#devils and justified sinners

[cmrosens]

Conference Call for Papers 2024

This is an ENTIRELY ONLINE conference, so anyone can attend across different time zones. CFP is open until end of March. Devils and Justified Sinners – 2024 Conference

[theshadowofsorrow]

THE CONFERENCE FOR THE WIN AGAIN

[thegirlwiththelantern]

It's real bad that I didn't get around to reading The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner in time for the conference but I have to say that I really love Mizuki Tsutsui's talk on the unfilmed script by Ian Rankin and James Mavor. I can't speak to fidelity with the source material but given its focus and when they'd been floating it around, I wish it had been made. It would have been really interesting.

[jinkiezzsstuff]

LAYING NEXT TO ADAM IN HIS HOSPITAL BED AFTER EP 8 AND NOT BEING ABLE TO SLEEP SO JUST PLAYING WITH HIS HAIR??

LOVE YOU LOTS, FEEL FREE TO SKIP THIS IF YOU WANT 💗💗💗

yesssssssssss i love this it’s so cute, i did it a lil short sweet and lovelyyyyy sorry it took awhile but i hope you enjoy it!

warnings: none really, descriptions of injuries, swearing and that’s about it, short drabble! gn reader w no psychical description, a little bit of a weird ending? didn’t know how to tie it off

You and Adam have always had an odd relationship, you would have moments of really open closeness followed by acting like it never happened. You were comfortable with this because the idea of anything more serious scared you, it wasn’t like heaven was keen on hookups or lust, which meant any relationship led to marriage. So you would ignore your desires and longing, and instead focus on working alongside him.

Adam was of the same mind, he couldn’t hook up with you because it felt wrong to use you like some sinner when he actually liked you. You were always there to listen, telling him that he had every right to hate Lucifer for taking his wives; which he knew but always needed to hear from others, just to reaffirm. Of course he was too afraid to start anything serious with you when the furthest he got was some open communication and occasional dirty jokes shared between you two. There wasn’t any room for him to have a third heartbreak especially when he was now in closer proximity with the devil himself.

That’s why it was a shock when he watched you decend from above spear in hand, wings fluttering lusciously around you. You came back for him, you saw Lucifer and chose to protect him. As you sat alongside him keeping him alive while you could, Lucifer attempted to coax you on his end. “Can’t you see the things he’s done? He’s the devil.” Lucifer boomed holding his daughter. “Cmon we have a good cause here!” - “Saving him means killing others, that’s not very angelic on you.” - “The first man only uses women to fuel his ego and get him off, cocksleaves he uses and forgets. How’s it feel to be that silly little strumpet?”

No matter the harsh line the devil hissed out at you as you tearfully held Adam’s wound, using all the magic you had to keep him alive, and ignoring the taunts and tempts Lucifer spoke. Thankfully what felt like eternity ended, and now you sat alongside the man himself, staring at his paled face. You’d never seen Adam’s face before, Lute wasn’t as strict you’d seen her plenty, but Adam was always skeptical of letting you see him.

You never knew about the exterminations, and although you weren’t entirely pleased he lied, and killed, you justified it by reminding yourself of all the rapist, murders and weird child diddlers that he wiped out of existence. Staring at the side of Adam’s face you admired the ride burns that climbed down his face and the little patch of hair that accentuated his chin.

Leaning onto the bed, you softly and timidly brought your hand up to his cheek, enjoying the feeling of his skin against your hand. Gently you caressed his face, trailing all around and up to his hair. You carefully brushed your fingers through his spiked and messy hair, scratching his scalp gently as you did.

A sigh of content escaped you as you began to play with his hair, twirling it and brushing it back away from his pretty face. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you died, dumbass. I would’ve regret so much, but now that you’re here and okay I’m just as afraid to say.” You whispered to him quietly, watching his face as his muscle naturally moved and spasmed every once and awhile. He had been out a few days now, a medically induced coma until he healed internally, which was the hardest thing to witness.

Everyday you came and spent some time here with Lute, then Lute would leave and you would stay keeping him company. Sliding up on the bed with him, you situated yourself beside him, your wings curling around him like a safety blanket, head rested on his chest. You cradled his head continually toying with his hair while you gazed off into space, eyes watering as you did so.

You woke up to the doctor entering the room, scolding you for impeding on the patients space, and then happily explained the next plan of action. He was going to be weened off the medication and would hopefully be awake within the week then it was normal wound care from there.

The pattern for the week didn’t change, accept you found yourself enamoured with his hair and face in general, who could blame you, you’ve only seen it now after all these years. You waited everyday to see his eyes flutter open, pinning over the multitude of fantasies you had in your head when he did so. However it was as magical when the day came.

You had his wing over your lap one Saturday, humming a tune stuck in your head as you carefully preened his feathers. Some were still covered in char from the day, leaving a weird nostalgic feeling within you, but not the good kind.

You glanced over at him as his leg twitched violently, his wings puffing along with it. You watched his eyelids flutter just barely, his eyes moving rapidly behind them. Careful not to disturb him, you dragged your fingers through his hair, this time however, Adam’s skin prickled with goosebumps and his body twitched. “Adam?” You whispered, hope evident in your voice as you leaned in closer, investigating his facial expressions.

Adam shifted more at your voice his golden irises finally opening to meet your own. Your stomach lurched at the sight, tears gathering as you got overwhelmed by joy. “Holy fuck Adam!” You cried keeling over into his chest with a sob. Adam still lost, didn’t know what to do, and quite honestly couldn’t fully register who you were to him at the moment. After a second you pulled away gripping his cheeks softly between your hands, Adam looked at you eyes tired feeling sleepless. Finally it clicked, and the heart monitor kicked up with his beats, he nearly died.

