#(coven scouts to each other: NOT IT!)

[enchantedchocolatebars]

Philip Wittebane's Nightly Nourishment (A cute crack fic with zero context that's hilarious and weirdly wholesome in some parts)

Camila's eyes were heavy with weariness as she trudged up a set of stairs in her nightclothes, carrying a Bible and a steaming cup of tea.

A massive yawn was released from her lips.

Once upstairs, she turns to enter a room.

Inside the room, Philip was laying on a bed.

The old man appeared to be awaiting her arrival.

Taking a seat on a stool beside the bed, she sighed.

"Comfy?" She asked the former emperor in an annoyed tone.

"Very," Philip politely replies with a calm smile. "Would you mind tucking me in?"

The request earns him a groan as Camila arranges the covers around him.

"Thank you," he tells her, his smile still present.

Camila holds out the tea cup toward him. "Here," she mutters, expecting him to take it.

Philip silently stares at the steaming cup for a bit before looking up.

He forms a frown at Camila, brows furrowing in disapproval.

She knows how this goes.🤨

A second groan is given as Camila pulls out a silver spoon and dips it into the black tea.

Scooping a spoonful, she gently blows the steam away, lowering the spoon to Philip's lips.

He slowly sips the liquid, letting out a satisfied sigh.

Much better.😌

"I'm full," he simply states as he sees Camila going to scoop up a second spoonful.

Frustrated, she huffs, setting the tea down before picking up the Bible.

"Ah, just as I requested," Philip hums, pleased to see Camila with the holy scripture.

"You can never go wrong with the word of God, I always say," he chuckles.

Camila rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

Flipping through the ancient text, she stops at a certain page and begins to read.

This was music to Philip's ears as he shut his eyes. "You know, Camila," The Puritan began, "Back at the castle, before bed, I'd order one of the coven scouts to massage my feet," He admits with a soft sigh.

Those scouts were deeply scarred for life.

They needed SO MUCH soap and therapy.

"How it relaxed me so. I was wondering if--"

"Goodnight, Philip." Camila leaves the room, shutting the door.

She knew EXACTLY what Philip was trying to get her to do, and she was QUICK to curb stomp the super gross suggestion. 🤢 🦶

She had her limits.

Good for her.👏 👏 👏

[salamander-spark]

Disguised forms for the other Basilisks!

(Including my interpretation of Number II's appearance)

+ headcanons, as well as backstory for my AU highlighted in green.

Number II, aka Tulip🌷

Age≈ late 20's/early 30's (~15 years older than Vee)

Goes by They/Them, Is the second oldest of the experimented Basilisks. They firsthand witnessed Number One(Greater basilisk that attacks Hexide)'s descent into madness and animalistic hunger. They were scared of what they could become, so they fought extra hard to retain their sanity, vowing to protect their younger kin. Tulip often risked taking punishments from the captors in the other's stead.

(Hight comparison for Tulip's true form (Vee for reference)

At around 15 years old, Tulip hears scouts talk about a new test subject that hatched recently and will soon be ready for experiments. Tulip breaks out and rescues the infant number five. A month of laying low later, and they are both hiding in a cave. Tulip finds a pool of Titan's blood trapped deep within, and they both enter into the human realm.

Tulip can't stay. They know they need to protect Treble and Ivy. So they watch in the shadows as Vee is taken into the care of a couple of humans before leaving her behind, where she can grow up in a place far from the Emperor's grasp. They absorb the remaining magic in the portal, severing this temporary link so that nobody can follow their child.

🎼Treble & Ivy🌿

Ages≈ Mid twenties

Treble: She/Her, Ivy: He/They

I got the idea to name her Treble from The Angel of the Owl house, by OwlHouseAngel on A03. I thought fit well, considering she's playing Eda's Citern in the finale, and the Idea of a basilisk playing instruments sounds cool. (even inspired some things for my AU)

Both were created from the same set of samples, making them almost like twins. They've got a close-knit sibling bond, very protective of each other. Treble gets headstrong and does risky things like attack coven scouts. Ivy often has to reign Treble in to prevent her from being too reckless. He tends to take an overly cautious approach to anything new.

I'm still not entirely sure how they play into the AU, but they meet Vee and are introduced to Camila to be accepted into their family

I loved this shot when I first saw it, I'm glad to see at least someone in the crew cares about them

& 🌺Viola "Vee" Noceda

I like to think she has a collection of different sweaters and chooses to wear them to keep her warm. Basilisks are mostly cold-blooded but passivly use up their magic to keep warm in cold temperatures. Vee likes to conserve energy by dressing warm during the colder months

She ended up in the human realm thanks to Tulip and was quickly adopted by the Nocedas. Not knowing about her origins, she's horrified learning what her kin has gone through.

She's less timid when confronting danger and hasn't gone through her canon trauma (minus a few fears like sharp objects and dark basements from ). She does, however, have trauma and grief from Manny's sickness and death.

[jamscandraw]

A Heart At Arm's Length is an Alternate Timeline/Royalty x Knight style AU where Murph replaces Darius as Coven Head after he mysteriously disappears. Steve is assigned as their personal bodyguard when they move to the castle and they start a secret relationship 🤫 More lore under the cut!

In an alternate timeline, MURPH is headhunted as a promising Abomination witch at a very young age and receives special training and mentorship from Darius. They officially become his apprentice at 16; they still attend school but are seen as a minor celebrity and incredibly isolated from their peers.

When Darius vanishes from the Boiling Isles with no trace, rumours swirl about his disappearance and Murph must take his place. Appointed at 25, they are the youngest Coven Head in history. Darius taught them a lot about power and political influence, and they maintain a careful act to gain the respect of the public and fellow coven heads, while also getting what they want. The power of appearances is very important and they permanently have a concealment stone active that makes them look flawless and glamorous no matter what. They appear calculating, sharp and a little detached when at court, but behind closed doors they are very lonely and wish for an easier, more "normal" life.

STEVE got his childhood dream - accepted into the Emperor's Coven at 18. But it hasn't been quite what he wanted up until now - lots of prison duty, late-night patrols and guarding empty corridors. So he jumps at the chance to be an escort for an important public figure - he might get to go somewhere interesting! - but is taken aback when he is assigned to Head Witch Hearthstone, who after several years in power has finally agreed to move into the castle permanently. They were never close friends, but he knew them in school, and now they're one of the most famous people on the island. He decides to remain professional and keep his identity a secret from them, but up close they're nothing like what the news says about them, and he can't help but be drawn towards them. Still, they're acting very suspiciously and Steve is worried they might be up to something other than their coven head duties. He vows to keep a close eye on them and try to learn more - you know, as part of his job...

Over time, the two gain each other's trust and their relationship grows into something more than what would be considered appropriate between a noble and their loyal bodyguard. A public romance between a coven head and a lowly scout would surely cause a scandal, and maybe even punishment for the both of them. Desperate to stay close to each other but not get caught, and afraid to reveal their true feelings too soon in an unbalanced power dynamic, they promise to keep their meetings a secret.

Both of them have to navigate political intrigue, corruption, social decorum and deceit in order to keep their affections undetected. But with the Day of Unity fast approaching and talk of treason running through the castle, can they even trust each other, and will they choose love or loyalty in the final moment?

[zibiscusloon]

Gustholomule girlies go—

-Twila Tholomule-

•Twila Aleth Tholomule is a human and is the adopted daughter of Gus & Matt.

•Keeps up a cool persona to mask how insecure she actually is about her place in the Demon Realm.

•Took in Jukebox, a palisman who had been confiscated from an Emperor’s Coven scout. He managed to escape from Belos and hid in the castle walls for years. The damage he took from Belos caused him to lose most of his magic. Him and Twila developed a deep bond as they found someone who didn’t quite fit into their world.

•In the Construction, Potion, Illusion, and Beast Keeping tracks.

•Very close to her Aunt Luz! She gives Twila advice to adjust to being a human in the Demon Realm.

-Jane Tholomule-

•Jane Mari Tholomule is a lizard demon and Gus and Matt’s second oldest adopted daughter.

•Despite being younger than Twila, Jane was actually adopted first

“I’m the oldest!”

“I was in this house first!”

•The way I can best describe her is a Disney Princess who commits various felonies. She takes heavily after Eda (though admittedly less in an act of rebellion type of way and more so a “I crave violence” way. (Authorities aren’t able to hold anything against her as she’s great at getting rid of evidence. Concerningly good..)

•A theatre kid through and through, she joined the Bard and Illusion tracks. She’s the president of Hexside’s Drama Club.

•Unlike most witches, Jane keeps two palisman! Her palismen were already bonded to each other before she adopted them so she gained two lil accomplices!

-Mara Tholomule-

•Mara Khari Tholomule, Gus & Matt’s baby!

•She’s their only biological kid and was more of an accident as Gus and Matt weren’t intending to have any more kids after Twila & Jane. (They’re still as happy as they can be to have her<3 )

•She’s an absolute sweetheart and always insists on helping around the house, always wanting to prove her worth.

•Mara carries a blood curse that developed in her toddler years. Its damaged her magic to wear roots have begin to grow within her veins, reaching into her bile sack, to wear she is only able to use plant magic. Her arms have moss growing out of them, which rise as the curse becomes stronger. She begins to overgrow when her curse is left unmedicated for long periods of time, losing sentience and becoming a mess of vines and roots.

•Joined the plant track in the hopes of better understanding and learning to live with her curse.

[shinjisdone]

Two Humans in the Demon Realm - Fantasy And Nightmare

What if by the time Luz Noceda the human emerged into the demon realm...some other human did, too? However, instead of being joyful of being surrounded by all they love and taken in by a kind and openhearted witch...they are terrified of this place, taken in by the ruler of the realm?

[Basically I watched TOH again and dammit HUNTER SHALL HAVE A FRIEND I SAY NOT UNTIL S2 but NOW I SAY NOW]

BECOMING THE GOLDEN GUARD'S/HUNTER'S HUMAN FRIEND BECAUSE I SAID SO

Part 2 of this

Things seemed to become okayish.

The visits were more frequent and the Golden Guard would come in with different, hopefully tastier dishes to you. "Your little drawings of human food aren't the best, you know." He said as he returned with a plate of hot...moving...algae? When all you drew for him was bacon.

They don't even have bread here *crying*.

Alongside the questionable food he also brought writing utensils, something akin to a magical board and the like. You were unsure and so let him use the majority when teaching him about glyphs.

The Golden Guard would nod and hum before grabbing everything under his arm and excusing himself off until the next time he visits you. At times he seemed to be in a good mood so you assumed he made progress - yet he mostly returned tired and grumpy so you did not try your luck to ask how much progress he was doing and how much of it was actually successful.

You did not even know what he's doing with the knowledge or why he needs it.

Still...being kept in a room out of everyone's sight can be boring...and overwhelming.

