#love kikimoras voice

[runemyth0]

[fandomsandflyingstingrays]

Highlights from the Owl House reunion panel!

Dana headcanons that the Collector, when traveling between dimensions, came across Bill Cipher a dorito, shrugged, and continued on his way

Zeno said that If Hunter and “his big brother” (Caleb? I assume?) could spend the day together, they would go to the zoo, eat junk food, stay up late, and sleep in

Mela thinks that if Kikimora went to therapy, she would write letters (using her hair claws) of apology to the people she’s wronged

Elizabeth said Camila’s palisman would be a chancleta

Avi thinks that Raine loves making collages and going on nature walks in their spare time

Dana added that King would enjoy helping out with the collages and the consensus became that Raine just hosts collage nights

Alex was adamant that Eda would not be afraid of the IRS (*in the Grunkle Stan voice* “SHE WOULD BE THE ONE TO TAKE THEM DOWN! THE PERFECT WOMAN!”)

Zeno said Hunter's favorite Kingdom Hearts character would be Roxas

Dana can't say whether or not she's working on any new projects

Sarah-Nicole thinks that Hooty would be Luz's chambelan at her quinceañera

Dana said that Lilith's palisman is the one holding the camera for the final shot of the show

According to Dana, the Healing Coven Head would have been "silent, stoic, and scary" if the show had gotten to explore her personality more. Apparently she would have been the only Coven Head Belos wasn't sure he could manipulate

Dana also said that the Oracle Coven Head might have known Kikimora's family (and possibly been the one who got her her job)

Cissy and Sarah-Nicole said that Luz would be the illustrator of Lilith's books on the history of the Isles

Avi thinks that Eda and Raine gromposed to each other silmultaneously

[microtyalm13]

How would your ocs react to a partner whos very vocal and loud in bed, like every moment they can't go without spouting some type of praise. . . ask, totally not based on a chat im having - 🐠🎩

mmmhehehhe... < З I LIKE THIS QUESTION DEAR FISH ANON. okaaaayyy lessgooo.... also feel free to send me more questions like this one, it was fun to write for everyone <3 deity, naga, monster under the bed, kikimora, fallen god, mothman x reader. derzena x fem!reader, the rest is gender-neutral. there could be mistakes and im npt s orrty

gavriil. — the louder you are the better, honestly. gavriil here is a provider, he cares about your pleasure more than his own, so there's nothing more rewarding than to hear your voice break so deliciously. sex with him is a praising galore... loves receiving it too! he's very talkative and mostly breathes heavily or hums in amusement/delight. if you don't want to make noise on principle, that's a whole different story. will take it as a challenge. will fuck the noises out of you. breaking your indifferent facade until you're nothing but a drooling, whining mess always makes him so smug and proud.

xiaolong. — prefers it if you're at least somewhat vocal because he want to hear how good he makes you feel, so you being so unashamed is perfect for him. loves cutting off your never-ending stream of sweet words and whimpers by kissing you. will remind you to keep it down sometimes though, because "you don't want the whole inn to hear your pretty moans now, do you? they're reserved for my ears only, isn't that right, dear? mmhm, that's it". can't get enough of how lovely your voice sounds when you call out his name. will probably tease you about that later...

taisya\tasechka. — when he's balls deep inside of you, he would absolutely not care. he won't even hear you probably, driven blindly by his instincts and desires. that's why when you want him to stop or give you a second for whatever reason, you need to show it with your body language. give him a pat, a punch (he won't mind), a squeeze. he pays much more attention to how your body moves and shudders underneath him, how your breathing patterns change. values your physical participation more than anything else. this guy is also pretty loud himself, though his noises are not very... pleasant on the ears and sometimes his voice morphs in funny ways, giving that uncanny edge to his low whines and growls.

derzena. — she will be... a bit surprised. she didn't have many lovers, and most of them were pretty quiet and/or shy in her presence (no wonder, bc she has a very... intimidating stare). at first she will think she did something wrong, or, heavens forbid, hurt you. derzena is a very careful woman, mainly because she's very aware of her sizes and strength. but once you reassure her and tell her that you're just very vocal in bed, she'll except it and will move on. she'll learn to love it very quickly, silently relishing in your gasps and loud pleas. she might lose herself for a good while between your legs, eating you out for hours and pushing her thick, smooth tongue deeper into your pussy to see if she can make you even louder.

veniamin. — oh he is so mean. likes it when you're loud just because he gets to shut you up. a hand clasped tightly over your mouth or pushing your face into the pillow, he doesn't care as long as you're keeping up the volume and writhing under him. when he's feeling gracious enough he'll let you ride him and babble all you want. until then, he'll keep calling you a desperate little thing, mocking the noises you make <З despite that, he also loves it when you talk back or insult him in return. it's the "missionary, so we can keep arguing" for him. smug fucker wants nothing more than to rile you up and then make you whine in disappointment by ruining your orgasm... for the fourth time in a row.

livy. — he hasn't had much experience with humans before, so he thinks it's perfectly normal for you to express yourself the way that you do. livy thinks it's very pretty actually, and won't stop you, because no one will hear you in the middle of the forest, where his cave resides. except for him, of course <з lets out happy chirps and clicks in return, or hisses sweetly when your little hole squeezes him so tightly. will ask how you feel very frequently, seeking your approval. might get too excited and get a bit rough, fucking you into the ground, trying to stuff you full of his cock despite you being so much smaller in comparison to him.

[rfswitchart]

Obligatory Huntlow post for ASIAS anniversary

So, I might as well do an anniversary post for Any Sport in a Storm, shouldn't I?

Pop quiz: When did Willow Park fall in love with the Golden Guard? There's a lot of answers you COULD say for this. Maybe she started realizing it when they were in the Human Realm. Maybe she realized when he grabbed her out of the sky or was in the detention pit with him.....

You COULD say that.... but you'd be wrong. She realized it the moment Hunter stood between the Entrails and Darius. "Wait, how do you know that?" you might ask. Simple. Because as a writer of 25 years and someone who has had many crushes and relationships... I know that kind of body language and tone of voice well.

"After all, it will be 52 weeks until 'Caleb's' next day off..." Note the way she SAID that. Sly, coy, definite tongue in cheek. The way she's looking over her shoulder back towards him. I mean COME ON, there's a heart shaped cloud just above her head. Hearts being between the two of them is a big tell for that. It's called THEMING. "Ok, but that's just one moment..." Au contraire, did you think I'd come into this with one example? Remember, I WROTE THIS ALREADY. Now, pop quiz #2: Why did Hunter, who had only ever met Willow ONCE know the difference between the real and fake one?

After all, there is no way he could have known that after just one encounter. You can not determine a person's entire personality based on a sole encounter, no matter how much of an impression it left on you. The answer, again, is simple...

Because they had been talking over Penstagram since ASIAS. Probably took a while due to Hunter not being used to typing and stuff, but I cannot imagine they weren't talking since that night. It also explains why Willow trusted him so easily during the scout invasion of Hexside. Because it couldn't JUST be the breathing technique that swayed her. After all, Hunter had lied and betrayed her and her friends before.

...Again with the hearts. THEMING! Anyway, even if we discredit ASIAS and Labyrinth Runners, or how she totally went to kill Kikimora for trying to hurt 'him' (and stopped when she could have hurt him) and ran after 'him' specifically when 'he' was captured (remember, it was Luz, she just THOUGHT it was Hunter) Fine, let's forget all that then...

Because even if you discount those things, she definitely had a thing for him while they were trapped in the human realm. How do I know? Ok, time to teach you kids about flirting 101.

"I'm gonna borrow that book when you're done with it! ;)" She's not saying "I want to read that" because she's curious about Cosmic Frontier. She is saying "I want to know more about your interests," and saying it with a tone that says "I want to turn this into a date if I can." Even before when she's taking a picture and shutting down Amity's snarking on Hunter's costume, her body language, her words, her tone. They are all suggesting there's more than just 'friendship' there. When it comes to flirting, it is not WHAT you say, it is HOW you say it.

Also, while I'm on the subject. Willow is canonically Pansexual, she is not Ace. Also, she is not Demi/aromantic, she is heavily guarded and has trust issues from years of bullying and nearly everyone looking down on her or using her as emotional support. I have the same problem for the same reasons, and I know for a fact I am not aro. I am guarded because I've been hurt before, same as Willow. Hunter is the only one who ISN'T like that.

