#i just really love the thought of king and caleb finding their way back to each other eventually and just. being happy

[sammy-deserves-better]

Hey people who definitely didn’t follow me for my AUs here’s another AU I thought up on the spot!!!

Fantasy/Royalty AU bam lets get into it

Julia and Bowie are the princess and prince of the kingdom, as you do, it’s gay and lesbian hostility in that castle every day

Axel, Wayne, Raj and Emma are knights with Axel being the head of the knights, Emma is also secretly a florist because why not

Priya is the head of the guards while Caleb is the personal guard/advisor to the king

Chase is a travelling bard who loves to talk about his ‘amazing’ adventures of ‘helping’ people

Nichelle is still a famous actress but instead of movies she’s like, famous from plays and all that jazz

Ripper’s a barbarian that’s pretty good at his job, unfortunately he is not taken very seriously

Millie is a famous writer but she’s so damn difficult to find at times and only a few people know where she actually lives

Damien is a wizard’s apprentice, he’s still learning but he’s got some real talent within him

Zee is the court jester, he didn’t even like try out for the role he just started talking one time and the king thought he was hilarious

Scary Girl is a famous necromancer because she is, funnily enough, scarily good at her job

And MK, silly ol’ MK, is a master thief who is wanted all over the world, but can never be located, always managing to escape at the last moment

Alright here’s some more details yippee

Raj and Bowie are like, in love, obviously, knight x prince romance! Forbidden love that isn’t really forbidden but like it’s super cute and Raj is so smitten and Bowie just loves this handsome knight that would do anything for him

Wayne and Emma are friends here because I also think they’re silly, Wayne’s the only one who knows Emma’s secret florist job because she trusts him enough and also he accidentally found out but it’s fine!! But he also nearly gives away Emma’s secret so many damn times because he’s just a little bit stupid

‘Man I wish I could get Bowie a nice bouquet…’

‘Oh well Emma is actually a fl-‘

And then Wayne gets elbowed so hard he can’t breath for 2 minutes

Emma also definitely has a thing for the cute court jester but she has no idea on how to actually approach Zee so she just sends him flowers anonymously and sighs while looking at him lovingly

Julia and MK meet because MK climbs up the damn castle walls at 2am and sneaks into Julia’s room just to rob her, gets absolutely slammed by the princess, wakes up and is tied to a damn chair with Julia right up in her face about to rip her to shreds and all MK can say is ‘you are REALLY attractive oh my gods’

This throws Julia off, they start talking, Julia realises that despite the fact she is holding one of the most wanted criminals hostage in her room, she wants to keep seeing MK because she’s entertaining and mean and just slightly pathetic, so she lets MK go on the promise that the thief will come back every night and so she does and yadda yadda lesbians toxic yuri wins

Millie’s stories actually come to life because shocker she’s actually a wizard in disguise and she needs to be really careful about what she writes so that’s why she hides herself away and is so hard to track down because if the wrong people knew about her magic capabilities oh no that’s a lot of blood and injury and angst and 10k words every chapter

Millie’s parents also had this ability to create anything from mere writing, they shared this ability with the kingdom, and so if an important figure asked them to say…make a protector of the kingdom, they would do so, and they did, and that’s where our villain/antagonist comes in but that’s a story for another day

The older gens are also involved in this one way or another as well, most are just backgrounders but some hold important to the story

Damien is the wizard apprentice to Leonard and Tammy, two great and powerful sages who spend their time helping the world

DJ is the one who taught Emma how to be a florist, he’s kind and understanding and always helps Emma choose the right flowers to give to Zee

Eva trains Ripper under her watchful eye, she’s proud of how far he’s come, but feels he can do just a bit more

Aleheather are the king and queen of the kingdom, Bowie and Julia are their adopted children

And that’s all I got for now uhhhh add whatever you want to this it’s just a silly time

[satureja13]

After Skully opened the passage for them, Jeb, Saiwa and Jack were finally able to move on to the next cave, where Jihovere and her King just found each other.

Even though they were surprised to find Vlad here, they gave each other just a short heads up to see if everyone was ok. And Jack was finally facing his demon. The Crossroads Demon who took his heart after Greg made that stupid wish that went all wrong! Time to find out if he knows what happened the night Jack died! Vlad was worried about his best friend: "Do you really want to know? Ignorance is a blessing sometimes. What if this knowledge kicks you in a coma again or back into your madness? You know how devastated Luke was in 'The Empire strikes back' after he learned that Darth Vader is his father! We already know what killed you, hm?"

But Jack doesn't want to hear anything of this: "No. I want to know what happened. It's just a game and I know that, don't worry. We've come so far and I want a proper finale! And then we can all go back into our, you-know-what (the therapies) and I can live my best ingame life with Lou!" And to the Demon he said: "Can you tell me what happened?" The Demon: "I promised not to." Jack: "To whom?" The Demon: "To you." Jack: "Hereby I withdraw you from this promise." The Demon sighed: "I can show you." Jack: "Do it, then." The Demon took Jack's hands in his: "Come with me."

The Demon brought Jack's memories back - and Jack back to Goldshire. It's evening - right before he ran away. Jack is just returning early from harvesting grapes for his nectar. And he can't wait to spend this evening together with Lou. They wanted to make pizza!

But then he heard upset voices from Lou's bedroom! What's going on there? ö.Ö Jack took a look through the window. There is Lou and - Prince Caleb? Is he threatening Lou? Jack prepared to charge inside and beat the Prince up, when: Caleb: "Get rid of him. I can't stand knowing he's here with you when I can't be! Doing all the things with you I can't do!"

Caleb: "Him or me - your choice!" Lou: "Don't ask this of me, Caleb. You and me - a vampire and a werewolf - this is leading us nowhere anyway. You know how people think about us. We don't have a future. Jack and I do." What? ö.ö

Caleb: "We can have a future and we will be together. Even the Queen hides her lover." Lou: "This is not the life that I want. Always afraid someone might see us. Hiding in the shadows." Caleb: "Don't be like this. I will make you forget, hm?" Lou was melting: "Caleb..." Caleb: "I love you." Lou sighed: "I love you too." Lou and Caleb? Gods! Please ... no! (The signs were there, though. Caleb had been jealous when Lou hugged Jack before their fight and Caleb never touched his beautiful bride, Princess Jihovere. And Greg also had a hunch - or knew.) Poor Jack is trying to comprehend - but he's utterly failing. All hope of having a happy ingame life and healing - together with Lou is gone... And the Queen also has a lover?

Jack heard enough. That was when he ran to the stable and left Goldshire on Lunatic's back (and Valerian following behind them).

After Lunatic threw Jack off his back, Valerian and Lunatic thought he was dead, hid him behind the shrubbery and left, Jack had been unconscious for hours. And even though Lou had claimed he'd been searching for Jack right after he left, he didn't even notice Jack was gone, because he'd been busy with Caleb... So he'd been lieing to Jeb. To protect Caleb and their secret. Lou only noticed hours later that Jack was gone - when picking up Jack's scent had already been impossible. When Jack regained consciousness, the pain hit him with full force and he'd been crying for hours - until a certain Crossroads Demon came along. On his way to fulfill that wish a certain werewolf made...

And even though the Demon's duty drove him to Caleb and Lou, to change their hearts so Prince Caleb can marry Princess Jihovere and Greg and the Queen can return back home, he couldn't help himself but being drawn towards the crying, heartbroken Wolf... The conscientious, dutiful Demon had only ever cared about his tasks - never about other beings - crying or not. But this Wolf stirred something in him he'd never allowed - himself or anyone else - getting stirred with. And so he found himself asking: "Why are you crying?" Jack told the Demon what he'd seen and what it had done to him. The Demon was glad he could tell this intriguing, beautiful Wolf not to worry any longer. Soon Caleb would change his heart and marry the Princess and Lou would be free for Jack and they could be happy together! Yes, the Demon would even suppress his own heart's desire - taking the Wolf for himself - just to see him happy. Which was frightening him, these are feelings he never experienced - nor allowed - before. But when he touched the Man before him, felt his firm muscles beneath his caring hands - he knew he was damned. (And that means something for a demon!)

Jack looked at the Demon: "Really?" That would be too good to be true! But what would this do with him? What would that mean for his therapy and healing process? Could he really be happy after he destroyed Lou and Caleb's relationship? Knowing Lou's heart - even if changed by the Demon - was beating for Caleb? And Caleb would marry Jihovere then. He can't let them do this - it would break Vlad's heart. Even though this is just a game. It's not on him to change their therapies and the lives of the NPCs. Yes, he's aware that Lou and Caleb are just mere NPCs. But his feelings for Lou are real. He can't do this to him. Jack: "No. I can't allow this." The Demon: "We have no choice in this. I got paid and I have to fulfill the wish."

Jack: "What if I pay you more and make another wish?" The Demon wanted to take the pain off this man so bad, even if that meant he'd be lost for him: "Why would you do this? You want Lou!" Jack: "I could never be happy with Lou after I destroyed his relationship. I will give you whatever I have." The Demon: "But I'm supposed to change hearts! Do you even know what you're offering?" Jack: "Take my heart then. I don't need it anymore. There is no love for me in this life."

The Demon wanted to tell the Wolf he'd care for him and that he would love him and make his heart whole again, make him forget the pain that Lou caused him. But he knows that this was impossible. He was chained to the crossroads and could never give this beautiful Man what he needed. But he also wouldn't allow that Jack hurts from the decision he made so selflessly. And so the Demon said: "Agreed. But I will also take your memories from the moment you saw them with me, so you don't suffer. That's the least I can offer you." The sadness of their trade and the admiration for the selfless Man before him made the Demon wanting to change his demonic ways. Would that even be possible? Breaking the chains that bind him to the crossroads? The Demon's horse broke the spell: 'We need to leave and nullify the wish!'

