#same pose... same time... it being a serious discussion...

Yandere!Butler x Heiress!Reader

Summary: After the head of the household finds out his daughter is traipsing around with men. He assigns his most trusted right-hand-man to take care of the drama

Warning: Smut, drama

Taboo: Forbidden Love

I talk so much about Hudson being the louder one of Hudcon these days, I think it’s Connor’s turn!

Connor’s GQ Pre-Met Gala Interview

Now that the first part of the Met Gala has finished, I wanted to talk about this quote from Connor in his pre-Met Gala GQ interview. Looks like Hudson isn’t the only one who likes to bring a certain someone into the conversation.

There are several things I find notable about this quote!

First, Connor was specifically asked about someone else. He was not asked about Hudson at all, and yet he decides to bring him up. At this point Connor knew for sure they would not be walking the red carpet together, i.e. ‘see Huddy at some point’ (fingers crossed for some Hudcon backstage photos though). This reminds me of Hudson bringing Connor up unprompted during the Oscars interviews he gave. I feel the same about it now as I did then, you bring someone up unprompted when they’re on your mind, Hudson was clearly on Connor’s mind earlier today. Connor and Hudson have done a remarkable job at keeping their careers private and yet they have perfected the art of never severing the tie completely. When you think of Connor you almost always think of Hudson, and that is by design.

Second, this is yet another big milestone Hudson and he are crossing together, and still they aren’t actually able to do it together the entire way. I’ve spoken in a few asks this past weekend about how this NYC trip is much more business than pleasure for Hudson and Connor. Yes, I absolutely believe that Connor and Hudson saw each other last night, if only for a few moments, so no I don’t believe Connor was fully serious when he said he hadn’t seen Hudson for a long time. Though let’s be honest, if Venice was anything to go by, a long time to them is like 30 minutes. I still think it’s interesting he included the second part about not seeing Hudson in a long time, this is when I wish we could hear the audio of this interview. To me his statement almost reads like he knows (remember Connor is much more self-conscious about not giving anything away when talking about Hudson) being excited to see Hudson would stand out for a lot of people, and so therefore feels like he needs to qualify it. Like “I’m excited to see him, but just so you know it’s not suspicious, it’s only becuase we haven’t seen each other in a while (certainly not because we’re always so excited to see each other)!!”

The Outfit Choice

I talked with @afro-star about this earlier, and I wanted to discuss some thoughts on this!

Connor’s outfit was so similar to Hudson’s VF After Party outfit that it was the first thing I, and everyone I talked to about it, noticed. The similarity only became more apparent when Connor took off his jacket too. I argue this was exactly Connor’s intention. This struck me as a similar thing to what I always say about Hudson’s instagram comments acting as a claim on Connor becuase no one else could dream of being able to say that to Connor, but Hudson can. Connor and Hudson didn’t get their red carpet moment this time at the Met Gala, and the last time they did it was in an entirely different situation. But Hudson’s outfit at the VF After Party was one everyone saw Hudson in and everyone saw Hudson posing with Connor in too. Connor looked amazing, no doubt, but this outfit feeling like a direct call-back to the last red carpet outfit Hudson wore is a reminder that no matter what you think you see, Hudson is his.

When you think of Connor, you almost always think of Hudson. Connor and Hudson are not doing these little call outs to each other for more fame or to get more attention from the fans - in fact they are specifically avoiding that - they’re doing these because this is all they can do right now. Let’s think about the situation when Hudson was wearing the very outfit Connor’s resembled tonight: Connor was around Hudson but not able to fully be with him. They took photos together and then he had to watch Hudson parade around the entire party with his “gf”. Hudson, of course, gave him his undivided attention when they were together, but they couldn’t be together the whole time and therein laid the issue. Connor is just as possessive as Hudson (the You’re Mine instagram comment should clue us all into that), and I’m sure it stung to watch Hudson have to unconvincingly act in-love with someone who wasn’t him. After all, just because decisions are objectively the right thing to do, doesn’t mean they are easy.

Although this outfit choice (and the endless other similarities I and my mutuals discuss frequently) was subtle, it represents a way for Connor and Hudson to have a little control over the way they are associated with each other. Something clearly very valuable to them, and yet also in short supply these days.

Bonus: I can’t leave y’all without gushing over the matching trains. I loved their looks tonight!

Paige x Azzi

WC: 5.3k

A/N: Sorry for the mixed feelings chapter nine stirred up!🫣

Masterlist

---

September 2026

Azzi didn’t want to go. But it was Ice’s first movie as an executive producer, and as the supportive friend she was, she had reluctantly agreed to go to the premiere with Ice. 

“Not to be a star digger, but I think it will really help the publicity of this movie if you’ll show up,” Ice had said and looked at her with begging eyes. 

“Won’t The Huskies attract enough attention?” she had asked resentfully. 

“Only from music fans, but not from the movie fans,” Ice had ignored her tone and just answered the question instead. 

“Besides, it’s been a year. If you run into Paige, I’ll-”

“-I don’t care about that,” Azzi had huffed, and for the first time ever, Ice witnessed a very unconvincing acting performance by her friend.

“Okay, good. So there are no issues then? You’ll come?” 

“Fine,” Azzi sighed, and Ice had immediately shown appreciation by hugging her tightly and squealing. 

And now here she was, in a hotel filled with her stylist, makeup artist, hair stylist, her agent Caroline and her publicist. They had landed on three dresses as options for the night, discussing which one would look the best. 

“I feel like the purple one is really chic, but the black one is really sexy,” her stylist mused. 

