#ITS ONLY USED BY EDGY TEENS.

[fluxedbuds]

Whos your favorite oc tell us abiut your funny charactersss

you cant just make a man choose between his kids like this i love them all!!!!!! if you have one you're interested in off my artfight i'd be happy to talk abt them

I guess Seam is probably the one I've put the most work into currently. years of refining to create the ultimate specimen

yes they look like this. and yes they are a serial killer. its fine they're nicies now (lie)(but also true)

[sleepyconfusedpotato]

Do Ghost and Jade's kids don't know about their careers (or in Jade's case, former career)? Cause the comic you made of Andrew seeing Ghost in the middle of the night sorta implies they don't know about their parents' military background.

HMMM HM HM Good catch right there 👀👀

So this is also a part of what I've been thinking inside the Riley family after they have kids.

- I feel like the kids would definitely know about Simon's career as a soldier. BUT, as they are still in their early teens, I'd imagine that Andrew, Gracie, and later Orion know that their dad is a soldier, but that's the extent of their knowledge. They do know about Simon's nickname "Ghost", but they don't know how Simon operates inside the Task Force, they're not aware that their dad is an officer of one of the most elite and dangerous task force in the world. As far as they know, their dad only has edgy hobbies that involves black outfits and skull/skeleton themed. Heck, they even made fun of his preferences in outfits.

- But dear God, they never saw him in a full-on combat gear, in the dark of the night.

- Ghost is an officer, so day by day, he'd left the house with open face, and only wears the mask inside the car. After work day, he'd take off the mask before entering the house. If he's too tired, he'd try to sneak in in the deep of the night without making a sound. He'd sworn to himself that 'Ghost' will never enter his family and children's house/lives. They do not need trouble and his dangerous line of work to enter the one thing he cherishes the most.

- However, once you have kids, you can't hide anything forever. They'll find out by themselves (in this case, Andrew is entering his puberty and needs some midnight munchies). Simon and Lottie knows this, so they already have everything figured out. What would Andrew's reaction be, what would Gracie's reaction be, what would Orion's reaction be. They've discussed what they'd reveal, and what they'd still keep a secret, again, until they're old enough to know. They tread VERY carefully about it.

- About their mother though, that's a whole different story. After their marriage, Jade has strictly commited to be a mother for her kids, and opened a branch of The Garden in Herefordshire. She's an ✨ entrepreneur ✨. She's not that active to be called into deployment as before she had kids. If she's used to be 60% florist and 40% TF141 ally, after she had kids she'd be 98% Mum and Florist, and 2% TF141 Ally. Her kids literally only knows her as a florist, and that's it. Up until their late teens, Andrew, Gracie, and Orion would have no clue nor idea about her past with MI6. She didn't lie, she's just holding the truth until they're big enough to understand.

- In fact, Ghost BEGGED and asked Jade to not be active inside the TF141 or any conflicts anymore, considering Ghost would be deployed a lot (and how he's promoted to Captain and above), he'd want his wife to be with her kids. Jade herself also agreed, but she also told Ghost to not die and do stupid stuff. Even though married and less involved in the TF141 business, her resolve stayed the same. If he's missing, she'd pick up the guns in a heartbeat.

- Now, back to the kids. I'd imagine that because of how eventful each of Simon and Lottie's lives are, it sort of like become a game to the family. Each birthdays of the kids, Simon has established a "3 Question" rule game, where the kids can ask their parents anything about their lives. From Andrew and Orion, it's usually trivial and simple stuffs like "What's the naughtiest things you've ever done" "What's your favorite bla bla bla". HOWEVER, with Gracie, its always "What's your favourite mission?" "What's the worst condition of a dead body you've ever find?" "Who's the most difficult bad man you've ever encountered?" "Where is he now?"

- Ghost and Jade would answer with only two sentences. Looking at each other for approval. Gracie is most definitely Simon's daughter with that line of questioning. BUT, again, with every birthdays, and with their increasing age and they become more mature, they'll reveal everything bit after bit.

- By the time they finally know everything about their parents, they'd be in college years, probably, and Simon would no longer be the Ghost (he might be one of the higher ranked officer at this point), and Lottie would be completely out of the Task Force 141 game, becoming a regular civilian. Still, it'd be a legendary story to tell.

WOOHOO I kinda yapped a bit there, but hope that answer your question!

[maxknightley]

What's your process for coming up with character concepts and powersets for eidolon? I've been putting together one myself after absolutely adoring poprock and especially Harvey and it seems like you'd have an interesting perspective on it

I usually start by choosing a well-established archetype, or an existing character who I like, to model the character on.

Once that archetype is established, I think about a suitable eidolon name and concept for them.

Having established the broad strokes of the eidolon and the wielder, I work to create a fresh spin on the concept. Over the course of the campaign, I differentiate them further over time.

Some examples, keeping in mind that my memory of the older ones isn't going to be 100% accurate.

Harvey D. Godlove (ROCK)

Okay, ROCK is going to be the campaign that leans more Jojo and less Persona. The Virtuoso playbook seems interesting... Hol Horse and Mista are both basically Virtuosos. I'll draw on that - make a ranged attacker who's kind of a dumbass.

Just making the Eidolon "a gun" would be kind of boring, though. I'd like to use an OK Go song for this... hey, I was on a pinball kick recently. What if I made him really into pinball - so that's the skill he mastered - and that means he can fire a pinball like a bullet, and control its movements to some extent like Sex Pistols? Call that shit "Here It Goes Again."

Okay, so he's really into pinball, maybe other arcade games too. Since he's a Virtuoso, he must also be really good at it. Maybe he's got a bit of an ego? Sees the whole "career criminal" thing as a side gig? If he's flashy, that lines up with a high ELE build.

Emilia del Valle (Against!)

You know who's sick as hell. Nico Robin from One Piece. But I wish they had leaned harder into the fact that she's, like, one of the oldest members of the crew and spent time as a hardened assassin. I like it when she's silly but the Context should be there. What if I played someone who's a bit older and worn down by life? A Veteran, but what would their sub-playbook be?

Looking through Against Me songs, there's a few good options. Maybe Cavalier Eternal, maybe Dead Rats... an Alchemist would be fun this time around. Something kind of edgy, to fit the vibe she's got going on. "My eidolon turns love into hate?" "Turns comfort into pain?" No, those are too abstract. I should think of something concrete, something piratey and One Piece-y... say, "Violence" would be a fun pick. Very straightforward. Maybe she can just summon a fuckton of cannons? And if she's an Alchemist, the most efficient material to use would be wood - she can turn a ship itself into a new weapon!

Okay, so she's a bit older than the others. Since she's a Veteran, maybe she was a big deal at one point, but got captured and nearly killed. It's cool when characters have monikers. Since her attacks are technically using plant matter, maybe I'll call her something like "The Wilted Rose" or "The Wilted Lily..."

Solo (SKA)

It's the Mystery Solving Teens season! Gotta have a Beast in there to be the Scooby (or the Goober if you're nasty). We're doing a "two generations" thing, too... maybe go for a Mystery Incorporated inspired vibe, where my character is a bridge between both shows, and has mysterious motives of their own...

If I'm making my character "the bridge" then I should look into some real early ska, something from the 70s or early 80s. That also means we'll get some more variety on the Playlist. Let's see, "The Untouchables" sound cool. What do they - oh my god. Oh my fucking god lol I know exactly what to do here.

