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battlekidx2 · 1 year ago

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Hazbin Hotel Episodes 5 and 6 Thoughts

Wow. These two episodes of Hazbin Hotel were easily the best out of the series so far. They’re still working at a breakneck pace, but these episodes were so much more focused than the first 4 that it worked significantly better. The A and B plots of both these episodes were cleanly tied together so that no one part felt insignificant.

One of the biggest problems with the first four episodes was the fact that the split focus pulled the episode in different directions and made it so that reveals didn’t get the build up they needed to really feel impactful and pushed the Hazbin Hotel to the background so it felt insignificant in its own show.

The second biggest problem in those episodes was that Charlie’s wish for her people, for redemption, and attempt to get into heaven to avoid extermination felt like it wasn’t the driving force it should have been.

But these two episodes really fix that and expand on the characters really well. I’m just going to go through what I loved the most.

Alastor

I absolutely loved what we got from Alastor in episode 5. He really is the highlight of the show for me. There’s just so many layers to his character that the show isn’t rushing to peel back like it is with everyone else and it makes his character so intriguing.

I liked the fact that this episode hints that he truly does care about the hotel and wants it to succeed. It’s not only entertainment like he initially claimed. That moment where he sends Mimzy away was really telling. There isn’t even a hint of sinister subtext, sarcasm, or a joke in his voice or face when he tells her she can’t stay if she isn’t going to take redemption seriously.

The way his eyes twitch when she says he can’t seriously care about the hotel is such a great little detail.

I really like this point. The main theme of the show is redemption and showing that even someone like Alastor can care about the hotel is a direction I wanted the show to go in from the pilot, but something I wasn’t sure we would actually get. But I liked that it’s getting hinted at this early, especially since we now know there’s a season 2 and it can get fleshed out much more and can probably get to the point where he might grow into an actual mentor for Charlie instead of it being performative to spite Lucifer like it was in this episode.

(side note: I like that Charlie defends his actions against her father. She sees it as protecting the hotel, which we learn is the truth. He did do it for pride, but he also cares about the hotel and does want to protect it. I like to see that Charlie’s ability to see the best in people does pay off at least somewhat.)

That little hint of care to his actions with the hotel isn’t all we get to see of Alastor's layers. He is still the infamous Radio Demon after all, so we also get to see his pride at play.

It’s his pride being hurt by Lucifer that causes him to play up his role in Charlie’s life. It’s his pride being hurt that leads him to taking on the loan sharks alone both to remind everyone of his power and to show what else he brings to the hotel.

It’s also what causes him to go off on Husk. Husk is the only character willing to call Alastor out. He knows Alastor better than anyone else at the hotel because of their past and his ability to see through his facade. And he hurts Alastor's pride when he calls him out with the truth: That he's on a leash just like him.

The reveal that Alastor is also on someone’s leash was expected, but well executed.

This episode let Alastor’s mask slip a bit and we got to see more of his real emotions/feelings about things.

Alastor was the character I thought would have the most layers to them. Characters like Charlie, Angel Dust, and Vaggie wear what they feel a bit more openly than a character like Alastor (or at the very least their true feelings come out more frequently). There are motives and mysteries behind Alastor’s actions that aren’t clear with him like they are with everyone else and his demeanor, words, and actions can conflict with his true feelings and that’s what draws me to him so much. His usual (kinda) goofy and cavalier attitude, cold and ruthless demeanor that can come out at the flick of a switch, and infamous past make it so learning about Alastor's true intentions and introducing the idea of him changing and coming to care is very intriguing to me.

I just think that Alastor is the character that is working the best in the show right now because his plotline and development is not going at a breakneck pace. We’ve only gotten hints about why he was gone for seven years, who he sold his soul to, why he appeared to help with the hotel, etc. His character progression is also taking its time. This is the first real hint we get that he does genuinely care about the hotel in his own way and it’s 5 episodes in. This is the kind of pacing and development that the whole show would benefit from.

This isn’t meant to be a shot at the show. I think it was put into a complicated situation because it was picked up initially for only 8 episodes (this is the type of show and large cast that needs at least twice as many) and was only renewed about halfway through the production of the first season, which I think explains why these episodes felt more coherent and fleshed out than the first four.

I really can’t wait to see where his character heads. He's still a walking question mark as of right now and every time we get a glimpse at his true intentions it's always fascinating because it's never clear cut where he stands.

Side note: I find it hilarious that Alastor created a rivalry between himself and Lucifer. The literal king of hell. Lucifer hurt Alastor’s pride and he immediately decided he would be as petty as possible towards him.

Charlie

I was always in the boat that Charlie was an interesting protagonist. The pilot set up a character that was very intriguing for the setting she was placed into. I didn’t think the three episodes necessarily handled her the best, but I think that was more a result of the rushed pacing and bloated plot. She’s handled significantly better from episode 4 on.

Episode 6 is where I think Charlie really came into her own as the protagonist of this series. The song where she stood up to heaven really sold me on her character.

“If hell is forever then heaven must be a lie. If angels can do whatever and remain in the sky. The rules are shades gray when you don’t do as you say. And you make the wretched suffer just to kill them again.”

Up until this point Charlie felt a bit limited in her actions. It really amounted to trust exercises and the hotel residents acting out made up situations. She seemed naive and well meaning, but ill equipped to actually address the mental health issues her people had due to the fact her upbringing was so sheltered. There was the potential for more, but it wasn’t given the time I felt it deserved.

But this is where she really got to step up and call out the inequality and hypocrisy of heaven. This is where we got to see her backbone and the true extent of her care for her people. She won’t back down or accept the flimsy excuses they use to persecute the denizens of hell.

I also really liked her belief in Angel Dust. Yeah, he made some mistakes (at least from heaven’s point of view), but Charlie had complete faith in the fact that he would meet their requirements. It’s this characteristic of her’s that is intrinsic to bringing out the best in the residents of the hotel and before this point it was on the periphery (like with Angel Dust in episode 4) or implied.

Episode 6 showed how important that characteristic is, especially to people who feel like they’re damned. (I like that Charlie is a good judge of character. It’s easy to take someone that’s privileged and naive and make them too trusting, but these two episodes show her belief in the best in the people at the hotel is founded.)

Another point I liked is that she was getting through to some of the angels. It’s a recurring gag that her presentations aren’t great. They’re written in crayon, flowery, and a little basic, but it’s the passion and critical thinking that she expresses in her presentations that shows that she can be a capable leader.

She effectively poked holes in their argument that the sinners in hell deserve to be there and had their chance.

Her duet with Emily was really good. The way she brought back “Hell is Forever” to call the angels and exorcists out was the best (as you could probably tell from the fact that I quoted it). It also introduces a theme that the next generation will work to change things. Both Emily and Charlie want things to be different and clash with their parents who are both afraid that their child might end up like Lucifer. It’s a very clear parallel that sets up a lot of plot potential.

Charlie really was great in these episodes.

Angel Dust

I will admit I think aspects of Angel’s arc are rushed. Him standing up to Val is a big moment and I like the fact that it happened while Charlie is trying to show heaven that they are wrong about sinners, but I wish that we had gotten more time to build to Angel Dust being able to “stick it to the man” because of how powerful I think his arc is and the themes it deals with.

Episode 4 was the first time we really got to see beneath Angel’s mask and truly see the potential for change that Charlie does. We only really got hints that Angel wanted to change, but was scared to try in the first 3 episodes. We also know that he doesn’t feel safe even when he’s not around Valentino.

Episode 4 is the turning point for him. When Val was abusing him he asked him not to hurt Charlie. His concern was solely for her in that moment despite the fact he was in the more tenuous position. He even forgives Charlie at the end because he knows her intentions are good. Plus his connection with Husk helped him find understanding so that he could come to feel like he could change.

It was the real start of his growth and it was well done in my opinion.

I just wish it had gotten a little more breathing room because while I do really like the plot points that occur in this episode I feel like they happened a bit too soon. (I know that it's been a few months in canon, but we didn't get to see that, so that slow progression doesn't have the impact it should)

I also liked that it called back to the pilot where she told the news that he was their patron and he ended up making them look bad because he was indulging in all his bad habits from before, but now it’s almost the opposite. Yeah, he drinks and does some drugs, but he shows his growth and proves Charlie’s point about sinners and it makes the angels argue among themselves.

Vaggie

The reveal that Vaggie was an ex-exorcist was something a lot of people made theories about. It was one that I wanted to be true because of what it would mean for Charlie and the dynamic of the hotel. I liked how it was revealed to Charlie.

This is another plot point that I think is rushed, but I think the execution is better than a lot of the other reveals that happened earlier in the series.

I feel like this reveal was a bit necessary for Vaggie’s character and the episode’s focus wasn’t split and I think that’s why I’m not as hard on it being rushed as I am on earlier plot points. Vaggie was the member of the hotel I thought suffered the most from the limited time/episode count.

The only focus she got was episode 3 and her arc in that episode was a bit clunky, which wasn’t helped by the fact that the other half of the episode with the overlords of hell was more interesting because it set up what looks like it will be a long term conflict and revealed a major plot point.

The rest of the hotel residents got slower paced, less cluttered focus. Alastor has been subject to quite a few plot lines and is a slow burn mystery with a lot of potential for growth. Angel Dust is the hotel’s first patron and the character positioned to be the poster boy for redemption, so of course his development is given the spotlight. Husk has a unique dynamic with everyone (Alastor and Angel in particular) and is a foil to Angel Dust which makes him a central figure/mentor in Angel getting himself together. Etc.

I think this creates a lot of potential for her character leading into the last two episodes and gives her depth that I really want to see explored. I don’t really know what to say about the reveal beyond the fact that I’m really excited to see how this shakes Charlie and the hotel. How will this effect the other residents? Will Vaggie take a stand against the angels when they come for the hotel? Will we see her grief/conflict over her past actions now that they’ve been revealed?

There’s so many directions they can take this that I can’t wait for episode 7.

One smaller note is that I wish that the threat of Adam telling Charlie about Vaggie's secret had played more of a part in the episode and Vaggie actually had to choose between standing beside her girlfriend or stopping her. She just excuses herself to the restroom instead of making that choice and it felt like a missed opportunity.

Lucifer

Lucifer is a very interesting character in the limited screen time he’s had so far. The direction they took him is different from most of the other dads in Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss. The fact that he does care and was the person that was the original motivation for Charlie to open the Hazbin Hotel is a refreshing direction to take after all the bad dads this series has.

He’s so afraid that Charlie will end up like him. That she’s putting her faith in the wrong people. That hell’s denizens aren’t capable of redemption. All these fears stem from his own crushed dreams from his fall at the hands of heaven.

It’s a nice change of pace.

I also love how he’s just as petty as Alastor, taking any shot he can at the Radio Demon to one up him when it comes to their respective relationships to Charlie.

Extra Thoughts

Sir Pentious having a crush on Cherry Bomb, but being absolutely horrible at acting on it was really funny. Sir Pentious is such a fun character.

I love that the theory that Alastor made a deal with Lilith seems more and more plausible with every episode. It certainly would explain the fact that they were both gone for seven years and how Alastor was such a dominant force in hell from the start. I want Alastor’s backstory asap.

I like that Alastor’s overwhelming power among sinners is re-established here. He’s someone that you don’t mess with. And I like that the way that people don’t react to him as much as before is because of his 7 year absence. I did think it was strange that he’s so infamous for brutally toppling powerful overlords, but people don’t go running like you’d expect in the first few episodes.

Alastor and Husk have such a complicated dynamic. I really want to learn more about their history. Alastor has no problems tearing overlords that come across him apart, but Husk ended up with a deal to keep his power. Why is that? And while Alastor does own his soul Husk will call him out on things and can read him so much better than anyone else. Alastor lets these slide until he points out that Alastor is also on a leash like him. And Alastor had to have told Husk that he sold his soul because how else would Husk know that. All these things make for one of the most interesting and complicated dynamics of the show.

I do want to make clear that I think Alastor is a character of duality and contradiction. There's a hint that he does care about the hotel and the possibility of him growing to care for the residents, but he's still the sadistic and cruel Radio Demon. There's just a glimpse of change there now.

I really like the parallels between Emily and Charlie. I really like the idea that this seems to set up that the next generation is going to step up and take a stand against the mistakes of the previous generation. This one episode set the groundwork for a really interesting arc for Emily and her potential dynamic with Charlie.

I love Angel Dust. That's it. I just wanted to say that.