You've asked your guard a couple of times if there isn't any other new places to be. Just for fresh air. Or to feel the sunlight directly and not through the window you weren't even allowed to touch.

However, one day after requesting it a couple of times, the Golden Guard halted with you almost bumping into him, spun around and agreed.

Under one condition: You'd go outside of the castle's barriers and into the wild to practice wild magic.

Learning about it by theory was no problem but the Guard couldnt risk practicing any of it on Belos' territory. The punishment would be too severe.

Besides...he won't ever tell you but he's scared of using it. Wild magic is dangerous.

Not that he wants to endanger your life but you have far more experiences with it, so he likes to believe that things will turn out fine if you practice them out. He can stay back with the theories on paper and you can actually cast them.

So clad once again with the humble scout uniform, you made your way - though you feel like you instant traveled or zapped - to an abandoned shore. The sea and cliffs would shield you from unwanted attention.

The Golden Guard is very much aware of what a risk he's taking - but it could lead to an solution, to healing.

He is still doing his job. Looking after you and making sure you don't kill yourself through careless spellcasting of wild magic. Thats what he tells himself at least.

The hours pass by and the two of you were engrossed in the many glyphs and the possibilities they offer. You so effortlessly draw them into the sand, it leaves him a bit impressed.

You finish drawing each glyph that you know. "I'm sure there are many more but the majority are like...basic ones from nature, you know? Light, fire, plants...they seem like any other magic spell of your Emperor's Coven, I don't know what else they could do."

He trotted over with his staff, inspecting the glyphs further. "They can be. I've read about it." He passed you by, letting the end of his staff draw along the sand and connecting your drawings with his own lines. "Magic has layers even when the core is the same. Light is more than just able to see in the dark, it filters through the atmosphere we exist in and can cast shadows - thats already another path that light glyph opens up for you!" You noted how much lighter and higher his tone gets as he jogs around the shore, drawing more circles. "Back then before the Savage Times witches were able to create more spells with their imagination and willpower alone just through understanding each core-!"

His figure froze mid-drawing as his gaze met your quizzical one. Straightening his posture, he cleared his throat and intentionally spoke sternly. "I, uh, read that. It's history 101 here on the Boiling Isles, nothing...crazy. You wouldn't know that."

You can't help but crack a smile. "You sure know a lot about magic even if it can be scary. You must be a master by now, is that what it means to be the Golden Guard?" You smiled and meant it as a compliment but your companion just seemed to shrink, looking away from you. "Magic isn't scary, well, wild magic doesn't have to be. There's an immense, just...pool of unlimited possibilities, its what this entire isle is made of. Magic at the very beginning was just like this, wild, and kind of endless," Halting, he continued in a low tone, "...but it can get out of control, thats why its wild in the first place. If you're not careful, if you don't know what you are doing, people might get hurt and-"

He hit a rock when shifitng his weight. A part of the circle had been cut by his foot and he gazed down at the grande symbol you two created. It seemed like art but he knew it couldn't ever be.

Taking a deep breath he called out louder with his hand shooting out. "Thats why I am the Golden Guard, yes, I'll take care of this, of everything. So stay back, human-!"

One shift of his foot too much and he came in contact with a glyph. The lines glowed a bright green and before he knew it, the Guard let out a yelp as his staff went flying up to the cliffs, getting stuck in the rocks.

"No! No, no, no!" His hands clutched his head. You jogged over to him and offered the lightest of condolences. "We can get it back. Should be easy with, yeah, magic-" Your shoulders jumped up, retracting your finger that was playfully drawing circles in the air when your companion started clinging up the cliff, only to slide and fall down again and again. You called out to him in assurance but had to snap when he didnt stop even when his uniform got ripped.

"Hey, hey, you're gonna get hurt! Just wait a moment!"

"I can't! This staff was given to me by Belos!"

"Just focus and cast a spell to get it back!"

His sudden silence surprised you. The Golden Guard shrunk in himself and avoided your gaze. He stood still for a few more awkward minutes - until you took a deep and loud breath.

"...Can't you...cast a magic spell? Like something with the wind, maybe?"

Once again, he stayed quiet and you took your book in your hands before drawing a circle in the sand. "Here, I'll go get it. I'll stand right here and jump on the vine, you'll just have to activate the glyph for me." Once again, he looked away before you urged him more with a trying smile. "You can do it, Golden Guard."

Without another exchange you took your position. The Guard hesitated as he kneled down. "I..."

Gingerly he grazed the outline with one finger and a small sprout grew - before he snapped his hand back and it died instantly.

Looking up to you - and somehow you could tell that he asked you on the 'how'. "You just touch it," you smiled, "I need it to be big and strong...you said that witches used to do that with willpower and imagination, right? Maybe...we could try that." You could feel his gaze, could tell how his chest heaved but with a deep breath he slammed his hand onto the sand. At the contact the glyph glowed bright, a sprout emmitted and you were quick to jump on the growing vine.

In an blink of an eye, the staff was retreated and the guard slowly imagined the vine becoming smaller and reshaping into a flower - which it did the moment you landed on your feet.

"Here." You returned the weapon that you so awkwardly held, "...That thing seems more unstable than my glyphs - from holding it at least."

You tried to smile for him but he remained silent. Throwing sand over the drawn glyphs, the both of you returned to the castle without another word.

Back in the discreet room, you took off the mask of the scout uniform with a frown. "Hey...I won't question anything of that...instance if you don't want me to."

He snapped his head back at you before slowly letting it fall. All you got were mumbles under his breath.

With yet another awkward smile that you could muster, you pointed towards his scraped skin. "I found some bandages here the other day...we'd best patch that up before it gets infected...if that uh, happens around here." This time however, he shook his head. "I can take care of myself. I don't need...your help..."

Underneath his mask he scowled as his words trailed off. What a lie.

He's pathetic.

Still, you tried to urge him to let you tend to him with sticking plaster in hand. Begrudgingly he let you - a bit unsure still. Even the act of sitting on that bed - which is your bed now (has been for a while...he wonders how long you'll stay) - has him thrown off. The confident aura of the Golden Guard leaving him and letting him down.

You talk about what you still were able to learn today, how in your world, water is connected to healing or seen as healing - after all, magic was fiction in your realm that you saw in "movies"...whatever illusions those might be - so maybe magic including a water glyph might ease his pain (which no, that's not how it works. However...he does not interrupt you).

It makes him realizes he doesn't know much about your realm despite keeping you here so that Belos can learn more about it. But what he does realize that in your strange human way, you were trying to comfort him.

He thinks. He never has been comforted before, not like this. Belos never comforted him like this.

After all was patched up, he was quick to collect his staff and leave yet stopped before reaching the door. "...Thanks..." You heard him hesitate and could almost not believe what he was saying, "...for today. And...for the other time where you helped me...with your wild magic."

A smile graced your face and your eyes lit up in a way that the Golden Guard did not know what to think of it. "You're welcome." Quickly he avoided your gaze. "But don't go overboard. Wild magic is dangerous, you could get hurt. So don't do anything without my supervision."

His attempt at sounding stern didn't go unnoticed but as he left, you couldn't find it in yourself to take it personal.

Things have become...challenging. For him.

He stood there with food in his hand right in front of your door, the illusion spell gone for a moment. In his pocket were a few bandages.

He can return your used ones - then again they aren't yours, they belong to the Emperor as everything does here on the Boiling Isles. Well, you could still have some in stock in case you get hurt with wild magic - which isn't something HE can allow to happen as the Golden Guard!

He groans and just goes in.

In time you appreaciated his visits. The extra bandages weren't...neccessary but welcomed. The dishes he brought resembled your doodles more and were *gasp* actually tasty! You asked him if he spend time in the kitchen and he answers embarrassingly (but at least you cannot see the cuts on his hands).

The Golden Guard liked taking his time with wild magic lessons this time though. The outings aren't this far away anymore but each one was at a different place that you appreciated.

You were more open to tell him of your human world. Of quiet nights, of animals like wolves and how the rain is soothing and not boiling. How humans liked to go swim in the ocean as a pass time! (insanity to him).

You mentioned that he'd get it if he would see it...you hoped you'd be able to see it too.

It was interesting...if not fantastical in his mind.

Even with your frequent meetings with Belos who grew more and more impatient, he always stood by your side. Protecting you even with excuses when the emperor chose harsh words. Nevertheless, the man always tried to be a delight in your presence but you could never truly believe him. He did not make ultimatums or threatened or hurt you...did he pity you because you were human?

You always made sure to thank your guard in situations like these even when he had trouble accepting your gratitude or showing any of his own. You assumed he was never upset by it though.

However, when it came to him he was more than reserved. Any questions of his day, interests, well-being, age or even his name he never really answered. It felt all too compelling to just give up on asking him.

The day started off normal enough. What you learned was normal around here.

The Golden Guard announced that he'd go on a mission right before bidding goodbye after his visits. It will be on the airship...not known to Belos but he will be happy with that he'd bring back. No, you cannot come.

"It's top secret, so just between you and me. I won't be back after bringing in victory so don't try to leave this room - okay, byyyeeee!"

There he was again zapping away and leaving you to kill off your boredom all by yourself. It wasnt until the late evening when crashing and guards stomping by your room was heard. In a panic you rushed towards the wall to eavesdrop.

'Airship' and 'Golden Guard' was all you could hear out by a small, high-pitched voice...squealing over the possibility of his death and taking his place.

Your heart skipped a beat and your throat felt dry. Death? What did they mean with him dying? Taking his place? This - This has to be a joke!

But the demon realm taught you quick that nothing was a joke here. Many things could have taken your life and you were sure members of the Emperor's Coven would be more than willing to be the most dangerous things on the isles.

There was no time to think. Your heart was pounding so hard leaving you with a headache yet you did not stop when putting on the scout uniform nor did you falter when stealing from the Healing Coven's closet. It was terrifying but you did not think about it nor about the consequences that could follow if Belos found out. You could imagine that he wouldn't be pleased when the human got out of his castle.

You refused to think about it or else you might shake in your boots with no power to continue to help him.

Sneaking out you were met with rubble and it confirmed your suspicions. You didn't know how to really find him if other witches were already after him. Making sure you stayed out of anyone's sight, you tightly held onto the bag filled with healing potions. You stumbled through the dark and the debris, falling hard enough to lose your mask - but secured the bottles from shattering.

It's alright, you tell yourself and took a deep breath, you can still hide your ears with the cape.

Other scouts searched the area and suddenly you had a bad feeling about dressing as one yourself. Though beyond the orders shouted out, you heard a high voice not belonging to any of the Emperor's Coven and followed it. Without realizing whats in front of you, you collapsed with another person.

You shrieked but caught the bottles just in time. Whipping your head up, you came face to face with another witch - a boy your age with hair pale blonde, scars on his face and ear and heavy eyebags just under his ruby red eyes.

