#WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOBODY LIKES THE OWL BEAST--

[acaciapines]

back in my owl house era but its specifically and only about my daemon au jdfgdfg I MISSED THEM........adding some new scenes to better set up things down the line + just general rewrites and my GOD i forgot how much i!! loved!! working on this!! woag.....

the sillies :)

[slightly-sad-sloth]

So like we already know Toh makes fun of Harry potter in a ton of ways and subverts all of its tropes but I haven't seen anyone bring up the way Toh treats magic disability Vs the way HP treats magic disability.

Specifically thinking about the fact that squibs in HP can't use magic but their whole family can and instead of being allowed into school to learn potions, astronomy, beast keeping etc etc (literally any class except charms and defense against the dark arts really) they're ostrichisised from the whole wizarding community and presumably not given any education whatsoever, not even a Muggle one. And while yeah HP treats this as tragic it also doesn't pose this treatment as wrong or smth in need of change just 'oh the poor disables are born so sad and that sucks but oops what you gonna do'.

Vs the owl house where Luz is similarly magically disabled (she literally can't do magic according to boiling isles conventions). But instead of the show going whoops guess you were born unlucky shoulda had better genes, Luz learns a different way of doing magic and while the community is shocked by this they still accept this new form of magic and allow her into their society. Hunter also falls into this, he's born a powerless witch so instead he uses a staff and artificial magic until he gets a palisman. While toh acknowledges that the world is harder for people like Luz and Hunter it doesn't frame that as the end of the conversation and instead shows that just because you can't do things like other people can doesn't mean you can't find a new way that works for you that nobody has thought of before

God I love this show

[that-ari-blogger]

Light In The Owl House

Across history, stories have correlated light with good and darkness with evil. This has probably stemmed from the primal fear of the dark and the unseen creatures that lurk in the night. But the concept has warped and changed over time, for better or for worse.

Enter the Owl House, which plays the whole light motif pretty straight. Or does it? The Intruder delves into the concept and lays out how the series will use the motif going forwards.

Let me explain.

So, this episode is about worldbuilding, specifically about explaining the magic system. You could go into the technicalities of this, Brandon Sanderson has three rules to use for writing magic that are mostly useable. But the owl house handwaves this and focuses on the thematic of it.

I believe that every element of a story has an effect on it, and you can usually tell this with the main elements of a story by asking a simple question. Why is it in the story? Why does Luz learn magic and not how to be a warrior or some other kind of hero? The magic here is vital for the symbolism and meaning it provides.

"Why do you want to learn magic so bad, anyway?" "I was a nobody back home. But becoming a witch is my chance to be someone. Do you know what it's like to have no one take you seriously?"

Magic is freedom to express yourself however you want, and this episode is about Luz learning to express herself in a way that is different, but just as valid as everyone else.

Anyway, why light? Well, let's examine how light is used in this episode, because it is very deliberate.

First up, there is the setting. Ten minutes in, the lights in the Owl House go dim, casting everything in shadows and shards of light. Everything is distorted or unclear.

Even the colour of the light factors in, when Eda is revealed, she is backlit by this sickly green light, recalling a stereotypical witch's cauldron to drive home the point about the curse.

But, Light comes up in other ways too. The lightning is a signifier of the storm outside, but that is warded off by a glowing shield, cast in a spell resembling a ball of light, showing how light both scares and protects.

Luz also uses the light on her phone to see. Light reveals, and if you didn't catch it, that's another theme here.

This episode keeps coming back to revelations. First impressions are never accurate. From the rain turning out to be dangerous, to the Snaggleback being so disappointing, to the label on the potion. This keeps coming up.

The episode is also full of people intentionally concealing things. Eda conceals her curse from the others and band aids keep getting used to conceal wounds. There is even a joke early on in which Eda pulls King's hat over his eyes, in reaction to which, he shout's "Ah! Darkness!" But here is the thing with these, nothing ever gets hidden fully. The band aids only add colour to injuries, they don't cover them entirely, and the Owl Beast Curse is an issue throughout the episode and for the rest of the series.

There is another source of light in this episode. And it's the Owl Beast's eyes. The creature is bathed in shadow for most of the episode, except for its eyes, which glow like beacons.

So, what conclusion does this lead to? What is the point of the light?

I have already mentioned in a different post how the Owl House examines naivety and willful ignorance, and I think this ties into that quite nicely. Light reveals, and shadow conceals. Shining a light on Eda allows her to open up about her curse and temporarily defeats the monster, where the shadows keep it hidden and terrifying.

Light also symbolizes magic, and Luz's determination. it signifies her succeeding in her own, unique way. And here's an interesting link to that. In their video Names In The Owl House: A Breakdown And Analysis, @idlescree presents the meaning of Luz's name.

"The name Luz translates to light in spanish... No-ceda can be taken informally to mean do not yield, or do not give in. Combined, the name Luz Noceda literally means Light, Do Not Give In."

The video linked is incredible, it goes into a ton of the names in the Owl House, so I highly recommend you check it out if you haven't already. But I would like to focus on this little segment.

If we have associated light with expression and uniqueness, as well as the revelation of the truth, Luz's name is an extension of this concept. The protagonist's name is the thesis of the story. Never stop being you, never stop seeking answers, never stop shining.

Previous - Next

[bananaactivity]

How is Ben different from his canon self aside from not being the High King of a union/federation of kingdoms and a bit older? How is his relationship with his parents different especially with that awful father of his?

I’d say both his parents are stressing him the fuck out. I decided that the beast curse was given to Ben as a baby because King Adam was cocky about how he beat his just in the nick of time. And there is no way to break it this time which Ben has a lot of trama about.

Think of it like Edas curse from the owl house… it’s something he’ll have to learn to work with for his whole life. It’s not a big secret though, everyone knows. His mom was in a situation like Mal in D2 where she was trying to assimilate into a world she didn’t fit in. Unlike that movie she actually completed the transition and has lost a lot of OG Bella’s kindness and quick wit. She’s obsessed with Ben finding the perfect partner and that’s why Ben has always felt that he couldn’t be alone. King James is distant with his son due to the curse even though it was HIS fault.

Auradon is no longer a bunch of kingdoms together either. It’s one kingdom and it has the barrier around it. Other fairy tale and fable kingdoms found in the Disney universe have their own kingdoms all around the globe. Including Atlantis and other planets. Think of Auradon like the Hamptons, a beautiful place where the wealthy go to visit and the extreme elite get to live. (That would mean Ben created extremely selective affirmative action 😅) I do like it better this way because it’s easier to understand. Every location in Disney cannon can exist if they get their own space. Yes that means the VKs can leave the isle but no other place would let them live a good life. Or at least a liveable life. So they all congregate there.

Here’s an excerpt from that Benjay fic im working on it needs lots of reworking though…

Being a Prince was a tough job. There was so much pressure on him to be a great future king. One major aspect of that was his future spouse; his mother was always bothering him relentlessly on the topic as he grew up. “ Benjamin, Darling you must choose a good spouse, it is imperative to the people's perception of you.” his mother would often say. The constant narrative of “dont be alone” was always pressed on him so hard in fact that he couldn't bare the thought of being alone. It got so bad that that he went with the first present options of someone to court. It was stressful when he and Audrey were courting, the constant trailing during dates stressed him out as well as the media coverage analyzing their every move. Aubrey herself seemed more concerned with the respect that comes with being a queen. Nobody really liked her very much, but she was pretty and she was sweet during those first years. Unfortunately that all faded as the years went by and he felt there was no way out. He couldn't be alone.

Then came Mal, she was beautiful and sweet. But she was hopelessly in love with her best friend and her best friend felt the same. It almost became this mad rush to him to wed her before she could leave and yet he felt so bad about it. He didnt want to be alone. But he pushed it and was alone any how. The big ass walls in his dorm felt like a cage. What was he to do but sit in his room and cry. And he was alone which he didnt want to be. Then Jay showed up. Jay. handsome, good at Tourney, an excellent swords-man and his closets friend. Looking into his concerned brown eyes he remembered leaping into his arms. There wasnt much conversation to be has as he was a bawling mess. All he could remember from that night was staring into those eyes for as long as he could and making a move that even he didnt expect. He kissed his best friend. And it felt good, really good. The best part of this situation was that the amazing feelings completely washed over the awful ones that led him to that very moment.Until Jay moved away, he was expressing concerns about the sudden atmosphere; yet he was into it. He had kissed him back and moved his face to kiss him again once they got over that little hurdle. The time spent felt… really nice. It was more intense than anything that had happened before for him. But maybe that was because he had thrown himself so totally into the sensations at play so that no semblance of sadness could worm their way back into his heart.

It was such a drug that they both implored to keep it up. He defended this continuous indulgence with the belief that it was allowing him to show his face on campus.Spending time suffocating in his fancy prince class: “ Kinging 101: The study of Class Disparity” waiting for the pleasant feeling of rough calloused hands pushing him into the corridor just near the lecture room. Every time he felt those hands he breathed a sigh of relief.

