#and Eda was so good after hollow mind??

[rfswitchart]

Hunter's Comfort Food

I think, at this point, you all know my personal favorite Owl House headcanon. I shouldn't have to say what it is, you already know what I'm about to discuss. However, I am going to describe why Hunter loves what he does and maybe you'll adopt it as your headcanon too...

It all started when Hunter ran away from the Emperor's Coven Post-Hollow Mind. He'd been living in the paranormatorim in Hexside since, building a nest and living on snacks. Gus, having seen the former Golden Guard living so dreadfully, offers him his lunch, which, among other things, included a sandwich.

Hunter then helps Gus escape Adrian and the scouts, citing his reason for doing so being because Gus offered him food. When the illusionist questions him on it, Hunter says "It was a really good sandwich." As many have pointed out, Hunter's diet in the castle was probably miserable. On top of it, he was clearly malnourished, as several characters (Luz, Eda, Amity, Edric, Emira, Matt) have said. So it is assumed he didn't have a great time food wise, which is why he looked so happy eating that loaf of bread in King's Tide...

Yeah, look at him go. Happily chewing on some bread and being pleased as punch over it. And this is where my HC came to be, Hunter and Gus bonding over a simple offering of food. A kindness Hunter had probably never known until then, combined with something that probably saved his life or at the very least made him feel much better. I feel like that sole interaction weighed on Hunter's heart, and it made him fall in love with sandwiches. After all, without Gus' sandwich, he would have never been able to sit down and actually talk about how he was feeling about Belos. He wouldn't have bonded with Gus and helped the younger witch when he needed it most. Hunter developed an intensely strong bond with Gus, a friendship and brotherhood forged in love, trust, and sandwiches.

That said, I assume when they were trapped in the human realm, Hunter started looking into various types of sandwiches (with the help of Camila and Luz, of course.) Figuring out what the best meats and cheeses were. What kinds of vegetables go well with them (information he totally shared with Willow, obviously.) The best kinds of bread and condiments to compliment the other ingredients. I assume he learned about what foods he liked and disliked (boy loves himself some olives, btw.) Of course, this eventually lead to the ultimate creation. His pride and joy: The True Hero Sub. The culmination of his knowledge and understanding of foods that allowed him to create divinity between two slices of bread (well, shoved into a loaf of french bread, but hey, who's counting?)

Of course, this is a BIG sandwich. I know, that's the one I made myself. It is about 2' long (60.69cm for you non-Americans.) It is not something you can eat by yourself, and Hunter would never want to eat it alone. Because of this sandwich, Hunter came up with his philosophy on food; "Food tastes best when shared with others." So I assume the first time he made one, he shared it with the others. Definitely Gus, his sandwich brethren, and possibly Willow, someone Hunter would be thrilled to share his accomplishments with.

And this probably continued as he became an adult. I bet anything that Hunter has a series of sandwiches he brings with him to work. He maybe even wrote down his own cookbook of sorts for them. You KNOW anytime he had a new idea, Gus was the first person he told about it. He probably even made a book to make sandwiches to represent Cosmic Frontier characters (you know Gus AND Camila happily assisted him.) And that's my headcanon. A boy, his best friend, and a type of food that brought them closer and possibly even saved a life in more than one sense. In this house, we respect the Sandwich Bros. (Tagging @childlikegoblinqueen, @unniebeans, and @probablyhuntersmom, who I assume have also had this headcanon infect their brain for some time. *evil laugh*)

[mdhwrites]

Honestly I personally believe Sasha Waybright character arc was better written and engaging than Hunter and Amity’s arcs combined mostly because there was more agency in her arc and while the other two characters who go from enemies to allies to friends just didn’t engage me as much as Sasha’s.

I’m especially dissatisfied with Hunter and how his story while interesting wasn’t as cool as it could’ve been

So I've talked a lot about this in the past but the angle I'll take this time is simple: Sasha is more compelling as a villain to ally arc because the show let her be a villain.

That might sound simple but it's clearly something TOH itself struggled with. One could argue that ALL of the redemptions in TOH follow a pattern of one bad action followed by them being tenuously on the same side and then on the same side. Amity is out of character for her first episode and then Luz is actually at fault for Covention, even if Amity takes it too far. Then Amity is weirdly antagonistic during Hooty's Moving Hassle and then NEVER AGAIN. Three episodes into knowing her and she is now the person we are supposed to sympathize and want around and her biggest crime feels entirely out of character for the rest of her portrayal.

Hunter is similar. His first appearance is not Hunter. It's the Golden Guard who is WAY more fun a character than Hunter ever was and kind of a bastard. Then the mask is removed in his second real appearance (not counting the stinger in Escaping Expulsion) and he is someone to start sympathizing and working with. He is the sad but mad boy by his third major appearance and his second appearance makes him somewhat sympathetic, just like Covention did for Amity... Or For the Future does for The Collector despite lines like "I can't wait to play amongst the bones!" in Hollow Mind that feel, drumroll please, OUT OF CHARACTER TO THE REST OF HIS WRITING!

Lilith is the only to subvert this... Kind of. No, they actually go out of order but still the same essentially with her. Her first appearance makes her sympathetic and not properly a threat because she's still willing to play ball with Eda for a one on one competition, then she spends the second half of S1 just palling around in shenanigans she should not be allowing but is because... Fuck you. Then we get her one truly evil action in kidnapping Luz, coupled also with having been the one to curse Eda but that's also used to show she's a good person now so the kidnapping is the bigger deal here. Then... She's just a good guy afterwards.

This all makes for the most shallow, bullshit uses of this trope I think you can do while being allowed to claim you did it. After all, a key point to all of these redemptions aren't "Then they sided with the good guys," it's just "Then they're a good person." They don't bring who they were as a villain with them. The strengths that led to their villainy are just gone and they're hard to say what they were in the first place, what they add to the narrative in their redemption and joining of the main party because who were they before they joined. What are they actually fighting against as a person instead of just deciding not to be evil anymore or wanting the cookies that the light side offers?

It'd be like if after Sasha was redeemed, she was as bad as Anne at being able to lead and use people. If the show went "To better erase all the crimes she's done, not only will we say Sasha only is a bad person because her father is Ultra Satan but also she now is entirely incompetent in what she was good at before." Amity loses her intelligence. Her plans are always the most straightforward after she starts getting a crush on Luz and she canonically started having her grades slip. Hunter is the most pathetic character in the main cast with I think zero wins in his belt besides his first appearance despite being the only one with combat training. Lilith is just... Sad in how much they reduce all she was for over forty years of her life to go "Now she's a silly nerd girl. Fuck ambition."

And, of course, their bad sides being blamed on mother, uncle, mother kind of for Lilith actually, just that the exposition for that comes after her redemption, and the Archivists and Belos for the Collector. They aren't bad people, they just were forced to spend time with the wrong people. Now that they're nerds and led by nerd Jesus, everything is okay.

There is a VEEERY real problem in TOH of Us vs. Them mentality that comes from these arcs that's really gross. Swap Luz to a white, male jock and suddenly the show becomes WAY MORE UNCOMFORTABLE!

Sasha dodges all of this because no one tries to excuse Sasha. Sasha never tries to pretend she's anyone other than who she is except for when she's explicitly putting on an act. This means everything compelling and good about her as a villain can cleanly transition to when she is a hero, even if it's hard to believe that which the show even calls out.

There is no Sasha's Angels in TOH. That might be a weird one to reference to you because it doesn't include much Sasha but it nails on the head what makes this trope so exciting. To Anne, Sasha letting others do the work while she gets to theoretically kick back looks like the same old Sasha that she now is suspicious of. Someone who is self serving and so Anne lashes out. However, it's not the case. Sasha's ability to manipulate always came from being able to read a person's weaknesses and strengths. She's a MUCH better manipulator than Belos in this way because she doesn't leverage on you or for you to already be siding with her. She can read you like a book and tear apart your pages until she plays with your spine. And as a hero, that's going to mean she's a great delegator. She's the sort who would go "Nah, we don't need to save them from what you see as certain doom. I know he can deal with it." And she's right. Not because of blind faith but because of the same skills that made her villainous.

Something that wouldn't hit nearly as hard, or feel reasonable on Anne's part, if we didn't get so many examples of this being who Sasha is. Of the fact that Sasha uses other people for her own means. And even now, you can claim the same... Except it's not for her means. It's for their needs.

It actually is part of what makes her becoming a therapist so pitch perfect. A good therapist can call you out when you're trying to hide behind something to not get to the core of your problems. They can catch what is at the root of your issues even as you don't see it yourself. They also can see your value and use your strengths to help combat those problems after helping you identify them. It's actually pretty close to how she tried to get out of Toad Tower in her first appearance. Bring in someone, earn their trust, use their passions against their weaknesses and make them better. The only difference is that now she cares about making them better.