“What the fuck?” Adam muttered confused, his voice hoarse and grainy from the lack of use. Tears continued to fall from your eyes as Adam cleared his throat, his own eyes manically hopping from object to object around the room. “You’re one dumb motherfucker yknow that? Fighting Lucifer!? God,” You shook his head gently to emphasize your anger with his decision. Adam only grinned lazily up at you with lidded eyes, his heart rate increasing as he did so.

“Woah, am i in heaven? Because you’re an angel.” Adam slurred out smirking smugly as he did. You gaped at him, he only giggle jubilantly his arms raising slowly to slowly pull you into a hug. You met his movements and fell into his hug with ease mind still trying to comprehend everything. “God you’re an idiot you know that?” You mumbled into his flesh, pushing yourself further into his chubby peck. “Yea babe but that’s why you love me.”

You let out a noise between a scoff and a chuckle before agreeing. “Very true, not even the devil could change that.” Adam tensed at the mention of Lucifer, but his brain tracked back to the day of thee extermination where you decended into hell just for him, to save him. Adam remembered all the things Lucifer was slinging at you, the snake was really trying his hardest to make you fall. “What’d you think of Lucifer?” Adam dared to ask, all the groggy wooze leaving him, focusing all his energy on you agaisnt him. “Nothing special, i was too busy tryna save you.”

Adam’s heart fluttered as did his wings, puffing out and subtly jittering happily. Pulling your head up from his chest you looked down at him positioning yourself over his lips. Adam thought he may have been kidding himself, still in his coma dreaming all this up. “Alright dickhead, i’m going to kiss you, then we’re gonna get the doctor in here and get your ass home, and you’re going to tell me why the hell you kept all that extermination shit from me.” You grit out strictly, a smile on your face as you did. He always secretly found it hot when you tried bossing him around, it stroked his ego when he could talk back to you and get into little competition for dominance and control.

However, Adam really didn’t feel like fighting, nor missing the option for a kiss, so with a smug smirk he puckered his lips and closed his eyes, almost expecting you not to actually kiss him. You smashed your lips against his, flattening his puckered lips and making him gasp with shock. Adam didn’t waste time to recover, messily mashing his tongue into your mouth, sighing at the feeling of you on his tongue. After a few moments of intertwined bliss you pulled away with a warm smile. “You really wanna fuck around with the original dick?” Adam urged a cocky look in his eye, but a part of you knew this was just his way of confirming you wanted him. “Yes i do, i have no clue why the others left for Lucifer when they had you. After all, without a nose, what supposed to bump your clit during head?” Adam sat up with excitedly, wincing at the pain. “Right?!” The exclamation made you grin, and with a pat on the chest you stood, ready to grab the doctor.

[trashogram]

It’s so hard for me to articulate but one of the worst crimes that Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel commit is a lack of gravitas, in my opinion.

Characters aren’t very “solid” as individuals. It’s hard to differentiate them beyond labels. For instance, Stolas is a demon prince but he can go to a party for lower class hellborns and just join in. No one shows any fear or awe in his presence despite the fact that he supposedly has a lot of power over them.

Charlie as well, is disrespected and treated like any other Sinner — which you could try to justify by her being unusually optimistic and happy, but the mistreatment or lack of dignity beyond other citizens of Hell isn’t really connected to her royal status at all. No one badmouths her for being a princess who isn’t evil or something like that.

Lucifer! The Devil himself, may be a goofball/highly anxious and depressed mess, but Alastor has no issue riling him up and showing him disdain, as if there are no consequences if he doesn’t defer to the King of Hell. Which doesn’t make sense.

And these issues weaken the world around them. We are told that there’s a hierarchy in Hell, but if everyone is treated the same way, even if that treatment is terrible across the board, then the hierarchy doesn’t mean anything and shouldn’t exist. It also makes the characters blend together (and that’s not restricted only to royal labels. I’m also referring to sexualities, personalities, backstories full of trauma). Appearance-wise, they all move similarly, they all curse a good amount, they all make sex jokes and are prone to violence.

Sure there are some exceptions but the majority check all those boxes. There’s a lack of differentiation here as a whole. But I dont know if I’m one of the only people that care and find this disappointing.

[wishful-thinking64]

One Hell of an Unpopular Opinion #04

The reason behind the Exterminations should've stayed to prevent Sinners from overpopulating the Pride Ring and I don't like how Hazbin Hotel portrays Adam as being in the wrong for hating Sinners.

_________

The whole, "We kill Sinners for our entertainment," reasoning from Adam and Lute as well as, "I approved of the Exterminations to avoid Hell's Sinners from starting an uprising," reasoning from Sera is so stupid. Specifically, Sera's reason. Because logically approving of the Exterminations would only lead to more and more Sinners wanting to start an uprising with each passing Extermination. Adam and Lute's reasoning has to be the way it is so that the show writers can make it seem like Charlie's in the right when the show gives us reason to believe that she's actively wrong. For example, Angel Dust was born in New York City and into a Mafia family likely somewhere around the years 1912 - 1915 as he's stated to have died in his young to mid 30s in the year 1947 due to a drug overdose. Angel Dust was a mobster for most if not all of his life but he hasn't shown or stated that he feels any remorse or guilt for what he did back then. The only thing he feels guilty for is for his past self having signed that contract with Valentino which is totally valid however making a soul contract with Valentino isn't the reason why he's in Hell. Angel Dust is in Hell for being a murderer, a drug trafficker, a drug attic, a smuggler, and for likely having committed several other money related crimes. I swear, people hear or see the word Mafia and automatically think of death when the majority of their crimes are motivated by currency. Like, its still not good but its not just senseless murder either. The point is, we haven't seen anything about Angel Dust truly wanting to change. Yeah, there was that scene in episode #06 where Angel turns down Cherri's offer to do drugs but that doesn't suddenly mean he's no longer a drug attic for turning down ONE offer. Most of the Sinners we see or know of in Hell are fucking horrendous people. Alastor was and still is a serial killing cannibal because he can. Let me repeat. He WAS and STILL IS a SERIAL KILLING CANNIBAL because he CAN! There is an entire place in the Pride Ring known as the Cannibal Colony (in the show it got changed to Cannibal Town but I've been calling it Cannibal Colony for 4 years now and I do not plan on stopping), Martha's in Hell which makes sense considering she and her entire family were actual Devil worshipers, Loopty and Lipton experimented and killed the poor, and Valentino is a rapist. We still don't know enough about most of what the HH's cast did when they were alive which is why I think Sir Pentious ultimately getting into Heaven was a load of BS. We don't even know why he ended up in Hell in the first place but he tries to help his "friends" once and dies in the process and that's enough to get him redeemed???

