#who had moved onto toh

[caruliaa]

concerned mother voice: what happened to little miss perfect you guys used to love little miss perfect

[idoodlestuffsometimes]

Brother's Keeper AU Story Post 10

And here we have the unfortunate truth: As things are right now, Caleb is technically (in the literary sense) an antagonist. If Hunter's goal is to figure out and fix what's wrong with his dad, Caleb's goal, for Hunter's sake, is to prevent him ever working it out, even though it means his own suffering.

AU MASTER POST

BEGINNING | PREVIOUS | NEXT

[Image ID under the cut]

[IMAGE ID: A black and white ink and pencil comic. At the center of the page, Caleb glares resolutely at the contents of a spoon he holds in front of him. A monologue thought bubble reads, "If I must suffer in silence to protect you, so be it." The page behind him is split in half, each a collage of images. On the left side: Caleb holds an infant Hunter, looking down at him lovingly. Then, from Caleb's point-of-view, a toddler Hunter clutches Caleb's pantleg, staring up at the viewer with a big grin. Then, we look over Caleb's shoulder as he watches an older Hunter seated at a desk and sculpting a clay wolf head, his tongue sticking out in concentration. And finally, teenage Hunter as he is now, smiling at someone off screen. On the right side: Somewhere outside at night, in silhouette, Belos' elongated arm spears a Golden Guard as Caleb looks on from where he sits on the ground, reaching out for him in vain. Next, Belos strangles a struggling Golden Guard, dangling him above the ground by the neck. His other hand holds a yelling Caleb by the front of his shirt. Then, in the throne room, Belos shoots a kneeling Guard with energy from his raised staff, while Caleb sits beside him, bound to his wheelchair by vines. And finally, from below, we watch a broken Golden Guard mask fall towards us into the abyss, dropped in by Belos far above. Caleb is held beside him by the arm. His head is turned away. /END ID]

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

friendly reminder that these were the side characters in she-ra, who appeared in like one episode.

and this is the titular character, the protagonist of the series, who is also supposed to be a completely different species from outer space.

i'll never stop complaining about how boring adora's character design was. they had the opportunity to make her look interesting, to tell a story through her appearance. but they decided to just make her look like a regular human being. is this what all the first ones looked like?

and i get that it's hard to animate super complicated designs. i'm not saying that her character design has to be complicated, you can keep it simple and still make her look unique. if they could animate entrapta's hair and shadow weaver's cape for several episodes, i'm sure they could give adora a cool design that's easy to animate.

i know that the 80s adora also looked pretty normal (although i do like her hair a lot better than this adora's) but the reboot changed so much about the original already. it wouldn't be unreasonable to give adora a new design.

not to mention, she never gets rid of her red jacket from the horde. she had so many bad memories in the horde, it makes no sense to cling onto that jacket for five seasons.

it would have been interesting if she got a wardrobe change in s4 after she cuts off the final connection she had with the horde - catra. like how amity from toh dyed her hair after she finally stood up to her abusive mother. it would have symbolized the process of growing up and moving away from the toxicity in your past.

[let-us-cultivate-our-garden]

So I don’t know if you know of Doug Walker, but recently released his Disneycember review of The Owl House.

While he praised a majority of the show, he criticized the main villain, Belos, of how he was written.

Many of the comments tried to defend the writing of the villain.

Doug Walker..

Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time.

Yes, I am very familiar with Doug Walker; I loved his stuff along with Channel Awesome years ago and then the allegations came out and fortunately, the other contributors on that channel moved onto bigger and better things. Meanwhile, Doug just stayed the same, so I don't watch his stuff anymore.

Any way, I think it's funny people are scrambling to defend Belos' writing because, despite my own personal opinions on Doug as a critic, I actually agree with him.

For a show that is ostensibly about subverting tropes and not judging a book by its cover, by showing how people can choose to change or not, etc. Belos is a throwback to an earlier era where the Big Bad had basic motivations and characterizations. And for a show like toh, that actually ends up hurting the narrative.

I have categorized the comments I found defending the writing and here are my responses to them:

Belos does have a deeper layer, you just have to look for it.

While a show can certainly foreshadow and provide little hints about a major character, eventually all of that setup will have to pay off somehow. There has to be a reveal both to reward the viewers that have been paying attention and to inform more casual viewers who may not have. Fans analyzing every little frame to extrapolate a major character's backstory only for that backstory to really not matter in the end despite it being set up for a season is just bad writing. full stop. [A viewer should also not have to look on social media for crucial information on a major character.]

It's also not clever that the show left so much room for interpretation on Belos; it just means that they didn't make a commitment to what was being set up and reduced his character to glib one-liners whenever we learn something interesting about him (Masha's "little bro was jealous of big bro" line and Papa Titan's whole spiel).

2. Belos would have been written better if the show had more time.

The Toh crew knew about the cancellation during production of Eda's Requiem and wrote all of 2B with it in mind. So they knew they were working on a time crunch but still introduced elements like the Collector when they should have spent the time wrapping up their story. The cancellation is not an excuse for sloppy writing.

3. Belos as a villain works more on a meta level.

So the argument here is that Belos is the antithesis to the BI; it's accepting and diverse while he is hateful and only accepts things that conform to his worldview. The characters in the story change and grow, while Belos does not. The problem here is that a villain can't only work on a meta level, it has to work on a narrative one as well.

If the BI is place that accepts weirdos then how did someone like Belos come to power? Oh, he lied his way to the top and created problems that never existed? That just makes your populace look dumb and easily manipulated. The BI being so accepting also undermines the threat credibility of the Emperor's Coven because why should we worry about them if they have no real influence over how the BI residents think or behave aside from when the plot needs them to?

Also, I strongly disagree with anyone who says that toh has a "people are complicated and choose to do good and bad" theme when all of the good characters can blame their bad actions on being manipulated or on circumstances outside of their control OR the narrative ignores/downplays anything bad they did (cough cough Amity and Lilith). Meanwhile, the villains are just shallow with basic motives and this is supposed to be a deep message about how Some People Are Just Bad.

If you're going to contrast why your good characters are capable of growth then you need to show why your villain does not. What is stopping them? How do they react if given a legitimate reason to change (that isn't a cheap jab at Steven Universe)? What is their justification for their actions?

Whatever the answer is, the narrative has to support it and not undermine it with a stupid joke.

4. Belos is so refreshing when every villain character is redeemed.

Watch more shows. If you think that every cartoon villain post-Steven Universe is being redeemed then you're incorrect. Redemption of a show or movie's Big Bad is still in the minority while the redemption of the main villain's lackey is a dime-a-dozen.

Ultimately, I think the problem with toh is that so many of its fans take its thematic statements at face value without ever really stopping to think about the execution of those themes and if they really work or not.

Belos just happens to embody this little trick that toh does: it claims to have bold and timely statements and important themes, but the structure and execution of the plot, character development, and world-building undermines any attempt at a consistent or coherent message.

[babyangelsky]

BL Challenge 2k24 ✨Day 15✨

Hello and welcome to @negrowhat's 15 Day BL Challenge! Full challenge can be found here.

5 Bestest Besties

We did it! We made it to the last day of the challenge! Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read through my posts and a big thank you to Eboni especially for putting this challenge together! I had a great time doing it 🥰

In case you missed any of my posts, here they are: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

And now onto all of our besties!

Toh, Jao, Daisy, and Som in Secret Crush on You

♡ gif by @pharawee from this set

This may be my favorite friend group in any show I've ever seen. Period. The extended friend group is also incredible but these four are the core. It all begins with them. They're so loving and supportive and kind to one another. Watching them is pure comfort and joy. If you haven't seen SCOY, go. Run. It's worth it for them alone.

Uea and Jade in Bed Friend/Middleman's Love

♡ gif by @alienwlw from this set

Believe me when I tell you I would lasso the moon for Uea and Jade. They're each other's rocks. They're each other's comfort. They bring each other so much love and sweetness that it makes me want to cry. These two were going to bat for each other long before King and Mai came along and they didn't stop even after they'd both entered into relationships. Their friendship means everything to me. EVERYTHING.

Kuea and Diao/Lian and Yi in Cutie Pie/Naughty Babe

♡ gif by @gunsatthaphan from this set

One of my very favorite things about the Cutie Pie cinematic universe is how much weight and importance is given to friendship. It's on par with the romance and sometimes even supersedes it. This is true especially for Kuea and Diao. These two take pride of place to each other over their husbands. They're ride or die for each other first before they're ride or die for their husbands.