And so the Demon took Jack's heart - and memories and left. A little later Jack logged in and thought he was dead. And shortly after, Greg came along, picked him up (left some pawprints behind and dug over the bloodstain) and brought him to Saarburg. Where he ordered his apprentice, Jeb, to find the ruby to make a new heart for Jack to revive him...

What Jack didn't know - the Demon lost his heart too. There had to be two hearts to be changed anyway.

'… On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses? Will he offer me his mouth? Yes

… Will he offer me his teeth? Yes Will he offer me his jaws? Yes Will he offer me his hunger? Yes

… Again, will he offer me his hunger? Yes And will he starve without me? Yes And does he love me? Yes Yes

… On a hot summer night, would you offer your Throat to the wolf with the red roses? Yes I bet you say that to all the boys...'

You took the words right out of my mouth - Meat Loaf

I told Jack to 'Debate treachery of vampires' - and he took the words right out of Kiyoshi's mouth...

The Therapy Game Master Post with the sessions and places so far is -> here

From the Beginning 🔱 Underwater Love 🔱 Latest

Current Chapter: 'Who killed Jack?' from the beginning ▶️ here

📚 Previous Chapters: Chapters: 1-6 ~ 7-12 ~ 13-16 ~ 17-22 ~ 23-28

[iminyournotis]

I was thinking, "I don't even have any friends to be honest with, or tell my shit to, because everybody seems to have some kind of stake in my personal business," but then I remembered TUMBLR EXISTEDDD, so here I am.

1. Ended up snooping on my NINETEEN year old coworker last night because he skipped out on BK with me after work, and I got UNREASONABLY possessive, noticing that he was talking to the new girl at work, and I thought no WAY he's fucking her... She just started. (And he made a WHOOOLE thing to me abt how he doesn't want to hook up-- he just wants to find someone he loves and 'make love'. ((I was all, 'You're completely valid.' and then look at the camera like I'm in The Office then do the finger loop crazy sign at my head's temple, crossing my eyes. LOL.))) So I pulled back up after I finished getting BK alone because I was salty as hell and overly curious, and they were still there an hour and ten after close... I honestly scared them and embarrassed myself and I tore off.

2. Went to the gas station beforehand, because I had started smoking cigarettes again like a day or two ago, because I've been stressed about having Seb cock block his brother from me (and potentially for me. It's complicated.) and it lowkey feels like Caleb ALLLL over again, and it's making me lose my mind, so I'm back to stressedly chuffing.

Went to buy a pack, and this dude hollered in the gas station. I hollered back.

We were talking, I give him my phone number, I told him I'm willing to hook up, he's like 'alright, cool... Maybe pick me up later cause I need a whip,' I'm like, 'Okay.' Cue Burger King and checking where I shouldn't.

3. Go back to my parents' house and dude texts me asking if I was trying to link up... It's late, I tell him yeah anyway. I have work at 8:30, and it's already 11 or midnight by the time we're messaging each other. I end up pulling up to this bar I've never been to around midnight, and I end up taking him and his friend to get blazed out in a parking lot somewhere. Dude I was gonna hook up with doesn't smoke za, but his friend does. I get high and immediately get scared, because now I'm OVI, and I have two young Black men in my vehicle with me, and I get scared that some awful shit was fixing to happen, so I go, 'I'M GETTING YOU BOTH HOME SAFELY. I'm not pulling out until our seat belts are fastened, etc.' Went full mom mode. (Also, at this point, the young man I was with was 22, and his friend was 21. They thought I was younger than even them, which was hilarious. So another predatory woman moment for Mama.)

Drop 21 off. Go to drop 22 off next, but he takes me to this outfield out the way... We park, talk some; he hits it and as he's getting out of the backseat, I go, "Wait, did you finish?" He very non-chalantly said "Yeah," as he's putting his pants back on. I go, "... Did you cum inside me?" He responds pretty deadpan "Yeah." I'M LIKE "WHAT? Did you even plan on telling me???" He goes, "I mean, yeah." I was stunned. He's like, "I mean, you can take a Plan B if you don't feel safe." NFJSJFHJDN I was losing my mind. NOT the fucking point. He's like "Are you mad at me?" I'm like, "TO be honest, yeah."

I drive him back home, he forgets something in my car, I pull back around, he's tryna get me to stay at his mom's house with him for the night (which he pays rent at), I say no. I drive off. He goes, 'Actually, I forgot my hat, too.' I was like 10 minutes down the road and closer to home by the time I saw this message, so I'm like 'Man, I'm keeping it now. Sorry.' He's like, 'alright it's fine. lol.'

End scene. Oh, actually not, because by the time I get back into my city/town, it's like 3:30 AM. I didn't even wash my clothes, I still needed to shower, I haven't really been eating for the last week, so I thought, 'Fuck it. I'm calling off.'

Haven't called off a single time since starting, even through this lowkey nasty cold I had a few weeks ago. So my manager, who I'm WAY too involved with, was like 'wtf?? You're just not coming in?' I'm like yeah. She's like "What's your reason." All investigative. I'm like "Not been eating well. It's for my health." She goes, "Get well." I'm such a fucking loser.

So then I woke up like an hour ago at three PM, and here I am. ❤️ What the fuck is going on with my life, though.

[dent-de-leon]

Okay like consider this for the Hades!Nein AU: Twinleaf situation where Molly is Persephone and Lucien/King is Zagerus. Lucien dies because of some Somnovem bullshit, and Molly leaves to grieve the loss of his twin, and Caleb lets him. Later on, Lucien comes back to life as King, but his soul is still tied to the Somnovem somehow. As King goes about trying to leave the underworld to find answers to his scattered memories, the other Nein gives him boons to help him escape.

King’s last trial is always Caleb, and though Caleb doesn’t want to fight, he must because one part of the Somnovem possesses King to fight Caleb. And each time, King has to overcome the possession or else he has to start all over again.

aww ;; I'm always weak for any au where Molly and Lucien are twins. Molly mourning Lucien is such an interesting thought--they really are two halves of a soul, and I love how they slowly grew attached to one another in the end of the novel. Love the thought of them growing up side by side--Molly being the one person in their family Lucien doesn't have to lose. And if Molly outlived him, tried to talk him out of the whole Somovem thing and couldn't save him--I can definitely see that weighing on him.

Oh and King being a second chance for Lucien ;; Being curious about the family and life he left behind, being forced to confront Lucien's past while searching for this other piece of his soul that it feels like he lost.

Caleb not wanting to fight King, but being forced to because it's the only way to save him from himself...that's so heartbreaking, and it just immediately made me think of when Caleb throws Lorenzo's bloodied glaive at Lucien and just begs him, "Snap out of it, Tealeaf. We need you." The gutting pain of it, and how it's clearly hurting Caleb too. But if it's the only way to save Tealeaf, then he'll steel himself and do whatever it takes. Oh these are all so fun, I'm definitely having widomauk thoughts about it all--

[marirey17]

So my goal for this year is to get back into writing again. Several things last year kinda of made me realize that the fact that I have trouble with writing isn't not a me problem. It is just how writing is. And that I should give it a try again. So I am going to give it a more serious try. Now the problem of what to fucking write.

Sure I could finish the WIP from years ago but I am not really in that fandom anymore. Maybe one day I will pick it up again. But instead I am just going to write down some ideas here. From one my notebook of fanfic ideas. I should find my other one that has more fic ideas in it.

In no particular order lets go.

Percy De Rolo being pen pals with Anne Riply- I always imagine that the bit of Percy life that we saw in the campaign/show was the cleaner version of the events. I am full conspiracy theory that Percy was closer to Riply before murders. It never really made since that the Briarwoods just somehow got a dinner invitation to a very influenational noble family like the DeRolo's. It makes sense that they planned on how to inflitrate. Corrupting a tree from inside. The betrayel of incredibly smart Percy who feels left out of the family. He isn't the heir, he isn't particulary worldly, or physically strong. He is the smart one. Enter Anne who at first is just humoring then goes 'oh shit' he is smart and tries to corrupt him. Lots of ways this can go. Percy whump is one of my favorite things to read. This is probably only going to be pre canon.

Percy Seven Swans AU - I love the seven swans myth. So family cursed instead of murdered. Definitely not canon. Orthax requireing Percy to make Automatons? Chain mail, Mech hearts? Or resisdium stuff.

CR Campaign 2 Avatar Au - This is so bare boned in my book. All I have is Cad being bullied and a few elements assigned to people. So pass not gonna do this one.

CR Campaign 2 Soc Media AU- Yeaaa noooo I like Soc Media au. But this has even less than the avatar au. Just premise no prompts. Also modern au's are hard for me to write.

CR Campaign 2 - Caleb is a prince of the Dwendalian Empire. This is a headcannon that I have. But it doesn't make much since for Trent to be as obessed with Caleb as he is. Sure Caleb is a flawed prodigy. But to keep him alive for 10 years in a mental ward instead of killing him? Why do that? Makes more sense if Caleb is an illegiatment prince of the Dwendal family. The current heir is a miltary man right? Makes since he might have children out of wedlock. And his wife is looking for a cure to her fertility problems. What better than a prince you have under your thumb? The Cerberus Assembly is a shadow goverment already. But thats it that all my thoughts. And it would have to be a long fic to do it any justice. There are a lot of Royalty AU's in CR2. But most of them have someone else as the Royal. I also like the idea of Caleb becoming King then abdicating and making a democracy.

Next in old Journal is prompts from a year old Whumptober month. So lets see if there are any gems there.

