obaewankenope:guardian-of-soho:krakensdottir:aethelflaedladyofmercia:ambular-d:sherlxdestiel:Crowley
obaewankenope:guardian-of-soho:krakensdottir:aethelflaedladyofmercia:ambular-d:sherlxdestiel:Crowley!Aziraphale[s01 e06]omg his eyes!This should have been such an obvious tip-off. No smile, barely any detectible emotion at all, but once you know what’s going on you can just see him looking around in that last gif and remembering the last time he was there.(Which is particularly impressive, considering the fire hadn’t yet been shot at the time this scene was filmed.)It makes him touching the stack of books meaningful, too (second GIF). We wouldn’t think twice about Aziraphale touching his own books, but Crowley? Anthony J’Im-Not-A-Book-Person Crowley?It’s not quite a loving/affectionate touch, but he’s still making sure it’s real. Sort of grounding himself. This is Aziraphale’s home, but Crowley’s too, by extension - a place he’s comfortable, at ease, a place he can be himself.He’s also very clearly scanning for threats. Something Aziraphale rarely if ever thinks to do, but for Crowley it’s second nature. It’s why he stands still with only his eyes moving, checking for surprises, ambush points, signs of intrusion. It’s actually one of the few times we see Crowley deadly serious: neither goofing off, nor lovestruck, panicking or otherwise being tangled up in his emotions. This is Crowley in hardcore Evil-doesn’t-sleep watch-your-back-at-all-times Hell-trained-me-well trust-no-one survival mode. And Michael Sheen REALLY nails it.EMPATHIC ACTING.it’s very predator behaviour too. to pause, survey, take in, analyse, before you move. if a predator is out in the open, somewhere it doesn’t know, they’re slow, they’re careful, they’re alert. i mean, look at cats. they slink, they sneak, they freeze, ears pricking, eyes everywhere, pupils wide for all that light. it’s all about being able to take in the environment and know if there’s a threat out there.the way crowaphale moves slowly and carefully is also typical of a predator in a space that’s different but also familiar. like when you bring your cat (again with cats, kat) back from the vet for a check-up. a lot of the time, they don’t leave the carrier, and even when they do, it’s either to bolt for somewhere they know is extra safe, or they slink out, carefully. because to rush is to risk yourself.this is what crowley is always like too, even when he’s being silly or goofy or lovestruck. he’s still watchful, still alert, in a way that only people who are hypervigilant tend to be. that watchfulness is what keeps you alive.and in the bookshop. it’s the same space but it’s also new and it was gone, gone, gone. now it’s back and of course it’s territory crowley can’t trust even though he wants to. we know he wants to. because the bookshop being back means that aziraphale was never in danger of dying a permanent death. but it’s obviously not the case. those books adam adds prove that. it is different. it did happen.crowley’s watchful, predatory awareness, is necessary. it will keep them both alive.and then it sees him captured before aziraphale, dragged off and it’s part of the plan, it is, he needs to remember that. but that doesn’t make it easier to bear. to be a predator forced to play the prey. -- source link