Anonymous #1 asked, "So is SkekBel the Soothsayer like... a good skeksis or...?"
No. SkekBel's not a "good" skeksis. She doesn't see the gelfling as equals. SkekBel favors the gelfling the way you'd love an exceptionally smart pet or an old piece of furniture that you've grown accustomed to. Bel's siding with them wasn't altruistic. She did it to piss off SkekSo (she's a petty old bitch) and because the extermination of the gelfling would mean depending on the podlings (whom she viewed as less refined/less competent) to serve/work. She views the unintended corruption of the crystal of Truth and the unnecessary depletion of Thra's natural resources as all the skeksis purposefully crashing a plane while they themselves are piloting the plane or still on board. Bel's not interested in preserving Thra because it is the right thing to do. She wants Thra to flourish again because a healthy, prosperous Skarith means more bounty for the skeksis. Unlike many of the other skeksis, who are only focused on the present, the Soothsayer thinks longterm and never stops working on how best to ensure her own continued existence.
Anonymous #2 asked, "Is SkekBel capable of love or is it all about manipulation and political posturing for her and the other skeksis?"
SkekBel is an experienced player in the political game. Like the Chamberlain, she's a master manipulator and an opportunist, utilizing her frailties as a weapon so her enemies/rivals/pawns/allies underestimate the potential threat she poses.
This does not mean Bel's incapable of forming real emotional bonds. Skeksis, being fractured creatures, view emotions through a skewed lense where love, obsession, posession, lust, and desire are all the same (interchangeable terms).
A good example of this is her twisted romance with SkekZok the Ritual Master. They're in opposite political factions (Zok's a part of the imperial brute squad, Bel's a member of the diplomatic nerd herd), yet they're also longtime lovers who tempt each other and push each other's buttons/boundaries in the name of political gain and personal pleasure.
Another example would be the Soothsayer's falling out with the Ornamentalist and Gourmand. Their longtime bond broke after Ayuk and Ekt nearly killed Bel with a peachberry pie. SkekBel's feelings were actually hurt because she'd considered the Ornamentalist a friend (she wasn't fond of Ayuk, but tolerated his presence because Ekt liked him) and was genuinely loyal to their alliance until SkekNa used Ekt's own infantile sadism against her (by framing Bel knowing Ekt wouldn't think things through before she retaliated).
Anonymous #3 asked, "So who tops? Ritual Master or Soothsayer?"
Depends on the context. If you mean skeksy fun time, Zok's the instigator and the dominant one. Bel's far too much of a prude to initiate and she's hesitant to take charge. That doesn't mean she won't reciprocate. She just needs a little push and some time to get into the zone/find her niche/stride. If we're talking about public engagements or politics, I'd say they're switches. They can argue/fight for hours, days, weeks, even months over preparations for their important ceremonies or celebrations and strategic maneuvering (which can/does sometimes lead up to skeksy fun time depending on how much they rile each other up, lol!).
Disclaimer: The Dark Crystal, The Dark Crystal Age of Resistance, and all the film/show characters belong to the Jim Henson Company.
SkekBel the Soothsayer belongs to @aurorasilverthorne.
If you use these characters or this OC in any fanfiction or fanart, please remember to credit their creators. Thank you.
