#it's about the voice acting it's not about belos saying it . mostly | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

avatarmerida · 1 year

Note

Pleeeeeeeeease do a one shot with THAT crew art...

You know the one I'm talking about...

(I'm God's miracle)

I do know it. It controls my every thought.

I haven’t seen anyone do it with evil!Hunter (insp @soldrawss) so here’s my attempt at combining the two. In my take of this version, Hunter is aware he is a grimwalker the whole time and basically has to do the Emperor’s bidding to justify existing (nothing new there) but he is aware that Belos is a liar and evil and he also believes he is these things because why wouldn’t he be? In case it’s not clear, this would be after ASIAS in a AU where Hunter keeps trying to recruit Willow to the coven as an excuse to talk to her. It’s less angst and more Megamind (who fully believes he is angsty so) ok bye

---

“Well well well,” came a familiar voice from behind her. “If it isn’t my favorite plant witch.”

“Hello to you too,” Willow asked, unfazed by his “dramatic reveal” as she was so sure he had intended it to be. She did not look up from her comfortable spot on the ground where she sat, gathering soil into her little pail. “To what do I owe the pleasure, Mr. Golden Guard? Did you follow me up here or were you just waiting menacingly in the shadows for me to show up?”

“I’m not at liberty to discuss the business of the Emperor’s Coven with a civilian,” he said, giving her a non answer. “If you’d truly like to know why I’m here I suppose I could entrust that information to a new recruit.”

“Hmm pass,” she said, staying focused on her task with her back to her but feeling his eyes on her. He wouldn’t ask what she was doing, he would either pretend he already knew or ignore it all together.

“Do you need any help?” He asked, uncharacteristically small. Hmm,that was new. He was clearly hoping she’d have a more elaborate response and the prepared retort he had up his sleeve wouldn’t make sense, not that digging in the dirt made any more sense.

“No, I’m almost done,” she said, shoveling the last bit of soil into her pail. It was excellent soil, a shimmering dark turquoise that helped plants be more lively and vibrant. It was well worth the distance Willow had to travel to obtain it and collecting it was relaxing. It was quiet out here, an abandoned building made it seem off-putting to other people but Willow welcomed the calm atmosphere. There was hardly anything out here to capture the attention of the Emperor’s Coven.

But that seemed to be the case wherever she found herself lately.

“Ya know it’s dangerous to be out here by yourself,” he said, kicking at the ground not expecting her attention to linger elsewhere.

“Well I’m not here by myself now am I?” She asked with a smirk he could hear. Months ago she would be terrified to find herself alone with him, especially knowing what she knew now about the Emperor’s Coven. He did not deny it when she confronted him about what the Coven and the Emperor were really like. He was not ashamed, he claimed, rather he was content with his place and what that meant. He was delighted with the rumors depicting him as ruthless and cruel (and this was mostly from the mouths of her friends) but somehow her experiences with him differed.

He loved a crowd, a perfect chance to act boastful and righteous and flaunt his status. But when it was just them his insincerity did not seem very sincere. She suspected he never spent enough time with anyone for them to see beyond his little character, but she had seen enough repeat performances to pick up the inconsistencies. By now she could tell when his words were empty, when he was leaning into this character that he was forced to method act. But she could sense he didn’t know who to be around her, and she felt that was some of his best work.

“Ya know, the Emperor’s Coven has tons of dirt,” he tried to say casually, feeling things had been silent for too long.

“What?”

“Uh, well that’s why you’re here right?” He sputtered.

“Oh so your business can stay a secret but mine can’t?” She said as she stood up and turned to face him. She could’ve sworn he stood straighter when she did.

“The Emperor makes it a point to know everyone’s business,” he said in a low, cool voice as though he himself was the Emperor. He tried so hard to intimidate her but she somehow always remained composed, as though she was merely humoring him. She wiped her hands on her dark green skirt, the access dirt blending in nicely and shook her head at him.

“Well then ask him what I’m up to,” she shrugged walking past him, purposely brushing past his shoulder as she did. She heard him chuckle deep in his throat, as though she had said just the right thing.

“I’m not so sure he’d be pleased with you trespassing, little plant witch.” the Golden Guard said with a cocky smile. He has stopped wearing his mask around Willow, maybe because it was easier to see or maybe because he thought she could be swayed by a pretty face. She’d have to ask him one of these days.

“Pssh ‘trespassing?’” Willow laughed, flipping her braid over her shoulder. “There’s nothing to trespass out here, it’s totally abandoned!”

“Exactly,” he said, following slowly behind her. “There’s a reason for that; it’s condemned. Strictly off limits.Dangerous.”

“Aww so did you stalk me all the way here because it’s dangerous and you wanted to make sure I was safe before you kidnapped me again?”

“Pssh, what?” Hunter could never place her tone, how it was both sweet and sour, how it asked a question that seemed to already hold the answer. It was like an argument that he wasn’t sure how to win. “Of course not. W-why would I care about what happens to a foolish half-a-witch like you? If you’re foolish enough to come here, you deserve to learn the consequences first hand.”

“Hmm, I could say the same thing about you,” Willow sighed, looking over her shoulder at him. “But which half-a-witch is more foolish? The one who came here or the one who followed her here because he wanted an excuse to talk to her?”

“It’s business!” Hunter insisted, picking up his pace as his voice got higher. “My job is to enforce the rules and will of the Emperor and the signs on the perimeter clearly state-.”

“So are you gonna arrest me?” She asked, quickly turning on her heel causing him to nearly bump into her.

“I-I could.” He stuttered, his eyes unable to decide where to look.

“Hmm, well you can’t join the Emperor’s Coven with a criminal record so... okay, go ahead.” She set her pail down and placed her arms out as though she was ready to be escorted to prison.

He was taken back. Very rarely did his banter get a response let alone ones so calm and silly. But she always managed to call his bluff and he couldn’t tell if she was wearing him down or winning him over. Either way, what a fine addition to the coven she’d be..

But she was right, and Hunter could hardly back down from what he said without contradicting his whole deal and risking losing the advantage he thought he had. This girl wasn’t scared of him or intimidated by him, heck she wasn’t even annoyed by him. His usual tricks didn’t work on her and as much as he wanted them to, it was somewhat refreshing. But either he had followed her here and hadn't stopped her or he was waiting for her and didn’t speak up right away. He barely understood why he mentioned the trespassing, the Emperor didn’t care about this area he would find the time wasted unless Hunter had actually caught a wild witch.

He was working on it.

“So um yeah I uh-.” But before he could verbally dig his own grave, the ground began to shake. A large crack formed between him and Willow and they both kept back to avoid falling in. The crack quickly sped up and reached the remains of the building, causing it to fall forward, heading towards the pair. They quickly jumped out of the way as the rest of the buildings followed like dominos.

As the walls came crumbling down around them, Hunter went to teleport away dodging the debris as he located the way out. As he looked out of the corner of his eye to see which way the plant girl was going, his heart or the equal equivalent sank when he saw her laying on the ground. A large collection of bricks had fallen on her foot and Hunter watched her remove them as a look of pain overtook her face.

She was so focused on her current situation that she didn’t see another pile was headed her way. By the time Willow did notice it was almost too late and all she had time to do was close her eyes and brace for impact.

But she was not met with the impact she had been expecting.

The next thing she knew, she was in a blur of light. Settings came in and out of focus, the constant, jagged movement made her dizzy but it was somehow sort of mesmerizing. She looked up and saw her savior, serious and sorrowful looking ahead at his destination and not being distracted by the wide eyed girl who clung poetically to his chest.

He darted from point to point, the ground growing more unstable by the second. His focus and grip never wavered as Willow took the opportunity to memorize his features. They seemed to compliment him in every sense, they made the transition from stern to soft so seamlessly. His edges were sharp, his jawline so defined it seemed to direct her to his eyes like an arrowhead. Willow had never seen this in his eyes before; it was less certain than the way they held anger but it was softer than the fear they had known.

She wanted to see them closer, but she felt the look would vanish if she entered his sight.

When Hunter felt they had traveled a safe distance, he stopped and hid behind a wall, making sure no other threats had followed them. Willow watched in wonder as he panted, his eyes desperately scanning their surroundings to make sure there would be no more surprise demolishment. He brought her closer, as though shielding her from unseen doom as Willow’s head fell instinctively on his shoulder as she listened to the sound of him breathing.

“Are you okay?” She whispered, close enough that she could see a fresh wound above his eye, another for his never ending collection.

“We should be safe here,” he said, more to assure himself than her, not quite answering her question. Something about him saying ‘we’ and not ‘I’ or ‘you’ made her heart spin.

“Hunter?”

“Yeah?”

“You can put me down now.” Willow said, feeling as though Hunter had forgotten she occupied his arms. He held her like she was nothing and everything at the same time. Like he didn’t want to risk dropping her. Like she was precious to him. Like he wanted her close. A boy with no good in his heart as he so adamantly claimed to be could never hold someone like this. She wondered if his kindness was hidden from him or by him. She wondered if it felt familiar or forced, because it felt nice to be close to.

“Oh, right.” He said as though it was really no inconvenience and had simply slipped his mind. He suddenly became conscious of how tight his grip on her was as he gently placed her back on her feet. It felt unnatural to do something so gently, but something about her made unnatural things happen easily. As her feet touched the ground, a sharp pain shot up her body and she winced as she shifted her weight. Hunter instinctively crouched down back to her side for her to lean on him to take pressure off the leg “Sorry about that.”

“‘Sorry?’” She repeated, the shock distracting from her pain, She gave a small laugh. “D-did you just apologize to me?”

“Uh, I mean I-.”

“Were you... worried about me?”

“What? No!” Hunter’s face turned bright crimson, in embarrassment, in anger, infatuated.

“You were!” Willow exclaimed victoriously, as she summoned a large flower to sit on, as Hunter was desperate to pull away. “You were worried you might hurt me!”

“No! I meant sorry for...”

“Oh my Titan, you can’t even think of a fake reason!” Willow accused in delight, adjusting her dress as she made herself more comfortable. “It’s true!”

“Shut up!” He spat, contorting his mouth into a twisted frown. “I-I didn’t even mean to say it!”

“Exactly!” Willow said, pointing her finger at him, small yellow flowers bursting around her to emphasize her point. “You didn’t even mean to! You did it without thinking! Deep down inside of you, there is good!”

“Shut up!” He said again, but this time the embarrassment in his voice outweighed the anger. He tried to walk away from her but his pace was not a quick as it could be, he had no destination in mind.

“You did follow me to make sure I was safe,” Willow said smugly, hoopping off her her seat to skip beside him as tried to avoid her direct gaze. “You care about me.”

“No I don’t!” He insisted, hastening his pace.

“Really? Then why am I over here where’s it safe? Would’ve been easier to have just left me, ya know. Let me ‘learn the consequences first hand’ and all that, right?”

“I was looking out for myself and you were in my way,” Hunter lied quickly. “You just got lucky, but it wasn’t on purpose!”

“You had plenty of chances to put me down,” she pointed out with a bright smile, summoning a vine to carry her to adjust to his speed. Her knee high sock had gotten torn and she could tell her leg was slightly bruised and scratched, but she could worry about that later. “And I’m pretty sure you told me to ‘hold on.’ Now why would you say that to someone whose safety you didn’t care about?”

“I owed you one,” he grumbled, pausing for a moment to try and figure out where they were.

“Would someone truly evil care about his debt to a mere half-a-witch?” Willow stopped behind him, removing her hair from her braids to redo them. She knew he wouldn’t leave with a question like that in the air. He stopped too.

He did not have a response, but he wished he did. He could not blame it on a code of honor because he knew that she believed that he believed he did not have one.

“You care about me.” She stated sweetly. It was not a question.

“So what if I do?” He asked softly, trying to appear as though it was no concern of his, whether or not it was the truth. “The amount someone like me can care about someone doesn’t add up to much. I wouldn’t let it go to your head.”

“So what if I do?” Willow said back, mocking his solemn tone as she twisted her hair back into a braid. “Maybe I care about you too.”

“Another foolish decision on your part,” said Hunter, regaining the steady control in his voice as he summoned his staff, knowing he couldn’t risk staying with her longer. “But I know better than trying to tell you what to think. You’ve made it clear that my opinion is of no value to you.”

“It has value,” she said slowly, disliking the braid she had made and undoing it, giving up on the endeavor. “It values me, so it’s not composed entirely of bad taste.”

“I’ve been very upfront about-,” he said loudly as he turned around to face her, not realizing how close she was standing to him. The vine she summoned for support elevated her slightly so she was at his eye level, her hair free and forming small curls around her face in a way he had never seen before. Their faces were mere inches apart but she did not flinch or pull away but he swore she held her breath. He cleared his throat and lowered his voice. “-about your value to me.”

“For the Coven, right?” She said gently as though she had to remind him. “It’s just that, I feel like during our meetings lately, you’ve been trying more to change my feelings about you, and less about the Coven.”

“The coven and I are essentially the same.”

“To you, maybe, but I have no interest in the coven,” said Willow, allowing her vine to set her down as she tried to apply gently pressure on her leg. “So how is it that I spend so much time with the coven head?”

He turned his gaze to the ground and did not answer.

“I highly doubt you pursue all candidates this thoroughly, I highly doubt you have the time,” continued Willow. “With all the time you’ve spent chasing me you could’ve found about ten more qualified recruits. Can you honestly say I’m worth ten scouts?”

“You’re easily worth 100.”

“How?” She asked, honestly perplexed. “Because I have potential? So what? Plenty of people do. You said the coven is no place for emotions, well that’s where my power comes from. Recruiting me would remove the thing that made you want me in the first place. You’re smart, surely you’ve realized that.”

“It's because you’re stubborn, “ he said, looking up at her like he believed he was invisible to her. “You aren’t swayed by fancy words and status and it’s not because you don’t see their worth. Your approval is guarded, it’s selective, and rare things tend to be valuable things.” His voice did not ooze its usual smugness, he said it like he was reciting a poem to her. His voice held something back as though he could not bring himself to say too blunt a compliment. He removed his worn glove and reached out to brush a loose strand of hair behind. He could not place the reason for the gesture.

Willow let out a small gasp, half lost in the complement half breathless from the cold touch of his hand lingering against her cheek. He turned around to walk away, hoping it looked convincing that he could get very far this time.

“So if I had liked you when we first met, you wouldn’t value my opinion?” She called after him.

“If you had liked me when we first met you wouldn’t have really known me.” He called back.

“Does that mean you’ve changed?”

He stopped for a moment and thought about what that implied. She liked him now? Is that what that meant? How? He hadn’t changed as far as he was concerned, but he had never been someone else’s concern before. He didn’t know what that was supposed to mean. He vanished into a flash of gold before appearing in front of her again, no other destination in mind.

“What’s to stop me from kidnapping you?” His voice was cold and demanding, the way it was always supposed to be. “You’re weak, you’re hurt, you’re helpless! I could take you to the castle and throw you in a cell! I could bring you before the Emperor and frame you for any number or crimes! I could-! Er... I could...”

“That’s what you could do, but what will you do?” Willow winced, the pain in her leg growing. “I think if that’s what you wanted to do you would’ve done it by now. But you haven’t. Because you’re worried about my comfort and you’re thinking about what’s best for me. You’re stalling because you don’t know what you want to do. I feel like true evil doesn’t hesitate.”

He inhaled sharply, cursing himself for hesitating to respond to her. He should be long gone by now, or at least be pretending he was in control of the situation. But he had saved her with no ulterior motive in mind, and the reason that did come to mind was impossible. He didn’t like her seeing him like this, but why did he care what she thought?