Jays perspective is on my page somewhere… anyone that’s all I got

[candyskiez]

just realizing I never posted this here so oops but yall wanna know one of my favorite things about belos' death scene?

thats not how curses work.

no, seriously. that's not how curses work at all.

let me explain. the curse hurting others is very specifically characterized as a fear response. the owl beast is reminded of the collector abducting them by the sudden flash of the party popper. they perceive "danger danger danger DANGER" and attack dell, thinking they're about to be hurt again. not maliciously, but because they're absolutely terrified for their life and all they can see dell as is a threat. the raven beast comes out when lilith is under severe emotional turmoil because it interprets distress as meaning Danger, time to fight or run.

curses are not malicious. they are heightened emotional responses and not calculated in any way shape or form whatsoever. the only time it's calculated is becoming harpy eda or harpy lilith, and that's when they accept the curse as part of them. not some horrific evil force dead set on ruining their life. but a fractured part of them thats terrified, just like them.

we see SOME times where belos loses control over the curse. I honestly believe it's the palisman trying to fight back against belos, honestly. because it's when something happens they don't want. belos talking about the day of unity? they're in his head. they know what that means and they're terrified for their witches. desperately trying to break out. collector brings up that he can hardly keep his human shape from all the palisman he eats? palisman reminded of their trauma, fighting against him again. those are times he loses control.

allow me to emphasize that.

there is a very strong difference between eda and lilith losing control of their curses, and what belos chooses to do.

a very important thing about hunting palismen is that it let's us see what belos looks like when he actually loses control of the curse at the beginning. thanks to this, we know that what he pulls at the end of the episode? completely calculated. he doesn't look nearly as in pain or uncomposed. he *chose* to hurt his nephew.

another very, VERY important thing?

curses do not force you to plan an elaborate genocide.

him killing his brother in cold blood? choice. him making grimwalkers? choice. him planning genocide? choice. him manipulating everyone around him? choice. him emotionally and physically abusing children under his care? choice. him being a bigoted piece of shit? all choice, buddy!

I do not mean this as "born evil", I mean this as belos chose to become irredeemable. nobody forced him to. none of the palismen, none of the curse, none of the people who wronged them- at the end of the day, he made his choice.

and he had the nerve to claim he was forced into it. forced to be a monster for his own conscious and calculated decisions, and blamed his victims all the while.

he had it coming.

(this is probably incoherent. I apologize in advance.)

[dreamingbrownie]

Shards Masterpost

Prompt list by ao3commentoftheday, these are all unrelated Grindeldore oneshots.

Works:

Off to save the world again?

“You do not want to do this.”

“I thought we were past stating the obvious. Besides, you could have knocked.”

“Yeah, not gonna risk you apparating to Timbuktu or somethin’ just to avoid talking to me,” Aberforth huffed rounding the table. Sometimes Albus saw their father in the way he crossed his arms, the steel in his eyes, the set of his jaw that made ardently clear that he didn’t need magic to take zero bullshit from anyone. Even from his brother. Especially from his brother.

//

The night before everything comes to a head in Bhutan, Aberforth decides that he's had enough of Albus' secrets.

Prompt: A conversation you wish had happened in canon.

Canon for Fantastic Beasts 2, the Dumbledore brothers talking about their shared trauma.

Under a lilac canopy

Summary: To say that Gellert had not expected to wake up on another day at the western front to the Statute of Secrecy finally blasted to smithereens was a bit of an understatement. It fell as silently as a night-time truce: nobody knew who had fired the first shot that brought down the entire thing. To the stench of antiseptics and laudanum was added the cloyingly sweet scent of pain relief potions; the highest dose available in France was handed out like Penicillin: worth its weight in gold. After the initial shock of that surreal day had faded, he’d been ecstatic, of course, eager to write a woefully short, passionate letter to Albus about the possibilities this unlocked in the late war-effort – and not a single letter returned to him from Britain. In spite of the Royal Mail Service, those utter madlads, in spite of every owl and pigeon he could find in bumfuck nowhere, France – silence. He would have to find Albus himself, once he finally got to go home, but amidst London that was torn to shreds and filled with the hungering, grieving masses, nobody wanted to talk about the day Albus Dumbledore disappeared. The day the Statute fell.

Prompt: an expression of love.

Edwardian WW1 AU, hurt/comfort heavy on the comfort side. Hospital reunion fic.

The earth of me

Summary:

Maybe it had been foolish, then, of Albus to think himself safe from surprises. The kind which rocked the very ground underneath his feet, that was, a sort of shock that travelled up and down his spine and shot adrenaline through his entire system. Safe from war, if not from politics, he had considered himself hidden from Death’s crows upon his doorstep. He wasn’t.

He had long known the five stages of grief to be thestral dung. On that particular afternoon in late January of 1931, he appeared to have shot right past denial into depression, or directly into acceptance, perhaps, if one took into account that he had always known that this had had to happen eventually.

Prompt: Character meta

Albus ruminates on the death of his father in Azkaban and what this means for himself. Canon missing moment I guess.

Remnants

Summary:

“You could have mentioned that this dragon hoards eggs.”

In the darkness, Gellert was a mere shade. The ragged rocks cut the howling wind apart into ribbons that slashed the air: high, haunting sounds dancing over the wet grass. No human lived up here, not anymore. The next village was miles and miles away. Albus felt the ground vibrate with the dragon’s steps inside the castle ruins that spanned an entire hilltop. The bare bones of a grand church stuck up into the grey sky that had lifted away the roof from its ribs long ago; of the keep, only the northern and the eastern wall still stood. Everything else was naked stone filed down by the weather littering the grasslands like teeth. Here the remains of a hall as big as a lord’s manor, there circles in the mud: watchtowers, or what was left of them. Bones were scattered in between those trampled histories. The earth only yielded bushes with berries on them that should not be touched by anything that wished to live, no fields survived here. It was so cold Albus could feel his jaws jittering.

“Theseus said nothing of it. I presume that he did not know, else he would have. He only stressed how very unwise it is to go near a nesting dragon.”

Prompt instead of the origina prompt that didn't work for me was three lines of conversation, link lost, unfortunately.

Canon divergence, could be seen as a cousin to my Constellations series in as much as Albus and Gellert live togther throughout their life as professors on Hogwarts.

The red grief

Summary: In 1625, King James I of England and Scotland died, leaving his lover George de Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham, behind. Historically, the Duke decided to sack Cadíz on the Spanish coast soon after. In another world, a pair of immortal husbands are none too pleased about being asked for magical help on what others would call a thinly veiled act of piracy intended to escalate political tensions into outright war. How to cope?

Prompt: an emotional moment that you can't find a plot for.

Smut and fluff, immortal wizards AU, the most established of relationships

Golden mornings come again

Summary:

“I know for a fact that you have never asked me to go to the coast with you, but I dream of it, sometimes, finding you at the sea, and when I wake up, I am overcome with such a visceral urge to do exactly that; as if you were waiting for me with your hands in your coat pockets and your back turned to me, facing the sea – in fact, all of these… strange, inexplicable… Merlin, I don’t even know what to call them – these glimpses, these pictures I have of you in my mind that seem so impossibly real – you are waiting for me in all of them. Looking over your shoulder whenever I come close enough to touch, and there it always ends. As though I have been chasing and losing you for a very long time.”

//

It always takes a while for the memories to come back to them.

Prompt: a scene fully without context.

Reincarnation AU, established relationship, a lot of fluff with a side of emotional smut served gently

Historically proud

Summary: The man at the counter had hair so light it was almost white, looking natural, not dyed, but who really knew; his t-shirt had three lines of ancient Greek on it that Albus only realized had to be the first line of the Iliad after staring at it for way too long, toned muscles – arms, hello, damn – and he was oozing confidence. Well, that was all of Albus’ boxes ticked, ta very much. Fuck.

“I’m sorry, I kind of couldn’t not listen – you’re Professor Albus Dumbledore, yes?”

Puzzled, he gave a brief nod.

“Indeed I am. I like your t-shirt.”

The man looked down at it like he’d forgotten he was wearing it, grinning a bit.

“Thanks. I read your last article that you published – what was it, a few months ago? – Anyway, the way you dissected the outdated communist pirate theory with such poise and elegance, that was beautiful.” Then he cleared his throat and straightened from his casual slouch against the counter which looked entirely like a nervous act. “Sorry, where are my manners? Name’s Gellert Grindelwald, I’m the new Ancient Greek History Doctorate researcher and teacher at King’s College.”

“Oh!” Well, Albus was fucked. That beautiful, clever man was going to be his new colleague.

