#he finally frees himself

[sparrowstarsandsorrow]

'All the time that will come after this moment' - 'Inside 2023' dir. Vasilis Katsoupis

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Turtle Takedown Teamwork.

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[crazy-fangirl2524]

My biggest flex will always be how I knew Neil was the more feral and dangerous one than Andrew this whole time even before tsc and seeing the entire fandom freaked out makes me want to kiss and hug Nora and just thank her for finally finally showing everyone and I’m not just crazy

[ohitslen]

Uni AU where Kni and Vash have an argument and Kni is like “so what? Are you just gonna walk away from the issue???” And Vash just goes “YEAH ACTUALLY I AM” and just walks out of the house and leave Kni there sooo bewildered

Vash drives to his house and feels so accomplished and good about standing up to Kni and then cries inconsolably on the living room floor where Wolfwood finds him and lays down in there with him while he scrolls through his phone. He says nothing until Vash has let it all out and they go to buy burgers and eat them on the sidewalk

[whollyjoly]

you know i dreamed about you / for twenty-nine years before i saw you - slow show. the national

4x05 Buck Begins II 7x05 You Don't Know Me

[deer-with-a-stick]

I love how all of the companions' stories revolve around autonomy and I love how some of the romances show the whole "I love you for who you are"

Don't love how so many people are misinterpreting them though

[drinkingdeadpeopletea]

does anybody else ever think about how moc weepe sold saskia out by name and with a completely casual tone but also screamed her name for no apparent reason while he was being functionally tortured. anyone else just sort of rotating that around in their mind.

[syncrovoid-presents]

Alastor's Deal (Thoughts, Theories, and some Predictions)

This won't answer the who, but aims to dig into the why, and plausibly narrow down the terms of the deal. Long post ahead!

Evidence

First off, the finale was incredible! But what Alastor's song showed was that his ""death"" against Adam wasn't entirely a surprise, but rather planned. Alastor's song revealed that he was looking for a loop in the contract, a way to slip past the deal without having to directly break it. He already made a deal with Charlie for a favour, but that might have been a safety net of sorts, something to guarantee himself a fighting chance if his "dying for the hotel" plan failed.

His surprise was at how fast it happened, not that he nearly died. Alastor craves control, he wears his smile for control, he makes deals for control, his magic highly influenced by controlling others too. His Modus Operandi is control, and he faced the battle it started with him being in control. He was outwitting Adam, he was faster, sneakier, even kept his hands behind his back while dodging just to show how little effort it took. But Adam's weapon sending an angelic beam of power? That wasn't in his plan, that wasn't in his control.

Control is something Alastor seeks over everything, which is why the deal is so brutal for him. The deal takes control from him, and his constant smiling and jokes and contained urges for violence is him trying to have some sort of freedom. It's highly implied that, unless it's for the hotel, he hasn't used his magic for his own reasons. He hasn't eaten or killed anyone unless it is for the hotel, and even that was implied to happen only during the Mimzy incident. He hasn't gotten to make any deals either, at least no real deals, no deals for souls.

I'm far from the first one to say that his deal is forcing him to help the hotel, but it's only now that we see the true extent. Alastor's entire personality, goals, and being has been changed against his will. He is now a tool for the hotel, the sword and shield, the magical provider, bringing them whatever they need to succeed despite the odds. Without him, it would just be Charlie, Vaggie, and Angel Dust. Sir Pentious wouldn't have joined, repairs would've taken far longer, the staff would've been just Charlie and Vaggie, et cetera. Even his deals are just him trying to gain something out of helping the hotel.

Alastor is bound to the hotel and his powers are also bound to the hotel. He cannot be selfish, he cannot do anything unless it's for the hotel no matter how desperately he wants to do otherwise. And yet it seems like his powers are limited too.

Alastor has immense levels of powers, so much that he was taking down a large portion of the angel army single handedly. Had Adam not been there, it's not outlandish to claim that Alastor could have taken down the angel army by himself. This is why he was feared. This is why "no one crosses the radio demon". If these are his powers when their limited, imagine just how powerful he truly is?

