#and it’s debatable how long Belos would put up with that

[drabbles-of-writing]

A Little Kindness: Chapter Eight

AO3 Explanation of AU

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11

Summary:  In which Raine meets Hunter years before canon, and decides that a kid like him could use all the help he could get with an uncle like Belos. Even if they couldn't go much, they could try something, couldn't they? Years down the line, Raine is exposed as a traitor to the Emperor's Coven, and they are bound by the brand on their own wrist. Hunter notices. And as to be expected, he has more than a few complaints. It's not a big surprise on who he goes to for help.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Hunter woke up with his face smooshed against the floor and a dozen or so puddles across his room, soaking into his bones. He swore sometimes the world got a kick out of inconveniencing him.

Were it not for that, or glyphs he still had, or the lingering ache in his back, he almost would’ve thought the whole thing had been a crazy dream. How he wished.

He sat up, ignored the flare of pain, grabbed his uniform, and was promptly put out with the guards without any fanfare. Like clockwork, he got to ordering them to search the streets, to send calls to stations outside of Bonesborough, in search of Lilith and the missing Head Bard. It was an overall rather typical day.

His body was sore, and he wanted nothing more than to sleep for a week. This was fairly normal, but considering how much work he’d gone through in the last few days, the lack of sleep he’d been getting was not helping his current state.

As much as he wanted to drop everything and run back to that shack in the woods, he knew he was on thin ice. Normally, Belos would leave him alone for a few days after he messed up as bad as this, to make him think about his actions, he supposed. But he was no fool, and he knew that Belos would be checking in with scouts and their captains if he was doing his work. He couldn’t leave. He had work to do.

It was easy, really, to throw himself into work and forget about everything else. He could almost pretend that he wasn’t committing multiple acts of treason for someone he’d barely had a conversation with. He’d gone this long without questioning himself on why he was so quick to risk everything for someone who'd only shown him kindness through notes and gifts, and he wasn’t about to now.

If he’s lucky, when all of this is over, he’d never have to think about any of it ever again. 

 ,

 So he didn’t visit for that first day, or the second, or the third. He waited, and worked.

They found one other hideout of the BATs, but all that was left in it were layouts of plans that had long since gone through and old, broken supplies. They had yet to find where Lilith had gone off to. Either she was better at hiding than they thought, or she’d found someone who knew what they were doing. Course, she could’ve left the cities altogether, but Hunter knew from personal experience that Lilith would rather keel over than rough it outside the main cities.

On the fourth day, patrols ended just an hour before dusk. Other preparations were being made for the Day of Unity, and the Golden Guard was dismissed from conversation. He would not be needed till morning. On any other day, this might have insulted him.

That night, he loosely wore his under armor, his back still somewhat stinging from the burns, and one of his dirtier cloaks without any shoulder armor. He kept his mask tucked tightly away, and debated on if he should bring his staff at all.

He settled on yes, just in case. He used that staff to fly out of his window in the dimming sky, keeping as low as he dared. The route to the Owl House could be entirely through the woods if you wanted, so that's what he decided on. It was good practice anyway, weaving between the trees and dodging stray branches. Relying on his teleportation was a bad habit to make.

When he did break free from the tree line, eyes immediately landing on the Owl House and forcing him to screech to a halt, he got the feeling it was all too late and much too soon.

He really didn’t want to deal with the door demon, but he figured they probably wouldn’t take too kindly to him breaking in through a window. So instead he squared his shoulders, shared a glance with his palisman atop his shoulder, and hopped off his staff and onto the ground at the edge of the clearing.

His and Belos’s staffs both had a mechanism that retrated the rod, making transport of them much easier, though he rarely used his. He tucked it away now, into the pocket lining of his cloak as he approached the house, ears pressed back.

“Alright, this won’t be that hard.” He reasoned, more to himself than anything. His palisman chirped from his shoulder all the same. “Just pop in, check on Raine, give them all some warnings, and leave. Simple four-step stuff. And if they want to make it more complicated, then--”

Something suddenly shot towards him out of the corner of his eye, and he whirled around with a growl and raised hands for barely half a second before he had something wrapped around his body, limbs pinned to his sides and constricting air out of him. It pressed against the burns across his back, causing him to hiss and try to wriggle away, but it only clung tighter.

“Oh. there you are!” A shrieky voice said.

Hunter glared towards the voice, already having figured it out pretty quickly from that alone. Hooty smiled down at him, cheery as ever, despite a fair portion of his weird worm body being wrapped around Hunter.

“Put me down.” He growled, baring fangs.

“Mmm, see that kind of depends,” Hooty said, turning his head this way and that, and in turn also shaking Hunter around like a bad rattle. “I know Eda let you in last time, but she also said not to let anyone from the Emperor’s Coven in, so!” Hooty then brought his face uncomfortably close to Hunter’s, and he jerked his head back with a low, warning growl. “Why are you here, then?”

“I’m here,” Hunter gritted out, aware of his palisman chittering madly somewhere, likely wrapped up elsewhere in the tangle. “To see Raine. Now put me down or I’ll bite that beak off!”

“Oooh, you’re mean.” Hooty said, almost sounding a little delighted, and definitely contemplative. “I think you’d get along with Amity. She’s mean, too. But Luz likes her and made her promise not to beat me up anymore. Oh, oh! I should introduce you!” Hooty perked up, and Hunter nearly went upside down. “Good friends do that, right? They introduce people they think would get along? I should ask Lilith about that.” He hummed thoughtfully.

“Did you say Lilith?” Hunter tilted his head, right before he heard the sound of the door opening.

“Hooty,” A tired voice said. “What did I say about yammering on to trespassers? You do it away from the house.”

Hunter tried to crane his head back towards the front door, only resulting in further scratching his back along Hooty’s long body and flinching with a drawn-out hiss.

“Oh, Eda, Eda!” Hooty said, turning his head around and, in turn, Hunter. “I found the sad, angsty kid!”

Hunter felt like his brain was rattled around for a moment from the sudden shift, shaking his head to clear it as the front door came into focus. Sure enough, the Owl Lady stood in the doorway, looking either like she had just woken up, or was about to go to sleep, either was entirely possible for this woman.

She blinked in surprise, one ear flicked up when she realized who Hooty had wrapped up.

“So, you did decide to turn up again.” Eda said, leaning on the doorway. “We were starting to think you ditched us halfway through.”

“I just might.” Hunter huffed, sending a glare towards Hooty. “Tell him to put me down or I’m putting a dent in him.”

“Good luck,” Eda raised a brow. “Hooty, put the kid down. Just let me know whenever he shows up before you let him in next time.”

Hooty promptly dropped Hunter, who landed face-first on the ground.

“I never should have come back.” He groaned into the dirt, feeling a familiar bird land by his arm and press at it.

“Well, we’re happy to hear you did, anyway.” Eda shrugged, waving off Hooty trying to add more to the conversation. “Hey, kids! Blondie made it back alive.” She called somewhere behind her, and Hunter looked up in time to see a familiar fluffy black tail disappear behind the doorway to the kitchen, and an offered hand in his face.

“Back burns wouldn’t have killed me.” Hunter said, eyeing the hand and then looking up to Eda’s face, who looked...well, very worn, but still smiling.

“No, but it sure looked like you were about to burst all your blood vessels.” Eda shrugged. “You gonna get up or what?”

Hunter looked over her hand for another moment, twitching his hand, then hesitantly reaching out to take it. Eda only smiled, pulling him to his feet as he brushed himself off before the dirt and grass could stain his attire.

“I think that’s just an occupational hazard of being around you people for too long.” He muttered, his cardinal fluttering up onto his uninjured shoulder, where the scabbing from Belos’s punishment was still fresh. He tugged his cloak closer around himself, tightly wound around him like a shield.

“You’ve got a terrible tolerance for people, you know that?” Eda hummed, stepping aside as Hunter pushed his way in.

And almost immediately, his eyes snapped to the couch. Sure enough, Raine was still there.

They were laid on their back, arms folded across their abdomen in a way that gave him a disturbing feeling of looking at a corpse.

He got the impression they’d ransacked another old BATs base, because what Raine was dressed in looked mildly similar to what they’d previously been wearing, but significantly cleaner, less torn.

Amber and Derwin were there, he realized only moments later. Amber was sitting on her knees by the arm of the couch where Raine’s head was, with Derwin stood by Raine’s side. Both looked a little startled, staring right at him with wildly contradicting expressions of distrust and curiosity, respectfully.

“Did you find anything?” Hunter asked, immediately gravitating towards them.

“Nothing of much use,” Derwin shrugged, taking a small step aside as Hunter approached. “Raine hasn’t responded to anything. We had some ideas but...we didn’t want to accidentally make anything worse if you knew something.” He admitted.

“If he knows anything.” Amber grumbled.

Hunter’s ears flicked down, and his palisman side eyed him. Alright, so maybe he should’ve waited an extra day to gather more intel. Should’ve asked more questions about Raine when his uncle wasn’t in such a sour mood. For once, his dedication to work and only work came back to bite him in the ass.

“Where’s Luz?” He asked instead, because he could at least rely on using her to change the conversation, should things start going south.

“Off at the library with her friends and Katya.” Eda said, leaning against the wall. “They were hoping to find anything on Raine there. For a second time.”

“Well, that was pointless,” Hunter snorted, eyes darting to the windows. Alright, no Luz, but he’d worked in trickier spots. “Belos has purged hundreds of books from those libraries he didn’t want the public knowing about.”

Eda gave him a bit of an odd look, a frown crossing her face before she pushed herself off the wall, expression turning to one of simply anxious concern, like nobody had seen what it’d previously been. He noted that down for later.

“Did you find anything, then?” Eda asked.

“I, well,” Hunter fumbled slightly, ears pressed down and sharing a glance with his palisman.

“I knew it, I told you he wouldn’t have anything.” Amber muttered, her ears falling back as Derwin gave her a glare.

“Hey, he had his back flayed off!” Derwin defended. “Give him a break.”

“And he couldn’t find anything in three days? But still find the time to come back here?” Amber gestured to a bristling Hunter. “He’s the Coven Head!”

“Alright, cool your jets, kid.” Eda said, stopping at the other end of the couch and giving her a slightly scolding look. “I’m worried, too. But him not having anything now doesn’t mean he won’t ever have anything.”

He chose not to focus on the way her hand was gripping the arm of the couch, nails near puncturing holes in it. Or Derwin’s worried hold on Raine’s arm. This is fine, he still had some useful information, they wouldn’t kick him out just yet.

“Well, are,” He started instead, because Titan-forbid an awkward silence. “Is Raine stabilized?”

“For now,” Derwin nodded, looking down at them. “They...I don’t know if Raine was fed at all, to be honest.”

Flashes of rib cages jutting through skin went through Hunter’s mind, and he was grateful then that it’d only been a week. Raine was always thin, but now he wondered if the bony knobs on their wrists and fingers were always there or not.

“Can’t get them to chew anything, either.” Eda added, gazing down worriedly at them. “So we’ve had to get by with soup. King ate your candy bar when we realized they couldn’t eat it.” She said, fixating a glare somewhere behind Hunter.

“Well, he wasn’t going to eat it!” 

Hunter looked back over his shoulder, spotting King in the doorway to the kitchen, currently cramming a cookie in his mouth, glaring right back at Eda.

“Whatever, I don’t care,” Hunter waved a hand. “The important part is that Raine is alive, and we can keep them that way.”

He felt a little bad when he saw Eda and the others tense at bit at his words, mood visibly souring. Right, tact, he had to work on his tact.

“And anyway,” He said, gazing down at Raine before deciding better of it. The sight of them was unnerving enough, and he already almost felt like he was at some shabby funeral. “I may not know much right now, but I know someone who might.”

That caught their attention fast, a sort of cautious hopefulness. It was an odd feeling, being looked at like that, and he raised a hand to draw it through his cardinal's feathers, aware of King hurrying in somewhere behind him.

“And, let me just preface this by saying,” He started slowly, giving Eda a wary look. “That I’m not happy about this option, either.”

“Is it Warden Wrath?” Amber grimaced, face scrunching up.

“Worse,” Hunter grumbled, beginning to hunch his shoulders before a dull pain spiked through it and he aborted the movement halfway through. He sighed then, turning fully to face Eda with a tired, resigned expression. “Do you, by chance, happen to know where Lilith is?”

Eda blinked at him for a moment. Then she raised a brow, glancing around like she thought this was some poor joke.

“Yeah? Why? How could Lily know any of this, if you don’t? She had the same job as you.”

“For far longer than me,” Hunter reminded. “While discussing Raine’s escape, Belos told me to send out guards to search for Lilith, or at the very least, dissuade her from showing her face or going anywhere near here. Which probably means she knows something.”

“The Covens hunting down Lily?” Eda exclaimed, suddenly standing bolt upright and startling the other.

“I wouldn’t say hunting down,” Hunter tried slowly, confusedly eyeing the witch. “More of…keeping an eye out. Honestly, considering how long it's taking to find her, I doubt we ever will.”

“And you think she can help?” Derwin reiterated as Eda hurriedly strode to the other side of the room, pulling out her scroll from her pocket.

“Not to ruin this, but,” King raised a paw, pulling himself onto the coffee table. “How do we know you're not just telling us this so we’ll find Lilith for you?” 

Eda paused then, not turning around, but one ear pricked up, listening. Hunter didn’t look at her out of politeness more than anything. These people had to work on their subtlety. 

“For one thing, if it weren’t for the attempted murder, I’d hate Lilith more than Kiki.” Hunter said calmly. “I’d happily sabotage search missions for her if it meant I never had to see her again, but I’m already on thin ice. For another, I’m not stupid enough to trick you all in this maner and expect to come out unscathed.”

“That implies you’re tricking us in other ways.” 

“Well aren’t you paranoid?” Hunter gave Amber a mildly annoyed glance. “Are we getting Lilith or not? I’m willing to make the sacrifice to interact with her again if it means she can help Raine.” He gestured with a hand towards the witch on the couch, who he still couldn’t really look in the face.

“We’ve got defense measures, anyway.” Eda said, still not turning around as she dialed a number on her scroll. “Kid can just sit tight till Lilith arrives.”

“You have her phone number?” Hunter raised a brow.

“Don’t tell Hooty, otherwise he’ll steal it.” Eda warned, waving a hand behind her as she brought the scroll to her ear. “And, again, why wouldn’t I?”

Hunter raised a brow, looking to King, who still seemed a little suspicious, but mostly unconcerned as he sat down on the coffee table, legs dangling off. He didn’t get why they just allowed demons on the table, but he figured this was the least of his problems.

“Don’t you hate her?” He squinted over at Eda.

“...is this about the curse thing?” Eda narrowed her eyes back at him.

“Yes?” Hunter glanced around, meeting Derwin’s eyes for a moment before he shrugged and turned away. “Practically the whole Emperor’s Coven saw your fight on the bridge, it was all the scouts talked about for weeks.”

Eda cringed a bit at that, turning her head slightly towards him as her scroll continued to ring.

“Yeah that was...a thing. We’re alright now, though.” Eda said, shrugging like it was the most normal thing in the word to still be in contact with your sister who cursed you.

Hunter gave the others incredulous looks, of which Amber and Derwin were no help and King just stared blankly back.

“How the hell are you--”

“Lily!” Eda suddenly said, far too cheerful to be normal, the call finally connecting through. “Hey, so, sorry to cut the bonding time with Mom short, but we need you to visit. No, it doesn’t involve Hooty.”

“Should I ask?” Hunter pointed with a thumb over to Eda as she spoke, keeping his voice quiet so as not to interrupt. 

“It’s a whole thing.” King said simply. “Which, actually, I’ve been meaning to ask,” King began swinging his legs over the edge of the table. “How come you and Lilith hate each other so much? She mentioned you once and got really mad that you were promoted.”

“I’m only sad that I missed it.” Hunter said, a small grin forming on his face, picturing the sight of Lilith seeing him on the posters, knowing that he’d taken her prized spot. “But, to answer your question, it’s more of a rivalry type thing. Lilith couldn’t stand someone threatening her rank, and she knew how close I was to Belos. Though, to be honest, I much rather preferred her passive-aggressive attempts to get under my skin than Kikimora’s murder attempts.” He shrugged.

“She’s tried to murder you before?” Derwin paled.

“What, are you like, Emperor Belos’ pet?” Amber said at the same time.

“Throughout basically my entire life, and no.” Hunter answered, sending a glare Amber’s way. “I was the prodigy of the Coven, and he greatly appreciated my work.” He said. Belos kept the fact he had a nephew well within the confines of the few in the Coven for a reason, thank you very much.

“Your parents gotta be rich off your Golden Guard job, huh?” Amber scoffed, raising a brow.

“No to the parents, and to the payment.” Hunter brushed off, leaning against the arm of the couch and ignoring the very surprised looks he received. “Anyway, on Lilith, it was mostly a rivalry on her part. She felt threatened by my general existence and would try to prove herself doubly hard if I was ever around. It was pathetic, really, but I got into the rivalry anyway. It was one of my biggest sources of entertainment.” He chuckled, only now looking over at them.

Derwin and Amber shared a look, and Derwin absently brushed Raine’s messy hair to the side. He noticed they were still wearing their earring, and was a little miffed they hadn’t taken that off. What if it got caught on something?

“Do you...live in the Coven?” Derwin asked slowly, giving him an odd look.

“Why are we circling back to this?” Hunter sighed, rolling his eyes. “Yes, I live in the Coven. It’s not a new concept, some witches live in the Coven as well. Easy commutes to work and less tax pay will do that to you.”

