#something something two sides of the same coin

[inchidentalmeowmeow]

After their COTA and Interlagos wins this triple header I’m so happy the sun and rain agendas are still agenda-ing 🙂‍↕️✨

Rain of Milton Keynes ⛈️

Im sorry but after Sun of Maranello Charles how was I supposed to resist making a contrasting version for Max?

Partially inspired by THIS skyfall edit I made of Charles’ sunset lap in COTA and Max’s thunderstorm lap in Interlagos.

Check out more of my art over on Instagram! ✨

[cuinaminute229]

With death comes life

pairing: Agatha x Rio x reader

summary: To fall in love with both life and death is almost impossible. They contradict each other, they are different sides to the same coin. Agatha once managed the impossible. But time and grief can break almost anything, and this time it breaks what feels like everything.

a/n: there will be more parts to this. I find this dynamic rather interesting and I am definitely going to explore it. not a lot of warning in this part except for mild swearing. slightly protective Rio.

...

Life and Death go hand in hand.

One can not exist without the other. 

It’s a partnership that transcends time itself.

Agatha Harkness does not understand this. She can not, because for the longest time all she has ever known is death.

All she has ever done is take. She takes and takes and takes until there is nothing left to give. Until there is nothing left you can give.

Death will love her. Life will despise her. 

That is how it will be for centuries.

…

The witches’ road is a place that does not welcome you. It fights you every step of the way.

It is a graveyard. It takes what it wants without thoughts of sympathy or solace. It digs up fear and trauma like gold. It twists and stretches and tears the desires of witches brave enough to step foot on the road.

You hate it and yet you are summoned.

The dirt between your fingers is a sensation that feels as familiar as holding death's hand. Clawing your way from beneath the earth is not something you're very familiar with.

You're not usually summoned alongside her, this is different.

The echoes of multiple screams ring in your ears as you crawl your way out of a fresh grave, growling through clenched teeth when you finally break the surface.

Your joints and bones pop as you twist and jerk to realign what's been broken. You swear you're going to ring the witch's neck that's summoned you. 

You tilt your head and feel a crack in your neck, you grimace before you jerk your head and relief seeps into your muscles.

With a flex of your fingers you adjust your clothes before the colors of the leaves scattered amongst the ground catches your eye.

Just as the realization settles and you finally understand where you are, a hand that brushes against the length of your back is the only thing that seems to ground you. You lean into her touch with a slow forced exhale.

Rio is here, that is the only comfort you feel. 

You absolutely hate the witches’ road.

When you finally glance up at the witches who were just screaming bloody murder, you notice her right away. 

Her thick brown hair falling against her shoulders, the white button up shirt that complements her dress pants, the locket that’s always with her. 

Agatha Harkness and this coven of four have summoned you and Rio to the road. 

The rage that heats your blood is a sensation that you will never get used to, it burns like the sun and yet it's all you can feel as you glare daggers at her.

The only thing that stops you from lunging at her is Rio’s quick reaction. The hand that was resting on your back has encircled your waist, she tugs you back against her, resting her chin on your shoulder. 

“Easy there tiger.” Her soft chuckle of amusement is not distraction enough from what you want to say. 

“What the fuck are you doing Agatha?” Your words are harsh and yet you feel no sympathy when she flinches at your tone.

“Excuse me?” The witch in the pink dress places a hand over her heart like you personally offended her. 

“You’re excused.” You pay her no mind, your eyes are only on Agatha. “Now answer the question.”

Agatha says nothing. Her eyes look from you to Rio and back like she can barely believe what she’s seeing. Like she didn’t intend for this to happen.

“Cat got your tongue?” Rio teases, her smile predatory, the hold on your waist a touch possessive. 

“How did you—?” This time she points at the two of you. 

“We were in the neighborhood.” Rio interrupts her with a casual response. There is no need to explain further, she will know the truth.

“But uhh,” The youngest member of the coven, a teenage boy, lifts his hand up like he’s waiting to voice his question. You frown at the notion, not quite understanding.

“Yes Teen?” The oldest of the group turns to look at the kid who answers once the attention turns to him. 

“Why are there two of them?” He gestures between you and Rio, his confusion clear as he then turns to look at Agatha like she has all the answers.

You scoff at the thought, she knows nothing. Not when it comes to you and especially not when it comes to Rio. That was made very clear centuries ago.

Agatha glares at you as if this time you truly have offended her but all you do is glare right back.

The moment of eye contact drags on longer than you thought it would. The witch's pride is a strong thing and you know she hates backing down first but you are not in the mood to give in. 

You refuse to give her what she wants.

When fingers dance along the thin fabric that covers your ribs you jerk involuntarily, turn to glare at Rio. She gives you an innocent smile but her eyes burn with something that silently tells you to calm down.

“Doesn't matter.” Agatha's anger is a harsh bite, hiding the vulnerability that comes with seeing the both of you. “We have a green witch. Now let's go.”

The whoosh of her coat is followed by a slow breath that relaxes your shoulders. You can not let your anger get the best of you while here. The road will only take it and twist it until it gets a chance to throw it in your face.

“Being summoned is so much fun isn't it? Just like old times.” Rio teases you, presses a soft kiss to your shoulder in a silent apology. 

Before you can turn and properly question her about why you are here a voice calls your attention. “Uhh hello?” 

You roll your eyes but turn to glance at the three witches that have lingered after Agatha stormed off.

“Hello.” You merely say in return. You owe these witches nothing more.

“So uh did we summon two green witches?” The witch with red in her hair gestures to the two of you. You feel Rio shake her head from where her face is still pressed into your shoulder, her chuckle is low enough that the others do not hear it. 

You find her amusement endearing and annoying.

“To keep things simple, yes.” 

The continued looks of confusion merely make you smirk at the unsuspecting women. 

With one last brush of fingers over your ribs, one last ghost of a kiss that tickles the skin of your neck, Rio steps away. Her smile is bright, the twinkle in her dark eyes promise nothing but mischief and self entertainment.

“We're supposed to walk this thing right?” She steps around you and points toward the road. When she only gets a few shrugs of consensus she hums in response before leaving you behind with these confused witches.

You shake your head with a soft smile, of course she would find a way to ignore all your questions for even just a little bit longer.

“Let's get this over with.”

