Alastor should fuck Vox while simultaneously biting off and swallowing chunks of his flesh, and they should both enjoy this depravity to an abnormal degree
Okay I'm sorry but i just hate being aromantic. I hate how i can't reciprocate in a relationship. I want to make a person happy and I feel sympathy towards them, i want to buy them gifts and give them pleasure and all, but that's all kind of... dull??? I don't FEEL anything??? I don't feel butterflies, or excitement, or miss them, it's just too normal for it to be love. I hate this. I can't be a normal partner and i feel broken. I broke up with so many people because i tried and i tried every time but i just don't want them to waste their time on me while i can't LOVE them back. I "love" them so i want them to find someone better, someone who functions properly. I hate myself for not being able to do such a simple thing as falling in love. I'm not even a teen, a bunch of time had flew by and i still never experienced a crush. And yeah, i have other stuff to do, obviously, i love my art and my hobbies, and working on myself, but i...i WANT a relationship. I can't help but want it and want to make my dearest people happy by being a great partner for them, and i don't want to be alone. And i know i can pull someone if i want, they were never the problem. I was the problem. I still am the problem, i just.. can't. I can't do this simple thing i hate how hollow my heart feels, why is my love so colorless.
I tried to gaslight myself into loving, i really tried, i did everything and sometimes it almost felt like I'm succeeding, but i think at this point it's obvious I'm aromantic and nothing could be worse, i feel like a heartless monster, like a liar, and like I'm broken. This sucks.
I only recently began to realize how i always tend to pretend/gaslight myself into believing I'm having a crush.
I don't *really* want to look at this person all the time. There's no "i can't help but stare" urge. Yes, they're pretty, i appreciate their beauty, but my gaze doesn't return to them relentlessly. But... it's supposed to..? So i stare. My eyes "accidentally" slip to their chest or other "juicy parts" because that's how it's done, I'm supposed to be interested in this. So i sit there like an idiot and keep reminding myself to not look away.
I don't *really* want to hold hands 24/7. I don't have this urge to be inseparable. I'm fine with walking just alongside them and not touching, sitting nearby without leaning, sleeping in a different bed. It feels fine, i don't even think about it. But I'm supposed to think about it, right? I'm supposed to be a little clingy, I'm supposed to be missing my favourite person's presence, dreading the thought of lacking it. So...i try and make myself think about it, "want it", pretend to be exited and comforted by this whole stuff. It doesn't hurt, no. It feels fine. But not doing it feels just as fine. It shouldn't be like this.
I would remind myself to message them every day to say something like "i miss u" or "i just thought about you!" and reminding them that i love them, of how they're the fairest of the fair. And these aren't really.. lies... right? I do love them. But i do lie about missing. I exaggerate about how i adore their appearance. I only message them often because it's what a proper partner should do to make the other happy. So i do that.
People have their stomachs churn and their knees shake when their crush is nearby. So i force my legs to tremble a little, and hope it's convincing. My stomach does churn though. But it's from fear of doing or saying something wrong. These are not butterflies, this is just something nasty.
People usually want to kiss their partner. I only wanted kisses when it was a new, foreign concept. But now I'm mostly just pretending to want it. And i pretend to be oh so passionate and bold, just in case!
People want to touch, squeeze, smell, embrace, grab, caress - they feel something physically from their crush's presence. I'll do the same. Without understanding why and how do i make it seem natural, i feel mostly nothing, no chills or heat, but i mean... i can always pretend, and.. well. At least they look happy.
People want intimacy and they enjoy it thoroughly. When my partner wants it, i comply. But I don't even undress. I don't feel the room is 'hot' anyway. I don't hate this, I'm not repulsed, no no, i love them so I'll do it. But it's just..fine. it's okay. It's "whatever". I don't understand why would my partner make "these sounds". I almost really believed 18+ films made these up. Because I never make these noises. But I guess I'm not that bad of an actor at this point. Aren't I.
I feel like a fraud. But I just really want to believe all this is real and sincere.
Okay I'm sorry but i just hate being aromantic. I hate how i can't reciprocate in a relationship. I want to make a person happy and I feel sympathy towards them, i want to buy them gifts and give them pleasure and all, but that's all kind of... dull??? I don't FEEL anything??? I don't feel butterflies, or excitement, or miss them, it's just too normal for it to be love. I hate this. I can't be a normal partner and i feel broken. I broke up with so many people because i tried and i tried every time but i just don't want them to waste their time on me while i can't LOVE them back. I "love" them so i want them to find someone better, someone who functions properly. I hate myself for not being able to do such a simple thing as falling in love. I'm not even a teen, a bunch of time had flew by and i still never experienced a crush. And yeah, i have other stuff to do, obviously, i love my art and my hobbies, and working on myself, but i...i WANT a relationship. I can't help but want it and want to make my dearest people happy by being a great partner for them, and i don't want to be alone. And i know i can pull someone if i want, they were never the problem. I was the problem. I still am the problem, i just.. can't. I can't do this simple thing i hate how hollow my heart feels, why is my love so colorless.
I tried to gaslight myself into loving, i really tried, i did everything and sometimes it almost felt like I'm succeeding, but i think at this point it's obvious I'm aromantic and nothing could be worse, i feel like a heartless monster, like a liar, and like I'm broken. This sucks.
something that i've been really enjoying about writing radiostatic recently is that they're both monsters in opposite directions. alastor is scary like a nightmare, like a bogeyman, grand and eldritch in scale in a way that alarms the animal hindbrain. but on a personal level, when he's in a good mood, he... seems kind of toothless, actually. what makes him really threatening is his mythos, not his human personality, which can be as meanspirited and cruel and manipulative as any other regualar person, but for the most part is just disarmingly eccentric. you're wary of what he can do but you're still willing to approach him.
on the other hand, though, vox is scary in ways that are viscerally human—he's your shitty boss, your abusive ex, your neglectful parents. he manipulates and gaslights and warps reality for his own gain and he does it with a smile and an insistence that it's for your own good, and you'll believe it. he doesn't have a terrifying reputation because he doesn't want one; it would honestly just impede what already works for him. the contrast is hilarious to me personally because i've found that my readers tend to be less on edge about alastor's serial killing and more alarmed about vox being a classic lying piece of shit and i find that delightfully funny
So here is that massive Vox post I promised, a day late for...reasons. I swear I have been working on this post for days, even before that StaticMoth discourse influx in my inbox.
After making my post about Vox and Angel and reading @deeply-unserious-fellow's post about a similar topic, I thought it might be finally time to make this post. Most people who have seen my content know how I typically portray StaticMoth. I have mixed feelings about Valentino at the best of times and outright dislike him at the worst. But frankly this post isn't actually about him (well, mostly). It's about Vox and why I am really hoping that Viv keeps the angle of Vox being an abuse victim.
TW for domestic abuse, physical violence, implied sexual abuse, abusive relationships, gaslighting/victim-blaming, and other canon-typical triggers. Contain abusive StaticMoth.
Honestly? The primary reason I hope she keeps it is because it would make him an even more complex character and bring attention to a criminally underrepresented group: abuse victims who are also bad people.
As pointed out in the post I tagged above, the world has become obsessed with this idea of a "palatable" victim, the poor suffering cinnamon roll. An abuse victim is expected to look like a victim. You're supposed to instantly feel sorry for them and want to protect them...but that's not so easy when the victim is someone who also hurts people, is it? It's not so easy to pretend they didn't do bad things too...but they are still a victim. That does not change just because they are a bad person. And thus it becomes complicated and interesting. Because it's not so easy to root for the victim when they're also victimizing others, especially when those others are people we care about...like Angel Dust. At the bare minimum, Vox is doing nothing to stop Valentino from abusing Angel or any of his other employees. Having Vox be a victim of the same abuse that Angel Dust suffers (at the hands of the same abuser no less) and yet also being someone who enables Angel's abuse creates a very complicated situation.
In a most media, the discovery of a mean/bad person being abused is frequently portrayed in a "well, they were abused so you can't be mad at them anymore" kind of light. Like "see? They're just an asshole because they were being abused! Now that we know, they're suddenly a good person!" Except that's not how it works. Someone can be a bad person and also be a victim. And even if them being an asshole was the result of their abuse, those behaviors and the consequences of those behaviors don't just vanish. They still hurt people and frankly I would riot if it came out that Vox was being abused by Valentino and then everyone in the show just up and forgave him for being an asshole. Like...no? He would still need to make up for his own shit and actually work towards being a better person. I like this character because he's an unapologetic asshole. If making him a victim takes that away, then that would be such a missed opportunity.
