#i love azura as a villain so much | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

trickstarbrave · 2 months

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WIP WHENEVER

HIIIIIIIIII im very excited to share this wip. im so mad i wrote this out of order bc i wanna post it immediately. im looking forward tho to finally being able to edit and post it on ao3 normally

i got tagged by @caliblorn and @your-talos-is-problematic and im taggingggggg @woundjob, @thescrolls-haveforetold, @wellthebardsdead and my roommate @soundwavefucker69

here is smth for moon and star. lots of lorkhan talk. some chim. some trauma. even some dagoth ur

literally i was like "oh yeah. its all coming together" writing this also its long im sorry

also here is my god!nerevar sketch. can be interpreted also as just how lorkhan appears to neht and the ppl around him

Malacath’s hand touched his chest and pain wracked his body. Nerevar could feel the blade cutting away his skin—cutting through the bone of his sternum and splintering it. It ripped apart and opened his ribcage, before that damn hand was then inside his chest. His anxiety spiked as he could feel phantom touches on his heart, a hand gripping it, long claws digging into the muscle as it continued to beat loud and sturdy. His whole body had gone rigid, nostrils flared and his breathing coming in quick pants desperate to get more air in his lungs.

He was terrified. More than terrified, in fact. It was like being killed in the heart chamber but all the more worse somehow. He was choking now, gagging on blood—thick, black blood that was pouring from his chest, bubbling up in his throat.

And then Nerevar was overcome with the urge to laugh. To laugh besides the terror coursing through him, to laugh even though he was gagging and choking on his own blood. He knew he would die; it had been a part of his plan all along. He hadn’t known what death would be like, but he had anticipated it, at least on his own terms. And yet here Trinimac was, killing him himself. Ripping his heart from his chest.

He had intended the first death to be slow and simple. A fading ember rather than a bright, all encompassing flame that destroyed everything with it. He had intended to bear the burden as the cause of the first death in their reality where death did not yet exist—was merely a theory. But here Trinimac was, unknowingly mantling that sin himself. A cruel irony he would be the one to blame for this. It was not his fault, but it would be his responsibility and duty.

He’d collapsed at some point, gasping, crying, and choking on blood as Voryn held him close. Voryn shouldn’t see him like this—not his beloved, sobbing and begging. He couldn’t hear his voice over the drumming of his own heart but he tried to speak despite all the gagging he was doing. His gorgeous, sweet lover, his beautiful hawk shouldn’t have to watch him die like this. Not when Nerevar knew this was coming, deep down. Not when he had doomed them both, sacrificed Voryn’s life on the altar just as much as his own. He was regretting it now, if only because he couldn’t apologize; how could he speak when Trinimac had already ripped out his heart? How could he explain he never wanted to hurt Voryn in truth? How would his beloved hawk even react to his death? Oh the fury he could bring down, how he could drown the world in blood and tears if he was pushed to the brink…

And what of Azura, his sister? His poor, vain, vindictive sister… She hadn’t agreed to help him, but he knew she would be in a rage over his death. And even the man killing him was sobbing and crying, apologizing despite his lord—Nerevar’s own brother—ordering his execution. How could he apologize to this man? To tell him he knew he didn’t mean for it, that Nerevar was the villain all along in this story? Would that soothe his grief? Trinimac, Kyne, Azura, all of the others… How would they fair without him? Tears were now spilling from his eyes not from pain but sorrow that he wouldn’t be there to comfort and love them. Ah, if only he could kiss his hawk one last time…

“Nerevar!” Voryn’s voice finally cut through, and a disconnect happened in the vision. He was untethered now, the sensation of falling back into his own body hitting him, and his ears were ringing loudly, a dizziness washing over him. There were no more feathers on Voryn’s face or on his cloak—why would there be? Voryn wasn’t… Voryn wasn’t a hawk, why would he call him that so fondly? There weren’t even tears streaming down his face like he had seen before, but his face was in a grimace, pained watching him writhe and flail choking on imaginary blood.

His hand came up to his chest as he felt around, but there was no gaping wound like he’d expected. Why had he felt it so clearly then? His whole body was still shaking from the terror and pain, unable to calm the trembling.

“Do you remember now, Lorkhan?” Malacath asked, still standing over him. Vivec and Sil were currently being held back by the numerous orcs, though they were swearing up a storm and desperately trying to fight their way closer to defend him. Even Voryn had a spell prepared as he cradled Nerevar close to his chest, posed with the ferocity of a wild animal protecting its young.

“I-I’m not…” Nerevar began, though it felt like a lie on his tongue. He could still taste the metallic black in his mouth, the unnatural blood he was choking on. His body felt hot now, his mouth dry making the metallic taste all the more nauseating. “Lorkhan is dead!” He shouted definitively. Lorkhan was a dead god—long dead before Nerevar had ever been born as a lowly half blooded chimer in that ebony mine.

“And yet, here you are, alive and in the flesh.” Malacath responded, his expression unwavering. “I would know that heartbeat anywhere. I would know how you battle more than anyone else.”

“Stop it!” Nerevar shouted, covering his ears, still shaking.

“Why you deny it is my only question for you.”

“I’m not Lorkhan!” Nerevar growled, teeth bared. His whole body felt like it was burning, just like in the heart chamber. That supernatural chanting from his dream came back too, at the edges of his senses, as he fought back the urge to vomit. “I’m not Lorkhan, just shut up, shut up, shut up!!”

The next thing he knew, everything went black, the last thing he heard being his own heartbeat pounding in his ears and Voryn calling his name.

Nerevar’s eyes snapped open. His hands frantically touched at his chest, once again checking for the wound, only to find nothing. Still, the unmistakable ache was there, however faint.

“Where…?” He found himself someplace… Bizarre. There was stone architecture, that much he knew, but it seemed… Foreign, though they were in a state of disarray. It looked like some kind of abandoned tower, the roof having long since caved in, vines growing over stone. In the middle, where Nerevar was laying was soft grass and a few wildflowers. He sat up, looking around even further, confused.

“Damn Trinimac, causing problems again…” Someone behind him muttered, and Nerevar quickly turned to see--

Himself?

He jumped, panicked. No, no he could tell it wasn’t himself. He looked a lot like Nerevar, and sounded a lot like Nerevar, but there was something off about his appearance. He was taller than Nerevar--around Voryn’s height maybe? His hair was much longer too, not to mention he was wearing long robes Nerevar would never wear given how complicated and annoying they looked. Not to mention the longer he looked at him the more his appearance seemed to change--subtle ripples you had to focus on to know. His eyes subtly changed shape, along with his other features, sort of at random in moments where if you blinked you’d miss them.

“Apologies for that.” The man said, walking over and plopping down to sit next to Nerevar. “I never expected his followers to summon him, nor that he’d do something like that…”

“Who are you?” Nerevar asked, his heart still racing in his chest. The other simply plopped his chin in his hand, staring back at Nerevar, amused.

“You and your lover--both just asking questions instead of even trying to figure it out for yourselves…” He tsk-tsked with a soft click of his tongue and a shake of his head.

“How the hell am I supposed to know who you are?” Nerevar snapped. “I don’t even know where I am!”

“Easy, no need to raise your voice.” He still looked amused, despite Nerevar’s anger.

“Why in Oblivion do you look like me?” Nerevar demanded an answer now; he was in no mood to play games at the moment. He felt his heart being ripped out by that damn orc god and now he had someone playing mind games with him.

The other sighed.

“I am Lorkhan.” Nerevar’s blood ran cold.

“What…?” Nerevar stared in confusion and shock. “But Lorkhan is--”

“Dead?�� He asked with a smirk and a quirk of his brow. “Don’t I know it.” Lorkhan then laughed heartily. “But when did that stop the dead from interfering with the living from time to time?”

“Why are you here?” Nerevar asked, leaning away from him.

“I thought it would be only fair to show myself to you after that stunt Trinimac pulled.” He explained. “Though I imagine the fact you were stabbed through the chest once before only made it that much harder for you.”

Nerevar was trying to figure out the situation he was in, putting the pieces together the best he could. Several daedra called him Lorkhan, and here was Lorkhan looking remarkably similar to Nerevar. Was it possible people were mixing them up based on appearance? That didn’t seem quite right; it would make sense for Malacath and potentially Dagon, but Dagon didn’t call him Lorkhan initially, and not to mention it wouldn’t explain the nords. He doubted the elf hating people of Skyrim would so readily accept an elven appearance for their chief deity. Nor did it explain the strange, supernatural beating of his heart that drove him to accomplish strange feats out of sheer willpower alone.

“... Why do you look like me?” Nerevar repeated his question again.

“Come now, I thought you’d be smart enough to figure that out.” Lorkhan laughed again.

“Answer me.”

“Well,” Lorkhan’s grin looked mischievous now. “It’s only fitting I look like you because I am you, don’t you think?”

This time a numbing tingle followed the chill in his blood. “Y… You…”

“Or well, I suppose it might be easier to understand if I say you’re a part of me.” Lorkhan continued. “You wouldn’t be the first mortal to be a fragment of me, anyways.”

“I’m not you!” Nerevar snapped, gritting his teeth. He did what he was best at: lashing out when he was truly scared and confused--when problems became too difficult to ignore or solve on his own. “I’m not you! I’m not Lorkhan!!”

Silence followed, the faint sound of birds chirping having vanished, the sky turning a stormy gray. He was panting from his outburst of yelling, but the screaming hadn’t really solved anything. Lorkhan was still sitting in front of him, looking at him with a serious expression, unphased. He was still in this crumbling tower, sitting in the grass.

How long could he run from this? Daedric princes called him Lorkhan. The nords called him Shor. The strange visions he received that only made sense if they were Lorkhan’s memories, not to mention his heart--

Nerevar curled up, hands moving up as he felt a pain in his chest, clutching his shirt tightly.

He was scared. He was scared and he didn’t know what was going on. He was terrified because ultimately, he didn’t know what this meant. He didn’t know what this made him.

Gingerly, two arms wrapped around him, pulling him up from the fetal position he curled himself into and into a warm embrace.

“Shh, it’s alright,” Lorkhan whispered, “Just let it out.” As soon as he said that, tears were flowing out of Nerevar’s eyes as he openly sobbing into his shoulder, holding onto him. Nerevar never really had a father--as the Nerevarine he was an orphan who didn’t really know who his parents were and as Nerevar his father was hunted down before the two of them ever met. But at that moment Nerevar couldn’t deny there was something paternal in the way Lorkhan held him gently, letting him cry and sob with arms that felt so much stronger than Nerevar could imagine. As alien as it was, he felt safe in his arms, the pain in his chest fading though he was still distraught and crying.

Eventually though, his tears died down to soft whimpers rather than open sobs, Lorkhan stroking his hair all the while.

“It’s alright.” He repeated, trying to reassure Nerevar.

“It’s not alright.” Nerevar countered. “If I’m just you that means I don’t really exist!” It was the truth; if he was just some shard of Lorkhan then he had no real identity of his own. He was just a piece of a larger whole, delusional in that it thought itself independent and separate. “No one really knows me. No one really loves me.” The person Voryn loved wasn’t even real, just a false identity of someone who denied who they truly were. Was the person Voryn actually loved just the pieces of Lorkhan that made up Nerevar? Lorkhan said there were other mortals like him--what if Voryn left him for someone who was a larger, better part of Lorkhan? “I’m just a part of you, an extension of you. I don’t have any thoughts or feelings of my own!”

“Hey now, that’s not true.” Lorkhan interjected. “If you had no thoughts or feelings of your own, how could you deny being me?”

“But--”

“You have thoughts and feelings and emotions of your own.” Lorkhan reiterated. “You have your own identity, your own history, your own relationships.” Lorkhan gently dried the tears on his cheeks, careful of the sharp nails on his hands. “You don’t have all the same traits as me, and likewise, how you act on things is entirely up to you.”

“But then how am I you?” Nerevar asked, apprehensive.

“Hm… How to explain this…” Lorkhan began, humming softly, trying to gather his thoughts. “... Do you know that sometimes people take cuttings from plants to make a new one?”

Nerevar did know that, though he’d never done so himself. He was bad at growing plants, but he’d heard of it a few times.

“When they take a cutting from a tree for instance, it was once a part of that tree.” Lorkhan continued. “One of the many, smaller branches of it. But with care and cultivation, it grows roots of its own, and then spreads itself deep into the soil as a little sapling, before finally growing into a tree itself.” Lorkhan then smiled at him. “You’re like a cutting made from me that grew into its own tree. We might be made up of the same things and bear the same fruit, but you might have different branches than me and grow in different ways.”

“... But what if someone only loves that tree because of its fruit?” Nerevar asked.

What if Voryn only loved him for the parts of him that were Lorkhan? What if, when Voryn found out, he became disillusioned? Why would he bother with having Nerevar as a lover if he was just a part of a larger whole? What if there was a better piece of Lorkhan out there to love, or he could simply worship the dead god in earnest to get closer to the source?

Lorkhan responded by pinching his cheek playfully, pulling Nerevar from his mental spiral.

“Then someone doesn’t really love that tree specifically, now do they?”

“But--”

“Trees are much more than the fruit they bear.” Lorkhan continued, cutting him off. “They provide shade in the sun, and shelter in the rain. They are homes for birds, and the wind whistles through the branches to make music, or even children play in the branches and leaves.” Lorkhan was still smiling at him warmly. “Even if they love the fruit it makes too, not just any fruit tree can be their tree. And if they only love the fruit, wouldn’t you prefer someone who really loved the tree to take care of it rather than someone who only cared about what the tree produced?”

Ah, Nerevar saw what he was getting at here. If Voryn only loved the parts of him that were Lorkhan and didn’t care about him otherwise, that meant he didn’t really love Nerevar. Nerevar’s hand reached over to caress the scar on his left shoulder gently, unable to really feel it through his shirt and armor, but comforted by the knowledge it was there nonetheless.

Would Voryn have really asked Nerevar to carve his name into him if he didn’t love Nerevar? Perhaps the rest of Lorkhan didn’t appeal to Voryn. Perhaps the other traits other mortals shared with Lorkhan weren’t the same as how Nerevar was. Nerevar wanted to trust Voryn with his heart and make this work--he shouldn’t be assuming once again that Voryn would be quick to leave him and replace him with someone else. Voryn committed to Nerevar.

“There we go.” Lorkhan smiled, seeing his stormy expression fade.

“... But I don’t know what any of this means.” Nerevar continued. “Why am I a part of you? What does any of this mean?” How was he supposed to move forward like this? How many other daedra would challenge him calling him Lorkhan? “How can I tell what’s my thoughts and abilities and what’s just yours? How can I tell if I’m even real?”

That was the part Nerevar was still grappling with. If he was called Lorkhan and acted like Lorkhan and did what Lorkhan was supposed to do… Didn’t that just make him Lorkhan? When he was the Nerevarine he slowly just assumed Nerevar’s memories, thoughts, and identity after he was sent back in time--or was going back in time not real either. “The future--what about my memories of the future? Are those fake too or--”

Lorkhan smiled softly, almost knowingly.

“Oh little star,” Lorkhan chuckled as though he was recounting something funny. “None of your memories of the future are real.”

“... Huh?” They weren’t… Real? “But Dagoth Ur--the Tribunal--” Didn’t Vivec have a vision of Nerevar being killed as king? That was in the future Nerevar saw as well.

