#the owl house twisting tides

[slackerartist]

Remember what I have said that I would be using the Puppet Luz character idea from the test animation/Next Time On thing for Everest right?

Well... here he is, which I'm going to name him "Tsereve" (To pronounce his name correctly: Seh-rev)

Tsereve came from a type of species known as a "Mirror Puppet Demon" who is essentially a complete copy of Everest that originally came from some mirror dimension via from a weird mirror that Everest has eventually found in the Boiling Isles junkyard while trying to find some stuff for some project over at Hexside.

But when Everest came in contact with the strange mirror however, Tsereve suddenly appeared.

[scuttlingcrab]

The Great Hunt

In Search of a Hammer

I recently discovered some rare dialogue where Raphael returns the Orphic Hammer to Tav if they “misplaced it.” Hilarious and perfect. Naturally, I had to write about Raphael finding out about Tav’s incompetence and jumping through hoops to return it to them before the last battle.

Summary: Raphael learns from Korrilla that Tav foolishly sold the Orphic Hammer in an attempt to earn some last minute gold. Raphael hunts down the Hammer before his dreams are destroyed forever.

Notes: This will be in 3 parts! Part 2 is now here: An Absolute Waste of Time. Part 3 is coming soon! 🥰

Link to my other work in the Devil's Archive.

(Image via keylana-dragon)

Rat-tat-tat. Rat-tat-tat. 

The gentle rapping on the door of the Devil’s Den was enough to disturb Raphael, to pull him from his current train of thought. He pursed his lips, letting out a stream of hot air from his scrunched nose like a vexed dragon. There was only one who knocked in such an irritating, irregular rhythm; always with a slight air of caution, as if they were already apologising for the sin they’ve yet to commit. Why must these damned creatures insist on such blatant trepidation in his presence? With all the interruptions as of late, he would’ve preferred at least a shred of authority with their actions.

“What is it this time, Korrilla?” Raphael snapped, slowly closing the diary he had been scribbling in. “You are becoming more irksome than a gaggle of babbling children.”

There was a long pause before the door to his suite creaked open, allowing in the sounds of rushed, heavy footsteps. The atmosphere in the room immediately shifted as Korrilla waited behind Raphael, his skin prickling as he sensed the tides turning. 

In all the years of service to Raphael, Korrilla only entered the room in such an undignified manner when there was a problem. The last time she barged into his quarters, disrupting a rendezvous with a client that had been years in the making; she announced that the Crown of Karsus had been stolen from Mephistopheles’ vault. 

Raphael interlaced his fingers atop the rosewood desk, squeezing his hands together as he waited for what felt like aeons for Korrilla to give her explanation. 

“Speak!” He barked, his words violently cutting through the silence. “You of all creatures should know that time is of the essence.” 

Korrilla coughed in surprise at the sudden outburst, nervously clearing her throat as she took a step forward. 

“Right, I uh. Well, see… You’re not going to like this…”

“Do not tell me my dear father has finally decided to pay me a visit?”

“Well… no, it’s not that bad, but…” She hesitated, her voice quivering. 

Raphael straightened his back, twisting like an owl so he could glare at Korrilla. She winced at the action, as if he had struck her.

“I’m afraid that, um… that little mouse, your favourite client? They’ve sold the Orphic Hammer.”

“They did what?!” 

“Needed the coin apparently. I tried to stop them, even went to the s–”

Raphael slowly turned away from Korrilla, loosening his hands. He placed his palms on the desk, digging his nails into the rosewood. The tips of his fingers glowed red as the piece of furniture burst into flames.

––

Mamzell Amira stood behind her counter near the entrance of Sharess’ Caress, leaning against a small bookshelf. She had her arms crossed, squeezing them just enough against her chest to show a healthy amount of cleavage. 

Her prized house of pleasure was bustling, the busiest it had been in years, and all thanks to Lord Gortash’s recent coronation. She could just about hear the sound of gold ringing in the pockets of lustful customers as they crammed into her establishment, wanting a taste of what Sharess’ Caress had to offer. Her accounts would indeed be plentiful after that day alone, helping her relieve a few more debts that had been stacking up as of late. 

Mamzell’s gaze drifted back to the young half-elf in front of her, who could still not meet her eyes without blushing. She had been stuck in a conversation with him for the last hour, trying to coax him out of that shiny shell of his. The boy had a handsome face and dark eyes that told her a different story, one of a raging beast lurking beneath the surface of that sheepish disposition. He had a lot of potential and she knew the perfect pairing for him…

Out of nowhere the entire building shook frantically, as if the walls trembled in fear. The room became silent as everyone waited for the tremors to end, but they only got worse. Another earthquake? And so soon? But no… deep shouts reverberated through the ceiling, getting louder and louder, causing the windows to shatter and the lights to flicker sporadically. She could just about recognise that voice… No matter, whoever that was, they better leave a generous tip. 

“As I was saying, sweetling; my expertly trained courtesans can elicit all sorts of reactions from lucky patrons...” 

—— 

The Devil’s Den was ablaze. The wooden ceiling groaned as it continued to warp from the blistering heat. Thick flames consumed everything as it moved across the suite, making its way towards Korrilla.

Korrilla crawled in the direction of the door, desperately trying to escape the inferno. Raphael stood in the centre of the room, hellfire bursting from his body like an erupting volcano. He shed his mortal skin, sneering viciously at Korrilla. 

“Mamzell Amira isn’t going to like this…” Korrilla shouted over the turbulent flames, concealing her mouth from the smoke with the sleeve of her dress.

“I’ll be damned what that wretched woman thinks, you insipid creature! She is bound to me regardless, so let her clean up this mess after I’m finished with you. In fact, I will burn this entire pathetic city to the ground. The Illithids will have nothing to claim but charred bones and ruins by the time they arrive.”

The ceiling fell behind Raphael, bringing a wine rack down with it. A large blast of embers continued to swirl around the Devil as wine bottles met the flames, exploding like fireworks. 

“Raphael, we need to get o–”

“Where did they sell it? Tell me at once!” 

“B-Beehives' General Goods… in the Lower City.”

Raphael roared, flapping his wings and causing the fire to grow more ferocious, mirroring his temper. Of all the shops Tav could’ve approached, they had stooped so low as to sell it there. To one of the dullest, most idiotic merchants Raphael had encountered in the last century. If that imbecile desperately needed the coin, why didn’t they approach Raphael? Had he not offered them salvation? A way out of their impending fate? He had made it so easy, so effortless for them! All they needed to do was free Orpheus from those damned infernal bindings. He should have made it more of a challenge, maybe then they would’ve stuck to the script. 

The Devil lashed his tail, destroying what was left of the blackened desk and tearing up the remaining floorboards in the process. How could he have allowed himself to be so daft, to leave such an important part of his plan to mere mortals? If he failed now, when he was so close to the Crown, to his destiny, he would be known as the laughing stock of the Hells. The bards would make a mockery of him in song for all eternity. Raphael’s worst nightmare. 

Around him, the Devil’s Den and his dreams crumbled, turning to ash. No. No! He would not let that happen. There was still time to make amends. 

“Gird your loins, Korrilla.” Raphael bellowed.

“Wait, what? You can’t be–”

Raphael snapped his fingers, immediately sending Korrilla away to another plane. Temporarily banished. He didn’t care where he sent her, he just knew that if he had to look at that face for another second, he feared what he might do to her. The dwarf would prove useful in the days ahead and yes, she did meddle in his affairs from time-to-time, but she was a loyal servant. A strong warlock. She could survive anything. 

He’d find her later, for another scolding and a proper debrief, once the Hammer was back in the hands of that trying little mouse.

—— 

Oliver Tefoco prided himself in the Beehive General Goods. Somehow he still managed to keep his little shop afloat, even after the Absolute targeted the city’s main gates, putting the business in jeopardy. Oliver never thought he could run it by himself, not without his beloved wife, Kroyce, at his side. He had sent his wife and children away when the cultists attacked the city. And all for the best, really, who knew if and when they’d strike again. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had been truly alone; without the sounds of his wife’s idle chatter or his children’s laughter as they ran up and down those rickety old stairs. It was all too quiet now. Gods, he sure missed Kroyce, constant nagging and all... 

