#never was a fan of amity but I felt like after she became part of the core group she had no distinct personality traits

[amoritasart]

YOU’RE SO RIGHT AND YOU SHOULD SAY IT. LIKE. EVERYONE JUST BECAME CLUMSY, AWKWARD, SAD NERD BABY WHO JUST WANTED TO BE LOVED.

the worst thing that TOH does is immediately remove all the flavor from the redeemed antagonists. Where is their temper, their snark, their sass? What did you do to their seasoning?!?!?!!!

[inthenameofallthingsholy]

What Owl House means to me

TW!: Self Harm, Depression (undiagnosed), anxiety (undiagnosed), suicidal thoughts

The finale of owl house has hit me very hard. I am writing this as of April 7th, 2023, 10:53 pm, EST, approximately 11-12 hours before Watching a dreaming airs and most likely longer before I see it.

I didn’t join the Owl House bandwagon until about a year after it’s release. I binged watched all of season 1 in a day in July, on a shitty loft bed in a cabin on my great aunt’s lake, ignoring my asshole cousin and her asshole friends. This was a few months after I had come out as Bi

I fell in love with the show instantly. The main character was an undiagnosed adhd bisexual bullied kid, just like me. People didn’t understand her just like nobody understood me. She escaped to magical worlds just like me. She was close with her mother, just like me. She was everything to me.

Her best friend, Willow, was a plus sized and bullied girl, just like me.

Her best friend, Gus, was considered a gifted kid in his field who got tricked by people he trusted a lot, just like me

Her love interest had a parent encourage her to stop being friends with someone for being the wrong sort, just like me

It felt like the show was made just for me, with every character being a reflection of my own qualities. I was about to start 8th grade, and I was worried about showing up to my Catholic school open and bi. This show helped me with my fear.

And then August 31st, 2021 happened. I started my first relationship ever, as well as my first relationship with a girl. And Owl house was there for that

During the whole time we were dating, Owl House was there. We were both big fans, and recited quotes of Amity and Luz to each other, the dumb gay fangirls we were.

During the rocky parts of our relationship when it felt like there was nothing we could talk about, we could talk about owl house.

And Owl House was there October 2nd, 2022, when we decided to end it. There are still scenes I struggle to watch because of it. She and I are still best friends, and we still are dumb fangirls, but the show will never feel like it did before.

But like a metaphor for my life, my love for Lumity was overshadowed by Huntlow. As I started to be more into guys, the straight passing ship of Owl House rose to be my favorite. I still love Lumity, but like my relationship, it lost it’s thrill. As if when she and I broke up, Lumity did too.

Huntlow also connected to me because it displayed a curvy girl being adored by this attractive guy. He had a crush on her, not the other way around. Guys didn’t/don’t like me because of my weight a lot, so seeing that couple on screen gave me hope that a guy like Hunter was out there, waiting for me.

And Owl house was there during another time too. Before she and I broke up, before Huntlow became my brainrot, before I even knew anyone was shipping Hunter with people, I was hurting.

Spring 2022 was the worst time for my mental health ever. I was forced into a musical with 4 weeks to learn my lines and if I didn’t in time I would be screamed at by my director. I would put off lines to read fanfic or belt songs out of my vocal range to ruin my voice so I wouldn’t have to do the show. I committed self harm. Every night I prayed God would make it stop or kill me. I had horrible nightmares about my director and the show. It got so bad it felt like I was looking at the face of a dark black vortex, ready to suck me into the deep end where I would die. I had a horrible panic attack on stage during rehearsal, one time. I couldn’t breath, I bawled my eyes out, I scratched and ripped at my arms.

and a few days later, Hollow Mind came out, and Hunter had a panic attack on screen.

I knew it was a different situation. He was breaking from an abusive household while I was just being dramatic about a shitty play (at least that’s what people told me.) And yet, I felt seen. I saw myself in hunter, just like I saw myself in all of the other characters. That day on, he was my favorite. He still is.

So Owl House ending feels like a punch in the gut to me. It hurts so much that I’ll never see these characters on screen again. I’ll (probably) never see Hunter and Willow kiss on screen, canonically. Almost like a metaphor for me never being kissed myself.

And what makes it even worse, is that because of scheduling issues, I can’t watch it live with you all. I’ll probably have to watch it on my phone, on YouTube, hours or even days after it releases. Almost another metaphor for how in 5th grade, my friend was forced to leave the school and I was absent the day he said goodbye to everyone. An event that defines me and my emotions a lot.

So there you have it. Sorry for the trauma dump, but I needed to vent about why this show means so much to me and why I’m heartbroken it’s ending before it’s all over.

i have full faith this fandom will not die. Us weirdos have to stick together.

But that doesn’t make this any less painful for me

I’m sure a lot of you feel the same

Thank you for reading, it means a lot.

Sincerely, Speedy

[pyroclastic727]

Love Languages for Lumity

After the events of Understanding Willow, one of the main roadblocks to Lumity Canon is how oblivious Luz and Amity are. One might go so far as to say they’re being Useless Bisexuals/lesbians. 

The evidence seems to support that. Amity has let go of her tsundere act and turned into the Biggest Simp of All Time (which I am so glad they included, since it really represents the Repressed WLW Experience). Luz made it her life mission to “befriend the Amity.” They are clearly interested in each other: in spite of that, they think the other person isn’t interested. Why is this?

It’s not uselessness on their part. Luz and Amity have different love languages, and this disconnect causes them to not realize that their crush is reciprocating.

Let’s start with Amity, since she’s the most obvious about her crush. Her love language is physical touch. You see this in so many ways: she holds Luz’s hand for 24.71 seconds, she blushes when hugged, and when she tries to take Eda’s bell from Luz, she looks like she’s about to tackle Luz.

Furthermore, her jealousy stems from the same thing. When Luz returns from Willow’s brain and immediately hugs Willow, Amity looks like a kicked puppy. She sees physical touch as evidence of a crush, and seeing Luz give that to Willow, she assumes that Luz’s hugs mean she likes you platonically. For the record, she’s right. 

