#elder hexside

[quismihiignem]

Lilith stops the drama

drama (loser club)

[kraviolis]

WHY does no one think camila would be super active in her kids' lives!!!!! that she would just immediately dip from the demon realm and not go back unless necessary!!!!! she's not gonna pull a greg universe and step away from one of the most important parts of her kids' lives just because she's uncomfortable with magic!!!! shes a Noceda!!!!!

she would become good friends with all the adults in luz & vee & hunter's lives. she visits the boiling isles several times a week and hosts big family dinners at her house where she invites all of her kids' friends and parents and teachers. her home is always open to any of her kids' friends or parents, whether they need a shoulder or a friend or a break or a hot meal or even just homework help. she babysits king whenever she can find the time to and he starts calling her "mamila" and no, it doesnt make her choke up every time.

she makes a penstagram account with a cosmic frontier reference for her username to keep in close contact with her new friends and she actually knows how to use it better than hunter does. she's the first person alador goes to when he needs advice about being a parent. she has a permanent offer to stay at the owl house or at alador's home whenever she needs. she meets with gilbert, harvey, perry, steve, and raine for brunch every sunday morning.

she and principal bump meet and he is absolutely honored to meet her and he gives her the opportunity to give extracurricular after school lessons at hexside about the human version of beast-healing. she does a single lesson once a month, but does open up the chance for one or two older kids at a time to shadow her at her vet clinic for a day as a little field trip (viney always gets herself at the top of the list and becomes well known around the clinic) and she is lovingly teased by her co-workers for always picking up "strays".

she is one of the people on scene during the gathering of the guards who had all been murdered by their own creator and left to rot in the dark for decades. she doesn't have the strength in her to be one of the ones collecting the remains of all these men and boys who once had her son's face, but she stands by hunter's side and keeps him from falling to pieces and they help make sure all the golden guards all finally given a chance for peaceful rest.

she helps gus with preparing the curriculum for his classes on the human realm in eda's new school. she is there at all of the emerald entrails' flyer derby matches and wears green face paint to every single one and cheers the loudest. she's the one who takes amity to her meeting with the dean of the university of abominations when alador gets fireflu and is stuck in bed. she is the one who figures out hunter's never had a proper birthday party and quickly remedies that.

she meets the elder clawthornes and absorbs every piece of wisdom they give her as if they were her own grandparents. she learns palisman care from dell clawthorne so she can better take care of stringbean whenever luz leaves her palisman with her mom. she gets roped into learning how to carve wood by hunter during the start of his apprenticeship under dell & the bat queen.

her name ends up in the history books of the boiling isles, and not just for being known as the mother of luz the human. she becomes known for being the reason of the sudden boom in witches who focus in beast-healing and the reinvention of the entire industry on the boiling isles. she is known as one of the first people to rediscover and establish contact and fight for the protection of all the basilisks scattered across the boiling isles, who were previously thought to be extinct.

she would NOT just stand by and watch her children come and go between realms with her house serving as the port but not the embassy. she was once that very child, caught between what felt like different worlds, feeling as if she might be forced to choose one or the other because her parents were too uncomfortable with what felt like half of her soul. she would refuse to let luz, vee, or hunter feel as if they have to angle those halves away from her so they dont have to watch her wince at them.

camila noceda would make an effort to make the demon realm a part of herself, too, so that no matter where her kids settled themselves down in the future, they would still always feel at home with her.

[enchantedchocolatebars]

There is one interesting article about why Belos creates grimwalkers if he knows that they will betray him. I translated it so that you could read it.

The main traumatic event in Philip's life is the murder of Caleb. It was such a strong shock for Philip that he remembers it to this day and plays it over and over again. In principle, this is what some traumatized people do - they systematically repeat some terrible event. Some details may change (for example, now Philip the elder), but the main thing remains the same - betrayal and subsequent murder.  By betrayal, Belos can understand a vast layer of things, whether it's an escape, a relationship with a witch, an assassination attempt, an attempt to thwart his plans, joining the side of witches or abandoning the side of witch hunters. Moreover, Philip is not just waiting for betrayal, he is doing everything to be betrayed.

