#Am I giving Belos too much credit?

[therealslimshady]

I love how much is recontextualized in the owl house by learning that Luz time traveled. Like in the season one finale it seemed that Belos had some weirdly personal beef with Luz and then you learn ohhhh it's because he recognized her from when he met her all those years ago. Or how this whole time it seemed so weird that Belos was just letting Luz run around until you realize ohhhhh it's because he's waiting for her to time travel back to him before he does anything against her. Or how weird it was that Belos wanted the portal but didn't bother going after it for years when he knew where it was until you realize ohhhhh he needed it to stay in one place so Luz could come to the demon realm and eventually complete the time travel loop. It's such a cool explanation for her plot armor

[thelegendofstella]

you have to wake up.

how?

you turn on the light.

(click/tap for better quality. closeups, notes, etc. under cut)

EDIT 4/9/2023: Image alts updated with IDs as per asking/request! I was way too tired to even think about doing them when I first posted this, lol, my bad

Closeups:

I CAN'T BELIEVE I MANAGED TO FINISH THIS IN TIME FOR THE FINALE. OH MY GOD

I've been working on this for ages (read: procrastinated until the last few days) and I can't believe how good this turned out in the end. For my standards, anyway. I just had to get this out somehow before the finale aired and I actually made it,,, Yay ;u; (1:30 AM on the day of is close enough, man fgyusdgshfsddsf)

This is basically kind of a redraw of one of the scenes in the WaD trailer we got a couple of weeks back that implied Amity and co. were attacking Luz because they thought she was Belos, because wow that was sure something. But I really have to give credit to this post for being my main inspiration and reference—that combined with the analysis posts of the trailer that have come out since then just really got my drive going.

I surprisingly don't have much to say about the process of this other than oh my god it was so hard to get all of their base colors??? Especially Willow's eye color, can you believe they've never shown her open eyes without glasses in natural light. I can, I looked. Besides that I am woefully unpracticed in shading so I just kinda winged it as best as I could here fdhjsdf.

(Please appreciate Belos' hands here, it took me fucking ages to get them right in the sketch. Perspective hands SUCK)

This came out to 3000px width by 1200px height, the largest canvas I've ever done so far. The .kra file of this has 981 layers, including folders (of which there were a lot because I am stupidly organized like that), and more filter layers than I know what to do with lol.

[sassylovermongerbear]

Watching and Dreaming Spoilers

If you don't give a shit just scroll, I don't mind, but I really just need to vent cause I don't know anyone that watch toh and I need to vent somewhere. It defenetly going to be a mess to read.

I literally just finished watching the last episode and I've been crying the entire time. This show is just so amazing.

I love how Rain was so much stronger than what people give them credit for. Like they were a coven head and sure most of the time they're dorky and cute but they're also so powerful. They literally resist against Belos' control and got him out of their body AND SURVIVE (Flapjack could never... I'M SORRY FOR THAT IT WAS TOO TEMPTING).

Also I'm so glad I was right about the person we see in the world in between, in the 2nd episode, being King's dad. A'd the little worm thingy looking like Hooty hot me lol. Imagine it's someone from Hooty's family.

The collector was so cute and innocent like poor kid just wanted a friend! And the fact that he didn't know that people could DIE because of his games!!!!

Which bring me to Luz's "death". YOU CAN'T SCARE PEOPLE LIKE THAT!!! AND THEN, BECAUSE APPARENTLY THAT WAS NOT TRAUMATIZING ENOUGH, THEY HAVE THE AUDACITY TO MAKE DOLL CAMILLA CRY!???? LIKE SHE FUCKING KNEW HER DAUGHTER WAS GONE EVEN IN THAT STATE!!!!! IN WHAT WORLD DOES THAT SOUND LIKE A GOOD IDEA IN A KID SHOW????

Also Luz look when she came back was ICONIC. Girl looked so good, I wish Amity had the time to see it. She would've gone into full gay panic lol.

I'm sad we didn't get an Hunlow kiss too, but we got Willow's dads kiss and that was cute.

Can we talk for a second about the tattoos at the end??? THE FUCKING FLAPJACK TATTOOS THEY ALL HAVE??? I CRIED SO FUCKING HARD WHAMEN I SAW THEM 😭😭😭

And Hunter making palisement is just so perfect for him. While Eda became the thing she despite the most as a child, an authority figure in the education system lol.

And they all look so fucking good too!!!!

I can't believe that it's really over. The all thing was so good. From the very first episode to the last one, it was amazing. I just really don't want it to be the end.

If you read that far, sorry for the rambling lol. There is probably more to say that I forgot but now I just feel so empty. Like what am I suppose to do now? I know it's not the end of the world and there will be plenty of great show I can watch but it was so good and it's the end. We're never going to see them again. Sure there's always fanfics and fanarts but it not the same. I just wish it had lasted longer...

[witchescourge]

originskey

‘Fun’ isn’t exactly in Kratos’ lexicon, but there were some occasions he did indulge in something that wasn’t work or study. And granted, there were books beside him that weren’t typical leisure reads–how to preserve fruits, how to prepare a house for the winter, an electrician’s guide to heating… homeowner’s manuals, aside from the typical mythologies he’d rented out.

But currently, he turned the pages of Frankenstein, after remembering its monster was what Hunter dressed as for Halloween. So, giving his hands a break from building a shelter for the chickens at the cottage, he sat here with a cup of tea and a book. Until, that is, a familiar figure approached him.

Well. Familiar to him, at least. The Emperor and his student were certainly related by blood, that much was evident at a glance.

“Likewise.”

It’s a bland greeting, blasé in tone, but to Kratos’ credit… he’s a bland personality. But his eyes… locked onto the other’s.

“Is there something I can help you with.”

I doubt it, he thinks, as his mouth responds, “Ah, yes, actually. There’s something rather specific I’ve been looking for...”

He thinks he sees something move through the expression of the other man as their eyes meet; and that has Belos’ own posture relaxing, his smile warming marginally, a smoothly natural response of his own body intended to subtly disarm. What was the meaning of that miniscule shift of the muscles after the man spoke his greeting?

A nonchalant glance is spared at the books already on the table, and he will hold onto the bits of information they offer: this man is active in his life, probably dutiful, and likely a homekeeper, perhaps even a caretaker. Then there are the few tomes that strike on Belos’ interests, too.

“And you certainly seem to be more familiar with this library than I am.”

“Might you be able to point me in the direction of some local mythologies?”

[mdhwrites]

🦝 You know that time traveling sand thing? It was kind of strange, actually wonder if time traveling was even a good decision for Luz to meet Philip?

Funny enough, it was me calling these out for making no sense that got me asked if I just am looking for a reason to hate TOH by one Discord group I was in. Didn't voice any other issues with the episode, just that somehow made someone in that Discord snap (and I didn't complain about the show NEARLY as often back then as I do now). Never spoke about my opinion of TOH after that in the Discord but that was still stated as part of the reason why I was kicked out eventually. But no, seriously, they make no sense. "Never is in the same place twice." That... That kind of implies that once perceived, if you stop perceiving it, it would change locations. It also implies that as a portal, it wouldn't lead you to the same place as you first enter it because, by the fact that it transports through time, it would otherwise have shown up in the same place BEFORE. But it's a mcguffin for the episode that is mostly just made to be ensured that it can't be used multiple times so it's functional if maybe dumb (there are more questions it raises btw). As for Luz meeting Philip: Fuck no. Okay, that's maybe a little too harsh. The idea of traveling back to the Savage Times is actually a really tempting one. See what the Isles was like before Belos. If it's this bad now, how bad was it to make everyone just concede control to him. How did order and safety mean that people can still threaten to wear your skin (something that happens in episode 1) from whatever was happening bef-

It's utopia. It's literally fucking utopia. You murder someone's best friend, possibly their brother, and eat their palisman and what is the consequence? We'll bully you a little and burn your book. That's fucking NOTHING. It is part of why Belos' rise to power makes no fucking sense because we aren't made to see that these people want for anything. Yes, it's meant to make the coven system and Belos' rule look bad but you know... You could have done that by actually showing us how it's bad in the current day. But that would have actually meant having Luz interact with Belos in literally any way which would have continued the plot and for some reason that just wasn't allowed. But she interacts with him here! Where the ex-head of the Emperor's Coven and Eda's apprentice can't see they're being played even when both agree something's off. Where you have teleportation magic, with blinding light, without a LIGHT GLYPH and then the early reveal that Belos and Philip are the same person, cheapening the genuinely great and amazing reveal of Hollow Mind. And for what? For ANOTHER episode in S2B like Them's the Breaks Kid where the last two minutes are all that actually is important or matters or adds to the narrative or characters (yes, Lilith's stuff gets progressed but GOD I hate Cool Aunt Lilith and she also wasn't necessary for the story). And that's questionable because it is the worst type of stinger: One only for the audience. After all, that's not actual plot progression. It doesn't move anything forward, or tease a bigger threat. No, this is just giving the audience information that WILL have to be told to the main cast eventually, it's too big not to and too important, so it's literally just a waste of time. The most it does is give your fandom more things to play with a little earlier than they would have gotten otherwise. Elsewhere Elsewhen is in my bottom three episodes of the series because I don't find it entertaining, I hate the characters and it hurts the show front to back with its retcons. Which... Pretty much both of the other episodes do. Though to give Reaching Out (Escaping Expulsion is the third) credit, at least it has a fine enough B plot to enjoy and some good animation. The animation is probably also what makes Escaping Expulsion also go above Elsewhere Elsewhen, even if the damage to the show from those other two episodes are WAY worse in my opinion. Elsewhere Elsewhen... It feels like nothing important is happening and the writers know it and so no effort was put into it. I don't even feel like the people who made it at least enjoyed what they were doing except for a couple very brief moments.

[animerunner]

Today on weird comments I apparently recieve.

Pointing out that it's more accurate that Belos is a homophobic is weird. And the character wouldn't care so why am I talking about it?

That's not how it works.

That's really not how it works.'

Me talking about a character being mischaracterized and y'all giving him too much credit. Is not about whether or not he would care.

[raisedbydirew0lves]

One thing that upsets me with the show cut short was the lack of information about the coven heads we got, especially regarding Darius and Eber because they both seem to have played a vital role. I am not just talking about the whole rebel thing, or the fact that they are both part of the new govern system, other factors play into that as well.

When we were first introduced to the coven heads, Darius is the first one to walk in, followed by Eber. In general, everyone else seem to walk behind him, as if he is the one leading them. When they all look at Belos, the frame shows us Eber and Darius standing next to each other, the two of them are the biggest shot here.

When we get a full view of all the coven heads, Darius is in the middle of it. They make sure that his frame is once again the largest here, the same goes for Eber a second later.

When Raine becomes head witch of the bard coven, both Eber and Darius walk in while Darius is the one who gives the bard badge to Raine. He’s the one who wants Raine to say something and also says to cut the feed, once again appearing to take charge of the situation.

Darius and Eber are the ones who hunt down Raine, trying to get more information. The two of them were already suspicious of Belos, but they saw Raine causing trouble and were like “okay this is bad, we need them to be more subtle” while Darius takes the lead during that.

In one of the ending credits, Terra has her vines around Raine, with Eber and Darius looking over in the background. Implying, that they were probably trying to figure out how to get Raine away from Terra.

Reschedule the meeting? Everyone else walks out, but Darius and Eber are the ones who are still in there while Darius is looking at the scroll, implying this was Darius’ doing, once again taking care of the situation.

Darius wrote a book about abomination magic, Darius had the old golden guard as his mentor and he was the one who knew about the draining spell. How? Was he spying with Eber, or did his mentor drop some hints regarding that?

And then there is Eber. We don't know as much about them as with Darius, but a coven head, constantly on Darius' side and then being part of the new system implies that their role was supposed to be vital as well. A lot of their behavior puts them at odds with Belos’ idea of order. Eber is wild and unpredictable, they are not ashamed to embrace their feralness. Judging by their username, they are openly proud of their upbringing as a literal wild witch.

How did someone like them end up working for Belos? It is easy to put two and two together why they chose to rebel if we look at their behavior, but why they ended up as a coven head is another thing. Did Belos trick then like everyone else? Was he trying to use their upbringing for his own goal, trying to convince them that they have the power for a proper co-existence between witches and beasts? Eber probably sensed....a lot of things wrong with Belos.

We know the selkidomus was hunted. And given that they are one of the main ingredients to make a grimwalker, for a long time too. I can’t imagine them as a poacher (though working for the emperor also means doing things you don’t want to do, I wanna know where that title huntsman comes from in the first place) and I cannot imagine that poaching the selkidomus would have settled well with the beastkeepers. This wasn’t exclusive to the emperors coven like the whole basilisk thing, hunting down the selkidomus was public. How they and Darius became friends is another thing. They are close, that much is obvious. It just would have been nice to know about both of their pasts and why they ended up close, especially since the two of them are total opposites.

[sepublic]

Eclipse Lake!

        AMITY YOU CLEVER GIRL I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!

        When she squeezed the key, I thought she was going to break it, intentionally or otherwise, rendering it useless for Hunter anyway, kind of a parallel to Luz handing over the Portal to Belos only to destroy it… But it STILL IS, but different!

        Because instead of Luz and Belos BOTH losing, Amity and Hunter BOTH win! Just… GGYAAAGGGHHHH when Amity said she felt like she needed to ‘justify’ her own EXISTENCE, and the show recognizing that solidarity between her and Hunter! And Amity’s own experience coming into play as she helps Hunter, as she helps guide him and set him on the path… Inspired by Luz to reach out to him!

        And Hunter’s DESPERATION dear god… You can see how Belos is just kind enough that Hunter genuinely wants to be with him, he’s addicted to that validation! Belos keeps him hooked, terrified and fearful yes, but also dependent on him- Not just for magic but for LOVE, and that’s something even a new staff can’t replace! You clever son of a…

        AND HE’S JUST SOME DUDE?!?! He doesn’t LOOK like Philip underneath the mask, but I really have to wonder if Belos always looks like that… WOW, I love how the show manages to really humanize Belos, or at least make him feel that way; That he really is just some uncle, you can see how and why Hunter looks up to and him, how he clung to this dude! This dude who seems so clever and playful, and if he’s ever violent, it’s only because of that curse!

        This is the REAL Belos, right? God, the way the show highlights different forms of abuse, there’s the neglect, there’s Odalia being manipulative and passive-aggressive… And there’s Belos, who’s a lot more subtle, who may or may not have his real moments that keep convincing Hunter to stick with him anyway, because he doesn’t want to lose that! Surely that’s worth all of the drawbacks and the scars…!

        And AMITY, the say the word GIRLFRIEND so many damn times!!! And how Amity keeps insisting on how she needs to be a girlfriend, and I thought this episode would be PAINFUL, but no it was actually pretty heartwarming after all! Even that bittersweet resolution is still sweet, compared to Luz and Belos both losing, you have Amity and Hunter both winning, because they both deserve to!

