Here for the Worst Hazbin Ships

In my 30s, fanartist and writer, She/Her. Just my little corner to draw my problematic faves.

[potionorchard]

Warmup. Projecting my feelings onto Val right now. It's too roasty toasty outside...

[potionorchard]

There's Something Wrong With Valentino

PGs 11-12

Previous Pages

Summary: After the events of S2, Valentino displays some strange behaviors that utterly baffle his partners.

(Velvette gets Val to consider some new ideas about his obsession with Vox...)

[potionorchard]

Sign and cash in, Voxxy~

[darkstarofchaos]

Ngl I’d love to hear you talk about the ways Chaggi and Staticmoth are parallelled and contrasted

I will happily oblige!

So obviously in the first episode of S2, everyone is just doing their thing. We see how Charlie and the hotel are doing, get the villains' plan, and we also get the seeds of what will end up being Charlie and Vox's main flaws for the season: Charlie gets upset when she sees a TV report slandering the hotel, and Vox slips up at the end of Hazbin Guarantee (Trust Us) by declaring "Trust me. Just me". They also both catch themselves: Charlie calms herself and tells Vaggi she's right about ignoring the slander, and Vox quickly corrects to "Trust us".

Skipping over the Heaven episode, E3 and E4 set up the conflict for Charlie and Vox respectively, as they both intentionally welcome their biggest detractors into their homes. Both of their teams join them in confronting said detractors, they both start regretting their decisions before the day is done, and they both take the first unintentional step towards alienating their friends: Charlie upsets Angel, and Valentino is unimpressed by Vox's idea of celebrating Alastor's capture.

Because the setup on Vox's side happens an episode later, most of the StaticMoth beats are also an episode behind Chaggi. Both sides have an episode where the pressure keeps building before things start exploding, but for Chaggi that's E4, with Charlie's attempt at a live interview. For StaticMoth, it's E5, with Alastor driving the first wedge between Vox and the other Vees.

E5 is also where the parallels between Chaggi and StaticMoth really get started - and provides one of the only narrative beats they share in the same episode, as both pairs get a moment of affection before the rally. Vaggi initially finds Charlie's attempts to get Emily's attention adorable, flirtatiously asks if she can help Charlie with anything, and the two share a kiss. Meanwhile, StaticMoth have a flirtatious exchange about their preparations, during which Val strokes Vox's monitor and adjusts his tie. Both moments are brought to an end by Charlie and Vox's respective stressors.

E5 is also where the Chaggi explosion happens. Charlie gets mad at Vaggi's ill-fated (and ill-conceived) attempt to help, they argue about Charlie's recent behavior, and Vaggi tells her she's worried about her before Charlie declares that she'll just handle things herself. Vaggi leaves in a huff.

The StaticMoth explosion, meanwhile, happens in E6, and it's both similar and different. Vox actually wants Val's help, but Val is angry and doesn't want to give it. Vox handles the situation calmly at first, only lashing out after taunting from Alastor. But when Valentino bites back, it isn't an argument; Vox just shuts down and lets Val yell at him about his recent behavior, then tries to have the last word as Val is leaving in a huff. And while he does ultimately get the help he wanted, Val is still mad at him.

Chaggi continue to fight through E6, and Charlie continues to push her friends away. She doesn't want to speak to Vaggi, and they end up "talking" using Husk as an intermediary. But Vaggi is still trying to work together, and suggests they both go to talk to Carmilla. And by the end of the episode, they reconcile: Charlie apologizes and they finally talk (and have makeup sex, which StaticMoth were prevented from doing literally the scene prior).

StaticMoth are still mad at each other through E7, and Vox continues to push his friends away. But now, he and Val have switched roles when compared to Charlie and Vaggi: Val is the one who doesn't want to talk, and Vox is still trying to keep things together to present a united front. He also relays an irritable message to Val through Velvette, but unlike Chaggi, they don't interact in person. The role reversal persists through the end of the episode, when Val goes to Vox's room, presumably wanting to talk.

But of course, unlike Chaggi, they don't reconcile. And it's in large part because they swapped roles: even while angry, Vaggi was still trying to reach Charlie and help her, but Valentino withdrew and left Vox to spiral. As a result, while both Charlie and Vox had a chance to think about things and realize they were in the wrong, Vox only spent that time winding himself up further. And where Chaggi actually had the opportunity to reconcile, Vox's stressor was literally in the room with him. Leaving Val to withdraw once again, and never express his own worries about his partner's behavior.