In fact, one thing I find interesting is that I definitely believe that Vox would have no problem admitting to being a bad person, but would rather fight an exorcist alone than admit to being a victim. His ego won't allow for it. He would probably laugh in your face and call you delusional while literally having a broken screen. Because he can't admit it, even to himself. He would see it as a sign of weakness and that's not acceptable to him (side note that being a victim does not make you weak, that's just what Vox's toxic mindset tells him). While I am fairly certain that he would have moved on from most 1950s mindsets since he is all about the future and progress and moving forward, toxic masculinity is still very much a thing today and I can definitely see him embodying it in some aspects, like needing to appear strong and in control at all times (and Hell's power hierarchy definitely encourages this mindset, so...). Fuck, even now in fucking 2024, men still have a hard time being taken seriously as the victims of abuse. Unless of course you fit a certain mold.
Angel Dust is the perfect example of this. He is a palatable male victim. He's effeminate, he's funny, he's friendly, he's caring, and we actively see him miserable in his suffering. Despite being in Hell just like the rest of them and having been a former mafia member and clearly able to stand on his own two feet it combat, his victimhood is constantly on display and the audience wants to protect and save him. On the opposite end, Vox is shown in a position of power that is constantly reinforced. He's an Overlord, he's manipulative, he's cruel, he's greedy, and he enables abusive behavior from others. He is not a palatable victim, which is why it's perfect.
Now let's get into what I believe is the actual evidence that this dynamic could still be present.
Something I see people commonly say is that Vox being abused by Valentino doesn't make sense because why wouldn't Vox just fight back? He could just shock Valentino into next Tuesday? And to these people I kindly say fuck you. Because while physical strength can be a factor in abuse, it is very rarely the thing that keeps the victim from leaving. Abuse, even when physical, is heavily psychological. It's like telling a victim "well, why didn't you just leave?" It's not that easy. Abusers tend to target those with low self-esteem and it's made pretty clear that Vox is a very insecure person (I feel the need to point out that having an ego and having high self-esteem are not the same thing, in fact having a big ego is typically a side effect of very low self-esteem). It's entirely possible that Vox makes the conscious decision not to fight back because he's afraid of what will happen if he does. He's afraid Valentino will leave. We know Valentino is just as mentally and emotionally abusive to those around him as he is physically abusive and we have actively witnessed him playing into Vox's insecurities and mentally messing with him (specifically in the events leading up to "Stayed Gone").
So let's talk about the scene leading up to "Stayed Gone," because I also see Vox's behavior towards Valentino here used as justification for why it's not possible for Valentino to be abusing Vox. Full disclosure, I myself in the past have even thought that it demonstrated them being mutually abusive towards each other, but have since changed my opinion after reading more takes and doing further analysis. Having rewatched this scene many times now, I have some observations.
There's a small moment that always caught my attention when I watched this scene because I wasn't sure what it meant, but looking at it in the context of this post, I think I can see a possibility. When Vox goes to see Valentino, he approaches the doors and they are opened for him by Valentino's servants. Vox pauses in the doorway, glances at them, then continues on inside.
What was the point of this moment? It seems out of place. Surely Vox has gone to Valentino's room before? Surely this door opening thing isn't new? And looking at Vox's face here, he looks...concerned? Like...they might hear what goes on inside? And he maintains that expression even as he enters the room, like he doesn't like that those two are out there and might hear them.
It also makes the entire situation feel so routine. Like Valentino is upset and these girls just expect Vox to show up and take care of it. And the scenes prior to this also sets it up as a normal occurrence. Vox rearranges his entire schedule to deal with Valentino, like he absolutely expects this situation could take up the rest of his day. And Valentino clearly doesn't listen to Velvette in this regard as she had to call Vox to come deal with Valentino despite him wrecking her department. Her comment even further establishes this as normal when she tells Vox that Valentino is "up in his tower, waiting for a flat-faced prince to calm him down." And when Vox arrives? "FUCKING FINALLY!" All of this sets up a standard situation: when Valentino is upset, it is Vox's job to calm him down and make him feel better. Valentino is a full grown adult and yet he has made it someone else's problem to manage his emotions.
Then of course we have the classic moment of Valentino literally throwing his glass at Vox only seconds after Vox has arrived. And this has to have been a conscious decision, because right before that, he throws his first glass on the ground before demanding another. So if he wanted to just break something, he didn't need to throw it at Vox, but he did. And I definitely don't think he cared if Vox got out of the way or not. But how easily Vox moves aside tells us that he fully expected to have things thrown at him and was ready for it. Now, I do believe that Valentino would throw shit at literally anyone when he is mad, but the key here is that Vox, his supposed friend, on-and-off lover, and business partner, is not exempt from this behavior. He even breaks Vox's phone when he realizes Vox is not paying attention to him. He has no qualms breaking Vox's property just to soothe his rage (I would also like to point out that he fucking obliterated that thing; just how hard did he fucking throw it?!).
Something in this scene that did initially throw me as I was writing this is that Vox doesn't seem particularly afraid of Valentino. Not the way we see Angel is when Valentino gets angry. We also see him actively get angry with Valentino, get in his face, and manipulate him. In the past, I believed this behavior from Vox to have established their relationship as mutually abusive. However, after reading yet another post from @deeply-unserious-fellow, I realized that everything Vox does here is only in direct response to Valentino's tantrum.
So let's go through some things here. When Vox initially tries to tell Valentino he can't go to the hotel, Valentino straight up ignores him. Does not respond to Vox's words, completely carries on like he didn't even speak. From this point on, Vox takes an entirely different approach to the situation. He manipulates Valentino into thinking that not shooting up the hotel is his idea and even offers further appeasement in the form of shooting his own employees as a method to satisfy Valentino's temper. I admit to initially viewing this as Vox being abusive, but frankly, when your options are being manipulative or letting your business partner go shoot up a hotel that houses the literal Princess of Hell, yeah, I'd take the manipulation route. Because, as I pointed out above, Vox cannot actually control Valentino. He tries to give him an order and is completely ignored. And even when he does successfully manipulate him, he still has to appease him in some capacity.
Now, there's also something here that is often played for shits and giggles, but I'm taking it 100% seriously right now. Many people point out that Vox's screen gets brighter when he gets in Valentino's face. Valentino is a moth demon and after Vox does this, he seems to be dazed for a moment, enough for Vox to rapidly switch back into manipulator mode and does his thing. It seems to have snapped Valentino out of his rage and I literally can't help but think that Vox has learned this as a defense mechanism. Valentino can't see very well, so it's very likely Vox's hypnotism doesn't work on him, so Vox had to find other ways of manipulating him and calming him down when he's in one of his rages.
Something I also want to point out is that it is made very clear through a single solitary moment that Valentino is in no way afraid of Vox. When he tells Vox about Alastor, Vox screams in his face, manhandles him, and Valentino just...pushes him off and saunters away, grinning like the cat that caught the canary. He doesn't even look upset or concerned when Vox grabs him. He just...laughs it off...like he knows Vox won't actually hurt him. Because I genuinely think Vox won't. Later in the episode, we hear Valentino's voicemails to Angel Dust and how he's emotionally manipulating him, telling him he can't really get better. I wouldn't be surprised to find that he's given Vox a similar treatment, especially considering that it's obvious Valentino knew what kind of reaction he would get out of Vox by bringing up Alastor. And sure, he brushes it off with a kink joke, but in all seriousness, why did Valentino keep Alastor's return from Vox? We know Angel has been at the hotel for a little while and Alastor has been involved with it as of a week prior to the beginning of season 1, so why suddenly bring it up? It's almost like he was specifically holding onto this information, waiting for the perfect time to use it that would be the most beneficial to him.
There's also another little scene that always caught my attention. It's when Valentino is getting pissed about the shadow construct that Angel Dust is flirting with.
