#hunter and willow: this is our special little guy--

[kraviolis]

The funniest thing about that drawing is that Willow could easily just grow a tree at exact height as she wants or maybe even use her palisman to get to that height but dont, so they really just do it cause it is Gus. Gus is their Little Guy and they want to make him feel included (platonically). Gus doesnt want to get included

YOU UNDERSTAND!!! thats my favorite emerald trio + huntlow dynamic. where they actively try to make gus NOT feel like a third wheel when gus is totally fine with being a third wheel and would even prefer being the third wheel over whatever they keep trying to do

[lollytea]

Please, your finale Huntlow thoughts, my liege. We poor peasants beg of you, our bowls are empty and your tables full; if we might have but a crumb of your succulent meal to fill our bellies in these cold December nights.

ASGCDHBDJNK JESUS FUCKING CHRIST OKAY

I got a few asks about this but I guess I'll answer this one cuz it's phrased the funniest. I just wasn't too pressed about giving my Thoughts about finale Huntlow because I am fully a part of the Huntlow hivemind. Like I feel the way everyone else feels. I'm ecstatic, I'm delighted, I'm overwhelmed, I'm emotional, I'm so happy for them, I got everything I could have wanted. I won. We won.

(I HAVE TOO MANY PICS. I'LL RB WITH PART 2)

First of all this scene is so special to me, you have no idea.

It isn't inherently romantic but it's still so sweet and shows how much these two care for each other. Here's Willow, who's spent the last special Atlasing and repressing and refusing to rely on anyone else. But then she had her breakdown in front of Hunter and he realized just how stressed and scared she's been this whole time. She's visibly anxious and upset here, likely worrying up a storm because she hasn't found her Dads yet. And Hunter is right here beside her. He's seen her meltdown, he's felt her pain, he's heard her cry. He knows that Willow is in a fragile state at the moment. He knows she's been holding in a lot. He knows she's scared. I love that he's not only standing by her side and helping her search, but holding her too. It could be that she vocally expressed how worried she was to him, or maybe he just saw it on her face, but he probably placed that hand on her back to comfort her, let her knows he's right here, grounding her. And Willow, who's still learning how to depend on others, is letting him.

The way Hunter lights up when he sees Harvey and Gilbert, thrilled by how happy he knows she's going to be and his soft smile when he points them out to her. And then THIS!

Like Hunter is devastated. He feels alone and out of place here. He really thinks he has nobody. But Willow being happy can still bring a smile to his face. He just loves her so much!!!

And I know I already talked about the grom photo but UGHH!!!

I got a pic in better definition. I'm pretty sure this is Hunter's first grom. So likely a few months after the events of WAD. And it's so cute to think about Hunter and Willow very awkwardly but eagerly navigating a romantic relationship. I love how grabby and flirty Willow looks here, messing with his bowtie. She clearly LOVES the floral suit, thinking he's like the hottest man alive. She needs to smooch him and NOW. Or she's just like "Oh my, what a nice collarbone you have!!" Idk the ambiguity of what exactly Willow is doing here but the vibe and general intentions being very obvious is my favourite part of this pic. You can speculate for years on this. Oh and Hunter's face, I love it so much. His dumb little blush is like an old friend. He's fucking THRILLED that he's getting so much attention from her. He's very excited about where this is going. But he's also like. So nervous he's gonna pass out. But overall he's having the time of his life. Bi rights!

Also epilogue Huntlow....guys....guys epilogue Huntlow....are you guys still listening to me at this point?

God I love this scene. Its so natural and smooth, giving the characters a chance to breathe and exist and providing a glimpse of how they go about their daily lives. It's soft and lighthearted but it establishes so much about where Willow and Hunter are currently at in their relationship. They've been dating for like....3 years at the very least. And they're clearly very happy together!!

The way Willow casually slides on to the scene, giving the impression that she's often dropped in on him while he's working. And why wouldn't she? That's her sweetheart. What if she requires emergency smooches? What then? And of course, there's Hunter beaming at the sight of her. Seems he never gets tired of his girlfriend stopping by to visit. Or maybe he's sick to death of Willow the menace showing up to distract him while he's trying to work and he's just excited about the prospect of Luz's party. Either way, it's an adorable expression.

Something else I love about epilogue Huntlow is how equally distributed the affection is between both of them. Back when FTF dropped I gushed about how sweet it was to see Hunter taking initiative with Willow and the significance of something as simple pressing his backhand against hers during the pinky hold. And God, this sequence here says it all. From what I can tell, as Hunter runs towards her, they both reached out at the same time and linked hands immediately, implying that holding hands has become the automatic gesture for them whenever they meet up. They're in love, you're honor.

I love the huge carefree grins as they skate down the hill (still holding hands). They might have grown a lot since we last saw them but they're still young adults, they still love to have fun doing dumb reckless stuff. And even better, they love to have fun doing dumb reckless stuff together. All the handholding and fluffy cuteness is wonderful but I also love knowing that they seem to genuinely enjoy just hanging out and spending their youth with each other. Zeno was right, they ARE besties. Who knows how much shit Hunter and Willow get up to together? Being a pair of thrill seeking athletes, it's probably a lot.

This part is just so silly and ridiculous. After they go stumbling, Willow's first instinct is to grab Hunter and hold on for dear life. Her intense scrunched up expression is just so funny. "I will protect you, my love. No big dumb hill is going to harm a hair on your pretty head. Your girl is here." And Hunter barely acknowledging it (it probably happens a lot) because his life is currently flashing before his eyes. GOD they're just such nerds.

Oh and this frame is just SO adorable. The way Willow's hold on him lingers for a moment before he walks towards the grave, Hunter's heart eyes. They're clearly still so soft and touchy with each other. And this is after three years. I know they were insufferable when they started dating as teens.

[storiesbyjes2g]

3.68 Get over it

Mama had a few things to do before visiting us, so I didn't know what time to expect her; just sometime that afternoon before Sophia got home. I worked out and did everything I needed to do in the morning to ensure I'd be home whenever she arrived. She greeted me with a big hug and a kiss, gushing about the house.

"This is such a cute little house! It reminds me of my first place in Brindleton Bay. I think this is a little bigger, though. How do you like it?"

