#now that i think about it though luz didn’t really get to see her whole new look

[luzuraaa]

hc that after things were semi back to normal they did the thing where you can pull photos of memories out of the ears to eda or king so they could get a photo of titan luz <33

mainly so luz could show it to her friends and amity, but also so luz would have a reference because you know she’s going to be drawing her titan self lmao

[mads-nixon]

Epiphany Pt. 14: Soon You'll Get Better

Lewis Nixon x Reader

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Song Inspo: Soon You'll Get Better: Taylor Swift (feat. The Chicks)

A/N: thanks for being patient with this one, guys! it really hurt me to write this one. this is about the fictional portrayal of easy company on the show. nothing but love and respect for veterans on this blog!

Word Count: 4.8k

Summary: Easy finally reaches its breaking point, and (y/n) doesn't realize just how low that could be until tragedy strikes.

Warnings: main character death, intense grief, sorry for the pain guys

JANUARY 10, 1945: BOIS JACQUES, BELGIUM: 0900HRS

“Hey Doc,” Skip whispered as Eugene walked by. “Come here!”

Gene crouched just outside the hole, peering down at (y/n) who was silently sleeping in his arms. “Warren, how ya doin’?”

“Doc, (y/n)’s cast is killing her. Do you have anything for the itch?” Skip asked quietly, concern creasing his brows. “She tried to tear it off last night.”

“Casts ain’t supposed to get wet. That’s why it's itchin’ so much,” he replied, adjusting his helmet with a grimace. “I’ll see what I can do. For now, keep her mind off of it the best you can. She really needs to go back to the hospital.”

Skip thanked him with a nod and then he was gone, his form blurring in the snowfall as he walked away. An exaggerated yawn echoed in the air, and George stretched his arms above his head. 

“It’s somehow even colder than before,” he groaned, pulling his coat closer to his body. 

Muck tugged the blanket around (y/n)’s shoulders and sighed, noticing her cradling her cast in her sleep. “Yeah. It always is.”

George caught his eyes. “How’s she doing?”

“Not good, Luz. Last night…” he trailed off, shaking his head. “I’m worried about her. After what happened with Captain Nixon and now this, I don’t know how much more she can take. Her arm isn’t going to get any better if she’s out here trying to pry her cast off.”

“What?” Luz asked, his eyes widening in disbelief. “She tried to pry it off? When?”

“Last night.”

Silence hung in the air as the duo pondered the situation. As much as they wanted (y/n) to be there with them, they knew that she’d be better off at the hospital, healing up properly. 

Skip’s eyes floated to the frozen ground of the foxhole as he spoke sadly. “She needs to go back to the hospital.”

“Yeah,” Luz agreed. “She’s not gonna like it, though.”

The pair quickly became quiet as (y/n) stirred and blinked her eyes open, slowly becoming aware of her surroundings. 

“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” Skip greeted from above her as she sat up.

George chimed in with a teasing grin. “We were starting to think you were going to sleep through the whole war.”

Laughter bubbled up from within her, and for a brief moment, the itch in her cast was forgotten. “Well, I can’t have that now, can I? What would you knuckleheads do without me?”

“Have some peace and quiet,” Penkala grumbled, squinting his eyes in the bright morning light. “How’s the wrist today?” 

George and Skip shot him a pointed glare, and (y/n) sighed, looking down at her casted arm. “About the same, but it’s not bothering me right now.”

Wanting to steer clear of the subject, Skip sat up against the frozen dirt wall. “(Y/n), did I ever tell you about how I swam the Niagra River once?”

Alex ran a hand down his face with a groan. “Not this story again!”

“No, you didn’t tell me that,” she grinned, rolling her eyes.

Skip ignored Penkala’s outburst and continued his tale. “It was a bet, so I went ten miles up from the falls and started across. The current was so strong that it must have carried me at least two miles downstream before I got across. But I got across.”

(Y/n) stared at him in disbelief. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Oh, come on,” he defended. “Let me finish the story and then you can complain about how much of an idiot I am. These two have already said enough on the matter.

“I could always say more, Muck,” George chimed, smirking as his voice shook from the shivers that wracked his body.

“Whatever, Luz. Shut up and let me finish,” Skip grumbled. “Now, personally, I didn’t think it was all that stupid, but my mom, my sister, Ruth…they gave me all kinds of hell.”

The woman buried her face into her scarf, the scent…his scent…long gone as she envisioned his story in her mind. “Well, I would’ve, too! It was a stupid thing to do, Skip. Based on what you’ve told me, I bet Ruth was close to throwing you over the falls for doing something like that.”

“Well, luckily she didn’t,” he smiled, his voice softening as he looked down at the ground. “Faye was not happy.”

Seeing her friend so helplessly in love, (Y/n) couldn’t help but smile. 

“Sweet Faye Tanner,” George drawled, winking at him.

Rolling his eyes, Skip kicked at George playfully. “Shut it, George.”

“Well,” Alex perked up. “As I said before…they had a point. You’re an idiot.”

The group broke out into chuckles, their icy breaths filling the foxhole. All of them seemed to get lost in their thoughts and silence hung over them. (Y/n) stared out at the frost-laden forest before them, seeing the carnage left by the constant shelling: splintered and fallen trees, splatters of blood against the white snow, and craters filled with frozen dirt. It all put an unsettled feeling in her stomach that she couldn’t quite shake, as if the world was waiting for the opportune time to flip her life upside down. 

Her worries led her mind back to him. She couldn’t help but miss Lew, even though they’d fought. She also knew deep down that he didn’t mean the hurtful things that he said, but the sting of their argument still lingered. Apologizing was what she wanted to do, but the memory of her own outburst left her feeling embarrassed. (Y/n) sighed softly, vowing to herself that when the time presented itself, she would find a way to apologize and let Nix know that she still cared about him more than anything. For now, she waited, her mind filled with thoughts of the man she missed more than words could express.

“Hey, (y/n),” George called out into the silence. “We want to talk to you about something, but please don’t bite our heads off for it, alright?”

Curiosity coursed through her as she raised an eyebrow. “Okay…this sounds an awful lot like an intervention, guys. What’s going on?”

George nodded toward Muck, whose face wore a nervous expression as he spoke. “We think you should go back to the hospital.”

“What?” she asked, her voice tinged with irritation. “Why? I’m doing fine.”

“(Y/n), we know you’re struggling,” he said gently. “We also know that you’re not gonna get any better if you’re here in the cold with a sopping wet cast.”

As much as she hated to admit it, there was some truth in what Skip was saying. Taking a deep breath, she replied, “Look, I get it, okay? This cast is driving me crazy, but I can’t just leave. I’m not gonna leave you guys here.”

Alex chimed in, his voice filled with concern. “You need to heal. Doc said the same thing earlier.”

Muck raised a brow at him questioningly. “You heard that? I thought you were asleep.”

“I’m always listening,” he shrugged with a smirk. “Anyways, we’re just worried about you, (y/n/n).”

(Y/n) frowned as a mix of stubbornness and helplessness washed over her. She knew they had a point, but the thought of returning to the hospital and being separated from them didn’t sit well with her. 

“I just need a bit more time,” she finally admitted. “I’ll get through it.”

Skip exchanged a worried look with George before he spoke, “We know you’re tough, (y/n), but sometimes the smart move is to take care of yourself. It’s not about abandoning us; it's about coming back a hundred percent.”

She turned her gaze to the ground, battling her inner conflict. “I’ll think about it, alright? Just give me a little more time.”

The trio nodded solemnly, realizing that she wouldn’t go unless forced. They had a decision to make, and Skip knew which one he’d make for Ruth. It was the same one he’d make for (y/n).

1900 HOURS

In the chill of their foxhole, Skip couldn’t shake his worry for (y/n). He got out of the foxhole with an “I’ll be back,” and a grunt as he made his way to one of the only people he knew could get her to see reason. The man breathed into his hands, trying to warm them among the constant pinprick sensation in them. 

He pulled his rosary from his pocket, kissed it gently, and began to pray as he walked. “Please help us, God. Help (y/n) to see reason and get the help she needs. It's hard to see the people you love suffer, and I don’t know what else to do. I know you have the power to do anything, Lord, so please change her mind about this. Thank you for keeping us safe, and please continue to do so if it is your will, Father. Amen.”

When Skip made it to the Captain's measly shelter, he found Winters and Nixon pouring over maps in preparation for the upcoming objective. Hearing the crunch of his footsteps, Dick’s head shot up, and a blue-tinged smile formed on his face.

“Come on in, sergeant. What can I do for you?” he asked, folding the maps and laying them on a nearby table.

Skip returned the grin and walked in, taking his helmet off. “Well, sir, I actually came to speak to Captain Nixon.”

At his words, Lew raised a brow at his uncharacteristic serious expression. “Alright,” he replied, guiding Muck outside the tent for some privacy. “What’s going on?”

Skip hesitated for a moment, then decided to give it to him, straight. “It’s (y/n), sir. She’s been going through hell with that cast. Last night, she tried to take it off herself. I had to stop her, sir. Doc says she should go back to the hospital.” 

Nixon’s brows furrowed in worry. He knew firsthand how stubborn and headstrong (y/n) could be, especially when it came to her own well-being. “She what? Why hasn’t she gone back to the hospital?”

Muck sighed, his breath visible in the air. “She doesn’t want to leave us, sir. You know how she gets.”

Lew clenched his jaw in frustration, his thoughts racing. “Where is she now? Is she okay?”

“She’s calmer now, but it’s still bothering her. It’s the worst at night,” Skip admitted. “We’ve tried to convince her to go back, but she says she’ll think about it. We all know she’s already made up her mind.”

Nodding, Nix’s face was etched with deep worry. He could imagine her struggling by herself, and it made his heart ache. “Alright, I’ll try to get her back to the hospital.”

The sergeant sighed in relief, grateful he was stepping in. “(Y/n) probably won’t be happy about it, but it’s for her own good. I’m worried it might be her breaking point, sir.”

Lew patted his shoulder with a nod, his brows pinched in concern. “Thanks for letting me know, Muck.”

He turned to leave but stopped and faced the Captain again with a deep breath. “Sir, I know this may be out of line, but I heard what was said between you last week. You never know what could happen out here, so don’t leave things unsaid.”

Before Nix could respond, Skip was gone, his figure disappearing into the haze of the snowy landscape. His words seeped into Lew’s mind, and he realized he had to speak to (y/n) immediately and make things right. Either one of them could be killed at any moment, and they were just wasting precious time not speaking to the other. 

Returning to the tent, Nix grabbed his rifle and swung it over his shoulder. “I’ll be back, Dick. There’s something I’ve got to take care of.”

“You mean someone?” replied, a knowing smirk on his face.

Nix shrugged as he exited the tent. “Something like that.”

As he navigated the forest to (y/n)’s foxhole, he couldn’t help but dwell on their argument. He knew he had been harsh to her, even if he didn’t mean what he said. He’d called her ‘useless’ for crying out loud. That alone would hurt anyone, much less someone who’s wounded and trying their best to contribute despite that.

Finally, in the distance, he spotted Skip talking with Malarkey, Luz, and Penkala a little ways from their hole. Skip nodded at him, and led the group farther from the hole, wanting to give them actual privacy this time. Approaching her foxhole, he could barely see her huddled silhouette. She didn’t hear him approach, lost in thought or possibly asleep. 

Lew sat down beside her and gazed at (y/n)’s sleeping form. The harsh cold couldn’t deter him from admiring the woman he loved as she lay there, wrapped in her coat and the warm scarf and gloves he had given her. Her features were softened by the dim light of the forest and the redness of her nose gave her an adorable charm that melted his heart. 

He noticed her cradling her injured arm against her chest, the white of the cast peeking out from under her oversized coat and makeshift sock glove. “(Y/n)?” he called softly, his voice cutting through the stillness of the forest.

