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ordinaryschmuck · 10 months

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Why I Love The Owl House-Part Two: The Relationships

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Salutations, random people on the internet who are already skimming past this! I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

And welcome to part two as we discuss everything I love about The Owl House. Because a single review wasn't enough, and, boy-howdy, did I prove that with Part One. Like...Wow. That was a lot.

But where Part One discusses the lengthy list of great and sometimes bad characters, Part Two is all about relationships. Because on top of having a diverse cast of different races, genders, sexualities, ages, and even species, The Owl House also has a diverse set of relationships that can be familial, platonic, antagonistic, and, of course, romantic. Each one is adorable and entertaining in its own right, and we're going over the best of the best today.

Quick disclaimer, though, we're NOT going to discuss relationships that didn't get much attention or ones made more interesting in fanon. I would love to talk a lot about how Luz and Vee are like sisters, but they only interacted in one episode and there's not much to go off of with the small tidbits of photos we see in the finale. And I would adore talking about how Camila's the honorary mother of every child who had come into her house. However, aside from a handful of conversations, she never interacted with anybody outside of Luz. Which is a shame because I would LOVE to see how she would get along with her future daughter-in-law. With that said, I will discuss characters who interact a bunch but note the missed opportunities they represent. Do we have an understanding? Good.

(Also, this one is going to be 26 pages long...Still better than last time, right? Right...)

Now, for this one, we’re going through it by category. Starting with…

Families

The Owl House has a surprising amount of family drama in a variety of ways. Whether it’s between siblings or parents and their children, there are a lot of stories to be milked out of with these relationships. And to start things off, let’s talk about what’s probably the healthiest mother/daughter relationship in the show.

Camila and Luz: I talked a lot about this kinship the two had last time, primarily through how Camila feels about Luz. To keep things brief, Camila LOVES her daughter. The only ones who denied that are idiots who focused too much on the negatives. Despite some missteps, Camila is proud of everything that Luz is, and came to realize that she should NEVER have tried to change a thing.

But that’s everything on Camila’s side. On Luz’s side, the love is very much mutual. No matter what mistake Camila made, Luz NEVER resented her for it. Luz may have felt sad for going to summer camp or worried about keeping Camila’s promise, but there was never any anger. The closest we got was her absolute refusal to go to summer camp, but even that was followed up with Luz feeling a quick moment of guilt for having to lie to her mother. This is because Luz LOVES Camila and, above all else, wants to make her proud and happy. The problem is Luz doesn’t approach things the right way, accidentally causing Camila strife through causing trouble at school and choosing to lie for too long so Camila wouldn’t be worried about what’s happening with Luz’s current situation. And when coming back, Luz still apologizes for leaving AND for lying, knowing that her choices weren’t the best ones to make and she regrets making Camila’s life harder. Camila’s actions weren’t the best either, but Luz was never bothered by that. She loves her mom. When stuck in the Isles, all Luz could think about was returning to her, and that’s because Camila is the one thing that connects Luz to the Human Realm. She has no friends, significant others, or mentors that made life fun in the Human Realm. Camila’s all Luz has, and vice versa.

When Manny died, it left Camila and Luz with just each other for the longest time. Because of that, they’re trying their best for one another. Camila does all she can to be the mom Luz needs and Luz, in turn, attempts to be the daughter Camila deserves. Neither got it right, but that doesn’t change their love for each other. They’re both all they have, and it’s sweet to see a mother/daughter relationship where both ARE and AREN’T at fault for a lot of stuff but still hold a great amount of love and respect for one another. They’re probably the healthiest example of a mother and her child. Though, in fairness, that’s not a steep competition.

Odalia and Amity: Yup. Might as well rip this bandaid off as soon as possible.

I think the best way to start off with these two is to ask a question: Did Odalia love Amity? I know that’s a weird question to ask considering EVERYTHING Odalia did but it’s still worth bringing up. Because I think that the answer is YES…upon CONDITIONS. As long as Amity acted exactly as Odalia wanted and followed this “perfect plan” she laid out, then Amity has Odalia’s love. When Amity DOESN’T, Odalia’s “love” turns to anger, and that’s because Odalia doesn’t want a daughter. She wants a mini-version of HER. You can see it in Amity’s Season One design, where her dyed hair and how she wears it is meant to be a reflection of Odalia. It explains why Odalia puts so much pressure onto Amity, forcing her to succeed and gain the highest ranks of society. If Odalia couldn’t be the most influential and powerful witch in all the Isles, then surely her daughter, who looks and acts exactly like her, should. And yet, Odalia’s still surprised that Amity chooses to rebel and be her own person instead of a mini-Odalia.

Amity’s resentment towards her mother is easy to pick up and the same goes for her inaction. To many kids, there’s nothing scarier than a parent, especially one like Odalia who can be very violent when angered or scorned. Amity has often rebelled in LITTLE ways against her mother, but it isn’t until meeting Luz does Amity find a lot more to fight for. She wants to carve her own path and becomes less afraid to stand up against Odalia. Amity dyes her hair and calls out Odalia’s behavior because it’s worth it for the fight for individuality. But despite this rebellion, it’s interesting that Amity still makes one last attempt to reach out in “Clouds on the Horizon.” Because while Odalia isn’t a good mom, Amity has it in her head that, surely, Odalia isn’t evil. I think a lot of kids, even ones with truly awful parents, have that mindset. Because even if they’re bad at parenting, that doesn’t mean they would stoop so low when lives are at stake, right? Except, not only does Odalia completely dismiss all life that isn’t her own, but she is surprisingly okay with the complete genocide of her people. The woman IS evil. Amity didn’t want to believe it because…well, no child DOES. But it’s that last bit of confirmation that Amity needed to cut Odalia out of her life forever…I just wish that conclusion had more of a satisfying punch to it.

I know I said it last time, but it really does suck that after everything Odalia did to Amity, things end by Amity proclaiming that she’ll never talk to Odalia again and blatantly ignores her in the finale. The thing is, I can see that being satisfying in its own right, but with how much Odalia messed up Amity’s life, treating her as a tool instead of a daughter, you can’t blame a schmuck for wanting Amity to do more. Still, I can understand Amity’s desire not to even ACKNOWLEDGE Odalia and I can live with THAT being the conclusion to their relationship. It’s definitely a better pill to swallow than what happens between—

Amity and Alador: On paper, making Amity a Daddy’s Girl sounds sweet, as does making Alador a caring father to contrast Odalia being…Odalia. But in terms of execution, this is an idea that could have definitely utilized more time to be perfect.

Amity’s desire to seek Alador’s approval and be like him feels way too sudden as every instance Alador’s been on screen before “Reaching Out,” it shows him doing something Amity has to fight back on. Granted, he was likely doing it to keep Odalia from doing WORSE things to Amity, but the audience didn’t have the knowledge of HIS situation yet. So to us, it’s more of a bitter pill to swallow that Amity wants to be like him. It’s slightly easier to understand on a rewatch, but just barely. Then the writers try to sell that Amity has a ton of faith that Alador would be on her side when going against Odalia, and it's similar to Amity trying to convince herself that her mom isn’t evil. The only difference is that, this time, Amity’s right. Her father ISN’T evil and he actually cares about his kids, which is sweet but it’s still information given to us LATER than it should. The same goes for Amity’s love for her dad. Knowing that she had such an admiration for him is something best left revealed as soon as possible and is NOT as easy to reveal through a retcon. Previous episodes leads us to believe that Amity fears and hates BOTH her parents, so having it where she loves her dad leaves one to scratch their head in confusion. But that’s just on Amity’s side. For Alador’s, it…barely works still.

I mentioned it last time, but the retcon that Alador is a father who actually loves his children is an idea that works well enough, but could be better. As sweet as it is to give Amity ONE parent that cares, it still comes up way too late in the series. By the time “Reaching Out” premiered, The Owl House was almost over, leaving not enough time to prove how much Alador cares. There’s some cute moments like him telling Amity that she did a good job through just an ATTEMPT to escape a forcefield, accepting “Luz” as Amity’s girlfriend, appreciating Amity’s new hairstyle, and giving her those little mittens. The writers ARE trying to make this idea work, but it admittedly feels like it’s too little too late.

Amity and Alador’s relationship COULD have been something great. It just either needed to be presented earlier in the series or more time to develop properly. Unfortunately, neither of those options were provided, and what we got was something that was awkwardly done. It’s still nice to see Amity get along with a parent for once and the epilogue proves that Alador kept his promise to be a better father, what with how happy he is to see her after what looked like a long journey. It’s just that, despite these attempts at cute moments, the relationship could have been done better. Still, on the bright side, at least they got along better than either did with Odalia. And, at least with her siblings, Amity has SOME positive relationships with her family…eventually.

Amity, Emira, and Edric: At the start, Ed and Em seem like antagonists to Amity, wanting to make her life suffer. I remember seeing a few fanfics that treated Edric and Emira in such a way because…well, how could there not be? Their very first episode involved them wreaking havoc in Amity’s safe space and threatening to leak pages of her diary for everyone to see. While me and my sisters definitely had our problems, they NEVER acted that way to me. It’s why I’m glad that after realizing they took a prank too far–And accidentally creating a monster that nearly killed Amity–Ed and Em went from antagonists to supporting characters. Oh, they still messed with Amity for the shits and giggles, but now it’s more out of how LOVING older siblings screw around instead of how the two twits acted in “Lost in Language.” They tease, jab, and mess around in Amity’s personal space, but it’s definitely out of love instead of malice, creating a dynamic that’s a lot sweeter to see. They went from another hardship of Amity’s homelife to one of the only people in her corner. Though, in this case, it’s less of a feat caused by character development and more by the writers changing their mind on what to do with them. Thankfully, unlike Alador, they changed their mind soon enough where this little course correction for Edric and Emira is a lot more believable and MUCH easier to swallow. It also benefits Amity by giving her two people to rely on…Or, just one.

Yeah, Edric’s primarily the odd man out in this dynamic. Emira and Amity have this adorable sisterly relationship where Emira tells Amity what she needs to hear and provide advice. With Edric, both Emira and Amity treat him as the dumb one, either making sure he doesn’t hurt himself or reticule him for his stupidity. There is SOME adorableness, though. Like how Edric ran in a full body cast and went through physical pain just so he can hug Amity. That shows he cares IMMENSELY about her and doesn’t care what happens to him to prove it. And with Emira, there’s something fascinating about how Edric’s fear is being alone forever and Emira’s is being alone with HIM forever. It IS likely that she’s joking at Ed’s expense, but there might be some truth to it. They do a LOT as a pair. They dress the same, act the same, wear similar outfits, and even have similar names. Emira definitely cares about Edric, but she doesn’t want her whole life to be defined as being his twin. It’s part of why they both went off to do different things and have their own careers not defined by what the other does. It’s great showing that while these two are similar in a lot of ways, they’re still very much different. But, once again, this is an analysis based on what’s implied and not what the series shows. There’s not enough time to build off this idea, and it still leaves Edric out of having something meaningful like what Amity and Emira have. And even then, what Emira and Amity have is something based on a few short scenes of Emira being a GOOD older sister. Still, it’s sweet for what it is.

The Blight siblings don’t have a deep or compelling relationship, but they don’t need it. Edric and Emira fill a supporting role for a secondary main character, and for what they do, it’s great. Emira’s sweet, Edric provides comedy, and they both EVENTUALLY give Amity what she needed. Her mom never truly cared and her dad…could’ve been better, but at least Amity had two siblings who care about her to a great degree. They might drive her crazy, but that’s siblings for you. Plus, at least none of them cursed one or the other. I mean, could you IMAGINE? That’s be crazy…

…

Eda and Lilith: These two…are complicated. And I’m well aware of how much of an understatement that is, but it’s true. As kids, they were thick as thieves, with both of them willing to do so much for the other. Lilith would share a scraped knee with Eda and Eda…would be willing to sacrifice more. She would throw herself under the bus so Lilith wouldn’t get in trouble with their literal demon of a principal and would willingly give Lilith a position in the Emperor’s Coven. The show makes it clear that Eda cares a great deal for Lilith. All they really had was each other in school and Eda didn’t want to change that situation, already assuming, as a teen, they would spend the rest of their lives doing EVERYTHING together. It’s sweet…and it makes Lilith’s petty jealousy and cursing Eda feel so wrong.

Lilith ALSO loved her sister, but took Eda for granted. Lilith’s drive to be the best, earning a place in the most powerful coven on the Isles, led to her fighting to be better than Eda. This fight started a rift between them, even before the curse. After quizzing Eda, and showing that she knew more than Lilith, Lilith started studying HARDER, trying to prove that SHE can learn more. She couldn’t stand being second place to Eda, so it drove Lilith to try harder and to get desperate. By the time Lilith cursed Eda, that rift between them only got worse due to a mix of Lilith’s guilt and her position as a Covenhead. Once they were adults, Lilith is in a position where she HAS to hunt Eda down for the Emperor, but in a weird way, Lilith still puts Eda first. Despite Eda’s criminal antics, Lilith wants to give her sister a chance to join the coven on HER terms, only going overboard when feeling threatened by Belos. In moments like that, Lilith tells herself that it’s all for the greater good, that Belos can cure Eda and that she and Lilith can finally do EVERYTHING together, just like they wanted as kids. And Eda might want the same thing. She might resent Lilith for hunting Eda and Eda CONSTANTLY takes Lilith down a peg, but she still loves her. Just look at when Eda races Lilith for a flower and tries to remind her about how they used to do the same thing as kids running to their kitchen. Or the times Eda showed Lilith mercy, like saving her from that crab spider or giving Lilith Eda’s ring so she wouldn’t go back to Belos empty handed. Even during their first witches duel, Eda didn’t really go out of her way to hurt Lilith. She saw it more as a game, with a lot of Eda’s attacks being more to contain Lilith or aggravate her. It’s proof that her sisterly love didn’t entirely go away all those years later…Until Lilith went too far.

The second Lilith kidnapped Luz, Eda was already out for blood, being the most violent she’s ever been towards her sister. But when Lilith revealed that she cursed Eda, she lost all sense of mercy and was willing to go for the throat. There was this brief moment of Eda BEGGING Lilith to keep Luz safe, likely reaching for SOME goodness she HAS to believe is in her sister. But that sentiment disappears quickly as Eda was willing to spend her last moments of life on trying to KILL the little traitor. Needless to say, Lilith did a lot of damage and it seemed like she had a lot of work to do…Only for things to go back to normal after one confession and another grand gesture. Sure, Lilith sharing a curse is a great start, but Eda treats it as if it’s enough with her acting like it never happened. She mentions the curse in a flippant manner, but that’s something that a person does YEARS after someone made up for betrayal, not a week. And Lilith doesn’t do much better. Despite her moments of wanting to be better, Lilith still acts like she has to be better than Eda while also behaving like she already believes she IS. Still, after all this time.

I think I like the potential Lilith and Eda’s relationship has more than what’s done with it. There’s some interesting stuff surrounding Eda’s desire to keep Lilith and Lilith wanting to make up for taking Eda for granted, but it’s NOT explored enough. They act about the same as they did in “Covention,” the episode that introduced this relationship in the first place, only now there’s a slightly less of a desire to strangle each other. Slightly. There’s some sweet moments, with Lilith comforting Eda about the stress of the Day of Unity and Eda reassuring Lilith that the curse isn’t so bad when she gets used to it, but those scenes don’t stop their dynamic being nothing no more than…acceptable. There’s a fun sibling rivalry between the two mixed in with some heart, making something entertaining to see. But when the show presents interesting ideas like Eda’s love and Lilith’s guilt, only to gloss over BOTH of them, it leaves me wanting a little bit more. I’ll take what I have, but you can’t leave a guy wanting.

But as unhealthy as things got between these two, at least they didn’t nearly cause the end of the world.

Nah, that’s the NEXT sibling relationship.

Caleb and Philip: It feels weird to talk about this one because we only know about one side of the relationship. And yet, it’s the catalyst for EVERYTHING revolving around Belos and his creation towards villainy.

In his own twisted way, Belos loved Caleb. He was all Belos had and Belos would go to great lengths to “save” his brother from damnation. I went over it last time, and I won’t repeat myself here, but while the show makes it clear that Belos’ twisted love for his brother is what drove him, we never really know how much Caleb cared for Philip. Through the memories in Belos’ mindscape, we can see that they cared much for each other as kids and Caleb was happy to see Philip again in the Boiling Isles. There’s some definite brotherly love there, but people keep circling back to how Caleb abandoned Philip. To me, with the information we have, it’s more like how Luz went to the Boiling Isles without telling Camila. There was never any malice behind the action. Some carelessness, perhaps, but neither Luz nor Caleb meant any harm to disappear into this new world and make life-changing relationships. They were both willing to come back to this person that means the world to them. Just look at Caleb’s smile upon seeing Philip again. You don’t smile like that when you resent someone or feel glad to have abandoned them. I’m sure there was love there, but again, we never get to see Caleb’s perspective of things aside from implications from Belos’ memories. For all we know, Caleb WAS a bastard bitch who hated his little brother. There’s never really an answer and I’m kind of glad there isn’t. Because Belos’ admiration for someone, even if he does or doesn’t deserve it, is still an engaging aspect for his motivation even if we don’t know the whole story.

Belos’ obsession towards his brother caused a monster to be born. He already hated witches, but losing what mattered most caused him to become genocidal. Again, I’ll skip past it because I went over it enough last time. But one thing I don’t think I can skip over is how Belos’ feelings towards his brother reflected over how he treated Hunter.

Belos and Hunter: Once again, I’ve talked a lot about their relationship last time, primarily how Hunter feared Belos. I don’t think Hunter was ever looking for love from his so-called uncle, likely because he didn’t understand the concept of love upon his creation. What Hunter looked more for was respect, to be seen as the perfect soldier that he thought Belos wanted. The problem is that Belos wanted more than a soldier and perhaps more than a tool. What Belos wanted was an outlet to project his issues toward Caleb onto.

Granted, Belos likely wasn’t aware what he was doing with Hunter, or ANY of the Golden Guards for that matter. He was creating tools for his own evil plans, but because Belos made these tools through the literal bones of his dead brother, it creates this sort of power dynamic that I think psychiatrists could make entire books about when trying to dissect it. Belos practically brought his brother back from the dead, but each time, he was always younger than Belos, reflecting the perfect brother he remembered. Only this time BELOS is the older one who knows better and gets to decide what they do and how they do it. Not only did he create a role reversal between him and Caleb, but he created a version of Caleb he hopes to have no free will. To Belos, he wanted his brother back, one that would never betray him again. Except that he did. They ALL did. Every single Golden Guard found free will and willingly went against Belos. This always leads to Belos killing these “failures,” these unusable copies of Caleb that fail to understand that Belos knows best. He refuses to accept that no version of Caleb will ever see Belos’ way, so he keeps trying to make one that does.

By the time Belos gets to Hunter, he does all he can to wipe away ANY sense of rebellion, even if he has to beat it out of him. Sorry if that statement was dark or triggering, but it reigns true for Hunter and Belos. Their relationship and everything Belos does to Hunter is a result of one man’s incapability to accept his brother’s choices and takes that as an excuse to hurt Hunter. It’s a painful reflection of real life abusive parental figures as a lot of them treat children as an object to take frustrations out on. It’s never healthy and no one should forgive an evil bastard like that no matter WHAT justification they have. All you can do is hope the child gets out of this situation and learn what real love is.

Thankfully, Hunter got that happy ending through Darius. And I WOULD go over that, but I think I said as much as I could about those two last time. The real meat of it is on Darius’ side of things as we never really got to see how Hunter felt about him aside from how the love was mutual. It’s sweet, despite not having much to talk about. As for Eda and Dell, I said about all I could last time and the same goes for Gwen. They’re characters defined by their relationships of their kids and I’d ONLY repeat myself here. But don’t fret, there’s still ONE OTHER good parent/child relationship we can talk about.

Willow and Gilbert and Harvey: No, not Gus and Perry. Due to how little of an impact Perry had in the series and how he and Gus barely interacted, we don’t get much of an idea about what their relationship is. We know they love each other, but there’s not much aside from that. With Willow and her fathers, we don’t get much with them either, but the crumbs we DO get offer some decent insight.

Willow LOVES her dads, that much is sure. Two of her biggest core memories involve her spending time with her papas, having fun and laughing with them. But more than that, Willow idolizes her dads. “Any Sport in a Storm” shows us pictures of her dads when they were younger AND that they were on the same flier derby team. It hints that Willow got her love for the game through them and wanted to become the best player she could be to honor them. It’s SORT OF stretching the facts because we don’t know for sure, but it’s still a sweet thought and how much Willow loves her dads as they love her.

Gilbert and Harvey were willing to quit their jobs just to homeschool Willow and give her the best possible education after she got expelled from Hexside. That is…an intense amount of dedication to caring for your daughter. Sure, the previous scene had them ground Willow for an insane amount of time, but that’s clearly a reaction that comes from being upset over your child being suspended. Odds are they were going to relax on that grounding with time. And even then, Gilbert was willing to let Willow sneak out and to pretend he didn’t see anything. There’s a definite love all three of them have for each other, and you have an easier understanding of why Willow misses her dads the most in the final season. With Gus, we don’t know enough to really GET how much he misses Perry, and we all know the complicated mess between Amity and Alador. It’s easier with Willow and HER dads because while we don’t have much, we have ENOUGH to get a better picture. Though I DO wish we had more time with them all together to make the relationship feel stronger, and to give more appreciation to gay parents. They keep showing up in media, especially animation, but rarely do they feel like actual characters with defining relationships with their children. While I appreciate what’s done between these three, I AM left demanding for a little bit more.

And with that, I’m finally done talking about families. But don’t worry, there’s TONS more to talk about with our next category.

Friends

There are a LOT of friends in this show, mainly because The Owl House is the kind of series that values the friendships one has with other individuals. Families are important, but the friends we make, the groups we create, can lead to more changes in our lives. They can sometimes bring out the best of us just as effectively as any family member, while also providing a great escape if our families become too much. Most of the friendships in the show are all about this, and we’re going to go through all the ones that are important.

Starting with what’s probably the most talked about friendship in the show…

Amity and Willow: The second that Willow revealed she used to be friends with Amity, the intrigue behind their dynamic SKYROCKETED. Because it would be one thing if Amity was simply a bully to Willow, but knowing that they were once close friends brings up a ton of questions. Why were they friends? Could they be friends AGAIN? Why did they STOP? Er, well, okay, that last one was answered pretty quickly by Willow in the same episode, but after “Lost in Language” hinted that Amity’s bullying is an act to not show weakness, it begs the question if there is more to it. And “Understanding Willow” proved that Amity WAS forced to end the friendship, meaning that every interaction she had with Willow since then was Amity pushing Willow further and further away to save her from a worse fate. It’s another interesting way to look at Amity’s bullying, because she DOES care about Willow. The problem is that, as Amity perfectly puts it, she wasn’t brave enough to be Willow’s friend, to fight for something she WANTED. Finally, thanks to a certain human, Amity started to gain that courage and apologize to Willow, promising to be better. Thankfully, Amity does, talking Boscha down for making fun of Willow and not even hesitating to step up and join Willow’s grudgby team when they need a third member. It’s a reflection of both Amity’s character growth AND her platonic love for Willow. She wanted to be friends again and, once gaining the courage, she set out to do just that…The problem is that Amity might have been TOO willing to be friends again.

My absolute favorite scene between these two comes in “Follies At The Coven Day parade.” Amity comes over to Willow’s after stressing over something going on with Luz and Willow, in turn, offers a healthy distraction to take Amity’s mind off her worries. At that moment, Amity says she’s glad to be friends again, but Willow’s response to that is fascinating. She doesn’t disagree, nor does she nod. Willow just…keeps quiet, frowns a bit, and lets Amity braid her hair, leaving Amity’s comment hanging with no real response aside from a light hum. While Amity’s more than happy to pick things up where they left off, this moment shows that Willow’s not exactly there yet. She’s not entirely AGAINST the idea, she would have been more vocal about her disapproval otherwise. But Willow’s not willing to COMMIT to their friendship again, feeling like there’s still more to do before getting to that point. And I love that the next episode that focuses on Amity and Willow’s relationship, “Labyrinth Runners,” expands on this idea. Amity is trying too hard to pick things back up where they left off, acting like Willow’s someone to be protected. The problem is Amity's thinking of the Willow of the past and not acknowledging the Willow of the present, who’s capable and willing to kick ass if necessary. Willow’s trying to take Amity’s attempts at support on the chin, but it doesn’t stop Willow from finally blowing up and telling Amity to back off. It wasn’t out of anger but frustration, as Willow gets Amity’s attempts to be better, but things won’t work unless Amity accepts that WILLOW changed too. It’s a great progression from how this relationship started and where it would inevitably go, and I’m glad that Willow presented boundaries that Amity needed to respect…I wish they stretched THAT aspect out a little bit more.

After “Labyrinth Runners” established that Amity needed to learn to see who Willow is NOW, the episode ends with her doing just that…and the rest of the series goes on thinking that’s enough. Yes, it’s a good start for Amity to see the error of her ways in the same episode Willow calls her out on, but then they go straight to fist bumps, counseling one another, and jumping with glee together with their arms intertwined. They’re right back to being the same friends they started as after one major hiccup. In fairness, there could have been MORE interactions offscreen where they worked through more stuff, but we never see that. All we have is what the series showed us, and it’s…fine. It’s FUNCTIONAL. But after an intriguing concept of two friends reconnecting after a BAD ending to their relationship, it could have had stronger pacing to make it feel more impactful. But despite how rough things got with Willow and Amity, at least Willow had TWO friends to count on.

Willow, Gus, and Luz: Gus and Luz were the exact friends that Willow needed after falling out with Amity. With Gus and Willow, they share a camaraderie through being near the bottom of the social ladder. Willow’s picked on for not being powerful enough with her magic and Gus was a kid whose naivety was taken advantage of by older kids who had no brains of their own. They didn’t have anyone else for friends in school, but they always had each other. That idea alone is sweet enough, but the things these two did for each other is even sweeter. Because all they had was one another, they protected one another in different ways. Willow was there to keep Gus emotionally stable, calming him down when he feels stressed or lifting his spirits when he’s down in the dumps. Gus, of course, repays that by supporting Willow’s interests, being protective when he’s suspicious of someone like Hunter, and hyping Willow up whenever possible. They both care IMMENSELY about each other, which makes sense when you become friends with someone you met at your lowest moment. But as great as Gus is for Willow, he was never really there to help her grow. Oh, don’t get me wrong, he was always a shoulder to cry on and all, but both were content to be at the bottom at the bottom. It’s until a certain someone ELSE came along did Willow realize she deserved more.

