haljathefangirlcat

[haljathefangirlcat]

A daily purr from my Purrtreon 🐾🤍

[haljathefangirlcat]

Solar eclipse, 1870. Worlds in the making. 1908.

Internet Archive

[haljathefangirlcat]

A WALTZ ALONG A RAZOR'S EDGE

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thinking about noah’s nameless wife takes inventory

[haljathefangirlcat]

Talking about the literacy crisis among men with other men is like eating a bowl of thumbtacks. Oh, so you recognize that the problem is that men don't like to read fiction anymore because it's seen as feminine and gay, and you think the solution is for publishers to stop meeting the demand currently being driven by women (the people reading fiction the most) rather than tell your sons and nephews that reading fiction isn't, in fact, gay.

[haljathefangirlcat]

Work in progress by the talented, Aubrey Jangala Dixon

Aubrey Tjangala was born in 1974 at Yayi Yayi, a Pintupi outstation 30km west of Papunya. Yayi Yayi was a temporary settlement established by Pintupi people as they began their migration back into the Western Desert during the homelands movement of the 1970s.

After returning to his home Country,

Aubrey lived at his father's outstation,

Ininti, before settling in Kintore where he resides today.

[haljathefangirlcat]

i love the -with mama trend but sometimes i get sad because that is clearly papa and he aint getting any credit raising those darn kids...

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lost in waves

[haljathefangirlcat]

Alastor, the wild card

Okay, I have to get this out because it's driving me nuts not having it written down.

I watched Hazbin Hotel. I watched the pilot 4 years ago, immediately liked Alastor. 4 years go by and he gets put on the back burner, but now that the main series has begun, oohhhhh boy.

This is basically just me laying out everything I think is going on with/going to happen with Alastor--the seeming wild card--and then what I ultimately think his end game will somewhat look like. Alastor has a lot of different little plot points going on with him, that all point in different directions, but I believe will all end up pointing at one specific ending. I'll go through the different plot directions tied to him in a list but not in the particular order I think they will occur, because I'm really not sure of that yet other than the last:

Beef with the Vees, Vox specifically

Lucifer

His deal, in other words his "leash"

His relationship to the hotel and everyone in it

His relationship to Charlie

Not a long list but a lot of thoughts altogether so here goes.

The Vees and Vox:

I'll start here, but this ties into other stuff later. The Vees, very much MOSTLY Vox and Valentino, are problems. They're these media industrial overlords who own people (it's such a mystery what type of modern-day issues these 3 characters are touching on), and they exploit, take advantage of, and harm people. They're clearly antagonists, even if not the main ones at this time. Now for the sake of keeping this about Alastor, we're gonna focus on Vox, because obviously they have past beef. We don't know ALL the details of what it is (aside from Alastor rejecting Vox's offer), but we know it resulted in a fight in which he "almost" beat Vox. And it seems they were on decent terms at one point, evidenced by what looks like Vox's head in this torn out photo that Vox had pinned to his board in the finale:

Alastor has an ego. He's an overlord. A highly regarded one, and he's obviously strong. He writes off pretty much everyone around him. He doesn't seem to be afraid of anyone, or even remotely bothered by people who show up to attack him or the hotel. He only shows any kind of acknowledgement of someone else's strength when he goes to the overlord meeting in episode 3. But outside of that, he does not seem to give anyone else the time of day.

So that's really funny considering that when Vox starts trash talking him on TV, he takes the bait and gets competitive. He goes on the air, he trash talks back, he gets personal with it. And when Vox loses signal, Alastor continues sending a final, very sinister warning.

And he's not being his usual joke-y self. He's being serious. He's turning into his Wendigo-looking form, which is quite scary looking. We're supposed to take him seriously here because he's not writing Vox off. He is, for lack of a better way of putting it, taking Vox seriously as an opponent. He's being usually egotistical, but he's still putting more effort into this little social media battle than he has for (almost) any other opponent. And not to mention, Vox was shown in the pilot:

So, while this was pretty much shelved for the reason of season 1, it's coming back. And it's going to be an issue for everyone, including Alastor.

