#ch: stolas

[radiosmile]

                          *:･ﾟ✧ STOLAS + COSMIC MATTER ✧･ﾟ:*

[walkingshcdow]

For @onlyheartaches | Response to this

There were certain dreams Stolas locked away and did not take out often to examine. There was a world in which he and his Stella needed not to have a “precautionary heir”, but instead had the family they had both desired. In their youth, they tried to become parents so many times and had very nearly given up. Stolas never told Stella he named each of the eggs she laid - the eggs with too-thin shells, the eggs they knew would not survive - after various constellations. Cassiopeia. Orion. Rigel. Andromeda. Octavia was not a constellation. She was her own, beautiful person, brighter than any star. Immortal as he and Stella were, they had Octavia much later than anyone anticipated, certainly later than he and Stella expected. They hadn’t expected her at all, not after the hospital stays and all the heartache that came with burying unhatched fledglings. 

Still, Stolas sometimes dreamed of parenthood for a second time, especially as he and Stella repaired their broken marriage. What would a chick born into a happy family experience? What joy! Would Via be jealous of such a child or would she delight in having a sibling? What stopped him from proposing such a thing was his memories of Stella in the days, weeks, months, years after Via was born. Her despondency had shocked him. They had finally successfully had a child and yet… He had taken to parenting the way most birds took to flight. Stella… Stella struggled. Motherhood nearly broke her as much as every failed incubation. He could not put her through that again. He could not risk losing her... not after having won her heart once more.

Now and then, though, he dreamed about the joys of fatherhood. He recalled precious moments with Octavia and treasured each memory dearly. He longed to make more one day. It was a longing he was willing to lock away, so long as he kept the key of it and could pine for at his leisure. He did not expect a stranger to unlock his feelings by asking Stella such a question. He did not want her to ache from it. He did not want to ache from it either. Still, his heavy heart led him to stargaze, hoping to find answers written in the sky. The stars burned distantly. He could still name them all. Cassiopeia. Orion. Rigel. Andromeda. In another life, they had them all, a flock of chicks to dote on and raise. Instead, his love - nearly all of it - poured into Octavia and Octavia alone. Now, he saw the fallacy there. Stella, his wife, his partner, his heart, deserved more and better. He had love enough for his whole family. He had more love than he knew what to do with. These days, it flowed out of him without restraint. He did not seek to fill the cups of other lovers nor did he seek to create fictions in which he tried again and did better because the reality was that any second child would come at the expense of the woman he loved so dearly and had nearly lost countless times. He would not lose her again.

Another child would complicate things, yes, of course. Stolas would not lose Stella to anything or anyone. But… Surely, if they were lucky enough for all to go well… Surely, they would welcome any child that came into their trust. Wouldn’t they? They were good parents… weren’t they? Loving ones, to be sure. They were a team, stronger than ever… weren’t they? They could handle complicated. The stars held no answers for him this night and he gripped the railing tight. Another night, he would consult them. Tonight, he would lock the guilt, the grief, the hope, the fear, the longing all away and hold his wife close. He would thank the stars for giving him the sacred trust of her love and he would hope that his love could ease Stella’s aching heart. 

In another life, they had a brood of chicks. In this one, they had Octavia and that thought alone soothed Stolas’ ache. She was worth a sky full of stars, she was everything they could have wished for and more. That was the correct answer to the stranger’s question. Another child would, of course, be complicated, but the child they had already was worth everything. Why foolishly think they could improve upon perfection? They had done such a good job with their daughter: she was healthy, happy, and incredibly loved. She had a delightfully refreshing view of the world, taught Stolas new things every day, made their world a better place and was worth all the complications children brought with them. She was worth the sleepless nights and everything else parenthood had placed on Stolas’ shoulders. She, too, was a sacred trust. Stolas could not let her down again. He could not get her to hope for anything, least of all a sibling, when he knew their little family was what it was and the only way to improve it was to love it as it was. 

Still, on a shooting star, he made a wish before reentering the palace. 

If we ever have another child, let it be easy and joyous for Stella - for us all. 

A foolish wish. As Stella said, a child would complicate things. They always did. But there was nothing Stolas wished for more than his family’s happiness. 