Kaladin Stormblessed having stitches overgrown from stormlight. Ouch.

Sandry fa Toren from Circle of Magic- dealing with isolation. I think sandry has the hardest time connecting with people. Being a noble and having her friends be away all those years. She doesn't fit easily in noble society and the working class isn't at ease with her.

Midorya from MHA - dealing with chronic pain and challenges from all the injuries he has. This is a possibilty but I am so out of the MHA fandom.

Luffy from One Piece - Rubber has got to changed your sense of touch right? Probably dulls it. No wonder luffy glomps on people if all everything is muted.

2 different Log Horizon fic ideas! - Shiroe was in the game for much longer than anyone else. No wonder he is well known. People think he is an npc but he was just there for longer. And second idea Log Horizon Soulmate idea. The other world just has soulmates. Shiroe and Akasuki. I would have to refresh my knowledge of that fandom.

Hopefully this gets my wheels turning. Also anyone is welcome to grab these ideas and run with them.

[nfnfnfnfndnfkfjfndksjsndnxjsojsn]

TELL ME ABOUT KYLIE THE OWL HOUSES!!!!

OK!!!i put the backtory into anothe r ask nut here's some relalosnihops!! belos : belos was kind of mean to her and just ignored her at first and treated her like hunter but more ignoring before warming up and becoming friendswohoo its like a uncle and niece thing as she knows literally nothing and is slowly learning while he knows everything so he is kind oflike a book to her and that's pretty epic they can have their bad moemtns mostly belos and kylie is just like aghhhh ( they both want to see the human realm really y bad ) kylie enjoys pailsmen and loves the idea of them just to find out the things he does to them and instantilywants to explode he didn't like her when she started to speak a lot of and act with her own mind but grew to be find with it and tolerate it as shes like a younger version of him ahhhghhh caleb and Philip raghh collector : first person she met and she can barely y remember when they used to play YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS AGO but they are still friends and activylly play silly games together FRIENDSHIP!!most healthy friendship that she has maybe luz : they don't talk much and when they did it was Hi why are you Me kind of like vee but they grew to b friends and almost pen pals before kylie ran back to belos near the end and she doeslnt really like her for being the new golden guard in a sense but just feels bad that she doesn't know anybetter but in the future and if she wants wti h belos and rarely when she isn't they are pretty good friends!!!!!!and luz enjoys showing her new things and azura related stuff eda : THEY BARELYSPEAK but when they did kylie was wideyeed and happy and also scared to be talking to what belos said the most annoying women to exist as that's what she remembers his words to be but without belos they get along and eda treats her like her own kid and helps her understand the world better king : they are bab bit freaked out that they are related the collector and belos but mostly the collector but other than that they are fine even though kylie is confused by him since she thought titans were all dead and here he is a kind of titan amity : she justknows her as luzs girlfriend and not much and doesn't interact often but she likes playing with her pailsmen ghost the cat and wants to get her hair dyed like her she doesn't really know of kylie until luz is like So I Met a Puppet who tried to be Me willow : SHE REALLTWANTS TO BE FRIEND WITH WILLOW but shes with belos and that wouldn't go over well also shes golden guard 2.0 and willow is close to hunter so its a big mess but she doesn't hate her or anything and willow doesn't even know of her until luz talked about a puppet gus : if it wasn't for belos they would be BESTFRIENDS since they both love humans and finding new things and kylie would love the space show and she enjoys the illusion coven hunter : kylie feels bad for hunter in a way but is slightly angry just from the things belos has said ( like ohhh Hunterleft to be with GROSSHUMANS and kylie is like he sucks lmao ) but in a way feels bad for taking his room and role if hunter knew kylie he would feel bad and be mad too thathe got replaced by some random shapeshifter they have a whole thing trust me. but angry the cycle is starting again kikimora : she thinks kylie is okay just really annoying when she speaks since she talks a lot and is mad she didn't get to be the new like belos right hand man and instead its some random girl lilith : IF IT WASDNT FOR BELOS TEHY WOULD BE BEST FRIENDS FOR EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!but kylie doesn't know much about lilith other than seeing an old poster in hunters room about her ( which is now her room ) and old stories from the guard and belos about her and feels bad about the owl beast part but if it wandt for belos lilith would probably be her mentor with theirlove of muesuums and finding things and just cool history stuff vee : THEY DONT EVEN KNWO EAHOTHEr but if they did they would find comfort in the similar stories cause shapeshifter something

[the-boiling-bisles]

Thoughts on the collector following WAD (this is a long one buckle up)

I will talk about the finale as a whole later (it was great fyi I loved it), but right now something that has been bugging me for a while \that has finally just become impossible for me to ignore about this show is that I really don't like the collector.

Maybe I'll get a ton of shit for this, but whenever he got his physical form in Kings Tide, I just couldn't see the point of introducing such an important character into the story the way they were three episodes before the show was over.

The collector also had a very large inconsistency in characterization between the "shadow" and physical version of himself, the former being more demeaning and more rooted in chaos, while the latter was more akin to a young innocent child. This confliction made him feel even less enthralling as a character, it made him just feel like a prop to move the plot forward.

This was ever more apparent in the finale too.

I know considering the circumstances, the finale had to be rushed, there was no way to get around that. But honestly the collector just felt so pointless to the story that after the finale ended I wished that he was never even in the story to being with. For a character this big with so much lore potential to only have under a minute of screen time devoted to exploring said lore as it related to overarching story was super disappointing.

With that said here's what I think what could've been done WITHOUT the collector ever having been introduced to the story:

-Belos is the ONLY villain, he is the cause for all of the problems in the specials, and time that would've been spend with the collector and king is spent on Belos' past and more information on the isles themselves

-The day of unity in King's tide would be stopped by Eda while the circle of coven heads which stops the spell in the middle of it, people are still weakened so that is an issue, Belos would be goopy from an attack from a different major character, still falls on Hunter's shoulder and is stuck in the human realm [cue ttt]

-Everyone returns to the BI following ttt, people are not hiding from the collector but rather are too weak to be able to do anything too grueling (Hunter is not affected by this as he does not have a bile sack). Belos still tries to find a body to possess

-School events are the same, but no more of the kikimora/boscha stuff is shortened. The separation with Camila+Luz, Amity+Matt, and Guz+Hunter+Willow remains the same as well the interactions.

-Meanwhile King is having some sort of Titan awakening (getting wings or a new type of power something like that), which is an adventure on his own, he is trying to find Eda and Luz as he experiences this. Eda isn't weakened by the spell since her arm literally got ripped off so she's busy trying to find a way to heal everyone and help fix the isles (can be related to the students) her and King meet up at some point and vow to find Luz

-Belos actually possesses one of the Caleb clones (I'm so PISSED he didn't do that there was so much potential there) and he trudges his way back to the castle because he's already decided to possess the titan itself (in a realization that because everyone is weakened obviously no one will fight back)

-Eda takes notice of him climbing his way into the titan and follows him distantly in Harpy form

-The gang has reunited at this point inside the titan itself like in the actual episode (just not broken), and so they are perfectly placed to be able to fight Belos head on, Ftf would end with the gang's reunited in the skull hearing a rumble underneath their feet as Belos takes over the body after besting Eda and making it to the heart

-Now it's time for the finale, and instead of the entire group expect for Luz immediately being thrown to the side, they actually get their time to shine in a fight to try and get Belos off the heart. We get cool animation, it's great, until Camila is about the get struck by Belos, we get Luz sacrificing herself but with more meaning to it, and the gang decides they need to retreat before anyone else gets hurt

-Everyone mourns Luz, and then Eda takes notice, which is when Eda meets Camila, and they have a heart to heart over Luz. Queue a different version of the scene where the gang decides to use glyphs instead of their tired magic, but with more time

-We have a scene of Luz meeting the titan like usual, they speak and instead of collector lore we hear about how kind to the isles Luz was and how great she was to King, she's brought back to life etc etc

-Luz appears in front of the gang in her titan form, and she goes with just Eda and King to defeat Belos, basically the same as the original scene. on the split side the rest of the gang is working to keep the people of the isles from getting hurt while the titan is moving using glyphs

-Luz saves the day and then just like the actual episode Philip shows up one last time, but with the whole gang (including Camila). Instead of him immediately dying, Luz and the others take the time to ask questions, which he answers as he is threatened. From this we could get more wittebane brother lore+flashbacks, a confirmation on evelyn being a clawthorne, and even a petty huntlow scene. THEN the rain comes and he dies while everyone watches

-After that they somehow find a way to help the people on the isles and then everyone meets again (raeda kiss of course we were robbed in actual wad)

-This is more general but I think with what time was used in the previous episodes with the collector could've been focused on Belos' glyph knowledge instead

-After that it's about the same, but we have more time for the timeskip so they can take more time with it.

Wow this ended up being way longer than I thought but yeah I really do think the show would've been a little better without the collector. I didn't mean to rewrite all of s3 but oh well I guess.

[whataraineyday]

Ask game! 8, 14, 15.

8: One of my favorite head cannons that I’ve seen people incorporate into their fanfics and art is that Daruis’s hair is a palisman. I think it’s just so funny to imagine a little mischievous palisman who acts as his hair. It’s also a clever way to hide a palisman from Belos. I also like the head cannons that people have for Grimwalkers, Behind the ear scratches, heat resistance, and other head cannons are so just creative and funny to me!

