#in terms of the Something Is Off Here vibe but also maybe just believing she’s simply an apostate on the run | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

pray4byron · 3 months

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Hello :) I saw you were doing Hazbin Hotel matchups and honestly I would be very excited to see who you would assign to me (no pressure ofc!!!) so I hope this request is finding you at a good time ^^

ABOUT ME: Feel free to just call me Zo! I’m AFAB and I use she/her as my pronouns. While not officially diagnosed due to growing up in a household who treated it as taboo something that I couldn’t “catch” I definitely fall under the umbrella of neurodivergence. From past research I’ve found ADHD symptoms relate to most of my experiences.

SEXUALITY/ROMANTIC TYPE: To be frank, I’ve always internally struggled when it came to my sexual and romantic identity. Found myself craving some sort of connection that traversed the likes of just platonic bonds but the couple times when someone showed interest in me I’d clam up and push them away. The couple crushes I did have always happened to develop after I had built rapport with them, after we had grew close. So for the sake of labels and for this matchup I’d definitely like to say I’m demiromantic? In terms of sexuality all I got for you is that I’m not repulsed by it??? All I know for sure is if I like them, we’d have to have been friends or at least know each other. (In terms of gender I’m fine with either or! I’m just curious to see who fits the box el oh el ^^)

PERSONALITY: Oh boy. Ok so to start off with I’m an INTP 5w4😼…. My hog warts house is Slytherin. My temperament is Melancholic (my sub temperament is tied up between Melancholic sanguine and melancholic phlegmatic). I definitely fall under the umbrella of shyness, however I’ve also noticed that depending on my company I tend to emulate the majority of the vibe. A half hearted defense mechanism in order to fit in is what I assume it be. I’m told I’m a very emotionally intelligent person, and my friends prefer to talk to me about issues and problems due to the fact that while I can comfort I can also hold them accountable and give them solid advice. They also make jokes on how I should’ve been a psychologist if I wasn’t actively getting a degree in early education. I’m terrible when it comes to changing topics which just makes it me all the more unintentionally hilarious. I’m always more funny when I’m not actively trying to be, I just have this unknown charisma that activates when i don’t try hard being funny </3. I struggle when it comes to maintaining my relationships and also most of my responsibilities, maybe it’s a numbness for my own priorities but it’s so easy to help other people in their own slumps, that when I’m forced to face my own issues and problems I can’t help but make myself numb to it and push it on the back burner. Not for lack of care, but more of seemingly frozen in place, it’s all so terrifyingly overwhelming that I just don’t even acknowledge it. Scarily good at doing that while also avoiding spieling my own feelings on personal matters that my friends always believe I have my all together. So ironically enough while I’m good at helping my friends communicate I’m terrible when it comes to communicating about myself (yippee⁉️ #imworkingonitiswear ) more or less I’m laid back, However I did used to be more of a doormat, luckily I don’t bend backwards for every little thing that breathes now LMAO. I do have a bit of a competitive streak when it comes to games (cough uno cough) and I definitely have a penchant of using my mind and other mediums as a form of escapism. Which can be ok, but sometimes I overdo it.

LOOKS: Medium length dark brown hair, round hazel eyes. I have a round face, and here in the future I want to get wispy bangs to compliment my face shape :D. Pale but not too pale skin, I have the pear shape body type, in the sense that my hips are wide, and I have somewhat big thighs but other wise I’m relatively flat. I do have a bit of chub when it comes to my midsection. Oh! I’m like 5’5 (maybe a little taller????)

LIKES: My cats Basil and Mugwort (literally my sons). I prefer more morose weather like rain. I quite like fall compared to the other seasons. I used to draw a lot but now I don’t as much, still a joyful hobby nonetheless. Recently bought a couple new books and am getting back into the grove of loving reading once more. I will absolutely demolish croutons of any kind. Currently really into mlp, it’s those TikTok infection slideshows I swear (I redownloaded the game….) I like to ramble about my interests like animation and its evolution, cats (the breeds, the care, the everything), and much much more.

DISLIKES: I hate beans. The taste. The texture. If I see beans in food it’s an immediate ick. I will gag. Overstimulating events, like I can bear with it and grow accustomed to it, but that’s doesn’t mean I’ll like it every single time. I hate being/feeling like a burden. Oh and not really a dislike and more of an annoyance(?) the fact that ritz cheese and cracker packs don’t come with the little red plastic spatula to spread your cheese anymore. I assume because it could prove to be a choking hazard, but still I’m just like 😞

LOVE LANGUAGES: Had to really scroll through my gallery because I did take an online test before!! Physical Touch was my highest (ie im extremely touch starved but am too awkward to initiate </3) Something in me just yearns for some kind of comforting touch, but I always tend to swallow it back and push it away for fear of rejection. After that focus, intellect, acts, and words of affirmation were literally all tied not even 5% behind phys touch. I’m just a kind of mentally paralyzed overthinking insecure(ish) gal, my bad bro 😎 But on a real note the confirmation that I’m being seen and heard will make me melt.

Alright!!! Hopefully my yapping was coherent and not a chore to read through!! I think it’s really cool you’re doing this and I’m mainly curious to see who it is you’d pair with me! Because I have a favorite character in mind who’d jump with joy to see, but that’s just because of bias 😭😭

And if it’s not too much of a bother is it alright to ask not to pair me with angel dust? It’s mainly personal preference so hopefully it’s not too much of a bother :))🫶🫶🫶

hey zo! this was quite the adventure to read through haha, after some deciding, I decided to go with…

Alastor !!

I can see you and Alastor meshing well together due to your craving of a platonic bond (you both may or not have a QPR? idk)

Alastor takes deep appreciation for not only your charisma and wit, but also your ability to read the room and match everyone’s energy, it’s helpful in certain situations with him

He isn’t the most touchy feely person you’ll meet in Hell, but he does make an effort, you’ll both usually have your arms loops while holding hands, or he’ll let you lay your head in his lap while he reads and he’ll rub your scalp

But Alastor isn’t afraid to tell you how it is, he makes sure you know your worth, and that he sees you all too clearly

#reqs closed #x reader #mio’s writing ! ☆#mio’s matchups ! ☆#fanfiction #hazbin hotel #x y/n #x you #hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin hotel x y/n #hazbin hotel x you #hazbin alastor #alastor hazbin hotel #alastor x reader #hazbin hotel alastor #alastor #alastor the radio demon #radio demon

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coralinnii · 4 months

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I had some people a little curious as to how I rated the TWST boys in my "TWST guys I would let date my niece (theoretically)" post in terms of personality only (considering they're fictional and my niece is 10). I can't completely answer everyone since there's only so many words tumblr would let me write as a reply, so here's for anyone who was curious.

The rating system was created alongside my niece on what she wanted in a partner (as much as she understood dating, anyway), compatibility with her personality, and my input as someone who has either met, known, or fortunately and unfortunately dated ppl with such personalities. With this in mind, maybe our list would be different from how you would categorize, which yea fair enough. This is all hypothetical anyway and it was interesting to see what my niece likes.

This does NOT mean I dislike any of the TWST guy. Seeing how unique each of them are personality-wise is honestly amazing and I want to believe that even if you have what people call "red-flags", "dealbreakers" or "turn-offs", that doesn't necessarily make you a bad person, just incompatible (with exceptions of like really toxic, destructive traits, like stealing someone's dog. Don't do that, guys).

