#sinner and the cynical
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silvermags · 2 years ago
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A fic that will probably not be written for quite a while.
So, in honor of yesterday's finale, here's a fanfic idea I had ages ago that actually works better with the new context provided by said finale.
It would start like a run of the mill reacting to the show fic, with the main twist being that it's Ozma and Salem, pre-Ozma's first death. There is of course a certain amount of fun to be had with the two of them going "what the heck is this? Was that my voice? What happened to the magic? What the heck happened to me?" in the earlier volumes, and of course the "No, no no no, please no," when they get to The Lost Fable. The second weirdest thing would be how short it is, with one chapter per volume, maybe less. After they see V9, the mysterious person showing them this comes out, yada yada yada, standard "reacting to the show" fodder.
Except.
The person doing this isn't an author insert.
This is secretly a canon divergence fic! It turns out that the brothers, in order to avoid having to deal with the kinds of consequences they had before leaving the Ever After, made themselves one more creation getting to work on the planet that would one day become Remnant. Someone who can see the future, who can tell them what they should avoid. They called her their little sister, the goddess of fate.
And she showed them the future as we know it, RWBY in all its glory, and they decided that was fine, and went about their lives content with the trajectory of their creations.
Little sister was not happy about this, and so picked out two of the more important mortals, in the hopes that they would pick a future that was slightly less... depressing. I mean, it seems like everything is going to work out fine, but there's a lot of needless suffering that she can prevent with their help, you know?
So Ozma and Salem agree to help prevent that future, namely by making a pact to NOT deal with the gods if they can at all avoid it, try to get Ozma's sickness cured, and be content in the knowledge of an afterlife they will be together in. And maybe track down a door to the Ever After and talk to the cat.
Then the brothers show up, and they are not happy with their sister. At all. They told her to leave the future alone.
"Oh, since when has anyone in this family ever listened and done what they're supposed to?" And little sis flexes her powers that they gave her and makes Oz and Salem's memories tamper-proof.
So the brothers decided they need to get the future back on track. They throw little sis off of Remnant, perform the canon genocide, lay their canon curses on Oz and Salem plus a couple extra to keep the future going the way they say it's supposed to, and make their canon exits.
From here I might continue with some of their time dealing with this, or I might cut to canon timeline. The two of them have been desperately struggling to prevent as much harm as possible while under of the constraints of the compulsions that the brothers left on them. (I'm thinking that Oz is physically incapable of telling anyone about this that doesn't already know, Salem can't leave the grimmlands unless "fate" dictates she must, and anytime "fate" goes too far off script they both feel great pain.) They've been working together whilst putting on the appearance of a bitter war, keeping as many people alive as possible, and waiting for canon timeline to happen, in the hopes that either they can use the portals to reach the ever after and get the tree to take the compulsions off or else that running out of timeline will free them.
They decided not to have their daughters, even though it hurts, compulsion pain and emotional pain both, but they couldn't justify bringing those beautiful, precious girls into the world knowing that the compulsions would force them to kill them.
None of the good guys know about this until The Lost Fable, when Jinn gleefully spills the beans.
(At some point she also says something along the lines of "And although they could never have the daughters fate promised them, they found solace in their students and followers, who they loved just as ardently." while showing visions of Salem and Oz with various canon characters including all of team RWBY, Cinder, both the Rainarts, Qrow, etc, etc. Salem is a great mom who became a serial kidnapper to avoid becoming a serial killer in this continuity.)
Volumes 7 and 8 appear to go more or less as canon on the surface, but underneath it's a carefully calculated dance, following the strictures of "fate" as closely as needed while avoiding loss of life wherever possible. RWBYJN go into the void, and so do Oz and Salem.
They arrive in the Ever After to discover that Tree Mom rescued Little Sister when she got thrown into the void, Little Sis and Curious Cat are besties, and Little Sis is very on board with cleaning up her big brothers' messes.
And that's all I had. Heh.
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ilynpilled · 2 years ago
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Jaime & prayer
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lunar-loki · 7 months ago
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Little update post about Hazbin Stuff hehehe. Me and @hunie-dew have come up with a name for our AU rp
Now presenting
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Cynical Symphony
This name does take some inspiration from Kaleyda's own OC au but it is actually based off of our own characters traits and quirks.
Bayard/Ardy, my oc, has a very cynical veiw on everything even tho they don't often express it upfront
Hunie_Dews oc is very musically inclined hence the symphony part
Im making a toyhouse posting thing for this au but I've never used toyhouse before so its going to be a bit until I post any links here lol
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fvaleraye · 1 month ago
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honestly, we weren't sure how we were going to feel if Sancho decided to be Don Quixote again while waiting for part 3. but we think it was handled really well. because it's less that she "became" Don again, and more that she has reconciled the cynic and idealist in her. Don is less of a separate person, and more of an idea now. the idea that sometimes, in this dark and dreary world, you need a little bit of juvenile excitement. a bit of wonder. sometimes you just need to give a shit about things that nobody else will. and bring just a little good energy to the situation. she's still Don Quixote, but she's not not Sancho. the sinners all coming together and saying how much they truly cared for Don, despite not doing such a great job of that before, Dante realizing that they don't have to offer her a dream, moreso just a reason to keep going, the fact that Sancho and La Manchaland's Don Quixote, despite ending their last meeting ending in a fight, still held genuine love and respect for each other. because they were family, and they did care at the end of it all. the realization Don Quixote at the end of his long painful life that Sancho, essentially his daughter, has people who care about her, and it has molded her into someone better than her instincts as a bloodfiend, an ideal he held for so long. the canto is about love, we think. and how love can, against all odds, change someone for the better. at least, that's our view of it.
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helluvapoison · 10 months ago
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Okay okay I think I got it!!
Imagine the Vees entering like a side room or something and finding cannibal! Reader (literally) tearing into some random person that was caught snooping around by them (reader). How would they react do you think?
No pressure to write this if you don't want too. Love your writing, your recent Zestial one was so cute!!!
-Cannibal Anon :))
Nice To Eat You
[i]
The Vees x Cannibal!Reader
warning: suggestive and dark themes ahead, blood and gore, violence, security shenanigans and, hello, cannibalism
Admittedly, you’d gotten rather careless with your beloved around. Who can blame you when they make you feel on top of the world? With you at their side they felt a bit untouchable too. More so than usual. However someone had broken into their dressing room and wrote something foul on the mirror. You saw red. This wouldn’t happen again.
Cannibals were rather good at sniffing out something rotten.
ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ
˚✧₊⁎ Velvette ⁎⁺˳✧༚
• Witnessing crocs make a comeback in Hell was the worst sight she’s seen to date
• Blood doesn’t particularly bother her, though she hates the mess of it all
• Despite the jokes shared between the two of you, it was sort of unspoken that you would keep your dietary habits away from your girlfriend
• She couldn’t help the gasp when she looked up from her phone, seeing blood spilling from your mouth
• You stiffened, matching her wide eyed expression
• Fuck, you never wanted her to see you like this
• Whipping around, you spat out the flesh and began furiously wiping your face with your sleeve
• “Stop!” Velvette shouts, daring to rush over and grab your shoulder
• Suppressing a flinch, you freeze at her command but refuse to face her
• “Who’s this then?”
• Your reply is bitter like the taste on your tongue, “The rat.”
• “Good.” You feel her grip on your shoulder tighten, “Make Joanne clean up when you're done. Oh, and dollface? Brush your teeth before you come find me, yeah?”
