Alastor, Rosie, and the performance of amatonormativity:
Alastor and Rosie’s relationship fascinates me as someone who is aspec. Like, Alastor is canonically ace and reads as aroace to me. It’s already rare to see asexual representation in fiction, let alone with a character who isn’t just a side/background character, but Alastor’s repression and having yet to explore his sexuality yet and the commentary he presents on amatanormativity in his relationship with Rosie in particular is delectable to me.
Examinations of amatornamativity isn’t really explored explicitly yet alone depicted in the subtext of fictional stories a lot, but it does go hand in hand with heteronormativity, which has been explored in queer culture/stories in the past. That the roles of heteronormative values, of gender roles, of romantic or sexual roles, all intertwined, are understood in queer spaces to be costumes one can take on and off and pick and choose from for their own amusement, purpose or exploration of oneself. You can see this in drag culture in particular in deconstructing the performance of gender (and yeah there’s probably some foiling with Angel Dust to be had here), but my experience as an asexual and talking to other asexuals is about the performance of romance/sex. Having a lack of or experiencing romantic and sexual attraction very differently kind of highlights the absurdity of certain expectations of “performing” such things to achieve what is perceived to be the most fulfilling and desirable relationship, but like a costume or a well rehearsed play, there is a kind of joy in putting on a performance of romantic attraction even though there clearly is none there.
And I see that with Alastor and Rosie and it’s delightful. He comes round in a suit that matches her both in colour and style to her own allusion of Mary Poppins (being her Bert), even though it clashes horribly with the rest of him.
He brings her flowers and chocolates and comes to call on her like he’s courting her, and Rosie responds flirtatiously.
And it’s all pretense. It’s all just a familiar song and dance they’re going through the motions of, and they both know, and no one else is there to witness it, it’s an act that they just both enjoy doing even though they’re not romantically involved. Rosie knows Alastor isn’t interested in romance and I do think it’s key that she’s the one to reveal this aspect of his character in the series itself when it’s something Alastor himself has yet to explore and come to terms with:
“I’m just teasing, I know you’re an ace in the hole”
(she says this after implying Alastor was dating Charlie, insinuating she knows he wouldn’t be interested in dating Charlie because he isn’t interested in dating anyone as an “ace in the hole”, thereby implying he falls on the ace spectrum of those uninterested in romance/dating)
The two of them act like a married couple, the most obvious aspect being there foiling with Lucifer/Lilith and acting like Charlie’s surrogate parents:
Speaking of the Lucilith foiling is the fact that Viv once described their relationship as “behind every great man is an even greater woman” and that rings so true for Alastor and Rosie’s relationship as well. Alastor is introduced as this great and powerful sinner overlord, terrifying and mysterious and clearly having their own nefarious agenda. But it turns out his power is actually from Rosie, and Rosie herself is the one who is more mysterious and powerful, and Alastor’s own agenda is tied to Rosie’s plans, being her pet on a leash.
Them acting out the roles of a married couple also ties into Alastor’s soul being tied to Rosie. A misogynistic term that husbands often refer to their wives is calling them a “ball and chain” that keeps them tied down and limits their freedom. For Alastor, Rosie is quite literally a ball and chain that ties him down, owning his soul, while he is hungry for freedom. The two go through the motions with Rosie playing the role of the “good wife”, sweet and patient, an “honest woman”, with Alastor being in the role of the dirty no-good husband
“Sounds like you, really could do, with a little reminder of who you’re talking to, an honest woman, always there to lend an ear. I’ve dealt with you fairly, been patient, it’s true-”
“Why don’t you help them, you double dealing manipulator?/What’s in it for me?, I don’t work for free, you want help, well you know the fee!”
(which makes me think of them foiling Adam/Eve also, especially if Rosie really is Roo/Eve)
Something I think would be very cool is that when Alastor comes more to terms with his own sexuality in being ace he actually becomes more comfortable being open and loving with his friends/found family in the process. Sort of similar to Charlie and Vaggi with Charlie becoming more outwardly feminine as she embraces her more masculine side, and Vaggi being more outwardly masculine as she embraces her feminine side in the S1 finale (@aspoonofsugar wrote a great meta about this) and the two sides starting to mix and integrate.
Him being bound to Rosie in a “marriage” (only in subtext ofc) of sorts and how this comments on amatonormativity, the pressure that is put on people to be in a long term, romantic and sexual relationship, that being single makes one incomplete and lesser, as well as it being harder to get by in society in general, housing, medical care, finances, job opportunities, all can be affected deeply by whether or not you are single or in a relationship. Regardless if you have friends or found family, these are considered less important types of relationship, and grant less social privileges as such. None of these things affect Alastor in hell of course, but the idea is that being in a certain kind of relationship grants one more social mobility, privilege and power, which very much is relevant for Alastor’s character, who craves power and control over his life, believing it to be a means of freedom, even if it literally comes at the cost of his soul and personal freedom.
The pressure that individuals face to stay in relationships that are unhealthy for fear of being single, is very much here in my eyes with Alastor and Rosie’s relationship. He could outsmart her and break his deal with her, gaining his freedom. We’ve seen him capable of such a thing. Their relationship is clearly one that is abusive and unhealthy. But he does go back to her looking to reinstate their deal. Why? Because without her, he is lesser, he is lacking. Coming to terms with feeling complete as someone who is single, (this manifesting in breaking his deal with Rosie for good I imagine) realizing the power that comes in the friendships you have to be just as powerful and affirming, without strings or transactions, and also more authentic than a farcical enactment of a romantic one, would be an incredibly important character arc to me as an asexual.