Has my seal of approval

Trey responsible, good work ethic, loves to bake + the bonus of cute glasses (apparently me and my niece really like glasses).

Kalim fun-loving, open to new experiences, optimistic, and willing to learn if you're willing to teach.

Silver kind if a bit intimidating-looking, takes care of others, family-oriented,

Jack responsible, good lifestyle, works hard, kind while kinda grumpy, family-oriented.

Vil responsible, good life habits, works hard for success, not stuck on gender norms, kind if sort of stuck-up.

Lilia mature, fun-loving, open to new experiences, loves kids, not quick to anger. He does have his secrets, tho.

Neige kind, works hard for success, not afraid to be silly,

Ok…but I’m keeping an eye on you

Ace he's kinda lazy and willing to cheat in school but not a bad person.

Cater not willing to be vulnerable sometimes but is a responsible person that respects boundaries.

Azul a bit too opportunistic (in a sense he's also judging the value of anything, first) for me and may not vibe well with my niece but not bad.

Jamil not happy with how he sometimes lies and insincerely flatters others, but I don't think he does it maliciously so not a bad guy(?)

Ortho prone to violence if he thinks that's the best logical solution (i.e, hacking into security and blowing up the school??) so kinda worried.

Chenya a little too fickle and in-and-out physically which worries me, but he seems loyal and brave.

First, you and I are gonna have a talk

Riddle mainly his temper and impatience…and the in-laws

Deuce also his temper, and my niece prefers smart ppl (ooff)

Ruggie the 5-finger discount don’t fly under my watch

Epel also temper and prone to get into fights in the beginning. Also, my niece's not into the "gotta be manly" mentality, what are you gonna do?

Sebek it's mostly the temper and shouting…and tone down the Malleus simping

Jade don’t be bringing drama into my household

Rook it’s the creepy simping

Malleus kinda seen in early Book 7 and the spectral realm event, he doesn't communicate and talk things through with others and just does things on his own because he's powerful enough to do so, which is just...something we gotta talk about, first.

Oh, you and I are gonna fight, first!

Leona spoiled to high heavens, gives up on a lot of things, and is too used to having things done for him. I'm not letting my niece become his maid!

Floyd No...just no. He's the friend that I worry my niece will someday have to pick up at the police station. No

Idia Quick to judge others, kinda thinks he's smarter than everyone, and has a hard time communicating and socializing even with his friends and partners. I know this because I used to date someone like Idia, and currently have a crush on another person very similar to him.

Rollo Also (sorta) dated someone like him which is...an experience. Treated me as someone pure and sweet, but disliked my friends because she thought they were bad influences. Also really wanted me to join her kinda sketchy religious thing which I wasn't really into.

#there you have it #hope this answers some questions #twisted wonderland #twst #disney twisted wonderland

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platonically-loving-alastor · 12 days

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Aroace Alastor

Hoo boy here we go- This one might make some people mad at me, so I'll preface by saying I do not want to start a fight and as long as you respect my business, I'll respect yours. But let's get this over with-

First off, I genuinely don't understand how some people can see the Ace-In-The-Hole quote and still believe that Alastor is only intended to be asexual and not also aromantic. Yes, the term Rosie used for purpose of the pun was 'ace', but can we look at the context of that moment before jumping to conclusions?

Rosie, motioning to Charlie: "Oh, who's this you brought with you? Come now, Alastor, she's much too young for you! Oh, I'm just kidding. I know you're an ace in the hole!"

Her original statement implies nothing sexual, only that he's involved in a relationship with Charlie, and she follows it up with why she knows that couldn't be because he's an 'ace in the hole'. I don't think you have to read too far between the lines to see that.

I would also like to say that when Vivienne has spoken about his orientation before, I recall her saying that she didn't want to confirm him being aromantic so that she wouldn't 'ruin anyone's fun', which I just feel like is an odd thing to say if she wasn't already explicitly picturing him as aroace. If she thought he had romantic attraction, why wouldn't she just say that? What fun would that ruin? I also feel like keeping things like this ambiguous just to appease the shippers is a little weird, but I digress-

And to those of you who I know are saying "But aromantic people can be in relationships too!!" *deep inhale* yeah I know. I'm not gonna pretend you're not right about that, but there are also aroace people who have exactly 0 interest in romance or sex at all. This is the part of the post that really is based on how I interpret certain moments, but to me he is absolutely one of those people. I don't really know where people get any vibes of him being interested in that stuff. I have never once looked at him and thought "Yeah I could see him in a romantic relationship with *insert character here*". Even aside from attraction in general, since that's what we'd be talking about at this point anyway, he just seems like the kind of guy who'd rather work and live independently instead of relying on anyone, whether practically or emotionally (which is also probably part of the reason he never joined the Vees, but that's another topic entirely). Hell, I'm pretty sure he's in heavy denial about even developing any kind of care or friendship with the people at the hotel (ie. the episode 8 scene with him and Niffty).

The only ships I see him involved in with people he doesn't hate (so ignoring RadioApple, RadioHusk, and StaticRadio. But to be real, maybe the fact all his main ships are enemies to lovers coded says something about the whole situation, but that's just me-) are Charlastor - which I will not even try to discuss here, people aren't gonna like this post as it is - and RadioRose. Rosie and him would at least be fair, if it weren't for one thing (which is also personal opinion on my end), and I don't know exactly how to word it. I'm tempted to say she has wingwoman vibes? But she knows he's aro, so that's not the right word, but there's vibes of like, she probably did act as a wingwoman before she realized that about him or something.. There's also something about her joking around like "Oh this is the girl? You have a girlfriend and I'm only now meeting her?" is almost giving motherly behavior. Idk man they're just besties to me, I could see them in a QPR though (not that they'd probably label it that way, considering the word queerplatonic is likely just complete gibberish to Alastor lmao).

So to summarize: It feels incredibly likely, if not practically canon, that Alastor was written with aromanticism in mind, even if Vivienne refuses to explicitly state it. Subtext and not-that-subtle implications can say just as much about a character as word of God, especially when that God has explicitly told us why she won't confirm or deny this information. Do I think any of this will stop people from shipping him romantically with literally any other character? No ofc it won't, and that's okay, that's just what fandoms do. I do think there's something to say for the fact the one aroace (or even at the very least asexual) character gets constantly shipped with everyone else in the cast, but this post is long enough I think. The only point of posting this is that I wanted to get information out there in one post to say "Hey, let's look a little bit past the surface for a second before saying there's no proof of him being aromantic"

Anyway, thanks for reading, I hope you at least took something away from this

#*prepares to be metaphorically burned at the stake*#i will also say i have a complicated relationship with staticradio #if its one sided thats fantastic but the moment alastor reciprocates feelings im out #will probably make a post on that too at some point #hazbin hotel #alastor #aroace alastor #rosie hazbin hotel #platonic radiorose

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sgiandubh · 10 months

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Jottings: Season 7, Episode 5. Dinna fash, we'll sort it out

The proof is in the pudding: we don't really need to see J&C/S&C all the time on screen, to know an episode is still consistently good, in an overall unexpectedly great season, so far.

Side note: just how hypnotic Bear McCreary's Dance of the Druids must be, to immediately cut all ties to the real world, as you settle on the couch, larva style, with your ice cream (yes! again! B&J's Karamel Sutra Core - more appropriate for last week, but nobody's perfect)?