Prompt: The meeting part of a meet-cute AU

Modern AU, historians, getting together, uni colleagues AU with a side-dash of ToG characters mentioned

Candle Stains

Summary:

The different paths that their lives had taken so far had not merged upon accident: they’d worked to make it work. Once Aurelius was fully grown, theoretically, there was no reason why Gellert should still live with him then. The thought seized Albus' heart and held it captive.

“You must know that your continued support has been vital to me. I value you far, far beyond your excellent job as the tutor of my nephew.”

To his puzzlement, Gellert gave a breath of amusement that fast turned fond.

“I do believe that is British for ‘I love you.’”

“And if it is,” Albus responded, half question, half declaration.

Prompt: a shocking announcement (or the reaction to it)

Regency AU, Albus is a Lord living in London with his nephew Aurelius, Aberforth and Aurelius' tutor Gellert. Getting together fic.

All aflame (The fire has found a home in me)

Summary:

“When we are going on our tour together, I am going to make you scream above the Seine and you’re going to have me under the Venice moonlight.”

“Gellert,” he breathed out the pearling laughter in his chest, light as air, “I can’t wait.” Then he turned around, and awkward as the angle was, they made it work for a lingering kiss. Gellert nudged his big nose into Albus’ cheekbone smirking like the cat that got the cream.

“Better?”

“Much. Thank you. I’d say sorry for having woken you up, but in truth…”

“Don’t be,” he grinned, “I’m not."

Prompt: A missing moment from canon

Canon summer of 1899, smut, idiots in love, fluff and intimacy, no bad things in this one.

Heaven

Summary: “I am not used to how you look at me anymore.”

“And how do I look at you?”

“Like you would burn the world to have me again. I am not sure if I would call it love.”

I do, Gellert wanted to scream, I do, I do, I do, throbbing in his chest in a double-stutter. //

Prompt: an alternate ending to a scene from canon.

The restaurant scene from Fantastic Beasts 3 do-over, canon divergence, what if these two had actually talked and gotten their shit together?

Stay a thousand years

Summary:

“Gellert is blessed with foresight, wisdom, a cunning mind for strategy, and charms enough to have the whole court fall for him; he is a just and intelligent man and… I love him dearly. Anyone else but him would make no sense for me to marry.”

Percival gazed at him with something like trepidation in his watery eyes.

“He is powerful enough to match you, Albus. Having him so near you could be a dangerous decision… or the only wise thing to do.”

“He would never hurt me. Never,” Albus vowed with all the conviction of late-night conversations about spells that did not exist yet and the long-lost relics that haunted them both from the side-lines of their childhood fairy tales. The court might not know it yet, but Gellert was his, and he belonged to Gellert as firmly as any priest could profess; more so, they were made from the same stardust. It was the one thing that did not made him tremble these days, that knowledge.

“Very well,” sighed the dying king, and let go of his hands. “Get him for me, please.”

Prompt: Someone just having the worst luck.

Medieval Fantasy AU, proposal under rather difficult circumstances fic, royalty AU.

By your leave

Summary:

Captured. The thrice damned teenagers had gotten themselves captured. Bowed over Albus’ tombstone as he was every morning and every for longer than he cared to actively recount, Gellert took the news from one of his many birds scouting the grand, wide world out there for him without moving from his spot. Though he wanted nothing more than to rest his forehead on the white marble painted golden by the sunset until he faded into the stone itself, slowly, painfully slowly, his folded hands detangled to settle on the cool surface instead.

“My heart, I must do something,” he rasped over the polished stone. His knees creaked and hurt as he forced them to move like rusted hinges. “To the snake pit I go, is that not the funniest thing you ever heard – this might finally be my last sunset, my love.”

//

Albus Dumbledore was dead, Harry Potter captured at Malfoy Manor, but the last King had not yet been let off the chess board.

Prompt: An exchange of gifts or mementos.

Canon divergence, hurt with very little comfort, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows alternate ending.

in from the cold

Summary: Gellert comes back home to Camelot in the weeping rain to a row between Master Merlin and King Arthur. Nothing new there, though this time, a dragon is dead, the King is injured, and Gellert would simply like to squirrel away Albus from under Merlin's watchful eyes, thank you very much.

Prompt: That awesome line you simply can't find a plot for.

Camelot medieval fantasy AU. Reunion fic with a side of Merlin/Arthur.

Stained-glass window laments

Summary:

“I cannot bear the thought of life here without you. My head weighs heavy with the crown upon it, and that weight is not made to be carried alone. You must pull through now, my love, and be not afraid of my temper. I see how unusually quiet you are.”

Gellert’s eyes briefly flickered heavenward.

“I got stabbed.”

“After pushing an army of three thousand; twelve clans united despite that they’re squabbling in front of my doorstep now; through the murderous mountains, yes.” He kissed Gellert’s fingers, feeling the cool metal push smoothly into his lips, feeling the shape and weight of them in comparison to Gellert’s roughened skin. Eye contact kept him quiet. “You are thin, my heart. Have they who followed you into battle not treated you to every comfort?”

Prompt: The aftermath of a scene you’ll never actually write

Medieval Fantasy AU, King Albus and loyal knight Gellert, hurt/comfort.

Asja

Summary:

It had been Europe, they agreed on that much. Gellert remembered birches, and Albus still sometimes blinked at sunspots falling through oak leaves dappled with dew in dreams lost before he was fully awake. Sensual memory, that was what stuck the longest. Visuals, feelings, sounds.

Once, they had been like gods.

Prompt: the scene that would bring you personally the most joy.

Pre-historic Smut, rated E.

[tyanis]

Out of Context Quotes FanFic Game!

Rules:

Post funny/weird out of context quotes and/or thoughts from your fic(s) with the only context given is what character the quote is from.

Post as many or as few as you want. But maybe keep it under 50.

Tag other fic writers. You don't need to be tagged to join, however.

Optional: Add a link at the bottom to the fic(s) the qoutes and thoughts came from.

Sound good? Ok, I'll start.

Quotes under the cut. And all these are from a currently incomplete Resident Evil 2 Remake fic.

"Don't know. But I walked through there earlier and now I feel a little offended that a mythical beast was mooning me." - Leon

"Thanks, I dressed myself." - Claire

...what do I say? I was sure you were dead? I hated being here without you? Did it hurt when you fell from the fence? - Leon

"Yes, yes... if my tiny woman muscles give out over something that's less than ten pounds, I'll let ya know." - Claire

Good job, brain. Proud of you. - Claire

"Yeah but... with beer?!" - Leon

I mean, the only way I can top all that awkwardness is by blowing up. - Claire

"Ah, prom night... I can already tell this is gonna be bad." - Leon

"Look, how about this. You believe in me enough for both of us and maybe I'll succeed and not horribly maim you. Deal?" - Claire

"Now take that owl over there. Unlike you, he actually had a brain. Removed it myself..." - Irons

"Yes sweety. He blew up the car." - Claire

"Well, I'm starting to suspect I'm not gonna have a future here in Raccoon City considering everything is on fire and the populace is eating itself..." - Leon

"I was scooting around screaming like a chimp with his dick stuck in a mousetrap." - Claire

"Hey! You like my heels?! 'Cause I sure as fuck do!" - Ada

"Hey, here's a little secret, Leon. I'm kinda stupid." - Claire

A vending machine... A fucking vending machine! - Leon

"I have eyes and a memory that spans more than ten minutes." - Claire

"It made acid." - Sherry

"Ahh... just enough room, I'll probably only bump my head a few times. But that's ok, I got a pretty thick skull. Had to sacrifice a lot of brain space for that, but nobody's noticed so far." - Claire

Hey legs? I know we almost died again but maybe start working?! - Claire

"You want me to throw some toothbrushes at it?" - Leon

"Oh no, not dust! The horror! How will we ever survive?" - Claire

"You fell out the same window twice." - Leon

Whoa, hey there buddy! Where's that hand goin'?! I know you're excited to get that shotgun, but goddamn. - Claire

"I don't take orders from you. I will land on that pavement like a man!" - Leon

No, don't stop yet! I spent most of "nice comfort time" all pissed off. - Claire

"This thing is jiggling and I don't know what that means!" - Claire

"I'm not supposed to hit people with flashlights!" - Sherry

"Speaking of balls to the face... I got beaned in the head with a baseball once." - Leon

"My ass hurts." - Claire

---

And done! Sure were a lot from Claire lol. But yeah, all of these quotes came from this incomplete Cleon fic. Now, to tag people...

Let's go with @brokenangelwings22 @leonisdumbasallhell @nspired1fanfiction but anyone can join!

[altairattorney]

[SEKIRO] Dust Hymn

The fury in Owl’s eyes is unparalleled. And a thought without precedent, somewhere from the newly loose soil of his mind, makes something in Wolf snap.

Little voices left to rot and plot The crunching of your teeth may help you sleep, but will not lift you Always wished you'd walk through another song Hang you like a lullaby - Purity Ring, Dust Hymn

[AO3]

“Forsake him”.