#hazbin hotel #alastor #charlie #vaggie #angel dust #welcome to heaven #dad beat dad

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beepborpdoodledorp · 2 months ago

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alright, I'm in need of a palate cleanser, TADC Episodes ranking because why not

Now that Episode 4's marked the (almost) halfway point of the show it's as good a time as any to do a personal ranking and also I want to procrastinate working on more angsty fanart as much as possible for my own sanity

Mystery of Mildenhall Manor

What is there that I can even add to this conversation, the episode is fucking stellar. Pomni and Kinger's dynamic is impeccable start to end and I'm a sucker for anything remotely resembling the found family trope so that just further elevates my opinion, and as both an avid Zooble enjoyer and a very un-cis person their subplot hit me hard. And oh my God, the hallway scene, it's still my single favorite moment in the entire show. The soundtrack, the atmosphere, the gorgeous visuals, the emotional build-up from the conversation beforehand, I want to just absorb the essence of this scene into my bone structure. I've watched this episode twice so far and both times the hallway scene almost made me cry. I'd recommend this in a heartbeat to someone who isn't even interested in TADC or the wider genres it belongs to, it's just that fucking good.

2. Fast Food Masquerade

It is. Probably not that hard to figure out where I stand on this episode considering how much I've been annoying every TADC tag under the sun the past 72 hours. I absolutely adored this episode, was literally everything I wanted and more based on the promo material. I love Gangle, her storyline about hiding her depression hit way too hard, I love Zooble, I love Gangle and Zooble being gay as fuck, I love Ragatha being absolutely fried the entire episode, I love Jax showing three whole seconds of human decency. Gummigoo. Oh my God. With how much praise I just threw Episode 3's way it's probably weird to learn I actually think Episode 4 is an overall better episode (by a very thin margin, but still), it just gave us a lot more interactions and development with the group as a whole which is something we were mostly lacking in up until this point usually due to the group being separated at some point or another during an adventure. In all honesty if Episode 3 didn't have the hallway scene I'd probably put it in this spot, but it does and the hallway scene fucks so Episode 4 is down here.

3. Candy Carrier Chaos

Again, what can I even add to this conversation. A great expansion after our first taste of TADC, Gummigoo solos, I love sentient AIs undergoing existential crises as they come to terms with the implications of their existence. My one major complaint (which I had back when the episode first released and it's just been amplified with the last two episodes' releases) is just that we don't get much content of any of the main cast besides Pomni, their interactions are surface-level and don't offer us basically anything new from what we saw of them in the pilot. But that also wasn't what the episode was about so I can mostly give it a pass.

4. PILOT

The pilot was a very good jumping off point for the series and is decent as a standalone, but after rewatching it about a month or two back I don't think it's aged all that well. Again, it's still a perfectly fine watch and does its job of setting up all the stepping stones for the series, but the best way I can describe the pilot is…cluttered. It's just a lot of information and events you need to fit into one twenty-minute episode, so most of the episode goes at a breakneck pace in between a lot of back-to-back jokes that sometimes miss the mark (mostly the fault of Caine, I love him but he is definitely a character who is most effective in short bursts of screentime). You can definitely tell they were still trying to get a feel of things while making this episode and that's completely fine! It's a pilot, that's the whole point. Just doesn't really hold up when compared to its successors.

#im aware i could've just used tiermaker for this and it would've looked a lot less ugly #but also i didn't want to go through the trouble of making a tier list that consisted of just four items lol #tadc #the amazing digital circus

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sepublic · 3 months ago

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What if we had episodes on the other four coven heads who were never properly introduced; Vitimir, Osran, Mason, and Hettie Cutburn? Plus some other storylines, dynamics, and ideas I'd have liked to see.

What follows is a canon-compliant set of four scripts, each comprising a hypothetical episode of its own. These are set between O Titan, Where Art Thou and Clouds on the Horizon. Luz, Eda, and King find themselves on an usual road trip in the final days before the Day of Unity, helping the CATTs' and other people's objectives along the way; It begins and ends in Latissa.

I didn't just want to write fanfics; I wanted to draft hypothetical 'lost episodes', I wanted to play with the idea of the show getting four specials to introduce the remaining four coven heads, and elaborate on other ideas that didn't get to be explored. So I wrote scripts, and I designed them to feel as much like TOH episodes as possible.

I realized there are 'rules' to TOH episodes; If there are separate A and B-plots, they must be connected in some way. They usually stem from a common premise, diverging and eventually converging; Sometimes in the next episode, as seen into late Season 2B! These episodes want to convey ideas, themes, lessons, etc. And perhaps most importantly, Luz is the main character; She has to have some sort of presence and involvement. Labyrinth Runners stands out as the exception, and so I tried to maintain it as the one and only exception.

The original plan was to write out these scripts, and then keep cutting them down until I fit within the 22-minute format; Because these definitely go past that length, especially if you want these Lost Hoots to have a breathable pace. But I decided to just show all my ideas as is, because it's not as if these scripts will ever become actual episodes.

Perhaps in the future I'll do TV-length versions of these, but my point is: I already had a lot of respect and consideration for how difficult it must've been for the writers to fit in as much as possible, while operating by their standard rules, and still having the episodes themselves be good and not at a breakneck pace where it's more quantity than quality; That respect has grown even more. I haven't even taken into account when the cut to the commercial break happens!

Not only are these Lost Hoots meant to fit into canon, but they even have titles and codes meant to fit into Season 2's hidden message! These are by no means hidden, but it's a fun treat to consider; What if I made these episodes in such a way that if they were produced, a new viewer wouldn't be able to tell the difference unless a veteran explained it to them? I wanted these episodes to feel seamless; They cap off prior ideas, while leading into future, canon events, who in turn feel like the payoff to the setup within these hypothetical Lost Hoots.

With all that in mind, I thank anyone who clicks on this, and I hope you enjoy!

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milgram-tournament · 1 year ago

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MILGRAM Best Song Tournament, Round 1, Match 3 THROW DOWN vs. THIS IS HOW TO BE IN LOVE WITH YOU

Propaganda for both options under the cut!

Propaganda for THROW DOWN:

silly point is that throw down was my top song for this past year and i havent even been into milgram that long so. good song. also i sang it on stage once so. anyway

Flower imagery!!!! god i love flower imagery

the vocals are good

it has a banger es cover too

"ethics are a delusion" is singlehandedly the funniest line to come out of the t1 songs

the mv is SO pretty like. holy shit

the first note constantly jumpscares me

also i like the clock sounds in the background of the verses

the instrumental,,,,

throwdown is just a really nice. calmish song that still has the whole desperation thing conveyed through his voice props to va for that cuz its relatively subtle but really adds to it imo

im reiterating that ethics is a delusion is the funniest thing to me

also i really like the bridge (the whisper part)

irrelevant to the song itself but i like his fit in throw down i'd wear that irl

gardening/pruning as imagery is so fun for a surgeon character

also vocally i just really like throw down its calm sounding yet theres a hint of like. desperation? despair? in his voice and thats really cool to me

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Jackalope's note: Only one propaganda piece... hmmhehe. Well, I'm glad our resident pretty girl got tons of asks! But I feel a little bad about Shidou, so let's let him argue his case at least! Oi! Shidou! Get over here! Oi! Sheesh, it's like he can't even hear me! This is why I need to send the reminders early...

(mod's propaganda: While I love both songs very much, Throw Down has a special place for me in that I can actually sing it. You sing way too fast, Mappi!! I also just think using flower imagery both made the MV one of the prettiest ones we have yet and helped distance both the viewer and shidou himself to the reality of his sin... I also really like the ethics is a delusion bit lol)

Propaganda for TIHTBILWY:

okay so like the thing im most in love with: the VOCALS!!!! this song has an absolutely AMAZING singer and AMAZING vocals!!!! the way the conversational talk-singing lines still feel so musical!!!! the cute cute cuteeeee mahiru voice!!!! it brings you so much energy!!!! its a song sung with so much love!!!! mahirus va brings such an amazing feel to the song with such amazing talk-singing!!!! its very skillfully done and it happens in i love you too!! mahiru songs r the QUEENS of musical talk singing

the silly phone call bit. kurururu~!

the little vocal flourish and the way her voice raises up like an excited exclamation in the final prechorus!! daijoubu nante kirai DA!

its such a fast song but everything flows so well!!!! it makes it feel so bright and cheery and peppy!!

the instrumental is so underrated just LISTEN to that catchy bass line thats so pretty in the verses!!!! no for real even if u dont vote this is how to be in love with you go listen to the bass line in the verses it works to move both the song and the listener forward at mahirus sweeping breakneck pace. and the cute keyboard sounding and synth instruments!!!! its SUCH a danceable song!!!! i cant listen to it without bopping along in my seat

the way the ominous bits are subtly hidden? it all sounds so cute but there are just these Things that she sings that are really kind of concerning and unhealthy when she sings them!! and the veiled desperation to be in her relationship- listening to that and the cheery tone and breakneck, quick song pace, it really does represent mahiru SO well. she throws in all these little bits that just go noooo teehee the relationships just fine!! when it REALLY isnt

i would listen to mahiru talk for hours

the MV!!!!!! HER FASHION SENSE THE MAGAZINE STYLE!!!! the magazine style especially works so well with her character!!!! its so cute and stunning and just looking at it you have a blast. also her birdcage!!!! her birdcage and the bright orange and the pink bars!!!! the way everything desaturates and becomes more sickly looking when she wakes up at the end!!!! its such a happy carefully curated and designed dream and then it drains away!!!! also god all her outfits are stunning. mahiru call me

the way she sings "overheat de~!" cutest thing in the WORLD.

the little faces she makes!!!! godddd shes so expressive

actually the whole songs so expressive!!!! shes putting her all into it!!!! her words have so much expression in them!!!! once more praising mahirus va the way her voice can soften and become bright or subtly desperate so quickly is MASTERFUL control of expression when singing and its so underrated. join me in being insane over miho okasaki delivers her lines. shes such a perfect mahiru.

funniest es cover. hands down. funniest es cover.

this is how to be in love with you is FREE serotonin!!!! free energy right there!!!! this is how to be in love with you sweep!!!!!

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-The song is so cheerful!! I always feel like dancing and singing when this one comes up in my playlists!! Absolute banger, mood definer, kicking sadness in the shin with those high-heels and then hitting its face with a cute purse -THE HIGH-HEELS STEPPING TO THE BEAT OF THE MUSIC IN THAT ONE SCENE (0:50). SIMPLY ICONIC. NO ONE DID IT LIKE HER. -👠💅👝👗 -She is slaying. Look at her outfits. She put so much effort there. She gave it her all. Absolutely serving. -SUKITTE KIMOCHI WAKATTA TSUMORI? NARA KONO MAMA FUTARI O-VA-HI-TO- DE -The storyline of the mv MAKES SENSE and you can form a COHESIVE TIMELINE OF EVENTS (unlike other unspecified contestants' mvs you know 🙄) -look at herr 🥺 she beby 🥺 all she did was love too much 🥺 we all love mappi don't we 🥺 she deserved more let her win this pleease 🥺 -No medical malpractice happened in the making of this mv 👍

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I care so much about This is How To Be In Love With You- it's visuals are brilliant in the ways it conveys its themes and narrative. I'm never normal Ever about the "Love as marketing" symbolism that is brought in by the use of magazines. It's a lovely upbeat song but the Horrors are Always Lurking under it, the breakup Ritual line is my Favorite Line cause its so horrifying but its said so casually and its so good oh its so good-

#milgram #milgramtournament #shidou kirisaki #mahiru shiina #(sorry for posting an hour late! I was waiting for some more propaganda asks haha)

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quillyfied · 2 months ago

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HELLO, my fellow feral girlies (GN)! How about that episode, huh? Gosh I sure hope nobody was too comfortable with that ending, because as much as I have now built my house inside of the way Blitzo’s fingertips linger on Stolas’ cheek, this episode was as much setup as it was payoff and we have SO MUCH GROUND TO COVER. Buckle up, buttercups, time to dissect Mastermind! In over six thousand words!!

I CALLED IT, BITCHES, BOTH STOLAS AND IMP WERE ALWAYS GONNA BE IN DEEP LEGAL SHIT. I CALLED THAT. I ALSO CALLED BEE AND OZZIE STANDING UP FOR BLITZO. I was NOT EXPECTING this vision to come true so soon, nor for it to be covered in a single episode, but pacing issues aside…holy shit. We have FEASTED. And to be honest, even the pacing issue isn’t so much an issue for me; when Our Flag Means Death was airing its second season, they released the episodes in batches but left the finale to air on its own, and that…woof. It made the finale feel breakneck in a way that was already upsetting, given the budget and episode number cuts and then the subsequent cancellation. However, watching all of season 2 in one shot somehow fixed that issue; the finale no longer felt so fast-paced and sudden when watched in context. I do have to wonder if Mastermind is going to feel the same way upon future rewatches. Obviously I haven’t had the time to test this theory yet. Okay. Initial thoughts out of the way, now for an attempt at more chronology:

Do y’all wonder if Andrealphus’ butler has white fingertips from frostbite after years of working for this ice bitch? Because all of the imp’s extremities being white is kind of really upsetting actually.

