#they also wanted her to say that the witches in the salem witch trials actually did magic but thats another story

[thatchaotictiefling]

Just in case it wasn't clear from everything about me,

Jews for a free Palestine

#i feel weird seeing it on my dash as a jew not saying anything #but also this is my tumblr and i dont feel like talking about it constantly #chaotic lore #quirky fact my mom worked at an orthadox jewish school for a bit (before leaving because they where crazy conservatives) asa history teacher #she got in an argument because the director wanted her to rail against Palestine and she wouldn't #they also wanted her to say that the witches in the salem witch trials actually did magic but thats another story

[lily-orchard]

I'm not even a Belos enjoyer but finale was pretty dissapointing. It felt like Dana just saw that fans hate Belos and decided to not even show a proper flashback for him and kill him in a lame way. Sure fandom loved that he got stomped by Eda King and Raine (for some reason), but I feel like it should've been more like Luz tells Belos that he lost everything because of his inability to change and now he turned into a monster that nobody will remember after he dies or sth and Belos dies while seeing visions of Caleb Evelyn and everyone he's ever killed that don't even look at him so he dies scared with realization that Luz was right. Cuz that "huehue look we are not like the other cartoons our villain is lame and underdeveloped and died by being stomped by Luz's friends huehue AREN'T WE QUIRKY AND NOT LIKE THE OTHER GIRLS CARTOONS" felt lame and cringe like make defeat of a fashist actually worth it bruh

I mean I don't like the Not Like Other Girls'ing of the writing, but I'll be honest I think you're just mad that the Caleb and Evelyn red herrings didn't amount to anything. Those are things that were always afterthoughts and should have been scrapped. Phillip didn't need a secret Cain and Abel backstory to explain his genocide against witches. He was already from a deeply racist and fundamentalist time period.

There's a lot of people who wanted to Caleb to matter and for Evelyn to be a Clawthorne, and the truth is... they don't matter... at all.

I think it would have been worse if they harped on that shit. The time spent particle effect-ing and anime-framerating should have been spent on the main characters, not on the fan theories.

I mean, not to put too fine a point on it, but if you really wanted to just drive the spike through Phillip as a last word, what they would have done would have been for Camilla to take Luz by the shoulder and guide her away from him as he rots in the boiling rain, Phillip starts ranting about how the witches aren't people and will doom humanity with their filth, and then Camilla turns her head back and says "Yeah, I've heard that one before."

Because the thing about Belos is that he is fundamentally an invader. He's an invader of the Demon Realm, but he's also a white Christian British man living in America in the 1600's. He's an invader back in the Human Realm too. He came to the Demon Realm at the HEIGHT of his own previous invasion.

His profession is Witch Hunter. His job was never to hunt witches. It was to hunt women and native people and escaped slaves.

Belos' genocide of the witches on the Boiling Isles directly mirror the Salem witch trials, which were little more than a thin veil to persecute women who didn't conform to Christian morals. And they knew this. They knew magic wasn't real. They all of this.

Let's be honest here. Let's be brutally honest here. Why does Belos want to genocide everyone on the Boiling Isles?

He's mad about his brother's hot new gf

They do magic and therefore it is sinful

It is an integrated society that knows neither colorism, sexism, homophobia or transphobia?

It's the third one. Because to a white christian man 1600's US Colonies, that very notion is profane to him.

Hell when he tries to play the whole "I only care about humanity!" spiel to Luz, Luz looks at him like

Luz knows that were they in the Human realm, she would have been the target of Belos' ire in the place of the witches.

Honestly with that kind of background behind Belos that you can easily extrapolate just by knowing what he is and where he comes from, it was always fucking sad that they backpedaled like fucking crazy and pulled this stupid Cain and Abel bullshit in the first place. Like, you had the best foundation for a villain, you didn't have to add all this fandom bullshit.

But that's the Adventure Fantasy death spiral, isn't it? They start with something actually very biting and edgy, the genius of The Owl House in it's early seasons was that it didn't pull it's punches, and then walks most of it back to replace it with safe, santizied fandom mysteries about secret families and hidden identities and conspiracy mongering. Because you can't really pack hidden mysteries in like a pretentious weeby jackass if your bad guy is just a racist white guy.

Because racist white guys are just pretty straightforward.

Honestly, I think Luz just fucking standing there watching him burn away in the boiling rain, lacking any sympathy for him or his bullshit, silently gloating at the fact that she has completely and utterly destroyed his 400 years of work to undo the Boiling Isles and is content to watch him die like the cowardly, snivelling rat he is to be a and extremely powerful and poignant image

A far more meaningful moment than... whatever the fuck you were talking about.

You want the defeat of a fascist to be worth it, making him practically beg for the mercy of a woman who (were they not currently in a place with magic in it) would have been on his hit list and who he only tried to appeal to because she was the closest thing to a kindred spirit for parsecs, and having her look down at him like he is literally muck on her shoe IS WORTH IT.

What you're suggesting just puts the stupid red herring fandom shit at the forefront. Nobody cares about reading Belos a "reason you suck speech." Nobody cares about Caleb. Nobody cares about Evelyn. Nobody cares about any of that shit.

This is the closest thing we get to payoff for all that dragged out angst in the last 7 episodes, Luz getting to watch this man who fucked with her head and manipulated her good nature die begging at her feet, and you want to center the stupid Roundtable fan theories?

That's ultimately my problem with this entire genre. Because even when we get a really good moment like this, there's people like you saying that it should have been different and presenting ideas that all follow the same templates, and are written by TVTropes, and suck, and position white background characters as more important, and suck, and primarily exist for theory youtubers, and suck, and mimic your favourite anime, and suck, and suck, and SUCK SO FUCKING HARD!

What you said should have been done instead... would be shit. It would just be shit. It would be garbage.

I have complaints about Season 3, but this?

This is beautiful.

#the owl house #the owl house discourse #fandom rot #fandom racism #tw - racism #tw - religious violence

[captainmera]

I've been reading your Tales of Caleb Wittebane story and honestly your grasp of 1600s America makes the worldbuilding very interesting. I admire your dedication to making it as accurate as you can!

omg THANK YOU!!! :DDDDDD <333333

I've done so much research--!! I know so much about Connecticut Hartford and the witch trials, and Pequots, you don't even know half of it.

As a non-american, I never thought I'd know this much about a state's history lol. For one, Connecticut has a whole museum dedicated to the history and culture of the Pequot tribal nation! Super fascinating check it out!

I think I've consumed every documentary available on youtube twice, as well as scraped sites like Wetherfield's historical society & Hartford museum's sources and recommendations, just to get the detail snippets up.

Both Wethersfield and Hartford are very obvious inspirations for Gravesfield! Considering they have so many similar things appearing in them. I mean, just look at Hartford's founder statue lol:

I did look into the work behind the costume designs for movies like VVITCH, Salem and Sleepy Hollow, just to consume the visual knowledge of what experts had to say about it. Y'know? :D Saves me the work to listen/read what experts have to say about it!

Looking into the witch trials too (which took place before Salem) is also very interesting! Though, Gravesfield is inspired by it, so I'm allowing myself some creative freedom. Especially in regard to what "witchcraft" happens. Considering, Evelyn is a real witch and her magic has an actual system behind it.

Matthew Hopkins was a real witch finder, which I believe Jacob is referencing. But in true Disney fashion, I changed his name to Anthony instead, so it isn't a ~real~ historical figure. :P

I like history, but my area of fascination is social culture. So a lot of what I dig into is everyday life, behaviour and objects, fashion and how things are used.

It's been particularly fun to look into Woodsmen and what their actual duties/lives were like! :D And right now I'm looking more into crime and punishment. Which is also a lot of fun!

I don't save all my sources because I just write down in my notebook of what is relevant for me and the story. So I won't say I'm a 100% accurate, but I'm like... a solid 70%??? Which is good enough for me! Heheh!

idk about you fam but history immerses me creatively. Because the more I find - like little objects and what they ate, wore, things like that - it makes me grounded and I can see it so much clearer what is happening and what SHOULD happen.

Like, when Evelyn meets Mr Hopkins and Caleb keeps elbowing her to be quiet. It's not in-text, because I want the reader to be mystified with Evelyn more in that scene; But she is not supposed to talk with Mr Hopkins so frankly. And, she responds to his "how do you do" incorrectly, she answers it! You're supposed to reply the same in return "How do you do." "How do you do." Which is what Caleb did!

So she's a weirdo! :D For me, that really helps me write Evelyn clashing and standing out more. And amplifies Caleb's nervousness of her strangeness by others. He is very self-aware of social status and position. Which she is not. So he is her perfect guide! :D

:DDDDD

Sorry I'm going off on a babble here but THANK YOU FOR NOTICING. I'm very proud of it! :D

#ttoCW #tgb #tgb ask

[spencerfagnew]

OFFICIAL EVEN IF YOU WERE DEAD (vampire au) LORE POST

this will contain brief overviews of each character as of now!

credit to @franklyfeline for helping me decide some of the lore (mainly w ianthony :3)

characters:

vampires : 

chronological order of turning:

tommy bowe  :  turned around 1150 or so, oldest vampire out of the main cast. lives in the house, pretty fucking strange to be honest. has lost his accent over years of being in the americas. familiar is spencer. 

angela giarratana  :  turned at some point during Italian Renaissance (it was a crazy time for vampires). a rather chaotic vampire, she traveled throughout most of euraisafrica, before eventually moving to the americas in the 1920s. she lives in the house. familiar (slash babysitter slash best friend) is amanda. she actually turned chanse, another vampire, because she got tired of not being able to hang out with him. 

court(ney) miller  :  turned during the salem witch trials. they attempted to burn her for being a ‘witch’, but it didn’t quite work out for them. courtney went in hiding for many years until the 1800s, when the industrial revolution brought many vampires to the americas. she lives in the house. doesn’t have an official familiar, but is very close friends with both damien and shayne, so they kind of share. also is friends with spencer and tommy. 

anthony padilla  :  turned around 2014-2016. previously was an aspiring actor with his (ex) best friend ian. he doesn’t really associate with any of the other vampires, besides being on the local vampiric council. dramatic ass depressed vampire is all i have to say to be honest. 

damien haas  :  turned around 2019-2020. he was extremely scared and worried for his relationship with his best friend, and current familiar, shayne. it ended up being okay, and he eventually met court and joined the house. he’s probably one of the more normal ones. 

chanse mccrary  :  turned by angela in 2022. they met at a bar and hit it off, though he was kind of skeptical why she never could meet up before dusk. she eventually told him that she was a vampire, and he was strangely okay about it? eventually it ended in her turning him so that he could 1) live forever and 2) not pay rent. a win win for everyone. doesnt have an official familiar, but normally shayne or amanda helps him out if he needs it. 

familiars  :

spencer agnew  :  tommy’s familiar. he honestly thought that tommy’s whole vampire thing was a bit, hence the reason he said yes. he kind of freaked out when he realized he’d accepted an ACTUAL vampire’s request, but actually ended up going through it, even when offered to leave without punishment or harm. he guesses he just kind of likes tommy (and he has this weird homoerotic thing going on with him. but thats unimportant.) he lives in the house. pretty good friends with shayne and amanda. #familiarthings or whateva

shayne topp  :  damien’s familiar AND best friend. the familiar thing is more of a marriage of convenience; shayne really functioned as one anyways. that in no way means that shayne is just a helper to damien – really the title is just so people stop trying to kill shayne when he goes out with damien. he moved into the house with damien, and ended up actually being friends with pretty much everybody. tommy doesn’t seem to like him though. that might be because he has a strange knack for accidentally walking in on him and spencer trying to have sex on the living room couch. 

amanda lehan-canto  :  angela’s familiar and babysitter. they met on pure accident – she accidentally went into a vampire-only bar and, while narrowly avoiding getting eaten, ran into angela, who had just gotten kicked out of said bar. instead of trying to suck her blood, angela started traumadumping. amanda took her home, and ended up talking with spencer (who had already been tommy’s familiar at that point). they hit it off and she was invited over (during the day) to hang out if she wanted. eventually she was even befriended by the vampires, tommy and angela liking her especially. it was kind of natural that she became a familiar. she eventually moved into the house.

werewolves  : 

rhett mclaughlin  :  functional pack leader, along with link. was turned sometime in the 2000s. overall silly guy. yeah idk what to put here

link neal  :  functional pack leader, along with rhett. turned around 2010, became friends with rhett near that time. 

ian hecox  :  turned around 2017. was taken in by rhett and link. used to be an aspiring actor with his ex-best friend anthony. only really realized anthony was turned into a vampire after he became a werewolf, so he sees no possible way of reconciling. 

arasha lalani  :  joined the pack right after trevor. befriended ian very early on. likes to bully him for his “breakup” with anthony, but is genuinely protective of ian along with the rest of the group.

kimmy jimenez  :  one of the older pack members. a silly goose tbh. she probably parties the most, and is at fault for most of the pack’s turnings.

trevor evarts  :  basically adopted by rhett and link. youngest out of the group, he gets along the most with arasha. 

garrett palm  :  one of the oldest pack members, he was a werewolf for long before he joined the pack. pretty chaotic, but not in the way you’d expect. he cooks the most, but is known to play pranks on fellow pack members. 

keith leak jr  :  nobody knows how he got there, he just kind of showed up. pretty chill, normally lives in the pack house. he’s the closest any of them get to stereotypical werewolves.

settings:

the house  : 

the house is the house that tommy, spencer, angela, amanda, courtney, damien, shayne, and chanse live in. it’s a two-story house in los angeles that they hypnotised their way into getting for free. it's dark and wooden, but it does have a pool outside, so thats a plus. it has 5 bedrooms, along with 2 other ‘living spaces’ that they’ve converted into bedrooms (shayne and damien stay in the same room. “just to take up less space”.)

pack center  : 

the pack center is a small few-room abandoned house that the pack found and fixed up (illegally, but that doesn’t matter). they live mostly separately, but it functions as a meeting area or housing situation. 

also! here is the google doc containing all of that information PLUS a (mostly) accurate list of fics in this series that are published or in the planning stages! i will try to update it as frequently as possible.