Here’s where Luz comes in, as a friend Willow needs to push her FORWARD. Luz would support Willow no matter what, but in almost every instance of character growth Willow went through, Luz was almost always responsible for it. Helping Willow cheat at Abominations class led to her proving her great strengths as a plant witch and allowing shenanigans to happen ended up jumpstarting Amity and Willow reconnecting. Of course, Luz could be TOO pushy, like training Gus and Willow too hard for a game she didn’t want to compete in, but there’s a reason for that: Willow’s the first and only friend Luz has ever had, so she goes above and beyond to make Willow’s life better. Even if Luz can sometimes go overboard, it all works out in the end, with Willow appreciating all the ways Luz helped her blossom (Haha). And in turn, Willow was there for Luz in a lot of ways, either by being her magical muscle in a dangerous situation, supporting some crazy scheme Luz comes up with, or being the voice of reason when one crazy scheme goes too far. Luz went out of her way to help Willow, so Willow returns the favor by protecting Luz to the best of her ability. It’s a perfect give and take relationship where both get something out of it. However, there’s something to be said about how Luz and Gus are the best friends Willow could ask for, they don’t really act like they’re best friends with each other.

Don’t misconstrue my words, Luz and Gus DO care about each other. Gus hypes up Luz as much as he does Willow and Luz is as supportive and counseling towards Gus as she is towards everyone she cares about. The problem is that you don’t FEEL that friendship. You get it, but you don’t FEEL it as effectively as you do with Gus and Willow or Willow and Luz. And that’s because there’s not many interactions between Gus and Luz. Throughout the course of the entire series, there has only been TWO episodes that focused on Luz and Gus’ relationship, and Gus was using Luz for selfish reasons in one and they both ditched the other to hang out with crushes in another. There’s not many positive moments between these two, which wouldn’t be TOO bad if the show didn’t paint Luz, Gus, and Willow as a TRIO. They’re ALL supposed to have this big connection together, and there’s a piece of the puzzle that’s missing. Willow and Gus are often paired together as they’re often shoved to the side, and Willow’s often treated as Luz’s first true friend, but there’s hardly anything with Luz and Gus. It doesn’t help matters that Luz barely interacts with EITHER of her best friends in Season Two onward, which is especially weird given how much importance Season One gave their friendship. Still, at least we got a lot of cute moments and two great dynamics that warms the heart, even if it wasn’t as effective as it could have been as a trio. Which gets odder when you remember that Luz and Gus have a common friendship with someone ELSE, and still not with each other. Still, to be fair, Luz barely has a strong connection with this other person too.

Luz and Hunter: Luz’s friendship with Hunter is interesting but underdeveloped. They start off strong with this dynamic that has big brother/little sister energy with the two of them annoying each other easily, more so with Luz annoying Hunter than the other way around. But despite their annoyance with each other, there’s this connection through a shared interest of wild magic…only for the show to drop that idea. Yeah, there was something there about Hunter being fascinated and even excited about wild magic, but hides it due to fearing what Belos might do to Hunter if he gets too curious. It could have been a great way to establish a connection between him and Luz, but that idea’s forgotten as quickly as it’s brought up. I’m not entirely complaining as the sibling-like bickering was fun enough as is and there was even a BETTER connection formed between them: Shared guilt.

“Hollow Mind” is an episode that chewed Luz and Hunter up and spit them out with a TON of issues. It was an unintentional mission for Luz to show Hunter how evil Belos really is, with Hunter being in denial throughout most of it while Luz becomes more and more frustrated with him. But despite that frustration, she’s still willing to help Hunter leave Belos and be there for him when confronting how disposable Hunter is in Belos’ eyes. It tells us that Luz cares about Hunter and wants him to be safe, which is a given with Luz. She’s a caring person in general to people who have a good heart shielded by a rough exterior, and that’s no different from Hunter. There were brief moments of warmth between him and her in “Hunting Palisman” and I’m sure Willow talked up the good parts of Hunter after “Any Sport in a Storm.” Luz knows there’s something worth protecting, likely why she’s working so hard to convince Hunter Belos is evil and have him be on HER side so she can help and protect him. She just didn’t expect things to be more messed up, making Hunter realize how severely screwed he is and the type of monster he helped. Things didn’t get any better when Luz realized that Belos was actually Philip and that she accidentally helped this demon of a man. So after BARELY escaping death, Luz and Hunter were left with the knowledge that they helped the most evil person alive and indirectly caused so much pain to others, including people they deeply cared about. Needless to say, it left Luz and Hunter severely messed up. And when Belos almost won and a NEW threat came to be, Luz and Hunter would feel WORSE about the pain they had a SLIGHT part in causing. They didn’t have anyone else to talk to about it due to fear of rejection and isolation from the ones they care about, but Luz and Hunter still had each other to confide in with their issues. It’s why Hunter goes to Luz about his fears that Belos is back. Neither wants the others to worry and both know that Belos is likely to spill the beans just to mess with heads. These fears give Luz and Hunter something great to bond over…And it STILL feels like their relationship is underdeveloped. Despite this big thing that brings them together, there’s hardly any attention on it as it's only focused during ONE episode. Now, don’t get me wrong, they feel SOMETHING for each other. Hunter broke down in tears when Luz said he’s worth being protected too since he’s part of the family. He HAS to care about Luz’s feelings for him if that was the case. And in “Watching and Dreaming,” Luz’s nightmare revealed that she feels a little guilty for getting a palisman in less than twenty four hours after Hunter lost Flapjack. Hunter doesn’t even blame her for that one, but it proves how Luz cares about him like she would for any other friend. But that’s the thing: Out of everyone in the friend group, Luz probably has the most one-on-one time with Hunter, yet he’s still just one of her friends. There could have been a stronger connection, and it’s not there. What they DO have is fine, it works, but when Luz has a personal bond with most of the Hexsquad and barely has anything with Hunter, it feels a little off. And it gets even weirder when Hunter accidentally steals Luz’s best friends out from under her.

Gus and Hunter: Oh, don’t worry, we’ll get to Hunter and Willow’s relationship later. For now, I want to talk about how CRAZY it is that Gus and Hunter have this brotherly dynamic. I mean, it was inevitable that Gus and Hunter would go on an adventure together. Hunter shared the spotlight with the others in previous episodes, so Gus was due a turn by the time we got to “Labyrinth Runners.” And at that point, most of Hunter’s walls were cracked and crumbling, with him trying and failing to build them back up. By the time Gus found Hunter, the poor boy was emotionally vulnerable and capable of breaking down at any moment. When he finally DOES, Gus was there to pick up the pieces and help Hunter through his panic attacks and offer advice about what could help Hunter in the future. Hunter, in turn, tried to save Gus from danger and provide some comfort too, even if Hunter is a little awkward at it. This dynamic ends up being what these two share through the rest of the series. When Gus figured that Hunter was hurting about being a grimwalker, Gus offered him a book series that gave Hunter the exact thing he didn’t know he needed with a story that had a character Hunter could relate to. This helped him a lot, and it’s an obvious attempt from Gus to get Hunter to slowly work through what ails him, and I’m certain that Hunter appreciates all of it. The same goes with the way Gus might appreciate Hunter protecting him. It was Hunter who had a protective arm around Gus after “King’s Tide” and he saved Gus’ palisman, not wanting his little buddy to go through the same pain he did. There’s an equal amount of care and comfort with these two, added with secret handshakes and the two wrestling with each other in one after-credits image. It really does feel like they’re brothers to each other, and it’s crazy to me that despite having comparatively less interactions together, Gus has a closer bond with Hunter than he does with Luz. Or, I should say, a more well-defined bond that’s easier to understand and describe. Luz and Gus are close, but you FEEL how close Gus and Hunter are. And that’s great, every guy needs a bro, but how does this happen? How does a central character done dirty by lack of screentime ends up being more of a best friend to a reformed baddie than his best friend who’s the main character? It feels crazy, and the only way it could be crazier if it was a comic relief character who became besties a reformed—

Lilith and Hooty: How?! No, seriously, on paper, this sounds LUDICROUS! Yet it WORKS!

By Season Two, Lilith is at the lowest point of her life. She lost her magic, career, and the respect of hundreds of witches. So when Lilith is stuck with Hooty, a bird tube so desperate for friendship that he’ll take it from ANYBODY, including trash like Lilith, she takes it. At first, like any reasonable person, Lilith REFUSED Hooty’s attempts at friendship, feeling like she was better than him. But when it finally occurred to Lilith how much she NEEDED Hooty, she gave in and became his first REAL friend. The best part is that she didn’t fake it. Lilith was kind to Hooty, laughed at his jokes, and gave him caring words of advice when he started doubting his place in “Knock, Knock, Knockin’ On Hooty’s Door.” Lilith DID treat Hooty as a friend because he was the only one who gave her respect in a time when she didn’t get any from anyone else. This leads to Hooty treating Lilith as his favorite person…maybe a LITTLE obsessed at times, asking for hair and beating up anyone who he thinks might steal Lilith away (Poor Steve). But Hooty being so…let’s say, ENTHUSIASTIC about Lilith is because she’s the first ever person to treat Hooty right. Everyone else either verbally berated or physically assaulted Hooty due to disgust, annoyance, fear, or all of the above. Sure, Lilith acted the same way at first, but after giving in, she became friendlier and Hooty decided he would do ANYTHING for her because of it. Whether it's to face enemies for Lilith or even step in the line of fire for her, Hooty’s willing to go above and beyond for his Lulu. Heck, it was HER voice that somewhat broke whatever spell The Collector had on him. And Lilith, in turn, was so happy to see his face again while trying to bring him back. And it’s…adorable! I can’t believe that’s the word I’m using to describe Lilith and Hooty’s friendship, but it fits! Despite how ludicrous it sounds to give Lilith and Hooty one of the most wholesome friendships in the series, the writers ran with that idea and made something that worked when it had no right to. What’s next? Making one of the main characters befriend someone that fans expected to be a new main antagonist?

King and The Collector: WHAT THE F**K?!

But jokes aside, things between The Collector and King are more or less one-sided, and I’m willing to bet that was intentional. King treated The Collector as something to be controlled, to be reigned in so he wouldn’t cause too much damage. Meanwhile, The Collector treated King as a true best friend, someone to play with and have adventures together. They never clued in how King was never really ALL IN with the friendship. He acted nice with The Collector, but the line is somewhat blurred with whether or not it’s genuine or King trying to prevent a cosmic sized meltdown. But The Collector appreciated it all the same, having a similar reaction to Hooty in which he was all alone for so long that someone genuinely being NICE to The Collector caused them to treat King better than he would with anyone else. When asking to have Francois sleep with them, The Collector was fine with the boundaries King set and respected them instead of getting angry. Sure, The Collector pushed to have King leave Francois on the nightstand, but he still kept their promise to leave Francois alone like a good little godling. And, heck, when assuming King was considering a FINAL solution for The Collector, he looked about ready to cry. The kid was angry, throwing a temper tantrum with Belos the second he dropped The Collector down a cliff. It only hurt more with King because, despite having different intentions with The Collector, he WAS genuinely nice. There may have been some annoyance about being The Collector’s playmate and the OCCASIONAL raised voice, but for the most part, King treated The Collector with kindness and patience. He knew that The Collector was just a kid who needed to mature a little and learn how to treat others properly. King acted as both a voice of reason AND a conscience, acting as The Collector’s friend to keep him happy AND maybe because he learned from Luz that it’s better to befriend your enemies. It explains why he was so patient and even believing that The Collector can be reasoned with. He knows that they’re POWERS are dangerous, but The Collector is still a lonely kid who just doesn’t know better. It’s why despite all the missteps, King wasn’t willing to give up on The Collector, hoping for the best with acting as his friend and maybe being genuine near the end there. I believe King when he says he hopes that The Collector comes back soon, because there couldn’t have ALWAYS been bad times during their months together. And now that The Collector proved that they DO know better, it could mean a better friendship for him and King. Things were definitely rocky for them both at first, but the finale left them off on what could be a good start, even if what we see will be all we’ll get. As for what we DO get, it’s a complicated relationship that I say works well enough leaving it up to interpretation to how close King and The Collector are.

But seriously, how many characters end up befriending characters we thought we would hate?

Gus and Matt: Gus befriended ANOTHER baddie?!

Okay, but seriously? I wasn’t sure where to put these two. Gus and Matt were definite rivals only to become FRIENDLY with each other near the end of “Through the Looking Glass Ruins.” Still, even then, Matt admitted that he wasn’t sure if he and Gus were friends. It felt IMPLIED, but future episodes didn’t really prove that they were friends now. At least, it doesn’t prove it on Gus’ end. He still acts annoyed with Matt while Matt seems more…indifferent? He doesn’t clap back, but he doesn’t really react at all. I guess that’s not a bad thing, but it doesn’t give a definitive answer to whether or not these two are friends, and I’m willing to blame the fact that Gus got screwed over as a character with little to no solo episodes to develop him and his relationships. Gus is friends with characters who are important in the plot or are within the main cast so that he has more of a chance to develop bonds because the story moves WITH them all. Matt is a very minor character so there’s less of a need to develop a friendship between him and Gus. This results in a weak connection between them, making it feel like they would have been better off as rivals than friends. Which is a shame because I do like the idea of Gus making peace with a bully instead of continuing a never ending cycle of them constantly trying to one up each other. Now, that’s not ALWAYS the case in life, but it’s not a horrible thing to teach kids. Especially when the show proves that there are bullies best NOT to be friends with.

Amity and Boscha: Hey, not every friendship has to be good.

There’s not many interactions between Amity and Boscha, but despite that, so much of their relationship is easy to understand and dissect. From the first time we see them together, it’s clear that their friendship is as real as Amity’s hair color. Boscha seemed to believe that she and Amity were friends, but it’s pretty telling that in the end of “Hooty’s Moving Hassle” that Amity chose to sit AWAY from everyone during the Moonlight Conjuring. Amity doesn’t see the other girls, especially Boscha, as real friends. “Understanding Willow” confirms this as it’s revealed that the only real reason why Amity’s friends with Boscha is because her parents approved it. So, believing that she had no better options, Amity kept the charade going to keep her parents happy and Amity safe. But when Amity finally found someone worth fighting for, and the bravery to match, she dumped Boscha for REAL friends. It was freeing for Amity to be rid of something, only for the writers to later decide that it wasn’t fake for Boscha.

I know that I said last time that the reveal that Boscha had a form of obsession with Amity felt rushed and forced, but that doesn’t stop it from being an interesting idea. Despite the friendship being forced upon them, Boscha DID consider Amity a real friend to do everything together. What she didn’t know was that those feelings were very much one-sided because…A. Amity didn’t appreciate having a friend forced upon her after losing another. And B. Boscha wasn’t a good friend. Not just with Amity either, as Boscha had this bossy, controlling attitude with ALL her “friends.” Now, we never saw Boscha act this way towards Amity, but there’s not really any evidence that proves she wouldn’t, either. And given how Boscha inevitably became the most controlling president of the entire school during the apocalypse, I wouldn’t put it behind her. Despite that, though, Boscha never saw herself as a bad friend and initially believed Amity’s making a mistake by aligning with “losers.” Amity never cared, and that just made Boscha frustrated, even jealous when Luz and Amity became close. Those feelings were easy for the audience to pick up, only for “For the Future” to further confirm them and put Boscha’s reactions in a new light. We now understand more about how torn up Boscha was in previous episodes and that’s why I don’t hate this last minute idea that the writers threw in. It’s still rushed and forced, but the potential it COULD have had makes it interesting. If there were more episodes to develop this idea, then it could have been a better relationship to dissect. As is, things are still fine, but weakened by doing too much too late.

But that’s enough about friends. Now that we started something negative, it’s time to lean into it by going over some enemies.

Rivalries/Enemies

The Owl House may be a show about friendship, family, and being kind to those you didn’t expect to deserve it, but there are still some characters who hate each other. These are more than negative, toxic relationships. These are pairings between characters who mutually hate each other, even if one side strongly dislikes the other more. And we’re going through a lot of hate, so let’s start with something light.

Willow vs. Boscha: It’s a classic dynamic: A bully and her nerd. That’s how it’s treated, that’s how it’s mostly seen, but I understand it as something more. I said so last time that Boscha is the perfect rival to Willow. There’s similarities in how they’re physically driven girls who need to affirm that they’re capable of being strong. The difference is their attitudes, as Willow goes out to prove that she’s as good as ANY witch and Boscha insists that she’s better than EVERY witch. Boscha believes that she has nothing to prove because she’s already perfect. So it makes sense that she feels threatened when Willow gets more attention. Boscha thinks that Willow is at the very bottom of the social ladder due to her lack of magical talent and made fun of her for years because of it. So when Willow gets a confidence boost and people notice her more as a result, it infuriates Boscha down to her core. So it’s no big surprise that Boscha doubles down on her bullying to make Willow’s life worse…For one episode.

Yeah, you would think Boscha’s worsened bullying would be continuous, but instead she lets up after the end of “Wing It Like Witches.” To be fair, it makes sense NARRATIVELY that Boscha would stop as the episode presents this idea that no matter how superior she ACTS, people will still praise how cool Willow is. That look of fear on Boscha’s face when her friends swarm Willow and ask her to join the team is a sweeter victory for Willow than beating Boscha at grudgby. And it SHOULD work…but it’d be better if Boscha was just a one-off bully. Except that she’s not. She’s WILLOW’S bully who spent so much time making Willow’s life miserable. So while it makes narrative sense for Boscha to back off, it doesn’t make sense for her CHARACTER and her place in Willow’s life. Plus, “Wing It Like Witches” isn’t exactly a satisfying end to their rivalry. It becomes more noticeable as an issue in “For the Future” when Willow finally stands up to Boscha without anyone else doing it for her. That’s a great start but then Boscha gets a forced redemption and Willow goes “This isn’t over” in a more playful tone instead of a spiteful one. And…that’s the end of that. Willow doesn’t have any final fight to shut Boscha up for good or even say, “Stay away now and forever.” They just end things on friendly terms and that doesn’t seem right? I mean, it fits with this whole “Make friends, not enemies” idea that The Owl House loves to use, but not only does this seem like a case where it would have been fine NOT to use it, it also feels a little cheap. Like, that’s how the rivalry ends? They hardly interacted in the very last episode that they’re together in, and all they did to each other comes to a close with one-sided playful banter? It definitely could use more punch to it, preferably one from Willow. And sure, you could argue that they weren’t meant to be rivals in the first place, but even if that’s true, which I honestly believe it isn’t, it would be a missed opportunity to take, which it honestly kind of is anyway. I like MOST of what we got with these two, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want more.

But, hey, at least SOME rivalries lived up to their potential.

Kikimora vs. Hunter: Okay, this one’s definitely more or less one-sided, but it’s everything it needed to be.

Kikimora had an INTENSE jealousy towards Hunter, and that’s putting it VERY lightly. She tried to kill him three times, with her not knowing it was him the second time, and Kikimora decided her new life purpose was to prove that she was better than Hunter. And Hunter…couldn’t care less. It’s actually kind of funny how much he considers Kikimora as a non-threat. If anything, he’s threatened by what Kikimora USES, whether it’s a dragon, a mech, or a small battalion of grunts. As for Kikimora herself, Hunter reacts to her surprising the others in “For the Future” the same way a person would if they forgot to buy milk. She’s a minor inconvenience to him at best, and Hunter has no fear dealing with her. Meanwhile, Kikimora continues to plan his death as if their rivalry was on equal terms, even though it very much is NOT. And while the conclusion to this one isn’t strong either, it doesn’t really need to be. It’s a rivalry used for entertainment value and to further emphasize how detached from reality Kikimora is to believe that the Emperor’s right hand considers an angry little gremlin as a worthy opponent. It’s a short and fun dynamic that works because the show didn’t need it to be anything more. It’s not like they’re the BIGGEST enemies in the show…That’s the next relationship.

Luz vs. Belos: Out of everything in the story, the relationship between the main protagonist and antagonist is one of the most important things to get right. Fortunately, The Owl House understands this with Luz and Belos. Like most antagonists, Belos is a dark reflection of Luz. They’re both humans who came to the Isles, worked hard to find a way to do magic like everyone else, made connections with others to help get by, and changed the world through their actions. However, that’s where all the similarities end with these two, because even though they have surface level comparisons, they couldn’t be more different with what they did and why they’ve done it. Luz changed lives for the better, all because she loved the Boiling Isles and all the friends she made in it. Belos changed lives for the worse because he despised witch kind and wanted to eradicate them all from the inside out. And when both faced the other, Luz and Belos had different ideas of who was the hero of this story. To Luz, it was obvious. Almost ANNOYINGLY obvious, as she couldn’t get how no one else could see how Belos was clearly evil. As for Belos, he didn’t necessarily see Luz as the villain, but instead as a tragedy. Just like his brother, Luz was taken in by the witches and their sinful allure and was too far gone to fix. Belos is still “merciful” to her, but that’s because Luz is the first human he has met in years and he’s willing to refrain from eradicating her like a common witch because there’s a chance that she might see the light. It’s why, even during his death, he is begging for Luz to reclaim her humanity again and be better than those witches. There’s just one problem: Everything Belos believes Luz to be is complete horseshit.

Luz isn’t a tragic loss, she’s a GOOD PERSON. Hell, she’s more human than Belos could ever be as Luz treats everyone in the Isles as actual PEOPLE instead of sinful monsters. Luz chose to help witches because she genuinely cares about them and wants to save THEM from danger. Right from the beginning, Eda was more than willing to let Luz run away back home only for Luz to stay because these witches and demons needed her help. That doesn’t make her a tragedy but a person who’s actually pure of heart. And as for Belos’ “mercy,” it was out of selfishness despite how much he’d tell himself otherwise. When letting Luz free to save Eda, he practically did it with a gun to Eda’s head so Luz would be willing to give up the portal door. That and likely because he deduced that he needed Luz’s help to get The Collector. And after nearly killing Luz in “King’s Tide,” he decided to stop because Luz convinced him that she could be his guide in the modern human realm and verify his achievements. Belos may have believed that he was being altruistic, but in reality he backed Luz in the corner, forcing her to do and say what Belos wanted. Only for Luz to prove that she’s NOT an idiot by outsmarting him both of those times, nearly killing Belos the second. It shows that not only does Belos misunderstand the kind of person Luz is, he underestimates her. The man who lied and tricked his way to the top got beaten at own game by some teenage girl who is great at sleight of hand and appealing to someone’s needs. Yet despite this, Belos still thinks that he can outsmart Luz one last time by blaming his actions on a curse. Because he still believes he knows that Luz is a misguided girl and tries to use her kindness towards others as a way to convince her. But while Belos fails to understand Luz, Luz came to learn EXACTLY the kind of person Belos is.

Being a fan of fantasy as a genre, Luz could tell upon seeing Belos that he was evil. And, again, it’s pretty telling how Luz feels about him when she, the kindest character in the show, immediately went for the head. But while Luz was aware that Belos was obviously evil, she didn’t know with Philip. Her first impression of Philip was that he was a wise man who could potentially help her, which is the exact image Belos tried to portray with Luz years later. The only reason why it works with Luz when she meets Philip is because she read his adventures, which were personally revised by Philip himself, and he didn’t look like much of a threat. It isn’t until Luz catches onto what type of con artist Philip was that she soon switched gears to hating the old bastard. Rightly so, of course, but it would unfortunately come too late as Luz already helped Philip without even knowing that he was on his way to becoming Belos. The realization that Luz accidentally created a monster haunts her and will continue to do so for years. It’s why she REFUSES to buy any other trick or lie Belos tries to pull and kills him without any mercy. She knows that there’s nothing he could say to change Luz’s mind, because all the tricks in the past proves that he’s full of it. And as he berates witches with his last breath, it’s all Luz needs to know that she’s making the right choice. Belos was a monster that ruined lives, including Luz’s, and she’s most definitely glad to be rid of him.

Luz and Belos has a perfect hero/villain dynamic that I adored. I DO wish they interacted more to further sell that dynamic, but that’s nitpicking at best as they’re both still wonderfully written. There was definitely no missed potential with these two…Speaking of missed potential…

Darius vs. Alador: Alright, in fairness, this one might not have had much attention on it anyway, even if the show had more time. And large and part because it’s something that’s more or less written in the background of everyone else’s stories. Just small comments like Darius calling Alador a hack and actions where Alador tosses Darius’ book away in disgust. They were never a focus of an episode, but the writers still made it a fact that Alador and Darius couldn’t stand each other. And it works for what it is…but then there’s this level of intrigue presented in “Them’s the Breaks, Kid,” a flashback episode that briefly revealed that Alador and Darius were once friends. That inevitably led to questions, all circling around what could have happened between then and now to cause their friendship to change into a rivalry. There’s some definite intrigue to what could have happened, and it’s why I’m willing to say it’s a missed opportunity to not explore it…HOWEVER, I will also admit that it’s not a HUGE thing to focus on. Out of everything in the series, there’s bigger fish to fry than explaining why a secondary character’s dad came to hate a side character. If the show had all the time in the world, it would definitely feel more like a missed opportunity. As is, it’s still perfectly functional as a rivalry with a bit of unresolved intrigue. I would have loved more, but I’m not losing hair over it.

And yes, I know, there’s a possibility that these two could be a couple, but that’s more or less hinted as a possibility because of ONE interaction near the end. I wouldn’t say it’s anything official outside of that…But since we brought up SHIPS…

Couples/Ships

Quick stipulation, this isn’t about popular ships within the fandom. You’re not going to see Viney and Emira or Viney and Skara just because there’s a lot of fan fics and MoringMark comics about them. There’s also not going to be any POSSIBLE ships here. We’re discussing what’s canon and official based on what we’ve seen in the show. So no Veesha, despite how adorable and crazy it is to have a crack ship actually be a possibility.

