#roo is not thriving

[the-roo-too]

guys i am alive 💀 exams are kicking my ass give me like a week 🙏

[meazalykov]

first lady

barcelona femeni x uswnt!reader

summary: the girls give you a nickname for being the first american on the senior team

the day you arrive at barcelona feels like a dream. the journey from being just another girl playing in american youth leagues to standing in the famed blaugrana colors is something you never imagined happening. 

you walk into the training grounds two days after your signing was official, trying to keep your nerves in check. the weight of being the first american on barcelona femení’s senior team presses on your shoulders. 

keep in mind you’re the first american on the senior team.. there is an american at la masia, onyeka, who you’ve been in contact with– you hope to play with her someday. she has been telling you about the fun experience playing in barcelona. 

you’re humble but you can’t wait to see what onyeka is talking about. 

the first person you meet is alexia. she approaches you with a calm confidence, her presence demanding respect even though she doesn’t say much at first. 

“bienvenida,” she says simply, her smile small but warm. it’s clear she’s sizing you up, trying to see if you’re up to the challenge. there’s no coldness in her eyes though, just curiosity.

you return the smile, trying not to seem too overwhelmed. 

“gracias. it’s an honor to be here.”

“we’ll see how you do in training,” she says shortly after she gets to know you, teasing, but the underlying tone is serious. 

alexia is known for her dedication, and she’s testing you without even needing to. her acceptance means everything here.

from that moment, she takes you under her wing. she doesn’t hover or smother, but she’s there when you need her on and off of the pitch. during drills, she’s quick to offer tips, showing you the ropes of how barcelona plays—fluid, fast, and always a step ahead. 

it’s a steep learning curve, but you thrive on it. your dribbling skills, honed from years of street-style play and youth development back in the states, shine here in ways even you didn’t expect.

you notice the way some of your teammates watch you closely at first—wondering if you’ll live up to the hype. the media had already dubbed you the "american girl version of ronaldinho" for your flair and trickery with the ball, and it seems the team had caught wind of the nickname, too. 

slowly, as you start dancing past defenders in the league and champions league— leaving them in your wake.

the skepticism by the team fades, replaced by respect.

alexia seems particularly impressed by your ball control. during the first el clasico, after you nutmeg two defenders and finish with a perfect strike, she pulls you aside. 

“not bad,” she says, though her smirk tells you she’s genuinely impressed. 

“keep playing like that, and you’ll fit in here just fine.”

you start to settle in over the next few weeks. the locker room becomes a second home, the banter flowing easier as the language barrier fades.

 you’re still working on your spanish, but with every day, you pick up more phrases, understanding the jokes, and joining in on the conversations. 

the younger players, especially vicky, start warming up to you quickly. she loves your laid-back vibe, but also the intensity you bring on the field.

alexia, though, remains your closest connection. she never hesitates to correct you or push you harder in training. she also pulls you into the social side of the team. the late-night dinners, the coffee stops after practice, the little moments that build a bond off the pitch as much as on it.

two months in, you feel like you’ve found your place. the media continues to talk about your dribbling, and your presence as the first american on the team still makes headlines. 

the comparisons to ronaldinho haven’t stopped, though they’ve started to bother you less. you just want to be seen as you—not a copy of someone else, no matter how legendary.

it is after one particularly grueling training session that the idea of a new nickname starts floating around the locker room. 

you’re outside on the pitch with patri, perfecting your penalties while the rest of the team heads into the locker room. 

inside, vicky, ellie, and ewa sit around, chatting while everyone cools down.

“so, what do you think we should call her?” vicky asks, leaning back against her locker. 

“i mean, she’s amazing, but we can’t keep calling her ‘the american ronaldinho.’”

“yeah, she’s her own player,” ellie agrees. 

“we need something that fits her.”

ewa, sitting across from them, grins. 

“but it has to tie in with her being american, right? i mean, it’s a big deal. maybe not to her– but she’s the first american to play on the senior team for the women.”

ellie nods, deep in thought. 

“maybe something with ‘first’? i mean, she is the first…”

they go back and forth for a while, throwing out suggestions. nothing seems to stick, though, until ewa suddenly straightens up, her face lighting up like she’s cracked the code.

“wait, i’ve got it,” she says, snapping her fingers.

“how about ‘first lady’?”

the room goes quiet for a second as everyone processes it.

pina raises an eyebrow. 

“first lady? like... the president’s wife?”

ewa shrugs, still grinning. 

“yeah, but think about it. she’s the *first* american on the team. it’s perfect. and it’s an american term, so it’s fitting.

"plus, y/n got elegance on the ball." patri notes.

slowly, the others start to nod, the idea settling in. salma, sitting on the opposite side of the room, lets out a laugh. 

“that’s genius. she’s literally our ‘first lady.’”

before long, everyone’s onboard, laughing and testing out the nickname as they get ready to head out. 

the whole team seems to love it, and as they file out of the locker room, they’re excited to see how you’ll react.

meanwhile, you’re still out on the pitch, working through your penalties with patri. by the time you make your way back inside, you’re sweaty and tired, but satisfied with the extra work. as you step into the locker room, you immediately notice the way everyone is looking at you, a few smirking, some trying not to laugh.

salma is the first to break. 

“hey, ‘first lady,’ how’d the penalties go?”

you blink in confusion, pausing mid-step. 

“wait, what?”

salma grins wider, the rest of the team now barely holding back their laughter. 

“you know, ‘first lady,’ since you’re the first american here.”

it takes a second for it to click, but when it does, you burst out laughing, doubling over as you process the absurdity of it. 

“first lady? seriously?”

the whole room erupts into laughter with you, and suddenly, it feels right. the nickname sticks, and soon, it’s all anyone calls you. 

at first, it’s a playful joke, but after a few weeks, you realize it’s become your new identity within the team. 

even mapi starts using it, giving you a teasing smirk during passing drills.

“first lady, over here!” she calls during one session, and you can’t help but shake your head, grinning.

as the season rolls on, you know you’ll keep proving that you’re not just the first american here—you’re their first lady.

masterlist

[roo-bastmoon]

Thrive out spite, if necessary

The vast majority of the time, I go through the world trying to magnify the good--at least, out loud. But sometimes, life hands me a big pile of shit. (It does that to everyone.)

One of the huge shifts I had in my global perspective happened about two years ago when I had a steep uphill battle with uterine cancer. And I realized that... too much shit results in toxic shock and can kill a person. You can't take all that in and hold on to it.

Sometimes, you have to take shit and use it to fertilize your crops.

Sometimes, you have to accept that life isn't fair, and that it hands you so much shit, that if you don't start using that to your advantage, to focus and motivate you, you will get buried.

No one wants to die under a mound of shit.

It's very very VERY clear to me that the Western music industry is scared of BTS and that people in their own companies have it out for Jimin in particular. There's been issues with every release, of course, and I'm no solo or anti--but it's so, SO blatant now that Geffen executives feel empowered to mock ARMY requests for presale links on an open timeline.

And I'll be real with you, when I saw this shit unfold last night, I felt... RAGE. Because every member of BTS is a good person and a hardworking, talented artist in their own right. They all deserve the very best. But my bias in particular is one of the kindest, most humble, most altruistic people on the planet--he has never been difficult or ego-driven--and he does not deserve to be hobbled this way.

So I intend to work extra, extra hard for him. I will shovel through the shit and I will buy, and stream, and vote like a madwoman, until the very end. Even if they cull his numbers and sabotage his charts, his profits in sales and the noise made online will show him--it wasn't all for naught. He's seen, he's heard, he's appreciated, he's loved. (To be honest, he could show up in an empty grass field and sing through a bullhorn and I'd still find a way to get there and scream my lungs out for him. Nothing's gonna stop Park Jimin.)

If you're as enraged as I am and you want to do something productive with that energy, stream the hell out of your playlists and ask at least one family member and one friend to promise to buy SGMB this Friday.

And remember:

Most of the time, things blossom out of love.

But sometimes, you have to thrive out of spite.

Much love,

Roo

[aspoonofsugar]

Charlie, The Apple

Apples are a recurring motif in Hazbin Hotel. What's their meaning for the story and Charlie's arc? An analysis on this topic!

APPLE = FREEDOM AND SIN

Apples are associated with the forbidden fruit in pop culture. As a result, they usually represent either:

Free will

Sin

Or both, like in Hazbin Hotel, where:

Lucifer and Lilith use an apple to share free will with humanity

Eve takes the apple and is corrupted by sin

So, this fruit is linked to both ideas, as shown by two characters.

Lucifer wears an apple on his hat, as a symbol of his past dream of freedom for humanity.

Roo (who will probably be a villain later on) wears a broken apple on her hat, as a symbol of the original sin of humanity.

Why are both freedom and sin linked to the biblical apple? Because it is the fruit of knowledge of good and evil.

Some believe that by discovering what's good and what's evil, humans can be truly free

Others think that by getting to know evil, humans get corrupted and become sinful

What is Hazbin Hotel's stance on this? The answer lies in "The Story of Hell".

THE STORY OF HELL

"The Story of Hell" has "Good" and "Evil" appear briefly:

Angels that worshiped good and shielded all from evil.

Good is made of light and has blue eyes:

Good appears as a golden woman with blue eyes in Welcome to Heaven.

Evil is made of shadow and has red eyes.

So, Heaven and angels are associated with gold (light) and blue, while Hell and demons with black (shadow) and red. This opposite color coding between Good and Evil is important throughout the Eden myth, as it illustrates the characters' development.

As the story begins, Heaven and Angels are described as a "glowing city" and "beings of pure light". Fittingly, they are white figures:

Lucifer himself is white, here, since he is one of the angels made of light:

Adam and Lilith are instead black, as they are humans made of dust. They are not beings of pure light, but there are some shadows within them:

When Lilith runs away and meets Lucifer, he becomes black, since he is straying from the path of other angels. He is choosing humanity and his love for Lilith over Heaven. As a result, the two lovers offer Eve the apple and Eve goes from simply black to black with a sinister red smile:

From this frame on, red appears more and more throughout the story. Hell is a black and red kingdom, which is described as a "realm of darkness and sin" and a "dark pit". Moreover, red becomes intertwined with Lucifer and Lilith:

As they fall, their eyes and mouths go from white to red. Moreover, Lucifer later loses his white light (heaven) and gains his red fire (hell):

Lilith too appears black and red, but differently from her husband she is thriving in Hell, so her red undertones are more visible:

Finally, there is Charlie, who is introduced as black and red:

Only to become white and red in the final panel of the story:

As if she is going to bring light and good in the darkest parts of Hell.

So, Hazbin Hotel associates Good with light and Evil with shadow. Still, even in "The Story of Hell", it is clear things are more complex than just this. For example, Lucifer and Lilith are shown as sympathetic, while the Elders of Heaven as cold and controlling. Sera is gold and white, but she makes a "heartless decision". Adam is instead black despite his alliance with Heaven. So, things are not "black and white", despite the color coding. Why is that so? It is because Hazbin Hotel links light and shadow not only to good and evil, but also to two Jungian archetypes.

GOOD AND EVIL = LIGHT AND SHADOW

According to Jung, light and shadow are two complementary parts of the self:

The light is what people show to themselves and others. It is what is in plain sight, out in the open. It is usually the way people want to be.

The shadow is what people hide from themselves and others. It is what lies in the darkness, hidden within. It is usually what people don't want to be.

So, light and shadow do often overlap with good and evil, as one usually shows their most positive qualities (light) and does not accept their most negative ones (shadow). However, this is not always the case. For example, one might wear an insufferable mask (light) and be unaware of their potential (shadow). So, sometimes the light can be bad and the shadow can be good.

Hazbin Hotel plays with the dichotomies of good/evil and light/shadow. In this way good and evil become loosely associated with the Jungian light and shadow. Good overlaps with Light, so Heaven is beautiful and it appears perfect, but it is full of secrets and contradictions. Evil overlaps with Shadow, so Hell is chaotic and violent, but it deep down has the potential to be more.

This juxtaposition between moral ideas and Jungian archetypes impacts also the knowledge of good and evil, which becomes that of light and shadow. This means that to understand good and evil one has to accept there is light and shadow within everyone, no matter how wonderful or horrible they are.

This is something Charlie especially needs to do:

She has to accept the light and shadow within herself (microcosm) by coming to terms with her negative emotions, like her repressed anger and sadness. Only in this way, she can show all her potential:

Vaggie: Well, I mean… You're the princess of Hell. Charlie: So? Vaggie: So, you don't really use the power that comes with that, which I love about you, but maybe you can… I don't know, command a little more… Authority? Charlie: But that's so mean…! Vaggie: It's not mean, exactly. It's… uh, aggressive kindness.

She has to accept the light and shadow in others and in the world (macrocosm) by realizing people are not always showing their whole selves. Only in this way, she can truly understand humanity and inspire it:

I can hear all their stories The lost and displaced And I know that they're more of an acquired taste But if I open the door and I give them a place At my Hazbin Hotel It'll be a happy day in Hell!

Charlie's arc is one where she starts ignorant and slowly becomes more knowledgeable about good (light) and evil (shadow). At the same time, she is also bound to bring this newfound knowledge to those around her. As a matter of fact Charlie herself is the second coming of the forbidden fruit.

LUCIFER'S APPLE

Lucifer: I've been dyin' to find out who you are Charlie: I've been waiting, wanting the same thing Lucifer: Looks like the apple doesn't fall far Charlie: Took you a while Lucifer: I've missed that smile

In More Than Anything, Lucifer refers to Charlie as the "apple, which doesn't fall far". In the context of the song, he means Charlie is taking after him, as both father and daughter are dreamers. Still, within the series, this detail gains a deeper meaning. Charlie isn't Lucifer's apple only because she is his daughter, but also because she will realize Lucifer's past dreams:

Charlie: So in the end, it's the view I had of you That showed me dreams can be worth fighting for More than anything, more than anything I need to save my people more than anything

In a sense, Charlie herself is Lucifer's dream, just like the apple of free will used to be:

Lucifer: You didn't know that when I tried this all before My dreams were too hard to defend And in the end, I won't lose it all again Now you're the only thing worth fighting for More than anything, more than anything I'll shelter and adore you more than anything

She is a new dream, which ties with his original one. This is why Charlie's name means "free man": she is a free child, who is gonna free humanity.

All of this ties into Charlie's obvious allusion to Jesus:

Adam: Risking your immortal life for sinners? That's some crazy shit, even for Lucifer's brat! Charlie: These sinners are my family!

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

Jesus is God's son, who is sent to Earth to redeem humanity

Charlie is the Devil's daughter, who is trying to redeem humanity in Hell

Both are saviors, who are meant to fix the original sin. Both face off against rigid systems and juxtapose to many complicated laws one simple rule:

You're gonna fight without gloves And when that push comes to shove Yeah, you just might rise above Long as you're out for love

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (John 4:7)

Both offer love and acceptance even to the most wretched people, as they strongly believe these people are more than their mistakes:

Sir Pentious: Who could forgive a dirtbag like me? I don't deserve your amnesty Angel Dust and Vaggie: Can't we just kill him? Shoot him and spill his blood? Charlie: That's an… option you could choose Angel Dust and Vaggie: Works for us! Charlie: But, who hasn't been in his shoes? It starts with sorry!

So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. (John 8:7-11)

So, Charlie is a messianic archetype and a new version of the Eden Apple. This is why apples are strongly associated with her:

The Hazbin Hotel logo has several symbols linked to the main characters:

A spider-web for Angel

Playing Cards for Husk

Gears for Sir Pentious

A needle and a thread for Niffty

Antlers for Alastor

An X for Vaggie

A key for Kee-Kee

What about Charlie herself? She is represented by the apple on top, just like her symbol in the rebuilt Hazbin Hotel is the giant apple on the front door:

So, the series makes it very clear: Charlie herself is the apple, which will save humanity. This means two things thematically:

Charlie is the apple, who will bring an understanding of what is really good and what is really evil (The Fruit of Knowledge)

Charlie is the apple, who will redeem the original sin (The Fruit of Redemption)

So, let's discover what this means for the themes of knowledge and redemption.

IGNORANT APPLE (KNOWLEDGE)

Charlie is the second coming of the Fruit of Knowledge, but she herself is inexperienced and naive.

She lacks knowledge of both the macrocosm (the laws of the universe):

Sera: I'm sure you wish it could be so But, there's a lot that you don't know

And the microcosm (her loved ones):

Adam: Don't you act all high and mighty Did you ever think your little girlfriend might be a liar? Vaggie: Don't, Adam, please! Adam: What's the fuss? Why hide the fact that you're an angel just like us?

How can such an ignorant apple bring wisdom to the world? She does so by asking questions:

Charlie: Well, if you know so much, what do you think it takes to get into Heaven?

After all, the court case Charlie attends is called a "questioning". This is because Charlie is questioning the whole system. She is questioning why it must be so that once souls are in hell they can't go to heaven.

Not only that, but even if the trial is supposedly about redemption:

Sera: We are gathered here today to determine whether or not a soul in Hell can be redeemed into the heavenly realm via means of this "Hazbin Hotel".

It turns out it is really about knowledge:

Charlie: Wait… none of you know what gets someone into Heaven?