His jaw hung open with a tooth gap peeking from his lips. He looked at you as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

Before he could speak you interrupted him: "Have you seen the Golden Guard?!"

Jumping, he recoiled.

You only stared at him with white panic. "He was steering the airship that crashed here I heard! I, I've got to find him - Emperor's orders!" You hoped he'd take the bait - but only kept staring at you in shock.

In turn you shook your head with a scoff and passed by him yet still stopped and gazed at him over your shoulder. "...You look hurt," Your hand fished out a few potions, "I got these for him but you look like you could use them, too." Without another word you shoved a few potions into his arms and made a run deeper into the debris.

After your figure dissapeared, he still stood there. Beyond the smoke another person emerged through. "Who was that?" Her brown eyes looked worriedly over to him as she adjusted the cape around her round ears.

The blonde frowned before quickly packing the potions out of her sight. "No one. Let's go."

The moment he got back, he barged into your room.

It was long nighttime. You did not sleep, refused to rest your eyes as you skimmed around your book for some kind of glyph that lets you track people. Find their belongings, their status. Anything.

He should've expected it but it still startled him when you rushed over, yelling at him with panicked eyes on where he had been.

The Golden Guard told you the truth - part of it at least and sprinkled a bit of fantasy on it. How he was found and brought back to the castle.

"And what about 'taking your place'?! I saw members of the Coven trying to track you down and..." Your eyes softened, your face grim, "...they talked about getting rid of you."

He looked briefly away from your sullen gaze. "They weren't able to."

"So thats just, a thing that happens here? Scouts and generals wanting to get rid of others for their position?! Thats not normal! Thats something that happened in kingdoms and dynasties and..."

You halt and deflate. Your arms that were wildly gesturing just a moment ago slowly fell to your sides. "...empires."

The Golden Guard assured you while shaking his head. "Listen, I don't know what these are but! I'm fine! I'm fine. You don't have...to worry about someone like me."

"Your airship crashed, thats enough reason to worry - and after hearing the members of your own Coven want you dead, of course I'd come looking for you!"

You saw his shoulders jump. He tilted his head up in surprise and even though you couldn't see it, you were sure he was stunned. It only made you frown more.

"...Of course I'd look for you."

The way you looked at him was the final resolution he believed he needed. A sigh escaped and hit his mask as he avoided your gaze. "...Yeah, you did. You saved me. Thanks..." He saw you straightening your back as your head rose and your face grimaced with a puzzled expression. He bet you must be so confused, maybe hurt - of course you are, you just said it yourself. But still, he put the empty bottles into your hands.

"Human, I have to tell you something..." His voice shook as his hands went up to remove his mask. A gasp escaped you as the same bad but sad boy was looking at you. His blonde hair tussled and unruly as his red eyes seemed to beg you not to he angry. They were bandages on his face which somewhat eased your worries. He was hurt and roughed up but not as much as you feared.

"Why didn't you tell me that was you?" You approached him unsurely and he seemed to back away. He twiddled with his fingers and couldnt meet your eyes. "...No one was supposed to see me. I barely take off my mask anyway, only to Belos. And..." He scowled slightly, "I didn't know what to do. I didn't expect you, you weren't even supposed to be there!"

"I was worried they'd kill you! That was true what I heard, wasnt it? Or is that also a lie?" "I'm not lying to you!" He snapped back with a bit more bite in him, "Kikimora constantly tries to take my place! Thats why it was so weird to see you there with healing potions looking for me! And...I should thank you. I wanna thank you." As quick as his fierce glare came, it was gone again as the blonde shrunk meekly, begrudgingly admitting his fault in a soft voice. "...No one's done that for me before. Not even...Belos..."

You frown was filled with pity. "I figured as much." You softly let out and motioned towards your bed. With hesitancy, he sat down at the edge and you followed to do the same. Now sitting next to him, you hesitated yourself. "Is there anything more I should know?" "What do you want to know?" Looking back up, he saw you glaring slightly at him. "Your name for example. Or are you just known as the Golden Guard?"

"No!"

Your anger was nothing compared to the way he snapped.

But as fast as it came, he slowly shrunk again, turning away and fiddling with his hands.

His voice softened once again.

"...My name is Hunter."

You repeated his name and it left a shiver down his spine. Hearing you out of all people say it is weird, it is all so weird. No one adresses him by his name but you just did as if it were normal.

"Well...it's nice to meet you properly, Hunter." Again, you are acting weird, smiling at him ever so slightly and even if it was forced, it seemed genuine to him. That you'd even say something like that. You even repeated your name as if it really is the first time you two met.

He awkwardly shook your offering hand.

"It's...nice to meet you, too."

"But why are you telling me all this, Hunter?"

His red eyes flickered to the side before a more serious expression graced his face. He took a deep breath before staring into your eyes. "There's something you need to know." He began dryly, "When I was out there, running away from Kiki...I was with someone else. It...was another human, just like you."

Your eyes widened.

"If I'm right, she comes from the same place that you do. I believe she appeared later on the Boiling Isles than you did and she might have the means to return. She is not...a friend, but I can bring you to her."

"There is a way back home?!" Jumping up from the bed, you barely could believe your luck. But it still left you confused. "But...can you tell me even this? I-is that something I'm supposed to know? What about Belos?"

Hunter looked back up to you, his hands tightly gripping his knees. "You deserve to know. You...are the nicest, weirdest person I've ever met. And you want to go back home, to somewhere you belong..." Sadness briefly glimmered in his eyes and they glance back at you, "Human, I - no," Hunter corrected himself by saying your name, "I have to pay you back for all the...things you've done for me. Even if I am just a powerless witch...I want to help you get back to your realm."

You were speechless. Taking a step towards him, you opened your mouth but the next words that were heard were not yours but chirping.

On the window behind Hunter, was a red bird watching you two.

[the-stolen-century]

I absolutely adore the "Eda is Howl and Raine is Sophie" AU (and am sharing links to art and fics at the bottom of this post because they're all so good!). But may I suggest - that's what the story looks like from Raine's point of view. From Eda's point of view, it looks like this:

Update: here's the coloured version:

Reference, further thoughts and links to other fanworks under cut!

Just look at Raine Rizzpers. They're this handsome, dashing, incredibly powerful magician who wears a dangly earring and a glorious off-the-shoulder coat.

Imagine:

- Eda has to hide from coven scouts and Raine uses their magic to whisk her away. Of course where Sophie is initially terrified of walking in the sky Eda is immediately delighted and laughs instead of yelping. And Raine literally does the same "soldiers/scouts turn away and march away" magic in the BATTs intro as Howl does in the movie intro, right? Same magic! So Raine and Eda have a lovely time together (longer than Howl and Sophie, maybe even the whole day?) because they form an immediate  connection, just like in "Them's the breaks, kid".

- Then Eda gets cursed, which makes her age prematurely and run away from home. She finds an old house in the wilderness. Unlike in TOH canon, the house is inhabited not only by Hootcifer but also occasionally by Raine. (Or maybe the house is not the Owl House but the BATTs headquarters, and the 3 BATTs are the equivalent of Calcifer, Markl abd Heen?)

- either way Raine going on BATT missions, disguised as a bat, is the equivalent of Howl going to war in bird form.

- unfortunately Raine doesn't seem to recognise her. She thinks it's because of her curse, but finds out that Raine's heart and memories seemingly have been locked away (Terra's potion).

- since Eda lost her magic to the curse, now Raine is the only magician in this relationship. But even without her magic Eda refuses to leave. She just kind of aggressively adopts Raine, citing old woman privilege, because of course she's immediately worried about the effects of the curse on the person she met that day and couldn't forget since.

- some kind of confrontation between Eda and Terra (madam Suleiman equivalent). Raine was going to go themself, unlike Howl, but Eda somehow preempted them and went instead of them, using an illusion to look like Raine, just like in canon! And then Terra sees through the illusion and everything falls apart but in the end they still find each other...🥺

*Slaps AU* This baby can fit SO MUCH mutual pining in it!

The reason why I love Raeda so much is that both of them are the Howl and the Sophie in this relationship.

Anyway here are the amazing other fanworks!

AND ALL OF THIS TAG ON INSTAGRAM!!

[myobsessions247]

A Hunter Au, it might not be for everyone but there is mama Eda and a younger Hunter, also big thing: Hunter is cursed (but you’ll have to wait to find out how!)

Runaway Owlet

Chapter 1 - A Lying Emperor and His Ward

He thought he should look up to his uncle. But once Lilith and he started to get close, they became more comfortable around each other. He realized the stark contrast between Belos and Lilith, how he could talk to Lilith about wild magic but his uncle… The atmosphere when he’s around Belos is very different to Lilith, shouldn’t it be the opposite? Shouldn’t he be able to talk about his interests to his uncle freely?

Hunter stares at himself through the mirror, with a far look on his face. He watches the blood stream down his neck soaking into his sweater, staining it. The last six minutes were a blur. The strike across his face was a blur. The run back to his room, leaving a trail of tears and blood was a blur. He thought so many different thoughts staring at his bloody hands and face, as all the colors around turned vivid and blur, was a blur. 

Would Lilith do this to him? He wouldn’t blame her if she did. He doesn’t know if she would. No, she wouldn’t. Lilith would never have to hit him. Not even if he’d mention how life might be better without the coven system, or being able to cure his uncle’s and his curse with wild magic. She’s too kind to hurt him for thinking there’s a better way to live. 

Hunter feels unsafe around Belos.

He should’ve known this for a while now. 

His heartbeat races. His breathing shortens. His bloody hands shake. He feels the feathers forming on his arms, face, hair, legs, and chest. His eyes widened. He frantically searches for a golden yellow potion. He finds it in a drawer and chugs it down, face furrowing in disgust. The feathers lift as he sticks his tongue out, I keep forgetting how bad this tastes! He remembers.

He looks back at the mirror, it suddenly reminds him of the wound. Now calm, he grabs his healing kit and gets to work cleaning up his injury.

He doesn’t feel safe around Belos.

It’s patched up, though you can see where the blood dried and the splotches of a darker red in his sweater.

Hunter doesn’t feel safe in the emperor’s coven.

He wants to leave so badly, yet he doesn’t. He doesn’t know where else to go. But wouldn't living homeless be better than living in a place that doesn’t feel like home? How would he eat, he barely eats here anyway. What about Lilith, what about Belos?

Hunter isn’t safe here.

He finds a bag to pack his stuff in. Two pairs of clothes (he’ll have to deal with not being able to wash them), some extra bandages, and… he doesn’t need anything else, does he? Though he does want some things. One of his favorite books, and a stuffed frog. 

Oh! Elixirs! 

…

He doesn’t have any more. He looked in the dresser drawer, desk, under his bed even! No sign of a golden yellow potion. He won’t get that stressed, would he? If he can survive without food, he’ll be fine, maybe.