Valentino starts getting pissy again, demands Vox's attention, gets annoyed when he doesn't get it, then immediately switches to mocking and confident when Vox starts bitching about Alastor. Like...he's so fucking proud of himself for getting Vox all worked up over Alastor. Like it's some kind of game for him. Riling Vox up and messing with his emotions is fun for Valentino. Alastor dredges up some real shit for Vox and Valentino exploits it. And from here on, he just keeps egging him on. Now, I'm pretty sure "Stayed Gone" would have happened with or without Valentino, but the point here is that he is definitely playing with Vox's emotions here.
As for the not being afraid aspect, again, Valentino hasn't actually threatened him with something that truly scares him. I don't think he's afraid of what Valentino could physically do to him. It's more likely to make him mad than anything else, even if he doesn't fight back (he'll probably go take out his anger on someone else). The thing about Vox is that we see that he does not like to appear weak in any capacity and I think this extends well into his own psyche. If he admits, even to himself, that he's a victim...to him, that's admitting weakness and he just can't do that. So Valentino's not abusing him, they just had a fight. He didn't hit back because he's in control of himself and he knows he could totally toast Valentino. It's Vox's own fault for pushing his buttons when he knew Valentino was mad. It wasn't rape cause he never said "no".
TLDR: Vox can be both an asshole and an abuse victim and it would be a really interesting aspect to his character as long as the show does it right and doesn't scrap his assholeness to make him a more palatable victim. Show him being a victim and also victimizing others. Show him not wanting to accept that he has been abused. LET PEOPLE BE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH FEELING SORRY FOR HIM.
(that's all for now, I have literally been working on this post for days and I'm exhausted)
Just a random thought about how Alastor and Vox must’ve been really good friends before everything fell apart. Because Alastor knows how to make a video ad, he knows how to set things up for a movie/video shoot, things that had nothing to do with his medium, that he probably learned how to do because of Vox, because he was willing to try and learn from or for Vox. And Vox literally welcomes Alastor back home when he finds out he’s returned, has literally counted the years Alastor’s been missing when no one else seemed to know, and fashioned his clothing style to match Alastor’s (assuming it’s not just a case of everyone gets a pinstripe suit!), uses the same techniques Alastor taught Charlie about how smiling can be a tool to keep you ahead of the game.
And how it all fell apart and it wasn’t just Vox that was hurt in the process. Because you can’t tell me the man who hates TVs and modern tech due to its association with Vox doesn’t feel anything for what friendship they had and lost. Who snarls at the mere sight of him on a screen (admittedly while also dissing Alastor), who went straight back to his radio tower to diss Vox right back (and absolutely crush him lol), before threatening him against taking action, privately, twice. Alastor’s just better at hiding how much it’s affected him, and doesn’t let the bitterness of what used to be consume his every waking thought.
And maybe that’s the difference between how they view their old relationship and how the fandom seems to view it. Alastor’s upset about it, sure. He’s bitter now about Vox and everything Vox represents because he’s a past friendship that failed, but he’s also moved on with his life. Vox hasn’t. Vox still obsesses over Alastor, in the way he dresses, the way he talks, how he presents himself. It’s all reminiscent of Alastor. And when he finds out Alastor’s returned, the first thing he does is draw attention to how Alastor’s back! Talk in a roundabout way about how much he’s missed him! Has wondered where he’s been? Sends a spy into the hotel to, well, spy on Alastor! And when that doesn’t work, Vox continues to stalk Alastor through his drones instead. (And then gets off on seeing Alastor get beat up.)
Vox very much has not moved on from whatever friendship they’d had before. He hasn’t moved on from Alastor. (Or from his heavily implied obsessive crush).
We don’t know what happened between them, aside that it’s complicated and sad, that they were friends, and now they’re very much not, and that maybe part of the reason why is because Alastor rejected Vox’s request to join his team (upend his entire life to partner with Vox, assuming Alastor always worked solo and what the Vees currently have is what Vox had wanted with Alastor with his request). We can assume maybe part of why they fell apart was because Vox wanted something more from his relationship with Alastor, something Alastor could not and did not want to give him. Or maybe they just grew apart, grew distant. Vox constantly upgrading and changing and keeping up with the newest trends, chasing whatever new Thing that’ll keep him relevant, while Alastor remained set in his ways because he’s not looking for the approval of the masses.
Anyways, all this to say: when I, and I assume most other OneWayBroadcast fans talk about one-sided radiostatic, it is specifically about how Vox has a one-sided romantic/sexual attraction/crush on Alastor, that Alastor does not return, that has now turned into a one-sided obsession over Alastor. Not that their entire friendship was completely one-sided. I think saying that Vox was the only one who was ever invested in their relationship is a rather bad faith interpretation of Alastor’s character, but also does not do their relationship justice at all. It minimizes Vox’s responsibility in the fallout of their friendship, and puts the blame only on Alastor. It takes away all the juicy complexities of Vox’s character, how he’s bad person who’s done and is doing bad things, and paints him as an innocent victim to “Alastor’s manipulation”.
That’s not to say Alastor was completely innocent in the fallout either. But I hear a lot more about how the fandom woobifies Vox in their relationship than I do Alastor.
Welcome to my Radiostatic/Voxal Fic Rec List! ^_^ This will include romantic, platonic, and/or queerplatonic Radiostatic fics (and admittedly probably a couple of Radiosilence fics, too).
I will keep updating this periodically as I read more fics, so feel free to check back every once and a while! I'll reblog it when I update it, plus make a note with the date at the top. Trust me, this is by no means a complete list; there's fics I still want to add to this that I just haven't gotten to yet. I just decided to go ahead and post it anyways, because if I kept waiting until I ran out of fics to rec I'd probably be working on this forever.
These are not in any particular order; I'm going by both my Bookmarks list on AO3 and my memory of fics I forgot to bookmark. I also tried to make notes on what fics were written before season 1 released, but I might have missed some, so keep that in mind.
Please let me know if any links don't work or are wrong!
✨Before you proceed:✨ read the tags on these fics if you decide to read them. Many of them have heavy material - no surprise given the fandom, but still, felt like this needed said. On that note, there's also fics with explicit material and some fics are straight up PWP. Again, read at your own risk/heed the tags.
Fic Rec List Masterpost
Staticmoth Fic Rec List
Misc. Vox Fic Rec List
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Radio Healed the Video Star by Aspiring_Forest_Witch
Summary: Alastor comes across an unconscious and battered Vox while out on one of his strolls. He feels compelled to bring him back to the hotel.
Notes: 98% of this fic was written before season 1 was released, so keep that in mind, because there's obviously going to be inconsistencies with canon. It's nearly finished (at least according to the author's notes in the latest chapters, I think). I suggest pacing yourself with this one - it's nearly 700k words long. I ruined a good sleep schedule staying up to get through it. (So worth it though.) There are quite a few OCs in later chapters, but they're such good OCs. You fall in love with them just as much as the canon characters, I swear. I would die for Verity and the Trio.
Let's Misbehave by joosymango
Summary: Alastor wins a bet against Vox, now his rival must stop pestering him for two weeks. It should be a pleasant break! So why does he miss the idiot?
Notes: Vaguely inspired by Aspiring_Forest_Witch's Radio Healed the Video Star. Also largely written before season 1 release. First fic I read for the HH fandom. ^_^
Safe with Me Series by rillo (rillyrillo)
Summary: Having only ever set his sights on men who treat women with odious disrespect, Alastor never thought he'd take interest in Vox's turbulent relationship with his fiancé and business partner, Valentino. He decides to lend a helping hand in the hopes of getting Vox out of his sticky situation. After all, what are childhood enemies for?
Unfortunately, neither Alastor nor Vox could've predicted the rollercoaster of unsaid emotions and future horrors that are thrown their way. Will they be able to rely on each other and get by unscathed? Or will destiny have other plans for these two?
[HUMAN AU] [There's art included for the human designs]
Notes: It's so, so good. ;-; Heed the tags. There's a prequel consisting of oneshots, plus a sequel (listed below, bc I can't not put it here)! And there's ART! So much art!
You, My Everything by rillo (rillyrillo)
Summary: Some say that love can conquer all, even in Hell.
Vox begged to differ, and he was damn well sure Alastor did too – or at least he would be, if Alastor hadn’t become one big question mark.
Sequel to Safe with Me.
Notes: Only read if you've read Safe With Me!!! Still pretty early in the story but so good. ;-; The angst, I swear...
