#Like they had Amity just as a mean girl rival | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lollytea · 1 year

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in love with the fact the Halloween costumes haven't left (and Hunter's still in his wolf shirt). you'd think the crew would have them change into clothes more tonally appropriate for trying to stop the end of the world and having breakdowns and emotional conversations and personal revelations and catharsis but NOPE. sometimes scary/important shit happens when you are unprepared and aren't dressed for the occasion and you gotta deal with it!! unironically love that. they're KIDS, MAN!

I am so grateful honestly because their costumes fucking SLAP!!! Not an ugly fit in sight. And you're right, it really emphasises just how young and carefree they really are. Just a bunch of silly kids who who were torn away from their silly Halloween party and unexpectedly thrown into this madness.

Because I'm Like This, I've also been thinking a lot about the symbolism of their outfits since TTT aired. I'm probably reaching and none of this was unintentional but it's still fun to think about.

Gus, dressed as Captain Avery, the protagonist of the awesome Human Realm book that helped him cope with missing his Dad. The book with the line "We'll find a way back. We have to." A line that apparently stuck with Gus enough that he immediately made the connection once Hunter said it. I like to think the resilient hopeful tone of Cosmic Frontier was something that helped Gus keep his spirits up.

Not to mention that it's Sci-Fi, something that is so distinctively human. Gus, the boy who has defined himself as a passionate human enthusiast, whose dream is to become an ambassador to their Realm, is gonna shine in the final episode wearing a symbol of all his enduring optimism and passion and imagination.

Willow is a peculiar case. She is, ironically, a girl who was once considered half a witch now wearing a big loud declaration that she is, in fact, a witch in full. And then some!! It's not in the same vein that Luz and Amity are dressed as magic girl-esque witches. Willow's got the whole ooky spooky cackling and spiderwebs kinda witch vibe. Well, to be specific, it's a bit of a witch/devil hybrid.

Like let's get it out of the way, she looks like Evelyn. The stripey tights, the jagged skirt, the fact that her costume was originally meant to be red, just like the witchy cutout that hung above them during the hayride. Although only the last episode will tell if anything is gonna come from this. Maybe it's just a coincidence. But I think it's very interesting that she's dressed as a stereotypical reflection of how the Human Realm views witches/demons. And then there's Belos, a human man who is defined by his black and white perception of witches as the scum of the earth. He believes they're wild, they're evil, they're dangerous, they're monstrous. Which, at first glance, doesn't represent Willow at all. But then FTF happens, and the viewer is reminded that Willow's magic can be unstable. That she can be dangerous. She can be monstrous.

However, there's also that little W patch on her arm, reminding us that she may be a witch but she's also a silly girl named Willow wearing a personalised Halloween costume. She's not defined by being dangerous. She's so much more than that. She's full witch Willow and she's going out with a bang.

Amity is dressed as Hecate, Azura's rival turned friend turned heavily wlw coded best friend (I guess???), which obviously mirrors Amity's own role when the story initially began. There's a bit of significance linked to the Azura books and what they mean to Amity. Namely, from Lost in Language, when her chilly exterior began to crack. Her secret hideaway in the library was discovered, which acts as a representation of the person that she really is, but desperately tries to hide. And, on full display, was the Azura books. She had all but one, which Luz allowed her borrow. The missing piece that set Amity's whole motivation to change into motion.

That book was the tentative olive branch between her and Luz. And, with Luz's influence, it kickstarted her journey into becoming a better person, taking control of her own life, cutting toxic relationships, repairing others, etc. It's possible that Amity wouldn't be the kind and happy girl she is today without the Azura books. So, her diving into the finale while representing those books is very sweet. Also....I love her Hecate outfit. Its SOOOOOO pretty. The boots, the dress, the celestial aesthetic!!! Serve!!!!

I feel like I don't need to go that in depth about the significance of Hunter's costume. We all get it. He discovered Cosmic Frontier when he was struggling to come to terms with his status as a grimwalker, which severely clouded his sense of identity. Hunter not only connected with O'Bailey, but it gave him the opportunity to see a representation of a thing he hated about himself from a more empathetic perspective. Hunter accepted O'Bailey, Hunter loved O'Bailey, Hunter became obsessed with O'Bailey. The book was probably a big stepping stone in accepting himself. Hunter cannot ignore the fact that he's a grimwalker. He can't sweep it under the rug. But he can embrace it. As somebody who is tied to the legacy of Caleb Wittebane against his will, it must be comforting to feel like he can latch on to a cool space hero, rather than an anonymous witch hunter from 400 years ago.

Hunter's sense of identity is very important to his arc. So, the T-shirt is also very fitting. Hunter's gonna have his final confrontation Belos, who constructed him as a doll of someone else, while wearing the wolf T-shirt he personalized himself and a homemade O'Bailey costume. Because his name is Hunter and Hunter loves wolves, sewing and Cosmic Frontier.

And Luz....man. I feel like there's SO MUCH significance to Luz ending this story dressed as the Good Witch Azura and I don't even think I can do it justice. It's like....that's her. Azura means everything to her. It's shaped her into the person she is today. The Good Witch Azura is the reason Luz loves magic. And if Luz didn't love magic, she never would have stayed in the Demon Realm. It brought her closer to Amity. It's what inspired her to read and write and draw and imagine and create. It's an outlet for all her passion for stories. It was the thing that comforted her and brought her genuine hapiness during the darkest point in her entire life. It reminds her just how much Manny loved her. It reminds her just how much she loves Manny.

Luz is a character who is defined by all this relentless love and almost all of it can be linked back to Azura. Fiction, art, magic, family. She's a kid who has endured so much pain but she has such a capacity for appreciating the eccentricities of the world around her. She's full of light.

It's worth noting that Luz began the story having a hard time differentiating fantasy from reality. As such, using the Azura universe as a form of escapism was a little unhealthy. However, that's not the case anymore. Luz has matured into a much wiser person, but that doesn't mean she has to let go of her love for fantasy stories. She's found this perfect balance where she can accept the world as it is, while still being able to indulge in her storybooks in a healthy way. I don't think Azura will ever stop being an important aspect of her life.

Luz is carrying the memory of Manny with her until the finale. She's weird and she has always been loved for being weird and once this is all over, she'll keep being weird and she'll keep being loved for it.

#*rambles senselessly* yknow???

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nabtime · 9 months

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Our Empty Graves II

Fandom: Danny Phantom / Batman: Under the Red Hood

Pairings: Danny Fenton/Jason Todd (Dead on Main)

Rating: Mature

Tags: batfamily, hazmat AU, Nobody Knows AU, Mute!Phantom, potential ghost king danny, slow burn?, DC means Disregard Canon, AU means AU nothing is exactly the same, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, more than canon typical violence, danny is a Halfa and also a Fetch, no beta we die like basically everyone

Summary: They say that Red Hood has a loyal mutt. The man rules his territory in Crime Alley with an iron fist and a guard dog at his side. They say that Hood calls him Fetch, sometimes Fetcher. No one's ever heard him speak. Anyone who's ever seen him says he looks like an experiment gone wrong, that Hood picked him up somewhere unspeakable. They say he'll do anything Red Hood asks of him and he'll do it well. That he's strong and fast and probably inhuman. The girls say he's sweet; quiet but charming in his own way. Rival gangs say he's vicious; that he'd sooner rip your throat out than let you go.

Jason just wants to help him.

Chapter 2: everything is blurry now (i don’t know where to go)

Chapter Summary: Danny has a very scary introduction to the Bat and a not so scary (somehow) introduction to Red Hood.

Chapter Notes: title from Trouble by Adam Jensen Links: AO3 // Chapter 1 // Chapter 3

Danny laid there, staying just long enough for his legs to heal and start walking again, before he heaved himself up from the gravestone. He mentally apologized to the soul of the guy whose grave he was disturbing before perching on top of the stone to rest again.

He could tell from the sky and the smell of the place alone that he wasn’t in Amity anymore. Wasn’t in the Ghost Zone anymore. Thankfully the place had enough ambient ectoplasm for him to absorb, else he’d have been stuck there to wallow in some random dude’s plot. Graveyards and Cemeteries tended to have a lot of ectoplasm hanging around, being a resting place for the dead, and were the most easily accessed to go to. But he could tell that this particular cemetery had more ectoplasm than it knew what to do with. The city he could see looming beyond its gates was also bursting with it, almost as much as Amity. And that place had a direct hole to the Realms forcibly torn into it.

Where the hell was he?

He had to weigh his options. Did he stay here? A stranger to the Shades that wandered these grounds? Potentially open to attack from any ghost that thought him an intruder? Or did he risk wandering the city to find out where he’d landed? If he stayed he could regain ectoplasm faster. If he left he could figure out what happened and prepare himself for the worst. Who knew how far from Illinois he’d landed. His mom could track him if he was still close enough.

The shakiness of his legs when he tried to put weight on them made the decision for him. He’d rest just a little bit longer.

He gathered his thoughts, fleeting as they were, and shook out the terror of being faced with his mom’s hatred. He needed to put the moment out of mind. Pack it in to a little tiny box in the very, very back reaches of his mind. He got away. She wouldn’t find him. He got away and, yeah, he was bleeding and hurt and so, so tired, but he was fine. Would be fine. Cemeteries were for souls to rest, and that’s what he would do. Even as he got dizzier and loopier with each ounce of blood that left his body.

He looked down and noticed the growing pool of ectoplasmic green-red blood leaking from his wounds and down into the loose dirt of the grave. Ah man, he really hoped that wouldn’t become a problem. He was in no mood to be fighting off zombie dudes resurrected from his own half-life juice. Was that even a thing that could happen? Knowing his luck it was. With how things had gone for him in the past- all of his life, the guy would wake up and immediately try to kill him and eat his brains. And be stronger than him. Like, it wouldn’t be the body of some STEM nerd that never threw a punch ever, but some jacked up professional boxer or something. Who also hated ghosts. And was immune to ecto-blasts, somehow. That’s the kind of guy he’d accidentally bring back to life, probably.

Jason P. Todd. The name seemed familiar, but he couldn’t place from where. Some celebrity? Maybe? Headstone didn’t seem all that fancy though, just neat and simple and plain. Maybe he had the same name as one? He thinks he’s heard Sam say it once or something- and he couldn’t think about that. About Sam. About how long it’d been since he’d talked to her or Tucker or even seen them. How long it’d been since he’d talked to anyone.

He wondered who this guy was. Who he used to be. The dates seemed pretty close. Pretty young. Fifteen. He was only a year older than when Danny had died. But he came back, however wrong, and this guy didn’t. This kid didn’t. He wondered, if given the choice, whether the kid would choose to come back or not. Did he have regrets? Unfinished business? Probably not considering there was absolutely no indication of a Shade around the grave. If he had regrets he would have lingered.

Well, at least that made the ectoplasm leaking into his grave less likely to resurrect him. Probably.

“Who are you?”

A gravely, deep voice spooked him into clumsily falling off the headstone in his bid to turn around towards it. And holy shit Batman, that was fucking Batman.

Gotham. Of course he’d landed in Gotham. Gotham would be the only damn place with this much ectoplasm just hanging around. And of course Batman had to just immediately find him trespassing. Honestly he would have preferred to take on the linebacker zombie.

“What are you doing on that grave?” he demanded. And there was just the smallest hint of anger, of anguish there that it made him want to bolt.

Because oh, Ancients, of course this guy had to be important. Or important to the Batman at least.

He raised his hands up in the universal sign for peace. At least he hoped it was universal because he sure as hell couldn’t just tell Batman ‘I come in peace’. No. He had to have damaged his throat so severely when he half died screaming that his ghost form either couldn’t speak at all or would destroy half the city if he tried.

He scrambled back, frantically trying to move away from the grave and Batman in the same move.

“I asked you a question,” he growled.

And fuck if the Bat didn’t sound pissed. Like Danny had offended him in the worst possible manner on purpose. What would even offend a man-bat-guy that badly? Shaking him awake from an upside down nap? Eating all the good fruit and or moths before he could have any? But, no, yeah, trespassing on the burial ground of someone that was maybe significant to him could do it. Ancients, why him.

Danny stopped for a moment to use his hands, abandoning his weird little crab walk scramble in order to try and placate the angriest furry he’d ever met. He shook his head and hovered his hands over his throat before making an x in the air. Maybe if he shook his head enough the Bat would get it.

“Why are you here?” he pressed, still heated, while moving forward with an ominous swish of his shadowy black cape. The Bat did not get it.

Okay. Okay. Plan B. He hadn’t even had a Plan A, but hell, he never worked well with plans in the first place so why should this be any different. He didn’t have enough energy to fly, but if he concentrated on using all his ectoplasm to turn invisible instead of healing… Well, he might bleed out before escaping but at least he might have a chance. Batsy sure wasn’t going to give him one.

And then he just- stopped being visible.

He still didn’t have enough juice to go intangible, unfortunately, but he’d have to just make do. At least his legs were sort of working, even if his right arm was still limp and broken and totally going to leave a trail of bright green glow-stick blood as he moved. Fucking fantastic.

He broke into a shambling run.

He heard the thick stomp of heavy boots take off behind him in pursuit. Slow, like he knew Danny couldn’t go far. Like he’s persistence hunting. Fuck, fuck, fuck. He keened, a high pitch sound that came from his core, involuntarily. Too panicked to really stop it. He made for the gates in a mad, jerking dash. The boots were getting closer and he heard the thin thwip of air that meant his unsteady gait just let him dodge a projectile. A Bat-a-rang, he thought hysterically. Batman just threw a Bat-a-rang at me. He’d always found it funny that Batman had the same naming sense as his dad of all people.

He made it to the gates, chest heaving in air he technically didn’t need. He keened again when the gates were too heavy for him to budge. They weren’t even locked! He shoved again, his strength faltering as he lost more and more blood. Batman was getting closer. This time he didn’t miss. Danny lurched against the cold metal when a sharp blade found its mark in his shoulder. The force of his stagger broke open the ornate gates and he fell over into the dirty sidewalk of the city streets.

If he could just dodge into an alley. Just gather enough ectoplasm to go intangible, even if just for a second. He might have a chance at losing the Bat long enough to heal more. All he needed was a moment.

He ran. He collapsed. He crawled.

The keening coming from his core was becoming a high-pitched background noise. Constant and shrill. It just kept going, reaching out and calling for help that wouldn’t come. No one could hear him. Anyone that could wouldn’t understand. If any of the ghosts he fought could hear his cries, they didn’t react. No one was responding. Any why would they? He was just a worthless little Fetch. One foot in the grave and the other with the living. Stranger to both sides and no place to belong in the middle. He was an abomination that should have never existed in the first place. Schrodinger's creepy, creepy little boy.

He made it an entire block, dirt and grime rubbing viciously into his open wounds- the fabric of the hazmat suit not having enough ectoplasm to stitch back together- before a heavy boot landed on his back and pushed him into the ground. He released his invisibility with a chocked whine.

“Answers,” Batman said simply, voice low but betraying no emotion. The boot pressed him down further, ribs creaking from the pressure. “Now.”

He’s running out of steam and fast. He wasn’t healing anymore, just getting worse. He had no idea what Batman might do to him if he let himself get captured. Beat the shit out of him even more? He seemed pretty angry. Leave him to die again in some back alley? But Batman’s known as the world’s greatest detective, he wouldn’t just let Danny go. No. He’d want to investigate. Want to dig as deep as he could into this new intruder to his city. He’d find out about the missing Amity Park and come to the truthful conclusion that it was Phantom’s fault. He’d find the Anti-Ecto Acts. Would he turn him over to the GIW or would he want to- look further into ecto-biology himself? From a direct specimen. Would Danny find himself on that cold, sterile metal table again?

He needed to get out of there.

He gathered his ectoplasm again, whatever he had left of it. Most of it was strewn across the streets and cemetery (and he can’t think about the trail that leaves, can’t think about how he could be found by the GIW, by his parents, by something worse). He felt the boot dig further into his back and then he rolled, going intangible under the Bat’s foot and landing in the gutter.

His ability flickered, bringing him back to solidity just long enough to get a swift kick in the ribs. He sputtered and coughed in a rasping hack that shook his entire body. He reached and reached and used as much energy as he could to go intangible just one more time, just long enough. He planned to sink further into the ground and hopefully hit a sewer system he can hide in when an ear-piercing bang rung out in the night and his powers flickered once again. If he’s not careful his core would retreat into itself to conserve energy, which would leave him human and impossibly vulnerable. He doesn’t want to ever know what the consequences of staying in Phantom form for the past few years would be for his human side. Would he just immediately die again? Fully this time?

Batman growled. “Red Hood,” he said, sounding like he was grinding his teeth. A new rogue Danny didn’t know about? Admittedly he’d stopped following the goings on in Gotham a long time ago.

“Get out,” a mechanized voice echoed into the empty street. “Or get shot.”

He could hear footsteps approaching, heavier and more about showing force than melting into shadow. The creak of leather accompanied it but Danny didn’t look to investigate. He was going to make himself small and think invisible thoughts. Maybe if he was quiet enough Batman would forget he was there.

Danny could hear the distinct sound of another Bat-a-rang sailing through the air before a second loud bang cut it off. He assumed Red Hood shot it from the sky. Because why the fuck not at this point. Yeah sure, just a new rogue popping up that can shoot accurately enough to take down a tiny Bat powered projectile, while Danny was trying his hardest not to die at the hands of the Bat himself by melting into the asphalt. Nothing new. Just a regular old Tuesday. If it even was Tuesday. He didn’t know anymore.