“None of it was real.” Lorkhan was still smiling, but Nerevar was sent spiraling again.

It was all so real. Nerevar could feel it. He felt Vivec’s spear ramming through him. He could hear the hurt and betrayal in Dagoth Ur’s voice, along with the cold anger as he revealed he would never be able to trust Nerevar even if Nerevar had agreed to join him. Almalexia had attempted to kill him a second time as the Nerevarine, and he remembered fighting her after discovering Sotha Sil’s mangled corpse.

Panic set in then. If none of that was real then… Why did he not remember his past? Why had he dreamed up such a strange turn of events? Why--

“I’ll let you in on a little secret,” Lorkhan leaned in close, a devilish smirk on his face now. “I’m not real either.”

Nerevar blinked in shock, only to find Lorkhan was gone. In fact, everything was gone now, leaving Nerevar floating in an inky, black void.

Nerevar’s panic rose at that. It could have been Lorkhan just telling him he was a figment of Nerevar’s imagination and not actually the ghost of a dead god but… Nerevar knew that wasn’t the case. He could feel it, deep in the pit of his stomach, and the revelation was not a comforting one. He was left entirely untethered in this void, and looking down at his hands, he saw himself flickering in and out.

If Nerevar was Lorkhan, and Lorkhan didn’t exist, then that meant that he didn’t exist either. Really didn’t exist. It was so much more comfortable to imagine himself as a shard of Lorkhan, living and moving on its own, ignorant to the fact it was part of a larger whole.

A clawed hand touched his back and a sickening chill overtook him as he found himself in the heart chamber of Red Mountain once again. He was trembling as he continued to flicker in and out of existence. The heart’s rhythm was equally unsteady, stopping and starting at random, the sounds a disjointed mess.

If the heart of the world was not stable--was not real--then what did that make the world?

What did that make his friends? The people he loved?

What did that make Voryn?

A familiar voice called out to him, large, clawed hands gripping him tightly and pulling him in close.

“I told you once before,” Dagoth Ur began, “We are bound to the dreamsleeve together.” Nerevar knew that wasn’t right, but he didn’t know how to counter it either.

“I am the dreamer,” Dagoth Ur continued, “And this is all my dream, my sweet Nerevar.” Nerevar didn’t like the fondness in his tone. This was a twisted version of Voryn, corrupted and maddened, fully delusional. He preferred Voryn sane and warm, affectionate and protective. He didn’t want the delirious, maddened version of him that was Dagoth Ur.

Then, the two had changed locations. Instead of the heart chamber with the unsteady heartbeat echoing around them, they were in what seemed to be a rainbow colored river, all the different colors flowing in strange, glowing patterns. They moved up and down, left and right, forwards and backwards, swirls of color that flowed like incoherent water simultaneously both much thicker and almost syrupy than pure water, and also like it was barely there as they caressed his legs. Each movement came with a strange, fragmented thought, emotion, or memory.

“You are simply a part of my dream.” Dagoth Ur’s hands moved to the front of him now, caressing at his chest. “My most glorious, beautiful creation…”

Nerevar knew that wasn’t true either though. It was an instinctive knowledge, perhaps, but he could tell that was simply not the case. If there was a dreamer, it certainly wasn’t Dagoth Ur.

And then Nerevar looked to his hands to see he was a dunmer again, grey skin and all to match the equally grey hands on his chest. One of Nerevar’s hands moved to caress the scar left from corprus he got as a Nerevarine when he was forcibly attacked to infect him with it, sending him further in his quest, ironically. The scar was an ugly, messy thing--a gross mess of scar tissue trying in vain to form over an injury that wasn’t truly there, growing more mangled and grotesque by the day. Before he couldn’t remember where the attack was from Gares, as his memories of the Third Era faded more and more with his time in Resdayn like a hazy dream, leaving him unsure if it was on his chest, his stomach, his thigh, or his arm. But now he remembered it was--

All of them. He had been hit by the attack in all of those places, in different moments in time, in different versions of the same event. And in that way, it wasn’t one moment specifically but simply an event that could have played out differently, in a way bending and contorting around the flow of fate. And just as he realized it, the scar itself faded entirely.

“Nerevar, stop this.” Dagoth Ur warned, his voice concerned. Almost frightened if Nerevar was being honest, though he knew the other wouldn’t admit to it.

“It… Didn’t happen.”

“Yes, it did.” Dagoth ur stressed, but Nerevar stepped away from his hands, walking along the multicolored river. “Do you doubt your own memories? My own memories?” Dagoth Ur insisted. “Just as that was my dream, this too is my dream. A dream where we get to be together.” His voice took on a facsimile of warmth and affection. “A dream where nothing can keep us apart--”

“No,” Nerevar countered, his voice soft. “It happened and… It didn’t. Just how this… None of this is real either.” The thought wasn’t as scary as it was the first time around. In fact, the revelation seemed to almost bring some relief. He dipped his hand into the liquid that pooled around his thighs, running his fingers through it in what seemed to be an arbitrary pattern, relishing in the feelings that washed over him. Like this, he could make them seem coherent. Like this he could move them until he could faintly hear a song--

“Nerevar Mora, return to my side at once.” Dagoth Ur’s tone was threatening again. It seemed that Nerevar had gotten under his skin.

“You are not a god. I’m not a figment of your dream…” Nerevar could insist if anything he might be the one dreaming all of this up but… He knew that wasn’t quite right either. Lorkhan didn’t exist. Nerevar didn’t exist, so he couldn’t be the one dreaming. But he knew he wasn’t a figment of Dagoth Ur’s imagination, that was for certain. “... And you’re not a figment of mine.”

Dagoth Ur was in front of him again, clawed hands gripping his arms tightly while his teeth audibly grit from behind the gold mask. “If I am not the dreamer then you’re saying I don’t exist! Do you even understand what you’re saying?!” His hands gripped Nerevar’s arms even tighter, but Nerevar himself was unphased. “I exist because I say I exist. You exist because I allow you to exist.”

“Or have you forgotten your nightmares? The memories of me?” Dagoth ur changed gears now that he saw it wasn’t persuading Nerevar. “Have you forgotten the way you shuddered at my touch? Or the way I could make such sweet, passionate love to you that you forgot everything else?” Nerevar had to admit he did in fact enjoy those moments with Voryn; Nerevar loved nothing more than losing himself completely in Voryn’s body, of being unable to think about nothing else but how wonderful Voryn could make him feel. But Nerevar knew he couldn’t forget this whole mess even happened and fall readily back into Voryn’s arms, trying to delude himself that it was real. He knew he’d go mad even trying, unable to take joy from it as he tried to deny the reality he was confronted with before.

“Do not make me rip you asunder and remake you.” Dagoth Ur threatened, venom dripping off his tongue. But at the threat, Nerevar reached his hands out, cupping the golden mask in them, before throwing the mask off entirely.

His face looked like Voryn’s but so much older and more tired. His eyes were dead, glazed over and foggy, with only the third eye on his forehead seemingly capable of sight. His complexion was equally dead--ashen even for a dunmer. A dead sleeper who dreamed he was still alive, just as that wise woman said so long ago.

Nerevar leaned up, pressing a soft, gentle kiss to his lips. He didn’t like this maddened version of Voryn, but he knew he still loved him. He loved Dagoth Ur and mourned for him. As horrible as it was, it was a mercy for Nerevar to slay him as the Nerevarine. It was a mercy for things to return to the past so they could have a better future, one where Nerevar wouldn’t hurt him as cruelly as he did the first time around.

Then, just as the gentle kiss started, Nerevar pulled away, whispering softly. The words tumbled out of his mouth before he even realized it, but the truth spoken in them was more real than anything else he had seen.

“I already unmade you.”

Dagoth Ur stared down at him in shock, before, like ash in the wind, he faded. And Nerevar was left standing alone in the dreamsleeve.

Yet, something was gnawing at his psyche. If Dagoth Ur was not the dreamer and didn’t allow him to exist, then what was his purpose? If this was all a dream, then who was dreaming?

Dread washed over Nerevar again, overwhelming him as he felt like someone or something was watching him. Like he was a tiny insect crawling where he shouldn’t have, about to be crushed by the figure that finally realized he existed.

Yet, part of Dagoth Ur’s words made sense. He wasn’t real. None of this was real. Nerevar could either stand there and accept it and fade into the liquid around him and dissolve into nothingness…

Or he could insist he did exist. That he wanted to exist. That he wanted to continue on, in spite of how nonsensical it was.

“... I exist because I will it.” Nerevar knew he wasn’t the dreamer, but he existed in spite of it. He refused to vanish and become nothing more than a disjointed collective of memories free floating around him.

“Well done.” Lorkhan’s voice echoed, and Nerevar found himself once more in the black, inky void, outside of the dreamsleeve. “I was a bit afraid you might not be able to handle it,” He chuckled softly, “But I can see it was silly of me to worry. You already remade the world, you’d be ready to handle the revelation of the tower.”

“Was that… You?” Nerevar questioned, wondering if Lorkhan took on the appearance of Dagoth Ur just to help him along.

“No. What was in fact a remnant of Dagoth Ur, based on your memories.”

“My memories?” Nerevar raised a brow, as the crumbling tower and soft grass slowly came back into focus around him, real and present once more. It was more comfortable than just free floating anyways.

“Things can’t exist if nothing remembers them.” Lorkhan explained. “But you remembered him, so he continued hiding and lurking…”

“Would he…” Nerevar began, apprehensively. “Would Voryn have become him again…?”

“No.” Lorkhan’s voice was firm and confident, making Nerevar relieved. “Your beloved has already rejected that path.”

“Then how could he exist?”

“He existed outside of Voryn. A part of him and also not. Perhaps in a way also part of you?” It was a confusing explanation, but Nerevar supposed that was in line with everything else so far. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t exist anymore--not as he did just now.” Lorkhan hummed softly again. “Now he’s merely a memory, returned to water once more.”

“I… Don’t understand.” Once again, Lorkhan reached over to pinch Nerevar’s cheek.

“Yes you do, don’t lie to me about that.”

“I mean I get that he’s no longer a problem since I just saw him vanish but I don’t… Know how I did that.”

“He was mostly tied to you. It would have been very easy for anyone in those circumstances to cut him off.” Lorkhan clicked his tongue. “Then again, I suppose not everyone can be connected to the dreamsleeve and confront not existing as well as you did.”

“So I don’t exist?” It was a question, but not asking for an answer more so a confirmation that he was understanding it correctly.

“You don’t. And yet, you do.” Lorkhan confirmed, before elaborating. “All of us exist in that state. But I made Nirn in the first place because I realized it was impossible to move beyond that revelation and actually do something about it without real growth--growth that can only come from trial.”

“... What?” Now he was losing Nerevar. Go beyond the revelation of not existing? How would you even move past something like that?

“Dagoth Ur had a few things correct I’ll admit.” Lorkhan continued, almost rambling now given how little it made sense to Nerevar. “The trial of flesh is needed to overcome the dream…”

“Again, I don’t really understand.” Nerevar interjected, before Lorkhan sighed.

“Ah… Right. I’m getting ahead of myself.” He then reached over, pulling Nerevar into a hug once more. “We don’t have all day, unfortunately. Linear time still exists.” He gave Nerevar’s back a firm pat. “I would explain if I could but… Well, we’d be here for some time. I think your beloved is calling you.” A ringing was in Nerevar’s ears now, the rest of the dream getting fuzzier and fuzzier.

“Voryn…?” Nerevar asked, before his eyes cracked open.

He wasn’t in the grass, but laying on Voryn’s cot, blinking up in a confused daze. It was night, that he could tell from how dark it was in the tent. Beside him, he heard a gasp, as Voryn looked to him frantically.

“Oh thank gods,” Voryn looked close to tears. “Nerevar, do you have any idea how worried I was?” He cupped Nerevar’s cheek, his hand warm and familiar. It felt like Nerevar had been away for ages and also hardly any time at all. “I thought I almost lost you again…”

“I’m alright,” Nerevar sat up slowly, but his arms felt weak. “How long was I out for…?”

“More than a day.” Voryn explained, before helping support Nerevar’s upper body, settling Nerevar to lean against him. “Nothing we did could wake you up. We wanted to raze that damn orc camp to the ground,” He could hear the anger in Voryn’s voice. “But Malacath said his people would assist us and that you would wake up in time.”

Nerevar could tell Voryn hadn’t believed the prince--not after what seemed like an attack on Nerevar.

“I’m fine now.” Nerevar insisted, stroking Voryn’s face. “I’m--”

“Is he awake?” Vivec asked from outside the tent, and Voryn stiffened under Nerevar’s weight.

“He just woke up--” Voryn began, “Give him a few minutes to regain his senses before you shake him down for answers.”

Vivec entered the tent now, his brow furrowed. “You swore I could ask my questions when he awoke.”

“At least give him until the morning.” Voryn pleaded. Vivec looked between the two of them, and it seemed that Nerevar looked haggard enough for Vivec to relent, though he was unhappy about doing so.

“Fine,” Vivec scowled, leaving the tent once more. “In the morning I want answers.”

#wip #my writing #moon and star #moon and star spoilers #nerevoryn #indoril nerevar #nerevar #voryn dagoth

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imminent-danger-came · 1 year

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I THINK I FINALLY PUT TOGETHER WHY LUZ'S ARC IN S3 OF THE OWL HOUSE BUGGED ME SO MUCH.

It's because they made her defining moment helping Belos meet the collector—which feels disconnected from the core of her character (and also it happened in an episode over halfway through season 2). That's not her defining moment, and it never has been: it was her choice to walk through the portal door, and become a witch.

That's what makes her similar to Philip, right? Like, Luz has this grand idea in her mind of becoming a witch. Philip has his own grand idea of being a heroic witch hunter and saving the human realm from this great evil. That's what the line "I am the great witch Azura, warrior of piece!" is meant to communicate. It's the idea in her head vs reality. That's what s1 of toh explores.

Luz choosing to walk through the portal door and become a witch is what leads to...well, everything. It leads to her not being able to go back. It leads to her mother's grief. It leads to Eda losing her magic. It turns Amity's life upside down. It leads to Belos meeting the collector. It leads to the near destruction of the Isles.

And that ties in with her foil to Philip WAY better, and it makes her decision to stay in the human realm at the end of 3x01 actually relevant. She wanted to be this great witch, to follow in Philip's footsteps creating a portal door and learning about the isles, she wanted to live her dream...and look what that lead too.

So, Luz feeling like her and Belos are both motivated by love and by their own childish notions...like that would have been SO interesting. She wasn't becoming the villain and didn't wake up one morning evil, but some of her decisions undeniably hurt others. But it also lead to some good things. And that's life, isn't it? Taking the good with the bad and accepting that.

But idk, instead it was like a "blah blah your one single mistake makes YOU the true villain!", which just isn't compelling or at the core of Luz character.

