#okay but imagine willow walking by herself

[avatarmerida]

My hobby is imagining that the huntlow interactions we got in For the Future are parallels to moments we would’ve gotten of them in a full season of human realm stuff.

Like the pinky hold™ is just so specific that I feel like it was Willow’s subtle way of reassuring him when tensions got high during countless failed portal attempts or when they’d be walking around town and didn’t want to get separated when he was still getting used to physical touch. And him pressing back has an even deeper meaning and it make me feral.

But also like the iconic catch I feel could be such a cute parallel because I imagine Willow in her attempt to be the strong, dependable one is extra confident around Hunter because that’s just one way of her concealing her developing feelings for him. Like nothing bothers her, nothing gets to her especially not this silly, bubbly feeling she gets around him. Like she flirts with him, of course, but she never lets herself get flustered, ya know? She is always in total control.

Until she’s not.

So one day they’re outside hanging lights or something to plan a surprise for Camila and Willow is standing on the ladder trying to make everything even. Amity has paired them up for nearly everything (part of her attempt to show Willow her support and that she’s a supportive friend) and Willow has been having a blast making him blush at every turn. She’s complimenting his hand made decorations, his organization, just every little thing. And this loser doesn’t know what to make of it. He just know he likes impressing Willow and he’s spending the whole day trying to find a non loser way to communicate that.

But our girl is unstoppable, she’s adding vines to the string of lights, flowers here and there to make it extra stunning and Hunter’s holding the ladder below her in total awe. She’s completely aware of his eyes on her and so maaaybe she overdoes it a bit showing off and twists her ankle and falls off the ladder. Hunter quickly leaps to her rescue and catches her like it’s nothing.

But she’s not hurt. She’s not embarrassed. She’s not worried. She’s entranced.

Hunter is asking her a million questions but it’s like she can’t hear anything over how much she’s just focused on him. On the way he’s figured out how to style his hair so you could see his face better. The way his eyes looked brighter in this light. The way his nose and jaw were just so sharp and defined and demanded to be seen. It’s like all the times she didn’t let herself think too long about how cute he was were adding up now. Her brain is pure white noise and she just knows her face is bright red.

But Hunter is to concerned to follow suit as he would normally being so close and he thinks he red face is a sign that she’s hurt. And then she’s not responding? Never mind that this is definitely not the highest height Willow has fallen from nor is it one that could do much damage, Hunter is in full protector mode. So he rushes off inside to Camila and when he runs his hair blows back gently in the wind and he scrunches his face all determined and she’s like woah, okay. He tells her to hold on and she gladly tightens her hold around his neck like you don’t have to tell me twice.

She’s speechless and he’s not even trying. He’s just thinking about her and being so gentle and sweet and… handsome.

And then they get inside and he’s telling Camila what happened and Willow is not helpful because she’s in full loser mode. Camila is trying not to laugh at the contrasting expressions because she herself was once a loser and knows the signs. But then her mom/doctor mode activates and she asks Willow if she’s hurt and Willow’s response?

“Who’s Willow?”

Not a panicked inquiry like her disaster friend Amity, but dreamy and light as though she’s having an out of body experience. She’s hypnotized, she’s delirious, she’s delusional. Hunter panics, thinking she’s somehow concussed.

But Camila assures him she’s not, not explaining how she knows as she examines her ankle. Camila touches it just enough to break Willow’s trance and she lets out a small wince of pain. It’s not broken, just sprained but she shouldn’t walk on it for a few days.

Hunter says without hesitation that he’ll happily carry her should she need to go anywhere and Willow definitely does not hate the sound of that. Camila says it’s not necessary and Willow nearly tells her to shut up, but she would never talk to her that way. She says she has some crutches in the basement somewhere and Hunter makes it his mission to find them. He carries her down to the basement and places her gently on the couch as he looks through all the old things.

Willow just watches him, trying to catch her breath. She didn’t realize that by trying to moderate her feelings that they would burst to the surface with such force eventually. She thought she had a handle on them but every so often Hunter did something that was just so Hunter that she just stopped working. Usually she could excuse herself to another room to sort through them and compose herself when she was locked safety in his arms and she forgot the ground even existed. And now he was playing nurse, telling her all the thing he could help her with so she would heal as soon as possible. He wasn’t even trying to be charming, she can’t imagine how she would function if he was aware of what he was doing.

He brings out the crutches and adjusts them to her height without her even having to say anything. He tells her how they can add something to the bottom so they won’t get stuck in the mud when she gardens and how he was sure Camila wouldn’t mind Clover flying her up the stairs in the meantime and if not he could carry her upstairs no problem.

He talks so much when he worries, she thinks. His mind moves so quickly when he needs to plan something, when he’s certain about what to do. When he cares.

And yes they have the crutches and yes she has Clover and magic and infinite ways to work around her barely present injury but when Hunter insists on carrying her she turns to mush and just doesn’t have it in her to object. And he doesn’t always put her down right away and she doesn’t remind him to. Like they’ll come downstairs for breakfast and he’ll walk around the house before bringing her to the kitchen. It becomes a harmless habit. Gus joins in eventually, jumping on Hunter’s back and Willow is only more enamored. But Hunter sees it another way to help his friends and being helpful makes him focused and when he’s focused Willow’s heart beats like a beehive.

And it’s just a sprain so the need disappears quickly since Willow heals within a week. But it confirms what she had been contemplating for awhile now. She was so gone for this loser.

[lacyscabinet]

Willow Waly

A/N: okay so I'm not dead (to the people who asked me that in my inbox, I see you) 🙌🏻🤗 but I have no inspiration to write requests, I'm in deep emotional despair and I don't want this blog to slowly die soooooo enjoy this nat x ghost reader fic 🤍 the song I quote in the fic is "Willow Waly" if you don't know the song then you probably haven't seen the hunting of Bly manor (would recommend!!)👀👀👀 written in about 15 minutes while I was bawling my eyes out ����

Summary: reader is a ghost that hunts an old mansion in Wiskayok and Nat is dumb enough to break in and face her destiny :) also special thank you to Shauna for being an amazing narrative expedient :))))) (people with cars are cool @pinkmoonzzz)

Special thanks to @jollyreginaldrancher my favorite typo spotter 🤍🤍🤍

WARNINGS: death!, reader is dead, Natalie dies.

Enjoy 🤍🤍

"Isn't it violation of..."

"Shauna" Natalie said with a stone cold gaze, fiddling with the straps of her backpack while sitting in Shauna's passenger seat "That house is empty from like...a decade"

Parking her car at the side of the road, Shauna's head tilted and looked directly at Natalie "Yeah because of that story old people tell kids to scare them away" she chuckled "Scary ghosts"

Natalie's brows furrowed, she didn't know what Shauna was talking about at all "What?" she asked in confusion, causing Shauna to let out a big sigh "Guess I'll have to tell you the whole story then" she spoke with a fake mysterious tone, causing Nat to roll her eyes.

"A family moved there in the 70s, mother, father and daughter, I'm talking about rich ass people that ended up gambling all their money way, and, one night, the daughter was killed, they found out the parents did it, apparently she was dating someone and her parents didn't approve their relationship" she took a deep breath. "The legend says that the girl's ghost is still there attempting to kill everyone who gets inside the house to find herself a new lover" she finished off with a dramatic voice

"Damn" Nat exclaimed "Wiskayok has lore, who would've imagined" she said giggling before going back to her usual cold stare "I'm not scared, and it's a free place for me to stay, my father was a real asshole today" Natalie said as she opened the door and got up from her seat, turning on the torchlight and pointing it in the mansion's direction.

"I told you you could stay at my place" Shauna scoffed.

Natalie just shook her head, it didn't matter how much her friend insisted, she couldn't help but feel like her presence would intrude. So she just plastered a small smile on her lips and a wave of hand before closing the door "Thanks for the ride Shauna"

And now that Shauna was driving away, she was alone.

Walking towards the ruined wooden door, she could hear the porch cracking under her feet, screeching and almost crumbling under her weight.

Once the door was reached, she opened it with ease, multiple years of sneaking into places led her to mastering her bobby pin tecniques.

And the second the door was halfway open, she immediately realized that she was wrong, the house wasn't empty at all, several pieces of furniture and decorations still adorned the inside, covered in dust and cobwebs, carrying signs of the time passing while everything remained still and frozen in time, untouched.

That's when the unsettling feeling kicked in.

Taking a last look outside, she started to think that maybe it wasn't a good idea, but what was left for her outside? a bridge? a street? the trailer?

The allegedly haunted house seemed more welcoming than any of the above.

So she closed the door behind her.

Deciding to explore the remains of the house, she felt like she was transported back in time, the calendar dated back to 1975, and after entering the huge kitchen, she didn't fail to notice the old toaster and other visibly dated furniture.

Until her eyes landed on something. Something she wished she never saw.

"Holy shit" she whispered, looking at the knife holder, noticing one single big kitchen knife missing.

It sent chills down her spine, especially after what Shauna told her, so she backed up and decided to go upstairs and find a place to get some rest, trying to ignore it, it's not real anyways, or at least that's what her mind kept telling her.

Turning around, she noticed a big fancy wooden staircase that headed upstairs, old and dirty blue carpet guiding her way up as she cautiously walked up the stairs, noticing the little intricate details.

And then.

Blood.

Big stains of blood caught her attention as she reached the second floor, her breathing grew heavier as she thought about whatever it could be, some animal hunting a prey and leving traces behind?...in Natalie's mind it made sense. After all it was just a legend. Right?

But as her eyes shifted she started noticing that the blood trailed from the top of the stairs to a closed rusty door.

She was already inside the house, curiosity taking over, the urge to explore was too much, she didn't believe in ghosts anyways, but the thought of exploring a crime scene was thrilling enough to convince her to go further.

So she took a couple of steps foreward and opened the door. Instantly regretting it, eyes meeting an unmade and messy bed on the wall right opposite to her, her eyes immediately landing on the sheets, they were almost completely covered in blood.

Natalie gasped in horror, torch falling on the ground and her trembling hands reaching up to cover her mouth, wide eyes darting away from to obscene sight and a grimaced expression written all over her face.

And then she heard it, a soft mumble, a hum, a weak broken whisper echoing both in the room and in her terrified mind, it took her a while to realize that it came from upstairs.

The attic

She didn't understand why, almost as her feet started moving on their own, she found herself climbing up the tiny ladder at the end of the corridor, pushing open the small door on the ceiling and finally reaching the attic.

Now she could hear it vividly, someone was singing, but even there, she couldn't see who it was, some old boxes blocking her view.

" We lay my love and I beneath the weeping willow, but now alone I lie and weep beside the tree..."

The stranger's voice trembling and on the verge of tears, almost sobbing.

"Singing oh willow waly by the tree that weeps with me, singing oh willow waly till my lover return to me..."

Nat's hands trembled, curiosity replaced by fear and fear replaced by terror in a matter of seconds.

"We lay my love and I beneath the weeping willow, a broken heart I have, oh willow I die, oh willow I die"

The stranger kept singing. Louder.

Taking a deep breath Natalie quickly got back to the second floor, not even hesitating for a second and immediately sprinting out and running for the door, the creature's chants echoed throughout the whole house, making Nat's head spin as panic filled her whole body, almost making her legs give out as she ran down the stairs.

"Singing oh willow waly by the tree that weeps with me, singing oh willow waly till my lover return to me..."

Finally she could see the door, finally grasping onto some hope, but of course it didn't last long. Because as soon as she tried to open it just like she perviously did to get in, she relized that it wouldn't budge. It was locked.

Curses left her mouth as she kicked and threw fists at the door, her only result a bruise on her knuckles.

Tears of frustration streaming down her face as she started to feel a presence getting closer and closer to her, hunting her down and refusing to let her go.

Then, all of a sudden all the rage, the panic, the desperation and the misery she felt were replaced by a feeling of extreme emptiness and coldness, she felt lighter as if her body was slowly detaching from her soul, even though she swore she didn't take acids that night.

And then she heard it. Closer then before.

"We lay my love and I beneath the weeping willow, a broken heart I have, oh willow I die, oh willow I die."

[baddybaddyadardaddy]

OKAY so because this canon confirmation has me ABSOLUTELY MELTING DOWN, I need y'all to know that "Adar wants children but his spouse does not and this leads to tragedy" has been THE ENTIRE THESIS STATEMENT OF MY FICVERSE ADAR SINCE DAY 1.

awake, arise or be for ever fall'n

excerpt from chapter 3: Shadow (adar = eren)

There have been fell winds swirling about the lake of late, Tata says, carrying whispers of a dark hunter who walks abroad, seeking for wayward elves who stray from their home. Two of their kindred had vanished days after Eren and Erenyë had set out, along with six of Enel’s people. And he counseled that none of the kindreds should pass beyond the boundaries of the forest that ringed around the lake at Cuiviénen. “Rather,” he says, raising his voice so that all who stood close could hear, “let us look to the propagation of our people. For we will find strength in numbers—but as all who slept have now awakened, we must bring about our own kindred, and conceive sons and daughters who will themselves multiply in turn.”

A shadow passes over Erenyë’s face at Tata’s pronouncement, and as they sup with their kindred later, he notices her steely silence. Later, at the resting time, as they take their place beneath a willow by the lake that they had come to call theirs, he prods her gently:

“Might not it be best to follow Tata’s counsel? To settle here awhile, and have a child of our own?”

His voice is hopeful as he thinks of young Finwë, and of the elf-mothers who he’d seen holding their babes in their arms, and the elf-fathers who taught their sons to swim in the waters and forage the hills. How wonderful it must be, he thinks, to have a life so fresh and new to tend and teach!

He imagines Erenyë cradling a child—their child—in her arms, how she might sing to them of trees and far off lands, and how he would teach them to number the stars. It is an image so pure and good, that it fills his body with warmth, and he desires it almost as fiercely as he desires Erenyë herself. A son or a daughter, it did not matter—for he knows he will love either beyond imagining, being the offspring of their blissful union.  

But Erenyë’s face grows darker still.

“I cannot,” she professes. For the coming of a child would surely put an end to her wanderings, and she cannot bear the thought of giving up her beloved wilderness.

“Surely it need not be forever,” he coaxes. “For our child will grow, as all children do. And then we can return, together, to the forest paths you love so much.”

“And what if nothing remains of those paths?” she asks, sitting up from her reclined position and turning to face him squarely. Her voice is urgent, and he understands now just how heavily what they’d seen in the Greenwood weighs on her. “There is an evil that stalks the forest. Maybe it is this hunter of which they speak. But we have seen the threat, and we cannot turn away from it. We must discover its cause. And if none of our kindred are willing, then I must go alone.”  

Her words are a blow to his heart—a splintering sensation that cracks between his ribs—as he realizes she means not only to defy Tata’s will, but to forsake him if she must.

She has handed him a choice yet again, and it seems even harsher and more bitter than the last.

Her face blurs before him as his eyes sting with the onset of threatening tears, so deeply had her words struck him. For a moment, he is confused; he has only ever known tears to come with happiness and laughter—but these tears are something new entirely, his first taste of sorrow.

It is a powerful, murky emotion that quickly takes hold deep within. And while sorrow holds sway, fear, also, is re-kindled in his heart. His mind is filled suddenly with a conjured image of Erenyë alone, standing before a great, gaping darkness that threatens to consume her, utterly—and he is overcome by the thought of losing her to it.

He feels her arms encircle him, words of apology tumbling from her lips as she realizes just how deeply she has wounded him. He buries his face in the crook of her neck, shedding quiet tears both for the child he is to be denied and for their now-uncertain future and the dangers that await.

He marvels grimly at the contradiction of his spouse: at the same time, she is both sweetness and stone—soft, and yet unyielding. He knows their course is set—and he could sooner change it as re-arrange the stars in the heavens above. 

read more on ao3

[of-twilight-and-moonshadow]

Help Me to Feel Again - Yuta x Emery

I've been in my Yoots feels lately, and then with what I saw happened at All In yesterday, this happened.

Can't promise that I'm 100% back with Dark Angel- as with work and college, I'm pretty busy all the time, BUT something once in a while might pop up :)

Didn't start out like I imagined either, but I guess my mind thought there needed to be more to the story? I don't question it anymore.

Part of the Dark Angel of the Bullet Club series

Word Count: 2484

TW: dizziness, passing out, suggestive themes (but nothing descriptive)

Tag List: @katries @rainries @summertimefun1982

(border by)

August.

How it was already eight months into the year, Emery couldn’t understand. Another month, she felt as if her world had been turned upside down. Everything she knew, everything she had, it was slipping through her fingers- and she didn’t know where to turn or even to pick up the pieces.

Kenny was still gone, with no return in sight.

Hangman had lost his mind, no longer her lovable cowboy.

Wheeler kept his cold distance from her, being aligned with the BCC.

The Bucks…. She didn’t even want to think about how that had all gone wrong.

OC and Chuckie had moderately distanced themselves from her since the Trent betrayal- though they were slowly coming around. Slowly.

Eddie was out with an injury, with no return in sight.

Wardlow had aligned himself with a new devil, Adam, and had since ignored her completely.

Kris had turned as well, no longer the friend Emery once had.

Jungleboy was long gone, replaced by this new version of himself that he aligned with the Bucks.

Darby… was there for her, but he kept a slight distance- not wanting her to get hurt because of his antics against the Bucks.

Kyle. That seemed to be the one person she had left right now that kept her sane. Her longtime best friend. Her brother. Her rock.

 She wanted to be able to wrestle, to take her mind off of everything, but unfortunately, the doctors wouldn’t clear Emery. A wave of dizziness had caused a misstep in training last week, leading her to awkwardly fall from the top rope. Although she had shaken it off and walked away, the dizziness seemed to stick around. No concussion came up in the scans, and there was no apparent reason for the swimming vision. The doctors and Tony Khan wanted to be sure, though- be sure that she wouldn’t accidentally hurt herself or her opponent, so no matches until the dizziness was gone for two straight weeks.

It wasn’t the first time this had happened, though, and a part of her wondered if it was the beginning of the signs telling her to end her career. Back in the early stages of AEW, Emery had constant dizzy spells that on-and-off lasted for almost two months. That, however, had been the effect of a botched move, where she had awkwardly landed on the back of her neck. Doctors were surprised that she didn’t have a fractured spine and wouldn’t need any surgery.

Now? All these years later, with all the shit she’d done in the ring since then? With everything else going on around her? Maybe it was fate telling her it was time to hang up the boots. She needed someone to talk to…. But who? Emery didn’t want to worry any of her friends…. The ones she had left anyway. The one she wanted to speak to…. It wasn’t much of an option because of the company he kept. Not that it mattered; Yuta had made it obvious last year that he didn’t want anything to do with her.