The merchant stiffened, immediately rising from his chair behind the counter, as if Kroyce might walk in at any moment. Perhaps he should tidy things up, just in case. It was getting a wee bit dusty in there and besides, there had been no other guests since that dishevelled group of adventurers visited him hours ago. Selling him that strange hammer, he had never seen one quite like it in all his years as a merchant.

He might as well keep himself busy. It’s what Kryoce would do.

Oliver ventured into the kitchen, returning a few minutes later with a rag and wooden bucket filled with water.

“Right…” Oliver muttered to himself, dabbing the rag in liquid. “Better get going.”

Oliver started his task by cleaning the shelves behind the counter, removing the contents from each level. Bottles of wine, potions, books and more books; he had practically everything. Perhaps too many things, maybe he should sell some bits and bobs at the next market. 

As he began clearing away the cobwebs, a strong scent of sulphur abruptly filled the room. The air felt heavy against his thin frame, and he found himself struggling to breathe. He paused, dropping the rag in the bucket. Did he leave the stove on? No, can’t be right. He didn’t remember… 

The merchant turned around and was unexpectedly face-to-face with a tall, dark haired man. Oliver let out a high pitched scream, nearly falling over backwards. 

The stranger loomed over Oliver, his eyes a peculiar golden colour, resembling the flickering flames of a candle. As Oliver stared back at the man, he noticed his skin sizzled, hissing like an overflowing kettle. How long had that man been standing there? He would have to check on that blasted door chime, that’s the second time this week it decided to stop working.

Oliver licked his lips, trying to swallow but realised his mouth was uncomfortably dry. His tongue stuck to the top of his hard palate. Sweat cascaded down his forehead, making his beard a soggy, droopy mess.

“H-hello, my good sir! How may I help an esteemed guest such as yo–”

“I am looking for a hammer.” The man’s voice was deep, intoxicating. 

“A h-hammer, you say? Why, I have plenty. Hammers for building, s-smithing –” 

“No, no…” The man slowly raised his finger, shaking it side-to-side. Oliver could’ve sworn he saw a spark fly from those fingertips. “This is no ordinary hammer.” 

“I-I only have ordinary goods, sir. P-please if you are not satisfied, might I also offer you some light nibbles, perhaps? Or maybe some potions to cure any–” Oliver started going through the rest of his usual spiel in an attempt to calm his nerves.

“You will listen to me.” The stranger growled in response, taking a step towards Oliver. “Someone came into your shop today, selling you a hammer, did they not?”

Oliver’s mouth hung open in confusion and he scratched his head, staring at the man in front of him. The stranger's face turned into a terrifying scowl as Oliver continued to gape. There was something familiar in his face, the way he talked, moved, those fancy clothes… Where had he heard that voice before? And those eyes…

“Did they not?” The man said again, his tone rising.

“Uh, yes? Hold on…” 

The stranger perked up slightly, but his eyes remained stern. He edged closer to Oliver.

“A funny dwarf woman came in here earlier,” Oliver continued, “asking the same type of questions. But I will tell you the same thing I told her. I am not giving away any information. No sir. Those are my rules–”

“Where is the hammer?” The man's voice rumbled through his chest. The room was sweltering and Oliver leaned against the wall for support, feeling woozy. He sniffed the air, smelling something new, something burning. Smoke rose from the feet of the stranger. 

“L-listen here, sir.. I mean no trouble, but I don’t do business with thugs. If that woman is going to send her goons after me, well–”

Oliver never considered himself a brave man. He practically avoided conflict his whole life, save for that one time he punched a man in the face, due to a misunderstanding. He often thought about what he’d do if he was ever threatened, he had no idea how to hold a sword and knew just the basic fundamentals of magic. Despite that, he felt pretty confident he could take on that stranger. No matter how weird he smelled, or how the ground caught fire where he stepped. Just an illusion, that’s what Kryoce would say. 

The stranger raised his hand, and Oliver put up his fists, preparing to counter whatever attack came his way. The man pressed his thumb and middle finger together and Oliver gasped. Long black nails protruded from his fingertips, reminding Oliver of... claws.

The man snapped his fingers and Oliver suddenly found the world around him very, very big. 

—— 

It was impossible for Raphael to keep calm as he tore through the Beehive General Goods. He had turned the entire residence upside down as he searched for the Hammer, plundering the top floors and basement like some sort of petty thief. He ripped through the walls and floorboards in the off chance the merchant hid the Hammer there. 

The Devil knew what merchants were capable of. He had dealt with many in his career, and they were always hiding something, withholding important information if it might make them just an extra bit of coin. There was nothing of value in that so-called shop anyways. Rubbish, the lot of it. And still, no Hammer to be found.

Raphael had been reckless, he would never dare show his cambion form outside of the usual safe houses. It was dangerous to do so in Baldur’s Gate, but he had no other choice. Time was running further away from him the more he dawdled, searching for the Hammer. Raphael would be the least of that merchant’s worries, let alone the entirety of Faerûn, if Tav didn’t have the Hammer soon. 

The sound of glass breaking pulled Raphael away from his internal monologue. A large rat darted across the floor, running back and forth in a rapid attempt to find a hole to hide in. Raphael grinned as he knelt down, picking up the creature by its tail. It dangled in his fingers, squirming. 

“My dear, dear merchant. Are you ready to give me an answer? Or do you prefer being a slimy little rat? I would say, this look suits you quite well. Although, it would be bad for business, don’t you think?” 

Raphael squeezed the rat’s tail tighter and it screeched. 

“Good. Now, let’s try this again. Where is the Hammer?”

To be continued…

[tedturneriscrazy]

I just finished watching the leaked Owl House pilot, and one thing that struck me is how much better it was at showing how Luz was an outcast back at home and how that made her feel as a result. The whole motif of "Us weirdos have to stick together" felt a lot more personal and less like a lesson was being blatantly stated. And, of course, her final interaction with Eda about her drawing melted my heart.

Also, I think I said something similar about Separate Tides, but man, I always forget how fucking funny this show is. Yeah, there were some jokes we saw in the final product, but the extended book report sequence and the twist that it was in geometry class was hilarious.

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention Amity's presence here. Kinda wild how she was originally not just present but the reason Luz ended up in the Boiling Isles in the first place. Not to mention the seeds of their relationship being planted much earlier, with the complexity clearly evident.

Do I think every aspect of this pilot would have made a better show? Not necessarily, and I'm pretty happy with what we got. However, it would have been interesting to see a show that stuck more closely to this original vision.

[that-ari-blogger]

A New Face (Separate Tides)

During its second season, The Owl House had hit its stride and wasn't slowing down. This is my favourite season, and that isn't an unpopular sentiment.

Separate Tides is the opening episode of this season, so it needs to recap the previous goings on and themes in a cohesive way for new viewers, and take the series in a different direction that stays loyal to those themes and plotlines. I think this episode does that well.

But this isn't a summary blog, this is a blog where I find something needlessly specific and gush about the implications of that something.

So... The Golden Guard is so ****ing cool.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD (The Owl House, The Harry Potter Series)

I've mentioned in the past that The Owl House uses archetypal storytelling to a truly masterful degree. It takes tropes and meets them on a superficial level, then twists them in a way that adds depth and makes the series unique.

For example, the series is directly drawing inspiration from the works of Robert Galbraith, with Willow being the bullied kid with a passion for herbology, and Amity being the school bully who definitely has a crush on the main character. Both take the archetype and shake it up a bit, as is the way with parody, but the baseline is there.

This leans into the themes of being your own person rather nicely, as it makes the deviations from the archetype more important.

I took great pains to point out that Luz is the only character who doesn't fit the mould at all. She has no analogue and is her own person completely. She has nothing to restrict her.

However, leaves the analogue for the actual protagonist of Galbraith's books. Obviously, not every character from the series is parodied, but the chosen one main character seems like a weird one to miss out on.