˚✧₊⁎ Vox ⁎⁺˳✧༚
• He thought he meant it when he said he wouldn’t be grossed out by your food selection
• Though the meal was the same, seeing your entire front drenched in blood, red dripping down your chin was entirely different from date nights with fancy ambience and classy decor
• Shaking his head from side to side, he dials the shock out of his system and forces on a passive expression
• You two have already come so far! He can’t have his date mate tiptoeing around him now
• “Do I need a new assistant?” Vox asks, feigning a disinterested tone
• Your own surprise dilutes slowly, you were so sure Vox was bluffing when he said he could handle this
• He’s rather proud of himself that he was convincing enough to fool you
• “No. S’the bastard who wrote on your mirror.”
• “Excellent! Feed what’s left to Vark, let’s clean you up and go celebrate! Wash that shitty sinner taste out of your mouth with some wine, hm?”
˚✧₊⁎ Valentino ⁎⁺˳✧༚
• Unbothered by blood, he likes making you dish out his punishments while he sits back and watches
• “Dinner and a show,” He’ll joke, “Like killing two birds with one stone!”
• As sadistic as he is, Val doesn’t have the patience to draw out torture
• If he wants results, he’ll get them immediately or kill someone in the process
• The two of you are similar in that regard or you would’ve brought the half eaten body to him when the sinner was still kicking and screaming
• Surprise hits his face when he opens the door and fades just as fast
• “Aw,” Val clicks his tongue, “You couldn’t have waited for me, monstruo? You know how much I like to see you eat.”
• You toss a bloodied grin in his direction, “Got hangry. This was the cynic that said your films were shit.”
• He chuckles darkly, leaning over to cup your face and wipe the corner of your mouth with his thumb, “What do they think now?”
• “Nothin’ much.” You join his amusement with a breathy laugh
• Stretching your neck up to meet him halfway, Val kisses you right on the lips. His tongue briefly taking over your mouth, swiping away the copper taste and replacing it with his own
• “Come. Let’s get you in the bath, monstrou.”
• You quirk a brow at him, “A real one or a cat bath?”
• Laughing, Valentino taps your nose with an extra finger, “Dealer’s choice.”
~
╰(*´︶`*)╯♡ cannibal anon i love you!!! thanks again!!
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jubileemon · 8 months ago
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Understanding Husk
A "husk" means a shell or a protective outer cover. This fits his character well since he's shown to be a husk of a man. More specifically, he's a former overlord who lost his power.
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Husk in the "Pilot" was a lot more grumpy than he is in the show proper, losing his temper at Alastor and not hesitating to show his disinterest in anything going on as long as it doesn't concern him. When he sees just who has yanked him away from his card game, all he can do is exasperatedly ask Alastor what he wants with him this time. Seeing as Alastor is a constant reminder of how his gambling ended up costing him his status as an Overlord, it's easy to understand why he'd be upset at having to bend to the Radio Demon's will.
In the series, it's established he's still a jerk, but it's evident he cares, and his temper isn't as volatile and often warranted. In the beginning, Husk made it no secret that he was forced to stay at the hotel because of his ties to Alastor and would gladly get as far away as he could if able to. Behind his grumpy exterior, Husk is actually very patient and it takes a lot to make him legitimately angry.
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He does his job as a bartender competently, but Husk is fairly blunt about the fact he's only participating in the group's shenanigans because he simply can't be bothered to protest. He does join bonding activities but departs once it's no longer enjoyable for him, after Vaggie decided to literally throw everyone into the middle of a turf war as part of her trust exercises. Thankfully, he grows out of this a bit as the series goes on and grows to care about the staff and guests.
Husk has his own issues and is pretty much apathetic to almost everything out of pessimism. But he still has the most common sense out of the cast and he's the most emotionally intelligent and self-aware, even serving as an advisor to the others at the right times when he's not bitterly accepting his circumstances. The hotel's owner is the only cheerful idealist demon princess who just wants to see the good in everyone, one investor is a maniac who wants to get entertainment out of watching the chaos, the other investor is the owner's neglectful, depressed father (and also the literal King of Hell), the manager is bossy and threatens people with weapons at the slightest provocation, and the cleaning lady is a neatfreak with a thing for "bad boys". Then there's Husk wanting nothing to do with their escapades. He's also a lot more hostile towards Alastor and Angel after they touch him multiple times.
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It should be noted that Alastor lets Husk get away with flipping him off. But the moment Husk brings up the fact that Alastor's own soul belongs to someone else within earshot of the Radio Demon, Alastor can barely restrain himself to threatening to tear Husk's soul apart and broadcast his screams for all to hear if he ever says that again. By the end of the encounter, Husk is a shivering, terrified wreck and Alastor couldn't care less.
As the bartender, Husk knows how to listen to people and knows exactly what kind of problems that all the residents of the hotel are going through, and while he would rather let them solve their own problems, he isn't exactly above giving them some pretty solid, if very brutally honest. While it was unnecessarily rude to bring up the Hotel residents' flaws, Husk was accurate about every one of them as Charlie's desperate to help others but doesn't confront her own issues, Vaggie judges others because she hates herself, Sir Pentious is a lonely Sinner who watches people in their sleep, and Angel puts on an act that he's happy about his porn star job but is really miserable.
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Husk was always cynical and crass, but he's also an old Sinner with a tender heart. With Angel however, he tends to be a lot more irritable. While it initially looks to be because of Angel constantly flirting with him, it's because he hates how hard Angel acts out to hide how miserable he actually is, considering him a "phony" in a self-destructive spiral. He eventually realizes he and Angel are the same, despite their differences. They're both self-destructive addicts since Husk is a gambling addict, while Angel is addicted to sex and drugs who sold their souls to an abusive Overlord. And both of them have descended even further into their addiction and adopted outwardly cynical, cruel personas as a coping mechanism.
Husk getting through to Angel Dust in the manner he does makes a considerable amount of sense when it's taken into account that the first step to overcoming drug addiction is usually getting the addict to acknowledge they even have a problem. Angel hasn't been able to get better despite having some genuine interest because he's been utterly refusing to admit he has a problem to fix, the moment he does his mood drastically improves as does his motivation.
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In "Welcome To Heaven", Husk saw Cherri as a bad influence on Angel's path of redemption and advised her not to get high during their night out. He even defends Angel from Cherri's criticism about how the hotel was changing him. Of course Husk wants what's best for Angel, but unlike Cherri who thinks that feeding into Angel's addictive tendencies are the best way to treat his depression and that living up to the hotel's standards is only making his life more difficult, Husk encourages Angel to stick with the self-improvement he's learned from the hotel and not fall back into his old ways since Angel's trying to get into Heaven.
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When Vaggie leaves to find out how angels can be killed, she tells Angel, Sir Pentious, Husk and Niffty that she knows they didn't sign up to be the first targets of the angels, so she wouldn't blame them if they left. Of course, when she and Charlie return, they find that all of them have stayed and fortified the hotel.
Husk even admitted that he doesn't want to look for new drinking buddies and being nice to both Angel and Pentious is a demonstration of the massive character development he's undergone over the course of the show. In the beginning, he was grouchy towards everyone and hated even being in the hotel, but now he's willing to risk his life to defend it and the other residents.
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popamolly · 9 months ago
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CAN WE PLEEEASE PRETTY PLEASE HAVE PLAYING VIDEO GAMES WITH THE VOX, ALASTOR, AND LUCI (AND ANYONE ELSE YOU WANT) AND SITTING ON THEIR LAP AND WHAT GOES DOWN FROM THERE (IM GOING INSANE)
have a nice day, love your writing, drink lotsa water!!!<3
៸៸ ﹟PLAYER NUMBER TWO!