Batman, seeming more interested in beating up Red Hood rather than Danny, stalked toward the direction of the voice and- man, he really needed to move so he could see what was happening before whatever fight got him in the crossfire. Narrowly avoid Death By Bat just to get taken out by a flying chunk of concrete. Or bullet or whatever.

But he really didn’t want to move. He needed as much energy and ectoplasm as he could conserve and moving meant leaking more glow-stick juice. So no-go. If the concrete took him out it took him out.

All he could hear was shuffling and gun shots and other projectiles and growly Bat sounds. After a few moments of just listening he felt like he had enough energy to move. Best to get out of the line of fire. All he needed to do was crawl. And then he inched out of the gutter, making his way towards a nearby dumpster he could take cover behind.

And then another Bat-a-rang sunk into his thigh and his core screamed.

And then, so quickly he could barely comprehend what was happening, he was being picked up and thrown over a burly shoulder. All he could see was a blood-stained leather jacket and a nice ass. Okay. Okay, so Batman’s hot rogue picked him up and was running with him just lugged over his shoulder like a sack of flour. Well. Could be worse. Poor guy though, ectoplasm was a bitch of a stain to get out and Danny was losing blood all over the place.

He wasn’t really paying attention to what happened after that but he assumed they got away because in the next moment he was being tossed onto a ragged couch in some run down apartment and Batman was no where to be seen.

Red Hood, however, was now in full view.

And man, what a view. A body to do that ass justice. Maybe it was just the exhaustion and blood loss speaking but hot damn. Built like a shit-brickhouse, thicker than a bowl of oatmeal and just as tall. And the leather. Yeah sure the mask was a little creepy and the guy was covered in blood, but when was creepy ever gonna stop Danny from appreciating a fine physique. And he was just standing there like a finely-crafted statue, watching Danny blearily check him out.

Yeah, the blood loss was definitely getting to him.

“Alright,” Red Hood spoke, looming over him in all his glorious bulk, and pulled a gun from the strap on his sweet-jesusly thick thighs and pointed it at Danny’s head.

Ah, fun time was over then. No more lusting or coping with humor in order to distract himself from the reality of his situation. He was slowly dying- fully this time- on some dangerous dude’s gross couch. A mortal gun might not do much because of his ghostliness but it could still deal some damage when he didn’t have the energy to move or go intangible. This was a Gotham villain. The GIW would look tame in comparison to what a villain from Gotham could do.

“Just who the fuck are you?”

Maybe Red Hood was better at charades?

#naps fics #dp x dc #Our Empty Graves #dpxdc

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fembutchboygirl · 2 years

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002 willow toh?? have u watched toh i can’t remember

if not then 002 katara!!

I have!! I'm gonna answer for both bc I'm cool and sexy like that

Willow:

How I feel about this character: I love her she's my best friend I want to hug her and do school projects together

All the people I ship romantically with this character: I don't actively ship these but Hunter/Willow and Skara/Willow are adorable and I 100% support them. And Willumity? Chef's kiss. You guys are braver than any soldier. I also don't mind Gus/Willow.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Gus!!!!! Gus and Willow are everything to me. Brotp until I drop dead.

My unpopular opinion about this character: I don't like her being shipped with Boscha. I just mean... why? You already got your rivals-to-lovers fuel with Lumity. Hell, you could even go for Amity/Willow. But Boscha is just way too mean to Willow, I don't think it would end up being good for neither of them.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: She should get to grow her own palisman wood tree thing. I do seriously love her bee palisman though

My OTP: I don't really have one, but most Willow ships are pretty cute by my standards :)

My cross over ship: I can't think of one sorry for being boring </3

A headcanon fact: She could break Boscha's nose with a single punch. She's just too nice.

Katara:

How I feel about this character: I love her sm she's so underrated in the fandom.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Kataang of course, but I also like yuetara and sukatara :)

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Suki and Toph!! Suki is the first girl her age Katara can bond with that isn't actively trying to kill her or dies. Plus I think their personalities just work really well together. And Toph and her have this really cute sisters dynamic that is my whole heart bc Toph needs a big sister so much. I love them.

My unpopular opinion about this character: I don't give a shit about Zutara can we all just shut up about it I don't care.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: We should have seen more Katara & Suki bonding they barely spoke to each other on screen!!

My OTP: Kataang :)

My cross over ship: Still can't think of any 😭

A headcanon fact: She likes braiding hair and would practice on Sokka when they were little. He would pout about it at first, saying that he was a warrior and din't have time to play hairdresser, but over time he really leaned into it. They're my comfort siblings ok

#blue asks

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tempesthreads · 2 years

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It's Just A Friendly Little Rivalry

Chapter One: It's Just an Introduction

The Owl House human!rivals!AU based on this post.

Read on Ao3

Luz Noceda just transferred to Hexside Boarding School for Gifted Leaders and she finds herself caught up in a rivalry between her mentor Eda Clawthorne and her sister Lilith Clawthorne. Unfortunately for Luz, her new roommate just so happens to be Lilith's student, Amity Blight. Fortunately for Luz, Amity doesn't seem to be too into the sibling rivalry thing. But when tensions arise between the two sisters and the arrival of another new student starts to spell trouble for the school, what will become of Luz and Amity?

“Are you ready, miha?”

Luz put a tight grin on her face. “Ready as I’ll ever be, mamí!”

She was, in fact, not ready.

“Oh, Luz.” Camila Noceda took her daughter’s head in her hands and planted a kiss on her forehead. When she drew away, her eyes were filled with concern. “I know every transfer is difficult for you, but I’m sure that this will be the one. They’ve got a great program here for imaginative kids like you!” She waved at the pamphlets on the wall opposite their seats. Luz took a look at them earlier while her mom was talking to the receptionist; they were full of grinning kids holding up A+ essays, and teachers giving the students a thumbs up and the viewers a mischievous wink that also seemed to totally lack…mischief.

The girl felt her skin crawl beneath her new uniform. Tugging awkwardly at her collar, she turned to speak. “Mama...” But her mom looked so hopeful. Luz couldn’t let her down. Not again. She grinned as brightly as she could. “Just promise me you’ll text me every day!”

Camila laughed and squeezed Luz’s shoulders. “Of course.”

“Luz Noceda?”

The girl stood suddenly from her seat. The receptionist pointed a craggy finger towards the door next to their desk; they didn’t look up from the files they were poring over. “Your personal mentor has arrived along in Headmaster Bump’s office. You can go meet her now. You can join her too if you want,” they added dryly to Camila who had picked up her bag.

“Thank you!” Luz waved at the receptionist, who grunted in acknowledgement. “Enjoy your reading!” She turned to heavy wooden door, placing an unsteady hand on the doorknob; it was cool to the touch. Biting her lip, Luz hesitated, but her mother put a warm hand on her shoulder, nodding. The girl took a deep breath and opened the door.

“So, you’re Luz, right?”

There was hair. A lot of it. Luz screamed, taken aback by the sudden and unexpected proximity of the woman on the other side of the door and bumping into her mother. Camila laughed and helped Luz gather herself. “Sorry about that. She was startled.”

“Eh, don’t worry about it. You’d be surprised by how often I get that,” the woman snorted. Despite her sudden appearance, her laugh had a playful and incredibly human-like quality to it, which was more than Luz could say about any of her previous teachers. Luz stood up and began to hastily apologize, but the woman waved a hand covered in shiny rings. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry about it, kid. Oh, uh. I mean, Miss Noceda.”

She threw a glance over her shoulder at the man sitting at the desk patiently, the headmaster Luz assumed. He narrowed his eye, and to Luz’s surprise, her mentor-to-be stuck a tongue out at him. She wore an ill-fitting maroon suit loosely cobbled together, and her calloused hands were covered in shiny rings that, Luz noticed, she played with absentmindedly. The thick hair that had surprised Luz was long and grey, streaked with white, and barely held back by an old red scrunchie, threatening to burst loose at any moment. The woman’s eyes were a piercing golden color behind cat-eye glasses Luz was pretty sure were fake, and they glinted as she grinned.

The headmaster cleared his throat. His own dark hair was tied up in a stern bun, and his suit was primly ironed, a red pin of an impish creature on his lapel. A scar ran down the right sight of his forehead, and it took all of Luz’s willpower not to ask him about it. “Good morning, Miss and Mrs. Noceda. Please have a seat.” He waved at the chairs identical to the ones outside in the receptionist’s office. They sat while the woman stood behind their seats. He raised an eyebrow. “Edalyn.” She sighed and flumped down into a seat on his right, crossing her legs and tapping her foot quietly.

He folded his hands and began. “I am Hieronymus Bump, headmaster of Hexside Boarding School for Gifted Leaders, and I’d like to personally welcome you to our humble establishment here in rural New York.” Ah yes, a very humble establishment. The train ride was three hours long, and the drive into the woods two. Pulling into the driveway of the school, Luz thought she was going to a castle complex and not a regular school building, with the domed rooves, high towers and columns, and the tall and heavy wooden doors, intricate. Hexside looked like something out of one of her favorite book series, Azura the Good Witch.

“Here at Hexside, we pride ourselves on the safe and nurturing environment we provide for all of our outstanding students. Education is the real magic we have in the world, and we value the classroom environment we build here. Students at Hexside can choose to take a certain track while here at Hexside, although this is not mandatory. A track will allow students to gain practical experience in a real world career, such as chemistry, engineering, medicine, the performing arts, and more you’ve no doubt heard of. As you know from our rigorous application process, the students who attend are clever, ambitious, and experimental. Each student has their own personal mentor and advisor while attending the school, who aids them through their studies to become the best individuals they can be before graduation and moving on into the real world. Many become life-long friends, whose relationship with the students extend far past graduation.” Camila listened attentively, while Luz giggled at the sight of the woman mouthing the words along and flapping her hand, eyes rolling.

“The woman sitting next to me,” Bump continued dryly, “Who is no doubt mocking my usual welcome speech is Miss Edalyn Clawthorne, or as she is somewhat affectionately known as here at Hexside, the Owl Lady.” Miss Clawthorne let out an affronted gasp, while Luz snickered. Headmaster Bump paid her no heed as he skimmed over a file on his desk. “Based on your performance in the entrance exams and your essays, we found that Miss Clawthorne would be your most suitable mentor.” Eda stood and reached over the desk to shake hands with Camila. When she took Luz’s hand, she winked. “Miss Clawthorne was a student here herself, as were several of our other mentors.

“Now then Luz.” The headmaster bent over to the side of his desk. He pulled out a comically large stack of papers and dropped them, the stack landing with a heavy thud. “I’ll have to sort through some paperwork with your mother. Miss Clawthorne will take you to your room where you’ll meet your roommate. She’s had the room to herself for the first part of the fall semester, but she said she’d be happy to have a roommate. Run along now, and don’t cause trouble.” This last part seemed to be directed at Miss Clawthorne, who simply bowed and led Luz out of the office.

“Wait!”

Luz and Miss Clawthorne paused in the doorway. Camila quickly rose from her seat and took something from her bag, placing it in Luz’s palm and closing her fingers over it. Luz opened her hand and found a small bat keychain. “A lucky charm. Cuídate mucho, mija. ¡Qué te vaya bien!” Camila gave her another kiss and a hug. “I love you.”

“I love you too, mom.”

Luz wiped a tear from her eye as Miss Clawthorne shut the door. “Nice mom you’ve got there,” she said, shrugging off her suit and throwing it over her shoulder. She removed her glasses, which Luz correctly assumed were false, and placed them on her black button up shirt. The receptionist raised an eyebrow, but didn’t look up from the file they were still looking at. Luz wasn’t sure if they were actually reading them.

“Yeah,” The girl said quietly with a small smile. “She’s the best.” She sniffled. “I’m going to miss her.”

“Don’t worry kid.” Miss Clawthorne spotted Luz’s suitcases behind the receptionist’s desk and reached over to pick them up, nearly smacking them in their head. She threw one to Luz, who fumbled as she tried not to drop it.

“My weak nerd arms!”

“With me by your side, this next year is going to go like whirlwind. I’m not the most ‘traditional’ mentor you can have around here, so your time with me will be way more interesting than any of your other classes with the old geezers. I’mma let you in on a little secret.” She leaned down and whispered discreetly into Luz’s ear. “I’m actually not the biggest fan of school or the board in charge of the whole place. But I’m mainly here because of my sister.” Miss Clawthorne stood up while Luz’s eyes went wide, practically gleaming with astonishment.

“You have a sister?”

“Yup, and you better pray you don’t meet her.”

Luz gasped as Miss Clawthorne walked out of the receptionist’s office. “Secret backstory!” She ran after her mentor and followed her up the winding staircases through the maze-like school. Classes were already in session, so the grand hallways were empty and quiet, save for the click of Miss Clawthorne’s heeled boots. Every so often, Luz’s new mentor would point out a classroom or important part of the school, usually in reminiscence of her years in the school.

“You see, that’s the classroom I first met Bump. You’ll have see world history classes in there now though. Here’s the bathroom I painted over after the previous headmaster gave me a demerit. We don’t even do demerits around here!”

“So, Miss Clawthorne-”

“Oh please, kid. Call me Eda.”

“Miss Eda-”

“Eda.”

“Eda.” Luz spoke excitedly, walking animatedly through the empty hall. “Why are you called the Owl Lady?” She said this with a dramatic flourish. “Is it because you can talk to owls? Was there a time in your life where you rescued those cute little birbs?”

“Actually, no. There’re many reasons why people call me the Owl Lady. In part, it’s because of my great wisdom,” she explained semi-sarcastically. “But I like shiny things and this look kinda gives me ‘bird nest on my head’ vibes. I’ve gotten so many pens lost in this mane of hair, you wouldn’t believe it.” She snorted.

Luz’s brown eyes were wide with wonder. “Amazing. I know you said you weren’t the biggest fan of Hexside, but what did you study here? Did you choose a track?”

“Chemistry,” Eda shrugged. “Always had a knack for it, and I still do, to this day. Watch your step there, someone spilled something.”

“Ooo! And what about your sister?”

“Also chemistry, but she later transferred to the politics, public speaking, blah, blah, blah track.”

“Is she a famous politician?”

“Nope, just another mentor at this school, but she’s pretty tight with the school board. Our mother insisted she help me get a job to pay off some,” Eda looked around before continuing, “Personal stuff. This is actually my first year here. What about you kid? What brings you to Hexside in the middle of the year?”

“Oh, you know.” Luz scratched the back of her head. “I might’ve gotten in trouble at my last school. Again.”

“Ohoho,” Eda chuckled, raising her eyebrows. “A bad girl? I could get you a shirt for that.”

“While I’d love a shirt, I wasn’t a bad kid. Not intentionally,” Luz grumbled. “Everyone just seems to think I am. I’m ‘quirky.’” She put this last part in air quotes, grimacing as she spoke. “Some popular kids’ words, not mine. I just like reading high fantasy books, making edits of my favorite anime characters, and anatomically correct models of mythological creatures, that’s all! But apparently, my interests are just…weird. I got expelled for a project I did at my last school that involved a crap ton of spiders and one or two loose snakes. There’s been a lot of moving around. My mom and I thought Hexside would be a good place, and hopefully it is! I really awnt something permanent, even if it costs a lot of money to go here and the financial aid is kinda ehhh.”

Eda frowned as she began to lead Luz up a spiral staircase. “That sucks, kid. I’m sorry it’s been rough for you at these past few schools. The kids around here can be clique-y, but I’m sure you’ll find kids with interests like you. We’ve got clubs and sports for you to make friends in, and if anyone decides to mess with you, well,” She chuckled as she flexed her arm not carrying a suitcase, “They’ll have to go through me. I’m a bit of a bad girl myself, and us bad girl weirdos have to stick together, right?”

“Right.” The girl grinned and flexed her own little nerd arm. “Thanks Eda.”

“Anytime, Luz, anytime.” She sighed as they reached a new wing of the school. If it was quiet before, it was dead silent here. Decorated wooden doors lined one side of the hallway where windows lined the other. Down the hall, Luz could make out a common area. “This is the east dormitory,” Eda explained as a bell rang in the distance. “You’ve got a common sitting area there and a small kitchen if you know how to use a microwave. The east dorms are the best ones, in my humble opinion. You’ve got a great view of the trees this way! To the west you’ve also got a great view of the trees! We’re in the middle of the forest, what do you expect? There’re a lot of trees.”

Luz laughed and Eda grinned. “Ready to see your room?” The girl nodded excitedly, and the Owl Lady led her down the hall. She took out a key and handed a second copy to Luz. “Don’t lose this, now. You’re going to have to visit the front office if yyou lose it. That, or you pester your roommate.” Eda opened the door. Needless to say, it was perfect. It was twice the size of Luz’s room at home in Connecticut, and although it didn’t have a window, her roommate had hung up green lanterns that cast a comfortable glow on the room. Luz walked in, amazed, the deep brown wooden floors, just like the floors outside, creaking beneath her feet. A soft circular rug with the school’s crest sat in the center of the room, and even though she was wearing shoes, Luz couldn’t help but instinctively scrunch her toes as she spun around slowly. Two wardrobes on either side, two desks, chairs, and lamps. One small bookshelf in between the two extra-long twin sized beds in place of night stands. Half of the room was taken up by Luz’s roommate, who had put up medals and awards on the wall, along with a framed poster, Luz gleefully recognized, signed by the author of the Good Witch Azura series. But the other half of the room…Luz saw endless possibilities with the school-provided corkboard on the wooden paneled walls and the high ceilings above.