Andrealphus is…SUCH a bitch. Like. Dramatic, evil, campy bitch. I would love to know his backstory, like how old he actually is and how much of a hand in Stella’s raising and arranged marriage he had. (There will of course be a Stella introspective later, but let’s focus on the brother for now, since he’s hogging the spotlight.) It’s interesting to me to see this episode just how entitled Andrealphus feels…to Stolas’ power and assets. And how so very carefully he lays his trap for Stolas after learning the crucial information needed to orchestrate Stolas’ downfall. It’s exquisite, actually.

(Don’t start humming Bo Burnham’s Unpaid Intern song under your breath during the intern scene. Don’t do it.)

…do we need to have a discussion about how the photos the Hell Cops use are what seems like a candid shot of Loona at a party, Blitzo and Moxxie’s mug shots, and possibly a wanted poster or another candid of Millie during her solo days? Do we need to pick that apart? We probably don’t but it seems very likely to me that the picture of Loona is a snapshot of Bee’s party, possibly with Bee’s hands on her shoulders (and if not Bee, maybe Tex? It’s been a bit, I can’t quite remember), which…yikes. Feels like a paparazzi shot.

This whole sequence of trying to HIDE EVERYTHING (see: DESTROY EVERYTHING) is so deeply funny and also so…so very dark. Loona grabbing the picture of their first mission together as IMP. Blitzo doing his usual of bullying Moxxie but taking him along as Blitzo goes to get the others. Blitzo doing his best to protect his family from the Hell Cops and ultimately failing. The speed of all of this is disconcerting and it does feel very fast, but consider from a story perspective how deliberate that is. Blitzo can’t schedule a yearly shot for Loona more frequently than every five years, but Andrealphus apparently just needs a brunch hour to pull together an entire ass trial in front of every available Goetia and Sin in Hell. We also don’t actually know when Andrealphus and Stella’s conversation happened, so it’s possible this has been months in the making, but it feels like we would have some indication if that was the case. It’s so much darker and bleaker to realize that all Andrealphus needs to ruin an imp’s life is more or less just a phone call.

Muzzling Loona was just a low blow, though. Like. From a safety standpoint, she has the most natural weaponry there, so it makes sense, but it’s just cruel. I get it, Hell, but still. Yikes.

(CAN WE TALK ABOUT WHY LUCIFER’S SIGIL IS CRACKED??)

And here he is…Satan. Not disappointed by him, especially not by his little relaxation guru (Yogirt omgf), but I do see what Viv meant by his design maybe being less creative or out there compared to, like, Ozzie. And, uh, holy shit, can we talk about the background politics of all of this? There’s just so much, wow, my brain is going absolutely a mile a minute, like—look at the size differentials between the Sins. Lucifer is the smallest, obvi, we stan a short king, but we know that all of the Sins we’ve seen so far have a much larger, more aggressive form. Satan is SO MUCH BIGGER than the rest of them. And he’s presumably in his CASUAL FORM. Size is not an indicator of power but you don’t give a character that size and THAT VOICE and not expect him to be an absolute unit. Likely the strongest Sin present, the one that the other Sins seem to defer to, the self-proclaimed ruler of the dark (and yeah, it was a bit too ambiguous an acting choice to hint that Satan is lying about ruling the dark before Lucifer’s Fall just by Oz and Bee looking grimly up at Lucifer’s empty chair, but with everything going on in this episode, I don’t blame them for not taking the time to make that more clear tbh. There’s always a future episode or short. Or Hazbin Hotel). Crimson would shit himself before ever daring to blackmail Satan. Satan’s name is used in place of God’s in most of the blasphemous swears in this show, except for two very interesting key moments in this very episode. Most interestingly of all, Satan himself is the one who invokes Lucifer’s name on one of these occasions (“What in Lucifer’s Hell is this?” when Stolas hops in to save Blitzo). The other, tellingly, is Stolas, a royal demon who resides in Pride. Y’know, Pride. Lucifer’s ring. Lucifer isn’t the one running the courtroom about to execute Stolas’ beloved, but Lucifer would absolutely be one of the few Sins in that room who could maybe see through what Stolas is doing in trying to take the blame, who MIGHT be even a little bit sympathetic to an impossible love like Stolas and Blitzo’s (to say nothing of Ozzie and Bee), and the ONLY Sin who could interfere with Satan’s judgement. Like. Copyright reasons aside, there is a very real story reason for why Lucifer being in that courtroom might not be a good idea, and I will live with that delusion happily, thank you.

Cannot believe Andrealphus went the rapist angle with Blitzo. It’s so cleverly evil. It’s a multi-purpose motive: first, explain why Stolas isn’t present (didn’t want to make him face his abuser, THE IRONY); second, draw out Blitzo’s fury, bc the madder he is, the less he’s going to be able to articulate (see the “I’d just kill him myself” debacle) and thus less chance of anyone there listening to him; third, to draw Stolas out and make him admit the truth, or at least assume blame. And the ways Andrealphus still just belittles and mocks Stolas even as he’s assuming a concerned brother in law role, the VICTIM BLAMING of it all (“too weak and ashamed to come forward about it” BITCH, also say it louder for every single person who’s been railing about how Stolitz is toxic because one or the other is a rapist, you are literally agreeing with the peacock so far in the closet he thinks pointing out how hot his sister is is what straight people do and he is blending in with the Straights so well by continuing to do that, and on top of that, THE PEACOCK KNOWS HE’S LYING, congrats and maybe consider that more closely). Accusing Blitzo of sexual assault also allows Andrealphus to enforce the class divides, because Blitzo is aberrant in every way an imp isn’t supposed to be: he dares to assault his betters, he dares to run his own business, he dares to steal royal artifacts to access the mortal realm without supervision or restraint, he dares to talk back when accused. He has to paint Blitzo as dangerous, both for Stolas to come to the courtroom and to enforce to the lower classes forced to watch this tripe that this is what happens when an imp steps out of line.

And if Blitzo stepping out of line is the set dressing, then let’s all remember the real reason behind this, the catalyst to Andrealphus’ much-schemed power grab: this is all happening because Stolas slept with an imp. An IMP. Stella called him a treasonous embarrassment over it, raged over it the way she likely would not have had he chosen a more suitable bedwarmer; Andrealphus calls him a deviant freak. The fact that lending out Stolas’ grimoire is a crime on par with sleeping with the lower class really paints what a farce this whole thing is. Because lending out the grimoire? Bad, but if Stolas is being victimized here then at least it makes sense and can be forgiven. Willingly sleeping with an imp? Loving an imp? Unconscionable. Deviant. Unwholesome. Unfit for duties.

Even Oz and Bee catching flak from Mammon about slumming it with the lower classes and getting NO SUPPORT from anyone in the room over it besides each other is so much more than I ever expected Helluva Boss to give us on the class divide front. I worry for this show, because tackling such a heavy and complex topic like that can be really make or break (too little and it’s pandering, too much and it’s not a comedy anymore and we are already straddling that line too hard), but in a lot of ways, pointing out the hypocrisy and the flaws is such a huge part of the battle anyway. Fixing it should be the goal, but…I mean, we can simplify a lot in fiction. Have happy endings and redemptions in fiction that couldn’t ever happen in real life. Fandom and fiction are not activism, but they are important staging grounds for discussion, and I’m so curious about where the discussion is going to go in this show, when the emphasis is so much upon the characters and less the plot and setting (though neither of those are slacking much either).

ALRIGHT TIME TO THROW PHILOSOPHY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE OUT THE WINDOW, VASSAGO IS HERE. I love him. I love his boots. I love him cussing Andrealphus out in Spanish. I love the Harvey Guillen of him. I love how his very existence proves that Stolas isn’t alone, that there are other Goetia—and likely established Goetia—who aren’t blinded by their own importance. I want to know how long he’s been around too, tbh. I want him and Stolas to become wonderful besties. Stolas needs a friend SO BADLY.

Tiny RIP for how the amount of story and character bits that have to be given priority and thus making it so we don’t get to see Asmodeus realizing he’s in the same room as the guy who kidnapped and tried to murder Fizzarolli. We don’t get to see Fizz realizing that the cowboy fuckface who kidnapped him is testifying against his best friend. We don’t get to see Striker taking Bombproof to the vet. Tragic. (Also, is it just me, or is the scar on the wrong eye? It might just be me.)

“We don’t know who wanted Stolas dead” riiiiight, right, right, right, the only people who know that are Stolas, Striker, Stella, and Andrealphus. Right. RIGHT. RIGHT. RIIIIGHT.

OCTAVIA AT LEAST SHOULD FIND OUT SOMEDAY OKAY. LIKE. OUT OF EVERYONE, SHE DESERVES TO KNOW WHAT HER MOTHER DID.

The many ways this trial is so not about justice at all is infuriating, and rightfully so, but the way NO ONE CARES that Striker literally asked for his line and Andrealphus fed it to him is just—it’s so—AAAAUGH.

Also, I love that Satan just…lets them argue. Just straight up lets the other Sins call each other names until he finally gets bored. Because letting Sins do that is a better use of time than letting Blitzo defend himself at all. Because this was all just a show of power, a pageant for the upper class to pat itself on the back over. (Vassago’s thoughtful looks, though. This fight is only just beginning, I can feel it. Satan had the balls to call Stolas out on his hubris, when really it’s his own and absolutely Andrealphus’ that might be about to bring their own castles down around their ears?? NICE.)

SATAN SAYING THIS WILL BE BROADCASTED TO REMIND IMPKIND THAT THE SINS’ POWER CANT BE CHALLENGED AGAIN. FUCKING AGAIN. WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN AGAIN. And, specifically, IMPkind. Just the imps. Not all the demons. Just imps. Only imps. Is he saying this because Blitzo’s existence is really that much of a threat to them in this moment, that his alleged actions are that much of a challenge to Hellish authority? Or is there some hidden lore in that proclamation that we’re gonna get in the future? Gosh I hope it’s hidden lore, I would love to know about how much a pain in the ass imps are despite Satan “creating them to be obedient” what the FUCK, Sin of Wrath?? How does that make any sense?

(Moment of silence for how Oz’s hands are tied; he doesn’t have the power to go against Satan’s sentencing, not even for Fizz, and we all know he’d do almost anything for Fizz. But this is the hierarchy of Hell that Ozzie would be challenging, and as high up as he is…I genuinely don’t know if it’s a CAN’T, or a WON’T. It might be both.)

Hang on have to sob about Blitzo telling his family that he loves them before he’s publicly executed on hellwide television.

ONLY TO BE SAVED BY STOLAS OF THE ARS GOETIA, PLAYING THE HERO AND PROTECTING AN IMP. We don’t know how much Stolas knows up until this point, but it’s very likely nothing. He just sees Blitzo about to be executed while channel flipping; if he saw the part where Andrealphus accuses Blitzo of assault, he would have been there so much sooner. Which is why that bit of pageantry was as much for the royals’ benefit as for Stolas’, had he managed to see it.

Now. The Song. The thing giving me goosebumps this very second. Because Stolas is still catching up to the situation, he can’t address the actual concerns regarding himself that Andrealphus laid on the table, but he sure can lay down a total cover to protect Blitzo and negate anything that might possibly have been said. He doesn’t need to know the specifics. Blitzo is about to be executed and the only thing he’s done that would warrant that sort of response is using the grimoire, something Stolas knew was going to get them both into trouble from the beginning. Might as well go whole hog, then, and claim total responsibility. Not only that, but package it to the court in a way that they can understand: Stolas was using the imp for undisclosed nefarious deeds, very evil, very cunning, isn’t he just a mastermind? All of that was public. Everything else in this song that happens under the reversed color palette? That’s inner thoughts, baybee. And I highly doubt that Blitzo and Stolas can hear each other during their duet, what with Stolas keeping his back turned for most of it, and certainly no one else could hear it, but I do think that people in the know about Blitzo and Stolas and their entire messy situation could probably infer it. AND BLITZO SANG. ACTUALLY SANG. HE IS READY TO COMMUNICATE ON THAT EMOTIONAL LEVEL. SO HUGE. Like. Blitzo doesn’t sing. He doesn’t meet the people around him on that level. But he’s been trying lately. He’s been wanting to change, wanting to meet his loved ones at that level, to meet Stolas at that level. Of COURSE it takes staring death in the face for Blitzo to realize that; nobody else in this show can ever have an emotional epiphany under normal circumstances, so why would this be any different? XD But back to my point: Stolas and Blitzo have admitted now to loving each other, but. BUT. I strongly doubt that they admitted it out loud TO each other yet. I could be wrong. But I don’t think I am. I have to gush about how this inner thoughts part of the song visually mirrors both Look My Way and the Truth Seekers hallucination, what with the golden feathers and the water and the cosmos.

