Today I wanna share my picture with the wonderful Nina Sosanya and Maggie Service from Proud Nerd Con.
These two ladies really are amazing. I'm hoping very much to see them again in Season 3.
1. Sober up and get rid of hangover
2. Ponder on how ridiculous this is
3. Get drunk again because I can't deal with this sober
I thought they were off to Alpha Centauri. Living that sweet life we will never have...
Well, it seems things don't always work out for other people, too.
Obviously. But let's rewind to last night and try to sort this all out.
"I was going to mysteriously appear in your car", Beelzebub said, "but somehow I can't get in anymore."
Oh.
"Also, when I tried to miracle myself in, the car suddenly turned yellow. Like some kind of defense mechanism."
OH!
"Things have changed, Beelzebub. You have to be invited in. And I'm certainly not go... gonna do that."
"Well, that's all right." They take a step closer. "We can just talk here."
"And I certainly don't want to talk."
"I brought booze."
My eyes shift between the empty bottle I'm holding and the full bottle in their hands.
Sigh.
I throw the empty bottle into the Thames (Yes, I should litter, I'm a demon after all. And maybe some hermit crab can build a home in it. Or some little fish family. Oh, lookey here, it's Nemo and the guys.)
Beelzebub passes the full bottle to me. It's obviously not miracled out of Hell, it's good old Earth stuff.
Mhm. Smells like it, too. And I just remembered that Nemo is a saltwater fish.
And so are hermit crabs.
I take a deep sip. Well, obviously not fish, but well.. you know.
"I heard about Aziraphale," Beelzebub looks at me with a sympathetic gaze and suddenly I feel the need to throw up. "I'm sorry, things didn't work out."
Bloody Heaven! I'm not going to talk to them about Aziraphale. It's bad enough with Maggie and Nina trying to get me to talk about Aziraphale, but Beelzebub? Really?
This is one of the few times I'm actually speechless, but being a fellow demon, Beelzebub should fully well be able to read my death glare.
They do. "Well, that's all right. Gabriel and I broke up, too, and I don't want to talk about it either."
They WHAT? They thwarted both Heaven and Hell for their love and now they fall out of it after barely three months?
Lucky for the both of us, Beelzebub freezes the bottle in mid air before it smashes on the ground. They grab it, take a big sip and pass it back to me.
We stand in silence, staring at the river. All is quiet, except for the city noises in the background, the sound of the water and the occasional burp from one of us as we devour the alcohol.
I know, I'm gonna regret this. I'm gonna regret this big time.
"So", I ask, turning to Beelzebub. "What exactly happened?"
~*~
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Ngk. You've been a very very bad phone. I consider myself disappointed.
Be grateful that you are not a plant.
Phone, delete contact "Aziraphale"!
…. and apparently, she wants to bribe me with liquor-filled chocolates to come back to Hell. I’m not going back, but first I puncture the chocolates with a pen to drink all the liquor. Oh, and did I mention I’m small? (the puncturing and drinking thingie wouldn’t work too well if I was my usual size).
“Stop deluding yourself, Crowley. Deep inside, you already know that Aziraphale left for one reason only. You are a demon and you will never be good enough for him.” Shax tilts her head to the side in one of those familiar bird-demon gestures and watches me intently with one eye. “How does that make you feel, Crowley? Hurt? Angry? Will you let an angel treat you this way? Break you and cast you away like a used toy?”
I clench the pen and ram into the next piece of chocolate like a tiny lance. This is ridiculous. She doesn’t know the least thing about my angel. However delusional Aziraphale may be for believing he can make a difference in Heaven, deep down his intentions are good. He never wanted to hurt me.
“You gave up everything just to be with him, and you’ve risked everything, even your own destruction. And at the first grasp of power – he’s gone!”
No. No, no, no, no! This isn’t about power. Aziraphale doesn’t care about power at all. He wants to change the system from within. He wants to turn Heaven into the place of light, he always believed it’s meant to be.
But in this belief, there’s no place for a demon. There would have been a place for the angel I was, but I can no longer be that angel.
Shax’ eyes glitter. “I’m not offering you a job, Crowley, I’m offering you a chance at revenge. Rise from the ashes and use that burning fury inside you against the one who wronged you. Unite with me and strike him down on the battlefield in the Great War to come.”
Revenge? Burning fury? I almost choke on the burning whiskey running down my throat. Course, I understand where this is going, she wants to me to direct my anger against Aziraphale. She wants me to become the big bad demon in shiny black armour raining fire and destruction in his unquenchable thirst for vengeance.
Bloody Heaven, I can almost picture this. Aziraphale and me having a face-off in the midst of battle. He’s probably wearing something silvery-white and carrying – I don’t know – some flaming sword or lancea-longini-spear-of-destiny-thingie. And then we’d look into each other’s eyes and stab each other very dramatically with Heaven and Hell watching. And maybe, just maybe, we’d die even more dramatically in each other’s arms with white and black wings entwined.