Lucifer:

This is going to be my second favorite section of this post. Because it's hilarious, and also somewhat endearing to me how he reacted to meeting Lucifer. I'm sure people noticed, but when Lucifer walked in and hugged Charlie, the frame moved up to show Alastor's face, and his eye was twitching in that moment.

Then a moment later they shake hands, and he wipes his hand off on his coat. And later Lucifer bumps into his arm when walking past him and he brushes his arm off-again. Clearly, Alastor does not like Lucifer. Now, I'm like 100% sure there are yet-to-be-revealed reasons for this that have not even been remotely touched on (Lilith), but there are some obvious guesses we can make based on what we now have in season 1.

There's the fact that Alastor's ego is present here. He points out Lucifer's height, in a condescending way. So that's a thing, but I think it goes beyond that. I'll dive into Alastor and Charlie toward the end, but I do think Charlie is part of the reason for his behavior in episode 5. Alastor is showing off his additions to the hotel, but he isn't really boasting about himself at this point. He's being very pointed about giving Charlie all of the credit, and he is very intentional about saying what an "impressive young lady" she is and saying how "VERY proud" THEY (meaning him and the others there) are of her. It's very odd and hilarious that he's pulling all of this out in front of her dad. I mean, I have my guesses, but given that Alastor then starts challenging her dad in a sing-off, saying he's a dud of a parent, and just straight up saying he could be her dad--I'd say Lucifer's lack of effort in Charlie bugs the shit out of Alastor. I'll explain more on that later, though.

The last point I'll make here to transition into the next section is that I'm sure Lilith has something to do with this disdain for Lucifer. However, I'm really not sure what side of Lilith Alastor knows. My guess is it isn't a good side though.

Which brings me to Alastor's "leash", the handler being Lilith.

I mean, this feels as on the nose as the Dabi is Touya theories. Alastor's been gone for 7 years. Lilith has been gone for 7 years. Vestial said he heard a rumor Alastor fell into "holy arms". We know Lilith is chillin in heaven (but other people don't..so again, mystery). Alastor won't tell anyone why he was gone. We know someone owns Alastor in some way right now. I mean....it's gotta be Lilith. It could be a red herring and be a complete surprise later, but it feels like something very obvious that we just won't get to see for a while and will have to wait in anticipation. Lilith is not painted in the best light right this second, but honestly it's impossible to tell whether she's actually Not Great or if there's layers to this. My guess is probably a little of both.

Alastor being involved with the hotel could be because of Lilith. That also feels somewhat obvious, though again, I'll dive into Charlie in a second.

Hazbin Hotel:

Things start to somewhat all tie together here.

Okay let's take this back to the pilot when Alastor introduced himself to the show. He said he views the hotel as an investment for entertainment, and a lost cause, and something to laugh about. He repeats this in episode 1 to remind everyone that he still views Charlie's vision as something impossible to achieve and something to laugh at. Howeverrrrrr--

We shouldn't ignore the fact that ever since he showed up to "help", under the guise that he thinks the hotel is a joke, he has given a lot more than he had originally stated he'd intended. For someone supposedly who enjoys watching others fail and fall into misery, he sure does put a lot of effort into something he considers to be a massive joke. And the funny thing is that he says in the pilot that redemption is impossible, but we literally KNOW IT'S NOT. Sir Pentious immediately brings Alastor's motive for involving himself with the hotel into question. Of course we have no idea how much Alastor actually knows about redemption, but we can't disregard the very real possibility that he's involved with Lilith (holy arms) and the very real possibility that he's aware of her whereabouts (heaven). We don't know all of those details yet. But what we do know is that all of Alastor's efforts are fueling something that is working. SO HIS EFFORTS ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE..

So I guess that brings me to--what does he actually think of the hotel? Like reeeeaaallly think of it?

His behavior throughout the 8 episodes shifts significantly from the pilot and episode 1 even. He repeats it's a joke in episode 1. And then continues to put genuine efforts into keeping Charlie from giving up even when things get tough and she feels really beaten down. (I'll tie this into why I think he dislikes Lucifer in the Charlie sections).