[libraryofgage]

Mermaid/Pirate Steddie Six

One | Two | Three | Four | Five

This fic was line-jumped! If you'd like to learn more about line jumping, please see this post

Anyway, thank you line-jumper for your patience, I know this was a little late orz but I hope you enjoy it!

As always, if you see any typos, no you didn't ;)

---

“Why do they look so weak?”

“Do you have more of these?”

“Can he really not breathe under water?”

“Does he understand bubble patterns?”

“He’s not the worst swimmer.”

“I could probably break his ribs with one tail swipe.”

“Please don’t break my mate’s ribs.”

Of all the words echoing in the water around him, those last few are the ones Eddie gets stuck on. He perks up as the curious hands of adolescent merfolk poking and prodding at him pause. From the determined expression on Steve’s face as he tugs Eddie closer, he definitely meant to say that.

“Seriously?” Robin asks, curling around Steve’s other side. Her hair floats across Eddie’s vision before settling, and bubbles rise from her fluttering gills. “You’re already mated? How did that even work?”

She glances down as she asks, and Eddie follows her gaze to Steve’s tail. It looks normal to him. His wound has healed, leaving only a faint scar behind. If anything has changed, it’s that the inexplicable splashes of orange across his scales make sense in the water. They glimmer and shine like gold and silver coins in the wavering sunlight that manages to break through the surface. Eddie is hypnotized by them, and it takes a conscious effort for him to look away.

Steve’s flush tells Eddie something important has been alluded to, and he’s starting to get an idea of it. “Robin! Not in front of the guppies!” Steve tells her. She cackles in response, bubbles bursting from her gills as she curls around Steve’s right side and flicks his forehead.

“But we already know about that stuff,” one of the guppies, Lucas, says. A few bubbles rise from his gills, too, and Eddie is starting to wonder if they’re important when Robin and Steve pause to study them. 

Another one, Dustin, nods and places his hands on Eddie’s shoulders. He pushes up to float above him, holding tight so he doesn’t end up floating away. Somehow, this results in Dustin’s tail smacking against his back a few times, but at least it doesn’t hurt. “Yeah,” Dustin says, “You taught us during the last cold tide trip. Remember? Joyce and Hopper got together and started talking about more guppies, so then Erica asked what they meant and you got all red like a lobster as you tried to explain it.”

“Teaching you about reproduction and discussing…recreational enjoyment are very different things,” Steve says, his firm tone undermined by his flustered look. 

Eddie taps Dustin’s hand, tilting his head and raising his eyebrows in a curious expression when Dustin looks down.

“Oh, do you wanna know?” he asks.

“No, he doesn’t,” Steve says at the same time Eddie nods. When Steve glares at him, Eddie grins, salty water rushing into his mouth. He doesn’t mind too much, especially when he points at his throat and Steve’s glare immediately melts into fondness and concern. He leans in, kissing Eddie and pushing more air past his lips. 

“We are just teaching Eddie about reproduction,” El says when Steve pulls back. She pushes under Eddie’s arm, wrapping her tail around his leg to stay in place. With her there, Dustin’s tail is no longer hitting his back, and Eddie hesitates before patting her head. 

Between her, Dustin on his shoulders, Steve holding him close, Robin practically wrapped around Steve, and the rest of the guppies surrounding them, he’s starting to realize how touchy merfolk are. Or maybe this is just Steve and Robin and their guppies. He’ll have to ask later.

“Why are you making such a big deal when it’s boring?” Max asks, huffing as two lone bubbles rise from her gills. “Two merfolk decide to have a kid. One fertilizes the other, they carry the egg for a while and birth it. After that, caretakers watch the egg until it hatches. Simple.”

Yeah. Eddie has so many questions. He can’t ask any of them now, though. All he can do is nod along, forcing his expression to remain serious as he listens. Max seems to like the attention, her gills fluttering again and letting a stream of bubbles rise to the surface as she perks up.

“Man, it sounds boring when you say it like that,” Mike tells her, grinning as he turns to look at Eddie. “So, anyway, dicks an--”

Robin laughs as she smacks her hand across Mike’s mouth, using her other hand to ruffle his hair until it’s floating wildly in the water. “All right, all right, let’s stop before dingus goes belly-up,” she says, pinching Mike’s cheek when she pulls his hand away.

He huffs and sticks his tongue out at her. “Eddie asked,” he says.

“Eddie didn’t ask anything. He can’t talk, and he doesn’t make bubbles,” El says.

“No, like, he used his face.”

“Oh.”

As they talk, Eddie tugs on Steve’s hand, pointing to his throat again. Instead of immediately kissing him, he glances up at the surface with a frown. It’s not like Eddie was actually running out of air, so he doesn’t tug on Steve’s hand again. “How about we go up,” he says, looking at Robin. When she just looks confused, he adds, “You could see Eddie’s ship.”

“Really?!” Dustin and Will ask, both of them looking at Eddie hopefully.

Eddie considers for a moment, figures the guppies can be entertained by his crew if they get too bored, and nods once.

“Yes!”

----------

“They have so much energy,” Eddie says, carefully setting Steve on the bed before collapsing into it next to him. He rubs his fingers together, feeling how wrinkly they are after spending most of the day in the ocean. They still haven’t smoothed out despite being on the ship for an hour already.

Steve hums softly, reaching over and taking Eddie’s hand. He laces their fingers together, rests their hands on his stomach, and says, “They liked you.”

“Really? I couldn’t tell between Mike trying to drown me and Erica trying to bite me,” Eddie says, squeezing Steve’s hand.

The drowning attempt had happened when they surfaced. Mike had grabbed Eddie’s ankles and yanked him back under, grinning as Eddie yelped and swallowed half the ocean in the process. Somehow, Steve had managed to both kiss Eddie some air and smack Mike upside the head with his tail.

The biting had happened while trying to get all the guppies onto the ship. It involved nets and ropes and straining muscles, but they’d managed. When Eddie was getting Erica untied from the ropes, she’d leaned over and snapped at his shoulder. Robin saved him in time by yanking her back, refusing to hear her excuse about Eddie smelling like “really fresh krill” and her being hungry.

Things had been chaotic between getting the guppies and Robin settled, figuring out food, and keeping them entertained so they wouldn’t destroy the ship out of boredom. Eddie had never been so relieved as when they’d started nodding off in a giant tub they secured to the mast.

“They were just…testing you. A little. It’s normal when caretakers introduce a mate,” Steve tells him.

“What, are they making sure I’m sturdy?”

