (despite his wife hushing him) and Gabriel asks Aziraphale if the children are the original ones or the new ones. Aziraphale lies, saying the children are Job’s new ones. Gabriel is satisfied with this.

Scene 12: We flashforward to the present. Aziraphale notices that Crowley is gone and Gabriel tells him Crowley left while he was thinking.

Scene 13: Crowley is walking by the coffee shop and sees Nina. He asks if Nina is interested in Maggie but Nina says “no, I barely know her”. Crowley asks if she would find it romantic if she were huddled under an ‘awning’ with someone in the rain LMAO. Nina is weirded out by his question and he walks away, heading for the Bentley. Aziraphale is there and Crowley asks what he’s doing. That’s when Aziraphale says that he’s going to go to Scotland to investigate The Resurrectionist. Crowley says “what… you’re taking the train?” and Aziraphale says he’s taking ‘our car’. Crowley gets pissed saying “It’s MY car” and Aziraphale says technically it’s HIS bookshop but it services them both, therefore Crowley’s car is also his car. Besides, Aziraphale got his license 90 years ago even though he didn’t have to! Crowley is to stay at the bookshop to watch over Gabriel. Crowley groans.

Scene 14: Flashback to Job era, with Aziraphale sitting on a rock overlooking the sea. He’s crying and Crowley approaches. Aziraphale says he figured Crowley would be the one to do it and asks if he’s going to take him to hell. Crowley laughs at this and says no, because Aziraphale wouldn’t like it there. Aziraphale is surprised because he lied to God and is now a ‘fallen angel’. He doesn’t know what he is anymore after what he did. Crowley comforts him and says “you’re an angel who sides with Heaven as far as he can go”, and Aziraphale says it feels very lonely. He tells Crowley “but you said you weren’t lonely”. Crowley says “I lied.”

END EPISODE

[stackofpossums]

Could I get a Hc for how the M6 would react to finding out Mc's past is worse than they thought? Like finding the shop is the point their life goes from awful to okay to eventually great. Before then? You can leave it as vague as you'd like.

(I have an Mc who was an executioner/pet similar but different from Muriels executioner/gladiator role being Their scars are from the person in charge and all their opponents were never given a chance. Another Mc who tried to live up to others expectations for him. Eventually forced to leave his home or die at 10 because his sister tried to murder him for a power he didn't even want. My third Mc who had abusive parents and learned from a passing by sparrow that they need to run away to save themselves.

What if before the shop Mc's life was actually horrible? So like to the point they never told anyone, not even Asra. Only telling stories about after they had moved to the shop to live with their aunt.)

I just finished a big assignment so Mc who has a dark past let's go:

Asra: He already knew MC past was dark and was kind of glad they didn't have to remember that when they lost their memories. Then they got their memory back. And oh. OH. He never knew it was this bad. At first, he's a little upset that MC never felt safe enough to confide in him. He quickly realizes, "No, it wasn't him." He's grateful MC chose to confide in him now, and he's going to do everything in his power to support them. He'll hold them and comfort them while they talk if MC is comfortable with that. The salamander has already lit the stove so he can brew some calming tea. Therapy has been scheduled. He is fully committed to helping MC heal as much as possible, mostly out of love, but there's a tiny part of him that feels guilty for not knowing sooner.

Julian: He thought he had it bad. He didn't know it could be this bad. He may be a doctor, but... for quite possibly the first time in his life, he knows he isn't qualified to fix this. He's gonna set MC up with the best mental health care. Until then, he's going to attempt to theraptize them himself. He encourages MC to talk not only about their past but also about how it made them feel, how they're feeling now, what challenges they are having, and anything and everything else they want to share. He's going to respond with hella words of affirmation, making sure MC knows how much he cares about them and that their safe now.

Nadia: Patiently listens to MC's story, no matter how gruesome the details are. She'll hold them tightly when it becomes too much for them to bear. There are no words to describe the hurt she feels for them to her very core. Afterward, she is setting them up with the best mental health support money can buy. Only the best therapists, medications, if MC wants to try them, or anything else. Anything MC thinks will help them is theirs. No expense is too great for her beloved MC. She's pretty venengeful, though. It'll be tough to convince her not to make the lives of anyone who's made MC suffer hell. She'll relent eventually, though, because she's knows if MC doesn't want that, it won't be helpful.