“You’re my light.” “You’re my heart.” “And only death can rend our love apart.” FUCK. FUUUUUUUCK. EXCUSE ME, NEED TO GRIND MY FACE INTO SOME DIRT AND WEEP. (Because, again, I do not believe that they heard each other here. They’re in sync, but not together, not yet. But, oh, the beauty of it—Blitzo is the light, the guide, the one who showed Stolas he didn’t have to live in an eternal twilight of misery; Stolas is the heart, the lifeblood, the keeper of Blitzo’s tender emotional side that’s been hurt so much but keeps persisting because protecting the heart is what keeps him alive. And they’ve always known that choosing each other would be dangerous, social and physical death in the worst ways, but living without each other is worse, these BEAUTIFUL MORONS.)

If y’all needed more proof that the emotional aside was not sung for all of Hell to hear: Satan is directly replying to Stolas’ claim of being the mastermind, reminding him and all of Hell that breaking demon law means consequences from the keeper of that law. (All the Sins, even the sympathetic ones, standing up and agreeing that Satan is the Law, I have CHILLS.) If anyone in that room had heard the emotional aside, there’s no doubt in my mind that Blitzo would have been executed simply for the crime of being beloved by a Goetia, to teach Stolas a lesson about his place in the hierarchy and what that means for him to step outside of his box as well. It would have undone all of Stolas’ work to protect Blitzo through belittling and undermining him to the rest of the court. So that devastating emotional aside is just for them, just for Stolas and Blitzo, perhaps passing in a mere moment of eye contact—enough to see each other, to have personal realizations in sync with each other, but not enough time to SAY anything to each other.

Credit where it’s due, Stolas faces death and the begging of his beloved with impeccable poise. Something that I have loved about the Hellaverse is their understated portrayal of suicidal ideation, particularly in Stolas. From his very first musical number assuring his daughter that even if he is gone, SHE will be okay, it’s been a part of his character. He’s been ready to die from a young age. And to die for his beloved? Protecting him? I’m sure Stolas could think of fewer more fitting ends for himself. Because Octavia will be okay. And so will Blitzo. They’ll be okay without him.

BUT TELL THAT TO BLITZO AND HIS TEARS, OKAY, because even as he reunites with his family, he’s vacant-eyed staring into the distance with tears falling down his face because HIS HEART IS ABOUT TO BE EXECUTED. HIS HEART.

Okay in Stolas’ defense, the executioner should not be lifting his axe like that if they aren’t planning to execute him. Ugh I just need to gush about how Stolas truly did not realize that the punishment for him would be different than for Blitzo. He has a lot to work through. A LOT. But. Like. Can we at least give him that his heart is in the right place? That he was willing to die for Blitzo, fully expected nothing less than to take on this burden for his beloved, only to get slapped with banishment instead? HOLY SHIT CAN WE TALK ABOUT RECKLESSNESS AND CONSEQUENCES? Because Andrealphus said all the way back in Western Energy that KILLING STOLAS SHOULD NOT BE THE GOAL. He knew damn well that Stolas was never in any danger of dying here. Stolas isn’t useful to them dead. But STOLAS doesn’t realize this. He has no idea he’s played directly into Andrealphus’ hands until it’s too late. And his own recklessness, his choice of love over duty, comes with a consequence: Octavia. If he had been given time to consider the choice he was really making, I’m not sure Stolas could do it. Blitzo is his light and Octavia is his Starfire. Blitzo reignited his passion for life, but Octavia kept him going when it was darkest. Blitzo is the love he chose against all expectations and rules. Octavia is the love he found in the midst of his duty, and she is inextricably tied to it, at least for now. His love for her sort of blinded him to how sheltered and naïve she is. Fairness to them both, Stella made it a difficult situation, much more difficult than it had to be, and this family situation is messy even without the power grabs and responsibilities and expectations surrounding it all. But to choose love, only to lose family? Gutting. And all too real for many in the audience, I’m sure.

I haven’t listened to Hadestown, but I wish to express my absolute delight at Patrick Page’s gigglefest as Satan. It’s adorable. He’s having fun. You can hear the fun he’s having. I love this show.

Okay okay okay OKAY OKAY OKAY. Ice Princess Andrealphus…uses FIRE…to get rid of Stolas’ chains. I don’t fully understand the implications of that but I would like to circle this scene several times with a red marker and leave at least four post-it notes for future reference. Is he actually using fire magic? Do the chains just react that way when a Goetia touches them to be rid of them? WHAT DOES IT MEAN??? (Also the silly bird expressions Andrealphus has this entire scene is just. Chef’s kiss, no notes, strip the coat off again bc it’s hilarious.)

I notice that despite this all happening according to Andrealphus’ plan…it still doesn’t happen according to plan. Stolas is stripped of his powers, but only temporarily; the rings never converge onto Andrealphus to give him Stolas’ power and legions and resources. It’s like Satan is just storing them for safekeeping (which makes Andrealphus’ wasted coat-ripping all the funnier, holy fuck I love it). Stolas is about to be way more vulnerable than he ever was before, still immortal but not powerful; I wonder what stipulations are in place for if Stolas dies before his sentence is finished, and before Octavia is of age to take on her father’s place? Prediction: Andrealphus now has Stolas in a place where his death would be beneficial. Despite not getting the exact verdict he wanted, Andrealphus still has the upper hand.

Gotta give it to Hell; they don’t waste any time showing Stolas how they feel. I have SO MANY MANY more thoughts about this situation and what it means and what it WILL mean, but let’s get through the rest of this chronology first before I go off the rails. I admit, I saw a thousand fanfics come true in the last ten minutes of this episode, but Stolas getting a Glee Slushy treatment from every other lowborn demon in Hell was not on my bingo card. Stolas, dear thing, once again didn’t think through consequences, because he didn’t expect to have to live through them. This is a very unexpected one, imo. Stolas painted himself the villain. Now he’s touchable and vulnerable and has to live with that. Wow.

The way the rest of IMP seems very spent but also awkward…I cannot wait to dig into that. Because they were the people picking Blitzo up after the fallout, so I can’t imagine they have some warm and fuzzy feelings towards Stolas. Especially not Loona. Though her giving Stolas her own sweater to wear speaks to me that she’s gonna try, because he did save her dad’s life. AND LOONA SAID I LOVE YOU DAD. THE ONLY I LOVE YOU THAT MATTERS RIGHT NOW. And the LOOK on Stolas’ face after it happens?? The realizations, the implications, everything hitting him right now? Like LOL birdy babe you are IN IT now.

Blitzo throwing some casual Spanish words in this episode after the appearance of Vassago. Idk why that’s so funny to me.

And the FUCKING FIREWORKS FOR BLITZO NOT BEING EXECUTED. There’s about to be some class warfare up in here, huh? BRING IT ON, HELLUVA BOSS. I’M EXCITED.

Hang on, obligatory moment to pause and reflect at how pretty Stolas is while he’s devastated, and how sweet Blitzo’s affection towards him is, and ignoring my own uneasiness and sense of impending doom, loving the canon couch fanfics, daydreaming about Secretary Stolas, hold it, hold it—

Got it. Time to ruin my own parade.

Feeling very nervous about the future of Stolas and Blitzo and their relationship right now (they’re endgame but it ain’t the endgame yet lol), because I feel we are just beginning a new phase of shit: Stolas just had his circus fire moment. He doesn’t realize yet just how damaged his relationship with his daughter is, he hasn’t gone through the “slapped in the face by his father and banned from seeing his mutilated best friend” part yet. But he’s in shock, shown best by his pupils not disappearing yet. He’s processing. He’s floating. He’s numb. There will come a break here soon where he has to expel all the venom inside of him, the unfairness of what just occurred, how much he hurts. And a lot of that is going to be him regurgitating some classist internalized shit, some clueless woe-is-me-ness that tbh…at least he isn’t dead. At least that was never on the table. Unlike for CERTAIN BELOVED IMPS. However. To give Stolas grace and put the crock of shit that Stolas has landed in into perspective: Stolas is only to live like a commoner for a century, but he’s a young Goetia with a young daughter to think about. This is destroying him mentally to contemplate. He already thought he had no more stories to be told at the tender age of twenty-three at most; a century is nothing to the immortal royals but it’s everything to an immortal royal who hasn’t even cleared his first half of a century yet. Who hasn’t even hit FORTY yet. No WONDER he’s so shellshocked and listless. One hundred years without Octavia? When they’re both still so young, feel the passage of time so keenly?? You know how to you, an adult, a year passes in a blink, but to a kid, five minutes is an interminable hell? YOU KNOW HOW THE PASSING OF TIME IS WORSE WHEN YOU’VE EXPERIENCED LESS OF IT??

Like again holy shit he isn’t okay at all, and he still doesn’t realize how bad things are still going to get, because the bird had further to fall in this arrangement always. Blitzo gets the raw end of the deal and he dies, like he always expected to (maybe not in a televised public execution holy shit), but his reputation and social worth was always pretty low. Stolas is a prince. Stolas lives on a golden perch. That is a steep fall, baby bird. And now that he’s willingly sacrificed his image for Blitzo, become the bad guy, only to get thrown to the wolves? Andrealphus knew what he was doing and I am positive is going to try to kill him again. He is without powers and without resources. He’s vulnerable as shit.

And the thing which causes me more unease about all of this: their positions are reversed. Socially, Stolas is now the most hated being in Hell while Blitzo has just moved up to most beloved, and that success is more than likely about to affect his tax bracket (or at least what kind of apartment he can afford). Blitzo is soft and caring and protective while Stolas is unresponsive and numb. Blitzo’s relationship with his daughter is thriving while Stolas’ is falling apart. It would be so easy to enter a period of total reversal, where Stolas is rejecting Blitzo’s advances on the grounds that Stolas feels he doesn’t deserve them and Blitzo is somehow lying to him. However. I hope that there is movement forward, instead of reversal and regression (and not just because a full regression would be boring as hell). Blitzo took some important steps; admitting in song that he loves Stolas is HUGE. And nobody changes overnight. This episode likely feels too fast paced and too unearned for many, as it did at first for me, but remember that we don’t know if Stolas and Blitzo could hear each other during their duet; I think not, for reasons I’ve already stated. So no explicit declarations of love have actually happened yet. Blitzo and Stolas aren’t together. They haven’t talked. They are not there yet. They don’t know that they’re emotionally on the same page, because the rest of Stolas’ book just got ripped to shreds before his eyes. Once again, the timing just isn’t right. Blitzo kisses Stolas’ cheek as he sleeps (and kills me dead in my own home), but it’s just another selfie for Blitzo to hoard and look at privately. Blitzo is learning to deal with his shit. Stolas now needs to learn how to deal with his—once the final blow of losing Octavia properly lands. This episode is not an END of their journey; it’s the BEGINNING of the next leg, the next set of circumstances they’re going to have to grow through in order to not just be together, but to BE THEMSELVES.

Blitzo at the beginning of the show could not handle Stolas as he is right now. Blitzo as of Full Moon and Apology Tour couldn’t handle Stolas as he is now. Blitzo had to face losing everything on multiple fronts, then losing Stolas emotionally, then almost losing Stolas physically, before he finally realized not just what he wants, but how he wants to react and treat his loved ones. He loves his family. Stolas is his heart. I think some very cruel and entitled things are going to come out of Stolas’ beak as he adjusts and truly comes to process and realize what being a lower class demon means; I think Blitzo is in a better place to cut through the bullshit and hear the pain and cry for help in the middle of all of that. And I hope to high holy hell that Vassago is going to be a friend to Stolas because there are some revelations Stolas needs to talk himself through without Blitzo taking the brunt of it. Unlearning shit sometimes comes with vomiting up the internalized bigotry and examining it; the would-be victims of that bigotry don’t need to be in the room for that. (And also, I think Vassago is exactly the ally that Stolas needs with the Goetia, and also I love him and want to see him in more scenes and want him to sing and everything.)