Sighing, Emery got out of her chair and began walking down the hall but immediately had to stop and lean against the wall as her vision swam. A small bout of nausea crept into her gut, and she had to close her eyes, willing it to all go away.

“Hey—you okay girl?” Willow asked, walking up to her, concern lacing her voice.

“I’m—I’m good, yeah,” Emery swallowed, focusing on breathing evenly until it all passed.

“You sure? I can go get OC or Kyle—”

“No—no, it’s…. I’m fine, really,” Emery argued, her voice soft, “Just…. Stood up too fast.”

Okay, that was a lie—but the last thing Emery wanted to do was worry either of them, especially right before their match.

“Alright, well—if you need anything, just let me know, okay?” Willow told her, a small, warm smile on her face. As the feeling ebbed away, Emery opened her eyes to look at the upbeat and friendly person who had recently become a good friend, bonding over the betrayal of Trent and Kris.

“I will…. Thanks.”

With a slight nod, Willow walked off in the opposite direction. Emery closed her eyes again, taking a moment to compose herself before continuing down the hall. Maybe some fresh air would help?

Before she knew it, August had passed and it was now September. Yet another month with no change to her life. Orange and Chuck slowly became themselves again, being around Emery more often, and Orange allowed himself to smile a bit more often.

Darby had gone radio silent since his loss to Jack at All In last month—just when she needed his calming touch. It was weird—how someone so chaotic like Darby could be the calming presence in another person's life, but that’s how it was for her. That was precisely what she needed, more and more lately, as the dizziness only worsened with each passing week. Emery tried not to think about it, tried not to let those close to her see how much she was struggling, but it was getting more difficult to hide.

The night of All Out – it all changed, as hiding it became impossible. She, Willow, and Mark Briscoe were walking down the hallway of the Chicago arena, waiting for Orange to arrive. Emery was trying to be happy and supportive of her friends, as they all had important matches that night – but the nausea in her stomach was intensifying with each step. The two competitors walked in front of her as Emery followed along, keeping her eyes downcast, focusing on breathing through the discomfort. Their conversation became muddled as a sudden intense wave of dizziness hit her, causing Emery to nearly crash into the wall beside her. Suddenly, Willow’s concerned face was right there, asking her something- but Emery couldn’t hear any of the words. Mark was over Willow’s shoulder, his fatherly instincts kicking in, knowing something was wrong with the younger talent. He asked Willow questions, trying to figure out what was going on, but before Willow could provide any answers, she lurched forward to catch Emery before she hit the floor completely, the strength completely leaving her body.

“Wha’ should I do?!”

“See if you can find Orange—or Chuck—someone!”

“On it—yous keep her safe!”

Mark ran down the hall, rushing past all in his way, yelling in his Briscoe way for people to move.

“He’s a strange one,” Claudio remarked, shaking his head as he readjusted his Trios championship on his shoulder.

“You’re telling me,” Bryan chuckled, “Come on, let’s get to the locker room- get ready for our matches.”

The two older BCC members, followed by Yuta, began walking down the hall, crossing at the intersection where Briscoe had run past them. They heard the frantic voice of Willow Nightengale down the hall to their left, and each briefly glanced towards her before turning their attention back to in front of them. However, as soon as Yuta did, his head snapped back to the left, squinting his eyes to see who was on the ground beside Willow.

“Wheeler?” Claudio questioned, looking back at the younger man. As Bryan turned to look, Yuta’s eyes went wide in concern as he took off in a full sprint down the hall—every animosity and confrontation from the past two years gone from his mind.

“Ree!” Yuta exclaimed, skidding to a stop beside her unconscious form on the ground. Willow looked at him, uncertainty in her eyes, but he paid her no mind as he knelt beside them.

“What happened?” Yuta demanded, his hand reaching out to gently brush Emery’s cheek, pushing some hair behind her ear. A pained groan reverberated through her body, her already closed eyes squeezing themselves further together.

“I-I don’t know! She seemed fine, but—”

“She’s obviously not!” Yuta snapped, but when another pained groan reached his ears, he swallowed the lump in his throat, “I--- I’m sorry. There…. There has to be something---”

“I don’t know if it’s what’s going on… but she’s complained about being dizzy lately?” Willow offered.

“Dizzy?” Yuta repeated as Claudio and Bryan walked up to stand near them. As Willow nodded, Yuta traveled down memory lane to 2020, shortly after he joined AEW. When he had been with the Best Friends. When Emery and he were close…. When he had wanted to ask her out…. She had some dizzy spells back then, too—due to a head injury of sorts.

“Wheeler—we should go,” Claudio tried, attempting to pry the younger man away verbally. He and Bryan knew how Yuta felt about Emery and how he had tried everything to get her off his mind.

“I--- Where’s Cassidy? Chuck?!”

“Mark went off to find them—We were the first three to the arena…” Willow explained.

“Wheeler.”

He looked up to his BCC companions, a grimace on his face when he nodded. Chuck and Orange would be there soon. It’d be okay. She’d be okay. Right?

As Yuta went to stand up, he felt a tug on his jacket and looked down, his eyes widening at the sight below him. Emery had reached out, her subconscious just barely aware of his presence. Her hand was gripping the bottom of his jacket. It took everything in him not to see it as a sign to stay.

He needed to leave. But how could he leave her there when she needed him? When she wanted him to stay?

“Wheeler.”

“I--- One second….” Yuta asked of the older two as he reached up and unzipped his hoodie. It wasn’t a BCC one but a personal hoodie that he had carried for several years. Shrugging it off his body, Yuta gently placed it over Emery’s upper body, covering her head to shield her from the light around her.

“If…. If it’s the dizziness… the light will only make it worse…” Yuta explained, glancing at Willow briefly before standing up. As he did, one of the medic staff hurried over, having passed Mark Briscoe in the hall.

“Let’s give them some space…” Bryan whispered, knowing from personal experience how bad head injuries of any kind could affect a person. Yuta gave a slight nod, looking down at Emery’s form once more before following along behind Claudio and Bryan. Hopefully, the rest of the night went better for Emery and himself. As they turned the corner, Yuta heard Mark’s voice in the distance, but more importantly, when he looked up, he saw Briscoe flanked by Chuck Taylor.

“Good…. She won't be alone…”

*timeskip*

It was nearing midnight when Emery found herself walking down a hotel hallway towards one of the rooms. Not a room she ever thought she’d be going to again- but it was something she needed to do.

Especially after the ending of All Out.

Something in her told Emery that maybe…. Just maybe…. He needed her just as much as she needed him. Stopping outside the right room, she hoped he was alone. It’d make it easier on her if she didn’t have to deal with anyone else in BCC.

Dealing with BCC was never easy for her.

They had taken her Yuta from her.

Changed him into something…. Different.

Taking a deep breath, her grip tightening on the fabric in her arms, Emery reached up and knocked on the wooden door. It seemed like forever until the tell-tale sound of a lock being turned sounded and the door slowly opened, revealing a shirtless Yuta. They stood there momentarily, neither saying a word, before Emery extended her arms towards him. The black hoodie dangled from her grip, swaying in the space between them.

“I… I wanted to return this. I know it means a lot to you.”

“Willow tell you it was mine? She didn’t have to—”

“I knew it was yours,” Emery shook her head, finally looking into his eyes for longer than a few seconds, “It’s uh—got the green stitching on the inside of the pockets…. From where your gramma patched up a hole….”

Yuta paused, his face warming up slightly at the fact that she remembered such a fact. Slowly, he reached out and gently accepted the jacket from her, “Oh… uh… Right. Thanks….”

“Yeah…”

Silence stretched between them once more before Emery spoke up, “I wanted to uh… check on you… after what happened tonight…. With Bryan. I know you looked up to him—and what happened couldn’t have been easy….”

Yuta felt his throat constrict as he recalled the moment. The BCC—Mox and Claudio, mostly—turning on Bryan like they did. Holding him back from aiding Bryan. It made him sick to his stomach. It made him want to punch someone. Yuta’s grip on the jacket tightened momentarily, not going unnoticed by Emery. His stare burned a hole in a spot on the floor behind her.

“Sorry… You probably don’t want to talk about it…. I get it…. I—I understand betrayals…. More than you know…. It seems like that’s all I’ve experienced lately, heh….” Emery gave a weak chuckle, it dying on her tongue, before she cleared her throat, “It’s… late. I’ll let you get back to bed…. Good night… Yuta….”

Slowly, she turned to walk away, but before she even stepped, a hand was clasped around her wrist. It was tight at first but loosened quickly. Emery glanced up at Yuta, who was staring at her now, his brown eyes swimming with several different emotions simultaneously.

Did he dare say what he has wanted to for years? Did he finally make the move that he should’ve years ago?

Emery herself was conflicted. Everything that had happened between her and the BCC—whether that was with the Best Friends or the Elite. Could she overlook everything—could she let herself possibly give in, for this night, allow herself to finally feel something for once- something she hadn’t done in so long?

“Stay….?” Yuta asked of her, finally making up his mind.

“I…. I don’t know…. If I should….”

Yuta tossed the jacket in his free hand, somewhere in the room, off behind him. Then, taking a considerable risk, he reached forward and pulled Emery closer to him. Chest to chest. He stared down into her wide eyes, feeling her breathing hitch in her throat at the sudden force.

“Stay?” He asked of her once more, sounding more certain of himself.

Slowly, Emery shook her head once, breathing out an ‘Okay…’, causing Yuta to give a small smile. Effortlessly, he dropped his arms to her thighs and picked her up, Emery’s arms wrapping around his head as she leaned in towards him more. Turning around, Yuta closed the door with his foot and walked them into the room's darkness.

Yesterday hadn’t gone great, but perhaps they could start the new day better?

[legacygirlingreen]

July 1890 // Farmer Sebastian Sallow x Reader (part 6)

Part 6, master list and description here

Word count: 2,000

My smile is like I won a contest

Sebastian had been encouraged to keep a closer eye on the neighbor ever since he’d been the one to bring her back home that day he found her under the willow. He could hardly forget how relieved her mother had been to see she was okay, nor the way the woman grabbed him violently, kissing his cheeks and repeatedly thanking him for his help. Despite the unpleasant circumstances surrounding Anne, he still was attempting to find moments to give attention to the neighbor girl who he’d grown so fond of. 

“What house do you think you’ll be sorted into?” Sebastian asked her as he plucked a weed from the ground, rolling it between his fingers before throwing it down. 

Over the last year the girl, who was nearing 12, had grown up so much. Her face continued to lose its baby fat and she gained a few inches in height. Despite that, she still her distance in age behind Sebastian, who still bore the impressions of being older than her.  

“You know them better than I do… what house do you think I’d be sorted into'' she asked with a shrug. 

“Hmm… as much as I’d love to say Slytherin I hardly imagine a world where you end up in the same house as me… unless of course you asked to be.” He said before glancing back over her. “You are very brilliant, you enjoy reading, so I’d put my money on Ravenclaw. But I could also see a world where you get sorted into hufflepuff for how caring and kind you are. Perhaps even Gryffindor since you put on such a brave face despite all that’s happened” he reasoned, truly unsure which house she’d end up in. He did however think more than likely in a few months he’d see her walking about the castle in blue. 

Sebastian wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he was so relieved she was finally starting school. Since Solomon decided Anne would not be going back he was wildly unprepared to start school without her. Knowing the sweet girl next door would be starting soon to keep him company was a nice compromise he supposed. 

“I still haven’t gotten my letter.” She said bluntly and he turned towards her hopeful. 

“You’ll get it. Should be any day now… when was your mother going to take you to hogsmeade to get your wand? I remember how exciting it was when I finally got mine!” He exclaimed. 

“About that… mum has been very busy with my siblings and work as of late… I’m not sure she even recalls I am to be starting education this year if I’m honest.” She mumbled out frustrated. 

“I could always take you if you’d like,” he offered and she thought about it for a moment, realizing her mother likely wouldn’t care who took her, and would find that having the task completed to be a relief. 

“I think I’d like that, if you don’t mind” she told him and he nodded. 

“Of course, I would be honored to take you,” he said with a smile. 

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow then. We can also get some things to help Anne while we are there. Maybe even swing by Honeydukes” he offered and she grew warm at the thought of being out and about in a new place with Sebastian alone. 

She hardly slept that night, busy thinking about spending the day with him. There would be no chores, no distractions, and she’d get such an important element of being a witch alongside a young wizard only a few years her senior. Ever since the day he’d found her, she had felt the crush she developed long ago growing more, and more intense.  

When he finally came to her door that morning, explaining to her mother his offer, she was elated. Her mother was thankful enough he was taking her, saving the trip. 

It wasn’t long before she found herself walking the streets of Hogsmeade with the boy. As she took in the awe and splendor of the bustling little town, she couldn’t help but smile. She almost neglected to notice Sebastian watching her as she looked around, senses filled to the brim with new sights, sounds, even smells. 

“Charming village isn’t it?” he asked her as he gestured for her to keep walking straight ahead. 

“Very charming…” she said, reading a sign for the book shop. 

“Mr. Ollivanders is just up and to the left. His family has been making wands for generations!” he explained as they continued. 

She recalled the countless times he had proudly displayed his very simple and straight aspen wand, with its light wood, and the ornate handle that he’d picked out for it himself. The green checkered pattern with its gold details looking so striking and beautiful against the very plain wand. It was strong, unyielding, and so very Sebastian. She had recalled him mentioning it’s core so long ago, and how it was often attributed to those who could duel well. Beyond that she simply had glances of it from the times he’d twirl it out of a need to not be still, or the even rarer occasion he’d use it in front of her to demonstrate a spell. 

As she stepped foot into the cramped shop, filled to the absolute brim with wands she became overwhelmed. This was such an integral moment, and while she didn’t regret allowing the neighbor to be the one to take her, a small portion of her wished she could’ve gone with her father instead…

Pushing that thought aside Sebastian spoke with the shopkeeper, explaining the situation as the man looked over her, examining things like her clothes and her demeanor before rummaging around to try and find some. As they continued to search through and try different wands, each failing more than the last to connect with her, she wanted to give up. 

They’d gone through so many woods, all of the well known cores and still nothing felt right. If it hadn’t been for Sebastian’s encouraging face she’d have suggested giving up. The wand maker departed the main room, rummaging through the back as she let out a sigh. 

“Hey it's fine, you just haven’t found the one that's chosen you. I’m sure we’ll find one in no time!” he explained and she let out a snort. 

“Not surprising. What wand would want to be stuck with such a -” she started, degradation heavy in her tone as he frowned immediately, preventing her from continuing that sentence. 

“Stop. Whatever you were about to say, just stop.  You’re nothing short of brilliant, even untrained. I’m sure all the wands we’ve tried are simply just feeling anxious about working with such a talented witch.” he said and she looked down. 

As she tried to find her bearings she heard the old man in the other room say “ah ha!” before rushing back towards them. In his hands contained a very dusty box, much more ornate than the ones in the main room. She could tell this wand in particular was very old in comparison to the others. 

“This one has been waiting for the right owner for nearly a century now… perhaps you are its rightful owner,” he said, opening the black box. Nestled inside the silk lining was a slightly twisted wand, with a beautiful light but slightly reddish hue.  When she lifted it, she could almost feel the connection instantaneously - as if the wand was speaking to her directly. 

“Go ahead try it out” the wand maker encouraged as she lifted it, unsure what she wanted to cast, or even how to use it. Regardless she lifted it, waving it and thinking about how wonderful a connection it felt to her very essence. Thinking of how lovely the songbirds outside sounded, she waved it, producing a small ball of light, resembling a bird but made of gold dust, that repeated the same song as those outside. 

“Wow…” she said, finally realizing that this wand must've been a long lost companion of hers, despite being made many years ago. 

“I think we’ve found a winner. A very rare wand indeed. Willow wands are often sought after for their beautiful appearance but it's nearly impossible to find one that trusts their owner enough to use. Willows usually go for witches and wizards that need to grow a sense of confidence in themselves. They also are usually wielded by those who have aspirations of healing or protection. As for the core… I hardly see thestral tail hair cores being made anymore, as they are usually quite unpredictable but they are extremely powerful. This wand is quite an eccentric one, but it seems to be just what you need” he said, closing the box back for her. 

She nodded, finding it odd that the wand that chose her would be so unique, but hardly questioned it. Shelling out the money given by her mother that morning, she finally collected the wand and turned to Sebastian who nodded towards the door. 

“Just head out, I will be out in a moment” he explained while looking at the handles and she thought nothing of it. His wand handle had started to look worse for wear over the time he’d been using it so she stepped out, sitting one one of the steps as she waited. 

Sebastian didn’t keep her waiting long, and eventually joined her before ushering the both of them off in search of some herb he’d read about that might help Anne’s curse. 

When they returned to Feldcroft for the evening she started to part ways with Sebastian for supper when a very elegant Owl swooped down from the sky near her head, dropping a note for her. As she moved to pick it up off the ground from where it had fallen she looked at the front, detailing her name in cursive on the light blue envelope. She flipped it over to the back and when she saw the crest detailed in the wax seal her stomach dropped. 

No this wasn’t right.

Ripping open the letter she quickly discovered her fears. 

Bonjour Y/f/n, 

It is with great pride that we welcome you to study and grow your magic at Beauxbatons, where magic meets excellence… 

She stopped reading after that.  Looking up at him, knowing that Beauxbatons wouldn’t have sent a letter if Hogwarts intended for her to receive one as well, she realized quickly that they would in fact not be attending school together in September. Worse than that, they’d be separated by the English channel and too many miles for floo travel, or for him to aparate - a skill he very recently mastered. 

She had almost not even realized Sebastian had leaned into her, reading the letter over her shoulder but she soon felt his breathing disrupting the baby hairs escaping her plait along her neck. Turning around quickly, she discovered trying to hide it from him proved useless as Sebastian already looked upset.

“I-” she tried to reason, pushing aside her own disappointment in turn for focusing on him in the moment. 

“You’re not going to Hogwarts.” he spoke, seemingly devoid of emotions as if he didn’t want to admit it to himself. 

“Not by choice, I told you I never received my letter, and -” she explained to him as he looked down at her, sadness looming in her eyes and she wished more than anything she could fix the situation. It’s not like she really wanted to go to Beauxbatons. Although, the thoughts of attending the school her father had, back in her home country did have some appeals… 

“I’m going to be alone.” he said flatly.

“That’s not true, you’ll have Ominis and -” she tried to reason once more and he stopped her again. 

“You don’t understand. If you’re not there… I… I need to go” he quickly spouted out before aparting away from her without so much as a warning, leaving her there in the hamlet alone as her mother called her home, tears beginning to fall down her face.

