#and once again i say: FUCK YOU BELOS

[uselessalexis165]

So far, Hunter has gained:

A dad

Three siblings

A mom

And now a girlfriend

He would’ve still had his first best friend with him

IF SOME BITCH ASS MOTHERFUCKER DIDN’T RUIN IT ALL!!

[candyskiez]

usually I hate possession plots but god,I love the possessed hunter plot. because it's just so painfully resonant as an abuse victim. especially to anyone who's been abused by bigots.

like. this outside force you once loved, you spent so much of your time trying to please, so much of your time begging for the approval of, isolates you. they cause you to grow paranoid and angry, snapping at people and pushing you away from your support system. makes you seem crazy to your loved ones, making them doubt your mental health and making you question your sense of reality because you can't tell what's real or not anymore (gaslighting, baby!) you're cut off and overwhelmed. you get put in situations where you're forced to do things you don't want to, you're in so much pain, you're being treated like something with no wants or thoughts of their own. you're stripped of your autonomy. you're belittled for what you wanted and told THIS is how you're supposed to be, and you're so miserable. you're pitted against your loved ones. your abuser tries to make all your loved ones hate you so you come back to them, so they don't lose you. and belos being a horrifically realistic portrayal of an IRL abuser makes this so much worse. he craves Caleb's attention and tries to force hunter to fill that void. nevermind HES the one who robbed himself of caleb in his life by killing him. he tries to make hunter his shoulder to cry on, his therapist, his punching bag, his doctor. uses him to look at himself and go "see! look how good I'm doing! my family is back and he finally loves me again!" , he is obsessive and horrible and cruel and so horrifically realistic. he strips hunter of his autonomy, and in the shit that will start sounding familiar to people who grew up in bigoted families:

forced him out of what made him most comfortable. literally grew out his hair against his will, treated how he'd changed his body and wardrobe to make himself more comfortable as something that tainted him.

also just. holy shit the violating him like that. just the fucking undertones. it's fucking horrific.

and that's why him fighting back is so huge. because he has the strength to say, no. fuck you, no. this is my goddamn body. this is my goddamn life. he takes all these things he LOVED. he loved, that belos had taught him he was sinful and a horrible person for not despising (hm, allegories) and says, fuck you, I WANT this. I want this, I love this, you tried to teach me to hate it but I don't. I love it. I love it, and you didn't break me. I want to leave the coven, I want to leave you. you hurt me, and I said sorry. you used me, and I said sorry. I am done being sorry. I am done feeling bad. I want this life you're trying to take from me. I want to go to the boiling isles and I want to have a life there, in that world you hate so much. I want to go to the boiling isles and be sinful and disgusting and everything you hate and I will love it. I will be happy. I will be free and everything you hate. and I miss when I thought I could please you, because it was simple. but I am happier as a heretic and as a sinner, and you can't change me. I tried to change myself for you, I just ended up miserable. you can't make me something I'm not. I tried. and I am done trying. I am hunter. fuck you, my name is hunter. my name is hunter, and you hurt people. it doesn't matter if you were trying to help me. you hurt me. and I am done, and I am leaving, and most of all I will never let you hurt anyone else like you hurt me.

and he fucking got it, man. he fucking got it. he went through HELL and he still came back swinging. the death feels symbolic to me almost? losing a part of you in traumatic events and you have to live without that part. and you got out but you lost pieces of you in the process, and that stays with you.

but he keeps going. he kept fucking going man and THAT is fucking amazing to me. he kept going. ohhh my god. I wish I had this when I was 13. hunter isn't as massive of a hyperfixation for me anymore by a long shot, but goddamn. I love this dude. I LOVED the possession scene so fucking much and it will always resonate with me so, so hard.

[lotus-pear]

Writing a complex character such as Dazai is actually really hard even for people who understand him because he is, as you said, extremely unpredictable. I don't know exactly what to tell you, but I'll try to help a little bit!

The whole thing about Dazai is that he doesn't understand humanity. He understands the basics and why people do what they do because he is analytical and has been studying people's behavior and human connections forever. But he doesn't feel connected with humanity and empathy the same way other people do. He perceives others from like, the other side of a barrier. He studies them carefully. Manages to care about them deeply sometimes. Even deeper when they're able to see him and get to him (Odasaku, Atsushi, Chuuya, the whole agency in fact means something to him). But there's always this layer of disconnection and apathy and emptiness he doesn't know how to get rid of. It's like he cares, but he actually doesn't because he rationalizes everything and turns it into a game of chess, more or less? And I think that frustrates him. He isn't used to caring about people because he doesn't understand them, but he takes an interest in the people he finds amusing to study and once he cares deeply, they're taken away from him (that's why he mourns and regrets Oda's death so much. He feels like the world takes everything away from him the second he manages to feel human). Hence the whole thing about not feeling human (amongst other things). He cares and yet he is realistic. He has regrets and suffers and feels pain and he can care about others (ignore all the people who keep portraying him as an emotionless monster, please) but he doesn't drown in self-pity when it comes to all the people he has killed and his past because he can rationalize that. It was another era. He has moved on. And if it's for the greater good of the mission or his journey to find something to live for, he doesn't care how many random people he has to kill (when he was younger he valued other people's lives way less, of course. Now that has changed because his apathy is something he doesn't turn into cruelty and instead uses to rationalize plans and help the world and the agency. Basically, when he was part of the mafia it was kind of "I don't give a fuck about random people" because he genuinely didn't feel anything for them, but now, even if he doesn't genuinely care for them, he protects even random people because that's what the image of kindness Oda had planned for him). Oda tells him that, if the good side and the bad one are the same and he hasn't found anything to live for yet, why not help the world while he's at it? And it's such a beautiful thought because Dazai has this issue with understanding humanity and making bonds. But he understands, now more than ever after Oda's death, what living and killing means. He might not actually care that much for society and its well-being, but maybe he can find something to live for in the light more than he would in the darkness. He keeps wanting to kill himself, right? He keeps trying. But he doesn't actually want to. It's common sense. If he truly wanted to, he already would've done it. "I don't like pain" is the most common thing to say when you don't actually want to do it. I think that, unlike Nikolai, who actually craves to die as a representation of freedom, Dazai only wants to keep trying and trying to find a reason for living. Chuuya was that thing when he was in the Mafia. Chuuya and Oda, because Chuuya is quite literally his soulmate (in the sense of bringing amusement to his life and also making him feel human, as his ability is the only thing that can help Chuuya. And also Chuuya not being human but being the most empathetic and emotional of all the people Dazai has met in the mafia) and Oda was the first one to actually understand him and see him for who he is, something I don't think he'll ever find again and that's why Oda's death fucked him up so bad. He found a place to belong and somebody to live for, and then he dies and leaves him alone? It's not fair, but he'll try to fight for good and live in the light if that's what Oda wanted for him. As if Oda knew him better than he knows himself because I also think he has a hard time with his own perception and personality.

In simpler words: Dazai has a hard time understanding humanity because he feels disconnected from it by a layer of apathy and the fact that he doesn't understand basic human needs/actions because he doesn't share them. One of the things that makes us human is desires, right? Wanting. Loving. Longing. Dazai rejects all of that because he doesn't know what he wants and nothing he tries ends up making him feel whole. In "No Longer Human", actually, you can read things like "It is almost impossible for me to converse with other people" and "I have never known what it means to be hungry / Eat or die, the saying goes, but to my ears, it sounded like just one more unpleasant threat". So he isn't a monster, his brain just functions in a different way. He sees everything. Analyzes every little thing. He's smarter than everybody else and he's aware of that, but he feels lonely there and only wants somebody to understand or something to fight for. Oda gave him both things, and the agency gave him a reason to keep going because he genuinely cares about doing good and keeping them safe. I don't think Dazai's journey has ended, because he still fights against.... So many things with himself. His past. His future. His desires. But at least now he has a thing to enjoy and bring him happiness. His constant act of being "silly" isn't that much of a facade. I mean, I think it is because if he acts like a clown, nobody will ever see the true self he hides. But I think he ends up having fun with the agency and annoying Chuuya because he sees them respond to his behavior and he finds it amusing. I think being extremely smart and lonely and tormented can coexist with being fun sometimes.

As per writing in his POV.... It depends on what you want to write, really. I think his brain functions differently depending on his mood. I guess the most important thing is to keep in mind his surroundings because he's always hyperaware of every little thing. But it frustrates him not knowing how he's feeling or not understanding what he actually truly needs, often focusing on others instead of looking into himself, because every time he does, he only finds himself empty and craving for something he doesn't know what it is. In his worst moments, I think it's quite obvious he tries to fix things with distractions and impulsive actions like substance abuse. In his more analytical moments, it's when he becomes more apathetic and sees the world as his game of chess and people as only pawns. He knows he's human, he just doesn't feel like it. Fyodor has a sense of superiority Dazai doesn't share. He's smarter because his brain functions differently, but he is no God. He is no entity. He analyzes from the POV of somebody external to humanity but knowing quite well he isn't God. And when he's having genuine fun and feeling some type of care/love? I think he's grateful. The emptiness is always there, though. Always haunting him. In the back of his brain. But he sees hope in Atsushi and a place to keep his promise in the agency and maybe fulfill his heart. He might always have a fucked up perception of himself, but at least he's aware that doing the right thing fills the hole in his chest more than tormenting others. As I said, he likes it there (and Chuuya) because it makes him experience humanity even if he keeps telling himself he isn't human (No Longer Human quote: "You miss her, don't you?" / "Yes." / "That's human nature, I guess").

