#the moon was never full

[keekry]

Was messing around with my workflow and he appeared. Magical girl lwj.

[sashayed]

in general i support scientists in all their perverted endeavors but this notion of a time zone for the moon has me HEATED. smiling, insidious, the tyrannical Human Clock stretches its "civilizing" tentacles into space. the toothèd seeds of capitalism burrow into our beautiful partner satellite. "oh it's just about making sure various countries and corporations can coordinate their moon missions" WELL I THINK ITS BAD. AND I'M UPSET

[angelsfuzzyslippers]

First art of the new year and I'm quite happy with it! This started out as 'Wouldn't it be cute if Octavia wanted eye markings like Stolas and Blitz have' and turned into a dad-daughter makeover slumber party. 😂

[chalkrub]

do you think it’s a friendly wolf

[rmg91]

LOOK HOW HAPPY (and sassy) MY BOI IIIISSSSS!!!!! SO RELAXED AND PROUD TO BE SHOWING OFF HIS AND HIS PARTNERS WORK!!!! I CAN'T!!!!!!

[tealvenetianmask]

Here's a compilation of Blitz's tail being brilliantly expressive in The Full Moon and Apology Tour.

His tail starts getting really active around here, with the "I can always do better" line. It's appeasing body language, a little wag, along with leaning in and making himself small.

Then during Blitz's rant at Stolas, his tail goes absolutely haywire. All of the movements here are sharp and sudden. There are whip-like movements (more on that later) where the tail sweeps and then hits, but also a lot of erratic jerking around. Notice that his arms are going crazy here too. Boy is so upset- the animation captures such a brilliant mixture of rage and terror.

Now Apology Tour. Blitz enters Stolas's garden in appeasing mode, and he's super anxious. Getting attacked by the plant can't help. His tail perfectly captures the mood of the moment. There are the wags again, but also a fair amount of flailing.

Angry whip tail is back. This is defensive mode, and it's more contained than in The Full Moon. Blitz seems truly ready to use his tail as a weapon (not that he would physically attack Stolas). Notice too that as he's yelling, his tail stays mostly still but shakes for emphasis.

I think that the way Blitz uses his tail to emphasize his expression in these scenes is mostly involuntary on his part. Not that he can't move it with absolute precision as we've seen in some of the fight scenes. But the animators treat it as another limb, and our boy is super expressive.

So . . . I think this is neat. That's it. That's the point of this analysis. Let's watch for more tail language in the coming episodes.

[zombie-bait]

Full Moon

Ok so I don’t normally post about Helluva Boss but the newest episode touched on an interesting concept I haven’t necessarily seen represented in media. Back when I was on Twitter (derogatory) a few years ago there was this now deleted viral thread where someone discussed how their struggles with mental health affected their relationship with their partner and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. 

This is such a good, short example of how anxiety and depression can play tricks on you. It becomes so easy to envision yourself as a nuisance, a constant burden to those closest to you because they cannot possibly genuinely enjoy your company, right? But in doing so you create this arbitrarily cruel version of the people you love, people who would otherwise never behave like this outside of your own mind.

It's mean. Because your mind wants to be mean to you under these circumstances. It wants to put everyone else's emotions and desires above yours, both in worthiness and validity. And that starts bleeding into your understanding of other people, especially those you care about.

Now. Helluva Boss.

"Can I get a fucking MINUTE to think after everything you put me through you pompous rich ASSHOLE? Treat me like one of your little butler imps, you can’t just dismiss me like that! I mean, you royal fucks think you can do this every time, like you can just play with our feelings because we’re smaller and not as important. Well I’m not letting you, BITCH! Let’s go!" - Blitz

I find it really interesting how Helluva Boss decided to approach this conflict between Stolas and Blitz. Obviously, the difference in power matters. It's the underlying tension of their entire relationship and their lives. Stolas is burdened by the mountain of expectations thrust upon him from a very young age while Blitz is constantly reminded that he can NEVER be part of that world, that he is "smaller and not as important" not just in Hell's hierarchy but in his own life and family. Stolas very literally has power over Blitz (through the grimoire, the arrangement, his position in society) and Blitz uses their relationship as an excuse to reverse those roles. But that power dynamic, in one form or another, never truly goes away. And for Blitz, it's a lot easier to paint Stolas as this manipulative symbol of power and himself as nothing more than Stolas' plaything. It's easier to be angry than to be vulnerable and accept that someone might care about him.