14, I love Aus. I love human realm ones where everyone is in the human realm and the boiling isles doesn’t exist, what can I say it’s interesting to see what they would be like and how it would effect them. I also love to see how people change things like Belos’s curse, Daruis’s hair, Palisman, and things like that to be more realistic to the human realm without magic. I also really like Aus that take things that happened in the show and change the ending to those events. What if king went with Luz and the others into the human realm? How would that of effected the collector and the plot of the 3 season? What if Hunter recognized Kikimora in For the Future? A au I have been brainstorming for such a long time is one where Hunter somehow goes to another universe where their are different characters in their places and most of the events that happened to Luz happen to him but they are a bit different. Sometimes they turn out the way they did for her and sometimes the opposite. It’s a bit hard to explain but I’ve made up a whole cast for it and stuff and I think it would be cool!

15: In my opinion the owl house has some of the best antagonists in a tv show I’ve watched. I love Lilith and Hunter because they really thought they were doing something good. Lilith really thought that Belos was going to heal Eda’s curse, also can we talk about how good Lilith looked on the time skip like good grief she is slaying that red hair and black lipstick, she thought that she was going to be able to heal her sister and fix their bond. For Hunter, He didn’t know better. Belos was his uncle, his only family and the person he trusted and loved the most. I cannot imagine what that must feel like and how much that must hurt, that in the end you find out that the one person who you loved, who raised you, who talked to you was evil and was trying to kill everyone, Also Hunter looked amazing in the time skip as well, everyone did! I do have to say I do feel for Belos a bit. I just read Mera’s fanfic about Evelyn, Caleb, and Philip (Belos) and it really made me think about them. In the actual show, you know that Caleb and Evelyn existed but you don’t really think about them as much as you think you would. All Belos had back then seemed to be his brother and imagine how much that would hurt if you find out that you aren’t the only person in his life and that he is in love with the thing that you are suppose to be fighting and against. Of course that doesn’t justify all the horrible things he did and trying to kill a whole realm of people but I can see where the hurt comes from even if he did take it WAY to hard and out on others, he killed his brother.

But anyway thanks for asking and these were so fun to respond to!

[thetimelordbatgirl]

I thought the Owl House finale was perfect in almost every way. I do have a list of complaints but most of them entirely small and unimportant nitpicks or more often personal problems only I would have.

First I do wish the Collector had others of his kind he could have gone back to. Specifically beings who could look after them and were powerful enough to stop him from hurting anyone ever again. I would of also liked to have seen the Collector have cosmic entity parents of some kind who could teach them how to use their powers responsibly and how not be a terrifying force of chaos and destruction from the stars.

Next I really wish Luz gave Belos a big and grand reason you suck speech when he tried to duck responsibility for his actions and pure evil nature. I would have loved to see her join Eda, King, & Raine in violently kicking Belos to his final demise.

I personally am terrified and creeped out by Luz’s all powerful magic form.

I hate Aladrius. Darius deserves to have a far better man than him.

Don’t like Hunter’s new palisman either. I am both a wolf person and hate Blue Jays (the bird) with a passion.

I personally find the name Waffles both insulting and terribly un creative. I know no one agrees with me, because everyone I know loves the name. So that’s a problem with me not the show.

That’s everything I didn’t like. I promise my following asks will be everything I love about the finale.

I...only really agree with you on the Collector thing, there- while I don't mind him going back to the stars because it's not really the residents of the Isles duty to parent the Collector after everything he did, I do think if he found actually chill fellow collectors/star people, he might learn better, but at least in the ending we got, the collector knows he can visit at least, as evident by him stopping by in the epilogue to do those fireworks. But I don't really mind how Belos death went. Luz not even speaking to him as he failed to manipulate her was good, because it denied him any responses from her, she was done with him speaking as he just became a pathetic mess trying to resort to old tricks, and as many have pointed out, Luz giving Belos the same cold stare Caleb's ghost did is just perfection, really. A final haunting look before he dies. And I honestly like Luz not joining in on the final killing blow. Because it actually puts another twist on the chosen one idea. You already got the call back to S1's whole, "You choose yourself.", where Luz chooses herself in finale, but normally in chosen one stories, they somehow deliver the final blow, but Luz doesn't. She just steps back, still giving Belos that cold stare as Eda, King and Raine reveal themselves and finish him off, a fitting end that the witches he tried to kill finish him off instead. And I kinda like her titan witch form, its just such a good combination of Luz, Eda and King/the titan. And do not know where the uh, hate for Alador came from but uhhh, okay??? Same for the Waffles/blue jay palisman thing since I like Alador and do like the idea of him and Darius, let alone love Waffles (Blue jay) just cause of how it fits Hunter/the Clawthorne family and its clear he's happy with it, but uh, okay.

[rappaccini]

toh finale thoughts

as before, the animation is stunning. the attention to detail is unmatched and the fight scenes were gorgeous.

damn vee literally did nothing in the end huh

and the caleb-evelyne thing sure never mattered.

the dreamworld was cool. wish they'd gone into more depth with luz and belos paralleling to make that hallucination feel much more impactful. as is, it just feels like luz is cosplaying him rather than we're learning some deep-seated fear in her psyche. the 'you've been the whole villain all along' thing really falls flat if we never receive any indications that it's possible for luz to become that.

bringing it back to luz eda and king was great. i missed this trio.

i find the collector clip show funny.

deeply appreciate them not asspulling a redemption for belos. yes, most people can be reached with kindness and forgiveness... but some can't. most people are doing the best they can. some are not.

i definitely think that the whole 'Luz is a Good Person, You Guys' thing that takes up the first half of the special is the writers trying to address the bullshit criticisms of her character and the badfaith flattening of amity in particular into a generic mean girl. which, well they're not assassinating the chars to appeal to those fans, but they also didn't need to address it either.

love the symbolism of luz getting killed and resurrected, getting to meet god and gain power from him

the gnarly entropy luz's body gets was a great design.

so's her titan form. it's so magical-girly but that's part of the charm. luz gets to not just dress up as her favorite character, but be something her own.

the animation in this fight sequence is stunning.

don't like hunter being demoted to support crew in the final showdown with His Abuser. no one deserves this confrontation more than him and he doesn't even get a chance to tell belos to fuck off and give luz the green card to beat his ass. she just goes lion turtle while he's stuck on the blimp. again, they wanted season 3b zuko so bad they skipped all the most important parts of that arc. in this case, zuko facing ozai during black sun, telling him he's wrong, and saying he'll leave his defeat to the avatar.

like. this is Luz's Fight, being that she's the protagonist and the emperor's foil. but hunter needed to participate too. the bare minimum would've been him and luz having a private moment where he gives her his blessing to pulp his uncle.

sure, give hunter something to do helping the folks at the archives, but he doesn't know them like the hexsquad do.

also again i wish they let luz keep her glyph magic instead of moving on to a palisman. toh spend three seasons building up luz's new unique magic style only to say 'sike! it was a placeholder until she could get the Exact Same Thing Everyone Else Has'. yes camila and the hexsquad get to use it in the climax, but it's luz's magic. it feels wrong that she dropped it as soon as she got a cooler replacement. there had to be some way for her to integrate it more prominently into her titan magic.

belos as final boss had to happen. relieved they didn't make it the collector at the last second. giving him no forgiveness and handing over his destruction to the people he hurt and the literal land he colonized was excellent. smart sidestep of the Kid Protag Can't Kill rule that feels thematically coherent (stares at atla). especially him being melted by water like a classic fairy tale witch

and making him the literal heart of the rot, to match the metaphorical one he was the whole time.

luz keeping her dorky self, but now having the confidence to call herself luz instead of luzura? wonderful.

archives. clever way to sidestep killing everyone bc kids cartoon.

love hunter being adopted by darius. it was properly built up and they seem like a great match personality wise. it caps off hunter's need for a new family (not to mention a new father figure who actually loves and cares for him), and darius's need to redeem himself for his complicity in letting belos abuse his nephew.

salty fandom side note: my controversial opinion is that Hunter Noceda the headcanon reeks to me of a group of people who earnestly wanted to see a pair of adopted male-female siblings being the main characters of a cartoon of this nature, projecting that dynamic onto two friends who aren't related or the same species, who definitely do have romantic tension that just never goes anywhere, who briefly live together as teens being cared for by the same adult after having never known each other as children, and whose parents aren't/will never be married, hallucinating it into Two Literal Siblings, having that interest whipped into an insistent fury that it's the Only Interpretation Allowed by lunter antis/the most rabid lumity stans who wanted an excuse to declare the ship problematic, and since it being abusive would mean blackwashing hunter's character and that was out of the question, they went with it being incest by the vaguest of technicalities, therefore literal 100% no-different-from-two-bio-siblings-fucking incest, therefore anyone who likes lunter becomes depraved, abusive, somehow also homophobic and therefore a 'valid' target for mobbing.

anytime i see art of luz and hunter in a pose that could be interpreted as romantic, and the word 'siblings' is slapped in the description i just think 'so you definitely know what you drew and that people would see it that way. you're just too insecure to let people interpret it as they please, huh'

anyway, hunter deamonne was the right choice. given how quickly hunlow got smashed together to Protect Lumity's Innocence, i'm relieved the writers didn't asspull hunter into the noceda family just to please the fans.