He doesn't see her as weak and frail, he doesn't rely on her for stuff, and he wouldn't be caught dead hurting her or looking down on her. That is HIS captain, and he'll be damned if he won't see her as anything short of incredible. And boy did he let her know that, more than once.

Anyways, sorry for rambling. Let's all appreciate these two amazing, powerful witches who really do compliment each other's lives.

[mdhwrites]

My Frustration With Belos

As a presence, Belos is fantastic. He actually has probably some of the best animation in the series and arguably the best voice actor in the entire cast. He sells every line Belos has with a gravity and menace that the emperor might otherwise not have. He sells his anger but also his control and even after I stopped liking the show, I found my attention demanded when he desired it.

Unfortunately, as a character he absolutely fucking sucks and is almost impossible to take seriously.

He only functions as Belos. Not even Emperor Belos because once you bring in that title, you have to tilt your head and ask "Well, what is he as an emperor? How does he use his minions to enact his will? What is his will?" In that order:

He is a kind, stately emperor who only asks for one rule to be obeyed. Even if you stayed out of the fold, if you come to him willingly seeking forgiveness, you will be granted it and absolved of your crimes, like with the wild witch friend in Hollow Mind. He revolutionized the Isles, turning them from seeming small towns to a now interconnected nation (his rise to power is literally impossible with news being able to spread so people can fact check him) and brought safety and regulation to a land that has none (Terra acts like the Safety codes in Them's the Breaks are new or something so beneath a proper witch as to be able to be entirely ignored and no one cares.) No one faces persecution except those who flaunt breaking his one rule but you may be of any race, skin color, belief, etc. and he doesn't care. You are all equal in his eyes.

He uses his minions weakly. They are bumbling fools who are honestly better at party planning than they are at combat (look at... Literally any fight with the EC scouts frankly. The literal only wins they get is raiding an empty, unguarded house and attacking two exhausted, distracted witches who are out of power.) They are seemingly not punished for this though except supposedly at the higher ranks. Even then, they are merely demoted. Those who wish to leave also show no fear in doing so, as proven by the EC scout who says fuck this and goes off to join the cute cat coven. This displays a lack of interest in power or enforcement.

His will appears to be to bring order to a land of chaos. To bring structure and unity to a land that didn't have it. He will go to any length, including manipulation, lying and threats in order to obtain this. He keeps mystique about him, seeming to believe that being feared is stronger than being loved, fitting with his claims that the Titan speaks to him and wishes for a rather extreme societal change. One he will see to no matter what.

These are... Actually interesting. You know, until you remember his actual goal is the genocide of literally every living being on the Isles. Then they come across as incredibly stupid, inept and backwards for what ANY of his goals should be and that's without getting into how his plan explicitly left out the entire child population of the Isles. This means he didn't even actually want to get the job done properly before he fucked off.

That is befitting Philip and Belos though as actual manipulators. They both are on easy street as far as it goes. The one manipulation we see from Philip is by using two people who clearly want something from him and are interested in helping him so so long as he doesn't literally start throwing fists, he's fine. Belos meanwhile leverages Eda's curse against Lilith, an entire fake backstory against Hunter, and just being Kikimora's boss to get what he wants. Anyone not in the EC though he never manages once to actually convince of anything and he is pretty bad at actually keeping up his deceptions.

This is of course made worse by knowing that 400 years ago, that commanding presence that is Belos... Was actually just a whiny British bloke who couldn't even wait until after his victims were dead to gloat about it. I tooooootally still fear him, especially as S3 commits narrative contrivance after narrative contrivance to A: let him be ALIVE and B: to let him win, CONSTANTLY, without also murdering the main characters. Like he literally tells a group of witches and a monster "I'm saving your souls," while he has them all at his mercy, having already shown he was more than capable of beating them all... And leaves. Because he is REALLY bad at his goal.

And honestly, him being so bluntly tied to a movement, time period and ethnicity that all bluntly say he's Christian without saying he's Christian... Actually just kind of makes him worse. Knowing his beliefs makes his behavior BAFFLING. He has none of the actual zeal and fury of a crusader, who were so bloodthirsty as to have peasants march on their own as they screamed Deus Vult, nor does he have the actual politics and methodologies of colonizers. The closest he is is a missionary and that's not even the case because he's not interested in conversion, only genocide. He is just an asshole who has the label "Christian.

It says nothing. Most of his character says nothing. They slam you over the head saying he should be saying something, that his backstory should be deep and that he had grand plans but if you interrogate these claims, no he doesn't. He says nothing except "Christianity bad" and essentially condemns the ENTIRE RELIGION because of how little nuance there is to him, his backstory makes him look pathetic, whiny and potentially sympathetic which makes no sense with the rest of his character, and his grand plan was literally DESIGNED to fail because he never gave it any real thought or else he would have baptized witches into being in covens so they had the sigils from birth and he'd get ALL OF THEM.

He is perhaps the personification of what is wrong with TOH in this way. If you look at any one scene, it seems to promise so much. The animation is correct. The voice acting is correct. You can see what themes he's supposed to be talking about and can make a Twitter post very easily about it. But... These are all surface level and only function as moments.

As a whole story, as a whole character, it falls to tatters as you see there was nothing there except conflicting promises and basic fantasy tropes.

======+++++======

I'm trying to not blog about TOH as much anymore because I'm just kind of tired of it but Belos has always been a thorn in my side because there are so many scenes that are so effective with him but when I think of him as a whole, I have nothing but boredom and annoyance. So I wanted to properly explore that and highlight how little sense his character makes and why just consuming him like popcorn is functional, even good, but if you try to have him for dinner, you'll find only bones.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[sananaryon]

Boscha and the Collector; The  parallels I did not fucking expect

In For the Future, we catch up with Boscha for the first time since Labyrinth Runners (and her only speaking role since Any Sport in a Storm), and she’s doing... well. She rules the Hexside survivors with an iron fist, a disguised Kikimora acting as her advisor, she has a cool new look, she’s revealed to be attracted to women, oh and also she is the episode’s most prominent narrative parallel to the Collector.

hear me out.

The Collector first and foremost is motivated by being lonely. They have spent milennia trapped in a void between worlds with no company other than themselves, desperate for any kind of company or outside stimuli.This ends up leaving them vulnerable to Philip, who pretends to be their friend and offers to let them out, but actually only wants them to use their power for his benefit. In short, the Collector is a lonely kid who’s vulnerability is exploited by an adult who only wants to use them for their own ends.

And then we have Boscha. Over the last few months in-universe, two of Boscha’s closest friends ditched her for new friend groups basically overnight. Then her entire world was turned on its head with the Day of Unity and the ensuing warping the Collector did to the isles, and she loses her two remaining friends who, to make matters worse, sacrifice themselves to save her, which I imagine left her with some survivor’s guilt as well. And with the adults taken by the Collector, Boscha is suddenly thrust into a position of leadership she was ill-equiped for.

Which is when Kikimora shows up. We don’t exactly know how she got into Boscha’s good graces, but going by the credits illustration and her actions as Miki, we can assume that she comforted Boscha through the difficult times and offered some sense of guidance and stability. Of course, Kikimora doesn’t actually care about anyone but herself, she’s just exploiting Boscha’s vulnerability to gain power for herself. Like the Collector, Boscha is a lonely kid who’s vulnerability is exploited by an adult who only wants to use them for their own ends.

Also both adults manipulating them disguise themselves as someone much younger to seem more trustworthy, Kikimora as a child named Miki and Belos as the middle-aged Raine.

And with that connection established, we can also see Amity and Boscha’s relationship as a parallel to the Collector and King.

When Amity shows up in the Boiling Isles again after being gone for months, Boscha immediately latches onto her. Putting aside the gay subtext (is it even subtext? This girl is hopelessly in love), Amity is someone familiar. Boscha has lost everyone and her world has been turned on its head, so of course she wants to reconnect with the one person who can give some sense of normalcy. You can hear in her voice how frightened she is when Amity is about to leave. But, of course, Amity does not reciprocate, and Boscha has to let her go.