Finally, you can see where she gets the idea from. Her parents don’t ever hug her. Her friends don’t touch her. She built a pedestal for herself, making herself socially untouchable. Since no one likes her (up until Luz came along), and no one gets close enough to touch her, Amity equates touch and love in her mind. That’s part of why she gets so annoyed when her siblings force their touch on her: she doesn’t believe they love her (they publicly shame her all the time!), so for them to touch her feels like a lie.

Luz’s love language is very different. Sure, she likes to hug people and touch people, like Amity does, but for the most part that doesn’t mean anything. She uses a lot of typical affection signs in platonic or familial ways: for example, she tells Eda and King that she loves them, she hugs Willow a lot, and she calls Amity “baby.” Of course, there are still some traditional signs, like how she blushes around the Blight twins. But for the most part, she’s that person who dishes out affection at any opportunity.

Her true feelings are shown through grand gestures and acts of service. Her whole life, Luz has wanted to be a hero. She idolized the way that Azura would fight great monsters in order to save people or whatever. In the Boiling Isles, she always gets involved in wacky adventures, racing into battle and chasing after magic that many considered to be impossible for a human to learn. So it only makes sense that she would redirect that towards the person she loves.

And if we use that perspective, it’s clear that Luz likes Amity. As early as the Witches’ Duel, she showed concern for how Amity felt, by running after Amity when she was upset. In Lost in Language, Luz declared her goal to befriend the Amity, and does a great job: she makes bad jokes, she cosplays as Azura, and she lends her precious Azura book. In Adventures in the Elements, Luz learns a second spell for the sole purpose of being in the same class as Amity. She also goes all the way to the market so she can meet Amity outside of her parents’ scrutiny. Then, in Understanding Willow, Luz can take any responsible person into Willow’s brain, but instead she chooses the one person Willow doesn’t want to see, because Luz wants her. 

To a lesser extent, Luz also shows feelings through words of affirmation. After the Witches’ Duel, she goes so far as to tell Amity that she’s not a real witch. She renounces her life’s goal to make Amity feel better. You see a lot of this in Willow’s brain: she never judges her, and she works hard to convince Amity that they will fix this. Therefore she uses her words to lift Amity up. When they’re recounting Amity and Willow’s memory on the beach, Luz listens to Amity talk and calls her words cute. She probably got this response from being an Azura fan, and later from writing fanfiction. It’s a lesser response than her grand gestures because she probably got into writing later than she became enamored with schemes and plots.

Of course, neither person catches in on the other person’s affections. For Luz, she thinks she has finally gotten Amity out of her shell. All that hugging and hand holding and arm holding and chest touching? Since Luz equates touch with platonic affection, all she thinks of that is that Amity is finally a comfortable enough friend that she’s willing to touch Luz. 

For Amity, she thinks that Luz is naturally flirty with everyone, and only likes her as a friend. Since Luz is always doing zany adventures, Amity sees that as Luz just being herself, rather than Luz’s way of showing affection. And Luz always has something nice to say about everyone, so it doesn’t hit Amity that Luz’ kind words mean something different for her.

Fortunately, there is still hope for them. Both girls are smart (being the top student and the first human to learn magic), and Luz is notoriously good at thinking outside the box. Luz is bound to figure it out at some point, unless Amity hoards the brain cells and figures out how to ask Luz if she likes her. 

[leori-the-unlearned]

something i love about fanfic. specifically, the short, fluffy oneshots about a certain part of life close to the author, or beat in the show, expanded on.

and what i adore is the dozens and hundreds of takes on this one little moment, shared between those characters both once and those hundred times.

i’ve read a few toh fics about luz signing amity’s cast, after episode 17. they happen differently - sometimes, it is a casual thing, and all the fic does is cover luz asking for permission and going for it. sometimes, witches don’t sign casts, and it’s something entirely new for amity; luz introduces her to the concept and amity sits there, feeling the marker on her cast. sometimes witches do sign casts, but amity isn’t supposed to have ‘graffiti’ on her cast, it must be pristine; or she just hasn’t had friends who want to sign it before, that started with luz and regaining willow’s friendship.

luz writes different things in each fic. sometimes it’s just her name; oftentimes, her name alongside a doodle. a mini luz, or a mini palisman, or a mini owl house, or amity and luz together or azura or hecate or both.

a thousand ways for this moment to go, and they are all both true and not. it is an experience that never happened but was thought about and recorded by so many people.

and, just now, i found the second reason i love this sort of thing so much. i was reading a fic, about that time after the cast was on and before it was taken off, and there was one mundane line about amity glancing at her cast and seeing what luz wrote. and there, in that moment, i thought back to every fic about the signing i’d read before, all of the different ways it could have and has gone, and it became, a little bit, my story and both of theirs all at once. ‘missing chapters’ the show doesn’t cover, painstakingly and belovedly filled by fans to build more - and it came together, with one line about amity’s signed cast.

just… it felt like ‘luz signed amity’s cast and she is fond of looking at what was written’ had become fact, because it was so loved. it is true to us, and there is an ‘us’, look at everyone who wrote and read and expressed love for this idea of that moment between them; we, together, decided it was real (even if we have never met, and may never think of each other)

[l-egionaire]

She Loves Me Not- Chapter 1-An Owl House Fanfic.

Willow had had just about enough.

When she first realized Amity's obvious crush on Luz it had been somewhat funny. Seeing her serious and studious childhood friend being turned into a red-faced stammering mess by the human girl couldnt help but cause her to snicker. But after nearly three weeks of seeing Amity practically swoon as soon as Luz so much as gazed in her general direction and her friend still being almost painfully oblivious to her affections, Willow decided something needed to change.

She knew that if she just told Luz about Amity's crush, the witch would personally sic her largest abomination on her. So she would have to help Luz figure it out on her own. Which would be difficult as it seemed like Luz was especially dense when it came to Amity's feelings about her.

Case in point, when Amity leapt up from their lunch table with her face the color of blood and Luz's only response was "huh, guess something didn't agree with her." Willow was tempted to bang her head against the table.

Thankfully, she found the perfect moment while the two of them where walking down the hall and Luz had started talking about a new piece of Azura fanfiction she'd read.