It would seem this time speed gave precedence to density and even gravitas, because neither war, nor self-assertiveness are jokes. The main theme of the mysteriously named Singapore seems to be the obvious cause and effect relationship between prejudice and miscommunication, or even lack thereof. It doesn't really matter if the year is 1777 or 1979: men will be men, women will be women and idiots will be idiots, regardless of gender or nationality. Tonight, for instance, an accomplished French idiot, which is ironic and a tad unfair to watch, seconds after Bastille Day (this comes from a place of deep love, familiarity and appreciation). But almost all of them will face authoritarian idiocy in this episode: I will let you discover (remember: nothing but minimal spoilers).

Still embarrassed for SS, whose vital signs seem to be on display only when she is a) crying and b) pissed off because of someone or something. For the pub scene with the gang of morons from the plant, she could have borrowed a wealth of JAMMF's expression tricks (for which S is the absolute ace) and I suspect she tried but, yet again, failed to persuade: the only thing that she seems remotely acquainted with is the smirk. And I will not insist on the torturous rendering of maternal love or domestic bliss. I feel merciful tonight and sometimes mercy is just about the same as oblivion (not a word about that vanishing panties scene, do you hear me?). Maybe this is also why RR still seems more relaxed, but perhaps also totally resigned about a situation that must be dealt and be done with a stiff upper lip, for the cause.

Product placement alert, with the Barbour wax jackets and shirts (long time client, here) prominently featured at Lallybroch. Nothing magic. This is a long-term partnership, maybe also S's contribution. Yes, Mordor, that peasant did it again!

A propos of the plant inspection, the tunnel scene sent powerful The Man in the High Castle vibes, from the set to the running through well, something, for lack of a better word. For those who have not seen this excellent series, here's a good Droughtlander plan. It's all about Jude Law and the Japanese guy; and also Philip K. Dick, one of my beloved science-fiction writers, truly a genius.

Spoiler: "You can thank that rotten stew". Ohai, Vandervaart, sweet summer child. Too fleeting a presence on my screen, yet you nailed your scene with Rachel Hunter, which I proclaim my favorite of this episode. The scenery helps, that pre-dawn murky, metallic light is perfect and you found the right balance between disgust, horror, an adrenaline high, fear, uncertainty and yes, unspoken (maybe even unconscious) attraction. Also, a masterful use of voice, pitch and breathing techniques - what's not to like?

A close second but enthusiastic kudos for Young Ian. John Bell is wonderful in his scene with C. which, again, gave me life imitates art vibes. And even more moving is the dense moment with the Cherokee/Scottish son, for I believe that endearing boy with a Fraser smile is Young Ian's.

These jottings are unable and unwilling to ignore S, very busy shaping Jamie's hero stature in short, effective appearances. Something we will probably see in full force next week, when I shall be out of town and not watching. Still, rejoice: the Jottings will be making it a double in two weeks.

#jottings

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starkjoy · 1 year

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it’s insane how disappointed i am with this season… like i don’t even know how to deal w this lmao. i just feel like i’m being gaslit into believing all the stuff i previously thought about tomshiv’s dynamic and even tomgreg’s (in terms of the nero/sporus subtext) isn’t true. it’s a weird decision on the writers’ parts.

the whiplash is so odd to me that i can’t help but wonder if they’re intentionally misleading us for some late-in-the-game twist. that’s probably delusion though—simplest explanation is that they changed their mind or it’s shitty writing. seems to be a trend with hbo final seasons. let’s see how it all ends before we make any final decisions, though.

unlike failed internet darling mlm ships of the past, tomgreg isn’t a case of fandom creating a narrative and setting themselves up for disappointment—the writers intentionally implanted homoeroticism into their plotline. the actors knowingly played around with it. jesse literally called them homoerotic a few weeks ago. it’s really sad to think succession may fall prey to every other queerbait-adjacent (adjacent for now since the season isn’t over) curse, leaning into the queer undertones until they’ve written themselves into a gay corner with the internet convinced something is gonna happen, only to backtrack and pretend the vibes were never there at all. it’s too early to say if that’s the case here, but it certainly feels that way at the moment. i mean, what else are we supposed to think when the writers go from nero and sporus gay marriage as the through line of season 3, to disgusting brothers hetero sex tour comedic relief background noise with tomshiv redemption front end center? am I supposed to be enjoying this?

all that being said, on a positive note im glad we’ve seen how much closer tom and greg have gotten as partners, and that they’re scheming together and on the same page. i’m glad they’ve had at least one interaction each episode. i’m glad greg seems much more into tom than previous seasons, quelling any unrequited friendship accusations. i’m glad we got insane homoerotic undertones in episode 1, even if they’ve dropped off since then. but where we’re sadly lacking is depth—what was once the hallmark of tomgreg’s deeper connection in contrast to tomshiv’s emotional constipation. now greg makes sexual quips while tom rolls his eyes…end scene. and again. it was funny and cute at first, but now it’s getting boring. don’t they deserve a more interesting arc in the final season after years of build up? why are we subject to tomshiv rehashing the same shit we’ve seen for 3 seasons instead?

also, one of the most compelling arcs of season 3 was tom’s vengeance, especially because we saw it play out from his perspective. outside of his plane convo with greg, tom’s pov has all but been erased. even the tomshiv moments are from the lens of shiv’s experience. and as much as we may sympathize with shiv’s heartbreak over his betrayal and her dad’s death, it feels almost wrong that the show is trying to make me feel bad for her? we saw how awful she was to tom for three seasons, we saw from tom’s perspective how much she hurt him. i don’t feel bad for shiv on the tom front at all, the fact that she kept his baby feels wildly out of character, and frankly it’s a little insulting the amount of time the final season is spending trying to convince the audience otherwise.

hey, maybe my feelings will change in a few days. maybe the final episodes will change all of our minds. i’ll always have some hope for tomgreg, but right now it’s not looking promising given the treatment they’ve received so far. anyone with any positivity to share hit me up because I could use it!!

#succession #tomgreg #succession spoilers #ask #anon

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mrsbsmooth · 2 years

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literally everyone in the villa is trash 💀 who tf are you supposed to pick then??? lmao

OKAY HEAR ME OUT

I hated Suresh from Episode 1 & 2. Hated him. But I can tell you right now - I'm getting vibes from this script.

I have a theory, y'all. But it contains spoilers, so it's below the cut.

MrsBSmooth's theory

So, posting this 9th August, 2022.

I think Suresh is about to have one of the most magnificent redemption arc's we've ever seen in LITG.

He's all in for MC from the very beginning. And yeah, he cheated.

So if we're writers, we're thinking - okay, great, let's make him slowly more and more believable and forgivable.

He thinks he deserves redemption.

But he doesn't get redeemed.

In fact, he gets progressively worse through the first 13 episodes.

Hid a long term relationship from the person he was flirting with? Refuses to apologise for it. Says he's already said his sorries.

Cheated after a huge fight (no miscommunication, 'we were on a break' thing, they just had a fight and instead of fixing it with her, he slept with a girl he'd been flirting with)

Cracks on with Dana and kisses her instead of MC.

Tells MC all about how much his family adored her and how sad they are that she's gone (a little manipulative)

Makes you feel like an idiot for wanting to propose to him.

But here's the kicker. There's a line toward the very end that I didn't actually include in my summary.

He says he would've said yes.

Almost as soon as he says this, he properly moves on.