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characters. Vox, Alastor, Lucifer and Adam
warning. fem!reader, video game references, smut, 18+ minors dni
author’s note. i’m licking the plate clean at this idea because i just love it so much. thank you for the request anon, you’re so sweet and make sure you take care of yourself too, treat yourself to something nice! i added games to their personality so lmk what y’all think, did i match them correctly? also i have to say thank you sooooo much for 200+ followers??? like what??? i gotta come up with something very juicy for y’all. now enjoy sinners.
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ALASTOR
“Ah!” The jumpscare from the scary game had you jolt in Alasto’s lap, making the usually cynical man grin down on your mischievously. You both had wanted to spend some quality time together by playing video games and of course Alastor picked the game, Tormented Souls.
Not only was it scary but it had a jumpscare at every damn left turn. It had gotten so bad to the point that you were sweating like a sinner in church— anticipating it, expecting it, and yet you still would jump. Though your lover Alastor had barely bat an eye to the scary bits as he controlled his character with delicate composure, progressing through the game with expertise.
Alastor wasn’t a saint, he had not only picked this game because it was scary but because he knew you would jump and every time you would squirm in his lap your hips would brush against his cock in the most delicious way. Call it a ploy to get you to grind on him or whatever you wanted to call it but he was too busy reaping the rewards of you in his lap during this gaming session, “Fuck!” You jumped again this time moving in such a way that you felt his hardening dick press against the panties that you wore, teasing you.
“Oh what is this my dear?” Alastor would grin, dropping his controller to grip your hips so he could force you grind on him. One thing led to another and you were moving your hips which such reckless abandon as he clothed cock just rubbed against your clit the right way, making your sopping pussy closer to an orgasm, “What a vixen you are! I barely even touched you and you’re already soaking wet. How entertaining.”
VOX
You were sitting in Vox’s lap, the both of you indulging yourselves in playing video games to take a break from everything at the V tower until you both were freshly rejuvenated for the next day. Though playing Minecraft might not have been a good idea because it caused for more stress than relaxation for some, especially Vox. “Why the fuck are my chickens escaping?” “Did you make a fence?” “It won’t even follow me, the fuck?” “They will follow you if you hold seeds.” “Where the fuck do I get seeds?”
He’d be yelling in your ear but the sound of his voice right on your earlobe and neck made you shiver. Vox noticed this and couldn’t help but smirk, “You enjoying being in my lap, sweetheart?” You turn around in his arms so you could straddle his waist with a suggestive smile. Before you knew it Vox was digging in his fingertips so harshly into your hips as he controlled your movements, impaling you with his cock and enjoying the way your pleading words fell from your soft lips. He bounced you up and down his length not giving a damn if your just came already. “V-Vox! It’s too much! Please…! Ah, fuck!”
Your pussy sucked him in greedily, velvety wall clenching around him as if you didn’t want to let him go. Vox drank in your form like a pure alcoholic. The breathless pants escaping his mouth was barely enough to make coherent sentences as his mind swimmed with bliss. With half lidded eyes, he watched you bounce along his cock, his eyes drifting downwards to watch it stretch you impossibly wide as you sank back down with a loud moan, “Such a naughty girl, enjoying my cock like a little fucking whore. Now tell me while you bounce on my cock,” Vox was in your ear again, groaning loudly but kept his serious tone, “How do I keep my Minecraft chickens?”
LUCIFER
“(Y/N) I finally got Ketchup to complete my duck island, come look! She is soooo adorable!” Lucifer held out his Nintendo switch for you to see the duck villager move onto his island. Your boyfriend— the King of Hell was currently obsessed with having a duck only Animal Crossing island and instead of taking the easy route he had spent weeks in search of Ketchup in the game and thanks to him manifesting it for himself sure enough he found the infamous Ketchup the duck.
You place your own Nintendo switch down to crawl into his lap, full expecting just to be all cute and cuddly but Lucifer had other ideas. How could he focus on creating a duckie empire in his game when your ass rubbed on him in all the right places. The man had been alone for 7 years— surely you knew he lacked physical touch and intimacy for a long time and now? Oh now he was touch starved.
“Her design is to die for! Lucifer now that you finished you could—Lucifer..?” Your eyes widen slightly when you felt Lucifer reposition you two with ease. You were now on all fours with your ass on full display for him, you turned on your cheek to glance back at him with a teasing smile, “What are you doing, Lulu?”
“I think you know my love,” With a snap of his fingers your clothes dissolved into nothing but smoke, leaving you naked and completely at his mercy, “Now don’t be shy, open up for me.” Suddenly your moans were filling the room, bouncing off the walls, leaving you nothing but a drooling mess beneath Lucifer. His grip tightened around your waist, giving you slow and deep thrust that had your eyes rolling into the back of your head. The lewd, squelch! sound coming from your pussy echoing throughout the bedroom, sounding like a sinful melody to the Kings ears. He picks up his pace, his balls slapping against your clit repeatedly as he hit that spot within you that made you arch your back more in desperate need for him to hit it again.
ADAM
“(Y/N) babe, I’m going to need you to stop shooting at the walls and actually shoot another player, please and thank you.” Adam was getting a bit annoyed with you during your gaming session of Call of Duty and it didn’t help that you were on his lap, blocking his own view— and getting himself distracted. Why did you have to sit in his lap again? Something about wanting to feel closer to him or whatever cheesy shit you said he wasn’t really paying attention. He was complaining about it but he just wanted to tease you, in reality he loved it, “Pay attention (Y/N), this is a team effort, can’t have you going down first, danger tits.”
Your back was to Adam’s chest and your boyfriend couldn’t help his cock straining against the fabric of his red apple print pajama shorts at the feeling of your warm cunt pressing against himself you didn’t mean it in the way but he took it that way. With a devious grin, he would bring his long slender fingers to rub your clothed sex teasingly, making you nearly jump slightly from the contact, “Adam—!”
“Focus on the game babe, I’m not doing anything.” Adam was such a liar. He had now snaked his fingers past the waistband of your leggings, groaning softly to himself upon making contact with your slick folds. He rubbed your clit making you completely submit to his ministrations with a soft moan, letting your body relax against him as you clutched the controller in your hand. Your toes curled and legs began to slightly close as Adam added a finger, then two, then three. “Spread your legs wider gorgeous, let me play with that pretty pussy.”
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© POPAMOLLY 2024 all fanfics belong to me, do not copy, translate, or repost on any other social media.
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sarcastic-ace-artist · 9 months ago
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Doodles for the Swap AU on @hazbinhazbinhazbinreblog's blog
Charlie is the Overlord of Hell itself
Alastor is still the Radio Demon and is an Overlord, but he doesn't really exert his power like he had to in the past
I wanted to experiment with Alastor's hair since canonically he's supposed to be mixed
More info about the drawings under the cut
Charlie & Alastor are swapped
Charlie has major mommy issues. You know that one post that's like "mommy issues make you a sociopath"? That's Charlie but multiplied by 10. She looks more like Lilith in this AU because I think it adds to that.
She does genuinely still believe in redemption, but part of it is because she knows it will piss her mom off.