“More that you can handle them if you join the pod,” Steve explains. “Caretakers don’t leave their pods. If they mate with a merperson from another pod, that merperson just joins it. Guppies are overprotective and want to make sure mates deserve their caretakers.”

“That’s kinda sweet,” Eddie says.

Steve nods in agreement, shifting around some until he can turn to face Eddie. The bottom of his tail curls around Eddie’s leg, a heavy weight that he finds reassuring. “How do you feel?” he asks.

Eddie can hear the questions lying beneath. Did he like the guppies? Did they manage to scare him away? Is he going to end their courtship?

“They’re cool. I like them,” Eddie says, the words spilling out so he can reassure Steve. He feels something light and happy bubble in his chest at Steve’s smile. “I am wondering about something, though.”

“What?”

“How, uh, how does all of that…work?” Eddie asks, his face burning as he gestures to Steve’s tail, focusing on the general area Robin had looked at before. Despite the embarrassment of asking, he can’t help the heat that simmers through him at Steve’s knowing smile.

“Are you interested in theory or practice?” Steve asks.

“Practice. I am so, so, so interested in practice,” Eddie says, throwing an arm around Steve’s waist and tugging him closer. “But I wouldn’t mind a little theory so I know what I’m doing.”

Steve laughs, pushing against Eddie’s chest lightly. When he lets go, Steve sits up, gesturing for Eddie to sit behind him. Once they’re settled, Steve is nestled between Eddie’s legs and Eddie is resting his chin on Steve’s shoulders. “There’s a slit,” Steve says, taking Eddie’s hand and placing his palm on a patch of scales just below his waist. “When a merperson is aroused, it opens to provide access.”

Eddie swallows, nodding as he feels the cool slide of Steve’s scales under his palm. He glances at Steve and moves his hand, brushing his fingers over the area until he can feel where the slit is. It’s a slightly raised line, barely noticeable if he weren’t looking for it.

“And, uh, how does it work? For two mermen, I mean,” Eddie says.

He feels more than hears Steve hum, the vibrations pulsing through him from where Steve is resting against his chest. “Well, it doesn’t matter much,” Steve says, reaching up to tug on a loose strand of Eddie’s hair. “You humans have a word for it, I think, but all merfolk have the ability to carry or fertilize. It really just depends.”

“Oh,” Eddie says, biting the inside of his cheek as he presses his palm flat against Steve’s scales again. “So, which…I mean, what do you…you know, prefer?”

Steve thinks for a moment, twirling Eddie’s hair around his finger. “Anything that feels good,” he finally says, tilting his head back to grin at Eddie. “How about finding out what does?”

Not for the first time, Eddie thinks, perhaps, the merman in his arms will be the death of him. It’s a good thing he doesn’t mind one bit.

------

Tag List! (tags are full, please follow #high seas steddie)

@mugloversonly, @raisedbylibrarians, @thegirlwiththelibrarybag, @savory-babby, @vankaar,

@beckkthewreck, @itcanbepalped, @imfinereallyy, @finntheehumaneater, @mightbeasleep,

@weekend-dreamer7, @whenindoubtb72, @troublemaker2azz, @just-a-tiny-void, @upallnightogetloki,

@mxmakessense, @ellietheasexylibrarian, @haelreadsshit, @y4r3luv, @starman-jpg,

@littlewildflowerkitten, @estrellami-1, @stevieschrodinger, @gaelicblue, @they-reap-what-we-sow

@5ammi90, @noodle-shenaniganery, @acrolius, @hallelujahimatheist, @rainbow-freckle,

@desidrarry-wolfstarshipper, @goodolefashionedloverboi, @79chevyimpala, @aliea82, @hopefulcookieoperatorpersona,

@sani-86, @queenie-ofthe-void, @goosesister, @hello-fellow-nerds, @luthienstormblessed,

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@m-owo-n, @newtstabber, @cartercaptainofthemoon, @spectrum-spectre, @a-little-unsteddie

[aspoonofsugar]

Some Millie and IMP Thoughts

I love Helluva Boss's new episode for all the reasons everyone else does! In particular, my favorite part is Millie getting fleshed out more.

I have always liked Millie and I disagree with people saying she is badly written. That said, the focus she got this episode adds a ton of depth to both her, her role in the series and the dynamics within IMP.

BLITZ AND IMP

Blitz is the titular character and protagonist of the series. He is the boss in Helluva Boss. As a result, everyone else is in the story for his sake. In particular, IMP is Blitz's found family:

Blitzo: Look, the point is, Loona is a valued member of our family, and we don't get rid of family. Moxxie: We aren't a family, sir! You are the boss! We are the employees!

Through them (and Stolas) Blitz gets to explore his ghosts and to heal. How is that so?

Loona and Moxxie seem to me two sides of the same coin:

-Loona is like Blitz, as she is told by the world she has no real value:

Adoption Center Lady: Oh, her? That's just Loona. What a nightmare. Serious attitude problems. She'll be out of our hair next month when she ages out. Good riddance, if you ask me. She'll never amount to anything much.

So, Blitz latches on her and adopts her. He showers her with the love he never got from his father.

-Moxxie is like Blitz, as he is abused by his father and loses his mother. As a result, he grows up unsure of himself and in need of love and approval:

Blitzo: Well, I'm glad everything ended up okay. Good to know we both have daddy issues, Mox.

However, Blitz often treats him poorly, downplays his abilities and mocks him.

So, Loona and Moxxie are Blitz's mirrors, as he projects on them in opposite ways. He treats Loona like he wishes his father treated him. He treats Moxxie similarly to how his father treated him. Obviously, Blitz isn't an abuser like Buckzo. He loves Moxxie and more importantly he is not his father. However, he and Moxxie do have a mentor-mentee dynamic and it is clear as day Moxxie wants Blitz's approval:

Blitzo: Gonna be honest, Moxxie- Not too bad for your first solo mission. Moxxie: Reeeeeally, siiiir? Blitzo: Nooo, no, not really. You're a fucking disgrace.

Still, Blitz is often unable to give it to him, despite the fact he clearly cares. This is also why Loona and Moxxie get often on each other's nerves:

Loona: How am I supposed to smell anything in this city? Moxxie: Can't you even do one thing right? Loona: Can't you finally do something about how fat you are?