No, instead, we’re discussing the ships that were built up within the show, their ups and downs, and how they worked as a couple. And to start, let’s just go ahead and rip off the bandaid. There’s one ship we ALL know deserves to be talked about, and it’s best to start off with…

Alador/Odalia: Hey, not every couple is good for each other.

Full disclosure, I had NO idea where to place these two. I THOUGHT about putting Alador and Odalia in the family section, but their relationship cannot be described as that. Even putting them HERE feels like a stretch. But there’s not really any better place for these two. I could call them enemies, but that also feels like an oversimplification because they don’t really hate each other…At least not until “Clouds on the Horizon,” but we’ll get to that.

Just like asking if Odalia loved Amity, I have to wonder if she loved Alador. Because, truthfully, I think she DID, once upon a time. I look at that photo of Alador winning the Bonesborough Brawl, and it definitely hints that there was SOME infatuation there on Odalia’s face. Granted, being attracted to someone and loving them are two different things. Dozens of fans hate Odalia with their final breath, but will go on record saying that she’s pretty hot. And…yeah, fair. But I definitely feel like she felt SOMETHING that went beyond physical attraction once. As for whether she feels the same in the PRESENT, I definitely say that same spark no longer exists as Odalia sees Alador as nothing more than a business partner than a romantic one. She compliments his work, but you can argue that’s just Odalia being glad that she’ll be getting richer instead of admiring Alador’s passion in his craft. And when Alador says something Odalia doesn’t like, she doesn’t waste a second to threaten divorce and take away what Alador really cares about: The kids. Odalia may not fully care about her children, but she knows Alador does and is too willing to use them as leverage. Any attraction Odalia may have felt is certainly gone, with the only thing she has left to feel is maybe physical, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Mainly because Odalia seems like a woman who would have private affairs with better looking men, and can get away with it because she’s in charge of every aspect of the relationship. And Alador suffered for it.

Now, as for whether or not ALADOR loved Odalia, I’m once again willing to say yes…to a point. Some say that their marriage was more or less arranged for the sake of business or Odalia pitched their marriage as a business proposition rather than anything romantic. And while I can definitely see that, a part of me believes that there WAS something there and that Alador stuck with Odalia because he initially fell for her. If it was strictly a business thing, Alador would have walked out any time with how Odalia treated him as an employee rather than a partner. And the arranged marriage seems off too because Alador, even before working through hell, seemed too messy to be from a rich family willing to do business with Odalia’s. So I believe that the best explanation is that Alador used to love Odalia once, but that love would fade away over the years. The only thing that kept Alador by her side despite the anguish is both the kids and, quite possibly, because Alador’s feelings didn’t COMPLETELY fade until “Clouds on the Horizon.” Trust me when I say that for some couples, even married ones, find it hard to get out of a relationship that’s toxic because they cling too tightly to the good times. You know you can do better, but you stick it out because your brain keeps telling you “Well, they’re not ALWAYS this bad.” I feel like the show hints how THAT’S how Alador feels with Odalia. Look at that smile he gives her in the end of “Escaping Expulsion.” Odalia’s compliment might not have been wholly genuine, but Alador’s smile was. It’s almost as if he’s taking the compliment at face value and sees it as an example of Odalia being not so bad. He takes little moments like that until finally meeting his wits end in “Clouds on the Horizon,” where after learning that he missed so much of Amity’s life in “Reaching Out,” Alador’s a bit more willing to fight back against Odalia. Still, there’s that part of him saying, “Well, she’s not THAT bad.” And just like Amity, Alador’s telling himself that Odalia couldn’t be THAT evil in selling weapons to a genocidal maniac. But once finding out that she IS, it’s the last push Alador needed to shut up that voice inside his head and officially cut ties with Odalia forever. It’s a great representation of how a toxic marriage can grow over time and that even men can face abuse from women…At least, that’s how it should be on paper. But much like the rest of Alador’s character, everything is better on paper than it is in practice.

A lot of what the writers do with Alador and Odalia still works…enough. It’s right on that line where everything the writers try is still functional but could still be better. A lot of my analysis between them is based on looking deeply at minor implications at best and seeing something that isn’t there at worst. It would benefit MORE if we saw the good times Alador and Odalia had together or if we saw more of a conflict with Alador’s perception of Odalia. As is, I still LIKE what’s done and what it represents, but I still admit that it could have been better. Maybe with more time, it COULD have been, but alas, that’s not the case.

But that’s enough of a ship that sank. Let’s talk about one that had SOME fans at first only to SKYROCKET into popularity when the writers started making it a possibility. To the point where you see them almost everywhere. And that is…

Willow/Hunter: I’m not kidding, it feels like these two are EVERYWHERE now. I remember seeing, like, one or two bits of fan works of Willow and Hunter together that made me question people’s sanity. And then “Any Sport in a Storm” happened and a lot of people, including myself, went, “I get it now…”

There’s a lot of potential present with Willow and Hunter. They’re both people who work hard to prove that they’re stronger than anyone expects. Willow is quick to identify with Hunter’s self-deprecating view of being “Half a witch,” and Hunter admires Willow’s show of strength and determination. The ideas of these two becoming a couple grow stronger the more “Any Sport in a Storm” goes on, with Willow showing that while she understands Hunter’s plight, she doesn’t treat him like a wounded puppy and YANKS him away to prove that NO ONE should be underestimated. It shows that while Willow cares, she will be direct and to the point, the type of language Hunter understands. And to Willow, it’s really smart that she was introduced to HUNTER first instead of the Golden Guard. To her, Hunter wasn’t a threat, but a kid. A weird kid, sure, but one who still has insecurities and comes across as a little awkward in a charming way. Even when the truth comes out, Willow’s taken in by the charm of how Hunter clearly doesn’t know how to act as a kid. As for Hunter, he’s definitely the one who developed a crush first, proven by that little hint of a blush near the end of the episode. It makes sense, given how Willow was the first person Hunter met that was BEAMING with positivity and didn’t immediately want to kill him. Add that with the fact that Willow is a no nonsense person who has some of the most powerful magical abilities he’s ever seen, she likely checks the boxes that Hunter believes to be noteworthy. But it’s Willow’s kindness that sucked Hunter in.

Hunter knows Willow is tough, but he appreciates the way she seemed willing to forgive Hunter despite kidnapping her and the rest of the Emerald Entrails. Willow’s nice, and she continues to be so when stuck in the human realm. Willow cuts Hunter’s hair as he’s having an identity crisis and supports his bizarre fashion choices after he reads Cosmic Frontier and gains a better understanding of himself. The best part is that Willow didn’t know the full picture during these moments. She just thought Hunter wanted his hair cut and was trying something new and fashionable, but the facts didn’t matter because she was a hundred percent on board anyway. That level of support was something Hunter rarely got in his life, and he got it from Willow the most. It all adds up to why Hunter has a crush on Willow, making it easy to buy why he does…The problem is that I can’t exactly say the same about Willow’s crush on Hunter.

I get that Willow likes Hunter and that she cares deeply about him. She’s crying the most when it looks like Hunter’s dying in “Thanks to Them” and it’s when Willow fails to help him in “For the Future” that almost breaks her. We GET that she cares, but there’s never really that MOMENT where Willow’s clearly crushing on Hunter beyond implications and two “blink and you’ll miss it” blushes that come near the end of “For the Future.” There could be the argument that Willow likes Hunter the MOST out of the friend group, with some pointing out that she went the most feral in “Clouds on the Horizon” when she thought it was HUNTER who was in danger. A friend of mine pointed out that Willow would have acted the same way if she knew it was Luz, and while that’s definitely true with her attacks on Kikimora, Willow went from the first to hijack an airship to save Hunter to the most held together when she found out it was Luz. So I could definitely see the case that Willow cared a lot about Hunter but never realized it was a crush. What bothers me is that it doesn’t feel BIG when Willow discovers her crush. I mean, yeah, it’s sweet that Hunter admitted how much Willow means to him and that he’s willing to be a shoulder to cry on…but that’s the same with Willow’s other friends. There’s nothing that different with Hunter as there is with Luz or Gus, and by the time Willow’s blushing it feels like something that NEEDS to happen to confirm her crush. And I fully blame how underdeveloped it is on the show’s shortening.

Hunter and Willow becoming a couple was an idea brought up when the show was nearing the end, leaving the writers with a handful of episodes and three specials to make it make sense. What went wrong was that they focused more on Hunter’s feelings than Willow’s and made it canon as quickly as they could. And even then, the canonicity of their relationship is more implied if anything else. Like, it’s obvious to anyone with EYES and a BRAIN that Hunter and Willow are a couple, but there’s never this verbal or physical confirmation that they’re together. They have their arms around each other in the finale, but there’s not much other than that. On the one hand, that’s great role reversal as shows for YEARS had to rely on implications towards their same sex couples while being as explicit as possible with straight ones, where The Owl House is the exact opposite. But on the other hand, why even make these two a couple when you’re not even going to make them kiss?

Back when I said “I get it now” after “Any Sport in a Storm,” I realized I was excited more by the IDEA of Hunter and Willow without knowing the actual execution. We could have seen Hunter deal with his first ever crush and Willow learn that she has someone who loves her no matter how “powerless” she can be to others (Primarily Boscha). What we got instead was HALF of that, watching some great stuff with Hunter but not much with Willow. Still, these two have their fans and I can definitely see why. The IDEA of them together is great and it’s why I still like them being a pair. However, based on what the show gave us, their love didn’t bloom (Hahaha) as effectively as it should.

But I know the REAL couple you want me to talk about. It’s one of the biggest relationships in the show, due to how effectively it appeals to the LGBTQA+ community. And that is…

Raine/Eda: Because, let’s face it, older people can be queer too.

On top of being a stellar representation to have one of the main characters fall in love with someone non-binary, The Owl House does great at telling Raine and Eda’s love story. Cleverly, the writers introduce Raine as someone Eda knew and was obviously in love with. By withholding most of their past for future episodes, it leaves this first assumption that they were both in love with each other for years but likely never bite the bullet by asking each other out. I mean, they were nervous together with Eda being a blushing mess half the time. It’s not like they were exes, because people don’t act that way towards someone they broke up with…Then, literally, the next episode later, it was revealed that they WERE exes. Even better, Eda didn’t want to break up. She DID want Raine, but Raine felt like they weren’t wanted because Eda wouldn’t let Raine in to help with the curse. Eda left them at arms length to keep them safe, only for Raine to break things off because, well, how would YOU feel about your partner being distant when all you want is to be close? This brilliantly recontextualizes “Eda’s Requiem,” as Eda’s the one always blushing and looking away, as if she doesn’t want to let on how much she still loves Raine. Yet, upon seeing them for the first time in YEARS, Eda practically jumps at the chance to work with Raine in rebelling against Belos, partially because of the chaos she’s excited to cause and because struggling to grasp that her kids might leave one day so Eda throws herself into the first relationship she can think of reconnecting with. Raine, albeit too late, catches onto this and stops Eda before she makes a mistake she can’t take back, helping her live so that she can be better to her kids than she was to Raine, letting them stay instead of pushing away when it feels easier. And likely because Raine still loves Eda too.

Then Raine grew kidnapped…sort of. They ARE taken away with Terra trying to brainwash Raine into changing everything they are, but Raine’s smart enough to avoid the obvious trap and tricks everyone into believing that they WERE under Terra’s influence. The thing is, though, that Eda AND the audience didn’t get this information until FOUR episodes after being fed information that they’re brainwashed. So when Eda tries to rescue Raine, they had to keep up the act because Eda would ABSOLUTELY interfere or throw herself into danger for Raine. But Raine doesn’t want Eda in danger, so they lie and keep her as far away as they possibly can…doing almost the same thing Eda did years ago that caused Raine to break up with her. The details aren’t exact and the circumstances are more complicated, but the spirit is still there as Raine tries to keep Eda as far as possible from any danger so she won’t get hurt. Only for Eda to prove that she’s one to face danger head on for the ones she loves and that the safest place is right by Raine. It also helps that Eda initially contacted them, begging Raine to save Luz because she needs to be FAR from danger and Eda doesn’t care what’s going on with Raine at the time doing this. Eda trusts them more than anything, and this moment of fragility helps Raine realize they’ve been thinking backwards in trying to help Eda. And helping Eda is all Raine set out to do, trying to give her any out possible from being branded with a sigil and ripping Eda’s arm off so she wouldn’t die with the others…It sounds horrific out of context, but trust me that it proves how much Raine cares for Eda, willing to do anything for her survival. The love between these two is as clear as day, and how the writers went about showing Raine and Eda’s feelings is smart…BUT…

As good as this ship is, a ship like Princess Bubblegum and Marceline the Vampire Queen from Adventure Time shows what Raine and Eda could and SHOULD be. It’s a similar dynamic, as Bubblegum and Marcy broke up in their younger days only to reconnect MUCH later because they needed more time to grow before becoming the perfect couple they were meant to be. It’s to show that your first love CAN be your true love, but sometimes people need time apart to become better before realizing you never wanted this person out of your life in the first place. That’s not the same for everybody, but for these old gays, it is. The difference between Raeda and Bubbline, though, is that Bubbline focuses on the growth BOTH characters have to go through. Bubblegum and Marceline have their own baggage to overcome and the majority of their time on the show is about them learning to deal with it not necessarily for each other but for themselves and the people they love. With Raeda, it’s the same idea, but it’s Eda who grows more. And that’s because Eda, upon conception, was her own character where Raine, as I said last time, was a love interest. Still wouldn’t say that makes Raine less of a character, but for this relationship that means there’s less attention on THEM to grow as they’re often treated as this perfect person who Eda tries hard to fight back for. Now, there’s stuff that Raine did wrong too, with pushing Eda away from danger and constantly putting Eda’s needs in front of their own. However, the show never really digs deep into those issues, nor is there a moment where Eda confronts Raine for how THEY acted. Granted, Eda doesn’t have a leg of her own to stand on, but we’ve at least seen her grow past pushing people out of her life and letting them back in. Most of Raine’s development coincides with Eda’s, making it where Raine can’t adequately grow past their own failings. It makes it feel like it’s EDA that has to grow more to get Raine back, which would be fine, but it also makes Raine feel more like a prize Eda needs to earn instead of a character who has their own stakes in the relationship. It’s the part of Raine and Eda’s love story that gets to me a little, but, even then…I still loved that these two got back together.

Raine and Eda’s chemistry is on point and you get why they love each other. They’re both agents of chaos, Raine going for more controlled chaos while Eda is just all in for pure havoc. Eda brings extra fun into Raine’s life while Raine makes sure they BOTH don’t get into trouble. It’s like Raine and Eda were made for each other and you DO want them to get back together. Those scenes where Eda peppers Raine’s face with kisses and later snuggles up to them when all the craziness is over is ALL I ever wanted. I’m glad I got it, even if the development of their relationship could’ve been better, I’m still happy that they BOTH got their deserved happy ending.

But that’s enough teasing. You may have noticed that I haven’t talked about ONE relationship yet. One that is HUGE within this series. A relationship so big, so important, that to lump it in with all these others is a disservice to how major it is. A relationship SO GOOD that it deserves its own category as…

It’s Own Thing

You all know who they are. They’re a relationship that makes the show what it is and are the very reason why it’s so good. They’re so important that The Owl House wouldn’t be the same without them. And they are…

Luz, King, and Eda: Or our main trio, to be short.

Yeah, crazy enough, the most essential relationship in the show happens to involve the three main characters in it. The Owl House starts with them, ends with them, and features them almost always going on adventures, sometimes alone but always ending up back together. Together, they’re more than a group of weirdos stuck together. They’re a family.

Luz and Eda have this VERY obvious mother/daughter dynamic. Eda may have called Luz her human, apprentice, and, most times, KID, but it always felt like she was one slip of the tongue away from saying “daughter.” Eda’s motherly instincts kicked in nearly instantly, where the second Luz is put into too much danger, all the woman can think of is getting Luz FAR away from it. It’s large in part because Eda’s a naturally caring person, whether she likes to admit it or not, and doesn’t want this young girl to get hurt. But the more time Eda spends with Luz, getting to know this crafty kid with a good heart, the more it becomes clear that Eda wants to protect Luz because Eda sees Luz as her own. Not only can see it in all the ways Eda smiles at Luz’s antics or comforts Luz when she needs it, but Eda’s motherly love for Luz is clear as day when you notice that Eda’s at her most panicked and angry when Luz is in danger. Anyone can be nice to some random teen that refuses to leave their home, but it takes a mother to be equally soft and protective towards that child. And let it be known that the feelings are very mutual, as Luz often looks up to Eda as a second mother. Just like how Eda is always SO CLOSE to saying “daughter,” Luz always sounds like she means “mother” when she says “mentor.” Luz constantly goes right to Eda for help, information, and advice on pretty much every aspect of her new magical life. Sure, this could be because Eda’s the closest thing to an adult that could take Luz in, but Luz ALSO forms a better bond the more time they spend together. Luz cares so much about how Eda sees her and wants Eda to be happy above all else. You could say that it’s the least Luz could do for freeloading in Eda’s home (and you’d be a prick for saying that), but it comes from a genuine love, respect, and admiration for Eda. Hell, it’s LUZ who’s the first to admit that they’re like family and to say, “I love you” in “Young Blood, Old Souls.” They both clearly see each other as a mother and her daughter, even if neither of them use the actual words “mother” or “daughter.” The spirit is definitely there and it’s adorable and entertaining to see each episode.

However, out of the three, I feel like it’s King who’s often treated as an afterthought. For Luz and Eda, King’s either treated as a sidekick, a friend, a son/brother, and a pet. Although, this is primarily because the writers clearly didn’t know what to do with King until Season Two, which is around the same time Luz and Eda started treating King more consistently. Luz became more of a protective order sister and Eda became more of a mother (Mainly because King legally made himself her son). BUUUUUUUUUT, it doesn’t change how off the inconsistencies felt early on, nor was there enough time to make these dynamic changes feel like they stick. Especially since King rarely showed any genuine care until near the end of Season One. He still showed that he appreciated Luz and Eda and was happy to have them, but also treated them both VERY poorly, like with how much he intentionally annoyed Eda or cracked jokes at Luz’s expense. He didn’t hate them, but it definitely took King more time to love the family he has. Likely because Season Two made him realize that he didn’t have any biological family outside of Luz and Eda (and sometimes Hooty). Even when the idea that his real family is out there, King still considers Luz and Eda a part of it. It’s all sweet to see even if it feels a little late to the game.

The best part about these three, though, is the mutual amount of love and care for each other. Some of the sweetest scenes in the show feature Luz, King, and Eda lifting each other up, comforting one another, or just…goofing off and having fun. Their bond and chemistry as a trio is on point and you get how important it is when this trio splits up for Season Three. Because Season Three…was better than it had any right to be. “Thanks to Them” started the season out strong as the best episode in the series, “For the Future” also existed as good but not great, but it wasn't until “Watching and Dreaming” did things start to feel right. As good as “Thanks to Them” was, it felt like one of the pieces of the puzzle was missing. I loved almost every minute, but there was something that made “Thanks to Them” unable to be the best representation of what makes the show so good. And what was missing was King and Eda. It felt so wrong to watch an episode without either of them being right there with Luz, almost as if the show was incomplete without them. Things didn’t feel much better in “For the Future.” King and Eda were there, but separated from Luz as they dealt with The Collector while Luz was dealing with…a lot more. We saw all of them in the same episode, but something STILL felt missing. It’s not until we get to “Watching and Dreaming” does it become clear: What was missing was seeing the trio TOGETHER. Seeing all three of them reunite and interact with each other again finally made it feel like I was finally watching The Owl House again. You could have a great show if it was Luz with her mom and friends, dealing with teen drama. You can even have an okay show if it was Eda and King going through some magical nonsense. But when you bring them together, have them go through everything with each other close by or by their side, then you get The Owl House. All these other relationships could’ve been cut and the show wouldn’t suffer, but The Owl House wouldn’t be the same without Luz, King, and Eda’s bond.

And…Yeah, that’s about it.

The relationships in this show are varied, both in the different dynamics each character has and the quality of how they’re written. There’s a lot of great ideas, but some seem like there’s not enough time to make them meet their full potential. Regardless, the ones that DO work succeeds in bringing more warmth and intrigue to an already great show. There’s much more ups than downs, and it’s always endearing seeing great characters forming perfect bonds with other great characters.

That’s all for now, though. So I will see you all next time as I discuss—What? Why are you looking at me like that? Did I forget something?

…OH! You thought I forgot ANOTHER relationship. One that features two of the best characters in the series.

A relationship that’s adorable and gave me so much happiness in this dark place we call Earth.

A relationship that is IMPRESSIVE LGBTQA+ representation due to its normalization and how much attention is given to it.

A relationship that, while The Owl House wouldn’t be the same without our main trio, the very same could be said about this other relationship.

A relationship SO GOOD, that to just go over it as simply as I went over the others would be too great of a disservice.

Because that relationship is, without a doubt, the best thing about the series. And no, I’m not kidding.

You’ll see why…next time.

Next Part >

#the owl house #the owl house review #LONG POST AGAIN #sorry #luz noceda #eda clawthorne #king clawthorne #camila noceda #amity blight #willow park #gus porter #hunter deamonne #emperor belos #what i thought about

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slusheeduck · 9 months

Text

Wild Heart

The day dawns like any other in Baldur’s Gate. It’s odd, watching the same sun that rose over the Nautiloid wreck, that filtered pale morning light through the trees in the forest, dawn over the dirty streets and grand buildings in the city. This morning is thoroughly unremarkable, for all that had just happened the night before.

Astarion had gotten in the habit of rising early through this whole tadpole mess, just to enjoy the sun for that much longer before it set. And even with the bone-deep exhaustion of all that had happened in Cazador’s palace, he couldn’t shake the habit…especially now that it was a limited resource.

He’d slid out from Falerin’s arms, letting him sleep in, and made his way out to the balcony. Everyone else was still asleep as well, enjoying real beds and warm quarters. That was good; if he heard one more comment of how proud everyone was of him, he’d bite someone.

He knew that they all meant well, and in another life, maybe he’d enjoy it. But now it just left him bristling for reasons he couldn’t quite put into words. The solitude of dawn was welcome…and short-lived.

Astarion looked up as he heard the door to the balcony open, bracing himself. Slow, easy footsteps—Halsin. He hadn’t said a word to Astarion yet, and the vampire bit back a groan at the inevitability of it. He decided to take the offensive as the druid stepped out.

“Come to tell me what a good boy I am?” he drawled. Halsin, meanwhile, looked surprised to see him there, and even more surprised to be hit with Astarion’s brand of snark so early. He gave a soft laugh.

“I came to enjoy the morning air,” he said, holding up his hands in good-natured surrender. “It’s one of the few times the air’s almost clean enough for my taste. But I can go without this morning, if it’ll bother you.”

Astarion looked over him for a moment, then shrugged as he kicked up his feet to rest on the railing. “Stay if you want. It’s no difference to me.”

Halsin dipped his head, then went to go lean against the railing. He was quiet for a moment, but even he couldn’t resist bringing up the elephant in the room. “So I take it you didn’t ascend?”

“I didn’t. Everyone’s very proud of me.” Astarion rolled his eyes. “I bet you are, too.”

“I suppose. I’m not very surprised, though. It’s not in your nature.”

Astarion bristled at that. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Halsin smiled a bit, glancing over his shoulder. “Can I confess something to you?”

Astarion frowned. “I’m not a cleric.” He pauses, then sits up. “But if it’s something particularly nasty, it may make us better friends.”

The druid barked out a laugh at that, and he shook his head. “I’m afraid it’s nothing like that.” He moved to go sit in the other chair on the balcony, meeting Astarion’s eyes. “When I first asked Falerin to spend the night together, we both agreed that nothing could be done without your consent.”

“Well, yes, I know that.”

Halsin took a breath. “I also…may have mentioned that, someday, it could extend to your…participation.” As Astarion inhaled to reply, he held up his hand. “That was solely my own wishful thinking. Obviously, I don’t expect anything from you. But it feeds into what I said earlier.” Halsin crossed his arms. “In the moment, I’ll admit that I only suggested that because I found you beautiful. But it goes deeper, I think—even then, it was deeper than your looks, but it’s taken all of this…” He gestured out to the waking city below. “…for me to really find what it is that draws me to you.”

Astarion listened, face suspicious but curiosity getting the better of him. “Go on.”

Halsin glanced up at him, a smile playing at his lips. “I know you’re a creature of this city, but there’s nature in your soul. Whether it’s because of your…condition or your nature, I can’t say. But you…act the way animals do.”

“Oh, high praise,” Astarion said flatly. Halsin shook his head with a smile.

“What I mean is…you act in accordance to your needs. When you hunger, you feed. When you’re bored, you play—cruelly, perhaps, but then some see cats as cruel in their play as well. When you’re hurt, you strike. And you play the games that ‘civilized people’ do, of course—the…lies, the flattery, the complications. But I think, more than the others, you have a wild heart.” He shrugged. “It’s been a comfort, even from a distance, and it’s something I admire greatly, far beyond your beauty. So, admittedly, I’m not very surprised you didn’t ascend. That sort of power does no good for a heart like yours.”

Astarion’s eyes had turned out to the city, eyes fixed on a spire some way off. He stayed quiet for a very long moment, then gave a soft sigh. “Falerin talked me down,” he murmured. “Before you start thinking I was any sort of…noble about it. And when he first said ‘don’t’, I…” He screwed up his face. “I hated him. Gods, I hated him more than anything. And I…all I could think was…” He glanced toward the door, a flicker of fear on his face, as if he expected Falerin would walk out. “I wanted him to die screaming, for stopping me,” he whispered, voice barely audible.

“Well, doesn’t Scratch growl if you take something from him he doesn’t want to give up?” Halsin asked. “It’s only natural.” He gave a soft sigh, looking up at Astarion. “Do you still want that?”

