Long post tonight, but we can't talk about Pre-Murder Family Instagram Stolas without talking about his relationship with Valentino.
But first, a quick rundown for anyone new to this blog, or to these characters...
None of the HH/HB Instagram accounts were run by Vivziepop herself.
Both the Instagram accounts and Blitzo's art streams were crossover events in which the Helluva and Hazbin characters would mingle freely, leading to dynamics such as this one.
It's been speculated that the Hazbin accounts were shut down for legal reasons. This is not true, or at least not the sole reason for it. There was friction between the players and Viv that we will not be going into here.
The Instagram Vees, like Instagram Stolas, were profoundly different characters from the ones who would eventually come to be canon. Instagram Valentino, in addition to abusing and raping Angel Dust, was an animal abuser who routinely used his lover, Vox, as a punching bag.
Instagram Stolas was generous, respectful, and incredibly mindful of Blitzo's consent. There was no full moon deal at this time; Stolas simply allowed Blitzo to use the grimoire at his leisure, his only caveat that Blitzo be responsible with it. When they spent time together, sexually or otherwise, it was purely because they both wanted to.
All of that being said? It should come as little surprise that Stolas despised Valentino. Loathed him, detested him, referred to him as a rat and never missed an opportunity to throw shade at him. The feeling was very mutual, and their interactions were so venomously entertaining that even Vox and Velvette were having a good time.
It can't be stressed enough that Instagram Stolas behaved this way with absolutely nobody else, not even Vox and Velvette, suggesting to both that they could do and deserved better. Instagram Stolas was slow to anger, quick to forgive, and full of good-natured affection for just about everyone he came into contact with, not just Blitzo. The only other time he ever came close to being this disgusted by someone was when a commenter suggested he take advantage of a drunk Blitzo. Here, Stolas pulls no punches, gets Valentino by the throat and throws him around, and he's very good at it. He's classy, sharp, witty, exposing Valentino for the stupid, crass bully he is. He's a prince, knows it, and carries himself like one.
A punk like Valentino who mistreated others, but especially the people he's sleeping with? That was something Stolas couldn't and wouldn't stand.
(There's a blink and you miss it moment where Valentino refers to Stolas as a lonely, thirsty old man, the only time Valentino appears to hit a nerve. One might easily brush this off as a random insult, but Stolas as a character Blitzo's age was actually a very last minute -- arguably too last minute -- plot development that came after Vivzie saw a piece of fanart of the two as children. Instagram Stolas, like canon Stolas at this point, was a lonely older man.)
The last exchange here was posted on October 31, 2020, the day that Murder Family aired. After that, Stolas's characterization on the Instagrams was retconned to align with the character seen in that episode...the one who had no qualms with taking advantage of Blitzo's life being in danger to coerce a sexual bargain out of him. Therefore, it could be said that that reply marked one of the last times this Stolas, the Stolas this blog is about, would appear before his permanent transformation into a character that's often compared to Valentino, and who Instagram Stolas would have undoubtedly loathed.
At a time when Stolas's most defining trait was his patience, his unfailingly warmth and kindness towards everyone around him, and his respectfulness toward his sexual partner, it speaks volumes to his character that Valentino was the only person in the world he truly hated.