♡ gif by @sunshinesanctuary from this post

All four of these men are terrible at communicating in their relationships (even though they do improve) but in their friendships? No secrets, no miscommunication; only complete openness and honesty.

Zong Yi and Ai Di in Kiseki: Dear to Me

♡ gif by @leedongwook from this set

My love for Kiseki is as boundless as the sea but the only thing I wish they'd given us more of is this friendship because it was fucking great. I love when a feral boi adopts a gentle boi and becomes his protector the way Ai Di did for Zong Yi, in prison and beyond. They always gave each other an ear, a shoulder, advice, comfort, whatever the other one needed. We deserved more of them.

Lom and Yiwa in Wedding Plan

This story simply would not exist if Lom and Yiwa didn't love each other and weren't fiercely loyal to each over absolutely everything. They kept each other's secrets. They gave each other a lifeline. They each moved heaven and earth to ensure the other got the love and happiness they deserved despite what it cost them and they would do it again.

♡ gif by @gunsatthaphan from this set

When Shakespeare wrote keep thy friend under thy own life's key, this kind of friendship is exactly what he meant.

[khwxbeeda]

Kajal

Written because I have raghveer brainrot and you can't stop me from indulging in it muahahahahaaaa

.

"Raghav, zara idhar aana toh."

Raghav looked up from his phone and raised his eyebrows at Ranveer, who was standing in front of the studio mirror with a furrow in his eyebrows and some sort of pen in his hand— wait no, that wasn't a pen, it was a kajal pencil.

"Kay zhala?" He asked. "I'm watching our video again; I need to fix my posture at that one point where we spin—"

"Arey, woh rehne de," Ranveer said, flapping his hand impatiently, still glaring at the kajal pencil like it had personally offended him. It was hilarious. "Help me with this."

Raghav bit down on the inside of his cheek to stifle his laugh and set his phone down. He sauntered over to the other boy and held out a hand, silently asking him to hand the pencil over. Ranveer obliged.

"My Ma used to apply kajal under my eyes until I turned thirteen," he offered in way of explanation, "and I wanna pick the habit up again. But, I have no idea what to do."

Raghav sniggered, and Ranveer smacked him upside the head, making him squawk indignantly. "Hey! Swatah cha swatah kar if you wanna keep hitting me!"

Ranveer gave him a look. "I don't understand Marathi that well, idiot."

The shorter boy rolled his eyes. "I said, do it yourself. Now shut up and stay still."

He pushed himself up onto his tip-toes, and Ranveer looked at the ceiling. Raghav raised the pencil and— promptly stumbled and dropped back down onto his heels. He huffed and rose up again, raising the other hand to grip Ranveer's shoulder, resolutely ignoring the ripple of muscles under his thin white kurta to move the pencil to Ranveer's eye.

Ranveer shifted. Raghav stumbled again.

He cursed his blasted height under his breath, and Ranveer snickered.

"Aww, am I too tall?" he asked in a faux apologetic voice. "It's okay to be short, you know—" he cut off with a wheeze, doubling over and clutching his stomach where Raghav had elbowed him. "Ouch, keep your elbows to yourself, man!"

"Keep your quips to yourself, man!" Raghav parroted back in a terrible imitation of Ranveer's deep voice, nose scrunched in annoyance, and Ranveer could not help but snort. "Says the tiny one—"

In one swift move, Raghav knocked his foot against the back of Ranveer's knee and pushed him back by the chest. Ranveer yelped as he fell on his ass, but the next second Raghav was following him down to the floor and throwing a leg over his thighs to straddle his lap, effectively pinning him in place. Ranveer sat still, hands on the mirror behind him to stop his back from slamming into it, and stared in shock as Raghav narrowed his eyes and brandished the kajal pencil in a threatening manner.

"Ata shanta bas, nahi toh I will purposely mess up the kajal," he growled, but blinked when Ranveer laughed suddenly. "What?"

"Nothing, just—" Ranveer laughed again, leaning back against the mirror— "the way you said kajal is... it's cute."

Raghav felt his cheeks heat up at being called cute, but he rolled his eyes. "That's how you say it in Marathi. Kajal."

Ranveer tilted his head, then slowly tried saying it. "Kaa-jal."

It was Raghav's turn to start giggling, tipping his head forward to hide his smile behind his fringe. "Oh Gods," he said, still laughing, "that- that's not how you say it."

Ranveer couldn't take his eyes off of the adorable boy in his lap— he froze. Wait.

Fuck.

Raghav was in his lap.

Raghav was straddling his lap.

"How do you say it then?" he asked hurriedly, in an effort to take his mind off the fact that Raghav was in his lap, holy shit—

"Say it after me: ka-ja-la," Raghav said slowly, and Ranveer nodded.

"Ka-ja-da," he stumbled through the pronunciation, and Raghav giggled again oh Gods why is he so cute and why is he sitting in my lap—

"You Hindi speaking people," he said between soft tittering, "can't even pronounce ळ properly. It's honestly endearing."

Ranveer could feel himself melting despite his best efforts. Why, oh why was Raghav so cute? It was unfair; it was unhealthy for his heart, being subjected to this adorable display with Raghav sitting in his lap fucking hell whyyy—

"Ka-ja-la," Raghav repeated slowly, a smile curling up his lips. "Click your tongue to the floor of your mouth, and say la the way you say na in the word for arrow— बाण. काजळ."

Ranveer pulled himself together and tried again. "Kaa-ja-da— dammit."

Raghav snickered, teeth digging into his bottom lip, and Ranveer wanted to sink his own teeth into that soft, pillowy flesh—

"That-" the shorter boy choked out, lifting a hand to cover his mouth as if it could stifle the sound of his giggles. "You know what," he breathed between laughter, "just- just leave it. I'll teach you how to say kajal later. Atta mi tula he lavto, okay?"

Ranveer shrugged, nodded— and hurriedly bit down on his lip to stifle his groan when Raghav shifted forward in his lap, raising the pencil and pressing a hand to his cheek so he could use his thumb below to expose Ranveer's waterline.

Don't react, don't react, fuck, don't react—

He deliberately focused on the soft glide of the pencil on his skin, eyes looking up at the ceiling, instead of the fact that Raghav was sitting right on his hips, his thighs bracketing Ranveer's, his hand warm to the touch where it was laying across his cheek, gaze laser focused on his work—

He pulled away and shifted again, and Ranveer clenched his jaw at the spark of electricity that ran up his spine. His fingers curled where they were pressed into the floor of the studio, nails digging into the wood hard enough to hurt. The waterline of the other eye was pulled down, and Raghav got to work again, bottom lip caught between his teeth as he focused on the job at hand.

Ranveer did not move. He did not breathe.

What seemed like an eternity later, Raghav pulled back with a grin.

"There!" he exclaimed, gaze down as he slid the cap back onto the pencil. "Jhala! Now you can look in the mirro—"

He looked up and stopped mid sentence, eyes widening, and the way his pink lips parted oh-so-gently in surprise had Ranveer suppressing a frustrated groan. Gods fucking dammit Raghav can you not do that when you're literally in my fucking lap—

"I- oh-" Raghav stammered, a deep red flush blooming like fresh roses across his cheekbones, looking as if he had just now realised exactly where he was sitting. "I'm just- I'm just gonna—"

He tried to move away but Ranveer scrambled forward, hands involuntarily curling around his thighs to stop him from moving. "Nai, ruk ja—"

Raghav froze, and Ranveer suddenly comprehended where his hands were. Raghav's thighs were soft and supple, fingers so dangerously high up that he was almost brushing the cleft of his derrière. Ranveer breathed out slowly, raising his head to stare Raghav in the eyes.

"Tell me how I look," he breathed, and watched Raghav swallow thickly, the muscles of his neck shifting enticingly. He could barely recognise his own voice through the haze of sheer want that flooded his senses. He wanted to lean forward and attach his lips to that smooth skin, wanted to suck on the flesh and dig his teeth in till there were black and blue bruises all over, wanted to mark Raghav as his.

"Raghav," he murmured lowly, and revelled in the obvious shiver that ran through the shorter boy's body. "How do I look?"

The kajal pencil slipped out from between Raghav's fingers and clattered onto the wooden floor. Ranveer did not turn towards it; he did not give enough of a fuck about that silly stick, not when he had a lapful of Raghav with his thighs flexing under his hands, staring at him with half-lidded eyes.