[illbringthechaosmagic]

“ you. i’ll always and endlessly fight for you. “ - Stolas

@phantomofagoodtime

Wrapping her arms around him, Wanda rested her head against Stolas' chest, silent for a moment or two. When she eventually did speak, her voice was soft. "I don't want you to fight... all I want is for you to hold me, to not get scared off when I'm at my worst. There are moments where I need you to just... tell me you love me," she replied, peering up at him. "Is that... is that ok?"

[phddyke]

Chapters: 3/? Fandom: Helluva Boss (Web Series) Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Blitzo/Stolas Goetia Characters: Blitzo (Helluva Boss), Stolas Goetia, Moxxie (Helluva Boss), Millie (Helluva Boss), Loona (Helluva Boss), (Mentioned) Stella Goetia, (Mentioned) Barbie Wire (Helluva Boss), (Mentioned) Verosika Mayday, Stolas Goetia's Butler, (Mentioned) Striker (Helluva Boss), (Mentioned) Crimson (Helluva Boss), Octavia Goetia, FizzaRolli (Helluva Boss), (Mentioned) Asmodeus | Ozzie, Original Helluva Boss Character(s) Additional Tags: Blood, Blood and Injury, Blood and Torture, Torture, tied up but not in a sexy way, ropes but not in a sexy way, Punching, mentioned sex, but like. there is no actual sex scene, sex jokes also, y'all know how the show is. im trying to keep the character's personalities consistent, Whipping, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Self-Hatred, we all know blitz hates himself thats not news, and thinks hes not worthy of love, like the briefest mention of sexual assault, not it actually happening. just the possibility it might happen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, (that would be stolas's marriage), Broken Bones, Homophobic Language, One Slur Is Used, Pain, Guilt, don't worry there are sweet things too, the two of them are very much in love as they are in the show, even if they dont realize, no beta we die like blitzø's mom, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending Summary:

Blitz gets kidnapped, and things sure do happen.

[phantomofagoodtime]

@ourwrittenstories

They had been at the Christmas party for a solid two hours and already Stolas was getting fidgety. This was probably the longest he had gone without causing some level of chaos out in public. It wasn't just a vampire-thing, the people attending these sorts of gigs were insuffferable to say the least. In Stolas's words 'it was almost like they were fucked up the ass by Mr Old Jolly himself.' If it wasn't already obvious, Stolas's silver tongue didn't fit in with the white picket fence types but, he wasn't here for himself. The only person on planet earth that could get him to do anything, had invited him and like a sucker he said yes, a little more eagerly than he would of like to admit.

They’d been away from each other for a little while, there was some Hunter commotion and Stolas had to leave town for a few months; that’s what he gets for trying to point new borns in the right direction. The time away from Nessy was as if each day was a splinter In his side, it started as a minor irritation but within days it quickly became unbearable. So, what better way for them to be reunited then at a Christmas party ? - it definitely wasn’t Stolas’s first suggestion, being completely honest he would never suggest it. But, If Nessy wanted to do festive activities and dance the night away than Stolas was too weak to refuse, begrudgingly.

[devilsmenu]

@coreofgold - Guwon & Stolas

"Yes? How can I help you?" Guwon asked seeing the other walking in his office. The demon said not even bothering to look at the other one.

[discoinfernos]

@compelledcurator liked for a starter.

Blitz hovers just outside the door, a small bouquet clutched tightly in his hand, the other poised as if to knock. GOD he must look like such an idiot. He certainly feels like one. What he and Stolas have . . . it's not drop you off at the airport, it's not watch your kid for the weekend, & it's certainly not visit you at the hospital. How can Blitz even face him, knowing that it's his fault Stolas is here. He didn't save him.

Except that Stolas had invited him, had asked. And that means Blitz owes it to him, doesn't he? He can do this.

All he has to do is walk through the door . . .

He raps his knuckles lightly against it, then before he can lose his nerve, opens it as quietly as he can. A large part of him hopes that Stolas will be asleep; that he can leave the flowers and slip away before having to look him in the eyes.