And that made it very easy for Azzi to choose. 

“The black one, definitely,” she said, and Caroline couldn’t help but to bite her lip from grinning too much. 

“Someone wants to look sexy tonight,” she teased with a low voice. 

“I look sexy everyday, what’s new,” Azzi scoffed with a smirk. 

“Okay, loving the attitude,” Caroline laughed and couldn’t wait to see what the night had in store for her actress. 

Azzi sat down for her hair and makeup, posed in front of her publicist’s camera when she was dressed, did everything she was supposed to do before the premiere would begin. 

At last, Ice knocked on the door to see if Azzi was ready. 

“Let’s go?” Ice asked. 

“Let’s do this.”

The weather was not too cold this September evening, and the red carpet was visited by a nice late summer breeze that prevented the guests from sweating too much in their dresses. 

Ice was wearing a cute blue cocktail dress that complemented Azzi’s more sensual vibe. 

“Azzi, Ice, right here Azzi,” the camera clicks were loud and the people behind the camera’s even louder. Instructions, compliments, rude comments were all being thrown at them at the same time. 

“Girls, let’s do some individual ones,” Caroline, who was always near them, suggested. 

The two actresses obliged and each took a step away from each other. 

Azzi posed with a serious look, never smiling. She was here to make headlines, and boy did she know how to make them, looking like that. 

“Azzi, do you have time for a quick interview?” a woman carrying a microphone that said ‘People’ asked, waving her over. 

Azzi approached her with a smile. “Of course.” 

“So Azzi, you’re here for the premiere of Old Love, which your friend Ice Brady has had a big part in. Have you gotten a sneak peek of it yet?” the interviewer asked.

“I haven’t! But I also love seeing movies for the first time in the movie theatre, so I am very excited to be here and see it for the first time together with everyone else,” she told her. 

“Your own movie with Zendaya recently had its premiere, how different is it to attend your own premiere compared to somebody else’s?”

“Oh it’s a bit more relaxing to attend somebody else’s. I’m just here to support my friend and watch a great movie, I mean, that sounds like a perfect Friday night, you know? When it’s your own premiere, it feels a bit more like work on a Monday morning. But hey, I love both,” Azzi answered with a charming smile. 

“That’s great. And one last question. You are close friends with The Huskies lead singer Paige Bueckers who will also be here tonight, who happens to have made the soundtrack to the movie. The soundtrack was released last night, so my question is, have you listened to it yet, and what did you think?”

As soon as Azzi had heard the word huskies, she knew she was in trouble. Never before had she gotten a question about Paige in a professional setting like this. A quick ghost of the past flashed in her mind, reminding her that she used to daydream about getting asked about Paige, daydream about getting to answer like a proud girlfriend.

She swallowed by instinct, trying to look as neutral as possible, before answering:

“I haven’t. I guess I’ll hear it soon though,” she forced a smile. The interviewer could clearly see that Azzi got uncomfortable with the question. 

“Thank you Azzi,” the interviewer wrapped it up.

“Thank you,” she said curtly, to then immediately walk up to Caroline. 

“What the fuck was that?” Azzi hissed to her agent. 

“What?”

“People magazine just asked me about Paige,” she exclaimed angrily. 

“What? What did they ask?”

“They said that me and Paige are very close friends and asked if I had listened to their soundtrack yet.”

Caroline gave her a look that said ‘are you serious right now?’

“I mean, she did make the soundtrack to the movie, and people have seen you two pictured together,” Caroline said slowly.

“Yeah, like over a year ago,” Azzi said.

“Azzi, I can go over and talk to them if you want me to tell them to remove that question, but I don’t think there was any bad intent with it,” Caroline nervously laughed. “They weren’t trying to get you.”

Azzi exhaled and relaxed her body. Caroline was right. She had to relax and not read too much into things if she was gonna survive this night. She couldn’t be this reactive already. After all, it was only a matter of time before she probably would see her ex-girlfriend in the flesh. 

She looked over at the rest of the carpet and saw Ice with some of the other producers and the director of the movie, giving interviews. She sighed, knowing that she probably wouldn’t get a hold of her friend until they’d be inside. 

“Let’s just finish this carpet and then go inside,” Caroline suggested, trying to calm Azzi’s nerves. 

Azzi nodded and kept on walking, posing for the camera every now and then, stopping for interviews along the way. She tried to focus on what was right in front of her, the cameras, the interviewer, the red carpet, trying to not look for a certain blonde woman. 

But right when she was at the end of the carpet, she heard the crowd go wild. They were shrieking, in fact. Naturally, she turned her head to the sound, and to Azzi’s horror, there she was. 

At the beginning of the carpet, Paige Bueckers exited a car with a slick black suit and wavy long blonde hair. She looked like she was going to a funeral, which was fitting, because Azzi felt like she could’ve might as well have died right there. 

“Oh my God,” she exhaled shakily at the sight. She wanted to be angry at how good Paige looked, and how she wore that stupidly charming smile in front of everyone. 

“Let’s go inside,” Azzi looked away and swallowed hard, wanting to escape whatever it was that she was feeling. 

Paige hadn’t seen her yet. She was too occupied posing with The Huskies for the cameras and trying not to get deaf by their screaming fans. She didn’t even know that Azzi was gonna be there. 

And maybe that was Ice’s plan all along - to give Paige a heart attack. Because the moment she stepped inside the movie theatre for the screening, there she was. Azzi Fudd, and Paige’s heart almost fell out of her chest.

“Azzi’s here?” she asked in disbelief to her bandmates. 

“Where?” KK asked. 

