#the worst witch s4

[heathtrash]

emotionally invested in fictional characters with unresolved trauma

[thisapplepielife]

Written for @steddieholidaydrabbles.

Click, Click, Click

Prompt Day 29: Fairytale | Word Count: 734 | Rating: T | CW: Post-Apocalyptic | Tags: Canon Divergence Post-S4, Hurt/Comfort, End of the World, Survival, Just the Two of Us, The World is Bleak, But We're Together

Set in my connected one-shot End of the World AU 'verse, but can be read standalone.

"If I click my heels three times, do you think we'll get to go home?" Eddie asks, and Steve laughs a little too loud. He shouldn't. They're hunkered down, hidden out of sight, in an abandoned house.

It's been 813 days. 

At least Eddie thinks so. He's tried to keep track, but there were a few days where he was feverish and barely lucid. 

Eddie knows it's at least been two years. That much he's certain. But he can't ask Steve. Steve won't talk about it. 

Because Steve thinks there's a way to fix this, a way to revert everything back to the way it was, and Eddie knows that's not true. That's a fairytale. Especially after 813-ish days.

"You could at least try," Steve banters back. He's tired, they both are, but he's still got his sense of humor. At least most of the time.

Steve's filthy, not that Eddie isn't, but seeing Steve Harrington with greasy hair hanging in his eyes wasn't something Eddie ever predicted he'd see in his lifetime. Running water is a thing of the past, and they haven't exactly found a safe source of water to bathe with in a while. Everything they find has to go to drinking.

Running water. A luxury he took for granted, even in the worst parts of his childhood. On a long list of things he misses from the real world, running water is near the top. If they ever get back to their version of Kansas from this shitty version of Oz, Uncle Wayne instead of Auntie Em waiting, he's taking the longest, hottest shower in history.

But for now, they're still following this shitty yellow brick road, but it's more as if they are in the book version of Oz, not the story MGM polished to a sanitized shine. No lions, tigers or bears.

That'd be preferable, honestly, after dealing with demogorgons, demodogs and demobats, oh fucking my, indeed. 

Eddie's given up hope that they'll ever find anyone else out here ever again. But at the same time, they can't be the only survivors. That's too implausible. But it sure feels like that now. Steve keeps them moving. Searching. He hasn't given up hope.

And Eddie'd never give up on Steve having hope, so they'll forge ahead. As long as Steve doesn't start hacking off his limbs to become the tinman, well, then they're still ahead, no matter what this world is, or isn't.

"That stove looks like something out of Hansel and Gretel," Eddie comments, and Steve laughs again. There are dishes piled on top of it. So, Eddie thinks someone survived here, at least for a while.

"I'd eat some Hansel or Gretel about now," Steve says, flippantly, and Eddie grins. The world is bad, but it hasn't gotten that bad, which Eddie is grateful for, because he's the only other person around to end up in said stove.

"I'd settle for some of the witch," Eddie banters back, and Steve smiles. They're okay. They're still okay, Steve sitting next to him, clicking that stopwatch he always keeps in his pocket. 

Click, click, click.

The numbers ticked over an hour. And Steve kept trying.

He's reset it so many times since.

Eddie isn't sure he fully believes the tale that goes with it, but Steve does, so he'll never contradict it. Time travel? Eddie had died? And now, instead, everyone else died? Vecna taking over the earth is Steve's fault?

There ain't no way. Eddie will never believe that.

Steve's just cracked a little. Which, understandable. They've been through hell and back.

Click, click, click.

Nothing happens. Nothing ever happens.

Steve puts the stopwatch back in his pocket, buttoning the pocket closed. A nightly ritual that never produces any results. Even still, Steve's determined to keep it safe. Eddie thinks the only thing Steve protects more than the stopwatch is Eddie himself.

"Tell me a story," Steve demands, and lays his head down next to Eddie's on the bunched up duffle bag they are using for a pillow.

It's not much, but it's better than the ground.

Eddie's imagination hasn't truly run wild in a while. Maybe not since before he ever heard the cursed name Vecna, ripped from the game he once loved, and thrust right into the real world. With real consequences.

But he misses telling stories.

So, he'll try. For Steve.

"Once upon a time..."

If you want to write your own, or go see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @steddieholidaydrabbles and follow along with the fun!

[5five5five5five5five5five]

the sad thing about s4 and THAT is for as much of it is OOC af and a complete character assassination to both characters i can see how its SOMEWHAT ic for Five. on a level where "IF THIS PLOT WAS ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE, IT BE MORE IC"

i would have LOVED a story for five full of - hopelessness selfishness being so tired of it all (WITCH THEY DID IC IN S3. I LOVE 'i don't give a FUCK anymore' s3 five)

fearing the worst and having to decide his own comfort or the lifes of his family. people can go "HE WOULD NEVER" to allll of it but i truly think he would second guess his own family or his comfort. we have to accept that five isn't a hero and is rather egotistical and very much cares more about HIS WAY then any others way. in s3, he uses soft voice, false supportive fear tactics on viktor, man like, people really need to stop seeing him as this goodie good, hes not and i would have LOVED TO SEE THIS DONE IN ANY OTHER WAY THAT WASN'T THAT.

like for as much as he loves his family, god does he do some SHIT to his family like - can we say that without nulling the love he has? hes a garbage boy AND a not horrid brother. he can still be a lil shit to his family well still loving them. its when the shit OVERLAPS the love. five was a balance between leaving diego in that ward, butting heads with viktor and not listening to luther bc of the psychosis and kicking him the nuts WELL STILL risking his morals and sanity to save them almost every time.

let him be fucking done.

let him be selfish, let him be greedy, let him have a BREAK.....JUST NOT THAT PLS GOD WHY!! just bc i SEE IT does not mean I WANTED TO OR THAT ITS IN CHARACTER FULLY. its still VERY MUCH NOT.

i just cling to the SCRAPS of character i can see from it and wish for better.

[missadacackle]

Ada and Agatha's Birthscroll

Okay, so I do not know if this has been done before, but I was overstimulated this morning and needed something to focus on and after a lot of puzzling, I believe it took me about three hours I came down to the following.

(it's a lot of reading and I'll try to keep it as clear as possible)

Lets just start off with date and time of birth, from Ada and Agatha.

What I managed to figure out is that the scroll says

Agatha Cackle was born at [time]

Ada Cackle was born at [time]

to Alma Cackle

I'm not sure if the scroll says "on" or "Date" both could be possible, and is followed by "Tuesday/Thursday 27th December 19.."

I will get back to whether it's Tuesday or Thursday in a moment, but first the year.

In s1e10, The Mists of Time, Ethel says "What if I have to spend the next fifty years with you." and Ada and Agatha are in this episode most likely around the age of 11/12. The oldest they could be would be 15 as in s4 Maud has a statement that I cannot quote right now, but to which we can assume that Cackle's has 5 years, in which the 5th is exam year.

If we calculate from 2017 when The first season of the Worst Witch was filmed, does that mean they were born somewhere between 1950 and 1960.

After quick research I found out that only times the 27th of December, in the decade between 1950 and 1960, fell on a Tuesday or Thursday were in 1955 (a Tuesday) and in 1956 (a Thursday).

And then if we assume that Ada and Agatha were in the mists of time Episode 11 years old, they would be 61 in 2017, which comes down that their date of birth is on Thursday, December 27th 1956

This means Ada and Agatha are both Capricorns.

Next I tried to figure out what time Ada and Agatha exactly were born

In the picture, zooming in a little, the first number after Agatha's name seems to be a five.