She stirred, her eyes slowly opening to meet his gaze. Surprise flickered across her face, and she shifted uncomfortably, wanting to meet his eyes but finding it hard. “Hi. I wanted to apologize…for how I acted the other day and how I’ve been acting. I know you didn’t mean it, but it did hurt, Lew.”

Lew felt his heart soften as he heard her words, a wave of relief washing over him. He knew she wasn’t one to apologize easily, and her willingness to do so meant a lot. “Thank you,” he replied quietly, “and I’m sorry too, for what I said. I love you and would never think you’re useless.”

With the tension lifting between them, their gazes finally locked. “I love you, too. I hate fighting,” she whispered, scanning their surroundings quickly. “I’d much rather do this.”

She snaked her good hand around his neck and pulled him closer, connecting their lips. As (y/n) and Nix’s lips met, the world around them faded into the background, and for that brief moment, it was just the two of them in their own world. No war, no Bastogne, no snow…only them. (Y/n) felt the warmth of Lew’s breath against her skin, and the gentle caress of his hand on her cheek sent warmth coursing through her body that she hadn’t felt for weeks. 

As they pulled away, their breaths were slightly ragged, and the icy wind, which had been nipping at their cheeks, was now replaced with a comforting warmth. A soft, affectionate smile played on his lips, his eyes never leaving hers. She returned the smile, a sense of calm she only got around him washing over her. 

With a gentle, lingering touch, Lew’s hand brushed her cheek, before dropping it to hold her hand again. “I’ve been worried about you, (y/n), and I’m not the only one. The guys are concerned, too.” Nix paused. “I know about the cast.”

“What about it?” she asked innocently.

Nix shook his head. “I know it’s bothering you, sweetheart. You don’t have to hide it. I also heard that you tried to pry it off last night.”

“What a traitor,” (Y/n) playfully scowled as she looked over her shoulder at Skip in the distance. 

“I’m serious, (y/n),” Lew pleaded. “You know you won’t get better here.”

She sighed, looking down at the cast. “I’m not going back to the hospital, Lew. I won’t leave you or the guys. I can’t.”

“We’ll manage. And we’ll still be here when you get back,” Lew said as his fingers brushed her cheek, guiding her face to him once more with a voice full of worry. “Please.”

The sincerity in his voice pierced her heart, and for the first time in days, her wrist didn’t feel like the most significant pain. “I’ll think about it,” she conceded. 

With a quick peck on her temple, he pulled her in for a quick hug, muttering in her ear, “If not for me, do it for Muck. He’s about worried sick about you.”

“He told me I remind him of his sister, Ruth,” (y/n) murmured into his neck.

Pulling away, a smirk quirked Lew’s lips. “Good, because I was starting to worry I had some competition.”

“Whatever,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes with a laugh. The pair stood to their feet and made their way toward the huddled group of men. “What did Skip say to you?”

Lew shrugged, his eyes staying forward. “Just that you were struggling and the guys were worried about you. I guess he thought I could talk some sense into you.”

“Good luck with that,” (y/n) chuckled as they neared the group.

Squeezing her upper arm gently, he peered down at her, his cheeks rosy from the frosty air. “Please think about it, for my sake…or Skip’s if that’s not enough. And be careful, you know I love you,” he whispered.

“I will, and I will. Love you, too,” she smiled, her wrist long forgotten as she was under his warm gaze. “Tell Dick hey for me.”

With a firm nod, he slowly turned and started back toward his tented foxhole. (Y/n) watched him go, her heart feeling lighter than before. Things were okay between them again, and it became one less thing she had to worry about.

A voice called her name, breaking her from her stare, and she turned to see Skip waving her over, a grin plastered on his face. Joining the group, she stood between George and Skip, the former in the middle of a great impression of Lieutenant Dike.

“Ah, 1st Sergeant Lipton,” he imitated. “You organize things here, and I’m gonna go for…help. I need to go polish my oak leaf clusters.”

The group broke out into laughter, and (y/n) raised a brow in confusion. “What?” she asked, unable to keep a goofy grin from her lips.

“(Y/n), you’re not gonna believe what I saw. So, you-know-who comes running up to Lipton. He’s got no helmet, no gear, no nothing, and then he says that.”

“What an idiot,” she laughed, throwing her helmeted head back slightly. “I can’t believe he’s still here.”

Skip wheezed beside her, almost doubling over in laughter. “Complete asshole,” he said between laughs. “That’s really good, George.”

Lip cleared his throat behind George and called out to him and beckoned him over. George bid his goodbye and went to talk to Lip, while (y/n), Skip, Don, and Alex did the same. 

“Goodnight, goodnight all,” Mal remarked, walking toward his foxhole. 

Skip wrapped an arm around (y/n)’s shoulder, calling out to his friends. “Yeah, see ya, Luz, see you Malark.”

The trio started to their foxhole in silence, but it was soon broken by Skip’s teasing voice. “Did your Captain talk some sense into you about going to the hospital?” he asked, squeezing her shoulder playfully.

“My Captain?” she teased. “I’m pretty sure he’s your captain, too, Skip.”

He raised his eyebrows skeptically. “Well, I’m not the one necking the guy.”

She gasped and quickly looked around, praying nobody else heard his comment. “Skip!”

“What?” 

Alex chuckled from beside her as he pulled his beanie down over his ears. “Everyone knows it! None of us would ever turn you in, (y/n). You know that.”

“I know, I know,” she sighed, her feet crunching softly beneath her. “And to answer your question, Skip, I haven’t made up my mind yet.”

“(Y/n), come on. You’re putting yourself at risk of getting hurt again. Aaaand,” he drawled, “If you go now, you might be back in time to celebrate my birthday.”

“I can’t believe it’s a few weeks til the 31st,” she mused, peering up at him. “You’re turning 23, old man. What would you like for your present?”

“You going to the hospital and getting better would be the best birthday gift,” he answered softly, pulling her closer to his side.

The words hung in the air, resonating in (y/n)’s heart. As she looked at Skip, she saw the earnestness in his eyes and his brotherly smile, and a surge of emotions coursed through her. She realized that her stubbornness might not only be hurting herself but also the people who cared about her. 

“You know what, Skip? I think I can work with that,” she smirked, elbowing his side. “Looks like you’re getting your wi-”

Before (y/n) could finish her sentence, the sky erupted in a deafening roar as artillery shells rained down upon them. Trees, splinters, and the earth trembled beneath their feet with each impact. The world turned to chaos as the air was filled with dust, snow, and the screams of their friends. 

“Incoming!”

Without a second thought, Skip grabbed (y/n)’s arm and took off behind Penkala for their foxhole. With pounding hearts, they sprinted towards the safety of their hole, holding their helmets to their heads. The relentless explosions continued to rock the ground, and (y/n) would have lost her balance if it weren’t for Muck’s grip on her bicep.

Seconds later, they reached the foxhole just in time. The trio jumped down into the hole and immediately ducked in its cover. They peered over the edge at the German’s horrifying display of firepower as they were showered in dirt and wood splinters. Amongst the dust and explosions, they could make out a figure in the distance who couldn’t stay on their feet, falling to the ground every few seconds. They recognized it instantly.

“George!” (y/n) yelled. “Come on!”

Skip and Alex joined in, motioning for George to get in. “Luz!” they cried. “Hurry!”

She watched on for an agonizing moment as George scrambled to his feet but was then knocked down again, and she knew she had to do something. Jumping out of the foxhole, she sprinted toward George, her eyes locked on his figure. Skip reached out to grab her, but she slipped out of his grasp.

“(Y/n), no!” he yelled after her. 

Skip’s heart raced as he watched her run off into the barrage, and panic ate at him. His protective instincts screamed at him to follow her, and in a burst of terror, he attempted to leap out of the foxhole after her. But before he could fully leave the hole, Alex grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back forcefully. 

“Skip, you can’t!” Alex shouted, desperation filling his voice. “You can’t follow her out there!”

Muck’s body twisted and turned in a futile attempt to free himself from his friend’s grip, a mixture of frustration and terror etched across his face. Realizing he wasn’t getting to her, he yelled after the pair. 

“(Y/n)! George!!”

As (y/n) dashed toward George, the world around her seemed to blur in the chaos of the artillery barrage. The deafening roar of exploding shells and the earth-shaking tremors filled the air, making it difficult to hear anything but the explosions and blood pumping in her ears. Every step through the snow-covered forest was a struggle, and her boots almost slipped on the icy ground.

Finally, (y/n) reached his side, her gloved hand wrapping around his arm in a vice-like grip. She yelled, but her voice was lost in the roar of the artillery. The dirt shook beneath them as another shell landed dangerously close, sending them both sprawling to the ground. (Y/n) and Luz frantically crawled forward on their hands and knees, their fingers digging into the frozen earth.

Back in the foxhole, Skip and Alex continued to scream for them, their voices somehow echoing among the chaos. Their pleas turned into frantic cries, “(Y/n)! George! Come on, get in here!”

With each painstaking crawl, the ground continued to shake as explosions sent dirt and shrapnel whizzing through the air. Her breaths came out in ragged gasps, and she kept her eyes on her friends ahead of them. The world around them seemed surreal, with bursts of blinding light and deafening explosions as the artillery barrage continued. It felt like an eternity had passed when they’d almost reached the foxhole. 

“Come on! Come on, Luz! Hurry, (y/n/n)-”

The world seemed to blur as (y/n) and George saw a blinding light, followed by a colossal plume of dirt, debris, and flames engulfing their friend’s foxhole. The two friends who had been calling out to them just moments ago were silenced in an instant. (Y/n)’s surroundings slowed, and for a brief, excruciating moment, everything froze. The deafening roar of the artillery was drowned out by the sound of her racing heart. Her eyes widened, and her breath caught in her throat as she watched the horrifying scene unfold. 

The realization hit her like a freight train, and her vision blurred as tears welled up in her eyes. Shock and disbelief passed through her, and her hands trembled uncontrollably. She clamped her gloved hand over her mouth, unable to comprehend what had just unfolded before her eyes. Skip and Alex were gone. Gone. 

“No,” she whispered, her throat tight.

Reality slowly washed over them, and as another shell screamed towards them, George grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the nearest shelter, which happened to be Lip’s hole. Lip pulled (y/n) down into the hole first, wrapping her in his arms as Luz huddled next to them, the barrage continuing.

“Muck and Penkala,” George screamed. 

Lip couldn’t hear him. “What?”

“Muck and Penkala got hit!”

As soon as the words left Luz’s mouth, a shell landed right behind their cover, sending the logs protecting them flying into the air. The men yelled, but (y/n) stayed silent. Her body trembled with each deafening explosion that rocked the earth, and her heart felt like it was tearing apart. The tears flowed uncontrollably, blurring her vision as she cried hysterically into Lip’s shoulder. 

She was crammed between the two men, each covering her the best they could as the assault continued. After a few moments, the world stilled, and a haunting silence hung in the air, a stark contrast to the earlier chaos. 

A whistling sound and a thud echoed through the foxhole, but (y/n) couldn’t bring herself to look up from her sheltered position. George’s movement beside her drew her attention, and she heard the familiar sound of a Zippo being opened, followed by the scent of cigarettes wafting through the air. 

“(Y/n)? You okay?” Lip asked shakily. “You hurt?”

Lip’s concerned voice broke through the somber atmosphere, and he shifted to give her room to breathe. His question echoed in her ears, pulling her back from the brink of despair. She turned her tear-stained face towards him, her watery eyes shimmering in the moonlight. She attempted to respond, but all that escaped her was a shuddering gasp as she shook her head slowly from side to side.

“Skip and Alex,” she croaked, a sob racking through her body as she dropped her face into her hands. “They-”

Carwood’s heart broke for the girl, knowing how close she was to them. “I know, (y/n). I know.”

As she sat there in the foxhole, huddled with Lip and George, the weight of her grief bore down on her, and she couldn’t help but reminisce about the cherished moments she’d shared with her friends. The laughter that was always present in their company, the hilarious stories they swapped, the letters read, and the deep connection they all shared. 