Speaking of her parents, Charlie has a better relationship with her dad in this au
She wants everyone to get along, but has no qualms about using force when it comes down to it
However she does need Alastor's help with something that she hasn't said yet so she's trying to get close to him to get his help
She's also trying to drive a wedge between him and Vox for that same reason
Rosie & Niffty are swapped
Rosie isn't the maid, but she's the concierge and sometimes she uses her free time to clean the rooms
She's still the head of Cannibal Colony, but I don't think she's an Overlord in this au (unless someone says otherwise)
Best friends with Alastor
Vaggie & Vox are swapped
Vox isn't a fallen angel, but he is a fallen Overlord
He hasn't told Alastor yet since the reason he gave up his Overlord status was because he fell in love with Alastor after he planned to kill him
Alastor thinks Vox is just a regular sinner and has no idea Vox was going to kill him at first
They've been dating for a while
Vox is super cynical and is a grouch most of the time but he does love Alastor and wants to help him with the hotel
Alastor knows redemption is possible because he's seen it happen before when his mom ascended
He's pushing for redemption because he wants to see her again and because he doesn't like how heaven seems to be running things
His personality change is because his mom was with him for a few decades in Hell until she was redeemed
Alastor didn't meet Vox until after his mom was sent to heaven
Vox is super protective of Alastor
Alastor's territory is where the hotel is
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dsknsk · 8 months ago
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I love how PM keeps playing with tropes. We've seen the tropes that they deconstruct within Limbus (in fact, it is a theory of mine that each Sinner is based on a stereotypical character from gachas), the way that they pick up the cyberpunk trope and basically throw it across the room, but another huge one is...
Carmen.
Look. I think that Carmen was and is based on the traditional 'Mary Sue'. Because...well, some traits that are said to belong to the 'Mary Sue', are turned brilliantly on their head by PM. So, for typical 'Mary Sue' traits, there's:
Pretty in the traditional sense. 'Mary Sues' always look perfect, peerless and never have to work hard to maintain their image. While, as far as I know, there hasn't really been made an in-universe compliment on Carmen's physical appearance...you'd rather stop and listen to someone who at least looks like they can be trusted wouldn't you? She's likened to the sun, as Oswald called her that, and is inside the light. (Also, out-of-universe: she is certainly pretty in my eyes. She adheres to the modern beauty standards at the very least).
Related to the above: charming. The 'Mary Sue' often has an innate charm that attracts others to her. The way that Carmen has this is through her voice, which already was powerful enough to let her traverse the dangerous Backstreets unarmed, standing out from all those other Backstreets preachers somehow and draw in the most cynical noblemen, but is even more charming after death. She doesn't even need to give a breaking speech or anything, as we've seen, she just gives you questions and comments on things. Which falls in line with...
Powerful, yet without having to break a sweat. Even before dying, she was already drawing in people without having to get physical (at least, none we know of). The only time we fight her as of yet (Kether realisation), Angela needs to use an attack that depletes all her HP to win, after five phases have already passed.
The 'Mary Sue' is often a so-called spotlight stealer. She will have a major role in the story, inexplicably, at least one other character will fall in love with her and she will overall have a large presence. So far, Carmen is the only character who has appeared in all three of the games, and if you count the Distortion and the Library, she has influenced WonderLab, Leviathan and Distortion Detective as well. She was also relevantly connected to the main cast of LobCorp and has influenced most of them in some way (i.e Ayin, Angela, Giovanni, arguably Kali, etc.). She remains to be relevant to several major story turns and has left her mark in them, in some way.
Unusual eyes. It's a stereotype that 'Mary Sues' always have unusual eyes. A common type is heterochromia (which is why I often jokingly call Hong Lu a 'Mary Sue'), but other types exist like sparkly rainbow or them changing like a mood ring or something. Carmen has red eyes, which are a common side-effect of body enhancements (Vergilius had them and the R Corp pack leaders too)...except, as we said, for as far as we know, Carmen hasn't had any. They are also a trait of Bloodfiends, but she isn't (yet) confirmed to be one. Either way, red eyes are a sign of the not-weak in the City.
Oftentimes, 'Mary Sues' are referred to as divinity, as pure grace from an utmost high all-powerful deity. They may or may not even be that deity. With Carmen, she practically had a cult of personality around her when she was alive...and she also had an analogue in another pale-skinned, red-eyed being that is also treated like this. She was described as this paeon of altruism and someone who genuinely wants the best for humanity.
Meaningful name. While not so immediately on-the-nose like 'Flowersparkle', Carmen's name can be seen as a reference to the infamous prototype of the femme fatale, once again hinting at that charming quality of hers.
Perfect. A 'Mary Sue' never fails at what she does...and that's where PM shows through that...
...Carmen is a parody on the 'Mary Sue'. A so-called 'Parody Sue'...but not played for laughs. The thing is that she is described as being all this...by those she already has enthralled. Those that aren't really involved with her - Hokma (was more loyal to Ayin), Binah (who wasn't in the picture during Carmen's life), and Roland (a stranger to LobCorp to begin with) have their say during Ruina and offer us another view at Carmen, our first, and one thing becomes clear:
A real 'Mary Sue' would be weird as fuck.
Carmen shows us how weird a 'Mary Sue' would actually be in a world that isn't sunshine and rainbows - an extremely uncanny, severely misguided being who nonetheless draws people to herself, who show a creepy amount of belief and devotion to her. Carmen thinks that the 'be yourself' message - so omnipresent in media - should prevail...in a world where the majority of people are either pieces of shit or are living such a dreary, miserable life that they just give up all hope.
But all of this is only revealed in the second game and pulls the player out of the dream. And so, Carmen does end up failing to convince some people like Dongbaek and Dongrang who manage to develop E.G.O instead.
Because despite what she was painted as in the past, in reality, Carmen is not a 'Mary Sue'. And she is not perfect.
That's why she's such a great PM character.
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silvermags · 2 years ago
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My current fanworks
In the order that the tabs are open on my computer, we have:
The Angels Don't Fly Down Here, my Neo sequel to Dream of a World. Chapter by chapter outline is complete, with 19 chapters planned. I drop Neo into the setting of 2003 Teen Titans, except it's a Justice Lords alternate universe. Because frankly, the only way Neo's staying in the general vicinity of decent human beings long enough for her to start caring what they think of her is if they're literally the resistance against a dystopia.
Gotta Stick Together, a Ninjago longfic. 25 chapters planned, 3 and 1/2 written. A what-if where being an elemental master causes a lot more physical changes than canon, and the bad guys take advantage of it. Also I'm using the chapter titles as an excuse to force my music taste on people.
Roots and Wings, a RWBY/Winx Club crossover that may be a one shot or may be longer, I'm following my gut and discovering it as I go, guys. Set to be the second in my "Character A from fandom X is also Character B from fandom Y? Scandal!" Series. Nora is distinctly unhappy to be the main character of this one. This one is probably going to be published as an outline rather than me trying to write it out properly, because it's already over seven thousand words as an outline and I haven't hit the first confrontation yet.
Water Snake, a Ninjago and TMNT 2012 crossover. Basic outline complete, chapter by chapter outline in progress. Karai manages to get herself cursed to never be able to return home and to one day look in the mirror and not recognize herself and then wakes up as a three year old on the banks of a river in Ninjago.
The Sinner and the Cynical AU, a RWBY fic with basic outline complete, chapter by chapter in progress. I've posted the basic outline here, in fact, it's the one with mortal Salem and original flavor Oz reacting to the series.
Merciful Queen, my out of order one shot collection that is a crossover between ATLA and Narnia, been ongoing since 2017. June's update is written and July and August are planned.
Memory and Foresight, Ice and Sand, my other out of order one shot collection, this one a crossover between Encanto and Frozen. I have like three new oneshots half written and none of them are cooperating with me.
Please feel free to ask questions about any of these, I require motivation.
