#hell's belles

[geekgirles]

We stan women supporting women in this house

[drama-glob]

The genuine, happy smile Moxxie gives at seeing Millie enjoying her time with her sister is wonderful as is the two of them holding hands and laying on one another. ^_^<3<3<3

[the-irreverend]

I really do hope more creators embrace the potential of using short-form storytelling to enrich their worlds and characters.

Never overlook the fact that sometimes even just a little bit of effort and passion can go a very long way!

[666news-and-horoscopes]

[haaaaaaaaaaaave-you-met-ted]

I'm always so sad that there isn't a bigger Fandom here for Hell's Belles or 6ft Incorporated (Death and Martha). You'd think they'd be right up Tumblr's collective alley. Jaysea and flickerspark make such top tier stuff.

[cipher-club]

Awwwwww🥰🥰

[queer-book-character-tournament]

Queer Book Character Tournament Round One

Lily- For Whom The Belle Tolls

Kyra- Kochab

Julian Diaz- Cemetery Boys

Rosemary Harper- The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet

Voting ended onApr 15

Character, book, and author names under the cut

Lily- For Whom The Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn

Kyra- Kochab by Sarah Webb

Julian Diaz- Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Rosemary Harper- The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers 

[tachypodion]

Long Hell's Belles/For Whom the Belle Tolls theory post incoming. Spoilers for both the book and the tiktok series abound, so read with caution if you aren't caught up or haven't read the book yet!

I'm trying to puzzle something out re: afterlife mechanics. We meet Penny pretty early on in the tiktok series, and the epilogue of the book reproduces that moment pretty directly, with just a couple minor tweaks. I make mention of the inclusion in the book simply to observe that that means it made it through a significant amount of scrutiny. In that scene, both in the series and in the book, Penny explicitly says she bypassed the front desk and judgement, and went straight down to hell. However, in the book, Siedah says that unjudged souls can't leave the front entrance, and this is backed up by Lily saying Penny wouldn't have been able to wander like that if she belonged down there. Later on in the tiktok series we see another soul, who arrived to the afterlife in a similar way to Penny, who did the same thing.

There is also the instance of Judy thinking she had been directed down to hell and going down there of her own accord despite not belonging there. Though it's not clear whether or not she had been through judgement yet, this implies the existence of a waiting area where souls are actively given instructions on where to go after they have been judged (and potentially intermingle with souls who haven't gone through judgement yet). This is different from the process depicted for Lily in the book, where she seemingly opens her eyes to just find herself in her personal paradise. Of course it is possible that Jaysea just skipped over a scene where Lily was given instructions, but given how detailed every moment up until that point had been, it seems doubtful.

The book and tiktok series both do make it clear that for those who go through universal judgement and are judged unfavorably, they are given the opportunity to sit down and have a conversation with someone to decide which punishment realm they want to go to. Siedah also makes mention of the existence of souls who go through faith-based judgement but choose a different paradise realm. Though I had initially assumed that decision happened after they were placed in the realm associated with their faith, I am wondering now if that is not always the case. Either way, it seems like there is reasonable evidence that some souls immediately appear in their new home realm after passing through their judgement arch while others have a more proactively involved transition process, even those who earn their paradise.

Bearing all this in mind, it seems like the judgement process begins earlier than it consciously appears, and is extremely customized to meet each individual's needs (beyond as depicted on the surface). I think that perhaps the Universe conducts a cursory assessment as soon as souls step through the door into the afterlife, to determine what will be the most helpful, healing, and effective way to manage their transition. That isn't to say that the judgement arches are a charade or anything — I think they're critical for the people who go through them, both as a final refinement of the judging process and as a way of making it feel real and concrete (and founded) for the souls. Since the Universe already completed that initial evaluation, souls who shouldn't be permitted to wander aren't, while those who should, like Penny, are. Similarly, souls who would benefit from more structured social support in navigating the transition to their new home walk out the other side of their judgement arch to find that support, while those who wouldn't benefit from that support are sent straight to their destination.

I feel like there should be more to this, but I can't think of anything else to add rn, so. Thoughts?