The realization that she’d never again hear Skip’s mischievous teasing or Alex’s sarcasm again unleashed a fresh surge of agony, leaving her feeling utterly distraught. The pain of knowing that Skip would never get to hug Ruth again, or experience the joy of marrying Faye Tanner pierced her very soul. The future he once envisioned had been cruelly snatched away. 

He would never reach the age of 23, and Alex’s life would never extend to the milestone of 21. The cruel hand of fate had robbed them of their dreams and aspirations, leaving (y/n) with a grief-stricken heart, mourning not only their past but also the future that would never come to pass.

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[sergeantsporks]

Vee getting into Cosmic Frontiers while everyone else is in the demon realm so she’ll have something to talk with her mom and brother about when they get back!!!

“Okay, okay, okay. Camila is officially on vacation, and Luz has been excused from school absences for the same, the car has been towed and returned, and no one is the wiser.” Vee chewed on the tip of her pen. “What else? I guess I could do something around the house? It would probably be a nice surprise for Camila to come home to a nice clean house.”

Vee gathered up stray Halloween bits and bobs, tucking them back into their box. Extra teeth, old trick or treat buckets—anything pumpkin shaped went into the bin. Vee tugged at her own sweater. Well. Maybe not everything pumpkin shaped.

She shoved the box to the basement steps, then thumped up the stairs to Luz’s room. She surveyed the cots and sleeping bags, and the miscellaneous clothes strewn about.

What if things go badly?

What if they come back still needing a place to stay?

No. She couldn’t think like that. They’d succeed. And maybe they’d come back for a sleepover, but for now… Vee rolled up the sleeping bags and collapsed the cots. Best case scenario planning. She scooped up the clothes, dumping them in a hamper and piling the sleeping bags on top. She grabbed the hamper under one arm, the cots under the other, and went right back down the stairs. First, to the laundry room, to separate the clothes she’d gathered. She’d have to check the basement before she put on a wash, though.

Vee rolled the sleeping bags down the basement steps, then carried the box of Halloween stuff, then another trip for the cots and the hamper. The blankets from the couch went into the hamper. So did the T-shirts that someone—okay, who was she kidding, that Hunter had neatly folded and stacked to the side of the couch.

Vee knelt down to roll up Hunter’s sleeping bag, but stopped just before she started to fold it.

Where was Hunter going to go? Maybe he’d stay with Gus, but he didn’t have a home anymore. Maybe he’d come back. In which case, maybe he should get a cot, instead of sleeping on the floor all of the time. That couldn’t be good for his back.

Vee snapped the cot out to its full size, lifting Hunter’s sleeping bag up. Something tumbled out of it, landing on her foot with a solid thump.

“OW!” Vee jumped up and down on one foot, holding the other. “What the—” she tossed the sleeping bag to the cot and picked up the thing that had fallen on her foot. A book. The same book Hunter had been toting around, Cosmic Frontier.

“Huh.”

Come to think of it, they had said they’d found it down here. And Camila had acted awfully cagey about it. Vee opened the door to the closet within the basement—what a weird concept—and a fake gun, tricked out with lights and whistled, tumbled out. Vee picked it up, turning it over.

Property of Star Captain Camila Noceda read the handle.

“Huh.”

Vee rummaged through the closet, digging through comic books, posters, and a photo album filled with pictures of Camila in full costume and posing with other cosplayers. Some of them were signed by names Camila didn’t recognize, and one, which had its own whole page and was framed with golden foil, was signed with the same name as the author of the book.

“Wow,” Vee mused out loud, “She was really into this. So were Hunter and Gus. Maybe it really is just that good?”

Vee retreated back to the couch, opening the book to the first page. “I supposed I could see what all the fuss is about.”

Star Date… I don’t know anymore. According to O’Bailey, the wormhole we were caught in may have moved us through time as well as space. It could be that we have lost everyone we loved, and that the universe as we know it has changed irreversibly. Our homes might not even exist anymore. Still, I have to believe there’s a way back.

My last weekly report was before the wormhole. I don’t know if these logs will be read by command anymore, or if our whole system is now obsolete, but still, as the captain, I must record what happened. So. One week ago…

Vee mouthed along to the words as she read. She already knew from Hunter that O’Bailey was a clone from an enemy planet—relatable—but she’d underestimated just how many character dynamics and plotlines this book had. Every character introduced had their own backstories and their own difficulties, all of them weaving together to form one complex web of narratives. Even things she thought were a one-off came back later, or were somehow important.

Vee thumped back up the stairs, grabbing sticky notes and a pen. She started writing notes; characters, things that came back, noting foreshadowing, and misleads. The book started to fill up with little yellow tabs.

“Yeah, okay,” she told Hunter’s empty cot, “I’ll give you this one. For a book written in the nineties, it’s surprisingly relevant. Maybe Luz and Amity were right, too, and I should read Azura.”

Vee rummaged around in Luz’s room until she found a blank sketchbook and a set of colored pencils.

We forever love and protect our crew, she wrote, carefully spacing out each letter and imitating the script on the cover of the book, Whoever and whatever we are, we will always be family. Through supernovas, and solar flares, this we always swear.

“Through anything,” Vee whispered. She folded up the paper and tucked it into the front cover of the photo album. She padded softly down the hallway, her footsteps turning to a slither halfway down. She pushed open Camila’s door with a creak, setting the album down on the nightstand. “Whoever and whatever we are.”

Vee tidied up Camila’s books, gathering them into one neat stack. “Stay safe,” she whispered to the air, “Come back home soon. All of you.”

[cartoonfangirl1218]

I’ll admit I was inspired by @pandoratheprocrasticreator‘s engaging Blight family post but I was thinking more about how the twins and their father have almost no relationship and I also just want Alador to sort of acknowledge that he’s not a good parent all of sudden, he wasn’t a good parent before so. . Yeah this is what I came up.  Context: I imagine even though they all live with Alador now, the twins sort of go off and do their own thing most of the time, skip dinner and whatnot while Amity has prime bonding time with her dad. And partly it’s because they’re  disinterested and also, they’re looking for their own jobs so they can live on their own. Until Amity finds out. 

Em: We’re getting our own apartment. We’re gonna be 18 soon, we’re going to move anyway so why not start now?

Amity: But, everything’s changed. But-you-Dad just started trying. You won’t ever see him. You hardly see him now.  Ed: Look, Mittens, it’s great that you have a relationship with Dad but we. . we don’t really care. We went this long without his input in our lives and legally, we’re not going to need one so- 

Amity: But he wants to have a relationship! He asks you to share meals all the time.  Ed: I don’t see him knocking down the door. It’s you asking for him.  Em: Besides, he spends all his free time with you.

Amity: But-

Em: It’s not about you. We’re not jealous. Even if we leave the house, we’ll still see each other. Our apartment has a guest room, you’ll live with us!

Amity: But Dad-Dad’s trying. He’s a good Dad, and he wants to make up for before.  Ed: Have you’ve noticed he hasn’t apologized for putting us against each other? He probably still thinks he was right to do that. Em: Amity, we’re serious. We’re not interested. And don’t say he’ll apologize, it doesn’t count if you have to tell him to do it.  Ed: And it doesn’t count if he has to and not because he knows he was wrong. And when if he does that, what next? We’re going to hang out like nothings wrong and he was good this whole time?  Face it, Mittens, he hasn’t changed that much. 

But after a talk with Luz and believing people can change, Amity lets the plans slip to Alador to encourage him to talk. She comes home to him forbidding the twins from moving. 

Ed: We’re going to be legal in a few months! Let’s make it easier and let us go now.  Alador: Don’t you want to be a family?

Ed: Sure, I do. But you don’t. You just want to be with your favorite child.  Alador: I don’t have a favorite.  Ed: Yeah, right. Then why do you spend all your time with her? It’s because of the abominations and inventions. She’s the only one you care about.  Alador: I didn’t want to push you into spending time with me. I was giving you space.  Ed: Bullshit! When the genius Alador Blight wants something, he doesn’t stop till gets it. Patience and inventions and reinvention until he gets it. Goes into every part of your life.  If you don’t care to have a relationship, you wouldn’t try. That’s what’s happening here.  Alador: You’re not trying either!

Ed: I shouldn’t have to! I have spent my whole life trying and you made me feel like a failure the whole time.  “Illusions aren’t as difficult to master as abominations.”

 “I’m not using my brain.”  If I didn’t understand your work right away, I’m stupid. If I didn’t care about your work, I was lazy. Wasting my time. You know, you’re the one that first said I was too dependent on Em. “A sign of slow growth” you said. It was a liability and I should be stronger than that. A true Blight. If I tried hard enough, I wouldn’t be such a burden.  You and Mom- “You don’t want to be a burden, Edric.” “You don’t want to be a failure to be abandoned while your sisters make something of themselves.” “If you stopped playing tricks, you might be more.” 

Combining illusions and potions is not nothing. But to you it is. Everything and everyone is beneath you because it’s not how you would do it. It’s not your work so it’s useless.  I’m useless.  And I don’t want to feel that way. I’m done with you. I don’t care. . I don’t want to care about your opinion anymore so I’m putting myself first. 

I shouldn’t have to do all the work when you’re the adult. You’re my Dad, I shouldn’t need to try harder. This is all on you.”  Emira enters and is quickly (and loudly) updated on the situation.  Emira(under her breath) I take one night off and everything goes to hell.  Alador: Emira, be reasonable, I’m not- Em: Okay, here’s the thing, Al. I agree with Edric. Let’s start with how you act like everything not related to your work, let’s say the illusions we’ve been training most of our lives for, is a waste of your time and intellect.

Ed: I already covered that.  Em: Oh? Then let’s discuss how you think you’re a good father now. That you can just make up the neglect like it never happened. Like you don’t recognize that you didn’t just dismiss us, you hurt us.  You can’t put everything on Mom. You didn’t just stand by all the time. You agreed with her! You thought it was right. You still do. You haven’t apologized, yiu don’t think to because it was okay. It was okay to turn us against each other so we’d try to do better, to compete against each other for your attention.  It was okay to give Edric and Amity anxiety attacks over any potential failure because it makes them stronger in the long run.  You made us earn everything-earn your respect, earn your pride and earn your love. Do you not see how screwed up that is?

Ed: You didn’t care about what we were doing or our illusion competitions or tests. Not unless we dropped from an A+ to an A, then you yelled about how we’re ruining the family legacy and the company’s reputation. You only brought up our accomplishments to tear Amity down. Or to warn us not to slip up. Anything else we did, you were a ghost.  Em: And I’m sure this will be hard for you to believe. But if I had to choose a parent I’d rather “hang out” with—it wouldn’t be you!

Mom may be a controlling, manipulative narcissist but at least, she thought more of us than you do.  Like when I broke up with my girlfriend, and you asked what I expected. “Illusions won’t keep her for long, at some point she would have gone looking for stimulating conversation.”  Newsflash, just because you’re uninterested when I talk doesn’t mean I’m boring to others.  At least Mom thinks I’m too good for my exes and I can do better. At least she saw some advantage in illusions. At least she thought we were worth something even though it was for a role we had no desire to fulfill. 

If you want to be a better parent, try to act like you think were special and not that we’re too boring and superficial for you to talk to.  It’s just hard to believe that you really want to try this “good Dad” idea. All your actions and inactions have made it clear that you have no respect for us as witches worthy of notice. You don’t know us and now you want to play Dad.  Why should you even get that chance?  You never gave us second chances!  “Life doesn’t give second chances when you fail.” Remember saying that?  So no, I don’t want to live with you and pretend to be happy to stick it to Mom or whatever.  Alador: I-I- do you hate me that much?  Em: No. that’s the worst part. The stupid, childish part of me still loves you because you’re my father. But. .I don’t like you. I don’t respect you and I don’t trust you and your newfound desire to bond.

[mdhwrites]

I love Raine, but I hated them as Eda’s love interest. Everything about their relationship felt forced to me, including how much Eda is supposed to love them. I wish they could’ve been introduced earlier possibly and with a more coherent/integrated role.