"Soul Together" = "Clump Spirit" = Katamari. My guy is a little fucking scarab beetle but instead of a ball of dung he could roll a ball of Everything. Like it's a miniature black hole basically. And I'll double down on the "prince" thing - his motivations are tied up in the politics and faith of a whole little civilization of bug people. What if they lived in a terrarium in the science classroom lol

The only major exception I can think of is Flip, and that's only because I came up with a rough concept long before Luke and Molly had actually figured out the details of the setting or started on the new rulebooks. Even then it still followed the broad strokes of "pick some existing characters I like, draw inspiration from them, and then tweak/iterate until they have their own thing going on."

[assign-a-knife]

i think simon from infinity train (book 3 (and 2)) needs a knife. he's in his late teens and he's spent about seven years on an infinite train of saw traps that he guts for survival/fun/profit. he also deeply distrusts most people. the only older adults around aren't human and he doesn't believe any non-humans are people. he thinks that the more evil he is the better, but he wouldn't be able to put that to words.

this kid is ultimately much more pathetic than he thinks he is and i think a knife would make him worse in a very entertaining way. maybe he'd even try and cut his own hair inbetween the threats and murders.

Simon Laurent from Infinity Train has been assigned a Gerber Armbar Slim Drive (Burnt bronze colorway)!

This knife was chosen for its multiple uses (having a screwdriver seems useful when you're dismantling things) while still primarily functioning as a knife. Additionally, the colorway-at least to me- looks a little bit like a nerdy tool compensating with an edgy paint job

[thesugarchanotaku]

Let's talk about Octavia

With the newest helluvaboss episode out and season two cming to an end there was a lot of discussion about Octavio even before the epsiode dropped. That's why i decided to look at her a little more in depth. Spoiler ahead (duh)

My realtionship with Octavia is kinda rookie. I love this asexual queen as much as her dad but find myself a little annoyed at her behaviour sometimes. Let's recap what we know about her.

Octavia is a royal teen, deeply loved by her father, troubled by the divorce of her parents and 17 years old. But if we look past the more obvious characteristics there is a lot going on in subtext.

Octavia is oblivious: Octavia grew up quite sheltered and as much as it is understanable (since they tried to assissinate stolas at loo loo land) that she is well protected the problem is that she has little to no clue about the outside world. Much like her father in the recent episode she is seen being scared of the world in seeing stars. She is THAT unaware that she was walking around without a disguise in broad daylight.

Octavia loves her father: So you might ask where the problem is for that point. She sees Stolas as JUST her father. She fails to see Stolas as a person with needs, wants, dreams and wishes. We have to point out that Octavia is never seen with any other people despite her parents (not counting loona in seeing stars). So it's save To assume that she is quite isolated and ultimately fixated to on her parents.

Octavia lacks comparission: As we grow up we compare. We always do. It helps us to decern right from wrong. The outside world helps us contextualize. Octavia probably never had that. Growing up with mostly her parents she has no other love relationships to look at and compare. Therefore she might not see Stella as an evil person like we do. For us the audiance it is hard to understand why she always puts her mother next to her while talking to Stolas and about the broken "family". But forOctavia Stella is an integral part of her life. (As a mother should be) She has no chance to see the behaviour of her mother as toxic and harmful, because that is how her mother ALWAYS was. Its the only thing Via knows. She cant understand why her father was "fine" with the antics of her mother until a certain point and "suddenly" isnt anymore.

Octavia is a child: That point kinda put me at odds a long time. My parents divorced when i was 12 and I could understand the situation better than her. Octavia is nearly an adult. Most children her age don't want to be that close to their parents, they want to be free, start their own live. Octavia doesn't. She clings to memories, to promises her father made to her and she just feel so so SO young. She tries to be that edgy teen but she feels way more like a child. Which isnt exactly bad but plays a huge part in her character.

Octavia and Stolas

The relationship of father and daugther hit a fallout and it was important that it happened because both characters need to GROW up.

While Stolas never had the chance to grow into his very own charcater due to the fact that his life was planned out for him, he tried to shelter Via from the same fate by protecting her and sacrificing for her. He did basically the other extreme of what he experienced.

Stolas slowly grows into himself, making decisions for himself and realizes that while having the freedom to make decisions for yourself is great, the consequences are yours to bear too. And he just realized how overwhelming these consequences can be in the recent epsiode.

Via on the other hand still needs to grow up. The fallout with her father is over due because stolas isnt JUST her father. She tries to remind him of his role on every step he takes further to himself - his true self.

Octavia needs to finally learn about the world, how healthy relationships look like, and what her father truly did for her. Right now she is angry and dissapointed and from her perspective she has every right to be but she lacks the understanding for her own father. It shows how little she truly knows about the relationship of her parents. She need to question why her father took pills rather than judging him for it. She needs to ask why her mother is so degrading towards him rather than accepting it as a given. She needs to see the true intentions of her uncle and mother rather than overlooking it.

and there clearly is hope. She protected her dad, still called him dad and i belive that if both of them grow and want to mame an effort it can work out. If Via learns more about her parents and the world - if she manages to grow up both father and daughter can grow into a healthy relationship. And if it takes a bruning bridge for now, than so be it but I'm certain that they will find each other again sooner or later.

[scarakabu]

i think for me the most annoying anti argument is “well we’re allowed to not like your ships!! thinking incest and pedophilia is gross doesn’t make us bad people!!”

the way they deliberately ignore and brush off the death threats, rape threats, and harassment they and people in their community send to proshippers is just so… ugh. pretending they’re the poor innocent normal people who are getting bothered by the icky incest fans when they are the only ones saying “i hope you get raped” “kys” “you deserved your trauma” etc makes me so mad

especially when what they really mean is “if you weren’t such a freak you wouldn’t deserve to be harassed”

you're right and you should say it

a lot of people i've met on social media - even besides deliberately malicious antis - specifically younger teens, for some reason cannot seperate "i dont like this thing and thats okay" and "this is weird and bad" and it turns into "i dont like this thing, so its weird and bad, therefore its okay to harass"

and with how being mean and edgy on the internet has been so normalized again, so many people are okay saying god awful stuff to others

antis also seem to have adapted that mindset and they *love* to either 1. ignore that they harass proshippers to start with or 2. claim that it's "deserved"

it boggles me that saying things like "i hope you get raped [again]" to a real person is okay, but they draw the line at two fictional siblings being shipped

[xjereby]

Hey fellas! Its been a hot minute so let me introduce you all to my Hazbin Hotel High School AU!!

also known as Grimstone Academy (edgy.) Its a private school for gifted manipulators- i mean. thinkers :)

since the parents are paying a shit-ton of money for their teens to be at this academy the students can kinda get away with anything…

except murder… probably…

inspired by Mean Girls, Class of ‘09, and Heathers :)

characters, in order of appearance

Charlie Morningstar - Daughter of the principal, Lucas Morningstar. Homeschooled most of her life until her dad got this job offer, so she’s socially unaware.

Vicky Rivera - Gifted athlete, Coach Adam’s (2nd) favorite student. Generally an outcast due to her standoffish demeanor and interesting fashion choices. She has a personal history with nearly every student listed— almost all are negative.

Anthony (Angel) Ragno - Theatre kid! Generally speaks his mind and one of Vickys only friends because of this. Has been dating Valentino for 2 years.

Harry Petrova - Gifted violinist and fluent in Russian. He keeps to himself and knows to keep away from the crazier students— even though he’s Alastors closest (whatever that means to him) friend.

Alastor Guidry- Top of his class at the academy. Tries to keep close ties with every authority figure he knows— yet he’s frustrated that Charlie gets special treatment. He’s mysterious and weird to most of the students. Most.