Paige discreetly pointed at the front row where she saw the actress sitting next to Ice Brady, laughing about something. Her hair was blown out and the upper part of her dress that Paige caught a glimpse of could certainly kill. 

“I didn’t know she’d be here,” Paige swallowed nervously.

“You gonna be okay?” Sarah asked worriedly. 

“Yeah. Yeah, it’s alright,” Paige dismissed. “Let’s take our seats.”

Thankfully, or maybe regretfully, The Huskies were sitting in the back row far away from the actress. But they sat at the side so that the angle was perfect for Paige to still be able to see the profile of Azzi’s face.

Needless to say, when the lights turned off and the screening began, Paige didn’t spend much time watching the movie. She was watching her.

She was watching the movie through Azzi’s reactions. 

And Azzi had a lot of reactions. 

Ice noticed in the first minute of the movie. The opening scene started with the strum of an acoustic guitar, and then the raw vocals of Paige Bueckers, singing straight into Azzi’s heart. She felt her breath get caught in her throat. 

“You okay?” Ice looked at Azzi who looked like she had seen a ghost. 

“Yeah I’m fine,” she had quickly replied and took a deep breath, buckling up for the rest of the movie. If she was already this affected by hearing her ex-girlfriend’s voice in the first minute of the movie, how was she going to survive two hours of it?

On top of that, it was a movie about lesbian love in the eighties with a gut wrenching storyline of heartbreak, redemption, hopelessness and longing. Paige’s voice was really complementary to the whole feeling of the aching loss of love, and Azzi cursed the band under her breath for being such brilliant musicians. 

It was good. The whole soundtrack was really the cherry on top for the movie, and Azzi wondered if anyone could really tell whether the music was written for the movie, or if the screenplay was written for the music. 

She quietly promised to herself that she would never listen to the soundtrack again, for her own health. She then sighed out of frustration, knowing that it was a totally empty promise. 

It wasn’t until the movie had ended that Azzi felt like she could relax. When the credits were finally at the finish line, she sank deep into her chair and let out a breath she didn’t know she had held.

Azzi joined the rest of the theatre in a standing ovation when the lights turned on again. 

“Ah, Ice!” she exclaimed and tightly hugged her friend next to her. “I’m so proud of you. What an accomplishment, what a debut. I loved it.”

“Did you really?” Ice beamed. 

“Of course I did! You should be so proud of yourself, you’ve done great,” Azzi smiled. 

The producers, director, actors - every single one of the production - walked up to the stage and received the loud applauds that were given. 

Azzi grabbed her phone and recorded Ice like a proud mom. The joy she felt for her friend was immense, and she really couldn’t be prouder of her friend. She was in a great mood, already forgotten about the band that was sitting in the back. But that didn’t last long.

“We would like to give a special thanks to The Huskies for writing such beautiful music,” one of the producers said in a microphone and waved the band up on stage. The whole crowd erupted into whistles and another round of applause as they took the stage as if they belonged on it. And they did. 

Paige stood on stage, looking over the crowd with a big smile on her face, before finally setting her eyes on Azzi. 

And time seemed to stop right then and there. 

That was the effect those blue eyes always had on her. She knew that. Yet, her breath caught in her throat the moment they landed on her. 

Paige was full on staring at her.

And Azzi was staring right back. 

God, Azzi was painfully beautiful.

And Paige was so fucking pretty. 

Paige gave a timid smile to her. Azzi didn’t smile back. She just looked at her with a neutral face. 

Paige was already nervous, but seeing Azzi just observing her without giving any hints on her emotions made Paige’s knees go weak. She put her arm around KK for support and tore her eyes away from the actress in an attempt to save herself from completely collapsing on stage. 

The screening ended quickly after that. People were eager to get to the after party, especially the ones from the production. They were ready to clock out of work and celebrate with drinks in their hands. 

Azzi was one of them. She needed a drink, and she needed it now. 

“Slow down,” Ice chuckled as Azzi took two glasses of champagne into her hands when the tray passed her by. They had moved themselves to the venue of the after party and were mingling around the lobby. 

“The Huskies aren’t here yet, you have time to prepare yourself mentally” Ice continued, already knowing why Azzi was downing her alcohol. 

“That’s what I’m doing,” Azzi mumbled and grabbed another glass as she finished her first one. 

Ice just looked at her up and down with a doubtful look, but didn’t push it. 

They ventured further into the venue and caught up with all the people along the way. Azzi found herself having a great time mingling with the actors from the movie, specifically the actress that had played the lead role. 

“I can’t believe I’m here drinking champagne with Azzi Fudd,” she said and put her hand on Azzi’s arm. Her name was Georgia Amoore, and everyone in the industry knew who she was. She was an actress who had already made a name for herself as the next up and coming actress. According to the articles, she was the next Saoirse Ronan. 

“Are you kidding me? I can’t believe I’m finally meeting Georgia Amoore,” Azzi smiled and gained some confidence from Georgia’s touch. 

“Oh please,” Georgia blushed. 

“You know there’s already Oscar-buzz about you, right?” Azzi raised her eyebrows. 

“Stop, you’re making me all nervous over here,” the other actress playfully slapped Azzi’s shoulder. 

“Don’t be, it’s just me,” Azzi teased and rubbed her hand on Georgia’s arm. 

On the other side of the room, daggers were being shot from the one and only Paige Bueckers. She saw everything. 

She saw how Georgia was getting closer and closer to Azzi, saw how she was laughing a little too loud for Paige’s liking, and she saw the way her eyes always seemed to drift to Azzi’s lips. 

