#so while every Hunter ep before this was about how Belos has manipulated his self of worth as a person

[lollytea]

Yes it might have taken me an embarrassingly long time to really pay attention to it but in ASIAS, along with the 'half a witch' parallel, both Hunter and Willow are motivated by upholding the legacy of those who came before them. That picture of Gilbert and Harvey being flyer derby champions is just as significant to her as the Golden Guard sigil is to him.

#other miscellaneous ASIAS thoughts that are not worth their own post but i think about them often: #its an episode that asks ''but who are you outside of the roles this story uses to define you?'' #this is the only episode of the Hunter Makes Friends series where his actions are not motivated by Belos #and Willow is neither one of Luz's two best friends nor the estrangled acquaintance to Amity #both characters are unnattached to those influences here. And without those roles slotting them into predictable places #we're able to explore new nooks and crannies of their personalities #stuff that really hasnt been revealed before #the two of them are trying out something new and a little out of their comfort zone and it pulls new traits out of them #Hunter’s hexside infiltration reveals him to be WAY more socially awkward than previous eps have shown #and then after his flyer derby match it really brings out his excitement over having friends and the genuine affection he has for them #Meanwhile this is the ep that really establishes what an ambitous go getter Willow can be #Shes never been a leader before. Shes never been this direct or ruthless. But her dedication to this team really pulls it out of her #and these lesser known sides of themselves are the version the other meets #lastly it is a very good take on a Person Vs Society story #again Hunter's internal conflict in this episode has nothing to do with Belos. He literally never gave a fuck if Hunter had magic #But Hunter was still born and raised on the boiling isles and no matter how sheltered he is #the inherent prejudices of the place is gonna gnaw at his self confidence. hes gonna internalize this shit #so while every Hunter ep before this was about how Belos has manipulated his self of worth as a person #this time we are dealing with how hunter views himself as a WITCH #MEANWHILE Willow's struggles with have always been entirely focused on her insecurity as a witch #her terrible grades and her severed friendship has always been about her insufficient abilities with magic #but in this ep you learn that it goes deeper than that #she berates herself not because of her magical ability but because she believes that shes stupid #the half a witch thing has severely deteriorated her worth as a PERSON #their respective struggles go in different directions in this ep and their emotions are complicated #but they still overlap enough that they can understand what the other is feeling #OKAY AND LASTLY AGAIN. Forreal this time #that scene when Darius is about to attack the entrails and Willow throws her arms out to shield all three of them #and then Hunter proceeds to run in and shield HER #because SOMEONE had to shield her. they are instinctive protectors. they are the same