He opens Hunter's eyes too abruptly and unexpectedly to the truth, which completely contradicts his world picture, and thus causes dissonance. Hunter was scared, his Uncle’s motives have not been explained to him in an accessible language, he has not been prepared in advance. Hunter was purposefully pushed into the path of betrayal. Belos revealed the truth in this way, not because he is Big Evil Guy or so naive that he did not even think that Hunter might not take his side (after killing 50 traitor grimwalkers, yeah, yeah), but because he wanted to stroke his mental trauma. To replay the events of the past in a new wrapper, let's say. The reason is not hate, hostility or bad temper. The reason is the desire to feel the strongest pain of a deep trauma, which at the same time gives the greatest relief. Because it is clear and familiar. Everything is as it should be. The author of article was thinking about a variant of events in which Hunter does not escape to Hexside after leaving Phillip's mindscape, but returns to his uncle. One of the possible developments may be the murder of Hunter, because "how is it that he did not betray and did not stroke the mental trauma." And this can become another, already newer and unexpected trauma — the murder of someone who did not betray and remained faithful to the end.

Ooo, I see!

That is interesting, Anon. 👀

Thank you for the translation.

Do you have a link to the article?

I'm interested in finding out if the author has written more character analyses.

( @pokeycub and @talisman975 . )

[sepublic]

            It’s interesting that S1 is the most conventional in terms of kids’ show formats and lessons, especially given the confirmation that it suffered the most executive meddling (not counting Seasons 2 and 3 dealing with the shortening). S1 is primarily where Luz, as well as King, learn the standard, typical Aesops of ‘Be nice and think of others, don’t be selfish’, that sort of thing. It’s where a humbled Luz is most reminded that she’s not the Main Character, and must be mindful of the people around her… A necessary lesson, keep in mind.

         However, there’s still an undercurrent of her asking and sometimes even demanding things, things she wants and needs and deserves, and Luz gets it! Eda enrolls Luz at Hexside because Luz wants to! Bump lets Luz do multi-track learning after she and the others insist! And that comes to fruition in the rest of the show, as the ideal Luz should accept for herself… Even as the events and trauma of S1 leave Luz with the takeaway that, no, she IS a bad person who is selfish and has hurt others in her narrow-minded pursuits, and must actively atone and cease being a burden.

         I think it’s neat; The first season, the ‘safest’ one, as influenced by Disney, is the one that espouses to Luz to ‘Be a good kid’. But the rest of the show afterwards, more true to Dana’s vision, is Luz encountering the downsides of devoting herself too deeply to that idea, with little to no forgiveness for herself; We see and know the merits of that typical lesson, but it also gets a bit deconstructed as TOH argues it’s just as important, if not moreso, for Luz to take care of herself too, give herself some credit, etc.

         This ‘second phase’ of the show is when Luz really begins to face off with Belos, who is an actual, literal puritan motivated by their ideology. And as I’ve discussed in the past, puritan ideology presumes humanity as existing in a natural state of guilt (which coincides with the Guilty until proven Innocent nature of the witch trials), due to the first sin. As a result, just about anything engaging in pleasure or fun is seen as hedonistic and ‘sinful’, and puritans are expected to constantly atone for their existence by devoting themselves to a higher cause, God and the collective.

         It tracks that the puritan mindset has had its legacy in real life, with a lot of conventional kids’ media reminding their audience not to be a brat; Kids are expected to obey rules, trust in the wisdom of their elders, etc. Stories like Pinocchio come to mind, with Guillermo Del Toro even criticizing it for seeking to ‘tame the child’s spirit’, hence his own version of the tale deconstructing the original by being a defiance to conformity.

         So it’s rather meta that TOH starts off with that surface-level quest to be a responsible child for Luz, in its first season (the executive one, the introductory ‘testing the waters’ season where each episode is about an Aesop). But there’s that undercurrent of Luz being rewarded for thinking about herself; So when the show really begins to dig deeper in Season 2 -being more apparent with its more mature storylines and tone, and less bound by corporate mandates to stick to the regular episodic formula- TOH’s true nature begins to reveal itself.

         Dana did explain that S2 was truer to her vision, and especially in light of the shortening, she outright admitted that the crew went for a more “Screw it, let’s just do what we want” route with TOH, and you can really tell. Dare I say, a more disobedient approach, as a contrast to S1 being more corporate, and on the surface about being the Responsible Child. I find it neat how the writers made Disney’s mandates work (such as Hexside for example), giving us the surface of that conventional story about a child learning to behave herself, only to say But there’s much more to her actualization than that.

         The narrative begins peeling back the layers of that supposed story by showing the consequences of the kid protagonist’s adventure, not just in the trauma, but by displaying how its morally righteous takeaways can lead to toxicity and outright evil, such as with someone like Philip Wittebane. TOH is being nuanced by balancing the selfless and selfish ends of the spectrum, but ultimately it’s finishing on the note of Luz learning to fight for herself, at least as much as she does for others.

