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anthurak · 3 months

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Something I was always a little concerned about in the lead-up to Hazbin Hotel was that Charlie was going to be a bit too passive of a character, ie; leaning only into the ‘kind, optimistic Disney-Princess-in-Hell who just wants to help everyone’ vibe and not really have much else going on as a character. Which in turn would make her feel kind of bland next to the big, over-the-top or dramatic personalities like Angel Dust and Alastor.

But thankfully, that is not what happened and there’s actually a lot that I like about what the writers are doing with Charlie, particularly in the potential future development and reveals they seem to be setting up.

First off, I like how Charlie generally comes off more like an over-the-top caricature of that ‘Disney-Princess-in-Hell’ vibe, ie; SUPER energized, enthusiastic, affectionate and emotional, often to overbearing degrees that get on everyone’s nerves. It’s generally funny, or at least amusing, and lets Charlie stand out alongside the other big personalities in the cast. Funny enough, she’s actually a lot like Blitzo in this regard, minus the seesawing into extreme abrasiveness.

And more importantly, we’ve already gotten major hints all but confirming that this over-the-top personality is largely a façade, and that Charlie actually has some very clear issues and baggage that she’s working VERY hard to keep buried beneath the surface. Again, much like Blitzo.

Like how in the trust-fall exercise in episode three, despite asking everyone to reveal something personal, Charlie actually bullshits just as hard as Angel Dust and Sir Pentious with her whole ‘I love you all!’ bit. Sure, it’s not like she was lying or being insincere, but it’s clear that was NOT something truly personal for Charlie. And in episode 4 we have Husk straight-up calls out Charlie as ‘wanting to solve everyone’s problems but her own’.

Then of course we have the brief glimpses we’ve seen of Charlie getting angry. Both the times we’ve seen Charlie dealing with some truly despicable and horrendous characters, we’ve seen that rather than lacking the ability to get angry, Charlie is often working to hold herself back. In both her encounters with Adam and Valentino we see points where Charlie is clearly NOT intimidated or afraid of them at all and seems fully prepared to throw down, only being stopped by reigning herself in or by someone else (in this case Angel) stopping her.

Again, it all paints Charlie’s big, bubbly, hyperactive exuberance as something of a front, a way for her to bury a lot of thoughts, feelings and general baggage she doesn’t want to face. Just like what the show has already explored with Angel and Husk.

It actually raises some interesting questions as to what’s REALLY driving Charlie in running the hotel and trying to help Sinners. For one, Husk has already pegged Charlie as ‘wanting to solve everyone’s problems but her own’. And going back to thematic crossover with Helluva Boss, I can’t help but see some potential parallels between Charlie creating the Hazbin Hotel, and Blitzo creating Immediate Murder Professionals.

I think it’s pretty clear at this point that half the reason for creating I.M.P. was as a coping mechanism for Blitzo, or rather the assassination business in general. Something that we’ve gotten hints to as early as the second episode in Blitzo’s back and forth with the Robo-Fizz (“Does anyone love you, Blitzo?”/“No. But I’m really good with guns now!”). With the other half of the reason Blitzo created I.M.P. clearly seems to be to create a surrogate family, as seen with how much he tries to insert himself in the M&M’s lives. Possibly even a specific attempt to replace the family he unwittingly destroyed fifteen years ago.

So I really have to wonder if we’re going to find out that Charlie creating the hotel and her goal of redeeming sinners is in part likewise a coping mechanism and escape for her own baggage.

It’s actually really interesting how episode two first introduced the idea of people opening up with Sir Pentious, then episode four dived further into the concept of the walls and fake personas people put up to hide from their pain and trauma with Angel Dust and Husk. With those two opening up and starting to let their walls down to each other, and by extension we the audience, I think it makes Charlie’s own façade all the more noticeable. It’ll be pretty interesting if Charlie actually winds up being the toughest nut to crack when it comes to opening up about their real issues and baggage. Yet another interesting trait she shares with Blitzo.

All in all, I’m really liking what the show has been doing with Charlie as a protagonist. And I’m REALLY interested to see where the story is going to take her.

Particularly what’s going to happen when she reaches a breaking point…

#hazbin hotel #helluva boss #hazbin analysis #hazbin theory #charlie morningstar #helluva blitzo #character parallels #character analysis #charlie has a LOT more going on than she's showing #blitzo hitting his breaking point had him crying himself to sleep into a pillow #what if charlie hitting HER breaking point has her raining LITERAL ARMAGEDDON down on some poor bastards?

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voiidlizrd · 23 days

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My sunlight, sunlight, sunlight

- Sunlight, Hozier

Idia Shroud x Persephone! GN Reader

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Summary: Azul, a member of the Board Game Club, begins noticing the change is his competitor/friend Idia. He plans to get to the bottom of his unusual behavior…

───────────────

Warning(s): (potential) spoilers for Chapter 6, Idia losing his mind over how much he loves Reader, GN reader, Reader is described to have pointy ears!, Floyd.,

A/N: Idia deserves his time in the spotlight, I love him sm and the trope/parallel of Persephone/Hades for them

─────•~❉✿❉~•─────

Azul doesn’t know much about Idia on a deep personal level. The two are friends, sure, but it isn’t like they share secrets while at a sleepover or have friendship bracelets. It doesn’t bother Azul much, he never had a problem with just being decent friends. While Azul doesn’t know a lot about Idia…

He does know that something is definitely wrong.

It was another club meeting for the Board Game Club. Azul and Idia were playing a game of cards with funny and cute animals on them. Usually Idia would be absolutely destroying Azul at the game— or any game for that matter— but today Idia just stared down at his cards in deep thought. And it wasn’t the usual stare of determination. It was more akin to the thousand yard stare.

It’s been over ten minutes since Azul’s move and Idia hasn’t made a single attempt to outdo his move. Plus he hadn’t blinked in a good two minutes, which creeped Azul out.

Azul clears his throat. “Idia? It’s your move.”

Idia snaps out of his daydream and looks up from his cards with a ‘huh?’, looking down again and setting down another one of his cards, not even bothering to a usual smug declaration or shame Azul for being so stupid for playing such a lame card (which he did on purpose to try and gain Idia’s attention throughout the game).

“Is something the matter?” Azul finally asked after some internal debate. He didn’t want to pry— after all they weren’t all too close— but he just couldn’t stand the unusual silence of the game.

Plus, Azul admits, he’s incredibly nosy.

“Uh…” Idia flushes and rubs the back of his neck, the blue flames of his hair turning pink and even the end of his hair flickering in the shape of hearts, which made Azul’s jaw drop.

“No… I’m okay. Just uh- thinking! Y’know, strategizing! Also your move sucked lololol.”