Amity, Hunter and Lilith could never have such a satisfying future because again: What are their strengths? Hell, post redemption, that statement stands true. You can call Amity good at magic I guess but Hunter and Lilith are pathetic people who kind of luck out in being useful at times and that's really it. These aren't people who have anything going for them. They're as good as goons with one of them being an elite in a one off episode as far as villain forces go and that's not very compelling for a redemption of this sort. Not unless you're really going to get into that and A: Lilith was one of the strongest mages on the Isles and studied her ass off so you'd think she'd mocked less for sucking at her job and being a fucking moron and B: they didn't even try for half a second with Hunter who I don't really know if they intended to make look as pathetic as he did skill wise.

So their futures are just random factoids introduced during the story. Does Amity being an inventor say anything about her redemption? No. In fact, it really sucks because Odalia would have LOVED her daughter to follow in her father's footsteps because that's the most profitable option for their company. Good job show. Hunter just takes up the job that connects him with the only thing we know is explicitly Caleb related, no conjecture needed, which sucks for a character who was supposed to be his own person. Then Lilith is... A historian. Because she likes that I guess. Does that have anything to do with her time as the coven head? No. Her ambitions? GOD NO. It's just a random choice that puts her in line with the inoffensively nerdy cast.

And before ANYONE says anything about the shortening, I want to say I've done a blog comparing the fact that Amity, in S2A (so before the shortening) has as many appearances as Sasha does in Sasha's entire redemption arc. You didn't need more time to do this better, the show needed to actually commit to its concepts. Actually needed to be willing to do its tropes rather than slapping it on for marketability and to make lazy analysts happy.

Because enemies to allies is not one of those tropes you can half ass. Not unless you want none of its power and boy, these are some weak character arcs. At least we've got Sasha.

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[sepublic]

Not if Luz Could; If she Should

One of the interesting takeaways from Follies at the Coven Day Parade is the fact that Luz, for all of her fear of not being accepted by her mother, was still decently rational; After all, she'd seen firsthand how Vee got accepted by Camila, and found out from Vee that her mother had even changed her mind to go back and accompany her to Reality Check camp, clearly concerned for her!!! So Luz got to see a bit of her mom's side of the story, and understand better that she meant and intended well.

Likewise, she seemed to understand that when Camila made Luz promise to stay, that her mom was kind of freaking out and not in a clear state of mind, and panicked because she wasn't sure she'd see Luz again. And all of this culminates in Luz staving off the building self-loathing by hoping she can still prove to her mom that the Boiling Isles is good for her, that she's met good people, and that Camila means well enough to change her mind after calming down and getting a proper look at the situation.

And she's not wrong!!! Honestly, I wonder if Luz would've been as uncertain about her mom accepting her in Enchanting Grom Fright, if she'd known earlier about Camila coming back to drive her to camp personally (I bet you Camila checked the trash bin and was relieved to see Luz had retrieved her book)… Granted, seeing Grom turn into her worst fear, and never quite being able to confront that -instead, defeating Grom comes after it has already discarded the illusion- definitely played a role, so I'm not sure if Luz would've been able to shake that off just yet. But maybe, there was a chance she could've told Camila before Grom... Alas.

But then with Hollow Mind, Luz's concern changes; She realizes she taught Belos the last glyph, and helped him find the Collector, the latter of which was what made the draining spell even possible to begin with. Luz has helped Belos more than anyone else, sans the Collector themselves of course; And that couldn't have happened without Luz, or so she feels.

And this complicates things when she reunites with her mother for two months; Because by this point, Camila has obviously calmed down, figured things out. And seeing Luz's teenage friends just further cements in her mind, Oh yeah, Luz really benefits from these people.

But it's no longer that simple after Hollow Mind; Now for Luz, the dilemma isn't whether Camila will let her maintain contact with both realms, that part has been resolved already. By the time Luz reunites with her mother, the problem is now: Do I deserve to be in the Demon Realm? Do I deserve to stay, am I allowed to, or am I an inherent threat as an outsider who contributed to colonization? The question is no longer if Luz CAN stay in both realms, the answer is yes; It's if she morally should.

I'm thinking of Luz's interaction with Camila in Thanks to Them, in the bedroom; Luz asks Camila why she isn't mad at her, so she's figured out by now that Camila is chill with the situation, with Luz's choice, etc. Luz can't comprehend why in her self-loathing, but she's smart enough to pick up on this at least. Luz even expresses her dream of letting Camila meet King and Eda.

But it's when Camila tries to reassure Luz by explaining that people just need to learn from their mistakes, that Luz, in her fucked-up state of mind, misinterprets how she should learn; In this case, by just no longer going back to the Demon Realm, because going there is what caused this whole mess, she believes.

Likewise, Luz thinks it's also her way to make things up to Camila for 'abandoning' her, because even if Luz knows she can get away with having both worlds, again, she shouldn't. Luz thinks her mom should be harder, should disagree (or really, agree) with Luz, because Luz deserves to be punished. Her mom is too forgiving for allowing this; Camila deserves to be angry and set those boundaries, Luz believes!

So then the resolution comes; First, from Luz realizing she doesn't owe anyone a self-inflicted punishment that nobody wants for Luz, except Luz herself (and Belos, ugh). And of course, what Camila meant is that Luz needs to forgive herself for making mistakes, and fix them in a manner that rationally addresses what culpability Luz reasonably has, rather than just laying it all on herself because For Want of a Nail, because of a traumatized need to retroactively feel in control by believing she could've done something about the situation, and still can by holding onto some limited agency via administering what justice Luz can.

In this case, it's the misguided agency and 'justice' of punishing herself, because in many ways it's easier for Luz to hurt herself than bring herself to hurt someone like the Collector; She believes she knows herself more than anyone else, so Luz can make that judgment.

Belos is a... different and very justified story on Luz's part, because even in her worst throes of self-loathing she has the common sense to recognize that he's objectively evil; Her self-hatred comes from recognizing that objective evil, and believing she's contributed to it. Luz essentially hopes to take Belos down with her, so they can both stop hurting others. Luz's dilemma is initially questioning the morality of wanting him dead, but she isn't questioning if Belos is evil or if it's right to stop him, either.

And then, the second part of Luz's resolution; Meeting the Titan. King's dad represents the very world Luz has visited and fallen in love with, her relationship with her is Luz's relationship with the land itself, with the Demon Realm, etc. And in the end, the Titan reassures Luz; She's proven herself as someone who means well, who reflects. She is not an inherently harmful presence to the isles, or even reasonably harmful at all! She's done so much good, with the Titan's own son King being an undeniable example that rings close to both of their hearts.

This is because Luz put in the work to actually understand the Boiling Isles and its people, to listen to and respect them, and care for them for their own sake, and not just as a projection of her own fantasies; Their lives matter more than that, but Luz is also allowed to hold onto her fantasy and live it out in a healthy way, because fantasy, art, dreams; These are what let us live, as do our connections with others. She should choose herself, in the Titan’s words; Not just making that choice herself, but to prioritize herself as well.

In the end, the Titan is simply the voice for this world and its people, telling Luz that he's experienced actual colonization and fetishization, and it ain't what Luz has done. The Titan acts not as a God but as the collective voice for everyone Luz has helped, especially as someone able to have witnessed all of these events. The Titan's reassurance is the world paying Luz back for her kindness and respect, and Luz listening to it is Luz prioritizing the opinions of these people she's afraid of having helped colonize, more than the colonizer's.

In other words, she's not speaking over them like, say, a colonizer might. Luz is once again respecting and listening to what the Demon Realm has to say, and their authority on the subject, because she knows she doesn't just get to decide for people, as she was afraid of doing; And all of this comes around and does wonders for Luz's emotional health. And there's that necessary humility that comes from listening to her loved ones over herself and her self-pity, and there's also that bravery and self-love necessary to dare to believe in that reassurance.

Luz’s ultimate goal throughout the show is kind of the same, yet it clearly evolves in response to her experiences and character development, some of which is negative for Luz in the form of trauma! Overall, it's a fascinating shift in priority for Luz's arc that enables it to last, it’s the writers’ way of keeping Luz from her resolution because she’s still guessing; Not so much because she’s repeating the same question but because after answering one, she’s been given another that comes with Luz’s worldview being challenged deeply, thanks to other things in Luz’s life; These goals are smaller on the thematic level of her core mission of acceptance (even if they are a bigger priority in-universe), but they do affect and sometimes even get in the way of it. And that keeps things fresh and interesting!