He pulls MC aside and they have a discussion about their relationship. He's all:

'You must've been thinking about it for a long time, and I didn't even know you were ready to make that commitment. We weren't even on the same page before I cheated. Maybe we were never as compatible as I thought we were. It's starting to feel like we might be worlds apart, if I'm honest, MC'

Almost like this is a turning point for him.

It's at this point he realises that he never deserved redemption in the first place.

Kat's words of questioning whether or not he and MC would both just be happier apart is something that's playing on his mind.

So he wonders whether he should just let MC go.

I think this is why, when Arlo and Meera arrive, Suresh is immediately into Arlo. Flirting with her straight away. Which makes zero sense if he's been all in on MC this whole bloody time.

OK, SO THEN:

We know Casa is coming this season. In Season 2, we went to Casa on day 13. We know there are forty-something episodes in the season, so it might be soon.

But before that, there's a boy's choice recoupling.

However, I wouldn't be surprised if Arlo and Meera get to go first.

Arlo picks Finn Meera picks ChEddy Alfie... for some reason picks Dana. He's unsure about MC because of how serious she was with Suresh.

That means that:

Suresh has to pick between MC and Kat. And obviously, he picks MC. We're coupled up again.

And then boom.

Casa Amor.

Again, this is just a theory. No one has any spoilers after Episode 13 right now. So I might end up being completely wrong...

I think he's realised that that he has to stop trying to revive what's already dead and gone. It's too late to pick up where they left off.

If he wants her back, he's going to have to start from square one, and that's showing her he's loyal.

Suresh is going to be the only one at Casa who's loyal. And he will be fiercely loyal. No sharing a bed, no kissing girls in challenges, nothing. He's rejecting every other girl, not even a peck, and everyone starts commenting on it.

He's. Loyal.

(Also, MC specifically says that the girl he cheated with has a turtle tattoo. I think that she's going to be one of the Casa girls. Lingering shot right at the end of a turtle tattoo. And yet, Suresh is still going to stay loyal to MC).

This entire season is not us as the MC. It's Suresh's story. He's being tested in many, many ways, not in the least that his ex (in my case, me) is being a colossal bitch to him.

Suresh is sticking around anyway. He loves her. She's it for him, and he's not losing her again.

Just like he's been saying since day 1.

It was at this point I realised I have a kink for unconditional love.

#litg #litg s5 #litg suresh #litg eitv #litg theory #textpost #MBSmuses #asks #mbsTOPPOSTS

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merchantarthurn · 2 years

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can we see the agott/oru parallels pinboard material? your insight on characters is always so spot-on and entertaining to read! (if you haven't already posted about them ofc)

I have to admit it's so much vibes and headcanons that I can't really point at anything concrete (especially since Olruggio's past is kind of a mystery) BUT... there's something about their dynamic (which is notably abrasive compared to other relationships in the atelier - and it doesn't feel like it's been truly resolved in the same way Qifrey-Riché and Coco-Agathe has been) that I've got some nebulously-connected dots on so I'll try and lay that out.

So... we know a tiny bit about Olruggio's life outside of/before the atelier - mostly that he's from a snowy town in the north and that he's got a pretty long-standing reputation as a prodigy (presumably from even back in the north given Utowin specifically needles him about it) and a witch of the people (known by sight even by the region's monarchs?? fucking hell Oru). He is... literally actually famous. Which is absolutely wild to think about but there we go.

Agathe, conversely, is more... infamous. Bless her she's been through it - getting kicked out of her family for not being talented enough, rumours that it was due to plagiarism flying around (which it wasn't, I believe her on that one). She's known for her name rather than her magic - and she's desperately trying to change that.

But, and here's where the projection/headcanons come in, I always got caught on Olruggio's way of handling Agathe and her desire to be praised by others... It's particularly harsh at the river and she responds with stubborn anger, and he dismisses her in a similar way before her revelations re: her magic at the Silver Night Festival. He picks up that her magic is self-centred and accuses her of trying to show off rather than thinking of others - which in both contexts makes sense, since they're meant to be helping people immediately and long-term with their magic there - but... he never seems to reflect on her background in the same way that Qifrey seems to and speaks to her with the vibe of "you should be smart enough to internalise this without me repeating myself", rather than with empathy for her motivation.

(As an aside, his body language in this scene is so dismissive it makes me laugh in a sort of 'bro she is thirteen at least pretend like you're not fed up with her' way.)

Which strikes me as rather odd for Olruggio. Yes, Agathe does act like she's just being a stubborn little prodigy-brat - but we know, and so should both her professors, that she's trying to reach someone with that show-off attitude. Qifrey knows!! It doesn't excuse the hurtful ways she externalise it, but it's still important to consider. Given that she's essentially trying to prove her family wrong, a family that kicked her out as an even younger child than she is now, it seems honestly cruel of Olruggio with how snappy he gets - like he has almost no patience for this flaw of hers (which is also hurting her). We've seen him click with the other girls at various times, or its implied by how at ease they are around him, and it's not like he's unable to be kind to Agathe either - it's this particular thing that's a sticking point for him.

And so...... I propose based entirely off headcanon that he sees his past self's behaviour in that "selfish", show-off magic. Maybe it's even what lead to Whatever That Dream Was About - being too busy showing off for attention, praise, Prodigy Points, could he have been delayed in getting to people who sorely needed his magic and the worst happened? To me it seems implied that whatever occurred there is something he very deeply blames himself for and the only explanation text we get from it is basically linked to his current work ethic and saviour-complex... so it likely marked a turning point in his character, rather than simply a deepening of an existing sense of purpose. Utowin's jab at his moniker makes me believe that even more - like Olruggio might genuinely have seen "less talented" witches as beneath him at some point.

Then from that, wouldn't it make sense for an external behaviour he associates with people dying (and if I had to guess, also some embarrassment for how he used to be) to illicit such a snappy, harsh response from him? One that's not considerate for Agathe's context because the context doesn't matter really, because that's not gonna affect the outcome of that behaviour.

But... yeah that's the main thing!! It's interesting that we're also seeing Arkco and Orufrey parallels now too - with Agathe firmly in Olruggio's spot in the dynamic (and not just because of the dark hair thing lol). This is very much based on extrapolation from the little we have about him though soooo pinch of salt!! I find their dynamic super interesting though since there's this obvious friction that marks a lot of their one-on-one interactions, but she still seeks praise... gee I wonder if Agathe has a complex that leads her to seek praise from people who are unduly harsh with her-- and it's a kind of ugly side to Olruggio's character we don't see much so it's like... kinda wild, aNYway sorry for the essay

EDIT: Okay since Sean is a genius who remembers things, he pointed out Olruggio is actually the one who takes Agathe to the river - which really delights Agathe!

But then... he says this in response to Qifrey’s worry

Hm... now we know he’s not talking about drawing in front of Unknowings because 1) he doesn’t let her do that and 2) she’s meant to pass the second test before she does that regardless. So... it’s possible he’s literally talking about a witch using their magic for the sake of others, and proposing a practical lesson. Qifrey is pretty aware that she’s rushing ahead and isn’t lingering on the satisfaction of Olruggio bringing her along which is why he’s bothered. Olruggio seems to be testing her here - and notably without Qifrey around, who she’s already rebuffed the teaching of in this instance by literally slapping his hand away.

