Hellaverse Merch - Tumblr Posts

Sorry for taking a while to get around to this, but I really wanted to think about your ideas and add some of my own!

First off, I adore Merch and would happily draw so much art of him if I could replicate the style to my satisfaction.

So let's start;

I think Merch would have a pattern similar to the darker pattern in Stella's hair, which could be in his electric hair/mane, also, building of my idea for Mammon having gold claws on his hands and needle-like feet, I think Merch's would be more akin to crystals. Also, I love the general idea of him being a peacock spider, specifically.

Thinking about it, Merch would probably be great at making (and, should the need arise, manipulating) friends, given that both of his parents are extremely extroverted people.

Also, he would have both electric and crystal powers, so he could really make a mess when he feels like it.

I feel Merch would very much be the type of kid to remind a teacher there was homework, he just loves being active, just like his dad.

For his older self, the idea of Merch becoming an imagineer is amazing, but I just want to add the concept of him wearing suits that evoke both glittery 60s and 70s stand up comedians and something to do with electricity, like a simplified circuit pattern.

I'd love to explore the dynamic between Octavia and a slightly older Merch, especially as he would quickly outgrow her. I could imagine they playfully mess with each other quite often. I could see Merch gently resting his arm on Via's head, sarcastically asking where his big sister could be.

You mentioning Charlie made me realize that if Merch eventually found out what the original hotel looked like, he would never let Charlie hear the end of it.

Leviathan would also do everything he could think of in an attempt to be Merch's favorite uncle.

I can't help but think Merch would have a slight soft spot for Andrea, since he might notice how much the time they spend together means to his uncle.

Merch would also take every chance to slip Fizz's hat off in front of others, because he knows how uncomfortable it makes him.

Yeah, I don't think anyone but Stella and Mammon could properly manage the chaos of baby Merch.

When it comes to Stolas, I think Merch would absolutely arrange for some elaborate event as a big front for setting up a humiliating experience for Stolas. Naturally playing dumb about both the prank and the fact he knows what Stolas did the whole time.

So, this brings me to a big idea I haven't mentioned anywhere, I like to think that Mam's palace is on an island just off the coast of Greed's mainland, a part of the island which was previously empty is converted into a bit of an arcade type spot, for Via and Merch to entertain friends at.

Mammon would also make sure Merch knew how to defend himself without using his powers, in case he had to do it in a hidden form, without drawing attention.

In addition to the cent thing, instead of the playing card diamonds, I think Merch would be associated with the more typical 5 pointed from the side view, flat topped diamonds.

Personally, I think Merch would be slightly taller than Stella and Octavia, but still notably shorter than Mammon, mostly as most spiders are a good bit bigger than peacock spiders.

I can't even express how much I LOVE the idea of Merch having a shilling tick, I don't think Octavia would really mind, at this point she'd have long since embraced the "corporate shame" she used to be annoyed by, she can, for lack of a better term, see the appeal.

Merch would also follow his family's tendency towards music, his first instrument would be bongos, again, because peacock spider.

I think Octavia would actually get really invested of taking care of little Merch, because it wasn't until she learned about the egg that she realized she had an internalized wish to have a sibling.

A Golden Goose Idea

After putting some thought into it, I’ve decided to hop back online for a moment and share some ideas I’ve had for a Mammon X Stella fan kid. I probably won’t do much of anything with with the character, but I felt like sharing my vision of a gremlin child for this glorious ship, while also borrowing from some of the ideas posited by @prof-ramses.

Ideas Under The Cut:

While Stella had experience from when Octavia was still an egg and was for the most part pretty reserved during the incubation period, Mammon’s nerves were shot and his dread over something going wrong before the egg hatched led him to act (more) aggressive and impulsive towards those outside his family. During the months leading up to the hatching day, Greed as a whole was walking on pins and needles for fear of provoking its ruler’s fury.

When the day finally came, Mammon and Stella welcomed a bouncing baby boy into the world and in that moment both felt like they were at the top of Hell.

They named him Merch.

Physically, Merch takes heavily after his father (same general build and four arms, but his head is more blocky and he has four visible eyes), with some attributes from his uncle Andy (he has some sparse crystalline/icy feathers). Overall, he draws a lot of inspiration from a Peacock Spider (Arachnophobia Warning).

Personality wise, Merch has the innocent, but chaotic energy of Spooky Month’s Skid and Pump mixed with the scheming and quick thinking of Louise Belcher. Merch is also possessing of a boundless sense of curiosity and a complete lack of understanding of boundaries or warnings, often resulting in him leaving chaos in his wake when left unattended.

Has a really close relationship with both of his parents, often helping his mom with her art projects and being overjoyed whenever his dad takes him to any of his various businesses (especially Loo Loo Land).

I like to think Merch eventually grows up to be an architect/engineer/imagineer that specializes in making fair rides and amusement parks as a tribute to both of his parents’ interests.