Luz is still uncertain about the future in a way that makes sense, and doesn't just hinge on Luz not knowing her mother because she eventually does know!!! She simply disagrees by that point due to developments. Hell she even disagrees with the others of the Boiling Isles; By S2B, it was less about Luz convincing Camila to let her stay in both worlds, and more if Luz was morally allowed to stay in both worlds after deeming herself guilty of causing harm to one, and wanting to atone for that and minimize damage; Even at the cost of Luz's own happiness.

But, as it turns out; This also comes at the cost of her loved ones' happiness too! It makes them miserable to see Luz miserable, her self-loathing does not exist in a vacuum and in fact spreads out to the others, manifesting in different ways. So again there's this accountability to self-love that you don't see discussed in media a whole lot (at least the media I've seen, which could be limited), and conversely there's a pride in ignoring everyone else's reassurance.

Reminds me of the claim that the motivating sin of all is Pride and it never truly dies... And it really does linger and poison in the most insidious, roundabout ways that you'd think don't qualify. But in the end, Luz let go of that stubbornness and just listened to the Boiling Isles, both literally and figuratively. And that's another reason why she could never be the colonizer she believes herself to be, even after being gaslit to the contrary by an actual colonizer trying to drag Luz down to his level.

Because Luz is an Immigrant, and that is not inherently Colonial; Because what makes an outsider Colonial is their relationship with the land and people they visit, and boy did Luz actually nurture and get that relationship right. All of this is just a pretty fascinating and nuanced way of exploring Luz's arc, and the question of whether it's okay to want things and prioritize yourself from time to time, and if it's as simple as matter of if you CAN because that doesn't necessarily translate to the responsibility of if you SHOULD; But in Luz's case, it very much is that and she earned this part. And it just goes to show Luz's responsibility in engaging with fantasy and reality; It's meta, it's a story about stories and I love that so much!

[whisperwillyou]

Do you have any good Hunter fics that are long and non romantic up your sleeve? Super not asking for a friend it’s for me

*rolls up my sleeves* oh buddy DO I EVER

Fair warning, I’m an angst gremlin so these all contain a healthy dose of the Sads™ but considering you’re also a Hunter fan, odds are you also enjoy the angst lmaoo

Most of these are Luz and Hunter-centric bc I love the Noceda Siblings and I’m nothing if not predictable 😌

Let us begin…

What We are is the Sum of a Thousand Lies

Ongoing 59k+

FAV FAV FAV FAV FAV my all time favorite fic, they captured both my FAVORITE flavor of Hunter characterization, AND my favorite flavor of Luz & Hunter interactions (+bonus Eda, Darius, & Flapjack!) it’s just *chef kiss* PEAK content. I reread it regularly

Contingency

Ongoing 108k

Inside you there are two wolves, one is a sad lil boy and the other is the psychological embodiment of the obedient, brainwashed, soldier you were created to be, which your uncle programmed into you when he built you in his evil lab.

Burnt Out

Complete 3K

This one’s a short one but it’s one of my favs so I had to include it. ✨Sic fic✨

Even Sad Birds Still Sing

Ongoing 54k+

Hunter gets turned into a cardinal by a cursed gemstone. Ngl when the first chapter of this fic came out I thought it was gonna be more of a crack fic. I was unbelievably wrong and it is so SO good.

La Gaundière

Complete 12k

This one is some really good post Hunting Palismen Golden Gaurd era Hunter

To be or Not to Be

Ongoing 28k

Hunter takes some ‘me time’ after Hollow Minds and camps. He has a horrible time.

Peak traumatized Hunter seasoned with some great Noceda siblings content and a garnish of Hunter and Hooty friendship. 👌

Blood Moon

Ongoing 48k

Honestly I don’t know how to summarize this fic without spoiling anything, so just trust me, it’s so good.

Your hands do more than Hurt

Ongoing 27k

Darius and Hunter-centric, mind the tags though, this is a sad one

With Clay and Star Scraps

Complete (open ended) 48k

Hunter discovers that being a grimwalker comes with some super fun, funky, and not at all distressing side effects.

Enough to Leave Scars

Complete 14k

Post King’s Tide shenanigans of a former child soldier. ie ptsd

Oop hit the link limit lol rip

Learned Response

Complete 11k

Hunter fabulously misinterprets Luz’s relationship with her mother like the traumatized autistic he is.

With His Beak He Tries to Soothe Me

Complete 10K

Some really sweet Hunter and Flapjack content

Refuge

ongoing 10k+

Camila adjusting to having four new kids under her roof and is unsure what to make of Hunter being… the way he is.

The Golden Brat

Complete 5k+

Coven Scout meeting the Golden Guard for the first time in person: “what’s with this sassy lost child?”

Hopefully you enjoy these!

Special thanks to all theses authors for the platonic content. You’re doing the lords work, feeding us starving lil’ AroAces 💕💕

[sassytheturtle]

Thinking about how we’ve never once seen Hunter fighting at full strength and power in toh.

You need to remember this dude has been trained his entire life to serve as an elite soldier under the emperor. Belos wouldn’t have made him his right hand man and eventual coven head after Lilith left if he wasn’t capable of handling himself, anyone who might seek to harm the emperor or anyone else of importance, dangerous monsters and demons, and capturing powerful wild witches.

I mean, think about all the specifics of his job and training that he’s mentioned. He had to have been really freaking tough and talented to have been able to make it through all that.

And we never once get to see what he’s truly capable of.

In Seperate Tides, Hunter doesn’t see Luz or Eda as any sort of threat. He knows they’re both powerless. He’s clearly relaxed and toying with them. He’s confident that he has the upper hand and isn’t worrying about having to handle a couple of troublesome criminals.

Hunting Palismen takes place late at night. He was expecting this to be a quick and easy in and out mission. It’s understandable that he would be tired this late. And again, you have to remember that he still doesn’t view Luz as any sort of threat. He’s annoyed by her and gets caught off guard because he wasn’t expecting her to be any sort of challenge to handle.

Plus he was just in a crash and doesn’t even have his staff the majority of the episode, but is still able to easily keep up with Luz. And he willingly goes along with her afterwards so that he can get the palismen quicker and then dispose of Luz.

By the time he fights Kiki, he’s been running around all night and clearly just wants this mission to be over with. Kiki has been shown to be a pretty powerful person fighting wise, and even though she’s barely conscious, Hunter bests her fairly quickly. It wasn’t something that was really that hard for him.

Then comes to Eclipse Lake. By the time he and Amity fight, he’s exhausted, just had a mental breakdown, and fighting on an unfamiliar staff. Mental breakdowns like this leave people feeling super drained and burnt out, but he still gives Amity a pretty good run for her money.

I believe he would have easily won if not for the events in the episode leading up to the fight. I mean, he was literally just involved in a mine cart chase before he got to the lake.

In Any Sport in a Storm, other characters clearly point out the fact that he’s very talented at what he does. But he doesn’t exert full effort. He’s trying to recruit teens and play a sport.

In Labyrinth Runners, he’s dealing with the impacts and trauma from Hollow Mind. This dude has just learned that everything he thought he ever knew was a complete lie. He knows the man he once saw as his uncle wants him dead. He’s terrified. All he ever had to do before was follow orders, but now it’s up to him to make decisions and he has no idea what to do, where to go, or who to turn to. All he knows is that he has to stay as far away from Belos as possible.

All of this is clearly mentally and physically draining him. But even at this weak point, he’s able to push through and get to Gus when several other scouts and a literal coven head could not.

Again in Clouds On the Horizon, he’s still terrified and dealing with everything that happened. He’s still not in a good head space.

In King’s Tide, he’s been in yet another crash and is being effected by the draining spell. But he’s still able to push through and fight Belos, holding up fairly well, when everyone else with a sigil can barely even move.

It wasn’t even him fighting in Thanks to Them. That was just Belos using his body. But still, an argument can be made. He’s able to push through Belos’s possession after being rusty on fighting and all of his training for literal months. Belos was clearly trying to hurt Hunter when possessing him and didn’t care whether he lived or died. Hunter pushes through in minutes.

When Belos possessed Raine, he didn’t want to hurt them. He needed a body and to sustain Raine as long as he could. Raine has been trapped as a puppet, but they haven’t been conscious for months. If they were freed from puppet form, then they’d still be as used to fighting as before they were enslaved into a dreamless sleep.

Belos even comments on how powerful Raine is, but it still takes them a lot longer to push through his control than Hunter did. They did also have to push through Collector’s, but there’s still a point to be made.

In For the Future, again Hunter is still rusty, in painful grief, having to deal with all of his worst traumas coming back, and now has no magic at all. He figures out he’s able to use it later on, but it’s only ever that one spell.