"It'll do for now."

"Yeah, I bet," she said, staring at my little monsters. "They definitely need more room. That's how I ended up in Willow Creek. The things we do for our fur babies, right?"

I loved my little guys, but I don't know if I'd buy a bigger house specifically for them. I mean, true, they factored into our thoughts about moving, but we had bigger plans to accommodate. But I wasn't a dog lover like her, so there were plenty of things she did that I'd never do.

"Moving has come up, but we haven't discussed it seriously."

She watched them try to tackle each other and chase their own tails, mesmerized by doggy energy.

"They're so rambunctious! I love it! Luca, you're a daddy!"

I expected her to be excited, but it tickled me to think about how she'd be when I had actual children. She did everything for me and Less, so I knew she'd move Mt. Komorebi for my children. They have come up indirectly a lot lately, and now and then I thought about them, especially because I had to factor them into most everything I did. Originally, having children was this far off goal I figured I'd accomplish one day. But the goal got closer and closer by the day, and instead of fearing my lack of preparation and stressing myself out about it, I found the idea more and more appealing and welcomed it.

"LUCA, LOOK!"

Rosie began running in circles, and familiar twinkling orbs danced around her. I went outside to find Kooper, and he was doing the same thing.

"They're aging up already?" I asked in disbelief.

Even though they were loud and got into everything, I enjoyed them so much as puppies, and I thought we'd have more time for shenanigans. But I was glad for their adult phase. We could do so many more things together like go jogging. I knew Rosie would appreciate that. She was the more rambunctious one and ran around the house and yard all day like she was vying for a prize. Kooper was much more low key.

"Happy birthday, little dude!"

I went back inside and scooped up Rosie.

"Don't tell Kooper, but you're my favorite."

"Ahhh, so she's the one," Mama said. "Shiloh was always my best girl, but I had an extra special place in my heart for Hunter."

"I feel like I shouldn't have a favorite, though," I said.

"Yeah, it seems that way, but it's inevitable. We always gravitate to one thing when we have options. It's natural and happens with everything...favorite shoes, favorite pen, favorite chair..."

"Favorite child?"

Her eyes flicked open, and jaw dropped in surprise. Catching her off guard was really hard, and I felt immense pride in my accomplishment. She pretended to watch the dogs to avoid answering me, and I snickered at her. We all knew who her favorite was.

I thought Rosie would make a mad dash for the door when I put her down, but oddly enough she sat next to us and Kooper as if she were actively trying to spend quality time, and I appreciated it.

Mama's buzzing phone took her out of her fake busyness. A tiny smirk crawled across her face as she read the text. I had a question I'd always wanted to ask but selfishly never did, especially after I gave her permission to go public with Dwayne.

"Mama?"

"Hmm?"

"Why'd you never move in with him?"

Again, she was surprised.

"Would you have really been okay with him living with us?"

"Of course not. But even after we left. Every time I come over, I half expect to see him. I just thought you would have jumped at the chance."

"No, I understand. I honestly thought I would too, but...

She stared out the window for a moment, collecting her thoughts.

"Saying yes to him wasn't as simple as saying, okay we're in a relationship now. I also had to say no to your dad."

"You talked to Dad about it?"

She laughed and shook her head.

"Of course not! You see, even though we had been divorced for a while and were moving on, I still felt the need to show him how sorry I was. I felt like, if I got with Dwayne and lived happily ever after, that meant I won, and he lost."

"But...that's what happened."

"I know. But I didn't want it to be like that, especially since the situation wasn't malicious. I liked Ali. I mean, I loved him, but I liked him. He's really smart. Like, really intelligent."

"Yeah. I've learned that."

"Yeah! He's kind. And he's wise. I know you know that. He always impressed me, and I wanted him to like me too, even after it was over. Like, I knew he'd be angry for a while, but I didn't want him to hate me. I thought, if I move on completely with Dwayne, that door would be closed and he would never like me. So, when I said yes to Dwayne, I had to close the door and let go of the hope that we could be friends again. I had to reject that fangirl in me who still cared what he thought. Most of all, I had to stop allowing my love for him interfering with my love for Dwayne, because whether or not I like it, I made a choice and needed to live with it."

"Wow. That's...wow..."

"Yeah... But the thing is, Luca...that wasn't a one-time thing. I have to make those choices daily. Some days are easier than others. But lately..." She sighed. "Your dad and I are in a good place now. He likes me, ha! That makes it hard to commit to those choices, and I find myself peeking behind that door and leaving it cracked."

"But, Mama..." I couldn't believe I was about to rally for Dwayne, but I kinda felt sorry for the guy. "You're with Dwayne now. Don't you think you owe him all of your love?"

"Of course I do! This is the fight I have with myself every day."

I sat there for a moment, mulling over her words, feeling bad that she was still so tormented, but really frustrated that she refused to live with her choices. The rest of us had adjusted and moved on while she still clung to the past. And honestly? She kinda reminded me of a child who had a room full of toys but still screamed for more and was unwilling to share. And sadly, that made it easier for me to see how she decided to destroy our family. She wanted to have it all. And in her own sad way, she was still trying to have it all. That's when I realized what hid between the lines.

"If Dad came to you right now and said he forgave you and wanted you back, would you go back to him?"

She let out the longest, heaviest sigh I ever heard.

"I won't say yes...but I can't say no either."

Wow. Part of me felt for her. The torment I put myself through with all this dating stuff paled in comparison to what she went through. But another part of me wanted to yell, "He's not coming back! Get over it already!"

"Your sweetheart is home," she said. "We'll have to continue this later."