"How do I look, Raghav?" he asked again.

Raghav lunged.

Ranveer yelped as his back slammed into the mirror, but the sound was swallowed by Raghav's mouth. He gasped and kissed back, fingers tightening on those thighs, and Raghav slipped his tongue into Ranveer's mouth, running it over the back of his teeth and making him let out a soft, breathy sound.

Ranveer responded immediately, stroking his own tongue against Raghav's and shivering at the answering moan. The way Raghav kissed was heady, with his hands dragging up Ranveer's chest and shoulders to bury themselves into his hair, lips moving sensually and back arching so that Ranveer's hands slipped up and gripped his ass.

Raghav let out a wounded sound when Ranveer squeezed the soft, round flesh, and the kiss became dizzyingly hot— tongues roaming and lips slicking up with saliva, Raghav's hands tugging on long black hair and Ranveer's teeth sinking into a soft pink lip to nip at it.

They only pulled away because they ran out of breath.

Ranveer pressed his forehead to Raghav's and breathed deeply, eyes fluttering shut and heartbeat thundering in his ears.

"Fuck," he hissed, and Raghav huffed in agreement.

"Fuck," he repeated, lifting his head and staring at the boy in his lap with wide eyes. "That- fuck."

Raghav let out a wet giggle and nodded, leaning forward and arching his back so his ass pressed into Ranveer's palms, groaning when his fingers tightened reflexively. The move sent blood rushing south for Ranveer, and he gave Raghav a warning glare, but the boy simply smirked wickedly.

"Now you know how you look," he said slyly, eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction. Ranveer sighed and shook his head, a reluctant smile curling his lips.

"Demon," he said fondly, and then Raghav's lips were back on his.

.

@orgasming-caterpillar @musaafir-hun-yaaron @h0bg0blin-meat @shanti-ashant-hai

[jess-the-vampire]

I do wanna say, I'm so glad I watched TOH when I did, and joined you all for this fun ride. I joined TOH officially as things in my life got rough, its been a show thats helped me through the weeks. Getting excited about promos, making art and theories, watching trailers, and anticipating each episode got me through a lot.

I lost a grandad, I lost my dog, and with everything at home I needed levity more then ever.

This show means a lot to me, its hard to think about not being able to enjoy the excitement of anticipating new episodes with you all after this.

I have had so many great memories from this , and made so many great friends I hope I get to hold onto.

Its gonna be rough, but, I hope moving forward we can continue to thrive through the fancommumity in our own way, doing arofam and seeing all your great content and getting to have fun with you all is something I hope we all get to do for a long time after.

Genuinely, this show and all of you mean so much to me, and even if the show is over I hope our fun won't be anytime soon.

This is a fandom full of creative people who create amazing stories of their own, and I hope to see more from all of you.

Thank you all, for everything ok?

From the bottom of my heart.

I cant wait to make more fandom content with all of you.

[anonymoosen]

No one’s gonna see this, buttt-

Last year, I kept this IZ X TOH au between myself and my best friend, but I kinda wanna talk about it now since @thechaoticlittlejester wanted to revive it and add their ideas too! (They’re rlly smart and cool so follow them :3)

Anywayyy here’s what my idea last year was like

No, it doesn’t take part in the Boiling Isles, it takes place in the normal IZ universe

It’s kinda more like a sequel of invader Zim that takes place 3 years after the Florpus incident, but the characters have personality traits from the TOH characters

All the weird things from Boiling Isles happens on earth

Example: Grom is actually an alien who wanted to kill Zim (because of course it did) and went to Earth to seek revenge coincidentally during Prom in skool!

Humans are still stupid and didn’t really care much about the weird happenings and thought Grom was just some failed science experiment from chemistry class or something

ANYWAY MOVING ONTO MORE ZIMPORTANT DETAILS-

This is a really complicated thing to say buttt- some IZ characters have more than one TOH character role/story

Example: Gaz is mainly in Eda’s place, but also has the character traits and development of Willow’s (because she’s also the reliable one in the story and pretends she isn’t suffering)

And Zim is mainly in Amity’s role, but also has King’s kind of story (like- King thought he was the King of demons when he wasn’t, and Zim thought he was the best invader when he’s actually defective)

(BUT ZIM DOESNT HAVE KING’S *ROLE* BECAUSE THIS IS A ZADR STORY AND DIB IS LUZ IN THIS AU!! HE ONLY HAS KING’S *STORY*)

Like it’s not really your standard [FAVE SHOW] as [OTHER FAVE SHOW] AU! It’s just a fan made Invader Zim sequel with stories based on TOH’S stories! (And this AU is mainly about Gaz, Dib and Zim’s shenanigans)

And of course, it’s really gonna be out of character for Dib and Zim because they’re a lot nicer since they’re in Luz and Amity’s roles kdkedmdkdkdkd

(This is what me from last year wrote idjejdjekroeokr it’s so cringe lol)

Now time to explain the character roles:

Dib as Luz!

I know Dib as Amity sounds like it makes more sense, but I chose Dib as Luz because they’re both excluded by everyone in skool, they have “weird” interests, and Prof Membrane would probably want to send Dib to a “real science” camp like how Camila wanted to send Luz to the “normal” camp. (Also both Luz and Dib are dorky dorks lolll)

Zim as Amity!

It’s not justtt because of the ZADR as Lumity thing, it’s also because Zim wants to be the Tallests’ “star student” or in this case, star invader. And like how Amity had that amulet that controlled her, Zim’s PAK had a program that made him loyal to the Tallests (which he would break later on). Also, Zim killed Miyuki with a flesh eating BLOB, and that reminds me of abomination goo loll

So in this AU, the Irkens use those kinds of blobs to create weapons (like how the Blight Industries use abomination goo to make abomatons)

Lastly, in this AU, Zim reads to kids. It sounds out of character but I would like to think that over the years, he’s actually great with kids because he’s been dealing with Gir lolll- (also Zim’s a dad to his minions in my heart, shushhhh)

Gaz as Eda! Even tho she takes Eda’s role, she’s still Dib’s younger sister. Anyway, she takes Eda’s role because she’s sassy and acts like she doesn’t care but does. Also, in this AU, Gaz secretly has a curse, and has an uncontrollable pig demon form.

The reason why she kept it a secret is because she knew how crazy Dib is over supernatural / paranormal creatures and is scared that he would reveal it to everyone. (But Dib accidentally kindaaa gave her away to the Swollen Eyeball and had to rescue her— like how Eda was taken away by the Emperor’s Coven and Luz had to save her)

Tak as Hunter!

Tak somehow manages to get out of her janitor job and became the Lavender Guard of the Tallests. She still hates Zim and had that “Amity vs Hunter” fight with her. She’s also still a cringefail depressed emo like Hunter-

Gir as Hooty!

Both Hooty and Gir Are craAAaAaaAzyyyy beings who might secretly be Gods.

Okay seriously though- Gir once possessed Zim’s entire base and made it move around, which is literally like the plot Hooty’s Moving Hassle where Hooty gets possessed and moves around too.

Plus I’d like to think that Gir would wanna prove himself to Zim and make some Tunnel of Love thing like how Hooty did to make ZADR canon! (Except this Tunnel of Love is more disturbing and has literal human hearts. Whose hearts were those? Nobody knows…)

————

Anywayyy this was an intro of my cringe AU from last year! Bye nonexistent readers since again, no one’s gonna read thisssss- (except for thechaoticjester since I tagged them idkekdekrkeiir)

[squishy-squishy]

Hey can you do a toh tickle fanfiction for me please you know about watching and dreaming with Luz's nightmare instead of Amity, Gus, Hunter and Willow fighting Luz thay tickle Luz.

I FINISHED IT! I apologize for such a long wait, I am so bad at getting things done, but ITS HERE! This was a fun write, even though I could only get it done chunk by chunk over a long amount of time. I hope you enjoy, and thank you for the request!

Summary: Luz realizes she’s having a nightmare and the Collector is not happy about it. He decides to take his anger out in a childish way.

Luz could feel her heart hammering in her ears as she stood on the bridge outside the Emperor’s palace. This couldn’t be happening! This wasn’t right!

Dressed in Belos’s clothing, she stood before her friends. Their eyes were empty, devoid of any sympathy or care for her. Willow, Gus, Hunter, and her beloved Amity. They all hated her. Luz was certain of it, and she was certain she deserved it.