Virgil Parr - Alastors’ academic rival. President of the school council and son of two relatively well known actors, he’s spiteful and short tempered, but uses blackmail to get out of any trouble.

Vicky says he could be smarter than Alastor if he wasn’t so emotional.

Oscar Valentino - A major bitch. He cuts class and talks back to authority figures, but his dad is the owner of a major, very bougie fashion company. Thinks very highly of himself and disapproves of Anthony’s friends. He continues to string him along, despite not being all that into him anymore.

Velvette Williams - Self proclaimed queen bee, and best friends with both Virgil and Valentino. She keeps every secret the two share with her, though she may use those secrets against them some day. Also a major bitch.

i got a little too silly w the descriptions LOL but uhh anyway hope everyone enjoys… I will be posting some doodles soon and may even make a whole blog for this au… hehe >:3

[swanshapedheart]

Poorlittlekoi’s statement

Disclaimer. I, the poster, am not Koi

I am someone putting her thoughts and response to her situation into the public as I was encouraged to do so. I feel it is also necessary to bring this up as well.

I do not want to be affiliated with controversy any further.

——————————————————-

“this whole situation has messed with my head to the point where i cant even send a text to most people without worrying they are gonna leak it or use it against me in the future,, svlvnsore was just bored and found me really annoying shown in screenshot one…. not only that they also called me out for heavily referencing or tracing when they reposted an artpiece thats doing the same thing. Svlvn said they are on my ass because i didnt credit who i referenced, when the person they reposted didnt do the same either proof in screenshot two three and four. Another thing i caught on to is that they SPECIFICALLY said they didnt care that i self harmed or did horrible things to myself when they posted about me. i have anxiety, i overthink! of course im going to do bad things to myself, im mentally unwell. proof in screenshot 5… and for screenshot 6, this is only an assumption, but saying that svlvn "didnt know" is something that really throws me off. when someone makes a callout post on someone else, there will OBVIOUSLY be harassment. thats just my thought, i feel like they knew what they were doing since him and his bf arent very good people either. especially holding onto old dms and gathering them up to use it against me, when they could have handled the situation privately with me, rather than hide it behind my back.

all of this could have been prevented if they handled it differently, and that goes for me as well.

im fully aware im in the wrong, but these people are wrong in some places too. and i want people to realize that.

many artists in tcc trace, reference, all the time. i dont understand why im slandered for heavily referencing something, not tracing. theres proof of an artist doing this FROM THE ORIGINAL ARTIST BTW in my dms right now but i dont get them involved

am i handling this situation immaturely? maybe, but arent they doing the same by harassing me? absolutely.

when it comes to someone being racist/homophobic, people feel the need to harass this person to make them feel worse about what they did. this isnt how you handle a situation. harassing someone to the point they attempt suicide is just as bad as what i did, possibly even worse.

now i have recover slowly until i have the chance to even feel comfortable with myself again. i understand what i said and did was wrong, and im sitting here attempting to change and apologize to the people ive offended and hurt, but throwing that apology under the rug and making it seem like im guilt tripping is ridiculous.

so they cant say i didnt try to apologize, but nobody is guaranteed to accept my apology and thats okay. but putting it out there as if im guilt tripping when im giving reasons why i said it is not even giving me a chance to change

when it comes to growing up with a HUGE racist family, these words and beliefs become apart of my vocabulary and thoughts. its very hard to change that especially when i was always told "its just a word" and i hear it daily! growing up with these slurs has become so normal for me to say it just slips out with no worry, but ofc im seen as guilt tripping when i say this.

its different for each person, i saw a comment saying they grew up in a southern family and they dont say it, but thats them, not me.

people at school and during family events would peer pressure me into saying this slurs multiple times because they found it "funny." i slowly believed that as well.

i was a young teen being taught the wrong things, and seeing other people in tcc say it made me feel like i should say it as well to fit in and be edgy, since thats what the community is like

this situation is another lesson for me to learn, but other people in it need to learn that harassing someone isnt okay, either. especially when im trying to change, it doesnt make it any easier.”

[faerise-fae]

Not really a marauders character but: Tom Riddle #20!

YAPPING WARNING ABOUT ASPD TOM RIDDLE AGAIN

Ok so sorry for taking so long to do this, but my brain crashes every time i try to think about something that isn't obvious or just fucking boring. BUT I REALLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT WITH YALL SO GIVE ME YOUR THOUGHTS

The hill I'll die on is that he is an ASPD baddie, tho I bet he would prefer thinking about himself as sociopath, as edgy teens do. It doesn't mean I think he is totally emotionless, i think he is very emotional. Just not empathetic? This man is purely driven by his emotions from the start. Be it fear of death, resentment, and hatred towards Dumbledore or just general anger directed at the stupidity of the wizarding nation. In ASPD it's just that the intensity of expression of those emotions is different. He can look totally put together and like an oasis of peace, but inside planning whatever insanities only he can think of.

Because the thing is, anger issues are not rare in ASPD. ASPD is associated with impulsiveness and violent or risky behaviours, which can result in lashing out in anger. It's just that when you don't have many emotions to begin with, controlling the stronger ones can be difficult.

People have very different headcanons about him in that matter, i see a lot of totally stoic, calculating tom riddle who doesn't have absolutely any emotions and stuff like this, but I really can't see it. My man is a dramatic, cruel, entitled and IMPULSIVE edgelord BUT:

HOT TAKE #1:

Canon Tom Riddle headcanonned himself as fanon Tom Riddle.

He might have thought of himself as emotionless, but he just didn't acknowledge it. Growing up in an unstable environment, he hadn't learned how to stabilize himself.

Because ASPD is partialy caused by genetics, yes. But a very big factor in developing it is childhood and home life. We can agree his was very unstable, he has probably witnessed violence and definitely experienced emotional neglect. ASPD is all about lack of security. Its defence mechanism. That means:

My man just doesn't know how to cope, LMAO. When it was too much even for him to stuff into the back of his brain, he just lashed out. Acting on impulses was his relief from it. Adrenaline from it also helped to mute his feelings.

But at the same time, he just didn't think of himself as unreasonable. "It was never his fault, he was just provoked!" He also didn't feel guilty about causing harm to others because he didn't have any empathetic feelings towards anyone. How can you feel bad about idk, cursing someone if you don't see them as an individual with feelings of their own. Because how could he think about their feelings when he didn't have much of his own to compare and to even comprehend what they feel beside some very shallow understanding. AND BY THAT I DONT MEAN HE DIDNT KNOW HE WAS HURTING PEOPLE AROUND HIM HE WASNT A POOR LITTLE MEOW MEOW. HE KNEW, HE JUST DIDNT GET IT SO HE DIDNT CARE. But he obviously knew. So no empathy but more like an educated guess. Masking king. He learnt how emotions worked for other people and used it whenever he saw fit. Pure manipulation.

Because again neglectful caregiving = problems with attachment to people and forming relationships. In the end it's all about him in that aspect. His feelings are always about himself and making himself feel comfortable and stable. He was fond of his friends till they were useful and till he felt good with having them around. He took pride* in gaining their respect and loyalty. He was using them to stroke his ego basically. And was using them in general. For stuff and things.

*HOT TAKE #2:

And here i have my latest hot take: his similarity with Harry in that matter. Harry is a gryffindor with some slytherin traits. And imo Tom, with him being the most slytherin to ever slytherin, his crazy pride and impulsivity is so gryffindor.

So there's that beside how we can all agree he was a liar and manipulator.