Moxxie is the most critical of Blitz's favoritism towards Loona and is the one insisting Blitz calls her out on her poor attitude towards clients. This is not by chance. They are just like bickering siblings :''')

In a sense, this episode even subtly confirms this foiling:

Blitz: Loonie's perfect, and Moxxie's… probably got some good traits too and I'm sure we'll figure them out eventually.

Loona is perfect and Moxxie has no good traits. What about seeing the world in black and white?

So, where does Millie fit in all of this?

Blitzo: So I'm your best friend, huh? Millie: What do you think? Blitzo: I think…I- I've never had a real friend that I didn't wanna fuck.

She is the only one Blitz does not project over, so they grow into genuine friends. They are equals, value each other and love each other. So, Millie freely states what Loona and Moxxie also think, but can't properly convey:

Millie: He (Blitz) gave me so much…A career, a husband, a future. And now…He's my best friend. Blitzo: You… you don't hate me? Millie: Naw, never.

Blitz gave her, Moxxie and Loona a better future. He is their precious boss and a treasured family member.

MILLIE'S THEME

Helluva Boss has two main themes:

Relationships

Classism

Moxxie is linked to Blitz's unhealthy way to build relationships. Their bond is a complicated mix of friendship, family love, professional interest and a little bit of possessiveness on Blitz's part. That's why it is so complicated and contradictive. Millie ties into this as Moxxie's wife, since M&M's relationship is Blitz's ideal one.

Still, this episode makes clear Millie's true thematic relevance is for the topic of classism:

Millie: We… heh. We don't deserve this. We're just Wrathians, Blitzo. Muscle. It's all we're good for, all I'm good for. It's why you hired me. Any demon good at making a buck is welcome in Lust or Greed, but here? Demons like us ain't cut out for this.

Classism permeates Hell, which is built on a strong hierarchy. All characters have suffered the consequences of this, while being influenced by it at the same time. For example:

Blitz is an imp, who has been looked down and victimized by society. However, he also embraces classist prejudices and uses them as an excuse to push Stolas away.

Stolas is a Goetia, who has been a prisoner of his family's expectations and of his role in society. However, he is also unconsciously discriminating towards imps. He has no ill will towards them, but he calls them silly names and belittles them

Millie is the same. She is a wrathian imp of humble origins. In a sense, she is a stereotypical imp. She is incredibly strong, was born and lived the majority of her life in Wrath, aka imps' original ring. She fits the expectations of both her family and society. However, she deep down wishes for more, which is why she leaves the family ranch to become an assassin. This choice is already seen as subversive by her family, who expected her to stay home, so she could help with the family business. However, Millie herself has no high expectations for her future:

Millie: Bullshit! Who sent you? Millie: Who are you working for?! Blitzo: What? You don't believe me? Millie: Imps don't work for themselves, asshole.

She still sees herself stuck in Wrath. She will be one of many underpaid goons, who work for higher ranking demons. A life a little bit more adventurous than the one at the farm. Still, nothing extraordinary. Then, she meets Blitz:

Millie: Who's that? Your boss? Hah! Blitzo: HA he fucking wishes. No, I work for myself, lady.

Blitz is the first one, who recognizes her potential and who believes she can become more than what she is. He gives her the chance to explore the world outside the Wrath Ring and brings her up to Pride. When Millie doubts herself and her role in society, he is the one to reassure her:

Blitzo: Millie, I have spent too much of my time, energy, and holes into setting this up for us to entertain your bullshit. I brought you into this company for a reason, okay? You're tougher, smarter, and frankly more capable than anyone I've ever met in any ring.

Blitz gives Millie a new life, where she is free to be herself and to choose a husband she would have never chosen, if she had stayed home with her family.

Thanks to Blitz and her work at IMP she is by this point a different person than the one she was. She does not completely fit in Wrath anymore:

Sallie May: Heh, yeah, I mean, with so many exciting things here, it's no wonder you never make your way back home. SHIT! That slipped out. Millie: ..What? Sallie May: You know… the Wrath Ring, all that dirt and rust and boring nothingness. Not much of a thriving club scene down there, why visit that, right?

Which is why she is now slowly overcoming her prejudices:

Millie: Oh yeah! Y'all haven't met my boss Blitzo! And his hellhound! Loona: I'm not just his hellhound.

It is not by chance Millie is the one calling Loona Blitz's Hellbound, as if she were a pet. Moreover, it is not by chance she does so, while talking with her family. It is probably normal for wrathian imps to see hellbounds as property. So, when she visits home, she goes back to a familiar language and mindset, without even realizing how offensive it is. That is why it is relevant this episode has Millie share a bonding moment with Loona, where she calls her by name:

Millie: Thanks. Loona.

She is not only overcoming her self-insecurities, but she is also starting to see other demons differently. She is growing not only more happy, but also more open minded. All thanks to Blitz's impact on her life:

Millie: Most of my life I bought into the idea that all I could ever be was a simple farm girl. Or best an underpaid goon. Until I met some knucklehead who never gave a fuck about what anyone else said he could or couldn't be. He made me believe he could be anything. And that made me feel like I could be anything, too.

CHARLIE AND BLITZ

Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss are twin series. They are complementary stories, with different focuses and a shared heart. This is shown in Charlie and Blitz, their respective protagonists. They are opposites.

Charlie is a royal demon, a young rich girl, who is optimistic and idealistic. She is obsessed with seeing the good in others. Blitz is instead a humble imp, an adult man, who is cynical and genre-savy. He sees only the worst in people to protect himself. However, both disrupt the status quo:

Charlie decides to completely change the hierarchy between hell and heaven. She is breaking the system the world is built on and re-writing the laws of the universe.

Blitz changes things in little ways. He is not trying to reform society, but he still acts in ways society does not expect, so he subverts hierarchies and transforms people around him.

That's something that comes up several times:

Striker: Boss, huh…? Ohhh, so YOU'RE the bold imp to start his own killing biz? Blitzo: Yeah, well if you're good at somethin', you should probably capitalize. Striker: Not many Imps start businesses on their own. That's pretty impressive, sir.

Crimson: Oh, I'm sure. You got to be Blitz, with the silent "o", right? I've heard a lot of good things about you and your work. Blitzo: Really? What kind of shit has Moxxie been spreading about me? I'll fucking kill you Moxxie, don't you fucking test me! Crimson: No, no! From all over. Looks like you're building a bit of a name for yourself here, kid.