        AND GGYAAAGGGGHHHH the Abused Child solidarity between Amity and Hunter, how she can understand what it’s like to have that abuse! How Hunter also recognizes it, and he really does want a friend… Because amidst that real desperation, which this boy CRACKED and broke, that cannot be healthy… As soon as Amity helps him, albeit after forcing her to? When Hunter has no more reason to fight, he genuinely thanks her… And it’s awkward because of the previous fight, and YEAH he forced her to-

        But he still thanks her! The thing with Hunter and his deals is that he’s always looking for a way out of pain, a way out of fighting and hurting others, a way for everyone to benefit, for things to work out… He just wants things to work out and this kid is TERRIFIED, he gave me major Lilith vibes here! But unlike Lilith, Hunter had Luz to soften him up initially, and Amity’s recognition so that Hunter could eventually ask for help…

        And GYAGH their smarmy little interactons, I love it so much! Hunter still being a snarky little shit, that BBYYEEEE, he’s so obnoxious! And that Captain, we never got a name for her, but I liked her! No name in the credits… Ngl when she started talking to Amity, I was already envisioning the fan content where they hang out together, but then she chose to murder Amity just for fun. Yeah, Eda, give that to her!

        OWLBERT! Poor Owlbert… Hopefully he gets healed too, I like Eda learning to negotiate with the Owl Beast more, this is some real Professor Hulk vibes… At first I was scared that the Owl Beast’s deal would be negative later on, that Eda would have to cede complete control afterwards- But then Eda said that King doesn’t want to hear about it, which means it’s harmless because NO MORE SECRETS, and I hoped for something cute! And it wasn’t exactly CUTE cute, but it was still a nice treat for the Owl Beast, albeit offscreen…

        I am RELIEVED from this episode, I was expecting a lot of pain! And we did, but we wrapped it up with comfort… Amity’s Palisman is named GHOST, I guess she already had one, and that’s why Odalia and Alador let her stay home? Too bad Ghost and Lil Rascal didn’t interact, and I wish we could’ve gotten to see the others make note of him, and Hunter’s bond. I am glad that Hunter recognized Amity as the ‘Baby Blight’, Eda recognizes his voice, and Luz DID tell her about the encounter!

        A bad, but sad boy… Aww Luz! And her little messages, and how Amity is still trying to figure out and apply that she doesn’t NEED to prove herself to Luz, her advice and wisdom and passing it on… Seeing other characters pass on their own development, that’s so dang cathartic and sweet! And she still manages to have some faith, and King, who knows Luz, helps Amity translate! And King and Amity and Eda interacting… King’s screams DO take the form of Weh, I guess all those Weh’s were foreshadowing to an instinctual battle-cry!

        Kikimora going UNHINGED was hilarious, and I’m disappointed we didn’t get to see a full mine-cart chase! She definitely gives me Lilith vibes in her desire for approval… Or just to look good, Kikimora might not value Belos so much, as she does the prestige. I don’t think she cares for him that much, if her main goal is to upstage Hunter, and she forgets about the Titan’s Blood… But with how she’s getting more and more unhinged, dang!

        Also, everytime they mentioned Rain… My first thought was immediately RAINE, as in Raine Whispers, and then disappointment! Our Willow content was short and sweet, but I still need more, I will replace my hierarchy of needs for a solid Willow plot! And we still need a name for Gus’ palisman…

        Kikimora really WAS Yzma and I love her paranoia about Hunter sabotaging her, and the best part is that she’s right! The look into Abomination magic, the Abomatons being cool… Actually Darius, maybe Alador ISN’T a hack, you can’t deny these aren’t cool! And I’m glad they’re still threatening and dangerous… I also love that lore/confirmation of Titan’s blood coming from the veins, and the veins deflect magic, because they’re designed to CONTAIN it! I wonder if the Slitherbeast was captured, to make room for Belos’ mining operations… RIP.

        Also, Philip alludes to companions he lost! I wonder if those companions will be relevant, but given their rather anticlimactic introduction by an off-handed, rather simple death, and maybe not. Still, I feel bad for Philip, but who knows- Maybe he discovers later on that they lived! It’d be sad if he was a Luz parallel, and his Eda, King, and Amity all died with the Fool’s Blood.

        But yes, I love the adversarial interactions, but the brief understanding, the ANIMATION… Amity’s strength and skill, Hunter getting used to his own palisman, I’m proud of them both! And Hunter, baby… The fact that you think Belos WILL react that negatively is not a good sign. And I love you Amity, for planting that seed in his head that a true loved one won’t make you feel like you need to ‘prove’ anything… And GOD her mentioning how she feels the need to ‘justify her existence’, because she’s just a tool to her parents!

        And Hunter recognizes that he can easily be thrown away, but at this point this is all he has! And Amity suggesting at the end that maybe it isn’t, and with that bit of kindness from her, technically forced… It might give Hunter hope? And the show reminding us at the end that he IS a kid, scared and desperate, Belos is the real enemy here- And him MAKING PROGRESS WITH HIS PALISMAN AND TALKING!!! WHAT IS THE NAME?!?!

        All in all I expected SO much pain from this episode, but instead, I got a lot more happiness and satisfaction! I’m glad… Though, I feel like what Hunter brought up about Belos being able to target the Owl House, it’ll come into play. Not as HIS threat he’ll carry through on, but as a general warning of Belos’ danger… And Kikimora saw Amity, Eda, and King interfere too! Will she go after them in Yesterday’s Lie later? Will she bring this up with Alador and Odalia, and will Hunter vouch for and defend Amity, since he has that power? Maybe even say that she HELPED him, because he owes that to her?

        Just… That conflict was NOT good but it was clearly out of desperation. Once it’s over, Hunter wants to get along, and he wants to show gratitude… And he’ll definitely think on what Amity said. God, like Lilith, it’s really complex in showing how nasty and dangerous they have to be, but as soon as they’re safe, you realize that they really were just being forced to act like this. This was SUCH a good episode, and actually balm for my heart!

        Which… Could point towards Yesterday’s Lie causing me PAIN instead! Also I guess that lake from the trailer we see… Luz is going to visit a regular body of water and mix it with the Titan’s Blood? Hunter has the Blood AND the key, the key might be more important as the device itself, honestly… Will Luz use a special body of water, or just any old one? Will she use a pre-existing lake of blood, now regular water? Will it be right beside the Owl House, THAT would be nice!

        If it’s a regular rift she can go through, back and forth, regularly- THAT would be nice, but it’d be dangerous if it only had a few uses left! Or maybe it’s infinite, but the previous lakes had been drained dry by someone else, of course Belos or other witches… To make the Portal? But yes I love the interdynamic plays of people not trusting each other, but also acting in best interests, but also being a bit kind, recognizing solidarity, how it all comes together in ONE big mess! I love Willow remarking on Amity’s progress, and Belos…

        …He says he’s been to the human world before. I wouldn’t be surprised- Maybe he’s used up Titan’s Blood in the past to visit. Maybe he’s just a regular human who stumbled in, an offshoot of the family Philip left behind? Or he DID visit, and he came back- And his ‘tests’ there, to see how wild magic and the curse interacted with this world… It came into play? Also as a fun fact, Eda saw what is obviously Dragon Ball in theaters like thirty years ago, so she watched it as a teen! That’s a fun thought… Glad she had all that enjoyment for herself!

        WHAT an episode, and I look forward to Yesterday’s Lie… But I’m also SCARED! And it seems our remaining shots are of Luz emerging from her own homemade rift, hopefully close to the Owl House… And Camila! Why do I feel like THIS will be a painful cliffhanger, this time followed by a full-on hiatus, much worse than what Agony of a Witch did for us and the wait for YBOS! Either way, see you on the other side, for the Season 2A finale!

       Poor Hunter… This kid really went from existing without Belos, to feeling like his entire existence is wrapped around the Emperor! Somebody free him from his cage, and return him where he USED to be, where he belongs! Back to the wild he misses, the freedom!

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Thought About "Yesterday's Lie" from The Owl House

Salutations, random people on the internet who absolutely won’t read this! I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons!

Here it is! The midseason finale of The Owl House Season Two! An episode featuring Luz going back to the human realm, is hyped up to heaven about how painful it'll be for the audience, and features more anxiety by how Creepy Luz is a thing. And BOOOOOOOOY howdy were fans not ready for this. I'm sure as hell not ready for when I wrote this intro at *checks time* thirty minutes before watching the official premier. Yup, the words you're reading right now are from me in the past, when everything was still pure and simple. Whereas future me is still probably destroyed by the events that transpired. Isn't that right, future me?

Future Me: Actually, it wasn’t that bad. The ending hurt, sure, but other than that, it wasn’t too painful.

Wow, that is some neat input! At least, I think it was. I wouldn't know because I literally wrote that after watching the episode. With the words you're currently reading being written at *checks time* twenty-six minutes before the premier...this whole intro is confusing, isn't it, future me?

Future Me: Sure is.

Yeah, it's definitely confusing. In any case, let's dive into this spoiler-filled review as we find out together just how painful this episode was! Take it away, future me!

Future Me: Will do! Major spoilers ahead, folks!

Now, let’s review, shall we?

WHAT I LIKED

Luz’s Room: We only see it for a short time, but everything about it just screams Luz. The pile of weird-looking stuffed animals, the witch hat in the center of the floor, and the fact that she has bunk beds, a single child's dream (Or so I've heard). It's a small thing, but I love it.

Vee: Here she is! The character previously dubbed Creepy Luz who now turns out to be yet another new addition to the ever-growing list of characters that we, as a fandom, would give our lives for. Because holy s**t was Vee the best type of expectation subversion. Showing us all the ominous ways of how she basically took Luz's place made fans assume that Vee was an evil doppelganger. Turns out, she was just a tortured soul that was desperate to live a new and better life and lucked out in finding Luz's. What Vee does is...questionable at best, but seeing what she went through with the experiments Belos pulled on her, you understand why she would do it. And I personally love it's that same background information that makes Vee resentful of Luz of all people. Luz's life is a relative dream come true, and running away from that would be insane to someone who spent most of their existence through imprisonment and experimentation. It's an intriguing point of view, even though it's admittingly flawed given how it's mostly Camila that seemingly made Luz's life bearable. But the flaws don't matter. What matters is that you can see where Vee is coming from, and to me, personally, I think she's understandable enough to make me root for her to have some kind of happy ending. Whether as Luz or as herself, I'm hopeful to see Vee get some semblance of peace.

Camila: *Round of applause* Don't mind me! Just taking the time to love how all them sons of b**hes who thought Camila was a bad mom are now heavily invalidated. 'Cause, guess what? Camila is a fantastic mother, both to her daughter and her daughter's doppelganger! Allow me to walk you through the highlights:

How Camila looks like she’s not okay with the fact that "Luz" is clearing out her weird stuff, seemingly acting too different to the Luz she knows. Added to the fact that Camila doesn't like it.

How Camila drove Luz to camp whether than letting her take the bus

The fact that Camila takes that box of junk back in, not willing to part with the tin foil sculpture Luz made.

The way she was willing to play along with the game she thought Luz was doing, supporting her daughter's creative mind that Camila admits to being glad to see.

And, best of all, the willingness Camila had to help this poor creature, despite the lies it lived.

It's that last part I really want to touch upon, though. Because an action like that shows just how much Luz's heart comes from Camila. The kindness and generosity of helping this poor creature, who she has every right to run out on, proves how Luz learned to be everything she is today through Camila's own loving heart. Vee was scared and hurt, and the second Camila saw that she was then more than willing to help because of it. It's something that Luz would do, and it proves that even though Camila didn't exactly get everything right, she's still a great mom where it counts.

“A new life”: A perfect line.

Initially, it makes audiences think that it has everything to do with replacing Luz. It's only through future context that we know it's about escaping the s**t show Vee once lived through that it's clear she's talking about starting over. It hits us with intrigue on the first viewing, only to hit harder with the feels during a second. Really well-done.

Luz in the Mirror: A well-done surprise that makes fans curious about how this even happen in the first place. Kudos to you, writers.

The New Portal: I don't mind that they found a way to build this off-screen. Showing Luz and the gang slowly building a new portal would have been a little too tedious to watch, and it's so much better to just start this episode out with it. Besides, maybe we'll get the slow and steadier version now that we've seen how quickly building one might not have been the best way to go, given how fast that thing fell apart.

Luz Between Dimensions: I have no clue what the hell that place she was in is called, but it's awesome! The overall design of the realm is the correct type of unsettling, like it's oozing with mystery, but it's somewhere that you probably don't want to be in for too long. Whoever designed it deserves all of the credit because I don't want to even think about all the hard work that went into making this look as well-made as it was.

Luz Resisting to See Amity: What? Luz and Amity are adorable, and seeing Luz's immediate thought about seeing Amity makes my shipping heart scream with glee. Don't judge me!

Hiding Luz’s Dad’s Face: Well, that was a fun story while it lasted.

So, it turns out that Luz's dad really was a part of Luz's and Camila's life at some point, but not anymore. As for why remains to be seen, as we don't really know yet if we'll see him make an appearance. I'd say that the odds are high that he will, given how much of a point this episode made about keeping his face hidden. Shows don't usually do that unless the goal is to hype up some official reveal, and I can't wait to see what comes of it.

Luz Telling Herself to Count to Five: Hey, more evidence for how I relate to Luz! I know how it feels to be all panicky about a specific situation, and I only got better when I took the time to calm down for a bit. Sometimes, I even tried the "count to x" method that Luz used...it never worked, primarily because it made me feel worse when people told me to do it, but I still tried it! Plus, there's also some narrative foreshadowing when after Luz says five, the realm shows her Vee, or Number V, which is a pretty cool detail you'll notice on a rewatch.

Luz Helping Vee: I gave Camila praise for helping Vee in the end, but that doesn't abstain Luz from her own set of recognition. The second that Luz realized that Vee wasn't really a threat and is far from evil, our favorite human does what she can to help and even makes a deal where they're both happy. Because, of course, Luz is that perfect of a protagonist who is more than willing to help others in need. And it's why we love her so.

Looking for Magic that Eda Left Behind: A pretty cool idea that gives Luz and Vee a chance to bond and giving us an insight into Eda's past antics and misadventures in the human realm. Not much I can add to it, though.

Gravesfield: It's surprisingly not as jarring as I thought it would be to spend an episode in the human realm. I thought for sure, after all that time in the Boiling Isles, there would be something off about walking around a normal environment for a change. Turns out, it's almost easy to get used to. Or, for me, it is.

But I will say that there's this neat use of colors when comparing Gravesfield with the Boiling Isles. In Gravesfield, the coloring looks dulled down and standard, which is a stark contrast to the bright vibrancy of everything we've seen in the Boiling Isles. It's a subtle way of showing how things are different, aside from the major discrepancies we could come to expect. And I think that's why I appreciate it much more.

Eda’s Called Herself Marylynn in the Human Realm: Hang on...hang on...do you mean to tell me that the crack theory about Eda being Stan's ex-wife is actually true?

...

...What even is this show?!

Vee Making Friends with Camp Members: This shows the most apparent difference between Luz and Vee. Where we see Luz is already fearing the many ways that could go wrong with interacting with teens, Vee revealed that she adapted to her situation and had a chance to make friends. The implications of this are worth discussing another time, but for now, I'll say that it's pretty intriguing that we gain this much insight into both Luz and Vee through such a small thing.

Belos Wanting to Learn How Basilisks can Drain Magic: ...Didn't Raine say that Belos was taking away magic? If so, I think we can figure out how he's doing it. The question now is: Why?

