#willow’s dream

[girl4music]

“It’s exactly like a Greek Tragedy. There should only be Greeks.”

I swear to God this is my favourite fucking line in ‘Restless’. It’s not just the truth of it. It’s that it’s Anya that says it - but it’s also that it’s also not… because it’s Willow’s dream: everything is in her perspective.

This is how she perceives of Anya perceiving her.

She somehow knows - doesn’t know when or where - that she’s going to fall into her Greek Tragedy. The same way she knew she was “bad” in ‘Bad Girls’. The same way she knew she was a “loser” and a “geek”.

Out of her insecurities/anxieties/repressed emotions.

But also the layered mental mechanism she has of how she thinks OTHERS perceive of her because it.

Her dream in ‘Restless’ is so fucking clever and profound because it’s just so truthful to that.

On the surface it’s imposter syndrome but there’s just so much more going on in that girl’s head that you can’t completely put it down to that or any condition that she has actually - because they’re all part of her complex trauma. They’re all part of her Greek Tragedy.

And because it’s ANYA. Anya - the one character in the show that Willow butts heads with most. Anya - constantly commenting on how useless and worthless Willow is. Anya - seeing Willow’s dark side arguably before anyone else really did. Anya - always wary of what Willow could become if she accumulated as much power as she once had as a vengeance demon.

It’s not just that the line said is the truth of it.

It’s that they picked the PERFECT character to say it.

And that of course - OF COURSE - Willow would unconsciously choose Anya to be the one who does.

‘Restless’ is not just excellent character arc foreshadowing. It’s also excellent at showing and telling us what we already know but may have overlooked because we’ve never considered it relevant until we look back on when and where it happened and how it informs all that is to come. Is becoming. It’s your honest look-in to who all these main characters are. But I just find Willow’s dream to be the most profound because she’s undecided on who that is. And she’s not only undecided - she’s also unaware.

That’s why she has EVERYONE ELSE say it for her. Because if they see it in her, then it must be true right? Except no, it’s not. It’s only true because she worries it is. Because she thinks it is. Because she believes it is. And that’s why it’s so damn clever and profound. Because it’s a whole construct of Willow’s perception. None of it is true - at the time. But it ends up true because self-sabotage and self-corruption is possible. So when Joss is making a case for imposter syndrome in this dream… it’s only half-accurate… because the only real condition Willow has is her own self-doubt.

And she never would have fallen from grace otherwise.

Okay… I just have to carry this on. Let’s look at ‘Buffy’ in Willow’s dream both when she’s in “costume” in the “play” and when she’s not. What she says to and about Willow. And by extension - what Willow says to and about herself. Think about all the lines “Buffy” has in Willow’s dream. All the quirky cryptic one-liners.

Even her whole “Men and Sales” monologue.

Why is Willow NOT this character in her dream?

Why does Willow not perceive of HERSELF as the one confident and outspoken and competent?

Why does she unconsciously give Buffy this persona?

Because it’s how she sees Buffy!

And therefore it’s also how she DOESN’T see herself.

And then when they’re not playing characters and they’re not in costume, why is Buffy suddenly so course and harsh in the way she speaks to Willow?

Why is SHE the one to expose Willow’s greatest fear?

Because when Willow’s around her - she is nothing special. She is nothing to look at and be in awe of. She’s not of any use or value when the Slayer is there

Except… she ends up being THE ONLY REASON the Slayer is there. So is what she believes the objective truth of her? No, it isn’t. It evidently can’t be the truth.

It only is because she chronically FEARS that it is. And fears can do some messed up shit to our psyche until we eventually see them for what they are. Just fears.

[stars-and-birds]

Dana’s last ‘fuck you’ to Disney

He/they collector

Genderqueer/bi-gender papa king

TWO girlfriend kisses

Onscreen mlm kiss

Implied aladarius

a happy ending to the bi/enby couple

A happy ending to the aro/ace character

And

Death to the white Christian puritain

[luzity]

first vs last appearances

[noodle555]

[cyndavilachase]

It’s been a week and I’m still- :’)

[elcarimercanto]

I love significant others wearing each other's jewelry/other items. It's gotta be one of my favorite genders...

Luz wearing Amity's earrings and necklace

Eda and Raine swapping earrings

Hunter having Willow's flying derby team as a patch on his apron

If you do this then your ship is endgame. Alador and Darius share abomination interests, that's their matching thing.

[teartra]

Early Designs of Future TOH Characters by Emmy Cicierega

Luz Noceda

King Clawthorne (and Hooty)

Hunter Clawthorne-Deamonne-Noceda-Wittebane (Park)

Willow Park

Lilith Clawthorne

Eda Clawthorne

Raine Whispers

Amity Blight

[carpisuns]

you are an artist and your heart is your masterpiece

and i’ll keep it safe

[smallpapers]

thank you for loving me

(Edit: now available as a print!)

[newtknewit]

Strong

bawhhh look at girlboss picking up her malewife I'm finally feeling comfortable enough with this style to start drawing multiple characters in a single piece, which means ✨Huntlow✨ must be drawn of course

[kidciitrix]

already sort of digitalized this, but here’s another wip i’ll say i want to color but i probably won’t muahahahaha

[turquoisespace35]

You have to wake up

[dannydanoninoo]

The sillies! I'm gonna miss them so much

[sunnyirry]

huntlow cheesy k-drama moment

[rileyclaw]

countdown art I made for watching & dreaming from twt

[strawbbz]

4 years later and STILL nobody wants him

Redraw of this! + separate panels