Well, at least he got a normal Idia despite how horrible his lie was. Azul narrowed his eyes at the Ignihyde dorm leader with a small ‘uh-huh’ and placed down his next card.

“Did something strange happen?”

That’s when Idia lost cool. He was sweating bullets, looking guilty as a sinner in church. “What makes you say that!? Nothing happens! Nothing at all.”

His phone chimes. Idia takes out his phone almost immediately, going over the screen, and smiles. Replying quickly, then pausing, looking up at Azul.

“Uh… I think I’m gonna head back early!” Before Azul could protest or even say a word, Idia grabbed his things with a quickness that Azul hadn’t even seen from him before. “See ya next meeting!”

As Azul watched Idia leave the classroom without even looking back, he quirks a brow, humming in thought.

If there was one thing about Azul, he wasn’t just going to let something like this slide.

He had to find out what’s wrong with Idia!

───────────────

Idia takes his place again at the fountain of the courtyard, the third time this week. Many people are already in their respective dorms, which means Idia is alone with no one in sight, yet still he bounces his leg and looks every which way. The sun has slowly begun to set, given by how the sky turns a yellow, orange, pink, and reddish hue with clouds littering the sky. The running water of the fountain continues to break the silence. The sound alone and the time of day with the scenery no doubt would calm the nerves, but to Idia, he could only feel nervous. His heart pounded, hands growing clammy, and his fingers picked at his painted nails and chipped the polish. He’d have to redo them later.

He checked his phone once, twice, and three more times as he continued to look around. Idia checked the time again and again, checked his notifications (which were mainly with his game notifications, much to his shocking disappointment) and others just junk mail.

The time went by from 6:00 to 6:30 in a flash. He had to go back to his dorm sooner or later before the teachers making their rounds in the halls came by and asked him to leave— for the fourth time in a span of three days this week.

Idia goes back to looking at his phone, opening it, and going to a locked album in his photos with a password that consisted of two special dates combined.

One being his anniversary.

And the other being the day he met you.

Once unlocked, almost thousands of photos and videos appeared on screen, all consisted of you and him in each picture, but mainly only you. He never really enjoyed photos of himself but he’d deal with it for you, always. Idia is convinced that half of his storage on his phone is half dedicated to you. Not to say that the flash drive in his room kept in a locked box in his desk drawer is any different. It’s full of the backups of the photos on his phone and then some.

He clicks a more recent photo of you, though, it was a year ago during the summer time— the one time your parent actually let you see Idia after a long hard month of managing your studies and practicing your magic.

Sat beneath the sun, flowers bloomed beneath you through the sand somehow, a big smile on your face as you face the camera. Idia couldn’t help but let his heart swell as he stared at you. Your hair, your outfit, your skin, your eyes; Idia had memorized it all in his mind, but he could never get enough of it. Even if he could make a perfect replica of you in a game, it wouldn’t feel or look the same. He swiped to another photo, this one being in the fall. Idia was in the photo this time, flushed and flared up as it showed you giving him a kiss on the cheek, leaving a lipstick mark on his pale skin. The next was a picture of Ortho hugging your side.

It kills him every time he sees you in the best way possible. His heart can’t stop racing and his face is an even brighter red, his hair flaring up.

“Idia!” A voice yells from across the courtyard, making Idia perk up in excitement, a smile blooming on his face as the flowers beneath your feet.

There you were. Finally with him at long last. Sure, he talks to you almost everyday through text and chats with you on call, but it’s never enough. He waits for winter and fall every year, the only times of the year where you aren’t busy helping your parent with their business and able to sneak out of school.

Idia stands up to attentions immediately, his arms open to welcome you in them as you slam yourself against him in a hug, almost making him stumble back into the pool of water in the fountain. Idia holds you close, not wanting to miss a moment of your warmth— despite wearing his signature hoodie.

You pull back and peppering kisses along his face, which makes him heat up even further. A dopey smile stretches across his face as he giggles, hands on your waist.

“I missed you!” You held his face in your hands, a loving smile on your face. Hell, he could’ve sworn he saw hearts form in your eyes. Or maybe that was his loser induced brain talking. “You’re so handsome! Have you gotten even more cuter?”

“We FaceTimed yesterday, it’s not like I changed at all.”

“Untrue, you styled your hair a little, didn’t you?” You ran your fingers through his hair, letting the warm flames tickle your skin. “It looks much longer than the last time I saw it!”

“I could get it cut if you don’t like it-“

“Oh shut up! I love it!” Another kiss on his lips, just a light peck, but even with that his hair bursts into large pink flames— almost like a bone fire that was doused in lighter fluid.

“Stoppp…” He says halfheartedly. “My heart can barely take it anymore, the meter is already broken. You’re too OP for me…”

You merely laugh at your fiancés antics.

“WHAT IN THE WORLD!?”

The way Idia jumps into the air is similar to that of a cat being scared of a cucumber. Idia’s head turns to the source of the voice, seeing Azul with the two Leech twins by his side looking shocked— unlike Azul, who looks downright horrified. Or would astonished be the word? Either way, he’s still as his eyes look from you to Idia.

“UH- UHM.”

Idia is panicking. He hasn’t told a single soul about you, not even Lilia whenever they were online and playing together! Of course he never told anyone, you were way out of his league, from a totally different school so who the hell believes “they’re from a different school” anymore!? Not only that, your family was famous for their innovations to helping and saving the planet by starting with agriculture and food! Almost every mom has the famous “guide to good health” in their kitchen!

“I- I don’t know them?”

….

“THE HELL SHROUD!?”

“Dear, I love you very much, but that wasn’t very smart…”

“Firefly Squid has a… partner?” Floyd tilts his head at you, approaching you and then poking you.

“How much is he payin’ you?”

“Excuse me.”

The stare you give Floyd speaks wonders, a pair of thorns growing up your arm as you try and smile politely at Floyd, but it’s more of a grimace.

“Please don’t ever insinuate that I’m using Idia for money.”

Floyd blinks and then grins, all teeth— sharp teeth. “Hey! You’re like a Flowerhorn fishy!”

“ARE WE JUST NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT YOU AND IDIA BEING ALL LOVEY DOVEY?! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ABOUT!?”

Idia seriously wants to die. Like, he wants to melt into a puddle or crawl into a hole where people can’t find him. He puts his face in his hands and groans.

“You must be my Idia’s friends!” “YOUR IDIA!?” “Yes!”

“Idia is my fiancé!”

A beat passes. Then two. A whole minute passes before Azul screams out a ‘WHAT!?’ He grabs Idia and shakes him by the shoulders.