Jacob (The Curator Guy): This guy was a riot. At first, Jacob seemed like a threat with the way he trapped Vee and was apparently stocking her, but the second he goes off about his conspiracy theories, it becomes clear what type of character he is. And was it a blast seeing how much of a crackpot this man is. It wasn't cool seeing him wanting to dissect the precious angel that is Vee, but I still chuckle about things like his "Flat Eather's Certificate." So while he's not that much of a threat, he's still fun to watch.

The Owl Beast was in the Human Realm: ...How did that happen? When did it happen? And how the hell did Eda get out of a situation like that?! Who knows, but it's still a shocking piece of news to learn.

Luz Telling Camila the Truth: Hey, she faced her fear after all! Although, the results aren't as pleasant as when Amity faced her fear two weeks ago.

Camila is a Veterinarian: ...One insignificant reveal...managed to destroy so many fanfics. I mean, we probably shouldn't have just assumed Camila was a nurse...but what the f**k else were we supposed to think?! Sorry for seeing the scrubs, and the first thing that came to my mind was "nurse" and not "vet."

By the way, that had to have been intentional, right? There's no way that Dana Terrace didn't think we'd assume Camila was a nurse. She'd had to have put off a reveal like that just to trip up her fans. And if that's the case, then that is a major d**k move...but that's why I mildly respect it.

Two Human Brothers went to the Demon Realm: Turns out we don't have to be in the Boiling Isles to learn more about it. Because now we have more information about how two humans were taken to the Isles with the help of a witch, thus setting up a grander reveal if it turns out that one of the humans was Philip and the witch was Belos. Because if that's true...then there's more of a history between those two than we thought.

Jacob has a Training Wand: This helps me believe that it's highly likely for Jacob to make a return and to have a power boost for when he does. After all, focussing all that attention on the training wand is way too convenient for it not to come up again in the future. Meaning we're most likely going to get more pain from Jacob if he shows up again.

Camila Beats the Crap out of Jacob for Vee: ...Writers, don't make me choose between Camila and Eda on who's the better cartoon mom. I know Eda's technically not a mom...BUT I STILL DON'T WANT TO CHOOSE DAMNIT!

Also, the sandal...just...

Why the f**k does Camila have a sandal in her purse? I don't know. Is it still funny that she does? Most certainly.

Camila and Luz’s Talk in the Rain: Ooooooooh, I was not ready for this...

I wasn't ready for the crying.

I wasn't ready for the hurt in Camila's eyes when she found out Luz chose to stay in the Boiling Isles.

I wasn't ready for Camila asking if Luz hates being with her that much.

I wasn't ready for Luz profusely stating how it was never Camila's fault.

I was not ready for Camila to tell Luz that she'll try to do better.

And I definitely was not ready for Luz to barely have enough time to promise that she'll come back.

This episode wasn't the twenty-two minutes of nonstop angst that I thought it was going to be...but this short scene more than make up for it.

Luz Tries to Stay Strong: Yet another thing she unwittingly learned from Camila. Camila tried to keep a brave face when Vee was with her and Luz, most likely not wanting to tear either of them down in the process. Luz does the same thing here as she avoids talking about the details of what went down in her sort-of journey back home. And seeing her clearly fake smile slowly droop into an uncertain frown, it uh...it definitely tore me up inside.

WHAT I DISLIKED

I want to say it's perfect, but there's one major issue that really bogs this episode down.

Continuity Error in How Vee Replaced Luz: Having Vee take Luz's place the same day Luz appeared in the Isles is a smart idea on paper...if it wasn't for the fact that it's impossible.

Because Eda closed the portal door the second that she saw Luz, meaning that there's no way for Vee to go to the human realm. It's a major plothole that makes no sense, and it might just be the first time ever that this series wasn't so closely knit with its story. Which ends up taking a dive in quality in the process.

IN CONCLUSION

I'd say that "Yesterday's Lie" is an A-. Everything about Luz, Vee, and Camila is incredible, combined into a story that ends in tragedy and uncertainty for the future. That plothole may drag things down a bit, but everything else is handled so well that I'm not lying when I say it's easy to forgive and forget.

(And that's ten episodes in a row without a single stinker. HOW THE F**K DOES THIS SEASON KEEP WINNING?!)

[dennou-translations]

Violet Evergarden Booklet 1

Please feel free to message me about possible corrections. If you can, consider supporting the creators by purchasing the official releases. In case anyone is feeling generous: Ko-fi | PayPal. ( ╹◡╹)っ’･*

Index || Next →

That day was a special one for me, but to the rest of the world, this was not the case.

   Ann Magnolia and Her Nineteenth Birthday

   There was a number of things I had to do on the special day called today.

I would wake up in the morning and check the weather. As if a tale were beginning, I would turn the curtains over and look outside the window.

The radiant daylight shone on my eyes. Today was sunny. Knowing that made me happy. That I had woken up enveloped in sunshine. That I didn’t have to worry about my letter getting drenched in rain. It was almost as if the truth of these facts was blessing the day.

——I’m happy.

Very happy.

I didn’t usually say this, but I felt like saying it today, so I whispered as I laid back down, “Good morning.”

Husky with wake, my voice echoed through the quiet bedroom. I wandered around in search for someone to have a conversation with from the words “good morning”. However, I couldn’t find anyone to hear them, so they pointlessly vanished somewhere.

If you were just by yourself, words would die as soon as they were born. I knew that as the truth of this world. Like flowers that withered without changing colors, like small birds that couldn’t endure the coldness of midwinter, my words would promptly die. After all, words were tools for people to communicate their intentions. So if there was no other party, they would all but die. That was evident.

There was no one who would reply to me with a “good morning”. There was no one in this house that would do a morning greeting, so if anyone were to say that this much was obvious, it sure was. But in my memories, someone whose voice I had already forgotten would return my words. In a warm and soft voice that was probably how my mother sounded, they would be returned to me.

“Good morning, Ann.”

——Good morning.

“Today is a special day, huh.”

——I know; I’d been counting them with my fingers.

“Your long-awaited birthday.”

With a nod, I stood up.

Today, I was turning nineteen. Twelve years had passed since I had been left all by myself when I was seven years old. I reflected thoroughly upon that reality alone and proudly.

I left my bedroom still wearing a negligee, heading to the spiral staircase. There were portraits hanging in rows from the staircase’s wall.

“My, you’re going outside dressed like this just because you’re at home?”

Decorated with pictures of family members, the wall used to be terrifying for me when I was a child, but it became less so after my mother was added to them. I would go up and down those stairs countless times every day, but the only spot that I would end up directing my gaze to for a few seconds was the portrait of my mother and my childhood self.

If, by any chance, there was strength to the thing called “love”, I thought, if there was a force residing within love, wouldn’t this image start moving one day, since it was the only one I looked at as if I were yearning for something?

I would end up embracing such fantasies.

“I won’t change, no matter how much you stare at me. By the way, doesn’t my complexion look a little bad in this portrait? I should have had more paint put over it.”

Of course, it was just a fabrication.

Having come down the stairs, I went to the front entrance, its door a little worn-out. I should call a repairer. The house was a living being just like me, and since it was already quite old, it was always broken somewhere.

“I also want you to tend to the garden. When was the last time you held a broom?”

As I came outside, I could see this place’s whole scenery. There was nothing but lush grassland and tree-lined roads. The idyllic sight was awfully boring, but above that, it was beautiful, so if you made a frame with your fingers, you would immediately have a scenic picture. In this entire area, there were no other houses in sight. Of course. This territory was under the control of the Magnolias, hence this view belonged to me, the family head.

As long as I didn’t sell or give it away, this landscape would never change. And, same as the previous family heads, I didn’t wish for it to change. Neither did I wish to leave this place. Even if I was all by myself.

“Ann, let’s take a look inside the mailbox.”

I took a look inside the mailbox. Perhaps because it was still early in the morning, there was nothing in it yet.

“It’ll surely be coming soon.”

Today was the day when I, Ann Magnolia, was born. Every year on my birthday, I would get letters from my late mother. Letters from my mother, who by now had become a portrait, would be delivered to me.

“There is no such thing as a letter that needn’t be delivered, Milady.”

To be precise, letters with my mother’s feelings blown into them and ghostwritten by an Auto-Memories Doll would be delivered to me. It was a strange story, but a true one.

“Auto-Memories Doll”. Long had passed ever since this name caused a stir.

The creator was an authority in the field of mechanical dolls, Professor Orlando. His wife, Molly, was a novelist, and all had begun with the posterior loss of her eyesight. He then invented a machine to perform ghostwriting for his beloved wife and named it Auto-Memories Doll. Nowadays, people who worked as ghostwriters were also called Auto-Memories Dolls.

When I was seven, my mother, who was plagued with a serious illness, summoned a beautiful blue-eyed Auto-Memories Doll to our manor. She made her write several letters and hired a postal company to deliver them to me even after her death. She had been secretly planning out a few decades worth of birthday messages for her beloved daughter.

The person who had made this request was an oddball, but the ones who had accepted the job were quite odd themselves. Had they not imagined that someone would abandon it at some point? Had they sealed the contract for such a heavy, troublesome work without any refusal because they were horribly bad at their business, or was it because they were too nice? Having grown into a creditable lady and come to understand the world to a certain extent, I would ponder about such things. Surely, it was because they were nice. Thanks to them, even though I didn’t have a single relative now, at least on my birthday I could recall what being loved by someone felt like.

Just like that, I stood fidgety in front of the mailbox. Closing my eyes, I cleared off the dust on the box of my memories.

——I remember. That she had come around. That she would be over there, quietly writing letters. I remember the figure of that person and of my smiling mother. Surely, until I died...

That few-days’ time had been seared into my mind. Back then, my... Back then, Ann Magnolia’s frizzy hair was still short, and she was selfish and pretended to be taller. She was a helpless child. A very young one. How old she was? Seven years old. An age where one would still long for their mother. Her mother was the center of the world. If her mother died, she wouldn’t even be able to breathe. She was that kind of child. She was aware that her emotions were unstable and that she tended to act a little rashly.

Most people would treat someone like me nicely, and that was it. People who had their eyes on my fortune attempted to get close to me, but once they noticed that I had no intention to let them do so, they never showed their faces to me again.

That person—that person... Violet Evergarden. That Auto-Memories Doll was a bit different from other people, I thought...

Whenever I wondered what was so different about her, I would find myself thinking.

Back then, Ann Magnolia had fallen in love with a mysterious girl who had come around all of a sudden. It was a little girl’s romantic love out of adoration. She both hated and liked the Auto-Memories Doll who had come around out of the blue and stolen her time with her mother.

——What was it that I liked about her?

She was a taciturn and unsociable. A silent porcelain doll. She seemed extremely adult-like. But looking back, she often reacted like a child who knew nothing. Even when I gave her dolls, she didn’t know how to play. Neither did she have any knowledge of how to solve riddles. Even when I made her touch bugs, she never ran away like my mother or our maid. Whenever I invited her to join hands and spin around, we would do it to no end.

“Fufu...”

She was a weird person. Yes, a weird one.

Children would look at adults and measure them by whether they were scary or foolish, would be their allies or enemies, would give them candy or not, and other such things. They would stare very, very fixatedly and judge the grown-ups.

She... that beautiful Auto-Memories Doll... Violet Evergarden was not an adult.

——Yes, she was... how should I put it? She was Violet Evergarden.

Which was why I had snuggled up to her, the same type of person as myself, just like two cats nestling close to each other, I thought.

She was a beautiful child. A beautiful beast. I found her eccentric self to be cool, so I liked her.

Where was she now and what was she doing, I wondered.

I was turning nineteen, but back in the day, she must have been younger than I am now. For her to have prosthetic arms, it wasn’t hard to imagine what had happened to her at the time, when the war had just ended. But surely, there was no doubt that her life had been full of many more ups and downs than the story I had in mind.

Did she not express her emotions enough because she was carrying some sort of wound in her heart? She was such a beautiful person, so she must have won over the heart of some wonderful person by now...

I shook my head left and right. I mustn’t have unjust suspicions of her. I shouldn’t prod into how I was back then – into the Ann Magnolia of back then – and taint it. Even if it was just me with myself, I mustn’t do that. Because all of the joys and sorrows from that time belonged to the old me, who had endured those days. Having become an adult, I shouldn’t have any say over the mental landscape of my old self, as a third party.

Having grown up, I observed my own land, which spread out endlessly. The scent of gently swaying grass and flowers, the chattering of birds, the clouds that moved slowly in the blue sky. It felt like they would be here just like that for a hundred more years.

“It’s not coming, huh. Let’s go eat breakfast.”

Since the postman wasn’t showing up, I had no choice but go back into the manor.

I had been working at home lately. I used to go outside and enjoy the world when I was a student, but I realized that, in the end, I liked being in my house. Maybe this was a Magnolia bloodline thing.

As for my from-home job, I worked with legal counseling. When I was little, I had experienced disputes amongst my own relatives over me and my assets. That was the reason why, if I had to give any.

My mother had left me with a talented legal advisor. A person of outstanding character, who still concerned himself with me even now. As a young child, I excelled at catching insects that I had never seen before, but I didn’t have the means to oppose to the people who wanted to steal this land from me one way or another.

I had started off working at the city’s legal information center, introduced to me by the legal advisor, who had taken me in, and only recently had I become independent. Living in the city had made me realize many things. That there were many people in this world who weren’t protected like me. And that this wasn’t something those people themselves wanted, but things had turned out in such a way due to the environment they were in.

The ascension of the ghostwriting business had a similar background. Children would be made to work like adults, unable to go to school, so when they grew up and had to sign any documents, they couldn’t even write their own names.

People like that, who had been raised in environments where no one helped them, weren’t a rarity. I had heard that the literacy rate was currently rising, but it would still take a long time for this to become something unusual.

Just like with ghostwriting, one could become somebody’s ally through the law. It was especially necessary for children who had been thrown out like me and younglings who were about to enter the world of adults, I believed. Because they could earn completely different futures as a result if they acquired knowledge.

“The law is a weapon,” my legal advisor would say. I agreed with that. My property had been protected by this weapon many times. Some people would say that education was the weapon, but the situations for putting it to use were too limited. Weapons exerted their true value exactly when you had to protect yourself from falling victim to unjust acts or insults.

If possible, I wanted to be someone who could protect others. I wanted to tell people who didn’t know what to do and had become incapable of even walking on their own, “It’s all right; I’ll be your ally”. Because I wanted someone to do that for me back when I was alone.

My reason for choosing law was rooted in this kind of self-righteous way of thinking.

Since I worked from home, I didn’t earn much. To be honest, people would think that being a professional was a pastime for a landowning wealthy lady. I was fine with that.

The people who came to visit me in this remote place were generally in critical situations and had nothing. Those who had something would go to the city. They would go to the city, bow their heads to some famous person, be served a fine brand of tea... and have a graceful conversation while drinking it.

If I could, I wanted to get close to people, just like her. Just like the Auto-Memories Doll who had told me on that day that it was okay to cry. Even if for self-satisfaction.

Speaking of which, I thought as I checked the calendar. Today was my birthday, so I intended to wait for the postman the whole day and hadn’t scheduled any appointments, but a client was coming tomorrow. I should clean up the reception room at least a little.

“Hey, Ann. It is your birthday, so how about going outside with your friends and having a meal with them?”

I had to sweep the floor, take the garbage off the carpet and dust the dirt on the furniture.

“Even just eating something tasty is enough, Ann.”

Right, I should bake some sweets to serve to the costumer tomorrow. It could also be used as celebration for my birthday.