“So,” Eda began, putting down the suitcase by the closet. “What do you think?”

Luz laughed. “Eda, it’s perfect!”

There was a knock at the open door.

“Excuse me?”

Luz didn’t notice Eda’s eyes widen as a girl walked into the dorm room. Half of her green hair was tied up with a magenta elastic and she wore a tie of the same color. In her arms were a stack of books, but she held herself tall. The girl gave a quick glance at Eda, eyeing her up and down, before she turned to Luz. “Hi, you must be my new roommate. I’m Amity Blight.”

“I’m Luz! Luz Noceda! It’s great to meet you! Are you an Azura fan too? I couldn’t help but notice your poster while I was getting settled,” she said shyly.

Amity’s flushed bright red. “Oh, um, yes! That’s mine! And yes! I am a fan!”

“Alright, kid,” Eda said suddenly. “I’ve got to head out. Now where did it go-” she took her suit off of her shoulder and fumbled inside the pockets.

Luz pointed towards her hair. “Did you…did you try-?”

Eda caught on and stuck a hand inside of her ponytail, rummaging around and emerging with a folded and slightly crinkled piece of paper. “Ah, there it is! Atta girl, Luz! You know me so well already!” Luz smiled and turned to Amity, but faltered when she saw her unimpressed and almost haughty look at Eda. The Owl Lady pointedly refused to look at Luz’s new roommate as she handed her the paper. “This is your schedule. Now I don’t know how it worked at any of your previous schools, but here, you spend one week in general and track classes and a second week in classes with your mentor. These advisory classes can include field trips, lab work, whatever it is that I deem will help you get the most out of your time at Hexside.” Eda shrugged on her suit and tried fruitlessly to smoothen her hair. “This week is general courses, so I’ll see you next week for our advisory. If you need anything, you can probably find me,” she waved a hand in the air, “around. I’ll see you around, kid. I’m sure Blight can give you a tour for the rest of the day.” She slammed the door, intentionally or unintentionally, Luz was unsure.

Luz chuckled nervously. “Well, that was definitely…odd.” Amity nodded, and sat down at her desk, rearranging her books. Looking around for something to do, someplace to be, Luz sat down on the floor and pulled out one of her suitcases. “I’mma find my bedsheets so I can lay down.”

“That’s nice.”

She frowned at this response. Couldn’t Amity see she was trying to have a friendly conversation? “I’m sure the beds here are pretty comfy.”

“They are.”

Luz found the lilac bedsheets and began to put them on. “Are you…on break right now?” Amity looked up from her desk. “I mean, I figured you might have class so-”

“Morning classes end at 11:45. We have an hour for lunch and another half hour free period. Some people use this time to work in the labs; rehearse in one of the music rooms; study in the library, the study rooms, or their dorms. We make the most of it. Classes end at 4:30.”

“Oh! Neat! I didn’t realize it was practically the afternoon already.”

“Yup.”

“Amity, is there something going on between you and Eda?”

Amity slammed her book and turned around, her face scrunching up. “What are you talking about?”

Luz held up her hands in a ‘woah, woah’ gesture as she sat on her freshly made bed. “I’m just saying. There seems to be some weird tension between you too. She called you Blight!”

“It’s my name.”

“Your last name. And people refer to each other by their last names in books only when they’re enemies or rivals!”

“Well, maybe I should call you Noceda then.”

Luz scoffed loudly, wondering how she could’ve ended up with a roommate like Amity. “What is your deal? Just because you have some weird rivalry or whatever with Eda doesn’t mean you should take it out on me!”

Amity’s eyes softened, and she groaned, curling in on herself. Luz saw her hand reach for a purple necklace around her neck and rub it thoughtfully. At last, she stood up and sat down on the bed opposite Luz. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have acted so pettily.” She waited for a moment to see if Luz would respond, and seeing no sign of one, continued. “My mentor is Miss Edalyn’s sister, Lilith.”

“Oh,” Luz whispered softly, slumping down onto the floor.

“Yeah. They don’t really get along. I don’t think I’ve seen them really talk to each other; they just argue. I guess some of Miss Lilith’s feelings about Miss Edalyn rubbed on me. I didn’t know how to respond when I saw her in my room. And I was expecting a new roommate, yes, but I didn’t know Miss Edalyn would be your mentor. It’s not a bad thing,” she added quickly, “Miss Edalyn is really smart, and she makes everything look effortless. She was also a huge sports star here. She’s just…she’s got a different teaching style than most of the teachers here. I don’t know the details, but I think it’s part of the rift between Miss Edalyn and Miss Lilith.”

“Okay,” Luz said slowly, “But that doesn’t explain Eda’s behavior to you. Why was she like that?”

Amity shrugged. “She’s seen me around before, and she knows Miss Lilith is my mentor. Maybe she just, doesn’t like me.”

“Sounds like overkill to me.” Amity looked up as Luz rose from her spot on the floor and patted next to Amity. Immediately understanding, she nodded, and Luz sat next to her. “I mean, yeah, maybe she’s got a rivalry with her sister, but why? And why does she have to take it out on you? It just- it doesn’t make sense.”

“It’s not really fair either,” Amity muttered.

The two girls sat in silence while people walked by their door, chattering away. The room that once felt large and spacious to Luz now seemed suffocatingly small.

“Hey, how about I make it up to you?” Amity said suddenly rising from the bed. “I’ll show you what the best lunch options are they have at the dining hall, and from there we could maybe compare schedules? You can tell me more about yourself on the way.”

“Sure!” Luz’s face brightened. “Let’s go!”

“And Luz?” Amity grabbed a book bag from her closet and stood next to the door, untying and retying her hair again.

“Yeah?”

“Let’s keep the sister rivalry thing quiet, okay? I mean, everyone knows about Miss Lilith and Miss Edalyn, but no one knows why they’re like this. And word will get out eventually that we’re rooming together, but I don’t want either of us having to deal with people being too concerned about who our advisors are and how we’re rooming together.”

“Just because our advisors are rivals,” Luz said slowly, “It doesn’t mean we still can be friends.”

“Yeah. Let’s just,” Amity smiled softly, “Let’s just be roommates for now, okay?”

Luz hesitated, then nodded her head.

“Okay.”

#the owl house #toh au #boarding school au #human au #toh fic #fanfic #luz noceda #camila noceda #eda clawthorne #the owl lady #amity blight #principal bump #ananonswriting

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chocolatemilksmoothie · 2 years

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Any Sport in a Storm

Listen I didn't get the time to do this w the last 2 eps (even though I had a lot of thoughts and feelings believe me) but I'll do it now bc this episode was so cute? And it surprised me too! Let's see

all the coven heads ignoring him is unsurprising, tho Raine hesitating didn't escape me. even under Terra's control they seem a bit concerned

Belos being like a single working parent leaving notes on the fridge or smth

so. the old golden guard sigil is also the Gravesfield sigil? I already had noticed it looks similar to the Emperor's coven symbol but the bird's wings are more closed. thinking...

grown witches let's stop bullying the literal teenager

"Little Prince" is the cutest nickname ever and if Darius is the closest thing Hunter will get to a mentor figure I love the idea of it going from a condescending name to an affectionate one. I love it

seems Darius and Eber are very involved in Belos plans? what are they doing

Darius knew the previous Golden Guard? He was his mentor?? There was a previous Golden Guard???

So I was wondering how or why he would be sent to Hexide, turns out it wasn't Belos idea at all. Makes sense

Willow is an absolute badass and I love her YES GIRL GO

like SHE'S SO POWERFUL god

HER DADS? awww jock nerd family!

Luz dropping all the books really got me for some reason. my child

"spill it hermosa!"

I suspected Luz and Amity would be busy elsewhere, and really enjoyed their B plot! Theorizing just like us about the mysterious person, the answer was the simpler option

I had assumed Eda had brought the books and sold them at some point. It was smth like that but without Eda lol

Tiny Nose has a name now also? good for her

To the surprise of no one, he sucks at interacting with other kids but this is even worse than expected lmao authority! and rules!!

heck yea Jerbo fight the system!

Professor Homunculus is a big jerk. tho we already knew that

Glad our boi Hunter gets to show off a little with the flying skills, he's had a, uh, rough season. He also got attacked by Puddles

I thought Caleb was the name of the museum guy obsessed with witches but it was actually Jacob generic english man names got me confused my bad

"hm, I don't feel sick" oh you clueless child

Gus being suspicious and protective I love my son

the Best and the Brightest I love them

Two "half-a-witch" witches huh? Loved the parallel but also ouch. Guess that's a common insult for kids who struggle with magic which is yikes

Skara tactical genius hell yeah!

"now I'm only scarred emotionally ;)" girl omg

I hope Viney and Jerbo can reconcile after this. He looked terrified lmao we take sports very serious here

I love Hunter's teleporting technique. sneaky boi

TEAM SPORTS. TEAM SPIRIT. Hunter making friends!! and he came up with the team name! Cute and creative

"Icepack for Steve"

seems training for the emperor's coven is brutal. Yet to hunter it's whatever lmao oh boy

also one free day a year.... yikes

Darius pushing Hunter to make choices for himself let's gooo

Boop

and he gave him a phone scroll thingy 😭 which means he can keep in touch. Typing like an old man

I hope he won't get in trouble for it but Belos is ancient af he probably thinks social media is the real dark magic so he'll never see it I guess

sewing is indeed a very helpful skill to have

so third time was the charm, after Luz then Amity tried to reach out it seems Willow and her team might be his first real friends!

what's his username I need to know

I already liked Darius as a fabulous jerk and antagonist but now I'm super interested to see more of him

also his past with Amity's dad SPILL THE TEA! bitter exes? former besties? rivals since forever? is it a one sided aggression thing? please I need it

and he follows him on social media just to scoff and mute him, petty king

obsessed with Amity and Luz showing up at the end like oh did we miss anything imporWHAT

Little Prince!!

So yeah, very cute and fun over all, and revealed more than I expected. S2 has been fantastic non stop. Glad Hunter got to have some fun bc I feel he won't for too long

oh, spoilers for the upcoming episode synopsis:

So next week we'll have Amity and Luz focus, and it seems Amity wants to impress her dad so we might get more Darius too! Show me the handsome witch again!! Not expecting to see Hunter next week but maybe more Willow and Gus. I love them. I do hope we keep seeing the Emeralds hanging out in the future as a club and having practice and playing matches, idk. also show them talking w hunter through the scrolls? it'd be cute

#toh #toh spoilers #the owl house #the owl house spoilers #long post #any sport in a storm #hunter toh #the golden guard #willow park #gus porter #luz noceda #amity blight #skara #viney toh #darius toh #raine whispers

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sepublic · 2 years

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Let’s cut to the chase and analyze;

NEW WILLOW!!! WILLOW APPEARANCE! MY BABEY GIRL!!! This MUST mean that synopsis for Any Sport in a Storm is REAL, Willow and Hunter??? HUNTLOW REAL IS THAT WHY DANA DREW THEM LOOKING AT EACH OTHER I AM GONNA DIE!!! I’M SO EXCITED I MIGHT VOMIT NO JOKING HOLY SHIT THIS IS THE FUCKING BEST!!!

She… My girl… She’s got a new hairstyle and glasses, symbolic of a new change! Feeling comfortable, based on the synopsis, I think Willow has become part of the Grudgby team and is embracing this! The synopsis says it’s an ‘exciting NEW sport’ so maybe it’s not Grudgby or something else, but still!!! Willow becoming popular at school, going feral and embracing her power??!? THIS IS EVERYTHING I WANTED THANK YOU DANA SO MUCH!!!

We’ve also got Luz in some sort of weird Viking helmet, throwing an icy glyph in some bony place! Maybe it’s related to King’s people, but if I had to spitball here, it’s Hollow Mind; Luz is inside the skull of the Titan, and the helmet could be part of a disguise, or to protect her OWN mind from the effects of the Titan’s skull… Did Philip not do this and became Belos? Either way she’s fighting someone, hopefully another Coven Head!

EDA!!! The background kinda looks like it could be inside the Owl House, but more than likely it’s Follies at the Coven Day Parade, she’s down for business and has snuck in close to rescue Raine! She’s probably fighting the Plant Head, in which case; MORE COVEN HEADS YEAH!!!

Luz and Amity looking shocked??? They’re wearing their school cowls and it’s nighttime… Did they learn something about Philip via the journal??? THAT HE’S BELOS?!?! Or some sort of truth… Banking on that now. Or maybe they’re reading the letter from King’s dad, after Hooty FINALLY spat it up!

Because we see in our NEXT shot King and his people!!! Okay so it’s not even subtle, King’s people are refugees who survived a genocide by Belos and are in hiding, DAMN. Glad to know King’s not the last of his kind, I’m so happy for our boi he gets to meet his dad again ASAP! His species are such fluffy people… Luz is wearing Eda’s letterman AND the sailor bandana from Separate Tides! If I had to guess, this is Edge of the World, and she sailed there with King, his father, and Hooty to where King’s species has been hiding! Will we actually see Salty cameo again, iirc Dana was super-happy to meet his famous VA in real life for this cameo so…!

(Also like Hooty being there for protection, as a callback to Echoes of the Past where he also wanted to learn more King lore. And probably to make up for eating the letter lbr.)

HUNTER BEING CAUGHT BY VINES!!! HUNTLOW PEOPLE!!! HUNTLOW!!! Luz and Amity try and fail, so it’s gonna be WILLOW who takes no shit and is stronger than either of them, capable of taking on the Golden Guard even when he’s not panicking! Hunter’s using Rascal… It looks like he was trying to fly away on him before Willow caught him! The fact that Rascal is out in the open during Hunter’s undercover mission for Belos makes me wonder… Does Belos learn/reveal he knows at the beginning of this episode? And do some abuse tactics and mind games, say it’s okay, he’s not mad just disappointed? Is this Hexside mission a way to make up for Rascal, to justify keeping him as some deal???

And WHY HEXSIDE??? What’s so important, is Belos keeping an eye on Luz and Amity? Is he checking out how Bump has changed the curriculum, and now he’s very conscious about the social changes that Luz is making to his system? So to prevent Bump from saving face with an official inspector, he’s sending his nephew to see how Luz’s influence has caused the school to change? And/or is there something special about Hexside… Grom? It was built on the bones of a rival school, will we see lore for THAT school as Hunter tries to find something there? Willow catches Hunter; Either he’s been exposed or he thinks he has, but it’s a misunderstanding.

King and Hooty in some sorta… Contraption? I have no clue. More one-on-one time with King and his Uncle Hooty… What if Hooty realizes he made a mistake with the letter, so he’s trying to soften King up with some fun times before admitting the truth? Or is King having a go at some mech so he can wreck people with it???

LUZ IN HER LETTERMAN SHE’S SO GORGEOUS!!! Nothing else to say here folks. Her hair…!

…Okay that’s a lie, more to say; We see Luz wearing the letterman while with King’s people! So it’s possible she starts wearing it irrespective of whatever sport Willow has; Probably as a hand-me-down from Eda, after Luz cements her decision to stay in the isles and is given this gift! So Luz embraces the legacy she’s adopted here… She’s wearing fingerless gloves in this shot but not with King’s people. Maybe she’s in the middle of playing Grudgby/the new sport, which could suggest she joins the team with Willow… And maybe GUS too? And then King’s dad shows up and this leads to an impromptu journey.

God… Only eight new shots from this promo but it’s already so much! More Willow screentime and relevance, Huntlow material… LUZ, King’s people! Eda! THIS IS EVERYTHING I WANTED TOH CREW THANK YOU!!! You keep giving in spite of Disney trying to take, y’all are real ones.

#the owl house #willow park #huntlow #the owl house hunter #king clawthorne #the owl house eda #edalyn clawthorne #raeda #Luz noceda #speculation #analysis

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lexosaurus · 3 years

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Birthmark

Phic Phight oneshot for @datawyrms: Danny Phantom's jumpsuit is hiding a secret he'd rather not reveal to anyone.

---

“Shit,” Valerie cursed, deactivating her hoverboard and gently placing the figure on the ground. “Shit, shit, shit.”

Bright green liquid soaked the ghost’s body, dripping off his waist and painting the grass in a steady stream. It was ectoplasm, something inhuman and twisted, and yet when Valerie looked down, all she saw was how closely it resembled blood.

She raised a shaking hand and attempted to brush away some of the green on her suit. But she looked more green than red at this point and all she could think of was how much ectoplasm was outside the ghost’s body.

It was too much.

They’d been ambushed after a ghost fight, the Guys in White having caught them in one of their special nets. Valerie had tried to yell out that she wasn’t a ghost, she was human, but it was no use. They zapped the net, and her vision was shrouded in darkness.

The next thing she knew, she was in a van, trapped with her biggest rival in Amity Park. Phantom was awake, but he didn’t know how long they’d been in the van for. Hours passed before the van stopped at last. But at that point, they had a plan.

As soon as an operative opened the back, Valerie was on him. She knocked him out, stole his gun, and bolted.

Apparently, Phantom wasn’t so useless without his powers either. By some miracle, he managed to find a way to remove his inhibitor collar and take flight.

But that was when all hell broke loose. Right as he’d paused to free Valerie from her inhibitors, someone landed a shot on him.

And he fell.

Valerie didn’t have time to think. She just grabbed his body, activated her hoverboard, and flew, not sure where she was going but unwilling to stop until she was sure she’d lost the agents.

“Fuck.” She threw off her helmet and looked down at Phantom’s unconscious form. There was a hole in the stomach of his suit, and ectoplasm bubbled and sparkled in the harsh sun.