I would argue that Mr Potter does have an analogue, Hunter Whittebane (Or Hunter Noceda or Hunter Demonne or even Hunter Clawthorn. Whichever name you prefer, its the same guy).

He is a child soldier, raised by his uncle and manipulated into giving his life away for the cause by an old wizard. He bears a scar on his face, and is technically half witch, half human.

Although we don't actually see any of that in Separate Tides. Instead, we are introduced to the Golden Guard, a character who is suave and cool and confident.

The first time we actually see this character is in the final scene of the previous season.

"Worry not, Kiki. We'll be keeping an eye on the inhabitants of the Owl House."

The Golden Guard is a goon, an elite goon, but a goon none the less. He is simply a character whom Belos turns to in order to get the job done.

But, I find the use of vernacular here interesting. Belos doesn't refer to the Golden Guard with any name, or even as a separate entity from himself. Not "he will be watching them" or "this is the Golden Guard, I trust him to get the job done". This character is referred to as "we". He and Belos are connected. This character is simply Belos' eye.

Then, in Separate Tides, it is established that, when Lilith fell from grace, she was replaced by the Golden Guard.

"He always got special treatment because he was the genius teen prodigy. But he's really just a brat."

So, this is a child, but a gifted child. Lilith is dismissive here, but not of the Golden Guard's skill, just his personality. This is someone for whom things come naturally, allegedly, and who has never had to work for his abilities. Allegedly.

"Unfortunately, you won't have the chance."

The Golden Guard's first line is just cool. He is calm and collected. He is in control. And he has just easily captured one of the protagonists.

I also love the little fact that he has spent the entirety of this voyage in a dimly lit room, eating crackers. The room has nothing to do in it except books. So, he was definitely just sitting there, reading, and had to improvise when King burst into the room. He's a bookworm with an ability to think on the spot.

I'm saying this guy would definitely play Pathfinder or D&D if he was given a chance.

Anyway, the Golden Guard's actual introduction comes fourteen minutes into the episode, and it immediately sets this guy up as a threat. He's martially competent, magically adept, and fully in his element. This is a character who revels in control, just like the Emperor.

And that link to Belos is interesting. Because forgive me for asking, why would an Emperor's elite goon be a child? As in, there has to be a connection to Belos beyond what meets the eye for the Golden Guard to be anywhere near where he is.

We don't get told that here, but we do see that this character's skillset is kinda similar to Belos', in theory. He's commanding, and he gets people to do what he wants. But in practice, this isn't Belos at all. This is someone trying very hard to be like Belos, but coming at it from a different angle.

I do, however, think that the Golden Guard's greatest strength as a goon is revealed subtly in this scene.

"The Emperor ordered me to slay one. I'm just following orders."

We've seen through Lilith in the previous season that Belos covets blind loyalty, and that is what the Golden Guard offers him. He doesn't know or care why the Emperor does what he does, he just follows orders.

Essentially, the Golden Guard is a traditional Disney villain at this point. He is fun, bisexual, charismatic, and a physical threat. The Golden Guard we get introduced to is enjoyable to watch, and it sounds like Zeno Robinson is having a blast voicing him.

However, there is one element of the Golden Guard that we get introduced to in this episode that might fly under the radar. The Owl House is no stranger to masks, and people putting on a show to get the job done, but when we are first shown the Golden Guard in this episode, he is taking it off.

The intro sequence of this season features three characters who are under Belos' command. Lilith, The Golden Guard, and Kikimora. It then unmasks them, with Lilith becoming apologetic, and Kikimora becoming more aggressive. But the Golden Guard sits between them, removing his own mask to reveal... a single purple eye.

The eye is the window to the soul, of course. But there is something to the manner in which this is happening. Kikimora has been angered to the point of lashing out, and Lilith has been brought low with remorse. The Golden Guard, however, is lowering his own mask and staring directly at you with an air of "I'm doing this of my own accord. I see you, you see me, your move."

I wonder if agency is going to be a theme with this character.

Final Thoughts

I love Hunter so much it is obscene, and there is a ton of ambiguity about him right from the bat. What is his stake in this? Who actually is he? And why does he have a purple eye?

As for the rest of this episode, Luz's guilt is starting to be expressed. In my opinion that is for the first time, but I have heard it said that this isn't a new character trait for her.

And Lilith... *sighs* There is a sentiment online as to the expedience of Lilith's redemption arc. Some people like it, others think she should have been "punished" more, and I would like to take a third rout.

I don't believe in punitive justice for fictional characters, and I certainly don't believe in telling writers how they should write. I do, however, think that it could have been slightly more interesting if the consequences of cursing Eda were explored more psychologically.

In any case, however, the series we got is the series we got, and I think it is perfectly fine, if not better, as it is. I don't see a point in getting angry online over what could have been.

Next week, I am looking as Escaping Expulsion and boy, do I have thoughts about Odalia Blight. So, stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

[most-tragic-character-tournament]

To tide y’all over until the bracket is finished, here’s a list of every fandom in the tournament! Sorted by when each got its first submission.

It takes time to make the bracket cuz I gotta arrange all of these to be at least semi-equal in popularity to each other, and then make all the edited photos. I’ve been rather busy lately, but it should be up by tomorrow night :)

Minecraft Diaries

The Outsiders

God of War

Ace Attorney

Bungou Stray Dogs

Murdoch Mysteries

Yu-Gi-Oh!

The Raven Cycle

Lego Star Wars

Sanders Sides

Kamen Rider

Castle Swimmer

QSMP

The Magnus Archives

Lego Ninjago

FNAF

Half Life VR But The AI Is Self-Aware

Pokémon

DC Comics

Critical Role

Romeo & Juliet

Macbeth

Witch Hat Atelier

Final Fantasy

One Piece

Warrior Cats

Sonic

Chicory: A Colorful Tale

Trigun Stampede

The Owl House

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Fallout: New Vegas

MCU

Arthuriana

Tokyo Ghoul

Total Drama Island

Nimona

The Cable Guy

Paranatural

Marble Hornets

Marvel Comics

The Umbrella Academy

Life Series SMP

Fire Emblem

Julie and the Phantoms

Persona 5

Star Wars

Young Justice

Fullmetal Alchemist

Hamlet

The Shadowhunter Chronicles

The Young and the Restless

The Untamed // Mo Dao Zu Shi

Cooking Companions

Demon Slayer

John Wick

Pit People

Battleblock Theater

Star Trek

LittleBigPlanet 2

KinnPorsche

Midnight Museum

The Witcher

Teen Wolf

Beast Wars: Transformers

Lost

The Stormlight Archive

The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System

The Arcana

Jujutsu Kaisen

Ultraman Nexus

Antigone

Angel

Revolutionary Girl Utena

Edward Scissorhands

The Mechanisms

91 Days

Assassination Classroom

Death Note

Repo! The Genetic Opera

Pluto

Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger

Bokura

Mabinogi

Battle for Dream Island

Leverage

Twisted Wonderland

The Iliad

Call of Duty

Tangled: The Series

Team Fortress 2

The Goes Wrong Universe

Harry Potter

Bendy and the Ink Machine

DSMP

Live A Live

Real Life

Stranger Things

Malevolent

Red Dead Redemption 2

Ib (2012)

Spies Are Forever

Madoka Magica

Magia Record

My Hero Academia

Ravenous (1999)