Seriously, what did he do to deserve damnation? Also, I know Viv probably doesn't have Cain or Able as that would give Adam an understandable, even justifiable, reason for despising Sinners. His first and oldest son, Cain, is LITERALLY the FIRST SINNER. For what? For killing his younger brother, Able, by slicing his throat with a knife or sharp object in the same manner Able did when sacrificing his lambs. Although, I've also heard that Cain killed Able by bludgeoning him to death with a stone by repeatedly bashing it into Able's skull. Either way, if anyone deserves to hate Sinners the MOST then it's Adam & Eve without a doubt.

[forthegothicheroine]

Do you have any gothic novels that you can recommend off the top of your head? Especially to people who want to try their hand at the genre? I've hit a wall in my project and I need to get some fresh inspiration, but I don't know where to start and the book side of tumblr failed me the last time I tried asking them for recs

Hell yeah! I made some old posts for this a while back, but it's good to look at it again with my more recent taste! Let's see...

Classic Gothics

Dracula: The one, the only. Often imitated, never equalled.

Frankenstein: Short, sad and world changing! Can get a little slow at parts, but definitely worth it. (True story, my parents read this to me as a fetus to calm my kicking, so it's part of my personal mythology!)

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward: The most gothic of Lovecraft's work, and possibly my favorite. Novella length, usually found in collections.

The Picture of Dorian Gray: Sinister, sexy, philosophical, with a main character I want to punch in the face!

Carmilla: Another novella, about as lush and swooning as vampire stories get.

The Hound of the Baskervilles: A very readable gothic mystery.

Confessions of a Justified Sinner: This one isn't as action packed, but if you have big religious issues like me, it's incredibly haunting.

The Monk: Like the above, but sleazier and crazier!

Northanger Abbey: A gentle parody of early gothics, starring an adorable proto-goth girl.

The Italian: I'll be honest, I find Anne Radcliffe kind of a slog, but if you liked Northanger Abbey and want to read what Catherine Morland reads, this is probably the most accessible.

A Long Fatal Love Chase: This starts as campy and then takes a plunge into gut-wrenchingly intense. The book Jo March was always trying to write!

The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Another novella, and Stevenson is one of the best writers out there for excitement!

The Werewolf of Paris: Gothic monster as serial killer, still scary today.

Rebecca: The foundation of all gothic romance to come afterwards. A ghost story without a ghost, with an ending that's still debated as happy or sad!

Jane Eyre: The other foundation of all gothic romance to come afterwards. I bounced off the child abuse-heavy beginning a few times, but I'm very glad I finally read to the good stuff!

The Castle of Otranto: Considered the first gothic novel, a goofy b-movie in written form.

Modern-ish Gothics (post-1950 or so)

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein: Fuck the haters, I love this book.

Mexican Gothic: Genuinely scary, genuinely romantic, genuinely creative. A favorite.

Blackwater: A southern gothic saga of a family in a flooded town, whose scion marries a woman who isn't quite human. A whirlwind ride!

A Bloodsmoor Romance: Another family saga, this one northern gothic, with sisters whose lives all go off the rails in different supernatural ways. Give this a try before writing Joyce Carol Oates off entirely!

The Silver Devil: A nasty, problematic bodice ripper where you'll cheer for the heroine to bring the hero down low!

Interview with the Vampire: To be honest again, I'm not super into Anne Rice, but this is a page-turner, and every vampire book that has come after it has had to respond to it in one way or another. Read the next two Vampire Chronicles books if you like it!

A Taste of Blood Wine: My own preferred sexy vampire romance!

The Bloody Chamber: The ultimate dark sexy fairy tale work, accept no substitutes.

Haunted Castles: Contains the brilliant novella Sardonicus, as well as some other campy gothic stories!

A Great and Terrible Beauty: Many millennials were introduced to the gothic genre via this, Fear Street Sagas, or A Series of Unfortunate Events. This is my favorite of the three, though the sequels are a bit of a letdown.

Gormenghast: This series is a throwback to the pseudo-medieval, Otranto-style gothic, but much better. Don't read Titus Alone.

[joelsgirl]

The Saint, The Sinner & The Devil Pt. 1

Mafia AU x Narcos x TLOU Cross Over Characters: Mafia DBF!Joel Miller, Corrupt Javier Pena + You/Reader Content Warnings: Age Gap, Size Difference, Rough Sex, DBF, Dirty Talk, Daddy might be used in later parts, No Use of Y/N, Threesome, name calling, might be more that I've missed! Disclaimer & Notes: 1.6k Words >> Yes I know they're the same FC but shhh they're different and it works beautifully. This was inspired by a conversation with the beautiful @dreamsofmandalore + Want to see more? I’d love to see some requests, here! Image Credit: x x

Joel swiped the pad of his thumb across his tongue before flicking through a stack of hundreds. Counting out ten Benjamin's, he handed them over to the agent currently leaning against the wall of his office. Javier was as corrupt as they come, his weekly payment something he'd always collected in person. "And the other half?" He asked in a low drawl, nodding to the door behind Joel as he pocketed the cash.