"So then Azura pushes Hecate out of the way and takes the blow from the burning heckhound! Horrified by whats happened to her friend, Hecate is filled with rage and power and defeats the monster with one powerful blast of magic!" Luz swept her arm in excitement, just narrowly missing hitting Willows forehead. She chuckled nervously after noticing. "Sorry. Anyway, Hecate runs to Azura's side and cradles her in her arms. Hecate asks "why would you do that?" And Azura says "I couldn't lose you." Oh, it was just so romantic!"

Willow raised a brow at Luz's word choice. "Romantic?"

"Yeah. I mean, the author isn't really a Heczula shipper but the way they interact in the story just gives such a really strong romantic vibe. I tried telling the same thing to Amity but she said she didn't really see it."

Resisiting the urge to smile at the irony, Willow carefully asked. "So, Amity isn't really into romance?"

"Oh no, she's actually a HUGE Heczula fan. In fact she even showed me some really great fan art she'd done. I actually asked her about working together to make our own special Heczula piece. Marry our skills so to speak."

She could just imagine Amity's response to that. Still keeping her expression as neutral as possible, Willow pressed on.

"Speaking of Amity and romance, has she talked to her crush yet?"

Luz frowned. "No. And I don't know why. I mean, I get that she was afraid of being rejected but its Amity. She's smart, talented, cute. No way someone would reject her."

Okay, Luz calling Amity "cute" wasn't a bad sign. "Maybe its because she's already got a relationship with this person. You know, like a friendship shes scared of messing up."

Luz immediately struck a hand out in front of Willow and they both came to a stop. The human girl gasped like a banshee, practically sucking in air.

"Of course! She's developed feelings for a friend and now fears her romantic attraction will end up damaging their friendship if she reveals it! Its such a common romance trope, how could've I have missed that?!" She gave another loud gasp. "Ogmigosh. I know who Amity's crush is!"

Willow couldn't help but smirk. About time.

"Its you Willow! Amity has a crush on you!"

Willows left eye started to twitch and she internally groaned at her friend once again drawing the wrong conclusion.

Mustering up as much effort as possible, she calmly asked. "What makes you think that?"

"Well it all fits. You two were close childhood friends before suddenly being separated. You've started rebuilding your relationship which probably caused her to realize that her feelings for you went beyond friendship and because things only just started getting better between you she's scared of admitting her feelings because she doesn't want to lose you again!" Luz declared, looking extremely pleased with herself.

Okay, that actually made since. "Yeah. But you know Luz...that could also apply to you too."

Luz's pride turned to confusion. "What?"

"Well, you two only recently became friends after not liking each other and she might not want to mess up your friendship since its so new." Willow said slowly, hoping it would finally sink in to her.

Luz stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter.

After a round of giggles, she wiped a tear from her eye. "Thats ridiculous. Amity couldn't have a crush on me!"

At this point Willow couldn't swallow the annoyance when she replied. "And why not?!"

She expected to hear "we're just friends " or "we danced at Grom" as Luz's defense but what she said next completely shocked her.

"Amity would never be interested someone like me."

Both the statement and the paradoxical chuckle Luz gave while saying it zapped away whatever anger Willow had at her obliviousness and replaced it with intense confusion.

"What are you talking about? Why wouldn't Amity be interested in you?"

"Because Amity is, well, Amity and I'm me." The way Luz said it, t as if it should be completely obvious, caused Willow to get a twisted feeling in her stomach. Before she could say anything Luz pressed on.

"I mean, Amity's a skilled witch, Hexsides top student, she's planning on being part of the emperors coven one day! Plus she's rich, popular, she makes great fanart. And me? I'm...barely able to do magic. And I can't even do it the right way like you guys thanks to my stupid human organs. I'm not even a real witch. I mean, if Amity had a crush on me, you really think she'd be afraid of me rejecting her?"

Willow just stared at her in stunned silence. She was waiting for Luz to yell "kidding" or say that this was just a joke and she'd known about Amity's crush the whole time. But the bittersweet smile on Luz's face told her that she was completely serious.

She couldn't believe it. Luz, quite possibly the nicest person she knew, the one who tried to help her with a school project at the risk of being violently dissected, the one who'd managed to get past Amity's walls and become her friend, honestly thought that Amity didn't consider her good enough to have a crush on.

"Luz, I'm sure Amity doesn't think that way." Willow argued. "You two are friends now! You have that book club thing you do together! She doesn't think of you as less than her! In fact, I bet if you asked she'd definitely say she would be interested in you!"

Hopefully that would kill two birds with one stone.

"I can't do that Willow. Like you said, things are good between me and Amity. The last thing I want is to scare her off because she thinks I got feelings for her." Luz looked to the side and muttered. "I don't want to end up losing another friend because I pushed too much."

Her voice was so low Willow almost didn't hear her. She couldn't help but notice her use of word in particular. "Another?"

Luz winced, clearly not having wanted Willow to hear her but seeing the look her friend was giving, she began to explain.

"Back at my human school I would sometimes manage to meet people who had some of the same interests I did, like Azura or Anime. We'd talk about it, meet up, it was almost like we were friends."

Luz sighed

"But eventually, I'd do something. Somthing too weird or too much. Maybe even something that ccidentally ended up getting us in trouble. And then...they didn't want to be friends anymore."

The whole time Luz spoke her voice cracked, and Willow noticed a twinkle in the corner of her eye. The defeated expression on Luz's face seemed almost alien compared to her usual beaming face.

"Luz.....".

Upon seeing the sympathetic look on her friends face, Luz cleared her throat, plastered a smile on her face and tried to unnoticingly wipe the corner of her eye.

"But, anyway, thats my point. Amity and I are at a good place and I don't need to go asking her questions that might make her uncomfortable just to make myself feel better."

Noticing that she hadn't managed to ease her friend, Luz added. "Hey, come on, relax. Its not like I don't think anyone could like me But Amity? Trust me, I think she's be a bit out of my league. Now come on, we should get to class."

"You go ahead. I'll catch up."

As she watched Luz walk away, their entire conversation replayed in her mind. She couldn't believe her friend honestly thought that way about herself. She truly thought she wasn't good enough for Amity to like.

Willow knew one thing, still felt like she had before. She'd had enough. She wasn't going to let Luz keep thinking like that about herself. She was going to do something about it.