You're on the Air by rillo (rillyrillo)
Summary: A series of short, daily conversations between a radio host and his avid listener, as the two learn more about each other’s lives over the air.
Set in the late 90s/early 2000s.
Notes: Same author as Safe with Me, but not set in the same universe! This one is set up in a literal radio show format; almost entirely dialogue-centric.
Of Candied Pine and Cherried Smoke by rillo (rillyrillo)
Summary: Inspired by x_Arcticfox_x’s fanfiction: Blue Raspberries And Cherry Cola
After overdosing on them one too many times to curb the steadily weakening suppressants, Vox's body rejects them outright. Now with his scent getting stronger, he finds himself struggling to hide his true status as an Omega. In his desperation, he seeks help from the one person that knows his secret: Alastor.
Notes: Omegaverse. Same author as Safe with Me series and You're on the Air!
Blue Raspberries And Cherry Cola by x_Arcticfox_x
Summary: Vox is an omega, that's his biggest secret.
During his life time he hid this fact using suppressants, and counited to in death. One day he runs out of pills and his supplier is out of stock for the time being so Vox is forced to submit to the torture of going through heat for the first time in decades.
Too bad his business partner only see's omega's as mere object's...
But hey, at least Angel found him just in time, right?
Notes: Omegaverse. Currently on hold, but has 14 chapters currently available for reading. :)
Once Bitten, Twice Shy by The_Penny_Tails
Summary: Alastor decides that it's time to claim what is rightfully his, consequences be damned.
Notes: It's not porn but it might as well have been for how fucking intense this scene was. 😳
Dripping Pink by The_Penny_Tails
Summary: Just before an Overlord meeting, Alastor gets infected by an off-market, highly potent, and incredibly dangerous love potion. Nobody realises until it's too late.
Notes: Simultaneously funny as fuck and erotic as all hell. I suffered from so much secondhand embarrassment on Vox's behalf. It's wonderful. :D
Lucidity's Fog by The_Penny_Tails
Summary: Ever since he met Alastor, Vox has been having raunchy dreams about the deer. Those dreams suddenly stop when Alastor disappears. For seven years, he's free of the guilt, of the shame brought on by his unconscious desire.
Until Alastor comes back, and Vox is plagued by a new dream the same day he finds out about the news. This time, however, something is distinctively different about how the deer is acting.
Notes: Author tagged for light angst, but ngl the ending did not feel like 'light' angst to me lol. Hurt in a good way.
Finger Tips and Dotted Lips by The_Penny_Tails
Summary: Alastor has sensitive hands; he finds this out at the most inconvenient time possible. Unfortunately, Vox is the one who ends up paying the price for it.
Having to help a seemingly broken Overlord whilst navigating this new discovery proves to be a little more taxing than the Radio Demon could ever have imagined.
Notes: Alastor is such a troll in this omg.
Thawing Out by Seaside_Dreaming
Summary: Seeing a small crack in Vox's screen nags at Alastor more than he likes to admit.
Vox wishes things were better. Sooner or later, Alastor has to come to terms with the fact he has feelings, in general.
Notes: Written before season 1 release. HIGHLY suggest reading the prequel one-shot. It's not necessary to understand the plot here, but you should read it anyway.
Static by passthevoxcord
Summary: Vox creates a new and improved version of himself to please Val, only to be replaced by it. He is left beaten and broken with no one to turn to . . . except maybe his oldest enemy, Alastor.
Notes: Written before season 1 release.
Hating you feels so good by TwoBitJester
Summary: Vox obsesses over his returned enemy and finds himself a little too wound up
Notes: Very good PWP.
Laced Over Dinner by hazbinhearts
Summary: Vox is persuaded to dress a little differently over dinner for Alastor, but finds it remarkably uncomfortable as the night goes on. Written for VoxWeek21 Day 3: dressing up [appearance, formal, dance].
Notes: Written before season 1 release. Corsets. 😳
Observer by DeviousPossum
Summary: He moved the cursor to click off, when he suddenly heard a very recognizable static laced tone.
Alastor.
Alastor.
What the fuck. Alastor is singing.
Vox unintentionally ran claw marks across his desk, an increasingly common habit for him as of late. He grimaced at his now ruined table and unsuccessfully tried to reel in an inexplicable feeling that could only be described as jealousy.
Notes: Porn with a tiny bit of plot in the first chapter. :3
RadioTV Week 2021 Series by Heliosolar
Summary: Pretty much the title; various prompts.
Notes: Written before season 1 release. All worth reading, though they aren't connected.
Sharkblocking by Anonymous
Summary: Alastor is Vox’s number one rival. Incidentally, though nobody involved is aware of it, Alastor’s number one rival is actually Vox’s pet shark.
In which Alastor is actually a little obsessed back and Vark is the biggest obstacle to Radiostatic short of canon itself.
Notes: VARK!
Control + V by TooManyPsuedonyms
Summary: Vox and Alastor have a... thing. Not quite a relationship, but something. Vox is too scared to define it properly, and Alastor is dead set that Vox will eventually get bored of his lack of reciprocity and move on.
So, Valentino tries to show Vox what he is missing.
... too bad Vox didn't want him like that.
... too bad Alastor didn't know want is a vague word.
Notes: Heed the tags!!! There's currently a sequel; I haven't read it yet, but I definitely plan to. 👀
gift of the magi by vol_ctrl
Summary: "... Although husband and wife are now left with gifts that neither one can use, they realize how far they are willing to go to show their love for each other, and how priceless their love really is ..."
Alastor/Vox established relationship fluff.
Notes: Written before season 1 release. Very sweet. ^_^
the lost tape by vol_ctrl
Summary: There's a NEW ambitious media demon in Pentagram City. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, right?
Notes: Written before season 1 release.
12 Days of Yuletide by vol_ctrl
Summary: A parody of the 12 Days of Christmas traditional tune, as can only be done by Vox gifting to his beloved adversary.
Or, a series of letters from the desk of Alastor upon receiving a series of increasingly elaborate gifts from his insufferably modern foil during the holiday season.
Notes: Written before season 1 release.
Fear makes the heart grow fonder by Graysongirl
Summary: After a bit of inspiration from an unlikely source Vox comes up with the plan that scaring Alastor is the best route to gaining his affections. The haunted house at LuLu World seems like the perfect (safe) environment for a bit of pre-planned scaring...
[Stand-alone staticradio]
Notes: Written before season 1 release. Funny af. "Red! Red!" XD
Cordyceps, King of Ants by spappest
Summary: Vox is tired. Of Valentino. Of Velvette. Of Alastor, and Hell, and everything in between. He can't escape, but he can cut himself off, piece by piece, until he feels nothing at all. Alastor takes exception to this approach and commissions a certain princess of Hell to fix his foe. Now Vox has a hotel of misfits on one side of him, overlords on the other, and Alastor crushing his cage ever smaller.
Clearly, the only way Vox will get any peace and quiet is to just kill God.
Valentino did always tell him that he had no chill.
Notes: Started before season 1 was released. Technically features Staticmoth but it's not the focus as much as Radiostatic (which honestly has a relationship status of ??? not romantic but also not friendship or even strictly enemies...just...Alastor and Vox). O_O I think about this fic on a daily basis.
Russian Roulette by spappest
Summary: Vox and Alastor play a game that Vox is way too excited to lose.
Notes: Started before season 1 release. Take note!!! I'm putting this on the Radiostatic list because it's almost entirely centered on Alastor and Vox's dynamic, but the romantic relationship is Staticmoth. The Staticmoth is just not featured very much.
Vox and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Afterlife by spappest
Summary: Alastor goes into rut.
Vox has a bad time. Then a good time. Then a very bad time. Then a brief vacation. Then a confusing time.
Notes: Background Staticmoth, but Radiostatic is most prominent. Funny af. Alastor and Vox have...a very special relationship. Lol.
Killer Ex by FanGirl48
Summary: Alastor was a serial killer who valued his privacy. So when someone who claims to know what he is tries to barge into his life he can't let them live, his secret must be protected at all cost.
A normally easy task easy task becomes complicated when Alastor's ex-boyfriend is dragged into the whole thing forcing the serial killer to go visit them for the first time in seven years.