[polyhexian]

The Jasper & Willow Murder Adventure Episode got me d'awwwing over their relationship. Jasper letting her have agency but also protecting her innocence! Jasper teaching her plant magic tricks! Willow latching onto him as an Available Paternal Figure! It gives another dimension to Willow sadly trying to chide Hunter when he yells at Jasper about the portal door.

And like, I'm sure Jasper would love all the kids. Might take Amity a bit to warm up to him, but once she does it's abomination chatter for days. He'd be super impressed with Gus's prodigy-level illusion magic.

But Willow probably has a special place in his heart because she grows him the most TASTELESS fruits and vegetables. Everyone else is snacking on delicious sugary watermelon and he's like, I'll pass, and then she's like wait I grew this one for you! And it's lovely and crisp and has zero flavor to it. She's the best.

He's also her FUTURE FATHER IN LAWWWWWW. You know Willow is so delighted by that. Jasper already earned a place as an extra paternal figure. He saved her from killing that guy and wrecking her innocence but also gave her the agency to save herself from making a decision she would regret. And when she was crying about her dads and like- they think I'm dead! They must think I'm dead! And he's going to tell her like even if there's a 99.999 percent chance she's dead they're her parents and they love her and they won't ever give up on her as long as there's that 00.001 percent chance, theyre still waiting for her and still hoping she's okay and she's like wahhhhhhhhh.

I also feel like- as I've said I'm headcanoning no marriage in the boiling isles. But Hunter lives in the human realm with his mom! And I think he's like. He really wants to do it because he knows his mom will love it. Also him and his friends all went to Luz's wedding and thought it was fun. So they get married and I'm sure it's a little different than Marriage Classic (why does only one of us get to get given away by a parent? I wanna walk down the aisle too wtf) so like. Imagine jasper getting to walk his boy down the aisle lmfao.

And then like. Jasper officially willows father in law. He's going to slam dunk her through a basketball hoop. He's got TWO kids now holy SHIT

[currentlyfckingurmom]

Her Song part 9

It's five o'clock on a Saturday morning. I don't want to be awake right now. Whose dumb idea was it to open a coffee shop, anyway?

I roll out of bed and check my phone, seeing a message from Willow. She wants to go out tonight. I have nothing to lose, so I agree. I can't help but think of Florence as I type out a response. She never leaves my mind, but she has a boyfriend so why should I feel guilty?

This past week has been so confusing. Last Friday she was being all touchy with Zach, but then she acted all jealous when I was talking to Willow. When we're alone, it's like nothing else even matters. It's just me and her, and an undeniable tension that forms whenever our eyes meet. She flirts. At first, I thought I was imagining it, but Ash confirmed it. 'Dude, she definitely wants to fuck' as Ash put it. I wouldn't quite say that, but to each their own.

Scarlett keeps pushing us together, too. She's come to the shop with Florence every day this week, and she never fails to slip not-so-subtle innuendos into the conversation. I just wish someone could be my balance of reasoning—someone who gives me their honest opinion and helps navigate all this bullshit. Ash is a great friend, but not the best at giving advice.

Groaning into my pillow, I begrudgingly roll out of bed and trudge into the bathroom to take a shower. The hot water cascades down my face, enveloping my body in a bath of calm. My thoughts aren't silenced, but they're quieter now.

I slip on some baggy ripped jeans and a Led Zeppelin t-shirt, layering it with an oversized flannel. One major perk of being my own boss is that there's no dress code. I tie on my Doc Martens and brush my teeth as I walk to Syd's room, opening the door and telling her to wake up. After making some breakfast, we're ready to leave by 6:30, and we arrive at the shop around 6:45.

"Fifteen minutes to spare," I mumble as I unlock the doors and usher Syd inside. Ash shows up within a few minutes and we crank up the music, starting the day with laughs and excessive espresso shots. Syd grabs a book off the shelf and sits on the floor, reading in the middle of the aisle, but I don't have the energy to tell her to move.

We easily deal with the morning rush of early birds getting their coffee. Florence shows up around eight, but she's not alone. Walking in behind her are Scarlett and...Elizabeth Olsen?

"Good morning, Y/N," Scarlett calls.

"Good morning, darling," Florence says absentmindedly, waving to Syd. I nearly melt at the nickname 'darling' but manage to hold it together.

"Morning, guys. I see you brought a new guest."

"Yes, hi! I'm Elizabeth, but you can call me Lizzie," she introduces herself with a kind smile, shaking my hand.

"Hi, Lizzie. I'm Y/N," I laugh lightly. "Would you like to order?"

"I'll have a chai tea latte with oat milk?"

"Coming right up! And I'm assuming the usual for you both?" I ask Scarlett and Florence, both of whom nod in response.

"And it's for here," Florence adds. I smile to thank her for already knowing what I was going to ask.

"Tu feras le thé? Je ferai le café et le café au lait," I tell Ash, divvying up the orders. She gets to work on Florence's tea and I make Scarlett's and Lizzie's. We quickly have the drinks made and served.

My phone vibrates and I check my phone, seeing a message from my dad.

Dad: I booked a flight up next Monday and a flight back on the following Saturday. Does that work for you?

Well it's a little late to ask now, considering you already booked the flight, I think to myself.

Me: Yeah, that works. See you then.

I slide my phone back into my pocket and sigh, refraining from rolling my eyes. Syd will be excited to see him. I'm doing this for Syd. It's just for a few days.

"Hey, everything okay?" Florence murmurs, resting her hand on my arm.

"Yeah, it's fine. Just my dad," I assure her.

"So, Y/N, what made you want to open your own coffee shop?" Lizzie asks genuinely.

"Couldn't afford college," I joke, although that's pretty much the truth. She laughs and Florence gives me a boyish grin, locking her gaze onto mine. "What made you want to act?" I ask Lizzie in return.

"Ooh, good one. Um, I guess it's always something I knew I wanted to do. There were times when my sisters' fame made me want to back out, but I love acting. It's a way to escape everything, I guess."

"Damn," I pause. "That's a much better answer than mine."

"You know, I think I like her," Lizzie tells Scarlett and Florence.

"Join the club," Ash mumbles with a sarcastic smile.

"Let me see your phone," Lizzie commands. I do as she says, raising an eyebrow as she types away. "There, now you have my number. And I put yours in my phone, too."

"Hey, that's not fair," Florence whines. "She was my friend first."

"I can give it to you," Lizzie tells her.

"No, no. I wanna make her work for it," I demand, staring into Florence's eyes as I speak. She swallows and breaks eye contact, chuckling nervously. I smirk lightly to myself, celebrating a victory in our nonexistent competition.

"Oh, I see," Lizzie says with a half-smile.

"Hey, we should all go out tonight," Scarlett suggests. "There's a new club, super low-key. Y/N, you'll love it."

"As amazing as that sounds, I can't. I, uh, I have a date tonight." Florence's smile falls and she looks down at the floor. I nervously play with a napkin and  try to swallow my guilt. She has a boyfriend.

"Damn, another time then. Have fun on your date though," Scarlett says, wiggling her eyebrows. I playfully roll my eyes, wondering why I'm not the least bit excited.

"Yeah, have fun on your date," Florence says quietly, the smile still absent from her face. "We should get going." She abruptly gets up and walks away, waiting at the door.

"Oh, uh, I guess we're leaving. Have a good day," Lizzie says. Scarlett waves and sends me an apologetic smile as they walk out of the shop.

"Wait, I didn't give you a song...recommendation," I call after them, trailing off because they were already gone.

Ash whistles lowly, draping her arm around my shoulder. "That is quite the situation you've found yourself in, my friend."

"What do you mean?"

"She's got a boyfriend but you're totally infatuated with her, and she gets jealous when you have a date."

"Well what do you suggest I do?" I inquire helplessly.

"Honestly, I don't know. Show her what she's missing. Use that jealously to your advantage," she advises, poking my ribcage.

"That's a horrible idea, Ashlynn. Like, astonishingly horrendous. And immature. And toxic."

"I'm just saying, going to a club with them would be the perfect opportunity."

"Ash, no."

Well...maybe. No, definitely not. Unless...no, I can't do that. Can I?

[ghostfan3]

Heart connected to the other heart

-"Are you sure about going in there Willow?"

-"I'm sure"- Willow close a file about this particular case of ghost type, before looking at her recently made Galarian friend.-"That's why I been call here for after all".

Carer of small knights weren't that convinced dispite reassuring smile of white hair girl. They meet not that long ago but become quick friends, as girl's pokémons quickly befriended his pokémons specially a small ceruledge and armarouge under his care. He also has a reason to be worried. This particular ghost type turn out to be to much for organisation. Just recently they have to tied it down though to stop it from harming itself as well as trying to attack staff member who try to get to know the pokémon.

-"I know that's why you been call here, as well as something you did before. But it's not worth putting yourself in danger, it's okay if this proofs to be too much even for you"-Carer put hand on Willow's should.

-"I have to try at least"- the determination in ghost specialist eyes proof there was no way of talking her of it.-"Beside I'm not going there alone, Shade will be with coming with me inside".

Carer looks at girl's shadow that for a brief moment turn to resemble shape of gengar with it's famous smile wide at display, before turning into a normal shadow again.

-"Ok, ok. Just be careful, if anything happens a member of security and they pokémon will be just outside. All you need is call for them"-Willow nods and Carer finally takes his hand from her shoulder.

Willow takes a deep breath as she nods to Carer as he puts pin into a panel next to door. As door open white hair girl walks in. The room didn't look that unusual. A simple laying place, bowl for food and water and some toys. A bed was placed in middle of the room on it lay a lonely drakloak. A special kind of a leash connected to her neck. This measur was drastic but necessary as this female drakloak not only try to hurt herself by running her head into walls of her inclosure as well as even attack a staff member who try to tend to her.

-"Drak...."- she growls, but doesn't try to move from her place. She knows that with Willow placement at the door her leash will stop her before reaching her to attack.

A ghost specialist imidiatly recognize this leash a special kind produced for ghost to stop them from getting free using they powers. She took a few steps but still out of reach for drakloak. Her heart broke seeing the state of this female dragon. Her file said she was taken from breader who keep pokémon under his care in unforgiving environment while breading them like crazy for shines.

-"Hey there, sweet girl...."-Willow call in calm and gently voice as she slowly sit down on the rooms floor.

She was meet with another warning growl. Many people that knew about this case told her this drakloak female was extremely aggressive and angry. But Willow didn't believe to be a case. Fact that she was both a dragon and ghost type made it incredibly hard combo when it comes to character of this species. She knows why people thought like that, but when she look at her eyes, she know it's not case of aggression. A sparkle of something behind her glare told her there is more to the story. She turn her hand into a fist as she put it against her chest. This species has many colours that normal people don't know or ignore in favour of a imagine of powerful pseudo-legendary beasts.

-"I know you have a good reason to not trust me or any people in here. But I want to truly help."-She looked into yellow eyes dragon.- "I want to know your story, understand your anger and pain".

In that moment something in ghost glare change, something flick in it. Now Willow feel as powerful connection between her and drakloak was established. She felt powerful blast of emotions hit her. There was anger, fear but most prominent a grief and sadness. That was a pain of mother who's children were taken away. A guilty of being to weak to protect the love ones.

-"Ahhh..."-Willow flinch as this strong mix of emotion hit her. Her shadow flick in alarm.Yet she didn't back down, somehow she was sure that drakloak could feel here true emotions as well. Sincerity of her intentions, genuine wish to understand her pain, determination to help her. Yes, a mutual understanding was established between the two.

Dispite protest coming from outside of the room, purple eye girl took steps forward coming into range of attack, yet she only stop next to bed of dragon type as she took sit next to it. She raise her hand and held it out in drakloak direction stoping right in middle of a way.

-"I can't promise you anything, but I and people in this organisation will try to help reunited you with your children."-Drakloak look at her with her yellow eyes before pulling her snout to her hand, shortly after the dragon female bit Willow's hand. Not hard enough to severely hurt her, but hard enough to draw blood.Before pulling back.

A clear message. She trusted Willow's words, but would do anything to get her younglings back. The ghost specialist stand up as she holds her now bleeding hand to her chest. As she near the door, she looks around to look at female one last time.

-"Drakloakkkk...(Please...)"-Willow nods before walking outside, when she is immediately swarm by Carer and security guard.

-"Are you alright?! What were you thinking approaching her like this?! You bleeding! Here let my help!"- Carer switch between scoldings her to worrying over her bliding hand. He bandage her hand, as a security guard scold the girl over breaking several security protocols. Willow apologized to both man and security pokemon.

As Carer start walking with Willow out of this wing of building he worried still over a ghost specialist. Shade who come out of his trainer shadow float beside them. Dispite being also worried, he was more understanding of why she did. White hair girl wasn't sure why they were worried so much. This bite mark only look bad. She was sure it will heal in two weeks and in the end it won't even leave a mark.

-"You know it was incredible stupid approach this female drakloak like that, she could have attack you and wounded you more severely"-Carer said a stil a bit worried over Willow's little stunt.

-"She wouldn't after all she was just a hurting grieving mother."-Willow said. Inside she was bit of mad at staff members for writing her behaviour as naturally aggression, instead to imidiatly look if she had any young ones as she was taken from that terrible breeder.This causes her to go on little rant regarding whole species evolution line.- "I know what kind of reputation this species has, specially as a dragon/ghost type as well as pseudo-legendary. It's true that dreepys may leave they drakloak or dragapult if they find them too weak. But they really loyal to ones they been long enough, bond becomes unbreakable. Specially if this bond is between siblings or better a parent. To point that if dreepy leaves, the other one will be destroyed and drag themselves into a rigorous training to get stronger and get back their dreepy. Worse if it's the parental bond we speaking off. They may result to self harm in they grief strike state, just like this female. It's so obvious, I'm sure even pokédex mentions this and adds fragments of taking other pokémon as temporary replacement. Why wasn't this first thought of staff member taking care of this case! I thought they would look to her having younglings when she was taken from the breading facility!!!!"

-"You really passionate about ghost types, aren't you Willow?"- Carer ask with gently smile, not at all offended by her little rant.

-"Oh my Arceus I'm so sorry..."-Not only now Willow realised that she got on little rant, but also insulted work place and colleagues of Carer.- "I didn't mean to insult the organisation or any of your colleagues of friends, you are wonderful people who do a lot of good..."

-"Hey it's okay."-Carer put his hand on white hair girl should to stop her jumble of apology but to also reassure her he didn't take any offense to her statement.- "I understand from where you coming from. In high sight you right in our negligence of producers in taking care of this case. That's why I'm glad you were here to help the sytuation."

Willow smiled and took deep breath and calm down. She nodded and both of them continued to walk through organisation's hallway to main hub. Shade sink into his trainer's shadow to help cool her down in that way. But still a ghost specialist feel a bit guilty for both breaking the procured and her rant. She was about to apologise again to Carer but was stop when both of them were halt in they tracks by series of beeps and sound of quick running steps in they direction. Ceru come running to great her caretaker and friend after she noticed them walk into main reception area. She great them with series of beeps before boop Willow with her sword arms to get her attention, only to pull her arms up in adorable question to be pick up. The white hair girl couldn't refuse a adorable request like this and pick up little knight. Who imidiatly cuddle into girl's cloak. Arma soon come running after his sister and to great the two trainers. But unlike his younger sister he notices bandage on girl's hand. He gently took her hand before looking at her with worried expression.

-"I'm ok little one, just a little accident. Thank to your Carer soon there will not be even mark after it"-Willow resured Arma and petted his head as she smiled softly.

Still a fire knight took gently Willow's bandage hand and walk with her, as she and Carer move to different side of building. Carer still has a lot of work, while Willow needed to meet with higher ups to explain her progress regards to female drakloak. With little knights keeping them company, both trainers soon relaxed as they enjoy a walk through a organisation's hallways as Ceru happily babble about all kinds of people she meet and play with. Ghost specialist happily translated Ceru little talk to Carer so he could understand what they talk about. Even Shade come out of girl's shadow and entertain knights with his wild range of weird expressions he could make.

-"You know, now that I think about it... You really did understand true fellings of that drakloak without a word..."- Carer said causing this little group to stop in they travels.

-"Oh yeah, it's something I could do since I was a child.... With all kind of pokémons"- Said Willow in nervous tone as she scratched her neck.-"It's hard to explain, but I just know what they truly feel and they know what I truly feel....if they open themselves to me I just feel this incredible bond between me and pokémon... I know I must sound like a crazy person..."

-"So you can look into hearts of Pokémon? Like connect with them?"- Carer joked.

-"I guess something like that"-chukled Willow.

-"Well what kind you tell me about things our Pokémon feel right now?"- continue joking Carer.

-"Well, Shade can't wait to watch me get scold by Warden for today's incident "- Shade nods his head in acknowledgement of the statement, confirming it. Willow continues this friendly banter-"And Ceru is excited about all new friends she made and she loves you very much and Arma, he appreciates you too..."

Carer look worried as Willow stop midsentence and look at Arma, who like Ceru was distracted by ridiculous face Shade was making. Willow eyes look at Arma for a bit longer before a soft smile form on her face.

-"There is a lot of hardships he will need to face, but together I'm sure you will do it..."Carer wanted to ask her what she meant but before he could a ringing of his rotom phone stop him. He was late to a meeting.

-"Can you look after Ceru and Arma before your meeting with higher ups? I need to go to important meeting."- Only after Willow's nod did he bolted towards meeting room. Before he disappears he could hear a Willow's question and positive response knight to it.

-"Who wants to play with auntie Cassandra?..."

He know knights were in good hands. When he got to meeting he apologised for being late and took a sit quietly. Yet he couldn't get this little talk with Willow out of his head. Being able to connect with heart of pokémons did sound ridiculous, but he did acknowledge the strange connection that form between her and drakloak without any conversation. Willow was sure a strange person. First a alpha pokémon , then her weird knowledge all of kinds related to ghosts, now this. Still she was great asset to organisations and small knights sure like her. Only time will reveal future mysteries about this strange girl with star mark.

-------------------------------------------------------

Well this is a first story I'm writing that expands on lore of my character Willow and her family. I plan to write more stories like this that hint at deeper story about Willow's ancestors and their connection to ghost type pokémons.