His relationship with Octavia is a bit distant given the significant gap in their ages, but the two get along pretty well and often turn to one another as someone they can vent to.

When it comes to his extended family, the Sins are (for the most part) overjoyed to have another little one running around they can dote on and guide towards eventually becoming a new superpower in Hell and Charlie just lights up whenever she sees him and he’s always excited to hangout with his cousin.

As for uncle Andrealphus, Merch follows in his dad’s footsteps in stringing him along and subtly insulting him to his face. Mam has definitely taught him to do the same to Ozzie and Fizz under the guise of it being a game.

While Camio and Furfur are overjoyed that Stella and Mam have another kid and they do genuinely care for Merch, after their first (and last) time babysitting him, they prefer to be around him with his parents or sister also being present.

The only person Merch legitimately dislikes is Stolas because, even if Merch doesn’t know all of the details, he knows that Stolas hurt his mom and sister. Stolas is probably the only person Merch actively schemes against in the hopes of making his life more difficult.

While Stella and Mammon are pretty involved and present parents, Merch is pretty much free to wander and explore Greed unattended, the same applying to Octavia, with no fear of either of them being in any real danger. Everyone in the ring knows better than to mess with them because, unlike Ozzie, Mammon would be far more active in ensuring either of his kids’ safety, even if it means cutting a bloody swath through his own territory.

In terms of voice, I can only really picture him as sounding like Pump.

I really like the idea of Merch wearing clothes emblazoned with a cent sign as a nod to Mammon’s design incorporating dollar signs.

I also like the idea of Merch just generally being larger than the rest of his family as an adult, while keeping most of his easy going and cheerfully chaotic personality despite maturing.

Merch has a tendency to say corporate buzzwords and shill Mammon brand products. He doesn’t really understanding what he’s talking about, he just wants to imitate his dad. Mammon and Stella find this habit adorable, while Octavia is left more than a little exasperated by it all.

Merch is every bit as touchy-feely and has the same personal space invading tendencies as his father.

Some ideas for Merch

For the uninitiated, @thatguywhodoesstuff made a Golden Goose fankid named Merch and We've been exchanging some ideas about him recently, so I decided to dump a bunch of my own concepts for him here, or rather, under the cut

Mammon's is immensely excited and nervous about the prospect of having a biological child prior to Merch hatching. During this time the other Sins, mainly Lucifer and Beelzebub, do their best to help him get through his rough patches.

When Merch does hatch, Mam gives Glitz and Glam a 2 year long roadmap of events to attend since he won't be there to directly manage their act with a new baby in the house. He also makes it very clear what will happen to them should they stray from it in an significant way.

As a kid, Merch wears a lot of baggy clothes and often takes Via's old stuff or at least he would if he liked the colors more).

When Merch starts manifesting his many powers, Mammon devotes extra time to teaching him to control them and even how to strengthen them should the need arise.

When Merch is a tween, he starts being a bit sassy towards his family, which is nothing special, but when he starts learning about Stella's background with her ex husband, he lightens up on it a little, especially towards Stella. There's an unspoken agreement in the rest of the family that they know why he calmed down but none of them point it out.

You might think Merch's fondness of annoying him and Fizz would make Ozzie stop trying to be his favorite uncle, but it's quite the opposite. Asmodeus thinks his nephew is just generally mischievous and thinks that if he plays it off like Merch's pranks don't get to him, he might be seen as the "cool uncle". Merch finds these misguided efforts hilarious.

Merch doesn't see himself as ever seeking out a relationship and considers himself fully content with just the family he has now and his businesses. Mammon sees a lot of his younger self in this behavior and lightly jokes about it with his son.

While it's very rare for Merch to get outright angry, it's not too rare to see him at this scariest, which is actually when he's extremely excited for something, usually the launch or opening of a project. He goes into full cackling super villain mode and takes the moment to relish his own business acumen.

Somewhat adjacent, he has Batman levels of contingency plans for every toy line he owns. In addition to having several episode of a tie-in cartoon made before they even hit stores, he will have paid some desperate artists peanuts to make a pilot for a spinoff series for each main cast member in case they become popular enough to sustain their own line. He convinces them to do this by promising that the animators will also profit from this one character inevitably becoming a fan favorite, he, of course, keeps every team he has working on these "preparations" unaware of the others. And that's all just one example.

When Merch is frustrated, electricity of several colors emanates from his swept back crest/hair, in a way similar to a plasma ball

This last one is more of a premise for something else, but Merch fits very well into it. He sets up a domain in preparation for his attempt to convince uncle Fizz to return to performing, and when he refuses, turns it into a Fizz trolling forum. One frequent patron of the forum seems to take to it oddly well, and this is not lost on Merch.

Merch and Stolas’ dynamic in a nutshell:

Yep, that's it to a T.