#i'm desperate gang

[nezumithewriter]

guys help i've jumped down a rabbit hole i can't get out of

Does anyone have ANY information on the cancelled, lost film, "The Secret of Zhu?" More specifically, does anyone know why it was cancelled?

(if you somehow also have footage outside of the four minutes on the splash website or trailer I'd like that too)

[lotus-pear]

mourning black and the death of ideals

[zeus-japonicus]

Hello pirate friends! Those of you who know me through Rusty Quill's Trice Forgotten know that I love to write queer and trans Asian pirates destroying colonies with science and also homoerotic swordfighting.

If you like those things in combination with radical, genre-devouring new science-fiction musicals created as a "fuck you" to the white men who've made millions casting East and Southeast Asians as barbarians and lotus flowers, look no further than ASIAN PIRATE MUSICAL!

APM is created by a group of 6 trans/genderqueer/female artists from across diasporas including Malaysia, the Philippines, Jamaica, Japan, Thailand and New Zealand. We love musical theatre, but we want fun, epic adventure stories written by us, about us and casting us. For tone, think the queer humour of Our Flag Meets Death meets the political world-building of The Expanse, with an experimental, orchestral blend of traditional instruments, 21st century Asian pop and indierock.

Here's a bit of a call-to-arms for us as we need some help giving this project its sea-legs.

If you're in London, UK 21-22nd November 2024, we're having a 2-day CONCERT at the Pleasance Theatre. Tickets are £14 and we need to sell out to break even ( ;; yay theatre) Click here to buy tickets.

We want everyone to be able to access this show for free, online. To do that we're recording a studio cast album (think Hadestown's early demo albums, or the EPIC! musical). We've currently got a crowdfunder going, and any donation - however small - is much appreciated. We're at £1,265/£5,000 and that just covers basic costs. Click here to go to the crowdfunder.

If you don't have the ability to financially contribute at this time, we would super appreciate any kind of social media help -> sending people who might be interested our way, reblogs/retweets and shares on Instagram/Tiktok go an incredibly long way in the development of musicals. We're @ AsianPirateMus in most places.

If you want to learn more about Asian Pirate Musical, including more songs and our social media links, please head over to this linktree and follow us where you can!

If you made it this far, thank you! Here's our asian-pop inspired ballad in which we make a historical old man have homoerotic thoughts and feelings for his Emperor.

[syncrovoid-presents]

Alastor's Deal (Thoughts, Theories, and some Predictions)

This won't answer the who, but aims to dig into the why, and plausibly narrow down the terms of the deal. Long post ahead!

Evidence

First off, the finale was incredible! But what Alastor's song showed was that his ""death"" against Adam wasn't entirely a surprise, but rather planned. Alastor's song revealed that he was looking for a loop in the contract, a way to slip past the deal without having to directly break it. He already made a deal with Charlie for a favour, but that might have been a safety net of sorts, something to guarantee himself a fighting chance if his "dying for the hotel" plan failed.

His surprise was at how fast it happened, not that he nearly died. Alastor craves control, he wears his smile for control, he makes deals for control, his magic highly influenced by controlling others too. His Modus Operandi is control, and he faced the battle it started with him being in control. He was outwitting Adam, he was faster, sneakier, even kept his hands behind his back while dodging just to show how little effort it took. But Adam's weapon sending an angelic beam of power? That wasn't in his plan, that wasn't in his control.

Control is something Alastor seeks over everything, which is why the deal is so brutal for him. The deal takes control from him, and his constant smiling and jokes and contained urges for violence is him trying to have some sort of freedom. It's highly implied that, unless it's for the hotel, he hasn't used his magic for his own reasons. He hasn't eaten or killed anyone unless it is for the hotel, and even that was implied to happen only during the Mimzy incident. He hasn't gotten to make any deals either, at least no real deals, no deals for souls.

I'm far from the first one to say that his deal is forcing him to help the hotel, but it's only now that we see the true extent. Alastor's entire personality, goals, and being has been changed against his will. He is now a tool for the hotel, the sword and shield, the magical provider, bringing them whatever they need to succeed despite the odds. Without him, it would just be Charlie, Vaggie, and Angel Dust. Sir Pentious wouldn't have joined, repairs would've taken far longer, the staff would've been just Charlie and Vaggie, et cetera. Even his deals are just him trying to gain something out of helping the hotel.

Alastor is bound to the hotel and his powers are also bound to the hotel. He cannot be selfish, he cannot do anything unless it's for the hotel no matter how desperately he wants to do otherwise. And yet it seems like his powers are limited too.

Alastor has immense levels of powers, so much that he was taking down a large portion of the angel army single handedly. Had Adam not been there, it's not outlandish to claim that Alastor could have taken down the angel army by himself. This is why he was feared. This is why "no one crosses the radio demon". If these are his powers when their limited, imagine just how powerful he truly is?

