#These were simultaneously very fun and also Hell

[bagelsenjoyer14]

The Nice and Accurate Script Book: Episode 3, "Hard Times"

Hey everyone I'm back with my commentary on the third episode, meaning we are already half way through! This episode is my favorite Good Omens episode, and I was so excited to read it I actually finished it yesterday but I worked a 9 hour shift and haven't been able to sit down and type until today!

If you haven't already, you can find my commentary on the first and second episodes here:

First, "In The Beginning"

Second, "The Book"

Now that we're all caught up, lets begin!!

Have I mentioned yet that I love Crowley's humor, I coud just read his lines over and over again all day. Also I lowkey love the idea of Crowley actually meeting Jesus (Could potentially be a funny or devestating fanfic idea, depending...)

I looove when Good Omens makes historical references SO MUCH, especially when it alludes to the idea of Aziraphale accidentally causing something bad. If you don't know very much about Ancient Rome, Emporer Caligula was known for his extreme cruelty and alleged insanity, so it's a pretty easy job for Crowley. Nero was also another Roman emporer and he was known for his love of music and art as well as his tyrannical rule. Nero's obsession with performing was part of his percieved unfitness to rule. There's even a legend that he "fiddled while Rome burned." So as a result of Aziraphale getting him interested in music, he unknowingly made Nero much worse.

I mentioned in my last post how it's constantly insinuated that Crowley is at least punished by Hell pretty severly but it tends to somehow simultaneously be forgotten by the show and fans as a very big reason for Crowley acting and living his life the way he does. It's even mentioned again in this episode when Crowley saves Aziraphale in France:

I would be so interested in hearing what other people have to say about Hell's treatment of Crowley and how it affects not only the plot of the story, but also Crowley and Aziraphales relationship. (I might even post my take on it at some point if people are interested)

I love Aziraphale and his constant struggle with the language of love French

I just love Aziraphale he's so silly

Okay this actually killed me a litte. A lot of people speculate Crowley's thoughts and feelings on era when they didn't speak to eachother, but people rarley talk about how confusing it must have been to Aziraphale. Like ahhhhh imagine just trying to protect you're only friend and then you don't speak for 100 years :((

Just wanted to leave this extra 1967 scene for all the 60's Crowley enjoyers like myself. I really really wanted to see a revisit to this decade because it's honestly so iconic so it was really nice to stumble upon this in the script. I also just love Shadwell and Crowley interacting it's always hilarious to me.

OH MY GOD?? I honeslty wish I knew about this when I made my post about this scene (if you want you can check that out here because this not only proves my point of Aziraphale finally beginning to understand and question his beliefs because of Crowley and how terrified he is of it.

WE WERE ROBBEDDD!!!!

I plan on reading episode 4 right after posting this (the books is laying right next to me as we speak) but I work another long shift tomorrow so don't expect an update until later tomorrow night. Thank you so much to everyone who's been supporting this little series I've had so much fun reading your responses and learning new things about the script/series!

See you all tomorrow <3

[justhereforthemeta]

Romantic expectations and the story we didn't see: A magic trick hiding in plain sight

Here's a hopeful meta for all my fellow celestial brainrot sufferers out there. Cheers! :)

This idea started as a dead end, trying to track the movements of Crowley’s sideburns/tattoo because I thought time travel shenanigans were afoot. I had to abandon that theory when it was pointed out that David was simultaneously filming as the sideburns-having Fourteenth Doctor, and in-universe Crowley can do whatever he wants with his facial hair whenever he feels like it. But hey - null findings are still findings!

On the bright side, pausing the show to make notations in a spreadsheet forced me to slow down and notice other changes I'd overlooked the first time around: acting choices, costuming choices, references to book lore. And possibly a few surreptitious flicks of the wrist, in places where we’re meant to be focused on the magician’s other hand.

@amuseoffyre and @ineffablefood had a great exchange recently about romance and “the significance of misdirection and three-in-one (magic) tricks” throughout the show. I suspect Neil has done something brilliant with the audience’s long-standing expectations (since the 1990s, really) for the love story between Crowley and Aziraphale to develop. And while it is a wonderful story indeed, playing to this expectation lets Neil distract his audience from the blink-and-you'll-miss-them seeds he's planting for the final chapter.

Continued below the cut...

Let’s start at the beginning of Episode 2. First, context: In the previous installment, Crowley stormed out of the bookshop, was whisked away to Hell by Beelzebub where he learns about the Book of Life threat to Aziraphale’s existence, then returned to the bookshop to dance a little apology dance and hide Gabriel with an unintentionally massive joint miracle. In S2E2, we and Shax catch up with Crowley as he's snoozing in the Bentley.

Shax: “You’re in trouble”

A. J. Crowley, cool as a cucumber: “Obviously. Former demon, hated by Heaven, loathed by Hell. How will our hero cope?”

Interesting! Sarcastic? Yes, absolutely; but that’s also a good 4500 years and an averted apocalypse away from “I’m a demon. I lie,” wouldn’t you say? Someone is sounding a whole lot less depressed and aimless and navel-gazey (do snakes have navels?), and a whole lot more like he’s got a project to focus on, since his "what's the point?" ruminations on the park bench in E1.

And of course we all noticed the costume change right away. Hello, black turtleneck. Feeling cute today, thought I’d cover up my graceful long neck? That sounds unlikely. Let’s put a pin in this one.

There’s also an interesting acting choice going on here. Crowley speaks to Shax in a funny, drawling, too-cool-for-you voice that we haven’t heard in a while. Specifically, not since 1967. If you go back and give the S1E3 scene in the Dirty Donkey a listen, you’ll hear it (and if you know of another instance of it that I've missed, please let me know!). In S2E2, he keeps up this odd voice (if anybody knows what kind of affect this is supposed to be, please do tell!) throughout this dialogue with Shax, except for the brief moment when she first surprises him about the joint miracle having been detected.

1967 was a fun year. Crowley masterminded a heist! And seemed like he was having a ball doing it, right up until his little caper was called off after Aziraphale brought him the thermos of holy water. Crowley spoke to his co-conspirators in that same funny, very 60’s-caper-film voice. He wore a hip 60’s turtleneck. He bought petrol for the only time ever, so he could get those sweet James Bond bullet hole decals for his car (per the book, seen on the Bentley in the show).

Those James Bond bullet hole decals would of course have been part of a promotion for this 1967 release, which you just know our film-enjoying demon went to see in the theater:

Starring this suave, be-turtlenecked guy:

And now - begging your forgiveness - a brief rant.

There are a number of posts out there that refer to Crowley’s S2E2 turtleneck as a flirtatious sartorial choice - actually, ‘slutty’ seems to be the favored accusation. There are even a few posts floating around commenting on how sweet it is that Crowley swaps out his slutty, kinky, throw-me-over-your-desk-and-take-me turtleneck for a more dressy and appropriate collared shirt specifically to attend Aziraphale’s Jane Austen ball. 

Now this is all in good fun, and Crowley does indeed look fantastic here, and I do love a good fangirling sesh as much as the next person. However, fandom’s collective tendency to interpret what we are seeing on the screen through the lens of romantic expectation can, at times, give rise to a kind of blinkered enthusiasm that obscures the original text in a haze that is part Mandela Effect, part unrestrained horniness, and part in-group code talking and identity reinforcement.

Respectfully, Crowley’s black turtleneck does not appear at all in S2E5: The Ball. In fact, it never appears again after the end of S2E2.

For Someone’s sake, let’s collectively pull our heads out of the romantic fog/gutter for a moment and focus on what we are actually seeing in the book and on the screen. For Crowley, this is an uncharacteristic within-period costume change. There is a surreptitious flick of the wrist happening here, out in broad daylight, and we are all missing it.

So here’s a thing. Aziraphale appears to have settled comfortably into life on Earth, his neighborhood, his books, using Crowley as an outlet for sharing his good deeds that he would once have reported to Heaven. Meanwhile, at first glance, Crowley appears stuck in a rut. There he slouches on a park bench with Shax in S2E1: a guy who lives in his car, stagnantly clinging to old familiar habits, mulling over the pointlessness of it all.

Setting aside the bit about living in the Bentley (I’m going to attribute this to well-documented issues between him and Aziraphale, discussed in many other excellent metas, and move on), Crowley has at least two very good, proactive reasons for maintaining his contact with Hell through Shax. First and foremost, it’s a source of information he can use to keep ahead of potential threats to Aziraphale and himself.

But also, I would posit…he kinda likes it.

Recall that book GO was first conceived as a parody, with Aziraphale and Crowley as spy-against-spy (but not really) field operatives in an ages-old cold war between Heaven and Hell. Their entire book dynamic is rooted in the trope of two opposing agents who have been in the field for so long that they now have more in common with each other than with their respective head offices. Their St. James’s Park meetings among other spies and ministers trading secrets are a sendup of what was once a well-known Cold War-era cliché. 

Our contemporary Crowley still likes slick outfits and hellaciously expensive watches and high-performing vintage cars and pens that write underwater while looking like they could break the speed limit. He coaches Shax on how to blend in as a demon on Earth, and he helpfully redirects the wayward contact looking for the Azerbaijani sector chief. He loves improvising and getting away with shenanigans under the institutional radar. And boy golly was he impressed with Jane Austen: master spy, brandy smuggler, and mastermind of the 1810 Clerkenwell Diamond Robbery. 

And if you look at it a certain way, for as long as Crowley has considered himself to be on “[his] own side” - going at least as far back as Job - he could almost think of himself as a sort of double agent. It’s actually a very romantic sort of notion, befitting our hopeless romantic of a (professedly former) demon; but it’s romantic in a very different way than we, the audience, have been primed to watch for.

In other words, in a very “on my own side” kind of way, Crowley really gets a kick out of being a spy. Or at least, dressing up and accessorizing as one, and moonlighting as a good-doing double agent when he can get away with it. And also being a plotting criminal mastermind. Two sides of a coin, really. Just look at Jane Austen.

My point is: No, Crowley did not wait around for Shax to come find him in a turtleneck so that he could go flirt with Aziraphale later. He’ll flirt with Aziraphale no matter what. No, this:

is actually this:

Much like the one he wears to the Dirty Donkey in 1967: 

whilst holy water heist-plotting. Here's a clearer shot with gratuitous Bentley, because I love them:

…and which he'll wear again, with appropriate camouflage, while infiltrating Heaven in S2E6:

That is the 1967 planning a HEIST turtleneck for committing ESPIONAGE and STEALING THINGS in. Because turtlenecks are what modern human master spies wear to get their hands dirty - after all, he saw it in a movie once. 

Crowley dons his tactical turtleneck sometime during the first major break in the action (which doesn't happen until after the joint miracle to hide Gabriel) after he learns about the threat the Book of Life poses to Aziraphale. Loverboy started mentally preparing himself to go after that book immediately upon learning that it was in play as a genuine threat. 