Hunter, you are not safe there.

He waits until it’s two in the morning before leaving his room. He lived in the castle, he knew the scouts’ schedules and the layout like the back of his scared, gloved hand. Sure, it’s not like the entire building is empty, there are plenty of guards still guarding. But the only flaw: is shifts. Hunter waits near the entrance until the security walks away to get the next shift of scouts. That is when Hunter takes his chance to leave the castle. And then, he runs.

He runs for a good hour until his legs give in and he collapses on the cold forest floor. He doesn’t know how long he’s been crying, he only notices once he leans against a tree. Keep running. A little voice in his head nags. He ignores it, no, I’m tired. 

Belos will find you. Keep. Running.

No one knows I’m gone. I’ll worry about it in the morning.

Hunter’s breathing slows, and his legs ache. It’s cold, his nose is running, and he can feel his cheeks wet from the tears. Why is he crying again? 

Snap! Hunter jolts awake, he didn’t even know he drifted off. His ears twitch, in whatever direction the sound came from. It’s Silent. Is he going crazy? He hugs his legs, why did I leave? He hates that he wants to go back. He hates that he would rather get hit again, but still stay and rest in his bed. But I don’t want to! He keeps contradicting himself! 

He can’t get what he wants, a place to stay with a bed and food, and not to get hurt for a thing he says or does. He wants Lilith and not his uncle. He has to choose. Go back. Stay here.

He didn’t notice he started crying again. Oh well. Lilith would comfort him if she was here. Belos would just say “Quit crying, that’s not how you handle things.” He would say to grow up, and no one else is crying about not getting dinner. 

Like most nights, Hunter cried himself to sleep. Hugging himself and his pink stuffed frog he got out during his crying fit.

NOTES:

This will be a short chapter just like another few after this, I am trying to write a lot of the chapters ahead of time. I have so many ideas for this and for fluff I write what ever feels right in the moment. And most of the mysteries will stay mysteries until it either needs to come up or the truth will come out later(hint hint for Hollow Mind >:3) I do hope you like this idea enough to stick around, and don’t forget to let me know if any of it feels unnatural, like characters or anything else.

And lastly thank you for reading! Have a good night/midday/morning!

[thousand-winters]

It's very interesting how while in Labyrinth Runners the scouts genuinely think that Belos is worried for Hunter and would be relieved to have him back, Graye already knows that Hunter is afraid of him AND that Belos probably doesn't care that much for his well being, considering how he has no qualms in kicking him down and pretty much stepping on him (which you probably wouldn't want to do if you assumed the emperor will have your head for hurting his nephew), and he's the one who makes the Belos illusion to frighten Hunter and take advantage of that distraction.

It's unclear how much the Coven Heads knew about that relationship, but at the very least we know that Darius very much didn't know and Graye apparently does. Seems like Graye was VERY observant.

It's not just that but it almost seems like him and his scouts might have been at Hexside possibly since classes started? Enough time to have observed the students a little, because they know to use Willow to try and deceive Gus, and a bit of a baseline of how they act around each other. What caught my attention there was that the Willow illusion specifically calls him "Augustus" in that scene, which Graye wouldn't have a way to know since everybody calls him Gus now. Perhaps he dug on the student files to find out more about Gus before trying to hunt him down personally? He did have a particular investment in him because of the Looking Glass Graveyard.

All of this to say... from what we got to see of Graye in the show, it doesn't really seem like he's a particularly powerful Illusionist, at least not at the same level of expertise that the other Coven Heads have with their respective tracks.

BUT this makes me think that it was not raw power what got him his rank, it might have been him simply being clever. The kind of person who gets obsessed with the small details and as such knows how to use the information he gets from that and from snooping around to threaten or intimidate people with his illusions.

Once he's a Coven Head, he has scouts at his command, and it seems like he delegates a LOT of his work to them, which probably makes it way easier to just dedicate himself to observe and see what's useful so he can bribe and threaten people.

[lazydaisyhuntlow]

TOH Meta: Hexside analysis (size, schedule, clubs, staff roster)

We spend a lot of time at Hexside School of Magic and Demonics throughout the course of the series, but some things are never really explained. For my own reference, I'm compiling as much canon information here as I can about Hexside and the people who work there (plus a couple headcanons).

1. How many students attend Hexside?

In the show, most track-specific class sizes range from 3-4 students. For example, this Abominations 101 class from season one has 4 students, with seating space for 12 max.

However, I have reason to believe that this is not all the Abominations students! There are probably other classes for advanced students that meet later in the day (more on that in the Scheduling section below).

Let's say there's a (generous) average of 8-12 students per track. Multiply that by 9 tracks and we get 72-108 students, plus 8 in the baby class, for a total of about 80-116 students total.

The all-school assembly in Labyrinth Runners seems about that size.

Yep, around 100 students. Hexside is quite small! I wonder if St. Epiderm and Glandus are similarly sized?

2. What is the schedule like?

Upon Luz' arrival, Bump gives her a schedule for the day with 6 different potions classes. I know this is meant to be a joke but I'm accepting that Hexside has a 6-block schedule where classes gradually increase in difficulty (hopefully with a lunch break somewhere!!) and that electives (club meetings, free periods, or any non-track-specific class like history/math/PE) are less frequent.

Gus mentions 'moving up a few grades', but since it's essentially a tiny K-12 school and the options at Luz' entrance exam are A) the baby class or B) the not-baby class... I think it's more likely the students are separated by level/ability, not strictly by age.

My headcanon is that the morning (periods 1-3) is for the beginner-level track classes. During this time, older students go to their electives like PE, history, math, language, independent study, or maybe apprenticeships. In the afternoon (periods 4-6), they switch: track professors do advanced classes with the older students, while the younger ones go to their electives. But even if this is not the case, with such small classes, it would be easy to differentiate to multiple levels and give each student lots of one-on-one attention.

3. What clubs are there?

From the club fair in Any Sport in a Storm, we know that Hexside has a lot of student clubs, including:

Grudgby, Flyer Derby, The Good Witch Azura book club, Swimming, Hexas Hold'em, Screech and Debate, Fear Book, Drama, Gardening, Arts & Witchcrafts, Skullpting, Casket Weaving, Brews n' Stews, Inner Demons, Scrying Committee, and Psychics.

There is a school newspaper called the Hexside Free Press. Gus is a member.

Gus is also the president of the Human Appreciation Society (not to be confused with the roleplaying Human Fantasy Club down the hall).

4. Who are the teachers?

Principal Hieronymus Bump

Attended Hexside as an abominations student (and played flyer derby!), joined the abominations coven, and came back to work as a teacher. Firm, fair, open-minded, will defend his students from threats. Retires during the timeskip.

Professor Hermonculus - Abominations Track

Critical, strict, petty. Punishes his students with extra homework. Holds a grudge against Willow for changing to the plant track. Sends Amity to the principal's office. Plays flyer derby.

His palisman is an abomination-goo cat-bat thing. Also, he appears to have recruited a literal kindergartener to play this deadly contact sport? Nice.

Unnamed purple triclops demon - Illusions Track

Stylish, caring, protective of her students -- in Labyrinth Runners her priority was to get Gus away from the Coven Scouts, and she was willing to trade Hunter back to Belos to accomplish that goal (though she probably didn't know or care what would happen to him). Seems to do a lot of assessments; encourages creativity and humor in her students. She becomes the new principal after Bump's retirement. My headcanon name: Professor Houdine

Unnamed spider demon - kindergarten/baby class

Super cute and appears to be a genuinely good teacher! Field trips, story time, plushies all over the classroom. I hope she was okay after the day of unity because the kindergarteners descended into madness without her. My headcanon name: Cera Fangston

Unnamed parrot (?) demon - Potions Track

Put a pun ("Let's mix it up!") and little doodles of potions flasks on her board, which I appreciate. Spends a lot of time with Boscha and appears to do nothing about her bullying other students, which I do not appreciate. My headcanon name: Professor Sinder

Unnamed bicorn - Oracle Track

Serious, mysterious, detail-oriented. Cool aesthetic, but... let's be honest. That is WAY too many chalkboards. I can see why she has to keep her crystal balls in the hallway! Also, the oracle track's whole thing is ghosts, but I guess she ignored the decades-old ghost infestation in the girls' changing room and left it for other people to clean up?

Yeah. So she's either not very powerful or not very considerate of her colleagues. Maybe she's the one who keeps eating all the donuts in the staff room. My headcanon name: Professor Claire Lydgate

Unnamed snake (?) demon - History, math (?)

He doesn't like chatting in his classroom, but he LOVES grudgby! He teaches History and something about the Heximal System, so that's possibly a lower-level math class? His classes appear to be larger and include students from many different tracks.

My headcanon name: Professor Ladon

Unnamed gray demon - detention track (temporary)

Sarcastic, uses his scroll a lot, punishes students with cleaning the classroom, can sleep through anything. Was only supposed to be in charge of detention track temporarily while the detention pit was being repaired, but he stuck around in the background til the end of season 2 so I guess they found something for him to do. Maybe he's a substitute? Also a contender for the donut thief. My headcanon name: Mr. Eyevan Urgus

Unnamed blue demon with wig - Bard Track (?)

This guy appears in the background in Labyrinth Runners. I'm guessing he's the bard professor because... uhh... his robe is red (the Bard coven color) and the powdered wig reminds me of Mozart. I know that's kind of a stretch, but the only other thing we know about the Bard professor is that they leave during the timeskip so Skara can take over, so it's possible! My headcanon name: Professor Presto

Miss Jenkinmeyer (no image) - possibly a staff member while Eda was attending Hexside. There was an incident involving her teeth which wound up in Eda's permanent file.

Hexside Guards (temporary security guards) - can literally smell trouble. They were supposed to be protecting students, but they ended up throwing a lot of people into the detention pit.

That brings us to the end of all the canon staff members. Who is missing? We have no information on professors for the Healing, Plant, Beastkeeping, and Construction tracks, plus the cafeteria staff.

I don't know if it's fair to make the snake-demon guy handle all the electives for every single student, so let's give him some help. One more electives teacher for "Spelling" (possibly language arts?). Heck, I'll throw in astronomy as well because the movements of celestial bodies appear to be very important for casting powerful spells in the show.

Also... Hexside has a drama program and a championship sports program, both with VERY nice facilities.

They definitely need teachers to oversee those. Maybe the Bard and Illusions professors team up for drama, and the PE teacher is also the Grudgby coach?

I have ideas for OCs for all those positions, but maybe I'll make that a separate post so this one can be mostly canon.

5. What about the building itself?

There's a lot going on! Aside from all the classrooms, they have a cafeteria, a detention pit with tunnels under the school, a gym, an auditorium, an outdoor athletics field, Grom's prison under the gym, and this cool round atrium near the entrance.