Notes: Human AU. Love me some possessive Alastor. <3
Negotiations by FanGirl48
Summary: Vox had no interest in attending a meeting between Heaven and Hell following the failed attack by the Adam and his Exterminators. Alastor's little gremlin caused the mess, so he can go clean it up. Vox had nothing wanted nothing to do with the radio demon, king of hell or heaven.
But that was before Lucifer made the media overlord aware of Valentino's little job offer to his daughter.
Damnit Valentino!
Notes: "And they were roommates!" "Oh my god they were roommates"
Down, Up, and Back Down by CowboyEnthusiast
Summary: Vox dies. Surprisingly no one takes this well.
Or, Vox dies and Alastor tries to drag his soul back from Purgatory.
Notes: Another fic I think about daily... Heavy themes. Heed the tags.
Hold Me Like a Grudge by Rachello344
Summary: Alastor has spent a long time running from Vox. Vox has chased after him almost as long. When suppressants fail throughout the city, they finally collide.
Notes: Omegaverse. Fun fact about this author: all their Radiostatic fic titles are from Fall Out Boy lyrics lol. (I fucking love FOB sue me.) I haven't yet read all of Rachello344's Radiostatic fics, BUT I have them all on my To Read list because I've loved everything I've read of theirs so far lol.
What Makes You So Special? by Rachello344
Summary: With Lucifer’s return to the Pride Ring, the other Deadly Sins were bound to take notice. When Asmodeus stops by the Pride Ring to visit the Morningstars, the Vees are able to make a deal to host a pop-up shop of the incredibly popular Lust Ring establishment, Ozzie’s, bringing it to the Pride Ring for the first time.
When Vox and Alastor both attend the restaurant’s opening night, long repressed sparks fly, forever changing their relationship.
Notes: Because of the pacing of this (sex first romance later), I feel like this is the Radiostatic equivalent of Femalefonzie's Freak-A-Zoid (a really good Staticmoth fic). This is hands down one of the most romantic Radiostatic fics I've read. ^_^
Hold Me Tight (or Don't) by Rachello344
Summary: Alastor and Vox finally come to an understanding, both of each other and of what they each mean to the other. Their relationship evolves accordingly, one concession at a time, until they both get everything they could possibly want: power, companionship, and even love.
Notes: So, so good.
Keep You Like an Oath by Rachello344
Summary: Alastor normally wouldn’t bother with the chore—breaking into V Tower was quite a lot of work, even for him—but he found himself curious about what Vox and his little friends might be working on. Especially since whatever it was had Angel concerned enough to report back to the rest of the hotel about it.
Of course, before he can learn anything, he’ll need to sneak past Vox’s watchful eye…
Notes: God it's just...so good. Read it. Radiostatic reconciliation. One thing I love about Rachello344 writing Radiostatic is Alastor's terms of endearment for Vox. ^_^
To Be Yours by pinegreenapples
Summary: Alastor hears something he hasn't heard in years. He decides to investigate why now, of all times, this frequency has turned back on. Vox is not amused.
Notes: Hurt no comfort. Hurts so good, though. ;-;
oleanders in june by spoondrifts
Summary: It seems like while Alastor was off preying on the self-destructive addictions of desperate sinners, Vox was off getting himself beaten half to death, probably from spouting belligerent nonsense at someone with violent tendencies and a far lower threshold for disrespect than Alastor. Not everyone finds poor Vox’s chatter as charming as he does.
If Vox is unconscious, then Vox is not being entertaining, and Alastor came here to have fun, not play nursemaid.
Or: Drunk on power and itching to cause some mayhem, Alastor hunts down the only person in the city who's always up for anything. Unfortunately, he finds Vox... not exactly in tip-top shape. No matter; he can work with that too.
Notes: ^_^ Very sweet.
equilibrium by curtailed
Summary: Post-Finale. The Hotel finds Alastor right on the front lawn, unconscious and bleeding, still injured from Adam's blade. While he recovers, all of Hell scrambles to find out who his mysterious rescuer is.
Meanwhile, Vox tries not to freak out that he might have accidentally made a soul bond to save that deer asshole's life. All he had wanted to do was to scope out the ruins of Alastor's radio tower. Fuck him for being curious, he supposed.
Notes: This fic has me in a CHOKEHOLD. I love the characterizations so, so much. Manages to fit in humor alongside the angst. One of the best fight scenes I've ever seen put into words. Curtailed really took Vox and Alastor as characters and planned out a cool fucking fight scene using their unique abilities. I automatically love anything tagged with "one fell first but the other fell harder" lol.
candlelight by curtailed
Summary: Despite the #SirRepentious success, Heaven remains skeptical of a sinner's ability to change. Logic gets lost somewhere, and really, what's a better way to show sinners can be marginally less horrible than to stick two Overlords who hate each other in the same living space?
OR
Alastor and Vox play house.
Notes: The comedy of Alastor and Vox being forced to be civil with each other and then unintentionally becoming very domestic together. Lol
wallow by curtailed
Summary: A 2+1 fic. Two times when Alastor and Vox were in a love triangle (hard quote on love, hard quote on triangle), and the one time Alastor had Vox to himself.
Notes: Only 1 (very good) chapter so far, but safe to say pretty heavy already. Heed the tags.
Addicted by Dancingdog
Summary: After the latest argument with Valentino, Vox finds himself at the Hazbin Hotel. An injured Alastor is less-than-pleased to see him, which is understandable considering they are enemies.
But as more and more of Valentino's venom leaves his system, Vox begins to remember his days before V-Tower and he learns exactly why Alastor rejected his offer all those decades ago.
His memories return in fits and spurts - not all of them good. His past with Alastor isn't something he expected and it turns out that he isn't the only one suffering.
Notes: Dude. This fic hurt me. Such good angst.
Radio Made the Video Star Series by songofhell
Summary: Snippets of Vox and Alastor's afterlife, and their journey from strangers to friends to enemies to... something more.
Notes: Pretty much what the series summary says - a series of installments that chronicle the beginning and subsequent evolution of Alastor and Vox's relationship. Very good, has tons of possessive!Alastor, which I die for.
Uneasy by Saezs
Summary: “Something’s wrong with Voxy.”
Velvette’s eyes snapped to the tall moth pimp. “And?” she prompted with a raised eyebrow. As if she needed to deal with two piss babies this close to a show. Valentino shrugged, tapping away on his phone, and walked away to stand threateningly close to her new models. Before she could snap at him, she saw it; his wings were twitching. Barely noticeable to strangers, just under the hum of the building’s lights, he was squeaking with each tap of his fingers. She felt unease and a healthy dose of aggravation swirl in her stomach.
Or: Vox was roofied and sexually assaulted. Velvette tries to be better than her mother. Unexpected connections are formed.
Notes: Heed the tags! Features genderfluid Vox. :)
Five Times Vox and Alastor Danced and One Time They Didn't by Drowsy_Salamander
Summary: “I say, good fellow, what are you doing on the ground like that?”
The voice was perky, cheerful, and bright. It had a crisp mid-Atlantic accent, the kind Vox remembered being all the rage for stage and film performers back when he first entered the broadcast industry. The diction was crystal clear with every sound enunciated separately to maximise clarity, the consonants clicked and the vowels were broad. It was a performer’s voice.
A voice for radio.
Oh shit.
...
Five times Vox and Alastor danced and one time Vox and Alastor didn't.
From their first meeting through their friendship, to their enmity and fighting. From infatuation to yearning to animosity. Dancing is a partnership, is it not?
Notes: Each chapter so far has been a different type of dance, which is really neat. Especially chapter 2. ^_^ That said, there's a feeling of impending doom, knowing what happens to their relationship eventually... Not saying that as a deterrent but just a comment on how I felt while reading it lol. It's very sweet, which is why it hurts to think of future chapters. 🙃
Days Long Past by Momo52
Summary: All sinners of hell bore some physical marks of how they lived and died. Some physical manifestations were more obvious while others were subtle. Vox was not an exception to this rule.
While his television head was an obvious indication of his life while on Earth, the mark he bore from his death was far more subdued. Luckily enough, his shame was easily concealed behind a high collar. Unfortunately, he is just as well known in his afterlife as he was in his life. As such, trying to make everyone believe that he is so much stronger than what his death implies is a constant battle. He only wished that he wasn’t the hardest one to convince.