Now let’s pick up at the S2E2 Dirty Donkey scene, reading the story from this angle. Of course, Crowley enables Aziraphale’s delusions about Heaven by hiding information from him, and does not disclose the Book of Life threat when they meet again. They go into the pub, Aziraphale shamelessly paws Crowley’s chest like the seductive Bond Girl he is, and Crowley gets to act all smooth and suave and intimidating as he chases off the interloping Mr. Brown (or Mr. Collins for the Pride & Prejudice fans, take your pick).

Ergo, theory: beginning in S2E2, Crowley is already thinking of himself as a Jane Austen/James Bond action hero (“How will our hero cope?”), psyching himself up to rescue Aziraphale by getting his spy game on and stealing the Book of Life.

Now, watch closely...This is where Aziraphale and Crowley brainstorm their plans to solve the problem they both know about: getting Maggie and Nina to fall in love and thereby get Heaven off their backs. Crowley’s vavoom plan is drawn from yet another movie (“Get humans wet and staring into each other’s eyes - vavoom, sorted. I saw it in a Richard Curtis film.”). But Crowley also implicitly shares his solution to the problem he hasn’t told Aziraphale about. And true to form, Crowley’s Jane Austen solution isn’t the same as Aziraphale’s Jane Austen solution. 

Two solutions that fail by the end of Season 2, and a secret third one that might still work...and there's our magic trick of three.

‘“I’m lost. Am I doing a rainstorm?” Yes, babe. And a heist, too - just not until season three. Can I get a wahoo!? 

I won’t spend time on A Companion to Owls during this meta, except to note that in all three minisodes, we get to watch stories that involve Crowley acting as a double agent on “his/their own side” - successfully making Hell and Heaven think he’s fulfilling their will while saving Job’s goats and children; failing to fool Hell when he does a good deed in Edinburgh; and of course, collaborating with Aziraphale whilst evading detection as an infernal turncoat during the Blitz.

(Because this is getting long, I'll also skip over Crowley's interrogation of Jim in this episode - I'll probably come back to that in another meta. But interrogating is a rather spy-ish thing to do.)

When we catch up with Crowley again later, he’s already slipped out of the bookshop, having left Aziraphale to his biblical reverie about Job. He saunters snakily down Whickber Street as usual, but with a very pointed and swift glance over his shoulder (see pic above). This demon is up to something - possibly something we didn’t get to see, something that may have happened offscreen while he stepped out. In any case, knowing there’ve been unfriendly angels in the neighborhood that morning, he’s rightly concerned about being spied on.

From this point until the beginning of episode six, there isn’t a whole lot of opportunity for Crowley to make any next moves. He babysits the bookshop, during which time he manages to wring some crucial information out of Jim; he follows his Crowley’s Angel around like a puppy, and downs a bottle of red like a good old fashioned lovesick boy once that’s been pointed out to him. If any plotting or scheming is underway, this occult being is keeping stumm for now.

This has been a long one, so I’ll wrap up with Crowley’s infiltration of Heaven with Muriel. The turtleneck disguise works (Archer fans, be vindicated!) long enough to gather some information that will be crucial not just to the denouement of S2, but also to Crowley’s journey in S3 (previous post on Crowley's Fall, Saraqael, and memory wiping). And Aziraphale gets to enjoy that view exactly zero times. The point isn’t oh, a turtleneck! How flirty! So cunty! So cute! Y’all. Everything matters. The costume change was a deliberate choice. In-universe, Crowley’s decision to wear his special spy turtleneck for spying in is a signal that he is out doing spy things, even as we watch.

In sum: Beginning in S2E2 and continuing through the end of the season, Aziraphale and Crowley are actively living out the scripts of two parallel, concurrent, and completely different Jane Austen stories. But you and I, dear fellow audience member, we came here for a comedy with a hefty jigger of romance, and that’s what Neil gave us to focus on. And right up until the Final 15, that was the only story we saw.

Meanwhile, Special Agent A. J. Crowley doesn’t have time to mope around at the end of S2E6. He’s kicked down, but he’s not out. He's got a Book of Life to steal, a very serious bone to pick with a certain memory-wiping angel, and his Angel and the world to save. 

“‘Heigh ho,’ said [romantic, optimist, former demon, hero, master spy] Anthony Crowley, and just drove anyway.”

[hells-wasabii]

Hi could you pretty please do velvette x reader who is Carmilla youngest daughter and how her family reacts (plus zestial pls I ship him and Carmilla so I feel like he's a step dad)❤️

A/N: I blacked out and wrote this.... but yeeees LISTEN!! I love Velvette so much, its not even funny and i had a lot of fun with this prompt! I didn't realize how much i wrote for it until it was too late, and by that point, i really couldn't stop. but I hope you enjoy reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it! ps i honestly ship them too

Part 1 | Part 2

Character: Velvette

Type: Headcanons + Drabble (Velvette x reader who's Carmilla's youngest daughter, General with a bit of Angst and Fluff sprinkled in)

For Velvette, she actually entered into the relationship not really knowing who your parents were. You never brought it up and she never really asked. It didn't really matter to her, since, ya know, you're the one she's dating, not your mum and dad, or step-dad from what you've mentioned.

Honestly, she should've seen the similarities. They were there for sure, but let's face it, there are so many demons in hell that it was probably just a coincidence, right?

Carmilla also knew you were seeing someone as well, though she really figured that you would bring this special demon around when you were ready.

Oh, they were both wrong. So very wrong.

They found out simultaneously, of course, as cliche as it was. You were on an evening out with Velvette with no clear destination in mind, just simply enjoying the evening and each other's company when the next thing you knew you were face to face with your mother.

It... didn't go too well.

What had once been a peaceful evening nearly dissolved into a turf war all in an instant. If you hadn't been able to separate the two with a promise to talk to both separately later there was no doubt that everything in a three-block radius would be collateral.

Zestial and your sisters would find out soon thereafter, Carmilla of course telling them when they see her come home looking quite distraught.

As stated before, to Velvette, it really didn't matter. though it did sweeten the deal. It would give her plenty more opportunities for her to provoke the arms dealer, something that she already took a great deal of pleasure in.

Zestial would be skeptical of the relationship at the start but eventually comes to accept it fully. His patience won out this time. He's seen more than enough relationships like this go up in flames and he'd never want that for you. He considered you a daughter after all.

As for your sisters, both of them were simply happy that you were happy. They were more worried about how y'alls mom would react. And you can't tell me that they didn't already know, either.

Carmilla on the other hand... To her, family is everything. I mean, she killed an angel for you and your sisters. She'd do anything for her kids, and that includes keeping someone like that upstart from breaking your heart. She wholeheartedly believed that Velvette was only dating you to get one over on her. It really comes as no surprise when she goes all the way to Vee Tower to confront the youngest overlord herself.

"You need to stay away from my daughter."

The fashionista bit out a curse as a needle pricked her finger. Velvette doesn't usually startle easily, but shit, between her being completely focused on finishing and the fact that her workshop had previously been silent save for any sounds that she had been making herself, she thought that even the most stone-cold bitch would've jumped.

What good was the security for if those nitwits couldn't keep unauthorized demons out of her workshop? The influencer swore that if any blood got on the material for this dress she'd personally kill the guards and whoever-

Oh.

Of all the people she expected to see, Carmilla Carmine, the uptight weapons dealer, and apparent mum of her girlfriend, was not one of them. Or actually, scratch that. She was completely expecting this to happen sooner or later.

"Well, it sucks to suck then, wrinkles, I'm not going nowhere." The fashionista bit back, a smirk settling on her lips that quickly fell when the older woman tried to push her point.

"I know what you're trying to do and it-"

"Obviously you don't." All mischief gone from her tone, Velvette set her work to the side, careful not to crumple the fabric. She rose to her feet and began to cross the room to Carmilla, who in turn stood taller, determined not to let this miscreant make a mockery of her, her family, and most importantly her youngest daughter. "I hate to break it to you, but the only way I'll break it off is if SHE wants to."

Velvette paused, her eyes boring into Carmilla's with a conviction and passion that the arms dealer hadn't felt from the influencer before. When the younger woman spoke again, her voice was softer than before, laced with a sincerity that would leave the mother speechless.

"I love her."

Its this singular interaction that leads to a truce between the two (technically five if you include Zestial and the Vee's) Overlords. They would come to some sort of mutual understanding that if both of them were to be in your life, they'd have to play nice. At least in front of you. At Overlord meetings, well, that's a whole different story.

[monimccoythings]

Cursed Cat! Alastor x Child!Reader (Platonic)

This fucker has consumed my entire mind. Everywhere I go, I see him. I need posters, keychains and a plushie of this entity of evil. Since the Sacabambapsis, I never laughed at anything as hard as I did with this little freak of nature (affectionate). Going to be a short one because I'm still laughing as I'm writing this.

This is not proof read, so sorry for any grammar and/or vocabulary mistakes.

All credit goes to @coma_0423 on twitter for simultaneously ruining and saving my life.

Tw: mentions of death

tags: @anonymousewrites, @nonetheartist, @littledolly2345, @sunnyx07, @ouroborostheunholy, @mo-0-o, @sydneyyyya @lbcreations-blog

Nobody really knows how he ended up as a cat. One day he just woke up like that.

The first time you see him your mind goes entirely blank. And then you laugh. Like, really loud. You don't remember the last time you laughed as hard as you were laughing now. You were rolling on the floor, tears running down your face and holding your tummy in pain.

You can see smoke coming out of his ears and static getting louder. But oh boy was it funny, he looks like he hasn't had a single thought in his entire life. He doesn't find it the slightest bit amusing, but you are truly laughing for the first time in years so he will let it slide.

He follows you around, being the protective cat-father he is. At some point your strides are too much for him to follow up with, so you have to carry him. And given your short stature he is just dangling in your arms with that stupid looking face, which, no matter how much you try to resist, makes you burst into laughing fits.

Won't allow any doors between you two. If you have to leave him out, he will serenade you with the song of his people until you let him in.

Can't stand seeing you spending time with anybody else, specially Lucifer. If he catches you two together in some bonding activity, he will dart across the room and jump him. You had to practically beg Vaggie to not use her spear as a baseball bat whenever he tried to pull that one on the King of Hell.

When you are sitting, he likes to loaf on your lap. Just keeping you pinned to your seat so you'll be forced to pay attention to him and only him. He won't admit it ever, but he absolutely adores being scratched behind the ears.

Satan fobid if you get a hold of a laser pointer. You can see him literally vibrate, eye twitching, trying to resist the siren call of the light. (He eventually gives in)

Any pests? He will take care of them, you can find him casually munching on the carcass of some dead animal in the middle of the hall, talk about being classy. And then he'll have the nerve to call you out for chewing too loud.

Get ready to wake up to him staring at you unblinkingly, with his snout mere centimeters from your nose. The first time he did it, you screamed and fell out of bed. He checked to make sure you were okay, but still found the situation very amusing, given the way his smile widened.