“I’m sorry.” She said simply, lacking any real sorrow. “But for the sake of everyone you hurt,”

“Please, no!” Hot tears welled in Luz’s eyes like lava. She couldn’t even bring herself to say that it wasn’t her fault. She took a step back and squeezed her eyes shut, waiting to be hit by a glob of abomination goo, or a spiked vine.

“I challenge you to a witch’s battle!” Witch’s battle?

Luz peeked one eye open. “W-wait… say that again?”

“I said, I challenge you to a witch’s battle!”

Amity’s tone didn’t change at all when she repeated the phrase. It was robotic, as if the response had been programmed into her to say it exactly the same every time. She didn’t move from her defensive, fighting stance. 

“Witch’s… battle?”

She hesitantly approached her girlfriend, then gingerly squished her pretty face in her hands. “Bep.” She playfully flicked her ears. “Boop.”

She observed how Amity didn’t respond, and her fears began to melt away and were quickly replaced by a fuzzy feeling. She lifted up Amity’s arm and poked her, like she was a doll she could position and pose.

“You look like Amity, you feel like Amity, but you’re not Amity, are you?”

Luz’s face broke into a smile as she stepped back. Of course something was weird! 

“Ha! You’re not her! None of you are you!”

“How dare you? Of course we’re us!” Willow spoke, but she barely moved.

“It’s, ‘I challenge you to a witch’s duel,’ not battle!” She waved her finger at them, her confidence quickly returning. “And the Amity I know would never misquote The Good Witch Azura!”

She took a step back and smiled, Stringbean formed a staff in her hands.

“So come on, attack me. I know what’s going on now.” She watched as her friends readied themselves, charging right at her. She closed her eyes, waiting for the first hit, and- “No, no NO!” A childish voice echoed around the bridge. Luz opened her eyes, and her friends were frozen in place. Glowing wires were wrapped around their wrists and ankles, like they were little puppets. Floating above them all, was a very grumpy looking Collector. He had his arms crossed and was glaring down at the group with a pout. “You weren’t supposed to figure it out! This isn’t fair!”

“Collector?!”

“What am I supposed to do now?! Oh, you’re probably so angry with me!” They floated in circles and flipped himself upside down while clutching his hat. 

Luz’s eyes wandered from the Collector to her friends. They were starting to come out of their trance, and their eyes were shining again.

Suddenly, he was right next to Luz. He dramatically flopped onto her shoulder, nearly knocking her over. “You aren’t angry with me, right? For trying to scare you?”

“Uhm…” She quickly glanced at her friends, who were all giving her very hesitant looks. “No?”

“Really?” The Collector’s eyes lit up. Then they scowled. “Cause I’m still pretty mad at you for screwing up my fun!” “W-well, there’s other ways to have fun!” Luz stammered. She backed away from him, in between all her friends. “Like, um, maybe instead of scaring people, you should try making them laugh!”

The Collector tapped his finger to his chin a couple times. Then slowly, his lips curled into a mischievous grin. “Hm… y’know what, human? I think you’re right!” He snapped his fingers, and Luz’s friends went limp. The light in their eyes faded along with the glowing wires. The Collector giggled rather deviously and clapped his hands a few times. Luz’s friends sprang to attention, and grabbed her all at once.

“H-Huh?! What are you-”

“And I’ve got the perfect way to do it! Get her!”

Luz wasn’t quite sure what she was expecting to happen, but feeling the skittering, tickling fingers of all four of her friends definitely wasn’t it! She made a noise that was akin to a startled seagull, which quickly dissolved into confused giggling.

“What in the wohohorld?! Collector! Cuhuhuhit out!”

“Man, you mortals can never make up your minds, huh?” The Collector floated over to her, hovering inches away from her face. Personal space wasn’t much of a concern for a child of the stars. “First you want me to make you laugh, then you want me to stop? Come on, we’re having so much fun! You’re laughing aren’t you?”

Those dang fingers were everywhere! Poking at her sides and belly, scribbling up and down her neck and around her ears, Luz could barely focus on just one spot! Every time she’d flail in an attempt to protect herself, they’d just get her somewhere else. 

“This- this isn’t whahahat I meant whehehen I said- EEK! NOHOHO!”

Nails that unmistakably belonged to Amity made Luz’s sentence crumble when they spidered up her sides and into the hollows of her underarms. If it weren’t for her friends all holding her steady, she was certain her legs would’ve just given up.

The Collector just laughed right along with her. “Man, you were right! Making people laugh is way more fun than scaring them! Just listen to all the silly noises you make!” “COLLEHEHECTOR!” “That’s meeee! Hey! I should try this on your other friends, too! I’ll be back!” They clapped their hands, and they vanished in a puff of sparkly purple smoke. Luz was much too busy laughing her head off to even realize where he had gone, or what he had meant by that. It wasn’t like the feeling was bad, she’d always enjoyed tickle fights as a way of bonding or cheering someone up, but this was ridiculous! And not to mention the fact that it was turning her mind to mush! It couldn’t get much worse than this-

“Your laugh is just so sweet, I could listen to it forever!”

Nevermind. It could.

Amity had leaned over to coo teasing compliments in her ear. It had caught Luz so off guard her knees buckled and her friends all shifted to keep her up. 

“WAIHAIT! Nohoho, Amity, please! You know I cahahan’t take it-” “But it’s true!” Man, the Collector had really gotten her friends' personalities down. And it only became more abundant when the rest of them started teasing too. “Come on, Luz! I know you’re tougher than that!” Willow giggled as she kneaded Luz’s side at a steady rythm, making her squeal “You can take it!” Gus had a different tactic, constantly switching spots and jumping around so Luz could never tell where he was going to strike next. “Where’s the spot that makes her laugh the most again? Is it here- or here- or maybe heeeere?” “Man, if only I had known about this little weakness of yours when we were still enemies.” Hunter had a smug mischief in his voice that just dripped with the cockiness of an older brother messing with his younger sister. It reminded Luz of how he acted when they first met. “You would have been done for! Would’ve made our fights go by a lot faster, huh?”

That was really about all Luz could take. Her loud laughter was starting to turn into wheezes, and her friends finally let up. She sunk to the ground and curled up in a ball, still tingling with phantom tickles. “Collector… thahat… phew…” She looked up when she felt Amity’s comforting hand on her shoulder, and realized something she hadn’t before.

They had that light in their eyes. They had it since the Collector had disappeared!

“H-hey wait a minute! You’re you! Really you! You were tickling me on PURPOSE!” “Sorry…” Amity said with a giggle “I couldn’t help it, you’ve just been so down recently, we haven’t heard you laugh like that in so long.”

“You really needed it.” Willow said, crouching down next to her. “Seriously. And you better believe the nice things we said about you, or else.” Hunter tazed her side, earning him a loud squeak.“You guys are-”

But there wasn’t much time for Luz to finish. Her friends gasped when the puppet strings seized them again, jerking their limbs away from her.

“There’s no time to waste!” Shouted Gus. “You need to stop the Collector, you need to wake up!”

“Wait, but how?!”

Amity used the last of her strength to press a familiar glyph into Luz’s hand and offer her a warm smile.

“You turn on the light.”

[they-call-me-haiku]

(rant ahead, proceed at your own risk)

honestly though, i do not like it when a show has no problem putting characters through trauma but doesn't want to address it afterwards. especially worse when they keep dogpiling trauma onto one specific character and then just forgets all about it. oh yay, the world is saved and this character is alright now, i guess.

exhibit A: Marcy from Amphibia. she was already having issues with leaving her friends and trying to combat that with escapism. she got reasonably rejected by her friends when they realized she tricked them. she got backstabbed by the king, both metaphorically and literally. the stab scene literally needed a content warning. she gets put on life support for a while and then gets turned into a weapon. the VA did a really good job with the screaming that it really made us think Marcy was going to at least have scars later. if they went all out, she'd probably be paralyzed or disabled for a while. if not, the least they could do is have her being weak and unable to move too much or fight.

but guess what? her friends rescue her from the core and after a little bit of crying and apologizing, girlie is a-okay. no visible scars, no physical injuries, not even a little bodyache. she jumps up immediately and is fighting the enemy in her super saiyan form moments after.

and do we even have to talk about the emotional and psychological trauma? nope. Marcy is saved now, that's all that matters. apart from a little bit of character growth, this girl is not affected by what she went through one bit.

don't forget that right after seeing Marcy get stabbed and presumably killed, Anne goes back to earth, has exactly 1 second of crisis and then completely forgets about her friend. a lot of the viewers argued that Anne was just repressing her feelings and trying to act happy. if this is true, the writers should show it. just having her act happy and have fun at grocery stores and museums doesn't really send the point across. you start to wonder whether the character got amnesia or if the writers have it.