Compare that to the Collector. When he’s freed, the Collector latches onto King, calling him his best friend. King was the one who freed him, and his first real friend given what a bastard Belos is, but the Collector also recognizes King as the son of the Titan, someone they always wanted to play with. Again, we have someone who has been alone for a long time immediately latching onto someone who provides a sense of familiarity. And like Amity with Boscha, King does not actually reciprocate those feelings of friendship. That’s not to say King dislikes the Collector, just like I’m sure Amity doesn’t hate Boscha, but he doesn’t see the Collector as their best friend, and mostly just plays along. However, unlike Amity with Boscha, King doesn’t really have the chance to stand up to and make the Collector listen.

TL:DR: Boscha and the Collector are both scared and lonely kids with too much power who latch onto any sense of familiarity and comfort, which leaves them vulnerable to being manipulated by powerhungry adults.

[crimeronan]

But on an uhhhhhh slightly-more-serious note I can picture a lot of the everyday cleaning/laundry being done with either spells or abominations - there'd still be people for that but fewer than you'd need if everyone was dusting by hand. I wonder if cleaning spells would be something anyone would cast as-needed or you'd still have someone who's job is just to go room-to-room and cast cleaning spells every morning? Still need people in the kitchen. Still need housekeeping. The BI seems to mostly do transportation via flying staff or vehicles without animals involved so no need or a reduced need for stable staff.

The coven heads and other important people would probably have various assistants/flunkies. You already talked about Kikimora filling that role for Belos. What I'M curious about is whether Luz ever had a nurse or governess when she was younger. i can sorta see it either way - obviously there's no one in that position now but there's probably some shenanigans that would arise in either scenario. Re: your post about Luz having a maidservant or maidservants maybe there's someone who does her up for very fancy or ceremonial occasions but I can't picture her having someone in that position regularly. Most clothing on the show (even fancy or highclass clothing) looks like things you don't really Need a second person to help you wear. Luz and Hunter probably fill that role for each other on most days, which could be another reason people think they're weird especially if it is the norm for other important people to have a valet or whatever. It would also make it more difficult for Luz to hide her glyph scars and various mental issues if there was a third party around helping her change clothes and draw her bath and all that kind of thing, and I can't imagine it would help Hunter's blood pressure either.

HOWEVER. Imagine the contributions to the castle rumor mill :3c

("fuck them witches i'm living in a dirt pit" is also pretty good yeah. luz's first act as empress is hiring a janitor.)

YEAH THESE ARE GOOD THOUGHTS. hunter is way too paranoid and way too much a barking guard dog to let anyone besides amity and camila near either of them. and neither luz nor hunter has a problem with casual nudity around the other, so it makes sense to me that they'd just help each other.

castle gossip voice "you know some people say he even acts as her maidservant...." meanwhile luz is securing the hard-to-reach buckles on hunter's armor like. It's Equality

cute tbh. i'm love them.

[fanboyvini]

i would really love to know where the writers write hunter trauma/abuse as something like "hehe traumatized angst teen >ᴗ<", as some people say, because don't think we're seeing the same show

his scenes are always serious, respectfull and sad; you can tell this from the composition and the reactions of the characters too

"Oh but the writers made Belos abuse him again and took all the happiness out of him!" Well yes, Belos is a villian AND that's exactly what abusers do and what many victims of abuse go throught (we cannot generalize all abuses because unfortunately there are several forms of abuse): when we think everything is going to get better, we feel that our happiness is going to be taken away from us and we can never be truly happy.

but all the good characters (his family) respected him and his moment, it's not like they made fun of him or simply didn't care

what Hunter went through is not because the writers are sadistic, it was necessary to show that Belos still very abusive, powerful, intimidating and still wants to kill all non-human beings (and even some humans too)

the only time the show made fun of hunter was when kikimora said he has an annoying voice and when luz and eda called him "sadboy" BUT

they didn't know that hunter was manipulated by Belos (soon after they understood Hunter's situation they were empathetic and welcoming)

they always make fun the antagonists ALL THE TIME

Kikimora is a awful person, of course she's going to be mean

I think some people are in the fandom too much and are forgetting the canon content.

[asherisawkward]

What did you think of Season 3 and its episodes? Also, do you think fans who weren't satisfied with Belos, Caleb, or Wittewife being ungrateful? I saw on Twitter that people who are upset are because Philip, Caleb, and Wittewife got more compared to other characters. Also that we didn't need to see a flashback because we already know from the Hollow Mind portraits what happened. Finally, what do you think of the Wittewife interpretations? How do you interpret her?

Get ready, because you’re in for a doozy of a rant, because Season Three was full of mixed feelings for me.

Thanks To Them:

I loved TTT because it felt incredibly suspenseful and horrifying to watch Luz and Hunter search for Philip. The exploration of Hunter’s personality and interests are heartwarming, and I can completely relate to him about wolves. It’s also interesting to see the ways Hunter grows and reacts to his Grimwalker situation and the similarities between him and Caleb.

Masha was obviously amazing, and I loved their depiction of the Wittebane Brothers’ Tale. I did notice that the local legend supposedly took place about twenty years before Gravesfield was reported to have been founded on the sign. That may be a sign that their story was incorrect, but who knows.

What really interested me was the implications of the story. Philip was an orphan with very little connection to his parents due to losing them when he was very young. Clearly, he was heavily dependent upon Caleb for his sense of safety and security, as well as his stable point to interact with the world. With Caleb leaving with Evelyn, Philip must have been left traumatized and terrified.

And Caleb…If Evelyn truly wasn’t evil, then he abandoned his brother by choice. It doesn’t really matter if he thought he’d be better off. His brother needed him, and he left.

Evelyn shares less of the blame, in my opinion, because Caleb might not have mentioned that he was an older brother or spoken of Philip. I tend to imagine her as a kind but spirited person who likely made Caleb realize there was more to life than the strict rules of Puritan society. She would likely have been a friend before they became lovers.

With that analysis done, I’ll get back to TTT.

During the possession scene, I was pretty conflicted. The animation was beautiful, and the voice acting was amazing. But I feel like it was needlessly cruel to Hunter to possess him, scar him for life, kill his therapy animal, and re-grow his hair so that he looked like his Ortet when his whole arc was about becoming his own person and learning he is not Caleb. Additionally, I’m mildly bothered by the writers making him want to carve palismen like Caleb when he had already demonstrated interest in sewing.

For The Future:

Philip’s travels were so interesting. It was horrific to watch him slowly fall apart as he desperately searched for a new body, even possessing an unfinished grimwalker to try to do the job. Some story boards and behind the scenes content revealed that Caleb and the Golden Guard ghosts were, in fact, hallucinations.

This was extremely impactful to me because it indicates that Philip had some inkling that what he’s doing is wrong, but he has fallen into the sink cost fallacy: the idea that something can’t be wrong because you invested so much time, energy, and resources into it. To put it simply, his guilt is driving him mad, but he has to continue because he knows there is no redemption for him.

New Hexside was okay. It was mildly annoying due to the change in tone feeling forced and disrupting compared to the extremely serious tone of Philip’s section. It was cool to see the way society had turned out for those who survived. I adore that it was an absolute mess, because it’s incredibly accurate for something run by teenagers.

I disliked the bit with Kikimora because it felt like a retcon of her arc in Kings Tide. She had been so obsessed with pleasing and serving someone in the pursuit of approval and greater power that she forgot she was also in danger from her hero’s plans. To restate it a way I’ve heard, “she was so focused on the boot she had on others’ necks that she didn’t notice the one on her own.” It was very gratifying to see her get retribution against Philip and play a part in saving the Isles. So FTF felt like a backslide to her.

Boscha was an interesting parallel to Philip in feeling abandoned by someone she cared about. So she attempted to force that person to stay. However, she is able to move on and accept that things have changed. It’s what would have happened if Philip had been able to let go, and I like that.

Willow’s breakdown was understandable, but not handled the best, and I dislike that she was “saved” when she doesn’t really like that sort of thing. It would have been better if Hunter and Gus had talked to her and let her slowly unload her feelings instead of being “saved” by Hunter.

I also dislike where their arcs end with them holding pinkies. Don’t get me wrong, I think that Huntlow is adorable and has a lot of potential. I just think that should be dealt with after they are more emotionally stable.