And she knew just what that something was.

[cosmokyrin]

You're right (I hopee), I just needed to calm down and process it. I was going to into this ep already expecting the worst but holy hell that was shocking! pleaseeeee CRWBY! Us penny fans have suffered enough. To make this ask not useless what was your favourite part of the ep?

tbh if it was death it could have been said a little more differently, maybe Penny could have even said goodbye instead of ��I love you”. but tbh I’m actually more worried about what the hack itself could do to her -- I hope that at most, her systems rebooted simply because of an overload -- a fight between her will and that of the hack. I hope it doesn’t damage her core or something (in which her memories might get affected--) okay i’m gonna stop there I’ll make myself sad again

But anyway! Favorite part of the ep??? Goooosh. There’s a LOT. I mean, this entire episode has got to be one of my personal favorite episodes like that of the V7 finale. Everything I wanted between Pietro and Penny actually happened and I can’t believe it omg. I always wanted Pietro and Penny’s familial relationship to be explored, and Pietro outright admitting how much he cares about Penny is just, wow. The whole conflict between Pietro and Penny’s intentions -- it’s very understandable, very relatable. Pietro is a parent, and this whole episode just nailed that. Who wouldn’t be afraid that their child is out there carrying the burden of the world on their shoulders? Sure, Penny might have been made as a weapon but Pietro wanted her to live as a person. The parent-child conflict felt like the typical problems real families experience when their children are growing up and making big decisions on their own. Pietro wants to protect his daughter by overriding her autonomy (like look how he originally deflected the conversation about it) but obviously Penny doesn’t want to be treated like she can’t make decisions of her own anymore. (Their expressions when Penny told Pietro that she could fix the broadcast problem by holding Amity in place for a bit was quite amusing to me because it’s the typical faces of a parent and a child arguing)

Also another part I absolutely loved was when Penny’s last words to Pietro was “I love you”. I mean, this was the first time we ever hear Penny say those words. I think she only got to understand that she could actually love people especially after Pietro’s outburst of caring more about Penny than the mission. I feel like Penny never quite understood the element of love up until that moment, and it was that moment that solidified her will to do everything for the mission.

Other than that -- everything. Everything about this episode really. The moment she became Atlas? Heck, that was fucking amazing. The visuals were fucking stunning. And the moment she fell like Icarus? Oh god. Oh god. And the montage of characters? It totally convinces me we’re going to have an Avengers-like showdown in V8.

Maria was also such a great character this episode. Like, she was the “voice of reason” in a way, especially her words to Pietro regarding people always controlling Penny’s decisions. AND YES WE GOT TO SEE HER FIGHTING.

Tbh the fight with Cinder also terrified the fuck out of me. Penny screaming a lot? Pietro watching Penny suffer these burdens? Gosh just shoot me dead now. Also we got to see how Penny sees the world -- her adorable visual interface -- I think it would have a significance later on, maybe.

Also big kUDOS to Taylor Mcnee (Penny) and Dave Fennoy (Pietro) like WOW just WOW the voice acting was so superb this episode. If anything, Penny’s last “Dad!” when she was getting hacked really got to me. You can absolutely feel the terror and her asking for help because she was confused on what was happening. It still haunts me.

So yeah that was long but this episode was just *chef’s kiss*

[sepublic]

Sorry about the double ask so here's a fun idea, Emperor Belos wrote The Good Witch Azura books. Like he wrote them in his younger years before becoming a parasitic tyrant. - Pixel Anon

           That seems like it’d be the perfect opportunity to segue into a lesson about Death of the Author, which- Given Sense and Insensitivity, and how this show already discusses how fiction affects reality and connects with it… Would be VERY refreshing to see, especially as a moral that I don’t really see other kids’ shows exploring! I do recall OK KO bringing it up with the Hero Cards not representing Kappas, but the more the merrier. It’d also be fitting to discuss Death of the Author, and separating a work from a terrible creator- Given the show’s frequent references to Harry Potter, which has a rather infamous author…

           For neurodivergent kids who really get into hyperfixations and fandoms, which Luz and Amity basically are- It’d be fascinating to see them navigate this kind of twisted revelation! And it’d also force them to really re-examine The Good Witch Azura, because sometimes a work can’tbe separated from the harmful ideas of its creator, especially if it was made to transmit them… If Azura ever talks about dealing with ‘savages’, that’d be VERY sus and make matters a lot more complex. But then again, Azura also reconciles with Hecate, so it could be a matter of recognizing a work’s more problematic areas and criticizing them, while still enjoying it.

          And, this makes sense, as The Owl House really does convey that experience of engaging with media and fiction, and how it relates to real life… And how media and fiction CAN mean a lot to people, it’s perfectly valid for one’s hyperfixations to mean the world to them! It’s treated as objectively terrible for Luz to throw away her Azura book, and bar a few social misunderstandings, the Azura books have otherwise brought nothing but happiness for her and Amity, and even functioned as something for them to bond over!

          It’s perfectly okay for fiction to mean a lot to Luz, and she’s not being childish for wanting to hold on, to keep enjoying it- So it’d be an interesting discussion when Belos’ authorship is thrown into the mix, amidst potential problematic bits here or there. Then again, Luz is an ND-coded kid who continues to find solace in these stories, which would suggest that there isn’t anything there that would bother her- At least, nothing she’d have really noticed until someone pointed it out to her.

           Then there’s the appropriateness, of Belos’ own fantasy being what could’ve led to Luz being deluded in her own right, projecting fantasies and dreams onto reality, wanting to be a chosen one… It’d be an extension of the kind of harmful delusions and ideas he puts into others, tying it back all the way of Luz herself, prior to arriving on the Boiling Isles! It’d give us insight to Belos as someone who really gets people to believe in the idea of being special, of being chosen, specifically for the Emperor’s Coven… And how this could relate to HIS character, if he himself is also a victim of these kinds of issues. If Belos is Luz, in that she never learned to differentiate fantasy from reality, and felt entitled towards bringing her stories to life.