There are multiple floors, but I don't remember seeing stairs anywhere except for the seating in the gym.

The abominations students have to wheel their homework everywhere anyway, so maybe there are no stairs and it's all spiraling ramps?

Yay for wheelbarrow accessibility!

Lastly, Eda's Secret Room of Shortcuts. It's one of the coolest concepts in the whole show, I wish we got to see it more.

To anyone who made it this far, thank you for reading! Let me know if I should add anything :)

[kindestegg]

Collector, Hunter and Caleb: On cycles of violence

Baby titans. Flapjack. Evelyn. What do they all have in common?

If you guessed "they were key components in making a character question what they've been told and pursue a new life, kickstarting major events", you're correct!

Hi, I'm Romeo the local Collector obsessed TOH fan!! And I REALLY need to talk about how Collector's backstory parallels Hunter's and Caleb's. Like I REALLY REALLY do.

Just as a quick disclaimer, if you're still feeling lost on Collector's backstory, I made a quick write up of my analysis for it here.

Now, if you're up to speed, we can start talking about the parallels. You see, I feel Collector's backstory is so fascinating because it really solidifies one of the recurring themes of The Owl House: cycles of violence.

Specifically, I want to talk about cycles of violence that aren't easily changed or broken. Societal ones, ones that worm themselves into the very norms of conduct that inform a certain people's behavior.

For Caleb, that was being a witch hunter, something that not only do we know was part of the local culture of Gravesfield back when he and Philip came to it, but that also apparently by Philip's memories, was even something he looked forward to.

I'm not going to get into how this ties into historical, real life witch hunting, because I feel it's hardly appropriate I, as someone who's not that well versed on such history, go into it in a theory post about a Disney cartoon.

But even in this fantasy world, the fact of that matter is that this witch hunting was enacting a system of organized violence. Children were brought up since early on to act out witch hunts, to understand witches were enemies and should be hunted. The othering of witches, the insistence of them as monstrous and inhuman. All this must have led to the witch hunting culture of Gravesfield.

And Caleb and Philip were deep in it.

Now, we know how the story goes. Both brothers go to the demon realm, meet a witch. Caleb gives it all an earnest chance, resolves himself to learn about how witches really are, and humanizes them, even possibly falling in love with a witch, who we now know as Evelyn. Philip despises it all from the start, refuses to ever see the place as anything but damned and monstrous.

From this, Caleb and Philip become symbols of opposing forces: That of change, a break in the status quo, a shining light of questioning why things are and calling for peace VS That of tradition, the desperate want to keep the cycle going, inability to envision anything different than has ever been, to question the old teachings.

Each fought for what they believed in. But Caleb lost and the cycle continued, evolved.

In the real world it is much of the same. Change happens gradually, but even when it does, the cycle does not break easily, it evolves into something else.

Philip's hunt turns to the entirety of the Boiling Isles. He creates the Coven System, to get rid of all witches, yes, but also to keep them easier to control, predictable. He becomes Emperor, and now there is a new system of control, a new cycle of violence.

The Emperor's Coven is suspiciously the only one allowed to use all kinds of magic, a way to assert this authority as well as making recruiting Coven Scouts easier. Witches who do not conform to the system are captured and petrified en masse, the Coven Scouts ensure all witches and demons must fall in line, or else. The parallels to our world and state forces used to control the population is not something that goes unnoticed.

Hunter is part of the Emperor's Coven, too. He's placed as the Golden Guard, the most important symbol of the Emperor's Coven, a substitute for Lilith once she reforms. As such, Hunter too starts out by enforcing a system of violence, just as Caleb did before.

The cycle even more glaringly becomes a cycle now, as Belos literally keeps making grimwalkers and restarting the cycle of the golden guard. Belos enforces the cycle of violence, and hopes this "new Caleb" will do it too, and every time he attempts to break it, Belos breaks him first. In a way, there are two cycles of violence at play: that of which is systemically mantained over the Isles, and that of which Belos mantains over Hunter and every other grimwalker he's made.

Hunter, of course, eventually defects as well. He meets Luz, Flapjack, and then Willow and Gus and when he knows it, he's got a whole lot of people he cares about and that care about him. And he becomes a little less willing to carry out the system of violence he was placed in every day. Until he defects for good.

So the cycle breaks once more, but this time, Belos doesn't catch up to him, at least not yet. In the present, Hunter is still surrounded by friends and a loving mother figure. He was part of breaking the cycle, of at least helping stop the Day of Unity. Change is starting.

So where does Collector fit into all of this? Well I'd first like to address the elephant in the room. For a character whose backstory also involves breaking cycles of violence he sure was aiding in one, by giving Belos the draining spell and encouraging the creation of the coven system. But that's just another aspect of cycles of violence.

Because cycles of violence don't just imply systemic violence or even violence perpetrated through constant abuse. But also, the cyclical nature of violence. The ability that someone who has grown up with violence normalized and has had violence done unto them can then channel that into violence towards others.

Now, before I am misinterpreted, I'd like to make some things clear: One, I am not of the simple opinion that "abused people turn into abusers", that is an ugly myth. Two, I have been a victim of abuse myself, and am a psychology graduate. I feel confident speaking with authority about this subject. Third, there is a difference between the psychological concept of generational trauma and internalized violence and the idea that being abused will turn someone violent.

What I am implying here is that Collector's behavior of dismissing both the violence done unto the grimwalkers, as well as towards the victims of the draining spell is something that he has learned and internalized as normal due to his life experiences.

Recall if you will that Collector is a member of an alien species that has a high disregard for life. In the same breath that they will say they preserve creatures to study them, they will also attempt to destroy all that opposes them. Collector grew up with this violence being seen as normal. He was brought to meet the titan trappers and taught to wear the titan skulls, following in his family's footsteps.

But... just like Caleb and Hunter before them, they saw a different path they could take when it came to the titans. A way to approach them without violence. They gained an interest for titans, just like Hunter with wild magic, just like Caleb with the demon realm.

Once left alone to do so, they approached the titans, specifically young ones, close to their age. They played and maybe even learned some of their favorite games for the first time there.

They also became horribly traumatized.

Both Caleb and Hunter have suffered greatly as a consequence for their defiance. No system of violence lets itself be broken peacefully. Caleb had his life taken, so did all the grimwalkers. Hunter, while having escaped with a good support system, lost Flapjack.

For Collector, that came in the form of having to watch all the remaining titans he had so happily introduced himself to play with get killed off by his own family. We do not know the full logic of how or why his family did this, but we know it was brutal and we know the end result: King's egg alone and Collector in the disc, imprisoned for centuries.

Collector is a child, and if there was still any doubt in any fan's mind of this, For the Future stomped it out for good. Collector was a child when he had to watch his family kill off his new friends. He was a child when King's Father, likely in the middle of these attacks and motivated by it, sealed him away. He remained in stasis for centuries during this imprisonment.

I can only imagine that would really mess up any kid up. And through that, I think we can begin to understand what the mindset was for Collector when he took Philip up on his offer.

I've seen people be surprised by how friendly and childlike Collector acted in this latest episode when compared to his previous appearances in season 2, and I think we need to remember that Collector was in a much different condition back then. He had lost everything he cared about, got stuck in a prison for centuries with no one to talk to and no hope of anyone ever finding him, and when someone did find him, it was Philip fucking Wittebane.

And something I think most of us have already clocked about Philip is that he prefers the people he collaborates with to be vulnerable. Someone he can easily control, usually through their emotions and attachments.

We see this in Elsewhere and Elsewhen with his tendency to praise and lead Lilith and Luz on to get what he wants, knowing they need something out of this and are desperate.

We see this with Lilith, whom he uses the guilt of her sister being cursed to make her follow his every command and not question his rules.

We see this with every grimwalker including Hunter as they're told he was the one who "saved them and took them in".

We see this with Luz and how he leads her thoughts around in Hollow Mind to twist it in how she helped him unwittingly before.

And though his relationship with Kikimora and her schemes is more of an odd one, with him mostly paying her no mind, Follies at the Coven Day Parade at the very least touched on the fact her mental health at the Emperor's Coven is not doing well. She's also desperate for something and being led around by Belos' promises, even if that thing she's desperate for is... power. But er, we love an evil girlboss.

Look, what I'm trying to say is that Philip saw a child that had been horribly traumatized from seeing his friends die and then getting stuck in fantasy perpetual prison for centuries with no enrichment, no one to talk to, just eternal loneliness and sadness and he absolutely took advantage of it.

He used every single part of Collector's broken psyche to his advantage, including possibly withholding his freedom to interact with the outside world through the disc, shutting him up and cutting his vision whenever he might have wanted to.

And Collector, having grown up in an environment that encouraged killing everything in your way if necessary, having nothing else to lose because everything he could have cared about not killing was to his knowledge gone...

Absolutely took him up on the offer. And so, the cycle of violence is mantained, the one who had to witness such violence, unable to stop it, now carries out the same type of violence against others. Out of anger, maybe, but mostly out of desperation. For Collector, there's nothing left to do but do what Belos says, otherwise it's back to loneliness and darkness. And if Belos says "kill every last witch and demon in the Boiling Isles", he'll get that.

Collector's glee in this is not something that can be excused, however. It must be examined through the lens of understanding this is a bad thing, that this is a case study in how children internalize violence and learn to be not only compliant to it, but also even revel in it. He's gone from victim to perpetrator. Not because of any of the abuse or trauma he faced, but because of his environment creating the perfect conditions for it.

But that's when our heroes come in. The cycle of violence did not complete itself. The draining spell was stopped. And the way it was stopped is also incredibly powerful in its symbolism.

Because it was King who went out of his way to contact Collector and who freed him. King, a titan, the last of a species that was at war with the collectors, now extended a hand for our Collector to be free. Despite everything indicating that they should not find each other, should not be together, they came together to stop the Day of Unity.

In the Day of Unity being stopped by the Collector, so another cycle of violence is broken: that of titans and collectors being at odds with each other. In them is represented the hope for the future: two children who are free of the anger their species would hold for one another, now united in their wish for a better future.

When King decides Collector shouldn't be imprisoned again and insists to Lilith and Eda that they let him talk to them peacefully, that's him taking a step to break the cycle of violence. When King says "it didn't work" he's not just talking about the fact Collector could go free. He's talking about the fact imprisoning Collector was a violence done unto him that only brought about more danger and more violence, did not teach him anything, and doing so again could risk worse things to come.

When he says "it's worth a shot if no more people get hurt" he includes everyone in that equation. He includes Collector. And that's breaking the cycle of violence.

In a way, you could say if Belos and Collector's arcs as villains are both about stopping cycles of violence in different ways.

With Belos, he has spiraled down so deeply he has become the cycle itself, eating everything in the way and infecting everything, unable to live on without creating more violence onto others, and so he must be stopped by force if necessary. In this, The Owl House doesn't shy away from the fact that in the real world, sometimes you need to fight back, you cannot resolve everything peacefully, and breaking the cycle will involve hurting someone before they hurt more people.

