#used to be more like the collector but he’s had to grow up a lot faster in the last few episodes | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sepublic · 1 year

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The Collector’s story is so sad to me because they really do try!!! They are putting in the effort to be better!!! They defy the other collectors’ policy of imprisonment and genocide, for the sake of the Titans! They go along with Philip’s plans, giving him the draining spell and a bunch of other magic! And they listen to King’s Owl House rules, they’re gradually adjusting their behavior according to his advice, respecting his boundaries, even letting him get away with Eda and Lilith!

He’s learning. He really is doing all he can to improve, he’s listening. But the Collector isn’t doing it fast enough, they haven’t figured it out quickly; So it feels like for the adults and everyone else around them, they don’t want to put in the effort to teach and rehabilitate this kid. That’s too long and arduous, it’s much easier to stick him in a prison and hide it, or even kill the kid.

The Collector invests so much good-faith effort into changing for people, but those around him? They don’t want to reciprocate the same effort to understand him in return, that’s how it feels. They demand so much but give nothing back, use the Collector. And would rather take the easy route of punishing the kid to make him shut up for their convenience, instead of really working to talk with him at his level, and explain how to get better. There’s this silent, genuine, hurt and confused question echoing from the Collector; “What did I do wrong?”

It really does feel like one big metaphor for neurodivergent kids, and children in general, who are seen as misbehaving troublemakers. And rather than taking the time to understand their perspectives, and communicate to them about the problem, adults would rather just hit them until they’re quiet.

Because it’s easier, more convenient that way, like sweeping dust under the rug. Even if it just makes this kid who IS willing to improve feel neglected, unappreciated; Allows their problems to fester untouched and unseen, until it boils over and explodes later in life. And suddenly adults are all shocked because He was such a quiet, obedient kid, who could’ve seen this coming?!

The Collector feels like the collective wrath of so many kids who were treated like inconveniences to deal with, rather than growing children who needed help and guidance. And boy is the Collector messy about it, because they’re tired of playing by other people’s rules and trying to appeal to them with good behavior, in exchange for compassion, because that clearly hasn’t worked out and never will.

They are every child who has asked Why about a rule, and instead of being treated like a person with an honest need to know, was just told Because I said so. They want to get it, but people just prefer them being blindly subservient; People don’t care what the Collector thinks, so why should he feel the same for their judgment? The kid is panicked when he insists King focus on the revision he made to the storybook, the lesson he learned, but he’s still being put away for what others wrote.

“You can trust me” is something Philip and King have both told them, and maybe that parallels how adults insist children follow their seemingly arbitrary rules even without knowing why, because “It’s the rules” and authority dictates all. So after struggling under that command, of course the Collector is eager to be the one wielding it this time, with his rules...

The rules of a game. The rules of behavior. Both are laws dictated for people to follow, with someone often deciding and being able to change them as they see fit, especially with childrens’ playground games. Life is a big game and the Collector wants to play his own, after all this time following others’ rules; His people’s, the Titans’, Philip’s, and finally King’s.

There’s a lot to be said about how we expected the Collector to have been someone who didn’t play by any rules, did whatever he pleased. But it might just be the opposite, the kid has never had true freedom, always subject and listening to what someone else tells them, because they’re in charge or it’s the moral thing to do. They’ve been imprisoned their whole life, literally even, and now their desire for agency has burst free.

The Collector wasn’t the god of chaos we thought they were, but now they will be and we’ve seen why; It’s not because there weren’t any rules for them, it’s because there were too many, and the more you tighten your grip, the more something slips free. Too much authority, too little, the kid needs a proper balance of contradictory lessons, like so many in this show...

#the owl house #the owl house collector #king clawthorne #character analysis #meta

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sebastianswallows · 26 days

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The English Client — One

— PAIRING: Tom Riddle x F!Reader

— SYNOPSIS: The year is 1952. Tom is working for Borgin and Burkes. He is sent to Rome to acquire three ancient books of magic by any means necessary. One in particular proves challenging to reach, and the only path forward is through a pretty, young bookseller. A foreigner like him, she lives alone, obsessed with her work... until Tom comes into her life.

— WARNINGS: none for this chapter, just Tom being grumpy and hating the world

— WORDCOUNT: 3k

— A/N: This is a fic that was commissioned by @localravenclaw as a gift for @esolean 💕 It's going to be a bit of a rollercoaster, with angst and fluff and smut galore. I plan to post twice a week, Mondays and Fridays. I had a lot of fun writing it, and I hope you will have fun reading it, my dears! 💚

Tom was twenty-five. It had been seven years since he graduated from Hogwarts, and just as many since he started working at Borgin and Burkes. Now, he found himself in a sweltering place with the world passing him by. Trapped, for his sins, in a moving metal coffin. If this was hell, it looked like rolling hills, houses nestled in the fog, narrow rows of poplars and puffs of grazing sheep, all set to the tune of clinking chains and carriage shuffles. He hated this assignment.

After taking the train from London to Dover, he caught the ferry that sailed to Calais, and from there took a series of coaches and trains meant to take him on to Italy. To Rome. They had just stopped in Lyon to pick up more passengers, and now they were on their way again.

He had fought with Burke regarding the logistics of the whole thing. Why couldn’t he just use Floo like a normal wizard? But the miserable old stoat said he’d sooner trust muggle transportation than Tom’s pronunciation of Italian or French — and besides, was Floo even networked all the way down there? It didn’t matter anymore.

Tom was convinced it was all done to save costs, and perhaps for Burke to not have to call in any favours. So off he went with one measly suitcase and two billfolds of franks and lira — all of which were merely enchanted oak leaves. They would inevitably transfigure back to their original form in a couple of weeks or so, but by then Tom should be long gone. Who said money didn’t grow on trees?

He tried to distract himself from all this misery by checking his notes again. His little book cracked open, snapping at the spine, and its insides were revealed to him like a cadaver cut through with a black spidery scrawl. It was a list of books and authors, with observations added vertically on the side to save space.

“The Secrets of Wisdom, N. Tamisso 1650 — high priority, any edition. The Lost Word, B. Trevisan 1661 — low priority, optional. Delomelanicon (or The Invocation of Darkness), A. Torchia 1666 — first edition, mandatory.” The latter word was underlined three times. His notes continued with the instructions Burke had given. “Check the rare book dealers, antiquaries, private collectors if necessary. If you can not find it, find out who can. If they will not sell it, take it anyway.”

Tom’s lip curled. Whatever joy there was in being away from the squalor of Knockturn Alley was soiled by what he had to do in Rome. It wasn’t the books he minded, and in fact, he quite admired Burke’s taste in this matter. But to be flung so far away from home on such short notice, and for such a length of time, was pitiful to him. The heir of Slytherin turned errand boy…

“Excuse-moi, est-ce que — Oh, bonjour.”

Tom turned his frown toward the sliding doors of the compartment, between which stood a young man in his twenties. Lanky brown locks fell into his eyes veiling the crinkles of a smile.

“Yes?” sighed Tom.

“I was wondering if this was free,” said the boy. And without waiting for an answer, he dragged his luggage inside — three suitcases, all leather with copper fittings looking ready to burst — and closed the doors behind him.

“I suppose it is,” mumbled Tom. He subtly closed his notebook and tucked it back into the messenger bag at his feet while he kept track of the stranger from the corner of his eyes.

The fine quality of the newcomer’s clothes was somewhat disguised by how carelessly they hung around him. His white and starched shirt was loosened at the top, revealing a hint of tanned skin sprinkled with sparse curls. A golden pin kept a red and blue striped tie affixed to it, and around his pinky finger was a silver ring thickly laid with marcasites and crowned with a malachite stone. His lips were full and purple-stained from wine. His eyes were a bright blue. Judging by his pressed trousers and clean leather shoes, he was a gentleman who had arrived at the station by car — or, at least, he was the spoilt brat of one.

“Clement,” the boy grinned, extending his hand.

“Tom,” he replied, giving him a firm, brief shake.

“I’m on my way to Rome!” Clement sighed, plopping down onto the seat opposite him. Almost immediately, he cracked open a cigarette case and started fishing for a lighter in his trouser pocket. His luggage lay strewn all around the floor, suitcases filled with junk, no doubt. “You?”

“The same,” Tom said and instantly regretted sharing anything at all. With people like these — the overly friendly types — it was best to not encourage conversation.

“Oh, magnificent. Vacation?”

“Work.”

“How sad,” tutted Clement as he popped a cigarette between his lips. He offered one to Tom as well.

“Don’t smoke.”

“Ah.”

He closed the case with a loud click and set it on the table between them. With a smooth, almost theatrical motion, he lit up his pocket lighter — silver, older than him, probably an heirloom, engraved with an elaborate floral motif featuring a fleur-de-lis — and let the flame dance on the tip of his cigarette until he was satisfied.

“Don’t talk much, either,” the boy chuckled. He kept his eyes on Tom as he took a drag, then started puffing away without a care. He attempted to blow rings of smoke but failed. “What do you use your mouth for, then?”

“Cursing, mostly.”

Clement laughed. “The same!”

Tom doubted it.

The compartment soon filled with smoke, and the narrow window open at the top only made it dance around inside. The muggy summer fumes were driving Tom to madness already, and he could only hope the train moved fast enough to clear the air. But as they went further into the rural parts of France, the scent of sheep took over. Maybe it’s not too late to try to Apparate directly at the station, he thought.

“So, what do you do?” asked the French boy, vowels gliding altogether in one breath between his lips. His arm extended elegantly to tap the ash into a cheap tray by the window.

It took Tom a moment to look at him and answer. “I’m in, er, publishing.”

“Truly?” he said, excited enough to lean over the table. “That’s magnificent. I intend to be published too.”

“Oh? What do you write?”

“Poesies.”

