I think dadrius fans are sleeping on the comedic potential of post-canon Hunter getting jealous over Darius giving nicknames to other kids.

Not Hunter's close friends of course, he would think that's funny and cool, but for example someone like Jerbo. Hunter gets back from a school break vacation in the Human Realm, and Jerbo had started helping with the sigil removal project and already got a nickname. And Hunter is super mad because Jerbo has anti-authoritarian tendencies + knows abomination magic = is Hunter being replaced by a better white boy? (that happens at the point post canon where Hunter wouldn't actually for real believe it, but he is still very much a passive-agressive teenager about it)

I think we're sleeping on the comedic potential because we're all too used to thinking about angst when it comes to literally any scenario lmao 😭 I'm blaming Hunter for this one, he just makes it too easy.

Honestly it's so funny because the way I picture Darius and Hunter's relationship post-canon is that Darius is such a whipped dad that while there's definitely a lot of teasing, as evidenced by that intense hair ruffle in the epilogue, and playfully snarky comments, he probably is far softer on Hunter than he is with literally anybody else, Eberwolf very much included because Darius is very much like Eda when it comes to expressing his affection. Raine can attest to that.

So he probably was like that during their sewing lessons at the castle as well, it's only once the adoption becomes official that he starts being more openly soft because he can afford to without blowing his rebel cover like before, and he has a very traumatized teenage boy in his hands who certainly could use the sincerity when it comes to him expressing his mushy parental feelings.

That's all well and good. Hunter loves being the exception to Darius' rule about how to show he cares. Being Darius' little prince who's absolutely getting a big, obnoxious cheek kiss with a loud "mwah" at least once a week because Darius likes teasing him in the corniest of ways but also does mean the affection.

It's good. It really is.

But then people like Jerbo come along and Hunter sees Darius teasing him with that playful snark that was so characteristic of him at the beginning of their bond and he's immediately grumpy and suspicious about it.

It's not like he has lost that, it's just that Darius is softer with him and it was never a problem until it is.

"Wow, Darius, how come you don't call me a little shit while smiling at me and payfully patting my back before we go our separate ways? Isn't it so interesting how that happens? 🙃". He's raging, he's seething, he's glaring at Jerbo whenever he sees him over Darius' shoulder because he's being hugged at this exact moment and poor Jerbo doesn't understand if Hunter thinks he did something to Darius or what's wrong with him. It's always problems with the Emerald Entrails, who's next? Gus???

Darius ends up finding out about it, of course, because Hunter is tragically bad at hiding his emotions, especially now that he doesn't have to keep up an act and it's been a while since he has to, and he finds it terribly amusing but of course he has to clarify that he doesn't plan on replacing Hunter. He's not too sure about calling Hunter a little shit though, but increasing the amount of playful teasing is something that can be arranged.

Hunter is probably a little ridiculous about it, he still wants to cuddle with Darius on the couch while shooting snippy remarks back and forth and that's a very valuable form of bonding to him. Darius is equally as ridiculous so it works out fine.

So this has me thinking instead of sleeping.

Hunter as Alador and Willow as Darius? Maybe I'm looking to deep into this but this gives us a deeper look at Aladors and Darius relationship. So, does this mean that Alador and Darius were close and pretty much crushing on each other? Was Darius the one that flirted with Alador and Alador was a blushing mess nerd. I think it does! Other wise they wouldn't be paralleling. So Alador amd Darius were just a couple of teens that were into each other, yet Alador ended up with Odalia? Who isn't even in the picture?

So, another thing in this picture is that Darius has the cape on. Most likely the Golden Guards cape. So was Darius the late bloomer of the group? Since he is the Willow in his group. If so, that gives us more details about his past. Late bloomer of the school but has powerful potential in one type of magic. The Golden Gaurd must've taken notice of this and took Darius under his wing and trained him. Cute, sweet, a fatherly kind if relationship. Here's what I think happened! And again, I may be reaching, and projecting of course.

When The Golden Gaurd died, there's no way Darius wasn't devastated. Darius must've been traumatized and broken. I know I would. He must've lost all his confidence at the moment and was weak and vulnerable for a good amount of time. And this caused a crack in his relationship with Alador. Since Darius still seems close friends with Raine, and Eda and Lilith don't seem to have any beef with him, it's safe to say they remained friends with Darius and were there for him. Good! Raine and Darius are theater mates! Theater kids stick together no matter what. Alador must've tried being there for him, because we know Alador is a sweet heart. But then we have Odalia. The little son of witch. Maybe Odalia did like Alador, she was blushing in that picture during the brawl. So of course she must've taken this vulnerable stage of Darius amd Aladors relationship to her advantage. Wedged herself between them. Some how, she must've taken this as an opportunity to make Alador cut ties with Darius or at least break their relationship. I've seen many people like her before who always manage to convince a person that someone else is bad for them and break ties with them. Heck, I almost lost a friend like that before she finally broke up with that guy!

So in summery, Alador and Darius did like each other. Darius experienced something traumatizing making his relationship with Alador vulnerable. Odalia took advantage of it and convinced Alador to break ties with Darius. And of course Eda, Raine and Lilith must've been hurt somehow during the situation. Watching the friend grouo get slowly destroyed. If this is the case...........

*slowly places Darius on the top of my favorite charater lists. Next to Lilith, Hooty and Hunter.*

Ok, so if this is the case, I'm half a Alador x Darius shipper. 😅 Let me explain! As someone who was in this exact position before, I wouldn't want to get with Alador anymore. The fault does go both ways but the history is just too broken and rough to get together in the futuer. Recreate a friendship is possible but a romantic one? Not really. So I ship young Darius and Alador, not adult them. I like to head canon that they were a couple or one of those, friends but their dating without knowing it.

It would also be cute if Darius saw Hunter and Willow together and saw himself and Alador in them. Reminded of his relationship with Alador. So Darius does what he can to help Hunter keep his relationship with Willow and avoid it from breaking like his relationship with Alador. Besides, I enjoy the thought of Alador reconnecting with his kids first. And then he can try to fix his friendship with the others. Because let's face it, Eda doesn't seem very fond of Alador as adults. But that could be because Alador let his wife torment Luz with an Abomination robot.

so. that episode of toh, huh (spoilers in the tags)

I have things to say about this episode as well.

This was a nice break from the main plot, but the reveal at the end...

So anyway, Darius and Alador used to be friends? I wonder what made them fall out? Since they were friends with Odalia too, maybe it was some kind of love triangle?

Also, seeing how mean the previous principal was explains why Bump is more reasonable.

There were a few different school uniforms which suggests that there are other schools aside from the main three, maybe they're not as big as those ones or something?

So Terra's been the head of the Plant Coven for a while now, possibly the longest? It wouldn't surprise me if she knew more of Belos' plans, especially since people speculated that her saying "The Emperor says he's looking forward to meeting you" could have been about Luz travelling to the past.

And is it just me or did one of the people look like one of Willow's Dads? And there was someone else who looked like the other, I'll have to look at that picture from 2 episodes ago again. If they are, it's interesting that neither of them went to Hexside but Willow does.

I love the reveal that Raine is faking being brainwashed, that they either avoided it immediately or figured it out and that the episode foreshadowed it with that drink spell. Who's helping them, though? The abomination suggests that it's Darius but that could be a red herring.