          Perhaps Belos isn’t REALLY chosen by the Titan, he just likes to think of himself as a Chosen One- Or he was, but others can also quality for this honor, which is something that aggravates Belos because it alludes to him not being more special than others. Because to Belos, it’s not enough to be unique and valid in your own way; You must be actively better than others, and the creation of the Emperor’s Coven above all reflects this. The belief that magic is a privilege, a luxury, something you must actively earn or be more worthy of than others for…

           It’s also an interesting contrast, as if Belos has also been influenced by his works, or his works are a reflection of that- Then it’d set him apart from Luz as someone who actively deludes himself. As someone who is voluntarily blind, and willfully ignorant- Just like Lilith, who was inspired by Belos and looked to him as a role model when she was younger. Even before becoming a parasitic tyrant, Belos was a dark reflection of Luz, subjecting others to fantasies and delusions… Maybe not initially maliciously nor willingly, maybe it was just him having fun like any author. But then this innocuous action became very dark in retrospect, as Belos and his ‘hobbies’ worsened and took on a more harmful role for the people of the Boiling Isles.

          I suppose it’s worth noting that Belos’ imagery invokes a lot of white, which is also seen with Azura’s predominantly white-and-purple robes… While Belos is white-and-gold. If Belos is a dark deconstruction of Luz’s assumption of a Chosen One narrative and fantasies, then maybe he’s also a deconstruction of Azura herself; And this of course suggests that he actively emulated his own creation. He’s artistic and a writer like Luz is, but it seems Belos got TOO convinced by how good he was, and couldn’t take constructive criticism- Which could be like King as an author in Sense and Insensitivity, up until he realizes that Luz’s input helped make him so great!

           Luz and Amity can still engage in fantasy and fiction, the show always lets them find joy in this… It’s just a matter of finding the distinction between the two and recognizing it. Fully indulging into fantasy is what could’ve led Luz to accepting Adegast’s illusions… But entirely rejecting is is the path that is the Reality Camp, which would’ve sucked the fun and joy out of Luz and turned her into a hollow, soulless imitation of herself. It’s okay to find comfort and media and even be inspired by it, to even take lessons from it; And while you should always prioritize listening to real life when it says otherwise, I think it’s worth observing that Luz’s quest to be a good person like Azura… Well, influences her to be kind!

          And it’s this desire to emulate Azura that influences Luz to learn magic, which creates yet another hyperfixation that brings the girl joy, and leads to her connecting with Eda and everyone else in the Boiling Isles in the first place by staying there! Perhaps Belos will contrast with Luz in that while he recognized media’s ability to make him feel happier, he ultimately used it as a crutch, a substitute for actual meaningful interaction and connection with other people- Thus creating the monster we see today. There could be the idea of finding role models, people you want to emulate- But also recognizing their flaws, where to criticize them, and not be like them. That could tie into how Eda is a teacher to Luz, but isn’t always right and excels by taking Luz’s feedback into consideration, instead of assuming she always knows better and will never be wrong.

           All in all, this is a fascinating idea Pixel Anon! Even if Belos has no literal connection to the Azura books, I am a big fan of the idea of him being a dark reflection to Luz… A Luz as we see her start out in the series, only to be a Luz who never learns the lessons we see her go through. Belos wanted to be a hero, a main character; But he never went through the actual arc and character development of one, and instead ended up as the static villain, the main antagonist who causes problems for actualheroes. If some characters become what they despise most by trying to avoid that, then perhaps Belos is someone who avoids becoming what he wanted to be, in his attempts to be like that.

          Whether or not media has played a role in Belos’ life has yet to be seen, but there is the idea of him having lived out a traditional ‘fantasy’ without realizing it as such, because to him this IS his reality- So it’s ironic then that Belos deludes himself while Luz doesn’t. Maybe it’s because of this, because Luz has that self-awareness to consider the divide between her fantasies and what reality actually is; Because she has an actual frame of reference for what fantasy and fiction is. Suddenly I’m reminded of that joke in Lost in Language, when Gary sees “Fiction-Fiction” because the Non part, the reminder of reality, was erased; And he has an existential crisis, wondering if any of his life was real…

          Imagine this being foreshadowing to BELOS, of all people, having an epiphany- Realizing that so much of his ‘reality’ was just his own fiction, that he questions what things were real and what things never were. Belos realizing he forgot to consider reality, and now he’s questioning everything he knows, if his arcane knowledge is all for naught if he can’t even distinguish facts from fantasy… etc. What is real and objective- What if all of his ‘Non-Fiction’ was simply just Fiction, and Luz the troublemaker must reveal this to Belos? I’m just imagining Luz very awkwardly cringing and navigating around Belos’ breakdown, but also sort of relating to his dilemma and helping him recover; At least for the sake of everyone else, because a reformed Belos makes life easier than a dead one.

          Plus, Luz is very compassionate in that sort of way… And while Belos’ radiance has blinded him for so long; Now, it’s Luz’s less harsh Light, which helps open his eyes and allow Belos to properly see the world around him. Eyes DO seem to be a major motif in the Boiling Isles, and with Belos, whose eyes need to be fixed by some palisman bile… If Belos’ light has blinded all, himself the first victim; Then Luz’s more Night-time, Star-oriented Light can bring a sunset to Belos’ shining era, for now the sun sets on his empire after all these years. And with the lights dimmed, Belos can appreciate the darkness around him as a contrast, and truly recognize things for what they are… And Luz can metaphorically open his eyes and mind.