[moved-at-forthehonorandtheglory]

     Dev just perking up after sensing he’s being talked about.

@aflockoffeathers​​  & @ducknotinarow​​

[milliesaxe]

i like that our main ch in hb isn’t delivered a love interest that is perfectly poised to handle his emotional baggage and only exists to reassure him. i want blitz to have an interesting love interest because he’s an interesting character. 

i like that stolas is a faildad who cares because blitz is a faildad who cares. i like that stolas is lonely and reacts poorly to it because blitz is lonely and reacts poorly to it. i like that stolas can be a bitch because blitz can be a bitch. I like that stolas can be ignorant of others’ feelings because blitz can be ignorant of others’ feelings. I like that being with blitz causes stolas to grow because being with stolas causes blitz to grow. 

i enjoy a main character matched with someone who is spiritually his equal. i enjoy a central romance where both characters are developed enough that you can see them growing together and as individuals through their interactions.

i like when each of them have something the other needs. blitz is not just getting the love and support he needs from stolas, he is special enough and strong enough and good enough to be able to give stolas back the things stolas needs from a partnership. he is capable of creating a relationship with someone flawed like him, of putting in the work to make it happen because as a main character he’s not a passive figure who just has things happen to him.

[wolfscarr]

Helluva Broken Narrative 2. The Wasted Family.

Alright here I am with...I guess Part 2 of this Broken Narrative thing...for part 1, see the link below.

I again didn't really wanna post, but it's just been nagging at the back of my head for some time now.

DISCLAIMER: Not saying you can't enjoy the show. Enjoy it all you want, this again is just a rant about a lack of cohesive narrative.

So much like Season 2 retroactively making the whole deal between Blitz and Stolas pointless, it also has made a whole Family completely wasted to the show.

It not only made Stolas a retroactively useless character, but it has also made both Stella and Octavia wasted characters. They are now just characters....who are there, to make Stolas either look good(Octavia) or make you feel 'sorry' for(Stella) and that's...basically it.

It also ruined and yes I'm saying ruined, Stolas and Stella's relationship and what it was hinted to be at. Now you might be wondering...

"Wait...what do you mean?"

Well here it is. It seems that the episode Loo Loo Land, the one fans seem to give all this praise for and most notably the song that Stolas sings to Octavia when she had a nightmare. Except at the same time....people miss the lyrics, that basically confirm that Stolas and Stella had some sort of relationship and they are as follow.

"I use to think that I was bold. I used to think love would be fun."

There is zero way he is meaning anything or anyone else other than his relationship with Stella, but let us break down this set of lyrics.

"I used to think that I was bold."

What is the definition of Bold?

Bold= Showing an ability to take risks; confident and courageous. Courageous, confident, and fearless.

This right here, basically says that Stolas was the one to approach Stella, that he was the one to take this risk of marrying her, that he was the one who wanted to be with her, that he held no fear of being married.

Next set of Lyrics..

"I used to think love would be fun."

This right here, basically says that Stolas and Stella had some kind of relationship with getting married, he wanted to see if they could be together, to have a family, to see how things would go.

Stolas took a bold risk, by popping the question to Stella, diving right on in with his confidence and marrying her to see if it all would work out.

IT WAS STOLAS who got married.

IT WAS STOLAS who wanted Stella.

Then Season 2 happens and shows.....the complete opposite of what these lyrics just flat out told us in that song.

Season 2 shows Stolas as a scared, crying and sniveling child who....has no desire to get married and doesn't want to get married. That the marriage between him and Stella was FORCED UPON THEM and not something by their own volition. So according to Season 2, Stolas couldn't have been bold, nor could he have even wanted to find out if love would be fun...because it was NEVER his choice to begin with and he never liked Stella from the start!

It was his Father, who FORCED him to be married so that they could produce a cautionary heir. Even though I feel that's also pretty pointless when you think about it, but that's another discussion entirely.

Oh but people might say "Well she was throwing stuff at him and screaming at him, yada, yada!"

....No shit? She just found out she got cheated on, what reaction was she suppose to have? Was she just suppose to brush it off? Smile and be happy? NO.