I don't know if I helped you?? I think it's a bit of a mess, sorry 😭 It's like 3am and I don't know if what I said makes any sense, but I really hope I was able to help you!

holy FUCK it took me fifteen minutes to read all of this and i'm glad i did because this is the most succinct and articulate analysis i have ever seen of dazai's underlying nature and his ambitions in relevance to the plot OP I THINK IF ASIGIRI CANT WRITE ANYMORE YOU SHOULD TAKE OVER BSD MANGA BC I THINK U UNDERSTAND DAZAI BETTER THAN HE DOES SOMETIMES TBH💀💀 aaaa jkjk i digress you were so real for bringing up the yozo/dazai parallels bc there's genuinely so many and if i still had my fucking BOOK :side eye: i could go through the intricate and profound commentary i left in the margins but alas my dear friend insists on keeping it longer. there's nothing more i can say on this topic bc i agree w you on everything wholeheartedly i think you deserve a scholarship to harvard or smth bc god DAMN you would slay as a lit or lang major

[levshany]

I’m sorry can I just - I just need to- I just need to get it off my chest

!!!SPOILERS FOR THE TOH FINAL!!!

also cw: //swearing

DO YOU WANT TO SAY THAT THIS MAN, WHO LIED TO PEOPLE FOR 350+ YEARS, WHO LITERALLY BUILT HIS IMAGE ON A LIE, BECAME AN EMPEROR THANKS TO A LIE, NOW STANDING IN FRONT OF LUZ, STUTTERING, SWEATING AND LOOKING AWAY WHILE HE’S LYINGG TO HER ONCE AGAIN??? WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DID YOU DO WITH REAL BELOS???????????  YOU DUMB BITCH WHY DID YOU DECIDE THAT THIS IDEA WOULD EVEN WORK, HOW DO YOU STILL HAVE THE FORCE TO STAND ON YOUR FEET AND TRANSFORM AFTER YOU WERE FUCKING--- WHY DID YOU NOT DIE THE SAME WHEN YOU WERE WRESTED OUT OF THE HEART?????

I mean. HOW DANA, HOW??? You've been so gentle with this character throughout the series. People were afraid of him. We, the audience were afraid of him! He inspired fear and respect in the hearts of everyone. You wrote this character so carefully and well. Now you just said that Belos is dumb as a board, and really doesn’t know how to lie. Not to mention how you decided the perfect end for him would be to be trampled to death.

I- I just don’t know what to say. I’m sad. @/PinetreeVillain made a more canonical ending than the series itself.

anyway I still love the show. and I will be doing stuff for it anyway! at least I haven’t yet shown you everything that I managed to draw on my AU

[glyhpsrfvckincol]

Hi! Could you please do an Emperor Belos x reader where the reader and Belos used to be good friends in the human realm and When Belos and Caleb found the Demon Realm Reader tried looking for him but died in the process and somehow ended up in the Demon Realm? Then Belos found them and took them to the castle and helped them and then they kiss lol srry if this is long

History || Emperor Belos

Synopsis - Emperor Belos, who you once loved as Phillip, finds your corpse and restores you.

Warnings - Mentions of death. Old ass Belos. Cannibals. 

A/n - I have a love-hate relationship with this dude.

Requests are opened; headcanons only

↳ Ahh, young love.

↳ Your families had betrothed you to one another, as he had been born only a month after you.

↳ Either that, or it’s childhood friends to lovers. Cause ✨ Gay ✨

↳ Despite that, you fell for one another by 15.

↳ You know that trope, “She fell first, but he fell harder”? Yeah, that’s you both.

↳ Philip, who you affectionately call ‘Pip’, discovered the demon realm while he, you and Caleb where off sneaking out of the village for a few hours.

↳ The 3 of you were famously known around the village for your reckless adventures. Many of these adventures had worked out in favour though, considering you had caught a few mountain lions heading towards your town and were able to warn the towns folk before any real harm could be done to gravesfield.

↳ You actually moved with them to gravesfield, as what had killed their parents was a mistimed house fire that took your parents as well.

↳ Being only the short age of 19, you decided that instead of messing with fate, you travelled back home, pretending as if you all had all been out picking berries.

↳ Or some bitch lame activity.

↳ But, as fate happens, Caleb came across the portal to the Demon realm again, and y’know what they say, right?

↳ Curiosity killed the cat.

↳ Philip finds out, mainly cause Caleb actually planned his trip by writing it down in his diary.

↳ Caleb had been missing for a few days and both of you were worried.

↳ So Philip actually informed the town that he was travelling into the Demon realm.

↳ You assumed you would be going with him. You were not.

↳ Let’s be honest, there is no way in hell he would let you go with him. He genuinely loves you bro.

↳ So, you begrudgingly stayed. Obviously not without him proposing, in secret as it is the early 1600’s, giving you a pretty ring.<3

↳ So, off he traveled into the demon realm, with the promise of coming back safely with his dear brother.

↳ You never saw him again.

↳ He had promised he would come back to you within weeks. You waited years. The ring he gave you remained on you finger, hoping he’d one day come back to finish the end of his promise.

↳ When you were nearly 30, you gave up waiting for him to come back, and instead searched for a way to get to him.

↳ The portal you had found with the Wittebane brothers had closed long before you had seeked it without them.

↳ So, instead you would search the forest in hopes you would stumble across a gate or door of some description by chance.

↳ That wasn’t where your luck was.

↳ You fell through the earth, which turned into sky and landed on hard, yet simultaneously soft rock.

↳ Though, you still broke a leg when you hit the ground.

↳ Bone poking through the leg.

↳ And unfortunately for you, barbaric witches could smell the blood from your fucked up leg.

↳ They ate you.

↳ They ate and left no crumbs bestie😔✊

↳ They buried what was left of you. Your clothes, bones, hair, 1 eyeball and your ring.

↳ And around 350-ish years later, a random coven scout, managed to find your remains.

↳ He was on a mission with the GG prior to Hunter, who was barely out of training.

↳ He pointed out the pile of bones and dirt covered clothes to him, and the GG recognised them as the love of Belos’ life, the one he had heard a few stories of.

↳ Belos talked about you so often, to all the previous Golden Guards with such details, it was no wonder the GG could recognise you. Belos also had a small painting of you, cause it was the 1600s when you knew each other.

↳ He also saw the similarities between the ring your finger held to Emperor Belos’.

↳ So, he ordered the other coven scouts that had been assigned on the mission to bring your bones back with them to the castle.

↳ During his mission report, he mentioned the pile of bones he had discovered. He also told Belos himself, figuring that if it were you, he’d want to know immediately.

↳ Belos had demanded to know where you had been placed, and sought you out the moment the GG told him.

↳ He too recognises you, noticing how you had been wearing one of your favourite outfits and the ring he had given you.

↳ And so, like he had done with his brother a multitude of times, he was gonna make a Grim Walker of you.

↳ Belos is a psycho, I don’t know what you expected. 🤷

↳ Belos gets to work immediately, and seeing as he has done this process several times before, he finished quickly and then just had to wait.

↳ Eventually you crawled from the dirt, around the age he had left you back in the human realm.

↳ Though all your memories of him or anything, weren’t existent.

↳ So you know the memory thing Luz and Willow did back in season 1? Yeah that, but to himself.

↳ Belos is a psycho but a psycho in love with you.

↳ He talked of all the memories you two had together, how you fell in love and when tragedy struck.

↳ But none of it worked.

↳ So he asked Collector to just restore your memories and fake ones of how you got to the Demon Relam

↳ Belos wanted to be your saviour, to be the one person you remember.

↳ He knew he’d have to be careful with how he treated you, worried that you’d remember how he had abandoned you and become cold to him.

↳ Belos only had these fears due to Caleb’s ghost constant remarks about how shitty Belos was for leaving you alone, filled with hope based on fake, empty promises.

↳ Belos kisses you when he sees a fit opportunity, which is a lot, scared that he’d have to restart the process of getting you to love and remember him again.

↳ Constantly bribes you with lavish gifts and promised riches.

↳ Also, a lot of gaslighting, he’s a tad bit very toxic.

↳ He loves you, he’s just incredibly mentally ill and hella misguided by 1600’ Orthodox Christian’s.

↳ Back when he was Phillip, he loved you in the way he thought he’d go crazy without you. But now, as Belos, you make him insane beyond all reasoning.