         After all, there’s definitely a real-life social trend leaning towards being easier and less punishing on kids; Physical punishment is seen as physical abuse, and people are becoming more aware of just how difficult it really is to be a minor, actually. A lot of conservative groups complain that society has become ‘softer’, but the idea of disobedience and rebellion has become more and more attractive as corporate power constricts and demands you work full-time, emphasizing productivity.

        ‘Empowerment’ is a term that’s more discussed, so when we use that word for minorities, it’s inevitable that people will extend it to adolescents as well, hence the meme of Okay Boomer, as a response to Millennials supposedly ruining everything. Dana herself also mentioned she grew up in a catholic school and was even placed into a headlock by a nun as a child once, which given her story’s villain is a puritan…

         I think TOH argues that Yes, some of the ideas behind being a responsible child do have a bit of a place. BUT, it follows this up with the notion that this default sentiment for kids can and has been damaging, just as S2 follows up on S1’s more corporate, lesson-of-the-day format with a freer story that has Luz struggle with her unfair guilt. The show’s very structure and organization on a meta level ends up reflecting how it offers a typical lesson, but then deconstructs it to argue the opposite is good; Just as Luz enters expecting your regular pretty isekai, but finds something grotesque and demonic, only to accept and embrace that too.

        Luz forgiving her desires pairs with TOH saying it’s okay to be selfish and not expect yourself to be a Hero who saves the world, which is a presumption both egotistical but also demanding. This matches with S2 introducing more prevalently the idea that, hey, maybe kids shouldn’t be expected to save the day either, given the trauma it instills, and the expectation to essentially be a responsible, productive child who is successful in life. That defies the puritan mindset to atone, work hard, and devote yourself to something greater, such as the collective and/or God, which is something American society is continuing to unlearn; And The Owl House reflects these trends as the product of various social movements, such as queer rights.

[childlikegoblinqueen]

what family members(besides hunter and Willow) is Artemis closest with?

I love this question because I imagine that Hunter is a bit overwhelmed at first by what it means to raise his daughter in a big loving family.

She’s the opposite of lonely.

Artemis is close to all of her grandparents (Darius included). Everyone of them has a different bond with her and she loves them all.

Of course she’s close with Luz and Amity and her cousin Azura — but I imagine Azura goes through that thing that older cousins go through where she acts too cool for Artemis when she starts Hexside.

She calls King “fluffy” because he never bothered to correct her the first time. Eda tried this too. King corrected her. Raine was amused.

She really loves spending time with Vee and Masha too. They do fun human realm activities with her. Especially around Halloween. I HC them as child free by choice, so when Artemis comes to visit, they get to do all the fun kid stuff they like to do with a kid.

But outside of the big immediate family members, she spends a lot of time with Hunter at the palisman shop, or at Lilith’s cottage, so she’s close to Lilith and the elder Clawthornes. And Hooty. She loves Hooty.

She grows up near the BQ’s kids too — but someone asked me something in my comments that made me imagine that Artemis would be very close with Steve and Katya’s son.

Yes, they still name him Orion and he and Artemis get fun comments about that all the time.

I can elaborate if you’re interested!

😆

[em-ira]

About Me~

I am the elder sister to my Twin Brother, Edric, and our baby sister Amity. (Two years younger!)

Our mother, Odalia, and father, Alador, run the family firm, Blight Industries, which specialises in making abomination based equipment, and personnel, including security personnel.

Our family lives in Blight Manor.

It's on the Right Arm of the Boiling Isles, near Bonesborough, just up the hill from the Factory, off the road towards Knuckle Point.

Latterly, Alador has been perfecting a blend of technology and Abomination based magic to produce the Abomatons.

Edric and I have had a troubled past.

We were looked after in the main by abomination servants, and we largely missed out on the parental love most children experience.

This led to us developing a high form of  interdependence.

We are 'fun' driven most of the time, not being too serious.

We have enjoyed playing pranks on others, mostly without serious repercussions. Mostly!

Our parents, especially Odalia, did their best to mould us into what they thought of as perfection.

We became savvy enough to realise this, and so managed to use this to our advantage.

We take after Odalia, when it comes to hair color,  and have similar eye color to Alador.

Amity, however, has father's hair color, as well as eye color, leading Odalia to 'encourage' her to have her hair dyed green, to match her, and us twins.

When she was born, Amity tended to have what parental attention there was.

Feeling replaced, we developed an almost antagonistic relationship with her, which was reinforced when she developed a penchant for 'telling tales' on us, threatening our fun.

Under the influence of Odalia, Amity was,  like us before her, being moulded to be another perfect reflection of Odalia. She was coerced into wanting the things that mother desired.