King and the Collector’s story was the least interesting to me, though I think the “new” Collector is adorable. I loved the dynamic they had as a somewhat malicious and irreverent being that will poke and prod at anything for some amusement. It really made him feel like a threat, and I liked that.

The new interpretation revealed by the interactions with King was sweet but less compelling to follow. I would have found it much more interesting for King to help him slowly come to understand human/demon/witch morals and the way what they did was wrong.

Philip’s tricking of the Collector felt like a little bit of a stress, but potentially in character as someone who was desperate to regain the power he had likely lost due to Vee. King’s dialogue for that bit felt kind of forced, but I can excuse it.

Watching and Dreaming:

Oh crud, here’s the real doozy. Watching and Dreaming was the biggest let down for me. It was stunning visually, and the animation was fluid as a whole. It looked amazing, and I was thrilled with the episode the first time I watched it. But the more I thought on it, the more issues I’ve found.

I thought the nightmare sequence was going to be far more significant than it was. I was hoping for a deep analysis on the ways that Luz and Philip mimicked each other in their desire to be the hero, protect the people they care about, and escape the unsatisfactory reality that they had previously lived in.

I thought we would see Eda face and potentially live out some of her greatest fears. Maybe she would accidentally hurt King or Luz. It would have been interesting to see her grapple this during an intense battle that would decide the fate of the Isles! It was disappointing for that to be over in fewer than ten minutes without any of the depth. I don’t really have much to say for King’s nightmare sequence.

On a far more minor note, I disliked Philip’s design during this episode. Yeah, Kaiju Philip was interesting looking, but he doesn’t carry any of the same weight or fear that he used to. The lack of detail and speech from him felt off, because he is a character who puts so much weight into words and manipulation, and we never really get to see him.

I also dislike the way that his color scheme changed. I really liked the dark green and glowing blue thing he had going on. It felt like ooze and rot, like the decay and destruction of a person’s very soul until it’s so twisted it’s no longer human. The lighter green feels sickly, and it gives me the same feeling I get when I touch a grainy eraser. I shudder, and I don’t know why. However, that’s about all on Philip’s design, now to the more major concerns and thoughts.

Luz’s death would have been far more effective if she had died more slowly and if people had noticed she was dead. Without anyone else acknowledging it, I just felt kind of hollow for the whole thing.

I thought that Papa Titan was cool, but I really dislike what he did to the narrative. This fight was set up to be horrific and challenging, that it would take every ounce of the characters’ strength. And King’s parent just kind of took that away.

Additionally, she denied all the buildup that was put into Philip’s character. Philip was set up to be tragic and sympathetic. It implied that anyone could become an extremist and hurt others because they got in too deep, and I related to Philip a lot as a character, as well as Hunter. To see him called just plain evil was disrespectful to the rest of the work put in and everything Wittebro fans hoped to see.

Some people believe that the backstory we got was sufficient for Philip’s character. Respectfully, I disagree. The pictures that were in the background of Hollow Mind were exactly that—background. It implied a tragic character that went off the deep end when he lost the only person he loved.

It suggests that, in a better world, Philip could have moved past his biases and the manipulation he experienced the way Boscha and Caleb did. He could have had a happy ending and been the person that Luz thought he was. By saying he was just evil and ignoring his backstory, Papa Titan and Luz do the exact same thing that Philip does: dehumanize the enemy and say that the group/person should be killed without remorse. It also dehumanizes or hurts those that connect with him due to religious trauma or other reasons.

It feels wrong when only a scene ago, Luz was telling the Collector that things weren’t that simple. But now, they magically are.

Papa Titan also breaks all of the themes that were set up earlier: the idea that you have to choose yourself, that there is no divine being that is going to make you special, and that Luz got where she did because she was open minded and hard working. By making the Titan gift her the runes, it discredits all the hard work she did and supports Philip’s comment that the reason he couldn’t get glyphs easily was because the Titan was making it difficult (as opposed to him being a closed minded individual who couldn’t connect to the Isles).

Luz didn’t really have a choice, and it’s never really addressed the way that the found family theme is ignored as a result of her being chosen. It also implied that all the growth she did over the previous two seasons was pointless, because she was the chosen one.

After that, the tone is distinctly more action based and exciting as opposed to the horrific and stressful encounter I was expecting. It felt like the fight wasn’t being taken seriously by the characters or the writers, and it made it hard to stay invested or take the stakes seriously.

The fight could have been the whistle Hexsquad taking on Philip and supporting each other. Hunter could have helped get people out of the way when they were being attacked. Gus could have distracted Philip and help people escape or even left him open to attack. Willow and Amity could have grappled him and harmed him. Camila could have given it her all with the bat. It could have really pushed the theme of community and connection and the way they impact people.

Finally, I want to talk about one last thing: Philip’s death. I laughed at it the first time I saw it. It was amusing and more than a touch satisfying, but it’s not what Philip deserved.

Philip was a tragic, hurt character who sacrificed his health, his morals, and everything about himself in the pursuit of protecting humanity from witches. He was evil and irredeemable, and I do not want him to be redeemed.

I wanted him to learn that it was all for nothing and that his guilt was justified, that he was fed lies by the people he admired and told what he did was right when it wasn’t. I wanted to see him break down at the knowledge of his actions and their consequences, the sins he committed. Then, I wanted him to die.

In later watching, the scene where Raine, Eda, and King stomp him to death feels cruel. I agree that he needed to die, but Philip couldn’t fight back. It doesn’t feel like something that good guys would do. And Luz just watching them do that felt wrong.

Epilogue:

I liked the epilogue as a whole, except for a bit on Hunter. The thing with him and Willow was cute, but he didn’t cut his hair again, and he went on to carve palisman. I feel as if it violates everything previously set up about him choosing to be himself, and that makes me a bit sad.

In Conclusion:

I think that the people who weee unsatisfied with the Wittebane lore have every right to be. It was the most impactful series of events for the future of the Isles. It was built up for ages and never carried through. Obviously, my opinion would change if there was a series or movie on them.

Evelyn was “spring” to Caleb, as she introduced him the first life and light that allowed him to be who he wanted to be.

Season Three had amazing animation and visual depiction, but it fumbled on the themes it had previously established and some of the character development.

I am so sorry for rambling/ranting so much on this. I hope I haven’t scared or upset you. Have a great day!

[winters-mistress]

the best kind of uncle is the one you'd least expect

"How you doing, kid?" Lambert asks, as he plops his arse down next to Ciri. She looks at him, the red headed witcher taking her attention away from the near empty waterskin, and into his murky brown eyes. Unusual, as Geralt had beautiful gold ones, Coën has a very unusual combination of blue and brown in the same eye, while Vesemir resembled the only twice grassed witcher in existence more than he did Eskel or Marek or Everard or Gwain. In a keep of glowing eyes, a relativley normal colour is unexpected.

"Alright." Ciri shrugs, "Geralt rip you a new arsehole for hitting me with the sack of rocks earlier?" She grins as he scoffs, pushing messy red curls from his face, his thick fingers getting caught in the rediculous tangles. No witcher would be seen dead with a comb in their hand, it would seem.

"Bitched on and on for almost an hour. About how I should 'take into accountability how fragile humans are' and 'how you won't be able to learn anything if I give you a broken shoulder'," he mocks, his voice a pitiful imitation of the white wolf's growling nature. "Crock've bullshit, if you ask me. Can't teach you anything with kiddy gloves and gentle taps. Only way you're gonna learn is if we push your arse, but your daddy says no." He scoffs. "I'm gonna put your arse on the pendulum every time he skives off to hunt or if Ves gets him patching up walls, you know that, girl? Nobody's gonna go easy on you now, you know that? A kikimora won't strike slower just 'cause you're not a mutant, a soldier won't give you a second to catch your breath. Your dad won't, so I've gotta take it upon myself to teach you all the dirty, scrappy tricks the white wolf would never lower himself to do. White Knight, he is." Lambert smirks, bumping his shoulder against Ciri's, and she chuckles at him.

"I'm honoured." She grins. "How 'bout you show me a few more sword ticks before you loose a finger?"

Lambert smirks. "Love to see him try, kid."