#sigh. time ot tag this thing #even if you were dead #vampire au #smosh #smoshblr #smosh pit #smosh games #smosh au #tommy bowe #angela giarratana #courtney miller #anthony padilla #damien haas #chanse mccrary #spencer agnew #shayne topp #amanda lehan-canto #rhett mclaughlin #link neal #rhett and link #arasha lalani #ian hecox #trevor evarts #garrett palm #kimmy jimenez #ok thats all the characters #now time for ships/duos #spommy #shaymien #amangela

[dragonairice]

LOWKEY BEEN INSPIRED BY @not-sure-what-im-feeling s AWESOME OCS AND LORE (Go check them out)

And it inspired me to talk about MY ocs :D

I mention in passing that I am in fact writing a novel, but I try to avoid saying too much to prevent spoilers buuuuut I think I can keep it vague enough while still rambling <3

The novel (technically a novella) is called 'The Shadow Walker' and here's a draft of a blurb:

With no friends, an absent mom, an abusive dad, and a shadow that inexplicably went missing; Nicholas Walker is convinced his life couldn’t possibly get any worse. But everything changes when he meets something (or someone) who may or may not want him dead.

(Not the best but again it;s a draft)

ANYWAY THIS IS MY BOY NICHOLAS

He's 12 years old and a selective mute and my scrungliest little blorbo who experiences the horrors™. He doesn't have any friends, is neglected by his parents, and all in all has a bad time before the book starts :(

The only source of healthy food in the house (he borrows money from his dad and goes to the store alone) but is severely malnourished from eating nothing more than reheated takeout his dad left in the fridge. Nick doesn't talk verbally unless it's to his dad (out of necessity) and otherwise converses in ASL (which I'm learning for this book <3). Loves pretty buildings and stargazing, has a dream of visiting things like Notre Dame and the colloseum some day and is fascinated by architecture. I just realised that this kid would adore Minecraft but anyway after things get better for him he's given Lego models of like the eiffel tower and he loves them :)

Gonna stop before I spend the entire post talking about my boy and move onto

HIS MOMM

You know that thing that's like, "Not a bad person, just a bad parent"? Yeah. That's her. She ran away from her abusive boyfriend and left Nick behind out of fear, since she didn't know if she could survive by herself, much less with a child in tow. She ends up leaving with her best friend and they travel around the world a lot for their job. They're a musician who plays back up for bands in different places and Rachel ends up learning to play some stuff too after watching them for so long. The two end up dating at some point and they've been together ever since. Rachel still sends Nicholas a postcard every time she travels to a new place, but she doesn't have the courage to actually see him in person yet. Also fun fact. She's descended from a woman who was killed for being a 'witch' during the salem trials. This is relevant to the story :3

Do I have to talk about his dad??? Ughhhhh fine

This is Gregory Walker. I hate him. bye.

Not but fr, he's a terrible father. Works at a convenience store and his co-workers fear him. Lives off of take-out and instant ramen, never checks on his son. Spends all his money gambling and buying alchohol. Literally would not notice if he missed an entire month of his life (*cough* foreshadowing *cough*)

ANYWAY ONTO TWO OF MY FAVOURITES

LEXI AND CHELSEAAA

Lexi is a single mom who grew up kinda spoiled and is still figuring out how to raise a kid. Her parents are kinda helpful about it but also she doesn't want to raise Chelsea how she was raised so hgjhrj. Chelsea was orignally planned to be autistic since this entire book is a transparent cover for neurodivergent rep but the version of her in my head is so very ADHD instead. They only show up near the end of the book so I'm still experimenting with them a bit but Lexi is a huge book worm and Chelsea loves unicorns, like, I mean in the 'mythology is cool way' not the 'stereotypical girl behaviour' way. She does love pink things and sparkles though

THERE IS ANOTHER CHARACTER BUT THEY'RE A SPOILERRRR BUT I WILL JUST SAY THEY ARE NOT HUMAN AND ALSO WHAT THE TITLE OF THE BOOK IS TALKING ABOUT

(It's a sentient shadow, that's- do you get the pun in the name- there's three references in it-)

#The Shadow Walker #DragonairIce Rambles #The book's about halfway done now which is SO NEAT <333

[mychemicalimagines]

Black Flame Candle-Max Dennison-Chapter 1

Summary: Max Dennison is the new kid in Salem, Massachusetts. On Halloween, his life takes a dramatic turn when his parents force him to take his little sister, Dani, trick-or-treating. He, his crush, Casey Blackstone, and his sister are in for a ride when Max lights the Black Flame Candle.

Series Warnings: Slight Language, Fluff, Flirting, Angst, Supernatural, Paranormal, Canon Deaths, Bullying. This series is a little more adult than the Disney movie.

Words: 3,446

Tag List: Reblogged

A/N: Here it is! Our secret Halloween Story!! We worked so hard to get this out to you for the month of October!! Divider belongs to firefly-graphics. Do you guys like the gifs? Let Me know if you want them to be continued. 

Comments are always welcome! They give me motivation to post!

If you would liked to be tagged, Message Me, Comment, Submit an Ask or Tag Yourself in My Bio!!

Third Person POV

‘It’s all just a bunch of Hocus Pocus.’

Salem, Massachusetts has always been known for its witchcraft allegations as well as for how they handled each case, calling them the Salem Witch Trials. Three centuries ago, hundreds of people were accused, but only a mere thirty were found guilty. Nineteen were hanged due to the false accusations placed upon them, while others died in jail or were pressed to death.  

Thackery Binx found his sister being whisked away by three actual witches, The Sanderson sisters, who needed her for a spell to stay young and beautiful. The same night his sister had passed away, and his disappearance, the three witches were hanged for their witchcraft, but vowed they’d be back. 

Now every Halloween, the entire town goes all out for the festivities. Casey Blackstone has lived in Salem all her life and loves the holiday. It’s the one time of year she can eat as much candy as she wants and no one will bat an eye, well except for her dentist father. She also loves wearing costumes, being someone else besides herself for a night.

Since her family, as well as her friend Allison’s, thinks they are too old to be trick or treating, they are forced to give out candy this year while Allison’s family has a party. Her parents wanted to go to the party at Town Hall but they got sick so they’re staying home. Her costume is already at the Watt’s house, waiting to be put on later that night. 

Sighing to herself as she fixes her hair in the mirror, Casey turns to her black cat that is sitting on her bed watching her.

Due to the holiday and the history they are taught every year, she felt there was only one name fitting for a black cat such as the one she found almost eleven years ago.

“What do you think of today’s outfit, Binx?” She throws her hands out, showing off her purple low-cut shirt as well as her slightly ripped jeans.

Binx meows his response before stepping toward her to rub his face against her hip, causing his collar to clink against the bell she forces him to wear. 

“I like it too.” She smiles and pets his head as she kneels down next to her bed. “Alright, I got to go to school. Remember, don’t bring mice into the house. If you’re going to bring female cats home, make sure it’s not in my room. I’ll see you tomorrow. You’re my best friend and I love you.”

She kisses the top of his head before picking up her bookbag and walking out of the room, not noticing him climbing out of her window as soon as she closes her door a smidge. She wasn’t lying. Her cat was her best friend and she makes sure to tell him everyday, despite him probably not knowing what the hell she’s saying. 

She had found him in her backyard one day, eating a mouse with no collar. It was clear that he belonged to no one, that he was on his own. She knew she had to take him in, after asking her parents of course. Ever since, she’s been feeding him, playing with him and letting him sleep on her bed, cuddled up next to her. 

She even lets him roam free, knowing he’ll come right back home. He’s literally her best friend and she wouldn’t trade him for the world, even if he leaves her surprises on the back porch. After slipping on her shoes and red jacket, she walks out the front door, ready to take on the day.

Max Dennison has only been in town for about a week and a half and he already hates it. He misses the sunny days of California. He misses his friends. Hell, he misses his old house. To him, Salem, Massachusetts is a horrible place to live. It’s gloomy, rainy and far too obsessed with this witchy, Halloween stuff.

It was never his favorite holiday to begin with so moving to a town that is all for it irritates him. He can’t wait to move once he turns eighteen next year. The only thing good about this town is this one girl. On Max’s first day of school earlier this week, he caught sight of a beautiful girl. Blonde hair. These crystal blue eyes that remind him of the ocean back home. 

He’s never even spoken a word to her and he’s already hooked. He rubs his eyes as he walks to his final class of the day. History. The third class he has with the girl he has his eyes on. Seeing her will make this boring class worth it. He sits down in his assigned seat and pulls out his notebook, unsure of what they will be learning today. 

As he opens his notebook, he glances up at a soft giggle that enters his ears. There she is. The purple shirt she’s wearing really brings out her eyes, and he’s really trying hard not to look down a smidge. As she walks by him, he quickly looks down at his notebook, not wanting to be caught watching her.

 Since she sits in the row next to him, but one seat behind, he can easily get caught by the teacher, or hell, another student! Maybe today, he’ll finally talk to her…yeah, probably not going to happen. As class starts, their teacher, Miss Olin who is dressed as a witch, begins telling the legend of the Sanderson Sisters. 

The very legend that Casey got her cat's name from. Even though she knows every bit of the legend, she’s listening closely, hoping to hear something different but she never does. Max, however, is doodling in his notebook, not believing one ounce of the story. 

“Poor Thackery Binx. Neither his father, his mother, nor anyone else ever knew what became of him…those 300 years ago.” Miss Olin says, walking up an aisle before stopping in front of the classroom. “And so the Sanderson Sisters were hanged by the Salem townsfolk. Now, there are those who say that on Halloween night…a black cat still guards the old Sanderson house, warning off any who might make the witches…come back to life!”

She then throws a black ribbon attached to her hand at a girl’s face causing the teenage girl to scream in fright. The rest of the students in the room, besides Max, laugh at her scream. Max shakes his head in disbelief as he doodles.

“Give me a break.” He mumbles, moving his pen along the letters he drew.

“Aha, we seem to have a skeptic in our midst.” Miss Olin raises an eyebrow as she steps toward his desk. “Mr. Dennison, would you care to share your California, laid-back, tie-dyed point of view?”

The room erupted into laughter again at her sarcasm. He looks up at her after glancing around the room and smirks, gaining some courage. 

“Okay. Granted that, uh, you guys here in Salem are all into these, uh, black cats and witches and stuff…”

Miss Olin cuts him off with a scoff while the rest of the room let him know that his words were unneeded by their tones of displeasure. 

“Stuff?”

“Fine. But everyone here knows that Halloween was invented by the candy companies. It’s a conspiracy.” He finishes, smirking at his teacher. 

 A voice speaks up, capturing Max’s attention. He turns toward the voice and his cheeks redden a bit at who is talking. It’s her…

“It just so happens that Halloween is based on the ancient feast called All Hallows Eve. It’s the one night of the year where the spirits of the dead can return to earth.” She explains, giving the teenager her own smirk. 

The class breaks out into cheers and claps at her comment, happy to prove the new kid wrong with his non-beliefs and crappy theories. He turns back to his notebook and flips to a new paper, quickly jotting something down, a small smile on his face as he keeps his courage. 

“Well said, Casey.” Miss Olin says, smiling widely at her, clapping herself.

She grins to herself and high fives Allison who is sitting right behind the non-believer. Max stands up from his chair as his classmates talk around him. He takes a few steps toward her desk, capturing her attention. 

“Well, in case Jimi Hendrix shows up tonight, here’s my number.” He says, holding out the piece of paper.

She raises an eyebrow, ignoring her classmates groans, and takes the single sheet before opening it up. ‘Max Dennison 555-9142’ it reads. The bell rings and Casey stands up from her chair, giving the boy a small smirk as she puts the number in her pocket. He smiles at her actions before watching her walk away.

“Max.” A boy that sat behind her captures his attention. “Fat chance.”

The new kid just rolls his eyes and gathers his stuff up, ready to go home. Casey quickly stops at her locker, making sure to grab her jacket while sticking all her books in the metal container. Since Halloween is such a big holiday in Salem, the school doesn’t give out homework if it lands on a weekend such as today. 

As she puts her notebook away, she notices a pen sitting on the top shelf. Smirking to herself, she pulls out Max’s number and rips the paper, jotting something down on one half. Shoving one piece into her jeans pocket and the other, along with the pen, into her jacket pocket, she hangs her bookbag on the hook and closes the door. 

Casey then jogs out to the front doors, meeting up with Allison as she glances around the parking lot. 

“So did he really give you his number?” Allison asks, fixing her bag that rests on her shoulder as they walk down the sidewalk. 

“He did.” She nods, smiling softly to herself as she plays with the paper in her jacket pocket.

“And are you going to call him?” Her friend raises an eyebrow.

“If I do, it won't be till…”

“Casey!” 

The blonde turns around and sees the new kid on his bike, riding toward her. She looks at her best friend and gestures down the road.

“I’ll catch up.”

Allison raises an eyebrow at the brunette haired boy before nodding at her friend. Casey turns back around and watches as Max stops his bike beside her, panting very softly as he straddles his seat. 

“Hi.” She says, smiling slightly at him. 