Notes: I think platonic Radiostatic is the endgame here. Still pretty early in the story, but I'm really liking this author's depiction of Vox and Alastor's pasts. Heed the tags. There are heavy subjects such as suicide (very big theme for Vox's pov) and period-typical racism (in Alastor's past) present in the story.
Remote Access by x-UsoTsuki-x (its_not_reael)
Summary: In the aftermath of Alastor and Vox's electrifying on-air showdown, Vox finds himself unusually rattled. His usual suave demeanor is slipping, much to his cohorts' amusement – and concern. Velvet can do little more than roll her eyes at his antics. Valentino, on the other hand, is convinced that all Vox needs to do is get fucked and relax.
or, alternatively...
The tech-savvy overlord manages to snag a virus from a porn site and finds himself in the arms of his worst enemy.
Notes: Fairly certain this is firmly Radiosilence based on the tags (and the direction of the story so far). Very funny, very hot. Vox is pathetic in this one. Lol
Nun-thing Like You've Ever Seen Series by A_Cypress_Coffin
Summary: Alastor, the feared radio demon with more blood on his hands than most of hell combined, wasn't always as we imagine him. There was a time where instead of a dapper suit and smile he donned a simple vow and habit. That didn't last of course, but the journey is quite something.
Notes: This author has a great sense of humor, lmao. I enjoyed the unique headcanons for Alastor's backstory. The tag that hooked me: "Accidentally becoming a better person through bad domming and found family".
Empathia by The_Oblivious_Swallow
Summary: Creating new technology is boring, sex is physically unappealing, the other Vee’s are so annoying, annoying, annoying! Even Vark, his baby, his pride and joy, doesn’t stir the same joy in his heart like he should.
So, Vox had concluded that it had to go. For his sake.
Notes: Contains Staticmoth, but Radiostatic seems like the endgame (I write this as there is one chapter still left). Really interesting idea. I love Vox.exe so much. ;-;
Every Madman Has His Vice by phantasm_png (chibellero)
Summary: “What the fuck do you want, Alastor? Was it not enough to kill me all those years ago? Now, you had to go for the people I loved and the only things I had left in this fucking Hellhole?”
“It was my fault,” Alastor whispers as he approaches Vox slowly, as if he was some sort of wounded animal he didn’t want to scare off. His prey. “Vox, I’m sorry. If I had a chance to redo that night, I would never have hurt you to this extent. I’ll never harm you again.”
“That’s seven years too fucking late, Alastor.”
OR: Seven years ago, instead of Alastor disappearing, it was Vox who left instead.
Notes: I’m so fucking here for this AU. Possessive Alastor, Vox helping with the hotel, Husk is still an Overlord, yessss
Metathesiophobia (Fear of Change) by phantasm_png (chibellero)
Summary: There's a lot that can change in seven years.
But never once had Alastor expected for something like this from his old rival and older friend.
Or, Alastor and Vox start to rekindle their old friendship again after a shocking discovery strikes the deer demon.
Notes: QPR Radiostatic with MtF Vox! Contains a smidge of Staticmoth, but it's in the background and not the focus. Very well written.
surimi and venison by phantasm_png (chibellero)
Summary: A series of short drabbles (500+ words) in an interconnected universe (peep the tags, they're still in hell), centering around Alastor and his new pet fish... shark... television thing.
Will (hopefully) update 1-2 times a week. Written as my attempt at a Mermay series.
Notes: Like the summary says, Mermay prompts featuring SharkHybrid!Vox, along with Alastor, who literally saw Vox and decided to make him his pet. Lol.
an arm and a leg, my dear, les yeux d'la tête by phantasm_png (chibellero)
Summary: “I mean, usually when Val gets mad he gets like, super pissy too an’ starts destroyin’ shit ‘round the set and in his clubs, but like, usually Vox can calm him down. Problem is, where the Hell is that guy? I haven’t seen ‘im round the Tower for like, a month or two now. That ain’t normal.”
“What, so you mean he just up and left?”
“No, but like… he hasn’t been seen ‘in public’ for like, two months now. It’s startin’ to get suspicious. Like, I ‘unno if I’m just paranoid or something, but… Vox is like, the fuckin’ face of Hell’s Entertainment District. When he’s not round for a bit, that’s nothing to worry about on its own… but when he’s not round for a bit an’ Val and Velvette are creeping around, looking for his rival…? I mean… the dots are connecting. If Al did something…”
“If Vox was dead, we would know.”
OR: Two months ago, Vox went missing. Right now, it seems as if Alastor has something to hide.
Notes: Vox gets attic-wifed and wears a virgin killer sweater. ^_^
we'll go down together in the ashes of our love by phantasm_png (chibellero)
Summary: Glimpses into the Radio Demon's life as he reluctantly navigates parenthood with his co-parenting partner and the demon princess hoisted onto him by the King and Queen of Hell.
Loosely inspired by Spy X Family.
Notes: CUTE! I love domestic Radiostatic.
What Has Been by Tianren
Summary: Vox has never known peace. From being the son of a egocentric cult leader, to being the boyfriend of a self absorbed abuser. Vox has managed to build a pretty sad life for himself. The only spot of sunshine that had ever blessed his existence was when he met an amateur true crime investigative journalist, with a podcast named, Alastor. The man was his only source of unfiltered news and contact to the world outside his father’s compound. But after Vox finally escaped the cult he waited for Alastor. Waited weeks in their assigned meeting spot just to be forgotten.
Vox was convinced he’d stopped waiting for Alastor years ago until he meets the man again seven years later at a hotel. What will reconnecting with his past lead to and will it help him escape the hell he’s built for himself?
Takes place in the late 2000s early 2010s
Trigger warning for religious trauma and abuse as major themes of this story. Will add more warnings if they arise as I go on.
Eichi's "Left Hand": An Archetypal Analysis of Wataru Hibiki's Role
Well, specifically of Wataru as Eichi's left hand, anyway. There's way too much ground to cover for Wataru's archetype to do it in one post.
The ruler's "right hand" is a pretty common archetype and trope that you're all probably familiar with. The "left hand," less common, shows up in different places as well.
The "right hand man" is defined by Merriam-Webster as "a very important assistant who helps someone do a job." The term comes from archetypal understandings of the function of the "right hand" which have evolved over the last centuries. In general, because most people are right-handed, the right hand has been favoured across many cultures, associated with luck and goodness.
The right hand is traditionally the hand which holds the sword, and so it is associated with action; the "right-hand man" enacts the will of the king. In his description of "the king/queen" archetype, J. E. Sandoval writes:
The sword represents power over life and death, as well as defense against those that threaten the greater order.
This is the exact role that Keito takes in Enstars. When Eichi is ill at the beginning of the year in ES!, Keito takes it upon himself to ensure that the school does not fall into disorder, tightening his hold on students and making the regulations very strict. He does this for the purpose of securing Eichi's place on Yumenosaki's "throne" while Eichi is away, and once Eichi returns, this is still frequently the role that Keito plays.
The right hand represents Deity. The aggressive hand, hand of growth and strength. Right hand laid on a person conveys authority, blessings, power, strength. Right hand lifted to heaven, and oath, swearing.
(Gertrude Jobes, Dictionary of Mythology, Folklore, and Symbols, quoted here)
The king depends on the right hand for recognition of his power and authority; the right hand is his strength and the one who exercises his will.
On the other hand (lol), the left has often historically been treated to unfavourable interpretations. Left-handed people have historically been discriminated against in many cultures and even forced to learn to use their right hands rather than their lefts.
In symbolism the body is divided vertically into halves, the right half being considered as light and the left half as darkness. [...] the light half was denominated spiritual and the left half material. Light is the symbol of objectivity; darkness of subjectivity. [...] darkness is considered as the veil which must eternally conceal the true nature of abstract and undifferentiated Being.
... several early nations used the right hand for all constructive labors and the left hand for only those purposes termed unclean and unfit for the sight of the gods. For the same reason black magic was often referred to as the left-hand path, and heaven was said to be upon the right and hell upon the left.
(Manly P Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages)
We see this reflected in the "narrative" created by Eichi and Keito. Keito is a member of the student council, the force of justice and order at Yumenosaki Academy, and the vice-president, cementing his role as Eichi's second in command. Wataru, by contrast, is one of the "Oddballs," who were castigated by the student council and made enemies of the public at Yumenosaki. Wataru plays the role of a "jester," associated with trickery and mischief, and Keito constantly fears that Wataru will corrupt Eichi.