The last evidence I'll state before moving on is that Alastor didn't return back to the hotel until it was rebuilt, yet still didn't use his magic to cause chaos.

To simplify, on his end the deal forces him to use his immense power for the benefit of the hotel. He cannot actively do anything to bring harm to it, and he cannot use his magic unless it's for the good of the hotel. And he cannot escape from the deal if the hotel is destroyed, so the deal isn't about the physical hotel, but rather the concept of it. As long as the hazbin hotel exists in the heart of those involved, Alastor is bound to help.

Why?

Now the why? I believe that, whoever he made the deal with him was, they want the hotel to succeed. Not only that, I believe that by forcing Alastor to stay there and help while limiting his capability for violence, they are also trying to rehabilitate Alastor.

Wherever Alastor was before the hotel opened, it was somewhere where he couldn't interact with anyone. He was forced to be gone, only until the hotel opened. If the theories of Alastor making a deal with Lilith is true, then Lilith's character is important to consider. From what we know she is powerful and worked to bring dekonkind together. And that she too disappeared 7 years ago.

It's confirmed that Alastor destroyed many of the worse evils that existed in hell, the only ancient overlords that remain are civil and take part of overlord meetings. They are controlled, contained. There's more structure, and the only truly out of control, dangerous demon to remain would have been Alastor. It's possible that Lilith realized that she could use him to "clean up hell", waiting her time until Alastor was the last remaining biggest threat. That was when she pounced, seven years ago to capture him in a deal. We don't know why he would accept such a limiting deal, but I'd wager that it could have been for his life (either she was threatening him, or he nearly died and made a deal for his life).

Now that the deal is made, Alastor can't bring mindless chaos. If anything he is doing the most to help demons be saved from the extermination either through redemption or protection (we also didn't see him prior to the last, so perhaps he's also bound to protect during the extermination too?).

All while Alastor is handling and ensuring the success of the largest and most helpful demon-centered support system, Lilith is on vacation. Almost like Alastor is acting in her role, a mimicry of a spiritual successor of sorts. He's helping rally the demons together, helping shape Charlie into a better leader, helping prove demons can be redeemed. All while Alastor is either witness, participant, or manager of the strategies used to redeem sinners. Alastor is only a few steps away from taking part of the redemption program himself.

If Alastor's deal was with Lilith, then she's getting everything she could want. All the uncontrollable evils/overlords destroyed, a muzzle on (one of the most) powerful sadistic demons, someone to help guide her daughter, help demons redeem themselves, protection for her citizens from being killed or further tortured, and she finally gets a vacation. She'd be getting everything she could want, with the bonus of possibly rehabilitating Alastor in the process.

It's no wonder Alastor is so desperate to break out of the deal, to find a backdoor in the contract. This goes against everything he stands for. The stories of him broadcasting screams? Of killing overloards and owning soul after soul after soul? That is the real him, and it isn't exaggerated. If Alastor wasn't chained, he'd have the power and strength to destroy large swaths of hell himself. If he decided to do his own extermination with angelic weapons? He could kill as many demons as the angels do and more, because he wouldn't be limited by a single day period.

If his deal is with someone else? We simply don't have enough information yet to name them then. Whoever it is, they would have to believe in demonkind's potential for improvement, and possibly fear what Alastor is able to do.

Predictions

The last thing I want to touch upon is how Alastor might be able to escape the deal. First is what he tried, which is "dying" for the hotel. Or, more precisely, for everyone involved in the hotel, it was as if he died, so why would they still depend on him?

Next would be for the hotel to be destroyed, and considering that we don't know if Alastor was briefly free while he recovered or if he was just hiding out somewhere new because he couldn't stay in the hotel because it didn't exist, this one is still iffy. If part of his deal is staying at the hotel to actively protect it, the he was temporarily freed from that condition. Yet once it was rebuilt Alastor returned, proving that the destruction of the hotel building wouldn't free him.

