Saw the latest ‘Calling All Villians’ trailer from zaminations and couldn’t help myself from drawing these cuties. Can’t wait to see what they’ve been cooking up for the Pilot! 🙌🔥
I feel like most fans prefer the subVox trope because they subconsciously want to distance themselves from the "Vox SA'd Alastor" discussions. There's this ingrained belief that a dom Vox just wouldn't care about boundaries and would do whatever he wanted. This is so far from what's happening in canon and it takes away so much of the complexity of their dynamic. It's so easy to go: "Vox is submissive. That's why he didn't full on SA Alastor in the show. It's because he secretly wants to be dominated." Instead of exploring the nuance of: "Vox is a dom, and still, despite enjoying inflicting pain on others, he didn't full on SA Alastor. Because he respects him. Because he didn't want to."
Him making Alastor watch probably didn't even register in his brain as SA. As someone who gets empowered by keeping his eyes on everyone and everything, he wouldn't consider watching to be a traumatic experience. Besides, it wasn't even about the sex. It was about embarrassing Alastor and boosting Vox's own ego in a "look what you could have had" way. He literally SAYS that to him barely ten seconds after the act. Him and Alastor have done far worse to each other anyway that he wouldn't really consider that scene in the top ten worst. It's both a conscious effort to respect boundaries and not take it too far, as it is him not understanding some boundaries (for example, the shoulder touching. It never even occured to him that it was bothering Alastor). Also, Vox would NEVER openly admit to desiring Alastor; he puts all the effort into pretending Alastor means nothing to him which only furthers Alastor’s belief that Vox never saw him as a friend. It's the REASON why they still can't resolve their misunderstanding. There's so many misconceptions about Vox's characterisation that even years later, the fandom still can't understand him.
Alastor's side: Season 1 Episode 2, Stayed Gone Close Reading
So in s102 Radio Killed the Video Star, we first see how Al reacts to enemies he doesn't care about, aka Sir Pentious.
When Sir Pentious shows up to his pet project with a giant death machine, tries to kill him and blows the walls off his establishment, he pretends he doesn't remember him, and beats him and his death machine up while laughing. He's not bothered at all, until Pentious rips his coat. Even after that, he brushes it off.
When Vox talks a bit of shit about him, here's his immediate reaction:
(cutting off the full smile because that's his default expression)
Alastor's feelings are always in his eyes, and that expression is definitely not the unbothered look he had when Sir Pentious blew up his establishment and tried to kill him. Nope. That's angry and legitimately bothered.
What was Vox saying that set him off?
(Warning this is really long and really detailed)
The whole thing is a duet, a paired set of verses that echo each other deliberately. Taking it line by line:
Well, Stayed Gone starts out with the line "I'm gonna make you wish that you'd stayed gone", which Alastor replies to with "I'm gonna make you wish that I'd stayed gone." The meaning of the two is subtle, but raises interesting implications. Vox is staying "I'm gonna make you regret coming back". Alastor is saying "I'm gonna make you miserable".
Then Vox says "Say hello to a new status quo", which Alastor replies to with "Your status quo will know its race is run". Vox is trying to put the message out there that "things are different now". Alastor replies "That different world you've made is going to come crumbling down".
Then, Vox goes on a tirade. He calls Alastor a "has-been", "a fossil", etc., basically trying to convey that Alastor is "part of the past". He tries to build himself up, and says "He should have stayed away". Then we cut to Alastor on the line "while he hid in radio, we pivoted to video".
Basically Vox's whole point he's trying to make is "I'm over you. You're lame and I don't care about you". It might not be insignificant that he says "We pivoted to video". It's actually on the words "WE pivoted" that Alastor has that glare expression.
And Vox's next line "Hell's been better since he split, now he's back, who gives a shit". Now obviously, this is bullshit. Vox says this while giving the most obvious shit in the universe. But still, Vox's intended message to Alastor in his first half of the song is "I don't want you around. I have a new life, you'd hardly recognize me, I'm so fine, how could a person like you bring me joy", that kind of vibe.
So it's interesting that Alastor then proceeds to do the exact same thing. Something people don't mention a lot about Stayed Gone is that Alastor's verses are a reflection of Vox's. It's easy to assume that Vox starts this beef because he cares too much. But Alastor then proceeds to echo his verses.
As if he feels the exact same way.
He has a bunch if paired lyrics. Let's look at em side by side.
VOX: Top of the hour, and we're discussing a certain has-been
Who has been spotted cavorting around town/After a seven-year absence. Did anybody miss him? Did anybody notice?