Most who watch a central Pokémon movie will know what kind of power was hinted at here.(This movie is personally one of my favourites)^^

I want to give a big thank you to @skylertheminish for allowing me to use they characters , as well as concept of they Pokémon organisation. Thank to Carer being mostly a blan canvas I could use him effective as story pushing device. 📝❤️👻

[teleportzz]

i would love to see these two be friends. i think they could learn a lot from each other and have a very healing and healthy conversation + i think they could have a lot in common. i feel like raph would probably enjoy flyer derby and if willow liked cosmic frontier when she finally got around to reading it then she'd possibly also like jupiter jim.

more importantly, though, i think they could really bond and grow over the self-imposed responsibility to always be an anchor for their loved ones due to their reputations as "the strong one". where toh leaves off, willow has learned that she can rely on her friends and doesn't have to always be okay, so she might have overcome that insecurity or at least learned how to manage and reason with it, but where rise leaves off, it's unclear how much progress raph has made in that regard. sure, he probably has a LOT more faith in leo's leadership and is probably more comfortable stepping back and letting him take charge, but character development be damned, my boy has that eldest daughter complex and i don't think even the worst day of their lives can change the unintentional neglect from splinter as they were growing up or the cold hard fact that he's unequivocally the oldest and the strongest. i think learning from willow and her experiences and struggles as someone who's gone through that emotional burden but doesn't have the actual realized responsibility of being her team's literal oldest sibling would be helpful for him.

likewise, i think willow could learn from raph. her lifelong history of being a doormat for bullies was only pretty recently undone (given that the whole show takes place in like, less than a year of time), and now that she has this ability to consistently stand up for herself AND some of the strongest plant magic on the isles, i wonder if it might be a struggle for her to manage the tightrope walk of standing up for herself without accidentally overdoing it. she's a really kind and sweet person, i don't think that would ever change, but her powers are also somewhat volatile to her emotional state and i'd imagine it might be hard to manage that if she was ever in a situation where she didn't have her friends to ground her. i think raph might be good at helping her with that. he's never been bullied, but he has always had that temper that he's had to get real good at reigning in so as not to hurt his brothers or jeopardize missions, and he might have really insightful advice about how to keep protecting herself and her happiness from the jerks of the world without being afraid of accidentally going too far

anyway they should be friends

[tiffcore]

tw: typical dol grossness. kylar is braindead

Angel has ... Interesting relationships with people in his school.

He's sure there's like, an actual demon in his fifth period class. Winged and horned and tailed and fanged and most definitely sacrilegious. Not sure what has to happen for someone to become a demon but, okay little succu-girl, you do you.

They don't talk and he's not affiliated with her in any form, but it's not like she's pulling up to class anyway - he's almost absolutely certain she has more pressing matters to attend to.

His loyalties lie elsewhere. Like with Robin, Willow and Ivory from chem, that cute Sydney boy that goes to temple and reads the holy scripture. Nice, pleasant folk. The type to ask about his day and help dab the cum of some dick head off his school trousers because he thought it was a good idea to take the bus today.

Whitney is naturally the bane of anyone's existence, but apparently likes to make it his personal perogative to make Angel feel put on the spot no matter where he goes. If he's not calling the man a trap, he's groping at his pussy and asking "if his balls dropped yet", bares his flat chest to the whole school, steals his clothes after swim class and forces him to walk around with a towel because he has too much pride to beg Whitney for them. He knows when Angel is running low on money though, because he'll stiffen his upper lip and grovel proper. But it's also the worst mistake he could have ever made - to assume that Whitney is placated by the one time. If he knows Angels willing to do it once, he's going to do it again. If not, his lackies have no problem helping Angel come to a compromise.

Angel's defiance against Whitney is a fickle thing. Sometimes he doesn't struggle. Other times Whitney is risking life and limb trying to fuck with him. I feel like it would eventually taper out into a begrudging respect, because I can imagine Angel hanging out with Whitney (maybe against his will, maybe not.)

Kylar and Angel used to be good friends. Over the summer they totally grew apart though - Angel was going through his own stuff - and going from almost inseparable to no contact was too much for Kylar to bare. He tried to stiffen his upper lip - tries to come back in small ways. Like feeding Angel's ants whenever he neglected them, putting little gifts under his pillow, keeping an eye on him and making sure he was being safe,

and being able to watch him slowly change over that seemingly insignificant stretch of time did something to him man.

Angel was so perfect. A nice girl who used to watch him draw in art class, and didn't say much herself, opting to observe as opposed to talk. She was so pretty ...

Not so much so outgoing, but very attentive and on point. Wouldn't let him trample the flowers in the park, and when it was just the two of them at the lake, didn't mind him seeing her topless. Maybe it was a little ambitious of him to think of Angel being the perfect mom.

Her tits would grow in and she'd fill out enough that the boys would stop making fun of her, girls would stop pitying her, and Kylar's parents make enough money that it wouldn't be hard to give their kid a nice life! A white picket fence and two loving grandparents. He always liked the idea of being a young dad, with a quiet wife, watch their son (or daughter) grow up, be able to spend more time with them...

But his little fantasy is just that. Nothing more. When he learns that this is in fact no phase, Angel really does use he/him and is a boy, well, forgive him for being a little unwell about it!

He knows Angel still ought to have his pussy, that it still might work, so Kylar inquires extensively, and at first Angel feels like he's taking the time to get to know him better, but the discussions begin to delve too close into intimacy - asking about his genitals, wanting to check them,

Angel isn't one to get up in arms or violent, but Kylar ended up forcing his hands.

One of theie last interaction was Angel shoving him up against a locker, saying something along the lines of:

"Say some shit like that again, and I'll bash your fucking brains in."

After Kylar inquired if he'd be okay with their kids calling Angel Mommy - because of course they can't have two dads.

Kylar still sits next to him in English class, much to Angel's chagrin.

[sir-willoughby-ephraim-lll]

OKAY OKAY BUT!!!!!!!

Imagine it.

Hunter,sick from whatever the fuck gus tried to make for dinner wakes up in the middle of the night and starts throwing up. Gus hears this, wakes up and throws up bc it's disgusting this makes Hunter throw up again which makes Gus throw up again therefore sending them into a spiral. UNTIL Amity, a light sleeper for SOLELY blight twin related reasons, happens upon them. I imagine she just kinda points at Hunter and starts FUCKING WHEEZING, like DYING with laughter Poor, sweet, innocent vee. Goes to check on the commotion and witnesses the absolute disgusting chaos going on. Absolutely terrified that her new friends are SPITTING OUT THEIR ORGANS she starts crying. At this point Luz has woken up because Amity left. She walks down. Sees what's going on, and immediately starts running up and down the stairs like a lunatic looking for a bucket (which by now is useless because the entire basement is like, drenched in vomit) and yelling as loud as humanly possible. Gus makes his way over to Hunter and tries to make him stop vomiting, but he's got absolutely no clue so he just has him in a chokehold. Camila comes down in the panic, trudges over to the two, and starts to wrestle Gus off of Hunter trying to ensure everyone survives.

.

.

.

.

The morning after no one speaks. Like not a word; Amity is just sort of stifling laughter all throughout breakfast, Luz is banging her head on the table. Vee is staring, puffy eyed into the distance like she's having war flashbacks, Camila is just... So disappointed in everyone involved including herself (for tackling a child if that's not immediately obvious) , Hunter blacked out at some point and has little to no recollection of the event past him throwing up like a shit ton, and Gus is staring at Hunter with a look of pure fucking spite that could probably traumatize a small child. Willow never woke up and no one will tell her what happens. When she finally asks how everyone slept the table erupts into argument. Hands are thrown, bonds are made, Amity has officially transcended into full on grackle, and to this day Willow has no clue what events transpired on that fateful night.

You just cant tell me this isnt canon

Also extra cause grimwalkers eyes surely light up like dogs do

[brightlit]

change - rescue

virag was pacing around, with meri running up and down her arm. she has been waiting for willow at the discussed spot for seven minutes now, and she was contemplating just going back and chatting with hooty until she shows up.

two minutes later, willow appeared in the distance. she was waving at virag, who lightly waved back. willow landed and almost stumbled over her own feet.

“sorry, sorry! took a little detour when clover smelled a bunch of gnarchideas. she was just NOT willing to turn into a staff. and it is not comfy to walk here.” willow exclaimed before giving virag a very quick hug.

“don’t worry, i wasn’t too bored.” not even meri believed that. “thanks for fetching me, i have never heard of the loop before?” she said with a tint of confusion in her voice.

“it’s this little cave… place… thing. eh, you’ll see for yourself. we call it the loop because it goes around! it’s fun, but full of creepy critters.” after willow said that, both virag and her shuddered a little bit. she was very glad willow didn’t elaborate.

“what’s good about that?” virag asked, still creeped out.

“oh, the cave itself is not too fun. but we always throw picnics on top of it, it’s a pretty big, flat surface with an amazing view! you can see a huge part of the island, and the ocean! and if it suddenly started raining, we could hide in the cave, so it’s pretty safe. no coven guards either!” willow explained enthusiastically.

“you should have a career in real estate.” virag said with a giggle.

“in what?” willow said, tilting her head from confusion.

“nevermind, human thing. so, show me the way?” virag tilter her head as well, so that her eyes were level with willow’s.

“of course! but let me ask, are you okay? why are you here? did something happen with hunter?” the girl looked very worried, and it could be felt in her tone as well. virag paused for a second after her question, which gave willow some extra anxiety.

“umm… i’m okay! i think? i don’t really know what to- you know what, let’s just get there, this is actually what i came here for. to discuss it with all of you, i mean.” she said, and went to fetch meringue, who was now up on some tree. “oh and-” she said kind of louder, while trying to grab meringue off some branches that were way too high up for her comfort - “again, thanks for fetching me. still not the best at navigating this island.”

“don’t mention it! i was glad to get away, actually.” virag just looked back at her in confusion, still half up a tree, which made willow chuckle. “oh, i don’t mean it in a bad way, but luz and amity are ALL over each other. and i mean alllll over. not physically, but both of them go red like every two seconds. especially amity. they actually turn red, i thought only monsters did that! and when i left, luz accidentally said ‘take your time’, and then tried to correct herself in like five different ways. i did not even reply.” she sighed, and virag, with meri finally as a staff next to her, just looked at her, with her mouth agape.

“it’s that bad? last time they were just afraid to do anything around each other, but.. wow. i think i also saw them flirt in the groupchat? i think? but i couldn’t decide, they communicate in… unpredictable ways.” she just stood there, trying to think about how to have this conversation with them in their current state. she also didn’t want to imagine how awkward it just was for willow. “oh, that reminds me, where is gus?”

“ohhh, locked up in his room.” willow chuckled.

“huh.”

“mhm. he tried to prank his dad with some illusion, and it was bad. i don’t know what he did, but i would looove to know. that’s basically all he said on his penstagram, and that he was grounded, and to come rescue him. he hasn’t posted in 2 days now, so i don’t think anyone rescued him.” virag laughed, and hopped on her staff, which willow did so as well.

“why is he so mischevous? you’d think he is so innocent, with his high pitched voice and nerdy beaviour..” virag scrunched her eyebrows in confusion at the thought.

willow chuchkled, and simultaneously raised her hand, swiftly initiating their departure.

“yeah, he’s been doing crazy stuff lately. dunno what’s with him. hormones? he’s growing up? no idea….” she took a pause. “ but! we should probably get going. i wanna know what happened to you.”

“pfff.. alright.” virag sighed, knowing that this conversation is going to be difficult.

fun facts

≽^• ˕ • ྀི≼

a gnarchidea is an orchid but it’s flowers are alive. they love to gnarl. very harmless though and palismen love them

the creepy critters are a combination of spiders and mushrooms, accompanied by some strange bats.

luz n amity r actually pining so hard

luz thinks she is smooth w it (she isn’t, amity is just down bad)

meringue is a troublemaker as you can see

gus recently learnt about clowns in school

they don’t have clowns in the isles

he made one of illusion for his dad and jumpscared him with it

then tried to be funny

it was not funny

his dad is traumatized

he is grounded for a week

indeed no one rescued him

he is also addicted to penstagram. he posts a lot and has over 7000 posts from the past 5 months

it’s a combination of teenager and base gus

the loop is about 4 minutes from the owl house

it’s just very very uphill so it’s basically impossible to walk

amity took luz on her palisman and they were both dying the entire way

[skullboneandunown]

Wedding Bells a Ringin' (part 3)

Kris opens the door for Ashe and Willow, politely introducing herself as Donnies childhood friend before she leaves to take her seat outside with her and Silver's daughter Amethyst. Flannery greets Ashe with a grateful hug, and peppers Willow with cheek kisses, gushing about how adorable she looks. "Thank you so much for coming. Donnie and I have been so nervous all day." She gives Larve a gentle scratch on his head, and adjusts her hair in the mirror.

With Donovan however, he tries to regain his composure by fixing the mess that was his hair. That moomoo-lick from his childhood was trying to come back. A nice comb fixed that right up. His grandma simply nods a greeting to Leon, and walks outside to join their family. "Hey Leon. Sorry if I seem like such a mess. Just...nervous. Heh. I've dealt with Team Rocket as a kid without breaking a sweat, and here I am shaking like a leaf."

Donovan does a few breathing exercises, slowly starting to calm down, and taking a drink of water. "Alright. Alright, I'm ready." He claps his hands together, and walks outside with Leon, who takes a spot next to Silver as his two best men. "Maximum effort."

To his surprise, his grandfather was officiating the wedding, standing at the podium with a smile on his face. All they had to do now was wait for the bride and her father.

As Ashe takes her place as the bridesmaid, Dr. Maccoy begins playing 'Here Comes the Bride' on a piano, as the backdoor opens...and Flannery is guided down the aisle by her father, who is very clearly fighting back tears, and little Willow runs ahead of them, cheerfully tossing flower petals around before standing next to her mother.

As Flannery takes her place across from Donovan, Donnies grandfather begins to speak. "My friends, we are gathered here today for a most wonderful occasion. Today, we celebrate the union of my youngest grandchild Donovan, and the love of his life Flannery Burnes. Their path has been a long one, filled with trials and obstacles, but they have defied those obstacles and emerged ready to take on their next and greatest challenge yet. They have written their own vows, and now they are ready to speak." He gestures to Donovan, who clears his throat. "Okay. Heh. Sorry, just... Nervous. Anyway. Flannery, if someone were to tell a younger version of myself that I'd be marrying the most wonderful, beautiful woman on the planet, I would not have believed them. That younger me was so focused on his work that he didn't see what the best thing to happen to him was about to slip and fall in her ass when he challenged her for a gym battle." A few laughs come from the crowd. "I am sorry that I took so long to propose. I thought I lost you forever when I told you about my....other job. But you gave me another chance. One I probably didn't deserve. I don't know what the future holds, for either of us, but I can't wait to find out together."

A few tears well up in Flannery's eyes, and she smiles brightly. "Donovan, I was so scared when we first met. Scared of disappointing my dad, scared of letting my team down, but I was so scared of making a terrible fist impression on some guy from Johto who walked into my gym. When I slipped, I was so embarrassed when you started laughing, but you helped me back up, and asked if we could start over. I've had challengers who flited with me, thinking I was just a pretty face, but you just acted like I was an old friend. No leering gazes, no perverted comments, just a smile and an oversized Feraligatr." She pauses to catch her breath. "It's been....a challenging few years. It's been scary. I almost walked away from my soulmate, I almost lost my friends in Paldea. But look at us now! We're getting married, our friends are safe, and we have a wonderful goddaughter! Imagine what we could have a year from now, or even a decade! It's scary, but also exciting!" They nod to Donnies grandfather, who conjures two rings, and they both take one. After reciting their last lines, they slip the rings onto each other's fingers, and wait with baited breath. "And now, by the power vested in me, as Ho-oh and Lugia are our witnesses, I hearby pronounce you: Man and Wife. You may kiss the bride, my little one."

The crowd erupts into cheers, the pokemon roaring, as Donovan pulls Flannery close and kisses her deeply.

[deadnightcoffeetime]

The Monster Of Willow Creek (Tales Of Horror Segment 2) (COPY RIGHT) Page 17

He thinks it could be a tall person. But, the question is, do you think a human being can actually imprint their hand print on a tree?”, said Alyana. “It’s possible, but the human’s hand would develop some injuries. Ginger tips would e bleeding,nails would be coming off, alot of skin peeling, splinters, and maybe some nerve damage. Not to mention infections, a lot of proper cleaning, a lot of stitches, and disfigurement.”, said Ezhno. “I see.”, said Alyana. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll do more research of this hand print. If you see more of markslike this, take more photos and send it to me.”, said Ezhno. “Oh, sure thing.”, said Alyana. “oh, don’t forget to study.”, said Ezhno. “I won’t. Have a good night, uncle.”, said Alyana. “You too.”, said Ezhno. She hangs up the call, she then looks at her backpack, remembering the book that her mom gave her. Getting up from the bed, and walks towards her backpack, grabbing the book. Sitting back on the bed, she opens and flips through the book. Every page talks about every monsters and spirits from Native American culture. One page consists of “Skinwalker”. As another pages consists of “Thunderbirds”, “Deer Woman”,: “N-Dam-Keno-Wet”, “The Teihiihan”, “Katshituashku”, “Ogopoga”, “Plasa Bird”, “Bakwas”, and many, many more. As she continues to go through the book, she stops at a page with a picture of a monster that caught her attention. The picture shows a tall, boney humanoid, zombie like monster with antlers on its heed. The monster is called the “Wendigo”. Alyana softly speaks out to herself. “The Wendigo”. A knock on the door occurs, Michelle enters the room. “Hey, dinner is ready.”, said Michelle. “Oh, cool. I’ll be there in a sec.”, said Alyana. “Okay.”, said Michelle. Michelle leaves the room, as Alyana continues to look at the picture of the wendigo. She then closes the book and leaves the room. A moment later, Alyana, steps outside to the patio, and walks to the table bench. Sitting with the gang, Eric speaks out. “Alright, everybody dig in.”. Eric paces the hotdogs and burgers, on the table, then places the condiments on the table as well. Everyone is serving themselves, and are eating their dinner. “Hey, where are the drinks?”, said Becky. “Oh, crap! Right..I completely forgot to take it out of the trunk. I’ll be right back.”, said Eric. He goes on to his truck while the gang waits. Eric arrives at the truck’s trunk. He opens the trunk, there he spots the cooler. “There you are.”, said Eric. The monster is back, watching Eric from the trees and thick bushes. It sees Eric grabbing the cooler and closing the trunk. While continuing stalking, the monster break another stick, catching Eric’s attention. Eric stops and looks around. “Hello?”, said Eric. Seeing nothing is around, he iges the noise. “Ah, must be my imagination.”, said Eric. As Eric goes back to the patio, the monster sneakily follows hum while still hiding behind the trees and thick bushes. “Okay, I’m back. Here are the drinks.”, said Eric. He places the cooler next to the bench, and opens it. “We have Coke, Brisk ice tea, water, and beer.”, said Eric. Eric grabs a Coke, as the rest goes on to grab a drink. Leon grabs 3 Cokes, then heads back to the bench. As Leon sits down, he gives the other 2 Cokes to Alyana, and Michelle. “Here.”, said Leon. Alyana looks at him, and so does Michelle. “Thank you.”, said Alyana. “Yeah, thank you.”, said Michelle. “…Yeah, you’re welcome.”, said Leon. Everyone got their drinks, and now are eating their dinner. “Oh, before I forget, I found another claw mark on a window ledge, in the room, that I’m staying in. It’s similar to the one we saw earlier.”, said Isaac. What Isaac said, has gotten Alyana’s attention. “Another one?”, said Alyana. “Yup, but this one didn’t has a hand print, just claw marks.”, said Isaac. “Can you show me after diners?”, said Alyana. “Sure. Yeah.”, said isaac. “Wow, you’re really fascinated by hand prints and claw marks.”, said Becky. “I’m just doing some research.”, said Alyana. “Oh, yeah, how’s the research going?”, said Eric.