Okay, so they're born at 5AM (in the U.K they use the 24 hour clock, so if it'd be 5PM the scroll would say 17h)

Then comming to the exact minute.

The numbers aren't quite clear but we know from Agatha's quote "Mother only gave you the school because you're thirteen minutes older" that there must be a gap of 13 minutes. Agatha's numbers are most clear and it looks like 5:04 which would match with Ada's times, which look like 5:17.

(also I just noticed the scroll said "on" before the date)

To figure out what the ohter information was on the scroll I needed another picture.

Out of this picture I could make up that under "Birthscroll" it says "Twin Witches"

Together with the other two pictures used before it looked like underneath that is writen "Black Crow" + something I could not figure out yet.

The first captital letter looks like a D, followed by probably an o

This made me conclude that ithe words after Black Crow is probably Doctoral or Doctorate, something along the lines of that.

Under the Black Crow Doctoral/Doctorate we have a picture and from what I could see, it looks like an Baby/Angel on either a cloud or something else similair. I could not get a clear view on what it was, nor could I find good referentical pictures so this is just a speculation.

Then before we have Agatha and Ada's name, something else is writen. After viewing different pictures and zooming in, I think it says "This certificate states that" or something similair to that, if we look at how much space it occupies on the scroll.

Now we nearly have the entire scroll

At the bottom the scroll states something and I could not figure out what exactly, though after doing enough puzzling I managed to figure out that the scroll says "In Witness Whereof" and further it's unreadable.

The stamp seems to be having two babies in it, and under the stamp there is a autograph, which of my guessing and after doing research to these birthcertificates must be from the register.

---

And then we have the entire scroll

Birth Scroll

Twin Witches

Black Crow Doctoral/Docorate

[picture of the baby/angel]

This certificate states that

Agatha Cackle was born at 5:04

and(?) Ada Cackle was born at 5:17

To Alma Cackle

On Thursday 27th December 1956

In Witness Whereof ....

---

Peculiar I find that only Alma's name is on the scroll. I tired to do my research to this, but I had a throbbing headache when trying to figure this out, so with that research I did not come very far.

I simply concluded that Ada and Agatha's father was already out of picture/had already passed away when the twins were born, but this information could be incorrect, so if anyone knows, please let me know,

---

I dearly hope that this was useful. It's not very logical since that several episodes *after* Miss Cackle's birthday it's halloween.

But I feel like logic misses more often in The Worst Witch series.

Thank you for reading this all.

Some other pictures I used:

[loveakii]

the mikaelson siblings dynamic is so fucked bc they all think they’re the black sheep. like first klaus is the black sheep bc he’s a bastard and hybrid. then finn’s a black sheep cause he’s the creepy quiet boring brother (with a large age gap to the younger ones). then freya’s the black sheep cause she’s the long lost sister they never met raised by their weirdo auntie. then kol’s the black sheep cause he’s the only witch and a ripper. you could even say rebekah’s the black sheep not on surface level being that she’s the favourite and adored by all, but how she’s infantilized and can never be in the boys club. elijah is the only one who i’d say fits closely to what the parents and siblings want/expect from a family member: to be reliable and level headed and logical but still loyal to a fault. and even he breaks that illusion with the red door and his off the rails arc in s4-5. henrik died before we ever got to know him but he seems to be loved perfectly by all of them, so i won’t include him.

the ironic thing about klaus as a protagonist and his major fear that he is categorized as other is that all the people he’s afraid see him that way also feel that way about themselves. but they all think that they’re the worst version, that their exclusion and/or neglect is the most real.

and in truth it’s actually finn.

edit: niklaus is vocalized by his siblings as the outsider a number of times, called “bastard” and “half brother” a few times, but i believe this is only them trying to hit him where it hurts in response to his horrible treatment of them—not because they see him as less because of his birth father. in TO kol is also referred to as the black sheep and “the wildest”, a description you’d think would be put on klaus instead. goes to show that the insecurities and loneliness does in fact spread across the whole family but from klaus’ pov he thinks his siblings are “normal” while he’s the odd one out.

+ aside from their general feelings of being black sheep there’s also an additional layer of feelings of exclusion based around the always and forever vow, which obviously impacted finn and kol throughout their centuries. idk if freya knew or heard anything about it before s2, but i do think in s3 she felt less than for her lack of history with klaus and the difference in his treatment of her and rebekah (which i attribute to older sister vs little sister dynamics and the fact that he’s still getting to know her)

[classicanalyzer]

Tales of the Empire Thoughts and Reflection

Morgan Elsbeth - The Vengeful Nightsister

The Path of Fear

"It appears your path is set, Morgan Elsebeth. I pity you, for I can see what is to come." Mountain Clan Matron

The origins of Morgan's darkness begin with a tragedy. Her Nightsister tribe (whether that be a part of the same group as Talzin's or another Nightsister group is unclear) is massacred including her mother Selena (Voiced by Morgan's actress, Diana Lee Inosanto, who also voices the older Morgan in the next two shorts). You can really feel Morgan's anxiety and fear kick into overdrive as she saw her people and her own mother die to the onslaught of the droids.

General Grievous is terrifying as hell here. This is the CIS General who strikes fear into the Republic, Jedi, and the unlucky souls who have to contend with him. Likewise, there is no humor from the usually humorous and affably evil Droid mooks as we see them ruthlessly carry out the genocide of the Nightsisters.

The Mountain Clan gives me the vibes that they're Light Side-aligned witches. On that note, it's great to see other Dathomir witch clans since in Legends there were more witch clans than just the Nightsisters. However on that note, when Morgan goes on a hunting trip with Nali, the Mountain Clan Matron's daughter, they hide from a patrolling droid gunship. She then incites fear into her about the patrolling droids, even asking her if she can stand to see he mother die.

Morgan did want to protect the Mountain Clan from the Droids perceiving their unwillingness to prepare for the worst as cowardice. However, in doing so, she with three witches (one of whom is the Matron's daughter) got caught by a patroling droid gunship. But instead of getting the untrained witches to safety, Morgan went straight to destroy the droids who killed her family while leaving the witches to be killed.

The ending of the short ends Morgan alone with the fires of her fear giving way to destruction. Fear can cause a person to do things that end up harming those around them, even if the fear is out of a genuine desire to protect others. I don't think she was fully lost yet, but she clearly let the fear consume her after that.

"Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger." Yoda

The Path of Anger

"Why do you seek Imperial favor?" Thrawn.

"Revenge. Years ago, my people were all but destroyed. Our culture, our beliefs, are fading into memory. Yes, I seek power to ensure my future, to destroy my enemies. My anger gives me strength, and it is that strength that I offer the Empire." Morgan Elsbeth

"Offer accepted."

We open on Coruscant with 4 Venators and an Imperial ISD. It is revealed that Morgan is the designer of the infamous TIE Defender which makes her indirectly responsible for the events of Rebels S3-S4. Of course, the Imperials, particularly Moff Isdain, she presented it to are more interested in Corvus' resources, Morgan's disappointment and worries are felt with her facial expressions... until a familiar Captain is curious about her project.

Captain Pellaeon is disappointed to hear Morgan's response is the standard "Glory to the Empire" statement. Mogan is forced to return to Corvus with an angry crowd of people who worked hard and made her Magistrate, surrendered their freedoms, and trusted her to bring work and prosperity to them. It didn't help when Morgan referred to them from a backwater world and negatively looked down on them.