“Hi. Look, uhh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you in class.” He says, regretting his actions. 

He thought about it on his way to his bike. He shouldn’t have done that. What if she hates him now? What if she never wants to see him again? He practically humiliated her in front of their entire class. 

“You didn’t.” She shrugs, not caring one bit about the awkward exchange that happened. 

If anything, she’s the one that embarrassed him in front of the entire class by proving him wrong. He pauses for a moment, unsure of what to say so he lets go of his handlebars and holds his hand out to her. 

“My name is Max Dennison.” He says, despite having practically told her through his note.

“Yeah, I know.” She says, shaking his hand. “You just moved here, huh?”

“Yeah, last week.” He says, not wanting to think about how soft her hands were compared to his. 

“Must be a big change for you.” She says, letting go of his hand to put her own back into her jacket pocket. 

“Yeah, that’s for sure.” He says, scoffing slightly, gripping his handlebars again.

“You don’t like it here?” She raises an eyebrow.

“Oh, the leaves are great…” He says, gesturing around them. “But - I - I don’t know. Just all this Halloween shit.”

“You don’t believe in it?” She asks, pushing her hip out slightly as she rests most of her body weight on one leg, not caring about his language.

“What? Do you mean, like The Sanderson Sisters?” He shakes his head with a light chuckle escaping his lips. “No way.”

“Not even on Halloween?” She asks, biting her lip softly, trying to hide her amusement.

“Especially not on Halloween.” He says, putting emphasis on the beginning of his sentence with a smile.

Casey licks the inside of her cheek before reaching into her pocket. Holding up two fingers with a piece of paper sitting between them, she gently pulls Max’s left hand off his handlebars. He opens his hand, watching her movements, praying that his cheeks aren’t turning red at her actions. She presses the piece of paper into his hand, smiling as she looks up at him as she closes his hand around it. 

“Trick or treat.”

Letting his hand go, she turns around and starts walking toward where Allison is waiting, talking to another friend of theirs. Max’s eyes watch her before looking down at the folded paper. His heart is pounding in his chest as he moves to open the paper.

“Max!” He hears her call out for him, causing his head to snap up. “Call me Cas.”

Not knowing what to say, he nods at her words, watching her walk away again. This time, she turns around and puts up her red hood, making it look like she was wearing a witch’s pointed hat. He bites his lip and looks back down at the piece of paper. Swallowing the small amount of spit in his mouth, he unfolds the paper. 

The first thing that caught his eye was that the top half was ripped off, meaning…she kept his number! He smiles softly before looking at the words written. ‘Casey Blackstone. 555-????. No tricks, Max. Earn your treat.’ with a smiley face. The smile drops from his face for a moment before it shows up again. 

She didn’t give him her full number, but by the way she wrote this note, she might plan on giving it to him later! Hell, if she did keep his number, is she going to call him later? He looks back up toward the direction his blonde crush was walking to see her in the distance, walking with her friend. He bites the inside of his lip before putting the note into his pocket.

“What was that about?” Allison asks, glancing over her shoulder to see Max pedaling away on his bike.

“Oh, nothing.” Casey grins as she walks. “Just apologizing for embarrassing me in class.”

“Oh!” She nods before squealing softly. “Anyway! My mom said your costume will go great with ours.”

“Do I really have to be a peasant while your whole family, as well as their friends, are wearing  Masquerade outfits?” She groans slightly.

“She said there were only two dresses so she had to get you something else.” Allison says, shrugging.

“I knew I should have gotten the bunny costume when I had the chance.” Casey mumbles, walking down the road.

Max is ready to go back home to California. Today has been one of the worst days of his entire life. First, he embarrasses his crush in class. She said he didn’t, but he knows he did. Then he was stopped at the graveyard by two wanna-be rapper bullies, Jay and Ernie. Sorry, Ice - not Ernie. Lastly, they took his brand new shoes! 

His shoes! What jerks take someone else’s shoes? He had to pedal all the way back home in just his socks. It was so humiliating. He parks his bike next to the house and practically stomps up the stairs to the back door. Slamming the screen door open, he opens the wooden door that leads to the kitchen to see his mom and dad putting away items from their move. 

“Hey, Max!” His mom says, smiling at him. “Hey, how was school?”

“It fucking sucked.” He says, leaving the door open as he makes his way through the room. 

“Hey, hey, hey, watch your language.” His dad says, standing up from the floor.

He ignores him and starts walking up the stairs that lead to the bedrooms. 

“I can’t believe you made me move here!” He calls down before walking to his door. 

He slams his head against the wood, next to his name plate that he put there, causing his hat to bunch up. He sighs and smacks the door with the side of his fist. Taking a second to himself, he opens the door and throws his book bag onto the floor near to his drum set. He rips his hat off his head and throws it against the stairs in his room that leads to the window seat above. 

He shakes off his jacket as he walks and tosses it to the ground behind him. Trying to calm himself down, he sighs deeply as he looks out the window before glancing down at the fish tank he has beside his bed. He picks up their container of food.

“Hey, guys.” He says, leaning down to sprinkle some into the water. 

He puts the flakes down before sitting on his bed, laying back into the pillows. There was one good thing about today, though. She talked to him! He rolls away from his fish tank and grabs one of his extra pillows, cuddling it to his chest. He grins to himself as he thinks about her. Her voice. Her hair. Her smile…

“Oh, Cas.” He mumbles, smiling as he closes his eyes, imaging her right beside him. “You’re so soft. I just wanna hug…”

His closet doors slam open as a child's voice is heard.

“Boo!”

He jumps slightly, looking over his shoulder as he lets his pillow go. 

“Dani!” He snaps at his little sister who was hiding in his room. 

She laughs and squeals in victory as she claps, knowing she scared him. She runs toward him, still laughing and jumps over him to lay down. He sits up, raising an eyebrow at her as all his anger from the day comes back. 

“I scared you, I scared you!” She leans up so she’s close to his face. “Ha-ha! Ha-ha! Ha!”

He shakes his head but before he can speak, she lays back and throws her arms out, a smile still on her face.

“I’m Cas! Cas! Kiss me, I’m Cas!”

Embarrassed that his sister caught him daydreaming about his crush, he stands up and looks at her. 

“Mom and dad told you to stay out of my room!”

“Don’t be such a crab.” She says, standing up on his mattress before jumping up and down. “Guess what. You’re taking me trick-or-treating.”

He sighs and shakes his head. “Not this year, Dani.”

“Mom said you have to.” Dani says, jumping off his bed, landing on her feet beside him. 

“Well, she can take you.” He says, turning to walk away. 

She grabs him by his sleeve and pulls him back.

“She and dad are going to a party at Town Hall.”

“Well, you’re eight! Go by yourself.” He says, pulling his shirt from her hand and walking to his drum set. 

He sits down as he grabs his sticks and immediately begins to play a beat, ignoring his sister as he closes his eyes. She sighs with a determined look on her face and walks over to him. 

“No way! This is my first time! I’ll get lost! Besides, it’s a full moon outside! The weirdos are out!” Noticing he isn’t backing down, Dani walks around the drum set to wrap her arms around her older brother’s shoulders forcing him to stop playing. “Come on, Max. Couldn’t you forget about being a cool teenager just for one night? Please…Come on. We used to have so much fun together trick-or-treating. Remember? It’ll be like old times.”

He shrugs her off and shakes his head. If he was going to willingly take her, that just ruined her chances.

“No. The old days are dead.” He says, beginning to play the same beat again. 

Dani puts her hands on her hips and glares at him. 

“It doesn’t matter what you say. You’re taking me!”

He instantly stops and looks at her, the same glare on his own face. 

“Wanna bet?”

He drops his sticks onto the Floor Tom drum and jumps up from his seat. He runs up the small flight of stairs, skipping a few steps and sits at the top, near the window seat, crossing his arms on his knees. His little sister stomps toward the stairs before putting her hands on her hips again. 

“MOM!!!!” She screams loudly.

#max dennison love story #max dennison fanfiction #max dennison x original female character #max dennison x original character #max dennison imagines #max dennison imagine #max dennison x reader #hocus pocus love story #hocus pocus fanfiction #hocus pocus

[shukakumoodboard]

6, 8, & 11 for the fanfic asks :3

oho. anonymous georg enables me again. i love u

6. Which yet-to-be-started fic is first on your list?

my gawd. the hardest fuckign question tbh. part of me wants to say the enemies-to-lovers kamakura period japan longfic i've tentatively titled bushidō, but that still requires a lot of plotting and like. kelbrain, before i can even begin writing it sdklghdlkf. i want to give it my full creative power and, considering my fanfic capacities pre- and during- my current degree, i think i might actually try to turn my attention to my two collab fics! shan't say the authors rn, but i don't think they'll be a surprise to those who know me when they're finally done and posted lol

8. Is there a story idea in your mental vault that you’ve never been brave enough to try writing? Is this the year? Can you tell us about it?

i mean i could also say bushidō but that's a sellout because i just discussed that in the last question so i shall also say i should like to try my hand at my sole gaaleesbians wip, thread of deepest scarlet, heart of shining pearl, which is, as you may guess from the title references, is a salem witch trial puritans au. behold:

Gaara’s crimson red lips sang poisonous, blasphemous hymns, and she wanted nothing else. “I can,” she breathed. “I would show you, in all your loveliness, such wonders, if you wish it.” For if Gaara was the serpent in the Garden, she was Eve, and in that parable, it was she doomed to succumb to temptation; her weakness preordained, this was her Apple and the ways of wickedness were already within her, and so. “Please.” And so, she let Gaara consume her.

#cant write smut ive got catholic guilt anyway, i've never written Da Lebbiesiasnsns, and i've never written historical fiction, so we shall see if i am All Powerful or not

11. Would you like to try any new fanfic genres or tropes this year?

help all of these questions are related. i want to try historical fiction as seen in the previous answers! most of the other things i have on the brain are things i've at least dipped my toes in.

thank you so much for asking <3

quite literally offering u free snippets for the right questions yall

#fictalk #gaalee #writing gronp hours #text #thank you sm i get such a kick from answering questions it makes my day

[arthurmorganwateringhole]

Why do you think so many people hate Mary? I want to blame misogyny, but a lot of women hate her too.

Oh you sweet summer child. Misogyny is a concept that describes how gender structures our society. For example, we live in a patriarchal society, therefore many of our beliefs are either deliberately misogynist (taboos and traditions rooted in fearing women who express sexual, financial, or social agency; re: Salem witch trials which targeted many a rich widows!) or indirectly misogynist. The latter is less about hating women but privileging cis men.

For example, due to our world's history and the fact that cis men dominated it, many in the US, UK, and Australia believe that, for women, to succeed, they need intelligence and hard work. On the other hand, the same 28,000-people sample cited that men would need connections to succeed.

This isn't 28,000 people saying this is how it is. This is them observing what actually happens. Men promote men because they are products of a patriarchal society that basically conditions cis men to rise to high profile jobs, and this sort of behavior isn't ACTIVELY misogynist, because those employers might not be deliberately trying to be sexist. Yet, all the social strictures placed on women (like needing time for children etc.) end up perpetuating this vicious cycle of cis men getting ahead generally via connections rather than merit.

Now I just went on a long ass preamble, and for why? What does this have to do with Mary? Because I want to address that part of your question that assumes women can't be misogynist or subject to the same biases that are built into a patriarchal society, like the one we live in. Because guess what? Women can definitely be sexist despite their self-proclamations of being feminist or progressive. Just like how people of color can also harbor racism against themselves and their own community, or racism against other ethnicities. You would think sharing the same experience enables empathy or something, but nah. People are that conditioned to passively allow this sort of bullshit. So long as it isn't blatantly or deliberately misogynist, they're going to go around holding Mary to an impossible standard and not examine their own biases regarding the role of gender in how they view her complex and messy emotions.

Just take for example how this fandom talks about/reacts to Dutch in comparison to the general feeling wrt Mary. Except for a few deluded fools, most people in the fandom find Dutch to be a flawed character, i.e. he serves the narrative purpose of being a complex and fully fleshed out character whose problematic actions drive the momentum of the story. In this case, Dutch is an example of 'good writing' (and I don't disagree with that). Even outside RDR2, any male character with a sociopathic, manipulative streak will be heralded as the pinnacle of writing. And I don't disagree. People who can write complex and flawed characters are actually great writers!

The problem is, people lose that type of rationale and analysis when you take even half the imperfections a character like Dutch has and put it on a woman/female character. Suddenly, she's not evidence of great writing, but she is a living, breathing person whose abusive behavior is condemned by a living, breathing 'trained therapist' so Mary apologists are clearly wrong and any attempt at understanding her role in the narrative is abuser apology.

lol sorry for being a bit on the nose, but you can't deny this pattern fo behavior in fandom and across other fandoms. Flawed male characters are complex and PEAK storytelling. Flawed female characters are bullies/manipulative/straight up bitches who need to burn in hell (sorry to use really outdated gender language, but I'm more broadly speaking to the cisnormative array of characters mainstream media tends to feature).

And I wish these same people who invest so much energy in justifying their dislike of Mary on the basis of moral condemnation could just STOP for a second and think about how insane that is. Here is Arthur, shooting, killing, stealing... but see he is a complex and complicated character!!!!! Fuck Mary though for using whatever means at her disposal to help her family. That fucking bitch!!! Look at how insane this is once you contextualize Mary in the actual fictional universe she exists in, rather than taking her out of context and cherrypicking 10-second clips to apply harebrained psychological analysis to???