But with Collector, another side is shown, one that reminds us that we must have nuance, and sometimes, we will be faced with the difficult reality that those doing violence unto others are also people who are hurting, who are lonely, who are sad. Specially children who have grown in environments where violence and prejudice was normalized. Sometimes children will be violent, will be bigoted, will repeat every little horrible thing the adults in their lives taught them. But they're still children. And they still deserve a chance to learn and a chance to grow.

It's about recognizing the difference between a young person who genuinely wants to learn and hasn't had the opportunity to, and someone who is not interested in this. Collector's backstory tells us he does have an interest in being good, he just needs the opportunity.

Collector isn't an easy character to approach like Hunter or Caleb. They do not have the benefit of starting off the narrative dead and buried, leaving the audience to assume mostly good things out of his deviation. Neither do they have Hunter's rebellious teenage bravado that allows him to show his defiance to Belos or his tragic fate of being a grimwalker binding him. They just are an alien child with immense power who tried once to deviate from the norm and then got the worst luck of the entire universe after them, and procceeded to become bitter and angry and absolutely sadistic afterwards.

But there's still good in them. And just like Caleb and Hunter, their efforts to break the cycle of violence they were raised in, as well as the efforts to denounce their fellow collectors will not go unnoticed.

[crimeronan]

Leaving Amity — aka one of the empress’ two protege aka the current favorite to become the coven head of the empress’s coven aka the “ruthless” scout who has always risen above and needed to “hide” in the empress’ quarters because her fellow scouts may try to assassinate her in her sleep aka who even knows what may happen — Blight powerless while still in the coven is so freaking reckless I stg Lilith 😭.

Bro she was obviously struggling SO MUCH and as the final nail to the coffin her powers, the comfort she found in the strength she built, is taken away living her stripped bear. It’s *going* to work, because Amity seems to have a mental block where she kinds of panics and runs back to abominations as soon as things don’t go her way (either through fear or a wild fight-flight) BUT Omgmgmg

Idk man, Hunter is going to enjoy this for like 5 minutes but as soon as he realizes Amity is *really* not going well he may freak out. Don’t even get me started on Luz.

All the while Lilith is like i hope i wasn’t too harsh i hope i wasn’t too harsh i want to help i’m scared she wants to leave me help blblblbl

TRULY. WHAT HAPPENS IF SHE GETS ATTACKED, LILITH.....

luz voice "can you guys simply Stop killing each other. i'm trying to be so nice all the time and you cannot even manage One Fucking Day-"

hunter is indeed going to be Worried Sick once the schadenfreude wears off. albeit in his sort of abrasive hunter way. he does not actually enjoy amity being this vulnerable. it's no fun when she's upset, it feels like kicking a kitten :(

and luz. well. luz has a lot of feelings about a lot of things!! that are complicated!!

[pincushionx]

AU where the coven heads actually get along…sort of.

They’re all still awful people but they realize they get more out of working together rather than against. They don’t quite like each other but theirs no bad blood. They all hang out and be lil bitches together.

They even let Hunter hang out with them due to the fact that he’s so good at acting like an adult (as sad as that is), a ‘bratty’ one but he does know a lot.

Rather then just brushing Hunter off as some brat like in canon, they see the potential in him and think ‘yeah we can make this kid into an absolute beast’

It’s mainly to have him do their dirty or difficult work for them but they also grow fond of him.

Idk I just want to give Hunter a dysfunctional family out of the Coven heads

Extra:

Hettie teaches Hunter anatomy so he knows where to hit his enemies and healing spells to heal himself and scouts he works with.

Darius teaches Hunter how to sew like in canon but sooner and teaches him all sorts of abomination magic like the translocation.

Vitimir teaches him all sorts of potions and how to incorporate them in fighting. He also teaches Hunter potion tolerance and how to resist certain ones and mithridatism

Adrian teaches him some illusions and even acting skills so Hunter becomes a better liar.

Eberwolf brings him out to catch and train with beasts. They bring him all sorts of bugs and little critters. Hunter often goes on retrieval missions to bring Eber stuff for the beasts he keeps.

Terra let’s him hang out at the garden and green house and teaches him all sorts of Botany and plant magic. She likes info dumping on him.

The previous Bard and Riane teach him Bard magic. Hunter summons his own violin.

Orsan teaches oracle magic to him but mainly likes to teach Hunter mind games

Mason teaches Hunter construction magic and how to use to use it to fight and fix damage done after a fight.

Lilith though jealous and annoyed, still recommends him all sorts of book and in good moments they info dump on each other

A lot of theses skills I think Hunter would have in canon like the anatomy and potion thing but he had to learn those on his own. In this Au the Coven heads are actually bothered to teach him.

Due to these changes Hunter is more comfortable with doing all sorts of combo magic like how we see Lilith does in the shows. He also carries a belt of potions with him. Certain stuff in the show goes different as well since he does form a bond sooner with Darius and Adrian.

The coven heads aren’t aware he doesn’t have a bile sac they just think he has a weak one. They help him learn how to translate their spells into his staff spells.

They all still can be cruel to Hunter like Adrain’s and Darius cruel jabs at him or Terra giving him plants that can harm him (like tea that makes him hallucinate ). They still do some back stabbing but overall they are less worse then in canon.

Though any signs abuse from Belos they chalk up to being from missions or reckless.

I think this gives them some fun depth. Like yeah they are all messed up but they are messed up together.

(Sorry if any grammar issues )

[disco-girl]

An unnecessary and in-depth analysis of magic colors used in TOH (Part 2):

Part 1 here

Purple:

Darius

Purple is associated with luxury, ambition, independence, mystery, arrogance, and inferiority

Darius is pretty much the embodiment of the color purple based on symbolism. He’s independent, he’s mysterious, he’s arrogant, he likes to live in luxury. He doesn’t act super ambitious but he is a Coven Head so we can assume he is somewhat. And the fact that he’s so competitive with Alador suggests that he may experience feelings of inferiority.

Magenta:

Amity, Alador, Tibbles, Gavin (possibly Kikimora and Malphas)

Magenta is associated with kindness, character, change, harmony, cooperation, and self respect but also impatience, arrogance and volatility.

Note: Kikimora and Malphas are listed as having purple magic on the wiki page, but it looks more magenta to me and I think that magenta makes more sense for them as well.

Impatience, arrogance and volatility are traits that are shared among these characters for the most part, though with Amity they’re mostly presented early in the show. The positive traits, consequently, have a lot of significance for Amity, who has gone through tremendous development and change over the course of the show. She’s become kinder and has learned to respect herself in a way that her parents couldn’t. She’s invited harmony into her life. If the show wasn’t cut short, I think we would have had a similar (smaller-scale) development for Alador and maybe even the other antagonists; at the very least Alador has taken initiative to change and better himself.

White:

Emperors Coven Scouts, Adegast, Detention Monitor, Oracle Teacher

White is associated with purity, innocence, perfection, safety, simplicity, illumination, emptiness, and unfriendliness

This one is interesting. For the Emperor’s Coven, since they are working for Belos, I can see their magic being sort of “sanitized”, void of their own creativity or free will. Similarly, for the teachers, maybe their magic is somewhat restricted when they’re on school grounds. They have to stick to the rules and regulations. For Adegast, maybe the white represents how his true nature/form was “illuminated” in WBW. Note: Jerbo is also listed using white on the wiki page but it actually looks like more of a white green to me, which makes more sense for him.

Yellow:

Eda, Mattholomule, Luz, Raine, Hunter (flapjack)

Yellow is associated with sunlight, positivity, intellect, creativity, and confidence. Some shades of yellow are also linked to magic and diversity. On the other hand, yellow can be a symbol of deceit, depression, or cowardice.

This one is fascinating to me. Yellow being associated with Luz makes perfect sense, her name literally means light and there’s so much symbolism in the show associating her with light. It also fits well for Eda, who is sort of the personification of magic and diversity, as well as sharing other traits with Luz. Eda and Raine are the only couple to share the same magic color and I think that was very much intentional, they are each other’s light. Hunter switching from red magic to yellow with flapjack must have significance as well. He goes from having every aspect of his life controlled by Belos, to finding a sense of autonomy and confidence in himself. Deceit, depression and cowardice are also all themes that recur for these characters throughout the show.

Now for the odd one out: Mattholomule. This is one of the things that got me interested in the colors in the first place. Matt having the same magic color as Luz, Eda and Hunter? Maybe he will have plot relevance in the next episode? Okay, most likely not. But a girl can dream. He’s definitely shown cowardice and deceit before. And he has a loud (overly-confident) personality. Maybe we will get some other hints of how the color fits him in WAD. Also curiously, Matt is one of the characters shown to use a different magic color at some point (more on that below)

Cyan:

Gus, Lilith, Edric, Emira, Adrian Graye, Titan Trappers, Keeper, Reviewnicorn

Cyan is associated with compassion, clarity, calmness, concentration, and communication. It can also signify narcissism, stress, secrecy, boastfulness. It’s also the opposite of red.

Many of the characters using this color are illusionists. At face value, concentration, clarity and communication are all important traits for illusionists to have. But I think for the twins, the color might also represent their connection and ability to see and understand each other. Likewise, Lilith’s color may be a symbol of her bond with Eda; her character development and how she grew to accept and understand her sister.

Adrian is a talented illusionist but his narcissism blinds him when it comes to really seeing and understanding others. The Reviewnicorn I could also see being somewhat boastful or narcissistic. And the Keeper, in addition to being compassionate and a skilled illusionist is definitely keeping some secrets. What about the Titan Trappers though? Is the blue a symbol of their secrecy? What do you guys think?

Finally, Gus. He really is the embodiment of this color as much as Darius is purple. He’s compassionate and understanding. He’s intuitive and able to see a lot of things that others might miss, even without magic. He’s able to get through to people and to see the good in them when others can’t. At the same time he can also be somewhat boastful and narcissistic himself at times. And we see how much he struggles with pressure and secrecy in particular.

Back to Matt for a minute, he’s seen in this image from the FTF credits using what looks to be cyan magic. Maybe it’s an accident or supposed to represent the use of illusion magic, but I like to think that perhaps it represents a connection to Gus. If you guys know of any other examples of characters switching colors, let me know!

[avatarmerida]

So on twitter the other day, @rebeccaartsy mentioned she was thinking about how different things would be if Hunter was there from the beginning and it really got my mind moving.

So like my totally self indulgent headcanon or whatever,is that Hunter in season one is spending his time hunting wild witches and no one really takes him seriously so the whole time he’s trying to prove himself by trying to capture the most famous wild witch, Eda. But I like to think he doesn’t have a very strong artificial staff at this point and isn’t seen as much of a threat. He’s also either not the Golden Guard yet or just wears normal scout stuff to draw less attention. So he is always setting traps and stuff and Luz meets him and his vibe is like an annoying neighbor kid. He just gets roped into the occasional adventure because he’s there and just when he's starting to question life in the coven he gets promoted to coven head and he works even harder to be taken seriously.

