#forced to bond bc youre the only person i can talk to

[randomositycat]

My brain is thinking island stranded jinmao... oh the possibilities and the power of a writer

[numberonetrashwitch]

Some observations about Baldurs Gate 3 that hit too close to home.

After another few runs i will probably just make an in-Depth Character Analysis for every character simply because they are good reflections of actual trauma-manifestations and how abuse can manifest in people. They are also so well written that it serves a narrative purpose to explore all the material that is out there about them. I am also personally cursed with actual medically-relevant levels of Empathy and Hyperfixation; so writing this helps me put a pin in it and move on.

But so far here are my highlights

(SPOILERS and obviously content warning bc these are deep)

before you ask; i have almost 300h in this game.

You have to convince Shadowheart to eat the Noblestalk. She actually stells you she rather get her memories back from Shar but when you hit the persuasion or intimidation (what the fuck) check to get her to eat it she'll tell you about her childhood friend. Not her name, not her parents but her best firend. Possibly because she has had a closer bond to that person after being abducted and indoctrinated. With her believing herself to be an orphan, she would've looked elsewhere for comfort and sought out her own family, this is why she falls hard and heavy for Shar and builds the backbone of her indoctrination. She is literally ripped out of her home & given a new identity to server her from all she has known. Religious indoctrination, Gaslighting, Abduction, being forced to let go of your personality are her main themes.

There is a scene out there floating around in which you see Astarions pespective of the night when he bites Tav for the first time, in his meditations he is confronted with the rules Cazador put on him, including that he can't eat intelligent creatures, can't be away from Cazador unless allowed to, has to obey every command and that they are should know that they are property. Which in turn means that Astarion literally didn't just have any autonomy, he was objectified (and not just through seductive/sexual measures) and that is really the crux to understanding why he doesn't believe in kindness, but rather shows self-serving behavior in most cases. Since we know that Astarion was extremely young for an elf before he died and became immortal (literally stopping the aging /maturing process) it is also very telling that Cazador constantly calls him brat, boy or other very juvanile names, refering to them as a family... well it is also the story of a very controlling parent. Themes of (Bodily) autonomy, infantilization ( & puer aeternus, forever-child), slavery, depersonalisation, corruption of life and torture to break someone.

Gale isn't just a guy hung up on his Ex, but also a victim of abuse. In this case a power imbalance none of us can fathom; She is described as being a jealous goddess and rules over the domain of mysteries and magic. So with Gale being a Wizard, she is literally his boss. He admits that he was foolish enough to aspire to be an equal to her, but she is so jealous that she tells him he can't really be worthy as long as he takes breath. She could just take his powers away and be done with it, that would be more than enough punishment for a guy who literally made Mystra and her domain his life's purpose, but she rather makes him do it himself. Add to that, that she literally only tells him this after years of self-isolation (after he put down so many wards that he could've blown up a whole army as he says if you click the right dialogue) to really fuck him up well. He also talks about death pretty much constantly, not surprising giving your situation, but he will tell you that he will kill himself at several points in the game, for instance after he comes clear about his nethrese orb. Themes of romantic abuse, power-imbalance, toxic work enviorment, self-isolating behavior, suicidal ideation

Wyll ... well from the looks of it he is the most well adjusted of all the companions (my opinion) but he has something that i'd describe as the "eldest daughter"-syndrome, more commonly known as parentification. This pattern usually occurs within single-household parents and is commonly described as a parent looking to their child for emotional or practical support, rather than providing it to their kid. We meet Ulder and see that he talks over Wyll a lot, not listening but expecting him to follow the standard he sets for him. That is also why Wyll repeats his fathers words like gospel (because this is what, in his mind, fullfills the expectations bestowed upon him) and why he loves fairytales / bard tales so much (because they are an ecapist view of the job he set out to do) Ulder literally exiled his teenage son because Wyll did the only thing he could to save an entire city, by sacrificing himself. Thats a lot to expect from a 17 year old - even more so, he doesn't stop with the heroics. He expects himself, as a human who hasn't even reached the age of 30 to hold up to mystical creatures such as Astarion or Karlach, or even Gale who is a accomplished Wizard. Themes of parentification, escapism, self-harming through putting himself in danger, chronic-self-sacrifice

In plain words; Gortash, Karlach's Idol sold her to a Devil. But add to that that she must have been pretty young when she was sold (late teens to early twenties possibly) and being that if you play as a Tiefling, you face a lot of predjudice she was likely forced into that position as well. Starstruck she was, with a juvenile naitivy that Gortash used. Appropriately, as he is the chosen of Bane the god of "tyrannical oppression, terror, and hate, known across Faerûn as the face of pure evil through malevolent despotism" (Source: Forgotten-Realms Wiki / Bane) So she pretty much was raised in a toxic enviorment, which forced her to become a killing-machine, first figuretively, then with the extraction of her heart, literally. Themes of slavery, oppression, misuse of trust, being taken advantage by a more powerful/older(?) person, being drafted.

Jaheira - to be honest, you need to know the lore of the previous baldurs gate games or just listen to her dialouge, ask her all the questions. She is a war-veteran against Bhaal, the good of ritual murder, and has a long history of fighting to achieve some sort of balance of power. She lost her husband and several close people all to this, or any other war, but due to her wisdom and strength people look to her for guidance. Themes of: Survivors Guilt.

Halsin - he is really closed off at first but then just casually hits you with "i was captured in the underdark and spent 3 years chained to a bedroom wall by a pair of drows who used me as they pleased". He is reprimanded by some of his druids for leaving the grove as soon as opportunity struck, just to get back and leave the next day, and if you talk to him about his position in the grove he is actually very forthcomming. He actively holds himself back; indulging in simple hobbies because he knows what lies within his heart. He is afraid of himself and his potential (canonnically he can't control his wildshape, which is very weird for an ARCH-druid) Themes of: impostor syndrome, avoidant-based self-harm, sexual opression, loss of control, emotional regulation.

Lae'zel is a very tragic case, and one that closely resembles the stories of Shadowheart and Karlach. Her entire existence is based upon a matriachial war society allowing her to live if she proves she can be of use and that in a culture which only values brutality, dominance & service. All of that culimating in her finding out that her oh-so-beloved Queen is actually just an imposter, and that everything she has lived for up to that point is merely political propaganda created to make her, and the rest of her entire species, willing pawns in a war that has no longer bearing on their survival alone, but is fought to justify Vlaakith's (the reigning monarchs) personal ambitions. Not only is she forced to reconcile that she is turned into the thing that controlled her kind for hundreds of years, that the only cure she knows of would kill her and then on top of that, that her hopes and dreams were lies and that she is now the Nr 1 enemy of the person she has served with all her being. themes of: oppression, propaganda, casual violence, objectification, child-warfare, eternal warfare

Minthara in short, her story is about being shamed for growing up in the same scenario that Lae'zel grew up in. Lolth, the god of the Lolth-sworn drows is a crazy queen who values scheming & backstabbing so much and is so volatile that you can't know what to expect of your deeds (and i mean it; there were people who were appraised by her for scheming against her, but also those who were killed. It's almost random.) She considers Lolth to be cruel and abandoned her for the Absolute, only to then be used and abused the same way Lae'zel has. Not with promises, but erasing her memory and exposing her perceived weakness. Themes of: casual violence, violent culture, her own ambition colliding with her desire to be safe, being a pawn in a larger game.

[the-cookie-of-doom]

Five things Porsche learns about Kim lets gooooo

This actually started as a prompt from @shubaka forever ago (before we were friends 🥺) and I decided to torture myself by turning it into a 5+1 fic! But then I stalled out bc I didn't know what to add for the other parts klasjdhgf. It's actually still floating somewhere around here in my writing tag!

In it, Porsche is trying to befriend Kim, and Kim is horribly resistant to it. Porsche steals Chay's phone since Kim won't answer him, only for Kim to hang up as soon as he speaks, it's a whole thing. Basically Kim being forced to bond with his future brother in law <3

The first thing Porsche learns about Kim is that he's a squirrely little bastard. He weasels his phone number out of Chay - after finding out that Kinn didn't have it saved in his own phone, which will be a conversation for later - but Kim doesn't any answer any of the flurry of phone calls and texts that Porsche hurls his own way. Apparently, according to Porchay, Kim has memorized all the numbers of everyone important enough to be worth his time, and doesn't bother with anyone else.

What if someone has to borrow a phone? Porsche had asked. Sucks to be them, Chay replied, with a silly smile that might mean he's kidding, or it might mean he knows exactly how ridiculous Kim is being, but still somehow likes him anyway. Porsche would prefer the former but he's almost certain it's the latter, and he's trying to figure out exactly why Chay would like him so much. Because as far as Porsche can tell? Kim is more akin to a feral cat than anything else. Keeps his distance, sullenly watches Porsche anytime they happen to be in the same room, looking away only to scan for the nearest exit - which he takes at the earliest opportunity - and Porsche is certain Kim has actually hissed at him once. Probably not. Since Kim won't answer unknown numbers, Porsche is forced to stoop to his level. Kinn's phone is of course out of the question, which only leaves one other person, at least only one Porsche can easily access, guaranteed to have it. He's holding a struggling Porchay in a headlock while the phone dials. It only rings once. "Hello, love," Kim greets, his voice warm and syrupy and so, so fond that Porsche has to gag, just to see the way his brother flushes. "I'm sorry, Kim!" Porchay shouts. He's still struggling, digging his hands into Porsche's sides. "I tried to stop him!" "Porsche." And there it is, that flat tone Porsche is used to. "Hi, Kim, how's it going?" he asks casually. "Goodbye. "Wait, wait, wait!" It's no use. The line is already dead. Porsche releases his brother with a groan, and doesn't fight it when Chay snatches back his phone. "Why does he have to be so difficult?" "Kim doesn't like being cornered, hia," Chay scolds him. "If you just talked to him like a normal person-" "He won't let me! He keeps running!" "You're intimidating!" Porsche doesn't believe that for a second. If Kinn wasn't intimated by him, no way his feral, murderous little brother was. "Maybe you're coming on too strong? He probably think you're gonna kill him for, y'know..." "No, I don't know." Porsche side-eyes Chay, who's no longer making eye contact. "Do I need to kill him?" "No!" "Should I want to?" "Hia, No!" Chay throws his hands up. "See! This is why he won't talk to you! You're embarrassing." "Good. Also, I don't care. I want to talk to him, and unless he wants me to lock you in your room and forbit you from seeing each other for the rest of your life, he better cooperate." Chay lets out a sigh like the weight of all the world is bearing down on him. "I'll talk to him," he mumbles, sullen. 