There’s only one little mistake in this scenario, we did this whole silver knight - dark knight scenario a thousand years ago in King Arthur’s Court and it hasn’t become any less pathetic since then. And second – a crank handle isn’t really made for stabbing. Or fighting in wars for that matter.
“Sorry, Shax.” I’m back to normal size now, sitting in my usual seat behind the wheel. “Nice career option, just not seeing myself there. Anyway, thanks for the booze and tell Hastur, I said ‘hi’”.
She looks at me incredulously. “This choice will have consequences. If you stand aside like a coward, you will be crushed like one.”
“There are always consequences.” I shrug. “But it’s not cowardice, although you probably don’t believe me.”
“What is it, then?” She eyes me suspiciously.
“I just don’t feel it, Shax. All this silly power play for rank and influence and who-get’s-the-biggest-throne-and-the-shiniest-medal. I know, we demons are supposed to live for this, but I just don’t care. And, you know, that eternal-fiend-thing with the angels? Don’t feel that either.”
“Earth has made you weak.” She shakes her head. “All of us will assemble and take our positions in the last stand. Like on a chess board. If you don’t take yours, you will be totally insignificant in the game to come. And my offer was better than anything you could've hoped to achieve. You could’ve been my Second-in-Command, once I sit on Beelzebub’s old throne.”
She can’t know that she’s already the second person to offer me a position like that. The third, actually, if you count “The United States of Beelzebub”.
No.
No Heaven for me. No Hell for me. I’m done.
“I’m perfectly fine with being insignificant.” I want to add more, but she’s already vanished.
Anyway, I’m keeping the coffee. Or in my case, the liquor.
~*~
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On brûlera toutes les deux En enfer, mon ange J'ai prévu nos adieux À la Terre, mon ange Et je veux partir avec toi Je veux mourir dans tes bras
Que la mer nous mange le corps, ah Que le sel nous lave le cœur, ah Je t'aimerai encore Je t'aimerai encore Oh, je t'aimerai encore Je t'aimerai encore
~*~
Song by Pomme
Video by Wanou
1. Lovely, clever human people inventing cars, and motorways... and audiobooks.
2. Actually met Marie Corelli because downstairs was very interested in her soul. Needless to say, she thwarted me pretty much the same way her character Mavis did with Lucio/Satan. Also, needless to say, Satan in the book took the rejection much better than sulky old me. Never met Goethe though, his soul was always too sure a thing.
3. An angel I used to know got the book recommended by some Irish bloke we both used to know - Oscar - I believe. Wrote books, too, and they threw him in prison for no other reason than having a boyfriend... People, *shakes head* I will never get the hang of you.
Anyhow, said angel was head over heels for the book and went on for hours how the heroine is a clever, free-spirited, and creative author while Goethe's Gretchen is the typical two-dimensional saint-harlot that male authors used to write back in the days.
4. 'm a Demon! *snorts* I might have lied.
So, last time I showed you the amazing Crowleys, now we move on to the beautiful Aziraphales at Proud Nerd Con.
Well, I don't know about the Crowleys of other people's headcanons, but as for me, I'm never setting foot in that bookshop again.
What should I do in a place where he isn't, but everything reminds me of him? Torture myself on purpose? Get Muriel into even more trouble with Heaven so their superiors kick them out and he looses the bookshop for good?
And besides... walking back into a place where I just made a very dramatic exit from - nah, not really my style. So, no bookshop for me.
I've been hanging out in my car ever since the shop was entrusted to Muriel, and Hell still refuses to give me back my flat.
And my Bentley doesn't even remotely look like a beach. It's not gonna start being yellow again.
Fascinating that the fandom has basically torn itself apart about Aziraphale…what are his intentions? his motivations? did he do the right thing in going back? what’s he planning? …but everyone just somehow agreed that Crowley’s one job in s3 is to hang out in the bookshop until Aziraphale gets back…basically his s3 job is Beach.
Good. So, there's at least one universe that has a happily-ever-after in store for us. Congrats to you, other me!
I will read your entries, while I drive around in my Bentley missing my angel who has gone up to Heaven and whom I probably will never see again.
Wait... reading and driving at the same time might not be the best of ideas...
I’d like to announce that after many, many years of courtship, I have participated in the very human (and quite romantic) act of marriage.
It was even better than Jane Austen presented.
My book boxes found a new home it seems...
Passing by the bookshop, I can see the new shelf standing near the door. It's nice and full now, ready and waiting.
Have to remember to get new books as it starts to empty out. But I suppose, it'll be a while. People rarely want to buy books, they prefer to walk through the isles, look at them and leave. Stuff's online these days anyway.
I can see Muriel move around, adding something to the shelf, but I can't see what it is from the outside. They're sitting back down at the desk doing something that involves cutting und glueing paper, and also drawing and painting on it with different pens und brushes. Then they get up, go to the shelf again, add something and move back to the desk. This is repeated a couple of times.
They're so busy, so joyfully immersed in their work. I can almost feel the enthusiasm, and I can certainly see that little spring in their step. It reminds me of an angel I know, and - bloody Heavens - did I just smile? Did I actually smile?