Lifesteal SMP S4

Outsiders SMP

Phineas and Ferb

Empires SMP

Ruse of the TMNT

Origins SMP

Frankenstein

The Otterverse RP

GenLoss

Woe.begone

Danganronpa

Witch’s Heart

Project Sekai

The Silmarillion

The Lord of the Rings

Spider-Verse

Helluva Boss

Greek Myth

Percy Jackson

Limbus Company

Rain World

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

Homestuck

Markiplier

Mob Psycho 100

Lord of the Flies

Good Omens

Word of Honor

Just Roll With It

Subnautica

Witchcraft SMP

Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun

Realm of the Underlings

Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint

Clangen

Hadestown

Rats SMP

Steven Universe

The Hunger Games

Fate Grand Order

Arcane

Everymanhybrid

Nashville

Welcome to Dreamworld

The Dolls of New Albion

Pact Web Series

Brandon Rogers

Ghost Quartet

The Dragon Prince

Steam-Powered Giraffe

Six of Crows

Torchwood

Deltarune

Bojack Horseman

Epithet Erased

Steins;Gate

Casualty

Tale of the Nine Tailed

Cookie Run

Succession

Purple Hyacinth

The Wicked + The Divine

Outer Wilds

Carnosaur

Miraculous Ladybug

Transformers Comics

Legend of Zelda

Breaking Bad

Devil May Cry

Castlevania

Dragon Age

Smallville

RWBY

Undertale

The Locked Tomb

Mystic Messenger

Black Butler

Interview With a Vampire

Death By Dying

Higurashi When They Cry

Transformers Animated

Pirates SMP

All The Bright Places

Chulip

Ride the Cyclone

Grey’s Anatomy

Empire of Exiles

Octopath Traveler 2

Hello from the Hallowoods

The Burning Sands of Ma’ssob RP

[angelcloves]

Philip decides Hunter’s usefulness has reached its limits. In a twisted parallel to how he betrayed the Collector in King’s Tide, Philip covers Hunter with the cloak of his emperor uniform like he did with the Collector’s disc and gathers him in his arms to take him to the Skull so he can dispose him.

congrats on the hunter whomp wednesday slot this was a lot of fun to think about

[acaciapines]

maybe i'm dumb- what is the Big Reveal in ch3 of split tide? i've read it, but i don't- fully get what the reveal is meant to be, or which part is supposed to stick out?

yeah, course! luz and mari both are bad at Using The Actual Words, though we do see it stated explicitly at the start 1.5/teaching taboos:

...like all four nights since Eda found out Luz messed up and got herself Unsettled... [emphasis mine]

and it will continue to be explored and unpacked throughout the series. in split tide, luz and mari introduce themself as settled, and we learn in chapter three that, a few days before the events of the first episode of the owl house:

But despite it all Luz heaved in a breath, and when she exhaled, she looked at her daemon, really looked, at her dark muzzle, her fawn body, her little ears, her dark, intelligent eyes, and knew what this meant. Knew that they were a pug, knew Settled, knew Mari could no longer change her form, and she and Luz would be in this shape for the rest of their lives.

so, they settled as a pug. but then, in their memorydream of the fight with belos, after mari blows up the portal door:

Her daemon is taller than she ever should be, with deep russet, wild-blown fur, with a dark ruff of a mane, with legs made not for scampering after but for looking over tall grass, for keeping an eye out, for surviving, in a world chaos-torn.

here mari is described as something that is Not A Pug, aka she's changed her form, which is impossible to do once you settle. i'm not sure how much prior knowledge you have of daemon aus but settling is essentially the goal, the entire point--what animal best represents you?

and so when luz and mari wake up, after the nightmare, they fight, nobody is having a good time, and eventually eda comes in:

“No,” Mari says, and her voice cracks as she struggles to her paws, one of them giving out underneath her. The edges of her twist in golden dazzling bits of light. It’s Eda, in the doorway, because it was always going to be Eda, and Luz sways as Mari backs away, to the window, her paws scrabbling against the ground, off-kilter. Hackles raised. Her ears are pressed flat against her head. Still not a pug. Luz stumble-sways and Eda catches her before she hits the ground. She’s talking, Luz thinks. Like Luz, Mari, all heartbroken.  Mari, a maned wolf, says, again, “no.” And then, shaking, “you weren’t supposed to see.”

where, oh no! eda's seen that mari is no longer a pug, but a maned wolf. and thus the conclusion can be drawn that this is what luz and mari are dealing with: they were settled, and something happened, and now mari can change again. or, as they say uptop 1.5, they unsettled.

i will also add that i do write this story assuming that like, the audience are as invested in daemon aus and their tropes as i am. which i know a lot of people aren't! so while stuff is set up here at the top we'll also dig more into what it like, Means, throughout the series. which i hope is a given lol.

[selenestarmoon]

I've already written about how Belos feels a twisted solidarity towards Luz and this can be seen in King's Tide. He tells Luz that he wants to save her and tries to convince her to go with him to the Human Realm but when she rejects him, Belos decides to petrify her, seeing this as an act of solidarity and mercy because he believes that Luz was corrupted by witches and he wants to save her soul.

Later in Watching and Dreaming after being defeated by Luz, Belos tries to manipulate her by pretending to have a curse like Eda but after seeing that Luz doesn't believe him and that the boiling rain is melting him, Belos tells Luz that she should save him because If she doesn't, this act would make her just as evil as the witches and later Belos tell her they are human and humans must help each other and they are better than witches but Luz doesn't move and she lets Eda, King and Raine step on him.

One of the main messages of The Owl House is weirds stick together, that is, that no matter if you are weird you can always find a place to belong and Belos believes that this ideology is only for him and humans in general and that others that they aren't human don't deserve that solidarity. After all for Belos humans have to stick together.

[lampmanliveblogs]

Here I am, back with more The Owl House! Where we last off, Philip, bastard that he is, had just possessed Raine, ready to mess everything up.

We cut back to Hexside where Willow’s been busy extracting Luz’ traumatic memories. I don’t feel like taking individual screenshots of all the photos, so you guys are just gonna have to trust me as I describe them:

The first photo I believe is from the very first episode, when Luz is looking at the portal door, just before she decides to stay in the Demon Realm and learn magic. The second is from Adventures in the Elements, when she stol-I mean, borrowed Amity’s training wand without asking. I’m not 100% sure on the third one, but I think it’s from Agony of a Witch? Right after the duel between Lilith and Eda.

The fourth photo is from Yesterday’s Lie, showing the conversation Luz and Camila had in the rain. The fifth photo is from Elsewhere and Elsewhen, when Luz showed Philip the light glyph. The sixth photo is from Hollow Mind, and unless I’m mistaken, that particular frame is from when Philip was like ”Out of all the grimwalkers [Hunter] looked the most like him.”

The seventh photo is from King’s Tide, right before King pushes Luz through the portal door and into the (relative) safety of the Human Realm. The eight photo is from Enchanting Grom Fright, when Grometheus the Fearbringer transformed into Luz’ greatest fear.

If I were to try and establish some kind of through-line (or a red string, as every swedish teacher would call it) I’d say that each of these memories show some situation or decision Luz feels guilty about.

She feels guilty about the time she stole Amity’s training wand and put everyone in danger of the slitherbeast. She feels guilty about teaching Philip the light glyph, helping him meet The Collector, and for him nearly killing Hunter in Hollow Mind. She feels guilty because she couldn’t keep the family together during the event of the Day of Unity.

Then we have the case of Camila. Luz feels guilty over staying in the Demon Realm and lying to her mother about it. I mean, the fact that it was her greatest fear during Grom kinda says it all, doesn’t it?

Speaking of Camila, and I CANNOT believe I didn’t remember this earlier, but Camila did make Luz promise she’d stay in the Human Realm in Yesterday’s Lie. She did that, and Luz agreed, and then I go acting like Luz saying she was going to stay in the Human Realm forever in Thanks to Them came out of nowhere. Actually, I didn’t think it came out of nowhere, but you get my point. The idea of staying in the Human Realm forever is not a new one to Luz, Camila put it in her head.

As for Camila… I think i said it pretty well last episode; Camila has come to realize that Luz will likely never truly be happy staying in the Human Realm. And now, looking at these photographs, she sees a monster taking on a twisted form of herself, locked in combat with her own daughter. 

(I wrote HOW MUCH about this ten-second shot of Camila looking at some photographs??)

Aw geez, I’m still not used to seeing how much more scarring Hunter got after the possession.

And, hm… Willow’s gonna show Hunter the picture from the Flyer Derby game in Any Sport in a Storm, with Flapjack. Hm, hm, hm… that might not be a great way to cheer him up.