Muriel: Out everyone here, he understands it the most. It's a little hard for him to listen sometimes because he remembers times in his life where he felt just as hopeless as MC. He's here for MC, though, and makes it his mission to make sure MC NEVER feels that way again. He shares the techniques he's found for dealing with trauma, as well as helps MC find what works for them. He pushes them to keep going when he notices they are struggling. He comforts them when it's too much. He celebrates with them for every challenge they overcome, no matter how "small." It's the least he can do for them after everything they've done for him.

Portia: When MC first opens up about their past, their a bit afraid they're going to get squeezed to death by Portia's hugs. She's the other LI mostly likey to try to go after the people's who hurt her precious MC, she solves problems with fists flying. But that's okay. She's sneaky. She's going to make sure anyone who hurt MC wakes up to a fun surprise. Other than that, MC can always count on Portia for a listening ear. She will comfort MC through any story they need to tell and wants to help them find closure however she can.

Lucio: Oh. Oh no. No one gets to hurt his MC. No one. Who shall he defeat in battle for you? That won't help? Oh... well... what can he do? Lucio would do ANYTHING to make things better for MC. Just say the word. Hugs, he's here. No hugs? That's fine, too. He's here to listen. He knows a thing or two about unpleasant pasts. But you have each other now. MC has had his back despite everything he's done. It would be criminal not to do the same.

[paperstarwriters]

(A little drabble I wrote directly into the tumblr post system lol)

I don't think Muriel has more than one plate in his house.

I can't help but imagine that he did once. That Asra had their own plate he carved with a clumsy little star in the center or something, but when Asra spent more time at MC's shop, they took with them a handful of their favorite things, which included the plate but excluded Muriel.

And so, he's had nothing but a single plate in his hut. A single plate and a single cup. Inanna drinks water from a bucket or runs down to a nearby river to get her fill.

I don't think Muriel ever really gets a second plate—or at least he waits a long time before he does.

When you move in with him, he's ashamed of the absence at first, that he didn't have anything for you to use, but you just grin, and propose you share the plate for now.

When you said for now, you offered to go buy your own plate at the store. When you said for now, Muriel offered to carve your own plate for you. It takes a little discussing, but you concede to Muriel's offer, and he sets out to carve your plate for you. Not before you eat your current meal of course.

It's a small meal. Nothing too astounding, but when it's piled as two servings on one plate, Muriel can't help but feel like it's too much. Like he's hoarding food, taking so much more than he should.

He tries to eat less. Tries to count the entire meal together. one for me, two for you, one for me, three for you. But all it takes is for you to cling to the spoon you had passed between the both of you, and use it to feed him to make him forget the count entirely.

You lean into his space, and coax his mouth open, your eyes on his, dropping to his lips, as you offer the spoon to him. He complies. Easily. Helplessly. He complies, and accepts the food you offer him earning a pleased smile on your own lips.

Still holding onto that very same spoon, you feed yourself a bite.

And perhaps it's because you had been passing it between you earlier, or that he was simply more preoccupied with counting the number of bites he took, but somehow, watching you eat with the same spoon he used seems more intimate than it should be.

You feed him another bite, and then another, and another, and Muriel has to scramble for the spoon before you pull it back down to the plate, before you feed him all that's there.

this time, he has the chance to feed you. He offers the spoon up to your lips and finds himself almost mirroring your mouth as it opens wide to take the spoon, too wide perhaps, and though Muriel can't manage to tear away his eyes from your mouth, he can't help but feel like you're teasing him.

And when you finally accept your bite of food, the pleased hum, is terrifyingly close to a moan. Again, he finds you grinning, radiant and bright, and he has to give up the spoon to you before he ends up conceding to your wishes even more.

Only, when you take the spoon, you don't take a bite for yourself. Once more, you're just back to feeding Muriel.