“You still have to pay taxes in the Coven?”

“I don’t,” Hunter corrected King. “The others do. Again, I’m not paid.”

“That...is that technically child labor if he’s not paid?” Amber asked Derwin, squinting.

“It’s not child labor--”

“Yeah, and hurry it up, will you?” Eda’s scroll conversation drifted back in as she wandered back towards the kids. “Heard that the Emperor’s Coven is looking for you. Don’t want you getting captured on your way over.”

There was a sudden spike in worry shouting through the scroll, but Eda only calmly moved it away from her ear and hung up, shoving it back into her pocket.

“Alright, she’ll show up sometime tonight. Think you’ll survive the wait?” Eda asked, one hand on her hip as she looked down.

“Unless Lilith lives five cities over, I think I will.” Hunter drawled. “I just need to be back before dawn.”

“Fantastic. Have you eaten?” Eda asked, clapping her hands together as she turned on her heel, off towards the kitchen.

“Why is that what we’re changing the topic to?” Hunter raised a brow.

“Because you’ve refused food before, and I plan to rectify that.” Eda said over her shoulder, already turning the corner into the kitchen. “It’s a yes or no question, blondie.”

“Don’t call me that,” He muttered, one ear flicking. “I don’t need your charity food.”

“I’m giving you chips.”

“I do not want your chips, they’re probably moldy.” Hunter scrunched up his face.

“You’ll live.”

“All the moldy ones are at the back, anyway.” Amber said breezily, and Hunter whirled his head to her.

“I–she actually has moldy–?”

Something soft hit him in the head, and Hunter jolted, his palisman squawking and fluttering down onto the coffee table as he fumbled for whatever hit him. He paused, lifting it up and realizing it was a small bag of chips.

“Feast,” Eda snarked from the doorway to the kitchen, a lazy smile on her face.

Hunter glared at her for a moment, then sighed, slowly sitting down on crossed legs and leaning against the couch. He figured that if they were moldy, he’d feed them to King. Or throw them back at Eda.

“We’ve tried a couple ideas while you were gone,” Derwin filled the silence as Hunter tore open the bag, pleased to see the chips were not, in fact, moldy. “We tried poking at the vines with some sharp objects to see if we could cut at them.”

“Are they impenetrable?” Hunter asked, not looking up as he hesitantly took a nibble of the chip, ignoring the judging look King was giving him.

“No, but they are pretty tough.” Derwin said. “And they bled when pierced.”

Hunter paused at that, halfway through shoving the chip in his mouth. He turned to Derwin, and his concern must’ve been evident, because Derwin only thinned his mouth.

“Yeah, we’re pretty sure they’re intertwined with Raine’s veins.” He said. “So we decided not to cut them out.”

“...good call,” Hunter said cautiously, deciding it was safe to eat the chip.

“They’re completely unresponsive,” Eda added, and Hunter looked up as she leaned on the wall beside the couch, just behind Amber, face pinched. “No matter what we try, not a twitch. Even the whole hitting the knee trick doesn’t cause them to react.”

“Definitely connected to the nervous system, then.” Hunter hummed thoughtfully. “Likely affecting the brain, too. Have we tried giving them any commands like Kikimora?” He asked, looking up.

“Haven’t done a thing,” Amber shook her head. 

“In that case,” Hunter said, popping another chip in his mouth. “I’m willing to bet that Kikimora is the only one who can give commands that Raine would obey. I’m not even sure if Emperor Belos would be able to, she’s not stupid enough to give up the one thing that makes her irreplaceable to the Coven.”

Eda visibly paled at that, ears pressed tightly against her head. Amber and Derwin didn’t look much too pleased either, Amber slowly settling a hand on Raine’s shoulder, leaning her head against the arm of the couch. He didn’t check to see what King’s reaction was.

He wondered if it was a good thing or not that his appetite didn’t falter, when he realized what this could imply for the future.

“So, basically,” Hunter said, glancing away. “Kikimora’s going to be pretty pissed off if she finds any of you guys. Regardless of the situation, she has the most power over Raine, and Raine was kidnapped under her watch. The Emperor was already displeased at the escape, I can only imagine what he’s done to her for her failure.”

“I should call Luz,” Eda said abruptly, pushing herself off the wall. 

“I’m sure they’re alright,” Derwin soothed, though his shoulders seemed a little tense. “She took on the Emperor and won, didn’t she?”

“You mean when Belos was trying to petrify Eda?” Hunter asked, one ear pricked. “She didn’t win against him, in fact, didn’t she lose? Isn’t that the entire reason she destroyed the portal?”

“What, were you there?” Amber huffed.

“Were you?” Hunter shot back.

“Luz says she kicked his ass,” King volunteered.

“Luz thinks she kicked my ass.” Hunter deadpanned, rolling his head to the side to give the demon a blank look. “She’s an unreliable narrator.”

“Mmm, no, I think she kicked your ass.” Amber said, flashing a sharp-toothed grin.

“Oh, now who wasn’t there?” Hunter hissed, giving her a seething glare. “When did she even tell you about that?”

“While you were off brooding at the castle.”

“I was not brooding–”

The front door opened.

Hunter jumped to his feet in barely a second, hand reaching inside his cloak for his staff. The others, meanwhile, simply turned their heads to the doorway.

“Thank you for helping, guys!” A familiar voice called, and Hunter saw Katya walk in a second later, though she wasn’t the one talking. “I’ll tell you if there’s an update.”

Hunter only noticed then he hadn’t paid attention to where Eda had moved off to. He saw her now, at the corner of his eye, scroll in hand, ready to dial. He saw her hastily put it away.

Luz walked in through the door a moment later, looking rather worn, kicking the door shut with her foot as Hooty started talking. The demon still kept talking, even with the door shut, though it was muffled, now.

“No luck,” Luz sighed as she walked in, stretching her back. “Please tell me you guys have good–Hunter!” She exclaimed, straightening with wide eyes the movement she spotted him.

“Took you long enough,” Hunter huffed, slowly letting himself untense, doing his best to not show his dismay when he realized he’d dropped his chips on the floor, half the contents spilling onto the most likely very filthy carpet.

“When did he get here?” Katya asked, brow raised as Luz hurried over, grinning.

“Just a bit ago, told us some things he knew.” Eda said, placing a hand on Katya’s shoulder, giving her a once-over before guiding her to where everyone was gathered at the couch. “Didn’t want to interrupt you guys in case you found anything important.”

“How's your back feeling?” Luz asked, plopping herself on the other side of the coffee table, arms resting on it.

“Oh, uh, fine,” Hunter said, glancing away as he sat down again, a bit less cautious. Good, now he had a middle-man to mediate things better. He was starting to grow anxious with all the eyes on him. “It’ll scar, but I’ve had worse.”

“That is…hm,” Luz frowned, eyeing him. “You know that's not a good thing, right?”

“Would you rather I say this is the worst injury I’ve had in my life?” Hunter raised a brow.

“Well, it’d be marginally less concerning than the other option.”

“Goldie says that Lily might know something about Raine’s condition.” Eda said, one hand resting on Luz’s head as she came up behind her, and Hunter twitched at the sight of crooked, sharp-nailed fingers on her scalp. “I invited her over while you were away. Kid also says that unless Kikimora issues a command, Raine might not…move at all.” She said, voice slowly becoming duller as she spoke.

“Oh,” Luz said, deflating a bit. “Do you know what kind of spell this is?” Luz asked him, turning her head back to him, and Eda removed her hand to lean against the other end of the couch, by Raine’s feet, seeing as Katya took residence by Raine’s head alongside Amber.

“I’m looking into it,” Hunter promised, thumb brushing over the back of his gloved hand under the table.

“But not in the last three days,” Amber said, before Derwin sharply elbowed her in the sides

“I kind of had appearances to keep up, you know.” Hunter grumbled. “I didn’t get this job by doing whatever I wanted.” He muttered, reaching for a chip on the floor to pick up, before King suddenly leaned off the coffee table and snatched it up, shoving it in his mouth. Hunter stared at him in open disgust for a moment before shaking his head and leaning back, letting King hop onto the floor and eat all that remained.

“Did you get good grades in school, then?” Katya teased, though more light-hearted.

“I was home-schooled.” Hunter said curtly, and it was technically the truth. 

“‘Was?’” Luz repeated, though she became momentarily distracted when his cardinal hopped onto the coffee table, cheeping up at her until she started scratching its head. 

“Why are we interrogating me again?” Hunter demanded, harshly turning his head to look over Raine, avoiding looking at all of them. The sight still made him uneasy. “If we’re going to just keep interrogating me, then we could just communicate through letters, it’d still be effective. Actually, you know what,” Hunter sat up, beginning to push himself to his feet. “Why didn’t I think of that? I should’ve just done that, I should go do that–”

“Sit down, you drama queen.” Amber puffed.

“Hunter, come on,” Luz sighed, though a tiny smile was on her face that Hunter could only muster a halfhearted glare at. He found he didn’t mean it as much as he thought he would.

“Hey, if we’re all going to be asking me questions, I ought to be doing the same.” He said, turning on his heel in the middle of the room, palms raised. “The list just keeps growing on you people. Especially you.” He added, side-ways glancing at Eda, who’s mouth thinned. “Which, now that we’re here, how exactly–”

“Lulu!”

Hunter paused, one ear pricked as he slowly looked towards the door, and heads turned that way, as well. Hooty’s shrieking voice was easily heard through the wood, plus a much quieter one. Hunter narrowed his eyes at the door for a moment, jumping when Eda breezed right by him, arm almost ghosting his side.

Eda opened the front door, just in time for Hunter, and everyone else inside, to see Hooty wrap his long tube body around a…weirdly cheerful Lilith Clawthorne.

“Hello, Hooty.” Lilith smiled, though her voice sounded a bit strained, patting the demon on his head as he chatted her ear off.

“Oh, I have so much to tell you!” Hooty was saying, probably constricting tighter if Lilith’s slightly pained expression was anything to go off of. “Did you get my last letter? The one about–”

“About the beetle in the puddle? Yes, I did.” Lilith said,. “I was just about to send you a reply until Eda called me.”

“Eda called you?” Hooty exclaimed, whirling his head towards the door, a bright smile on his face. “Aw, Eda, you shouldn’t have!”

“It’s for business, Hooty.” Eda said, and though her back was to him, Hunter could hear the smile in her voice. “Lily can talk to you after we’re done, alright?”

“Aww, but Eda!” Hooty whined, drawing out her name.

“No buts, Hooty.” Eda said, stepping aside. “Let Lily go, we’ve got some things to talk about.”

“I guess,” Hooty huffed, abruptly dropping Lilith, almost causing her to fall over as she took in a deep breath. “But I wanna hear, too.”

“You can stay by the window,” Eda relented, offering a hand as Lilith stumbled over, helping her inside, and Lilith flashed her a quick smile. Despite Eda insisting they were alright, Hunter still found the interaction familiar, a bit too much so, compared to what he’d seen on the bridge. “Thanks for coming.” Eda said as Lilith stepped in.

“Of course, I was already considering visiting from what you told me about Raine.” Lilith said, and her weary smile dropped as she said so. “I can’t imagine what–” She paused, gaze landing on Hunter, standing in the center of the room. Almost instantly, he glared right back at her.

She looked…different. Her attire had lost the formality it once had, instead taking on a homemade, lazy-day wear. She’d acquired a gray streak through her hair, and her right eye was an odd gray. It matched almost perfectly with Eda’s, he realized. The roots of her hair were turning a dark ginger, and he vaguely remembered once hearing guards placing bets on if she dyed her hair or not.

“I’m not gonna ask,” Lilith said, shaking her head with a sigh.

“Hi, Lilith!” Luz waved, and Lilith looked over then, a slight fondness to the smile she gave, also thoroughly confusing Hunter. Partially because he’d witnessed Lilith try to murder Luz not all that long ago, partially because the last thing he’d ever expect to see on the ex-Coven Leader’s face was fondness.

“Hello, Luz–is that Raine?” Lilith startled, eyes widening as they shifted to just behind Luz, to the couch.

“Ah,” Eda deflated a bit, ears flicking back as the three remaining BATs all gave tense smiles or waves, and Hunter felt a little better for not being the only one clearly out of depth. “Yeah, told you they were…in a bit of a rough shape.”

“This is more than rough shape, Eda!” Lilith exclaimed, hurrying to the couch, Derwin shuffling a bit as King climbed back up onto the coffee table. “Oh, Raine,” Lilith murmured, reaching out and brushing the tendrils curled around Raine’s forearm.

Hunter narrowed his eyes, taking a couple steps forward. Eda giving two shits about Raine’s wellbeing was one thing. Lilith apparently caring was a whole different matter. Since when, in all the time he’d been in the Emperor’s Coven, had Lilith known Raine? He’s pretty certain he would have picked up on it if Lilith was friendly with anyone in that place, considering she talked to all of zero people in a non-professional manner. 

Lilith was staring at him now, he realized, giving him an odd, guarded look. The others were staring at him, too.

Took him another second to notice the faint, grating growl emitting from his throat.

Fuck.

Hunter jerked his head back, swallowing the noise back. He turned his head to the side, but nothing more. His glare stayed fixed firmly on the wall over Lilith’s shoulder, above the couch.

“My apologies,” Lilith started, slowly standing back to her full height. “Are you one of the BATs Eda told me about?”

It was almost accusatory. He didn’t resist his eye roll, and was more than a little smug to see Luz give Lilith a reprimanding look. 

“To everyone’s relief, no.” He muttered, one ear flicking. It was odd to be facing Lilith without his mask. He was uncomfortably aware of every expression he made, something he’d been trying to work on schooling when in his uncle's presence.

Lilith’s eyes narrowed, contemplative. She opened her mouth, closed it, slowly raised her hand, pointing a finger at him.

“You sound familiar,” Lilith said cautiously. 

“He's got a rather distinctly annoying voice, doesn't he?” Eda teased, and Hunter barely resisted the urge to jump as she appeared at his side, and though her teasing grin was back, it seemed halfway forced, now. 

“My voice is fine,” Hunter near-snapped, one hand raising to his throat and rubbing a thumb over it. “Pick something better to complain about.” 

“Oh, don’t worry,” Eda chuckled, patting his shoulder, of which he did tense up, “I’ve got a list.”

“Of course you do,” Hunter grumbled, watching as Eda strode back to the little group that formed, shaking himself off from the touch.

“You…” Lilith stared, eyes still squinted, raking her gaze over him. He saw the moment the idea came to her, a twinge of horror flashing in her eyes. It made him grin, all sharpened teeth and taunting.

“Me,” He agreed, and he saw the realization hit, her face morphing into that of shock. “Been a while, huh?”

“You–” Lilith took a step back, the backs of her knees brushing the couch. “You’re a child.”

“Teenager,” Hunter corrected easily. “But that wouldn’t really make a difference to you, would it?” He taunted.

Lilith whirled to Eda, as though searching for answers. Eda only gave her a shrug, though he noted her expression was a little unreadable. Was it amused, or thoughtful?

“Are they gonna fight?” He heard King whisper to Luz.

“Why–” Lilith started, turning back to stare at him. “Why are you–you’re a child.”

“Teenager, and we established this.” Hunter said, the smugness fading, just a bit. “Have you lost that intelligence you never shut up about in your time on the run?”

“I need to sit down,” Lilith pressed a hand to her face, and Luz simply patted the space on the floor next to her, to which Lilith quickly migrated.

“Wait, does the Emperor’s Coven not know you’re a kid?” Katya asked, frowning.

“Why would they?” Hunter scoffed, pricking an ear. “It’d make it impossibly difficult to control any of them if they thought someone beneath them was their superior.”

“It’s true,” Luz piped up, King patting Lilith’s back in confusion. The witch in question had drawn her knees up to her chest and buried her face in her hands. “They all bullied him when he tried to tell them he was the Golden Guard.”

“They were confused,” Hunter hissed through gritted teeth.

“No, they seemed entirely confident that you were a troublesome teen.” Luz said matter-of-factly, irritatingly self-satisfied.

“Regardless,” Hunter sniped, “once Lilith gets over what I imagine is her fifth midlife crisis, we’ve got some questions to ask her.” He said, crossing his arms. “So, we best start writing it down.”

“He’s a child,” Lilith groaned into her hands.

“Can we move past that already?” Hunter muttered, a bit annoyed, now. “As much as I’d love to mock you, we have more important matters here.” 

“Aw, it’s okay, Lulu,” Hooty cooed, and Hunter had completely forgotten he was there, watching as the demon slithered in through the window to poke his face at her feet. “I didn’t tell Hunter any of the things you said about him.”

“She was still shit-talking me?” Hunter asked, and his smirk was back. “Yeesh, someone's got problems.”

“Hunter?” Lilith raised her head then, looking Hunter up and down. “Your name is Hunter?”

“Don’t go yelling it around,” Hunter muttered, though there was a warning laced within it. “There’s already far too many people that know it.”

“Titan, okay,” Lilith pinched the bridge of her nose, taking in a deep breath. “Give me a moment, I’m remembering a lot of things I deeply regret saying, now.”

“Hey, at least now we know you’re getting character development.” Eda said with a shrug. “Sure, you argued, fought, and tried to kill some teenagers, but at least you feel bad about it.” She teased, and Lilith gave a quiet hiss.

“Oh, she did far more than fight me.” Hunter said, lifting his hand and beginning to count off his fingers. “Threats, defamation, sabotage, indirect insubordination–”

“Please stop talking,” Lilith groaned, face falling back into her hands.