“Poetry? Ah, not my area, I’m afraid.”

“But you must know some people…”

Tom wanted to tell him that if he were any good he’d have found a publisher already, but intuition told him to temper himself.

“I might,” he said, “but I’m afraid I’m full up at the moment.”

The boy puffed away nervously as he tapped the round gemstone of his ring against the window, and kept his eyes on him. Tom turned to watch the view rolling past them, seeing without seeing. The sensation of being watched was as familiar as it was discomforting. It crawled down his thin cheeks, his narrow neck, and from there sank into his clothes like sweat. He gazed briefly at the tapping ring from the corner of his eyes in irritation, before focusing away again. For a few moments, he thought he’d successfully ended their conversation.

“Well, I’m in show business,” Clement said instead, grinning brilliantly. There was a gap between his first incisors that made him look boyish and pure. “Theatre.”

“Your parents must be very happy.”

“No,” he laughed. “Miserable. But,” he shrugged, “it is not their decision.”

Tom hummed and said nothing else.

“Your parents are happy with your job, no? You go on important business trips to France, to Rome, and… erm. Well, it is a good job, for sure. Makes them proud, yes?”

Whatever sunshine beamed through the window was chilled and clouded by the glare in Tom’s dark eyes. Why did this bothersome Frenchman have to talk to him? He wasn’t going to keep doing it the whole way to Rome, surely…

“I wouldn’t know,” he finally said. “They’re dead.”

“Oh… Oh, I am so sorry...”

“I’m not,” he mumbled. He didn’t think Clement had heard him, but he wouldn’t care even if he did.

The boy pulled the ashtray closer and put out his cigarette, then leaned his head against the glass. Fidgeting, he held the silver case in his hands and clicked it open and closed, open and closed… He did that for quite a while.

Tom could feel him staring. Could even sense to some extent the messy thoughts inside that head: curiosity, intrigue, and joy.

What could be joyful about that moment?

Well, if Tom was being honest, this wasn’t the first time he’d had such an effect on people. Memories of Burke’s clients came back to him accompanied by the customary shiver down his spine. Clement had the same flippant merriment about him that all the others did, those careless old witches and wizards. That unguarded look of innocence surrounded by the fog of greed. An airy absence of thought and feeling. Must’ve been the side effect of all that money.

Tom had once envied such people. Had even flattered himself with the knowledge that he, however distantly, was one of them. What greater destiny than to be born to glorious old blood? What greater tragedy than to be fallen from it…? He could even remember, with much clarity and shame, how he’d spent several months during his third year obsessing over the Gaunts and Riddles, chasing up on genealogies, and smattering the back pages of his diary with heraldic designs.

But the more he understood the upper classes — their uselessness, their inborn idiocy, their paradoxical sense of superiority which stood impervious to anything reality threw at them — the more he grew to hate them.

“I am sorry if I offended…” said Clement rather softly. “Sometimes, I talk too much.”

“Oh, really? I didn’t notice.”

“No, but I do, I do…”

Tom had overshot his subtleties, apparently.

“So you are not happy with your job? Forgive me for asking…”

“No, it’s quite alright.”

“A pity, you know…”

“Why?”

“To not like it.”

“Oh, it’s not too much trouble most of the time. Why? Do you like your job?”

“But of course!” he said, blue eyes twinkling.

Tom cast a scathing look his way. How strange… He couldn’t imagine enjoying any form of employment — other than the coveted post of DADA professor at Hogwarts.

“Why are you in Rome, then?” Tom asked.

“On vacation. I am, erm, meeting a friend,” he whispered with a grin.

“A girlfriend?” asked Tom with a smirk.

Clement shook his head and giggled. “A boy friend.”

Tom’s brows nearly reached his hairline. He’d never heard of such things being bandied about quite that openly before, at least not in England. Clement seemed not to care. Must’ve been a habit of his, as he seemed to not care about much at all other than enjoying life.

“You have a fun vacation ahead of you, then.”

“More than you know,” he winked.

Tom curled his nose at that and sat back, away from the whole conversation. But Clement leaned closer, arms braced over the table lazily, eyes flashing excitedly.

“We will rob this old fool, and run with his money.”

That captured Tom’s attention again. The boy was waiting eagerly for his reaction, and not a thought ran through his head that Tom might’ve been untrustworthy. Of course, far be it from him to ruin someone else’s fun, but the scenario Clement proposed was too absurd to be believed.

So what else could Tom do but laugh? The sound of it filled the cabin, and so out of use were those muscles that his cheeks began to ache. The sight of it seemed to delight young Clement. He leaned back and gave another one of his brilliant smiles.

“You can join us, if you like,” he offered smoothly.

“Sorry,” said Tom, his cheeks still flushed. “My schedule is full.”

“Oh, pity, pity… You would like my friend, I think. His name is Donatien. He is more serious, like you.”

“Is that so,” said Tom distractedly.

“By the way, what is your hotel?”

They entered Rome on a train that ran six hours late, and wobbled on its tracks, and stank of mouldy cheese and wine rust.

Clement talked most of the way there, and seemed to be satisfied with Tom mostly reacting with brief hums and tilted smiles. They even exchanged gifts. The French boy was enchanted by what was, in Tom’s estimation, a fairly average switchblade. He’d only taken it out to peel an orange. It was something he’d bought in London right before his seventh year, and although it was quite plain, it did have some delicate embellishments on its ivory handle of two writhing snakes. That seemed to appeal to Clement, who offered his own blade in exchange — a Swiss army knife that also had a screwdriver and bottle opener tucked in its red body. Considering it a more efficient deal, Tom shrugged and accepted the trade.

Faint details came up now and then about his plans with this Donatien, but most of it was lost in smoke and loud metallic rattles. As much as Tom hated flying on brooms, even he could agree it would’ve been preferable to this…

But at least he didn’t have to fear any Ministry or Aurors in these parts. Not any that were familiar with him, anyway. The Italians had their own Ministry of Magic, of course, but it was all the way down in Mirto, Sicily, and foreigners were a low priority for them. There were so many people from all over the world in Italy those days that it wasn’t worth keeping track of them all, or at least so Burke had told him.

The train slowed and pulled into the station, and pulled, and pulled… It groaned as if in pain. Clement took the jolt of inertia as it all came to a stop with cheerful clapping, and promptly got up to collect his bags.

“So, we are agreed?”

“Absolutely not agreed. Besides, I doubt my lodgings would be to your taste.”

“Ah Tom, you do not know my taste!”

“Very well, but best keep your complaints to a minimum once we get there.”

They struggled to get everything off the train with four suitcases between them. Tom was travelling light with just the one, about which Clement made some snide comment that he soon forgot, but he helped him anyway. His own belongings consisted of plain muggle clothes and some books that Burke wished him to barter with, if it came to that. Between the lines, and between Burke’s sparse and slimy brows, Tom understood he was expected to use his charms to get a bargain price — as per usual — but he did not intend to let some fat old antiquary put his grimy hands on him. Not this time. Besides, conversing with Clement had stained his dignity enough.

Being away on the continent had one advantage, at least: he was no longer under the vulturous watch of his employer.

Tom stepped out onto the platform, muscles sore from days of sitting down, and looked ahead as if he knew where he was going. People were chatting all around him, filling the cool hall with murmurs all the way up to its dome — some in German, some in French, others in variously accented English. Tom wiped the sweat off his brow with his sleeve and picked up his suitcase to follow Clement, who was hunting for a trolley to load his luggage onto.

As soon as they stepped out onto the street, the heat of Rome in August hit Tom in the face like an oven door and he, frail and pallid thing, was not prepared for it. He squinted in displeasure, to Clement’s great amusement.

“This way, Tom!” he said as he popped on a pair of sunglasses. “I see a taxi!”

Tom had spent most of the journey brushing up on his Italian with the help of a conversation guide he picked up at the Gare du Nord. His extensive knowledge of Latin came in pretty handy. But now that he saw Clement handle things, perhaps he needn’t have bothered. His companion could easily direct the driver to the dingy old hotel Tom was staying at, the Gallienus on Via Domenichino, and chatted a bit more besides.

“Vacation in Rome often, then?” he asked.

“I just know some phrases,” Clement smiled. “You don’t need much with these people.”

The driver pretended not to understand the slight.

“Where do you want to have lunch, then?” Clement asked.

“Lunch? I’m certainly not in the mood, not now.”

“Oh come ooon…”

“You can eat on your own.”

“We can leave our stuff and take the taxi to this place I know on Via della Mercede. They make the best seafood, the best!”

It had not been until now, with this journey to somewhere far away, that Tom realised how limited his world had been at Hogwarts. He’d once felt equal parts ashamed and at a strange advantage next to the other Slytherins, his peers, all purebloods, for knowing both the magical and muggle worlds. Now, exiled for this assignment among strangers, it seemed to Tom as if he were starting life all over again. He looked out the window and everything was new, everything was strange. The buildings, the street, the people, even the clothes were different. The city, like London, was massive, but the streets were broader, blazing white. Some disappeared into little alleyways that slithered like dark serpents. Tom could easily see himself getting lost in such a place.

It was… humbling. He didn’t like it.

#Tom Riddle #Tom Riddle x reader #Tom Riddle x OC #Tom Riddle fanfiction #harry potter #harry potter fanfiction #sswallow;fanfics #sswallow;made a thing #fanfic;englishclient #whew here we go 😭#I dread to think of adapting the masterlist for this lol #I might make a separate post just for all of its chapters #there will be 40 in total

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xcherryerim · 2 months

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headcanons In an universe where Josh Futturman and Mike Schmidt are friends.

(inspired by that one post i made and also bc i love them both sm)

————————

— Josh was a really hyperactive kid and as a punishment for not shutting up; his teacher sat him next to Mike. A quiet, background character person.