“YOU HAVE A FIANCÉ!? YOU NEVER TOLD ME!? I KNOW WE ARENT CLOSE, BUT WHAT THE HELL MAN!?”

“I DONT KNOW IM SORRY!”

You watch in amusement as Idia is rag-dolled by the meroctopus. Meanwhile you were being inspected by Jade and Floyd, as you’ve come to learn their names are.

“Woaahhh so Firefly Squid has a Flowerhorn as his fiancé! That’s so cute! I wanna squeeze you.~”

“Please don’t touch me.”

“Hehehe you’re funny!”

“Now, now, Floyd,” Jade speaks, placing a hand on his shoulder to restrain his feral twin. “We shouldn’t just bombard them with questions right off the bat. We should get to know them first before anything.”

“Might we ask your name?”

“I’m (Y/N) (L/N), soon to be a Shroud! Or Idia will be a (L/N)… We’re still debating on that.” You laugh a little, looking over them to check on Idia.

Ah, he was sweating buckets while Azul was getting winded over a long lecture, or maybe him ranting. You weren’t entirely sure what he was saying anymore, it all sounded like ravings of a lunatic. Was finding out Idia is engaged that life altering?

“Huh? (L/N)?” That’s when Jade’s eyes lit up and his polite smile grew to be more excited, surprising you. He looked similar to a kid on Christmas. “I have one of your family books on mushrooms and their types as well as their benefits to health. And the special addition ‘Mushroom Advice for Aspiring Potion Makers’. Might I say there are a millions ways you can use a mushroom to make poison.”

You stare at Jade a little astonished that mushrooms were the first thing he discusses, but you can also appreciate mushrooms. They are very special and odd fungi that change every day.

Meanwhile with Idia and Azul.

“WHY IS IT SO HARD TO BELIEVE THAT I HAVE A FIANCÉ, AZUL!?”

…

“OKAY. I KNOW WHY IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE BUT DONT GIVE ME THAT LOOK, MAN!”

Azul was close to pulling out his hair. He can’t believe it. It wasn’t the fact that Idia never told him, it was the fact that this was the very, very, VERY, very last thing Azul expected to be wrong with Idia. In fact, this thought wasn’t even on his mind, it wasn’t even on his list. Why would it be? It was Idia he was talking about! The guy could barely survive being asked what time it was, let alone managing to get engaged!

“Why- No, how??”

That’s when you step in, going past Jade and Floyd to stand beside Idia. “We’ve known each other since we were kids! And I was the one that ‘proposed’. But we were sixteen then, so when we turned eighteen! So we’ve been properly engaged for a year now.”

You hugged his side, Idia smiling softly as you do, looking away at the ground as you practically show him off with pride.

“My question is, why haven’t you told anyone, Idia? Especially after that ghost kidnapping you.”

“The what now?”

Idia tenses as you look at him with a smile. He felt the warm air of the outside just grow cold, cold as the winter.

“Huh? Oh yeah.” Floyd chimes in, laughing. “I remember that! There was this ghost that kidnapped Idia-“

“STOP TALKING-“

“To marry him or something. Pretty weird right?”

The air grows heavy as you continue to stare at Idia, a smile on your face. “Really now?”

Idia audible gulps.

“Yeah! He was really adamant on them not getting married he just wouldn’t explain why… Wait he didn’t tell you?”

“Nope! Not at all.”

Idia gives a nervous smile. “Uh… I can explain?”

A best of silence, then another. The three merfolk looked to one another in the tense silence as you and Idia stared each other down. You waiting for Idia to explain meanwhile Idia was waiting for himself to finish buffering.

“You might’ve said something you shouldn’t have…” Azul clears his throat, very uncomfortable in the silence. Floyd whistles guiltily.

The three slowly back away from the couple. Azul might’ve gotten his answer, but he also might’ve just started an early divorce.

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A bird chirps overhead as you and Idia stand in front of one another, giving some clarity in the silence, but Idia inside, currently, he was dying inside. He had completely forgotten about the whole “ghost marriage” thing, he had gaslit himself into believing it was all a fever dream, especially with the fact he had to be around a shit ton of people and be put through all of that drama— which, completely drained his social battery to the negatives. Telling you would mean he was worrying you and force you into sneaking out of school— most likely midday— and get yourself in trouble. Your smile was strained, an eyebrow twitching downward into a furrow, your arms crossed. Idia shuffles in place, his hands wringing together and he picks at a hangnail.

“Stop that,” you said softly, despite your little glare. “You’ll hurt yourself.”

“Sorry…”

“For the picking or the very important thing that you never told me.”

“Both?”

You sigh, shaking your hand, simply holding his hands in yours. You lead him to the fountain and sit him down beside you.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I dunno I was just- it was stupid, I don’t even know why it happened. And it was completely exhausting, my mind was racing and I think my life was flashing before my eyes!” Idia began rambling, already sweating. His hands were clammy. “Everything was happening all at once. I just wanted to call you and talk to you after it happened and go to sleep with you talking and-“

“Idia.”

Idia shuts his mouth immediately as you let go of his hands and put his face in your hands, thumbs rubbing the apple of his cheeks. He sighs.

“Sorry… I’m upset cause this isn’t what I wanted to do with you today. Damn Azul.”

“It’s okay Idia, we can still do what you wanted to today.”

“Yeah but I’d have to do it even quicker now because there’s only so much time before you have to go! I can’t speedrun a whole movie! Or maybe I can…”

You chuckle and let go of his face, a hand on his lap. He leans in closer to you, his head on your shoulder.

“I’m sorry I’m a total noob at this. Are you… mad at me? For that whole ghost marrying me thing.”

“Huh? Mad? Why would I be mad?”

“Cause I didn’t tell you about the other woman.”

“PFT- other woman??”

“I DUNNO!?”

“Idia. No, I’m not mad. As long as no other ghost is coming after you, then I won’t turn anybody into a mint leaf.” You pause.

“Can I turn ghosts into plants…?”

“Y/N no.”

“What? I can keep it as an ‘in case’ protocol in case some random ghost lady wants to marry you again.”

“I highly doubt that. Who’d want to marry me willingly?”

You deadpan at him. “I do.”

“Doesn’t count, I’m your last option.”

“Idia!”

“What? It’s true!”

You laugh, making Idia laugh with you, despite knowing that he’ll get an hour long session of you praising him after a self-deprecating comment like that. You thread your fingers through his hair, moving your head to the side further to kiss his forehead. He blushes and moves his face closer into the crane of your neck. He relaxes into your warmth, shutting his eyes. The sound of birds chirping overhead, a peaceful wind passing by, Idia snuggling close to your side as your head rests against his.