“What are you willing to do to ensure I will?” Hunter leveled back. “I’m not normally one to be bribed, but I’ll make an acception.”

“As amusing as this is,” Derwin spoke up. “We still have Raine here.”

“Right,” Hunter shook his head, snapping it out of the revenge-filled glee it was in. “Lilith, as much as I hate to admit it, we need your information from your time as Coven Leader.”

Lilith sighed, running her hands down her face before looking up, looking far more exhausted than she had before as she turned around, facing the couch that Raine was laying on. Even in her time away from the Coven, Hunter recognized the formal expression she slowly slipped on, the one she often wore when she was trying not to freak out on some guards.

“I take it it’s about the mind-control Raine is under?” Lilith sighed.

“So you know what it is, then?” Amber perked up, and the others' attention was instantly grabbed.

“Vaguely,” Lilith said, giving Raine a sad, defeated expression that looked far too out of place on her face, and Hunter looked away from it. “I’ve only ever seen it used once before, and even then, it was incredibly briefly. I’m afraid I don’t know much about it.”

“Well, we’ve got nothing, so we’ll take what we can get.” Eda said, jaw set. “What is it, Lilith?”

“It’s…” Lilith shook her head. “It’s a very, very old spell,” She said, “and an incredibly tricky one, at that. It’s one of the most effective, but also most dangerous, forms of mind-control, a blend of illusion, abomination, and plant magic. As you can imagine, it’s impossible to use unless you have the Emperor Coven’s ability to possess all forms of magic.

“Back in my early days in the Coven, one of the guard captains was revealed to be a traitor, and planned to stage an attack on the castle. Kikimora was eager to try out new spells she had learned, and I believe it was this kind. I only saw the guard captain once, when Emperor Belos wanted to make him to be an example, summoning much of the Coven to witness what they’d done. It certainly got me to look over my shoulder more often.” Lilith shuttered.

“The guard captain was later used in an ambush to capture the remaining witches and demons from his rebellion. After that, the guard captain was planned to have been kept around, to see what else they could do. I heard rumors that, after about a month, the spell had begun to take some sort of toll on Kikimora, so they decided to cut their losses and only use the spell in special situations.” She paused here, swallowing before her shoulders slumped. “The plan was to see if they could get any more information out of the guard captain on the off-chance they missed something but…there were complications. I don’t know what kind, I never asked, but they hadn’t been…the same.” She murmured. 

Hunter could practically feel the tension in the room shift, and he leaned forward, if only slightly. His cardinal wiggled free of Luz’s hand, fluttering over to his shoulder and pressing up against his neck. The weight was almost grounding.

“Everyone said different things. Some said that they had trouble grasping the concept of moving without being told, or that they could barely speak, or that their vision had been heavily impaired, and a million other things. I don’t know what they did with the guard captain afterwards, but I can only assume the usual. Never heard from him again, and any attempts for more information from them were deemed too much effort. That’s the last I ever heard of this kind of spell.”

A silence enveloped the room, Lilith not looking anyone in the eyes, and that formality on her face dropped when her gaze turned to Raine, a remorseful expression forming. Hunter slowly lifted a hand to his neck, pressing his hand against his cardinal, who warbled softly.

“Well, fuck.” Amber said, and Katya promptly smacked the back of her head.

Eda slumped against the wall, one hand pressed to her face, hiding her eyes. King and Luz shared horrified expressions, and Derwin ran his thumb over the thorns along Raine’s arm. Despite Katya’s previous reaction, she seemed visibly disturbed, crossing her arms.

“Shit, okay,” Hunter said, clearing his throat as he pushed himself to his feet. “Okay, that’s–I can work with that.”

“What do you mean you can work with it?” Amber echoed, aghast.

“I can ask questions, search records, find senior members of the Coven to talk to,” Hunter said, hands moving as he spoke. “You’ve been keeping Raine fed and hydrated, and they haven’t been under control all too long, so if we act fast, we can probably halt any permanent damages.”

“I imagine it would be a closely guarded secret,” Lilith warned, frowning. “Kikimora wouldn’t leave this kind of spell in the open, I’ve never heard of anyone else who knows it. How do you expect to find it before the month is up?”

“I’ll figure something out,” Hunter said, because what else could he say? “Belos trusts me, if he knows anything, I may be able to get it out of him. And if not, then we have every confiscated book in the Isles in our library,” He said, running a hand through his hair and resisting the urge to yank on it. “There’s no way Kikimora came across that spell on her own, so it has to be in there somewhere. Do you know the name of the spell?” He asked, and he was not begging, thank you.

“I don’t,” Lilith shook her head. “Believe me, I wish I did.”

“Great,” Hunter grumbled, and barely stopped himself short of kicking something. “Okay, that’s fine, I can still find it. It’s a big library, but it's sorted, I just–need to look for a few particular sections. Hardly anyone goes in there, anyway.”

“We could all sneak in,” Luz suggested, also standing. “We’d all cover more ground if we–”

“Absolutely not,” Hunter shut it down, already feeling a spike in his gut at the thought of them going back into the castle. “The guards have tripled since we rescued Raine, and we are not risking any of you getting captured while sorting through that library. I can handle it just fine on my own.”

“Katya?” Eda said, and he looked her way, then, and he could’ve sworn Eda had pinpricks on her arms, and she could’ve almost been shaking, though he didn’t focus enough on that to confirm it. She moved her hand down her face, covering the bottom half of her face, but her eyes were visible. He swore her scalera looked darker than normal. “Did any of you keep in contact with the wild witches you rescued?”

“Oh, uh, yeah,” Katya said, sparing a glance with Derwin and Amber. “Not all of them, but we know some of the villages we told them they could hide at.”

“Good, you’re gonna want to start making maps.” Eda said, pinching the bridge of her nose and taking in a deep breath, and Hunter could see a ‘don’t freak out right now’ expression from a mile away. It surprised him how similar it looked to Lilith’s, just with less sharp edges. “We can’t waste any opportunities in case they might know something.”

“Oh, Amber,” King raised a claw. “Do you remember where Luz’s pens–”

“On it,” Amber said, leaving Raine’s side for the first time since Hunter arrived, darting around the others and off to the stairs.

He saw Lilith’s eyes flicker to him at the mention of the wild witches, and he met her eyes, unwavering. Her gaze only narrowed, and she looked away, back to Eda. 

“We have a plan, then.” Hunter said, clasping his hands together. “I search the castle’s libraries and ask around, and you lot go talk to the wild witches. Should be simple enough.”

“Don’t jinx us,” Derwin mumbled.

“Shouldn’t we at least have a way to get into the Emperor Coven’s library in case something goes wrong, or you can’t get there?” Luz persisted. “You just said you had to keep up appearances, what if–”

“I know how to handle Emperor Belos,” Hunter gruffed, feeling a light nip to his ear from his cardinal and ignoring it. “And I know you’ll just use that information to break in during the worst possible times, anyway.”

“I have a little self control.” Luz muttered, crossing her arms.

“No, no you do not.” Hunter said, turning away. “What time is it?”

“Oh, oh, I know!” Hooty poked his head up from the floor, seemingly the only one who wasn’t put off. “The time is, uh,” Hooty drew out his humming, turning his head around in a circular rotation. “The one-hundred twenty degrees time! That was it, I remember.” He said cheerfully.

“What the hell does that even mean?” Hunter stared.

“He means it’s four.” King said, as if this was common knowledge that people just had, apparently.

“Titan, you people are weird–whatever, that means dawn will be here soon.” Hunter said, throwing up his hands. “And I have work to do. Unless someone wants to share some shattering information at this time, I’m going back to the castle to get at least a little bit of rest. My sleep schedule is bad enough as it is.”

“To be fair,” Luz said as others began standing, moving to grab papers, shuffling around the room. “From one look at you, I don’t think it can get worse.”

“Hilarious,” Hunter drawled, flicking her forehead before he could stop himself. “Don’t follow me.” He warned, adding more force to his voice.

“I was not going to follow you–”

“You were thinking about it.”

“I was not–”

“Don’t do anything stupid!” Katya called after him, a fanged grin on her face. “Or whatever it is you keep telling us.”

“Good thing I don’t make a habit of it.” Hunter snarked back.

“Debatable.”

Hunter gave Luz a tired, exasperated look. She only snickered, and he supposed it was nice that someone could still derive amusement from this situation. Could probably still find optimism when in the maw of a basilisk.

He almost smiled back, if only at his own thoughts.

Then he saw Luz’s eyes flicker slightly, just a little down from his face. 

“What happened to your neck?” She asked, a confused frown coming to her face, hand reaching out.

Hunter jerked away, clapping a hand over what he knew was showing through the faint dip in his cloak, no longer wound tightly around his frame, the nasty scabbing he chose not to bother bandaging anymore practically on display to anyone who looked. Luz startled a bit at his reaction, blinking a bit owlishly as he took another step back.

“Nothing,” He said, turning his head away, his injured side facing away from Luz. “It’s–there was just a re–accident, I’m fine.”

The word reminder sat on his tongue. It was true, he’d normally call it as such, but then they’d ask what the reminder was for. Luz would follow him back without hesitation if she knew Belos was suspicious of him, if any of them knew just how close he was to being caught. No way in hell would they trust him with more risky work like this, and then they’d all be doomed.

He could feel eyes on him. He didn’t look over to see who was watching them, now.

“...if you’re sure.” Luz said, cautiously.

“Course I am. I was there, wasn’t I?” Hunter scoffed, turning on his heel and towards the front door. “Don’t do anything overly reckless, yeah?” He called over his shoulder, grabbing the door handle.

“Same to you,” He heard Eda call after, a slight strain to her voice that hadn’t quite left.

“What do you think I am, new?” Hunter muttered, pushing open the door.

Hooty’s body startled with the movement, still somewhere in the house behind him. He silently ducked under Hooty’s body, withdrawing his staff. There was a chirping in his ear, and he ignored it in favor of extending his staff.

He didn’t look back at the eyes still searing holes into him as he shot into the sky. What a way to make an exit.

 ,

 The fly back to the castle was silent, which was a little odd, especially for his palisman. He was almost grateful for it as he slipped back in through his window, tossing his staff aside as he flopped down on his bed, face in his pillow. 

He’d have to write down a list, soon. Of hours he could sneak into the library, of guards that would’ve been around way back when Lilith was new, though he knew they would be few and far between. He’d have to write down a real possibility of the spell being somewhere in Kikimora’s room, and he’d have to consider finding a way to sneak in, and–

And his palisman was settling down by his head, and he was so tired. Of work, of people, of emotions, of all this running around, and just in general. If he keeps this up, he’s going to wind up passing out one day, and that’s just going to be all kinds of humiliating.

He sighed, moving his head to the side as he stared at the wall, one hand coming up to his palisman and petting a finger down its back as it chittered contently. He didn’t bother to try removing his under armor, or changing out of his old cloak. He'd ended the exact way he started. Sore, tired, and with a stinging sensation in his back.

If he was lucky, he’d wake up with memory loss. Couldn’t have ten different problems at once if you didn’t know what they were now, could you?

He blinked, and when he opened his eyes again, sunlight was streaming in through the window.

#the owl house #toh #toh hunter #hunter #golden guard #raine whispers #eda clawthorne #luz noceda #king #lilith clawthorne #hooty #derwin #katya #amber #writing #my writing #parent raine au #mind control #discussion of injury #talking #fics #ao3 #banter #plans #LOOK WHOS BACK FELLAS #raine #luz #eda #king toh #lilith regrets her life decisions pt 2

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Thought About "Echoes of the Past" from The Owl House

Salutations, random people on the internet who most certainly won’t read this. I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

What probably gets debated the most in the fandom is the legitimacy behind King being the King of Demons. Some believe that there's truth to his statement, while others, like me, like to think that he was just some stray Eda picked up off the streets. Either option seemed likely, especially since Season One never gave an answer that leaned one way or the other.

Then here comes the writers finally answering the question of who King is in episode THREE of Season Two! Because, again, they don't waste time on giving fans exactly what they want.

Fans wanted answers behind King, we got 'em, and analyzing what those answers mean requires going deep into spoilers. So if you haven't checked the episode out yet, I highly recommend that you do. Trust me, it's worth seeing.

Now let's review, shall we?

WHAT I LIKED

Luz Experimenting with Spells: Hey, look! More proof that Luz isn't an idiot like some people flanderize her to be!

But, seriously though, this is a perfect little thread to introduce into the story. Luz collecting knowledge from Lilith's old books and past work she and Eda made adds to Luz's intelligence while also providing a believable explanation for how she gets new spells. It's also nice to see that she has this little notebook (or spellbook) to help see what works and what doesn't. It's a level of experimentation that proves her dedication to becoming a witch while also exemplifying how she isn't stupid. Occasionally reckless, sure, but you can't say that the person who figured out an invisibility spell through showing her work is also an idiot.

Francios with a Knife: How did Francois get a knife? I don't know. But the fact that a random knife plopped out behind him with little to no explanation is funny, and I will not hear otherwise.

I don't make the rules. I just abide by them.

Luz’s Invisibility Spell: I breezed past this, but I honestly love this invisibility spell. More specifically, I love that there's a limiter. It can turn you, objects, and people you're in contact with invisible, but only as long as you can hold your breath. It helps make the spell something the characters can't always rely on, which is appreciated. Because if it works as long as they concentrate, what's stopping them from sneaking into Belos' castle and assassinating him in his sleep? It's a smart way of explaining why they can't always rely on something, despite how insanely useful it is.

Luz: Let's gush about Luz some more, shall we!

"Echoes of the Past" is another episode that has Luz on top form. She is constantly supportive of King, even if Lilith has a point in the dangers of indulging his fantasy as a powerful tyrant. Doing so would cause more harm than good, especially when King finds out Luz doesn't believe him, but her going along with it was all done with the best of intentions. Luz doesn't want to hurt her friend, and even if she did in the long run, she still makes up for it by helping King learn more about his past.

And, as another reminder, Luz isn't stupid. She's the first to say they should leave when it's clear how dangerous the castle is and is quick to figure out there should be more at the top. Luz is a loyal and caring friend who's also guarded and intuitive when the situation calls for it. This episode understood that, so here's hoping other fans will too.

Lilith: Yeah, she's still growing on me.

I feel like this episode shows a better idea of Lilith's place in the group more than the past two. She's a person who's obsessed with knowledge and learning but considers herself above the jovial nature of King, Luz, and definitely Eda. Therefore, she acts as the perfect catalyst for what jumpstarts this week's adventure. It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that she almost instantly dismisses King's claims due to considering herself more knowledgeable than everyone else. Still, I like how she's willing to believe King once she finally sees evidence that seemingly proves he really was the King of Demons, to the point of referring to him as "her lord." Hooty does the same thing, but it comes across as him fearing for his own life and choosing to be friends with someone who could maybe kill him in an instant. For Lilith, her newfound respect comes from the desire to learn more, and it's that desire that makes Lilith an enjoyable character to me. It's adorable to see, and it has some comedic flavor in moments like when she dismisses everyone else and their emotional revelations to take pictures of the carvings around her. I'm sure she'll cause some controversy like other characters with rushed reformations, but for me, I'm more than ok with her addition to the main cast.

More of Lilith’s and Hooty’s Friendship: HOW DOES THIS WORK!?

ON PAPER, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE A BAD IDEA, BUT IT F**KING WORKS!

HOW?!

WHAT BLACK MAGIC DID THESE WRITERS USE TO MAKE A RELATIONSHIP SO UNEXPECTED COME ACROSS AS SO ENDEARING AND ADORABLE?!

And where can I get some for my stories...just asking.

But seriously: HOW?!

Hooty Making Himself Portable: Ah, yes. The classic bit where a character does something horrifically grotesque off-screen, and we have nothing but character reactions and sound effects to imagine what happened between shot A and shot B. It's an oldie, but given how hard I was laughing (mostly because of Luz's gagging), it's still a goodie.

Eda’s Portable Bathtub Boat Thing: I mean...I was expecting Eda would use something to catch up with the others, but...that thing...well...I mean, I'm still laughing just by thinking about it. That should tell you how well executed this joke was.

John Luke: ...I'm gonna go ahead and add him to the list because HOLY S**T was this guy disturbing! From his design to his movements to even the sounds he makes when moving, everything about John Luke screams as something that will stay in kids' nightmares for a while. Now, this might seem like a complaint, but to be honest, I'm more than alright with how creepy John Luke is. I highly doubt adult viewers will consider John Luke scary, but I guarantee he'll terrify some of the youngins that this series is aimed for. And that's fine. It's good to creep kids out a little bit with something somewhat scary, as it might introduce them to more good horror stories later in life.

Plus, the reveal that John Luke was only a guard for King is pretty solid narratively speaking. You can see how John never really meant to hurt King aside from one accident when Eda escaped with him. If you want to read into it, I guess it might be questionable to tell kids that something that looks dangerous is secretly nice, but that's really nitpicky, in my opinion. John Luke was a fantastic threat that is designed and animated well, with a solidly executed twist. Some might hate what he presents, most will fear him, but we can all agree on one thing: His theme is awesome (can I get the track for that, please)!