(But then I wonder if it’s just because they’re a non-binary character and I like the representation. Because without that aspect, the character honestly felt so useless and random.)

Maybe this is just a gripe I have with toh romance in general but like we’re supposed to believe Eda, who is considered King’s mom, would be putting him in danger with the collector just to stare at Raine?? Like come on. The romance in this show is so cringey to me.

It’s like how Luz reunites with everyone after defeating Belos and immediately shares a hug and kiss with Amity before her mom. 😑 like this is her mom who is seeing her for the first time after this whole nightmare and she didn’t even know if she’d be okay. I feel like she should’ve rushed to her and then Amity could’ve stepped in after. I guess honestly I’m just annoyed by the overemphasis on romantic partners in the show tbh. Could just be a personal problem

So there's a lot I can say about romance on this blog (romance writer has a lot to say on romance, shocking) and especially in regards to the genres TOH is in, both positively and mostly negatively. The thing I REALLY want to point out though is the dog shit treatment of Raine and how it truly emphasizes the fundamental problem of not just romantic relationships but ALL relationships in TOH. See, when Raine is introduced, we don't get a lot about their character. We understand that they are the caution to Eda's brashness and that while their caution is obvious, them having stage fright is actually a great way for Eda to have a way of breaking them out of their shell. Something her enthusiasm, especially as a child, could be useful.

And then we gets Falls and Follies where their stage fright is... Still their main character trait. And then we get Them's the Breaks Kid.

And suddenly, Raine isn't Raine. Now yes, kids can change as they grow up but stage fright is a fairly unique malady. It's not specifically social anxiety and it's not a phobia. It's genuinely about stepping on stage and freezing. That terror of performance. My drama director in High School said that she'd helped a lot of kids with it and the right course of actions were always repetition and exposure. That usually the lines came so naturally and their base confidence was so high that a successful dress rehearsal would make sure they didn't freeze come opening night.

It is something that fades with experience. And in Falls and Follies, Raine might still be the level head to Eda's rowdy behavior, but in the worst way. They're not the nervous kid who overthinks things and needs to be reminded to breathe but instead the smart, grade A kid who is so popular and so above everyone that they're bored by all the 'normies'. Edalyn is interesting in that she stands out, as well as being the strongest. Their is never even a hint of fear or nervousness in them.

This comes to its worst part in the moment that is supposed to tell everyone the two are destined for each other. The moment that the fandom was supposed to immortalize like the major Lumity moments. The moment Eda tries to bean Raine with a ball and Raine, unlike Lilith, catches it not just easily but with flair.

Or in other words, catches it just like Eda would. The moment that I think a lot of people, myself included, started realizing that Raine was just a love interest, just like Amity and then Willow for Hunter, instead of anything even resembling a character. After all, they spend this entire episode showing that they are a clone to Eda. Period.

It actually gets worse as the motivation to protect their loved ones is also an Eda one and they both do it in the same way by just trying not to include them and put distance between them. Their methods, ideologies, etc. like that are literally lock step with one another, just like Amity changes hers to be and Hunter ends up becoming like alongside Willow and Luz. A lot of people point this at as growth for the characters but I still argue that dissolving your own personality for your partner is not a good thing.

And do you want to know how much the writers KNEW Them's the Breaks was a mistake? Just a blatantly wrong choice to make? Well, see, Falls and Follies eventually came out with a second version of the episode with annotations. Little tidbits about the show and lore of the universe. I don't know really any of those tidbits except one, and that this WAS released after Falls and Follies.

"Raine developed stage fright during a production of the Isles version of Romeo and Juliet that they performed with Eda."

That's not word for word, I'm not looking this up for that, but that is what it summarized to. Or, in other words, they went back and had to retcon in stage fright for Raine. Stage fright they developed WITH the person who's dynamic with them should be to bring them out of their shell with.

The worst part? They probably don't see the contradiction. They instead likely went "We made a plothole in Them's the Breaks. What can we do this for shipping fodder?" And then someone else shouted, "MAKE IT SO RAINE GOT STAGE FRIGHT BECAUSE OF A PLAY THAT MADE THEM KISS EDA!"

Now no, that's not explicitly stated but besides just being lazy and referencing Romeo and Juliet (they did have a special name for it), that's the main reason I can imagine for that play causing that specific reaction. After all, Raine had performed for large crowds before. Even done things against the rules and off script in front of crowds and against a FUCKING COVEN HEAD. What could have possibly caused them to gain stage fright from a fucking play?

And if this sort of inconsistency was in a piece of fanfic or a person's personal webcomic and they just admitted to wanting the cute shipping moments, like Yoko Taro saying 2B is a beautiful woman because he likes pretty girls in his games, I would be more okay with it. In a show that is touted as so progressive, having such perfect representation, some of the best romances in television history, etc. etc...

Well, my response is that I guess there's a reason so many straight people have to deal with bland, inconsistent love interests if that's what nonbinaries and lesbians want too.

===========

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.

And finally a Twitter you can follow too!

[ammonitetheseaserpent]

AAAAAAAA I NEED TO TALK ABT THE NEW EP-

I didn’t think the ep would give me something to talk about so quickly (I’m only just putting this post out now bc I had to get my thoughts in order) but this episode gave the Collector a whole new layer to their character and aaaaaaa I need to talk about it! They’ve further expanded this character’s status as a foil to both King (via the new Collector species) and Luz (via the Collector reliving her adventures as well as his use of character-trope-y terms when describing Eda). They’ve got DUALITY just like I’ve been sayiiinnnng! And we can finally see more of what Dana meant when she called him morally grey!

First of all, the Collector is ah. very messed up - no fault of their own, though. He’s a god raised by a collective who (from what can be gleaned from this ep) view and treat mortals more like servants or items than people. Then he was under the thrall of Belos - and while he clearly wasn’t solely responsible for twisting the Collector’s morals, it definitely couldn’t have helped to be around someone who didn’t view anyone currently around him as people.

Now though, through their interactions w/ their first good influence in King, we see the more “good” aspects of them shining through - ones that kinda conflict with what they were taught. On one hand, they’re oblivious to the level of fear they cause, but on the other, he’s vehemently opposed to the idea of actually hurting people (Titans at the very least). On one hand, he has no qualms about and sees no issue with turning people into living puppets, but on the other, their interactions with François tell us that he does have some sense of boundaries. Granted, there’s a high likelihood that, where they are right now, he’d only be this caring and considerate to Titans (who are only like. a few steps below the Collectors), but the capacity’s still there.

The biggest difference between him and the rest of their kind, though, is that he’s a child - a deeply traumatized child. We don’t know much about what they’ve been through (yet), but it’s clearly left one hell of a mark. I’d also like to refer to a previous post, where I mentioned that them being a child/having that sense of malleability and innocence is a double-edged sword. It’s the thing that means they see (almost) no issue with how the others taught him to think and act - but it also might be the thing that allows him room for their mind to be changed, for him to be shown the error of their ways and what they’ve been taught. And I really want to see how that plays out - how those little good-aspect-seeds might grow, how he might grow because gggrrrggggrfhgf they’re such an inTERESTING CHARACTER-

[amywhereyouwant]

WORK IN PROGRESS FANFIC!!

Hey so I've been working on a TOH fic for a couple days and I thought I would post the first Chapter, feedback would be appreciated!

The Hexsquad has just been thrown into the Human Realm, and everyone is pretty shaken up, but Luz is especially so.

(Fic is under the Read More link! ^.^)

Luz was lying in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She didn’t know how long she’d been lying there for. There was no way this could’ve happened. She squeezed her eyes shut. Maybe if she opened her eyes, she’d wake up back in the Owl House to that familiar scent of fried Griffin Egg she’s come to know and tolerate, with Hooty’s assorted hoots and screams sounding from the window…

Nothing. She was still in the top bunk of hers and Vee’s bed, she was still staring at the shoddily put up glow-in-the-dark stars still on the ceiling from when she was a kid, there was still that faint ringing in her ears, there were still those words…

“Luz, I’m so happy I had you as a Big Sister.”

Luz didn’t want those words to be the last she heard from King, but they were. And now she wouldn’t see him again.

Everything was wrong. Luz knew that. Camila had tried to comfort her earlier, but there wasn’t any doubt. Her friends had been violently tossed out of their home, and Luz couldn’t help but think that it was her fault. She couldn’t stop going through it all in her head. She should never have tried to meet Philip, she should’ve known better, she-

“Luz?”

The voice was just a whisper, but she could instantly tell who it was. Amity was peeking her head over the bunk’s railing, it was hard to see faces in the dark, but Luz knew that it was her Girlfriend.

“Are you alright?” Her voice was as warm as it always was, but there was a shakiness to it.

Luz couldn’t respond, of course I’m alright, she thought sarcastically to herself. It's not like I’ve ruined all of my friends' lives and forced them away from their homes. Even though she hadn’t said anything, it was like Amity knew what was going on in her head.

She gestures up to beside where Luz was laying. “Can I come up?” Luz nodded, and the Witch slowly clambered up the bed and nestled in. It was hard to admit, but the strange amount of comfort that Amity gave to Luz by just being close to her felt like it was about to make her melt into the mattress. The two just laid there for a moment, before Amity spoke up.

“I know how you feel right now. I never really thought about how it felt for you to be launched into the Demon Realm without any warning, you must’ve been so scared”

Luz sighed, If only you knew, she thought. Then it hit her. She doesn’t know. Amity had no clue Luz chose to stay on the Boiling Isles. She wasted every opportunity she had to go home and meet her mom, she had all the time in the world to go back. And she didn’t. For what? To play around and do Magic? What was wrong with her? Had she just left, none of this would’ve happened, she could’ve-

It must’ve shown that Luz wasn’t paying attention, because Amity spoke again, cutting Luz’ overthinking off. “Whatever you think about yourself because of this, stop. You did what you could to help us, to help me. And it… could’ve been worse, we could’ve failed to stop the Draining spell completely and… a-and..” Amity was trying to sound reassuring, but her voice betrayed her, and tears started forming in the girl’s eyes.

“Amity...” Luz brushed away a bit of hair that had fallen in her girlfriend's face. She wanted to say something, but the words got stuck in her throat. Amity sobbed and forced out a slight whisper. “I’m scared.”

Luz had nothing she could say. What could she say? What would make this whole situation get any better?

All she could muster was a small “Me too.” It felt pathetic. She felt bad for saying it, but it was true. She was afraid. For the first time in a while, she’d admitted that she was scared. She was scared for what might’ve happened to the rest of the people on the Isles, she was scared for what would happen to her friends now that they’re here…

Amity sniffled. “I’m scared, but I think… I think I feel a little more brave when I’m with you.” The Witch wiped a tear, then hugged Luz. A warm embrace that felt like getting hugged by the warmest, most comfy and emotional pillow ever to be made. Luz didn’t want to cry. She couldn’t cry. She had to stay strong. 

But she cried. She cried deep into Amity’s arms, bundled up in a mound of blankets and tears, they laid there for a while, letting the tears come out for the first time in what felt like ages. And it felt better. In this upside down world where nothing felt like it was going to get better, they had each other.

_________________________________________________

Hope this was any good, thanks for reading!

[lampmanliveblogs]

Alright, alright, I was being a bit facetious in my previous post. I don’t think Boscha and Amity were ever an item, at least not until stated so. Then again, things like ”canon” has never stopped shippers before. have it? And I can imagine that there emerged quite a few fanfics based solely on this scene. The language used is very reminiscent of your ex showing up, drunk on appleblood, asking you to please take them back, they’ll be better this time.

All these words I say Don't mean anything I realize Can I make you stay? I'll be better this time I'll be better this time To you

But yeah, like I talked about before, Boscha went from being just a high school bully, to being a high school bully with trauma and a seriously shoddy support network in the form of Kikimora. With her friends and family gone, Boscha sees reuniting with Amity as a way to regain some semblance of normality in the crazy world she finds herself in. The world may have gone insane, but at least there is something for her to hold on to, quite literally by the way she tackles Amity in the next shot. 