Pivoting to Octavia and Stella for a moment: Octavia is a child with a mother who hates her husband more than she loves her daughter and who was prepped and ready to both stop Octavia from running to him and to comfort her when Octavia thought she was losing him for good on live fucking television, no less; the Mother Gothel vibes are off the charts, but Octavia does love her mother. She trusts her mother. She certainly didn’t want her father to die trying to save some weird red dickhead and instead get banished, leaving her behind somewhere Octavia couldn’t follow. She’s vulnerable and about to be manipulated to heck and back by a mother who just wants her ex-husband to suffer and an uncle who wants all of her father’s power for himself. Stella is a shit mother for this manipulation. She can be a shit mother and still love Octavia in her own way. It’s messier and more complicated and realistic than if she didn’t care for her daughter at all tbh.

Obligatory Stella Introspective: Moment of silence for Stella as a character doing everything she can to ruin the man she’s been tied to her literal entire life. Her fucking name is STELLA. She was marked as Stolas’ property from BIRTH. This does not excuse or justify anything she does. I just find it tragic in the way that throwaway character details in a comedy take on a different light when the genre changes to something more serious. Like Davenport in The Adventure Zone: Balance; if you know you know. Also the fact that Andrealphus loosing a pretty impressive show of power right in her face results in her just screaming him back down; she’s a miserable selfish creature who nevertheless found her power in a world pretty set on denying her any and uses it liberally. Of course her own daughter is just another avenue for hurting Stolas. Octavia was only ever a means to an end, a failsafe in case something happened to Stolas. But she’s still Stella’s daughter, and that has meaning, even if it isn’t a healthy or good meaning.

Can we also talk about the fact that it’s entirely likely that Stella’s looks are the only positive trait that Andrealphus can attribute to her because the rest of her personality is so well-known? What’s he gonna do, call her sweet or delicate or kind? He’d be laughed out of the courtroom. Everyone there knows that Stella is none of those things. She never tries to be anything but what she is. The fact that she punishes Stolas for trying so hard when she doesn’t have to try at all is just. It’s so twisted and juicy a dynamic. Yknow? They could have been friends. Two people trapped by social convention in a marriage and forced consummation to produce an heir, likely arranged from birth, or Stella’s birth at least, because again SHE IS LITERALLY NAMED AFTER HIM, or named after something deeply related to him (the stars, in case I’m being too opaque). Instead, she’s cruel and demanding and degrading and the personification of everything Stolas struggles against in royal society. This sweet bird bowed to imps as a child; someone with so egalitarian a view was never going to have Stella’s respect. She is the embodiment too of his own self-hatred and the disapproval of his own family; the tragedy of it all. I hope we get more details about her one day entirely separate from Stolas, but she is explicitly a plot device to challenge and hurt Stolas. Plot devices don’t often get their own stories. She’s literally only ever worth her pretty face and the hurt she causes. This too is tragic. I pity her. I’d pity her more if she wasn’t using her daughter as ammo against her ex-husband.

Anyway. Stella introspective over. I wonder how complicated it’s going to be for Stolas to try and be the IMP secretary when he can’t go four feet without someone throwing goo at him. I wonder how badly it’s going to hurt me when Octavia refuses to see Stolas and he finally hits absolute rock bottom. I wonder if this show is going to go the route of “can’t be together until they’re finished growing” or the route of “they love each other, let them grow into themselves and their relationship together.” I wonder how the cosplayers are going to get them Vassago boots high enough. I wonder how many Andrealphus cosplayers and artists are going to be making the “Grandmama, it’s me, Anastasia” joke. I wonder if I’m ever going to stop clutching my Blitzo and Stolas plushies to my chest.

One more episode in December, gang! Can’t wait to ugly cry with you all!!

#helluva boss #helluva boss spoilers #quilly's hellaverse theories #SINSMAS GONNA MAKE ME AN ABSOLUTE WRECK GANG #BECAUSE MASTERMIND HAS DEFINITELY DONE THE SAME

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beesmygod · 1 year ago

Note

So in like novel writing circles (the ones I jerk in at least) the advice is to just cut the "boring" stuff as much as possible if you can't make it ya know not the boring bit- even if you just fill it with fun character interactions or something- BUT obviously webcomics are a different medium and one known for its ability to go on very long times and (at its best at least) use that sorta allowance to explore a lot of a world etc etc, so after seeing your posts about people maybe not liking the AGS "boring bits" (note: I've never particularly felt AGS had them if only on the basis of like filling it with fun character stuff etc) what you think about that in terms of structure and pacing and such in webcomics

its a relief to hear that people arent bored stiff by a comic that started out as a "monster of the week" type and has drastically changed into slice of life with criminal conspiracy or whatever it is now. it has a point, i swear. it took me some time to see it forming in the ingredients i laid out but i see it clearly now

the slow drip-line nature of webcomics is what makes the medium truly uniquely exhilarating and also uniquely frustrating lol. most webcomics update a single page at a time, right? and you have to keep in mind while making your longform story-driven webcomic that you're juggling entertaining two different readers: the archival reader and the per-update reader. these readers are, by the nature of the medium, going to have wildly different experiences with the text. what is quick and breezy for the archival reader can be prolonged torture for the per-update one. the per-update reader might have been waiting to finally pay off for literal years, building a type of tension that the archival reader will never be able to experience themselves.

a comic a week is a breakneck speed for people doing all the lifting themselves, but only ("only") equals out to 52 pages a year. i do 2 a week so for me its approx 104 and its been 10 irl years to get to this point in the story. i also make my money "per page" because i think i should only be paid for work i actually do. so each individual page has a literal dollar amount attached to it that hovers over my head like the axe i mentioned earlier. it is extremely hard to try to make every page "worth" what people pay for it, knowing how precious money is when times are tough. and also just, you know, because people going out of their way to click on my page should see something worth seeing.

i spend more time with these pages than anyone so i get sick of looking at and thinking about them long before anyone else even sees them. one problem ive noticed is that i will come up with what i think is a funny joke and by the time the page is done, its not funny anymore and i struggle to imagine other people laughing at it. then i think "i dont want to read this, why would anyone want to read this. this sucks."

recently i had to re-read my own old pages, something i dread having to do, and was dismayed by how it read in the archival sense. in my attempt to make every page "worth reading/making" every page ended with a punchline and developed a monotonous rhythm i've been trying and failing to get out of. iambic pentameter ass comic.

i forgot my point. uhhhh san dimas high school football RULES

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eljackinton · 1 month ago

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Quickfire reviews of all the games Jack played in 2024

Cyberpunk 2077 and Phantom Liberty

Cyberpunk 2077 is, if nothing else, an impressive achievement in creating virtual worlds. Night City feels more alive, realistic and believable than any other city in games. However, its attempt to be every game to every player pulls it back from true greatness. Trying to be both a "go anywhere, do anything" style theme park but also tell a deeply personal story of a terminally ill protagonist diminishes both attempts.

It's why Phantom Liberty feels so much more successful at what it attempts to do. A smaller world area tied directly to the ongoing plot makes the player feel more involved, and the story more magnetic. Should CDPR revisit the Cyberpunk world, I think Phantom Liberty is a good blueprint on how to pull it off.

Dangeresque: The Roomisode Triungulate

This Dangeresque game feels in many ways a direct response to the Strong Bad points and click games that were released near two decades ago. While the previous entries were well received, there was a sense that some of the tone and humour had been dialled back to appeal more to general audiences. The Roomisode Triungulate, by contrast, is purely for Homestar Runner fans, the game itself more in-universe artefact than anything else. For better or worse.

Norco

A wonderful, creative sci-fi point and click that blends sci-fi dystopia with ambiguous spiritual fantasy. A bleak but hopeful tale set in a world that it feels like we are very swiftly hurtling towards.

Warhammer 40'000 Mechanicus

A pitch perfect depiction of the bizarre and alien culture of the Adeptus Mechanics, its creative decisions are bold and work well in it's favour. Gameplay wise it is tight, adaptive and very very addictive. I look forward to the sequel.

Signalis

You don't need me to tell you that this game will go down in history as an all time classic. As frightening and unsettling as it is fascinating and intricate. A Rorschach test of a plot that offers no definitive answers but leaves you thinking on it for months.

Industria

A short, tight homage to the Half Life 2 era of FPS games. Industria is very visually impressive and it's parallel world intrigues, but at times feels more like a tech demo than full game. I have high hopes for the sequel to satiate my appetite.

Lethal Company

A work of genius that is fun to jump into but I really wish there was more depth to the progression of the game. I can see it becoming much more involved as time goes on, or at least I hope it will.

Quake Add-Ons

There's something fascinating about all the ways mappers and modders stretch and contort the Quake engine to make it do new and interesting things. All the add-ons bundled with the most recent edition of the game are testament to this, especially Episode Enyo, which is almost a total conversion in it's own right.

The Witness and The Looker

Jon Blow's attempt to create a true "art game" is almost impossible to judge, but ultimately I enjoyed my time with it, even if I had to use a walkthrough for the back half of most of the puzzles. Even if at times it doesn't really come together, I appreciate what it was trying to do. The Looker's playful ribbing is a good follow up, and is just short enough that it doesn't outstay it's welcome.

Where the Water Tastes Like Wine

10/10 writing. 10/10 sound design. 10/10 atmosphere. It's a shame the gameplay itself feels under-baked and far too simple. There's the makings of a great folkloric "hobo simulator" here, but instead it came out as more of a glorified audio book. Still worth a look into if the concept catches your fancy.

Turok 2: Seeds of Evil

It actually took me several years to get through Turok 2 because I found so much of the backtracking and secret searching such a slog. Gameplay wise it's about as good as the first one, but where that game zoomed along at a breakneck pace, the starts and stops of Turok 2 really bring the whole experience down.

Black Future '88

Likewise, I spent the last few years jumping in to Black Future 88 in fits and starts. A difficult game to get into because it is best played in short chunks but the only way to master it is to play constantly to get good at the mechanics. I finally completed a successful run this year, and figured that was enough for me. Stylish, slick, I'd like to see a sequel take its ideas further.

Life is Strange: True Colors

An enjoyable mystery drama, that nonetheless feels like it was designed in a lab to be the most Life is Strangest Life is Strange experience you can get. Ultimately though, it feels like it's missing bite. Inoffensive in both good and bad ways that make it forgettable in comparison to its predecessors.

Ion Fury and Aftershock

An underwhelming and frankly unambitious retro FPS that I wanted to love but instead came out of disappointed. Ion Fury is an impressive homage to the Build Engine era but with little all else. No real plot or storytelling to speak of. No attempts at subversion or deconstruction. Homage is all it is, and honestly I wanted more than that.

Kentucky Route Zero

Words cannot describe what an utterly unique experience KR0 is. A story told in a way only video games can do, in ways no video game has ever done before. Bleak, hopeful, dreamlike. A masterpiece.

Heaven Will Be Mine

I've kind of struggled with getting into visual novels in recent years, though no fault of their own, but what I will say is that I enjoyed Heaven Will Be Mine's very creative and interesting story with unique and interesting art that helps give a dreamlike quality to it's tale of manufactured space gods.

Inscryption

Another unique experience telling a story that could only be done by video games. Best experienced with as little foreknowledge as possible. Even beyond its storytelling, Inscryption has incredibly well designed and addictive gameplay.

Sonar Shock

An impressive recreation of early 90's era ImSim mechanics, and a reminder as to why we streamlined or dropped a lot of those mechanics as time went on. Difficult to recommend unless you absolutely NEED to play a game that takes you back to 1994. Mercifully short and an interesting experiment nonetheless.

The Marathon Trilogy

Marathon and its sequels are a strange thing to go back to in the modern era. An attempt by Bungie to tell an intricate and deep science fiction story within the limitations of the time. With no cutscenes, voice acting or particularly elaborate in-game staging, Bungie make do with what they do have and weave a fascinating sci-fi epic out of text terminals and environmental assets. Legendary for a reason.

HROT

Part Quake homage, part surreal post-Soviet meditation, HROT welds a slick, fun game with references and in-jokes that are as interesting to discover just as much as the surreal story is to try and decipher.

Eastshade

A bold attempt at trying to do a non-violent Elder Scrolls type open world game. Made up entirely of exploration, painting and side quests, Eastshade doesn't succeed at everything it sets out to do but it makes a string attempt at proving that you can make an engaging first person game that doesn't involve combat. It also looks extremely beautiful.

Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide and Hoards of the Underdark

I had little good things to say about the bland base campaign for Neverwinter Nights, but I had hopes for the highly regarded expansions. Sadly, despite an improvement in writing and an attempt to make the scenery less sterile Undrentide and Underdark are still chock to the brim with boring environments and weightless combat. Add to that a bunch of extremely difficult late game combat encounters and it led to me using cheats just to get myself to the end.