As night falls, with the angry crowd, Morgan remarks how "ungrateful" they're being and how they're not her people. This shows how Morgan is projecting the loss of her people on the people of Coruvs. However, she didn't take the time to be with the community as she views herself outside of it. She doesn't have long to think about this as she's ambushed by Rukh. The townspeople including Wing who have no love of Morgon now don't even bother to send the guard to help. With some quick thinking and skills, she was able to disarm and hold the assassin at her mercy. Pellaeon then revealed himself and stated how this was a part of a larger test.

With that, Admiral Thrawn (it feels so weird not seeing him in his GA outfit) enters the scene with his theme playing. As Thrawn acts more like his novel counterpart by discussing the Empire's shortcomings by focusing on self-interest and petty infighting over the growing threat of the rebellion. With that, he asks Morgon why she wants to join the Empire. She reveals that she wants revenge for her people being wiped out. It gives me the feeling that she wants to burn down the galaxy at this point, a feeling which is more true in the next short. As Thrawn gives her three of his ISDs, Wind solemnly notes that the Imperial occupation is not good news.

The ending of the short reveals how Morgon wanted to be in a community but she can't bring herself to truly be a part of it. Which is why she ended up rejected as people can't see her as one of their own since she chooses not to be a part of the community.

"Anger leads to hate." Yoda

The Path of Hate

"Be brave. No matter how dark things get." Nadura

"I can't." Wing

"You can. Help will come...... but you must be ready to do your part. Even if it is small. You can make a difference." Nadura

The dawn of the NR has come as Nadura, a former laborer, came back to her home for Corvus to become a NR planet. However, she discovers the town has only gotten worse and more oppressed by Morgan. She assures Wing that people can change and perhaps Morgan too. However, the truth couldn't have been farther. As Morgan talks about a vision she has and rejects any offers by Nadura (even thinking she's an ungrateful laborer despite Nadura pointing out the harsh conditions and "fair wages"), at that point despite Wing and Nadura pleading for a peaceful resolution, Morgon chose violence.

Even after killing the NR guards and Nadura, she had her soldiers burn down the forest almost out of spite (Nadura had pleaded with her to not burn everything around her... only for us to get the chilling statement of how her world has been burning since Dathomir). However, a ray of hope arrives when Wing is assured help is on the way by Nadura and he needs to be ready to help whatever he can. This really got to me as I was invested in Wing's growth, especially when we see him in Mando S2 helping to free the prisoners and alerting Djarin about the droid. He was able to live up to Nadura's hopes.

In the end, the cycle repeats itself. It's depressing and tragic to see how the sympathetic victim becomes the victimizer monster. In Morgan's quest to see her destiny fulfilled, she became just like the cyborg General who killed her people. The short ends with a seemingly downer note as Morgan destroys the communicator (Bo-Katan on the other side). However, there was a brief moment of Ahsoka's leitmotif used, a sign of what's to come in Mandalorian S2 The Jedi, where Ahsoka overthrows Morga and Wing plays his part, even if it is small.

Reflecting upon Morgan's character, her arc, and character remind me a lot of FF16's Barnabas Tharmr, both wanted a sense of belonging and were willing to do anything, even die for that. Morgan's revenge seems to be her wanting to burn the galaxy for allowing the massacre to happen. While we don't have a suffering short, the Ahsoka finale is the suffering of one of Yoda's famous lines.

"Hate leads to suffering." Yoda

Barriss Offee - The Conflicted Jedi

Devoted

"Brothers, sisters enter. Enter. Now it is time you meet your new Master. Long Live the Empire!" Grand Inquisitor

Operation Knightfall has come... and Barriss Offee can only witness the fires of the Jedi Temple in her prison cell. Even after betraying the Jedi, she didn't want to see them perish (her reason for her actions in the first place was to protest the Jedi's involvement in the war). Of course, it doesn't take long for the Inquisitorius to take an interest. As Barriss recognizes Lyn, she discovers the narrative that the Jedi tried to "assassinate" Palpatine. Under threat of being killed if she refuses, Barriss takes Lyn's offer of an opportunity.

At Nur (I prefer Fallen Order's Nur over Kenobi's Nur but this show made Kenobi Nur look good), Barriss reunites with two Jedi, Ahmar (HE'S VOICED BY HUNTER?!) and Dante (VOICED BY ROWAN FREEMAKER?!), as we get the Grand Inquisitor (Jason Issacs is back!) recapping them of the galaxy's changes (Republic to Empire) and encourages them to prove themselves to join their ranks... discouraging them of trying to leave. Interestingly, Barriss acts the most Jedi-like (meditating while waiting) while Dante (is too scared of leaving) and Ahmar (who correctly sees that the Empire is no better than the Jedi) act un-Jedi-like. As Barriss tries to dissuade Ahmar from leaving, he scoffs (he notably asked why she wasn't in prison when they first reunited) why they should listen to her as it implies he might've been disgusted by what she did.

As Dante's opinions are validated with Ahmar's bloodied gem tossed, Barriss is taken to be tested by the Grand Inquisitor. What's really ironic is that the Grand Inquisitor became disillusioned by the Order because of Barriss' speech, and now he's giving her a crash course in truly embracing the Dark Side. You can see Barriss slow reluctance to give in to her anger but as the "fight" goes on, she becomes more aggressive and gives in to the Dark Side. With the Grand Inquisitor casually dodging her moves and encouraging her to stop "fighting like a Jedi", this results in Barriss hitting his shoulder armor... but he was still able to disarm her. As the blood drips from Barriss nose, she finally uses the Force to attack the Grand Inquisitor and with blood dripping from him, he regards her as ready for the final test.

The final test is of course... a fight to the death or else both will die. Even despite tapping into the Dark Side, Barriss doesn't want to fight... but Dante consumed by his fear decides to go for the kill. Barriss fights defensively throughout until she decides to save her life by Force-Chocking Dante. This of course is how she framed Ahsoka for murder and you can tell how shocked of what she just did as she's given her own Inqusistiro mask and greeted as a sister by Lyn.

The final scene shows Barriss, Lyn, Marrok, and even the Inquisitor from TotJ's episode Resolve meeting their new master: Darth Vader. The irony does not need to be stated. As Barriss puts on the helmet, truly accepting her role as a Jedi hunting Inquisitor. Her devotion is now with the Inquisitorius. We see the journey of someone who went from accusing the Order of promoting violence and warmongering to now joining an order of hunters who will reap violence (which she will discover).

Side Note: The Clone Shock Troopers and the proto-Purge Troopers are some of the most asshole Clones I've seen.

"Long Live the Empire." Barriss Offee

Realization

"The Jedi are a threat to be eradicated wherever they are found." Lyn Rakish

"Then you have one Jedi left to deal with." Barriss Offee

Barriss and Lyn are sent on a mission to deal with a Jedi supposedly located there. Barriss rightfully questions how they can trust the intel with Lyn's blindly believing she shouldn't question orders from the Grand Inquisitor. Throughout the entire episode, we see Barriss truly believe in the Imperial propaganda that they were bringing peace and prosperity to the galaxy. However, she sees the shantytown and ruins of a world where a rebel cell operated, and she's shocked about why the Empire would allow this to happen. Lyn coldly gives no empathy to the people as they rebelled against the Empire.

Eventually, they reach the town square where we see a major difference between the two former Jedi. Lyn aggressively threatens the townsfolk about revealing the Jedi and spews out Imperial propaganda about the Jedi which only gets her nothing from their elder. However, Barriss notices a child who seem to know where the Jedi is. Barriss' approach is calmly approaching the child, even taking off her helmet to nicely ask. Unsurprisingly, Barriss' approach worked out as the child gave the Jedi's location. This shows how despite being an Inquisitor, Barriss believes the Inquisitorius is a better version of the Order. However because the Governor lied about no Jedi being there, Lyn killed all of the people in the square. I think this might be one of the most violent moments in SW animation as we see several civilians killed on-screen. Thankfully, Barriss was able to spare the child as she encouraged them to not look back... that child is going to have so many trust issues when they grow up.