I believe that Boscha feels hopeless; after facing down The Collector’s spies and watching her teammates and friends, as well as all the adults get taken, she believes there is nothing they can do but to hide away in Hexside and continue to live there. And together they can rule Hexisde, just like before. No, even better!

I gotta say, for a character that’s been pretty one-note, they’ve done a great job of giving her some depth while still feeling natural.

(unrelated, but I kinda dig Boscha’s new look. the sportswear as armor works. plus, her grudgby make-up kinda resembles tears, or running mascara from crying. symbolism!)

((not 100% sure, but I think that was the right use of the word facetious?))

Boscha: ”I won’t let you leave again!” Amity: ”Boscha, you’re hurting me!”

Jeez Luise, all the, erm… Boschity? Amischa? What would you even call that ship… um, I’ll bet all the Amity/Boscha shippers (all three of you) still around in the post Lumity era went absolutely feral when this episode aired. The potential for angst just skyrocketed.

Now, that is the crux, isn’t it? Boscha desperately needs Amity, but Amity doesn’t need, not particularly want Boscha around in her life anymore. And in her attempts to hold on, Boscha inevitably only ends up hurting Amity.

Okay, I had to rewind the scene a few times, but I did catch it on the third time (and then I had to do it two three four more times to get the screenshot). Right after Mattholomule summons this smokescreen, he and Amity run away… except they appear to have switched places.

Then, while they’re running away, Boscha kicks the head of the statue Mattholomule made towards him, only for him to catch it… with a pair of gauntlets, similar to what Amity uses, even summoning a purple spell circle to summon them. When Boscha shoves Mattholomule aside to get to Amity, Mattholomule drops the illusion, revealing it was actually him playing the role of the Blight.

Gus and Luz pulled a similar trick in Clouds on the Horizon. And just like in that episode, the trick was really obvious in hindsight, yet I still didn’t call it. Though this one at least went by a bit faster.

Also, Matty calls Gus Augustus; returning the favor for Gus calling him Mattholomule this whole time.

"We can still save your teammates. Will you let us try?”

Like I said before, after witnessing her teammates and the adults be defeated so easily and taken away to who knows where, Boscha lost hope. Right now, she’s not fighting to save the world, or even to save one or a few people. She’s fighting to keep some small sliver of her old life.

Amity is the last of Boscha’s friends who haven’t been taken, so Boscha is going to fight to keep her from disappearing again. But… I think she might be starting to realize that it’s a losing battle too. Thus she finds herself stuck between a rock and a hard place (i love that expression). She either risks it all trying to get her teammates back, which will probably end up with her and the few people still left being turned into puppets. Or she tries to keep the few people left contained and somewhat safe within the school, regardless of their wishes.

And I'm just saying Boscha, a fellow triclops, Tien Shinhan was hopelessly outclassed by Cell, yet his defiant stand against the Semi-Perfect lifeform remains one of the most badass displays in all of Dragonball.

Well, I can’t say I ever expected them to kill Gus off screen, but oh well. This is what happens when you cut an entire season down to three specials the length of six full episodes. Rest in peace, Augustus. You will be missed.

Nah, it looks like they’re down in the detention pits as well, Kiki and Boscha must’ve gotten to them as well after they ambushed Willow.

[royal-they]

huntlow fic for azurewishes that was supposed to be a christmas gift but shh

read on ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43886586

- 

There were a lot of things Hunter didn’t understand.

He didn’t understand why Belos cloned his long dead older brother, he didn’t know how Belos was still alive, and he didn’t know why he had to deal with any of it. When he was the Golden Guard, it felt like he understood everything. The Titan decided Belos’s every decision, Belos chose him to be the Golden Guard because he was capable, and he understood what his purpose was and why he had it.

But it was all a lie.

He remembered when he first met Luz, she said he was lucky he had his future set out for him. He said she was lucky she got to decide for herself. Now having seen both sides of it, he wasn’t so sure that was true anymore.

He wasn’t sure of anything quite honestly; he simply didn’t understand.

Maybe nobody understood, his friends looked lost as ever standing in the warped world they had once known. Bones Borough had been completely deserted, buildings destroyed and singed. Gus looked like he was about to cry at the sight of it. Willow wrapped her arms around the young boy, holding him with her strong arms. The cold look on her face was almost impossible to articulate.

The tears that had been there only moments before, left no trace. Her eyes weren’t lit with an electrifying green like they sometimes were, but she looked ready to fight anyone who stood in her way. And still, there were a million things about her face he couldn’t read. So many thoughts running through her head, and he could see how much it hurt to listen to any of them.

Willow glanced at him, catching his eye. Her cover slipped momentarily, and he saw a look he thought he’d never see on her face until he had just earlier. Fear. All of them looked afraid right now, but it was somehow worse to see Willow being afraid, even if it was just for a second.

“Is there somewhere we can stay for the night?” Camilla asked, breaking the silence.

“The Owl House is more tucked away,” Luz said, thinking aloud, “Last time I was there scouts had already taken all of Eda’s stuff though, I don’t know if it’s as hidden as it once was.”

“I know a place,” Gus mumbled.

“Is it safe?” Willow asked the younger boy, still holding him close to her.

“Yeah,” Gus answered, a little louder now, “I covered it with an illusion but I know the spell to get in so it should be fine.”

“Where is it?”

-

The Looking Glass Graveyard.

Hunter had only ever read of it, being there was a whole other experience. If the situation wasn’t what it was, he would be interrogating Gus about how he knew about it and trying to find all of its secrets.

“Where is he?” Gus muttered beside him.

Hunter turned to him, nobody around them woke up. Their crew had set up camp in the graveyard, under a shelter Gus had built with construction magic. Hunter had been quite surprised by this, seeing as Gus had never mentioned knowing any construction magic before. But once again, now wasn’t really the time to have this conversation.

“Where’s who?” he asked, voice barely a whisper.

Gus turned, as if caught, “Just a friend, he used to come here with me, and I thought he’d be here-.”

Gus’s voice cracked, tears stirring in his eyes once again. Hunter wrapped his arms around the younger boy, just like Willow had earlier, holding him tight.

He is admittedly far worse at hugs than Willow, stiff and awkward, seemingly unsure of how his limbs should move. But it didn’t seem to matter to Gus, who caved into him completely. Eventually he fell asleep, but Hunter didn’t let go of him for a while. Sure, some might say he was overprotective of the younger boy, but he didn’t see that as a problem. He was like his older brother, always there to listen and protect him no matter the cost. If Gus needed him to just hold him, he would hold him till the end of the titan dammed world.

Willow stirred beside him slightly and for a brief second, he wondered if his thoughts had somehow been heard. Her breathing became more rapid, and choppier and suddenly she jumped up, tears catching the moonlight that washed over the graveyard. Hunter rose slowly, as to not scare her in this heightened state.

“Willow?” he asked softly.

Willow turned slightly, before shutting her eyes as tight as she could, “I’m fine Hunter.”

She stepped away from him slightly. He stopped moving, had he upset her? Was he the reason she was scared?

“Willow, did I do something wrong?” he asked quietly, scared of her response.

Willow turned around quickly, “No, of course not!”

“You just seem quite...” he waved his hands, searching for the right word, “distant ever since we've left the human realm.”

“It’s only been a few hours Hunter, I’m not avoiding you.”

“But you can’t look at me without looking distraught,” his voice almost disappearing entirely as he rubbed hands together anxiously, “did-did something happen when Belos possessed me, did I hurt you?”

“What, no you didn’t hurt me,” she reassured him, a small smile on her face, but he still felt as though something was off.

“But something is wrong.”

Willow didn’t say anything. She walked over to one of the rocks on the far side of the graveyard, motioning for him to join her. She doesn’t want to wake them up, he realizes, is she mad and is going to yell at me? The thought quickly left his head though, Willow would never yell at him like Belos used to. He wasn’t talking to an emperor in some throne room, he was just talking to his friend (aka huge giant crush) on a late moonlit night in a weird graveyard. Significantly better conditions if you asked him.

“So,” she said quietly when he settled beside her, “what's been bothering you?”

“I thought we were talking about what’s been bothering you.”

“Hunter, I can tell somethings bothering you besides the whole Belos and Collector situation.”

“I can tell the same about you.”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not!” he huffed, “You haven’t acted like this since I tried to recruit you to the Emperors Coven.”

Since I hurt you.

Willow was silent, Hunter reached for her hand before pulling away.

“Are you sure I didn’t hurt you?” he asked, more to himself than her.

“Hunter,” she made her voice softer when she noticed how upset he had gotten, “I’m not mad or scared of you.”

“Okay,” Hunter said slowly, “Do you not want to tell me what's wrong, because that’s okay, I just want to help you if I can.”

Willow sighed, leaning to rest her head on his shoulder, “I just keep thinking about when you stopped.”

“Stopped what?” he questioned.

“Stopped-” her breathing grew shaky, “breathing, moving, just- being alive I guess.”

Hunter pulled her close into a hug. He wasn’t even worried about whether he was good at it right now, Willow was upset and that's all he could focus on.

“I know your here now, it’s stupid-”

“It’s not stupid,” he said firmly, “I’d feel the same if it were you.”

Willow looked up at him with so much adoration and wonder, it almost made him melt, “You’re probably the only person who would.”

“That’s not true, everyone here cares about you so much,” he said, bringing her closer, so she couldn’t look anywhere but at him. A small smile sparked on her face, that made him feel dizzy (Because he did that! Him, Hunter Noceda!)

Willow squirmed closer to him, resting her forehead on his chest, “Thanks.”

Hunter rested his chin softly on top of her head. And suddenly nothing felt quite as cold as it had. He could stay like this. Arms wrapped together, just to feel a little less alone.

-

“Hunter, wake up.”

Willow's eyes fluttered open briefly as she felt Hunter snap up, still holding her close to him.

“She needs to get up too y’know,” Luz pointed out.

Hunter sighed, “Fine, just give her a few minutes.”

“Mhm, totally not an excuse to just cuddle with her more,” Amity remarked, Willow could practically hear her eye roll. Gus snickered quietly behind the two of them.

“You all suck,” Hunter grumbled.

“Why do they suck?” asked Willow sleepily, pretending to wake up before Amity and Hunter could start actually fighting.

“Nothing important,” he reassured her, loosening his grip as she rose, not letting go of his hand, “Did I wake you up?”

“No, don’t worry,” she lied, as she held his hand close to her. Blush lit up his face quickly as he looks down at their intertwined hands.

He’s like a flower, she realizes, colors blossoming at the touch of a plant witch.

Titan, she wishes they were still cuddling, but right now they have to save everyone. Again. From a witch hunter and some crazy star kid. Half again.

Needless to say, she’s not exactly looking forward to it. But hey, if Hunter- if all of her friends are safe because of it she’ll happily kick those monsters' asses. Gladly. With a smile on her face. Yeah, whoever stands in her way is screwed.

All right, maybe she wasn't acting as she normally would. But it was fine. Hunter wanted revenge, and titan damn it, Willow was so down to get revenge. Okay maybe she lied, she’s looking forward to it a little bit.

“Do we have a plan yet?” she asked.

“Not really, I guess just looking for any…” Luz paused, and Willow read her thoughts almost instantly: survivors, “anyone who might have stayed nearby.”

“We should split up in groups,” Amity suggested, “We’ll cover more ground that way.”

���I’m the only one who knows the spell to get us in here though,” Gus pointed out, “Maybe I should stay here.”

“Are you sure that’s safe?” Camilla asked anxiously, glancing between the kids, “What if someone attacks one of you?”

“You’ve seen us fight Mama,” Luz said, “I think we stand a pretty good chance, especially if we’re in groups.”

