#helluvabosscharacter

[ask-stella-goetia]

Happy moments with Stella and Stolas in an AU where they’re best friends

@principiaastrologik

Credit to @/NOT_THE_BEEEES, not mine!

[the-feathered-consort]

That’s actually so interesting. Did y’all ever read Octavia as autistic. Or do any autistic people seem themselves in her? Or maybe another disability or illness? (I’m not sure if autism is considered a disability or disorder or what, pls be nice if someone wants to make that clarification!)

[ask-stella-goetia]

I always find it funny when Stella critics are like “but she tried kill to her husband!!!” As if the main three characters don’t kill innocent people and separate families on a daily ass basis.

[ask-stella-goetia]

My opinion:People hate Stella more because like in classic fandom tradition, she gets in the way of their gay ship. Not in the usual way, she’s not like a competitor for either of them or anything, but if she were to kill one of them, it would end the ship.

Misogyny and “uwu smol gay bean” really do go far.

Like yes she IS a bad person but that’s not why people hate her, all the characters are bad people but they don’t get the same hate as she does

[ask-stella-goetia]

CW:rape, forced birth, misogyny

“"I'm glad one egg fell out of me, so i wouldn't have to pretend to want to fuck his scrawny twig ass."

That’s actually such a tragic quote from Stella and not for the reasons people talk about. In that quote, no one around her really responds to it besides heehees and hahas. The audience misses it because they usually fixate on the fact that she hurt Stolas’s feelings or they speculate on her relationship with Octavia.

These things are true, or at least one of them is. She was insulting Stolas on a surface level basis, yes, but what strikes me is really the fact that she quite literally vented frustration about being forced to have sex she didn’t want, forced to give birth, and everyone missed it. This especially hits hard in the context of living in patriarchal societies that feeds into rape culture AND sometimes forces women to give birth.

[ask-stella-goetia]

CW:Forced pregnancy mention, misogyny, SA, family abuse

People don’t talk about it, (or choose not to) but I think Stella never makes proper eye contact with Octavia because it’s too simply painful for her.

Octavia is likely a physical manifestation of Stella’s worst moments plus lack of freedom. That of course being forced sex (which also applies to Stolas, neither of them wanted to do it) and her forced status as a wife and mother. In that light, all the awkwardness and coldness between them makes more sense. And all the more tragic. It doesn’t excuse how she treats Via, who absolutely deserves a good mother-daughter relationship. But it does make sense and if you have any historical frame of reference for women being put through this—you should at least understand it.

…..Of course. This is a generous reading as well because who knows where Vivziepop will go with all this.

[ask-stella-goetia]

“Rheeee she called Octavia “just an egg” and-“

“She made fun of Stolas in bed—“

Y’all she was talking about forced pregnancy and forced birth GET A GRIP—-

[ask-stella-goetia]

In a very important way, I feel bad for both Stolas and Stella. Like of course as a woman in this day and age (with forced birth and reproductive rights being a hot issue) I feel bad for Stella a bit more, but the sex was clearly traumatizing for both of them. it wasn’t consensual, they were both pressured to make an heir, but neither of them are rapists either.

Personally, if I was writing it, I wouldn’t have made them so antagonistic toward each other. They’re both victims in the same boat and have the same common enemy, that being other royals. I probably have gone more so in the lavender marriage direction. Have them bond, mad I don’t mean trauma bond, but actually bond and be each other’s biggest supporters and co-parents.

Because despite my criticisms of Stolas, I love that feathery boi. I have plushies and standees and other merchandise of this man lmao. When I criticize his character, it’s not even really about him. It’s the writer’s choices. It feels like lovable characters with more potential who deserved better.

Disclaimer as always:Of course the show isn’t over and the characters could theoretically go anywhere from here but I’m pessimistic and Vivziepop-critical and uh I know how I feel so.