We get to know more about Lyn's thought process as it's clear she believes fear will bring a projection of strength (something which comes back to haunt her in the next short). It doesn't take long for the two to find the Jedi. The Jedi managed to knock out Lyn and we get a really cool duel between Barriss and the Jedi. Barriss tries to sympathize with the Jedi about being abandoned and left alone to join a new community. This convinces the Jedi to surrender after sympathizing with being alone and tired of running. However, Lyn then nearly kills the Jedi despite them surrendering. This was the last straw as Lyn dismissed Barriss' point of their surrender and that was when Barriss finally returned to the Light, as she Force pushed her former friend off the cliff. Symbolically, Barriss then drops her Inquisitor helmet off the cliff. She then begins to heal the Jedi as she proclaims they're not alone.

Side Note: The Jedi (They/them pronouns) is also voiced by a Queer VA, Ry Chase (goes by any all pronouns) which is amazing representation to see. I'm also so happy they aren't killed.

"I won't let you die. You're not alone." Barriss Offee

The Way Out

"I forgive you." Barriss Offee

"I don't want your forgiveness. I want you to show me the way out." Lyn Rakish

"You know the way out. You just have to accept it, Lyn."

"Stop calling me that."

"But that is who you are."

"There is no way out, is there?"

"That's what the Empire wants you to think."

"I am gonna get you out of here."

As a family with their Force-sensitive child makes their way to find help, they can meet with The Healer, otherwise known as Barriss. She has once again reconnected with her Jedi roots and embraced it. It's even highly implied she reconciled with Ahsoka which is the most heartwarming thing to know happened. However, Lyn has found them all (ironically she wasn't even searching for Barriss).

As Lyn is now sunken low to hunt children, Barriss notes how fear has become Lyn's master and not her ally as Barriss like the Grand Inquisitor dodged every strike.

In many ways, Lyn getting lost in the cave reflects how fear consumes and blinds you. As you let fear dictate your life, you cannot find the way out. But when you let go of fear, the way out is quite clear, the family and the attendants were able to easily get out of the cave as a result.

As Lyn becomes more afraid and fearful when her trapped state is apparent. We see the true Lyn, someone scared of failure, and the organization she serves. Lyn's mental breakdown reflects how just like in the first episode, fear can let you hurt people you weren't intending to hurt... as she stabs Barriss in her blind rage. However, Barriss's compassion despite everything she did was enough to finally break through to Lyn's heart, and like Reva, she abandoned her weapon to hopefully help Barriss. However, whatever Barriss lives or dies isn't important what is important is she helps her friend find the light.

Upon reflection, the Lyn represents Barriss' idealism being twisted by the Inquisitorius. Barriss and Lyn thought this new order would be better than the Jedi. However, while Barriss sticks to her Jedi's beliefs (she ended up in jail for protesting the Jedi's involvement in the war but still believed in its values), Lyn for a long time embraced the violence and heartlessness of the Inquisitorius. It's little wonder why Barriss wanted to do everything she could to help her.

Despite the darkness in these two shorts, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

Happy May the Fourth!

[annyankers]

I’m once again irrationally mad about how people complain about the magic metaphors in buffy work (the whole dark magic=addiction, wicca = gay shit thing).

Like I cannot express how frustrating it is to see people bitching about how things like Dark Willow “don’t make sense” because “magic/Wicca was a originally metaphor for queerness“ or whatever as tho the first two major episodes in the series where magic was used (1x3 “Witch” and 2x8 “Dark Ages” ) weren’t all about the dark/inappropriate/destructive/abusive use of magic.

People loooooooveeeeee Giles’ past as Ripper and delight over things like “Band Candy” where we see him go Full Ripper but cannot for the life of them seem to remember that we first even LEARNED ABOUT THAT PART OF HIM IN DARK AGES WHERE HE TALKED ABOUT BASICALLY MAGICALLY PARTYING SO HARD HIS FRIEND DIED. THIS IS OUR FIRST MAJOR CHARACTER EPISODE THAT’S GOT MAGIC AS A MAIN FOCAL ELEMENT! THIS IS THE ORIGINAL METAPHOR!

The queerness is still kinda baked in there because of the Ethan Of It All but it’s first and foremost a metaphor about like, all the shit that classically leads to substance abuse and the worst outcomes that can come from it. Willow and Tara are an example of the “good” side of magic ( I’ll say Jenny is also in this section but they do so fucking little w/ her technopagan-ness so). They’re also pretty explicitly said to be “Wiccans” which I also have some issues with because of how Wicca is portrayed/talked about in the show (the Silver RavenWolf energy of it all is so galling). But like, that’s literally a whole fucking different subsection/practice of witchcraft/magic. This is like getting mad at water polo for muddling the metaphor of jet skiing. Like yes, they both are water sports but I think you’ll that they’re not the same fucking one and work completely differently.

Magic is not just 1 set of spells and rituals, it’s a multifaceted, multilayered, multi-pathed thing. With Giles we see how it can go Very Wrong and with Willow and Tara in S4-5 we see how it can go Very Right (and how it can be used to help get the Gay in the show around the Fox Censors). Willow increasingly having issues with magic/substance abuse is NOT a mixed metaphor/bad writing/ruining the gay metaphor and implying gays are bad. It’s USING THE OTHER ALREADY ESTABLISHED MAGIC METAPHOR AS PART OF HER CHARACTER ARC. WILLOW CAN BE QUEER AND ALSO HAVE A SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUE! GILES ARGUABLY DID IT FIRST ANYWAY (again, the Ethan Of It All)!

Willow has ALWAYS been insecure, a lil bit of a control freak, someone who wants to be HER REAL SELF and also someone TOTALLY DIFFERENT. Like she wants to be Willow but only if it’s a Willow who’s better/cooler/stronger/prettier etc. Someone who’s not the “pathetic loser” she still sees herself as even in season 6 and hasn’t totally shaken in season 7. These desires both to feel more In Control/Better and Not Yourself are classic reasons people will turn to substance abuse. For Willow is it MUCH easier to do a wizard spell to “fix” a problem than it is to like, fucking confront her issues of self-loathing and self-worth and like.... go to therapy. And that’s what gets her in trouble just like it has for so many others before her. Like in many ways Dark/Addict Willow is like seeing Giles’ Ripper Era live and on screen plus maybe a lil bit on steroids.

Magic can be used as part of more than 1 metaphor and the substance abuse metaphor came first. Stop pretending like it never existed in the show until season 6.

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Five Fics Friday: February 2/24

It's Finally the First Friday in February, and that means it's Five Fics Friday! I hope you enjoy the fics I've chosen for y'all this week! And please give the boosted fic some love! <3 Enjoy!

SIGNAL BOOSTING

Talk down your DNA by avalanching effect (T, 5,384 w., 1 Ch. || Supernatural Elements AU || Witches, Cannibalism, POV John, Spooky, Death, Suicide Attempt) – When him and Harry are 11, their parents take them to an abandoned sawmill for their birthday, and leave them to their own devices. After they learn how to turn it on, Harry pushes him in. Part 1 of Not dead, not alive, but a secret third thing

RECENT MFLs

The Murder of Sir Emory J. Amat by ChrisCalledMeSweetie (T, 14,364+ w., 5/27 Ch. || WiP || Murder of Roger Ackroyd Fusion / 1925 AU || Surprise Ending, Case Fic, POV First Person John) – A Sherlock Holmes mystery, as recounted by Dr. John H. Watson. Can you follow the clues to deduce whodunnit?