Or to better say, it is about how people react to ignorance (lack of knowledge). In particular, two opposite behaviors are shown:

Adam: Uhhh… well, uh… Then, then why isn't he here then? Hm? Emily: Yeah, why isn't he here?

Adam and Emily ask the same question, but they give it different spins.

On the one hand Adam's question is rhetorical. He does not really want to know why Angel is not in Heaven. Rather, he is using Angel being in Hell as proof he is evil and irredeemable.

On the other hand Emily's question is genuine. She is earnestly trying to understand if redemption is possible or not. So, when she sees that Angel exhibits positive qualities, she is confused as for why he is condemned to Hell forever.

And then there is Sera:

Sera: This questioning stops now. We know when a soul arrives, we know when they pass divine judgment, it is our job to ensure these souls are safe.

When important questions are finally being asked, Sera decides it is time to stop. Why? Because she is scared. She fears knowledge because she knows knowledge can break the world:

And change the power balance:

The climax of the song You Didn't Know shows exactly this. Charlie and Emily, a demon and an angel, look down on Sera, the highest authority in the room, and tell her the current system is wrong:

Charlie and Emily: If Hell is forever, then Heaven must be a lie If angels can do whatever, and remain in the sky The rules are shades of gray when you don't do as you say When you make the wretched suffer just to kill them again

For a brief moment Charlie manages to disrupt the order and Sera is terrified. This is why throughout the questioning she favors Adam and Lute, who lack critical thinking:

Adam and Lute: There's no question to be posed He's unholy, case closed Did you forget that "Hell is forever"?

Charlie, Emily, Adam and Lute are all ignorant. However, Charlie and Emily struggle with their ignorance and try to understand things and to acquire knowledge. Adam and Lute instead are content with their ignorance, which means they are easily manipulated. This is why, even if Sera clearly feels sympathy for Charlie and is annoyed by Adam, she still declares the First Man winner of the debate:

Sera: I'm sorry… but this court finds that there is no evidence souls in Hell can be redeemed. Adam: Oh, FUCK, YES!! I WIN!!! SUCK IT BITCHES.

Similarly, even if she clearly loves Emily (or precisely because she loves Emily), she insists the younger seraphim should not question things:

Sera: Please…. if you start to question… you could end up like Lucifer: Fallen.

Sera knows knowledge is dangerous both for the world and for the individual. Lucifer's story is a cautionary tale about this.

And yet, knowledge can also be a catalyst for positive change.

Charlie's idea that souls could be redeemed would result in a WIN WIN for both Heaven and Hell.

At the same time, ignorance can lead to dangerous miscalculations.

The exorcists not considering that their own weapons could kill them is what marks their defeat:

Adam: That's how they can kill us? With our own weapons?! Fucking weak, dude.

The angelic weapons' reveal is particularly interesting because it is very simple once you think about it:

Vaggie: Angelic weapons? It's that simple? How has no one else figured this out?

Both Vaggie and Adam comment on how it is even a little bit lame. After all, angelic weapons can kill usually un-killable demons and even Hell Royalty. Why nobody thought they could work on angels too? According to Carmilla, it is because:

Carmilla: Angelic steel isn't common, and those who have it aren't exactly rushing off to test it against exorcists.

In short, everyone is so stuck in cynicism and apathy, that nobody imagines things could be different and even better, if they just tried.

Nobody, but Charlie. She is the only one, who comes up with a different approach and does not simply accept that "this is just how things are". She has an outside the box idea on how to deal with overpopulation and tests it. She does so, despite everyone telling her it is impossible, dangerous or just plain out stupid. What's the result?

Throughout just six months, Charlie proves the rigid white and black vision imposed by Heaven false. She shows exterminations were useless and unnecessary. She also puts under question the whole way angels and demons have been understanding the universe. In Lucifer's words:

Lucifer: Come on little lady, why the frown? In the last 10,000 years You're the first one to change this town

Ten-thousand years of pain and hopelessness are solved in few months, simply because a girl dared questioning what she was told. So, this is why Charlie is the Fruit of Knowledge. It is not because she knows things, but rather because she pursues knowledge by asking questions.

THE GOOD APPLE (REDEMPTION)

Charlie is the fruit of Lucifer and Lilith's forbidden love, which makes her their second Forbidden Fruit. Their first one broke the world, so Charlie wants to fix it. By doing so she is trying to redeem:

The sinners

Her family

Her own existence

After all, both Hell and Charlie only exist because of Lucifer and Lilith's love. So, Charlie probably feels that she must repair their mistake for her life to be meaningful:

Charlie:I can come into my own And I think I've always known My destiny could never be postponed

In a sense, she wants to prove that her parents' love was right because, even if it broke everything (the Forbidden Apple), it can also fix everything (Charlie herself). Maybe even itself (Lucifer and Lilith's separation).

In short, Charlie is trying to turn a bad apple into a good one. Will she manage?

Adam says she can't because redemption is impossible:

Adam: Sorry, sweetie But there's no defyin' their fates! 'Cause Hell is forever Whether you like it or not Had their chance to behave better Now they boil in the pot 'Cause the rules are black and white There's no use in tryin' to fight it They're burnin' for their lives Until we kill 'em again!

Charlie instead insists she can because everyone can redeem themselves:

Charlie: If I can show them the dream I've dreamed That any soul can change! Vaggie: Those angels' minds are hard to change Charlie: Then they will know everyone can be redeemed From the evil to the strange! Vaggie: They're bloodthirsty and deranged!

Both have a very black and white vision:

(Here Adam references the internet meme Bad apple by the way)

This same vision is ironically shared by all fandoms :'''). Every time there is a villain set up for redemption, here come two opposing sides:

One side argues the character's crimes are too many and too awful to earn them a redemption; every redemption arc the writer can come up with will be trite and hypocritical

The other side argues the character suffered, is sympathetic and so they will definitely get redemption and survive

The problem with this "never-ending battle" is that the two sides can't agree on what redemption is. Does it overlap with forgiveness? Is it something earned? Is it sufficient for the character to change? Everyone has a different idea.

Charlie, Adam and all the other Hazbin Hotel characters are the same. Everyone sees redemption as something different. Here are some examples.

Charlie imagines sin as an illness she can cure with the right therapy:

Charlie: Forever again We'll cure your sin We'll make you well, you'll feel so swell Right here in Hell, at the Happy Hotel!

This is why her Hazbin Hotel is a mix between a school and a therapy group, where the guests are both problematic children and patients. This approach is made very obvious with Angel in particular:

Vaggie: And we've almost been able to find all of Angel Dust's drug stashes… Almost. Charlie: So, once that's out of the way it should be much smoother sailing.

Charlie believes Angel's addiction is his main sin, whereas that's not the case. It is a symptom, not the illness. However, Charlie can only see this problem and insists on curing it as part of Angel's path towards redemption (which works because it helps Angel feel better, so he can work on himself and grow).

2. Adam gives three conditions for a soul to redeem itself:

"Act selfless, don't steal, stick it to the man"

3. Sera and the other angels think a soul is "good" only if it automatically materializes itself into Heaven and becomes an angel after death.

4. Sir Pentious's redemption is a subversion (and potentially a deconstruction, but we'll see) of the redemption equals death trope. This trope happens when a character redeems himself by dying, so that everyone can be saved/the villain is defeated. This sacrifice is usually portrayed as epic and it is pivotal in solving the conflict.

However, Pentious's "death" is different. It starts out as epic and sentimental, but it ends in a joke, as Adam easily kills him. Not only that, but Pentious's sacrifice ultimately fails to have any kind of practical impact on the battle. It accomplishes nothing, but it still gains him a redemption. Why? Because he acted out of selfless love. What matters isn't the result, but rather the intention.

5. Buxter, an upcoming new character wants to explore redemption from a "scientific point of view", so he can prove it is "logically impossible".

So, every character has a different interpretation of what redemption is. This is why an honest discussion about redemption becomes difficult:

Charlie: Thank you, Seraphim. Webster's dictionary defines redemption as— Adam: Objection, lame and unoriginal. Sera: Sustained. No further dictionary references please.

It's important that Sera sustains Adam's objection. Sure, it is favoritism and also a joke. However, there is also something deeper going on. By stopping Charlie from offering a definition of redemption, Sera can easily refute any following reasoning. After all, how can Charlie prove a soul is "redeemed", when there is no agreement on what redemption even is? This is also why later on Sera neither accepts nor dismisses Adam's three conditions for a soul to reach Heaven:

Adam: Uh, yeah. Sure got me here, didn't it? Right, Sera? Sera: He was the first human soul in Heaven…

In this way, she can easily claim there is no evidence souls can be redeemed. Of course, there is no evidence. There is no common ground on what redemption means.

So, what is redemption?

This is the question the show is exploring and its final answer will decide the story's theme. As for now, there is no real definition and Charlie's mark of growth in season one is to aknowledge this:

Charlie: I want you all to know… that getting to know you has been the biggest honor of my life. Whatever redemption really means, I know you all tried. I have seen the good in all of you. And it's…I-I'm just…I love you all, so much.

Charlie does not know what redemption is, but she believes it to be possible. This makes her the savior of humanity. As Lucifer sings:

Lucifer: You can do this, now I know it! For your story has just begun You can't quit now. Hell, you owe it! There's still damage to be undone You've changed my mind, you've touched their hearts Found the good in souls gone bad The stage is wrecked, the crowd is gone But by God, Charlie! The show, it must go on!

Charlie never loses faith in people, even if she fails to understand them or sees them at their worst. This is why she is the Good Apple, which will save humans and redeem the world.

AN APPLE MENDING HEARTS

Charlie is both the Fruit of Knowledge and the Good Apple. She will pursue knowledge and keep her faith in humanity. Still, to succeed she might have to face the embodiment of the Bad Apple, that is Eve:

Overture sets up a foiling between Charlie and Eve. As a matter of fact, the myth of Eden has:

White (light) Charlie holding a heart

Black (shadow) Eve holding an apple

The two women are meant to be juxtaposed and it is probable they will clash, especially if Eve is eventually confirmed to be Roo. After all:

Eve looks a lot like Evil

The name Eve sounds similar to Evil, which may be used as a pun

Eve is apparently corrupted by sin and lets Evil in

Roo is rumored to be the Root of Evil, hence Evil herself

Roo's symbol is a broken apple, so she might be linked to the Eden's myth

Because of this, the two characters will most likely be connected, if not the same person altogether.

In any case, Roo/Eve and Charlie will be interesting to compare. They already are design-wise:

Roo's hair is made of shadow and contrasts Charlie's blond hair, which links her to light. At the same time, the two women look similar. For example, they both share the ability to turn an arm into a big claw:

In short, Charlie (the light/good) will have to fight Roo (the shadow/evil), in order to save the world. Still, would defeat Roo be sufficient to win? Ater all, Charlie might discover she is more similar to Roo than she thinks (hence them symbolically sharing the same demonic claw).

In general, Roo will most likely be there to challenge Charlie face her own inner shadows. Meanwhile it is possible Charlie will have to eventually help Roo somehow.

After all, Charlie is the free child ("free man"), who frees others. Roo is instead chained (she wears chains) and she probably traps others into deals.

Finally, Roo's symbol being a broken apple is interesting because its shape resembles a broken heart. This isn't unique to her. Apples are often associated with hearts in Hazbin Hotel. Let's consider Charlie's two weapons in the final battle of season 1:

Both Charlie's shield and her pitchfork sport apples, which look very similar to hearts. Moreover, Charlie's picture in the Story of Hell is her with a red heart. Last, but not least the key of the Hazbin Hotel has a heart-motif (both in its key and in its kitty form):

The meaning is pretty clear: Charlie is the apple, who will open hearts and mend broken souls. Let's see if she will do so for Roo's, as well.

[roosterforme]

EMILY ROSE!

You'd touched and kissed him here before, but you never spanked him.

I gotta know more. Like did she slip a little finger action in when giving him head? Did our sweet little darlin give him a rimjob? I love that darlin seems so innocent because she’s inexperienced but she’s secretly a little freak.

EMILY ROSE!!!! I'm not cool enough to have Roo and BG's kid's name lol.

(smut below) Okay, building off of this. Darlin' is so confident now. Being with Jake makes her confident, because he never hides his reaction to her. I could absolutely see her giving Jake head and letting her thumb trail a little lower. He'd start moaning and whining, so she'd know immediately that he liked a little bit of ass play.

I can also imagine them making out in bed after taking a long bath together, and if she was feeling extra adventurous, she might whisper that she wanted to try something new.

You knew it would turn you on, and you thought Jake would love it, too. He had his hand around your thigh, spreading your legs apart like he was about to fuck you when you whispered, "I want to give you a rim job."

"Jesus," he grunted, eyes wide as he pulled his lips away from your neck. "You do?"

You nodded as you ran your fingers through his still damp hair. "Only if you're into it."

"I'm into it," he said so quickly, you couldn't help but smile.

Jake admitted to you exactly one time that you were the first woman he was ever comfortable enough with to ask for the things he wanted. You noticed how he'd tell you when he was upset and needed some space. He'd ask you to hold him when he had a bad day. And sometimes he'd ask you to touch him a certain way in bed. You thrived on being the one he knew would accept what he needed and wanted.

So when he leaned in closer and whispered, "I've always wanted to try that," you started pushing him onto his back, ready to see if he liked it in practice as much as in theory.

[proxylynn]

My theory of Hazbin Hotel's main plot.

[This may just be a hot take or me whimsically spitballing headcanon, but I have thought about this and, while I don't have all the puzzle's pieces, I think I have enough to make out a decent picture. So bear with me as I unload the insanity that has been in my head since entering the Hellaverse.]

Starting things off, I think the main villain/antagonist of HH's plot is the obvious elephant in the room...Roo aka The Root of ALL Evil.

According to Vivziepop, Roo is a "looming threat in the distance", possibly hinting toward her being a future antagonist and she mentioned that there is no character that she is more excited to get into than Roo, but, she also mentioned that it's "gonna be a long time". So likely we won't see her properly till season three but get hints throughout season two and teased at the end. I will make no claim that "defeating" Roo solves everything in the universe because that's nonsense. There is no good without evil. So you can't just off Roo who's been there since the beginning. And I mean THE beginning. I'm talking the creation of EVERYTHING.

"Angels that worshiped good and shielded all from evil."

Evil exists at the start before Lucifer does anything, this is a fact. So where am I going with this? Let's continue down the line. To the one driving my train of thought...Lilith.

For someone who didn't eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, Lilith was very aware of certain things and had independent free will. But humanity didn't get this autonomy till after the fruit fiasco, so what happened? Why did Lilith have magic main character self-awareness? Well, let's think about this...Why was there such a tree in Eden in the first place? The Angels are making this a paradise and keeping evil out of Earth. So why place a tree in there that would fuck it all up? This was why they didn't want Lucifer making shit because they were worried his ideas would be too risky and bad could happen. So again, why was this tree here? What if...The Angels didn't make it.

I propose, as her name so implies, that Roo sprouted the tree up without the Angels knowing in the hopes the fruit would be eaten and allow evil to taint the world. Lilith might have gotten a hint of what the tree granted and what simple veil that clouded her eyes was lifted enough to make her reject Adam and flee the garden. It's even said that "together" she and Lucifer share the gift of free will with Eve, but Lilith seems to take this stand back and watch approach when Lucifer gives her the fruit, almost like she's uncertain what eating it will do so she keeps her distance. This again, also hints that Lilith has had free will from the start and didn't eat the fruit because it was only when Eve ate the fruit did evil finally break the seal to enter Earth.

"As punishment for their reckless act, Heaven cast Lucifer and his love into the dark pit he had created."

Now here's where it gets a bit more headcanony because this line could mean nothing or everything. Lucifer and Lilith are banished to the newly made Hell. I repeat...Heaven cast Lucifer and Lilith into Hell. Nowhere does it say she died. So...We have the first human woman who didn't eat the fruit and never died. By technically, Lilith still has her immortality. She's the oldest human alive. It's also stated Lucifer shares his power with her (and Charlie), which makes sense if she's just some dull human. So, now imbued with this mix of angel/demon rizz, Lilith becomes even more OP and Hell's mary sue Queen that dominates like the bad boss bitch she is.

"Lilith thrived, empowering demonkind with her voice and her songs. And as the numbers of Hell grew, so did its power."

Lilith as a character has a surprisingly decent amount of info to work with considering we only saw her for the smallest moment. So here's some goodies I've collected from the wiki that are of note.