[kindofsortofmaybe]

Gustholomule with 002 for the ask game!!

hi anon i'm so sorry i meant to answer this ages ago but i was swamped with finals all week! finally free though :)

when i started shipping it: pretty early in my watch through! i remember watching something ventured, someone framed and thinking hmmm... these bitches gay ?? and then once i got into the fandom and saw there was a following for it i really started shipping it! actually my first toh fanart was gustho haha

my thoughts: i don't think dana & co ever meant for us to ship them tbh, so even though i was disappointed that they didn't interact in the finale, i wasn't super surprised. but i think they have such an interesting dynamic!! gus is so cool and matt is not but also theyre both SO lame in the best way and they both have trust issues and also theyre like 12 and like... they are just so special to me

what makes me happy about them: how goofy they are. while i do think there's so much potential for their dynamic, i also think they're just two silly guys who hang out and i like the simplicity of that

what makes me sad about them: their lack of screen time :( (together and separately)

things done in fanfic that annoy me: hmmm tbh i've only read gustho fanfics that i've really enjoyed... i've never really had a negative experience with a gustho fic! all our writers are so talented! but i guess something that sometimes bothers me in fanon is when the hexsquad is rude to matt/don't give him a chance. i see why they might be wary, but Luz is the king of Befriending Everyone, willow is naturally very compassionate, and hunter/amity have both had their fair share of second chances! so even if they wouldn't get along right off the bat, i'm not a fan of scenarios where they just never warm up to him/consistently dislike him

things i look for in fanfic: i love when gustho fics have them just hanging out being teenagers. thats the vibe i think fits them best!

who i'd be comfortable them ending up with if not each other: hmmm i don't really have other ships for either of them! there's no one that comes to mind but i think if either of them were implied in the finale to be in a relationship with a hexside student we've met, i'd be like 🤷‍♀️ sure ig

my happily ever after for them: they continue to get close and become besties throughout high school, move in together after grad, and are so close that eventually they realize they've basically been dating for years and just kinda shrug like kay guess we're a couple and then theyre in love forever <33

who is the big spoon/little spoon: i think it depends! the both fill both roles at different times. though i do think that depending on when they get together, matty would totally be like "I'M the big spoon cause i'm MANLY" and gus is like "okay manly man" and makes him the little spoon anyway and he actually loves it

what is their favorite non-sexual activity: i'll bfr they're sex-neutral aces to me anyway so <3 (i don't really think about their feelings about sex since they're like 12 for most of the show, i just love to project my identity onto blorbos) so ANYWAY to actually answer the question, i headcanon that they LOVE to game together. video games and board games both - they just both get so competitive and have a lot of fun with it. their game nights are VERY loud and high-energy

thank you sm for the ask! i love thinking about these losers :)

[sepublic]

What constitutes a ‘Demon’?

There’s been some discussion amongst this fanbase about what exactly a ‘demon’ is. We know they come in a wide variety of shapes and forms, and we know that demons are evidently capable of full sapience (but not all of them are).

From what we know thanks to King, our not very preeminent scholar on the matter, demons are “grim tricksters of the twilight, creatures of sulfur and bone,” that they “live only to create chaos and misery”, and all have a weakness to purified water (and passive-aggressive comments).

What purified water exactly is in the context of this show, I’m not sure and it might not even be elaborated upon, but it’s fun to think about! So perhaps ‘demon’ refers to any creatures with a weakness to purified water. While King’s account should admittedly be taken with a grain of salt, considering how inaccurate he was with the Snaggleback (or not, since according to @anistarrose we may have simply encountered a juvenile and not a full adult), what his words seem to imply is that demons are nocturnal, are said to cause chaos, and are made of sulfur and bone. That last bit intrigues me the most- Humans already have sulfur in our body, so that implies that demons have a particularly high ratio. That, or witches simply have little to no sulfur in their bodies, seeing as how humans aren’t from the Demon Realm and wouldn’t be included in that context.

But what about magic? I’m of the assumption that demons can’t do magic, and perhaps that’s what differentiates them from witches. However, in Covention, two witches from the Bakers Coven try to invite King, which seems useless since we know he doesn’t have a magic bile sac.

And how do we know? In Episode 8, Eda is in King’s body and attempts to cast magic while trapped at the Kitty Cafe. Eda is an incredibly skilled and experienced witch, so she’s never had an issue with the skill of casting magic, and even if King had an incredibly diminutive sac that hasn’t fully developed, it should’ve yielded at least some kind of spell. Eda states that she’s “no longer a witch” indicating she knows King isn’t, and Roselle and Dottie agree.

However, if one considers the theories about King having once been the King of Demons, and even the Boiling Isles Titan, then... he could be a one-of-a-kind person. Meaning, there’s no one like him, so no one actually knows his true capabilities and nature. However, King is certain that he was the King of Demons, so for now, let’s just say he is one.

So why would those two Baker Witches be interested in King joining, if he can’t do magic? Perhaps they don’t realize he’s not a Witch because they’ve never seen anyone else like him. Maybe it’s just a throwaway gag/joke that I’m taking too seriously. Perhaps non-witches have some value to covens as testers and voluntary subjects. Amity says the Covention is only for witches, did those two bakers just assume King was a witch because he was there? We see this guy at the Covention;

And he looks a lot like this demon;

But it’s highly likely he’s just there as a placeholder background character.

Could a demon perform magic if you transplanted a magic bile sac to their heart? If so, would ‘demon’ more specifically refer to beings who are born without magic, but still capable of it later on down the line? Eda seems to be under the impression that Luz can’t ever gain a bile sac, so presumably neither can demons, but maybe there’s a difference between human and demon anatomy to be considered.

The line blurs when we acknowledge Adegast, AKA that one-off minor villain who died in his debut. Eda calls him a puppeteer, specifically a “demon who specializes in scamming and manipulating people.” Adegast is a demon, but he can also conjure powerful illusions. Do these illusions count as magic- Specifically, illusion magic? When we first meet ‘him’ in his wizard illusion, he briefly summons two spell circles, but is that actual magic or just an illusion that looks like magic (versus actual magic that creates an illusion)? Perhaps Adegast’s illusions technically aren’t magic, at least not magic as the Boiling Isles defines it (presumably something to deal with a bile sac). If he were an Illusion Witch, why is he in the Potions business? Is it like Willow, where she was placed into a track she wasn’t good at?

We see Adegast create an illusion by spraying Luz with a cloud of smoke, and when his puppets are destroyed, they dissipate into smoke, so perhaps that’s what they all are; Just smoke and mirrors, minus the mirrors. So because Adegast’s illusions don’t come from bile, it’s not magic, ergo he’s not a witch and this lends further credence to the ‘Demons are those who can’t do magic’ theory. On another note, we see Adegast revert to a smaller ‘true’ form after being wounded by Luz... is this form the result of magic, or just an illusion or the effects of a potion?