#toh critical #imp tag #obviously these are just my opinions #But I feel like I cracked the fucking code gamers #me rambling to my friend at 3:00am about why MK does this arc way fucking better in s4 of LMK: pepe silvia #IT'S BECAUSE THEY MADE HIS DEFINING MOMENT PICKING UP THE STAFF. SOMETHING THAT WAS ACTUALLY SIGNIFICANT TO HIM AS A CHARACTER.#But it also wasn't about his intent. His intent didn't matter. It was that everything he did lead to pain anyways.#So he's hurting others by just being himself. being MK. And THAT's why he feels like he'll cause chaos and destruction.#Like god why is lmk so fucking good I'm fucking screaming #Like I'm really going through it over my shows rn #MK you are a character that captures what it's like being mentally ill so perfectly. I'm dying #2 steps forward 4 steps back the character. My favorite lego squimbus #Every mental illness truly #toh could fucking never. and it will never #shera couldn't either #throwing punches everywhere tonight I guess

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synergysilhouette · 1 year

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Things I'd want for a "Fire Emblem: Fates" remake

I haven't played a ton of FE games, but I really loved Fates for it's characters and branching storyline. The community gives it WAAAY too much hate. One person told me that it's a minority of people who don't like it, but it's a LOUD minority, making it seem like a majority of people hate it. That said, the discussions I've had (and gatekeeping I've experienced) have inspired me to make some of my own changes to Fates if it ever got remade. I wonder if you'll agree with any. I know some of these are MAJOR changes that results in this feeling more like it's own game, but I hope you still take them into consideration, anyway.

1. Nix the amnesia story--It only existed for gameplay purposes to teach the player how to fight. Story-wise it's not important for Corrin, since they don't remember Nohr and thus it feels as new as Hoshido, so it completely defeats the born with/raised by concept. Just allow us more time to enjoy/interact with Nohrians and Hoshidans each in order to make it a more convincing story with a conflicted protagonist, plus it helps to flesh out the characters. Considering 3H and "Engage" allow you to explore environments a bit more, that should be a given. I feel like the amnesia plot only works in the "Birthright" route since Corrin would be kidnapped more recently and it'd make the royal family the main villains, and less sympathetic.

2. Have more support-contingent branching storylines--In "Fates: Birthright," Kaze dies at some point if you don't have his A-support conversation with Corrin. If you do, he becomes Corrin's retainer. It'd be fun if socializing with the characters (ie Azura, Silas, the royal family) had more weight to it, story-wise. It'd also be cool if you could carry over your save data from the opposite game and if you have A-supports with Ryoma, Elise, Takumi, and/or Xander, you can potentially save them. But that may be pushing it…

3. More same-sex supports (with kids)--Allow for Corrin to reach same-sex S-supports with Silas, Azura, Jakob, Felicia, and Kaze, given that they all join you in every route. Plus and the royals and Flora should also be allowed to be romanced in their respective routes and "Revelations." I feel like that should be a given. And allow us to keep our kids rather than off-screen offspring as mentioned in the epilogue. It feels unfair to remove their kids from the main story.

4. (Possibly Defeats the Purpose) Make it clear that Corrin isn't related the the royals--This is mainly for romantic reasons, but maybe have Mikoto as a woman who became a noble in Hoshido, with Sumeragi treating you like one of his children. It's also revealed that when Corrin was kidnapped, the Nohrian siblings were too young to know they weren't their sibling. Plus the Nohrian siblings being half-siblings does nothing for the plot, especially since they look alike (Leo and Xander have blonde hair, Camilla has purple, and Elise has blonde and purple hair).

5. LET THE PARENTS SURVIVE! Maybe it's because of parent death fatigue in "Engage," but I'd like for Sumeragi and Mikoto to survive, and let us see Ganon as a good king before he is curropted and dies. Plus giving Corrin dreams of Anankos would be awesome.

6. Remove the Awakening connection--It's only mentioned in some support conversations and doesn't fully impact the story. I see why it's a nice nod to the game that brought the franchise back to light, but still. Asugi looks like Gaius and Rhajat looks like Tharja, but apparently they're not the same person, so it can be the same with Laszlo/Inigo, Odin/Owain, and Severa/Selena. Maybe if we had a couple more characters from "Awakening" and it coming into play for the main storyline, it'd be a different story.

7. Give more life/information on Valla--If we're going for this "secret, Atlantis-like Kingdom," make it a trapped, isolated paradise that Anankos governs, giving this Fire Nation-type of nationalism so the inhabitants want to reclaim Nohr and Hoshido for themselves. They've already conquered Nohr, explaining the aggression towards Hoshido following Ganon's corruption. It'd be fun if you could recruit/interact with characters from Valla in "Revelations."

8. Fix up the Deeprealms and it's drama--In the game, they're convenient alternate dimensions/worlds that age the kids up quick at different rates, and most of them are ignorant of their heritage and birthright (no pun intended). In my rewrite, this is simply ONE alternate world that the children are sent to, and they age proportionately; the younger ones were just taken from the Deeprealms earlier. Plus it's something that's seen as "off the radar" and a world Anankos hopes to conquer after the main setting in the game. Along with this, all of the parents visit and involve themselves with their kids, rather than the children feeling like their parents ignored them or kept them in the dark.

9. Open World like in "Engage" and "3 Houses"--It'd really help to explore the culture more and expand the world so that the consequences feel even more severe.

#fire emblem #Fire emblem fates #fire emblem ryoma #fire emblem corrin #nohr #hoshido #fire emblem xander #fire emblem leo #fire emblem elise #fire emblem takumi #fire emblem camilla #fire emblem sakura #fire emblem hinoka #FE #fire emblem azura

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dirtyoldmanhole · 6 months

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goodly chunk of a post-posssession excerpt. gunter's leading corrin (and the crew) back to the surface of castle gyges.

unedited.

"Careful, love, there's a trap under that stone, on the right of the path. Mined, magical explosive this time."

At his words, Corrin marked the deadly hazard with a bright magical glyph that hung in the air as an unmissable warning, the same as she had been doing for the last two hours for the caravan following them both some distance in the back. The clatter of hooves was a constant accompaniment in the background in the wide hallway, and Gunter was altogether grateful for the low-level noise instead of the oppressive mausoleum silence from before. Silence was an effective tool for madness and breaking people.

Her lovely red eyes searched questioningly for his, after the last magical marker.

"When did you get the time to..."

He knew the question on the edge of her tongue before she had asked. His beautiful little sword was never not curious even to the total disregard of polite society, and it was one of her many traits he delighted in even more, these days. Enforced ignorance at the service of politeness was always a cover for snakes.

"Most of these traps have laid dormant for hundreds of years. Everyone under Anankos’ thrall knew of them, also from his… thoughts much like the map from before." He gave the acknowledgement with a side-to-side tilt of the chin and vein of dark amusement before looking down at her with unbearable fondness. "There were a few I added to. A little upgrade, if you will, my princess."

Very slowly, as if not quite sure how to react, Corrin nodded, staring ahead with the most curious little expression.

She liked this, this odd little camaraderie with the known traitor, the black-heart villain still playing his part in the story. There was a smug flirtation in her eyes that betrayed her as he had done to all of those royals, low and sensual for all that she hid the new glances under poised modesty.

Gunter took sin-vicious pleasure in it, that corruption of a different name. His little princess was too proper to utter any such scandalous intention into the cold bright daylight or the public lest she scandalise her siblings, and that was part of their peculiar little game, he decided with a smirk to himself. He was the only one that knew of the kinds of wants she was only open with in the dark.

Kneeling carefully to the stone floor with a groan, he stopped her, and then pointed to a dusty corner where an old chest stood diagonally from them, almost barely visible amongst collapsed rubble and dust.

"Give it your best guess, milady. Trap or chest?"

She gave the answer some thought, eying the surroundings around exactly like he had taught her so long ago in those days in the snowy Fortress. Looking for thin, almost invisible strands of tripwires, for disturbance of dust whether it be footsteps or tampering, and other such clues that was remarkably similar to tracking an animal.

Observing was its own greatest weapon.

"Chest."

His new war-horse at her side gave a great noisy snort seemingly in agreement.

"Very good, my princess."

With efficient alacrity, Gunter stood, and moved in to smash the lock of the chest, scooping out a healing stave that looked like it could be a priceless heirloom of a whole monastery with potent, ancient power. There were many such useful artefacts in this tomb.

"The traps..." His little princess hesitated as he doubled back to her side while spinning the staff experimentally in his gauntleted palm, and by her nibble against her pretty little mouth, was debating on sharing something carefully. "...Smell like rain. Anankos always did."

The statement briefly distracted his own mind from adding to those nibbles in the corner of her plush lips. Oh how he wanted to ruin them.

"Did I, Lady Corrin?"

"Azura smells like that same magic, Vallite magic. Not you, now."

Well, that was something. An odd comfort that he was himself again at least. That his own resentments were still a part of him, and that he could trust that his darkest impulses were still his, and not manipulated from that abyss beyond like before.

“We’re almost to the surface.” Gunter changed the topic to safer waters after a moment’s silence had passed.

“You know that wouldn’t change a thing, right?”

… Or tried to, at any rate.

Old memories threatened to rise to the surface, and he bled them out mercilessly, waiting until they were corpse-white again like the ghosts of the fallen in his mind. “At some point there will be something that changes your beautiful, stubborn mind.” Against his will, his voice betrayed a peculiar quiet, tender weariness. “I only hope your ancient, elderly lover is in the grave by then.”

“Sir, would you truly bet against me there?” She was grinning now, with the same kind of matching crooked smile, except the happiness on her was more a court painter’s divine muse writ in flesh. It took his breath away as she slowly worked her way around the stone steps until she was level with him, her fingertips teasingly stroking his lined cheek after dancing along his shoulder with almost girlish tease. “Impossible unifier of kingdoms, slayer of dragons…?”

Laying a mock palm against his chest with a raised eyebrow, he added. “Seducers of villains…” Gunter then kissed her with a chuckle on her forehead, before dipping down for a lower, sensual one. “You have a damned good point, my love.”

They kissed long and sweet, swaying there on the stone stairway with him on the lower steps and with her above, embracing him with no fear. Savouring every moment, it was only when they heard the echoed footsteps from the caravan approaching that they parted tenderly—him as the old black knight of death, and her as the slender waif of a princess.

The rest of the way while clearing the path, they held hands in the dark with the sweetness of new lovers.

#you're honor they're in loveeeee #i cannot DEAL with how they are so fuck nasty sometimes and then sometimes they're like gooey abloobloo IN WUV #villain romance of my heart otp forever <3 <3 <3 #gunter slowburn liveblog

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tildeathiwillwrite · 13 days

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My OC's in the Knights Radiant Quiz

@illarian-rambling did this thing recently where she took the Knights Radiant Quiz for her ocs. Thought it was cool so I'm doing it too lol.

The Legend of Orian Goldeneye:

Jas: Willshaper (81%). Considering what her motives are in the story, this tracks nicely. Killian: Skybreaker (78%). I feel he'd be more of an ancient order Skybreaker, operating within his own moral code with an understanding of how rules are imperfect. Orian: Edgedancer (77%). It kind of fits his personality, and he would love to slide around. Henrik: Skybreaker (74%) and Stoneward (74%). Man was born to be a Skybreaker, he's a garrison captain after all. Stoneward also fits him, as a soldier. Diana: Lightweaver (74%). She is a musician, her morals can be questionable, and she disagrees with Henrik about many things. Azura: Lightweaver (57%) and Elsecaller (57%). She is very much into the subterfuge aspect of the Lightweavers. She's also decent at tactics, a theme of the Elsecallers, and dreamshaping is somewhat similar to moving through Shadesmar. Morpheus: Elsecaller (63%). Very similar to Azura, but he's much more on the cautious side.

Tales from Valaria:

Octavian: Windrunner (77%). Like me! And it also fits his role in The Watcher and the Thief, though by the time The Hunter the Myth and the Cure comes around it's changed drastically. Draven: Willshaper (73%). He does what he wants, doesn't really care for rules but he does have his own moral code. Reese: Lightweaver (62%). I'm not too sure about this one, mostly because her morals align closer to a Willshaper or Edgedancer in my opinion. But she does tend to hide her true self from others. Luc: Windrunner (78%). Fits his morals and his job, he's quite protective. Hector: Windrunner (79%). Same as Luc, makes sense since he's Luc's mentor, but I'd say Luc has a little bit more Skybreaker in him than Hector. Damian: Edgedancer (70%). Bodes well for Caenum to have a heir that cares for his people. He was also willing to give up his freedom if it meant his captor didn't get what she wants, so he's fairly selfless. Kaira: Lightweaver (57%) (Also -20% for Bondsmith apparantly???). She's very good at deception, but that's the only thing that would be Lightweaver about her. Personally I think she'd be a better Elsecaller, due to her search for power. Rift: Elsecaller (54%). I don't know how he got this one, he has average wisdom and intelligence is his dump stat. But he would definitely make good use of Shadesmar (for "borrowing" purposes).

(Superhero Story):

Rowan: Elsecaller (74%). Makes sense, he's fairly cautious, he's the leader of the group (not very good at it), and he's willing to do anything to get what he wants. Victoria: Windrunner (63%). She definitely likes working in a team, and is really attached to and protective of those she cares about, to the point where she'd do anything to save them. Ollie: Truthwatcher (81%). Considering their powers make them a great spy, fueled by their natural curiosity, this fits. Sam: Stoneward (61%). She's the group's tank, the most reliable out of all of them, and fairly optimistic. Whisper: Elsecaller (70%). What is with my villains and getting Elsecaller? Is it because they all seem to be selfish bastards who do anything for what they want? (Nevertheless this does fit him).

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lollytea · 1 year

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If Willow reads both Azura and Cosmic Frontier, which one do you think she will love more? Like in another Halloween scenario will she costume-up with Lumity or with the boys?

Willow is implied to be at least somewhat endeared with Azura, though it's likely most of that comes loving Luz so much and wanting to support her. It seems like the reason Azura doesn't sell on the Boiling Isles is cuz it's such a cheesy unrealistic portrayal of witches that no self respecting witch would actually enjoy it. (Except for Amity. But Amity is an autistic icon.) However, judging by Willow's Halloween costume, she has no problem indulging herself by dressing up as a silly parody of a witch every now and again. So she'd totally be down for humouring Luz and Amity by doing a trio costume. But ONLY if she can dress up as the villain.

I can't see her being able to read through all of the books (there's only so much shmultzy ridiculous writing she can take. Its only funny for the first few chapters.) but she's probably watched a few of the movies and allowed Luz and Amity to gush about it to her. She's a casual fan if anything who enjoys it ironically but still has a soft spot for it cuz her besties love it so much.

When it comes to Cosmic Frontier, I think she'd definitely enjoy it more than Azura but she wouldn't become obsessed with it like Hunter and Gus are. She reads the first book because she's stupidly in love and was like "That's was nice :)" but doesn't really have any strong opinions about it. It was a fun way to kill a few hours.

But Gus and Hunter fucking AMBUSH her cuz they want to know her THOUGHTS. But they end up getting carried away in their info dumping and spoil the next few books before she can even think about reading them. Willow doesn't really care. She enjoys her boys being excited way more than the books themselves.

Hunter could definitely talk her into joining them for a group cosplay. There's a number of things he could talk her into. So she's out here dressed as a character from the sequel she hasnt read and she has no idea who they're supposed to be but Gus and Hunter are just ecstatic that she's participating. She thinks her costume is really cool tho. For no particular reason.