This included Amity being 'blackmailed' into ending her friendship with Willow Park.

I respond very well to Em.

🧙‍♀️🙋‍♀️

(A lot of the above has been explained to me by Eda, in long conversations at the Owl House...she has known the family for many years, attending Hexside at the same time as Odalia and Alador...)

[autumns-character-repository]

OC Masterlist

This is a list of all the OCs that I've written anything significant about, rather than just coming up with a vague design and name. I will be updating this from time to time, with links to relevant posts I've made about the characters. Yes, there are some running themes in my characters, I am very predictable.

Destiny 2:

Varri Selura: Awoken Warlock, risen shortly after the Curse of the Dreaming City is applied. Favours Void and Stasis subclasses. Primarily uses sniper rifles and hand canons in the field. Vex scholar, Hidden Operative and painfully bisexual. Loves tea, horror stories and beeswax candles in her downtime. Avoids Crucible like the plague, but enjoys Gambit occasionally.

Warframe:

Cyndorea (Tenno): Eldest of the children aboard the Zariman, favours Wisp, Mag and Harrow warframes. Wanted to be an Archimedian when she graduated. Has a strong interest in Tenno philosophy and metalworking. Lover of tea and Solaris detective novels.

Cyndorea (Drifter): Eldest of the children aboard the Zariman, and seemingly the only survivor of her iteration of the ship. Extremely photosensitive, and a writer of bad poetry. Has a moderate addiction to Tasoma extract, which she used to manage her nightmares. Surprisingly good at the Shawzin.

The Elder Scrolls:

Llaros Arianell: Dunmer Archmage, born to a Telvanni father and an Ashlander mother. Apprenticed under a Telvanni magister until his death, when she moved to Skyrim and started attending the College of WInterhold

Gwyneth Ashfield: Breton Conjurer, originally from Daggerfall, but has since moved to Bruma in Cyrodiil. Aspiring author of mystery novels, but struggles to find a publisher.

RWBY:

Sable Armitage: Cuttlefish Faunus, born and raised in Vale. Prone to severe nightmares and sleep paralysis. Prefers a cane sword in combat. Formerly a Huntress, but allowed her certification to expire in favour of becoming a freelancer. Her Semblance, That Which Eternal Lies, allows her to create an area in which living things are forced to fall asleep around her, with the further ability of forcing dreams upon those in her grasp.

The Owl House:

Thalia Dorn: A Witch initially from the Toes, who moved to Bonesborough following the Day of Unity and the Collection. Student at Hexside, studying Abomination and Oracle magic. Eventually gets a teaching position at the University of Wild Magic, teaching the history of magical development.

[whothefelsewantedtobelynnyx-ao3]

OK HERE WE GO!

-First Ravenation post I ever made!

-Angsty hurt/comfort Ravenation fic I wrote

-Reunions!

-Platonic snuggles because Lilith needs a nap

-Incorrect quotes that were technically inspired by one of your posts so IDK if you've seen it yet.

-Elder Hexside Squad shit! (technically not ravenation but I love it anyway and I thought ya would too)

-Lavender marriage AU!

Pssst…over here. *opens trench coat to reveal a shit ton of (PLATONIC) ravenation posts I’ve made* you want some????

*slams table* YES

[covens-of-correct-quotes]

Lilith: Why aren't there friend pick up lines? Pick up lines to make friends like-


Lilith, to Darius: Hey, that's a cute outfit. You know where it would look better? On nobody else, because you're a beautiful individual.


Odalia, to Alador: Be my friend or I'll set your entire family on fire.


Raine: There are two types of people.

[whotfelsewantedtobelynnyx]

TOH Incorrect Quotes* Part 3: Boba Tea Edition

*Elder Hexside Crew, all sitting in a van together drinking bubble tea*

Lilith: *sudden coughing*

Perry: Whoa. You ok?

Lilith, glaring indignantly at her drink: I’m fine, I just choked on a boba. I wasn’t expecting it.

Darius, who’s driving: Um, how? You’re drinking boba tea.

Lilith: Well,it popped out when I wasn’t ready. You have to suck really hard to get it up.

Alador: *also chokes*

Eda: *starts giggling*

Raine: *trying to avoid making eye contact with Eda and avoid cracking up at the same time*

Lilith: Wait…wait, NO!

*Eda starts laughing harder*

Lilith, bright red in the face: Shut up! *glares at her tea* There’s another one. I’m just gonna…gonna…

Eda, practically crying with laughter: What? You were gonna what?