He was going to die, Valerie realized. What happened when a ghost died? Could they even die?

“Stay with me,” she whispered.

She shoved a hand in her belt for her emergency supplies, but her glove was too slippery, and her hand trembled too much. She couldn’t do this. She ripped off her glove and tried again, trying to ignore the way the ectoplasm trickled between her fingers.

She had a bit of gauze, a tube of instant clot powder, a few butterfly clips, and a few large bandages. It wasn’t much, but it would have to work.

Because the alternative…

She set the supplies down and turned back to the unconscious ghost. His glow was almost nonexistent, and for the first time she could see his face clearly. All the grooves of skin, his pores, the individual hairs on his eyelashes and eyebrows. He had freckles. That tiny, human detail Valerie would have thought impossible for a ghost.

Even the more humanoid ghosts always had some slight haze to them, something that just made them more like a realistic doll than a person. But not Phantom. If it weren’t for the white hair and ectoplasm, she would have thought him to be just a regular teenager.

“Stay with me.”

She needed to take his jumpsuit off. Could she even do that? Was it attached to him? Would taking it off just hurt him more?

For a moment, Valerie knelt there frozen, unsure of what to do. She felt lightheaded, dizzy, nauseous. Her nostrils were filled with the scent of burnt battery acid and lime, and she could only stare as the Phantom’s face slowly grew paler and paler.

She pinched herself. “Snap out of it.” She’d dealt with worse, this was just a ghost. A ghost that she didn’t even like. A ghost that she’d spent the last two years chasing out of Amity Park.

She could do this.

Grabbing her swiss army knife out of her belt, she began carefully slicing through the fabric. Her damp hands were immediately filled with green goo, and for a moment she panicked, thinking that her fears were correct and that the jumpsuit acted like a second skin for Phantom.

But then she saw a black t-shirt peeking out underneath the jumpsuit, and she realized with a shaky breath of relief that the suit simply melted if it wasn’t attached to the host.

Of course, that made sense. She’d seen Plasmius rip off his cape before and it had dissolved in thin air. How could she have forgotten?

She made quick work with removing the jumpsuit, and had started on the undershirt as well when Phantom groaned.

She froze, unable to move the slightest muscle, as she watched Phantom’s drunk green eyes slowly flutter to life.

“Don’...” he slurred.

“I’m sorry.” Her voice cracked. “You’re hurt, I’m sorry.”

She tried to resume cutting his shirt, but he lazily swatted her hand away. “Don’...”

“Phantom, stop. I need to get this off you.”

“Stop...”

“I gotta do this,” she said, tearing his t-shirt. “It’s just a shirt.”

“S’ugly,” he mumbled, his eyes rolling back. His head lolled to the side, and he was out again.

Valerie rolled her eyes. “Oh, don’t be—”

Her voice cut off, and she sucked in a breath. Tattooed on Phantom’s skin were glowing lightning figures that branched from his shoulder, snaking around his chest and stomach as if they were alive.

Valerie had never seen anything like it before, and she could have dismissed them as just ectoplasmic tattoos. But from Phantom’s reaction, she had a sneaking suspicion that these were something much more serious. Much more personal.

Something that she didn’t have time to think about right now. Something that was getting covered by ectoplasm, something that was losing its bleak glow as the aura around Phantom faded to nothing.

Time was up. She needed to act now.

Ripping off the packaging, Valerie got to work.

---

The sky was clear, glittering with thousands of stars. It was one of those rare nights where the milky way was visible, arcing the sky with its brilliance.

Valerie had never been one to care about nature. Growing up rich in the city, her focus was always materialistic. She just wanted to fit in with the other girls, so she’d been more than willing to follow along with their hobbies and model her life after their trends.

Nature? Space? Stars? She never gave them a second thought.

Until her life was turned upside down, that was. Suddenly, Valerie went from hardly spending time outside to now soaring through the sky every night, weather be damned. It didn’t take long for her to appreciate the beauty of a clear, warm, night sky.

She landed on top of a building and collapsed her hoverboard. It had been quiet thus far, with only a few ambient blob ghosts roaming around a warehouse. Although at the beginning of her ghost hunting career, Valerie had spent each night painstakingly capturing every ghost in sight, she’d grown since then. She wasn’t so angry, so vengeful now.

And aside from being completely harmless, even Valerie had to admit there was something almost cute about the tiny bulbs of ecto energy.

Her suit dinged, signaling a ghost nearby, and Valerie groaned. There really was no rest for the weary, it seemed.

She raised her radar watch to her eyes to see a familiar ecto signature reading pop up in the corner.

One that was heading towards her.

Shit.

She hadn’t seen Phantom since that day. He’d been avoiding her. And maybe a few months ago she wanted him to avoid her, but now...

That day had changed her.

It was terrifying the way the government had so easily lumped her in with the ghosts just because they detected ectoplasmic readings from her suit. She woke up not knowing where she was, where she was going, if she’d ever see her father again.

Part of Valerie had insisted that once they saw her without her helmet, they’d call her dad and drive her back. It would have all been a big misunderstanding.

But a different part of her, one deep down inside, knew she was just lying to herself.

The government operated the way she did when she first started ghost hunting. All black and white, no room for grey. Ghost were evil and all ectoplasm needed to be destroyed. Period.

After she patched Phantom up in that grassy field, she flew and flew until she stumbled across a nearby town. She hid Phantom in a warehouse and sat with him for hours, forcing herself to stay away and stand guard in case the GiW found them.

He didn’t wake up until the next morning, taking one look between Valerie and his exposed torso before panic struck his features and he simply disappeared. Before Valerie could gather her wits to hunt his ungrateful ass down and kill him again, he reappeared, suit intact, and began leading their way back to Amity on instinct alone.

Phantom refused to look her in the eye for the entire trip home. And when they finally got to Valerie’s apartment, left her with a “get some sleep” before disappearing once again.

Her watch buzzed lightly against her skin, signaling that he was close. Valerie leaned back, waiting. Seeing if he’d actually come to her, or if he’d bail and pull the vanishing act he was so famous for.

But then he appeared. Right in front of her. His glow was vibrant against the night sky, covering his body in a shimmery aura. His acidic green eyes glistened in the dark.

He really looked no worse for wear after his injury. That kind of hit would have landed Valerie in the hospital. And yet, Phantom was back the next day, full of bright smiles and puns for the people of Amity.

She wondered how often this kind of thing happened to him. Just how many times had he been nearly slaughtered only to pop back into the public eye pretending like nothing happened?

He gave her an awkward wave. “Hey, Red.”

“Phantom.” She greeted cooly.

Just because lately she’d been seeing Phantom as someone who didn’t have an inherently evil Obsession didn’t mean that she liked him. At best, he was cocky, arrogant. At worst, he’d dumped her back at her apartment and left her by herself after the complete shit show that was their kidnapping.

So yeah, maybe she was a little bitter. Sue her.

“Uh, do you mind if I…” He gestured to the roof.

She pretended to mull his proposition over, watching as his ghostly tail flickered in anxiety.

He was ready to bolt, and she didn’t blame him. They’d never really talked before.

“Do what you want. I don’t feel like fighting tonight,” she finally conceded.

Relief spread across Phantom’s features, and Valerie was once again reminded of how human he was. She once thought that ghosts couldn’t feel any emotions. While it was doubtless that the way they experienced emotions was different than how humans did, there was just no way that Phantom was able to nail all those tiny details so accurately. Even if he was one of the more powerful ghosts out there, it would have been near impossible to mimic the full range of human emotion so quickly and precisely.

He settled down next to her, his tail morphing into legs positioned criss-crossed against the concrete. He turned to her, rubbing the back of his neck.

Valerie said nothing, just allowing the blanket of awkwardness to settle over the pair. If he wanted to say something, he could say it. Valerie wasn’t going to hand-hold him through a conversation.

When the tension was reaching the point of unbearable, Phantom finally broke the silence. “It’s a nice night.”

“Sure is.”

“I haven’t—uh, seen any ghosts. Tonight, I mean. Like outside. Or inside, too. Uh...it’s a quiet night. Ghost free. Well, except for me, I guess.”

“Yeah.”

He ran a gloved hand through his white hair. “Not that I’m really complaining. It’s kinda nice to have a break for a change.”

Valerie grunted in agreement, even though she was sure Phantom was lying through his teeth. Ghosts lived for their Obsessions, and Phantom was no different. She knew that deep down, he reveled in ghost hunting even more than any human ever could.

The duo was lapsed back into another tense silence, one that Valerie didn’t try to break. She didn’t understand what his goal was with the petty chatter. Did he think they were suddenly friends now? After he discarded her back at her apartment like she was a used rag and disappeared without a hint of remorse?

After she carried him hundreds of miles away from the Guys in White compound, bandaged his wounds, and then stayed up all night just to make sure he was safe?

She could have left him there. She could have been home before her father had woken up the next morning in a panic because his daughter was nowhere to be found. She could have avoided the phone call to the police, the missing child report, the whole mess that had followed.

And he couldn’t have even been bothered to say thank you afterward. Just dumped her and left.

So if he thought she was going to help him out now, he had another thing coming.

“How have...um, how have you been? Since…”

“Fine.” She said. “My dad’s been better.”

He winced. “Yeah…”

“Not that you care.”

He jolted up, turning around to face her. “What?”

“You know what I’m talking about, spook.”

“I thought we were over the whole ‘spook’ thing,” he said, his face twisting in annoyance.

“And I thought you were over being an inconsiderate jerk. But I guess I was wrong.”

“Listen, Val—”

“Don’t call me that,” she snapped.

He pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “Okay, Red. Listen, I’m sorry. Okay? I got freaked out that you—you saw…” He let out a shaky breath. “I didn’t know what to say. I’m sorry you got caught up in my problems, I’m sorry they thought you were a ghost, and I just...yeah.”

Valerie sat there for a moment, glaring out at the night’s sky. “It was a big mess, you know.”

“I know.”

“The police were involved and everything.”

“I heard.”

“And you know the worst part? I couldn’t even tell them the truth.” She let out a bitter laugh. “I got kidnapped by my own government and I couldn’t even tell my dad. I had to lie and say I got lost while out on a nature hike. How stupid is that? I nearly got killed by the freaking government and I haven’t been able to say a damn thing to anyone.”

“I’m sorry.” His voice was quiet.

“Yeah, well…” Valerie swallowed the lump in her throat. “You know. Hazard of the job, I guess. Still would have been nice if you hadn’t just left on me. After everything.”

Phantom lowered his head, allowing the white strands of hair to cover his eyes. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“It was a dick move.”

“It was.”

“I just wanna know why.”

He looked up, startled. “Why? Why you were captured, or—”

“Why the silent treatment? Was it because I saw those glowing lightning tattoos under your jumpsuit?”

He flinched back as if he’d been struck, his body lifting to hover over the cement. He stared at her open mouthed, as if he didn’t think she’d even dare to mention it.

But Valerie couldn’t find it in her to be joyous at his hurt expression. “Seriously? You were mad about that? Like I care about what you put on your body.”

“No, no.” Despite looking like he wanted to take flight, he managed to lower himself back onto the roof. “No, they’re...it’s complicated.”

“Oh, wonderful,” she said sardonically. “So let me get this straight, ghost boy. I save your ass from the government, pull an all-nighter guarding your lifeless body in a warehouse, and the best you can give me is an it’s complicated? Thanks a lot. It really makes me feel better.”

“No, it’s…” He trailed off, rubbing a hand over his face. His eyebrows were pinched and he looked almost sick. When he finally spoke, his voice was small. “They’re not tattoos.”

“Oh? What, an unlucky birthmark?”

He didn’t respond.

Valerie turned to him, realization hitting her with full force. Unable to keep the surprise out of her voice, she said, “Really? That’s it?”

He pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs. His eyes were distant, far away. Lost in some other world.

He’d been electrocuted. Struck to death by lightning, or something similar. And now it was branded on him, as some twisted reminder of the ugly creature that extended its spindly claws and ripped his humanity from his body.

“Damn.” Valerie blew out a breath. “Of all the ways to go, huh?”

“I—Yeah…”

She couldn’t help herself. “Do all ghosts have one?”

“No.”

Valerie didn’t know if that made it better or worse. Questions swirled through her brain, but she bit her tongue. She didn’t know much about ghost culture, but she was fairly certain that there was a taboo against asking ghosts about their deaths.

So she stayed silent, pretending to focus back on the stars but stealing glances to the teenage ghost beside her. His brows had furrowed, as if he were having an internal war. Whatever it was, Valerie didn’t pry. Even if her curiosity burned brighter with each passing moment.

Finally, he sighed, dropping his forehead into his knees. “It’s fine,” he said, though his voice sounded anything but. “You can ask.”

She hesitated for a brief moment before relenting. “Why do you have a mark?”

“They’re called Lichtenberg figures,” he explained. “They just happen. If the shock is bad enough. But they, uh, are supposed to fade in a few days. You know, if you’re...human.”

“But yours didn’t.”

“No, mine didn’t.” He raised his head, opening his mouth slightly, before slamming it shut.

This was unmarked territory she was stepping into. Hell, she doubted even the Fentons had ever talked to a ghost about their death before.

“Do you remember it?” she tried.

“Yeah.”

That surprised her. She’d read some of the Fenton’s papers, and even they were uncertain of how much a ghost remembered about their death.

The question must have shown on her face because Phantom added, “Not everyone does. I think...I think it has to do on their power level. And, uh, how old they are. I think some of the more ancient ghosts just kinda...forget. But I don’t know much. We don’t really talk about it.”

“Oh.”

Phantom nodded, staring down at his gloves. He sighed, and then started pulling one of them off.

Valerie froze, her eyes locking onto the movement. She’d never seen Phantom remove them before, and frankly she wasn’t even sure if they could be removed.

The glove left his skin and dissolved into ectoplasm, splashing onto the concrete roof. And there, left on his otherworldly skin, were the cobwebs of the lightning scar that covered his torso. It was brighter, glowing with more precision than Valerie remembered from before.

He pushed his sleeve up to his elbow, revealing more of the Lichtenberg figure. It traveled up his wrist, spiraling throughout his arm before it disappeared into his suit. The branches were thin, glowing with the same ectoplasmic energy that ran through the ghost’s core.

Valerie didn’t know what to say. Here Phantom was, her biggest rival in Amity Park, revealing his creation, the moment that turned him into what he was today.

“It was an accident.” He finally spoke. “I was being stupid, I don’t know. My friends and I were fooling around with this...this machinery, I guess, that we knew we weren’t supposed to be near. I grabbed a malfunctioning piece of equipment—I didn’t realize it was plugged in—and that...was it.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, well…” Phantom pushed his sleeve back down. He closed his eyes, willing the glove to materialize back onto his hand. He looked at her and offered a feeble smirk. “Teenagers, am I right?”

Valerie forced a polite smile in return, hoping it didn’t look too pained.

He cleared his throat. “But, you know,” he said, allowing some of that familiar cocky energy back into his voice. “It’s in the past now. I’m over it.”

Valerie doubted that much. After all, he was still a ghost.

“I mean, I get to do really cool things now. Like helping people. Protecting the town. You can’t exactly do that as a human.” He froze, his eyes flickering to her. “I mean, aside from you. You’re great at it!”

Valerie flipped him off. “Whatever, ghost boy.”

“No, I’m serious! You’re really good as a ghost hunter.”

“I know I’m good! I don’t need your flattery to give me self-esteem.” Her voice sobered. “But really, Phantom. I’m sorry that happened to you.”

He frowned, and looked up at the sky. The brilliance of the stars reflected on his form, giving his body an almost ethereal presence.

“It’s okay. It was a long time ago.”

---

Thanks for reading!

#danny phantom #phic phight #my writing #birthmark

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nix-draws · 2 years

Photo

The vice grip this au has on me

Luz had just about finished putting away all of her tools after performing an impromptu tune up of her car when she heard a frustrated groan coming from the garage next door. Now Luz knew they should probably just finish putting up her tools and go home but she was a nosy little shit and they had seen Amity’s car pull into the garage not too long ago. So off she went—against her better judgment—towards the source of the noise. Chancing a peek around the concrete wall that separated the two garages Luz found Amity, angrily talking into her phone.

“ Yes mom I’m at the track…… Well I–.. Yeah–.... No, no I know…of course… ok b–.”

The dial tone range before the green haired racer could say her goodbyes.

“Ouch,” Luz thought watching Amity slump against her car pinching the bridge of her nose in what the Rookie could only assume was frustration. Luz couldn’t help but stare, Amity looked so small next to the beast of a machine that was her car. It was a stark contrast to the cool confidence that seemed to be her business norm. Seeing her like this though, it made her seem real—human.

…Luz decided that she hated it.

Slinking back to her garage, taking care not to be noticed, Luz headed towards the mini-fridge the pit team kept stocked with snacks, and where Luz stored her precious fudge pops. Grabbing one of the packages, making sure that it was the one that had two popsicles inside, Luz made her way once again towards their self-proclaimed rival's garage. Stealing her growing nerves with a deep breath Luz knocked on the small cabinet at the edge of the racer's garage, successfully garnering Amity’s attention.

The girl jumped slightly at the noise, quickly pawing at her eyes.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” Luz said, hands raising in mock surrender. “ I brought ice-cream,” they continued, shaking the treat slightly for emphasis.

Amity studied Luz, eyes scanning the rookie with an intensity that sent a shiver down Luz’s spine. Sighing, Amity closed her eyes, pushed herself off the ground and began walking towards Luz.