Hunt Showdown 1896

Hunt relaunched this year with a new map, new engine and new monsters to fight, but the overall experience is ultimately unchanged. I could quibble about some of the tweaks, the new UI and server issues, but none of that changes the fact that I am still addicted and have yet to get anywhere near tired of the game.

#reviews #video games #neverwinter nights #cyberpunk 2077 #signalis #life is strange

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star-junk · 10 months ago

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Only Bones

Ch. 3

Rating: Mature

Pairings: Alastor x ReaderOC, Vox x ReaderOC, Future Lucifer x ReaderOC

Second Person POV, Change of POV, Slow burn (or fast burn - really moving through the plot quickly), please forgive the typos.

Warnings: Dark Themes, Altered state of consciousness, possessive behavior, mention of dv, non-con elements in the future, cannibalism and just things not being nice--it's Hell.

General Notes: Still not sure if Alastor will remain ace within the confines of my story. Also, operating under many assumptions for Season 2 so walk with me on this one.

Author Notes: I know nothing about TV production so I'm just winging most of this. Continuing with the breakneck pace bc otherwise I'd spend endless chapters setting shit up.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea?” Jo asks.

“Hmm, I think I only feel better about it because it’s Rosie’s friend? He seemed nice enough.” You reply, sprinkling flour over the table for the dough you’re working on. The old radio you bought plays a nice melodic tune as you prepare for the next day’s special orders.

“He’s the Radio Demon, Nuria.” He insists.

“I mean, yes he is, but I hear the Princess is really nice too, so.”

He makes a point to walk over to you so you can see the skepticism on his stare while still stirring pie filling, bowl in hand and everything. “I just find it amazing how quickly you flip once money is involved.”

“C'mon, Jo, it’s not like you’re any different.” You respond.

He pauses his stirring. “Yeah, but I actually have survival instincts." He argues, "You remind me of my uncle, you know. He used to work for the mob in the Greed Ring and guess what? He went missing years ago!” You roll your eyes, concentrating on the dough instead.

Jo refused to come on the agreed upon day, saying he wanted nothing in whatever it was you were getting yourself into. So there you were bright and early at the time and address the Radio De—Alastor gave you.

Parking right in front of the Hotel, you had to admit the renovations made the place look like a 5 star stay. It stood out against the rest of dilapidated buildings in the surrounding area, and much like the V Tower; Different elements come together to represent a single entity. There was a radio tower at one end (no guessing who that space belonged to) and a red apple at the other.

“Quite the sight, isn’t it?”

You nearly jump out of your skin. Alastor stands right outside to your van’s window. Your hand goes to your chest to keep your heart from escaping out of your ribcage as his smile widens.

“H-hi, yes, yes it’s quite beautiful. ‘Morning.” You greet. “Dear Lord, you startled me.”

“My apologies, I tend to have that effect on people.” He opens the door motioning for you. “Please, Charlie is eager to meet you.”

“Thank you.” You smile, reaching for your purse and the tasting boxes. He snaps one of his fingers and suddenly there’s a tiny shadowy creature taking the boxes from you. No matter how many years pass, you don’t think you’ll ever adjust to these kinds of things being a normal occurrence. He then helps you out of the van. “You're very kind.”

“Ha! Aren’t you a darling.” He responds amused. You pause only for a moment before linking an arm with his when he offers it, his old manners shining through. You’re starting to see why Rosie likes him so much - ‘a proper gentleman.’

Walking up to the Hotel you take in the view. The landscape is mostly dead as it is in most places of hell but was at least kept neat. You spot some widow’s kisses blooming here and there, so the soil couldn’t be a complete lost cause.

“Do you have many guests staying?” You ask to give yourself an idea of how much work will be involved if things go well in this meeting.

“Hmm, not currently, no. But Charlie is hoping for more soon.” You get the feeling he's not very attached to the Hotel despite also being its Facility Manager.

“I don’t see why people wouldn’t want to book a stay. The renovations are quite nice, aesthetics alone should draw in crowds, if anything.” You are being completely honest about that.

“They’re… acceptable, I suppose.” And there it is again. As if he didn’t have a hand in that either, but for all that you know maybe he didn’t. “Though the staff is wonderful, a very welcoming bunch, you’ll love them!” He concedes.

You sure hope so. You swallow nearing the Hotel’s entrance, your hold unconsciously tightening around his arm.

“Oh there’s nothing to fret, my dear, there’s nothing but good ol’ chums here, mostly.” He says with a bit of flare as the doors to the Hotel open and you step inside.

It’s just as luxurious inside as it is on the outside, of course it is, you don’t know what you were expecting. The varied crimson hues are heightened with the golden touches here and there. The furniture with elaborate designs looks expensive as all hell and yeah, maybe you could make good business here if—

“Hello, HI! Welcome!”

A youthful cheery voice greets you. It’s Ms. Morningstar the Princess of Hell herself. You hardly have time to return the greeting as she takes your hand in a very enthusiastic handshake. Her eyes and smile outshine anyone you’ve ever met before. “We are sooo excited to make business with our first vendor.” She gushes with not an ounce of malice in her voice, “Alastor spoke very highly of your pastries.”

“Thank you, your Royal Highness. A pleasure to meet you.” You reply, finally letting go of Alastor’s arm.

“Charlie is fine.” She waves off the title.

“Hon, we need to see if we even like them first.” Someone says behind her.

"I'm sure we'll like them, Vaggie." She replies to a girl with long pale hair and sooty skin. "This is Vaggie, she’s our Hotel’s Manager .” She smiles, dragging the other girl by the hand. They must be close. The other girl gives you a once over before extending her hand.

“Hi, nice to meet you.” Her tone is way less cheery than her companion, but is at the very least neutral. “You’re one of Alastor’s little… friends?”

Oh, whatever idea she has of you must be reset at once. “I just had the honor to make his acquaintance last week, Rosie introduced us.”

Her brow perks up at that. “Wait, these are not— “

“No, Miss, I wouldn't dare.” You assure her. “Rosie has her own special orders. These are the ones we sell at my shop for the general public.”

“So these are not people pies?” A girlish voice draws your attention below. A short crimson bob frames a single intense eye. “Are you Alastor’s new soul? Are those wings? You smell good!” The petite girl waves, her eye trained on you with a mixture of curiosity and predatory glee.

“And this is Nifty, our Cleaning Staff.” Alastor introduces.

Ah. “Hi… Nifty, a pleasure to meet you.” You don’t even dare shake her hand.

“Alright that’s enough of introductions,” Vaggie claps stepping forward, “show us the goods, we still got work to do putting this event together.” Her bossy tones gives her away former (current?) military.

You glance at Alastor who merely chuckles before commenting. “She’s always like that.”

Ah.

Charlie guides you to the currently unstaffed bar where the tasting boxes were set. “I wish everyone could be here to give their opinion.” She sighs.

“Babe, as long as you like them it should be enough.” Vaggie is right about that, you think. “Who knows what time Angel will come back and Husk? At this time of morning? Forget about it.”

“Alright, but maybe Dad wants to come down?” She says procuring her cell phone as you get busy setting up the samples—wait, the King of Hell is staying here too?

“Oh don’t bother His Highness, dear, it’s far too early in the morning.” Alastor says, resting a gentle hand over hers. “And hadn’t he been feeling rather… undisposed lately?”

“Yeah, but I mean he shouldn’t spend so much time holed up there.“

“I can set some aside, if you’d like.” You offer, you weren't so eager to meet him, tense and overwhelmed as you are right now.

She smiles, turning to you, “That would be great, thank you.”

“Of course.” She was a breath of fresh air. It’s ironic the Princess of actual literal Hell turned out to be one of the nicest people you met down here. You hand everyone a plate with the pie samples. “Alright so starting from the right is our shop’s best seller, it’s darkberry with yumava fruit. I should mention our flour is made with a combination of actual topside flour and wheat from the Wrath Ring. We use organic butter from cattle also from Wrath, its brought up by my shop’s assistant. And the sugar comes from... “ You go on about the ingredients and cooking method, watching as their faces go from skepticism to full enjoyment. “I can make the more savory ones as appetizers as well. Princess, I think these would go great with the event if you’re trying to foster a kind of environment sinners can call home and you know what they say, there’s nothing more comforting than homemade pie!”

Her brows rise at that; Yup, she’s yours. She sets her fork and plate down, grasps your hands coming inches from your face declaring. “We’ll take 100 of each!” Oh Boy.

“What— Charlie, we don’t even know if that many will show up in the first place!”

“Because we don’t know Vaggie, we should prepare!” And you can’t help but chuckle at her enthusiasm.

“She a funny one.” Alastor comments, having read your mind.

“Princess, how about we do 10 of each? That would still be plenty.” And more realistic to the numbers of attendees. “I’m sure you’ll have other foods to offer as well.”

“Okay, yeah, sorry… I’m just kind of nervous, we’ve had a lot of inquiries lately” (‘Five is not a lot,’ the little maid chirps but you pretend not to hear her.) “about the Hotel so I want to make a good impression.” She admits scratching the back of her head and wow, she really does seem to care for this place.

“I understand, Princess, but your friend is right, it be a pity if the food went to waste.” You rest a hand on her shoulder. “But let me write down this really good recipe I know for frazzled nerves in the meantime.” You offer with a smile.

You thank the Princess once more for her business, it has been the smoothest transaction you’ve ever done, half of the commission already paid in advance.

Alastor waits for you, offering his arm again to walk you back to your van.

“She’s great.” You comment, making your way down the pebbled road leading to the gates.

“That she is, my dear.” He answers, “Nothing like her Father.”

Oh. “Got a beef with the King of Hell?”

“Hah ha ha!! No, of course not, nothing of the sort...” His frown at odds with his sharp smile. You prod no further as you near your van. “I thought you’d certainly take her initial request for a hundred pies— Oh the hilarity!”

You laugh along with him. “It just didn’t feel right doing that, you know? But maybe it would have been different if she had been a brat.”

He laughs, “Seems like you and I have a lot in common,” and who would have thought? “Well, I’ve delivered you safe and sound to your vehicle, so I’m afraid this is good bye— “

“Wait, Alastor.” You interrupt climbing inside the van, “I have something for you.” You procure a bottle of wine, it’s the kind Rosie said he likes the best. “A thank you gift for everything.”

He looks from the bottle to you for a brief moment before responding, his head tilting to the side as if deciding how to respond. “Oh My, you shouldn't have!” He says finally bringing the flat of his palm up to refuse. “I cannot accept.”

“Aw, after I went through the trouble?” You shoot him your best hurt puppy dog eyes.

“Hmm.” The soft sound of changing stations comes through the strange filter he emits as his eyes settle on the wine. “Well, who am I to scorn a lady’s thoughtful gift?”

You chuckle, handing him the bottle.

………………….

The next day you stopped by Alicia’s speakeasy to pay the rental for the bakery space, being one of the handful of buildings she owned around the city. Dim cool light welcomes you as you enter, alongside the smell of cheap beer and cigarettes. Goodness knows how you were able to work here every night.

“The usual, Nuria?” Old Vince asks as soon as he sees you take a seat.

“Yes, the usual.” You nod. “Is she busy today?”

“When is she not, doll. But let me let her know you’re here.” He leaves to get her as soon as he’s done with your drink. You hope Alicia comes quickly. One time you had to wait almost two hours before she remembered you were there. ‘I forgot’ she said, though you’re sure she did it on purpose - never getting over you leaving her employment. You’re gonna be so mad if she makes you do the same, you had some shopping to do today. In the mean time you sit there reviewing your shopping list making sure nothing is missing while you wait. Declining offers for company here and there.

“Hey there, beautiful.” Alicia’s fake affection draws your attention up. Her scaly skin and green eyes glistening in the low ambiance of the bar. Draping dark fins parted to one side to hide the ugly scar at the corner of her mouth.

“Hi Alicia. I’m here to pay rent.” You get to the point, going through your purse to retrieve your wallet.

“Yeah, about that, babe. Rent went up.”

You have to be kidding.

“What?! Again?!”

“Yeah, turns out demons from other rings are interested in setting up shop in the city now that we know angels can be handled.” She explains, crossing her arms to inspect her nails.

“Alicia, please don’t do this to me.” This could really affect the rate of your savings, you’re barely making enough of a profit - discounting the debt you have for the equipment, packaging materials, ingredients, electricity, Jo’s wages, the van, and your own personal expenses - your own rent. Why the fuck do you still have to pay rent in hell?!