(.... to the people who want luz to have a sibling from the boiling isles who was adopted by camila to protect them from belos, THAT'S VEE)

speaking of ~hUnTeR nOcEdA~ who wants to bet the next ironclad luz-and-hunter-are-siblings pivot will be 'obviously darius and alador marry because they were onscreen together for one shot, and since lumity marry, and hunter is darius's adopted son, they are siblings-in-law and therefore the Exact Same Thing as literal full-on-related-siblings-who-were-raised-together.' fucking. idiots.

or maybe the even more elaborate mental gymnastics routine of 'obviously darius and camila will marry, making luz and hunter stepsiblings'.

either way, it's canon that these two characters who aren't related... aren't related. i feel like people need reminding of that.

i love ending on a time skip epilogue

i appreciate that rebuilding the isles is a work in progress that'll take years. no magical everything-is-fine-now-that-we-killed-the-bad-guy

their college designs are great

palisman carver hunter works. give him a quiet life surrounded by the wild magic he was denied, helping to create things

gus and willow's endings are solid. gus living his human world loving dream, willow getting to beat ass. good for them.

amity certainly was doing... something?

luz staying in the magical realm is great. this story is about not having to choose a category or group to ally yourself with, and finding your own path. it was never going to involve luz going back to the human world forever.

i do wonder if she finished hs in the human realm though. i think that's an important aspect of her character that's been overlooked-- she came to the isles to find the belonging she didn't find in the human world. she needed to go back to the human world, even if only temporarily, to show how her adventure changed her as a person. i'll give it a pass given how truncated this season was. her hs days were probably cut for the first special. still hope she got to have them to some extent.

love the nocedas buying the portal house. best of both worlds is the best ending.

pour one out for flapjack.

again i acknowledge that hunlow's buildup got totally wiped out because s3 had to be truncated. yes, it probably would've been much more developed if s3 got to be a whole twenty or even just ten episodes. sucks. still don't like them as a couple. still reeks of 'we need to pair up the biggest threats to lumity together so Nothing Can Touch Our Baby' and it's still annoying when they coulda just written all four characters better from day 1.

again amity is here to be The Girlfriend. it's wonderful and groundbreaking that a disney cartoon gets to have its main couple be two female characters who get to be a couple onscreen during the run of the show but it's still such an undersell of amity as a character. wish she got her own role in the story as an individual.

so in full review... yeah toh is a mostly-great show with some gaping weak points. even with all the issues i have with it, it's unquestionably beautiful to look at, full of fantastic ideas and characters, made by people who deeply loved what they were doing and mostly stuck to their guns. if this came out when i was a preteen, i'd have loved it.

but that being said, preteen me didn't watch it. adult me did.

adult me appreciates all those aspects and especially how the creatives chose to die falling on their queer sword instead of letting the mouse censor things and water down the message. but adult me does think there are some gaping holes in the writing that keep toh from being one of the All Time Greats. avatar come again, this is not. it's close, but not quite there. i'll recommend it to everyone forever, but i Will talk about the issues too.

yes, the romance is one of my big issues. lumity was just wlw kataang. it was cute and you saw it coming, and Yes I Sure Am Glad It Was Able To Exist... but it totally overpowers and consumes amity's individual character. not to mention that all luz and amity's individual character arc moments could have been better satisfied by pairings with hunter and willow respectively. it's just odd that a show this strongly written failed so hard in this regard, and either didn't at all realize that their two main couples should have swapped partners, or definitely knew and consciously chose to go with the worse option because they wanted wish fulfillment.

but more than that, the biggest problem with toh isn't actually that it was shot dead by disney before it could finish its story on its own terms. if anything these three supersized episodes showed that it was capable of efficient storytelling all along and just didn't do it. season 1's pacing was really fucking bad, and introducing hunter in s2 was a massive mistake. even if they did get two-and-a-half seasons, they still could've ended on such a stronger note if hunter was in s1, and if they actually let the plot get rolling before s1e18.

and on the fandom end of things i'm most happy that the worst people in the fandom will move on to find another children's cartoon to make unbearable for everyone else. ideally the lunter shippers can finally poke their heads out and have fun with the (disclaimer, in the event some nutjob reads this:) non-canon ship. including and especially multishippers.

in general, it's always fun to see how fandoms develop after the dust settled. which headcanons, aus, and theories gain prominence, which discourses are forgotten. which ships and characters aren't remembered fondly, which ones will get a retroactive groundswell. what aspects of the show will be loved, which will be critiqued.

[kihteyu]

3, 5, 9, 13, 17? For the asks game

3. Favorite episode? Why? Ramble as much as you'd like.

OOH There's so many!!! If I had to pick just one, I'd say Hollow Mind. It's a lot of people favorite I think but it's because it was such a good episode! It's so intense and we find out a lot of information during it. We find out that Belos is actually Philip (and human). We find out his backstory, albeit through ruined/burned pictures of him and Caleb. We find out that Hunter is a grimwalker and that Belos has made dozens of them and killed them all. We find out about the Draining Spell and how Belos is planning to commit literal genocide. It's the perfect culmination of everything we've been learning in the first 2 seasons up until that point and it answered all those questions in such an interesting (and horrifying!) way by having them go into Belos' actual head.

It was definitely the darkest episode in my opinion. Watching the draining spell almost kill all those witches, Luz absolutely breaking down when she finds out she'd helped Belos find the Collector, Belos literally trying to kill Luz and Hunter (and Hunter actually seemingly dying for a moment) only to just barely get away, Hunter breaking down and running off into the woods...It's just not easy to watch two poor kids get traumatized like that. A lot of the horror aspects definitely make it a memorable episode at least.

Also, the reveal where kid Belos transforms into actual Belos was the freakiest and coolest thing I've ever seen. I legit yelled at my screen when I saw it for the first time.

(And also, that extremely minuscule crumb of Dadrius content we got with Darius being concerned about Hunter being in the mindscape is impossible to not mention, given how much of a sucker for Dadrius I am.)

5 -Already answered!

9. If the show had a full three seasons, whats something you genuinely think would happen? Not a wishful thinking, what do you think is something that would've happened?

I think we would've actually had the Bat Queen come back into play. Eda still had her whistle and I genuinely thought it would be used in the finale but then nothing happened. We also never really found out the Bat Queen's past, despite it being hinted that we would when Luz told her she would help. We can probably assume she was a Titan's palisman but then there's the whole logistics of "why would a Titan even need a palisman" or why she's the only one of her size left. The whole Bat Queen situation is a dead storyline that I feel would have been concluded if they actually had time for it.

13. Which season do you like best?

Season 2. Season 1 was fun and light for the most part but during the S1 finale, everything took a slightly different turn and the show started to get darker and the actual overarching conflict started to actually present itself more after that. I mean, we barely even saw Belos in S1 until the finale. I just love that point where seemingly lighthearted shows suddenly change tone and explore darker themes. It's so intriguing to me.

17. Character you want to like, but don't? Why?

I really had to think about this one. Kikimora. Not in the sense of liking her as a person but just liking her as an antagonist. Her whole drama with Hunter just seemed like a petty, childish feud for the most part and I didn't really understand the point of it for the longest time. I like the comedic potential it provides for fan content but in the actual show itself, I didn't care for it.

I did like the fact that the show kept almost redeeming her, only to take it back and have her go back to being evil again. It is nice to have a character like her who doesn't really care which "side" she's on, as long as she can gain from it. It just so happens that she thinks she can only gain from being on Belos' side.

She seemed pretty one dimensional for the most part until the very end where she helps King find The Collector and we find out that she knew about the grimwalkers the entire time. I really wish the show explored more about that aspect of her and what else she'd been aware of and the extent of it. I think if we learned more about that, she might have been a more interesting character for me but we just didn't get the chance and so it's hard for me to care about her.

Thanks for asking!

[waywardsunlight]

I GOTTA SAY THIS but the way The Owl House deals with nostalgia is so interesting to me because it definitely buys into nostalgia but it also actively criticizes it. Eda’s nostalgia for her childhood, which she kind of misremembers and idealizes at times (not being aware of Lily’s struggle, seeing herself as always winning and having a great time, the idea that the facist government wasn’t a problem back then, and her relationship with Raine that she idealizes despite Raine breaking up with her because she wasn’t willing to be open with her emotions) is really interesting because there are elements of it actually being a better time in her life before Everything Went Wrong in her mind, but also she forgets that Dell wasn’t always around, that bad stuff was happening when she was a kid.

Philip is very similar but farther into that concept of Everything Was Good And Something Ruined It. In reality, he just got older and Caleb had other things he had to do and interests like starting a family so Philip just… shut down and even regressed later on because he couldn’t deal with the fact that Caleb would ‘ruin’ their lives by just growing apart due to age. Philip finds himself trying to stop Caleb from growing up which is why he always kills the Hunters when they’re teenagers/preteens. They’re just about to grow up and “betray him”, ruin that childhood nostalgia. The Hunters never work because Caleb was never who Belos wanted him to be; Caleb always grows up, always leaves.

Hunter has a bit of this with his perception of his own childhood. He views traumatic experiences and his own abuse as something he enjoys to look back on and he still loves Belos at the end of Kings Tide because he hasn’t let go of that idealized version of Belos and his own emotions where he was really happy. He copes with that trauma by remembering it fondly until he finally has to confront that Belos is just an abuser.

Finally and most important, Luz has a major amount of nostalgia for a time and place that has never existed. She has an idealized view of magic and witches, because she uses this world and these concepts to cope with the reality of late 2010s-early 2020s America, the struggle to conform to the American school system, the loss of her dad, and her struggles with her mom kind of inspire her to cope with her own fantasy which she slowly realizes isn’t an escape like she thought it was. Because no matter how many times Belos tries again with Caleb, no matter if Eda and Raine start over, no matter how much Luz wants to be in a fantasy world, nostalgia isn’t real. Everything is complicated, people don’t fit your expectations or ideal of them. There will always be struggles.

Luz realizes this and slowly lets go of the fantasy of being a hero and focuses on her love of Eda, King, and everybody else around her because that’s real, it’s now, and it’s real. Messy and complicated, but real. Raine confirms that they still love Eda, and maybe in the future they can try again, and this time Eda is going to be emotionally ready for it because she’s not in love with the fantasy of Raine, she just loves Raine. And nostalgia isn’t bad. It’s nice to think of times you felt happier but you have to understand that you’ll be happy again if you’re able to open yourself up for it.