[highladyelenna]

Silver Flames BC

(This is my interpretation. If you don’t like it, or agree with it, that’s fine. I’m not forcing you to agree with me.)

Okay so my first note is that Azriel isn’t envious of his brothers because they have mates. He’s envious of the fact that they love freely, that they are loved. This makes complete sense for Azriel’s character. He is always “the quiet one” always “in the shadows” due to his childhood. He was never allowed to freely express his feelings. He was never loved. He probably thinks he will never be loved. It’s very understandable he’s envious of his brothers because they don’t feel the way he does. This doesn’t mean he wishes they weren’t happy. It means he wishes he was.

Elain so the one who’s dictating this whole situation. She is the one who’s moving doorways. The one who is making the moves.

If she doesn’t like Azriel, if she doesn’t want to be with him, if she wants to be with Lucien (who’s in the same house) why go to Azriel? Why not go knock on Lucien’s door? Elain is making her own decisions and I applaud her for this!

Azriel, thinking of Elain for a year. Keeping some gag gift for him to look at. To think of her. But right yes it’s only lust.

If you’ve never had an interest in someone where you share glances, small touches, and it doesn’t send your heart beating. If all those small touches, lingering gazes, didn’t build up the tension of that said relationship so much..then i guess I can see why you don’t understand this scene..and I feel sorry for you.

And can this fandom stop vilifying mural sexual attraction? ITS NORMAL. It happens. People are sexually attracted to people. PEOPLE HAVE SEX.

Elaine feeling rejected by this?? Why would she be so hurt if she only wanted sex???

I can’t add anymore pictures so I’ll add quotes.

“Rhys’ power rippled through the room like a dark cloud. “I’m talking about you about to kiss Elain in the middle of the hall where anyone could see you.” He snarled. “Including her mate.”

“Oh, I can, and I will. If Lucien finds out you are persuading her he has every right to defend their bond as he sees fit. Including a blood duel.”

To those sayjng Rhys is trying to be controlling. No, he’s thinking like a leader does. If Azriel kills Lucien then the night court will lose many if not all allies they have worked so hard to gain.

Also notice how RHYS IS THE ONE TO BRING UP THE DUEL?? So many people saying Azriels fantasizing about killing Lucien when he’s literally never mentioned it before.

Azriel is also the only person so far that has mentioned out loud that Elain has no interest in Lucien. Hmmm.

Also, y’all are LYINGGG if you’ve never had a crush on someone and thought that you could treat them better than any other person. Even though Azriel never treats Lucien badly. she literally didn’t give Elain the necklace with everyone because of Lucien. He stays away from them, gives them space.

And Azriel giving away the necklace because he couldn’t bear to see it?? I think that’s more important than him giving it to Gwyn. Especially when he says “If there’s any other priestess that will appreciate it, give it to them.” So, he went to give it to Gwyn but didn’t want her to know it’s from him, then said actually just give it to anyone. Why would you want this to be a staple of your ship? Like not judging but how would that work? If she wore the necklace that he originally gifted to Elain then regifted? Think about how awful that’d make Gwyn feel.

Anyways. That’s just my little rant.

[villainanders]

Top 5 pathetic Anders moments?

Okay I started compiling my list so I could narrow it down to 5 but I came up with 16 so I’m going to cheat and just post my list as is in no particular order

Earnestly trying to get Fenris to bond with him over suicide ideation

Every time you make the most milquetoast pro mage statement and he looks at you like 🥹 with wonderment and love in his eyes

If you say you don’t want him to move into your house after sleeping together once and he starts acting like an 18th century lady who just had her virtue stolen by a charlatan who had promised to marry her

Asking to move into your house immediately after you sleep together once

Instantly falling for the first person to be nice to him mere hours after being forced to kill his ex boyfriend

Getting mad when Fenris won’t say he could be trusted outside of the circle and vowing to prove it to him

Ok the first time I played DA2 I was being dumb and accidentally chose the options that didn’t save Ella (which high key was so shocking and stakes raising it’s actually my recommendation for your first experience playing DA2) but I went over to Anders after that quest SOOOOO mad at him and he was so incredibly pathetic in the scene where he’s freaking out and trying to leave Kirkwall that I spent the whole time telling him it wasn’t really his fault instead of chewing him out like I intended

That act 3 dialogue where he tries to convince aveline that her husband is scheming against the Templars behind her back. I guess not pathetic if this is actually true but I earnestly believe Anders heard Donnic make one off hand comment once and then convinced himself of a whole story to try to get aveline on his side

Frankly all of Anders’ act 3 dialogue that’s just increasingly stupid and desperate attempts to get people to agree with him

Trying to convince Hawke to leave Fenris or Merrill has to be on this list bc it’s probably him at his most pathetic but they’re too far even for me those scenes are UNBEARABLE to watch

STARTING A WORLD CHANGING REBELLION AND IMMEDIATELY GETTING KICKED OUT BC NOBODY LIKES HIM

If you convince him to side with the Templars in 2 then in DAI Varric says that he got kicked out of kirkwall immediately after for what he did. Imagining that entire series of events makes me want to THROW UP it’s insane

Trying to give Varric a treasured and deeply sentimental possession of his to remember him by only for Varric to give it back bc he thinks he’s being weird

If you kick him out of the party but then side with the mages and he shows up at the gallows asking you to please take him back so he can help

The first time I took Anders on mark of the assassin and the wyvern immediately picked him out as the squishiest member of the party and bolted over to rip him to shreds instantly. I build Anders as mostly support and I wanted his effects on the rest of the party for the fight so I kept reloading my save to try to keep him alive longer than one second but every time the wyvern would go out of its way to brutally kill him at the beginning of every fight until I gave up. Being trapped in a repeating time loop where he is mauled by a wild animal as his friends are helpless to stop it is definitely a top pathetic Anders moment for me

When I was playing a pro templar Hawke and took him, Fenris, and Sebastian with me when we talked to Meredith at the end of that capturing apostates quest and Anders started mouthing off about this all being the Templars’ fault and everyone in the room started bullying the shit out of him

[x-liv25-jamieswife]

libby death head canons

the person who requested the xander death hcs also requested death hcs for the other characters so here is libby. id like to thank @ilyiwdtpyiwmyhmtkys for being the kindest being on the entire planet earth bc she offered to help me with some of these (avery, jameson, and nash). she's the absolute best.

avery: she would obviously be devastated. although libby wasn't really in her life when she was a kid, she stepped up when hannah died. i think, because of this, she'd feel guilty. she'd wish she'd died instead so that libby would've gotten the chance to really live. kind of similar to the jameson hcs, but she wouldn’t be able to get out of bed. the only way she'd get out of bed is if alisa or oren were to force her to (also, she knows that if libby were alive, she'd get mad if she knew she wasn't working) i also feel like she would always space out thinking about it, and then have to take a break because it makes her emotional. i mentioned this in my xander death hcs, but she would learn how to bake just so she could bring cupcakes to her grave to eat with her. to be honest, i really think she'd act similarly to my jameson death hcs so i don't have much to add. she would learn how to make her old cupcake recipes when so that when she misses her she can make them and feel closer to her.

jameson: my mutual who helped with this post hc before that he and libby actually got along really well so I also think that he would be really sad but at the same time he would be the one trying to help avery and nash get back on their feet while also dealing with his own feelings. I think that after anyone died, he would become a big overthinker. he would just spend a lot of time overthinking moments that they had together and wishing that he did or said something different at certain times. he'd also create a special cupcake flavor (with alcohol obviously) in her honor. he'd also be in a lot of pain seeing avery suffering so much. it would definitely take a toll on their relationship, but would ultimately make them stronger.

grayson: i think that, over time, grayson and libby would've become really close confidants. i think that they would bond over their abusive exs. losing libby would be like losing the only person who really gets your pain. he would feel extremely alone and isolated, and he would start internalizing his feelings again. he'd make cupcakes and eat them while talking to himself (or the sky (libby)) cause it would help him 1. feel closer to her and 2. help him process his emotions (in regards to his grief and everything that he used to talk to libby to). i also feel like he's the type of person to think that he didn't deserve to grieve bc its not like she was his sister or gf or smth (but he'd think jamie and xander's grief was valid...). he would refuse help until people confronted him about it.

xander: like i said in literally every other post, he'd try to cheer everyone up with jokes, games, gadgets, etc... i can imagine him making baking/cupcake related gadgets (he gifted avery a safe box in the shape of a cupcake where she can store all of the things that remind her of libby). he'd be the type of person, like i said in other posts, who tries to escape their grief but never can. he'd try to work in his lab, but then he'd see smth that reminds him of libby or he'd eat scones and remember all of the times she made him some. he's also the type of person to cry. sometimes silently, sometimes really ugly. the only person who would cheer him up is max cause she always manages to say smth or do smth that actually distracts him. he'd also design a kitchen (cause they add a wing to the mansion every year) deidcated to libby.

nash: are we even surprised by the fact that he would be crushed. after calling off an engagement, it would be hard to find someone new and the feeling of doing that was probably great but then having that taken away is literally terrible. he would start ignoring everyone and everything and start staying inside all the time. it would take a really long time for him to get back to how life was before (if he actually does). I also don’t think that he would date a lot after that. i actually think that he wouldn't date again. his spirit would disappear. i mentioned in my xander post that he'd try to ignore his grief by overworking himself and that would result in him throwing shit around to express his anger. i think this would apply here too. at some point, staying his room all day wouldn't help anymore so he'd go back to bartending. he'd only stop throwing shit around after accidently hurting avery or one of his brothers. he'd then realize he needs help.

max: although we don't know much about her relationship with libby, i do believe that she got to know libby through the years starting from the age of 6-7 (when i think she met avery). i hc that libby used to take them out to mcdonalds or bowling a lot when she had the chance (and could escape her abusive mom). after her death, eating mcdonalds and going bowling would literally become impossible for her (but she'd do it to feel closer to her). everything would remind her of libby. the only thing that would remotely help with her grief would be baking. it would help her feel closer to her. she'd also be mentally exhausted due to having to help avery. she wouldn't resent her or anything and is one of the first to help avery when smth's wrong, but it would take a toll on her. i don't really know what else to add for max so yeah.

i apologize for any spelling mistakes, i didn't proof read anything <3

[mvrtaiswriting]

This is a REALLY specific request so you dont have to do ir if u dont wanna but im curious how this would play out:

The monster trio fall in love with male!reader and get together in the time skip and when the straw hats finally meet again they find out that their s/o is Nami’s ex(reader is also over nami) and they broke up bc nami didn’t want the reader to be put in danger bc of arlong or something(idk if I spelled it right)

And if you could could you make nami still have a little feelings for reader and monster trio find out?