Both Striker and Crimson comment on Blitz's business, in two moments that are to be seen as parallels:

-Striker says so, as the group visits Millie's family. Millie's family is a relatively happy one, as they all clearly love each other. However, it is an economically struggling one:

Joe: We lost our old farm hand to one of them terrors last week.

Millie's parents are loving, but traditionalists and stuck in the old ways.

-Crimson says so, as the group meets him and discovers he is Moxxie's father. Crimson is an imp, who built an empire. Moreover, he is not scared to go against the hierarchy and to challenge even the deadly sins:

Crimson: You probably just asked if I know who I'm dealing with. And, oh yes, I know. The weakest and most non-threatening of the Sins. The king who will do whatever it takes to save the worst-kept secret in all of Hell. We both know you won't risk anything happening to the clown. So be a good little bitch boy, and do the thing. My lawyers will be over shortly with the contract of demands. You have until the witching hour to sign it. Hueheheheheheheh!

Still, he sacrifices everything else to greed. In order to climb up, he destroys everyone around him. He killed his wife and abused Moxxie, so his son leaves him the first chance he gets.

In other words, Blitz offers Millie the opportunity to social climb and he offers Moxxie true friendship and comraderie. He gives them what they miss and want.

STRIKER

Finally, this episode indirectly adds a new layer to Striker's character and his role in the series. So, Striker is clearly everyone's dark foil.

Specifically, he is Blitz's jungian shadow aka what Blitz represses:

Striker: Blitzo, come on. You know, the two of us are superior than most of our kind. And you were so above suckin' on a disgusting, rich, pompous Goetia, only to sneak topside for scraps and work for bitter sinners, who could care less who you are, when you could be slaying Overlords.

He embodies Blitz's darkest side and tempts him to give in to it. For example, he backs Blitz up in his fight with Fizz over Royal Demons:

Striker: As far as I'm concerned, you two are BOTH embarrassments to our kind for meddlin' with blue-bloods to begin with. But at least loud-mouth here has the sense to only fuck his rich bitch, instead of bein' a little purse dog. Blitzo: Oh, great. The fuckin' supremacist is on my side, wonderful. Fizzarolli: Neither of you filth bags know what you're even talkin' about. If you think you're superior to ANYONE, then you're no better than any royal— Striker: DON'T. You. Dare… Finish that sentence, clown…

And let's say it is not by chance Striker is burnt and probably gets some scars the same episode it is revealed Blitz accidentally set his family circus on fire:

He is clearly meant to embody the anti-theme, both when it comes to relationships and classism. He is who Blitz might become, if he gave in to his worst instincts. That is why he is the character physically threatening Stolas's life and calling him out on his privilege at the same time:

Striker: YOU. Don't get to talk over me! I don't have to listen to your bullshit! All you royals ever do is try to talk over us!

He challenges Stolas to see the darkness in Blitz he keeps ignoring. Moreover, Striker's attempt on Stolas only works because Blitz himself does not warn Stolas, believing that with his powers the goetia can easily survive an imp's attack:

Blitzo: Stolas got what? How?… He can get hurt?

In short, Striker is a key character for both Blitz and Stolas. That said, he does foil also Moxxie and Millie. (Which is why they get to fight him twice, just like Blitz - they lose the first time and win the second).

In his debut episode, he is openly juxtaposed to Moxxie. He is the ideal imp, the one Millie's parents would have liked their daughter to marry. He is a great farmer and an even better fighter. He is strong and charming and easily defeats Moxxie at everything, even music. That said, it turns out Moxxie is a far better person and husband and gets to call out Millie's parents on it, gaining their respect in the process:

Moxxie: Y'know, she protected me. And maybe I'm not a strong beefy dickhead, but Millie has the strength enough for both of us! You two are getting on her case about being hurt by a psychopath you hired?! Shaaaaame on you!

Ghostf***ckers instead makes Striker and Millie's foiling obvious. Both are wrathian assassins, who work as goons for others:

Millie: Not exactly a shortage of imp assassins in Wrath. Reputation is everything.

Here lies Striker's contradiction. He keeps saying he hates the hierarchy, but in the end he acts exactly as society expects him to:

Stolas: Well, you seem to be forgetting; you are working for a royal right now!

He hates royals, but takes orders from them. Even when he decides to leave Wrath, he goes to Greed, so exactly where "imps able to make a buck are welcome", according to Millie:

Crimson: HEY! Hick-for-hire! I said watch 'em, not fuck 'em. Keep ya hands off the merchandise!

See? Striker acts like some big shot, but in the end he operates within the system, rather than subverting it. Both Fizz and Blitz are far more successful at overcoming the hierarchy than he is. Fizz does not take orders from royals, but becomes a romantic and business partner to one. Blitz does not resort depending on royals or imps for his job. Rather, he takes orders only from himself and invents a new business.

Striker says not everyone gets the chance to live in Pride:

Striker: Look. Not every ring is some fancy-ass city, with some fancy-ass mansion, that only fancy-ass royals get to live in. Some of us have hard lives to live.

And yet, he is offered it by Blitz, just like Millie:

Blitzo: Isn't this guy great? It's gonna be nice workin' with him. Yeaaaah! I asked him if he wants to join I.M.P.

If he had joined IMP, he could have found a family, a strong business partner and could have embraced a new life. He did not and became IMP's enemy instead. On the contrary, Millie did and is now a happier and better person.

WHAT ABOUT LOONA?

Personally, I think Loona is gonna be key in Blitz's development, as both her past, arc and relationship with her dad are very well set up. If Moxxie focuses on relationships, whereas Millie on classism, Loona will probably offer a synthesis of both themes:

Loona is Blitz's adoptive daughter and the first member of his new found family.

Loona is a hellbound, so a demon even lower than imps.

I am very curious to see how her story develops and I am looking forward to discover more about her past and to see if her foiling with Bee gets explored more. After this episode I am more curious than ever!