The last evidence I'll state before moving on is that Alastor didn't return back to the hotel until it was rebuilt, yet still didn't use his magic to cause chaos.

To simplify, on his end the deal forces him to use his immense power for the benefit of the hotel. He cannot actively do anything to bring harm to it, and he cannot use his magic unless it's for the good of the hotel. And he cannot escape from the deal if the hotel is destroyed, so the deal isn't about the physical hotel, but rather the concept of it. As long as the hazbin hotel exists in the heart of those involved, Alastor is bound to help.

Why?

Now the why? I believe that, whoever he made the deal with him was, they want the hotel to succeed. Not only that, I believe that by forcing Alastor to stay there and help while limiting his capability for violence, they are also trying to rehabilitate Alastor.

Wherever Alastor was before the hotel opened, it was somewhere where he couldn't interact with anyone. He was forced to be gone, only until the hotel opened. If the theories of Alastor making a deal with Lilith is true, then Lilith's character is important to consider. From what we know she is powerful and worked to bring dekonkind together. And that she too disappeared 7 years ago.

It's confirmed that Alastor destroyed many of the worse evils that existed in hell, the only ancient overlords that remain are civil and take part of overlord meetings. They are controlled, contained. There's more structure, and the only truly out of control, dangerous demon to remain would have been Alastor. It's possible that Lilith realized that she could use him to "clean up hell", waiting her time until Alastor was the last remaining biggest threat. That was when she pounced, seven years ago to capture him in a deal. We don't know why he would accept such a limiting deal, but I'd wager that it could have been for his life (either she was threatening him, or he nearly died and made a deal for his life).

Now that the deal is made, Alastor can't bring mindless chaos. If anything he is doing the most to help demons be saved from the extermination either through redemption or protection (we also didn't see him prior to the last, so perhaps he's also bound to protect during the extermination too?).

All while Alastor is handling and ensuring the success of the largest and most helpful demon-centered support system, Lilith is on vacation. Almost like Alastor is acting in her role, a mimicry of a spiritual successor of sorts. He's helping rally the demons together, helping shape Charlie into a better leader, helping prove demons can be redeemed. All while Alastor is either witness, participant, or manager of the strategies used to redeem sinners. Alastor is only a few steps away from taking part of the redemption program himself.

If Alastor's deal was with Lilith, then she's getting everything she could want. All the uncontrollable evils/overlords destroyed, a muzzle on (one of the most) powerful sadistic demons, someone to help guide her daughter, help demons redeem themselves, protection for her citizens from being killed or further tortured, and she finally gets a vacation. She'd be getting everything she could want, with the bonus of possibly rehabilitating Alastor in the process.

It's no wonder Alastor is so desperate to break out of the deal, to find a backdoor in the contract. This goes against everything he stands for. The stories of him broadcasting screams? Of killing overloards and owning soul after soul after soul? That is the real him, and it isn't exaggerated. If Alastor wasn't chained, he'd have the power and strength to destroy large swaths of hell himself. If he decided to do his own extermination with angelic weapons? He could kill as many demons as the angels do and more, because he wouldn't be limited by a single day period.

If his deal is with someone else? We simply don't have enough information yet to name them then. Whoever it is, they would have to believe in demonkind's potential for improvement, and possibly fear what Alastor is able to do.

Predictions

The last thing I want to touch upon is how Alastor might be able to escape the deal. First is what he tried, which is "dying" for the hotel. Or, more precisely, for everyone involved in the hotel, it was as if he died, so why would they still depend on him?

Next would be for the hotel to be destroyed, and considering that we don't know if Alastor was briefly free while he recovered or if he was just hiding out somewhere new because he couldn't stay in the hotel because it didn't exist, this one is still iffy. If part of his deal is staying at the hotel to actively protect it, the he was temporarily freed from that condition. Yet once it was rebuilt Alastor returned, proving that the destruction of the hotel building wouldn't free him.

The next possible way could be the death of the hazbin hotel spirit. If Alastor (or outside forces) were able to destroy Charlie's hope for the hotel just like Lucifer's dreams were crushed, perhaps Alastor would be freed. Considering how the finale went, it would take a lot for this to happen.

My final idea, and the one I predict will happen, is that Alastor outfits the person he made the deal with. He doesn't find a true "out", but rather will manipulate them into giving his power back. And this? I believe that Alastor's deal with Charlie was made for this reason.

If indeed the deal was with Lilith, and part of the deal seems to be ensuring Charlie's dreams come true, then Charlie is a delightful way for Alastor to manipulate the situation. How? Who knows, but I think that this will be a large part of the conflict of season 2.