“Ann, aren’t you lonely all by yourself?”

If I was certain, that person had eaten the sweets I baked when we first met with relish. He had a sweet tooth.

As I recalled the figure of that young entrepreneur eating, looking embarrassed and delighted, a smile surfaced naturally. Out of the people that I was currently engaging with, he might be the one whose visit I looked forward to the most. I did think that men were frowny and sullen creatures, but he was adorable.

I rolled up my sleeves with an “all right” and headed to the kitchen.

   “Delivery.”

As the front door’s bell rang and the voice of a visitor ensued, I frantically flung away my bowl and whisk and ran. This is what happens when you distractedly make sweets for about an hour. I was covered in flour and looking unbecoming, but there was no helping it.

“Yes, I’m coming.”

I opened the door in high spirits, and standing there was a postman wearing the uniform of the city’s post office, which I was familiar with. I was disappointed enough that even I myself would think it was a bit childish of me. The other didn’t see my facial expression as he requested my signature for the express delivery without looking at me, but I wound up having an impolite attitude.

——It wasn’t the CH Postal Company.

My mother’s birthday messages were being kept by the CH Postal Company, a mail company that had its main office located in Leiden – the capital of Leidenschaftlich, a southernmost military nation. Therefore, if a different company had come, then the mail wasn’t from my mother.

“Thank you very much.”

I had received three packages. One was a table clock from my legal advisor. The others were accessories and a shawl that were trending in the city from my friends.

There were people getting married and having children upon turning nineteen. All of my closest friends had been quick to marry. Both my opinion that secluding themselves in their homes was a waste in this era of professional women and my envy at the fact that they had found themselves a partner in an early stage of their lives coexisted in the depths of my mind.

“You don’t have to hurry; if you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to.”

Having lost my mother, with this vast land and this manor of excessively elegant exterior in my possession... I couldn’t think that having a family wouldn’t be a good thing.

——Family... family... family, huh?

Did I want a family? Did I really? Those genuine questions surfaced in my mind first-thing.

Welcoming a family would mean welcoming that person’s life. It was an extremely heavy choice. “In health and sickness,” people would lightheartedly say. I believed there were actually few people who properly understood it.

My friends who had married. The people who walked around the city. Lovers and family members from all over the world – everyone. Did they all truly understand? They only looked on the happy side, so could they endure it when a sad scenario arrived upon them? Wouldn’t they end up thinking that not loving the other person would have been better?

“Human beings are creatures that love others in pursuit of happiness, Ann.”

In my experience, since I had seen off the person who was most important to me, the truth was that I didn’t want to go through it ever again. Being told to do it one more time was too hard. Even twenty years later, painful things would be painful.

I brought my consciousness back to reality.

Colorful ribbons, extravagant wrappings and wonderful gifts. As my social disposition was coming to a slight halt, those people were irreplaceable to me. I had to write thank-you notes right away. For these kinds of things, the faster, the better. Because it conveyed sincerity.

I should go back to my bedroom and look for the stationery and envelopes. They were surely somewhere there.

“Ann.”

——Aah, but was it a pretty stationery?

Maybe I should choose a different one, fitting of these wonderful presents.

“Ann, listen.”

They were surely items that took a while to be picked, so I should respond to the other party’s feelings the same way. There were many things to be watchful of here. I had to do it quick. I had to do it soon.

“Please listen.”

Nobody else was going to do it; I was the one who had to. No matter what, I had to do it. I had to taste joy and sadness all by myself and end it fast. Because I was alone. Hurry. I had to hurry and do it.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t move.

“Ann.”

I was in the middle of making sweets, and writing thank-you notes required some preparation. Above all, I couldn’t calm down until my mother’s letter arrived.

Giving several reasons, I made up several excuses not to move.

“Ann... it’s okay.”

I suddenly felt exhausted. Everything became a bother. Even though hands were covered in flour and I was still wearing an apron, I lay on the couch, rolled into fetal position and scrunched down.

Although I had received such marvelous gifts, the feeling of happiness didn’t last. Even though it was something to be grateful for to the point I could be in a good mood the whole day, the feeling of happiness didn’t last. It didn’t last.

“Ann, it’s okay.”

Today was that kind of day.

“Ann, don’t force yourself; I’m sorry.”

——I’m sorry.

“Sorry...”

——I’m sorry.

“Ann, I’m sorry...”

To me, my birthday was...

“...for leaving you behind when you were so small.”

...not my day. It was my mother’s.

——Mom. Why? Just why? Why, Mom? Why did you die sooner than the mothers of the other kids? What is it that went wrong? Did the fact that I was born itself become a burden to you? If so, then I shouldn’t have been born.

I loved you, Mom. Did you know that? I liked you a whole, whole lot. Tired of hearing this? But you didn’t know it, right? Even if you knew, you probably didn’t understand how much I liked you. I’m sure you had no idea how much.

When I realized it, I had more time seeing you in a grave than otherwise. But you’re everywhere in our house. On the sofa that you often sat on. In the music that you enjoyed. On the bed that still smells like you. In myself, who resembles you more and more with each day.

Mom, Mom, Mom – you keep reminding me of how much I loved you. When I was little, you were the world itself.

Mom. You loved me. I know that. But I loved you too. I was the one who... I was... I was... I was the one who...

Aah, Mom. Mom, there are so many things I want to tell you. But if I can say it, there’s just one thing.

Mom, you died without knowing how much I loved you, right?

I loved you much more than you could’ve imagined. I really, really suffered when you died. Enough that I couldn’t breathe.

People often say that time heals all wounds. But I really hate that saying. Rather than things being solved, we forget about them, don’t we? People’s voices, facial expressions, gestures – we forget these kinds of things. Yet I remember them in unexpected times. Like, “Oh, yeah, Mom used to like this”. “Oh, yeah, Mom used to hate that”. And then I blame myself vehemently for forgetting them. Like, “How could you have forgotten? She was your whole world”. Like, “How could you have forgotten? She was your only family”. The loop of agony has no end.

I adored you, Mom. I loved you. I loved you, so for just as much love as I had for you, it feels like my heart will break. It feels like my heart will break every time my birthday comes around. Feels like it will break. It’s painful and there’s no helping it.

Tears slip down my cheeks as I laid on my side. I was looking forward to today so much that I didn’t know what to do with myself, and yet I wound up crying again this year. I would’ve been great if I could welcome it with a smile.

A birthday was a special day.

It was nothing to the rest of the world, just an ordinary day, but it was a special one for me. Because... Because it was a day when I could feel Mom coming back to me. I looked forward to it so much that I couldn’t help myself, but at the same time, I was also helplessly sad. Because I felt my mother’s absence more than anything. Because the truth that she wasn’t here was thrust onto me.

Destiny spoke to me. Either that or God did. “Hey, your mother’s already dead. How long you gonna be crying? Stand up. If you’re alive, stand up.”

Since the world was so merciless, all I could do was nod at those words and say, “Yes, yes, true.”

By entrusting my body to hecticness, I was able to remain as someone who could stand on her own feet, just like Destiny and God wanted. I normally didn’t feel loneliness. I didn’t cry. After all, twelve years had already passed. It was weird to cry like this on and on forever. It was weird, right? I wasn’t a kid anymore. I shouldn’t cry too much. That would make me a bad girl. A girl wasn’t suitable to be the family head of the Magnolia household. I had to become a person who my mother could be proud of from within that portrait.

Wasn’t that right? I couldn’t prove the worth of my existence by doing anything else.

But on this day when I was aware that my mother loved me, I was no good. No good. I’d turn into a mess. The seven-year-old Ann Magnolia would come back to me. She’d say it all. She’d end up saying it. Always, always, always. She’d say what I was holding back from saying.

“I’m lonely”, that is.

I had as many ways of spending my birthday as I had birthdays. Surely, there were millions of people in the world whose birthday was today. How were all of them spending it? Were they spending it in a fulfilling way? There definitely were also people who lived their lives either not knowing when their birthday was or forgetting about it.

So I wasn’t miserable. Nor was I comparing myself with them. That wasn’t it. Because there were certainly people somewhere around the world who were feeling as lonely as me.

There was another thing that I had learned during the time I worked in the city. That loneliness wasn’t something only I had. Many people would come to the law firm and ask for advice regarding their troubles. Everyone was burdened with problems of their own. And everyone was a bit lonely in some aspect. It wasn’t just me, so I didn’t feel lonely.

That person too, and that one, and that other one. Everybody was sad in one way or another.

“I have to get up.”

I had stopped doing what I would do by accident – stopped throwing myself into a sea of sadness. The sea of sadness in my head was a real nuisance, yet it was also comfortable as it enveloped my body in gentle waves of self-pity. But I shouldn’t go too far. Or else I wouldn’t be able to stand up again. It wasn’t like food and sweets would materialize from my sadness.

I counted the things I had to do. Bake sweets. Clean up. I had a number of torn aprons, which I would remake into rags. And then... And then...

“Madam Magnolia, are you home?”

A real-life happening immediately pulled me out of my reverie. I ran toward the front door, from where the voice had come. As I opened the door with much vigor while making extremely improper heavy-feet noises, I found two visitors.

“Hum?”

One of them was... Aah, I was waiting for you. It was a postman wearing the CH Postal Company uniform. He was holding under his arm a letter and a package with what was most likely the gift that my mother had arranged for today.

“Aah, excuse me. Please go first.”

The other was the customer who had made an appointment reservation for tomorrow. A stray young entrepreneur. His finely tailored clothes were easy to recognize as something not order-made and that he didn’t like but was wearing regardless.

Had he mistaken the appointment day?

“Erm, then...”

The two had bumped onto each other at the front gate and both had some business with me, so they were probably conceding the turn to one another. Having been granted it, the CH Postal Company’s postman stood before me, politely giving me the letter and present with a slightly tensed-up countenance.

“This is the CH Postal Company. I have come to bring your delivery... You might be already tired of hearing this vocal message so many times, but happy birthday this year too, Madam Magnolia.”

That was a postman I had never seen before. It was a different person from last year.

“T-Tired, you say... There’s no way I would ever be.”

Still, the fact he was saying these lines meant that the demands commissioned by my mother were being properly kept and protected by that company. That was it.

“Thank you very much. For every year, truly... truly. Please tell this to your chairman too.”

“Y-Yes! Our president is the kind of person that gets very happy at inputs from the clients, so I’ll make sure to tell him!”

I had never met the president of the CH Postal Company, but for someone so young to be talking about him in such a familiar-sounding way, he had to be a wonderful person.

“I’m taking it.”

I signed the acceptance document. The postman laughed as if relieved. Also relieved, I finally looked seriously at him. He was a very young postman. Perhaps from about the same generation as me. The freckled boy looked even younger when laughing.

“I became in charge of it this year. It’s a big area, so I ended up getting a bit lost... I made you wait a lot, didn’t I?”

“Eh, no, no.”

“But you came running as if you were eagerly waiting for it.”

“Yes.”

Recalling the surprised faces of the two young men the moment I had opened the door, I trembled with shame. I was supposed to behave elegant and beautifully as the head of the Magnolia family. Yet I was covered in flour, my hair was disheveled because I had been lying down and I had showed up with footsteps that sounded like the ones of a large man.

Touching my cheeks, which were most likely growing red, I said, “I apologize for showing you an embarrassing sight... No matter what, I always wind up restless on this day.”

“Absolutely not. I’m the one who is sorry for coming late. I have already perfectly memorized the way, so please treat me well next year too.” The postman bowed with a “well, then” and ran toward a parked motorcycle.

After seeing him off, I directed my gaze at the other visitor that had been waiting for me. He, too, slowly looked my way.

“Hello.”

The morning sunshine had disappeared, a dazzling midday light filling up for it. It seemed that quite some time had passed while I was sulking on the couch. With a season of fresh green colors as the background, he was supposed to be a foreign body for me... and for this world of mine, yet he blended appallingly well into it.

“Hello.” My voice sounded a little shrill. “Isn’t there any flour on my face?” As I said this while rubbing my cheeks with the sleeve of my dress, he took a handkerchief from his jacket and handed it to me.

Not minding me as I stiffened up in shock, he said with an earnest attitude, “There is, right here.”

“Ah, all right.”

“And here too.”

“I’m sorry. I was making sweets...”

Wiping myself with the neatly folded handkerchief, it almost seemed like I had gone back to being a child. It was the second time today that my cheeks were dyed red.

“Well, what is your matter...?”

“Aah, that’s right. I was nearby and... hum, I heard from Mr. Robert, the one who introduced you to me, that it was your birthday today, so... though it’s presumptuous of me, I was thinking about celebrating it...”

Robert was the law advisor who had been protecting me since my childhood. Now that he had mentioned it, I remembered that he was introduced to me by Robert. The budget wasn’t compatible with the case, so it had been passed over to me.

——“Nearby”?

Finding a strange point in a part of his story, I said timidly, “This whole area... is my land... You had business near here?”

Silence.

“You’re also seeing Mr. Robert even though you’re working with me...?”

He raised a hand my way as if to ask me to wait and averted his face, looking embarrassed. Had I said anything bad?

“I take it back.”

“All right.”

“I lied... I wanted, hum, to spend time with you somehow...”

“Haah...”

Perhaps having become unable to look at me in the eyes, he kept his face turned away and continued speaking to the direction of the day after tomorrow, “Mr. Robert is a teatime friend from a café that I already frequented... He introduced you to me as a favor... And I heard from him the other day that today was your birthday. Also, I did not just happen to come nearby. It’s impossible to come here without a car or carriage. I do not have much money, so I ended up walking the way here. But it was no coincidence; I came here because I had an objective.”

As I asked, “What’s the objective”, he turned over the palm that had been telling me to wait and showed it to me. That “it’s you”.

I was perplexed. This kind of thing hadn’t happened in my life very often. When it did, it was usually people aiming for my fortune, so I vaguely wondered if he was the same as them.

“Want to come in? If it’s just drinking tea together, then...”

In any case, as the head of the Magnolia family, I had to entertain the guest. After this thought worked its way to me, an alarm sounded in my head that he might deem this as an invitation. That wasn’t my intention, so what should I do if he believed it was?

——What’s up with me? I don’t know if I’m happy or scared.

Aah, my heartbeats were so loud. My cheeks were so hot it felt like they were burning.

——Anyway, I have to say something.

“Hum.”

As I hesitated to speak, he shook his head. “Ah, no. I will have to come again tomorrow, so I’m going home. I have already accomplished my objective.”

“Is that so?” I was a tad out of tune. A little – very relieved.

I observed him while he didn’t try to look at me even a bit. His hands were trembling. Even though he gave off an easygoing impression, he was the type of person who couldn’t hide what was inside.

“I really just came here because I wanted to wish you happy birthday. Just before coming, I hesitated a lot on whether to go today or not... I also don’t have... any presents worthy of a lady like you, so I wanted to at least say these words.”

That sentence surprised my already stunned self even more. “At least these words”, he said. Were there any words that could make his goodwill more obvious?

“I’m sorry. I should have at least arranged something for you, right? Really, a broke man like me showing up out of nowhere... I’m sorry...”

“No, I don’t want material things that much... I prefer this feeling of... wanting to celebrate because it’s my birthday... much more...”

The words cut off midway. What happened to me? Right now, pain and joy were squeezing my chest tightly. It was suffocating.