[phantomrens]

thinking a little too hard about akechi again (shocker i know) and i think the reason there are some people who don’t like him is because they’ve never been in his position.

akechi was almost doomed from the start. his mother committed suicide and his father never gave a shit about him and he was thrown into a system that didn’t want him and didn’t care about him. being a child and being so isolated and never feeling like you have any friends to support you or understand you is terrifying. and yes what akechi did in response to this was extreme, but he didn’t feel like he had a choice. he never wanted to hurt anyone but it was the only way he could get an ounce of attention from a father who didn’t care about him. i think people forget that he is still a victim even if the way he handled his trauma and isolation was wrong.

and then finding the one person who takes the time to understand you and learn you inside out, even if it’s not the person you expected or wanted. akechi wanted shido to understand him but instead found ren, and immediately knew he was something special. their bond was immediate, two sides of the same coin. and akechi never knew how to handle this, no one had never been this nice to him in his life, so he became hot and cold with him. he’d never been so open with someone yet so shut off from someone. he was so attached to him yet wanted to push him away at every opportunity because he was scared of hurting him. he wanted to tell him how much he meant yet ended up telling him he hated him because he didn’t know what else to do. and he started to regret what he did because he realised that he didn’t need to murder people to have someone take notice of him and like him for who he was. and realised if he met ren a few years earlier things would have been so much different for him.

and yes my own life experiences are nowhere near as extreme as akechi’s, but i understand being alone and finally finding someone who understands you and realising you’ve found your soulmate. i don’t condone what akechi did in response but i understand why he did what he did because it was a cry for help from him.

[notbreadman]

i know it's a meme that batman fans will give you a ten page essay on why they love batman when asked while superman fans will just say something like "because he's kind :)" but i can do both. i will absolutely give you a ten page essay on why i love superman and think he's so important and although i can do the same for batman, all my thoughts can essentially be dumbed down to "because he's kind :)" as well

the core of batman's character is that he is kind. that he loves (and believes in) his city and humanity so much. superman and batman are really two sides of the same coin (ha) in the sense that the only real difference between the two is that superman grew up in a loving environment and lives in a pretty decent city while batman watched his parents die in front of him and lives in the Actually Worst City Ever

batman is in no way perfect. he is very flawed and i think it's a disservice to not acknowledge those flaws, but at his core, he is just trying to do the right thing. because he is kind. because he cares. because he loves humanity much like superman loves humanity.

[anamelessfool]

A Naming (part 4 of 5)

Rated Teen, Papa Emeritus II’s Son and Family

Tags: Halloween Hijinks, Eldest Kid anxiety, Suburban Dad Secondo, Disabled Secondo, Post-Retirement Life, Magic Rituals, My AU with Secondo being Papa from 2001-2008

CW: Underage Drinking, Strong Language

Secondo arrives in the hearse from the family’s memorial home.

Dedicated to @kissingghouls thanks for cheering me on you’re my little Hell Pumpkin 🎃 I;m on AO3 same name with all my other fics but this site gets mad at me when I post links. Check out #anamelessfool Halloween tag for prev chapters, comments include prev chapters and start link. #anamelessfool Halloween start is the beginning of this fic.

At first, Paul’s fear from the rocks’ continued harassment was overshadowed by the slow march of his father over to the picnic spot. The man was in no hurry as he picked his way over the unsteady ground, the crutch that supported his withered leg feeling for solid spots as he approached.

“Just…wait,” said Paul. “It’s my dad.”

“Mr. Leider—?” The corpse-grinder. The man with dead folks on ice. The retired rockstar Hell Priest of Satan. Paul’s dad.

Paul’s friends froze in place, now ignoring the small rocks bouncing off their heads as Secondo approached with the Eye uncovered and shining silver-white. The light from the hearse headlights reflected off his bare scalp and down the side of his carved head. To anyone outside his own progeny the man was a terrifying pillar of relentless severity, but small tells hinted to Paul that a river of stress was flooding its banks. For one, he did not bother to conceal his monstrous Eye. And two, he was chewing on a toothpick. Paul knew they were going to be rescued, but he had no idea the cost.

Secondo reached into his jacket and pulled out a lighter, igniting the flame. His whole face curled into a deep sneer, a wrathful expression moments before a bite. He opened his mouth, teeth glinting, brows intensely furrowed, Infernal Eye blazing.

And then he gave a shout. Except it didn't sound like a true shout. Paul heard the first rough syllable, then his hearing blanked out despite feeling the roar. It was loud, menacing, but not in the air. Instead it tugged at his mind. At once his father’s mouth closed as his face relaxed back into its usual sternness.

And the tension in the atmosphere was gone.

“It's rebuked,” said Secondo, reaching once more into his jacket. He replaced his older toothpick with a new one at the corner of his mouth. “It's surprised I'm here.”

Paul found his voice and exchanged tense glances with his friends. “What…was…”

“Look,” said Secondo.

The rocks started up again but this time slowly, avoiding the teens as they stood rooted to the floor. Watching them materialize and then fall as if puppeted by invisible strings was more terrifying than the random drop above their heads. Paul hadn't conjured up the rocks. Something was responding, actively tormenting the kids with careful gestures.

“What is it….doing?” Paul asked.

“Trying to impress me.” But Secondo's stony face looked far from impressed. Secondo stood beside his son and Paul avoided his eyes while feeling the stares from the other kids burn across his back.

“How did you…even know?” But Paul didn't need to really ask.

Secondo dropped an item in Paul’s hand, shocking him with the temperature. It was a small vial of fluid, inexplicably frozen solid. “Now what page did you use.”

Paul hastily leafed through the journal and brought the circle up to his father's eyes. Secondo studied it for a few moments, expressionless. “Money attraction?”

So completely the wrong one. “Uh…it rained coins for a few minutes, you know,” Paul joked nervously. Behind them another shower of gravel scattered on the floor right in front of Tiff's face and she let out a scream.

“Tell your friends the screaming makes it worse,” explained the old magician.

“Yeah but I'm sorry please help us please! Dad!”

“I can't. It's tied to you.” Secondo leaned down and positioned his expression closer to Paul’s own. “You called it. It wants you.”

“But what do I…what do I do….”

“I could frighten it away again but it would come back. It would follow all your friends home and be bolder without me watching.” A muscle tensed in Secondo's jaw. “No. No you have to be the one to exorcise it. Now. While it's young.”

Whatever controlled the rocks now changed its tactics. The gravel materialized, floated down to a foot above the ground and then slammed hard onto the concrete, bouncing in all directions. The amount of control it had over matter was astounding. Not to mention the chokehold it had over Paul and his friends. “Everyone stay calm,” said Paul, and in other circumstances the kids would start arguing with him. Instead they clumped together struggling not to cry.

“Name. Contain. Release,” continued Secondo. “That’s how it’s done. However you want to do it.”