“Are they together or something?” Paige mumbled bitterly to KK. She didn’t even have to point to them, because it was so clear what she was looking at. 

“Man, don’t do that to yourself,” KK said and grabbed Paige’s head and turned it towards herself. “Don’t make this night about her. This night is for us, for you.”

But Paige didn’t listen. She just turned her head back to look at the two actresses. 

It had been a year since they last had seen each other, but there wasn’t a day where Paige hadn’t thought about her. It hadn’t gone a second where she hadn’t missed her. 

The day Paige had decided to break up with Azzi, she had accepted the fact that she was giving her up for her siblings. She had accepted the idea of never dating women ever again after that. But seeing that her mom still didn’t let her see Ryan and Lauren, there was really nothing left to lose anymore. 

There was nothing left to lose now. 

It echoed in her head.

“I need to get her back,” Paige suddenly said, like an epiphany.

“Bro, no,” KK sighed. “Don’t do this now.”

“I have to,” Paige said and looked KK dead in the eyes.

“Don’t you think the fact that she has blocked you everywhere is a hint of what she’s feeling towards you?” KK asked. 

“Yeah, exactly, that’s my point,” Paige smiled. “There’s nothing left to lose now.”

KK groaned. 

“Just don’t make a scene,” she shook her head in disbelief over Paige’s sudden decision. 

Paige saw Azzi heading towards the bathrooms and took that as a cue.

“Alright, wish me luck,” she said as she left to go after Azzi. 

The bathroom was big and glamorous, but it was a nice break from the loud crowd out in the venue. It was quiet, and all you could hear was the chit chat from the few women reapplying some makeup in front of the mirrors, and some occasional flush from the toilets inside the stalls. 

Azzi was nowhere to be seen. She was probably in one of the stalls, so Paige sat down at the small sofa that was placed by the wall and waited. 

Azzi didn’t even see her when she exited the stall, she just went straight to the faucet and washed her hands. It wasn’t until she looked up in the mirror that she saw Paige’s reflection walking up to her.

And her body froze as she met those blue eyes in the mirror.

She turned off the water and slowly turned around. Her wet hands leaning on the countertop, making her upper body lean away from Paige who were standing right in front of her now.

“Didn’t know you were close with Georgia,” Paige opened, and immediately internally facepalmed herself. She hadn’t talked to Azzi in a year and that was the line she decided to start with? She could already hear KK in her head, going ‘are you dumb’. 

Azzi raised one of her eyebrows and looked at Paige sceptically. 

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I just met her tonight,” she replied coolly, and Paige’s mouth twitched. 

Paige could feel the eyes of the other women in the bathroom, but didn’t care. She had to make things right with Azzi before the night was over. 

“You look stunning,” she said softly and let her eyes wander up and down Azzi’s body. 

Azzi blinked and bit her lower lip. If anyone else had seen her face, they wouldn’t have seen the difference, but Paige did. Paige saw how she softened just for a second, and that was enough confirmation for Paige that Azzi wasn’t as unaffected as she portrayed. 

“You can say it back, I won’t tell anyone,” Paige added playfully, which earned a light scoff from Azzi.

“Yeah no, I’m good,” Azzi said and cocked her head to the side. Paige just let out a huff of air from amusement and smiled. 

“How have you been?” she asked. 

“Fantastic,” Azzi dryly replied.

Paige realized that Azzi wasn’t going to ask anything back. But she also didn’t leave, and that was all Paige needed for her to not give up. 

Azzi was too occupied trying to breathe. It felt like she was being cornered, while it also felt like Paige wasn’t close enough. Her mind was racing with thoughts. What was she supposed to do? Should she just leave? Should she just push her back into a stall and kiss her? Should she just tell her how much she hurt her to punish her? Or should she go back out and make out with Georgia right in front of her? A million different options were running through her head, but none felt better than the other.

“Azzi, I-”

“-I should go back,” Azzi cut her off. “Georgia’s waiting for me.”

“Wait-”

But before Paige could stop her, Azzi was already walking out the bathroom. 

‘Breathe, breathe, don’t look back’, Azzi thought to herself as she hurriedly left the bathroom. She was escaping from her unresolved feelings towards the blonde by literally escaping her presence. It was just a bonus that it made a statement as well. 

She hoped it hurt, while she also wondered a little bit what Paige was gonna say. 

“Hey, you’re back,” Georgia smiled at her as she returned to the actress. 

But Azzi didn’t even have the time to answer before Paige was caught up with her, suddenly standing right next to them. 

“Hi,” Paige said and looked at Georgia. 

“Oh hi,” Georgia smiled excitedly towards the singer. “I’m so glad to finally get to talk to you. I must say, I love the soundtrack. You guys are really talented.”

“Thank you, Georgia,”  Paige smirked and then looked at Azzi who was looking at Paige annoyed. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but can I borrow Azzi for a moment?”

“Uh, of course,” Georgia said, a bit confused, and stepped away from the small group, saying a rushed “catch up with you later Azzi.”

“Really?” Azzi rolled her eyes as they now were standing there alone. Well, as alone as two people can be in the midst of a party. 

“I just need to talk to you,” Paige swallowed. 

“Not really in the mood for listening,” Azzi just said. “Besides, this isn’t very lowkey of you.”

Okay, that stung.

“I’m not trying to be,” Paige said ashamed, knowing what Azzi was referring to. 

“That’s new,” Azzi mumbled. 

“I miss you,” Paige said softly, and Azzi cussed under her breath for how much those words made her heart skip a beat. 