And it continues like that. Feeding each other as you steal the food from the others' fingertips to get the chance to feed each other. You grow so used to it, that even in other settings, where you each have your own plate, your own spoon and your own fork, you can't help but fall into the habit of feeding each other bites from your own plates.

I imagine that eventually, Muriel would have to finish carving a second plate. To use when one of you is sick so that you don't end up spreading your illness to the other, but even then you still find yourselves feeding each other. It's obvious for the healthy to feed the ill, but sometimes if he's sick, he feeds you a bite or two of your own food careful not to cough or sneeze on your plate, but happy and eager to be able to feed you if only a little. He treats it like a kiss sometimes. Even if he didn't use the spoon himself, it reminds him of the many times you shared a spoon and a plate.

Even with this second plate however, you're often sharing just one, and still sharing the same spoon, feeding each other bites of the meal as you chat and talk or simply sit and bask in each other's company.

Sometimes you sit on his lap while you eat, facing him with the plate of food on the side, so you can feed him and so he can feed you. It always leaves him flustered, but it also helps him to eat more as he can never really manage to remember how much he's eating when he's this embarrassed about you in his lap.

Idk just a thought.

[fox-daddy]

More stolen memes as the arcana

Warning: One or two smut references

Mc: sipping on the hierophant’s wine*

Lucio: stop sipping so loudly!

Nadia: leave that little guy alone!

Lucio: the fuck you gonna do if I don't?!

Nadia: pulls out sword*

Lucio: ah, ahhh, AHHHHH!!!

~~~

Julian: holding a curly furred kitten* is this a cat... or a sheep?

Asra: a sh-at

Nadia: Don't call it that, please

Asra: A SHIT-TEN!

~~~

Lucio: if you think I'm rude you should hear the little voice in my head

~~~

Nadia @ Lucio: I touch myself whenever I think about you. More specifically, I rub my temples because I get a headache, because you're awful.

~~~

MC: I think some of you need to eat a slice of cheesecake and listen to ambient rain noises for ten hours

Muriel: I never once had a slice of cheesecake in my life and always thought it was something that only existed in that one place Asra visited once

Julian: I almost want to study you

Valdemar: may I offer a lab?

MC: why would he need a dog?

~~~

MC @ lucio: their is something deeply, fundamentally wrong with you. Can we kiss?

~~~

*table full of containers of brightly coloured neon glitter*

MC: I wanna stick my hand in it, but no I do not

Asra: Something in me wants to flip this entire table

~~~

Asra @ Lucio; I've met some pricks in my time but you are the entire fucking cactus.

~~~

Julian: haha, ok, I imagined some dragons, now what?

Julian: do I have to become radioactive next?

~~~

MC: do you have any regrets?

Muriel: Absolutely, thanks for asking. *proceeds to leave before MC can ask any follow up questions*

~~~

Lucio: people run from rain but sit in bathtubs full of water

Nadia: Wow, Lucio so profound. Do you also bathe fully clothed? 'isn't it funny that a person will eat when they're hungry but will duck if you throw an apple at their face'

~~~

mc: referring to things in real life as canon is so funny to me

Julian: Oh fuck, I hope what I did last night wasn't canon

~~~

Julian: I'm so tired I could eat a horse

Lucio: I identity as a horse and this offends me!

Julian: well I identify as offends and this horses me

Asra: I offend horses, identify me.

Nadia: I think the real question here is why would you eat a horse if you were tired?

~~~

Julian: I did a lot of things and half of those things will in fact be my downfall eventually

~~~

MC: it is pitch black outside and someone is mowing their lawn!

Muriel: power move?

MC: Update, that someone was Asra

Nadia: does he have a lantern?

MC: shouting out the back window* Asra do you have a lantern?!

Asra: shouting back* no!

MC: shouting back* how can you see?!

Asra: shouting back* moonlight!

~~~

Vulgora: people with interests are disgusting

MC: what about hobbies?

Vulgora: are you personally enjoying it?

MC: Quite a bit, actually

Vulgora: Gross

~~~

Asra: how many toes do you have?

Julian: you mean in my mouth or-?