"Your usual is waiting for you." The money was only half of it. For a DEA agent, Javier Pena was one of his easiest bribes. Sometimes he wondered if the cash was just a diversion, an excuse for him to let out the sinner within. It was hardly enough to justify looking the other way on his dealings and yet here they were, doing the same song and dance they always did.

Joel rose to full height, his ageing knees cracking from the shift in position. He pushed the thought aside, ignoring the fact that fifty-seven wasn't the same as thirty. As far as he was concerned, if he could draw a gun, he had plenty of life left in him.

Ring laden fingers closed around the door handle, pulling it open as Pena brushed passed him. "You joining me this time, Miller?"

Scrubbing his face in contemplation, he checked the rolex on his wrist. Pena was the last meeting on his agenda for the evening. He'd planned on taking his girl home with him but his favourite happened to be Pena's, too... "Ah, fuck it," he motioned to the center of the room, closing and locking the door behind them both after stepping in with him.

The room was nondescript, aged wine colored walls, dark wooden floorboards, a large, deep purple velvet covered daybed in the corner; and you in the middle. Your hands are bound behind your back, the soft leather cuffs tight but not uncomfortable. It's the only thing you're wearing, knowing exactly how Javi likes you. Unencumbered. Your gaze averted, studiously watching the floor despite every fiber of your being screaming at you to look up, to take in the sight of him.

He was so handsome, so was the boss. The pair so similar they could be brothers. They were two sides of the same coin, the dark and supposed light of an unrelenting war - but in this room, they were predators and you, their prey. You shouldn't enjoy his sessions as much as you do but the truth was, you looked forward to them. This had become your favorite part of the week. When you weren't with Joel, that was.

The boys circle you, moving in opposite direction, in perfect synchronicity as they both eye you hungrily. "I never tire of this one, you know?" Pena's accent was always thicker whenever he was in a room with you. So turned on it was like he fell deeper into those base instincts, his field of vision limited to you, and exactly what he'd planned on doing to that perfect little body of yours. You bite your lower lip, your chest rising and falling as you wait with bated breath for one of them to make their move. Joel hung back, letting the agent take the first step. He always did. You knew why they were there, understood the importance of making Agent Pena happy.

He moved behind you, your back pressed against the broad expanse of his chest, both men towering over you even with Joel standing a few steps away. Javier's hand reached around you tenderly, sliding up your thigh, over your stomach towards your breasts. He cupped one, kneading it between his fingers. Your eyes flick towards Joel's, an unspoken question phrased in the way you look at him. “Yes, little one. You'll get to service us both tonight.”

It was the only explanation you were going to get; the only one you needed. Your back arched for the agent, pressing yourself against his palm as his fingers found your nipple, rolling it between them. It wasn't long before Joel closed the distance between you, joining the other man. A large hand slipping down between your legs, three fingers forced into your cunt without hesitation, stretching you wide. Dipping his head, his lips brushing against your ear, his voice a low murmur. “Mmm, always so tight for me, aren't you, baby?”

His forearm started to move, back and forth, fucking you with a skilled hand, your moans filling the small room. Javier's fist locked in your soft hair, holding you still even though you weren't going anywhere. His hips shift forward, grinding his hard cock against your ass through the form fitting denim he was wearing. Joel's head bent forward, taking the nipple Javi had been working earlier between his lips. 

You moan at the attention, lapping it up, loving being sandwiched between the two violent men. You knew the drill, behave and you shall be rewarded… and so far? You were doing splendidly. Javi's free hand found your tight little ass, massaging it roughly. A low groan fell from his lips, blending with the hard slap that echoed off the walls as you squeal for him. "What do you say, whore?" Joel's voice, commanding in your ear. "Thank you, sir." There was no hesitation in your breathy response.

He could see Javi over your shoulder, his eyes locked onto Joels. There was a glint of approval in them that made the older male proud. His hand came down again, another hard slap in exactly the same spot. Over and over again. Each time, you oblige him with a thank you, Sir and all the while, Joel continued his three finger assault.

Pausing only to give his own hand a break, he palmed at the heat of your flesh, massaging the brilliant mark he’d left behind. His cock was painfully hard, the sight of you writhing between them driving him wild. Tightening his hold on your hair, a harsh jerk forcing your slender back to arch. Your clit grinding against Joel's palm as Javi worked the zipper on his jeans. There would be no foreplay from him, no warning you up or allowing his favorite little toy a chance to get used to the idea of what he was about to do… He lined the swollen head up with your tightest hole and slammed balls deep into your ass. 

You scream at the invasion, your walls massaging him as he pulls back, reaching the very tip and slamming home again. His thrusts brutal as he drills into you. From this angle, he could feel Joels fingers against his length. If only it was his cock, instead...

 Clearly, Joel was of the same mind as he’d raised his head, the hand not buried in your cunt sliding the zipper of his pants down. His hard cock sprung free of its binds, and he swapped the fingers with his length in a matter of seconds. 

The males groaned on impact, their rhythm perfectly in sync. As one moved out, the other moved in. They had done this dance before, were well versed in what they liked…their eyes locked over your head as the pace intensified. 

Joel raised his fingers, still slick with their juices, forcing them between your lips. The soft glow of the overhead light reflecting on the gold rings he wore. Your expert tongue cleaning yourself from Joel's fingers as he pushes them deeper. Javi used the fist in your hair to force your head forward, moving it back and forth. “Take it, slut.” The growl came from Javi and Joel groaned again…

Joel's other hand came down on your tits, catching the nipple hard. Your cry muffled, as was the thanks you offered to him. Pride filled his chest as you continued to behave. Such a good girl for him. Joel repeated his action, slapping you so hard the flesh bounced in retaliation. 