          If Luz illuminates others to the truth of their situation and what they’re doing- Then maybe her final obstacle can be Belos… Alongside her mother Camila, when Luz reunites with her and reveals just how much happier she’s been in the Boiling Isles, instead of the Reality Camp that was actually going to hurt her. THAT would be an unusual parallel, Belos and Camila, as two significant adults in Luz’s life… Potentially ones who taught Luz everything she knew prior to Eda, with Camila providing social interactions to the girl, while Belos provides lessons through his Azura fiction and media. If Azura and Camila were all Luz knew and learned from, it’d be interesting for her to teach THEM something herself- Again, a continuation of that theme of the teacher having a lot to learn from the student, and not being so infallible and all-knowing themselves. Even a teacher like Eda can still enjoy the wide-eyed opportunity and curiosity to learn as a student, once more…

[forumofkuka]

Vans Warped Tour 2018: My Amazing First & Unfortunate Last

When I discovered my love for the emo subculture during the summer after 7th grade, I began expanding and refining my taste in both fashion and music. Spending countless hours on Tumblr - discovering new artists and designers - I eventually came across the epitome of emo/punk celebrations: Vans Warped Tour. As a nationally-touring, all-day rock & roll/punk/metal festival, Warped Tour became the unofficial holiday for all those who identified as “alternative,” almost like a family reunion. Each date of Warped Tour across the United States was a unique opportunity for all the surrounding scene queens, metalheads, and pop punk kids to come together, an event that truly seems like the only one of its kind. Here, dozens of bands/artists come together, perform sets on various stages scattered around the arena, sell their merchandise at (sometimes discounted) prices, and host meet & greets/signings for their fans to attend. Additionally, in the midst of all the music, alternative clothing brands, charity organizations, and local food trucks offer all kinds of products, some you buy and others you can win! Warped Tour is an opportunity for devoted fans to see many of their favorite artists take the stage, as well as discover new ones.

Ever since I discovered Warped Tour, I’ve wanted to attend; every summer, they make a stop in my state, in a city that is barely 20 minutes from my house, yet I’ve never been able to go because the festival always seemed to fall on my mother’s birthday or a vacation outside of the country. Finally, as I’ve graduated high school, Vans announces that 2018 will be the final year for a cross-country Warped Tour. Seeing the heightened stakes, I knew that this was the year I had to go, no matter what; fortunately enough, my local date fell three days after my mom’s birthday, and with a couple of friends, we bought a 4-ticket pack and planned our attendance!

Although it has become less prevalent in my day-to-day demeanor and appearance, my love for alternative music and edgier style hasn’t faltered. Sure, I’ve given away many of my Hot Topic graphic tees and lessened the black makeup, but if anything, I’m listening to post-hardcore, newcore, hard rock, and pop punk even more. Warped Tour encouraged me to step outside of my usual and to finally listen to iconic groups that I’ve neglected to give a chance in the past. Their names were very familiar in my head, but when it came to their actual music, I was clueless.

Two weeks before my mid-July date, I decided to create a collaborative Spotify playlist, where my friends and I (mostly me haha) added our favorite bops from artists that we knew we HAD to try and see. Through personal exploration, I finally listened to Tonight Alive’s latest album, Underworld, and absolutely fell in love. I wish I had given them a chance earlier! Although I didn’t end up sticking around until their set, I know now that I have a new band to keep up with and to hopefully get to see live in the future.

In addition to ‘studying’ for Warped, I spent a couple of weeks coming up with the ultimate outfit. Because I don’t get decked out in checkered patterns, fishnets, and band tees on a regular basis, I wanted to go all out for this festival, even more so because I’d be surrounded by people who were going to do the exact same!

When we finally arrived, July 15th, 2018, at Xfinity Theatre, I felt almost euphoric. I don’t think my friends or I could describe to you how smiley I was. Because of crazy traffic, we walked a little over half a mile to the actual entrance. As much as I’m super proud of being an emo, I didn’t hold back from laughing with my friends at how stereotypical or cringey some of our fellow concertgoers were - I mean, come on, alternative kids are usually outcasts for a reason and I’m not going to deny that we’re usually freaks LOL, I know I am! It was so so so hot outside, but there were many opportunities to affordably stay hydrated, since Vans Warped Tour hosted a large, FREE hydration station right by the Journey Stage and the entrance. At most concerts, any beverages - alcoholic or not - are never complimentary, and so I think this anomaly only shows the care and consideration the creators of Warped Tour have for its fans and attendees.

I felt so in my element. For years, I had only ever had a handful of friends who only moderately shared an interest in this subculture, but it was never to the same extent as I did. Being at Warped Tour finally gave me a chance to feel free, an opportunity for me to not have to tone down or hide this actual part of my identity. Looking back, I’m happy with how it went. We ended up splitting up in pairs for parts of the day, but I was able to watch or listen as I walked around to the sets of almost a dozen bands: Doll Skin, Issues, Real Friends, Unearth, Wage War, The Amity Affliction, The Story Untold, Northlane, Ice Nine Kills, Crown the Empire. Although I didn’t watch all of them fully, and there were various others I had wanted to see, it was so much fun to get a taste of different styles of music, ranging from pop-punk to metalcore, and to also see the vibes of the crowds. Never in my life, have I seen so much dust in the air from crowd-surfing, headbanging, and mosh-pitting. It was amazing, and with concerts already being such a euphoric and almost spiritual experience for me, I loved it even more.

Out of all four of us, I’m definitely the one in the group who is more extroverted, aggressive, eccentric, and just overall “out there.” I almost ran away from the group at times, as I would walk ahead of the group, looking around, and was the only one who seemed to be able to beeline through the crowds. 

Rather than spending ridiculous amounts on junk food, I was able to bring in half a dozen, packaged mini cucumbers, and surprisingly didn’t get them confiscated. Although it was a strange snack to bring, it worked out pretty well as an addition hydration boost!

Instead of droning on about the minute-to-minute occurrences of the day, I’ll summarize some highlights.

One of the funnier moments of the day was unexpectedly walking by a faculty member from high school, decked out in all black with his swoopy, punk-styled ginger hair. I had no idea he was into this kind of scene, but seconds after we walked by, a set ended and he quickly left. While I don’t know if he walked away because he saw that we had seen him, it was such a surprise that the one familiar person we’d see that day, wasn’t a student but someone who had worked in the IT department at our high school.