"Dismiss" is the keyword in that quote. All that Blitz has been able to process is that Stolas has decided to end the relationship that they have. He feels ls like a choice has been taken away from him so he lashes out because he's not ready to emotionally tackle what the rest of Stolas' offer might entail. If Stolas hates him, just wants to play with him, then he is justified in his anger, his self-destruction, his isolation. If the world is mean, you're "allowed" to be mean back.

But

In that moment he forgets that Stolas is someone he actually cares about. Someone he's known for way too long and clearly wants to keep in his life, no matter how reluctant he can be to admit it. Someone who is not innately cruel or manipulative but sad and desperate for connections in a lot of the same ways that Blitz is. And Blitz immediately sees that he's miscalculated something.

Somewhere along the way the fictional version of Stolas that he's allowed himself to be mad at and the real one that he's not ready to admit he cares about have merged into something real that he has actual power over. Stolas can get hurt and Blitz can be the one who does it. He has once again allowed his greatest fears (which Stolas so frequently symbolizes) to co-opt his loved ones, to give him an "out" even though he didn't actually want one in the first place.

I'm definitely not the first person to say this but I think this is an example of the miscommunication trope done right. Their individual struggles are what cause them to be unable to connect during this conversation or to even have a proper conversation in the first place. There is no convenient misunderstanding or third party fabricating this rift. Both of them have preconceived ideas of what the other one is thinking but those ideas are flawed and rooted in self-hatred. They also both shutdown in their unique ways when the conversation starts heading in the direction they'd feared it would.

Blitz and Stolas work because they're both fucked up in similar ways, because they want similar things. That's the same reason why they're uniquely designed to hurt one another. A fear of rejection and a yearning for happiness. To borrow a quote that has been used by literally everyone from Spiderman to Evangelical preachers, "hurt people hurt people."

anyway, I really liked this episode.

(twitter thread screenshots sourced from this reddit post)

[kirby-the-gorb]

[akirathedramaqueen]

Only one person has the power to make Stolas cry

And I'll keep the intrigue just a little bit longer so you can try to guess for yourself and experience the kind of satisfaction I had once I pieced it all together. And, oh boy, did it click!

Okay, so today, after a rather passionate conversation with @tealvenetianmask about how fandom seems to perceive Stolas as overly emotional and soft demon, we started rummaging through all the scenes where Stolas actually cried. We were blown off by some revelations.

First note: it's actually not much. Our owl appears to be very sturdy and often bites back when attacked, rather than shutting down as one might expect.

Second note... Better let me show you. Let's walk through all the 'Stolas cries' scenes and see what is happening there, and answer the question, "What, or rather who, sets him off the rails?"

This is your last chance to place your bets and educated guesses. Because below are big clues, and, eventually, answer.

Circus

We follow up on Stolas shortly after the disastrous date at Ozzie's - arguably, a couple of hours later. He looks absolutely miserable. He has boozed himself to unconsciousness. His eyeliner is ruined from earlier tears. He groans, either from headache or emotional turmoil, grabs three Happy pills, and shoves them down his throat.

Whatever happened at this club ruined our bird, to the point he's looking for anything to avoid being alone with his thoughts.

Western Energy

One shed tear. That's all Stolas allows himself. That's what I am talking about when I claim he is actually very tough. He is being tortured, mutilated, and by this point, he has a pretty good understanding that his demise is likely inevitable.

And you know what he does in response? He talks back. He cuts through Striker's bullshit about royals taking everything from him and points out that his killer took a contract from a royal. He literally humiliates Striker with sex jokes and mocks his oversized dick on the statue ego. Figuratively, he spits death in its face.

The Full Moon

Stolas is destroyed.