This brings me back to my main point. In all of these instances, Hunter has either been tired, burnt out, in mental distress, just previously dealing with another physically taxing event, not really trying or having to use effort, rusty from lack of practice, using unfamiliar magic, or a combination of those. I believe that if we ever got to see him fight in his prime—with a staff and magic that he was used to, in a mostly stable emotional state, physically rested or not just previously having to deal with another taxing event, and with all of his training in tact and not out of practice—then we would see just how powerful and terrifying of a foe he could have really been.

[crimeronan]

Hello, got a TOH question for you! I'm trying to write a scene from only-slightly-canon-divergent!Luz's POV, and to dismay finding I'm struggling with it. Any pro tips for writing her you can pass on to someone who didn't study at Luz University? 😅

aw, this is a sweet ask. i'm flattered to be considered a resident luz expert! and i LOVE an excuse to infodump. this got long i'm sorry i just love thinking about. my girl.

luz is usually pretty whimsical and optimistic (which is why her later self-destruction hits so hard), she believes in people and she believes in The Triumph Of Good Over Evil. she's weird and doesn't understand social norms but she cares So Much, About Everything, Ever. she believes that things will work themselves out like they do in stories, she sometimes steps on people's toes when she's trying to fix a situation, she loves an underdog story and it's constantly getting her into trouble.

i think the biggest three things for me when writing luz POV are these:

-

she is UNRELENTINGLY kind and trusting.

this is her biggest strength - she's constantly befriending her enemies through the sheer power of earnestness. and this is how she makes and keeps friends like willow, gus, and eda.

this is also one of her biggest weaknesses - she gave hunter back his staff in hunting palismen when she Really Should Not Have, she didn't pick up on philip's Bad Vibes, etc.

she truly honest-to-god believes the best in everyone and is surprised and hurt whenever they disappoint her.

-

2. she has NO impulse control and CRIPPLINGLY hyperactive ADHD.

luz is all over the place, constantly. her thoughts and hyperfixations go a mile a minute. she can devour a book in a day and learn a conlang in a week, but she can't sit still and she has the type of ADHD that makes traditional classroom learning borderline-impossible.

outside of school, you see this constantly in the decisions she makes, or rather the decisions she Doesn't make. luz always blurts out exactly what she's thinking, when she's thinking it. she always thinks that her first solution to a problem is the best one & rarely plans beyond that. she's not an analytical strategist. in fact she's frequently fucking up everybody else's plans by..... just. being luz.

the fact that luz always says and does whatever she's thinking is, again, one of her greatest strengths: she is SO earnest and genuine, and it makes it easy for people to believe in her. she loves SO openly and is so lovable in turn.

it's also one of her greatest weaknesses because. oh my god, girl. challenging boscha to a witch's duel on willow's behalf. angrily shouting straight-up heresy about belos in public in hollow mind. all the shit that got her into trouble in the human realm before she ran away. u know

-

3. she is Desperately Afraid of hurting people.

i'd say she's afraid of being a Bad Person (TM), but i do think her fear is more specific. in WAD, her nightmare isn't exactly about having committed atrocities herself -- she doesn't even believe she could have! she knows she didn't create the statue graveyard, she immediately tells amity "i don't know what's going on, but i wouldn't have done this."

all of her fears are related to things her friends & family went through after meeting her.... she's terrified that she's going to hurt the people she loves, no matter how much she tries not to. she's terrified that her presence in the world is harmful by itself.

same with her rant in the classroom in TTT. when she says "it would be better if he [i] never existed," she even says (paraphrasing) "who cares about the broader impacts or the greater good. who cares if he was a hero or wanted to do the right thing. it doesn't matter!!! what matters is that he ruined everything anyway!!!!"

her anxiety with papa titan reflects this, too. "doesn't that make us just like belos??" she's figuring out how to navigate the world and complex morality and she's terrified of getting it Wrong. she already feels like she's done everything wrong & it's completely shaken her sense of self. she doesn't trust herself not to hurt people or to work for evil because she doesn't have a clear understanding of what separates her ideology from belos's.

this third point often isn't relevant in fluffy/lighthearted fic because luz's optimism, joy, and simple zest for life are Definitely dominant in her character. but it is VERY relevant when doing character studies or angstier writing exploring her headspace in situations where she feels guilty or afraid.

-

everything else is set dressing. she's quirky and weird, she's bouncy and stimmy, she loves bats and rats and snakes and bugs and creepy crawlies, she loves gross shit, she loves shipping and romance and sweeping high fantasy, she gets Deeply invested in every random plan she ever conceives, and she is Astonishingly easy to love because of how easily she loves.

you don't have to keep every single detail of this in mind when writing her!! this was just a nice excuse to gush about my girl who i love so so so so so fucking much. luz love of my life daughter of my heart FOREVER.

[tartsinarat]

WELP I NOW FEEL AS IF I HAVE ENOUGH CONTENT TO POST ABOUT MY OWL HOUSE AU SO YALL BETTER GET READY FORRRRRRRR

The golden heir au!!

This au mostly follows canon but is much darker in tone and does go off track in specific canon moments because of the addition of a new character, a grimwalker clone of Belos who was made specifically to be a backup body but that plan was thrown completely to the side when the grimwalker ended up running away at a pretty young age, getting found by Eda (she’s like a magnet for traumatized children I swear) and has been adopted in everything except name by Eda also the grimwalker works as an assistant to Eda.

Whilst the grimwalker is at the owl house, Belos is on the hunt for that grimwalker because his current body is rotting alive because of the curse so time is extremely limited which means he has Hunter specifically on this case to hunt down the grimwalker under the pretense of that grimwalker having been kidnapped by wild witches and that Belos just wants to see his son again before he “dies” (this is a complete lie which Hunter doesn’t find out the truth until this aus version of hollow mind but anyways I don’t want to spoil the whole thing so I’ll just leave it at that) also the fact that when Luz enters the demon realm it shakes everything up even more so without her realizing by finally leaving a trace that Hunter can follow to that grimwalker…

So with all that context out of the way…

Meet the unfortunate grimewalker and golden heir himself, Pip

He’s for a lack of better words a little shit. (Hooty is always on the defense around Pip because of all the pranks Pip does to both him and everyone in Pip’s general vicinity lmao)

(Fun fact Pip’s real name is actually Philip because Belos had decided that Pip was going to be his final grimwalker before and after the day of unity also because he also wanted to be known as Philip during the day of Unity and sorta have his work go full circle…)

Pip’s job given to him by Eda is to steal human realm “treasures” (trash) alongside Owlbert, which Pip did pretty well until he got caught by an extremely confused Luz who’s was dead set on getting back her stolen trash and her copy of the good witch Azura so she ends up unknowingly enters the demon realm just like canon but this time to chase and confront Pip, Luz confronts Pip but they’re both making such a ruckus that the guards show up and they both almost get captured until Eda comes along and saves them, after that it goes just like canon except at the end where in order to both to make it up to luz for stealing her book and as a punishment from Eda for leading luz into the demon realm Pip is forced to become Luz’s guide to the demon realm (luz is still Edas apprentice in this au tho.) after this everything changes because the guard who tried to capture Pip and Luz had reported to Hunter a possible sighting of Pip and how he’s been found with a random human which Hunter then realizes he can use Luz as bait.

Also I’ll eventually talk about Pips relationships with the other characters in another post.

By the way Pip can do magic despite being “human” and not having a bile sac or a palisman, an example of this is the illusion he put on his ears when he’s out in public to make them long and pointy like a witch’s but that’s the only magic he does in general because he finds it extremely hard to focus on controlling the strength of the magic and also keeping the spell active so he prefers just not to really use magic. Magic usage makes him extremely tired also which is another reason he mostly avoids it.

Here’s Pip showing off his illusion magic to an extremely excited Luz in the background.

Also Pip can use magic only because during the process of Belos growing him Belos had to cut off one of his arms to use as an ingredient (specifically the “bone of ortet” which fun fact an “ortet” is the original plant from which the plant's clones are descended from,) and so due to that arm being used as an ingredient the glyph arm carvings and unlucky the curse too had passed on to Pip as well.

The curse works similarly to Belos’s but is much less stronger and gets extremely agitated and causes a lot of pain if he’s used to much magic at once but I’ll focus on the curse properly in another post.

(Also I’m not the most experienced writer but I can draw so excuse my writing skills lol and try to at least enjoy the art)

[drbtinglecannon]

Darius because YOU! Are his lawyer

This is such a high honor coming from Willow Park's lawyer herself, thank you pal 💖

How do I feel about this character

I love Darius so much he's absolutely one of my top favorites, it's like between him and Eda. He's hilarious, he's cunty, he's interesting, he's one of Dana's favorites, he's a good person but he's a bitch about it, his design fucks, he has no canon love interest, and I wish we got more of him. I have so many thoughts on him and he was only in about 15min of screentime.