“Okay,” Camilla sighed, “but at least let me come with you, I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I need you to stay with Gus,” Luz said, shaking her head, “You don’t know your way around the Boiling Isles, I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Mija, it’s not your job to keep me safe,” Camilla frowned, crossing her arms, “I came here to protect you, it’s my job as a parent.”

“You don’t have any glyphs,” Luz pointed out, “And you wouldn’t be able to identify anyone we know.”

Willow watched the two of them argue feeling a strange sense of guilt and deja vu. What she wouldn’t give to keep her own parents safe and close to her.

“Maybe you could show her around then?” Willow asked, gently touching Luz’s arm, “I think with you and Amity she’ll be more than safe.”

“I think Willow's right darling,” Amity agreed, “Besides, Camilla can just borrow some of your own glyphs.”

Luz sighed, “All right then,” she turned, pointing to Willow and Hunter, “You two go search around Hexide, and we’ll search the Owl House.”

-

Willow looked out across the flyer derby field, head in her hands. Titan, she thought she’d be able to handle all of this. She should be able to handle all of this. But instead, she felt like she was breaking, cracking, falling, losing grip on the small amount of level headedness she had left. The school was barren, abandoned, nothing but a hollow memory. She felt a familiar presence sit beside her, looking out at the flyer derby field. She knew, he too was reminiscing on the loss of all of it.

Willow took a deep breath, taking in the silence before she broke it, “It feels so different to be back here, huh?”

“It does,” he said softly, “I’m sure it feels worse for you though.”

Willow shook her head, braids swishing around her, “It doesn’t matter who feels better or worse, Hunter.”

Hunter frowned, “I know that.”

“Well, you keep trying to talk about how I feel about all of this,” she said, gesturing all around them, “But whenever I try to talk to you about this you shut it down.”

He averted his eyes, staring in the opposite direction, “I am fine.”

Willow got up, standing in front of him so he couldn’t look away again, “I know that’s a lie.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he said, staring at the ground.

Willow reached out, touching both his hands, “Hunter you died, one of our friends died, Belos is back, you were brought back to life, and you don’t want to talk about any of it?! ”

Hunter flinched back, “Why does it matter to you so much?”

“I can tell it’s hurting you,” she said softly, voice cracking as she sat back down, “I’m sorry, it’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it.”

The silence of before was brought back. No longer hollow though, no: this silence was more of one that was the eye of a hurricane. This time, Willow didn't break it.

“I’m not trying to shut you out,” Hunter said finally, “I’m not trying to hurt you, or make myself hurt.”

He sighed, fingertips brushing against his chest, tears brewing in his eyes, “I just- it feels like everything was stolen from me.”

Willow wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him into her embrace. He broke. Whatever dam had been keeping him from hurting so much was gone, tears flooding out. The overwhelming pain that replaced the pounding numbness was preferable somehow.

“I got to be whoever I wanted,” His throat hurt when he spoke, as though his whole body was screaming for him to stop telling her everything. He didn’t listen, “I got to be a normal kid, for the first time ever. And just like that. Everything is gone. Because I’m just destined to be the tortured soul forever, and ever.”

His words felt as though they pierced through her already crumbling heart. Willow held him tighter, as though she could somehow hold him together as he broke in her arms.

“I would take your place in a heartbeat,” she said aloud, “I would if it meant you didn’t have to deal with any of this.”

Hunter shifted, pushing away from her, resting his hands on her shoulders, “What makes you think that’d hurt any less?”

She simply looked away from him as he had before answering him, “Your position is worse than mine, and I hate to see you like this.”

“I thought you said it’s not a competition of who has it better or worse,” he pointed out.

“I’m not making it a competition!” she growled angrily, “Is it really so selfish that I wish you weren’t hurting?”

“Yes!”

“It goes against the very definition of selfish to want you to be okay,” she exclaimed, pushing away his touch, unsure she could bear it any longer.

“Nobody else cares about that,” he responded angrily, “Why can’t you just let me focus on making you feel better or defeating Belos?!”

“How am I ‘selfish’ for caring about you feeling better, but you're not for wanting me to feel better?” Willow shouted; fists clenched.

“People care about you, you’re important, you help people,” he yelled, standing to face her. His voice cracking as more tears fell down his face, “the world needs you Willow, it never needed me.”

Willow watched as he fell to the ground, and she felt as though she’d been pulled down too. She sat down next to him, reaching a hand out for his.

“I don’t know if the world ‘needs’ anyone,” Willow admitted, holding his hand gently, “But I know I want you, I know our friends want you, and I know more people in the future will want you here.”

Hunter looked up, and she caught his eyes. His eyes. The same light she always saw in them was there, even if their deep red color had turned a softer brown. The same light she felt when the sun came out, when she found that a flower had bloomed, when she scored a point in flyer derby. Some would say it was small, but to her it was everything. Hunter was fueled by hope. Even if he tried to tell her he didn’t have any left in him, she knew she wouldn’t believe him for a second.

Hope was something she hadn’t treasured so dearly till she met Hunter.

“Why do you want me, Willow?” he whispered softly, blush spreading across his face, hands anxiously rubbing together. Scared of asking for praise. She smiled. She wasn’t scared of giving it to him.

“You’re Hunter,” she started, “You make all of us happy; you care for Gus, you protect Luz, you're like a son to Camilla, your friends with Amity - which is a hard task to accomplish -, and you’re-”

She stopped, reaching out to touch his face, holding it gently. She tipped her head, so it was parallel to his. Searching for what he was.

“You’re my Hunter: you’re my star flyer derby player, you’re my partner in combat, you’re one of my best friends,” she finally landed on shaking her head, laughing slightly, “You’re so many things to me Hunter, I can’t even begin to tell you.”

She didn’t have to. He knew how she felt about him. How could he not? Willow wasn’t exactly the most subtle individual when it came to… anything really. But that was fine, she didn’t want to hide her feelings for him anyway.

Warmth blossomed in her chest as he fell into her instantly, arms wrapped around her torso. She pressed a small kiss on his forehead, his body shook as tears fell once again. But they were different from the piercing angry tears from before. He seemed far more relieved. And in that moment that was the most she could ask of him.

“We should head back,” she said softly into his hair when he’d stopped shaking, “It’s getting dark.”

“Okay,” Hunter sighed, slowly pulling away from her.

“Looks like you're due for another haircut,” Willow observed, tucking some of the longer strands of hair behind his flushed ears.

“Yeah, it is especially annoying that he grew it back out after all the effort you spent on it,” he grumbled.

Willow frowned, but then remembered something. She took the flower hair clip out of her hair - causing a bunch of it to fall in her face - and clipped the longest hair strand of his back. Hunter blushed more at her closeness and she laughed slightly as she pulled away.

“There,” she declared, tracing his jaw with her fingertips briefly, “Now it won’t be in your face.”

“Oh, uh, yes well,” he sputtered, faking a cough before reaching out to brush some of her own hair out of her face, “Now a bunch of your own hair is loose.”

Her own face blushed slightly as he leaned in; biting on his lip slightly, brow furrowed in concentration as he gently pulled the hair ties out of her messy braids - if you could even call them that at this point - before fastening all of her hair back into a loose ponytail. He pulled away slightly, hands still hovering over her shoulders.

“Sorry I know I’m not as good as Amity-”

Willow's mind pulled her forward fast before he could finish, catching his lips quickly with her own. His hands jumped slightly with surprise, before settling on her shoulders. Willow felt his eyelashes flutter, as though he was unsure of how to react to her. Willow pulled back, face feeling warmer than the hot summer day where she had spent all day out on the porch with Gus and Hunter eating popsicles and laughing at their antics.

“Sorry,” she said quickly, voice shrill and high, face still burning as she jumped up, almost falling off the bleachers in the process, “If you could forget about me forever that’d be great.”

Hunter's hand caught hers quickly. She turned back to see his flushed face, lit up with the same dorky smile he usually wore around her.

“Why would I ever want to forget about you?” he asked, smiling shyly.

“You’re- you’re not mad about it?” she said, confused.

“Mad at what?”

“That I kissed you,” she said, avoiding his eye contact briefly.

“I’m not mad,” he reassured her, “Are you?”

“Of course not!” she exclaimed, almost offended he would consider such a thing, “You’re one of the loveliest people I’ve ever met, how could I not want to kiss you?”

Hunter just smiled at her, face still lit up with red as he leaned over slightly, pressing a kiss on to her forehead as she had before.

He pulled back, searching her face, “Was that all right-”

Willow wrapped her arms around his neck securely, pulling him back down to her. Her ears fluttered slightly as she felt him reciprocate the kiss, leaning forward even more. She pulled away slightly, a smile dancing upon both of their faces.

“More than all right,” she said, resting her forehead on his.

Her Hunter. There and alive. She’d be there to protect him as long as he needed. Maybe longer, if he wanted her. She looked up at his hopeful eyes. With the look he was giving her right now? Probably forever.

[break-me-open]

Thoughts about The Owl House’s run

I truly enjoyed the third (and final) season of The Owl House, and I’m so grateful for the work that was put into the series. It’s hard, though, not to feel a bit sad about the what could have been. 

I don’t need every questioned answered in a series, personally, but there’s so much more that could have been explored, that I wanted to see. To know that there was more that was likely intended to be told about this world, but if we ever do get it, it almost certainly won’t be in television form...

It feels especially unfair and ridiculous when I think about how it wasn’t given a full chance. I know I’m just a random adult who watches some kids’ shows, so yeah, okay, maybe I’m not the target audience. But the kids I’ve worked with this school year? They are prime target audience for Disney Channel. And working with them has made me realize how important word of mouth can be for children’s media.

At the start of this school year-- so, after the first two seasons had aired, before season three started-- there were for sure three kids in my class (of twenty-one) who where into The Owl House. These were the only ones I initially ever heard talking about it. (They also talked to me about it directly sometimes after one time when they were talking about it near me and I interjected to correct Raine’s pronouns without really thinking about it. They lost their shit, they were so excited.) A lot of kids seemed to not have heard of the show.

By this point in the school year, I know there are at least nine students in my class who have watched the whole show. They talk about it regularly. Everyone in the class knows what it is.

And that kind of word-of-mouth fanbase building takes time! Especially-- and sorry to bring up COVID, but-- when kids have spent so much of that time out of the physical classroom, resulting in less casual discussion with kids they’re not already friends with. You build your appreciation of a show over time, then you talk about it and share it more and more, then more people check it out, and the show ends up with more fans. But you have to give it that time!

And The Owl House didn’t get that. There’s definitely some “we know why” stuff going on behind the decision, but it also seems like they just made a poor decision based on not really understanding how kids’ shows become popular. When I was a kid, it was Avatar: The Last Airbender that I thought about this with. That show’s run wasn’t cut short, but there was a mess in its marketing, products, overall treatment from the network. And now, years later, it continues to make the network-- I assume-- so much money.

Maybe that means ten years from now, there will still be new Owl House stuff coming out in some form or another. I don’t know. I hope so! I hope the girl in my class who loses her mind whenever she sees Hunter gets to experience him as  part of pop culture throughout her life. I hope the girl who described her crush as, “I’m Amity, she’s Luz” gets to recall that description to other people who remember the show clearly years from now. I hope the boy who was reading a Wikipedia article about Puritans to figure out Belos gets to work that connection into a future essay.

But whether it reaches that point or not... at least they got to have those experiences now. At least we all got this show.

[pdaliceliveblogs]

posting this ask on its own bc it got a bit long

All right, that video was a delight; love me some fucked-up claymation. I think it’s coincidental; stag masks are a pretty classic piece of imagery especially when it comes to sorta ‘old English paganism’-flavoured stuff. I think the whole video’s a bit of a Wicker Man reference, and I haven’t actually seen that film (I know, I’m a disgrace of a horror fan, but there’s only so many hours in the day) and a quick search showed me some folks in antlered masks from that too. Thanks for the link, though, I loved that! I gotta try some more Radiohead. Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Ghost and Pinkshift.