The tone of Owl’s words is familiar and new at once. The commanding tone of a man who is not used to waiting, tinged with the slightest hint of an urgency that was never there before. The hesitation between them hangs heavier with each passing second.

A terrible risk to take with someone who is, by any means, not patient.

Wolf tries to say something, but no words are found in his mouth. He has never even considered responding to an order before. His gaze slides to the door instead, then to the stairs, and there is no stopping what comes next – the images fill his mind one by one, faster than lightning.

He is thirteen, curled into a corner of their modest home. The filth on the floorboards he lies on does not bother him. Soft voices converse just outside the walls, and he is a ball of tension as he tries to catch as many words as possible. His rest hinges on what Lady Butterfly will say – every night her lips hold his fate, the fine line between sleep or fifteen minutes of blinding pain. She will scold his father if he dares, that is true. It will not matter. Enraged Owl is a beast, and for good reason, he says; the monster in him is what pushes Wolf onward, as there is no mercy on the road to perfection. He strains to listen until his ears ache. Then, defeated, he closes his eyes, wishing he could fall asleep without having to think about anything.

He is in his twenties, and the screen door opens on nothing more than an infant. The creature in front of him knows a life he could never have pictured; as revered as it is defenseless, his frail frame looks like it could snap in half under Owl’s hands. Wolf kneels as he was raised to do, without the need to ask about anything. But the way boy wanders towards him, accompanied by an attendant in his bumbling little steps, is rewriting something in the way he understands the world. Maybe one day this child will grow into a different kind of man, one with insights and stories nobody ever cared to tell him. Maybe, somehow, Wolf will capture a hint of something new, by just standing at his side.

He is some years older, already dying alone. He failed to expect the unexpected, and it is all his fault – if he could so carelessly be struck from behind, he deserves to die just the way it happened. Shame is the last trace of life in the trail of his breath, and occupies each thought of deprecation. He thinks of how he failed his master, his family, but above all his own father. The pain of his burns echoes that of the past, when he was a young boy in constant need of punishment. He deserves it, he knows. He deserves exactly what he got. He does not deserve – nor could he expect – the small hand that holds his out of nowhere, and the pleading voice that brings him back to life.

He is a few days younger than today, and he staves off exhaustion by chewing on bits of the sweet rice ball throughout the night. Kuro is sleeping just behind him, so tired from carrying such a huge weight on his lean shoulders. He cannot ask for more – he would never dare – but every fiber of him wishes he was allowed to. The food is lending him restoration he has not felt in years, like a hot spring in the middle of a cold Ashina winter. Though it still feels beyond his comprehension, Wolf begins grasping some of it – the care that must have gone into making this food, the time spent for the sake of someone else, for his own sake. It is a small idea, newborn and fragile, somewhat like the child he first met so many years ago. That too, Wolf feels, is something worth protecting. And he chews on it with the food, alone in the night, with the sound of Kuro’s light breathing as his only company.

He is back, to the here and now. The fury in Owl’s eyes is unparalleled. And a thought without precedent, somewhere from the newly loose soil of his mind, makes something in Wolf snap.

He is alive. He breathes and thinks and talks, despite the machinations of the monster he called father. He is alive, but not thanks to him. He is no longer a scared boy curled on a filthy floor. And he may never get what he wished for – a duel, even a word, on the same level as him – but he is aware that his father’s approval, of all things, is not what he needs anymore.

He does not need his father. He does not need to give an answer, either. He can do better than that.

Wolf takes a deep breath, and then – for the first time – he chooses to draw his sword.

[ravenwitch45]

Imagine if Stella and Bayonetta met, and thanks to their personalities, they clash and this witch ends up on this demoness's shit list.

For the fun of it all, what words do you think are being spoken to each other here? What script would you write for them? (Well, apart from the whole 'Flock off, feather face'-schtick! 😖)

Part 1/4:

Part 2/4:

Part 3/4:

Part 4/4:

And if you want to up the ante further, what do you think would be Stolas's thoughts if he were observing this all?

(I mean, 'bread and circuses', am I right?)

Oh lord Bayonetta would drag Stella for filth like nobodie's buisness, I know Stella is pretty vicious herself but Bayonetta is a whole different beast, like "Punch you into oblivion for endangering her girlfriend's soul" vicious, speaking of Alarune, I could easily see Stella reminding Bayonetta of her, entitled, bitchy, talks way more trash then she should. Now being a bitch ain't gonna make Bayonetta murderous, but oh some shade to be thrown around so let's do this.

(PS I'm very sorry this took so long XP)

I could see this happening with a random run in, Bayonetta's strutting about (In her Bayo 1 outfit cause I fully believe she brings up her old looks up at times) Checking out this quaint little piece of the Inferno she discovered recently, Stella's on a shopping trip she happened to drag Stolas on, cause it's not like she's gonna carry those bags herself and they happen to walk by another, Bayonetta barely noticing the dysfunctional pair aside from Stolas's owl like qualities, Bayonetta a bit fond of owls considering Jeanne's owl within but she struts along, not intending to start a conversation.

Stella on the other hand, takes note of Bayonetta's very provacative skintight outfit, and since she judges everyone she feels entitled to speak it, "I must say it looks like your trying to impress someone" Stella says looking back as Stolas sighs, Bayonetta stopping in her tracks before gracefully turning on her heel, narrowing her eyes at the hen "You know, I believe in wearing what I please, and I hardly care what you think, and why should I? In that outfit, I don't think you have the right to judge others fashion choices."The witch states matter of factly after looking over Stella's gaudy dress and tiara, getting a fuming glare from the demoness

Stolas silently steps back as Stella goes off into a rant about her status, and how disrespectful it is to treat her like that, pointing her finger accusingly at Bayonetta as she approaches her, who just sighs, pulling out Scarborough Fair and firing a precise shot to shut Stella up, the bullet whizzing past her face and leaving a hole in her feathery hair, Stella too stunned to respond as Bayonetta walks up to her, getting in her face and saying "Flock Off Feather Face" before turning around once more intending to leave it there.

That is until Stella grabs the nearest thing that's not nailed down and throws it at her, Bayonetta of course turning back and dodging it, fully glaring at the actual attack this bitch just tried, kicking away another projecttile, Stolas trying to tell Stella to stop but she of course doesn't listen, not like she ever does, again berating the witch for the disrespect walking back up to her and trying to slap her before getting her hand slapped away with Scarborough Fair, which actually hurts making her look at the very pissed off witch who just sighs once again as Stella clutches her arm "What's that phrase again? Oh Right. "Fuck around and Find out" I'd say you take that toheart, if you have one, cause you do not want to find out how I get when I'm actually angry~"Bayonetta states with a smugly threatening tone, looking the demoness eye to eye as the Umbran Sigil flashes overs her's, Madama's Butterfly's laughter echoing and only Stella hearing it as her eyes go wide as she steps back a little in surprise and a bit of genuine fear.

Stammering and attempting another rant before she get's tongue tied and with a huff Stella storms off "Your going to regret this slight! Come along Stolas!"Stella demands only for Stolas to cross his arms as he drops her bags "I don't think I will, cause frankly this has been the most enjoyable part of my day."Stolas admits with a glare, only making Stella bite back a frustrated scream as she grabs the bags off the floor, glaring back at the two as she finally leaves, Stolas sighing as she does.

"I must apoligize for Stella, she believes she has the right to insult anyone, trust me..."Stolas says tiredly, Bayonetta approaching him in a much friendly way "Not your fault your... sister is such a bitch?"The witch states with a tone and raised brow to make it clear she's guessing "Wife actually, not willingly mind you, far from it" Stolas admits awkwardly, "Oh, well then I hope your in the process of divorcing her"The witch says bluntly making Stolas chuckle "Trust me I am. I must say it was nice to see someone stand up to her, not many do"

"Well I do suppose I have a habit of putting some entitled people in their place, it's enjoyable at times at least"Bayonetta jokes, earning another chuckle "Prince Stolas by the way, it's an pleasure to meet you Miss...?"The prince greets offfering his hand "Bayonetta, or Cereza, I go by both, take your pick"The Witch says, shaking his hand "I'll go with Cereza, quite a lovely name" And over all it ends up a pleasant encounter for these two, Stolas inviting her over for tea some time when ever Stella is away.

Also little bonus I thought up, if Stella sends Striker after Bayonetta, she just sees his blessed weapons and nearly falls over laughing, like she's gone toe to toe with the cardinal virtues and won, she'll be pratically insulted someone thinks some enchanted trinkets could bring her down XP

[thedelolos]

Neverafter Episode 5 Live Thoughts

Under the cut

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE GEMS ARE YOU SILLY MAN 

“The mechanic of confusion” you said it ally

Ooo we got updated icons for the characters that we didn’t see last episode 

Lou Wilson I love you never change 

BEATS TO STUDY TO im cryig 

Seriously the new dome effects are cool as hell

So this is “You and your party walk into a tavern” opening?