Funny old world, is it?
The last time I smiled, was a little more than half a year ago. In this very same spot. Looking through the very same window, into this very same bookshop.
The day my summer ended.
The very last day that I saw my angel.
~*~
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Muriel -
These boxes in front of the door contain books of classic literature the University gave away. They are not first editions like the ones Aziraphale has, but some of them are quite old.
You can put them in a shelf at the front of the bookstore to distract customers. So if you get very persistent costumers who really want to buy a book, you can sell one of these. Then the customers won't go for Aziraphale's books.
Try it out, it might make your daily business a little easier.
(There is no signature on the note, but someone drew a little snake on it...)
*Muriel struggles to put together a bookshelf from someplace called IKEA. It is so different from the original bookshelves in the bookshop.*
*Shelving the books that were dropped at the door.*
The Picture of Dorian Gray, To Kill A Mockingbird, Ulysses, The Odyssey, Metamorphoses, The Great Gatsby, The Works of William Shakespeare……the list goes on, the bookshelf filled.
Muriel places a little miracle on the bookshelf so that customers would be drawn to it. To look for their purchases there.
They went to the back of the bookshop, digging through the back room until they found the bucket they were looking for.
They smile as they begin decorating the bookshelf.
Hi Maggie, please tell Muriel to come over to the record shop, so that I need to say this only once: Stop trying to talk to me, the both of you. Stop sending me notes, stop trying to call me, just stop doing anything about me. I am not your friend and never will be.
There, you have it. Nice and short.
The only problem is, if I put it like that, Maggie will probably cry and Nina will give me her angry face again. And Muriel will look at me with those big brown eyes and think it’s their fault. And perhaps cry, too.
Enough! No more crying. I’m sick of blowing my nose all the time. It gets all red and blotchy. Why do noses always have to run when you cry! Major design flaw if you ask me. But I forgot, you are not asking, @the-almighty-god. You’re just playing your ineffable game. Next time, please play Dungeons & Dragons with us. At least that one has uhm…. dungeons and dragons and elves and Bags of Holding in it. I would quite like a Bag of Holding, then I could’ve kept all of my plants when Hell kicked me out of my flat.
Okay, next try: Hi Maggie and Muriel. I can’t be your friend because I don’t do friendships. Bye.
That one’s so short, I could actually write it on a card. Maybe I should, then I don’t have to talk to them. But Nina was very specific about this one. If you don’t want friends, you have to tell people to go away and you have to do it in person. Writing will not do, texting will not do, and simply going away until they forget about you will not do either. That one least of all.
Nina says, the truth is painful, but at least they’ll have a clean cut and they can start to heal. They can’t when I just leave them hanging. No closure.
Hi Maggie and Muriel. I don’t want to be your friend because I’m scared. Scared that I’ll get hurt when I open up to someone. Scared that you’ll get hurt, when Heaven and Hell start doing their thing again and we all get caught in the crossfire.
No, by ‘the truth’ I didn’t mean ‘that much truth’.
Just the clean cut. The one we never got to have. First, I walked out, then he walked away. We never sorted anything out. Did he leave because he chose Heaven over me? Did he leave because he chose Heaven for me? Did we break up? How can we break up if we aren’t even together? Are we still friends, or is everything over for good?
What does he want with Heaven? Does he truly believe, he can make a difference? Was it just an excuse to get away? Why did he kiss me back and then told me, he forgives me? Did he even listen to anything I said?
Why suddenly dance with me at the ball when he refused to dance with me back in 1941 when I asked him to? Why does he want me to be an angel again? Am I not okay for him the way I am? Does he even want to be “an us”, or did he at least want it before everything went down the drain? Does he still think about me as he is up there, doing God knows what?
Is he thinking of me right now? Perhaps this very moment?
I slam on the brakes and let the Bentley spin to the right, so the car behind me passes by without hitting me. The driver yells something rude, but I’m not listening to him. My mind is full of questions and I can’t answer a single one of them.
No closure. No clean cut. Just pain.
I can’t heal because I’m left hanging. I can’t move on with my life because I don’t know what’s there to move on to and what there isn't. Is he still a part of this life or is he gone for good?
I’m on hold. I’m on hold like a human on a phone who doesn’t know if they should hang up or if they should wait for the conversation to continue. When Beelzebub came to talk to me about Gabriel, I understood immediately what was going on with them. Why can I not understand what is going on with us?
Again Nina’s words: “But then, other people’s love lives always seem so much more straightforward than our own.”
I start the Bentley’s engine again, but before I can bring my foot down, I freeze.
“Hello, traitor.”
No literal freezing. Just a jumpscare.
“I was going to pull you down to my new office, as it seems befitting for my new position. But you’re so miserable already, I didn’t want to drag you out of your safe space. Besides, Hell doesn’t need to know about our little talk, do they?”
~*~
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@aziraphalesdiaries @muriel-not-the-dim-one
Good Omens fanstuff, mostly Crowley's PoV. Post Season 2. Mild content warnings for swearing, misuse of alcohol and angst.
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