Still, Josh started to talk to him. Mike found Josh annoying at first but then they bonded once Futturman announced he likes “Back To The Future”.

— After that, they’ve been inseparable. They saw their worst, most cringe phases (Josh went through a weeaboo phase and Mike went through a wanna be emo phase.)

— Mike is older than Futturman. He failed a grade because he was deeply grieving.

— Most people confuse them for brothers because they look identical.

— Josh had this pet frog growing up. He used to bother Mike with it a lot since Mike finds frog’s disgusting.

— Josh has taken Mike to anime and gaming conventions. He secretly judges josh and the people at the conventions.

— Josh always goes to Mike’s house to show off his cosplays. Abby seems more interested than Mike thought.

— Mike has never been a gamer. He really sucks at them and even if Josh tries to help him, Mike always loses. But, Mike always wins table games against Josh.

— Mike doesn't admit it but, Futturman heals his inner child. Josh is like a brother to Mike.

— Both Mike and Josh have been janitors but somehow it looks like Mike did learn how to clean pretty well while Josh doesn't.

— Futturman doesn’t like to invite Mike to his room because he knows Mike would make fun of his collection.

— Mike is a collector too, but he collects nostalgic artifacts of the 80’s and 90’s. “More normal than a random franchise game.” His words not mine.

— Josh tends to bring food his mom made for Mike and Abby.

— The Futturman household invites the Schmidt’s on holidays. They’re happy Josh has a normal friend.

#josh hutcherson multiverse #mike schmidt #mike schimdt x you #mike schimdt x reader #fnaf movie #josh hutcherson #five nights at freddy's #josh futterman #josh future man #josh futturman #derek danforth #mike schmidt fanfic #headcanon #i love them #my boys

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valc0 · 26 days

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Hannibal rewatch and Baldur's Gate 3 ramblings

I recently re-watched the first season of Hannibal after almost 8 years and since I’m now deep into another fandom (BG3) I analyzed some of the themes of the show and how parts of it could tie in with the story of the game, particularly when it comes to the Dark Urge.

I’m also doing a review because why the hell not. I divided the text into sections for convenience, so if you want to read only the review or are exclusively interested in my speculating ramblings on BG3 you can easily do that.

It’s a long one so let’s start.

REVIEW

THIS REVIEW IS NOT SPOILER FREE AND WILL GO INTO GREAT DETAILS ABOUT THE TWISTS AND PLOT POINTS OF THE SHOW.

If you didn’t watch it and you like thriller/crime/horror please do yourself a favor and watch this show now!

I’ll start by saying season one, to me, is almost perfection. It’s 13 very well crafted and acted episodes and almost none feel like filler (almost but we’ll get to it). The crime of the week structure is integrated with the horizontal themes of the season seamlessly and the story avoids exploring too many parallel plots, making the theming very cohesive.

I remember watching this show for the first time and finishing season 1 in about 2 to 3 days, but I’d never think the same would’ve happened a second time. The first 5 episodes had me in a clutch from the start. Every character is fleshed out and extremely well written, the acting is impeccable, the writing is phenomenal and the visual, even when getting symbolic, never seem gratuitous or nonsensical in their use of analogies and dream-like visions.

The photography is also phenomenal, with great use of contrast that makes the image and scene clear even though it's set in the dark or at night.

If I had to rate the season I think I’d definitely give it a 9/10, and the 9 is only because of two small things that I figured I’d get out of the way first:

(I must remember whoever is reading this that these are my opinions, they don’t mean to offend anyone else differing opinion. You’ll see what I mean in a second.)

Alana Bloom x Will Graham is forced, comes out of nowhere, and makes Will act out of character most of the times.

I’m not getting into ship-fighting, this is not about shipping, I like Hannigram but I have no dog in this fight so this is totally not about it. Episode 8 is great, it has one of the best kills in the whole season and Will deteriorating stability makes for great lines and visuals, other than a lot of tension since he can no longer be predictable and ends up disrupting Hannibal plans.

And though I could attribute the way he acts towards Alana as something he does because of this deteriorating mental state, it doesn’t really feel like it. He seems very present during those scenes and acts weirdly romantic for the reclusive stray-collector, whose primary hobby is fishing and who’s been plagued by visions of death in the past episodes.

I would have rather see them to grow more of a non-romantric connection that may or may not have become romantic in later seasons. It all seems a bit rushed imo.

I also know they are setting up the Alana x Will x Hannibal. Which I’ll be honest I don’t remember liking the first time I watched it...but we’ll see.

2. Episodes 9 and 11 slow the show and kind of drag the pace.

Episodes 9. The totem of bodies is a very striking and memorable visual, but the crime in itself is very bland and the killer only gets a 5 minute scene towards the end which is anticlimactic and kinda too much tell with too little show. It’s honestly a shame because the murders in the previous episodes were very well crafted and paced. This one, not so much. I understand the need to connect the themes of “legacy” and “family” with Abigail’s actions but I feel like there could have been better ways to do that in previous episodes.

Episodes 11. I loved the whole Chesapeake Ripper fake-out, but I’ll be honest I don’t think I needed a whole other episode of Abel Gideon’s story. Didn’t really care for the plot of this and the pace was a little too slow. Good things about this episode are the ending with Hannibal at his most manipulative, and the fact that it starts Chilton’s comedic chain of misfortunes– which cracked me up the first time I watched the show because come on!! this guy is awful and can’t catch a break, you love to see it.

Now that the “bad” is out of the way let’s talk about the good, which is honestly everything else.

Episode 1

Banger of a pilot. Everything for the rest of the show is set up in only 42 minutes if you can believe that. Characters are fleshed out, themes are placed, conflicts are started. By the end of the episode all you want is MORE. I have very little else to say other than the pacing of this one should honestly be studied, a lot of modern series would need the lesson imo.

Episode 2

Interesting case with a lot of great scenes that reinforce the characters and their relationships. You get a first glance at how campy? the show can be, which is honestly something I love, I’m kinda tired of the “realistic to the point of boredom” trend I’ve been seeing lately. Freddie Lounds is properly introduced as the disrupting force she is and we get a jumpscare that made me curse. Sorry, did I forget to mention I’m watching Hannibal and I cannot stand horror? Lmao

Episode 3

LOVE this episode, the way this show makes you feel powerless as you watch the events unfold knowing full well what is happening and who is responsible...amazing! I love Abigail’s character and the very innocent and pristine way she is portrayed when you know later on the truth will come out is chilling.

Episode 4

I remember how grim I found this episode the first time and the feeling returned the second time around. Hated the killer with every fiber of my being and the fact that she kinda looks like Catherine Tate made me die a little. Also the scene of Hannibal making himself a family through gaslighting and creative use of drugs and lies was amazing.

Episode 5

I loved this crime and the way the episode paces the killings. The angel symbology was great, I’m a sucker for catholic and religious themes tied into vicious crimes. The series also introduces Bella, Jack’s wife, which I’ll be honest I don’t remember having a good ending...I don't remember exactly how, but I know I will cry.

Episode 6

Favorite episode by far, the tension in the flashback scene is palpable and when you see Miriam looking at the sketch with the silhouette of Hannibal pacing towards her in the background AAAHGGG- RUN Miriam OMG! This is the episode where you realize how absolutely scary Hannibal’s physicality can be. Mads Mikkelsen is 1,83 (5ft 11) but he feels like a giant in those scenes, like you can do shit about it.

Episode 7

The episode’s case is a botched transplant one and it’s just okay, nothing too spectacular, but the way this series makes me hungry should be concerning, since I just watched Hannibal kill and butcher people who slightly wronged him to make a feast out of them. I’m sorry, whoever is directing the shooting of the food is doing a good job, okay?

Episode 8

My second favorite episode yay! I love this kill because it’s so over the top. Also the visual of a person played like a cello is haunting just as much as the sound they decided to give it. “He had to open you up to get a decent sound out of you.” okay Will go off?!?! A bit sad they took this murder from Hannibal since I believe it was his in the books, but the end fight was worth it (though when Tobias started swinging his impromptu cello string weapon I did cackle because omfg calm down)

Episode 9

See section above

Episode 10

I shat myself watching this episode with all the horror vibes I’m dying please, I’m watching this through my fingers like a baby. I did love this episode though, and the final twist of Hannibal going to such lengths to be sure he leaves NO ONE behind is terrifying. Dr. Sutcliffe even agreed with him and didn’t show signs of wanting to betray or rat him out, and yet in the big scheme Hannibal still found it better to kill him. Scary stuff.

Episode 11

See section above

Episode 12-13

Putting these together because they are the finale and are closely linked to each other. There is no real “crime of the week”, though Georgia Madchen dies at the start of episode 12 and Abigail...dies at the start of episode 13. Will continuously declining psyche is very well portrayed, you really feel powerless with him as his brain keeps betraying him over and over at the worse possible times. Also Hannibal fake-empathy is so uncomfortable to me...knowing the lengths he’d go to manipulate the situation after seeing all the “behind the scenes” is chilling. All in all it’s a good finale though it really doesn’t feel like one. By the end Will managed to see Hannibal’s true colors, but I don’t think he’ll fully understand what he’s fighting against until he actually sees Hannibal in action, so it does feel inconclusive in a way. We do get Hannibal funny naked fursona is all its glory though so, big happy for me!

Now let’s get in my current fixation and tie in some of the themes of Hannibal with Baldur’s Gate 3. YAY!

BALDUR’S GATE 3 – Dark Urges, Bad Dreams and Worse Influences

Let’s get something out of the way first.

The Dark Urge is a very flexible and versatile character which is mostly – if not completely– shaped by the player. We get to decide if they refuse the Urge, with the bittersweet realization they still took all those lives and will have to deal with that guilt. OR we could make them machines of slaughter and death, embracing their father’s plan for them to be the killer they were made to become.