It is impossible to take a pic of Alastor in that form. He is always hypervigilant since he knows the damage it could cause to his reputation as a feared overlord. All pics of him are either blurry or distorted. You don't have the heart to tell him that it just makes them more hilarious.

You don't know how to turn him back, Lucifer seems to not know how to do it (or maybe he does and is having way too much fun with this), but maybe you'll keep him like that for a little while; as a cat, you dad is practically harmless, or at least less dangerous than he was as a demon. Also, it feels nice going to sleep with him curled into a fluffy ball by your head, his static filled purrs lulling you to sleep.

[abyssalpeach]

in the case of the people vs. bell's hells...

and also the campaign 3 finale overall. disclaimer: this is gonna get long bc of my propensity to yap so i'm gonna simultaneously try to keep it short but also put it under a "read more." spoilers will be referenced throughout.

i wouldn't call these rent-lowering gunshots, but i desperately need some of the folks in this fandom to get a grip. so instead i'm asking: walk with me. hold my hand. i am looking you in the eyes and want this fandom to be a nice place. please forgive me for any attitude but i am tired of being talked down to.

"they never faced any consequences" consequences are the result bad dice rolls. of which they had plenty. if you think their narrative choices should have resulted in more punishment, say that. but i think you missed the part where they have targets on their back from several factions and now-mortal deities and you need to kill the cop in your head.

"it was too confusing and the pacing was bad" i don't even disagree with this takeaway. i will say this was actually the easiest campaign for me to follow. m9 is so fun, but was very narratively scattered at times. however, i think this is just the nature of ttrpg/actual play. it's not scripted. it's messy and sometimes you'll zone out about it. sometimes what the players want isn't what grabs you personally. it doesn't mean they're wrong or bad to play it that way.

"i fell off c3 and everything i've heard about the finale is stupid" fall off, then. totally fine, i'm not here to stop you, sincerely. and not to hurl cliches, but with tabletop it really is more about the journey than the destination. without context, you are missing too many pieces to pass judgement. that's all i'm gonna say on that.

"the other PCs were just so much better" i gotta say this one seems like a skill issue lol. there's not a single party i haven't loved with my whole heart, but they satisfy different purposes or dynamics! vm was destined for greatness. m9 was destined to pull important strings. bh was destined to shake up the order of things. they were supposed to be controversial in-world. they're salt of the earth, rising far beyond their stations ever expected. they became important at work and it very nearly ruined their lives.

"it was like sitting in a philosophy 101 class" praytell what philosophy classes that you've sat in discussed the ethics of magic, direct divine involvement in human* lives, and potential outcomes that would come along with killing all the gods or releasing something called the god-eater. look. i grew weary with the rehashing of these conversations too, really i did. that said, i think it needed to play out this way in order for the finale to go the way it did.

allow me to explain. one of the defining qualities of bell's hells was how different they all were. whether it's their perspectives, life experiences, backgrounds, desires, aspirations... you get it. this was the point. they were bound together by compassion and love for each other. and this extended to those they stood for personally, and those their friends cared about. it was how they approached ruidus, the gods, the people of vasselheim. and they walked the walk and trusted the process, prepared to face anything. including death.

*obviously including all exandrian/ruidian races beyond just human

"the finale cheapened the ending of vox machina" it didn't. i'm sorry but it very fundamentally did not and if that's your takeaway from a change of circumstance ~30 years down the line, i am worried that you are too lost in the sauce due to favoritism. if your takeaway from vax being allowed to return to the material plane is that now his conclusion from 30 years ago was just him going on a work trip, that is a you problem.

the narrative doesn't treat it like that. the characters don't treat it like that. the cast doesn't treat it like that. let me repeat myself: if you think vax's c1 ending is now nothing more than a glorified work trip, that is a you problem.

life goes on. the state of the world is changing constantly, especially in a world with gods and magic and different planes of existence. matt allowed these players to have direct involvement in the ways it changes. if vax was allowed to return in some capacity as a result of those changes, the cast made that happen. it wasn't even on bell's hells priority list! this was a natural change of circumstance. if that's the kind of thing you find upsetting, maybe unpack that elsewhere.

i'm gonna wrap it up here but i hope you keep this in mind: if you don't like a thing anymore, you can absolutely drop it. you don't need anyone's permission. but what i ask is that if you want to engage in thoughtful conversation and criticism about it, you keep these things in mind.

i don't believe this show or cast to be above criticism. i have plenty of critiques of my own. but the campaign three finale was the opposite of bad. it was the most satisfying conclusion we could have possibly gotten. it was the culmination of the last 3 years with almost everyone who encountered bell's hells and honored the last 10 years of their hard work. i am so so proud of matt and the cast and i think you should be too.

[solifloris]

casually adding onto this with my thought process for writing "don't let me love you" but—kieran's character is one hell of a ride guys i swear to you. i'm genuinely impressed at the layers they gave him liKE????? it's like there are so many calculated moves from him, but also so much of his character seems to lean into the role he has of serving sylus that it's so. fun to look into his dialogue?!

and like. first of all. his words are always so... sharp. he feels definitely like the harsher of the two, and as far as first impressions go he doesn't seem to be very fond of mc whereas his brother feels more open to the idea of her being around, he even goes so far as to take luke's taunting further with regards to the hallway which like,, idk that stuck out to me bc this was right after he witnessed luke get threatened and played 😭

and more than that, he also feels the most loyal/obedient to sylus. he seems to put sylus and sylus' orders first, mostly focused on duty before anything else—when we first see the twins he: (a) makes sure to injure mc's captor first and (b) simply walks off once sylus steps in (a la "my job here is done" vibes). it's a big contrast to luke who approaches mc first instead, and also lingers a lil to watch/taunt as sylus' evol strangles the guy

BUT SIMULTANEOUSLY . he's also always the first to extend a hand to mc, even if it means potentially going against sylus' wishes? which is so interesting to me. because luke might be more prone to expressing concern through words, and his tone of voice comes off warmer in comparison, but—

kieran, despite being generally colder/harsher with his tone, seems to show appreciation through acting on it.

in all three of those situations, he was able to garner that mc wasn't okay with certain things—(1) being "trapped" (although they were leading her to sylus anyway), (2) not knowing how to find the brooch (although the items they gave her were only jokes), (3) being wary of sylus and his intentions. and he's the one acted to provide some comfort, first.

in the first, luke might have tried to reassure her with words that it's better for her to stay, but kieran is the one who opens the door enough to ease her anxiety about it. in the second, kieran is the first one who speaks and suggests helping her at all, and granted, it gave her enough courage to do something risky, even if the given items were fake. in the third, kieran is the only one who addresses her doubts about sylus and deliberately chooses to reassure her—without intending for sylus to know of it, despite the loyalty he seems to have for him.

i.e how i wrote it in dlmly;

like do you. DO YOU SEE. do you see how many layers they haVE DESPITE BEING SIDE CHARACTERS AND HOW INTERESTING KIERAN'S PATTERNS ARE DESPITE HOW LITTLE DIALOGUE HE HAS. IN THIS ESSAY I WILL—

[highdio]

Pleeease, write your thoughts about the musical lol. I really like your Dio meta posts <3

Just a disclaimer: this is really opinionated but I don't like to drag media for its own sake. There were lots of things to like in the Phantom Blood musical, just ... Dio wasn't one of them. Also, Mamoru Miyano threw himself into the performance he was asked for, so it's hardly his fault. It's just always amazing to me that people feel the need to rewrite Dio into someone else when the way Araki's written him is already perfect, complete and a lot of fun.

So, where to start? Basically, the Phantom Blood musical re-writes Dio, giving him a different personality and different motivations through OOC stage direction along with a bunch of original dialog and scenes. What results is a version of Phantom Blood where "Dio" is just a normal guy without charisma who had a bad childhood and spends most of the story being miserable. Dio as he's written in canon has an uncommon charisma and appeal that's allowed him to remain relevant as one of those 'all-time great' villains. Scene after scene in the musical prove that its creative team either didn't read the manga or just really didn't like Dio.

fwiw Araki wrote Dio as thoroughly fleshed-out, with consistent traits and behaviors and consistent motivations behind his actions. He also left a paper trail of interviews and author's commentaries that develop Dio even more fully beyond the manga. So there's really no excuse for media that treat Dio as some sort of empty vessel waiting to be filled by narrative cliches we already know and expect.

It's annoying too, because, along with its OOC content, the musical is peppered with occasional manga-consistent moments. It's like the musical is camouflaging its Very Bad Take on Dio by having Mamoru Miyano periodically re-enact the canon character's most famous panels. The musical wants simultaneously to take credit for bringing Araki's vision to life on the stage, while at the same time completely undermining its most important element: a capital V "Villain" who, according to Araki, "accepts and embraces his evil nature, and follows his dark path without hesitation." This is the biggest change the musical makes to Dio: musical!Dio has none of the confidence that allows canon Dio him to move so decisively and destructively through the narrative.

Musical Dio is introduced by a scene where he's bullied on his way home, before breaking into a song about how terrible his life is, where "everything is always taken from [him]" ("it's hell …I feel nauseated …[I'm] under a cloudy sky.") The song is alternately tearful and hopeful. "I'm going crazy from being robbed!" he laments and then pollyannaishly muses, "hey, Joestar, can you turn my [cloudy] skies to blue?"

If Dio being introduced as a sad sap and self-described perennial loser hoping for any break sounds attitudinally unfamiliar that's because it is. Araki went in the opposite direction: he started his story by subverting the cliche - wide-eyed poor boy victimized by circumstance leaves his sorrow-filled life hoping for a new start - and instead gave us a kid with surprising, even sinister agency. Dio is not just given a hero's upward narrative arc (something Araki crafted very deliberately), he's introduced improbably in his first scene from a position of control. This fact is important because in the manga it's a position he won't lose until four chapters and nearly 100 pages in, when Jonathan finally fights back. From the time young Dio is introduced - reading a book with his back turned to his bed-ridden father who he's secretly poisoning -

- to the time he's systematically broken down his adoptive brother's spirit by alienating him from his friends, taking Erina's first kiss, and of course kicking his dog, Dio is shown as being in control and on top (Erina drinking the muddy water is the only exception). It's OOC to imagine 12-year old Dio feeling sorry for himself because at the time he's introduced, he's already made a habit of getting what he wants. By the time he sets off for the Joestars after killing his first dad, he's already developed full confidence in his abilities and the inevitability of his rise to riches (something Araki has him explicitly state and then underscores with a panel illustration of a steam train signaling the rise of Modernity).

But the writers and director of the musical don't find this characterization interesting enough or something. So they lose the canon entirely and in its place they invent a version of Dio who's despondent. And they didn't get Araki's steam train memo so they miss the Modernity theme (even though Araki's tied Dio so tightly conceptually to the idea of the Modern that he has him "use a 20th century boxing technique in the 19th century"); instead they double down on class difference being determinative. It never occurs to them that Dio is written specifically by Araki with the freedom to move outside of his social status because he sees it as artificial (the "evil elite" monologue later reveals Dio thinks of the whole social contract thing is arbitrary and voluntary).