Lilith: …I was gonna say suck it up.

Eda: *doubles over laughing*

Alador: No, no, I get it. It’s the little pearls. They’re hard to eat. *thoughtfully* Maybe if I suck on it with my tongue in the way…

Eda, now clinging to Raine for support: *wheeze* You’re making this so easy for me.

Darius: I’m gonna crash this fucking car.

*Quotes are taken from LynNyx’s weird, weird life

[sound-under-the-sea]

I like having a chill/shenanigans au because it’s where the fun vibes go.

There are chatrooms for the various Covens and Coven Heads while those in the same age group/year have their own chatroom.

Then you have instances where Steve once started a snowball fight on the Knee to boast morale.

The Coven Heads talk about random bs and get nothing done while the sane ones just rolls their eyes in “why are we here?” kind of way.

Two people closest with Lilith tried to get her palisman to swear, but the jokes on them they can already swear because Lilith keeps swearing in her head. Unknowingly saying “fuck” every time.

Steve writes his reports in a glitter pen because he wants to have fun. Much to Lilith’s annoyance. He dots his eyes with hearts and leaves emoticons at the end. :)

Darius comes in complaining about what either Snapdragon did or what stupid design Alador made. Other times it the latest news/gossip.

Lilith’s office door has seen better days. It’s either Darius and Eber strutting in to talk; Steve casual walking in to show a meme that she doesn’t get; or it’s Kikimora to bother her. Lilith just wants to work in peace.

The Elder Coven Heads have conversations on what to get on the pizza and Osran wants anchovies like the boss he is. Everyone else calls him a monster for such a suggestion.

Osran writes in cryptic text that no one asides from Terra, Hettie, Vitimir and a few of his older students.

Hooty attempts to write to Lilith every week because he wants to make sure she’s ok.

Steve accidentally meeting Lilith’s Palisman as they fly through the air. He thought they were the most adorable thing.

Then offset it with angst/realistic au.

Like Lilith being hesitant to consider Steve or Darius a friend after she ruined the last close bond in her life.

Steve having moments of guilt where he thinks he failed his fellow Coven Scouts and wonders if he’s on the wrong team.

Darius thinking he’s fine and happy as he finally prove the bitch Odalia wrong, but he doesn’t. Like his mother always said, “Do it for yourself, not for others. If you do it for others, then you will always feel empty.”

Just thinking about how all the adults try to feel the need to prove themselves or justify themselves because that’s what society’s taught them ever since Belos came to power.

The sad thought of in between the Previous Golden Guard and Hunter, Belos would have moment where he’d take his anger out on Lilith because he equally enrages him.

The small worry of the Clawthorne Palismans during Agony of a Witch as Lilith’s Palisman wonder if they’re going to far.

Just the way my brain seesaws.

[halfawitch-willow]

Willow watched the rising shadow carefully, holding her breath until it receded. She wasn't sure what she'd said to set Lilith off, especially as she actually seemed pleased by Willow's answer, but she supposed it didn't matter. Even that small, likely-subconcious use of magic had made all of the hair on her tail stand straight up.

Lilith Clawthorne was a very, very powerful sorcerer, and Willow's dorm room was very, very small.

At the mention of the Blights, Willow paled a bit and struggled to not visibly react. They were all here?! She'd only heard about Amity attending school down here. The moment her friendship with Amity had officially ended and the bullying from their classmates had picked up, Willow had made it a priority to avoid the elder Blights as much as possible. When she had been friends with Amity, the pranks the twins had pulled had been relatively harmless, but Willow knew they were capable of much more.

They'd scared her only a little less than Amity because they didn't know as much as their sister did.

Willow had absolutely no clue who the last person was. She didn't think she'd known a Hunter at Hexside, at least. "I'll be sure to keep an eye out for them," she temporized, still planning to avoid them all.

@ravenwitch-lilith

Father Mandated Wellness Check || Willith

[shad0w-s0lver]

Meet my Cuphead AU’s!!