[tentacledsnakelover]

Such an incredible review and such an incredible end to a series of reviews. Your reviews have always been one of my favorite things about this fandom. One thing I do know is that while the show may be over, and this series of reviews is over, it doesn't mean you have to stop talking about The Owl House. You can still go back and just ramble about the things you love.

While I do agree with all your statements about how the show is incredible, I too have my own list of nitpicks and problems that I wanted to talk about:

It doesn't feel like the world is an actual body:

I know the show takes inspiration from several real world mythologies in making a giant corpse it's world, but aside from the random giant bones in the background, it doesn't feel like you're on a giant dead body. Why is there stone? A lot of the houses and buildings feel like they could be plopped in a typical fantasy world and not seem out of place.

I imagine if Dana had more control over the show, we could have gotten a more body-esque artstyle and worldbuilding. Maybe the homes could literally be carved into the bones and flesh of the Titan.

2. Use of magic

I feel like a lot of battles actually didn't take advantage of the use of magic. Willow only seems to use vines as her primary attack, and it feels like nobody outside of Luz is creative with their attacks. What if people who used healing magic could literally terraform the body of the Titan. How cool would a healer be if they cool throw pieces of giant bone at you.

3. The lack of tension in the worldbuilding.

Dana has every right to make a world without prejudice, but if the show has taught me anything, it's that we are all similar, and I find it unrealistic that a huge civilization wouldn't have some sort of prejudice. It doesn't even have to be racism or homophobia. Maybe witches are just discriminatory against other sentient species, or at least those without magic (We see Odalia and Boscha act like this, but it is still just small examples).

Eda is also treated rather blasely by people. Despite being the most wanted person on the isles, everybody seems rather okay with her walking in the open. Not to mention her curse. Eda first transformed after publicly refusing to fight for the Emperor's coven, and even denouncing the coven system. It would have been cool to see the show lean into making Eda seem like this bogeyman. A threat to kids who don't fall in line with the Emperor's ways.

4. Lack of Nuance

It feels like the show had lots of potential with giving nuance to its characters. Particularly, Luz, Belos, and The Collector.

While it's true Luz has every right to do what she likes and love who and what she wants, early Luz demonstrated a lot of apathy towards others that the show glossed over. We see in the first episode she was sent to camp because she was crossing boundaries. She wasn't just doing weird eyelid tricks or weird things with sausages, she was letting loose spiders and even brought in an actual firework. People were even vilifying Camila for her trying to help Luz express herself more safely.

Luz's desire for fun and freedom also gives her a nice parallel to the Collector. After being freed, they are really reminescent of early Luz. It would have been nice to see Luz try and help the Collector find a healthy balance.

I also mention Belos because I feel he also works as a nice foil and even parallel to Luz. Both once believed they were doing what was right. Belos in a way is a dark version of Luz, believing self supposed righteousness enabled him to achieve his end goal by any means necessary.

I also think it would have been cool to see Belos really be a more religiously motivated villain like Claude Frollo, though Dana probably would have really struggled to get that approved.

Why I Love The Owl House: Part Six-Praises, Problems, and Perotations

Prev Part

…Perotations is a synonym for “Conclusions.” Had to stretch for illiteracy, there…Anyways.

Salutations, random people on the internet who are already skimming past this! I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

Here it is, friends and followers. The very last thing I have to say about The Owl House. Or things, plural. You see, this isn’t like the previous parts. In the past, we’ve discussed the show in every possible aspect all while circulating around a common theme, whether it’d be the characters, their relationships, the arcs, and the messages that the series is trying to tell. However, there’s a lot more to discuss about The Owl House than just those four things. It’s just difficult to find a theme for each topic because, well, I don’t have much left to say. That and there’s nothing these last few points have in common with each other to lump into a shared post. So this final part of this whole long ass thing is sort of me just me listing out the last few praises and problems I have with the series before reaching that perotation. And yes, I’m still sticking with perotation. Might as well commit.

Also, to keep things fair, each praise I give the show will be immediately followed up with a nitpick—I mean, problem. That’s how it’s gonna go for this whole part, as we go back and forth from praise to problem, praise to problem, and so on and so forth until we reach the end. We’re in the homestretch here, folks, so let’s stop stalling and finally wrap up a review that’s three years in the making as I finally answer WHY I love The Owl House.

Praise: It rewards multiple rewatches

That’s the best thing to say about a serialized show like The Owl House. Knowing about big reveals or the direction of the story is going helps make rewatching it a little more fun. You get to pick up on all the little clues that the writers left behind or how moments can be recontextualized. There’s little stuff like how Amity tried running away from Luz in the ROMANCE section of the library or the proud look in Alador’s eye as Amity fends off the abomaton, showing that there were ideas that the crew were planning to set up but left behind these hints, both subtle and not, and making fans realize that the writers thought that far ahead (Most of the time). Even the little things like seeing a Grom poster in the background in an episode leaves a nice teaser for something fun that’s to come while making fans smile at that particular attention to detail.

But it gets better with the bigger reveals. Raine especially is a great example of this, as they have two big moments that recontextualize how they interact with Eda in previous episodes. In “Eda’s Requiem,” it’s clear that there’s some romantic tension between the two, with Eda particularly being a blushing mess. It leads viewers to believe that the two share feelings for each other, but never admit it, with a few fans even joking that Eda isn’t that suave if she’s so flustered around an old crush. Then in the VERY NEXT EPISODE, we learn that Eda and Raine aren’t old crushes but are instead exes. It makes all the romantic tension in that episode feel more engaging now that you have that information in mind, as it tells you that these two still have feelings for each other, with Eda’s being the strongest seeing how she didn’t want the relationship to end but willing to keep quiet because she’s not willing to admit it. It’s a great utilization of recontextualization that makes the text more engaging, with the crazy part being the writers do it AGAIN in the same season. In “Follies of the Coven Day Parade,” we’re led to believe that Raine’s brainwashed by some potion Terra gives them, with Eda’s attempts to break Raine out looking like they’re WORKING but not hard enough. The biggest sign that Eda broke through was a tear from Raine, but even then it didn’t look like much as Raine went right back to chugging Terra’s concoction. Only for “Them’s the Breaks, Kid” to reveal that Raine was NEVER under any hypnosis or spell. They used bard magic to change the mixture with just a whistle, which we see Raine do when they first drink something Terra gave them. Not only is that a brilliant case of laying down the groundwork for a bigger reveal down the road, but it makes all of Raine’s actions in that episode have an extra sense of drama to them as we now know they’re faking being brainwashed and are trying to push Eda away from the oncoming conflict. “Follies at the Coven Day Parade” is already an engaging episode, especially with the Eda and Raine subplot alone, but the prior knowledge of what’s really going on with Raine just gives it an extra bit of edge that it didn’t even need but I’m appreciative of it anyway.

The same applies when fan theories turn out to be true. Now, there were a LOT of crackpot theories in this fandom, some of them going so far as believing that Luz would be possessed by The Collector (Remember that?). As for other theories, the show didn’t have much that was as big as that. There was Hunter being a grimwalker, but the show basically spelled that out to us with how it practically shoved that spell book into our faces. There was King being a Titan, but that originally felt like a crack theory based on the SLIGHTEST things with no follow through only for the show to give us all the information we needed in one fell swoop. The only real theory that had any weight, large in part because the clues felt subtle enough to glance over and were frequent enough to remind fans of its possibility, is Belos being Philip/a human. I personally picked up on the possibility as early as “Young Blood, Old Souls.” He didn’t cast spells like other witches and his staff and parts of his robe looked more mechanical than magical. It made me think he had no natural magic of his own and, with humans being the only beings who lacked magic, the logical conclusion was that HE might be human too. Sure, his face revealed he had pointy ears, but they were noticeably smaller than most witches. Almost as if he sliced up his own ears to help make them look more like a witch’s. And I know you can’t SHOW something like that in a kid’s show, but you can heavily imply it…which the series did through a portrait in Belos’ mind. Regardless, the show always left the validity of the theory as a possibility, with new information being thrown into the mix of whether Belos used to be Philip. They certainly sounded similar and, upon meeting Philip, a lot more of the pieces started to fall into place. His charm, inflections, and demeanor all pointed to the signs that these two were the same guy, with “Hollow Mind” only confirming it to the audience. With all this proper build up and explanations of who Belos is and why he acts in a certain way, not only does it make forming and reforming the theory more fun, but it makes rewatching Belos’ actions become more engaging as you get a better idea of what he’s going for. We know why he’s vague about his plans for the Day of Unity, why he treats Hunter so disrespectfully, and why he wants a portal to the Human Realm. It makes an already threatening villain more vile and intriguing all because we know exactly who he is, rewarding fans who already got close to predicting the truth by giving them more than what they bet on.

This is the fun of watching a show like The Owl House. With its tight continuity and story consistently building off of itself, it makes you appreciate all the finer details and see how it all mostly lines up. Not everything was planned out, but, for the stuff that was, it makes rewatching the series feel better and better as you know the writers spent so much time making sure everything they make lines up perfectly as they could. By knowing the truth, it can make fans appreciate even the TINIEST of moments in Season One that would HEIGHTEN the experience once you you got to Season Three…Unfortunately, though, there is ONE thing that the writers didn’t fully work out, to the point where it kind of breaks the series when we get to that final season.

Problem: The timeline is all kinds of wonky

I don’t mean all the stuff in the past. Caleb running away with Evelyn, Belos’ rise to power, Eda’s curse and all the consequences that came with it all line up well enough. What I’m talking about is all the things that happened in the present. From “A Lying Witch and a Warden” to “Thanks to Them,” a lot of the show’s attempts at making a timeline of events falls short.

At first, it seemed that they were doing a good job of it. They said that “I Was a Teenage Abomination” and “Covention” were a week apart from each other, with the same being the case with the ladder episode and “Lost in Language.” There, the writers were explicitly giving us an exact timeline of events, being relatively easy to follow. But either they realized that they’re making the summer move along a little faster or they stopped caring about consistency, because they stopped mapping things out after “Lost in Language.” From there on, the writers become noticeably vague about how far apart these events occurred. “Keeping Up A-Fear-Ances” has Luz assume that summer is over, so it’s definitely been months since the first episode, meaning we’re probably in Fall…but then it gets trickier. Because by the end of “Reaching Out,” it shows us this calendar next to Camila that it’s currently the last week of August. Now, some summer camps don’t last the WHOLE summer, I’m sure…But Camila, in the very first episode, specifically said, “The next THREE MONTHS will fly by.” If it’s been three months, depending on the school Luz went to, we would be in August by “Keeping Up A-Fear-Ances.” However, it’s weird that we’re STILL in August in “Reaching Out.” In order for that to make sense, every episode after “Keeping Up A-Fear-Ances” would be a day apart from each other. Is that plausible? Probably. But ONLY if camp ended at the exact time as “Keeping Up A-Fear-Ances.” What we saw in the ending could have been a few days, maybe a week at some random point of August. 

And even IF events were a day apart, that still wouldn’t work. Assuming it’s the middle of August, that either has not enough episodes or not enough days. And even then, to think that all of these episodes, EACH ONE, takes place a day after the other is INSANE. It definitely doesn’t do Hunter’s redemption arc any favors if it took less than a month to change his perception of reality. Plus, something Raine said in “Follies at the Coven Day Parade” makes things MORE confusing. They said they’ve spent a MONTH in bed. Could be a part of the “brainwashing” that’s making them say that, but still, a month WHEN? A month BEFORE or AFTER “Eda’s Requiem?” Because if it was a month BEFORE, why would the Emperor’s Coven make Raine think they’ve been taken care of BEFORE becoming an official Bard Head? And if it’s a month AFTER, then HOW?! IS IT?! STILL AUGUST?! I’m telling you, it HURTS the brain to think about, and it hurts even MORE when there’s a frickin’ scrap book in “Thanks to Them” that explicitly says the Hexsquad spent a  SUMMER together, WHICH THE PHOTOS PROVE TO BE ACCURATE! When’s the last time you’ve seen people go to the beach in the mid to late September? Or go tubing when we’re getting close to October? Or relaxing in the sun or enjoying your time in the garden when it’s the middle of FALL?! The math is NOT mathing in this scenario, and it really almost breaks the series.

Now, the question is this: HOW did this happen? Well, there are two theories, one generous and the other reasonable. The generous theory is that, given most of the timeline started getting broken in the second half of Season Two, it’s possible that this was a result of the story getting shortened (Yes, I’m playing that card. Stick with me). The writers confirmed that the first half of Season Two was already written and put into production before Disney decided we can’t have nice things and shortened the series. There were a LOT of things that were likely to happen in that longer version of The Owl House, with a “summer” in the human realm being something they thought up as a way to make the story more interesting despite the constrained time limit. However, like I said, that’s being generous. Because the reality, in what I can assume, is that writers didn’t do the math right and failed to properly communicate with the art department. Stuff like the calendar and scrapbook is something made by the background, prop, and storyboard artists, likely trying to clean things up and add more fun to the story, only for it to turn out that they didn’t get the proper notes they needed. The results…doesn’t fundamentally destroy the series, but it does break things everytime you think about it. If you’re not paying attention, you won’t be bothered by any of it, but if the only solution is to tell people not to think about something in the series that’s so broken…is a bit of an unfair suggestion to make. You can’t tell people to ignore something wrong with the story, no matter how good the rest of it is. It’s still worth being brought up, even if it’s something small that turns into something BIGGER down the line. That way, it could help future writers, or people working on this show moving onto bigger things, to avoid facing a similar issue and make the NEXT story end up being a little less broken…But I can tell you what ISN’T broken in THIS series.

Praise: The Characters all feel solid.

“What does that even mean?”

Good question! Because I don’t know.

Yeah, this one’s more based on a FEELING I get when watching the show. It’s something I notice when watching it alongside Amphibia, Gravity Falls, or most other 2D shows. It’s even something I noticed with MoringMark’s comics, which often nails a close approximation of the show’s art style, but SOMETHING always felt a little off. And it’s not when looking at the show do I realize the reason WHY is because The Owl House has a certain…volume to it. Like, I can almost TOUCH these characters when they’re on screen. As for how, again, I have no idea. It could be how the characters are colored, the weight in their lines, the way they’re shaded, or even the ways they’re meant to move. I don’t know how or why The Owl House accomplishes this feeling I get from it, but I feel like it’s something worth mentioning, even if briefly.

See? Not every part of this final review will be long winded. Sometimes, I just gotta bring up small things that enough people talk about, to show how I appreciate The Owl House in most facets. Certainly helps when I bring up something that might get people angry.

Problem: The animation’s a bit too stiff at times 

Not all the time, mind you. There are a lot of scenes where the series goes all out and adds so much fluidity in such a short scene. The problem comes when you realize how great THOSE scenes look causes the rest of the show to…NOT look like that.

To be clear, the animation’s not AWFUL. I’d say more times than not, the show looks good. It’s just that you can see where most of the budget went into for certain scenes. It’s a tactic that action oriented shows use all the time, to have the dialogue heavy and character focused scenes be slow and stiff so that they can save the best work on the  weekly fight scenes. However…The Owl House isn’t an action oriented series. It’s a fully character driven one, as I’ve thoroughly established for five frickin’ parts now. There are only a handful of big fight scenes, with only a quarter of them having that smooth as butter animation. Yeah, while hype up the big battles like Eda’s duel with Lilith, there’s actually SOME fights where it’s the usual standard for the rest of the series, looking a bit stiff and slow. Sometimes, the same episode can have different animation for fights, with “Follies at the Coven Day Parade” having a stiff fight between Eda and Raine and a smooth one with Luz and Amity teaming up against Kikimora. The difference is noticeable and, the crazy thing is, I don’t dislike either battle, regardless of its quality. I think both are still good in their own right, but the noticeable difference sticks out and makes you realize…how the rest of the series looks. Again, it’s still good, especially in Season Two where it feels like most of the stiffness got cleaned up a bit. It’s just a thing where, despite how good some things look, it makes one almost feel that they’re watching a different show when it suddenly turns up the quality. It feels weird that the show looking amazing is a problem, but it only is when it sticks out like a sore thumb…That being said, though, the show DOES look frickin’ awesome when it wants to.

Praise: It has AWESOME fight scenes and cool uses of magic.

Is this contradictory? Only a little. And, to be fair, while there are times when the FLUID fight scenes DO stick out, they deserve all the praise in the world. Because unlike a certain book series that has magical fights in it, there’s more of an attempt to go NUTS with the action outside of “I’m pointing my wand as hard as I can!” Shout out to How It Should Have Ended for nailing that, by the way, because…Yeah, it’s accurate. If the best magical action you can come up with is characters pointing their wands at each other, it’s not really that visually compelling. Now, for The Owl House, you get a LOT more than pointing wands. You have characters dashing themselves away from big, magical blasts. Abomination goop being used as a shield, fists, or swords. Our plucky protagonist flying at the seat of her pants to try and defend herself from an evil emperor throwing everything he has at her. When the series wants to go hard, it does, regardless of how noticeable the quality difference is. And I appreciate the fact that The Owl House crew try so hard to make all magic that characters can do look awesome, regardless of it being an action scene or not. Outside of Oracle Magic, which never really got that much of a spotlight, all the other eight magical tracks are often shown to be–To put it bluntly–super cool. “Eda’s Requiem” has a ton of moments like that with bard magic, giving us an actual idea of what it’s capable of and, albeit briefly with a guard putting on earmuffs, imply that it’s limited by people being able to HEAR the tunes bards play. Plus, the final act shows the capabilities of Abomination and Beast Keeping Magic with Darius being able to teleport people with goop and morph his body into goo while Eberwolf has better tracking skills and being able to summon beasts. Sure, it adds intensity to the scene and proves just how powerful these two are, but it also shows us–Without telling us–what their magic types can do and how powerful one can get with a type of skill. Even something as simple as Viney casting a shield through healing magic or Bria making stone columns through construction is enough to tell the audience what we need to know about these types of magic and infer what ELSE witches like them can do in their respective tracks. It creates fun speculation on top of making the magic more interesting to watch as compared to the film adaptations of the unspoken book series. You should know which one by now.