Ty and have a lovely day 😖💝

Monster trio's s/o is Nami's ex.

hi, thanks for requesting this?? this was so fun to write and it took such a tooth-rotting turn towards the end? I'm sorry if those are not quite like what you were expecting but as you can imagine it is quite hard to make multi-characters work longer than this. Regardless, I hope these are okay, I hope you enjoy them as much as I did! hope you have a fab day too <33

intended for m!reader but it's mostly gender neutral :)

feel free to reblog, like, and leave a comment. i would very much appreciate it. if you enjoy my works, click here to read more. 

Luffy is not bothered by your past, everyone has one. But how could he predict that your past involved Nami? He finds the situation rather funny, and does not take it too seriously at first - he laughs about it, and grows even fonder of your relationship. He rants about how the two of you were meant to be together, and he adores the fact that you once loved one of his dearest crew mates. Once Luffy realises Nami might be uncomfortable for it, he makes sure all the three of you can talk about it and force you to cheer with a shot of sake.

"We both love you so much!"

Luffy squeaked, wrapping his stretching arms around you and Nami, forcing the three of you in a suffocating embrace.

"Platonically, of course." He giggled again.

It would take a while for Nami to adjust to this new situation, realising how much the relationship between the two of you has changed. Observing the two of you simply loving each other makes Nami realise there's nothing to fear now. You would always hold a very special place in her heart, she would always worry for you - but now, you were in the safest hands she knew. No one could protect you better than her captain, and at the end of the day, platonic or not, love is making sure the person you love is safe.

Zoro can't hide the fact that he is a bit bothered by your past relationship with Nami. He was never a man of many words, so he would never confront you or Nami about it. But he grumbles, and rants, and sighs whenever feels she stares at you for so long. He doesn't like how awkward this whole situation feels - he just wants to be left alone, loving you in private. Nami is the first one to make a move, sneaking in the nest crows to join you and Zoro. When you finally talk about it, your shoulders feel ten times lighter - after all this time, of course there was still some kind of love between you and Nami; there would always be a special bond between the two of you, but nothing more. The love you felt for Zoro was unconditional, fearless, a ready-to-risk-it-all kind of thing - it was the type of love only soulmates can share, and it would never compare for the affection and respect you held for Nami.

"Please don't let him die." Nami said, holding Zoro's hands into hers, her voice breaking just thinking about the idea of you getting hurt.

"You're in the hands of the greatest swordsman.. have some trust!"

Sanji finds it funny, it almost feels like a compliment to him. There is a tiny voice inside his head that feeds his ego, that realises how Nami really lost the treasure of all treasures. He truly felt like the luckiest man alive.

At fist, Sanji has the bad habit to tease Nami about it. He mentions how she really fumbled the bag, bragging about how proud he is of you. When he finally gets a reaction however, it was not like he expected. He had underestimate the importance your previous relationship with Nami had for her, he overlooked the reasons why you broke up - surely, he wasn't expecting it to be an open wound after all this time.

Once Sanji finally manages to apologise to Nami, he offers a listening ear to his fellow crew mate. Nami's reasons were more than valid and he would lie if he didn't admit he was just as scared as she was. Sanji loved you more than anything else and would sacrifice his life in an heartbeat to save you, the sole idea of you being in dangers feels like a dagger being planted directly into his heart.

"I love you."

Sanji whispers, slowly wrapping his arms around your torso, engulfing you into a tight embrace. Your shoulders are now lying against his chest, his cologne and the stinging smell of smoke inebriating your senses. He stays like that for a while, peppering your cheeks with kisses and just enjoying the moment. You were safe in his arms, giggling if his beard tickled your skin. Silently, he swore to himself he would do anything to protect that magical smile of yours.

[viridwns]

what does kaigaku think of darling?

( I can image her crying bc of dakis death bc she lost the only person she got semi close to 😭)

Love all your work and keep up the amazing work!! <3

Masterlist (this is about the miscommunication story)

Thank you sm for the support <3

I love this question, so lets dive into it.

(Also, it's midnight where I live and I'm tired, so sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes)

Warnings (all very minor): yandere themes, talk about manipulation tactics to keep someone in an unhealthy relationship, mentions of religion, God/worshiper dynamic, mentions of stockholm syndrome, talk about grieving, talk about death

Muzan wouldn't let darling know about the death of an upper moon or any demon that didn't die by his hands.

Why?

Mainly these 3 reasons

1. Less escape attempts/giving up entirely on escaping

He has manipulated darling into thinking demons are immortal. They can only die by their creator's hand.

This is to install fear into darling to make her think that even if she managed to escape, no one would be able to protect her.

2. Fear/obedience

Muzan wants darling to fear them. He doesn't need her love (although he would like it at some point, he just doesn't realize it yet.) He needs her obedience, the others need her obedience.

They don't mind a little fight, but Muzan needs it to stay by a little fight. He can't have her think she would be able to overpower them.

3. Stockholm syndrome/seeing Muzan and the demons as higher beings

Muzan wants darling to beg for him, to pray at his feet. He wants her to know how much better, how much stronger he is than humans.

He wants her to realize that he and the others are superior, that she should kiss their feet and be grateful to be at their side.

They see darling as someone higher than humans but still far lower than them.

If he could make her see all that, that she is in the presence of a God, maybe she'll start to reciprocate the feelings they have for her.

If they can make her see that there is no one better than them and more able to protect her, grand her wishes, she will be at their side willingly.

Muzan needs her to be thankful, grateful. Willingly putting all that she is at his feet, giving him her life.

If they aren't able to consume her literally, they will do it figuratively. Taking all that darling is and making it theirs theirs theirs.

Now back to the question.

Darling isn't really allowed to communicate with other demons besides the upper three and Muzan.

There are some exceptions, of course, she is allowed to be around the other higher ranks (not alone of course) and Muzan thought that being with Daki would expose darling to more positive talk about him from Daki.

So yeah, darling and Daki had a little bond, not big enough to call it friendship, but it was something.

And that something will make darling notice that Daki is never around anymore, as is her brother.

And when Muzan shuts her up when she's asking questions she knows something is wrong.

Either he killed them (which she finds highly unlikely) or something happened to them.

Getting introduced to Kaigaku (more like the upper three showing that he can't touch her, look at her or even breathe in her direction.) is the last piece of the puzzle she needed to realize that Daki and Gyutaro had been killed .

Especially because Kaigaku can't shut up about how great he is and accidentally slipped up on how he would never get killed by a demon slayer, unlike Gyutaro and Daki.

Darling would be shocked at first, because she didn't think that was possible or that there were humans that slayed demons.

And when the shock fades, yeah, she would feel a bit sad.

Her gal pal, her demon she had at least some kind of bond with (beside Nakime) was gone. Daki was the only one who didn't hurt her or force her. She could be mean at times and she could be a bit too persistent with some things, but knowing darling was Muzan's, Daki never really dared to actually pain darling or make her upset.

Darling would shed a few tears and maybe even get mad at Muzan for replacing Daki with that guy.

It won't be long-term, though. The sadness will fade, and she won't really miss Daki, just her company.

Now how she would react to Kaigaku.

Darling wouldn't be allowed around him much because he is male.

And second of all, because he hasn't been a demon for that long, darling can see his human traits very clear.

She can see the coward hiding behind all that big talk. She even gets disgusted by him at times when he's gloating and tells her that she's 'evil' because she doesn't agree with him.

(It's a wonder he didn't get killed already)

Darling knows he will sacrifice others to save his own skin, that's why she doesn't really like him.

But then again, she doesn't like any demon.

Her opinion on him is not related to Daki's death. Darling just goes with a 'tolerable scale'. Daki and Akaza are a bit higher than the rest, but she still doesn't willingly want to be around them. It's more of a: a rather be around them then be around ...

Kaigaku's opinion on darling isn't really there? He finds it strange that the upper three and Muzan himself have a 'human pet' as he calls her.

Kaigaku sees darling as a form of protection if ever needed; he can literally use her as a shield to get away from Muzan or even threaten to kill her when things escalate. (In his mind, it works, but we all know that he would be dead in seconds.)

Kaigaku does take an interest in darling. She isn't a coward (unlike him) and knows things about the higher-ups that no one else does...

Kaigaku doesn't dislike or like darling, but she sure is useful to him and will make himself acquainted with her for those reasons.

I hope this answers your question!

[running-with-the-feels]

I don't think you saw it, but I did answer your ask and am now here to bring you Kung clan headcanons.

The great Kung Lao used a whip as a weapon. His fighting style relied heavily on quick movements. As honorable as he was, he had a bad habit of toying with whoever he was fighting. Often lassoing them and throwing them around. The whip is now hung in the main house of his clan.

Hair holds great importance to Kungs. Long hair is a sign of pride. The traditional style is a low, tight braid. If a member is dishonored, they are to shave their head.

To be initiated into the Shaolin, one must shave their head to show devotion. They only have to do it once and can grow their hair out afterward, with the more dedicated monks keeping their heads shaved. The Kungs actively fought the Shaolin for Lao to keep his hair, but he ended up bald anyway.

After the first Mortal Kombat, Lao decides to shave his head because he believed his actions during it were dishonorable and immature. Liu Kang tried to persuade him not to, but he insisted. Kang shaved it for him.