Ultimately, the narrative parallel between the two couples is one of support: Charlie and Vox are both single-mindedly fixated on what someone else is saying about/to them, handling it badly, and lashing out. But Vaggi understood that Charlie was struggling and offered her full support right from the start. Even when their fight was at its worst, she was still trying to help in any way she could (and even when that help only made things worse, she still meant well).

Valentino, by contrast, never recognized what Alastor's mockery was doing to Vox. He had a front row seat to Alastor taunting him that first night, but instead of supporting him, he just found the whole thing entertaining - right up until it started to affect him. And when it wasn't funny anymore, he got mad at Vox, even though he'd seen Alastor messing with him multiple times by that point. And then he left him to deal with it on his own.

With Vaggi's support, Charlie pulls out of her spiral, reconnects with her friends, and they head into the final confrontation together. But when Vox realizes Charlie is trying to ruin his plans and turns to Val and Velvette for help, he finds himself alone.

Most stories would use this to highlight how different the hero and the villain are: faced with a situation they couldn't handle on their own, she succeeded because she embraced friendship, and he failed because he rejected it. But in the end, the only difference that mattered was that she got the support she needed, and he didn't.

[potionorchard]

I really like this comparison to the parallels of Chaggi and Staticmoth. You make excellent points!

However, I feel I do need to point out that while Valentino doesn't really care about Alastor's manipulations of Vox until it starts affecting him, I think it's implied by the narrative that both Velvette and Valentino know that the problems and insecurities lie with Vox. As stated by Vivzie in the after S2 interview, Vox pushed away the people who have supported him the most.

"And maybe then he'll chill again and realize who he missed..." - Velvette, Ep 7

Now it is true that Valentino doesn't offer that warm support to Vox that Vaggi does in Ep 6, but he seemingly doesn't know how to in that both he and Vox don't know how to communicate their feelings.

Vox doesn't shut down and take it during Valentino calling him out, he doubles down and says something snide and racist towards him. And this is right after Vox attempted to seduce Val into getting his way. Val immediately flares his wings when Vox grabs him, then physically tightens his coat back in place to close himself off to Vox.

Despite this, Val still supports Vox by getting him Angel even when he doesn't want to.

But that harkens back to the interesting point OP made.

Vaggi *can* talk to Charlie and tell her the true emotions she's feeling honestly and Val just can't. And that's where things fell apart.

"Val, don't be dramatic. He's just a man. He's being rude cos he's stressed out trying to do his master plan! Think about the future, Val! Don't let success break up the band!" - Valentino, Ep7

This quote is fascinating because yes, Val is upset that Alastor is affecting his relationship with Vox. He deflects. He makes excuses for Vox to himself. But he also genuinely puts the Vees being together above all that first.

When Vox says the plan against Heaven is his, Val corrects him to say it's "our plan" and remind him about Velvette too. When Vox breaks down, it's both Val and Velvette taking him out to keep him from killing himself.

I find this interesting because Valentino only knows how to toxicly display his emotions, to be passive aggressive, to violently pull off Vox's head to stop him and hide while Vaggi can stand tall and say what she needs to say to Charlie as clear as day.

It should be noted that while Vox has his stressor in his room at all times, that is because HE KEEPS ALASTOR THERE AGAINST HIS WILL. He tugs him to his side to keep proving himself to Alastor. Val even tries to come visit Vox for a moment of presumed closeness so the two can talk, but as always, Vox has Alastor in the room with him and loudly declares he's done with "playing house". How was Valentino supposed to reach him?

"It's hard to know sometimes that you're not hearing me..." -Vaggi, Episode 6

Ultimately, Vaggi can talk her mind and be herself when Charlie is at her lowest moments whereas Val can only explode at Vox and stand by and support him through his actions. And that's where the clear differences lie and how Chaggi prevails when Staticmoth falls apart (for now as we know Vox will develop in the future in a different way).

All in all, I love OP's post on the parallels but I just wanted to make a few notes from the Valentino end of things too.