{According to Vivziepop, Lilith is the "big, slowburn mystery" of the show, adding that we are going to slowly start getting answers over the course of the "next couple seasons", and that season two gives some more pieces to it.}

{When asked about what Lilith was like, Faustisse described Lilith as graceful, regal, and politically charged. Lilith is someone who is exceptionally equanimous. This was implied in "Overture" as in the "Story of Hell" book she is depicted helping Hell thrive over the years using her voice and her songs.}

{When asked about Lilith and Lucifer's dynamic, Faustisse believed their relationship could be summed up with the phrase, "Behind every man is a greater woman", and that they love each other very much. They describe Lilith and Lucifer as "passionate, cheesy lovers". They are of the opinion that Lilith "wears the pants" in her family, but they think both Lilith and Lucifer are switches within their intimate life.}

{When asked about Lilith's powers, Faustisse declined to answer, citing possible spoilers for the main series. They did, however, state that they did not think Lilith had wings like Charlie and Lucifer, although saw no reason why she wouldn't be able to manifest them if she wished. According to Faustisse, Lilith can change the shape of her horns, but it's unlikely this will be shown in practice in the series as it would apparently be difficult to show that kind of constant change over consecutive scenes.}

{When asked if the Eden family have some connection to the royal family as well, Vivziepop declined to answer one way or the other.}

{Due to her origins as a former human, it is likewise unclear if Lilith is connected to the Sinners, who are deceased humans and became demons after death; as Lilith was alive when she was banished to Hell, her transition between human and demon is ambiguous.}

{Faustisse has suggested that she is somewhat good with children}

{Lilith disappeared seven years prior to the series for reasons unknown, never responding to any of her daughter's attempts to call her. Curiously, she was missing the same amount of years as Alastor. Lilith was later revealed to be in Heaven in "The Show Must Go On". Although the exact reasons remain unknown, it was heavily alluded to that she had made a deal with Adam at some point.}

You might look at all this and be like "Lynn, you dummy, we know all this. This is just random stuff". Oh, I think not. Because in just these bits we get so much. Let's begin with the character setup for diving into my main theory.

I think Lilith does love her family. She has a loving and amazing husband in Lucifer and in Charlotte (aka Charlie) the most adorable and kindhearted daughter any mother could ask for. As Queen, she took charge and made Hell less of a pit to wallow and suffer in, and more like a new home to begin anew. So then...What happened? Why would she suddenly leave and cut all communications? Here is where we dig into the meat of it all. My theory of why Lilith left.

Remember how I said Lilith didn't eat the fruit and still had free will then pounded that over and over into you? Well, going on what I said about her getting "a hint of what the tree granted", Roo could've infected Lilith and gifted her awareness while in Eden. Now in Hell where Roo is arguably stronger due to all the sin and sickness that permeates the realm, her influence on Lilith would increase. Lilith, being the big brain that she is, probably felt something was amiss when she got pregnant. Nine months is a long time to plan things out, and maybe doing a few concerts to warn others of impending danger subtlety might've worked...but only for so long. She needed something. A safety. And that safety was her family. Lucifer likely could've been useful but his depression was beginning to take hold with each failure and the worsening sinners as years passed. So...plan B...Charlie. She would instill in her daughter everything she knew and give her a "destiny".

"But Lilith's hope remained. And her dream passed down to their precious daughter, the Princess of Hell."

With Charlie, Lilith instilled that the people were important. But never explained in what way. As she continued to prepare her daughter, Lilith would come to understand this reason. Power. Roo thrives on the tainted evil that seeps from the sinners. So just as she finishes schooling Charlie, she sets up another backup plan to still Roo's intake long enough for her daughter to figure out a way of her own...And this is where Adam comes in.

"Adam is dead. Your deal is done and I'm in charge now. Your brat is threatening the very foundation of Heaven. And if you want to stay here, you're going down there, and stopping that bitch. You understand me…Lilith?"

Feeling Roo's corruptive influence getting worse because sinners just keep coming, Lilith contacts Adam. Now Adam is still salty but hears his first wife out as she caters to his ego. But Adam is wiser after millennia and knows she's not being innocent here. He bluntly gets her to just spill the beans to which she does, she needs out of Hell. Adam grabs this opportunity and says he can sneak her into Heaven but it'll cost her. He knows how much her precious people mean to her so, vindictively, he says he'll take her in if he can go into Hell and kill demons. Little does he know he's playing into her trap. She "reluctantly" agrees so long as no Hellborn are harmed, only sinners. Adam is all for it, even makes a cover story to tell Sera later how killing sinners in Hell will keep Heaven safe, and Lilith then goes about doing the hardest thing she's ever done. She tells Lucifer of some details of this new Heavenly Extermination thing and that she'll have to go away for a long time, promising to return but unsure when. Heartbroken, Lucifer watches as his love leaves him, their daughter, and their kingdom.

"Hey, mom. I know I keep calling and you must be busy... Really busy... But, um, the interview didn't go well, and... I don't know if I'm ever going to make a difference. I don't know what I'm doing. I could really use some advice, mom. I... I think dad was right about me... Ahah, oof. Eh, anyway... I'll stop talking before this gets long. Love you, bye..."

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll make you proud."

Vaggie: Did you hear from your mom?

*Charlie shakes her head in dismay.*

Vaggie: Oof… how long has it been now?

Charlie: Not that long, only…seven….years, off doing something important, I'm sure! But, this kingdom was something she really cared about. Something I care about.

This is what I think it's all been leading to. Lilith having made Charlie into someone for the people and wanting to save souls in a, as funny as it is, maintaining the very balance that got fucked up way back in the garden sort of redeeming way. Restoring order by allowing the good to go where it should've gone in the first place and keeping Roo weak. Maybe Lilith can even get her own redemption, being partially responsible for allowing Roo into our world in the first place. The only added weight I have left to give to my silly little "infected Lilith" idea is how she looks at season one's ending.

She looks pissed and upset, which we can say for a few reasons like how Lute just straight-up calls Charlie a bitch to her face. Like, dude, dick move. But, with Adam dead and seemingly no progress from Charlie (that she knows of), Lute is forcing her to go back to Hell where Roo's influence can grip her once more. I'm not entirely sure just what that could mean but for the sake of the Alastor/Lilith theory fans, let's say when Roo is strong she can puppet Lilith into infecting others via demonic deals. She might have done this countless times with mixed results, only to have full success in Alastor. But Mr deer is a bit too successful a test subject and thus gets his powers leashed. Now we have Alastor trying to force his way out of this mixed-up double-power deal by roping in Charlie, the one kink in this chain that could cause everything to break if forced too much.

It would explain his latching onto Charlie and seeking a deal since the very first time they met. She's a means to an end. The key to unlocking his proverbial collar. It even explains his out-of-nowhere instant disdain for Lucifer. Of course he'd be hostel to the husband of the bitch that metaphorically screwed him and poses a threat to his current plan of using his daughter for his own means.

Well, this was a long as fuck rambling. I hope even a shred of this made sense. Now to sit back and wait for season two to come along and either be like "I got something right" or "Wow I was dead wrong on so many levels". I wonder how long that will take?

"In an interview posted on February 2, 2024, Vivziepop thought that the production of season two might take about one-and-a-half to two years, roughly the same production time season one had."

Oh...um...Looks like we have some time. So, we can expect the new episodes to land in late 2025 at the earliest. *sets up chair* I can wait.

[abyssalwyrm0]

What if Adam instead of being afraid of Niffty if he comes back, the Dickmaster would be into her?

Think with me, look to Adam's type of girls:

Lilith, his equal and a demon queen who thrived on hell, empowering demonkind with the power of her voice and as the numbers of her realm grew, so did her power.

Eve, one of the most mysterious characters and the first sinner who could have become the embodiment of evil after eating the Apple, if the theories about her link to Roo are proven to be true, but even if she isn't Roo there's still good chances of her still being an antagonist depending of what you believe about her.

Lute, his most loyal bad bitch who is so bloothristy that makes even him unconfortable, the same guy who said that the exterminations are entertainment.

The Dickmaster is clearly into the crazy ones who could kill him. Imagine how how he would react if he see Niffty enter her full demon form and she end up looking like something similar to her old concept arts, becoming taller and more mad than ever.

[giggly-squiggily]

Take It All Back (Black Clover)

Okay so...I don't know how to explain this one kjarkjajkrjek I had a really bad case of Zorafin on my hands and needed to write it out! The ship has taken me by the jugular and I'm okay with that lols. I hope you like it!

CW: Swearing, Angst, Black Clover Ep. 87 spoilers!

Cloud 9 (Taglist Peeps):

@duckymcdoorknob @rachi-roo @imjusthere07

Summary: Finral's having severe self doubts about himself and his place in the Black Bulls. He finds comfort and something more from an unlikely source.

Finral would call his self-confidence a work in progress.

There were days where he thrived, pulling out all the stops during a practice session with the Bulls or saving the day with his portal magic just when they needed it. There was a rare but special tug of pride in his chest when that happened.

Then there were days like today where that tug of pride felt more like an anchor in his chest, dragging him further and further down his high and reminding him of all his shortcomings. “You’re nothing more than a taxi.” “Who would ever want you? Your own parents didn’t even want you!” “You’re a waste of space in the Bulls. You’re nothing without them- a living breathing parasite-”

“Boo.” A finger jabbed his hip from behind, making him jump forward with a startled squeak. “Did I scare ya?”

“No- I just make that noise in my downtime.” Finral grumbled as he turned around, finding none other than Zora Ideale before him. Something about the masked redhead made his spine tingle, sending goosebumps along his skin beneath his long sleeves. “What do you want, anyway?”

“Oo, someone’s grumpy today.” Those damn eyebrows- he looked so smug! “What’s the matter? Captain got you delivering toilet paper to him again? You’re kinda like a delivery man.”

Nothing but a taxi.

He was wounded, and it must have shown on his face by the wide eyed surprise Zora wore. “Shit- sorry man. I didn’t mean to cut you.”

“No- no, it’s not-” Finral willed his face to neutral out, trying to force the stinging behind his eyes back. “You didn’t do anything wrong; I just…” Something hot ran down his face. Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

“Finral…” Zora looked alarmed, reaching out.