“I see how you fight,” said Willow gently, reading his thoughts. “You antagonize and trap and dodge, but you rarely strike. You love to talk and it’s like you’re trying to distract from the fact that your blows are never fatal. You refuse to attack unless it’s totally necessary. Doesn’t seem very bloodthirsty to me.”

“It’s called strategy,” he said. “It’s smart to preserve energy, it’s efficient. That way you don’t end up hurt and in your enemy’s clutches.” He gestured to her current state as though it proved his point. But Willow only smiled. She did not consider him an enemy but did enjoy her time in his clutches.

“So you know I wouldn’t have left you there either,” she said and he just groaned at how she was able to see more than what was supposed to be there. Everyone else accepted he was no good and scary, why couldn’t she? Wasn’t he supposed to want her to?

“Well. since you value loyalty, let’s see you try and join another coven now after the Emperor’s Coven saved your life,” he scoffed as though that had been his plan all along and he hadn’t just thought of it.

But she could see there was no true flair to his actions or ulterior motive lurking in his words, he was simply not used to going against orders in a way that he could not justify. It would have been fitting for his persona not to save her, it would have been tactical to lure her into an agreement before doing so and taking advantage of her position. So why hadn’t he? Why would he risk his life and have nothing to show for it?

“Thank you Hunter.” She said softly. She was the only one who said his name like that. His name was not freely given, but she had managed to weasel it out of him. She hadn’t had to try very hard.

“When you join the coven you won’t be able to address me so informally.” he said, putting his glove back on.

“I think that’s one reason you’ve become less insistent that I do.”

“You have many?”

“I think you’re scared,” said Willow. “I think you’ve been doing what you’re told and are trying to convince yourself that it’s what you want to be doing but it’s not. But you’re scared because you know what Belos is capable of doing if he ever found out. I think you feel trapped and alone so you don’t listen to the part of you that wants something different because you don’t believe you’re allowed to. Because you know that’s what Belos believes.”

“So you think about me often, do you?” He said, hearing what he wanted to hear or at least trying to make it seem like he did.

“Or maybe you’re just impossible,” sighed Willow, seeing she wouldn’t make any ground in that subject matter today, standing up as much as she could.

“Grimwalkers are supposed to be impossible,” Hunter pointed out. “We’re taboo, an unforgivable sin, we’re damned from the moment we open our eyes. We can be nothing but ruthless...”

She rolled her eyes, as he continued his classic “born to be bad” speech. She should’ve known it was only a matter of time before he needed to prolong his presence with a monologue.

“Yeah, okay.” she chuckled, believing him less and less every time. The speech was more to assure him than her at this point.

“It’s true!” He insisted, the tips of his ears turning red. “I am heartless! And cold! I-I haven’t even asked you if you’re okay besides I don’t care! Because I-.”

“Because you’re checking my vitals like you think I can’t tell,” Willow finished, noting that while he did not say anything he eyed her injury to ensure it was leveled properly to reduce the pain. He was no healing expert, but he had suffered enough on the job injuries to know a few tricks. “You’d leave any other recruit out here to fend for themselves, so why am I any different?”

He looked up at the sky, it was getting late. He was tired and hungry and he knew Willow was meant to home before dark. He would think of something clever to say another day.

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” said Hunter quietly as he swiftly went to scoop her up again. Consciously picking her up allowed Hunter to overthink it. He cautiously placed his arms around her back and under her knees and held her close and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, locking her fingers together to keep her close. If not for what he would later label his momentary lapse in judgment, he would never have the opportunity to be so close to her without seeing fury in her eyes. Now, they held a calm flourishing field of green, they held pleasantly surprised gratitude and maybe... admiration.

He didn’t teleport unless it was necessary, certain the sharp movements would aggravate her injury and flying was no better. So he held her in his arms and walked back to the path, traveling in silence as Willow tried to make sense of the moment.

But it was all in his head. Because at the end of the day, he knew what he was.

He knew he was the latest and therefore the greatest and maybe the last in a long line of disappointments. He was born heartless, his emotions were nothing more than a clever manipulation to imply there was variety beyond disgust and anger. He was told what he was and what he was meant for and he was oh so good at doing exactly what he was told.

He would outlive the others. He would see the plan through. He would not be distracted. He had never had an issue sticking to these mantras until he found himself risking everything to keep a silly plant witch around. He dared to think he could keep her around if he could convince her of the benefits. But why did he want to keep her around any way he could? How was he supposed to explain the twinge in his chest when he became overly aware of how close she was to him, resting safe in his arms?

No one had ever looked at him this way. Her eyes weren’t sizing him up or predicting his next move or scanning him for signs of weakness. Her eyes graced him because she was glad he was there. His eyes weren’t reverting to her every so often because he was monitoring her for a surprise attack or suspected her disloyalty or because he thought she was impressed by him. He wanted to see her face because it made him feel safe, it sent a shot through him that envied fear and lighting.

“Is the whole ‘you care about me’ theory completely off the table?” she asked once their surroundings became familiar again.

“Grimwalkers can’t feel love,” he said casually, as though it was a common fact and not something so devastating. It was a rare truly serious moment so Willow did not cheekily mention the fact that she had not said the word “love” as he set her back on the ground, her house not far from here.

“Well, that doesn’t make you a monster,” said Willow. “Plenty of people don’t fall in love or feel attraction, but that doesn’t mean that-.”

“No, I mean...” Hunter loved correcting people, but his evidence against her claim came with a personal toll that he hoped she wouldn’t ask him to clarify and act as though it was something he didn’t mind about himself. “...I mean, we cannot feel love and we cannot be loved. We can feel fondness, I suppose, and gratitude but no more than is required to know the value of something. But our skin is thick, an armor, meant to deflect any type of affection that threatens to weigh us down. How can a creature without a heart ever feel-.”

Willow interrupted his latest monologue by grabbing the sides of his face and pulling him down to her to place a strong but gentle kiss square on his lips. Despite her warmth, he was frozen. Sweaty, shivering, stunned. Her lips curled into a smile and Hunter’s thoughts were consumed with why. Was she delighted in the action alone or was it all done for his reaction? Had she frozen time or has they been in this moment forever? Was she just trying to shut him up? He’d ramble on forever if this was the punishment. But his chest felt like he had drank of water from the boiling sea, fizzling and burning and bubbling and the warmth spread to the rest of his body and numbed him like her touch contained venom.

He was melting from the inside out and somehow it was painless. His eyes widened in shock at the source, blissfully unaware of the ailment (or maybe she just showed no visible signs?) as she held him in place. It was as though then their lips touched, the world around them became more colorful. Willow had her eyes closed, perhaps because she already knew how colorful the world was. She was the brightest thing in it, after all. Had that always been the case?

His chest was on fire as she pulled back to look at him again, her hands lingered on the sides of his face which was now entirely red. He felt dizzy and dopey and turned around, had this been a trap she had planned for him the whole time?

“What have you done?!” He demanded angrily with a rage Willow had not seen in him before. She couldn’t help but feel that he wasn’t speaking only to her. “D-Did you just curse me? My existence is already a curse! Why would you want to add onto it? Why would you-?”

“I didn’t curse you, I kissed you,” said Willow simply as though the two were often confused for each other, her voice carried an airy giggle. “It’s a way to show affection. It’s a gesture of thanks and... love.”

“Is that what this is?” He screamed, referring to the waves of fireworks in his chest that she could not see but somehow understood. “You gave me the ability to love?!”

“Well, I don’t think I gave it to you, but I think that maybe you-.”

“Well, take it back!” Hunter demanded, pulling her close to him by her shoulders and joining their lips as she had done in a swift motion. Unlike the way his hands had flailed behind him when she initiated the contact, she got over her surprise very quickly and leaned into it, reaching up to put her arms around his neck to return the pressure and keep him steady.

It felt just as scary as the first time but somehow easier. She was smiling again and while Hunter had no idea what he was doing, he was pretty sure he wasn’t doing it wrong. As he relaxed and allowed his eyes to fall closed, he could still see the dazzling display of colors as he tried to inhale the faint smell of wildflowers in her hair . Relaxation did not come naturally to him so he was quickly brought out of the moment as he suddenly remembered how he had gotten back into whatever this was and pulled away. Willow followed him as though she wasn't ready to part and when he looked at her, he saw her face decorated in a kindred flush as though she had just done battle. Another trap! Surely staying too long in the “kiss” allowed her to send the curse back to him because he felt so compelled to brush her hair out of her face again and that must be why.

“Curses aren’t really a plant magic thing,” Willow whispered, her hands still clinging to his chest. He wondered if her leg was still bothering her. He wondered why he even cared. “Just so you know.”

“Well, then it’s a reaction to one of your flowers or pollen or something,” he said. “I’m just having an allergy attack.”

“Or maybe you were raised by a liar,” said Willow. “Who convinced you that you were immune rather than neglected because he allowed no examples of any form of love.”

“Maybe...” Hunter began, dwelling over her words. He stepped back as his eyes widened when he found a solution that pleased him. “Maybe... I am the Titan’s miracle.”

“Oh geez,” Willow groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose as Hunter’s ego increased and he began to pace, drafting a speech of what this could mean. “Well I’m getting out of here before you make me regret this. But… see you tomorrow?

He stopped. Something about the nonchalant way she said the words tickled his ear like there was something more buried in the words. He had just been thinking about how much her magic had improved in mere weeks, thinking about how powerful she would be if given months. He thought about how her power could benefit the coven. He thought about her often. He thought about her outside of her use to the greater good, he thought about her smile, her laugh, the way she placed her hand beneath her chin when she said something snarky, the soft peridot color of her eyes and how they shined beneath her glasses when she rolled them at him and the way she-.

The way she was the only one who made him feel this way. A way that wasn’t worthless or vindictive. A way he wasn’t supposed to feel.

“Do you intend on needing rescuing again?” Hunter inquired, looking at her over his shoulder his throat suddenly feeling tight like the question he really wanted to ask was stuck and struggling to be known. This tight dizzy feeling that he felt whenever she was around, this growing need to be beside her, did she feel this way about him?

In response, she sent a detailed yellow flower with long dramatic petals littered with pale red stripes. She sent in on a long strong stem so it reached his eye level taking in every detail. It was a remarkably unique flower and did seem particularly special at first but as he brought it closer he saw just how intricate its details were, the small patterns within the petals invisible to the casual onlooker. The scent was sweet but subtle, a pleasure you had to be close to in order to experience. He could tell this was not a flower found in nature, this was of her own design.

The flower’s vine wrapped itself around his wrist like a corsage, twirling around his pinky link it was sealing a promise. She had made her way safely into her house by now and they had an unspoken agreement that this space was off limits. But he knew their paths would cross again. He could use returning her pail of dirt as an excuse to see her. He could say her injury was a liability of the coven and he was obligated by the Emperor to monitor her.

Or maybe he didn’t need to explain himself, he was the Titan’s miracle after all.

#huntlow #huntlow fanfiction #willow park #evil!hunter #toh #the owl house #winter toh #megamind vibes but you have to read it like megamind #hunter toh

144 notes · View notes

ciagent8 · 2 months

Note

hi darling. revenge

simon - 😨🍧🌙📣🌈☁️

zachariah - 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒☕️🕷️🪤🔫

abayomi - 👊🥞🙈👑🚊💙

clown - 😭🎂🙉🎭🔥

mercury - 🤥🍩🌋🏊💡💚

felicia - 💥🍰🍃🌹🖍️

alice - 💤🍓☀️⚾️⏳💧

also 📦 for ALL of them i NEED to know their most likely tos

i mostly spared you you did like 4x more than me

thank you :3

answers below the cut

SIMON

when scared, do they go into "flight" or "fight"?

it really depends on the situation. if there was someone he had to protect, he'd fight. otherwise, he'd run. usually, though, its neither; he'd freeze.

do they still have any objects from their childhood? what significance does it have to them? what would their reaction be if they lost it?

he used to keep collections of all of the poems he wrote growing up. that collection is long gone now, though. it used to be a symbol of growth to himself, showing how far he's come. it was bittersweet at first, but now he doesn't think about it.

what is your oc's greatest wish? how far are they willing to go for it?

If anyone asked him, he'd say his greatest wish would be to protect his friends and the one he loves, giving them eternal peace and joy.

While this is one of his wishes, and he would give his life for it, it is his second greatest wish.

His first wish would be for Alice to return home, safe and sound. If he had to burn the stars, he would.

how loud are they? what do they speak like? got a voice claim?

honestly, i picture him having two voice claims, based on his shadow form and his human form!

shadow form -> snatcher from a hat in time. that's it. its literally him. he can switch from being loud to having a low tone in an instant.

human form -> Emperor Belos / Phillip Wittebane. i dont know why.. this is the i best i could find. just imagine him but . Not as evil

what advice would they give to their younger self?

"Cherish your time with Alice, and keep a very, very good eye on her. Or you'll regret it."

a soft headcanon

simon is an AMAZING cook, mostly because he had to learn how to cook well due to alice. he's self conscious about it but he makes some of the BEST DISHES. EVER

what are some "most likely to..." that can apply to them?

most likely to walk into a wall, and most likely to kill

ZACHARIAH/ZOMBIE

what is their family like? what is your ocs relationship to them? does your oc have any siblings?

zombie -> he has none :)

zachariah -> his parents are divorced, and he doesn't really keep much contact with them. nothing bad happened, he's just.. not very close with them. he is an only child

do they prefer hot or cold drinks? what is their favourite drink?

zombie -> he prefers coffee with a good amount of cream and sugar mixed in

zachariah -> coffee. nothing added to make it sweeter. he loves the bitter taste

what is their biggest fear? do they have any irrational / mundane fears?

zombie -> he's scared of becoming a hypocrite, hurting someone else over some trivial fight, just like the rest of the circus. he's also afraid of forgetting everything. he's also scared of snakes

zachariah -> he's afraid of the consequences of his actions, and will go to any lengths to avoid them. in the end, he couldn't, though, could he? he's not exactly scared of cemeteries, but they make him anxious. he doesn't know why

what will always lure them into certain danger? a loved one in danger? a promise of something they are always searching for?

zombie -> seeing anyone, especially a loved one in danger. or, a promise of safety and order.

zachariah -> a sense of security, control, and power.

do they trust people easily? how easily will they turn their back to someone? have they been backstabbed before? will they betray someone if given an ultimatum?

zombie -> as long as they seem like they aren't prone to violence, he'll trust them. so, yes, he does trust people easily. the main thing that'll get him to turn his back on someone is acts of violence/murder. the only exception to that is if they had no other choice. he hasn't really been backstabbed before. he wouldn't betray someone, no matter what you offer him.

zachariah -> no, not at all. it's very easy for him to turn his back on someone, considering his lack of close relationships. he's definitely been backstabbed before. if he has something to gain, he'll betray someone in a heartbeat.

what are some "most likely to..." that can apply to them?

zombie -> most likely to obey the "don't step on the grass" sign

zachariah -> most likely to take your pen and not return it/lose it immediately

ABAYOMI

are they quick to violence?

nope, not really. he prefers to avoid fights, even though chances are he would win in a fair fight (without any magic)

what is their comfort breakfast?

his mother's egg muffins.

whats a side of your oc that they don't want to show other people?

the one that secretly really wants to go home. the one that wants to hug his parents one more time. the one that's slowly remembering more

what does your oc want to be remembered as? why?

he wants to be remembered as himself, the person he chose to be.

what is their answer to the trolley problem?

he'd refuse to answer. if you asked him about it he'd glare at you because he HATES that question. he hates having to choose between those options.

if he had to choose, he'd choose 1 person.

do they miss their s/o easily? how do they act when their s/o isn't around?

gone for a few hours? he's fine. a day or two? he begins to do chores, distracting himself from a small ache in his chest. any longer? he begins to worry, wondering where they are. if he knows where they are/why they're gone, he visits friends so that he isn't lonely.

what are some "most likely to..." that can apply to them?

most likely to be teacher's pet. most likely to spend holidays surrounded by family.