Asra: blocked, have a horrible day

~~~

Asra: people are always like ‘are you a morning person or a night person?’ and I’m just like, buddy I’m barely even a person

~~~

MC: what's a gender neutral word you could use for your spouse? wusband? hife?? wifesband??

MC:...

MC: I may be stupid

Nadia: this is just like looking for your glasses when their on your head

~~~

Asra @ himself: tiny little dragons, in tiny little wagons, drinking little beers form their tiny little flagons.

  ~~~

Portia: when you scratch a cat’s chin and they lift their head up

MC: when you scratch a cat’s cheek and they lean their head into your hand

Portia: when you put your hand in front of your cat’s face and they gently headbutt

MC: When your cat runs just a little bit faster to get to you

Portia: almost crying from cuteness* cats

~~~

Asra: girls can be handsome, it’s all about vibes.

Nadia: similarly boys can be pretty. ‘Handsome’ and ‘pretty’ aren’t gendered adjectives and I will fight someone on this

MC: Handsome in the statue sort of way and pretty in the starry sky sort of way. Or handsome in the jawline sort of way and pretty in the eyelashes sort of way. If you asked me to define these I couldn’t but the vibes are there

Asra: YES! EXACTLY!

~~~

Asra: I can’t believe you don’t want bofa

MC:....

MC: probably going to regret this, but, what’s bofa?