However, as cool as the magic CAN be, how it’s casted could use some more punching up.

Problem: The magic system is kind of boring.

KIND OF. There being eight magic tracks is interesting and, as established, how those different magical spells are used can look visually intriguing. They definitely avoided the problem of characters just pointing wands for a fight, but they ran into this new issue of how the magic is casted. For every spell in every single track…it’s just the characters drawing circles. Sometimes big circles, sometimes small circles, and sometimes multiple circles at once. The only time a circle isn’t drawn is when a character uses a staff…most of the time. Even then, there are instances when a circle needs to be drawn, even if they’re not as frequent as a character casting magic without a staff. And I’m not gonna lie, this is an issue I’ve had since the first few episodes of Season One. It’s just such an uninteresting  way for characters to cast magic, especially since it’s done by everybody, regardless of what spell it is. And you wanna know the worst part is? The show offers a more INTERESTING magic system than what most witches have.

Luz’s glyphs, much more than the spells, sucked in a lot of fans’ attention. There were people drawing their own ideas for glyphs that matched what COULD be in the show, or coming up with possible combinations when Season Two established that glyph combos are a possibility. And the reason WHY is because the glyphs are a more fascinating concept. They offer more variety of what they can do for Luz, and look more visually interesting than a circle in the air. What also benefits the glyphs are the limitations they have. They can do anything Luz wants, but she has to draw them EXACTLY as they’re meant to. No line can be out of place, and the circle has to be perfect every single time. Amity proved what happens if you draw the glyph wrong in “Reaching Out,” and that was just with ONE glyph. When it comes to drawing glyph combos, not only do you need to combine the right kinds of glyphs with a specific amount, but you need to draw them in a specific way. It’s more than just drawing two glyphs on the same page, it’s drawing one on one part of a circle that connects it to another. It’s complicated, and gets more so, depending on the spell. Belos’ teleportation glyph proves that you need more than paper to draw the whole thing out. And that’s not getting into the other limitations Luz has with glyphs, like how the invisibility glyph can only work for as long as the user holds their breath. That’s a cool concept and makes one wonder how other glyphs can be limited despite the power they present. Which is more than I can say about spell circles.

Spell circles are just missing that little extra OOMPH. It’s interesting that performing magic is more like a skill that a person needs to train themselves how to do. Like learning how to whistle or learning how to balance on one leg. Nothing strenuous, but nothing easy, either. Plus, the fact that there’s occasional strain from doing a spell too big or characters collapsing after doing one for too long does at least SHOW that magic’s not easy to do. It just doesn’t always LOOK hard, not from a viewer’s perspective. Maybe if something like Beast Keepers needed to make claw marks in the air or Plant Witches needed to draw squiggly lines to mimic vines. Or even if a spell requires a different colored circle, and being able to mix spells means you have to draw a variety of circles. Just…ANYTHING to make it seem like there’s more of an effort outside of drawing circles, all while impressing audiences with how cool the magic system could be. It doesn’t kill the show in any way, but it does feel like there could have been more creativity. It’d be difficult, but the show isn’t afraid to present something engaging through visuals. And not just through the fight scenes…

Praise: The show does great at showing development  through outward appearances.

It might not be on the same level as an epic action scene, but this IS a nice attention to detail. You know why you often see characters wearing the same clothes in every episode, often with little variety? It’s because doing so makes it easier for the animators, giving them a sense of consistency to know how to draw a character each time throughout the series, only changing it up for one episode, specific scenes, or even a quick gag. So to either make a permanent or even gradual change to the character’s design as we reach a certain point in the story, it’s got to take a great attention to detail and continuity to make the change stay. Not only that, but there has to be a GOOD reason to do it. Sometimes, there isn’t. Like, for Eda, I feel as though some higher ups started to discover the lewd art fans were making and told the animators to show less skin on her (Didn’t work, they just made her look hotter). And for Gus, it’s just because the voice of his VA started getting deeper so they gave the character an older design to reflect that…even though, to this day, it makes me question what the hell “witch puberty” is. But while those are small cases that are either done “just because” or “for convenience,” there are some design changes that are often used to help tell the story and show how characters have grown and developed through the course of the series.

In a more permanent case, you have King and Amity. In “Echos of the Past,” King regains a piece of his old horn that Luz then glues back onto him…It’s weird that the horn fits perfectly and that it continues to grow as he ages, but, eh. He’s a baby god. There’s probably some god magic they’re that we’re not aware of.

Regardless of how the horn’s apparently magic, there’s significance to why this horn is now reattached to King. In that episode, he learns that there’s this new part of himself and his history that he wasn’t aware of before. Because of that, he wants to TRY to connect to his roots, even though he doesn’t know who or WHAT he is. Having his horn back is the first step in that journey, making him look more like what he EXPECTS his species to look like. It’s a small thing, but it still does so much to represent King’s character and the journey he’s about to take.

As for Amity, her big change is a bit more significant. After finally wanting to be her own person, she decided to change her hair to help reflect that. Instead of a colder shade of green that makes Amity look like her mother, Amity had it dyed into a warmer shade of lavender. Even how Amity has her hair made up offers this more welcoming appearance as opposed to looking like a smaller Odalia. Whether Anity wears her hair long or short, it frames her face in a much friendlier manner, showing off how much she grew into a kinder person. When I often think of Amity, I think of the nicer young lady with adorable cotton candy hair, as opposed to the snarkier, more intense teen with a colder appearance. It actually breaks my brain a little when I rewatch earlier Season One episodes, because I don’t associate that look with Amity anymore, let alone her behavior. It proves how much she’s changed, inside and out, all while trying to be her own person instead of a carbon copy of someone worse. Sure, the change was a bit jarring and, admittedly, I missed the green hair upon the big reveal, but it’s a necessary change to make the fandom’s favorite white girl happy. It’s not like everyone can have a more gradual change like the fandom’s favorite white boy.

Hunter’s interesting because he’s the only character in the show who has a different appearance in almost every episode. Whether it’s something subtle like a new emblem being added to his cape or something drastic like…whatever you could call his outfit in “Labyrinth Runners.” Either way, he never really sticks to the same style, and that’s fine. His whole character is about discovering himself and who he wants to be instead of becoming the soldier and symbol Belos wanted. It’s why, during the final season, he starts wearing messier, looser clothing that is an outcry to the more professional outfits he went for. And while he ends the series the most scarred he’s ever been, it’s a nice detail that it looks like Hunter is the happiest he’s ever lived through his smile, lack of eye bags, and more loose body movement. It’s a mix of subtle and obvious details that showed how Hunter became a changed person despite all the hardships he went through. It’s beautiful and he’s not the only character that goes through this kind of change.

When I saw what Lilith looked like in the past, and how the bright vibrancy clashed with Lilith’s cold presence in the present, I was hopeful that her road to redemption would be her trying to look more like her old self. And while her redemption was rushed in more ways than one, it is great that the art team did lean into the idea of Lilith slowly shedding her old design for a warmer, kinder one. She ditches a proper set of robes for some spare rags Eda had laying around, eventually gained a uniform when she found stability in her life, allowing her hair to curl once more while adding a pair of specs, and ends the series with her red hair fully returning. At the start, she looked like the most blatantly evil antagonist with how much darkness encompassed her design. By the time skip, she still wears those cold colors, but the short orange hair, the specs, and even how loose that outfit looks gives this sort of eccentric professor appearance. Sort of like she’s Miss Frizzle’s cousin, but one that goes against dressing brightly and colorfully. It definitely fits the vibe Lilith’s current personality goes for, and it works. It’s another case of a character’s improved behavior reflecting in their appearance. However, sometimes the show can do well in the opposite direction by showing how WORSE a character has gotten.

Luz and Belos are the main instances of this. Luz was more brief, as she looked disheveled during “Thanks to Them.” Her clothes were baggier, her smile is basically gone, and it looks like she’s stopped caring about herself or her appearance. It perfectly shows us the mental and emotional state that Luz is in throughout the special, caused by her stress and guilt formed by Belos’ manipulation. Speaking of, through the final season, Belos gradually looks more monstrous and decayed as he continues his quest to kill all witches. It appropriately reveals how much of his true self started taking physical form and overshadowing the charismatic manipulator, all while his body melts and breaks apart to show that time is catching up with him every second. It’s the best kind of visual representation of what Belos has become and this final season will be his final moments. Both him and Luz have perfect visual representation for how worse they got this season, even if Luz’s change was more temporary than Belos’. But, even then, she spends the rest of the season dressed as her hero Azura, making her look like everything she wanted to be in the Boiling Isles as she gains determination to save it. So even though this season started with Luz at her worst, she still managed to evolve into becoming her best self while Belos continued to devolve into his worst self. There’s some hero/villain symbolism for ya.

The art and animation team work their hardest in making the show look as good as they possibly could, often aiding the equally great writing. Changing up the characters outfits and designs can say so much without needing the characters to say anything at all. It’s the perfect cooperation of writing and animation that makes some of the best animated shows function so well. In this case, it offered a great attention to the story at play and made for great visuals at the same time…Though, those same visuals aren’t exactly PERFECT…

Problem: The color scheme is a little off.

“That seems subjective.”

Oh, it’s VERY subjective. I’m not one who knows color theory or what some colors represent (Honestly, I find the whole thing nonsensical). I’m a guy who goes off of gut feeling and thinking to myself “Do these assortment of colors look good?” And the colors in The Owl House don’t look AWFUL, as there’s never a point where I feel like the show is unwatchable. I’ve seen uglier looking works of fiction, all because the creator or director thought it might “improve” the film. Whether it’s to hide the obvious CGI or because the director wanted to match the “grittiness” of the real world, there have been clearer cases where artistic expression or intent tends to harm how a show looks. Even things I like, such as Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss, run into the problem where the red and black characters tend to blend too much in the red and black backgrounds. I get that we’re in Hell and the shows often look gorgeous otherwises, but holy hell this must be torture for people who are colorblind. But again, The Owl House never gets THAT bad, even though it matches a similar intent.

Dana Terrace wanted to make a magical world that isn’t as pretty as your usual fare. Doing that means you have to avoid using bright and inviting colors, allowing viewers to appreciate the beauty in what others considered ugly. A nice sentiment, sure, and they don’t completely use unappealing colors. For the most part, the orange, red, and browns of this world create this sort of Fall atmosphere, while the blues, greens, and also browns of certain creatures and characters look devilish and/or ghoulish. The intent is clear and it’s not a bad look at all, but there’s something a little off going on.

I THINK it’s how the colors mix with the characters? It’s hard to explain, but when I look at a character like Gus, who frequently wears his Hexside uniform, something is off. Like…the cold blues and blacks of his uniform clash with the warm hues around him. Or how something like Willow’s original casual outfit had colors that blended in the rest of the world. Or how Luz’s bright white and purple hoodie contrasts her dark jeans and leggings. I guess what I’m getting at is that the colors of the character’s outfits are the problem? They either clash or blend in, to my eyes, at least. Again, NOT a color theorist, I’m probably just talking out of my ass here and going too much into detail about something that’s basically a nitpick. The colors of The Owl House don’t ruin the show for me, I still like the majority of how it looks. This is just a little thing that stops me, personally, from saying it looks perfect. Don’t take it too seriously, this is, again, totally subjective. It’d be the same as me complaining about the show’s comedy or music…Speaking of the music, though, I have NO complaints regarding that.

Praise: The Music is amazing.

Told ya.

And again, this is totally subjective. A show’s soundtrack is either going to strike a chord in you (ha) or not. And while The Owl House doesn’t have an AMAZING score, it’s still one that often fills me with delight no matter what episode I’m watching. Composers TJ Hill and Brad Breeck do a great job in giving The Owl House its own sound. There’s themes that can fit a certain character, like with how The Collector has this very bouncy yet very off-putting base whenever they’re doing wacky nonsense. There are also motifs that suit a relationship, like how Luz and Amity had this little tune that got warmer and gentler as the two got closer to becoming an pair. And, there are cases where there are songs that play just for a certain episode or theme, like that beat that played during “Echoes of the Past” when Jean-Luc was on screen. There’s a lot of effort put into the music of the series like there is in a lot of the show, and it’s often pleasant to the ears like how the visuals are pleasant to the eyes. There’s a total of ONE case where the score got a little lazy and that’s when they played the same track for when Lumity became canon during the scene where Gus introduces Cosmic Frontier to Hunter. That’s a very specific score that never got used again, and works well for the FIRST scene it’s used in. To reuse it for such a minimal moment is baffling, but it’s at least the ONLY time the composers did it. In a lot of other cases, they go hard with the instrumentals, with TJ Hill’s theme for the show being a pretty good listen. Wouldn’t rank it among some of the best theme songs for cartoons, but definitely better than most.

The closest I can find to a problem with the show’s music, outside of the one weird reuse of a specific track, is that it almost sounds TOO similar to Gravity Falls. Like, if you were to play a few notes from the background, half the time, it’s gonna take me a minute to figure out if it’s from The Owl House or Gravity Falls. I can let it go, of course, because both shows share a composer and The Owl House has a bit more of a…magical feeling to its sound, I guess. You know it when you listen closely, and it helps give The Owl House more of that unique feeling…But since I brought up similarities, there’s more to notice than just the music.

Problem: The show feels…similar to other modern cartoons.

Though, to be fair, almost every huge show since Adventure Time and Gravity Falls feels similar. There’s definitely been a trend where modern animation tends to start as comedic and mostly episodic, becomes gradually serious over time, starts telling a more cohesive story arc, and shocking twists that even surprise a few adults a lot of the time. It’s a trend tiring for some while exciting to most, with The Owl House being one of the better examples of this pattern done RIGHT. I have no problems with what the show wants to be, but I can’t help but notice instances where it does something similar to other shows that came out. Dana Terrace and her writers have put their own spin on ideas, but don’t stop these feelings like how The Collector’s playtime is a chiller Weirdmageddon, or how the final season is a repackaged version of Amphibia’s. I already went over that ladder two parts ago, so I’m not going to repeat myself here. As for the former, I’m not going to dwell on it because more than enough people did when “For the Future” started. The Collector is NOTHING like Bill Cipher, so they both go about causing chaos in different ways, with The Collector’s actions being unintentionally messed up while Bill fully knows what he’s doing and loves it anyway. The differences lead to two apocalyptic scenarios that are unique in their own right. Still, the similarities ARE there and are fairly noticeable.

I don’t like giving problems like that attention, though. It’s a nitpick at best and it’s always people using surface level similarities just to make a nonsensical argument about how nothing is original anymore. As someone who believes that originality is a myth and that it’s near impossible for people to make something wholly original, I find it pointless to point out how similarities are a problem, especially if what’s being made is still good.

“Then why bring it up at all?”

Well…because it does stop The Owl House from standing out, just a little bit. If you offer a story that’s too similar to others, you need to offer some differences that make it more appealing. To make it STAND OUT more from the crowd of great cartoons that tell their own great stories. Otherwise, why bother watching a show when there’s another version of it that’s just the same, if not better? And sure, whether something is better or not is purely subjective. I personally enjoy something like The Owl House more than Amphibia, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks that. But there’s also people who disagree with that and treat Amphibia as untouchable where it’s The Owl House that’s flawed. Trying to be better isn’t a big enough difference because not everyone is going to believe your story stands higher than others. But keep in mind, that doesn’t stop the show from being GOOD. Even if there are some familiarities with other things, you’ll still have a good time with what you watch. But think of it like this: There are dozens of sitcoms out there, each of them following a certain formula or character dynamics. Yet the ones people remember the most aren’t just the funniest but the things they did differently. Boy Meets World sort of grew up with its audience by having its main character grow up, going from simple plots of Corey painting his neighbor’s fence for a super soaker to him defending the right to punch a guy who sexually assaulted his girlfriend. Malcolm in the Middle forgoes having a simple, caring family household for a messy family of a-holes that are often at odds with each other but still look out for one another, even if it causes chaos for themselves and others. And The Office, instead of having people go through extreme and almost cartoonish situations, has real types of people living out realistic scenarios and laughing at how stupid and secondhand embarrassing they can be…At least at first. Things get a little bit off the rails later on in the series. Regardless, shows tend to stand out in pop culture due to the differences they presented, not just the quality. The same applies for cartoons like The Owl House, which has a similar vibe to other shows, not just ones produced by Disney. Now, it has differences that make it stand out ENOUGH, but I can’t really blame people for thinking that the series is a little similar to others. I only draw the line when people treat it as an actual detriment when, again, it’s nothing more than a minor nitpick. YOU might not think it stands out, but there’s an entire fandom that says otherwise. And to keep things fair, let’s go over a few differences to prove how well the show stands out.

Praise: The look of the world is great

I said it in the colors section, but Dana Terrace didn’t want a PRETTY magical world. She wanted something a little spooky and demonic, taking art inspiration from paintings by Heironymous Bosch. And while things never get to that level of intensity, let it be known that The Owl House tries to match the same level of weirdness. Or, at least, try as much as Disney would allow. Because if you’ve seen Dana’s non Owl House art on her socials, you can see for yourself how much she was restrained by making something family friendly. Hell, by the time I’m posting this, the teaser for her next big show came out and it definitely looks like Dana Terrace unfiltered. But no matter the limitations, the final result makes for a pretty unique world. By the second episode alone, the show reveals that everything takes place upon the corpse of a Titan. That’s already an awesome idea that I’ve never heard of before and things just get crazier as we see the many demons, witches, and creatures that exist in this world. You have obvious reimaginings of classic beasts and monsters in mythology, with the series putting their own spin on both the designs and what they can do, making these creatures fit with the mythology that the writers are trying to make for this series. As for the NEW creatures that exist solely in this series, there’s not a LOT of ideas that the show puts a lot of emphasis on aside from slitherbeasts and those…weird butterflies, but there’s still a good amount of random one-off monsters, both friendly and menacing, that have a good amount of creativity that puts into how they look. Even that tentacle monster Luz said good morning to in “Witches Before Wizards” has a lot more effort put into its design despite showing up once for the entire series. In fact, that brings up another positive in the look of this world: There’s a lot of effort in making EVERYONE look unique. Every single character and demon that Luz interacts with has a different design to them, with it being rare for the show to reuse character models to fill out a crowd. Now, most of them don’t have a consistent VOICE, but at least the animators and artists did good in making the people of the Boiling Isles look as weird as possible. None of them really look horrifying, but that might help the series more than you think.