Throughout the musical, Dio (although it's not fair to Mamoru Miyano since he isn't responsible for writing this mess, let's use mamoDio from now on because it's easier) seems to idolize the Joestars for what he calls their "beautiful blood." Not "beautiful" because usable calories for the vampire he will become but "beautiful" because noble. The Joestars' noble status and the honor that's apparently behind that status become the shining "star" toward which mud-bound mamoDio flailingly, failingly reaches. I don't need to tell you that in canon Dio doesn't have respect for nobility.

"Mud and stars" is heavy-handedly introduced as a dominant theme of the musical. According to the play, Jonathan, noble and bright, looks to the stars while human Dio, pathetic, conflicted and even confused, can only see life as a mud-soaked prison.

Now, the mud and stars thing was only used in Part 1 as a single text element on a Volume 1 illustration but, in spite of its marginality, it's becomes a liturgical text for some fans looking for an explanation for Dio's actions beyond what Araki gives them in the actual narrative. To this sort of fan, a guy who embraces his inner talent for evil and never had the misfortune of developing a moral compass isn't the right type of villain because he's unapologetic. If the villain doesn't have excuses how can you apologize for him? So they need Dio and by extension Araki to give them a "good enough" reason to accept Dio's ever-escalating atrocities. If the reasons Dio has for doing the things he does lie outside of what's considered good or acceptable, they are simply rejected and new reasons are invented in the hope of making Dio much less objectionable.

Now, like I said earlier, Araki's repeatedly told us in his writings that Dio has an upward narrative trajectory, not a downward, "mud"-bound one. The mud and stars duality fails to describe the narrative journey of the two main characters: both look upward to transcend their circumstances and travel along a shonen manga hero's rising path. (In fact, it's Jonathan who needs a good push to realize his potential, something Dio happily provides). And it's Jonathan, not Dio, who Araki first gives a downward arc, being handed defeat after defeat for those first four chapters before gaining his footing and progressively rising to Dio's challenges. "Mud and stars" isn't just a bad choice of metaphor, it's a misleading one.

Back to the musical, mamoDio is the exact opposite. An air of sadness and insecurity haunts his performance. An original scene where George presents the mud and stars dilemma as a lesson highlights Dio's lack of confidence and the depression that lurks behind it, as Dio bemoans how people doomed to "struggle and die" cannot possibly summon the hope it takes to look up to the stars (he's talking of course about himself).

Likewise, and here's where mamoDio's failure as a character really comes into full relief, seven years after this, when Dio's machinations are revealed and he's about to be arrested, before he uses the stone mask, mamoDio drops to the floor and spends the better part of a musical number in tears, bemoaning his sorry life ("I'm trapped in a prison covered in mud… no matter how hard I struggle I'm crushed…") and his lack of noble blood.

(btw this is after the manga scene where Dio fake cries; here, mamoDio is genuinely distraught).

Contrast this to the actual scene in the manga. His expressions in these panels are memorable because of how assured Araki draws him. Dio's entire world - his poisoning scheme, his grab at what one can assume would have been the entirety of the Joestar estate - is about to end but instead of despairing, he launches into a philosophical soliloquy. His body language is haughty: this isn't mamoDio crawling on the ground and decrying his upbringing and lack of noble blood, instead this is a man who apparently, almost irrationally, perceives himself as noble. When he uses the mask, Dio is smiling widely. Metaphorically speaking, he's looking at the stars.

When mamoDio uses the mask? He's on his knees. He's in tears. On one night he interjects, "Mother…" In short, he's conflicted.

One of these depicts Dio. The other does not.

Now obviously the writers and director of the musical must think making these seismic changes adds something to Dio's character. But (and I feel like this is a theme whenever I write these things) I'd argue it only makes him more basic. It makes him predictable and formulaic, someone we've seen in countless other stories.

(Oh! and did I mention mamoDio repeatedly calls himself "useless"!! Because he does this.)

Now, because mamoDio has no confidence and as a human acts out of desperation, when he becomes a vampire he still isn't Dio. Mamoru tries to make his vampire Dio evil and scary by expending a lot of energy, running about the stage and sticking out his tongue ad nauseum. When you look at how Araki has Dio move physically throughout the manga, it's the opposite of kinetic. Dio is a point of fixity who's charisma draws others toward him (ask me for more on this if you want because there's enough here for its own post).

Now for the worst of the worst: at the very end of the production, after the manga ending that features Jonathan's death and Dio's (presumed) defeat as a head imprisoned in Jonathan's arms, the musical takes an original twist in which, following a finale number featuring most of the cast, mamoDio is lead offstage by Jonathan. You read that right. mamoDio is hunched over, resigned, and Jonathan seems to take on a paternal role. Although the lyrics would have you believe this has something to do with "two fates becoming one," it's clear from the stage direction that any embers of Dio's ambition are being tamed and extinguished as Jonathan takes Dio's grasping hand, subdues him, and leads him docilely into the darkness.

It turns out Dio's vampire arc was just a phase, a hurt and lonely child lashing out and making a mess for attention.

His body language here is obscenely out of character. Consider the following because, as I said in the opening, in spite of what all these re-writes of Dio would have you believe, Araki crafted Dio with specificity and consistency: Araki only draws Dio (with very few exceptions) 1) standing tall, looking down at you; 2) back turned, looking back and down at you; or simply 3) back turned, (performatively?) ignoring you. Dio is never on the ground except when he's knocked down (think, young Jonathan finally fighting back in the Joestar home or, much later, Jotaro stopping time and landing those punches). By constrast, mamoDio has spent an incessant amount of time of the ground, crouching, kneeling,, bowing, hunched down. Who is this guy? So his hunched-down exit in the final moments of the production, literally being led by Jonathan (controlled??), is so amazingly stupid that if I didn't have a gif as proof, you might think I'm just making this stuff up:

There's plenty more to unpack that I won't address here: ghost Dario. The lack of grave-spitting. The complete absence of true joy or leisure expressed by Dio especially during his vampire era: no woman eating her baby, no owlcats, no Poco's sister. No chaise lounge. No roses(!). No fun. Not for Dio. That would be too manga-consistent. That might mean Araki wasn't giving us the appropriate message that bad guys are actually just sad guys.

tl;dr Dio isn't in the Phantom Blood musical. He's replaced by a normal guy who's motivated by a lack of self-esteem and despair that he wasn't born into an upper-class household, or something. He's boring. The result? There can be no Part 3 in this musical's world (and presumably no Parts 4, 5 or 6, no Giorno, no Jolyne, … you get the picture) because mamoDio just gives up. It's a nicely produced little tale about Jonathan Joestar and some random other guy who at some point gets a funny green coat.

[thelonelyshore-if]

ROs reactions to the MC taking a hit for them?

Oooh fun!! I chose to interpret this very literally, as in "took a punch". Answers below!

Beck: "Oof, that looks nasty...but I could have handled it. " They'd be teasing and honestly a little offended. But also impressed? Like...they'd think it was hot and very cool but also do you think they can't take a hit???

Croft: "Are you stupid? Now you're hurt! What the hell were you thinking?" They would go on a long-winded lecture as they tended to any potential wounds, but it would be out of concern and guilt.

Jay: "I'm all for having each other's backs, but don't take a bullet for me. Next time let me take it and then get them while they're distracted." Gently chiding, but simultaneously flattered. They like the idea of protecting each other...but also don't want you getting hurt.

Perri: "Oh! Ah. Did you really just...do that?" They wouldn't want you getting hurt of course, but would be touched beyond words. They haven't really had many people in their life go up to bat for them (other than Beck), and it would mean the world that you care that much.

Ravi: "...you really didn't need to do that. Now look at you." He'd be simultaneously be amused and concerned. Would also tend to your wounds, and would gently give you shit for jumping into danger needlessly. He could have handled it.

Yasmin: "Aw, my knight in shining armor." She'd try to take care of you, and would be quite flattered. Of course she'd feel terrible if you got hurt, but she isn't really a fighter, so she'd also appreciate it...even as she lectures you to think it through a little more next time.

[utilitycaster]

What you think in retrospect is gonna be the biggest remembered Thing of C3 beyond that "it kinda wasn't that good tbh": something like the Ashton Shard Stuff, Laudna's magic item stealing, the whole "I don't care about the Gods" debates, etc?

If we're not counting like, Downfall or the Vox Machina and Mighty Nein episodes but rather focusing on Bells Hells? There are a few things that I think were genuinely good and the issue is that they all fizzled out or weren't explored:

the actual solstice and the solstice split were both extremely good and if the split parties had actually carried through with any conflict and anger upon their reunion I think it could have transformed the campaign.

the shard was similarly very good and if any of that conflict had been played out and if the lesson had actually stuck and Ashton had explored it? similarly transformative, if kind of late in the game.

FCG's sacrifice is incredible and lends meaning to a fight against a foe who always sucked absolutely ass, and if that had been something the party had sat with and let inform their actions (a la the Nein with Molly's death) that too would have been great.

The Ruidus exploration was really fucking good, and if the party had actually thought about like, what does life look like for Elder Barthie, or Rashinna and Gaz, or Evoroa, or Zhesh, or Asha and Kelito, and what can we do to be kind to them? Similarly transformative.

The shattered teeth interlude in retrospect was kind of a "what was that for even" plot thread but it was fun at least

There's probably more but I was thinking about this post about Dragon Age: The Veilguard last night and I think this is the problem here: Bells Hells have barely any connections to the world and with the exception of Orym, either those connections are also highly powerful people who don't really deal with the world on an interpersonal level (eg: Nana Morri) or we spent virtually no time with those connections they do have (the Nobodies), whereas if you look at Vox Machina and the Mighty Nein, even in the endgame they are thinking about the world around them and the people within it. I think this is also why people are grasping at straws to make this some kind of anticolonial narrative while simultaneously scoffing at Molaesmyr (and uh. about 3000 real people) and weeping over Aeor. There's no space to claim it's a story driven by any sort of empathy for the people of the world - Exandrian nor Ruidian - so it can only be told as a political tale. The problem is the politics don't track either because Bells Hells' grievances boil down a petty nothing, and the text fails to adequately outline any widespread deity-based oppression (at best, it makes a case for destroying the Betrayers, which, again, as the ones who argued for leaving the titans to destroy mortals really screws over the anticolonial metaphor). There were a lot of great opportunities for Bells Hells to develop a love and connection for the world and people around them and to make a decision informed by what would be good for the people of the world, and every single one was ultimately squandered, rushed past, or ignored; but those set-ups were often quite good. If they hadn't been I think the exodus of the fandom from this campaign would have been much more total.