Asra: bofa my arms wrapped around you in a loving hug

~~~

Julian: why not make your own foot scrub?

Lucio: one feet are pretty hard to make and two don’t call me scrub ever again

Julian: rebooting*

Julian: wait what?

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

Could I get hc for where the M6 find MC badly injured?. Not like on deaths door but like they'll need a strict week of bedrest to recover.

How they would react to finding MC?, how they would react knowing someone out there hurt MC on purpose? and how they would spend the week looking after MC?.

Mainly curious for Asra/Nadia and Muriel but all the m6 would be appreciated.

The Arcana HCs: When M6 find MC badly injured

~ @fox-daddy oh, I hope you're ready for some bittersweet angst while I run with this classic romantic moment :3 hope you enjoy these, friend! - brainrot ~

CW for brief descriptions of violence, physical pain/injury, and the M6 being very, very upset

-- to set the scene --

You had spent the afternoon in the forest gathering more stock for the shop, and lost track of time in the process. By the time you were ready to leave the sun was already setting and it was getting harder to see where you were going.

The first sign you had of an attacker was the feeling of being slammed harder than you thought possible on the back of the head. Everything that followed was fuzzy - being hit a few more times around your torso and face, a figure with its face hidden, and eventually being thrown against a wall while your bag was yanked away.

You don't know when you fell asleep, but when you open your eyes, you're back in your shop with your beloved bending over you.

Julian

His hands are steady on your bruises, but when you meet his eyes you can hear his breaths and see the curls around his face shaking

"MC?" He asks worriedly, "Can you tell me where it hurts?"

He doesn't leave the house while you're recovering. He's grateful for any help Mazelinka, Portia, Nadia, or Asra offers, but he insists on treating you himself and does so with total care and devotion

It's one of the moments when you're grateful for his cold hands, because they're so soothing on your tender skin

As you recover enough to be more aware of your surroundings, you start to realize just how the incident is affecting him

You can hear him pacing and muttering and swearing when he thinks you're asleep, trying to figure out how this happened and who did it and how to bring your attacker to justice

And at the same time, you know that no matter how many times he apologizes for not being there and you tell him that it's not his fault, he's going to blame himself

At one point Mazelinka gives you both bowls of soup laced with sleeping medicine

When he's able to forget your attacker, though, he's in his element

He's willing and able to give you everything you need: healing, company, laughter, love, and devotion, all without limits

Though he's very relieved when Nazali catches the assailant lurking outside your shop as they bring their apprentice more supplies and knocks them to the ground

Asra

The first thing you see is their hair twice as fluffed out as usual because they've been running their hands through it

As soon as he sees you're awake, he's gently skimming a thumb across your cheek and putting on a strained smile. "Oh, my love. Everything's going to be alright."

Salim and Julian, who have both studied medicine, are already in the shop helping Asra heal you while Aisha keeps you comfortable

As soon as you're recovered enough, Asra's offering you all kinds of safety options after layering the building in protective magic

Would you feel safer in the Palace? In the woods? In Nopal? Say the word and they'll take you anywhere you want to go

Is very gentle and cautious about how he asks you what happened

Stays so extremely calm and unruffled while you're healing that you know they're feeling some pretty awful things and that they have no intention of letting any of them show until you're better

Behind the scenes, he's stealing away whenever you're asleep to pass all the information he has about your attacker on to Nadia, who is determined to bring them to justice

They're not the type to try to restrict you in the name of safety, but they're teaching you every kind of defense magic they know

Nobody does comfort like Asra does. You won't have to go through a moment of pain or fear without him right there to pull you into his arms and hold you as long as you need him to to feel safe

Nadia

She's putting on a brave face but you can tell from the wrinkle between her eyebrows that she's very, very shaken

"Don't fret, my darling, you're safe now. Don't move. I've summoned our best physicians. Is there anything you desire? Anything I may fetch for you?"

As soon as you're cleared to move she's relocating you to the Palace where she can keep you safe and stay by your side

She is so dedicated to staying available to you, in fact, that she moves all of her meetings into the room next to yours so that she can hear you if you so much as cough

And if she does hear you in any kind of discomfort, she's dropping everything and rushing over

She'll move your head to her lap, bring food and water to your mouth, call for blankets and soup or ice cream and fans depending on your temperature, and trace your face with her fingertips until you fall asleep or force her to go back to work

You are her absolute priority

She's not going to tell you until later, but she is very, very angry

The cold kind of angry, that makes it difficult for her to be fair in her dealings. She has every connection both in and out of Vesuvia on a manhunt for your attacker

As soon as she hears that they've been apprehended, she has them detained until you're recovered enough to get out of bed

She wants justice, but she wants closure for you too, and the opportunity for you to obtain both for yourself

Muriel

As triggered and panicked as he is, Muriel has unfortunately gotten enough combat experience to have in-depth knowledge of how to care for someone who's been attacked