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schrodinger-swriter · 9 months ago
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i don't remember if you've done this already, but can you do Lucifer x bimbo reader? also i love your fics SMM!!💞
Lucifer x Bimbo!Reader
Apologies for the wait, Anon. I have been rather busy with real life things and admittedly my mental health and physical health have not been the best. Slowly I am feeling better, though. No where near 100% but at least I'm alive.
I hope you enjoy! C:
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He thinks you're pretty... really pretty... but boy.. Can you be a bit air headed. Don't get him wrong, he does love you. He does respect you. He does make sure you keep yourself safe. But sometimes you leave him scratching his head... Of course Lucifer has his moments himself where he isn't the brightest but sometimes you leave him a little slack jawed. Though, sometimes your air headedness is a little endearing... even if Hell isn't the best place for such a character... So many unsavory people ready to take advantage of your naivete...
You have your own walk in closet at his home, as well as a very fancy and very expensive looking vanity. With a flick of his wrist he can make just about any product you desire appear out of what seems to be thin air.. However he's right at your heel if you want to go out and look at what the shops have to offer. He might just carry all of your bags, too.
He does enjoy some of your innocence, it is a nice change of pace against the cynical sinners that he sometimes runs into. Which is... Funny since he himself is cynical to the sinners he insists are cruel. Sometimes just being around you let's him take some weight off of his shoulders. Maybe things don't always have to be so serious and gloom all the time.
You might convince him to let you dress him up.
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a-doubleh-x · 8 months ago
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Why I like Charlastor
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The other day I noticed there was some negativity in the Charlastor tag, including antis and people feeling the need to defend against antis, so I thought I might as well take a step back and just write candidly about why I like the ship.
I only got into Hazbin in October of last year, but already it has inspired me a lot to write and fantazise about it. Like most people, I started with the classic "they look cute together", but as I kept looking I couldn't help but think there was something else to these two than first met the eye.
For starters, I love Pollyanas! I think they get a bad rep for being naive, but I just appreciate an optimist like Charlie who just wants to make people around her happy because it makes her happy. I also like bad boys 😳 I'm a pretty heteronormative guy, so I haven't had a big chance to explore that part of myself yet, but I do like the danger and excitement someone like Alastor brings to the table.
I will admit when I started writing Charlastor I felt like I was handling dynomite. It's a lil scary to ship a boundless altruist with a manipulative sociopath, but bear with me.
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I think each of them has something the other needs. I think Charlie needs someone to challenge her, someone to steer her in the right direction while she's mostly isolated. At the start of the series, practically nobody but Vaggie takes her seriously, and Alastor is no exception. He mocks her, teases her, but she still listens and I think it's because somewhere deep down she understands there's something he's trting to communicate in his annoying, but curious way.
Of course, I also love the fanon Charlie who's down bad for Alastor, and even if that Charlie is a little naive, I think it's also sweet and she can use some indulgence while most people treat her like a child.
On the other hand, when it comes to Alastor, this is a bit of a theory on my part, but I think he's secretely lonely. He has friends, certainly, like Rosie and Mimzy, but they're not good enough friends to live together with him. They don't seem to be able to save him from "pure, absolute boredom". But Charlie, for some reason can, even though she's a stranger at the beginning when Alastor chooses to move into the Hotel.
Alastor is not as much of a cynic as someone who chooses to see things in a perspective that benefits him. He doesn't think redeeming sinner is "hopeless", but "hilarious" instead, which has interesting implications to me. That's why he chooses to hover around Charlie, not because he thinks she's lame, rather because he thinks she's silly. She makes him laugh. Which I think is kind of how Alastor sees "love".
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And then you have fanon Alastor who, depending on the writer, is either a horny animal, a wisecrack edgelord or a soft boy who's mean to everyone but Charlie XD I like several of those interpretations, but I kinda prefer mine just out of personal taste. I think the best part about Alastor is that he doesn't *care* what anyone thinks of him and always does what he wants, even at the expense of other people, which I find pretty enviable.
They're kinda both outcasts in their own ways. Charlie by being unable to fit in and Alastor being unwilling to compromise. But they don't judge each other. He supports her in his own weird way and she houses him and is delighted of him in general, which is tasty food for his ego. I do wonder why Alastor is interested in Charlie, both in canon and in a fandom vacuum.
There's some cool potential for drama there, but also growth and healing, in my opinion. Personally, I think Alastor doesn't want to actually *hurt* Charlie, but he may hurt those around her, which will be a moment to start settling compromises if Charlie puts her foot down.
That haz bin my review so far! I'm honestly pretty grateful for Vivziepop for all of the work she's done so far, I know directing, animating and writing two shows over the course of 5 year or so ain't easy. I'm also grateful to the fandom who shares their thoughts and vision, which calms the terrible voices I started hearing in my head since I bought this weird old radio.
I'm in the middle of a break, but if you're interested in my fanfics I'll get back to writing very soon. Cheers! 🌈❤🦌
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keikakudom · 3 months ago
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RR!AU "Husk" design that I've put off on posting for eons... in this AU, he's still an overlord! And he goes by "Hunt"(tentative) instead. I figured that he's not quite a "husk" since hasn't lost everything :)
As always, more info on him in the AU below!
RR!AU's main introduction post
He's one of the many overlords connected to the resort via Vox. Husk(I'm just gonna call him Husk for convenience) allows for casinos and gambling to exist in the Reset Resort, in exchange for Vox's technology to be installed at all of Husk's other casinos/gambling dens. Vox's security makes it much easier to 'hunt' down sinners who believe they can outrun their unlucky fates when they fall into debt at the gambling table.
His personality here has definitely undergone a change as well. He takes a lot more risks, and often never backs down from a good bet with high-stakes. He still maintains his cynical, pessimistic attitude, but with a healthy ego intact, ready to capitalize on any poor bastard trying to find an out through gambling(now what does this say about him? Hmm....)
In this AU, he frequents the resort since it's...
a) a generally well-maintained and sweet place to be in Hell, the place has some got damn good drinks.
b) he meets with Vox every now and then to brush up on the conditions of their agreement.
and c) he might be trying to keep an eye on Vox. He sees that Charlie is one of the rare, well-intentioned folks in Hell, trying to make change...and he might, just maybe, A TINY BIT, respects that.
Also psst. I said ages ago that I'd post Vaggie next...well she's been 90% finished for literal months, but I never got around to writing her description >.<
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manager-dante · 1 year ago
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i need to flesh this out once i’ve mulled it over more but i adore how limbus company expands on the incredible world-building of project moon, because it is so goddamn realistic.
from the outset the player is presented with this incredibly bleak world in which corporations have become the state. the poor and the desperate bow their heads and toil at the altar of the free market. worth is measured by talent in exploitation. it’s a social darwinist’s wet dream. i also think the choice to base the cast off of literary figures was amazing, because it highlights very important connections to the past. i haven’t read all the books referenced, but the ones i have (the metamorphosis, don quixote de la mancha, & the odyssey so far) draw an unmistakable through-line from the suffering and exploitation depicted in those books to that which occurs in the city. the most horrifying parts of this game in my opinion aren’t the monsters or the machines — it’s the sheer enormity of human suffering which exists in the economic and political system the city operates under. and that’s the worst part, because in so many ways, the suffering and exploitation portrayed in the city is not a hypothetical fantasy — this is just capitalism working as intended. it’s not confined to the historical context of those books, nor the gritty sci-fi horror of the game.
but not only do we have this incredible setting that’s somehow both brutally realistic and fantastical at the same time, we also get to see how our main cast attempts to survive in that world — and ultimately how none of their attempts to change it succeeded at all.