[incorrectlumityquotes]

SPOILERS FOR KING'S TIDE

I legitimately am putting spoiler warnings this time because holy shit that was...a lot. And I have a lot of thoughts running through my head and I just wanna get this bullshit outta my brain. It's not organized. It's just whatever happens to come out.

-"Good-bye, Boiling Isles." So Belos, er Philip, created a fake religion, established a theocracy on The Boiling Isles, learned powerful magic and ruled as head of state for over fifty years (not to mention prolonging his life to over 400) just so he could kill everybody. He didn't want to absorb their magic into himself or anything like that. He just wanted to find a way to kill everyone in the demon realm in one fell swoop. And that's it. Like he just wanted to commit mass murder and then go back to the human realm and be all like, "Hey everyone guess what I did."

-"Belos is giving us paradise. Right, Raine?" No, you dumb bitch! You have no reason to believe that. You have no proof. You have no evidence.

-Kikimora got what she deserved. And Philip's treatment of her just proves how ol' Phil there never liked anyone on The Boiling Isles. He always hated everyone there and was just waiting to kill them all. Something about that is still sticking with me. He spent all this time with these people and he still just wanted to kill them all.

-Witch Hunter General? Was that a thing or just something you and your brother made up? Because that sounds made up.

I'm really getting sick and tired of people saying how cute The Collector is. This thing is a monster. A being with phenomenal cosmic powers acting like a child after a millennium? King's dad imprisoned this thing for a reason. Because they(?) are a psychopath. Treating people and lives as playthings, toys. Only interested in games and its own amusement. I swear when we get back to The Boiling Isles, witches and demons and going to be strewn about while this thing is in the corner shrieking the Ballad of Bilbo Baggins.

I know this is a sad moment, but I love Amity's face here. It's close to what I imagined when Amity meets Camila for the first time. I love the trope of the significant other trying to impress the romantic partner's parent. They don't do that trope anymore but I think it would be adorable if Amity tried to be on her best behavior to impress Luz's mom. Awkwardly trying to be over-polite and bowing and curtsies. It would be so cute.

Even after all these years, Philip still hates Caleb the most.

-

But you know what I hate the most about all of this? It's season three. Three 44 minute specials. You know what that means? Just the plot episodes. Welcome to checkerboard storytelling, folks. We're just going to move from main plot point A to main plot point B with nothing in between. No character. No fun. That's right, no filler.

Fuck you, Disney. I like filler. I LOVE filler. I WANT character interactions. I WANT shenanigans. I want an episode of Amity trying to impress Camila. I want an episode of Gus exploring the human realm and getting into trouble. I want an episode of Luz discovering Hunter's crush on Willow and being a huge pain in the ass about it. I want that Luz and Amity human world date. You let Amphibia do it, but not The Owl House? Fuck you, Disney. Fuck you up your stupid ass.

And fuck you to every person who has whined like a bitch about filler episodes. Now we don't get to have any for season three. Happy?

[chocolatemilksmoothie]

King's Tide - and now we wait

MAN this was a LOT huh? can't wait til next week's e- oh.

this whole ep had me so tense my back hurts so that's nice

King scoffing at Philip saying "you can trust me" and that giving him away was funny to me ngl

Willow really is the best, she managed to keep a level head

I like how she and Gus kept looking after King through the whole episode. he is everyone's little brother <3

babiesss

"there's always a way to help, you just gotta look for the right opportunity" and he did

MITTENS awww

"Paradise awaits" he tells them, all these people he will kill with no hesitation

"with this spell declared, promise I'll be back" I'M FINE

we can see then that all other coven heads were on Belos/Philip's side, but I suspect no one will be after all this

the way they foreshadowed the arm thing tho

a lil smooch for Hooty :'(

back when things were simpler. you realize they've all known each other for super long huh

yes I DO find it hilarious that Adrien Graye looks like he hasn't slept since Gus messed him up

I think it's neat how for the Draining Spell Philip drew on the ground like back when he used glyphs to warp

something truly nightmarish about seeing people cheering at first, then be scared and collapse as the spell slowly advances

and he really just. leaves. throws the collector out and is planning to leave all these dying witches behind

hilarious that he's wearing that Colonizer Fit™ but even funnier that Luz called him out on it, I could stare at this expression all day

he's like wait do people not wear these anymore???

Kiki is quite pitiful, always seeking the approval of this guy who just wants her gone

"have you as my right hand? I'd sooner cut off my whole arm"

so when Luz gave him the sigil I really thought he'd do that. turns out it was someone else's sigil arm that would be yanked off

damn he really said go die in a hole and Kiki was like sure why not

Philip feared the Collector so much he betrayed and discarded him, and now he's against him. if he had freed them maybe they'd still be somewhat on the same side

then again, idk if this man knows how to interact with anyone without lying and manipulating so there's that

I love them very much

Darius stopped attacking when Healing Coven Witch threatened Eber !! they are besties !!!! how dare they

yes I noticed everyone is shown captured but Steve is NOWHERE in this entire episode

"you too have a strange intuition with these, it took me years to figure that out" his brother, who also loved magic and the Isles, could probably use glyphs a lot easier than Philip, who hated everything about it. the Titan can tell

"you're such a hypocrite" YES SWEETY CALL HIM OUT ON HIS MANIPULATIVE ASS

Witch Hunter General, people are gonna bully him super hard on twitter I can already see it

SHE WAS SO SMART WITH THE GLOVE SO SMART

can we imagine some sitcom of a teenage bi latina girl trying to introduce an egomaniac witch hunter from the 1600s to the Year of Our Lord 2022

Goop Belos design is horrifying I love it

that whole sequence from King's pov. the muffled sound, the chaos as the adults collapse and you can see Hunter's arm all glowy, everything destroyed. oof

"WE don't belong here" "I'M NOT LIKE YOU" yessss

"you guys are LITERALLY the coolest" YEA THEY ARE

the Collector is SO scary and chaotic. Neither witch nor demon, a child from the stars, seemingly has powers that affect reality like no one else's, and yet behaves like a child. How do we stop someone like this

Gus saw Philip's memories too right? seems like it

still trying to manipulate mansplain manslaughter your way to Hunter's loyalty huh, you horrible old man

HE SAID "CALEB" RIGHT? WE ALL HEARD THAT RIGHT ???

"where the failures end up" this messed me up there were so many of them. so so many

the Collector couldn't see King while he was wearing the collar with the symbol

he found the symbol where he hatched. his father was keeping him invisible

"a game called the Owl House" I am so normal about this

King saved everyone but we have no idea at what cost

yeah the Raine and Eda scene? uncalled for. amazing. painful

the Round Boi broke. I repeat, the Round Boi broke!!

god these are children

*SPLAT* goes the witch hunter

did you see Hunter's face tho? how many conflicting emotions from seeing THAT just happen

"King! :D" me too Collector

all of them joining in King's whole "game" with their nervous smiles and poor Hunter's in too much pain so he just *whimpers in agreement*

I love the little jester design

also he really just looked at Philip's centuries long evil plan and went "okay! :) boop!"

this whole part had me so stressed I was like who's gonna cross the door and who isn't AHH

both King and Luz made difficult choices, and once again they're separated from those they care about :( DANA

it's raining. for some reason that hurts me

ANNE BOONCHUY? sorry I had to

Vee! will she join the Mentally Scarred Kids Squad

god these are children (x2)

they are hurt and cold. Hunter holding Gus he is Older Brother now

Camila: *pulls out adoption papers*

and those credits MAN season 3 is gonna be wild

I imagine our group of kids will have to investigate Philip and his brother, so we'll go visit the museum dude to get info.

also what Gus saw in Belos' head might not only help there, but also lead to Hunter having to reveal the whole grimwalker thing

sad season 3 is short bc having shenanigans on Earth with these 5 could be delightful

idk if I want human disguises or Luz can just tell everyone they're really enthusiastic cosplayers or something

maybe seeing the human realm might lift Gus' spirit a lil bit

We didn't get to meet Luz's palisman, but hopefully they're ready to hatch soon

Camila will slap Goop Belos with her chancla with such force he'll never come back

also I do hope we get to see King, the Collector, and all the adults that were left behind who are all safe and sound of course ha ha ha, dealing with everything that happened and probably looking for a way to get the kids back

in conclusion, I will not stop thinking about this episode ever. my kids and I are traumatized

[dent-de-leon]

Casting my Molly thoughts onto you

Sometimes I think about Molly singing tunes, mainly ones he's heard from Toya in particular. Imagine him just humming melodies to sooth Yasha's troubled thoughts. And imagine him on watch just quietly singing that one melody he heard from Toya when he first met her. And like the Nein falling soundly asleep to Molly's singing that it becomes a routine for them to fall asleep to it.

AHH YES!! I'll never recover from the fact that it's singing that first breaks that all consuming Emptiness always gnawing away at him. Molly is wandering alone in the cursed Savlirwood, lost, haunted--unable to even feel fear when confronted by a growling bear. He just feels numb to all of it. Until this moment when there's a note, a song, and it brings him back to himself a bit.

He hears Toya's song, and he can't help but follow.

It's the fact that Molly was so drawn in by this bittersweet song. It's Molly feeling this wistful longing when he hears those lines, this aching soul who just crawled out of his own grave, still almost stranded in this liminal space between life and death, still so lost and haunted. "The moon shown bright on that haunted night/As the dead sang out their song/Now's your time to drink and dance/For soon we shall all be gone." It's the way Molly looks so vulnerable, so helpless and lonely, Toya just can't bear to abandon him--

And of course, the circus takes him in--takes care of him. It was a song that saved him, much like how the Moonweaver first greets Tealeaf's wounded soul with a song. Sang for him a story of her own home--a tale of a king brought back from the dead, a promise of what's to come and a chance to be born again--

It's just so sweet to me that Molly's soul, once so shattered and lonely, always found comfort in music. His loved ones soothing him with a soft song. And I can definitely see him singing with the Nein too. I mean, we know that he used to do it all the time. Whenever he was risking his life to save others, or out for a bit of vigilante justice--he took to singing as he ran off into the night. And I'm not surprised that Toya's song seems to be a favorite of his for "choir practice."