“ What are you really doing here Noceda ?” Amity asked the edge to her voice demanding the truth and nothing else.

It was actually a little terrifying how her tones could convey something she never actually said. A little more how easily Luz could translate but that was a thought for another day.

“ Genuinely, ice cream,” Luz repeated.

Amity squinted, prompting Luz to continue.

“ Ok, so I might have accidentally eavesdropped and heard you had a rough phone call and that sucks and I remembered that I have ice cream in the freezer and I was like ‘hey ice cream makes everything better’ so… yeah” Luz rambled all too quickly for Amity to completely understand their rant, but she did manage to catch just enough to be embarrassed that Luz had heard her little spat with her mother.

“Ah,”

“Yeah,” Luz scratched at her neck nervously, foot haphazardly pushing dust around on the ground. “Sorry”

It was silent for a long time after that. Luz refused to look at Amity instead, finding the newly formed dust pile the most interesting thing in the world.

“ What flavor ? “ Amity asked, finally breaking the awkward silence.

“Huh ? Oh ! It’s a fudge pop,” Luz said, finally looking up.

Amity sighed, shaking her head as the beginning of a smile began to pull at the corner of her mouth. Amity held out her hand, a silent acceptance of the peace offering.

“Oh ! Yeah ok one sec,” Luz said fumbling to open the ice-cream.

No later did Luz manage to release the popsicles from their wrapping did the ice-cream decided to fall off the stick straight onto the dusty concrete below.

Both racers stared at the pile of rapidly melting ice cream on the floor, before Luz broke the silence this time with a breathy,

“Well shit,”

Amity brought her hand to cover her mouth as her shoulders gently shook with silent laughter, but despite her best attempts to conceal her laughter it couldn’t be contained. Loud barking laughter exploded from her mouth as she clutched her stomach, nearly doubling over.

Luz just stared, a bit in awe that amity had such an unexpected laugh, a smile slowly forming and eventually laughing as well.

…Luz decided they liked this a lot more.

After the racers had run out of air, their laughter dying down to breathy chuckles, Luz cleaned up the floor and offered a less melty treat, Amity gracefully accepting.

And so the duo made their way to Luz’s garage, Luz grabbing a fresh popsicle and successfully opening and separating the two with a satisfying ‘pop’. Amity clapped a teasing grin on her face as Luz bowed in appreciation.

The two stood in relative silence, both enjoying their ice cream and surprisingly enough the company. Luz finished theirs first, content to chew on the stick and space out waiting for Amity to finish.

“Thank you,” Amity said,avoiding eye contact, instead focusing on bending the stick of her freshly finished popsicle between her thumbs and index fingers.

Luz looked over, studying the slightly shorter racer, “ Of course.”

“No seriously,” Amity was looking at her now, “I’ve been an ass to you, and you haven’t done anything to warrant that. I’m sorry,”

A beat of silenced passes as Luz mulled over her words.

“Why are you so rude to me ?”

The stick Amity had been playing with snapped startling both the racers. Amity sighed, staring at the broken stick.

“ I’ve worked my entire life to get to where I am, and you just came out of nowhere and—“

“And ?” Luz prompted.

“ And you’re good. Like really good, and I don’t know it’s dumb but I guess it kinda scared me that someone so fresh to the track could get that close to my time,” She finished bashfully.

Another beat of silence passed.

“You think I’m good ?” Luz asked, genuine awe dripping off their words.

“Is that all you got out of that ?” Amity teased a gentle smile playing at her lips, then, “Yeah you’re pretty good.”

A dopey smile plastered itself on Luz’s face. “That makes me really happy,”

The sincerity of the words makes Amity blush, “W-Why?”

“Well I uhhh….heh… I really looked up to you as a kid” Luz stuttered fidgeting nervously and adamantly avoiding eye contact.

“Oh,” Amity breathed her face, beginning to look more and more like a tomato.

Luz chanced a look up at Amity, seeing her bright red face that she futilely tried to cover with a hand,

“ Holy shit you look like a lobster” Luz snorted, breaking the awkward tension.

“I do not !” Amity giggled back.

The two laughed for a bit, before Amity’s phone buzzed alerting the racer of the time and that she needed to go home. The two said their goodbyes, Amity promising to treat Luz next time and Luz saying they’ll hold her to it, both not missing the invisible weight the comment held. Amity stopped before she completely exited the garage, turning around to say,

“ Thank you Luz,”

Luz nodded, waving as the girl finally left, and if her stomach felt as though it had flip flopped, well they would blame it on the ice cream.

#lumity #theowlhouse #luz noceda #amity blight #odalia blight #for like a second #toh racing au #nascar au #@gproalex #the girls are talking #:eyes emoji:#luz fuck why do i have to be a good person noceda #amity mommy issues blight #I really need to just sit down and write this

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char-lotteral · 3 years

Text

Ticket Booth

Great. Just what she needed.

Amity being stood up on her blind date.

Again.

"This is just ridiculous." She sighs to herself, impatiently alternating between checking her phone and the watch on her wrist just to avoid human confrontation from any passersby on the street.

I mean, is she surprised? Not really. Did she hope it would turn out different? Kinda

Not like this was the first time Ed and Em had set her up on another blind date. You should head out more! Meet new people, get a change of environment!

New people, my ass. If ever she gets a chance to meet these said new people, that is.

Amity checks her phone again with a big bright 8:10 PM, humiliating her at every passing second. Tick, tick, tick. There's that sound of that unnecessarily large wall clock hung in front of the movie theaters, more people arriving in front of the ticket booth, hands interlaced and smiles all warm and happy, and goddammit; her date was supposed to be here 10 minutes ago!

The wind's gotten colder, the theaters getting overcrowded, her feet hurt from standing too much, and in attempt to hide herself from the sad, despicable, cynical reality of it all, she huddles herself inside her massive winter cloak, tendrils of bubblegum hair sticking out from the side of her hoodie.

Why God, why did she agree to go to this?!

"Are you waiting for someone?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, Amity whips her attention towards the (cute) lady behind the ticket booth. Not one for initiating conversations, she coughs to suppress her shyness and answers, "Uh y-yeah. I have a um, a date. I'm waiting for them."

The lady behind the ticket booth smiles this really cute smile of hers and suddenly Amity has forgotten her name altogether. "You know, I don't wanna sound rude or anything, but the movie starts at exactly 8:15. And I don't think you'll be able to see it if you're gonna be out here, freezing in the cold."

She laughs tucking a hair behind her ear. "Yeah well, this isn't my first time being stood up so I guess I'm used to it at this point."

"Wait, you're being stood up?"

Stupid, stupid, stupid. Now she thinks you're some hopeless romantic.

Shaking her head frantically, she manages to salvage herself from this stranger that she has a sudden urge to impress all of a sudden. "W-What? No! I meant my date was um busy and they texted me too late, so I guess I am kinda freezing my ass off outside the movie theater. But not because I was waiting for them the entire evening! I-I have better things to do than um..."

Being stood up by my blind date who hasn't even met me! Crap, maybe I am the problem?

"Better things to do like stand outside in the freezing cold?"

Her eyes dart towards the ticket lady who no doubt is feeling sympathetic for her pathetic ass and as she does, there's still that smile of hers etched on her face, looking down at her with some sympathy but she doesn't mind, she likes how she's looking at her. Had she already mentioned she thought she was cute?

"O-Or that." Amity answers pathetically, chuckling at the absurdity of it all.

"Tell you what," The lady in the booth begins. "Maybe I can refund you for the tickets? I won't tell my boss or anything, they'll be fine with it."

Ticket lady was being awfully nice to her, which was strange because most strangers usually had a fight or flight response whenever they saw Amity talking to them, probably because of her intimidating aura, which she doesn't really blame them for. This cute ticket lady on the other hand, was a whole different story.

"Oh no, my sister's already paid for the tickets online, plus I don't think these two tickets are refundable so um, I guess I'll just have to watch this movie alone or maybe sell my ticket to someone who actually has a date." She giggles again, internally sorry for her own situation.

The cute ticket lady pauses for a second, attention a bit distant and elbows perched above her desk. Amity debates with herself whether or not she should just say fuck it and watch the movies alone, at least until ticket lady finally looks up and meets her eye to eye. And woah, she never knew eyes could look that brown.

"Hey, how about I watch it with ya?"

... What?

"What?" She parrots her thoughts. I'm sorry did she hear that right?

The lady smiles even wider, eyes pinched from the apples of her cheeks and a smile so bright, it could rival the stars above them. "You heard me. I wanna watch it with you!"

"You wanna... watch it with me?"

" 'Course I would. That is, if you'll allow me? I promise I'll pay for the tickets, I'm not scamming you or something."

"Oh um, can I ask why?"

The lady laughs again, oblivious to the damage she's been doing to Amity's poor stomach. Butterflies seemed like a stupid analogy, it was like the entire zoo came in to visit. "I can't let a pretty girl walk inside that movie theater all alone. There might be some serial killers inside there."

Oh.

Well, this turned out to be the best possible scenario she could come up with.

Pretty girl? Her?

This night just keeps getting better and better.

Feeling uncharacteristically playful, she refutes back, cheeks ablaze by the little compliment. "And how do I know that you're not a serial killer, plotting to bury my body?"

Her eyes are squinting from absolute mirth, clearly not expecting her to reply back. "I can prove to you that I am not, in fact, a serial killer by politely introducing myself. "Luz Noceda. College student by day, billionaire philanthropist by night."

"By billionaire philanthropist, do you mean ticket booth manager? Because I think both are equally badass."

Luz shrugs, unfazed. "Eh, its hard living the double life. I have to keep my identity hidden so no one assassinates me in broad daylight."

Simultaneously, they both laugh at their dumb topic, and Amity has never felt this alight with another person before. Her chest feels tighter, her cheeks hurt from smiling so much and she thinks that maybe, just maybe, this night might not be as bad as she initially thought it would be.

"So, have I proven myself worthy? Can I watch it with you?" Luz is practically bouncing on her feet, tail wagging like a retriever waiting for her treat. She looks so damn adorable behind the ticket booth that Amity's heart threatens to jump out of her throat and melt right in front of her.

So what if a cute girl wants to watch a movie with you? Big deal! It's not like she's asking for your hand in marriage. It's not like it's a date or anything.

Oh God, is it a date?! Oh no, no, no. What has she gotten herself into?!

What if she says yes and embarrasses herself right in front of her? They barely even know each other! They don't know each other at all! What if this really, really cute girl doesn't actually like her and is just doing this out of pity and turns out they'll never see each other again, and, and—

"Hey, earth to bubblegum, I'm still here. In case, you forgot. I don't wanna be all rude or anything—"

"N-No!" Amity cuts her off so quickly, she's on the verge of a panic attack. "You can watch it with me! We can watch it t-together! I'd l-love to!"

Smooth move Blight, smooth move.

Her words seemed to be enough to calm Luz down and she feels like she has God to personally thank for for that beautiful smile of hers. Honestly, how can one smile like that? It's that type of smile that could brighten an entire room or the physical embodiment of joy, youth and everything else good in the world.

"Wait, but what about the ticket booth? Are you allowed to leave it alone?" Concerned, Amity asks Luz as she walks out of the booth.

"Nah, Eda won't mind. I think. I-I'll be back before she even notices I'm gone. Won't be a problem! Hopefully." Taking off her cap, Luz locks the door behind her, tucking the key safely in her pocket. She looks back at Amity, eyes gleaming from the adventure of it all. Eyes that remind her of chestnut and coffee on a cold, serene morn. And a low, pixie cut to tie it all together.

Luz hands out her palm, anticipation and adrenaline coursing through her, she's smiling that sunny smile of hers again, cheeks flushed and hair a mess from the stuffy cap and Amity thinks to herself again that wow, she really is cute.

"You ready?"

Two words, two simple words from a stranger she's never even met before. What would Ed and Em think if they saw her right now, watching movies with a random girl she doesn't even know? Her instincts are telling her to go, leave, maybe find another night to watch the movies, you can pay for the tickets another day, you barely even know this person!

But when Amity finally looks up from her hand to those chestnut eyes and that smile of pure unabashed warmth, she's made her decision.

She's positive that her cheeks are the brightest shade of red, practically glowing under the cheap porch light, but if she squints, just enough, the same shade of red are on Luz's cheeks too, flushed and cherry red, just as she was. Nervous albeit excited, just as she was.

"I thought you'd never ask."

#lumity #the owl house #lumity fanfiction #amity blight #luz noceda #modern college au #hey hey hey lookie its my first lumity fanfic

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pyroclastic727 · 4 years

Text

On Amity going from the biggest prick to the biggest simp

Quick psychology lesson! According to Sigmund Freud, the brain can be divided into three parts: the id, the ego, and the superego. The ego is probably the one reading this, since it’s the mediator and seat of consciousness. The id is the one that pushes you to do all the things you want, and it is the home of your repressed desires. The superego is the one that repeats everything everyone else has ever said to you, and urges you to follow society’s guidelines.

Naturally, this is all a load of bullshit, since Freud is really bad at analyzing personalities. However, he did get something right. While the dynamic of id-ego-superego is useless in one person, it’s really useful in creating a fictional group of three.

Here are some examples, to put it into context. Harry, Ron, Hermione: ego, id, superego. Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl: ego, id, superego. Ego is the mediator and decision-maker, who either is the leader or the last word. The id is the emotion, often the impulsive one.

And the superego? Uptight, paranoid, takes the moral high ground...well, that’s Amity.

In the history of superegos, you tend to get two types of characters. Either you get a caricature of rules, someone who always says “no” to the main character’s plan and is obsessed with safety and caution. Or, if your writers have more than half a brain cell, you get someone like Pearl or Amity. Since I’m only a season into Steven Universe and don’t yet know how Pearl’s simping turns out, we’ll focus on Amity.

Mainly, why do well-developed superego archetypes like Amity always end up being the biggest simps?

The answer lies in....・゜゜・ Repression! ・゜゜・．

Look, the whole point of a superego is to embody everyone who doubts you. And if you’re a well-written superego, that really just means that you’re overly self-conscious and have a tendency to internalize what other people say about you.

Amity is a perfect example of that. When Luz cheated in Covention, she was so mad about that. Why? Because Cheating is Bad. Now why would Amity care so much about being seen as honest, and not cheating? Hmm...maybe because she cheated at life? She was born into a rich, distinguished family, and now she’s a rich, distinguished person. So why wouldn’t she be determined to prove to people that she came about her power and intellect naturally, with no unfair advantage from her parents or mentors?

And the whole being afraid of rejection thing? Well, that comes from her parents and Willow. When she was forced to cut Willow off, she learned what it was like to be hated for who she is (that is, a distinguished, untouchable star student). For her entire life after that, everyone she met hated her, because to them, she was cruel enough to cut off her best friend for no reason. To Amity, everyone hated her because she was a powerless coward.

(No wonder she seeks to be part of the Emperor’s Coven and praises Luz for how fearless she is).

For Amity, wanting things hasn’t been great for her. If she follows her id (or, her desires and fears), she ends up losing something or someone she cares about. If she cares for her friends, she loses them to her status. If she cares for her authenticity, she loses it to her reputation. So she has done what anyone in her situation would do to protect themselves: she has closed herself off from wanting things.

That’s where Luz comes in. Before Luz, Amity had strong, impenetrable walls. But even stronger than those was the steadily mounting pressure of holding back all her desires. Amity wants to be loved. She wants to freely be herself. She wants to be able to let her guard down and not overthink her every move and be dorky and authentic and messy and imperfect around someone. She already had all these desires for the other extreme, feelings that she has never felt before.

So when she met Luz, all the human girl had to do was give Amity a space where she was never punished, never judged, always forgiven. Fortunately for us, Luz was so hell-bent on making like Azura and befriending her rival that she gave Amity the space required to grow.

And that’s where the simping started.

Amity spent her whole life at one extreme. With Luz giving her a safe space, she could experiment with the other extreme.

And she did.

She blushed. She worried aloud, letting herself be vulnerable. She was physically clingy to Luz, holding her hand at every opportunity. She danced with Luz. She flung herself at Luz, which is my favorite scene in the entire show. She cried in front of Luz. She was tender and gentle around Luz. She let herself be cringey and regrettable and messy and everything she wanted to be.

In doing so, she became someone who anyone with a brain cell can’t help but to love. She became relatable and forgivable and lovable.

She also became the biggest simp of all time. But we’re okay with that, because she also became something she hasn’t been in a long time: happy.

#amity blight is so cute i can't even #amity blight #the owl house #lumity #toh #owl house #amity blight analysis #the owl house analysis #owl house analysis #toh analysis #lumity analysis #amity blight meta #the owl house meta #owl house meta #toh meta #lumity meta #originalpost #luzbian

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azulirawrites · 3 years

Text

Favors of A. Blight Ch. 1

Rating: High T/Low M Word Count: 2,821 Contains: Mentions of Drug Use and Abuse, Mentions of Child Neglect, Domestic Abuse, Heavily Implied Character Death by Suffocation (You don’t see the death, but you do see the actions leading up to it) Nobody went outside when it rained on the Boiling Isles. To do so was extremely dangerous, even if one had the proper protections. Needless to say, the residents of the Owl House were surprised when Hooty swung open, announcing, “Luz, that mean friend of yours is here! And she brought friends for me!” On the other side of the threshold, only barely inside the barrier Lilith had managed to conjure that afternoon, were the Blight siblings, huddled together, underneath a massive Abomination.

“Amity!” Luz shouted, vaulting off the couch to latch onto her friend, “Are you ok? It’s raining!” She quickly pulled Amity inside, with Amity’s grip on her elder siblings dragging them in after her.