The easily perceivable love of this person in front of me, as well as his kindness, his sincerity and all these other soft and warm things were appearing in the lonely parts of me and causing me to feel dizzy.

“Ann, can you hear me?”

I had to regain my sanity; I would surely be sober again tomorrow. I shouldn’t open my heart so easily now.

“Ann, please, listen.”

Because the world was cruel. Even if I fell in love with him, sad things were bound to happen.

“Okay? If you’re listening...”

It might be a calculated love; he could just be pretending and was actually a horrible person.

No, I had to wonder about that. It was indeed true that he came the way here on foot. After all, his shoes were dirty with mud. There was grass sticking to it as if he gone through an animal trail.

“If you’re listening, grab onto it.”

Aah, Mom. From now on, I would surely keep questioning you over and over during times like these. Asking you questions in my mind. “Mom, is this correct? Is this the right path,” I would ask. Because you were the only one who had given me love without second intentions. So please, give me an answer.

“Believe in yourself, Ann. Don’t be afraid of love.”

I was sure that the vision of my mother had whispered this to me.

I reached out with my hand. I reached out and grabbed the hem of his jacket.

“I’m going to bake sweets now. Today is my birthday, but I don’t have any plans, so if you’d like, why don’t we eat the baked sweets together outside? I don’t need anything. If you’re going to give me something, then I want just a bit of time for us to celebrate my birthday together,” I told him.

“Thanks.” He was not unkind to my wheat flour-covered hand, grasping it while his face went bright red. “That’d be great,” he said three or so times. The phrase “I like sweet foods” was probably said five times.

I... I found it so funny that I laughed.

That day was a special one for me, but to the rest of the world, this was not the case. But I put in a little effort. I tried making it special on my own. From this point onward, I would definitely keep doing that. I would. I was all alone in this manor. But I was the most special girl in the world to a certain person. It was okay to indulge myself at least on my birthday. I thought this once again reading my mother’s letter later.

Ann, congratulations on your nineteenth birthday. I can’t imagine how you’re doing at nineteen years of age. I really wonder how you’re doing. Are you well? Aren’t you going hungry? I wonder if you became a wonderful lady. Aah, I want to see it. I truly wanted to see it. You have no idea how much I love you, do you? You see, Mom loves the nineteen-year-old you. I’ll love you even as you turn a hundred years old. I can’t tell you face-to-face, so I’m properly writing it here. I love you. No matter what anyone says, I love you. You have the right to be loved. My Ann, be free. My Ann, laugh with joy. My Ann, be happy. My Ann. Don’t be afraid of love.

—From Mom

   “There’s no such thing as a letter that needn’t be delivered, Milady.”

[musicals-n-cartoons]

Any Sport In A Storm Reaction

Every week brings us closer to the end of the Owl House, but it also brings a new TOH episode, which is a fair trade imo. Here is my second Owl House reaction!

Pre-episode thoughts Judging from all the promos I have seen, I was going to guess that Hunter and Willow are going to be the A-plot, while Luz and Amity try to start an Azura Book Club as the B plot... but I accidentally spoiled myself, so I know that's what's going to happen. However, I'm unclear what Eda and King will be doing, so I'm interested in that. Episode thoughts Oh, Hunter! Why is your cloak so damaged?

There was a previous golden guard?! Was he a grimwalker too? Or was he's Belos' brother? I mean, nephew implies a sibling...

I guess we know what's Hunter's mission now.

Wow, they shorten the theme song. They are really going all-in on packing as much stuff in an episode as possible.

A Willow introductory montage! It's like those reality tv character intros. She's really getting into this sports thing.

Gus and Luz throwing confetti in the background together were cute, they both have such a love of showmanship.

Hey, we finally get to see all five Azura books' covers. Boscha is here to make fun of the books, while Luz tries to defend them.

Amity is here to announce... the author of the Azura books is having a signing?! But I thought they were human?

Luz said hermosa, that's too cute!

Luz got the same reaction as I do! Turns out that witches and humans were getting different books. Amity and Luz are going to get to the bottom of this. Meanwhile, Boscha is jealous of being ignored.

But wait, I remember that library scene from "Through the Looking Glass Ruins" revealed that the Azura books were found washed up on the beach. I am betting that the Azura books were written by a human, and a witch is just taking the credit here.

Hunter tries and fails to recruit some teenagers. Hunter my boy, I don't think that teenagers will be receptive to respecting authority.

Looks like Dana is making good on her promise to show more of the dual-track students.

Wow, a guy straight up said to Hunter's face that he wants to bring the coven system down when he grows up.

Huh, some jerk professor doesn't want Willow to lead anything. So we got our conflict now.

Willow wants to get Hunter to join. I mean, he may be good, but he's only going to be here for a short time.

Hunter joins under the impression that Willow will find good Emperor's Coven recruits. Considering the state of the current members, I don't think Hunter should bother with "good".

Meanwhile, Amity and Luz come up with some theories about who the author is (It's like Gravity Falls!), only to find that the signing was canceled.

"Don't let the power get to your head" you know, that reminds me, but I found it interesting how Willow suddenly became very popular since she grew more magically powerful, and I always wanted to see a fanfic that explored that aspect of her.

Hunter is not impressed with the players Willow found, but she manages to convince him to give them a chance.

Hey, it's that scene from the promo with Luz laying her head on Amity's shoulders. Man, it's not nearly as angsty as we feared.

And now a suspicious person, go after them!

Hunter tells Darius about all his new friends/recruits while Darius regrets his life choices.

The professor somehow got some teammates, including one of the dual-trackers. Viney, of course, does not accept this betrayal.

After an exciting game, Willow's team won! And decided to call themselves "The Emerald Entrails". Typical Boiling Isles and their obsession with body parts...

The team gets a touching bonding moment with Hunter, who immediately ruins it by revealing that he is the golden Guard. It seems that Amity and Luz mention him to Willow? Thought it was funny that Hunter said "oh my name ain't Caleb, it's Hunter!" like anybody knows who the hell is Hunter.

Before they can patch things over, a bunch of Coven scouts appeared to take the Entrails away. Hunter is not really selling the whole "join the Emperor's Coven" thing. Thought I can see why Amity might had find being separated from her family appealing.

Ice pack for Steve! Man, this is really the episode for fan favorites. I don't mind, Steve is great in this scene.

Hunter tries to salvage his relationships, but the Entails are justifiably not receptive, being in jail and all.

Steve of all people made Hunter realize that he made a terrible mistake. I guess Steve's friendship with the inhabitants of the Owl House is rubbing off on him, huh?

Amity and Luz chase after the suspicious person to find... Tiny Nose! She is the one behind the witch editions of the Azura books?

Her name is Tinella Nosa?! Luz is again having the same reaction as I am.

Nosa leads the two to the real mastermind, Tibbles.

Jesus Christ Matt, you end up in some of the strangest places. First those Gladus kids, now Tibbles?

Tibbles then explains... exactly what I expected. Tho it turns out Amity was the only person who ever bought these books. That's strange.

Darius scrolls thru social media. Turns out Alador is bitter about being called a hack.

He also effortlessly stops the kids' attempts to escape.

But here's Hunter! The kids take advantage of the distraction to bring down the ship to escape.

But Darius was still able to stop them. Man, the creators were much better at preserving the threat level of the Coven heads than they were with the Emperor's Coven. I don't think they lost once so far. I like it!

Hunter saves the day! After claiming that the Entrails are unfit to be scouts and saying that he is unfit to be the Golden Guard, Darious just... lets them go.

Willow seems to appreciate Hunter calling her "captain", at least enough to tease him as they leave Hunter and Darius.

Interestingly, it turns out Darius is impressed that Hunter made some friends and was willing to protect them from him. I guess he prefers Hunter to be a little rebellious. To that end, he gave Hunter a scroll to contact his new friends and a promise not to tell Belos anything about this or his secret palismen.

Multiple predecessors? Was Belos just making grimwalkers over and over again? But they don't sound like clones of each other, so maybe the older Golden Guards are unrelated to Hunter.

"don't need to be a powerful witch to make something special" oh god, is this foreshadowing? But yeah, what Luz and Amity took from this adventure is that writing and making up theories are fun, even when they turned out to be false.

And now they bump into the Entrails. Apparently, Hunter is a slow typer.

Luz praises their outfit, while Amity is wearing some goofy expression.

Final shot: Luz and Amity, shocked that Hunter was on the team.

Eda and King are literally not in the episode. Huh. Reaction to other reactions 14,000 recent posts, with "the owl house" being the number 1 trending tag. And "owl house" is also the 6th trending tag? That's impressive.

Willow's dads were former flying derby players, that's so sweet!

That golden guard sigil can also be found in Gravesfield, more evidence for the Philp/Belos connection?

Some criticism of this episode. I do have to agree that the "Tibbles is behind the Witch's version of the Azura books" thing didn't really make any sense. Like, why did Nosa bring Luz and Amity to Tibbles in the first place? And what was Tibbles doing in that cave? At least the Lumity moments were cute, and it did bring them out of the way of the A-plot, but I don't know. I feel like something like a Lumity date could do the same thing with less cruft.

Oh, and a lot of people are shipping Hunter/Willow now. And a lot of other people dislike the ship. That's just fandom, kids. Best learn to use the block button. At least Willow and Hunter met in canon. And now they are even friends!

Also, someone pointed out that it's funny that Willow became friends with Hunter before Luz did, and it's true that is funny.

I like that theory that Belos is the grimwalker, and Hunter is just a more conventional descendant of the Whittenbanes. That will be a fun twist. Prediction for future episodes The plot of the next episode sounds pretty bizarre, ngl. Either Alador turns out to not be that bad, and he and Amity will strengthen their relationship, or he will turn out to be that bad, and Amity learns there was no point in proving herself to her parents. The former seems unlikely (what kind of father wants his kids to win a competition to win his respect?), but the latter is kind of depressing.

Actually, now that I think about it, Luz is probably the one that instigated it, after hearing Amity complains about her dad or something, as another attempt to work thru her emotions about her mother. In which case it will be Luz who will learn a lesson about something, not Amity. And Luz's mommy issues tie nicely with Eda giving her old jacket to Luz, or even Luz taking the jacket without permission.

[k7l4d4]

Midnight Striga: Fairy Tail/Owl House Cross Fic Episode 5 Part 10

Hello, and once again, I welcome you to Midnight Striga. Please, enjoy.

Perry Porter strode into the Covention Center, eyes easily panning across and compartmentalizing the tragic sights around him, a skill he picked up by virtue of sheer experience. Clinically, he noted the amount of bodies present, living and dead, as well as the brow-raising sight of what could only be human corpses, if the ears were any indicator. He felt a sinking sensation within his stomach; whatever had occurred today would rock the Isles to its core, of that he had no doubt.

Shaking his head, Perry scanned the crowd again, eyes widening at the sight of a hand waving him over. Rushing over, he slid to a stop in front of his son, Augustus; his silly, energetic, passionate, brilliant son, Augustus, alive and well. “This is Perry Porter, on the scene saying,” He started, before pulling Gus into a hug. “I am so happy you’re alright.” He sighed, relieved, feeling Gus relax into his grip.

“I-I am really glad you got here so quickly dad.” Gus choked out, a light sprinkling of tears in his eyes. “A lot’s happened, and I really, really want to talk with you about it, but something more important came up, and I think you can help out, you know?” He put on his bravest smile, trying to hold in the scream that was building ever since he had managed to process that yes, everything that had happened to today was all but over.

“I really think it would be best that I try and talk with you about what happened here,” Perry began, before noticing the stubborn expression on his son’s face, “But I can see that you won’t budge on this. So, shall we?” He calmly asked, gesturing for his son to lead the way, which he did with a beaming smile.

As they walked through the clinic, Perry idly noted the general behaviors of the people around him; there was his son’s friend, Willow Park, tearfully talking with her parents, a relieved smile on her face. There were the Blight Children, the two eldest tightly squeezing themselves around their younger sister, a baffled look on her face. He saw the crowds of crying, pleading, nervous faces all around. As his son led him into a backroom of the small clinic that had been established, Perry came face to face with three figures; the Emperor’s Coven Head Lilith Clawthorne, Eda the Owl Lady, and a human girl, all seated around a central table, gesturing for him to sit. As his son quickly saw himself out of the room, Perry had the sinking suspicion he was in a bit over his head.

After they explained the situation, as much as they could at least, Perry took a deep breath, holding in a sigh. They wanted his help to spread this information, which he could see the basis behind it- a group that invested this much effort into an attack wasn’t going to just stop and people needed to know about them- but the sheer depth of this reveal would completely change the social landscape of Bonesburough. “Very well, I agree to help with this. Do you have a plan for how we go about this?” He asked Lilith, who seemed to be trying a bit too hard to hold authority over this meeting, despite the lack of resistance from the other two.

Lilith nodded. “We have two real options at this point.” She said, holding up two fingers for emphasis. “We can either do multiple takes and present them later, or we can have this meeting broadcast live as breaking news.” She ticked off the options on her fingers, a grave look of contemplation upon her face. Lilith pursed her lips. “Personally, I favor the second option.”

That caught the group by surprise. “Huh, I honestly thought you’d prefer to get this all perfect and have it presented later.” Eda commented, arching a brow.

Lilith snorted. “Please, sister, give me some credit. The longer we go without addressing this, the more severe public unrest and hysteria will become. While the release of this information will certainly have its own consequences, those are still preferable to the people being left in the dark, and drawing more unsavory conclusions.” Lilith calmly stated, gaining impressed looks from the others.

Perry calmly assembled the equipment he would need, adding in his own take on the situation. “While an official report would normally be prepared by the Emperor’s Coven,” He carefully ignored Eda’s derisive snort, “that would be contingent on them possessing factual information to present. Without it, anything they provided would be woefully inadequate for informing the people. While a Live Report of this interview will most certainly cause a stir, it will ultimately be a mere fraction of what would result if the Emperor’s Coven issued a report that ultimately proved to be false in some capacity.” The group blinked, but, after mulling it over, agreed with what he said; it made sense, if people placed trust in an organization and it failed them, whether as a result of malice or otherwise, there would be backlash.

Perry clapped his hands. “So! Let’s begin, shall we?” They all shared a look, and nodded.

As they gathered around the table, Lilith leaned forward. “Now then, human, it’s time for you to answer my questions. The People of the Isles are dying to hear what you have to say.”

Luz gave a challenging grin. “Ask away. I’m all ears.”

Taking that as his cue, Perry started up the broadcast. Turning the camera to himself, he began, voice grave. “To all the citizens of the Boiling Isles, this is Breaking News, Live from the Covention. I am Perry Porter, reporting on behalf of Emperor’s Coven Head Lilith Clawthorne.” He paused, allowing the prepared footage to play across the crystal balls of all watching; the broken walls and shattered stands, the caged prisoners held under guard, and the bodies of all those who’d died, some gathered together for examination, others… not so much. He continued. “Today, tragedy has struck. For the first time since Emperor Belos’ ascendancy, an organized attack on our people has been committed. Of the over 2000 attendees, approximately half have been slain, and a third of the remainder have sustained moderate to severe injuries. Many of them were children. Of the 300 Coven Guards assigned to the Covention, over half of them have died, with all but a quarter sporting severe injuries.”