“Gods, no. Of course not.” Astarion looked away, a nail finding its way to his teeth. “But…well. I’d get a lot fewer congratulations if they knew. Though maybe that wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

“It is uncomfortable, suddenly being praised for doing what you think is…rational. I felt the same when I became archdruid. If I were a touch more bear than I am, I might’ve ran. Then again, I suppose I did in the end.” Halsin looked over the horizon, then reached over to rest a large hand on Astarion’s arm, easing it away from his nail biting. “But for what it’s worth, I’m grateful—for the most selfish of reasons—that you didn’t give in. You would have lost your wild heart, and I…I would have lost a kindred spirit, a source of comfort in these walls.” His eyes slid over to Astarion, a flicker of mirth in them. “Along with all hope of you becoming a cuddly kitten.”

Astarion blinked, then let out an airy laugh. “Oh, I get it now. Beneath all that oneness with nature, you’re a bastard.”

Halsin laughed, a full one this time. “Well, bears play too, you know.”

Astarion shook his head, then sighed as he looked Halsin over, studying him. “I’ve hated you, you know.”

“You haven’t been very subtle. Which, admittedly, I appreciate. I can’t stand a flattering tongue that hides the venom beneath it.”

The vampire let out a tsk between his teeth. “It’s just, you’re everything I’m not. And…I’m not used to sharing anything, not with the life I’ve had. If it wasn’t given up to Cazador, it was every man for himself. So with Falerin…I thought he’d go to you eventually. Permanently.” He shrugged. “But at the same time, I didn’t want to keep him all to myself. Especially since we weren’t…well, intimate.” He pressed his lips together. “But he came back.”

“Of course. He’s bonded to you, body and soul. It’s obvious; I knew that when I broached the topic. But, well…nothing ventured, nothing gained, they say. I’m very grateful, to both of you, that you’ve allowed me in, for however long that is.”

Astarion sighed. “And I…suppose I’m grateful for what you’ve been able to give Fal.” He looked up at the overhang. “And for being…much more understanding about what happened last night than I expected.” He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees as he looked to Halsin. “I’m starting to see why Fal likes you. Outside of your obscene biceps, anyway.”

Halsin grinned at him. “Obscene, are they?”

Astarion leaned back, arms crossed and eyes shut as he huffed. “I’m petty, not blind. Don’t get your hopes up just yet.” He peeked an eye open. “Call me beautiful again, though, and your chances do get slightly better.”

“You are beautiful. Like a sliver of moonlight through the trees, like a panther stalking its prey, like a still pool secluded from the world.”

Astarion flapped his hand. “All right, all right, that’s enough. You’ll be whispering sonnets in my ear soon enough.” Despite his words, he did look very pleased, and he looked to Halsin with a smile. “Participation is still off the table for now, but I wouldn’t mind slipping off into the woods for a hunt. Indulge our wild hearts, maybe.”

Halsin gave him a wide smile, eyes brightening. “Truthfully, there is nothing I’d like more.”

“Mm. Then it’s a date. Though be warned, I did manage to take down a bear; you may end up a target if I’m feeling peckish.”

Halsin laughed, a full-bodied, deep one. “I’ll take my chances.”

Casual Banter masterpost

#bg3 fanfiction #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #astarion #halsin #halstarion if you squint #Look I keep hearing about a fivesome and they need to talk things out before they get there #I've been too busy trying to find Minsc to know if it's real #Anyway bit of a palate cleanser after the last one-shot #Also to shamelessly self-plug: if you like these one shots you'll probably also like my long-fic For Want Of A Wish #Okay that's it that's the self-plug

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agniyagrif · 5 months

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look . Listen to me funny shape girl I came to you initially for your funny jrwi shapes but now I NEED to hear about your OCs. Do you understand I Am locked in I Am interested. Any details you have on any of them I Would love to hear about. You've lured me in with your strange shapes and captivating ideas and now I would Like to hear your Homemade Character Thoughts pretty pretty please /nf

Ah that's sweet) Ah)))

I planned to write about them something anyway BUT SINCE YOU ASKING WELL- I now just have to oooh haha)

Well ok, I have many ocs because I like different creatures i draw and i just HAVE TO give them some personality and then I don't want to just throw them away(( (unless like... I forget about them of course haha)

Recently I remembered about my old Minecraft pony ocs that i wanted to turn into humans or something and so i did it. I turned them into creatures, gave them again some personality because they didn't have much and put them at my setting Omniplan where I put most of my ocs now because this setting just build for that.

Anyway here they go

I posted them at like... Other... Site... You know. BUT HERE I CAN TALK ABOUT THEM MORE HEHE! I call them Sitcom Five because I thought they had such... Vibes. Don't know, maybe they don't actually or won't in the future but I like the name anyway)

OKAY I'm putting more info under here)))

Oh no that's a lot of text... oh no what have i doneeee...

Also cw: S E X (i just mention that it exists and that's all haha. I for some reason feel the need to say that idk... I'm- I'm stupid ok?)

So here some general info about them and maybe later I will write more) because I have more)

These five (Lutic not with them)... People, let's just say people, live together at a house near woods... 30 minutes(?) away from local town. Half of them aren't very social and all of them quite content with living away from town, just with this group. Also none of them are local. Well... They live here so they are? I mean none of them were born there, in town.

So first, Edvin. He's the owner of the house. This place used to be maybe a part of town? There are some ruins of houses around them but nobody lives there. Edvin got this house maybe from his relatives. He fixed it and since he didn't need much and house was too big to just live alone in it he decided to rent out rooms. And don't know how much time passed but Carrot, Alex and Gleam became permanent residents of the house. And recently Peter moved in.

So Edvin. He's the oldest, serious and hardworking. Used to be a sailor (because many lizard folk are sailors and well I don't have anything original for his background). He works as blacksmith in the town or take some other physical work. Sends money to the family. Ah... Old mother and his sister. (If i had nickel for every lizard man i had that sends money to his sister i would have two nickels. Idk why i don't wanna think about itANYWAY) He loves to make weapons, make them like pretty and stuff like light knives with elegant handles and engravings on blades. Some masterpiece to be proud of. But unfortunately he doesn't get such orders often. So he just works all day and then sleeps at home.

Next Carrot) She's a siren which in my setting are a kind of bird people who have wings at hands. They also stereotypically like... Hedonistic? Is it the right word? Probably not... Don't bother about stuff, live to have fun and enjoy pleasures. Cheerful, carefree, colorful birds. And well Carrot is stereotypical siren. She likes gardening and cooking. She loves to bake and sometimes sells goods in the town. She also often cooks for others in the house. Ah... She's vegetarian. She probably leaves the house during winter, flies to some warm place. She's never sad. She likes to drink sometimes, sing, dance, laugh and sleep around.

Alex is often annoyed by her.

Alex is another bird person in the house but this time he's an avian which in setting are bird people with wings on their back. His mother is avian and his father is siren. So he has some siren traits in his character. He's also my favourite eugh... He almost never leaves house by which i mean he dislikes to go to town and talk to people there. Any people other then his neighbours to which he's used to. He kinda... Ah... Selfish? A thoughtless person? By which I mean he often doesn't think about other people if they're not in front of him. He doesn't even writes to his mother although he does love her, she's a good woman. He's like... Not malicious, but yeah. Just in his own world i guess. And his world right now is this house. He's a mechanic(?) engineer (?) he likes to work on different machines. Maybe he makes some toys or fixes clocks and stuff or even repairs local robots (YEAH THERE ARE ROBOTS IN THE SETTING I KNOW I KNOW SHUT UP). He likes to do that.

Speaking of his siren ahhhh side... Well maybe it's ehhh... Presented(?) in his thoughtlessness. But it's also presented in him being fucking horny. He really annoyed by this because it results in intrusive thoughts which doesn't help with him being already quite awkward. He overthinks stuff a lot sometimes too. (I don't actually know what is cause and what is the result here so maybe I'm wrong somewhere here anyway) He tries to fight(?) it. Like he does physical exercises, focuses on work, drinks some... Stuff idk that Carrot recommends him. And he gets really annoyed at Carrot after she tells him to just relax about that. He probably also jealous of her because he also wants to just not care about that.

how dare that shithead get 2 paragraphs??? Well it's because he's my favourite anyway...

Gleam ah... She's stone demon. (Nothing religious just people with horns) :') i have very little info about her... I feel guilty. I'm sure, I'll fix it sometime later. She often is not at home but she pays and Edvin is content with that. But they end up giving her room to the new resident (Peter) because she didn't actually even used her room. So... She likes to cause chaos? Maybe she does something illegal when she's away or maybe she saves kittens(probably not). She doesn't talk about it anyway so i don't even have to think about Haha!) I'm kidding... Well yeah. Chaos. She likes to break and burn stuff and fight. That's what she does. And then she comes home and just sits as a rock (ha) while Carrot rambles and laughs about her day to her. They are girl friends) not girlfriends though( because Carrot doesn't want any commitment. But yeah they like to hang out together. Kinda fun dynamic I think) that's all about her :' | maybe she likes to bully Alex by breaking his stuff... That dynamic was in their pony versions, so...

Next Peter)))) he's bard. He has a guitar or something similar I'll think about that. He used to travel around the land before he settled here. He goes to town to play and get some money. Chill guy, kind and hard to get angry. Likes to chew grass and lay on it under warm sun. The most sociable and caring among them. Well i guess Carrot is quite sociable too... Anyway, everyone likes him just because he's so nice and chill. Just a ray of sunshine anywhere he goes. Ah... I need to say something negative about him... Or it's a boring character... Not quite negative but maybe he doesn't have any plans for the future? He doesn't have anything going on in his life right now? Maybe he's not content with his music? Like everyone likes it, it sounds nice. Nice enough to earn money. But that's all. Maybe he wants it to be more impactful, maybe it's not good enough. Or it seems to never be good enough for him. Maybe it makes him sad but he doesn't want to show it to others so he just smiles and keeps being caring ray of sunshine.

Heeeyyy... What is this depressing shit doing in my funny ocs hey... I made them to do funny loser things haha and make out. It's time to end before i care about them too much. Haha)

I had a thought to make him a pushover... Well... He's kinda? He doesn't say no a lot, when it comes to help or just some activity and he can tolerate even some quite rude behaviour towards him but it's because well he just goes with a flow, likes to help or if we talking about rudeness he used to travel a lot and well why he would start a conflict with a person if he goes away the next day? So he just became used to just be quiet and go away if he doesn't feel comfortable and then forget about this experience. But he does have some boundaries and he will tell about them if he can't leave. He can stand up for himself if he needs to. But he rather stand up for his friends thought when it comes to it.

Ok and Lutic) She's Edvin's little sister. She's a bright and kind girl. Likes flowers and cute animals and not very cute ones, like insects (it's not an animaSHUT UP OK I'M TRYING). Everyone in the house loves her like she's their own little sister and everyone behaves their best when she visits and entertain her as they can. They are so normal that Edvin is kinda surprised and frustrated about that. But it's a good thing so he can't even get mad about it. It's just funny yeah.

EGH I WANTED TO WRITE A LITTLE:'/

ANYWAY

So if you read that, the person who is reading it. You now can look at different shitty and not shitty pictures i have of them)

This is about Lutic visiting

Both birds find Peter attractive. But like also... Well Edvin said that already...

And dynamics) Girls being friends and bros being bros. Though... Now i draw and write a lot of situations with Alex being awkward dumbass. But they do hang out together. Because Alex finds Peter cool (and ghm attractive...) and also he doesn't demand from birdman any commitment as a friend and Peter is chill and likes to hang out.

I wanted to make this kind of a... Things with them for fun but couldn't find any good enough. So i have only this. Idk I googled it or found on Pinterest, I'm sorry idk

GIGGLES HAHA... WELL... IT'S FUN TO PUSH CHARACTERS ON EACH OTHER HAHA. IT'S LIKE A CLASSIC OR STH (I'm cringe.) Anyway it's not canon... Well... I just tried to write a situation but it's not quite what i wanted. HE WOULD NOT FUCKING KISS HIM LIKE THAT i know, it's canon but it's one of the Alex's modest dreams

Just a little thing

Again. Guess my favourite.

Alex probably does have a body pillow if they have them in the setting idk... He also certainly have some magazines with pretty bird ladies and big hot (beast) man. Totally reads them "for the plot and characters and like relationships and stuff" Carrot teases him about that and he HATES her for that(((

Horny birds. I sympathise with Alex but I also will call him a loser and do want to strangle him and throw into the wall.

Somehow too much gays so I'm apologising even if you probably don't care about that.

I clearly have a favourite guy and favourite relationships... Well... I'm not really a good ocs owner. I just want to draw them kissing or something and haha funny

IT ENDED I LIKED TO WRITE ABOUT THEM THANKS:)

maybe i write more if i have at least 1 picture to put above it...

#my ocs #my art #HEY THERE ARE A LOT OF WORDS I'M SORRY #but also thanks yeah

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oliverreedmasterass · 1 year

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Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby Competition🤩

Oh my god Addison I am SO sorry for the wait, but thank you for the request!!

Sleek, Modern, Sexy

Words: 3.8k

Warnings: brief mention of a kinda nasty finger injury, the Blue Man Group

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

“Sam,” Josh’s voice shook over the phone. “We did it. We won a Grammy.”

Sam was taking a nap when his phone broke him out of his slumbers and, while he had at first been groggy, he immediately snapped awake.

“You’re kidding,” was all he could manage to say.

“For Best Rock Album. We actually won.”

Sam sprung to his feet and raked a hand through his long hair in disbelief. Their EP had beat Weezer, Ghost, Fall Out Boy, and Alice In Chains. It didn’t feel real. In fact, Sam hadn’t felt such a gratifying sense of victory since nine years earlier.

He was about a foot and a half shorter, his hair was clipped above his ears, and, at that point, he had only touched his dad’s bass a handful of times. Instead of playing music with his brothers, he spent his days flipping through Marvel comics and, more importantly, designing his car for the Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby.

Despite his young age, Sam had established himself as a kid with a serious eye for engineering. It was most likely due to his father, Kelly, encouraging him to watch various Discovery Channel programs with him, and coming home with Lego kits, telling Sam to “go ham.” Sam’s creativity, logical reasoning, and handiwork made him a triple threat when it came to building a small, wooden car to race against his fellow Cub Scouts. He could hardly focus in school because he was too busy drawing blueprints and testing various models, hypothesizing which would be the fastest, or most aerodynamic.

A week before the competition was supposed to happen, Sam was ready to put his car together. His older brothers, Jake and Josh, took interest in his project and trailed him into the garage as he gathered his tools.

“I made a car for my troop,” Josh shared with Sam, hoping to impart some wisdom on his younger brother.

“It was a lousy car,” Jake reminded Josh. “You placed in dead last because you glued your tires to a block of wood without checking to make sure that they rotated. The stupid thing sat at the starting line.”

Josh frowned at Jake. “The whole point of this competition is to learn from your mistakes.”

“I bought a Hot Wheels car ten minutes beforehand because I forgot to make one and got disqualified,” Jake told Sam. “So the bar isn’t too high if you want to impress Mom and Dad.”

“I just want to make something I’m proud of,” Sam answered with a shrug. “But also I’m pretty sure I can win this thing,” he added. “The people in my troop aren’t the brightest.”

“I guess things haven’t changed that much since we were there, huh Josh?” Jake nudged his twin in the ribs, which earned him a smack on the arm in return. He rubbed his forming bruise and motioned towards Sam’s journal. “Is that your plan?”��

“Uh huh,” Sam answered. He set his block of wood down and handed Jake the book. He would never say it to them upfront, but Sam really did want to impress his older brothers with his car. Earning their respect meant the world to him, and the fact that they had taken interest in his work was filling his heart with joy.

Jake scanned over the various sketches of Sam’s car and raised his eyebrows.

“This is detailed, Sammy. You really have been working hard on this.”

Josh grabbed the notebook from Jake and studied it as well.

“There’s notes in here about aerodynamics. How do you know what that is?”

“Dad showed me a documentary about how planes fly a few weeks ago. I thought it might make my car go faster too, with physics and all.”

“Dad and his science documentaries,” Jake rolled his eyes. “So, can I help you with the saw?”

Sam felt bad, but he had a specific plan in mind that he knew Jake couldn’t pull off. Plus, his parents had made it very clear to Sam that he and his siblings weren’t allowed to touch anything sharp. After Jake had sliced the tip of Sam’s thumb off a few years earlier, all of the Kiszka siblings were barred from putting their hands on any knives, saws, or other items that could cut.

“I have to wait for Dad,” he sternly told Jake. The last thing he wanted was to get in trouble with his parents or, even worse, have Jake cut his thumb off again. That had hurt pretty bad.

Jake looked like he wanted to protest, but Josh put a hand on his shoulder to stop him, and then pointed up the stairs at the main level of their house.

“I’ll go and grab the old man now so we can get this thing started.”

Sam wasn’t sure that he liked how Josh was referring to his project as a group effort, but he decided to let it slide since he was grateful that Josh was following his parent’s orders. It was rare that his brothers listened to their parents, especially since they had entered their teenage years.

Josh bound up the rickety wooden steps and threw open the door leading into their kitchen, disappearing from sight while calling out for their dad. Sam and Jake stood in silence for a few beats, but then Jake cleared his throat.

“Your design really does look good. Like, a lot better than the stuff I saw when Josh and I did the competition.”

“We’ll see how it turns out,” Sam mumbled, his cheeks flushing. Jake seemed to be uncomfortable with the silence lingering between them because he moved across the garage to retrieve a soccer ball that was sitting around. Sam tried to focus his attention back on his blueprint while Jake started to juggle the ball, his sneakers squeaking against the pavement.

Josh came back down a few minutes later with Kelly in tow, and the two joined Sam’s side.

“You’re in charge here, kiddo,” Kelly told Sam. “You let me know what you need, and I’ll give you a hand. But you’re in the driver’s seat.” Kelly couldn’t help but chuckle at his pun. “What’s first?”

“We have to rough cut my design,” Sam regained some of his confidence. He liked the feeling of being in charge and, more than that, holding his dad and Josh’s attention. Jake, on the other hand, was too preoccupied with his soccer ball at the other end of the garage. Kelly grabbed the block of wood Sam had been given by his Scoutmaster.

“Shave it down a bit?”

“Yeah, a lot thinner,” Sam said. He reached for his sketches and held them up to his dad to inspect. Kelly’s eyes scanned over Sam’s pencil drawings and he broke out into a smile.

“Sounds good,” he said as he carefully set the notebook back down.

Kelly let Sam wear a pair of safety goggles while he used his saw on the wood and instructed Jake and Josh to stand at least ten feet back. Jake had joined their side the second he saw Kelly bust out the saw, and looked visibly disappointed that he couldn’t move closer to see his dad cut the wood. While Kelly got to work, Sam looked over his shoulder a few times and grinned at his older brothers, who were both standing on their toes trying to get a better view. Sam had a front row seat though, and he remembered that he was the one in charge. He put that authority into practice when he noticed that his dad was being conservative with how much he shaved off.

“I want it to be light,” Sam told his dad. “Take off more.”

“You got it,” Kelly grunted.

When he was done, Kelly presented Sam with his altered block, which was cut down to a thin rectangle. Sam cradled the wood in his small hands and studied it, picturing how it would look when it was done. He was still feeling confident that his design was going to win.

“I need to sand it now,” Sam announced. This brought Jake and Josh closer to him, looking expectant that they would be asked to lend a hand. Sam wanted to be in charge of smoothing out certain edges of his car because he had to be very particular about it all, but he also wanted to make his brothers happy. “You can sand the tires,” he tried to delegate the work. “That will cut down on the friction.”

That was more than enough to satisfy Jake and Josh since they happily accepted some sand paper from Kelly and grabbed Sam’s tires.

“I didn’t realize you were supposed to do this,” Sam overheard Josh telling Jake.

“It wouldn’t have mattered for your car, considering your tires didn’t even work.”

“No need to keep bringing that up.”

Sam kept his goggles on because they made him feel official, and he settled at his dad’s work bench to focus on his work. He reasoned that his car needed to be curved slightly in the front and have its corners be softened. He had read a lot of books at the library about the fastest cars on the planet, and a lot of them followed a similar structure. Sam grabbed his sandpaper and got to work, rubbing it carefully against the wood while biting his lip in deep concentration.

“I think we’ve got the tires in good shape,” Jake joined Sam’s side while he finished shaving down the front of his car. Sam let out a short huff because he didn’t want to be distracted from his work, but he turned to look back at Jake, who was holding out the four black tires in his hand with a satisfied grin. Sam grabbed one of the tires and held it up to the lightbulb screwed into the wall above their dad’s bench to inspect their work.

“Just a bit more sanding and then it should be good,” Sam said back to Jake.

“You’re kidding,” Jake’s smile dropped. “We spent like twenty minutes on those.”

“Friction will slow it down. I need this car to be as fast as possible.”

Jake took the tire back from Sam and turned back to return to Josh. “The sandpaper is gonna turn my hands to stumps pretty soon,” he grumbled under his breath.

Sam focused back on sanding the wood and, by the time Jake and Josh returned to his side holding out the tires again, he was happy with how the body of his car looked. It was pretty close to his drawings, which Kelly verified when he stuck his head back into the garage to check on their progress.

“This is gonna be a fast one,” he claimed as he twirled the car around in his hands. “I can tell.”

“Can you make some holes near the bottom for the axles and tires?” Sam asked his dad. “Oh, and also a few holes in the bottom for my weights?” Kelly inspected where Sam had penciled in for him to cut and brought the wood back to his workstation to use his loud drill. Within no time, the wood was back in Sam’s hands, and Kelly excused himself to get started on dinner upstairs.

Sam grinned down at his car and then snapped his head back up to look across at Jake and Josh.

“It’s time to decorate it.”

“What are you gonna do for the paint job?” Josh’s eyes were wide with interest.

“Flames?” Jake guessed. “The Batman logo?”

Sam shook his head. “I want it to be sleek, modern, and sexy.”

“Sexy?” Jake and Josh both gaped at their younger brother.

“You’re ten, what do you know about sexy?” Josh sounded genuinely concerned.

“I hear people call cars sexy,” Sam replied. That was really all he understood about the word. His response seemed to bring some relief to his brothers since they dropped the subject.

“So, sleek and modern, huh?” Jake asked Sam.

“I want it to be red and glossy,” Sam shared.

“Only red?” Josh checked in. “You could paint something else on it, you know.”

“I was gonna do a Spiderman design, but I think only red is better,” Sam replied. “It feels more, I don’t know, grown up.”

“I can grab you a Sharpie and you could write some stuff on it,” Josh suggested. “Like ‘Sam Kiszka rules’ and ‘I love my brothers.’”

“Ew, gross,” Jake made a face. “Don’t you dare write that on your car.”

Sam laughed at his brothers.

“I’m just gonna do red.”

Josh was hovering around Sam quite a bit while he retrieved a tube of red acrylic paint from their arts and crafts drawer, and he took the hint.

“Do you want to help me paint?” Sam asked Josh.

“Sure,” Josh tried to sound cool, though Sam could tell that he was secretly ecstatic.

They settled back in the garage and grabbed their paint brushes, both spreading the scarlet shade over the wood. Off to the side, Jake had snagged his own paintbrush and was carefully decorating the discarded pieces of wood that Kelly had cut off of the original block of wood with the Cool S. Sam and Josh covered the car in three hefty coats of paint before Sam decided that it was looking good. The color was bright and was certain to gather a lot of attention out on the track. To top it off, Sam added some gloss over the paint so it had a bit of a shine to it when it was held up to the light.

“What do you think?” Sam called over to Jake, who had started mindlessly painting on his bare arms so they were mostly blue. He let his brush drop back down onto the table in embarrassment, and squinted to look at Sam’s progress.

“Looking good!” he called back, giving a blue thumbs up.

Since they had to wait for the paint to dry, Jake and Josh excused themselves so they could find something else to do to keep themselves preoccupied that wasn’t watching paint dry. Sam overheard them scheming to paint Jake entirely blue so he could run around their neighborhood pretending to be a member of the Blue Man Group.

Sam took advantage of the peace and quiet and focused hard on aligning his axles and securing the tires. When he was satisfied, he glued the axles in place and then popped the tires on. He gave the car a light push across Kelly’s work bench and watched in delight as it moved in a straight line with ease.

“Nice,” Sam whispered to himself. And then he hustled upstairs to find his mom.

Karen was the self-proclaimed expert with the hot glue gun, which was what Sam needed to secure his metal into the back of his car to insure that it moved as fast as possible.

“MOOOOOOOOOOM!” Sam shouted from the kitchen.

“Yeah, Hun?” Karen’s voice was muffled from the other end of the house. Sam cradled his car in his arms to make sure it didn’t get damaged, and ran down the hallway to his parent’s room. There, he found Karen, laying on top of their Queen bed while flipping through Water For Elephants.

“Can you glue something for me?” Sam asked, out of breath.

“Is this your Pinewood Derby car?” Karen asked in intrigue, motioning for Sam to pass her his car so she could admire it. Sam excitedly handed it to her, hoping to receive more praise for his hard work. “Oh wow,” Karen breathed out. “This looks really good, Sammy. I love the color too.”

“Josh helped me paint it,” Sam said as he puffed out his chest in pride.

“That was nice of him,” Karen gave Sam a warm smile. “So what do you need me to glue?”

“I have these Tungsten balls that should fit in the holes Dad drilled to the bottom of the car in the back,” Sam explained quickly. “I need the hot glue gun to make sure that they stay in place.”

“Let me grab it,” Karen told Sam. He watched her mark her place in her book and stand from the bed to rummage through her closet for the hot glue gun. It had been a while since she had needed it; the kids weren’t doing art projects as much as they used to.

They moved to the kitchen where she could plug the glue gun in, and Sam stood on his step stool to watch his mom trap the metal inside the drilled holes with the hot glue. While they waited for it to harden, Sam watched an entirely blue Jake run around the front yard, waving his hands around and cackling loudly. Karen caught a glimpse of her son and shook her head in disbelief.

“What am I going to do with your brother?” she sighed.

They both watched as Josh ran behind Jake with the garden hose, trying to wash him off with an equally loud laugh.

Later that evening, the entire Kiszka family crowded in the living room to watch Sam test his design against the infamous Hot Wheel car that had gotten Jake disqualified three years earlier. On their homemade track, built out of old carboxes, Sam and a slightly less blue Jake held their cars at the starting line.

“On your marks,” Josh called, “Get set, go!”