King’s Backstory: Finally, at long last, we know who King is, thus putting an end to a year-long debate. And I fully mean it when I say that the writers gave the best possible answer. Because in a way, everyone was right. Yes, King was just an animal that Eda decided to adopt, like the nature-loving hippie she is inside (She's got the hair for it). However, while he may not be the King of Demons himself, he is still the son of someone who deserves that title. So while he isn't the King, there's a chance he might be the Prince. Once again, there's no direct answer, but given how the writers came up with something that pleases everyone while still providing more questions for debate, it acts as a brilliant move, in my opinion. So whatever answer we get next, I'm sure it will be just as perfect.

Baby King:

My heart was not prepared for that level of cuteness!

King’s Breakdown: NOR WAS IT READY FOR THIS LEVEL OF SADNESS!

But in all seriousness, a HUGE round of applause to Alex Hirsch for his performance in this episode. He expertly captured the raw emotions of shock, anger, betrayal, and sadness that King must have felt when finding out that everything he believed he was is a lie. It's one of those moments where I don't hear a person voicing lines in a booth (or wherever the hell VAs are voicing characters nowadays), but instead hear a living person being emotionally torn apart. It was heartbreaking seeing King so vulnerable as he's so guarded with his emotions. Seeing him like this adds so much more layers to a character that many would mistake him as a cute, comedic animal sidekick. But just like with Luz, there's more to him than people will tell you.

“I don’t even know what’s real or fake anymore!”: I'm just pointing out this line because I believe it's what convinces Luz to help King learn more about who he is. Hell, not knowing what's real or fake is the main reason why Luz got sent away in the first place, so I feel like she can relate to King when he's in a similar predicament.

Hooty and Lilith vs John Luke: This was just a cool scene with some epic moments of dodging John Luke's attacks and some funny ones, like how Hooty said the word "pain." It's a ten out of ten that I would rewind to watch again.

King’s Other Horn: I'd question the logistics of how a horn that got broken off when he was a baby still manages to fit perfectly in the present...but it is neat symbolism of King accepting his past and letting it be a part of him, so who cares?

(The fact that the colors of the broken-off piece don't match the rest of the horn is nice attention to detail as well.)

WHAT I DISLIKED

It's a Little Too Predictable: I pretty much figured almost every little twist the episode offers. But, I'm willing to say that's because I'm in my twenties, and I've seen enough stories similar to this one, so I'm more likely to know what will happen. The little monsters watching this will see it for the first time, so they'll most likely get more surprised than me...And that was my only complaint about the episode...which is more of a personal problem than an actual issue...I guess that means it's perfect.

IN CONCLUSION

"Echoes of the Past" is an easy A+ in my book. It gives lore and backstory that furtherly develops the characters that episodes like this should. It also tells a tragic story about King that still sprinkles in a few good jokes every now and again to lighten up the mood. Sure, there are some nitpicks I could mention (how did King remember his own birth?). But when the good stuff is done so well, what's the point of dwelling on small, insignificant issues? This is still a phenomenal episode that flew past all expectations I had for it, and it continues the winning steak this season is having so far.

(But that's still three home runs in a row. Meaning that a stinker is coming. Ooiee, is it coming!)

#the owl house #the owl house season 2 #king of demons #luz noceda #lilith clawthorne #toh hooty #the owl house reviews #what i thought about

[erzaguin]

Huntmira Week 2021 Day 4: Human AU

“Hey you’re the new transfer student right? My name is Amity and as your class rep I’ll be giving you a tour of the school. Follow me and don’t fall behind. We have a schedule to keep and we are already running late.” said the cotton candy haired girl as she started walking briskly away. “Come on I wasn’t kidding I will leave you behind if you don’t hurry.” 

“Alright so you already know where the office is. If you get in any trouble this is where they’ll bring you. Down that hallway over there is the school library which you have access to at any time during school hours. Come on, we're already running behind schedule so we don’t have time to see it.” she stated as she continued walking forward at a fast pace.

“Now the school is essentially divided into four parts each of which is assigned to a different grade level. Essentially it is meant to give students more time in between classes so they can get whatever materials they need from their lockers. Speaking of which, this one is yours.” she noted as she came to a sudden stop. “The number and the combination are on the welcome packet you received at the front desk. As you may have assumed already this is the freshman hallway apart from electives all of your other classes will  be here. Any questions? No? Good. Let’s keep moving.” without so much as a pause she turned on her heels and started moving at the same brisk pace.

“The hallway to your left leads to the juniors hall and the sophomore hall was the first hallway to your left when you entered the school. As for the senior hall that would be the separate building at the back of the school. The cafeteria is right at the center of the school and it also doubles as a social area. And this is the gym.” she stated as they reached a large oval shaped building separated from the rest of the school. “Hopefully nobody notices we are late” grumbled Amity under her breath as she opened the door. 

As soon as the door opened a roar of cheers washed over the pair as they entered the building. The gymnasium was filled with the entirety of the student body who appeared to be completely enthralled by whatever the captain of the girl’s basketball team was saying. She along with the rest of the basketball team were standing at the center of the gym with the school principal standing a few feet to the side beaming with pride. 

Amity ignored them completely as she tried to make out where her friends were in the stands. Without saying a word she tugged on the transfer student’s sleeve to get them to follow her. 

“Hey Amity, you made it. Oh is this the new transfer student” whispered Willow as Amity took the empty seat behind her. “Yeah sorry we’re late I had to give them a quick tour before coming here.” grumbled Amity as she thought about how late they were. 

“Oh don’t mind Amity she can be a bit grumpy in the mornings . . . and afternoons. I’m Willow by the way” she said in a cheery voice. “I’m Gus! Your family just moved to Gravesfield right? said the young man sitting next to Willow. “You’re going to need someone to give you a run down of what you need to know abouts Gravesfield. But never fear Gus is here.” Boasted the youth before proceeding to give the transfer student a rundown. 

“The first thing to know is that Gravesfield athletes are mini celebrities in town. If there is one thing Gravesfield High is known for it would be our sports teams. And because there is only one high school everyone in town gets pretty into it.” explained Gus with excitement but before he could continue the school principal called for everyone's attention the gymnasium became quiet.

“Now that we have heard from our athletes who will be representing our school out in the field it is time to hear from our student council.”exclaimed principal Bump as a small group of students made their way to the center of the gymnasium. 

Rather than applauding the student body stayed quiet as the youths continued to make their way to the center. There were only three of them but their presence  alone commanded the attention of every individual in the gymnasium. 

“Oh boy” mumbled Amity too herself as she saw her two siblings take center stage along with their best friend hunter. 

The three stood in a line facing the other students with Hunter in the middle with Edrick to his left and Emira to his right. The tension in the gymnasium had started to increase when without raising his voice Edric said “Hey” giving the students a sly smile. Without any warning the entire gym burst into a cacophony of cheers. Which only intensified when Emira gave them a wink.

“They really are popular aren’t days,” noted Willow as she looked at Amity who was trying to shrink into herself from embarrassment. 

“This must be really weird for you to see huh?” shouted Gus  over the crowd to the transfer student. “ Yeah, if the athletes are celebrities then the members of the student council are royalty.” said Gus before pausing for dramatic effect.

“The twins are Edric and Emira Blight. Edric is the treasurer and Emira is the vice president. They are on the top of their class, always the leads in any school play, and probably the most charismatic people you’ll ever meet. Also if that name sounds familiar it’s because more than likely your parents bought your new home from their mom Odalia Blight. She is the most well known real estate agent in the area. Not only that but their family also owns a security company.You might have seen some homes with a sign that says “protected by Blight security." 

"Some? Don't you mean all? Every building in Gravesfield uses Blight security. And aren't you forgetting one very important Blight?" Added Willow as she nudged her head towards Amity.

"Oh right Amity is also a Blight and she has the top spot in the freshman class she's als…"  

"That's ok no need for my resume " Interrupted Amity with a face that shows equal amounts of annoyance and embarrassment. 

"Suit yourself " shrugged Gus. "Anyway the blond guy between the twins is the school president Hunter Wittebane. If he looks familiar it's because he's on all the promotional posters with his uncle Mayor Belos. He is the most influential man in Gravesfield and Hunter will definitely follow in his uncle's footsteps. He is the captain of all the boys sports teams as well as the debate club, book club, and history club. Honestly he’s a very intimidating guy if you think about it.” mused Gus. 

“You know there’s a lot of rumors of how he became school president during his freshman year. They don’t normally allow freshmen to run.” puzzled Willow not asking anyone in particular but was loud enough for other students to hear and joined in the conversation. 

“I heard his uncle threaten the school” said a girl sitting in the row under theirs. 

“I heard the twins charmed the school principal to let him run,” said the girl next to her. 

“I heard a rumor that people added his name to the ballot when they heard he was dating one of the twins.” said a boy from somewhere above them. 

“I heard he was dating both” shouted someone else from a distance. 

“Silence,” a commanding voice rang through the gymnasium as all the students fell quiet. Hunter had stepped up to the mic and was now scowling the students in front of him. 

“Thank you,” he said in an almost gloating tone with a smug smile on his face. 

“It's good to see that everyone is so excited about school.” whispered Emira giving Hunter a sly smile causing him to roll his eyes. 

“As you all know we are the current members of the student council. We are here to let you know elections will be coming up soon and we encourage anyone interested to go run for a position in the student council. Just know that we will also be running to keep our positions. Now if you excuse us we have work to do.” boasted Hunter before turning on his heels and making his way out of the gym.

The twins waved goodbye to the crowd causing the gymnasium to erupt into a fit of cheers which could be heard even after they had left the gymnasium. 

"Do you two always have to be so extra?" Mumbled Hunter as he walked down the hallway. 

"Oh don’t be like that Hunny" said Edric as he put an arm around Hunter and gave him a flirtatious smile.

"Yeah it's not our fault that the crowd loves us." chimed in Emira as she clinged to Hunter’s arm.

“Yeah right and don’t call me Hunny” scoffed Hunter who by now should be used to the twins' shenanigans but they always found new ways to annoy him. 

Both twins let go of Hunter at the same time and let out a gasp as they feigned being shocked. “But you used to love us calling you Hunny” Groaned Edric while pretending to cover some tears. 

“Our little Hunny is growing up. He's embarrassed of us now.” said Emira as she mimiqued her brother’s reaction.  

Hunter let out a long sigh as he looked at his best friends pretending to cry. Even knowing there were no tears there he just could not bear the thought of upsetting them. These two had been his best friends, his only real friends since pre school. Because his uncle was such a powerful and influential man many people tried approaching Hunter as a means of getting close to his uncle. He understood that the twins felt the same because of how often people approached them for their families business connections and wealth. Then there were those who were too scared to approach any of them because they found them intimidating or just out of reach. 

They had never cared about who his uncle was just as he did not care about their families business.  He just couldn’t imagine what his life would be like if they hadn't approached him on their first day of pre-school.

The twins had stopped pretending to cry once they saw the expression on Hunter’s face. “Hey you ok?” asked Emira, genuinely concerned as she approached Hunter.

“If it bothers you that much we’ll stop” sniffled Edric as real tears were threatening to break through. 

Hunter looked at the pair and could not help himself from smiling appone seeing their grief stricken faces. These were his favorite people in the world just as they were the most annoying.

 “I hate you guys.” said Hunter with a smirk. 

To this both twins lit up and latched on to either one of his arms as they continued walking down the hallway before saying in  unison “Aww we love you too Hunny.”  

“Stop calling me that” demanded Hunter as he let himself be pulled away by the two.

#toh fanfic #the owl house #emira blight #huntmira #huntmiraweek2021 #edric blight #amity blight #willow park #gus porter #toh hunter #gravesfield #goldric

[thorns-and-rosewings]

Sooo... After a bit of internal debate I've pretty much decided what the hell and I'm going to list a few facts from the Owl House / Gargoyles AU I mentioned a while ago. I might write a few stories and do some art for it as well because the idea isn't leaving me alone. Hope y'all enjoy these, I think they're kinda fun. Although this will be a long post because I can never not write long things...

---Gargoyles in the Boiling Isles...

1. Gargoyles are not an uncommon species in the Boiling Isles, like witches and demons they have magic bile sacs attached to their hearts and can perform magic.

2. However, unlike the previously mentioned species the entire race is widely believed to be inherently bad at using most types of magic. The only exceptions for this tend to be the Construction and Beast Keeping Covens. For a Gargoyle to join a different Coven, let alone have the talent to do so, is very unusual. (The Blights are unusual)

3. Due to these stereotypes, Gargoyles are mostly employed as security guards, bouncers and bodyguards for the Covens while there are also many who work at other non magical jobs.

4. There are special talismans that can allow Gargoyles to stay awake during the day, but they are massively expensive. $$$$

------The Clawthorne Sisters...

1. Eda and Lilith are part of the .001 percent of Gargoyles who are not only able to use magic well but are superior to most demons and witches as well.

2. Eda is still cursed, but a cursed Gargoyle always displays the unusual side affect of being able to stay awake during the day without the use of a talisman. A bizarre gift that always goes hand in hand with the curses.

3. Lilith was given a talisman upon her joining the Emperor's Coven, so she wouldn't be troubled by stone slumber while fulfilling her duties with the Coven.

4. It was outright shocking that the Emperor's Coven allowed Lilith to join. But given that Belos only cares about an individuals talent not their species it should further state the raw talent the Clawthorne sisters have.

-------Luz......

1. Luz, during her first few weeks with Eda was practicing with some of the glyphs in the woods, noticed a weird mirror seemingly embedded in a tree. After a moment a strange Faerie like being came out of the mirror and casually starts up a conversation. They talk for a while before Luz mentions how she admires and wants to be like Eda... To which this being smiles and agrees that 'Would be fun.' To which the next thing Luz recalls is becoming light headed and falling to the ground. Only the next thing for her to be aware of is King and Eda shaking her awake. And she is no longer human, but a Gargoyle...

2. Well, she's a Gargoyle at night. She morphs between being a human during the day and a Gargoyle at night. Much like Demona. Only unlike Demona, the process is mostly painless and doesn't wreck her clothes during the transformation.

3. Needless to say Luz can't exactly go home like this and the mirror disappeared after she fell unconscious. So she needs to find a way to undo whatever spell was put on her.

4. Puck is a fun-loving asshole.

5. Pucks spell might have something to do with the creepy Luz.

------The Blights....

1. The Blights also fall into the unusual category of Gargoyles. Not only because of their talent with magic and building it into a successful business... But also because their relationship has long since fallen apart in spite of how Gargoyles usually only choose one mate a lifetime. Both Odalia and Alador stay together strictly for appearences only... Especially considering their previous attempted divorce got so ugly that it became one of the very few civil cases to end up needing to be mediated by Emperor Belos himself...

2. That ended badly...

3. They both lost their composure and had a screaming match in front of Belos. Only ending when the Emperor had enough and told them to figure this mess out for themselves. As he was supposed to be mediating a divorce not watching two fools embarrass themselves in front of him. They were so embarrassed they opted to stay together only to show they worked out their problems.

4. The home life for their kids is toxic.

Ok so I am going to split this into two posts because it would be just WAY to long to post otherwise...

#The Owl House #The Owl Lady #Eda Clawthorne #Lilith Clawthorne #Gargoyles #Disney Gargoyles #AU #Boiling Isles #Amity Blight #Luz Noceda #Luz the Human #Gargoyles Puck #Puck #Stoneheart AU

[e350tb]

The Owl House: A Blight on Gravesfield (Chapter One)

One

An uninvited guest arrives at the Noceda residence.

Right, settle down everyone, time for a history lesson.

No, no, please save the questions for the end of the class.

At the beginning of the seventeenth century, English settlers - note the terminology there, English, not British, the Act of Union doesn’t happen for another hundred years. Anyway, English settlers started to cross the Atlantic in earnest to colonise what we now call the eastern seaboard of the United States. While Englishmen liked to claim they weren’t motivated by the same ‘base’ desires as the Spaniards in Central and South America, generally speaking, colonists were motivated by the same three things as the conquistadors.

There’s our key words - glory, God and gold.

Not literally gold - the hopes of gold nuggets on shores of Virginia didn’t bear fruit - but commodities. Beaver pelts and tobacco, things you couldn’t get in Europe at the time. The trade in rare goods and eventually humanity would enrich both colonists and their backers for the next two hundred years. They also served as breeding grounds for religious dissent.

Ah, dissenters. We’ll come back to them, because they’re much more interesting than they sound. 

By the 1630s, the colonies in Virginia and Massachusetts are fairly well established, and people are spreading out in search of more land. If you’re a settler in Massachusetts and you want to find a new patch of land away from everyone else, well, Connecticut’s right there.

There’s a lot of debate over which town is the oldest in Connecticut - traditionally, it’s Wethersfield. But a few academics have argued that that laurel belongs to a different township - the one in which we are gathered today.

Which brings us to 1635, and the establishment of Gravesfield by ten men who had wandered over from the Colony of Massachusetts Bay. Perhaps no town in the state has as much weird colonial lore as us.

And how much of it is true?

Well, that’s for historians to work out…

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It all began on a dark and grey autumn day.

When something happens in a small town like Gravesfield, it gets everyone’s attention. About two weeks ago, for example, the curator of the local historical society had been arrested, fined and fired for trespassing, and it was still the talk of the town. They whispered about it in the cafes, shared articles in the offices, and presented wild, unsubstantiated theories about it on local talk radio.

“So you’re saying that we can’t trust historians?”

A few drops of rain rapped against the window - it was one of those days where it doesn’t rain, but it gusts heavily, and droplets are caught in the wind. The kitchen was dark; light shadows danced on the wall, and the illuminated numbers on the microwave seemed almost brilliant in the gloom. It very much matched the mood.