[unholyangeldust]

[this is in a tone of excited conversational yapping about a thing we each love]

I’ll add that Valentino likely sees Alastor as Vox’s Angel Dust, so to speak. An item of envy and status that Vox now owns. Who doesn’t appreciate a mouthy, sarcastic soul under their thrall when they’re the target of your obsession?

“Vox’s stressor” is his own ego, just like it is for Valentino. Alastor and Angel are simply the catalysts, and Angel’s been with Valentino long enough that any era of “purposefully making trouble to push boundaries” has been behind them for a while (though it may come up again once Angel realizes he can’t go back to whatever normal they had/when Angel thinks he deserves to be punished more than he is).

Alastor and Angel Dust are not the reason for Vox or Valentino’s behavior, Vox and Valentino’s behavior are because of the choices they make to deal with the emotions those two people are a catalyst for.

Chaggie and Staticmoth are amazingly paralleled in season 2. In Scream Rain, the difference is that Charlie noticed how upset Vaggi was

Charlie and Vox’s arcs re:their personal relationships are paralleled amazingly in season 2 and I’m so delighted to stumble across this conversation about it!! In Scream Rain, Vox’s and Charlie’s tunnel vision is driving away those that care about them and their dreams.

Vox tries to use sex to manipulate Valentino in a) an effort to deflect from Valentino’s protests around Vox pushing him aside and b) an effort to warm Valentino up to Vox’s request demand to use Angel Dust; and even when Val yells at him, Vox’s eyes slide back over to the his distraction & fixation (Alastor). Valentino gives a “no” more than once about Vox using Angel but makes it clear he expects to be ignored - and he’s right. Valentino and Velvette realize Vox is well and truly not listening to them anymore. Vox’s doubling down on prioritizing hurting Charlie on his way up to Heaven means losing some of the buy-in he has with Valentino and Velvette. Vox pushing so hard re:using Angel, especially at the cost of Valentino and Velvette on stage with him, sours Vox’s relationships, as he makes it clearer than ever they are a lower priority than his plan…and Angel is a line Vox is on thin ice with already. As far as Alastor goes, Vox absolutely could have just locked him in a cell or a room. Vox is not trapped with Alastor and Val&Vel didn’t abandon Vox to Alastor.

And when we look at Chaggie in s2e6 Scream Rain - I’m going to compare them to how in s2e5 Silenced when Velvette and Vox go to Carmilla it’s as a pair with a united mission even if the methodology is strained - Vaggi and Charlie decide to approach Carmilla together despite being at odds. But they’re contentious from the moment they say they have to talk to her, and once they do get to Carmilla’s they’re bickering so much that Carmilla actually makes a comment on it. Then when Carmilla asks what they want, they talk over each other and have what may as well be two different conversations with Carmilla (Charlie’s is this isn’t what my mom wanted we’re better than this, Vaggi’s is we just found out the hotel works why are you helping build a war weapon).

When Carmilla speaks to Vaggi directly and triggers Vaggi’s flashbacks, we get this:

Charlie was on a tailspin like Vox. Completely missing how she was hurting people she cares about, hurting her own mission and dream to which she attached her own sense of identity, but Vaggi suffering - and their fight making it so Charlie couldn’t comfort her - is what snapped her out of it.

Charlie tries to get upset again after this when Carmilla shuts her down by saying Lilith’s mission doesn’t matter, tries to glare at Vaggi and gesture angrily, but Vaggi’s too upset and Charlie has her silent “oh god what have I done” moment.

And the next Chaggie scene is Vaggi flying around the hotel pissed that Niffty neglected what Vaggi assigned to her until the penthouse bell rings, and Vaggi bangs the door open aggressively - she was ready to fight some more! It’s only when she sees the blanket fort that she calms down. That is to say:

Charlie initiates the conversation.

Vox has been Charlie’s catalyst all season with his programming running at god knows how many hours a day from that giant TV in the hotel. Vox didn’t walk away from Alastor, but Charlie walked away from Vox’s smear campaign and instead set aside time, space, and effort (blanket fort, cake) to nonverbally communicate Vaggi’s importance to her. Verbally, Charlie acknowledges where she fucked up. Vaggi too. The words “sorry” and “apologize” were both not spoken by Charlie as a follow up from Angel’s scolding in s2e3 about how “sorry loses meaning after a while”. Instead the conversation focuses on the two of them getting on the same page again so that it can be them vs the problem instead of Charlie vs Vaggi - and when Charlie starts to panic again, because she’s letting herself feel instead of squashing it with impulsive action like she’s been doing up until this point, Vaggi invites her to *process* it together through physical intimacy and Charlie is able to accept the invitation.