There are other variations of this and from what I’ve seen many Durges have very different characteristics depending on how the player interpreted and played the game.

This to say, all of the following dissertations on BG3 and the themes of Hannibal are my personal view of MY Durge or the way I see the character in general, which is extremely personal and could crash with someone else’s interpretation or headcanon. Keep that in mind while reading, if you see me using absolutes or if I forget an “imo” at the end of a sentence, remember this is ALL In my opinion, none of this is to be considered as a general and all-encompassing statement for every Durge out there.

That said, you’ll be surprised to know in my interpretation the Dark Urge isn’t Hannibal, what’s funny is that the Dark Urge isn’t Will either.

Durge is both characters at the same time, and depending where they are in their journey, this may change.

In the case of Will, towards the end of the series you get a more “start of the game” Durge. The memory loss, the confusing thoughts, the haunting dreams and then this weird hellish creature (Sceleritas Fel) guiding them. By this point Durge is still a victim of their circumstances, they can’t really grasp who or what they are and their mind is in complete shambles.

I can see a Resist!Durge in this scenario, someone completely horrified by their actions starting to question who they are, what they did, and if they can ever change. This point in the game isn’t spelled out as much, the narrator often refers to it but the real extent of psychological damage a Resist!Durge must face is left completely to the player’s interpretation, that’s why I think Will is such a great starting point to understand and visualize the character of Durge from a distant POV.

With Hannibal you get a more pre-tadpole pre-Orin-meddling Durge. Someone who knows what they’re doing and how to get what they want. I personally never saw my own Durge as this calculating, something in the feral way the Urge gets to the character in game made Hannibal a tad too composed to fully be an inspiration for Durge, but I’ve also seen other people Durges as cool and collected killers, and the comparison in that case works really well.

Another interesting characteristic of Hannibal we can see in Durge is the twisted way he thinks in relation to others. Hannibal calls himself Will’s friend, and I believe he’s genuine in his affection since the way he helps Will is in done in earnest.

This helping though, it’s monstrous in all sense. Hannibal lies, literally gaslights Will, meddles with his head and denies him medical help. He manipulates him into killing, only to watch what unfolds simply because he needs someone who understands him. By dragging Will deeper into his world and making him a killer, Hannibal cultivates what he perceives as Will’s true nature and potential, making the man a suitable friend for himself.

It speaks to Hannibal narcissism that he would consider helping someone as making them more like him. But then again that’s also why Hannibal is so drawn towards Will, because he thinks differently and he IS different from him. He doesn’t have the same amount of interest or even respect for someone like Tobias, who’s probably the most Hannibal-like killer we get to see in season 1.

He needs the challenge, he needs to feel in control. And ultimately, though not in an usual sense, Hannibal needs a friend. He is lonely.

This works a lot for Durge in the sense that they may or may not corrupt people around them. As a player we get the choice and power to influence how companions act and react, and this kind of duality of “I like them, I want to help them” and “I want to make them like me” is a good motivation to give a Durge who may, for example, ascent Astarion, or turn Shadowheart more towards Shar, or give Gale a power complex (more so than he already has) ect.

BONUS! And then came Durgetash

In episode 1 Hannibal visits Will and brings him breakfast. While they chat in a honestly beautifully lit scene, this exchange happens.

Hannibal: You know, Will, I think Uncle Jack sees you as a fragile little teacup. The finest china, used only for special guests. Will: How do you see me? Hannibal: The mongoose I want under the house when the snakes slither by.

Did I mention I love Durgetash? Did I mention I go completely feral over unhealthy dynamics and specifically this kind of dynamic?

“The mongoose I want under the house when the snakes slither by.” is an amazing line for Gortash because I do believe the reason he wanted Durge to side with him was that Durge was extremely good at being undetected, and even more so skilled at killing the right target at the right time.

I love the idea of Gortash using Durge as a shield/weapon, and Durge using Gortash to economically sustain and socially shield Bhaal’s cult. I love to think their relationship was born because they were useful to each other and that in this completely selfish ecosystem they somehow found company.

Because I’m sure Durge pushed back. I’m sure they realized they were being used and didn’t like it one bit, and Gortash kept Durge around even though they may pose a threat, for the same reason Hannibal keeps running circles around Will. Gortash needs a challenge. Being head of Bane’s cult means that other than his God, no one else is above him, and I think a man who’s been fighting his whole life to gain control would feel a bit lost when this control is automatically given to him without a fight.

In the same way I think Durge would yearn for something more, something different than what they’re stuck with, which is a dying cult forced to hide beneath the city, and a jealous and over-zealous sister who I’m sure tries to kill them once a week. I think they would get pulled in by the promises Gortash would make. To rule together, above ground, for once not having to hide, getting back the power Durge feels like belongs to them.

The similarities I found between these characters are way more than these but I think I’ll have to make a part 2 of this once I’m done re-watching season 2. I’m aware the series has been out for a while and I’m sure people already made way more interesting and in-depth analysis. I still hope you liked my little morning ramble that turned in a full on essay on the subject.

Thank you for reading!

#bg3 #hannibal #the dark urge #baldur's gate 3 #nbc hannibal #durgetash #hannigram #i love murderous idiots what do you want from me

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thatgirl4815 · 8 months

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I know people thought the 'go to your room!' was funny but I think it was there to show us that Sand really behaves as a parent in his life, with Ray, with his mom as well, as she mentioned.

He is a parentified child, people like this take the burden of responsability for everything that happens to their love ones, they are caretakers at their core.

"As an adult, a parentified child may have challenges trusting others and prefer to be self-reliant. They may engage in unhealthy relationships and assume a caregiving role even when they don't want to because this is the role that they know how to play. They may worry about being abandoned." We have seen all of this in this episode imo.

Definitely! While Sand might make the occasional complaint, I think he feels fulfilled by helping other people, because that’s just what he’s always known. I also suspect he had to grow up a bit sooner than other children due to his living situation. He describes his mother as his best friend, implying that they’re on more equal footing as opposed to more rigid parent-child boundaries.

About his mom…I did think it was a little bad of her to call saying there were debt collectors after her? Like I understand that that was probably the only way to get Sand to come, but as someone who has probably dealt with a lot of dangerous debt collectors, it felt a little inappropriate. (I don’t wanna rip on her too much though because I genuinely liked her this ep.)

There’s an interesting comparison to be made between Sand’s independence and Ray’s. Because Sand seems to have adapted to solitude, always working towards his dreams, while Ray sees solitude as lonely and isolating. I think both Sand and Ray had to grow up quickly due to their various circumstances, but Ray doesn’t have many supporters in his life or goals he’s working towards (that we know of). It’s definitely possible that they’ve developed problematic attachment habits (Sand giving too much for too little in return and Ray in constant need of fulfillment and caregiving). For now, this has made balance in their relationship, but I could easily see it going off the rails.

#I love my self-sufficient rockstar #only friends #only friends the series #ofts #sandray #raysand #sanray #raysan #sand X ray #Ray X sand #Ray pakorn #only friends sand #only friends ask #ask #only friends meta #firstkhaotung #firstkhao #first kanaphan #khaotung thanawat

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chaoticnebu · 11 months

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I want to know more about your palistrom au Hunter. Anything. Everything. When does it start happening to him? Did any other Grimwalkers experience this? Was there an event or exposure that triggered the tree growth? (Palisman blood perhaps? Belos needs to be more careful when he eats those things.)

What kind of jokes does Gus tease Hunter with? Does Willow use plant magic on him? Does Hunter find it ticklish if/when she does? What do palistrom tree flowers look like and would Hunter give them to the Captain?

Did Belos use Hunter's condition to advance his 'evils of wild magic' narrative? Does Dell have a professional opinion on Hunter's condition? Does Eda have an unprofessional opinion? Has Flapjack ever tried to build a nest against the twigs on Hunter's head? Just how hard is it to find clothes/uniforms for Hunter and does Darius help out with modifications?

The people have a right to know!

cracks my knuckles and hits that readmore because there’s a lot to write

(( CW for a sketch with blood and bruising + mention of fantasy SH ))

so! I imagined multiple instances where the palistrom mutation happens (aus of the au, if you will.) the main one happens at the end of season 2/during season 3 BECAUSE of the Draining Spell

I always thought that grimwalkers are 100% living beings with the same organs and tissues as other demons and witches (minus a magic bile sac in Hunter's case because he originated from a human) because the various ingredients for making grimwalkers simply transform into living organs and tissues. the Galdorstone becomes a real heart, the one bone of Ortet turns into a whole skeleton, the palistrom wood turns into skin, hair and nails, and so on.