Hand In Hand by LipstickDaddy(G, 2,847+ w., 3/? Ch. || WiP || Nail Salon AU || Fluff, Mutual Pining, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending) – John Watson is home from Afghanistan, and he hasn’t felt entirely himself, entirely human, for weeks. He bumps into Stamford, and John makes an offhand comment about his friend’s “soft academic’s hands.” Stamford slips him the address of a nail shop near Bart’s, and John wonders if something as simple as a manicure might actually help him. Turns out, it’s the best impulse decision he’d ever make.

Maybe We Could Change His Mind by thalialunacy (E, 23,049 w., 5 Ch. || Post-S4, Romance, Banter, Schmoop, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, First Kiss/Time, Matchmaker Irene, Late-Life Coming Out, Queer Issues, Queer Friendship, Conversion Therapy Discussion, Texting, Anal / Oral Sex, Parental Sherlock) – John now knows that Irene and Sherlock have been corresponding through burner phones and WhatsApp for years. What he doesn't know is that the 'Oo you're shiny and smart!' hormones wore off long ago, and now they're simply gay besties chatting about life, fashion, and, of course, John. But John doesn't know that, so when Irene appears in their life again just as they get called into a very personal case, he feels the sand start to shift beneath his feet and has no idea why. Luckily, Sherlock will always do what it takes to ensure John gets to solid ground, no matter the cost.

RECENTLY BOOKMARKED LOKIUS FIC

we can stay here (& laugh away the fear) by unintentionallyangsty (T, 11,100 w., 1 Ch. || LOKI SERIES || Lokius, Canon Divergence, TVA Shenanigans, Attention Seeking Behaviour, Praise Kink, Touch Starvation, Pet Names, Angsty Fluff, Romantic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Shyness, Awkward Flirting, Crying, Misunderstandings, Cuddling/Snuggling, Blushing, Depression Mention) – Loki is bad with people and relationships, and tends to assume the worst of every intention and interaction because it's easier in the long-run. Mobius is good with Loki. (Or, two times Loki is spooked off by Mobius' unexpected gentleness and familiarity, and one (1) time the opposite is true).

[slingbats]

there's like. a LOT to unpack about ivy but i'm confused about the second take in the first place, does this make sense?

at the point where you realize "this was a mistake, lets try to scrap the character we already have and start over" (in the worst way possible that is probably much worse than they intended it) like.

why did she go from weird mushroom kid to bubbly. why was the middle stage bubbly? she was never like that before and there's less of a transition between s3 and s4 than they think there is, it's weird that they brought her actress back to show the change instead of just replacing her offscreen like any other character whose actor changed

if they HAD to do what they did because they regretted writing her in the first place, why didn't they skip straight to the green witch era, that would've made more sense, instead she's got three stages and none of them land on their feet because they never decided what they wanted before the cameras started rolling and then the final season got halved so she didn't even do anything

i don't even know where to begin critiquing any part of it because it's such a mess, i'd rather throw the whole thing out

[phoebehalliwell]

CH98 & CH18 collide: Macy is the daughter of Prue (+ Cleavant Wilson) & Maggie is the daughter of Paige (+ Mason Cowan). Mel doesn't exist because she's the worst. Kaela is the daughter of Phoebe (+ Reece Davidson) &, oh, look Phoebe (+ the Seer) have another daughter named Jada (long story... don't ask... it was Leo's fault maybe) & they live over East but visit sometimes. Piper is the loveable aunt who never got to have babies of her own... but her AU sons Wyatt & Chris visit her occasionally.

not the mel slanderrrr you're not like wrong tho and i think i might actually have macy be the daughter of prue and gordon franklin (making max franklin her half brother). i also really love maggie as a daughter of paige that feels so inspired honestly i also really like witchlighter maggie phoebe and reece is also a really fun pairing i actually never watched s4 so i can't talk to her personality at all and i'm gonna throw in a wild card for jada specifically and say leo and ariel (the witch from prewitched in an au where she didn't die). ooh and you know what? a seer/cole child. the seer was lowkey sexy like!! she was sick as hell like i won't recant! idk who their seer/cole kid would be tho... not parker bc he was kind of a flop character. that being said, grooming him to be the source would really fit.... maybe seer/cole kid as macy given her demonic heritage....

ooh niko as the piper/mark child!!!! and she's dating some girl named mal (no relation)

[hecateisalesbian]

I’m still pissed Disney cut The Owl House Short so I made two more seasons out of 3 episodes

Something lost and found

S3 A

Ep 1 - Surprise Visit

After Luz and the gang show up at Camila’s door, Camila finds herself caring for 6 kids

Ep 2 - Outdoor Troubles

Luz helps everyone overcome their fear of rain. Hunter has some trouble.

Ep 3 - Mother o’ mine

Luz opens up to Camila about her time in the Boiling Isles

Ep 4 - Ever had a doubt?

Vee takes it upon herself to spy on hunter. Hunter feels guilty for his Uncle’s doing

Ep 5 - Time to lift!

Amity and Willow discover they still have things to talk about. One thing brings them together

Ep 6 - He who lies

Camila takes Luz and Hunter to the local library to find information on witches

Ep 7 - I was a teenage horror show

Luz has to go back to school. And face a brutal reality.

Ep 8 - Never did I ever!

Hunter and Luz discuss the Day of Unity. Amity, Willow, Gus, and Vee attempt to fix the shack. 

Ep 9 - Green grass and Blue Skies

Camila takes everyone to the lake. Amity makes a discovery

Ep 10 - Lucky Guess

Eda is faced with a dark situation

S3 B

Ep 11 - Only I Could Want You

The Collector begins a game with the Boiling Isles. King makes a daring request

Ep 12 - Some Who Dare

Luz falls into a depressive episode after a failed portal door attempt. Amity asks for advice.

Ep 13 - Tick Tock! 

Matt forms a secret society hidden from Boscha. Boscha confides in her New Friend.

Ep 14 - Amity, oh Cramity!

Amity takes Luz on a date to clear her mind.

Ep 15 - Never you mind

Eda, King, and Lilith remember a family member

Ep 16 - Dinner for Two?

Odalia stumbles upon an opportunity. 

Ep 17 - Friends in High Places

The gang take a trip to the zoo. Hunter gets nervous. 

Ep 18 - O’er Thy Hill

Matt Leads a rescue mission. King discovers a little of Collector’s past

Ep 19 - Under and Over

Luz receives an invitation to a Halloween Festival. Vee makes old connections

Ep 20 - Need I Say More?

Hunter interrupts Luz’s and Amity’s plans.

Ep 21 - Dig Up New Graves

An encounter with an old friend leaves another stranded

Find the light in the dark

S4 A

Ep 1 - Friends and Foes

Upon returning to the Demon Realm, Luz and her friends find nothing is like it was

Ep 2 - Into the...Alone?

The Collector brings unexpected relations.

Ep 3 - Nice look, Captain!

Luz and the gang stumble upon Hexside, and its new Leader.

Ep 4 - Daunts and Haunts

Belos is reminded of his past

Ep 5 - Three Hundred Feet 

The Collector is read to sleep by a book with horrors

Ep 6 - Here Goes Nothing

Matt introduces everyone to the secret rebellion forming under Boscha’s nose

Ep 7 - Everyone has a Secret

Boscha Must join forces with the whole school to take down an old enemy

Ep 8 - Let Them Know

Raine talks to the Collector, but they seem different

Ep 9 - In Death Do Us Part

The Collector overhears a conversation that’s leads him to believe there is a Backstabber among him.