CLOWN

what makes them cry? do they cry easily?

he'd probably only cry due to extreme pain. it wouldnt be easy to make him cry

when is their birthday? do they like celebrating it?

he was created on january 1st. he celebrates it by showing up in people's home, throwing pieces of confetti everywhere, taking something (as a gift for himself) and leaving

what is the worse thing your oc could hear from someone?

"haha. short"

do they act differently around certain people? what's different between the way they act around friends, family, strangers, etc.?

he has more respect for carbine (seeing him as a equal, someone who could actually give him a fair fight) and has more care for dialtone (sees him as an equal, sort of as a friend, yet that description wouldn't be right)

everyone else he sees as something he can mess with, like a puppet of sorts

do they have any self destructive tendencies? what habits do they have that hinder them from becoming their best self?

he has way too much confidence, and can get angry over trivial things. he also has a god complex

what are some "most likely to..." that can apply to them?

most likely to commit tax evasion. most likely to destroy your furniture.

MERCURY

are they good liars? do they have tells to show they're lying?

he'd probably be a bad liar, usually stuttering and being unable to make eye contact.

favourite sweet treat?

saltwater taffy

how bad is their temper? is it a slow boil, or a instant explosion?

he's more likely to be hurt rather than angry, but in a rare instance that he is mad, he'd start off being annoying to somewhat pathetic shouting.

small note, he probably cries when he's angry enough

can they swim? or are they afraid of water? how well do they swim? how do they feel about swimming in the ocean?

he can swim, but he can't swim well at all. honestly, he doesn't even know how to swim properly. he's not afraid of water, although he feels nervous specifically around the lake at the temple. he would NEVER swim in the ocean, he'd think its too dangerous.

is your oc a planner? do they write down every small detail or just wing it?

every. single. detail. he is the biggest planner ever

what things make your oc feel comforted? hugs, kisses, food?

hugs, plushies, blankets, and a cup of warm tea with honey.

what are some "most likely to..." that can apply to them?

most likely to write a book. most likely to stay up way too late

FELICIA

what emotions do they have trouble dealing with?

the guilt of knowing that this was her idea, and knowing what she's doing

favourite cake flavour? are they specific about types of cakes?

she really likes strawberry cake. she'd prefer a nice, spongy cake with a decent amount of frosting, but not enough to make it too sweet.

do they enjoy being in nature? what is their favourite outdoor activity?

she's not an avid fan of nature, but she does enjoy a nice walk in the park every now and then. her favorite activity, though, would be laying on a hill and watching the clouds.

do they like valentines day? have they been confessed to before? have they confessed to anyone before?

she used to love valentines day. she was the one who was confessed to.

nowadays, valentines day leaves a bad taste in her mouth

what advice would you give to them?

please get a different job you deserve better

what are some "most likely to..." that can apply to them?

most likely to avoid parties. most likely to fall asleep at her desk

ALICE

do they fall asleep easily? what helps them sleep?

she falls asleep easily, although she loves to stay up at night during the weekends. music helps her sleep

do they eat their fruit & veg? what is their favourite fruit or vegetable?

she will ONLY eat fruits and vegetables if its from simon's (or MAYBE isaac's) cooking. she likes raspberries.

are they a morning person? what is the first thing they do in the morning?

kind of? she really doesn't like waking up in the mornings yet she doesnt try to sleep in. she gets ready for the day and tells simon good morning

can they play sports? what is their best position if they play a team sport? what's their strong suit (speed, power etc.)?

she's average at sports, although she LOVES playing dodgeball. when playing a team sport, she's probably best at being some kind of support. she's good at throwing things and being fast

are they usually late or on-time?

she arrives right on time. NEVER early.

random angst headcanon

her birthday was soon

what are some "most likely to..." that can apply to them?

most likely to stare and silently judge. most likely to playfully make fun of you.

#taocc

4 notes · View notes

i-am-a-scholar-of-magic · 1 year

Text

Extras Profile: Steve

One of the grand positives of “The Owl House” is that it devotes exceptional care to what I call the Big Three story elements: setting, characters, and - even more in the second season - plot. One facet of the characters is the truly incredible variety and creativity of the character design, stretching even to the background extras that keep popping up. Several of the characters, mostly at Hexside, have even been given semi-official names by the crew.

A truly remarkable case of growing character relevance is Steve the scout.

Steve first appeared in “Sense and Sensitivity,” a normal, faceless coven scout accompanying Lilith. Voiced at the time by Alex Hirch, he was the first scout to speak on-screen and his earnest enthusiasm - even for Emperor Belos - was endearing to many fans. Not to mention the fact that he had a name and seemed to have an honest camaraderie with Lilith.

Steve would not appear for the rest of season one, remaining a quirky footnote of the cast for some time. He was finally mentioned by Kikimora in “Eclipse Lake” as she screamed at him and threatened him. He finally appeared in person again in “Elsewhere and Elsewhen” dressed in semi-casual clothing at Lilith’s new job party and now voiced by Matt Chapman. Naturally, this made him even more popular, giving him a sense of loyalty to his old boss.

It was a few episodes later in “Any Sport in a storm” where Steve, surprisingly, began to grow from a semi-recurring gag character to something more. Sent to collect Hunter’s new recruits, he continues his air of earnestness by brushing off Skara punching him in the face. As the Emerald Entrails are taken away, Steve talks briefly with Hunter about the horrors of scout training and Belos confiscating palismen, implying that he had one of his own in the past, and admits that he regrets his life choices. This small interaction pushes Hunter to rescue the team and in doing so salvage his first friendships.

But Steve’s most notable and memorable appearance would be in “O Titan, Where Art Thou.” Inexplicably on the Knee with his motorcycle, he talks with King - are we seeing a pattern here? - about his disillusionment with the Emperor’s Coven and offers to take him on a joyride across the Isles, which King accepts. After several heartfelt stops, they have dinner at a fastfood shack and chat some more, with Steve offering advice to King on some big changes in his life. In this moment, Steve does what few would have expected: he removes his mask to show a normal, handsome face. With the arrival of Lilith, he officially quits the coven and joins up with the rebel CATs.

Interestingly, Steve plays a small but critical role in the plan to stop the Day of Unity. As the only CAT without restriction on his use of magic, he is the only one able to enchant a cloaking stone to disguise Eda. He would not appear for the rest of the season, and has not appeared in the first or second specials of season three. *One last tidbit is a tweet directly from Dana Terrace, saying that Steve is Mattholomule’s older half-brother and that Matt looks up to Steve.

Now for observations and guesses.

Steve’s enthusiasm for the Emperor’s Coven in his first appearance seems jarring when he later claims to regret joining, which may show that his previous attitude was either an act to keep himself safe or a coping mechanism. He mentions to King that his dream growing up was to be a coven scout, “to be considered one of the best.” This might imply that he had a rough childhood - the fact that he’s Matt’s older brother and probably attended Glandus High, where the strong survive, only adds credence to this idea.

During his roadtrip with King, Steve shows some skill in origami, an honest desire to help others when he and King help a random small family fix their cart, and openly weeps at an elderly couple’s display of affection - which may imply he has a painful romantic history.

Finally, throughout his later appearances, Steve shows an open and philosophical attitude, offering observations and even advice on occasion that has allowed other characters to grow. Not too bad for a guy who started out as a gag, huh?

Steve is an example of something rarely done well in a story: When a one-off character is given a chance to slowly grow into something good. Not just great, but good. Here’s hoping he gets a little more time in the series finale!

Thanks for reading! More to come …!

#the owl house #character analysis #worldbuilding #urban fantasy

13 notes · View notes

lampmanliveblogs · 1 year

Note

"Look at poor Raine, trying so hard to play a bad guy so the other bad guys don’t catch on and failing miserably at it. Look at them. Not an evil bone in their body. Then again, I suppose they’re the head of the Bard Coven, not the Acting Coven."- Terra Snapdragon agrees.

I tried reading that in Terra's voice... and I hate that it sounds exactly like something she could say.

More asks below

I laughed a little.

Fun Fact: A helicopter parent is what we in Swedish call a curling parent.

This one?

(i've had this image sitting in a folder of "useful images" for nearly two years and now it finally pays off)

Because I guess Eda and Lilith managed to save that while the house was being ransacked? Priorities!

There is also maybe something to be said about King up until very recently being a little guy himself. Yes, he always thought of himself as a big and important person, the King of Demons. But no one else ever believed him about that. With the revelations in Echoes of the Past, he started moving away from that, focusing more on trying to find out the truth of his past and his family.

Then, suddenly, he finds out that he's a titan. A VERY important person. Whereas before, he was relegated mostly to comic relief sidekick, he now has the ability to play a very important role in the narrative, which he does by freeing The COllector, changing the course of the story forever.

At the same time, we see how Lilith reacts to this, she begins to basically worship him like he always wanted people to do in the past. But now it makes him very uncomfortable. He connects with Steve, someone far removed from that, someone who has no idea about his "tall genes."

In an ironic twist, the fact that King no longer wishes to be a king might just be what makes him more suited to be one. You know the old saying about how the people who donät want power are always the most worthy, or something like that?

Not that I think King will literally become the King of the Boiling Isles or something. Then again... with Belos gone and the revelations of his true intentions, the government would be in upheaval...

The circumstances and scale are different, but Camila and Eda were both, in their own ways, trying to protect Luz.

Camila sending Luz to summer camp, while misguided, was in the end for Luz' own sake. Luz' has a beautifully creative mind, but her creative energy was not being channeled properly which resulted in her bringing live snakes and fireworks to school. Which is obviously not a good thing. Furthermore, some clues hint at Luz being a victim of bullying (for example, Camila mentioned Luz doesn't really have any friends, and how apprehensive Luz was about Vee talking to the kids in the parks during Yesterday's Lie), likely due to her unique personality... as is sadly often the case in real life.

Now, the threats Eda was trying to protect Luz from were a bit more concrete and obvious: bad guys are trying to kill them. So it's a bit... itäs a lot different, but I can see the association being made in Luz' mind, though maybe not consciously.

Eberwolf: *sees darius trying to be cool* Eberwolf: òwó

I almost feel kinda bad for Darius, because he's obviously trying so hard, but no one will let him be cool. Not only does Raine have to choose a stupid name for their little rebel group, but he can't even pose on top of a carriage in peace.

I must've been tired when I wrote that, because I could have worded that a lot better, but whatever.

I kinda glossed over that being Raine and Luz first proper meeting because Luz has known about Raine since Follies at the Coven Day Parade. She knew who they are and what they look like, while Darius and Eberwolf (and also Amber & Derwin) would be total strangers to her.

... the fact that this question is asked in this way makes me think that Luz' palisman is not going to be a bird at all. And I'm not sure what else it would be. I mean, it's the obvious answer... right? Luz is the main character protagonist of The Owl House. And with the whole "Eda is Luz' adopted mom" thing going on, I figured it made sense for her palisman to reflect that and be an owl, or at the very least some kind of bird to reflect that.

As for other animals I'd associate with Luz... I'm drawing a blank here.

#ask #toh s2e19 #o titan where art thou

9 notes · View notes

headlesscribbler · 1 year

Text

I finished For The Future and it's good! But ALL BETS ARE OFF I'M POSTING SPOILERS AND THOUGHTS. (Also its super long like has 20 different points)

Written plotpoint wise and then in general.

-The tone at first was insanely confusing with everyone dying and then then Hooty flying and Eda almost immediately getting over her missing limb (well ig the cliffhanger made it look more dramatic). Also haha hot Harpy Eda scene, fan artists are winners.

-The curse actually wasn't explored that much (or the Owl Beast being trapped which I'm really annoyed at) but it seems to act similarly.

-Luz totally saw King's slightly grown up form with the wings.

-It's depressing seeing literally everyone screwed up but that makes sense and I do like how everyone gets a spotlight on their issues.

-Ok Belos is SUPER cool this episode. Tbh I found him more weird/slightly funny looking last episode but I like how this 350 year old man's flesh is falling off the bones. Also that's definitely dead Caleb we saw this episode and probably last (very cool but the knife looked a little funky dangling there)

-The broken playground and swing, nice Episode 10 reference. Also the graffiti is always funny.

-Lol screw you Terra you got picked to be the Owl Beast bc you're old and cranky. I can't believe her not being in the trailer was for this.

-That Draining Spell is literally only a kill everyone spell, ok? I mean it would have been interesting seeing them try to adapt without any magic but sure (also ig there wouldn't be time)

-Boscha you still suck! Also I can't believe my brother guessed the Kikimora reveal, I was like red skin, short, that's too easy. But looking back, the voice, the glasses. Ok I see it.

-Yeah no redemption all the Grimwalkers/Caleb want to kill Belos. Also lol I joked that he would say shut up to them and I guessed it right.

-Also not really surprised his Grimwalker body didn't last, like you're running out of resources. Still not sure why it still ended up looking like you. Also I was spoiled on him climbing up the skull so I was jumpscared by that scene AND it being a spoiler!

-I liked the visuals of the giant book circling around the tiny planet. Also Collector I know you can rhyme better come on.

-I have no idea what's up with the Collector portraits (hey Hollow Mind parallels). I'll let others dissect it but I found the lore kind id underwhelming like last time but I'm a terrible theorist and time crunch so eh. Also repeat images?

-Literally the entire Hooty and Eda scene was recontextualized to be weirdly more chill and cheery. Like Hooty is alive, why and also why immediately joke about it being weird?I'm not sure how their hideout works but hey there's some peace? Also you're killing me Eda please be with Raine oh my god! Also Eda saying "What's the matter?" made me want to cry, she sounded like a mom comforting her kid! And she said it so kind and softly!

-Ok I was pissed at the Hunter possession bc I thought it was fake/looked dumb. This feels random and weird. Belos possessing a puppet, really? I swear it's like "Huh screw Eda I'm gonna use Raine". But they look better off than Hunter (also why the goop on the ears, like injuiry from a piercing?) Ok but they(?) have cool expressions and their normal voice and mostly look the same and I doubt they'll die (otherwise it's that Diversity Loss meme. I'll pretend they'll die so I don't feel as bad/disappointed if it happens). I don't know why we're doing this again, pattern breaking says they must go but don't they have too much potential?

-Ok this possession concept feels kinda written badly? It's only introduced last episode and you're gonna convince me Belos can actually possess the Collector? Please! Also in general I don't like possessions as they take away the person's choice and creates limited character development for them.

-I've got beef with the Collector (who I now realize is probably different from the Owl Beast trapper but still), I don't like how it's not acknowledged that he was fine with killing everyone. King is nothing like that and I don't like how this Collector feels different from the more scary and dangerous shadow Collector we've seen the most from. It doesn't make sense they're supposed to be the same! Also they'll probably depower him simce he's too powerful (I wonder if doing this will make Collectors extinct.)

-Someone else probably articulated it better but I like the spotlight on Willow, how holding in her emotions to be strong for everyone ends up making her spiral out of control and how Gus and Hunter tell her she can let it out. It's really sad seeing her miss her dads but I'm glad it's acknowledged.