The whole point of The Owl House is finding beauty in the bizarre. To accomplish that, you need to create a world that’s weird but not horrific. Make the people odd but not creepy. Have the creatures look dangerous but not horrendous. Basically, it’s all about finding that balance of looking off-putting to any normal person but never to the extent that it isn't something you can’t get used to. The show applies this to characters and the backgrounds, creating a world that’s odd everywhere you look but in a way that’s almost inviting. The Boiling Isles isn’t a place that the main character would want to escape from, but wishes to stay in because of how “at-home” she feels. It’s handled well in every episode, giving the series a look that allows it to stand out on its own just well enough…I just wish we could have seen MORE of this world.

Problem: The world feels small.

I said this before when talking about the arcs, but The Owl House doesn’t really have that expansive of a magical world. Granted, it’s a character driven series, it doesn’t NEED to have a GRAND landscape filled with adventure, it needs a place that the characters can interact and hang out in. It’s totally fine to tell small-scale stories in a small, contained area. There’s just two problems with that: For one, Dana Terrace clearly wanted a larger narrative near the end of Season Two, and doing so led to realizing how little we’ve seen of the Isles. More than that, it makes a fan like me realize I simply don’t care about the rest of the Isles. I care about the primary characters and I don’t want anyone to die, but I also realized that I don’t have the same strong connection to the Isles that Luz does because I haven’t much of it.

As for problem number two, it feels like a waste to limit such an interesting realm. Everything is either near or in Bonesborough, while occasionally moving through forests during SOME adventures. There’s an entire ISLAND to explore and we mostly stay in one area. What’s crazy is that, after Season One wrapped up, Dana Terrace did a Q&A where she promised that Season Two would have more island exploration. And all we really did was see a new city and a FEW islands that were only made for one-off adventures. Granted, I think she promised this BEFORE being told that the show would get cut down, and it’s possible that plans had to change at the last minute, but it doesn’t change how the Isles feel smaller than they are. And with how interesting this world looks, it’s a shame we only get to see it in a microscope view instead of seeing it expanded. The story isn’t RUINED by this, it’s just a missed opportunity caused by spending most of Season One in the same five places and having no time to explore more. Fortunately, the show’s good at a lot of other things regardless of limitations.

Praise: They made something OUTSTANDING despite restrictions

And there are more than just THE BIG ONE. I’ll admit that The Owl House is one of the few shows that adjusted well to a forced cancellation, knowing exactly what to keep in the original plan, how to combine one plotline with another, and come up with an epic, satisfying ending even though it wasn’t the ending the writers originally planned. In all regards, The Owl House managed to soar past expectations and still make some really great episodes and specials when, for other shows, getting a shortened series may as well have been a death sentence (Just look at what happened to Danny Phantom). But as much as the show deserves this kind of praise, it’s also worth mentioning that a shortened series is NOT the only restriction the writers had to deal with. They also managed to surpass expectations when you remember EXACTLY what The Owl House is.

The Owl House, first and foremost, is a children’s cartoon on the Disney Channel. Because of that, there are ideas and elements that the writers and artists can’t go all the way with because Disney still wants to appeal to that family-friendly crowd. So when the show gets away with something that you wouldn’t expect, it makes you appreciate it all the more. Sometimes it’s getting incredibly dark, both in the story and it’s humor, and other times it’s as simple as showing two girls in love. This is a REALLY LGBTQIA+ friendly series produced by DISNEY, and that’s somehow more surprising than ninety percent of what happens in “Hollow Mind.” And that’s an episode filled with death, torture, and destruction, so that says a lot, really.

The Owl House, much like Gravity Falls and Amphibia, really tries to push the envelope of what’s okay for kids or not. To me, though, it feels like it managed to push things further, mainly because cartoons of the past really helped in pushing boundaries too but also because of how deeply it managed to strike a chord in me. Like, I was an ADULT by the time the first episode premiered. I was NOT in this show’s age range and yet I managed to be both impressed and invested with every episode and what it managed to do. And keep in mind, that’s not an easy task to accomplish. As I get older and older, the more I realize that cartoons meant for children aren’t meant for ME (Shocking, I know). Themes are fairly simple, stories are becoming predictable, and the humor’s definitely more for younger audiences and not just ME. So if a series made for children still manages to get strong reactions out of a schmuck my age, it’s clearly doing something right. That effect isn’t going to be the same for everyone, but I personally see it as the show doing something incredible. Dana Terrace wanted to tell a GREAT story with wonderful characters, all with themes and imagery that certainly challenge younger minds, and created JUST that…Though, the story itself isn’t exactly PERFECT.

Problem: There are noticeable retcons caused by the writers wanting to go in a different direction.

This isn’t new for ANY show, let alone serialized cartoons. Adventure Time basically improvised its lore and backstories on the spot, and every reveal and change is almost perfect with only the SLIGHTEST retcons to make it coherent. And don’t even get me STARTED on the things comics have done. Did you know that Alfred wasn’t Bruce Wayne’s family butler? He was just some wannabe detective that actively chose to work for Batman and Robin.

The point is that I get WHY retcons happen. Large or small, subtle or blunt, it’s all because the writers decide they want to tell the story differently and try to change things around so it can fit with everything else they’ve already written. At its best, you barely care that it happens. At its worst, it’s blatantly obvious and you can tell that the writers decided at the last minute that they didn’t like the direction they were going in. And The Owl House…is right between that.

Keep in mind, the changes the show made is almost never towards the story. The narrative is often kept intact regardless of forced shortenings and censorship. The only times the writers decided to make any changes was towards antagonistic characters that the writers wanted to be redeemable. Amity, Ed and Em, Alador, and The Collector are VERY MUCH different characters from how they were introduced and how the writers decided they SHOULD be written soon after. Amity is definitely the best written out of this lineup, as the writers already knew that she had to be redeemed sooner than later and laid out a plan to make it work. However, the plan kind of falls apart when they reveal Amity feels regret for being mean to Willow only to show no form of regret at all in “I Was A Teenage Abomination.” I went over that scene enough, but it still shows how flawed The Owl House is in changing course when it comes to these characters.

Even with changes that I like, it comes across as something more sudden instead of an idea they had from the start. If Edric and Emira were meant to be Amity’s support system, then why would they do something so heinous as leak her diary onto the internet? That’s not tough love, that’s reprehensible. And if The Collector was just a child who didn’t understand how dangerous they were, then why make him act so malicious in their introduction. Yes, it was in a memory and you could argue this is how Belos remembered the scene, but everything else was exact so why would JUST The Collector act differently? These are very clear cases of the show wanting to do something different but only AFTER they were too far into production with certain episodes and soon decided to change course when we see them next. I at least LIKE these changes, I prefer them, but there is ONE case where this type of decision making did NOT work out in everyone’s favor.

Yeah, let’s go ahead and beat the dead horse that is Alador’s redemption again. I originally said that I’m not TOO bothered by this. I get the intent and, to Dana’s credit, she DID state beforehand that Alador is more complicated than fans might think. So I get that redeeming Alador was always part of the plan, but given the strong negative reactions this decision had, especially from fans who have had BAD experiences with parents like him, it’s clear that the writers didn’t plan far ahead enough. You can defend this decision all you want. I’VE definitely tried. But there’s no escaping the fact that showing us Alador acting just as bad as Odalia only to LATER say he’s not is a bold and flawed choice that feels worse the more you think about it. 

Who knows why these particular changes were made to these characters after introducing us to them. Maybe it’s a decision of the writers that they didn’t think through or maybe it’s Disney influencing how some characters are written. One thing’s for sure, I don’t want to use the “There wasn’t enough time” excuse for this one. These were sudden retcons that weren’t properly done when it came to changing these characters. At the end of the day, I still PREFER these changes but I would have loved it if they were better eased into the series. Especially since the show IS good at taking its time for other things.

Praise: The writers waste no time giving fans exactly what they want in a timely manner.

Do you want answers to your fan theories? Do you want to see if a ship you love becomes canon? Do you want one narrative to be continued instead of pushed to the side to the point where it’s basically forgotten? Well, good news! The Owl House gives you pretty much what you want to see and you don’t have to wait that long to get it!

It always amazes me with how little time is wasted in The Owl House. Almost every episode has SOMETHING going on with it, whether it’s a story thread being continued, a relationship being developed, or a character you love making another appearance. The series is often good at delivering what the majority of fans want and doing so without really having that much input to work with. The first season and a half of The Owl House was being developed before any of the cast or crew were aware of how big of a fanbase they’d get and were already on their way in making fans satisfied. I mean, there were already Lumity fans hyper fixating on the ship LONG before “Enchanted Grom Fright” confirmed that they WILL become canon at some point. And even then, the writers still planned to feed the fans well by making it canon halfway through Season Two, potentially hoping to have more episodes in the series dedicated to these two nerds being in love. They planned something this special, not knowing how popular a ship Lumity would be. Just like how they planned to give Hunter a lot of attention without knowing he’d be a fan favorite character or make Steve the most lovable coven guard without expecting fans to love a SINGLE interaction he had with Lilith. I’m sure Dana Terrace and her writers went in hoping to make every character, relationship, and story excellent, but when you’re making something, you can never be too sure what fans are going to gravitate more to. So the fact that they managed to hit a bullseye over what the majority wanted is VERY impressive. Now, not EVERY fan is satisfied. There are some underrated concepts, characters, and relationships that some fans wished would have gotten more attention, both in the show and the fandom. I can certainly understand that, but I can also argue that it's more of you wanting more from The Owl House instead of appreciating what it already gave you. And yes, I know I just complained about not seeing more of the world not that long ago, but there’s a difference between wishing to see the creator of this insane world create more insane things…and wanting an episode dedicated to Emira Blight. Yeah, I’d like that too, but sometimes you need to judge what the creator and their writers gave you and not so much what YOU wanted.

When I say that The Owl House gave fans what they wanted, I’m almost always talking about the vast majority, and they certainly seem pleased enough. Especially with how they didn’t have to wait long to get what they wanted. There’s a total of TWO episodes that I’d consider filler because of how little they offered, both for the series and fans (You probably know which ones). The rest of the time, the show is perfect at delivering what it needs to, and it’s almost always at the right time in the series. Things are constantly moving forward, and it sometimes leads to a small complaint about how the show is badly paced. For me, though, I always describe the series as differently paced. We’re so used to shows that take their time building up to a ship becoming canon, carefully integrating characters into the main cast, or slowly writing out this big arc that when something like The Owl House practically speedruns the whole process, it causes this idea that its pacing must be off. Except that I never really think that it is, as almost every interaction these characters have often feels like a natural progression as you’re watching these people improve themselves and the relationships they have around them. Or the way they’re running out of time to solve these BIG problems leads to feeling the intensity of the situation as there’s not much room for error left for them. It creates a new experience compared to other shows and it makes sense why The Owl House in particular wastes no time. Some say that the writing was on the wall that the show wasn’t going to get that third season, I say…that Dana Terrace knows how things work with televised animation at Disney. The average lifespan of a Disney cartoon is three seasons. Very rarely does anything get four and it’s even RARER to get up to five. Not everything can be like Big City Greens where it’s basically The Simpsons but for kids. And keep in mind, this is a problem BEFORE streaming made things ten times worse for televised animation. Disney does NOT play the long game when it comes to their shows, with it often being inconsistent with what lasts long and what doesn’t. Dana likely expected her show wouldn’t get much time so she planned accordingly, getting to those big moments for the characters and story as quickly as possible without it feeling TOO quick. For the most part, I still say that the final result is handled well, giving fans exactly what they want with little to no fluff or filler…However, there are SOME cases where I can’t help but admit–

Problem: The series clearly needed another season. 

Stop me if you heard this before: This aspect of The Owl House would have worked better–

“--if the show had enough time.”

Yeah, you get it by now. EVERYONE gets it by now. It’s the main criticism thrown around a lot, being applicable to a good amount of the show’s problems. Not EVERY issue, mind you, as Lilith’s redemption in particular is still all kinds of rushed BEFORE the writers were told they only have a season and three specials to wrap up the series. Regardless, The Owl House is a series that is BURSTING with potential with dozens of characters, story concepts, and themes, only to be restricted with how much they can cover. And oftentimes, the end result is still GOOD. I almost never feel like there’s an aspect of the show that was handled poorly with the time that the writers were given. Yet, as good as everything is, I can’t help but often feel like it could have been handled better. Luz’s conflict about choosing the Isles or the Human Realm, Willow and Amity’s friendship, and Raine’s rebellion are just SOME of the things that would benefit with a longer series. And the thing is that I’m not blaming the WRITERS for most of this. They were given a bad hand and tried to deal with it in the best way they could. I still stand by that what they made is AMAZING regardless of how little time they had, even if it’s clear that some ideas had to be cut out entirely or get rushed to an adequate conclusion. It isn’t perfect, but our favorite media rarely is.

Still, I won’t say this fixes EVERY problem in the show. An extra season would have benefited in giving more characters and narratives focus, allowing the writers to further explore these ideas they had better, but not necessarily helping the OTHER problems in the series, especially ones I’ve mentioned before in this part alone. Having more time just allows the writers more of a chance to let the series BREATHE and fully expand on what was necessary. As is, The Owl House will forever be one of the most popular cases, to me, where a show reaching perfection got held back by a network limiting how much they could have done. It’s not the first, it likely won’t be the last, unfortunately, but it’s still one that comes to my mind frequently. And a part of me can’t help but wonder what could have been if the series was allowed to go on longer. As well as make assumptions as to why it wasn’t, because so far the best bet is that it has to do with the NEXT praise I have with the series.

Praise: It has GREAT diversity.

Before you say the shortening ISN’T because of diversity, Disney is currently trying to scrub out any sense of transgender storyline out of its popular programming and seems a bit too keen to end shows early that continues to diversify casts and normalize certain aspects in society. So don’t F**KING tell me that there’s not any other reason The Owl House suddenly didn’t fit the brand, when the higher ups are making it clear that they want the brownie points for being inclusive but don’t want to go too far to scare off their conservative audiences! Well, guess what! THEY’RE not getting the brownie points, Dana Terrace and the writers are…And they really do deserve it.

The Owl House has a pretty colorful cast, to say the least, with the majority of the primary characters being people of color with only a handful of white people thrown in. And pretty much all of them are on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, highlighting and normalizing different sexualities, genders, and gender norms with the show explicitly stating it, implying it, or having the cast and crew come in to confirm or deny certain headcanons. I know we should take Hunter and Willow being bi and pan with a grain of salt because DANA confirmed it instead of putting it in the show…but is it really going to stop anyone? I think when your show has two thirds of your main trio be confirmed bisexuals, I say it’s perfectly fine to believe that anyone in the show can at least be a LITTLE gay, confirmation be damned. The show is very LGBTQIA+ friendly, like I said earlier, with several characters that many people can see themselves in. Though, some viewers to have notes about how…perfectly accepted races and sexualities are, as that’s not exactly realistic or it ignores the experience that many people tend to go through. To that I say…valid, but I get why it’s not exactly handled here.

Dana Terrace has gone on record that she wanted to create a world without any REAL discrimination for the sake of escapism. Kids likely get too much of that crap enough, and this is a way to appreciate watching characters who look like them, act like them, and seeing it without being reminded of what the real world’s like. The Owl House is a series to help children feel seen without reminding them of the stress they have to go through. Would it be a BOLD choice to talk about the homophobia and racism in the Human Realm and the culture shock Luz faces when she realizes that doesn’t exist in The Boiling Isles? Absolutely. But I do feel like, because The Owl House is a kids’ show, you gotta keep the kids happy. Doing that means showing them that who they are is NORMAL and they shouldn’t feel shame for it. I don’t hold it against the series to do things like make Camila accept Luz’s sexuality, I just think it's beautiful that this series is telling kids they can and WILL be accepted by the right people. Unfortunately, that’s not going to be the case for everyone, but I still say it’s good to tell kids that there’s nothing wrong with who they are.

Another benefit is that because The Owl House is a kids show, it teaches kids, specifically white and/or straight kids, that there’s nothing wrong with ANYTHING The Owl House presents. The color of a person’s skin does not stop you from seeing yourself in them. That person’s sexuality also doesn’t stop them from being nice or welcoming. Gender? It doesn’t matter because this show goes out of its way to prove gender’s a social construct, if anything else. A girl can dress up as a boy, a man can dress up more flamboyantly, and some characters can just say “screw two genders” altogether and be non-binary. Heck, one of the short-term antagonists has He/They pronouns, that the characters inexplicably respect despite not knowing The Collector has he/they pronouns, proving that no matter what a person is like, you should still acknowledge what labels they go by. And that’s GREAT! Normalization educates kids who AREN’T part of these races or sexualities that they should be ACCEPTING of it. It’s okay if two girls want to kiss, it’s okay for two men of different races to raise a daughter, and it’s okay for a Black kid to be one of the highest performing kids in his grade. Even if SOME parents get so mad at these ideas that they break their child’s TV and Funko pop collection (That happened, by the way. It’s a core memory I have when seeing this show trend on Twitter once).

The Owl House doesn’t NAIL the full experience of all these groups, but that’s not entirely a HUGE detriment to the series. A kid is going to see Lumity become canon for the first time and feel happy to know that they’re not alone in this world. They’re going to see great characters like Raine and see that it’s good to look and be a certain way. It’s less about educating kids about the culture of lives these types of people might have, but it’s perfect in teaching children that there’s nothing wrong with being a certain way. I feel like the writers deserve SOME type of credit for what they wanted to do, because that in of itself is ADMIRABLE…But admittedly, there is ONE note that can’t be denied.

Problem: It puts a LOT more importance on the WHITE characters.

You remember that handful of white characters I mentioned earlier? Well, they seem to be the writers’ favorites with how often they get more attention than the POCs.

“But the main protagonist is an Afro-Latina!”

That she is…but how much do we know about Luz’s history and family compared to Eda’s? Or compared to Amity’s? Hell, you could argue that we know more about BELOS than Luz. We learn it through portraits in the background of his mind, but we still learn.

“So, what? You think that the writers are RACISTS?!”