“Baby Blights?” Eda questioned, “What's going on? Did Odalia see sending your kids out to get mauled by the weather becoming the latest fashion in that busted crystal ball of hers?" When there was no response, beyond Luz shooting her a glare, Eda prodded more, "Seriously kids. What possessed you to come here in this weather? This place isn't exactly 'Blight Appropriate'." As Eda made air quotes, Amity practically collapsed into Luz on the sofa, and so did her Abomination, loosing three bags just inside the doorway as it collapsed into a puddle of goop and boiling water. "Ah, crap. Bug out bags."

"Bug out bags?" Luz questioned, worry creasing her brow as she laid Amity safely on the couch.

"I guess," Edric mumbles, his eyes focused on Amity as he and Emira huddled together tightly.

"How long have you had them?" Eda asks, watching the twins.

"Father packed them," it was Emira who answered, perhaps slightly too loudly, as she quieted her next words, "he gave them to us today. Before he sent us out in the rain."

"Hooty, wake Lily," Eda commanded.

"One Lulu, coming up!" Hooty agreed, almost gleeful as he shut himself.

"Luz, go pour three glasses of apple blood."

"But-" Luz tried to argue

"Now," Eda didn't leave room for argument, and Luz reluctantly got up, casting a look at the gently displaced form of Amity, and then the twins, before making her way to the kitchen.

"We don't drink apple blood," Emira said, before quietly adding, "Mother doesn't allow it."

"Hypocrite," Eda muttered, before saying, "it's not for you. It's gonna keep me up, wake up Lily, and hopefully keep the kid from the worst of the burnout." Neither of them argued against her, though Emira cast a worried look at Amity. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Edric mumbled, reaching into his pocket, “but father gave me a letter, for you.” He pulled out a plain white envelope with ‘Edalyn’ written on it, in handwriting that almost rivalled chicken scratch in decipherability, extending it to the Owl Lady.

“And I have one for Lilith,” Emira said, producing a similar envelope, with Lilith’s name on it, as Eda unceremoniously ripped open hers with her nail. The room went silent for several moments, as Eda quickly scanned her letter.

The silence was only interrupted by Luz’s entry, carrying three mugs, “I got the apple blood,” she announced, placing the mugs on the coffee table. Eda’s hand quickly shot down, grasping the “30 and flirty” mug and bringing it to her mouth, taking a long, slow drink. Then, she pulled a straw out of her hair, placing it in one of the mugs, a plain black one.

“Give this one to the kid,” Eda told Luz, adding “It’s just to give her bile sac a little boost,” when she saw Luz’s hesitant look.

Luz grabbed the mug,moving to sit beside Amity, who hadn’t moved since Luz had left. “Amity,” Luz said, gently shaking the witch with her free hand, “You need to drink this.”

“I don’t wanna.” Amity mumbled, barely audible, “it smells bad.” She almost burrowed deeper into the couch, as much as she could in her exhausted state.

“Eda said it would help,” Luz promised.

“Medicine?” Amity questioned, her eyes squinting open to look at Luz before shutting quickly

“Yeah, medicine,” Luz agreed, pushing it yet closer to Amity. Amity, seemingly reluctantly, took the straw.

“Disgusting,” Amity commented as her face seemed to pale from the taste, before drinking again as Luz held the mug.

“I paid for that,” Eda grumbled, before gesturing to Edric and Emira. “You two, take a seat. We need to have a serious talk when Lily gets down here.”

“A serious talk about what?” Lilith asked from the hall door as the twins sat down beside their sister. “Why are the Blight children here?” She yawned, leaning against the doorway.

“I have a letter for you,” Emira answered, extending the letter over the coffee table, though careful as to not extend so far as to lose contact with her twin.

“A letter is hardly a good reason to be out at this hour, in this weather,” Lilith said, taking the letter. She looked at the letter, adding, “And I doubt Alador would send all three of his children if it were just to send me a letter.”

“Read the letter Lily,” Eda said, notably somber. Lilith gently opened her letter, pulling out the pages within. The next few moments were silent, broken only when Lilith shifted the papers in her hands. Then again, she shifted the papers, almost frantically seeming to double check something.

“What’s going on?” Luz asked, watching Lilith flip between the pages.

Eda looked at her own letter, then back up to Luz. "I'm not gonna say it twice," she nodded towards Amity, who seemed only present enough to slowly sip the apple blood Luz held for her, "and I think everyone would prefer to be rested to hear it. The baby Blights are gonna be rooming with you tonight."

"Like a sleep over," Luz tried to be cheerful, smiling at the twins, both of whom returned the smile.

"Right, one of those," Eda agreed, "now take them up there." Luz nodded, putting Amity's mug of apple blood in Edric's hands before scooping the exhausted girl into her arms.

"Come on," Luz said, "you can help me make an Amity burrito."

"I don't know what a burrito is," Edric said, following Luz and dragging Emira with him, "but it sounds like it will inconvenience Mittens."

"Shit," Eda said, once the coast was clear.

"That is putting it lightly," Lilith agreed, taking a seat on the now free couch. A moment later, after grabbing her mug of apple blood "What are we going to tell them?"

"Hey kids, we got some good news and some bad news. Good news is Odalia's getting the stick up her ass removed, bad news is Alador's the surgeon?"

"Edalyn!" Lilith nearly spat out her drink as she quietly yelled her admonishment.

"What? We're going to have to rip the bandage off somehow!” “No! Not like that! This needs a delicate touch!”

“That was delicate,” Eda answered, to a shocked look from Lilith, “I’m not telling you the not delicate option because you’ll get judgy.” There was a brief pause, before Eda amended, “Judgier.”

“Take this seriously!”

“Take what seriously?” King asked as he made his way into the living room from the hallway, “Also I’m sleeping in your nest tonight. Luz invited over the cupcake smasher and two new minions and the room is small as is.”

“Crap. That’s right. We’re gonna need a lot more room,” Eda realized, with some frustration.

“For what?” King asked, before noting the three bags just inside the doorway, “Ooh, bug out bags. Did one of your exes figure out how easy Hooty is to bribe again and we’re gonna leave Lilith to deal with them?”

“He can be bribed?” Lilith questioned.

“No, I fixed that when I told him he could take the bribe and still have his fun,” Eda answered, “The bags are-”

“Wait, no, I got it,” King interrupted, “tax collectors found us and we’re gonna leave Lilith to deal with them?”

“Why am I the one getting left behind”

“No, King,” Eda said, “These aren’t our bags.”

“Then whose,” King began to question, before looking at the bags, and then to the hallway, and finally back to Eda, “No. No? You can’t be serious.”

“Afraid so King,” Eda confirmed

“But I don’t want the cupcake smasher here! The two big minions we can put in a shed, but the little one needs to go. I mean, think about how Hooty feels, she beats him up every chance she gets!”

“Yeah, think about how I feel,” Hooty agreed.

“Shut up Hooty,” Eda and King said in unison, causing the tube to grumble. Eda added, “And while you’re here, grab those bags and take them upstairs.” She signalled the bags on the ground, which Hooty began to devour, causing everyone to look away. “Besides, we can’t send them away. Lily’s their legal guardian now.”

“Well then kick out Lilith,” King suggested.

“Hey! I’m right here!” Eda reminded the demon

“I’m not kicking out my sister,” Eda said, “and I’m not kicking out the kids either. Or putting them in the shed.”

“Why not?” King demanded

“Because I said so,” Eda responded, making King grumble and stare at her. Eda returned the stare, and eventually King looked away, making his way back to the hallway.

“As much as I hate to admit it,” Lilith sighed, “the little demon does have a point. There’s not very much room as is.”

“I’m not gonna make you move out Lily,” Eda said, before looking up at the ceiling.

“Alador left more than enough money for a modest home,” Lilith protested.

“Which is more than enough to get the Construction Coven to do some off-the-books work for a lot more space.” Eda suggested, “And I’m sure Hooty wouldn’t mind the expansion.”

“So you want to keep them here so you get a bigger house?”

“Of course not Lily! It’s just… I know what it’s like to have your whole world shaken apart,” Lilith looked down and away from her sister at the comment, “and the last thing you need at a time like that is to have your world shaken more.”

“Edalyn, I-” Lilith tried to apologize.

“Not what we’re talking about right now,” Eda said, finishing off her apple blood and setting her mug on the coffee table, “I’m too sober for more than one serious conversation tonight.” Eda paused for a moment, eyeing the empty mug. “I would have done anything for the kind of stability they can have here. I’m not gonna rip it away from them.”

“Thank you,” Lilith said, adding, after a moment, “I’m sorry for snapping at you. All of this happening at once is… Overwhelming. I would never imagine Alador to do what he says he’s going to. He’s always been more gentle.”

“Withdrawal can do a lot,” Eda commented, “Add in the guilt and all the other emotions he’s got to be feeling. It’s not so unimaginable.”

“Withdrawal? Withdrawal from what?” Lilith questioned, turning to her sister.

“Did your letter,” Eda asked slowly, “not mention anything about it?”

“Obviously not,” Lilith focused on her sister.

“Distraction spell!” Eda yelled, pulling a bag of Hex Mix out of her hair to throw at her sister, and jumped up, only to be caught at the last moment by Lilith.

“Edalyn, that hasn’t worked since I was eight,” Lilith complained, “Now what do you mean by withdrawal?”

“You know how Oracle magic can really start to screw with your head if you’re good at it?” Eda asked

“Yes?”

“And you know how memory wiping potions can help?”

“Edalyn!” Lilith was scandalized, “Those are highly illegal!”

“So is everything else I do!” Eda answered, “and he’s hardly the only person who bought them. I thought he was doing it because Odalia was too uptight to get it herself. I didn’t think he was taking it! Let alone mixing it with alcohol.”

“He was mixing an illegal memory potion with alcohol?” Lilith looked like she was ready to feint from shock.

“Should we just trade letters and see what he didn’t tell both of us?” Eda suggested

“No!” Lilith snapped, “He obviously intended us to keep the letters private. Otherwise he'd have sent only one, addressed to both of us."

"Who cares what he intended? It's your letter now," Edalyn reasoned, "Besides shouldn't we both know everything we can about what we're getting into? I thought you'd agree with the smart thing to do."

"I don't think it is the smart thing to do," Lilith answered simply.

"Why not?" Eda demanded, watching her sister.

"I just don't," Lilith stood her ground.

"You're hiding something," Eda stated.

"That's ridiculous."

"Oh yeah? Then why won't you tell me why sharing our letters is a bad idea?"

"Because it's personal, Edalyn!" Lilith snapped.

"Who cares? Do you think I'm gonna judge you for whatever Alador told you about looking after his kids?"

"Yes!" Lilith said, to which Eda responded with a curious, almost scheming, look. "Edalyn, no!" It was too late. Eda pounced, grabbing at the letter with one hand and using her other to hold Lilith down by her face. Holding the letter out of Lilith's flailing reach, Eda began to read.

(Line break)

"Alador," Odalia called into her husband's workshop, "where are the children?" When no answer came, she proceeded down the stairs, into the workshop proper. "Alador, answer me," Odalia commanded, approaching her husband, hunched over the work bench against the far wall, placing her hand on it's shoulder

"I'm tired, Odalia," Alador's voice called from beside the stairs. Odalia turned to look, seeing Alador step forward from behind one of the workshop's numerous tarps. Odalia took a step towards Alador, but was stopped when her hand refused to move, beginning to sink into the form slumped over the workbench.

"What is the meaning of this?" Odalia asked, struggling to remove her hand from the Abomination as Alador's features melted away from it.

"I told you, Odalia," Alador's voice was steady, "I'm tired." He grabbed her free hand, pulling it away from her trapped appendage. "I'm tired of this life," he told her, forcing the hand deep into the Abomination.

"Where's your coven mark?" Odalia whispered, her eyes fixed on her husband's bare forearm.

"I left the coven, Odalia," he answered simply, "Didn't you already know?"

"What are you talking about?" Odalia's voice grew more frightened, as she failed to recall any such memory.

"We were going to discuss it, this morning," he crouched down, beginning to move Odalia's legs into the Abomination, "And then I gave you your coffee, and you seemed to just… forget."

"Alador, what did you do?'

"What I had to, Odalia!" He shouted, breaking his calm facade, angry tears beginning to well up as he knelt before his wife. "I've spent the last ten years of our marriage forgetting every moment we spent in the same room. I can't stand you, Odalia."

"Alador!"

"SHUT UP!" he roared, "I'm so tired of hearing your Titan damned voice!" He stood up and turned away from her, "I used almost the last bit of my memory potion in your coffee. To get you to shut up and just leave!"

He took a deep, shuddering breath, before he continued, more steadily, "And you left. And I was alone with my thoughts. About you. About us. Our children."

"Alador," Odalia said meekly, "where are the children?"

"Don't pretend to care now," Alador's voice rumbled.

"I'm not pretending!"

"YES YOU ARE! NEITHER OF US CARE FOR OUR CHILDREN!" Before Odalia could respond to the accusation, Alador started a barrage of questions, "What kind of glasses does Edric need? Who's Emira's favorite bard? What is Amity's favorite book series?" When Odalia failed to answer after one second, Alador shouted, "I didn't know either! I spent hours learning about our children by snooping around their rooms to get them what they need! What kind of father does that make me? And what kind of mother, that you've never even wanted to learn."

"I am not a terrible parent," Odalia defended.

"Do you remember our children ever smiling in front of us? At us? I don't, but I can blame that on the memory potion. You can't."

"A Blight doesn't-"

"WHY DO YOU CARE SO MUCH FOR A DAMN NAME THAT DOESN'T EVEN BELONG TO YOU?" The tears of anger rained freely as he shouted at her, "OUR CHILDREN SHOULD MEAN MORE TO US THAN THEM BEING SOME STUPID LEGACY!" It was a moment before he added, "That's why I sent them to the Owl House. I trust Edalyn Clawthorne to look after our children better than us. And Lily."

"I thought you agreed to stop calling her that."

"I lied. She's the only bright spot I have in these last ten years. I'm not giving that up. Not for you."

"Alador!"

"I'm done," he began to walk away, before adding, "Abomination, suffocate."

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immortalonus · 3 years

Text

Where You Belong: Chapter 3

A/N: I hate this chapter so, so much. Unfortunately, I also couldn't find any way around it. If I got anything wrong, chances are I just missed it, so feel free to let me know.

Read on AO3 here.

“...Humans with ghost powers!? Crazy, right?” Valerie snorted, then paused.

“Or humans that turn into ghosts, or ghosts that—stay human when they die or whatever. The important thing is that there was a part of Ellie that was real. And if it hadn't been for Phantom, I'd have just left her there with Plasmius, to do whatever—to hurt—to—”

Valerie took a moment, struggling to admit out loud what she had already begun suspect for herself.

“—kill her. he was gonna murder a little girl, mama, and if Phantom hadn't convinced me she still had some human in her, if I hadn't listened to a ghost, I woulda let him.”

Phantom, if she hadn't listened to Phantom, specifically. It was a detail that still irritated her every time it came up.

The ghost boy had been so persistent, for so long in his charade of being a “good guy,” that most days, she simply tuned him out.

And truly, was that so wrong?

Up to that point, Everything Phantom had said in his own defense had been nothing more than talk. Oh, he said sorry, he said he felt bad about it, but at the end of the day, what had he done?

Ruined her fathers job and her life, then fled the scene like the criminal he was.

Stole for the hell of it and couldn't even be bothered to take the blame when he got caught.

(Valerie still had no idea why the ghost thought an “evil mind controlling clown guy,” was a reasonable excuse, at all, for anything.)

Who was always ready to fight, but never to help.

Never, not once, in all the wretched aftermath of the Grey's financial dissolutionment, had Phantom come to their aid. Not in the immediate events that came after, nor during the process of her father's dismissal, when he could well have stayed his expulsion simply by appearing, proving Damian Grey's assertions of spectral interference months before he would have been otherwise believed.

Not during the move from her childhood home to her current residence down in Elmerton. Too strapped to hire assistance, it had been down to Valerie, her father, and Fenton, who had taken his weekend off to help her move instead.

No haunting the creditors who dogged their every step, even now.

Hell, he couldn't even be bothered to tell the public that it was his fault her life was ruined! In private, yes, where he knew no one could hear. But never where it mattered, to whom it mattered, since that would require Phantom to actually give something up for once and admit what he did was wrong. Which he would never do, because Phantom, like all ghosts, was a fundamentally egotistical creature, right down to his very core.

No, Valerie had good reason to believe that she had Phantom all figured out: A showboating prig, full of hot air and false excuses, distinct from other ghosts only in his capacity to fool the masses into believing he was ever anything more.

Then Elle happened.

The ghost girl's mere existence had managed to throw Valerie's world into a whole new tailspin, leaving her reeling even as events conspired to yank more and more of her footing out from under her, teetering on the edge of her own understanding as all her convictions suffered blow after blow.

Living ghosts.

Ghostly humans.

Friends acting as enemies.

While enemies acted as friends.

“I woulda let him kill her.” She repeated, “Just like I let him kill—end—All those other ghosts I gave him, just handed 'em over for whatever freak experiments he had cooked up.”

Just like she had snuffed out who knew how many other specters during her own patrols.

How many of them were still alive in there, she wondered, underneath the ghost?

Her mother's brows seemed to furrow in response, worried, no doubt, over what exactly her daughter had done.