Sunflowers bloom at your feet, stems branching up from the ground and brushing against his ankles. They all face him. Idia thinks for a moment that he’s similar to a sunflower, especially when it comes to you.

He’ll always look for you, for his sunlight.

#twisted wonderland idia #idia shroud x reader #idia shroud #fluff #x reader #twisted wonderland azul #twisted wonderland floyd #twisted wonderland jade #twst #twst fluff #twst idia

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conazo · 2 months

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Valentino writing tips: language

I’m not an expert by any means, but I thought I might provide some insight into how I, personally, handle the nasty moth's dialogue.

Like all languages, Spanish is highly regional. We don’t really know Val’s actual background as a Sinner, so your guess is as good as mine. Given his VA is Puerto Rican, however, I write Valentino as someone who speaks Caribbean Spanish (like me!). The three Spanish-speaking countries/territories in the Caribbean are: Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba. I'm not familiar with Cuban Spanish, so we'll focus on the first two for now.

Some of these are more specific to one place than the other, but I’m mushing them together for simplicity’s sake (don't come at me).

Fun quirks of Dominican and Puerto Rican Spanish:

A habit of shortening words, like “ven pa’ca” (“come here”) instead of “ven para acá.” We frequently eat the letters “r,” “s” or “d” toward or at the end of some words.

Pronouncing “r” as “l” in some words.

Pronouncing “t” as a soft sound between a “th” and a “d.” Although this voice has a Spanish (from Spain) cadence, you can hear the modified “t” sound in “Valentino” here.

Fun Dominican and Puerto Rican words and phrases:

“Coño” as a casual curse, typically used as an expression of frustration (like “fuck!”). My username is basically a really intense version of coño, and is a very Dominican phrase.

“Diablo,” which means “devil,” is also commonly used as an exclamation.

“Hijo de la gran puta,” a classic that roughly parallels "son of a bitch," but literally translates to “son of a great whore.”

“Papi” or “papi chulo” (“cute daddy”) as a term of affection. “Papito” is the diminutive version of this phrase.

On that note, you can add “ito” to the end of just about anything to make it a diminutive (cutesy/smaller version). “Chulo” means cute, for example. “Chulito” is the even more affectionate/smaller version of that.

“Dique,” which is used to express doubt. Vox might say, “I am not obsessed with Alastor!” Valentino might mutter “diiiique” in response. This is a Dominican thing.

“Wepa,” which is something usually shouted in excitement. This is a Puerto Rican thing.

“Vaina,” which kind of means “thing,” often with a negative connotation. So, Valentino might look at one of Velvette’s designs, find it hideous, and say, “que vaina más fea, oof” (“what an ugly thing, oof”).

“Fó,” which is sort of “ew” or “gross,” usually re: bad smells. You shout it.

“Mano,” short for “hermano” (“brother”). Used between friends.

“Dímelo” (“tell me”) as a greeting. Something that would be said when answering the phone, for example.

“Cojer” as a means of saying “to take,” like taking something from a table. This word has a very different context in other regions. In Mexico, for example, the verb “cojer” is vulgar and means “to fuck.”

“Ahorita,” which in my experience means “later.” In other regions, it can mean “right now” or “later” depending on context.

Commonly used phrases in Mexican Spanish.

You’ll want to avoid these if you’d like his dialogue to be consistently Caribbean-inspired:

“Pinche”

“Verga”

“Wey”

“No mames/no manches”

“Qué padre”

“Chingar”

Calling acquaintances “primo” or “jefe”

I mention this Spanish dialect specifically because it's the most common one in the world. And hey, Val could be canonically Mexican or Mexican in your headcanon! That's cool, too. I'm just providing insight for consistency's sake.

Other insight:

“Ay dios mío!” is a generally overused phrase, in my opinion, and not actually said IRL as frequently as TV makes it seem. Just my experience, though.

“Ay” or “uy” are good filler sounds. You hear Val shout it when Niffty snaps at him.

Valentino canonically squeaks like a moth when passionate!

His voice takes on an echo/growl when he’s particularly angry.

Mixing English and Spanish is tricky. Spanglish is not uncommon in PR, DR, and the US, but usually only when speaking with someone else who is fluent in both languages. Valentino seems plenty fluent in English; he uses lots of contractions, complex sentence structure, and slang. He doesn’t need to inject Spanish phrases in favor of English ones when conversing with another English speaker. He does do it sometimes for emphasis (“the devil’s princesa” or “this chiquita”).

As cliché as it is, defaulting to a Spanish phrase in moments of alarm, anger, frustration, or affection is also not uncommon if you grew up in a Spanish-speaking home. If someone surprises me, I shout “coño” by default, for example.

Valentino uses pet names when referring to others, like "amorcito" (“little love”) and "Angie" over voicemail.

Generally speaking, Val likes to stretch his vowels to be theatrical ("he mooooved!"). He sometimes eats the ends of English words, like “fuckin’” instead of “fucking.” He also sometimes rolls his “r” for English words, like in “ungrrrateful whore!”

Val's accent isn’t consistently strong, which could be a stylistic choice, or he could just be prone to a kind of unique code switching, for lack of a better term. My friends say I speak English with a Spanish accent when conversing with my family, for example (it’s not intentional).

Okay that’s it, bye!

#valentino #hazbin hotel #writing #staticmoth #voxval #Vox

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stolitzsings · 3 months

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This is a sort of response to a post I've seen floating around, drawing parallels between the chains in Blitz’s trip that bind him to Stolas and the chains that bind Husk, Angel, and Fizz to Alastor, Valentino, and Mammon respectively. I'm not commenting on that post directly bc I avoid Discourse (tm) at all costs for the sake of my health, and I don’t want to get drawn into an unproductive argument that will mess with my anxiety for a week. I'm not trying to start a fight, just get my thoughts out on why I feel that comparison is inaccurate, and hopefully provide some helpful context and nuance.

So! Let's start with a few disclaimers! First of all, I'm not going to debate the moral purity of any of these characters. I just don't think it's an interesting or valuable critique. On a related note, I am not trying to excuse any of their behavior. I'm happy to admit that my favorite characters in this show have hurt people and are sometimes total assholes. Stolas treated Blitz very poorly at the beginning of their relationship, frequently pushed or even ignored boundaries, and was just kind of a dick about things. My objection to a direct comparison between Stolas and the other characters mentioned above isn't because I think Stolas hasn't done anything wrong; I just think that saying they're similar without further clarification or commentary ignores the nuance of the situation.

Read on below the cut, it's gonna be another long one folks!