in my mind, canto i portrays how neither kindness nor cold-heartedness will help you survive — especially through the dynamic between aya and hopkins. gregor has been both. he was a war hero in a meaningless war. after it ended, he was discarded as any tool which had outlived its usefulness would be. he can’t even control his arm from becoming a killing machine. and yet, gregor is still exceptionally personable, even going out of his way to be kind at times. but no matter whether he’s a tool for violence in the hands of war profiteers or simply a man doing his best to protect others, he still couldn’t save yuri — just as he couldn’t save his comrades — and this clearly haunts him. neither the war nor its end changed anything.
canto ii shows between rodya and sonya how both direct action and an “inevitable” revolution fail to quell the suffering of the vulnerable. sonya’s revolution is all bluster and no action. he does nothing to help the people in his community in favor of this grandiose revolution that must happen at the “right moment” — even if it means leaving his neighbors to starve in the meantime. rodya’s inspired yet short-sighted action to remove what she saw as the source of her community’s suffering only led to its destruction: the tax collector was a branch, not the root, of the problem, and killing one person did nothing to stop the system which upheld them.
canto iii is even more clear-cut in the ties between sinclair and kromer: neither violent zealotry nor blissful ignorance will save you in the city. kromer’s cult does not “purify” anything, but sinclair’s courage to stand up to her isn’t enough to beat her either. canto iii still doesn’t end in a victory. dante and the sinners barely survive. it’s only through demian (and k-corp’s) divine intervention that the sinners and kromer don’t destroy each other in the corpse pit.
in the most recent addition, canto iv appears to do the same thing. on one hand, you have the devotion to a principle shown through shrenne, samjo, and donbaek. their causes are different, but their devotion is the same. on the other, there is the cynicism, indifference, and escapism of yi sang and dongrang, both willingly complicit in the machine in different ways. and yet — none of them make any positive difference. whether they resisted or submitted, the machine grinds on around them — the only choices are to become a cog in it or be ground to bits by its gears.
to be clear, i do not think the game is arguing that none of these individual actions matter. even if gregor couldn’t rescue yuri, even if rodya couldn’t protect her neighbors, even if sinclair couldn’t defeat kromer and all that she stood for, even if the league of nine members each failed to realize their ideals — limbus argues that it matters they tried. it matters that they’re still trying. it may never be possible to oust the corporate overlords and make the city a better place, but the love still matters.
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sidsinning · 10 months ago
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You should do a simp(even if platonic) post for your fave female hazbin character for varieties sake
I think my fav is Charlie
Although I feel like she's been done a lil bit dirty despite appearing in every ep? Like she mostly gets involved in other people's stories rather than her own which is why I appreciate episodes like Dad Beat Dad. Her and a lot of different characters are being explored all at once in the most organic way the show is capable of in its current state (biased from me bc the characters focused here are all my favs lol)
She's my favorite but I do wish we would get deeper focus on her
Not that she has no focus and is an empty character ofc
But yeah
I like how she is a go getter and very motivated in her goals despite how impossible they are, despite the lack of support she gets from even the people on her own side
Ofc how her personality is vastly different from the rest of the cast who are all less naive and more cynical than her, almost like she should've been born in heaven which catches people off guard in hell (most definitely gets this from Lucifer)
(The fact that Lilith thrived in Hell kinda tells you things but that's for another post for another day lol)
Sir Pentious' redemption is absolutely thanks to her direct influence- and bc of that the mans ended up the first sinner in heaven which is a HUGE W for her, bc it's smtg no one, not even the king of hell has been able to achieve
Angel Dust has definitely been more influenced by Husk from what we've seen in the show, but its bc Charlie gave Angel Dust a safe space in the first place for him to flourish despite his raunchy behavior
So even if she fails when trying to directly confront an issue with a flawed perspective, she still ends up positively affecting others which is cool
Also appreciate that her efforts to make people listen to her message are finally recognized by the end of the season with the cannibals
She's powerful and full of potential, but definitely not at the point where she can handle certain things on her own without help or mentorship which is cool and smtg we can still explore
Yes
She's best girl so far
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aspoonofsugar · 8 months ago
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Lucifer: Dreams of Redemption
Lucifer is my favourite Hazbin Hotel character, so here comes a meta about him, his arc and the themes he is tied with.
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OVERTURE
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"The Story of Hell" tells us plenty about Lucifer by introducing his character and preparing his story. In particular, it sets up two key themes in his arc:
Redemption
Dreams
ADAM AND EVE (REDEMPTION)
Lucifer is tied to redemption, as his and Lilith's story is basically a revisitation of Adam and Eve's.
As a matter of fact the original Eden's myth goes more or less like this.
There is a man:
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Then a woman appears:
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And the two fall in love:
Charlie: Drawn in by her fierce independence, Lucifer found her and the two rebellious dreamers fell deeply in love.
They are happy together, but are forbidden to get involved with a strange fruit. They disobey, evil is born and the couple is punished and fall:
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Adam and Eve are banished from Eden. Lucifer and Lilith are forced into Hell. It is the same story, but the rebellious couple offers the fruit instead of eating it themselves. The basic meaning doesn't change, though. The two lovers make a mistake, which spirals into a disaster. Adam and Eve are asked to pursue goodness, so that they can be forgiven. What should Lucifer and Lilith do to gain redemption? When it comes to the Devil, his path forward lies in dreams.
LIGHT AND FIRE (DREAMS)
Lucifer is a dreamer:
Charlie: He was a dreamer with fantastical ideas for all of creation.
Who grows into a cynic:
Charlie: Ashamed, Lucifer lost his will to dream.
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Interestingly, this change of heart is conveyed through Lucifer's light turning into fire. He gives up on dreams and goes from angel (light) to demon (fire). This thematically frames Lucifer's moral fall as a consequence of his loss of hope. So, it makes sense that his "redemption" will be about rediscovering dreams. Still, what kinds of dreams should he focus on?
Charlie: As punishment for their reckless act, Heaven cast Lucifer and his love into the dark pit he had created, never allowing him to see the good that came from humanity, only the cruel and the wicked.
In Hell, Lucifer stops seeing the good in people. His current challenge is then to find goodness in others again. Specifically, he must better understand:
Charlie (microchosm)
The sinners (macrochosm)
ALL OF THE OTHER REINDEER
Both Charlie and the sinners share similarities with Lucifer. In particular:
Like her father, Charlie is an outcast in her own kingdom. In his younger days, Lucifer is a seraphim, who believes in free will against a world built on order and rules. In the present day, Charlie is a royal demon, who believes in redemption, despite a world full of chaos and violence.
Like their king, the sinners made mistakes, which landed them in Hell. The sinners are violent and selfish, so they are given a world of destructive chaos. Lucifer gives humans free will, so he is presented with the negative consequences of his gift.
Lucifer is like Charlie and the sinners, but he acts towards them like the Elders of Heaven:
Charlie: However, he was seen as a troublemaker by the elders of Heaven. For they felt his way of thinking was dangerous to the order of their world.
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Lucifer: Alright, I mean, look, I love that you want to see the best in people, but these sinners, you know, they're just the worst. I, I don't know how much you can realistically expect from them.
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This behavior has to do with Lucifer's own sin and banishment. He can't believe in himself anymore, so he doesn't believe in Charlie. He doesn't forgive himself, so he doesn't forgive the sinners. In short, he is projecting his unsolved feelings on both his daughter and his subjects. What the King of Hell is missing, though, is this:
Rosie: Hey, who down here isn't (flawed)?