Ep 10 - Get to the Top

The fight with Kikimora still rages, but with a new friend by Luz’s side, there is hope to reach the Titan

Ep 11 - Here Lies Luz

Luz is left alone 

S4 B

Ep 12 - Titans and Trappers

King wakes up to find himself inside his worst nightmare

Ep 13 - Instead of Me

Eda’s worst fears come to life

Ep 14 - Never Shed a Tear

Luz is faced with her mistakes . But something seems off.

Ep 15 - Trials and Tribulations

After waking up Eda and King, Luz finds her and the Collector face to face

Ep 16 - Have a Friend, Lose a Friend

The Collector tells Luz about the Archivists. 

Ep 17 - Every Titan for Themselves

Raine and Belos face off

Ep 18 - Dazed At It’s Glory

Luz shows The Collector her adventures through the Isles. 

Ep 19 - A Lying Emperor and A Human

Luz must make a sacrifice 

Ep 20 - Rad Dad

Luz wakes up to find herself inbetween

Ep 21 - Kiss Me Goodbye

Luz and Belos have a final duel

Yes I will make a very long and detailed synopsis for each episode just give me a minute

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Saturday, February 24th

XANDER: So you just went home? BUFFY: What was I supposed to do? Say to Owen, 'Sorry I was late, I was sitting in a cemetery with the librarian waiting for a vampire to rise so I could prevent an evil prophecy from coming to pass?' XANDER: Or flat tire?

~~Never Kill A Boy On The First Date~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Weekly Drabbles #89 — Her Happy Day by veronyxk84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Blood Under Our Nails by SomeKindOfADeviant (Spike/Drusilla, E)

i'm like you, right? by bodytoflame (Cordelia & Indira Nunnally, G)

I miss you, I'm sorry by FanFreak611 (Cordelia & Sarah Chase, Cordelia & Spike, T)

A quick detour by Bl4ckHunter (The Trio, Sonic X / Sonic the Hedgehog crossover, T)

A bunch of flowers for Valentine's Day by MissKitty28 (Buffy/Spike, T)

want, take, have by softestbutch (Buffy/Faith, T)

What the Drabble? Chapter 89 by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, R)

Lovers' Universe by Harlow Turner (Buffy/Spike/Riley, R)

[Chaptered Fiction]

The Sunnydale Party, Chapter 2 by Cynder2013 (Scoobies, DIE comic crossover, M)

Xander the Teenage Witch: Something Wicked, Chapter 10 by v_o_x (Xander/Larry, T)

surrender your power, Chapter 11 by paperwasp (Buffy/Faith, E)

Raven, Chapter 4 by sparrow2000 (Xander & Spike, G)

Worth Fighting For, Chapter 60 by melodys_muse (Buffy/Angel, T)

Greatest Love Story Postlude, Chapter 5 by FalseGinger (Angel/Spike, M)

With Sprinkles, Chapters 1-32 by dogbertcarroll, Narsil (Xander, Naruto crossover, M)

Amara Time, Chapter 20 by Joan963z (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Afterburn, Chapter 16 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

With Sprinkles, Chapter 32 by dogbertcarroll (Xander, Naruto crossover, FR15)

Love Lives Here, Chapter 27 by Passion4Spike (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

The Day After, Chapter 3 by Maldorana (Buffy/Spike, G)

Resurrection, Chapter 1 by Lady Emma (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: Angel’s tattoo by ghostrabbit87 (worksafe)

Artwork: Angel by Pink Person (worksafe)

Video: Buffy and Angel CROSSOVERS (part 3) - Season 6/Season 3 + COMIC ISSUE "Reunion" dub! by Love Bites

Fanvid: AtS S4/BtVS S7 | I Don't Have to See You Right Now by genericaces

Fanvid: Willow & Oz and Spike & Buffy-At Your Worst (Secret Valentine 2024) by lbchatterbox

Fanvid: Buffyverse | All I Need by Jess Wilson

Fanvid: Darla/Buffy | Running Up That Hill by Light

Fanvid: Buffy & Spike - Catch That Glory (Season 07) by MayEditvids

Fanvid: Buffy & Spike - All About Us by MayEditvids

Fanvid: Buffy vs Faith - Bad Blood by juliaroxs241

Fanvid: Buffy and Angel - 2 Become 1 by juliaroxs241

Fanvid: Spike Buffy Riley - Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' by juliaroxs241 (creator also posted several other vids)

Vidlet: honestly every slayer fits this song [labour by Paris Paloma] by Demi sadler (Buffy)

Vidlet: buffy by Demi sadler

[Reviews & Recaps]

Video: Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 1 Review by George Alexander

Video: Once More With Feeling-Slayer Sunday by Jane Talks Buffy

[Fandom Discussions]

I was heartbroken when I heard the news that there will not be a Slayers: A Buffyverse Story Season 2 AmberAddict

For all Buffy the Vampire Slayer did wrong, it did found family right by ammyamarant

the mortal danger is not the issue with [Jenny] by mimsycohen

xander being the one that angel uses for bait by mimsycohen

Do you skip episodes? What's your criteria? continued by vampmogs

Whose side are you on? [Empty Places] continued by multiple posters

Slayers: A Buffyverse Story' Has Been Canceled continued by multiple posters

Rewatch thoughts and questions continued by multiple posters

Sid in puppet show by The Whirlwind

They totally should’ve kept this in! by hthbellhop76

Buffy and faith bodyswitch by AresEli

I had this idea for a Buffy Alternate reality that spawns after The Wish by TheFrostWolf7

Buffy's claims about Harmony in Real Me by Tuxedo_Mark

Something I Noticed In the Finale by contact-stupiditis

Which pathetic insignificant mortal did The Great Glorificus hate the most? Buffy or Willow? by mbene913

Neat bit of continuity between 'Earshot' and 'The Gift' by mbene913

Favorite episode by WasteSteak7194

Going to high school in Sunnydale by Desperate-Fan-3671

Do you have an episode (or episodes) that means something different for you now than it was 10-20 years ago? by SorceryStorm

What do you think is the 'Buffiest' episode? by maycontaincake

What piece of advice would you offer to your least favorite character? by PristineSituation498

Can we talk about how real Buffy was for showing how it took her 3 episodes to get over Parker? by redditwatcher11

Video: Slayers' Audible Drama: Mixed News for Buffy Fans on Spike, Dru & the Buffyverse Ahead! by Examining Kubrick Craven Halloween

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[hydr0phius]

A little Post-The Worst Witch (2017) S4 E13: The Witching Hour fic. Sorry in advance for any sucker punches to the feels.

[rockclimbinglover12107]

My fave Tvd characters ( or ones that I don’t actively want to murder )

Please bear in mind that this is just my opinion and you can like whoever you want. Also this list only includes characters from TVD and one from TO.

1. Katherine Pierce

I absolutely loved Katherine, to the point where I lost interest in the show soon after her death (although this was more due to decline in quality). I liked her in s2 for her power and iconic personality / quotes, as well as her complex, interesting history. As the seasons progressed, I also felt sorry for her, especially when they screwed her over at the end of her life in s5, just to bring her back and ruin her again in s8. I understand that her character had flaws but I am still mad that she went to hell but flipping Klaus Mikaelson didn’t. Another thing that made me enjoy her was the brilliant acting from Nina Dobrev, who shone in the role of a badass yet glamorous villain and brought real personality to the part, despite her lazy and inconsistent storyline. She was a funny and iconic character, who was screwed over by everyone she ever met including her own father, all of her boyfriends and her doppelgänger and suffered to much for a 17 year old girl.