-Yay Camilla and Luz time! Yeah, it's sad how they both have regrets but I'm glad they're reconciling and Camilla is righting her wrongs. Also Luz's wish makes so much sense and I love the anime like tears. (Also yeah her saying she doesn't know what she wants definitely fits Amity given a predetermined path)

-For the teleportation powers Hunter gets, ehh but I do like the action is brings. Also YEAH new plant attacks Willow!

-Also literally calling out every single guess and putting it all in one. I like the Chinese dragon looking one. The designs all kinda look like OCs but it fits and it'll probably grow on me. Also 80% snake for the win!

Bruh the animation looks so good! Honestly mostly the effects but also the scattered fight scenes as well! I like how it goes from whimsy to body horror (would've liked more but eh Belos takes an L)

Tbh the pacing was kinda off since there was the school, King and Eda, and Raine being posessed. It felt weird because it didn't even really feel right for a cliffhanger. Hey who's fault is it (Disney)

Ok compared to Thanks to Them (which I really didn't like and don't want to rewatch due to the Belos possession) this is leagues better. No doubt because questions are answered, things are different and we get to see them again! Effects/fights/body horror/character design is good, I really like the character development and them coping with this nightmare, and others than the Raine thing/unavoidable pacing issues (this feels like similar issues to the first episode) it's super good!

#toh #toh spoilers #the owl house

5 notes · View notes

hexsta · 3 years

Text

Here are some habits situation and other things that Hunter expirenced after running away from Belos and being adopted by Eda AKA my headcannons of Owl family but mostly Hunter

Whenever he has something in his hands and someone comes in to his room he immediately hides because things there weren't work/training related weren't exactly appricated by Emperor

He has troubles sleeping for long time because usually it was that he was done working at whatever time then he would try to read the books he sneaked in his room about Wild Magic and then maybe sleep some time if he doesn't get too lost in research but one time he was so tired that he kept falling asleep through the day and yawning so when he went to sleep he slept for 18 hours

It took him some time to get used to gentle and caring touch and after realizing how touch starved he was couldn't get enough of it

I don't think Belos gave a damn about his birthday so Hunter forgot when is it he just counted his age from whenever new year is so the day he got adopted became his birthday

He started learning glyphs from Luz and looking for more examples of it in books and now when he can't sleep he sneaks down stairs for some books and makes a small light glyph to not wake anyone up and reads

He actually like listening to King and talking to him about demons because it is very informative and where to better get information than live source?

That being said he loves to learn new thing once he gets stuck on one subject there's not getting him out of it and that's how he started learning Spanish from Luz after he heard her talking it

For some time he had problems with calling Eda her name so for the first few months he was either calling her The owl lady or Miss Clawthrone

I hc him having PTSD bc of Belos so Rascal gets a bit of training and is his service animal and Hunter goes to therapy weekly

He didn't use to eat much just enough to get him through the day without collapsing and then an apple sometimes so he has a bit of problem when he's met with food amount normal for someone his age

He's short and Luz teases him about it because she's taller then him and she's not done growing yet

Him and Luz start to act like sibling right off the bat teasing? Friendly bullying? "I'm the only one who can say shit about you"? Being protective of each other? Right of the bat

But there's also some limits there like not raising voice too much and not much sudden movement in his direction because this is what triggers him

#the owl house #hunter toh #eda the owl house #the golden guard #they are family your honor #luz the human #the owl house hunter #hunter the owl house

202 notes · View notes

drabbles-of-writing · 3 years

Text

Stitched Back Together

AO3

first Owl Fight attack, woo! The prompt for this one was “Luz and Raine hanging out”

Summary: Free of Kikimora's control, with scars carved into their skin, Raine is taken back to the Owl House. Awake in the middle of the night, unable to sleep after their whole ordeal, they officially meet Luz. Talking to one of Eda's kids really shouldn't be as intimidating as it feels.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

When Raine first saw the kids, truly and consciously, there were thorns retreating from their eyes and scars etched onto their skin as Eda held them tightly.

Eda’s sclera had turned black, hands hooked into talons with wings arched over their heads, and was at least two feet taller than when they had last seen her. And there had been a lot to ask about there, and possibly some gawking, but this isn’t about that.

Because as soon as Raine could stand, Eda holding their hands tightly and almost brought to tears at how relieved she was to see them alright, to know there would be no more harm done to them, Raine noticed the two figures far across from them, holding back the few guards trying to intervene.

They recognized them quickly, from the photo that had twisted a hole into their chest, because Eda had kids and she had spoken of them with such desperation and love--

The girl had turned, and Raine knew then they hadn’t been imagining the round ears when they first saw the photo. She had the young demon they recognized earlier clinging to her back, and they both looked at Raine with confusion. The demon’s had been accusatory, but the humans, she had to be a human, looked nothing but curious.

It had all passed by in a blur, the escape from the guards and Eda bundling them into the Owl House, frantic as she continued to check them over, never slowing in her talking as the wings and sharp edges retreated back into her body, which Raine may have quietly mourned the loss of. They suited her.

The human and demon had watched from the background, occasionally offering assistance towards or around the two, but more or less giving them space as Eda fretted and explained all she could to Raine, clinging like she was afraid if she didn’t, Raine would vanish again.

They heard of what Kikimora had done to them, of what Belos had done to them, of what they had done. Of Eda’s acceptance of the curse, of the rest of the BATs being in the Conformatorium (something they both agreed on fixing as soon as they could), of everything that Eda could think to catch them up on.

There would be time to unpack all of that, to formulate plans, to talk about everything beyond what Raine had missed out on. But that could wait until another day, could wait until Raine had gotten rest, and a moment to reorient themselves.

And yet, they still found themself in Eda’s kitchen, nearing midnight, with a cup of tea that looked suspiciously like the one Lilith had liked in their hands.

They knew they should be asleep, it was late, and knowing Eda, there would be far more to fret about in the morning. Eda had offered her nest, but Raine had taken the couch, not exactly willing to voice their opinion on how Eda’s nest did not look comfortable.

They were thankful for it later, too, when they awoke after barely an hour of sleep with the feeling of vines wrapped around their throat and muffled, begging cries as their hands moved of their own accord.

They sighed and slumped against the counter, setting down the cup for a moment to rub at their wrist, where scars from the reaching thorns still lay. They faded the further the scars stretched up their body, but they figured the ones along their wrist and arm would last for the rest of their life.

It wasn’t too bad, a scar was really the best thing they could’ve asked for. They stared down at their tea, thoughts swirling and not even bothering to try and sort any of them out. Later, when their wrist didn’t have a phantom ache.

“Oh, hey.”

Raine startled, almost knocking their cup over as they whirled their head around.

The human stood in the doorway, looking a bit surprised at Raine’s reaction. She had clearly just woken up, hair a frizzy mess and eyes still blinking with sleep.

“Oh, um, hello.” Raine said, forcing themself to relax. “Sorry, is there something you need?” They asked, wrapping a hand around their tea.

“I just came here for a snack,” The human shrugged, breezing right by the counter and towards the cabinets.

Raine nodded, mostly just to themself, and went back to staring into space, trying to pretend the awkward tension hadn’t suddenly arisen.

They realized after a moment that the girl had paused in what she was doing, hand still in the cabinet door, but taking nothing out. They looked up for a moment, and caught the girl watching them with a contemplative look on her face until she realized she had been staring and jerked back to shuffling through the cabinets.

“So,” Raine said, in some attempt to break the tension, leaning their arms across the counter. “You’re Eda’s kid?” They said, grimacing slightly at how off that had come off sounding.

“Er, yeah,” The human said, frowning at the cabinet before shutting it again and opening a different one. “And you’re...Raine.”

“You’ve heard of me, then?” Raine guessed, taking a sip of their tea.

“Vaguely,” The human admitted, opening another cabinet door. “I know you’re--er, were, the head of the Bard Coven. I know Eda mentioned some group called the BATs you lead. I know that...Eda knows you.” She said, voice becoming more mumbly as she spoke.

“Ah, Eda didn’t speak of me much, then?” Raine inquired, telling themself that they shouldn't really be surprised.

“Not until you, uh, had the whole...thing happening.” The girl nodded. “Then Eda got really worried and me and King asked why she was so worked up, and then she told us you were an old friend, which I maybe halfway trust, and that you had this group with the BATs...and I still don’t think I understand it completely.” She admitted with a sheepish look.

“Sounds like Eda.” Raine chuckled, shaking their head slightly as they smiled down at their tea. “Wait, halfway trust?” They added right after, back straightening.

“I mean, I trust you mean a lot to Eda,” The human said, her raiding of the cabinets forgotten. “And I trust Eda means a lot to you,” Raine did not flush at that, thank you. “But pretty much everyone Eda knows she has a very complicated relationship with, and I’d be surprised if you were the one exception.”

“Ah,” Raine said, rubbing the back of their neck. Is this what it felt like to be interrogated by a kid? “You got me there. We haven’t...seen each other in a while.” They admitted.

“How long?” The human asked, interest sparking in her eyes as she leaned next to the cabinets.

“Erm, two...maybe two and half decades?” Raine said, lifting a hand and tilting it. “Titan, it sounds much longer than it feels when I say it out loud.” They murmured.

“Oooh, another piece of the mysterious backstory!” The human grinned, perking up, all the hesitation from earlier melting away at a probably concerning speed. “Why’d ya stop talking?”

“Ah, well, you know,” Raine said, flushing again as their ears pressed back. “Just...a split, really. Seeing other people. Eda had some things she still needed to work out, and I suppose I had to reflect a bit, too.” They mumbled.

“Wait,” The girl narrowed her eyes, and when Raine focused on where she was again, they pulled back when they realized Luz was on the other side of the counter. “Are you one of her exes?” She gasped, eyes wide.

“Oh dear,” Raine sighed, face falling in their hands.

“You are!” The girl exclaimed, and they sincerely hoped it didn’t wake anyone else up. “Man, and I thought all her exes hated her from how she talked about some of them.” She whistled. “Explains a bit, though.”

“Is that so?” Raine mumbled, knowing that they were blushing up to their ears.

“Yeah, I mean, explains why she seemed so freaked out. She's gotta know you pretty well.” The human said casually. “She goes all out when she gets attached, as I’m sure you know.” She added with a light tease.

“Oh, I know.” Raine sighed, memories of holding back a feral Eda back in Hexside from mauling Odalia still vivid in their mind. “And, since we’re talking, I apologize, but,” They said, raising their head from their hands when they were sure they didn’t look like they’d had a nasty sunburn across their face. “I don’t believe I...caught your name.”

“Eda didn’t mention it?” The human blinked, graciously taking the change in conversation.

“She might’ve, but I’ll be honest, I caught maybe two of every five words she said.” Raine admitted, flicking an ear. “I’m sorry, but I figure I should ask now before it turns into something where I ask at a much worse moment.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it,” The human waved her hand. “You went through a lot. My name’s Luz.” She said cheerfully, offering a hand. “The other little guy is King.”

Raine blinked at it for a moment before reaching out and taking it, giving a single shake until Luz pulled back. She was practically rocking on her heels from how excited she seemed, and Raine may have allowed a small half-smile in return.

“Have you lived with Eda long?” Raine asked, because they could still remember Eda’s pained explanation that the kids weren’t hers hers, and found themself wondering where in the world she had picked up a human.

“Few months,” Luz said. “Four, maybe? I dunno, the calendars here are different from the human realm.”

“Four months?” Raine blinked, surprised. “I would’ve thought you’d known her longer.”

“Nah, I’m just a recent addition.” Luz shrugged, looking away with a hint of nervousness. “King’s been here for years, though.”

“Huh, odd.” Raine said with a shrug as they went back to drinking their tea. “You act a lot like her, I would’ve thought you’d have picked up those habits from her.”

“I do?” Luz repeated, straightening.

“Yes?” Raine lowered their cup. “When she was younger, at least. Very curious, couldn’t leave any questions unanswered. And stubborn. And maybe a little too attentive for her own good.” They added with a lighthearted tone.

“Oh, yeah, that-that sounds familiar.” Luz coughed into her fist, and Raine smiled at her embarrassment. “You knew her when you were younger, then?” She asked, and Raine chose not to comment on the slight diversion in conversation.

“Since Hexside,” Raine nodded. “I want to say we were eleven or so? Maybe twelve. Never had a moment of peace since.”

“Aw, Eda’s backstory just keeps getting more and more convoluted. At least yours isn’t as crazy as Lilith or her moms. Even after the whole mind-control thing.” Luz said with a fiery curiosity in her eyes, and Raine was impressed at their lack of visible reaction to how casually Luz brought up the mind-control. Another thing like Eda, Raine thought. No amount of answers would be satisfactory, and treated every odd thing like it was just another day.

“Well, I’m glad I got her daughter's approval. Wouldn’t want to fight my way in now, would I?” Raine chuckled, tilting their cup back and finishing the last of it.

When they lowered their cup again, Luz was staring at them like a spooked rabbit, hands gripping the counter. They blinked slowly, brow raised in confusion.

“I-I’m not,” Luz stuttered, coughing to clear her throat and forcibly releasing the counter. “I’m not her daughter, you thought I was her daughter?”

“You aren’t?” Raine frowned, ears perking up. “But you said you were her kid.”

“That’s--I thought you meant--like when Eda just casually calls me and and King kids, or when I’m out with my friends and she’s watching us we’re just ‘her kids,’ you know?” Luz said, looking a little frantic as she did so, wildly waving her hands around. “Not--no I’m not, related to her or anything--”

“Oh, I knew that.” Raine brushed it off. “But Eda told me you and King were her kids?”

“I--when did that happen?” Luz asked, near sounding like a demand.

Raine hesitated, for a brief moment. They doubted someone like Eda would so casually tell a teenager and young demon about that time she, you know, almost died, and it really wasn’t their place to tell them as such if she hadn’t.

“The last time we spoke.” They settled on. “Before the...thing.” They said, mimicking Luz’s words from earlier. “I learned she had kids, and I told her that if she had something to lose, she had to get back to them.”

“I...oh.” Luz said quietly, slowly relaxing and turning her head down to stare at the counter.

“I’m…” Raine hesitated. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overstep, I didn’t know it was a touchy subject--”

“No, no! It’s not, you’re fine.” Luz waved them off. “I just...didn’t know Eda had said it like that.”

Raine would’ve thought something along the lines of ‘Eda didn’t tell you she thought of you as her kid?’ if they didn’t know that Eda was the same person who hadn’t even truly thought of them as dating until Raine had introduced her as their girlfriend with earshot. She’d been so touched over the whole ordeal that Raine had to remind her, repeatedly, that they had been dating for over a month. Apparently knowing, and having a title for it, were two very different things.

They wouldn’t be surprised if this kid was the same.

“She cares about you, you know that, right?” Raine asked softly, and Luz looked up to meet their eyes.

“Yeah,” She said, cracking a small smile. “I know.”

Raine nodded in satisfaction, stepping around the counter to set their cup in the sink. It was late, they could wash it in the morning. How Eda could've ever thought about leaving a kid like her, they don't think they'd want to know.

“She cares about you, too.”

Raine paused, going still as one hand lightly gripped the edge of the sink.

“I know,” They said, almost surprised that they believed it so easily, inhaling as they set their shoulders back. “It’s almost scary how little that seems to have changed.” They mumbled.

“For the both of you, huh?” Luz teased.

Raine whirled around, ears pressed back as their face lit up again, being greeted with the girl's smug face that she had to have picked up from Eda, it was almost uncanny.