I also am questioning his real vision of the hotel because it is certainly not something to be ignored that he put Husker and Niffty into the hotel--the hotel about redemption and salvation. Yeah, he's an overlord. He owns their souls. But he's forcing them to stay in a hotel that we literally already KNOW is going to save them in some way. Husker and Angel have their thing going, which will be a good thing. Niffty has a group of people who will protect her, evidenced by episode 6. So, again, Alastor's efforts are all leading to Charlie's hotel being nothing but successful (in the end). But yet he says it's all a joke.

And I think the biggest hint at there being something more here is that Alastor willingly put himself against Adam. And we KNOW that Alastor is leashed somehow. His wings are "clipped". And he ran off to go have a quick little break down in private about almost being killed because of this. Obviously his powers are shackled per his deal.

And yet? He still pit himself against Adam. Knowing this about himself. He also DID almost die for them--his friends, if we can assume he really meant that (I think later on that will be the case). This notion obviously bothers him, a lot. He went to his broadcast station and freaked out over the fact that he really did almost die for them. And then he still went back, knowing that they know he lost his fight. What a blow to his ego! He's the only one who lost and they all know it because they had to deal with Adam after he left.

I won't write off the possibility that he has to be there per some deal (assuming it's Lilith), but that doesn't negate the fact that his demeanor toward the hotel and everyone there changed from beginning of season 1 to the end.

We don't know yet what Alastor really thinks, yet. That's internal and won't be shown until later. But I don't think it's wise to take his word for it from the pilot and from episode 1, and then ignore everything that came after when it's obvious his behavior shows something else entirely.

Lastly, his relationship to Charlie ties everything together.

Again, this started off as a joke to him. He SAYS that he thinks Charlie is working for something impossible. And yet throughout the season he's been shown to be really endearing toward her.

I think my favorite part showing this was him telling her in episode 7 that "It's not like you've ever failed to inspire before." He meant himself. Because in that same sequence Charlie says she usually sings to get her point across but it never works. Except it did, because that's literally what brought Alastor to her doorstep.

That, plus Alastor's obvious disdain for her father that he shows when she isn't looking (the eye twitch), him trying to motivate her from giving up when she's all depressed, him singing about her with Rosie. I think he genuinely admires her and finds her inspiring, and genuinely likes her. Which is really interesting when you look at how he reacted to the presence of her father, and when you consider the very real possibility that he's very much indebted to her mother. Their dynamic is by far my favorite because Alastor is just very NOT easy to read.

However there is a problem that will come up later, and it's the deal he made with Charlie.

So now I'll try to tie everything together:

Alastor has this unsettled business with Vox. He isn't going to let it go. It's going to be a problem somehow. Alastor is stuck in a deal with someone, it's going to be a problem somehow. Alastor now has an unfulfilled deal with Charlie. It's going to be a problem somehow. Alastor hasn't made any vocal admittance that he doesn't view the hotel as a joke, so his front about it being impossible is still kind of there, and that's coupled with the fact that we know he's wrong. All of these things are obstacles to what I'm PRETTY SURE is going to be the hotel's final and biggest obstacle and success:

redeeming Alastor.

Before I go further I'm going to touch on the pilot here.

There are three very bold statements made in the pilot:

"Inside of every demon is a rainbow."

"Inside of every demon is a lost cause."

"He can't be redeemed."

Who is right?

Well, CHARLIE is the heart of the show. The core of what the show wants to portray--redemption and salvation. (Hams is probably right that she is a Jesus figure). I think the odds are in her favor. ALASTOR made a statement that we now have very solid undeniable evidence disproving, now that season 1 is over. So he's out. VAGGIE ended up having a dark and painful secret that she's done unforgivable things to Charlie's home. And yet, she's making the judgment call about Alastor? I think she's out. And also, her statement is the introduction to one of the biggest challenges in the show for Charlie. Because Charlie believes in the opposite of what Alastor and Vaggie are saying. And like I said, the odds are in Charlie's favor.