2. Rebekah Mikaelson

Rebekah always intrigued me, even though I found her annoying on my first watch of TVD, mainly due to her constant misguided loyalty to her brother. However, I came to realise that she was a victim of Klaus, just like everyone else, and that he was abusive and controlling towards her. After realising this, I was able to fully appreciate her character and the way she only wanted love and roasted the MF gang on many occasions. I especially enjoyed her sisterly relationships with Freya and Hayley and wished that she had become friends with Katherine, because that pairing would have been legendary.

3. Freya Mikaelson

She was the only reason that I managed to make it through any of TO and it was refreshing to see another powerful main witch aside from Bonnie. As I mentioned above, I loved her relationship with Freya and Hayley and liked her protectiveness. However, her loyalty to her family sometimes annoyed me, as I couldn’t stand her brothers. She deserved better than the Mikaelson men and Hope, who, from what I’ve seen, is the most annoying, whiny, overpowered teenage girl in the TVDU.

4. Matt Donovan

Everybody hates on this guy and I don’t understand why. He was just a normal teen with an absent father and an irresponsible, mostly absent mother, whose sister died when he was young, along with half of his friends. In my opinion, his dedication to staying a human and sticking to his morals was admirable and his relationships with many of the girls were cute and non-toxic. People only hate him because he isn’t some angsty, rebel heartthrob and happened to dislike many of the fan favourites.

5. Vicki Donovan

The writers really looked at this girl in s1 and were like “Let’s make her life as miserable as possible”. She grew up with terrible parents, had a drug problem, dated pre-redemption arc Tyler Lockwood, became a ripper and then died at the hands of a 100 year old monster. The worst part is that people dislike her because they found her issues “annoying” but then praise characters like Stefan, Klaus and Damon who all had serious mental illness as well.

6. Lexi Branson

She was a friendly and supportive person who died too soon and should have stayed on the show longer. Her attitude towards Katherine/Elena could have been interesting and her hatred of Damon was hilarious.

7. Elena Gilbert

Although I could hardly stand her in s4&6 and especially s5, I thought that she was an interesting character in the early seasons with a somewhat nice personality and a sense of nobility that many characters lacked. She doesn’t deserve all of the hate that she gets but I definitely understand why people don’t like her. I also think she should have been more sympathetic of Katherine and Rebekah, but I think that her feelings and opinions were always heavily manipulated by the Salvatore brothers.

8. Kai Parker

He brought some much needed excitement and comic relief to the very dreary s6 and he treated Katherien with the respect that she deserved. However, he suffered from the fact that he was a newcomer in the time when the show’s spirit started to die.

9. Jenna Sommers

This poor woman was left to look after two traumatised teenagers, after her only sister died, and put up with the constant drama of Mystic Falls. She was one of the few innocent people on this entire show and she deserved a happy ending, instead of being killed by a man she had never done anything to.

10. Hayley Marshall

She was interesting and funny, although she was sometimes annoying, and she put Caroline in her place when she was being particularly annoying. Every time she defied Klaus or Elijah I was like GO GET IT GIRL! However she, like Katherine, had a terrible taste in men, seeing as she went after the Mikaelson brothers.

These are all of my fave charcters on TVD. Hope you like at least one of these people.

[heathtrash]

What are your thoughts on Mildred and Hecate relationship? I kinda wished the writers toned down Hecate strictness a bit, sometimes it kinda looks like Hecate is being abusive to Mildred.

sO, i'm going to preface this by saying i do not engage with The Worst Witch for Mildred & Hecate content and have no particular desire to see any friendly feelings between them and certainly no maternal affection from Hecate for Mildred. my ideal for them is that they are a student and teacher in the same school and go through a natural growth of mutual respect by the end. Hecate simply wants her to succeed and has a distant level of fondness for her, and Mildred is at first scared of her but develops respect for her. that's not everyone's shared feeling of course! so just bear that in mind.

in book canon, Miss Hardbroom is far more playful with Mildred, though still has moments where she's actively cruel. it's clearly a source of amusement to her to magically sneak up on Mildred & co. while they're up to something, but not for the purpose of humiliating them. narratively, she's set up to be the Stern Teacher to Mildred's Book Dumb/This Loser Is You. (this is loosely the dynamic Constance Hardbroom occupies in 1998, but in general they make her deliberately less effective at commanding a classroom in this to allow more space for shenanigans.)

the 2017 series deviates by accentuating Hecate's strictness, which pushed her more into the Sadist Teacher trope at times. in fact, this was almost the reason i never watched it and decided to give it a miss after seeing the initial trailer (yes, REALLY; i'm sorry Raquel). that wasn't Miss Hardbroom to me, even though i don't really care about Mildred and Hecate being friends.

now i have a better appreciation for the reasons they did this (while i still think it's kind of,,, not wholly accurate to the character and reads as uncomfortable in places) and love Raquel's depiction of the character. to make Miss Hardbroom "scary" for this era's youth and more of an antagonist in select episodes, they overcompensated and went overboard with her cruelty. it's important to recognise that they were really going for nuance in individual episodes, which reflects the intended demographic of the series.

however, Hecate does have scenes where she has more than one side, but these are limited and fleeting (usually with an adult, and only sometimes with students in the life-or-death situations) and the growth doesn't persist between episodes. this is why the arc in S4 with her suddenly becoming the Misunderstood Loner with a Heart of Gold feels a bit out of character with the little to no build-up they provide. suddenly she's okay with random children hugging her, even though she's supposedly the teacher who puts professionalism first, who has always needed to maintain distance because everything that was revealed in S3 (i.e. she could never allow herself to feel anything for anyone because they'd just leave while she was stuck confined to Cackle's)? most forced growth ever.

i think one of the most obvious cases of Hecate's abusiveness is when she sends Mildred to Wormwood's Academy when she herself was allowed to remain at Cackle's after turning Indigo Moon to stone. but - a big but - she is distraught over Ada at this point (plus, this is the big finale and they had to have a "Mildred actually gets expelled" moment, so they can bring her back in time for her ultimate success). this is not to excuse her behaviour, but it is an emotional reaction that she herself acknowledges.

yet the abusiveness is also in the tiny things, like begrudgingly passing Mildred in her exams, constantly telling her students that they're doing badly, etc. and i fully stand behind that. i have some thoughts about the things children pick up from media about how they should be treated by adults, and The Worst Witch sometimes crosses some boundaries there.

there are definitely ways of portraying strictness that don't edge into abuse. this is mostly true of the book, but the 2017 series sometimes gets this right too. i would never want to take away a core characteristic of Miss Hardbroom by simply making her "softer". i think there were sometimes choices that could have been made very differently with Hecate, both in her unkind and kind moments, but that's not something that's very easily explored within each 28-minute episode of a CBBC show. and that's why we write fanfiction!

(also i wrote this in a very minimum effort moment without referencing anything so forgive me for not providing more specific examples. i'll probably talk more about this at some point when i'm not pushed for energy!)

[evita-shelby]

they are a nice couple(and dynamic to explore!) like Eva has eye fucked Luca at an opera, has agreed to an arranged marriage to jack before hooking with him in a confessional and called tommy a dumbass for falling for grace all in the first meeting.

having Billy and Eva meet only after like a year(albeit interrupted by his court case and her newfound freedom) of one sided notes is very entertaining. like Evas wants to see how far he is willing to commit even before she gives him a chance (especially after Tommy continues to prove she shouldn’t have given him a second chance)

Eva has a fear of dying in childbirth like her only sister did as she was about 15/16 when it happened and had been there in the room with Felicidad died. and with Tommy refusing to let the divorce happen while she's pregnant, she gives into the need for support (again she has few friends and relatives in england, so she's in an even more vulnerable state)

but he continues to be in love with lucy even after he claims to have given up on her and try again with Eva in earnest. this of course brings out the worst in Eva who is very vindictive and will not hesitate to ruin someone's life to get even. (ie her eternal almost soulmate esque rivalry with Grace whom she is destined to hate in every life).