“I gotta go! Erm, important business; bye!” He whirled around and ran, opening a portal as he did. Zora’s cry for him to stop was the last thing he heard before the magic closed out all sound, including the weak sob he made.

~~~

Weak. Pathetic. What kind of senior bull member was he to suddenly start crying in front of the rookie?

Finral slumped in his bed, the sentiment pulsing through him like a wound as he glared into his wet pillow. He’s not usually so quick to tears- and when they did come, he learned to hide them well. What the hell happened out there? Why of all people did he have to start crying in front of Zora?

Was it too late to fade away in the walls? He supposed he could do a Gordon; become so quiet and soft spoken he’d be nothing but a ghost.

…He really shouldn’t view his teammate like that.

Before he could wallow in shame further, someone knocked. Slow and heavy; not like Vanessa’s quick and playful ones- nor were Magna’s aggressive banging. This was the kind of knock he wasn’t familiar with at all. “Hello?” He called out.

“Hey…it’s me.” Zora? Finral felt his heart drop into his stomach, a surge of anxiety hitting him so strongly he felt nauseous.

“H-Hang on!” He called, running to the bathroom with shaky legs. Splashing water on his face, he tried to wipe away his earlier tears, cringing at how red his eyes looked. Fixing his hair, he straightened up, smoothing out his shirt and taking a quick breath. It was what it was.

Opening the door, he put on his best smile, the one he used to charm the ladies in town. “Hello there, Zora. How can I help you?”

The second he met Zora’s eyes his confidence crumbled. Green irises took him in, from the wetted down hair to the fragile smile to the shaky pose. “Hey…can I come in?”

“Sure! Sure, have a seat!” Finral stepped back, trying to breathe. God, this was falling apart faster than he planned. “Your probably wondering why I ran away-”

“I’m sorry.”

“That’s my line.” Finral blurted out, then froze, embarrassed. “Wait- huh?”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that- the delivery man thing.” Zora ran a hand through his hair, the tops of his cheeks heating in shame as he looked away. “I hadn’t realized how it came out. I’m really sorry.”

“...I…” Finral gaped, looking for words. He was the one that was supposed to apologize- a senior Bull running away from his rookie over a dumb comment; how unprofessional of him. That’s what he figured Zora came by for; not this! “It’s okay, really. You don’t need to apologize-”

“I made you cry.” Zora looked angry, but not at Finral. “I hurt you.”

“...No, no you didn’t.” Finral sighed, gesturing for him to sit down. “It wasn’t you that made me cry, I’m just having a bad day.”

“My comment didn’t help.” Zora argued, no heat in his tone. Finral shrugged, a tired laugh escaping.

“No, it didn’t. But I forgive you.”

Zora nodded, something like relief passing over him. “Do you…erm, do you want to talk about it?” He seemed so awkward then, like it was new territory he was crossing. It was new for Finral too.

At first, he didn’t say much, just reiterated that he was having a bad day. But after a gentle push from Zora, he let it go. He found himself talking about his insecurity and how lately he felt as if he’d contributed nothing to the team. How he could easily be replaced by a speedy broom and a map, and how while he was making some progress in using his spacial magic for more than transportation, it wasn’t enough to justify his place in the team.

At some point, Zora had moved over so he was sitting beside him on the bed. Now he was supporting him, an arm rubbing soothing circles against Finral’s back as the other sniffled out the last of his pain, wiping at his tears. He didn’t push for details, nor did he give any commentary; he just sat there and listened.

Finally, when his tears came to an end and Finral could somewhat breathe again, Zora hummed in thought. “That…sounds like literal hell.”

Finral snorted, oddly comforted by Zora’s way of words. “It is. But it’s not the team’s fault. No one makes me feel this way, it’s just my own stupidity.”

“You’re not stupid. You're the farthest thing from stupid.” Zora cut in firmly, taking Finral by surprise. “Don’t call yourself that.”

“But it’s true. Why else would I feel the way I feel?” Finral shrugged, something bitter in his gesture. “I’m in a team surrounded by amazing people, and yet here I am wallowing in self pity. Surely that makes me seem pathetic, doesn't it.”

Zora stared at him, stunned. Then he glared, a look so ferocious Finral felt taken aback. “How dare you.”

“Huh?”

“You dare talk bad about the Finral of the Black Bulls in my presence?” Zora raised up some, eyes glistening with unreadable rage. “A man with such brilliance for strategy and a kindness you can’t find anywhere else- and you dare call him pathetic?”

“Zora, what the hell are you saying- whoa!” Finral yelped when he was pushed back into the bed, the redhead hovering over him. “Zora?”

“I’ll make you pay. Take it back right now.” Zora growled. The mask made him even scarier, yet Finral felt no true malice in his presence. Was he braver than he thought?

“I don’t know what you’re going on about.” Finral decided after a moment. “But as your senior Bull member, I will not acknowledge your threats. I ref-ehehehehehehehehehehehe!” He couldn’t finish his statement before fingers found his ribs, worming gently along the warm fabric of his tunic. “Zohoohohohora, whahahahhait!”

“I told you to take it back. You’re gonna apologize for saying such foul things about Finral or I’ll make you!” Zora was inches from his face, fingers carrying on their game as he walked them up and down the other man’s sides. This close, Finral could see the truth now. Zora was far from angry.

He was looking mighty mischievous.

“Noohohoohoho way! Thehehhehey’re true! I knohohohow- I ahahahham him!” Finral giggled out, gently swatting at Zora’s hands as they moved to his lowest rib set. “Thehehehehy’re faahahha-AHAHHACTUAL!”

“Impossible- you can’t be Finral! The Finral I know would never call himself those things. He’s not a parasite, he’s not a taxi, and he certainly isn’t a pathetic person! He’s great- he makes good coffee in the morning and listens to me ramble about stupid shit throughout the day- and he doesn’t care if I nap during practice!”

“I dohohoohoohohoho chahahahahhahre! Yohohohohou juhuhuuhuhust doohohohon’t lihihihihisten!”

“Hm…yeah, you got a point.” Zora mused, moving back to his highest ribs and making Finral squeal. “But mine still stands- you're a great guy. I’ll ask one more time before I go all out; take that bullshit back.”

“Eheh…ehehehehe….heheh…” Finral gasped for air when the tickles came to a pause, weighing his options. He knew where this was going; and he knew if he did as demanded, Zora would keep his word. He could be spared.

But…

“Nohohooho way! I mehahhahan it!” Finral raised his chin, firm in his decision. The look in Zora’s eyes did funny things to his stomach. Seems like they were on the same page now.

“Oh do you?” Zora raised a brow.. His smile was particularly dangerous as he pulled Finral’s arms up and over his head, pinning them in place with a single grip. “Shame.”

The next few minutes were a blur in Finral’s mind. The second those dastardly fingers touched his armpits it was all over. “AHEHAHAHAHHAHAHA! OOHOHOHOOKAY OHOOHOHHOKAY I TAHEHEHEKE IT BAHAHAHCK! I TAHAHHAHAHKE IT BACK PLEAHAHHAHAHSE!”

“Hmmmm….okay.” Zora decided just as Finral grabbed his collar; yanking him down and throwing him off balance. The redhead shot his arms out, stopping a full blown collision.

“PLehehehase!” Finral gasped, slowly coming too as the tickles faded. “Please….oh, hello there.” He felt himself flush for a new reason: Zora's face inches from his own.

“Hello to you too. Come here often?” His voice was a husky whisper, blue eyes like the deepest part of the ocean as they gazed down into Finral’s. He even had long lashes!

Finral always liked long lashes.

He felt his breath catch, eyes starting to droop as Zora reached up for the corner of his mask-

A bang on the door drew them both apart, Zora shooting up in a daze and leaving Finral feeling somewhat cold. “Finral- whatever your doing in there, hurry up. We got a mission.” Captain Yami’s voice boomed even through the thick wooden doors. Footsteps faded soon after, sobering the younger man.

“Shit- I’m so sorry! I don’t know what happened-”

“Nah, you're fine. I came here to comfort you and-”

“I dragged you onto me! What kind of guy am I-”

“No complaints here.”

That last part stopped Finral in his tracks. “What?” He blinked, staring at the redhead.

“No complaints. In fact-I wouldn’t mind if we picked this back up after your mission.” Zora waggled his brows, a gesture so cheesy Finral couldn’t help but laugh. “Interested, teleporter?”

It all felt like a blur, this whole thing. One minute he was wallowing in self-pity, the next he was being comforted AND tickled to death by the strange redheaded mage before him. And now…

“Are you…asking me out?” Finral tried not to sound so unsure. Zora only smiled at him.

“Would you say yes if I was?”

Finral considered. Then he raised his chin stubbornly. “Not like that. If you’re gonna ask me out, do it right. Like this.” He stood, standing tall before the older man and putting on his best smile. “Would you go out with me, Zora Ideale.”

“You stole my line.” Zora sounded almost breathless, shaking his head with an easy grin. “Sounds fun. Yes, I will.”

Thanks for reading!

[fandom-dumpster]

Eve Theory Deep Dive

Here’s just a bunch of stuff regarding Eve that I can’t get out of my head.

The only times we’ve seen “Lilith”, without it being in a photo, her hair is moving constantly. BUT, in the intro (the only other time we see her in motion kinda) her hair is static for a lot of it and its Eve’s hair that’s flowing in every shot of her… On the beach it could be wind, but Lute’s hair isn’t moving

Now, I don’t think the lady Lute talks to is actually Lilith, but Eve. For one, she’s covering the top of her head very plainly with that hat so its hard to tell if she has that signature swept back hair, but you can somewhat see that part of her hair does fall in front of her forehead and isn’t swept from the hairline. Could be a coincidence though, of course. There’s also that pearls theory people have, too.

Another thing is that for once “Lilith” actually has the black nose that Charlie has. In every single photo we’ve seem of Lilith she does have a nose but its not like Charlie’s at all. She’s got shadow on her nose but that’s it. Yet, the Lilith we see on the beach has that dark nose (not the exact same but still closer than the photos). In the flashback with baby Charlie, the lady, who most assume is Eve judging by the hair, has her face in shadow so its nothing we can really confirm yet. 

Since we hear in the intro story that Eve took the apple, but never hear of Adam doing the same, and Adam ended up in Heaven, I think its safe to assume Eve ended up in hell. So, there is potiental that Charlie is Eve's daughter instead. We've yet to see actual features from Lilith that Charlie has- she's got Lucifier's complexion, cheeks, horns, eye color, and tail. The only parts we aren't sure about are her hooves and the big clawed hand she got fighting Adam.

A big hole, however, is the timeline. As Lucifer and Lilith seem to have been a couple for a long time, then Eve would have to be in the picture for Charlie, then Lilith would be back again for some of Charlie’s life given the photos we have, then gone again. If Lilith thrived in hell, she may have taken pity on Eve and tried to help her only for it to backfire, or maybe Eve, Lucifer, and Lilith had some kind of agreement

Now, if Eve is also Roo (aka root of all evil, an antagonist that’s supposed to show up in the show) it would explain a little why Charlie would have that clawed arm thing and the connection of tree root imagery with the tree of knowledge. Along with Eve eating the apple being what invited evil into the world. Roo’s old design also has the black lines on her eyes that Charlie’s demon form has. On the beach, “Lilith” has sunglasses on so maybe she has those, too. (Also once more, her hair seems like it’s wispy so maybe it flows like Eve’s too)

[kathyprior4200]

Rolando backstory

“Envy’s Sinister Plan”

In the beginning, everything was darkness.

Vast, endless, watery darkness.

It is naïve to think that beings of the land have always ruled the world. From the start of Earth’s creation, underwater beings like fish and sharks and the smallest organisms have existed and thrived below the surface. The Earth is mostly ocean, and humans have only skimmed the surface of the fathomless depths of the seas. If they truly knew of the mysterious monstrous aquatics that roam in the watery black…let’s just say they wouldn’t have to fear greatly for long.

The eldritch and aquatic beings of Earth and other realms have existed before humans and will continue to thrive long after.

But we’re not here to talk about Earth. We’re here to talk about Hell.

No, not the fiery brimstone Hell you’ve heard about.

We’re not discussing the Pride Ring either.

The most mysterious and perhaps the most dangerous district is the Ring of Envy. Envy is ruled by the two-headed Lady Leviathan, queen of the deep. This realm’s sky is dark purple and is located between the Sloth Ring and the Lust Ring. It is a world filled with oceans, serpents of the sea, and eldritch creatures beyond your wildest nightmares.

There are many kinds of beings that reside here. The wealthy von Eldritch family with Helsa and Seviathan are said to have originated from Envy before their rivalry with Charlie Morningstar. Seductive twin performers Glim and Glam learned their clever tricks and fueled their desire for fame in Envy. Many of these beings pride themselves on their suburban lifestyles, shapeshifting, fame and overall arrogance. Not that all from Envy are all selfish like that, but in Hell, everything is not so simple.

Lady Leviathan is mysterious as they come. She enjoys wealth, but never parades it around like Mammon. She has not much time for drugs like Beelzebub and Belphegor. Sex isn’t something she fixates on like Asmodeus. Although she and the other Sins rule under Lucifer, she doesn’t care much for his Sinner issues in Pride. Yes, the Sins were mad that the Exorcists killed a whole bunch of Sinners in Pride every year, but Sinners could always be replaced. Let some Hell princess try to figure it out.

Leviathan, instead, is the mastermind behind the deadliest type of scheme in the “Humans-to Hell” operation.

Those in Heaven often worry that demons will try and take over their world. They’d be partially right in their concern. Ever since the Sins were banished to Hell and mankind was favored over them, they had come up with plans for revenge many centuries ago. Since man was supposedly God’s greatest creation, what better way to spread suffering than to prove mankind’s flaws and inferiority to the angels (or in this case, the fallen angels.) Helpless dumb beings destined to be not in God’s favor, but to be the entertaining puppets of the demonic royals.

Lucifer had given Eve the Forbidden Fruit, allowing the dark goddess Roo to escape, creating Hell and a place where she could feast on the souls of demons and Sinners for eternity. Western-style Satan had been put in charge of the rough tough imps who had been sent to Earth to spread war and chaos. Party-loving Beelzebub sent Hellhounds to track Sinners on Earth. Mammon was greedy Mammon, manipulating Hell and boasting his accomplishments. Asmodeus allowed his succubi and incubi to go to Earth and spread STDs and lust, causing more souls to go to Hell. Dazed Belphegor allowed disease and drug trade to spread to Earth…as more mortals got addicted, more went to Hell after death.

Leviathan was also a crucial part of the plan. When she wasn’t surfing great waves on the beach or posting videos, her job was to spread fear, nightmares and hopelessness to those on Earth. If humans knew about Hell and the demons, they’d find ways to fight the demons and potentially allow Heaven their victory. But they couldn’t do that if they were consumed by their fears. To perform this monumental task, she dispersed infestor demons throughout Hell and Earth. By possessing and reading the minds of humans, the humans would break down and soon land into Hell after they died. These kinds of demons could shapeshift and breathe underwater, making them especially deadly to their enemies. Any troublemaker caught by Leviathan’s infestor demon crew would soon wish double death over having to reviewing all their traumas for all to see.

Then Leviathan thought of something else. If humans focused their fears on hauntings and ghosts instead of demons, the demons could eliminate their victims without a trace. The demons with the most potent possession and manipulation tactics were greatly respected in Envy. For these demons, fear was equivalent to food…essential for their very function in the society.

Leviathan and many in Envy loved to see other demons admire them. The EnVe Tik Tok app helped to spread various videos to make the other Rings wish they were more like Envy. All the imps, hellhounds, and especially the humans were incessant low-class riffraff to the Envians. In addition, the world below the surface was relatively inaccessible to many species in Hell. With more privacy, those in Envy took joy in using their abilities to their advantage.

Leviathan didn’t waste any time. Infestor demons were sent right and left to every dark corner of the Earth. Many were sent to common hunting grounds like haunted houses, asylums and graveyards. It was no wonder that many humans relayed terrifying tales of parasitic ghosts in those abandoned areas. Of course, the demons relished in overpowering the humans, peering into their darkest secrets and watching them fall.

Leviathan then heard of a mostly abandoned crappy hotel on Earth called the One Star Wonder. It was smack in the middle of a cemetery in an undisclosed location. It would be the perfect place to lure more humans into a trap.

Assured that nothing could go wrong, Leviathan then decided to send one of her best infestor demon workers to haunt the hotel and bring more souls to Hell.

His name was Rolando.

0 0 0

“Rolando, the Five Star Wonder”

(That’s what he calls himself later on when on Earth.)

Warm watery wavy wetness.

That’s what he could first remember while he was inside his mother. Like most demons in Envy, she could shift into a full fish form to allow for full speed underwater and then move to a bipedal form while on land. Once he was born, he could feel the icy cold black waters of Hell. His mother nudged him along as he swam his first strokes. Just as expected with the Envian species, he was able to swim on his own in a few days and after some guidance from his parents, hunt on his own after a month or so. Envians valued power and independence right from the start.

The concept of “friendship” was different in Envy. “Friend” usually meant one or two things: a powerful ally or someone with a useful purpose. For those in good standing, they often had several supporters with good connections to other elite members, and one or two lackeys they could send to do menial tasks. If anyone showed any disrespect, their dirty secrets could be telepathically put on display. So, it was the norm for those of lower standing to try and keep their mouths and minds quiet.

The lines were blurred when it came to sex…many of the females were dominant and sometimes males and females could both get pregnant and give birth due to the ease of shifting sexual organs. Having two mothers, two fathers, a mother and a father or just manifesting from magic were all normal. Though it was still a big step when a male fish would decide to gradually become a female parent. When Rolando was asked if that’s what he wanted to do when he grew up, he knew in his heart…

“No way! Do I look like a babysitter?”

Nobody really knows why many Envians have names associated with fame and power. Performers Glim and Glam are examples.

Although Rolando and his family weren’t at the top, they could live a fairly decent life. They had enough clothes and food to enjoy themselves. Yet there was always everyday competition with their neighbors. For one day, the denizens would argue over who had the best houses. Then the next day, they’d brag about their clothes and social media accounts. And then the next time, they would claim their children were the smartest or the best.

Usually, the strongest or the most dominant would get most of the praise. Rolando liked the praise he got but always was aching for more. Even with his parents it was the same. It wasn’t uncommon for him to hear from his mom and dad, “You are an incredible son, but I’ll love you even more when you can beat all these guys!” “Wow, great hunting, son! I bet you could snatch up more bottom-feeders the next time.”

