Little Bo Peep 🐑🏹

one of the main themes in the comic is the dismantling of everything you ever knew as right. at least, that's what it felt like at the start of the story, though by the end... that's waned a little. but no matter, it's still important to me. and of course, the character who embodies this is chloe.

the death of charlotte perry puts into motion a whole chain of events that make chloe progressively realise that the colony is not what it seems. it starts with her going to the lower districts for the first time in her life—which is still part of the city!! it shows how high up she used to be that she never had to even look in that direction before. then the catacombs. then the sticks. all this culminates in the notion that the colony is hiding something.

combine that with the fact that chloe is navigating a working environment probably very different to what she's used to: not only a different station, but a different district. she's constantly learning about the colony outside of her privileged upbringing, and learning about demons and secrets the colony has is, in a way, justifying her drastic actions. not to mention she does have precedents of mental illness, right before switching districts and jobs, so this probably is doing wonders for her mental state right now.

in the midst of all this, azrael appears. she's just learnt about the existence of demons and now what seems to be one appears in her house, threatens her, and uses her. it's normal to be paranoid. and who else to target than the very person who told her "nothing is as it seems. the colony is hiding things." it's not supposed to be rational, but it's understandable. and it's also understandable that she would assume that azrael is a person in disguise; she's struggling with the concept of demons, with the concept of there being one within the colony walls, one that has so much influence. only a person could do that, right?

but then she literally sees him walk out of a tear. more than once. and, in the finale, he seems to call out all sorts of creatures from the void. do we still think a regular person could do that? the next step in chloe's journey of discovery would be finding out that azrael is not a person, but some otherworldly being. and her coming to terms with that.

on the other hand, i wouldn't say azrael is a regular demon, either. i wouldn't go as far to say he's a god, as julian stated, but i believe sawyer was right when he said "he ain't a demon"; at least, he isn't a demon in the sense they bandits are used to.. after all, azrael is an angel of death in islam. sure, in theology he's benevolent, but... you know. what matters is that he's probably something in-between on some hierarchy that i haven't got very clear yet. never mind.

his identity is also important to the bandits because of how he's threatening them. while chloe is convinced he's a person (i.e. something easy to kill) we see the bandits engaged in several conversations about azrael's nature, needing to know so they can also kill him. they have experience with demons: the highwayman, the mantis, and every other demon they've come across. they are aware how difficult these things are to kill or harm, and know that they can influence other people to extreme degrees (see shane literally being able to resurrect and ollie's body literally able to transform, both of which probably have notable consequences).

finding out azrael might be above your average "smart" demon (as in, the daytime ones) would also be very significant to the bandits. they know their links with demons makes them more powerful than regular people, but at the same time they are at the service and mercy of something much more powerful than themselves. the existence of a being even bigger that that would definitely put things into perspective, i believe. however, i don't think it would be as impactful as a revelation to the bandits as it would be to chloe.

azrael seems to be a being powerful enough to, as seen, walk in and out of the void as he pleases, and even call the revenants from there. but he doesn't have the ability to change things on a whim, as, say, a god would. he needs to resort to sneaking into people's houses and people who can make his weapons and switching out the dusting vials. it makes sense that chloe would ask "why would death need to bluff?" because she's right. but it's not because he's human. it's because he's limited.

we see the highwayman need to be called from the void with a soul, unable to come forth himself. we see the mantis need ollie to call for her help before actually taking over. these are limitations. not to mention a bunch of other demons can only exist at night but those are lesser in the way that they aren't as conscious as the others. azrael seems to be more powerful than these, in his way, but he is certainly not omnipotent like a god would be. he needs to work around these limitations the same way the highwayman needs people to get souls for him and the same way the mantis needed a human vessel. but at the same time, colonists aren't supposed to know about demons. they wouldn't know the different types, the different ways they can interact with humans. it makes sense that chloe would see these "magic tricks" azrael performs (smoke bombs, vial switching, the simple use of other people to get things done) as a person masquerading as a god.

what i do find very interesting, though, is that either side makes azrael out to be something he is not. in chloe's case, she's lowering him down to human status, whereas the bandits are elevating him to a god. which is why i believe he's somewhere in the middle.