I did not say that. I never said that. NO ONE who brings up this criticism has ever said that. The writers aren’t racists for putting a lot more attention on their whiter characters as opposed to the NON white ones. The non-white characters are still well-written and highly regarded in the fandom, with some having more popularity than most of the white characters. In fact, I think I see more fan art of Skara than I do of Viney, despite both having very little presence in the series. The writers did good at making us love the characters who are POC and wrote them to be endearing to anyone regardless of race. There’s just this imbalance between them and the white characters, and it gets more noticeable in Season Two when the fandom’s favorite white boy gets a prominent role in SIX episodes while his half-Korean girlfriend is forced to share one with him. And share HALF a role with her white best friend. And keep in mind, I…wouldn’t willingly trade away Hunter’s screen time. I love Hunter, and so does the majority of the fandom. INCLUDING the POC fans, who don’t like it when white critics talk FOR them in saying that only racists can like Hunter. I’ve seen it. But as much as I love Hunter and his story, I would ALSO love it if Willow got just as much attention in the show as he did.

“Well, maybe if the show had more time—“

Don’t do it. Don’t even try it. Alright? Because I told you, the extra season would have fixed a lot of problems but not ALL of them. This imbalance started becoming more of an issue as early as the FIRST half of Season Two, a portion of the series already written before the writers were told that the show would get cut down. In that first half, fans were already pointing out how little screen time characters like Willow and Gus were getting despite being in a close, chaotic friendship with Luz. The first season started with them being major characters, and now it felt like they were being written out of the plot. In an episode where Luz, Gus, and Willow are ALL expelled, it’s mostly about the family drama Amity has with her parents while Willow and Gus do nothing to save Luz so AMITY can look the most badass and Luz gets a crush on her. In an episode where Luz is too sick to go on an adventure, AMITY gets to go and help reform HUNTER, while Willow and Gus have to stay behind and look after Luz. And even then, they don’t do anything. They just sit there listening to whale songs with Hooty as they remain ignorant to a crisis. Plus, while Gus may have HALF an episode to himself, he’s playing second fiddle to Lumity getting closer to canonicity. Meanwhile, Willow got squat, despite being the third person Luz met in the Isles that became an important part of her life and having a ton more prevalence in the previous season. I first dismissed it as maybe it’s because Willow’s arc of finding confidence came to a complete end in Season One, so maybe they didn’t know what else to do with her…but looking back, that’s a pretty flimsy excuse. A completed arc doesn’t mean a show should just STOP using that same character. You just need to find more uses for them other than being someone defined by their relationships.

“Well, what if people thought Willow was boring?”

I mean…Fair? Kind of? Not everyone’s going to like the same characters and if one isn’t your cup of tea then you’re not really going to miss seeing them, regardless of what race they are. I remember seeing Schaffrillas’ review of the first half of Season Two, and he definitely didn’t shed a tear to there being not much Willow content because he found Willow so boring. However, just because it’s not YOUR favorite character, that doesn’t mean it’s NO ONE’S favorite. And after just going over how important it was that this series makes kids of any race feel seen in this dumpster fire we call a planet, it still feels unfair that those same characters are often pushed to the side so that the whiter ones can take more attention. The cast, crew, and FANS pride themselves on how good the representation is, but as good as things are, the imbalance is what makes it imperfect.

WOOF…That was heavy. Maybe we should move onto a lighter topic?

Praise: Its drama is SUPER compelling.

I said LIGHT–Aw, screw it, this is good to talk about.

As I mentioned earlier, I am a grown-ass adult man. So the fact that this show made for literal children managed to get me so invested in its drama is a TESTAMENT to how good it is. When a character cries, I’M almost moved to tears. When someone’s in danger, I feel nervous for them. When the main character is dying before my eyes, I’m screaming like The Punisher as he’s strapped to the chair while begging for these masked men to not kill his family! That is NOT an exaggeration, I still remember the trauma and it’s the main reason I don’t willingly rewatch “Watching and Dreaming” most of the time. And no, that’s not a joke either, it’s…it’s a heavy scene from a heavy episode…

But that’s my point. This show often leaves me an emotional wreck in a way that’s on the level with a few shows that are meant for adults. Again, THE SHOW FOR CHILDREN is making me feel the strong emotions that I would for any adult series. Not all of them, mind you, and it’s entirely possible that not everyone would feel this way…But you want to know WHY it works so well for ME? The same reason why everything else works in The Owl House: The characters.

That’s more than just a fourteen year old biting the dust, that’s my FAVORITE CHARACTER. Hell, she’s probably one of my favorite characters in all of fiction, one I was endeared with through forty plus episodes of her wacky hijinks and lovable antics. So when she goes through something heavy like the cold embrace of DEATH, I’m naturally going to feel worried and sad over her going through it. And that’s just the SERIES FINALE! All the way back in Season One, my heart cracked in half at the end of “Agony of a Witch” when Luz collapsed and started crying her eyes out over Eda being gone. I love this character, I love the relationships she has, and I love the characters IN those relationships. And it’s a good thing I do, because otherwise the drama would not have hit as well if these characters weren’t likable.

Even the personalities of the cast often helps aid the drama. If a happy and optimistic character like Luz is starting to feel doom and gloom, you KNOW things are starting to get dark. And if the usually confident Eda is bursting into tears because she’s feeling the pressure of being unable to protect her kids, then that just proves how bad things really got. It’s not only proof of how good the characters are, but how genuinely good the writing is. These writers aren’t messing around, making something adults can appreciate but never really going TOO intense for kids…most of the time. “Hollow Mind” is STILL very messed up.

And it’s good that the drama is so well-done because the comedy…sure isn’t.

Problem: Its comedy is often hit or miss

I’ve said it once, I’ve said it again, and I might say it once more in the future. But The Owl House…just isn’t that funny to me. Not always.

When the jokes hit, they’re hilarious. My mind always goes to “The choosey hat” bit or Hooty’s…general Hootyness when I think of what makes me crack up with this series. When it’s good, it’s great. When it’s not…it’s like a C-Grade MCU movie.

*Dodges gunshot*

More specifically, it’s sometimes what the internet THINKS a C-Grade MCU movie is like.

*Dodges several gunshots*

Yeah, hate me all you want, it really does feel like that at times. Not ALWAYS, but often. There’s just a lot of moments that a joke feels forced in because we gotta make the kiddos laugh between all this magic and adventure, and it’s awkward every time. Gus noting how Luz must run fast because humans have dorsal fins is on level with that glob thing in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantummania wishing he had holes. Or how Luz, after making this big hero speech being met with nothing, says, “Not the response I was expecting…” That’s on the same level of someone going, “Well, that just happened.” It’s pretty much the show’s humor at its worst, and it often makes me roll my eyes instead of smile.

“Well, maybe your first mistake was expecting a kids show to make you laugh.”

Okay, fair point. I DID just say that these are basically jokes to make kids in the audience laugh, so maybe it’s just a thing where I’m too mature for these jokes…Counterpoint: Hilarity knows no age. Because Gravity Falls, a show meant for the same age range as The Owl House, still makes me laugh as an adult, just as much as it would when I was a kid. And if you wanna go further than that, an episode of Bluey, a show for MUCH younger audiences, manages to crack me up far more easily than The Owl House ever has. Being a kids show isn’t what holds back The Owl House’s humor. It’s just…not that funny. Not to me. If it is for you, more power to ya. But for me, I feel like the reason why it didn’t work so well is because Dana Terrace didn’t put too much of a priority on humor. There was more attention put on the characters, themes, and eventually telling darker narratives that the show being FUNNY became something they didn’t worry too much about. Everything else seemed to have come first, with jokes being on the bottom of the list. There were some great laughs to have, and a few cute chuckles sprinkled in, but most of the time, it’s just not that uproarious.

And that’s it…That’s the last thing I have to say about The Owl House…And it’s a nitpick that’s more subjective, if anything else…That’s not fair. After spending six parts and about three years talking about why I love this series, it’s unfair to end it with “The show’s not funny.”

So, instead, let’s end it by finally answering this big ol’ question that’s at the beginning of every post: Why do I love The Owl House? Really, why is it THIS SHOW that’s stuck with me for so long and one that I’ve obsessed over for about five years now? It’s not really the best animated series ever made. It’s not even the best made within the last five years (Have you SEEN Arcane?!). So why is it that it’s The Owl House the show I obsess over? The show that I’ve written fan-fics, analysis posts, and entire reviews to show my appreciation for it? The show that I’ve dedicated FIVE YEARS of my life hyping up as one of the biggest things of the decade? Well, to put it bluntly…It just is.

That’s not a BIG answer, I know, but it’s the truth. The Owl House is something that I love because it did all the right things in all the right ways at the exact right time. And it did it for me and MANY other fans who came together and voiced their LOVE for this wacky series produced by the company everyone hates. It’s not perfect, NO show is, but the imperfections never really mattered. They exist and I can’t blame people for feeling the need to point them out, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying the series. NOTHING can stop me from enjoying the series. Dana Terrace would have to come out as a transmisogynistic Nazi who loves the tears of puppies for me to turn away from this series, and even then…it won’t be an easy thing to do.

The Owl House is exactly why I’m here right now. I’ve gained friendships, followers, and had expressed my creativity because of this show. A show I NEVER expected to like and who KNOWS what would have happened if I decided to NOT watch that first episode late one night during college. For all I’m concerned, I might have become the…Lily Orchard to the Amphibia fandom or something…*Shudders*

Will The Owl House stand the test of time and be fondly remembered in the animation hall of fame? To be honest…not sure. Not a future seer. But will it stand the test of time in my heart? Most definitely. Because I may forget some shows and I might forget some aspects of this series like who was the voice of Luz or certain fan-made projects that got drowned out over the years (Remember the “Little Miss Perfect” Animatic?). However, I sincerely doubt, in the deepest part of my soul, that I’ll forget moments like THESE:

The Owl House is FAR from a perfect show. I know that’s true. But to me, no matter what people say, no matter how much better shows will come out…it’ll always FEEL perfect to me.

Thanks again to Dana Terrace and her crew for doing more than changing my life. You changed it for the better, and I’ll always be grateful for that…

[royal-they]

just a quick thing i wrote. it has spoilers for thanks to them and is mainly surrounding huntlow. 

-------------------------------------

The sky of the Boiling Isles looked as if fire had burned it. Its usual soft pink color blazed a deep red color. Around them it looked as if everything had been burned. Maybe it had. It had been months. Who knew what had happened. If anyone was even alive. 

Willow felt herself swallow a lump in her throat. She couldn’t think like that. She mustn't. She was the optimistic one. She was the one who lifted everyone's spirits. Even in the Human Realm when they all had no clue if they would ever be able to build a portal back home, it didn’t matter. Even if she could be sad she wasn’t going to let anyone know. Not even Gus or Hunter. If her pretending everything was okay gave them even a little piece of hope that’s all that mattered. Even if she had to hurt and pretend she wasn’t hurting just so the rest of them felt a little bit better so be it. Willow was the one who salvaged the broken pieces and made something of them. Willow was the one who quietly helped and comforted others. Willow didn’t care what happened to her. As long as her friends were happy nothing really mattered. No matter how much she hurt. 

They had all decided to rest for the night in the remains of one of the nearby buildings that had been destroyed. They were taking watch in shifts while the others rested. Willow and Hunter had both volunteered the first shift. They sat outside the remains of the building watching the familiar yet unfamiliar world around them. 

Willow looked over at Hunter. He seemed lost. She didn’t blame him. After everything that happened she didn’t know how he was able to even stand up properly. Everything had been ripped from him. Just when he had finally started to feel okay, some sense of normality the universe had ripped it away from him. When would this poor boy stop being hurt? Could he ever catch a break?

Willow walked over to him. Her hand hovered over his shoulder but she decided against touching him. He seemed a bit on edge after everything that had happened. He hadn’t said anything to her. It hurt a little but she didn’t want to bother him. Too much anyway. 

“Hey.” 

“Hey.” He didn’t turn to look at her. He just kept staring at the sky. 

“What are you thinking about?” she asked, trying not to push him too much. 

“Not much.” 

“Really?” She said laughing a little, “Never would have expected that from you.”

Hunter didn’t respond. He traced the new scars that led up his arm. Willow flinched a little as she looked at him. His eyes had changed color and his hair had grown longer. She knew how much he hated the curl of hair in front of his face. She knew how horrible long hair made him feel. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how much these new scars on him hurt. 

“Are you going to cut your hair again?” she asked him. 

“I don’t know,” he mumbled “Seems kind of stupid to care about my appearance after everything that’s happened.”

“It’s not that you look bad,” Willow reassured him “I just know that you prefer having shorter hair.”

“Yeah,” he admitted softly, “but I don’t want to prioritize anything other than defeating Belos and the Collector.”

Willow reached for his left hand. He didn’t flinch. He barely reacted to her. He let her intertwine her fingers with his own. 

“Well if you’re not going to prioritize making you feel better than I’m going to.” He looked at her, surprised by these words. She held his gaze fiercely. His face flushed. She wasn’t backing away from this decision. Nothing he could say would change it. Willow wasn’t even going to let him try.

“I’m not worth your concern,” he whispered softly as he tucked a loose piece of hair behind her ear, “I’ll hold you back.”

“Hunter, since when has caring about you made me less powerful?” she asked, taking his right hand in her own as well. She wasn’t going to let him run away from her, he needed her. He needed her help, her to give him hope and she was willing to do so. So why did he keep pushing her away?

“I-” He stopped and looked at their hands and linked his fingers with hers holding them close to his face, “Sorry, you’re always powerful no matter what.”

“Well then let me help comfort you,” she hated how her voice cracked “why won’t you let me, why do you keep running away from me?”

She felt her eyes become hot as tears boiled in them. Hunter reached forward, softly brushing the tears away while not letting go of her hands. She leaned into his touch before drawing back a bit. She wasn’t the one who needed comfort. He was. 

“I’m always here Captain,” he said gently, “I promise I’m not running away from you.”

“Then tell me what's wrong, let me help you, let me listen to you.” She said, pulling his hands closer to her. 

“I will,” he said leaning closer to her, “but only if you let me do the same for you.”

Willow pulled back with surprise. No. She couldn’t let him focus on her. She wouldn’t let anyone try to take time to help her. They all mattered more. Isn’t that what she kept telling herself? 

Isn’t that what you keep telling Hunter not to think? 

She pulled gently on the hood of her costume trying to ground herself. Did she even know what she felt? What was she supposed to feel? Was she allowed to be sad? By her own logic she knew that she was. Normally her heart didn’t believe it no matter how much her head said otherwise. No matter how much anyone tried to convince her otherwise. 

But Hunter wasn’t just anyone. 

And her heart really believed in Hunter. 

A lot. 

“I’ll tell you,” he smiled a little when she said this, “but you have to tell me first.”

“Looks like you’ve got a deal, Park.” he joked, his lips quirking up into his usual goofy smile that she was so fond of. 

“So, Flapjack.” she said quietly. 

Hunter's smile fell quickly and he let go of her hands. 

“He shouldn’t have done that.”

“Hunter you were dying-”

“I don’t matter, he did.”

“You both matter a lot.”

“Are you saying you're glad he died?” He said sharply. It stung that he would even think such a thing about her.

“No,” she said sharply, “Flapjack is- was important to me.”

“You said ‘was.’” He countered crossing his arms. 

“Hunter, c'mon you know what I meant! You know I feel horrible about the fact that he had to sacrifice himself for you!”

He didn’t say anything. He caved in and rested his forehead on her shoulder. 

“Flapjack should have let me die.”

“Hunter-”

“Willow please,” He whispered, “Just stop caring about me, nobody should.”

She pushed him off her softly, holding his shoulders so he had to look at her. 

“Hunter,” she said firmly, “I’m not nobody and I'm not going to stop caring about you.”

“Sorry I shouldn’t have said nobody-”

“Hunter.”

He looked into her soft green eyes that seemed to pierce through him.

“You matter a lot to me, nothings going to change that no matter how hard you try.” 

He didn’t say anything. Had she messed up? Was he upset? Was he going to argue with her? What if-

Hunter wrapped his arms around her waist and gently pressed his forehead against hers. 

“Same to you Captain.”

Willow blushed fiercely, pressing her face into his chest so he wouldn’t notice. He didn’t say anything. They didn’t need to. Willow and Hunter. Hunter and Willow. They mattered to each other immensely. Even when the other trapped themselves in a void of nothing but self hatred the other would always be there to help them out. 

“Does my hair really look bad?” he asked her with a small laugh. 

She glanced up at him quickly before holding him tighter. She looked up and smiled at him, amusement causing her eyes to glimmer slightly. Hunter blushed slightly as she started to ruffle up his hair softly. 

“You’ve never looked bad,” she said gently combing his curly piece of hair back behind his ear with her fingers, “but I also know you don’t like your hair like this.”

“Hmmm,” he hummed softly, pulling her slightly closer to him, “It does remind me a lot of Belos.”

“I’m going to burn that lump of slime into dust the second I see him.” Willow growled angrily. 

“I don’t know if fire works on him.” Hunter said thoughtfully. 

“Well I’ll find something that does then.” she decided. 

Willow noticed how the sky had turned purple while they were talking; the night slowly claiming the land. Maybe this world hasn't changed too much. She looked up at Hunter. Though his eyes had turned a soft brown and his face was covered with even more scars the expression on his face was familiar. She smiled as she gently placed her right hand under his chin tilting his face slightly so their noses almost touched. 

“I’ll cut your hair as soon as we get the chance.” Willow said.

“Okay.” was all he managed to say as she leaned into him.

Willow closed her eyes and pressed her lips gently against his. Hunter blinked, surprised by her actions but closed his eyes leaning towards her. Willow ran her fingers through his hair again, completely lost in their kiss. 

—----------------------------------------

Gus woke up and rubbed his eyes trying to remember where he was. He was supposed to take the next watch. The moon was shining and the sky was a deep purple. Hunter and Willow had clearly extended their shift. Why did they have to be so stupidly selfless all the time? Gus got up to go tell the both of them to get some rest. 

“Hey both of you, I’m going to take my shift now.”

He peaked out of the remains of the building to see Hunter and Willow quickly move their heads away from each other. They held each other in their arms and the two blushed a red almost as deep as the color of the sky had been earlier. Gus rolled his eyes. 

“If you two want to keep making out or whatever that's fine but someone should really be keeping watch.”

Willow pulled her hood over her head as much as she could out of embarrassment while Hunter quickly brought his hands to his sides and awkwardly sat down on the ground next to where Willow was standing. 

“You guys should sleep,” Gus said gently, “I can keep watch.”

“Nope,” Hunter said, “You can both go to bed, I can keep watch.”

“Oh my titan Hunter, how many times are we going to have to tell you that you shouldn’t sacrifice your sleep?” Gus asked, crossing his arms. 

“Well I-”

“Hunter, I think it would be best if you went to bed at some point.” Willow said gently brushing her fingers against his left shoulder. 

He looked up at her and sighed, “Fine but make Amity take this shift or something, Gus shouldn’t lose sleep.”

Willow laughed, “I’m going to tell her you said that.”