[sergeantsporks]

Dadrius Week Day 3: Coven Heads

Tell your kid you love him you emotionally unavailable dingbat.

Darius looked up from his Penstagram scroll to Jasmin, who raised one eyebrow at him and angled her head towards Hunter. He brimmed over with nervous energy, smoothing his wrinkleless shirt, adjusting the pleats on his cape even though they were already arranged just so and woven with magic to keep them in place.

Darius clasped a hand on his shoulder. “They’re just witches,” he assured Hunter, “I assure you, you have already met the worst of my family, and my parents will not be any harder to get along with.”

Hunter nodded, but still, he wore the face of someone about to face armies. To be fair, Darius had felt the same way at the door, but he’d neglected contact for years and was facing his own parents. Comparatively, Hunter had the easy job.

Still, first impressions could be a tough beast to handle. At least Jasmin seemed to like him—but then, Jasmin got along well with almost everyone, especially if she could do so in a way that would get on Darius’ nerves.

And suddenly, Darius did feel nervous about introducing Hunter to his parents. What if they didn’t care for him? Worse, what if they were polite to his face but secretly disapproved of him? When he’d invited Hunter to stay with him, he hadn’t considered how the rest of his family might feel about it. Not that he needed their permission or approval to keep the kid, but if he was going to reconnect with his family, he’d prefer it if everyone got along. Having to pick between his old and new life again sounded like a nightmare.

“They’re just witches,” he repeated, “They’re not the worst thing we’ve faced.”

“Right,” Hunter agreed, “I mean, we got through the draining spell.”

“We survived the puppeting.”

“And Belospocalypse.”

“Right, right, and Belospocalypse. And I survived Whisper’s murder-suicide spell.”

“I got out of Kikimora’s death traps just fine.”

“Ah, Kikimora’s death traps. Not to mention those ghastly coven trials.”

“They made you do those, too?”

Darius shuddered. “The coven scout trials and the coven head trials were not so different.”

Jasmin’s head twisted back and forth between the two of them. “Hold up. Coven scout trials? Darius, where did you find him?”

“In the forest. He was raised by wolves,” Darius told her. He gave Hunter a half-grin so that he’d know it was a joke. He’d heard the turn of phrase to mean that the person in question was perhaps a bit uncouth, but…

Hunter sighed dreamily. “I wish.”

Yes. About what he’d expected as a response from Hunter.

“Fine, fine,” Jasmin grumbled, “Keep your kid-finding secrets. Are we going to go downstairs, or are we going to lurk up here all evening?”

“Don’t rush me,” Darius and Hunter snapped at the same time.

Darius took a deep breath. “We’ve faced worse,” he repeated, “We can handle this. We’re coven heads, for titan’s sake. They’re just my parents.”

Jasmin raised one finger, squinted at Hunter and opened her mouth, as if to say something, then closed it.

“Right,” Hunter agreed, “And I already technically met your mother. I’m not nervous. Are you nervous?”

“No,” Darius lied, “Why would I be nervous?”

“Nothing to be nervous about.”

Jasmin heaved a sigh and started down the stairs. “I’ll let them know you’ll be another hour.”

Darius and Hunter rushed down after her, wiggling in the front. “We’re ready,” Darius assured her, “We’re fine.”

“Totally prepared,” Hunter seconded.

“Prepared for what?”

Darius stiffened at the familiar voice, now somewhat creaky with age, but still rich and strong. He turned to face his father, who stood half a head shorter than him, but was still, undeniably, the biggest presence in any room he occupied. “Ah! Father! Hello! Happy Father’s Day!”

“Hello, Darius. What a pleasant surprise to see you here! And who is this?”

Next to him, Hunter also straightened up, falling directly into the rigid at-attention posture of the golden guard. “Hello! My name is Hunter! Darius has been kind enough to take me in! A pleasure to meet you.”

To Hunter’s credit, his voice did not squeak, break, or otherwise betray him. However, he did sound almost like he was giving orders, or perhaps receiving them professionally.

Darius’ father held a hand out, shaking Hunter’s firmly. “As I’m sure you’ve gathered, I’m Darius’ father. Marcus Deamonne. A pleasure to meet you, too, Hunter.” His sharp eyes traveled up to Darius. “Is this a recent development, or…?”

“Very recent.”

“Well, congratulations all the same.” He smiled, a warm, genuine smile that relieved some of the tension in Darius’ shoulders. So far, he liked, or at least did not hold any hatred towards, Hunter. Good. Excellent, even.

“It’s wonderful that you’re here. Both of you.” Darius’ father nodded to the kitchen. “Hunter, Jasmin, I think Ariana could use some help in the kitchen.”

Both of them left without another word. Darius noted a visible sink of Hunter’s shoulders and relaxation of his posture. Darius’ father watched him go. “That voice sounds familiar,” he said neutrally.

Darius studied his gloved and completely covered nails. His father had only met the previous golden guard once or twice, but Hunter’s voice was a hard one to forget. “Does it?”

“Darius.”

“Mom didn’t seem to think so.”

“Darius. I don’t forget faces. And I don’t forget a voice. Who is he?”

“An old coworker,” Darius admitted.

“An old coworker. At your job as a coven head. The child.”

“The empire was not a good institution, Dad.”

“No. It wasn’t. I seem to recall not particularly liking that you were a part of it.”

Oh, not this again. Well. Better to rehash old arguments than spill all of Hunter’s secrets, he supposed. “I dismantled it, didn’t I? I was a double agent for years, don’t you think that was worth it?”

“Who is he, Darius?”

So much for deflecting from Hunter. Darius circled one finger in the air. “I told you. An old coworker. He needed a place to stay after we destroyed the Empire.”

That was not, strictly speaking, true. Camila would have been more than happy to continue to support Hunter in the human realm, and he went there on the weekends, but for an easier commute to Hexside, he needed a place in the demon realm during the week. He’d started a palisman-carving apprenticeship with Dell Clawthorne, so hypothetically, he could have stayed in the Clawthorne household, but that would have meant staying with Lilith, and really, Darius was obviously a better option than that. For Lilith’s sake and Hunter’s.

“That’s not what I meant. Who is he to you, Darius? Just an old coworker?”

That was a harder question to answer, and reminded him uncomfortably of Jasmin’s text. “My ward” was usually Darius’ go-to response, a nice, neat answer that didn’t result in any sort of claims that might become awkward very quickly. But for some reason, that didn’t seem like the truest answer, and Darius’ father could sniff out lies better than Eberwolf could track down a creature.

Darius had wanted to give Hunter space to figure the situation out, and to figure it out himself, but he wasn’t sure either of them had gotten any closer to that goal. The adoption papers sat on the counter at home, unsigned. Hunter had initially wanted to sign them, but Darius had thought perhaps he was worried that if the adoption wasn’t official, Darius would kick him out. So he’d said it wasn’t the right time, and had continued to let Hunter stay, to take the pressure off. Then, the next time they’d discussed it, Hunter seemed to have changed his mind. Which likely meant that he HADN’T been ready, and giving him that time to think that been the right call, but part of Darius worried that Hunter had second thoughts because he thought Darius didn’t want to make it official.

“I don’t know,” Darius said quietly, “We haven’t decided what it is we want. I don’t know if I’m to be a mentor, a legal guardian, simply a roommate, or… something closer. All I know is that I haven’t always done right by him in the past, and I want to do better now.”

“Is that why you brought him here?”

“He seemed interested in doing something for Father’s Day. I thought it would be good for him to come meet the family.”

His father gave him a look that was somehow both exceedingly patient and the most exasperated face on the Isles. “Darius. I think you have your answer.”

“To what?”

His father heaved a deep sigh. “Son.”

“Father.”

“He wanted to celebrate Father’s Day with you.”

“Possibly.”

“What does that tell you about the sort of relationship he is hoping to foster with you?”

“No,” Darius said immediately, “No, that’s not what he was—no. No, he just heard about it from one of his friends, and—he just thought he had to. He thought it was an obligation. I told him he didn’t have to do anything; I don’t want him to feel forced into a relationship.”

“Oh? How so?”