“Look, Kerry, I’m not sayin’ all historians are bad, but you gotta listen to some o’ these people; the things they say about Jefferson n’ Washington n’ all them folks. They get their kicks on bein’ right and tearin’ people down, this Hopkins fella probably wanted to prove something, and…”

Over the dim sound of the radio, one could hear the clock; tick, tick, tick, tick. Occasionally it was drowned out as a gust rattled the windows and doors, but the sound always returned, constant and ever present - tick, tick, tick, tick.

Time. Ever ticking, ever moment. Every moment, a moment stolen.

“And that was Marvin from Bridge Street. We’ll come back to that, but first the news on the hour. Brad?”

On the bench, next to the phone, stood a small picture frame, the glass slightly illuminated in the stormy afternoon light. To all the world, it showed a typical family - a man, a woman and a little girl. The man’s face was obscured by the light, but one could see the clear similarities in the faces of the mother and daughter.

Those that were here. Those that were now gone.

“The Los Angeles Police Department has announced an amber alert that was put into place several months ago has been withdrawn. In defiance of all expectations, a teenager, whose family has asked for anonymity, returned home over the weekend; two other missing girls, whose cases were connected to the teenager, remain missing at this-”

Camila Noceda turned off the radio.

She sat at the kitchen table, staring at the clock. It had been a long day. It had been a long few weeks.

Unlike those engaging in baseless speculation about the case of Jacob Hopkins, Camila knew exactly what had happened to the previously respected amateur historian. She could even tell you who the mysterious assailant who had beaten him up and left him for the police was; it was her.

She was quite happy to remain anonymous, too. She didn’t want any laurels, any radio interviews, anything like that. She didn’t want to be reminded of that day.

Not while Luz remained separated from her.

Everything about the situation boggled her mind. The Boiling Isles, the Owl House, Emperor Belos - they sounded like fantasy; even she’d thought they were fantasy to begin with. But the idea that they were real, and that her daughter was in such a dangerous world - willingly, no less - was absolutely terrifying.

The same words ran through her head, day in and day out.

“Staying here was the best decision I ever made…”

Had she really been that bad of a mother?

There was a strange thumping noise outside. For a moment, Camila ignored it, but then it came again, louder this time. 

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

It was like something was trying to break through a door.

Camila shot up - was it Vee? No, she was at school (where everyone still believed she was Luz - Camila swallowed the thought.) Was an animal trapped under the house - or had Hopkins started trapping them again? If he was, she was going to make their last encounter feel positively…

BANG!

Camila jumped. It was definitely coming from the front yard - this time it sounded a bit like a car backfiring, but much louder and much closer. The thumps were getting more frequent too, almost like a heartbeat - thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump!

She looked out the window.

There was… something swirling and morphing on the front lawn, trying and failing to manifest into a single unified shape. She could just about see the frame of a door, and a swirling landscape of… nothing behind. It almost hurt her eyes to look at. Yet she could just about swear she could see a silhouette through the shifting, swirling frame.

Luz!

She raced to the front door and threw it open, just in time for the door frame to settle - only a little, as the edges still twirled and twitched like a heart in cardiac arrest. The figure stepped forward, and Camila realised there was another held in her arms.

She stepped into the light, and Camila’s heart skipped a beat.

The figure was about Luz’ age, she reckoned - her hair was a bright purple, with edges of brown, and she wore what looked almost like a robe with purple sleeves and pants. Her eyes were a hazel brown, and her skin was pale - but more remarkable were her pointed ears.

And yet Camilia’s eyes focused on the limp form in her arms, her brown hair messy, her tan skin covered in cuts and bruises, and her breathing heavy and laboured.

The other girl spoke, her voice shaking.

“Are you Luz’s mom?”

Camila’s hands covered her mouth.

“Luz,” she whispered.

She was running before she knew it, sprinting over to the limp form of her daughter. She barely heard the other girl; she seemed to be babbling.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Emperor Belos, the golden guard, they-they came without warning a-a-and this was the only thing I could think of! Sh-she needs help but I don’t know…”

Camila took her from the girl’s arms, swiftly placing a finger on Luz’s wrist - a pulse, even and regular, if a bit shallow. Good sign, but she needed to get inside. She could go to pieces later; right now Luz needed her.

“It’s okay, mija, mami’s here,” she whispered. “We need to get you inside, come on…”

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know how to…”

Camila looked back at the girl as she turned to run inside.

“You can tell me about it later,” she said. “We need to lie her down.”

She raced inside - she thought she heard the girl sprinting after her - and ran into the living room, laying Luz down on the couch. Quickly she checked her temperature - seemed okay, but her skin was a little clammy. More important were the cuts and bruises. She needed bandages, and probably a hospital. She needed to call an ambulance, now, and…

“M-Ms. Noceda?”

The girl had arrived behind her - she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

“Can… can I try something?”

Camila opened her mouth to reply - what could she do? Luz needed a doctor! She needed a hospital, she needed…

Slowly, the girl stepped forward, standing over Luz’s unconscious form.

“Lilith said I wasn’t supposed to use this unless it was an emergency,” she said, “but I think this is an emergency, so…”

She touched her forehead to Luz’.

“With this spell declared… let the pain be shared.”

Camila stepped back, eyes wide, as both Luz and the girl glowed blue. The light intensified, and for a moment, she had to shield her eyes.

When she regained her vision, the girl was slumped next to the couch, sweating and breathing a little heavily; but Luz looked noticeably healthier, and many of the worst cuts and bruises were gone.

“What…”

“I shared the pain,” the girl said woosily.

“I… you could’ve hurt yourself!” exclaimed Camila. “Y-you have hurt yourself! I…”

“Yeah?” The girl chuckled humourlessly. “It’s worth it… as long as Luz is okay.”

CRASH! BANG! THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD!

Camila jumped and turned around. Outside the door, she could just about see the magical doorway violently twitch and swirl, thrashing like a trapped, wounded animal. For a moment, it seemed almost to be in a state of rage, as if it would lunge at Camila in a last, desperate effort; for help or to main, she could not say.

Then there was a loud pop, and it was gone. It was as if it had never been there.

“Your… portal?” Camila said, her throat dry. “It’s gone.”

“I…” The girl had hobbled to her feet and was gazing outside to where the door had been. She swayed on her feet.

“Oh,” she said softly. “Oh, Titan.”

Like a puppet with its strings cut, she swayed and dropped to the floor.

Camila looked down at the two unconscious girls; she mopped her brow, forcing herself not to panic or cry. She needed to keep herself together, to make sure Luz and her - friend, maybe? - were okay. Then she could cry all she liked.

There was a knock, and Camila turned back to the door. There was another girl, one eerily similar to Luz, standing there - she looked deeply confused.

“Camila?” she asked. “I-is everything okay?”

Camila swallowed, wondering how she was going to explain any of this.

#the owl house #luz noceda #amity blight #camila noceda #vee #fanfiction #writing #a blight on gravesfield

[prinxlyart]

Oh thos warm moments of redemption hit me right in the feels >///<. (I'mma definitely gonna compile all your headcanons in one doc and you can't stop me!). Anyways, now getting back to lumity (prepare thyselve because I'm HUNGRY): How does the redeemed Odalia's relationship with Luz and Willow develop? And regarding our three girls in particular, how do they act right after their proposals, during the wedding and on their honeymoon?

(Lmao please, lord knows I’ll never put any of these into a doc)

Hmmm, that’s a really good question. Er, several questions. Imma go in order of how they were asked.

[tw: for mentions of severe depression /thoughts of suicide starting with bullet #4. I’ll be sure to add the warnings before and after the section as well. Please continue with caution.]

Blight Parents’ relationship with their daughters-in-law:

I think just due to how they got to where they are by this point, they both have a soft spot for Luz. She’s the one that reached out to them in the first place after all of their kids left the family. They feel a v specific gratitude towards her and Camila both because these humans work so hard to get shit done. It’s an admirable trait. One they’re glad the Nocedas aimed at them. It’s taken so much time and energy to get the Blights be, like. Tolerable people? And then even more to get them to actually act like parents.

I think at first, any time they’re unsure of how to act or react to a situation, they’ll go to Luz for guidance. They’ve gone their whole lives up until just a few years ago acting a certain way and just flipping all that? It can be difficult to break those habits. Any time they feel they should react in anger or irritation or disgust, they stop and think “no, wait. What would Luz/Camila do? Would they get mad...?” And they just give her a look of confusion and guilt before Luz mimes the sort of reaction that would be healthiest. Any time Amity catches them literally looking to Luz on how to act supportive she just rolls her eyes. They’re trying and that’s what matters.

I think at first they just don’t know how to interact with Willow. They apologized for how they treated her in the past at great length, but Willow just sort of nodded along quietly. They weren’t used to that sort of reaction (granted they’ve only just started doing this “apologizing” thing for a few months at this point in time. They’re still getting the hang of it). So they sit uncomfortably for a while until Willow sighs and sort of sits up straighter. She’d resolved to tell them about how their careless and cruel treatment of Amity was the first step in a chain reaction to Willow’s life becoming absolutely miserable for years to follow.

Not only was she forced to lose her best friend at that birthday party, but she had to do so in the cruelest way possible. Amity explained to her years back that she pretended to not like her because she couldn’t do magic to hide the fact that her parents threatened Willow. Because the Blights are supposed to be perfect. Amity has always been smart and she knew what would happen if she let it slip that they had threatened her. If Willow knew the truth, she’d tell her dads and her dads would try to confront them about it. It would end up turning into a scandal (although Amity admitted she wasn’t familiar with the word at the time; it was just one of those words she heard her mom use a lot for situations that were bad). So as a result of Amity doing her part to “protect” the Blight name, she shunned Willow from her life and broke both their hearts in the process.

[TW: discussion of severe depression and thoughts/intentions of suicide. If you’re in a vulnerable headspace right now, please scroll until you see the next notice signaling the end of the section. And please, if you’re struggling with depression and/or thoughts of suicide, please please please seek professional help.]

Willow recounts the years of endless bullying, not always by Amity’s new friends, but often by them. She tells them how Amity wouldn’t necessarily participate so much as observe with a carefully schooled expression. And then there were times when Amity did bully her, and that hurt so much more than everyone else combined. All so she wouldn’t be publicly shamed or get in trouble with her parents for associating with someone like Willow.

She tells them that it literally took Luz coming into their lives for any of that to change. Amity had turned 7 on the birthday she cut Willow out of her life, and they were 14 when Luz showed up. Half of Willow’s entire life up to that point had been friendless (or nearly friendless) and so severely bullied that she was actually debating growing a Graveleaf plant to brew tea with. She still has to take a daily healing potion prescribed by her doctor to keep her mind from falling back to that same state it used to be in. Yes, her life has greatly improved ever since Luz showed up and helped repair her friendship with Amity. Yes, it’s only gotten better since then. Yes, she loves her fiancées with everything she has. But that doesn’t mean all that pain has suddenly been erased and it doesn’t always stop her brain from sinking back into its depressed state.

Needless to say, the Blights are absolutely floored with all of this information. They’re both frozen in shock, they don’t know what to do or say to such an admission. Willow just continues though. She tells them that she’s so grateful to have Amity back in her life. That with therapy, her daily medicine, and time, she’s come a long way from where she once was. Her bad days aren’t nearly as bad as they were when she was a kid. She has both of her fiancées to support her and love her when she’s feeling down. She tells them that no, she can’t forgive them for what they’ve done. But she accepts their apology and appreciates them making the effort to make things right. Seeing Amity happy because her parents are actually trying to be better makes Willow happy.

I think......Alador would be the one to go to Willow and kneel before her and take her hand, apologizing with as much intent as he can muster. He’s a little more in touch with his emotions these days than Odalia is, and he’s lost a family member to suicide before. He knows how devastating it can be to everyone around them and he’s mortified at the fact that Willow had almost done the same. He understands how much she means to Amity and he comes to the realization mid-apology that he could have very well lost his own daughter in a similar fashion had Willow gone through with that. Odalia goes white as a sheet at hearing that, steadying herself in her chair and it makes Willow feel queasy, but she’s glad that he understands the severity of what they’d done. She does put a hand to Alador’s shoulder to comfort him as he reels from this realization and he stands properly again to wrap Willow in a hug as he cried, still muttering apologies through his tears. I think it takes a while for Odalia to be able to speak again, but Willow is able to see that that struggle means it’s rocked her to her core. Once Odalia is able to also stammer out her own apologies, Willow just gives her a small smile and nods.

[END OF SECTION. Now it’s all fluff from here on out. Have fun, kids.]

After that discussion, Alador and Odalia double down on the whole “being better” thing. During one of their weekly tea meetings, they ask Camila how they might start doing that in their daily lives too, not just for their children. Camila doesn’t know the first thing about their jobs or what they do or the people they work with, so she tells them to make a list of things they can think of that might’ve been considered hurtful to some degree. The tea definitely goes cold long before the list is done; Camila actually needs to leave before they finish it. The next meeting, there’s a comically large scroll of shit they’ve done sitting on the table and they are sitting with their heads cowed in shame. I think Camila pops an ibuprofen before her headache settles in.

They still don’t know how to do nice things without throwing money at it first. That takes a while for them to wrap their heads around. Luz and Willow aren’t ones for like. Big, extravagant, expensive things. They prefer the heartfelt stuff, like hand-made gifts or thoughtful acts of service. (Amity, however, insists they accept her parents ridiculously expensive weekend getaway trip to the Iliac Crest Hot Springs; the top of the left hip bone of the Titan. A well-known vacation spot for romantic getaways. Willow only accepts because she knows they’d never be able to afford that on their own and Luz accepts it as a wedding gift and an opportunity to go to a part of the Boiling Isles she’s never explored before.)

Alador is like every dad ever; he loves talking about random trivia shit to anyone who will listen. Luz is literally the only person that will listen because even though she’s lived in the Demon Realm for years now, she still doesn’t know all the “fun facts” that everyone else has grown up with. Sometimes she’ll bring up points about random trivia bits Alador is going on about and put in her own two snails about something she’s experienced regarding it, and she and Alador will go back and forth for a while like that, talking about the stuff they’ve experienced relating to that thing. Willow thinks it’s adorable and Amity is mostly just exasperated (but she also thinks it’s cute and she loves watching her dad bond with her fiancée like this).

Odalia will occasionally ask Amity about her abominations and they’ll sort of awkwardly talk for a while about the technicalities and ingredients and Odalia will mention adding an ingredient Amity’s never even considered before. When she inquires further, Odalia tells her that she’ll sometimes work with a friend in the Emperor’s coven that specialized in the plant track to experiment with creating abominations with different kinds of ingredients for different tasks. Amity is shocked and impressed to hear about her own mother mixing magic and teases her for breaking the rules right under the emperor’s nose. Odalia stammers at that (she’s still getting used to Belos no longer being in power and the stigma against mixing magic still runs strong in her mind), but eventually admits that yes, technically she’s mixed magic. Amity makes her promise to show her how with Willow and they make a whole day of it.

Spending the day making weird abominations with Odalia Blight was Not something Willow thought she’d ever say she’d done, but hey. She didn’t think King could beat Luz in that one eating contest either because where does he put all that food, but he ended up winning anyway. Willow and Amity are actually super excited to try mixing their knowledge of magic together; it almost feels intimate in a way. It’s something neither have tried before and are able to try for the first time together because it’s their specialties. Odalia guides them through the process of mixing different types of plants into the abomination mixture to make abominations specific for extra strength or abominations that help enhance healing magic just due to its properties. They all end up having a lot of fun that day, just making all sorts of varieties of abominations. By the time the day is done, they’re all covered in abomination goop because one of them accidentally exploded. Luz managed to get a picture of them all laughing together and covered in goop before they go to clean up. It’s one of her favorite pictures.

As time goes on, things get less and less tense between the Blight parents and Luz and Willow (especially with Willow). They grow more comfortable with being good parents, good people, and just kinder and more loving in general. There’s one day when the Blights come to visit and they greet each girl with a hug and kiss without really realizing it. They all go to settle down in the living room, but Amity’s still frozen at the doorway, covering her mouth and trying desperately to wipe away the tears that crept up at the display of affection. No one else had thought anything of it, but that was the first time her parents had shown the same and love and affection to both of her wives without any hesitation or fear of crossing boundaries. She cherishes the memory of that moment often.

Proposal Reactions:

I genuinely don’t know how these girls would propose to each other. There’s any number of possibilities; they’re all so creative. The part of me that wants to make funny cartoons would have them each scrambling to figure out the best way to propose to each other and getting into ridiculous hijinks when they try to get their friends’ help (Amity would ask Emira and Edric [and the detention gang by extension; Viney’s remained best friends with Jerbo and Barcus after all this time]. Willow I think would recruit Gus and oddly enough, Lilith [she sees Eda as too much of a mother to Luz to feel comfortable with asking her to help her propose to her daughter]. Luz would definitely ask Eda, King and Camila to help but regret it almost instantly). Of course everyone would end up tripping over one another and each proposal attempt would end in disaster but all three girls would see the resulting destruction (maybe several things on fire?) and just laugh their asses off. Because wow, this could’ve gone so much better, but hey, you guys wanna get married?