This meeting was nerve-wracking even before it happened - all the preparation, insecurities, misunderstandings of the past, and lingering, terrifying questions (He loves me? He loves me not?).

It takes weeks to set everything in motion. He planned it meticulously. He scripted every word, every movement of his body, every subtle tone in his voice.

But he forgot that there was another party in this play. The party who was not given the script and is burdened with his own trauma. One shitty assumption, one poorly-thought-out action, and here it is - mockery, avoidance, a fight... and tears. His first meltdown he wasn't able to conceal.

His worst nighmares came true, or so he convinced himself. He loves me not.

Apology Tour

Our last stop on our 'we-love-being-tortured-by-crying-Stolas' tour is here.

The wound is still fresh, bleeding even, and here he comes, rubbing salt into it. Someone Stolas still desperately wants. Someone who was infinitely brash, rude, and aggressive just this morning. Someone who doubled down on statements that made Stolas believe this particular someone hates him.

That someone tries to talk. To explain. To apologize. Wonders how Stolas could actually care about him. Says the prince is better off without him.

Fuck... The prince came here to forget, to wipe that someone (okay, it's getting increasingly hard to pretend it's not obvious yet) from his memory, at least for the night, and he still won't let Stolas go.

He breaks into tears, crushed, reassured he can't have anyone who would hold him, who would say he is the only one, but recuperates shortly after - he was taught better than this.

Okay, are we ready for the shocker of the year?

It's Blitzø.

It was his date with Blitzø at Ozzie's, where he was ignored, humiliated, and was told that their relatioship was only about sex, and that he was the one who made it clear.

It was Blitzø turning down (or so he thought) his distress call, leading him to believe he was left alone to die.

It was Blitzø mocking his confession and assuming it was just a fucking roleplay.

Finally, it was Blitzø haunting him since that very morning and, albeit with better intentions, still hurting him beyond his abilities to recover.

The only person who tore his soul apart enough to break his inpenetrable mask - built up by decades of gritted teeth, restraint, and bravery - was the one he probably cares about the most.

It was not Octavia, whom he holds close to his heart but couldn’t allow to see him depressed. He had to be strong for her; he needed to raise and support her.

It was not Stella, whom he endured for years, yet did not satisfy her wish to see him whimper. He talked back, argued, ignored, and seethed. But he never gave in.

It was him. An imp who stole his grimoire and gave him the best time of his life, however sad that may sound.

Now, thanks for joining this drama in four acts. You may pull out your handkerchiefs and ugly cry right here, in your places. Don't hold it in.

Because I don't.

[endoplight]

The Wolf and her Moon. Reposting this from my Twitter and Instagram, @EndoPlight.

[novacorpseart]

I thought I was ready.

I was not.

[dramashii]

KIM SOO HYUN in Dramas

Dream High (2011) | Moon Embracing the Sun (2012) | You Who Came From the Stars (2013) | The Producers (2015) | It's Okay to Not Be Okay (2020) | One Ordinary Day (2021) | Queen of Tears (2024)

[ceasethisbitchcrying]

when they start the whole arrangement thing they walk in through the same hall they walk out of when they end the arrangement

the parallels are crazy. it worked the first time for blitz so he’s hoping it’ll work again 😭

[azellene]

There is something about this little red man at makes me think a lot...

[luckyartdrawer]

Year In Review!!!

Cutting it close to the New Year in my time zone, so what better way to end the year with a review of some of my favorite art pieces from each month! Let's see how I've grown together eh? <3

Started this out in June because that's really when I started using my Tumblr and posting art! Hopefully next year I have an even fuller YIR collection to show. :3

(Hehe all the Suns and Moons are reaching out. They really like y'all!)

Seriously though, thank you to everyone for being such a welcoming community and making this all possible! I have never felt so motivated to draw as much as I have this year and I have all y'all to thank!

So thank you to all the Artists, Writers, Theorists, Simps, Lovelies, and Mootie Patooties that made this year so amazing and full of lively chatter! The internet never felt so comforting before joining y'all! <3

HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE <3 <3 <3

vvv Links to each image below! vvv

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

[maudiemoods]

Mood drawing from the magma!