And he does sing a bit of a fun little drunken song in that one break in episode. But I do so love the thought of Molly getting the chance for more "choir practice" on the Nein's adventures, just breaking out in song as they make a daring escape--or more likely--complete fools of themselves--

But the thought of Molly singing around a campfire for his family is even better. Molly singing Yasha's favorite songs from the circus when she's staring off into a storm, wrapping her up in his arms and holding her close. Both of them feeling a little less Empty and alone in the world. Molly singing softly when Caleb tosses and turns from another nightmare, singing until he finally falls back into a restful sleep. Mollymauk teaching Jester that beautiful melody Toya sang at their last show together--the one she eventually sang before Lucien, desperately trying to reach Molly--

I really just love the headcannon that Molly will sing for the Nein the way Toya and Sehanine used to do to comfort him. And I love the thought that, as Kingsley, he takes up choir practice again. And when he finds out Yasha plays the harp? Maybe one day he asks her to play for him. And she strums a few notes that are so terribly familiar, so bittersweet. And when he starts to sing along, he still remembers every word--

One last thing: when Lucien confesses he set the family caravan on fire to kill his parents--and the puppet they made out of his dead brother--he mourns how much he misses the little plays they used to put on. The songs. "My parents looked after the music, and we children would put on little plays. Little to others, I suppose, but grand to us. Yes, grand."

It's the unbearable pain of what comes after. The realization that his family's days of song and dance are forever over. "After a while I couldn't let it go on, couldn't look at myself or live with myself, so I burned down the caravan with all three of them inside, took my sister, and that was that...No more little songs. No more farces.'"

It's the way a hag tries to tell Lucien that the only way he'll ever be happy again is if she carves out his soul, turns him into her empty, mindless puppet. "My beautiful boy...I had hoped to make you mine one day. What a perfect specimen you would have been. Oh, how you would have been merry with laughter and dance..."

And then a part of Lucien is born again as Molly, gets to experience the joy of falling in love with music and dancing all over again. Escapes the hollow Emptiness Lucien always feared awaited him. Feeling so free for the first time in the longest time, finding comfort in singing songs with a family who loves him so dearly--

[writefightandflightclub]

I really enjoyed your Nathan fluff 🥺 we love this angry peach fuzz king 👑💖 would you ever write him being comforted after having a nightmare? 💕

First of all, LOL @ “angry peach fuzz king” 🤣🤣🤣

Second of all, here you go! 🧡 I will warn you - I think I forgot the fluff a little bit though. It became more hurt / comfort? More angst than expected? It ends nicely though and comfort is given to Nathan - but only after I’ve subjected him to rattling around in his own head and house for a bit.

Through the looking glass (Nathan Bateman x GN!reader)

Summary: Nathan has nightmares after The Incident. After so long alone, he doesn’t realise how badly he needs a little comfort - and maybe he doesn’t believe that he deserves it.

Author’s note: hopefully this isn’t too similar to All Better. I know they both take place post-stabbing, but I tried to give this a different focus. I know I could have made the nightmares based off of anything given the ask, but this timeline / focus seemed most sensible to explore the character.

Warnings: nightmares following traumatic incident (a stabbing); mentions of blood and injury - not graphic. Self-harm (punching the bag until injury); Body horror if you squint (some gruesome descriptions occurring in-dream, but fairly abstract); swearing; implied alcoholism recovery if you squint; mentions of therapy; Nathan mildly injured in fic; reader offering comfort.

Rating: MATURE for themes mentioned above.

GIF: by @santiagogarcia (this whole gifset is magic- check it out + reblog!)

Nathan wakes up breathless, plastered to the covers by a sheen of sweat - and not in a good way. On instinct, or out of habit by now, or maybe somewhere between the two, his palm slides over his body to the site of the wound.

He is so slick that he half-believes he is soaked with dank, deep blood again, until his fingers trace over nothing more than a half-concave, half-ridged scar. The lack of searing pain is the next point of evidence leading him towards an alternative conclusion. He’s not dying (again).

It’s just another gruesome nightmare.

Although… there is nothing “just” about it.

The nightmares are pretty brutal. Brutal enough for him to wake with ragged breaths and a hammering heart, his sheets dampened and coiled up around him. Enough that it takes effort to sift through the layers of terror and distinguish reality.

With what can only be described as a whimper, Nathan swings his legs over the edge of the bed, bringing himself into a seated position and bracing his head in his hands until his racing heart levels.

In his mind, he’s telling himself to be logical about this. That Ava hasn’t truly arrived to finish the job she started; but logic is not the safe haven it used to be.

She could come back.

She’s still out there, somewhere, and Nathan distinctly got the impression, last time, that she was vehemently not a fan of him.

His hand trembling, Nathan reaches for the glass of water by his bedside, glugging it down so eagerly it spills into his bushy beard.

Since the… accident? Malfunction? Functioning just fine, actually? Failed experiment? Greatest achievement known to man? Attempted murder? (Truth be told, Nathan isn’t quite sure what to call it, so he simply calls it The Incident.)

Since The Incident, Ava has begun to regularly visit him in his sleep.

The visitations are not waning with time. In fact, they are happening more often, not less. They are happening more since you moved into the house.

It’s a bad fucking time to have quit drinking.

You’d been sent by the board. Something about Nathan taking “tortured genius” a slice too literally. Something about him being in isolation too long and needing another human around in the compound.

Well, that’s not technically true, is it? The shit all started when he opted to get social, after all.

Fucking Caleb.

Before that, he was doing just fine.

Nathan doesn’t like it at all - having you here. Being watched. Observed. Having someone monitoring his actions. Waiting for him to either fuck up or prove himself.

Ironic really, considering where he kept Ava. The experiments he ran on her.

She’d probably find it poetic, if she could truly understand such a concept.

At the thought of her, Nathan physically shudders, and reaches for an old vest to haphazardly mop the excess sweat from his skin. Then, he balls up a change of clothes and tracks nude to his wet room, feeling relief as the luke warm water sluices over his skin.

He watches himself in the mirror as he stands there naked. It’s not a vanity thing - at least not any longer. These days, he examines the way his form has changed since it happened. He lost some of his muscle and bulk during recovery, whilst unable to exercise, his arms slightly smaller and his abs softer. His stomach a little more rounded.

There’s also the puckered scar, of course - that permanent reminder of where he was skewered through the chest like a piece of kebab meat.

His gaze travels up over his body, until his eyes settle on his still haunted face. He doesn’t have his glasses on, and somewhere between the blurred vision, misted mirror, clouding steam and sluicing water, his reflected face distorts. It transforms - for the briefest of moments - into her.

Still amped with adrenalin from his harsh awakening, this briefest flash sends a surge of panic zipping through Nathan’s chest, his heartbeat racing so hard he can feel the pounding of blood in his ears.

Fuck, he curses, reaching his arms out to brace himself against the shower wall above him, his body trembling and his head dipping down between the cradle of his broad shoulders as his legs threaten to buckle.

He turns the water cold, until it is practically glacial and thundering on to the back of his neck, subduing this spiking heat.

She really did a fucking number on me, didn’t she?

It’s true though.

Ava is haunting him. When he sleeps - and at other times too.

Nathan didn’t know robots could do that. Didn’t know they could spawn ghosts.

Nathan doesn’t believe in ghosts, of course… but he does believe in trauma and its effect on the brain. He at least concedes that it is natural to continue to feel afraid; but this?

Being dogged by the spectre of her taps into Nathan’s deepest insecurities.

After all, there is nothing a genius fears more than doubting his own mind.

Nothing a God fears more than his own mortality.

And the man? Turns out, there is nothing he fears more now, than dying alone.

With a ragged breath, Nathan towels off and pulls on his grey sweatpants, tugging on his black zip-up hoody over his bare chest. And then, keen not to return to his damp, tangled sheets, he tracks towards the kitchen - mainly for want of any more favourable option.

Of course, he had returned to the compound after The Incident. Something about that many fibre optic cables being a bitch to lay down. Sunk cost fallacy and all that - too much already invested.

But it possibly wasn’t the best choice for his recovery.

Nathan has certainly gotten more used to walking down that hallway since he returned from the hospital, and yet he still finds himself holding his breath until he is free of it. Still finds his pace is just a little faster as he passes through. His gaze deliberately averted from that spot.

Once, you’d found him lying in it.

Lying in that exact spot, his body arranged like a crime scene photo, his eyes closed.

Hey, it’s hardly his least healthy coping mechanism, is it?

What in the fuck are you doing, Nathan?

Re-enacting my death, obviously.

Uh-Kay…. A beat. A devious smile. Shall I get some popcorn?

Absurd as it was, he had laughed. Laughed for the first time since it happened, and, with an extended hand, you had helped him up off the floor.

Still, now that he’s alone, he does not dwell in the corridor, colder and darker as it is without your light in it, and he tries not to think about your face or hers as he pads to the kitchen.

When he arrives though, he bypasses it entirely - heading out on to the decking, the crisp night air soothing his hot skin.

He wants to be outside.

There are too many ghosts in his house now.

He has tried to shake it. Tried to desensitise himself to Ava’s face. Spent longer than strictly necessary poring over footage of her.