“I--you--she just--there was--shouldn’t you be asleep at this hour?” Raine managed to strangle out, getting a gleeful giggle out of Luz as they did so.

“I got hungry,” Luz shrugged simply, her smug expression never falling.

“Then grab a snack and go to bed.” Raine huffed, crossing their arms, as if that would hide the embarrassment as they stepped aside.

“I will, once I find where Eda put the cookies. She keeps hiding them from King and doesn’t tell me where she put them.” Luz muttered, stepping up to the cabinets again and opening a new one.

“I think that means she’s hiding them from both of you.” Raine raised a brow.

“She should find better hiding spots, then.” Luz said, retracting a hand from the cabinet with a container full of cookies in her hand, shaking them. “Cover for me if she asks why some went missing?” She asked, a pleading look on her face.

“I’ll cover you if one goes missing.” Raine bargained, and Luz gave them a disgruntled look before sighing and taking a single cookie from the container.

“Can’t believe you.” Luz huffed good-naturedly, putting the cookies away.

“Just because you're Eda’s kid doesn’t mean I’m going to let you get away with everything, Titan knows how Eda would’ve ended up if that happened.” They muttered, shaking their head. “I fear the day you and Amber meet.”

“Who?” Luz tilted her head, taking a large bite of her cookie.

“One of my crew, she’s about your age.” Raine said simply. “I think you’ll get along. Now go, shoo, I’m willing to bet tomorrow will be quite hectic, and you need your sleep.” They said, herding Luz out of the kitchen.

“I’m going, I’m going!” Luz said, smiling as she lightly batted at Raine’s hands, darting out of the kitchen. “Remember, you saw nothing.” She warned, walking backwards as she narrowed her eyes on Raine.

“Lips are sealed, I was fast asleep the whole night.” Raine said, leaning against the doorway to the kitchen. “Though I figure she’ll find out, anyway.”

“Yeah, but I’ve got backup now.” Luz said, shoving the last half of the cookie in her mouth before slipping away through the doorway that led to the staircase.

Raine chuckled, shaking their head as they pushed themself off of the doorway. They should probably hit the couch again, too. Eda would only fret more if they were falling asleep all day tomorrow.

“Oh, almost forgot!” Luz said, head suddenly poking through the doorway and causing Raine to pause. “Welcome to the Owl House,” She said cheerily. “Since I take it you’ll be staying a while.”

Raine’s ears flicked back and they mumbled under their breath as Luz’s smile only widened, and Raine couldn’t help but mirror it.

“Night!” She chirped, vanishing around the corner yet again.

Raine watched the place where she’d vanished again, rubbing their wrist and noting it didn’t ache as much as before.

“Goodnight,” They said to the empty air.

159 notes · View notes

popculturebuffet · 2 years

Text

Owl House/Amphibia Weekly Review: One of the Biggest Wham Episodes in Recent Memory and Some Frogs I Guess (Hollow Mind/Frogs in Tights/Fight or Flight)

Hello all you.. well saying happy is a stretch given what most of you reading this wer ejust witness too. And look Amphibia was decent this week and has a strong chance of dominating discussion the next three weeks as it comes to a close. It’s in it’s final four and like ducktales it thus gets a neat fantastic four flavored countdown

Thank you Jonathan Hickman. But while Owl House has overshadowed it before, something I talked about last week in detail, I hadn’t seen ANYTHING yet as this week is some cute breather eps.. next to one of THE biggest episodes in owl house history. We all knew it would be. The Huntlow server i’ve been apart of for two weeks now had a collective meltdown in terror of this one.. and some excitment but mostly fear for..

It did not disapoint. This is one of the shows best episodes, it’s most horrifying, it’s most captivating and tearjerking. It’s to the point that i’m skiping my usual talk of solicits for the month. Not that there’s much to tell honestly: the solicits for both shows are vauge, mostly talking about getting ready for the day of unity with labyrinth runners being the only one out of both shows to have a clearly definable premise other than “what stop the day of untiy and react to stuff from hollow mind and edge of the world we can’t talk about yet”, with the heavily hinted return of bria and the fucking emperor’s coven invading the school

So let’s get to the chase with HOLLOW MIND.. and some frogs I guess

Hollow Mind

Where to even begin? I’m serious this is an episode packed with huge reveals, utterly masterful bits of voice acting, and game changing bits of plot. Where exactly to START is hard to figure out... I mean do we talk about the OTHER golden guards, the masterful scene with Belos? Team RED? Hunter’s Breakdown and going off to live in the woods at the end? See this is why I often go play by play in episodes: it makes breaking them down easier as it gets to each point slowly.. but even then that dosen’t quite work here as SO MUCH happens!

So i’m just going to go with my gut and start with the biggest reveal in the pile of big reveals: The Golden Guards have ALL been Grimmwalkers, each one resembling Belos not yet met big brother, and he’s killed EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM HIMSELF

Yeah... needless to say i didn’t see this one coming. Oh sure other people said this might be the case but I didn’t buy it: after all, we saw the ingredent sheet which involves two rare beasts and an even rarer stone, not to mention plaistrumm wood, something vital to belos staying alive, ah ah ah, staying alivvvveeeeee. Well .. it turns out I was missing the simplist most obvious explination, and in turn the most horrifying: these things are so rare.. because Belos has needed to make a LOT of Golden Guards. Every time one found out what he truly was or strayed from the horrifying path he set them on, he killed them. Again. and Again. And again. What’s 17 more years? He can always start again, make another kid.. and yes that scene was very much on my mind. As was this one which sums up to me just HOW horrifying Belos actions here are, even in comparison to his many MANY other attrocities we’ve seen.. and how little he feels about it.

It dosen’t matter how many times he has to kill “Hunter” how many times he has to make him again and again, he’ll get the version he wants. And if not.. oh well it’s a pain to make a new one but it’s not like he hasn’t before. See Hutner finding out he was a grimwalker was going to be painful, we always knew this.. but hunter finding out he’s the 20th or 30th? and that EVERY OTHER ONE has died horribly? Oh and that everything Belos ever told him, probably even large stretches of his own memories are an outright lie? Yeah. We knew dana was going to break the poor kid, we always knew this was coming.. but we didn’t know how bad or just HOW deep this went. And Zeno’s acting, as his voice shakes and he desperately wants this to not be real is heartbreaking. As is Belos just.. casually tossing him aside

So that moves us to the next part of this scene, which is now my faviorite in the show and probably one of the best villian scenes i’ve seen in animation.. hell anywhere.I’m not exagerating. I’ve seen scenes from the best: Magneto, Vlad Masters, Chucky... the list goes on. But this is right up there: Matthe Rhys was already great any time he showed up as belos but god damn does he own every second of this scene.

And while the part with hunter is chilling and heartbreaking, watching as he throws the child away without a second thought or a hint of regret, the part with Luz is what TRULY makes this work. You can tell he’s been waiting for this in how he relishes revealing the truth to luz. He’s had to wait months since she arrived. We’ve all wondered why he didn’t attack her and the answer was simple: he had to make sure she met him first, had to make sure his future was secure, had to make sure everything was in place. @jess-the-vampire even wisely poitned out he probably sent Esadora to LIlith, since he knew she played a role too, to make SURE it happened. He’s spent decades waiting for this , to rub the truth in her face.. and he enjoys every second of it as he shows her his memory.. and the awful truth. He is phillip, any good in him she thought he had is long gone. He is a witch hunter.. and he is going to finish the job. Took longer than he wanted.. but he’s going to kill ALL OF THEM. We finally know what the day of unity is: the draining spell’s to awaken the collector and somehow.. .it’s going to kill every last witch and demon> Granted it’s clear it’s not going to go how bellos intends, deals with horrifying entities never do, but still, his INTENT is to kill every witch and demon as evidenced by his prototype for it leaving those poor witches alive in a horrifying coma. It’s not enough to drain them or bind them.. he has to KILL THEM.

Sarah also deserves some credit as Luz’s breakdown is heartwrenching: She knew phillip wasn’t the preson she had in her head or even he put to paper.. but this.. this is so much worse. Finding out the only person like her in the whole world, or so she thinks, the only person to go through what she did... is a monster lacking any empathy who plans to kill millions and is happy about it, whose killed so many young men HIMSELF just for finding out what he really is... no wonder the poor kid breaks before composing herself. She is right.. Phillip is pure evil. And Phillips right “no use arguing with crazy”... it’s just obvious who the “crazy’ is to everyone but him. It’s just so fucking good I can’t stand it and it’ll stick with me the rest of my life guaranteed.

Some more things to note as i’ve had time to think: even more horrifying.. is the fact that Phillip has been here for hundreds of years.... hell just the decades he spent before reuniting with his brother.. and in ALL THAT TIME he’s gained ZERO empathy for the people of the isles. Not one shred. See I can accept someone’s past shaping them into a bad person: Phillip was raised in a time where his belifies that wiches were evil and needed to be stamped out were normal. So him STARTING there is understandable. People raised with a prejudice can find it hard to shake it.

But the thing that makes phillip such a monster.. is that he didn’t. He’s spent hundreds of years beliving he’s the hero of his story, that these are just “savages” who need to be culled, instead of innocent people who are just diffrent. He gained no empathy, never tried to care, just stuck to it like any hardcore racist would. And as we learned via the photos, and via friends thankfully putting them all in collages... Caleb, if that’s his name, DID change. He did grow, he met a wife, fell in love had children.. and because Phillip coudln’t, he killed them all. All of them. Innocent people HIS OWN BROTHER because he coudln’t let go of his beliefs. The show stumbled at first dealing with prejudice, with the whole conformatium thing being about a subtle as a frying pan to the face

But now instead it’s showing just how prejudice can poison a person, make them do awful things and how a person can hold steadfast to an inhernetly wrong systme of belifes no matter how long, no matter how much it hurts their family or other people: they have to want to change.. and Phillip wants to slaughter billions instead. And it looks like little can stop him at this point.

So moving onto hunter.. yeah... I hope he went to willow or.. anywhere other than the woods because

Is in pain, has learned everything he knew was a lie and needs help. Get him a warm blanket willow damn you! ... just kidding I know you will my child. But yeah hunter himself shows the opposite: shows someone indocrinated, and as seen with his predecsors time adn time again... who breaks it again, and again. Hunter always WANTED to undrestand the isles wether it was his human basiss or his predecssors or him now... and tha’ts what seperates him from the montser that made him: the want to grow, to change, and to ultimately move pass the ideas that are holding him back. I hope he finds peace and willow smooches, he deserves it.

So there was other stuff in this episode right? Oh yes Team RED was proven to be canon. Jess came up with that stands for Rahne Eberwolf Darius

I’m kicking myself for not having thought of it first. I mean their might be more but for now they were great and Darius planning to flea.. only to help the minute he found out his baby boy was in danger, was great, as was Rahne being confused as the rest of us as to what hooty is. We also had Eda use the rest of the titan blood which...

I mean.... you have a whole glove. I get it needs a kick but like.. please tell me you didn’t use ALL of it when you didn’t have to. That’s the ONLY part of this ep that didn’t work for me: framing it as an all or nothing descision when as we’ve seen just ONE finger can power a portal, a powerful time pool dowsing rod, and god knows what else. If they used one THEN it didn’t work i’d understand but otherwise yeah, there was no reason for that. It’s still a risky proposition for sure, but as King poitned out “there’s no point in getting luz home if we can’t save her first”, so using one really shoudlv’e been a non issue.

Otherwise.. this episode was a masterpiece. From start to finish it was expertly paced, chillingly tense (I didn’t even talk about th egiant mound of screaming palismen we thought was belos... speaking of which

and beauitfully acted. This is the series finest episode, and the kickoff to what’s bound to be a tense as hell ride to the finish. Amphibia starts it’s endgame next week but Owl House.. it started right here.. and we still have a quarter of a season to go....

Newts in Tights

So yeah like Owl House last week, Amphibia this week, on both shorts is lighter since next week...

So this week is more some fun side adventures with even MORE season 1 callbacks. Seriously Matt Braly has reached Eichiro Oda levels of making seemingly innocuous shit into a chekovs gun aimed straight at your heart. And again while obviously Owl House not only steals the show but the whole theater this week, these are still good episode and I still absolutely loved this one. Though it helped they brought back one of my faviorite characters from season 1, one I’d HOPED would come back and sure enough here we are: Trinito, the Enigo Montoya inspired gentleman theif who taught our heroes to fight.. then tried to frame them for robbery. The loveable scamp.

This one weirdly also has JUST anne and sprig.. which wouldn’t be an issue given their trying to just have the people from that ep, but it’s weird to omit polly. And her not being in focus in general is VERY weird to me as not only did her quest to get him a new body on earth NEVER go anywhere (She’d got as far as “racing car” before they ahd to go) but now their on amphibia, where andrias has whole bases full of stuff she could use to fix him and their killing robots on the reg giving her plenty of parts, it never comes up. Even though having their own robot soldier would be VERY useful to the rebellion and something they’d priortize and they have blacksmithing tools, so Polly could likely improvise given how much she learned about robotics. It’s just weird to have this obvious plot point completely ignored every episode.

Anyways the ep is good though as it explains WHY Trinito has no loyalty to anyone or anything as well as giving him a loveable band of robin hood style rogues he’s clearly gotten fond of. As for the why he was abandoned as a child, and every crew he ran with stabbed him in the back so eventaully he just started betraying peopl ebefore they could betray him and fully plans to abandon his new crew till anne guilts him out of it, pointing out THEY haven’t betrayed him and as much as he’s loath to admit it.. he does care about them. It’s also clever showing some amphibains signed up with andrias (which isn’t a huge shock, he’s scary and some people will gladly sign on with the opresssoers if it means they’ll stop beating them with sticks...

And some fun robin hood inspired minons.. also Marcy CLEARLY showed him disney’s robin hood right? I mean she strikes me like she’d have it on her phone along with as many anime as god gave her storage for, and I don’t see how else Andrias would’ve come up with this. Unless there’s a robin hood on this planet which given they ahve a stan and a soos.. possibly. Point is I have a lot of questions about this one and most of them are rediculous.

Overall this was a fun, swashbuckling ep bringing back an old faviorite. Not a ton to go into, but still good and still a nice pallete clenser after

So good stuff.

Fight or Flight

So yeah everyone thought this was going to be about marcy and I perosnally thought it’d be someone we know like the lady who helped anne charge the box or Oliva and Yunan, or a false flag operation with marcy. Instead of ALL the characters who anne needs to rescue.. it’s Domino 2

Granted The Domino 2 ep is an early faviorite and highly memorable, so bringing them back isn’t a HUGE swerve.. but it is still pretty weird this close to the end of all things... though to matt’s credit he justified it in a way I didn’t see coming. Trinito came back because he’s a skilled fighter, can train people and is a great strategists, so while it HAD been a while his was more obvious. But Domino 2 makes just as much sense as, after Anne convinces sprigg to reluctantly help her (and sprigg reluctantly convinces everyone else to catsit for her PRECIOUS PRECOIUS BABIES), not only is she proven right her cat-moth-sprigg-eater remembered her, but it’s the ALPHA giving them air calvary. Some use pegasai, our boys, girls and others got fucking MOTHS son.

The episode overall is mostly a bit of fun as Sprig isn’t into this and nearly gets eaten a bunch, everyone falls for baby kitties and it ends exactly the way you’d expect

And it still provides valuable setup for the finale. All in all a fun episode. Not much to say honestly, but it’s still a brilliant call back and a nice bit of fun before shit gets real.