[rubra-wav]

Main Hazbin Hotel cast x fallen angel reader who wants to cut off their wings (drabble - hc format)

Req by: @lightmoon99

A/N: I fucking love fallen angel angst type content, it's my bread and butter. I hope I was able to do it some justice <3

Cw: SFW, decapitation, a bit angsty, platonic, cannibalism, Gn!Reader

-

When you had fallen from heaven to hell, your hate for your more angelic attributes that had already existed before the fall only deepened.

You hated the sensation of the weight that signified your wings were, in fact, still there even when your halo had been taken when the exterminators had left you to die here.

You hated that you had to feel the pain of your attempt to hide them under cloaks and baggy clothes with ropes pinning them to your back.

When you came to the hazbin hotel, you were open from the get-go with Charlie, hoping she would sympathise being the daughter of a fallen angel herself.

It of course didn't take long for others in the hotel to find out you are a fallen angel, however it did take longer for them to find out simultaneously during a group exercise that you wanted to discard any and all heavenly reminders of what you used to be.

Charlie

- She's horrified when you bring out your wings in a flourish and say such a thing while gesturing to them.

- It's not too surprising considering you hide them practically all the time, but it still fills her with a sense of grief for you to think such a thing.

- She immediately tries to shut it down, telling you that you shouldn't hurt yourself and should be proud you have such gorgeous wings!

- Would apologise and go silent when she realises how badly she's messed up in saying that seeing your expression.

- Only continues speaking to dissuade some of the poor ideas coming from others in the group.

- She'd probably try to think up ways to make it up to you after the meeting.

- Probably tries to suggest doing some trauma work type things? She doesn't know a lot about that kind of thing, but she could get some books on it to try!

- Actually ends up learning a bit about trauma treatment stuff outside of the awful pop culture live love laugh stuff she's on about most of the time.

- Ends up helping out with you coping a bit better in the end due to that.

- Keeps trying but fails to do anything to dissuade certain members of the hotel to stop encouraging you to remove your wings, however.

Vaggie

- She's stung as a wingless fallen angel herself that you'd want to do such a thing.

- But she also understands all the same why you'd feel that way.

- Would respond in a way that's understanding, but ultimately awkward and clunky due to how she is normally.

- Made worse due to her own angst about it.

- Afterwards, she would probably try to have a private chat to you about it since it's clear you're struggling and logically she's gonna probably be the one most understanding.

- May even reveal she's a fallen too if you're close to try and give you a feeling of comradery in a pretty bleak way.

- She's got basically the opposite of what you've got, but it'd still be bonding and mutual support.

- Would be emotionally supporting you and encouraging you to try work through the trauma rather than harming / cutting off your wings.

- What the hotel doesn't have is a doctor, so you'd be screwed if you decapitated a part of yourself.

- She doesn't want you to feel inclined towards taking up certain members' offers either.

- She knows that the others are not going to stop with their bullshit so she actively tries to educate you on what they are up to really and all the risks that come with.

Angel

- When he first hears it, he cringes very noticeably despite his usual persona.

- The definition of 'that's rough, buddy.'

- He feels terrible for you that you'd feel such a way, but he also has absolutely no clue how to express it at all.

- Probably would be the type to try distract you from the bad by having fun, so he'd be trying to get you to hang out with him and either go to parties or go on various shenanigans.

- He's not good at emotionally comforting people at all, so he's awkward as hell and at loss when it gets particularly bad for you.

- But he's always there to try do activities with you to take your mind off of it.

- And he also needs it as well honestly. It's nice having someone who's also feeling shitty so you can mutually drag each other out to do things rather than wallowing in bs and feeling worse and worse.

- Probably calls out Cherry as well because she's always good at cheering him up.

- He knows quite a few people from a lot of different walks of life, so chances are he could get you in contact with someone who'd be able to perform removal surgery if after everything you still want it done.

- No strings attached as well with his assistance, unlike Alastor.

Husk

- He'd not really react at all initially outside of maybe raising his brows at your comment.

- Obviously, it's bad, but he just prefers to play his cards to his chest with how he truly feels about things.

- Would be actively being bitter as fuck at most of the other residents suggesting stupid shit though in a way that's honestly protective.

- Basically shuts all of them down one by one, calling them out on their crap.

- When Alastor points out how he 'seems to care awfully much about you' Husk scoffs and tells him to fuck off.

- Shuts up for the rest of the group part of the interaction.

- Afterwards though, he'd have a private conversation with you and actually gives you some good advice.

- Tells you that you should do whatever the hell you want but also to not let the opinions and thoughts others dictate that.

- If you want to do that, it's really your decision, and nobody has any right to try to tell you what you should do with your own wings.

- Doesn't really share his own opinion on what he thinks you should do because it's asinine and would be hypocritical to what he's encouraging.

- Just encourages you to think for yourself rather than just going with what the idiots and asshole are trying to fill your head with.

- And if you do decide to get them removed? Make sure to be safe with it.

Sir Pentious

- He very obviously feels bad for you. He shows it all over his face but also has no clue how to express it properly.

- So, naturally, he automatically goes to propose a practical solution to the problem.

- "I can do that for you, my fallen friend! I have experience with my creations, so I should be able to attemp-"

- He doesn't even get to finish his sentence before he's very rudely interrupted by Husk and told to fuck off with that shitty idea.

- Visibly deflates when he's told he's not a doctor and is just some inventor wannabe.

- He'd shut up for the rest of the meeting, moping and glaring between Husk and Alastor.

- But afterwards, he's approaching you saying he would try his best to do it if you asked.

- Would go and start researching how to do the procedure and starts meticulously learning about how to properly do it.

- Whether you decide on him doing the procedure or not, he wants to be ready just in case.

- He has no idea how to emotionally provide for you properly in this situation, so he's doing what he does best and is working practically. He's all open to any way he can be of assistance, however.

- Absolutely asked his eggs for advice on what to do and got nowhere.

Alastor

- Person number 2 who receives a resounding 'shut up' message via Husk.

- His eyes absolutely light up when you say you want to remove your wings, grin widening as he takes on a sweet tone that does not match his intentions at all.

- "Well, that could certainly be arranged, darling."

- Asks if you'd like to make a deal for your wings in exchange for something you want from him. He'd take you to someone skilled enough to do the operation.

- He wants a meal that is heavenly in a completely different kinda way.

- It's not every day you get to eat angel wings. And it wasn't like you wanted them, and he sure did.

- Even if you're friends, he wants to win the rare delicacy competition he has going with Rosie. If he bought some skilfully cooked dish with your wings in it, he'd win without a shadow of a doubt.

- It's not like he'd be lying about getting them removed, either. Just his intentions for volunteering to do so.

- Shuts up about it after the first mention of it and being called out by Husk, going on about something different after.

- But he's already plotting out what he can do to get what he wants.

- Would actively be sabotaging Pentious the whole time he's studying how to do the procedure as well. Those wings are going to be his, and he will not be the second choice when you (in his mind at least) inevitably come to him for assistance.

- He won't actively make your misery worse, but he will act as a passive influence urging you towards his goal.

Niffty

- Would also say she can remove your wings.

- But, would then proceed to try and do just that without even allowing you to process what she's said.

- Gets caught thrashing around like a madwoman in mid-air by Vaggie who saw it coming from a mile away.

- Wants to get your wings taxidermied and framed because she thinks they would make an excellent decorative piece in the hotel.

- Would then need to be kept in sight at all times away from you as she would be repeatedly trying again and again to destroy the cloaks you wear to hide your wings to get to them.

- Already had been collecting your feathers for several months and had already sorted those into a freaky art piece.

- So she's more than ready for a more substantial specimen.

- Was the one to actually expose you as being an angel in the first place - unintentionally by mentioning the giant feathers she'd found in your trash.

- Would probably be placated if you gave her more feather tbh. She thinks your wings and feathers are just wonderful.

[alltheboysandgirlsiloved]

After rewatching Camp Cretaceous (again) I concluded that Kash is definitely the most annoying and simultaneously the most boring villain of them all. And for those reasons only - I hate him the most.

Before you start throwing tomatoes at me hear me out.

Yes, Daniel Kon is the most cruel and awful of the bunch but he is also interesting to watch. He is complex and convincing. Yes, as a viewer we know that Daniel Kon is disgusting and manipulative and just evil, but he is also multi-layered, or rather - he pretends to be, and that makes him interesting to watch. Like... When will the mask shatter? Most of his scenes and moments with Kenji are very convincing. He is really good at twisting reality and manipulating his son while playing a loving father (or at least - as loving as Kenji imagines a father to be). It makes him interesting because he shows many faces - uses many "masks" to cover himself up.

Meanwhile this guy?

Right from the beginning we know that he is bad and stupid. Like yes, he is smart as in "he can make robots" but he is also comically stupid and not in the fun way - just in an annoying way. As a viewer we can pretty much predict all of his moves, he hardly ever pretends to be good, he doesn't really have any hidden motivations either (climbing up the ladder in Mantah Corp? Wow, groundbreaking). Kash is an evil person, cruel, sadistic, and completely lacking empathy, but all of these traits kind of fall flat because despite being smart he just lacks depth, he is not developed enough. The most interesting scenes with him are when he is accompanied by Darius and that's all Darius carrying (honestly Oscar winning performance btw).

So yeah, in my opinion Kash is just the most annoying villain of all. Very flat and just unconvincing. He is cruel but he doesn't feel like a threat to me? Even though I know that he almost murders Mae?? Does it make sense???

Hell, even Tiff and Mitch were more interesting because their interactions with each other differed from interactions with kids plus they tried to play a certain role to achieve their goals (at least for a couple of episodes). With Kash it's just. Look at this guy. He is a villain. And that's mostly all.

I also have a personal beef with his character design. Why is he the only character with tattoos? What message are we sending here huh? /jk

[bagelsenjoyer14]

The Nice and Accurate Script Book: Episode Two "The Book"

Hey everyone I offically finished the second episode of the script book and I've collected everything that I found funny or would like to comment on. This episode had a lot of interesting moments so buckle up!

Also, if you would like to see my first post about episode one then you can do so here

Sandalphon cannonically going by it/itself pronouns?!?!

Crowley being relatable once again

Okay this part was really interesting and I almost wish they had kept this threat in the final production. Crowley being tortured by Hell (whether physically or mentally) is alluded to very often but simultaneously brushed to the side. I think that Crowley having threats from Hell like potential torture adds a lot more layers to Crowley's desperation to save Earth as well as adds to his character and the way he lives his life. (I could honestly go on a whole rant about this but I'll save it for a later date)

Crowley mentions his fall often in the show and how he "didn't actually fall" and I really really hope that they either show his fall in season three the movie or go more in depth to it. I could also write a whole essay on his fall but I am genuinely curious if he means he didn't actual fall in the physical sense (sauntering vaguely downwards) or if he means it more mentally/emotionally (saying that he isn't as evil as angels who actually fell and didn't intend to turn his back on God for simply asking questions).