(somewhat unrelated, but I just thought of it. How long have they been awake? It was nighttime when they left the Human Realm and it’s been pretty non-stop since then. I dunno, maybe they all took a nap at the owl house)

”And we just wanna let you know, we don’t care who you’re supposed to be, cause you’re one of us now.”

Oh, Willow knows, doesn’t she? I mean yeah, maybe it could be interpreted as ”we don’t care that you brainwashed since a little kid to be a child soldier and helped the bad guy do evil things.” But it could also be read as ”we don’t care if you were made as a clone of someone else because you are your own person.”

It could also be read as both, which is probably the case. Even a few words can convey complex meanings.

(Future Lampman here: Yeah, duh, of course Willow knows, Luz blurted it out in the last episode while Hunter was unconscious. I must’ve been tired when I was writing this part)

Okay, not as bad a reaction as I was fearing. The picture didn’t really do much to cheer Hunter up it seems, but it at least didn’t make things worse. And in the long run, having a physical memory of Flapjack is probably a good thing. For now he’s not sure what to feel about it.

And, like… it literally happened a couple of hours ago. I wanna see Hunter be happy again as much as the next guy, but maybe give the boy some space to grieve and be sad and we can start working on acceptance later.

”I didn’t mean to make things worse.”

Did you though? Cause Hunter’s reaction was rather subdued, not a whole lot to indicate that you made anything worse per se. Or is it not that you made things ”worse” that is the failure, but rather that you failed to make it ”better,” is that’s what’s getting to you?

Going back to that conversation in The Owl House, Willow is the reliable one. The one to save everyone’s asses. She’s The Big Guy, to use a TV Tropes term.

So what about when she can’t be The Big Guy? What about when she can’t protect her friends (or family, let’s not forget her parents are turned into puppets), or when she can’t help them with their emotional troubles? What does that make her then? Less than herself? Just half-a-witch Willow, a dubious figure, not really good for much.

I think I said previously that there are only so many storms a single tree can take before it falls. But that’s why they need other trees around them, to help them stand against the wind. 

[kinghijinx22]

Top 5 best and worst Owl House episodes

Was trying to rank the Owl House episodes from best to worst and it was almost impossible because of how consistently great the show is. A lot of the episodes, especially in the middle could swap around depending on how I'm feeling that day. But I was able to at least make a top 5 best and worst, but I would also like to note that none of the episodes are bad because the Owl House at it's worst is still entertaining while at it's best it's a masterpiece which is most of the time. Also nothing is filler and everything has a purpose, which is especially obvious in retrospect once you finish the show. So all the episodes are good but some are better then others and these are the best and worst in my opinion and also why I put them where they are.

5. Best - King's Tide, great finale to season 2, very dramatic, great at creating an oppressive and hopeless atmosphere, genuinely shocking cliff-hanger of a finale

5. Worst - Something Ventured, Someone Framed, some funny jokes but nothing much else, Gus gets much better episodes in season 2

4. Best - Clouds on the Horizon, beautifully executed genuinely ground breaking kiss scene between the sapphic protagonist and her girlfriend that happened before the last episode, romantic rescue mission, Blight family drama is wild, a lot of great action throughout, well executed twist at the end

4. Worst - Witches Before Wizards, Luz simps for some buff muscle looser, nuff said

3. Best - Knock, Knock, Knockin On Hooty's Door, expertly weaves together 3 different stories that significantly develops all of the members of the Owl family without feeling rushed somehow, King gets Titan powers, Eda gets her harpy form from a stunning dream sequence, genuinely groundbreaking queer couple protagonist Luz and other main character Amity ask eachother out and become and become an official couple only halfway through the series in a beautiful scene that captures young love, Hooty is funny

3. Worst - Sense and Insensitivity, appreciate the Luz and King bonding in retrospect but also King is an obnoxious jerk

2. Best - Reaching Out - roller coaster of intense emotions, adorable Lumity moments, devastating Luz story about loss and dealing with grief, Amity standing up to her dad and establishing her independence, Luz and Amity showing why they are such a good couple through their support of eachother, stunningly beautiful scene at the end with the flowers

2. Worst - Really Small Problems - appreciate the Luz and King bonding in retrospect but also King is an obnoxious jerk, Gus is also a jerk for some reason

1.Best - Watching and Dreaming - the perfect finale, King's genderqueer dad is cool and spits some hard facts about facists being jerks, Belos finally dies like he always deserved because facists do not deserve forgiveness, Collector trying to pull a Steven Univers but failing is super funny, Luz Eda and King get a sweet reunion, Luz gets a badass Titan form, all the action scenes with Titan Luz are animated beautifully, amazing timeskip epilogue that gives a satisfying conclusion to all the characters, everyone gets cool new designs, seeing the kids grow up is nice, happy ending that this show and these characters deserved

1.Worst - Once Upon a Swap, a combination of the least amount of funny and the least amount of dramatic story

And that's it. Remember that this is just my opinion and stuff, also the whole show is good, my autistic brain just likes to rank things. Anyway my full scene by scene analysis/review of Watching and Dreaming is almost done. Probably going to split it into 5 parts because it's little long. Those five parts being-

The Nightmare Sequence

The Collector's Origins, Raine and Amity breaking free

Luz's death and meeting King's dad

Titan Luz vs Belos

Peace on the Boiling Isles

[raspberry-muffin]

Collector & Spinel friendship! - with a twist.

SPOILERS FOR OWL HOUSE KINGS TIDE TO PRESENT

SPOILERS FOR STEVEN UNIVERSE MOVIE

OK so i was thinking cartoony Spinel is obsessed with fun and games and all that jazz, and so is The Collector (long ass names for the both of them, wow.)

My idea: The Collector meets Spinel while she's in the Garden. They talk and become friends. Collector leaves.

They see each other again somehow while Spinel is cartoony for some reason, out of the Garden, post movie.

She joins Collector and they go play together.

She tries to restrain him from total destruction of everything, but ultimitely fails.

After Raine(Belos) convinces Collector that he's gonna be betrayed and hurt (again?) Spinel is like-

Collector and Spinel are sitting on the roof area while the group greets Stringbean.

Raine(Belos): See? She's back.

Collector is mad.

Spinel rolls her eyes: Fucking finally! I was wondering when you'd get mad.

Spinel is now antag!Spinel

Collector and Raine both have wtf moments.

Spinel: Let's fuck a bitch up

[slackerartist]

With having to create so many story stuff for many different characters, original story stuff like Doodle Madness, to existing stories like Splatoon with SplashInk and the Persona 5 AU, Another Story, but one story idea I haven't gotten to doing at all is for a show I have just rewatched a while ago, which is The Owl House, and for this story idea I have in mind which I have been working on for a short while, I would like to call it... Twisting Tides

What even is Twisting Tides anyway? Twisting Tides is an Owl House styled story that would be taking place during the events of the main show itself, but it would mainly focus on the characters that I have created especially only in Twisting Tides itself.

What is the story to Twisting Tides? It essentially follows the same story and structure as the original show itself, but with a few twists and turns of course. Twisting Tides follows the story of Everest Anderson, a human from our own world as he accidentally gets put into another world, simply to give back a notebook to his long time friend, Luciana Cordell, who is revealed to not be a human, but revealed to be a witch from the Demon Realm!

With him being stuck in the Demon Realm however and not in his own, it’s going to take a lot of risk and turns for Everest to be accompanied in this whole new world, with him going to a new school while learning on how to use magic with his very own wand and spell book that he rightfully acquired to try and learn all the brand new magic spells, meeting new friends/enemies, and even exploring his very own origins to find out about his actual past life that isn’t in his own world however.

Will Everest eventually find his way back home in the Human Realm with the help of Luciana, Luciana’s own family and even his new found friends?