The right hand bravely holds the sword, whereas the left hand does the ruler's "dirty work" in the darkness. Wataru is a member of fine, and is frequently treated to being part of Eichi's unsavoury business - trying to buy up Hokuto from Trickstar, threatening Ra*bits, and facing off against Wataru's own friends in UNDEAD and Valkyrie. The student council enacts "order" in the school through rules and regulations, and creates the guidelines by which students are subject to judgment (DreamFes participation is reflected in grades, for example). fine, on the other hand, is how Eichi threatens others using their status as a peer unit rather than by invoking the student council's authority. He challenges and uses underhanded methods to get others to compete against him, and really gets into the thick of the "battles" on the stage.
In the ES! Main Story, Eichi compares Wataru to Mephistopheles, a charming demon who (seemingly) reluctantly lured Doctor Faustus down a path of corruption and to hell, after Wataru threatens his plans for Trickstar. Eichi's plans were cruel, but they were done in the name of the student council, and so Wataru was like Mephistopheles in that he was pulling Eichi away from his own "just" decree and imperial edict.
Wataru is often the one who commentates on Eichi's tyranny - he refers to him as a tyrant, to start with, but also lauds praise upon him for his majesty and ruthlessness.
You are definitely not "evil"! You are "justice", and yet you commit atrocities and greedily devour the tears and dreams of others! Love and hatred! Hope and despair! Dreams and nightmares! You have achieved a way of life that is contradictory and conflicting!
(Ensemble Stars! Novel Adaptation, translation by maluridae)
The left hand has also been associated historically with the feminine, because it was often the hand that held the shield while the right held the sword. In China, the right hand is associated with the masculine yang, strength, and war; and the left hand is associated with the feminine yin, and honour (Carla Huffman).
... as the source of Being is in the primal darkness which preceded light, so the spiritual nature of man is in the dark part of his being, for the heart is on the left side.
(Manly P Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages)
Part of what makes the left hand so fearsome and threatening is that it's connected to the "heart." The honourable right hand which lives in the light does not know the truths concealed in the king's darkness. Femininity has historically been associated with chaos, emotion, and "touch," whereas masculinity is associated with rationality, order, and and "vision" (I don't have a source on hand for this one but I got my Bachelor's and Master's degrees in gender studies so just take my word for it; I'm sure it's easy to look up). The right hand is the sword and the "all-seeing eye" which dispassionately and honourably enacts justice; and the left hand guards the heart and represents desire, intimacy, and unpredictability.
The left hand has the potential to unravel the power of the king because it appeals to his heart.
Wataru plays this role so, so many times throughout Enstars. In one of their first conversations (which Eichi may have imagined, but it doesn't make a difference symbolically, because it still represents what Wataru is to Eichi), Wataru asks Eichi if he's meant to be the villain who dies or the princess who embraces him with a kiss. Eichi tells Wataru that he struggles to imagine him losing, and confesses that it pains him to see Wataru in this position even though Eichi is the one who put him in it (Element).
When Eichi tries to tear Trickstar apart, invoking his position as the Student Council President to pull Hokuto into fine, Wataru gives Hokuto a letter from his grandmother encouraging him to hold fast to his dreams. Eichi is famously angry about this, and his expression of it is incredibly intimate:
He lightly runs his fingertips through Wataru's long silver hair and, like a child throwing a temper tantrum, suddenly grabs it.
With a grip so tight that Wataru's hair could possibly tear, Eichi brings his face so close that they look like they are about to kiss.
He's like a woman who has gone mad with jealousy.
(Ensemble Stars! Novel Adaptation, translation by maluridae)
After some back and forth between the two, Wataru says to him:
"That is how you wished for this to unfold, yes?"
Whispered to him like a fallen angel, Eichi does not react to his words; he reluctantly stays silent. He always speaks so fluently, so it's rare to see him have such trouble coming up with a reply.
(Ensemble Stars! Novel Adaptation, translation by maluridae)
This quote shows that Wataru knows what's truly in Eichi's heart and that his actions are motivated by this. Subaru asks Eichi later in Main Story why he created an opportunity to be defeated in the first place, and Eichi admits to him:
Hehe, I sure wonder why... I might have wanted to see it happen. A miracle. To see your shine that enables you to overcome any fate, no matter how hopeless it may seem. To see your limitless potential. I was born with a weak body. I've cursed the gods countless times. However, if somehow a miracle can happen in this world... if there's hope, if there's love... Then I'd also be able to love this world. That might have been what I was thinking. You can't be an idol with only love. However, if you don't have love, you aren't qualified to be an idol. I just, simply... wanted to become an idol.
(Ensemble Stars! Main Story, translation by Freddie24f)
Wataru knows what Eichi wants before Eichi knows what he wants, and he ensures that Eichi will get it even if it means doing things that Eichi doesn't like in the moment. This is the defining pattern of their entire relationship. It is the exact reason why, in the hospital before their DreamFes, Wataru says to Eichi:
I am not quite sure if it is because the script is just simply awful or not, but it is difficult to see what part I have in this! [...] I do not know whether I should be stabbed by a knife and die while letting out a scream of death and agony, or give an embrace and a kiss!
(Element, translation by Shoe/maluridae)
That what Eichi really wants is intimacy and love is obvious to Wataru, despite all of Eichi's posturing as though he wants Wataru to be the villain. Wataru lets him keep his narrative, but joins fine shortly afterward. In Diner Live, Wataru baits and then switches Eichi by challenging Knight Killers to a "showdown" against Träumerei, only to surprise him by turning the performance into a joint live and switching out all the penlights which the audience was supposed to use to vote into ones that emit rainbow light, representing togetherness. When the live is over, he tells Eichi that his real motive was to express his desire for the two of them to keep performing together as equals and stay together in the future. Eichi agrees and tells Wataru that this is his true dream too.
Wataru grants the wishes Eichi can only make in his heart, the ones that are too unconscious and in the dark to articulate - and it is the role of the "left" to know the unconscious desires that the heart conceals.
Because of this, the left hand has influence over the king that the right hand does not. The right hand is blunt, offensive, the upright "hand of justice." When the right hand and the king are not on the same page, when they disagree, it undermines the king's power and causes tension and friction, but the right hand does not have much ability to influence the king to change. The right hand is unsubtle and doesn't speak directly to the king's heart. The right hand and the king must be in sync to secure the king's authority.
This is why, in the ES! Main Story, when Keito disagrees with Eichi's methods in breaking Trickstar up, he basically can't change Eichi's mind. He ends up undermining Eichi's intent instead by permitting and even encouraging Mao to leave Akatsuki and rejoin Trickstar. When the right hand is out of sync with the ruler, he takes on a quality that is hypocritical or mutinous, either resentfully enacting the ruler's will despite his own wishes, or betraying and actively acting against the ruler's will with the blunt force of the sword. These tensions culminate in Quarrel Festival, when Eichi challenges Keito to a straight up fight and threatens to disband Akatsuki, forcing Keito to acknowledge his own will and push back against Eichi. Ultimately, Keito explains that he does not feel bound by Eichi to any further extent than what he would want, but expresses that it was a relief to vent his frustration with the decisions Eichi sometimes makes.
The left hand, by contrast, is subtle, and can speak to the king's heart. This is why Wataru can influence Eichi while remaining at his side; in Jingle Bells, Wataru expresses disappointment with how Eichi handles Tori, and Eichi, although defensive, immediately reflects on how he should change his approach. Wataru's involvement in the ES! Main Story is another example of this. Eichi may become angry with him, but Wataru speaks directly to his deep desires, leaving Eichi speechless and subject to his influence.
The right hand depends on the ruler for its position and purpose, and the ruler depends on the right hand for its authority and power. The left hand, however, speaks to the heart and flows from the heart, and so it can act independently and exert influence.
A conflict with Keito is between Eichi's ideals and Keito's; a conflict between Eichi and Wataru is between Eichi's own actions and his own principles. When Keito betrays Eichi, it's because they don't agree. When Wataru betrays Eichi, it's because Eichi has betrayed himself.