What can I say, I looked at all the Coven Heads in the S2B trailer and immediately decided he was my favorite and every time he was on screen I was validated by how thoroughly he passed the vibes check

All the people I ship romantically with this character

I am typically an aroace Darius enjoyer, but I have fondness for dariraine, dariraeda, and darimila (why is he always listed first and why is it fitting (wait I have to preface I'm ace and I use ship names by what sounds best I have literally never done it by "who tops" I can barely remember that's the common use of ship name order SO I'm mocking Darius as he would wanna be listed first because he's That Bitch)) because all of them have a lot of cute fluff potential (and dariraine has fun angst potential especially if it's between Eda's Requiem and O Titan, Where Art Tho)

Typically tho even in those ships I don't see Darius as someone that would live with a romantic partner, I think he'd want to keep his own house lol and he's very valid, it's styled exactly how he likes and no one else lives up to his cleanliness standards, it's win win for both parties

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Darius & Eberwolf is literally Lilith & Hooty a little to the left and it's sooo fucking funny and wholesome for it. Lilith was actually my S2A obsession until she left I was so fucking devastated when she moved out, so seeing Darius & Eberwolf were a similar archetype to Lilith & Hooty really endeared me to them immediately in ER when we knew nothing about them. Then by the series end they really are one of my favorite little duos of toh they're comedy gold potential but didn't get enough screentime 😔 Darius surrendered for Eberwolf even tho it was at the cost of the rebellion and I still think about that scene. Guy who joked about people dying is likely actually not being pragmatic at all when it comes to loved ones 👍 they threaten Terra Adrian & Vitimir lol

I'm also a "Darius & Eda used to be besties and will do so again" truther. They're the same yet opposites, they're both dramatic, they're both powerful, they both have a hot monster form, and they both speedran becoming adoptive parents after just being That Guy to some kid for a while. The ONE episode of interactions they had in COTH with Darius having to exasperatingly tell Eda what he means but also he calls her "Eda" not "Edalyn" like everyone else but Raine does, and Eda mocking Darius over beating his ass in ER and Darius IMMEDIATELY getting defensive & lying which Eberwolf calls him out for, DO YOU SEE MY VISION? THEY USED TO BE BESTIES. THE CLAWTHORNE PARENTS LOVED DARIUS. DARIUS & EDA WERE EACH OTHER'S ASSHOLE FRIEND. THAT FANART OF THEM IN FACIAL MASKS & DOING THEIR NAILS WATCHING DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES IS WHAT THEY WERE.

My unpopular opinion about this character

Liking him at all is still quite unpopular 😔 this fandom sure treats the nonwhite parents a certain way lol. I also don't really like ala//darius, I get the appeal but it doesn't compel me

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon

I've had a perfectly envisioned idea for a year or two now of an toh episode that followed the rebel trio after Them's the Breaks, Kid and before Hollow Mind that was a 3 part split reminiscent of how Once Upon A Swap was paced.

Not only would it tie back to the style of OUAS -- a notoriously hated toh episode -- but it would be able to give info in a slow drip by following Raine first, then by the end we see Raine is working with Darius & Eberwolf, then it goes back to the beginning of the day through Eberwolf's POV, then Darius' POV, and ending on the buildup that they're the rebels Hunter is chasing at the beginning of HM.

We as the audience can tell by the designs who they were in HM (or well. Most of us. Some people thought Darius was Alador for some reason) but ahhh think of the extra foreshadowing that could've been in HM if we got an episode inside the castle so close to the day of unity!! Like what if Collector's shadow was visible at one point behind one or all of the rebels, letting us know Belos knew exactly who they were which lead to the foreshadowing in HM of the 3 arrows being where Darius, Raine(Eda), & Eberwolf each get put to stand during the day of unity spell in King's Tide BUT ALSO how we don't REALIZE it's referencing them specifically UNTIL KT AIRS. LIKE THE LAYERS IT COULD'VE ADDED.

Also obligatory Darius Hunter moment has to happen here to lead to Darius' reaction in HM upon hearing Hunter was trapped considering their last on screen moment in ASIAS and some people even now can't visualize them interacting in a positive manner 🙄

I do imagine it would be a touch 🤏 angsty. Like in my vision, Darius sees Hunter getting heat from Kikimora over a wild magic book, and it's like she can't really do anything to him over it but she could tell Belos who would be unhappy to hear that and all 3 of them are aware this would be the outcome, and Darius debates for a solid 10 seconds if he should pretend he didn't see them because well as heartless as he knows it sounds it actually benefits him & the rebellion keeping Hunter at arm's length but now that he's spent time with the kid he's like not a bad kid maybe they can convince him to join them?? Before he goes over and like a true actor plays it off that he asked Hunter for the book. Hunter obviously does not play along well as he's not a good actor, so Darius very condescendingly tells Kikimora to leave like "you can read, can't you, Kiki?" And she sputters "yes of course I--" and he just cuts her off "then read the room" while giving her a cold look until she awkwardly and angrily leaves. Like absolute cunt behavior from Darius but it's hilarious and it works to his cover as a CH. He gives Hunter the book back when Kikimora leaves and they good naturedly mock the other's taste in books ("I don't know how you can read that, Deadwarian era writing is dreadful to slog through" "Well some of us like reading more than fashion magazines") before they pass the mess hall and Darius asks Hunter if he's eaten, "Y-yes!", Flapjack is not standing for such lies and pecks him from under his cloak, which Darius knows is Flapjack so he laughs and tells Hunter to eat, Hunter pauses before he tries to genuinely thank Darius for defending him earlier, and then well shit remember how it's better for the rebellion if Darius keeps Hunter at arm's length maybe he needs to remember the bigger picture? He was literally doing rebel work when he got distracted helping Hunter out, so he kinda gently tells Hunter not to expect he can always go save him, and because Hunter's an abused teen (not that Darius really knows that yet) and he was enjoying having an adult that's nice to him now he visibly deflates before quickly excusing himself

Darius apologizes under his breath because he doesn't enjoy being mean to Hunter (even back when he was being mean to him) but it's one of those hard choices he makes like how Raine refused to get Eda involved. Can be miserably tied back to how Hunter ends up hiding at Hexside and not the rebels finding & helping him.

Wow I went insane typing that all but yeah that's my vision of what I would add to canon if I could add 1 episode into the show that doesn't change anything at all it only adds character filler & foreshadowing potential. Maybe I'll actually write this fic one day haha.

Another thing I kinda wish canon would've done was overtly state Darius adopted Hunter because like it's clearly implied but a lot of people still deny it! Dadrius won guys let us have this they had to cut so much stuff from the show including Darius backstory

From this ask!

[anastasia-queen]

My Thoughts Lumity and Huntlow (Sorta a Hot take)

Okay, I know this isn't a new discussion within the community, but does anyone else dislike how Lumity and Huntlow are written within the show by regressing their characters' arcs or traits just to be solely dependent on their canonical partners? (The episode "For the Future" I'm looking at you.) It's very prominent with Amity & Willow's side of the relationship, then Luz & Hunter.

Seriously, name more than one episode in Season 2 that focuses & carries on Amity's development for most of the duration, whether on her family dynamics or friendship with Willow, that doesn't immediately get sidelined for whatever Luz is doing or conflict she has.

Inherently, it's not bad for Amity to stop to check on Luz to see that she is okay. The problem is after that. The show writers don't show her concluding most of the arcs she strived for, allowing her to grow on her terms & seeking the potential of her character because of the tethering of Lumity, which serve no purpose in the narrative sense besides cute fluff that has no substance just like the chemistry between Hunter and Willow. (Sorry, I had to dunk on this ship.)

However, my biggest annoyance with these two ships is how they never address or show any conflict between the canonical partners, specifically how often Luz lies to Amity, which leaves Amity to self-doubting herself for Luz, or how Willow doesn't know anything about Hunter's trauma experiences with Belos. As a result, this writing choice often makes the relationships feel disingenuous about how much they mean to each other if one side isn't acknowledged.

In comparison, the dynamics of the relationships between Lunter & Raeda work within the show narratively so well because the show doesn't sacrifice Luz/Hunter & Raine/Eda's character and addresses both characters' conflict on equal footing, allowing both members of the relationship to have a good understanding each other making the dynamic feel stronger emotionally when both decide to help each other to overcome a mental obstacle. You can't tell me episodes like Hollow Mind, Thanks to Them, Eda's Requiem, Follies at the Coven Day Parade & O Titan Where Art Thou didn't have any emotional investment from you because you know you lying.

Another reason I consider Lunter & Raeda better than Lumity or Huntlow, besides feeling naturally paced & written within the show, is that they are not solely reliant on each other but can depend on each other. However, not to the point that they are incapable of holding their centric episodes of self-growth or selflessness, which all four members have proven multiple times that they can be independent.