Next Week: Shit gets real as our heroes prepare for war and the final arc begins! Meanwhile in owl house shit has already gotten real and gets realer. This week was hunter’s turn to break, next weak King falls apart as we finally find out what his deal is.

If you enjoyed this review consider following for more or joining my patreon. Have a good day and thanks for reading.

Patreon!

#amphibia #the owl house #the golden guard #phillip whittebane #emperor belos #hunter owl house #luz noceda #anne boonchuy #sprigg plantar #disney critical #disney #disney+

23 notes · View notes

beloved-cat-gremlin · 2 years

Text

This might be a topic that not a lot of people in the TOH fandom are gonna be interested in but this is Tumblr, no one cares about anyone's opinions, it's a hellsite so I'll just be dumping this out

As a side note, if anyone has a different opinion about this topic than me, that's fine

So for starters I speak both German and English, with German being my first language

Yet I mostly watch shows in English, TOH being no exception. I have always watched it in English and I will always watch it in English

However that did not stop my curiosity from checking out the German dub of the show to hear what they have done with it. Because usually the German dub for something isn't actually that bad. Gravity Falls did an amazing German dub, so I had some high hopes for this one

But let me tell you, I was let down massively

For starters the main trio did not have the best voices. Luz was probably the best out of them but she also didn't sound like her whole heart was in it. Eda sounds really dull and kinda emotionless and I'm not even gonna start on King. For those who are curious like me, go look up clips of his German voice online. All I can say is that every time he spoke I was laughing just at how bad it was

And sadly this is how most of the voices in the German dub were handled

They either sounded just wrong, really dull as if the VAs didn't even try to voice them, or they somehow just messed up the voices entirely. The big examples being King and S1 Gus who sounds like S2 Gus

And Raine… well they are a whole different can of worms that I will not go into, but I am sure you guys can imagine what the issue here is

Sure there are some good moments of voice acting in the dub

The Blight twins and Amity have some really good voices that are on par with the English ones

And I actually like Belos' and Hunter's voices as well. Although they almost sound like their personalities are switched up, with Belos having a slightly sassy tone and Hunter sounding more bored and strict

(On a side note: I think it's really funny that the German VA for Belos is named Philipp)

But sadly the overall dub just isn't great and I normally don't say it, or don't like saying it, but the German dub really let me down for once and I'm a little disappointed about it.

Again this is a topic that might not be interesting to read about at all, but I think we also should take a look at how this amazing show is treated and presented outside of the English speaking region

(Additional note: please don't take this as me hating on the VAs for the dub. I actually recognized a lot of them from different medias that I watched in German, and I know that they are trying their best. Sometimes the voice acting is actually really good, but the voices just don't fit)

#the owl house #toh #rambles #no art

16 notes · View notes

darthkvznblogs · 2 years

Note

Have you seen the latest Owl House and Amphibia episodes yet?

I finally did yesterday, yeah. My usual places took a bit longer than usual to upload them. They were both pretty good!

Them's the Breaks Kid was mostly just a really cute romp through the start of Raine and Eda's relationship, of course with that sweet, sweet plot twist at the end. Of note, I was very excited to see the new Glyph combos - though it's kinda starting to strain my suspension of disbelief, admittedly, because I can't imagine using more than a handful of Glyphs would be practical with the flash card system Luz has going on - and how they're basically yet another confirmation of the connection between Philip and Belos (and side note, starting to suspect the artificial magic staves just have the Glyphs within them and arrange them into the combo settings). Also really appreciate that Raine really is much more powerful and skilled than they appear, and that Bard magic is a force to be reckoned with.

I don't watch horror movies, so I only caught some of the surface level references to Midsommar in The Root of Evil, but it was cool to see the evil mind control shroom return (even if we had to sacrifice Jeremy the Beetle to get them). The Core and the King was super interesting, though I'd say it also felt a little bit rushed - I wish it had been a double length episode, and a much more comprehensive of Andrias, Barrel, and Leif's relationship. It kinda felt like Andrias turned on Leif on a dime, for example, which while in character, it also felt like he had zero qualms about murdering his best friend (and possibly more) in the span of like a minute.

I've seen some peeps complain that Darcy (lol, canon) didn't feel nearly as threatening this episode. I get that, but I think what they're going for is some subtle fridge horror, not necessarily something in your face. Darcy's kinda goofy on the surface (so far) but you can't convince me it's not horrific that this gestalt entity of mostly elderly Newt royals is clumsily piloting around the body of a 13 year old girl, seemingly entirely without her input, speaking with her voice and acting with her mannerisms. @the-literary-lord

#ask box #anon ask #the owl house #amphibia #toh spoilers #amphibia spoilers

12 notes · View notes

ordinaryschmuck · 3 years

Text

What I Thought About "Echoes of the Past" from The Owl House

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

What probably gets debated the most in the fandom is the legitimacy behind King being the King of Demons. Some believe that there's truth to his statement, while others, like me, like to think that he was just some stray Eda picked up off the streets. Either option seemed likely, especially since Season One never gave an answer that leaned one way or the other.

Then here comes the writers finally answering the question of who King is in episode THREE of Season Two! Because, again, they don't waste time on giving fans exactly what they want.

Fans wanted answers behind King, we got 'em, and analyzing what those answers mean requires going deep into spoilers. So if you haven't checked the episode out yet, I highly recommend that you do. Trust me, it's worth seeing.

Now let's review, shall we?

WHAT I LIKED

Luz Experimenting with Spells: Hey, look! More proof that Luz isn't an idiot like some people flanderize her to be!

But, seriously though, this is a perfect little thread to introduce into the story. Luz collecting knowledge from Lilith's old books and past work she and Eda made adds to Luz's intelligence while also providing a believable explanation for how she gets new spells. It's also nice to see that she has this little notebook (or spellbook) to help see what works and what doesn't. It's a level of experimentation that proves her dedication to becoming a witch while also exemplifying how she isn't stupid. Occasionally reckless, sure, but you can't say that the person who figured out an invisibility spell through showing her work is also an idiot.

Francios with a Knife: How did Francois get a knife? I don't know. But the fact that a random knife plopped out behind him with little to no explanation is funny, and I will not hear otherwise.

I don't make the rules. I just abide by them.

Luz’s Invisibility Spell: I breezed past this, but I honestly love this invisibility spell. More specifically, I love that there's a limiter. It can turn you, objects, and people you're in contact with invisible, but only as long as you can hold your breath. It helps make the spell something the characters can't always rely on, which is appreciated. Because if it works as long as they concentrate, what's stopping them from sneaking into Belos' castle and assassinating him in his sleep? It's a smart way of explaining why they can't always rely on something, despite how insanely useful it is.

Luz: Let's gush about Luz some more, shall we!

"Echoes of the Past" is another episode that has Luz on top form. She is constantly supportive of King, even if Lilith has a point in the dangers of indulging his fantasy as a powerful tyrant. Doing so would cause more harm than good, especially when King finds out Luz doesn't believe him, but her going along with it was all done with the best of intentions. Luz doesn't want to hurt her friend, and even if she did in the long run, she still makes up for it by helping King learn more about his past.

And, as another reminder, Luz isn't stupid. She's the first to say they should leave when it's clear how dangerous the castle is and is quick to figure out there should be more at the top. Luz is a loyal and caring friend who's also guarded and intuitive when the situation calls for it. This episode understood that, so here's hoping other fans will too.

Lilith: Yeah, she's still growing on me.

I feel like this episode shows a better idea of Lilith's place in the group more than the past two. She's a person who's obsessed with knowledge and learning but considers herself above the jovial nature of King, Luz, and definitely Eda. Therefore, she acts as the perfect catalyst for what jumpstarts this week's adventure. It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that she almost instantly dismisses King's claims due to considering herself more knowledgeable than everyone else. Still, I like how she's willing to believe King once she finally sees evidence that seemingly proves he really was the King of Demons, to the point of referring to him as "her lord." Hooty does the same thing, but it comes across as him fearing for his own life and choosing to be friends with someone who could maybe kill him in an instant. For Lilith, her newfound respect comes from the desire to learn more, and it's that desire that makes Lilith an enjoyable character to me. It's adorable to see, and it has some comedic flavor in moments like when she dismisses everyone else and their emotional revelations to take pictures of the carvings around her. I'm sure she'll cause some controversy like other characters with rushed reformations, but for me, I'm more than ok with her addition to the main cast.

More of Lilith’s and Hooty’s Friendship: HOW DOES THIS WORK!?

ON PAPER, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE A BAD IDEA, BUT IT F**KING WORKS!

HOW?!

WHAT BLACK MAGIC DID THESE WRITERS USE TO MAKE A RELATIONSHIP SO UNEXPECTED COME ACROSS AS SO ENDEARING AND ADORABLE?!

And where can I get some for my stories...just asking.

But seriously: HOW?!

Hooty Making Himself Portable: Ah, yes. The classic bit where a character does something horrifically grotesque off-screen, and we have nothing but character reactions and sound effects to imagine what happened between shot A and shot B. It's an oldie, but given how hard I was laughing (mostly because of Luz's gagging), it's still a goodie.

Eda’s Portable Bathtub Boat Thing: I mean...I was expecting Eda would use something to catch up with the others, but...that thing...well...I mean, I'm still laughing just by thinking about it. That should tell you how well executed this joke was.

John Luke: ...I'm gonna go ahead and add him to the list because HOLY S**T was this guy disturbing! From his design to his movements to even the sounds he makes when moving, everything about John Luke screams as something that will stay in kids' nightmares for a while. Now, this might seem like a complaint, but to be honest, I'm more than alright with how creepy John Luke is. I highly doubt adult viewers will consider John Luke scary, but I guarantee he'll terrify some of the youngins that this series is aimed for. And that's fine. It's good to creep kids out a little bit with something somewhat scary, as it might introduce them to more good horror stories later in life.

Plus, the reveal that John Luke was only a guard for King is pretty solid narratively speaking. You can see how John never really meant to hurt King aside from one accident when Eda escaped with him. If you want to read into it, I guess it might be questionable to tell kids that something that looks dangerous is secretly nice, but that's really nitpicky, in my opinion. John Luke was a fantastic threat that is designed and animated well, with a solidly executed twist. Some might hate what he presents, most will fear him, but we can all agree on one thing: His theme is awesome (can I get the track for that, please)!

King’s Backstory: Finally, at long last, we know who King is, thus putting an end to a year-long debate. And I fully mean it when I say that the writers gave the best possible answer. Because in a way, everyone was right. Yes, King was just an animal that Eda decided to adopt, like the nature-loving hippie she is inside (She's got the hair for it). However, while he may not be the King of Demons himself, he is still the son of someone who deserves that title. So while he isn't the King, there's a chance he might be the Prince. Once again, there's no direct answer, but given how the writers came up with something that pleases everyone while still providing more questions for debate, it acts as a brilliant move, in my opinion. So whatever answer we get next, I'm sure it will be just as perfect.

Baby King:

My heart was not prepared for that level of cuteness!

King’s Breakdown: NOR WAS IT READY FOR THIS LEVEL OF SADNESS!

But in all seriousness, a HUGE round of applause to Alex Hirsch for his performance in this episode. He expertly captured the raw emotions of shock, anger, betrayal, and sadness that King must have felt when finding out that everything he believed he was is a lie. It's one of those moments where I don't hear a person voicing lines in a booth (or wherever the hell VAs are voicing characters nowadays), but instead hear a living person being emotionally torn apart. It was heartbreaking seeing King so vulnerable as he's so guarded with his emotions. Seeing him like this adds so much more layers to a character that many would mistake him as a cute, comedic animal sidekick. But just like with Luz, there's more to him than people will tell you.

“I don’t even know what’s real or fake anymore!”: I'm just pointing out this line because I believe it's what convinces Luz to help King learn more about who he is. Hell, not knowing what's real or fake is the main reason why Luz got sent away in the first place, so I feel like she can relate to King when he's in a similar predicament.

Hooty and Lilith vs John Luke: This was just a cool scene with some epic moments of dodging John Luke's attacks and some funny ones, like how Hooty said the word "pain." It's a ten out of ten that I would rewind to watch again.

King’s Other Horn: I'd question the logistics of how a horn that got broken off when he was a baby still manages to fit perfectly in the present...but it is neat symbolism of King accepting his past and letting it be a part of him, so who cares?

(The fact that the colors of the broken-off piece don't match the rest of the horn is nice attention to detail as well.)

WHAT I DISLIKED

It's a Little Too Predictable: I pretty much figured almost every little twist the episode offers. But, I'm willing to say that's because I'm in my twenties, and I've seen enough stories similar to this one, so I'm more likely to know what will happen. The little monsters watching this will see it for the first time, so they'll most likely get more surprised than me...And that was my only complaint about the episode...which is more of a personal problem than an actual issue...I guess that means it's perfect.

IN CONCLUSION

"Echoes of the Past" is an easy A+ in my book. It gives lore and backstory that furtherly develops the characters that episodes like this should. It also tells a tragic story about King that still sprinkles in a few good jokes every now and again to lighten up the mood. Sure, there are some nitpicks I could mention (how did King remember his own birth?). But when the good stuff is done so well, what's the point of dwelling on small, insignificant issues? This is still a phenomenal episode that flew past all expectations I had for it, and it continues the winning steak this season is having so far.

(But that's still three home runs in a row. Meaning that a stinker is coming. Ooiee, is it coming!)

#the owl house #the owl house season 2 #king of demons #luz noceda #lilith clawthorne #toh hooty #the owl house reviews #what i thought about

50 notes · View notes

i-may-be · 2 years

Text

TOH OCS

Claramond Blight

Age: 19

Pronouns: She/they

Coven: The Emperors Coven, specialises in Healing.

Palisman: Wolf, with the name Liv.

Alignment: True Neutral

Sexuality: Unlabeled

Nicknames: Lara(Amity, Emira+Edirc). Claymond(previous Hexside friendgroup).

Picrew: https://picrew.me/image_maker/117958/complete?cd=3upQ2gmim6

Warning: A lot is under the cut, I spent days on this it was fun. Please proceed with caution, there is way too much.

CHARACTER PSYCHE

Claramond believes that the Coven system is corrupt and limiting, especially since joining the Emperors Coven. Since she has worked closely to the Golden Guard, she has grown a quiet distrust of Emperor Belos, seeing the pressure and manipulation used against the Golden Guard. While they recognise the faults, they make no progress in preventing them on a mass scale, instead comforting close friends and family to not feel pressured or confined to it. Due to the emotional abuse, Claramond's first reaction to the world is that everyone is out to get you and that the world is a place where you can only trust a few people.

They value their family- found or biological- and responsibility. Claramond sympathises with Hunter and having to feel committed to family, despite trying to help him develope his self worth outside of what his "Uncle" says. They have grown particularly distasteful of their father because of his lack of responsibility and accountability, as he acts as an enabler to Odelia's abusive behaviours.

Claramond is motivated by caring for and guiding those she loves; like her younger siblings or Hunter. She wishes to help those she loves, helping them feel comforted with her and themselves. To see those she loves and cares about finding happy lives for themselves and helping them on their way there is her motivation.

Claramond often feels apatheic to how people outside of their circle feel. They feel angry, though they tend to bury their emotions and only notice it when it resurges and blows over. They worry often, mostly for those they care about, sweeping their own needs under the rug. She's afraid of letting the people she loves down- specifically her siblings and Hunter- despising the idea of potentially enforcing negative ideology into them.