BUT the Draining Spell, due to its nature as a magic nullifier, made the Grimwalker Spell on Hunter regress

their blood turned to green magic (the same of palismen)

and the skin of his right arm, scar tissue and right shoulder turned into blue bark

had the draining spell run its course they would've probably turned into a plant monstrosity :) (i also tried to imagine his heart going back to its galdorstone state, but that would’ve probably been excruciating if not lethal, so idk if it would work at all)

having the Draining Spell been stopped in time, though, the mutation happens slowly and only after Hunter and the rest of Hexsquad have fled to the human realm. it takes about a month for the first palistrom leaves to sprout and before that, Hunter has only suffered a terrible itch (everyone thought it was just mosquito bites at first)

when branches finally start to grow and his arm looks less and less human, hunter realizes that hiding his nature as a grimwalker is impossible even with Luz’s help at that point and he leaves the noceda household during a panic attack (he just can’t stop running off into the woods) they eventually reunite and the grimwalker reveal happens WAY EARLIER than TTT (i like it to be a lot deeper conversation.) they also have to deal with Jacob (the museum asshole) being even more determined to catch and expose the kids after finding out that there's a tree boy with them

the second instance of the AU happens earlier, when Hunter is still the golden guard and the cause of the mutation is the Collector. star kid was feeling especially bitter towards Belos and they tried to mess up the grimwaler spell, which resulted into this one grimwalker to mutate at some point during season 2

this AU develops into two scenarios:

Belos tries to dispose of Hunter before Hollow Mind, but the kid flees thanks to Flapjack and finds shelter in Bat Queen’s cave, where she welcomes them as yet another lost thing despite all the harm he caused in the past. he ends up joining the BATS, attacking scouts who confiscate palismen to save them and made up for all those that died because he brought them to the Emperor

Belos decides to keep Hunter and tries to convince him that he was cursed with wild magic just like the Emperor, manipulating the kid into considering himself unworthy of love and acceptance, that his uncle is the only one who understands what it’s like. it takes Hunter A LOT MORE to distance himself from Belos and learn to trust Flapjack and Hexsquad. this is also the instance where Belos has to be more careful about feeding off palismen

So, about Willow! She totally can use plant magic on Hunter after the mutation manifests (limited to his right arm) but unlike healing magic, plant magic is a manipulating kind of energy that could make the bark grow even more and she would rather not try that. IF she tried i’d assume it would itch just like when the palistrom grows naturally

I never thought about palistrom flowers, i think that it might be a fun art challenge coming up with a design for them :) but Hunter would not give them to anyone because pulling them (like pulling leaves or snapping the branches) hurts like hell. a dark bit about Golden Guard Tree Boy if that he plucks leaves and flowers despite it hurting a lot just because he hopes to look "less wild" to the eyes of the Emperor

BUT a cute thing I like to imagine is that when the flowers bloom (around march/april like it happens to most plants) Hunter becomes especially affectionate!

Gus (and Luz!) totally pester him with tree puns! They never leaf him alone :)c ( /shot )

Dell… don’t know what kind of professional opinion he would have, but I like to think he’d be the one helping Hunter recovering after Belos’ possession (because it happens, it’s uglier than canon, and Hunter’s palistrom comes out of it burned and cracked)

Eda’s also very professional opinion is that she’s sorry she can’t stomp Belos MORE after hearing all that the poor kid has gone through

Flapjack totally tried to make a nest in his branches. Actually he still does because he’s very much alive in Palistrom AU :) He was just so badly damaged that he can’t fly anymore. Being beyond repair Hunter had to carve Waffles as a movement aid for them both and Flap gets to hang out with a silly little sister!

finding clothes with accomodations for Hunter's branches is literaly hell (i know it is because i never know how to draw them) so boy has to make his own. Camila helps with it a lot when the kids are in the Human Realm, while Darius helps when they're back to the Demon Realm :D

#palistrom au #this is all that i remembered #feel free to ask more if you're curious!#also i know for sure i probably made typose so i'll fix it better later

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fizzlewizard404 · 1 year

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Ok, the more I've thought about it, the more I think I understand why the conclusion they gave the Collector was so off to me. And I think it was mainly two things; the execution of it, and the vagueness of it. Let me explain.

Disclaimer! I am not claiming to know everything about writing or how to do it, so take this with a grain of salt ^^

(Major spoilers below!!! You've been warned!)

First of all, I feel the need to clarify that, a lot of the vagueness here does probably have a little bit to do with how much time they had left for this. (The shows cancelation and all that.) The crew had about, like, 10 minutes to properly wrap everything up? So they needed to make it fast enough to fit as much in. With a good majority of the characters and the conclusion of their arcs, there just isn't that much to go that in depth into.

Luz? She can properly travel between both realms now, her insecurities and guilt complex have been dealt with, and she can properly be herself around the people she loves.

Eda? While, she does still have to deal with the curse, shes properly accepted it as a part of her, and feels free to be around the people she loves.

King? While he's definitely still got a lot to learn about himself, he's more free to do so than ever and has the support and help to do so from the people around him, and those he loves. I can go on with basically everyone else, but I think you get the idea by now.

The more I think about it, in theory/concept, I think having the Collector go back to space can work. But you have to establish three main things in order for it to do so.

1) Give us enough of an idea for what exactly he will be doing in space to grow as a person. Presumably, to me anyway, I feel like they're most likely on some kind of quest to undo as much of their siblings's doings. Until, potentially facing them directly again.

2) Make sure to note that the Collector is fully aware of the fact that he has a genuine and loving support group/found family that he can return whenever he feels the need to see them again. And especially make it clear that they do just that when they can. Not too often, but still somewhat regularly.

3) Inforce the fact that the aforementioned support system/found family (Luz, King and Eda, though this can include others later on) really do care about the Collector's well being and that they are willing to be there for him when they can be.

Alrighty!! Now that I have those things out of the way, let me explain how the show messed up properly showcasing them, despite how expertly everything before this was handled.

When the epilouge's beginning starts after Luz has finally put an end to Belos's evil-doing, we get to see everyone slowly start getting use to the new circumstances of their home. None of it can ever be the same way it was before, but that's definetely for the better in most cases. After all, everyone's gone through a lot as of recently. Especially this episode.

Including, (and in my opinion, most of all) the Collector. For the last ??? amount of years, everything in their life has been... stagnent, inauthentic and overall not great. Even during what we saw during For The Future. Despite it's happy, cheery and colorful surface, it was only really a facade to mask the lack of actual care and support that Collector has in his life.

The stories and adventures he plays out with King are like his own interpretation from a game of broken telephone. They can only really immitate the genuine experience and connection formed when the real thing happened. All the denizens of the Boiling Isles are reduced to a sparkly, cute puppeted version of themselves. Lacking any real emotion in order to go along with the tone of the story.

Realistically speaking, King is the only somewhat genuine thing in the Collector's world. He's the only person that they can trust and talk to. Sure, he techically has his distant, idealized connection with Eda, but she's (at least to the Collector's knowledge) always stuck as the owl beast. So that's kind of impractical for him.

In all of these stories and games of pretend, the Collector takes what would otherwise be Luz's role in King's life. They're jealous of the relation she's had with King for so long. Collector knows that while he's close to King, they can't be as close to him as Luz.

Going by this information, we can come to the conclusion that the Collector desperately wants to have real friends, and people who won't use him or lie to him. Much like how his (presumably) distant, but still likely very ill-intentioned siblings, the Archivists did. First so they wouldn't have to deal with him, and later to take all his friends away. This pattern continued with Belos, which also lead to betrayal and abandonment for the Collector.

For his entire life, Collector has struggled grasping empathy and the overall concept of death. He said it himself, clear as day. "Toys break all the time! You just fix em'!". There is a fundamental misunderstanding for him in this regard that they are unaware of.

As for the struggle with empathy, his status as an all-powerful immortal tends to make him kinda unapproachable for most non-immortals. So in order to actually play with people who he wants to play with, but are afraid of him, he forces them to do so against their wills.

Near the beginning of Watching and Dreaming, Luz and Co. are finally able to try explaining what it means to understand other people to the Collector. And after a bit, it seems like they're finally starting to get it. Kindness and forgiveness! Who guessed it was that easy all this time?? Soon after this, the Collector tries applying his newly found morals towards the first person they can. Unfortunately for everyone, that person is the furthest thing from somebody who can be reasoned with.

The Collector starts to feel as if they can finally fix things, only to nearly get blasted by Belos, mere seconds later. Thankfully, Luz swept in to safe him and tries explaining to him that he did do the right thing, just... not with the right person. Soon enough, we find out that Luz did get grazed by Belos's power. She immediately starts disintegrating and disappearing before everyone, but more specifically, before the Collector's eyes. Moments after this, Collector is... scared, but mainly confused. King and Eda are completely speechless, only being able to stare ahead of them. The Collector tries to bring Luz back, only for nothing to happen. Things go from bad to worse when King and Eda lose themselves entirely and start fighting off Belos.

In this moment, right before Luz comes back with her titan powers, the Collector is about the lowest they've been in forever. Having just realized that they can't just fix everything with the snap of their finger, and completely powerless to do ANYTHING. King and Eda are there, but they're not there. Luz is gone. There's nowhere they could go from here. It's hopeless.

A bit after Luz comes back, the Collector decides to do something with their currently fading power and help everyone in the Archives (yknow, from falling hundreds of feet in the air towards their certain deaths).

After Belos is defeated and all the goop goes away, the Collector gently falls onto the floor of the Archives, exhausted. The moment they see Amity (someone he doesn't know well, but knows is close to Luz) walk towards him, he covers his head, expecting for her to start scolding or even attacking him. But she doesn't. She reaches her hand out to him as a friendly sign of peace, and understanding. His face literally lights up when this happens.

After all of this, while I think that Collector really can't be in the Isles all the time, considering how many people probably won't be that ok with having him around all the time after what he did, it's still obvious to me that they do finally have people who they can lean on and properly be better around. Luz, King and Eda.

...Too bad that their send-off scene doesn't make any that clear!! Like, whatsoever!!

While, yeah you can say that the main trio are DEFINITELY also exhausted after everything, I don't think that would make them all of a sudden be totally fine with the Collector leaving into space on his own.

Firstly, unless we can assume that what I said earlier about him undoing the Archivists's damage where he can, it seems like he's just, isolating himself so he can't hurt anyone until he feels worthy enough to ~maybe~ go back to the Boiling Isles eventually? You know. Like the same thing Luz wanted to do in Thanks To Them because she felt like a burden onto everyone around her? But there atleast, the show made it clear that everyone seeing Luz confess to this, had a problem with it.

During this scene. We don't see anyone other than King go after the Collector. Sure Luz is looking, but that still doesn't count for much. The phrasing of King's last onscreen words to the Collector are "I hope I see you again" before he gives them François. The way this was worded makes the idea of King giving François to the Collector seem more like an almost permanent goodbye gift. Like, the two of them won't be seeing each other again, or at least for a LOONG WHILE.

