The Final Fifteen - Tumblr Posts
Not to mention if you pay attention at the gif of Gabriel and Beelzebub, you see that Gabriel's hand goes out into Beelzebub's already extended hand, which I think is a parallel, with Crowley always being there for Aziraphale- Or what if it's like the Beginning, when Angel Crowley put their wing over Aziraphale and then Aziraphale doing the same a little bit later?
This, this fucking image...
It drives me insane, just activates something visceral, and I finally realized why. It's not just an appropriately placed close up shot to denote intimacy between Gabriel and Beelzebub, it's a fuck damn pov shot.
Gabriel is not dressed in accordance to his preferences, he is borrowing Aziraphale's clothes. And Beezlebub, well lets just say a black blazer is a black blazer, not exactly the easiest thing in the world to differentiate. Just looking at those hands joining, the individual identities of their owners melts away. The moment could have so easily belonged to Aziraphale and Crowley... and it's just- it's... it's just like the Rats of Nimh. They've seen this sign everyday for almost their whole lives, and have never once known what it says. They can make inferences, use context clues, wherever they are, it seems to be too so it must be about them, but they couldn't ever know for sure. Until one day, without warning, they looked at the words, and understood them.
And the sign communicated a way out.
Aziraphale and Crowley are the first of their kind. I don't think we really appreciate or understand how utterly unfathomable what they feel for each other is in their lived contexts, even to them. All this painful fear, all these lengths they go to, all to keep safe this precious experience they don't even have the language to name. It's not just unallowed, it's unreal. So then just imagine what the actual fuck they must be feeling when they see someone else... just fucking do it. Just like that. An angel and a demon. In love. Intimate, affectionate, in front of heaven, in front of hell, in front of humanity, in front of GOD, and She knows who the hell else.
For literally the first time, they’re seeing the things they feel for each other exist in others like them.
Reference under the cut
Reupload because (and please don't make fun of me) I finally learned to make straight lines x'D
You know, I would say Season 2 is quiet and gentle and romantic. Until the Final Fifteen. And then somehow Season 1, the season with actual Armageddon, is the more lighthearted of the group.
YES. JUST YES. LIKE OHHH MY GOD?!
It has me like "Did...did we watch the same show?? Did we WATCH THE SAME FINAL FIFTEEN??!"
We literally watch how they interact and we watch Aziraphale fall in love with Crowley in real time- AAAAGES AGO TIMELINE WISE!!
(This isn't the very first example, but I like this GIF best)
We that Crowley had put his foot down during the Job episode and told Aziraphale "The angel you knew is not me.."
Aziraphale does not want Crowley to go back with him to Heaven because "he only loves him as an angel". That's incredibly incorrect. How I see it, he wants Crowley to go back with him to Heaven because he knows he'll be in charge and he knows he can do EVERYTHING in his power to make it good for Crowley. A place where Crowley belongs. He wants to see him smile again and that look of whimsy and delight in his eyes.
He NEEDS Crowley by his side because they ARE a DUO! He feels he can't do it without him! He knows they both have issues with how heaven is run, and he feels that the two of them together can make a difference!
It wouldn't matter if anyone thought Aziraphale was a sorry excuse for an angel, because Crowley would always see him as the best out of all of them. It wouldn't matter if anyone thought Crowley was out of line for asking questions, because Aziraphale would listen to every single idea he had.
I think Aziraphales' only crime is just having ignorant, rigid perceptions of heaven, hell, sin, etc... as a whole. But that's literally what everyone told him constantly and that's what everyone around him thinks- so it's a little tough to shake those ideas.
Think about it like this: If you spend your whole existence trudging around barefoot in mud, it'll take a while for you to scrub it all off. Even then, they'll still be some gunk underneath your toenails.
So let's let Aziraphale BREATH! PLEEEASEEE! AAAHHHHH!
If I see one more person mischaracterize Aziraphale I'll lose it "Oh he doesn't want Crowley he wants the angel" "Oh he never loved Crowley" "He only loves Crowley if he's an angel" SHUT UP SHUT UPPPPPP NO HE DOESN'T SHUT UPPP
Okay This Might Be Stupid: A Comparison of Adam Young and Aziraphale for Clarity Sake
Now I don't mean a comparison of their characters to say one was better than the others. It's more so a comparison of their personal relationships with Heaven and Hell. A comparison of how those relationships/connections formed their most impactful decisions with incredibly powerful beings.
Now...lets start with Adam Young and his relationship with Hell.
...crickets
It doesn't exist. Adam Young had literally no relation to hell other than Satan being his biological father. He had his friends and his family and Hogback Woods. Nobody in Hell really came up to talk to him and Adam didn't KNOW he was the son of Satan either until he started coming into his power OR until the devil showed up.
Adam Young has no connection to hell aside from Biology, and Hell has no connection to him. Of course he was able to stand up to his Father and Heaven and Hell and his own Destiny.
Because he's so brave- I love Adam so much
Aziraphale and Crowleys talk with him gave him a bit more confidence
HELL HAS NO HOLD ON HIM
They couldn't sway him even if he wanted to. Beelzebub TRIED sure offering to him that he'd get to rule the world. But he didn't want it anymore. He was able to break away from what was written and make his own Destiny.
Now...Aziraphale and Heaven.
Heaven has so much hold on Aziraphale- it's something else.
Emotionally, Physically, Mentally- Heaven is his foundation and fundamentals. They fed him the most rigid and incorrect ideas and lies and when he starts breaking from the mold they reprimand and belittle him until he's back into the shape they want him in.
They can watch him whenever they want. They already watch his miracles and got upset for having too many "frivolous" ones. They can pick and choose whatever they wish to do to/with him. He knew NOTHING of Jobs trials until the day it happened and the acted as though he was an idiot for not understanding.
HEAVEN has a hold on Aziraphale. Oh they have the strongest hold on Aziraphale- millions of years in the making. So strong that we can see the indent lines from their cold callous fists in Aziraphales words and ideals throughout history.
So of course the Metatron could come down, manipulate Aziraphale, and get EXACTLY what he wanted for him. OF COURSE it's that easy for them to do.
When it's said Aziraphale had no choice- we don't mean the Metaton tied him down or beat his ass and screamed "GO TO HEAVEN! NOW!"
It means his going to Heaven was NEVER a choice to begin with. The Metatron did not come down from HEAVEN to ask a yes or no question. He wasn't gonna leave without a souvenir- the tartan wearing Angel made of the clay heaven can mold however they like.
Oftentimes when a parent asks you to do something- it is not a question. It is a statement- an order- formed as a question for MAYBE the sake of politeness. But there is no NO option.
When the METATRON comes down from Heaven and offered you the position of Supreme Archangel so perfectly and carefully gift wrapped and catered towards you there is no NO option. There is no version of that conversation where Aziraphale would have said no.
So...can we stop calling Aziraphale an idiot or an asshole or something for doing what was set in stone the moment the Metatron walked into the bookshop.
TOODLEOO!