With StaticMoth, Vox was trying to use sex as a tool to manipulate rather than get on the same page and reconnect in a foundational care for one another.

Then in s2e7 Weapon of Mass Distraction, Vaggi helps Charlie come down from initial panic about her dad, but when Charlie gets the invite from Vox, she DOESN’T run off to do what Vox wants like she did earlier in the season; she explains her concerns to Vaggi, again bringing her in on the planning and decision making, and they make a plan together.

In the same episode Valentino comes to Vox’s room very scantily clad very likely for makeup sex where Vox is again duetting Alastor alone in one of his offices (where one of the lines Vox sings is “no more playing house, once they’re devout, I won’t need a squad”).

Val doesn’t want to leave Vox to Alastor, Vox is choosing impressing-or-killing Alastor over Valentino and Velvette. And it’s only when Vox reveals that he plans on killing Valentino, Velvette, and himself to do the trick when Val and Vel say ‘no you’re fucking done’.

Vox and Charlie each have support but spent the first three quarters of the season alienating that support in favor of entertaining something they ultimately could choose to ignore but instead engaged in, and in so doing experienced some negative consequences. Throwing yourself against malicious smear campaign against you at the expense of your actual dream and towing around your malicious scheming ex-friend to rarely be more than 10 yards away from you at the expense of your support system is going to create some interpersonal friction.

Charlie’s just the only one who changed course on that, the only one who realized her mistake and who tried to make it up to Vaggi.

[potionorchard]

No notes. Absolutely stellar analysis!!!!

[darkstarofchaos]

Ngl I’d love to hear you talk about the ways Chaggi and Staticmoth are parallelled and contrasted

I will happily oblige!

So obviously in the first episode of S2, everyone is just doing their thing. We see how Charlie and the hotel are doing, get the villains' plan, and we also get the seeds of what will end up being Charlie and Vox's main flaws for the season: Charlie gets upset when she sees a TV report slandering the hotel, and Vox slips up at the end of Hazbin Guarantee (Trust Us) by declaring "Trust me. Just me". They also both catch themselves: Charlie calms herself and tells Vaggi she's right about ignoring the slander, and Vox quickly corrects to "Trust us".

Skipping over the Heaven episode, E3 and E4 set up the conflict for Charlie and Vox respectively, as they both intentionally welcome their biggest detractors into their homes. Both of their teams join them in confronting said detractors, they both start regretting their decisions before the day is done, and they both take the first unintentional step towards alienating their friends: Charlie upsets Angel, and Valentino is unimpressed by Vox's idea of celebrating Alastor's capture.

Because the setup on Vox's side happens an episode later, most of the StaticMoth beats are also an episode behind Chaggi. Both sides have an episode where the pressure keeps building before things start exploding, but for Chaggi that's E4, with Charlie's attempt at a live interview. For StaticMoth, it's E5, with Alastor driving the first wedge between Vox and the other Vees.

E5 is also where the parallels between Chaggi and StaticMoth really get started - and provides one of the only narrative beats they share in the same episode, as both pairs get a moment of affection before the rally. Vaggi initially finds Charlie's attempts to get Emily's attention adorable, flirtatiously asks if she can help Charlie with anything, and the two share a kiss. Meanwhile, StaticMoth have a flirtatious exchange about their preparations, during which Val strokes Vox's monitor and adjusts his tie. Both moments are brought to an end by Charlie and Vox's respective stressors.

E5 is also where the Chaggi explosion happens. Charlie gets mad at Vaggi's ill-fated (and ill-conceived) attempt to help, they argue about Charlie's recent behavior, and Vaggi tells her she's worried about her before Charlie declares that she'll just handle things herself. Vaggi leaves in a huff.

The StaticMoth explosion, meanwhile, happens in E6, and it's both similar and different. Vox actually wants Val's help, but Val is angry and doesn't want to give it. Vox handles the situation calmly at first, only lashing out after taunting from Alastor. But when Valentino bites back, it isn't an argument; Vox just shuts down and lets Val yell at him about his recent behavior, then tries to have the last word as Val is leaving in a huff. And while he does ultimately get the help he wanted, Val is still mad at him.