I think that adding on a "soon" at the end of "I hope I see you again" could've made it a lot better, and make it more obvious that François being given to the Collector is to remind them of their newly found family and that they will be there for him, wherever he is in the universe. Which I feel is way more fitting coming from King. Like his own version of "I don't know what the future holds, but it would be so cool if you were in it" to the Collector.

One thing that I feel like made everything make way less sense is the "No one argued" line from Luz. It makes literally no sense to me considering everything they've been through together? Like?? You'd think Luz and Eda would atleast ask him if he'll be okay going away on his own?? Considering that Luz was able to recognize where the Collector was at the beginning of the episode, it feels extremely out of character for her not to recognize what they're going through here, especially when taking into account that she went through something VERY similar as of very recently herself??

As for Eda, she just kind of, lays back away from the whole situation to begin with? For some reason? Which also feels weird to me since she was also open to being there for him earlier in the episode? She's grown enough at this point to know what to say to kids when she can tell they're not doing well at the moment. Not to mention how she would also probably be able to recognize the Collector trying to isolate themselves as something she's also gone through to protect the people she cares about!! She's fully aware it doesn't work out well when you have absolutely no one by your side! So I feel like having her atleast also reminding the Collector that they're all here for him would've meant a lot more.

As for why all of this came off as really jarring to a lot of people (i'm mainly using myself as an example here btw), The Owl House has always been a show that's overall narrative message has been about found family for different people. The main example I'll be using here is for neurodivergent people. Whether or not it's something like ADHD, autism, or any kind of personality disorder.

The Collector, to me anyway, is extremely ND coded in a few ways. So, in a way, to me personally, having it seem like nobody out of the main trio was actually concerned with the Collector's well being in this scene, felt... jarring? It gave off the message of "neurodivergent people deserve love and belonging, unless they have unstable emotional regulation and struggle grasping empathy, in which case it's okay if they isolate themselves from the people they love because those loved ones don't care about them enough to where they would have a problem with the person isolating themselves", which would be ridiculously insensetive and insulting from what's otherwise such an open-minded and emotionally mature show. I read it this way when I first watched the episode when it aired, and I feel safe to say that it was not what I needed to hear at the moment. I feel like I'm doing better now, and I understand why it hit me the way it did considering everything I mentioned earlier.

I'm not calling anybody who worked on TOH ableist for any of this, and I want to make that clear. This was obviously unintentional on their end and I'm glad that I can understand that now. This show has been here for me and so many other people through so much and other than this on gripe I have with the Collector's send-off scene, the finale was everything I could've asked for and more. That's all.

#toh #the owl house #rambling #toh spoilers #analysis #the collector #also. i could eventually change my mind about this too.. soo. idk #essay

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whitedemon-ladydeath · 5 months

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it's really frustrating to be held for something i said well over 5 years ago from someone that has me blocked in the first place to the point posts im making *now* are getting tone policed by a third party. granted, it was something out of line and ableist and thoughtless towards papa archeron and its absolutely fair to be mad about it!! I completely understand and I wouldn't be caught dead saying something like that now as I have done a lot of self educating and growing and reflecting

but what makes it so frustrating is I make a post about being frustrated about Feyre not painting Nesta, but still painting their father. I believe I said something about him being useless and believe it or not, he *was* useless and it had absolutely nothing to do with him being disabled. He was a useless parent long before then. He neglected and abandoned Nesta well before he was hurt or they lost their wealth and the moment they got it back he was miraculously healed up enough to go right back to ignoring his daughters and traversing the world

his character is so hollow and flat that there's very little for me, personally, to find sympathetic. *He* lost their wealth and their fortune and in doing so he lost money to debt collectors. it's absolutely horrific that Feyre was made to bare witness to that and beg for them to stop hurting him. I identify so much with Feyre in that regard. That still does not remove the fact it was his own actions that led to that in the first place. if he got beaten within an inch of his life for losing that much money who the hell was he WORKING with in the first place (we don't know bec SJM is a shitty writer)

He is directly responsible for their loss of wealth and I am not personally holding him responsible for the last of it being used to partially heal his leg. however he IS still responsible for the loss of it in the FIRST place. his disability is a result of poor financial decisions and ofc there is no excuse to be ableist towards him for it

quite frankly he's written so poorly that there's nothing I personally can latch onto to give him much benefit of the doubt. I'm still going to hold him more responsible for not trying to find SOME WAY to take care of his daughters. NESTA reached out to relatives, FEYRE stepped up to hunt for them and he... makes wood carvings that don't even sell

Nesta being more vilified for the cabin years compared to their father, who is directly responsible for the loss of their wealth, has made me heartless towards him

he was useless before they lost their wealth and he was useless well after. He was, quite frankly, a deadbeat father, who threw Nesta to the wolves (his wife and her mother), who favored Feyre and Elain over her time and time again and I'm sorry but me saying he's useless is exactly what he was

he's a useless parent who let his children be neglected and/or further abused by his wife. maybe if SJM wrote him better, with more nuance, actually building on the dynamics between his wife and himself, instead of saying he was afraid of NESTA, a fourteen year old girl, I might have a different opinion but right now he doesn't have a whole lot of sympathy from me considering my own history with my disabled, terminally ill mother doing her best and killing herself taking care of us while also in an abusive, violent marriage

SJM didn't write it well enough for me to offer any kind of grace bec quite frankly, I am also really, really sick of father figure characters getting off the hook while the female characters are burned at the stake for being flawed and/or unperfect caretakers, which, to be clear, Nesta WAS NOT in the first place

#a court of thorns and roses #acotar #nesta archeron #sjm critical #anti sjm #papa archeron

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hxney-lemcn · 2 years

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Homage — Hunter x gn! human! reader

Summery: Reader knew Luz since they were a kid. So when Luz shows up with a group of friends she made in a different universe, they try to catch up with what they missed. In doing so, they start falling for the sad but...well now he's just a sad boy.

tw: none

a/n: I didn't think I'd write for awhile after my 'No One Like You' series, but @moringmark 's comics have given me inspiration. Should I make a part 2?

Keep in mind this was all made before season three!

wc: 1.9k

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Camila was friends with my mom back in high school. They always hung out with each other, which led to Luz and I becoming friends. In fact we were basically siblings. We definitely acted like siblings.

So when I heard that her mom was sending her to a camp called 'Reality Check', I was astounded. I mean Luz's imagination made her an interesting person to be friends with. We'd always come up with fantastical stories and pretend to be the main characters. It's something that made Luz charming, even if she would get in trouble...a lot.

So, I bought a necklace that referenced Azura The Good Witch, a book we both enjoyed. I made sure she got it before leaving since she wasn't allowed anything that was imaginative.

That summer was more boring for me. I stayed home when my mom went to visit Camila. I mean what was the point? My mom didn't mind since she trusted me. I was 17 after all.

I would text Luz, checking up on her. But her replies were...very dry. I felt concerned about that because normally she was very expressive with her texts.

When Luz came back something was...off. She was more jittery and she would forget things that we used to do. She was more tame and she seemed distant from me. Not to mention I didn't see her with the necklace I gifted her the day before she left to camp. Then, my mom told me that she hasn't been in touch with Camila for a few weeks. So I decided to stop by and check in on Luz after school.

I knocked on the door. I heard shuffling, before the door opened to reveal Camila.

"Oh!" She exclaimed with surprise. "(Y/n), I wasn't expecting you."

"Yeah," I smiled back. "Is Luz free? I was wanting to hang out."

"Oh dear," I heard her mutter. "Come in, I'll go see."

I gave her my thanks as I went to sit on the couch. I checked my social media as I waited. I heard footsteps coming down the creaky staircase and turned to see who it was. There stood Luz as she stared at me, a shaky smile adorning her face.

She seemed...different from the Luz that came back from camp. I mean on one hand her hair is longer and I don't think hair grows that fast in two weeks. Not only that, but her stare was one akin to that of someone meeting another they haven't seen in a long time. And I don't think two weeks constitutes that. She dashed towards me and squeezed me in a hug like her life depended on it. I let out a gasp at the force and wrapped my arms around her, still confused.

"Hey Bubba," I said. "Is something wrong?"

"I missed you so much (n/n)," She cried into my neck. Laughing slightly and pulling away she continued, "Boy do I have a lot to tell you."

Camila brought us both some tea and sat with us. Luz then went over how she never made it to camp, that she found herself in a magical universe that had witches, demons, and more. How she made friends there and even went to a school for witches. How Belos was also human but tried to wipe out all witch kind. And how she was forced to escape when the Collector started to take over.

I took in all this information and...I didn't know what to think. Luz made up stories all the time...but this one was so detailed and she looked dead serious. But if she was gone, who came back from the camp? And Luz answered that as well, as they were a demon from the same universe that Luz went to.

"Wait, you got a girlfriend?" I exclaimed with wide eyes.

Luz stared at me blankly, then shouted, "That's what you got from all that?"

After that I came over more. I helped Camila with whatever I could. I met all of Luz's friends. They were really nice. Currently I am helping her make dinner. Hunter joined not too much later, asking how he could help. So Camila had him set the table as the food was almost done.

"Thank you for setting the table Hunter," Camila thanked, before she called everyone to come down for dinner. He smiled sheepishly as we all took our seats.

That's something I noticed, Hunter was always trying to help Camila out. It was sweet honestly. I recall that Luz mentioned he didn't get complimented often, so that's why he probably did the chores all the time. To get complimented by Camila.

Once we all finished eating, I started to pick up the dishes.

"Oh, I can do that-"

Luz got cut off as Hunter took the plates from my hands, "I got it."