Sandoval, continuing his description of the king/queen archetype, writes:
The king/queen archetype is, on the whole, not pacifist. It is always prepared to establish "justice", or order, by whatever means necessary. But because of this, it also requires a counterbalance from its opposite side - the idealistic heart [...] The king/queen archetype, if left to itself, can fall into a state of tyranny where the same power originally used to safeguard the city from harm eventually becomes the greatest harm to the city. Due to the natural passage of time, the king's commands eventually become outdated and dysfunctional as the world around him changes. If they are not revisited, via a return to the pure ideal that they were aiming to uphold, the king's reign will collapse. The role of the [...] compass, is to check the king/queen's values and character to ensure fitness to rule and to redirect them to their northern star.
As Eichi's right hand, Keito is the one who enacts Eichi's vision of justice/order. But as his left hand, Wataru keeps Eichi in touch with his true desires and ideals and subtly redirects him back onto his path while staying at his side and helping him do his "dirty work." Where Keito carries the sword, Wataru is a rogue at Eichi's side, understanding more than he lets on and performing sleights of hand and illusions that charm him and guide him.
As the carrier of the sword, Keito's role is comparable to the archetype of a knight. Wataru's role is closer to that of confidante - connoting "confidence"/someone you "confide in." The right hand doesn't necessarily have to be one person; it could be an army. The left hand is always one person; it connotes specialness and secrecy.
This is the archetypal pair that is regarded from the outside with suspicion. The ruler and right hand are "easy to understand." The ruler and the left hand have a special closeness that causes rumours to fly about temptation, corruption, and secret love affairs.
When Keito pleads with Eichi to get rid of Wataru, Eichi tells him:
If you're my right hand, then Wataru's my left. It'd be a shame if I got rid of either just yet... ♪
(Circus, translation by Enstars Translates)
In this quote, Eichi suggests to Keito that if Wataru is expendable, Keito is too. However, it's important to note that Eichi is actually left-handed, a point that Wataru actually comments on:
He calls himself "Eichi's right hand"! Even though Eichi is left-handed - how interesting! Ahh, interpreting those sentiments surrounding this matter gives me such a fuzzy feeling... ☆
(The Flag's Honor ＊ Flower Festival, translation by Shoe/maluridae)
Flower Fes was written by Akira, and so the symbolism behind Eichi's left-handedness with Wataru as his left and Keito as his right is definitely intentional. When Eichi suggests to Keito that he's subject to being gotten rid of as much as Wataru is, he is not suggesting that Keito and Wataru are equal. The loss of Eichi's left hand would be more detrimental to Eichi than the loss of his right. As much as Eichi loves and appreciates Keito, and has no desire to get rid of him, he needs Wataru in a different way than he needs Keito, and if he were to get rid of either of them, he would probably get rid of Keito first. (And indeed, he does try to push Keito away in Quarrel Festival, whereas he and Wataru are in the same unit and declare their intentions to keep performing together into the future).
Theories about the left and right brain also further illustrate their specific positions. The right hand is controlled by the left brain, which is associated with logic, math, and structure. The left hand is controlled by the right brain, which is associated with creativity and art. Keito represents "discipline" in Eichi's life, structure, order, safety, security, and the masculine values mentioned above. Wataru represents Eichi's creativity and imagination with his magic, and the two perform together as artists. Being left-handed, Eichi is more firmly planted in the creative side, despite his role of representing order in Yumenosaki Academy as part of the student council with Keito.
As Eichi's "left hand," Wataru fulfills a major role in Eichi's life; namely, that of representing his heart. Despite being associated with the darkness and looked on with suspicion, Wataru knows Eichi's heart and his unconscious desires. Independent from Eichi's will, Wataru is able to remind and guide Eichi on the basis of his principles, and subtly influence Eichi in ways that push him to grow and be his best self. He is Eichi's confidante, and, owing to Eichi's left-handedness, the person that Eichi would be most reluctant to get rid of. He is the unpredictable chaos that Eichi craves, capable of unraveling Eichi's best laid plans, and, because he knows Eichi's heart, Eichi knows that when he does unravel them, it's because that's what's best for Eichi.
Of course. I trust you more than anyone in this world, including myself. Also, I wouldn't mind a betrayal - if it's from you. I wouldn't care even if you did anything awful to me. Is this feeling love, as the others call it?
(Eichi in Tempest, official English Ensemble! Stars translation)
This world is a dream that you are seeing: Eichi versus Empathy, and Souriau’s dramatic functions
Foreword and disclaimer
What you are about to read is my fourth attempt to write a concise and meaningful summary of all the thoughts I have on the narrative of Enstars as a hopeful literature student. The first version, posted in summer 2021, was full of clumsy but poorly supported ramblings, though it resonated with some of my dear friends here. The second, written in response to an ask, I was slightly more satisfied with. The third was written for a class assignment, and earned me the highest final grade and praise from my professor, a published literary theorist. Her support along with that of my friends prompted me to put together this fourth and (hopefully) final version, different and more complete than all the others. I will use version number two, which you might be familiar with, as a base (so do not chide me if you remember certain points or sentence structures) but I will be adding new parts inspired by my recent efforts in studying literary theory and dramaturgy - most prominently Étienne Souriau’s dramatic functions, which I feel offered a convenient way for me to elaborate on some of my points and conclusions about Enstars.
The first disclaimer I need to make is that I was not able to find Souriau’s writing about dramatic functions translated to English online, so I will offer brief explanations of each function within this essay based on the Serbian translation which I read for class. I am not a professional dramaturg - I merely took one class on it - so if you are a person with more knowledge on these functions than I, and you notice errors or discrepancies in my explanations, I implore you to correct me.
The second disclaimer is that I am well-read only in the ! portion of Enstars stories, and as such I will be focusing only on those. I hold the opinion that everything Akira had meant to say with Enstars, he said before or during EP:link anyway, so I do not think that the fact that I’m not up to date with Enstars stories will significantly hinder my analysis.
Thank Yous where they are due to my dear friends Emery and Dove for spending hours upon hours brainstorming about Enstars with me in the past years.
I want an AU where Hero is not such a good person, idk, maybe where the depression broke him and he stopped trying, becoming moody, rude, passive aggressive, maybe demanding and selfish, solely for one reason; he's too tired. I don't know,.... I... I want to make him worse
So today I wanna rant about how I fucking hate how Hero is so underrated and overlooked by the fandom
How the hell did I end up liking one of the MC's for once and STILL barely get content for him.
Sometimes I even wish Hero had haters, a hate-dedicated reddit or something... Just because I want him to be at least somewhat discussed?? Some controversy going on? He's pretty controversial, I tell ya. Just like Basil, just like Sunny and Aubrey. He can be considered problematic or uncomfortable and I think it's NEAT. I want DISCUSSION. NOT... NOT JUST IGNORE.
Because that's what Hero is. Ignored.
It's funny how most of the time he ends up being the "trophy romantic interest" and/or "the parent of the squad" but, like, in a BAD WAY. By that I mean he gets put aside or outright forgotten up until someone needs to be a "cishet himbo to cook breakfast/be cute with mari". It's as if he doesn't even have OTHER characteristics or relationships with OTHER characters??? It's as if he was always about "grieving Mari" and don't even get me started on his state of depression, because it was SO MUCH MORE than "grief for a girlfriend". It was, in fact, about HIM. How he felt about himself, how he persieved himself, his actions, his life. It wasn't just the "my crush died", it was "my perfect-hero facade was stupid, I was being inconsiderate, selfish and useless and If I couldn't even help the one I love, how can I do anything at all? what if I'm really not that great and everyone is just confused about me? because if I was really a hero, I would be able to do something", and it's still brief. Hero is not about Mari, he never was. His character goes FUCKING. DEEPER. He's tied up with some of Omori's centric themes, such as "perfection", "lies", and "UGLY REAL coping", yet people seriously go and forget that??
Because THEY DO. Lemme just tell you when this shit made me go wild, it went to the extreme... I saw a meme. Y'know. A meme about "every character in Omori is depressed". And you know what? Hero wasn't there. They seriously cut out the character with ACTUAL DEPRESSION THAT'S BEEN STATED IN CANON, AND WHO'S ENTIRE THING IS BEING PRONE TO " SAD" EMOTION, from the meme about DEPRESSION.
It's just one example but it sums it up so well. ~~~ thanks, I hate it.
Oh well.
Anyway... To everyone who analyses Hero and thinks about his mental state and his character for more that one second... Thanks. You're great. I love you.
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