What will Twisting Tides include? In Twisting Tides it would feature different ideas from the show itself, both old and new, with those examples such as… -Stuff from the pilot, the pitch bible and even the Test Animation/Next Time On would be added into Twisting Tides, so expect different ideas for stuff, like on Luciana for example, she is loosely based on the version of Amity from both the pilot and pitch bible of the original show, and even the creepy Puppet Luz character idea to be used for Everest, if you've seen the test animation, you'll know why. -Owl House characters that were created by my friends would show up in Twisting Tides. -Twisting Tides would be going for the same route as Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake, think of what if The Owl House was rated TV-14 instead of the show's TV-Y7 rating. -Have different original locations that would expand in both the Human Realm and the Demon Realm, and even go beyond from the two realms with the new location called the Spiritual Realm. -Characters from the canon show would show up in Twisting Tides.

Will Twisting Tides suffer the same fate as other fan fictions like The Seventh Son by Cowboy Alchemist, or even the notorious Amphibia fanfiction, Loyalty Among Worlds by AdmiralDT8? Simply to answer that… ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! I’m putting all the safety precautions to make sure that I do not want to follow the same patterns as those fanfics are doing, I’ve known for creating different original ideas and even wanting to take existing stories to actually give them originality, and no I’m not going to ship an OC towards the show’s main character, Luz, since that 1. the ship with both Luz and Amity is already in the show, and 2. my character Luciana is to have a crush with Everest.

So yeah, guess that's about it, also won't be planning on making another blog account because of this, since I have three blog accounts made and will not plan on making a fourth one lol

Also no, I don't plan on making this into a webcomic on Twisting Tides, but instead, doing fake snapshots, more character art, writing stuff and might even do scene redraws since I'm known for doing those types of stuff.

And if you have made it this far from reading from top to bottom, congratulations, you get a cookie!

[woodlandcreaturesinavoid]

Grim tidings to all who enter my woods.

I am a Multifandom RP blog that will mostly do Spiderverse RP, Hellaverse RP, Undertale RP, and some others, Probably gonna dig deep in the trenches for other RPs that are big on Tumblr besides the PJO ones-

I mostly do OCs because I do not have the confidence to accurately RP a canon character-

I am a minor please sfw things and mostly platonic-

We age regress on this blog too so def stay sfw

One mun (I think my alters sometimes join me in my little RP journey)

Many muses

Too little time

I am suffering-

I do

PJO (this is for cross over characters)

Twisted Wonderland (My beloved)

Gravity Falls

Undertale/Deltarune (Any AU any fangame)

The Helliverse (Hazbin Hotel/Helluva boss)

The Owl House

Spiderverse

Gotham/DC

Cross overs are welcome :D

[azvolrien]