I can’t take the cock and toad seriously bro

“A bunch of woodland creatures in a cloak” ah yes three racoons in a trenchcoat

Rosamund’s hair is so curly wow

I really want to know her subclass PLEASE i’m thinking it might be beast now because of the cloak of beasts?

YLFA DRUID

YLFA DRUID???

I AM IN LOVE WHAT SUBCLASS

I’m thinking moon or wildfire? 

The fire on her cloak in her dream makes me think wildfire Also they have another person who can heal thank goodness 

The owl getting scared is really funny

The disappearing glass jar

So pib 

Okay yeah red blowing the fire hotter makes me think wildfire, that’s actually a really cool way of skinning it 

“Why does everyone think I’m flirting?” Gerard got that autistic boy swag 

Lou you're killing me with that description of pinocchio

YES PLEASE TELL THEM ABOUT YOUR MOM

She’s awful and i hate her 

“How did we know to come here?” Zac asking the big brain questions

Calling it now the bad fairy that pinocchio is talking about is the step mother

Psa do not trust the fairies at all 

Do you think brennan practices crow noises just randomly? 

Zac’s little dance when PIb is getting scritches is so cute 

I KNEW IT WAS THE DISH FROM HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE

Ally and Lou playing keep away with the invisible book is so funny

Committed arachnid i’m dead these are so funny

THE SPIDER TALKS

Wait does this mean we’re gonna get miss muffit too??

“Honking like thunder”?? Hmmm the gander??

It’s really funny bc i just finished crown of candy where we had ranger liam and now we have ranger rosamund and it’s just really funny to me

Rangers really are the best in campaigns like this 

Wait does that mean that we don’t get anymore cindy??

Oh okay nvm

Ooo this is very interesting, there’s someone writing in the book

WAIT THIS IS DOPE SCHEHERAZADE

So does this mean that the other owners of the magic books are just people who have collected tales in different cultures? 

WOMEN IN ARMOR AGENDA LET’S GO

Aesop too?? So it think there might be some kind of truth to my theory my game theory

Yes babes pls make a better plan 

Stray together, stay together 

“Im just kinda pushing on your frog abdomen” ALLY

Okay okay so we need to find a laughing dog and a cat with a fiddle 

The goodberry thing is so smart, i’ve never thought of that before

Senator i miss you

Senator i love you keep prancing 

“This is all temporary” okay take a shot he said the thing 

No no con saves only vibes 

WHAT ARE THE BEANS are they like levels of exhaustion that you carry through your lives?? If you hit 6 levels typically you die so maybe at 6 beans the character is perma dead? 

Is the boar one of the 3 little pigs??

I like geese and the gander is terrifying 

Okay okay they got a good stealth let’s just hope that they learn from last time and dont get caught, please y’all be safe 

YO THE DARK LIGHTING THAT’S SO COOL

WE 110 percent are getting the spider that sat next to miss muffet, “nobody wants to be friends with me”, the town name sounds similar to tuffet, i think i’m right???

[acaciapines]

#420 BLAZE IT

oh of COURSE

Hard of Hearing – Radical Face (Redux)

sraf doesn’t have nightmares, ‘cause nightmare is a stupid dumb witch-word and he’s not a witch and also it makes people look at him sad sad sad and he HATES that, and so nightmares ARE NOT IT. OKAY. NOT NIGHTMARES KING.

but sometimes still he.

sleeping is new too. even as the days become weeks months one-day-years and all the time kinda seems the same but it goes goes goes, as it goes on sleeping is a thing he can do. he makes himself a nest like grr-click-growl’s, balancing himself on her back to get all the twigs and leaves and also blankets ‘cause the owl lady please-call-me-eda said he also needed those too. so sleeping and nest are good things ‘n they like the owl words for them best-of-all, ‘cause the rolling grumbling growly mine mine mine is something held close to their chest.

but despite that sometimes the sleeping is.

it’s like he’s back-there again. tablet sometimes. the tablet never really goes away but that’s been so always, ‘n so what really gets to him, the kinda stuff that means all the sounds he can make are bad bad bad and hiding small-scared how he never wants to be, is when he’s back in the trap and looking at king and feeling the stinging burn of claws across their cheek.

like he’s back-then and he knows what happens, knows how titan’s blood sizzled crackle-pop and the trap was shattered, and king growled in a way that meant both anger anger but also you-here-good, and they didn’t know what to do, and so much happened, but it’s the stuff that leads to him here and he likes here. and he knows now he’s safe even if safe is sometimes something he has to bite onto ‘cause elsewise he loses it.

but in the bad-seeing-story there is no blood and there is just the trap, like the tablet. there are all the witches who were there around him and their magic that cut sharp, ‘n him staring down there and the way the barrier shimmered between them and king, and he couldn’t breathe.

those are the things that send him bolting up so fast he smashes his head on the ceiling and there trembling in the air has to remember here here here and that here is a place he doesn’t want to blast apart. that here is good safe mine and nobody hurts him anymore.

he never tells king about them ‘cause he doesn’t know how to say sometimes i see you and think you’re gonna put me back there again.

he never tells king ‘cause sometimes when it’s real dark and empty he thinks at least back then it was easy to know how you felt about me.

Commentary

okay so i was going to do haha silly joke but then i saw what song is actually 420 and went FUCK and so instead its very sincere explorations of sraf instead lol.

first off! i've clarified in the other posts but sraf is indeed the collector--sraf is the translated version of what firefly (the owl beast, here sraf calls her 'grr-click-growl' which are the sounds for her name) calls him and that he eventually adopts bc he's never been particularly attached to 'the collector' as a name.

and now what even to SAY like.

sraf is. Dealing With A Lot Post-Canon Yes Yes? he and king have a REALLY messy relationship, and here sraf is thinking of and referring to a specific event that happens between them in for the future--it's a big scene so i won't elaborate on it due to spoilers, but there are pieces here and there to put together at least a sketch of it.

but that event is this moment of like--it is SO CLEAR to sraf that king is only using him. and like, obviously this isnt true and its so much more complicated than that, but at the moment its like a repeat of all the other times people have betrayed sraf in the past, that the black-white of it all becomes very sharp.

and now post-canon they share a mom and a house but they arent really friends and neither of them are really able to deal with that. its messy!

also if you cannot tell sraf thinks a lot in owl-terms--he's very very close to firefly and IS indeed otherkin, being an owl beast, though he does not have those words lol since he really just talks to firefly about this and she is very helpful, but also a big owl. his identity has always been pretty messy but here its easy for him to work at being a good owl, because its a goal that isnt tied up in all his past which he is for sure nowhere near dealing with.

basically: sraf my beloved they are the best owl house character and i love them so so much <3

[alpaca-clouds]

Fluffcember Day 15: You (Don't) Choose Family

Today's prompt was Wool Socks.

Fandom: The Owl House

Characters: Amity, Hunter, Edric, Emira, Alador, Darius

Genre: Fluff and Humor

Length: 983

[Ao3 Link]

The logic of the world was still not quite clear to Amity. How had Emperor Belos trying to kill all the witches ended her in this situation.

“Just take an extra pair of socks,” her father beckoned. “It's cold out at the Knee.”

“Dad.” She groaned, her fingers at the bridge of her nose. “I've been out at the knee before. You remember. With Ed and Em?”

Her father blinked, looking at her with an empty expression. He did not remember. Of course, he didn't. But until everything had gone down, he had barely ever noticed anything going on outside of his laboratory, did he?

Now Darius walked through the living room, too. “Ah, don't worry, Alador. The kids will be fine!”

This prompted her father to mirror her expression, fingers at the bridge of the nose. “The kids will get themselves in trouble. I am telling you. The next thing we'll know…”

Darius came over to him, putting a hand onto his shoulder. “Relax, Alador. The kids will be just fine.”

“We will be out there for only two days. I mean, come on, dad. I can fight for myself.” And she would make sure that this time nobody would accidently wake any wild beasts while they were out there. No, this was just a little excursion. Just her, Luz, Gus, Willow – and Hunter of course. Speaking of which. “Where's Hunter?”

“Still packing,” Darius replied with a shrug.

Amity groaned. One should think one additional brother would not make that much of a difference, but somehow it did. While Hunter had the appearance of a teen maybe a year or two older than her, he was still like a child in many regards. Leaving her dad – and whatever Darius was meant to become – alone, she stormed off to Hunter's room, only to find her worst fears confirmed.

Hunter was sitting there on a bag way too big for a two day trip surrounded by the twins, who were now leaning onto him, brabbling along.

“See, Hunter,” Emira said, “if you want to win the heart of a lady, the best way to access it is through her stomach! So what you want to do…”

Edric interrupted her. “Quite literally, actually. So if you try to go and open up her mouth.”

“Ugh. El. Now you're getting disgusting.”