Also, just bc we’re talking about music here for a minute-- I got an ask recently on my personal telling me a song the asker associated with my fic We Sing It Anyway which absolutely blew my mind; when I associate songs with stuff other than my own writing it’s a sign that it’s very alive in my head, so as a writer that was. Y’know. Super high praise I’m still really flustered. But in answering that I told them some songs I associate with my own versions of those characters, so now I wanna ramble a little about song associations with Owl House in general?

Generally once something lives in my head enough I start associating songs with it, I just dump them all into a playlist on my itunes; once I gather enough on a particular ‘subset’ (a character, a ship, etc) I’ll drag them all near each other in the playlist and then into vaguely chronological order. Right now my TOH playlist is 21 tracks, three of which are Lilith, 12 of which are raeda, five of which are lumity, and one of which is specifically Hollow Mind Hunter. (I didn’t put the songs I associate with Darius and Creed on the list bc that’s specifically my-fic relevant and feels inappropriate idk). ANYWAY I’ve been thinking I’d like to do lil illustrations for each song on the raeda and lumity sections and then post them as playlists, like I did for my rymin list, so I feel like I should be a little ~mysterious~ about those, but let me ramble for a sec about my Lilith and Hunter songs!

My Sister by the Juliana Hatfield Three isn’t very literally Lily, in the lyrics, but it has the vibe. I mean, the three verses start “I hate my sister, she’s such a bitch”, “I love my sister, she’s the best”, and “I miss my sister, where’d she go?” respectively, so you see what I mean. Those good mixed feelings.

Daughter by Doll Skin is the first song I associated with Lilith, or with anybody from the Owl House; I first heard it and was like “I feel like this is the direction Lily’s character reveal is going” and I was right. The kind of achy resentment of Eda, not just for natural skill/social adeptness but also for how well she seems like she’s handling the curse; she’s surviving something Lilith is privately sure she wouldn’t. That, along with the desperation to prove herself to their mum... “no matter what, she keeps on breathing-- why can’t I? why can’t I? It’s time to make your momma proud...”

Erase This by Evanescence has ‘Lilith sinking into her role as Coven Head’ vibes to me, “the sinking feeling every day I’m waking up in someone else’s life” because she knows she cheated her way there, “to believe that what we dreamed could ever come to life again” as she tries to coax Eda into the coven with her, “I cannot erase this lie” she can’t take back what she’s done... I also really like the line “I’m gonna save this wasted life, and nothing can stand in my way” because it gets a double meaning with Lilith-- she’s going to save her sister’s ‘wasted’ life as a con artist and junk seller and Wild Witch, but then she also wants to save her own life from the hole she’s dug herself into. Gives me emotions.

Then, for Hunter (and Luz) just-post-Hollow-Mind, it’s 100% Mine’s Not a High Horse, by The Shins, for me. This one I have strong enough associations with every damn line that I’m tempted to try and do a song comic for it like I did for Now You Know with raeda. Try this bit, for Hunter’s life as a Golden Guard and all the Guards that came before:

We’d like to go the distance, But not a one of us is gonna. You see, nobody’s wise enough to turn this ancient boat around. These are the muddy waters I’m swimming in to make a living-- That I might drown in them should come as no surprise....

ANYWAY if anybody actually read my rambles thank you <3

[wexhappyxfew]

hihi! i have been working my way through soldier of stars recently and decided to come up with my own trio of bob ocs :D

my question to you, how do you come up with your ships﹖ like what made you decide to pair hazel and liebgott or luz and catherine﹖i have been trying to come up with the ships for my ocs but they feel too simple to me and more based on how similar the characters are, not so much their dynamic

thanks!!

omg HELLO ANON!!!! thanks so much for stopping on by the ‘ole askbox!! 🙌 sorry if this response took a bit today, had a long and exhausting day at college today so 🤩 ANYWAY!

first off! i am SO HAPPY to hear that you’re enjoying the soldier of stars right now!! that fic truly got me through the beginning of quarantine when we were all locked up with nothing to do and hazel, catherine and lizzie were by far some of my favorites (i genuinely miss writing them sm)!! and your own bob OCs too! AHHHH! that’s so exciting!!! truly OCs are some of the greatest joys i stg! 😭🫶

second! i will HAPPILY answer! because it still very much holds true to this day, even through other fics i write! so honestly, when i write BoB OCs, i really just start writing and focus on the OC and see along the way who she ends up vibing best with if that makes sense? sometimes i start a fic and know exactly who i want the OC to end up with and tailor it that way. but most of the time, it ends up where i’m writing and then suddenly, i really start to see a certain OC with a certain canon character.

for example, we’ll use hazel parker in this situation, i wanted her to end up with liebgott so i really tailored their connection and story together to be about that friends-to-lovers vibe and it worked out well for them. someone like catherine mccown though? i had NO IDEA who she’d end up with and i was so happy it was luz in the end! but at the beginning? i had absolutely no clue if cath would even end up with a BoB canon character. sometimes i start a fic and immediately know but sometimes it takes me a while, some trial-and-error along with a whole lot of writing to see if things will even work. but you get there.

if i have any advice, really get to know your OC inside and out. because for me, once i really know my OC as if they were a part of me, i see where they best fit as i write. it may not happen in the first 10 chapters, but as you write, you may begin to notice, “oh wow these conversations X has with Y are actually really much deeper than i thought they were.”.

once you really flesh out your OC and where they fit in the story, then i feel you see where they fit in with other characters. when i write, i try to put my OC in situations and conversations with other characters to see how well they play off others. and by that i mean, i just write, i just see where a scene takes me because sometimes i really struggle to structure a scene second by second. like today, i had 10 minutes to write and just went at it, typing up a storm and got somewhere i didn’t expect to get and it’s actually working MUCH better?!

sometimes i feel just writing and seeing where it goes is most helpful. and maybe if you don’t want to necessarily be working on a fic and just want to do scenes, then that definitely is helpful too! especially if you have an inspo scene between a character and a possible love interest. test it out, see if it works. sometimes you need to just write without even thinking about it to see where it takes you to then realize wow this actually works really well!

i hope this was helpful dear anon!! as always, this askbox is always open for questions, im happy to help with writing advice, especially for bob and messages are always there too! thank you! and i hope this helped! :)

[ladylynse]

happy halloween! if you're still doing these, trick or treat

(no prob if not ik that i have a late timezone)

“Luz?” Hunter’s voice was barely a whisper. “Are you awake?”

She’d been awake more often than not recently, even when she was bone tired. “Yeah.” She sat up and carefully eased her way out of the bed and of the room, trying not to wake Amity or Vee in the process. Amity hadn’t been sleeping well, either, and Vee still startled awake at times.

Luz met Hunter at her doorway and nodded when he pointed towards the kitchen. They left the chairs where they were—they were prone to squeaking—and sat together on the floor with their backs to the cupboards instead.

“Another nightmare?” she guessed when he didn’t speak. Nightmares were more common than dreams these days.

“No, I— I never got to sleep in the first place. I couldn’t stop thinking. It’s different during the day. I can focus on other stuff, but when everything stops and it goes quiet….”

“You can’t help but think of everything you were avoiding.”

“Yeah. I…. I don’t know how to tell them. I don’t want to tell them, but I don’t know if I can’t not tell them. Especially—” He broke off and looked away, but she could guess the rest of his sentence anyway. “Is it bad? That I’m still keeping secrets? Won’t that just give them more reason not to trust me?”

She found his hand and squeezed it. “It’s your secret, not one they have to know. And they’ll trust you even if it does come out, whether that’s in a way you want or not, because we’re family now—the good sort of family that supports each other.”

She heard him take a ragged breath. He still wasn’t looking at her, but her hand was trapped by his. He was holding her tightly enough that it hurt, but it was a good hurt. “I don’t think you understand what I am. What being a Grimwalker means. How bad this is. It’s…. This changes everything. All my life— What even was my life?”

“That stopped mattering when you stopped trying to kill us.” That got Hunter to look at her, but she meant it, and she hoped he could hear that in her voice. “You aren’t what Belos made you to be. You’re you, not anyone else. The fact that you changed your opinion about, well, everything proves that. Or changed it about anything, really. Because that means you’re thinking for yourself. You’re a good person, Hunter. You know that, right?”

He didn’t answer her, but she let it go and sat with him in silence as he worked through his own thoughts.

She wasn’t expecting him to break that silence.

“What’s keeping you up?”

“Nothing.” The word came too quickly for her to pretend that it sounded like anything other than a lie. “I’m just worried about Eda and King and everyone else.” That wasn’t a lie, at least.

It just wasn’t the whole truth.

Hunter didn’t tell her that everything would be okay, though. He didn’t offer her the same reassurances she’d routinely given the others. “Me, too,” was all he said. “There are some people I….”

He didn’t finish.

She didn’t press him.

She didn’t want him to press her further, either, or she might find herself telling him all the things the others didn’t need to hear right now.

Flapjack woke them just as the night was starting to fade in the east with the promise of the sun. Hunter slipped silently downstairs again, having long since learned where the creaky spots were, and she made her way with old familiarity back to her room.

This hadn’t been the first time they’d fallen asleep out of their beds. She doubted it would be the last. They never said much, but they didn’t need to, most times. It was enough to know the other person understood some of what was haunting you—and that they agreed to share that burden so the others wouldn’t have to.

Not yet, anyway.

She wasn’t ready to share her thoughts with the others any more than he was.

But she’d get there.

And so would he.

Eventually.

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[waywardsunlight]

3x02 Thoughts

Spoilers below

- Things I was spoiled for before the episode: saw that ghost!caleb was going to haunt Belos in writing, saw a screencap of possessed Raine. - Amity wants to be a writer!!! :D I was kind of wondering about what she was interested in doing bc we’ve talked about Gus wanting to be a representative to the human realm and Willow has flyer derby and Hunter has palismen carving and Luz, of course, wants to be a witch (and maybe an artist too). So it feels nice to get what amity wants to do. Also nice to see them together. - MURDER CAVE!!! It’s back and bigger than ever!!! I was kinda hoping that Caleb had moved on, and while I can see the spin on this that Belos is just seeing things because of “guilt” (hmm...) I kinda doubt it. Caleb is giving me death omen energy. The scene when Belos tried to possess that grimwalker was super cool though. - I’m unhappy about the whole puppet thing. I get it, but it actually dampers my enjoyment a little to see that happen to these characters because I really can’t imagine two months of being like that, especially for Darius and Raine (and Eber), and even like... Perry and Willow’s dads.) It’s p bad and I know they can turn back but I hope we get to really see them again before the end of the show, like I hope it gets reversed before halfway through next episode because I’m gonna cry and scream if we don’t get the adults fighting alongside the kids. Also it just really sucks that Belos didn’t possess Odalia fr.  - King. That’s the whole point here. -Aside from the puppet stuff, the Collector is growing on me a little. I like that he let Eda and Lilith out because he saw how much King loved Eda. I love his vibe, he’s very special to me. I like the outfit he put Odalia in, she looks nice lmao. I hope he realizes that he needs to make his own friends and put the effort in and goes off somewhere else to grow because that would make me happy. - I don’t like the Raine possession, it makes me sad and I’m worried we won’t get to see them enough before the end of the series because we already missed out on them in this episode. Same with Darius but oh well. It also flags some bad tropes about poc being possessed for white people narrative (like... Raine is Eda’s love interest and it feels that this choice was only made for Raeda which I’m sure is correct and even though I love that couple I think there were better ways to deal with it but I hope they surprise me. -I don’t like Boscha’s redemption (She’s giving Belos codependant energy a little and it’s funny that she focuses on Amity when Skara is right there although Skara knows Skara deserves better) but I liked the Hexside stuff still and Matt. I like him more now that we had more time with him and bc looking glass ruins. -And the topic of the hour, apparently... Huntlow. I think it’s cool that Willow kind of starts as someone who ignores the bad things around her and learns to accept them and be okay with crying, that’s cool. Willow really needed that. I don’t like that Hunter has magic but I didn’t mind the Huntlow, it didn’t bother me that much because I liked what they did with her arc and how they got there, even if I’m still not happy about magic Hunter (that better be the only magic he got istg). 