Lao is overly protective of his hair. Can, has, and will smack someone's hand away if they try to touch it without permission. He's like a cat in that way. Also takes amazing care of it. He has oils, masks, and expensive shampoo and conditioner.

After being disowned, Jin was forced to shave his head but grew it back out of spite. Him wearing a high ponytail while using the Kung name is seen as a sign of disrespect.

If Huai ever left the clan, she'd shave her and Jin's heads (because she refuses to leave him in the clan's care).

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Kungs have insane upper body strength. Even the civilian members. Takeda is convinced that his type is people who can lift him without breaking a sweat.

Most are also tall, but Jin is massive, standing at 6"4'. It's the Kyrgyz genes.

The first step in Kung courting is to ask for a blessing from a family member. Lao ended up asking Jade for her blessing to court Kitana and brought gifts to Liu Kang's parents' graves. He spent over an hour speaking to them before leaving.

nooooooo I missed it! I'll go check it out asap!

I Love these headcanons sm

Both Kung Lao's are actually very similar personality wise, but Raiden has kinda mythologized the great Kung Lao to the point that he sees him as a paragon and our Lao as a poor imitation, a sentiment a lot of the monks share

Kung Lao learned a lot about haircare and styling from his family and will do Kitana's hair for her for important events. She shows up one day when his family is visiting with a traditional Kung style braid and the family loses their shit over the implications (whether from happiness or anger is your call)

Kung Lao cried when they shaved his head and wouldn't talk to anyone for a week

Liu then cried when he had to shave Lao's head for him, and was over the moon when Lao started growing it back.

Lao and Johnny bond over their hair care routines and swap tips and products, with Johnny being the only person Lao has ever given a bottle of his family's hair oil made from a recipe they've had as long as they existed.

Kung Lao will fight anyone who says that Jin has no right to the name or his hair and when he joined the Shaolin and was asked to shave Lao raised hell until the monks gave in, not wanting Jin to go through what he did.

Huai has contemplated leaving the clan multiple times, its kind of an escapist fantasy for her at this point (pls feel free to ignore that, she's your oc not mine)

Kung Jin once lifts Takeda over his head ballet style to prove a point and Takeda loses the ability to speak for a while. Jin's form is perfect and he doesn't even tremble.

Jin is the tallest kombat kid (Cassie is 5'11, Jacqui is 5'6, Takeda is 5'10 and Frost is 5'3)(no one mention's Frost's height bc it took three people to hold her back last time)

Jade was touched by Kung Lao asking her for permission to date Kitana and when Kitana learned of the custom, she went to Lao's parents and asked them for permission as well

Kitana and Liu also both love to run their hands through his hair and are the only people he will allow to do that

[jollycrowntragedy]

here’s everything I have on TMR! What? You didn’t ask for this? DID I FRICKING STUTTER? TAKE IT. NOW.

Splinter: 36 ( originally human, now dumbo rat, mutated at 19*) 

he’s really not that old this time guys

Pretty damn chill about most things

Like, as long as you finish your chores, read a book everyday, and stay a virgin until your 17, your freaking good

Slight depression because of his past

misses being human sometimes 

Monda: 18 (✨FREE HOME✨, and living here by Mikey’s request and her own will) ( still working on species)

FRICKING HIPPY

HIPPY ALERT 

bell bottoms, tie dye, heart shaped sunglasses, and all natural deodorant

Vegetarian ( she claims it’s to make a point, but it’s really just dietary limits)

Actually doesn’t care that everyone else likes meat, and respects their diet just like they respect hers

Will literally do any chore on the farm, she doesn’t give a crap

Art! Yey

Donnie and her bond over Steven universe

* crosses arms in a pout* If Rottmnt can have Cassandra then I can have Monda

Mikey: 17 (oldest) spotted turtle *

THE older brother. Period. End of statement 

That is actually his whole personality, adorable big brother

Not the smartest at times, but he tries 

Would prolly be a chad if it weren’t for his fam

Backwards baseball hat, oversized T-shirt, cargo shorts or jeans 

Very easy going

Yk, Except for the crippling fear that he’s not doing good enough, and so upset that he can’t force himself to try harder and be more serious 

Erm- ADHD anyone?

Had a phase when he was obsessed with medical dramas, so it led him to a unhinged amount of medical research, and now he’s the family medic  

April: 16 ( Bad parent life, she is currently on the run and they don’t really care)

This is the most respectable and patriotic bitch you will ever meet

Very responsible, helps Mikey with his older sibling duties 

Wants to join the military, but,, insufficient funds 🥲( and I mean she’s completely broke) ( also parent consent isn’t a great topic for her either)

Probably the most emotionally fragile out of the gang, but she hides it really well

Runs herself ragged with chores bc she feels like she needs to earn her right to live in the cabin 

 The ever present camo print baseball hat, white tank-top, jeggings and heavy duty boots  

American history nerd

Raph: 16 (second oldest) Mud turtle

is it ok if I just,, * inserts 2012 raph with random canons*

The very definition of anger issues 

Plays pretty songs for Mona on his (acoustic) guitar

Loves to play Benson Boone songs the most ( really good at singing too, but won’t do it infront of anyone)

Absolutely terrified of the goats

But he likes the cows pretty ok 👌 

Just like, excessively protective of his brothers

Softieeeee

Likes to play hockey with Casey in the winter

Watched and memorized Hamilton for Donnie, accidentally enjoyed it and went down a late night rabbit hole in American history, now he knows like everything and April was very happy to be able to talk to someone about it.

( Donnie was also very appreciative of his Hamilton references )

Jean jacket, adult cartoon graphic Ts, and spandex ( yes he does get relentlessly bullied for his booty shorts, because he has no butt)

Mona: 16 ( wow another orphan, not adopted by splints tho, just here by Raph’s request- and obviously her own will) Blue tongued skink 

Jolly good bitches ( she’s British..)

Think; Victorian that got thrown into the woods and fell in love with one of the unhinged hillbillies 

Pretty sundresses and sun hats :)

Impeccable manners and emotional management skills 

Really good with kids

Just fun and positive to be around 

 the tiniest bit prissy, just like, don’t make her shovel cow shit or something

Literally the only person the goats like for whatever reason

Has problems feeling pretty sometimes ( Raph obviously tells her that’s “stupitd as shit, your the most beautiful being on the earth)

Casey: 15 ( orphan 🥲, technically adopted by splints)

Baby, punk rock baby boy

 looks up to raph and his assholery skills 

Still sorta dorky and growing into his body

Refuses to get a haircut, splints can only convince him every year or so

Hates sharing a room with April, because she puts her ugly army-print stuff everywhere ( never voices this complaint tho)

Allll the jeans with shit hanging off of them and black T-shirts

Summer: Hits chicken eggs golf style with his hockey stick ( Monda hates it) 

Winter: Actually plays hockey on the frozen lake

By time we actually get to the story, he has became a little less intense in his punk rock obsession, maybe it’s just cuz everyone got used to it

Donnie: 14 (slight older twin) black knobbed map turtle 

Looks like a cinnamon bun, could kill you vibe

Secretly loves to garden, and is the main reason the green house stays alive

Still our little inventor tho 💕

Likes to play with the chickens, and always gets kinda sad when they use one for dinner ( him and Monda bond a little over that)

Slight problem with obsessing over musicals, faves being; Be more chill, Hamilton, and Heathers 

Named the goats after the two biggest assholes he could think of ( Ram and Kurt)

Feels very deeply that education is important and forces Leo, April, and Casey, (and sometimes Raph) to do khan academy 

Leo: 14 (slightly younger twin) European pond turtle

Raph is teaching him guitar 

cONsTaNTly climbing trees

Mikey: “Where's Leo?” Raph: “ in that tree” Mikey: “ why am I even surprised”

Definitely little sibling privileges

Uh yummy = Bugs, dirt, rocks, sticks, raw chicken eggs, flowers, …. Brothers look tasty… but biting is a no no  

Ngl, this iteration is probably going to develop VERY slowly, bc I only really feel the want to work on it when I’m bored of my other projects  

But uhh- I started on Raph a little so I’ll prolly do his bio and stuff first, but here are some things i definitely want 

Bring Casey back to HIS glory days ( no I did not like rise Casandra, why do you ask?)

April is a sister figure, she will also be much less annoying than rise April, and much less bich-ass terrible than 2012 April 

… farm… Yus farm, they live on farm. COZY CABIN, YUS 

Monaaaa! ( and Raph x Mona of corse) 

Splinter is no longer old! He had the bois ( and got mutated) at 19 so… * quickmaths* he’s only 36! not even that old.

Crazy farm kids of the woods,, like Leo ( and Donnie) are always running around and climbing trees and shit.

Very found family, literally the whole crew sneaked their way into living in the cabin ( convincing Donnie and Raph to help build and additional room or bebe cabin) 

I LOVE THISSSSS!!! THE FARMMM HOME SWEET HOME, …. Mayhem = some sorta farm dog?? 

I just want to mention, the cabin is actually pretty big, but it feels small cuz there are so many people

In case this wasn’t a given, there are many farm animals, lots of chickens and a small herd of cows, two very mean goats named Ram and Kurt, a farm cat named Thomas ( he is a very distinguished gentleman), and mayhem the Britney spaniel.

9 person/ mutant body count…. 9 people, jeez…. Why do I do this to myself?

uh that’s what I got for now, working on a backstory for how everyone ended up here, but this is what I got for now

[chamomileteahouse]

The Arcons with a child god reader who is super sweet but hardly talks ( Need more content of geo daddy being a dad )

❇ pairing: Zhongli, Ei, and Venti x platonic child reader (individual)

❇ summary: How they would be as parents to a timid but sweet child <3

❇ category: full on fluff i will cry /pos

❇ notes: I have no idea if I did any of the characters to be ooc but let me be bc wholesome content is wholesome content in my books

Zhongli:

I can really imagine him as a gentle father, he is doting, and also strict when he needs to be. All in all, I think Zhongli would be the best to handle a child who is quiet and reserved. He is patient and if he needed to help them in talking, I’m sure he would personally tutor them! I mean this man has years of knowledge in that head of his.