“I didn't mean it mama, it wasn't my fault! It was all Plasmius, you know Plasmius? That knockoff Nosferatu all the time picking fights with Phantom. He used me and he lied, and—“ Valerie licked her lips futilely seeking moisture from a mouth gone dry.

“He played human to do it.”

Valerie felt a flush of rage and shame wash over her at the words. She had been used all over again, played for a fool and manipulated just like her so-called “friends” had used her before, dangling control and importance in exchange for the very essence of her soul.

To learn that she had struck the same deal with a different kind of devil, that all her power was a tool in someone else's hands had curdled into an ache that rivaled the raw burn of a whole new betrayal.

Because unlike the A-listers she'd run with not too long ago, or even Phantom, who she'd always hated, Vlad Masters had been a man she'd seen fit to trust.

“Plasmius was Masters, and—God, they even share the same first name—My sponsor, the guy who gave me my first suit, trained me up, even kept me and daddy off the streets when things were at their worst. And me stupid enough to think it was 'cause he cared.”

A hard exclamation escaped her throat at the thought, to forceful for a scoff, too sharp for laughter.

No such thing indeed.

“Everyone's out for something. Masters—Plasmius, he was out for Phantom, and I was just the pawn that was supposed to get take him out.”

That's part of what scares me too. Why was Plasmius so dead set on Phantom? Why'd he sink so much money into taking him out? Why does Phantom hate him back?”

And it was peculiar, how much Phantom seemed to hate Plasmius. Valerie had thought for a long time that it was some kind of territory dispute, a conflict over a rare and valuable thin spot between realities. After years of chasing after Phantom, however, it became more and more clear that the ghost boy's resentment of Plasmius went beyond that of simple competition.

The mere mention of the vampiric specter was enough to turn Phantom tense and snippy, as though the mere thought of the other ghost irritated him, somehow. After witnessing the two up close, Valerie's suspicions had cemented into certainty: Phantom hated Plasmius, and he hated him personally.

“There's so much I don't know, and no one to tell me. Plasmius doesn't know that I know, and until I get out from under him, that's how it's gotta stay.”

How Valerie was supposed to get out from under Plasmius was another question entirely. Plasmius, in Vlad Master's guise, was the sole reason the Grey family had managed to keep on top of its debts for as long as they had. To make matters worse, he also provided most of the materials Valerie's suit consumed for its more elaborate systems and weaponry.

Even so, the temptation to throw it all away and smash Plasmius' smug face against her boot was a strong one, stayed only by the fear of what would happen to her father if she tried.

“Phantom went squirrelly on me too,” she said. “I thought maybe I could get something from him, since we never ended that truce. But in the end, he was still just a ghost.”

She hadn't wanted to go to Phantom, in those days between Elle's escape and her decision to plunge into the Zone, had felt too much like would be admitting something, somehow, to do so. Had it not been for the fact that Phantom was her sole and only choice, she was sure she would never have asked at all.

Once she'd made the decision to do it, he'd been easy enough to track down. She found him—where else?—but In the middle of a fight, duking it out at altitude with one of the countless animal ghosts that regularly made their way across the paltry excuse for a veil stretched across Amity Park.

The fight had been easy, the conversation that came after it, much less so.

How could someone be alive and dead at the same time? Were they alive and dead at once? all the time? Did they alternate at will? Were they born? Were they made? How many were there? A lot? How did she spot a human-ghost if she saw it? Was there a way to tell? Or did you have to guess?

Phantom had been the one to tell her that these human-ghost, ghost-human things could exist in the first place, which had lead her to expect, rather despite herself, that perhaps he could explain them, too.

So it was only natural, really, that in that moment precisely, he had chosen to clam up. He knew nothing of these miraculous hybrids, could find out nothing concerning them, and as to finding them, he had no clue at all. Nevermind that it had been he who had first told her such beings were possible in the first place, the ghost was a veritable well of ignorance, utterly unable to aid in her pursuits.

“Ghosts are narrow minded and selfish, they go round everywhere like they've got blinkers on both sides of their head. You stick an idea in front of their nose, and they grab it if they like it, and shove it away if they don't. They don't consider where you got the idea from, they don't think about why its there, they don't even goddamn care why you picked it up in the first place. All that matters is somethings blocking their little slice of the world, theirs, specifically, 'cause they wouldn't never consider any other kind.

That was Phantom's problem, he wanted a truce yeah, but his way, not mine. A truce for beating things up, not a truce for trusting and talking or or anything that might give trouble to him. That wasn't how he wanted it to work.

He was even worse with Elle. She's the only other one I could talk to—not counting you, ma—who could tell me anything about anything about what was going on!

And Elle, I couldn't track her down. When she said she had places to be, I thought she meant like Phantom when there wasn't anything fun for him to hit, not just gone! I tried tracking her, I did, but it didn't work. Either staying human hides her, or she's run too far to track.

Stupid Phantom wouldn't help me with that, neither. It was just 'oh she's fine,' this and 'why do you care' that, like I can't worry about a human girl wondering on her own without nobody to make sure she's even fed!”

Not only had he been absurdly reluctant to answer her questions, but even had the audacity to wonder if they were at all related to her continued association with Plasmius. It was an insult, beyond all doubt, as though he didn't know how little choice she had.

As though he wasn't the one who forced her into making it.

“I guess so far as he figured, if Elle wasn't being kidnapped, then she was fine. It didn't matter that she's a kid, or alone, or was stealing apples just to eat. She was strong enough to survive on her own and not melt, and that was good enough for him. He just sat there when she left, too, watching her scat like any other ghost."

Did he know how far she intended to run, or simply fail to understand why he should care?

"No matter how well he thinks he means, Phantom can't help the human parts of her. Just because she could beat any man that tried to take doesn't mean that she doesn't get—scared, or lonely, or—“ Valerie wriggled uncomfortably in her pallet of dust. “—Or that she doesn't need people. Phantom can't give that, and Plasmius is a sick piece of shit, so that left me. Just me. If I let that go, then Elle'd be alone for real.”

The worry in her mother's gaze didn't lighten, exactly, but it did shift, consternation giving way to curiosity mixed with a hearty topping of concern. It was easy to imagine the question she would have asked, if she could but speak.

“Then what is it do you think you're doing all the way out here, hm?”

Valerie sighed. This, at least, she had a clear answer for.

“I'm on a mission. There's this thing called the infini-map. Don't have all the details, but with a name like that?” She scoffed, “don't need 'em. Whatever it is, its good enough to send Plasmius into a fit just at the idea of laying claws on it.

If I could get something like that, imagine, I could find Elle in a heartbeat. No more lookin', no more running blind and hoping for luck. And when I find her, I could use it get out from under Masters thumb for good. Use it, sell it, whatever, with that thing, it would be easy. Me and daddy could be set for life.”

At the time, the idea had seemed brilliant. With her search for Elle stymied, and rental payments approaching their inevitable due, she had latched onto the idea of a Ghost Zone mission the instant her so-called benefactor had brought it up. It was a chance to bleed “Mister Masters” of a little more of his money, without actually having to tolerate his presence for any length of time. Even better, it presented an opportunity to do right by her father while staying far away from the quiet anger, the soft, dispirited sense of regret that had seemed to overtake him as jobs remained scarce, and Valerie continued to hunt.

Perhaps most selfishly, it was the opportunity for the Red Huntress to become what Valerie had had always wanted her to be: A free agent, no puppet masters, no expectations, just the world, and herself within in it.

It was one thing she truly did not regret, even now, lying in the dirt looking up at the memory of a memory ripped to tatters in her hands. Whatever else happened in this strange, wild place, it was her decision, her choice. She was finally in control.

Thinking of control, there was another reason why she wanted to speed up her search for the ghost girl.

“Elle's a good kid, but she <i>is</i> a kid, with a ghost in her she don't even know to fear. I'm not sure how long she can fight it like that without anyone to tell her what's going on. She needs someone who knows about ghosts,who can show her how to fight back, 'cause if she doesn't, I'm not sure how long she'll last until she ends up Plasmius."

“Or Phantom.”

It was an ugly theory, but explained a great deal. The identical looks, the raw antipathy towards Vlad, in particular, or how a full ghost could see himself as related, somehow, to a being that was something so much more.

All ghosts came from somewhere, and Valerie rather doubted Elle was truly Plasmius' only attempt at capturing a hybrid of his own.

“'Cause I think they're the same kinda thing. It explains why Plasmius wanted her so bad, and they change the same way, too. They go from being a ghost, ectosignitures and all, to being alive. Not some fake, but breathing, heartbeats, everything. There's something in them that's really, truly alive.

Plasmius and Elle, they're both alive," she whispered, "but only Elle's human, and I don't know how long that's gonna last.

I can't stay stupid about all this ghost shit, neither. There's so much they won't tell me, and Elle's my ticket to figuring it out. If I can find her in time, I could fix it. Bring her to the Fentons, maybe, take out the ghost before it gets too big, make cash, move out me and daddy and Elle all together. Either way, this is how I do it, right here, right now. This is my chance.”

No more being lead around like a particularly witless donkey for his carrot wielding master, no more suppressing every violent impulse that threatened to take her over any time she chanced to look “Mister Masters” in his insufferable face, no more long, interminable periods of her nose against a grindstone day after day, scraping her fingers bloody against poverty's wall in the way her father seemed convinced was better, somehow, for all the pain it so obviously caused him.

“I know it's risky, but it's worth it, it's gotta be. If I can get the infinimap, then I can fix everything, all at once. I won't owe nobody nothing, and I can start fixing things again, for everyone.”

And perhaps her mother agreed, as the shadow that had gathered against her brow seemed to ease, relaxing back into something more serene.

Valerie smiled, running her thumb over the place where her face once was, pointedly ignoring the sensation of absence in favor of the smiling visage still shining across her display.

“See, I knew you'd see it my way.” Valerie was pretty sure she'd had to have gotten her sense of adventure from somewhere, after all. “It's hard, but I'm fine. And when this is all done, it'll be more than fine, it'll be better.

Just you wait.”

Overlay image: Session end.

The memory of Theresa Grey vanished slowly, victim of her daughter's own reluctance to see her go. But vanish she did, sunshine grew pale and laughter faded, memory crushed into data and erased of meaning, and Valerie was once again alone.

She sighed, finally allowing herself to lower the photograph as she reached over for her other parcels, which she began collecting into a small bundle atop her chest.

Technically, she could reach over to put her mother with her boots and rations instead of the other way around, but found herself suddenly disinclined to do so. Without the stress of the day to keep her going, she found exhaustion pushing down at her very bones, keeping her pressed against the meager comfort of her body warmed hollow of dirt.

No, lifting herself up as little as possible seemed a very enticing proposition indeed.

She grabbed both her boots, then her gloves, peeled off to reveal the same skintight leather which coated the rest of her, the remains of her wallet, and a single, battered bag, too smooth for leather, too thick for silk: All supplies from her earlier run in with the thieving insect from before, pared down to those goods and supplies she could actually use.

She chose not to dwell on how few of them there were.

Her mother came last, placed gently at the head of the pile, where she could look it over one last time.

She should have done this sooner, she knew, perhaps even the moment she entered the Zone. Keeping the photograph on her physical person was too much of a risk, one born of foolish sentiment and thoughtless desire. She had just wanted so badly to keep one good thing with her, somewhere tangible and real, she'd disregarded the threat she put it in.

Because if there was one thing death was guaranteed to do, it was steal everything and everyone it thought was yours.

Valerie placed her hands over the small collection, reaching once again into the inorganic hum prickling ever at the edges of her mind.

Unit_1 selected (Gen_Storage:)

Report

Status: Stable (20% full)

Contents (See details)

Intake request:

Intake selected? (Y/N)

>Yes

Processing…

A flick of her mental fingers, and it was done. Boots, bag, and all turned into their own kind of mist, dissolving into the small pocket dimension that followed her always, shadows diffusing into the surrounding light, the weight of them dissipating until nothing but the memory of their pressure remained.

Valerie brushed her fingers over the space they left behind, a half smile tugged at the corners of her trembling lips.

“Goodnight, Ma,” She whispered. A grief like seaglass hung heavy on her heart, smoothed over edges cut no longer, though the heft of its sorrow lay leaden even yet.

“Sleep good now, you hear?”

No voice answered in response.

Valerie no longer expected it to.

Deep in the realm of the dead, a figure turned on its side, curled against itself on its small outcropping of stone. Legs up to its chest, arms clenched tight around its shoulders as it heaved, breath by mortal breath, seeking some moment of repose.

#Valerie Grey #Danny Phantom #Fanfiction #Where You Belong #Chapter 3 #Writing

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nabtime · 9 months

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Our Empty Graves I

Fandom: Danny Phantom / Batman: Under the Red Hood

Pairings: Danny Fenton/Jason Todd (Dead on Main)

Rating: Mature

Jason just wants to help him.

Chapter 1: im sorry mom ive got to go (I dug this grave I call my home)

Chapter Notes: title from Lonely by Palaye Royale Links: AO3 // Chapter 2

Danny stared down the barrel of his mother’s gun.

“How dare you,” she said, voice hoarse and barely there. Her hands were shaking. He knew, though, as he looked into the toxic green of the blaster, that her aim would hold true regardless.

He said nothing. Even if he was physically capable of speech in this form he would have nothing to say. He was exhausted, on all levels. He couldn’t do this anymore. His parents were the last of the stubborn Amity Parkers that refused to leave and there was no avoiding them when he was trying to defend what was left of his haunt, trying to defend the portal so that any ghosts causing mischief would steer clear. For their sake and his. The GIW had been in rare form lately and he wasn’t ready to find more ghosts strapped to a table.

He didn’t know how long it had been since the town was pulled into the Realms, stuck after he’d defeated Pariah with no way of sending everyone back to the material plane. But it felt like a long time now. He’d lost track of the exact date since he’d given up on being human.

“Where is he,” she snarled, shoving the gun closer, feet away from his face. “What did you do with my son?”

He could give nothing but a rattling echoey sigh, distorted and piercing. A smaller version of his ghostly wail and about the only sound he could make without mass destruction.

He was tired. Exhausted from his latest fight with Skulker. The hunter would not rest until he’d gained the rarest pelt of them all. Phantom’s. The child ghost. The Halfa. The Fetch. The ultimate prize. He didn’t have anything left in him after getting Skulker to leave, fighting for what was left of his life and winning by a hair. He couldn’t just dump the ghosts in the Ghost Zone anymore, not when he also lived there. They were either put in time out in the thermos or fought off. Everything within his body ached. Everything within his soul ached. He didn’t think he could survive this confrontation with his mother and he almost felt like… he didn’t want to.

He lay limp where he’d fallen after battle, resting against his own empty grave. His dad and Jazz had insisted on having the funeral after his first full year of being missing. His mom had gone off the deep end and refused to believe he was dead. She was only half right.

“You’re sitting on his grave,” she yelled, voice cracking with tears. “Where is he?”

He shook his head. He’d long since given up on returning to his family. On ever being human again. He died in that accident and pretending otherwise, no matter that he somehow wasn’t a full ghost, would only hurt everyone in the long run. He’d already hurt them so, so much.

His mom and dad were the last ones left in Amity and they needed to let go. They were already reduced to staying at a hotel for a good majority of the time, unable to stay within the Realms with their puny human bodies for long. They needed to move out, permanently. He couldn’t bare to see them waste away here. One Fenton haunting the Zone was enough.

After a few good beats of silence she drew closer- her gun drew closer. Her steps crunched in the dead grass around them, cast a sickly green from the glow of the neon sky.

“You wear the same HazMat my husband and I designed,” she said quietly. “You showed up the same time Danny had his accident.” The barrel of the gun made contact with the tinted shield that hid his face. “I need answers!” she screamed.

He knew his mother wasn’t dumb, however willfully ignorant his parents seemed at times. She was so close to connecting the impossible dots, but knew she would never make them. She didn’t want to. She wanted her son back and all that was left was a monster.

He could see his reflection in her goggles. The bright green pin-pricks that counted as eyes. The inhuman shape of the suit swallowing him. The face shield blocking any recognizable features and the entire ghostly glow that surrounded him. Maddie’s own face was hidden behind the face shield of her suit, but if he looked close enough he could see the fear and denial within her once familiar lilac eyes.

He pulled the gun closer and held it to his head. He was so, so tired.

“I watched your fight with Pariah, you know,” she whispered. “I saw how you Ended him.”

A jolt of surprise and fear flooded down his spine, his grip on the gun tightening. He hated being reminded of what he’d had to do to Pariah. Hated the blood on his hands and the feeling of the core he’d crushed within them. But this was another level. She saw him End another. His mother had witnessed him become a murderer.

“I could End you too, you know,” she said, a deep sadness in her tone. The fear within him spiked. She reached out a gentle hand and cradled his head. “End my little boy’s pain.”

Breath he didn’t need caught in his throat, a strangled sound erupting from his core. Inhuman and full of terror. He’d already been willing to let his mother shoot him, to let her take out her pain on his aching body. But she could actually End him here. She could End him knowing he was her son.

Pain like nothing else ripped through him, his emotions growing erratic and effecting his form. Everything warped and he dropped the gun like it burned as he scrambled back against his headstone, trying in vain to gather enough energy to fly. To get away.

“Hold still for me, won’t you, dear?”

Panic built within his chest, his core (his fragile, tiny core) rattling against his ribs. His arms and legs felt impossibly heavy as he clawed at the dirt to move away, digging and digging as he tried to hoist himself up over the headstone.

Here Lies Daniel J. Fenton Beloved Son and Brother Gone Before His Time June 13th 19XX – August 16th 20XX

And wasn’t it funny, somehow? That he’d be dying, forever and fully, over his own empty grave?