(If his illusions don’t come from magic and he can’t perform it, then Adegast probably shouldn’t have entered the Potions business when Potion magic is such a big deal that there’s a designated major coven for it. Even if he got Eda out of the way, he’s competing with literally every other Potion Witch in the Boiling Isles, and they have the advantage of magic! Maybe he uses his illusions to make his potions seem more potent than they are, who knows? This lends to the unpleasant image of him spiking potions with his illusionary gas, but this show has always been pretty horrifying, so.)

Hooty is referred to by the Demon Hunters as a ‘house demon’. There’s the possibility that Hooty was made by Eda, since her owl constructs resemble him so much, and Hooty mentions Eda teaching him everything he knows. However, the Demon Hunters also mention removing Hooty from the house, when he IS the house... Perhaps this is a case of characters not fully understanding who they’re interacting with? We do see living alarm bells at Hexside and the Covention center, and a doorknob that tries to eat Luz in Episode 2. Could the term demon also apply to living fixtures who are made for a purpose?

If demons also refers to living beings who are made, I assume Abominations don’t count as demons because they don’t eat and thus aren’t living, which would explain that distinction.

Is that why Eda calls the Bat Queen a demon, since palismans are living beings who are made? However, we don’t know if Eda is aware of the Bat Queen’s palisman nature or not, so her being a demon could just be an assumption on Eda’s part. Palismans also presumably have magical abilities (and we see the Bat Queen appear to use a spell to bind Willow and Gus). So, CAN Demons perform magic, or is there a misconception here?

There’s also the possibility that ‘demon’ is just a catch-all term. An othering term, meant to describe anything that isn’t a witch. Only... witches come in a wide variety of appearances, some more inhuman than the rest. Are witches all the same species, and thus able to procreate with one another (and thus a demon is a being a witch couldn’t reproduce with)? Do all witches, amongst their bile sacs, share a common DNA or ancestry? Are they all the same species, merely different in appearance because that’s just the way they work, or because of magic causing changes? Or does it just refer to non-humanoids?

Maybe ‘demon’ is just a societal definition, and a loose one at that. Maybe it DOES refer to animals and beasts, but because of social biases, some characters are called demons when they’re not? Beast-keeping is a term, but Demon-keeping isn’t, as far as we know. Getting into further speculation, could ‘demon’ refer to the original inhabitants of the Boiling Isles? Could witches have come from another land beyond the bones of the titan? Are demons the creatures born directly of the titan’s flesh, or perhaps the parasites that inhabited its body? The descendants of its equivalent to gut bacteria and white blood cells? The Boiling Isles is located within the Demon Realm, which could imply they’re progenitors of some sorts. Of course, maybe demon also has multiple definitions as well.

Overall, here are my proposed ideas for what defines a ‘demon’ in the Boiling Isles;

-Not capable of magic due to lacking a bile sac

-The indigenous population of the Boiling Isles

-Wildlife in general, as well as those linked to beasts or like them

-A social term for those perceived as more animalistic, regardless of such an observation has actual scientific accuracy or not. Perhaps the social aspect of the term is also for beings who aren’t immediately identifiable, don’t belong to a specific species, are one-of-a-kind, etc. AKA it’s the Boiling Isles equivalent to the term ‘cryptid’

-Non-humanoids

-Those vulnerable to purified water, with a presumably high concentration of sulfur making up their anatomy

-Anything living that isn’t a ‘witch’, specifically the species (this applies to living constructs as well, presumably, though if it extends to Palismans is unknown)

-An unknown, perhaps yet-to-be introduced factor

-A term with various definitions and meanings depending on the context

-Some combination of the above-mentioned ideas

What do you guys think? It is worth noting that King refers to demons as “creatures like me,” which implies perhaps some shared genealogy/something objective and physical, not just societal, but who knows? Perhaps the most important question to ask is;

Am I overthinking things?

[pauputoot]

I have a theory for Amnesty that I’ve been meaning to post for a couple months now and just kinda… haven’t… but there was a throwaway line in this most recent episode that prompted me to actually post it. This seems rather obvious in hindsight, but I haven’t seen anyone else point it out yet so…

Griffin is basing Key NPCs off unused playbooks.

I first realized this because I was trying to set up a (so far unrealized) campaign of Monster of the Week for my friends. Certain things match. And my friend @castcharmperson​ helped me see some of these too. I’ll pull them from the handbook so you can see what I mean.

The Expert: the hunter who knows all about monsters and magic. The Expert knows a lot of hidden secrets and how to find out more, and also has a well-supplied base to work from. E.g. Bobby Singer from Supernatural; Rupert Giles from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

It’s Mama. Easy. The well-supplied base is Amnesty Lodge.

The Monstrous: a monster fighting for the good guys. The Monstrous is very weird, and can have a variety of different powers based on what monster breed they are. E.g. Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel; Bill Compton from True Blood

This could apply to a lot of the Amnesty residents, but I’m pretty sure the closest example is Barclay, since it seems like he was meant to assist the most in hunts initially. Indrid may also fit this role, but there’s another playbook he fits into a little better…

The Spooky: has psychic or magical powers. These powers are strange and sinister ... and not completely under the Spooky’s control. E.g. Sam Winchester from Supernatural; Willow from earlier seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

I think this one’s Indrid. Many of the Spooky’s special moves revolve around premonitions, hunches, and probability, which 100% sound like our moth boy. Plus there’s a whole “dark side” element which fits him as well.

The Flake: a conspiracy theorist. The Flake is great at finding things out and seeing how the events of separate mysteries are connected. E.g. Agent Mulder or the Lone Gunmen from The X-Files.

This one is Kirby!

The Initiate: a member of an ancient monster-slaying Sect, trained to fight and use magic. The Initiate is good with magic, and their Sect provides help (and sometimes problems). E.g. The Wardens from The Dresden Files; Annelise from the Twenty Palaces series.

This is a littttttle bit of a stretch, but I’m pretty sure this is Hollis and the Hornets. The key things about the The Initiate are that they can operate independently or use their Sect as a resource, and that Sect’s goal is to hunt monsters. The Hornets may not be ancient, but that definitely describes their current goals and their relationship to Hollis. And whose to say rad snowboard tricks aren’t magical in their own way?