Zhongli does try to get his kid out of their shell too, while at it they go on small outings to talk with other kids in the harbor or simply eat out in Xinyue Kiosk.

I can imagine him taking strolls around Liyue Harbour with his child, he may be holding their hand, or carrying them, whichever works the best. It’s always a sight to adore to see him holding hands with his little one.

Sometimes they both stop by a place filled with glaze lilies to spend some good old parent-and-kid-bonding.

It’s a sunny afternoon in Qingce Village, with the lilies fool in bloom, and the birds singing a sweet tune. The archon smiles at the sight of his little one kneeling in front of a flower, they seem to be so mesmerized by its beauty, and they carefully pluck it out from the ground.

“What do you have there, sweetheart?” Zhongli asks his child from behind. The kid seems to be startled by their father’s sudden voice and fell from their kneeling position, “Careful now,” Zhongli smiles as he holds out a hand for his little one.

The child stands up and holds the little flower out towards their father, “For—,” They paused with faint pink tints on their cheeks, probably a bit embarrassed from their initial fall on the ground. They puffed out their cheeks before finally saying, “Flower… for baba.”

That would be a memory he’s keeping forever.

Yeah, Zhongli as a dad is just so wholesome, he’s gonna cherish his baby with all his might!

Raiden Ei:

Now Ei, she would be a mother who is a bit oblivious to all these things. She’s a bit clueless but she manages with the help of Yae Miko—or at least what help she can provide.

However, Ei is the type of parent who enjoys spoiling their child. Do you want that storybook by Yae Publishing House? She has already placed an order for more than five copies. She notices you staring at a particular plushie? It's yours now along with other plushies. Did you point out a lovely flower? The Tenshukaku now has a flower garden full of those specific flowers.

Ei doesn't really force her quiet child to talk, instead, she asks for the best teachers in Inazuma city to occasionally tutor you when you have the time.

She shows her love to her kid with gifts and quality time, and if her little one is timid, she doesn’t really mind spending time with them at home to eat Dango and other sweet treats.

Ei feels a gentle tug on her clothes, and when she looks down she sees her beloved child rubbing their eyes with their free hand and a fox plushie with the other.

A small smile finds its way to the electro archon’s lips, “Are you tired, little one?” She asks as she gently pats her child’s head. And Ei only receives a timid nod and a yawn from her kid. It was late at night after all. The archon has gotten a gist of taking care of her little one, learning what her kid wanted without them having to say any word. Ei then gently carries her child in her arms. 

When Ei has finally tucked her child into their bed, a small hand reaches for her wrist, “Goodnight, mama.” They say with a sleepy voice.

Ei then tucks a strand of her child’s hair with a contented smile, “Have sweet dreams, little one.”

I just know that Ei’s child is one of her safe places.

She adores them so much, and she’d spend an eternity and more loving them.

Venti:

Fun dad! Just so full of surprises and there is not a dull moment when you’re with him.

Venti loves taking his kid to Monstadt, you could see him and his child on his shoulders so often while they walk around outside the Cathedral. Just the cutest pair.

He is a very chatty guy, and I think even if his kid is more on the shy side they can’t help but let out a small giggle and a smile whenever they hear their dad’s voice. And every time this happens, it just melts his heart!

Despite Venti’s playful nature, he is also good at a quiet times. Quiet time with Venti is spending time with his kid in Windrise while he plays his lyre to get them to sleep on his lap. It’s simple and relaxing and it always ends with him whispering sweet dreams to his little buddy.

Small fingers add another crystal fly to be woven on Venti’s head along with the prettiest wind wheel asters the small child could find. It was a breezy morning, the perfect time to visit Windrise and relax with his little one.

“Thank you,” He grins at his child who finished braiding in the last aster on his hair, “Does dad look pretty like this?”

His child nods, the same big grin as their father’s on their lips. Venti laughs, taking one of the asters in his braid to place it behind the ear of his kid, “Now we can be both pretty!”

Also to add, Venti is also the type of parent to use dad jokes as a joke but it’s too often that it seems like he actually makes those types of jokes.

Just know Venti and his kid would be a very happy pair in the future and at the end of time!

[reitheist]

bucchigiri ep 11 thoughts:

even from the first frame it looks like we're FINALLY going to get some context on the senya ichiya stuff

ahh so ichiya was mad that senya went easy on him. he wanted a proper fight and forced senya to fight him, but he refused, thus the divide between the two?

ichiya shot?? so like, are majin ghosts with some reason to stick around and posses great power

senya holding out his hand to ichiya, they couldn't connect while alive and have to do it in their deaths by manipulating people into fights

also gayyyyy

aww i love senya

senya going to posses someone else? shindo?

arajin finally trying to talk to matakara? honey i respect it but you are gonna get your ass beat

cat teacher not rushing in when people walk by hmmm

matakara i can excuse punching randos but not komao

kenichiro talking to arajin? interesting. maybe going to tell him to help matakara snap out of it

ah a parallel between matakara and mahoro. i mean she did say she'd be devastated if anything ever happened to him. is she conflicted between her empathy for matakara and her love for marito?

ZABU BACKSTORYYYY. unexpected but appreciated

aww they just met and they're and adorable duo

komao is still in a skirt but a different one, cute. he's had a very consistent fashion sense then

komao immediately adopting zabu and matakara as his friends bc that's just the kind of guy he is

yet again zabu is being really pragmatic about matakara's wants and needs. he thinks ara is an asshole, but he still wants him there for the fight so maybe he could break through matakara's funk

zabu also calls komao 'koma' that's cute

outa is so the mom of the group

zabu sees matakara only focusing on strength while neglecting his bonds as a backslide into the person he was. he doesn't want that for matakara, so he's doing his best to stop him from the point of no return

goddamn this is brutal

dudeeeeeee zabu is so loyal

matakara beating up his friend because he sees zabu as a weakness in himself.

ara finally not denying matakara is his friend

shindo is so fucking pathetic 💀 he is so funny

"where's zabu" welllllllll

oh is this backstory the stuff kenichiro told ara?

after mitsukuni left, matakara essentially has to raise himself. he did his best or replicate his brother on his own, but he ended up pretty deeply cracked on the inside from it all. he clung to his idolized version of mitsukuni and arajin to cope with it all

direct parallel to matakara's first fight with ken

matakara is trying to kill the old, weaker self in order to become strong

kenichiro LOSES HIS EYE SHADOW

does ken maybe feel like he's been inadequate in following mitsukuni's wishes? he feels he didn't take care of matakara and so he's gone down a bad path, that it's his responsibility to correct his mistake

oh shit matakara dropping the jacked is cold

i knew that ken was going to put the responsibility on arajin if he didn't manage to defeat matakara. ken is trying his best to follow mitsukuni's wishes and thinks ara is stronger than him. arajin is going to have to get senya back fast

ara has officially fully found his resolve. he's willingly accepting the power senya gives him this time, no longer hiding from matakara. hyped for the final episode hehe

[a-master-procrastinator]

So, I have a headcanon regarding Outlander and Valkorion

Spoiler territory for pretty much the whole game (mostly Jedi Knight and Sith Warrior class stories and all expansions from Shadows of Revan).

How does Outlander (especially non Force user) defeat Valkorion in KotET? This question bothered me (and I'm sure all of you) for quite some time. And frankly, the game doesn't answer it very well. So I did some thinking, searching and theorizing, and found a solution that I will bring in my personal stories. Just thought it would be interesting for others to see as well.

Explanations offered in the game:

Valkorion's power had become weaker at some point (as noted by Arcann in chapter 8 "Taking Flight", and indicated by events on Ziost, since Theron wasn't possessed, and by Valkorion in chapter 9 "Eternal Throne", when he said that he needed Vaylin's power to destroy Outlander's mind);

Arcann and Vaylin helped defeat him;

The holocron was the instrument of Valkorion's defeat (but it's never properly explained how exactly);

The "kneel before the dragon of Zakuul" phrase worked on Valkorion because the Outlander said so.

It doesn't sound too bad, but when I tried to go into details, it didn't make much sense. "My mind, my rules" was really out of nowhere, also kinda goes against the previous experience of Outlander not being able to do anything about Valkorion before that. And Arcann and Vaylin being on your side isn't the key either because even the three of them were still losing, it only changed after the main character said the key phrase. And why the heck does it even work like that? Because they said so? Gee, should've thought about it a few chapters before, no?

Now, what I came up with doesn't really go much different from that, I just made some adjustments to make it flow better (at least for myself). I'll talk through my thoughts in chronological order, so bear with me (I tried to summarize it at the end, so scroll if you want the short version).

Vitiate learned to transfer his spirit as one of the ways to be immortal. It can happen either through a ritual, which is preferable since it's easier, doesn't weaken him, and he doesn't need time to adjust, but it does require consent from a person, or killing the previous host, which does weaken him for some time. The longer he has possessed a host, the greater the loss of power will be upon the transfer. It's not to say that he isn't dangerous, quite the opposite, but perhaps he can't do some 'impossible' things (like consume a planet or shatter a mind) just like that.

He was at his full power before the events on Belsavis and Voss, timeline wise. Remember how easily he possessed the minds of the Jedi on the strike team? Yeah, Jedi Knight broke free, but that's bc they're super strong (and the main character in their storyline).

But because of Baras Vitiate had to be released from the body on Voss by being killed, which made him slightly weaker, just enough for the Hero of Tython to kill him again on Dromund Kaas. That made him lose more power (because he possessed this body for much longer than that Voss), and Vitiate tried to find a new host and regain his power (either by Revan reviving him or consuming all life on Ziost). His attempts were not successful, so he retreated to Zakuul.

That would explain why after being 'killed' yet again on Zakuul (thus losing two of his main hosts) Valkorion wasn't powerful enough to possess the Outlander's mind (regardless of their class). He was in a pretty vulnerable position, so he came up with a plan. We'll get to it. For now, Valkorion understands that if the Outlander dies, he'll be even weaker and probably won't be able to get a new host, so he protects the Outlander while pushing them to use his power.