The sappy romantic in me tho. Would want them to discuss it thoroughly before hand; agree that yes they’d love to get married, they’re just not sure if it’s the right time. But Luz, being the person she is, would go and recruit everyone’s help in coming up with the best proposal ever. Willow and Amity are both busy with their respective jobs just enough to not notice all the scheming going on. And then one day when all 3 of them have the same day off, Luz takes them out for a fun day (whatever that entails; maybe a day at a carnival or just wandering around town or something). At the end of the day, she takes them somewhere significant (this could literally be anywhere, Grom Tree is a good place because of the view it has over the cliff’s edge, but yknow. Whatever suits their relationship as a trio) and everything is decked out in lights and decorations. And Amity and Willow are both stunned and enthralled by the display and they turn to see Luz down on one knee and holding two small boxes, holding one out to each of them and a super nervous smile on her face. Amity and Willow maybe accidentally tackle her to the ground when they tried to hug her.

During the wedding:

I think they’re all stressed during the wedding itself. They’re excited, of course, a whole ceremony dedicated to the three of them vowing to spend the rest of their lives together. They aren’t capable of imaging a life without each other at this point. But that doesn’t stop the nerves from settling in.

Eda’s constantly telling Luz to calm down before the ceremony actually begins; Luz is found pacing and coming up with doomsday scenarios out loud at light speed like she always does when she’s nervous. Camila and Eda are also nervous, but they’re doing their best to keep it together for Luz’s sanity. Camila’s making sure (with Emira, as Em is the Maid of Honor) that everything is going smoothly and according to plan. But she has similar nervous habits to Luz when she doesn’t have something to focus her attention on. She ends up fussing over Luz’s hair and getting rid of any imaginary wrinkles in her outfit, making sure her makeup is perfect until Eda tells her to quit treating Luz like a dress up doll. Eda’s really good at pep talks, even when she’s nervous, but she manages to calm both Nocedas down with her patented Soft Encouraging Voice.

Amity’s freaking out in her own way in a separate room with all of her girls (Emira, Skara, a fully and properly redeemed Boscha). She’s freaking out similarly to Luz in that she’s mumbling to herself all sorts of ridiculous what-ifs and wishing desperately that she could just be with Luz and Willow already because they bring her the most comfort. She’s not pacing like Luz though, she’s sitting while Emira and Skara do some intricate thing with her hair while Boscha’s doing her makeup but that doesn’t stop her from wringing her hands and bouncing her leg (something that Boscha has to tell her to stop doing every 30 seconds or she’ll mess up the makeup she’s doing). Emira’s giving her advice for every little “what-if” she can hear coming out of Amity, with some silly remarks from Boscha and Skara that actually puts Amity somewhat at ease. Having her girls acting calm and natural did help. She thanks them for doing as much at the reception.

Willow’s trying to get herself into game mode with a pep talk. No place for nerves, only well-thought action. She’s actually got Viney there with her (who had to kick Gus out because he was crying at just the sight of Willow in her wedding dress), as well as Bo and Kat (I think those are the names of the two healing track girls....someone tell me if I’m wrong, but I think Bo is the one in the Human Appreciation Society and I think Kat is the one with the glasses that played on Boscha’s team in the Grudgby match). Willow’s girls are all hyping her up like she’s about to enter a Grudgby match rather than a wedding ceremony, and the ridiculousness of it all is staving off her nerves. Viney’s also giving her own personal experience as advice; she may or may not have tripped during her own wedding and is making sure Willow knows how to avoid that at all costs.

I genuinely don’t know what the role of the Best Man is, but I know in one of my past headcanon posts I mentioned that both Edric and Gus are asked to fill that role (there’s no such thing as rules when you’ve got a human and two witches getting married on the boiling isles). I think while Emira and Camilia are helping their respective brides-to-be get ready, Edric and Gus are taking over making sure everything is running smoothly and all the guests know where to go. When they’re just sort of standing around and waiting for their next task, Gus starts tearing up again at the thought of Willow in her dress. Willow’s like the big sister he never had and now she’s getting married. Gus is constantly having to perform minor illusions on his face to make it look like he’s not about to cry or has already been crying. Edric hasn’t seen Amity yet, but he’s secretly doing the same thing whenever their minds aren’t preoccupied with whatever Event Tasks they need to focus on.

I think.....rather than a one-by-one thing, all three of our girls enter at the same time from different doors. Luz comes in from the left side door, Amity comes in from the right, and Willow comes in from the main entrance at the back. Luz is practically vibrating with nerves and excitement and the only reason she doesn’t run to the front to sweep her beautiful girls into excited, passionate kisses is solely due to her own mother’s iron grip on her arm as she walks her up. I actually don’t know if Alador has redeemed himself enough at this point for Amity to allow him to walk her up to the front, but I also think Edric would be too much of a mess to do so. I think a lifetime of keeping up a mask helps Alador maintain his composure long enough to get Amity up to the front and to take his seat before he lets the waterworks take over. I actually don’t know which of Willow’s dads would walk her up; we don’t know enough about either of them to make personality judegement calls. Whichever dad can hold it together for longer, probably.

Polyamory isn’t a new thing on the Boiling Isles; it may not be practiced as often among witches, but demons do it all the time, so the person officiating their wedding (it could be literally anyone, I have no idea. Maybe principal bump, just for funsies) knows exactly how this ceremony needs to go. They all planned beforehand exactly the order they’d kiss one another once they were proclaimed officially married: Luz would be too excited to wait and would kiss each of her girls first, Amity then Willow, and then Amity and Willow would share their own kiss once Luz had gotten that out of her system.

Honeymoon:

I don’t know enough about honeymoons to know if there’s a difference between a honeymoon and a normal vacation except Now You’re Married. Maybe they go on a grand expedition around the Boiling Isles? Maybe they honeymoon in the Human Realm? That’s exactly like the proposal situation; it could be literally anything. Far too many variables and ideas that could make it perfect for each of them. Hell, they could probably just say they’re going out and doing all sorts of stuff and actually just locking themselves in their house so they can just be together and relish in the relief of no longer needing to plan such a large and important event. They can just enjoy each other’s company as Wives now. I really don’t know.

Regardless of what they do, I think they’d be like any other person on their honeymoon: absolutely love struck and over the moon with how much they love each other. Sometimes they’ll catch one another staring and tease each other about it ( “awww you liiiikkkke meeee” “we literally just got married” “yeah I know but stiiiiiillllllllll”)

I actually don’t know what else you expect me to put here, so I guess I’ll just say they lived happily ever after, the end.

#prinxly inquiries #wam-hope #the owl house #willumity #luz noceda #willow park #amity blight #tw depression #tw mentions of suicide #only for a second tho the entire rest of this thing is so goddamn fluffy #this is another one of those hella long ones that took me all weekend to write lmao #y’all really know how to pull the super long headcanons outta me

[sepublic]

Best Dad Perry Porter

           Anyhow, I think Perry Porter is up there as potentially being one of, if not THE best parent in this show? At least, potentially tied with Eda?

           I say this, because the state of a kid is usually a reflection of their parent’s skills in raising them. And Gus… Gus is honestly one of, if not the most, well-adjusted characters in the show! In Episode 6, he says he knows what he’s good at- Gus understands himself well and has no reservations about who he is, no insecurity. He has the charisma and self-confidence to be a leader and even an MC at Grom, skills he no doubt picked up from Perry. And Gus… This kid CLEARLY loves and looks up to his dad and thinks he’s the coolest person ever, with how much he emulates Perry, and how seriously Gus treats his interview in Understanding Willow! He really wants to live up to his dad’s legacy, but it’s not out of some sense of expectation from his father, either… It’s all Gus’ genuine choice, I doubt Perry is putting him up to it!

           Because again… Gus is clearly happy with himself. He outright alludes to being proud of his Porter lineage, as Eda jokes about him being a dweebus- And Gus proudly asserts that he comes from a long line of dweebuses! He knows who he is, Gus has no shame and openly revels in it. And that… that says a LOT about Perry, probably- As a parent who likely engages with his kid often and lets him know about their family lineage. As someone supportive of Gus’ interests, because Gus has no reservations about his intrigue in human culture… And as someone who Gus actually admires and wants to live up to, not because anybody is expecting him, but because Perry is his own role model! It all points towards Perry being someone who reassures Gus on who he is, that he doesn’t have to be what he’s not for others, and that he can take pride in it…

           And, sure. We can all look at Something Ventured, Someone Framed. Gus has insecurities about being overlooked because he’s younger than the rest, and moved up a few grades. But the thing is… well, Gus is a person. Everyone is going to have insecurities, no matter how good their life is. He’s not perfect, he’s flawed just like anyone else, and I doubt it points towards any bad parenting of Perry’s anyway. While there is SOME social apprehension that Gus has over moving up multiple grades, it’s still a decision he’s continued to stick with. If the show’s handling of Willow’s discomfort in Abominations is any consideration, then if Gus genuinely had issues with being in a higher grade, we probably would’ve had this addressed and changed by now.

           But despite the drawbacks here or there, I think it’s a decision that Gus willingly made and accepted, and I don’t think he regrets advancing a few grades! It’s what he wanted, it’s just that in life, not everything is perfect, not even the best option… And even if it was, again. Gus is still allowed to feel imperfect about things. And as a parent, there’s only so much that Perry can do for his kid… And as it stands, I think he’s done a LOT. Because when Gus hijacks Perry’s broadcast in the season finale, bar some embarrassment… Perry doesn’t seem too upset? He’s a very accommodating and open-minded father, which likely relates to his profession. Not only that, but he allows Willow and his son to take over the broadcast, and his expression and body language clearly allude to Perry legit listening to what these kids have to say, and taking that into account.

           Like Eda, Perry is someone who knows that he doesn’t know everything, neither as an adult nor as a parent; And while he knows a lot more than his son and is the one meant to guide and educate him… Perry still recognizes the value and worth of what his son and another kid has to say. He knows that good information and points can come from anywhere, and he’s willing to listen and take into consideration, and seems somewhat convinced no less! I can see him encouraging and feeding into the rebellion against Belos…

          Not to mention, as a reporter Perry no doubt has taught Gus a lot about how to be critical of authority and information, to always question what’s given to you, and to think carefully about things and the way a situation presents itself! While it’s possible he was never given the chance to say so, it’s worth noting that Gus never expresses any of Belos’ propaganda as a fact he believes in- When even Willow briefly alludes to Belos’ way of magic being the ‘correct’ way, even after suffering from his system for a while. As a reporter, Perry has probably done at least some research and investigation, or is at least more aware of what the Emperor’s Coven does an outsider, than anyone else.

           So, we have Perry probably educating Gus on anything sus on Belos’ behalf… In addition to encouraging his kid’s interests, probably having caused them as well; I can see Perry’s reports on abnormal things here or there (like a giraffe sighting as evidenced by one background detail) leading to a discussion of humans, which sparked Gus’ curiosity. I can see Perry doing his own research for Gus’ sake… Maybe enjoying hobbies and mutual interests with his son as both a father and best friend! Because Perry is clearly someone that Gus feels safe around, that he can be open and completely honest. Gus was someone who lit up Willow’s life and made her feel so much better, prior to Luz’s arrival…

          And I think we can guess where Gus got these welcoming qualities from, that willingness to engage with others socially and get them to open up more about themselves. Reporters tend to be great listeners or are at least meant to be… And I can see Gus’ receptiveness contributing to his desire to create a space where others can feel heard instead of ignored, as he once did with the H.A.S.! Gus is a supportive kid, someone who gives a voice to others… We see this literally in Episode 6, when his spell amplifies the volume of Luz’s voice. And his illusions can buff up Willow’s plants as well. As the son of a reporter, he gives people a platform to speak on, as he encourages with King during Grom… Gus clearly embodies the best qualities of his father’s profession, so I think it’s safe to say that Perry has been an overwhelmingly positive influence in his life!

           Not to say that Perry CAN’T have his faults… But so does every parent, and I think Perry is doing an amazing job as-is. I suppose in many ways, he’s like Eda as someone who likely interferes with the Emperor’s Coven in their own ways, while allowing a kid to feel heard and listened to, while reminding them of their value as a person and helping them acknowledge and embrace who they are! Granted, Perry doesn’t exactly have much competition either… There’s the Blight Parents, who are objectively the worst. Then there’s Camila and the Park Parents… And while those latter options are no doubt amazing, kind, and considerate people –if their kids are any indication- admittedly their parenting has been marred by a bad decision here, or there… Camila wanted Luz to suppress herself, and Willow’s dads encouraged her to join Abominations instead of her Plant passions, because it had better opportunities.

           Which, that can be its own discussion entirely, on how Camila and Willow’s Dads truly want the best and would love to let their kids be who they are and self-actualize, but because of their position in society, they need to prioritize their kid’s success in life… Because it’s obvious that Luz and Willow regard their parents with a lot of love, and with good reason! I think that Camila and Willow’s dads are just stuck in a scenario where they used to be super-supportive of their child and still are… But pressure by the system mandates that they want their kid to be less lonely, and there’s not much they know or can do in this circumstance. That gets into the idea of how being an ideal parent is difficult, when in order to survive in a conforming system you have to play by its rules… And how a lot of people just don’t have the luxury nor privilege to be the best parents they can be.

           So, I guess that could open up for debate, the idea that Camila and Willow’s dads could be just as good as Perry, if in the same situation as him… And, I’m not exactly sure of Perry’s social standing, and I don’t know how well-off being a reporter is. But with the evidence as it currently is, with what we’re working with? I think Perry and Eda are tied and deadlocked as the best parents in this show… Just as Luz and Gus are among the most well-adjusted of the cast, all things considered! They’re both kids who uplift others… Fitting, given Luz’s associations with flight and Owls, amidst the way the show’s own opening initially frames her!

          And these two kids serve as a contrast to the Emperor’s Coven, with its gilded, angelic imagery and wings meant to uplift others above the rest to a heavenly degree… But it’s a false uplifting based on forced hierarchy and putting others down, while Gus and Luz allow others to self-actualize, fly free, and be who they truly are! You can tell their parents really tried and left their impact, huh? Obviously Luz and Gus are their own people with their own agency in who they become- But having a healthy environment and support network is ALWAYS helpful in allowing others to utilize that agency. And I think Eda and Perry did good, if not great, in giving their kids the platform and environment, the safety net needed, to work and make themselves into the best witches they can be!

#the owl house #owl house #the owl house perry #perry porter #the owl house gus #augustus porter #the owl house eda #edalyn clawthorne #speculation

[cxptain-rex]

Conflict {Commander Wolffe}

pairings: wolffe x reader

prompt: 25. “You’re the only one I wanna wake up next to.” 27. “Drop the attitude.” 29. “I’m worried about you.”

warnings: kinda angst

this was requested by @painkiller80 hope you like it hun! Enjoy XX

***

***

The mission failed.

You have been leading the 104th on the siege of Anaxes, Master Plo putting you in charge of his boys. Yet this particular mission set you on edge as you engaged Separatist forces blindly.

The loss had been devastating and the number of dead clones became too much for you to handle. Anger and fear travel through your veins like a fire licking up a tree. Destroying everything on its path. You only saw red when the droids kept gaining the upper hand.

A growl erupted from you as you advanced forward, walking and then sprinting. Slashing your way swiftly, block, deflect, slash and bury the blade of your saber on a droid. Repeat. The droids keeped advancing, this time surrounding you. The clones long forgotten.

“Fear is the path to the dark side.

Fear leads to anger.

Anger leads to hate.

Hate leads to suffering."

You listened to Yoda’s last advice and ignored it. Fear has taken you prisoner. Fear for losing your men. Fear for dissapointing your master. Fear for yourself. With a snarl you closed your hand making the droids crush into themselves.

The firing of the blasters has died. Regaining a bit of conscious you looked around. The battlefield beloes with smoke and fire. The 104th look at their Commander in disbelief perhaps in fear.

Meeting Wolffe’s worrying gaze, you roll your eyes as you unconsciousness envelops your senses. The last thing that you see is Wolffe running towards you as you collapsed amongst the remaining of the battlefield.

***

It’s been days since that happened. The 104th and yourself have been stationed on the newly remade Triumphant.

You spend your days meditating or trying to avoid the Wolf Pack. Said clones have become worried for you. They never saw you lash out on droids, not in the way that you did back on Anaxes. Wolffe stands amongst those who are worried for you. He couldn’t explain how his heart dropped when he saw you collapse. Or the way your fiery gaze drank him in, he shudders at the thought.

Wolffe took the freedom of telling Master Plo of your sudden actions. The Kel Dor knew that something had gone wrong when the gunship landed on the hangar of his cruiser. He saw Wolffe walk out with your limp form. He thought the worse and immediately felt guilty.

After that, you were sent by the medic who attended you to recover back to your quarters and that you did.

***

Days passed and you recoiled around your quarters. The fear of hurting someone being eminent to your thoughts.

A knock startled you. You thought wether to ignore it or take it. You elected to do neither and just watch the door.

“Commander” Wolffe

He stood outside of your door, it became something normal on these days. Wolffe would come, knock on your door, call you only to receive silence. Today it is no different as you don’t open the door. The trooper sighs looking down the ship’s floor.

Leaning forward he lays a hand on the door, “I know you’re in there Y/N. Let me in” he mumbles loud enough for you to hear. Nothing, you do not answer the door.

Wolffe takes a deep breath, he thought this through and now he doesn’t feel very sure about it. Until he parts his lips and words come barreling through.

"If you personify love even in times of trouble, of hardship or war, then you are truly one of the mighty. I see how no matter the stresses laid upon you, that you show more grace than many do in times of plenty. It is in those moments of pain and fear I see right to your soul and know that my faith in you, my love for you, is eternal.” Wolffe says looking around until he continues. “You are brave, kind, always giving of yourself. I want you to know that I will be the same for you; I will be your mirror, bring you what you give others, true love, the lasting kind.” He says closing his eyes, he doesn’t regret telling you how feels. He just wishes for you to react upon them.