Let's start by examining the "agreements" forged by Val, Mammon, and Alastor. I think it's important to note that, in their cases, the person they got to sign their contract could have been anyone. Husk and Angel could have been any sinners, Fizz could have been any imp. They aren't interested in them as people; they were only using them to gain more power for themselves. The only thing that matters to them is, "What can you do for me?" Angel and Fizz quite clearly become cogs in the machine of Val and Mammon's businesses, and Alastor only thinks of Husk as a tool to be leveraged in specific situations to further his own mysterious goals. Each of them has demonstrated to their subjugates that they own them, body and soul. They have signed legally and spiritually binding contracts that essentially surrender their autonomy to a more powerful demon.

Stolas and Blitz’s agreement is... not that. In the most literal sense, they don’t appear to have made any sort of binding deal. They just made a verbal agreement, which I sincerely doubt has anywhere near the force of a signed soul contract. Additionally, Stolas did not ask for and does not seem to want that sort of total control over Blitz. He very clearly does not view this as any sort of power exchange (which may actually be part of the issue, since it leaves him blind to Blitz’s discomfort with their class difference), he sees it as "favors for favors." While this agreement is inherently unbalanced due to Stolas's status, it's worth noting that they’re both putting something on the line here. The other three risk practically nothing (if the person bound to them fails they can always get a new one), but Stolas IS taking on a real risk by letting Blitz access the living world illegally using his book. Again, that doesn't make his actions right, and probably helped him to justify them, but it does set their relationship apart from the others.

In my opinion, some of Stolas's greatest flaws are his thoughtlessness and his ability to justify his own actions to himself. This manifests in the fact that he clearly doesn't see the ways in which their relationship is hurting Blitz. He convinced himself that this was just an equal exchange, and a continuation of the dynamic Blitz established in their first encounter as adults: "I fuck you, and you give me the book". As he becomes more aware of his feelings for Blitz, though (stay tuned for a deeper analysis of this progression later), he also begins to realize that Blitz isn't happy with this relationship. And this, as @masonshmason pointed out, is the central fact that separates Stolas and Blitz from the other relationships. Stolas did not realize- or chose to ignore- how he was hurting Blitz. Once he came to terms with it, though, he understood that he had to make things right. He specifically says this in "Just Look My Way"; "I will try to make amends/ For making you means to an end". None of the others could say this, because in their case, that was the POINT. Angel, Fizz, and Husk were ALWAYS a means to an end, intentionally trapped for that purpose.

We also need to talk about the CONTEXT of the scenes in which the chain imagery appears. For both Angel and Husk, the chain is at least semi-literal, a physical (and perhaps supernatural) manifestation of the way their souls are bound to an overlord. In "Two Minutes Notice," Fizz purposely CHOOSES to represent his relationship to Mammon as chains around his wrists. However, Blitz's scene is part of a drug trip after being forcibly dosed with hallucinogens. It does not exist in any literal sense, nor is it a representation of Blitz’s conscious, literal thoughts. What it DOES do is showcase Blitz’s deepest fears and his greatest flaws through symbolism and metaphor. Blitz is not literally afraid of being forced to wear a clown costume; he is afraid he'll never escape his past traumas or Fizz's shadow. THIS is the context in which Blitz sees himself being chained by Stolas: a bad trip all about his fear of intimacy and vulnerability.

Stolas appears in this trip as someone elevated high above him, something he's climbing towards, reaching for, even though it means being chained to him. It's directly preceded by his ex girlfriend and his former best friend berating him for how he pushes people away even though he hates being alone. Then Stolas directly asks him, "Are you afraid to love people, Blitzy?" Furthermore, the WAY in which he is framed is alluring, slightly hazy, golden and tempting. It couldn’t be further from the ugly, slime-covered past he's fleeing. It's a new start, a chance for something better that seems too good to be true. This trip is all about Blitz’s inability to be vulnerable with another person. The chain around his neck is a representation of the fact that, by getting closer to Stolas, he's giving Stolas the power to hurt him emotionally.

And man, there's a part of him that wants to give Stolas that power. At this critical moment, he's not baring his teeth in defiance or anger. He's blushing, just slightly, and he looks... nervous. Blitz's instinct, when things get too real, is to cut and run. Hurt them before they can hurt you. Abandon them before they have the chance to leave you. It’s how he tanked his relationship with Verosika. This is a manifestation of what might happen if he stays. This is the sort of trouble he can't fight his way out of.

This is the emotional climax of the scene. There are so many ways they could have gone with this if they wanted to represent Blitz being chained and trapped by his agreement with Stolas. If that was the fear--if that was the POINT--they could have had the chains wrap around him until he couldn't move, or glow white hot and burn into his skin, or a million other more direct metaphors. But the chains aren't the thing that hurts him. It's the feathers: the thing that's left behind after Stolas abandons him, sing-songing "you're going to die alone" right alongside two other people who he loved and who now want nothing to do with him.

Finally, let's look at Blitz’s reaction to this scene. It's a moment of revelation for him, in which he realizes he's pushing everyone away and starts to make an effort to change. It's why he's a bit more open with Moxxie in the next scene. The trip sequence ALSO inspires him to get closer to Stolas, indicating that the trip didn’t make him realize "I'm trapped and I need to get out of this" in the same way Fizz did. Rather, he realizes that he doesn't want Stolas to leave him like everyone else, and he wants to start feeling out what it would be like to deepen the connection between them. As I've mentioned in other posts, their kiss at the end of "truth seekers" represents a level of intimacy that we haven't seen before; it's teasing, affectionate, shows Blitz’s interest in making Stolas happy, and takes place in front of M&M, who have repeatedly teased him about their relationship before.

In summary, while the image of chains may have been invoked in all four of these relationships, they don’t necessarily mean the same thing across the board. Blitz and Stolas's relationship differs substantially from the others in its dynamic, and the context of their scene also sets it apart. It's important to look into the details and the nuance of their relationship to interpret what's going on under layers of trauma and unreliable narration.

#stolas #blitzø #stolitz #helluva boss #helluva boss spoilers #helluva boss meta #hazbin hotel

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phoenixlionme · 2 months

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Parallels between Chaggie and Lucilith and what that may mean for the former's future in the show

A Fallen Angel and another of demon origin (Lilith was the first woman turned demon; Charlie is demon born, being half Seraphim Angel and half demon)

It is the one named Morningstar who find their respective lovers.

As shown in the above pictures, how the couple first meet are positioned in the same manner.

The Fallen Angel is the shorter partner of the respective couples.

From each couple, one was treated horribly by Adam, which became a reason as to why they left/were abandoned - Lilith refused to submit to Adam; Vaggie was left in Hell by Adam (and Lute) for sparing a demon child.

The Fallen Angel of each couple have a dim view on both Sinners and Heaven, although Vaggie is still supportive of Charlie's goal.