“Please let me explain everything,” the singer continued and boldly, yet gently, reached out her fingers and touched Azzi’s hand, following her veins with a soft caress. 

Azzi swallowed hard. God, had she missed the feeling of Paige’s touch. She had missed everything, all the time. Just the way Paige was looking at her right now was making it hard to keep being cold. Her body wanted nothing but to throw itself at Paige, aching for her touch.

Paige let her fingers play with Azzi’s, before carefully tangling them together, holding her hand in her own for the first time in over a year. 

And that made Azzi snap out of her momentarily trance of familiarity. 

“No, Paige,” she harshly jerked her hand out of Paige’s as if she had been burned by her touch. 

She looked at Paige with hurt eyes, and it felt like a punch in Paige’s gut.

“You don’t get to do that,” Azzi’s voice trembled from anger, from sadness, from hurt. “You don’t get to break my heart and just come back a year later, thinking I owe you my time to listen to your explanation. It is too late, Paige. You’re too late.”

Paige looked down on the floor like a dog who was being scolded by its owner, except that she knew that this was all fair, and that Azzi was right. 

“Azzi, I made a huge mistake,” Paige pleaded with a small voice. 

“Yeah well, that makes the two of us,” Azzi said, mercilessly. 

That shut Paige up. 

“Congratulations on your soundtrack, Paige,” Azzi said bitterly and walked away, once again. 

Paige just watched her go with sad eyes and a deep sigh. The worst part was that she knew that she had no right. She knew that Azzi’s behaviour was fair. Paige deserved that. She wouldn’t even blame Azzi if she would’ve punched her in the face, actually. 

KK, Aubrey and Sarah had seen it all from a distance, and walked over to their lead singer. 

“How did it go?” KK asked carefully, already knowing the answer. 

“She didn’t want to talk to me,” Paige said with a small voice, sounding as if she was gonna cry any second. 

“Aw pookie,” Aubrey said and embraced her friend. 

“And I don’t blame her,” Paige added. “She has every right to hate me. But I just thought… I don’t know. It was stupid.”

“No it wasn’t,” Sarah disagreed. “It’s never stupid to follow your heart. Paige, that was like the least stupid thing you’ve done.”

WIth that, Paige smiled a little. 

“Think so?” she asked.

“Yeah, and you do a lot of stupid things,” Sarah teased and Paige chuckled. 

Even in the middle of one more heartbreak, she felt lucky she was surrounded by the people she loved the most. The people who never left. 

—

October 2026

It was an odd feeling for Paige to be in the church she grew up in once again. It looked smaller than she remembered. The glass mosaic let in colorful rays of sunlight and it made the wooden interior look less dark than it usually did. 

Paige didn’t really know why this was her decision. People had been begging her to go see a psychologist for years, but when she had decided to actually go talk to somebody, the church was the place that felt less scary. 

She was standing right in front of the altar, enjoying the art on the walls and the ceiling, feeling at peace with the silence and the emptiness of the building. She was the only one there. 

Until she heard footsteps behind her. 

“Hello,” an older woman approached her. “Are you Paige?”

She turned around and extended her hand to greet the woman.

“Hi, yes, that’s me.”

“Hi Paige, I’m deacon Barbara, we spoke on the phone,” Barbara introduced herself. “There’s a private room down the hall where we can talk.”

The blonde followed the woman into a small room with a couch and several chairs around a table. Barbara pointed to a chair and sat down right across Paige. 

“So, tell me why you’re here, Paige,” Barbara smiled with a curious look.

“Um, well, I have hurt people around me, and I want to change that,” she started. 

Barbara nodded but didn’t ask any further questions, using her silence to make Paige open up more. 

“Actually,” Paige spoke up, as if she just remembered something. “I used to come here a lot when I was younger. My mom was always here. Well, until she left. I haven’t been here since.”

“How many years ago was that?” Barbara asked. 

“Twelve years ago,” Paige answered without thinking. 

“Do you miss her?”

“Um… I don’t know,” Paige swallowed. “I mean she came back eventually. But I missed her when she was gone, yeah.”

“How did it feel when she came back?”

Paige thought about it. How did it feel? It felt…

“Weird,” Paige said. “It felt weird.” 

“Weird?”

“Yeah. She had been gone for four years. And when she came back into my life, it wasn’t really as my mom, it felt more like getting an acquaintance. Like being with an old friend that you’ve grown apart from and actually have nothing in common with anymore.”

“How’s your relationship with her now?”

“It’s… not really existing at the moment,” Paige slowly admitted. 

Barbara just raised her eyebrows.

“I’d have to go into a whole ‘nother chapter of my life to explain that,” Paige nervously chuckled. 

“Another chapter?” Barbara asked curiously. “And what would that chapter be called?”

And without missing a beat, Paige simply said:

“Azzi Fudd.”

And for the first time, Paige told everything, completely unfiltered, not holding back. She told Barbara about how she liked girls and how her mom found out and left them. She told her about the shame and the guilt for liking girls. She told her about the crush she’s had on Azzi since forever. She told her about her mom’s return and the existence of her siblings and about never mentioning girls again with her mom. She told her about the night she finally met Azzi, and about their relationship. 

And lastly, she told her about the break up. 

“I chose my family,” Paige said with a sigh. “I thought I did the right thing, but I just ended up hurting the person I love the most and still losing my family.” 

Barbara looked at her with a sympathetic face. 

“You were put in a very difficult position. You could’ve chosen Azzi and still ended up right where you are right now,” Barbara said softly. “There was no right or wrong thing to do, you were only given one option, and that was to hurt somebody.”