Just wanted to include this scene because it's one of my all time favorites

Azirephale being Aziraphale

Also once of my favorite scenes as I've personally experienced this. (I was playing the Velvet Underground and my friend thought it was The Beach Boys)

I love reading all his silly one-liners

Okay this is honestly hilarious and I wish they included this. Also Crowley's first instinct is to lick it!?!?

Anathema being an Ipad kid

I fear this is how all my first drafts sound

Aziraphale being himself part 2

I'm honestly devestated WE WERE ROBBED!!!

And lastly, Crowley cannonically calling Aziraphale "dude". I'm not exaggerating this is the highlight of my life. Like just picture Crowley calling him dude for the first time and Aziraphales confusion????

I hope this was fun guys so far I'm really enjoying reading through this! I plan to read the third episode sometime today, let me know what you guys think

[scribz-ag24]

i doubt this holds any interest, because they are such a minor character, but i would like to bring Spiritomb to attention, even though their relationship with Dusknoir is very vague? If only because it is a character that rarely gets talked about, despite them being one of the only Dark Future Pokémon we ever meet, even taking the place of the prototypical pokemon in that time during Episode 14.

I think their vague status between "random Dark Future Pokémon" in the main story and then "dusknoir's servant" in se5 can make a fun example of how Dusknoir treats regular pokémon in his native time (i know the doylist explanation of why spiritomb is here is probably character economy, reusing concepts from the main plot to make the plot tidier, but let me ramble for a bit). Or, at least, it helps emphasize the casual cruelty dusknoir is able to display at this point.

Despite how eagerly Spiritomb jumped Grovyle in the main story, the way they speak makes pretty clear that this attack was not their own initiative. In fact, Spiritomb seems reluctant to even bring up their desire to leave. all in all they sound like a reluctant intern who's trying not to fuck up but really does not want to be here?

They clearly seem intimidated, or at least respectful of Dusknoir. They address him with suspension points, as if unsure, and once again states their desire to leave, despite not wanting to sound insubordinate. Rather than respect, I simply believe he's fearful. Which, uh, is probably understandable considering he's been ordered to keep Celebi hostage after she was captured by dialga and he's witnessing how much agony Dusknoir can cause to his enemies.

Nevertheless, their desire to leave could not be treated with less indifference from Dusknoir, who, in all fairness, is probably entering a big high thanks to his plan's success. Hell, he can't even stop himself from laughing (in satisfaction? or perhaps anticipation for his big evil laugh soon after) before ordering Spiritomb to stay.

"Remain with us a little longer!", he exclaims. The simultaneous downside and upside of text without voice acting is that the tone of the dialogue is heavily dependent on how we read it. In my own view, though, I'd say he's trying to sound like an affable host, kindly inviting Spiritomb to stay, as if they were friend. And of course, he has his followers block Spiritomb's path immediately so they cannot escape. The threat seems pretty clear to me in the scene, and for that reason I do not think it's a reach to say that Dusknoir would have ordered Spiritomb to be threatened or physically hurt if they expressed any more intentions to withdraw.

(the reason for wanting Spiritomb to stay is also left unstated, iirc? The most pragmatic reason would be assuming if spiritomb left, celebi would be left free, and dusknoir doesn't want that. However, we are given no indication that the sableye could not move celebi or that spiritomb needs to stay exactly there to neutralize celebi. Idk i think dusknoir's just being petty. "look at what i did everyone i am so proud of myself i am the smartest most cleverest boy that ever lived"<- about to get an existential revelation so great it kicks him out of the closet into the wrath of god)

From the casual manner in which he acts this way, I tend to accept this as Dusknoir's behaviour in situations where kindness won't get him what he wants. And accounting for his indifference towards Spiritomb despite them neutralizing a legendary pokemon that only Dialga could chase down, I hardly believe Dusknoir would treat the sableye any better if they ever showed signs of hesitation while following orders.

That fact makes the Sableye's seemingly long-time wishes of saving planet almost heart-breaking. If you talk to them before entering Vast Ice Mountain, they say it's hard to be brave, and it's curious to me how Dusknoir -while also being unable to be brave and see the point of sacrifice until the end of se5- was unwittingly contributing to the Sableye being unable to find that determination too. Both of them were contributing to keeping the future in darkness, not just physically by attacking the insurgents, but mentally, as not a spark of hope could ever flourish when their mission was to crush that very dream they held somewhere deep in their hearts.

I personally really like the way he acts so affable and welcoming while putting the sableye on spiritomb's back. It overall feels like a perfect encapsulation of his plan with Hero and Partner in Treasure Town: putting the front of a friendly, powerful, humble explorer while waiting for the chance to take Grovyle and the young explorers to their execution. Now he invites Spiritomb to stay as if this was their collective success, while ensuring he will keep this audience for his evil speech. Much like him going "or is it? ;)))" before kidnapping hero/partner, this playful attitude of his seems to suggest he's truly pushed his morals deep down so he can ultimately feel some sort of joy or triumph from these heinous actions. All in name of keeping his own dull existence going a little longer.

This clash between his kind persona and dark identity, which is toyed with and finally a key component of his development in se5, where he finally shows his inner goodness, is very compelling to me. And imagining him trying to connect with others in more genuine ways after se5 makes me soft.

[this was a reblog i did for the sableye&dusknoir post, but the post was weirdly formatted and it was bothering me so im putting it separately]

[beatcroc]

Can you elaborate further on ena selfcest hatesex please

teehee.

honestly the plan was to just drop it once i got to it and provide 0 explanation but i should know by now im bad at being sneaky and keeping my mouth shut so this post is now about how we got here and what im trying to accomplish.

so first off i feel it is necessary context to say i have developed something of a conceptual fascination with ena nsfw. not an actual interest; i have no desire to actually see or search any out, but...the idea of it. like. i know there is A Metric Shitton of it out there, so what's going on with all that? what are the appeals? how are people taking this, by all measures rather mystifying sort of being, and making it something they can fuck? are people trying to downplay it, or are they having fun exploring the bizzare nature of ena both as a character and series in this context? these are not questions i especially care about the answers to, but they are fun to ponder and discuss as theoreticals. i have been doing a lot of this also in addition to the regular game analysis, so i suppose i was bound to get the wires crossed eventually.

that being said @ real analysis it's honestly kind of hard to explain if you have not played dream bbq, and really even if you haven't been in on ena since earlier on? but most of it is just that coming out of the webseries, the dynamic for how the salesperson/meanie sides on dbbq ena work feels very drastically different than how the happy/sad sides did on og ena. the split for og ena was pretty straightforward in that they were just two emotions she just tended to wildly oscillate between on the regular, but game ena..... she simultaneously is much more put together and yet feels far more in contention with herself and how she presents. despite being the more mellow side of her presentation, salesperson is an extremely dominant personality; whereas happy/sad feel very balanced in their oscillations, meanie ena feels like she only ever comes out to get some words in edgewise in decisive moments when it Means Something.

it's probably not a stretch to say ena sides are meant to be 'opposites' in some way [as opposed to just any pair of personalities]. happy/sad again are straightforward and manifest more just as conflicting reactions/perspectives, but despite her capriciousness, og ena still always feels Genuine in her displays. salesperson/meanie are unified both in goal and in the path to it, but the opposites aspect comes up in her approach. the best way i can define them is in terms of "how altruistic is she willing to pretend to be today?", to which the ends are "all bullshit" and "no bullshit". salesperson just feels disingenuous when put against anything meanie says, and ena is in fact most consistently called "dishonest" or "a cheater" when being insulted by other characters. all of this to say: when meanie is out it is very clearly her Actual Real Feelings on a situation, but again, it is so rare for meanie to be out under normal circumstances. there is literally only one character she does not approach as salesperson, and i Have to infer it's because he's the only one who is immediately aggressive towards her. og ena is certainly more unstable, but despite one of those primary emotions being labelled as "sad", game ena still feels far more unhappy.

there also appears to be some weirdness between them when it comes to addressing her past and how much she does or does not regret doing whatever the hell she did but i think im staring to get off-topic. you get the point im making by now. there is tangible friction between salsperson and meanie. is she deliberately suppressing meanie? is salesperson deliberately suppressing meanie? it is all very strange and alarming and it almost makes me want to question how the sides of an ena even work.

but anyway to bring it all around: no there is not actually any "real" "logical" "narrative" place for horny business with ena stuff, i'm just fucking around. but approaching it from the angle of "what would be the most character-intensive way to do nsfw here?", i think it would be simply be making her confront herself; exploring the dynamic and the tension between her sides and how she uses them. i went on a lot about unspoken contention between her sides, but there's also a bit of it that is, for spoilers' sake, let's just say Very Bluntly Spelled Out. ergo: hatesex. and then also of course whole fuckin point of the design and character of ena is its two guys who are one guy... or two halves of a whole, more accurately. the halves are also pretty substantial on their own, so this makes it very natural to just make them two separate guys while still technically being the same guy. ergo: selfcest.

also i get to make this stupid joke

so there u go

[regthomas1728]

Editing Responsibly

While Preserving the Author's Voice and Intent

GIF by capricornus-rex

If you're confident in your skills as an Editor, then skip this post! If not, keep reading. I'll be as direct as possible and include fun pictures/gifs.

Covering:

Readability

Focal Points

Tone

Character Development

Grammar/Spelling are not as important as we may think. It’s important to understand the foundations of grammar but ultimately, the most important part is that the story is readable. Many established authors have a style of grammar and beliefs of how grammar *should* be. Authors are going to write with their voice, so readers should learn to read that voice. We can establish our voice through how we write.

Example: Some authors use dashes to indicate urgency or to jump into action or dialogue. Others may use asterisks instead of italicizing or bolding something.

The point: don’t correct style, correct how readable a work is. If you understand it, it’s readable, if you think there is room for misinterpretation or it takes a few times to understand a sentence through no fault of your own, mark it.

GIF by demondetoxmanual

You tell 'em Dean!

Next are focal points. Where is the author directing the reader? Is this the best place for the reader to be? For example, if a war has broke out in a field, are we focusing on all the action or the ramifications of the action? Think about the easiest way to impact the reader? Is the reader going to be emotional reading about the six characters locked in a gun fight? Is this gun fight going to be revolutionary to the story? What’s interesting to watch is not always interesting to read.

I heard the suggestion of focusing on something small. We see this in Mulan when the Chinese Military comes across a burnt village. We see an overview of the damages but the item that gets the most screen time is the helmet on a pike and the doll toy next to it. The implication is that not only men died, not only was the military suffering a great defeat but innocent children were being slaughtered. We see how evil the enemy is and what the military is fighting for. We strongly agree with the mission.

This is not the only way to do something but the main idea is that you make every paragraph meaningful, impactful, and every word important. Quality over quantity (to be further discussed at a later point not in this post).