Paul screwed up his eyes tight and realized he wasn’t breathing. He let out the air in his lungs in one slow sigh, feeling the tide of emotions in their spin cycle. He had to pull them apart, give them a name like his father taught him to do. As always he imagined himself picking them up like small animals, pressing his hand down on their heads as he sorted. Fear, shame, confusion. Humiliation.

And there was something else, just outside his perception. Something there, a buzzing energy concentrated in the far left corner of the picnic area. It wriggled as much as his own fear, pulsing with an independent excitement. Is this what Secondo meant? Is this what he had to name?

“I…I feel something but I don’t know what to do,” Paul whispered.

Secondo’s voice was a low murmur right by his ear. “Continue on. Things called to you have a name. It’s there.”

It wasn’t human, so it made sense for the thing to not have a human name. It had to be something strange. Paul reached out with his mind, his hand following in the direction he felt the roiling presence. The space had a temperature now, ice cold, and the entity rustled and grew in excitement, all at once stamping a phrase directly into Paul’s brain.

Paul opened his eyes, pulled out his chalk and wrote what came to mind on the concrete.

XIRRZARCHEMENT

“Contain,” Paul said. He drew a circle around it. “Release…” He looked up, the kids around him still mesmerized with what he was doing. They were too terrified to comment or judge or joke or smile. Every few seconds a rock would fall beside one of them; a reminder of their paranormal harassment. Paul pointed at a corner of the awning, ordering, ”Bring that trash can over here.”

One of the boys finally budged, carrying the metal can over to Paul’s work on the floor. As Paul expected the can was left out in the rain from the previous day and so had a good two inches of sludgy water at the bottom. He knew enough about Secondo’s work that destruction was a part of it. Destruction by the elements: fire, water, earth, air. The thing enjoyed rocks so earth was out of the question. Fire…he had no idea how to destroy it with fire. Fire was Secondo’s primary way to destroy ritual things: fold it up in a piece of paper, burn it on the family grill. No grill here. And waiting for air to gently blow something away was not fast enough. But water…

Paul dumped the water across the encircled chalk name, scraping his foot to scrub out the words with force.

There was nothing but silence once again. That buzzing, that cold form beside him was gone.

“Well done,” said Secondo gently.

There were a few silent minutes where they waited for the rocks to return, but the air was still again. Tiff and Dana finally peeled themselves from each other, tears drying on their faces. The boys began to wake up from their terrified stupor to secretly glare at Paul, as if he hadn’t just saved them from something beyond all of their understanding.

“But…my car…” Dave started up his whining again now that he felt safe from unexplainable paranormal forces.

“Act of God,” Secondo replied. “And you all had better sober up before I drop you off at your houses. Come now.” He didn’t wait for them to take a hint. He turned and walked back to the parking lot knowing full well all of them would follow along. And they did, cautiously wandering across the grass to arrive at the hearse.

Secondo swung open the back door, and the pristine white curtains adorning the window drifted softly into place. “Truck can't fit all of you,” stated Secondo. “Now get in.” Nobody moved. Secondo blinked. “It's empty. Get in. I'm taking you all home.”

The kids exchanged nervous looks then clambered into the back, huddling amongst themselves like refugees. Secondo put a hand across his son’s shoulder. “No. You're in the front. With me.”

“Right,” muttered Paul. And he’d be the one to get out of the car and open the hatch for each and every one of his friends, half-staring into their face as they would exit. Paul slid into the passenger seat and crank-rolled the window down. They would be driving the ancient hearse at an agonizing twenty-five miles per hour, stopping for too long at every stop sign.

The driver door opened and Secondo steeled himself to get into the car. Paul didn’t want to watch his father lower himself gingerly into the driver’s seat and prop his crutch beside him. Secondo landed on his seat and squeezed his hands on the steering wheel, his eyes closed, breath coming out in a rattling exhalation. He recomposed himself for a minute, then slammed the door. The engine coughed to life. The bench seat of the converted Buick felt massive, his father nearly a football field away on the other side of the car quietly enduring pain just so he could pick up Paul and his delinquent friends after a night of conjuring demons from stolen materials. Secondo never said a word, but Paul felt its weight. The shame was ready to drown him.

Secondo shifted to look in his side mirror. “Paul, we clear?” Was all he said. The hearse had a massive blind spot, and the rod in his back kept his neck from turning as well as it used to. Despite Paul’s lying, his transgressions and the risks he took tonight Secondo depended on him. Trusted him. Whatever paternal discussion on moral failings would be had later, tabled because his father needed him for something larger right now. Paul stuck his head out his window, finding his voice again.

“Yeah, you can go.”

Like it? Reblog it thank youuu

[gldnstrngs]

i find this to be a super interesting point because ive thought about how arthur and camelot were such a small fragment of merlins life. like, it was a decade of his 1500 year life so in theory, it shouldnt be that significant to him. of course he would reminisce of memories of the past, but hes lived such a long life at that point and will continue to live for an eternity, so this is just one tragedy out of the many he will face

but then i would think about it some more and maybe if this was anyone else, then they would be able to move on, but this is merlin. this is merlin, emrys, the last dragonlord, the advisor and servant of the once and future king— his purpose of existence comes from the fact that he is magic, and that he was born because of arthur

theyre two sides of the same coin. their souls are entwined and kilgharrah tells merlin that one day, arthur will rise again and that is something merlin is meant to wait for

its heartbreaking that these ten years of merlins long life defines how he will continue to live, but thats his reality. he exists for arthur and that is something hes accepted for years. in the series finale, he even says “i was born to be your servant.” and in the season one finale, he says “i’m happy to be your servant, till the day i die.”

im not sure if my points entirely make sense, but i think thats why merlin waiting for arthur for thousands of years is still really significant. i do think his memories would be blurred and it would be hard for him to remember everything, but he is not only born of magic—he is magic. we, the audience, never really got the opportunity to see how far his magic could really go, so whos to say he cant relive his past? IDK i think there are a lot of different ways to look at how merlin lives his life after arthur dies but yea thats what i think :>

//this might be controversial but this is my opinion on it:

i don't like modern merthur. the one who's dead and immortal for 1500 years.

first of all i don't like the emptiness of it, because we take merlin and arthur from a place and characters that we all known and love into a new setting. it feels so lifeless unless you create new casts to replace the canon characters / have them reincarnated (but that would also be weird)

second: i just don't think it's romantic? like yeah, sure merlin waiting for 1500 years for arthur's return is...well romantic but arthur isn't there and it makes it wrong.

i mean, realistically, we as humans forget our childhood memories and we don't really clung to those moments so i'm kinda idk whats the right word for this miffed?? i just don't think merlin would remember his time in camelot when he experienced and talk to new people and things in the following years. it makes it feels more empty yk, and it undervalues the canon series you get what i mean??

and with arthur not being there, tbh i feel like merlin would have found someone more important because 1500 years is a long time and i don't think merlin would be as attached to camelot anymore yk??

and if we were to compare this to let's say aziracrow (immortal beings who lived for 6000 years), it's more alive and valid i say? because angel and demons are eternal and we don't really see the worldbuilding being taken away from us. it's always constant even if the humans changed from time to time.

and aziracrow seen and be with each-other throught the decades, BC, 1941, 1800, so on. it's more realistic for them to clung with each other because they've been with the other since the beginning and probably end of time.