Was it extreme to be throwing things? Obviously, but you know...when someone's pissed enough, they will throw things around and throw a bitch fit because something huge just happened to them.

Also tell me something, if the whole cheating thing didn't imply hurt as per Stolas' words in Season 2....then why was Stella even throwing a bitch fit to begin with? Why did she say...

"I can't stand another moment, looking at your imp sucking face!"

"I want that cheating prick, dead!"

...But then in S2, we find out that they never got along, they never even liked eachother....so what is the dialogue even for? This dialogue means absolutely nothing. Also you can't argue for something as status or whatever, because Stella doesn't even seem to care about that, she just wants Stolas dead now.

She specifically used the words "Cheating Prick"....this suggests that...yes, she was hurt by what had happened.

Also before saying anything with regards to Stolas' words to Octavia and Loo Loo Land?

None of those statements were conclusive

2. Even if they were, this wouldn't negate that potentially Stolas and Stella didn't have good times together, that they couldn't have made fond memories. Just that in the end....Stolas realized, he didn't love her.

None of what he said, would have to point to = An arranged/loveless marriage. This is just boring by a narrative standpoint, when you could do a WHOLE LOT BETTER.

Oh but here's the real kicker in all of this folks. I'm not the only one who thought the pair had something more to them than what we got in Season 2, because as it turns out BOTH VAs for Stolas and Stella....were thinking the same damn thing.

Oh look at that, Stella's VA liking the fact that Stella may not have been evil, that she's just broken hearted and doesn't think straight as per S1. Oh and it adds up to what's above!

Oh but it gets better, because the VAs for the characters did an Insta Reel sometime back, discussing their characters.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CWR2i9oLCyI/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

The video is unfortunately gone(probably taken down because of S2...), but I just put up the link to show I'm not fibbing, though if it's somehow able to be recovered, be appreciated!

But in it, Stolas' VA says "There's a lot of pain inside of her." << Regarding Stella.

It says something that their VAs put more time and thought in thinking about their characters and what their relationship was, how it affected them than the actual writers.

So it seems to me, that both of their VAs were expecting something deeper to their characters relationship, than what we got. Because what we got now is bland and boring, frankly all of what's going on now in this 'plotline' is incredibly boring, why do people even like this?

Stolas already kicked her out, Stolas already stood up to her. The only thing left is....what? Oh the divorce trial? The trial that is no doubt going to be similar to the Johnny and Amber one, because...topical and then what? Nothing, this whole thing is just not needed.

Oh and then there's Octavia, I won't go too much on this seeing as everyone else is already doing so. But girl? I'm sorry that the show seems to have made you blind and apparently unable to put 2 and 2 together, that your parents never got along.....even though straight from the horse's mouth, an eye witness being YOURSELF says that they weren't always fighting.

==

So there it is folks, this show has completely wasted Octavia and Stella, turning them nothing more into Good and Bad props for Stolas, so that the audience 'feels' something for him. This in turn has completely wasted any potential interesting Family interaction, regarding with what happened and thus made S1 even more pointless than it already is.

^ For part 3.

[funhouse-mirror-barbie]

I talked a lot about Stella’s appearances previously, but I wanted to talk about her other appearance in season one—this scene:

This scene is interesting to me. I’ve seen some discussion on tumblr debating that this scene was only showing that Stolas felt guilty about cheating on Stella, not that Stolas was actually in the wrong for doing so.

And I find this logic fascinating b/c, yes if you would like to interpret it that way, you can. It’s up to you to decide how you want to interpret or engage with any work.

That said, I don’t think that competent and consistent writing would make the audience try to justify why Stella was there in hindsight. (Conversation continues below cut)

This scene is significant to me because the visual composition and direction of the animation puts Stella at the same level of importance as Octavia.

Which, in my opinion, means that this is one of the few times Helluva Boss did “Show don’t Tell” really well.

Through the visuals, the lyrics of the song, and Stolas’ reaction to Ozzie’s conjured Stella and Via, the audience is told that “these are people Stolas has both failed. He knows he has failed them and fears losing them. But he still hasn’t considered how his actions would impact them, and is now being faced with the idea of that possibility for the first time”

I specifically say that “he’s afraid of losing them” because the illusion of Octavia and Stella both turn their backs on Stolas, leaving him with just Blitzø. It’s extremely clear visual story telling—Stolas wants to be with Blitzø, but in doing so he is neglecting and will potentially lose his relationships with his wife and child.