The Owl House temporarily succeeded in showing a happy-go-lucky character repressing their feelings a.k.a Luz in s2b. we clearly see Luz looking anxious or sad when she's alone or when no one is looking. you see her panicking and trying to overcompensate with jokes, when she's actually not feeling okay. it's done really well in both animation and voice acting.

exhibit B: Hunter from The Owl House. now TOH wasn't overall as bad at showing emotional impact and trauma as Amphibia was. it had its fair share of tears and panic attacks. we see multiple characters very clearly experiencing the aftereffects of traumatic events they went through - King, Eda, Luz, Amity, Hunter. the only problem is that these arcs aren't really resolved well.

Hunter being the most popular example. like Marcy, Hunter was someone who was just given trauma after trauma to deal with. he was a child soldier, raised by his abusive "uncle" who was also the emperor. he was brainwashed into doing whatever his uncle wants him to, with the golden child complex tacked onto him. he is already in a very fragile position at this point, accepting his death and digging his grave when he fears that he's about to disappoint his uncle. he later finds out that he was a clone of said uncle's brother and that there were thousands before him, disposed of easily when they turned against the emperor. he has to fight his uncle in the finale, where said uncle tries to manipulate him again. after getting stranded in the human realm, his uncle later possesses his body, almost killing him in the process. oh, and his best friend actually gets killed.

and the aftereffects? TOH wasn't as avoidant as Amphibia. they did show Hunter having multiple panic attacks, identity crises after leaving the emperor's coven and very obvious fear and negative impacts of abuse.

but the whole grimwalker thing seems to be not taken as seriously as it should have been. Hunter is worried about his friends knowing that he is a clone, rather than about being a clone. i mean, in a world where grimwalkers aren't implied to be a common thing, surely it must be very existentially shocking and confusing to suddenly learn that you're not you, right? i mean, if i learned that i was a clone of someone else, i know the first thing i would think of wouldn't be about how my friends would take it. because i havent had the time to process it myself.

like i get it, these are Hunter's first friends and he doesn't want to lose them, yada yada. but it's still a bit strange to address it this way.

the main problem i have with Hunter's arc is that he never gets his closure with Belos. after Belos possesses his body and kills Flapjack, Hunter tells the others that they have to find and defeat Belos in order to avenge Flapjack. he is clearly distressed and angry. but then the story suddenly seems to forget about his trauma and focuses on Willow's issues instead and just handwaves the whole revenge thing aside.

Hunter did not have to be part of the final fight against Belos. but he needed some closure after everything that had happened. i mentioned this in a previous post but remember when Zuko was able to confront his dad, call Ozai out on all the shit he did and loudly reclaim his destiny? Zuko was allowed to face Ozai and say "I'm not going to be who you want me to be. you are a horrible person who abused me all my life and I'm finally cutting myself free from your influence, and I'm going to right all the wrongs that you made." this was such a powerful moment and Hunter deserved something akin to it too.

but in the end, Hunter isn't even at the scene where Belos dies. Luz, King, Eda and Raine are. and sure, all of these characters were affected by Belos's actions one way or another, but Hunter was the one who was most deeply impacted by Belos. and he never got his closure, he just.. had to move on. it was just such a disappointing end to his arc because he was a character that had so much potential, but they pushed his entire arc and development aside, so that huntlow can happen. yes, i dislike huntlow, it's a very forced and poorly written ship that sabotages the personality of both these characters.

anyway, yeah. either take time to address your character's trauma or don't give them trauma at all. believe it or not, not everyone goes through absolute life-shattering trauma and pain. people deal with problems, sure, but if you can't write about trauma well, please don't.

[mdhwrites]

I feel like lately people started to ignore toh, Idk some artists I followed already moved on to other stuff to make content about (if you exclude mark). With Amphibia I think it lasted a year more after it's end till everyone completely moved on and I still can see some fanarts of it.

I guess people who said toh would be timeless may rethink that, it didn't even last a year.

So first: Timeless doesn't mean it will have an eternal fandom. Just that it will always be able to connect with an audience.

Second... I mostly agree. Like my timeline has definitely become MUCH more Amphibia focused nowadays. I don't see a lot of TOH art which... isn't surprising? Lumity was dying by the end of S2 because people just didn't have much to do with them and S3 really highlighted how shallow a lot of the characters and what not were.

It's not surprising that we didn't get the Amphibia of trying deepfake the fandom into thinking new episodes were coming out or a movie was in the works because... What do you do with these characters? MoringMark is doing pure fluff. I've seen a couple that I follow go strong but... Mostly by doing stuff like future children or Lumity as perfect mothers, stuff like that.

And that includes myself. I still do Lumischa but I swapped to AU stuff pretty much exclusively a LONG time ago now because sticking with canon was just... boring. I follow Yukifrill and she recently started doing Blight family stuff due to a dream but she explicitly said that part of why she even can again is because canon can no longer rip apart her headcanons, her desires, etc. like that. That's just kind of an awkward place for a fandom, especially with a show like TOH where most of the characters are mainly their base archtypes.

Buuuut: TOH will always have the shields of Disney meddling and LGBTQIA+ representation. Regardless of how good you think the representation is or if you think the meddling or shortening mattered, it doesn't effect things. Plenty of people will still hold onto TOH being an almost perfect being that we were just robbed from being the ultimate show ever.

This isn't even a joke. In a non-cartoon server I'm a part of, someone decided to bring that another server they were a part of talking about stuff they we were ever robbed from seeing in TOH. Others replied about Disney meddling, representation and how Lumity was still one of the best relationships they'd ever seen in ANY media.

Which, as a romance writer, that last one makes me REAL sad. It also is a sad irony because no one would have bat an eye if not for Disney and now Disney is also the excuse they use for it being bad. That makes me sad as an indie who no one cares about. At least not with his writing.

Because if my work is bad, no one is going to cut me any slack. If I cut corners because my brain is bad, people are just going to put it on blast. I'm an indie after all. Who is holding me back? Certainly nothing like what held TOH back, even if TOH also had an entire team of writers instead of only one.

But when enough time has passed for the knowledge of those excuses not to be common anymore... Will people still be able to excuse TOH for what it is?

Addendum: I want to make something clear since I've been letting my jealousy and personal pain show a bit more recently. I do not hate the show for being popular or successful. Dana and the crew put a lot of work into the show and I'm happy for them that it found so many. That it enriched so many lived. So many creative endeavors never do.

So yes, I get frustrated by the excuses. Get hurt by the cheats no one is willing to talk about. That's as much personal as it is professional though and if I'm just being honest, I'm still happy TOH was made and reached its audience. It means a lot to me just as it does to many others. I would not make these blogs if not for that.

I just wish that my interest in TOH didn't bring with it pain sometimes, but that's a personal problem, not TOH's.

==========

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

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

And finally a Twitter you can follow too!

[kindofsortofmaybe]

Gustholomule with 002 for the ask game!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[hxney-lemcn]

Can I request a fluffy&comfort/hurt oneshot with prompts: "You look like you need a hug. C-come here.", "I k-know you’re hurting right now, and I’m so sorry. Tell me what will help and I’ll do it.", "Let me hold you for a while, y/n.", "Can we share a bed together for tonight, Hunter?" & [She gives her gentle kisses on his lip for comfort] about his shy!fem!human! reader comforts traumatized Hunter (toh) in guest room at Luz's house for King's Tide aftermath? I live for flustered Hunter! ~🌼

Summary: Reader comforts Hunter after the event of King's Tide.

tw: Mentions of death and abuse. Slight spoilers for events after King's Tide (season 2 episode 21).

a/n: This was meant to be a fem! reader, but I didn't use any gendered terms so I'm going to mark it as gn! reader.

wc: 0.5k

Master List

Belos was dead. His reign was over. But our story wasn’t over yet. We had to find a way to get back to the demon realm. That wasn’t what I cared about at the moment. My focus was on the boy whose life was drastically changed by this entire series of events. His life was flipped upside down so quickly for him, I just wanted to be there for him through it all. 

I stood outside the door of the guest bedroom in the Noceda household. It’s where Hunter currently resided once we all came back to the human realm. I knocked softly against the door.

