#helluvaboss portrait

Ok so Vivzie absolutely loves making paintings relevant. What are we supposed to take away from this?

He's alone.

Wearing outdated clothes (Paimon's influence? for being so ridiculously rich I don't get the impression that Paimon likes technology and/or the passage of time)

The crown's different more like what Via and Stella wear-but it's not a solidarity thing-oh yeah he wore something like that when he was puffball Stolas.

So he was younger here.

His posture is polite but that’s not how he usually stands-

Oh.

So this is a specific Paimon approved pose.

Portrait One is a pretty stark contrast from the Goth portrait of him and Paimon together.

Portrait One of Stolas looks so expressionless, restrained and calm.

Portrait Two seems like he’s putting up with being there.

I think this one represents the point in Stolas’s life where he stopped trusting his Father.

And I’m not sure that it matters… but in the second portrait he’s not wearing a crown.

Maybe this was the point in his life where he was too old for the child crown but… wasn’t ready to put on the top hat?🎩

Also in the first portrait there’s no background, in the second?

✨The stars.✨

…maybe in the first portrait he’s powerless and in the next he’s got magic? 🪄(Power) But because Paimon’s controlling him he can’t appreciate it?

My theory is this portrait was taken before his wedding ceremony. Maybe right after they had what I’m assuming was Stolas asking not to marry Stella. Then begging not to and then finally refusing to marry Stella.

The thing is? I just don’t buy Stolas not at least trying to get out of the marriage as a teen.

It’s a head-canon and a bit of cliche but…

What if he fantasized about running away and joining the circus?

It would never have worked. But man it’s a very Stolas thing to daydream about.

Now despite all this he still got married and I have two theories as to why.

Paimon abused him until he agreed.

Stolas has a high threshold for pain though so I’m not sure how effective this would’ve been. Also it wouldn’t surprise me if he was at least suicidal adjacent at the time. Lonely, troubled, gay, teenager with a flair for the dramatic? So… that’s another thing that would make this tactic less effective.

Leaving theory 2.

…

I don’t like pitching this idea, and if the fandom’s already thought of it sorry for saying it like it’s a big revelation but…

😬 blitz did steal a bunch of stuff from the palace.

And it doesn’t seem like there were any consequences from stealing what must’ve been…. Maybe tens of thousands? Maybe hundreds of thousands?

What if Paimon told him he’d hold Blitz accountable for what he stole if he didn’t marry Stella?

Something like…

“I am royalty. I own this palace and everything in it. If I decide to report my property stolen. I have every right to.

“If you don’t marry the girl, you are of no use to me and therefore not my son, and you do not belong here. I will throw you out without a penny to your name and you will die alone and nameless!”

“But. Marry her, and this entire palace becomes yours. Therefore reporting theft would become your responsibility. Not mine.”