caldella

[caldella]

me, incorrect: everyone is probably sick of me drawing this character by now...

my inner voice, wise: ah, but this cannot be... because I am part of "everyone"... and until I am sick of drawing them... it will not be everyone

me, opening a new blank canvas: ur so right

[caldella]

Once I figure out how to undoom him from the narrative the wedding is back on is stolitz and it goes both ways

[caldella]

There were a lot of theories made about the penguin short, but my take of it was, "Blitzø let himself become comfortable making Stolas happy in ways he hasn't with anyone else, and he's terrified to express that. It's too much of an emotional vulnerability, and since he's now convinced he's lost Stolas, he's questioning himself too much as well." Verosika insulted his refusal to go down on her in Ozzie's, but there are multiple hints/references in the show that Blitzø has and enjoys doing it for Stolas. It's hinted in Harvest Moon and pretty much explicitly stated in Full Moon. There's also been a theory of "He's gotten away with being shit at it because Stolas is inexperienced and doesn't know better," but in "When I See Him" Blitzø literally says, "Then I'll do that thing with my tongue where--" and goes off on a diatribe of the techniques he's looking forward to; he knew what got a response out of Stolas at that point and was looking forward to them.

By the time we hit Full Moon, Blitzø not only knows what Stolas likes and responds to but is eagerly looking forward to doing it. And yeah IMO that would 100% include aftercare.

Blitz taking care of Stolas after the trial gave me such "he has probably done some of these things for Stolas before as aftercare" vibes. Like it seemed so natural to him, or maybe practiced? Like he'd taken care of him before.

[caldella]

IDK the other artists but Sidney Gale did the cleanup animation and color for Stolas on this scene. Love being able to give credit to the people behind the magic.

animation so good it pissed me off.

[caldella]

This this this.

Viv and Brandon and crew keeping this one intentionally quiet was the best decision they could've made.

i'm literally still not over the duet btw and i will never be over the duet, like i cannot tell you how absolutely SHOCKED i was when blitz started singing. the full moon duet had been REALLY built up by the time it happened, but i feel like i was totally blindsighted with this one. blitz softly started "what have you done?" and i nearly fell out of my chair

[caldella]

Another post-Mastermind crack headcanon

RE: Vassago

I'm seeing some people think maybe Vassago is Andre's ex, but I have another crack theory.

Let's say that Vassago is about the same age as Stolas, as I get that vibe. We've been shown that he's energetic and interested in doing things 'the right way.' And he clearly loves 'fun' things like music, and dancing, and even floats around on a fucking star shape. His name on merchandise is stylized like a pirate treasure map. Let's take a small assumption that Vassago grew up less isolated than Stolas and was part of “Goetia society” earlier than him. Like Stolas, he doesn't really gel with the haughty, holier-than-thou attitude parts of their culture. I'm also guessing that, a little like Stolas, he can feel out of place in it.

We know that once Stolas got his grimoire, he was meant to learn his role and join Goetian society as well. Let's assume he was in his teens when he was really thrust into the thick of it. Vassago has been participating in the 'grown up Goetia' society for a while, learning his role but also finding it disappointing. Stifling, so boring. Then this young prince shows up, nervous and socially awkward but so eager. He wants to participate, he wants to be part of things. And he's interesting! He knows all these random facts. He has books about pirates! Vassago loves pirate stories! Apparently Stolas' very first friend did, too, so he knows all about them! Stolas likes song and music, and he has dramatic feelings, and stars:

🌟His whole thing is stars! 🌟

Vassago wants to know this guy. There is so much potential! Maybe Vassago has a little crush, or maybe Stolas is an estranged half-brother or cousin he wants to know better. But Stolas is also engaged to Stella, who's Andre's sister. Ugh, Andre. Vassago knew that Andre was a pompous bullshitter from day one. His social circles are definitely not Vassago's, so unfortunately Vassago doesn't get to know Stolas extremely well, but he tries. He does see Stolas' enthusiasm dull under the pressure of Goetian society, and he doesn't like that it makes the owl prince more withdrawn.

Then Stolas gets married.

He still shows up to events when required, but nothing more. Even when he's there, it's like he's not. He does his roles, then he stands in a corner, sipping wine until it's time to leave. He acts like all the interesting parts of him never existed. No emotions, no info dumps, no theatrics, no song. The only time he sparks back up is if someone asks about his kid – he could go on for hours about her. Vassago doesn't know completely why Stolas has become like this, but he has a feeling that Stella and Andre have had some hand in it. He's miffed about that, but he's not close enough to Stolas to inquire into it. Stella and Andre's social circles continue to grow ("ugh" again), and Prince Stolas becomes more of a stranger as his wife and brother-in-law's popularity grows.