Jake and Sam dropped their cars at the same time and watched in awe at the incredible speed that carried Sam’s car to the finish line in what felt like the blink of an eye. A few seconds later, Jake’s Hot Wheel clunked past the finish line. Sam’s grin was wide as he pictured his car winning the following weekend at the Derby in a similar fashion.

In what felt like no time, Sam was at the Frankenmuth Youth Center, carefully shielding his car model from any harm. His fellow Cub Scouts were crowding around the racetrack and playing with their cars on the gym floor, which Sam noted was ruining their tires.

He was standing off to the side, surrounded by his family, attempting to remain calm while he waited his turn for the competition. When the time finally came, Sam could feel his heart start to thunder in his chest.

You can do this, he thought down to his car. He hoped with all of his might that his car was going to win. The prize was a large trophy which was pretty cool, but Sam mostly wanted to prove to the other kids that he could make the best, fastest car out there.

He eyed his competitors and noted that their cars were too tall, too wide, too flimsy-looking, too chunky. In comparison his car looked like a part of the Indianapolis 500. Sam gingerly placed his car in its designated lane and then, per the Scoutmaster’s direction, took two steps away from the starting line.

C’mon, c’mon, c’mon, Sam silently prayed.

“Let’s go, Sam!” Josh called from the crowd.

Please, Sam tried one last time.

The bar holding the cars in place on their elevated slope was removed, and the cars sped down the track in a quick zip. The bright red color of Sam’s car definitely made it stand out against his competitors, and he had no trouble tracking it as it zoomed down the track at the front of the pack. The other cars felt like they were miles behind him. Sam started to imagine all of the bragging rights he would earn on the playground and could feel his stomach turn in glee. The Scoutmaster’s shrill whistle marking the end of the race brought Sam out of his daydream and, beaming wide, he waited to hear the announcement that his car had won. But, off in the distance, he saw the Scoutmaster holding a different car up.

Bradley, who was conveniently the Scoutmaster’s son, ran to join his dad with an excited whoop, dancing at the finish line with his winning car. Sam’s face dropped in shock. Bradley’s car hadn’t seemed like a threat to him when he studied the other cars in the race earlier, but there must have been something about his design that outshone Sam’s.

Sam could feel the excitement oozing out of him until he noticed that the Scoutmaster was holding up his car as well. He could just barely hear his gruff voice call out, “Second place!”

Even though Sam had been shooting for first place, second place got a trophy as well which was more than enough to keep him happy. He had never won anything in his life and had always dreamed of having something shiny to display on his bookcase, just like his siblings.

He sprinted to the finish line and had his winning car placed back in his hands, which he immediately lifted up in victory. Within seconds his family was by his side, clasping him on the back and congratulating him. That is, everyone but Josh.

“Don’t you think it’s a bit rigged that the Scoutmaster’s son won?” he asked with his brows furrowed.

“Joshua, not right now,” Karen told him.

“It just seems a little bit fixed,” Josh continued to argue.

Sam hadn’t considered that, but Josh did have a point.

“Bradley cheated!” he called out.

“No,” Kelly assured Sam, turning briefly to shoot Josh a glare. “He won fair and square. But you got second place which is so wonderful! You should be so proud of yourself.”

“They stole that win from you,” Josh whispered to Sam.

“Joshua,” Karen warned her son again. Josh took the hint and shuffled away from Sam.

Sam was ready to continue spewing conspiracies that the entire race was fixed, but he was quickly distracted when the Scoutmaster announced that they begin the award ceremony. While Sam continued to hold onto his car, he was handed a polished gold trophy that had “2nd Place” written on a plaque at the bottom. He could hear his family whoop and cheer for him loudly and, in that moment, Sam felt like he had accomplished something truly great for the first time. He always felt like he was living in the shadow of his older siblings but, finally, he could enjoy the limelight. He felt a new confidence growing in him as he realized he had won something that he was in charge of. It had been his design, not Jake’s, not Josh’s, not Ronnie’s, not his parent’s, his. He couldn’t be more proud.

After receiving the news from Josh about their Grammy, Sam felt transported back to his youth when he placed second at the Pinewood Derby Competition. Like nine years prior, his heart swelled with joy that he, Danny, and his brothers had come together to create something that was uniquely theirs, and found success along the way.

“We worked so hard for this,” Sam told Josh, his voice quivering as his emotions caught up to him.

“Nice to finally win first, right, Sammy?” Jake joined Josh, calling into the phone to Sam.

“It definitely is,” Sam laughed.

#gvf #greta van fleet #sam kiszka #jake kiszka #josh kiszka #danny wagner #gvf fanfiction #gvf fic #gvf fanfic #greta van fleet fanfiction #greta van fic #greta van fleet fanfic #pinewood derby #now I know how to make one of these cars....kinda lol

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wind-becomes-lightning · 2 years

Text

Home for the Holidays

This is for the Hidden Shinobi Hideout Holiday exchange! <3 My gift goes to @kankuroplease!! I was soo lucky to draw my dear dear friend. Merry Christmas!

Dearest C. I'm so happy I had you for this end of year exchange so i can give you one last gift before the year ends! I am so very fortunate that you decided to conatct me in March and work with me, when I was until then just a big fan from afar. I used to be so intimidated by you and so scared to even send you messages even after we started collaborating. It is weird that I thought you are too proud to talk to most people and that I would just be abother, when in reality you really just want to be nerdy with other people. I had so much fun with you this year, when we were 3 and now that we are only 2 still. I am so proud to have you as a friend, so thankful to be able to rant to you for whatever I want to rant about, for every little drawing you've made for me during this year, for your company and support. I wish you a great Christmas Day today and hope we continue this friendship into the next year (and beyond!) Cant wait for our art collab and whatever we cook up together next. I love you, sending you many hugs. Thank you for being in my life.

Set in KPZ's Tattoo Shop / Yakuza AU

Aburame Shino X OC

very very brief mention of naru x saku x sasu and kaka x obi x rin

Rated T (alcohol mention)

6246 words

Back from her world travels in Japan Katsura runs into an old friend she hasn't seen in a while.

When Katsura opened the door and the little jingle went off to alert the members inside of another visitor, she couldn’t help but sigh at the wave of nostalgia radiating from the view of what was inside. The tattoo parlour looked exactly the way she had last seen it, down to the black and red leather interior. This felt more like coming home than stepping foot into Konoha had.

What was different, however, was how empty it was. There was nothing of the usual hustle that came with clients, usually yakuza members, entering and leaving the parlour, demanding this tattoo or that. Katsura hadn’t been here often while she still lived in this part of the city, but often enough to get used to it.

Now there was only Sai sitting at his usual place, deeply focused on cleaning his usual work tools. Katsura didn’t know much about him, not beyond what Sakura had told her. Sai hadn’t gone to school with them and since she had mainly been travelling since graduation, she had never really met him except for in passing.

Most of the year Katsura found herself in the hot and humid climate of the south american rainforest or in the dry, cold and stormy mountains in north america. Sometimes she hiked through thick dark forests in central Europe and then, on occasion, she was also back in Asia like right now. And when she was in Asia, she often took at least one detour to Japan, until it took her to another continent again. Someone had to check up on her sister sometime, especially since she was living in such a dangerous territory.

“Hi,” Katsura said and stepped next to Sai. “Uh- ‘s Sakura around?”

Sai looked up and closed his eyes to a smile. “In the back,” he pointed to the door at the back of the studio. “But I would not go there right now.”

She considered this. On one hand the very limited things she knew about Sai told her that he was not going to lie about stuff like that. Sakura had said several times over the phone that the Sai was almost too brutally honest for his own good. If he wasn’t under Yamato’s and by extension Kakashi’s protection it could have landed him in a hotbed several times before. On the other hand Sakura had asked Katsura to come round at this exact time and might just be in the back getting ready to go out.

It was worth trying it out, she decided and nodded to Sai: “I’ll check anyway.” The other just shrugged his shoulders and went back to cleaning his tools.

The door to the backroom was only leaning and Katsura could easily push it open with a few fingers. She heard things before she saw them. The low hums and moans, the sucking noise that reminded her of a vacuum cleaner, the whispered words. Right then her fight or flight reflex kicked in and her brain violently went forward and back between just turning around or seeing what was going on.

If only the flight reflex had won. If only. Instead, she felt compelled to check. Katsura pushed the door open just a little more, a few more inches so she could look easier through it and then let out a gasp at the image in front of her eyes. Sakura was there indeed, sandwiched in the middle of what seemed to be Sasuke and Naruto. One had his head buried in her neck and one at her throat on the front.

The gasp had been louder than she had intended to and Sakura’s eyes flew open and to the door, but Katsura had already turned on her heel. “I told you,” Sai said calmly as she ran by, but she didn’t feel it dignified an answer.

She was angry, flying with rage and shame. Sakura had been her friend since childhood, for years! She had told Katsura to come by at this time so they could play catchup, and then decided to engage in such things with those guys. Naruto especially always gave Katsura this ick that she could not explain. He was too excited for his own good, too oblivious at the world around him, naive to a fault.

Uh, she should have known that these people knew no shame. When she was young, Katsura had stayed away from this parlour which was then owned by Naruto’s parents. They had already been notorious for the shady stuff that was going on there, so of course the new owner just let this business continue. It was also no surprise to her that the employees would be doing such disgusting things at the workplace, since they lacked any structure.

What was it with people and their excessive need to be horny all the time anyway? She had travelled all over the world and never met anyone that she felt incredibly drawn toward. Men could be handsome and women could be beautiful, but nobody was “I wish I could undress this person in a public place”- handsome or beautiful.

She stomped out of the store and back into the snow that lay heavy and thick in front of it. It was cold here in Konoha, way too cold for her that had just returned from South America without an adequate winter jacket. But in her defence, she did think that she was just meeting a friend for a lunch date and that would most likely happen inside. She didn’t think that she would have to spend so much time outside.

Distracted by her own anger she saw the wall only when her head was already crashing into it. A big, grey wall that had appeared right in the middle of the sidewalk. Katsura stumbled backward and then found herself steadied by an arm before her feet could slip on the ice.

“I’m sorry, you seem to have crashed into me,” a male voice said in a low timber and Katsura looked up to realise the wall was not a wall at all, but just a very tall human man in a grey long coat. She hummed and then went back onto her feet with a mumbled thank you.

It took her a moment to recognise him, or better said, she only recognised him when she followed his chin up to the sunglasses on his nose. There was only one person she’d ever known who wore sunglasses inside the house. Well, two, him and his father.

“Oh – It is you Shino,” she said and put her head on her neck to look up to him. Had he always been this incredibly tall? He seemed twice her height.

She couldn’t see his eyes moving underneath his shades but she imagined them narrowing as he scanned the length of her. “Katsura.” He said it like he had just decided on that name for her. Then: “Nice to see that you are back.”

Katsura waved with her hand. Shino and her had always had a very peculiar relationship. They had both been obsessed with bugs since they were kids, cataloguing and analysing them and hunting and freeing them and most of all defending them from annoying bug-haters. But he had slighted her as a kid, which she had never really forgiven him, no matter how nice he had turned out to be later.

“I was in Brazil”, she said. “Got myself a tan and a new tropical ladybug species.” She grinned. She couldn’t help but brag.

He let out a low chuckle, which took her completely by surprise. “I’ve seen your pictures on social media. Congratulations, that was a great find.”

Despite the cold her cheeks warmed. “T-Thanks.” She didn’t know what else to say.

“I’ve become an Entomologist too, but I specialise in Greater Japan or rather this area. Preservation rather than exploration.” A smile appeared on his face. “Though I can’t help but be a little jealous. That butterfly you found in the Rocky Mountains? Outstanding grey colours.”

Katsura huffed and shook her head. “Oh, I’m sure what you do is great too. Though - that butterfly really was incredibly interesting. Did you know it can survive even at lower altitudes?”

“I do now.” Shino put his hands in his pocket. She watched as she waved her arms to explain to him how this species specifically had adjusted so well to its surroundings and how it was- in fact - masterful in what it did.

After a while her hands felt so cold that she shuddered, which did not escape his keen eyes, sunglasses or not. “I would love to hear more,” he said softly, “but maybe we should go inside. What do you think about going to a cafe?”

Caught off guard a little she stammered: “Uh- Uh, I had- a thing…” but then she remembered what Sakura was doing right now instead of their meeting and her eyes hardened for a moment. “Sure, I’d love to. I have all the time in the world.”

Shino picked a cafe at the very border of Uchiha territory, just a street down the Hyuuga were ruling the underworld. It was run by a local that Katsura did not know and was cosy enough to feel warm and homely even on a snowy, cold day like this.

“Wow, what a lucky pick!” she said as she sat down in the big red seats. “A place like this is a real find.”

He took his coat off. “Yes, it is beautiful. I thought it would be perfect.”

Well any cafe would have been perfect really, she thought but didn’t say anything.

Instead, she ordered a triple latte coffee because she really needed it after the day she’d had so far and all the jetlag still kind of pulled her underwater. Then she folded her fingers in front of her face and said: “Now, tell me about your job. What is your education? Did you go to University? What bugs are you raising?”

Shino smiled again at her barrage of questions and then he did something she had almost never seen him do: He took his sunglasses off.

This felt like that one time she had seen Kakashi-san without his surgical mask. This revelation that this part of Shino’s body actually existed and that the shades were not a permanent fixture on his face. Just that this time it felt a hundred times more incredible then when she had seen Kakashi.

His eyes were this deep, chocolate kind of brown, almost too incredible brown to be real. The light of the candle on the table was reflected in them like a mirage of light and Katsura had to immediately think of the million fireflies she had once seen on a tour in China. He was handsome with his hair combed back, the kind smile on his face and the shining eyes.

“Is everything alright?” he asked and put his head to the side a little.

Katsura realised her mouth was hanging a little open and closed it quickly. “Yes, sorry..” She didn’t know what got into her. It took her more willpower than she wanted to admit to pull away from his face and remember what questions she had asked him. “So…”

“Right, about my education and work.” He smiled a little to himself, tipping lightly against the porcelain cup in front of him. “I am mostly working locally. We are growing some nearly extinct stag beetle species on our family compound, but so far the amount is still too little for them to be released into the wild…”

His low, calm voice and interesting topic of conversation lulled her a little, especially now that she felt warm and safe. While she was still intently listening, she wondered if he had always been this handsome or if he had just grown up to be. Shino had always been a person she had wanted to be close with, because his family was known to be specialists in insects, but for one reason or another it had never worked out. Mostly because he had slighted her as a kid and she could not forgive.

Turns out Shino did go to university and he had come out with a degree. This was not usual, especially not in their little, yakuza infested city. People often took up a trade that needed no education or straight up did crime. Katsura herself, as she told Shino as soon as he had finished telling his story, had left Konoha without any degree and just started travelling the world on her own merits. Working to earn money locally and then moving on. This way she had seen much more than she had ever planned.

“I’ve always wanted to go.” Shino said with a sigh. “It is incredible to work here where I am from and get to know more and more corners and such. But when I hear your stories it makes me feel like I want to get out more.”

Katsura took a sip of her coffee: “You could always join me on the next expedition.”

He smiled and she almost choked on her coffee accidentally. “I would love to go,” he said calmly. “But I don’t think it's possible.”

They had two more cups of coffee, way too much coffee if one was honest, and then Shino paid -for both of them. The weirdly intimate gesture had Katsura blush and when he held the door open so she could leave before him into the dark evening, she suddenly wondered if this entire thing had been something like a date.

“I can walk you home still, if you want,” Shino offered and closed the zipper of his long coat. The shades were hiding his eyes again.

Katsura had never had a date before. Katsura had not even thought about dating before this But now Shino had invited her for coffee, he had brought her to a cosy place and asked her whereabouts and now he was trying to walk her home? That sure sounded like the end of a date.

She panicked. “Not necessary, I can find my way.” Her eyes avoided his face as much as they could while looking too suspicious. “T-Thanks for the coffee. Maybe I’ll see you around before I leave again.”

“Yes, hopefully,” she heard Shino say from behind as she was already walking away sternly, her heart hamming loud against her chest.

Katsura walked back to her sister's apartment. For a moment she had wondered if she should go back and check the tattoo shop again, to see if Sakura had repented from letting her friend down in such a way as she had, but then Katsura decided against it.

Aori also lived right at the border between Uchiha and Hyuuga district and worked on both sides of the metaphorical fence. Katsura felt like her hands were falling off from the cold as she entered the hallway and turned the key to get inside. Though she was rarely at home, Aori had obviously provided her with her own key anyway. More symbolic than practical.

There was noise coming from the kitchen. The slightly messy, stumbling steps of her sister were mixed up with the low, but always so incredibly loud voice of her boyfriend Might Gai, who, to Katsura’s endless misery, was around most of the evenings now.

It was not like Katsura hated Gai, he was connected enough to keep her sister safe enough and he was kind, and good to her, but his never relenting energy was a drag that Katsura was glad to flee from 96% of the year.

“Hello, young lady!” he waved at her as if she was a street away and not just standing right in front of him. “How was your meeting with your precious friend?”

Katsura let herself fall onto the tatami floor and put her feet under a blanket to warm them up. “She was busy,” she said shortly. “So I met with another old classmate of mine instead.”

She took a mini muffin from the table in front of her. Other than bugs, Katsura loved baking and since Aori could do a lot, but not that, she had spent the morning making muffins for all of them. Yes, even for Gai.

“Wonderful!” Gai let out. “It is great that you are still connected to all the people here. It is important to never forget your youth!”

Aori must have caught Katsura’s frown, because she interjected: “Which friend?”

“Aburame Shino.” Katsura bit into yet another muffin, most definitely spoiling her stomach for dinner, especially after the cakes she had had at the cafe.

“Oh, he is so nice.” Aori put her fingers together. “In summer he sometimes comes to the kindergarten I work at and instructs the children about fireflies and the like. He is really good at that. Very forthcoming and friendly…”

“And he looks quite good too..” Katsura mumbled.

“What?”

Katsura shook herself. “Nothing.”

Gai unfortunately apparently had ears like a bat and so he said: “I think Katsura just commented on the way young Shino has grown up quite handsome indeed.”

“Ah, really, Katsura?” Her sister couldn’t help but grin.

Katsura wasn’t going to take a lecture from Mrs has-a-crush-on-weird-guys so she shoved a few of her own made muffins into the pockets of her hoodie and got up with a “I’m not hungry right now.”

Aori yelled after her that they’d leave the stuff for her on the stove so she could eat later, but Katsura had already disappeared in the room that was currently her bedroom.

At night she dreamed about Shino, which was a bother.

In her dream, Shino took his sunglasses off again to look at her with the chocolate creamy eyes of his to ask her if he could accompany her on her travels. The her that was in the dream had blushed harder than Aori did when Gai gave her a compliment and had accepted with a loud stutter. Both things that were very unlike Katsura in many ways and when she woke up she was annoyed at herself.

Additionally, there were about 40 text messages from Sakura on her phone when she rolled over and picked it up. At least 30 “I’m sorry-s” and then 8 more messages asking Katsura for a new meetup time. The last two contained “I will just come by Aori-nee’s house in the morning before my shift” and then the last “I’ll be there at 10.”

Katsura looked at the clock on her phone. It was 9.50.

She peeled herself out of bed and took the quickest shower known to man to be ready on the couch with the tv running when the door opened and Sakura walked in. Her friend looked a little distressed.

“I’m so sorry!” Sakura said before she even said hello and threw herself down next to Katsura. “You know that feeling, when you think you can remember something without writing it down, but then you don’t remember? Well, that is not an excuse, but it is an explanation and I want you to know how deeply sorry I am.”

That had been about the gist of the 30 text messages too. Katsura let out a sigh. “It’s alright, I noticed you were - busy.”

When Sakura was shy she blushed like a school girl in a rom com, but when she was embarrassed her whole face turned red, right under the line of her cherry blossom hair. “The guys..” she mumbled, “... can be pretty distracting if there is nothing else to do. Especially when the adults are gone. I’m sure you get it.”

Katsura did not get it. What was so special about Uchiha Sasuke and especially Uzumaki Naruto that made them so irresistible? She had never understood how people in this town seemingly had such hots for each other all the time. She shook her head and then shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t, but it’s ok,”

Of course it was not ok for Sakure, who still looked very worried. “Sai told me only hours after you left. When I yelled at him and wanted to know why he didn’t tell me earlier, he said it was because I didn’t ask about it.” Sakura’s eyes hardened. “I will have to tell on him to Ino.”

“But in the end you were the one who forgot anyway. It’s not his fault.” Katsura raised a brow.

Sakura’s face fell once more. “You said you accept my apology.” She grabbed Katsura’s hand again and looked a little teary eyed.

Feeling like she had teased her old friend enough, Katsura smiled. “I do. I do. Look, you are here now and I see you are sorry. I mean, I ended up having a nice afternoon anyway.”

“Oh with Aori-nee?” Sakura also was smiling again.

“No, not with her. I ran into Shino.”

Sakura’s eyes widened a little. “Oh”, she said and it sounded like there was more weight behind the sound.

“Oh?” Katsura asked.

Her friend blinked and then found her usual friendly and calm facial expression again. “Oh I’m just surprised that it was him you ran into.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Did you do something nice?”

“He asked if I wanted to go to a cafe and we did. It was a tiny place, but very nice. We just talked and - why are you looking like this?” Sakura*s calm smile had somehow turned into a grin.

“It’s just… you know, Shino - his interests are so similar to yours, we always kind of thought you should be…close.” Though Sakura had used much more diplomatic words, Katsura knew instantly what she meant with “close.” “But you just didn’t seem interested like that, which is of course alright. I have to admit though, that sometimes I felt like maybe he was.”

Katsura’s lip curled. Shino’s eyes appeared in her mind again, looking at her over the table, the way he had smiled while she talked, taking everything in with a calm she had never seen of anyone else. Had he possibly brought her there for some sort of date after all?

“Impossible,” she said, more to conclude her thoughts than as a reply.

Sakura shrugged her shoulders again. “I just think you guys would match, so maybe it is kind of wishful thinking on my part.”

“Seems like,” Katsura said, trying not to look into her friends’ face while her heartbeat felt so loud in her ears. “I mean its is like you said, I’m just not that kind of person.”

Christmas eve Katsura found herself squished between Aori and Sakura in a karaoke room that seemed way too small for the amount of people inside. In true cross generation fashion, Gai had invited all his friends, mostly Kakashi, his partners and Yamato, while Katsura had invited Sakura, who then had brought Sai, Naruto and Sasuke along. There were too many people in this hot room.

Alcohol had been flowing freely and now Gai, who had one arm wrapped around Aori, was singing passionately, his voice only lightly hitting the right notes. Katsura flinched each time his voice raised a little and wished it could just be Yamato signing again. She did not know the man well, but from the way he behaved and sounded he liked karaoke well enough and was good at it at least to some degree.

There was too much going on and it was hot plus the alcohol started to get to Katsura’s head too. When in foreign countries she sometimes drank with the locals, but not quite as much beer as here and not without eating a ton beforehand. She felt dizzy and tapped Sakura on the shoulder as if to say she was going to take a breather outside.

The room they were in was one of the largest of this newly opened karaoke place. It was in the centre of Uchiha district, not two streets from the tattoo shop Sakura worked at and was allegedly directly operated by Uchiha Shisui, who by all means would become Uchiha clan head someday. Katsura had asked Uchiha Obito, one of Kakashi’s partners, why Shisui, who had a reputation to be rather brutal in his underground activity, had decided to buy a karaoke place, but Obito had only shrugged and said: “Because he felt like it.”

Maybe it was a front for money laundering or whatever, Katsura thought and once again reminded herself not to stick her nose into things that weren’t hers to know. She wasn’t like Aori, who’s sense of righteousness made it almost impossible for her to turn a blind eye to injustice. Having Gai, who was strong, as a partner helped her only so much. Her good relations with Naruto and in extension Kakashi (also through Gai) kept her mostly safe.

Upstairs were the smaller rooms and Katsura came to a stop in front of one of them. Inside someone was passionately singing “Who let the dogs out” and howling in tune with the dog barks of the song. It made her laugh and with the alcohol having lowered her limit for embarrassment she stopped for a bit and howled along with the person singing inside.

She didn’t notice that the door had opened until a big figure suddenly threw a shadow on her face: “I didn’t know you were such a passionate singer.” It was Shino.

Katsura almost choked on her own spit trying to close her mouth fast. Of course, there was only one person that would passionately sing a song about dogs and howl along, Kiba, and if Shino was here now then that meant that the other person inside was probably Hinata. A Hyuuga deep in Uchiha territory. Times have really been peaceful lately.

“No, I just… thought it's a fun song,” she replied, feeling very suddenly and very unnecessarily hot.

He smiled. “I didn’t know you were here either.”

“We are downstairs. I was just on my way to get some air.”

“So was I. Can I join you?” He gestured to the door and though she felt uneasy, Katsura nodded and then went ahead outside into the icy cold.

Shino was wearing his long coat again and though it was night out the sunglasses were right there on his eyes. Katsura caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection of the door and knew she looked a little red, but this could be put down to alcohol and heat, so there was nothing to worry about.

“You smoke?” He asked and took a lighter out of his pocket.

Katsura shook her head. “You?”

“No, I just have a lighter, if in case.” He let it sink back into his coat.

Then they both went quiet.

She sucked in the fresh air and tried to clear her mind a little, but despite the cold she could feel her fingers sweating. Shino leaned right next to her against the building wall, shoulder to shoulder, and somehow that made her more nervous than standing up and singing karaoke in front of Aori’s friends had.

“When will you leave again?” Shino asked friendly.

Katsura suddenly remembered the dream she had had, about him asking to come along. She pulled her shoulders up. “Day after tomorrow.”

“Where to this time?”

Katsura weighed her head: “Australia.”

Shino huffed in admiration. “Wow, there is so much to see there, I am a little envious of you for that.”

She really wanted to offer him to come along again, like she had that time in the cafe. But she remembered that he had said it was impossible and so why do it again anyway? Just to hear the same reply again? So instead of reaching out to him a second time she just hummed in agreement.

For a moment she could feel his eyes rest on the side of her face as if he was thinking of something intensely. In her mind she hoped that the blush she felt could pass up as her being cold. Then Shino laughed a little quietly: “But, well, the next few days I will spend time with my parents and siblings instead. Also not too bad.”