“Cyar’ika, you’re the only one I wanna wake up to. I’m fighting this war to be by your side once it’s over” Wolffe mumbles one last time and he is sure that you just listened to him pour out what he feels.

The trooper walks away dejected, for he just spoke about his feelings. He broke hundreds of regulations just for you and yet you didn’t opened up.

***

Alarms scream all around the Triumphant. You run towards the bridge, R6 (your Astromech) follows you beeping erratically. You elect to ignore the droid as the doors open upon detecting you. Around the holotable stand Commander Wolffe and General Plo. They raise their gaze to meet yours as you stop infront of the table.

The blue light doesn’t make justice to cover the shadows underneath your eyes, the glow which always shimmers in you appears to be dying and you seem out of place but determined. “Master, what is going on?” Even your voice sounds different, not sweet anymore now it’s angry and raw.

The Kel Dor notices every detail that embrace you now and he fears. He fears for you and that perhaps you’ve lost yourself to the ties of the dark side. But hope, the small thing that makes wonders also clings to his heart. He knows you’re stronger than any of this.

“We’re being under attack, I need you and Commander Wolffe to guard the prisoner. Grievious is here for him” commands your Master. You nod turning away from the table to walk out of the bridge. Wolffe stumbles as he follows your retreating form.

You sprint towards the brig, the prisoner still there. “At ease, men” you say as the troopers guarding the brig salute you. The prisoner, a mere bounty hunter with a lot of information regarding the separatist forces. He was caught the same day you’ve had your outburst.

Wolffe catches up to you, easing his men to leave you and him. The Astromech following some seconds later, erratic beeps emerging from him directed towards you. As you turn around from looking at the prisoner you meet Wolffe’s gaze.

You remember what he said. Everything comes to you as a slap on the face. The man infront of you is in love with you and you’ve been nothing but downright rude. Now having you cornered down in the brigs only made things awkward. Wolffe clears his throat debating wether to speak or not.

You’re going to hurt him that voice again hisses around your mind, conflicting you. A snarl emerges as you shook your head. Push him away the voice whispers causing you to flinch as you feel something proding your mind. You walk towards the entrance of brig. The voice invading your thoughts growing louder.

“Commander Y/L/N”

“What is it?” You snap unconsciously.

Wolffe’s nose flares as you snap at him. The attitude oozes on your tone. He stands straight crossing his arms. “Drop the attitude” he snaps regaining your attention now. You watch as he stares at the floor in debate. “What I said, you can forget it” he says and your heart shatters.

You didn’t expected for this to happen, perhaps it’s easier this way. Wolffe is a caring man, your master’s voice reasons in your mind hitting you to the core.

Just like that, your facade drops and you sob. You cry for him. In seconds, Wolffe has his arms circling you. He pet yours hair softly, soothing your crying. “I’m worried about you” he mumbles as he kisses your hairline. You sniff laying your head on the crook of his neck. “I’m sorry for everything” you whimper nuzzling into the Commander’s warmth.

“Love, we aren’t perfect, but I'd follow you into hell if that's what it took to keep you safe. I am your protector as you are mine, one to shield the other.” Wolffe reassures cradling your face to clean your tears. Your eyes are filled with tears once again, your heart oozes with pain but it’s almost soothing. You feel as the pain leaves. “Thank you so much” you mumble ignoring the sound of blasters going off as the attack on the ship prevails. “I understand what you go through and I will stay with you” Wolffe reassures holding you.

A new warmth fills you as Wolffe tames the darkness which once surrounded you. Peace, something you haven’t felt in weeks engulfes you.

“Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum” Wolffe says as his lips meet your forehead. “I love you too, Wolffe” you answer closing your eyes as the darkness in you vanishes from your core. Wolffe is your balance as you feel the waves of darkness coward as you take a deep refreshing breath. You’re able to breath again, with your balance holding you high.

***

Author’s Note: Hi everyone, I’m sorry I haven’t been very active. My inbox is full with requests and I’ve been very busy with online school. I’ll do my best to keep working on this, don’t worry I won’t leave you guys without some content! As always I hope you enjoyed this piece. Reblog and like for more future content! You guys rock xx

#commander wolffe imagine #commander wolffe #commander wolffe x reader #cc 3636 #104th squad #104th attack battalion #wolfpack #master plo #tcw imagine #the clones #the clone wars #clone imagines #cxptain rex #adri answers

[creative-type]

wake from death (and return to life) iv

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22564141/chapters/53920291

Previous: https://creative-type.tumblr.com/post/621667466339385344/wake-from-death-and-return-to-life-chapter-iii

.

Kuina spent the next three days learning her way around Belo Betty’s ship. As promised, Dragon soon departed, disappearing like a mirage on a hot day, gone as if he’d never existed. He had been the one person who seemed to actually wanted Kuina on board, and with him gone Kuina felt quite alone. She spent her days doing what Lyudmila told her to do, when she told her to do them, fulfilling the obligation she had to the Revolution for getting her out of Loguetown and hoping it was enough to keep them from throwing her headfirst into the sea.

Practically speaking, that meant doing dozens of chores while Revolutionaries showed her the ropes. Literally. Kuina spent much of her time cleaning what needed to be cleaned, hauling what needed to be hauled, and mending what needed to be mended while learning the basics of sailcraft. Darareaksmey in particular seemed to take great delight in mocking Kuina’s ignorance, which according to the other crew meant she liked her.

The work was a welcome distraction, reminding Kuina of the menial chores she used to do around the dojo before she was old enough to learn the sword. And more importantly, the people around her liked to talk. The Revolution never openly discussed their plans when she was around, but Kuina was such a silent fixture that they seemed to forget when she was in the background swabbing the deck, or washing dishes, or whatever other odd job she’d been assigned at that moment.

What she learned was illuminating. Belo Betty wasn’t just some Revolutionary nobody—she was in command of the entire East Blue. The ship Kuina was currently on was hers, Dragon somehow able to manage travel by himself from the Grand Line for a mission of strategic importance.

Aria de Gris was another leader, but of only a single ship that had been damaged in the previous battle. She and a portion of her crew had joined with Betty to see Dragon back to the Grand Line and talk strategy. Dragon had never planned to return with them to the battlefield, his departure interrupted by Kuina’s sudden appearance.

It was childish, but Kuina bitterly wished he would have just taken her with her. She could feel Zoro’s lead stretching by the second, and the thought of falling even further behind made her want to pull her hair out.

The Army wasn’t even going to let her fight.

“Better,” Dara said as she inspected the rope she’d given for Kuina to practice her sailor’s knots. “This one almost looks like it’d hold together during an East Blue squall.”

If she was nervous about their nearing destination, she didn’t show it. With quick, nimble fingers she undid Kuina’s handiwork and returned the rope. “Now do it faster.”

Kuina grudgingly did as she was told. The noonday sun beat down overhead, cooled by a delicious sea breeze. After three days Kuina was almost used to the sway of the ship, but didn’t think she could ever feel comfortable surrounded by so many people crammed in such a small space. “I don’t know why you bother. I’ll be gone in a few days.” Kuina said.

“Pfft, you wouldn’t last a week on the Grand Line in your state,” Dara said. “You’re lucky you’re a quick study—it took Lizard three times as long to get half as good as you are now.”

“I can hear you,” Elizabeth said irritably as she passed out rations to Kuina and the women minding her. The galley had been made into a makeshift war room debating last-minute preparations for landing later that day, with Lyudmila given strict instructions to shoot Kuina if she went within twenty feet of its doors.

“I know,” Dara said breezily. “That’s why I said it.”

Elizabeth made a rude gesture that only made Dara laugh. Scowling, Elizabeth asked, “What are you even doing out here? Shouldn’t you be in the meeting? It sounded important.”

“Boss knows I don’t have the patience for that kind of stuff,” Dara said. “She’ll let me know what I need to know. This is much more amusing.” She turned her attention to Kuina. “Watch out, you’re tying it backwards again.”

Kuina gave it another attempt. “Where are we even going?”

Elizabeth and Dara exchanged looks before turning to Lyudmila, awaiting her judgement. Kuina held her breath, giving up on even the pretext of industry. Of everything she’d overheard, no one had breathed a word of their ultimate destination, let alone any details about the supposed war that was being waged there. The veritable brick wall only whetted Kuina’s curiosity.

Sometimes she regretted not reading the paper.

“You can’t keep it from me forever,” Kuina pointed out. “Is it Tolouse?”

Elizabeth let out a huff and turned away, giving a sarcastic wave as she walked back to the galley. “I’m not getting into trouble for this.”

“Coward!” Dara called before grinning at Kuina. “How’d you figure it out?”

“Been headed dead east for three days. There aren’t that many islands it could be,” Kuina said. She shrugged, picking at the ropes. “Besides, you hear a lot of interesting things from the pirates who come from that way. The king doesn’t seem all that popular—easy to stir up trouble there.”

“You’re half-right,” Dara said.

“Dara…” Lyudmila said in a warning tone.

“Fine, fine,” she said, flopping dramatically on her back, hands tucked behind her head. “The big fight’s over anyway. This is just a pitstop.”

“To switch ships?” Kuina said, glancing at Lyudmila. As always, it was difficult to guess what she was thinking, but she made no further effort to censure their conversation.

“And gather the rest of our crew, yeah,” Dara said. “Then we’re getting the hell out of this backwater and going back to where we belong. East Blue is bor-ing. Don’t know why Boss was so interested in coming, to be honest.”

There was a pause, and Dara turned over to her stomach, propping her head up on her hands. Her eyes flickered to Lyudmila, who shook her head slightly. She sighed. “Haven’t had a decent fight in weeks.”

“You just came from a war,” Kuina said, nonplussed.

“An East Blue war,” Dara corrected. “And thus one that was very boring. Everyone knows East Blue isn’t worth anything in a fight.”

Kuina smirked. “Maybe you haven’t been fighting the right people.”

The glint in Dara’s eyes turned wicked. “Sweetheart, I like you. In fact, I think you’re hilarious. But you underestimate the strength of the Grand Line, and it’s going to get you killed if you’re not careful.”

“Maybe, but all I’ve heard is a lot of talk without anything to back it up,” Kuina said.

“That’s bait,” Dara said, grinning, “and I’ll not bite—Oh hello there, Boss. How’s tricks?”

Kuina didn’t jump, but her hand did move instinctively to her katana as de Gris exited the galley, breaking away from a cluster of Revolutionaries exiting the war room to approach them. She acknowledged Dara’s greeting with a nod. “The situation’s changed.”

Lyudmila went very still, while Dara and Kuina exchanged confused looks. “How do you mean, Boss?” Dara asked.

“Reinforcements arrived before the Revolution could completely secure their defenses. They punched a hole through our line and recaptured the armory, jammed communications, the works. We’re lucky Trini was able to get a message through at all. It sounds like the situation’s hot and not in our favor.”

“What?!” Dara exclaimed. “We had the city completely taken! Their king was in chains.”

“Not anymore,” de Gris said.

Dara jumped to her feet. “What about the rest of the crew?”

“As far as I know they’re fine, but we’re going to need all hands on deck if we’re going to scrape out a win.” She looked down at Kuina, the scar running down her cheek pulling her mouth into an unhappy grimace. “Alright, Swordsman. Time for you to put your money where your mouth is.”

Far above them, the Revolutionary flag snapped proudly in the wind. Eyes narrowed with suspicion, Kuina tried to discern the older woman’s intentions. “You’re going to let me fight?”

“I need to make sure you’re good enough to not die. Big difference.” With a whisper of steel, de Gris unsheathed her sword. “Prove to me there’s some bite behind all that bark.”

Beside her, Dara paled. “Boss, you can’t be serious…”

“It’s just a skill check. I need to know what level she’s at, and this is the easiest way to do it.”

They didn’t think she could win. Kuina threw the rope she’d been working on aside and climbed to her feet. Bowing slightly to de Gris, she said, “I’m honored to accept your challenge.”

“What are you, some kind of samurai?” de Gris paused to fish out a cigarette, putting it to her lips and lighting it one-handed. “You have till I finish this to show—”

In a flash her blade was up to meet Kuina’s. Even holding it one-handed, de Gris was able to effortlessly stop the full weight of Kuina’s blow. Dara and Lyudmila scattered as a cat’s grin stretched across de Gris’ face, smoke curling from the end of her cigarette. “Not bad, not bad at all. And here I thought you were nothing but dojo trash.”

She pushed Kuina back, and for a moment the two circled one another, each trying to get a measure of their opponent. Kuina was vaguely aware that they had attracted the attention of the rest of the Revolution, and saw Lyudmila whispering fiercely in the ear of Belo Betty.

“Eyes on me, kid!” de Gris shouted before exploding in a flurry of strikes. Her movements were unlike anything Kuina had ever seen. With impossible quickness she closed the distance between them. Her footwork, the angles she used to attack, were all new and unfamiliar. Kuina, used to fighting against sabers and katanas, was quickly driven to the defensive, each reaction a heartbeat too slow to do anything else as she tried to process the foreign fighting style.

De Gris moved with liquid grace, reminding Kuina more of a dancer than a swordsman as she fought. Each step was economical and precise, her blade flashing from every angle, seemingly simultaneously. Kuina was forced to take a step back, then another, but was quickly running out of room to retreat.

But even as she was being driven back, Kuina began to sense the pattern in her steps, the method to her mad dance. The rapier a piercing weapon. It depended on thrusts and parries over slashing attacks. The blade didn’t have the mass to manage a single, crushing blow, relying instead on speed and precision.

Well then. It was time to disrupt de Gris’ timing.

Kuina feinted a forward thrust, and in the half-second it took de Gris to defend jumped backward onto the ship’s railing. A ripple of surprise rose through the crowd as she ran across the iron rails until she reached the middle of the ship, leaping toward the boom of the foremast.

“Very impressive, if you’re a monkey,” de Gris called. “But I thought you were going to fight—”

But Kuina didn’t stop. She caught an unsecured line and used her momentum to swing behind de Gris, aiming an attack at her exposed back. As expected, de Gris was able to evade with ease, and the bones in Kuina’s arms jolted with the force of her blade cutting through the deck before somersaulting back to her feet.

“You don’t like giving people time to talk, do you,” de Gris said. “And you do realize we have to actually sail on this ship, right?”

“Send me a bill,” Kuina said, grinning wildly. She pulled her sword from the wood in time to deflect de Gris’ rapier, melting from defense to offense as she tried to use their reversed positions to force de Gris into the same limited space she had just escaped from.

It was damnably difficult. De Gris wasn’t the strongest opponent Kuina had faced, but she was the most technically proficient. It had been years since Kuina had needed this level of focus in a fight, and she could feel the rust in her movements.

Without even realizing it, she’d let herself grow complacent, and de Gris was exposing that weakness now.

All the more reason to get to the Grand Line as soon as possible. The East Blue had nothing more to offer her. On the world stage it was nothing, which meant she was nothing...

Blood roared in Kuina’s ears as she failed to get anywhere near de Gris. Kuina took greater risks, forced her body to move all the faster to match her opponent’s feline grace. De Gris’s thin, weightless blade was no match to Shimotsuki steel, and Kuina put the full weight of her rage behind each attack.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she registered a flicker of surprise in de Gris’s eyes a moment before Kuina’s blade clashed against her own. With a quick flick of the wrist Kuina batted it aside, just as de Gris had done at the start of her fight, using her own momentum against her to gain inside position.

Kuina attacked without thinking, and she was lucky de Gris was as fast as she was. Her blade passed by the tip of her nose by a hairbreadth, slicing what was left of her cigarette down to the pale orange filter.

The silence couldn’t have lasted for more than a moment, but it felt like it captured an eternity. De Gris’s eyes followed the path of the still-burning cigarette now rolling down at their feet. She sighed, sheathing her sword and said, almost to herself, “Is that all?”

“What do you mean?” Kuina demanded. “Clearly I—”

“You had until the cigarette was gone to show what you were made of. Well, time’s up. This fight is over.”

“You’re just scared because I was winning,” Kuina said.

The words struck a nerve. A muscle in de Gris’s jaw twitched and her nostrils flared slightly as the air around her shifted, circling like the winds of a hurricane with de Gris as its malevolent eye. Kuina shifted back into a defensive stance, keeping half an eye on Belo Betty. The Revolutionary commander had her arms crossed over her chest, flag nowhere in sight.

“You really thought you had a chance,’ de Gris said. “You couldn’t feel the distance between us.” She shook her head in disgust. “And you call yourself a swordsman.”

She reached for another cigarette, paused to take a deep drag. When she finally looked at Kuina, she saw nothing but contempt.

“Hit me with your best shot, kid,” Aria de Gris said, raising her sword in languid challenge. “I’ll show you how much you have yet to learn.”

Kuina’s grip on her sword tightened. The blood boiling in her veins had calmed enough for her to realize she’d said a very stupid thing when surrounded by a ship full of enemies who likely wanted to kill her, but she wasn’t afraid of de Gris or her sword, and her pride refused to back down from such a grievous insult.

This was her chance to prove herself to these people.

Kuina took a deep breath, steadied her racing heart. She could feel the power around de Gris. The older woman was settled, like a table with a low center of gravity. She wouldn’t be easily overturned, but Kuina was confident. She was ready. She had trained her whole life for this moment, for the chance to be acknowledged as a skilled swordsman and not just a little girl playing with a blade

Her father once said that a true warrior wielded the blade of ten thousand men. Maybe she wasn’t there yet, but she was worth more than this one.