Because I love how Hunter and Willow meet so much where they see the true version of each other right away in a way no one else has, I imagine their first meeting is still outside Luz and everything. Like, Hunter is messing with something plant related (maybe making a trap or liking for a rare plant to help Belos, idk) and gets tangled in some aggressive vines and Willow finds him and helps him. But the vines are from like a really complicated plant that requires extreme patience and talent and he’s like even Terra would have trouble with it and while his spitting facts Willow just untangles him effortlessly. She’s just like “boop! You’re good :)” and at first he’s worried she’s gonna tell someone or blackmail him but she’s just “no prob yo.” But she’s also very impressed that he found the plant that he did, cause they're super elusive and he’s like uhhh thanks.

So he offers to walk her to where she’s going and they start talking and he’s info dumping things on plant magic and they’re vibing and he realizes no one has ever let him talk so much before. And she likes talking to him. Then he realizes exactly where they are and before he can make an excuse to leave, Luz comes out to greet Willow and when she sees Hunter she groans. And they dive into their sibling banter slinging shots back and forth and Willow just stands there thinking like “huh, this is the guy who’s always annoying her? He’s not that bad.”

And so it’s just like a little bit where he’s always like “ugh you guys are the worst! But not you Willow, you’re great obvi.” Like he has no idea anyone would ever think she’s weak because he still met her in her element and she just thinks he’s a dork. But the crushing doesn't really start until Understanding Willow because I love that episode and I say so:

“Gus, listen,” said Hunter, as he walked through the open door of the Owl House. “Obviously, there is much I can’t divulge but upon consideration I am willing to grant you an interview for your class. The Emperor’s Coven values education, and so I could definitely offer you information on our selection process which I’m sure your teachers will find impressive and- why is Willow upside down?”

“Oh, Amity set Willow’s mind on fire and now she’s losing all her memories,” said Luz with a nervous chuckle. “But uh, what’s up with you?”

“What?” He said running over to her side and helping her sit correctly on the couch. “Is she okay?”

“Don’t worry blondie, we’re gonna get these knuckleheads in there to set things right,” said Eda. “Or at least less wrong.”

“You’re gonna entrust Willow’s mind in the hands of… them?” Said Hunter in disdain as he glared at Luz and Amity who honestly couldn’t argue with him. “They were the ones who put her in this situation in the first place! Not to mention, this location isn’t zoned for a spell of that caliber and as a member of the Emperor’s Coven I could-.”

“Listen, do you want it done soon or do you want it done legally?” Asked Eda. “Cause by the time we get the permits to do it your way Goldie, there won’t be any of Willow’s memories left to save.”

“Very well then,” said Hunter, pretending as though it was a hard decision. “I’ll allow it. Just… be careful with her.”

“Alright then,” said Eda. “Lemme whip up something to put her to sleep. She’s not gonna wanna be awake for this.”

“Oh look, the prince is here,” giggled Willow, leaning on Hunter’s shoulder for support as she noticed his presence for the first time. “Helloooo, your highness.”

“Uh, hi,” he said, not expecting her to be this close to him. “A-re you oka-.”

“Shhh,” she said, putting her finger to his lips, whispering as though it was the most serious thing on earth. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

“What?” he said despite his lips being smushed, hanging on to her words with concern.

She took a deep breath. “You have beautiful eyes.” She whispered with intensity.

His face turned bright crimson as he tried to laugh, assuming it must be a joke of some sort. But Willow’s voice didn’t carry the disdain most jokes at Hunter’s expense carried. She wasn’t in her right mind, but maybe that didn’t mean she wasn’t serious.

“Oh uh… thank you?” He said, clearing his throat. “So uh so do you?”

“Hmmm,” she giggled then hiccuped, squinting at him and then leaning in closer as though she couldn’t quite see something. “Do they make you wear that mask because you're so handsome all the time?”

“What?”

“Woo, you could cut something with that jaw ouch,” she said, her voice low and playful before erupting into another sea of giggles.

“I uh, I don’t think that’s-.”

“Nap time!” Said Eda, and Willow instantly fell asleep, leaning forward onto Hunter’s shoulder. He was unprepared to say the least, but tentatively put an arm around her to keep her steady, his eyes wide as his movements were careful.

“Alright coven boy, you keep Princess Planter comfy while I tell these two how to keep things from getting worse,” instructed Eda, pointing to Luz and Amity.

“Yeah sure okay,” replied Hunter, barely listening. Eda was telling Luz and Amity something but all Hunter could hear was the gentle sound of Willow snoring, her breathing slow and deep and peaceful. He has never been so close to her, he could see every delicate freckle that decorated her face. Her glasses were askew so he carefully removed them, because it just seemed like the thing to do. Her mind was on fire, the least he could do was make her more comfortable.

—

He watched as her eyes shifted behind her eyelids as she… dreamed? Would she think this was all a dream? She would mumble things occasionally, hopefully that meant something good? She just looked so-

“Hey Hunter, you want in on this?” Asked Gus.

“Huh?” He looked up quickly as though he was being accused of something. He hadn’t been listening. Hadn’t he been tasked with monitoring her? Is that what Eda said or had he just done it naturally? “Sorry, what?”

“King and Eda are competing to be the subject of my interview,” repeated Gus. “You want in?”

Hunter had forgotten all about being the subject of Gus’ report as he became engrossed in watching Willow sleep. Was that creepy? He didn’t mean it to be. He just felt… protective. He felt responsible. He could never fall asleep like this with anyone unless he trusted them completely. He had never fallen asleep around anyone. And he knew Willow did not have a choice in the matter but he wanted to be worthy of her trust anyway.

“Uh, no thanks maybe next time,” he said, uncharacteristically soft. “Someone should keep an eye on Willow.”

“Eh, she’s not going anywhere goldie,” said Eda as a twinkle entered her eye. “Buuuut when she does wake up, she’s probably gonna be hungry. Having the essence of your inner being threatened really takes alot out of you.”

“Oh yeah, sure,” said Hunter, looking at her in wonder. She seemed to be doing fine, but no doubt there would be brutal side effects. “Should I-.”

“Snacks! Snacks! Snacks!” chanted King.

“Oh yeah, uh I guess I could… do that,” he said softly. He wasn’t sure why he was being quiet, no one else was. But his usual tone didn’t seem fitting now. Normally, he would not take orders (or even suggestions) from civilians but if it was for Willow then it didn’t feel like succumbing to rank. It felt like helping. It felt purposeful. He carefully removed himself from Willow’s presence, mourning the loss of warmth for only a moment, and placed her comfortably on the couch. As he made his way to the kitchen, his eyes were glued to her until it was impossible to continue. Eda,King, and Gus were too occupied in their debate to notice.

---

Willow was going to be fine, she had to be. Everyone would be acting more worried if she wasn’t, right? She had always been strong and capable, he knew her mind couldn’t be much different. He turned his focus from concern into purpose. He wouldn’t admit it to the others, but he was thankful for the distraction. He felt foolish just sitting there not being able to do anything for her. He had never actually made something before, but how hard could it be? He had studied under the head of the Potions coven, how different was baking from that?

As he looked through Eda’s cupboards, Willow’s words echoed in his ears. Well, not all of them. There was one in particular, occupied by the way the ends of her mouth turned up as she said it that made his stomach flip.

Handsome.

No one had ever called him that before, not even ironically. Did she really think that? Why did he care so much if she did? Why, suddenly, did he want so much for her to?

Was it really suddenly though?

Ugh! Why hadn’t he said something cooler? He wasn’t sure she’d even remember saying it, but if she did he didn’t want his surprised reaction to prevent her from possibly repeating herself! He had never had issue thinking of clever retorts (though, to be fair he did do a fair deal of practicing in his bedroom mirror each night) and they often fell into a comfortable conversation. But sometimes she would say something a certain way or look at him too long and it would throw him off. Not in a bad way, no nothing at all like that, just… unexpected. She laughed at the jokes people would roll their eyes at or ask him to continue where normally he was cut off and all the little things just kept adding and piling up until Hunter didn’t know how he was supposed to carry them. She was so many little things, like the way she tilted her head when she asked him a silly question or how her glasses would slide off her edge of her knows when she got excited or the way she would stand close to him and sometimes their hands would brush like she didn’t care if they-

Focus! He thought, taking ingredients from the cabinets. There wasn’t much and what there was seemed to have no organizational system but he could resolve that after he figured out what to whip up. Something simple, something to show Willow he wanted to help. He didn’t know her well enough to enter her mind with Luz and Amity, but secretly he hoped he was getting there.

---

He managed to make something that resembled cookies, the smell filled the kitchen and it surprisingly wasn't an awful smell?. He remembered Willow mentioned once she was eager to get home as her father had made some and they were waiting for her. Truthfully, Hunter had never tasted a cookie but he had seen them when he walked by the bakery in town and knew the basics of their structure. Surely if he had taken a wrong turn the smell would reflect that, right? He imagined the look on Willow’s face when she saw his creation, and maybe even liked it. The flipped feeling returned to his stomach and spread through his whole chest like a wild fire when the potential look of delight on her face graced his mind.

In his efforts, he had made quite the mess. But he couldn’t help but feel pride as he quickly plated his creation, eager to return to Willow’s side. He didn’t think too much into this, he was always excited to see Willow. He tried not to think too much into that, chalking it up to the fact that she was interesting and a good listener and funny and smart and pretty and-

The point was she didn’t find him totally annoying, so why shouldn’t he enjoy her company?

And if she happened to think he was a little handsome then, well, that wasn’t the worst thing.

As he set the cookies to cool, he heard a sudden commotion from the next room. He quickly ran to see the cause, hoping it was a good sign. There was a bright flash and then he heard Luz and Amity. He stood back a moment, trying to deduce their tone before he heard Willow speak. Her voice was horse and soft, but he could tell she was back to normal. Good, he thought, feeling as though he could finally breathe again. She’s okay, she’s okay.

He went to greet her but before he could leave the kitchen, he was stopped by Luz. Before he could offer a snarky question as to what exactly she thought she was doing, she looked at him with wide, concerned eyes.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, furrowing his brow. He tried to looked past her to see what was going on. “Is she okay? Did something happen to-?”

“Willow’s fine.” she assured him, putting her arm up to stop him. “There was just some… complications.”

“What complications? Was she hurt? Does she need-?”

“No no, nothing like that but um there were some memories… we couldn’t save,” said Luz carefully.

“Like what? Did she forget something for a test she has? Because I can always-.”