I trailed behind him and said somewhat awkwardly, "I'll help. I can rinse and dry the dishes and you can wash."

He nodded and we proceeded to wash the dishes. I kept glancing at him. I found myself growing fond of him. He tended to be quiet, and he seemed closed off, but he was nice. Not to mention he looked pretty. Could you blame me for admiring him? I've never seen anyone like him before. His blonde hair always seemed to be messy, and his eyes were a dark shade of magenta, reminding me of cherry wine. I noticed he had a gap tooth that I found adorable but I won't let him know that. His eyes weren't the only unusual feature he had, as his ears were pointed. The others had pointed ears too, but for some reason my eyes were always drawn to his.

I dried a dish and put it away, glancing at Hunter once more, only to meet his gaze. I tried to seem unphased and sent him an awkward smile. He looked back down at the last pan that needed to be washed and I felt so anxious. The sudden need to get out of this situation rushed through my system as I felt embarrassed. I kept my gaze on my side of the sink, not looking up as he passed me the pan. I expected him to leave, I mean he was done with his part, but he lingered.

I heard someone whisper and I turned towards the doorway. Luz stood there whispering to Amity and the smile on Luz’s face scared me. She looked like she was up to something and I always knew that didn’t end well. Hunter followed my gaze and he frowned slightly.

“She’s up to something,” I heard him mumble.

“Yeah,” I nodded, going back to putting the pan away. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t turn out terrible.”

I dried off my hands as Camila came in smiling, “Thank you kids. Good job with the dishes.”

I saw Hunter smile once more, and I replied, “Of course! But I should head home now.”