[eldritch-spouse]

You know I think Breg would benefit from having friends, one : to give his drunk father figure some rest and two : to have people  stop or encourage him in his bullshit. Obviously having monster friends would be better for him, so I made a list of the people I think he could along with (and the ones he would chomp without regrets)

Friends :

Santi: this one is easy, Santi seems to be an easygoing person and a good friend to have. When he's not drooling over Breg, I think he'd give some really good tips about life and how to deal with his obsession (after begging for a threesome and getting punched in the face), if they got close enough, Santi could even help Breg forget about some of his insecurities in the way that he would put him at ease.

Grimbly : by association, he'd be intrigued by Breg, for the first few times, their first conversations would be "You're so tall !! No you're like huge" , "Well you're small like a...bean", but they get along just fine.

Fank-E : He's friends with everyone and he'll put a bunch of stickers on Breg and he lowkey annoy the shit of him at certain times but it will end up in this semi-consensual kinda forced friendship (who's more insistant him or Breg ? I guess we'll never know)

Gallon : Him and Egghead would have talks that would leave Eggy scratching his head and staring into the void, but they're nice to each other, Gallon might be a bit condescending in reaction to a how simple Breg's mind seems to be.

Middle ground

Patches : I hesitated as putting him as friend but I think his scientific interests would put Breg off

Belo : Belo is too polite and uptight, and his fixated stare can make Breg feel uneasy, they talk just fine

Sybastian : Syb just kind of mind his bussiness and keep it pushing but there's rare times where he growls a "hello" to Breg and keeps walking

Nebul : Nope, this only reason why they're not enemies is because Nebul is civilized, but the potions and his dominating nature would make Bregory avoid him like the plague

No fucking way :

Morrell : Their interest for the same thing (human) is diverging in two different directions, Breg is like "Humans are friends not food ! 😡" and Morrell is like "yUM sTEaK !", it's their relationship on a very surface level and I think Eggy would leave it at that

Hellion : Nah, they would fight and Breg would just bite that head off his neck 

Vinnel : That punk would try to pull a prank on Breg, he would fall for it, get mad and then catch Vinnel and try to squish him like a stress toy, Vinnel would be in pain for a little while and finally leave Breg alone (or plot a terrible revenge)

Did it actually turned into a scale of friends to archnemesis of TCE? Yes. Am I proud ? Yes.

Here's the thing though.

One of the first things said about Breg is that he dislikes monsters. He glorifies humans and has a general aversion to monsters, finding them generally untrustworthy. This isn't to say there can't be exceptions, like Fasma, but Breg would probably have a much bigger drive to acquire human friends.

The problem with human friends is that it wouldn't take too long for him to cross boundaries if Breg is yet to meet his obsession.

With monster friends, you're also forgetting that Breg refuses to set foot in The Clergy in general. He's been there once with Fasma, didn't like it at all, vowed not to enter it again- He'd have to meet staff outside. I sincerely don't think many of these would work out all that well, certainly not Santi. The incubus' insistence on wanting to fuck him would make Breg really aggressive really fast. Grimbly's manipulation and cute talk would fall on deaf ears and unfortunately things with Gallon would be more akin to one-sided mockery. Fank-E would genuinely irritate Breg, but since he's a machine and not a monster, things might work out given he's moderately quiet.

Belo's aura as an angel might make Breg slightly more at ease, yet somehow hyperaware of the power himself, which would probably confuse the breeder a little. Patches would get himself torn in two horizontally if he doesn't contain his scientific interest around Breg, as it could trigger really intense reactions from the ex-captive. Morell and him would just brawl, correct.

Ironically, I see him as possibly getting along with Glauk, even if there's a barrier there in the sense Breg doesn't know how to swim properly yet. Glauk is relatively small and can't say weird things to him plus seems eager to share all kinds of trinkets people dump in the aquarium. This is a bit of an impossible scenario, unless Glauk is being transported outside for some reason or another.

[qcoded]

Small Analysis on Belos/Philip, and the many chances at Redemption he missed.

I think the reason why I loved the scene in Watching and Dreaming were The Collector hugged Belos while saying "I get it! You just need kindness and forgiveness, huh?" was because it encapsulated perfectly how many chances Belos didn't take to fucking redeem himself.

I think we all kinda know that if he was just self aware, and reflected on the shit he did for ONE damn second, maybe, just maybe he could have turned out way better than what ended up happening.

Analyzing his backstory and what we can decide actually happened with Caleb (mostly based on all the pictures that were released from Hollow Mind with additional ones), it's not like he was ever exempt from sympathy, don't get me wrong.

Can't really go into the reality that Caleb, being Philip's sole guardian, most likely abandoned him to go with Evelyn into the Boiling Isles (not with bad intentions but still) since THAT'S a whole 'nother can of worms, but like hey! It's fucking understandable, who wouldn't be hurt by that?

But at the same time, what Belos decided to do, it was all on his own accord.

It was all his own decisions tha he could have actually thought on but no! He was too stuck in his delusional beliefs.

Could have stopped anywhere. After he killed Caleb. After he was tricking and offing witches and demons. After the whole encounter with Luzura/Luz and Gertrude/Lilith. After the making of the Grimwalkers began. After instilling glyphs on witches.

There are probably more examples, but basically, Belos had so many damn chances.

But nope! Never took them.

And again, The Collector was so willing to forgive him, even after manipulating and using this kid for centuries on end. After all the horrific shit that Belos has done, there was still a sliver of hope for him to actually just think, 'What am I doing? '

Of course, that didn't happen. It was a 'Friendship is Magic, but gone wrong' and he attempted to kill The Collector once again.

You know what's the best part of this? That there's a scene that just adds onto what I'm saying perfectly.

Later on when Luz revived into the super cool form that is Titan!Luz, she ripped out Belos from the titan's curse. And when he reformed again, he turned into his Philip Wittebane look.

And he had the fucking audacity to blame that dark magic (presumably his curse) was the one who made him commit all those horrendous acts.

This would make pretty much be his very first, and only attempt towards redemption.

But the thing is, it's too late.

Belos threw out his very last chance at redemption with The Collector.

And now? He has nothing more but than to deal with the ultimate consequences that have been building up.

This is also why I'm not that mad that Belos wasn't shown to finally realize the severity of what he has done, or to feel all that built up guilt flow it.

It's because it shows amazingly how far up his ass he was in his beliefs that even when he was DYING, he was just too fucking stubborn.

The more ironic part, like I mentioned earlier, that 'dark magic' was pretty much just his curse. That I want to mention, is fucking SELF AFFLICTED. Belos was literally the one eating all those Palismen, which are the cause of the curse. He's quite literally blaming himself!

And even though he tried to claim that Luz somehow cured him, got quickly called out on his bullshit when the boiling rain revealed him to still be purely goop.

Till the last minute, he was trying to keep a facade that quite literally, crumbled.

TLDR; Belos ultimately gave up every chance to be a better person, and he pretty much got what was coming for him.

[elbdot]

If you have watched it, what are your opinions on the latest TOH episode?

(SPOILERS UP AHEAD!!!)

IT WAS SO GOOD I LOVED IT It was PACKED full of storylines and you could TELL that each of them were meant to be an episode on their own, I wish we would've been able to actually get these episodes or a bit more time to breath between moments, but you know, THEY DID THEIR BEST to give us the best compressed version of what they initially had planned and I think THEY DID A FANTASTIC JOB!!!

I did NOT care for a Bosha-return however. I genuinely do NOT like her but I know that she served her purpose in this episode to once again piss of Willow, causing her to break down later on. Still, I'm glad if we don't have to see her again, she doesn't deserve any more of our scarce screentime in my opinion.

Also you have no idea how relieved I am that we got a break from any further Hunter-abuse, I am NOT kidding when I say "Thanks to Them" really messed me up emotionally for TWO WEEKS because of Hunters treatment from "boy is finally healing :)" to "actually let's make things WORSE" UURHGFDHGFHG ARRRGGGGGG

LOVE to see Belos suffer tho. Love that his past keeps haunting him. Yes...FEEL that underlying gUILT of freaking KILLNG YOUR OWN BROTHER and then 1000 CLONES OF HIM I am hoping for a full on mental-breakdown from Belos when he sees Eda next Ep with her Evelyn-Haircut and Hunter and Willow HOLDING HANDS HEHEHEHEHEHEHE That body-posession in his lab was FUCKED UP tho, I can't believe Dana got away with that hOLY CRAP (lovedittho)

Honestly the more I think about the episode the more stuff I remember that I absolutely loved I don't even know if I can write it all down it's just sO MUCH

BUT I ALSO REALLY LOVE STRINGBEANS SHE'S SO CUTE I LOVE HER COLOURS Dratini-cat-snake FUCK YEAH

And...THEM

oOooAAAAAHHHAAJGFDGJFDJFDJKJGFJF 🤩😍🥺😭❤️💖💕💞💖💖💞💕💖💕

THEY MAKE ME SO HAPPYYYY AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Just every Huntlow moment and every Emerald Trio moment they just fill me with joy I love these three so much

[spopsalt]

Hunter (TOH) - Good redemption arc, deserved redemption arc. He had trauma and was not like Catra.