A couple decades in, and you hear Stolas might actually be getting a divorce. A Goetia? Getting a divorce? Unheard of, a surprise since he's never said much to anyone, but Vassago doesn't like Stella or Andre, so fine. Good for him.

Then Andre calls up an insane trial out of the blue that is supposedly about Stolas, for Stolas' sake, yet Stolas isn't there. What?! Vassago's not dumb. Something's fucky. He can tell Andre's bullshitting to some amount. But as usual no one cares. Everyone's eager to listen to their side and get this imp beheading over with. Until Stolas himself portals in, with his star magic and the most dramatic theater-kid-energy anyone's seen from him in almost twenty years, and declares that he is going to clarify this entire mess:

🎵🌟THROUGH SONG🌟🎵

"YES!"

(Edited to remove info that isn't correct as Vassago is likely also a prince. And really, this could also work if Stolas is older, and Vassago saw him as an interesting figure to look up to who suddenly became withdrawn.)

[caldella]

Having Loona offer something for Stolas to wear was an amazing touch. I've seen people wondering if she would struggle or resent if/when Blitzø started being very invested in Stolas, and here we see she doesn't. With how much she struggles to show her feelings, this is as close to telling Blitzø 'I understand he is now part of the family' as she could possibly get. Like she might still struggle at some point because having someone she doesn't know in their home is going to be weird, and I think Stolas' problems are going to test things, but she understands.

(Also I keep hearing that she gave the sweater she had when she was adopted, but this doesn't appear to be the one in her adoption pic, so if someone could clarify that I'd be thankful.)

Blitz and Loona's father-daughter relationship just became more closer than ever in this episode. It's just what I've been waiting for.

[caldella]

IMO the feathers definitely represented Blitzø's fear of abandonment. I'm not the first to have that take obviously. It shouldn't be missed that it's Stolas, not Blitzø, who walks right through them in Mastermind. His self-sacrifice metaphorically steps through Blitzø's fear and proves that Stolas would never abandon him. So the weight of that fear goes away - it never touches Blitzø on the way, just floats past harmlessly and fades to nothing, and Blitzø is able to completely commit to his feelings. By the time the 'You're my light/You're my heart" lines happen, the feathers are gone.

You know what’s really interesting about the visual imagery in this scene?

It heavily reminds me of another scene… another scene where we see Blitzo in chains, surrounded by golden glowing feathers…

The PARALLELS between these two scenes

Where the golden feathers before are used to suffocate him, they are too much for him to fight off, they are a source of fear and being overwhelmed with it all- and now they represent the lightness of love, of freedom, they are soft and weightless rather than heavy and suffocating.

And the chains, representing at first Blitzo feeling like he was trapped by Stolas and unequally tethered to him - but now being a visual of Blitzo’s fight to reach him, to be with him.

I’ll keep saying it, Mastermind was a Masterpiece

[caldella]

How much do you think it means to Blitzo that we started with him feeling chained up by Stolas

To Stolas quite literally rescuing him and freeing him from chains

[caldella]

The love of his life is desperately screaming his name in his last moments, and this is the last time he thinks he will ever see Blitzø, and if you need me I will be flailing my arms because words don't convey my emotions

I BEG YOUR PARDON!?

[caldella]

“I’ll shelter and adore you more than anything.”

[caldella]

I feel like at minimum being able to use the word 'Love' openly about the other one is a pretty important step that they should have. It doesn't have to be a literal 'I love you,' but 'love' needs to be in there. Not because they need to recognize their own feelings anymore (which happened already during Mastermind), but because both of them need to hear it from each other. They both used the word in Mastermind, but that was implied to be non-diagetic: both feeling it but not actually speaking/singing it so anyone else can hear.

Blitzø now understands that Stolas really loves him, but Stolas is also going to be going through a lot of shit directly because he saved Blitzø. Blitzø is only recently coming out of his 'I make everyone's lives worse' spiral, and this is going to test it even if he doesn't express it. At some point, Blitzø deserves to hear that, yes, Stolas still loves him, even after everything.

On the opposite hand, Stolas is still uncertain of Blitzø's feelings. Blitzø was careful and gentle with him coming out of the trial. That was needed but also kept him from expressing how deep his feelings are and how absolutely destroyed he would've been if this bird had actually died. Stolas knows Blitzø cares enough to worry, and he knows Blitzø is grateful for being saved. But Via is probably the only one who has ever said the word 'love' to him ever, and we know that is going to be ripped apart for probably quite a while. Stolas doesn't currently expect actual love from anyone else ever again, even Blitzø. He will assume that level of emotion is one-sided on his end until he literally hears otherwise.