The Professional: you work for an agency that hunts monsters. The Professional is good in a fight, and a good team player. E.g. Riley and the Initiative from Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Olivia Dunham from Fringe.

Agent Stern! The key thing is that The Professional is part of an “Agency,” which can be “a black-budget government department.” Sounds like him to me!

The Wronged: revenge-driven, and really tough. The Wronged is all about killing a specific breed of monster and protecting others as you do it. E.g. Dean and John Winchester from Supernatural.

Minerva. “Revenge-driven and really tough” is her to a T. Note that this was one of the playbooks Griffin asked the boys not to pick because it was “too grimdark.” Maybe there was also a plot reason.

The Mundane was maaaaaybe going to be Pigeon until the Duck-loses-his-powers thing. So there’s only one unused playbook that I wasn’t able to pin down. 

Until this week. (minor spoilers below cut).

The Divine: an agent of a higher power, with a mission to fulfill. The Divine is very tough and has been granted holy powers. E.g. Castiel from Supernatural; Michael Carpenter from The Dresden Files.

When Travis asked, “Who’s side are Muffy and Winthrop on?” in the recent episode, Griffin – seemingly jokingly – responded “God’s.” Simple throwaway joke? Or hint that these two are secretly based off The Divine? We don’t know a lot about these guys (except that they’re assholes) but this might give us more of a hint. Maybe they act holier-than-thou because they’re actually…. Holy? (gets booed off stage for the worst joke I’ve ever written)

So. If all of this is true, what does this mean going forward? One or two things.

The first is that the extra playbooks may give us a key to certain latent twists and turns Griffin has up his sleeve. Does Muffy and Winthrop being on God’s Side mean that as-of-yet unseen divine forces may come into play? Could Agent Stern actually be an unused resource rather than a threat?

The second is a little more nebulous. What’s unique about MotW (when compared to DND) is that unlike a player’s Class in DND – which is just kind of a fancy way to say their “profession” – the playbooks are all meant to represent character archetypes. In fact, the MotW handbook stresses the archetype thing so much that it says only one hunter of each type is allowed at the same time in any game.

They don’t just have certain abilities because their job dictates they should be able to. They have Moves that are based on their role in the story. (The Chosen’s Plot Armor is a perfect example of this). We already know from Balance and the post-Balance TTAZZ that Griffin likes the idea of playing with the fourth wall and the nature of stories. What if he’s doing that again? Maybe the reason all these archetypes seem to be represented is because the actual plot of Amnesty ties into what it means to LIVE in the Monster of the Week genre?

Or maybe we just figured out a neat way that Griffin comes up with new characters.

[books-on-the-brain]

So I used to read a whole bunch, but then I took a small break so that I could have an actual social life. Now I'm trying to get back into it but I've tried to... I just can't get into it. Do you have any suggestions of what I could do to get back into wanting to read more?

bI relate to this SO. MUCH. It’s always hard to find a good reading/life balance, since reading can often be a very isolating activity. It’s also really difficult around this time of year for younger readers, too, since a lot of us are getting back into the swing of it with school and such and find that we have much less time to be reading what we want. So without further ado…

How I cure “reader’s block”/being in a book rut!!!

1) First of all, there’s literally no shame in reading something because it’s short and you know you can get through it, or reading something you might consider a “beach read.” If it’s less daunting for you to pick up a 70-page romance novella than Tolstoy that is perfectly!!! okay!!! What matters is that you’re still reading and it’s making you happy, not that you have gained all the answers to the universe by reading a dry and endless classic.

2) Another good option is to reread something you know you really love/want to revisit. I find it’s typically easier to read something for the second or third time and if it’s been a while, then you’ll still be surprised by little things here and there and get the warm nostalgia fuzzies. For me, one of my old favorites to revisit is Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I always read it at the beginning of the summer when I’m switching from all academic reading to personal reading (f i n a l l y) because I’m familiar enough with the story that it goes pretty quickly, but I still really love it.

3) In a similar vein, I find it really fun when I don’t want to sit down and read seriously to go back to some of my old favorites from childhood! For example, I loved the Deltora books by Emily Rodda when I was a kid and had some fun the other day going back through some of them and reminiscing. It has the potential to remind you of your love for stories and also in my case, it reminded my why I fell in love with fantasy at a young age and why I’m still so passionate about it! Reading children’s/middle grade/YA books is always acceptable and so much fun at any age.

4) This Barnes and Noble Reader article also suggests reading about books if you can’t actually read a book. As they explain it, find book blogs (like those on tumblr!) that speak to your interests and get you excited about picking up books. Other people’s enthusiasm goes a long way in encouraging you to also pick up a book to read!

5) If you can, find other avid readers and friends who you feel comfortable sitting in silence with! One of my favorite memories ever is sitting on my friend’s back porch and trading the books of the KARE First Love manga series back and forth. We played peaceful music in the background and so we were spending time as friends AND getting reading done. This lead us to discuss our favorite scenes and how we felt about certain translations (literally just because we like how to guy asked the main girl out in the online scantalation better than the printed book rip). But we ended up really getting into this series that in all honesty is kind of silly (despite the soft spot I have in my heart for it) and we joke about it all the time. Reading and socializing in one!

6) And speaking of manga…it’s always a great bridge for getting back into reading when it’s been a while, as are graphic novels! If you haven’t ever tried manga or graphic novels and don’t think it’s your rap at least give them a chance! I thought I hated them until I read Fullmetal Alchemist and fell in l o v e! You’re getting a story and doing some reading, but the pictures really help to ease you in so that you’re not necessarily devoting the same attention that you would be with a novel that’s just pages of text. As such, each volume is pretty quick depending on how long you linger on the drawings. If you already do love manga/graphic novels, then try picking up a new series you’ve been interesting in or rereading a series you already know you like!

Here are some graphic novel recommendations!