Chaggi continue to fight through E6, and Charlie continues to push her friends away. She doesn't want to speak to Vaggi, and they end up "talking" using Husk as an intermediary. But Vaggi is still trying to work together, and suggests they both go to talk to Carmilla. And by the end of the episode, they reconcile: Charlie apologizes and they finally talk (and have makeup sex, which StaticMoth were prevented from doing literally the scene prior).

StaticMoth are still mad at each other through E7, and Vox continues to push his friends away. But now, he and Val have switched roles when compared to Charlie and Vaggi: Val is the one who doesn't want to talk, and Vox is still trying to keep things together to present a united front. He also relays an irritable message to Val through Velvette, but unlike Chaggi, they don't interact in person. The role reversal persists through the end of the episode, when Val goes to Vox's room, presumably wanting to talk.

But of course, unlike Chaggi, they don't reconcile. And it's in large part because they swapped roles: even while angry, Vaggi was still trying to reach Charlie and help her, but Valentino withdrew and left Vox to spiral. As a result, while both Charlie and Vox had a chance to think about things and realize they were in the wrong, Vox only spent that time winding himself up further. And where Chaggi actually had the opportunity to reconcile, Vox's stressor was literally in the room with him. Leaving Val to withdraw once again, and never express his own worries about his partner's behavior.

Ultimately, the narrative parallel between the two couples is one of support: Charlie and Vox are both single-mindedly fixated on what someone else is saying about/to them, handling it badly, and lashing out. But Vaggi understood that Charlie was struggling and offered her full support right from the start. Even when their fight was at its worst, she was still trying to help in any way she could (and even when that help only made things worse, she still meant well).

Valentino, by contrast, never recognized what Alastor's mockery was doing to Vox. He had a front row seat to Alastor taunting him that first night, but instead of supporting him, he just found the whole thing entertaining - right up until it started to affect him. And when it wasn't funny anymore, he got mad at Vox, even though he'd seen Alastor messing with him multiple times by that point. And then he left him to deal with it on his own.

With Vaggi's support, Charlie pulls out of her spiral, reconnects with her friends, and they head into the final confrontation together. But when Vox realizes Charlie is trying to ruin his plans and turns to Val and Velvette for help, he finds himself alone.

Most stories would use this to highlight how different the hero and the villain are: faced with a situation they couldn't handle on their own, she succeeded because she embraced friendship, and he failed because he rejected it. But in the end, the only difference that mattered was that she got the support she needed, and he didn't.

[potionorchard]

I really like this comparison to the parallels of Chaggi and Staticmoth. You make excellent points!

However, I feel I do need to point out that while Valentino doesn't really care about Alastor's manipulations of Vox until it starts affecting him, I think it's implied by the narrative that both Velvette and Valentino know that the problems and insecurities lie with Vox. As stated by Vivzie in the after S2 interview, Vox pushed away the people who have supported him the most.

"And maybe then he'll chill again and realize who he missed..." - Velvette, Ep 7

Now it is true that Valentino doesn't offer that warm support to Vox that Vaggi does in Ep 6, but he seemingly doesn't know how to in that both he and Vox don't know how to communicate their feelings.

Vox doesn't shut down and take it during Valentino calling him out, he doubles down and says something snide and racist towards him. And this is right after Vox attempted to seduce Val into getting his way. Val immediately flares his wings when Vox grabs him, then physically tightens his coat back in place to close himself off to Vox.

Despite this, Val still supports Vox by getting him Angel even when he doesn't want to.

But that harkens back to the interesting point OP made.

Vaggi *can* talk to Charlie and tell her the true emotions she's feeling honestly and Val just can't. And that's where things fell apart.

"Val, don't be dramatic. He's just a man. He's being rude cos he's stressed out trying to do his master plan! Think about the future, Val! Don't let success break up the band!" - Valentino, Ep7

This quote is fascinating because yes, Val is upset that Alastor is affecting his relationship with Vox. He deflects. He makes excuses for Vox to himself. But he also genuinely puts the Vees being together above all that first.