Every time the Outlander agrees to do so gives Valkorion more control over their body, and even if they never agree, the bond grows stronger as time passes, it's just faster when Outlander uses his power. Eventually it would be just strong enough for Valkorion to use the main character's body without their permission (like in chapter 16). But he's still not powerful enough to break their mind, so he goes to the next part of the plan.

Valkorion manipulated the main character into killing Vaylin (and Arcann, if applicable) because he needed to consume her power to destroy Outlander's mind (which is what happens in chapter 9). But he made a couple mistakes in doing so. First, he underestimated how smart Commander is, and how the bond allowed them to take his form to survive. Second, by consuming Vaylin's spirit, Valkorion gained not just her strength, but also her weakness, which is the conditioning.

But wait, didn't Vaylin free herself from it? Sort of. I saw a suggestion from another player that Vaylin didn't get rid of conditioning itself, but rather the lever that triggers it. It's possible because the process on Nathema didn't exactly according to the plan. And because of that, Valkorion also gained her conditioning after consuming her spirit.

So, what does that mean? What does it do? Well, I think that when the key phrase is said in presence of Vaylin, she temporarily loses her connection to the Force (or it becomes so weak that she can't use it), thus isn't a threat. And the same happens to Valkorion when the main character attempts to use it on him in KotET chapter 9, at least for long enough for the Outlander to kill him. This way the victory isn't dependent on one's power in the Force, and it fits a non Force sensitive Commander as well.

What about the holocron? I explain this as it only binds, commands and releases spirits, as we see with lord Dramath. It's not the key to Valkorion's destruction, but it is still important because it is used to free Vaylin's spirit from Valkorion after her death (and Arcann's, if applicable), which gives Outlander a potential powerful ally.

[Just a little addition that has very little to do with my explanation, but wanted to mention - in the throne room, when Valkorion breaks Outlander's mind, he takes over the body and attacks your companions. They hold off long enough for Commander to put their mind back, and at that moment Valky loses control, and the body is unconscious.]

So, to sum it up:

Valkorion is weaker after being killed on Voss, Dromund Kaas and Zakuul, hence why the Outlander can resist him, regardless of theirconnection to the Force;

the holocron found on Nathema can bind, command and release spirits, which allows Outlander to free Vaylin (and Arcann, if applicable) from Valkorion;

the bond formed between Valkorion and Commander allowed the latter to survive after having their mind destroyed;

Vaylin didn't completely get rid of the conditioning on Nathema because the process didn't go as it should've, it just removed the trigger;

by consuming Vaylin's spirit Valkorion gained both her strength and her weakness - her conditioning, that's why it worked on him, and it temporarily weakened his connection to the Force.

I know this isn't perfect, there are probably plot holes that I haven't noticed or poorly explained, but I like it much more. Why do I even bother with this explanation?

I just love doing mental gymnastics around KotFE-ET, and this particular part was difficult yet entertaining to figure out.

But honestly, probably most important reason is that it works for every class (so even non Force-users are fitting here) because strength in the Force is not the key. Valkorion underestimated how observant and clever Outlander is, and I think it works better for their characters.

[max-nico]

I just wanna let you know that your writing is living rent free in my mind and is actively fueling my sonic obsession ♥️♥️♥️/pos

If you're still doing them do you have any headcanons for Knuckles Sonic and Shadow? (the blorbos)

AHHHHH thank you sm sm !!! 🫶🏾🫶🏾

I'm unsure if you mean separate or as a team/working together so I'll try to squirrel in a little of both. I hope this is to your liking 🔥

As a team

I'm pretty sure any team with Sonic on it is just referred to as team Sonic ngl, I don't know what they would be called anyway? Just bc they have so many conflicting traits

They'd probably end up with something generic like team Force or smthn

They all have a music preference but don't mind the music the others listen to

They bond mostly by beating each other up. It's all in good fun. Kinda.

All three of them are quiet one on one but are nothing except overstimulating when together

Sharing Tails is actually the worst thing to ever happen to them, as well as Tails. They fight constantly. All the time.

They rarely ever actually say things that would cause emotional damage, and they're all horrible at apologizing, but they're all learning together. Since everyone understands hating emotional vulnerability so well they cut each other some slack

Normally only two people are fighting at the same time, allowing the other one to act as a mediator. Though, three-way fights aren't unheard-of, and they usually get over it after punching each other a bunch instead of talking through it

Shadow and Knuckles take great joy in teaming up against Sonic when he gets too cocky

Group costume except they all showed up as the same thing on accident and started brawling because of it

Argue like brothers. Everyone is tired of them. Everyone. However, when it comes down to it if you upset one of them you upset all of them. Especially if you upset Sonic, the other two have way less restraint than him. You will get jumped I fear

None of them keep track of anything. They lose things constantly. Important documents? Yeah they're gone. Why'd you even give them those? At this point it's your fault you know how they are. Shadow is the only one with an excuse (I headcanon Shadow still suffers from short term memory problems many years after his not-really death)

None of their sleep schedules line up. Ever. Someone is always running on empty and is cranky all day.

Separate

Sonic is an early bird and takes naps throughout the day. Shadow is a night owl and doesn't really need to sleep as much as the average person. Knuckles goes to sleep super super early and has the sleep schedule of an old man

Shadow spends a lot of time trying to figure out newer technology. Despite being the ultimate lifeform it just really doesn't come naturally to him

Knuckles is the same way except he doesn't care, and only really tries when Tails asks him to

Sonic ends up being shorter than most if not all his friends and is very salty about it

Sonic and Knuckles are audhd

Shadow is autistic OCD <- projecting

Shadow's house is covered in incense. Every room has one. They're all lavender scented.

Shadow hates change, Sonic has mixed feelings

Knuckles is a chronic headache haver. Like no wonder he's always in a bad mood, do you know how hard it is to get Advil when you live on a floating rock

It's okay, Knuckles has tons of natural/organic remedies for most sickness anyway

Sonic is really good at charades

Shadow is super sentimental and refuses to admit it, he has lots of old mementos that he simply refuses to acknowledge but can't bring himself to throw away

Knuckles is fluent in multiple dead languages

Sonic and Knuckles are both super into geography, one is way better than the other one at it but you can choose which is which lol

Knuckles likes grapes but can't stand any of the faux grape flavors of processed foods. He wants grape flavor not purple flavor.

On the same wavelength, he doesn't really f/w processed food in general. He spends most of his time foraging and making his own foods from scratch, most processed foods make him sick

[minefield-of-a-ninja]

Risk-aware Consensual Kink with...

Dean Winchester as a Knight of Hell and/or with the MOC

Brimstone - Dean Winchester x female reader

Summary: He’s exactly what she wants.

Warnings/tags: 18+ ONLY surprise, bitch

Words: 450

Discord and Rhyme - Knight of Hell/Demon Dean x female reader

Summary: He’s on the prowl.

Warnings/tags: 18+ ONLY, this is not your mother’s Dean Winchester, rough anal sex, crying during sex, blood during sex, there’s a lot of purple prose and excessive descriptions of taste and smell here, sexual coercion, dirty talk

Words: 1,750

Nihilism - Knight of Hell/Demon Dean x female reader

Prompt: Can you tell me about the morning after going several rounds with Dean he rolls over in bed and adjusts the covers, causing you to forget your shift to be his good girl a couple more times?

Warnings/tags: 18+ ONLY, this is not your mother's Dean Winchester, name-calling, rough sex, nihilistic themes, Knight of Hell Dean, fantasies of being fucked to death? Idk it’s one of mine, might as well be yours, you’re female AFAB in this scenario

Words: 800

Shattered Like A Stone - Knight of Hell/Demon Dean Winchester x original female character

Summary: The Mark is demanding, and the demon in Dean can’t deny it any more than he can deny her; it just might get everything it wants tonight.

Warnings/tags: 18+ ONLY, this is not your mother’s Dean Winchester, rough sex, bondage, multiple object insertion, suicidal ideation, darkfic, self-destruction, bloody sex, sadism and masochism, analsex, Jameson as lube, spit as lube, face fucking, Daddy as title, misogynist language, choking, strangulation, assisted suicide

Words: 6,800

Supernova - MOC Dean Winchester x female reader

Summary: Since Dean’s had the Mark and the Blade, he’s pulled away from you, afraid of hurting you. You miss him, and you’ve had it. One night you push him to the edge.

Warnings/tags: 18+ ONLY, bondage, blood play, biting, bruising, knifeplay, rough sex, dubcon/mindfuck

Words: 2,500

Soldier Boy

Service On The Homefront - Soldier Boy x female reader

Summary: What about the people who don’t really care much for supes?

Tags/warnings: 18+ ONLY

Words: 1300

Author’s notes: written before the premiere of live action soldier boy.

Territorial Pissing - Soldier Boy x female reader (1st person POV) x William Butcher

Summary:  My decades’ long crush on Soldier Boy was squashed when my career as a journalist taught me the real Soldier Boy story. Now, my career brings me full-circle. I promise this is not a Magic Dick trope.

Tags/warnings: 18+ ONLY, mmf threesome, Dom/sub, rough sex, ass and clit slapping, name-calling, sex with murderous misogynists,   bruising, like I said it’s rough, forced orgasms, Butcher refers to himself as Daddy and Soldier Boy mocks him for it, rimming, anal sex (both m/f and m/m), come marking, squirting, choking/breath play,   showering, sensation play (cold), Butcher checking in (bc we all know Soldier Boy won’t), illicit drug use, bondage

Words: 8k

A Well-Made Mistake - Soldier Boy x female reader

Summary: Being with Soldier Boy is like watching a slasher flick or riding a roller-coaster. Except you’re actually in the movie and there are no guard rails.

Tags/warnings: 18+ ONLY, Soldier Boy in full tactical gear railing you in a three-way mirror, degradation/humiliation, name-calling, Dom/sub undertones

Words: 1400

Billy Butcher

A.K.A. - William Butcher x female reader/you (2nd person POV)

Summary: William, Monsieur Charcutier, Butcher, Billy, asshole.