“That’s not my story to tell you.” Darius paced back and forth. He wanted Hunter to feel comfortable, not like he had to pay Darius back. He didn’t want Hunter to feel like he had to do something for him, especially not for something like Father’s Day, when he hadn’t done anywhere near the amount emotional work necessary to earn that title. Not now, and certainly not as his fellow coven head. “The point is, he’s had unreliable, give and take relationships with adults in his life, and I’m trying to give him a place where those sort of acts are not necessary.”

“And what if he was trying to reach out?” Darius’ own father pressed, “You brought him here because you want to be his family, yes? That’s what you’re trying to express?”

“Only if that’s what he wants.”

“Consider that him reaching out about Father’s Day might have been him trying to express the same to you. Perhaps he didn’t feel obligated. Perhaps he simply… wanted to.”

Of course Darius had considered that. He’d just wanted Hunter to know that he wasn’t obligated (especially not on such short notice; no sense in stressing over it), not that he was opposed to the idea. “Perhaps. I just don’t want to assume.”

Darius’ father shook his head. “You know what?”

“What?”

“I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen you scared to fail.”

Darius sputtered, struggling to find refuting words. “I am not!” he managed. Brilliant. Eloquently stated.

“Yes, you are. You’re being overcautious and slow because you’re scared you’ll make the wrong move and make a mistake. I’ve never known you to be so worried about failure. You at least try first and obsess over your mistakes later.”

“This isn’t the same as—as learning a new spell, or sewing a new outfit!”

“Are you really telling a father of two that parenting is harder than learning a new spell?”

Darius pointed towards the kitchen. “If I make a wrong move here, it’s not just me that has to deal with the fallout. If I make a wrong move, I could hurt him, and I could hurt him badly.”

“That’s the case with every single relationship, Darius.”

“Not this one! When—” Darius took a deep breath. “When we… worked together… I did nothing to help him. In fact, I made his already-precarious situation worse. He gave me a second chance. He’s been hurt enough; I’m not going to be the reason he gets hurt again.” Darius realized his voice had risen from a low whisper to an almost-shout, and he pinched the bridge of his nose, inhaling sharply. “Father, I came to mend bridges with the family, and to introduce Hunter. Not to fight. Please, can we just… drop this and eat dinner?”

Darius’ father hissed out a long, slow breath. “I understand. You want to take it slowly. That’s your call. He’s your kid.”

“I just said I wasn’t sure if he wanted to be—”

“Ah-ah, you said you wanted to stop talking about it. We can stop talking about it. We’re done talking about it. I’m done. Although, there is one thing I want you to keep in mind.”

Darius sighed. One last thing. Fine. “And what’s that?”

His father shrugged, turning his back on Darius and walking towards the kitchen. “Sometimes making no move can hurt someone worse than making the wrong one.”

[avatarmerida]

Beta Huntlow is back with major fairytale vibes. Thanks for all the love for these dorks in every timeline. 💚💛

---

Paulina shot a blast of bright green magic at the Kikimora, knocking her to the ground as she tried to catch her breath. Paulina frantically looked around but did not see William anywhere, and hoped the blast had been enough of a distraction to allow him to escape.

Then she saw him, just behind Belos’ throne, his crown was gone and his scars were exposed and Paulina could see a new one had recently been added. His eyes were tired and puffy as though they had been without sleep but overrun with tears and Paulina felt something inside her snap. Maybe it was her heart breaking, maybe it was the last straw but whatever it was it brought forth something that could not stay dormant any longer. Before she knew what was happening, a collection of long, thick vines were spearing from behind her in every direction like she was an earth based kraken finally unleashed.

“Get away from him,” she demanded in a low voice that was both unlike her own and somehow exactly hers. The vines did her wordless bidding, carefully surrounding William and forming a wall between him and his enemy. Just as Kikimora cut through one layer, another appeared even stronger than the last. The room was covered in Paulina’s creations, a maze in every direction that only she could navigate. William looked on in wonder, his eyes wide in admiration for both the creation and creator. There was no room for her doubt herself here, but there was plenty of room for her emotions to take form and take back her prince.

“You fool!” Kikimore exclaimed she breathlessly tried in vain to cut through another layer of vines even her fine machine could not keep up. “Don’t you know you’ll pay for this? He’s a traitor! He’s an annoying privileged brat! He’s not worth the trouble!”

“You don’t decide his worth,” Paulina said, her rage controlled and adamant. “You don’t decide anything for him anymore!” She summoned her strength and sent another bright bolt of green light towards Kikimora, knocking her off her feet and a Paulina took the opportunity to raise a bigger stronger wall of vines as she transported William away, hoping to at least gain a head start.

When they had put enough distance between themselves and the castle, Paulina lowered them both to the ground and wrapped William in a tight embrace. When she pulled away she saw the damage was even worse than she had thought, and he had gotten even more scuffed up during their exit.

“Are you okay?” She said, gently placing her hand on his cheek. He leaned into the touch despite his injuries and let out a sigh of relief, feeling safe for the first time in weeks. He looked at her like she was the sun and he a simple weed, unable to fully process everything she was but knowing he was protected in her light. He managed to nod in response but she wasn’t convinced. “You’re hurt,” she said, seeing the scars on his hands as he placed it over hers. “Oh, Will I’m so sorry.”

She blamed herself. He couldn’t believe it! She had just risked her life to save his with the most breathtaking display of power he had ever witnessed and she was still blaming herself. How could she not see what he saw?

Before he could express his gratitude, she removed her hands from him and frantically searched her pockets.

“Oh no, here let me try and fix it,” she said and as her confidence faulted, the vines began to shift. She pulled out her wand, which William wanted to tell her she didn’t need, but for some reason he couldn’t manage to speak. At first he thought it was because of the usual way she managed to render him speechless but now he had his words ready and nothing came forth, what was happening? What had Kikimora done to him?

“C’mon stupid thing, work!” Paulina desperately demanded, hitting the wand against her palm. “This is important! Please! For once!”

William felt unwell. There was a sinking feeling in his chest that made it hard to breathe and made the air taste odd. Had Kikimora poisoned him? Why couldn’t he speak?

Paulian gave the wand one final hard whack and it was as though fireworks had been trapped inside, sparks flying in every direction as she dropped the cursed object, not trying to catch on fire.  During her distraction, she did not realize William had vanished.

“What?” she gasped, scanning the area for a sign as to which direction he had gone. Why would he run away? There was no way Kikimora could’ve escaped and grabbed him without her noticing, right? “William? William!” she called, but there was no response. There was no trace of him anywhere, Paulina wouldn’t even know which direction to run. Not knowing what else to do and not wanting to waste time chasing a dead end, she ran back to the Owl House to tell the others what had happened. 

---

“... and then I don’t know if it was something I did or something else but when I looked up he was gone!” Paulina finished explaining, creating a tiny yard unknowingly beneath her feet as she paced. “And I think he might be in trouble, no I’m sure he’s in trouble and I don’t think he has his scroll and he was hurt pretty badly and I swear if I ever see the Emperor I’m gonna-.”

“Woah, woah, woah slow down kid!” said Eda. “I know you’re worried but you’re gonna pace another hole through my floor!”

“We’re all worried Paulina, but why did you go to the castle by yourself?” Luz asked, helping her friend untangle a vine from her shoe. “You could’ve been hurt too, ya know.”

“I know, I know but I guess… I don’t know,”  she admitted. “I-I don’t know what came over me, it was like I was just so worried and scared that I was angry and the next thing I knew, I was hurdling trees at the castle door and I didn’t stop until I found him.”

“Aw, young love,” said Eda, shaking her head fondly. “If anything can finally convince you that you’re not meant for the abomination track, it’s that.”

“What?”

“Kid, I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone that abominations are just not for you.”

“No, I-I mean the other thing you said…'' she trailed off, knowing her magic responded to her emotions but she never considered that the main one that had driven her to such extremes was… something that would have to wait. “It doesn’t matter, what matters is that William needs our help and we need to find him now!”

“Right!” agreed Augustus. “But if Kikimora did catch up to him, she wouldn’t bring him back to the castle she’d probably figure you’d check there first.”

“Still, we need to be thorough,” said Eda. “I can see if Darius knows anything, but it might be risky getting him involved.”

“King and I can see if anyone in town saw anything,” offered Luz.