When Vox says the plan against Heaven is his, Val corrects him to say it's "our plan" and remind him about Velvette too. When Vox breaks down, it's both Val and Velvette taking him out to keep him from killing himself.

I find this interesting because Valentino only knows how to toxicly display his emotions, to be passive aggressive, to violently pull off Vox's head to stop him and hide while Vaggi can stand tall and say what she needs to say to Charlie as clear as day.

It should be noted that while Vox has his stressor in his room at all times, that is because HE KEEPS ALASTOR THERE AGAINST HIS WILL. He tugs him to his side to keep proving himself to Alastor. Val even tries to come visit Vox for a moment of presumed closeness so the two can talk, but as always, Vox has Alastor in the room with him and loudly declares he's done with "playing house". How was Valentino supposed to reach him?

"It's hard to know sometimes that you're not hearing me..." -Vaggi, Episode 6

Ultimately, Vaggi can talk her mind and be herself when Charlie is at her lowest moments whereas Val can only explode at Vox and stand by and support him through his actions. And that's where the clear differences lie and how Chaggi prevails when Staticmoth falls apart (for now as we know Vox will develop in the future in a different way).

All in all, I love OP's post on the parallels but I just wanted to make a few notes from the Valentino end of things too.

[potionorchard]

People will deadass be like "I want a villain who is evil but still cares about someone despite that and it doesn't change that they're evil."

Then Hazbin Hotel will give them that with Valentino and they'll say "EW THEY'RE EXCUSING A RAPIST BECAUSE HE GOT SAD ONCE! THIS EVIL ASS SHOW! I CAN'T BELIEVE VIVZIE SAID SHE'S JUST LIKE VALENTINO AND SHE'S WOOBIFYING US AND USING VOODOO MAGIC TO MAKE US FEEL BAD FOR HIM!!!"

No. Valentino isn't a different character from S1 just because he felt a little sad for thirty seconds in a song about the possibility of his family breaking apart and Vox treating him like crap. In S2, we see him entirely through Vox's and Velvette's perspectives where to them, he's their overly clingy and emotional core.

As soon as he's perceived by Cherri and Husk trying to get Angel out of there, he states "Get your hands off of my property" and throws down with them. He recognizes Vox and Velvette's personhood because he loves and treasures them. He doesn't for Angel or anyone else (that we know of). He even smirks at Angel when Angel realizes he's going to return to Valentino after all this because bodily and mind autonomy has been utterly shattered. Valentino is still presented as a clear villain.

Stop these disingenuous readings because you wanna imagine Vivzie and co as bad people or something. Open your eyes. Actually watch the show. Hell! Listen to the commentary for S1. Vivzie goes into a good and important explanation that Val's high energy and charisma is compensation for his abusive actions and how he gets away with his actions by being conveniently attractive. You know... like people in real life do! Imagine that.

Hazbin Hotel has showed time and time again that there will be imperfect victims and complicated abusers. And that's uncomfortable. But this is a show for adults, believe it or not. So... grow up and start paying attention like the rest of us.

A Helpful Resource on the Topic: Here

[potionorchard]

Blah blah, saw a cute outfit and put a moth in it for a spare doodle. <3

[potionorchard]

There's Something Wrong With Valentino

PGs 8-10

Summary: After the events of S2, Valentino displays some strange behaviors that utterly baffle his partners.

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(It's a rough work day and Valentino finds himself pondering over some brutally honest observations from Velvette.)

[potionorchard]

"It's all for sale... Always."

[potionorchard]

Something I've been thinking about lately:

Can Valentino be redeemed?

YES. And no. Let's talk about it...

Firstly, redemption means different things to different people/characters. Redemption, in essence, is atoning and striving to atone for previous bad actions. Now a lot of what our current culture sees in redemption is rooted in concepts from the Bible and Christianity.

As such, we are locked in a puritanical mindset when it comes to the discussion of evil characters like Valentino possibly getting a redemption.

If you define redemption for Val as him going to Heaven and being forgiven by Angel and other victims, then... no, that's not it.

Because what does that achieve? It's not cathartic for the victims of Valentino either.

But one could argue that Angel would possibly want Valentino to die and Val should comply with that desire in the end, but the thing is, would it help Angel? Does Angel truly want that? Maybe he does. I can't tell the future of the show, but due to the aspects of abuse and trauma bonding, Angel may be further disturbed by it.