His Kingdom isn't a place for perfect people, but for flawed ones. Still, it is precisely because everyone there is a loser that they have the potential to understand each other:
Angel Dust: You're a loser, baby Husk: A loser, but just maybe if we Both: Eat shit together, things will end up differently
This is true for the Big Boss of Hell himself, as it is highlighted by two motifs:
The Ugly Duckling in relation to his bond with Charlie
The circus when it comes to his relationship with Hell as a whole
Both are tied to loneliness and creativity. Still, they explore these ideas from different angles.
THE UGLY DUCKLING= FATHER AND DAUGHTER
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The Ugly Duckling is about a small duck, who is refused by his peers because different and ugly. Once he matures, though, he is revealed to be a beautiful swan, who flies away victorious. This fairy tale is alluded to in Lucifer and Charlie's flashback, as he conjures a light show for her. As a matter of fact the protagonist of Lucifer's short stage play is a small duck, who becomes a shining seraphim-swan.
How does this symbolism tie to the themes of loneliness and creativity?
Loneliness- Lucifer is seen as weird by the other angels, who do not understand his way of thinking. He dreams of proving himself, so that they will accept him. At the same time, his own situation is a tragic inversion of Andersen's fairy tale. The Ugly Duckling is a duck, who takes flight as a swan. Lucifer instead is a seraphim, who falls as a demon. The Ugly Duckling finds a new family of swans, whereas Lucifer loses his family of angels.
Creativity- Lucifer tells Charlie his past in the form of a fairy-tale and gives it a happy ending. This short interaction shows how Lucifer is using fiction and creativity to handle his trauma. He channels his sadness into creation. Still, as the years go by, Lucifer's creative drive grows weaker:
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In the present day, he is stuck building rubber ducks he himself dislikes (aka ugly ducklings). Not only that, but Lucifer's disdain for his creations hints to some self-hate issues:
Lucifer: That's it… Almost there… Now presenting… the magic-tastical back flipping rubber duck! Haha! That spits fire! Hoo hoo hoo! Hold the applause please, okay. Oh, thank you, thank you. Oh god, who am I kidding? This sucks!
The magic-tastical back flipping rubber duck that spits fire sucks. Still, Lucifer himself is a fire-spiting ducky:
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In other words, Lucifer feels he himself sucks. He is an ugly duckling that can never become a swan. He is stuck as a duck. Why is that so? It's because Lucifer finds himself in a vicious cycle, where his loneliness and his loss of creativity are intertwined.
As he loses hope, Lucifer becomes less and less able to dream and create. This provokes more self-loathing, which leads to Lucifer cutting off his loved ones:
Charlie: No, we just have never been close. After he and mom split, he never really wanted to see me. He calls, sometimes, but only if he's bored or like needs me to do something.
How can he escape this situation? His only way out is to stop hyper-focusing on himself and to earnestly look at others. Starting with Charlie:
When I was young, I didn't really know you at all. I always felt so small. But I heard your stories and I was enthralled. The tales about your lofty dreams. I listened breathlessly. Imagining it could be me. So in the end, it's the view I had of you, that showed me dreams can be worth fighting for.
When Charlie is a child, Lucifer tells her a story about himself, his pain and his hopes. Charlie makes this story hers. She sees herself as the ugly duckling, who will one day fly free and shine at the centre of the universe. Charlie takes Lucifer's painful past and plans her own happy future. She imagines her story as a wonderful conclusion to his. Lucifer desperately needs to see this story play out. He needs it to heal and dream again. And yet, to have it, he must first accept that he himself isn't Charlie and that Charlie isn't him:
Charlie: Dad, I don't need you to protect me from this. Lucifer: I just don't want you to be crushed by them like… like I was.
He projects his failures on his daughter and opposes Charlie's dream out of fear. In this way, he forces Charlie to live a life she herself hasn't chosen. He keeps seeing himself as the main character, but Charlie is the protagonist of her own existence. She is free to write her own narrative, which might end up differently from Lucifer's. He may be the Ugly Duckling, but she will become the Beautiful Swan.
CIRCUS FREAKS = KING AND PEOPLE
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The Circus is a key motif for the Hellaverse as a whole. As a matter of fact Hell is divided in seven Rings ruled by the Seven Deadly Sins that embody different circus acts. So, basically, Hell itself is a giant circus, which is why this form of enterteinment is very popular among demons. Still, it all starts with Lucifer, who used to be the Ringmaster of the sins' original circus troupe. In other words, Lucifer himself modelled Hell after the circus.
Why is that so? And how does this imagery fit with the ideas of loneliness and creativity?
Loneliness- Lucifer is the Showrunner of the greatest Freak Show of the universe. This is one of the meanings the circus metaphor stands for:
Adam: Okay, seriously! How many of you freaks do I have to fight?!
Adam: No… you (Lucifer) don't get to end this! I'm fucking Adam! I'm the fucking man, and you're just some fucking clown or something!
Hell is full of people, who failed in some way. All the sinners and demons are strange, chaotic and imperfect. They are outcasts the world belittles and refuses. They find themselves in Hell. Lonely together.
Creativity- Three-ring circus is a circus with three acts going on at the same time. On a metaphorical level, it indicates a chaotic situation. Well, Hell is a seven-ring circus. It is chaos taken up to eleven, but it is also the greatest show in all of creation. Lucifer is at the centre of it, which makes him the Greatest Showman. This is highlighted also by the King of Hell's preferred business. After all, among his known activities there are:
Its previous shows with the Seven Deadly Sins' Troupe
A theme park called LuLu World
An App similar to Ticketmaster, which is called Lucimaster
Hotels, like the decadent one Charlie uses for her project
These are all businesses linked one way or another to the enterteinment industry. Isn't it strange that the King of Hell has no control over a more strategic part of the economy, like industry, banks or health? Not at all because the enterteinment industry is the most important deal in Hell (thematically). And yet, there is another sin, who is pretty active in this business:
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Mammon, the King of Greed, owns his Theme Park, organizes his own shows and even has a clown pageant to find testimonials for his brand. This probably happens as a consequence of Lucifer's depression, which lets him vulnerable to Mammon's attempts to steal Lucifer's ideas:
Octavia: Is it true this park is just a really shameless spin-off of Lucifer's far more popular Lu Lu World?
This detail is interesting because it shows Lucifer is slowly losing control of his own Kingdom. In fact, even his own area of domain is being threathened. This is not surprising, though, because Lucifer himself isn't really trying to be a good ruler. Or a ruler at all, to be honest. As a matter of fact he is shown pretty passive, when it comes to Hell and its people. Not only that, but he openly despises sinners:
Lucifer: Our "people" Charlie, are awful! They got gifted free will and look what they did with it! Everything's terrible!
Still, this is just Lucifer projecting his frustrations and self-loathing on his people. He unconsciously sees their failures, as his own failure. However, he refuses to rationalize it and consciously insists that his family should stand above the rest:
Lucifer: Mhm, you see? What'd I tell you? Charlie, sinners are violent psychopaths, hell bent on causing as much pain and destruction as they can. There's really no point in trying.
By doing this, Lucifer can't be the King of Hell because he is too disconnected from others. This makes him unable to empathize with his people and to create new dreams for them to enjoy. At the same time, this condemns him to isolation with really no-one he can relate to. He is stuck in his own head both when it comes to creativity and to emotional development. In order to move on, he should come down from his pedestal and realize that he can find companionship in his people. He too is in Hell. He too is a sinner. He too is a circus freak.