Looking at herself, Claramond is often self critical. She psychoanalyses every little mistake she makes and stops at nothing to correct them, neglecting other things. She feels a lot of pressure and feels responsiblle when those close to her fail; a lot of that pressure they place on themselves because they apply it to their worth. Her hatred and critical view on herself often negatively affect those around her as they also worry for her and she can overshadow their own agency subconciously.

It's very hard to see Claramond as anything but an intimidating and powerful witch upon first meeting her. She has a very neutral and quiet demeanor, speaking in a very level and factual way. It's hard to notice their habits if you do not know them well, as they are fantastic at being similar to an abomination, doing as told and being- for the most part- a reliable servant to Emperor Belos. The most human thing about their behaviour is the side-eye they give you when you have annoyed them.

Your perception of them is turned on it's head instantly when you see them with their family, becoming much more affectionate and animated. She smiles, cups their faces, fixes their clothes, anything you can think of to show the love she has for her younger siblings. Even with Hunter and later Luz, Claramond slowly becomes more physically affectionate and open to them. She pats Luz on the head, and places her hand on Hunter's shoulder, a change from her arms usual place behind her back or holding her Palisman staff.

They tend to respond quickly, having seemingly thought out everything you were going to say, controlling the conversation without being offensive and still giving you time to speak. They have a very unemotive expression and even sound to their voice. Their eyes close for a moment longer when they lie, but otherwise their is no telling that they are lying.

When with those they wish to comfort or know well, they loosen up. They are much snappier and sarcastic, though they still only express themselves physically with their eyes, their face not being used to making more exaggerated expressions.

Claramond has a poised posture; she shows clear confidence and self assurance in the way she stands, walks, even sits. When standing, her hands are held behind her back, or otherwise one is held behind her back as she holds her Palisman staff. When walking, she keeps her upright posture, walking at a steady and fast pace, her arms walking with her. Sitting down, her legs are kept close together and her hands are put together, sitting on her lap. You would almost suspect that she is trying to take up as little space as possible.

When around people she's comfortable with, she allows herself to let her guard down. Her hand figet more as she holds them close to her chest, and she often appears a little out of it, looking off into the distance focusing on something she's spotted. She isn't as professional, often messing with her hair or inspecting tiny nitpicks or damage in furniture. You don't feel her eyes burning into your soul as much as they originally were, and it's at that point that you can realise that you've gained her trust.

During combat, she exploits her opponents weaknesses, using all she knows about them against them. She's observant, and uses her sharp eyes to spot openings. She has a very unique way of talking, by resuming a bored expression and stay silent, making no more sound than annoying grunts. She's light on her feet, specilising in tiring her opponent out rather than taking them on in combat skill.

Though Claramond has little time for hobbies, having a job that's basically just around the clock babysitting, she manages. She enjoys researching Healing Magic more indepthly that other magics. She is exceptionally gifted in it and enjoys the focus on psychological healing in the course, often applying it to help those she cares about. She also bakes, with minimum cooking in addition. Her favourite to bake are banana bread, apple tarts and snickerdoodle cookies. They embrace literature, never without a book to read; they especially enjoy detective mysteries and sci-fi, though they will delve into anything with action and adventure, enjoying looking at the characters especially.

Claramond likes the woods. She enjoys walking through the shrouded canopies of the Boiling Isles, despite the dangers. She enjoys the feeling of fulfillment when she's made those she loves a little happier, putting a smile on their face. She likes sharing a relationship with her Palisman Liv, talking together, sharing looks, having someone you can always trust. They love control in the sense of knowing if someone you love is ok. They love being able to look out for them and making sure they can be protected from other's with her own power. She loves hearing people talk, having someone feel free to open their heart to you and share what they love.

They hate loneliness, the thought of being alone, without even Liv to comfort them as they are stuck with themself for too long. They hate being misinformed, kept out of secrets and important conversations. They dislike artificial light, preferring candlelight during nights and dark evenings. She hates biographies; finding them self indulgent and boring. She hates seeing those she cares about in danger, being unable to help in any way. She hates the Coven Heads, who treat her like a glorified Abomination stood to act on their every command, nothing more than a prop at their disposal. They hate their parents, who spent years making them feel like they had no choice but to be a servant to those of higher status, and for inflicting toxic ideology into their younger siblings heads, and they hate their parents the most because they are so happy together.

CHARACTER HISTORY

Three years older than the twins, Claramond was the first to be exposed to her parents parenting tactics. She grew up with every moment of her life controlled, Odelia attempting to make her into a child who was obediant to a fault, acing tests(or the equivilant for young children, stars or something) and being forced to grow up at a fast rate, even more so after Emira and Edric's birth.

The pressure of being an obediant child and worthy role model- by Odelia's stadards- for her younger siblings left Claramond suffocated with extra-curricular actvities and without any identity outside of what her mother applied to her. She lived like this for years, without proper sleep, an immense amount of pressure on her shoulders and with a very limited social life that was kept strictly to school.

This was how [EXTRACTED] found their way into Claramond's life! A classmate of Claramond, who found their way into detention often, decided Claramond was much to secretive for their liking. While Claramond consistently shunned every interaction, the consistent nature of [EXTRACTED] slowly wore down her tall walls. They were forced into the Hexside friendgroup and it brought a substantial amount of unwanted attention to not only Claramond, but all of their new friends. Odelia was bound to find out soon.

Due to the slow influence of the rebellious witch, Claramond's attitude changed slowly, but surely enough to catch the attention of her parents. Very unwanted attention, might I add. Claramond- who would have been 15 at this time- was starting to diverge and explore herself outside of what her mother told her she could do, and her mother hated it.

Odelia's influence seeped into the newfound, happy life like an inevitable poison. Discourse among the friendgroup was persistent, and Claramond's guilt seemed as if it would never see it's end. Not only had she brought her mother's wrath upon her friends, but Odelia wouldn't calm down once they were home either, her younger siblings were suffering alongside them.

After months of the drama, Claramond found the everbearing flaw in Odelia's work, a Blight always upholds their end of the deal.

Over several drafts to make sure there were no loopholes Odelia could find and exploit, Claramond proposed a deal to their mother. In a summary of the deal; Odelia would stop interfering with Claramond's friends' lives and Claramond would uphold and promote Blight Industries in the Emperors Coven.

And with this deal, Claramond joined the Emperors Coven after graduation, quickly climbing the ranks to where they stand now. While

CHARACTER NOTES

Claramond seems to make an effort to keep up with her small friendgroup from Hexside and look out for them silently, despite the fact that they have not spoken since their graduation and the agreement she made with her mother.

Claramond acts like a mother to their younger siblings, despite not being incredibly older than them. They is constantly reminding the twins to take accountability and watch over Amity while she is working with the Emperors Coven.

Since joining the Emperors Coven and being personally assigned by Emperor Belos to watch over Hunter, Claramond has become a constant figure of support for Hunter. She watches out for him and tries to consistently hand out her support, despite being turned down quickly and often passive aggressively.

When speaking to people, they tend to drop comments about their siblings. Hunter has complained about it time and time again but they don't appear to be stopping anytime soon.

*Liv(Norse), cover, shield, life.

*Claramond(German), bright protector.

*Wolves symbolises leadership, power, protection and family.

*[EXTRACTED}'s name will be added when I confirm their name.

#toh oc #toh ocs #the owl house #haydens ocs!!!#blight oc #blight family #toh #this is what I've been procrastinating matchups for im so sorry

4 notes · View notes

sepublic · 4 years

Text

Gus meeting the Blight Twins!

With regards to recent developments with characters and whatnot… I think it’d be interesting to see Gus interact with Emira and Edric. Gus is someone who is proudly a dweebus, like his father Perry before him, and so on and so forth; He mentions a ‘long’ line of dweebuses to Eda, after all! So there’s this shared concept of a family lineage that one ‘lives up to’, or at least carries out… Although given how well-adjusted Gus is compared to the Blight kids, obviously Perry was far more lenient about it than Odalia and Alador, and Gus’ interest in being a nerd was something genuine that came from a legitimate appreciation of his dad!

Meanwhile, Emira and Edric clearly make fun of the idea of being a nerd, although they don’t seem maliciously against it, nor do they seem like people who’d insist on bullying someone else… The exception of course is Amity, but they still DO care for her as their little sister. Plus, there may have been concerns about what Amity’s dedication to schoolwork was doing for her mental health, how a lot of that may have come from the expectations of their parents… And so it can make it difficult to discern where Amity legit enjoys learning, and where she’s doing this for Odalia and Alador.

That could lead to maybe the Blight Twins infantilizing Amity, believing they ‘know’ her better than others, and wanting Amity to get away from being a nerd and teasing her about it… When in reality, like Amity herself probably, they don’t realize the distinction between learning, and school itself as a system, particularly under Belos’ rule. Regardless, after seeing what when on with Mittens, and their concern for her amidst it (even if they didn’t handle this concern very productively despite likely meaning to)… I have to wonder how this could apply to Gus?

I can see the Blight Twins getting to know Gus, they think he’s a cute little kid, and like everybody else, they adopt him as a little brother! Gus eats it all up, he’s a kid who likes the attention of course. No doubt, Emira and Edric are inspired by Gus’ skill with illusions, likely seeing him as capable of being better than even them, and encourage it! Gus, of course, is flattered and feels better about himself.

It’d be cute to see Ed and Em give Gus a few pointers on Illusions… Maybe receiving a lesson or two from him, because even if they don’t like school or learning, they’d at least enjoy the pragmatic effects of illusions in pulling off pranks and their little rebellions! However, I can also see them maybe looking down on Gus as being even younger to them than Amity is… Without meaning to, they might accidentally contribute to Gus’ feelings of being overlooked. Especially since Emira and Edric might try to encourage Gus to join in on their mischief, or ‘misuse’ his lessons to pull off pranks…

Gus could feel a bit conflicted. But on the other hand, he HAS gone through growth, and Perry was clearly a much more supporting parent than Odalia and Alador. I can see Gus vouching for himself, refusing to participate in anything… And worst-case scenario, Emira and Edric wonder why he’s being so stuck-up, but otherwise they respect the kid’s decisions, and don’t try to force him in! They didn’t hold any grudges against Luz for going against their plan to post Amity’s diary entries, after all. Maybe Gus enjoys the role of being a teacher, but also feels obligated to do more than just provide academic lessons, but emotional ones as well…

Either through Luz, through his observations of Amity’s crippling self-loathing, and/or hearing down the grapevine… Gus realizes that Emira and Edric aren’t doing so well! Maybe he tries to ‘set them on the right track’, or at least try to provide some form of therapy… He probably feels bad because Odalia and Alador are utter trash, whilst current evidence points towards Perry being one of the best parents this show has to offer!

And while I can see Ed and Em being touched and flattered by the gesture, maybe they’re also put off by it as well, because Gus is WAY too young to be telling them what to do… But like with Luz, they hold no grudges and mostly just appreciate the sentiment, at least. Maybe this contributes to Gus feeling like he’s not listened to, and maybe some genuine concern for Ed and Em as yet another addition to his collection of surrogate older siblings… I can also see Gus getting in over his head, thinking he really DOES know best, and perhaps intruding on some boundaries!

Which, this could lead to Emira and Edric maybe getting a bit more hostile, if they see similarities to Amity because of this… And then they might realize that hey, Gus IS a lot like Mittens, in a sense! They’re both young, child prodigies who do incredibly well, they speak of a family lineage they’re proud of and apparently feel obligated to carry out… Amity is aiming for the Emperor’s Coven, but even SHE hasn’t ascended a few grades like Gus has! Which could lead to some concern for Gus, that maybe Perry is pressuring him, maybe imposing the ‘Porter’ legacy onto the kid…

And while Gus DOES have some insecurities here or there, of being younger than the rest in his grade- I’m pretty sure he’s ultimately happy with the decision, and it’s something he agreed to alongside Perry! I say this because he’s clearly more happy and confident in himself than most of the cast, really, and if he DID have an issue with being above his grade… Like with Willow, the kid probably would’ve had this addressed and changed. I think it’s more than likely that Gus actually enjoys learning a lot, and he DOES appreciate ascending a few grades- He really seems to enjoy Illusions! It’s just that as a kid, and because of his unusual situation, he’s entitled to some insecurity here or there, but in the end, he doesn’t regret his decision; Just as Eda may have suffered from loneliness as a Wild Witch, but she DID choose this, she’d never change her mind to become a covenscout, and maybe her sister Lilith needs to acknowledge this!

Which, if Emira and Edric also act as (surrogate) older siblings, like Lilith was to Eda… Then maybe they’ll have to learn to recognize Gus’ own decision and autonomy when it came to passing a few grades. Or at the very least, they first try to do things for Gus’ ‘own good’ like they did with Amity… Perhaps they misread the situation Gus has with Perry, maybe they project some of their own experiences, and accidentally try to vicariously live out another rebellion against parents through Gus…

Either way, they try to get Gus to rebel, to care less for his grades, to not listen to Perry, etc. And while Gus may at least learn to voice a thing or two with Perry (assuming he hasn’t already), it could lead to an artificial rift between father and son. Gus might feel uncomfortable, but he also recognizes that Ed, Em, and Amity WERE abused, so maybe they DO know better what his situation at home is actually like…

Spoiler alert, Emira and Edric have no idea! And while they mean well, this could lead to them trying the same tactics as they did with Amity, towards Gus… Again, encouraging him not to be a ‘rule-follower’, unintentionally belittling him and encouraging Gus to listen to them! Maybe not- Emira and Edric MAY have learned their lesson with Amity by now, but it’s not out of the question for them to occasionally, accidentally, relapse into old habits. Abuse and toxicity are hard to unlearn, man.

Maybe Emira and Edric even convince Gus to move back down to a lower grade! But in the end, Gus isn’t happy with this, he feels his intellectual needs aren’t being meant and his mind isn’t stimulated enough- He misses being back at his older grade level! Emira and Edric might try to dismiss this, that this is for his own good… But in the end, Gus has a lot of self-respect. He’s not Amity, nor Willow… He’s a lot more like Luz in that regard. He WILL eventually have to vouch for himself, and/or Emira and Edric will notice how uncomfortable he is before that has to happen.

In the end, Ed and Em realize that they’ve been mistakenly projecting their own insecurities onto Gus, and that they’ve screwed him over like they did Mittens, assuming they know the best; When in reality they don’t! This could lead to a crisis for the two, doubting their own judgment in anything… And Gus reassures the Twins that while they’re not perfect, they DID make progress against Odalia and Alador, and at least they’re trying! And then Gus says he’s proud of them, as a teacher, and as a ‘little brother’ to them in a sense… And Emira and Edric remember that even though Gus is a little kid, he knows a lot and has a lot of advice to offer- So they accept this, and they accept Gus’ autonomy and decision.

When Gus refers to being a part of a ‘long line of dweebuses’, he takes pride because his relationship with Perry is likely pretty good, and he genuinely looks up to his father and admires him because of this… And Gus WANTS to be a dweebus, because it’s something to be proud of; Knowing who you are and sticking with it! It’s Perry making Gus self-confident, that causes the kid to take pride in the Porter legacy, so to speak…

I can see some apologies being made, especially if Gus may have gone overboard himself, here or there- Maybe to the same extent as Ed and Em, maybe not. Either way, I can see Emira and Edric trying to leave Gus alone, for fear that they’ll just mess him up like they did Amity… And either Gus respectfully gives the two time to figure themselves out, and/or he once again reassures them! And Emira and Edric are baffled at how precocious this kid is, but are also impressed, while recognizing that Gus is still a kid by the end of the day and needs emotional support, just as much as anyone else, just as much as Mittens…!