Tags/warnings: 18+ ONLY, use of the word cunt – obviously, me tryna to write a cockney accent, rough sex, girl bonding, rough blowjob

Words: 1800

Mirror, Mirror - William Butcher x female reader

Prompt: Butcher filthy talking while getting busy i feel in like an alleyway or the service hallway in a bar or similar. Somewhere crowded and dirty, like actually dirty

Warnings/tags: 18+ ONLY, rough sex, dirty talk, public sex, Winchester brothers cameo bc this is Kripke’s world, reader is female AFAB

Words: 1,500

The Winchester Brothers

Wait Till My Brother Gets Home - Winchester brothers x female reader

Summary: She wants to lose control.

Warnings/tags: 18+ Only, rough sex, hair pulling, mfm spit roast, bruising and chafing during sex, W*ncest adjacent

Words: 2,450

Sam Winchester

Breaking In The Muted Sky - Sam Winchester x female reader

Prompt: Sam. Overlapping scars tell interesting stories for those able to read them.

Warnings: 18+ ONLY, knife play, blood during sex

Words: 830

Let The Melody Shine - Sam Winchester x male reader

Summary: Dom Sam has decided to buy a gift for himself and his newest friend.

Warnings: 18+ ONLY, shibari mentioned, blindfold, edging, anal vibe

Words: 360

You Know Better, Babe - Sam Winchester x gender neutral character

Summary: “Don’t let me in with with no intention to keep me. Jesus Christ, don’t be kind to me. Honey, don’t feed me; I will come back.”

Warnings: 18+ ONLY, implied nefarious intentions, boyking Sam

Words: 680

Main Masterlist

[raayllum]

I feel like the owl house fandom takes things way too srsly esp with ships and preferences on characters. idk I love hunter and amity's backstory and I love luz but I'm more interested in hunter and amity's backstory that doesn't make me racist their storylines are more interesting

So this probably won't be what you expected or asked for but I'm grabbing the opportunity anyway to address some of the ways I think TOH falters from a Storytelling perspective and why I think those issues (as well as how young a lot of the fans are, although when I was 11-13 in fandom I was much more chill and "live and let live" so just shows what a decade can do in terms of fan community) unintentionally perpetuate some of what you mention.

Also don't think you're racist for preferring Amity and Hunter (Hunter, Gus, and Luz are my faves) but I do think TOH has some issues with how it handles its characters of colour, so I am going to touch on that. While I'm white. this is reflected on / verbatim from conversations I've had with Black and Asian friends / fans of the show and how racial stuff can tend to play out in fandom (circa 2013 onwards from personal experience of how people have treated fave characters, like Finn from Star Wars, in the past).

That said, I do still like the show. I love the strong found family, everything surrounding Eda and her allegories for mental health are super solid and important, I'm thrilled by the queer rep (I’m queer & watched Korrasami happen live), and I don't think a show has to be perfect or to check off my personal preference to be good. But I do think the show is... an interesting mixed bag for a few key reasons I haven't seen anyone talk about, so here they are.

Under a read more bc this gets long, like, real long, even though there’s only four things on this freaking list, LMAO. For whoever reads it, have fun!

1. The Owl House writes like first impressions don't matter.

This is one of the biggest things in the show that breaks elements of setup + payoff. After all, if your setup is misleading or unaddressed by payoff later, characters and plot lines may come across as stilted. This also ties into other areas (such as screentime) that I'll touch on later.

By far the character who has broken setup the most, though, is Amity. For example, Amity is introduced as someone who has bullied Willow for years, even when no one else is around (i.e. it's not a pure performance), and even though they used to be friends when they were young. Their friendship fall out / Amity distancing herself from Willow is explained by Amity being forced to by her parents, and understandably struggling with how to deal with and explain it as a child.

I haven't seen the last few episodes of S2 (aka I got up to "Hollow Mind") and I was disappointed in S2A when it seemed like this plot element would never be addressed again. So I was very pleased to learn that there is an episode in S2B that talks about their friendship. Except... it doesn't address the bullying. Because yes, Amity tried to protect Willow by distancing herself... but Amity also didn’t need to Bully Willow, like, at all. Not within the confines of the story and not within the landscape of the character; her parents didn’t tell her to be cruel to Willow. She chose to do that. Repeatedly. And that facet of their bond... has never been adequately addressed. It could be, in the future (but I personally doubt it). 

It’s particularly strange, because Luz was 1) canonically bullied in the human realm and 2) perpetually struggled at making friends. It makes sense that she’d be extra against bullies and protective over the friends she does have, and wanting to see real change before bonding with a practical stranger (even if Amity did show a slightly nicer side at the end of “Covention,” it wasn’t an even ratio whatsoever, either of her niceness or Luz’s meanness). But we’ll circle back to this. 

We see this issue of initially bad behaviour being overruled, sometimes retconned, or ignored to the point of being rewritten a few more times in the series. 

The one that ties into Amity’s character are her siblings. In their debut episode, they have plans to share private pages of their little sister’s diary. This is mentioned in another episode as something they’re trying to make up for, but they weren’t there when shit hit the fan at the library, anyway. So we never see 1) why they were going to be so cruel to Amity in the first place (and I have siblings myself, so no, it’s not a sibling thing, or just a sibling thing), 2) what exactly made them change their mind, and 3) this type of behaviour never reappears or is addressed in the show, either. While Luz gets called a bully for it, the twins get off basically scot free. Yes, they’re obviously affected by their mother, too, but there’s never even a whiff or a hint about why they felt the need to humiliate Amity on a public scale besides thinking she was uptight. 

We see this one more time with Darius, which was the most baffling and completely jarred me the first time I watched it. Darius was being cruel and dismissive to Hunter, but warms up when he realizes the kid does have a spine and will stand up for what he believes this. This is not the heart warming moment or message the show seems to think it is. All I heard and saw was an adult going “Oh, this kid is too indoctrinated and abused to be worthwhile until he proves otherwise, I’ll treat him like trash and ignore that I’m exacerbating his symptoms of abuse until then.” And no matter what comes latter, this is a downright weird set up, emotionally. 

I’m not saying that none of these characters can be set up this way, but the introduction and how different they are in all other preceding episodes — or even when information is given to re-contextualize certain things — feels like whiplash. So the setup is a little weird, making pay off either non existent or unnecessary. This stumbling block makes the emotional continuity feel disjointed too, in some aspects. The way this affects emotional continuity can best be seen in Gus, Willow, and Luz’s friendship — but again, more that later.

As for set up and pay off, it can lead to missed opportunities, namely: why the hell was Amity Lilith’s protege in Convention? Again, not saying the show is bad or this is a bad writing choice, but it’s a weird one. I remember watching that episode, seeing Amity be introduced as Lilith’s pseudo apprentice, and being excited. It meant Lilith-Eda, Luz-Amity, and possibly the two menor-mentee relationships could all be developed simultaneously! It’d be interesting to see the parallels and differences.

At the very least, it would give a personal stake to Amity and Luz’s possible developing bond, with Lilith at the very least going to disapprove, and give Amity and Luz a chance to compete against each other and to see that progression.

Then it was never addressed again. And it wasn’t set up as a “one day thing” either. It seems that Lilith possibly tutored Amity for months, maybe even years, for Amity to be considered her “strongest protege” (exact line). So we miss out on that possible, episodic but still connected plot line (especially because after Convention, we never see Amity caring a whole lot about actual school, even though that as her whole thing in her intro and second episode). Then, even when Amity and Lilith are back on the same side (imagine how interesting exploring that fracturing could’ve been!) they... never interact, never mention, and never act like they know each other.

They’re two characters with the same theme and similar arcs split down the middle, have an interesting setup, and it goes.... Nowhere.

Because first impressions don’t matter in the show, which is particularly weird, as typically 1) what you set up in the very beginning of the show is what you want the audience to be invested in, and 2) the audience is going to / has to pay more attention in the beginning of a show because they’re actively trying to learn the rules of the world and character dynamics / personalities. 

And it’s not the only time TOH does this, so let’s talk about

2. Screentime, Race, and Chosen Diaspora

Specifically that Gus and Willow barely get any, and how this ties into race. So I��ve touched on this before in an article I wrote on Vocal where I share meta-adjacent stuff that doesn’t fit my tumblr vibe, so if for some reason this is your thing, they may be other stuff you enjoy on there, whatever. I’m not gonna repeat myself too much here, but basically: 

The majority of the Owl House cast is white, particularly when it comes to who matters in the plot. Eda, Lilith, and their family are all white. Hooty and King exist in what we’re going to call an aracial space, as they don’t have race and aren’t coded as any particular thing, either; just tried and true demons. Hunter is white; Belos is white. Gus and Willow are regulated to background characters and most of the time when Willow is being developed as a character (“Understanding Willow,” “Any Sport in a Storm”) it’s typically also used to further a white character’s growth of... learning to treat her better? Gus fares a bit better, but gets less screentime. 

So not only is Luz the only primary character of colour, she’s largely cut off in forming meaningful relationships with other characters of colour, and having those bonds highlighted and given strong screen time (as thus far in S2, every time Gus and Willow have gotten significant screentime, it’s been largely removed from Luz, with her often doing something else with Amity). Remember when “Star Wars: Rogue One” came out, and there were discussions being had of “a lone woman only having meaningful relationships with men and no other women”? 

[ Side note: as for the first point, I’m not going to say things I love, like TDP, don’t fall into the “woman surrounded by men” trope for its two main female leads, as Rayla is friends with the boys and was raised by her dads, and Claudia’s primary relationships are also with other men. However, I believe this is mitigated with plot lines like Ellis and Lujanne in S1, as well as Janai-Amaya-Khessa in S2 and particularly in S3, and I think this will only continue to grow moving forward into S4 and beyond ] 

At the same time as Rogue One, there were conversations regarding the films status of “people of colour purely as the supporting cast but never as the primary lead”? TOH meets in as a weird hybrid in the middle, with a person of colour as the main lead, but largely surrounded by white people — and this is the case for most characters in the show.

Raine’s main relationship is with Eda. Darius is in the rebellion with them, but his only meaningful relationship on screen in any way is really with Hunter and the past golden guards. Gus and Willow are mostly side characters. We basically never see their families/parents (and know far more about the Blights / Edric and Emira in every way. Gus and Willow ultimately don’t get the time with Luz for me to call their relationship meaningful. This is especially strange, given that often times kids who are bullied (like all three of them are) cling harder to the friends they do have, and that while S1 was better about making Gus and Willow be extremely important to Luz as her First Friends Ever, S2 has dropped the ball even more so. 