“No, no uh there were more… recent memories,” Luz tried to figure out the nicest way to say this. ”Hunter, I’m sorry but we were still figuring out how things worked and it all happened so fast but… Willow doesn’t remember you.”

“What?” He felt something shatter.

“I’m so sorry, but hey, it’s an easy fix! Right? We can just introduce you now!”

“Yeah, uh I guess…” he said, looking at his current state. He had thrown on an old apron and was covered in flour, his hair a mess. This night was already so chaotic, it hardly seemed like a time Willow would want to meet someone new.

And then it dawned on Hunter: he had a second chance at a first impression.

Their first meeting had been… interesting. If you count hanging upside down by your ankle until a girl who took a wrong turn stumbles upon you helps untangle you interesting. Hunter did. But he had been so grumpy and flustered, and he wouldn’t have been had he only known who exactly had come to his rescue. She didn’t seem to care or be bothered by it, but he had come to value her opinion and he’d like to start again on the best foot possible. He had a chance for her to see him exactly as he wanted to be seen from the beginning and it felt like a chance he needed to seize.

His mind made up, he looked around for a way out before the human could return with Willow. Quickly, he climbed out the window and landed in a bush, He ducked beneath the window and pressed his back againythe wall as he heard Willow and Luz enter the kitchen,

“Huh, where did he go?” he heard Luz wonder.

“Who was this again?” Willow asked, her voice still raspy as though she was utterly exhausted.

“Uh, it’s kinda hard to explain,” Luz admitted. “But, he’ll be around again. I know he really wants to meet you!”

“Okay,” said Willow, uncertain. “If you say so.”

He couldn't help but think about the chill that went up his spine when she looked into his eyes. He didn’t understand exactly what it was but he knew it wasn’t nothing. He wanted Willow to know a better version of him. He cared what she thought. When she met him this time, he wanted it to be a meeting worth remembering.

—-

And so for the rest of the series up until ASIAS he’s trying to work up the nerve to meet Willow again as Hunter. Just when he’s ready, he gets promoted to coven bead and that’s when I’m also promoting him to Golden Guard or maybe like Golden Guard full time. So now he has more on his plate and he gets a more advanced staff and now he’s a real threat. But of course because he’s a loser and can’t stay away from her so they do interact when he’s the Golden Guard and he has that masked confidence. He’s still getting to know her so he’ll like run into her in the market or something and flirt but didn’t realize it’s flirting and he’s planning the perfect way to “re-meet.” The whole time Willow is like bugging because there’s something so familiar about him but she doesn’t know what and the others don’t tell her because they’re like still figuring out his deal. So when he does come to Hexside during ASIAS it’s much more thought through and intentional and feelings have already been caught.

Anyway sorry for a long pointless post but that’s just been on my mind k thanks bye.

[kiiwiigii]

Pretending

Alec x Fem!Reader

You are sent on your first mission. With Alec. Alone.

Warnings:

Sorta NSFW I guess. If you squint. Really hard.

I still suck at summaries.

Word Count: 1,188

A/N: Alec, as always, is aged up.

My throat ached as I took in the blaring music and erratic-colored lights in the distance. It was my first scouting mission, and I was barely out of the newborn stage. I would try to take a deep breath if it would help me calm down, but I feared it would only make the ache in my throat flare up. 

"You're doing well, Y/N." 

I looked at Alec next to me. This was also our first mission together. Alone. While Alec and I had finally reached the stage where we weren't at each other's throats constantly, we weren't exactly what I would call friends either. We tolerated each other at best. Truth be told, I wasn't even supposed to be on this mission, but Demetri's services were needed elsewhere at the last minute. So, I was given the honor instead, and Aro seemed oddly giddy about it. 

"Thank you." I said quietly. 

Alec tensed ever so slightly in response, and had I still been human, I never would have picked up on it. But I wasn't human anymore. I was a vampire, with nothing but the sweet silk of blood being the only thing keeping me alive now. I couldn't help but grin. Apparently, my civility still took him by surprise and secretly I loved it. Throwing him off his game, even by just a little bit, gave me life. 

"There." Alec's voice broke me from my train of thought. 

Ah, yes. There she was, the vampire in which rumor had it she could easily hypnotize any creature on the planet, vampires included. Which would be rather interesting to see, since it was a power I had myself. The plan was to simply keep an eye on her and see her movements. If the rumors were true, we would extend an invitation to join the guard. I won't lie and say that I didn't feel threatened, because I most certainly did. But even I saw the use of having more than one hypnotist in the guard.  

However, if she were to refuse, she would pose a serious threat to us. There's no telling where she would end up or whose hands she could fall into. Or worse, starting a rival coven… which is what had been reported. 

I zeroed in on her as she entered the club, two burly looking vampires trailing behind her. 

"She already has a guard. Quite full of herself already, no?" 

Alec hummed from beside me. "Or perhaps she has hypnotized them." 

I nodded my head in agreement. There were so many variables up in the air, and I was itching to find out just how different her powers were from my own. I could hypnotize someone, but it lasted, at most for an hour, unless I was maintaining eye contact. And usually it was only used to get answers when Aro wasn't at hand, which was very rare, but it would be very useful during missions such as these. I wonder if I'd be able to put her under my spell, and vice versa. 

The feeling made me uneasy. I didn't like the thought of being completely helpless like that. I was the hypnotist, not the victim.  

"Let's go." 

I followed Alec from the rooftop, dropping down into the alleyway on the backside of the club. With a simple flick of his fingers the lock to the back door broke and we entered into an empty hallway. Alec paused, straightening his shirt before holding a hand out to me. 

"Come, mio cara." 

If I could still blush, I'm sure I would have.

And if the smirk on his lips was anything to go by, he was well aware.

I grabbed his hand, and he led me through the maze of back corridors, pausing to listen every minute or so. I stayed silent, letting him take the lead, and decided to take those few precious minutes to admire him. 

Given that the mission was essentially an undercover one, we had both forgone our black guard uniforms and instead dressed in modern garb.  

For me a simple black lace dress with matching heels, a little on the racy side and *cough* inappropriate *cough*, but I couldn't convince Heidi otherwise. But Alec was a sight in dark black skinny jeans and rather tight blue button up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the top button undone. 

It left little to the imagination considering that I could see the taught muscles of his back and arms moving every now and again. 

'Don't do this to yourself, Y/N. You've only just become friendly, now is not the time.' 

Then again, the boy had gone around calling me darling for a while now. I couldn't be certain if he was just trying to get under my skin or if there was something else behind it. 

I suddenly wished I had been paying attention because before I knew it Alec had me pressed against the wall, hiking one of my legs over his hips, keeping one hand on my thigh and the other coming up to my neck. My hands immediately clutched onto his shirt in shock. 

"What are doing?"  

If my heart was still beating, I was sure I would be having a heart attack. 

"Relax." He whispered before pressing his lips to mine. 

I sucked in a sudden breath, confused as hell. When he pulled away, he made the slightest movement of his head to the left, his eyes following the movement. He then bent his head to my neck and began placing kisses along my neck, his thumb rubbing slow circles on my thigh.

It was our target and her two buddies standing outside of a room, talking with what looked to be an employee. Oh. Well, that explained a lot.  

And I totally wasn't feeling disappointed. Or distracted. Not at all. 

I let out a breathy moan for the sake of our act, and pretended to flutter my eyes shut, leaving them barely open enough to watch them. 

Aside from a general once over, the guards barely gave us a glance and the trio entered the room, the poor employee being dragged along. He probably wouldn't come out of there alive. 

The burning in my throat flared up at the thought and I clutched at Alec's shirt even more, causing the second button to pop off completely.

He raised his head, eyebrow arched ever so slightly. 

"Sorry. The smell of blood is making me thirsty." 

His eyes roved over my face for a minute before nodding. That was the only gesture I received saying that he understood before he leaned back in and brushed his lips softly over mine and nibbling on my bottom lip.

I tensed. "Alec, they're gone. Th-there's no need to pretend anymore." 

He didn't say anything, and simply gave me one last lingering kiss before setting me back down on the floor and turning away. He leaned against the far side of the wall, listening intently to the conversation on the other side. 

I tried to do the same.  

Then after a few minutes: 

"Who said I was pretending?" 

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Random Coven Head HCs

Just for fun, and I'm avoiding HW.

Mason and Vitimir are both perfectionists. Mason because he accidentally constructed one of his school projects wrong and he had to start all over the night before it's due. Lil' Mason got his first few gray hairs that night. Vitimir because he wanted to try and get his parent's attention by being top of his class. Even thought that didn't work, it's also so he doesn't have his potion blow up in his face. Literally.

Hettie has multiple "projects" going on, involving some TF2 Medic-like abominations. Belos is glad, yet terrified to have her on his side, or else his heart may not be his own one morning. Also literally, she is insanely fast.

Adrian has a 2 hour morning and night routine that rivals Darius' 30 minute morning routine. When in college, his suite mate and roommate had to time their trips to the bathroom very carefully. That, or try to convince Adrian to wear a concealment stone.

Osran briefly had a job of being a fortune teller. He was fired for seeing the customer's future all the way until their deaths. He still does it and knows when and how Terra will die. And has told her. She might as well drop there with how close it is.

Eberwolf has brought fleas into the palace not once, not twice, not even thrice, but a total of 15 times. No one knows how, but it's a week of hell each time. It takes Mason, Vitimir, Darius, and Osran to just hold him down while the Scouts try to quickly draw a bath. All but Osran get fleas since he uses his spirit hand and they envy him for it.

Terra tried to poison Hettie out of spite by putting crushed up poisonous berries in her drink. Well, what she thought was Hettie's drink. It was actually Vitimir's, but because of his corrosive breath/acidic saliva, it had no effect. But he says it made the drink taste sweeter!

Raine and Eberwolf have this "duet" where Raine plays their choice of instrument and Eberwolf howls along extremely off key and off beat. Raine tolerates it because it agitates Terra in the morning and karma is a bitch.

Mason, when overwhelmed, curls up in a ball and makes a sort of "cave" around himself for a bit until he feels better. The one downside is that he forgets to deconstruct these "caves", so there's just nests made from the ground all around the castle grounds. He gets overwhelmed by his students mostly, so Raine lends him some sympathy.

Darius accidentally told Adrian to "try and relax" after Adrian realized he has a cowlick. In a nutshell, it wasn't a pretty sight.

Kikimora almost got eaten by one of Terra's plants. No, obviously Terra isn't sorry. No, the plant isn't sorry either. No, the plant didn't want to eat her after tasting her. Yes, Kikimora taunts it after that.

Adrian and Vitimir hate each other. Adrian has rearranged Vitimir's messy, but organized potion room multiple times. Once, all of his ingredients were in alphabetical order, another time was by color, and the last was by the height of the containers. Vitimir gets his revenge by switching his shampoo with hair dye. Adrian's hair has been every color of the coven system.