So yeah TLDR I think people hate Mary because of plain misogyny. It's weird because I was never like an enthusiastic Mary fan when I first played. Like I loved her as a love interest for Arthur, but I never thought I'd spend THIS much energy defending her. And yet I do, because I cannot stand seeing people fall into this problematic pattern of thought any longer. I want people to sit down and just think for a moment. Is it okay to dislike Mary or not like her or not care about her? YES IT'S PERFECTLY OKAY. It's not okay though to overstate the harm of her flawed actions in order to shut down discussion and use her character as an excuse to basically be closeted misogynists. You guys are WAY more obvious than you think you are.

#Mary Linton #lia rambles #oh my lord

[nobleelfwarrior]

In response to This post.

I want to establish a few things before I go on.

people can be both oppressor and oppressed because their are different axes of oppression

witches, anthropologically speaking, are a cultural phenomenon where someone, frequently but not exclusively a woman, is blamed for causing misfortune/bad luck.

I am white, so I'm coming at this from a different perspective from the women in the video.

Now, with that out of the way, European women are oppressed on the basis of the sex. When the European witch trials were underway we have evidence that they were targeting

women who were in medicine so that male doctors could force their way into the field.

women who were outspoken or political

women who owned land

women who were "strange". We would now consider these women disabled, homeless, or chronically ill.

The werewolf trials targeted those same women.

This was a femicide and I think it is insensitive to say white women have no claim to a legacy of witchcraft. This is especially true, because, as I mentioned earlier, witches happen in many cultures. In some parts of Africa today there are witch accusations that result in children and women being stoned to death or fleeing their home and family. I know there are other examples in other cultures if you care to look into that. I didn't know about the magic hair beliefs mentioned in the video I linked, but that is also a good example. In the Salem witch trials one of the first women killed was a slave women of Barbados. It is unclear if she is black or indigenous, but the point that white women were not the only targets of witchcraft is true. Any woman could be targets of witchcraft unless she fell in line with what her society demanded of her. If she didn't, if she resisted, then there were multitudinous painful ways to kill her.

Having said all that, there is definitely a discussion to be had about women who claim to be the "daughters of witches you couldn't burn" while also attacking women like Amber Heard or JK Rowling for not falling in line like they "should". I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that these have been modern day witch trial. These women are blamed for all sorts of misfortunes and perceived wrongs because they didn't bow to men. Where stoning and crushing and hanging and burning are now outlawed, internet threats and canceling and doxxing have had to do for a symbolic execution. Also I consider it appropriation if a trans women were to say that.

The witch trials of Europe and the early Americas have been trivialized and appropriated by men. Salem, MA is a tourist destination with haunted tours. Former President Trump called the investigation against him a "witch hunt" despite ample evidence of actual wrong doing. People write stories about the witch who was hung and now haunts the town. The witches are actually magic in the stories, and evil, instead of what they really were: human women that didn't fit with a man's perfect narrative. Women wanting to put the focus back on the misogyny that perpetrated the genocide is not unreasonable.

I had ancestors in the early North American colonies. Those grandmothers of mine didn't live in Salem, but they would have heard. They would have been afraid. I hope they would have been afraid because they didn't want to become smaller and not because of magic, but I don't know. Looking back on the stories I have of those grandmothers, I know they weren't perfect. I know they were racist, just like all the white people then, and I know I'm not perfect either, but I'm trying, and I can see that they were like me: loud, passionate, angry, forces in their own right and if circumstances had been just a little bit different, they would have burned.

I am the daughter of witches they couldn't kill, and so are you.

#witches #witch trials #witch hunt #daughter of witches #radfem #radical feminism #me myself and I

[moboxcritique]

As a ex fan of mobox, there was a part in the comic where everyone was like "she's a witch!" To Lena because she had powers

If anyone doesn't know, the "she's a witch" was a thing in the olden days, about 600+ years ago. Maybe in the 1400s-1600s? I'm not too confident if it was especially around in the Renaissance.

But basically that witch part of history had a lot of racism and sexism. Especially since I found out mobox did Nazi ocs and art, he knew what he was doing with that. I mean anyone could do it, but knowing mobox he definitely knew the context for it!

For more detail, women would get beheaded or burned alive simply because a man said that she's a witch. If a woman was ugly, she's a witch, and like 100 other sexist reasons for why she's a witch. Simply yelling out "she's a witch!" As a man, would do enough to get her killed. I think the "she's a witch" was apart of Nazism too but I'm not too confident about that.

The drawing of Lena talking about god, idk the context for that actually, I would appreciate it if someone knew the context for this, cause again explaining old history- the Renaissance was about people distancing from god, and most people would die in a very religious way, as everything was strictly religious back then. So her saying "everyday we get further from god" kind of correlates to that. But I could be wrong!

Even pretty women were called witches, but history is jumbled up. I just wanted to explain that "burn the witch!" Was part of history and mobox knew what he was doing with this part

Yes, witchcraft was apart of n*zism. The leader of the N*zi SS (funny, his name was also Himmler, remind you guys of anyone?) promoted witchcraft and tried to make it seem good to the public, other n*zis snuck into libraries disguised as students to research witches, as Himmler wanted to use witchcraft to make the Reich last more than 1,000 years. However this plan obviously fell through (thank God!)

But anyway! Yes, what you're referring to was something called the Salem Witch Trials, and it was around the time period you mentioned. All of those happened that you described, and many innocent people were killed all due to false accusations. It was a terrible thing

I believe the drawing with Lena and the book is actually referencing a meme? I could be wrong with that, but it's highly likely as the meme is worded very similarly. So for now I'll give it a pass

But yeah, Mobox obviously knew what he was doing with this as yes, it's apart of real history just like the n*zis are. I really don't like how this whole scene played out, especially with the fact that these were literal children saying this stuff...

I dunno, it just feels really odd to me

#mod cagney #ask #breath of hope comic #zombifykid #tw: nazis #tw n*zi mention #tw nazi mention

[readingaftermidnight007]

(Long Overdue) Reading Update!!

Ahhhh I've been meaning to post for a while but I'm just super lazy soooo....

Last time I updated this, I had just finished reading DJATS I think? Hold on I'm going to check. *pause for me checking*

Ok yeah, the last time I updated this was when I finished Daisy Jones (which i never actually talked about how I felt about and who knows, maybe I'll finally make a post about it)

Anywaysssss.....here's my reading update. We may or may not be eight books behind. Whoops. (Seven if we don't count DJATS and for these purposes I'm not going to talk about it right now)

also dont worry abt spoilers for anything. it's completely spoiler free :)

~~~~~

First up, we have....

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

(completed February 23) (i know im sorry 😭)

(3/5 ⭐️)

I read this for a class, and overall I really enjoyed it. I was in a weird place mentally though, so I don't think I fully processed a lot of it otherwise this would have a much higher rating. Its a very enjoyable play though, and it's a beautiful story and beautifully written. Definitely would recommend if you enjoy plays that are grounded in realism and focus a lot around familial themes.

The Crucible by Arthur Miller

(completed March 8) (again im sorry ive been super fucking busy)

(4/5⭐️)

Honestly, I loved reading this play. I also read it for the same class, but I found this one more enjoyable, which is probably because one of my first childhood hyperfixations was on, oddly enough, the Salem Witch Trials. Which if you didn't know, that's what The Crucible is about. Anyways. It's very good, and I would definitely recommend reading it. Its a long play, but it's worth it. It explores a lot of themes of grief and paranoia and sins and it's just so fascinating and there's so much to explore within it.

Homeward Bound by Elaine Tyler May

(completed March 17) (i swear i have good reasons for not updating but im not gonna get into that unless you wanna go check up my vent blog @queenofshadows077)

(3/5⭐️)

i read this for my history class, and i have to say, i enjoyed it a lot more than i was expecting. sure, there didn't need to be a 20 page chapter about premarital sex statistics in the 1950s(seriously, why 20 pages???), but i found it very interesting otherwise. the book basically delves into the post-WWII suburbanization of American families and gender roles and societal roles, etc and I would recommend if youre looking for a nonfiction book about that particular time period.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet

(completed March 22)

(5/5⭐️)

I genuinely LOVED this book. Like, seriously. Read it. IT'S WORTH THE HYPE I PROMISE. I could not put it down the entire time I was reading it. I was having way too much fun with it and i was so sad when it was over. Like, so upset. I loved the story of the twins and their lives. It's truly a beautiful, compelling novel and I want everyone to read it. It is 100% ending up on my favorites list of 2023. Please read it. Please. I beg of you. I dont wanna get too much into the plot or anything spoilery so if you wanna know more, read the overview on goodreads please! (and then read the book. do it. do. it.)

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

(completed march 31)

(4/5⭐️)

Ok so this is the third TJR book I've read, and I absolutely loved it!!! I read this over the course of a week on a trip I went on, and it was the perfect book to read for it. I love the way she organizes her books and the way she writes her characters. Compared to Evelyn Hugo and DJATS it's definitely not my favorite, but it was still excellent.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

(completed April 6)

(5/5⭐️)

This has always been one of my favorite books. This is my third time reading it, and I was inspired to reread since I had just finished Malibu Rising and had recently read DJATS. I love this book. I love Evelyn and her story and I love how TJR writes very complex characters. Always brings me to tears, it's soooo good. it's an incredible novel featuring an incredible story of a queer woman and her journeys through success, love, fame, and so much more. if you havent read it, you need to. Like, it is literally a requirement. :)

And finally....

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

(completed April 11)

(5/5⭐️)

This was a beautiful story. Beautifully writen, characters that bare their soul and that you cant help but love, and super addicting. I literally could not put it down. the pacing was wonderful, the storytelling was so vivid and touching and i will remember this one for a long time. it's the story of two boys, Ari and Dante, as they grow up and start their journey into adulthood while also battling their own personal wars. Ari is a really interesting narrator to be in the head of and I honestly think that this author is so insanely good. So yeah. I liked it A LOT.

~~~~

That's all of them!!

see you next time!!

~Scarlett

#reading update #scarlett's books #reading with scarlett <3 #scarlett's recs #djats #evelyn hugo #taylor jenkins reid #bookblr #books #booklr #booklover

[moonlightreal]

Fate season 2-4

We’re reached episode four!  First, an update to the last one.  Terra didn’t get a fancy outfit because she wasn’t going to the party.  Musa also wasn’t going to the party but she was wearing this… skintight sheer colored camo?  So I didn’t connect that those two just weren’t dressed to party while the others were.  So the show wasn’t actually dissing Terra.    

This next episode is entitled An Hour Before the Devil fell which portends… I’m not sure what but it certainly is portending hard!

Methinks this show portends too much.

But, per google, it is a quote!  The full quotation, “until an hour before the Devil fell, God thought him beautiful in heaven,” is uttered by Miller's John Hale, a puritan pastor involved in the Salem witch trials, and it warns against deception: what seems sweet may be wicked.

...I’m trying to think of characters that ‘seem sweet’ and that’s pretty much Terra and… just Terra!

As we finished last episode, Beatrix was getting got!  And it looks like she wasn’t killed or drained of magic, she was kidnapped!  Did the scrapers fly off with her?  No, I suppose they injured her enough that the human with them hauled her off.  This kinda feels like B’s arc could be coming to an end. Frees Rosalind!→doesn’t get the appreciation she hoped for→loses her dudes→loses her powers→nothing left to live for→dramatic death or sacrifice.  I think B hoped to be Rosalind’s protege and right-hand minion, and finally make her debut as Andreas’ favored foster daughter as well, and none of that happened.  Rosalind had no more use for her and Andreas does seem to love her but he’s loyal to Rosalind first.

Andreas is very worried, he wants all the soldiers to go out and look for Beatrix.  Rosalind is just like eh, kidnapped by Blood Witches, predictable, they just want to draw us out so they can catch some fairies.  Andreas is happy to throw another fairy away to get Beatrix back, he suggests an exchange. Rosalind says, “Because we have history, I’ll pretend you didn’t say that.”  So… Rosalind won’t hear of sacrificing a fairy student?  Another fairy student, because B is a student.  Andreas says Beatrix is like a daughter to him and Rosalind just says she warned him not to “form attachments” in case exactly this happened.

Yeah, “Raise this baby every day for sixteen years and don’t get attached” like that’s possible for any non-sociopath human.  Though Andreas is kind of a face-smashing murderhobo soooooo…

It is nice to see that he loves Beatrix though.  It’s a breath of fresh air in this show where it’s often hard to tell how any character feels about any other character.

In the school’s one classroom Badass Marco is grading papers.  Congratulations Marco, promoted to teacher! Guess he got tired of being a soldier after his partner got killed last season.  And the school had to promote somebody before they ran out of teachers entirely!

But Marco may not get to enjoy his new job for long because Andreas attacks and strangles him!  Not to death I don’t think, just to unconsciousness.  Murderhobo.

Opening sequence!

But school is going on as usual, students in the cafeteria, doing homework, staring at Bloom because she was outed as having the Dragon Flame just like they did over her being a changeling last season.  Aisha tells Bloom “The Dragon Flame’s a legend and now you are too.”

So the two girls are supposedly studying, in a perfect opening for an infodump since Aisha has been swimming with Grey instead of studying.  But Bloom first teases Aisha about “what’s Grey’s favorite ‘stroke’?”  Spare me.

Then we get to the good stuff!  Lore from the textbook!

Aisha: “I know about Blood Witches. They aren’t super common but they’re a thing.”

Bloom: “Their element is blood so they can control muscles and bones.  Theirs and other people’s. Creepy.”

Back in Dominion War times Blood Witches were so powerful they could puppeteer people’s bodies from miles away.

And that was the “last time the Dragon Flame existed” and since then it’s been dormant.