“What is most shocking, however, is that those claiming responsibility, a group known as the Black Dog Squadron, working on behalf of a group or individual known as Oroboros, are humans. That’s right, humans!!” Perry exclaimed, milking the drama a bit more than he liked, but needing to keep the audience invested; tragedy could only captivate for so long. “During the attack, all displayed some form of magic, but none, bar a handful who commanded Plant Magic, utilized any of the Nine Magics. How is this possible? Why did this happen? What will we, as a society, do next? To help answer these questions, Lilith Clawthorne has initiated an interview with a human who fought on behalf of our people, one Luz Noceda.” He knew that the girl’s image was now emblazoned across every crystal ball on the Isles at this very moment, leading further weight to his broadcast, in theory at least. “I am here with Coven Head Lilith herself,” He indicated the prominent Witch, who raised her hand to the audience. “To broadcast the interview to you all. Please be advised, some of what may be discussed may be shocking to some viewers.” With his part finished for the moment, Perry fell silent, allowing the broadcast to focus on the interview, more of an interrogation really, going on in the room.

“To ensure that what you say is true,” Lilith began, cutting right to the chase. “I must insist that you swear an Unbreakable Vow to that effect. This way, none can claim you are attempting to deceive us. Is that acceptable?” She asked, holding her hand out to begin forming the spell.

Luz raised an eyebrow, but saw no problem with the spell. She shrugged. “Sounds fine to me.” She said bluntly, prompting a nod from Lilith as she formed the spell. When the circle was completed, the two shook hands through it, sealing the oath. Luz was blissfully unaware of the shock rippling through the Isles, as now none would be able to refute or deny her words without looking insane or foolish. She had effectively solidified her legitimacy irrefutably in a single instant.

“Excellent.” Lilith replied, a grim smile playing across her face. She began. “First of all, I must ask, for how long have humans been capable of magic?”

Luz gave a shrug. “I can’t give you an exact figure, but at least 700 years, most likely more.” She said, unaware and uncaring of the shock that erupted at her statement. Even Lilith wasn’t totally immune, managing to school her features, expertly concealing the bewildered shock at the girl’s reply.

Lilith cleared her throat, forcing her instinctive urge to dive into the historical implications of that statement. As calmly as she could, she continued. “I see. How is magic utilized in Human Society?”

Luz tilted her head a bit. “You’re gonna have to be a bit more specific than that. There are a lot of Human Societies, all of whom have magic capable individuals, and all have their own ways of doing things. A benefit of being the dominant species in our world, is that we can afford to divide ourselves into a LOT of individual cultures and communities.”

Lilith paled at that, unable to stop the question that bubbled up in response. “Just… how many humans are in existence, exactly?”

Luz pondered that for a moment before replying. “I can’t give you an exact number, but I’d say there’s about several hundred million of us. Our world is big, and there are very few places we can’t survive on it.”

Internally shaking her head, and forcing herself not to focus on all the implications that came to mind, Lilith continued with her questions. “What is this Oroboros that the attackers claimed to be working for?”

Luz’s eyes sharpened, a burning hate filling her eyes, enough that even those watching at home suddenly felt very unsafe at the moment. “Oroboros is a criminal organization; specifically, they are the single largest Dark Guild active in the world right now. Oroboros prides itself on its ability to seize control and orchestrate things to its own benefit, without any regard for the harm and chaos that erupts in their wake. Cruelty and brutality are prized and cultivated among their members, almost as much as magical power is. No crime is too heinous, no line too sacred for them to cross.” She hissed out, the pure malicious hate coloring her tone forcing Lilith to gulp in nervousness.

“I see.” And Lilith did see. She had personally borne witness to the aftermath of that cruelty and indifference; however, Luz’s response brought another question to mind, one she felt she needed an answer to. She narrowed her eyes. “Edalyn told me you would be an excellent source of information for this. So far, you have proven to be so, even if my questions have not been exacting enough to gain satisfactory answers as of yet. But that response of yours has me thinking. How do you know about Oroboros, Miss Noceda?” Lilith inquired, eyes focused.

Luz raised an eyebrow, stood up, and turned around. After ensuring her back was presented to the broadcast, she reached back, and pulled down at the back of her outfit. Seared into her flesh lay a symbol, a serpent arranged into a Sideways eight, biting its own tail. “I used to be a member.” Luz said, voice dead and hollow. She turned a heartbreakingly sad smile towards Lilith. “Specifically, I was a member under protest.”

“Elaborate.” Lilith ordered, voice hard and unrelenting. She could feel the urge to bring out her staff and blast this child into oblivion, but tamped it down. She didn’t have all the information yet.

Luz gave a chuckle, bitter and full of the kind of spite that made people glad for what they had. “Oroboros has no limits to what they are willing to do, and that extends to what lengths they are willing to go to for recruits. Whenever someone with a useful skill or magic appears in their information network, they send out recruiters. For those with a few too many morals, such as myself, they like to employ a more… decisive argument.” She turned an empty smile upwards, oblivious to the daggers Lilith was glaring her way. “Oroboros kidnapped my sister, and used her as a hostage to keep me in line.” Lilith froze, unblinking.

Luz continued, oblivious. “Whenever I talked back, Vee was beaten. Whenever I failed an assignment, she had a bone broken. Whenever I completed a job, she got a good meal, after having been starved and deprived of water to just short of death that is.” She smirked, an angry, tired thing. “I hated myself. I wanted to die. I only kept living for her. And then she died; one of her guards decided they wanted to have a little fun with her, and the next anyone knew, the guard was dead, and my sister had a knife in her liver. I was free in the worst way possible.”

Stunned silence rang throughout the Isles, such that even Lilith herself was rendered speechless. Forcing herself to speak, Lilith asked the next question on her mind, one she felt the Isles would wish to know. “Should we consider this an act of War from the Human Realm?”

Luz blinked. Then, she laughed; a deep, cackling laugh filled with so much loathing and misery it was genuinely astonishing a living being could make such a sound. “No. Or at least, not the way you’re thinking. Oroboros is in no way affiliated with any form of Government or Ruling power. It’s a criminal organization that supports itself alone.” She gave a poisonous smile. “While I have no way of knowing if any Human Governments know about the Isles, I can assure you that none of them were involved in this.”

“Well, that’s something good at least.” Lilith said dryly. “What can you tell us about Oroboros in regards to how it is structured?”

Luz leaned back, gathering her memories on the subject. “Oroboros originally began as a Dark Guild that took jobs that other Dark Guilds shied away from, stuff that was extremely messed up and depraved in what was involved to go about them. When the big three Dark Guilds were dismantled, Oroboros clawed its way to the top of the heap after all the infighting died down. After that, they started breaking down and assimilating other Dark Guilds that they thought might be useful. You actually met one of them out there.” Luz offhandedly mentioned.

“Truly?” Lilith broached.

“Yup.” Luz nodded. “Before they became the Black Dog Squadron, the Squad was originally a guild in its own right, Barghast. Barghast was a mercenary guild at first, selling the services of its members as soldiers and fighters to the highest bidder, with an emphasis on fighting in wars. But when the local groups started fighting less, Barghast decided it would be better to start the wars they fought, and sell their services to both sides to keep the conflict going longer.” Luz smiled at that. It was not a nice smile. “When their little scheme came to light, they were branded a Dark Guild and went on the run, before being absorbed into Oroboros.”

Luz leaned forward. “Oroboros likes to present itself as one big unit, and while it can act like one in the field, Oroboros is full of splintered factions and units. The Black Dog Squadron is one of the neutral factions, actually; they don’t care which faction is using them, just as long as they can cause as much suffering and bloodshed as possible. I was an unaligned member, mostly because none of the Squadrons trusted a conscript like me not to stab them in the back, so I didn’t really work with any of the Factions or Squads outside of being paired with them for missions. My jobs were assassinations, thefts, and… less savory things.” Luz admitted, eyes downcast. Tears pooled in her eyes, dripping onto the table.

Lilith pursed her lips, feeling unwilling to judge the girl for compromising herself in the name of her loved ones; if anything, she was impressed the girl had the sense of self not to justify the atrocities she had done as anything other than what they were, a means of sparing the life of her loved one at the expense of others, and felt remorse over having done so. Still, she had two pressing questions to ask. “I must ask, you keep referencing Oroboros as a Dark Guild. Just what is a Guild?”

Luz slumped, feeling spent from the roller-coaster of loathing that always came when she thought about… all she had done. “Guilds are the Human Version of your Coven System, if far less restrictive. I won’t go too far into it, that would take way too much time, but Dark Guilds are essentially guilds that flout the laws that govern what Guilds can and cannot do, and actively have their members engage in crimes. If I had to give a close equivalent, Dark Guilds are basically for us what an Assassin Coven or Thief Coven would be for you. An organized effort to commit crime with little to no regard for who would be hurt as a result.”

Lilith felt a chill run up her spine at the thought. The idea of the Coven System being twisted like that, perverted into a warped, criminal mirror of itself, made her shudder; the implications of what such a thing could do, producing criminals whose magic was specialized to enabling criminal acts… it was a horrifying thought. Lilith swallowed, before jumping into her last question. “I thank you for agreeing to this; some of what you’ve revealed could not have been easy for you. But… I must ask you this; can we count on you to aid us against Oroboros?” She peered forth, unknowingly mimicking the apprehension of many of the citizens watching.

Luz gave her a smoldering glare. “You don’t have anything to worry about. I’ve already seen enough misery because of Oroboros. I won’t let them do as they please anymore, not while I can do something about it.” Luz paused, a thought coming to mind. “Huh, this reminds me of something my teacher said while I was training.”

Lilith raised any eyebrow. “Oh?”

Luz gave Lilith a soft, tired smile. “Yeah.” She reached up, rolling back her sleeve; Lilith recoiled at the sight. From her elbow to her shoulder, Luz’s arm was a maze of scar tissue, deep gouges and rents woven through the veil of poorly healed flesh; the fact she could use her arm without issue was awe-inspiring, when one considered the pain she must feel every day from such an injury. “I got this when I first tried using my Magic in a combat situation. I was fighting a monster that was bothering some of the fields near the village I was staying at during my training. I had barely been training for a week, having only just barely made a proper spell for the first time less than a day ago. The monster dashed me against a cliff, driving my arm so deep against the stone that it started scraping bone. If my teacher hadn’t intervened, it would’ve eaten me.” She turned to Lilith, sober eyes burning with shame. “I was an idiot. My teacher made sure I remembered that. What they said to me that day, I’ll never forget.” Luz leaned back, before reciting something with the air of quotation. “‘Magic is an unreasonable force. It is wondrous and horrific. It cares nothing for good or evil, or the intentions of those who use it. If you wish to put your skills to such a task as fighting for truth and justice, grow strong. Otherwise, you’ll never be anything more than prey for those with less moral compunctions than you.’” Luz gazed fondly at the ceiling, tears pooling at the memory. “Ever since that day, I swore I would never let myself be too weak to stand up for myself, or what I believe in. I would be strong enough that I could protect others, but also to protect myself.” She gave a chuckle. “Things didn’t work out too well for that promise.”

Lilith just looked on with pity, before turning to Perry. “I think that would be a good point to end the interview. At least for today.”

“Indeed.” Perry nodded. “Well then, you heard it here first, Citizens.-”

“What are you doing?” Lilith queried.

Perry blinked. “I’m… ending the broadcast.”

Lilith shook her head. “Not yet. I still have one thing left to do.” She beckoned her sister forth, who had been silently looking on as the interview went on. Eda’s mind was brimming with questions for Luz, but she was willing to put it aside for when they got back home. For now, she had her sister to deal with. Lilith gazed upon her sister, an unreadable look in her eye. “Earlier, when you defeated me in a Witch’s Duel, your request for your win was that I would tell the truth about your curse to the public, dispelling the official story. We even swore an unbreakable vow over it.” She held up her arm for emphasis, her arm flashing with a white ring. An ominous smile graced her features. “Well, I do believe a live broadcast all across the Isles is certainly public, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yeah, it is. And I’m glad you’re not putting it off, I am! But… are you feeling okay sis? You seem a little out of it.” Eda asked, genuine concern coloring her voice. The hysterical laugh Lilith gave just added to that concern.

“Oh Edalyn, if you only knew.” She said, wiping away a tear from her outburst, before sobering. “But then, I suppose you will in a moment.” Turning to the broadcast, Lilith braced herself, fully willing to bear the backlash her actions would cause against herself and the Coven from this. “Citizens of the Isles, I, Coven Head Lilith Clawthorne, stand before you to reveal a bitter truth. For years, the story of the Owl Lady has been told, how her defiance and dismissal of the Coven System was punished by the Titan. That story… it is a lie.” She bluntly stated, almost feeling the gasps rippling through the Isles. “The Emperor’s Coven itself has no knowledge of how Edalyn was cursed, but it was most certainly no work of the Titan, or its will.” A mysterious smile, almost beatific were it not so filled with pain, crossed her features. “The one responsible for Eda Clawthorne’s curse was a witch. Specifically… the one responsible was myself.” Lilith felt more than saw Eda freeze up beside her. She could see it now on Perry’s own face, the look of horror, accusation, dumbfounded shock. 

Lilith turned to Eda, feeling an almost spiteful glee at the look of horror, denial, and hurt that crossed her features. “Y-your lying, Lily. You-” Eda stuttered (Edalyn stuttered!), denial and shock filling her voice. Lilith slowly stroked Eda’s cheek, an almost tender gesture.

“Edalyn, we both know that, for all your hatred of the rules and authority, you are far smarter than this. You know I can’t be lying.” Lilith said, just barely loud enough for the broadcast to pick up. “Think about it, you’ve surely pieced it together after all this time. Who else could’ve gotten into your room to curse you? Who else would’ve had reason to curse you?” Eda shook her head, denial still burned across her features, backing away from Lilith.

“Why?” Eda hissed out, forcing it through the denial. “Why would you do this!? To me!? TO YOUR FAMILY!?!?” She screamed, hurt and rage finally making themselves known in full.

Lilith chuckled, the same bitter, empty laugh Luz herself had used previously when discussing her failings. “Because you were going to win, dear sister!” Lilith cried, almost relishing the horror on Eda’s face, were it not for how sick she felt at it all. “We were set to fight for a place in the Emperor’s Coven, and you would win!! I knew you would!! You were the prodigy, the gifted genius that everything came so easily to when you bothered to try, the powerhouse who could already level buildings at the age of TWELVE!!!” Lilith felt the tears coming, the bitter, hot tears of her own weakness surging forth. “I was the one who wanted to serve the Isles, I was the one who wanted to help people!!!! You only cared about joining the Coven so you wouldn’t have to give up any magic! So why should I have given up my dream, my future, for you!?”

“I ONLY WANTED TO BE PART OF THE COVEN TO SUPPORT YOU!!!” Eda cried, her own angry, hurt-filled tears flowing. “All I wanted was to support you, to give you the future you deserved!!” She shook her head, anger and shame filling her heart.

“I KNOW!!” Lilith shrieked. “I Knew it then, and I know it now!!” The tears were like waterfalls now, bitter pain coating her every word. “But I couldn’t accept it, the idea that you, someone who so effortlessly and deliberately flouted the rules, would have what I wanted, what I dreamed of! How could I have known that you would forfeit, how could anyone!? A position in the most prestigious and influential of covens, and you throwing it away for me!?” She shook her head. “No. I didn’t believe you could be that selfless.”