It’s not until she’s incredulous about what he asks her to do that he gets harsh with her - here:

He’s doubling down Qifrey’s lesson but without Qifrey’s kindness, so they both clearly see the same flaw in her. But Olruggio has taken her to a scene where people are injured and in danger of drowning and she’s STILL thinking of getting to show of, and he’s angry. That she didn’t get the picture when it’s right in front of her. Man. She’s just like him forreal.

#witch hat atelier #long post

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stilldancewithyou · 10 months

Note

No cause THEY REALLY MADE BELLY THE CHEATER ALREADY 😩 I assumed she would’ve broken up with Jere before the last scene of s1 but they made her convo with Jere after that last scene according to the new clip… just insane if JH doesn’t use the cheating plot on J in s3 but made belly a cheater that’s just so nasty to treat your female lead like that in favor of the man 🙄

Yeah I don't like ANYTHING about that Jeremiah/Belly clip. Idk if this is a hot take or not but I don't think anybody cheated in season 1. To me, what happened wasn't cheating at all all. Unless I missed something huge, she and Jeremiah were never actually dating. She's actually just being respectful and doing the mature thing by having a conversation with him about her and Conrad now that she knows that's what she wants. She didn't actually owe Jere anything, but the fact that she tried to be mature and explain it Jere and you can feel how bad she feels for hurting him and he acts like THAT? wtf dude. They kissed twice, talked about their feelings for each other and she went to the ball with him but they never said they were being exclusive with each other. I mean seriously, Cam Cameron was so sweet when Belly broke up with him, he just told her she deserved to be happy and they had something closer to an exclusive dating relationship. Also I'm pretty sure the timeline here, from when they kissed in the pool to the deb ball is maybe a week, maybe just a matter of days. Also, yeah, you were 100% the placeholder for Conrad (and you will be again!) because YOU threw yourself in the middle of it instead of letting them be. It's hard to feel bad for Jere because he openly admits like 187976354 times that he knows Belly has always loved Conrad and it's inevitable and he knows Conrad also loves Belly. I mean...Jere what exactly did you think was gonna happen sweetheart? Why are you acting so surprised? She's been in love with this man her whole life and just found out it was never unrequited. She was always going to choose him.

I just do not like the way Jeremiah talked to her in that scene AT ALL. I feel a little bad for him because I know how shitty it must feel to be trying to come to terms with the fact that your mother is probably dying and then the girl you liked wants your brother all in the same day but would he rather have had her not tell him and just ride off into the sunset with Conrad??? Bc that's the vibe I was getting. And then that line about "my mom has cancer!" are you kidding me??? You're really gonna guilt trip her right now? Also Conrad's mom has cancer too so...is Belly also supposed to abandon him? Does he not deserve love and support but Jere does? That line in the trailer where he tells Belly he's mad at her for being there for Conrad but not him and I get it believe me I do but also was she supposed to not be there for Conrad??? I'm confused what his expectations of her are.

I fully believe we are 100% getting the Jeremiah cheating storyline. The books are being followed so closely right now I don't see why they wouldn't be heading towards that. Also all the subtle hints and foreshadowing that has happened so far...the wedding chaos is happening. It has to happen.

#tsitp #tsitp season 2 #the summer i turned pretty #it's not summer without you #conrad fisher #jeremiah fisher #belly conklin #belly x jeremiah #belly x conrad #ask

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vanoincidence · 5 months

Text

Do You Believe in Magic? || Van & Milo

TIMING: current LOCATION: sly slice. PARTIES: @escudofracturado & @vanoincidence SUMMARY: milo visits van at work and they have a conversation about magic. CONTENT: sibling death tw, parental death tw, suicidal ideation tw.

Since learning that Van worked there, Milo had been avoiding going to Sly Slice. After their disastrous initial meeting and the awkwardness at the party he had been invited to at her house, he hadn't been keen on the idea of running into the girl. However, after a bit of messaging back and forth, it seemed that things were kinda okay now? Maybe? At least, as okay as they could be when she knew that he knew that she had been involved in a murder. It was definitely kind of a weird vibe, but it was better than her being scared and pissed at him, and melting everything around her.

Also better? She seemed to be coming to terms with the fact that she had magic. Hopefully that meant she'd be up to learning and training soon, because it was clear that her magic had the potential to be incredibly dangerous. With power like hers, she needed to learn how to control it before… well, before she landed herself into a situation like the one that had destroyed Milo's life.

He slowed as her rolled up to the pizza spot, grabbing his board as he went. Upon entering, he quickly noticed a familiar face, and gave her an awkward little wave. “Hey.”

—

Van wasn’t sure why she had invited Milo to visit her at Sly Slice. She’d been so busy and stressed out with the expo that working at the actual shop was a means for relaxation, all things considered. She didn’t want to be afraid of everything, much less Milo. Nobody else seemed concerned with him, even if she still felt like she couldn’t trust him completely.

Maybe there was something else the others knew that she didn’t. Honestly, she couldn’t be sure, and what was the point in recoiling from it? She’d already melted things in front of Nora, Cass, and Ariadne, among others. If she didn’t figure out what was going on, something like what happened with Diana might happen again, and Van didn’t want that to happen.

So when the door opened, Van braced herself for the tension that came with the majority of their meetings (even those online), but there was something different now. Maybe it was acceptance on Van’s part. She raised a hand in greeting, a small smile pulling at the corners of her lips in an attempt to be friendly.

The anxiety that usually bubbled up, creating an effect where she needed to clear her throat one too many times was absent, so at least that was good. “Hey. You just missed the lunch rush so uh, good… on you.” She clasped her hands together, not sure what else to say. Van looked over her shoulder towards the back window wondering if Jett would make a mistake that she’d need to fix. Rocky really needed to hire more people.

“Do you um– want a slice? It’s on the house.”

—

She smiled at him, which was definitely a new development. Maybe things were really starting to become okay? He wasn't sure, but this was a nice change of pace from their previous interactions, at least. He chuckled, his smile turning somewhat crooked, ”Right, thanks, I totally did that on purpose.”

The offer took him a little by surprise, but it seemed that they were both making an effort here, and that was something. ”Oh, I mean, if that's cool.“ Milo had been planning on getting a slice anyway, and he wasn’t one to say no to free food. And certainly not when it seemed like kind of a peace offering. Maybe?

”Are you still on the clock?“ He didn't want to get her in trouble or anything if her manager happened to be a hard ass or something. ”I can, like, fuck off for a bit if you are.“ Or just in general, honestly. He really didn't want her to feel nervous around him. He was just an idiot who spoke without thinking, his desperation making him do something as stupid as confront someone you had definitely just seen cover up a murder. Honestly, he was lucky she hadn't melted him, especially knowing now that she had no information or control over her abilities.

—

“Did you?” She didn’t realize he was kidding, so she quickly amended, “right, you totally did.” Van didn’t know where to look. At him, at the register, at her hands… she wanted to be polite, needed to be, considering he was one of the only people who knew what the fuck she was going through. He had mentioned something about himself being scared, too, but she wasn’t sure why. He’d known about his magic for quite some time now, whereas she was just being introduced to its world.

“Yeah, no, totally cool. I get free slices, so like, it’s my lunch for you, but it’s not stale or anything.” She bit the inside of her cheek, and with a deep breath she turned around to the warming rack before grabbing a paper plate from the shelf. “Which kind did you want? I can grab you two. Um, we only have four kinds, but I think you knew that already…”

At his question, she shrugged, “yeah, but it’s no big deal. Rocky doesn’t actually care if people come and hang out as long as I’m making sales.” This wasn’t a sale, but not that that mattered.