[keykeychain]

destiny duo oh pls oh pls oh pls

"I can see you in me, and that's terrifying"

[bread-wizards]

I wonder if Dorian's views towards the gods could best be summed up as something like, "I wish my family didn't have to die for [their] brighter tomorrow."

[cat-draws-stuff]

Sweet dark mouth, all peoples of the world emerged from your great dark depths. Sweet dark mouth, you shall widen again.

Linocut print of Faulkner.

[mawrrbid]

The fact you gave Hermes to Leander and how much it fits is driving me insane.... I need to do something with that now.

Glad to see we agree with Ais & Vere, but honestly I feel like Ares & Aphrodite are just the most fitting for them.

But since I associated Ais with Ares, I gave Athena to Leander, because they're like... Two sides of the same coin in a kind of way? Opposite but also the same. And Leander definitely feels more like a strategist than a fighter.

Did think of Mhin as Artemis at all but it totally fit! Same for Kuras.

Thank you so much for your thoughts. 🙏

Because of Epic: The Musical, I've been drowning myself in Greek mythology again, so... What Greek god would you guys attribuate/associate to the Touchstarved LIs?

Might try to do something with some of y'all thoughts.

[any-n-everything]

something about bingqiu/bingyuan

i read mdzs first, followed by svsss, and then tgcf

i like all of them but there was always something that bothered me about svsss and that was the main cp, bingqiu/bingyuan

because, when i read mdzs and tgcf, i could more or less understand why wangxian and hualian were couples. because despite their vastly different personalities, their core values more or less aligned with one another. and i think that's neat and i love them for it.

but bingqiu/bingyuan always confused me because i couldn't make sense of their core values/why were they attracted to each other. i mean. i guess we can take the "shallow reading" route and say that it's because shen yuan has always adored binghe-the-white-lotus-protagonist and luo binghe loved shen yuan because he consistently chose him(?). their relationship is complicated and kind of a mess but like it's theirs so im not gonna bother too much about it.

but maybe because i like over-analysing, i still want to confirm to myself if they have a shared "core value" like the other two mxtx couples.

which leads me to my theory that their core value is their shared sense of self-preservation.

it makes sense to me because, from the moment shen yuan woke up as "scum villain shen qingqiu", he was predominantly motivated by his desire to keep living. many of his actions can be explained by this. which makes shen yuan's decision to NOT push binghe into the abyss very much an act of love, because he was essentially sacrificing what he holds dear (his own life) for his disciple. this was all ruined by the system, of course, and shen yuan was forced to push binghe into the abyss. he then became a grieving widow master.

so shen yuan's following actions were very interesting because he was very much expecting luo binghe to come kill him, but also, he kind of didn't want to die? but luo binghe kind of also has a right to murder his traitorous self? so he concocted the mushroom body plan. this way, binghe can get his closure by murdering his scum master, and shen yuan can continue to live! win-win amirite?

SQH: why are you like this cucumber-bro

and we all know how well that plan went

anyways, i went off on a tangent, BUT BASICALLY. shen yuan has very strong self-preservation instincts, but specifically when luo binghe is out of the picture. around LBH he just has the self-preservation of a lemming.

now binghe is harder to analyse (for me) because the novel is mostly in shen yuan's pov and he's an Unreliable Narrator so i'll be mostly focusing on binghe's life events and actions.

which are basically:

he survived the cold waters of the luo river as a baby

he survived a poor childhood when his adoptive mother didn't

he survived until he reached cang qiong mountain sect

he survived shen qingqiu (version shen jiu) and the bullying of his martial siblings

he survived being pushed down into the abyss

basically, binghe is a survivor. no matter what happens, he has a very strong desire to survive and is, more often than not, willing to pay any cost. the cost he isn't willing to pay, however, is shen yuan.

off the top of my head an example would be how bingge (he-with-no-shen-yuan) took a harem of beauties so he could control xin mo but bingmei (he-with-shen-yuan) decided to just... cripple people's cultivation. they're kind of both equally bad (let us never forget that bingge is a rapist) but it seemed that bingmei did not want to be intimate with anyone because he had shen yuan in his heart. i dunno if this makes sense but what i'm getting at is that binghe was willing to pay other people's lives just so he didn't have to be intimate with anyone except shen yuan.

so there's something poetic about how shen yuan would pay his life for binghe and binghe would pay literally anything else except shen yuan (and i guess the things/people he cares about and are related to him).

and im really not here to discuss morality or anything but looking at bingqiu/bingyuan, i still get the feeling that, if shen yuan hadn't been born with "modern standards" and "modern sensibilities", he would be a little more callous and uncaring of other people's lives. because, at his core, he would prioritise his own life over other people's. like, you know, his husband.

that's not the shen yuan we got tho so oh well

[betterwithbooksthanwithpeople]

look I know The Timeless Children is,, controversial to say the least but the way the Doctor's first instinct when she's trapped is to beg the Master to save her friends in light of all their history together?? when the Master says "I wish it wasn't true, but it is"? and how the Doctor is reeling and one of the memories she clings to is "you and me at the academy together"?? much to think about.

[amelia-friend]

Something, something, Jack Kelly red shirt, blue necktie, Crutchie blue shirt, red necktie.

(Except in the refuge where it’s Crutchie blue bruises, red blood)

[protocolseben]

One day I will find a vettonso fic so vile and full of hatred for each other but at the moment of me existing here I just see them as two separated dads with their own way of raising their “sets” of kids that are about the same but different lmao