Each couple have been implied to have an active, happy sex life - it's more explicit with Lucilith and subtle with Chaggie.

The Morningstar partner comes from high social standing and is the more physically powerful between them their respective partners - Lucifer was once a renowned Serpahim Angel while Charlie grew up sheltered and protected as the Princess of Hell.

Both Vaggie and Lilith have a big secret regarding Heaven that could/did hurt Charlie in some way - Vaggie was a top Exorcist Angel and Charlie became hurt over her girlfriend keeping it a secrete; Lilith made some deal with Adam to stay in Heaven for yet unknown reasons but it wouldn't be hard to guess how hurt Charlie would be.

#vivziepop #hazbin hotel #charlie morningstar #vaggie #lucifer morningstar #lilith morningstar #chaggie #lucilith #otp #otp analysis #myotps #ss ship parallels #fam parallels #fan theories #favfams

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yasssgiveusnothing · 3 months

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Radiohusk Analysis: Alastor Cares or Nothing Makes Sense (Part 1)

In the pilot, Alastor needs to bribe Husk to work as the bartender for his new fun project, Hazbin Hotel (HH)! However, as we're told in season 1 episode 5, Alastor has Husk's soul, and therefore, can make Husk do whatever. So why the fuck does Alastor need to bribe him? What reason would he feel compelled to do that if he already has the power to make Husk to anything he wants? Let's discuss some possible options.

A) Alastor feels as if he needs the extra incentive to get Husk to do his job.

This argument has no substance to me because we see in season 1 episode 5 that Alastor has no quelms with putting Husk (or anyone) in their place. If Alastor needed Husk to be obedient and to attend the bar for the hotel, Alastor could have just threatened Husk and reminded him that he has no choice, considering he has his soul.

B) Vivziepop forgot that in the canon pilot that she wrote Husk as needing to be bribed in order to work the bar.

This is very possible, considering Vivziepop did not write or create the dynamic and most of the interactions that makes Husk and Alastor's relationship. That being said, it is possible that she wouldn't remember the details of their dynamic/interaction from the pilot, but also not understand the characters and their relationship.

C) Alastor cares.

Alastor wants Husk to be satisfied under his care. It is the only narrative that makes sense, whether it was Viv's intention or not. Alastor gives Husk a choice to work at the hotel. It is why Alastor decides to bribe him instead of using his power and authority to do make Husk work the bar.

Alastor also listens to Husk's concerns about Mimzy and considers him. Alastor also trusts Husk enough to let him know his secret involving being on Lilith's leash.

THERE IS RESPECT AND TRUST THERE! He even lets Husk put a finger on him (making their argument physical!)

I mean, Alastor could have easily ripped Husk a new asshole for putting hands on him and verbally attacking Alastor by weaponizing the fact that he also has a leash around his neck, but he didn't.

Let's not forget that Alastor has 'killed' for less! He attacks Sir Pentious for tearing a piece of his coat!

You might be thinking something along the lines of If Alastor cares, why did he threaten Husk?

Nothing is black and white, the least of all relationships, especially relationships in Hell. Alastor isn't exactly a good guy. You can still care about someone and hurt/lash out at them. Also, Husk said something that was aimed to hurt Alastor. It's like if someone you trusted one day said, "That's why your dad left" in the middle of an argument. I'd be pissed too! I wouldn't fucking put a finger on them or threaten them (because I'm not made up of the same stuff a sinner in disney hell is), but it's understandable Alastor would BECAUSE IT'S HELL. Also, the fact that Alastor didn't even hurt Husk during this scene is proof enough that Alastor cares deeply and evidence that the pushing of Angel-Val parallels on this duo is absolute bullshit and makes no sense.

Whether Vivzie forgot or not, what is important is that her perspective of the story is not the only one that matters. A writer can have a specific vision in mind for their story and the characters in it; however, the viewer has the liberty to interpret the text however they want based on their imagination, experience, and relationships. Viewer interpretation helps to broaden perspectives and open up potential interpretations that differ from the writer's original perspective.

#radiohusk #hazbin hotel #alastor the radio demon #hazbin spoilers #radiohusk analysis #alastor x husk #hazbin hotel valentino #Valdust #hazbin hotel husk #angel dust #hazbin hotel theory #hazbin hotel analysis #hazbin hotel alastor #vivziepop #vivzieverse #sir pentious #hazbin hotel spoilers

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alexiethymia · 3 months

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I have a lot of thoughts.

Ok so I loved it. It was cheesy but I do love the entire hotel’s dynamic. They’re such a messed up found family. It was sweet as hell (pun intended) that they all stayed for Charlie and their home (gosh darn it, the hotel’s become home for them)!

The duet between Chaggie was adorable.

BUT BUT the last two episodes only cemented my intrigue with Charlastor. I do love fanon Charlastor.

But their canon dynamic on its own is so interesting. Like it doesn’t have to be romantic.

It’s in the way he didn’t immediately deal for her soul and yet we just know the deal is going to be heartbreaking.

It’s in the way despite his touch-aversion he is STILL so touchy with her. Like I always thought that it was power play, and to some extent it still is. But he already got the deal he wanted from her, and yet he still caresses her hair, pinches her cheeks, loops her arm around his in some parody of a gentleman’s hold?? (So so touchy, and it even seems different in the past that it seems almost friendly. It was weirdly adorable how proud he was in showing off Cannibal Town to Charlie). Sure it may be manufactured, but part of me thinks that part of it is unconscious because he displays a level of comfort with her similar to what he displays with Rosie, with his friends in other words. He’s called her ‘charming’ twice now!

It’s in the way that despite that Charlie has always been the underdog and mocked, in his own sadistic way, he HAS always believed in her (even as he still thinks it’s all for his own amusement). Even if he’s only using her there’s something to be said that he’s always believed her side was the winning side. He parallels Vaggie in that way I think. He seems proud of her (like seriously I wouldn’t expect him to actually smile sincerely with Charlie’s heartfelt declaration of love for all of them - him of all sinners!) AND here’s the thing, I could easily believe he thinks he will leave everyone high and dry if it’s a choice between him or them. He’s in it for himself after all. But when he sings about seeing and polishing Charlie’s potential, yeah it’s definitely villainous, but it’s striking that whatever mysterious endgame he has in the future still seems to include her.

And the most striking thing for me! We now know that his staff is his weakness, possibly a large source of his power. AND what this heartless sinner who trusts no one hands it over to Charlie?? Twice? He literally puts his weakness in her hands? It shows that (despite not admitting to it) he trusts in Charlie’s inherent goodness that she won’t take advantage of his vulnerability, because for some reason I don’t see him doing that with anyone else.