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson (a story that does a fun take on the idea of the “bad guy” - it actually gave me way more feels than expected, and I loved the art style)

The new Ms. Marvel series written by G. Willow Wilson and illustrated by Adrian Alphona (so do not confuse this with the old Ms. Marvel, this one is better in my opinion because our hero is your average teenage Muslim girl living in Jersey City and it’s refreshing, amazing, adds diversity to the typically white/male dominated world of superheroes, and I am unabashedly in love with one of the main characters, Bruno)

Umbrella Academy written by Gerard Way and illustrated by Gabriel Ba (this does another more twisted/dark take on the idea of the superhero story, if that’s something more up your alley. It’s the first book of a series I’ve really been loving lately, plus I trust Gerard Way’s taste in comics unequivocally and he wrote it so that’s a yes in my book!)

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (the intertwining stories of an American-Chinese boy trying to figure out his place in the world and the Monkey King of Chinese fable)

I did not include a special section for manga recommendations because most of what I read is probably not the sort of stuff to dive into after having reader’s block. Overall, the realm of shoujo might be a good place to look (things like Skip Beat!, Blue Spring Ride, Fruits Basket, and Kimi ni Todoke. Ouran High School Host Club and Dengeki Daisy were ones I really enjoyed too.)I also recently read Orange which is a fairly short series and easy to read - I loved it but major depression/suicide/mental illness tws there.In terms of shonen, Hunter x Hunter would be a good one because not only is it amazing, but it’s broken up into shorter yet very distinct story arcs which I feel would be easier if you’re trying to get back into reading. If someone has some more recs tho, please add!

7) Another variation of manga/graphic novels is online webtoons, which are basically digitized comics. I have recently discovered them and think they’re the best. things. ever. If you’re like me and you have a horrible habit of lying in bed scrolling absently through your phone before going to bed and after waking up, this might be good for you. I have slowly been replacing my mindless Facebook scrolling with scrolling through webtoons, which has been so amazing for my mental health! My favorite app is literally just called Webtoon or maybe Line Webtoon (the icon in the app store is a green speech bubble that says “Webtoon”).

For most webtoons, chapters are generally pretty short so it doesn’t take a lot of focus but once again, you’re still reading, and you’re still getting a good story, all while laying fetal position like you might while scrolling through Facebook or texting people before bed. Not to mention you’re supporting amazingly talented artists/individuals who are oftentimes not published and doing this for fun or with the hopes of eventually being published, so you can say you followed them from the start! Also since they update only a few times a week, it gives you something to look forward to on random days.

Here are my favorite story-oriented webtoons currently:

Assassin Roommate by Monica Gallagher. Super cute and quirky romance with a great female lead, also really great in terms of body diversity, and LITERALLY THE ONLY REASON I LOOK FORWARD TO TUESDAYS, THE DREADFUL DAY AFTER MONDAY

My Dear Cold-Blooded King by limelight. Just started this but it seems pretty cool??? The author has paired up with a musician so all the chapters have music which is lit af if I do say so myself

Silk and Briar by paragoing-paragon. I think this is on hiatus but it’s shaping up to be a brilliantly-constructed fantasy story with some crazy twists and turns

instantmiso’s stuff is also really popular (Where Tangents Meet and Siren’s Lament). It’s not as much up my alley as it is pretty fluffy romance and I’m not crazy about the writing, but she is an incredibly talented artist and has great music with her chapters. Her stuff is super good for an easy read without a ton of brain power/commitment, but I say that with immense respect for her talent and abilities! 

Cheese in the Trap by soonkki. This was also made into a K-Drama so I read the series and threw a little watch-party with some of my friends from my Korean class! Super good series and another great way to enjoy reading AND be social!

Here are the webtoons that are more “Sunday newspaper funnies”               style, where each chapter is a mini story:

Bluechair by Shen (this is WILDLY popular and I totally see why!!! These are hilarious and have cheered me up on many a rough night!!!)

Sapphie: The One-Eyed Cat by joho (feel-good, cute comic about cats that’s also pretty funny. I shamelessly read like a hundred chapters in one sitting.)

If none of this is appealing to you, there is always the audio option! If the actual act of your eyes scanning the page is difficult because you can’t focus on anything, there are a lot of options in this realm!

8) Local libraries usually have an audiobook section that is deeply neglected, but holds some secret treasures! Whenever I go on roadtrips, I always pick up two or three before I head out. They’re also perfect for when you do mindless tasks like sorting/folding laundry, walking a dog if you have one, waiting in long lines, or on your commute to and from school or work or any other similar activities. 

What’s cool is you can search for audiobooks based both on books you actually want to read, and whoever is narrating it. I know Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz had a super popular audiobook because Lin Manuel Miranda narrated it. If you want to pay, Audible is one of the most popular paid platforms for audiobooks. I haven’t personally used it, but it seems to be quite successful. One way or another, audiobooks are a good way to get back into reading without having to budget extra time to sit down with a book.

9) Podcasts can also help if you haven’t already explored those and are open to! Not all podcasts are TED talks, or political debates, or generally academic, or whatever they are stereotyped as. There are a ton that feel just like audiobooks, or at the very least like a play without any visuals. There’s a script and there’s a story and I know it’s helped me ease back into a mindset that preps me for reading because much like audiobooks you can listen to them all the time (I do so while cooking dinner and walking to classes) and it helps your mind switch from reality to the world of a story with relative ease if that makes sense. I’m pretty new to podcasts myself so don’t have a ton to recommend, but here’s what I’ve been enjoying….

Podcasts to look into:

Anything written by Mac Rogers. That includes The Message, Afterlife, and Steal the Stars. Personally, I like Steal the Stars and The Message more that Afterlife. They’re all sci-fi stories that are generally told from one perspective but you get to know amazing characters and I was not expecting the twists and turns. And Steal the Stars is still coming out so jump on the bandwagon now lol

The Adventure Zone from Justin, Travis and Griffin McElroy at My Brother, My Brother and Me (another podcast which I have not listened to). The Adventure Zone is actually them playing Dungeons and Dragons, but they’re funny as all get out (the last place I lived had a communal kitchen for dozens of people and I was always laughing like and idiot while listening to this and making dinner and I’m pretty sure everyone thought I was nuts). Eventually the Dungeon Master gets super into the story telling and they script some of it with cool music. It’s really amazing and has a nice balance between story/characters but also the element of “real people” as they’re a bunch of brothers and they’re dad all just having fun. It’s a good bridge to getting back into reading.