Zuko (ATLA) - Good redemption arc, earned redemption arc. He also had trauma and was not like Catra.

Belos (TOH) - Well deserved ass beating, stomped to death. He was a horrible person. Like Catra.

Catra - Undeserved, unearned forgiveness. Gets to live in peace and take credit for saving Etheria despite the harm she caused to many innocent lives and being the one who put Etheria in so much fucking danger because her selfish, narcissistic ass decided to pull a lever to what? "Prove a point?" Be so fucking for real.

People love to throw the trauma reasoning around all they want to excuse horrible actions, so I guess that'd give me the right to drop a nuke with no repercussion what-so-ever if "trauma" is the case for people acting horrible. People need to be so fucking for real and touch grass.

Thanks for the ask anon! You are exactly right! I've said it once, and I'll say it again, trauma is not an excuse to be a horrible person, Catra attempted to destroy the world and everyone just brushes it off. Hunter had a short redemption arc than Catra and it was done so much better. You can have a good redemption arc, but the villian being redeemed has to work for it. Hunter worked for it, he protected Gus, disobeyed Belos, protected Luz, protected the emarald entrails and showed moments of kindness during his redemption and Catra she...uh....saved Glimmer, and...she's sorry? Let's forgive her! What a cute kitty cat! They both have trauma, but one of these things are not like the other.

[sepublic]

G O D *Grits teeth* You ever think about how fucking unfair it is that Luz’s mental health an self worth has been on a decline since like. GROM??? Since she got traumatized, and how many incidents she’s been carrying under her belt discretely, yet very clearly, as they grow and culminate no matter how hard Luz tries to compensate and apologize for being her imperfect self? Remember when Luz once said “I don’t deserve this” to a bad thing that happened to her, only for Viney to admittedly take that the wrong way, and Luz has felt punished for that claim as a result?

Luz tries to help Willow, gets her and Gus hurt, and just offers herself as a sacrificial tribute to Boscha. No blinking. Tries to help Eda with the curse when Eda tells her not to, BAM! Eda loses magic and Luz goes through some horrible stuff, is told that the weirdoes don’t stick together actually, and fucking Belos.

Then Luz spends all of 2A basically apologizing and trying to mend things over while acting like they’re okay for the sake of those she cares about. Says Willow and Gus don’t deserve to be expelled, but not herself! TURNS HERSELF INTO A LITERAL PUNCHING BAG. Thinks Amity hates her, and then that she just scared Amity off in her preemptive self-loathing!

HER MOM. Luz tried so hard to get back to her mom just to leave her sobbing, with Luz feeling like she’s evil and trash. After thinking she got a happy reconciliation with Vee’s help! And it haunts Luz so badly she immediately projects onto KIKIMORA in order to feel like she can make a difference!

And then the feeling of her dad’s death, the guilt, the sense that she’s failed another parent again and how he isn’t coming back. AND FUCKING PHILIP BELOS WITTEBANE GASLIGHTING LUZ INTO THINKING IT’S HER FAULT. THAT SHE HELPED HIM!!!

And Luz is in such anguish but she’s still trying, she still thinks she can salvage this, she’s in desperate denial! But Eda rebukes her and Luz is just WHY WON’T YOU LET ME APOLOGIZE FOR EVERYTHING, and then for a moment it seems it might work out. It CAN work out!

And then King’s Tide. 

AND SHE JUST GIVES UP IN S3!!! JUST FUCKING HATES HERSELF!!! The one moment of comfort she has with her mom and she interprets the lesson to mean ISOLATING HERSELF AS REPARATION!

Luz kept encountering wave after wave of bigger and more traumatic incidents that targeted her self worth and sense of guilt over daring to want anything for herself or even for others, made her out to be some villain for trying. And for every slight comfort that tried to bandage over, it’s not enough and is then immediately superceded by another incident! Dana said Season 2 was PAIN, she meant it! She really meant it! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-

Dana Terrace this is fucking criminal. I’m goddamn miserable over this Luz deserves better than this why couldn’t she still be HAPPY after S1?!!?!

TOH got me acting up like a hysterical Victorian woman forreal. Coughing and gagging as I sob!

[tohisprettyc00l]

Hunter alphabets

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?) Idk why but I feel like he would love to give gifts. Especially homemade ones. He likes to see your reaction :).

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?) Honestly, he's so nice (have you seen how he acts with Gus-) He asks for book and show recommendations. Bro if you ask him for recommendations, you better have at least an hour because, for each book/show, he recommends he has an at least ten-minute ramble about it.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?) He loves to cuddle so fucking much. He's usually a little spoon (Dude NEEDS to be held) But he also loves to hold you. Any chance he gets to cuddle with you he will happily take <333.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?) He's great at cleaning! Cooking on the other hand 😬. We all saw Thanks To Them, right? He was a part of that weird monster food that he, Willow, Gus, and Amity made( That was definitely not fit for human consumption.)

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?) Bro wtf- why do you have to do this to me??? I feel like he wouldn't be able to say it to your face. So he'll probably leave a note in a place he knows you'll see it. After that, he does everything he can to avoid you. He can't bear to see your face again.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?) Fears commitment 😨. Yeah, Belos has destroyed this mans trust. Takes a few weeks to months (Depending on if we're pre or post-Thanks To Them) But once he does trust he trusts you with his life. He wants to get married like right away but he is responsible. He isn't going to propose like ever but if he did he would wait. He doesn't want to rush things.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?) He is the most gentle person you'll ever meet when it comes to both. He'll do everything in his power not to lose you. If he ever hurt you either way he'll probably be more distraught than you. Will be begging for forgiveness even after you say you forgive him.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?) Read the last few sentences of gentle to get even an idea of how much he needs hugs. I've said this throughout this whole chapter but he can not get enough of physical touch. Once he learns more about what a hug is he'll be asking for it all the time!

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?) Ethier says like a week after dating or a year in. No in-between. Yeah, I have nothing else to say on the topic.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they're jealous?) Okay, I've been trying my best to avoid mentioning the fact that this was written after the fluff alphabet. But there's the exact same question as that one so just read rn or wait.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?) He sucks at kisses. He does like to give you kisses on the cheek and likes to be kissed on the cheek back though.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?) I have to admit this man is horrible with kids. He wasn't raised well as a kid. But that's all he knows so he thinks it's normal. Don't worry he doesn't yell or hit any kids though don't worry. Though he is kinda unnecessarily mean to these like eight-year-olds. He does eventually stop.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?) Breakfast? Not in bed but on the table. He wakes up hella early tho so at first he keeps on making the food too early and has to put it in the fridge. And if it's the weekend he'll watch some episodes of a show you both like, with you.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?) We all know that on top of getting up early, he goes to bed late too. Despite him having a bad sleep schedule he WILL NOT take you also having a bad sleep schedule to >:(. If he sees that you are late like him he will force you to go to sleep.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?) I think I've said enough for you to know that it takes him a while to open up.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?) It takes a lot for you to angerhim. This comes from a mix of not being allowed to question Belos and his fear of losing you. Though he does speak his mind so while he doesn't get angry quickly he does talk when things bother him.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?) Remember a lot of the smaller details. Not every detail is more than most others. Also not sure if I have to clarify this but he does remember a lot of big things about you.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?) It might be kind of cheesy but your first date. Him finally being able to make good relationships outside of the emperor's coven. If it went perfectly it's one of his favorites it's his favorite for obvious reasons. It went just as perfectly as he sees you <3. If it went wrong he loves it because despite all the flaws you still ended up with him <3.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?) Protective, but only really acts if you are in danger. He is kinda nervous whenever he leaves alone because of your association with him. I mean being with a gut who is wanted by the Emperor himself is a reason to be cautious.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?) When it comes to the first three, you would not believe how much effort he puts into them omg. He takes hours planning dates and anniversaries, making sure everything will go to plan. As mentioned before he loves to make gifts for you. Also with everyday tasks, he puts the normal amount of effort into them lmao.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?) Often views himself as worthless :(. Also feels the need to prove himself to you, even when you tell him there's no need.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?) Ehhhh it's complicated. He is not really concerned with his looks. But he does wanna look nice to you. So after you start dating he does start putting more effort into his appearance.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?) Does he feel incomplete when you're gone? No. Does he miss so fucking much. Obviously 🙄. I feel like he would try to sing when he's alone idk.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.) The one time he tried melatonin he passed out for like the whole day. (Me? Projecting even the smallest thing onto Hunter? Yes.)

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn't like, either in general or in a partner?) I feel like he hates messy spaces. Ecsapilly if it's a place that you're supposed to work in. He immediately cleans it himself.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?) Look at those bags under his eyes. Are you telling me he has a healthy sleep schedule? Absolutely not. He goes to bed at 2 A.M and wakes up at 6 A.M.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them? He would love to tell you about the books he's reading, and vice versa! If you tell him you want to read the book he's talking about? He'll get so excited!!! Will constantly ask you where you are in the book and your thoughts. Okay, I got a little sidetracked but bottom line my boy likes reading and talking about it.

B eauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them? He finds you beautiful no matter what you look like <3, and he admires your kindness! He has been so starved of kindness so like any amount of praise you give him will be greatly appreciated.

C omfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.? Has he had many panic attacks? Yes. Does he know how to help with one? No. All he knows is the basics. Comforting words, hugs n cuddles, and not much else. Though if you tell him what helps he will try his best to do it!

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o? He just wants to have a nice comfy life. After everything he's been through a lot, he wants to want to be calm and cozy, with you He would love to drink hot drinks and read books. Have the definition of a cottage care life.

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive? This question makes me uncomfy.

F ight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting? If it was something small he forgives you after a day or two. But if it's something bigger Belos cough cough it takes him a while. But after a while, he will forgive you.

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them? This answer should be obvious, he is so fucking grateful. He can't put into words how grateful for you, especially if/when you help him escape Belos. He is very aware and he is still kinda in the mindset of needing to prove he's useful to you(because there's nothing worse than disappointing someone who thinks you're special.) But after a while, he gets used to having a healthy relationship :).

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything? He tries, though he does tend to hide things for fear of disappointing you. Though, one thing does eventually slip and panic. He is surprised when you aren't mad (you do discuss communicating better because withholding info isn't healthy.)

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helping them overcome personal problems? I feel like the answer is pretty obvious: you changed him and he (probably) changed you. If you ever pick up a new hobby he is so encouraging. If you even handedly say you want to try baking. The next time you see him he has a whole baking set + ingredients.

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it? Ehhhhhh kinda. He worries that you might leave him when you get really close to other people. But more of an "oh God what if they replace me" way. Though after a few affirmations, he's good.

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

This man had/has no idea what he's doing 💀 If you don't initiate the kiss then it's not happening. Don't get me wrong he loves kisses, he's just too awkward to initiate them.

L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o? It's either an accident and just slips out, or it's super duper cheesy. But I like the cheesy idea better. He uses one of those pickup lines like "Do you like raisins? What about a date?" It's super cringey and cute.

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like? Yep mans wants to get married so badly. Though his ass is not proposing. Especially if he was the one who asked you out. He can not handle being that nervous again. Being married is pretty much the same yet it feels more special

N icknames - What do they call their s/o? he calls you: pumpkin, honey, princess//prince/royalty (Also if you are a woman he 100% called you unironically called you baby girl and had no idea why you were laughing)

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings? He thinks he's so good about hiding his feelings (He's not.) It's super obvious, you're just oblivious. He is a blushing mess around you.

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching? When you're around others he doesn't do much PDA. But when you're gone and he's around others, he brags about you so much omg. He has gotten into many fights with Amity and Luz (separately) about whose partner is better.

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that's beneficial in a relationship. Dudes fumking strong also at one point he was the Golden Guard.

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative? He is pretty cliché, at least at first. He has no idea what counts as being romantic, so he binge-watches a bunch of romantic movies and copies lines from there. Though throughout the relationship, he starts being romantic in his way.

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them? Kinda already answered this with the inspiration prompt he very much believes in you<3. He, himself, would even try to get into the activity too. He would ask you for tips about the subject and sometimes it actually helps him find new hobbies.

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine? No. Like not at all. This boy NEEDS even a little bit of stability, that's not to say he doesn't like to try new things. But he doesn't like to keep changing things around or just jump head first into things.

U nderstanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic? He's pretty okay at reading facial expressions, so if you're an expressive person it's a lot easier for him to tell what you're feeling. But once he does figure out what you're feeling, he quickly tries to comfort you if you're feeling bad.

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is it's worth in comparison to other things in their life? I'm not sure how much more I can emphasize that you mean the world to them. Your so fucking important to him and theres little to nothing he would choose over you.

W ild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon. He made a wolf fursona the millisecond he found out about in the human realm. Luz has watched sad movies with hunter, she warned him beforehand and he was like "No I'm not sensitive enough to get sad at a movie." And he was way more sad than anyone else. If Luz and Hunter find out they like the same show/book they would 100% write fanfiction together.

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle? He loves to cuddle you!!! He also loves to kiss you and when you kiss him <3. Whenever he gets the chance he will ask for cuddles (and hugs when he learns what they are.)

Y earning - How will they cope when they're missing their partner? Depending on the time of day (or whatever day it was) He will either try to do as many missions as he can. Or he will mess around with flapjack and read.

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of? Very big lengths you are his everything. If you were dating him as the Golden Guard your relationship is that one simpsons clip that is like "I'd kill for you. Please ask me to kill for you." "No Goldie-"

[polyhexian]

Since Raine was a teacher I think once they have Hunter living in their home they would immediately start to notice the signs of abuse. They would probably have issues with Hunter eating the normal amount of food for a kid his age because Belos starved him and also Hunter probably wouldn’t really be a big fan of something like pasta with sauce but wouldn’t say anything because he’s too nervous to make Raine unhappy with him so he doesn’t really eat much despite being underweight.

Hunter would probably go stiff if they put a hand on his shoulder or flinch if they heard them in anyway upset with him.

Hunter would probably take all of Raine’s suggestions on what to do while in the house at orders and carry them out with military precision even if Raine just suggested they watch a cartoon on the crystal ball.

Hunter probably has a lot of nightmares too so Raine would wake up to him screaming in his sleep.

Like Raine had hunter for a short while and the whole time it’s just one terrible revelation of what a monster Belos truly was after another.

raine definitely starts off worried about what the fuck jasper wants with this minor but i mean really theres better ways to Steal A Child, it being this SPECIFIC child who is VERY difficult to steal ironically makes it less suspicious like. okay. legitimately what is your game. and also like again despite the fact raine has seen him throw this kind on his ass a hundred times, theyve also seen him fucking vaporize one of their allies for trying to kill him so like. truly. what is his game here.

and then like. once they see how truly BAD it is with hunter, the way he flinches, how DEEP the soldier persona goes, the food and the sleep and the isolation- then its like. well, fuck, i would have wanted to help him too. so 1. how did the martlet know about all this before anyone else, because he CLEARLY knew about all this before anyone else did 2. why didnt he just tell me the truth? 3. why DIDNT he just take him and run?

i think theyre putting pieces together and while they probably have multiple theories- they might not know about the grimwalker stuff yet, but they know this kid is an orphan and related to the emperor, they know he was found the day the previous golden guard died, they know the martlet has the same colour hair as hunter, they've seen it, they know hes incredibly protective of him, they know the martlet is scarred as fuck and an incredible combatant AND a high level magic user despite never using magic- once they find out hunter cant use magic without a staff? click, dude. thats probably genetic! this guy has been around about as long as the previous GG has been gone. he looks like hunter, he's protective of hunter, he never uses magic without a staff, and the second raine asks darius about the previous GG, knowing they were close, "hey, did you ever see that guy use magic without a staff?" that seals the deal dude. raine has clocked that motherfucker from a mile away.

only now like. thats a NEW concern. okay, cool! parent. got it. well that explains his intentions. but now like- wow, he HAS hit this kid a lot, even if his motivations were clearly rescuing him. can he even be TRUSTED with him? would hunter be healthy living with this guy? is he even capable of living like a normal person? he still wont take off his stupid fucking mask or tell them his stupid fucking name! and oh, fuck- if he's the previous gg, he's done some VILE shit. should they be doing something about HIM?

darius and raine im sure have a very exciting conversation putting all the jigsaw pieces together before they realize that jasper isn't dead, jasper is the martlet, jasper is a powerless witch, jasper has a son, and holy shit is that son fucked up and in dire need of help.

meanwhile jasper is like ho ho i am sooooo good at lying and secrets absolutely no one suspects anything

[deconstructthesoup]

The Web House

Full disclosure—I did not have this all typed out before today, but this won the poll, and I do nothing if not deliver.

*cracks knuckles*

So, this is kind of an inverse to my already well-established AU, The Wittebane Archives, over on AO3—Luz is the Archivist and going through the horrors, there’s an equal amount of deep character moments as well as incredibly chilling encounters, it’s great, it’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever written, please go check it out. You got tragic Lumity, tragic Huntlow, wholesome Veesha, Skara and Boscha content, and Belos being much more morally grey than you’d expect. Also, there’s some fucked-up monster content.

ANYWAYS!

I finally decided to do an AU where a young Jon ends up on the Boiling Isles, and I took a similar approach with the tone that I did with Wittebane Archives. In that story, while I still highlighted the horror of the world they live in, I decided to make it more manageable for the characters and give them chances to still find ways to feel human, reflecting the fact that TOH is a more gentle and optimistic show (and I much prefer happy endings to sad ones). So, with The Web House, I decided that the Isles in this world are the Isles we would’ve gotten if Dana had been allowed to do her original vision… which is to say, all of the scary and horrific parts are kicked up to their extent. No sugarcoating here, the demon realm is explicitly referred to as Hell.

Now, to the characters!