When you open your eyes, his expression is shifting between angry and terrified and deeply, deeply hurt, but his touch is gentle and safe and feather-light and he has water and painkillers already out

He doesn't want to overwhelm you with noise so he won't start talking until you do

He'll lock up the shop and carry you back to the hut as soon as possible, where he knows it's safe for you and for him

He's used to living with his own pain, but now he's becoming angry on your behalf and it's making him conflicted because he hates doing anything that could cause violence

So he sends Inanna with a note to Asra, explaining what happened briefly and asking them to pass the message on to Nadia so they can help

The two of them are quick to send everything you could need your way, and Muriel finds it much easier to accept help when it's for you instead of for him

Julian even makes the trek out once or twice to help you, and in the process tells everyone he meets about what happened and the state you're in

With the whole town on the hunt for whoever hurt their heroes, it's a matter of days before the attacker is caught. It's a miracle they make it to jail in one piece

Portia

The first thing you see are her tear-filled eyes, and the second thing you feel (after the aches across your body) are the steady drip of them falling onto your chest

"MC! Oh, I'm so glad you're awake. I'm so sorry - I'm so sorry!"

It's only a few more minutes before Julian and Mazelinka burst through the door, Julian carrying his doctor's kit and Mazelinka brandishing an honest-to-arcana pirate cutlass

Portia doesn't hide her determination to get justice for you as she carries you into Nadia's carriage to take you back to her cottage

She's holding your head and torso in her arms, helping you give Nadia a description of what happened while she presses her handkerchief to her eyes to keep her tears from dripping on you

She's the best nurse you could ask for

Whatever you can stomach, she'll cook it. If you're too hot, she's throwing open the windows and fanning you. If you're too cold, she's snuggling next to you and sharing her body heat

And if you're scared or hurting, she's cradling your face in her hands and crying all her tears for you. She develops a habit of kissing you right next to each injury every morning and night

When you're asleep, she's talking to every person she knows (which is a lot) and recruiting them to catch your attacker

By the time Nadia hears that they were found, it's almost too late to get them safely into custody

Lucio

His lips are white. All the blood has left his face, and his jaw is clenched so tightly to keep from chattering that you're worried it's going to crack

"MC? MC, are you awake? Does it hurt? What do you need?"

You notice that he's keeping his metal arm angled far, far away from you, where the metal can't bump any of your injuries, and his regular hand is fluttering all over your body like he's scared that he'll make it worse if he touches you

You quickly notice that there's several neighbors in the shop as well, and you learn that Lucio was so loud when he called for help that half the town already knows what's happened

He doesn't want to hurt you, so he guards you instead

He stays watchful at your bedside, sword resting by his hand, so that you know you're safe enough to fall asleep and heal

He'll only sleep if it's on the floor next to you, or in the same bed after you've told him multiple times that it won't hurt you

He'll happily tell you all kinds of tall tales to keep you distracted, and he practices all the patience he's developed with every friend and doctor that stops by to help instead of blowing up at them out of fear

All his anger has to go somewhere, though, so when an old connection from the heart district tells him that your attacker's been spotted, well

The only reason he doesn't kill them is because he thinks it would be too kind

[snobgoblin]

from this

please I'm curious to know more

*promping you to talk about it*

OH!!! okok. ok, not to say the endings are necessarily bad- both of them were very emotional the first time. but I don't find myself replaying them a lot because there's nothing to latch onto- with Julian's route especially I find myself thinking about the implications of everything that happened a lot and really running with it- and I do think the endings are fine in that they answer questions about the worldbuilding (what happens if you kill an Arcana and don't replace them? storms and monsters apparently. how does the world function without magic? they start building weapons and everyone just generally feels more unsafe. stuff like that it's like yeah that's interesting) BUT I do have ideas on how to really *elevate* those routes and make them a "god I can't stop thinking about this" thing that really plays into their fatal flaw

>Muriel's was an obvious choice I feel like. at times, his self isolation borders on self harm (there are definitely implications he doesn't fully want to be alone *all* the time) and I feel like the worst thing you could do for his reversed end, is make him go back on his progress. it was so nice seeing him open up! it was nice seeing him want to be remembered! take it away from him. it would be SO easy to make him regress- he killed Lucio! he swore he wouldn't spill blood again and then he did, that would confirm his worst fears, in his mind, that he's a monster, that he's the reason the world has gone to shit, that he let everyone down. so, he gets his curse back. he finds a way. he takes away Asra's myrrh. he disappears, ignoring as you and Asra begged him not to (he explained what he was doing beforehand, it's not like you would remember it anyway and he needed the closure) and he disappears into the forest again, and this time, nobody ran after him. occasionally, Asra or the player may smell myrrh and briefly remember him, but it's always fleeting and they get this unexplainable sense of loss after the feeling is gone. Muriel is left in his hut, with Asra's knicknacks there, remembering how this used to be a home for his best friend, too. thinking about how he doesn't deserve a best friend, he'll just end up hurting them. he'll just hurt the mc. that's all he ever does- this mindset is in no way helped by Vesuvia confirming his fears and driving him away for killing Lucio initially, when the world started to break (though he never could have predicted the consequences of that)