[enigmajaython]

You know what I'm thinking about Hunter and Lilith again, so here's some thoughts about about Hunter Staying at the Owl House After Hollow Mind (I don't know what we're calling that AU collectively)

Eda noticing Hunters entire body tense and his shoulders straighten when Lilith enters the room and not really knowing how to approach him about it, but she's damn well going to try (after reading a few more 'How to Talk To Teenagers' books)

Luz actually notices him using a more subdued version of The Voice (you know the one) when speaking to Lilith and she immediately tries to have a discussion about it but he has no idea what she means, because that's just how he talks (to scary authority figures)

King isn't sure why Hunter acts so weird around Lilith, he doesn't talk to Hunter about it but when Aunt Lilith visits and he's done receiving his awkwardly loving Cool Aunt Lilith Hugs, he makes sure to sit as close to Hunter as possible and give him one of his underlings to hold, just in case

Hunter watching his sister and brother call Lilith "Aunty" and wishing he knew how to earn that privilege

Hunter not being sure what to do to earn Lilith's favour so he actually starts offering to go on "Missions" for her, like going to the market for groceries and/or elixir, fetching her books from the library from the restricted section, etc. Lilith Does Not take this very well

Actually now that I'm thinking about it, I want more people to explore hunters reaction to other people with curses, I eat those fics up like good spaghetti

Tw panic attacks and light ref to abuse under the cut

Lilith and Hunter are left alone in the Owl House (somehow) and Lilith starts to Bird Out and Hunter brings the elixir straight to her, no matter how hard his hands shake and his vision starts to blur, because this is the one thing he knows how to do Correctly

Of course Lilith stops Changing but that dosnt mean she isn't mad that he helped her out of Pity and she gives the former Golden Guard a piece of her mind about it but when she actually notices that he's not biting back, not even reflexively like he's started to do against her needling, he's not even looking at her. His eyes never leave the floor and his pale face is unreadable as he begins to sweat, trembling hands becoming clenched fists, chest hitching with growing hyperventilation, but he doesn't make a sound, not even a wheeze, but it's all so telegraphed perfectly that even Lilith can tell something is so very, very wrong.

He doesn't flinch when she goes to put her hand on his shoulder but she knows he wants to, but then he sinks to one knee and starts to mumble half coherent apologies through short, withering gasps of air and that's when she truly realizes she's Fucked Up.

[mdhwrites]

How similar is Belos is to Frollo really? Are they really that similar or is it just fans comparing them because there the only 2 main religious theme villains in a Disney universe ever

This is kind of a rough one because there is certainly a case to be had. The two are cut from a very similar cloth where they are meant to be religious men who have black souls and use the scripture to justify their hate. The big difference for why one is good and one is not is... I believe Frollo is actually dealing with this inherent conflict within him because of temptation.

Belos has no Hellfire... Because he has no fire in him. He is a shell. Not a shell of a man, that's interesting, but a shell of a character. His religious motivation should lead to more extremism, more hate, etc. like that but that would also mean that, like Frollo, he'd have to be active in his hate and pain he causes. After all, from literally the first scene, Frollo is murdering people and trying to kill a baby. He is only stopped when a man more genuinely holy than him calls him out for thinking that even an innocent like a baby deserves death and damnation. It is a moment of weakness from a man who is already hateful and it marks how bad things are for the Romani in the movie. They are NEVER having a good time because Frollo has actively made society and its systems actively destroy who they are. His hate is omnipresent.

Belos' is... *shrug* Like literally until "I am trying to save your souls!" in Thanks to Them, Belos never seems religious in even the slightest. Until we know what the Day of Unity is, it appears he's actually made a pretty good place to live. He's made people safer, he's given structure and community to a world that didn't have it because otherwise his actions before his rise to power would have been found out, and he asks genuinely VERY little of people, even allowing forgiveness to those who have been away from the Coven System for potentially decades like Eda's Friend in Hollow Mind to come back with zero consequences. Even members of his own coven who leave deal with no consequences (which really makes Eclipse Lake feel WRONG in hindsight.)

There is no hate here. There is no motivation. He is evil... Because he is evil. Hell, we even see this with the difference between Quasimodo and Hunter. Frollo keeps Quasi under control by making him genuinely hate himself. By tearing who he is down until he would almost never even question the idea of going against Frollo, especially long term. Disobeying him is terrifying, especially because in Quasi's eyes, no one can replace Frollo for no one will ever be capable of liking him. Not just liking him like Frollo does but liking him AT ALL. And this is all done because while Quasi is Frollo's penance for what he tried to do on the steps, he is also indicative of so much that Frollo hates so he is better treated as an animal than anything approaching a human being. After all, even if he isn't in touch with his heritage, just being tangentially close to the Romani or sympathetic to them is enough to make Frollo hate you and wish to see you erased.

Meanwhile, Hunter is number 489244502 attempt at using magic, which Belos supposedly hates, to create a right hand man of someone who betrayed him for witches! FUCKING AMAZING! Not only that but instead of genuinely trying to isolate and control him, Belos is easily replaced motivationally by Darius for an episode because Hunter easily sees people as able to replace Belos for giving him approval and there's no actual reason Hunter should think himself lesser than others. He literally replaced Lilith in the fiction as the poster person of the Isles. Literally his face was EVERYWHERE shortly after the execution. He holds a lot of power and is given a lot of importance and yet no one in the EC seems to like him WHATSOEVER. Not because of his attitude, personality or lack of magic but because apparently Hunter, who walks around the castle without his mask ALL THE TIME, is known by literally no one in the EC because he's easily forgotten... Until Labyrinth Runners where every scout can now easily identify him immediately.

It makes it so that Frollo appears to genuinely have a conflicted nature... While Belos is just a bad man who is bad at his job and even worse at actually using his religious motivation to justify what he's doing because he's so inconsistent and seems to have no idea what he's actually doing. Like I said: Belos has no Hellfire in him because I never believe he's actually religious. Frollo on the other hand is shown from the first sequence to GENUINELY be God fearing. He uses God to also hurt but his convictions are real and that's part of what makes him so terrifying because only a moment like Hellfire could ever change things with him. Nothing else but his own piety could ever change how he treats the world because so long as he has that conviction of faith, he will never waver. This also makes him actually MUCH more cutting as far as religious critiques go because it's easy to point at the leaders of the Crusades and goes, "Those men were greedy assholes who wanted power." It's a lot harder to genuinely depict the TERROR of what holy motivation does to a person, like why the common soldiers of the Crusades were willing to go so far just for their faith and a chance to not end up damned for that which they were good at.

Meanwhile, I only say nothing could ever stop Belos' rage because that is simply his narrative role. Because he is just a conman who seems to do nothing, part of me assumes, honestly, that an Esmerelda coming into his life would actually make him turn native. He would chain her up and enslave her, sure, but all he wants is glory and praise. He wants a title, not moral superiority. As such... Why wouldn't he make the same choice his brother did if a hot enough witch offered up her ass? Maybe he just gets turned off by the pointy ears?

Like I can't tell you, besides rage about his brother for literally FOUR. HUNDRED. YEARS. why Belos goes to the extremes he does because for as extreme as his hypocrisy... He isn't extreme in action. He doesn't seem to mostly care about what's going on in the Isles, even as he has to wait FIFTY YEARS after coming to power to kill... Like 70% maybe of the population since apparently during that entire time, he never once thought about how he'd go about killing the kids.

It's not compelling and it's not interesting but this is one TOH's inherent issues. It knows really cool ideas and examples. Frollo is a great Disney villain for a reason (and also proof that Disney WILL theoretically let you tackle this subject matter and TOH didn't even do a tenth of what Hunchback did with its religious stuff. In fact, I need to do a blog on how I think the Titan actually reinforces Christian Fundamentalism.) But... TOH doesn't understand what makes the source material compelling. It's not willing to put in the work or the clever writing to really sell why these characters are the way they are. They're just instead character types and tropes that Tumblr and Twitter like thrown in because that's what's in a good story right?

And so we have shells of much better characters, just like Belos wears Frollo like a cheap skin.

======+++++======

I have admittedly not seen Hunchback of Notre Dame in SO. LONG. so this might not be 100% right and sorry about that.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

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[numericalbridge]

001 for Dariraine or 002 for Lilith.

Hi! Thank you for the ask!