Jon: He is, of course, in the role of Luz. Rather than being a naive ray of sunshine from Connecticut, he’s a prickly, anxious, and socially awkward kid from Bournemouth who gets in trouble for his constant refrain of correcting the teacher, having no interest in the assignments, and his habit of reading during class. This eventually leads to him nearly getting sent to a camp for “troubled kids…” until his habit for wandering off and getting distracted by things that are out of the ordinary leads him to stumble in through a portal to the Boiling Isles. Once there, Jon is absolutely blown away by the wonder and horror of the world, and he finally finds something that he’s truly passionate about—though, time and time again, he’s told that he can’t do magic because he’s a human, and he gets very defensive about it. It takes him a while for his walls to come down.

Gerry: He’s Eda—a snarky, anti-establishment, laid-back criminal with a lot of trauma and a habit of unintentionally adopting kids. Instead of an Owl Beast curse, he has a Spider Beast curse, and is referred to as the “Web Witch” by the denizens of the Isles. Gerry was actually pretty happy pre-curse, mainly because his mother died before she could do a lot of real harm… but after getting cursed, everything came crashing down, culminating in Gerry accidentally blinding his father and running away to hide in the woods. Since then, he has a hard time really letting people in, and the fact that he’s a wanted criminal doesn’t help. But that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t regularly take in strays. (Also, the curse turns his hair black, but it’s naturally red. You’ll see why in a sec.)

Annabelle: She is a slightly more mature version of King—a spiderlike demon child that Gerry found and took in at a young age. Knowing full well that she’s adorable, she takes advantage of the fact that people think she’s sweet and naive to get what she wants, which leads to a lot of shenanigans in the first-season arc. As the story goes on, and she finally takes the push to learn more about her past, she starts learning how to be responsible and to be more honest with herself and others, though she never loses her talent for deception. She’s a curious and devious little kid.

Helen: She’s a Hooty equivalent. Just a sassy door being who helps keep the Web House in tip-top shape.

Agnes: She’s Lilith—Gerry’s older sister and the head of the Emperor’s Coven. Of course, Agnes being Agnes, she’s a lot less tightly wound than Lilith at first and is genuinely sweet and caring, just deeply misguided. She truly believes that Gerry joining the EC is the best option for him, and she’s always been tormented with guilt over cursing him. After leaving the coven, Agnes tries her hardest to make up for lost time, both with Gerry, Eric, and their great-aunt Gertrude, even if she really has no idea how to interact with people outside of being the polite and perfect role model. It’s a learning curve.

Basira: She takes the place of Willow, though her character development is less about being insecure and slowly gaining confidence and more about being stoic and apathetic and learning to express her emotions and fight for what she believes in. Basira has natural talent in both Beastkeeping and Plants, and while she initially thinks that switching to the Plant track would be better for her, she eventually decides to take both classes once it’s approved. She’s painfully logic-minded and has a lot of internal doubts about the coven system, though until she meets Jon and hears his casual breakdown of how valuing certain types of magic over others just doesn’t make sense, she doesn’t yet have the courage to voice it. On her end, Basira turns out to be just the friend that Jon needs—someone who believes in him, but isn’t afraid to tell him when he’s being an ass.

Georgie: She’s in Gus’s position, though instead of being a prodigy at Illusion magic, she’s a prodigy at Abominations magic… and is more than a little terrifying as a result. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a wonderful person, but her keen interest in both humans and in subsects of magic that are more than a little macabre can be a little off-putting to some, which is why Basira’s her only real friend at first. After their initial meeting, which consists of Georgie excitedly asking Jon for a blood sample and him being incredibly spooked by her amazement at meeting an actual human, the two end up getting along like a house on fire, and are basically enablers in each other’s chaos. Georgie’s family doesn’t have a lot of money or social standing in the Isles, so she works twice as hard in order to prove herself and get better opportunities. This leads to burnout. Frequently.

Melanie: She’s… okay, so, she’s Matt in that she’s a fellow member of Georgie’s human appreciation club and a new student at Hexside, though she and Georgie don’t really have a rivalry beyond friendly ribbing. However, she’s also Viney, in that she’s a member of the Detention track who helps kickstart multi-track studies. She and Jon don’t get along immediately, mostly due to the fact that he unintentionally ratted her out for studying both Oracle and Construction magic the first time they met, but the two form a begrudging alliance during a basilisk attack and later become actual friends. Melanie’s a sucker for drama and conflict, and she carries that with her—whether she’s in the Human Appreciation Society, the Flyer Derby team, or just hanging out with Georgie and the rest of the gang. She’s fun.

Martin: He’s Amity, in that he’s a depressed rich kid who’s severely isolated due to parental expectations. Due to his incredible talent at Illusions, a lot of kids end up coming to him when they need to cheat, though they never actually become friends with him due to everyone seeing him as a quiet weirdo who never had to work for anything. When Jon comes along, Martin is distrustful of anybody claiming to want to be his friend, and he doesn’t help things by accidentally demeaning Jon’s interest in magic—which, in Jon’s eyes, cements him as a rival. After a string of miscommunication and failed interactions, the two eventually reach a middle ground and become friends… which later leads into Martin developing a gigantic crush on Jon. Which is later reciprocated. Aside from the romantic drama, Martin learns to both become more open and to stand up for himself, becoming the kind yet bitchy individual we all know and love.

Tim & Danny: They’re Edric and Emira—Martin’s class-clown yet charming older brothers who love teasing their little brother and getting into general mischief. Tim’s the oldest, and he’s usually the one who shows a lot of actual worry towards Martin, though he’s still a very flashy individual and tends to do a lot of crazy things just for the hell of it. Danny, on the other hand, has some identity issues that stem from being a middle child who doesn’t quite know who he is outside of his family, and he tends to throw himself into something if he thinks it’ll make him stand out. They’re both illusionists, like Martin, and while Tim and Danny are biological brothers, all of them are adopted. (Also, Tim eventually starts taking Bard and Beastkeeping classes, while Danny starts taking Potions.)

Daisy: If my decision to make Basira Willow hasn’t tipped you off, Daisy is Hunter—the Golden Guard of the Emperor’s Coven, praised as a teen prodigy yet possesses no magical talent of her own. She’s loyal to the emperor and genuinely believes in everything she’s been taught, and she is absolutely horrible at expressing any emotion other than smugness or anger, believing fear and sentiment to be weaknesses and being deathly afraid of being perceived as anything other than strong. Daisy is a very vulnerable person underneath her hard exterior, and she can be incredibly soft with people she cares about… though, of course, she’s not given much opportunity to connect with anyone outside of the castle, or inside, for that matter. In the canon of TMA, Daisy is a truly fascinating character to me, and I knew that the only character she could feasibly be is Hunter—hey, person who did bad things for a cause they believed was just and had that illusion stripped from them, meet other person who did bad things for a cause they believed was just and had that illusion stripped from them. And they both love wolves. So, yeah, she’s a very traumatized child soldier who makes the gradual evolution into a protective big sister friend and a disaster lesbian.

Sasha: I had to make her Vee. I had to. Even if you take away the whole fact that she was NotThemed and how similar that is to the basilisks, the fact that she was almost made the Archivist makes her perfect for that role. Her general story is pretty much the same as in canon—she’s a basilisk who was created in a lab for the purpose of studying magic draining and ran away to the human realm, falling in love with it almost as soon as she arrived. Once in the human realm, Sasha develops a love for computers and manages to make friends with the people she meets at the camp (I’m not sure who they are yet, though I’m leaning towards making them Sam and Colin—Alice already has a role), and when she and Jon actually have a chance to meet, they almost immediately bond as siblings after the distrust and animosity is thrown out the window. Also, Sasha’s existence helps Jon finally fully connect with his grandmother, so… bonus!

Oliver: He’s Raine. As much as I love Doorkeay, I have a different role in mind for Micheal, and Oliver’s dynamic with Gerry as two gorgeous witchy goth men connected with The End is something that I’d love to see more of. Anyways, um… so, Oliver and Gerry’s story is pretty similar to canon—they met when they were in high school, were best friends from that point on, and eventually started dating, though they broke up due to Gerry being tight-lipped about the curse and Oliver eventually making the decision to join the Bard coven. Oliver didn’t start being a rebel leader right away, though, since he initially believed that the best way to fix things was by changing it from the inside, but after years of that not working, he finally caved and started the BATs. He’s very practiced at pretending that he’s just an unassuming workaholic, and he often claims stage fright in order to continue operating under the radar. Oliver’s a smart dude.

Trevor: He’s… well, he takes the position of Eberwolf as the Beastkeeping coven head, but he also acts as Darius for a lot of the story beats—mostly because he takes the role as Daisy’s actually decent paternal figure. Trevor comes off as an old grump who doesn’t like people or fun, and he’s seen many a Golden Guard die in his time as a head of a coven… so, when he sees Daisy be rebellious for the first time in her life, his wolf dad instincts kick in. Not quite sure where Julia fits in yet, but she’ll fit in. Somewhere.

Jane: Terra. She has to be Terra. Gross plant woman who pretends to be sweet but is actually psychotic. She’d definitely suggest turning children into mulch as an apt punishment for failing a small challenge.