Somehow she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was disappointed.

Gai was still asleep the next morning when Katsura and Aori sat opposite to each other at the breakfast table. He had a little much to drink the night before and needed a little more rest than the two women, not that Katsura’s head wasn’t also hammering violently.

She had just finished telling Aori of the encounter she had had the night before at the karaoke bar, which she had no time to talk about the night before. She was hesitating to tell her sister about her wish to ask Shino to come along with her on her travels. The sisters shared a lot with each other, but this seemed so weirdly personal.

“Hm, you keep running into Shino. Almost feels like destiny wants to tell you something.” Aori took a sip from her tea.

Katsura could feel the heat in her face again and looked away, hoping her sister hadn’t noticed. But Aori knew her sister too well to miss it. “Oh.” Aori chuckled.

“‘Oh’ again.” Katsura said, a little annoyed. “People keep saying that when I talk about Shino. It’s rude, you know.”

Her sister grinned: “Well, I guess there are other people who realise you have a crush on the guy.” Aori stopped exactly long enough so that Katsura’s cheeks could redden even deeper. “It’s no surprise really. You guys really would match well.” She made a face. “You have similar interests.”

“I don’t have a crush on him. He is just nice to me.”

Aori laughed. “Well if you want to live in denial.”

Katsura put her cup down, a little more aggressive than maybe necessary. “Just because you now have a - well - “boyfriend”, does not mean you are the expert on love. You can’t even talk to him right when he compliments you.”

Now Aori was red too, but more of anger than embarrassment. She raised a brow in question. “Alright then Katsura.”

“Besides,” Katsura continued. “I’m leaving tomorrow. It is not like I would see him very often. Who knows when I’ll be back. And I can’t just ask him to come along so I can get to know him better.” She was rambling.

“Why not?” Aori asked, trying to hide her grin behind the cup of tea again.

“Because!” she shot back. “He told me he couldn't come with me the first time I asked and so how could I ask again? He is busy, he has his students and his work and - and I don’t think he would be willing to spend time with me so I can figure my feelings- ”

She stopped mid sentence, suddenly very aware of what she had just said out loud.

Aori finally set the cup back down. “So you have feelings for him.”

“I don’t know!” Katsura folded her arms in front of her body and pouted.

Her sister sighed. “I think you should ask him if he wants to come along with you. Or at least ask him why he said it’s impossible for him to come. So you understand if your feelings are returned or not.” She reached out her hand and pressed Katsura’s. “But, of course, I am just your lame older sister that can’t talk to the guy that is her boyfriend.” Katsura laughed.

“Do you really think he might return these feelings?” Katsura pressed Aori’s hand now too.

“No choice but to ask him.

“Shino”, Katsura yelled after him, hands pressed into her burning sides.

The man exchanged a look with his father and mother and then stopped while his parents walked on. It was heavily snowing now, Katsura could barely see him through the thick flakes.

“Did you run here?” He seemed worried.

She forced herself to look up: “It was no big deal.” Shino only raised his eyebrows at that, especially since she still couldn’t catch her breath.

The ice stung in her lungs. “I think I lost my -” she touched her throat and yes, her scarf was gone, but then she shook herself, “- Doesn’t matter, I have more important things to ask about.”

As she stood to regain her breath and her conviction she noticed that Shino had taken a step towards her so that he towered over her. Suddenly she felt something warm on her neck and when she looked up she realised that Shino had tied the ends of his own scarf around her back.

“You should keep warm otherwise you might get sick and miss your flight,” he said kindly.

Katsura felt her heart clench again and shuddered a little. “Th-Thanks.”

She straightened her back out, which didn’t help in any way because she was still much smaller than Shino was. He was so close to her now that she could feel his breathing on her face and it made her so uneasy that she felt like running away from him. But no, she reminded herself, Aori had told her this was all normal.

“Uh- Shino,” Katsura began trying to find the right words to say, “I wanted to ask you something.”

Shino smiled: “Go ahead.”

It wasn’t easy putting into words what she was feeling. To say “I have a crush on you” right now, especially after just having seen him for a few days, seemed so stupid and childish, even if it was true. She couldn’t be sure that he felt similar and that would just break her heart. She thought again how much easier her life had been when romantic feelings were just something that other people engaged in.

“Do- do you…” she stammered. “Do you maybe - uh -” His scarf next to her nose smelled like him and for a moment Katsura got sidetracked from the scent. Then she shook her head to ground herself back in reality: “If you would like to come with me to - to Australia, I would not m-mind working with you.”

That was by far the most diplomatic way she could have asked that without giving away too much of her feelings.

He seemed a little surprised, his mouth opening slightly and then closing just to open to a smile again. “That's a little spontaneous.”

“Yes, I know, I know. I wanted to ask you - before, but I c-couldn’t.” She looked at her feet again. “And last time you said it was impossible for you, so I didn’t want to be a bother…”

When she looked up she saw snow all over his hair, colouring the dark brown with white points like little bugs swarming around his head. He was also looking at her, as far as she could tell from where his shades were aimed at. Her fingers felt cold in the air but also sweaty with nerves. Nothing, he said nothing, as if he was trying to consider as carefully as he could.

But then he lifted his head to push snowflakes out of her hair. The intimate touch made her feel dizzy. “I have always wanted to leave this place,” he said without looking at her. “I always wanted to travel and see the world and research, but - more than that, I’ve for a long time wanted to travel with you.”

“W- -me?!” She wasn’t sure she had heard him right.

Shino chuckled again. That low rumble in his voice that she had heard at night in her dreams. He didn’t repeat what he said, instead he zipped down his coat and then drew Katsura in, pressing her against his own beating heart and wrapping her up in his arms.

“That is why I at first said it would be impossible for me to go with you,” he explained. “Not when you don’t feel the way I do.”

That was when she realised that no, these feeling weren’t one sided at all

The snow had let up outside, but the world was still coated in white. “Here you go,” Shino said and handed Katsura a cup of coffee that she eagerly took into her hands. The airport was heated of course, but just watching the cold world outside made her feel cold too.

He settled in next to her and put his feet up over his on board luggage in front of him, his nose once again deeply in a magazine about newly published academy papers. KAtsura had teased him about it earlier in the day, that he was like a professor and Shino had only shrugged his shoulders and said that he was considering becoming a teacher, yes.

“I can’t believe you actually convinced your family to let you go”; Katsura said, for what felt like the 50th time today. It was true, she could hardly believe it.

Shino hummed. He seemed too tired now to repeat the line he had said all day when she had brought it up. “I’m an adult, they can’t stop me.”

Instead he reached out his hand to Katsura and found hers to wrap his fingers around. Her heart skipped a beat for a second, not yet used to this being a normal occurrence. Dating someone brought many new experiences.

“I’m glad it all worked out though,” he said finally, with his usual quiet smile. “I’m glad I get to go with you.”

Katsura leaned over, against his shoulder: “I’m happy you get to go with me.”

#fanfiction things #moots ocs #aburame shino #shino aburame #shino x oc #I HAD THIS IDEA BEOFRE YOU INFODUMBED THE TATTOO SHOP AU TO ME I SWEAR #it HELPED A LOT THO #also shino x katsura forever im so in love with them ahh

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marvelmaniac715 · 2 years

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It’s another Chucky and Glen au! This time, Chucky didn’t die at the end of Bride, but Tiffany did. Baby Glen/da is born, and Chucky finds them when he goes looking for Tiffany. You know what that makes him? A single dad. He decides to do the decent thing and raise the kid on his own, how does this impact the rest of the Chucky series? Quick disclaimer, I am a cisgender female, but I wanted to include the twins’ coming out. If I have written anything wrong or remotely offensive, my sincerest apologies, I didn’t intend to cause any harm and I will endeavour to fix my mistakes :). Also, I changed the twins’ names (don’t hate me). The reason for this is that in Seed, it’s obvious that Chucky came up with Glen on the spot, and for this fic I tried to think about what names he would choose if he actually put thought into them. What do you think of my choices?

————————————————————-

Chucky could hear screaming in the distance. It sounded like Tiffany. He had only barely survived, but he had enough strength to head towards her direction. Did he care about Tiffany anymore? Not really, he mostly wanted to see what was going on out of curiosity, and to get her to shut her trap. That screeching was hurting his head.

By the time he’d found her, Tiffany had stopped screaming. But something else was screaming instead. It was confusing for a moment, he didn’t know what was making that sound. But the moment he laid eyes on the source of the noise, Chucky knew that it was the most adorable, perfect ‘something’ he had ever seen.

A baby doll, about the size of his arm. With bright blue eyes and the most adorable little set of razor sharp teeth that they were using to bite down on a grown man’s neck. They weren’t even an hour old and they’d already killed a man. Chucky was so proud.

Then it hit him. He didn’t know how this very obvious fact hadn’t occurred at first, but it was all at once astounding and life changing. This was his child. His. He was a father. He had created life for a change instead of taking it. According to all laws of science and even religion, this baby shouldn’t exist. But it did, and Chucky had a huge responsibility ahead of him.

Chucky bent down to scoop up the baby, trying his best to rock and soothe it. His only experience had been with a neighbour’s newborn daughter at the age of five, they had been invited to a celebration at their house and he’d been allowed to hold her with support from his parents. He’d known at that moment, that he’d wanted to be a father one day, but he’d never thought it would actually happen.

It dawned on Chucky that the baby didn’t have a name. Or a gender. It seemed incredibly demeaning and dehumanising to refer to his child as an ‘it’, so he resolved to correct that issue. He soon figured out that the child was a boy, but he still needed to come up with a name for his son.

His son. Wow, those were amazing words to say. But he couldn’t dwell on that, the kid needed a good name. Obviously the last name would be Ray, and a middle name was easy. He’d always loved the Peter Pan story, so his son’s middle name would be Peter. But the first name stumped him. He couldn’t think of anything good. He nearly chose Glen, but a look down at the baby made him change his mind. No, this kid didn’t look like a Glen. But what was he-

His thoughts were cut off abruptly when the baby bit him on the hand, drawing blood. Chucky didn’t scream or yell, he laughed.

“That’s my boy! Wow, you’re just like me when I was-‘

Charles. That was it, that was the perfect name. Of course, this was the ideal opportunity to carry on his name. Chucky looked down at his son. Charles Peter Ray. Or for short…

“Hi Charlie, I’m your dad. I’m so happy to meet you.”

That felt right in a way that Chucky couldn’t explain.

————————————————————-

The woman screamed as she ran for her life. She’d been restocking shelves when she’d heard ominous footsteps. She’d thought nothing of it, but then that evil doll had appeared. All she’d seen was a grotesque grin and a flash of red hair, perhaps a glint of silver from his cleaver, but that was enough to terrify her. That was, until, she heard crying. The doll stopped in front of her, but he was acting quite strangely.

He began swaying awkwardly, patting something attached to his chest, shushing it gently.

“Shush, Charlie. It’s okay, I know you’re tired, but Daddy needs to do this first- what, are you thirsty? Do you need some milk, is that it? Is it your diaper? I checked it a few minutes ago so it should be fine. Please just go back to sleep, you’ll be in bed in just a few minutes, half an hour at most.”

The doll made eye contact with her, an exhausted and mildly apologetic look on his face.

“Sorry, the little one’s on a sleep strike right now, I’ve tried everything but I just can’t get him to sleep. Any suggestions?”

The woman sobbed, unable to comprehend what she was seeing.

“No? Thanks anyway I guess. Now, where were we? Oh yes, I was killing you.”

The woman choked on her own blood as she gurgled out one last scream, falling to the ground, dead.

————————————————————-

It had taken approximately three years for Chucky to realise that he didn’t have one child, he had two. Charlie was a sweet little boy who was terrified of violence, but his daughter craved it, just like her father did.

Chucky didn’t mind that he had two children, he loved and supported both of his children equally. He built a terrarium with Charlie so he could look after little frogs he’d found living on nearby logs. He taught his daughter (Charlotte, because he’d be damned if the twins didn’t have matching names, Lottie for short) how to swing a knife. He snuck Charlie a toy elephant from a nearby zoo and sneaked him into it to see his favourite animals up close. He patiently stayed up late to learn how to sew with Lottie.

When Charlie was awake, he got to relax and indulge in some of his less active hobbies, such as painting and reading. When Lottie was around, he got to murder. Both of his children were unique and special in their own ways, but they were both the greatest kids in the world, in Chucky’s opinion at least.

————————————————————-

Chucky considered himself to be a pretty laid back parent as far as rules went. He let the kids swear if they wanted to, they were actively encouraged to lie and fight, although Lottie took to those teachings stronger than Charlie did. But the one thing that he wouldn’t let his kids do was wander off without him.

They were sentient dolls, anything could happen to them, they were small and knew nothing about the world. Alright, Chucky sheltered his children more than he probably should have, but can you really blame him? His twins were the most important things in his life, he had nothing else, and he needed to pass down his wisdom to somebody.

By the age of eight, phrases like “Charlie, go hide over there” “Lottie, you’re too little to actually murder someone yourself yet, go hide” and “don’t make a sound, go into Barbie mode” were common to the twins. Chucky had even turned it into a game when they were at home. He’d suddenly call out “Barbie mode!” And if they went still immediately, they’d get a treat of some kind, usually a small toy he’d stolen from a nearby store or a piece of candy.

It was his way of keeping them safe, because God knows those kids had no real survival instincts of their own.

————————————————————-

Charlie and Lottie were teenagers. Chucky was in a constant state of panic. Hormones had transformed his children into creatures of rage, rebelliousness and a weirdly high amount of teenage lust.

A week ago, he’d seriously had to tell Lottie “no, we can’t spare this guy his life just because you think he’s cute and want to date him.”

Even Charlie was acting out. Chucky had asked his son to help him tidy up around the room and his response had been “fuck you.” Charlie had said it before, but the way he’d said it had hurt.

But now Charlie wanted to talk to him about something important. Lottie did too, apparently. So Chucky arranged a bonding activity (pottery painting of all things) and prepared for whatever this conversation would lead to.

Charlie looked nervous, hardly able to concentrate on the painting. With a tentative look at Chucky, they began to speak.

“Dad, my twin and I need to tell you about something. It’s kind of important, but we’ve been feeling like this for a while now, and we both think that we’ve found the right words to tell you.”

What was Charlie about to confess? Murder? Pregnancy? The possibilities were endless, and Chucky feared almost every one. But he needed to be a supportive parent, to show his kids that he loved and supported them no matter what.

“Go on, you can tell me anything.”

Charlie smiled, and with a deep inhale, began to speak again.

“Lottie and I are non-binary. We both would like to go by they/them pronouns please.”

Chucky let out a relieved exhale. Out of everything that could have been confessed, this wasn’t the least bit worrying or concerning. So, Chucky didn’t have a son and a daughter, he had two non-binary children. That was perfectly fine. So why was Charlie crying?

“Charlie, could you look at me please? It’s okay, you don’t need to cry. What you just did was so, so brave. I’m so proud of you, both of you. It doesn’t matter to me what your genders are, you’re still my incredible kids who I have loved from the very first second I saw you, when you were tiny little babies. The first time I held you I promised If love you forever, and that promise still stands today, make no doubt about it.”

Charle beamed and wrapped their arms around Chucky for a hug, sniffling slightly.

“We were both scared of how you’d react. You grew up in the fifties and sixties, they weren’t known for being… well, tolerant. We both know that you love us, we just weren’t sure how you’d feel, knowing that we’re both non-binary.”

Chucky had to laugh. But the second he did he realised how bad that could come across to Charlie, so he stopped and pulled back to look his child in the eyes.

“Sorry for laughing, kid. It’s just that that’s a silly thing to worry about. Look, people knew jack-shit in the fifties, they were wackos. I know I’m old, but I’ve been given the opportunity to learn and understand more about the world in each different generation. I may not fully understand everything, but I know that I love you both very much, and if you both feel in your hearts that the gender identity that best fits for you is non-binary, I’m gonna support you every step of the way.”

Charlie let out a sigh of relief, snuggling into Chucky’s shoulder.

“I love you, Dad. You’re the best.”

————————————————————-

Chucky couldn’t believe that it was this time already. The twins were all grown up and ready to see the world. It was hard to let go, but they wanted to do some travelling, and who was he to refuse? He taught them both self-defence and had made them promise to call at least once a week. They should be fine, but he still worried.

Today Lottie was in control of the body. They were so excited for their journey, they’d talked about it non-stop for ages. Lottie and Charlie were going on a truck that delivered all over the world, stopping off for a week in each country, giving them a chance to see more of the world.

Chucky wouldn’t admit that he was close to tears. He’d looked after his kids from the day they were born, he’d never been apart from them for any longer than an hour. This would be hard, but the twins were tough, they were ready for this.

As he helped Lottie up onto the truck with their luggage which they shared with Charlie, the younger doll squeezed his hand tightly, smiling.

“I love you Daddy. Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. We’re going to miss you though.”

All Chucky could do was smile fondly through the tears and squeeze Lottie’s hand just as tightly.

“I’ll miss you too. I know you’ll be fine, you’re both too tough to take any crap. Stay safe, I love you.”

————————————————————-

Nica stared up at the doll, reeling from what she’d just learnt. Charles Lee Ray had killed her father, abducted her mother and sister and paralysed her. Now he was in a doll, standing over her with a knife. Prepared to stab. Just as he raised the knife with a grin, a phone rang.

What? Where was the phone coming from- the doll pulled out a phone.

“Charlie, it’s so great to hear from you What? No, I’m not busy, I can talk. What? Why can’t I video chat? Well, I’ve got really bad reception y’see, the footage would cut out- I’m not killing anyone, what would give you that impression? Charlie, there’s been plenty of times I haven’t called with video, it doesn’t mean that I’m- look, this call’s meant to be about you, what have you and Lottie been up to? How’s Europe? Oh, I hear that that place is beautiful this time of year! Have you been having a good time? Really? That’s great, and how about Lottie? They’ve caused an international incident? Why am I not surprised. Listen, I’m trusting you to keep them out of trouble whilst I’m not with you-‘

Nica screamed, trying to draw attention whilst the doll was distracted. Maybe the person on the other end of the line could help her? They seemed to be against the murder, and Chucky seemed to think highly of them. Sure enough, the screaming made Chucky pause and glare at her.

‘Charlie, no, there’s nobody here. I’m watching a horror movie. A girl just got killed. You’re right, as a past serial killer I shouldn’t be watching this stuff because it could give me ideas. I’ll turn it off.”

His last words were directed at Nica as he offered her a withering stare. Nica glared back, refusing to back down.

“I should probably let you go now, I’m sure you have lots to see and do. Have a good time, I love you. Oh, and give my love to Lottie too!”

When he’d hung up, Chucky slashed Nica’s cheek with his knife.

“Well, that was a close one, wasn’t it?”

#chucky #childs play #bride of chucky #seed of chucky #chucky series #curse of chucky #charles lee ray #tiffany valentine #chiffany #nica pierce #glenda ray #glen ray #fanfiction #horror

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alphaofdarkness · 1 year

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Hi!

Just wanted to say that youre an amazing artist! You're really inspiring ❤️

Maybe you have some tips for an artist (who draws a lot of oc content) about how to develop his account or such?

Omg howdy there! I admit I was taken aback when I saw this this weekend (°ヮ°) I was admittedly very busy as family and friends were over to see me graduate with my masters! Still so,,, much in befuddlement but am extremely happy and proud of myself for making it! (◕‿◕✿) 🎓 I've gone and done it y'all! ✨

Me? Inspiring? (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀) imposible ah （〃▽〃）

I went off on a ramble just based off information that came to mind, I hope this helps. My advice is always so scattered and everywhere, I do apologize if I have missed anything! Everyone does these things differently and this is just based off my own experiences and what I've seen over the years!

As for your question my friend, first of all! Amazing to know a fellow artist, I hope I have a chance to see your artwork and oc content some of these days ahead! ^^

Second of all, I had to think a lot about this because I've essentially had random bursts and moments when it comes to trying to focus on my personal stories and oc content. I have many Oc's and self inserts in different fandoms that kind of boost me in some relevance within those areas of interest and followers too.

However, for my own personal stories Ocs, I love posting and putting my content out there and I have been doing it for a fair amount of time since I started using tumblr; posting most, if not a lot of it, on this main blog of mine. I later started a side blog specifically made for that content to post and to look through aesthetics and inspiration for my characters and world building -> @wewillbelegendary. I will say it has been hard to keep up with posting directly there as it is like starting a blog from scratch and love using my main blog. Honestly, I tend to alternate a lot it just depends, I reblog it on there at as I have more traction on my main.

But I do highly recommend you at least considering having a separate oc blog, if you are still growing a blog in general, I highly recommend it as it will be a nice concentrated area for all of your art on oc content. That can grow into world building, character inspirations, art development, so on and so forth! Also using appropriate tagging system to help guide others to your content and so people can see it in those specific tags! There are plenty out there especially those like #digital art #artist on tumblr #original content #original characters, etc. I am sure there are many more that I have used or others have and it just depends on the subject of the content entailed.

You may have to reblog several times through your main blog to gain traction from your followers or audience, engage with other posts and other people content to gain some relevancy with them too! Follow other content creators like them too!

If you have been drawing them for a long time, post artist development of your characters over the years to show their initial concept to where they are at now! Post your sketches in all their bare bones (I fail at this sometimes~ but I highly encourage you!), you can be direct with your wording or give a hand full of sentences to explain the post to give others insight. Post about what inspired you to make that specific content for your ocs like song or quote inspiration.

Overall, a lot of it relies you posting consistently, if you really want to gain attention to your work! It won't all happen in a day or a week, even months. I don’t think there is a set time people post on here, I tend to do so in the mornings during the week to Saturday and tend to spread my posting after two days when I have a handful of art to post! Also double or triple reblogs in the afternoon or following day depending on interation!

You have to motivate yourself to post about your work and gain others attention to notice you! I have since calmed myself down from such a mindset though (sometimes I get anxious because I haven’t posted or done art and that’s okay, don’t stress or push yourself over if you haven’t!). I post my oc content because I am proud of it, if it gets noticed then I am happy, even by a few or handful of people. I am giddy when people reblog, more so when small tags are added in 🤍 sometimes my content isn't always liked or reblog and that is okay! There is no shame or worry about deleting and reposting again another time too. Hell, I know some people often tweet or repost on instagram their works again so others don't have to search all the way down to the initial post!

I also recommend posting on other socials as well! Instagram is such a good place for that! With similar tagging systems! Maybe on twitter too, but it just depends and you are also limited on the tags and characters you use. Everything kind of cumulates when you have more at hand!

Honestly, it has been a while since I have posted oc content in general, I had some burst inspirations earlier in July and recall rambling about it to my fellow mutual on here about it 🥺 she is such a dear friend and love rambling about each other's ocs, self inserts, and f/os. Make friends who will indulge in your creations and in theirs!

I sincerely hope that this information helps you some! Again, I have always been more of a self insert and shipping fandom artist with a healthy handful of oc content posted over the last,,, 12 years overall,,, oof (；・∀・) and more or less 4 years for self shipping content.. I, personally, have always just safeguarded my ocs because I wasn't the best at talking about it/them? I suppose? Gradually, overtime, got out of that mindset and became more confident about showing my characters and bits of information about them, at least in main story. Especially, with the encouragement of others I consider good friends here on Tumblr 😌

I hope you have a wonderful and blessed day and that you steadily grow your content overtime! I hope to see some of your oc content one day! 🤍✨

#original characters #original stories #artist on tumblr #oc content #alpha howls #silly alpha rambles #anon ask

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pbandjesse · 1 year

Text

Today was another very grey day. But it was also a nice day. I was to cold but I still had a nice time.

I had a lot of trouble falling asleep. I was up until at least 2. Which I did not enjoy. And then I had intense dreams that were to realistic and confusing. So I woke up in a weird head space.

But when I woke up I was determined to do the things I had promised myself I would do.

I went and got washed and dressed. And then I striped the bed and changed the sheets. Tried to make the space nice.

I did some dusting. And then vacuumed. I was a little frustrated with our vacuum and felt like to wasn't working as well as it should. But I did my best.

James had gone out this morning and put gas in the car and gotten me a bagel. Love them so much. I had my bagel and shared some cream cheese with sweetp.

I had checked on the mice first thing and they were crispy again. I swear I have washed them like 4 separate times today. They just keep standing in the milk!! Stop that! I'm going to start introducing some fruits and veggies. Try to start weaning them off the milk. I am worried about them still. But they seem strong right now. I changed the towels in there again. Trying to do that plenty since they keep getting the milk in everything and I don't like the smell. But I think they are going pretty good.

I would work on some knitting. And by the end of the day today I had finished all the squares I needed!! I changed the layout a little to be 6x6 instead of 5x8 and so I have some extra squares but I think it will look really nice. And I'm just thrilled.

This morning though I would only have time to make one and start a second. I laid out all the pieces so I could come back later and pin them (which James was lovely enough to do for me), but I felt super proud of the progress.

I also watched a documentary this morning about how dangerous duck boats are. I don't know if I had ever been in one as a child but I know I haven't as an adult. Which is shocking because I love being on boats. But they just seems so sketchy and now I know I was right to be concerned. Wildly dangerous.

Once my doc was over I headed to awah.

The parking pad is still being worked on so I had to park up the hill. But I was still there before 1230. When I came inside I was surprised to see Zoe and Naomi had beaten me. And apparently Naomi called me s few minutes before. I was like. Guys. I told you I will be there at 1230. No rushing me.

But we got inside and got things set up. Zoe and me took the sign outside and it got rained on so it bubbled up and looked very strange. Plus the arrow was pointing the wrong way. Oops. I had Zoe draw a new arrow on a piece of paper and stick it on there.

It was a fun class though. Water color paintings based on Alma Thomas. I was pleased to see Ireland and Naomi, student Naomi not assistant Naomi, and Jasmine. Everyone seemed to really like the project. We did have a new student who couldn't handle having art not on a school day and cursed and yelled a lot which freaked a few of the sensory sensitive kids out. Mom took him out and I felt bad. But I felt worse when I saw that Mary Ellen was crying a little. She said it reminded her of when her daughter was younger and how sometimes they just couldn't do things because it was a change of schedule and it wasn't something she could handle. You make life work the best you can but you really never know what life will hand you.