Aisha asks if it’s hereditary, suggesting that some magic is, but Bloom says Rosalind’s theory is that it “surfaces in times of great conflict”

Aisha reminds Bloom that Rosalind is shady and Bloom says they want the same thing: to stop Blood Witches from stealing fairies’ magic.  And Bloom’s glad they have Rosalind to help fight them.

Which… kind of a good point.  Now that we know about Blood Witches from a source other that Rosalind directly telling Bloom that confirms they are at least a thing that’s real.  I wish I knew more history though.  Why Blood “witches” instead of “blood element fairies” if it’s just another element? In fact why not “Healer fairies”?  Or “Shapeshifting fairies” if they can control their own flesh?  Does bloodbending automatically make you evil?  I figured it’d be something like “they’re humans with no magic who get magic by performing blood sacrifices” which would cover how they’re all evil.  I almost wonder if we’re going to have a “Blood Witches were evil back in the First Dominion but the ones now are a persecuted minority” plot.  Either way maybe it’s better for the plot to leave the door open for good Blood Witches just in case.

This show better keep its hands off Mirta though.  Seeing my and other writers’ special witch messed with might make me actually angry rather than just befuddled.

But let’s leave that terrible thought and go outside for some archery!  Fairy magic doesn’t work on scrapers so the specialists gotta step up!  Silva is back to teaching like he never left, which rubs Sky the wrong way.  Riven asks if he prefers Andreas and sky says at least Andreas is who he says he is. Of course who he is is a “massive prick” as Riven points out. They wonder if it’s because Beatrix is gone.  Rosalind claims to have sent her on a mission but nobody’s heard from her.  Riven is just happy she’s gone.

They’re shooting homing arrows which are enchanted to curve and hit the target.  Pretty cool.  Wonder how that works, magically.  You’d have to form a sympathetic link, so the arrow knows what the target is, easiest enchantment would be for the arrow to hit whatever the shooter is concentrating on hitting.

Rosalind and Silva share some more wisdom: they expect scrapers and Blood Witches to attack together. Mind fairies can protect the Specialists from Blood Witch bloodbending.

Musa is here to observe.  She’s wary of using her magic after what happened with Sam.  Rosalind says Musa is the strongest mind fairy in the school.  To do this they have to concentrate on protecting one individual specialist.  Musa tries to protect Dane while Rosalind “simulates at attack”  it’s just a battle of glowing eyes but Rosalind wins and Dane’s arrow goes off course.  

Over in the greenhouse Flora is checking out the fishtank o’ scrapers, which has been parked in here for some reason.  Hopefully not in the infirmary section where sick or injured fairies will have to try and get better with that in the room!  Flora wonders what the scrapers evolved from, so evolution is understood here.  Terra says maybe it didn’t evolve since it’s from the “Realm of Darkness, whatever that is.”

Aimee LeRoy the fluid mechanics alumni is going to be the new teacher for potions and Terra wants to get the greenhouse tidy so she doesn’t think their family are slobs.  The cousins talk a little about Ben and Sam leaving.  Terra is still angry at Musa, thinking she’s the reason Sam has to leave.  Which, yeah, Musa definitely made bad choices but Rosalind is the root of the problem.

Flora is going off to see the specialists.  Riven in particular.  Terra looks upset at this.

Over to Stella, wearing a lavender knitted tube top and sweater with little sequin flowers on it.  The clothes aren’t quite as washed out as last season but they’re pretty strange.  She’s been texting Beatrix to see if she’s all right.  Stella also wants some of B’s booze.  Stella is also searching the secretary’s desk outside of Rosalind’s office, which I guess is where Beatrix worked.  In one drawer are croc shoes. Stella’s croc shoes were a symbol of her not caring about her looks while she was depressed, then Beatrix fried them with lightning but I don’t immediately get the significance of crocs in the drawer.  they’re B’s and she went off without them?  Bloom catches her and she says she was just looking for a package from her mother.

Rosalind arrives, Stella flees and we go to a Bloom and Rosalind scene.  Bloom has been studying hard for her Blood Witch quiz since she wants to know everything about the people who kidnapped her when she was a baby.  She also read all of Rosalind’s reports on the fairies who were drained, and she’s amazed Rosalind managed to write long detailed reports, study the victims, and run the school.  Rosalind just says, ‘Sleep is for the weak. What I’m doing matters to the entire Otherworld.  I make time.  You’d better too.”  Bloom looks horrified at the idea of giving up sleep.

Rosalind is leaving for the capital. Bloom is impatient to go after the Blood Witches, she wants answers about her past.  Rosalind comes and sits down with Bloom and gives her the “you are valuable, you need to stay safe, Blood Witches are going to try to get you.” and Bloom displays her fire.  She could just flame ‘em!  She says “I have the Dragon Flame” in an awfully confidant voice for someone who didn’t know what it was a few days ago and maybe still doesn’t.  Cool fire effect though, a little sparkler flowing around her hand.

The Rosalind spills the beans about Beatrix being kidnapped.  She thinks it’s a Blood Witch in the school!  But they need more information before they can act, information she’s going to the capital to get.  Telling this to the student whose tendency to go off half-cocked is so strong it freed you from magic jail is… certainly a choice, Rosalind.  Bloom is shocked that they haven’t told anyone that a student is missing. Rosalind says it’s safer not to because ‘people are irrational. They act on emotion.”

And guess what Andreas is doing! Acting on emotion!  He’s out in the woods striding along hauling Marco along by the leg.  I thought Marco was a specialist but maybe he just never did magic on screen and he’s a fairy.  Andreas texts somebody a pic of Marco’s knocked-out face.

Rosalind tells Bloom emotion is only useful for magic so Bloom needs to stay in and study, not let emotions cloud her judgment.  Bloom looks horrified not sure why, then as Rosalind leaves Bloom’s expression changes.  Bloom is ready to do something foolish while Rosalind is away!  And I am here for it, now that Bloom’s emotions are gonna maybe make trouble for characters that actualluy deserve it this time.

Back in the suite I think Bloom came to rouse the troops for action but she finds Terra dressing up.  Or, talking like she’s dressed up but she’s just wearing a dark buttonup shirt and black pants.  With Rosalind out of town, everybody’s going to the pub!  Aisha, wearing a hideous mustard yellow jumpsuit, is going too!  Musa is in a n olive top and leggings like she’s going into battle and Flora is cute in a velvet jacket. Nobody’s scared of the blood witch since they have Bloom and her dragon flame along!

Stella, as a princess, would not wish to be seen by commoners in a gross dingy pub.

So they all go get beers!  Everybody else is there, and after a minute of drinking Sebastian comes in and Bloom goes to talk to him while Sky goes to find Riven, who he expects to be puking in a corner by this time.  But Riven is in fact bringing IPAs to Flora and Musa and a cider for Terra.  Which is sweet.  He proceeds to flirt with Flora.  Musa tries to make small talk with Terra but terra shuts her down, not forgiving her for messing up things for Sam and her dad.

Terra texts Stella a “wish you were here” but Stella is leaving a message for Beatrix.  She couldn’t find the whiskey but she found the crocs, she hopes the mission is going well, she’s worried… Stella is positively mooning over Beatrix!  Not sure this is supposed to be shipping or loneliness; Stella hasn’t really connected with the rest of the girls and she and Beatrix do have evil parents in common.

Sebastian tells Bloom he used to come to this pub to drink after failing in Specialist school.  He was a student when Andreas was a teacher… wait, Andreas was a teacher?  I thought he was just soldiers with the other adults before they became teachers.  He says Andreas is a bully.  And he brings Bloom a list of all the catering staff from the party, assuming the Blood Witch snuck in as part of the staff.  Bloom says she’ll start looking through it now and Sebastian says he does not condone underage drinking but he also does not condone ignoring friends and doing work in a pub.

Bloom says she has history with blood witches, and that she’s “the only fairy who can take on a blood witch.”  what? Why?  And that she doesn’t know how her friends will react when she tells then Beatrix is missing.  Serbastian says, “You’re also a teenager, Bloom.  Get drunk, act your age.” and tells the bartender to put Bloom’s drinks on his tab.  He gets a text and leaves Bloom with that encouragement to get plastered!

Like… do grownups really do that?

But Bloom opens the folder to start searching for answers.

Everyone else has fun.  Terra brings Riven beer and he says this is the nicest thing she’s ever done for him.  Terra then delivers the “If you hurt Flora-” threat.  Riven says they’re just having fun and Flora says, ‘You don’t have fun. You ruin people.”  and indicates that Dane is ruined from the post-trio heartbreak.  That was Riven having fun.

Dane sits down near Musa, who reads his mind.  Dane says he knows it’s pathetic, he’s the strongest specialist dating the hottest one (Dane has several hangers on, not sure which is his boyfriend) but he still moons over Riven.  Musa says relationships are hard.  Dane heard about what happened with Sam and tells Musa not to beat herself up over it.  They talk about mind fairies and emotions and Dane says he likes training because it’s just ‘do’ no ‘think’  He also says he felt Musa when she tried to protect him in the training exercise, and she almost blocked Rosalind, the strongest mind fairy in the Otherworld.  Musa is powerful.

Daytime, Rosalind goes to meet the head of the army, the Indian woman from the party.  The commander has blood witch contacts!  Who are “old guard” and don’t want to fight with fairies.  They don’t know anything.  So there are peaceful blood witches!  But the unpeaceful ones are stirring up trouble.  They killed Duke Hammerstrom.  

Andreas is approached by a bald dude with fuzz beard.  He offers up Marco, “the most powerful air fairy at Alfea” for Beatrix.  The dude says ok, then Andreas throws a knife at him and puts a sword to his throat.  But this guy was only a puppet!  The real blood witch kills him by snapping his bones!

The… same thing Rosalind did to Miss Dowling.

Huh.

Then the witch starts bloodbending Andreas!  He says he’s sorry to Beatrix as the blood witch seizes control of him!

...is it Sebastian?  He did just leave the pub right before this.

Bloom reads the folder while everyone else dances to a really insipid pop song.  Outside it is daytime! Why are you drinking in the day that’s just weird! Sky is on the phone with Silva, who wants him back before dark.  Sky’s like, “So if I miss curfew do I get a lecture like you do or a torture like Rosalind does?”  Silva comes back with, ‘You’re speaking to your commanding officer” which I guess will not-work as well as anything else he could’ve said.

Bloom has come outside, and tries to say Silva’s just looking out for him.  Sky says that when Silva disappeared he finally felt like his own person, free.  Which… I can see.  Dad stuff and commanding officer stuff are two streams that definitely should not be crossed.  Bloom says she’s learned from Rosalind that things are usually more complicated than they seem. Sky says “that does sound like Rosalind” which Bloom finds disturbing.  So Bloom says they need to let loose, and chugs her entire beer.  Sky’s like, “Oh. That kind of let loose.”

So they go in and dance with everybody. Yaoi kissing with Dane.  Terra stands and disapproves of everything.

Aisha and Grey have gone off outside. Aisha says if she was still in the pub she’d end up worrying someone was too drunk and end up ruining the fun trying to protect them.  Grey says he’s more into acquaintances than friends, that makes it easier to go after what he wants without worrying about other people.  That’s a weird philosophy to say out loud, Grey. Right now he wants Aisha, with him, walking through the unbelievably lovely countryside this show shows off.  They hold hands on an ancient stone bridge.

Back at the pub Riven is outside smoking.  Flora finds him and asks if he’s going to offer her a hit, but he says drama waiting to happen.  And here comes Terra, more drama waiting to happen.  Terra invites them to come play darts versus her and Kat and Flora cuts her off with, “What’d you say to him?”  Terra assumes Riven told, Riven says he didn’t and walks off, leaving them to drama it out.

Terra: I was just looking out for you. he’s not a good guy.

Flora: according to who?  You?

Terra: No, objectively.  Trust me.”

Which is exactly what I was thinking. Hah!  But Flora says they’re just hanging out, it’s not a big deal so who cares?  She shoots Terra down as “You know everything, right?”

I feel like Terra is a lot less badass this season.  In the first season her character was “insecure about her weight, but super competent in a crisis” and this season she just seems to be judgy and unforgiving.  Correctly judgy; Musa did misuse her powers and Riven is objectively a bad idea, but how Terra is handling it is just not at all competent.  She’s coming off as a jerk.

Back at school Stella lies in bed watching videos of the dancing at the pub.  Then she gets a text. From Beatrix!  She thinks she’s in some ruins.  She needs help.

Bloom gathers the girls in the pub’s bathroom.  Terra thinks she knows the ruins, she found beer bottles and a creepy doll there once.  Hah!  Musa suggests grabbing the less drunk specialists to mount a rescue.

But Bloom shuts it down.  No rescue. This is a trap.  Obviously.  Nobody hears from Beatrix and now that Rosalind is gone Stella gets a text?  Trap.  Bloom is smart, but Bloom is also wobbly and drunk.  Stella still wants to do something and Bloom says, ‘I know for a fact Rosalind is at the capital because she is handling this.”  And so everyone finds out that Bloom knew Beatrix was kidnapped!  Noises of disbelief!

Which are a bit weird considering Beatrix is a bad guy but ok.  I guess the girls never found out she’s a murderer like they don’t know Rosalind killed Dowling.

So the girls feel betrayed that Bloom didn’t tell them, and it does not look good Bloom keeping Rosalind’s secrets.  But sensibly Bloom says they are all sloshed and should go back to school and sober up and make a plan.