Luz is like an island, ironically on the Isles and cut off from her cultural community and from other characters of colour even when they do exist in her new community.  So that’s talk about that in full. 

Now, there is Luz, who is the primary protagonist (honestly, you could argue Eda is her co-protagonist) and she’s lovely and I love her. However, more than once, Luz’s plot line for an episode is a B plot or less plot relevant compared to other characters (particularly Eda). I touched on this in my Vocal article, but Luz is living in diaspora in the Boiling Isles. Yes, the demon realm suits her much better than Earth largely did, but I would still love to see elements of her culture in ways other than her / her family’s name and her occasionally speaking Spanish. What about holidays, what about missing her mother’s cooking and the cultural connotations it holds? 

The show does engage with aspects of the Isekkai genre that are sometimes overlooked, namely Luz being torn between two worlds (and given that she’s mixed, it’s not like the allegory isn’t already there), but it only goes halfway. It only shows Luz wanting to be in the Boiling Isles with none of the possibilities about cultural shock, assimilation, and other aspects that can play into immigrating countries — or realms. I’m not saying the the show not engaging with Luz’s diaspora is a bad thing, but it does feel like a missed opportunity (as most of this is) particularly since they do try to engage with her on a cultural level with her speaking Spanish and writing her as purposefully Afro-Latina and from the Dominican Republic. 

But honestly, basically everything I’ve talked about already — occasionally misleading set up w/ a lack of follow through, screentime (both considering and not considering its racial elements) — are all compounded into my biggest issue with the show, however, which are its 

3. Disengaged stakes

So while I love Luz, I mostly love her for her personality and sweet hearted nature. I don’t actually love her that much for how she drives the plot forward — even though she does, and even though she’s the protagonist. And this is largely because Luz — and many of the characters — exist in a limbo of what I’m going to call Disengaged Stakes. Basically, they have stakes, but due to a lack of set up, or pay off in regards to emotional continuity (never mind a lack of consistency, i.e. sometimes Eda needs to hide, sometimes she can be flashy in public with zero consequences, sometimes getting caught by guards matters when the story decides it needs a conflict, and sometimes it doesn’t etc) it’s hard to actually be invested in those stakes. At least for me. 

For most of S2, this meant I wasn’t really invested in Luz’s efforts to get a portal to see her mom (although this improved when we actually got a singular episode with Camila). It’s clear Luz isn’t going to live full time, if at all, in going back to the human realm. I also wasn’t worried for Camila, as she hasn’t been fearing for Luz this whole time, instead believing things are perfectly fine if not better than they were before. 

Let me give you an example, and this was actually pointed out in a youtube review of the S2 finale that helped me put my finger on why it... felt weird as a finale (again, even though I haven’t fully watched it yet, but I have watched the bulk of it). 

The four kids are stranded in the human realm, but what does that actually mean, for most of them? For Luz, this carries a lot of weight. She’s spent all season trying to find a way home to see her mother, but is now there under awful circumstances with no way back to the place she actually wants to be. It will also offer Camilla the perfect opportunity to see why the Boiling Isles and her family there is so important to Luz.

But what does this mean for the other three kids? Shockingly little. Like I’ve touched on before, we know nothing about Gus and Willow’s families. Yes, I’m sad they’re separated from them, but I’m sad because generally, kids being separated from their parents is sad. I’m not invested in their specific relationship (same issue I had with Rogue One and Jyn’s relationship with her father, as well). All Luz actually wants, in her core, is to stay in the Boiling Isles. Amity’s relationship with her father is on the mend and her siblings are there for her, but Luz is still clearly the most important person in the world to her, and they’re not separated. Hunter has absolutely nothing back for him in the Boiling Isles, largely, and he’s actually as safe as he can be from Belos’ machinations in the human realm. 

So you have four kids tossed into the human realm, and it only really matters for one of them. 

This is amplified in their relationships. Willow and Gus rarely have anything beyond interpersonal stakes; Amity had her mother, but now her father has turned over a new leaf, there are no interpersonal stakes any longer for her family (and she radically stood up to her mother very early on in S2 as well). She and Luz have had no problems in their relationship besides very brief miscommunication and Amity’s mother. Amity has hardly any stakes outside of Luz. The characters who are dealing with very high stakes, such as Raine, are largely shuttered away outside of the story — or Hunter. 

Dear lord, Hunter. Which, now that we’ve gotten here, let’s talk about what I think could have aided in remedying a lot of these issues

4. Merging

Now I know TOH had to jump through a lot of executive hoops (including the existence and plot relevance of Hexside particularly in S1) so I don’t know what sort of orders came down, or mandates they have to follow but:

TOH has too many characters, and plenty of them could have been condensed as pairs into half as many characters.

I know this, because I went through a similar process of originally having a central group of thirteen characters, and cleaved that shit down to seven. So what are my proposed mergings?

The twins become one character. They more or less are now, fulfil the same purposes and character points as one another (flesh out Amity’s family, tease her and be a listening ear, show their mother’s control, operate as illusionists, etc). Whether it’s brother or sister doesn’t really matter.

Gus and Willow become one character. I would say keep more of Willow’s backstory (w/ Amity), dads, and plant magic alight, as the merged-twin character could substitute as the group illusionist whenever need be. It means that instead of only having splintered individual episodes with Luz or for their development, the small collection would be bolstered and improved marginally. It still wouldn’t fix where screentime or set up fails them, but it would be a significant start. I adore Gus, he’s one of my favourites in the whole show — but he’s less plot relevant than Willow, who is already largely not plot relevant (at least, not outside Hunter’s arc in S2) and we gotta be economical somewhere.

Economical storytelling is when a character, scene, or plot beat is doing at least three things at once, largely — and right now Gus is doing the least, as much as I love my boy, with Willow right next to him. Thus, there we go.

Now for the big, perhaps flat out unpopular one:

Hunter and Amity should’ve been one character. Like the twins, and even Amity and Lilith, they’re largely one theme split down the middle. The show draws intentional parallels between their world views, callousness, and need to be the best due to their abusive families, their strong relationships / connections to Luz, who works to friendship and who are changed by her kindness. There are also less thematic but still overt parallels, like their artificial wands, opposing palismans (bird vs cat), travelling into mindscapes where they uncover secrets. Hell, they both even have a reformed father figure who works with the Abominable coven with a shittier parent who believes in their own superiority at any cost. 

Say Golden Guard Amity is enrolled in Hexside — she has to be trained somewhere — and throughout the season we hear her refer to her uncle, who raised her. He just wants the best for her, and for her to be a worthy member of the Emperor’s coven! It’s only at the end of S1 we learn that Amity’s uncle is Belos, and that her growing bond with Luz may be tested in the future. Then, in S2, she has to make a choice between her familial loyalty, ideological defection, and Luz and her friends (who will have more time to be friends, because there are less characters running around). You can even keep the condensed twin as a surrogate sibling mentor — perhaps one of Belos’ more successful grimwalkers, or flat out not a clone at all.

This merger gives Luz and Amity real stakes in their relationship, a higher sense of drama amid the sweet fluffiness, gives more characters more screentime... And amplifies everything that already exists in Amity’s arc. Yes, seeing a quieter form of child abuse from Odalia is worthwhile, particularly for abused children — but as of S2 she’s basically gone full bad guy and has already done so before in early S2, as her abomaton nearly kills Luz in “Escaping Expulsion” so... moot point? Sorta? Is what I’m saying. 

It would also, for the love of god, give Amity a solidified reason to dye her hair after she finds out she’s a grimwalker. She wants to reassert her own identity, she wants to be different than her successors while also honouring their good nature, etc etc. Imagine “Hollow Mind” but with Amity in Hunter’s place, and all the weight that would hold for each of them, and for Hunter’s character, now condensed into Amity’s. Also stronger parallels of Belos’ clones becoming less like his brother (because Amity is a girl) over time and with parallels of the implied plot line, of Belos killing his brother because Caleb fell in love with a witch, and it’s happening again, this time just with Luz and Amity, directly.

Basically the only things that would have to change would be a little of S1′s pacing, some of S2′s Blight parent related episodes (so largely two until the finale, which again, Darius or the condensed twin could easily substitute)oOr, to come full circle, you could have Lilith also play a factor, the way she did in Amity’s arc in the beginning. This would provide a greater sense that characters actually had lives and connections and little ship passing in the night moments before Luz showed up, and they would all feel more like!! REAL PEOPLE!!

The only thing that would possibly, likely have to go is Willow’s history with Amity.But given that the show has never really addressed the bullying, perhaps that backstory element would be better left dropped, in general. Amity can be a jerky bully without specifically bullying Luz’s friend for like, 4-6 years beforehand, y’know.

Anyway I will never not believe in the validity of what I call TOH Merger and how it would strengthen basically almost every single aspect of the show, take it or leave it. 

Conclusion / Nitpicks

Other notes before we wrap up.

I got bored with just how many episodes relied on the “Character A doesn’t want to fess up to something bc they’re insecure, scared, or trying to look Cool, but inevitably lie and make things ten times worse, and then learn it’s important to be honest” in S1 (hi King, Luz, Willow, and Gus eps respectively). 

Amity’s laser character focus on Luz stifles her relationships with both Willow and Gus (as it is more or less non existent outside of a few lines or group scenes); all of Amity’s character growth is largely because of her relationship with Luz, but the same cannot be said for Luz, leaving their relationship lopsided. This is particularly true for me (and is a total personal Aro-spec induced nitpick) and is all the more glaringly obvious considering they barely had one episode where the two were on friendly / friend-ish terms before crush feelings on Amity’s side came in. This makes me feel less invested in their relationship as a whole, as while it’s exceedingly cute, it feels like it’s based on nothing but Crush™ Feelings and that will also be less compelling to me than a strong Foundational Friendship that develops into a crush. I don’t mind that development happening fast, but this was a little too fast in my book. 

Final disclaimer: Still like the show, still think it’s good, these are just some of the reasons I don’t think it’s Great. The lack of a Merger will haunt me. Thank you goodnight