I frankly do not buy the idea Alastor never cared about Vox in the slighest, and here's why.
First of all, I mean, just look at Alastor's attitude, expressions and body language around Vox. He is very calm and relaxed and is clearly in a good mood. Him and Vox casually hanging out a bar together which implies this was a common occurrence. This is a side we've never seen from Alastor. He clearly was very comfortable around Vox at one point.
He even finds it geninuely amusing when Vox imitates him. It's a kind of aoft laughter we haven't seen from him either. His pupils are even dilated, while I absolutely don't think Alastor had any sort of romantic feelings for Vox, I do think Alastor was very close to Vox.
I mean he lets Vox touch him and doesn't have any reaction, he is still calm and relaxed. Remember it's been said Alastor hates when people touch him, (Considering how Rosie treats him... yeah understandable)
So if he lets you touch him it really means something. It's a very clear sign Alastor trusts you. You cannot possibly tell me none of that was geniune.
Plus, it's also well known Alastor gets alone with women far more then men, so the fact that he is clearly on very good terms with Vox clearly says something.
BUT, by far what interests me MOST is how Alastor initially reacted when Vox offered him the deal.
Like, look at the next set of key frames. At first he doesn't seem bothered at all. He's not even surprised. He even appears to be flattered.
And then after that, briefly there appears to be a actual geninue smile, and it appears to be more of sheepish kind of smile. And, worth noting is that he didn't made any sort of noise on this key frame, no laughter, no nothing.
But then, THIS is the next key frame and it is REALLY interesting. For one, the animators covered Alastor's eyes,(and they do it a lot in this scene) and his hair covers the corner of his smile, too. Those two things are intentional. He slouches down, and at first, it doesn't even sound like he's laughing (at least to me) it more sounds like he's upset, more so a whimper honsetly.
Especially here, mind you. To me it doesn't exactly sound like a laugh just yet. In fact at first when I watched this, I legitimately didn't think Alastor was laughing, it sounded more like he was distressed. Im also curious why his eyes werent drawn here either, while you can see his eyebrow.
Also, there are around 12 frames in this specific shot (I may be one or two frames off granted) Where Alastor is still slouching and he isnt even fucking laughing or making any noise while he's still slouching, we don't even see his face, until the very next shot and we STILL dont see his eyes until the shot after. Alastor takes about four entire seconds before he starts laughing out loud. Like before he sits up it kinda comes off more that he's upset, which lines up with his expressions and body land in the last set of keys in the last shot.
This show runs on 2s, or 12 FPS, they actively chose to draw 48 frames just to detail Alastor's initial reaction.
Alastor's face here when he says, "Oh, that's- Oh, you're serious?!"
And then this followed right after with this body language when he says "Oh, come now Vox!"
If you saw this gif without knowing he's laughing it looks more like he's crying.
And then THESE are the next two frames. He doesn't look like he's actually genuinely happy and raveling in hos mockery here, does it? Just TWO frames says so much. (This is the same show that had Alastor's eyes turn into dials for only 3 fucking frames when Husk and himself are talking in ep 5)
Seriously, just look at his expressions in these scenes. this doesn't look like he's actually revealing and having fun mocking Vox here. He looks nervous, worried and uncomfortable if anything. As if the laughter and mocking is just a facade, a facade that he does not want to put up, but feels like he has to.
Also I know this is a reference to a meme, but something about the way Alastor's expression was drawn here still gives me the vibe that he was hiding pain with laughter. The way his smile was drawn here especially adds to that, since at the end points not only is it drawn with less sharp of a line, but it does start to go down a bit. That smile doesn't line up with how much he's laughing. Plus it's interesting his pupils aren't drawn either. They chose to reference that meme here, but they also chose to draw the tear in his eye along with not adding his pupils and drawing his grin where it appears softer and angles down at the corners.
I also don't fucking buy the idea for a single second that Alastor cannot geninuely care about people. I mean, the moment he saw Niffty held at Valentino's gunpoint, that was when he called everything off and gave himself up. Alastor fuckin' gave himself up for Niffty. He also kept her roach crown! You can't tell me he isn't capable of being fond for people at all.
"Friends?! There are no friends in Hell, Vincent!"
Note just how insanely strong Alastor's reaction was when Vox said they were friends. In fact, it got a VERY uncharastically strong, angry reaction out of him. Alastor implies that they were never friends and actively mocks the fact Vox said they were. But Alastor's behavior just a few moments ago does not back him up here. I do not buy the idea Alastor never considered Vox is friend or the idea that he was close to him at all. Also, Alastor used Vox's REAL NAME here when he could've easily just said his chosen sinner name. They were close enough where Alastor KNEW HIS HUMAN NAME, likely meaning that they knew each other very personally. I think Alastor is projecting if anything. He's lying not only to Vox, but to himself. He doesn't like the idea that he snd Vox got so close, it seems to freak him out. And I really think Alastor is afraid to get close to people because the last time he trusted someone powerful, it was Rosie, who betrayed and shattered his trust, and then Vox then offered a deal for the both of them to be powerful... it probably sent him right back to when he blindly trusted Rosie. Vox has to be trying to trick him, right? Rosie wouldn't let him join Vox even if he wanted to, would she?
Also, worth noting, Alastor even pulls on his hair in this shot when he says "Oh, fuck!"
Which is something he is only known to do when he's under extreme amounts of emotional disstres.
The first time we saw him do that was when he sung the lyric of "Great Alastor, Altruist, died for his friends?!"
I always theorized that this line hinted that Alastor is afraid of becoming close and fond to people because it has caused him nothing but pain, betrayal, and suffering in the past, and i am now even more convinced then ever.
So much of what Alastor says to mock Vox, on how much he relies on others and needs the help of others and that is a shameful and dangerous thing to do to put any trust in others and how you should always achieve everything yourself... Alastor... I think you're projecting your trauma.
Alastor's smile and how he hides everything his not only his biggest weapon in his back pocket, but also his is biggest weakness because it destroys him from the inside out and leads to him constantly isolating himself.
This is exactly what I have been hoping for how Alastor would've been protrayed. Best fucking birthday gift ever.
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