ALASTOR: Salutations, good to be back on the air. Yes, i know it's been a while since someone with style treated hell to a broadcast.
So Vox's insult is "you're a has-been and nobody cares that you've been gone". Alastor's first rebuttal is "you have no style" . They mirror each other's medium-style greetings, then proceed to loudly insult each other with "I don't need you loser".
Vox: So, the radio demon is back in town/Why is he hanging around?/ What does that mean for your family?/ Well handily, I've got good news/ He's a loser, a fossil and I don't mean to sound hostile
Alastor: Sinners rejoice! Instead of a clout-chasing mediocre video podcast...
So they then trade insults about each other's mediums, with the gist of Vox's still being "he's a loser" (There's that Word Again. "Loser Baby", "Show me you're not a loser", archetypal much?) and he's a part of the past. Aka. MY past.
Vox: But the demon is a coward!/You can take that as gospel
Alastor: Is Vox insecure (note: Everybody in the audience: YES.) Pursuing allure?
Followed by Vox calling Alastor a coward and Alastor calling Vox "insecure". Interestingly, I wonder if that insult hits Alastor quite as hard? Like, he did run away at the first sign of real trouble with Adam. I wonder if he feels that way some times.
Vox: Pulling my viewers? Impossible!/'m visual, he's barely audible/Stop givin' him the time of day/Don't listen to a word he'd say/I hope he had a nice vacay/But he should've stayed away
Alastor: Flitting between this fad and that, is nothin' working?/ /Every day, he's got a new format
Vox declares that Alastor won't "pull his viewers" and Alastor makes fun of his 'new format' and 'flitting between different fads'; typical of their 'new vs old' battle.
Then we get into the real meat of the whole thing.
Vox: While he hid in radio/We pivoted to video/Now his medium is gettin' bloody rare
Alastor: Is Vox as strong as he purports/Or is it based on his support? He'd be powerless without the other Vees
It's probably VERY important that "we pivoted to video" is paired up with Alastor's jab about "The Other Vees". Vox tells him "I've got a we, I've got a new team" and Alastor throws out for the first time his meaningless insult that he'd "be powerless without the other Vees", which is a wound he loves to smack all the time. Like, over and over again. He really has a hangup about Vox 'needing' Vel and Val, even though we know for a fact knows Vox is capable of becoming the strongest sinner in hell without them.
Why is Alastor so fixated on mocking Vox for needing Vel and Val? This dig isn't even to make him abandon them and become the strongest since he wasn't planning that at this point.
Then here's this exchange:
Vox: Hell's been better since he split/Where's he been?/Who gives a shit!
Alastor: And here's the sugar on the cream/He asked me to join his team/I said no, and now he's pissy, that's the tea
So this is interesting. Vox's message in this bar pairing was "Who gives a shit about you". Alastor's response is "You do. Remember? You asked me. You need me."
I think what sets Alastor off here, then, adding all these points up, why he says this, is that Vox tries to claim that he's over him and doesn't care that he's back. I mean, obviously that's not true, but we know that Alastor's biggest trigger is being ignored. It's the only thing that really upsets him, other than being in real danger. And obviously Vox isn't ignoring him. HE's the only one who actually gives a shit that he's back.
But he's trying to pretend he can. He's saying publicly "he's a fossil, there's a new status quo, we pivoted to video, who gives a shit". And I don;t think Alastor can even deal with Vox PRETENDING to be over him.
His entire message is "You're not over me. You're nothing without me. you need me. Don't ever forget you wanted me." ("You still need me like you did before" from the reprise, mm?)
Based on this I think it's safe to say that Alastor would not be happy if Vox ever actually got over him. He doesn't want Vox to ever get over him. He kinda feeds on all that attention (I'm not the first person to point that out). Even Vox trying ti imply that he's moved on prompts him to publicly out Vox for once wanting him. Whether it's about control or about twisted love. Al wants everyone and especially Vox to remember: You are never getting over me.
Vivzie's "Vox can't hide his feelings whatsoever, especially around Alastor" from the season 1 commentary + her "Alastor isn't aware of his identity" post really combine to make the most painful RS flavour I think there is with the truly clueless deer and Mister "Subtlety Can't Even Exist Anywhere Near My Vicinity". It just hurts so good.
"Teach me, eh?" Hans climbed over him, leveraging his weight to press Henry's body further into the ground and planting his lips against Henry's brow as he spoke. He traveled lower, a loving assault that ended just below his chin.
Commission Based on 'amor et virtus' by Nerdybirdnerd on AO3
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