DAD-HONCHO LUCIFER
Lucifer's first step towards redemption and hope is to leave his studyroom (his own head) and to connect with the people around him. Specifically, he must be:
A better father (microchosm)
A better king (macrochosm)
In season 1, he moves in this direction and his journey is highlighted by 3 key moments:
-In episode 1, Lucifer doesn't appear, but he still kicks off the plot by setting up Charlie and Adam's meeting. By doing so, he fails both as a father and as a king. As a father, he doesn't offer any emotional support to Charlie after Extermination Day. As a king, he refuses to meet a Heaven Ambassador. Basically, he pushes all his political responsibilities on Charlie without giving her any assistance.
-In episode 5, Lucifer makes some progress by accepting to get Charlie a meeting with Heaven. Once again, he has Charlie face Heaven in his stead. However, this time he does so out of trust for her and her project. He starts supporting Charlie and seeing hope for his people. Still, he doesn't get directly involved:
Lucifer: Ok, I can get you the meeting but once you're in Heaven, I won't be able to go with you. Will you be ok?
-In episode 8, Lucifer does what he should have done since the beginning. He confronts Adam, defeats him and ends the exterminations. By doing this, he protects Charlie as a father and saves his people as a king. Not only that, but Lucifer also offers Charlie the emotional support he initially negates her:
Lucifer: Come on little lady, why the frown? In the last 10,000 years You're the first one to change this town 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!
And he helps her and the group rebuild the Hotel. In this way, he starts openly supporting Charlie's ideals of redemption:
Everyone: Twice the bedrooms, we can fill it Lucifer: With more sinners than you can dream!
By the end, he is shown closer to both his daughter and her found family of sinners:
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And he finds his creative drive again:
Lucifer: A remedial creation fom me! It's as easy as can be!
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Interestingly, after the battle Lucifer loses his coat, which gives him a rather formal and dignified image. He appears more casual, just as he joins the group and works together with them.
Dreams through redemption and redemption through dreams. This is the basic idea of Lucifer's arc, which is centered around Charlie (microchosm) and the Hazbin Hotel (macrochosm). What do these two things represent for the King of Hell?
CHARLIE, THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT
Charlie is Lucifer's dream:
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
After losing everything, he gives up on his ambitions regarding the macrochosm and focuses on the microchosm. He can't save humanity, but he can protect his daughter. He can't be a king, but he can be a father. And yet, this isn't the case because Charlie herself wants to get involved with the macrochosm. She doesn't want to be sheltered forever. So, to be a good father, Lucifer must step into the world again:
Lucifer: I'll support your dream, whatever lies in store
In this way, Charlie comes to embody Lucifer's ideals in two ways.
She is Lucifer's daughter, so she is the hope every child is to their parent. She is a small personal dream, when compared to his past ambitions of grandeur.
She is the embodyment of Lucifer (and Lilith)'s old dream:
Lucifer: I've been dyin' to find out who you are Looks like the apple doesn't fall far
Charlie is the apple that doesn't fall far. This means that she is her parents' daughter and shares their ideals. It also means that she herself is the fruit her parents gifted humanity with. After all, she is the fruit of a forbidden love. Not only that, but Overture sets up a very clear foiling:
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The Fruit of Knowledge corrupts humanity, but Charlie will save it. Not the apple, but Charlie is the true magic of free will. A person born from a love story, which shouldn't have happened. A child free from her parents' sins. A woman whose name "Charlie" means "free man". Truly a beautiful synthesis of Lucifer and Lilith. A powerful embodyment of their deepest dreams. Still, how is Charlie going to free humanity? Simple, she will do so while pursuing her own dream.
THE HAZBIN HOTEL, A SECOND CHANCE
The Hazbin Hotel is Charlie's dream:
Charlie: I have a dream, I'm here to tell About a wonderful, fantastic new hotel Yes, it's one of a kind, right here in Hell Catering to a specific clientele
It is an impossible and lofty dream, which aims to change the laws of the universe (macrochosm). At the same time, it is a dream rooted in Charlie's personal desire to belong somewhere (microchosm). It is her interpretation of Lucifer and Lilith's legacy:
Charlie: But Lilith's hope remained. And her dream passed down to their precious daughter, the Princess of Hell.
In a sense, it is the evolution of Lucifer's old dream, as it is rooted in the belief human souls can choose goodness. Even after death:
Charlie: Don't you care, Sera? That just because someone is dead, it doesn't Mean they can't resolve to change their ways Turn the page, escape infernal blaze
This is precisely why Charlie uses an old hotel that belongs to Lucifer for her project. It is an unconscious attempt to bring both her parents and their dream back. This duality is well conveyed by the hotel's name:
Hazbin Hotel = a place where you can leave your past self behind and be reborn. A temporary house, where to find hospitality and redemption
Hazbin Hotel = something that used to be a hotel, as it is a crumbling building. It is symbolic of Lucifer himself. A person and a dream in ruins. An empty shell of his past self
So, the Hazbin Hotel is a place where to be reborn. This is true for both the sinners and Lucifer. It is a new dream rooted in another one as old as Earth. It is humanity and Lucifer's second chance.
FROM SHAME TO PRIDE
Lucifer starts the series full of shame. He is ashamed of himself. He is ashamed of his subjects. He is so ashamed Charlie is convinced he is ashamed of her too. Still, the Princess of Hell is determined to make her family proud:
Charlie: Don't worry, Mom. I'll make you proud.
This means that Charlie will become Lucifer's pride. This is set up also by the juxtaposition of Lucifer's two songs in episode 5.
Hell's Greatest Dad is an exhibition of selfish pride: Lucifer shows off his power to impress Charlie. He doesn't consider Charlie's wishes, but is focused on his own insecurities. This is made clear by how he keeps self-duplicating throughout the song. Lucifer's imaginary world is full of his many selves:
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More Than Anything is a showcase of selfless pride: Lucifer opens up to Charlie and listens to her. Thanks to this, he creates a pocket dimension made for Charlie. This imaginary world is the Ugly Duckling with Charlie as its protagonist. Lucifer has her play with water, like the little duckling, and fly at the centre of the scene, like the swan:
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Lucifer stops putting himself in the spotlight and gives it to Charlie. He goes from a selfish pride broken by shame to a selfless pride empowered by love. He leaves behind a negative manifestation of his sin to embrace a positive declination of it. This is coherent with the other sins seen so far:
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Asmodeus, King of Lust, believes that lust is an art to be enjoyed by both partners and is against coercion and sexual violence. Thanks to his bond with Fizzarolli, his healthy lust blossoms into romantic love.
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Beelzebub, Queen of Gluttony, enjoys sharing alcohol and food with her community, so that they can indulge into gluttony together. She gains pleasure from her subjects' fun and feels bad when they are down. Basically, she is an empath, who is very sensitive to others' emotions.
Interestingly, Mammon, King of Greed, is the only sin so far with no positive declination. This isn't because greed can't ever be portrayed positively (look at Greed in FMA), but rather because Mammon exhibits no form of selfless love. As a matter of fact love is the force that mitigates and redeems sins:
Romantic love (Asmodeus)
Community love (Beelzebub)
Familial love (Lucifer)
So, our King of Hell is going to overcome his internalized shame thanks to the pride he feels for Charlie. He is gonna deal with his depression through love. This brings us to two conclusions/predictions when it comes to Lucifer and Charlie's bond:
Charlie is going to inherit the Pride Ring. Why shouldn't she? She is the one fighting for the sinners' sake and she is the embodyment of Lucifer's pride. She would be perfect as Queen of Pride.
Lucifer is gonna realize his masterpiece is Charlie herself. She is his greatest accomplishment and creation, who will lead everyone to a freer and better life.
Lucifer means light bringer because he brought to life Charlie as the brightest light and dream:
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She is both his dream and his redemption.
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