Nikola: Same deal, she’s Adrian. She can’t be anyone else.

Peter: He’s in the position of Odalia—an antisocial yet jovial businessman who reeks of old money. He also deals in security and weaponry, though he primarily uses oracle magic instead of Abominations, and he’s very interested in studying the effects illusion magic has on the mind. Of course, he can’t actually practice illusion magic, so he has to turn to other avenues for research… such as adopting three gifted illusionists. Needless to say, Peter is not a good parent by any measure,  and he kind of holds the fact that he adopted his sons over their heads so they don’t step out of line. Unfortunately, the kiddos don’t have an Alador equivalent (as far as I’ve decided), so the only person they can really go to outside of each other is Peter. Not a good environment, really. And it’s definitely complicated by the reason why their dad has all this standing and power, beyond just the family connections…

Elias/Jonah: So, he is in Belos’s place as the emperor who’s secretly a human witch hunter, but his motivations aren’t the same. Rather than planning on killing witches simply because he hates magic, his intention is to drain the magic from them and take it for himself—well, for humans, but mostly himself. Elias is also a lot more… shall we say, lax about interacting with other witches, which is why he has zero qualms with having an on-again, off-again relationship with Peter Lukas. And several other men throughout his time on the Isles. Yeah, Philip may be too deep in a Puritanical mindset to claw his way out of Narnia and admit that he’s not straight, but Jonah is a harlot and that’s a part of his character that stays constant. I’m not gonna go into his backstory, for spoiler reasons, but I will say that Gwendolyn is a Caleb equivalent, and Alice is her Evelyn. I’m riding on the Dyhard train and you can’t stop me.

Micheal (Distortion): And last but not least, I couldn’t make our boy Micheal anybody other than The Collector! I know that technically, he and Helen are kind of the same character, but she just doesn’t have the silly vibes that he does. All I can really say is that his story is… well, it matches up with in canon, except he’s more of a preteen than a kid. We know so little about Collie’s past outside of the events that led them to be trapped, and what we know about Micheal himself—pre-Distortion, of course—is equally as murky and unclear, so… yeah. He’s a funky neon star kid who originally manifests as a funky shadow kid.

And yeah, I think that’s it for now.

[cherrymoonvol6]

i was rewatching TTT for uhhh, [redacted] fanfic reasons :) and i am yet again annoyed by huntlow framing that has like, no resolution at all.

after luz and hunter find each other in the bathroom at the beginning of the episode and they talk about the secrets they’re keeping, there’s a pointed cut framing only amity and willow:

and then, while staring at them, luz says: “we’ll tell them, when we’re ready.” the implication being that these two will have pointed reactions to the discoveries that 1) luz helped belos and 2) hunter is a grimwalker, for amity and willow respectively.

and like, sure, that’s what happens with luz, right?

even before the main plot kicks off, there’s a precedent of luz hiding stuff from or straight up lying to amity. of course, this is all justified within luz’s mental state and she takes every chance to open up (at least a little) to amity and deepen their bond as a result. by this time, the tally is at three with the collector reveal.

beyond the moment where everyone in the main group gets access to this information at the same time, there’s a scene setting up how luz feels that amity’s disappointment is imminent (lucy’s betrayal in the azura movie). and sure enough, once the fight is over, the show goes through luz’s biggest fear in this scenario.

and after all of luz’s paranoia the “twist” is that obviously amity doesn’t blame her - it’s the rational outcome of the scenario that luz can’t internalize because of all her guilt and trauma. so amity explains why she’ll stay loyal to her (since luz is fighting against belos) and hunter seems to find some peace for his years of gaslighting and abuse by telling luz that belos tricked them and it’s not their fault.

so like, setup and payoff 101, yadda yadda. well done TOH. what just doesn’t pay off at all is willow’s involvement in the grimwalker reveal.

sure enough, she has the biggest reaction when luz mentions it during TTT:

but it rings so hollow since she’s not the first to come to that conclusion. it’s gus.

tbh i think this is an underrated gus moment... how he also follows in the guilt-ridden emotions at the center of almost everyone in the main cast (luz, camila, willow, hunter and belos) by bringing back his trusting issues. he clearly thinks this is a choice he would’ve been able to make if he wasn’t so scared of putting himself out and making important decisions, given his past experiences doing so.

it also follows on the foreshadowing of gus learning that secret on the fight against belos during king’s tide.

like, even if willow initiates the moment that triggers hunter’s grief process from anger to sadness, it’s gus who ends up having a bonding moment with hunter. which is why it’s completely baffling that by the end of the episode hunter and willow summon a romantic pseudo-relationship out of fucking nowhere.

and like, i wouldn’t be saying any of this stuff if the show had only added gus to that scene. legit, only gus was needed in that frame. he’s even sat at the table two seconds after that bathroom scene ends.

maybe you consider the nature of this post to be very nitpicky, and i get why. but, in my eyes, this is just the ongoing trend of TOH doing nothing to deepen hunter and willow’s relationship beyond only stating that they’ll become a couple soon - and the only time hunter and willow had a real conversation before FTF was when she still thought he was “caleb”.

as it stands, the first scene only works to point out that huntlow is canon. which is also the entire extent that the show is willing to do for them.

[seyfertgalaxy]

an entire collector analysis. somewhat

in a previous analysis post about the Collector, i said that their "bad" intentions weren't entirely their fault in almost any case. i acknowledge that they definitely had some things that were conscious decisions of their own accord, but most of what WE see, is.. ehehdh. yknow?

especially with Belos. aka Philip.

this is a child, so they're obviously gonna be gullible and easily influenced. even negatively influenced. they have no way of knowing whats wrong and whats right, and I doubt their morals are in check, so the only adult figure in their life doesn't help with that. at all. he's an evil jackass who clearly abuses the Collector, mainly emotionally. not to mention that he literally lied to them for hundreds of years, and kept them trapped under a false promise. (pinkie promise at that)

he had never intended on freeing them. and when he did have them in his possession, it seemed like he encouraged lots of bad shit. my main point to this is how he kinda played along with them, and smiles at their silly "accusations"(hint hint: grimwalkers). he also clearly fucking uses them. for the magic, spells, and its also implied that they helped with the grimwalkers. "we can make another grimwalker" is a main line of indication.

i saw a few people say that, with them being a child and Belos the only adult around, they wanted to "impress" him and make him proud. like how most kids might do. and i agree with this, i would even consider it canon! and based off of my own personal experience, its probably true either way. i used to do stupid stuff all the time as a child, just to make the adults in my life laugh or smile. sure, the outcome wasnt always good, but its what kids do anyways.

also Collector has been around for thousands of years and I doubt they ever had a positive role model, parental figure, or any good adult in their life. and with no consequences to their actions(disregarding entrapment), it makes sense.

also their lack of empathy and understanding of others' safety makes sense as well. being alone with little to no social interaction for hundreds of years can do that to somebody. especially someone so young(mentally).

they're just immature, gullible, easily influenced, quick to trust(like with King and Philip), and more. overall, a child with too much power. i do think they understand this power(in contrast to what others think), since they have loads of powerful knowledge on magic and spells. so its only logical if they understood their own abilities, at least to varied degrees.

and they're far from a villain, at least an intentional one. at the most, they're just an antagonist(so far). they're also literally described as morally grey/chaotic NEUTRAL. and morally grey basically means: "The simple definition is that morally grey characters are those who are not completely good or completely evil. It's the characters who wobble in the “grey” area between hero and villain."

as to say, they don't really have their "own" morals put into place. in a way, they usually just go with whatever is asked of them as long as theres some form of game involved. once again, a childish trait.(or a pinkie swear, usually used a "deal". another childish thing)

and on the topic of pinkie swears/promises, Collector views these things as sacred. to them, you *cant* break a pinkie swear. its the ultimate bond, the best type of deal, you CANNOT break it no matter what. until someone does break it, their world just. shatters. hint HINT: Belos.

thennn cut to them being thrown off of a bridge into a pit of dead children after trying to "reason" with Belos. and so many people have pointed this out before but the collector was probably crying before King found them. their eyes indicate some type of puffiness, (to me)their voice sounds like its cracking/breaking, and the sorrow in their voice at "leave me alone". crying or not, theyre still very obviously saddened by the betrayal. and its understandable as to why theyre upset. someone who they thought they could trust for hundreds of years just turns around and backstabs them, out of greedy selfishness. and others have said Belos was in the right for not freeing them, since they're so dangerous. and yeah, they're dangerous, but what Belos did wasnt okay. especially since he promised that he would set them free after the day of unity for YEARS. and when the day finally came.. nope. it didnt happen, and they were literally thrown away. Belos still abused them, lied to them, used them, took advantage of their trust and gullibility, and probably more.