“I could keep it the same if you came back to perform,” Oh this scummy bitch, “Dezba is long gone, so he can’t tell you what to do anymore!” She snorts mockingly.

“Do not!!” Your voice low as your body moves on its own, jabbing a finger at her chest. “Don't you ever dare bring him up again! Now how much is the increase, you vindictive old bitch!”

“Twice for that.” She answers, unbothered.

Fuck!

………………………..

You pour over the budget books back at the pie shop, reviewing receipts and expenses. The careful balancing act that took you months of hardwork and dedication to get going toppled over by that single one unexpected expense.

“Relax, Nuria, is not as bad as you’re making it out to be!” Jo tries to console you, hand on your shoulder. “You’re still making enough to cover even the rent increase.”

“But now I can’t save Jo! That’s the issue here! And what happens when the next increase comes? And yeah we’re doing okay right now, but who can say this will always be the case? Will other expenses start increasing too?! When will we ever own a place of our own if— ”

“Nuria, Nuria! Relax, okay? You still got options, ask Rosie for help.”

“No, I could never… “ She has been helping you enough, you slump over the table, you want to cry. You know you’re truly in hell when capitalism exists even down here.

Knocking at the front of the bakery pulls you out of your misery, you both look at each other. No deliveries were expected today. Peeking from the corner of the kitchen you spot a tall corpulent figure. You really should invest in a security system, you think in hindsight. You swallow turning one of the lights at the front of the shop.

The light reveals a man dressed in a swanky suit, a manic smile plastered on his face - a poor attempt at friendliness when his shark incarnation speaks to a predatory nature.

“I told you we should keep at least a gun or two on hand.” Jo whispers.

“You must be Ms. Nuria! May I please come in? I mean no harm, I’m a representative from VoxTek.”

VokTek? You and Jo exchange puzzled glances before you decide to open the door. Jo goes to stand where he kept his studded metal bat for shady situations like this. Not like it could do much if someone with that influence wanted to do something to the shop.

“Yes. How can I help you?”

“Good evening, ma’am. I am here because your lovely pies have been quite a hit at the Network.” Really? That was days ago. “One of our producers would like to extend a warm invitation for you to join us as a special guest for our early morning program, The Vibe!”

Well, this is very unexpected. “I… don’t think I’ve heard of the program before?”

“It’s a talk show, with a focus on celebrity gossip.” Jo supplies.

“Celebrity gossip is such an unpleasant way to put it. The Vibe keeps up with the latest trends, entrepreneurs and entertainers of our time!” The VoxTek representative corrects.

“Then it sounds like my humble pies would be out of place in a show like that.”

“Nonsense, why our very own Velvette gave them her seal of approval.” He flashes his phone with a picture of a very staged-going-for-natural picture of a female demon holding one of your pies, your shop’s box visible right next to her with a caption: Wanted to see what the fuss is about. Gotta say, pie was pretty legit. That was… nice, though why does she look so off-put by it? You don’t get a chance to make more observations as the phone is pulled away and the shark demon extends his hand toward you, “Whaddaya say?”

“Nuria, if you get on the show we could get more customers and hike up the prices too!”

"Your imp is right, once in an eternity opportunity!"

“He’s not my imp.” It’s the first thing you clarify. “But I… “ There’s something you don’t like about this, un mal presentimiento, looking at the demon’s hand. But Jo has a point, this one thing could balance the books again. “Alright.” You reply, taking his hand.

He squeezes it hard. His fanged smile doesn't reach his eyes.

“My boss will be delighted, Miss!”

---

#hazbin hotel x reader #alastor x reader #vox x reader #hazbin hotel oc #Only Bones

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ploppythespaceship · 5 months ago

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Arrowverse - 2014-2015 Season

I am now officially alternating between multiple shows at once. Let the chaos begin.

This post will cover:

Arrow - Season 3

The Flash - Season 1

Crossover Event - Flash vs. Arrow

Arrow - Season 3

Wow. This season is a hot mess.

Right off the bat, the decision to fridge Sara is infuriating. She's a great character and deserves better to be unceremoniously killed off. (I know she comes back and is a part of Legends of Tomorrow, but that's besides that point for this season.)

The rest of the arc is absolute nonsense. Malcolm's motivations make no sense. Ra's is even worse, and undermines himself constantly by simply doing something stupid. Not to mention him being woefully miscast -- a White Australian guy in the part is certainly a Choice -- and the fact that everyone flip-flops on how to pronounce his name.

The pacing of this season is also pretty bad. It feels like we spend just a little bit too long on every individual part. Things clearly happen just to fill some runtime and stretch out the tension. Then the finale rushes through everything at a breakneck pace. It all just feels off.

But hands down the worst part of this season is how none of the characters have learned a damn thing about keeping secrets from each other. I recognize that this is a theme, that it's meant to be part of people's character arcs, but that doesn't change how infuriating it is to watch. The show has become an endless cycle of characters keeping secrets, dealing with the fallout when the secret is revealed, resolving not to keep secrets anymore, then immediately deciding that actually they're gonna keep secrets. It's agonizing.

Also, Laurel is awful. She is the worst character on this show by far. She doesn't listen to anyone, she makes objectively stupid decisions against everyone's advice, she never learns a single thing... I have to wonder when the writers will just cut their losses and write her out altogether. She fundamentally is not working.

Roy also feels like an afterthought, like he always has. But this season gave him a little more to do and wrote him out in a satisfying way, so I can't complain as much.

Meanwhile, the flashbacks in this season are really strange. It feels like they need to one-up what Oliver was doing during his five years, even if it doesn't really make sense. Waller has no real reason to recruit Oliver, and the whole plot isn't terribly engaging -- especially when the non-flashback scenes reveal everything important that happened already. We know the Alpha/Omega is going to be released, we know Akio is going to die, we know Maseo is going to abandon Tatsu, but the show still acts like these are huge revelations.

Despite my many complaints, there are still some things here that work. The primary one being Ray Palmer. God, what a breath of fresh air he is. Brandon Routh is so charming and contrasts so well with the other characters. He isn't meshed with the rest of the season well, at all, but he's so fun that I don't really care.

Overall, the season wasn't unwatchable by any means, but it was easily the worst of the show so far. And it doesn't help that I'm watching it alongside its sister show that's doing everything better.

The Flash - Season 1

(Full confession, this is not my first time watching this season. But I'd forgotten a lot.)

This show hit the ground running -- pun absolutely intended. Everything here just works. Every single member of the cast is phenomenal, and the characters have excellent chemistry. They seem to have learned from Arrow and set up a clear Team Flash from the get-go, with each character having a clear role in that dynamic.

The show also has a much lighter tone than Arrow, which I feel suits the story more naturally. It doesn't go to dark places nearly as often. The show settles into an easy formula that's just nice to settle into.

The Flash also does something I adore, which is emphasizing strong platonic relationships. Barry and Joe's father/son dynamic is everything to me. Cisco and Caitlin have a great friendship, as do Caitlin and Barry. And I truly appreciate that for 90% of the season, Barry and Iris are mature adults despite Barry's feelings for her. Barry doesn't try to get between her and Eddie (apart from one instance that was a misunderstanding) -- he values her friendship over everything else and prioritizes that.

If this season has one flaw, I think it played its hand with Wells way, way too early. They reveal that something's up with him in the first episode, reveal that he's the Reverse-Flash in the mid-season finale, and have the rest of the cast catch onto this a few episodes later. I think they robbed themselves of a truly spectacular twist moment, where the penny drops and everyone realizes they've been played. It makes the end of the season lose a lot of its punch as a result.

But overall, it's still an excellent first season, and I completely understand why The Flash sort of took over as the Arrowverse's flagship.

Crossover - Flash vs. Arrow

The pattern of crossovers is made pretty clear -- some light overlap, where they will reference or lightly feature characters from the other show, plus one big crossover event multi-parter that requires tuning in to both shows for that week. It's simple, but works fairly well... for the most part. The crossovers don't actually line up perfectly and require you to rearrange events in your head. In fact, Oliver's appearance on The Flash's penultimate episode implies that at some point he slipped away from Ra's al Ghul's tight watch, not to speak with his friends and inform him of his plans, but to beat up Harrison Wells as a favor for Barry. And that's hilarious, honestly.

The actual crossover is solid. It's very clear that Barry was set up to contrast Oliver, and these episodes work with that excellently. Their styles and personalities clash in all the right ways, making for excellent drama and letting them learn from one another.

They also manage to use the different tones of the two shows to great effect, emphasizing the contrast and how the two cities shape each of the heroes' styles. It's exactly what a good crossover should be, really.

#personal #arrowverse reviews

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emcandon · 1 year ago

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hello again! I return to request more wonderful song recs, if possible?.What's been inspiring you lately?

Hope you're doing well! I still feel feral about veyadi, so thank you!

HI!! I'm actually doing better than I have been for the last ~4-6 months because my fun new body problems are more understood and therefore controllable! Woo!

Some stuff I've been consuming lately:

SONG: "Dirty" by grandson -- originally picked for the Stupidest Bardlock playlist, but turns out it's pretty resonant with a bunch of my character impulses, and has also ended up on the Fancy Uncle Chucklefuck and general writing playlists!

TV/MANGA: DUNGEON MESHI -- I kind of sensed it was going to be a whole fucking problem for me, and indeed, when @canalsobemoe came to hang out with us for a couple weeks just as it started airing, I subsequently binged the whole manga in a couple days (in part bc of a flare-up that meant i needed to not be typing ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ) It's in the realm of Witch Hat Atelier, where it simultaneously has 1) the greatest compassion for its characters and 2) a profound interest in some deeply fucked up circumstances. Also consistently hilarious! (Thank you dunmeshi fandom for agreeing that Farcille is ship number one; I am also tragically into Labru bc they're very parallel to a ship I'm hoping to write one day, though younger and fed through a more comedic thresher.)

TV/MANGA: Dorohedoro -- speaking of @canalsobemoe's incredible media-recommendation powers, I finally finished the anime. The vibes are that delicious mix of unspeakable weirdness tempered with precious mundanity, which I think I aspire to in some key ways. The timing and pace of the anime is absolutely great -- high-octane breakneck fun at every step.

BOOK: Wolf Hall Trilogy -- I finally finished The Mirror and the Light, which I've been painstakingly working through since it came out in.......2020. I'm probably swinging back around to read from the top bc it's just such good fucking prose. I'm nowhere near the master linguist Mantel was, but this series was definitely in my brain during Archive edits.

BOOK: The Golden Compass/His Dark Materials -- Rereading this for reasons that will be apparent at...SOME point in the future. But also bc I was obsessed with Golden Compass as a kid and didn't click nearly as much with the two other books in the series. I'm really interested to see how they hit now that I'm a bona fide book writer with structural thoughts and opinions. Verdict thus far is that reading about child endangerment in your 30s hits different, and I am consistently fairly terrified for these kids lol

#writing #ask reply

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theaceofskulls · 6 months ago

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I listened to (the rerecorded) Fall of Cadia and my thoughts on it are:

Yeah that was every Guard book ever all at once. Could've trimmed a bit down. Anytime Cawl and Trazyn were on screen (which took most of the book for them to reappear. Don't go into this book for them if you can't stand Guard books) it was standing heads and shoulders above the rest of the book.

It felt overstuffed but it's also one of the few event books that actually feels like it's actually the novelization of the actual events rather than a snapshot of the event (I'm skipping Siege of Vraks for this very reason after hearing several reviews of it).

Oh and the World Eater is solidly the worst part. Especially on the audio side of things where it just repeats and repeats and repeats with every one of his scenes until the book quite literally just starts screaming the word "BLOOD" at you.

The book works and I'm more hesitant than a lot of critics on this book on what I'd cut because most of it actually works out really well and it does come together.

I think my end thoughts are that I have just enough tolerance for Guard storylines to get to the funny robot man, but this book reminded me that my struggles with some other stuff in GW's library is because typical guard stories don't interest me even if I can enjoy some of the best ones on offer.

I do want to take a moment to state that the first half of this book, the early siege, is much slower paced and detailed, often chewing through worldbuilding and character work but I appreciate Rath not going through every individual event in detail. I found the latter section almost breakneck in speed by comparison and almost wished some sections were lengthened. This feels like this book either ballooned or was meant to be a two parter that's struggling to stay within its single volume, though it's less pronounced than in Godsbane.

Sadly this second half is where a lot of very interesting things arrive on the scene and we don't get a lot of time to spend with them in comparison to the first half's cast. So I struggle to say which half I enjoyed more (though the lack of a certain character in the second half definitely improved it).