But outside the pub, which must be a real place in Wicklow, Sky and Riven are suiting up.  When the girls didn’t help, Stella called the boys.  Bloom tells Sky it’s an obvious trap but Sky points out that they’re trained and mind fairies can protect them.  Musa says she’s in.  Bloom says it’s not safe for fairies and none of them are going, but Musa shoots back that “for once my magic’s useful.  I need this.”  Bloom is not happy, I think some of Rosalind’s need to be obeyed is rubbing off on her.  Then she realizes Aisha isn’t here.

Aisha and Grey are lounging on rocks by the stream.  Aisha says she’s an overachiever because of her family.  They “run a bunch of hydro-energy facilities on the border of Andros” for anyone playing home-realms bingo.  They wanted Aisha to take over the family business, she wants to be an academic, so she has to overachieve to prove she made the right choice.

Grey makes the water light up with “tiny bugs” so his magic is water creatures?  Aisha splashes him. They kiss.  They kiss some more.  Water rises in magical streams around them.

Night has fallen!  Sky, Riven and Musa have arrived at a gorgeous ruined stone barn with moss on the roof. Musa thinks it’s creepy and asks why they never get to break into a playground.  The boys put arrows on strings and they go inside.

Back in the suite Bloom paces and waps her phone on her hand.  Stella says, ‘You don’t always have to be the one to save the day, I know that’s a tough pill to swallow.” heh.  But Bloom shoots back that Stella doesn’t risk herself at all.  Stella tells them that she physically can’t leave, and finally shows them the tracking gem.  Flora and Terra gather around in pity, and Bloom in guilt.  Stella says she didn’t tell them because of those looks.  She gets up and goes into her room.

And that scene is the platonic example of the “the girls aren’t really friends” problem I have with Fate.  Stella couldn’t depend on them to empathize and leap to help her, and when they found out they didn’t.  Bloom didn’t ask what a tracking gem is, Flora didn’t know a risky acid potion to burn it off, everyone looked horrified but nobody said out, “This isn’t right, your mother’s terrible, and we’ll get this thing off you.”

Ok.  back to the action.

The ruin is overgrown and, I think, a soundstage because they go upstairs to find Beatrix.  she’s unconscious but Musa says she’s alive.  Musa also realizes an unconscious fairy couldn’t text Stella.  Then they hear the chittering of scrapers!  As the boys take aim someone else shoots Riven’s arm, knocking off his aim.  Ominous music plays as Andreas appears through a fallen archway!  he’s being puppeted!  Sky tells Musa to run and she does, as the boys draw their swords!

Musa makes a break for it but there are scrapers on the ground floor!  One grabs her arm and sucks out some of her magic before she throws it off and gets into a tunnel or something behind a door.  She calls the girls and tells them what happened.  Flora seems to know a lot, she says after a short scraper bite Musa will lose her magic for only a little while, it takes a longer attack for it to be permanent.  So Beatrix probably lost her magic permanently, she was attacked by a couple of them.  But Musa will be ok later.  She tells them that Andreas is here but he’s being controlled.  She felt “years and years of anger. A grudge like whoever’s controlling Andreas knows him.”

Yeah, it’s Sebastian.  That’s why he wanted Bloom to get drunk, so she couldn’t stop his evil scheme.

The boys fight valiantly but Andreas knocks them both down.  All seems lost!

And Silva rescues them!  Most dramatically, he jumps in and parries the descending blade with a shout of, “Andreas, no!”

Riven grabs Beatrix and carries her outside and hands her off to Dane.  Was he there before?  And props to the dudes who all seem to be strong enough to princess-carry Beatrix, which is harder than it looks.  They realize Musa didn’t get out.  Riven curses and goes back for her.

Musa is still in the tunnel.  Her eyes are glowing purple and I think she’s experiencing the sword fight above as Sky and Silva take on Andreas.  So her magic isn’t gone it’s just messed up I guess?

Back in the school the rest of the girls are realizing the Blood Witch isn’t an outsides, he’s someone who knows Andreas so--  Bloom realizes!  She runs off to go after Sebastian!  Without saying his name, but she says “hates them more than anyone, someone who’s been by our side this whole time” She goes by herself, Terra and Flora text Aisha but don’t go with Bloom for some reason.

Bloom gets to town while the sword fight in the barn still continues.  That’s one long sword fight! Eventually Andreas has Silva pinned and begins choking the life out of him!  Sky begs him to stop, just as--

Bloom enters the shop and goes into the basement and there’s Sebastian with his eyes glowing red!  But he’s distracted so he loses his hold on Andreas.  Wonder what it takes to re-control someone, can he just puppet Andreas anytime or do they have to be close enough to enchant?

Sebastian says Bloom’s ballsy to come alone but she counters quite confidently that all his scrapers will be at the barn trap and blood witch magic doesn’t work on fairies so she can just haul him back before he can do anything.

But Sebastian has a backup plan!  His veins start glowing silver.  he’s filled himself up with stolen fairy magic!  He got some light fairy magic, some water magic, a weak mind fairy… and Beatrix.  Sebastian throws down lightning and all the TVs in his show turn on with static and distorted pictures. Quite a well done bit of creepy!

Bloom says, “Whoever you’ve got, they’re not me.”  In the most obnoxiously edgelord “lookit my stone cold confidence” teenage voice.  And she summons a handful of fire.

And she summons her wings!  She can just have her wings whenever she wants?  There’s no “transformation” they just flame out behind her.  But it is kind of cool.  The wings shed light and the flame seems to move the air, blowing Bloom’s hair.  For a real life magic, it’s not awful.

Sebastian is not impressed!  He starts talking about how he knows all about Bloom, her powers, her childhood, her parents, and also her real parents.

Of course all he had to do was mention birth parents and Bloom unflames and goes completely vulnerable, stuttering a little as she says, “You know who my birth parents are?”

Sebastian says he’ll tell her if she joins him.  Joins him to what, he doesn’t elaborate.  He also says “if you’d stayed with me” and “it’s not too late” implying Bloom had previous chances to join him.  Just a writing weirdness or is he meant to be the Blood Witch who kidnapped baby Bloom and he planned to raise her or something?  Hard to tell.

Anyway Bloom’s totally about to join Team Blood Witch.  She doesn’t say so, just looks thoughtful, but Fate Bloom is so single-issue and impulsive I think was can all deduce what her choice would have been.

Rescue arrives as all the pipes in the shop burst and water sprays into the air, flowing to form a wall between them.  Aisha has arrived!  With a pretty useful power, Aisha has advanced since season one.  Bloom just says, “Great timing.” Sebastian escapes into another room and of course when the girls get there a second later he’s gone.

Back at the castle, with a gorgeous outdoor shot of the building, Terra and Flora are in the greenhouse arguing.  Flora did the research, but Terra wants to recheck.  Flora: Why do you always have to second guess me?”  Terra: Most of the time you need second-guessing.”  Flora says like with Riven and Terra says yeah like with Riven.  Then Flora says, “It’d be easier to talk about what’s happening if we could talk about what’s happening.  you’re jealous.  It kills you when I succeed without you.”  Terra gapes in surprise and says, ‘Is that really what you think?  If I’m so horrible why are we even friends?” and Flora says, “Sometimes I ask myself the same question.”

And here is another platonic example of nobody being friends.  I don’t even know what that scene’s trying to say.  Flora assumes she knows what Terra is thinking?  Terra is a busybody?  

We go to Rosalind walking through the darkened courtyard.  A specialist tells her they found Marco completely drained of magic.  Maybe that was his lightning Sebastian had not Beatrix’s.  Students are milling around worried and Rosalind shouts at them to go back to their rooms.  Bloom and Aisha return and immediately tell Rosalind it was Sebastian.  He went to Earth through the portal in his shop.  Rosalind asks if he said anything and Bloom looks super shifty and says he offered her knowledge for betraying Rosalind.  Rosalind is unbothered and says that all in all the day was a win.

Beatrix wakes up coughing and sputtering in Stella’s bed.  Of all strange places that are not the infirmary.  Stella tries to comfort her.  But Beatrix’s magic is gone.

Terra is moping in her room.  Flora comes in to apologize for what she said but Terra says, “You were right, I’m jealous.”  She offers her phone which has a picture of her and Riven snuggling.  Before the start of the series Riven and Terra were close, they even kissed once while drunk and then Terra puked because drunk.  it’s in the prequel novel and Terra mentions it in the first season.  Sparks did not fly and the drunk kiss was so embarrassing Riven started ignoring Terra and she was so mad she started ignoring him back.

But that’s not the jealousy.  Terra is really jealous that Flora is so free to be herself and go after what she wants. And Terra can’t.  Then Terra drops the bombshell1 Very hesitantly she says she thinks she picks bad idea guys because she’s not really into guys.  Flora says “You can say it” and Terra says she thinks she’s gay and Flora says “you’re perfect, everything about you is perfect” and they cry and hug.  It’s a very sweet scene.

But we’ve got Blood Witches to chase! Terra, Flora and Stella join Bloom and Aisha in the courtyard. Bloom asks if Stella’s ok after the emotions before and Stella says she is.  Then Sky appears and Bloom goes to him to say sorry she didn’t rescue him instead of going after the blood witch but Sky says she saved his life.

Flashback-- yikes!  Bloom broke Sebastian’s control but only for a second.  Andreas had time to basically say, “Do it!” and Sky ran him through!  He’s dead! Flashback to Sky weeping over his father’s body.  In the present Sky says, “He was gonna kill Silva.  I didn’t have a choice.” and Bloom hugs him.

Wow!  I’m not surprised, but I’m surprised it happened in a flashback.  Poor Sky.  Poor Beatrix, how will she go on without her magic and without her father?  

The other girls talk about what happened and how Aisha and Bloom saved everybody, and then they realize Musa hasn’t come back.

And Riven staggers in carrying her and calling out for help!  Musa is all bloody and unconscious!

Whew!  That was a lot!

Unrelated observations:

Rosalind says fuck and shit a lot. More than the teenage characters do.  I’m sure this is supposed to say something about her personality but I don’t know what.

It occurs to me that Fate is teens vs. adults while Winx is teens vs. teens.  The Trix are the same age as the Winx.  Some of the other villains are adults but they’re never adults in a position of authority over the Winx.  I’m sure that says something about the difference between the two shows but heck if I know what.

This show is very befuddling.

#fate the winx saga

[annyankers]

I made a comment in my earlier post about my frustrations with how people talk about the magic metaphors (ex. the “willow’s addiction muddles the gay metaphor” hellhole argument i Loathe) about how the way Wicca/paganism is talk about in btvs and how I don’t vibe on it because it has “Silver RavenWolf Energy” and I absolutely KNOW that reference will fly over many heads so here’s a lil bit about that.

First off I’ll say I’m not a wiccan myself. I learned about it’s basics years ago when I first got into actually learning about Occultish Stuff. I’m out here in the rökkatru end of things fondly remembering spongecakegate and slacking off on all my research and practice related anything. I also haven’t actively researched magic/witchcraft in years. I just know enough about Wicca and witchcraft to be able to look at it in the media and be like “lol yeah that’s Not It”.

My first pet peeve with the BTVS version of Wicca is they call themselves “A wicca” and not just “a wiccan” like normal human beings. Maybe this was a thing in the 90s, idk. I just know that in the present it makes me wanna chew on glass.

Now we get a bit more into the meat of the Bullshit:

Silver RavenWolf is a lady who writes books about Wicca and witchcraft and like, babies first paganism shit. All of it is FULL of misinformation and some very hot very bad takes. She’s the kind of person who’ll take about the Salem witch trials like real witches were burned and like it wasn’t a perfect form of religious fanaticism, sociopolitical moves for advancement inside the community, personal grudges and old fashion paranoia that got a lot of regular ass people killed. Like the puritans hung a few quakers for not renouncing their faith or living the colony. Quakers. Also NO ONE WAS BURNED IN ANY US WITCH HUNT. IT WASN’T EVEN A THING IN ENGLAND. They only burnt catholics and traitors far as I remember lol.

However, everything about her shitty awful bad books of bad takes is very Of The Times in the 90s -- as in, I’m not shocked that BTVS Wicca has a Silver RavenWolf flavor to it because she was the main bitch of “mainstream” Wicca at the time it was being made. Like honestly the magic/pagan/wicca group being all new age white feminism, granola lesbian energy and misinformation bout like... multiple religions is pretty on point, not just for a 90s occult college group but a current one and just how it was all viewed at the time of creation.

It just bugs me because there’s so many other people out there even in the 90s-00s that could’ve been referenced and Silver RavenWolf is just.... So Cursed. The takes..... So Bad......

BTVS Wicca never for even a MOMENT talks about the Horned God/Male Deity of Wicca which is um-- he’s kinda of Big Deal. Wicca is a duotheistic religion focused on the Triple Goddess and the Horned God but the show literally never mentions him and is all woo woo co-op goddess worship vibes. Cursed.

Witchcraft =/= Wicca. WITCHCRAFT =/= WICCA. THEY’RE TWO DIFFERENT THNIGS. ONE A FORM OF MAGIC PRACTICE/”CRAFT” AND THE OTHER IS A RELIGION. Willow can actually BE A WITCH and be JEWISH. Judaism even has it’s own history and legacy of mysticism/magic/occultism that Willow could tap into. Not really sad to not see it in the show mostly bc I know it’d be a lot of non-jews writing this and no one wants to see how they’d whiff it but fanfic writers... 👀

Willow shouldn’t be pissed about how the Witch Stereotype is disrespectful to witches and more pissed about how it’s antisemitic (the nose thing alone....)