Welcome to Nightvale is always a classic. It’s a bit trippy for me but tons of people enjoy it. The same team also produced a podcast called Alice Isn’t Dead. I honestly know nothing about it but one of my friends always raves about it, so it has his vote!

10) And okay so here’s my last suggestion. It might feel like a bit of a cop-out because I guess it kind of is, but it often works for me. So here it is. Sometimes it just helps to sit down and remember why you like to read in the first place. The fact that you’re actively trying to get back into it isn’t meaningless. It’s a very willful decision. So what is driving you? Maybe it’s because…

reading is an escape or a way for you to cope with difficult things in your life. This can be anything from mental illness, to school/work stress, to relationship dissatisfaction, difficult family or economic situations. Maybe you just are bored of our planet earth. Sometimes you might just need to be transported into another world for whatever reason and that is totally okay.

or reading inspires you to live your best life. Maybe there’s some character in a book you love that you look up to and aspire to be. Remember that passion you had when you were first getting to know that character, and that sense of being understood or finding a role model. Maybe you want to go on an adventure as wild as that character went on and that’s your idea of living your best life. Whatever the reason is, this sort of inspiration is a powerful emotion that books make us feel and sometimes that’s also a good reason to reread a book that’s inspired you.

and I don’t know, maybe you’re a writer yourself and you draw inspiration from reading in that sense. The more you read, the more you learn about what sort of writing you like and don’t like, and you grow stronger in your craft. Good readers help make good writers (but also don’t take that to mean that if you happen to be a writer and you’ve been in a book rut for a long time that you own skills are waning. we all get in book ruts and that’s okay. maybe it’s time to seek out a new source of inspiration in a different genre or new writer)

or perhaps you simply love stories. Maybe you breathe stories like other people breathe air and you can’t imagine that side of you not existing. If you’re one of these people, that makes reader’s block twice as hard. But that doesn’t mean that if you’re not turning pages that you’re not absorbing stories. Take it slowly and ease back into it with things I already mentioned like podcasts and webtoons.

One way or another, you’ll find your way back. Maybe this post will spark something. Maybe it won’t, and it will take another few months for you to really feel gungho about reading again. That’s all okay. Take your time. Enjoy being with friends and other activities. Do what’s healthiest and what works best for you. And eventually you’ll get back to reading a ton. However it happens, I wish you the best of luck!

[strawberrychwrry]

1. Ezra - sensible, yet crazy. Less impulsive less likely to start dumb shit. But when it goes down, it goes Down.

2. Fantasia - lover girl, wants to kiss smooch cuddle love anybody absolutely anyone. Plays too many video games.

3. Bianca - wants to kiss Jordan while he punches us but in a cute way Yknow? Talks to other guys out of boredom, wants to be more traumatized

4. Bunny - lover girl, wants to submit to daddy in all ways. Wants to send him money. Wants LOVE.

5. Saint - peaceful, the mother of the system. She drinks tea, tries to soothe or slow a breakdown.

6. Mercy - dependent as fuck, would die without Favorite Person. Wants to be murdered, it’s her kink 🙃

7. Daisy - alter that split from Bunny, exists purely for Jordan. Is calm, patient, understanding. Puts her best foot forward and constantly tries to stay positive. She Will be loved. Obedient. Loving.

8. Aurora - split from Bunny, chaotic, sexual deviant. Begs for Jordans attention with nudes. Talks to random men.

9. Pfeiffer - Mute. Angry all the time. Sex addict. Wants to do porn. Rebellious, does the opposite of what you say no matter what.

10. Melody - Split of Aurora. Exists for Jordan. Littleeeeee girllllll. Wants to wear diapers and have stuffed animal tea parties 24/7

11. Blanche - Sex obsessed, will do anything for a lil sexual attention. Wants to sleep with as many boys n girls as possible.

12. Carmen - goofy, crazy, hot headed, passionate, sex addict, loving. Watches too much makeup videos

13. Valentina - Split of Mercy, wants to be loved and would do anything to feel it. No standards. Wants Jordan so bad but impatient as fuck and will fuck anyone.

14. Juniper - Mother of system. Always takes pills on time. Cleans, cooks, sews. Interested in fashion.

15. Desiree - Bigggggg slut. Wants sexual attention. Always crying on the inside cos of daddy issues n sexual trauma. Doesn’t like Jordan and makes it known.

16. Ophelia - Cupid❣️ Tries to bring romance to every situation tries to help Bunny, Lola, Aurora, and Valentina feel loved!

17. Lola - Lana’s best friend. Content with what the system does as long we’re safe / happy.

18. Lana - Lola’s best friend. Loves Jordan, fantasizes about being married and cooking for him on the daily.

19. Valencia - Fashion lover, just wants to buy and collect clothes, shoes, n knives. Gifts are her love language and she resents everyone for loving Jordan

20. Camilla - Future porn Star. Wild child. Lowkey, calm, understated. Obsessed with $$$$. Will ghost you at the drop of a time.

21. Anastasia - Loved girlllllll, wants 7 boyfriends and 7 girlfriends so she never has to be alone. Makeup is her main interest and she collects eye shadow palettes.

22. Portia - Independent woman, doesn’t need to be in a relationship. Doesn’t want to be dragged down. Wants a healthy relationship but at her own pace.

23. Teddy - little. 8. Trauma makes her hypersexual and she loves repeating the pattern of abuse. Loves to color for people.

24. Kiki - Celibate. Hates masturbating. Sex repulsed from trauma. Likes to drink. Fascinated by spiders.

25. Persephone - little, age shifter. 5-18. Persephone wants to be abused. Persephone is soft spoken and likes to feel hurt and pathetic. She runs away and cries when emotionally distressed.

26. Priscilla - Wants to color and play dress up. Wants to be daddy’s good girl. Wants to be showered with gifts and loved. Feels so alone.

27. Tiara - Temper Problems. Entitled. Socially Inept. Refuses to understand boundaries. Refuses to use coping skills.

28. Jasmine - Fantasizes about being a murderer. Want to kill our rapists. Wants to feel safe. Dominant, will not submit to anyone.