Eva has been raised like a sort of child god by her family and has mean streak Lucy and Tommy have brought out in her in this verse(very fun to see aimed at other people but unfortunately its gonna be Tommy and in extension Lucy who get it this series). Tommy has incurred the witch’s wrath and its only because she wants him to fuck off that she tells him Lucy’s whereabouts.

but lucy and Tommy's problems are no longer Eva’s buisness, she has ceased to be a Shelby until Tommy's will is read and makes off with the lions share of his wealth since he won't have other kids beyond Charlie.

i figure Eva and Billy are probably visiting Hong Kong in s4 with little Annie and Henry and don't even know about the vendetta until they pick up Charlie at Artow House

Vēnor

Eva’s new course in life all began with a note

or Brilliant Chang was famous for using letters to get women and here's how he used them to woo Eva.

venor taglist: @justrainandcoffee @mischievouslittlecreature @zablife @call-sign-shark @thegreatdragonfruta @hoodeddreams13

The first note had come after she discovered Tommy didn’t like Chinese food and didn’t know about Billy’s shops here. Eva came here to escape Tom, who refused to give up and had grown tired of his interference in her life.

Charlie had been six months old and left in the nanny’s care as Eva met with her cousin Ignacio’s English friend to file a divorce with a good enough custody agreement to be rid of her shackles once and for all.

Eva had given him a chance for the baby. Pregnancy was difficult enough for a couple, let alone a single woman, and he had mistaken her need for support as forgiveness for his cruelty towards her. She had a fear of childbirth, and for that moment, she indulged in the fantasy that Tommy was a man deserving of her.

In a moment of weakness, she had almost forgiven him. She had been overcome with want and had fucked him only for him to remind her why she wanted him gone when he called her by Lucy’s name in his sleep. After that she barred him completely from her bed and told him he’d be his son’s father and nothing more.

Adding to her ex-husband’s never-ending suffering, she withheld Lucy’s whereabouts from him. The funny thing was Tommy believed Eva was doing it out of possessiveness and not for revenge. He’d forgotten he owed her Lucy’s life in the first place and the Goddess’ wrath was not easily mollified.

Even if by some miracle she could forgive him for doubting her character, there was no way in hell she’d play second fiddle to anyone.

Tommy knew the rules: if he wanted Eva to be exclusively his, he had to be exclusively hers.

And then the first note came a week after Eva made it clear her marriage was over even if the papers had yet to be signed.

Dear unknown,

Please do not regard this as a liberty to write to you, I am truly unable to resist the temptation after having seen you so many times--

She had rejected him, not out of any loyalty to her darling husband, but to see how long she can drag that out for. If Chang was serious in his intentions, he would keep on trying and maybe even try harder to have her.

Then one note became two and eventually they were accompanied with a complimentary tea or whatever had caught her eye but had not purchased at his businesses. Chang was persistent, did not give up even after being told no each time.

And then the letters stopped.

Billy ended their game when he killed Freda Kempton, guilt gnawing at him about the tragic end his former lover had had and refused to leave Campbell any openings to come after Eva. The witch had not known he’d done it to protect her until after they began seeing each other, she had assumed he had lost interest in her so Eva set her cap on other men in the meantime.

She had embraced her infamy in London and by the time 1922 came about, Thomas Shelby was known as the fool ex-husband of Eva Smith. Even Edward of Wales had been quoted saying Tommy must have been the worst businessman in Birmigham if he let Eva slip through his hands.

But then one day, he wrote again. The only man she could desire in this country had resumed his pursuit and all the other hunters had been left behind.

Tommy had not known about it, not until he caught her smiling at the note. Eva had allowed him to join her in looking for something for Polly as an excuse to go to Brilliant’s warehouse. His shopgirl, who always acted as his courier between them, had slipped her the note only for Tommy to take it from her hand.

No other words but a part of a poem by Thomas Wyatt about Anne Boleyn.

And graven with diamonds in letters plain

There is written, her fair neck round about:

Noli me tangere, for Caesar’s I am,

And wild for to hold, though I seem tame.

“Don’t make me write a reply, Shelby. Just because you fucked up doesn’t mean I am not free to do as I please.” Eva had said knowing Brilliant Chang would see the sign of her interest from wherever he was.

Eva wanted the man, but she wanted him to work harder to get her. The next note she rejected him again and goaded him into coming to her instead.

And he did, Brilliant left his private room and claimed the one of a kind doe no other hunter could have ever dreamed of catching.

He let her tie up his hands, learned what she liked in bed with ease and Eva swears she’s not had that great a time in bed as she has had with him. One clandestine meeting became several and before she knew it, the witch had embraced the spring of a new love.

The change in her was so apparent Polly Gray had confronted her about it in London thinking this change was brought about by Tommy ---who had given up on finding Lucy on his own. Polly had been stunned to know Eva had never intended on reconciling with Tommy. Not for Charlie, not for personal gain nor any lingering positive feeling her ex-husband had not already killed.

The older woman had been hesitant and yet had no choice but to accept Eva’s chapter with Tommy had ended and the new beginning Eva’s leaves showed her was a life with Billy.

She kept her secrets, they were still friends despite it all and until the world discovered the lucky woman who took the grand prize from their hands, ensured Tommy remained mostly unaware of who the mystery man was.

They no longer hide, even if the girls continue to mourn their loss and have become a nuisance. But those desperate young women have their uses, they keep Tommy and his brothers away from them as an unintentional human shield.

Leaves them free to be with each other more than they had been before. Like right now that they dine privately with everyone trying to catch a glimpse of them. He had taken her dancing, shopping and often brought her here to the place it all began.

Eva’s usual order has been sold out for days as the waiters peddle the story of how Billy swept her off her feet. A romance for the new age, a divorced woman finding love again in the arms of the handsome and cultured man wrongfully accused of a sad girl’s murder.

She has not been featured on tabloids and other gossip mediums since her great return to Mexico City and subsequent courtship with Leopoldo Carranza. Her six-hour engagement to Venustiano Carranza’s son had been all over Mexico and her aim of ruining the President’s image had succeeded by painting Eva as the poor young woman in love with the man’s son.

This time she is the stunning enigmatic divorcee who’s taken Chang’s heart and has taken England by storm. She’s not Eva Shelby, wife of Tommy Shelby, she is Eva Smith, the lover and perhaps future wife of Mr. Brilliant Chang, the maligned businessman.

“I’m framing it.” The witch tells her lover who is relieved at how well she is taking it. “God, I look amazing.”

The photograph all over the world has Eva dressed finely, an elegant fur coat that matched his, her make up light and the angle just right enough to show off her best assets.

Eva’s sin has always been vanity.

“The luckiest woman in England, but they do not know I am the luckiest man.” Billy whispers as if it were a great secret.

He wants to marry her; he thinks she hasn’t known it since he took her to look at houses in London.

A villa had caught their eye, a wisteria and ivy covered entrance where she sees a little Miss Annie Chang run out of the door and into her father’s arms.

To think this new future started out with a note.

---

the poem is Whoso List to Hunt by Thomas Wyatt