Honestly there’s more but this is long enough for the moment since I have other things I need to do and I’d have to refresh my memory with an s4-6 or so rewatch and make some notes and all that so like-- another day.

for those interested here’s some links on why Silver Ravenwolf sucks so hard lol Tarnished Silver Why We Despise Silver Ravenwolf The Problem With Silver Ravenwolf

#train.txt #meta #if someone told me that the research for the wicca shit was one of her books i would not be shocked lol

[eviltothecore13]

WEDNESDAY SPOILERS

I’ve been really enjoying this show but I’m currently watching ep8 and it’s driving me crazy.

Wednesday is supposed to be knowledgeable about torture. If anything she’s meant to be an expert, she’s probably read huge amounts about torture in various time periods etc. So WHY does this show depict her as thinking she can get accurate information from someone by torturing him while she questions him?

Torture is almost NEVER a source of accurate information. Either people aren’t coherent, or they lie (and the torturer can’t easily tell if they’re lying) and say whatever they think the torturer will want to hear. People will say ANYTHING under torture if they think it will make it stop, even if it’s blatantly untrue. There’s centuries of evidence that torture has almost never been helpful at actually getting to the truth in an investigation and that other interrogation methods are far more effective. Surely Wednesday should know this? Witch trials are an obvious example  (and yes, there are real witches in the Addams universe, including at least some real witches at Salem and other witch-hunts, but you CAN’T tell me there were no scenarios where innocent women “confessed” to witchcraft under torture at any point in history, it was such a big thing) and one that Wednesday would surely know about, along with countless others.

Like my objection isn’t that this is OOC because it’s too evil or too dark for Wednesday, because of course she’d be WILLING to torture people, she tortures her own brother for FUN--but that Wednesday should know what an INCREDIBLY STUPID AND POINTLESS idea it is to try and get accurate information from someone through torture. She should KNOW that there’s no way this will work or be any use to her whatsoever. It makes her look like she’s got all her “knowledge” about torture from bad action movies instead of from actually reading up on it, and THAT’S OOC. The Addamses have always been depicted as owning torture implements and using them for fun before, that’s very much an Addams thing, but they haven’t generally been depicted as trying to actually conduct an interrogation with them in such an incompetent way.

When the scene started I was willing to take the whole “Hydes only understand one thing: pain” line as the torture being intended to trigger a Hyde transformation and prove he was the Hyde (which is far more plausible than it making him tell the truth since we know traumatic events can trigger a transformation... though it also seems potentially unwise since I’m not sure how well those chains would hold a transformed Hyde) but then it showed her asking him questions and it’s like... I don’t think the writers INTEND this scene to be saying “Wednesday is an incompetent idiot who knows nothing about how torture actually works”, but that’s what it ends up looking like when they portray her as thinking torture might help her get a truthful and accurate answer to these questions. Presumably because the WRITERS don’t understand how torture actually works.

#wednesday #wednesday addams #the addams family #tw torture #I loved her characterisation in this show up to this point! #but why do they have to make her look so stupid and ignorant suddenly?? #wednesday spoilers

[carewyncromwell]

Rowan 🤝 Carewyn

Requested by Anon

Rowan had always been a morning person. It was only nine in the morning, and she was already off on a tangent about their upcoming History of Magic test.

“ -- seems to me that it’s just a bit fragmented is all,” she said animatedly, her hands moving a lot as she spoke. “We study Great Britain’s Witch Trials by century -- but really, Europe didn’t experience that many of them until the mid-14th century, especially from the 1480′s on. And then of course one really can’t overstate how much European witch hysteria affected the colonies belonging to those countries, in that time period -- Salem, Massachusetts, everyone knows about, of course, but there was witch hysteria in Connecticut, in Virginia...really, half the reason witches have gone so underground in the United States even compared to Britain is because of how intense the backlash against magic users was...”

Carewyn nodded understandingly. “It sounds as though just focusing on British witch trials of the 14th century is almost too specific. You kind of need the full context, to make sense of it.”

“Exactly!” Rowan said eagerly. 

Her face turned a bit more thoughtful. 

“Does your mum have any thoughts on this? I’d love to hear what an actual magical historian thinks about the whole thing...”

Carewyn grinned. “I’m sure Mum would give you a full written lecture, if you wanted.”

“That’d be lovely!” Rowan said eagerly. “Maybe I can add some of her insights into my own lecture, for our class!”

Carewyn's smile became visibly warmer -- the thought of her mother’s research being used to teach her classmates made her very proud.

“Well, Jacob always did say that Dumbledore should’ve fired Binns ages ago and tapped Mum for the job instead.”

“Why didn’t your mother ever apply for the position?” Rowan asked curiously. “She really does sound like she would be marvelous at it...not that I’d want to lose my chance of doing it myself someday, but even so.”

Carewyn shook her head. “Mum’s knowledgeable, no question, and she loves to share what she knows, but...well, she’s always been very quiet. And she prefers things to be that way, too. Teaching people one on one, I could see that -- she’s already done that with Jacob and me plenty...but talking in front of an entire room of people, no.”

“So she’s shy,” guessed Rowan.

“Sort of,” said Carewyn. “It’s more than she gets uncomfortable around lots of people. Even when I was little, Mum just about always stayed close to home, when she wasn’t working. Part of that was just because she wanted to spend time with Jacob and me...but I know she also just didn’t like being around lots of people. I think a classroom would be too loud, for her.”

Carewyn smiled a bit.

“And well, Mum likes being able to travel and do her own research. I reckon she’d be really disappointed, if she had less freedom to just pack up and head to some dig site and translate a set of runes herself.”

Rowan’s black eyes sparkled. “Now she sounds a bit like your brother! You said he wanted to travel everywhere too, right?”

Carewyn’s smile didn’t fade, but her eyes drifted away, landing somewhere on the far wall, just past the house tables. 

“Yeah,” she said a bit more quietly. “He always talked about visiting other magic schools someday, like Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. I remember he once said he’d like to try visiting every magic school in the world -- but I don’t think that’s entirely possible...”

“It would be hard,” Rowan said with a laugh. “My research suggests there are easily thousands of wizarding schools, across the world...Africa alone has over 400!”

Carewyn nodded, her gaze resting absently on the double doors at the top of the hall. Within the torchlight, it was like she could see her brother’s face, ablaze with infectious, idealistic excitement. 

“ -- and once I graduate, I’ll go everywhere...do everything!”

“You won’t forget to write, will you?”

“Forget? Pip, I’ll write you so many letters you get tired of me -- ”

Carewyn felt that familiar bittersweet ache returning to her chest at the memory. 

Jacob would never be able to see every school there is, she thought to herself, but once I find him again...maybe then he can at least see most of them...

Carewyn felt someone reach out to take her hand. She looked up, to see Rowan watching her with a slightly gentler expression.

“You really miss him, don’t you?” she asked.

Carewyn looked down at their hands, rather than at Rowan’s face. 

“Of course I do,” she said quietly. “He’s my brother.”

She then put on a braver smile as she forced herself to look back up at her best friend. 

“But it’s okay. Once I find the Portrait Vault, I’ll be one step closer to finding and rescuing him.”

Once Jacob’s safe...safe and free, back home...everything can be how it was before.

“I know you can do it, Carewyn,” Rowan said with an encouraging smile.

Carewyn’s eyes softened as she gave Rowan’s hand a grateful squeeze. 

She didn’t always feel comfortable talking about Jacob with her friends at great length, just because of how much his disappearance had and continued to hurt her, but it had become easier with Rowan. Even now that Rowan had placed her focus more on her studies than actively helping Carewyn with the Cursed Vaults the way Bill did, she always was unconditional in her support of Carewyn’s efforts. 

“It’ll be really fun to finally meet your brother, in person,” Rowan said more brightly. “Just about everyone said he was super smart, even if he did get in loads of trouble...”

Carewyn beamed. “He is super smart. Not always the best with people, but Jacob was always brilliant.”

Rowan laughed. “Well, I’m certainly not one to judge someone for not being good with people! All I could talk about around Bill Weasley at first was my cat -- ”

Carewyn giggled behind her hand at the memory. “You did fine, Rowan.”

“I wasn’t nearly as good as you,” said Rowan modestly.

“Yeah, well, I knew Bill better than you did! You still did really well. Even Andre told me afterwards that he’d never realized just how smart you were, until that conversation we had about the Celestial Ball and how it’s changed over time...”

Rowan blushed, looking rather proud despite herself. 

“He said that?” she mumbled. She was trying and failing to bite back a smile. “Wow...that’s...kind of cool.”

Beaming, Carewyn gave her friend’s hand another affectionate squeeze before letting go. 

“Come on -- we’d better head upstairs.”

“Right!” agreed Rowan. “We won’t want to be late for Charms -- I hear Professor Flitwick’s planning on covering Cheering Charms today!”

With a bounce in her step, she got to her feet, strolling around the table leisurely so as to walk side by side with her smaller best friend down toward the double doors. As they did so, Carewyn was reminded when Jacob used to walk side by side with her down the sidewalk towards home, likewise towering over her much smaller frame, and she smiled. 

You’ll love Jacob, Rowan, she thought to herself. The thought of Jacob and Rowan getting equally animated and excitable talking about the aerodynamics of flying carriages warmed her heart. I know you will. 

Friendship Drabble Prompt! 

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #friendship drabbles #rowan khanna #carewyn cromwell #jacob cromwell #andre egwu #bill weasley #lane cromwell #professor binns #my writing #*sniffles* #oh rowan why did you and jacob never GET to meet... #*shuffles off into the corner to be by herself*

[twdmusicboxmystery]

1x05: Davon - Analysis, Part 4

@galadrieljones:

Okay also I'm going to share my notes on "Davon" now!! 

First, to @wdway's note on the Salem witch trials. Yes, I got that vibe completely. It also reminded me of the M. Night Shyamalan movie "The Village," as well as Shirley Jackson's story "The Lottery," with townspeople trapped in a cycle of outdated and barbaric tradition. There’s also a “Memento” thing going on here, with the audience working alongside the protagonist to try and figure out the answer to the mystery by putting together the pieces of a fragmented memory. 

Adding commentary per what we’ve learned now about the Daryl spin-off (which is coming suspiciously close to the release of “Davon”): I agree that they probably won’t do a Memento thing with Daryl, like they did with Davon (Though I’m looking now at these two names and saying, wow they look alike!), but I think there’s DEFINITELY a connection. Davon finding strawberries and playing the piano with Nora…that’s not a coincidence. 

Also, somebody mentioned that Nora was a good proxy for Leah. I totally agree. Not who she seems, has a son who “died.” I wanted to like Nora, but in the end, she was just a product of her environment, so much like Leah, and couldn’t be saved.

@twdmusicboxmystery mentioning Beth piecing together her memory: I totally agree and had a similar thought, thinking toward the missing 17 days. I was thinking more about Daryl’s point of view tho, something perhaps to come in 11c, in which he may begin to piece things together. This makes more sense now, I think, with the news on his spin-off, per your above comments. 

This episode, feels like a distant cousin to “Find Me,” “In Dreams,” but also “WHAWGO.” In “WHAWGO,” we begin with fragmented, impressionistic “flash-forwards,” puzzle pieces that will be ordered later. This is what lead me to think about the missing 17 days, from Daryl’s POV, and how he might be forced to confront and reorder the events of “Coda” and then what came after. I am still processing this a bit and maybe it’ll crystallize more in the coming days. Curious to see what you all think. 

I keep thinking about that shot of Daryl lying on unconscious on the floor with Judith. I'm not saying that's the scene in which he has a "flashback," I'm just saying...we've rarely seen Daryl knocked out cold like that. It's extremely worrisome and intriguing to me.

Per the FISH: Ah, this fish. Both times we see it, it’s situated beside a set of keys. In the second appearance of the fish, when Amanda clubs it against the rock, we see the keys have a little yellow tag, and she scoops them up and puts them in her pocket. This made me feel as if fish are some sort of key, or perhaps that something is just “fishy.” Also, the yellow tag—long shot, but made me think of Beth. The fish is a sacrifice. Idk. Yellow points to caution. Slow down, think, pay attention.

Also, great notes on the Hanlons, @twdmusicboxmystery. Illusionists would certainly be a pertinent symbol here. What is real? What is fact vs fiction? What is illusion vs. truth? So much to unpack in how this meats the flagship show, particularly with Daryl.

You mentioned Martin as a repeat name. Interesting that Martin's glasses are used to "see." I think that Martin actually spouts some very underrated knowledge at Tyreese in WHAWGO. It's easy to dismiss him, because he's a villain, but most of what he says, while it's not pretty, is true. 

Other repeat names include Nora and Amanda. Someone above mentioned Nora from ASZ. There’s also a somewhat prominent Nora in Fear—the travel agent in “Alaska” is named Nora. This is interesting since @wdway just pointed out that Arnaud mentions the “plague beyond our walls.” 

Also, Frangi, I know you have lots and lots of theories on "Alaska." Maybe this rings a bell? Also, while it’s not in-show, Officer Shepherd’s name is recorded in the TWD wiki as Amanda. I thought that might be pertinent since Powell has the writing credit on “Slabtown.” Perhaps they're trying to remind us of something?

In terms of the fruits that are mentioned, the only thought I had was that strawberries and peaches are prominently featured fruits in 4b. Daryl finds the strawberries, and Carol/Tyreese/Lizzy/Mica eat peaches in The Grove. I’m not sure about the bananas or lemons, other than what has already been commented on above. It’s EXTREMELY compelling tho, and I’m keeping it in mind permanently. Are there no other instances of bananas or lemons in the show? I truly can’t remember.

I was thinking tho about the strawberries especially, and how they are this symbol of love and fertility, and how it doesn’t make sense that Daryl would lay “claim” to this symbol and that this has gone completely without fulfillment. Beth “dies” and everything becomes barren. There’s a literal drought with dead frogs in the river. Daryl and Beth formulate the Eden allegory in “Still.” 