“I can work up an illusion if we wanna check the restricted part of town too,” added Augustus. Everyone in the room sprang into action, talking over each other as they planned where they would look. Paulina went to the window to try and gather some fresh air as she tried to clear her head, trying to make her next move less impulsive knowing every second mattered now. 

“There’s just so many places he could be,” said Paulina, smoothing her dress trying to take a deep breath. “Where do we even start? I just wish we knew how to-.”

Before she could start her spiral, she was joined at the window by a small being jumping onto her hand. She gave a small gasp and she turned to see the visitor was a small light green frog resting on her hand. She could feel its heartbeat, and felt he had traveled a long way to get there.

“Oh, hello there little friend,” she said, feeling silly for feeling startled. “Have you come to help us? Oh, what’s…” 

As she looked at the frog closer, she saw he was carrying something in his mouth and placed it next to her like a sacred offering. It was a flower, a bright red familiar flower. The same flower she had brought William when she had asked him to a Grom. A Princess Kiss. A rare flower that definitely was not around here, a flower that Paulina knew a certain prince had pressed and carried in his breast pocket at all times.

“William.” She whispered, her eyes filling with tears of joy as she picked up the flower and the frog to show the others.

“Guys! William is alive!”

“How do you know?” Augustus asked.

“This!” she said, eagerly showing them the flower but being careful not to bend it. “It’s a rare flower that I made once for William, it’s the same one I gave him. It’s a message from him, to let me know he’s okay. I know it!”

“And he sent it with a frog? What does the frog mean?” Asked Augustus. 

“Uh… well that I don’t know,” she admitted. “But maybe it’s a clue that wherever he’s hiding has lots of frogs!”

“Do you know how many swamps and bogs there are on the Isles? And how big they are?” Eda asked. “We need to narrow it down, is it at least a talking frog?”

“Um, I dunno. Are you?” Paulina asked, to be met with a deep croak as response. “I’ll take that as a nope.”

“Fine then, I’ll either find a spell to make him a talking frog or a spell to help us talk to frogs, whichever one takes less time.” Said Eda, running over to her spell book.

“This is good! We have a lead!” exclaimed Luz, spinning King happily around the room as the vibe was drastically altered. 

“Thank you for the message, little frog,” said Paulina, holding him tightly but carefully. “Thank you for letting us know he’s safe.”

She brought the little frog up to her face and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of his head. The moment her lips met his head, she felt a vibration as though she had triggered a chemical reaction. It reminded her of an incident she had in class a few weeks back as a bright light overwhelmed her for the second time that day, but instead of removing William from her sight, this time it produced him.

She could hardly believe her eyes, but there before her stood her prince. A dust of smoke lingered near his feet but she knew that he was no illusion by the gap in his wide smile that he offered her before sweeping her up in his arms, singing her praises.

“You did it!” he exclaimed, holding her tightly. 

“I did? I did! What did I do?”

“You broke Kikimora’s spell!” he explained. “She had given me a potion to turn me into a frog and I didn’t realize it until it was too late and I was so scared  but…  you did it! You broke it!”

“Wait a frog spell?” said King. “But I thought those could only be broken-.”

“-by a princess,” finished Paulina, both confused and delighted. The frog spell was the oldest spell in the book, everyone knew the classic way it was broken. That was most likely why Kikimora had chosen it, thinking it was impossible to reverse as William was the only royal left. “But how? I-I mean I'm not a princess, so how could I-.”

“I told you a princess was about more than a crown,” he said with a smile, tenderly cupping her cheek with his hand. “And I knew you were a princess from the moment I met you.”

“No you didn’t! You thought she was my babysitter when you first met her!” Said King.

“King! Don’t ruin the moment!” Shushed Luz as she continued to watch the scene unfold. Apparently the pair did not hear King's interruption or did not care as they continued in their enamored bubble.

“Cool,” she whispered. “Happy to help.”

William chuckled, as he slowly leaned down to kiss her properly, not wanting to waste another moment. It took everything in him not to completely crash into her but by the way she grabbed his collar and collided their lips assured him that she was more than fine with crashing. He tightened his grip on her waist and carefully moved his other hand through her hair as he tried to remain conscious, feeling as though he was both floating and about to fall to the ground as his legs had turned to jelly. But Paulina held him steady, as her lips formed a smile against his that made his heart buzz like a wild fire bee.

As they slowly pulled away, William felt as though there was no more air in his lungs and he was totally fine with that. The wonderful girl before him seemed likewise inflicted and he wanted nothing more than to kiss her once more and then a thousand times after that.

But before he could, another familiar feeling took hold of him.

His voice was lost and his chest felt tight and the next thing he knew, he was looking up at Paulina rather than down at her. He quickly realized he had landed in her hands and then realized he was small enough to fit in the palm of her hands.

He was a frog again.

“Well that’s… new.” Said Eda.

“Oh no!” Paulina exclaimed, her elated look quickly shifting to concern. “What happened? What did I do? How did I mess it up? I didn't even use my wand!”

“Hmm it looks like Kikimora was using an older version of the spell,” said Eda. “Makes it more like a curse, really. A kiss will break it, but it also acts as the activator. It can come in handy.”

“When?”

“Well, I dunno if ya wanna sneak him into the movies or something?”

“So every time I kiss him he’ll turn into a frog?”

“No,” Eda replied. “I mean, if he already is a frog then he won’t…”

“Oh Titan, I’m so sorry Will!” Paulina said, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his little froggy head. He transformed back into his former self in a flash just as he had done before, his hands in Paulina’s as she let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank you for that,” he said, the transformation making his throat feel odd as he shook the spell’s lingering smoke and such from his shoulders. “Miss Eda, is there a counter spell to stop the transformation?”

“Well, the only way to not transform is to not kiss Princess Planter here,” snorted Eda. “She’s the only one who can trigger it. So since you’re back to normal now, you can stay that way.”

“But then I can’t… or rather we can’t…” William tried to compose his sentence, his eyes darting back to Paulina in a small panic. He had hoped the momentous event would not be a single occurrence. But maybe that was all it was meant to be.

“Oh, twist!” Luz gasped softly.

“Did you… want to?” Paulina asked, biting her lip and swinging their linked arms to the side, her eyes fluttering beneath her glasses. 

“Well, I was hoping…” William said shyly as he  lightly rubbed his thumb over her knuckle, wondering what would happen if he brought it to his lips this time. “If you were, because I would…”

“I mean… are you okay with becoming a frog every time?” she asked, stepping closer to him.

“I am if you’re okay kissing a frog every time.” William replied quickly, suddenly not minding another curse if the biggest inconvenience was being at the mercy of her affections. A string of water lilies covered their connected hands as though Paulina was preparing a comfy pad to catch him after as William leaned down to initiate another transformation. 

[sepublic]

         I can’t believe it’s actually ending.

         Three years the show has been airing. But it’s technically been a part of my life for five. I remember when The Owl House was first announced back in February 2018, and something about that magical poster and synopsis caught my eye. Something told me to look forward to this one, that it’d be special… And I had no idea.

         I remember checking Dana’s accounts studiously, impatient for more TOH content ever since that poster. Eventually I stopped, giving up… But then finally, that original teaser trailer, fully instrumental as it gave us clips from what we’d later discover were just the first four episodes! I remember my speculation about Luz going to this world, even had a dream where she was revealed to be the Anti-Christ (not that this was a bad thing in context), that sort of thing. I got hyped to hear Luz’s VA be announced, and went out of my way to find clips of Sarah Nicole-Robles’ voice acting just so I could get an idea of what was to come.

         And the show started off so humbly, so regularly, I didn’t think it’d become so serious! The fact that each episode was a fully twenty-two minutes did bode well for me, but damn. Hearing characters’ voices for the first time. Fully immersing myself.

         And this is it! All speculation will come to a close here, with the final episode. This is the last time we’ll get to watch a new episode, unless that young Raeda spin-off happens, but I’m not getting my hopes up because it’s Disney. These evening hours spent in anxious anticipation for the episode to drop, this is the last time it’ll happen for all of us. The last time I’ll obsessively check Discord to talk about the newest episode, scroll through the Recent tag to see fresh reactions.