"you can trust me", "we have to wait until after the draining spell/day of unity", "your patience will be rewarded".

then, when King set them free after finding them, Belos STILL attempts to gaslight them. even when he's terrified. "Collector? you're free. just as promised."

and luckily, Collector catches on this time because now they KNOW better. "as promised? i remember someone throwing me off a bridge." then they ask if Belos wants to play tag, and then.. SPLAT! they boop him to death(literally. and while Belos may not be *dead*, thats for a different post). and honestly, good on them!

and this is the thing I really wanted to talk about. i can't rephrase my own words any better so I'll copy and paste them from a different analysis of mine. its from this clip if anyone wants better context:

not like this matters or anything, but i think it could have been a 50/50 thing. i say this because the Collector's eyes were still glowing and the line: "you guys look slow, too" probably indicates some malicious intent(and we know the Collector's eyes only glow whenever they use their power/magic, or at least something similar). but he's still a kid, he still enjoys games;;legitimate games. i remember him saying to King: "do you like hide and seek? I'll hide first" which just tells me that they genuinely like playing traditional, childish games. however, their way of playing games can definitely be considered dangerous,,unsafe. that can be for several reasons, but its probably just because they don't consider that they are actually hurting people. well, either that(or something similar)OR they just don't care. which makes some sense in Collector's POV, they're a young child mentally. and most children don't actually think about their actions or the consequences that follow. and for the Collector, there probably isn't any consequences(disregarding entrapment). so i do believe that they wanted to actually play tag, or something, with the other kids. but the game probably would have ended up being dangerous for the others, without the collector fully realising that(or caring, like i said previously). also yeah, their eyes do stop glowing whenever King shows up("King!" and their arms are spread wide in a welcoming manner), which probably was indication of the "game" ending before it even started. maybe their eyes glow whenever they're playing? it would make sense, in some context at least.

and yes, i do agree that the Collector was trapped for a reason! probably more than once given some clues. they're dangerous and their way of playing is straight up unsafe(given that they wanted to play with King whenever he hadn't even hatched yet.)

but so young(mentally), being trapped was obviously traumatic for them and probably terrifying. whether they "deserved" it or not.

they also MIGHT be linked to the wailing star, but my only evidence for this is because the cries sound similar to the Collector's voice. hopefully we get some insight on this in a twitter post, or even better: season three.

also, whenever Belos picks up Collector's disc, i SWEAR they said "stop". maybe im hearing incorrectly but i just wanted to say it here.

and if that is true, then.. hdgdgdh /neg ueghb

and if there is more than one collector, i hope we get some type of backstory. maybe its like an "extinct species" situation. like with the grimwalkers and titans. specifically the titans since they're clearly linked.

also copying and pasting this from another post.of mine: " isnt it so fucked up that Belos had intended on killing the Collector when he threw them down. he probably expected the disc to just shatter, but luckily it was caught on some bones instead. also throwing them into a "pit of failures" whenever all they had done was help him is kinda messed up.. like dude, that kid helped you for HUNDREDS OF YEARS and only wanted freedom in return. like how selfish do you have to be to consider that a "failure" or something similar.. this is just from Belos' and Collector's POV, but man. what the Fuck" and its true. i dont think they would have actually died, based on context clues we are shown, but the INTENT is still there. and thats what makes it so messed up.

i also dont think that the Collector understands the gravity of their actions. they reconstructed the titans skull, and possibly the rest of the boiling isles. or even the entire demon realm itself. we dont know yet. and they did it for a *game*, and i dont think they understood how harmful that was. they also clearly don't see how upset King is to leave his friends behind just to play with them. but in all fairness, King seemed to want to leave the Collector after promising them he would set them free and play with them. so their small rage fit and "you pinkie swore!" was somewhat justified. but all in all, King just wanted to save his friends, family, and everybody else. he didnt want *this*, but Collector doesnt know that. all they know is that the baby titan who they wanted to play with for years is here, alive, and promising to play with them. and that is what theyve been wanting. and waiting for.

i would also like some more information on that dream sequence! yknow, Collector's first appearance like a year ago or so. they seemed to have trapped the owl beast, aka Eda's curse. and from what i can tell, that beast didnt always use to be a curse. the Collector seems to have trapped it inside of a scroll. some have speculated it to be related to their *collection*, given their name, but im not too sure. theyre a god in relation to Titans of all beings. surely theyd have a more valuable collection than some curses and/or random beasts. but who knows? theres probably more to that event than we know, since this curse has shown to take a big toll on Eda(and Lilith, later on). "don't bother, beast. you can't run away anymore. its over." so maybe they had a chase that lasted a while? considering, in the dream, Collector is being remembered as much more menacing than they actually are. which is a common theme with memory in TOH. like with Luz remembering her mom, the collector, Hunter exclaiming how Belos probably remembered events incorrectly, and King recalling Luz saying something that she didnt actually say. or maybe theres separate collectors, like i said. and there is evidence for that, but theres also evidence that goes against that theory as well. at this point, its really just a 50/50 shot. but the appearance was still wicked /pos

okay! i will add onto this post later

[eldritch-spouse]

The Clergy’s Eye employees/monsters ranked on how much I’d trust them to watch my cat Emma! I apologize if I misspell names or if I forget someone

For context: I wouldn’t be the Admin, and personality wise Emma is sorta like a dog. She actually likes playing in water, and she follows me around a lot. She is a hunter though

TLDR to start off

NO: Vinnel, Magus+Glauk, Krulu, Sybastian, Hellion

Its not that I don’t trust them, it’s that I don’t trust her: Morrel, Patches, The Bobbles (excluding Agner), The Cleric, Colmei, Gallon

Sure, why not?: Agner, Santi, Pebbles, Nebul

The best options: Fank-E, Grimbly, Belo

Now for specific reasonings!

Vinnel: Whether or not Vinnel is good at it, doesn’t matter (though I doubt he’d be great) I’m sorry Pinnie, I just hate Vinnel and want to spend as little time around him as possible

Magus and Glauk: Do I even need to explain? I mean she likes water but come on. I’d be better off leaving her to fend for herself

Krulu: He’d likely thing the task “beneath him” Unlike the previous ranking, though, I would consider him if he was the only option.

Sybastian: Sorta between “NO” and “Not that I don’t trust them, I don’t trust her” in that I don’t think he’d be all that good at caring for her needs, but also she might try and hunt the mimiclings which NOBODY wants to see the aftermath of.

Hellion: Yeah no I just don’t trust him

Morrel: I think he’d have enough self control to not do anything bad to her, but Emma? Listen she’s not a very bitey cat but you can never be too sure. And she is MUCH more likely to break skin than a human. Even if she doesn’t bite him and get poisoned, she’d still mess with the bobbles and knock over stuff in the kitchen and steal food. I care about Emma too much and I respect Morrel too much to put her in his care.

Patches: She’d just get in the way. Best case scenario she’d be sleeping in a spare pumpkin but let’s be honest she’s probably tormenting the bobbles.

Speaking of Bobbles..: No. She’d try and kill them.

The Cleric: They have bigger things to focus on. Plus she’d probably get tangled in the strings soo..

Colmei: If it weren’t for the bees, he’d go in the “Sure, why not?” category. But Emma HAS stuck her paw down a hornet nest before. Don’t trust her.

Gallon: She’d be a menace. Knocking over bottles, getting cat hair everywhere, stealing sips from drinks, getting caught in the goop a couple times. Not a fun experience and I respect Gallon too much for that.

Agner: Nothing notable to say! I think he’d do a decent job.

Santi: As long as he’d not feeding (don’t want to traumatize her or have him and whoever he’s fucking get stared at by a cat) I think he could do a good job!

Pebbles: Nothing notable to say, once again. I think it’d be cute though.

Nebul: Long as he can keep her chill and away from the products, I think it’d turn out well. Maybe he’d had to tell Purpur to be careful with her though. Give the “pets for sale” a little serotonin to brighten their day.

Fank-E: Omg I would get SO MANY cute silly pictures by the end of it!!! Probably make like ten more viral memes with her, get her internet famous. I would have to make sure he doesn’t dye her pink or something though.

Grimbly: I think he would LOVE her, as long as he’s on break. Pretty bows and glitter galore. Just uh, try not to get TOO much glitter on her, don’t want her to get sick. Maybe make it edible glitter for when she grooms her fur.

Belo: The best of the best and my first choice! I mean, cuddling with an angel already has to be an amazing experience, but a FLUFFY ANGEL? I think he would be determined to take good care of her too! Plus, they say cats can sense vibes, and I mean, considering everyone else Belo probably would have half decent vibes.

So that’s my ranking! Signing off

- Spooky Anon 🕸️

To be fair, I agree with most of these too.

Except Pebble and Fank-e, for similar reasons.

Pebble is too nervous. Animals sense that nervous energy and they generally don't like it. I think your cat may react aggressively or negatively in general based on that. And, at the first hint of aggression, Pebble is putting distance between himself and the feline. He might even lose her.

Fank-e is an animal repellent. He's very LOUD, makes odd sounds, probably smells like all sorts of artificial products that are awful to a cat's nose, and he's hyper. He'd love to spend time with your cat, but to her, he's probably the equivalent of a blaring alarm on two legs.