Eda gave a bitter snort. “And I didn’t believe you could be that selfish. I guess we were both surprised.” Not staying to hear another word, Eda grabbed Luz, who wordlessly followed her, and stormed off. Luz shot Lilith a look of empty disappointment. It was exactly what Lilith deserved.

Lilith turned to the still running broadcast, a blank smile on her face. “And you’ve heard it here first, folks.” Lilith mockingly imitated the standard reporter line. “The Enforcer of the Emperor’s Will is a cheat, scum who would betray her own family, and a fraud. What a shocking revelation, is it not?” She wandered off, tears still streaming. Perry wordlessly cut the broadcast. He suddenly felt the need to give his son the biggest hug of all time.

All across the Isles, people were reacting to the horrifying news. Some focusing on some parts over others, of course, but none could deny that the Special Report was on everyone’s minds.

“This is unacceptable!!” Kikimora cried, frantically pacing in front of the Emperor’s Throne, heedless of her standard deference. “How could Coven Head Clawthorne reveal such sensitive information through a broadcast of all things!? Your Highness, this mutiny cannot stand!!” Normally, Kikimora would never be so blatant and emotional in front of her lord, but she felt now, of all times, was the best moment to voice her worries.

“Hmm… it seems I must adjust some of my plans.” Belos murmured. While Lilith publicly revealing the secret she so fervently guarded was certainly a surprise, if anything the revelation of her obsession should make her even more fervent in her future attempts to apprehend her sister. The revelations of Human Realm Magic now infesting his realm… oh he would definitely need to broach this carefully, but his ultimate goal remained unchanged. Wild Magic would be PURGED from the Titan, that was non-negotiable. But the revelation of Human Magic would certainly prove a useful tool for later…

“My lord!?” Kikimora frantically pleaded.

Hunter contemplated the revelations he had just witnessed. Humans were capable of magic, something deemed impossible. If it was possible for them… could it prove possible for himself? Something to think about for later. Right now, he had to attend to his Emperor. He owed the man everything, and this did not change that fact. He would probably have to keep a closer eye on Lilith though,

Alador calmly adjusted the latest adaptation to the Abomiton project, carefully tuning out his wife’s frantic screams and rage. She would burn herself down, if not out, in a little while, and then he would intercede. For the moment, he needed to properly calibrate the Coiled Composition System, truly a marvel really; if it worked properly, even the lowest quality of Abomitons would be a force to be reckoned with.

Odalia slammed herself down across from Alador with a huff, blistering rage burning in her eyes. “Well, at least now we know who our mysterious clients are.” She bit out, forcing herself to calm down with a cup of tea. Alador merely raised an eyebrow. He would see what she said in full, before replying. Odalia chuckled, a nasty, angry sounding thing. “It truly makes sense, you know. Such mysterious customers, wanting such a variety of goods and supplies! And they turned out to be murderous criminals. Fitting.”

“Will we stop supplying them, then?” Alador faux-absentmindedly asked. He had a feeling as to what she would say, but it was still imperative he hear it in truth first.

Odalia snorted. “No. We’ll keep selling to them. We’ll just covertly sabotage the goods we grant them, and use our dealings to pump them for information. Once we’ve gained everything we can, we use the resources we’ve acquired in our dealings to crush them.” Her eyes sharpened. “They endangered our children. Our FAMILY. They will not be allowed to survive for this offense.” Alador gravely nodded. Oroboros had made a crucial mistake already. They’d tried to challenge the Blight family, and harm their children. There would be a reckoning for this sin, of that neither Blight had any doubts.

Raine Whispers was conflicted. On the one hand, they now knew who had cursed Eda, and their heart went out to their old flame about what she must be going through. On the other, more clinically minded hand, the revelation that Humans could wield magic was in itself a massive blow to Belos’ authority, particularly in regards to his edicts on magic and the Titan. It was certainly something to explore for the future. For the moment, they had to get to their meeting. If all went well, they would finally, finally have prospective members willing to step out of the shadows with them. To be honest, that Katya girl had seemed almost too eager to join up, but they would at least give her a chance to step back and explain before making… hasty judgments.

Eda slammed the bottle of Appleblood back, her tears pouring down as fast as the heavy beverage went down her throat. It still hurt. Luz cuddled up to her, lending a comforting presence, King sitting on her lap. Words could wait. The three of them had enough pain to work through. Eda allowed a small smile to cross her features. At least they had each other to share the burden.

[azraqnar]

Thoughts on Agony of a witch (Spoiler warning! (Duh))

Oh boy I was doubting this series’s before but not anymore! This episodes is easily the best in the season. Grom doesn’t have shit on this episode! Everything was just great about AOAW, the music, the suspense, the action, the story, the animation, it was all wonderful!

- for one, Hooty is damn creepy when he fights not only does he effortlessly kick the emperors covens ass (you’d think they’d be more powerful than this but whatever) but he has a tea party with their unconscious bodies after. That was an interesting (& creepy) choice & it has me curious if Eda created him or not. We need a hooty backstory.

- Eda’s curse is getting worse and after episodes of not mentioning it they finally acknowledge how bad it’s getting & how Eda needs more potions or a higher dosage to barely keep it under control KEY WORD “BARELY”. It does remind me of when my aunt had cancer and her chemotherapy stopped working they had to higher the dosage. Good job on finally talking about it.

- When Luz leaves I do like how Eda & King reflect on how the “vibe” of the house changed when Luz showed up & how King thought they were gonna eat her (I guess it confirms witches do eat human kids)I am picking up a familia love from Eda & King so now we have the found family trope (Which I love). I thought it was cute when Eda decided to make a cape as a sign of gratitude & how it sets up how important this cape is when Eda talks about the material it’s made out of.

- Luz’s class is going on the field trip to the emperors coven but isn’t Bump the principal not a teacher?At my school whenever we had a field-trip it was the Teachers that went with us not the principal, Bump didn’t even play a big role so they could have swapped him out for a Teacher & nothing would change.

- Amity’s leg is still broken so she can’t attend the field-trip, which I thought was a good idea she didn’t go. I feel like the writers would try to force in more Lumity moments and it would distract from the plot. I do like Lumity but if Amity was there then fans would focus on that rather than the story & the last two episode were Amity focused so she wasn’t needed in this episode. Smart move from the writers, maybe if her legs heals next episode she could be there but idk.

- Now while Luz was thinking about stealing the healing hat I was a bit conflicted on it. I don’t like how the show is telling viewers it’s okay to steal but In Luz’s case it’s for a good cause, she wanted the hat so she could heal Eda’s curse. It’s like those cases you hear of people stealing groceries to feed their families, I felt the same here. Yeah stealing is bad but if it’s for saving someone you love is it really that bad? Idk if the writers wanted us to be conflicted over that dilemma but they succeeded.

- “Good luck with puberty” I laughed when Lilith said that, can’t believe Disney let that slip in.

- I have to say I do like the lore we get in this episode. Emperor Belos established the coven system 50 years ago to “honor the titan” which is the boiling Isles where they might get their magic from, before that witches were doing wild magic in what was called “the savages ages” it’s setting up more lore about the emperor like how did he rise to power? Who was he before? What were these “savage ages” like? If it was 50 years ago then there still are witches & demons that were alive in the savage age & they could tells us what life was like before. It also means Emperor Belos is 70+ years old. I’m just saying a human could live that long. 👀

- Now emperor Belos, wow his designs looks cool as hell, his voice is amazing too, it’s kinda sinister yet soothing at same times. As shown, it looks like he’s in a weakened state, he has to take these weird bird glowing green slime thing to have energy. We don’t know why or how he got like that, but it seems like he wants to Capture Eda so she doesn’t try to overthrow him since he’s weak. In fact, that might be the reason for the coven system, if he limits their magic then they aren’t strong enough to overthrow him. We only saw him for a bit but he gave a good impression when Luz said that no one will know about her stealing the hat we hear Belos voice echo: “ I will know” in the most bone chilling voice ever! The crew did a great job on him! Tho one thing I noticed is why is every big villain always in a weakened state? Darth Vader, Hordak, Aaravos, Zarkon, every anime villain. I just noticed this trope is overused, but I hope we can see Belos at his strongest and see how powerful he is. I have high hopes for him!

-Lilith discovers Luz is there & decides to use her as a decoy to lure in Eda. Which she succeeds when Eda goes there all angry for daring to drag Luz into her issues. I love how Eda doesn’t even try to stay calm she just straight up attacks Lilith & you can feel her angry.

- Speaking of that fight, best fight in the series thus far! The animation, the spells, the music, the raw emotion, it was all down great! It does remind me of a DBZ style of fighting when they’re moving so fast that your eyes can’t catch up & their magic surrounding them like Eda went super Sayion, I’m not complaining I like those kinds of fight & The intensity you feel in the fight is overwhelming. Luz’s life is at stake and Lilith even uses her as a human shield. She knows how much Luz means to Eda & was willing to kill her. Hell, she even threw Luz toward the spikes and Eda had to save her, then they both struggle with Eda trying to lift her up & Lilith trying to press her against the spikes & then Eda slowly turns into a monster THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A FIGHT (takes notes she ra)

- Now the biggest bomb drop in the series. IT WAS LILITH WHO CURSED EDA. she blurted it out in a rage of jealousy it seems. They were insulting each other on how one is better than the other. Then when Lilith says “THEN WHY WERE SO EASY TO CURSE?!” My jaw dropped, I suspected they would tell us but not this episode, you see can see the hurt & betrayal in her eyes when it was her own sister who cursed her. Like ouch. From what I suspected is that Lilith was jealous of Eda from what their exchanges told us. But why was she jealous of Eda? Friends? Magic capabilities? Power? Maybe fighting over a crush? What? Whatever the reason is does not excuse doing that to your sister and your YOUNGER SISTER AT THAT. Goodness & I thought Edric and Emira took it too far with the diary thing. I’m officially part of the hate Lilith club. Idc what you do but hurting your sibling like that is the worst thing you can do to them, just imagined how much Eda suffered for DECADES with this curse. No redemption can fix that. But boy do they need Family therapy or just punch it out that works too.

- I loved it when Eda went into rage mode when she found out it was Lilith who cursed her. Her own sister. Like damn that has to hurt knowing your own family did that to you. She deserved to beat Lilith to a bloody pulp & I’m happy she didn’t even bother to listen to Lilith she just wanted to attack her & I don’t blame her one bit.

- Ugh the scene where the curse overtakes Eda was a heart wrenching one. She knows she slipping away and tells Luz to take care of King & Hooty & to stay safe before she slips away. When Lilith told Luz that Eda is with her true family made me want to punch her more than Amity’s parents. You feel how helpless Luz felt & I hope they work towards her character with that feeling because Luz is happy go lucky & seeing her in despair makes for great character development.

- it kind of reminds me of when Queen Angella sacrifices herself In season 3 but I hated how they never acknowledged it since season 4 & she doesn’t even return by the end season 5, they pretty much forgot about her. We know for sure Luz will never leave Eda behind & will go save her.

- So we know Luz will go back to save her cuz we do see her wearing the cape Eda made her in the promo. Also we have 1 episode left so we know she’s gonna attempt a rescue mission for Eda but will she succeed? She’s up against the emperors coven! She’s gotta pull all her cards on the table & team up with her friends.

- A witch loses a true way. It could refer to Lilith officially turning to the dark side or Eda being lost in her curse even into season 2. Knowing Disney, they will give us a happy ending cuz it’s Disney but I will be pleasantly surprised if Luz fails to save Eda by the next episode.

- One last thing, I like the credits had no music, just silence. It reminds me of in full metal alchemist whenever a character dies the credit are always silent. I guess it’s meant to represent despair in a way? Or change? Yeah it think it’s change.

- This is why shows should focus on the plot because when you do, it delivers for some great storytelling & this episode surpasses all of the episodes combined. when you focus on the story & lore & characters it makes for great emotional impact of an episode and I hope Dana and the crew continues to do this. This show has so much going for it & people who only watch a show for a ship are clowns because this is what you’re missing out on. an amazing story. I applause Dana & the crew for this episode, really outdid yourselves!

- Overall 9.7/10 it was phenomenal!

[serenlyss]

The Long Night

Fandom: The Owl House Rating: Gen Relationships: Eda&Lilith, Eda&Luz, Luz&King Summary: After returning to the Owl House from Belos's Castle, Eda and Lilith have a much-needed talk, and Eda realizes just how important her self-made family really is to her. Crossposted to AO3: The Long Night

Last week's finale had me crying, it was a really nice way to wrap up the series. I'm glad that Lilith is getting a chance to dive deeper into her potential as a character instead of being relegated to an evil antagonist, and I'm really excited to see where she goes from here, so here's what I imagine might happen after the events of the finale. Spoilers for the last episode, obviously! I hope you enjoy it c:

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Eda doesn’t feel like she’s exaggerating when she thinks that these last few days have been the longest, most exhausting days she’s ever experienced. Her head hurts, her whole body aches, and she feels drained of power in a way she hasn’t felt since she was a young witch. It’s hard for her to tell if the tiredness is a result of the curse, or her nonstop last few days, or a mixture of the two. Probably a mixture, she tells herself as she carries a passed-out Luz through the Owl House’s front door.

The poor kid had conked out almost immediately after returning to the house, before they’d even gotten the chance to go inside. It’s understandable after everything that's happened. Going head to head with the Emperor would tire out even the most powerful of witches, and Luz is only an apprentice. Eda can't begin to imagine how she must have felt.

“Is she alright?” Lilith asks from over Eda’s shoulder, a hint of concern breaking through her normally perfectly kempt facade.

Eda can't help but scowl a little in response to her sister’s voice. “She'll be fine. I know my kid, Lily, she just needs to sleep it off. She'll be back to her obnoxious self by morning,” she replies. “She's just exhausted after single-handedly taking on the most powerful witch on the Isles. Can't say I blame her.” She shuffles up the stairs, annoyed to find that Lilith continues to stick close. Too close for Eda’s liking, if the goosebumps on her arms are anything to go by. When she reaches the top of the stairs, she pauses outside of Luz’s closed door. With her arms full, she has no way of opening the door.

What she wouldn’t give to have her magic right now. Instead of potentially dropping Luz, she casts Lilith a withering glance. “Mind grabbing that for me?” she sighs, surrendering her pride momentarily.

Lilith blinks, gaze flicking from Eda to the door and back again. “Oh, of course,” she says hastily, and moves a little more quickly than is necessary to push open the bedroom door. She flashes Eda a tiny, uncertain smile.

Eda’s answering smile is tight-lipped and sour, but it's a smile nonetheless. She quickly turns away from Lilith’s unrelenting gaze and steps into the messy attic that Luz had turned into her bedroom. Moonlight shines in through the stained glass window at the other side, casting the room in a dim rainbow of color that illuminates the room just enough to navigate. Slowly and with great care, Eda makes her way over to Luz’s sleeping bag and kneels down on the ground to lay her sleeping student on top of it.

Asleep, Luz looks incredibly young and vulnerable, her mouth hanging half open and her face smoothed of frowns and wrinkles. She’s still just a kid, a teenager. How cruel was it, that she’d been forced to make such big and important decisions by herself? Frowning, Eda reaches out and smoothes her apprentice’s bangs away from her face, combing her fingers briefly through Luz’s hair. Things would be much tougher for her from now on. For all of them.

“Your apprentice was quite impressive. She held her own far better than I’d expected her to,” Lilith speaks up softly from behind, immediately breaking the mood of the moment.