Another moment was when I was buying an Official Vans Warped Tour T-Shirt, and a girl came up to me, in order to compliment me on my outfit. To be honest, she wasn’t the only one to praise me for my checkered overalls, blue barlot crop top, fishnets, and dark gray Doc Martens. I even received a free sticker from a vendor for my overalls! I felt so warm inside, seeing others appreciate these stylistic choices that I had very much been excited about displaying! What stood out to me about this moment with this girl, in particular, was that she had actually tried complimenting me from her car, as my friends and I were walking to the venue, but I hadn’t heard her! The fact she came across me and went up to me, just to tell me, was so sweet <3

To continue on this train of highlights, although I had went into Warped Tour, not planning on getting anything signed or waiting in line for a meet & greet, I ended up meeting The Story Untold and getting all of their signatures on my phone case! Before Warped Tour, I had definitely seen their name around the internet, knowing they were a pop-punk band. Nonetheless, I had never listened to them before and didn’t get a chance to before the festival. When we were walking around the different stands, partly to see what’s there, partly to kill time until Ice Nine Kills was set to take the stage at 4:00pm, we decided to take refuge by the Fueled by Ramen stand and reapply sunscreen in the shade of the tent. While standing there, we had overheard a really good set by this pop-punk band that turned out to be The Story Untold. Hearing how good they had sounded, we decided to get closer and become more a part of the crowd. After jamming out to their songs, “History” and “Delete,” they had announced that they were going to their nearby stand for a meet & greet shortly after. Seeing as we had loved their set and weren’t planning on going elsewhere for the next hour, we quickly ran to their stand and managed to be within a dozen people from the very front of the line. When watching their set, their lead singer vaguely reminded me of All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth, in both appearance and sound. In between songs, he mentioned something about the group being French-Canadian, with the drummer, Johnathan Landry, having horrible English, as a part of a bit that continued on. While waiting in line, I kept thinking about why these two thoughts felt familiar, until I realized that the lead singer was Janick Thibault. Back in 2016, I remember watching a few of his All Time Low/Green Day covers on Youtube, at a time when I don’t think he was in the band. The world truly works in mysterious ways. I hadn’t thought about him since, and so it was crazy that we happened to be chilling by the Owly.fm stage, right when they were in the middle of their performance.

Aside from The Story Untold, my favorite set was by Ice Nine Kills, a band that was in my Top Three to see for the day. Besides being basically in love with Spencer Charnas, I absolutely loved their performance. In addition to sounding great, they really took their theatrical sound to the next level by having everyone in the band dress up as iconic and classic horror movie serial killers, such as Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th) and Freddie Krueger (Nightmare on Elm Street). Having probably something to do with their two latest singles, “The American Nightmare” and “Thank God It’s Friday,” it was really fun to watch, and their music completely encouraged an awesome moshpit (that I watched from afar) and a ton of head-banging.

The one downside of the day was having to leave 3 hours or so earlier than I had planned. Of course, it was mildly expected, but that’s part of going in a group, you make compromises, and with some friends not feeling well periodically throughout the day, it was my turn to sacrifice, especially since out of everyone, I was able to see the most artists on my list. Although it was advertised as the last cross-country tour, I know my friends and I - as well as many others - hope that that simply means that Vans Warped Tour might be a regional event, with separate tours on the East and West Coast. Warped Tour was a true moment of liberation for me and I will forever remember July 18th, 2018 as a peak of not only my 2018 summer, but my 2018 year as well.

[pitch-pearl-void]

Possessive Behavior

In a turn of events no one, least of all Danny, saw coming, Paulina threw her arms around Danny's neck and kissed him. Hard. Danny tensed, his arms sticking out on either side of her waist. The crowd around them cheered, whistled, but most of the other students were more interested in Phantom now that the hero had defeated the ghost and it was safe to approach him. Danny was one of them, but you don't push Paulina away. You just don't. Not when you were on the bottom rung of the social ladder and Dash's favorite victim.

Her tongue brushed against his lips, and he recoiled, but Paulina followed the motion, maintaining the connection. Danny cautiously placed his hands on her hips, more to keep her from pressing closer to him than because it gave him a thrill--which it did, unfortunately. But his eyes were wide and his body was stiff and unresponsive. It had to look one-sided.

So why were the students still whistling?

Finally, Paulina pulled away, and Danny noticed the little smirk at the corner of her lips. Confused, violated, and more than a little suspicious that Paulina knew, Danny brushed the back of his hand against his lips, glared at his one-time crush, and beat a hasty retreat through the crowd. They parted for him, possibly because Paulina kissing him elevated his status, but more likely because his movements were sharp and angry.

A disappointed clamor rose behind him, some students shouting protests as Phantom disappeared. Danny turned the corner, and a cold presence joined him at his side.

"What was that?" Phantom demanded, and if he didn't sound as upset as Danny felt, it was only because Danny himself felt really, really, angry.

"A game," he snapped. "Like what she did back when we were freshman and she thought we liked Sam."

Silence as Phantom processed what Danny was referring to. The dance had been three years ago, after all, and during a time they had been one person, a time that was always confusing to remember. Danny turned another corner, still walking too fast. He didn't even know where he was going, he just had to get away from Paulina and the people who had seen what she'd done. He should head back to class. With the ghost threat neutralized, class would resume as if nothing had ever happened.

This was the high school of Amity Park. Ghost attacks were just another fire drill.

"You mean," Phantom said slowly, voice stiff, "she knows we're dating?" His voice deepened, became harsher. It sounded like he was forcing the words out through a clenched jaw. "And she kissed you anyway?"

Danny frowned. He brushed aside his own feelings of anger and discomfort with what had happened for the moment and looked in Phantom's general direction. Of course he couldn't see the invisible ghost, couldn't gauge his expression, but the chilled aura that radiated from him had taken on a sharp, crisp edge. "I don't know for sure," he admitted reluctantly. "But she was smirking, and the timing...it makes sense."

"It does," Phantom agreed.

Before Danny could question the decisive note behind those words, Phantom's cold arms wrapped around his waist, and the next moment he found himself flown across the hall and into the supply closet. He gasped, and as soon as his feet touched ground again, he stumbled a half-step forward and turned to face Phantom, but the ghost was still invisible, leaving the room pitch black. Danny frowned and then found himself shoved against the wall, grunting as the shelf beside him rattled from the force.

"Wha--" he started, but the hands on his shoulders squeezed.

"I don't want us to hide anymore," Phantom said.

"Which is why you brought us to the nearest closest?"

"Fenton," Phantom growled.