I don't know. Angel's catharsis is the most important thing to consider but I don't know what he would want. We will have to see.

So what would redemption mean for Valentino? Well, first we would have to see him defeated. A number of things could happen.

Val has to fail. So far, his actions have brought him success, wealth, and power. He's never known another way to get ahead outside of sexualizing and comodifying his body and others. Why should he think he's wrong? Val is the hero of his own story and it's working out so far.

In S2, we saw friction to his status quo. We see what Valentino fears when he's alone using his own voice. "Don't get upset. Don't break up the band." We see what Val cares for when he's alone and no cameras are at him. He loves the Vees. It's his only good trait.

So if Valentino (and the Vees, of course) fail, we can see the status quo torn away from him. He can lose his status, his beauty and he could lose Vox and Velvette. With all that punishment, why would ANYONE want Val to simply die off? I think it's more powerful for Val to fail.

Okay, so Val won't be killed off and will fail logically for the story's themes to shine through. What then?

Well, all Val would have left is the relationships he hasn't fucked up, the ones he's always cared about. Val can't get to Heaven and why would he even want to?

The Vees are better together. Horrid, but the current status quo nearly made them fall apart in S2. Vox and Val's lack of communication hurt both of them. It's clear that if the Vees succeed, it's because of all three of them together. And I think Val knows that deep down.

With his industries destroyed and their status quos upset, we could see Valentino learn to be a better version of himself. Change is small. Incremental. It wouldn't be a flash that gets him to Heaven like Pentious but a breaking a cycle of abuse. Letting go of Angel and control.

It's not a reward, it would be an uprooting of everything Val knows and has, a feeling of the agony and destruction he's inflicted on others. A learning experience. A dismantle of the sex abuse industry he and Angel are locked into, that they both are symptoms of.

It'll be painful. Val could lose everything and be left with only Vel and Vox at the end of it. It would be the start of change that actually betters Hell by crushing the exploitative industries of the Vees. Ultimately not everyone can go to Heaven.

But HELL CAN BE BETTER. Charlie is right. Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. Any soul can change. And that's why the Hear My Hope scene is so powerful imo. Every evil soul stopped and showed their potential for good, their alliance to Charlie's dream.

Even if it meant taking Charlie's hand, Val and Vel would save each other and Vox. The scene shows that they have potential for goodness even if its selfish. It's not mutually exclusive.

Val can grow. He can change. He's a character with more dimension than his surface introduction.

Redemption isn't being forgiven by victims. That makes no sense. It puts the burden on a victim and that's not right. Redemption comes from a person changing and becoming better. Not even good, just better. It's continuous improvement, an evolution.

If I had to guess, that is what I believe Vivzie wants to tell us with such a flawed and morally ambiguous cast like Hazbin.

I don't know what will happen to Val. Maybe he will die but I just don't think so. His storytelling potential cannot be stated enough.

He is a thematic and narrative tool of abuse, the sex industry, redemption, and growth. And I think it would behoove the fandom to think a little deeper beyond the flat themes of "but forgiving and rewarding the abuser" to see it.

In the end, we can all be better.

[potionorchard]

I draw Val for my mental health at some point.

[potionorchard]

[potionorchard]

There's Something Wrong With Valentino

PGs 5-7

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Summary: After the events of S2, Valentino displays some strange behaviors that utterly baffle his partners.

(A schedule for seeing Vox? It surely means nothing. It's just business!)

[potionorchard]

Best girl with the bestest outfit~

[potionorchard]

Do you also have a bsky or are you thinking about making acount there? I would love to see your art uncensored but I boycott twitter so I was just wondering

Yes, I do have a Bluesky. Here. And very understandable. Twitter ain't pleasant for the most part. I'll try to post more at Bsky too. ^^

[potionorchard]

There's Something Wrong With Valentino

PGs 3-4

Summary: After the events of S2, Valentino displays some strange behaviors that utterly baffle his partners.

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(I really am hoping to get these out faster... but enjoy!)

[potionorchard]

There's Something Wrong With Valentino

PGs 1-2

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After the events of S2, Valentino displays some strange behaviors that utterly baffle his partners.

(Full version on my Twitter. I spent an hour inking Val's sweet backside and alas Tumblr...)