ANYWAY people really want Willow and Hunter to bond over Cosmic Frontier but me personally, I prefer it being Hunter and Gus's special thing, while Willow is just a very confused but enthusiastic girlfriend.

You know what I really want? Really really want? Luz and Amity have a fantasy. Gus and Hunter have sci fi. I really want Willow and Vee to both get into the same nerdy genre at the same time and gush over it together. My personal headcanon is that it's superhero comics.

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universeskies · 1 year

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Luz Noceda: A Journey about Growth and Understanding

Luz Noceda, is one of the Main Characters of The Owl House. and She's my TOP Favorite and Comfort Character. And seeing The Owl House ever since Season 1 in the Episode "Covention" ever sine then, it was truly an INCREDIBLE Journey to watch and how much She has come through. Fun Fact! I started watching The Owl House since episode "Covention" that was technically my first Episode and the one that introduced Me to The Owl House. Even then though, "A Lying Witch and Warden" does an INCREDIBLE Work and Storytelling in what Luz will be about and how Her story through on will be about. And I want to talk so much about that since the very beginning alongside many more moments. I will probably split this into many parts but I will gladly talk more about that and have a more depth analysis into those parts too alongside more rambles. I'll do the same with Eda, King, a Look into Willow and Gus together, and them as separate characters, Hunter and the Golden Guard mask talk to it, Amity, Lumity OF COURSE, and Many more! Including a look of Belos being a Perfect Villain. But for now! Let's-a Go for the Great talk of Luz Noceda!

Sooooo, Lets start with the very first episode of course! "A Lying Witch and Warden" where Luz is introduced. The very first scene is basically Her retell or summary of Her Book Report which is "The Good Witch Azura!" all while holding the Azura figurine, and a little Snake. All while being in the Principal Office. From the scene presented alone, You can tell a lot from Her character. She was assigned to do a Book Report and from what I am going to assume is that said report was per say Free style. Any Book is fair and square! And by such, She decided to go with Her Favorite book, and also have a very creative and diverse kind of ideas. And yet, it seems that She was called into the Principal Office due to said report and its because in how much She wanted to showcase about what Good Witch Azura is all about in a rather very uniqeu way BUT! Also quite dangerous. One thing that I found interesting is how this could be presented into a Great Fair view of this scene. One would say or think, "That wasn't fair to Luz. She wanted to express more about the Good Witch Azura" but here is the Amazing kicker. Bringing a bunch of Snakes with no way of control per say, alongside Fireworks and more backup snakes is honestly so dangerous and some students were seen running around with it. I'm going to assume those are non-poisonous snakes per say.

Why am I saying all of this? Because this introductory scene of this First Episode is a GREAT Example of "Show, Don't tell." From that Introduction of the Story alone, We are introduced to Our Main Character and what Luz is about and what will be about throughout the Journey and already is quite GREAT looking back at it. After all, plenty of People probably wanted a moment or a time to shine and talk about what They love and even perhaps gain friendships or something more throughout that Amazing talk. Already, a Great relatable and Connection to the Audience. Looking and Watching this episode for the First time, I could feel that. It hit close home to Me, I wanted to talk about Super Mario whenever I had the chance on to do it in School, and present it by doing some roleplays of Mario or taking His Character like saying Iconic lines of Him. Alongside not only showcasing a great Connection, it ALSO! Shows flaws in Luz's character and a Flaw We see throughout the Story BUT! Also slowly growing out of it. The look of Fantasy and Escapism. We all have been there per say. We wanted to escape from any problem or just go where everythign that are like the obstacles or bad or rough moments of life just don't be there per say. Its a very Valid thought, sometimes wanting a break from the hardships of life is very valid, but there has to also be a balance. To know when is too much, and that is perfectly represented in the moment that Camila says that to Luz. That Her not knowing well where is the line between Fantasy and real life can hinder You, and We see that come into play for "Yesterday's Lie." Camila all what She wanted was Luz to get Friends, when Vee (at that time taking Luz's place) was throwing everything that Luz made and liked, She felt sad, one would say that even bad at seeing that because maybe for Her in that moment, Summer Camp made "Luz" just, not like anmore what made Her happy. Its also a Great Showcase of Camila's character and how much of a Great Mother She is, which I'll talk about in the future.

Luz as a Character, She has an Incredible Relatable Character, motivations and Moments and as well making Her a Flaw Character that We slowly see and grow as the Story progress. A Great showcase is in the Next episode, "Witches before Wizards" where Luz wanted SO Much that the Boiling Isles and everything that has happened is exactly like Her Books, The Good Witch Azura.

She wanted to believe that She needed to be a chosen One and be special through a prophecy. Already showcasing again that She's getting too much into Her Fantasy and despite ironically being in a fantasy world from Her perspective, Its still Reality and Life. She is taking for granted the situation She was when She said how She believes She's not in the right place, where I believe that landing with Eda and staying in The Owl House was probably the Best case scenario for her to end up with in the Boiling Isles. After all, there would've been worse options, like running around aimlessly trying to fight for survival and such, or ending up in the Confronatorium. The episode "Witches before Wizards" is already a GREAT Step into Luz's character to realize that not everything is like or should be on how She wants to, and She realizes that and wants to work with it to earn Her Staff, and the best part? We see that through the following episodes, slowly learning more and more about Her looking at well, the outlook of what Life and Reality can be through the Boiling Isles even if its a Magical World as she is from the Human Realm.

I also want to add That Luz has every right as well to Say what She thought and such, and That is valid since Not everything is roses and such, But Even Then there are better ways to express it and by such is Why Luz Felt like there must have been a mistake. And a Reason Why Adegast used That to The advantage on tricking Her.

Its truly AMAZING and it all comes into Great payoffs in Season 2 and comes FULL Circle for Season 3. What is to take about this? That Luz knows that Life is Hard? Well, Yes. But in a sense, She also comes to the realization that Life can be rough, but also very Beautiful and have its Incredible Moments of Magic. Its such a GREAT Pay off in this moment of "Thanks to Them" when She realizes, that She can do Magic in the Human Realm. The Magic that She has been learning, has stuck with Her and its such a Beautiful message overall.

Which brings Me with the Next part of this Little ramble. And that is about Her escapism. The saying of "I miss Luz when She was happier in Season 1" its not a Good look at all. One thing in why I ABSOLUTELY ADORE and believe that The Owl House's writing is quite PEAK is due to how GREAT and Rewarding is rewatching hte Ol' episodes after the GREAT Context and detail of the Future episodes. The episode "Reaching Out" truly is a GREAT and SO BEAUTIFUL episode that conveys it and MORE with "For the Future" where We learn more about Luz's backstory. To learn about Her Dad passing away away and the struggles She went through and the Grief too. I would even say that even before Season 1, Luz was still healing and Griefing for Her Dad. Her Dad is why She loves The Good Witch Azura. Its exactly why The Good Witch Azura means so much to Luz as well. Through the story that the book presents, but also because its like a Last Gift and what reminds Her of Her Dad. Its truly beautiful and yet tragic due to how Luz was seen as a Weirdo even then. Its an incredible look because even through it, Camila wanted to so much protect Her from any hurt to which is something that is INCREDIBLE to see when Camila realizes by Herself that She didn't need to protect Luz from, well, as the moment beautifully presents, Luz being Herself in fear that the world will treat Her badly.

Which is where "Yesterday's Lie" episode comes into another showcase of context after "Reaching Out" and is So tragic because Luz wanted to escape that. She was scared to change by going into the Summer Camp and wanted to escape far into that, which is why Luz say that. She say that it was Never Camila, it was never Her, because Luz knows that Her Mom loves Her and supports Her, but the fear of what the World can do to change Her is probably something She didn't want to face.

"Enchanting Grom Fright" with the Fears in Grom, its not because She was scared of Her mom or coming to face the Truth, but rather Her Fear of thinking or making Her mom think that She did something wrong,, She doesn't want to feel like it was a burden since Luz is aware that Her mom has Her hands full as well. These moments in life can be so much rough, and through that Fear, We all want to just have a safe space or a space where We don't have to worry about all of that.

However, just as that hurt is present, "Reaching Out" also beautifully represents that there are beautiful moments. After seeing Luz not having a Good time and trying to not even be honest, to finally release all that, and be honest and show Her vulnerable side to Amity even while still trying to keep up a smile, Amity, just shows nothing more than just Pure Love and Support. Even through the fiasco of what was the Bonesborough Brawl, Amity helped Her get those flowers and honor Her Dad's passing away anniversary. Again, it was one of the lowest moments for Luz, and despite it all, She still got to see the Beauty of it, that Softness and Calm that can be even before or after the Storm. I am so going to make an even more depth Ramble about "Reaching Out" even if it makes Me cry a lot, Gosh, I love so much this Show and THE AMAZING relationship that is Lumity.

Like said before, Life can be rough and there will be bad moments, but just like there are bad and terrible moments, There are MUCH SO INCREDIBLE And Beautiful moments. Which We see that being the GREAT Story into play with Season 3. A Younger Luz got to experience the beautiful moments even after Her Dad's passing away and its all thanks to Him as well and the Unconditional support from Her Mom too. Its a Great look to take in, that through the badm there will always be Good and Great breaks from it and that truly even if moments are rough and bad, its okay to feel it and feel sad, but know that there will be great and Awesome Moments too that will follow. And its something, that is SO Beautifully represent in Stringybean, with Luz feeling understood and Camila of course, embracing that She should also not hide Herself at all, and if She wants to be a Nerd then Go ALL the more for it!

After all, despite through it all, despite if You're feeling like a Weirdo, or an Outcast, or going through somethign rough... Us Weirdos will always stick together.

#the owl house #toh #luz noceda #camila noceda #amity blight #lumity #the owl house season 3 #the owl house rambles #skies rambles

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azure-wolf-227 · 10 months

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TOH MHA AU: Characters and Worldbuilding

Some extra facts and lore about the characters and how I translate TOH things into this AU.

Edit: I forgot to add Lilith Clawthorne!

Hexside is located on Bonesburough, which is a city in this AU; Luz’s hometown of Gravesfield is just a couple of hours away in car. It is close enough that Eda often visits the town, which leads to her meeting Luz and deciding to train her. Most of the other Hexside students are Bonesburough natives, especially the main ones like Willow, Gus, and Amity. Bonesburough is also where the Commision headquarters for that Region of the USA are located.

Blight Industries is a Support Equipment Company, though they do make weapons for the military. Alador is the company’s main inventor while Odalia takes care of everything else. There are rumors that Blight Industries secretly provide equipment to shady groups.

The Comformatorium is the Tartarus-equivalent, a prison for the worse villains.

As I mentioned before, Philip is the President of the Hero Commission, at least the East Coast Branch. Lilith, Steven, and most characters who were in the Emperor’s Coven work for the Commission in this AU. The Coven Heads are either high ranking heroes or Commission agents.

Most characters’ Quirks are based on their abilities in canon. Those who have unusual traits and looks are reimagined as having Heteromorphic (Mutant) traits.

Okay, let’s go into some more detail about the characters. (Most of them wouldn’t have Hero names

Luz Noceda

Hero Name: Luzura - a portmanteau of Luz and Azura, the main character of Luz’s favorite book series.

Quirk: Glyphs - create several effects by writing a specific Glyph or Glyph combination, from a simple ball of light to turning invisible.

Besides the canon Glyphs (light, ice, plant, and fire), there are more Glyphs corresponding to other elements (water, earth, air, lightning, dark).

Luz’s glyphs utilize her own energy rather than the ambient energy, so overuse of Glyphs or using a complex one will tire her out.

Luz doesn’t have to be the one who draws the Glyphs, she can activate Glyphs drawn by other people.

Luz can ‘charge up’ Glyphs with her energy without activating them, allowing other people to use them.

Initially, Luz needed to physically draw the Glyphs on a solid surface, but her Quirk later evolved to allow Luz to draw Glyphs directly into the air.

Luz received some martial arts training from Eda, as well as parkour lessons. She also knows some basic staff fighting.

Luz’s hero outfit would have a witch aesthetic because of her love of fantasy. Besides predraw Glyphs, Luz carries smoke bombs and flash bangs, a first aid kit, pen and paper in case she needs to draw more Glyphs, plus a few other useful things.

Luz has always wanted to be a Hero like her father, and she seemingly did not let her initial lack of Quirk nor it’s late manifestation dampen her determination. In reality, Luz did have doubts about becoming a Hero, even when her Quirk finally came. These doubts were reassured when Eda began training her, though they still existed within Luz’s mind. This causes Luz to sometimes do reckless things to prove herself, though the people around take notice and help her deal with it.

Due to having a Quirkless mom and being effectively Quirkless most of her life, Luz does not tolerate any form of Quirk discrimination, be it against Heteromorphs, “Villainous” Quirks, or Quirkless.

Amity Blight

Hero Name: Hekate - referencing the Greek Goddess and the character Hecate from the Azura books.

Quirk: Goo Manipulation - produces purple goo from her body, mainly her hands and feet, that she can manipulate. Amity can create golems from this goo and command them, or she can create weapons and armor to fight herself.

Amity inherited her Quirk from her father, her’s is much stronger and she is more creative in using it.

I decided to also give Amity cat traits (ears, tail, fangs, claws) because I love it when Witch Amity purrs in fanfics, and this would justify it.

Amity, initially, only relied on her Quirk to fight, but later began training in hand-to-hand combat.

Amity possess great talent in creating and repairing support equipment, another thing inherited from her father. She doesn't display this part of herself often because her mother would disapprove.

Amity’s Hero outfit would be a skintight dark purple jumpsuit with lighter wavy patterns (like her pants post-timeskip), combat boots, gloves and canisters to store extra Goo. There would be some moon symbols in the outfit as well. She later starts carrying other useful things like smoke bombs and other support equipment.

Amity and Willow were childhood friends until Odalia ordered Amity to break their friendship because she thought Willow’s Quirk was weak.

Willow Park

Hero Name: Dryad - after the Greek nymphs that inhabit trees.

Quirk: Plant Manipulation - is basically the same powers she has in canon; manipulate existing plant life, accelerate plant grow, revitalize plants, etc.

Willow is very strong and fit; she also took boxing lessons, making her very capable of fighting with her own hands if necessary.

She was often bullied because people thought her Quirk wasn’t very strong. This changed when entered Hexside and had the chance to prove how strong she truly was.

For Willow’s Hero Outfit, maybe a jumpsuit with an utility belt to store seeds and other useful things.

Gus Porter

Hero Name: Illusive - it means deceptive and illusory, referencing his illusion abilities.

Quirk: Illusions - is basically the same power he has in canon; he can create visual and auditory illusions. He is powerful enough to affect the whole school with his illusions.

Originally, Gus’s illusions where only external and affected multitude people. Later, he grew strong enough to target the mind of specific people, causing them to experience hallucinations only they could see.

Gus initially relied exclusively on his Quirk, but later began training in hand-to-hand combat.

As this Gus is a human, his interest lies in Pre-Quirk Era things, especially how superheroes and powers were interpreted in the past.

Gus is two years younger than his classmates as he was talented enough to be invited to attend Hero School earlier.

Gus’s Hero Outfit would be something magician-inspired, or anything flashy and teatric because illusionists are often theater kids.