[keaganz]

I had to use this song 😅 it's haunting my dreams. IYKYK

Letters

Part1, Part2

Rating; Mature MDI | Relationship; pre-Sam O'Brien/Gator Tillman| CW; still swearing and explicit materiaal| Tags; developing relationship, pen pals, letter writing, Roy Tillman's A+ parenting, he legally names his only child Gator that man is Trash, Gator's trauma about his name, Gator has Daddy issues, again Roy is Trash!

Part 3

“Hey Sammy! You've got mail!”

Elliot says in a sing-song voice as he enters the mess tent as he plops down in front of him on a bench. He tries to grab the letter as it gets waved in his face. He can tell it's from the pen pal organisation due to its logo printed on it.

“Maybe you're secret admire has another titillating letter about the wows of missing your cock”

He glares at his friend and huffs as he continues eating his breakfast and answers him with his mouth full on purpose.

“I told you, it was probably some teenager thinking he was funny by swapping out his grandmother's letter. So go on open it, I don't care”

He pretends to be blaze and nonchalant about the whole ordeal. But he is nervous and can feel anxiety creeping up his spine as he watches Elliott opening the letter. He pulls out a photo and lets out a low whistle.

“I don't know Sammy, but this doesn't look like some edgy teen! Unless he's pretending to be some kind of officer!”

He lunges across the table and manages to grab the photo and envelope. He lets out a triumphant cheer as he sits back down and looks at the photo. It looks to be a candid picture taken of a young guy dressed in all black, his hair slicked back and a badge hanging around his neck. He swallows at the sight of the mole dotted skin before quickly pushing the photo back into the envelope and pulling out the letter.

Sam Asshole,

You're really having a go at me for my name when your full name is probably Samuel or some shitty spelt variation. Yeah, Roy is an absolute sadistic asshole for legally naming me that instead of passing on the family name, but at least it ain't some boring generic name. Bet everyone and their Meemaw calls you Sammy or Sammy boy.

See you could have me bent over and plowing into me and I could be moaning out your name while thinking about some other Sam, but you moaning my name I know it's me you're thinking of. Unless you're into beastialtie or some shit. But judging by your photo you don't give off that vibe. You do look like you like pulling hair, and I have plenty of that.

It wasn't a joke or bet, in fact the letter should have never been sent. It was some bullshit PR stunt for Roy's re-election campaign; he dodged the draft like some schmuck. Make the locals think he gives two flying fucks about you jarheads and vets. So what better way than to be seen writing and sending care packages to the troops overseas with his dutiful son. So I wrote about how I wanted to get railed under his roof by a jarhead. Have that homophobic fuck wondering if Sam is short for Samantha or not.

Gator T.

He leans back after reading it and swears. He rubs his face as Erik sits down next to him and lets him pick the letter out of his grip.

“You look like someone kicked your puppy”

“I don't think I've ever had anyone call my name bland before, or felt so insulted by someone saying its generic”

He hides his face in his hands. Erik pats him on the back as he hums and passes the letter to Eliot.

“He's got some daddy issues a mile long. I wonder who he thinks you are in the photo Ray smuggled into your letter. Because I'm sorry Elliot but with that bush on your lip you look like you'd fuck a sheep”

He makes a bleating sound as he snickers and dodges getting smacked.

“Jarheads! We are seals! Show cap the picture he sent you. He's some kind of officer, has a badge around his neck”

Sam begrudgingly shows Erik the photo.

“Which photo did he give him? Because if it has Elliot in it it can't be any good! You look like some 70s raunchy porno star! And I'd rather him not thinking I look like that!”

“That's a sheriff's badge, must be a deputy. Jesus he looks repressed as fuck. No one wants to look like Elliot.”

He and Erik laughed as Elliot glared at them, good naturedly. He takes both the photo and letter back and puts them away.

[yellowbluemoonshine]

Hi,

I see you finished Monster and are quite versed in Johan. Can you help me understand the depth of his character better? I feel like many people miss the point of it. Also I'd like to know why you like him so much.

Oh, there is so much to say about him but i will try to make it short as possible.

Lets Talk About Johan;

First of all, i heard his character as some 'evil' mastermind so i wasnt really interested in his character until i experience the story by myself. I wondered why this series is popular so i decided to give a chance. I tought Johan was like Afo (from Bnha) but he turn out to be a lot like Shigaraki lol.

What makes a character depth is if they are not one-dimensional, that there is a more than how they seem from surface. And Johan fits well since he is mysterious character who is seen as angel, monster, devil, basically anything but human but they end up failing to understand him because if he was so simple, police would've catch him a long time ago.

At the start of series, he seems like your usual dangerous serial killer which fits the psychological thriller theme of story. And one of the best thing in series is his connection with Tenma. A doctor saves his life and this dangerous killer starts to view him as parent figure. A killer who see no worth in life and the doctor who thinks every life is equal, especially saving Johan is the reason he starts to to be able to live his life as a real doctor. Only to learn the child whom he saved turn out to be serial killer.

Tenma feels responsible for this and goes to journey to kill Johan. During this journey, we aldo discover some hints of what made Johan the way he is. The irony is we get the hints and a lot of characters perspective of him, everyone except Johan.

Is his messages about 'the monster inside of him' serious or not? Tenma assumes Johan is enjoying this at first, then he assumes Johan has multiple personality disorder. And later when he talked with other doctor, he assumes Johan is just playing with him because thats what most serial killers do with police. This is interesting because all of those end up being wrong. Johan doesnt enjoy from killing people. Johan doesnt have DID. Johan didnt write those messages to play with them. We know this because we later learn that he is unconciously imitate the fairytale stories he read as child.

Meanwhile, he has fanclub. A lot of murderers admire Johan because they view him as destruction Buddha. Just like others, he is seen as monster but why though? Its not like he is the only killer in the world. And personally, a lot of characters are more 'evil' than him so the thing about Johan is; he treats human life as nothing. Not just other people but also himself. Thats what makes him so scary to everyone. He doesnt even do it out of joy, money, statue. He looks like the devil in human form. He spreads misery to world. (Thats why he burns library when they said "its humanity's treasure" LoL.)

To people, that is scary. When they look at Johan, his eyes, the see someone who has no identity (nameless world). They see someone who treats life like as a game. Which explains why many people are afraid of him.

Some also want to use him, such as they want him to make second Hitler and he is like 'Nope'.

I think the main reason i love Johan is that he is like a magician. He can create a beautifull illusion. He is someone who can touch people's hearths because how well he understands them. Which is why he is seen as angel when people dont know he kills people.

This is also why he can use other killers for himself. He can see their vulnerabilities. Because even a killer is still human and they might need acceptance, to be understood by someone. Johan can give it to them. And they wish they were like Johan because they think everything would be a lot easier for them to kill others, like some kind of edgy teens. They fail to understand the person they want to be is extremely miserable.

On other hand, Johan can use his skills with curing people. Such as him waking Suk's mother, he made her remember her son again. Though he does things with ulterior motives, same skills can be used for good things. He can make people happy or miserable by little things. With a little magic or just skill.

And even though he is villain, he has very relaxing voice. He is very elegant. He listens other people. This fits perfectly well with his manipulative character.

We also never know when he is sincere or not because when you think he doesnt he actually seem to care, such as when he cried for Karl. Apperantly, tears were real. He is always in his world, its so funny when you think about he is some kind of mastermind.

Also his interaction with kids is so interesting. I think he geniuely enjoys being around them. Otherwise, why would he bother to spend time with them, why would he know so much about child's rights, why would he look for picture book for a friend? This is the same guy who encourage kids to rooftop game (and the scene where he was projecting on Milos) which is messed up. It gives me chills. His nihisilism, him viewing life as game end up resulting him expressing love as twisted.