Hello there! This blog is where I post my Cuphead AU’s. You guys can ask anything from each of them. Though, here’s a little list/explanation about each of them

Glitch-Bound AU • Cuphead & mugman are considered puppeteers. The rest of the characters are considered as puppets. • This is a crossover AU of Cuphead, the owl house, Amphibia, Boboiboy, Pokémon, Murder drones & a little bit of cookie run: kingdom • Mugman’s powers are a bit limited, whilst Cuphead doesn’t • Cuphead is the main puppeteer. He is more powerful than the others • Cuphead tends to act like a child from times (& he throws tantrums, but mugman calms his ass down) • This AU is quite dark as it contains gore, blood, $uIc*d^, Manipulation, and a whole lot of murder

Hexside AU • A little crossover AU: Cuphead x BATIM x The Owl house • Cuphead is a witch, while Mugman is a half witch-half demon hybrid. • Mugman’s eyes are special Cuz whenever he looks at someone or something, it floats around, sort of like psychic powers • has little angst 

Red Cardinal AU • Here, Mugman is an only-child, due to Cuphead dying at a young age. What’s quite sad is that Mugman has no memory of Cuphead when they were little. • While reading a book, a red cardinal land on Mugman’s book. Mugman decides to keep the little bird & named him Flappy. • I made this AU pre-s3 of the Cuphead show & after the owl house’ “Thanks to them”. It was made for a little recovery cause of the red cardinal in that show died. I am still recovering to this day • In this AU, Mugman wishes he had a brother.

Forgotten friend AU • A Cuphead show “What if...?” AU • What if... Chalice managed to actually betray Cups & Mugs • Cups & Mugs made a deal with the devil for them to live, & in return they have to collect at least 1 soul per day • Cuphead & Mugman wield a Scythe (one of the reasons I made this AU) • AU half-inspired by a webtoon series “I am the Grim reaper” • Half of their Memories are erased • What the cup bros remember: elder kettle, Themselves, The devil & King dice • What they don’t remember: Their adventures (Brineybeard, Cala, Chalice, Bon Bon)  Hanahaki disease AU • I researched what it meant but I’m disregarding its og meaning in this AU lmao (you cannot stop me) • Cuphead was the one infected • I do not ship Cuphead x Baroness von bon bon Ask box will be open from a lot of times

[childlikegoblinqueen]

Writing Notes: Sweet Child O' Mine: Scarytales ETC

Last chapter there was a Grimwalker Scarytale and a little more background about Osran's family.

I was super nervous about writing this chapter for a few reasons.

First, I am a huge fan of mythology, folklore, fairytales etc. I wasn't sure it would work, or if I could get the feel of it down in universe.

Second, people seemed into the idea and I felt a lot of pressure, but folks seemed into it!

For more info, the text of the scarytale, and the identity of the character who gave the "gift" in the flashback from Hunter and Willow's engagement party below.

For reference: In a previous chapter it was suggested that the "Grimwalker" books currently available (those Hunter read while hiding out at Hexside etc. were ripe with half truths, misinterpretations or just bad information all together. In fairytales, we often can get an idea of how folks saw various populations through the way they are regarded in story.

So, for the scarytale, it didn't have to be clear if this was an edit or the original version. It gives a general sense as to how grimwalkers had been portrayed on the Boiling Isles. It was not good. There's also a nod to how basilisks might have been seen as well.

Lilith also lets Hunter and Willow know, in addition to Osran being from an influential family (one he connects with the oracle in the scarytale) he had a distant relative in the castle that spied for him and likely tipped him off that Hunter was a grimwalker.

The only other character who has "fingers" on their head.

In the flashback where Hunter and Willow receive the "gift" of a decapitated snake on their engagement party, there is a card with a message written in blood. And that message is:

"Regards, Kikimora."

LEGENDS OF GRIMWALKERS

Fifth Edition Stories Collected and Edited by Head Witch G’Mork with Foreword by Flora D’Splora.

TALE IX

Oracle of Lovoed

Once two witch brothers traveled through a forest. They were returning from a war and looking to make their fortune on the Boiling Isles. The older brother was tall and handsome and beloved by all the witches and demons who set eyes upon him. The younger brother was serious and stern, but what he lacked in charm, he made up for in shrewdness.  

The brothers followed a strange path to a clearing where they happened upon a castle surrounded by cobblestone streets.

Oracles by trade, the brothers set up shop and were immediately approached by royal guards and brought to the castle for a feast with the King and his two children.

The prince was attractive and jovial. He had an affinity for potion magic and dazzled the elder brother with tales of his deeds. The princess was an appealing young witch, but her sullen expression soured the meal. Her half lidded eyes turned away from her father and his guests, while dozens of blood red roses bloomed in her hair. She had plucked one from her long black braid, and held it to her nose as if drinking in its scent, while she cradled its stem in her delicate fingers.

After the meal, the King dismissed his children and turned to the brothers.

“What do you think of the prince and princess?” The King asked.

“The prince is lovely” Blushed the elder brother dreamily.

“And my daughter?” Asked the king quite seriously. “I expect honesty.” He added, giving a pointed look towards the younger brother.