“It’s me,” I spoke out through the door. “May I come in?”

I listened intently for a reply, and he was so quiet I almost couldn’t hear it, “Yes.”

With permission, I entered his room. I made sure to close the door behind me, and I saw him hunched over himself. I frowned at the sight. His hair was disheveled more than usual and his eyes stared up at me. He looked more tired than before and that’s saying something. My eyes casted down further to Flapjack, his little palismen who was trying to make him feel better. 

I walked over and sat next to him, giving him some distance so I didn’t make him uncomfortable. I looked down at my hands, wondering how I could try and make him feel better. I know I can’t fix this situation, I mean Belos was his family, and even if Belos was abusive, he still cared for him. He saw Belos die in front of him, the look on Hunter’s face when that happened still haunts me. 

It was silent between us before I broke it, “You look like you need a hug.” Hunter glanced towards me. He then scooted slightly towards me. I took that as a sign that I was in the clear. “C-come here,” I stuttered, wrapping my arms around him and pulling him into a hug. 

Hunter held me in return, clinging onto me like his life depended on it. My heart hurt at the thought of how distressed he must feel. I rubbed his back in a soothing manner.

“I k-know you you’re hurting right now,” I whispered to him. “And I’m so sorry. Tell me what will help and I’ll do it.” 

I felt him squeeze me, nuzzling his face further into the side of my neck, “Let me hold you for a while, (y/n).”

“Okay,” I replied softly. 

Slowly, it turned into a cuddle session. Hunter laid on his back as I laid on top of him. He kept his arms firmly around me, not willing to let go. In return I’d lean up to steal kisses.

I moved up and pecked Hunter on the lips once more, his ears flushing once more. He squeezed my waist and turned his head to the side. I giggled lightly at his reaction. No matter how many times I show him some sort of affection, he always gets flustered. It made me so happy to see his mood pick up slightly. 

It was starting to get dark, and I felt my eyes droop. I tried to get closer to Hunter but I don’t think that was possible. A yawn escaped me, and I felt Hunter rub my back, not helping my situation.

“Can we share the bed for tonight, Hunter?” I mumbled drowsily. 

“Of course,” He replied softly.

[travlersjoy444]

Back To the Future (Part 10)

 TOH Hunter/Golden Guard x reader

 Masks and Bets part ten.

Masks and Bets (Part 1)

Masks and Beasts (Part 2)

Masked and Beat (Part 3)

Masked (and Unmasked) On the Seas (Part 4)

Cracks in a Mask (Part 5)

Revelations (Part 6)

Bad Moon Rising (Part 7)

Hey Lilith (Part 8)

Way Home (Part 9)

*******

“Move.” The Golden Guard commanded.

  The scout gave a single nod, stepping away from her post.

  “...Thanks. And don’t tell anyone I was here, or else.” He said, swinging open the door she had been guarding.

  He entered the room with his head low, making sure to lock the door behind him.

  The room looked about the same, but the air was heavier. The scent of dust filled the silence, which (Y/N) would have never normally permitted…

  But (Y/N) wasn’t here anymore.

  Hunter sat on the empty bed, staring out the window into the nothingness that surrounded the castle.

  “You promised me you’d stay.” He whispered, trying to ignore the water blurring his vision. “You said I wouldn’t lose you…” 

  He wiped his eyes, trying not to think. “But then…you probably lied, didn’t you? Belos always said you were a bad influence.”

  Belos had been right. He was always right. And as he was seeing once again, Belos was the only person who loved him. The only person who cared at all for Hunter the Golden Guard.

  Hunter stood up, looking at (Y/N)’s remaining room decor- when he had first checked, there had been a letter on (Y/N)’s dresser- one addressed to him. He had, of course, torn it up and flushed it down the toilet, but a silly part of him wished he had at least read it first. Found out what (Y/N)  had wanted to say before the witch abandoned him.

  No. It was dangerous to think that way, silly to think that way. 

  Maybe there was a possibility that (Y/N) had loved him the way he loved (Y/N), but entertaining the idea was…well, silly. After all, (Y/N) had been gone for a month now. 

  But on days like these…it was nice too just…sit here. Thinking about impossible things….like how it was just a bit possible, despite all of Belos’s claims, for (Y/N) to still like him. For (Y/N) to still care about him. For (Y/N) to be spying on the rebels instead of joining them. 

  But as much as Hunter wished that could be true, Cinder told it all- (Y/N) had spoken of hatred for Belos’s system under the guise of Cinder, and so by extension, was it so hard to believe that (Y/N) hated the Golden Guard too? …That (Y/N) hated Hunter too?

  No. It made sense, actually. 

  Hunter swallowed dryly.

  Once again, he found himself alone.

*******

  “It is so nice to be surrounded by all of Lulu's dearest friends!” Announced the Owl-Tube, stirring his drink.

  “Yeah! All hail Lulu!” Steve cheered.

  I clapped vigorously, pumping my arms with Steve.

  “We're here to celebrate the new assistant curator of the Supernatural Museum of History.” Said Hooty, looking around the room at the party. He lifted his wine cup, grinning. “Here's to you, Lulu!”

  “Cheers!” I beamed, grinning as my mentor smiled awkwardly.

  “Hooty! Did I miss the toast?” Luz exclaimed, running into the living room.

  “Yes, but not the ‘app-pellet-tizers’.” Hooty said, grinning. I grimaced and looked away, refocusing on the rest of the party.

  There was a loud sigh. “Oh, I wish I could stay longer, but I must be off on my next adventure. It's such a delight to see my little bookworm back in the historical world after all these years.”

  Lilith gave another awkward smile. “Uh, thank you, Flora, but it's just a small job. Only an assistant. I'm surprised you even heard about this.”

  Flora shrugged. “The Emperor wanted to make sure you weren't getting into any trouble. And to clear out your office. I left a box of your knick-knacks inside. Wish you took more from my tutelage, dear. History's supposed to be exciting after all!”

  She cracked a whip, catching a flying griffin and dragged it down to the ground. Then she hopped onto the griffin without another word.

  “Show off.” I muttered jealously. I wanted to be that badass.

  Luz came up next to Lilith and I, raising an eyebrow. “Who was that?”

  Lilith sighed. “Flora D'splora. Bad-girl historian, celebrity, and my former mentor in the Emperor's Coven.”

  I scowled. “She annoys me. I’m not sure if I want to curse her or be her.”

  Luz snoted. “I have questions about that name.”

  “And I have questions about MY LIFE! All I ever got to do was desk work, while she goofed off riding wild snake horses and-”

  Luz gasped, interrupting Lilith. “Snorses!”

  “-And, and eating mummy jerky! Well, I can be just as exciting as Flora. I'll come up with an exhibit that'll knock the Titan's socks off!” Lilith snapped, storming back into the house.

  “Congratulations on your new job!” Luz said, waving.

  “And I’ll-” I began, half-aware of the glint in my eyes, “-I’ll learn how to use a whip.”

*******

  I sat in the kitchen trying to make homemade caramel while Lilith worked on her model balusters.

  “Lilith!” Luz exclaimed, throwing the door open. I jumped, accidentally burning myself with the hot sugar.

  “...Thorns.” I grimaced, doing a quick healing spell

  “-Sorry-” Luz blushed. 

  “As punishment, you have to taste test this, human.” I spat overdramatically. 

  Luz grinned. “Ohh nooo.” She said happily, before turning her attention back to my mom- er, my mentor. Back to my mentor. “I see you're dealing with all this, then, Lilith?”

  Lilith shrugged. “I'm plotting out my first exhibit for the museum. It's almost as if the Emperor wanted Flora to tick me off. Well, I'll show her that she's not the only bad-girl historian in town. I'm thinking…”

  She whipped out her plan board, which she had explained to me in excruciating detail just an hour ago.

  “ ‘The Architecture History behind Deadwardian Balusters’.”

  Luz looked up, smiling awkwardly, and Lulu’s excitement faded. 

  “This won't work, will it.” She sighed dejectedly.

  “No, it could work still! I have faith in you, Lulu!” I argued.

  Luz nodded. “Don't let Flora get you down! I even started calling you "Cool Aunt Lilith" in my journal.”

  Lilith blushed. “Uh, oh, really?”

  Luz grinned, flipping through the pages in a book she had brought. “You can be a bad-girl historian. And I know how.”

  I leaned over her shoulder, skimming through the page. “...Time magic?”

*******

  I stepped onto the beach, looking around. “Hate to say it, Lulu, but uh…I’m not actually seeing any time pools.”