As a Beta Reader, I recommend encouraging your author when a sentence was exceptionally meaningful, where it impacted you, but simultaneously, you should inform them when a sentence is lacking or setting you up for something and it doesn’t deliver. Tell them when a sentence seems redundant in a way that is not helpful or apart of their voice (there is a good way to use repetition throughout your story to be impactful).

GIF by cutsliceddiced

Ramsay has a lot of shows. One features kid chefs where he is very polite, very encouraging, and gives a fatherly vibe. Overall, 10/10 show to watch with my grandma. Then, there's Hell's Kitchen. The very opposite. He's cooled down over the years but he's still not the nicest guy. Not very fatherly. The tones are different. His word choices are different, his expressions are different.

What tone are you trying to convey in your story. Every word in the english language is different. They all have connotations that imply more than what the given definition may tell us. How you use words changes how your reader sees something. You’re painting a picture, use vibrant colors but also use dull ones to show how important each color is important. Does this make cents? Make dollars?

The words make up sentences make up paragraphs which make up a scene. If your scene is happy, you are NOT going to use the word “nice”. There are also problems with generalizing a scene. Happy is not enough. Try “delighted” “cheerful” “advantageous”. The more you know about the scene, the more you can write for it. Happy can mean nothing bad (content), it can be a roller coaster ride at the state fair (exhilarating), or wedding day, saying the vows and then *final kiss* (glowing/radiant). The english language lends itself to too many ways of conveying emotions. Use it.

GIF by chuuyasblog

Finally, character development is going to make the story. Every plot has been used and overused–there isn’t much that can surprise a reader. Characters, however, can distract from a plot and help you surprise your audience. This is going to be different for everyone but give your audience thoughts, small actions, flaws, and relatable dialogue. (there is too much for this, if anyone wants more about character development, I've got plenty to say)

Awesome Sauce,

Regine Thomas Tumblr Arse | With (His) Spunk regthomas1728@gmail.com

[phoenixfire-thewizardgoddess]

Messed up headcanon, that I also have yet to put into a fic:

Lillith only needed one of the media demons, to stream her voice. But, neither Alastor nor Vox are willing to engage in her deal whilst they are together. It's a one and done position, she can't really afford to conceal the activities of two overlords simultaneously.

People would assume something was going on.

Lillith, though, has her song and the ability to add a little underlying magic to everything she says if she wants to. How difficult is it for the second most powerful being in Hell to slide subtle manipulations in their ears / audio inputs over time?

Her plans don't have a specific end date, as long as Heaven doesn't make a move... so for now, she can play 5d Chess with her little overlords. They think her a friend, someone who is an overarching authority but far more approachable than her husband. She is The Original Sinner of course, she understands the inherent flaws of humanity.

Lillith makes certain to know the Sovereigns, the ones that last for more than a blink of the eye. She buys their confidence and companionship, of course with some it is easier than others... genuine friendship grows despite her best efforts.

Rosie, naturally. Zestial and Carmilla. Alastor. Vox... eventually.

The others were hit or miss. She did take note of a few rising stars, especially that funny little snake and that dinosaur woman. They had potential.

It starts subtly. She puts doubts in their heads, wedging them apart in a way wherein the pair would assume their anxieties and disagreements were natural road blocks to a relationship. But, she also tightened her grip on the pair; ensuring that they sought her support and advice over talking to one another. OF course, she did have to put pressure on the Alastor-Rosie / Vox-Rosie pipeline, because the cannibette was generally their first port of call for spats and assistance.

A few carefully manufactured mishaps and misunderstandings later, and she had them ensnared. Her chains are twining the unaware ankles of her media overlords, her words filling them with doubt, heir relationship burning between them.

Little wonder when they start to fight, violently and publically, to the shock of the other Sovereigns who had no idea how bad things had become. She makes a show of deescalating them in public, and sabotaging in private.

The devious nail in the coffin was introducing Valentino to Vox. While the moth was an overlord on his way up, he was also damaged and needing stability in a way that Vox was aching to provide. How ironic... exactly the reverse of how Alastor and Vox's relationship had begun.

The need to fix and support the moth, as a variable he can control and the affection that Valentino poured back at Vox, it was addictive. After a while, Vox cut all communication to Alastor in an unusually explosive fashion... it levelled several districts and required Zestial and Carmilla to step in to force the pair apart.

Lillith eventually got the truth from Alastor, years later, about what went down... but in the moment she made herself the primary support for the deer. He fell into her trap, untethered and distraught in a way he wouldn't allow the public to see.

She hid him in one of her wings of the palace, the staff advised he was merely a friend who was in a bad place after a relationship breakdown. The hellborn imps accepted her word. Hardly the first time she had brought a stray sinner home... and little Charlotte didn't seem to mind when the funny musical man, when he played fun songs or did fun tricks like hosting dance parties with her toys and his poppets.

She thought it was awesome! But she was only little, after all. Lillith encouraged the relationship, strained as it was for the man had very few experiences in managing the delightful nightmare that was a child and their needs...

He would need that odd attachment, that loyalty in future. She also knew that it redoubled his loyalty to her faction of the royal house, whether Alastor realised it or not. It also, much like with Vox and Valentino, gave the stressed Sovereign Overlord something to live for.

He wasn't overtly going to hurl himself at an Exorcist, but... having him broken mentally and emotionally, languishing in his pain? That would serve no purpose. She already had one all-powerful disaster to coddle, and would NOT suffer a second. Not after decades of playing this game.

Lillith was not cruel, not from her perspective. There was a practical rationale for all of this that would serve Hell in the future.

And in those moments of levity, of connection, Lillith would speak of her fears to Alastor. Of her plans to keep Charlie safe, of what she would need to make things better for her daughter... and Hell in general. She sang of the beginning, of the garden and the times she had been happy.

She painted a picture of the judgement, the casting out and the fall. How her rebellion had fallen, the censures, the exterminations. She drew him into her confidence, binding him in a web he wasn't seeing... the man had a blindspot when it came to female friends. Hah, Mimzy was quite the little indicator on that front.

Still, by the time she raised her request again, to have him make a Deal and become her Herald... his previous refusals, barriers and resistances to the idea. Lillith sold the idea of being her advisor and advocate, of how his radio abilities would be the one true medium to convey her song to rally hell, and of course, how Alastor would be a protector for little Charlotte.

It was so easy to see how he wanted Purpose again, and of course the chance for him to be seen as someone Important without Vox... to secure the place of Radio over Television. Lillith felt mild distaste, despite the success, perhaps she had grown used to the Overlord's friendship or somesuch other nonsense.

Still, he seemed to be willing to enter into the Deal, and trusting enough to consider not reading the contract as thoroughly as he otherwise might. The look of betrayal on his face as the collar snapped shut around his throat was... oddly distressing, to the Queen. It echoed the broken trust on Lucifer's face, these days, when she would come to take Charlotte home from a visit.

"...why?" he asks, clawing at his own throat so violently she had to use her song to restrain the bloodied hands. "I-... I trusted you..."

"I know, dear, I made sure you would before you signed. If it helps at all, I'm sorry. You've met Charlotte, Alastor, I brought you into my home and let you spend time with her... look me in the eyes and understand that I would kill everyone here, and burn down this entire Realm as well as the Heavens, to keep her safe. If that means I hold your soul in my hands, then so be it."

Infuriated, disgusted, distraught. He fights against her hold, he lashes out and damages the palace... and initially, she allows it. Charlotte is with her father, and there is nothing that cannot be repaired with a wave of the wrist and minimal magic.

Eventually, though, she steps in to temper the destruction when the Overlord begins to target too closely to her wards, and when he begins to target himself again in frustration at hte unbreakable shackles.

Lucifer was not easily fooled, though, sensing Lillith's guest when the demonic energy surged. It took careful application of her own mesmerising ability, the only one he ever allowed to touch his mind to soothe nightmares of their Fall because he trusted his Lilly, to calm the King.

He subdued the enlarged overlord, without undue violence, once Lillith explained that Alastor was simply a friend who had lost control after some distressing news. The King was, it must be said, additionally swayed by a sobbing Charlie trying to offer the 'upset' Overlord one of her favourite toys, and saying it was okay to have big feelings.

If Charlie knew the man, then clearly, uh... well, Lucifer didn't get to finish that thought. His mind fuzzy on the circumstances, but Lilly said it was fine, so he would help her friend go back to normal and settle down. Then he could go back to his latest project... a musical carousel for Charlie's upcoming birthday.

Lucifer barely noticed when he had the other pinned, green light being subsumed by gold as the body fell back to normal proportions. The King didn't even comment when he felt Lillith's power tethering the other via chains... something they'd agreed not to do, because of the inherent power differentials between Royalty and sinner.

There was... a good reason, he's sure. Her voice was soothing.

Charlie sat beside the sinner and offered her toy, again, patting his ears. Lucifer couldn't help but smile at her, his little starlight.

Alastor glared at the King, furious at how easy it was for the royal to force compliance. To heal the damage to person and property as if it didn't require a moment's thought. There was visceral hatred for how powerful the King was, how he could change all of Hell, and yet... this little porcelain doll of a former angel sat quietly in his palace like an ornate doll. Haunting the halls and letting hell burn itself to the ground.

But Charlotte was there, being so genuinely sweet and subtly seeking reassurance that everything was okay, that Alastor couldn't help but stop struggling against the inevitable. He reassures the child that all is well, and accepts Lady Hellfire the 3rd (a truly intriguinglyy made little imp doll with a glued on tiara and battleaxe) being placed next to his restrained arms.

"How kind, thank you Princess." he murmurs, deliberately exhaling slowly to release the tension in his body. "No need for tears, do settle yourself... perhaps you and the lovely lady there could go to the kitchen and get a snack? Hmmm? Something sweet, perhaps."

That worked, naturally. The child had a prolific sweet tooth.

"Okay!" And she was gone, one of the staff would be accompanying her.

Lucifer gazed down on him, puzzled. "How long have you known my daughter, sinner, that you knew how best to comfort her?"

"Some time. Your wife has put up with my more... frustrating moments, for the better part of a year, I believe. I must admit that the exact time is hard to parse, my memory is rather fuzzy on that front. Though I can see now it was a mistake to lower my guard around her..." he can't help the snarl in response.

Lucifer languidly looked at Lillith. "Why do you own this one's soul? I mean, we always said no soul deals, Lilly... what could you gain? Unless it was to help him?"

He read through the conditions on the chain, and frowned. "This seems like... another scheme to fight Heaven, Lilly, you know we can't do that again or they'll take Charlotte. And you didn't... give anything of value in this Deal? Why not add some power?"

"He's the most powerful overlord we have access to, my love, and his intrinsic power will be of great use. He gets to be contracted to the Morningstar house, and I've allowed him to maintain his contracts, what else could I provide?" She asks, wary of adding to Alastor's power. He was not a threat to her, of course, but anything additional and this sinner would start fighting Goetia to test the bounds of his abilities. That would not go ignored by the hierarchy.