BUT eventually after a few years of introspection, and many many failed attempts he does return to Vesuvia, if for no other reason than like... having zero news on his friends drives him crazy. and even if he thinks he doesn't deserve them, he wants to be around to protect them. if all he's good for is killing, at least it will be monsters worse than he is, and they won't have to fend for themselves anymore. SO he ends up giving Asra and the player myrrh and when their memories return they're half-scolding-half-crying-from-joy that he even came back, but overall they're eager to make up for lost time and hopefully, get him to open up again. but it won't be easy

>for Portia it's a little more difficult to pin down a fatal flaw imo... maybe that she's manipulative but that's not her personality that's literally just her trying to save her brother- and the reversed meaning of The Star wasn't giving me any sparks either, particularly, so I thought it would be cool if Tasya ended up living, and Portia got the life she always dreamed of. she doesn't have to work anymore! but she starts to become corrupt. she starts to become exactly the kind of person she despised working as a servant. she uses her money to say, buy endangered pets. something that would appall Mazelinka for obvious reasons but that would also appall younger Portia- I bring this example up specifically because I feel like Portia has the potential to become very impulsive and at times she lets her feelings get the best of her. a natural progression of this is her becoming more and more impulsive with her money- oh she thinks the seals are cute. now she owns them. oh now she needs a servant to care for them because they're too much work. so she ends up putting someone in exactly the position she was in at the palace, taking care of Lucio's menagerie. butttt this is the one I'm the least confident in. I don't love it if I'm honest- I think there's something more creative you could do with Portia and im not sure what that is? like yeah I think Portia has the potential to become corrupt but ultimately she's so kind at heart that it would be out of character for her to be terribly cruel- or, talking it out maybe her fatal flaw is that she runs herself ragged. maybe you could do something with that, have her snap, idfk- I do like the idea of Portia getting to live out the life she never got in some way, and I do think it would be bittersweet for Tasya to sort of replace Lishka with Portia

THE MURIEL ONE is the one I like here. anyway

[codename-adler]

i don’t know what anything means anymore and i’m barely out of my third re-watch of the s2 finale. however. i know for a fact that the last shot of Aziraphale on Earth–when the Metatron announces to him that their next project is going to be the Second Coming–is not about the angel looking one last time at Crowley to confirm he was right to choose Heaven. the way Michael Sheen played it… his eyes… no. Crowley is there waiting for Aziraphale to choose him, one last hope, and Aziraphale does.

HE CHOOSES CROWLEY AND I KNOW IT.

as soon as Metatron reveals Heaven’s upcoming plans, Aziraphale knows shit’s about to hit the fan just like in s1. you can see the panic in his eyes. and when he looks back at Crowley? he understands everything. and despite knowing Crowley is still there because he’s waiting for Aziraphale to wake the fuck up, he has to deceive him. he resigns himself to look like the bad guy in his demon’s eyes, he resigns himself to hurt him in the worst way possible, just so he can take on the sacrifice alone. just so he can undo whatever Heaven is planning without anyone knowing whose side he really is on. anyone, including Crowley. in a fraction of a second, Aziraphale realizes how misplaced his trust in Metatron and Heaven was, realizes how right Crowley was, and how toxic the relationship he’s just put himself back in is. he realizes all this, and yet.

and yet. he’s the only angel up for the job. because he’s the only true angel left. (except maybe for Muriel. who he lets run his bookshop. on Earth. with Crowley. coincidence? i think not.) Aziraphale is the only angel who has never lost his unconditional love, his goodness, his angelic instinct to protect; Her love, Her goodness. that is his strength. his own brand of courage.

so in that split second when Aziraphale looks back at Crowley, it’s not to hurt him. it’s not to reassure himself. it’s not to drive his point home. it’s for two things.

one, to give himself strength. Aziraphale’s strength, as i’ve said, is his love, and what, who, could possibly contain more of his love than Crowley himself? You were right, I was wrong, I’m sorry, I love you, I’m doing this for you, for us, for them. that’s what the look means.

two, to warn Crowley. does his demon necessarily understand the look, the warning? no. his ‘exactly’ isn’t the same as Crowley’s ‘exactly’, we know that. but Aziraphale is a hopeless hopeful. he trusts that Crowley will get it eventually. you watch Aziraphale, you can feel him trying to pour every alarm bell possible into his gaze as he sends Crowley his last look. You were right, I was wrong, shitstorm’s coming and everyday it’s getting closer, hang on and hang tight my dear Crowley. that’s what the look means.

so i have no hecking clue what s3 has in store for us. i have wishes, many many wishes. fears, too. many many fears. but i am quite certain that Aziraphale has got our backs, and Crowley’s. he’s not going into this blind. he’s got his eyes quite wide open. a demon showed him that. and he’s got a few more tricks up his sleeve. he showed us that.

he has faith in Crowley. he has faith in humanity. in us. let’s have a bit of faith in him in return, shall we?