Charlie and Alastor are foils. Their dynamic forms a crucial part of the show. Absolute goodness versus absolute evil is boring. Alastor’s villainous breakdown is prepping the audience for a heartbreaking betrayal. But again it would be a boring development to watch if Alastor was his usual smug and evil self through it all. For it to have weight, Alastor also has to go through inner turmoil as well. Corrupt the cutie is a favorite trope for a reason. But who’s corrupting who? From Alastor’s breakdown, it’s clear he’s not as in control of everything anymore. I love love Alastor’s unwilling, conflicting, growing attachment to the hotel (which is best shown through his relationship with Charlie, though I would hope he develops his relationships with the other hotel residents too).

And it would be so interesting (and satisfying! and heartbreaking) if Charlie ends up playing Alastor at his own game. If Charlie is the one factor that Alastor doesn’t see coming because he (shock!) actually DOES trust her. In other words, in the same way Charlie (and the hotel) is influencing Alastor to become softer (and in his view, weak), what if Charlie does end up being influenced enough by Alastor’s mentoring that she ends up becoming all the more ruthless. Because I can see a scenario where Charlie ends up ‘betraying’ Alastor for what she deems a justified reason. Alastor’s ruthlessness with the self-righteousness of an angel? Whoo boy. There would be so many layers of dramatic irony there that Alastor’s plan of corrupting Charlie ends up working so well but it ends up hurting him because she’s the chink that manages to get past that smiling armor.

And compounding this inevitable tragedy is the knowledge that this could have all been avoided. Alastor trusts her, but it seems like it’s not enough or his urge for control still wins out in the end. Because for me there was no need to go through a deal. If it’s Charlie, she wouldn’t abandon Alastor and she’d do everything to help free him if that’s what the deal was for because that’s the only deal I can think of that wouldn’t require Charlie to hurt anyone.

Unless the deal isn’t about that. Unless typical power-hungry Alastor’s goal really is to depose Lucifer and to rule Hell. Because Charlie definitely wouldn’t help in that (unless she was forced to through their deal) but perhaps there’s something only she can do that ends up handing power over to Alastor.

That is to say Chaggie fulfills that itch for stability and a happy ending. Charlastor fulfills that itch for angst and push-and-pull. From the beginning, it’s been a tug of war and a battle of wills between Charlie and Alastor and I’m glad to see that theme has remained in the show. Alastor will be the truest test of Charlie’s belief in redemption. It’s exciting to see who’ll win out. Will Alastor corrupt her first or will Charlie redeem him first?

Like I thought I’d only see this is in fic, but heck I didn’t think we would actually get a group hug with Alastor but wow omg I can’t believe we actually got it in the show proper!

That is to say this long spiel is just to say that the show ended up turning me into a multishipper haha.

#hazbin hotel #charlastor #alastor #charlie morningstar #chaggie #don’t come @me pls #like I said I don’t need it to be romantic #but ever since the pilot I’ve been excited for the canon charlastor dynamic #and the show sure didn’t disappoint!#everything that intrigued me about it at first was still there #and got better!#vaggie #to think even vaggie would be smiling that alastor came back?? wow

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necronatural · 3 months

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Limbus Company theory

Okay, I have absolutely no idea if anyone's noted this yet. Did anyone pick up that the Sinners are held down by a Sin, represented in their EGO, and their Canto are about their struggles against another sin entirely. The branch creates a space for 'penance'. When Rodya entered the field of effect of the branch, Baba Yaga went crazy, freezing the entire mine. There's clearly some paralleling at work here.

So let's go through.

Gregor, Canto 1: Sloth V Gluttony (survival); note that this expedition failed, and we later explore Sloth with Yi Sang

Rodion, Canto 2: Pride V Gloom; note that Rodya refused to actualize

Sinclair, Canto 3: Gluttony (Greed) V Lust

Yi Sang, Canto 4: Sloth V Gluttony (greed); Dante's resonance begins

Ishmael, Canto 5: Gloom V Envy; Dante's resonance progresses

When we look at the dominant sins of the remainder...

Heathcliff, Canto 6: Envy...

Don Quixote, Canto 7: Lust…

Hong Lu, Canto 8: Gloom…

Ryoshu, Canto 9: Wrath…

Meursault, Canto 10: Pride…

Outis, Canto 11: Pride…

Faust, Canto 12: Pride…

Dante, Canto ?: ????

Sins not confronted yet: Sloth, Pride, Wrath

Sinner sins left to explore: Envy, Wrath, Lust (If we're talking strictly what progressed Dante's clock, Gluttony & Pride)

Assuming Dante's doomsday clock setting is moving in 5 minute intervals, Dante currently has 2 positions left on their clock; 5 minutes to midnight and midnight itself. It's made almost explicit that their resonance with sinners is the tool with which they resonate with the branches. By obtaining each sin, they're building to some sort of complete whole.

Predictions based on this theory; Pride being so back-heavy probably means we're going to scramble for branches with Hermann. It gives the impression that for whatever reason Pride is necessary, which is interesting.

My own theory: Rodya says she'll settle in the cold [Gloom] for a little longer, and Sonya says she doesn't have the mark. I'd say this might mean Rodya hasn't sufficiently resonated. Sonya may have tried to bait her in hopes of getting better results in this regard.

This may mean ...

The last few Cantos will be a losing streak (LOL)

Someone who hasn't cleansed themselves of their opposing sin/formed the mark of cain will get the branch; I'd imagine this person shares sins with Dante, Vergilius, or Charon, who I believe are probably Envy, Wrath, and Lust respectively (OOP @ WHO WE'RE MISSING ⬆️)

In that respect Vergilius V Sloth, Charon V Pride, Dante V Wrath. I even think the wrath Dante is opposed to could be Vergilius

Very notable there's only 3 sins missing; it could be possible we already have Dante's branch; they were very obviously part of the group of Cain Marked, and again, their clock started at 25-to-midnight and just kind of sat there for a little while. It's also possible it didn't move until Yi Sang because their sin was Gluttony (ambiguous manifestation)? If Hermann also represents Lust ..... Think about it

Rodya's refusal of the call of Cain might become plot-relevant, just as our failure to observe what happened to Gregor on the myth arc timeline of 3 years ago and relationship with the Big Bad makes it obvious he's going to be a core character in the future. We can tell based on those who have the mark of Cain that he just doesn't have the chops, so mayhaps their mutual exclusion will be a surprise tool that will help us later.