Fire and Water

I've wanted to go into a bit more detail about the mysterious Sea People for a little while now, and since I've established in supplementary materials that Roan's mother was one of them, that gave me a convenient jumping-off point for some conversation. Nothing graphic, but a few Implications about what life out in their islands is like.

~~~

It was a quiet night. The air was still, with only a light breeze stirring the sea; the water lapped gently at the sand, washing in and out without ever breaking into a proper wave. A far cry from a few nights before, when the sea had suddenly risen in a tide higher and faster than anyone could remember, engulfing small fishing villages all along the coast. There had been a prosperous harbour just a couple of miles to the south, but it was deserted now, houses inundated and boats crushed against the docks by the force of the water. Some of the people had survived, scrambling to higher ground and the roofs of those buildings sturdy enough to withstand the flood, but others would never be seen again. Already people were calling it the Great Wave.

Lorna sighed and added another twisted branch to the driftwood beacon before she sat back against the remnants of a swept-away dune and gazed up at the sky. There were no clouds that she could see, but the stars had a veiled, wavering look to them that night, in keeping with the dim, reddish tint that the sun had taken on all day. An owl flew soundlessly overhead, a pale shape in the gloom heading for the trees behind the dunes. Those had survived, at least; the dunes had taken the worst of the wave, sparing the woodland most of its fury.

Another while went by in silence before, at last, she heard the sounds she had been waiting for. The splash of oars, then the crunch of sand as the hull of a ship ran up on the beach. With a low groan of effort, leaning heavily on the staff Bruide had carved for her, Lorna got to her feet and squinted into the dark beyond the fire. If the wrong crew had spotted her beacon… But no, she was in luck. The long, sleek raiding ship drawn up on the sand looked much like any other from the Fire Islands, but its mast carried the black-and-white pennant of the Orca Clan. Even better, the prow was carved with stylised designs of the same animal, mixed in with rolling waves and running wolves. A second ship floated a little further from the beach, too far into the dark to make out many details but definitely bearing another Orca pennant.

One tall, powerfully-built woman vaulted over the ship’s rail and waded through the shallows to the beach. She carried no weapons except a short hatchet slung through her belt, but her pale face was marked with flowing tattoos in deep green ink, some fresh enough that the skin around them was still pink and raised, and a short mantle of thick, yellowing white fur was tied around her shoulders. Both marked her out as a raider captain, and the old bloodstains on the fur said that she was the latest in a long line of them. She drew closer to the fire, one suspicious hand on the axe at her hip, until finally she saw Lorna’s face.

“It is you!” she said, her grim look disappearing. “I didn’t think any of our crews had been stranded in these parts. How long has it been, little sister? Seven years? Almost eight? By the Deep, we’d given you up – thought for sure that the land-walkers would’ve got rid of you.” She stepped forwards, resting her hands on Lorna’s shoulders. “I don’t know what trouble you thought you were in back then, but that doesn’t matter any more – you’ve come to your senses now. You can come home and take your rightful place.” She paused. “Well, there’s no free benches on Sea Wolf,” she admitted, “but Whale Sister out there has a gap in her company that you’d be welcome to fill.” She sighed and ruffled Lorna’s hair. “It’s good to see you again, Sela.”

Lorna took a step back. “I don’t use that name any more, Vala. I’m not sailing away, not with you or with Whale Sister. I’m never, ever going back to the Fire Islands.”

“But- you lit a beacon?”

“I wanted to talk to you. That’s all. Just talk. I…” Lorna broke off. “With the wave earlier, and this haze in the sky… Something’s happened out in the Islands, hasn’t it? I suppose that… Well, you’re still my sister, whatever else happens. I wanted to know you were all right.”

Vala was silent for a few seconds, then took a deep breath. “So what name do you go by among the land-walkers?”

“‘Lorna’. My name is Lorna now.”

“‘Lorna’…” said Vala slowly, frowning. “Where did you get that from?”

“Never mind that.”

“Hm.” Vala squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. “Grandfather is dead,” she said, opening them again. “Mother leads the clan now, sits in the keep in Hestvik. She passed Sea Wolf’s company on to me.” She waved behind herself, where a few other warriors from the ship had disembarked and were gathered on the sand.

“Grandfather is- how? Was he ill?”

Vala shook her head. “Grandfather, King Einarr, and most of the old clan-heads in the Islands with them. Se- Lorna. The King’s Island… It’s gone.”

“Gone?” echoed Lorna.

“The seer-priests knew something was going to happen,” said Vala. “The ground had been shaking, the mountain smoking. The King summoned the clan-heads for an assembly to prepare for an ashfall. You know the sort of thing – planning out a few mainland raids, hashing out some land- and thrall-rights on the other islands to help tide the clans over until the sky clears again.” She paused again and took another deep breath. “And while they were in the meeting-hall… We’d expected an ashfall, maybe some fire-flows. Instead, the whole mountain exploded.” Lorna swallowed and said nothing. Vala nodded. “The loudest roar I’ve ever heard. Maybe you even heard it from the mainland, it was that loud. An ash cloud like… Like nothing I’ve ever seen before, like it turned day to night. More rock than I’d ever imagined, blasted into the sky – the whole island just… What was that fancy word that skald-thrall used? You’ll remember. During that festival, years ago.”

“‘Obliterated’,” said Lorna quietly.

“That’s the one. All the way down to the water and beyond, just left a sort of ring of rock spikes sticking above the water. Sent that wave you saw, rushing out in all directions, before the sea came in to fill the space and started to boil, sending steam up to join the ash. If the rest of us hadn’t set up camp over on the next island… We were lucky to escape the wave as it was!” She closed her eyes again to compose herself. “So. Yeah. You wanted to know about the wave, and the sky? That’s what happened.”

“I… Gods, Vala. I know they’re the Fire Islands, but I never thought…”

“No, nobody did,” said Vala. She folded her arms. “So. You’re sure that’s a no on sailing with us?”

“It’s a no,” said Lorna firmly. She unbuttoned her heavy oilskin coat and pushed it back, resting one hand on her hip. “I’m blood-bound to the land now.”

Vala looked down at her belly, curving outwards beneath her knitted jumper. “…Oh.”

“Yes.”

“Who…?”

“My husband. His name is Euan. The baby’s due in another two months, give or take the odd week.”

“Euan. Not a name from the clans. A land-walker, then.”

“Of course.”

“Oh, Selaaa…” Vala raised one hand to her brow and dug her fingers into her hair. “A warrior, at least? So far as they have warriors on the mainland…”

“A shepherd,” said Lorna flatly.

Vala’s lip curled in distaste. “A thrall.”

“This isn’t the Islands,” said Lorna. “The people here aren’t split into warriors and thralls. Free people herd livestock and grow crops too.” She straightened her back, gripping the staff more tightly. “And if he were a thrall, so what? It wasn’t one of the warriors who saw how miserable I was in Hestvik and helped me to get out. It was a thrall from the fishing docks. Nobody in the Orca Clan would help – all they thought was that I was nervous about sailing on my first raid.”

“Mother had set aside a bench on Sea Wolf for you,” said Vala, smiling fondly despite herself.

“So all I got from the clan was ‘Oh, spend some more time in the training hall, you’ll feel more prepared after a few rounds with the weaponmasters’. Nobody listened when I tried to tell them that I didn’t want to be a raider, that I didn’t want to hurt people, to steal from them, to enslave them. Nobody but her. Somehow word had got down to the harbour that I wanted to leave – I don’t know how, maybe a servant heard me and passed it on. She helped me to take a boat, a small one, and sail away for good. Her name was Lorna. The gods know there was nothing else I could do to repay her.”

Vala glanced uncomfortably to one side.

“What?”

“Uh… Yes, Mother found out about her.”

“So she’s…”

“Very dead,” one of the other raiders cheerfully confirmed. “Slipway tithe for Whale Sister’s launch.”

“Shut up, Bjarni,” said Vala wearily.

“And I don’t suppose you spoke against it,” said Lorna after a brief, shocked silence.

Vala shrugged, folding her arms. “Oh, I’ve always thought it’s a waste of a working body, but you know how the priests get about the slipway tithe and paying the Deep’s dues. And… well, she was only a thrall, Sela.”

“My. Name. Is. Lorna.”

Vala stepped back at the look on her face. “…Lorna. All right.”

Lorna let out a snort like a bull about to charge and allowed her shoulders to relax slightly, but her scowl remained.

Vala went on, clearly having realised her misstep, if not completely understanding why it was one. “Where are you staying these days? Not here, I can tell – there’s not much grazing, if you’re herding sheep.”

“Euan’s family have a farm some way inland. A little fortified steading, up in one of the glens that lead north off the nearest sea loch.” She waved an arm in the right general direction. “The grazing’s decent there. His father usually gets a good price when it’s time to take the sheep down to the market.”

“Another shepherd.”

“He is now,” said Lorna. “But he was a bit of a warrior in his younger days. He said they used to call him Bruide the Brute, back when he was running with a sellsword band.”

Somebody gasped back among the raiders on the beach, but Vala just nodded. “That’s something, at least. And… You’re happy among the land-walkers? Up the valley with your shepherd?”

“Happier than I ever was in Hestvik.”

Vala shook her head, smiling ruefully. “I don’t pretend I’ve ever understood you,” she said. “But… I am glad you’re doing well. Look, I’ll keep Sea Wolf out of your loch on our raids, how’s that?”

“I suppose that’s as much as I can hope for,” muttered Lorna.

Vala reached forwards again, paused for the briefest instant, and patted her shoulder. “Maybe it’s for the best,” she said. “You never did do very well in the training hall, eh? Go back to your farm, little sister. Herd your sheep. Birth safely, and wait out the winter. If you need me – well, you remember how to make a beacon.”

Lorna nodded. “Goodbye, Vala.”

Vala nodded back and turned away, shouting for the ship to head back to sea. One of the raiders – not Bjarni – paused, giving Lorna a strange look, before one of his fellows grasped his arm and they all gathered to shove Sea Wolf back off the sand into deeper water, scrambling back aboard once the ship was floating again. Vala took her place at the tiller, raising a hand in a final farewell as the others ran out the oars. Before long, both Sea Wolf and Whale Sister had disappeared into the dark.

Lorna sighed, kicked sand over the last embers of the beacon, and trudged away from the sea to her tent behind the dunes.

When dawn came, she packed up the tent and began the walk home to the steading. It was a long one – she would have to camp for another night before she got there – but not particularly strenuous. The track of packed earth and scattered gravel was mostly on the flat, following the bank of Loch Dubh inland until, just after the small lochside town of Inverbeg, a side-road turned inland and sloped gently upwards into the glen. Although it was still cold, barely a month after Midwinter, only a few patches of snow lingered in sheltered spots and the road was clear. Lorna paused to catch her breath on an arched stone bridge over the river, gazing up the glen towards a thin plume of smoke in the distance. She smiled and kept walking until, near sunset on the second day since leaving the beach, the steading came into view, perched atop a small rise above the river. A sturdy stone wall about eight feet tall protected the main house at the highest point, while a bank of earth and a wooden palisade encircled the farmyard with its byre, storage sheds and other outbuildings. The gates were still open as she approached; Bruide was outside, leading a small, shaggy pony carrying panniers filled with blocks of freshly-cut peat towards one of the sheds.

“That’s you back from your stroll, then,” he said when he noticed her. He pulled back the bar securing the shed door and began to carry the peat inside. “Find what you were looking for?”

“More or less,” said Lorna. “The staff was useful, thank you.” She cast an eye around the farmyard. “How are we doing for winter feed?”

“Well enough for this time of year. Why?”

“I think… Winter will be a bit longer than usual. You’ve noticed about the sky, and heard about the Great Wave.”

“Aye, I have.” Bruide glanced upwards. The sunset was an unusually vibrant shade of red. “Hm. Might have to sell off a few o the flock to buy fodder for the rest, but we’ll survive. Wouldnae be the first long winter I’ve seen. Now, I willnae tell you to help in your condition, but if you could lend a hand wi a few o the wee blocks…”

Lorna chuckled. “Don’t worry, old man, I’ll help you out.”

“Cheeky besom,” said Bruide with a smile, the old blue tattoos on his face crinkling with his laugh lines. “Here’s a wee one for you.”

“Where’s Euan?” asked Lorna once they had finished stacking the peat and seen to the pony.

“Och, he’s away up in the top pasture. One o the yowes has a bad foot – he wanted to see if that salve you picked up does it any good. Should be back down in time for tea – couple o the bairns from the next croft are lending him a hand taking the sheep in for the night. Morag’s got a stew going.”

Lorna smiled again. Bruide’s wife was an excellent cook. “I’m sure the smell will lure him in if he’s lost track of time.”

“Aye, that’s the plan. Anyway, away in out o the cold. We can crack on wi some o the mending while tea’s on the go.” Bruide locked the storage shed behind them and walked up to the house, pausing to kick the worst of the mud from his boots on the metal scraper by the door before he hung his long woollen cloak with its wolfskin mantle up in the porch. Lorna hung her coat on the hook beside it and followed him in to the main room, where a pile of torn clothes and old sheets awaited their attention. Morag, busy in the kitchen, peered through the door and jabbed her wooden spoon pointedly towards the sewing basket before she returned her attention to the stew-pot.

Bruide stirred the fire with an iron poker, settled in his armchair by the hearth, and selected a worn sock from the top of the pile and a needle and spool of thread from the basket. “C’mon, then, lass,” he said with a grin. “I’ll race you.”

Lorna sat down in the next chair and picked up a tunic with a tear under one arm. “It’s only fair if we measure it by number of stitches,” she said. “If we go by things mended, you always win by grabbing all the little ones first!”

Bruide stuck his tongue out. “You’re just jealous I’m faster at sewing.”

“Just fix them!” shouted Morag from the kitchen.

Bruide and Lorna shared a glance, gave a snort of laughter in perfect unison, and began their mending. A while later, when the sun had disappeared behind the hills but the sky had not yet lost all its light, Euan finally got back from the pasture and Morag called everyone through to the dining table once the gates were locked for the night.

Outside, a gentle snow began to fall.