Now, Alastor obviously doesn't seem like the type to want redemption, or strive for that. Because I'm pretty sure he's not. For now, on the surface. There are a lot of negative things in his way. His beef with Vox and his deal shackling his powers that he wants freedom from. And I'd honestly bet money that those things will all stand in the way of Charlie redeeming him because he'll be focused on these things that keep him from wanting to do better and change--even though throughout season 1 he already showed slow but undeniable signs of changing, whether he wants to admit it or not.

But I think the point of his arc is to end up being someone who does want better. I think his obvious liking for Charlie is something that will save him from a dark and desperate place, a place we've kind of already gotten a peak into. And I think that at the end of the day, every ounce of effort he put into the hotel for Charlie, under the guise of it being for his entertainment, will all end up helping him the most out of everyone in the end.

And I'm very excited.

[haljathefangirlcat]

Hi....if you don't mind me asking, can I ask your top 5 (or top 3) favorite characters from Hazbin Hotel? And why you loved them? And your top 5 favorite moments from the series? Sorry if you've answered this question before....Thanks....

No worries!

1. Angel Dust. No surprise. He's my type, and I love that he's self-destructive and selfish while paradoxically very caring for his loved ones. The same guy who worries more for his drugs than someone crushed under a boulder adores his pet and is desperate to protect Charlie from Val. His romance with Husk is also well-written, because all Angel thinks he has to offer is his body, but Husk isn't at all going to take advantage of that and meets Angel where he's at: two losers, baby.

2. Lucifer. I think he's a well-written bumbling dad with a lot of love and a crippling sense of apathy brought on by guilt and the dissolution of his dreams that Charlie reawakens in him. I think he's essentially a disappointed idealist, but the story will show his resurrection into idealism via Charlie.

3. Alastor. Our devil on Charlie's shoulder. But he also clearly has a heart, and while I see him getting worse before he gets better, I think the pilot is exceptionally clear that the endgame is his redemption as well. He doesn't want it, doesn't care about it, is merely interested in watching humans struggle... and in fulfilling whatever deal he has with Lilith. And against the odds, he does care about Charlie.

4. Charlie. I love how inspired by Tangled's Rapunzel she is, and her idealism as both a coping mechanism and a potential weakness yet also being her greatest strength--there's so much potential in her arc. She's the only character who never had a chance to end up in heaven, because she was born in hell. Yet she's so full of love and idealism, while still being flawed and a bit naive (that deal with Alastor is so coming back to bite her), that she inspires people around her and the audience too. We see why people like her.

5. Rosie. A minor character, yes, but she has a good impact on Charlie... And dearie, who among us hasn't thought of eating our first husbands?

As for moments, I don't really know. That's harder for me, but in no particular order:

Sir Pentious awakening in heaven as a silly snake and Emily's delighted face.

Lucifer showing up to fight Adam on Charlie's behalf and his malapropism bringing the entire battle to a temporary standstill.

The heaven court scene as a whole that climaxes in "You Didn't Know." Atonement theories for this theology nerd's delight!

I quite liked Carmilla challenging Vaggie before the final fight.

Niffty killing Adam; it was the perfect ending for his character this season.

[haljathefangirlcat]

Do you think Alastor truly cares for Charlie and the hotel or do you think he’s only using them for his own gain?

But in all seriousness, I'm going to link you to @aspoonofsugar's fabulous Alastor meta here. Alastor is a character, not a real person, no matter how realistic or human his behavior. He's literarily Charlie's shadow, and you can't fully extricate yourself from your shadow in stories.

So, is he out for his own gain and against the odds finding himself caring for Charlie? Yes.

Is Charlie caring for others and out for her own self-esteem? Yes.

I think that just because Charlie's love for the sinners is genuine and her beliefs are ultimately going to be upheld by the story (after trial by fire) doesn't mean there isn't an inherent aspect of self-concern there. Alastor even tells us that in the first episode:

Watch as she works through her daddy issues while trying to FIX you!

But, it's not inherently BAD to be out for self-interest. You should love and take care of yourself. It gets down to the oldest ethical conundrum in the world: does altruism actually exist? Can someone ever be truly selfless? And, if they were to be, is that actually ethical?