When Rolando did manage to perform a great accomplishment, it was like a birthday: great while it lasted but over all too soon. Just like a temporary trend online; there and gone like the waves of the ocean.

It was an endless cycle of trends, judgements, and could-have-beens.

The only thing truly satisfying for Rolando were the moments when he got to feast on the insecurities and fears of others. There was no one to tell him he wasn’t quite good enough…no competition, no expectations, no numbers to reach. It was just him and his prey and a sense of a strange, delicious freedom, like a kid playing with a new toy. Time stood still when he peered into the minds of others…as the traumas of his victims played before him, he could remind himself of his own greatness. It was just like watching an entertaining film in the individual’s head! There were also the obvious tasty benefits of blood, flesh, and the victims’ life force.

Rolando manifested in and out of the water, getting used to both his everyday forms. The Envy Ring was vibrant with buildings made of coral and decorated with eyes all over the structures. Giant billboards advertised drugs, seafood, underwater music parties, watery sex, weapons and more. Rolando preferred dark practical clothes still in good quality. He spotted scaly fisherman catching little fish, shrimp, and small sharks in the distance. Leviathan was advertising the annual surfing competition, where the winner would get to surf against the queen herself in the most treacherous of waters. (Nobody could beat her even if they wanted to, Leviathan practically invented surfing and she knew it.)

Rolando, of course, while learning hunting, swimming, shapeshifting, and possession tactics, also had to learn how to protect his mind. In his early days as a kid, he found out the hard way what happens when you don’t protect your mind.

“There’s the loser nerd!” mocked several scaly red fish kids around his school. Kid Rolando had silver transparent hair, gray skin, black clothing and a pair of sharp red sunglasses over his eyes. He could see underwater just fine, but his eyes were unusually sensitive to light.

“You really gonna go there?” Rolando asked his classmates.

“Yeah,” mocked the leader flanked by two other males wearing sporty clothes. “My daddy runs several companies unlike your fisherman one.”

“At least I know how to hunt. You just get your grub handed to you.”

“Let me hand you this!” the leader mocked, raising a fist. Rolando got beat up in front of his peers and they laughed. The leader peered into his mind, an unpleasant black goo rushing inside his head.

“Your dad lost 66 souls meant for his boss on a fishing trip?”

“Your mom used to date a bottom-feeder common farmer?”

“You like to dance in girl’s underwear in private? Hahahaha! What a pussy!”

“Get the fuck outta my head!” Rolando spat.

“Whatever you say, fish-face!”

The bully flowed out of his head and reformed from liquid to solid, snickering as he and his buddies walked away.

It wasn’t long before his parents heard about it. Rolando swam home to his cave in tears.

His mother was called Roberta, meaning “bright fame”. She had glowing yellow eyes, sharp fangs, gray scaly skin and long hanging glowing earrings that looked like escas. Her earrings were used to attract her husband, Roderick (name meaning “famous ruler.”) They often wore sparkling clothing made of fish scales, resulting in stunning rainbow-colored dresses for Roberta and slick seaweed-colored suits for Roderick. They wore more casual clothing as well when they weren’t going to work meetings or the occasional party.

Roderick was a great hunter and fisherman, with transparent silver fins for hair, and a silvery mustache under his nose. All three had sharp teeth, yellow-green tongues, grayish skin and glowing yellow eyes with no pupils.

Roderick gasped when he heard the news and said what any reasonable parent in the Envy Ring would say:

“Why did you let your classmate reveal my failings?”

“I-it wasn’t my fault,” Rolando cried. “He got into my head!”

“And you let him? After all we taught you? Any good son of mine would protect not only his own thoughts but the secrets of his family.”

“But…but you didn’t teach me how to defend…”

“You’re supposed to learn on your own,” his mother Roberta added. “Just like how you took your first strokes and caught your first meal���if you don’t learn, you fall behind and die.”

“I was lucky to make it up to my boss,” Roderick sighed. “He only cut my fin fingers off and it took several days for them to fully grow back.”

Roderick turned to his son. “I’m very disappointed in you. I don’t wanna hear any more of you tainting our family’s reputation anymore.”

“But we’re nowhere near the top…”

“That’s not the point! Now go to your room and write an apology letter to both of us. And you may as well concede to that bully if you’re that weak.”

Rolando slouched off into his room space…his dim cave bedroom with teal crystals, a bed, sets of fishing hooks and movie posters. He admired a mermaid-like woman smiling with sharp teeth on a poster labeled “Siren’s Serenade.” A couple of other posters showed his favorite bands: “The Dimmer Swimmers” and “The Megalodons.”

“I love you…” those words were never spoken in that way…but rather his parents would say the closest thing: “Wonderful, you’re trending, son!” Or when he would get in trouble, they would mention, “We anticipate your progress” in place of “We’ll be here to support you.”

He figured that those bullies would get an ‘apology’ alright. With a coral pen in his four fingered claws, he wrote his apology letters backwards to his parents and didn’t bother to acknowledge the bully.

Instead, the next day, he swam up silently behind the leader before he could meet up with his friends. Unlike many of his peers, Rolando was especially proficient at sneaking up on people.

Before the leader kid knew what hit him, Rolando manifested into goo and saw the movie in his mind.

“Well, well, well, the little brat wants to prove he’s a baddie at school.”

“Get outta my head, scrawny scumbag!”

“But I’m just getting started…oh! This looks like a juicy scene…”

“Please don’t talk about…”

“How you hit on Shelly Sirena but her older sister beat your ass?”

“Yeah…No! No! Leave it alone!”

“I don’t think so. How about you leave me alone and perhaps I won’t spill the pearls…”

“I’ll…I’ll do anything, just get out!”

“Really now?”

“…”

“Can you say, ‘I’m Rolando’s dumb bitch’ to your buddies?”

“Fuck no! Are you trying to embarrass me more? How do I know you won’t blabber on about it?”

“And how do I know you won’t keep harassing me? Oh yeah, here we stagnate. We can keep playing these head games, or you can do what I say.”

Finally…

“Ok, ok, just let me go…before we get in trouble!”

Rolando shot out of the bully’s head and re-materialized in front of him. “I already got in trouble,” he smirked. “Now it’s your turn. Good riddance to you!” He swam off.

Sure enough, the leader bully was soon made fun of by the other kids.

“You got mindfucked by scrawny Rolando? What a loser!”

“Your dad’s not gonna be happy.”

“You weren’t really our leader anyway…we just follow whoever’s the most popular! And now that person is me!”

Soon enough, his parents forgot about the incident and Rolando had gotten away with his scheme. Satisfied, Rolando did what many typical Envian demons do for fun: snap up little swimming prey in the vast ocean.

Rolando’s teen years were relatively uneventful…he fell in love with one male and two females…but he soon found out his distaste for getting too intimate with anyone. He only liked getting intimate with certain people, dragging them along until he could use their thoughts to break them.

“I am proud of your ruthlessness,” his father mentioned in genuine pride.

“We have taught you well,” his mother added. “But if you want to really continue our family line, you’ll have to find somebody to fuck and teach the next generation everything you know.”

“The first part would be easy,” he thought. “The teaching part…kinda boring.”

Yes, nothing too intense in his teen years…if you don’t count the sea-shaking moment when his two parents left him.

It was all a normal rite of passage…when a child entered their teen years, they were officially adults.

“It was an honor raising and teaching you, Rolando,” said his father.

“I hope you enjoy yourself in this vast world,” added his mother. “Remember to use your possession wisely…”

Then they said what many Envian parents say… “Goodbye and don’t die!”

His father and mother gave him a long warm hug…one of the few he had ever gotten and in a flash, they were gone, never for him to see again.

Rolando sighed somberly. “I thought those fire toads had it rough up there.”

The Envians called the imps in the Wrath Ring “fire toads” as a common derogatory term. He learned that from his various teachers and from movies. Hellhounds were called “buzzed mutts.” Those in Sloth were the “wasted sheep,” Sinners in Pride were called “terra freaks” due to their previous existence on Earth. Rolando’s favorite term was that for humans, “Earth apes.”

Rolando means “from the famous land,” and indeed, he would be fairly well known in Envy in the future. There was some degree of respect for demons who worked directly for the Sins, whether it was succubi, imps, infestor demons or hellhounds. This was because they were willing to spread Hell’s influence to Earth, thus move the Sins one step closer to Earth-domination and victory. There was also a natural risk for those going up to Earth…there was always the chance that their missions would fail, or they would be spotted and apprehended by the humans. There was also the chance they would die, and unlike the Sinners, they would not be able to exist again (unless you count being part of Roo the chaos goddess as some form of being).

Rolando hated rowdy imps from Wrath…he hated Sinners for being immortal despite having no experience being in Hell properly…and he hated humans for making Sinners and Hell exist…plus they were weird.

Rolando wondered where he could live and where to find work. He pondered at all the typical choices for the Envy Ring: fishermen, advertisers, seafood chefs, demon assassins, siren singers, treasure hunters, beast tamers, surfers, scuba divers, psychologists…

Then there were the more ordinary positions of teachers, businessmen, hotel managers, social media organizers, engineers, cleaners, royal guard…

Rolando eyed several positions labeled “Possession Professors,” those who taught others how to control their shapeshifting and possession powers.

Rolando shook his head…he was already very skilled with his own abilities and had far too much fun using them on his own.

There were far too many choices.

Many demons can live for hundreds of years…but with the nonexistence of death certain for everyone except Sinners and the Deadly Sins, there wasn’t much for Rolando to hope for.

Several years passed. After miserable failed attempts at working at a hotel, trying to post likable videos, trying to mimic his dad at fishing, trying to mimic his mother at siren singing, nothing seemed satisfying.

He admired his reflection in a watery mirror nearby, enjoying his new red pointed sunglasses with yellow trim.

And then, Rolando saw something that would change his brief Hellish life forever. He spotted a special ad from Leviathan herself.

“INFESTOR DEMONS WANTED! HELP NEEDED TO RECRUIT MORE SOULS TO HELL. EXPERIENCE THIS ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY TO VIST EARTH AND HUNT HUMANS. EARN RESPECT FOR YOUR MISSION TO SERVE THE ENVY SIN. EARN SOULS, BOTH CURRENCY AND ACTUAL ONES. TASTE HUMANS FOR THE FIRST TIME!”

“TASTE HUMANS FOR THE FIRST TIME!”

He had never tasted humans before…and was suddenly very curious to find out.

A grin of sharp teeth slowly grew on Rolando’s face as he licked his lips.

0 0 0

“Obsession for Possession”

It wasn’t long before Rolando arrived with other infestor demons near Leviathan’s abode. Leviathan could appear as fearsome as a giant sea serpent covered with eyes and spikes down her back, as stern as a queen with a crown and dark robes, or as seductive as a siren.

Rolando saw her with her glowing tentacle hair, her right purple serpent head, and her more cheerful left white head with fin ears and pearl necklaces around her two necks.

Leviathan gave a brief welcoming speech and then began assigning the demons to different locations on Earth. She tested their shapeshifting and possession powers.  Rolando was able to push away most of the demons from his mind, save for a few advanced ones. Being possessed with his limbs feeling numb was not pleasant.

“It appears you are quite exceptional, Rolando,” Leviathan praised.

Rolando grinned.

“But don’t dream of following in my fins. That’s reserved for…me! And my relatives…” She posed with a pair of sunglasses.

Rolando scoffed. ‘I’ll swim my own current thank you very much.’

Leviathan soon chose the top twenty-five to go on the missions. Many were disappointed with the low wage of only 66 souls per month.

“That’s it?” one of the demons murmured. “We’re just lowly lackeys, huh?”

Rolando scowled inside his head. ‘Unbelievable! Even janitors in the palaces make more than us! Those earth apes better taste good!’

“Glamora, your location is the abandoned MegaMountain cave.”

A dark blue female demon grinned and stepped through a portal toward a tall mountain.

“Bling,” she told a golden demon, “You get the Five Star Galore Resort in California! Be sure to only kill them at night.”

“Lucky,” Rolando muttered, crossing his arms as Bling vanished through his portal.

“Ruben, Jewels, and Aurum,” she called to three demons, “Head on over to this cemetery here.”

Rolando yawned until…

“Last but not least…Rolando!”

Rolando grinned and stepped forward.

“Here’s your location! Stay there until you’re called back to Envy and don’t let anyone see your true form! Kill anyone who may know about Hell. Good luck!”

He was practically shoved through the portal and soon, Hell disappeared behind him.

He glanced around at the gravestones and dead trees around him.

“Seems suitable enough,” he said.

Then he turned around as lightning flashed in the sky. Before him stood an old hotel called the One Star Wonder.

Rolando raised an eyebrow and barred his teeth. “Wait…this…this is the place I was assigned?! It’s nothing but a shitty dump!”

He stomped toward the building. 

“One Star Wonder? Me, the Five Star Wonder stuck here?! Preposterous! Not to mention having to interact with those disgusting, sinning, low-life dumbass…”

Rolando darted behind a corner as three people headed through the front doors of the hotel.

“…humans…” Rolando narrowed his eyes. 

He stared at his reflection in a window. He concentrated and his features shifted to manifest a human disguise.

An elderly man with a nearly bald head sat at the manager’s desk, wearing a black buttoned shirt and a single star on the front.

“Room 25 and room 16 are still available,” he droned to the customers. “Enjoy your stay and clean up after yourselves.”

The man bore a grouchy expression at the desk as he examined paperwork in front of him.

The double doors opened, and lightning flashed behind a silhouette as he slowly strolled inside. Black pointed shoes, long gray pants, a red vest, a long sleeve gray undershirt, a gaunt white face, a bald head with a blonde wave of hair off to the side, thick golden square sunglasses…

…unusually prominent grin of sharp teeth…

“Hello there, sir!” Rolando began.

Unfazed, the old man scoffed. “And what’s your deal, slender stranger?”

“I’d like to apply here and help out…”

“Name?”

“Rolando.”

“Where you from?”

“Uh…not too far from here…”

The manager shoved a mop and bucket toward him. “The floors need mopping, the dishes need washing and there’s mold and cobwebs along every door. We don’t want this place to go outta business.”

“So…I’m hired?”

“Until you’re fired! Now get to work, punk and stay outta my sight!”

Rolando seethed as he carried his equipment and left the lobby.

Rolando grumbled as he got to work.

“‘Go to Earth,’ he said. ‘Hunt humans, it’ll be fun,’ he said. Now I’m stuck doing lowborn work! Not even imps would think highly of this shit!”

“You missed a spot,” barked a cleaning lady, rolling an old cart around the halls. Rolando rolled his eyes. He glanced over at a stout bald bellhop, hunched over like Frankenstein’s monster. He wore a red uniform and slobbered and spattered, “B-b-bitch!” to anyone who passed by. He babbled gibberish to Rolando before straining to drag two suitcases to a nearby room.

‘This place is full of utter imbeciles,’ Rolando thought.

Rolando later helped in the kitchen, washing dishes and serving plates of spaghetti and meatballs to the groups of people in the dining hall.

“Hey, I asked for three meatballs, not one!” barked a man. “Get it right!”

Rolando’s eye twitched as he rushed around and muttered false apologies right and left.

“Is there proper alcohol at this place?” asked a blond woman. “This meal looks days old!”

Harold was retelling his heroic stories to his elderly wife Delores.

“So then when the Nazi’s started to advance toward the U.S. border, I stood there with my lone gun and steadfast courage and I was like, ‘Come any closer and I’ll blow your ass to dust!’ Then BAM! Shot his head clean off!”

“I remember our marriage all those years ago. Oh Harold, you always tell the best stories,” Delores smiled as they kissed.

“I can see why they call this place, ‘One Star Wonder,’ it’s no wonder you have a one-star rating in customer service,” blabbered a guy in a suit.

The manager stomped his foot and folded his arms as he looked at Rolando.

“How can you be this pathetic, this incompetent on your first day?! I’m this close to firing you, Ronaldo!” barked the manager.

“It’s Rolando…”

“Whatever! I need results! NOW!”

The manager stormed off into the kitchen.

Rolando’s face began to turn red when two boys threw meatballs around the room and one landed on his shirt, leaving an awful red stain behind.

“Urgh!” he grumbled. His head pounded and ached as the manager hollered one order after another.

‘Stay calm, stay hidden,’ Rolando told himself, fuming at the humiliation. ‘Don’t mess things up.’

After what seemed like an eternity, the sun finally set.

Rolando didn’t need to rest like humans, but he felt like he needed to hover in the ocean the way a fish sleeps in the water. He finally cleaned the last of the dishes and stacked them up. The dining room was dark and quiet, and all the guests had gone to bed.

“Good riddance to you, Ronaldo,” the manager scoffed. “If you think today was hard, let’s see how tomorrow does you in. Go below expectations and you’ll be walking out that door! Understand?”

Rolando grumbled.

“Are we clear?!”

“Yes…sir,” he grit his teeth. The manager grunted and they both walked to the desk.

“Everyone else has gone to bed,” said the manager. “I need you to do some last-minute organizing and then you can sleep in a corner. If it takes you until dawn, so be it. You work front desk tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir.”

Rolando sighed as he looked at the stack of paperwork in front of him. He wished he had some spell that could transport him back home.

“You’re the last one here, so make the most of it, or I’ll put you through literal Hell!”

Rolando paused. He just now realized that he and the manager were the only ones in the lobby.

“Kill anyone who may know of Hell,” Leviathan had said.

“You believe in Hell?” Rolando asked. A slow grin formed.

“I’ve heard of it. Awful place. Troublesome folk like you will get sent there for sure.”

Rolando turned around slowly. “Oh really?”

He leaned his face forward. “It seems like…”

His eyes briefly glowed, “…a lovely place to me.”

“Get away from me, skinny scum!” barked the manager.

“I’ve been patient with you all day…” Rolando began.

The manager started to stomp away, but Rolando blocked his path.

“But my patience is wearing thin…”

Despite his anger, there was a look of fear in the manager’s eyes.

“You get out of my way and get to work…!”

“I am at work…” Rolando mused. “…but not for you…”

He backed the manager against the “staff only” door.

The manager was furious. “That’s it, scrawny stick! Consider yourself FIRED!”

The manager pointed to the double doors.

Rolando grinned and his features started to shift. “Oh no, sir…I’m just getting started…”

The manager shook as he saw Rolando’s demonic features. “W-what the fuck are you?!”

“Your very worst nightmare,” Rolando replied in a distorted voice. “Your sudden fear…the first real meal I’ve had today…”

The lights overhead sparked and flickered. He lifted up the manager with one hand by his collar with a clawed hand.

Rolando leaned close to the manager’s face. “Consider yourself…EXPIRED!”

Rolando’s grinning shadow towered on the wall showing sharp teeth. Lightning flashed and thunder crashed as the manager screamed in terror.