The next possible way could be the death of the hazbin hotel spirit. If Alastor (or outside forces) were able to destroy Charlie's hope for the hotel just like Lucifer's dreams were crushed, perhaps Alastor would be freed. Considering how the finale went, it would take a lot for this to happen.

My final idea, and the one I predict will happen, is that Alastor outfits the person he made the deal with. He doesn't find a true "out", but rather will manipulate them into giving his power back. And this? I believe that Alastor's deal with Charlie was made for this reason.

If indeed the deal was with Lilith, and part of the deal seems to be ensuring Charlie's dreams come true, then Charlie is a delightful way for Alastor to manipulate the situation. How? Who knows, but I think that this will be a large part of the conflict of season 2.

[crispycreambacon]

It's the little blue guy himself!

[lotuspeacock]

kazuki spends his money on hostess bars to prove to other people that he’s moved on

ok, i know that everyone and their mother has made this connection but obviously kazuki going out and partying is a coping mechanism. but what i wanna focus on is what is he coping with.

kazuki doesnt go to hostess bars to fill the void that his wife filled, in fact, its the exact opposite. kazuki goes to make sure it never gets filled. in the recent episode kazuki states that he’s afraid of changing/doesn’t want to change multiple times.

he’s driven by guilt so he tortures himself by not letting him be fulfilled by another person. he makes himself as impermanent as possible not just for the job but because he doesn’t want to become someone who’s forgotten what he’s done.

so he flirts with women who only care about his money, he spends his paycheck on gambling and partying, he lives in an apartment that doesn’t have his name on the lease. he projects to the world that he’s moved on so they don’t pity him. that’s why the instant kyutaro tells kazuki to move on, kazuki says he’s gonna live it up tonight. because, of course, a man who spends his nights at hostess bars couldn’t possibly still be hung up on his late wife.

and yeah, kyutaro was right, kazuki has changed. but not in the superficial way we’re first led to believe. he doesn’t become a “family man” who’s competent with housework and doesn’t engage in night life. he becomes someone who’s allowing himself to heal and feel happy (genuinely happy) again.

kazuki stops going to the hostess bars when he doesn’t need to lie anymore.

[shivunin]

Hi, I just wondered what your favourite part of the Fenhawke romance was? Like, a scene/moment that really made you fall more in love with him? I love your writing so much!!

Oh, that is very kind of you to say! 💗I'm glad you enjoy the things I've written. I've really been enjoying writing for this ship, especially the past few months c:

As for your question...

Man, that's tough. I have a hard time picking one thing---I mean, *gestures to all the fic* you know? But I can narrow it down to a couple of scenes/elements:

The fact that a romanced Fenris still calls you "my friend" even after the act 2 romance scene. This is just...the bedrock of their relationship to me. Yes, that night went very poorly (understatement, I know), but at the core they are friends and he trusts Hawke in a way he's likely never had the cause or opportunity to trust someone before. I believe he never stopped loving Hawke, and it was a matter of laying those feelings out and understanding them one at a time. Romantic love not replacing platonic love or eclipsing it, but building or twining together is just... *chef's kiss* that's the good stuff.

The moment during the romance conversation in Act 3 when you can see Fenris go from hoping (painfully hoping!) that there is still some way he and Hawke can be together to actually believing it will happen. There is a shift in his body language that I could watch (and...have) over and over.

The element of choice? This is not going to be coherent, but the fact that he is learning for the first time what it means to have options and preferences, and he spends a lot of time exploring and understanding himself...and after all of that, the thing he keeps coming back to is Hawke. I think it's gorgeous. A song with refrains of pain or fear and choruses of decision and hope. He's loyal to a fault, in many ways, but understanding how much of himself exists to share and then still choosing to share it is just...man. I said this wasn't going to be coherent lol, so there you are. "If there is a future to be had..." like he doubts its existence but he's willing to chance it for Hawke. Man.

But, honestly? I've played DA2 a lot of times and never romanced another character, even though I've played through multiple romance storylines in each of the other games. I can't shake the Fenris romance. Every time I open a new playthrough, I tell myself that this is the time I'm going to romance Isabela, and every time Fenris rips that dude's heart out and I just......alright, yeah. Okay. Here we go again.