         I want to savor it, but there’s also pressure to do this perfectly, as a way to go off. I can’t help perfectly capture how I feel nor a proper retrospective. But in the end, I still want to do it. A part of me doesn’t want it to end, wants it go on forever in infinite hiatus. But another part of me just wants to get the pain and grief over with. My heart is beating hard and it’s been building up in pace since I woke up today.

         I don’t know what to expect, but I gotta say I’ve loved watching it with you guys. Stuff as early as over-analyzing on the snake motifs which eventually DID pay off in String Bean, after that theory that Luz’s palisman would be a snake due to how the title card was designed! The way I compared the Boiling Isles to Mata Nui from Bionicle, even joked about King being the Titan. I remember being there in the early days when there was barely a fandom but still holding out, and boy have we grown since then!

         I was asked for permission to use my posts as credit when speculating on King being THE Titan, though it turns out he was his son. I remember speculating on the Owl mural inside of the Owl House, I’ve made so many friends through TOH. I remember when Adventures in the Elements leaked early and it was a dream episode, ideal and perfect!

         Speculating that there was more to Amity than meets the eye, and being right in the overanalysis! The vindication! Joking about her being a lesbian, seeing a Grom poster but not actually thinking we’d get a Grom episode. And then we did. Thinking we were getting our hopes up with Amity being a lesbian with a crush on Luz, and then the explosion of emotion as our hearts beat, when the note unfurled.

         I remember playing that godforsaken Witch’s Apprentice app just for more content, and then seeing Rebecca Rose analyze the artifacts, with me realizing they provided hints to upcoming episodes! Man, seeing Rebecca go from an early fan who helped start it off, someone I was glad to see provide presence at the beginning, all the way to a full-on crew member! Wonderful.

         Belos was known as Bellows due to a typo in the captions. Speculating on Lilith and Kikimora, who cursed Eda. Being blindsided by the climax of Season 1, and this mysterious Owl-masked figure besides Belos, because I had no clue who this was and who he’d turn out to be, no idea! No idea he and Willow would be a thing, that Belos had a brother he killed and repeatedly cloned in an attempt to get him back!

         This show has broken my heart, revived me, brought life, and so forth. Season 1 was truly wild, and then the year-long hiatus for Season 2, the Reddit AMA and stream… Getting Alador and Odalia’s names early, it was lovely! The S2 intro sneak peek, in progress. Waking up to get an entire trailer! Being caught off-guard with how much the animation improved, even as I had to stay quiet for like two weeks, because the first two episodes of S2 premiered early for special guests!

         Speculation on Philip Wittebane and Belos, the brothers. Seeing Luz figure out glyph combos. Hunter and Flapjack, King and Eda’s stories, as the designs updated. New palismen. The heartbreak of the show being shortened, the anger and rage. The vindication on Creepy Luz just being a scared kid who wants love and means well.

         And then the next hiatus… Season 2B, the end of a proper season as everything came to another climax. We got the truth on Belos, the story coming to a close in anticipation of the Day of Unity. The Season 3 leaks, especially with the titles, and the way they came together to tell us, Thanks For Watching. Like it wasn’t ideal but the audience worked with it, the crew made it work, and the fans stuck through regardless. The crew put themselves out there in this work and we reciprocated and understood.

         Just as Luz wanted and needed so badly. We had S3 and the first look at a special, depressed Luz. The sneak peek. The revelation on just how alike Luz and Camila are. And then the hype towards For the Future… When the Collector really got to shine and show us a new side that completed their character. And finally, after all of the anticipation…

         The episode finished production. The finale is done, just for us to watch. The crew is celebrating, saying their final goodbyes. And my heart and gut are feeling sick, aching with grief. I don’t want it to end, but it’s making me so nervous I need it to, just for the relief and release. And the finale inches ever-closer, the SERIES finale. The end of the end.

         Here’s to The Owl House, you guys. Thanks for everything, thanks for reading my posts, interacting with them, adding onto them; Responding when I responded to your posts! It truly was a magical time and still is for me. I feel like I genuinely learned and discovered a lot about myself through this show and my interactions with fellow fans, and I toast to our final get-together in watching an episode!

        Here’s to Watching and Dreaming! I know that’s what I’ll keep doing once the show ends…! And thank you @danaterrace, for coming up with this wonderful show and continuing to give it to us, despite everything.

[thefakehedgehogaroundhere]

My favorite idw voice headcanon rn is Matthew Rhys for Starline (specifically his role as Belos in toh)

But I also love Sarah-Nicole Robles (Luz, toh) for Tangle!

i choked on my salad reading this because those are my EXACT headcanons for them you bet your ass i'm animating that. i normally see lanolin as mae witman rather than whisper, so no whispangle lumity sadly, but i think i could probably do the "she has NO IDEAS OF HER OWN" scene w lanolin (camilla), tangle (luz), and surge (kikimora). as for starline as belos, i have several ideas

[elsa-fogen]

This one is mostly a crackship my friends showed me

Kikimora x Hettie (healing coven head)

this is indeed a cracksip SOIJODJSKSDA

Well, i don't ship it

None of them are interesting to me enough to think about their dynamics. Heck, i'm not even sure if whe ever heared Hettie's voice

Honestly? Now that i remembered how they look like... You know, i love me a ship with height difference 🤭🤭 i would totally ship them if Hettie had... you know. Personality.

Height difference is insane in this one AHHAHSHGA

[melodyofsky]

Yandere Adrian Graye

Sorry if it’s a bit confusing, had a random spark of inspiration.

 Based on this post here (If the creator is uncomfortable with me using this post then will take down) - 

https://at.tumblr.com/dopp-likes-yanderes/imagine-this-reader-who-works-in-the-emperors/qte1z6dpb9ju

TW: Yandere in general, mentions of stalking, blackmail, cornering reader, unwanted touch. 

Adrian Graye 

The man you’ve been avoiding since that blessing in disguise of a day off. When you woke up that day it had become apparent what happened the night before. The moment you had realized that you rushed out of bed, left some cash/snails to pay for the inn bill and left. But little did you know the certain coven head was already awake. 

Next few days were filled with paranoia. You served as guard captain under Belos so you had no reason to be paranoid that much but for some reason, you felt so insecure, like you were being watched. 

One while doing you rounds, kikimora you were called down for whatever reason. So you head down to her office and greeted with the one the only Adrian Fucking Graye Vernworth. 

“Holy fucking shit, no way.”

You think, as you enter. Kikimora gives a quick relay on why you were called here, “If you had not heard, the illusion head master was recently attacked, and has asked emperor Belos for a private guard, you have received that pleasure” She pauses to look at papers “Your shifts begin... tomorrow. You will receive a new schedule tonight. Do you understand?” You say yes in fear of what would happen if you refused. 

The next few days were anxious to say the least. “Does he like remember what happened on that day or like no?” you pondered. You were doing rounds around his area, until accidently running into a corner. You go to turn back but you are greeted with a looming shadow of none other then the coven head himself, Adrian

“Hello sire, how may I be of service of you as of right now.” You say with a bit of a quiver in your voice. “Yes, you can be of service of right now” “How so?” You question “Give me a kiss” He says bluntly with a smile “Excuse me sire?” 

“Did I not make myself clear? I said give me a kiss, not much maybe a peck on the cheek” At this point you’re trying to excuse yourself, without making it uncomfortable “Would you excuse me sire I-” “I said give me a kiss, not much, at least a peck on the cheek. After all you wouldn’t want a little lie about you sleeping with coven head for benefit running around now, would you?”  Well shit, you were stuck now. 

With no other options, you give him what he wants, a small peck on the cheeks, he waits for a moment then, moves out of your way, letting you know that you’re off duty for the rest of your day. He follows to your quarters, and lets you rest there. “Maybe a nap would do me some good...yeah that sounds nice.” You head to sleep. 

Meanwhile with Adrian, he feels like he’s just coming down from heaven. A kiss from his beloved. That night he saw you being cool in solitude and had a taste of you was when he fell in love for sure. He had been stalking making sure you were okay for quite a while and with that little sob story of him getting hurt and a illusions of bruises and such. He had scored the jackpot. With that little kiss of yours, you had just confirmed his delusions. 

You did love him, he was going to make sure of it. He has no intention of giving up.