”She would be comelier,  if her expression was cheerier.” answered the younger.

The King nodded. “I would like your help. We are in need of an Oracle and none of the witches or demons in my fiefdom are known for such magic. It seems that my daughter is under an enchantment. Every night she goes to bed, at a sound hour,  but in the morning she emerges from her quarters exhausted. Her slippers are covered in dirt, and her hair is a nest of those Titan-damned flowers.”

The younger son drew a spell circle as his eyes fell into a vision. He Saw the young princess in a locked garden in embrace with a mysterious figure with eyes that glowed eyes as red as the roses in her hair. When he told the king what he saw, his majesty’s mood became volatile. 

“It was as I have suspected!!” He shouted.  “The princess has been seduced by a grimwalker.”

The brothers had heard of such monsters, with their intense eyes and their penchant for trickery, created as replacements for the dead.

“For too long I have permitted noble families to keep these creatures as servants in substitution for their children who had perished in service to the Kingdom – but no more.” 

That night the King ordered all the grimwalkers in the kingdom be drawn out to the courtyard and slaughtered, their galdorstone hearts added to the treasury. The brothers were lauded as heroes and the princess was sent to bed hoping that to be the end of the matter.

But the next morning the princess once again emerged from her room, walking in a daze, her slippers covered in dirt and her hair a tangle of roses. 

“Your vision has failed!” The king told the young Oracle. “I will give you two more chances to prove your skills. And as insurance I will lock your brother in the dungeon!”

Once again, the Oracle looked into the eyes of the princess and he Saw another vision of the same sinister figure, this time it held the princess an intimate embrace, the creature’s eyes bled with lust as it placed its lips upon hers. 

When the King heard what had been Seen, he fumed and demanded all families who had kept these creatures’s properties seized until the monster with a hold on his daughter was captured. That night the King ordered guards to stand outside the princess’s door and window. 

But the guards were foolish and took tea from the princess that had been enchanted with sleeping nettles. In the morning the princess emerged from her quarters once more, shoes even dirtier, eyes heavier, thorny roses in her hair. 

Now the King was furious. He threw the guards out to die in the boiling rain where they melted away. He turned to the young Oracle. “This is your last chance!  Find out how to release my daughter from this enchantment or you and your brother will suffer the same fate as the guards!”

The Oracle looked into the eyes of the princess once more.  Now not only did he See this creature, its eyes glowing bright, its breath upon her neck. But now he Heard them making plans to escape together. But he could not See the path to the location of their tryst. 

“Sire, if I may.” Said the younger brother. “I have a plan to entrap this creature, I require a potion of wakefulness, a small band of your finest soldiers and a basilisk skin cloak.

“I will give you what you ask for, but your failure will seal your doom.”

As an extra precaution, The king ordered the princess’s windows bricked shut. This time the young Oracle himself sat guard. The princess wished him goodnight and offered him a tea blend which he knew was enchanted. The Oracle drank it for show and immediately as the door closed he drank the potion of wakefulness.

At the stroke of midnight the princess emerged from her room, moving in stilted motions, as if under a mind control spell. The Oracle pretended to sleep as she slipped past and when he was in the clear, altered the King’s soldiers to follow him quietly. The Oracle trailed the princess to an old walled garden as she drew three spell circles summoning vines from all around. She scaled the vines and when she had made it over, the Oracle and guards did the same.

The Oracle ordered the guards to trap the princess and demanded she that call for her lover. She screamed and with the basilisk skin cloak, the Oracle shifted into the form of the princess. When the grimwalker arrived to claim its prize,  the guards captured it, casting a netting spell over its writhing form.  

The Oracle proudly presented the monster to the King as it spewed lies of affection for the princess and false grief for the loss of its kin. Its eyes leaked and when that did no good, it lunched forward, gnashing its terrible teeth,  taking ten guards to restrain its monstrous form. 

As guards prepared the grimwalker for execution as the princess begged for its life, so deep into its spell that she had lost all dignity.

“Do not be fooled, pet.” The King soothed her.  “This creature feels no love.  It mimics life. Everything it says is a trick.”

“You have done well”, he told the young Oracle.  “As a reward, your brother will marry my son the prince and inherit half of my kingdom. And you will have my daughter’s hand in marriage.” 

But the young Oracle was not satisfied.

“Your daughter has no claim to the crown. No power. She has consorted with a monster. And my brother will become a ruler? I did all the work! ”

The King shook his head. “You do not have the bearing of a King, but you are cunning enough to challenge me. What is it you want?” 

The Oracle lifted his chin and spoke the words that rested deep within his belly.