one of the main themes in the comic is the dismantling of everything you ever knew as right. at least, that's what it felt like at the start of the story, though by the end... that's waned a little. but no matter, it's still important to me. and of course, the character who embodies this is chloe.

the death of charlotte perry puts into motion a whole chain of events that make chloe progressively realise that the colony is not what it seems. it starts with her going to the lower districts for the first time in her life—which is still part of the city!! it shows how high up she used to be that she never had to even look in that direction before. then the catacombs. then the sticks. all this culminates in the notion that the colony is hiding something.

combine that with the fact that chloe is navigating a working environment probably very different to what she's used to: not only a different station, but a different district. she's constantly learning about the colony outside of her privileged upbringing, and learning about demons and secrets the colony has is, in a way, justifying her drastic actions. not to mention she does have precedents of mental illness, right before switching districts and jobs, so this probably is doing wonders for her mental state right now.

in the midst of all this, azrael appears. she's just learnt about the existence of demons and now what seems to be one appears in her house, threatens her, and uses her. it's normal to be paranoid. and who else to target than the very person who told her "nothing is as it seems. the colony is hiding things." it's not supposed to be rational, but it's understandable. and it's also understandable that she would assume that azrael is a person in disguise; she's struggling with the concept of demons, with the concept of there being one within the colony walls, one that has so much influence. only a person could do that, right?

but then she literally sees him walk out of a tear. more than once. and, in the finale, he seems to call out all sorts of creatures from the void. do we still think a regular person could do that? the next step in chloe's journey of discovery would be finding out that azrael is not a person, but some otherworldly being. and her coming to terms with that.

on the other hand, i wouldn't say azrael is a regular demon, either. i wouldn't go as far to say he's a god, as julian stated, but i believe sawyer was right when he said "he ain't a demon"; at least, he isn't a demon in the sense they bandits are used to.. after all, azrael is an angel of death in islam. sure, in theology he's benevolent, but... you know. what matters is that he's probably something in-between on some hierarchy that i haven't got very clear yet. never mind.

his identity is also important to the bandits because of how he's threatening them. while chloe is convinced he's a person (i.e. something easy to kill) we see the bandits engaged in several conversations about azrael's nature, needing to know so they can also kill him. they have experience with demons: the highwayman, the mantis, and every other demon they've come across. they are aware how difficult these things are to kill or harm, and know that they can influence other people to extreme degrees (see shane literally being able to resurrect and ollie's body literally able to transform, both of which probably have notable consequences).

finding out azrael might be above your average "smart" demon (as in, the daytime ones) would also be very significant to the bandits. they know their links with demons makes them more powerful than regular people, but at the same time they are at the service and mercy of something much more powerful than themselves. the existence of a being even bigger that that would definitely put things into perspective, i believe. however, i don't think it would be as impactful as a revelation to the bandits as it would be to chloe.

azrael seems to be a being powerful enough to, as seen, walk in and out of the void as he pleases, and even call the revenants from there. but he doesn't have the ability to change things on a whim, as, say, a god would. he needs to resort to sneaking into people's houses and people who can make his weapons and switching out the dusting vials. it makes sense that chloe would ask "why would death need to bluff?" because she's right. but it's not because he's human. it's because he's limited.

we see the highwayman need to be called from the void with a soul, unable to come forth himself. we see the mantis need ollie to call for her help before actually taking over. these are limitations. not to mention a bunch of other demons can only exist at night but those are lesser in the way that they aren't as conscious as the others. azrael seems to be more powerful than these, in his way, but he is certainly not omnipotent like a god would be. he needs to work around these limitations the same way the highwayman needs people to get souls for him and the same way the mantis needed a human vessel. but at the same time, colonists aren't supposed to know about demons. they wouldn't know the different types, the different ways they can interact with humans. it makes sense that chloe would see these "magic tricks" azrael performs (smoke bombs, vial switching, the simple use of other people to get things done) as a person masquerading as a god.

what i do find very interesting, though, is that either side makes azrael out to be something he is not. in chloe's case, she's lowering him down to human status, whereas the bandits are elevating him to a god. which is why i believe he's somewhere in the middle.