And, I can see this leading to Emira and Edric better understanding Amity, and treating her with more love and respect; Especially now that they know that her situation is certifiably worse than Gus’. Obviously I can’t compare insecurities and act like Gus’ are lesser than Amity’s, his feelings are still valid… But let’s be real, Odalia and Alador are objectively worse than Perry! Either way, Gus DOES pass on a lot of wisdom to the twins, and ends up improving the Blight siblings’ relationship without even meaning to! Way to go, kid.

#the owl house #owl house #the owl house gus #gus porter #the owl house edric #edric blight #the owl house emira #emira blight #the owl house perry #perry porter #augustus porter #speculation

44 notes · View notes

patrickstargang · 4 years

Text

Luz and the Lights (Owl House fic)

Yesterday felt like a blur to Luz, so much had happened in so little time that it didn’t even register that she fought against the ruler of the Boiling Isles. She woke up like it was any other day. It also didn’t register that Lilith was staying with them now since her first reaction to seeing her in the morning was immediate panic followed by slowly remembering her helping free Eda, taking away her curse, and so on.

After the panic subsided, Luz began the lessons she promised to Eda and Lilith. The two of them- plus King- sat on the couch with a piece of paper and a pencil in front of them. Luz quickly demonstrated the light spell, drawing the symbol on a loose piece of paper without having to think about it. Eda drew the symbol, but the circle wasn’t symmetrical and the lines were not the slightest bit straight.

Eda looked at the paper unamused. She tapped the paper with her pencil. Nothing. She tapped it two times. Still nothing. She tapped it repeatedly with a bit of rhythm to it. Still nothing.

“Am I missing something, I’m drawing it just like you showed me.” Eda kept tapping the paper both in annoyance and confusion.

“Well for one, you don’t really have a perfect circle. And these lines need to be a bit cleaner if you want it to work.”

Eda’s frown quickly vanished, noting just how observant Luz has gotten with the small details of her spells. She flipped the paper over to try again.

“Well kid, it seems like drawing a ‘perfect circle’ comes to you pretty easily”

Luz smiled and shrugged at the comment.

“I mean, I’ve done a lot of drawing in the past so I have some experience. But it might just be young, nimble hands!” Luz followed it up with a little jazz hands movement.

Eda smiled again, focusing back on drawing.

“I’ll ignore that subtle jab at my age.”

Luz then looked at Lilith’s drawing, but she was surprised to see she was still drawing. She was also surprised to see how disheveled Lilith looked. It was like she hadn’t slept at all, her hair was the most unkempt it had been in years. She was careful to make it a perfect circle, the only problem was that more than a minute had passed and she was still working on the circle.

“That's good, but you still need practice if you want to do it quickly.”

Lilith gripped the pencil with extreme intensity. She was coming to the end of the circle, her focus sharpened. But then the pencil broke under her grip. She stared at the broken remnants before she gave up, letting her face slam down to the table in defeat.

“What's the use, if I can’t even do the basic light spell how am I supposed to progress any further. I used to be the leader of the Emperor’s Coven and now I’m relegated to drawing shapes.”

“Hey, at least you're still as grouchy as you were in the Emperor’s Coven,” said Eda with a smug smirk on her face. Lilith raised her head up from the table to respond with a piercing glare, before bringing her face back down.

Luz looked down, unsure of how to help. She could handle Eda’s snarkiness, but Lilith seemed to be in somewhat of a low place. She reached out her arm and patted her shoulder.

“It’s okay, you’ll get it down soon. Just a little practice and you’ll get it down in no time.”

Lilith brought her head back and slowly composed herself again. She looked a little less defeated.

Luz finally brought her attention to King. He held the paper in front of him with a determined face.

“Alright King, show me what you got!”

He handed the paper to Luz. What was on it was a bunch of mostly incomprehensible shapes and lines that slightly resembled someone familiar. She slowly glanced at King.

“It's a self-portrait,” he said with an air of pride.

Luz looked at the paper. Then back at King. And then back at the paper.

“........I love it.”

“I knew you would,” he said as he crossed his arms and raised his nose up. Luz returned the paper back to King.

Luz looked at her new pupils as they got back to practice. It was one thing to be learning magic at Hexside, but it was another to actually be somewhat of a teacher. It was strange to think of the Boiling Isles as home, but it started to feel like that more and more. She still needed to find a way to make it back to the human world, but for now, it seemed that was going to be a while.

Then at that moment, a voice suddenly interrupted the calm atmosphere.

“HOOT HOOT

SCARY GREEN HAIRED GIRL APPROACHING”

Everyone looked at each other in confusion. Luz’s eyes narrowed as she tried to pinpoint why that description sounded familiar.

“Wait, green hair? Is he talking about Am-”

Before she could finish her sentence, Hooty squawked loudly as the door flung open. A crutch began to pop through the door as Amity entered the house. She was out of breath, looking around the place with worry in her eyes. Her eyes stopped when she finally found who she was looking for.

“Luz!”

Despite the fact that her leg was broken and that she was using crutches, she rushed right over to Luz and hugged her. This surprised Luz, both for how sudden it was and also that it was usually her that was doing the hugging.

Without realizing it, Amity dropped her crutches and had to hold on to Luz’s shoulders after she was done hugging her. Luz had never seen her like this, she's never seen her as worried as she was at the door, and also as relieved as she was right now. She also noted how tightly Amity was gripping her shoulders.

“You're okay! Well, it looks like you're okay. Are you okay? Did anything bad happen? Did you get hurt? Please tell me you didn’t get hurt?”

Then Amity stopped dead in her tracks. She just realized that she just hugged Luz out of nowhere, which she never did, and was holding on to her shoulders. Her face turned red as she quickly withdrew her hands and balanced on one unbroken foot. It seemed that she was willing to risk falling over on her broken leg than to be embarrassing in front of the girl she liked.

But it didn’t take long for her to be embarrassed again as Luz hugged her back with a hearty laugh. While it caught Amity off guard, it also brought her balance back.

“Amity, I’m fine! It’s great to see you!”

Amity laughed nervously, still trying everything she could to not be obvious. Then Luz’s eyes narrowed again.

“Wait, did you walk all the way over here on your crutches?”

Amity stiffened, just now realizing that she did just that. She was still a bit out of breath, both from the walk and from finding Luz. This sudden self-awareness reminded her to pick them up off the floor.

“Well, when I found out what was going on I contacted Willow and she said that were probably back here. My parents wouldn’t let me leave so I had to sneak out before sunrise.”

Luz nodded intently as she talked.

“So what you're saying is that you DID walk all the way over here on your crutches.”

Amity stiffened again, not sure how to change the subject.

“Yeah, I guess….. But it wasn’t bad, really! It was just a quick stroll! It was nothing, really!”

Amity suddenly read the massive grin on Luz’s face, she knew what it meant.

“You're gonna scoop me up again aren’t you?”

Then Luz scooped her up again.

Amity’s face was now awash in red. She tried to hide it the best that she could while stumbling over her words.

“No, yeah, awesome, this is fine!”

Luz was confused about why Amity was acting so nervous. Must have been from exhaustion.

Luz turned back around to the others, still smiling as if a lot didn’t just happen over the past few seconds.

“Alright, first day of Shape Spell Class is dismissed. Don’t forget to study!”

Eda nudged Lilith to get her attention.

“Let's give them some time to catch up.”

Lilith looked at Amity, lightly surprised. The last time that she saw her, she was preparing to be a part of the Emperor’s Coven. She seemed determined, focused, unwilling to let anything distract her. Now she seemed to be showing a greater deal of weakness since then, she seemed to be much more open now. To her, it was strangely comforting. She didn’t know why, but that was a question for another time.

“Your right Eda, let's give them some space.”

As they left the living room, Luz carefully sat Amity down on the couch. Amity exhaled slowly and then turned to Luz.

“Okay, tell me everything that happened.”

“Everything?”

“Everything.”

Luz held her chin in thought. It was hard to even begin as it was a somewhat long story.

“Okay, so this is basically what happened……….”

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

“...........And that's basically what happened.”

Amity just froze in absolute astoundment. She raised her hand up trying to collect her thoughts.

“So let me get this straight, not only did you fight with the leader of the Emperor’s Coven, but you fought with Emperor Belos, THE Emperor Belos, and are now a wanted criminal?”

Luz nodded, smiling mostly out of nervousness. Amity covered her face with hands, exhaling louder than before.

“How can you be so calm about that?! Do you realize that you could have gotten yourself killed?!”

Luz’s nervousness subsided, but her smile stayed.

“I can handle it, don't you know I’m not a rookie anymore. I’m a real witch now!”

Luz followed up that statement with a theatrical gesture, but it didn’t seem to phase Amity. Her face was still serious. Luz awkwardly composed herself realizing it might not have been the best time to gloat.

“I’m being serious. You always do these impulsive things and get yourself into trouble, but this is unbelievable.”

“I thought you would have been more upset about me becoming a wanted criminal,” said Luz, trying to make the conversation a bit more light hearted.

“Oh no, I am mad about that too, but that's not important right now. You just recklessly put yourself in danger there and you were doing it all alone. I don’t know what I would have done if you got hurt, or worse.”

Luz could tell that Amity was being serious, more serious than usual at least. It was strange, Luz still remembered when Amity saw her as someone who would never make it as a witch but now she's always trying to help her out. Not only that but she really seemed to care about her. Just like everything that happened yesterday, Luz was amazed at how much has changed.

Luz put a hand on Amity’s shoulder, radiating a warm, reassuring smile.

“I promise I’ll be more careful from now on, okay?”

Amity’s stern look slowly faded, now she was returning the smile.

“Okay.”

“Now it's my turn to be worried, you seriously walked all the way over here on your crutches?”

Amity raised a finger about to protest but slowly dropped it knowing there wasn’t anything she could say to dispute it.

“Your leg’s still busted up, you really should be resting.”

“But I had to know you were okay!”

Luz let out a playful giggle.

“You really are getting soft on me, huh?”

“......Maybe,” said Amity softly.

“Anyways, you really shouldn’t be doing any more walking today. It's a good thing we don’t have school today.”

Just then, Luz’s eyes lit up. She had an idea.

“You could spend the day here! We could do some training and I could show you all the spells I’m teaching Eda.”

Amity thought for a moment on the idea, it was tempting. She returned to her stern face.

“I’m not sure, my parents might be wondering where I am. They might be mad if I don’t come home soon.”

Luz frowned, letting her arms fall to her sides.

“Awwwww, but we could do a slumber party and read the new Azura book.”

Now it sealed the deal for Amity.

“Actually your right, I think I should just stay here for now.”

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

Amity found herself getting lost in the house at night, she didn’t visit as much as she would have wanted so the area was still somewhat new to her. It felt strange staying the night, nothing like what her home life was like. There was a much calmer atmosphere. But on the way back to Luz’s room, she saw something- or this case someone- that brought back that tense feeling.

It was Lilith. She was making her way down the hall but noticed Amity. They both felt that they should say something, but the situation was already incredibly awkward. It was especially awkward since the last time they saw each other it was on a somewhat sour note. The silent unease was broken as Lilith decided to speak first.

“So….are you still training for the Emperor’s Coven?”

Amity didn’t reply, she didn’t feel like talking about it. Lilith’s eyes shifted around nervously.

“You look...different.”

Amity forgot that she was wearing the otter pattern pajamas that Luz lent her. She scowled but it was hard to hide the embarrassment, so she decided to deflect it back.

“Well so do you..”

Now Lilith was reminded that she still looked as messy as she did in the morning. Her hair was starting to look more like it did when she was a kid.

They both stayed in silence again, unsure if they should just leave the conversation at that. But then Amity decided to speak up.

“I heard about what happened with you and Emperor Belos.”

“What are you getting at exactly?”

“How did you do it. How could you throw away your reputation just like that?”

Lilith sighed, scratching her temple.

“Look, the Emperor’s Coven isn’t all that you think it is. I’ve had to sever a lot of relationships to be a ‘good leader’ because I thought I was doing the right thing. But I wasn’t. I wasn’t keeping my position because it was good for the people, I just didn’t know what else to do. There's some terrible things happening up there and I couldn’t let Eda be sucked into it anymore. I wasn’t willing to turn a blind eye anymore.”

After a moment Lilith then chuckled lightly while pointing at her new grey pupil.

“Heh, blind eye. Get it? That was an unintentional pun there…..”

Amity’s usual stern expression turned into one of worry, both about the unethical actions going on within the Emperor’s Coven but also for Lilith’s mental state.

Lilith’s caught on that she still needed to work on her humor and awkwardly made her way down the hall. But before she settled into the night, she spoke from the other side of the wood walls.

“If you take any advice from me, then listen to this. You're better off being a good person than a great witch.”

Now Amity was left alone in the hall. She had a lot of thoughts swimming around in her head. It was only recently that she started to have doubts about being part of the Emperor’s Coven, but this made those doubts justified. It didn’t seem right anymore, now that she knew what was really going on. But more than that, she feared what her parents might think. Her parents always had ridiculously high expectations for her, so what would this mean to them. They were never really the understanding type. Would they see her as a failure?

Luz suddenly popped her head out of one of the doors. She waved her hands.

“Amity!” she said quietly.

Amity was broken out of her daze and made her way to Luz’s room. It was mostly dark except for some of the moonlight coming through the window and the flashlight on Luz’s phone. It was still hard to see some of the room.

“Why is so dark in here,” Amity said. “I thought we were going to read.”

Then Amity noticed a few loose pieces of paper and a pencil on the floor. Her face was puzzled while Luz grinned.

“We can still read, but I wanted to show you how to do those drawing spells. I thought you might like it.”

Amity was curious, Luz showed her the light spell before but she never tried sketching it out for herself. By all accounts it was a basic spell but doing it in this fashion was something new to her.

She put her crutches to the side and laid down on the floor in front of the paper. Luz flopped down and grabbed a pencil. She quickly drew the symbol and showed it to Amity.

“All you need to do is draw the shapes and then tap it.”

Amity gave a determined nod. Luz gave her the pencil as she analyzed the original drawing. She started sketching trying to follow it as closely as she could. When it was finished, she tapped the paper. But no light.

Amity turned the paper over and tried again, trying to be even more precise. She tapped the drawing. Still nothing.

She pouted while Luz tried to analyze the situation.

“Maybe you just need a new way to approach it. Here…”

Luz pulled out a new piece of paper. She took the pencil and laid the tip of the lead near the bottom. Then she suddenly took Amity’s hand and placed it on top of her own. Amity did everything she could to contain herself.

“Try feeling the movements my hands make when I draw the circles, it might be helpful.”

Luz was completely oblivious to Amity turning red again, she was more focused on getting the symbol right. Then she finally drew the last line and tapped the paper.

The paper folded into itself and became a soft, amber light floating upwards. Amity looked up, even though it was still a simple spell there was still something breathtaking about it. Luz’s smile grew as she saw how awestruck Amity was with her little trick. It only occurred to her just then that Amity was starting to see her as a real witch, not as a lesser but an equal.

Amity felt a great sense of comfort around Luz. Even after everything that had happened, even with her doubts about her own future, Luz was still someone who helped give her clarity. It took her a while, but being with Luz reminded her why she wanted to be a witch in the first place. It reminded her of what learning magic for the first time felt like.

They were both enraptured in the moment that Amity didn’t realize she was still holding onto Luz’s hand, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“Now where did I put that book…”

#the owl house #the owl house spoilers #luz #luz noceda #eda #eda clawthorne #amity #amity blight #fanfic #luz and the lights

23 notes · View notes