Edric laughed. “I am just saying. There is more than one way to win a heart.” He cast another illusion, summoning a beating heart into his hand.

Even Emira chuckled at this. “What I was saying, Hunter. You need to woo her. Somehow. Like, just bring her some nice food. Or maybe, I don't know… That girl, Willow, she likes flowers, right?”

Amity cleared her throat. “Hunter, we wanted to leave now, didn't we?”

He stared at her, his eyes wide with desperation. “Uhm. Err. Yes. Leaving. We wanted to…” He tried to hoist up his bag – and failed.

Seeing his desperation Amity went over to him. She cast a simple spell as well, changing the bag into a much smaller one. “You won't need all that stuff. Trust me.”

“Are you sure? I mean, what if something happens and we end up…”

“Don't worry.” She put a hand onto his shoulder and smiled.

There was still glee on her sister's expression. “Don't forget what I was telling you! To win her heart…”

Amity turned around to her. “He'll figure that out on his own.”

 A little sigh escaped Hunter, as they made their way down the stairs. She was not even sure what to say to him. After all everything was quite new for him, wasn't it? So she just put one hand onto his shoulder. “I know Em and Ed can be a lot, but you'll get used to this.”

His smile was faint, but still there. “I guess I will.”

“Are you sure you don't want to pack an extra pair of socks? I had the abominations make two pairs just for you!” Her father got out two pairs dripping with abomination goo, just as they were crossing the living room.

She stopped herself from sighing as well, thankful for Darius' hand on her father's shoulders.

In a way she got it. Her father was trying to make up for the time he had been mostly an absentee dad. But still… This was a bit much. She went over to him, taking his hand with a smile. “Really, dad. We will be fine. We will just go out there, have a nice evening around the fireplace, enjoy nature and sleep in tents.” She would share a tent with Luz! “Nothing major is going to happen.” She gave him an encouraging smile. “Or how big do you think the chance for another egomaniacal maniac trying to destroy the world just showing up months after the last one is?”

Her father frowned. “Well, I do not quite know the exact formular, but with probabilities there is always the thing that even one beneath 1% is never quite zero. So…”

“I think she was being hyperbolic, Alador,” Darius muttered.

“I was,” Amity replied and smiled at her father. “Really, dad. Nothing is gonna happen. You just... relax and build some new abomination or something. And we will be back by tomorrow evening, alright?”

A deep and tired sigh came over her father's lips. “Yes. Yes. Alright. I am sorry, Amity. I am just…” Now he put both hands onto her shoulders. “Take care, will you?” He looked over to Hunter. “Both of you.”

Even now Hunter did clearly feel awkward about their little family. “Sure,” he muttered.

Now she allowed herself to break apart from her dad, picked up her own back and turned towards the door. “You take care as well.”

“We will.”

With that Ghost turned into her staff, allowing for her and Hunter to sit on it. Before they both took off.

[that-ari-blogger]

Witch Side Are They On? (Young Blood, Old Souls)

Hero and villain are nebulous terms, the definitions of which can be taken to mean literally any character. Although, almost everyone knows one when they see one. It's a vibes based classification. Nobody is trying to argue that The Joker is a paragon hero (except some people), for example.

Certain characters break from the mould, with some protagonists displaying more morally challenged motivations or methods, some villains being redeemed, and some "morally grey" heroes ending up being written as power fantasies and you can usually tell when that happens.

I find the classification of characters rather redundant, as people have a habit of being complex. Sure, I have met people who fit stereotypes to a tea, but they are the exception not the rule, and the more you get to know someone, the less tropey they seem to you.

So, instead, I would like to examine the actions that The Owl House frames as evil, as well as the point at which the series decides a character is no longer redeemable.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD: (The Owl House)

Because good and bad are subjective, and this is the internet, I am going to define heroic and villainous actions in this context as "behaviours that The Owl House presents as desirable and undesirable" respectively. Knowledge, expression and kindness are heroic in this context, and willful ignorance, cruelty, and repression are villainous. Ok?

These themes are really well emphasised by the light and dark motif going on. Luz's name literally means light, and she is very much associated with that concept through her magic.

Compare that to Belos, who has managed to spend the entirety of the series up to this point either in literal shadows or figurative ones. We haven't seen him outside in the daylight; we haven't even seen what he looks like yet. The man exists in darkness.

What I mean by this, is light reveals, shadows conceal. A light can bring hope, show you the way out, or let you glimpse the beauty of an artwork, if someone keeps you in darkness, your eyes will adjust eventually, but you won't be seeing the full thing.

Now, here's a question: what exactly is Lilith's motivation? The flashback gives her a history, and shows her actions and sacrifices, but it doesn't redeem her by any stretch of the imagination.

Lilith made a sacrifice for power. She has been chasing Eda because of Belos, and we will get to that. But the curse was her own misdeed, and I think its fascinating how the concept of willful ignorance plays into that.

"I thought it would just be for a day."

Now, I don't know what was on that scroll. Maybe it came with a sticky note that says, "guaranteed 24-hour magic removal or your money back". But, it takes some serious mental gymnastics to decide that the thing you wanted to do because you wanted to do it with someone was worth sacrificing that someone to achieve.

And when the curse turned Eda into the beast, it never occurred to Lilith to tell anyone. I think providing evidence of the magic that caused it might have helped to fix it, but Lilith kept it a secret.

Also, if you see a system that outcasts your closest family member and TURNS PEOPLE IT DOESN'T LIKE TO STONE, and you devote yourself to upholding that system "because of all the good it does", you are deliberately ignoring some major factors.

So, Lilith engages with the theme on two fronts, she keeps the world in the dark about her own actions, and she actively ignores things about the world she is in, and that is the key here. Lilith is presented as highly intelligent and rational, but someone the clever should surely notice some things that she very much doesn't. Which leads me to believe that she is either unintelligent and rational, or intelligent and irrational.

I don't think Lilith is a villain in the series, entirely. I think she is an antagonist, and thematically opposed to the heroes. But the motivation for the specific acts of antagonism are, fundamentally, altruistic. She wants to heal her sister. The problem is that being motivated by guilt and compassion doesn't square with the actions she has taken to get to this position. So naturally, she ignores the incongruities until she runs face first into them, and her redemption comes later through her actions and decisions to seek out and understand.

Belos plays an interesting role in this as well. I mentioned in my previous post that Belos manipulates her agency out from underneath her, and I stand by that here for two reasons. 1) Belos is the system she has bought into. He has directly and intentionally, through propaganda, convinced a world that wild magic is bad and that sacrifices must be made. 2) He found a woman who was conflicted about her actions and saw a way to get rid of the most powerful witch in the boiling isles.

So, Belos too features the theme of wilful ignorance, imposing it on the boiling isles, and making use of Lilith's blind spot to further his own goals.

I've mentioned Belos' restriction of expression in the past multiple times, but there is one more of the core themes that the emperor engages with, and I think the way in which he does that is rather funny. Belos is cruel, and it is constantly tripping him up.

So, what spur's Lilith's redemption? She gets shown her actions are wrong immediately after performing them, so it can't be realisation. So, what is it that prompts her to reconsider her life choices? What causes the leader of the coven heads to bail? Lilith backs out of the coven system because Belos is a jerk.

Belos could have kept the manipulation going. He could have said that he tried and failed to heal Eda's curse. He could have said that Eda attacked him and left him no choice. But instead, he decided to gloat.

"Ah, taking her to the healing ceremony?" "I will not be healing her." "But, you, promised me." "Don't be so naïve, Lilith."

This isn't even the only time the man's desire to gloat self-sabotages him in this episode. So, let's get to that fight scene.

"Okay, I'll play."

I feel the need to point out that Belos wins the fight part of this scene hands down. I recommend UnholyBasil's excellent video on this scene, but suffice to say, anyone with the power to instantly quadruple the animation budget for a moment is a terrifying threat, and Belos is definitely that.

Up until now, the emperor was just an ideological roadblock. The antagonist has been the coven system and the Emperor's Coven that want to restrict magic. Belos has simply been the guy at the head, the one Luz must symbolically defeat.

But now, Belos barely has to lift a finger, and Luz is on the back foot. She can't even touch him. And that is the key to why the ending of the fight is so cool. Belos is untouchable, emotionally and physically, so Luz does both. She puts a crack in his armour, not enough to defeat him, but enough to break the facade he has put up and make him look like an Undertale character.

Remember what I said about self-sabotage? Well, it happens again here. Here is someone who is trying to kill Belos, someone with magic that he has seen. And he decides to waltz up to her and present his face as a target, just because he wants to needle at her mind, the man would have succeeded had he been intelligent.

That is my takeaway from Belos. He is an eejit with delusions of grandeur. Don't get me wrong, the man is a decent manipulator, but his inability to look past himself and his need to be cruel repeatedly puts a dampener on his whole mastermind shtick.