And of course, my theories for the sins that weigh down our remaining Sinners: Heathcliff V Sloth, Don Quixote V Wrath, and Ryoshu V Pride. I predict all the Prides share Rodya's opposing force, which is Gloom; we see this in the books these characters are based on, with Meursault's despair of being sentenced to death being overcome by his Pride, Outis putting herself through grueling trials for the sake of returning to her family, and Faust beginning with suicidal depression leading to her pride creating(summoning) Mephistopheles.

I think it would be pretty funny if Dante was Gretchen's evil baby. Or that Gretchen might have been their previous self, manipulated into giving birth to Dante (extremely vulnerable and exploitable state), which they will be disgusted by and put to death. How many representations of the Divine Feminine in classic literature can Dante represent any% speedrun

#limbus company #theorycrafting #meta

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chaoticace2005 · 2 months

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I’ve seen a lot of people talking about how the exorcists look like demons, and while I do understand where the complaint is coming from I also wanted to talk about how them looking like that kind of supports the narrative.

I’m going to start this off by staying this is from a perspective looking at the narrative presented to us in the Hellaverse, not any specific religion because 1) I am an atheist who doesn’t have the knowledge or background for making any calls on that and 2) the canon hasn’t confirmed this adheres to a specific belief system. There’s Adam and Eve and Hell and Heaven and yes, but this show arguably works as a parody of all of that.

Now that that’s established, I want to bring up one of the main points in the show: the idea that those in Heaven and Hell aren’t that different. In Helluva we’re shown the experiences of hell-born, and we even see cherubs later on who seem to fulfill the parallel role of them in Heaven (with the IMP vs CHERUB fight.) We also know that Lucifer was an angel in this canon. So some of the characters with the most authority in those domains are from the same stock.

The main difference seems to be punishment. Lucifer was punished for his actions and was given those who were deemed “Sinners.” The Hell born seem to be just natives living there and many seem to be products of their environment. So while Sinners may be “bad” and Winners “good”, all those born in Heaven or Hell have no reason for being there.

Whether exorcists are brought to heaven or made there, there is still that view of superiority. The way Lute talks makes it clear she’d be willing to kill the hellborn if she could, despite them not having done anything to be there like the Sinners. It’s similar to how some people born into high economic status view those born into lower. It’s just luck of the draw but now you have access to different opportunities and that influences the way you view others. Those born in Heaven probably look at those born in Hell and argue that if hellborn aren’t bad, then why does Hell suck? Ignoring the fact that Hell is established for the purpose of containing Sinners, who often end up being more powerful that the majority of hellborn.

Even some of the Sinners likely fall into that issue where people who gave to endure harsher environments may have to resort to more extreme measures to get by, and then punishment for it just causes them to need to do even more because their conditions worsened. As seen with the rate of people who keep returning to prison. With Hell some may have fallen down this path (think of Angel, who was born into a crime family, it’s likely a lot easier to fall into drug addiction then when you have access and more things you’d like to forget, but drug addiction can be a slippery slope and the other stuff he needed to do to survive basically condemned him.) Obviously not all Sinners fall into this category and are just monstrous pieces of shit, but they likely isn’t the case for everyone.

Then, once you get to Hell it’s essentially a larger prison, except you aren’t separated and are given powers, causing some of the more malicious individuals to rise up and acquire power, making it even more of a nightmare for everyone else. This continues that cycle of having to do certain things to survive. Similar to have in jail that fear of getting hurt by some violent people make you align yourself with slightly less violent people. Except now in Hell there’s that added issue: there’s no escape.

(Also, Hell is a prison but you STILL have to pay rent and work to survive, so you really get the added stress of both worlds.)

Anyway, this whole cycle causes a similar effect to the growing class disparity we see in many countries. Those on top (Heaven) continue to have power while those lower have to deal with most of the burden. Reinforcing that belief in exorcists that Heaven is “good” and Hell is “bad” because they are unable to see the full picture. They just see it as “they blew their shot” without thinking of why that may be or considering the people who didn’t even have a choice being there— like how some people blame others in poverty for being that way because “they are lazy.” That’s not even remotely the full picture. But because certain things come easy for you it’s hard to understand why it can’t come easy for others.

Exorcists are then given the excuse and opportunity to kill others, people who they believe are lesser than them. And some take genuine joy out of it, yet they continue to see themselves as the “good guys” because that’s what they are and the others “deserve it.” And this shows how when some people are given the opportunity and reason to be assholes they’ll take it- millionaires don’t HAVE to exploit their employees, but they view it as being to their benefit and helping the bottom line.

So now, both exorcists and those in hell have reason and excuse to be violent, albeit for very different reasons. Yet because of this exorcists are still “good” and those in hell are “bad.” And this is largely because of the lack of consequences for their actions. Heaven reinforces their behavior, before episode 8 there was no push back from Hell, so they could continue to use their reasoning as an excuse to kill others.

They’re blind and don’t see it though. They only see the world from one perspective, which is ironic given the exorcist mask is missing an eye. They can put masks on and hurt others and then take them off without dealing with the consequences. They “go down” to the level of the very people they despise and then write it all off, because they have the comfort of taking their masks off at the end. Of having a choice.

It’s also interesting how their masks don’t resemble sinners but Hellborn. Which almost reminds me of mocking another’s culture while actively hurting them. They may not be able to physically hurt hellborn, but they’re still viewed through the same lens as Sinners. They’re still “bad.” So exorcists can don caricatures of their appearances, go around “pretending” to be them by committing violent acts, and when they’re done they can take it off. As I’m writing this I’m now thinking about how in the past black-face has been used to reinforce racist stereotypes, making racist caricatures.

This also camouflage in a way, maybe they were previously asked to “fit in” before things got all crazy, and when told to look for “demon disguises” they all fall back onto the stereotype and dressed up like that.

The usage of exorcists wearing demon-looking masks could be them both “playing bad” while also clearly showing the fact that at the core people aren’t so different. For as much as they hate those in hell, they’re just as likely to fall into the same traps and patterns as them.

Having written this all now, I wanted to bring up Vaggie. Vaggie who took her exorcist mask off to show sympathy for someone only to be punished and marked with an “X” that mirrors her mask. Vaggie who previously was part of the “elite”, where she could forgo consequences until she couldn’t for not following them and was cast out, being permanently marked. Vaggie, who was previously allowed given the gift to “play bad” due to being in Heaven, but when she was cast out “playing bad” wasn’t an option anymore. Taking off her mask can’t get rid of mistakes anymore, and now she has to display them for the world to see.

I don’t know if the “X” was intentional on her part or irony, but if she did choose it it could also be her recognizing her role in the system. Her realizing she can’t go back and using the “X” to remind her of what she’s done. Because she doesn’t have the luxury of pretending she’s a good person anymore— she doesn’t want to forget.

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