He could feel the heat of the blaster warming up for the killing blow. Sense the necrotic scent of rancid ectoplasm building behind him. It would take more than one shot to End him, to cleave him open enough for her to snatch his core. To crush it.

“It won’t hurt too bad, baby,” his mom cooed. An edge to her voice he couldn’t identify. “Just like getting a shot at the pediatrician’s all over again.”

He couldn’t let this happen. He couldn’t, he couldn’t, he couldn’t. He was tired but he didn’t want to End. Not here, not now. Not at the hands of his mother. He couldn’t do that to her. Couldn’t let her shoulder that awful, awful guilt. He needed to get away. He needed so, so desperately to leave. Amity had long since emptied. There was no one left to protect within his Haunt. He needed to leave.

Something gave way beneath his leg, dirt folding into empty space with a horrific lurch. His face smashed into the ground as he unbalanced.

She shot him in the leg first. The one not buried in the dirt and hanging into nothingness.

A shattered wail was building in his core, as close to a scream as he could get. He was trying to gasp in as much air as he could through the clumps of dirt and fetid rot that surrounded all graves. He could feel the leak of warm ectoplasm leaving his burning limb. The more he lost the more it would take to recover. And the more it would take to get away.

She caught an arm next. It felt like she was toying with him. Pinning him down like yet another specimen to examine on the table. He could feel bone crack with the point blank range shot, his skin partially melting with the heat and bleeding even more toxic green ooze. He used his other arm to claw further into the depths. He didn’t know what was beyond this, but if he dug in enough maybe he could fall through. His hand hit something solid and he cried, desperate to break through and escape. It was his only option. He kicked at it with his leg, steel toe of his boot just barely scratching its surface. His hands were closer to whatever shape it made under the dirt. He punched instead.

She shot the base of his spine and he could feel his nerves twitch and writhe uselessly. She shot him again in the same spot and they fell still. He couldn’t feel them anymore. His digging and punching grew more frantic. He used his broken arm despite the pain, just needing to get away, away, away.

Cuts and bruises from his fight with Skulker were making themselves known in the frenzy, screaming and burning with his hurried movements. The knock to the head he’d gotten wasn’t helping things either. Everything was going blurry with panic and it hurt, hurt, hurt. He was sobbing without sound and the shaking of his core was constricting his lungs and making his chest heave. He was an animal caught in a trap, eating away at its own flesh in order to flee. To live.

Bright green broke through the ground in jagged lines, crackling with power as he felt his bleeding knuckles shatter whatever barrier had lain under the empty space. Everything gave way and the last thing he could hear was his mother’s screaming as he plummeted. Sweet relief overcame the dread as black filled his vision.

═════ ◈ ═════

He woke, sometime later, on another man’s grave.

Here Lies Jason P. Todd Beloved Son and Brother Gone Before His Time August 16th 19XX – June 13th 20XX

#naps fics #dp x dc #Our Empty Graves #dpxdc

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incorrectlumityquotes · 3 years

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FULL REVIEWS: “Covention”

I didn’t think I’d have a harder time doing these reviews on my days off than on a workday, but errands and all that. I had no expectations going into this episode at the time since “covention” is a fake made up word. But I heard Amity was going to be in it, so I got excited. The spice of life returns. It’s been a hot minute. Let’s see how the episode holds up.

The episode starts with one of my favorite cold openings. Super funny and gives a good shot at those books that have that pretentious flowery language. Seriously who says “thou” and “hast” anymore. Lame. Luz tossing King into the portal right when it closes was my favorite bit. Was Eda really going to go to the human world just for that?

Also I didn’t notice until someone pointed it out but I guess they’re using Azura and Hecate as some kinda parallel to Luz and Amity. Hope Amity doesn’t find out that she’s not the Azura character. Does that mean that Eda is that old ass lady and King is that little fox dog thing? That’s not cool, man. Be nice.

So much can be read into it, but that’s for another blog post for another time.

And of course, dumb-dumb me had to wait until the word was said out loud to realize that it was a play on the words “coven” and “convention.” So basically it’s a con episode. Cov episode? Whatever. Big brain hurt.

Relationships are a give and take and sometimes you gotta give in. Sorry, Eda.

I don’t know about you guys, but I never really had a lot of fun going to cons. The only part I really liked was meeting my favorite voice actors and watching indie wrestling. All the food, merch, and art was always overpriced and from shows I don’t watch. I don’t join video game tournaments because those people take the games way too seriously. Plus the area that I live in isn’t known for being big on nerd culture so the cons are never that impressive. I met Steve Blum last time and went to one and you can only go down from there so I don’t think I’ll be going to another one any time soon.

I caught this first time I saw it on TV. Luz and Willow arm in arm. Maybe in another life I would be shipping Luz & Willow. Maybe maybe. Also, Skara in the background. I think her design is really cute. Maybe she’ll get an episode in season two. Maybe maybe.

More lore and more worldbuilding which people really seemed to want and we got it. Eda explains that while covens seem like cool groups to belong to, they also strip you of all the other kind of magic you can do. Why? My theory was (and is) that about fifty years ago a bunch of religious and political hustlers got together and tried to figure out a way to control people. Really keep them in line. They knew that people were basically stupid and would believe anything you told them, so they announced that this one guy could talk to the titan that the Isles were based of off. This one guys says that only he could talk to the titan and hear what the titan was saying and that only he could do all kinds of magic. Everyone else is doing it wrong and only he’s doing it right. With no proof or evidence, but trust him he’s on the level. The Boiling Isles was just doing fine before him, but now all of a sudden, we’re all doing it wrong. Let that be a lesson to you, kids. If anyone tells you anything like that, it’s bullshit.

Also the nine covens. Why nine? Why not group the bard and illusionary covens together into the music video coven? Why does potions get its own coven? How much school do you really have to take to learn to mix shit together and stir? Wouldn’t the plant magic coven know something about using plants to make potions? Why does the construction coven get it’s own coven? Couldn’t you use any kind of magic to build things? Is the construction coven the blue collar coven? Beast keeping gets it’s own coven? Like the bitch at the plant coven needs to switch covens to be told to feed her dog? My theory, the nine covens was really a marketing decision. Ten sounds too official. They knew that if it was too neat and tidy, they’d know something was up. Would they though? I don’t think so.

Any group that has their own stormtroopers is automatically evil. Even more proof that the coven system is bullshit.

“Distraction spell!”

This moment made me laugh so damn hard. The crap that Eda pulls is one of the highlights of the show for me.

Luz and Eda go check out The Emperor’s Coven panel in the main hall, and we’re introduced to another major character. Enter Lilith, Eda’s older sister. And I swear to you guys, I was so confused this entire time on who was the older and who was the younger sister until the season finale. Seriously, I kept getting mixed messages. I mean, I know now but give me a break here.

I think Lilith is a good character and a great foil to Eda. The fun part is that since they are sisters, Eda knows exactly how to push her buttons and drag Lilith down to her level. It’s always fun to see a stoic character break.

My finger points.

Amity shows up which automatically makes this episode better. Luz properly introduces herself and we get more back-and-forth. Amity being a real bitch here is more to mislead us for the last act of the episode, but when I first saw it I thought it was more confirmation that Amity was going to be the Draco Malfoy-clone of the series. Glad I was wrong.

We get more of Luz trying to make life play out like her favorite stories and challenges Amity to a witch’s duel. A thing she read in Azura that she has no clue whether or not is a thing in The Boiling Isles. There’s an equal chance that Amity could have just shaken her head and be like, “The fuck is a witch’s duel? That sounds like something you just made up.”

Also Amity should have caught that Azura reference from the start, but then that kinda would have spoiled Lost in Language, huh?

Again, Luz needs to learn that life does not play out like it does in her favorite stories. Challenging your rival to a duel is cool on paper but a big “Yeah no” IRL. Especially since she knows no real offensive spells, no defensive spells, is a weak nerd who has probably never been in a real fight in her life and has no fighting spirit. Trust me guys I learned the hard way. Life is not a shonen anime. You can’t settle anything by fighting.

I love mentor/mentee stories especially when they have a rival mentor/mentee pair. Too bad Dana has already said that Amity and Lilith were not close at all. It was more a relationship of convenience. But then again that would help witch whole foil angle. Lilith and Amity just use each other to get ahead while Eda and Luz do actually build a familial bond.

The duel goes...exactly the way I thought it would. Honestly. The cheating, the whole fight just breaking down, even Lilith and Eda doing an actual witch’s fight. Totally saw it coming. What I didn’t see coming was the bad ass animation they used for the Lilith/Eda fight and...

The Amity scene. The big reveal that Amity is not a Draco Malfoy clone (I only saw the first four movies). She’s just a girl who thinks people should follow the rules, hates cheaters and is under a lot of pressure to succeed. Only someone as empathic as Luz and try to keep building that bridge and try to make things right with Amity, but that’s a whole other episode.

And the episode ends with another great lesson I really like. “Will I ever be a true witch?” “I don’t know. What’s a true witch?” There are always expectations and pressure put upon you to be a true something. Others will want you to conform into a label for one reason or another. But all those expectations and labels are just illusions. It reminds me of a Bruce Lee quote. When an interviewer asked Bruce if he considers himself Chinese or American, he answers that he considers himself, “a human being.”

Labels can be fun because it makes it easier for the brain to organize things, but when people put too much stock into these labels problems arise. Think of labels as a boat to get you across the river. Once you cross the river you leave the boat behind. You don’t carry the boat with you. That’s just dumb.

“Witch please”

FINAL SCORE: 5 - Loved it.

Hot take, Amity makes every episode better. More funny jokes, more worldbuilding, more Amity and hints at the main villain of the show. Lilith was a great addition and the episode hints at the main plot. Probably the most fun I’ve ever had at a con. And speaking of more Amity...

#the owl house #my works #full review #full reviews

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takerfoxx · 3 years

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The Owl House, Season 2, Episode 1, "Stranger Tides," First Impressions!

Yo ho, yo ho, it's a pirate's whaler's life for Luz!

Now, if you'll recall, a common problem I ran into while reviewing season 1 is that while I was definitely enjoying it, it was so episodic that I often found it difficult to find something new to say about each episode. There wasn't a whole lot carrying over from one episode to the next that I could really sink my teeth into and fill out a full review, with the plot not really kicking in until the final two episodes.

Fortunately, I did not have that problem here, and now that season 2 has started, I have PLENTY to say about its debut episode.

So, this is what you'd expect for the first episode of the new season, an episode basically intended to bring everyone up to speed on how the characters are dealing with the ramifications of the previous season and introduce a few new elements that will set the tone for the season to come.

And basically, things at the Owl House are...not really great. I mean, sure, everyone got away and it looks like Emperor Belos hasn't really made their recapture a priority (most likely deliberately), but thanks to Lilith deciding to share Eda's curse to neutralize it, they both have found themselves powerless. They're not completely without magic, but what they have left is so meager to be practically useless. All expect for Eda's detachable limbs. Those still work. For Luz, as she never had magic to begin with and had to work extra hard to get around that handicap and find ways to keep up with everyone else, that means she's suddenly the breadwinner of the family, the one with the most power despite living with two (previously) notoriously powerful witches, and thus has taken up bounty hunting (sort of ironic, if you ask me). For Lilith, that means coming to terms with losing literally everything important to her, from her power to her position as the Emperor's Coven's poster girl, having been replaced by a spoiled teen prodigy (and oh, ho, ho, we will get to him!) as well as her own feelings of guilt for having cursed Eda in the first place.

Actually, guilt is the main motivator in this episode. Luz feels guilty for having gotten Eda trapped and that Eda now has to prioritize what little money they have for Luz's sake, which motivates her to take on more and more dangerous bounties to try to make it up to her. And Lilith feels rotten for the curse and that the fix ended up sapping Eda's powers, so she's driven to find some way of making herself useful, which fills out this episode's A-plot and B-plot.

Meanwhile, Eda herself is...handling things like a champ, actually. Sure, she's not thrilled about losing her power, nor does she care for the sudden dip in respect from the locals as a result, but she's not wallowing in self-pity. No, she's working and innovating, finding ways to adapt and keep ahead of the game. And to rip off the Empire too, because fuck those guys.

So anyway! Let's start with our A-plot: Luz the bounty hunter. She's doing her best to keep her spirits up and keep food on the table, but bounty hunting is a tough job and because everyone knows that Eda is powerless, the bondsman has no problem ripping them off because he knows he can get away with it. Furthermore, with the portal gone, Luz's messages to her mom aren't getting through, which is weighing on her mind.

Okay, we already know that Luz's mom is probably going to get involved this season. I predict that at some point, Emperor Belos completes his repairs of the portal, and when he does, all those unsent message will suddenly spill out all at once, giving good ol' Mama a heart attack.

Sort've serves her right though, because, you know, G-RATED CONVERSION THERAPY!

But anyway, she overhears Eda talking about eschewing her booze in favor of getting Luz food she can actually eat, so she resolves to make it up to her by taking on the biggest bounty of them all, which so happens to be a magical creature called a Selkie-dama, which requires her to join a ship that's setting out to do that so she could get a cut.

A ship that just so happens to be under the command of Lilith's replacement, who also so happens to be the mysterious spy working for Emperor Belos that we met last season, whom we will get to!

Anyway, they fortunately rush through the bit of Luz proving herself to the crew, because who cares, King finds out agent's private room (in a reveal that calls back to a similar scene in Gravity Falls) and gets captured, and they find the Selkie-Dama, in which Luz shows us how far she's come by utterly wrecking shit.

Unfortunately, the bounty is stolen by a mysterious figure, and Luz isn't about to get ripped off again, so she goes after them, only to find that that SURPRISE, it's Eda, who figured she'd cut out the middleman and just steal the bounty directly, because you have to admit that that does make sense.

But anyway, none of that matters, because that's when HE finally is properly introduced.

Hear that? That's the sound of thousands of thirsty fangirls (and quite a few fanboys and fanenbys as well) shrieking.

Meet the Golden Guard. Yes, he's arrogant. Yes, he's sassy as fuck. Yes, he's voiced by Zeno Robinson. And according to his brief appearance in the OP...

HE'S A PALE-HAIRED PRETTY BOY, Y'ALL!!!

So. We now have this season's small antagonist.

And since Luz is the only resident of the Owl House with any real power (Hooty aside, but we'll get to that) and now with Amity as Luz's close friend (more on that later as well), that makes him Luz's new rival! Ooooh, I can smell the Enemies to Lovers fics already!

Yeah, it's gonna be a HUGE ship, but that's no prediction, everyone knew that anyway.

But while I doubt they're actually going to get together (though count on our bi-queen Luz getting smitten once she sees his face), I do smell a redemption arc for this guy. I mean, why would they make him so likeable otherwise?

Yes, he was a jerk, but he was a jerk in an endearingly entertaining sort of way.

But beyond that, I do note that he also has a tech-powered staff (seems to be the same one that held the palisman that Belos fed off of last season, but with an upgrade), and wields the same flesh-based magic as well. Now, his ears do show that he's not a human, but I still wonder if all that tech magic (which has to be manipulating the flesh of the Titan itself) is either a crutch for the magicless or a shortcut for those who want power fast.

Also, in addition to slotting in as Luz's rival, he also has taken Lilith's place as the face of the Emperor's Coven and also uses Eda's "BYYYEEEEE!!!" catchphrase, he's set up to be a foil to just about everybody!

Anyway, he's not here to take them out just yet, but instead forces them to kill the Selkie-dama. They don't, of course, and instead trick him into thinking that they did, but it does show that 1. Emperor Belos is content to leave them be for the moment, and 2. Emperor Belos is seeking the destruction of magical creatures. Huh.

Also, called it on Luz becoming Eda's teacher when it comes to glyphs.

But speaking of rivals and ships, the question over all of this is Amity, who's been MIA with a broken leg for a while. No doubt she's not going to be upset about Luz being stuck in the Boiling Isles, but if Luz does start crushing on Prettyboy Golden Guard, I can see her feel all sorts of upset about that. I still thinking that Lumity is endgame, but now she's got to work for it, and there is going to be angst.

Anyway, our B-plot has Lilith trying to make things up for Eda, by putting together a scrying potion to spy on the Emperor's castle. Nice, will probably be important later, but the real important part, in addition to her getting over her pride (not an easy thing) was the surprisingly touching friendship she's building with Hooty of all people! I didn't see this coming, but they honestly have some great comedic chemistry.

And honestly, I can see it. Lilith's first introduction to Hooty was him opening a can of whoopass on her and her men, and now he does it again to save her from the fire bees. Sure, he's weird and annoying, but he's strong and competent as hell, something that she would naturally respect. I honestly like what they have building, and the Lulu and Hooticifer nicknames were adorable.

And now, onto our brief glimpse of Belos, who still managed to steal the whole damned episode with just a few words. We see he's gone that long, white hair thing going for him, so not a rogue palisman. So, human or shortcut-exploiting conman. Regardless, just as he seems content to leave the Owl House be despite Luz having the key (which will definitely be important later), he also seems aware of the scrying, and has no problem letting it go on.

Okay, this season is shaping up to be a great one. And next episode is an Amity episode, in which her parents meet Luz, so let's fucking GOOOOOOOOOOO!!! on the Lumity teases and oh God NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! on the awkward cringe comedy that is sure to result!

#the owl house #luz noceda #eda clawthorne #lilith clawthorne #golden guard #hooty #amity blight #lumity #reaction #spoilers

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