“I want influence! I want wealth! I want to be the most powerful Oracle that ever lived!”

The King considered this. 

“Then I offer you a place as my advisor, an estate with many servants, ten galdorstones, and this grimwalker’s body.” 

“I do not need a monster as a servant, let alone one that will betray me and make off with my wife!” The Oracle scoffed, already imagining his wedding night with the princess.

“ I will tell you a secret.” said the King , “Drain dry the blood from this creature and keep a vial of it’s life force around your neck. With its magic, your visions will surpass any oracles that have come before. You and your descendants will  See beyond any witches that have come before. You gain influence, wealth and prosper in all the realms for as long as the magic is potent.”

And with that, the Oracle ran a sword straight the heart of the creature. As it bled out, its body returned to wood and stone. The princess let out a harrowing shriek thus freeing the her enchantment. 

The Oracle married her and they lived ever after.

Footnotes:

To this day, It is thought to this day that the blood of a Grimwalker is especially valuable to oracles, enhancing their visions, and increasing their power tenfold. This story is attributed as the origin of that belief. 

[shortprince-cos]

A sneak peek at my next multi chapter fic because im excited and need motivation to finish it!

~~~~~

"Uh... Yeah." He said awkwardly, trying to figure out the best plan of action to get out of here. "Speaking of which, I should probably get back to Hexside anyway. I really have to, uh... check on my friends." Nice.

"Hold on, there." Dell said before Hunter could even try to get up. "You can't leave until a healer comes to make sure your head is okay, but it'll probably be awhile until they get here."

"I'm sure I'm fine." Hunter retorted, sitting up a little. "I can take care of myself, I've done it my whole life."

The man frowned. "Well, even if I trusted that you'd be okay on your own, its impossible for you to leave right now."

Hunter started to get nervous when he said that, fidgeting slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Its raining right now, and probably will be until tomorrow, so you can't exactly go anywhere anyway."

"Oh." Hunter said flatly. Being stuck here until tomorrow wasn't ideal, but at least this 'Dell' wasn't keeping him here for nefarious reasons. At least, he didn't think he was, but you could never be too sure. Hunter made a mental note to always be on guard here.

"But, if you need to contact your friends or family, I have a crowphone you can borrow. Unless you have one of those, uh, Pen-Grams that all the kids have nowadays."

The teen was pretty sure that it wasn't pronounced like that, but to be honest he didn't know enough about the device Darius had gifted to him in the first place, so he didn't want to correct him.

Unfortunately, he realized he didn't have either of the communication devices, as his crowphone was still in his room at the castle, and he had no idea where his scroll went. He probably dropped it at some point during the battle or when he was fleeing the scene. If he had magic he could just summon it, but that was a no-go for obvious reasons.

Darius would probably be disappointed if he found out Hunter had lost it, he thought with a grimace. He'd have to apologize if he saw the headwitch again later.

"Oh. Thanks, but..." Hunter pondered for a moment. Did he even have anyone to call? Maybe his friends Willow or Gus? Would they care? The Owl Lady? Ehh. Luz? She was probably dealing with a lot. The Blights? Principal Bump? Darius?

"...I don't have anyone to call." He finished solemnly, looking down at the snuggley bird in his lap.

The room was silent for a moment, though it felt like years. The words Hunter had muttered hung thick in the air, like they were suffocating him.

"...You sure?" Dell asked, and Hunter could feel the man's eyes boring into him, like he was looking for something that the boy could provide.

Hunter continued to avert his gaze. "I'm sure." His voice cracked. Titan, he sounded so... weak. And pitiful. Why couldn't he just pull it together? He can't show weakness in front of this man. He just can't.

He could hear the elder sigh. "Alright. Since the healer won't be here until tomorrow, how about you get cleaned up while I go make dinner?"

~~~~~

It might change in the future cause idk what happens in the next episode obviously, but after that I'll fix whatevers not right and continue working on this!

It'll probably be a long while until it's finished since I don't really have an ending planned, but I figured you'd all like to see anyway! Lmk if you liked this!

The Owl House Taglist: @agrebel18 @willowways @melancholy-marigolds @lindendragon @sega-dreamcast-official @bioluminescent-bladeschild @beyondglass @tranquil-space-ninja

Ask if you'd like to be added/removed!

{My TOH fanfic masterlist}

Reblogs help <3

[sound-under-the-sea]

They are a fun group to write for.

The OG Hexsquad has my heart and soul, especially Darius, Raine, Lilith, and Eda. I love the current Hexside squad so much, but it is the generation before them that consumes my thoughts and headcanons.