Every time i rewatch Blitzo’s hallucination sequence in Truth Seekers i notice more.
Like, on a base level-
The steps to Stolas are difficult and slippery to climb at first, but the path clears as he climbs.
Stolas’s positioning and framing not only call out their significant class differences but also frame Stolas in a sort of heavenly position, at the top of an elegant marble stairway to heaven. Furthering a few things- it posits Stolas as something unattainable, something holy, something that might lead to good, but also something too good for him?
As he climbs the steps he is cleaned of the grime of his previous guilt and he regains himself (loses his clown outfit and appears how he usually does)- but in doing so he also becomes shackled in golden chains to stolas.
The chains being a reminder of what he fears about any relationship including with stolas- being ‘shackled’ (commitment-related issues) and then also, specifically, and importantly here- being seen as just a plaything to stolas.
Stolas is the most clear and realistically depicted of the characters in Blitzo’s hallucination. Closer than even Blitzo himself. Every other figure of his life that comes to taunt him is distorted. Not even Moxxie, who is in the room with him, comes close- even after his depiction shifts, he is in drag. What does this say? I think in part it furthers the fact that Stolas here seems to represent a kind of escape for Blitzo from the torment of everything else (but at what cost- i.e. the shackles).
AND something ELSE i noticed is that on his forehead for the majority of the hallucination Blitzo’s forehead mark is a clear broken heart. But on the steps to stolas it returns to its usual appearance. This is another way in which he regains his usual self, but also, this change specifically could speak to the potential of his heart healing?
Blitzo of course does not appear to be comfortable in the dynamic that hallucination-Stolas has brought him into, once he reaches Stolas, but even still, he snaps at Moxxie, which reads to me as that he wants to stay undisturbed in the moment. Maybe he thinks that that sort of power dynamic is the best that he would ever get or deserve.
Also, ik I've talked about this a bunch before, but Blitzø says that it smells like Stolas (not directly but he says it hss a scent and Stolas confirms it's his) AND LOOK HOW HAPPY HE IS WEARING THIS ONE WHILE SMELLING THE SWEATER AGAIN 😭
Ok, so Stolas being teen dad is one of the reasons I get annoyed when people say he's too horny with Blitz. Or that his relationship is too dramatic and teenager-y.
He's a queer guy who never got to be a teenager, didn't get to have a first boyfriend, or explore who he was. Or do any of the normal stuff most straight teenagers get to do.
His family stuffed him in the closet, forced him to have child, and gave him an abusive wife as jailer.
(He around 36, with a 17 year old daughter. 36−17=19 when Octavia was born. Likely married at 18).
He's got some chatting up to do.
Up till now his whole life's been about Via, and mitigating Stella's abuse to hid it from Via.
That's left him barely hanging on, taking an increasing amount of antidepressants; and singing lullabies about not being sure he'll make it till Via's grown up.... 🙁
youtube
There's this thing called second adolescence that alot of queer people experience, when they come out later in life.
It happens when they're weren't allowed to do normal teenage things at the right age. So things like having crushes, go on first dates, have extremely anxious dramatic relationships. As well just be a normal horny teenager.
Stolas got to do none of that. So he's doing it now.
He's also pretty obviously an autistic guy (separate post ), who didn't get well socialized as a child.
Blitz appears to have been his first and only really friend.
Stolas is not great at social cues. (He's so happy to be able to help with his special interest, but does realise his tone is upsetting Ozzie).
Even with Via he struggles to understand her. She needs to tell her dad flat out what she needs.
When she tries to be subtle, and snark he assumes it's just her being a moody teen. And that she'll enjoy loo loo land when she loosen up a bit.
Because of this lack Stolas mostly fills in gaps in his social experience with masking.
Such copying Gabriel hairstyle from helluva novella to get ready for his first ever date.
Following Blitz's lead of what to do in an uncomfortable situation.
And trying to match the energy of how Blitz first came on to him.
(He's definitely getting better at it from Blitz reaction).
There's also an idea in CBT called reparenting your inner child. Which about giving yourself some the support, and experiences you missed out on because of abuse.
Stolas needs to go through his secondary adolescence as part of his recovery from his abuse.
So let Stolas be a little horny weirdo. 😛
PS this one will brake you heart. Stolas is standing fully in both these pictures.
You can see how much he's grown by her light switch.
Kid hasn't even reached his full adult height yet when he had to have a kid.
Every time i rewatch Blitzo’s hallucination sequence in Truth Seekers i notice more.
Like, on a base level-
The steps to Stolas are difficult and slippery to climb at first, but the path clears as he climbs.
Stolas’s positioning and framing not only call out their significant class differences but also frame Stolas in a sort of heavenly position, at the top of an elegant marble stairway to heaven. Furthering a few things- it posits Stolas as something unattainable, something holy, something that might lead to good, but also something too good for him?
As he climbs the steps he is cleaned of the grime of his previous guilt and he regains himself (loses his clown outfit and appears how he usually does)- but in doing so he also becomes shackled in golden chains to stolas.
The chains being a reminder of what he fears about any relationship including with stolas- being ‘shackled’ (commitment-related issues) and then also, specifically, and importantly here- being seen as just a plaything to stolas.
Stolas is the most clear and realistically depicted of the characters in Blitzo’s hallucination. Closer than even Blitzo himself. Every other figure of his life that comes to taunt him is distorted. Not even Moxxie, who is in the room with him, comes close- even after his depiction shifts, he is in drag. What does this say? I think in part it furthers the fact that Stolas here seems to represent a kind of escape for Blitzo from the torment of everything else (but at what cost- i.e. the shackles).
AND something ELSE i noticed is that on his forehead for the majority of the hallucination Blitzo’s forehead mark is a clear broken heart. But on the steps to stolas it returns to its usual appearance. This is another way in which he regains his usual self, but also, this change specifically could speak to the potential of his heart healing?
Blitzo of course does not appear to be comfortable in the dynamic that hallucination-Stolas has brought him into, once he reaches Stolas, but even still, he snaps at Moxxie, which reads to me as that he wants to stay undisturbed in the moment. Maybe he thinks that that sort of power dynamic is the best that he would ever get or deserve.
Sorry I’m still not over that scene of Blitz seeing Stolas’ human form for the first time so I’m going to break it down frame by frame
Initial reaction. He’s a little confused and shocked, he didn’t seem to know that Stolas had a human disguise. His eyebrow is quirked and his mouth is wide open in shock, flabbergasted, what he’s seeing hasn’t really set in emotionally yet.
His expression starts to soften, he starts to flush (I think those two little black lines are a blush?) as he really takes it all in (that’s what she said) the “totally just sexual and nothing more” feelings are just starting to pop up.
This is “I’m fucked” level 2. His pupils start to dilate as those pesky confusing complicated feelings have really set in and are visibly expressed as those impenetrable emotional walls haven’t come up yet. He really likes Stolas whether he’s a human or a bird. This is the purest most genuine most emotional vulnerable face of this set.
And this is where the fear and anxiety come in and those walls start to come back up. His pupils contract in stress as his established fear of intimacy hits him in full force. He’s starting to really think about what he’s feeling and he doesn’t like it. This whole deal was supposed to be sexual and superficial, nothing more. In Blitz’ mind, Stolas is using him and he’s using Stolas right back. He thinks that high class demons don’t care about him and the other imps and just want to take what they want from them. These feelings of genuine affection make everything so much more complicated both for Blitz and his mental state as well as the deal between him and Stolas. He doesn’t want to think about it, it scares him, so he starts to push those feelings back down in the locked box where they belong. The walls are back up and at this point, Blitz’s mind is at DEFCON 3.