Danny clamped his mouth shut but kept an eyebrow raised. A cold gust of air washed over his face as Phantom sighed. The ghost finally resumed visibility, and as Phantom’s glow illuminated the dark room, Danny tensed. He had been right about how tightly Phantom had been clenching his jaw, but more importantly, Phantom's eyes blazed a fierce acidic green, the light they produced brighter and more intense than usual. Scary Eyes, Vlad had called them, only the light wasn't fading after the initial flash. A shiver raced down Danny's spine.

"I understand why we kept it hidden before," Phantom continued, sliding his hands down Danny's body until they settled on his hips. "I didn't mind. It was thrilling in its own way, meeting in secret because of how forbidden this is, but it has been almost a year, and I can't keep hiding my feelings for you. Especially not if Paulina," he fairly spat the name they used to sigh over, "is going to start trying to take what is mine."

Oh fudge, Danny thought, his eyes wide. Triggering a ghost's possessive instincts was never a good idea, but Phantom had always been able to control them before now. Then again, Danny had just been kissed by the most beautiful girl in the school while half the student body cheered them on. And if Paulina had known they were dating and had kissed Danny anyway, then she really had trod on Phantom's claim. There were several ways a ghost could respond to such a challenge, and it seemed Phantom had chosen the one that would make his claim on Danny more secure.

Given the inherent danger, being the focal point of a ghost's possessive urges should be alarming. Terrifying. Danny's heart was certainly beginning to hammer in his chest, but...

Being the sole focus of Phantom's possessive attention was a thrilling experience, one that was making heat rush through Danny’s body despite the rapidly chilling room.

"Sh-she wasn't trying to date me," Danny said, voice unsteady. "She doesn't even like me. She just wants us to break up so she can have a shot at you."

"That's still taking you away from me," Phantom growled, grip tightening on Danny's hips. "I won't let her. I can't lose you."

Danny cupped the back of Phantom's head and brought their foreheads together. "You're not going to." The bruising pressure on his hips eased.

"She's beautiful," Phantom grumbled, softer but no less angry, and Danny almost laughed because the only thing he could see in that moment were Phantom's glowing green eyes, and he had been thinking the exact same thing about them.

Instead, he countered, "You're enchanting."

"You used to like her."

"So did you." Phantom's eyes crinkled in displeasure, and Danny did laugh then, though it had a bitter edge to it. "Maybe I should be the jealous one. She was just using me to get at you. You're the one she's actually after.” The frustrated anger he’d been feeling earlier rose again, and he clenched his jaw. “Her and more than half the school..."

Phantom made a noise, almost like a rumble deep in his chest. He slipped his hands beneath Danny's shirt and brushed his thumbs against his hip bones. "If it annoys you so much, we can do something about it."

Danny frowned and pulled his head away so he could see Phantom's expression. Still fever-eyed and focused, of course, but there was a tiny, eager smirk at the corner of his lips. "You mean come out together?" he asked hesitantly.

"I...don't have the patience for that right now," Phantom admitted, and Danny relaxed a little. At least Phantom was aware of his own current state. "And they might not accept it. What I want is..." He trailed off and looked down at Danny's chest, his cheeks beginning to turn green in his version of a blush.

Danny frowned. In the midst of all that possessive rage, Phantom was embarrassed. That didn't bode well for Danny. "What?"

Instead of answering, Phantom shifted forward and pinned the human fully against the wall, wedging his leg between Danny's thighs. Danny's eyes widened as the pressure against his groin caused him to harden further.

"Oh," he breathed. He slid his hands out of Phantom's hair and braced them on Phantom's shoulders, suddenly feeling weak-kneed.

"The class period ends in ten, fifteen minutes." Phantom pressed his lips against the underside of Danny's jaw, the cold tip of his nose brushing the skin just beneath his ear. "You could be screaming my name by the time these halls fill," he whispered, voice low and husky.

A lance of excitement shot down Danny's spine, and he involuntarily thrust his semi-hard erection against Phantom's thigh before he could stop himself. "H-here?" he gasped. "In a broom closet?"

"It was the closest unoccupied room."

Phantom parted his lips over Danny's skin and sucked it gently between his teeth. Not hard enough to leave a true hickey, not yet, but Danny could feel the ectoplasm beginning to buzz beneath Phantom's skin and knew that was where he wanted to leave one. Too high to be hidden. He slid his hands from Danny's hips to the small of his back and stroked downwards until his fingers slipped beneath Danny's waistband and rested on the beginning curve of his ass. Danny made a small moaning noise, shifted against the thigh between his legs, and felt his ghost's lips curling.

Phantom stopped sucking and pressed his lips against the shell of Danny’s ear. "Would you prefer an empty classroom?" he whispered. "Perhaps against a teacher's desk so anyone could look inside and see you writhing beneath me? Or in the principal's office with the PA system on? Our voices would echo through these halls, Fenton. Paulina would hear me moaning your name, calling you my lover, praising your every move because I can't get enough of you. My fans would hear me loving you, and it would kill them."

Danny ground helplessly against Phantom thigh, biting his lips harshly to keep from moaning. "God, Phantom."

"Exactly." The ghost closed his lips around his earlobe and sucked and massaged his tongue against the underside until Danny allowed a high-pitched moan to escape. Phantom pulled back and pressed a kiss to Danny's cheek. "This is a more private option. If it really makes you uncomfortable, you can be just loud enough for me to hear you."

Danny stared into Phantom's green eyes. The fevered light had only intensified, not only in Phantom's eyes but his whole body, and as Danny panted, his breath condensed in the air, the foggy wisp turning a green/white hue. Phantom's core was producing so much energy it had chilled the air around them, and if Danny hadn't felt so overheated...

"But you want me to be heard," he said.

Phantom's eyes flickered away from Danny's then back. "Yes."

"And you're going to persuade as many loud noises out of me as you can."

Phantom's lips curled in a lazy smirk. "Yes."

"Question." Danny shifted his leg forward until his thigh pressed against Phantom's erection with the same amount of pressure Phantom pushed against his. The ghost groaned. Danny smiled wickedly and wrapped his arms around Phantom's shoulders, once more tangling his fingers in his white hair. "What if I make you heard but manage to keep quiet myself?"

Phantom leaned closer. Their noses touched and Danny could feel the ghost's exhales on his lips. "You honestly think you can?"

"Lock the door and we'll find out."