Dariraine

when I started shipping it if I did: i can't remember, but probably when the 'Oh, Titan' aired and there was more art of them.

my thoughts: i don't actually actively ship it (even in my dariraine au the focus is not exactly on romance), mostly because i don't usually ship anything in the specific fandom way; but the dynamic of the two rebel leaders who started at the wrong footing via misunderstandings and then became closer is really interesting to me, both platonically and romantically. Plus i usually enjoy good romantic side plots between secondary characters. And as a platonic dynamic, their scene in Oh, Titan was such an unexpected but pleasant surprise. They were so fun! But, as i've mentioned before, the way ER was written and the way their friendship was there just for 1,5 scenes still leaves their canon dynamic in a very weird place for me, so i only see it as a ship in an AU/as somewhat removed from canon.

What makes me happy about them: i like that they had seemingly overcome their differences and reached a certain level of trust between ER and Oh, Titan. Yet at the same time they can and will annoy each other with stupid little things. Like, they sounded very fond of each other when they were explaining things to Luz, then it was immediately followed by Darius teasing Raine over their acting, and Raine tormenting Darius with the team name, only to then switch to the scene where they are holding that scroll together at the rebel table? A+ moments.

What makes me sad about them: in-universe it's that they have lost so much time they could have spend working together, all because of the mistrust/miscommunication/whatever ended their schooltime friendship. And on meta level it's that Darius wanted to protect Raine, as they have said themselves + whether intentionally or not it was implied that he agreed to not involve Eda (even when it would mean going with more dangerous plans), so it seems like he indulged Raine a lot, but we never got a moment of Raine doing the same for him.

things done in fanfic that annoy me: i don't think i've read any fic with them as a ship (sorry if i am forgetting anything) because usually shippy dariraine fics are either smut or they are a side pair in a long story that i am not interested in. But when it's platonic their friendship is often just there for them to give each other relationship advice rather than exploring their own dynamic. Also the way their personalities flip-flop depending on the fic type, when it's clear it is just meant to serve other dynamics rather than an actual attempt at characterization (for example, if it's a Hollow Mind fic and it's dad*rius then Raine would be soo over the top ruthless, but if it is a raed*a fic then it's the opposite and Darius just doesn't care about 'some teenagers')

things I look for in fanfic: at this point just a fic about their own dynamic whether platonic or shippy😭

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Eda or Camila for Raine (no one understands ramila like i do😐), and Camila or Perry for Darius

My happily ever after for them: they participate in the rebuilding and reforming of the Boiling Isles while annoying each other and at the same time being ready to kill for each other.

who is the big spoon/little spoon: they switch

what is their favorite non-sexual activity: just working on something together like the scene at the end of Oh, Titan. Or scheming.

Lilith

How I feel about this character: i really liked season 1 Lilith as an antagonist and the flashbacks of her dynamic with Eda when they were younger. I never doubted that she would be redeemed, but i don't like how her arc was handled in season 2, especially season 2b, especially Oh Titan.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: no one, obviously

My favourite platonic relationships: her friendships with Hooty and Steve were very cute. Her relationship with Eda was mostly really interesting, and her relationship with their mother - even if not positive - was interesting too.

My unpopular opinion about this character: i think both her and Luz's arcs would have benefitted if their s2 relationship was more complicated; and i don't like how Lilith - especially considering how she behaved in King's episode in s2a - was presented as this good historian who will uncover the truth, while a brown woman was apparently the bad corrupt historian.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: Short answer - i wish her arc and character development were finalized in a serious manner in Oh, Titan episode, and earlier episodes had more focus on the initial awkwardness between her and Luz until it would have been resolved in the time travel episode.

Long answer: I wish her treating Luz as if Luz was a teacher in s2e2 was presented as something Lilith did because she was feeling awkward after what happened between them in s1, with Luz acting awkward in return. Then the tension between them would have been a plot point in the time travel episode, and it would've been resolved by the end of it. As a follow up, in ASiAS instead of the Azura sub-plot, Luz and Amity would have gone to do research with Lilith - resolving Amity and Lilith's mentorship offscreen and freeing time for Willow, Gus and Darius. And in Oh, Titan, Lilith's arc would've ended on a serious note via her travelling with King and Steve and reacting to common people and helping them during the montage, and then a serious conversation regarding King and her worldview.

a headcanon fact: I think she and King would develop a great relationship during the time skip.

for this ask game

[gakriele-lvs-blog]

Hunter's list of parental figures

Hunter accumulated a remarkable amount of possible parental figures across the series (in both canon and fanon)

-Lilith (at least in fanon): Even throught she acted cold and uncaring during her stay in the emperor's coven she was indeed still a good person behind that mask. So upon realizing the kind of life Hunter was going through (after questioning her belief, past actions, and faith) she would willing to do everything in her power to get him the hell out of Belos's grasp, including getting Eda or Raine involved to assure his safety.

-Raine (Also in fanon): As an active rebel in disguise, they would most likely found out about Hunter's identity behind the mask and the treatment he suffered. They would also do anything in their power to save Hunter, even if it means leaving their current position to do so. (They would definitely appear at Eda's door and say: "Behold! Our son!" he is very sad and is made out of wood and stolen meat!)

Eda: She literally adopted two random kids in the span of 3 to 6 months. Who is going to stop her from adopting the nephew of the Demon Realm equivalent of Jesus? Her human daughter literally assaults government facilities on a weekly basis and his son is a literal offspring of GOD! If you mess with her kids she is going to break your bones and steal your wallet! And In Hollow Mind if Hunter hasn't run away and stayed she would have gotten the adoption papers the next morning.

Darius: We all know this one. The poor man has probably been overwhelmed with guilt and regret after losing his mentor, and looking at Hunter so blindly loyal to Belos must have been quite a heartbreaking sight. But the moment Hunter showed his willingness to defy authority... After Hollow Mind, he probably has a room ready for him at his house, filled with pretty much everything he thinks he will need (from hundreds of books, Flyer Derby equipment, a sewing kit, and who knows what else he has prepared to spoil him rotten)

Camila: We all know she is the Endgame. She is the one who knows him the best out of everyone, she was there when he was left powerless, without a mission, duty, or fate... not even family. She was the reason he learned what is like to be part of a true family. She doesn't care for formalities, she personally teaches him how to use the sewing machine, provided him with the food and clothes he wanted, and even allowed him to use hers and Manny's books and cosplays. Without mentioning how Luz is practically her sister in every shape and form except legally.

Dell (mostly fanon): Hunter mentioned how he wishes to learn how to carve palismans. And who else is a master of the art? one that has probably been looking for someone to pass on the family's legacy. That old but wise man could deliver in a silver plate one of Hunter's dreams.

Steve: No joking, I remember reading a fic about just that, the man appears out of nowhere and gets Hunter the fuck out of here (no idea where it is or if it was a fever dream of mine but...)

[waywardsunlight]

Why Darius is Cool

Eda and Darius don’t interact a lot but Darius trusts her heavily, as seen in Hollow Mind and throughout the end of season 2. Darius also has a good relationship with Luz, although short, due to his relationships with Eda and Raine. He doesn’t not care about Luz. There’s a scene where Raine is concerned about Luz and Darius doesn’t seem to care. However, when he finds out that Hunter is in danger too, he lunges forward and has to he stopped by Raine and then immediately gets embarrassed when Raine has to remind him that they need to stay secret...

It’s not that he doesn’t care about Luz. He hasn’t met her yet and he was airing on the side of caution, and he clearly trusts Eda to save Luz. And yeah, maybe it’s not the best that he doesn’t want to run in until he hears that Hunter is in danger also. He’s willing to trust Eda to save Luz but when he knows Hunter is there too, he’s upset. The scene where he makes the fake plan for the DOU is a joke according to the showrunners, but nobody thought it was funny because his sense of humor is a little morbid. He wasn’t actually going to do that plan, he was joking which is why he splashes them with abomination goo. Darius shows a lot of concern and love for Hunter over their arc. It’s clear that Darius and Hunter are texting until Hollow Mind and then they get back into contact after Lab Runners which is when Darius “assigns” Hunter the job of protecting Luz, because Hunter wanted to help but didn’t want to face Belos (lmao rip). Darius ignores Hunter until ASIAS because Hunter is a liability for him and he sees Hunter as Belos’ little henchman which isn’t fair, but Darius doesn’t seem to be aware of the abusive relationship because of how protective he is of Hunter later. Also.... Darius, in being mean to Hunter, intentionally sends him to go make friends. He essentially tells Hunter to touch grass, and Hunter does, in fact, touch grass. When Hunter shows up, Darius is angry because he almost died from the ship crashing (also like... that is his fault for not telling the kids where they were going lmao but plot), but he calms down immediately upon talking to Hunter and telling him that he’s proud of him for standing up against Darius. Darius was also cranky because it’s his day off and probably his last one before the Day of Unity. 

And while these things don’t justify some of his behavior it’s also very clear that Darius is a complicated witch and.... like.... what’s wrong with enjoying a complicated character? Darius can screw up with Hunter and the other kids and still... be a good person. He can be messy. So Yeah!