  Her face fell as she followed me onto the sand. “But... I triple-checked all my calculations. My equipment is first-rate! Ugh-” She tripped. “Stupid rock.”

  “Maybe the Titan Blood was too dry?” I suggested. 

  “Is it even algae-blooming season?” Lilith added, trying to troubleshoot. “Was it my tools？ Are they broken?” She took off her glasses, staring at her reflection in the lenses. “Am...I broken?”

  “No, of course not.” I said firmly.

  “Lilith! You did it!” Said Luz, running across the beach and holding a fossil. “You found the time pools!”

  Lilith whipped back to her reflection in the glasses, grinning. “In your face!” 

  The two ran back down the beach towards the time pools. 

  “Hey guys?” I called from my side. “I’ll stay back here and keep watch, okay?”

  “Thanks (Y/N)!” Lilith beamed as she leaned into the time pool.

*******

  I did not, in fact, have any intention of waiting behind and ‘keeping watch’- I had a plan in mind.

  As soon as Luz and Lilith had vanished into the Deadwardian era, I approached the time pools on my own- this could be my chance to find answers. The past few weeks had only brought more questions, from my own past to my…biological family, though I used the term lightly. The Bryonys were…not exactly family, but more like clones? But uh…just calling them family is easier.

  “So that would be…about thirty years ago.” I muttered aloud, and with a deep breath, I leaned into the sand. 

  When I opened my eyes again, I was still in the sand…but it was different. The air was cooler and the water was further, and there was a blonde man sitting on a rock nearby. 

  “Hello sir,” I said, clamoring out of the sand, “Could you please tell me what year it is? I promise, this is for science.”

  He stared at me, and I recognized his face.

  “...Hunter?” I gasped. 

  “(Y/N)?!” Said the man, who I now realized was a teenager. “What the titan are you doing in the sand?!”

  “...Science.” I answered slowly. In all likelihood, this boy isn’t my Hunter. He’s just another grimwalker. “Now ah…tell me again, what year is it?”

  He shrugged. “1945.”

  Hmm. I’d overshot by about forty years.

  “Thanks Hunter.” I said, sighing. “Oh, and…you might wanna watch your back around Belos in the near future if you want to survive. Bye!”

  I reemerged back in my time, slightly nervous about the bloody fly effect- but I’d rather screw with the timeline a little bit then let Belos kill another grimwalker.

  I sighed, trying not to think about him. I’d left him there, in the castle, all alone…. 

  I swallowed. Worry about that later, (Y/N). Worry about it later.

  Moving on, I stepped into the next time pool. 

  This time, I found myself looking out at a Bonesborough that looked exactly the same.

  Hmm.

  “Hey crab demon, look out!” Said an oddly voice. 

  I ducked back into the sand, looking up to see a large rock hurtling over me. It landed a few feet away, and once I was sure the danger had passed, I climbed out of the sand. 

  The owner of the voice approached me. “Aw, you’re not a crab demon, you’re just a witch.” He said disappointedly.

  “Sorry.” I shrugged, realizing where I knew his voice from as I studied his face. He had short-cropped mop of (H/C) hair, (E/C) eyes, and a very familiar smirk. 

  I saw it in the mirror every morning.

  “What’s your name?” I said, trying to hide my excitement. 

  “Nico. And yours, crab-witch?” 

  “...Cinder.” I answered, grinning at the boy who looked like he could have been my brother. “I’m headed to Bonesborough, via…sand tunnels. This is the closest stop.” I lied.

  “Sand-tunnels? I didn’t know there was such a thing as sand tunnels as a means of transportation…” he said, raising a dark eyebrow.

  “Yeah, well, you don’t know everything brainiac.” I said dismissively . “Now ah…speaking of brainiacs- would you happen to know one ‘Lilith Clawthorne’?”

  “...Er…yeah. …Why?” He said, staring at me in confusion.

  “I’m her…cousin, Cinder Clawthorne. That’s why I’m headed to Bonesborough- anyways, she’s mentioned a Nico in her letters, one who matches your physical description.”

  Nico’s eyes narrowed. “You’re lying.”

  “Of course I’m not lying.” I lied. “However, on the off chance that I was, how could you tell?”

  “Wouldn’t you like to know.” A familiar smirk solidified on his face. “But ah…Lulu  doesn’t have any cousins, Cinder.” 

  I faltered, but I was always rather good at improv. “Well ‘cousin’ is a tad easier to say than ‘long-lost-first-cousin-once-removed-to-Dell Clawthorne’, yeah?”

  “Oh- I guess…” Said Nico, the smugness in his voice vanishing. “Well, anyways, this is an awful way to get to Bonesborough. We’re pretty far from town, idiot.”

*******

  “So…you’re my dad’s cousin? But you’re my age.” Said the young red haired girl in front of me.

  “Yeah, uh- time happens.” I said, nodding as though I had shared something incredibly wise.

  “Er- what’re you doing in Bonesborough, then?” She said, raising an eyebrow.

  “You’re mum invited me to watch your coven initiation.” I lied. “How’s Edalyn doing? I heard about what happened at tryouts…”

  Lilith shrugged, not meeting my eyes. “The healers say she’s getting better.”

  “Yeah, they say so.” Scoffed Nico, kicking a rock. “That’s a load of rubbish if you ask me- I’ll bet that Emperor’s Coven had something to do with it.”

  Lilith fidgeted nervously. “Neeks, there’s no proof of that…”

  “Oh, you want proof? I’ll find you some proof-” He said, his eyes glittering manically. “But first, consider the circumstances! The tryouts were you- a smart, kind, fairly mild-mannered young witch- versus Eda, who while incredibly talented, is known for pulling pranks and breaking rules on the regular.”

  “Yeah, no thanks to you,” Coughed Lilith.

  “Regardless! I’ll bet anything that someone who wanted you- the less chaotic one- to win sabotaged Eda in hopes that she’d be rendered unable to best you!” He declared, turning to me. “And despite that, it was all for naught, ‘cause Edalyn forfeited at the start of the tryouts! But alas, it was too late- the curse had already taken effect.” He shook his head. “I just wonder what kind of messed up twat would curse a little girl.”

  Lilith looked away. “Yeah. Probably someone….really terrible.”

  I swallowed, my throat dry. “Er…anyways, I arrived a bit early- I’m gonna go drop my stuff off at the hotel, okay?”

  “Do you even know how to get there?” Nico said dryly.

  “...No.” I mumbled. “I’ll figure it out though-”

  “Do you need us to take you there?” He said, his voice flat.

  “......Yes, I need you to take me there.” I said, equally flatly.

  “Well, luckily, it isn’t too far from Nico’s house- we’re headed in that direction anyways.” Lilith said, waving towards the direction of the hotel.

  “Cool! Great.” I nodded, but cringed on the inside. This was not what I planned on. “How about I walk with you guys to Nico’s house, and then go unpack on my own?” I suggested.

  “Okay,” Lilith shrugged, already walking.

  As Nico and Lilith chatted and teased each other, I looked around the slightly younger version of Bonesborough. It was very similar, but the colors were a tad brighter, and the architecture was obviously dated…

  Nico and Lilith. Nico and Lilith. 

  Fine. Maybe I wasn’t doing a good job of distracting myself….how could I? I knew what happened to these kids, I knew what fates were in store for them- well, I didn’t know Nico’s really, only that he disappeared, but still. 

  I winced as I remembered how Lilith’s friendship with Nico ended…

*******

  “Despite loathing each other at first, I quickly found him to be a valuable ally…and friend.” Lilith swallowed gravely.

  “But then I joined the Emperor’s Coven.” She looked away. “…well, as you know…I betrayed Edalyn, my beloved sister in order to join…but then I made another horrible mistake. I…I mentioned a (H/C) boy with (S/C) skin and the middle name ‘Byrne’ to a colleague… It got back to Belos, and soon after that, we were all sent to hunt him down. I refused, but the choice of one new recruit wasn’t going to change the minds of others…” Tears were welling in her eyes now as she continued the story, and I nearly asked her to stop for her own sake. But she pressed on.

   “What I wouldn’t give to go back in time to stop them…but Belos caught him. Of course he did, he always does. He caught my friend, and then…well. Nico was…different when I saw him again. Cold. Cruel. He didn’t even remember me! 

  “After a few years of that, he disappeared, along with his family. He was sent on a mission and just…never came back. Belos was livid.