In the end, my recommendation is very much if you're interested in the event that kicked off the new canon and can deal with a few arcs that are noticeably worse than others running alongside them, it's actually fairly good and a lot of the arcs land fairly well and have several stand out moments throughout them.

#warhammer 40k #Warhammer #ace's bookclub reviews

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mbat · 7 months ago

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it sucks when a youtuber who streams most of the time and then uploads cut down versions of their streams is like 'you couldve seen this whole thing had you actually been there btw. you should watch my streams actually' cause its like. not everyone can or wants to sit through live streams, especially ones that are either really long or theres so many people in the chat that youre basically just watching a video that you cant pause or skip forward or backwards on

like just upload the full vods and if people want to go to the streams they will, your advertising should just be you, you shouldnt need to be like 'you should feel bad or like you missed out because for any reason you missed the stream lol' like ? skill issue

cause the whole reason ive even checked out pretty much any live streamer was because i saw one of their vods and was like 'that seems fun, i would like to see more of these, and try to be there live if i can!' and like its not a 'im gonna miss out on everything if i dont see them live :[' thing yknow

ive mostly been referring to one youtuber this whole time that i used to watch cause i liked their videos but i unsubscribed mainly for this specific reason (because without fail theyd say this stuff in every video and it was beyond irritating) but i just know other people do it

also i know this probably comes out of left field but it also goes hand in hand with the 'only 20% of my viewers are subscribed!' thing (which that youtuber also did) and its like. bitch if i wanted to subscribe i would subscribe. they say 'you can always undo it later!' yeah or i could just not do it at all. shut up. that shit makes me want to subscribe even less. is it meant to be guilt trippy or something? 'look at the people who arent subscribing to me, it makes me sad :( please make my arbitrary number go up pleeassseee :(((('

im not gonna say this stuff feels manipulative because like, this is ultimately pretty unserious and is just annoying at most, but it rubs me the wrong way. like either youre good enough for people to want to see your streams or subscribe to you and you shouldnt need to worry about people not doing those things, or youre insecure despite already having THOUSANDS of people watching you and subscribing to you and your little arbitrary number not going up at breakneck pace is bothering you for some reason

i guess i cant say that people only do this for fun anymore since this, like everything, "has" to be monetized now, and i admit i dont know (or give a fuck) how that all works, but like. come on. just let the results speak for themselves and stop grating on the nerves of anyone watching because you cant just let your videos and streams be enough on their own

#me when i rant about something out of nowhere that none of my followers care about probably ajfjahd #LIKE. a few weeks ago i started following a small twitch streamer because he posted vods on youtube that i genuinely rly liked #and i joined his discord and i try to catch every stream of his that sounds interesting to me #but he doesnt make it into a whole 'pleaseeeee watch my streams aough you guys missed it :[' thing like.#he just plays games and has fun and posts them and he got a lot of new viewers from it. including me #obviously i fixated on hlvrai cause the streams were posted on youtube. both the cut down AND full streams #(i personally prefer the full stream versions)#i tried watching the rtvs crew for a while but like i said. streams with tons of people arent fun for me tbh #but i did watch a few of them for a little while anyway #my post #twitch #streaming #youtube #this is gonna be the funniest fucking reason for me pulling this quote out but. if you build it they will come yknow #the youtuber i was referring to as doing this stuff is kwite btw ill admit that now #I GENUINELY ENJOYED HIS VIDEOS BUT I JUST COULDNT DO IT ANYMORE LIKE SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT MISSING THINGS AND SUBSCRIBING #i barely like livestreams !!! like genuinely!!! id rather just watch vods or normal videos!!!#i dont wanna have to drop everything to watch a stream and feel like i cant do anything else because god forbid i miss something #and genuinely all i can even do is watch it because any comments made in chat get swept up in the ocean of others anyway

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alex-dontknow · 1 year ago

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Low Blow

Characters: Solazar, Agoti, Aldryx (SugarRatio) and Amora (Samufffuu25)

Story type: heavy angst, hurt / comfort, whump? ish?

Necessary warnings: nonhuman gore, vague emetophobia (there's no actual illness but just some implication), violent character death

GORE SECTION IS MARKED WITH "⚠️" BEFORE + AFTER IT OCCURS.

It was simply an unnecessary human issue that he was unlucky enough to have befallen.

However, combined with the struggle of finding his missing son, Solazar may have underestimated how deep these changes ran, especially when it followed him into sleep.

▪︎ would y'all believe me if i said this started from a roleplay? also this is pre-marriage(?) solmora??? like. they're together but amora isn't officially an andromeda yet

———

It was a silly, ignorable experience. That was all it was.

It was much easier to pretend that these new changes didn't exist when he worked day and night. Limitless energy had its perks, so here Solazar sat, sifting through countless emails that in truth should've been answered hours ago at GIGA quarters.

These were nuisance feelings, unwanted and unnecessary. He didn't need to dwell on menial human emotions like guilt or worry. He didn't need to become soft

A colleague was already hounding him with the idea– he had been for years now. In spite, Solazar left those demeaning emails that he'd sent for last. It was simply added weight to worse matters that needed his full attention, for example his son.

He still hadn't been found.

Three dreary months had passed, and Solazar was already sick of waiting. Despite a complete team of dedicated searchers and trusted employees, next to nothing had been found alluding to Agoti's disappearance. There was the odd security feed, witness testimony of him on the streets, even store receipts were pulled up in case he'd bought anything suspicious. However, none of these depicted any direction of where he'd gone. It was like he'd been erased from existence.

Solazar only had one supposition for who may have caused his son's disappearance, but even they had their tracks covered. Typical of a demon.

There were only a few emails left to respond to, plus some documents to fill in. He could do this, of course he could!

... Then why were his eyelids heavy?

Solazar slapped himself to snap out of it, but it had no effect. Instead, they only felt heavier, like they were lead-lined. Internally, he began seething. Out of everything from the human race that could've bled into him, it had to be exhaustion. So much for that limitless energy he relied on all day...

It was becoming harder to focus on his tasks, so in the end he caved and shut down his computer. He dragged himself over to the bed and collapsed onto the soft mattress, feeling his body weigh down and his conscience slowly fade into a foreign darkness.

———

"No no no no no come back come back-!"

Suddenly he was running, sprinting towards his son who was being dragged further and further away from his grasp. His screams were piercing and terrified, the chains that bound his limbs tight and unforgiving. He barely managed to thrust a hand towards his father before that too was constricted.

Solazar picked up the pace, bolting towards Agoti and barely catching up.

"Just hold on a little longer, please!"

His hand finally brushed against Agoti's ankle and gripped it tight, just about to pull it towards him—

⚠️

until there was a violent ripping sound and a soul-shattering scream.

All at once, the chains retracted at breakneck speeds and tore his son apart in an explosion of skin and plastic. The scream of agony was immediately silenced.

Everything became a standstill. The quiet was deafening and punishing. Something slammed into Solazar's chest and tore through his shirt, sharp and metallic. The ceasing whirring and the final thump of a beat gave away what it was.

The Solarisapien collapsed to the ground, clutching Agoti's heartware with one hand and covering his mouth with the other. He couldn't stop hyperventilating, he felt ill (which shouldn't have been possible) and utterly despaired. Wasted days and hours working day and night and pacing in frustration and grief, only to have him ripped away just like that. Right in front of him.

He had touched him. That was how close he was.

Was there more he could've done?

What went wrong?

Was this punishment?

The shock and misery burrowed deep into him, as sharp as the shrapnel that he clutched to his chest. He didn't realize the searing pain was due to the heartware itself until it spread to his limbs, wires burrowing through his chest and penetrating deeper.

Solazar's eyes widened and he tried to roll up his sleeves, but the agony increased tenfold as the wires bulged from beneath his fiery skin like inflamed veins.

The heartware pounded back to life, faster and faster, harder and harder until it drowned out his own shriek of pain. He felt an alien wetness from his eyes that rolled down his cheeks.

He only managed a final sentence before the wires crept up his throat:

"I'm sorry—!"

⚠️

———

"—AGOTI!"

Solazar shot up with a cry of terror, grasping at his throat and shaking erratically. He frantically rubbed his hands along the length of his limbs and torso, the phantom sensations lingering in vivid detail. He could hardly breathe, gasping and dry-retching. Trying to get ahold of himself, he curled up on the bed, knees drawn to his chest and hands grappling his shirt.

Right where the heartware had bored into him.

Did humans really have to endure these horrors?

That same wetness on his cheeks had followed him back into reality. When it clicked what it was, it felt... petrifying.

It was tears.

But that was impossible... Solarisapiens didn't cry.

Yet here he was.

Solazar's pressed a hand to his mouth to stifle his strained cries. He couldn't endure this. Had he really stooped so low that he was reduced to something this pathetic?

Had he already failed his son?

There was only one thing he could think to do to handle this. With wavery movements, he lifted his head from his knees and reached for the phone on his nightstand. His fingers trembled as he unlocked it, dialing the first contact he thought to call. While he had doubts she knew what was happening to him, he also had his hopes that she would support him.

The phone answered on the fourth ring.

"Solazar? It's one in the morning..."

"I know, I... can you come over tomorrow, Amora?"

———

"I'm goin' out, Dad," Aldryx called from the hallway, slinging his jacket over his shoulders and grabbing a pack of cigarettes. When he received no response, he glanced into the lounge.

"Are you okay?"

Solazar lifted his head from his hands, giving his elder son a weak but reassuring nod.

"I'm fine," he replied, though Aldryx noticed the edge in his voice, "have fun... and stay safe, okay?"

Aldryx frowned a little, obviously not convinced. He didn't want to pry, however, and he had somewhere to be, so he nodded and waved goodbye. That gig wouldn't play itself, after all.

On his way out, Solazar heard Aldryx open the front door and stop, followed by a surprised greeting.

"Oh, Amora!"

"Hey, Aldryx! Is your father home?"

"Yep, in the lounge- look, I gotta get going, so I'll see ya another time."

"Of course!"

The door swung shut and a pair of heels clicked into the lounge. An abrupt hand laid on Solazar's shoulder, causing him to jump and look up to see Amora standing behind him. She had a kind, albeit concerned expression.

"Hey there, Sol," she greeted him, lifting her hand to give a small wave. Solazar nodded silently in acknowledgement. He was still in a tired daze as a result of the night prior, something that startled Amora. She'd never seen something like this in her own species before, let alone someone she knew.

She came around and took her seat next to Solazar on the couch, staring up at him in confusion and unease. She went to place her hand on his shoulder again.

"So, how come you called me so late last night?"

She didn't get a response for quite some time, the other Solarisapien seeming zoned out and not quite there. However, she could notice that he was deeply troubled by the way his head drooped down at the cushions.

If Amora had a heart, it would've been twisting in pity; she knew the turmoil that the Andromeda family was suffering with Agoti's disappearance. It was understandable that even Solazar would be struggling...

"Sol?" Amora tried to prompt Solazar to speak again, shaking his shoulder. What she didn't expect was for the other Solarisapien to suddenly lean forward and wrap his arms around her, burying his face into her shoulder. Amora was taken aback, bewildered until she felt how much the other was shaking.

".. Oh, dear..." she murmured softly, returning the embrace as she felt something soaking into the neck of her shirt.

Was that... how?

A wracked sob escaped Solazar's throat as the once scornful, powerful being gradually broke down in her arms. The hauntings of the horrid nightmare had struck him deep, and combined with his current issues it seemed to have risen a new breaking point.

Circulating in Amora's mind were several questions. She had seen and read about emotion and ways humans have coped, even other species that inhabited this planet, but never did she expect one of her own kind to be crying like this... something that shouldn't have been part of their nature.

Alas, here Solazar sat, clinging to her shirt and weeping in anguish.

What was happening to him?

Sighing softly, Amora rubbed circles into the other's back and held him close. It appeared she would be there for a while... perhaps her time researching human habits in Solazar's favour would come useful.

She guided Solazar's face to look at her, cupping it with her hands as she gave him a gentle, reassuring look. Abnormal tears made his eyes glossy, but Amora wiped them with her thumbs.

"You can talk to me, sweetheart. I may not understand just yet, but I will support you."

She pulled him back into a tight-knit hug, leaning her head against his. She smiled when she felt the other sink into her embrace.

"Now, why don't I get you some tea?"

#teehee trauma #auauauagh I love when a nightmare or hallucination genuinely scars a character #been meaning to make starman angst for some time #fnf #fnf entity #fnf agoti #fnf solazar #friday night funkin #fnf aldryx #fnf amora #hurt comfort #angst #tw death #death cw #cw: gore #emeto tw #writing #whump writing #crow writes

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