[haljathefangirlcat]

What do you think about how Angel Dust was handled as a character? I’ve been seeing a lot of different perspectives on it and was curious what yours was :)

I've made no secret that Angel Dust is my favorite character in HH. I love him. I think his success is tied to the hotel's, and thematically, he's going to be hell's "adam" as in "adamah" (dust)--the one whose redemption leads to widespread salvation.

Like Cherri, Angel uses sex to avoid intimacy (to quote @aspoonofsugar), physical to avoid the emotional. What he really wants is connection, approval, love, family, which we see even when he's barely trying to improve. (Actually, just about every decision he makes is motivated by his relationships with others--with Cherri, with Charlie, etc. With Val, even.)

He genuinely enjoys sex and knows he's good at it. But sex has become the entirety of his worth, which means he doesn't know how to relate to people without it. So when he wants to relate to someone (Husk) he jumps straight to sex instead of actually building emotional intimacy, so he can have a performance and won't have to be actually vulnerable.

Same as he uses actual drugs to numb his feelings. He doesn't have to look at his life and his reality if he can't feel it. He's in pain, and he's afraid that if he looks at himself, if he takes an honest appraisal, if he really tries to improve--that he won't be able to. That he'll still be a loser. Angel is, deep down, terrified that he doesn't deserve love.

I recently lost a loved one to addiction, and it's been devastating. That Angel's struggles are realistic, that he's a bad victim, that he's sympathetic and still doing some very hurtful things--he's very human. Despite being some kind of furry gangster spider anthropomorphic dancer. It means a lot to see that, because we don't tend to see human portrayals of addiction. They either delve too much into the sympathetic aspect, or too much into the "addiction consume you" aspect.

[haljathefangirlcat]

Vivziepop said in the interview a while ago after the season one finale, she said she felt Sir Pentious was probably the easiest to take out of the main cast without any major story conflicts and taking him out of the main group would affect them heavily. Can you explain what does she mean with all that?

I can't read her mind, but I read it as Ser Pentious now living in heaven, which will present its own challenges--it's just not necessarily the main focus of the story, which is the inhabitants of the hotel. That said, I'm sure that between Lilith and Emily being in heaven, he'll have a role to play.

However, his friends' grief and then the realization that he's in heaven will probably have a dramatic impact on the story. See, even if he is in heaven, he's not there. He's not with them. That's why even people who believe in heaven desperately miss their loved ones. I can see Charlie at first being extra excited--hey, her plan worked!--but also being unwilling to lose more and thinking there has to be another way besides self-sacrifice. I can see Angel wondering what was wrong with him, why Pentious made it first--not out of any bitterness, but out of his own self-worth issues. I wonder what kind of abandonment issues it might provoke for Cherri.

[haljathefangirlcat]

Ahhhh!!! I’m so excited that you’re into Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss!!! If you don’t mind me asking, What do you think about the theory that Angel was in love with Val before the pilot? Or that he might still be in a toxic trauma bond situation with him now?

Oh he's definitely still in a toxic trauma bond situation. Val abuses Angel and Angel can't bring himself to leave him--of course, Val literally owns him, but that's also symbolic of what it can feel like in an abusive relationship. Very rare is it to make a clean quick break.

Love is complicated and it depends on how you define love, I suppose. One thing I think a lot of the "in love" discussions miss is that you can be abused relationships that do not have romantic love as a part of them. Particularly, a boss-employee situation, which is clearly part of Angel and Val's dynamic. It's just extra complicated because their boss-employee situation is porn star and pimp, so there's automatically a sexual element to it, which can often mix up with romantic elements.

Personally, I don't know that Angel really saw himself as in love with Val. I'm not ruling it out, but to me it seems more likely that Angel sees himself using Val just as much as Val uses him. Obviously, though, Angel is an unreliable narrator--that's not equal since Val has much more power than Angel does.

Sure, Angel can loan his soul to Val, but Val gives him fame, sex, and drugs, everything he wants, so it's fine, right? It's fine! (It's not fine.)

