I've been meaning to say this for a while-
and by a while I mean way back when I made a post exploring Vox's internalized queerphobia, because that's when I caught this.
But I noticed something in this shot that I STILL haven't seen anyone bring up is that the timing of Vox's and Val's blush is actually different.
So here is the first key frame. Vox starts the intimate insinuation, which Valentino is actually surprised at first.
But in the very next key frame, Valentino is already blushing, but Vox isn't. Valentino doesn't JUST blush for anyone. He likes Vox, and sure, he's being manipulated, but he DOES want a deeper intimate relationship with Vox, as he views him differently then literally ANYONE else.
This continues for the next two frames, where Valentino only gets more and more into Vox's insinuation and seducing as he pulls him closer, and that blush does NOT go away. Valentino wanted this and was into it, regardless if Vox wanted to avoid communication through sex. (Which is a real thing couples do!)
However, It is ONLY when Velvette interrupts them that Vox gets flustered from the suprise, AND he immediately stops the sexual interaction with Valentino.
And even at the last key, Valentino is still blushing, BUT his expression kinda leads me to read it as disappointment that Vox immediately stopped when Velvette said something.
Vox, meanwhile, is caught off guard, immediately freezes and gets embarrassed, and that embarrassment comes from shame, and he immediately pushed Valentino away because of it.
Vox has almost certainly known Velvette for years by now. She knows they're together in some sort of on and off relationship. And Valentino and Vox have been doing this for decades, long before she was in the picture. Yet, when she interupts tuem, Vox immediately gets flustered and hastily aborts seducing Valentino. He didn't even know Alastor was there yet, either. And yet that was STILL Vox's reaction.
And, unfortunately, while Vox suffering from internalized queerphobia, which Alastor absolutely did not help of course, is completely vaild and understandable, it still DOES cause issues for his and Valentino's relationship, since Valentino seems to actually want something far more genuine with Vox, and Vox clearly returns that desire, but is too afraid to persue it more because he still has a lot of walls up all this time late.
And it has been a LONG time, as in, if Hazbin takes place in the 2020s, and Vox and Valentino met in the 70s, they've known each other for 50 fucking years, as 70s kids are turning 50 this decade. Vox DIED in his 50s. He's now been in Hell for almost at long OF longer then he was alive.
Valentino has every right to be frustrated with Vox over this after all this time.
And I really think this is why this season got me fully hooked on Staticmoth. I already liked it before season 2, but now with the context of Vox and Alastor's past and how that has directly effected Vox and Valentino's relationship, along with other more deeper insights to how their relationship just is, Staticmoth has so much nuance and so much to explore now because of small moments like this.
It's a great reminder that even though Vox has very good reasons and you can absolutely understand WHY he still has so many walls up, it not only harms himself, but it harms Valentino, and the relationship they both want, but Vox is deeply afraid to admit it.
It's a great reminder that no matter how bad your trauma is, or what deeper reasons you have for doing what you do, you are still in control of you, and therefore how your behavior effects others, both positivelgand negatively. No matter what reason you may have, you are ALWAYS responsible for your actions in any situation. That doesn't mean your reasonings and trauma aren't vaild, but if you hurt people, well, you hurt people. It is always a reason, but never an excuse. It's important to keep that in mind.
Anyway I hope in Season 3 these two actually have a conversation about their deeper feelings and Vox is finally honest and then we get the yaoi version of Easy (/hj)
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