Paige felt her eyes well up. The burden of guilt somehow feeling lighter on her shoulders from hearing those words.

“The thing I regret the most is how I didn’t tell Azzi. I thought, once again, that I did the right thing by not letting her know the position I was in, because I didn’t want her to feel guilty. But now I realized that she was right. It was nothing but selfish of me to not tell her,” Paige said.

“Sometimes intentions and effect don’t correlate,” Barbara nodded. 

“I wanted to explain last month when I saw her for the first time after a year, but she didn’t want to talk to me.”

Barbara hummed and looked at Paige with a pondering look on her face. 

“Can I ask you something?” Barbara spoke.

Paige just looked up at her, a little scared of what was about to come.

“What is your biggest fear, Paige?”

Paige took a deep breath and thought about it. She could think of the top three worst moments of her life, but thinking about hypothetical fears, that was harder. 

“I’m not sure,” she said at last. “I feel like I adjust myself to each fear that presents itself in the moment.”

“Do you have a fear right now?”

Paige nodded slowly. “I’m scared I’ll miss my siblings growing up. And I’m scared that I’ll never get to be with Azzi again.”

“Both of these fears are about losing people,” Barbara concluded. “Before your mom gave you the ultimatum, and before you broke up with Azzi, did you have any other fears?”

“Well I was scared about my mom finding out about me and Azzi, and the rest of the world to be honest,” Paige admitted. 

“Can I make an observation?” the deacon asked. 

Paige nodded.

“Your fears seem to stem from how your mom left the first time,” she said. “She showed you early on that liking girls meant to lose something, to lose people. You seem to try and control everything around you to not make that happen again, which makes it seem like you think you can deserve someone’s love depending on how much you can control things. You didn’t deserve to be left, Paige. You can never control who leaves or not.”

Barbara had said it so calmly. As if she hadn’t just made everything in Paige’s body tremble in truth. 

“Your sexuality is not what decides whether or not you’re worth staying for, Paige.”

And hearing that was like seeing a part of heaven that Paige never thought was within reach for her. 

“I know your mom’s faith has made a deep impact on your life, but I just hope you know how many people in the church don't care that you like girls, and don’t think you will go to hell at all. People can never be the judge of who deserves hell or heaven anyway. We could point fingers forever. That’s not how it works.”

Paige swallowed hard. It was deeply comforting to hear someone else speak about her and be completely supportive of who she is. She had bared all her wrongs and flaws, and Barbara was still taking her side, making sure she understood that Paige didn’t do it all to herself. 

Barbara had made sure to make Paige understand that she didn’t do anything to deserve her mom leaving. 

And finally, Paige understood just how much power her mom has held over her. Even in her absence she controlled Paige by the fears she had set in her at a young age. 

“How do I take back the power my fears have over me?” Paige asked, almost desperately. 

Barbara smiled.

“Understand that you were meant to be exactly who you are, and never think you have to be anything else. Being yourself, the person you were meant to be, is the most powerful thing you can do.”

She then added:

“Be you. Be great.”

-Dr. Bright is known to have an extensive knowledge of pop culture references, often quoting movies and songs inappropriately during serious meetings, which both annoys and amuses his colleagues.

-Gears is a meticulous planner, and he keeps a detailed journal of every experiment he conducts. He believes that documenting every detail helps prevent future anomalies and ensures that knowledge is preserved for future researchers.

-Clef has a ritual of visiting the containment chambers of SCP-999 on a weekly basis, believing that the creature's happiness is a barometer for the well-being of the Foundation as a whole.

-Every evening, after a long day of containment procedures and scientific analysis, Dr. Kondraki has a surprisingly meticulous routine of tending to a small, unassuming bonsai tree in his private quarters. He often finds a quiet solace in its slow, deliberate growth, a stark contrast to the volatile nature of his work.

-Dr. Iceberg doesn’t form many bonds, but when he does, they are absolute. If someone earns his trust, he becomes quietly protective in a way that’s almost invisible—until someone else tries to endanger them.

-Many young researchers arrive at the Foundation completely unprepared for what they’re about to experience. Dr. Glass quietly keeps an eye on them. He’s the kind of person who notices when someone looks exhausted, overwhelmed, or frightened. He may not confront them directly, but he’ll find a way to check in.

-Dr. Paradox can identify when someone is lying within minutes of speaking to them—not because he has some supernatural ability, but because he’s spent years studying microexpressions, speech patterns, and behavioral inconsistencies.

-Dr. Rights has a terrifying “Mom Voice”. Most personnel know Dr. Rights as kind and patient, but when someone crosses a line? Everything changes. She doesn’t yell. She doesn’t threaten. She simply uses a very specific tone. The moment that voice appears, entire rooms go silent.

-Dr. Light has a locked desk drawer that everyone assumes contains classified documents. In reality, it’s filled with candy, energy bars, and emergency chocolate for long research nights.

-Despite his reputation, Dr. Gerald is actually very careful when working with genuinely dangerous anomalies. The reckless behavior usually appears during lower-risk testing. When something poses a serious threat, he becomes surprisingly focused and professional.

-Dr. Trebuchet's colleagues swear she doesn’t sleep. Not in the metaphorical “I work too hard” way—more like she schedules sleep the way most people schedule dental appointments: reluctantly, and only when forced by medical personnel or an SCP with memetic influence that induces unconsciousness.

-Dr. King prefers long-term containment cases where he can build patterns over time. Rapid crisis response situations frustrate him—not because he can’t handle them, but because he considers them “statistically noisy.”