Eda sighs, retracting her hand from Luz’s head and sitting back on her heels. She gathers up a discarded blanket and lays it over the sleeping girl, tucking it around her shoulders, then pushes herself to her feet and turns to address Lilith. Her sister hovers in the doorway, keeping her distance. “Of course she did. Any apprentice of mine has to be able to hold her own. I just wish she didn’t have to,” she replies curtly, her expression still stony.

To her credit, Lilith looks appropriately chastised, averting her gaze from Eda and instead focusing on the ground in front of her feet. “I understand, and I hope you understand me when I say that this was never what I intended to happen-”

“It doesn’t matter what you intended!” Eda snaps, cutting her sister off before she can say anything further. She struggles to keep her voice down, anger bubbling close to the surface. She shoots Lilith a piercing glare, and revels momentarily in the way she flinches away in response.

Lilith bites her lip and wraps her arms around herself, and Eda can’t help it, she feels a twinge of sympathy for her. After all, she’s been affected by this, too. She had, at least somewhat willingly, given up her place in Belos’s society, a society in which she’d reaped the benefits of being in a position of power and authority. Eda takes a breath and holds it for a few seconds, forcing her anger back temporarily. “Look, Lily, I get that you want to make things right,” she begins, “but it’s not that easy. You took too much from me to be able to earn my forgiveness with a few trite displays of heroics. I can see that you’re trying, though, so I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt. For now.” She gives Lilith a pointed look.

“Of course. Thank you, Edalyn,” Lilith murmurs, and the little hopeful smile that comes to her face, tinged with a mixture of guilt and relief, makes Eda’s heart yearn for the days of their childhood, before they’d grown so far apart.

Eda casts a brief glance at Luz, still fast asleep inside her nest of blankets. “Let’s take this downstairs. We can figure out what our next move is going to be, and how we’re going to deal with… all this.” She gestures vaguely, in an all-encompassing manner, then raises a hand to her head with a groan. “Ugh, my head hurts. I need some coffee.” She brushes past Lilith to head down the stairs, treading carefully on the squeaky steps. She doubts Luz will wake even if she were to go to the kitchen and start banging pans together as loudly as she can, but she takes the extra precaution anyway. She shuffles into the kitchen, rummaging through her cupboards for her coffee grounds.

Lilith, somewhat unsure of what to do, takes a seat on the living room couch after following her sister downstairs. Idly, the fiddles with the new grey streak in her hair, frowning. “You’re not going to sleep?” she asks.

Eda shakes her head. “No point, it’s practically morning. Besides, you and I need to talk,” she replies firmly as she works. “You have some explaining to do, and we need to figure out what to do with you now that you’re covenless. You’re gonna have a target on your back from now on, same as me.”

“I understand,” Lilith sighs, glancing down at her lap. “You can do with me what you will. It’s only fair.”

Eda raises an eyebrow at Lilith as she walks into the sitting room, a mug in each hand. “You make it sound like I’m gonna kill ya,” she snorts, though there’s very little amusement in her voice. “Relax, Lily, I’m not going to hurt you. You may have cursed me, and I will get you back for that someday, but you’re still my sister. You’ve made some pretty stupid decisions, but you’re not a bad person. I think you’ve had enough for one day, at least, what with being kicked out of the coven, and all that.” She shrugs her shoulders, as if going from top of the food chain to wanted criminal is no big deal, and holds out one of the mugs to Lilith. “You still take your coffee with sugar?”

Eda watches the gears turn in Lilith’s head as she wrestles with her disbelief. She’d always been too easy to read. “I…” she starts, and has to pause to swallow. Eda can only guess how overwhelmed she must be feeling. Eventually, she settles on, “Yes, I do,” and accepts the mug from Eda’s outstretched hand. She takes a small sip. It’s a bit sweeter than what she prefers nowadays, much closer to the kinds of drinks she liked as a teenager. It’s both touching and guilt-inducing that Eda still remembers her childhood coffee preferences. “I thought you would’ve thrown me out of here by now,” she admits after a moment.

Eda smirks, though it’s half-hidden behind her coffee mug as she goes to take a big gulp of it. “Nah. Luz would have my head if I tried to pull a stunt like that. Besides, you took on half of my curse. You’re stuck with me until we get this mess cleaned up,” she says. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not forgiving you, not even close. But I am giving you a chance to make things right. Or at least, as right as they get.” She sets down her mug, expression turning somber. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to trust you again, Lilith. You’re my sister. I loved you, and you betrayed me. When things didn’t go your way, you chose to cover it up instead of taking responsibility. You hunted me for years under a false promise that someone else could fix your problems for you.”

Lilith grimaces, quickly averting her gaze from her sister. Everything she’d said is true, of course, but that doesn’t keep it from stinging.

“But,” Eda continues, “I can see that you’re finally trying to own up to it. You took on half of my curse, knowing full well what it would do to you. It’s not a solution, but it’s a start. I’m choosing to give you the benefit of the doubt because Luz and King vouched for you. Do not betray me again.”

Lilith nods her head, face set in determination. “Of course. I promise I won’t disappoint you,” she says.

To her surprise, Eda’s expression softens some, and she offers her sister a small but genuine smile. “Okay,” she says, as if it’s as simple as that. “In that case, I want you to stick around here for a while.”

Lilith glances up from her coffee. “Here? Are you sure about that?”

Eda nods. “It’s not like you can go back to the castle, after all. Besides, it’ll be easier to figure out how to break this stupid curse if we stick close and work together,” she replies. “Besides, you have some serious kissing up to do if you want to get on my good side again.” She punctuates her jab with a wide grin, only half-teasing. “You’ll need to update your witchling, too, and explain to her exactly what’s going on. If she saw the news, she’s bound to be confused. Best to do it sooner rather than later, too, or Luz will get to her before you do.”

Lilith stiffens immediately, eyes going wide with horror. “Amity! I completely forgot,” she groans, letting her face fall into her open hand. “With everything going on, I didn’t even consider her… she’ll be furious when she hears what I did.”

Eda chuckles; at least Lilith has no intention of trying to hide it. Not that she’d be able to if she wanted to. “I think you’re underestimating her. I dunno what she was like before she became friends with Luz, but she’s a good-hearted kid. She’ll understand. At the very least, she’s not gonna want to murder you or anything like that.”

“I’ll speak with her first thing tomorrow morning,” Lilith sighs, raising her head once more. “There’s no point in making her wait, and she’ll need to find a new teacher as soon as possible.” She’s struck with a sudden stab of guilt over the whole situation. Amity is an incredibly gifted student who’d had to work extremely hard to become the apprentice of the leader of the Emperor’s Coven. She’d have a hard time finding another teacher who could keep up with her quick rate of progress. “I hope this doesn’t interfere with her training too much. She doesn’t deserve to get wrapped up in all of this.”

“Like it or not, she’s already involved,” Eda points out. “She’s your apprentice, and a member of a very influential family. Not to mention, she’s Luz’s friend. She won’t be able to separate herself from this, so we need to keep her updated, make sure she stays safe. Someone else could try to use her against you the way you used Luz against me.” She scowls at the reminder of Luz’s kidnapping. “Which is another thing I’ll never forgive you for, by the way!” She lifts her mug to her lips to take another drink, muttering something under her breath that sounds suspiciously like, “Seriously, spikes?”

Lilith grimaces. There’s nothing she can say that could justify child endangerment. Not even her own confidence in Eda’s powers could have guaranteed that Luz would be spared. She’s lucky no real physical harm had come to Eda’s human apprentice, from her or from the Emperor--she has no doubt in her mind that Eda would not be giving her this chance if Luz had been in any way injured. The idea of having to bear the full brunt of her sister’s unbridled fury makes a shiver run down her spine. “I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t forgive me, either,” she replies softly. She could try to make excuses, blame it on the Emperor for holding Eda’s capture and subsequent healing over her head, but that wouldn’t change the fact that she’d chosen to do everything she’d done. No, there would be no begging for forgiveness over this. “You don’t ever have to forgive me, Edalyn. No one does. But I will be taking steps to make things right with the people I’ve hurt, if they’ll let me. If we… Once we find a way to heal this curse, you have every right to tell me to leave.”

“Don’t think too far ahead,” Eda snorts, setting her empty coffee mug on the table. “We’ll get to that when we get to it. For now, get some rest. Sleep, if you wanna. I’m gonna go check on Luz, make sure she’s doing alright.” She pushes herself to her feet with a grunt, then raises a hand to her mouth to stifle a yawn as Lilith watches her. “G’night, Lily.” She grabs her empty mug from the table and deposits it in the kitchen sink, then trudges back up the squeaky stairs to check on Luz. Faintly, she hears Lilith wishing her good night back.

Quietly, Eda inches Luz’s bedroom door open. It’s quiet save for the faint sound of Luz’s even breathing, and lit only by the faint light of the setting moon through the window. She sneaks her way inside, light on her feet. Luz has shifted in her sleep, curled up on her side with her knees bent and her hands jammed under her pillow. Beside her, King is curled up with his back against her stomach, fitting himself into the curve of her body like a guard dog. Smiling, Eda reaches out and strokes the soft hair of his back. “Good boy. You make sure nothing bad happens to her while she’s resting, okay?” she murmurs, mostly in jest.

Perhaps she was a bit too loud, because Luz begins to stir in response to Eda’s soft voice, blinking her eyes open lazily. “Eda? What’s wrong?” she asks, her voice unusually quiet and muddy with sleep.

Eda turns her smile to Luz, holding a finger to her lips and nodding her head to King. “Nothing’s wrong, kiddo. I just wanted to check on you,” she answers, keeping her voice at a whisper to avoid disturbing King. “Get some more sleep, Luz. You deserve it.”

Luz smiles back, a sleepy smile that makes the corners of her eyes crinkle. “M’kay. Good night, Eda. I love you,” she mumbles, closing her eyes and burrowing deeper into her blankets. She’s out again almost immediately, one hand resting against King’s side as he sleeps dutifully beside her.

Eda’s heart swells with warmth and fondness. There are very few people in her life that she’s comfortable expressing this kind of affection for, and somehow, in only a handful of weeks, Luz has managed to worm her way into her life and make herself right at home. She doesn’t regret a single thing that’s happened since she’d opted to take the human girl in. “Love you too, kiddo,” she whispers to her sleeping apprentice, the words foreign but incredibly meaningful on her tongue. She’d be lying if she said that Luz isn’t a part of her family now, as nontraditional and strange as their little group it. She hesitates to call her bond with Luz maternal, but it’s certainly something along that line. Eda would be remiss to ignore the relationship that’s formed between the two of them. When it comes down to it, there’s no mistake. 

Losing her magic was definitely worth it, if it means she can continue to see Luz’s peaceful expressions like this. She wouldn’t trade her family for all the magic in the world.

[candydos]

...am I the only one that would have preferred AOAW as a season finale?

+ maybe extended post-credits scene to show some belos stuff idk

I just feel that the stakes at play weren’t... high enough? or at least it didn’t feel like the stakes presented were as high as they were because of how quickly they were resolved (see: petrification -- which had a weird sense of time btw but that’s a different story) 

More under the cut, and an important note at the bottom before you reply. 

The most I felt watching the episode is seeing Luz give up her only way home and saying “lo siento” (i’m sorry) directed at her mom before giving it up and THEN destroying it. That shit Hurted. but even this thread didn’t stay long enough because surprise, Belos is actually reassembling it by the end of the episode so... it wasn’t really destroyed. the strongest I really felt, walking away form the episode, I’ll talk about these things below.

Don’t get me started on how I was a little irked that Amity, Willow, and Gus were just... there. Amity did get a timeout because she got a LOT of material from Grom and WILW so I understand, but I guess after seeing WIllow and Gus trying to fight by Luz against Lilith, it made me psyched for a full team battle of sorts in the finale. Maybe we save it for another time, I hope.

and now that I’m writing this out, I have a big bone to pick with the finale:

Everything felt a little too touch-and-go.

Firstly, I will say that I appreciated the flashback and reveal of motivations + the most heartwrenching realisation that Lilith cursed Eda for NOTHING because either way, Eda would have forfeited for her sister because she knew how much being in the Emperor’s Coven meant to her. 

And as much as I love sibling tropes, we have to remember that she gave her sister a terminal curse in her sleep because she wanted an advantage, didn’t realise the consequences but kept quiet about it for about 20 odd years and still doesn’t relay any of this to the cursed sister in question.

On the flip side, I don’t want them to be too bitter about it because deep down they really do care for each other and I believe that. But it just felt, weird.

The main grievance also stemmed from how the layout of the episode was very, Not What He Seems-esque. No surprise there, Stephen Sandoval directed both episodes, but this ties into a little fear I have that TOH will try to model itself too much after Gravity Falls which doesn’t feel right because it’s not the greatest fit. I want TOH to establish it’s own storytelling but the ending really felt very Gravity Falls-esque and right now, I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing (could be both, why not).

It felt like things happened and resolved real fast, and while I understand the 22min limit, I can still have my grievances about it. 

~

Before you go into the replies and start angrily rebutting things, I wrote these as my initial thoughts. I am back after rewatching the episode and I think these grievances are... still grievances but forgivable ones. TOH is still on its first season, I’m interested to see how things turn out. 

And with that out of the way, I will say this episode brought good things:

- I love Luz, King and Eda’s “ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind” moments, warmed and hurt my heart a little. 

- More things on the Day of Unity! 

- Gus’s last name is Porter (his dad is Perry Porter, the reporter! Ha!) 

- The most criminally insane thing Luz and King could think of was stepping on grass with a “Do Not Step On Grass” sign next to them shdfgjhdf

- the Warden’s return!!

- Luz’s Very Visible Hatred for Lilith,,, us @ Lilith in AOAW

- Luz kicking ass with her glyphs!! cinnamon roll WILL kill for owl mom!!

- “Us weirdos have to stick together, remember?” Luz you will not catch me crying in the club rn p-pls im gonna cry-

- Luz going OFF ON LILITH + bonus points for “talk to the glyph, WITCH”

- DID I MENTION EDA FORFEITING BECAUSE SHE KNEW HOW MUCH THIS OPPORTUNITY MEANT TO HER BECAUSE I WILL SAY IT AGAIN GODDAMNIT

- Giving Lilith some humanity, she really knew she messed up.

- OWLBERT IS BACK BABY 

- Luz lingering on the human world, bean misses her ma

- GUS’S DAD????? HECK YEAH

- the townsfolk just relfecting on Eda’s impact on them, bonus for Bump’s “after she left the school” HA

- in seeing how Willow and Gus riled up a crowd, I am getting a LOT of Take Back the Falls vibes. ah, sweet memories. let my beans lead a rebellion pls pls pls pls-

- Luz SNIPING Belos’ right eye. Actually the whole mini fight sequence, I’m proud of how far she’s come.

- just. Just Keith David. he... wow.. chills.

- Luz and Belos are officially Enemies. season 2′s gonna be Interesting.

- she about to TORCH A BWITCH

- LILITH ACTUALLY BEARING HALF OF THE CURSE,,,, THIS MADLAD

- EDA’S BACK!!!!!

- Eda and Lilith now having to workaround their magic handicaps, gon be fun

- “we’ll learn together” HGAFHGJHG AAAAAAA

- her vlog to her mom,,,,,,,,

- P O R T A L. just PORTAL.

[hoganleslie93]

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