Also, he didn't think to check for the obvious glyphs on the side of the suitcase he was given, he just assumed he had won and didn't feel the need to make sure. Are we sure this guy is clever and not just charismatic?

Now, I haven't talked about Luz or Eda much, and I think it's time to rectify that.

Lilith's character design is a mirror of her sister's. She is restricted in her dress, and perfectly symmetrical. Eda meanwhile is unkempt and wild, with the torn outfit making her look unbalanced and volatile.

The Clawthorn sisters also have a Red Oni, Blue Oni motif going on between them, a trope about characters with a duality to them that has shades of colour symbolism and mythology thrown in for spice.

According to TV Tropes:

"The Red Oni is associated with passion, wildness, and defiance. The red oni character is often more brawny than brainy, extroverted, enthusiastic, determined, and filled with a zest for life. They are also much more likely to break conventions and rules than their counterpart."

Meanwhile:

"The Blue Oni is associated with serenity, control, and observing authority. A Blue Oni is more intellectual, proud, traditional, introverted, and cultured."

I those two don't sum up Eda and Lilith respectively, I don't know what does. And if you have been paying attention, the colour symbolism there appears in the designs of the two. Lilith bears more cool colours, with the blueish hair, eyes, and gem, while Eda scraps all subtlety and just wears red and orange.

So, Eda and Lilith represent two ends of the spectrum, chaotic and lawful. But its notable that when Lilith gets redeemed, she doesn't lose the logical, heavily rationalised mindset, she loses the restrictions. She ends up being free to be whomever she wants, and that person doesn't have to be as overtly wild as her sister.

Luz and Belos, however, are extremely similar characters, with one Luz and Belos, however, are extremely similar characters, with one main difference. One is kind, one is cruel. In terms of character mechanics (how they approach problems), that is the main difference. The rest of their actions come as a result of this dichotomy. Both have a form of main character syndrome, for example, but where Luz wants an adventure and to save the world, Belos wants to remake the world in his own image.

I'm not saying they are identical, or that they are the same character, I am saying that they are similar except for the most fundamental of points, derived from this difference of kindness vs cruelty. All of the lessons that Luz learns but Belos ignores, come from selflessness, all the differences come from expanding out this over and over again until you get a hero and a megalomaniac.

They are both charisma-based artificers, but they have different alignments, and that has led to them making different choices, and leading different stories that have clashed with each other. They started in a similar place, but because of the one difference, their paths diverged wildly.

Final Thoughts

Belos is a villain who would be right at home with Wiley Coyote if he wasn't so terrifying and megalomaniacal, because he cannot stop bringing about his own downfall in spectacular fashion.

I wanted to find the Tolkien quote about evil destroying itself for this post, but instead I found something that sums up The Owl House really well.

"You have to understand the good in things, to detect the real evil."

Tolkien was a man who fought in both the first and second World Wars, including the battle of the Somme, and yet he was a profoundly optimistic man, as well as being a realist. His most famous work is about someone small accomplishing a great thing against all the odds because evil cannot comprehend the simple acts of kindness.

That, transformed by generations of nerds, has resulted in The Owl House, where a villain, by dint of being clad in gold, can only shine by reflecting the light of the protagonist. And he cannot comprehend the simple kindness of community, and harmony.

Light, do not faulter.

Next week, I am diving straight into the next season, with Separate Tides, and the introduction of the woobie, so stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

[canoncompanions]

UPDATE: New Playlist: Musical Gems

After two years of resisting watching Steven Universe followed by four years of not being able to find the whole thing, I finally watched it in 2020 and that is what solidified my choice to resurrect Canon Companions. Yes, it inspired me that much. This is also the fifth playlist to reach over 100 songs as well as the first time two works of the same medium type have had over 100 songs.

Note: For the next several playlist updates, I will not be including artists that passed a 10 and new duplicates in the note section, but I will compile a complete list of each after getting through them all.

SU Season 1

Smalltown by Chumbawamba [Tubthumper]

The Middle by Jimmy Eat World [Bleed American/Jimmy Eat World]

Seven by Tijuana Sweetheart [Public Display of Infection]

Bad Reputation by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts [Bad Reputation]

Lesson Number One from Mulan 2

Got My Own Thing by Liz Phair [Somebody’s Miracle]

Foil by Weird Al Yankovic [Mandatory Fun]

I Don’t Understand You by They Might Be Giants [Apollo 18]

Bitchin’ Summer by Avril Lavigne [Avril Lavigne]

Walk and Chew Gum by Optigonally Yours [The Powerpuff Girls: Heroes and Villains]

The Simple Things from Hey Arnold [The Best of Nicktoons]

Overjoyed by Matchbox Twenty [North]

Dirty Little Secret by the All-American Rejects [Move Along]

Nobody’s Home by Avril Lavigne [Under My Skin]

Oceans by Evanescence [Evanescence]

Unaffected by Hoobastank [The Reason]

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger by Daft Punk [Discovery]

Invader Zim Theme Song from Invader Zim [The Newest Nicktoons]

Harlow’s Song {I Can’t Dream Without You) by Good Charlotte [Cardiology]

Hit the Floor by Linkin Park [Meteora]

Something Else by Good Charlotte [Good Morning Revival]

In My Eyes You’re a Giant by Sonata Arctica [The Days of Grays]

Your Guardian Angel by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus [Don’t You Fake It]

SU Season 2

Perfect by Simple Plan [No Pads, No Helmets… Just Balls]

I Don’t Like You from Galavant [Galavant: Season 2]

Oops!... I Did It Again by Britney Spears [Oops… I Did It Again]

Broken Hands by Bright Light Fever [Bright Light Fever Presents the Evening Owl]

For the Sake of Revenge by Sonata Arctica [Unia]

2 Minutes to Midnight by Iron Maiden [Best of the Beast]

Open Your Heart by Crush 40 [True Blue: The Best of Sonic the Hedgehog]

Dreaming by System of a Down [Hypnotize]

Ruby by Kaiser Chiefs [Yours Truly, Angry Mob]

Tyranny of Normality by Papa Roach [Getting Away with Murder]

Do It Again by the Chemical Brothers [We Are the Night]

SU Season 3

On the Run by 3 Doors Down [The Better Life]

Shame on Me by Ryan Cabrera [Take It All Away]

Perfectly Perfect by Simple Plan [Taking One for the Team]

Smoothie King by Bowling for Soup [A Hangover You Don’t Deserve]

I Push Her Buttons by Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives [Second and Eighteen]

Happy (Without Me) by Resident Hero [Look]

Stronger by Britney Spears [Oops… I Did it Again]

Know Who You Are from Moana

She’s So Mean by Matchbox Twenty [North]

Wisk by Bowling for Soup [Rock On Honorable Ones]

Had Enough of You by Breaking Point [Beautiful Disorder]

A Reunion by Gentle Giant [In a Glass House]

Always Creating by Shoeless Revolution [From the Inside Out]

Architects by Rise Against [Endgame]

Road to Bloodshed by Sanctity [Road to Bloodshed]

Do What You Have to Do by Sarah McLachlan [Surfacing]

Without a Fight by Hoobastank [Every Man for Himself]

Never Walk Away by Breaking Point [Beautiful Disorder]

Holy Mountains by System of a Down [Hypnotize]

Hero Takes a Fall by the Bangles [The Bangles Greatest Hits]

Peacemaker by Green Day [21st Century Breakdown]

Take It by Staind [Break the Cycle]

SU Season 4

Hero of War by Rise Against [Appeal to Reason]

Lacrymosa by Evanescence [The Open Door]

Lost in Space by PressureHead [Sci-Fi Café]

The Land of Do What You’re Told by Chumbawamba [A Singsong and a Scrap]

Shiny Happy People by R.E.M. [Out of Time]

Stranded by Julien-K [Death to Analog]

Don’t Cry Out by Shiny Toy Guns [We Are Pilots]

Torn by Natalie Imbruglia [Left of the Middle]

Outsmarted by the Hives [Veni Vidi Vicious]

I Will Deny by Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives [Second and Eighteen]

Strange by R.E.M. [Document]

When It Rains by Paramore [Riot!]

SU Season 5

Worthless from the Brave Little Toaster

Broken by Bad Religion [The Process of Belief]

Bring Me to Life by Evanescence [Fallen]

Just a Taste by Scary Kids, Scaring Kids [The City Sleeps in Flames]

Hello Heartache by Avril Lavigne [Avril Lavigne]

I’m Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band) by the Moody Blues [Seventh Sojourn]

Everything Had Changed by Barenaked Ladies […Are Me]

Never Go Back by Evanescence [Evanescence]

Secrets by Mission of Burma [vs.]