The strawberries as this forbidden fruit make me feel that Daryl and Beth are the ur-lovers of TWD but in never consummating that love, there’s like this hole in the origin story of how love blossoms in the new world. Love stories are dashed left and right. Glenn, Denise, Rick, Henry, Jesus, Enid. They all die. Love keeps dying, and it does here, too. 

Idk where I’m going with this. But I think that Beth’s death is the thing that may have sent TF into a causal loop in which love keeps dying, and in which Daryl can barely connect to a single soul who doesn’t die, go missing, or worse. Just some thoughts.

I already shared my notes on the jams/jellies/honeys and still think your notes on those is brilliant, @wdway. I'm not done thinking about the poppy farm with the CW, the poppy fields in Dr. Everett's drone footage, and now the fact that we have kids probably being dosed with an opioid. It's just VERY intriguing and not leading anywhere yet but clearly they are hammering this one in for some reason. Does it go beyond the Wizard of Oz reference? If not, then the Wizard of Oz allusion is clearly very important here.

I also noticed the busted windshield and how it resembled the busted windshield in WHAWGO. Lots about this episode reminded me of WHAWGO.

In terms of why Davon is headed toward Montreal, the one logistical clue I got off that photograph was that the girl, who I presume is his sister, is wearing a sweatshirt for McGill University.

McGill is basically like Canadian ivy league, a very important public research university in Montreal. The one thing I thought was, if Davon graduated from McGill, he might have become some sort of scientist, or scholar, who would have been recruited by the CRM. Ofc we have two instances of the PPP key card; however, we have literally no idea what it means. In this episode, the PPP key card appears alongside the picture with the McGill sweatshirt and Davon in the graduation gown with the V/chevron. So this could be a clue that the key card has something to do with research, education, etc., ie: the CRM. 

Note that Davon is desperate not to lose the card, so maybe he needs it to enter wherever it is he’s trying to go. It’s unclear where he’s coming from, obviously, and how he got separated from his family. It’s also not certain that he is returning to his family. They could all be dead, and he just carries the photo for sentimental value. We really know nothing here. He doesn’t even seem to realize he’s in the US. It’s vague.

What’s bizarre though is that the PPP key card ends up all the way down on the Chesapeake Bay. Madawaska is not on the water so there’s no obviously connection via the sea. Why was Davon down there? If so, how did he get there? How long before the events of AOW is “Davon” taking place? The visual similarities between him and Heath also MUST be important. I mean, they have very similar faces, I feel. Davon is softer than Heath. He’s much sweeter, innocent. Heath is much more stern and sort of angry in the beginning of “Swear.” 

Idk but there is something really important happening here, and per the connection to “Swear,” I feel it is related to the CRM. I wonder if we’ll see Davon again in the future, and if we’ll learn who this “bad man” was. I wonder if we know the bad man. Hmm.

On the CRM/"Swear" connection note: There are three plates on the wall at one point, which to me form the shape of the CRM symbol. Given the parallels to “Swear,” which also hinted at the symbol, I didn’t want to overlook this.

@wdway:

Very good! I believe we all put our separate pieces of interpretation together and it helps to make the whole thing more understandable. Although we still have open questions that we've been left with. 

I too had thought of the movie The Village, a favorite of mine and also about The Lottery especially how we've seen posters of a lottery at CW. We've had that discussion a while back. But between the three I think they were giving us some overtones hence from these three stories, Arthur Miller's The Crucible, M. Shyamalan's The Village and Shirley Jackson's The Lottery. 

Communities that makes assumptions too quickly that things are not as they appear on the surface, that we should question what we are told. I believe this hint is for the viewers to understand what we're seeing or what we think we know isn't necessarily correct in the story. 

The fish, the keys with the yellow tag and the ground cloth that I believe is the same pattern as the wallpaper from Alone. For me the keys with the yellow tag screams Beth being the key. Now to read what you posted after I started typing this, haha.

@galadrieljones

A few final notes: Arnaud reminded me of Dakota, in a way. Misled youth. Dakota is also the culprit in a murder mystery, which she tried to sabotage. She kills John Dorie for finding her out. Arnaud tries to kill Davon. Both are horror stories about children who have succumbed to their circumstances and become "evil" in a way. I feel they are unlike Lizzy, though, who seems to have been "born wrong." Also: Dead and missing children, here we are again. Jocelyn was apparently a major factor of foreshadowing in “Scars.”  

Also @wdway, you mentioned Powell co-wrote Inmates. !! NOWAY. The boot on the basement floor next to the blood in "Davon" reminded me so much Luke’s boot, and Beth crying over Luke's boot. This also takes us to “Twice as Far” and the boot Denise finds, and what seems to be a dead baby or child, a sight that greatly disturbs her. Just lots of Beth themes and images all around. And Daryl/Davon. SO many similarities here. Okay that's all for now. If any of this is new or strikes your fancy, I'm totally interested in your thoughts!!

Totally, to your notes on the Village/the Crucible/the Lottery: These are stories about mass formation psychosis, when a large group of people are deceived by a leader into focusing on one single factor or detail when it comes to an important issue, and upon that, can be almost "hypnotized" or lead to believe and/or do anything if it confirms their biases. 

I can't help but thing that this could be a hint about what's going on with the GA. Norman Reedus was fully witch-hunted back in the 2010s, called "Pedo Daryl," etc., by a huge portion of the GA who felt his attraction to Beth was inappropriate due to the age difference. We also have large portions of the GA who will be swindled, at the moment, into scapegoating the Commonwealth is the ultimate villain in season 11, when the truth is much more complex. 

There's also its relationship to what may have happened at Grady being collectively misremembered, a concept that's corroborated by the whole morphic resonance theme, and even folie a deaux, which we never talked about, but refers to a kind of shared psychosis, in which the delusions of one person sort of "leech" over to a person who is close to them. 

A good real world example of this is the two pre-teens in Wisconsin who tried to kill their friend because Slender Man told them to. One of them had legit schizophrenia and somehow "sucked" the other friend into her delusion. That's folie a deaux. 

I have wondered if it's a reference to Rick "sucking" everybody else into his delusions about what happened, mainly Daryl. All these things are related in that they refer to many people being deceived due to their inattention to detail, and how this causes them to completely miss or overlook the truth.

I want to amend my notes on Arnaud/Dakota/Lizzy here. I actually think Arnaud is probably more like Lizzy than I thought. He kills children out of what he believes to be "mercy," ie: they shouldn't have to endure this world. Lizzy does the same thing to Mica. It's slightly different, but she seems to earnestly believe that the "correct" way to be in this world is undead. It's a similar motive. Innocent, in a way, because it's insanity, but also extremely horrifying.

(Granted Arnaud tries to blame Davon, which communicates more awareness than Lizzy, who seems entirely unaware that what she has done was wrong. )

I am intrigued by the role of children in TWDU. Judith is the clear foil to so many of them. She is brave, emotionally mature, adaptable, and has a clear moral code that can be traced back to Rick and Michonne. She is practical and no-nonsense, a lot like Lori, too. 

Opposed to her, we have so many children who don't "make it," either because they're like Mica and Sophia (no bad bones in their bodies), or because they are irreversibly tainted by what's happened to them, like Lizzy, Arnaud, and Dakota. Carl is also, ofc, the ur-child of the apocalypse. His moral legacy is what hoists Rick up to the role of shepherd in the end, and what leads him to his ultimate quest at the CRM

@wdway:

I cannot help but see the hints of children being kidnapped in the upcoming TWD storyline. Madison kidnapping children and giving them over to? Who knows if it will be out right the CRM or a group associated with them. 

What I was really thinking about though was how they didn't start that storyline until e16 the last episode of the season in Fear. How in the episode prior we had Alicia surviving a walker bite then we go into this storyline of children being taken and the Fear season ends. We now have in the Tales an episode story of children being taken. 

In a few weeks Part 3 of TWD will begin and the series will end late November and in the last 8 episodes it feels like there have been strong hints that the final plot could involve children taken. Fast forward to early 2023 and the new season of Fear starts and we know that Madison and Morgan will be searching for his daughter and the group that took her. 

We've been told that Daryl's spin-off will air in 2023. Will we have a better idea of WHWGO with the children before the Rick/Michonne spin-off? I think so. After R/M spin-off will we see a new revise version of TWD that will be a Revolution about bringing familys back together which will bring all the spin-off's together in one new mothership series? I hope so.

@galadrieljones

Oh I forgot one note. Idk how I just missed it? The green acid in the bucket: I was trying to figure out what it is. The obvious answer is chlorine bleach. Amanda would have used it to clean the blood off the floor. But I don’t know if chlorine bleach can cause that kind of deadly chemical burn that quickly? Please correct me if I’m wrong. What we saw looked akin to the effects of hydrochloric acid, or sulfuric acid, but I have no idea WHY those would be in a bucket in Amanda’s basement, or why they would be green? If it’s green chlorine bleach, that’s another “green chlorine” connection, re: the green chlorine gas Lyla uses to kill Barca and the CRM uses to genocide the Campus Colony and Omaha. 

But I really don’t know. Does anyone have any ideas on what it might be? It seems incredibly bizarre. She could have died in like any manner. She could have fallen on a rake. Could have fallen down the stairs. Idk. It seems pertinent that her mouth is basically melted shut. But that can’t be the only reason they chose to have her die from acid burns. Something is fishy…

All good notes. Still in awe about how you guys seemed to call the child abduction thing a long time ago, like i think before I got here, that it would be a whole thing. It clearly is a whole thing. Just not sure where it's leading yet, and can't wait to learn...

@wdway:

I think how we came about the child abduction type of thing originated just this past winter spring in thinking about what would drive Maggie to go to New York and leave Herschel behind and we came to the conclusion that nothing would but if he was taken or something to that effect then she would go after him. We also talked about with Anne being pregnant maybe she is with Herschel and that's where Negan comes in. Maggie and Negan going after their families. At least that's how I remember it. @twdmusicboxmystery, is that how you remember it or you have something to add to it?

As far as the bucket that contains something that would burn Amanda's face, I always assumed that it was some type of maybe battery acid. Something that was drained from the car that had been worked on. The bucket is not in the basement it's in the garage. And we see the hood up on the car so that has always been my assumption that it is some type of acid drained from the car. Batteries has been a symbol for a very long time if that is what it is.

@galadrieljones

That would explain it. Battery acid is just another tern for sulfuric acid, which would explain why it burned her so severely.

Extremely irresponsible of them to just leave a bucket of that stuff lying around.....? It's still very weird to me. I see the symbolism but I'm also kind of thrown by the logistics of there just being a huge bucket of sulfuric acid in the middle of the room.

At first I was like, maybe this is a Breaking Bad thing, where they're using acid to dissolve or dispose of bodies. But clearly they're just burying the bodies, so I have no idea.

@wdway:

Actually there is more to how the kidnapped theory came about. This might refresh your memory. After e9 where we saw Maggie kill all the Reaper's except Leah we all had a discussion about Leah taking her revenge out on Maggie for killing Leah's family the Reapers. And we came to the conclusion then that the thing that would hurt Maggie the most would be if Leah took Herschel. But that did not happen. 

We started seeing hints of children threaten during Part 2. Then the announcement of the spinoff for Maggie and Negan came out with them headed to New York we switched the theory to being them going after Herschel and pregnant Anne. We had began to think that Judith getting hurt, thanks to that accidentally (sarcasm) leaked photo of Daryl carrying Judith, made us think that the CRM might be collecting children as a power play, that it might be more than just Herschel or Judith. I don't know it's all speculation but anyway we feel strongly that there might be a taken children theme about to happen.

Twdmusicboxmystery:

As for the acid, I was originally thinking it might be lye. It would make sense that they would make their own soap in a place like this. But after doing some research, I think that was a flawed assumption. For one thing, I can't find anything that says lye is green. It's usually white, or a pale yellow. Or something along those lines. And as you said, why would a vat of lye be sitting on the floor of a garage? There are no other soap making implements around, so it really does make more sense that it might be battery acid or some such.

But I loved what you said about connecting it to the green chlorine gas. Maybe it truly doesn't matter what the acid is or where it came from. Maybe it's not meant to matter in the plot. It's supposed to be more thematic. The green chlorine gas kills people. This vat of green acid kills people. And it's meant to be another link to the CRM. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

As for the abduction theory, I think what @wdway is saying is when it got really concentrated and pointed us to toward the CRM for that storyline, but the actual idea of the kids being abducted reaches back years. The first time I remember hearing about it was in S6 when Rick found the jar of baby carrots on one of the wolves he killed in the RV. There were rampant theories that he would return to Alexandria to find that the Wolves had abducted baby Judith.

Obviously, that didn't happen. But after that, we started noticing constant hints toward something happening with the kids. Where Beth was concerned, early TD theorists linked it to her because she was looking for the kids at the prison "to get them on the bus" but never found them. Of course the Denise reference followed soon after, but as you mentioned, @galadrieljones, there was also the Scars situation, which specifically featured Judith being taken.

And then there's all the child and baby symbolism around Beth. So yeah. It took a long time before we realized this story line was specifically tied to the CRM and the CRM war, but the child abduction theory has been around for a long time. With all of those references, as we started to understand more about the coming CRM storyline, the theory linking it to them formed very organically. Great stuff!

Child and Baby Symbolism Around Beth

 That’s it for today. Thoughts?

#beth greene #beth greene lives #beth is alive #beth is coming #td theory #td theories #team delusional #team defiance #beth is almost here #bethyl