Javi reached around to slap the other one at the same time, ensuring both were attended to while their cocks pistoned in and out of your tight little holes. Their bodies collided with such force, the slaps were as loud as those created by their hands. 

Joel slid out from your slick heat, throwing a knowing glance Javi's way. On a groan, the hand in your hair forced your upper body forward, your legs kicked apart as your body was bent into a right angle. In a quick movement, Javi pulled out of your ass and slammed into your soaking cunt, filling the space Joel previously had.

The devilish grin on Joel's face widened as his hand now took over the hold on your hair, slapping the tip of his heavy length against your lips. “Open for me, whore.” You oblige immediately, your lips sucking that length in between them. He groaned as he let you take control, for a short while, anyway. That expert mouth working Joel like you did this for a damn living.

He could see the muscles on his abdomen ripple and constrict as his breath tightened. Javi continued with his brutal pace, fucking you mercilessly. “Mmmm, such a good little fucktoy. Take it, that's a good girl.” He groaned, slapping your bright red cheeks. His hands dug into the small of your hips, leveraging himself against you to fuck you harder. 

For Javi, it wasn't about the money, or the whores. He could get them anywhere. The cash was cream on the top; the real bribe was you.

The kingpins daughter wasn't anything he could buy, you were something of a prize. The day he'd discovered your affair with your father's best friend, his right hand man, the Cartel's enforcer, turned out to be the best day of his goddamned life.

He'd had all the leverage he needed to take down an empire, the only problem was... he wanted you more.

TAG LIST: @dreamsofmandalore @pedro-pedrito-pascalito @spookyprofessorknightflap >>> If you'd like to be tagged in this series or any other fics, please let me know!

[reikiajakoiranruohoja]

HH Critical- Alastor thoughts

Critical of Hazbin Hotel, if you do not want to hear critique, do not read.

As time has gone on and I have heard multiple takes on Hazbin Hotel, I have gotten some ideas about exactly why Alastor feels so flat to me.

The show spends more time propping Alastor up than challenging him. Up until the last episode, Alastor is treated mostly as a powerful badass who can beat up anyone. Only Zestiel and Lucifer seem more powerful, and even then we never see any sort of conclusion to the Lucifer vs Alastor fight.

Alastor is a main character and basically the mascot of Hazbin Hotel. Yet he mostly serves as the devil on Charlie's shoulder in the first season. This would be fine if he served as a static character like Monokuma or Kyubei, but he clearly is meant to have depth.

Suggestion: Have Alastor pick more fights he can't win. We are shown that he is a sociopath who enjoys the suffering of others. Sociopaths who murder often get caught because they lack fear and get too arrogant. Alastor should have to fight to get back his overlord status and lose some fights due to arrogance.

Alastor's race and faith are window dressing. There is absolutely no weight to either Alastor being a mixed-race person from the 20s or him practising Voodoo. Both exist mostly to justify his shadow powers. Alastor also seems to get his power for 'free' as he does nothing in the series that even hints of worship.

Suggestion: Actually address both aspects. Voodoo especially (with the right research) could be interesting to tackle as the faith is a combination of Catholicism and African Diaspora faiths mixing. What does it mean to be a non-Christian in hell? How is his relationship with the pantheon? Does Alastor feel abandoned by his Loa?

Alastor doesn't have anything to do for most of the series. Aside from trolling Vox, Alastor basically leers in the background for most episodes until the very end. He has no goals or anything driving him but amusement. While at the end we know he HAS an overarching goal, it is in the last minutes of the last episode.

Suggestion: Alastor is most likely doing what he is doing because Lillith is pulling his leash. Give him moments of small rebellion and show him trying to find ways out. At first, it might seem he is just stealing for lolz, but every item is chosen as a way to get free.

General suggestions;

Show how meaningless it is to be an overlord. Hell has a lot of opportunities for its citizens, different ecosystems and cultures to live in and chances to make it big for everyone. The Sinners get none of that and are stuck in the Pride ring. Overlords are just slightly bigger fish in an aquarium, they have more power but are as much prisoners as the regular Sinners.

This should be shown more clearly with glimpses of Goetia nobles, the Deadly Sins and the like. Both Alastor and Vox should lose their audience to Verosika or Fizzarolli, nevermind Asmodeus.

Make Alastor's main goal a quest to leave the Pride Ring. Relating to the above, Alastor wants real power, he doesn't want to be chained in any way. Being close to Charlie and her being in his debt are stepping stones to true freedom in hell.

Showcase the lines he won't cross, then make him suffer for them. One of the tried and true ways to develop a character is to challenge their morality and resolve. Especially with characters as powerful as Alastor, it is important to know what could actually hurt them. Put his quest for power against his care for Mimzy and make him choose. Offer him what he wants but at the cost of his morality. The point is not to break him but to challenge him.

These are just a few suggestions I've had, but I feel they cut to the root of my problem with Alastor.

[ludinusdaleth]

re: your post about xerxes' innocence and optimism being seen as flaws or almost made into a joke. i think both the outside knowledge that asmodeus is a lying opportunist the internet's borderline hero worship of brennan also adds to this; they believe xerxes is meant to be /punished/ for being stupid and selfish enough to trust a devil.

i think you've hit the target pretty well, anon.

i do want to clarify i dont think zerxus is "innocent" in nature about the gods. he knew who asmodeus was; he read about him often, feeling kinship. but i think that speaks to how fundamentally empathetic zerxus is that he turned his anguish over being lonely, isolated from his son, his husband, even his own party, and turned that to feeling almost.... kindness. and it came pouring out, all these feelings of projection and wishing to care for someone again, onto asmodeus. i deeply sympathize on that front; he wants to believe that anyone can be saved because he doesnt know how to fix himself and the broken pieces of his life. is that arrogance, to seek some shred of kindness to prove that it exists?