0 0 0

Back in his human disguise, Rolando chuckled darkly the next morning. An old black camera was off to the side. He opened a drawer and examined his most recent photo. It showed the manager’s bloodied dead corpse with all four limbs torn off.

He closed the drawer and showed his large fake grin to some customers.

“Welcome to the One Star Wonder, where we wonder why it’s still one star!”

“He’s certainly a shady fellow,” a brown-haired woman in a green dress exclaimed.

“We’re only staying one night on our way to Hollyswood,” said a blonde woman wearing purple.

“There will be a documentary celebrating the life of Brennan Radgers,” said a black-haired man in a suit. “We expect full room service and good accommodations while we’re here.”

Rolando handed over a set of keys. “Rooms 9 and 10 are off to your left. Enjoy your stay!”

The actresses turned up their noses and walked to their rooms.

“Pussy little pricks,” he muttered.

After he checked in a family with a boy and a girl, he mentioned, “I heard this place is haunted.”

The kids froze. “Really?” asked the boy.

“There have been some recent disturbances, so if you sense something’s amiss, don’t panic. Just give me a call and I’ll look into it.”

“Oh please,” said the dad. “We know that ghosts don’t exist.”

“But what if they do?” asked the girl. “I bet this cemetery’s full of them!”

“Don’t listen to him,” said the mom. “He probably likes to scare people to try and get more hotel ratings.”

Rolando smirked as the kids looked frantically around as they were led by their parents to their rooms.

 0 0 0

“Obsession For Possession”

Rolando sang as he performed his hauntings and killings.

“Welcome, welcome to this one-star bin

Come on by, don’t be shy, let me check you in

If you please, here’s your keys, I’m your host

Just let me warn you about the hotel ghost

“As you sleep in tight and rest your head

He creeps in the night and lurks under your bed

A sinister shadow removes the light

Fills your heart with dread and fright

“It’s me, you see

A monstrosity,

An infestor hailed from Envy

Your worst nightmare has begun, little one

You’ll be dead before the day is done

“You’re all my delicious pawns

I’ll shake you, break you, leave you drenched

Don’t try to run

From my sinister fun

My obsession for possession

Can never be quenched!

“Before long, you’ll soon find

I flow and seep into your mind

I know your flaws, your triggers, your fears

And I love to drink your tasty tears

“All the sins and traumas you feel

Passes to me as a delicious meal

The theater of your mind is great entertainment

There’s no escape, just your containment

“Exposing your shame

Is the name of my game

I’m just doing my job

You’re the only one to blame

So give me your doubts, your utter despair

Watch yourself fall when I give you a scare

Let me feast on your sea of misery

And the last one you’ll ever see

Is me!”

“I hope you sleep well

For soon I’ll drag your soul to Hell!

Hahahahahhaha!”

Rolando cackled, bit and slashed at an old man with dark hair. His organs were exposed in the background, and blood stained the walls and floor. His body was cut in half.

He paused and a cleaning lady looked up at his demonic form. He slowly turned around with a surprised expression.

She looked up with wide eyes, dropping her mop.

“H-H-housekeeping?”

She slowly backed away.

“You know my secret now. I apologize for this,” he mentioned.

The cleaning lady screamed as Rolando rushed forward and dealt his fatal blow.

A brown-haired lady Rita was muttering about Hell and spirits in her bedroom. She pulled out the Death Tarot card.

“I know my psychic said I would go to that bad Baltimore place today. Now what could this card possibly…”

Rita turned around as the lights flickered…

“…mean?”

She saw a shadow with glowing yellow eyes and a grinning mouth, and she screamed. Her decapitated head rolled onto the floor.

Rolando grinned as he held the photos of a human tossed into the air, the man cut in half and the beheaded Rita.

0 0 0

“The End From I.M.P.”

The double doors opened and Blitzo posed in his Bethany Ghostfucker costume and blond wig. Millie rolled her eyes as she followed him with a black staff shirt on, long pants and a black movie camera.

Blitzo aimed his lavender dildo-shaped device at Rolando, who lowered it with his fingers. Rolando sat at his desk in his human disguise.

“Welcome to the One Star Wonder where it’s a wonder we still have that star.” He cracked his head to the side. “How may I help you today?”

Blitzo spoke in a valley girl accent. “We’re filming a very special episode of my hit show and we’re gonna need access to every room in this dump.”

He held out a card to Rolando.

“Christ, you Hollywood assholes are pushy little pricks,” he seethed, taking the card. “I can’t just give you the keys to every ba...”

He read the card: “BATHINEE GOZTFUKR, I’M FAMOS, (this is a real I.D.).” There was a dick drawing on it and a crude drawing of the actress.

He held up the card and glanced at Blitzo, sweat beading down his face.

He grinned and snapped. “Well snap me in half! You’re Bethany Ghostfucker from that one show…” He put his finger to his chin.

“It’s called Ghostfuckers, idiot,” Blitzo remarked.

“No, but you’re getting close. Anyway, I am glad to see you folks. He pulled open a drawer. “We’ve been having more…”

An evil glint appeared in his eyes and his smile stretched. “…disturbances than usual lately.”

Blitzo made a show of grabbing onto his imaginary breasts. “What kind? Se-sexy disturbances?”

Rolando placed down three crime scene photos onto the desk. “The kind that are killing my guests!”

The first photo showed a shadow of a woman being tossed into the air. The second showed the corpse of a screaming old man, the floor littered with his organs and his blood splattered against the wall. The third picture showed the decapitated head of Rita the psychic lady. She used to have brown curly hair, glasses, and purple earrings, the eyes gaping black sockets.

“Well, there definitely ain’t no such thing as ghosts,” said Millie.

“You sure about that?” Rolando asked, head cocked. The lights briefly flickered overhead. 

Millie shrugged it off and pushed back the gruesome photos. “We’ll get to the bottom of what’s killing your guests.”

“Uh, yeah, except ghosts are real, camera man,” Blitzo mentioned to Millie.

“They’re a conspiracy, Bethany,” she replied.

“Uh, then what do I plan on fucking tonight?”

Rolando growled. “Real or not, this needs to stop.”

“Uh, we’ll need those keys then,” Blitzo said, holding out his hand.

Rolando gave them to him. “They killed my last cleaning lady and now I’m stuck with this.”

Rolando mentioned to a squat bell hopper dressed in a red uniform. He slobbered and babbled in an accent sounding like the alien Stitch. Millie and Blitzo flinched back in disgust. “Eugh.”

“Poor thing can’t even blink.”

Blitzo twirled the keys. “No promises. Come along Mil…I mean, camera man.” Millie huffed as she followed him.

An old torn portrait of Rolando holding a red rose was hung in the hall. His eyes appeared to follow the imps as they made their way down the halls.

Rolando could sense right off the bat that those two were no ordinary humans. They didn’t smell like humans…he knew they were hellborn imps.

“Let them have their little fun,” he thought. “I’ll peer into their heads and have some fun of my own…”

Not too long later, Rolando strolled ominously through the darkened old hallways. He couldn’t risk those imps interfering with his mission. He didn’t want to imagine the agony of shame he would feel if Envy found out that the imps had bested him in battle.

The imps may have been incredibly tough fighters, but Rolando had the powers of mind-reading and illusion on his side.

After seeing no one else in the hall, he shifted into his true form. His fin-like ears twitched as he picked up a banging sound coming from the overhead metal vents.

He morphed into his shadowy form and hovered in the air. He sniffed the air, silent and deadly as a hunter.

The imps were crawling in the vents!

He sensed the taller one crawling in his direction. A mischievous grin appeared on his face. He manifested a mixture of black demon blood and his own black goo and placed his fingers onto the vent cover. The black liquid poured through the openings, much of it settling onto the metal floor.

“SHIT! What the fuck is this?!” came Blitzo’s voice.

Rolando wiggled his fingers and the goo slipped and dripped faster.

“Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit!” Blitzo cried from inside.

Rolando could hear him slip.

“Satan, Satan, Satan, oh FUCK!” Blitzo cried as the dark goo poured down on him, causing him to barely grip onto a crack in the vent.

To Rolando’s delight, he heard Blitzo’s desperate screams.

“Millie?! Millie! Millie, I need help!”

Rolando snickered.

“I can’t hold on, Millie!”

Rolando got brief glimpses of Blitzo’s panicked thoughts regarding Millie and the dangerous missions they had been on.

Blitzo finally screamed and fell down the vent.

Rolando snapped his fingers, and the illusions appeared.

A Millie opened the vent and Blitzo fell through it. He reached out and stood up.

“Millie! Did you not hear me calling for help?”

“M-Mils!”

He raced after her and flinched as he saw a faceless Millie.

“You always need help, Blitz!” said the Millie in a distorted voice.

A door opened and from the darkness emerged an alternate Millie with rope tied around her wrists, broken glass in her left bloody eye and bullet holes in her clothing.

The Millie droned, “Always needing to take from those around you…”

From up in the corner, a shadowy Rolando controlled the illusions with his fingers and altered his voice with his fingers to his throat.

“You leave them worse and more broken than when you found them…” came the distorted voices of a burned Millie from Loo-Loo Land and a pink melting Millie from the inside of a monster fish.

“You think you can change?” asked a third Millie, with golden arrows from the Cherubs sticking from her right eye and her body.

Another Millie joined in, with a missing leg and broken arms.

“You’ll never stop fucking people’s lives up,” groaned all the Millies as they closed in.

The first Millie’s eyes bulged, black blood raining down her face. “When was the last time you actually loved someone without hurting them?” She flopped like a zombie after Blitzo and he ran away in terror.

Rolando zoomed after Blitzo in the air as he ran down the dark hallways. Rolando caught a glimpse of a traumatic event in Blitzo’s mind.

“This will surely break him!”

“MOM!” Blitzo screamed as he raced toward a female imp. Blitzo appeared like his teenager self and sobbed into her arms. “Momma, I was having the worst dream,” he sobbed and embraced her again.

“This isn’t a dream,” Rolando hissed. “This is your life. And it always will be.”

Blitzo pulled away as green flames spread across her arms. Blitzo cried out in horror as the green flames inched closer to her face, revealing her skull and teeth.

“NO! NO, NO, NO, MOM! I’M SORRY!” Blitzo wailed. His mother’s right eye fell into his hand and the flames consumed the rest of her until she vanished into dust.

Rolando cackled evilly as Blitzo wailed and raced into a nearby bedroom.

“Blitz?” Millie asked. “Blitz, where are you?”

Rolando slithered through the darkness, watching Millie.

“Hello?” Millie called. “Mox?”

Rolando waved his fingers again and through another door came…

“Mox?!” Millie cried.

Moxxie had branches in his hair and a gaping bullet wound in his forehead. Black blood slowly poured from the hole in his head. His arms and legs were bent at awkward angles. Hammered-in nails protruded from his arms, chest and legs.

“That cursed family, those kids…they did this to me,” Moxxie cried. “And you weren’t there to save me!”

“What, what are you talking about?!” Millie backed away…

…and rammed into another Moxxie.

Millie screamed at the sight of Moxxie’s yellow peeling face, black empty eyes, torn black suit, and green flames dancing from the remains of his white hair.

“Too much of a battle-hungry brute to care for those you love?” moaned the burned Moxxie.

“Shut up! You ain’t real!” Millie cried.

“What is real? What is not?” laughed a drunken Moxxie creeping from the darkness. His eyes glowed white, his skin pink, his body giving off the appearance of melting. Parts of his flesh were torn, leaving exposed bone. “Couldn’t even save us from that fish,” groaned the melted Moxxie, swooning this way and that. “Just admit you’re weak!”

Millie swung her fists, trying to stand her ground as the alternate Moxxies closed in.

“You’ll always be the dumb farm girl, underappreciated by the rest of your imp friends…”

Millie seethed and backed away from another Moxxie who had golden heavenly arrows protruding from his body. “It’s obvious the angels don’t care for us either!”

“Stay away!”

“You should’ve stayed behind…should’ve stayed the obedient assassin in Wrath.”

Millie flinched as another Moxxie walked over to her…though he had a broken neck from being strangled by Striker.

“Getting into fights so much…” the Moxxie cracked his neck…

“…more will get hurt because of your recklessness.”

“BANKRUPTCY! BANKRUPTCY! BANKRUPTCY!” A more current Moxxie with bulging eyes grabbed hold of her and shook her hard. Millie shoved him off and ran for her life from the alternate Moxxie illusions.

She stopped against the wall to catch her breath. More demonic laughter echoed in the halls.

0 0 0

“Come on, Blitz,” said Millie, following him out of the room. “What’s the only thing you know that comes to Earth and fucks with people’s minds that badly?”

“Probably an infestor possessor demon from Envy,” Blitzo responded.

“Bingo!” said Millie, snapping her fingers.

“So-ho, figured it out, have you?” asked a distorted voice. Millie and Blitzo looked around. They both got into fighting stances.

A grinning Rolando stood in the distance. The round overhead lights flickered off.

“A bit out of your depth, aren’t you, little ones?” he hissed. His face and body morphed into his true demonic form, a humanoid sea monster with glowing yellow eyes, sharp teeth, fin-like ears and scaly skin.

The lightbulbs exploded above them, and the imps ran for their lives. Rolando’s demonic laughter echoed through the darkened hall. Rolando chased after him as a grinning hovering shadow with red eyes and bony hands.

“Damn, our tiny fucking legs!” Blitzo panted as he sprinted as fast as he could. Sweat poured down their faces. Rolando appeared and disappeared in shadow as more lights exploded above him in yellow sparks. Rolando morphed himself into black goo, splashing and grabbing hold of Blitzo’s leg. Blitzo collapsed to the floor.

“You know my secret…” he hissed.

Millie raced over to help Blitzo but was lifted up in a chokehold by the shadowy Rolando. His eyes and grinning mouth glowed yellow. Blitzo reached out desperately to Millie.

“I guess you gotta die like all the reeesssttt!” Rolando hissed.

Millie and Blitzo were picked up by an invisible force. Blitzo screamed as he crashed through several walls and landed in the pool room. He banged his head against a column and coughed. Blitzo coughed and grunted as he sat up, holding his chest and wincing. The pool glowed an eerie green behind him.

A hand with three claws gripped the broken wall. Rolando grinned as he climbed through the copper pipes and into the area. His suit was now black with three white buttons on it. He wore sharp black boots. His fin-like hair was transparent, and he wore glowing red sharp sunglasses with yellow trim. He displayed a row of sharp white teeth and a pointed chin like an undersea predator. His skin was a scaly gray.

He spoke distorted and demonic, “Oh this is fun!”

He leaped forward and kicked Blitzo hard in the face. He laughed evilly.

WHACK!

Millie responded with a high kick of her own. She sent Rolando into a nearby wall.

“Atta, girl, Mils!” Blitzo swung his fist. Millie grinned back at him.

A grinning yellow face appeared on the surface of the water behind them. Both imps turned around as Rolando rose out of the water.

“No, thatta bitch!” he roared. He leaped forward and nearly grabbed Millie. He bent in a wide arch before righting himself on his knee. He then raced toward Blitzo and kneed him hard in the chin. He fell to the floor as Rolando flipped into the air toward Millie. Millie leaped toward him to attack, but he sent her down with a kick.

Blitzo narrowly avoided Rolando’s attack…his foot left the floor cracked where Blitzo had been moments before. Millie grunted and swung out her leg again, Rolando grinned and grabbed her foot, swinging her around. He grabbed hold of Blitzo as well, tossing them both into the pool. He grinned above them as they fell through the water.

As quick and deadly as a shark, Rolando zoomed through the water, his natural element. He slammed into Millie, pushing her into the wall with his head. She winced at the impact. He grabbed hold of her wrist and in a flip, slammed her against the pool floor. Holding onto Millie, he grinned as he swam to attack Blitzo. He grabbed onto Blitzo’s leg and leaped out of the water.

Blitzo and Millie cried out as Rolando slammed them both hard to the ground. He laughed evilly again as they both groaned on the floor.

Millie slowly groaned as she stood up. She helped Blitzo up and they stood together on shaking legs.

“You call yourselves assassins!” he mocked the imps. He moved his head, and all the lightbulbs shattered, leaving the room in darkness, save for the glowing pool. An invisible force rammed into the imps, knocking them backwards. The pillars cracked and yellow sparks rained down from the broken bulbs.

Rolando cocked his head. He hovered off the ground and spoke in an eerie voice.

“Eenie, meenie, miny…”

Blitzo and Mille looked up with terrified looks.

His glowing yellow eyes widened. “…mo!”

Millie and Blitzo screamed as Rolando flew at them and entered through each of their heads in black goo.

0 0 0

Blitzo and Millie found themselves chained to chairs in an old movie theater. They both grunted and struggled to get out in vain.

Rolando floated out of Blitzo and grinned. He licked his neck with his long yellow tongue and Blitzo flinched and whimpered.

“Welcome to the show, asshole,” Rolando mused. Rolando flew in an arch of black goo before settling in a seat behind him. He held popcorn in his hand.

“I hear this one’s a real titilator.” The curtains opened. He grinned and pointed at the screen. The screen was tinted green and did the old-fashioned round “3, 2, 1,” on the screen.

To Blitzo’s utter horror, his own memories flashed before him. He saw the fire at Loo-Loo Land, with imps and circus horses racing for their lives. Blitzo saw himself racing to save his mother…but only managing to find her red pendant. He held it tightly in his hands.

He saw the angry face of his father…and cried out at the sight of his father hitting him.

Blitzo began to cry as he saw a memory of Fizzarolli being burned on the ground. His father glared at him as Fizzarolli rested in the hospital in the background. Blitzo tried to reach Fizzarolli, but his father blocked his path.

Then Blitzo remembered the times when he was mocked by Robo-Fizz, and another moment when Verosika berated him during her song at Ozzie’s.

He could remember how he had felt lonely and left out when Moxxie and Millie kissed each other during their missions.

Rolando sneered and manifested rusted chains to hold Blitzo’s horns in place. He clamped open Blitzo’s tear-filled eyes, making him watch more.

He saw when he had gotten into an argument with Loona at the beach during spring break. Loona shoved Blitzo to the ground on Earth after Octavia had been found. Then the awful moment when Barbie Wire yelled at Blitzo for ruining her job…screaming that she never wanted to see him again.

Then the scenes with Stolas…how Blitzo had pulled away when Stolas had tried to comfort him at Ozzie’s. When Stolas had left him in the van…when Stolas declared that he wanted to break up with him…Stolas giving him the Asmodean crystal as a way of saying goodbye…Stolas and Veorsika and Vortex singing about how Blitzo was a motherfucker at the Blitzo hate party on Earth…Stolas’s sad drunken face…Stolas making out with the pink male incubus, their tongues locked together…Millie berating him for his cosplay…

“Blitz!” Millie strained in her chair next to him. “Snap out of it!”

“Silence, bitch!” Rolando snapped. “Don’t try to ruin our little fun…you’re next!”

“We’ll get out of this mess, Blitz!” Millie strained against the chains.

Rolando flew toward Millie. “Oh, the filthy little Wrathian wants to help!”

Rolando licked her neck as well. “You can’t help anyone, you’re just the muscle, remember?”

The screen shifted and soon, Millie’s memories began to play on screen. Millie gasped as she saw the disapproving looks from her parents after she had told them she was going freelance.