—

He smiled at her, trying to push through the awkward energy surrounding the interaction. Milo wasn’t quite sure how to prove to her that he didn’t mean any harm to her or her friends– if there even was anything that he could do aside from just wading through it. Or rather, talking through it. He was good at that, at least.

“Yeah, I came with Ariadne once,” he nodded. And then he’d avoided the shop because of their disastrous encounter. “Not to be the obnoxious New Yorker, but, like, I was surprised how good it was? There are a lotta places that don’t really hold up. And, like, pizza is pizza, and I will eat any of it, but never know what to expect in other places.” Mmmm… that was maybe too much talking. “But, uh, pepperoni, please?”

It was good to hear that her boss was chill, though. “Oh, that’s really cool. As long as I’m not gonna get you into any trouble– I know some managers have absolutely zero chill,” he grinned. “But you wanted to talk about stuff, right?” Milo looked around the shop, checking to see if there was anyone within earshot, but it seemed he had, indeed, missed the lunch rush, as there weren’t many people there.

—

Obviously Milo knew Ariadne. That made sense. They’d all been at the same party, even if Ariadne had been more concerned with being close to Wynne. That was fine, though. Van could understand it, it was a new relationship, and if she ever let herself love again, then maybe she would have been the same way. She didn’t for-see that happening, though.

Her mind wandered, as it always did, and she snapped back into the reality that was Milo standing across from her telling her what kind of pizza he preferred. “I’ve been to New York! The pizza is really good there.” She didn’t like to think about her summers in the city, all they brought were bad memories. “But Sly Slice is good, too. I think Rocky is from New York, that might be why.” She didn’t actually know if that were the truth or not.

She nodded at his requested and plated up two slices of pepperoni pizza before turning back to him. This was so weird. If this were a few months ago, Van would have gone running for the hills, desperate to evade the one who knew they killed Debbie. The one who knew she had magic.

“Nah, no you’re not.” Maybe. Sometimes Rocky was cool, sometimes he was weird. She pushed the paper plate towards him across the counter before bundling up a few napkins and sliding those across, too. At his question, she tensed. That was why she had asked him here, he was right.

She nodded slowly, wringing her hands together. She looked past him towards the door. “I know we.. um, we talked a little bit online about it, but…” Van took a deep breath before motioning towards a table nearest the register. If somebody came in, she could get up and easily go and assist them.

Van took a seat, crossing her ankles together against one of the chair legs. She waited for Milo to sit down before she started speaking, trying to keep her composure, or what was left of it.

“I… you remember what I did at the Common? That keeps happening, but like, a lot. I keep getting scared or upset or angry and it keeps happening and I don’t know how to make it stop. I want it to stop.” She paused, uncertain of how to proceed, “is… is there a way to get rid of it? Magic, I mean.”

—

“Oh, cool! Were you, like, on a trip or something?” He assumed Rocky was the chef. Or maybe the owner. Both? Either way, he was grateful that there was a fellow New Yorker doing the lord’s work here. It would’ve been a bummer if the pizza here wasn’t good. “That makes sense,” Milo nodded. “Props to Rocky, then.”

Okay, that was good. The last thing he needed was to get Van in trouble just as they were trying to come to a truce.

“Thanks.” He flashed her a smile, hoping his sincerity came through.

Following her over to the nearby table, he sank into the seat across from her, taking a quick bite of his pizza while she gathered her thoughts. He most definitely remembered what she did at the Common– he hadn’t exactly been expecting her to make her lunchbox evaporate or turn a bird feeder into a pile of molten plastic. He hadn’t known what to expect, hadn’t even thought it through before opening his mouth.

But this, he had expected. It was the same conversation that they’d been having online, after all.

“I’m sorry,” he frowned. While he couldn’t entirely understand what Van was going through, he certainly empathized with feeling out of control and worried about what he was capable of– now more than ever.

“It’s… scary, not being in control. Especially with that kind of power.” Everything he’d read and learned about elemental magic was that it was difficult, temperamental, and, especially for those with an affinity for fire, it could be incredibly destructive. The most Milo could manage was a small flame. It was a party trick more than anything, helpful in the moments he couldn’t find a lighter. But even that was difficult to maintain, to tame. And if he tried now… Well, he wouldn’t try now. That was beside the point, though.

“I–” he inhaled, trying to think of how to phrase this all delicately. “I’ve never heard of any way to get rid of it. I… don’t know if it’s even possible. To be fair,” he added, “I don’t know that it’s not. But, I would imagine that it would be difficult to do. And probably really dangerous.” His mind flashed to Alistair, to healing and necromancy– even mind magic– in general. Manipulating, messing, with living beings like that was risky, and it always had a price. “Your abilities, they’re a part of you. And trying to get rid of them– it seems like there’s a lot that could go wrong there.” He bit his lip, not wanting to say the wrong thing and, god forbid, upset her.

He had always seen his magic as a gift, something that made him special and powerful, something that he could do good with. However, he had grown up knowing the truth of magic, he had been learning and practicing for basically his whole life. It was a wildly different experience from what Van had been going through all by herself, not fully understanding or believing what was going on. And her magic– her emotions– being so destructive had to be a massive struggle. It was something every caster he knew struggled with, keeping their emotions under control, the knowledge that something could go incredibly wrong if you didn’t.

It felt wrong offering to help her find a way to rid herself of her magic, but that wasn’t his choice to make.

“But we could try to look into it more,” he said, finally. “In the meantime, though, I think you need to try to learn how to control it more.”

—

“I um, I had family there that I’d visit.” Van clasped her hands together, pushing both thumbs against each other. Did her grandma even still live there? Had she moved? Did she leave her apartment in Flushing to avoid Van if she ever visited? There were an endless amount of questions that Van had about her grandmother, but none of which Milo would be able to answer, so she pulled herself from the thought by straightening up in her chair. Something about physically changing your position to help ease anxiety– it was something she learned in her few weeks of therapy and she genuinely hoped it would work in this case.

Milo apologized, and Van tried to absorb it, as if it might make a difference. Instead, she only felt a little empty.

Unfortunately, Milo didn’t seem to have an answer for her question– at least, not the kind of answer she was hoping for. Van wasn’t sure what would have happened if he knew. Would he tell her there was some kind of reset factory? Some kind of orb that she’d need to touch? She’d do all of it just to be an ounce of normal– to not put anybody in harm’s way.

“Right…” Van’s throat constricted and she felt a sting in her eyes. She didn’t want to cry, not in front of Milo, and not over this. Couldn’t she just be an adult for once in her life?

“I just don’t want to hurt anyone else.” Her mind flashed to Diana, to the way that she melted the blanket around herself, Cass, and Ariadne. What if she had opened another black hole? What if…

And then Milo told her that they could look into it. Her gaze shifted back up to meet his and she opened her mouth to speak, but his next suggestion made her feel ill. “I don’t know how. I don’t even know what any of this is.” She could learn, and she knew it, but she was being stubborn when it came to her magic– she didn’t even want it, which was the whole point of this conversation. “I just want it to go away. My grandma doesn’t even have it, my parents didn’t have it– so why do I have it? It’s not fair.” She was giving Milo maybe a little too much of herself, but she couldn’t stop, “I just want to be normal, like them– so that my grandma will love me again, and so that I won’t keep hurting or killing people.” She snapped her mouth closed after a moment and she shook her head.