what bothers me is labeling zerxus arrogant (and all the other traits people detest him for) came from asmodeus's mouth. at the time, the fanbase would not trust a word he said - not his canon past with divine family, not his anguish over losing that family, nothing that zerxus saw and empathized with - but they did all think asmodeus wasnt lying when he said zerxus was arrogant. when what is significant about asmo calling him that is hes projecting as much as zerx is. and the thing is, in canon we know zerxus's belief isn't fruitless (and i think asmodeus knows it deep down too). we know the gods struggle with emotion as much as mortals do (see literally the same scene, zerxus saying asmo hates so purely because he hates himself and asmo biting his lip in fury knowing he cant respond back without proving him right), and can even be swayed to listen (asmodeus is having to help the other gods and mortals right now). we know folk like jester who saw kindness where there genuinely wasnt and still managed to help others find it anyway. it was simply the wrong place at the wrong time. it was the age of arcanum. it was cruel. and zerxus's flaws, while fascinating and many, were not hubris or arrogance. id say his fatal move was being blinded by love that was marred by projection, and he could not see (between his low intelligence score and his desperation) how his love specifically was so important to be weaponized.

as for the brennan point, i do enjoy his dm'ing, but any time he dms for cr you can feel people act like hes here to.... punish? straighten out the kinks? especially right now. somehow fans expect a man they obsess over being a leftist to justify aeorian genocide, "fix" matt & aabria's very long standing interpretations of gods as complex individuals who canonically colonized exandria in such a way that even mortals call it out. i think a large part of that is why they interpreted zerx as "arrogant terrible man righteously suffers under his choices". but.... even brennan gave zerx a chance because he chose to unwaveringly redeem. even he said that his love & hope was not wrong. luis likes & replies kindly to posts on twitter about people who relate to zerxus for being manipulated & abused for choosing to love. matt has said asmodeus is so aware of how fundamentally good zerxus is that he wont let him leave his side. you may choose to read brennan's interpretation of the devil as a christian one punishing sinners, but cr wouldnt be cr if every story did not come down to unending hope & empathy & belief in others even if it took a thousand years for it to come to fruition. and brennan is part of the enduring of that idea.

[jessequinnfirstofhername]

Hope I'm doing this right, lol. HH confessions.

Guitarspear/Guardrock: Amazing ship that gets done so dirty by this fandom. I loooove me some villain love. Give me the most awful, toxic people imaginable and make them soft for each other (looking at you, Vees), and I am absolutely sold.

But it feels like half the Guitarspear shippers are hellbent on turning Adam and Lute into these uwu noble martyr angels with sad backstories that justify why they absolutely must commit mass slaughter against defenseless sinners every year. You know, despite Adam straight-up admitting they do it for the fun of it (in song form!). Let them be toxic. Let them be evil. Let them be assholes, ffs. That’s why I love this ship, not to read about how they actually are the last heroic bastion standing between heaven falling into chaos. I really don't recognize Adam or Lute in half the stuff I read them in.

Honestly, anyone who takes the stand that heaven is right in this show can eat my whole ass.

Full disclosure: I hate Adam with the burning fury of a thousand supernovas, so I'm not a huge fan of any Adam-related ship. I may or may not have cackled maniacally when he was stabbed to death.

So, as the world's biggest Adam Anti, I never noticed the Adam x Lute ship getting the uwu treatment. That's... a weird decision. Again, I don't like Adam, but wouldn't a lot of the fun of any ship with Adam in it- especially Adam x Lute as she's such a psycho- be what a horrible person he is? As you say: Let them be evil.

To play Devil's Advocate (lol), I do think that people are free to do whatever they like in fanon. If you want to woobie-fy awful characters, you do you. But Adam and Lute getting whitewashed confuses me. What's the appeal in it?

-Jesse xx

[cmrosens]

Creating fantasy religions: something I'm doing now so thought I would post about my process.

The mistake a lot of writers make is developing a religion from a singular event, and piling a ton of stuff on top of it that makes logical sense. Whereas, in reality, religions are self propelling systems that travel under their own steam and if there is an event that catalyses them, it is never in a socio-cultural or political and economic vacuum.

You also end up with an apparently totally random set of things attached to one figure which does make sense if you know the origins, but otherwise is just accepted even if the meaning is lost.

It is the difference between "the god of Midwinter and festivals around this originated because a cult of necromancers were banished into the frozen wastes and this <event> became the Origin Story for how we got to a midwinter festival with creepy bone puppets in my fantasy world" and a religion that feels ... Real.

Ok so firstly, this is a bit too neat. (This was my original reasoning for a midwinter god called Yarash and I changed it because it wasn't very realistic or interesting for my world.)

Why, let's say, is the god whose feast is at midwinter also the patron of puppet makers and osteopaths?

Well, we could say that this makes a lot of sense because the god's festival was originally to do with remembering the dead, and puppets were used in the festival to represent the dead, as necromancy should have been part of it but people didn't actually know how to raise the dead properly. Then as magic evolved people could actually raise the dead for short periods to deliver messages in these festivals, but this drew internal debate from the conservative priests who thought puppets were the original form and so should be maintained, and necromancy was an aberration, vs the progressives who saw necromancy as the original INTENTION and so the natural and correct progression from the puppets. The debate might rage on for years creating splinters, sects, differing traditions that sit uneasily together but find middle ground in other less controversial topics and practices, and even cults.

At some point, the secular authorities get involved for their own reasons. Maybe some rulers are pro-"The Old Bones" or anti-, or they want to outlaw necromancy or benefit from it for various political reasons, socio-cultural reasons, economic reasons, military intelligence reasons, etc. Whatever happens, happens. Times change. Official attitudes swing back and forth, while internally the religious debates continue, now informed by and perhaps as counters to, this secular intervention.