Kuina lifted her katana above her head, ready to end this in one strike. “Thousand man—”

De Gris was inside her guard before she could finish speaking.

Kuina moved on instinct, but de Gris batted her sword aside as if it were an inconvenient fly. With her free hand she reached inside the long coat hanging from her shoulders. In one fluid moment she pulled out a gun, cocked it, and pushed the cold metal barrel under Kuina’s chin.

It was horror in slow motion. Kuina flung herself back just as de Gris shouted, “Dara, now!”

An unseen force plowed into the back of Kuina’s knees. She crumpled face-first into the deck, white light flashing across her vision as her forehead cracked against the wood. Attempts to roll away were stopped by a pressure against the wrist of her sword hand and a vice-like grip around her ankles.

Kuina looked up to see Aria de Gris’s foot on her wrist and her gun between her eyes. Twisting frantically, Kuina couldn’t help but let out a yelp of alarm that Darareaksmey’s arms, head, and torso had her legs pinned firmly to the ground, the rest of her body seemingly melded with the deck.

“What the hell?!” Kuina exclaimed. “This was a duel! You...you cheated!”

“It was a skill check,” de Gris said flatly. “Do you think people in a war are going to line up for you all nice and neat, one at a time? Do you think they’re going to play by some arbitrary rules?”

She lowered her gun and sheathed her sword. “I’ve no use for a soldier with more ego than common sense. I don’t care how big a hot-shot you were in your little backwater dojo. In the real world, you aren’t worth shit.”

Xxx

“You know, you don’t have anything to be ashamed of. I’ve not seen anyone do that well against the boss in, well, a long time.”

“Please stop talking, I am begging you.”

Kuina ground the heels of her palms against her forehead, hoping to counterbalance the terrible pounding currently beating against the inside of her skull. She’d suffered from headaches on and off since being pushed down the stairs of her father’s dojo, and falling face-first into the deck had triggered a monster between her temples.

Dara was undeterred. “I wondered why Dragon wanted you so bad, but I can definitely see it.”

The island of Toulouse was a tiny speck on the horizon. With a favorable wind at their back, they’d soon arrive at the near-hopeless battle. Kuina didn’t know what was going to happen to her once they did, and worse, she didn’t care.

With the change in situation, Lyudmila had been relieved of babysitting duty in favor of joining the rest of the ship’s leadership in their makeshift war room. The mood of the Revolution had shifted, men and women moving with increased urgency as they sharpened weapons, prepared guns, and tried to coax every bit of speed from the brigantine, their faces drawn in grim, serious lines. Every once in a while a bark of nervous laughter would punctuate the air like cannonshot, but it was quickly hushed. Everyone knew that the situation was dire.

Dara, whose disregard for meetings extended even when the Revolution was on the verge of defeat, had taken over Kuina-watching duty. But even her enthusiasm had its limits, and every few minutes she would look out at the approaching island, squint as if she were trying to suss out the enemy position on that tiny black speck, her knee bouncing with nervous energy.

“Wonder what Boss will have you do,” she said absentmindedly.

“Probably nothing,” Kuina said. “You heard her: She’s got no use for me.”

Dara snorted. “Oh, please. Compared to the trouble I got myself into when I first joined, that was nothing. It’s an, ah...learning process. Being part of a group, I mean.”

That wasn’t very reassuring, but Kuina had no desire to argue. “What the hell was that trick you did, anyway? I never saw you coming.”

“Oh, my devil fruit?” Dara said, eyes brightening. She raised an arm, and in the time it took Kuina to blink, the space from her hand to her elbow went paper thin. The change was so sudden, so utterly bizarre, that Kuina couldn’t help but recoil away from it. Dara laughed, and just as quickly put her arm back to rights again.

“Flat Flat Fruit,” she explained. “Not much good for fighting, but sneaking around? Easy-breezy.”

“Just how many devil fruit users are on this ship?” Kuina asked.

“Right now? I don’t know everyone on Betty’s crew, but I think it’s just three. Once we hook up the rest of the crew there’ll be a couple more to show you.” Another squinting look at the horizon, more bouncing of her knee.

There was a comfortable lull in the conversation while Kuina massaged her aching head. A gull screeched overhead, making at least one Revolutionary jump. The moment quickly passed, and Dara slapped her palms against her thighs. “Well, I need to get ready. You just brought that backpack with you, right? You don’t have any armor or anything to put on, just in case?”

Just her mask. Kuina lugged herself to her feet and followed Dara belowdecks. For the first time, no one was paying attention to her, the Revolutionaries too busy with their own preparations. Kuina was glad to be invisible once more. Despite Dara’s reassurances, shame coiled around her belly, constricting like a snake squeezing the life out of its latest meal. It was impossible to walk with her head held high after her disgraceful performance. De Gris’s voice echoed in her mind, conflating with the voice of countless others she’d heard since childhood. The scar that drug across her chest pulsed with her head, bringing to the forefront the weakness she thought she’d long ago left behind.

You aren’t worth shit.

The words were short, concise, and painfully blunt, but they were also the truth. And for that, she had no one to blame but herself.

They passed by Elizabeth’s little workshop on the way to their quarters. When she saw the door was open, Dara paused to poke her head inside. The assistant cook was deep at work dividing what appeared to be dozens of firecrackers into different piles.

“Hey Lizard, got any goodies for me?” Dara asked.

Elizabeth didn’t look up from the task in front of her. “On the back shelf.”

Dara clasped her hands in front of her gave Elizabeth a tiny, mocking bow that was returned with a raised middle finger.

“Gracious as always,” Dara said once she returned to Kuina’s side. “C’mon, we’re wasting daylight.”

“Is she…?”

“Our munitions expert?” Dara said. “Yes. Yes she is.” She hugged a little baggie close to her chest like it was a lover. “Her food might be garbage, but I’m pretty sure that’s because she’s testing some new long-acting poison without telling anyone.”

“I can still hear you!”

“Seems like an odd mix of jobs,” Kuina said.

Dara shrugged. “Cooking, catastrophic explosions...it’s all chemistry, really. Lizard here just happens to be better at one form more than the other. Isn’t that right, Lizard?”

Elizabeth had stormed to the doorway while she was speaking. She hardly came up to Dara’s shoulder, but she carried herself with the same energy of a lady’s lap dog that thought itself a wolf. “Go. Away. And stop blabbing to the stowaway. She’s not on our side.”

Dara’s grin showed entirely too many teeth. “Wanna bet?”

“I’m not a stowaway,” Kuina said at the same time. There was a pause as what Dara said sunk in, and both she and Elizabeth looked up at her with disbelief.

“You’re crazy,” Elizabeth said. “A hundred berries says she bails at the first opportunity.”

“I’ll put down five that she stays.”

“Your loss,” Elizabeth said, and she slammed the door in their face.

Dara looked for a moment like she wanted to shout something through the door but thought better of it. She put her little baggie into her pocket and said, “You better not run on me. I don’t actually have five hundred berries.”

“It was a stupid bet,” Kuina said. “I’m not joining the Revolution.”

“Maybe, maybe not. But I saw how pissed you were when the boss pulled that gun on you. You’re not going to be happy till you beat her in a fair fight, no matter how long it takes.”

They walked the rest of the way in silence, and Kuina wondered if, just maybe, she was right.

#wake from death (and return to life) #kuina #one piece #One Piece Fanfiction #Creative-type doodles #creative-type writes

[thedeadishscribe]

Sidestep/Ortega

My Fallen Hero fic is, more or less, finally done! It features my Sidestep, Rysen Adri, and his thoughts on post game Fallen Hero: Rebirth. I seem to be doing a lot of post games.

I’m probably gonna post this to ao3 later because formatting is a bitch.

Please, enjoy!

Love, the dead dude

Julia had asked a fair question—what did that kiss mean?

I’m not sure myself, all I knew is that hearing the name Rysen was sweeter than I cared to admit. Was that even my name anymore? Again, not sure. What the hell, exactly, was going on in my life? Ortega, John, Mortum, The Rangers. Ouroboros. The new name I had chosen. The thought came to me at the party, the classic description of a serpent devouring its own tail, often used to signify the cycles of the universe and the process of rebirth—and it felt right at the time—but it felt positively wonderful in the afterglow of the gala. Fitting as can be really. Reborn, baptized in flame, smoke, and blood. Definitely several bruises and broken bones. Hopefully no corpses.

An odd sentiment for a demon of Los Diablos.

          First I had considered ‘Mindflayer’, but it wasn’t exactly me, as menacing a choice as it would have been. ‘Demon’ would have been too cheesy, too on the nose. Can’t really remember what made me think of it, but it simply fit. Even now I savor it on my tongue. Ouroboros. That one news station somehow fucked it up into ‘aurabeesknees’, but they’re in the minority so I guess I can let them off the hook. May have to pay a visit at a later date, however.

          Her and I text, call, all the things kids do nowadays. I hate that I can’t get enough. Of her laugh, her smile, the damn way she seductively wiggles her eyebrows to make me blush. Fuck, I hate admitting I blush too. I’m supposed to be a damn villain, not an anime protagonist. Speaking of which, I haven’t checked up on that lately. Like at all. Been too busy with villainy things. Anime can be villainous, right? We all know the ones. Not gonna name names though, that wouldn’t be fair.

          Just skirting around my problems now though, as per usual. I keep meaning to bring up how I’ve changed (minus the specific details, of course), to say something, and yet every time I choke and bring out my classic comedic deflection bullshit instead. I’m almost entirely positive Ortega can see through that, she’s just gotten… more subtle and less brash. Well, ‘less brash’ isn’t a good way to put it. ‘More selective in her bullrushing’ is more apt. Selective dumbassery is still dumbassery. I should know, I started my own little dumbass enterprise, may as well make a sign to post around the city. I can see it now, ‘Dumbass Incorporated seeking henchs now, will provide free lunch, health, and dental’. That’ll really draw them in. You don’t see many villains offering dental anymore. Could be a real selling point for when I want to expand.

          Truth be told, I’m a fan of the whole angels and demons trope we’re playing out. Sure, being a hero is nice and all, but being bad simply feels so good. Clichés? As many as you want. Monologues? Not recommended, but certainly entertaining. The utter sense of power? Fantastic. Maniacal cackling? My favorite part. No really, there’s nothing like a good laugh over the beaten forms of your enemies.

Beaten.

          That’s right, I had beaten Julia… no, Charge, to a pulp. Herald first though, and then Lady Argent not quite as much. There’s a sense of guilt around the first two mentioned. Argent not so much. It felt good in the moment to finally feel an equal to that massive shadow that loomed over me, coddled me, treated me as glass. It felt so good to beat down that perfect picture of a hero with his own vanity in front of his adoring fans, the new guy that got everything I didn’t. Yet, I mangled the woman that I, well, I dare not use the word. Then after learning that Herald wasn’t just a fan of Sidestep, but that Sidestep was his idol? His hero (pardon the pun)? I didn’t think it would hit me this hard but Jesus-fucking-Christ. Just another person I let down. No. No, not me. Sidestep. Sidestep let him down. Ouroboros simply fought him. That’s all. No more, no less.

          Of course, that feels like a lie, though at the same time, it doesn’t? It was difficult enough trying to distinguish Rysen from John sometimes—if Rysen even truly existed anymore—but now I have to differentiate three personas. Four if you included Sidestep, but they are firmly dead and gone. The exhibit, or rather lack thereof, is proof enough of that. I wonder how Ortega feels about it. Angry that someone defiled the memory of the former hero? Motivated for pay back? Does she not care? That would almost feel the worst, and I don’t know why, and I hate it.

God, I can hear her words now, ‘Don’t say you hate things so much, it’ll make you ugly on the inside’. Well guess-fucking-what, Julia. I’m ugly on the inside now. Or have I always been? Everything’s kind of a blur since Heartbreak, which is a long time. Seven years now, more like seven and a half. Yet it all felt like nothing. A bittersweet blob of memory, oddly enough. Incredibly bittersweet.

Should I ask her out on a date? She had promised one. Would that be going too far, however? Too close? Too prone to liability? I’m already in the position, what’s the threat of a little more tragedy in the already turbulent storm? Villains thrive on tragedy, right? Why am I asking so many questions? Too many already.

Fuck it, I’m gonna ask her. Not over the phone, that seems a tad disingenuous. When she asked me to the gala she asked me to meet in person, I should do the same. I’m sure as hell not going to the Rangers HQ. Don’t want to give myself away, let alone the fact that I’d feel like I was asking Steel if Ortega was home and if I could talk to her as if he were her dad. ‘Excuse me, Mr.Chen, is Julia home?’. As team leader was he the dad of the troop? Herald’s the baby and Argent the angsty teen, so definitely. Dear gods, Steel’s a father. Devils help us all. He certainly has the glare down.

I still miss him oddly enough. Not enough to give up my life of crime and don Sidestep’s mask once more. Hell no. I’m not even sure if it’s still in one piece. I’m not sure I want to know.

          Would I do it for Ortega though? As much as I’d love to help, I can’t, I just can’t. Y’know, aside from being a villain now and all, I just… couldn’t. The thought of feeling that thin nanomesh over my form alone made me want to chuck my skin like a meatbag alias. I guess in my position it really is a meatbag alias that I can toss aside whenever I so wish. Rysen and John. I often wonder what would happen if I just decided to live in John full time. What would happen if Rysen were to die while I were inhabiting John’s body. Would I—my consciousness that is—die? Would I just be stuck in a head blind body for the rest of said body’s life? Become him in every sense of the word. I don’t see why not, not that I’m seriously considering it or anything. Though the thought of resigning to a life of underworld business alongside Doctor Mortum isn’t half bad. Not one bit.

          Sometimes dating Mortum as John and trying to respark the old flame with Ortega as Rysen at the same time feels wrong, feels weird, but then I remember that Ortega was flirting with both John and Rysen at the same time, so I guess that totally excuses bad behavior. Definitely. I mean, she’s the master of flings, or at least was. It’s an interesting debate if nothing else. When I’m playing John, I’m still me and yet not. I’m john. John’s even developed his own mannerisms and behaviors, things Rysen would never do or wouldn’t even think of. I suppose this is like how superheroes have their hero and civilian identities. Both are just as real, right? And functionally they’re different people. This is way too much like way too many science-fiction pieces on the self and personal identity. I take ghost in the shell to an entirely other, meaty level

          But boy oh boy, Los Dioblos, hold onto your pants; you’ve heard of the double identity, I now present the triple identity! Groundbreaking, truly. Worn down, tired and retired telepath. Villain representative who just wants to keep his boss happy, hoping to get his cake and eat it too. Then finally the villain himself, Ouroboros, mastermind behind the impossibly elaborate plans. Ok, no one knows Ouroboros is a he, but that’s a good thing. The longer they’re all guessing, the better. I thought balancing Rysen and John was difficult, but Rysen, John, and Ouroboros? Son of a bitch, I didn’t know one person could get this tired. Thank the universe for coffee. Lots of cream lots of sugar preferred, but I’m not too terribly picky in a pinch, I already buy the cheap shit as is. Cheap ol’ Rysen. Yep. That’s me.

I keep talking about all these different identities, and yet I keep coming back to Rysen. Rysen. Rysen. Fuckin’ Rysen. I’m beginning to grow tired of the name. After… everything, I fully expected to shove off that particular shell of a man when I made my debut. I was apparently wrong. He keeps coming after me like a damn ghost. Ortega coming back into the mix certainly didn’t help, any chance of falling off the map died with her recognizing me in the diner. Oh well, I suppose, no plan survives first contact. I should really be surprised it didn’t all snag sooner. A lot sooner. Oh, but what a snag. That jawline, those lips, and gods above, those biceps.

She gives excellent hugs. Yep. That’s definitely what I like about them. The only thing.

          It was only recently that I realized a good memory I often draw upon—one of my few good memories—was that of Ortega kissing me after a particularly hard fight. She almost always initiated, and one time she even used her sparkles to shock my own lips ever so gently. I miss that sensation, funny enough, even if it was only the once. And, despite the fact that she always looked at me like I was fragile, she gave me this look like I was wanted. Like I belonged. Another thing I hate to admit, but I belong in her arms.

Fuck, what am I thinking? I shouldn’t allow myself to think like that, and yet such was the tendency of any good snag.

One other thing I hate to admit to myself—I love her. Son of a bitch, I always loved her, and I regret never telling her.

          I don’t think I could work up the courage to tell her though. Not then, not now, not ever. Aside from not being able to afford it, I don’t have the guts. Attacking a gala with some of Los Diablos’ richest and finest? No problem, just give me some time to plan. Facing a woman significantly larger than me on a date, looking at me with a sweetness in her eye? Nah nah nah nah nah. No way. Can’t do it. I’m weak, absolutely weak. Positively weak.

I hate myself.

          Julia doesn’t want me talking like that, she already made me promise to see a shrink, but she’s not here, inside my head walking down the street to get a cup of sweet, sweet addiction. She can’t dictate my self-talk. Except myself no one can. I doubt it will change any time soon, therapy or no. I hope the couch is comfy enough though. They always look comfy in the movies and on tv. Teary eyed tortured souls letting out their deepest secrets to some stranger taking notes on their entire life. Ew. Probably won’t tell them about the whole villain thing. I wouldn’t go at all and lie about it if I knew Julia would keep tabs on me and make sure I went. She’d probably drag me there herself. She always did care like that.

Oh well, she won’t leave me alone; but that’s a good thing, right? Because damn, what a kiss.

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