I love you

Recently I got into a bit of an argument over. I thought they should say it while the other person believed it was not needed since they had shown it. Now I am curious what everyone else thinks.

[caldella]

Helluva Boss Mastermind as textoposts part 42/?

[Parts 1-40] / 41 / 42

[caldella]

3 weeks later and Loona and Stolas accidentally walk into each other in the kitchen at 3AM, both having crept out to scarf down mice as a nighttime snack

This is fantastic yes I love this

Stolas, trying to be helpful after Blitzø took him in: “Blitz! I brought something to make for lunch!”

Blitz, blinking: “…Who the fuck eats mice??”

[caldella]

Luci would be a Stolitz shipper is such a good headcanon

Lucifer wasn't there in the most recent Helluva Boss episode because the conflict would be over as soon as Stolas showed up.

Stolas would be like 'yeah i love this guy and i'd rather die than let him take the fall for me'

And Blitz would be like 'oh shit no don't.'

And Luci would just be tearing up because all he's hearing is 'Hi I forsook my power to help and be with this person I love who rejects the status quo and is working to be more than what he was born for'

So Lucifer would interput being like 'Yeah, no. They're both guilty yeah but I say no punishment because I ship them'

And Bee and ozzie would be like 'hell yeah Luci mvp'

[caldella]

ily: I love you

ilysm: I love you so much

waitmfaftiiwrbdtllwybmssiikyaiatm: why am I throwing my freedom away for this idiot?! I would rather be dead than live life without you by my side, so if it keeps you alive... I am the Mastermind!

[caldella]

Post-Mastermind hot take/possible crack headcanon:

Long read, sorry.

Given Helluva Boss' way of taking scenes and using the same motif but flipped in a future episode, this will not be the last time Stolas uses a public song to protect Blitzø.

Blitzø is becoming famous now, and popular. Imps love him. He's made history. It's strongly implied that this situation is going to start a wave of imps/lower class Hellborn finally feeling like they can push back a bit against oppression. Stolas helped plant that seed but by making himself look horrible. At some point, this is likely going to take on a larger form and be more of an uprising.

The biggest problem for Blitzø in all this? He has Stolas.

Stolas, the exiled prince. Stolas, who just made himself into a condescending villain on Hell-wide TV. Stolas, who all of Hell hates, both upper- and lowerclass.

We know Stolas is going to struggle with being cut off from Via, probably being forcibly cut off by her directly in Sinmas. We know he's going to struggle to believe that Blitzø actually really loves him and isn't taking care of him as some obligation for being saved. Stolas is going to feel like a burden for so long, but there will eventually come a point where he understands that Blitzø really, genuinely loves him. There will also be a point where he better understands the biases and microaggressions he himself has been guilty of, too. He will see how much he did not understand before. And on the other side of all this, we know Blitzø will not abandon Stolas. He will be publically, openly vocal about how much he cares at some point. He's mouthy and protective by nature. This is his birb, he is so fucking proud to have him, and you can pry him from Blitzø's cold dead fingers if you want to touch him.

The public won't like that.

Blitzø can and probably canonically will risk losing everything all over again, this time by having Stolas by his side. This is the asshole ex-prince who insulted him on TV, declared that Blitzø had no autonomy and couldn't hope to. Why is Blitzø, the charistmatic imp leading this new independent mindset, refusing to dump the Goetia that used and insulted him? Stolas shouldn't be here. Where have Blitzø's morals gone? Has he fallen back into the royal-serving box he so strongly voiced an opinion against?

So...how to keep Blitzø from getting the crowd to turn against him?

Stolas sings again. But the narrative is flipped.

'Yes, as all of you in Hell are aware, I was a thoughtless asshole who viewed imps as nothings only capable of following orders. But this one, this man has changed my perspective. His boldness has served as such an inspiration that I, too, have been irrevocably changed. I have been so very blind! He was right from the start! And if the rest of Hell will listen to him as I have, then we all can make things better just as he's tried to do his entire life!'

Stolas plays a role again, now as the remorseful villain who has seen the err of his ways. But the role is only half a lie. Blitzø has saved him, Blitzø has changed his perspective on Hell's hierarchy and Stolas' unintentional role in maintaining it. Not in the way the public thinks, but in a way the two of them understand together.

Instead of saving Blitzø by minimizing his importance, Stolas saves Blitzø by openly amplifying it. He gets to declare his love for Blitzø, and Blitzø gets to be the hero who can convert even the highest of the high or the most irrevocable asshole to his cause.

Thank you for reading my crack headcanon. We will check back in the end of S3 or S4 to see how wrong I am.