Then she saw the stern face of her overlord from her first job…a heavyset imp with a broad ax and spines along his back. He had told her to kill twenty rogue demons before several coworkers by the end of the day…the assassins who failed would be killed in front of them. Millie had been grateful to have survived the ordeal.

“Fighting is all you and your imp kind are good for. You said it yourself.”

Millie flinched in disgust at the sight of Chaz’s arrogant face…the shark teen bragging about himself and rubbing himself on top of her. Rolando snickered in the background.

“Let us go, asshole!” Millie hollered.

“I’m in your minds, bitches!” he called to the straining imps. “I see everything. Every thought, every opinion and boy…”

He grinned. “…you both have nasty shit to say about the other…”

“Don’t listen to him,” called Millie.

Blitzo paused. “Hey, I don’t see my memories anym…”

Rolando morphed back near Blitzo, and his memories played across the screen again.

“NO! STOP!” Blitzo screamed, tears running down.

“Your level of insecurity is intoxicating,” Rolando purred. “I can’t wait to see how you taste when you drive away the one person left who puts up with your bullshit.”

Rolando laughed. “Blitzo thinks you’re a brute, Millie! Too stupid to do anything but kill!”

“That’s not true!” Millie protested.

“You never should’ve left the farm! You’re nothing but a backwards, filthy, inbred, lowborn fucking hick!”

Millie rolled her eyes. “Ya done?”

“Excuse me?”

Rolando paused then grinned. “Oh no. I’m just getting started, my dear.”

Rolando spoke to both of them. “Nobody cares about you guys or what you want. They’re too caught up in their own misery to even remember you exist. Especially you, girl.”

“Now look here, combover,” Millie glared. “You may think you know everything, but you missed two. One, your words don’t mean shit to me and two…Blitz can handle this!”

“Can he now? Can you?”

Rolando grinned as Blitzo’s memories played.

“It would be a shame if you two decided to take…a little swim with me…”

Millie and Blitzo’s possessed bodies stood up, both eyes glowing blank yellow. Rolando moved back and forth from Millie to Blitzo. Their bodies inched slowly toward the pool, robotic in motion. Millie sat near the edge of the pool as her memories played. When Rolando moved back to Blitzo, Blitzo’s body dropped down into the water like a rock.

Blitzo and Millie gasped in horror.

Millie then realized her memories weren’t on screen. “Blitz! He can only possess us fully one at a time!”

Blitzo’s eyes widened then he winked.

“Blitz can handle this!” Millie said again.

“Oh no he can’t!” Rolando countered, getting closer to Blitzo. “He’ll be swimming with the fishes before long!”

Blitzo felt himself gasping for breath and Rolando laughed. Blitzo’s memories were starting to go dark.

With Rolando distracted, Millie used her strength to slowly break free of her chains.

“You’re wrong. So buckle up, buttercup!” Millie spat at Rolando.

When Rolando got too close, Mille whirled around and slapped Rolando in the face with a free hand. The impact caused Rolando to lose his grip on Millie’s body. He smacked her in the head, and she winced.

“Just wait until I finish off your pathetic little boss friend!”

He moved toward Blitzo, sinking his body further.

Millie closed her eyes, and the pool room slowly came back into focus.

“Come on, come on, come on, come on…”

Millie shook herself awake and saw a drowning figure in the water.

“Blitz!”

She dove in and pulled him up. Rolando used Blitzo to try and drag her back in, but Millie slipped out of his grip and raced onto the deck.

“Come and get me, fishbrain!” called Millie.

Possessed Blitzo growled.

The possessed Blitzo climbed out of the water and attacked her with his fists, which she blocked. He wrapped her with his tail, shoving her aside. Millie dodged his foot as he flipped over. Rolando grabbed her arm and spun her around. He spun her in a dance then knocked his head into her. He then tossed her over the pool and onto the other side. Rolando swam through the water and leaped out with a splash at Millie.

He lifted her up and slammed her into a pillar, which cracked on impact. He spun in a loop around another pillar and aimed his feet at her. She moved back and dodged his landing. She then dodged every one of his fists.

Millie then grinned and swooped her foot under his, sending him to the floor. Millie then gripped both his arms from behind.

“Like I said, combover, your words don’t mean shit to me!” Millie smirked. She punched him in the face and tossed him into a wall. Rolando was then punched and beaten rapidly by Millie’s fury of punches to his face and gut. The wall cracked from behind him. Rolando cried out, spitting black blood.

“This is what you get for messing with my friend!” Millie hollered. She grunted and with her strength, she slammed him against the floor. Rolando turned around…

WHAM!

Millie finished him off with a roundhouse kick to the chin. He collapsed, Blitzo’s head hanging partially in the water. Blitzo’s mouth opened, and Rolando flew out from his mouth in a black gooey shadow.

Blitzo slowly blinked and sat up, rubbing his head. “Ugh, good work, Mils.”

“Oh-ho!” Blitzo cried out as Millie punched him in the face. She punched again. “AH FUCK, IT’S ME!”

Millie covered her mouth. “Oh! Shit! Sorry!” She chuckled, bending down. “It’s good to have you back, boss.”

Rolando hoisted himself up, dripping wet on the floor.

“You little ass plugs are done for! You’re dead, Bethany!”

“Well, that’s where you’re wrong,” Blitzo said, walking over to him, holding his device. “I ain’t Bethany Ghostfucker…”

He spoke with newfound confidence, “Tonight I’m Blitz, DEMON-DICKER!”

Blitzo yelled and slapped Rolando with his device. He fell into the pool.

Rolando lifted up his head. He shrugged his shoulders, putting out his hands as if to say “What the fuck? I’m in my natural element.”

Blitzo then kicked his ghostfucker device into the water.

The device sank into the water and electricity sparked and zigzagged across the surface. Rolando realized too late that he was in danger.

The fish screamed in agony as he was fried by the electricity. His glasses exploded and his yellow eyes melted as black blood gushed out from them. His screams turned distorted. His body and head sank to the bottom.

Blitzo raised his fist in triumph. “AAANNND THAT’S HOW YOU GET GHOSTFUCKED!”

Millie embraced Blitzo. “Let’s go home.”

Blitzo grinned and kicked open the doors. “Yeah, fuck hotels.”

0 0 0

AU: Rolando Wins

“So, you figured it out, have you?”

Rolando’s distorted voice echoed through the hallway as Blitzo and Millie got into fighting stances. He stood in his human disguise, hands behind his back, then briefly vanished.

“A bit out of your depth, aren’t you little ones?” Rolando grinned. His features shifted in the dark, eyes glowing yellow and fin-like white hair appearing.

The imps ran for their lives as the lightbulbs burst above them. Rolando laughed as he chased them as a slithering shadow with red eyes.

“Damn our tiny fucking legs!” Blitzo yelled, breathing heavily. More lights burst into shattered pieces. Rolando chased them and morphed into black goo.

“You know my secret…” he hissed.

He grabbed onto Blitzo’s leg, making him collapse to the floor.

Millie reached out to Blitzo but was caught in a chokehold by the shadowy Rolando.

“I guess you gotta die like all the reeeessssttt!” Rolando screeched.

He lifted Blitzo up with an invisible force and shoved him through several walls. Blitzo banged his head against a column and groaned on the floor of the pool area. He coughed and gasped, slowly sitting up and wincing.

A hand with three claws gripped the wall. Rolando came out from among the pipes, grinning in his dark suit and red and yellow pointed sunglasses.

“Oh, this is fun!” Rolando mused in his distorted voice.

Rolando leapt forward and kicked Blitzo down. His foot was on Blitzo’s head, and he laughed.

Millie responded by swinging her leg and kicking Rolando hard into the wall.

“Atta, girl, Mils!” Blitzo praised, raising a fist. Millie smiled.

Rolando’s eyes glowed from under the surface of the water.

“No, thatta bitch!” Rolando roared, leaping out of the water. He bent his body in a wide arch before turning around to attack. Rolando kneed Blitzo in the chin and sent Millie down with a kick as she tried to attack.

Blitzo avoided Rolando’s attack as Rolando grabbed Millie’s foot and swung her around. He grabbed hold of Blitzo as well and tossed them both into the pool. He grinned above them as they fell through the water.

As quick as a shark, Rolando rushed at the imps underwater. He headbutted Millie into a nearby pool wall and she winced at the impact. He flipped then turned Millie around, slamming her against the pool floor. He held onto Millie and raced at full speed toward Blitzo. Rolando then leapt out of the water, holding onto the imps’ feet and slammed them against the floor. They both cried out.

Rolando laughed evilly as he paced back and forth.

“You call yourselves assassins?” he mocked. An invisible force shattered the light bulbs overhead and knocked the imps back.

Cocking his head, Rolando hovered off the ground and spoke in an eerie voice.

“Eenie…meenie…miny…”

Blitzo and Millie looked up with terrified looks.

“…mo!” Rolando finished, his eyes widening as he stared at Blitzo.

He zoomed toward Blitzo, intending to possess him…

…then he thought, ‘I have a better idea!’

In one swift motion, Rolando gripped Blitzo’s arms from behind and bit hard into his neck.

“ARRUUUAAHH!”

“BLITZ!” cried Millie.

Black blood spurted from the imp’s neck.

“Get away from him!” Millie shouted.

Rolando licked his lips before he rushed at Millie. Blitzo groaned in pain, rolling on the floor. “Get him, Mils!” he wheezed.

Millie and Rolando shared several attacks, blocking punches and exchanging kicks. For a moment, Millie gained the upper hand, knocking him back and punching him repeatedly in the face. She shoved him away and raced toward Blitzo.

“Did you get him?”

“I think so…”

“I think…I know how to defeat him! Throw him in the water and kick my Ghostfucker device in. He’ll be a fried fish in no time…”

Millie spotted the device near the pool.

“Hurry before he possesses us!”

Millie nodded and raced back toward Rolando.

But Rolando had already left the spot he was at before.

“Looking for this thing?”

Millie paused and spotted Rolando lifting up the device with telekinesis.

He smirked. “You do know I can read both of your thoughts, right? How else would I have created my illusions in the first place?”

With a flick of his wrist, he sent the device toward the wall, destroying it with a crash and a flash of electricity and sparks.

“Oops.”

Blitzo and Millie looked on in horror. The imps moved back as Rolando strolled forward, towering over them.

He pointed at Blitzo, “You know, I figured that I could toy with your mind for a while and taunt your lowborn hick friend. But then I thought, ‘why not weaken you first?’”

Rolando rushed at Blitzo again and pressed his foot into his throat. Blitzo coughed and gasped for breath.

“With a weakened body, your mind is practically mine for the taking,” Rolando smirked.

Millie slammed into Rolando, but he soon shoved her aside. The two rivals fought for several minutes. She slammed him into the walls and floor, punched him multiple times and claimed his taunts had no effect on her.

“Your words don’t mean shit to me!” Millie declared. “Blitzo and I can handle this!”

“You sure about that?”

Rolando appeared to flee from her, but soon rushed into Blitzo’s head. He gleefully saw all of his tragic traumas, from his dad hitting him to his mother’s death, to Stolas breaking up with him, to the arguments with his sister and Fizzarolli and Verosika.

Blitzo’s eyes turned blank yellow. Millie braced herself to attack her possessed friend.

“I know you’re in there, Blitz. He hasn’t weakened you that much. I’ll knock that comrover out of you and we’ll defeat him toget…”

To Millie’s shock and horror, Rolando seeped out of Blitzo, grabbed him and leaped sideways into the pool. Blitzo struggled to lift himself to the surface.

“Oh no you don’t, asshole!” Millie hollered. She dove into the water, wrapped her arm around Blitzo and swam up as fast as she could. They both breached to the surface, catching their breath.

The hairs stood up on Millie’s neck.

“Oh shit, it’s a…”

She was cut off by a hand grabbing her leg and dragging her toward the bottom. She was shoved into the wall, barely having time to react. She swam forward with all her might, Blitzo reaching out to her with his hand.

Rolando grabbed hold of Blitzo and slammed him hard against the pool floor once last time.

Millie hoisted Blitzo in her arms and kicked upward to the surface. She gasped for breath and lifted Blitzo out of the water. She climbed onto the floor and bent down to look at Blitzo.

“Blitz! Sir! Stay with me, please, you’ve got this…”

“Mils…” he groaned. Black blood poured slowly from his neck.

She gasped.

“Come on, come on, don’t give up…” Millie begged.

“You…can handle this…” Blitzo wheezed. Millie’s hands shook as his head flopped to the side.

“No…no, no, NO, Blitz!” She shook him.

He remained motionless.

‘Please let this be an illusion…this…this can’t be happening…’

“This is no illusion, my dear,” Rolando purred from behind. “This is the reality of your defeat.”

Millie whirled around and snarled at him with razor sharp teeth and crimson red eyes.

“I’LL KILL YOU…FISH FACED BASTARD!”

She blindly threw punches which he blocked.

Rolando licked his lips. “Your anger and grief is utterly INTOXICATING! I don’t even need to be inside your head to feel it!”

“I can still defeat you!”

Rolando moved from side to side, dodging her attacks. He chuckled when he saw she was getting worn out. He slid over and pinned her against a pillar.

“What would your parents think of you now? How disappointed they would be to find that their daughter let her assassin boss die!”

Milie fumed. “I don’t regret it! I joined I.M.P. and I found a place I could call home. I don’t care what you say about me, I’ll defeat you alone if I have to!”

“Go ahead,” said Rolando. “I’d like to see you try as I’m feeding off your despair right now!”

He stepped back, arms out. Millie cursed to herself that she didn’t have her knife with her.

Millie glanced toward the door and began to run.

“Running away like a coward, are we?” Rolando called. “Not so tough now, are you?”

Millie was almost out of the room.

“What are you gonna tell your coworkers back in Hell?”

Millie yelped and skidded to a stop just as Rolando appeared in front of her. He lifted up Millie with his powers and slammed her into another pillar. She slid to the floor.

Millie groaned and spotted Blitzo’s corpse off to the side. She stood up in a fighting stance on shaking legs.

Rolando strolled forward. “Look at you, you’re nothing but a brute and still no match for me! It’s so pleasing to see you cry.”

Millie wiped tears from her eyes.

“Think you can still handle this? You all alone?”

Normally she would easily…she was the finest warrior in I.M.P.

But with her boss now dead…

‘I…I can’t…he’s gone, I can’t do this…’

Millie couldn’t hide her true thoughts…and Rolando knew it, too.

Rolando smirked. “So here’s to the end of Bethany Ghostfucker and the lowborn hick!”

Before she could blink, Rolando rushed at her with his jaws open wide and she screamed.

0 0 0

Loona and Moxxie arrived at the One Star Wonder lobby, looking around.

“They’ve got to be here somewhere,” Moxxie said. “Let’s hurry, I still got to figure out those numbers!”

Loona sniffed the air. “There’s a great evil here…he’s right over…”

“Hello!” called Rolando in his human form. “How can I help you?”

“We’re looking for our boss and our other coworker,” said Moxxie.

Rolando grinned and pulled out two photos. “Do these two individuals ring a bell?”

Moxxie and Loona’s faces turned pale.

“N-no, what happened? What is this?!” cried Moxxie.

“W-what the fuck?” Loona barked. “What did you do?! Is this some sort of prank?”

“It’s no prank, little ones…” Rolando’s features shifted into his demonic form with glowing eyes. “It’s the beginning of your doom!”

Loona and Moxxie’s terrified screams were enough for Rolando.

“I can’t wait to enjoy my feast tonight!”

In Rolando’s hands were four new crime scene photos. One showed Blitzo dead on the floor surrounded by his black blood. Another showed a motionless Millie with a gaping hole in her chest. Moxxie’s body had been torn in half with his arms separated. And poor Loona was now a beheaded corpse.

Rolando cackled in victory as lightning flashed outside.

0 0 0

“Hello, little human. I know I met my end in the swimming pool by those blasted imps, but I noticed something interesting about your world. Apparently, ghosts exist, and souls can reincarnate back on Earth. Humanity has really made a mess of itself, wouldn’t you agree? Would be a shame if you somehow helped me kill off those in your world and bring them to Hell for me…

You won’t do it? It’s not a request from me, dear…if I can possess demons, I can certainly possess humans, including you. Your soul will be dragged to Hell by me no matter what you believe in. I’m already sensing your deepest fears…you won’t be in charge of your body and your mind anymore…your very identity is mine. Now hold still and prepare to meet your doom! Hahahahaha!”

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 319. brb x oc

a/n: we are funneling down folks, i promise (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/

/316/317/318

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

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-

“Marcus you really didn’t have to.” she tells him once she is done sending Rooster the message, frowning a bit because he hasn’t replied - anxiety goes brr immediately - but hides it as she grins at Marcus, “I love it,truly.”

Marcus grinned, his eyes lighting up with satisfaction. "Anything for you, darling. It suits you perfectly, and it's not just about the blazer; it's about reminding you to embrace a bit of color."

Beatrice smiled appreciatively at Marcus's thoughtful gesture. "I needed this, Marcus. Sometimes we get so caught up in the,well,mess that we forget to find joy in the little things. Thanks for reminding me."

As she spoke, her phone buzzed, and Beatrice's heart skipped a beat. She quickly checked it, relieved to see a message from Rooster.

Roos (15:15)

Gorgeous, meeting with Cyclone went as expected. Will update you soon. Love you.

A sigh of relief escaped Beatrice's lips as she read Rooster's message. She replied quickly.

Bea (15:16)

Take your time, Rooster. We'll be here when you're ready. Love you too.

Marcus watched her with a knowing smile. "Everything okay?"

Beatrice nodded, slipping her phone back into her pocket. "Yeah, just Rooster messaging me, he’s in the middle of something trying to unravel some mystery. He uh,he also liked the blazer."

“Well, I'm glad he approves. And, you know, if he's caught up in a mystery, maybe the lavender will bring a bit of serenity to his day."

"You might be onto something there, Marcus. I hope so." she looks down at her kids who were now napping in the baby room, and she sighed, “...can I ask you something?”

“Sure,darling.”

“Have you ever had to deal with…weird…people? You know,nosy people.”

Marcus's expression turned thoughtful as he considered Beatrice's question. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Well, darling, the world is full of all sorts of characters. In my line of work, I've encountered my fair share of nosy individuals. It comes with the territory, you know?"

Beatrice nodded,chewing the inside of her cheek "Yeah, I can imagine. But how do you deal with it? Especially when it gets too intrusive?"

Marcus chuckled, propping his hand against his cheek. "It requires finesse, my dear. First and foremost, maintain your composure. Don't let them see they've struck a nerve. People like that thrive on reactions."

"Right," Beatrice agreed, grimacing a bit. "What else?"

"Choose your battles wisely. Not every nosy person deserves a confrontation. Sometimes, it's better to let them have their curiosity and watch them tire themselves out," Marcus advised.

"That makes sense," Beatrice mused. "But what if it's someone who's not just curious but seems to have an agenda? Like, they're prying into things that shouldn't concern them."

"In that case, my dear, it's time to set boundaries. Politely but firmly let them know that certain matters are private and not up for discussion. Be assertive without being aggressive. It's about making them understand that they've crossed a line."

Beatrice took mental notes, grateful for Marcus's guidance. "And what if they persist? What if they don't take the hint?"