~~~

Yeah, that guy who looked back? He's important.

The Sea People - who don't, I think, even have a collective name for themselves; they're just 'the clans' as far as they're concerned - are pretty used to volcanoes. As the name implies, they get quite a few eruptions out in the Fire Islands. Unfortunately, they'd gathered to prepare for an Eyjafjallajökull, and got a Krakatoa instead.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[ghostgirlfriends]

top 10 fight scenes from the owl house (imao)

1 (the BEST): luz vs belos wad. you cannot go wrong with luzan and DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE ME BELOS! FOR I AM THE GOOD WITCH LUZ, CHILD OF THE HUMAN REALM, STUDENT OF THE DEMON REALM, AND WARRIOR OF PEACE! NOW EAT THIS SUCKER!!!!!

2: THANKS TO THEM. HEX SQUAD VS HELOS!!! i absolutely love this fight scene and it lives RENT FREE in my head. MATTHEW RHYS’S MIXED WITH ZENOS VOICE LINES, CHILLS. THEYRE SOF UCKING TALENTED? AND THE ANIMATION. ITS SOS MOOTH IT GIVES ME GOOSEBUMPS WHENEVER I LOOK AT IT. AND EVEN VEE JOINS TO TRY AND SAVE HUNTER. EVEN THOUGH WE NEVER SAW THE MONTHS BETWEEN KINGS TIDE AND THANKS TO THEM WE CAN EVIDENTLY SEE HOW STRONG AND HOW MUCH EACH OF THEM CARE FOR EACH OTHER!!!! (vee especially og mt god. i imagine that hunter and vees relationship would be extremely rocky at first, given vees trauma with the emperors coven, but now theyre SIBLINGS AND VEE WAS READY TO SAVE HIM!!!)

3: eclipse lake hunter vs amity. AMITY WAS SO FUCKIN COOL? AND ZENOS VOICE LINES AND THE ANIMATION. THE CAMERA ANGLES. MWAH.

4: agony of a witch eda vs lilith. plot twist? yes. angst? fuck yes. POWERFUL MILF WITCHES???? FUCK HECK YES.

5: EDAS REQUIEM. OH MY GOD THE SOUNDTRACK. THE MUSIC. THE WAY EDA WEARS HER HAIR ONLY AROUND RAINE. THE FUXKINF ANGST AND PAINFUL MEMORIES . FUYUUCKKDHSJ!!!!!

6: GROM. IF EEL SO FUCKING BAD PUTTING IT THIS LOW BECAUSE OF HOW EPIC IT IS BUT I CANT PUT TWO ON ONE. GIRLFRINEDS. THE START OF AN AMAZING HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP. FUCK!!! I WANT THIS!!!!!!

7: clouds on the horizon hex squad vs kikimora (and od*lia). WILLOW WAS SO BADASS IN THIS??? AND THEY WERE ALL SO POWERFUL AND THE LINEUP. THE FUCKING LINEUP!!!!! its so miniscule but its one of my favourites because it shows the humanity of the hex squad- the way kikimora uses “hunter” as a shield (pussy) and willow immediately withdraws so he doesnt get hurt. oh my god.

8: young blood, old souls: luz vs lilith. THE ANIMATION. IS SO SMOOTH. AND LUZ’S ANGST AND DETEMRINATION TO SAVE EDA FROM BEING PETRIFIED.

9: kings tide LUZ VS BELOS!!! THIS WAS SUCH A DRAMATIC SCENE AND I LOVE IT. you can see luz’s fear and she’s desperately trying to hide it to try and be a bigger person than belos, but its sort of getting to her as belos mocks her while shes trying to set up an attack. the ending point where she almost gets petrified left me in tears but BAM. BRANDING GLOVE!!!!!

10: labyrinth runners: AMITY AND WILLOW AND GUS AND HUNTER VS ADRIAN AND THE COVEN SCOUTS!!!! THE SAILOR MOON REFERENCE AND AMITY AND WILLOW WORKING TOGETHER WAS MWAH. INCREDIVLE. I COULD GO ON FOR HOURS!!!!!

reminder that pls. this is not all of the fight scenes in the show- there are so many more and THEYRE ALL SO GOOD AND AMAZINF but these are my top ten!!!! EVERY SINGLE BIT OF THIS SHOW IS IN MY TOP TEN BUT IF I *HAD* TO LIST THEM!!

[space-and-galaxies]

I posted 4,715 times in 2022

67 posts created (1%)

4,648 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@delta-fox

@splashtail

@willthecleric

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I tagged 216 of my posts in 2022

#stranger things - 17 posts

#the owl house - 15 posts

#stranger things 4 - 11 posts

#byler - 11 posts

#mike wheeler - 10 posts

#bobs burgers spoilers - 6 posts

#luz noceda - 6 posts

#bobs burgers - 6 posts

#will byers - 5 posts

#kings tide - 4 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#like gene and tina probably remind him of his mom too but we can infer from that hat story that louise does the most and its dkofijhdnxfjbds

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

so i just finished season three and mskfdjdhsjfknd THIS SHOW WAS SO AMAZING!!!! 

let me start by saying that i knew there was a twist coming, but i got it wrong. i thought the ppg were working with the biker in black and that they were trying to isolate kid so he could get revenge or something, but what we got WAS SO MUCH BETTER! like, it explained so much!! i thought the first episode didn’t really feel like kid cosmic so them being in a fantasy world made so much sense! and then papa g’s behavior changed from episode one to episode two, i didnt really notice it but it was definitely in the back of my mind and then we find out that he figured out it was fantasy world and he wanted kid to be able to see his parents again and fdjfhdjkfndrfuhn WOW. 

i also really like that they subverted the ‘hero sacrifice’ trope because oh my god when i thought papa g died i started bawling. also also papa g and kid’s relationship is now my favorite of the show, sorry tuna. 

overall a really good season with a very strong finale, its definitely up there in my ranks. i love these characters, i love their development, and i am very sad to see them go but so glad i gave this show a chance. to my followers, if you havent seen this show i HIGHLY recommend it. 

thank you for everything kid cosmic and craig mccracken. it was a wild and wonderful ride. 

73 notes - Posted February 6, 2022

#4

something something mike feels like he loses will every season something something vol2 ending with all the characters losing

91 notes - Posted July 3, 2022

#3

some byler things i noticed in vol 1:

-Mike once again apologizes fairly easily (he doesn’t actually say the words but i still count their second talk in epi4 as an apology). 

-Mike listens to Will’s concerns but not El’s (once he gets out of his own head he’s engaged with Will whereas he just completely brushed El off.) 

-They demonstrate that when they’re on the same page shit gets done. (the van, the phone booth, the pen) (also i just love how Mike clearly thinks of Will as his quote-on-quote second in command). 

-They’re more vulnerable with each other than anyone else (even if it’s not completely vulnerable they’re not having conversations like that with the others).

97 notes - Posted May 28, 2022

#2

ok but louise reminding bob of his mom being one of the reasons theyre so close is actually so sweet

174 notes - Posted July 21, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

i just think having a moment between Joyce and Mike where he tells her he likes Will and she’s so supportive and tells him she couldn’t think of anyone better for her son than him would be so sweet actually, and be great juxtaposition to Hopper despising mileven. 

175 notes - Posted May 1, 2022

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