I could keep going for a while but I can’t handle this Darius slander anymore.

[crimeronan]

Dunno if this counts as horrible things but it sure is a Situation I’ve had in mind for a while but do not have the time or brainpower to do anything with: Post ASITS/Reaching Out but pre-Hollow Mind where Belos somehow gets wind of Hunter having a gigantic crush (probably from Kiki) and confronts him about it with full intent to dispose of another failed Grimwalker but when Belos asks after which witch has stolen his nephews heart Hunter panics not wanting Belos to target Willow and says it’s Luz. She had the Owl Lady and Lilith and The Demonic Bird Tube and she’s already a traitor to the Empire that Belos let’s walk around freely so it’s fine it’s totally fine Belos will just punish him for getting distracted from his duty to the Titan and nobody else has to get hurt. Except the second he says Luz’s name all the menace radiating off Belos that Hunter associates with his curse vanishes completely.

Hunter thinks he fucked up so bad that his Uncle’s so shocked and appalled at him that he can’t even be properly angry so he keeps trying to explain with half truths. Luz was the traveler who picked him out of the wreckage of his ship and they bonded over not having magic and he just keeps going until he says that he believes they can “save her from wild magic,” like Belos saved him. And so whether it’s cause he does want to “save” a human from the Demon Realm and witchcraft or because he thinks Hunter “falling for a human” is a sign that he might have actually gotten Caleb right this time, Belos flips the script and tells Hunter that “Yes, this is your purpose as decreed by the Titan. You are to court and save the Human Girl from the terrors of wild magic by the day of Unity. Nobody has a fun time about this

YELL. THIS IS SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SOS O SOOOOOO GOOD. FIC-WORTHY TBH. i also doubt i have the time to do anything with it ficwise but GOD.

i think hunter would have no fucking idea how to Court Someone and would just be transparently pathetic and weird in ways that like.,... like. luz doesn't even think he's Crushing on her. she's just like hey. dude. are you good?? are you Sick?? what is the deal here

like hunter is not suave or subtle when he's undercover. We Know This. made even more complicated by the fact that luz knows what he's like when he's Not undercover, albeit having met a very different side of him than willow did

i feel like hunter would break pretty fast and fess up about what's going on because he thinks -- based on their prior interactions -- that he can probably get through to luz better if he's honest with her. and he likes having relationships where he can be honest. so he's very earnestly trying to explain that the titan wants her to abandon wild magic and MAYBE come with him back to the castle or whatever and to stop being taken in by eda's wicked ways since she's evil and all that

and luz isn't even upset or put off by the courting thing, like. she's like okay well i'm dating amity but this is probably just how castle politics work, i've read a lot of fantasy YA, i get it, it's whatever. hunter if you think i'm going to leave eda who is my mom and closest friend for your fascist dictator uncle then you are OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND-

[sepublic]

Edge of the World; The Original S2 Finale?

Hot take, but while everyone is convinced that the original S2 finale would’ve basically been Hollow Mind had the show not been shortened... I’m of the belief that the original S2 finale would’ve been about King (so probably something like Edge of the World), or at least the events of Belos’ mind would’ve heavily involved him. 

I say this because of my personal theory that just as there are three core protagonists to the show -Luz, Eda, and King- there are three seasons, and that each corresponds to a member of our main trio. And I think to figure out which season ‘belongs’ to a certain character, I think it basically boils down to how much of their development it contains.

After all, S2 has a LOT of King episodes and major revelations that deeply change how both we and and he himself view King; Information about his past, the introduction of his father as a storyline, in general King going on this specific journey and quest with a relatively concrete end goal. Him recognizing that he’s a kid, coming to terms with this newfound feeling about his missing dad, embracing Eda as a mom, and of course becoming a Titan.

By that logic, S1 is Eda’s; It’s where she undergoes perhaps the MOST change (though it’d be folly to suggest the characters don’t undergo plenty of development in seasons ‘not their own’); She really learns to open and grow into being a mentor, rekindles her relationship with Lilith. Eda grapples with her curse and manages to come to terms with a lot of it, even as she loses her magic.

Eda and King both undergo major, substantial changes to their lives and characters, with a lot of context reveal as well; IIRC one of the writers even pointed out how a lot of S1 centered around Eda’s curse, and the truth she learns about her past; Just as King learns of his own past. And to finish that logic...

Well, S3 is Luz; It’s the culmination of the main protagonist’s arc, and as the main character whom the show thematically revolves around, it makes sense that as the show ends, so too does Luz’s personal journey. Like Eda and King, Luz undergoes a major revision in how she perceives herself in S3; Eda learns self-love and sees her value as a mentor, King recognizes he’s a child who just wants his family and not power... And Luz, we see how the guilt of the previous seasons comes crashing down on her.

Luz is a far cry from her bubbly, optimistic self. And likewise, in S3 we’ve already learned some MAJOR revelations about her past and background, her family, that deeply redefine our understanding of Luz; Just as we did Eda with her sister, King with his father. We find out about Manny, how his death influenced Luz, and learn how her mother went through the same things as her. We learn how a family member’s actions deeply impact the focus protagonist of their respective season.

Plus, there’s Luz also beginning to finally realize and change her understanding of herself, figure out that she’s loved; That it’s okay for her to make mistakes, that she IS a good and effective person. It’s where Luz will figure out what she wants and who she is, which coincides with her Palisman hatching. And we’ll likely see Luz learn about Camila’s similarities to herself, and gain a lot more introspection from that. 

So, amidst my theory that each season of The Owl House is dedicated to the arc of a specific member of the core trio; This brings me back around to my main point, which is that if S2 is about King, then the finale would’ve been as well. And it still kind of is; It’s called King’s Tide, and King acts as a major player with an enormous impact, altering the course of the series by releasing the Collector. He’s the hidden ace up the sleeve, and the Collector is an antagonist deeply personal to him and Titans in general.

This matches with S1′s finale, with Eda confronting Lilith, and her great-great-etc. uncle Belos. The S1 finale and its buildup episode are all about Eda and her curse, and everyone doing what they can to save Eda; Eda is the core of the story, everyone’s thinking and talking about Eda. Her curse comes to a climax here.

Now, King’s Tide may not be as focused on King as Eda’s season finale was for her, but again; We have to remember that the show was shortened, so the writers had to fit in a LOT of stuff. And they still did for King, dedicating and naming a whole episode after him grappling with and coming to terms with his Titan identity. Comparatively, Hunter’s gets his coping arc over being a Grimwalker in S3... 

So yeah; I think that regardless of whether Hollow Mind would’ve happened in S2 or S3, had the show not been shortened; I don’t think it would’ve been the original finale of S2. Probably a major episode in 2B at the earliest, but ultimately, I think the original S2 finale would’ve revolved around King. It likely would’ve followed most of the same beats as Edge of the World, but with more time to breathe between those events and the revelations of Belos’ mind. There likely would’ve been the plot point of recruiting King’s “people” as allies against Belos, and maybe emphasizing his status as a Titan to disprove Belos’ own claims of enacting its will.

Of course, this work would’ve happened in S3; But I think it’s likely that just as we got a huge earth-shattering revelation about Eda’s curse at the end of S1, we would’ve had the same with the reveal that King is a Titan at the end of S2; Their respective seasons also have a major sacrifice that leads them to push a desperate Luz away! And then S3, of course, is naturally all about Luz, and has already shaped itself to be that way so far... Though the established pattern does make me concerned for Luz, especially her own self-sacrificial tendencies and guilt, desire to make up for her failures, and possibly literal foreshadowing to her being stabbed (because she and Marcy Wu apparently aren’t similar enough)...

But yeah, that’s my take. I love Hunter and I LOVE Belos and their importance can’t be denied; But based on the patterns, and how dear of a character King is to Dana in particular... I really am convinced that Edge of the World, or something similar in themes and focus, would’ve been the true finale to S2. As it stands post-shortening, S2 is still very arguably King’s in many senses, already! Echoes of the Past; Edge of the World; O Titan, Where Art Thou; He’s had his most major episodes and focus in this season, and that’s just the obvious episodes, not counting the important moments in others as well. 

Plus, imagine the original plan for Season 2 ending on a somber, melancholy moment of reflection like this;

Definitely an interesting contrast to Season 1 having our protagonists look forward to the future, even as the foreboding Day of Unity takes over on Belos’ end... We see King finally saying hi to his dad for the first time in his life, despite his dad having been there since the very start, and there being no way possible for King’s dad to be absent; Then we get another video message from Luz to Camila; And finally cut to Belos and how just as with the Portal incident and Eda and Lilith’s escape, he’s unfazed by the revelation of his true identity and motives. The Day of Unity continues on regardless...