Let Me Go by 3 Doors Down [Seventeen Days]

Lucky by Britney Spears [Oops!... I Did It Again]

Inside by Vertical Horizon [Go]

Marry You by Bruno Mars [Doo-Wops and Hooligans]

Final Wars by Buckethead [The Elephant Man’s Alarm Clock]

The Damage in Your Heart by Weezer [Make Believe]

Home by Daughtry [Daughtry]

Welcome to the Machine by Pink Floyd [Wish You Were Here]

Shine on You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI-IX) [Wish You Were Here]

Now or Never by Stagehands [The Silent City]

The Time Has Come by Roger McGuinn [Back from Rio]

SU The Movie

A Real Life, Happily Ever After from Galavant [Galavant: Season 2]

Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye [Making Mirrors]

Amnesia by Chumbawamba [Tubthumper]

The First Cut Is the Deepest by Sheryl Crow [The Very Best of Sheryl Crow]

SU Future

Whenever You Need Somebody by Rick Astley [Greatest Hits]

Farewell to Arms by Five Iron Frenzy [The End Is Near Here]

Never Leave by Seether [Karma and Effect]

Life Changes by Good Charlotte [Youth Authority]

You’re the One by Hoobastank [For(n)ever]

Scars by Papa Roach [Getting Away with Murder]

Problem Child by Simple Plan [Taking One for the Team]

A Killer Inside by Bleed the Dream [Killer Inside]

Reprehensible by They Might Be Giants [Long Tall Weekend]

Do or Die by Papa Roach [Getting Away with Murder]

We Are Broken by Paramore [Riot!]

Al’s War by Less than Jake [Hello Rockview]

New artists: Mulan [in-universe], Optigonally Yours, Hey Arnold, Daft Punk, Invader Zim, Galavant, Bright Light Fever, Kaiser Chiefs, Chemical Brothers, Sanctity, PressureHead, Brave Little Toaster, Bruno Mars, Buckethead, Pink Floyd, Gotye, Rick Astley

Formerly unique artists: Tijuana Sweetheart, Ryan Cabrera, Resident Hero, Moana, Shoeless Revolution, Bangles, Natalie Imbruglia, Mission of Burma

Welcome to the Club!

[candyskiez]

Wait actually I wanna talk about this because I really love it. I love when it goes into actual depth on what the monster transformation means.

Let's start with Eda.

She turns into the owl beast, very animalistic and sometimes violent. This happened in her childhood. It came with ridicule from her peers, making her a sudden target for bullying and rumors. Sound familiar? It becomes a part of her every day life. Everyone's spreading rumors about her. People make her into this malicious horror movie monster. And she resents this creature. She dehumanizes it completely and hates herself for it. She makes herself be constantly fine and chill and unshakable so she never has to deal with the "ugly" parts of herself. What comes out when she's scared or feels threatened or when she's so fucking sad she wants to rip herself apart. She hates these parts of herself, even if she tries to use them ironically as a part of her "brand", so to speak. She uses it as armor. She hates that her first reaction to fear is to do something stupid that fucks everything up, she hates how mean she gets when she's angry, she hates that she processes emotions Wrong.

Her healing comes from recognizing the source of this reaction. Not her or some horrible creature in her mind being broken or being out to ruin her life. It's her emotions going haywire at any form of stress because she's so used to danger that ANY stress gets treated as danger. Understanding herself and why she acts like this is the first step to changing it. Seeing the owl beast for what it's actually like is the first step to changing it. It's also notable that the owl beast is very small. I know it's partly because y'know. Owls are small. But it very much reminds me of the healing the inner child thing.

Onto Steven. While Eda's feels like the representation of a trigger response, Steven is more so self hatred.

He's not the perfect image he's created in his mind of who he used to be, so in his mind he's irredeemable. He has bad thoughts now that he's been exposed to traumatic experiences, so he's a horrible person. Nobody told him how to deal with his problems, nobody ever taught him how to deal with his emotions in the way he needed. And nobody taught him that feeling like this isn't something absolute monsters do. Nobody told him that everyone feels like this. Nobody told him what a intrusive thought was, or how to handle them, or that sometimes you want to beat the shit out of the person who almost killed you. So these flaws have been festering for *years*, because he didn't feel like he could say them. And he got no help.

This is him going absolutely apeshit because he's fucking terrified. He thinks now that everyone sees what he "really" is, it's all over for him. Everyone hates him now because he's let them down. He's not the sweet, helpful little angel, he's a horrible horrible HORRIBLE person and he DESERVES to be treated like it.

The line "As long as he believes he's a monster, he'll stay one." Very much hits with the trauma allegory. As long as he believes he's not worth saving, he won't let himself be saved. As long as he thinks this is him being a horrible person, not him having issues, he's going to view any attempts to get through to him as them not realizing who he really is. As them letting him get away with it. So them seeing him like this and going, no. Let us help you. Not "this isn't you!" Not "snap out of it!" That's what saves him. We see you. This part of you. We still want to help. Please let us help?

Last, but definitely not least, Nimona. Hoo boy. Hoo fucking boy.

The transformation scene looks extremely, extremely involuntary. I know you're going "yeah, no shit", but what I mean is she did not MEAN to go "yeah, fine, I'll be your goddamn monster." It was thousands of years of emotions finally taking form. All the resentment and hatred, all the depression, all the anger, all the loneliness and grief and betrayal, it all becomes so much she literally cannot keep her shape anymore and transforms. She's that massive because that's how much she's been holding in and carrying alone for *years.* It all finally blows up. She finally can't take it anymore. So distressed she can't keep her shape anymore, she goes to the quickest place to die: the kingdom that despises her. It's notable she's not attacking anyone. She's wrecking things in her path just by walking. Just because of the sheer *amount* of build up she just can't keep it in anymore. She attacks the building telling her she deserves to die. She's just...a ball of grief and self hatred.

Like Stevens, I love that her coming back isn't "I know you're still in there." Because...this is Nimona. This is Nimonas self hatred. This is Nimonas depression. What saves her is someone SEEING that. Someone fucking seeing that. Seeing it for what it is. Not violence for the sake of violence but her grief and loathing and *pain* physically embodied. Someone telling her, I see you're in fucking agony. And you're not alone. I know you're hurting. And I'm so sorry I pushed you over this edge.

I fucking love stories about monsters.

Big fan of monster transformations as a visual representation of trauma. Even BIGGER fan of when the media goes into depth on the implications and the symbolism of it.

[campbluelake]

Not Today, No, Not Today | CH5 (3/?)

Unlike Kyousuke, you remain in the clearing. Though not by chains, your body remains bound, limbs made leaden by an unnatural force while the scene of Kyousuke’s imminent demise plays out in the flames before you.

Is this how it goes, then?

Are you to be afforded only one small victory before it is made obsolete by the dark machinations of this place?

Of course not.

The voice of a human that still emanated from the beast among you is lost entirely, overcome by the deep sound of a primal and ancient fury. In the air around you, there is a sound like the whine of thread stretching to its limit.

“Do not– insult me–”

It grows. You feel the force pushing down on you grow heavier and taught.

Looking to him now, you can see Max’s form slowly pushing itself back up, wings and limbs flexing and straining against the heavy air.

“With these petty– magicks–”

A mighty call that settles somewhere between the screech of an owl and the roar of a beast fills the air, and with the sudden spread of Max’s wings, there’s a snap. Whatever force held you in place has broken.

Before you can think too deeply on it, the beast before you becomes nothing more than a black blur as it plunges itself into the fire–

Disappearing into the scene still playing out within.

Kyousuke grimaces – he’s not the type to simply give up. Stubborn to an absolute fault. His muscles coil and tense as he screams for his body to move, faster than he ever has, even if he has to throw himself out of the way, but–

He’s just human. How could he?

But there’s nothing wrong with knowing your limits.

It’s a good thing. By knowing one’s limits, a person can overcome them through other means. One of those means– perhaps the most important to learn–

[♪♪♪]

Is accepting the help of a friend.

The sound of creaking metal and smoldering cinder is joined by the distant cacophony of something crashing its way through whatever stands in its way, but it doesn’t stay distant for very long. It grows louder just as the shadows of falling beams grow larger, larger, larger–

It’s too fast to fully make out what you see next. A blur of black and red, of fur and feather, zipping across what the fire lets you see. One moment, Kyousuke is there. The next, an onslaught of metal beams crashing into the floor is all the fire shows you.

Nobody could survive being crushed by something like that. Not man, not beast– nobody. You’re sure of it.

You might think to dwell on this were it not for the sudden burst of flame and embers in the middle of the clearing as Max emerges from the fire with a twisting, winged flourish into the air. He is unharmed by the heat of it, and soon lands on the ground nearby.

Thankfully, you are spared the anxiety of uncertainty for once; clearly visible in Max’s arms is Kyousuke, bloody and beaten, but…

Alive.

Those of you huddled around the fire, and the already departed similarly crowded around the TV in the lodge, had been resigned to a fate too cruel; a murder agreed upon by two people to save another, and the loss of both of those lives. Though it felt too much to bear…

Max and Kyousuke were still here. 

This game would take no one else from you. Not anymore.