And, at this point, because it’s before S2E1, the audience has still not been told that Stella is evil and abusive, and have no reason to think that Stolas wouldn’t care if Stella left (and again you can argue that there’s foreshadowing in hindsight but I have already gone over in depth why there isn’t enough information about Stella for the audience to see that coming)

What this part of the song is communicating to us is that Stella has at least some importance in Stolas’ life.

I think you could say that “well obviously Ozzie just didn’t know enough about Stolas’ personal life” but at the same time, what is being depicted in the show is also for the audience’s benefit.

When you are using a visual medium for your story-telling, your compositions and what you physically show the audience is important.

Like this isn’t subtext, it’s not even subtle—in a scene that is depicting Stolas’ shame, guilt, and embarrassment over his affair with Blitzø, Stella is included with Octavia because he knows he wronged her too.

(Also I almost didn’t write “Stolas’ shame, guilt etc.” b/c I was like “well wait, I can’t remember for sure that Stolas was shown as being ashamed or embarrassed about his relationship with Blitzø” so I went back to check and rewatched Ozzie’s and like.. Stolas being ashamed of his affair with Blitzø was shown even more explicitly than I remembered. Like, he straight up tries to ditch Blitzø and then hides his face after Ozzie asks him if he gave up his family to be with Blitzø ????

And Blitzø’s reaction to this shows he’s obviously hurt by this? Like. I know some people have acted like Blitzø is in the wrong for rejecting Stolas after Ozzie’s but I can’t imagine not being hurt by this reaction…)

But anyway, back to the main point—All of these visuals and the character’s reactions to what’s going on around them are meant to illicit emotions within us, but if Stella’s abuse and complete cruelty were always planned and she was always supposed to be hated, the emotional impact this scene is significantly lessened.

I know I’ve already said this, but I just can’t help thinking that the story would have been SO MUCH more interesting if Stolas was held fully accountable and actually had to reflect on his actions. There was so much potential for the plot and deep nuanced character development and change.

At the end of the day though, it’s not my story, and the writers and creative heads of HB get to tell the story they want to tell.

As a final note—I am not trying to nitpick, these are things that occur to me while I am trying to understand the story and engage with it on a deeper level.

But with every new episode, I find myself having more questions about why certain choices were made, and getting more and more confused about why characters behave the way they do. I can’t help thinking that the story was never fully planned out, and I worry that’s only going to become more obvious as time goes on.

[radiosmile]

Stolas + Gold

[walkingshcdow]

@onlyheartaches | Stella/Stolas

Stella’s fine Halloween Party was widely renowned throughout the circles of Hell. Beelzebub hosted an annual masquerade that everyone who was anyone wanted to be seen at. By comparison, Stolas’ commemoration of the Winter Solstice must have seemed… quaint to other demons. The Goetia knew better. On the longest night of the year on Earth, Stolas rose to his zenith of power as humans pondered the night sky with awe, admiration, and even reverence. The weeks leading up to it were, then, therefore a whirlwind of arcane energy. He arrayed the sky with brilliant constellations and tracked the movements of the planets. He busied himself with making potent elixirs for the new year to come. If ever Stolas held still for more than a minute, he projected star maps and mathematical sigils to chart the planets, and every so often emitted a low “Hum” as he delved the depths of the cosmos from the dining room or library or bath.

Today, he stood, robed and bunny-slippered, studying a floating globe of Earth, lining it up with the sky and zooming in in ways only his faintly-glowing eyes could understand. He “Hum”-ed to himself every so often.

He also didn’t realize that the coffee he’d intended to surprise his wife with had gone cold about twenty minutes ago. As she entered the kitchen to see the havoc he’d wreaked – breakfast burned and being remade by the servants, the newspaper soggy in the sink where a towel might go, a towel laid out on the table like the morning paper, he called her name sounding absent and frantic… excited.