-Dr. Edison has a habit of naming experiments after mundane objects (“Toaster Protocol,” “Desk Lamp Scenario,” “Kettle Run”), which deeply confuses junior researchers until they realize the names are usually the only non-lethal thing about them.

-Dr. Cimmerian is surprisingly tolerant of ethical debates, but only up to a point. Once a discussion starts looping, he tends to end it with variations of: “We are not doing philosophy with a contained memetic hazard. We are doing paperwork so we don’t all die.”

-Dr. Mann has an unnerving habit of remembering people’s baseline vitals without ever looking at a file twice. Staff swear he once corrected a nurse’s charting error just by glancing at a hallway interaction.

-Dr. Roth is known for never raising her voice. Ever. In fact, multiple personnel files note that she maintains the same tone whether she’s discussing lunch plans or a containment breach involving a reality-eating manuscript.

TW: Trapped in, injuries, exhaustion, implied death

Another work of patrolling. Hero couldn't shake off the memory of that night before–he cursed himself for letting the criminal escape. He blames himself for underestimating the villain's scheme. Cringing from that memory, Hero brushes it off and proceeds in his night patrol.

Hero kept on strolling, looking for nooks and crannies or anything suspicious, then he stopped at a particular warehouse that is seemingly abandoned, he could have sworn he heard faint murmurs on the inside.

Hero debates whether he should investigate or not. Eventually curiosity took over. Hero went closer to the entrance, inside; he saw multiple people gathered at the center. Hero recognized one of them was the same villain he fought last time. Not only that–it hits him when he realized that this could be a villain's meeting place.

Hero wanted to eavesdrop just in case something serious. He couldn't hear what they were saying, luckily the large door is slightly open. While the villains are busy discussing whatever–Hero quietly went in and hid behind one of the large shelves, containing multiple strange devices and reactive chemicals. Hero definitely doesn't want to touch any of that.

His heart dropped when he heard the villain's conversation involving an ambush to Superhero headquarters, capture every hero on the list that poses a threat to Supervillain's plan then destroy the league. With it, nothing can stop Supervillain!

Hero felt nauseated, he immediately wanted to leave as soon as possible and warn his colleagues about the villain's ultimate plan. With his panic nature–he accidentally nudges the shelf causing the items to collide, making a noise.

The Vees analysis + theory post

TW: Mentions of r*pe, sexual assault, sex trafficking, exploitation of individuals

I want to discuss the terrifying implications of that scene in Hazbin Hotel season two, episode one that depicts a montage where Valentino is seen relentlessly abusing Angel Dust, hitting him to comedic effect as this has garnered a lot of controversy online for the writers’ inability to treat rape victims with care and downplaying the trauma they face by making it funny.

Personally, I don't like the fact that Angel’s abuse is turned into a joke but at the same time Vox is turning this into his own sick brand of entertainment, the Vees are the type of villains who like to exploit people in order to create good television and find pleasure in causing those people suffering, as long as they get money of it, they can remain right on top of the ladder. This is shown quite frequently in Hazbin Guarantee (Trust Us) where they pluck sinners out of obscurity and promise them riches and fame and exploit them only to get tired of them and kick them. Vox is a cult leader who knows how to get people to trust him and then disposes of them when they're no longer useful. That being said, The Vees view the stars under their hold as toys they can break. Vox has been studying Val’s activities with Angel Dust, fabricating the footage to make it seem funny as Vox had made his disdain quite clear in the past and he views him as an obstacle in his and Val’s relationship. He wants to know what it's like to be in shoes, so he can break his little toy and get him out of the picture. Valentino is supposed to uphold an image according to Vox, the fact he was hurting Angel being exposed to the world could lead to a bad reputation for their image and he wants that situation dealt with. Val remarks that Vox is obsessed with him, which is crucial foreshadowing. We know in a later episode that Vox will attack Angel in the same brutal manner and perhaps hypnotise his mind, perhaps Vox is jealous of the time Val spends with Angel and has been studying his actions so he can one day get rid of Angel, an obstacle and the centre of Val’s attention, therefore avoiding such contrivances to happen that could affect their overload statuses.

Vox is following his boytoy’s playbook and cleaning up the messes that could damage their reputation/put a wedge in their plans. Vox can shove Val’s reprehensible actions right in his face, until he continues to dismiss and deny it. Acting like the victim to make himself look better because even if the evidence is shoved right in his face, he has too much power and he would make him seem untouchable. Many examples have been seen in the real world with horrible people in positions of power getting away with their disgusting actions or accusations being thrown at them and being denied. The Vees are exactly like that. They think they are untouchable, gods and they need to start acting like it by getting rid of anything that could pose a threat to them. Vox believes he's the one who can take care of that. The intention of the scene isn't to make fun of victims or to not take serious topics like sa seriously, the scene is designed to make you feel uncomfortable that such horrific actions could be laughed at and enabled by the authority victims around them.