Then we end up in modern times, the times of the story. Nobody really believes in gods anymore. They do remember the old gods of the seasons and at the secular festival in winter, there are a lot of traditional puppet shows that have a whole history and life of their own. The puppets are called "the old bones" and nobody really remembers why. Osteopaths have the puppets and symbols relating to the midwinter festival on their certificates and college heraldry and nobody really remembers why, but the information is there to look up and is a fun thing to know for trivia nights.

And necromancy... is a controversial branch of science, divorced from its original religious significance for many but not for all, and more integrated as an art or practice in the public consciousness (positively or negatively depending on perspective and propaganda and actual usage).

And now, you have a ton of depth and meat to it without having to flesh out the arguments and debates themselves unless that is plot relevant.

There is a lot you can do with this society now, and by tweaking one thing you can create completely different societies and ideologies. The depth is now there to set your story at any point during this history and to develop numerous ideas. So much stuff can happen.

With the singular event version, and a static fact of a necromancy cult in the frozen wastes, things are much more limited and linear, with less depth to play with.

Also remember that your characters will not be expected to know everything about your world unless they are experts in religion and/or history, and also the 2 subjects are not mutually inclusive so a historian is not an expert theologian and vice versa. How much the average person on the street knows depends on levels of formal education, accessible knowledge beyond formal education, which may include religious instruction and folklore, and propaganda. But it means you can build in some subtle things - like the puppet symbols on the door of an osteopath or bone doctor - that never need to be explained, but have a logical in-world explanation below the surface.

Try taking a static idea and work it into a system and see where it leads!

EDIT: I'm doing a workshop on Build A Hellscape at the Devils and Justified Sinners online conference, Saturday 24th Aug 2024, 9AM UK Time. Sign up below:

[theshadowofsorrow]

I love the conferences. I can't believe I haven't heard of this before!

[kimsj90]

‘I ‘created’ the rules not for myself, but only for the benefit of all; everything is fair and just, dear brother, it is you who does not understand the ‘reality’ like I did.’

- Samael to Lucifer

(I don’t follow the trope of Samael is Lucifer’s angelic name ‘cause it doesn’t make sense if they’re connected to each other thnx to media although yes, they are correlated to Satan/The Devil/Baphomet, it DOESN’T MEAN THERE ARE ONE AND THE SAME. It is based on the texts and researches that I did. So both Samael and Lucifer are DIFFERENT in my version of Hazbin Hotel)

Samael is known to be vindictive, treacherous, spiteful, and sociopathic, known to be a delusional realist that only sees the world as ‘born from the inherent sides’. Many saw Samael as a two-faced entity, showing his evillious persona due to his duty of punishing the wicked, so far as tempting humanity by seducing and tricking them, while at the same time, doing what is necessary in the eyes of God. Samael is known to be a troublemaker in secret, dismissing every crime he did and coming off as clean to prevent himself from suspicion. This was also applied to his role as ‘The chief of Satans’ (an Adversary/ a devil’s advocate) To him, his existence as ‘Venom of God’ is justified due to his nature being between the Good and Evil ‘fair’ in God’s eyes, but to Michael and Lucifer, he is the reason why Heaven got its bad reputation.

Becoming the Judge of Limbo and residing as a Sovereign in the City of Dis, he is described as ruthless and authoritative, known for his iron-fisted rule, who only uses his methods of punishing and rewarding sinners, followers, and humans to maintain the balance of the three realms, although he retains his duty as the ‘Angel of Death’. He is known to be a highly intelligent ‘angel’, overlooking the status of the three worlds, claiming to take the souls when it becomes necessary to him. He is a firm believer in ‘fairness and just’, coming from his experience of his role, thus retaining his ideology through the means of manipulation of the unsuspected sinners and humans that were susceptible to being bound to his bidding, while at the same time, judges the sinners based on their sins committed in their mortal life and their afterlife on behalf of God. He would go so far as manipulating the highest, Sera, to accept the proposal of an annual purge in Hell. He enjoys seeing the sinners suffering or being killed during the Annual Extermination, because he sees it as either their punishment for abusing their free will or a warning to those who dared to defy the laws. This brought fear to the sinners and overlords, especially Lucifer’s daughter, Charlie, Adam and other Heaven residents.

The betrayal took a toll on him since he not only lost Lilith and erased her sisters from existence, but took the soul of the third woman he loved the most. He once believed the world has ‘beauty’ that humans should care for, however, he is destined to see death upon the mortals, so he accepts everything meaningless as his coping mechanisms. Due to his honesty that caused the downfall of his relationship, he has his heart hardened so he would never experience the same tragedy again. Upon adopting Margaret as his daughter, he shows compassion towards her, as he reminded him of his deal with the woman he wished to love, but he couldn’t. Upon finding out that Margaret is his daughter, he was encouraged by Leviathan to establish a father-daughter bond with her, and although he had tried his best to train and teach her, he sought advice from his subordinates. He doesn’t see her as a disgrace, even though she caused havoc to the human realm and was told by none other than his former brother, Michael, to kill her.

[fandomfuntimem]

Cain and Able

I mentioned in an earlier post that I though Cain in the story of Cain and Able was "on some level, justified" and frankly I misworded it, and my reasoning at the time was wrong.

When I said "Justified" what I really ment was I could see why and how it happened, and that I pittied Cain. I thought Cain didn't intend on killing Able, he threw the rock and Able died. No human had ever died before that point, and they only ever killed livestock, so Cain couldn't have known that would kill Able.

But my mom corrected me by looking it up. In the Catholic version (I am Roman Catholic, so thats unfortunately my only frame of refference.) The devil whispered to Cain and encouraged him to kill Able. Cain and Able fought, and Cain beat Able to death.

But that got me thinking. First of all, I whent to bible school for eight years and not once did they say that happened. Hell not even the church ever said that that was what happened. So, y'know, eather they never cared to say it, or my mom lied (good chance tbh, she doesn't like blasphemy).