“Stella? Stella! Come look at this! I’ve made you coffee but, take a look at this view of the constellations. It’s a rudimentary map – I’m sorry for that – but I think I’ve finally found the place for us to watch the Solstice! Andrealphus will complain the whole time – Southern Hemisphere in December – but the humans have all but spoiled the Borealis with tourism and there’ll be clouds over that chalet in Switzerland we loved last year – ”

He handed her the tepid coffee and projected a dazzling view of Earth’s constellations as they would be over rural Argentina. Stolas held his breath, waiting for a reply and a little bit unaware of everything but the stars, the destination, and the hope for Stella’s approval. However, now that he was looking with his usual set of eyes, he could suddenly see the trail of disaster he’d left in his wake since getting out of bed this morning.

“… Sorry for the…” he gestured vaguely at the mess and the sky-map warped for a moment. “I lost track of making breakfast while I was...”

Working. He winced. He’d done better than this for so long. The star map blipped away. He took the coffee back gingerly and dumped it down the sink. They could make a fresh batch. They could begin the morning fresh again.

  “Why don’t we order in?” he said. “And look together?”

I value your opinion. Please.

He held his breath for a different reason now. He’d disappointed Stella before: he wasn’t about to do it again.

[illbringthechaosmagic]

i'm serious. you changed my life. - stolas

@phantomofagoodtime

"That's sweet of you to say but I'm pretty sure I haven't done anything of the sort," Wanda replied, rubbing at her arm gently. "Or if I have, it's a bad thing... right?" It seemed that she only ever brought bad luck into people's lives so why would Stolas be any different?

[spopsalt]

Hi friend :3, now i decided to not talk about C*tr* or C//A but hazbin hotel and helluva boss because i saw you were talking about it ( i'm in both fandoms too ). I have few question but i start with HB: why do you hate Stolas/Stolitz ? ( no neg, i'm just curious, i'm not interesed on the ship because i didn't see it interesing but i would love hearing your opinion and why you hate it ), why do you ship Blitzo x Striker and think is so much better than stolitz ? ( like i said before, no hate i just wanna know your opinion, it could be a nice rare pair maybe better than C//A ) also what do you think about the series in gen ? do you like it ? Now with HH questions, are you an anti ch*ggie too ? what do you think about that series ? and last question which are your fav HH and HB ships ??

Thanks for the ask! I've seen a lot of people call Stoliz the female Catradora, a toxic queer ship that is heavily romanticized by the show and fandom where the abuser is shown as the victim. And yeah that's accurate. Stolas literally is forcing Blitzo to have sex with him for the grimoire which he needs for his job mind you, but the show tries to say that it's ok because....Stolas has a mean wife...? It keeps trying to make you feel pity for the abuser and it's really sad. Next why do I ship Blitzo x Striker more than Stoliz! It honestly just had more chemistry. Before Striker tried to kill Blitzo, they had great chemistry and really got along. Also it's canon that Blitzo thinks Striker is hot sooooo honestly if Striker never attempted to kill Blitzo, I would probably ship them a lot more, but no. Now Hazbin Hotel...that one is a mixed bag...I really like the song despite them basically having no use amd people always pointing out that they're singing isn't really funny? Angel dust is just so....eugh...I made a whole post on it but Helluva Boss episode 4 is really one of the worst things I've ever watched, I wish I was joking. Now Chuggie...I really don't have any strong opinions on it, i think they make good friends but I don't see anything romantic. But it's fine if it people ship it, it doesn't seem toxic and it's not hurting anyone so it's not big deal. My favorite HH ship is probably...hm...Vag x Death, that seems pretty cute. My favorite HB ship is probably Moxie x Millie, they are so healthy I don't know where they went wrong with Stolas and Blitzo,

[phantomofagoodtime]

i'm so grateful our paths crossed. (For Stolas)

“Me too sweetheart. You have definitely made the past couple years far more interesting than all 200 of the buggers I’ve lived before.” Stolas remarked taking a swig of his alcoholic beverage he had poured himself moments ago. “-thanks by the way, in case I haven’t said it lately, I know I haven’t said it at all. That’s just the kinda guy I am.” He snickered knowingly to himself.