----

Later, everything changes when Johan finds certain book in library. Basically, Johan's character doesnt necessarely stay same during the series. He changes his motives from unconciously imitating nameless monster stories to find actual monster who ruined his life. Even though he does messed up things, everything about his character makes sense with that scene. Johan geniuely believed that he is nameless monster. Johan geniuely believed that he doesnt exist.

Everything about him makes sense because it explains why he doesnt think death as much of it. Because if someone doesnt exist, they cant be killed. If someone doesnt exist, they cant be responsible for killings. He is detached from reality. Its not that he didnt feel. Its that he doesnt view it as real the way other people does. Because Johan isnt there. This is the tragedy of Johan's story. He doesnt have name. He doesnt have identity. He feels as he doesnt exist.

The famous 'monster' tape everyone after is about a child unable to see the difference between fairytale story and reality. 'My name is Johan. My name is Thomas. My name is Hans. My name is Otto.' He is them but he is neither of them. Johan views Anna as his half, as Anna is the real one and he is fake copy. He killed people as child, not because he is evil but because he geniuely thought that monster is coming after them. He cant even separate his own memories from Anna's. He takes all bad memories both to protect Anna and other reason is to become someone. He wanted to have identity, he wanted to live so bad but he didnt have on his own so he took it from others, just like the nameless monster.

This is also why Johan is also affected by Tenma's saving him. He probably wondered Tenma wouldnt save him, if he knew he was monster. He was kinda right because Tenma regretted his decision but he was wrong because Tenma couldnt shoot him and he saved him the second time. He showed him that he has right to live, he has right to exist, and that he has a name so he is not monster. This is why Johan can open up his worst insecurities. And they really give father-son energy and i think thats cute. I am glad that even after years Tenma visists him at hospital.

And we can guess what happened at the end thanks to Grimmer (one of the characters who deserves better), 'The monster become human at the end'. and Lunge said that if he were not a human being, he would not leave a trace, only humans leave a trace. For the first time we see Johan leave his mark. So Johan is no longer a monster, just a human. Also, his real name doesnt matter, he is Johan to us/all.

I love the messages of story. There is a monster inside all of us, but we can contain/heal it and after all, we are all human, our lives are equally valuable and stealing a person's name is the biggest crime, so having a name is very important. Story still has certain writing issues but generally, it is good story. Johan is well written character because his story is such a journey. We cant even really appreaciate the story without fully understand Johan. Every scene he is in meaningfull. And personally, i think his story is very empathic because of how tragic he is. Also sometimes he looks so funny and weird which makes him entertaining. He is such a good character.

Though you are right, anon. Many people still misinterpret the story, especially his character but anyway, there are still people who makes great analysis about him. Such as this analysis made by @cyanogoth.

Its ironic that most/some main villains have the most interesting and sempathic backstories, even though they are supposed to be 'big evil' or something but in reality, they are not really.

Anyway, he is fun to think about, i love him, lol.

[pleasantspark]

True Critical Post

Why do we have to rely on Fan Theories as our main source of content? Why do we have to have talented people waste all their energy explaining away the plotholes that SHOULD be solved as we go?

Why do we as respective people have to lower our respect to a bunch of preteens and teens that will probably get criticized themselves if they do decide to pursue what VivziePop is doing?

Why do WE as part as the marginalized people who are portrayed in this show as completely wrong have to explain WHY it's wrong only to get ableism, racism and lgbtqphobic shit at us?

Why do WE have to explain what is criticism and what is not when it's clear as day we felt like this isn't what we stand for?

You want a real true critical post? Well you got it.

Hellaverse is trying to tell a story but it can't find out which identity it wants to be, one minute its Steven Universe, the next minute its South Park.

"But South Park is edgy and has ser-"

It's because it's handled in a respectful manner, South Park handled toxic relationships better than Hazbin, who refuses to let go of a toxic ship.

Cartman and Heidi's relationship was truly the toxicity of that day.

"It's not serious!"

Okay, so by that logic, that means Angel Dust and whatever shit we see is also not serious, good to know SA and depression isn't serious because it's for a show in Hell. You think we critics sit here all day and fluff shit out just because we hate Viv?

You know I don't hate her that's too strong of a word, I LOATHE HER and the fanbase for speaking over victims and actual members of the LGBTQ+ and POC!

Our problems are not taken seriously at all, it's some major spectacle for you all to fetishize and laugh at, wow, I thought SuperMarioLogan's fanbase was toxic, but damn. I was wrong.

If you can't see what the fucks wrong with your opinions, when the people who they are affecting speaks up. Then I pray that whenever you feel the pain we felt, you can change your mind.

It's always the picrew profiles that aren't even POC or victims that speak over us.

STOP

NORMALIZING

THIS.

I shouldn't have to tell you why Lucifer's character is harmful.

or why Angel Dust's is harmful.

You should at least have half a brain to understand.

BUT NO, THE FUCKING TEAM CONDONES CHILDREN TO WATCH THIS WITH THEIR PARENTS.

I can never find a adult space that I can share without children infiltrating it.

This post is far more aggressive because the handwaving and constant dismissive behavior, so MAYBE if we were more aggressive you'll get it. I am trying to be nice but I can't when all I am is a joke for the writers to exploit.

[psychic-refugee]

Not only do I think the novel ISN’T canon Wenclair, I don’t think it’s canon Wednesday, to be honest.

It’s not enough that the book was approved and published. It should actually be accurate to the source material, the TV show.

If the Powers that Be approved the novel, then they approved errors and emphatically different narrative concepts that are in direct conflict with the TV show.

What exactly does that say about how much they cared about the content of the novel?

Overall, the TV show and the writers, Gough & Millar, are the controlling narrative. IMO. If the book is in conflict with the TV show and what the writers themselves have stated, then I can dismiss the novel.

Tehlor Kay Meija was hired to write the book, and it was approved for publishing. I cannot infer more than that on anyone’s motivations. Certainly not if they approve of ship.

I disagree with Meija’s interpretation of certain scenes, and I can point to obvious and glaring mistakes.

“In the baby-blue-wallpapered room, I open my bag.” p. 32

Here, we clearly see that not only is the bathroom not blue, she does not open her bag. Full scene:

It stays on her back. She taps the bag and orders Thing to give her a nail file. The bag flips open on its own and he gives her the file.

The book has a lot of these unnecessary and should have been easy to fix mistakes. I’ve seen some rude replies where they ask “Did you watch the show?�� Interpreting certain thoughts and actions as sapphic or not is a matter of opinion. This is just flat out wrong.  

There are provable errors not only in description but dialogue.

The tone and characterization of Enid and Wednesday’s interaction is different with the incorrect dialogue and descriptions.

The entire book is like this. It has wrong or dropped dialogue and deviates from the original narrative concepts of the TV show.

Every character has been done a disservice by this book.

It seems the people you should ask if they watched the show are Meija and whomever approved publishing the book, errors and all.  

The book with its lack of details I think misses a lot of nuances that we see from facial expressions and body language on the show. Details on the possibility of what others are thinking via facial expressions and body language are inconsistent throughout the book.

There is an annoying plethora of exclamation marks that makes it seem people are yelling or excited when I think they’re actually trying to portray emphasis. That’s just a pet peeve of mine and I fully admit it’s petty, but it does make some, like Kinbott, seem more manic than the show intended.