I shoulda' known it when I looked in your red-hot eyes Spewin' all your red-hot lies

Clearly Val lied to Angel, and is still lying to him, but that doesn't have to be inherently romantic, or exclusively so. Honestly, where I lean is that Angel might have equalized their relationship in his mind, and They're both using each other. They're both looking out for each other's interests--Val wants money and sex, so Angel will give it, and Val will give Angel what he wants to and protect him from worse situations (like not having what he wants). At least, this is how Angel might see it. But owning someone's soul is a whole new level of control, and we've seen Val exploit this.

The reality, also, is that Val wants Angel because Val likes to abuse Angel. It's fun for him. It makes him feel powerful. That's the lie Val's telling and the poison Angel keeps swallowing: that it's mutually beneficial. It's not.

Yet Angel doesn't like to see himself as a victim and doesn't want anyone to see him that way. That's partially why he's horrified when Charlie shows up on set and why he begs Val not to hurt her--seeing what Val could do to Charlie horrifies Angel not just because he loves Charlie (as a friend), but because it also puts into context how Val actually treats him. This is also something akin to real-life abusive situations, wherein seeing an abuser treat someone else like that often jolts someone into reconsidering their reality.

[haljathefangirlcat]

How do you think Angel dust’s development moving forward in season 2 especially considering the Vees are the main antagonists and despite Angel improving he still has a lot to go with his problems of Valentino and possibly his family.

I've written a bit about Angel here and here. Honestly, it's not gonna be a straightforward path for him, and I think we all know that.

I do think Husk is likely to break Angel's heart at some point (because of Husk's own issues), before they end up together (and they should). I also see him struggling to face his demons and the things he's suppressing. But slowly, in a few steps forward and a few steps back and maybe a few sideways too, he'll make progress.

I would not be surprised if his redemption will be the climax of the series.

[haljathefangirlcat]

What do you think Husk’s issues are?

Well, we know that he's a gambler who gambled with souls. That implies a certain lack of regard for others. But I don't think it's that he doesn't care (he clearly does), but instead that he does care, and he did it anyways.

I wonder if his prickly brusque personality is a bit of a defense mechanism from this guilt. I'm not saying he's "fake" like he accuses Angel of being (correctly). He is the wisest character, honestly. But his ability to read other people and his frustrations because of that help justify his lack of getting close to people. Why get close to people when you can see all of their issues? So there's a bit of a persona.

He's clearly bitter about being owned by Alastor and honestly, probably ashamed of what he actually did to get to that place. We'll have to see. I'm excited to see what his budding romance with Angel (which is probably endgame; at least, it should be) brings to challenge him.

[haljathefangirlcat]

What do you think of Charlie as a character?

Love her. Dare I say she's one of the better protagonists I've seen recently. She manages to be both deeply flawed and extremely likable, a balance that is very hard to pull off.

Charlie's the hero with the end goal of the series as her own end goal: redeem sinners. Her goal is endorsed by the series, but her methods? Her understanding of what redemption means? Not so much. Yet it's not so clear as Charlie is wrong--she has her heart in the right place. She's just a broken child herself, seeking to heal herself through healing others--which Hazbin Hotel is nuanced enough to acknowledge can be codependent but is not necessarily so.

Charlie occasionally makes really naive decisions and relies on everyone around her for wisdom, because she doesn't have it herself. She loves everyone around her desperately, which is beautiful, and the show shows that said love doesn't have to be perfect or unselfish or wise to still matter. That is its own kind of inspiring.

As Charlie continues to get closer and closer to the people around her, she's going to see not just the flaws of her loved ones, but her own flaws. Currently she has a very childish view of what makes redemption and believes everyone deserves forgiveness. Which the show agrees with her on in theory; however, it's highly likely the show is going to explore the complexities of actually living this out.

For example, forgiving Vaggie this season, which is likely to be a continued theme for Charlie when she finds out just what Lilith's been up to (and that Lilith's former desire to protect sinners essentially seems to have been cast aside to enjoy heaven herself), and when the disastrous consequences of whatever her deal with Alastor results in hit.