Hunter Wittebane

Hero Name: Golden Guard - it was his moniker in canon, and like in canon is a legacy name. The previous Golden Guard was Hunter’s father, Caleb Wittebane, and Hunter wants to honor his father by inheriting his Hero name. Though, many people like his uncle and Darius (at first) don’t think he is yet worthy of the name.

Quirk: Flash Step - is his signature flash step move from canon. He mainly uses to evade attacks, but Hunter can also use Flash Step to add momentum when he attacks.

Hunter initially can only Flash Step in short bursts, but later grows strong enough Flash Step for longer, essentially gaining superspeed.

Hunter can carry people when he Flash Steps but it uses up more energy to compensate for the extra weight of passengers.

Hunter has martial arts and parkour training, so he doesn’t just rely on his Quirk. He is also trained to use a staff as a weapon.

Hunter is unaware of his uncle’s criminal activities, but he is aware that Philip doesn’t have a positive opinion on Heteromorphs, “Villainous” Quirks, and Quirkless. This exposure means that Hunter sometimes says offensive things without realizing that they are offensive. He later discovers that most of what he was taught about those groups is wrong.

Hunter initially disliked vigilantes because Philip told him that they were menaces to society, but his opinion changed after meeting Eda and learning her reasons for being a vigilante.

Hunter is actually a clone of Caleb Wittebane created by Philip Wittebane after killing his brother. Hunter in an ‘imperfect’ clone as the DNA sample used to create him was tainted with the DNA of Evelyn Clawthorne, Caleb’s lover. This caused Hunter to inherit some of Evelyn’s traits like red eyes and pointed ears, making him more like Caleb and Evelyn’s son than Caleb’s clone.

Hunter’s Hero outfit would be something similar to his canon Golden Guard outfit sans the mask. As a weapon, he would have a staff styled like the one he had in canon before getting Flapjack.

Eda Clawthorne

Vigilante/Hero Name: The Owl Lady - her canon moniker. Eda didn’t chose this name, it was given to her by some of the first people she saved as a vigilante and Eda decided to keep it.

Eda’s Hero Name when she was a student was Strix, after a genus of owls. The reason she doesn’t currently use this name is because she doesn’t want people to know her identity.

Quirk: Harpy - she transforms into her harpy form from canon.

Eda has a second, more powerful form, The Owl Beast, that she never uses because her mind is like a wild animal’s in this form. She, at first, can only enter this form when suffering strong negative emotions, but later learns how to channel her protective side into the transformation.

Eda is surprisingly strong and fit. She trained in martial arts and parkour, as well as staff fighting. Eda is also not above fighting pragmatically aka fighting dirty.

During Eda’s second year in Hexside, an incident resulted in her Quirk evolving and Eda assuming her Owl Beast form for the first time. She went on a rampage, though no one was seriously injured before she was stopped. The incident shaked Eda so much that she dropped out of school, believing that her Quirk was too dangerous.

It would be several years later that Eda would learn how to kept herself from inadvertently transforming into the Owl Beast. But not before accidentally mauling her father and driving Raine to break up with her.

Shortly after gaining control of the Owl Beast transformation, Eda involved herself in a villain attack to save some people. This event inspired her to take on vigilantism.

Eda could actually get a Hero License, but she does not because she doesn’t trust the Commission, especially President Wittebane. The only Commission agent Eda trusts in her sister, Lilith.

Eda has been able to kept her vigilante identity a secret despite her distinctive Quirk is because she has gaslit everyone who tried to find her identity into believing she is not The Owl Lady. The only ones who know her identity are Luz, King, Camila, Lilith, Raine, Principal Bum, and Philip Wittebane. Lilith, Raine, and Bump are amused and exasperated by Eda’s antics and wish she would get a license; but since Eda’s actions cause more good than harm, they kept her identity secret. Philip has managed to connect the dots on The Owl Lady’s identity but cannot convince anyone because Eda was just that good at gaslighting everyone else. So Philip/Belos has become a Wes Weston character (thanks @princess-of-the-corner for the idea).

In her civilian identity, Eda owns a shop where she sells second-hand items that she often recovers out of the trash and restores.

Eda’s Vigilante/Hero outfit is her canon Harpy appearance with an owl mask to hide her identity.

King Clawthorne

Hero Name/Moniker: The King of Demons - he gave himself this name as part of a game.

Quirk: Roar of Rage - the sonic attack he gained in season 2. Also, he looks the same as in canon as he is a Heteromorph.

Because this is a MHA AU, King gained his Quirk at the age of four, much to Eda’s exasperation.

Eda found King inside an abandoned building. She thought he was a weird dog at first before he began speaking. After confirming King just had an extreme Mutation and was not an animal with an intelligence Quirk, Eda officially adopted him as her son.

King’s personality is similar to canon’s, though he is aware he is not a Demon King from the beginning.

Raine Whispers

Hero Name: Minstrel Fox - referencing their status as a Bard and their fox Palisman.

Quirk: Bard - their canon abilities. It is basically sound manipulation, but it becomes more versatile when playing music, allowing Raine to affect their surroundings, even altering the weather. Aside from their Quirk, Raine has fox-like heteromorphic traits, manifesting as fox ears, a tail, fangs, and enhanced senses.

Raine is decently fit, though they are more about being quick and evasive than direct confrontation, That doesn’t mean that they can’t fight with their own hands if necessary.

Raine is the homeroom/heroics teacher in charge of Luz’s class. On the first day of combat practice, Raine recognized Luz’s moves as Eda’s fighting style.

The BATs (Derwin, Katya, and Amber) are their sidekicks and TAs.

Their reasons for breaking up with Eda are the same as in canon - that Eda didn’t talk about her struggles with them. They never stopped loving her, though, and their shared connection to Luz gives the pair the chance to rekindle their relationship.

Not sure what to do about their Hero outfit. maybe something like their canon outfit but more heroic-looking, plus that white cape and hood they wore as a Coven Head because Raine is dramatic like that.

The BATs (Amber, Katya, and Derwin)

Hero Names: I don’t have any ideas besides their Hero Names being related to bats or music, or both.

Quirks: All three have sound/music Quirks; Amber’s bat traits are reimagined as Heteromorphic Traits, and her wings are bigger than in canon so she can use them to fly.

These three are Raine/Minstrel Fox’s sidekicks and TAs, helping them teach the Hero students.

These three are avid Raeda shippers, especially Katya.

Their hero outfits are similar to Raine’s though with some differences to make them unique to each individual.

Lilith Clawthorne

Hero Name: Lilith is more a Commission Agent rather than a Pro Hero, but she uses ‘White Raven’ as a codename. ‘White Raven’ is a reference to her Palisman in canon.

Quirk: Harpy Transformation like Eda, but hers is raven-based. Based on Canon Lilith’s Harpy form in the epilogue.

Lilith can potentially turn into a ‘Raven’ Beast like how Eda turns into an Owl Beast, but she has never been is a situation that is distressing enough to push her Quirk to evolve in that way - yet.

As I said, Lilith works for the Hero Commission as one of the highest-ranking members, often interacting with Commission President Wittebane himself. Although she is not Pro Hero, Lilith has trained in combat with and without her Quirk.

This is because I have this idea of a Special Division within Commission comprised of Agents trained in combat in case they need to subdue unruly Heroes or Vigilantes.

Lilith is one of the people aware that Eda is the vigilante The Owl Lady, but doesn’t intend to have her sister arrested. She is mostly exasperated by Eda’s antics and often tries to convince Eda to get a Hero License, though she knows her sister distrusts the Commission.

Lilith has noticed many red flags related to President Wittebane, though she tries to ignore them because he can’t be that bad, can he?

Camila and Manny Noceda

Hero Name: Manny’s Hero Name is Cosmic Knight, in reference to Cosmic Frontier. Camila is a Veterinarian, so obviously has no Hero Name, herself.

Quirk: Manny’s Quirk is Hard-Light Constructs - as the name implies, he can create constructs out of hard light like Green Lantern, though he was also skilled in hand-to-hand combat and weapon handling for situations where his Quirk wasn’t useful. Camila is Quirkless; do not think that the lack of Quirk makes Camila helpless, she is perfectly capable of defending herself.

Manny was classmates with Eda and Raine at Hexside. While they weren’t close, Manny did work alongside them in several occasions after they became heroes (vigilante in Eda’s case).

Manny and Camila didn’t meet each other until the former graduated from Hexside. They first met when Camila was bravely attempted to save animals trapped inside a burning shelter; Cosmic Knight arrived to assist thought Camila was already doing an amazing job, leaving Manny impressed and smitten. They started dating soon afterwards, got married, and had Luz.

Manny died during a raid on a villain lair - the villains were likely backed by Belos -, taking an attack meant for a fellow hero.

Manny’s Hero outfit was sci-fi inspired, maybe a skintight jumpsuit like the Lanterns with an utility belt and cool vizors.

Discrimination against the Quirkless is less common in America, but it still happens and Camila definitely suffered from it. She is better nowadays as her coworkers do not care about her lack of Quirk, only that she does a good job.

Vee Noceda

Hero Name/Alias: Vee has no interest in becoming a Hero, therefore, she has no Hero Name. She was referred to as “Number Five” by her jailers.

Quirk: Shapeshifting - Vee can copy the appearance of any person she has seen, even in pictures. To power her Quirk, Vee must absorb and consume energy from other living beings. This process can leave the target feeling tired, and in extreme cases, the energy drain can be fatal.

Vee eventually learns how to create original appearances rather than copying the looks of others.

Vee takes great care of never fatally drain energy from other beings, not even her enemies.

When Vee’s Quirk first manifested, her biological parents were so disgusted by the ‘energy draining’ requirement, that they sold Vee to some shady people. These people then began conducting all manner of tests and experiments on Vee to understand how her power worked, especially the energy draining part. This people worked for Belos, who was very interested in how the ‘energy draining’ aspect worked. Years later, Vee eventually escaped and by coincidence was found by Camila Noceda.

Vee is wary of strangers at first and fearful of going out in case that the captors find her. But Camila, Luz, and the other Heroes well treatment of her has a positive influence in Vee. Vee eventually becomes more sure and confident, though while she admires the heroes, she has explicitly stated that she has no desire to become one.

As Vee is a Quirked Human in this AU, her default appearance is the human disguise she created in “Thanks to Them”, including the fluffy ear-fins.

Philip Wittebane

Villain Name: Emperor Belos, though most people just call him Belos, much to his displeasure.

Quirk: Slime Body (Original Quirk) - a transformation Quirk that initially allowed Philip to transform his limbs into malleable slime, it later became unstable and now his default form is the Creepy Goo Belos look from canon. Philip secretly acquired more Quirks to help stabilize his body, thought the extra Quirks have negative effects on his body.

Philip almost exclusively relies on his Quirk(s), so he doesn’t have any hand-to-hand combat nor weapon knowledge.

Philip is still a religious bigot in this AU, focused on people with “Villainous” Quirks, Heteromorphs and the Quirkless, considering the former two monsters and the latter divinely punished.

Philip’s parents were heroes who died fighting a Villain (I’m debating on making the Villain an Heteromorph to have an origin for Philip’s dislike of them), leaving Philip in the care of his older brother Caleb. Both boys desired to be heroes, though Philip wanted to be one for the prestige and adulation rather than to help people. An incident (implied to be related to Eda’s first transformation into the Owl Beast) caused Philip to be expelled from Hexside in disgrace, adding fuel to his already villainous tendencies.

The final straw was when Caleb entered a relationship with a person that had Heteromorphic traits, it is what finally pushed Philip into begin planning the extermination of those with Heteromorphs, “Villainous” Quirks, and the Quirkless. He then killed Caleb and Evelyn when the pair discovered his plans, and used Caleb’s DNA to create Hunter.

Philip’s plan involves raising up through the Commission ranks while simultaneously backing and supporting villainous groups in ways that benefit him. He cannot display his bigotry openly as several of the people he manipulates have Heteromorphic traits and/or Villainous Quirks, though many do suspect his views. Philip, as Commission President, also tries cracking down on vigilantism because vigilantes are outside his control, but it’s not so successful as most vigilantes are admired by the public.

Philip’s Villain outfit is his canon Emperor Belos look.

The Collector

Real Name: Unknown; accepts Cole as a name/nickname.

Quirk: All For One - yes, this child has the power to take Quirks from people and either keep them or give them to others. That’s why he is known as ‘The Collector’ in this AU. (Thanks @swapauanon for the idea).

I also have this idea that Tej Collector can copy the Quirks he collects.

Like in canon, The Collector is not malicious, just an innocent child ignorant of the harm he is causing, and being manipulated by an adult pretending to be his friend. The Collector is eventually shown the truth by Luz, King, and their friends they befriend them.

For some reason, King is immune to The Collector’s Quirk. The reason is because King’s parent was a sibling to The Collector’s parent, so the family relation gives King immunity. This might or might not be actually revealed.

Caleb Wittebane and Evelyn Clawthorne

Hero Names: Caleb’s Hero Name was Golden Guard, while Evelyn’s was Cardinal after the bird and the color.

Quirks: Caleb’s Quirk was Flash Step like Hunter’s; Evelyn’s Quirk was a Cardinal Harpy Transformation though she also had some avian Heteromorphic Traits in her default form.

Caleb always of becoming a Hero to help people, and attended Hexside to fulfil that dream. There he meet Evelyn, who was in the same Hero Class as him.

Caleb was a few years older than Eda, Raine, and their classmates. In this AU, he is given the role of Darius mentor and friend. Evelyn is Eda and Lilith’s older cousin.

Caleb and Evelyn became a couple shortly after they graduated and became Heroes. They have been planning to marry each other when they discovered that Caleb’s brother, Philip, was a Villain planning on destroying people with “Villainous” Quirks, Heteromorphs, and the Quirkless. They were killed trying to stop Philip from committing his plan.

Philip then attempted to create a clone of Caleb, but the DNA sample he used was ‘contaminated’ with Evelyn’s own DNA. The resulted in the clone, Hunter, being more like Caleb and Evelyn’s son than a clone of just Caleb.

I don't have many ideas for Caleb’s and Evelyn’s hero outfits, though Caleb’s might be similar to Hunter’s Golden Guard outfit with some differences.

Darius Deamonne

Hero Name: Gardien - ‘guardian’ in French. Darius surname is French, so I’m giving him French ancestry in this AU which influenced his Hero name.

Quirk: Darius’ canon ability to become an Abomination. His Abomination hair is an Heteromorphic traits in this AU.

Darius is also skilled in hand-to-hand combat and weapon usage, the latter skill useful by shifting his goo limbs into weapons.

Darius was mentored by and looked up to Caleb Wittebane aka Golden Guard, considering the older man a friend. His admiration of Caleb caused Darius to compare Caleb and Hunter, feeling that the boy was not worthy of Golden Guard’s legacy. Darius eventually realized that his attitude towards Hunter was wrong and made an effort to bond with the boy.

Darius is suspicious of Philip Wittebane because Caleb had told Darius some concerning things before dying.

Darius was friends with Alador Blight in school, he might have even had a crush on the other boy. Their friendship became strained after they graduated and Alador married Odalia.

Darius’ Hero Outfit is similar to his canon outfit, just adjusted to be more heroic-looking.

Eberwolf

Hero Name: Huntsman - this is Eberwolf’s moniker in canon.