"Ah, persistence. A tricky one," Marcus mused, holding his index finger up. "In such cases, escalate the response gradually. Increase the assertiveness of your boundaries. If they still don't get the message, then you might need to be more direct. Address the issue head-on, but always maintain a level of civility. Remember, you're in control of the narrative."

She nodded, absorbing the advice while tapping her phone against her palm. "Thanks, Marcus. I just... I've been dealing with someone like that lately. Rooster warned me about her, and now it seems she's trying to dig into things she shouldn't."

Marcus's gaze turned sympathetic. "Oh, the persistent one. Well, my dear, trust your instincts.”

“Yeah,I’ve been hearing that…a lot.”

He just smiled,holding his hand up Well,darling,you've got to protect what matters to you, whether it's your personal life or the people you care about. And if this nosy individual is causing you distress, it's time to take a stand."

“But I did.Several times.”

Marcus leaned forward, his expression more serious. "If you've already set boundaries and the person persists, it might be time for a direct conversation. Let them know, without ambiguity, that their actions are unwelcome and causing you distress. Sometimes, clarity is the key."

Beatrice frowns, rubbing her knuckles nervously. "You think so?"

“Well.” Marcus patted her hand reassuringly. "Conflict is inevitable, my dear, especially when you're defending what matters. But it doesn't mean you have to go looking for it. Handle it with grace, and if the person still doesn't relent, well, then you've done what you can."

Beatrice sighed, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders for a second, smiling down at his hand on hers. "Thanks, Marcus.I just want to protect my family from unnecessary drama."

"You're a strong woman, Beatrice. You'll handle this with grace, I'm sure. And remember, you've got friends who'll stand by you. Like Shells."

‘Well,Shells wants to beat this woman up, not talk,hah.” she rubs her neck “Shells is more of a 'knock some sense into them' type. But yeah..."

Marcus nodded, a twinkle in his eye. "Sometimes, a good friend who's ready to throw a punch can be quite reassuring."

The laughter eased the tension in the room, and Beatrice felt a renewed sense of determination. She glanced at her phone, realizing she needed to get back to her responsibilities.

"Thanks again, Marcus. Your advice is always valuable."

"Anytime, my dear. Now, do you need to go? There’s so much I’d like to talk about and the kids are sleeping so nice in here."

Beatrice smiled, appreciating the warmth of Marcus's company. "I'll be back, promise. The kids adored their time but I have work tonight, and I need to call my parents."

The fashion designer chuckled,tilting his head in agreement. "Well,very well, let me help you out then."Marcus gracefully stood up, extending a hand to Beatrice. "I'll walk you all out, my dear. And don't forget, fashion advice is just a call away. We've got a wardrobe to update for the Lavender Blazer Committee."

Beatrice chuckled,picking Nicole up while Marcus pushed the twins’ strollers forward. 

As they reached the entrance, Marcus paused, his eyes twinkled once more. "And when the drama gets too overwhelming, remember, a fabulous outfit can be a powerful shield. Strut in confidence, my dear. Strut." he snaps his fingers, “And make them wish they were you.”

“Ha,I’ll try Marcus.” Once outside, the vibrant cityscape greeted them. The hustle and bustle of the streets contrasted with the tranquility of Marcus's studio,well,partially since there was enough hustle and bustle there too. She smiles when he helps her putting the kids inside, “Thank you,Marcus.”

Marcus grinned, a theatrical flair in his gestures as he bows down to the waist. "Anytime, my dear. Now, remember the power of a well-strutted exit. Drama may try to follow you, but it'll have a hard time catching up with fabulousness."

Beatrice laughed, cheeks burning a bit, feeling a genuine sense of upliftment from Marcus' words. "I'll keep that in mind, Marcus. Thanks for the advice, the blazer, and just being the fabulous person you are."

"Flattery will get you everywhere, darling," Marcus replied with a playful wink. "Now, off you go. Conquer the world."

Beatrice waved goodbye to Marcus, she drove back home. She shouldn’t be surprised at all to who was sitting outside.She found Shells waiting by the front steps,she immediately noticed the lavender blazer and raised an eyebrow.

"What's with the fancy get-up?" Shells asked, a playful smirk on her face.

Beatrice blinked,she barely parked the car,Jesus. "A gift from Marcus. You noticed it from afar??”

Shells shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, the blazer practically screams 'look at me.' Figured you were getting all dolled up for a special occasion. What's the occasion?"

"No special occasion, just Marcus being Marcus. Help me get the kids out,please.” she walks out, fixing the blazer with care and smiling at herself, “They are still asleep Shells,so. I’ll get the twins and you get Nikki?”

“Sure, hey, gimme a ride to work?”

“Oh?” she asks while grabbing the babies, “..why?”

Shells shrugs, picking Nicole and closing the door for her friend, “My car broke down,so.”

Beatrice chuckled, shaking her head as she grabs her house keys from her back pocket. "Honestly, Shells, I think your car has finally decided to stop you from drifting around the streets."

Shells laughed, adjusting Nicole in her arms. "Yeah, seems that way. But hey, a ride to work means I owe you one. Maybe you can cash in the favor when I'm dealing with the aftermath of this car disaster."

 "Deal. Let's just hope your car doesn't turn into a recurring character in our lives."

As they settled walked inside, greeting the three dogs along the way, Shells couldn't help but notice the lavender blazer. "So, the blazer isn't for a special occasion? You're just casually strolling around in it?"

Beatrice shrugged, waiting until Shells and Nikki were inside to close the door. "Marcus being Marcus, you know. You don’t like it?"

Shells chuckled, glancing down at her own casual attire. "Well, I didn't get the 'dress up for no reason' memo. But hey, you look good in lavender. Very...grown-up."

Beatrice shot her a teasing smile. "Grown-up? “

“Yeah…uh..momwear you know.”Beatrice settled the twins into their playpen, ensuring they continued their peaceful slumber, while Shells released Nicole to nap alongside her siblings

"Seriously, though," Shells continued, plopping down on the couch, "Marcus gives you a lavender blazer out of the blue, and there's no special occasion? That guy works in mysterious ways."

Beatrice joined her on the couch, trying to stifle a yawn. "Yeah, he's something else. Probably just his way of saying, 'Hey, you can be fabulous without a reason.' You know how he is."

Shells grinned  "True that…also I lied."

“What?”

“I’m not only here because of a ride…I have steaming hot gossip.” she smirks, “From Mirandaaa…”

"Miranda gossip? "

Shells leaned in, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Okay, so apparently, Miranda has been snooping around, asking questions about you and Rooster."

Beatrice's fatigue transformed into a surge of alertness. "What? Why? “

Shells shrugged, a sly grin on her face both hands up. "Well, I think she's on a mission to uncover the great mystery of your relationship. Maybe she's writing a novel or starting a detective agency. Who knows?"

Beatrice rolled her eyes. "Come on, Shells. This is serious. What did Miranda say?"

Shells smirked. "Relax, Bea. I'm just messing with you. She didn't say much, just asked about your connection with Rooster. I gave her the classic 'none of your business' response, of course." she pauses, “Then she went to my aunt who also basically told her to fuck off.”

Beatrice sighed, rubbing her temples. "...makes sense.”

“What?”

“...well…Mark might be…uh…involved in things.”

Shells mouth dropped “What?!”

Beatrice leaned back on the couch, running a hand through her hair. "Yeah, I don't have all the details, but apparently, there were some …stuff? Rooster's investigating, and Miranda seems to be poking around, trying to piece things together what we know."

Shells whistled, her eyes widening. "...holy shit.”

"That's what Rooster is trying to find out. It's all hush-hush, classified stuff. But Miranda being Miranda,i just think she's digging around, asking questions. Rooster warned me to be cautious around her."

"So, Miranda is basically trying to know..what you know about it?”Bea nodded “Great."

Beatrice sighed. "Yeah, we need to be careful about what we say and who we share information with. If Mark is involved in something sensitive, the last thing we want is for Miranda to use what we know against us….if it’s true.”

Shells leaned back, crossing her arms. "This is getting messier by the minute. And here I thought our biggest concern was your mom giving Vice-Admiral Simpson a piece of her mind."

Beatrice chuckled, the tension momentarily easing. "Well, that's still a concern, but with Miranda snooping around and Mark's mysterious…mystery, it feels like we have to be extra alert.”

“Hm…well then maybe I uh…shouldn’t share the other part of Miranda’s questions.”

"Other part? What else did Miranda ask?"

"Okay, promise not to get mad."

Beatrice sighed, "Just spill it, Shells."

"Alright, alright. So, besides asking about your connection with Rooster, she also inquired if uh…well…the kids…." she licked her lips, clearly not wanting to continue, “Were…you know…”

Beatrice's eyes narrowed, "If the kids were what, Shells?"

Shells winced, realizing the sensitivity of the topic. "She asked if the kids were Rooster's."

Pause.

A long and heavy pause.

“..what.”

Shells raised her hands in a placating gesture. "I know, I know! I told her it was ridiculous, and to fuck off and considering how much you and Rooster fuck–I mean uh–shit you are mad as fuck."

Beatrice's gaze was icy,  and Shells recognized the signs – the calm before the storm, the quiet anger that was often more dangerous than an explosive rage. Beatrice's voice, when it finally cut through the silence, was deceptively composed.

"You...told her what?"

Shells winced again at the controlled fury in Beatrice's tone. "I…I told her to fuck off Bea. She didn’t ask outright and–where are you going?!” she saw Bea pace around the room while dialing her phone.

“I need Michael to come over.”

“...why?”

“I can’t leave my kids alone as I beat a bitch up.”

[out-of-heaven-and-hell]

Roo practically thrives off awful individuals and half the reason she makes soul contracts / deals is she likes giving truly evil individuals the power to be as corrupt as they want

Woman loves watching the world collapse into anarchy and chaos, making God's perfect kingdom fall and collapse.

[noahschnappinfs]

Quite frankly I don’t think the hate for Noah will ever fully go away. This is because a lot of the people throwing hate at him were never even fans of the show or him to begin with.

We still see the show having an immense amount of fans despite all the claims to boycott it, and it’s bc those claiming they wouldn’t watch it because of him never did anyways. And even fans saying they’ll just pirate it, probably already did that on a regular basis to make edits/take screenshots for all the content they watch. It’s just their attempt at feeling morally superior while guilting other people, as if that removes any guilt they may have for supporting it still.

I know a lot of people that watch Stranger Things, friends and family alike. And even the ones who are on social media, who are also sympathetic to Palestinian’s plight, seem to think that the hate for Noah is blown out of proportion. Honestly, most of them were indifferent to him before all of this, and if anything they seem to like him more because of what he’s going through.

Since a lot of the hate is coming from non-fans, that hate will never go away unless something happens that magically changes their feelings about it. And as long as it’s still a popular opinion amongst those chronically online, with a lot of people feeling obligated to go with the crowd and do what everyone else does in order to thrive on here, it’s going to continue to be the norm.

It’s unfortunate that posts demoralizing him and wishing him harm do immense numbers, but the reality is most of those people have no knowledge of him outside of this. And as long as all those people feel that way, hate for him will continue to exist and pressure people who don’t even hate him to feel compelled to just because so many people feel that way.

Then again, people are so fucking stupid and fickle in their outrage, that something as simple a bunch of fans ignoring the hate and loving his role in s5 could make a lot of people switch up just because that becomes the louder majority, making those that lie somewhere in the middle on their feelings about him revert to liking him to feel apart of the more popular opinion at the moment.

i agree that certain part of the internet will always hate him but considering how fast the sentiment online changes, i think things will get good enough that the hate towards noah won’t be the norm like it’s being these past few months. just look at how twitter made the likes and now tweets supporting noah have way more likes than before. people like him but are afraid of being called out which is very sad that people feel that threatened but i think we have a good foundation there. as soon as it’s not dangerous (for lack of a better word) to like him publicly, i feel like we’ll get to a very good place. it’s slowly getting better because we’ve also seen how tweets wishing for his death or attacking him used to get over 100K likes but now they don’t get that much traction because people move on and get fixated on other stuff. there’s also the fact that people who had strong negative feelings about him are starting to see that the level of hatred he received was way out of proportions and are being more being more kind towards him. it’s also important to remember that real life is completely different because people in real life literally were lining up to take pictures with him at that niall horan’s concert.

the show is so mainstream that it’ll never actually suffer in terms of viewership and i think noah can get the GA on his side by showcasing his talent this season. one thing that i’ve always said is that noah was extremely lucky that this all happened before S5 was released because he’s got plenty of opportunities to show to that big audience who he actually is and his talent. like i mentioned before, i agree with you that there’s a fringe of the internet that will hold the grunge forever and obviously there wil people that will never like him for many reasons but i see a big room for growth here, it’ll depend a lot on how he manages the months right after st5 comes out and i hope he and his team is already preparing for that.

[liaragaming]

Definitions of "Rook" & implications for DAVe

noun - a chess piece

noun - a gregarious Eurasian crow with black plumage and a bare face

verb - to cheat or swindle someone (usually at cards). Also, to defraud, swindle, or scam someone (especially out of money)

entomology - Arabic, German, old English, middle English, old French

deep dive under the cut

What exactly is a Rook in chess?

The modern Rook chess piece is believed to come from the Persian word, rukh, which means "chariot." Persian war chariots were heavily armored, carrying a driver and at least one archer. The sides of the chariot were built to resemble fortified stone work, giving the impression of small, mobile buildings, causing terror on the battlefield.

Essentially, the Rook in Chess isn't a castle. It's a siege tower. We've joked about how a pair of level-ones destroyed Solas' ritual. But Rook was the one taking charge and shooting off ideas. Rook initiated the ritual's destruction. Rook acted, in essence, as a siege tower against Solas' efforts. A siege tower is meant to aid attackers in breaching castle walls, and Rook litterally brought the structure of Solas' ritual down.

What makes a Rook a powerful chess piece?

The Rook is the second most powerful piece in chess behind the queen. Rooks can dominate open ranks and files when unopposed. Rooks play an important role in supporting the movement of other pieces, especially pawns. Rooks are effective in cutting off the opponent's king and have the ability to force a checkmate to the king without assistance.

There's so much about this that I love. Rook could be both a highly supportive character in our party or rather powerful on their own - both from a mechanical and story perspective.

With Solas representing the enemy king, Rook has the power (if they play their cards right) to completely ruin everything Solas has set out to achieve. But they aren't as powerful as the queen.

And of course, I'm going to suggest the Queen is our Inquisitor. Perhaps Inky will be able to make choices between aiding or hindering Rook (or their past actions will have a similar effect).

What is Rook the bird?

Like other corvids, Rooks are sociable and intelligent. They are highly adaptive and able to thrive in various environments. They are omnivores and opportunists, eating almost anything. They nest in tree tops in social colonies, called rookeries.

Not a lot to unpack here, but I find it interesting that Rooks prefer to nest high up. It makes me wonder about The Lighthouse, which will be our base to gather and speak with the party.

What does the Rook bird symbolize?

Rooks can represent good or bad luck in certain situations. For instance, a large group of rooks arriving in an area is said to be unlucky. While well-established rookeries are deemed to bring good fortune. However, rooks deserting a rookery is said to signal a calamity.

Rooks are also associated with trickery, likely due to their tendency to steal nesting materials from other birds.

It's worth noting that "trick" is synonymous with "cheat" (one of our original definitions of the word). For someone to be rooked meant they were tricked, cheated, or swindled. Rook is also the name of a trick-taking card game, played with 2-4 players.

There's some obvious conclusions to draw with Rook being a source of good luck for their allies (an established colony) and bad luck for their enemies (a sudden arrival). But I'm most interested in the themes of trickery and the devs stating the game will revolve around themes of regret.

It's possible Rook is intended to act as a parallel to Solas. In the gameplay reveal, Rook disrupted Solas' ritual, causing the release of two evanuris and a possible beloved character death. It may be that Rook is a tragic character who means well but makes continuous mistakes throughout the game. Their regret and the regrets of our party members could serve to foster understanding with Solas' cause.

I'm not sure what to ultimately conclude with both Rook and Fen'Harel symbolizing trickery. Perhaps it is another shared quality bridging the two together. But it's also important to remember that Varric chose Rook as a key player in standing against Solas. Surely, we need a trickster to understand a trickster. The Rook in chess, after all, has the ability to isolate and overpower the King.

[roosterforme]

Do any of the other Daggers have romantic interests in any of your multiverses?

Oh my goodness, nonny. Let's see here... in the Roo/BG universe, I think at one point I kind of wanted Payback to be married (he's like the dagger dad in my mind), but I fucked that idea up in Deployment Diaries lol. I think Nat in that universe might be aro. I never actually intended Bob or Jake to have a romantic interest when I started out.

Anything goes on the sugarverse. Like literally anything could happen. I feel like I'll just wake up one day and decide I know what Nat's one-shot should be about. I can see Fanboy, Coyote and Payback all finding some love at SDSU just because it would be hilarious.

For Coach/Kitten, I didn't even intend for Bob/Molly to be a thing until you guys pointed it out to me. So thanks.

Rest assured that Nat and Javy are still thriving in the Daddy/Princess universe. Aunt Natasha and Uncle Javy to the kiddos.

I don't usually know a dagger pairing is going to happen until it happens.

[heartscfvalor]

I like to imagine that for my Lilith, Hell was run fairly smoothly. There's jails and hospitals in the Rings, Blitzo and Moxxie were in jail at one point, that suggests there are laws that need to be followed, and if laws are broken, then the lawbreaker is punished. Is Hell perfect? Is it a good place? No, not really, but Lilith thrived as it's Queen because she tried, for thousands of years, to maintain some law and order.

It got harder when Lucifer checked out. And then it became impossible when Roo kidnapped her and stuck her in the Void when Charlie was so small.

My Lilith coming home would be quite shocked to see how her realm has fallen apart so thoroughly.