The adult class was really chill. Ari was funny and kept telling us how appropriate he was being. And apparently if he continues to be appropriate he gets to earn going to the thrift store to buy a book under $5. Which I was like. Oh dang I was to go to the thrift store too. So now we have that in common. It is always fun to find things in common with the people in my classes.

Zoe had to leave a bit early. But that was fine. Me and Naomi, with the help of Ari, Richard, and Lewis, got everything picked up. Lewis seemed to be in an amazing mood today and he spoke to me for basically the first time when he asked me to help him rubber band a deck of cards back together. And at the end he told me adios and wouldn't leave until I said it back. It was very sweet.

Once everyone was picked up Ari helped me bring our sign in after his dad told him to carry it for me. I think I alarmed the building correctly. And then it was time to go.

The walk up the hill was a little tough today. I was a little shaky cause I was hungry. But I got up there and wrote my notes and headed out.

I forgot artscape was still happening today. So I went the wrong way and had to go up and around to get to north avenue to go home. It took almost 20 minutes. It is normally a 6 minute drive. Very frustrated but I survived. And was home around 330.

When I got back here I checked on the mice and cleaned them up again. I changed and got on the cought to keep knitting. I would finished the last two squares by 515. I was thrilled.

James came home in that time too. And we decided to go to Golden West for dinner once I was done my second, and final, square.

Once I was done that we had a little celebration cheer and I got changed before we left.

And Golden West was fun but I didn't love my sandwich. I feel like.my taste buds have been weird the last couple days. Like everything tastes to much. Everything is bitter or overly sweet or just to strong. And they didn't have the vegetarian chicken I wanted so I got a vegan BLT which was fine but I really wanted something warm. And while our server was super nice and funny, he was also on his 3rd day every working there as a server and all of our food came out at wildly different times. Like I had eaten half of my sandwich befoee James got their tacos. James eats so fast so they still finished before me but that was crazy to me they would bring them out like that.

I enjoyed my fries and soda though. And they even brought me a tiny carafe of diet coke to refill my cup. I did not need a refill but then I felt wasteful so I drank more and gave myself a stitch in my side. Ah well. I still had a nice dinner with James. We talked about Christmas. And how we are going to do each other's stockings this year because we are our own nuclear family now. I also think it will be better. Special. More intimate you know ? Especially if we are thinking about trying for a baby now, it may be one of our last ones just us. And when baby gets here it will be more about them, so we should cherish this time in our lives before it changes again.

James was all high kicks and being silly on the way home. And when we got here we came inside and they worked on pinning my squares because they are an angel. While I cleaned duo the mice again!! Stop standing in the milk!!

Once James pinned everything I spent almost 2 hours sewing. And I have 4 of the 6 rows done already. So being done before the end of the week does not feel farfetched. Which feels really nice.

Once I was at a good stopping point I went and took a shower and now me and James are in bed. They are mostly asleep already. I'm only a little jealous they fall asleep so fast. But their sleep is not great still. I wish we both could get better rest. At least we are together.

I don't know what tomorrow will hold. I'm looking forward to a nice day off. I hope you all have a good day. Sleep well. Until next time!

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alimak · 2 years

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The Way You Care

MASTERLIST

It is always a new experience when I am with her.

Mommy Marj is my grandmother from my mother’s side. She is the most hard-working woman I have ever seen, aside from Mama (grandmother from father’s side). She works at PLDT and has currently opened a new business. Though she is my grandmother, there is yet for me to learn about her.

All my life I have been living on my father’s side of the family and I am mostly raised by my Mama. I was unsure what happened with my mother because I was young when she left. But, when I was six years old, I met her. At that time, I was unsure of who she was because my father never mentioned of her before, but she told me I was her Lola. It was before Christmas when she came to my house and invited me to their home. She gave me a toy called Paradise Series and I happily played it with my second oldest brother. After that day, I continuously met them and I also met my oldest brother, which made my life more sensible.

After years passed by I learned something from my brothers. They call her Mommy. It was quite new for me to have someone call their grandmother what you call your own mother. I am still quite getting used to it—though for now, I call her Mama, like how I call my grandmother (father's mother). She also calls me anak, whilst I am used to being called apo by my father’s parents. But, it does not bother me because it felt special. Moreover, it touched my heart after knowing that Mommy Marj has my birthday on her calendar. It made me feel that she really does care about me, despite not being raised by her or having any closeness whatsoever. Whenever my birthday arrives, she would call me and bring me cake or ask what my father and grandmother prepared for my birthday. I always feel thankful for having such a caring grandmother like her.

We went to Nagcarlan this year, after my recognition in eleventh grade. They had a farm there and we were to stay there for three days. In those days, I learned a lot from her–personality-wise. She is a very positive person. She also listens to K-pop and pop music. I was also surprised to see that she enjoys rap music too. She is the very opposite of Mama, and I loved every bit of it. I also found out that she speaks Bisaya and she speaks it with their helper. I wanted to ask her if she could teach me some, but I was too shy. On the other hand, she also made an effort to set up an inflatable swimming pool so we could freshen up from the heat. I admired her for all of that. I once wrote an entry in my journal with lists of goals that I would like to accomplish this year. One of those is to become more close with her. I reckon that the universe listened because she opened a new stall at the end of our street, which helped me to spend time and help her with her business. She was selling her preloved clothes and some Christmas decorations. I go there every weekend and do anything yhat could help her. She always greets me with a happy face and it makes my day even better.

When we were assigned a task to draw for our character sketch, I knew it would be a perfect gift to give to Mommy Marj this Christmas. I used her profile picture as a reference. It was apparently an old picture of her. As I look into it, her features have not changed at all. She had the same hair, the same smile, and the same aura. I wish I could grow old like her. Her Facebook bio also says, “A lover of the finer things in life…”, which explains everything about her. A very admirable person.

Indeed, Mommy Marj proves to me that lolas are the best.

I am so thankful to her for the day when she reconnected with me when I was six years

old. She filled all the roles that my mother never complied to, even to my brothers. Because of it,

I promise to spend more time with her until her bones weakens and when her memory begins to

fade. I will also make her proud when I become a psychologist and a lawyer.

BACK TO MASTERLIST

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thebigbrightsun · 2 years

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MIYA POSTING

IT WOULDN’T LET ME TYPE ENOUGH TO REALLY SAY ANYTHING I WANTED TO IN THE FUCKIN. COMMENTS?? so i am just gonna make a post and tag mr. @yymiya who asked. So. INFO ON MY OCS!! specifically Miya because she is my baby and i’ve been drawing her for a year now

so these two are Miya (left) and river (right). Their pronouns are she/purr and they/he respectively. i made Miya last year in english because i was bored and remembered a conversation i had with a friend (who wears hijab)(i do not) which was basically just how would a catgirl wear a hijab? they would obviously just wrap their ears because it seems like kind of a hassle to cut out ear holes in every scarf you own and most hijabis cover their ears anyway, but if they had a tail would they wrap it? if catgirls were common enough would there be specially made clothes for them so they could cover their tail in a sleeve or something? we decided that its up to the person (like most things) but it’s probably not that common.. Anyway Miya doesn’t even have a tail in the main universe HAHA but it was an important question to answer i felt

i made River much later, in about april of this year? i thought Miya needed a skater boy friend (not boyfriend, as she is a lesbian🫶) so i made them also during class. to be honest i don’t have much of a story for either of them but they were really fun to draw messing around on my papers, i’m sure my teachers were sick of them lmao

if i were to make them into a comic of some sorts, i’d probably make their stories short and funny, while exploring themes of youth and growing up and finding your place in society as a minority/someone seen as ‘weird’. as an autistic queer poc, i didn’t really get much representation growing up, and i think seeing someone who acts and looks like me, who leads a life similarly to me, could have saved me from a lot of self-hatred when I was younger and didn’t know why I was different. a huge reason i still make art to this day is to help people who feel and look like me feel a bit better in their identities, because i know the representation i have seen, even if its few and far between, has touched me in ways i can’t even begin to explain. it means so much more than you’d think.

Anyway. the fantasy au kinda just came about one day when i was in a mood and felt like making fantasy character designs and stuff. i don’t have much of a storyline for this one either but i have a very vague idea on what it’s gonna be about, and i’m gonna develop the story as it is gonna be a big part of my Inquiry Question for Ap art this year👍👍👍

SO. these are their original fantasy au designs. i was actually pretty happy with miya’s first design, but for overall silhouette and posing issues i had to change her skirt, but i thought it looked stupid so i thought i should just rework her clothes altogether.

i’m gonna keep showing people this sheet because i am ridiculously proud of it. anyway. Even when i first started drawing Miya, way before i even thought of the fantasy Au, I had some specific design choices mind. I always wanted her to have catlike eyes, so i tried to imitate the shape of them while keeping them pretty human looking. the silhouette of her hijab is kinda exaggerated and not very realistic just so i could properly communicate the fact that she is supposed to be a cat.

in her original design, she’s supposed to be much closer to a human, with the only distinguishable traits to set her apart being her ears, her eyes, and maybe her hands. i wanted to put most of the “cat-coding” in things like the hoodie she wears, which has a tail, or the fact she paints paws onto her converse, or gives her self a dan-and-phil-style nose and whiskers (AHAHAKAHDHFKBS NOT A WORD). i also wanted her to be younger, about 15-16 in the modern universe, but that’s a difference I only made relatively recently, which you can see in the two pictures above.

with the fantasy AU, i wanted her to be honestly closer to an anthro than human. I didn’t want her to BE a furry, necessarily (no hate to furries, i am the number one furry enthusiast), but i wanted her to have much more animal-like traits. She’s very inspired by Tabaxies but i didn’t want the fantasy au to be in the 5e universe because i have several problems with racist stereotypes in DND.. anyway, miya is almost completely covered in a light layer of fur, has paw pads on her feet, almost has a muzzle, has a cat shaped nose, ears, a tail, and retractable claws. the only things keeping her from being a furry, at least in my mind, is that she has human hair and isn’t digigrade, and has much more human-like proportions, like the ratio of ear to head, head to body, torso to leg and so on.

i’ve put a lot of work and love into her design! while i can’t say everything has a concrete reason, almost every detail on her is intentional, one way or another. like, how she doesn’t have paw pads on her hands but does on her feet because she’s bipedal, and cats have paw pads to muffle the sound of their footsteps when stalking, for prey or otherwise. she also doesn’t need shoes because of her paw pads, but if it gets a little cold she might wrap something around her feet. shoes are very uncomfortable for her. (can you tell i’ve been dying to tell someone about that in particular i think its so clever)

other little details are, i made her headpiece mostly to bring more gold up by her face. it helps balance out the colors i think. the green in her eyes is inspired by my cat! and i don’t think cats can have brown eyes, but it was mostly bc i didn’t want to just give her green eyes (bc brown ppl with light eyes kinda freak me out cough cougb my sister cougb cough). the circles with smaller dots around them on her sampin songket are suppose to vaugely look like paws. i was gonna actually make them paws but that felt a bit on the nose.

i think thats all i have to say for now… i will talk more abt river when i finish their character page. there’s nothing really wrong with their current design, other than the fact that it’s kinda really boring, so i’m working on adding more character and interest! here’s the sketches i did in my sketchbook, i’m currently working on tracing n coloring them digitally

here they are!! also i said earlier that in the modern au miya is supposed to be younger but i never said how old she’s supposed to be in the fantasy au and i cant find a smooth transition to talk about that so i will say that here. She’s supposed to be like 18-19 in the fantasy au, i just think it would make more sense for what they’re supposed to be doing throughout the story (exploration, fighting, potential mortal danger, i think its a bit much for high schoolers is all). river is slightly younger but still around the same age as miya, so same thing for him too. they look really young in the sketches above bc my art style was doing something funky that day lmao

that is all!! finally!! for now at least. (if u saw me post this way earlier than i meant to No You Didn’t.)

#ocs #original characters #character design

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invincible-selfxmade-punk · 2 months

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At 3:45, we finally got air conditioning. Tomorrow is one of those 12-hour days because we are in training from 8:00 to 4:00 and then from 5:30 to 6:30 it's me the teacher. But of course it never ends at 6:30 there's always parents that come in at the very last minute and we always end up staying late.

I made my debut with my lil rollie cart today. It is taking a little getting used to. But everyone says I move a lot faster with it.

So I'm really wishing I would have done it sooner. But I'm so glad I have it because Friday is convocation. That takes place at the high school. And there are no close parking spaces at the high school. Plus, there is a lot of walking involved.

You first meet for some kind of breakfast, which I usually don't do because I never have anyone to sit with, and I hate sitting by myself because I feel like I'm looking at me. And then you go to the vendor room where there's all these people giving out free stuff, hoping that you'll give them some business in return. Like there's every investment place you can imagine and insurance places and all the different banks and other places that are just they're handing out free stuff. So you walk through that Gauntlet, and then you have to go over to the auditorium and find a seat, and you're usually just like packed in like sardines because every school has its own section.

Needless to say, I'm going to be very happy to have my 3 wheeler with me. However, I cannot figure out how to make it collapse. My husband showed me once, but I tried the exact same thing that he showed me, and it will not collapse. Which is pretty much fine because it is so slender it does not take up that much room anyway but we will be in close quarters at the auditorium so I'm hoping somebody can show me how to collapse it before then.

Oh, and on top of everything else, I am at that age where if I move even the slightest way wrong it pulls or strains something in my back. This morning I bent over to feed the cats and when I came up something just Twisted in my back. I've had that happen so many times. So I was grateful to have that cart with me today because I was in so much pain trying to just move regularly.

Being gone two days or rather a day and a half for the colonoscopy really set me back. My room isn't even close to being ready for the first day of school which is on monday. I am not ready for the first day of school as far as having lessons and everything planned out. The first two and a half weeks one of the other teachers is going to do the lesson plans and the lessons then we will switch off. Thank God because as I have griped in this blog May has previous she never gets me the lessons on time and because of that it screws up my entire day. I will be very glad to be responsible for my own lessons when the time comes.

I made the mistake of sitting next to this person during our last training. She sat there and Drew the entire time which is fine, some people do that in order to concentrate. But when we were supposed to be discussing things she was still drawing and pretty much just ignored me. Or should ask me something and when I would answer it was clear she was not paying any attention. If it was hurt her to talk she just blurted out something that sounded like she had rehearsed it a million times. It did not sound like it was anything sincere. And then through the rest of the professional development she was playing on her phone.

Our previous department head was pretty tough, but she was also really great at handing out praise. I am appraised junkie because of growing up without parents with no one ever telling me good job, way to go, I love you, I'm proud of you I didn't get any of that growing up. And I know teaching is pretty thankless and I try my best to have a thick skin about it but sometimes when I go above and beyond what other teachers to do and do my best at everything, sometimes I really just need to hear that. And I get the feeling this new department head is not going to say that that often. Maybe she will, but I just get that feeling or that vibe from her. I have got to find some kind of online or telephone counseling that I can get into. I don't think I will be able to handle the stress of working all the time and doing so much work if I don't hear that I'm doing a good job.

The other two people in my apartment have lived in this town all their lives. Our department head started working at City Hall when she was 16 and she later married the police captain. So she knows everyone in the town. Wherever she goes she knows someone. Both of them go to the same church and both of them have kids. So I am the odd person out completely. So when they get together, I might as well not exist.

I have got to start giving myself more positive self-talk.

I was in some Workshop the other day, and it just dawned on me how horribly I think of myself. You always see those posts on here that say, " If you wouldn't say it to your best friend, don't say it to yourself."

I feel like everyone looks down on me and that I'm not liked at all that I am only tolerated and seeing myself as I think other people see me has caused me to have the most negative self-image when it comes to my job and my performance. I have got to find a way to either do some daily affirmations or something that will change that mindset for the better.

#long post #teaching #autistic teacher #autistic adult

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cherrycheridarling · 3 years

Text

"that was painfully sexist" | t.h.

marvel cast x actress!reader

warnings: sexism and swearing

summary: at a panel for the new avenger's film, the questions differ drastically between the female and male actors on stage.

wc: 1.4k

"Okay, a microphone is coming your way, sir."

"Hi! I'm Leonard with Pop Times Blog. My question is for Y/N." your eyes found the bearded man who stood amongst the crowd of reporters.

You nodded, signalling for him to continue, "Playing Silk or Cindy Moon must've came with a lot of challenges. One of them being the costume you are in for most of the film. Can you speak about that and how it fit?" he paused at your skeptical expression, "Like, we all know the suit is skin tight, so did you eat anything special or workout a lot and are you able to wear anything underneath it? Or do you wear a thong and no bra?"

You let out an unenthusiastic chuckle at his question. Beside you, you could hear your cast mates scoffing under their breath. It was common for the women of the MCU to get asked such questions and it saddened you that people normalized such a thing.

Leaning forward, you clasped your hands together and smiled before Robert reached behind Tom Holland and tapped your shoulder, "Would you like me to say something?"

You shook your head, but gave him a grateful grin before returning to the 'man' that asked you such a question, while maintaining eye contact you spoke, "Well, I think the most difficult part about wearing the Silk costume is taking it off after a long day because of how sweaty I get after shooting," you began to fan yourself dramatically, "It all just clings to my body like a second skin and since I am completely nude underneath, it just adds to the problem." sarcasm dripped from your lips as your cast mates snickered at your words.

You quietly laughed to yourself, "I'm only kidding. That question seemed like such a joke that I presumed you expected a joking answer." you cleared your throat, "In all seriousness, it's an honour wearing the suit and I did visit the gym and do some physical fitness regularly to prepare for the role, as did all my cast mates. As for what I wore underneath," you grinned cheekily, having too much fun messing with the reporter, "A Spider-Man onesie was my go-to."

The whole room let out laughs at your words as Tom grabbed your hand and gave you a small squeeze, feeling sorry that you had to answer such absurd questions.

"I hope everyone doesn't sexualize Cindy Moon. She's only a teenager in the film, so keep it in your pants people. That shit is illegal." Anthony pointed an accusing finger at the crowd.

"Thank you for your thoughtful question, Leonard!" Scarlett spoke up, "I hope you got the answer you were looking for."

"Okay, next person."

You sat back in your seat and fiddled with Tom's fingers as the questions were asked towards your cast mates.

"You handled that impressively well, love." Tom whispered in your ear.

You gave him a smile and a shrug before your name got called again, "My question is for Y/N and Tom Holland." a lady with curly blonde hair stood up, "Since Silk and Spider-Man's abilities are very similar, did you two bond over that during shooting or did it cause some rivalry between your characters due to the similarities?"

You felt a wave of relief at the question, thankful that it wasn't another sexist one. Tom looked at you before answering.

"Yeah, yeah. We bonded a lot over that fact and I don't think it caused any rivalry between us. I hope not." he chuckled before you leaned towards the mic.

"No, no. No rivalry. Just a lot of banter about whose character is stronger and who swings around better. It's a lot of fun having someone on set whose stunts are basically the same as yours. And Tom and I have both agreed that Silk is faster and better than Spider-Man." you said that last part quickly drawing laughs and a gasp from Tom.

He looked at you incredulously, "Not true! Spider-Man's suit is so much cooler than Silk's." he huffed like a child.

You smirked, "Who makes their webbing in a high school chemistry class and who has organic silk coming out of her fingertips that she also used to create her own suit?"

Your friends laughed at the banter beside you before Sebastian started to speak, "I have to agree with Y/N on this one. Silk also has that cool ass eidetic memory."

Chris Evans agreed, "And her Silk Sense is a thousand times stronger than Spider-Man's Spidey Sense."

"Isn't she able to know who an attacker is before she even sees them?" Hemsworth asked to which everyone nodded.

"Sorry, Spidey. Silk's just a top tier hero." Robert patted his shoulder as Tom sulked.

The questions began again as the laughter died down. You leaned over to Tom's ear, "Still love the actor who plays Spider-Man even if his character is inferior to mine." he shook his head with a smile at your words.

Questions ranged from the generic ones of the funniest moments on set to who's most likely to become a villain. Your nerves died down as no incompetent person asked another sexist question. Until one did.

"I have a question for Y/N." she was short with jet black hair, "Being around all these attractive men must be a challenge for you as a young female adult. It couldn't have been easy to control yourself around them. Have you had any sexual relationships with any of them or thought about engaging in any?"

Your jaw hung open at her words and before you could muster up a retort, Tom let his anger get the best of him. Was it his anger, his jealousy or his protectiveness? A mix of all three.

"That was painfully sexist." he spoke into the microphone. "I don't see how any of that is relevant to the film. Y/N is an outstanding actress and it's outrageous that you decide to focus on who she fucks rather than her talent."

"What in the actual fuck did she just ask?" Sebastian added, making you laugh.

Chris Evans spoke up next, "Indeed. I thought this was a promotion for the movie not a real life dating app."

Benedict chuckled, "I fail to see how Y/N's private life holds any relevancy to this panel or the film itself."

"It's twenty-nineteen, people! Leave your sexist ass shit at home!" Anthony exclaimed drawing claps from the cast.

Elizabeth shook her head, "I've had my fair share of inappropriate questions, but nothing as horrid as that."

"First y'all ask about her underwear, now you ask about her sex life? Jesus Christ." Scarlett pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Seriously, she's like a daughter to me. That was incredibly disrespectful." Robert added with a disappointed head shake.

Similar comments were added by the rest of the cast as you felt an overwhelming amount of love wash over you. You were so unimaginably grateful for the people next to you.

"You don't have to answer that." Paul Bettany reminded you.

You shook your head and cleared your throat, "Thank you, guys." you looked to your cast mates, "But I'll answer. No, I have not. This cast is my second family and I've grown greatly as a person with them. I'm immensely thankful for the opportunity to call them my friends. And I agree, these men sitting up here with me are undoubtedly attractive, but they are also a great pain in the ass at times," everyone laughed at your choice of words, "And have I thought about having sex with any of them? Nope. Just Scar, Zoe and Liz." you finished with a wink as the room clapped for you.

You couldn't help but to feel a slight bit of sympathy for the woman. Her question was, without a doubt, uncalled for and unbelievably sexist, but the comments from the cast must've made this her most embarassing moment.

"I'm sure you meant no harm with your question. But a little heads up for next time; most actors prefer to talk about their career and their films rather than who they are laying in bed with. But thank you for coming out. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day." you gave her a genuine smile as she cowered back into her seat.

Robert once again reached over and gave your shoulder a squeeze, proud of how you handled the situation.

Tom interlaced your fingers with his and rubbed small circles on your knuckles.

You really were at home with these people and you couldn't have asked for a better family.

#marvel cast x reader #marvel cast x actress!reader #marvel #marvel fan fiction #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland x famous!reader #tom holland x actress!reader #tom holland x reader #tom holland #sebastian stan #chris evans #robert downey jr #anthony mackie #chris hemsworth #paul bettany #benedict cumberbatch #scarlett johansson #elizabeth olsen

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waitimcomingtoo · 4 years

Text

Dummy

Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader

Synopsis: Peter is the only one of the Avengers who doesn’t tease you for being a little slow

Masterlist

Now you weren’t exactly dumb.

You were just a little slow.

When you joined the Avengers last year, the team learned pretty quickly that your mind moved at a different pace than everyone else. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing and it didn’t keep you from doing your job, it just meant you were the butt of most of the jokes. Every time one of your blunders happened, your intelligence would be mocked in some way. You knew it was all in good fun, but it hurt to it feelings every now and then. The only person who never poked fun at you was Peter. And for that reason, he was your favorite on the team.

“How are there 23 minutes left in this movie and I still don’t know any of the characters names?” Steve wondered as you all sat in the couch in Stark Towers, watching a movie on a particularly rainy afternoon.

“I think the main kids name is Phoenix. That’s all I got though.” Sam shook his head, just as confused as Steve.

“The dogs name is Benson.” Bucky mumbled quietly.

“Who names their kid Phoenix?” Peter wondered out loud as he shoveled popcorn into his mouth. The two of you were tucked into the corner of the couch, sharing a blanket and bowl of popcorn. You looked at him like he was crazy when you heard his question.

“Ummm, Joaquin Phoenix’s parents.” You scoffed and rolled your eyes. You turned your attention back to the movie as a silence settled in the room. You felt everyone’s eyes on you after a minute and looked around to see everyone staring at you with a dumbfounded expression.

“What?” You asked shyly, shrinking down a little in your seat in discomfort.

“That’s his last name.” Sam stated, chuckling a little under his breath. You realized your mistake and felt your face heat up.

“Oh.” You mumbled, your voice getting drowned out as the rest of the Avengers laughed at your expense.

“Did she really just say that?” Nat looked at the group with a playful smile. Everyone, excluding Peter, nodded as their laughter died down.

“Oh my God.” Steve chuckled. “That’s so stupid.”

There was that word again.

He didn’t mean it maliciously. Steve was the kinda of guy who ushered spiders into a magazine so he could let them outside. And yet, it still stung when he said that word.

Stupid.

You smiled sheepishly and tried to focus on the movie, snuggling closer to Peters side until it ended. You were fully aware that he was the only one who didn’t laugh, and you loved him that.

And maybe you loved him for a few other reasons too.

“Alright. Who has money for the subway?” Sam asked the group as he patted his empty pockets. You were on another late night trip to get cookies from a specific shop in Times Square, leaving without Tony’s knowledge. Everyones hands went to their pockets and collectively made a face.

“Not me.” Rhodey shrugged.

“I don’t have any.” Bruce added.

“I don’t even have pockets.” Nat realized.

“I have gum.” Peter proudly produced a silver wrapper from his pocket. “Oh wait, it’s just a wrapper.”

“You’re telling me we’re earth’s mightiest heroes and we’re broke?” Sam shook his head is disdain.

“I gave my last dollar to a guy in the subway for playing music.” Peter defended himself.

“What was he playing?” You asked him as you tiredly leaned against his arm.

“A mandolin.” Peter answered, making your face scrunch up.

“That’s a language.” You laughed at him slightly, feeling empowered by having the upper hand. Everyone looked at you and a few of them snorted.

“Mandarin is a language.” Bruce said gently, not wanting to embarrass you further. “Not mandolin.”