29. Dominique - Only fronts when we’re on drugs or drinking. Addict. Lives for substances. Alters that like to feel stable try to keep her from fronting.

30. Paris - Brat. Likes to go on shopping sprees. Extremely entitled. Doesn’t say please or thank you that often. Things she’s sweet as pie... She’s NOT

31. Gloria - System protector. Abstinent. Afraid of sex/being penetrated. Lesbian. Hates men. Doesn’t like Jordan but wishes no harm to him.

32. Tiffany - Bitter. Resentful. Untrusting. Unloving. Collects purses. Hoarder. Addict. Struggles the most with bulimia.

33. Cordelia - wants to be a ballerina. Dancing makes her feel free. Wants to join the military. Wants to lift weights and get beefy. Loves exercise. Loves hiking.

34. Fauna - loves to hike. Wants to marry Jordan, believes that he is the of her life. Out of touch with reality. Always dissociating.

35. Magenta - very loving. Trust issues. Likes to kiss random guys. Likes to make significant others jealous. Wants to be loved, wants to be married but can’t trust anyone.

36. Fifi - Hates and Loves jordan. Likes to bake. Stress cleans. Loving, patient, understanding. Trust issues tho. Wants to feel beautiful, struggles a lot with bulimia

37. Princess - Angel. Goddess. Knows her worth and doesn’t like Jordan for how he treats us. Nail Salon is her happy place. Bath time is her favorite. Loves vibrators

38. Flora - interested in mycology. Wants to go to college so bad. Wants to be a park ranger. Or a truffle hunter in Europe. Sex addict. Doesn’t believe in medicine.

39. Sapphire - little, age slider. 13-16. Lesbian. Plays with dolls. Collects stuffed animals.

40. Catalina - little murderer. Hot headed, paranoid, irrational. Planned a shooting.

41. Gabie - Angry. Bossy. Resentful. Wants to feel special and loves and hates Jordan 🥴

42. Willow - age slider, little. 13 - 19. Wants hugs. Pansexual. Wants to fall in love but doesn’t try to find love for fear of alters complicating things.

43. Winnie - loves to dance. Wants to be a stripper. Jealousy issues. Bulimic bc she hates our body.

44. Marina - LOVER GIRLLLLLLL. Would rather be dead than alone 🤡 Will find a new relationship before the relationship she’s in ends. Loves Jordan but had intense abandonment and trust issues.

45. Rosie - Nudist. Make up enthusiast. Wears too much blush. Always wants more stuffed animals. A sucker for cliches. Love letters, poems, self written vows.

46. Dog - exists to solely to suffer. Punching bag. Dog fronts during sexual assaults or physical fights. Basically has a lobotomy.

47. Lolita - age slider, 20-30. Sex addict. Drug addict. Always wants a dick inside her.

[gezxaviermansfield]

Chantelle + Luke - Engagement. Love. And taking on natural elements!

A hunter valley wedding photographer that so into their work, is a good thing right? Just have to remember to pull myself away from the computer from time to time. Oh, how the time fly's! This year, it's weddings and their engagements have come up so quick, I kinda have to pinch myself each day to check the date! Ha!

The awesome thing is that we got this e-shoot locked in about 3 weeks to a month ago, with hair and makeup trials booked on the same day - enough time to edit, sit back and reflect, and prep for their day.

Rocking up to the backstreets of Newy to photograph couples now is becoming more and more popular, with this afternoon being the perfect time and location - the windiest day I've seen in Carrington for a long time. I knew if these guys could crack the 1st 15mins and find their groove considering the weather, then nothing was going to stop them on this shoot or their wedding day. 

Planning for Chantelle and Luke's wedding has been quite seamless, with their added decision to see each other before their ceremony in a 1st sighting. Something that adds to their relaxed nature, and fun, contemporary side as a couple. 

And with Wandin Valley playing host to their wedding this week, the use of open spaces, gorgeous architecture and fresh tones, all that these two will need to do is turn up, have a ball and party on into the night.

 Enough from me... Enjoy

GXM

  Chantelle and Like....tell me a bit about yourselves. How did you two met? 

Luke and I met through friends who were dating. We met on the foreshore (pit lane back in those days)

What was it like on your 1st date out?

For our first date we went to the old movies in Newcastle.  I remember it was the middle of winter and freezing but Luke insisted on walking through the mall.

Whats the reason you both fell in love with each other?

We have so much fun together and we are always laughing. We both care about each others aspirations and support one another to get to our goals. 

What have been the most exciting parts of planning your wedding?

Seeing everything come together and realising that we have the same ideas for what we wanted from our day. As it gets closer the more surreal it feels, that so much planning for one day will come together and we get to hare our love for each other with all our friends and family.

How do you think marriage will change your relationship?

We hope that it doesnt change our relationship, we hope that it stays the same as it is now; just that we will share the same name. 

What do you most look forward to about your wedding?

Getting to see each other and the party!

What are the most important things that will create a long lasting and loving marriage?

Compassion. Communication. Staying true to ourselves. Laughter. Honesty and Trust

What special ways do you express your love to each other?

Luke makes me coffee every weekend before I get out of bed, he will leave the front light on for me when im working late and always greets me at the door with one of our dogs in his arms and the other beside him.

I like to buy him little treats while im out, Luke loves dessert so I try to be creative in getting him something different if I see it. I'm forever holding his hand while were driving or cuddling up to him on the lounge

What made you choose this location for your engagement shoot?

We were really guided by our photographer. Good thing the location helped protect us from the wind. Except the beach! 

What are your favourite ways to spend time together? 

Watching movies, going out for breakfast/ dinner.

What’s your relationship advice for couples planning their big day?

Talk about what you want your day to look like and work your way back. Don’t do something just because of other pressure, stay true to what you want as a couple from your day.

 What’s the best relationship advice anyone has given you?

Talk to each other about everything, the good, the bad and celebrate all the good things no matter how small they may seem at the time.

Who are the vendors that you are working with for your wedding day?

Photographer: Gez Xavier Mansfield

Hair and Makeup: Chic Artistry

Venue: Wandin Valley Estate

Florist: Little Willow

Cake: Abs-olutely Yum Cakes

Photo booth: Booth Boy

Entertainment: Kylie Jane