Quirk: Beastly Mutant Quirk - his canon appearance is due to a Mutation Quirk which gives him enhanced senses and an affinity with animals.

While Eberwolf knows some hand-to-hand combat, the Mutation nature of his Quirk means that he’s always relying on it.

Eberwolf and Darius are good friends, though Eberwolf likes to tease Darius about things.

Eberwolf is a fervent advocator for Mutant Quirk rights and is suspicious of Philip Wittebane due to rumors that the President is bigoted towards Heteromorphs.

Eberwolf’s Hero Outfit is based on his canon outfit, just altered to be more heroic-like.

Emira and Edric Blight

Hero Names: I haven’t thought of any that would fit.

Quirks: Emira has a healing Quirk while Edric’s Quirk let’s him talk to and emphasize with animals.

Edric also has a talent in chemistry, alluding to his canon Potions skills.

Edric has a pet bat called Batric that serves as his partner. Batric is likely a Quirked animal.

Emira and Edric were originally in the General Education Course before transferring into the Hero Course during their second year. The reason they weren’t in the Hero Course from the beginning was because Odalia considered their Quirks ‘weak’ and a waste of time, and focused more on Amity.

This favoritism caused the twins to become jealous of their little sister, though their relationship has improved thanks to Amity befriending Luz.

Emira has a crush on her classmate Viney; I’ve seen this pairing in some fics and I like it!

I don’t really have any ideas on what the twins’ Hero outfits would look like.

Alador and Odalia Blight

Neither are Heroes, so they don't have Hero names. Alador is a Support Equipment designer/inventor, while Odalia manages the rest of Blight Industries.

Quirks: Alador has the same Quirk as Amity. Goo Manipulation; Odalia has a minor foresight Quirk that helps her predict what ventures are most profitable - though it’s not alway accurate as it is influenced by Odalia’s preconceptions.

Alador was in the Support Course at Hexside while Odalia was in the Management Course.

Alador and Darius were friends, but their friendship strained after they graduated and Alador married Odalia.

Alador loves his kids but he focus so much on his inventions that he ends up ignoring them, leaving them at Odalia’s mercy. Odalia only sees her family as useful assets and is not above hurting them if it benefits her.

Odalia is the kind of person who would make deal with shady individuals if they pay her enough. So she has been unwittingly aiding Belos operations by providing Support Equipment - making sure it cannot be traced to Blight Industries, of course.

Principal Hieronymus Bump

Hero Name: I don’t have any ideas, except for it being related to protection.

Quirk: Energy Construct Generation - allows him to create either barriers or humanoid constructs to fight for him. This references both his canon Abomination magic and how he sealed the school with barriers in his first appearance.

Bump is also skilled in hand-to-hand combat and weapons usage.

Before Bump became the Principal, he was the Heroics teacher of Eda, Raine, Manny, Darius, and their classmates.

Bump is one of the few people aware that Eda is the vigilante The Owl Lady. He is mostly exasperated and wishes she would get a Hero License, but leaves her be as she does a lot of good. He felt himself age a few years when he learned that Luz was Eda’s apprentice.

No ideas for what Bump’s hero outfit would be like.

Other Students

Viney - Her Quirk allows her to form a connection with an animal and increase their strength and abilities, as well as heal them.

Her partner is Puddles, a Quirked animal - a cat with a pigeon Quirk that gives him a Griffin-like appearance. Viney’s Quirk allows Puddles to grow large enough to be used as a ride.

I ship her with Emira Blight.

Jerbo - create living plant soldiers in reference to his canon Plant/Abomination magic.

Barcus - Heteromorph with the appearance of a dog, but he actually has a precognition Quirk.

Boscha - creating fireballs that she can manipulate like actual balls. This is a reference to canon Boscha setting Grudgeby balls on fire.

Skara - a sound/music Quirk because she was a Bard Track student in canon.

Amelia - a plant-related Quirk because she was in the Plant Track in canon.

Cat - a healing Quirk cause she was in the Healing Track in canon.

#toh mha au #the owl house

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introvert-celeste · 1 year

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There's one little recurring bit in Thanks to Them that I haven't really seen people talk about.

In a couple of scenes (which are back to back, I might add), there's a blue sheen casting over Luz's eyes--first from the TV and then from her laptop--emphasizing the dialogue in the scene. So, naturally, that got me thinking about Philip and how the dialogue could potentially pertain to him.

In the TV scene, the dialogue goes as follows:

Azura: How could you do it, Villainous Lucy? How could you betray your friends? Now everyone is gone!

Lucy: It was for the greater good.

Azura: We'll never forgive you. Never!

Then, in the video recording on Luz's laptop, she says:

Dear Diary, all I ever wanted was to be good at something, to be around people who also liked that something. And when I found the Demon Realm, I-I though, "Wow, I found it. I can learn magic. I can be a witch. I-I won't be the dummy in the principal's office anymore!" But I messed up too much, and put everyone in danger. Mama says I need to learn from my mistakes. So, I know what I have to do now...

Towards the end of the episode, Belos suggests that he is doing what he is doing for the supposed greater good, specifically for "the good of [their] souls." This isn't the first time we've heard him express this sentiment. In Hollow Mind, we learned that it was a big selling point in his rise to power:

"Look at what wild magic has done to your city. Now imagine what it's doing to you. A city can rise from the ashes, but a soul...I can make your magic pure again, as the Titan intended!"

Taken by itself, that dialogue could be seen as just another baseless lie to take advantage of the witches. But paired with his comment from Thanks to Them--specifically when he says to Luz: "you'll thank me later"--it definitely seems that there's some genuine belief behind what he's saying.

The TV scene is framed as Luz feeling guilty for helping Philip, for doing what she thought was good only to end up hurting everyone she cares about in the process. It makes me wonder if Philip felt the same way, at least to some degree. Perhaps he blames himself to some degree for his brother's fate, not necessarily for his death but for his involvement with witches and magic in the first place. Perhaps he has convinced himself that destroying all magic will, in turn, destroy all evil and save his brother's soul, as well as all of humanity's.

Likewise, I think the laptop scene may also allude to Philip's true motivation, as well as a potential source of guilt. Luz says that all she ever wanted was to be good at something and to be liked because of it. That was what made magic so interesting to her: she loved it, she was good at it, and she could share that love with the people around her. But it was that love of magic that, as she believes, caused her to mess up and put everyone in danger.

Basically, I'm wondering whether Caleb truly was the first of the brothers to be lured in by the magic of the demon realm. What if Philip was the one to get both brothers trapped in the demon realm initially, inadvertently introducing Caleb to Evelyn?

I'm not concerned about history repeating through Luz because, unlike Philip, Luz has a huge support system. Philip was an orphan and, as far as we know, Caleb was the only family he had. It's no wonder he reacted poorly to Caleb's new life in the demon realm: it went against everything Philip had come to believe in to survive. As far as he was concerned, he'd been abandoned by the one person he was closest to.

But I'm just speculating at this point. I just figured this detail might be important. I also have some big thoughts just how involved both brothers were with magic and the demon realm well before their big confrontation, but I'll save that for another post. Or maybe I'll just wait until the next ep premieres. We'll see!

#the owl house #toh theories #luz noceda #philip wittebane #caleb wittebane #my brain is full of theories but my ability to put them into words is lacking to say the least lol

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lumity-poggers · 1 year

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My thoughts on Watching and Dreaming

I watched the episode when it premeired last night but i hit post limit so couldnt post about it. Spoilers under the cut. sorry if anything is out of order lol im sick and im just throwing everything i thought last night down on this post.

-Luz being attacked by Amity genuinely made me cry

-"My girlfriend is too big a nerd to misremember an Azura quote" -luz probably

-Lilith having the haircut from For the Future but color scheme from season 1 is a nice touch

-"Dont you recognize your siblings" Ok damn man didnt need to go THAT far

-The giant stone Flapjack in Luz's nightmare killed me and not in the good funny way but in the sad crying way

-in the words of @minty-creator "BELOS FUCKETH OFF" (We were both watching the ep and screaming to each other about it)

-at first I thought belos was gonna try and possess king but then I realized no he's going to possess the fucking boiling isles titan

-I actually kinda liked that The Collector had no concept of death. They're a kid, an IMMORTAL GODLY KID. Of course they wouldnt know what death is

-Pacman Collector will haunt my nightmares

-The Collector needs a hug. I want to give them a hug.

-"You know this cant last forever" that was said to the collector but it feels like it was also aimed towards us

-The Archivists 🤝Pink Diamond "Wanna play a game?" *leaves them lonely*

-ok no but seriously the archivists telling Collector to play with the titans only to wipe them out leaving Collector all alone is just fucking cruel

-The Collector is just a lonely kid LET ME HUG THEM

-Me seeing Raine fight back: YES YOU GO

-Goo Belos in this episode looks like William Afton. Like- Remember that fucking fnaf 3 image where the springtrap head was open showing William? Thats what Belos looks like. Or burntrap from SB take your pick.

-Raine my beloved

-The Belos possessed Titan looks like a fucking dragon holy shit

-"Now that's a spinoff I'd watch" You and me both Luz

-The Collector picking up Raine's earring and realizing that the Raine talking to them wasnt actually Raine, and then looking upset is just AAAAAAAA LET ME FUCKING HUG THEM

-I LOVE that when the collector uses "Kindness and Forgiveness" on Belos IT DOESNT WORK. I FUCKING H A T E THAT TROPE OF POWER OF FRIENDSHIP REDEMPTION. It was one of the few things I genuinely hated about Steven Universe (SU is still a good show tho they just kinda overused villain redemption. And yeah yeah you could argue MLP overuses that too but MLP was ABOUT friendship)

-Luz, Eda, and King's expressions when The Collector hugs Belos is so funny tho. Literally just 👁👄👁

-I literally screamed at Luz's sacrifice. S C R E A M E D.

-Gaster Blaster Belos Real

-"Eda, King, looks like we're going to be split up again. I feel like I should be used to this feeling by now, but I still dont know what to say" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

-I like that Luz becomes lights. Not only was the light glyph the first one she learned but her name literally means light.

-Eda, King, and Luz are such a found family I love them

-"I should have thanked them" SCREAMING AND CRYING

-I love that King's dad basically said "Fuck gender"

-I also love that he has a bad girls coven shirt

-Eda makes alchoholic apple blood confirmed?

-Titan Luz is so gender

-Camila best mom

-LET. ME. HUG. THE. COLLECTOR. DAMN IT.

-Luz and King doing the WEH together is so fucking cute.

-For some reason I thought Luz was gonna die again when the titan magic was fading. Like I thought that was keeping her alive.

-Anyone gonna talk about the fact Eda gave Raine a little kiss when saving them from the Belos goop

-the entire episode was so anime but the fight scene between Titan Luz and Belos was just anime as fuck and the smooth animation makes it even better

-"NOW EAT THIS SUCKA" IT ALL COMES FULL CIRCLE

-Look at how fuckin anime this is I love it so much

-Luz looks so badass btw idk if I mentioned that

-Belos trying to bullshit his way out of this and Luz having NONE OF IT is so great. I hat the "[insert curse/supernatural thing] made me do it so im innocent" trope if it's done poorly or with a character like Belos. Love that they smashed that into the ground with Luz having fucking none of it.

-LOOK AT HOW BADASS AND GENDER SHE LOOKS I WILL NOT SHUT UP ABOUT THIS I AM SO NOT NORMAL ABOUT THIS

-I AM SO GLAD BELOS HAD A GRUESOME DEATH THAT WAS SO SATISFYING.

-I like the touch that Titan Luz isnt affected by the boiling rain

-King's dad is A PUN MASTER

-the reuniting. oh my titan the reuniting. I cried. Gus doing a little illusion with his dad, Amity hugging Alador (with Odalia rightfully in the sidelines), Hunter telling Darius about wolves, Willow and her dads!

-Darius and Eber so want to beat the shit out of Terra, Vitmir, and Adrien.

-Camila pulling Eda and King into a hug with Luz is just. YES.

-Yassified Hooty go brrr

-King giving The Collector Francois was so sweet

-All the kids as adults are so fucking gender. GIVE ME YOUR GENDER.

-All the photos on Luz's bulletin board are so amazing. Especially the one with Hooty dropping from a tree that one made me laugh so hard. Also the Bi Pride pin next to the graduation photo was amazing.

-"Stringbean's Corner" AWWWE

-ik im doing two screenshots in a row but LOOK AT THIS PICTURE OF STRINGBEAN

-When I tell you I screamed with joy when I saw there was a working permanent portal to the Boiling Isles I mean I SCREAMED WITH JOY

-I love Willow's leaf headband. It just fits her so well.

-I love that Hunter is a palismen carver and carved a Blue Jay to be his new palismen (according to Dana on twt the name of the palismen is Waffle. I love it.), but I also love that Hunter was (or maybe still is) Dell's apprentice by the looks of things

-The grave for Flapjack made me sob. And then the "Thank you for finding me" on it im just. I need a moment.

-HARPY LILITH HARPY LILITH

-Also I just realized now they all have matching Flapjack tattoos. Im gonna cry you guys.

-The way Darius just slides over after shaking Alador is the most tsundere anime thing ever.

-Theres a little abomination in Alador's pocket :0

-Raine with white hair is actually so fucking cool

-Gus looks so cool you cannot tell me otherwise.

-Everyone thought Eda would have like a robotic/abomination arm but no SHE HAS A HOOK AND IT'S AWESOME

-King had a growth spurt lets go!

-The quinceanera being called a king-cenera is just perfect. King is mastering the art of puns just like his father.

-King having his own glyph shapes is just perfect I love it!

-Collector making fireworks shooting stars is amazing

-THEY DID THE HUNTER "BYEEE" TO BOTH THE COLLECTOR AND US

Im going to miss toh. It was one of the best shows Ive ever watched.

Edit: I hat the new post editor istg

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almoststedytimetravel · 7 months

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5, 12, and 15 for the ask game :)

5) idk if she really counts as a villain per say but as she is the mastermind behind two of the four nonary games I think she counts for this. Akane zero escape you did everything wrong but that's okay and I love her. And as I recently noticed while playing conquest has the same voice actress as Azura so I haven't gotten the idea of Azura knowing what happens in other routes via the morphanagetic fields out of my head.

12) Severa & Cynthia, they have some of the most sibling coded supports of all time. I love them so much. Also Trucy and Pearl don't get shown together very often but the few cases where they do interact with each other are so cute! Though the initial jump scare that Pearl is the same age as Trucy left me stunned for a moment.

15) I will defend Nah fire emblem from IS themselves, they don't deserve her, she's mine now. Along with Nah; Tharja, Faye, and Camilia are both off limits from IS, they don't understand them like I do.

#stedyanswers #thank you Ann

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fallen-gravity · 1 year

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Do you think Boscha and Kikimora should have been absent from the special or do you think they served their purpose well?

I do think they served their purpose well! I know there's some pretty mixed opinions within the fandom on them, ranging from thinking their appearances felt too rushed/solved too quickly to feeling like they showed up for no reason, but I thoroughly enjoyed the domino effect their appearance served on the rest of the cast!