“I’m afraid of killing people, I haven’t–” But Milo already knew about Debbie, and even though her powers hadn’t actually killed that girl, he already knew she was privy to hurting others. “Please ignore that last part.”

—

She had family in New York. It wasn't something he should relate to- he did have family in New York. They were still there, still alive– his friends, his parents, his tía. But, well, his parents hadn't really counted in years, had they? And his friends had pretty much given up on him after he had all but ghosted everyone. He couldn't exactly blame them– it was his own fault, after all– but it still stung. Even more so, considering how long he'd known some of them, and the circumstances that had led to him leaving in the first place. Maybe Anthony hadn't been the only one getting sick of him.

His aunt was the only one left, really, now that Luz was here. Another person he had disappointed, another face he couldn't quite face. But he pushed those thoughts aside, refocusing on Van.

It obviously wasn’t what she had been hoping to hear. Milo watched her face drop, saw how she tried to fight it, keep her face neutral. It made her look even younger, and it just made him think of his sister, reminded him that Van was dealing with all of this by herself. And she had hurt people.

There was a pit forming in his stomach, a feeling of nausea settling in. His chest hurt.

Of course, she didn't want her magic when it was something that she had no control over, when it had led to her hurting others. It's why he was in this damn town, too, why he rarely used his own magic these days. If not for the good memories, the knowledge of what it was like to cast and be in control, if all Milo had known his entire life was this chaotic, dangerous magic he'd been dealing with for over a year now, he would want to be rid of it, too. So, maybe it felt wrong to offer, but not offering seemed even worse somehow.

It wasn't an immediate solution, though. Learning to control it was the only thing that could actually help in the present moment. But that definitely hadn't been what she wanted to hear. She looked panicked at just the idea of it, her response coming off almost childish, a fear and desperation leaking through that made his heart hurt. She was only twenty, and she had lost her parents. That was hard enough already without having magical abilities that she knew absolutely nothing about. She hadn’t even known magic was real. It wasn't fair.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something comforting, but she continued, words spilling out in a rush. I just want to be normal, like them– so that my grandma will love me again, and so that I won’t keep hurting or killing people.

Jesus fucking Christ.

There was a lot to unpack there, but Van was sitting across from him, looking terrified and hopeless in a way that felt far too familiar for his liking. He took a moment, ignoring the prickling sensation in his eyes as he tried to figure out how the fuck to respond to that.

His voice was subdued when he began speaking again. "I'm sorry that you've had to deal with this by yourself this whole time. And I'm sorry about... what happened. I don't– I'm not– I don't–" know what to say.

He pressed his fist to his mouth, physically blocking himself from speaking as he propped his head up, thinking. And after a moment, he let his arm drop back down to the table. "I used to love my magic more than anything," he admitted. "But I've been– I can't control it anymore. It's not the same thing, obviously, but I kinda–"

Milo looked down, voice wavering as the pit in his stomach grew, the ache in his chest worsening. "I've hurt– My–my sister– my older sister– she was trying to help me and–" A boulder had wedged its way into his throat, making it impossible to finish the sentence. Just behind it, he could almost taste the bile.

His eyes were glued to a scratch on the table as he took a few breaths, trying to focus on the center of his chest, on the feeling of distance between himself and the barrier keeping the brunt of his emotions at bay.

"I've hurt people, too…"

A few more breaths, and he was able to look up at her once again, his gaze sad and sympathetic. "It's–it's not fair, and I'm really fuckin' sorry. I get it, you don't want this, you don't want to ever use your power, but... it's there. And, like it or not, it's part of you. I’ll help you look for a way to get rid of it– I will– but I don't know how long that could take, or if something like that even exists."

She didn't want to hear it, but it had to be said.

"You have to learn to control it, Van, or it's just gonna keep happening."

—

The thing about Van was that she was always going to drop a nuclear disaster in any conversation. The words were always going to roll out, looking for any way to make the situation worse. She didn’t mean to make Milo look so mortified, it was just sort of her… thing. She was capable of making any situation awkward by simply speaking, and it wasn’t ever going to get any better. Like her magic, maybe she needed to figure out how to control that.

Van looked down at her hands as she began to pick at some of the dry skin on her thumb. It probably wasn’t very sanitary for her to do so considering she worked at a food joint, but she’d just put gloves on for the rest of the day, it was no big deal.

Milo offered his apologies as they all did– it was all anyone could ever do.

But he offered something else, too. A look into his own life; into the way he had turned it upside down.

With all of their discussions surrounding magic– or rather, lack thereof, Van had been so sure that Milo was some kind of elite magic user. But there was a distinct fear in his features, and it echoed in his voice. He spoke of the one he had hurt; his sister– and Van felt her chest tighten. Iron flattened over her tongue, anxiety swirling through her. She hadn’t meant to get this kind of story from him– she liked it better when she didn’t know anything, when he was a little bit scary because he knew things. Opening up like this meant something and she knew it, and she didn’t really like it.

It meant that there was a weight to this now, the kind that she wasn’t really all too sure she could shoulder, even on her best days. But Milo continued, and Van kept her mouth closed. She listened to him as he spoke, as he admitted he’d hurt somebody too. She wasn’t very tactful at times, but something in her told her not to ask if the person in question had died. She already knew the answer to that.

Van continued picking at the dry skin before she could feel Milo looking at her. She looked up, finally, and looked into those sad puppy dog eyes. He looked like he’d been kicked down a flight of stairs. It was sort of the way she felt inside.

“I’m sorry.” The words felt lifeless, so she tried again, “that you– that you know what it’s like, I mean.” Because nobody should, she realized. Nobody this young should know what it’s like to hurt somebody else, not when they’re the kind of person to do so. Van had originally been worried that Milo would find a way to hurt her with his words; a confession to the precinct, but instead, his physicality– the magic he had, it had hurt someone, too. She wasn’t sure she liked this level of honesty anymore, but everything was already laid out on the table.

“We’ll… I’ll try.” Because it was the least she could offer, even if hurt to say. Try either finding a way to get rid of it, or to control it, Van didn’t articulate. She felt like she should, but she couldn’t get herself to say it. “I’m– do you… more pizza.” She got up from her chair and turned, stumbling back to the cash register. She grabbed a warmed slice and dished it out, but not before washing her hands aggressively. Van returned to Milo with the lopsided slice, half of it smeared across the plate. “Pizza is better than–” honesty, she wanted to say, but instead, she cleared her throat, “than being sad, here’s more pizza.” She plopped it down in front of Milo, still not sure what to say. “You’re… different than I thought you would be. Than when I first met you.” He was a lot more sad, she thought, a lot less threatening. Then again, he had hurt somebody too, so maybe that wasn’t the case.

—

The girl looked anxious and miserable, and he hated it. Milo wished he could do more, say more. He wished he could fix things for her, but even with his powers, that wasn’t something he would have been able to pull off. Van wasn’t having a literal meltdown, though, so that was good, he supposed.

He hadn’t been expecting a sorry from her– he hadn’t known what to expect from her at all, honestly, given their past interactions– but that just made it harder to take in. There was a weight to the words, a quiet understanding that made him feel a little hollow.