[tackykachowch]

Something something Wheatley representing blue and Chell representing orange - colors of the portals - makes them always connected and integral to each other's journeys and they were basically destined to cross paths eventually something something

[ilovetvtoons]

Congratulations, Mindy Kaling! Your awful show, aka the worst animated cartoon anybody has ever seen, actually did something good!

It redeemed Scrappy Doo!

[transphilza]

i have decided that my interpretation of c!wilbur’s ominous foreshadowing after the “Bust” stream is that he was suicidal and increasingly planning on committing suicide as his character heavily alludes to (because i believe that negating the suicidal overtones of cwilbur during this portion of his story by saying that he was always only ever planning on going back to utah: # 1 just lessens the impact of everything that happens in this arc, because he wouldve already decided to live thus making all those conversations and apologies forcing him to confront the realities of his own life and death wayyy less meaningful, but most importantly # 2 makes it impossible to provide adequate closure for his character’s deepest struggles because they wouldve never been re-addressed) — BUT that when he finally decided to go through with sending friend to ghostbur thus making the evident conclusion that ghostbur did not deserve to suffer eternally (and by extension and implication, himself, too) he changes his mind and chooses Life :) aka Utah <3

[pinkyjulien]

Valentin & Mitch | 592/?? | Morning routine ☕

Another repost of an old set- imagine Val has his head-scar here 🤏

Valentin began wearing makeup when he "joined" the Wraith; the guy who picked him up from literal trash calling him a "skinny, lost raccoon". He picked up on it and it became part of his identity, even using RVC00N as his netrunner nick, covering his eyes and nose-bridge in black, a way for him to hide, to feel safer.

"You'll need to wash that off as well" Dakota told him, after helping h im getting rid of his long turquoise mane. But- he couldn't, not "so soon", he felt the need to cover himself up after each cleaning session.

It became comforting for him, and so he somewhat kept the habit once in NC.

He felt comfortable around his new 'Caldos fam, washing his face under the shower and keeping it fresh for the rest of the night, only putting it back in the morning.

It's only after his (successful!) brain surgery, last ressort to fully yeet whatever rockerboy ghost crumbs was left in there, that he slowly lost that need of hiding, of masking...

His makeup became purely aesthetic, something he wears because he wants to, now being comfortable leaving his face fresh and open more than ever 🧡

[iguessitsjustme]

Because Pat doesn’t know how someone as good as Jeng can like someone like him, here is a list of some of Pat’s most endearing traits:

-So kind. He is so kind

-He works hard. Sure he might fuck up, but no one can say that he doesn’t try and he isn’t working

-He can be a goofball. A little silly. At the perfect moments.

-He is, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, a cutie patootie.

-He is thoughtful.

-He is capable of setting clear and reasonable boundaries in his personal life.

-No filter when drunk. Will ruin your life and tell you every last horrible thought he’s ever had if he’s drunk and it will be something you’ve always suspected of yourself but no one’s told you so directly before in such an unabashed way.

-Can’t cook but will cook for you. It’s a lot of instant noodles but who doesn’t like instant noodles? (*stares Put dead in the eyes*)

-Will unknowingly stare at you with puppy dog eyes and make you fall deeper in love

-Likes snacks

-Has good friends who are also open and accepting and love each other deeply

Pat really sells himself short. I could really go on forever. He sees Jeng as someone who is too good for someone like him, but what I see are two people that fit together like puzzle pieces. They both have their flaws and they both have so many good things about them as well. And those good things balance out each others flaws well. Pat is more straightforward and direct than Jeng, who, as much as I love him, has a tendency to beat around the bush. Jeng can seem kind of uptight and stern at times whereas Pat can seem somewhat childish. Jeng needs that childish whimsy and Pat needs that grounding sternness. But they also have a lot in common. They love their friends, they love helping people, and most importantly they love each other. Whether Jeng sees Pat’s love or Pat believes Jeng’s love, it’s clear that the love is there.