"...well, can you at least lessen the restrictions? I just... you know how I feel about chains, Lilly. Remember what they did to us?"

Oh, her little love. Still full of hope and care somewhere in that mess of broken misery. Lillith didn't want him to carry this as well... so she sings. Her voice caresses those who hear it, entices their minds to bury the memories deeply, forget this happened.

She would give Charlie a lullaby another time, maybe smooth this over so she didn't recall her Funny Music Man until necessary.

Lucifer's eyes dulled, his expression falling from pinched to placid. Lillith left Alastor dazed and insensate on the floor as she herded her beloved back to his rooms. Asking a nearby maidservant to fetch the princess to her father as soon as possible.

It would be okay. They would both understand in time.

Alastor would come to realise how pivotal this decision was, in the future. It was necessary.

But first, she needed to move them out of the Palace. Can't have Lucifer noticing anything untoward.

------------

Being relegated to Heaven was not in her plans, unfortunately, but nonetheless it happened. At least she had been able to take Alastor with her... his conditioning was not yet properly in place when Adam came for her.

She couldn't risk decades of work for her first husband's ridiculous whims. Well, at least he seemed to be trying to help her... something about the upper angels wanting her closer at hand.

Negotiating a sinner coming with wasn't too hard, after that, Adam just assumed she needed a servant. Lillith let it happen, sometimes you went with the flow and didn't fight the tide.

It wasn't terrible. The accommodations were quite pleasant, really, if only her dear deer could cease railing against their captors and causing mischief out of boredom.

She sang to him, reinforcing the protective wards, reinforcing her instructions, and layering new knowledge into his mind. Ready for use in the moment it was needed.

Lillith allowed Alastor his impertinence. It seemed to infuriate their captors enough that when they didn't end up brawling until a higher up forced them apart, it appeared the angelic guards tattled up the chain about him. Eventually, Lillith was told to send him back or he was going to be Silenced.

Given that it aligned with Charlie opening her hotel, Lillith almost believed that there were other factors at play. She commanded his silence, and didn't miss the flare of resentment in his eyes as he left.

----------

Charlotte lacking memory of him was rather cutting, at first. Where had the little girl he'd had odd tea parties with gone?

Hah, such ridiculous sentiment from a bloodythirsty overlord. If any of the other sovereigns had known about it, he'd be a laughing stock...

Still, Charlotte was all grown up and running her own ventures. How naive and chaotic her redemption ideal was. Still, entertaining, one must say.

It took little real power to make the place semi-functional, where possible. The building was a wreck.

He didstrusted the spider from the moment he laid eyes on him. The tether to that moth was blinding to his eyes; and certainly, anything said around the little starlet would be reported back. Best to play it off as nothing of import.

And then the creature had asked to suck his-... the impropriety of it all!

Well, nevermind. This could be fixed, made functional. Lillith's goals were parallel to this venture, so he would do what he could; the instructions woven into the chains around his throat.

He would merely need to weather this for now.

----

Vox finding out he had returned was inevitable... of course.

Alastor was ready to tear him limb from limb.

And he was officially with the MOTH? Of all people?!

-----

And then the King arrived.

There's no recognition in that dismissive, flat gaze... and although Alastor was enraged at the lack of support from Lucifer, since he'd seen the unbalanced deal in place... it was the despair in Charlotte's eyes that sealed the irrational response the overlord unleashed.

They fight from the moment Lucifer arrives, and Charlotte seems at a loss of how to manage the situation. Then Mimzy arrived.

-----

Things did not improve from there.

Lillith found a way to communicate through his microphone, checking in covertly, as time went on.

----

Lucifer was vexed by him.

The longer he stayed around Charlie, the longer he was near that antagonistic fucking period stain of an overlord, the more his brain itched. Like there was something he was missing here and it was driving him insane.

Charlie... trusted this guy more than he should, but there were times he saw her gaze go hollow, vague, before snapping back. That felt familiar.

And worst of all, there was a palatable sense of... Lillith around the other. Lucifer tried to pass it off as having been lonely for a while, and this was the first tall, powerful and oddly attractive sinner to push back at him since Lillith left.

He missed her desperately.

There will come a time he remembers what Lillith has hidden.

When Charlie also snaps out of her fugue, and remembers the funny music man enough to wonder why her mother concealed that from her.

Perhaps it will come too late, like after the battle.

When the recollection snaps back into place, the flush of royal power having burned away any compulsions put on them otherwise, it's confusing and devastating.

"What... why do I remember fighting the bellhop in the palace?"

"...Al? Why did my mother hide the fact I knew you...?" Charlie asked.

He just grins, as he's been forced to for years upon years by now, unable to provide that information.

With the microphone broken, he can't even seek Lillith's help to explain. The bloodloss isn't helping him find a good excuse either.

"Hey, are you... okay?"

"...of course! Never better!"

"Then how about you take off that shirt, hmmm?" Lucifer says, that serpentine tongue tucking back in his mouth, pointedly staring at Alastor's chest.

"Why, how improper your majesty! I've only just stopped the spider from making such advances and now YOU-..."

"There's angelic grace and blood on you, and Char Char says you faced down Adam. Not hard to work out what happened." Lucifer rolls his eyes. "Besides, more to the point... why do you have Lilly's magical resonance on you?"

That silence again, as the shadows lengthen.

Lucifer was starting to get annoyed. "Alright be silent, asshole! You're not getting any healing from me until yo-... wait, wait, hang on, I can remember something else. Oho-ho!"

He reaches out to grab something and all of a sudden the chain is visible. Lillith's power on display in the collar, and Lucifer's mind tries to unearth the other associated memories.

"I've seen this before, Dad..." Charlie adds, looking sickened by the matter and Alastor's continued silence. "And I don't... think he can tell us anything. Can you?"

"I-..." it chokes off. Alastor twitches and his eyes snap to radio dials, that flicker a very familiar shade of purple as stitches flare over his sharp smile. A voice that is pointedly not his flows through the air like syrup.

"Charlotte, darling? Luci my love?"

Ah, that heartbreaking voice.

"Lilly?"

"Mum?"

"It's me... I'm sorry I have to use a proxy to speak with you, but Heaven is rather strict about communication with Hell, and I can sense Alastor's staff has been severed. That was our primary mode of covert connection before."

"You're... in Heaven?"

"Yes, I had a deal with Adam, I will explain when I return you have my word. The fact I'm being freed... I assume you killed the bore?"

"Yes, I mean, technically we did. Someone at my hotel did." Charlie whispers, as if afraid to break the moment. This was surreal.

"Excellent, he was a fool with too much power. Now, I know you have questions about... the things I had to make you forget, but I promise to explain them when I return. Nothing important was erased or suppressed, you merely needed to forget knowing Alastor for a while. There are other plans in motion that you need not be engaged in."

"And you needed... an overlord for them?"

"A media overlord, yes. Surprisingly hard to come by when the only two we had refused to take any deals, it took decades to separate them and finally break one of them down enough to take the position I needed them to."

Charlie gasped.

"Oh, don't be distressed darling, I promise it was important. I needed one of them to protect you..." Lillith soothed through the too-still expression of the overlord before them. His teeth flickered yellow as she spoke, but he gave no other outward sign of life.

"And?" Lucifer adds, aware more was missing.

"...and perhaps having the television or radio overlord would give me access to all our subjects in every ring, all at once, to help them hear my voice if we needed them." She admits. "That is secondary to your protection, Charlie. Please..."

"You did something to make Vox and Alastor not friends anymore, didn't you? That's why they fight so often, right? And all for what... to use him as a conduit for your voice? And... to babysit me? you know I'm an adult, right?" Charlie snarled the last line, frustrated.

Lillith laughed. It felt wrong hearing it from Alastor.

"Oh darling, I broke them up for the sake of Hell, and look at how it has worked out! Rosie would never deny Alastor support or aid, and so you had an army. Carmilla's secrets are easily discovered by the right ears, and so your forced were armed with weapons and knowledge. Having the right connections saved you, and your hotel, Charlie... it was why he was sent to you."

"I don't want anyone here against their will."

"Would you feel more secure if I mentioned that he likely would have come anyway? You know he was fond of you, even as a small and often sticky child he wasn't sure how to manage."

"No, it doesn't make me feel better to know a friend is being held here by a deal with my mother!"

"But Alastor's little pets are there, on their own leashes, what difference does it make?"

"I-... oh. I still don't like it."

"That's okay, you will see in time why I have done this."

"Are you going to arrive soon?" Lucifer asked.

"I think there are formalities to observe up here, but yes... within the year, I suspect."

Lucifer takes a deep breath. "Okay, okay, we can work that out when you get here, Love. You need to let go of the bellhop now, because I need to heal him or you'll be broadcasting on literal dead air..."

Her tone changed to something that echoed with amusement and concern in equal measures. "Why is he hurt? I forbade him to engage in the battle... he's not to raise arms against heaven. It was one of the conditions by which they let him leave."

"The DEER was there with you?!"

"Yes, I needed more time to... work on his instructions."

"Lilly, you know this is exactly why I ruled that the royal family wouldn't make soul deals. The power imbalance... and it sounds like you made it under duress that you manufactured. We're going to talk about that when you get back-..."

"Wait, is THAT why he refused to take an angelic weapon to face down Adam?!" Charlie interjects, seizing on a thought.

Lucifer's expression was comical. "He faced down an angel WITHOUT the one thing that could potentially hurt them? What was he doing, throwing those doll things at Adam?"

"I don't know, he didn't say and then Adam came for me, so I didn't get a chance to check in." She shrugged, miserably.

"Well, he did technically fulfil his deal with you AND fight for the hotel without breaching contract... devious bastard. Clever, though." Lucifer grinned. "Lilly, you can let us know what's happening and when you're coming back later... I'm serious about the deer dying on us, though. He's got barely any blood in him, based on how much is seeping through his shirt... oof, yikes, that might be worse than I thought."

"Alright, I'll end this communication... but I will speak to you again soon. I love you both, so much... and I will be able to hold you in my arms within the year. Until next time."

The odd pressure in the air fades, as does the collar, and Alastor folds down. But Charlie is there, holding him close and not caring one iota about the blood ruining her outfit right now.

"Fuckfuckfuck, I'm so sorry Al, I didn't know or I'd never have asked you... but we can talk later, once we fix this. I'm sorry, you know I'm sorry, right?" she's mumbling.

Lucifer rolls up his sleeves. "Let's fix that boo-boo Bambi, then we're going to talk about what my wife did. Okay?"

There's a warbling static in response. It sounded oddly sarcastic.

Lucifer laughed. "Yeah, that's what I thought you'd say. Let's fix you..."

--------

It's 3am, this was meant to be a throw-away idea.

Lillith returning, Vox finding out the truth, how would that go down?

Charlie and Lucifer feeling betrayed. What memories have been kept? Altered? Suppressed?