It reminded him a little of that first meeting with Finn, that grim feeling of camaraderie once he realized the empath felt the same brand of distant misery that he did. There had been a sense of comfort there, knowing he wasn’t so alone, as fucked up as it might’ve been. That comfort was absent here, though. They had unintentionally hurt people, killed people, and they had to live with that. There was no comfort to be offered to either of them.

Milo could only nod, jaw tense as he tried to keep himself steady. The last thing they needed was for him to have a meltdown now.

He also hadn’t known how she would react. They’d spoken about this before, after all, and he was still there at the shop trying to convince her. He’d readied himself for more of an argument, but it seemed she didn’t have any fight left in her. Not about this. He was glad that she was willing to try, but he couldn’t actually feel glad about anything in this situation. Still, he managed a small smile. A small smile that quickly turned to confusion as she scrambled back behind the counter with a faint more pizza.

The first slice was still on his plate, having been abandoned for the rather serious conversation, and he turned his attention to it as Van took a few moments. He certainly couldn’t blame her for wanting to get away from the heaviness that had settled over them, even if just for a few minutes. It was mostly gone by the time she got back, a rather fucked up looking slice of pizza in hand. Pizza is better than… being sad.

He snorted, lips quirking up into a wry smile. It sounded like something Luci would say while trying to cheer him up. “Thanks.” It came out sounding probably too sincere, so Milo turned his attention to the pizza.

He tried his best to fix the disaster on his plate and salvage as much of the cheese as he could before it became one with the paper plate. Glancing up at the admission, he gave her a slightly sheepish look. “Yeah, sorry again about that. It was stupid of me.”

—

Van wished that this conversation could be pushed into something else, that it could relate back to something normal like exams or friendships, and not the fact that they had both hurt somebody, either with or without their magic. Van hated that this was how she had to relate to Milo, and in the same breath, it was somewhat comforting. It felt a little easier knowing she wasn’t the only mess, especially because it seemed like Milo knew a thing or two about magic. Even with that knowledge, he had still hurt someone. Deep down, Van wasn’t sure if that was actually a good thing or not, but she chose for it to be. It was easier if it was. If she blocked out what it meant; that Milo wasn’t in control either, that maybe he didn’t know everything– that the answers she was seeking would go left untouched.

But she had to choose to trust him– the help he offered, and everything else.

She went to take her seat, but the door opened and the flow of cold air pooled around her ankles. Van gave Milo an apologetic smile before turning her attention to the customers.

Even if it felt like a different world during their discussion, she was still a girl at a stupid pizza shop, and Milo was still the boy who had proof that she was capable of terrible things. Van wasn’t sure if hopeful was the right word to associate with this interaction, but she did so anyway. Maybe they would find a way to get rid of her magic, and maybe Milo would be more sure of himself through that victory– Van couldn’t be certain, but she wanted to be.

#para: do you believe in magic #para: milo #parental death tw #sibling death tw #suicidal ideation tw #wickedswriting

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lampmanliveblogs · 7 months

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Even when talking about the difficulties of life, this Luz still looked and sounded so positive and upbeat. A far cry from the current state our beloved protagonist girl finds herself in.

And wow, this entire episode really was a targeted attack against me specifically, huh? I mean, even Luz’ line about being able to read witch tongue reminds me how back in the days, I could read gnommish (from the Artemis Fowl books) and decode the messages along the bottom of the pages. It doesn’t hit as hard as that one previous scene, but it still hits pretty close to home.

Camila believed that if Luz applied herself more, then she could do great things. She was right about that; just look at what she’s been able to do with glyphs in such a short time. Even Philip, who’s spent the last four hundred years or so thinking he was literally the only real person in the world admitted that he was impressed by her.

The point being that ”normal” subject like math or social studies might not be able to hold Luz interest for long, but given the right subject and the right environment, she will excel.

Timeline wise, this takes place right before the disastrous book report we saw at the beginning of episode one, season one.

I believe the ”Domicile Evil 4” poster is a reference to the Resident Evil franchise.

Down in the right corner we have… ”Night of [the?] Zombie S-” Night of the Zombie S…squirrel? That doesn’t look like a squirrel on the poster though. Maybe it’s a shrew or something, I dunno.

There are also a bunch of books in the bookcase: mostly Azura books, no surprise. There are also three books that have titles. One says ”Ghosts” on it, so I think it’s the same book that Gordon Ramsay read in that one episode of Hotel Hell that was in Connecticut.

Now, despite my brand new glasses, I have a hard time making out the other two. I think one of them says ”Taxi-something” on it, and there’s a skull next to it, so it might be about taxidermy.

That one pink jacket with the golden star in the wardrobe is giving me Steven Universe vibes. I bet Steven would love it. Is it organic though?

”…I’m staying in the Human Realm. Permanently.”

Oh, so that’s what Luz was planning, that makes sense. I mean, it’s a terrible idea, but it makes sense. I’m surprised I didn’t think of that possibility.

I guess Luz though there was still a real possibility that they could create a new portal, even before Hunter told her about the hidden Titan’s Blood. And she thought the other Exiles could return back home… and that they’d be okay with leaving her behind? And I guess she was willing to send them into a world where who knows what has happened ever since they left it at the whims of a hyperactive kid with the power to move celestial bodies around.

Luz, sweetie, I know you hate yourself right now, and I know fourteen-year-olds aren’t the best at making good long-term decisions, but please think about this.

I should probably talk a little bit about Camila’s reactions as well.

Her facial journey throughout this playlist fairly subtle, and I am not the best at reading faces, but here goes:

When the videos first start playing, she looks a little unsure. Probably because she shouldn’t be watching her daughter’s video diary.

Then Luz talks about Manny’s death. And while that is undoubtedly still a great source of sadness for her, Camila’s first instinct is to reach out towards the image of her grieving daughter.

We then move on to the videos showing off Luz’ antics, her trying to cut her hair with the sword, and Camila’s expression becomes fond. She’s missed this side of her daughter, her silly ideas, wonderful creativity, and endless optimism… even if her ideas don’t always work out.

Her smile fades as in the next video, Luz talks about the conversation she had with Camila about school. I get the sense that Camila feels guilty that she didn’t appreciate her daughter for the things she was good at or passionate about, trying instead to get her to fit into a box.

Finally, we arrives at the last entry, where Luz says she’s going to stay in the Human Realm forever. Camila looks shocked and then… this expression. I believe she’s reached the same conclusion as me, that it is a bad idea. Even without bringing Luz’ extended family in the form of Eda & King (and also Hooty and Cool Aunt Lilith) into the equation, all of Luz’ best friends, and her awesome girlfriend are from that other world. I think Camila on some level knows that Luz will never truly be happy in this ordinary human world.

This is why we wash our wounds and make sure to change our bandaids regularly, Hunter.

Also, nononononono, it’s happening, it’s happening, oh no-

Also, also, eeeeeeww!

Turns out I was right!

To be more precise, my third proposed theory of why Luz’ burnt her hand on the glyph back at the vet clinic was right. It was because of the hidden Titan’s Blood, which makes glyph magic work… at least to some extent, those light orbs look a bit wobbly.

Not only does this give Luz a way to find the blood, but it also gives her some way to defend herself against the monster waiting in the woods.

Hey, let’s think positively! Maybe Hunter isn’t possessed by his creepy uncle, but is actually just turning into a werewolf! Yeah, that’s what’s happening. And Luz is exactly the kind of nerd who knows how to deal with a werewolf.

#the owl house #liveblog #the owl house liveblog #toh s3e1 #thanks to them

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