“Well Wednesday, I hope you don’t think of me as your adversary,” [Kinbott] says. “I hope we can forge a relationship built on trust! And mutual respect!” p 30

Kinbott does not have this kind of excited inflection when speaking to Wednesday, ever. She always remains calm and uses a soothing voice, like she’s trying to talk to an unwilling cat. lol

I think it was a mistake to hire Meija, who specializes in children’s books. The TV show is aimed at teens, but also has a strong nostalgia factor for those who grew up in the 90’s and the movies. I think Netflix is aiming for a wide audience of older teens and adults. With the violence and “edgy” aesthetic and leanings, I think a writer for an older audience would have been more appropriate.

This book was clearly made JUST for children. The bigger print, low word count, and very simplistic narration make it for an elementary grade reading level. It feels very dumbed down.

Wednesday the TV show is not meant to be for that young of an audience.

I think if Gough and Millar had written the novelization, it would be much different not only in style but accuracy.

At bottom, Meija is an outsider to this fandom and did not do a good job.

[gingersnapwolves]

Where could I read the Harry Potter and Firefly fics you mentioned on a post I saw? I love your writing so much and was really sad that we only seemed to have 1 fandom in common, that being Teen Wolf. I truly adore all your Teen Wolf stories especially The Sum of its Parts series. Now I know we share 2 other fandoms and that you’ve written stories for them, I am absolutely desperate to read them. Please let me know where they’re available or maybe send a link to them or something. Thanks.

LOL, well, two caveats here ... I didn't write much for either fandom (I think for Firefly it was just a few drabbles) and everything I wrote for them was probably well over 20 years ago now and I absolutely do not vouch for its quality

Some of it is on my old Livejournal, but the rest is harder to access now because I used to have my own domain (fatalistic.net because college me was ~edgy~) and stopped paying for it years ago. Some of it is still available via the Wayback Machine if you search for www.fatalistic.net/knkfics and go back to like .... 2007, 2008 probably. It can be a little hit or miss, though. But I wish you the best of luck, and thanks for reading!

[cajunfoxnight]

Hi really interested in this reconstruct Au!! Do you have more information about the story?

Oh Anon.. I hope you are ready for the can of worms you have just opened 😬

I should warn you tho, I am not the best at telling a story, and im worse at explaining one. However I also want to share this AU as its been something ive been working on for 8+ years, and while it is mostly a self indulgent Monster AU, full of stereotypical troupes and cliches, its also very important to me. I made this AU when I was not in a good place mentally and was using it as a way to cope with and express the feelings I was having at the time. Its changed a lot and truth be told its actually 2 story lines that combine to become 1 down the line. But for the sake of this ask, I will focus on talking about the Reconstruct backstory.

Anyway if youre still interested in what the story is about, then please continue reading! I will do my best to try not to babble too much but.. its going to happen anyway 😅

TW: So I should probably start off with mentioning that this AU does contain emotional and physical abuse, manipulation, and mention of body mutilation. Not that im going to go into the details of that here but thats just me covering my own ass :v At the point the story is at now, Gladion is much older than he is in the games/manga/anime. His actual age isnt fully known as the theme with this AU deals with time and interdimensional travel, so its hard to keep track of, but he appears to be in his early 20s. But for all intents and purposes he is an adult.

✨The story ✨ So the Reconstruct AU is something of a "bad ending" storyline.

So this story follows that of the canon for the beginning. Mohn disappeared when he fell through an Ultra Space worm hole that was opened, and his whereabouts are unknown. Lusamine still went into her crazy and Ultra Beast obsessed self, only concerned with youth, beauty, and keeping things as under her control as much as she can. Gladion steals TYPE:NULL and Lillie taking Nebby and running away. Lillie going to live with Kukui and Gladion joining Team Skull as their enforcer.

In this timeline, Lusamine, in her desperate need to have control of everything around her, decides that she will create her "perfect world" where she will surround herself with all of the things that she loves. A place where everything will be kept exactly the way she wants them, preserved for all of time, and where she wont ever be alone again. However she knows that she can not do this on her own, but knows who can. Someone younger, stronger, and already has knowledge about the UBs and Aether. Now the hard part is getting him to join her, but she has a plan for that.

Lusamine gets in contact with Guzma (as in this story he still "works" for her) and with the help of some choice words, a good sob story, and probably a fat check, she's able to convince him that she has changed and she wants help from him to convince Gladion of these things as well. Being that he and Gladion are so close, and obviously he trusts him so much, it shouldnt be hard for him to talk some sense into him, right? She does an amazing job at getting Guzma on her side, having him think that Gladion is just being a bratty, rebellious, edgy teen. After all, he comes from some nice rich family, could have anything he wants, and yet still chose to ran away, how bad could it have possibly been? Does he even realize how bad some of these kids have it? How badly HE had it?? So generally he thinks that Gladion is just over reacting/being dramatic. He doesnt know how good he's had it, obviously!

Guzma sets up this whole "ambush". He has Gladion come back to the shady house, getting him inside and cornering him in his room, where he is confronted by Lusamine. She puts on this big show of being the sorry mother just wanting her son back, going on about how she's changed and she didnt mean to do all of those horrible things and so on and so on. All she wants is them to be a family again, like they used to be, is that really so much to ask for? Gladion is already seeing right through this, he knows all of this is bs, but he cant seem to get anyone on his side. After all, the members of Team Skull never really liked him anyway and were only going along with it bc Guzma said so. Now with Guzma against him, he has no real back up. He cant fight back and he cant even escape. Despite his stubborn nature, he still cant overcome the hold his mother has on him after all those years. She very much has him between a rock and a hard place. So not having any other option, he is forced to go back home with her.

Once back home, Gladion's life is turned upside down as Lusamine does everything she can to keep him on a short leash. All freedom that he had is now gone, and he is constantly watched and monitored, its suffocating. Much like before, he's told how to dress, how to act, what to eat and how much, he cant even so much as get near a computer or phone without someone questioning him. He cant even bring out any of his pokemon bc Lusamine has deemed most of them "too dangerous" to have out all under the pretense of doing it for his safety. The only pokemon he's able to have around him is his Umbreon, and even then, she's given a electric collar that keeps her within the property of the house, so no chance of her running off in the middle of the night or anything. While Lusamine insists that shes not keeping him there against his will, she assures him that he's allowed to leave whenever he'd like. Tho she also warns him that if he leaves, then Lillie will be taking his place. She will not be left with an empty nest. Truth be told Lillie probably would have been the easier choice between the two, she also knows that Gladion would do anything to keep her safe. So using her as leverage is how she keeps control over Gladion.

One day Lusamine casually brings up about the "Reconstruct Project" to Gladion (keeping its details very vague), mentioning its something he could help her with, as she thinks he would be interested, He shuts it down saying that he wants no part of whatever she's doing. Lusamine doesnt prese the issue, only expressing disappointment that he wont even consider her offer, but she wont force him. Rather she doesnt want to force him as she wants him to join her willingly. (Even if "willingly" means she'll force his hand) She needs him for this Project. Gladion may be stubborn, but she is so much worse.

After their initial conversation, things only got a lot worse. While he had few freedoms since all of this has started, those are gone now. He becomes cut off from his Pokemon, from the outside, he hardly has a moment of peace where he doesnt feel like he's being questioned or ordered to do something. He really is like a prisoner in his own home (well, a place he once called that). His sanity is being chipped away at, and it comes down to 2 options. -He can either join onto this Reconstruct project, whatever it is. Not knowing what fate could await him or what Lusamine as planned, but at least he'd have a chance at having some sense of a life back and limited freedom.. -Or he can live the rest of his life as Lusamine's puppet, having no freedom or will of his own (<-which is also another story of its own). His life will practically be on auto pilot, forever chained to Aether but never having a say in anything.