First and foremost, I think it was pretty obvious that we weren't going to see the kids fight Belos in this special. He didn't event want anything to do with them once he was already through the portal to the Isles, so I thought it was fun to see them having to encounter a more minor duo of villains this episode, rather than having a Belos fight back to back to back in every special. Aside from that, I think having to encounter them allowed for some really good development for the other characters as a result!

Amity running into Boscha forced her to face her past ways, and finally let her prove to not to the others but to herself that she's not like that anymore. She's moved on. She's not gonna team up with Boscha just because she called her smart and powerful, because she knows now that that's not what she wants anymore.

For Willow, having to encounter her old bully again resurfaced some repressed trauma, and as unpleasant as it may be, it finally was the breaking point for her to just let everything out that she'd been holding in. She doesn't have to always be the reliable one, because it's okay if reliable people need support, too. Similarly, Hunter needed to learn the same thing, because even though he's given up on the Golden Guard persona he still very much needs to unlearn that it's okay to appear weak to others. In his eyes, Willow's the strongest person he knows, and seeing her bottle up her emotions to the point of a break-down is what made him realize that maybe he shouldn't be bottling up these emotions anymore because nobody, not even himself, deserves to feel that kind of pain. He and Willow both have a habit of calling themselves half-witches, so he sees a lot of himself in her, and he doesn't want either of them getting hurt.

Luz, on the other hand, by having to face Kikimora alone, is essentially forced into facing everything she thought she wanted. She's fighting a Greater Evil, she's protecting her friends, she's the very version of a witch all the Great Azura books taught her about. But it's also what made me realize that that's not what she really wanted, and indirectly helped her come to her own conclusion of just wanted to feel loved/wanted/understood

Did Boscha and Kikimora bring a lot to the special with their own direct actions? No, and I'm not even sure how much of them we'll see in the final special at all. But were the collateral results of them showing up crucial to the special? Absolutely

#asks #anon #long post #toh spoilers #toh analysis

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midnight---hollow · 1 year

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I think it’s really interesting how owl house plays with death. I’ve been thinking about flapjack and the concept of them getting revived and I honestly don’t think they will, since one of the shows themes is about death grief and legacy. I just want to throw my two cents into the mix with how we see this play out multiple times in the show

First we have manny, a character we only see in photos but has been there since the start. He was from what we can assume to be, kind hearted funny a goofball and geek. he had such a big role in the story since without him luz wouldn’t be who she is, he taught luz to be herself and to enjoy the things she does. He is the one that gave her the good witch azura books which played such a big role to her as a source of comfort and a special interest. The so many parts of the story happen because of how luz was shaped and while we will never meet him and he will never return we know so much of him and he is so important.

Caleb is literally the catalyst to to everything that happened in the owl house just cus he wanted to be a witches babygirl. The entire story is shaped by him from both the villains and the main characters. He is in everything in the story. His death probably drove Philip into more delusions and into believing he was in the right, who while this was entirely his fault was still stricken by grief and disparity that he continued to create dozens of clones in his likeness to fill that hole in his heart. He is probably most very likely a claw thorn ancestor and it is very likely that he is part of why palismen now look more like human animals. We see him in luz as a human finding acceptance in a world of witches, and in his own literal clones that have each spread their own legacies after death and hunter who is still carving his spot in history. Again another character who will never come back but what they leave behind remains

Of course there is the literally land they are walking on that is known as the Titian. I don’t completely know/understand their history with the collector but it will probably be explained in eps 2 and or 3 but being a god like figure and the ground everyone walks on as well as the face of the villains propaganda (I speak to the Titian ass buffoonery)

I would also like to mention the golden guard before hunter. While not nearly as much is known about them as everyone else I’ve Mentioned they still played a big role on Darius and hunter. They where Darius’s mentor and if I had to make assumptions probably shaped how people viewed hunter. The coven head all probably worked with or at least was on terms with the gg and seeing how Darius talked about him he probably was very respectable since they where seen as a strong witch. We know that Darius’s past with the gg led to his neglect/distaste from hunter, I wouldn’t be surprised if this happened to the other officials in the coven. Most likely not to that extent but it would probably be souring to see a once respectable coven spot that was above your own get taken by a child that is related to the emperor (Darius speaks as if there was no family ties between the emperor and past gg while it seems to be common knowledge to the coven higher ups that hunter is related to belos)

Throughout the story we see character that play important roles to the story and pave the way for said story. This is a story that has some of its most important characters having been killed off multiple years before the story even begins. It’s a story that shows us death is permanent but side effects of our actions are always prevalent. While I wish flapjack didn’t die and really wish they where still here I think it wouldn’t fit with the story to revive them. While the thought of revival seems good on paper, for it to be canon hunter will have to stoop to Philips level and chase after the fleeting image of someone while ignoring what they left behind and while I’m all for an arc like that (love me some favorite character suffrage) we don’t have time for that in two episodes so I personally don’t think it’s gonna happen (also if it where to happen it would probably end with again the reminder of death being permanent and that no matter how we want it to be they will never come back). They are dead and we and the characters have to live with that and learn to move on. We don’t know what legacy flapjack will leave but we do know that whatever path they do carve will be one that will probably make us all smile sadly at our tv screens

Ps this isn’t me saying the reincarnation idea is bad, again I love it and wish it would make sense in canon. The fics about it make me smile and feel happy way more then they should. I’m just saying why I don’t think it will happen in canon because of themes and such :p

#midnight rants #owl house #the owl house #toh #//I’m not tagging any character lol I brought up to many lol #//just letting out my thoughts on the subject since I was thinking about it a lot #toh spoilers #toh season 3 #toh s3 #//ah sorry I forgot to tag spoilers 😰

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originalwinnercheesecake · 1 year

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The Owl house Season Analysis Bottom 5 and Top 5 episodes of the Owl House

I have wanted to do this post for a while. its what the title says,my opinion on the five worst episodes and the 5 best episodes... Now everybody knows what a good and a great episode are. I have heard some people try to argue that The Owl House does not have bad epsidoes, just less good episodes...

Yeah as much as I love what this show grew into that is pure denial and we are not doing that. Season 1a of The Owl house is mostly bad shooting for passing, with 2 outlier episodes that somehow managed to be good (you can probably guess which ones) I like 3 characters in in season 1a: King, Amity, Tiny Nose. Other characters, particularly Luz an Eda, suffer greatly from the writing focusing more on giving them popular (woke) labels and not really exploring them, which negatively effected the show because instead of making them better it felt like the show could only keep them on top by making all other characters lamer. 1b ranges from okay to kinda good. This was when Luz stopped basically playing pretend that she was Azura, and actually put effort into learning magic, becoming Luz the human whitchlet. Hexside was a great setting and putting Luz in a classroom setting,where she spent more time with kids her own age, gave the show the chance to flesh her character out more and give her differences and weird corks that were cute instead of destructive. Also I love, love, loved that they added learning differences to the character diversity. That is a difference that is largely overlooked in modern media. Eda changed from a mentor (which she failed at) to a parent figure, which was an improvement, but she still felt like a very hollow fusion of the Stan twins. She had what was cool about them, but they were also goofy looking, were often in over their heads and very concerned for themselves and their families. Eda is beautiful, the curse is largely ignored, and she is supposedly to powerful to concern herself with the plans and threat of her enemies.I also felt like it took her until half way through 2a to gain the kind of heart Stan and Ford where both shown to have like 2 episodes into their characters. In a character focused show like The Owl House it’s a poor character who only experiences highs, lows make characters compelling and have you root for them to get back up again.

Season 2 was when the show took what it had and ran to becoming a great show. The Show finally knew what it wanted to do with Luz and Eda, it also picked which on of Kings three roles (small adult roommate, furry pet, young child) it was going to stick to. These choices allowed it to go deeper into the stories of our three mains and up the stakes. Because the stakes were up it could finally make the villains/anti hero’s (we got anti-hero’s) competent, and the threat became something real. Also the show was finally able to put actual thought and character into the secondary and side characters (see Lilith and Hooty... I am sorry Lulu and Hootsifer’s character glow-ups).

Again I really do love this show, and like to compare its lows to its highs because, like with the characters, the lows make the high better. So here are the worst and the best episodes (in my opinion) of the owl house

Bottom 5 episodes number 5 Once Upon A Swap: Yeah you knew this one was going to be here. Its on everyone’s bottom 5 lists. Body swapping episodes are a cliche. It added nothing to the story in the long game. It could have been a decent stand alone episode if it had been funnier, but the majority of the jokes miss their marks. It’s a very skipable episode unless you are just completely board. All of that being said its only fault is being boring and skipable. I left it low on the list because their is nothing in it that really made upset or disappointed, and nothing in it that negatively effected future episodes.

Top 5 episodes number 5 The Intruder: Remember when I said that 1a had 2 outlier episodes that were actally good. Well you probably guessed that I meant “The Intruder’ and ‘lost in language”. As much as it hurts me to not have the first great Lumity episode we got on this list (to many great episodes in season 2) The Intruder is the better episode. Its the second best episode at handling horror elements. We see King and Luz bond for the first time and its sweet. Luz learns her first (and for season 1a her only) gliph, thus answering if or if not she can really do magic. Also we get the introduction of the curse, which is both one of the most fascinating concepts in the show, and a really tasteful metaphor for a chronic illness or disability. This was the owl houses first brilliant episode, and 37 episodes latter it is still one of the best.

Bottom 5 episodes number 4 convention day: Yes I am listing “Covention Day” as one of the worst. I know some people like to argue that its one of season 1′s best because its the first episode to talk about the covens as more than school tracks, explains the sigils and gives a reason for Eda being wanted a wanted criminal.. oh but not evil. Well even if this episode was plot important, I still strongly dislike it for two very big reasons: reason 1 Luz; reason 2 Eda. What I said up top about how at first the only thing likable about them is that they are label representation, that in the beginning they are handled badly as characters, and the show forces them on top by dragging everyone else down. Yeah convention is all that at its worst. They both talk like they are the best, but in action they are nothing but a couple of lazy, annoying, fakers, who put no actual time, or effort where their mouths are. I did not want Luz to give up magic ( After “The intruder” I wanted her to actually start seriously studying it and for Eda to actual at like a mentor), but I loved Amity for telling Luz that she had no right to toot herself a “Luzara Greatest witch ever parade’ and calling her out, and I wanted Lilith (an implied accomplished study and teacher) to wipe Eda’s smug “I cheat my way above everybody else because I rule” grin off her face. The twist that Lilith was cheating too was lame, clearly written in to try and save Eda and Luz’s faces as mentor and student, and I hated it, along with being seriously annoyed at Eda. Luz, and Lilith. Amity started this episode by purposely stomping on King’s cupcake and she is somehow still the only one of these four with any actual integrity or honest morals.

This episode is low because the fight between Eda and Lilith is animated totally awesome and a very enjoyable watch... at first. My only complaint is again Eda. Lilith was totally about to win before Eda’s little fake out cheat. This particular fight is one Lilith should have been allowed to beat Eda. Luz won’t have to give up being a witch because Amity and Luz undid their bet spell and weren’t the ones fighting. Eda and Lilith only had a verbal bet going on, and since Eda is such a cheating con of course she wouldn’t honor her end of the deal and would slip out the back door. Lilith beating Eda at the Convention would be a great metaphor for the hold Belos has on the witches and magic. Giving us a small example as to why many witches are fooled into believing that covens and sigils make them stronger (Lilith would still only be stronger because Eda is curse), and why wild magic has become less popular. It also would start the Emperor’s coven out as being competent and seeming more like a real threat earlier on. But in season 1 Eda was rose-colored like crazy and had to come out way on top every time and had to be “better than everyone else” because the show writters I guess did not know another way to make her and wild magic seem cool.

Top 5 best episodes number 4 Labyrinth Runners: This was after Disney cut season 3 down to 3 specials and canceled the show premature. This is likely the last time we will ever have a episode at Hexisde. Our last chance to explore the school tracks, and possibly our last chance to give focus to many side characters the audience had come to love. The show pushed a lot of characters and concepts into the background believing they had time to do them later. Then they were told they couldn’t. So they made this banger of an episode that answered all the fans questions about background characters, showed them in their best light, and also seemed to apologize for upsets fans felt about some o these charcters not getting focus they deserved: Gus did not get the A-plot enough so he gets it here, and the writters want to make sure everybody knows what a great witch he is. Amity and Willow rebuilding thier friendship was thrown out in favor of focusing more on Lumity, so its the B plot of this episode, complete with Amity apologizing to Willow for underestimating her skills as a witch all these years. Fans really really wanted to know what happened to Hunter after he ran away in Hallow minds and were upset Luz did not seem concerned about him? Do not worry, Luz sent a text to her friends to keep an out for him and Gus finds him this episode.

They also included a unclear and idoitic director in the form of Head illusionist Adrain Graye, who was not only a continuation of the coven heads being what you wouldn’t expect; but also his bad instructions, unlikable attitude, and the way he got beaten up by children at the end wasn’t just some throw away comment roasting the Disney producers. Oh no we got a love letter to characters and fans, complete with a full on barbecue of the producers, and it was deliciously petty.

Bottom 5 episodes number 3 I was a teenage abomination: My problems with this episode are basically the same as my problems with “Covention Day” but this ones does not have a cool witches dual to try and save it. I do not mind Eda having Luz do chores, they are a fair payment for room and board. But It was annoying hearing ‘laboring for me is the best job there is, you don’t need no education” every second line. King talks like he is a better mentor to the slug monster, but he gives it no training, and it was obvoius it was going to try and eat him and Eda once it got bigger. Both he and Eda are useless teachers and I pittied Luz... Then I saw how she was acting. Amity is supposed to be the bully right? Let’s see what she did: worked and studied hard on her abomination, accidentally did a bad job of giving Willow a pep talk on taking her studies more seriously if she wants to prove herself as a witch, was proud of her grades, and called Willow and Luz out on committing academic fraud after Willow unfairly stole her top mark. Now let’s look at what Lux and Willow our protagonists and “hero’s” do: Luz with Willow’s help illegally trespasses on a school campus, Willow with Luz’s help commits Academic fraud on an important assignment and steals a top mark from a student who actually did the work. When they are called out by Amity they keep up lying to Willow’s professor and get Amity in trouble even though she is right. Lie to and try to con the Principal. Destroy part of the school. Remind me again why Amity is the bully girl when Luz and Willow are acting much worse?

Because Luz was almost dissected by Bump? Yeah Bump was in abominations growing up, and is a principal. He totally knew Luz was kid and was trying to scare her and Willow into confessing. Also I am sorry but Luz deserved to be scared like that when you remember that again she trespassed on school grounds without permission to help a student commits academic fraud. If Luz doesn’t want to risk being hurt them she shouldn’t rush to situations a toddler would know are dangerous and wrong. Willow being that strong at plants without any training, getting rewarded at the end by being transferred to the plant track, and her dads who previously insisted she take abomination instead and banned her from plant magic accepting this for some unknown reason, was all a terrible choice then unless we were never going to see Willow. again. That is her whole story and arc. It should have taken at least 1 season for her to get transfered, complete with exploring her pasions and learning type, why her parents wanted her in abomination, and why it was a bad fit for her; then another season for her to fully master plant magic once transfered. Instead it's all done in wrapped up in her first episode. I blame this episode for nearly all Future Willow episodes being more about Lumity or Hunter. I blame it for why she was sidelined so hard in season 2, once Luz and Amity did not need her to create situations for them to come across each other. There was just little to virtual nothing that could be done with Willow after this episode wrapped up her whole arc with school and latent powers. This episode had little basically nothing good, our protagonists were worse than out antagonists, and it ended an important characters journey before it had time to be explored; so I have to put it on this list.