Val may be the worst out of the three but his behaviour is heavily encouraged because the other vees Vox and Velvette are complicit in his actions. They don't care about the harm he’s causing to his victims as long as it gives them fame and power. Velvette is the creator of the love potion that Val directly contributes from to traffic and sexually exploit his victims, verbally abusing and body shaming all of her employees whereas Vox is a massive enabler of his behaviour by always being the one to put an end to his tantrums and clean up his messes. He funds his entire work that benefits from the suffering of others. He doesn't give a fuck about the harm he causes as long as it benefits him because he controls all of the media in hell. They have a not so secret romantic relationship that blurs the lines between their personal and work life where Vox sometimes sleeps in the same bed as this man, breathing in the same poison they share. When the Vees conspire about their plans to take over heaven, Val wants to turn the angels into sex toys that he can exploit and break in whatever way he pleases even when Adam had created them to be the perfect soldiers. He will never change once he gets up to those pearly gates, the Vees will be untouchable and get everything they want. Val knows how to put on an act - he acts almost like a bratty clueless child around Vox and Velvette but that doesn't mean he's smart, he knows that is how he gets people to trust him. In contrast, in Angel’s point of view, he's a sick and violent monster hellbent on making Angel’s life a living hell. He is essentially slipping in and out of a mask, acting so differently around the Vees compared to how he is with his victims. That is the cold world in which abusers like him operate and Vox doesn't give a shit about what he does as long as it doesn't jeopardise his own reputation. It's made pretty clear in the trailers and in S1 that the only thing on Vox’s mind is Alastor and that the mere thought of watching him suffer is better than sex, which goes against Valentino as he is choosing Alastor and his desire to get revenge over him and this will most likely fester into a betrayal or disbandment between the Vees as Vox becomes more hungry with power, just as he disregards the other two Vees at the end of Trust Us by making it about himself. After all, Vox is powerless with how the other Vees as that could very well be his downfall as we always like to watch those horrible people in power like Vox fall.

Vox is a cult leader, he knows how to manipulate the masses and fully entrance them into their cause until they are no longer useful to them. He takes control of people’s minds, stripping them of their own free will and autonomy while using his own network to exploit and sexualise the stars Val seeks to create.

Val is an abusive pimp whose behaviour is enabled by those around him, who gains more power and influence from the other two Vees as a result. Who makes contracts keeping souls like Angel’s, as once they sign their bodies away, they are in further danger of abuse and exploitation. Val is the most dangerous out of the Vees because not only is he obsessed with owning the crevice of every soul he craves, he can slip in and out of that mask his power over others has given him, making his horrendous actions keep going in a constant cycle.

Velvette is built around the idea of exploitation as well, she has connections to magic that she uses to create the love potions that allow more souls to be exploited and remain under Val’s control. She treats her models as dolls more than human beings, constantly forcing them to dress up and change their appearance, thus actively exploiting their appearance to gain tribunals from their suffering and no matter how much they are hated, it will still gain them popularity.

Each of the Vees enjoy or have a way of exploiting people and gain power from it. The intention of the writers is not to make fun of such sensitive topics and the victims that suffer from them, it is to make you disgusted of how they look down upon those they harm and seek pleasure in those such things. This is through the lenses of horrible people looking down at the suffering of someone under their control and laughing at it. It is supposed to make you feel uncomfortable and outraged. It doesn't put the victim in the bad light but rather the abuser, downplaying his actions to be appear as some of form of entertainment to laugh rather than the serious acts of violence they are. Vox put the whole montage together in a funnier context to make Val look funny so he doesn't need to justify his terrible actions. Horrible man trying to make each other silly to make themselves look better.

That being said, the footage of Angel being abused that the Vees laugh at shows that they themselves don't take their horrible actions and their consequences seriously, but they are laughing directly at Angel’s trauma and not taking it seriously. It is established in the first episode that Angel is currently making good progress at healing from his trauma and even going to therapy with Charlie to talk about his feelings. Behind closed doors, Angel’s abuse is still being mocked and laughed at. That one frame in the trailer where Vox prises Angel’s eyes open to watch some kind of footage, I think Vox will show Angel this montage to remind him of who he belongs to and that’ll be how they hypnotise him by showing his abuse and installing him with the belief that he can never move on which will only make him more susceptible to falling under Vox’s control. Vox doesn't want Angel to heal, he wants him to self destruct. They will use Angel to attack the hotel, in turn shattering the progress he’s made until he destroys himself. Angel emphasized on those words so much in season one when he says -

“It's not an act!! It's who I need to be. And this... This is my escape! Where I can forget about it all! How much I hate... everything. A place where I can get high, and not have to think about how much it hurts. And maybe... If I can ruin myself enough in the process... if I end up broken, I won't be his favorite toy anymore... And maybe he'll let me go…”

Angel's words are proven right what the Vees do - they exploit people like toys further until they are no use to them anymore and discard them away once they are broken. That's what they seek to do with anyone they try to make a star or manufacture to become famous, which goes against everything Charlie stands for trying to rebel sinners, they just want to use their pain for their own gain and make money out of it. If they destroy themselves, then they will no longer be their favourite toys and they will be let go. Vox and the Vees sell these sinners with lies and then that is all taken away.

Overall, not defending them at all but this is my observation on such deplorable antagonists such as the Vees and how their whole enterprise is built on the suffering of the toys in their possession. Val’s obsession with Angel is being directly weaponised by Vox to turn him against the hotel and sow more division in hell. People having a fit about this don't understand that these are horrible people that do bad things who like to exploit people and laugh at their pain. The scene was supposed to make us feel uncomfortable at how such horrific actions are being painted as something to laugh at and not taken seriously in circles dominated by rich and powerful figures.

Under cut for spoilers and because this is long.

This will be a short series (currently looking at 4 posts total over 4 days). None of this information is brand new, and depending on how deeply you're involved in the Lily-crit community, you may have seen all of this stuff before. However, I still think it's worth cataloguing, especially for those who spend less time around the pit.

Lily has a habit of accusing her detractors of relitigating ancient material, long since debunked. That simply isn't the case; we begin this series with a sock-puppet that was active as recently as this year.

The Whose Hosiery of Lily Socks, Part 1: Sorfabuna