[godduh]

i am so normal about them (i'm not)

[the-blossica-fan]

I was thinking. Vertin creates Sharpodonties in the Wilderness. Does this mean it follows the rules of a small nation?

Or is Vertin accidentally committed the crime of what is basically using bad checks due to the money made was in the Suitcase?

Are Sharpodonties the same inside and outside the suitcase? Is Vertin aware of this? Will Jessica and Blonney finally have a 10 minute long unskippable cutscene of them making out?

What's your take, may I ask, hm? c:

I- when I tell you I had a whiplash the moment I read the last thing I am not kidding. Let's start with the possibility of criminal acts in the wilderness regarding money.

I think it's a crime basically, like printing your own money but since sharpodontry is probably like a coin (I haven't used coins in years idk if they're like bills) no one notices.

NO ONE outside of the suitcase can know about this, they make their own money and beat the loving shit out of critters (and some dudes) for some Dust & Sharpodontry.

They'd probably be the same as outside so they can go around buying whatever they want with that, but they do have to work for extra money since the suitcase at this point is a small town. Get to work you dumbass you're not gonna get extra money this way (work is just fighting)

So, yeah, Vertin is a criminal printing money in the town she rules alongside some criminals. Constantine better not know about this shit.

...As for the 10 minute unskippable scene... God do I wish it could happen 😔

I miss my kids I can't keep living off of the crumbs they give to us in their official art. I NEED THEM ON SCREEN 😭

Oh God do I wish they could kiss onscreen even if it's just implied (like Schneider and Vertin), I would unironically be blushing & kicking my feet.

I miss them so much I could bite someone

[moe-broey]

Man. I do love when the character is Scared and fucking MAD ABOUT IT. Going from crying and cowering to snapping and biting the MOMENT a hand is extended to them. Trying to help them or otherwise just work with them somehow and the entire fucking time they're kicking and screaming and complaining and being disparaging and stuck up and just kind of a brat about it. ASSUME HARMFUL INTENT BY DEFAULT, get THEM before they GET YOU‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ And NEVER trust a helping hand ESPECIALLY when it feeds you.

[raayllum]

Reaching for hope

[coolauntlilith]

Every now and then I replay the first episode of VLD and I wonder why I thought it be a good show lol

[papasmistakeria]

They’d really add Boimler and Mariner (two characters from WAY in the future) in SNW and still refuse to have an Enterprise episode

[greedbent]

no listen you guys you have no idea how hard it is to resist also writing wylan here bc

[deaadcrush]

the speed, the rate with which arthur just Opens Up to rains fall.... friendship ended with dutch now rains fall is my dad

[carbonateddelusion]

pst— 25 with Rae interacting w/xiá :3

"Gee, are you sure, your Honor?" she questioned, eyeing the very intricately detailed glass that Xiá was holding. "That's a really fancy looking cup; I don't think I'm NEARLY fancy enough to take a sip.. Oh, but it isn't very polite of me to refuse- is it?" Rae's ear twitched as her eyes flickered up at Xiá, desperately trying to read his expression.

[yououghtaknow]

growing up is about realising every ship in skam brighton is, in a way, a failmarriage and that’s Okay

[hexastitchimera]

RBed what I could of those who asked for help in my asks AND were vetted, but please. Pleasseeeee, if all you have is a GFM/dono link (little to no pictures/evidence otherwise) and explanatory text, I literally cannot in good conscience help you.

I have been scammed IRL before (including by "non-profits"; don't trust a freebie and vet thoroughly), and have accidentally retweeted donation/crisis scams in the past, only to be told on both occasions that the people in question genuinely, 100% didn't need the money.

Or, worse yet, were using it to cause even more harm, like money laundering; data acquisition, theft, and/or selling, etc.

I hate to ask for evidence, especially from people who are impoverished/experiencing severely traumatic events. But I'm barely scrapping by myself, and if I'm going to donate with money I could use to eat something nicer than the usual instead, it better be to someone who needs it so much more than I do.

[morhath]

14- favorite book! Also favorite song, which I think was #1 but I forget for sure

1. Song of the year?

I almost exclusively listen to My Chemical Romance, with some folk songs from like the 1300s thrown in for fun. I did really enjoy the new Hozier album though, and I especially love "Butchered Tongue" (makes me cry) and "Anything But" (extremely fun). I really liked "Eat Your Young" when it first came out but I fear I overlistened and now I usually skip it when it comes up on my mp3 player.

14. Favorite book you read this year?

I already answered with what were probably my top three, but I also really liked Tell Me I'm Worthless, Some Desperate Glory, and Chain-Gang All-Stars. This seems to be the "I would recommend checking the trigger warnings" edition in comparison to the previous list.