“What?” You blinked in confusion and looked to Peter for answers.

“A mandolin is an instrument, dummy.” Sam chortled. You smiled tightly as the group laughed at your mistake, looking down to hide your blush.

“Oh. Sorry. My bad.” You laughed shyly as you tucked your hair behind your ear and pretending to read a nearby sign.

“That’s okay.” Peter spoke up in your defense. “They sound really similar. Plus like, French, French Horn. Who knows what’s going on?”

“Yeah.” Bucky said softly. “Or like, bra’s aren’t pointy anymore.”

Bruce nodded like it made perfect sense and Sam just shook his head as he texted.

“What?” You whispered to Peter, not knowing what he meant.

“He’s from the 1920s. He’s still adjusting.” Peter whispered to you out of the corner of his mouth before looking at Bucky. “That’s the spirit. Kind of.”

“FRIDAY is sending a car.” Sam informed the group. “This is never happening again. The cookies aren’t that good.”

“They’re pretty good.” Rhodey shrugged, but wanting the late Nate tradition to end. Sam looked at him for a moment before breaking into a smile.

“Hell yeah they are. Let’s do this again tomorrow.”

Bruce found you in the lab the next day with a pin between your teeth and a pencil behind your ear. Papers with drawings of suits were scattered around the table as you measured a piece of black fabric.

“What are you doing?” Bruce wondered as he took a seat across from you. You glanced up at him before marking a dot on the fabric.

“Mr. Stark asked me to help him with the new suits. I’m trying to make a fabric template for Nat’s gloves.” You told him as you smoothed the fabric out.

“Is it hard?” He asked, watching you intently as you worked.

“Not really.” You shrugged and took a step back to examine your work. “Okay. How many holes do we need? 1,2,3,4,5.” You counted your fingers. “Okay. Five holes.”

You sat back down and put five dots where her fingers would be to mark where you had to cut. You heard a slight chuckle from Bruce and looked up at him curiously.

“Did you just count your fingers?” He asked slowly, wanting to make sure he saw what he thought he had. “To know how many fingers Nat has?”

Your face burned when you realized how dumb you looked, in front of a scientific genius no less.

“Oh, Uh, yeah.” You stammered, feeling very insecure with him watching you now. You moved slower than before and second guessed moves you’d already made a hundred times. Bruce sensed your discomfort and got out of his seat, tapping the table twice as he thought.

“Have you ever heard the expression “the lights are on but nobody’s home’?” He asked you and you were grateful he changed the subject.

“Yeah, I think I have.” You smiled, proud of yourself for knowing something.

“It reminds me of you.” Bruce said so politely that you didn’t realize it was an insult at first. He left the lab to find Tony, leaving you feeling embarrassed and a little hurt. Everyone knew Bruce could hurt you ten times worse with his words than the Hulk could with his fists, you’d just never been his target before. You slumped down in your seat and continued making the gloves, your mood significantly dampened from before he came in the room.

You walked into the kitchen the next morning, sleepily rubbing your eyes. You pressed a chaste kiss on Peters shoulder as you passed him, also more affectionate to your best friend when you were half asleep. You smiled at Rhodey, who was seated at the bar and skimming through a newspaper.

“Did you eat yet?” You asked him through a yawn as you got out yogurt and fruit for yourself.

“No. I needed my coffee first.” He smiled sleepily at you and held up his mug.

“Oh, you mean your sugar with a spoonful of coffee?” You teased him. “Yeah, it’s good you got that out of the way.”

“I prefer it this way. The sugar wakes me up.” Peter defended his drink as he took a sip.

“That’s what the caffeine is supposed to do, mi amor.” You laughed as you ruffled his bed head ridden hair. He was about to make a comeback when his stomach rumbles loudly.

“Someone’s hungry.” You remarked. “Do you want eggs?”

“No thanks.” Peter shook his head. “I can’t eat eggs alone.”

“Well I’m here. And Rhodey’s right there, so you’re not alone.” You told him. “And I can grab Steve and Bucky. They’re just in the other room.”

Rhodey looked up from his newspaper with raised eyebrows and looked at Peter. Peter set his mug down and made a face at Rhodey that told him not to say anything. You looked between the two of them in confusion as you wondered what was going on.

“I meant alone as in without toast, sweetness.” Peter said gently, not wanting you to feel dumb for misunderstanding. “But I am glad you’re here.”

“Oh.” You faked a smile and shrugged like it was no big deal. Peter had handled the situation with ease and you didn’t feel as embarrassed as you normally would. That is until…

“You know, Y/n, it’s a good thing you’re pretty.” Rhodey nodded before going back to his newspaper. You froze with your spoonful of yogurt midway to your mouth and looked at him. He didn’t actually call you dumb, but it was implied. You looked at Peter to see if he was thinking the same thing, but his face had nothing but kindness on it.

“You are pretty.” He agreed with Rhodey. “But you’re a lot of other things too.”

You cracked a smile and rubbed his back for a moment in appreciation.

“Thanks Peter.” You said softly and went back to your breakfast. Not wanting to worry him, you ignored the way Rhodey’s comment made you feel and tried to push it from your mind. But no hard you tried to focus on other things, you had one thought prodding at the back of your head.

You were dumb.

A week went by without anyone poking fun at your intelligence. You had a sneaking suspicion Peter had something to do with the lack of comments, but you said nothing. It was nice to have a break from all the teasing and it made hanging out with the team more enjoyable. You all lingered around the kitchen one day, eating all different kinds of lunch when Tony came in the room.

“Eat up, funky bunch.” He clapped his hands. “We have a mission in Alaska to train for and I need all hands on deck. Cap, do you think you can teach Peter that spinny thingy you do?”

“I can try.” Steve looked at Peter and nodded.

“Great. I’m getting a manicure. I’ll be back around noon.” Tony informed you all.

“Wait, I thought you said all hands on deck.” You tilted your head at him.

“I did. Which I why I have to make sure my hands look the best.” Tony waved flirtatiously, wiggling his fingers around like a teenage girl. He smirked as his action was met with some eye rolls and a few chuckles before leaving the room.

“I can’t believe we’re going to Alaska.” Peter nudged you excitedly and you smiled with glee.

“Is Alaska the same as the North Pole? Or am I thinking of Antarctica?” Sam wondered out loud.

“No. The North Pole is all the way at the top. Alaska is below California. Like by Texas.” You said confidently, proud that you knew information that someone else didn’t. Your pride quickly dissipated when you saw the teams faces twist in amusement.

“Wait a minute.” Steve looked at you like you were joking. You shrugged, letting him know you weren’t. Sam burst out laughing and clapped his hands as the rest of the team began to laugh.

“Absolutely not.” Sam grinned as he wiped a tear from his eye.

“Yes it is.” You insisted. “Look at any US map. It’s on the bottom by Hawaii.”

You were getting angry now. You knew you were right this time and they were still teasing you.

“No.” Bucky shook his head is dismissal. “No.”

“Alaska is below California on every map I’ve ever seen. You’re telling me I’m wrong?” You our your hand on your hip and stared at them.

“100%. I am 100% telling you you’re wrong.” Sam said between his laughter. Peter came to your side and showed you a picture of a map on his phone.

“Alaska is US territory but it’s not connected to the rest of the states. They just put it below California on maps to show it’s a part of the US. Thats not actually where it’s located.” He said quietly. You looked at the map for a few seconds before you realized he was right. And if he was right…

You were wrong.

“Oh.” You smiled apologetically and averted your eyes. “Oops.”

You turned around and pretending to clean up the kitchen to hide your searing blush. Your fingers clenched around your sponge when you heard the teasing laughter from behind you.

“Sometimes I wonder how you made it out of high school.” Steve joked as he threw out the crusts of his sandwich. The comment stung you and you began to scrub the counter faster so you could leave the room sooner. Peter could see your shoulders tense and put a reassuring hand on your back. You gave him a tight lipped smiled before putting your dish in the sink.

“I’m still wondering how she made it out of first grade.” Nat teased you and she poked your side.

“I can’t believe she made it out of the womb in the first place with nobody telling her where to go.” Sam said, making everyone laugh loudly. You abruptly threw a dish in the sink, making everyone go silent. You tuned around slowly and faked a smile.

“Haha. Yeah.” You forced a laugh. “I’ll catch you guys later.”

You swiftly left the room before anyone could catch your tears. You felt stupid for even getting upset over it, but their words hurt. Feeling like you were always the dumbest person in the room was taking a toll on you, especially when you weren’t the only one who felt that way. Peter watched you leave with sympathetic eyes, feeling his own frustration bubble at the sound of the team laughing at you. He thought they had listened the first time he told them to stop making fun of you, but they clearly hadn’t. After seeing the pained look on your face, Peter made a decision.

It was never going to happen again.

“Ugh. I’m never gonna get this right.” Peter groaned as he messed up the move Steve was trying to teach him once again.

“You’re getting too much inside your head. Just let it happen naturally.” Steve instructed as he resumed his stance. Peter tried the move again, wiping out and landing on his side with a thud. You watched him out of the corner of your eye as you spared with Nat.

“I can’t.” Peter got up and rubbed his arm. “I can’t do it.”

Steve nodded, like he was accepting Peters defeat. You stopped sparing and looked at Peter.

“Yes you can. Come on, Peter.” You encouraged him. “Everyone told Van Gogh that he couldn’t be an artist because he only had one ear but he did it anyway.”

The room feel silent, as it often did when you spoke, and everyone looked down.

“Oh dear Lord.” Rhodey sighed and hung his head and he snickered. You could see everyone else fighting back laughter or cracking a smile, yet saying nothing.

“What?” You crossed your arms in annoyance, looming to Peter for help.

“He chopped his ear off after becoming an artist.” Peter said kindly. “He wasn’t born without one.”

You opened your mouth to speak, but Tony beat you to it.

“Speaking of ears, do you think of you shone a light in one of Y/n’s ears, it would come out the other ear?” Tony quipped, making everyone laugh. The tips of your ears burned as that feeling of stupidity sunk in again. You undid the Velcro on your boxing gloves and pretended to wipe sweat from your face as you rushed to the bin where the gloves went. You kept your back to the group and pretending to be putting your gloves away when you were really concealing your pained expression.

“Yes.” Nat jeered. “Yes I do.”

Your shoulders slumped with exhaustion as you turned around, making every effort to keep your face neutral. Your face didn’t give away any signs of sadness, but your knuckles turning white from how hard you were gripping the bin gave your true feelings away. Peter noticed this and felt his jaw clench. If you weren’t gonna tell them to stop, he was.

“Leave her alone, guys.” He commanded the crowd before looking at you. “Thanks for the encouragement, Y/n. I’m gonna keep trying.”

“It’s fine.” You nodded curtly. “I’m gonna hit the showers. I’ll see you guys at dinner.”

You walked out of the gym, pausing in place when you heard Sams voice.

“Hit the showers?” He laughed. “We just started.”

“Shhh. Don’t confuse the poor girl any further.” Bruce joked back. You looked back at the gym with your eyebrows knit together, taking a quiet step closer to hear what they were saying about you without you there.

“She’s probably like, ‘whats this magic closet that makes rain?’” Rhodey imitated your voice, making you sound as dense as possible.

“Knock it off guys. It’s not funny.” Peter snapped, but the teasing continued.

“Or like, ‘this shampoo says it adds volume, but I used it and I can’t hear any louder than before’.” Tony mocked you, skipping around a little like a child. Your face contorted in misery as they made fun of you. You knew who they really were, and they were good people. They didn’t intend to hurt your feelings, they were only joking around like they did with everyone. Steve was teased all the time for his old fashioned dialect and no one lets Tony live down the kimono incident. Still, all their insults and mockery cut you like a knife.

“Ahh, I love that girl.” Nat shook her head with a smile. “She’s so dumb.”

“She may be slow, but she’s entertaining as hell.” Sam nodded in agreement.

“I said knock it off.” Peter repeated, getting a reaction this time.

“Aw. Peters mad because we’re teasing his girlfriend.” Nat pouted and pinched Peters cheek. She quickly realized how wholesome she was being and punched Bucky in the face to maintain her lethal assassin persona.

“She’s not my girlfriend.” Peter grumbled. Now that you were out of the room, he was the next target.

“He’s right. Hey, maybe that’s why you guys haven’t gotten together yet.” Rhodey shrugged. “She’s too stupid to realize you’re in love with her.”

That was all you had to hear. You ran towards your with tears running down your face. Thanks to Peters advanced heating, he heard every heavy footstep.

“Okay. Maybe she is a little slow.” Peter shook his head in disdain at the team. “But you guys are idiots.”

You were quiet the entire way to Alaska, keeping to yourself and silently looking out the window. Peter attempted to talk to you once or twice, but he could tell you wanted to be alone. The Avengers completed the mission within a few hours with minor damage to the area. Peter focused on his job but found himself looking for you every now and then, being as you usually stayed together during missions. He didn’t see you anywhere and assumed you were doing your own thing on the other side of the field. He heart rest assured when he saw you boarding the jet, still looking reserved and aloof from the rest of the team. You took a seat by the window and rested your chin on your hand, looking out at the bleak landscape in front of you as the jet took off. Peter didn’t engage in small talk with the rest of the team and wistfully stared at you instead, silently willing you to cheer up.

“I think that went pretty well.” Rhodey nodded and the team agreed. “But where were you the whole time, Y/n? Picking daisies?”

Peter held his breath as you slowly turned around. You gave Rhodey a frigid smile and shook your head.

“We came during a blizzard so I used my powers to create a heated force field around the area we were in to prevent frostbite and give you guys and easier time seeing in the snow. We were also at a higher altitude than any of us are used to so I kept the air pressure to sea level standard.” You said simply. “And I assumed there would be smoke from the battle so I rounded up the nearby animals and made a separate for field around them to protect their lungs.”

The room went silent, something you were used to at this point. But instead of everyone falling silent because they were laughing at you, they were impressed.

“Oh.” Rhodey blinked in surprise, not expecting the answer he was given.

“I also picked this flower.” You smiled proudly as you produced a Forget Me Not from your lap. Peter couldn’t keep the grin from breaking through on his face. You were the center of attention once again, but in a good way this time. Everyone was pleasantly surprised with what you had done and it showed.

“I didn’t think about the altitude.” Nat realized.

“I had no idea there was a blizzard.” Steve added, looking dumbfounded.

“Because I kept you from knowing.” You shrugged. “I wanted you guys to focus on the mission.”

“I mean, I knew. I just didn’t tell you guys because I was so distracted by my buffed and polished nails.” Tony twiddled his fingers again, showing off his freshly manicured nails. You all laughed, breaking the tension in the jet.

“Well look at that.” Sam looked impressed. “Y/n knew something we didn’t.”

It was almost a compliment, but it still made you feel insecure. You didn’t want it to be this mind boggling every time you did something useful.

“Thanks, Y/n. That was really smart.” Peter said softly as he patted your knee. You put your hand over his and squeezed it. It was the first time someone called your smart, and it made you feel good.

“It was really smart.” Sam said skeptically. He stared at you for a moment before poking your side.

“What are you doing?” You swatted his hand away.

“Just making sure you’re still in there.” He eyed you suspiciously. Peter could sense the attention was making you uncomfortable and changed the subject.

“Are we almost home?” He asked Tony before peering out the window. The flight was a little over 7 hours on a normal plane, but the Stark jet was much quicker. The flight would only take a few hours, but Peter was not known for being patient.

“Yes, Peter. We are almost back at the tower. You can get your diaper changed and your bottle as soon as we get back.” Tony sassed him, making him shrink in his seat. Your body language had completely changed and your were now sitting straight, facing the group. Peter was glad you were feeling better and didn’t even mind Tony’s comment.

“Guys, let’s be civil. We’re all tired. We all want to get home.” You said calmly. “Let’s just focus on how pretty the sky looks tonight. Isn’t is pretty, Peter?”

He gazed at your profile as you looked out the window at the stars, admiring how pretty you looked from the side.

“Yeah. It’s beautiful.” He conceded without ever taking his eyes off you. You shot him a smile before looking straight ahead at the dashboard.

“Wow, the moon is huge!” You pointed time a large yellow crescent that could be seen through the window.

“That’s literally the reflection of my banana on the windshield.” Tony deadpanned. He may have been right, but it still looked pretty.

“Should we make a wish?” You asked Peter, ignoring Tony’s comment.

“On the banana?” He asked.

“Yes.” You nodded. “On the banana.”

“Why?” Rhodey asked. “It’s not like people wish on the moon.”

“It feels like we should.” You said with confidence.

“Yep. She’s still in there.” Sam chuckled. And just like that, your confidence receded.

“I hate it here.” Bucky sighed heavily and tuned out of the conversation.

“It must be so peaceful being you, Y/n.” Tony remarked.

“Why do you say that?” You wondered.

“Because instead of thinking about your problems and mistrials, you simply don’t think at all.” Tony said suavely. In only a better for minutes, you’d gone from being the hero to the laughing stock of the group. The sly comments and taunting laughter made you feel like you should stop opening your mouth entirely. You faked a smile and turned back towards the window, tuning out the rest of the way home. Peter chewed his lip as he stared at you, feeling useless to helping you out. The team just wouldn’t let up, no matter how many times he told them to stop. Knowing you weren’t in the mood to talk, he scooted closer to you and put a comforting hand on your back. You smiled warmly at him and rested your head on his shoulder, listening to him point out the constellations the whole way home.

The next day, you and Peter were sitting in the balcony, working on some new gadgets for Mr. Stark when Peter made a startling discovery.

“Where’s my right web shooter?” Peter stood up in a panic when he realized it was missing. “I left it right here.”

“Maybe a bird carried it off.” You shrugged as you twisted a tiny screw into Peters left web shooter.

“I’m being serious, Y/n.” Peter stated. “Mr. Stark is going to kill me and turn me into a decorative rug if I lost it.”

“I’m being serious too. We live in New York and I see birds around here all the time.” You told him as you continued your work. “And you know the pigeons here are feral. A bird probably stole it to pay for his child support.”

Peter usually entertained your antics and joined in with his own batch of sarcasm, but he wasn’t in the mood. His web shooter was missing and their were actual stakes involved. Without his web shooter, he couldn’t be Spiderman. And without Spider-Man, he couldn’t be an Avenger.

“Can you be serious for once?“ Peter whined, picking up everything on the table to look under it.

“I’m just saying it’s possible, Peter. You never know.” You insisted as you put your screw driver down to help him look. You began looking in the flower pots on the windowsill that you and Peter had planted. Peter stopped his search for a moment, growing angry with you for wasting time. He didn’t know if you were joking around or genuine believed his web shooter was in the flower pots, but it made him frustrated nonetheless. A combination of his lack of sleep and stress over losing the webshooter manifested into a moment of unchecked rage.

“No, it’s not possible.” He snapped. “A bird didn’t steal my web shooter. God, do you have to be so stupid?”

The word hung in the air for a moment, settling in to the both of you. Peters eyes immediately softened, feeling instant regret for what he had said. You stopped trifling through the plants and slowly turned around.

“What?” You asked quietly. Peter tightened his lips into a line and tried to justify what he had said.

“I try to defend you but you make it so hard. Can you help me out a little here and not be so…” He trailed off when he realized he had only made it worse. Your face hardened and you looked disappointed in Peter, which killed him. He would have preferred anger or even sadness, but the disappointment killed him.

“So what?” You shrugged. “Finish your sentence Peter.”

“I didn’t mean that.”

“No, really, go ahead.” You stated coldly. “You got this far. So what, Peter?”

He looked at you for a moment, getting that feeling of wishing you could turn back time just a few seconds to fix a mistake.

“So dumb all the time.” He finished his sentence with an unsteady voice. Your face scrunched up in a pained expression as you sucked in and let out a shaky breath.

“You were the only one who never called me that.” You whimpered before moving past him and going inside. Peter watched you through the open balcony doors as you disappeared into the hallway with a heavy heart. His mouth was open to apologize, but you were long gone. He’d seen you being ridiculed so many times already, and now he was the one doing it. All that talk about it never happening again, only for him to be the reason it happened. Peter couldn’t live with himself for another minute without you knowing how sorry he was. He took a step towards the doorway until he heard a pigeon land on the table. He watched it curiously for a moment as it pecked at the screwdriver you had been using before picking it up with its beak. It flew over to the edge and began to walk along the railing, still keeping the screwdriver in his mouth. Peter followed the pigeon, walking all the way down the balcony to find a large nest in the corner. He watched as it dropped the screwdriver into its nest, right next to his web shooter.

“Holy shit. A bird stole my web shooter.” Peter said in disbelief. Peter watched as baby pigeons poked out from inside the web shooter to greet the other pigeon.

“Holy shit. A bird stole my web shooter for his kids.” Peters eyes widened even more than they already were. Realized struck him and his shoulders slumped.

“She was right.” He mumbled, angry at himself more than ever. “I yelled at her and she was right.”

Peter wasted no time in rescuing his web shooter from the birds, offering them a nice biodegradable coffee cup in its place, and ran to the kitchen to make you a peace offering. He knocked softly on your door and didn’t wait for an answer before going in.

“I made you this cup of tea as an apology.” Peter stiffly held out a mug with an awkward smile on his face. You looked at Peter from your bed, eyes puffy like you had been crying. You stared at each other for a long time, you with a death glare and Peter with his awkward smile. Neither of you said a word as Peter continued to hold out the mug. After two full minute of silence, a bead of sweat ran down Peters face as he looked around nervously, never breaking his smile. You let out an angry sigh and decided to throw him a bone, crossing the room to accept his mug. You looked into the cup for a moment before looking back at Peter.

“This is empty.” You deadpanned.

“I don’t know how to make tea.” Peter whispered, never breaking eye contact.

“I’ve seen you make it.” You snapped.

“I forgot how to do it.” Peters eyes shifted nervously to the side.

“Bucky was in the kitchen, wasn’t he?”

“I know he hates me.” Peter talked over you as you groaned. “I know he does.”

“Just go away.” You tried to close the door but he kept it open.

“No.” Peter said firmly. “I came in here to apologize.”

“You see this?” You held up the mug for a Peter to see. “It’s my cup of care. And look at that” ,you dumped the cup over, “it’s empty.”

Peter stared at your demonstration with raised eyebrows, surprised that you were still able to be sarcastic when he hurt you. Peter took the mug from your hands and set it on the ground before slowly looking up at your face.

“You’re not stupid.” He said softly with all the sincerity his heart could give. You scoffed and folded your arms, looking to the side when you felt tears sting your eyes.

“Yes I am.” You said like you fully believed it, which was Peters worse fear. “Everyone says so. Even you.”

It hit Peter like a sheet of glass when you looked at him like that.

Like he was someone you didn’t want around.

“I didn’t mean to say that.” Peter apologized. “That is not how I feel. At all.”

“Don’t act like you’ve never thought about saying that before.” You laughed sadly. “Everyone on the team calls me dumb. It was only a matter of time before you did it too.”

“I didn’t mean it.” Peter repeated. “I don’t think you’re stupid.”

“Bullshit.” You snapped. “You’re so full of bullshit.”

“I’m not full of bullshit.” He whined like a child and gave you puppy dog eyes. “I’m full of regret.”

You chewed the inside of your cheek as he gave you his best pout, willing you to forgive him. Finally, you caved and cracked a smile.

“I hate you.” You stamped your foot and hung your head, frustrated with yourself for not being able to stay mad at him. Peter opened his arms and you walked into them, arms still folded angrily. You bumped your forehead against his shoulder before moving to rest your chin on it as he wrapped his arms around you. Peter nestled against your hair and sighed, happy that you had forgiven him but still saddened that he had hurt you in the first place. He could see the pile of used tissues on your bed and it killed him to know he made you cry.

“I didn’t mean to call you that. I really didn’t.” He said softly. “I’m the one who’s been trying to stop people from saying that.”

“But they still do it.” You sniffled. “Everyday I get called dumb or stupid or scalene.”

“I think it’s obtuse, not scalene.” Peter reluctantly corrected you. You pulled away and little and let Peter wipe the tears from your face.

“Maybe they’re right.” You shrugged and looked Peter in the eyes. “Maybe I am dumb.”

Peter kept your face between his hands, staring at you for a moment before sighing.

“I once sneezed so many times in a row that I peed my pants.” Peter deadpanned. “I was 17.”

“What?” You chuckled as you wiped your nose.

“I saw Bucky try to take a piece of toast out of the toaster with his metal arm and electrocute himself.” He continued. “And I constantly see Tony bumping into glass doors.”

“I don’t understand.” You squinted your eyes, but sure what point he was trying to make.

“Steve still picks up the phone and asks for the operator. Nat leaves her curling iron plugged in all the time. I do not think Sam knows the address of where we live and I’m pretty sure Rhodey can’t do laundry. He gets all his stuff dry cleaned, even his socks.”

“Why are you telling me all of this?” You asked.

“Because were all dumb.” Peter concluded. “We all do and say dumb things. You don’t know where Alaska is and no one in this tower can read analog clocks. If we’re all dumb, then maybe none of us are dumb. Or we all are. Who cares?” Peter shrugged, making you laugh. “And you were right. A bird did carry off my web shooter. So no, you’re no dumb. Or stupid. Or obtuse. You’re, uh, you- you…” Peter looked down at he fumbled over his words.

“I’m what?” You raised an eyebrow. You could finish his sentence last time, but this time you were lost.

“You’re…” Peter tampered off again, staring at your confused expression for a moment before pulling you into a kiss. Your hands clenched into a fist and slowly uncurled as you relaxed into the kiss. Peter pulled away too soon and let his eyes flutter open. They met yours and you shared a moment of hesitation, not knowing what happened rest next.

“I’m gonna be honest lovey, I didn’t really have an ending to that sentence.” Peter chris joes softly, his breath fanning your face. “That was mainly improv.”

“You’re pretty good at improv, Parker.” You cracked a smile and wrapped your arms around his neck.

“I did a little bit of theater in high school.” He shrugged smugly, making you giggle.

“Mmm. I severely don’t want to hear about that.” You teased before kissing him again.

“Oh, I think you do.” Peter remarked. “Because I once went to the bathroom during intermission with my mic still on and the entire audience heard me peeing.”

“Oh my God.” You laughed. “You’re so stupid.”

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