Second: THAT ENTIRE SITUATION, WAS GOD'S FAULT! For centuries the church has pushed this idea that God loves all his creations equally, that it pains him to see sinners in hell. But Cain and Able? That was his fault.

Reasoning:

So, the devil pushed Cain to kill. Got in his head, fed on his jealousy, and whispered in his ear. Yeah ok usual bible stuff. The bible also pushes the idea that a strong faith in God is a good way to push the Devil out. Also, jealousy is a natural emotion, but something has to trigger it.

God picked favorites. The great being, that Cain and Able were probably both told is full of love, and wrath, picked favorites. God ignored the amount of effort BOTH brothers put into their offerings. He picked Able over Cain, and Cain was hurt. Cain lost his faith. Because he was told this was a loving and fair being, but this "fair" being picked favorites. He was lied to.

This doubt, and jealousy, was planted by God's blatant favoritism. Allowing the Devil entry into Cain's heart.

Then, when Cain had realised what he had done, God came back questioning where Able was, and Cain lied. What else could he do? This is THE being, the ultimate force of everything, it created his parents, banished them from the garden, and now Cain was facing it down after committing a horrific act. Frankly, Cain was probably pissing himself. God probably already knew what happened. (That, or this story proves God is not omnipotent.) Cain lied, because what else could he do? It was that, or admit to God, and himself, that he killed his brother.

I just feel bad for him. That entire situation wouldn't have happened if God didn't pick favorites. If God stuck to his teachings and loved and cared equally.

I'm not saying Cain was justified, or that he shouldn't have been punished. I'm just saying that its tragic. I gues a large chunk of my reason for feeling bad for Cain is that I kinda get it? Y'know, being raised Catholic and all, but slowly learning that the God you follow isn't the fair and loving being you were told he was. He's just cruel, and so are his people.

Side note: my mom said "well, God just happened to like one offering more than the other," and that statement just urked me. That implies God can decide if he likes one person more than the other, two people on equal ground, similer lives, but one can be far more blessed than the other because God "just happened to like one more than the other." Thats bullshit for the ideas the church preaches.

[idliketobeatree]

I am begging ALL OF YOU, Good Omens fans, to listen to this song by Jesca Hoop (a lovely American singer-songwriter and guitarist), from the album "Memories are Now", released in 2017.

The Coming, huh? What a funny coincidence, right? Almost like the Second Coming?

And then it starts like this:

The song is dark and poignant, but more importantly - it is written almost like someone was plotting for a possible season 3. It's actually uncanny, how much it fits.

A quick artist background check: The narrator mirrors Hoop's struggles with religion. Raised traditional Mormon, she grew up singing hymns, and at 16 years old she lost her faith and stopped attending church. She describes the experience as freeing: she has "faith in people".

Overall, it's all too easy to imagine the narrator as Aziraphale, but we'll get back to that in a moment.

Let's focus on Jesus first. Analogically, in the song, he loses faith in himself, and refuses both Heaven and Earth to fulfill the prophecy. Jesus makes an interesting choice of alliance; he sits by the Devil. In a fit of desperation? fatigue?-- asks the advocate of Hell to help him become someone new. There's something beautiful about them being familiar, sitting arm in arm, almost friendly in the exchange. Jesus "was tempted for forty days by the Devil" (Luke 4:2), and he firmly refused then, but he goes back now: to his only salvation left.

The Devil doesn't get much characterisation, but we know he agreed to the terms. "The coming never came."

Now, back to the narrator. They're quite honest and self-aware of their role as an obeying servant to Jesus or/and God (as in Holy Trinity). In a world full of sinners it's necessary to keep people at bay, because not everyone can be saved. There's "only enough room at his table (...)/And they're coming to shut the gate/You're too little and too late". A strong implication of humans being a nuisance, a collateral damage in God's plan.

"But I don't buy it."

You see, the narrator has a strong motivation that they mention almost immediately after realising that -- good people are not getting in through the gate.

The best friend. We can assume she's someone very dear, and probably not that involved in religion. She doesn't deserve damnation, obviously. (Hello, Crowley.) Nobody does. Heaven doesn't really care about that.

The point is: they don't want to offer to save her anymore. Playing God's hand in this relationship would be an insult, condescending and belittling to her character. It's easy to be a soldier with nameless people, isn't it? Personal connections make all the difference.

There's also a little passage about not blaming your parents for "clinging to the good", which hits another personal note on the forgiving front.

The narrator is terrified of losing their sense of identity. It's a painful and slow process. Who are they, without the religion? How to fill the God-shaped hole in the heart, where it has grown large and uncomfortable, been there for ages?

The answer is: with other people.

The collective work of humanity on the matter of free will has an major impact on Earth. Our little choices contribute to the goodness as a whole, and it's not dictated nor defined by Heaven. No, it's all our doing. And we can make it a good place without religion.

Oh, and look at this. "Asking any kind of question could unravel me with one small fray"?

Pretty self-explanatory.

The song ends on an accusatory tone - at the religious figures who are mistakenly interpreting Jesus's teachings, justifying their fear-turned-hatred and "wrongdoings in his name". The narrator is scared personally, but outright - they're furious. Unable to ignore the horrifying unfairness of it all. The wars were never the intention of Jesus. He wouldn't sign another contract for massive destruction.

As a confirmation, there's a loop, a repeating of the first verses. The coming didn't came. Jesus is no longer a passive marionette on the strings of Heaven. He gives away the thorn crown - a symbol of his suffering for humanity's sins - and refuses to collaborate. He becomes an individual, maybe a different entity altogether. Needs some help from Hell, sure, but it works out in the end. No more wars. No more Heaven deciding who is worth it, and who isn't. It's just-- people, and their everyday lives.

If that isn't THE song synopsis for season 3, I don't know what is.