He built her. Shouldn’t that take the fear out of things? Not to mention the fact Ava’s face was simply a composite of some manipulable nerd’s wank bank browsing history.

Fucking Caleb.

Still, once Nathan had looked her in the eyes and seen a rage that was all too human, things seemed a hell of a lot different.

Nathan crosses to the punchbag on the deck -lit by creeping dawn- on instinct, or out of habit, or maybe some combination of the two, his unease riling him enough to sock some punches at its midsection. Right at the equivalent site of his corporeal puncture.

He punches so hard that the skin on his knuckle splits, but Nathan doesn’t stop. He throws punch after punch until his hands are scathed and bloodied, and a trail of spit hanging from the corner of his mouth. Until he hugs the bag - the closest thing he has to a warm body to hold - and slides down it, coming limply to his knees, wiping his face on his sleeve.

He stays there, dead eyed and still for some time, the pain in his hands raw and singing. Unpleasant, but better. Better than what he was feeling, and worse all at once.

He considers his tired, cumbersome body, and contemplates remaking the world one more time. Uploading his mind into a machine or some shit, so that he doesn’t have to contend with the fragility and failings of his own existence.

He stays there, until some motion in the interior of the compound causes the light and shadows to dance differently over him, and he looks up to see your figure there, cast in a soft halo of yellowed light.

He tips his head up slightly, opening his mouth as though he might cry out to you for help, but no sound comes out - only a thin, dry croak.

So, instead, Nathan watches you for a moment, moving seamlessly around his kitchen as though it is your own. Maybe it is - more yours than his now.

Observing you like this, through the tall, cinematic windows, it is as though he peers in on another world entirely. Something less resembling a nightmare.

Lighter than that. Something more like a good dream, albeit a good dream that Nathan cannot be part of. One he can only ever watch, from the outside looking in, always fated as he is to be on the other side of the glass.

Truth be told, you haunt him too. You represent everything he could have and yet doesn’t deserve.

You appear in his nightmares and his dreams, in various terrifying and beautiful incarnations. Many variations of which his therapist would have a field day with, he’s sure - or, she would, if he’d ever fucking call her.

When you first arrived here, he was plagued by grotesque visions of you. Grotesque visions of the skin being peeled back from your body. Sometimes, circuitry beneath, and other times, muscle and bone. Sometimes, Ava’s face was buried beneath the chilling slip of your fleshy mask.

Sometimes it is a better dream. Sometimes you save him. Sometimes he saves you.

Sometimes it is a good dream. Ava isn’t there at all. But the good dreams never seem to last for long. 

Sometimes you kill him, and sometimes...

The glass door slides open.

“Reenacting your own death again, are you?” you tease, though not unkindly, interrupting the spiral of Nathan’s incessant thoughts.

A lump forming instantly in his throat, Nathan swallows thickly, and looks up at you helplessly with a thin, joyless smile. He snorts as though it’s funny, but it really isn’t. “Over and fucking over.” 

You nod once, and, without hesitation, you extend your hand towards him. Your gaze cuts through him as you search his face and he feels suddenly see-through, as if he’s about to be hit with some Shyamalan-esque twist. Was he the ghost all along? Did he die here after all?

If so, is this purgatory because Ava is here too, or heaven, because you are?

Christ. So fucking schmaltzy, Bateman.

After hesitating, Nathan takes your hand and you yank him to his feet, drawing him inside, through the looking glass.

The room seems warm on the other side. It feels… safe.

“What happened?” you ask, as you look down at your joined hands, your thumb painting a smear of red across his split knuckles. 

You mean now. What happened now, but Nathan’s mind harks back further than that. In his mind, everything is connected. Every thing threaded to another. This one smear of blood to that weeping flower of red.

The thought -the thoughts, all of them- halt him in place, his feet firmly planting on the ground. Nathan’s hand clenches tightly around yours as though it is a lifeline, as he is cast adrift on this familiar crimson tide, his face growing increasingly angular and stern.

“She...” He swallows, unable to complete that precise thought, his eyes dropping down to his feet.

You turn your body towards Nathan as he croaks, still not letting go.

Your eyes flitting around his face, attempting to search his eyes, you tentatively step closer, sliding your palms slowly over his tense shoulders, feeling them rise with an uneven, stuttered breath as you do so.

He’s so tired. He’s so very, very tired.

And it happens all at once on the exhale.

Suddenly, your arms are tugging him closer, and his face is contorting as a violent smattering of tears beads in his long lashes. You are encasing his body in your embrace and rubbing circles into his back as his buzzed head sags all too willingly toward the junction of your shoulder, your fingers splaying along the smooth flesh at the nape of his neck and pads dancing over the gentle prickle of his hair. You are shushing and soothing and reassuring and squeezing and smoothing and cradling and Nathan can feel it. Can feel his heart race in his chest and…

Finally.

Finally, his heart is not pounding because he is reliving his death.

It is pounding because he feels alive again.

When was the last time he cried, even? The last time someone really hugged him? He doesn’t remember the last time. The serendipitous combination of Nathan willing to be vulnerable, and another being willing to hold space for his pain is an all too rare thing.

There’s a reason -or several - he’s so emotionally constipated, after all.

Fuck. I’m taking a huge emotional shit right now.

Nathan remains in the welcome circumference of your arms longer than is strictly necessary - until the tear trails over the bridge of his nose begin to feel cloying. Until his breaths steady, and until his thoughts and ego creep back in. Until he notices the way his hands are clasped at your waist like claws, fingers sinking into your softness, and he thinks to release you.

Then, he leans away, a weight on his brow making his expression stern.

He waits for you to judge him, another swallow trailing thickly down his throat.

However, your eyes are kind and level, dancing with soft concern. Not with judgement or satisfaction or pity, or with anything he fears.

It is refreshing not to feel so afraid.

Finally.

“She…” Nathan begins again, finally finding courage. All at once his eyebrows shoot up towards his hairline. “She fucking stabbed me.”

You take his words in. You listen.

His “reveal” is simple. Plain and factual. A little indignant. Kinda salty. It’s not overly emotional, or articulate.

But it is enough.

Your eyes narrow, and you nod slowly, trying to understand the true meaning beneath his words.

You even reach up to cup Nathan’s face, his springy beard a cushion beneath your gentle palm as you hold him. “Yeah, genius,” you tease, with a tentative, lopsided smile, dropping your arm all too suddenly, perhaps as you catch yourself. “I got that from context.”

In response, Nathan chucks air from between his teeth, bringing his hand up to comb through his beard - perhaps to obscure his involuntary smile, or perhaps chasing your tender touch, the impression of it left warm on his cheek.

As he brings his hand up, your brows draw together, and you hook his bloodied paw delicately in yours, examining the wound, and leading him gingerly across to the couch as though his whole being might be hurting along with it.

It is.

You order him to stay put while you fetch the first aid kit, and then, in stages, Nathan watches you with fascination as you painstakingly clean and tend to his wounds, without ever being asked to.

He watches you carefully swipe the angry red away from his skin, and, to his overactive mind, it’s all connected. This red is one and the same with the flower of blooming red from The Incident.

Ava hurt him then, and she is hurting him now too.

And you…

“Going to tell the board about this?” Nathan asks, his voice weak and scuffed.

You search his eyes, holding your words back for a moment before answering. Then, you launch them on a big breath. “Fuck the board, Nathan. I told those assholes to stick it.”

Nathan blinks in confusion, shaking his head, his hand flourishing emphatically through the air. “Then… what the fuck are you still doing in my house?”

“Well. I’m… here for you,” you admit, sucking in air through your teeth, your voice shrinking. “If you want that.”

Well, that’s news to him.

Welcome news, perhaps?

You’re not watching him at all, are you? Not observing. Not asking him to evidence his humanity. Not waiting to see whether he fucks up or proves himself.

Instead, you’re seeing him. You’re seeing him and you’re not running.

Nathan had begun to think that maybe he was the nightmare. He’d begun to think he might always be haunted.

Always alone. That he might die that way; again.

And now, here you are.

Nathan thinks about that. He could so easily revert to his old ways, in this moment. Of pride and ego and stubborn independence.

But, perhaps those assholes from the board got a few things right - he’ll admit.

Maybe he had been in isolation too long. Maybe he didn’t need to take “tortured genius” quite so literally.

And so, Nathan almost protests. Almost rejects your presence and your comfort and pushes you away. But the truth is, he’s just so… tired. He’s had so many nightmares, and this time, he’d like to be on the other side of the glass. He’d like to step into that dream.

Nathan takes a deep breath, and releases on the exhale. Releases more than air.

He slowly, ever so slowly, shifts towards you on the couch, angling his body until he can safely dip his head towards your lap, his nose pointed in towards your abdomen and his knees curling around you.

“Th.. this okay?” he asks weakly.

You throw your splayed hands up into the air in surprise as the weight of Nathan settles there, but as he curls his arms around your middle and shuffles closer, you ease into it. You snake your fingers in intricate caresses over his head and neck and shoulders.

“Yeah, Nathan. This is okay,” you soothe gently, voice taut with emotion.

You comfort him.

And finally, Nathan does not need to peel your skin back to know what’s underneath.

He knows you’re not a robot, and that, as your kind touch finds him corporeal, that he is not a ghost.

He closes his eyes. And this time, when he next wakes, he knows that whether the dream is bad or better or good, it doesn’t matter. Because you will be there with him.

He wants you with him.

It’s not at all natural to him, to have you around. For the longest time, he didn’t like it. It didn’t come instinctually, and he has formed no familiar habits.

It isn’t easy - he doesn’t make it easy.

But he wants it to be.

And, in your arms, he can finally dream that it will all work out. What’s more; he can dream he deserves it, too.