  “For years after that, I wondered…why did Belos care about Nico? But uh…well, I guess we both know the answer to that now.” She whispered, tapping the journal on my bedside table. “But before Nico left, he took something of Belos’s. The Emperor was furious, sending out search party after search party for the stolen child…The child who I have a funny feeling is sitting in front of me right now.”

*******

  “Cinder, we’re here!” Said Lilith, bringing me back to the present. (Or rather- the past?)

   Nico knocked on the door. It swung open to a tall witch- the witch I had seen in my dream! 

  Sparrow Bryony.

*******

Taglist:

@vievi

@generousdoodleforillustration

@harlanfalcon

@ronipiamka

@draarnaak

@cloud-9ine

@jinxed-jk

@not-nubno

@hunter-therapy

Author’s note: Ignore the fact that they’re using human years- I don’t know how The Owl House’s time is measured

[let-us-cultivate-our-garden]

have you read (ugh) Harry Potter and if so how do you compare it to TOH ( also let’s burn Rowling at a stake lmao)

I grew up with Harry Potter so it was a pretty big part of my childhood. It was a fun, fantasy series that inspired millions of children worldwide and had a considerable impact on children's literature. Given its popularity and position in the zeitgeist, it was inevitable that people would be inspired by it, analyze it, criticize it, mock it, etc.

Now I haven't read HP in a long time and it's been a hot minute since I've watched the movies but I think I remember enough. It's also difficult (and probably unfair) to compare TOH and HP because one has 7 books in which to expand its lore and characters while the former only had effectively 2 1/2 seasons. But let's try any way. This got long so there will be more after the cut:

The Owl House is a structurally flawed show and it has a glaring blindspot in how its poc characters are treated but at least it doesn't have offensive tropes such as Jewish-coded goblins and elves who are happy to be slaves.

TOH's biggest strength is probably the likability of its characters and how easy it is to project onto them; Eda is the fun and sassy mentor but struggles with a terrible curse that many people read as a metaphor for chronic illness. Luz is your typical kid protagonist who is curious, excitable, and struggled to fit in at school. Amity was the perfectionist bully but secretly has a soft side. These are all good archetypes for your characters and it's easy to see why they're appealing.

On the other hand, I feel like HP's biggest strength is its world building: Hogwarts feels like a place the reader can step into as do Knockturn Alley, Gringotts, Grimauld Place, the Burrow, 2 Privet Drive, etc. The fact that I can still name all of these places shows the culture impact HP had and just how immersive the books were (and of course, how the movies brought them to life).

I think a big part of this is how HP incorporates magic into its universe: Hogwarts has the moving staircases, a ghost haunting the girl's toilet, floating candles in the Great Hall, the magic makes the setting come alive. When Harry said that Hogwarts was his home, many readers felt the same way.

When I think of the Boiling Isles, I think of how small it feels; there's Hexside, the Emperor's Castle, and the titular Owl House but aside from the last one, none of these places really stand out design wise or even emotionally. Hexside is just another fantasy school except with teeth, and the Castle is just a generic evil overlord castle. And the Owl House only stands out because of Hooty, without him, it's just another house.

As for the magic itself?

Well, the magic in TOH is really inconsistent, especially the glyphs. Here's a post that goes in depth on how poorly the glyphs were incorporated into the show. It's also not terribly creative with its magic: Willow is a plant witch but we only ever see her attack with vines and Gus' Illusion magic is explored in one, maybe two episodes. The only new element that is interesting is Abomination magic, which looks cool but it's basically water bending with goo.

For a show set in another world, it doesn't really do much to distinguish itself from Earth outside of the aesthetics; there's social media, movies, a job fair, and people treat covens like college degrees (which has enormous implications for how poorly done the EC is). It doesn't feel like you're in another world and I think a big part of that is the lack of whimsy in the show.

When Harry Potter explored the castle, the reader did as well, and we were just as amazed and impressed as he was. As Harry explored the wizarding world and all of its creatures and inhabitants, that sense of whimsy and awe never faded. I never got that sense of whimsy when Luz was exploring the Boiling Isles, it felt too similar to home.

If the show had spent more time in season 1 establishing its tone and identity instead of making fun of HP or fantasy tropes in general then we wouldn't have this problem. Hexside is especially guilty of this: look! here's our Parody Sorting Hat! check out our broom game that has nonsensical rules! take that Harry Porber!

As it stands, TOH looks good on paper but it botches the execution of its interesting ideas and concepts. I can see why so many people love it though because some of the things the characters go through are Relatable but for me, I've seen all of this done before and better in other media. If it came out years ago, perhaps it would have left a bigger mark on me, but in the end, TOH has very nice designs but it's undercooked.

[diet-comet-soda]

Everything (that I could think of) left unanswered after the TOH finale!

Please feel free to add onto this! I’m sure I’ve missed a ton of stuff!

Regarding the Owl House, Eda, and the Owl Beast:

What are the origins of the Owl House (did Eda build it or did it exist before her)?

What’s the history of Hooty? Was he always a part of the the Owl House or did he move in at some point? Why was a mini-Hooty in the Titan's eye socket??

What's the history of the Portal Door & Key? Who originally made them and how? Who's hands has it passed through over the years?

How did the Portal Door end up buried where Eda found it?

What is the Owl Beast and what's their story? Where are they from, are there more of them, and exactly how powerful are they?

How did the Archivist who trapped the Owl Beast lose the scroll they sealed the beast in?

Does the Owl Beast's consciousness also exist within Lilith now? How??

Regarding the Titans and Collectors:

What was the Demon Realm like during the era of the Titans?

What are the Archivists up to nowadays? What are the specifics of the Archivists' overall mission (like, do they want one of every living being or do they try to freeze whole societies in stasis or what?)? Are they a looming threat for the future?

What are "the stars" like?

Why did the Archivists leave the Demon Realm when there was still one Titan left to kill? Did they even know about King? The Titan Trappers who worshipped the Archivists knew the Boiling Isles Titan had a child, so you would expect the Archivists to know about it too, right?

Were the Archivists even the ones to eventually kill the Boiling Isles Titan? If not, how did the Titan die? What's the exact timeline of events here?

What exactly is the Tower Glyph (the one that King carved on his collar) and where does its magic come from?

Can people use glyphs to perform Collector magic like they can with Titan magic? (I personally think that the Draining Spell was Collector magic, since it was taught to Belos by the Collector, it used unique glyph patterns that don’t match the Titan glyphs, and it also relied on a celestial event—the eclipse—to function!)

Regarding Palisman:

Who did the Bat Queen belong to?

What are the individual backstories of Ghost, Clover, and Emmiline Bailey Marcostimo?

How did Lilith get to keep her palisman when joining the Emperor's Coven and what is their relationship like?

Regarding Evelyn, Caleb, & Phillip, and Gravesfield:

What are the nitty gritty details of the Wittebanes & Evelyn's story?

Is Evelyn a Clawthorne? (We all know the answer is yes, but it's still technically not been explicitly confirmed).

What are the details of Flapjack’s origin? Whose Palisman was he exactly? (My personal guess is that Evelyn carved him for Caleb).

How did Evelyn originally travel back and forth from the Human & Demon Realm? Was it the Portal Door (most likely imo), raw Titan’s Blood, or some other means?

What's the history of the shack in the woods? Does it have any direct relationship to the Owl House? Who used to live there? The Wittebanes? Evelyn?

Who stashed the Titan's Blood in the graveyard?

Regarding Emperor Belos (more like Emperor Boo-los, amiright?):

What is "Artificial Magic" really?

What age was Hunter born at? What does he actually remember from his past?

What’s the story of the previous Golden Guard? How did he die? How much did he figure out about Belos? How much did he tell Darius? How did Darius initially react to Hunter showing up after the previous GG died, looking so similar to his predecessor?

What exactly is Belos' curse?

Was it a consequence of him trying to give himself the ability to use magic by consuming Palisman? Or by drawing glyphs directly on his skin? A combination of the two?

Or was the curse inflicted by some other means entirely, and the Palisman-eating and body glyphs actually came afterwards, solely as a means to stave the curse off? If so, who cursed him? Did he inflict the curse upon himself to give himself power?

Considering all the parallels drawn between the two, does his curse have any actual relationship to or similarities with Eda's curse, or is it just an entirely different thing altogether?

Basically my point is that Belos' curse and his magic (and their exact rules and properties) are super ambiguous and unexplored and I want more clear answers!