It takes some time but eventually Gladion does break, and asks to join the Reconstruct Project, even tho he still has no idea what it is, but anything is better than the life he is living now.

Lusamine is absolutely delighted by this news! And almost instantly, life then turns around for Gladion. He finally is given back some freedom, if not more than what he had before. He is able to move around his home without question. He gets to eat more and better than he did before, putting on some much needed muscle. He's even getting a chance to walk around outside and around the property without having some kind of chaperone. Lusamine even invites him to join her at Aether to over see some projects that they are working on as well as helping with pokemon there. She lets him join her in outings in town, taking him to eat and so on. She's essentially love bombing him, and he hesitantly accepts. All the while this is going on, he still does not know what this Reconstruct Project is bc he cant seem to find any information on it, like it almost doesnt even exist. Whenever he asks about it, Lusamine either skirts around the question or tells him that then only thing he should be concerned about is being in his best physical condition as possible. She assures him that it'll all be worth it, and shes going to give him what he's always wanted: To be stronger. But in order to that, he's going to need some "upgrades. None of this does well to ease any concerns or fears he has, but he's already gotten this far, and he doesnt want to risk going to how things were before so.. whatever it is, he's in it for better or worse. Gladion undergoes a very extensive surgery, with about 80% of his body being "Reconstructed" (hence the name) from the ground up. Its some time later that he wakes up from a induced coma and when he does the reality of what has happened to him is made clear. He is no longer human, or rather, not completely. His body a patch worked mess, a terrible jigsaw amalgamation of human and (shiny) Silvally. Lusamine delivered on her promise to make him stronger, even if she left out the finer details of it.. So that is the Reconstruct story line, or the start of it anyway. From here the story follows along with Gladion changing his name to "Reconstruct" as he has convinced himself that who he once was is no longer him. That part of him died long before it got to this point. His job is that of a glorified errand boy and protector of Aether. He mostly travels through Ultra Space and to different worlds/time to gather up UBs for Lusamine so that she can create her "perfect world". He travels through the worm holes with the aid of an altered Dusk Mane Solgaleo who has been fitted with pieces of Necrozma Armor, that acts a lot like NULL's inhibitor helmet. While its an odd life and something he would have never imagined for himself. He is still very much tied to Aether, at least in this way he has some sense of purpose and freedom. Tho in his time of traveling he has seen much, including other versions of himself (Gladion) living out lives that he knows he could never have, being with people that he cared about, knowing that he cant ever go back to how things were. He's very lonely, bitter, and jaded at the world and others. He's closed off, quick to anger, and untrusting of others. His only real reason to keep going despite everything thats happened is bc of Lillie, as knowing that at least this way he can still protect her. He is content enough to live the rest of his life like this. Even if he has to do it alone. Trying not to think about what might happened when he finishes his mission.. but, well, life certainly has a way of surprising you. And that is the story! I admit that I am going to be very surprised to know if anyone actually read all of this, but if you did please know you have my many thanks and my apologies 😅

[fanby-fckry]

Vaggie, There’s an Exorcist at the Door!

Word Count: 1,820

Chapters: 1/1

Fandom: Hazbin Hotel (Cartoon)

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Archive Warnings: None

Additional Warnings: Canon-Typical Violence, (mentioned), Past Character Death

Series: Part 1 of Raze Hell ( || Next -> )

Summary:

“I don’t think they’re with Heaven anymore.”

Vaggie’s heart leapt into her throat and stuck there.  Another Fallen Exorcist?  That couldn’t be right, could it?

“Why do you say that?” Vaggie asked, trying not to sound like her entire world view was being flipped on its head again.

The Exorcists were an indivisible force.  They acted as one, obeying Adam’s commands unquestioningly and without hesitation.  Vaggie had never seen any of her comrades put so much as a toe out of line.  She was the first, the last, the only.  The black sheep, the prodigal daughter.  And she was punished accordingly.

Angel shrugged.  “Vibes, mostly.”

*

Vaggie thought she was the only Fallen Exorcist in existence—until a second one showed up on her doorstep.

Featuring: My edgy Fallen Exorcist OC, Vaggie’s trauma coming back to bite her, Angel Dust being Schrödinger’s Jerk (in which he both is and isn’t an asshole), and Charlie’s mediocre conflict de-escalation skills.

Better on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/61469728

Available to registered users only.

Author’s Note:

I go into further detail on my AO3 notes (which is part of what I mean by “Better on AO3”) but the cast is not privy to Raze’s pronouns at this point in time. Raze uses it/its. Vaggie uses she/her for Raze once, is corrected, and from that point on, all characters and the narration refer to it using they/them.

“Vaggie?”  Angel Dust popped his head into Vaggie’s—limited—peripheral vision.

“What?”

“There’s an Exorcist at the door.”

Vaggie shot up in her seat, gripping the arm of the couch so hard the fabric tore.  “What?”

“An Exorcist.  At the door,” he repeated, flatly.  “Wings, weapons, the whole shebang.”

“Well, don’t let her in!”  How the fuck was Angel being so calm about this?

“Pretty sure they ain’t a ‘her’ anymore.”

“What?  All of us were…”  Vaggie abandoned that train of thought after realizing how fucking ridiculous it was to focus on the hypothetical gender nonconformity of the Exorcist at their door.  “Wait, that’s the detail that caught your attention?”

Angel rolled his eyes.  “It’s one Exorcist, toots.  I killed dozens of ‘em when Adam attacked the hotel. I’ve got angelic steel bullets, and they brought knives to a gunfight.”

That… was fair.  Carmilla had helped the hotel—and friends—restock on bullets and explosives in exchange for a percentage of the weapons left behind by the Exorcists when they made their retreat.  And using melee weapons exclusively despite angelic guns and bombs existing was ridiculously common for Exorcists.

Really, it was kind of a miracle that it took so long for the Sinners to realize they could fight back.

“How do you know they’re really alone?  It could be a ruse to lower our defenses, sending one soldier to our doorstep while others hide nearby.”

“Could be, but…  I don’t think they’re with Heaven anymore.”

Vaggie’s heart leapt into her throat and stuck there.  Another Fallen Exorcist?  That couldn’t be right, could it?

“Why do you say that?” Vaggie asked, trying not to sound like her entire world view was being flipped on its head again.

The Exorcists were an indivisible force.  They acted as one, obeying Adam’s commands unquestioningly and without hesitation.  Vaggie had never seen any of her comrades put so much as a toe out of line.  She was the first, the last, the only.  The black sheep, the prodigal daughter.  And she was punished accordingly.

Angel shrugged.  “Vibes, mostly.”

Vaggie blinked.  She could feel a migraine coming on, pain radiating behind her remaining eye.

“Vibes?” she repeated.

“Yeah.  They’re outta uniform.  And they look pretty Hellish for an angel.  Sharp teeth, black claws, stuff like that.”

Vaggie’s teeth had grown sharper since her Fall, slowly shifting into something more demonic as she spent more time cut off from Heaven and her Grace.  Lucifer looked like he’d gotten the same treatment a million times over.

How long had this mysterious Exorcist been living here to have teeth and claws that matched the Hell they’d Fallen to?  And how had Vaggie never heard so much as a whisper about them until they showed up on the hotel doorstep?

“I need to see this for myself.”

Sure enough, there was an Exorcist at the door.  Their black and white wings were stained red in some places—whether by blood or by Hell’s influence, Vaggie didn’t know—and they carried two sheathed daggers on their belt.