Top 5 Best Episodes List number 3: Knock Knock Knocking on Hooty’s Door. Now here is another episode everybody knew would be on the list. If Labyrinth Runners” was the best episode for developing the seondary charecters "Konock Knock Knocking On Hooty's Door" was the best Episode for developing core characters inside the owl house. Hooty now wants to be a life coach after Lilith implied he was a protector in a letter. Side note it is nice to see that Lilith did follow through on her promise to be pen-pals with Hooty after leaving with her mom. It is also nicer to see that they talk about Hooty’s feelings and troubles to. Lilith’s got more going on of course since she is starting over, but healthy friendships are a give and take relationship, and Hooty’s troubles are important too. The animation is beautiful, it addressed very real feelings and fears with all four characters, and it ended with them all getting great development. Hooty’s confidence in his own importance is restored, King has powers, Eda makes peace with the owl beast, who was actually once a demon that was captured in paper by the collector, who threw it away to be discovered by the curse sales man (I had been wondering all season how Lilith was able to find and afford such a strong and complicated curse)... And Lumity are officially girlfriends.

Bottom 5 episodes list episode 2 The First Day: Oh look an episode that took place after 1a? Yes the show got better in season 1b, but it still was not consistently good yet and there were a few episodes that were set backs. This episode was the worst of the set backs, had me scared we going straight back to early 1a episode quality. Luz went to hexise because after “Lost in Language” she got serious about wanting to learn magic, and Eda was not able to tech it to her. At this stage Luz knows only two gliphs and is really novice at controlling both of them, her entrance exam reminds us that. With how psyched she to go to the school and finally start learning you would expect this episode to be about Luz settling into to school, and starting to put more work on finding alternte ways to do magic. Bump even helps her out by sticking her in the potions track. Its an all purpose magic track, she does not need a bile sack because the magic will be in the ingredient, and it was the same track Eda was in so Luz can continue her Legacy... Luz decides almost right away potions (Potions!) is the most boring of the track, and sneaks out of her first class to go play with the oracle tracks equipment. She is then immediately caught and sentenced to the detention track for the entire semester (harsh! This is her first offense, no warnings Bump?) But then we learn that the detention track is all education loving rebels, who use secret tunnels to learn all the different types of magic. Wow this track is even more perfect for Luz than potions!.. of course she does not stay. By then end of the episode this untrained, novice, witch, who has only been on the isles a couple months at most, and at the school less than a day manage somehow convinces the principal to change the system and permanently allow multi-tracking at Hexisde and protect any teacher and student in that program. A feet that seasoned witches with lots of talent, years of learning magic, and who begged for the chance to do more could not because... they are not main heroines.

That was only my second problem. My first was that the dentition track kids are all written to be idiots and jerks. It was blatantly obvious that the bad stuff Luz told her friends about the detention track was from before she learned about their club. She has been with them since learning it, and has not spoken to anyone else. Plus they know sitting at a desk doing nothing is boring, that is why they sneak into the tunnels. It would be one thing if Gus or Willow were known as blabs and they were afraid of their secret getting out and the tunnels being boarded up, but no. Luz did nothing wrong and they are bullying her for stupid and forced reasons to create drama. I do not like seeing other characters be jerks to Luz in a situation where she did absolutely nothing to them first. I heard Dana originally saw the detention trio as unimportant and was never going to bring them back, but did later because of fan demand... Well of course fans would like these characters and see them as important. They are the first young characters to be shown as negatively impacted by Belos’s one type of magic per witch laws, and the first to mix their magic. They were always going to be important and should have always been written with care.

On the bright side this was the first episode to convince me that Lumity might become a real couple instead of just friends who are supossedly coded as being more

Top 5 best Episodes number 2 Enchanting Grom Fight: Secondary characters had Labyrinth Runners, Core characters had Knock Knock Knocking On Hooty’s door. This is the episode the cliche slice of life episode that did the best job of developing them all together. The episode starts with Luz talking to her mom on the phone and feeling guilt at having to lie to her. SO Luz and Camilia must normally have a pretty hones relationship. We also learnt hat they speak Spanish to each other (representation!). When the school starts talking about Grom we learn Skara had a boyfriend back then and hey were adorably excited to go to grom together. Gus and King are hanging out after “really small problems” and are doing the announcement together. Eda got invited to chaperon. Luz owns an otter suit. when we get to the dance we see that their are gay couples dancing together as well as straight ones, mattholomule trying to boost his status by dancing with an older girl who clearly only agreed to the dance out of pity. Willow confidently handing out homemade corsages to classmates. King gets stage fright (just like Raine) and Gus helps him. Cat and Pufferfish head apparently know each other and went to Grom together. In the beginning of the show it seemed like the mouthhead girl was going to go with the beast-keeping jerk, but I guess they split because she spends the night hanging out with Amelia instead. You would expect Boshca to go with the quarterback but instead she goes stage and spends the night hanging out with other singles...interesting. Poor Ed and Em got stood up (I hope they TPed their dates houses)...

I liked Grom’s take on peoples fears. It starts out with kinda joke fears, things that are a bit creepy or a little embarrassing, then moves on to bigger fears. Nobody’s worst fear is actually as bad as it seems, but all of them are relatable to a degree and nobody is shamed for having them. Then of course that heartfelt moment where Lumity faced Grom together, Luz offering to go to the dance with Amity since she was to scared to ask her crush, who we get actually get confirmation was Luz. Thier dance together was absolutely stunning. Amity has gotten so strong with abominations. Luz is only on single gliphs but has perfected those enough to become a formidable fighter. And then they combine their powers and their attack gets stronger, metaphorically these two are powerful and capable on their own but better together. Their last go turns Grom into a beautiful pink tree right int the forest: Metaphor the right support can help you find the beauty in a bad situation. This was wonderful.

Bottom 5 epsidoes number 1 Escape of the Palisman: My least favorite episode. I waited all season for the owl beast to reappear and to get more on the curse, and now that it happens, nothing. King takes it to the park to win an argument with a baby about a slide. That’s it? Rip off! Plus with Luz and her friends going to a stadium to watch a sports game from bleachers sounded boring to began with but it would have been better than watching Luz steel from Eda, injure Owlbert in a way that looked bad, get off scoot free (note she never apologized to Owlbert or Eda), and Learn nothing.The trials that were supposed to be exciting were not because the show could not even be bothered to at least pretend they were anything more than the BAT Queen’s chores, again did nothing to strengthen Luz and Owlbert’s bond, and again Luz never had to apologizes or actually make what she did better. The worst part of this was that this was set right before the first hiatus and it left us with with virtually no suspense, questions, or anything to look forward to when the hiatus ended. We saw a blurry shadow of who cursed Eda, but she barely cares and is unlikely to investigate (she never did. Lilith told her). The Bat Queen’s backstory was the highlight of the episode but I knew right when she said that she did not remember her giant we were unlikely to get anymore on it for a very long time (it’s looking like never). At the end o this episode I felt nothing but annoyance and I honestly did not care if the show never came back after hiatus, and that’s a problem

Top 5 Episodes number 1 Hollow Minds: It had to be Hallow Minds. This was the climax of season 2, the one where every mystery and secret that had been built up all came out. Were both The Emperor and he writers stopped playing games and got serious with us. I loved the first part of the Emperors mind (his lies) was beautiful and royal looking, but the deeper parts (where the truth lay) was so dark and sinister. We saw Team Red working together and it was a welcomed laugh. Hunter and Luz are forced to work together again and their enjoyable reluctant sibling relationship from Hunting palismans. Worried mama Eda is back and is willing to protect her children magic or not. How Team Red get the potion to Eda. OF course we all had long sense known the reveals by then. We knew that Hunter was a grim walker clone of Belos dead brother., and not the first golden guard. We knew that Belos was Phillip, and that Phillip was a witch hunter from the human world. We knew that Luz had helped him with Gliphs in the past (when she thought he was some great and heroic adventure/inventer). None of that prior knowledge made it any less suspenseful to watch Luz and Hunter go deeper into the Belos’s mind, and none of that made their shattered reactions to Them learning these secrets any less painful. The one thing I did not expect, but maybe I should have, was that scared kid Belos was the real inner Belos and he wasn’t shaking because he was scared. When we heard him break, unable to contain his laughter anymore and hem morph into himself, when the zombie was revealed to be his palisman victims trying to warn Luz and Hunter... as chilling as Scooby Doo Zombie Island. The moment he tells Hunter "good bye” and tries to get rid of him as Luz cries. When he uses Luz’s fake name and clips of her calling him his real name to torture Luz. Hunter saying Luz’s real name instead of “Human” as he once again chooses to save her over giving Belos what he wants, knowing this time Belos see and he will not be safe... This is a fabulous climax to the season, and in my opinion the best and most engaging episode of The Owl House

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dirtyoldmanhole · 6 months

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revelation ch26, part two of three.

tl;dr of this post:

last time we left off, gunter had just accused of corrin (and azura) being the traitors.

corrin, reeling from the betrayal, finally realizes it was him all along.

title drop ~

(it would be ironic if this is the one time that word was mentioned. if i can find a .txt doc of the whole EN script like i have with the tellius games, i'll search for that.)

gunter-wise, it's amazing how the script can pack in so much menaced contempt.

i know treehouse dropped the ball (hahaha, ball geddit-/shot) with a lot of fates script, but they did gunter amazingly well when they needed to.

remember what I said about ellipses being important?

i can't get over at how surprisingly smooth he sounds here. he's no cackling villain (yet), and plays at the ice king shockingly well.

it'salsokindareallyhotinareallyfuckedupway

personally i think the whole scarlet flower closed plot hole thing is really fucking silly and ironically has 0 bearing on his characterization so we're skipping that. tl;dr corrin proves to everyone it is gunter who's the betrayer because he's lying about the flower, moving on, we got hot!possessed gunter to get to, chop chop

YEAH GET HIM BABY

for the first time, she's starting to convince everyone. gunter knows he's screwed in terms of maintaining that mask.

camera angle changes in a pretty stark declaration of loyalties.

man, i do love that shot. like, it gets the changing tides across so well, but there's a real bittersweet tinge to how he's well and truly alone and alienated all of his possible allies.

uh oh here we g-

what the fuck

(there is an awful part of me that -for all that this is quietly despairing for him- loves that he does, in a real twisted way, have fun going full evil ham. gunter's always had a warped sense of humor. old men do love their theatrics, i've always thought them the worst drama queens of all.)

YOU SEE WHY THIS GAME BROKE MY FUCKING BRAIN IN HALF

AHEM.

....

okay, back to seriousness.

this line confused the fuck out of me the first time, but i've already written a wall of meta about it here.

the tl;dr:

to gunter - the biggest thing with this line is that everyone who Has Power (eg, the titles) always uses it to hurt people he cares about, either ordering him to be that weapon, or ordering others. every worst memory that he has - garon trying to/force him to drink the dragon’s blood, grieving at the devastation of his village/wife/children, the concubine wars of nohr that he had a front row seat to, the loss of his own soldiers after trying and failing to protect them (“war and me go way back”, etc), failing to protect corrin after mind wipes, hell throw in Anankos forcibly using divine power to take his mind as the last but greatest indignity … no wonder that’s what finally breaks him – not him as a possessed, dead husk, but him as the living man, that always-was traitor who loved as much as he lost.

damn.

(ouff ... this is poignantly true, especially in light of that line in the crystal pelucid artbook, where garon force-fed him the dragon's blood and gave him his scar.

it literally, truly, for corrin, has been the whole time.)

...

you know the actual painful thing?

he still cares.

he's answering her questions patiently in -- i guarantee you -- in an eerily similar tone how he used to mentor her.

(yes, nintendo had to make his motivations at least halfway obvious, but they could have taken a much, much shorter monolouge route of text to do it, like sumeragi, not this exquisitely emotionally painful question-and-answer format that is literally their language of affection)

how fucked up is that man

..... whoaboy, slow down there satan

(i can't be the only one to read some distinctly maliciously sexual undertones to that last one, right. right?)

okay so some of these lines totter right on that razor edge of 'so hammy they're fucking hilarious' (the fucking 'i don't like you' like a snotty 5 year old lmao) and 'that is textually horny dude' and 'OW THE IMPLICATIONS......' sometimes hitting all three at once.

that first one is probably due to treehouse whuffing that line as it feels like a translation flub there. if you were asking me to reword it, I'd do something like

Gunter: I've always hated you... Gunter: You have always been so insufferably naive towards everyone. Gunter: Too bad. It will be my great pleasure tearing every last bit of innocence away from you.

ime that fits his speech patterns a touch better, still gets the point across, and still keeps that iddy as hell undertone without it being obnoxious.

but let's take the most charitable/most interesting to characterization angle. we can meme later.

remember what I said in the very last post about gunter resenting the hell out of corrin's earnest belief in everyone? called it.

called it, called it, fucking called it.

okay, so fun fact, i've been double checking most of these lines through various JP translations. That "look on your face/( お前のことが気に入らなかったからだ。)" line? also had some pretty iddy undertones. there's not a non-awkward english translation but it's straight up complimenting on how corrin's despair looks so-o~ good on her~~

yeesh.

...............honestly dude, cosigned.

it's a little funny to imagine that despite all the tension this is the one moment he's like '......really? fucking really? i taught her to be smarter than this....'

interesting, so he too, is aware of the difference in "possession levels" of the others versus whatever he's got going here.

note that corrin deliberately uses the word "manipulated" and gunter just assumes she meant "puppet". corrin's getting those differences, and ironically she's far more accurate than his take.

fun fact: he uses "this body" to refer to himself a lot. one translator who did the My Room romantic lines in Conquest noted he does the same thing there.

that, even as somewhat unintentionally/a stretch that is, feels powerfully poignant and bittersweet here.

in light of the titles thing up above (points), i think it's worth noting that he's still referring to himself in a weirdly humble way, yeah?

gunter is a man that I've always gotten the feeling that's become the mask, just a little. he's hated serving garon/nohr. he's hated serving corrin as well.

but he would not have survived garon's court for thirty years had he defied them so openly again. he's, frankly, been broken a little in the repetition; shit's almost automatic to him.

it's the other side of the coin. he hates royals so much, so much -- and he still can't help but keep those subtle automatic patterns separating himself as "lesser".

...

i also think it's very interesting the line right afterwards, he's deliberately blurring that line of anankos' possession.

it's almost like he doesn't want to be viewed charitably. he'd rather go down with the ship with anankos, he'd rather go down fighting down to the bitter end, holding his resentments and grudges.

grief, as we'll find out later, is a very potent blinding pain there.

(i tackle a shit ton of this in the fic and y'all are just gonna have to trust meeee the payoff's worth it there)

corrin, sweetheart, easier said than done.

it slides right into the pre-battle prep screen right afterwards, so we'll tackle the brutally feelsy second half in a bit ~

#elmo fire and psychoanalyzing gunter line by line: the post #krad loveblogs revelations: electric boogaloo

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