[onceuponalegendbg]

Alright alright alright. Time for me to really get my thoughts down for the penultimate episode of Owl House.

I really enjoyed it. I think I liked the premiere a bit better but this was still so good. Dana and the crew did a fantastic job hitting the story beats they needed to in such a condensed amount of time.

Let’s try to hit this by character for some sense of organization.

I’ll hit Amity first since she took a little bit of a back seat this episode. Which is fair. She’s arguably gotten the second most amount of screen time as a whole after all.

She had some nice moments though, especially her moment with Luz at the Owl House and a couple of funny moments. Really nice to hear how she woke Ghost.

Gus got to show off why he’s such a good friend to both Willow and Hunter. His banter with Matt was great. I love this little dude so much. Confirmation that he knew about Hunter being a Grimmwalker. Like Amity there isn’t a whole lot to get into here but he played his role well.

Hunter, man I just feel bad for this kid. He’s still trying to figure himself out and he’s not really properly grieving for Flap yet. He’s still processing which is fair. Also, Huntlow.

Willow, sweetheart, precious bean. You don’t have to be strong all the time. Like, I get it. This girl bottled her emotions even before Luz showed up but that was back when she was being bullied. Now, she’s still bottling things up in an effort to prove how strong she’s become and that people can rely on her. It sucks. Her admitting that she missed her dads really just puts into perspective that these are all just kids who are going to need so much therapy when this is over (someone call Sasha!) and I want to hug them so bad. I also just love seeing her stand up to Boscha more and that they’re not suddenly friends because Boscha sort of kind of had a somewhat change of heart.

Camila is kind of the MVP of season three if I’m being honest. I love everything about this woman. She’s a pure, kind soul and seeing her being a mom to all these kids is so heartwarming. But especially seeing her interactions with Luz just… it’s the best. Also, her admitting to being a secret nerd. We been knew.

Luz. Oh my baby girl. Camila really hit this one on the head though. “She just seems determined to make herself sad.” Oh honey. I’m so proud of this kid, though. She finally figured out what it really is that she wanted, and the animation for that was gorgeous. The look on her face. Man. I got so emotional. Also, String Bean is precious and I will protect them with my life. Seriously so cute.

I do want to kind of throw Boscha and Kiki here, because there’s not any major development with them but there’s a couple things worth mentioning. It’s hinted at in the credits that while Boscha was actually very upset about her team (friends) getting captured Kiki snuck in and kind of took advantage of that. Really preyed on this teenager’s own insecurity. More like Belos than I thought, there, Kiki. I also just want to, once again, admit to being a moron and not even recognizing Kiki in disguise. Did not even occur to me.

So, I’ve always liked Boscha for the kind of role she filled in once Amity got her redemption. There’s been a couple moments that kind of show “oh yeah, she’s still a kid” (her reaction to actually getting her palisman comes to mind), and it was kind of nice to have this reinforced here. Have to give credit to the voice actress for really selling the scared and desperate kid (specifically when Boscha thinks Amity left/disappeared again). I wish we had the time to explore this side of Boscha a little more. See how she actually viewed the relationship between her and Amity, and between her and her team. I don’t know. She’s a very minor side character so I get why they didn’t of course. It’s just something I’ve always been a little curious about but never expected them to touch at all. This is really more than I ever expected from Boscha’s character really and it’s not even that much.

Belos…. Oh Belos. You really are just the absolute worst. Got to say though, the animation for his goop monster form and the way it all just basically melts off his bones… oh boy. And now with him taking possession of Raine, I see so much angst in the future. I’m actually really glad he still seems like the final boss of all this.

I really don’t have to much to say about the Collector and the rest of the Owl Gang. I love the new designs but other than that not a whole lot to comment on.

The OST slapped so hard though. Beginning to end.

I honestly don’t even know what to expect for the finale, man.

[ask-little-red-riding-luz]

Red Riding Luz Chapter 3: The Humans

“Aaaaaaaah!”

Eda casually walked over to her front door before pulling it open and then heading back to her dough. It was still really early in the morning after all and she needed to be ready for people who were looking for a warm breakfast. Besides, what’s the worst that her apprentice could be screaming about? She probably just forgot her basket or something.

The older woman barely got back to her dough before she heard the hard steps of her apprentice’s shoes on the wooden floors. The young girl then dashed into the room before grabbing her master’s arm. “Eda! Help!”

Eda casually grabbed her cup of coffee before sipping on it. The beans were rare and expensive but she was addicted to the stuff because it helped her stay awake.Well, that, and she just liked the taste, especially with some of the weird plants her apprentice came back with from time to time after seeing her mom like ‘cinnamon’. Once she was done sipping though, she finally asked, “Alright Luz, what is it? Bigfoot? Dragon?”

Luz frowned at the casualness of it but her panic quickly got the better of her as she gestured to her shoulder. “Can you not see it?”

Eda looked at the red cloth and frowned. It did look a little off, like it was wet, but so what? She fell in a… Eda lifted the arm that Luz had grabbed as she took in the fact that it was wet. And red. Almost immediately, her demeanor shifted as she shouted, “Sit!” She then looked around herself before cursing under her breath and asking, “What happened? And take that stupid cloak off so I can see!”

Luz nodded furiously before she pulled her hood off to show that part of what was weird was that her whole right side was red as her blood had soaked into her thin, white tunic. Looking at her better, Eda scowled at herself for not noticing how pale she was or how she was shaking. Sure, the girl could sometimes overreact to things or think she saw mythical creatures that others would point out as a weird looking tree but she should have taken her a little more seriously.

Unfortunately, Eda wasn’t a healer, doctor or anything of that sort. Her answer to a burn was usually to suck on it and then suck it up. Still, she knew the bare minimum and handed Luz a towel before saying, “Pressure. Now!”

Luz nodded furiously before pressing it to the hole in her shoulder, even as she winced in pain. In fact, her whole body seemed to slump forward as her adrenaline finally began to fade. She did as she was told though as she finally found some form of speech. “I… I was attacked.”

Eda scowled for a second as she tried to figure out what to do next. She didn’t want to leave Luz alone but she needed to get going, especially if anyone else thought she might be crying wolf like she had. She needed stitches and that certainly wasn’t in her wheelhouse. She then looked back at her apprentice and asked, “Say, who wants some whiskey? Might help with the, uh, pain.”

Luz chuckled a little at that before whimpering from the pain. “Um, uh, if you think it’ll-”

Bam!

Eda and Luz jumped from the sound of the backdoor being busted in before familiar, heavy boots sounded against the wooden floors. Almost immediately, Luz seemed to perk up at the sound, even as whoever it was sounded like a thunderstorm coming down like heaven’s wrath. Not even the deep scowl on the girl who walked in’s face deterred her as she shouted, “Bosch- Ah!”

Boscha turned to the voice before her eyes widened at the sight in front of her. She then stomped over with a knife in one hand and a medium sized box in the other. Luz fell out of her seat though and scrambled away for some reason. That just made Boscha growl as she yelled, “What are you doing?”

Luz took one more glance at her friend before yelling, “Why are you almost naked?”

Boscha stared at her friend with a deadpan stare before reaching forward like lightning, grabbing Luz’s arm and yanking her up. The girl didn’t seem to care about the fact that her maybe dozen scars on her arms, legs, chest and stomach were visible, or the fact that she was indeed only in a wrap over her chest and underwear. It did make, at least for one of them, the second they spent with their faces maybe an inch apart more awkward before Boscha grabbed the side of Luz’s head and forced her to bend it to the side to make sure it wasn’t blocking her vision. She then did it the other way and narrowed her eyes at the claw marks on her ‘better’ shoulder. She then finally opened up her box which held everything one needed to treat a wound out in the woods. Everything she would need to stitch up her best friend. “Well, since you won’t let me come to your mom’s place, I was thinking I would sleep in. Take a day off. Shit like that. Someone decided they had to come in like a bat out of hell and screaming bloody murder though.”

Boscha then became much quieter as she worked on getting some of the very limited alcohol she had on a cloth to try and disinfect Luz’s wound first before whispering, “And you managed to piss off a wolf, didn’t you?”

Luz glanced away at the question before chuckling nervously. “Um, well, I mean, if I’d pissed it off I wouldn’t have made it back, would I?”

To say the rougher girl wasn’t amused was an understatement as she pulled out her needle and thread, prestrung to save time, and immediately jammed it into her friend’s skin. Luz let out a yelp of pain but tried to stay still. It helped that Boscha had a vice grip on her less injured shoulder and was keeping her in place. In fact, luz kind of appreciated that in general as the last ten minutes of her life caught up with her.

Boscha worked fast, having taken lessons from the village’s one doctor so that she could be ready to treat something just like this if it happened to her while she was out on her own hunts. She didn’t dare speak more casually though until she had a bandage pressed against the wound and was wrapping it up to keep it in place and pressured so it would stop bleeding. Only then did she sigh and say, “How did you get away?”

Luz blinked a few times before yawning. It wasn’t her trying to get out of it of course, not when she knew how freaked out her friend must be, but she was exhausted at this point. “Um, you… You aren’t going to believe me.”

Boscha stood up while Eda came over with some sweets to help give her apprentice some energy back. The older woman then stood up and put her hands on her hips as she said, “Well, I want to know too so if you want to be let into your room, you’ll tell us.”

Luz spent a moment wishing she could nest in her master’s large, long, orange hair, or just nuzzle into her full body apron and breathe in the flour dust that was such a crucial part of her home most days as she faded off to sleep. Not yet though. She would behave. Or try to. “Um, well, she kind of just left. Raised her claw to attack and then ran off for some reason.” She then pouted as she looked at her hand and added, “And with my basket too.”

Eda smirked before patting her apprentice’s head. “Yeah, well maybe they finally realized just how scrawny you are and decided you weren’t worth the trouble.”

Boscha, however, wasn’t able to smile yet. Not as she chewed the side of her pointer finger before asking, “What do you mean let go?” She then waved it away. “Don’t answer. That sort of puncture could have only happened if it got its claws on you. You’re just lucky that you messed up its pounce or else it would have torn out your throat. What would scare her off though? The only female wolf I know of in the area is too old to just give up on a kill.”

“Maybe it was her mom?”

Eda and Boscha both stared at Luz, who’s cheeks quickly began to warm as she looked away. “Well, um, she wasn’t big. She was my size. Maybe a little shorter. When I first saw her, I thought she was so cute as she tried to look all menacing!” She then paused and mumbled, “I guess I shouldn’t have judged a book by it’s cover.”

“No.” Boscha was seething before she whispered, “And you sure as hell shouldn’t call any wolf ‘cute’. You were probably the first time it’s ever attacked a person. If that weren’t the case, I wouldn’t have had enough thread to put you back together.” She then shut her eyes as a set of tears came down her face before she turned away. “I’m going with you on your next trip. Maybe if they know you’re friends with a hunter, they’ll think twice about attacking you.”

“Bu-”

“I don’t care about your rules!”

There was silence after the shout before Eda whispered, “Luz, let her go. This could have been a lot worse. Besides, if you’re still so worried about your mom, she can leave before her garden or-”

“Or you can trust me. Like a friend.”

Luz looked down at the callout, not helped by Boscha almost breaking the front door now from how hard she shut it. It wasn’t her fault she was worried about people knowing where her mom was after all. And now if a wolf was hunting her, she could end up leading her straight to them.

She thought about the look that the wolf pup gave her though before she ran off. She looked scared. Confused. Almost like she didn’t know what she was doing or… Or maybe she didn’t want to. If any of those were the case, maybe she could do something about that. Then they wouldn’t need to worry.

Though Boscha would just tell her to stop dreaming then and remind her of how many people wolves have killed without a second thought. Why hadn’t it killed her then?