They were all sharp angles and scars, with a boxy frame and wiry muscles.  Their hair was longer than Adam would’ve allowed, unkempt and hanging past their shoulders, shaved on the right side.  They wore a black halterneck top and had a chest flatter than Vaggie’s. They carried themselves like a man—more so than most of the men living in the hotel.

Yeah, Vaggie could see why Angel suspected they might not be a 'her' anymore.

The Exorcist didn’t move to draw their weapons, but Vaggie kept her spear in hand just in case.  “State your business.”

“I saw some footage from the latest Extermination and noticed an angel fighting for the other team." Their voice had an almost inhuman quality about it—a rough tenor that called to mind the growling of a dog or the scrape of brick and mortar.

They smiled, and the canine comparison was reinforced by their prominent eye teeth. "Thought I’d stop by and say hello to my sister.”

Vaggie hated it when people called the Exorcists ‘sisters.’  They weren’t.  Not by blood or by bond.  Sisters in arms, sure, or a sisterhood in the way a college sorority is—complete with all the hazing and the expectation of cult-like loyalty—but those bonds were built on blades and severed by them, too.

And Vaggie wasn’t a part of their sisterhood anymore.

“What’s your name, sister?”

“Don’t call me that,” Vaggie snapped, unable to stop herself.

The Fallen Exorcist hummed unapologetically.

Vaggie swore under her breath.  “Vaggie,” she said.  “My name is Vaggie.”

“Hello, Vaggie.”

Vaggie liked the Exorcist less and less by the second—and in the minute or so since she’d met them, it was already ticking into the negative numbers.

But having another Fallen angel in Hell was a game changer. She couldn’t just send them away without doing some reconnaissance.

“And what about you?” she asked, trying her damnedest not to sound outright aggressive.  “What’s your name?”

The strange Fallen smiled, mouth full of razor sharp teeth.  “Raze,” they said.

“Raze,” Vaggie repeated.  She paused for a beat.  “And Adam named you that?”

Raze laughed, a single, sharp note.  “My angelic name died alongside the comrade I killed when I Fell.”

Another dent in Vaggie's perception of the Heaven and Hell, another revelation that sent her reeling. “You Fell because you killed another Exorcist?”

Raze shrugged.  “She pissed me off.  ‘S more fun down here, anyway.  Heaven was…”  They popped their neck and rolled their wings and shoulders.  “Restricting.”

“Plus, Adam is…”  Raze laughed, then gleefully corrected themselves, “Was an asshole.”

Well, Vaggie could agree with that, at least.

Raze tilted their head.  “And why did you Fall, Vaggie?  I’m a bit out of the loop on angelic gossip.”

Vaggie’s jaw clamped shut.  She’d had a bad feeling about Raze from the moment they walked in, and that feeling had only intensified the more she talked to them.  She didn’t exactly feel like spilling her guts, here.

Hell and all its denizens would know soon enough, anyway.  Charlie had gotten another interview with 666 News, and this time Vaggie would make an appearance.  Vaggie had already written up talking points for them both, and was prepared to give a short explanation of her Fall to get ahead of the inevitable shitstorm that would be unleashed once news got out that she was an ex-Exorcist.

“Well?” Raze prompted, dragging Vaggie from her thoughts.

“Mercy,” she gritted out.

Raze threw their head back and laughed.  A terrible, uproarious cackle that made Vaggie’s wings twitch in their sheaths and the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

“Oh that’s fucking hilarious!”  All at once, Raze stopped laughing.  They went completely, uncannily silent, and looked Vaggie dead in the eye.

“Your crime was mercy, mine was ruthlessness.”  Their smile was more of a cruel curl of lips.  “And here we are, facing the same punishment.”

Vaggie instinctively reached up to touch the patch over her empty eye socket.  The gesture did not go unnoticed by Raze.

“Well, maybe not exactly the same.”  Raze winked—that pendejo actually fucking winked!—and sized Vaggie up as she violently seethed.  “But we both Fell, we’re both stuck here, and we’re both enjoying Damnation more than the folks Upstairs would like us to.”

Vaggie couldn't take it anymore. “Get the fuck out of my hotel.”

Raze widened their stance and reached for their daggers, hands poised over the hilts without drawing, although their fingers flexed like they were itching for a fight.

“Make me,” they growled.

Vaggie readied her own weapon.  Fuck, where was Angel Dust?  Raze had an angelic body count; Vaggie could use the backup, but she didn’t dare take her eye off Raze to look for him.

“Heyyy.”  Charlie, not Angel Dust.  Powerful, but almost definitely unarmed Charlie.

Luckily, something about her presence seemed to disarm Raze, anyway.  They didn’t look calm, exactly, or afraid—but they traded their fighting stance for a more relaxed posture.

Charlie put a hand on Vaggie’s shoulder, and Vaggie risked a glance.

“Am I interrupting something?” Charlie asked.  Her tone was purposefully non-threatening, but the meaning behind it was clear: I won’t escalate this without your permission; do you need my help?

“No,” Vaggie said, at the same time Raze said, “Yes.”

“But this is more interesting,” Raze added, their gaze raking over Charlie like a predator.

Vaggie tensed up again.  “I think you should go now,” she said, voice and spear held steady.

Raze opened their mouth, but Charlie interrupted them.  “Well, you heard her!  Time to go!”

Raze snarled, lips pulled back to expose their gums.  Then their expression went blank.  “Fine.”

They waved goodbye and turned on their heel.  “See ya ‘round, sister!” they called over their shoulder.  Vaggie didn’t rise to the bait.

Charlie slammed the door shut and Vaggie slumped against her, allowing herself to go limp in her girlfriend's arms as she wrapped them around her tightly.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Charlie cursed.  “Vaggie, are you ok?  Angel said you might need help.  Was that an Exorcist?  A Fallen Exorcist?  Do you know them?  What did they want?”

Vaggie kissed her quiet.  “I’m ok now,” she answered, “Yes, yes, no, and…”  She sighed.  “I don’t know.  Trouble, probably.”

Charlie pressed her forehead against Vaggie’s.  “I won’t let anything happen to you,” she promised.  “Won’t let them—or anyone else!—hurt you.”

Vaggie smiled.  “Thanks, hon.”

It was nice seeing Charlie’s protective side.  Usually, their roles were reversed.  Not that either of them really needed protection most of the time—they could both handle themselves in a fight—but it was nice, all the same.

She felt safe.  Loved.  Something she’d never felt before meeting Charlie.

“Gay!” Angel heckled.  Charlie blushed and Vaggie groaned.

“Don’t you have anything better to do?”

Angel vaulted over the back of the couch and sat in a way that was probably disrespectful to the very concept of couches.

“Nothin’ that wouldn’t break ‘hotel policy,’” he said, sass complete with air quotes and an eye-roll.

Angel shifted in his seat.  “But uh,” he said, tone suddenly and surprisingly genuine.  “You alright, Vaggie?”

“Yes,” Vaggie said with a nod, then added, “Thanks, Angel.”

“‘Course,” Angel replied, and Vaggie could almost see the moment when he decided to return to being a jackass.  “Gotta look out for my favorite taco-twisted bitch.”

Vaggie stomped towards him, swearing in Spanish the whole way, picked up a throw pillow from the couch, and attempted to smother him with it.  None of that stopped the fit of giggles Angel had burst into.

Charlie tried to cajole them out of fighting without physically breaking them apart, and secretly, Vaggie appreciated the normalcy of it all.

No more earth-shattering revelations, no more Exorcists at the door.  Just another routine day at the Hazbin Hotel.  Thank fuck for that.