“Of course,” She nodded, patting my shoulder. “Don’t want your mom to worry.”

~~~~

“Okay so we’re gonna have to split up,” Luz spoke up, gaining everyone’s attention. “Hunter, Willow, Gus, you’re with (n/n). Amity, Vee, you’re with me and mamá.”

Today, we were going to the aquarium. Since Camila’s car could only hold five people, I volunteered to drive as well since I had my license. We all piled into the cars and I followed Camila. Hunter sat in the passenger seat, Gus and Willow in the back. The entire time Gus was in aw, staring out the window. I kept my music quiet, so I didn’t disturb anyone.

Once we got there, we all made sure we had everything. Making our way inside, they started to group up. Amity and Luz stood together, being cute and all that. Vee and Camila stood back, watching the fish together. Willow watched as Gus put his face on the glass. Hunter was going towards Gus and I turned to go by Camila and Vee.

“Why don’t you join us, (y/n)?” Willow called out, stopping me in my tracks. I turned and joined them. Willow kept an eye on Gus as he read all about the various fish. I stood awkwardly by Hunter as we watched them. I couldn’t help but notice that Hunter’s attention was set on a sawshark. I watched it as well when he spoke up.

“I thought you didn’t have demons?” Hunter questioned, glancing at me in confusion.

“If you think that looks like a demon, wait till we get to the deep sea area,” I countered with a smile. He tilted his head in curiosity, so I waved him to follow me. Willow and Gus seemed busy anyways so I didn’t see any harm in leaving them to watch the sharks. Hunter followed closely as we entered the dimly lit space. To our left was an angler fish, her antenna glowing, showing off her sharp teeth and gaping jaw.

“Only the females get this big,” I spoke up as he stared at the creepy fish. “They use their antennae to lure in their prey since it’s completely dark where they live.”

“Luz thought the demon realm had weird creatures, but the human realm isn’t much better,” I heard Hunter mutter.

I let out a light laugh, “Yeah, there’s a ton of creepy animals in our world, but we don’t really see them.”

We continued on throughout the deep sea exhibit. I would give some offhand facts about the fish he seemed interested in (if I knew any). I internally patted my own back at the fact I had a phase where I was interested in creepy fish. Who knew I would use the information to definitely not try and impress someone I may or may not find attractive.

“You sure know a lot about fish,” Hunter said after I gave him a fact about Vampire Squids.

“That’s because they’re a nerd,” Luz said out of seemingly nowhere. I jumped in surprise and turned around to see them with a smug grin. Amity stood next to them shaking her head slightly. “Oh sorry,” Luz said with fake innocence. “Did I interrupt your date?”

Hunter sputtered and my jaw dropped at her audacity, “Luz you little-” I would’ve chased after, if only we weren’t in a public space.

“I tried to stop her,” Amity spoke sheepishly, then walked off to where Luz ran. She was very obviously hiding behind a wall staring at us and giggling like a maniac.

“I’m sorry about Luz,” I sighed, trying to ignore the embarrassment that still rushed through me. “She tends to be eccentric.”

Hunter sighed as well before sending me a reassuring smile, “Trust me, I know all too well.” And wait…was he blushing? Great. Now it was awkward again. I turned back to look at the red squid whose exhibit we stood in front of and I tried to get my mind off of what just happened.

“Uhm…” Hunter trailed off, looking at the side of my face nervously. “If it makes you feel better, Luz thinks I’m a nerd too.” I glanced at him, that definitely wasn’t the problem, but that piqued my curiosity. My focus drifted back to the magical boy next to me, our eyes meeting.

“About…um demons?” I asked, not fully sure about what there is in the realm he’s from.

“Magic,” He corrected, he looked to the side and hesitated before he continued. “Wild magic.” The way he said wild magic, it was like he was saying something that was forbidden.

“That sounds cool,” I smiled. “Maybe next time you could tell me about magic. Luz hasn’t really had the time to explain anything about your realm to me yet.”

“Oh, uh, y-yeah, sure,” Hunter said, stuttering, and omg the tips of his ears can blush? “Next time…”

#toh #the owl house #toh hunter #hunter toh #the golden guard #golden guard #x reader #toh hunter x reader #hunter toh x reader #the golden guard x reader #golden guard x reader

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ophanim-vesper · 1 year

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The Collector's Trauma [a semi-theory?]

When King reads Collector a story and he gets to the part that's like "if anyone opposes us just kill them lol", they get upset and tells King to just get to the part where he 'fixed' it

Most people assumed that the Collector was traumatized by the mass genocide his kind committed, and wanted so desperately to not be like them. That's a plausible theory, but I personally don't think this is the case.

For one, the Collector helped Belos in arranging the Draining Spell. Sure, Belos manipulated him, but he only ever lied about releasing him. The Collector was fully aware the spell would kill people, and went with it anyway if it meant setting them free.

Also in King's Tide when Collector takes a look at all the suffering people, they seem less than nonchalant about it. They're even kicking their feet as they watch them! If this is a child so traumatized by his people's crimes, shouldn't he be more concerned of this?

I think that the Collector's trauma seems a bit simpler than that, but is still very scarring, especially to them.

Being a child, they haven't learned how to control their emotions yet. This can inflate any bad memories they might've had when they were younger, making them seem worse at the time, when it wasn't as bad to an adult. This, however, does not invalidate what they experienced.

Plus, they were likely raised around very powerful beings who took what they wanted without remorse. This would have nurtured a bit of a fragile ego in the Collector. This is not their doing, but rather a result of their environment.

Being gifted with so much power, it also came with a lot of responsibility. The Collector was expected of so much, even when they were just a child.

They were expected to be prim, proper, poised, perfect. All things a child couldn't feasibly do, and if they slipped up, even just a little bit, they were reprimanded harshly for it.

All they wanted to do was play, but they were never allowed to be themselves, to be a child. They were expected to be this powerful overlord god at such a young age, simply because they were born as one.

This is probably why he didn't want King to read that part in the story, because it brings back all the bad memories when he wasn't good enough for their kind. Sure he might've trapped the entire Boiling Isles, but he did so because he wanted to play, not to uphold the responsibility that comes with being a Collector, and that's what alienated him from everyone else.

We can see in this mural that the Collector was likely the only child of his... 'family'???

While they welcome them with open arms, growing up around a bunch of adults who already knew what they were doing, while you don't, can put a lot of pressure on you. They didn't have any other 'child Collectors' to play with, so he felt lonely even around his own kind. Already they were expected to be like their older family members, they were expected to grow up.

This coincidentally aligns with the trauma Amity, Hunter, Luz and even King experienced. They were expected to be grown up even though they were just kids. To uphold responsibilities far beyond their age, and to be something everyone else wanted them to be, but never themselves.

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almightaylor · 3 months

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Question- when (not if, when!!) we get the RWRB movie sequel, do you want it to pick up right where it left off, so we see the guys navigating their relationship being public, or would you rather have it do a time skip so we maybe get a wedding and some domestic stuff?

First of all, thank you for the ask!! 💖

Whew the idea of this question is something that i have been thinking about since i first started watching RWRB.

Basing on the collector’s ed, cmq wrote the course of firstprince’s relationship in a fast forward fashion categorized by years. And i really want to separate it into two parts using their places of residence: the brownstone and their potential farmhouse in austin.

In my all honest opinion, i really want RWRB to be a trilogy franchise. I want the 2nd movie to take place at the brownstone, firstprince engagement, henry’s abdication and opening up shelters, alex’s law career, more of pez and nora’s relationship, and more of bea, also angus!!!! and just their domestic life in NYC overall.

And for the third movie, i want the main event- the wedding at the lakehouse!!!, leaving the brownstone and buying a farmhouse in austin, the process of moving in, more domesticity, and just them growing old together and live a life full of love and happiness.

This is like my ultimate rwrb fantasy and I don’t want it to just stay as a fantasy anymore. If we can have multiple movies of the kissing both, to all the boys i loved before, and after, then why can’t we have multiple movies about a gay romcom as well? No shade against these movies, i think they’re great on their own too.

But as what tzp had said, rwrb is a movie in which nobody dies and he’s so right bc like most of the lgbt movies i’ve seen the couples always suffer in the end. And RWRB is the perfect story to expand on, which will give hope to a lot of people.

These are just my two cents on the sequel thing and i am fucking living for the hope of it all. And if they ever do give us a sequel, whatever happens in it will be enough for me too, i am happy enough just to see them again on my screen and have something new to rewatch over and over again.

💙🤍❤️

#hi there #rwrb #red white and royal blue #firstprince #rwrb movie #rwrb sequel

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sepublic · 11 months

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Something I think a lot of people overlook is how King becomes a lot more jaded, snappy, self-aware, and overall more like a teenager during S2. Which about tracks, he DOES undergo Titan puberty…

But mostly, I see it prompted by Echoes of the Past, which is King’s big Loss of Innocence moment, when his fantasy is shattered before his very eyes, and King realizes things are a lot more mundane and unpleasant than he’d like to admit. There’s just little moments like how he’s frustrated and dismisses Eda and Luz’s attempts to reassure him after the Gland Prix fails in Eda’s Requiem; Or in the very next episode, King’s frustrated breakdown near Hooty.

A lot of this also has to do with King just becoming more and more frustrated in general, in response to his waning hope regarding his dad; You can see it Keeping Up A-Fear-ances, when after Lilith projects her own parental issues onto King, he has a moment of spiteful, petulant rejection towards his dad. And while King tries to be optimistic, you can see how that little brain worm just slowly grows and takes over. The pessimism it instills eventually bleeds out into the rest of the world…

I think a lot of how in Edge of the World, King acknowledges that he knows Luz isn’t going to be here forever (or is prepared for that scenario, anyway). It shows a lot of awareness and worldliness on King’s part, he’s not some dumb, naïve kid anymore, he’s matured since S1 and you can really tell. The way he gets frustrated when admitting this to Luz and how he saw the Titan Trappers as his big solution… It really hurts.

Luz’s Loss of Innocence and her gradual disillusionment throughout S2 is talked about a lot and I absolutely agree, as one of those people who analyzed it plenty; But I think we should give King’s more credit. He’s more clever than a lot of people give him credit for, and I like how his edgy blustering about destroying his enemies en masse is replaced by a more subdued, realist, and yet biting resignation over his situation and the mundane helplessness of it all, the constant disappointment that King is preparing himself for. He doesn’t want to be a powerful ruler, he just wants a dad, and yet something so simple is so prevalent and so unchangeable an issue.

King is just. SO used to disappointment by the end of S2. But I love how he doesn’t totally plummet off of the deep end, something as simple as King’s trip with Steve helps King develop a more worldly outlook on life, and come to terms with being a Titan. He could easily fall into spite and anger, taking his frustration out on the world around him… But King doesn’t, he’s grown since then, he isn’t going to fall for that as other characters did.

And this all prepares him so nicely, as did King’s development with Luz and how she supported and helped him grow, for King to take Luz’s place in his dynamic with the Collector; Someone blinded by the optimism of the fantasy. Someone who’s eventually going to have a big Loss of Innocence moment when they learn about death, and realize they CAN’T make a friend out of everyone.

It just makes King more suited as a parallel/foil to the Collector, and a best friend; Someone who was borderline arrogant in his assurance over his power and dominion, only for his whole world to collapse around him with painful revelations. But with the support of others, King and the Collector pick themselves up after a moment of despair, and strive to accept what they’ve learned and incorporate it into their lives, while still holding onto hope in a more mature manner.

King has the perfect opportunity to be a tyrant and take vengeance on the world, the Collector is a Yes-Man to the guy; But he doesn’t. He’s better than that. He could’ve easily had the Titan Trappers obliterated, but King evidently let them get turned into puppets like everyone else. Obviously King doesn’t have total control over the Collector, he’s also at the mercy of their whims, but King DOES have influence.

And what does he use it for? Not to control the Collector or manipulate them. But to genuinely help and teach this kid he sees himself in. King could easily justify or just allow something like Terra being turned into a puppet after insulting him and the Collector, but he’s wizened up. He’s more in control of his emotions, more understanding that there’s more to the world than just King, even if his world IS his dad, technically.

He reminds the Collector that they shouldn’t do that even to Terra, of all people; King knows she terrorized his mom as a youth, but King recognizes he has a lot of power and safety in his position compared to others. He’s not going to leverage it, he’ll just have to be the bigger person instead of letting any mistreatment justify being as vindictive as he wants, which is SUCH a turnaround from the kid who wanted to obliterate anyone at the drop of a hat.

King’s way more in control of his emotional responses now, more tempered. After being reminded of similarities by people like Gus or Luz, King has figured out empathy to see himself in others, more attuned to their emotions; Even moments as small as recognizing how he relates to Edric, or hearing out Alador’s frustrations before breaking the news to him, remind me of this. And again, it prepares King to help the Collector learn empathy, as someone who’s been through that difficult lesson.

Just. King, man. He’s a funny goofy silly little animal sidekick, except he’s actually a little brother who grows through this whole arc of genuinely maturing and realizing the world around him and its limits. Coming to value his found family in his quest for the biological one. Going through a legitimate storyline of disillusionment, before ultimately coming to terms with his situation, and being given one little wish fulfilled to remind King it was not all for naught; Just the simple reassurance of ‘I loaf you’ from the father he’s been searching for all along.

#the owl house #king clawthorne #the owl house collector #character analysis #character development

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mdhwrites · 3 months

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you've said the collector isn't a kid bc he's been alive for thousands of years, but isn't he still mentally (and physically for that matter) a kid though? or at least that's how i think the show wanted us to perceive him as

(though the show never makes it clear if the collector's species just age much more slowly than others, or if being trapped for so long caused this specific collector to never age during that time)

for the record i do 100% agree abt the collector being a monster, so i'm not trying to argue with you on that/excuse the collector's actions just bc """""he's a kid"""""

So... This is one of those things that can't really be proven or disproven. On the one hand, you have the fact that you do not need to be mentally a child to be childish. Also, you can also be a child physically but have had to grow up quickly so you have the worldview of an adult. Not only that but we don't know how his people age. He was apparently old enough to work with his brothers (he knew their guidebook on genocide) but... Apparently a couple thousand years hasn't changed him whatsoever.

The thing that stops me most from claiming he is a child... Is the Draining Spell. In fact, even more than his lines about playing in bones, how Belos likes to torture the Grimmwalkers, destroy them, etc. like that that proves he knows what death is and is kind of extremely evil with how much glee he takes of all of this, just the fact that he KNOWS the draining spell at all is not a good sign.

That is not a spell a kid learns. That is not a spell a kid is taught. MAYBE some very evil or naive kids might accidentally read it but to be able to regurgitate after having been away from such books for literally thousands of years? Let alone to be able to even theorize with someone else on how to do it on a race of people that didn't exist before you were imprisoned. That means you mastered that fucker. You are the draining king! You sapped the magic out of people for FUN. That is how much you like this spell.

Also, if we want to claim he's just a dumb kid who doesn't like death or hurting people, doesn't like mass genocide like his brothers did... What the fuck was the conversation with Belos? What was ANY of them?

"I wish for a spell that can kill all witches upon this land. To make them extinct."

"Oh, you just mean make them sleepy, right?"

"...What?"

Belos is not exactly a subtle person at the height of his ability, let alone as Philip who BARELY is even okay at his job. He used mercenaries and two people who obviously were ready to believe anything he said. MASTER MANIPULATOR! So how is it that the Collector's childish views made him okay with this? It's not like the witches imprisoned him? Hell, he was willing to work with the Titan Trappers who VERY explicitly wanted to murder Titans for him but he just calls them weird. Like... Collector, you had literally NOTHING else to do than talk to these two people. Did you literally never listen to ANYTHING they said?

It doesn't make the Collector come off as a child. It just makes it so S2 Collector is literally a different character. The two are entirely incompatible. Even if they acted the same, the knowledge base and morality of the two Collectors is too severe for them to co-exist.

BUT. Like I said: I can't firmly prove that the Collector does not have a child's mind because while S2 Collector absolutely is just childish and gullible, he is not naive nor is he a child, except in physical appearance. S3 Collector though? That's a lot harder of a sell. He literally just wants to have fun and friends and is too self centered to care about if other people are having fun too. His fun prioritizes everything. That... Honestly still isn't actually a kid's point of view. Kids aren't inherently monsters. They do feel bad for their actions, even if they want to be justified in having fun. Admittedly, the Collector does EVENTUALLY do this as well so it's still kind of there but really awkwardly when put beside even everything else in S3.

After all, he presents King with the same book that has his brother's instructions to kill everything. A kid would not pull that out. They wouldn't risk for a SECOND that being seen. At least... Not a ten year old like this. Not unless we want to say that the Collector is a literal toddler, which is not the vibe TOH is going for. No, he's old enough to know what he's doing is wrong, just not old enough to actually do something about it I GUESS.

You're not supposed to think about it, like most elements in the show. Just like how you aren't supposed to think about how Amity bullied Willow for YEARS. Or how Hunter has probably killed wild witches in the past. There are inherent, core parts of these characters that you're just supposed to ignore so that they can be redeemed and given hugs because they never actually did anything wrong. So the show can tell you they're good people, rather than addressing and showing how they've stopped being bad people.

So yeah, we can argue about if The Collector is or isn't meant to be a child. It doesn't really matter at the end of the day, especially when good luck being actually able to say one way or another. I still won't claim it. I will just claim that he is a monster before he is ANYTHING else.

And I think that's way more important.

======+++++======

It is fun how TOH takes a shot at redeeming the gems in SU and how the fandom rallies around killing the villain being TOH's final subversion when the Collector is RIGHT THERE. You know what also redeemed one character who then went into personally decided exile while also killing the big bad but did it way better? Amphibia with Andrias and the Core. *sigh* Just a side tangent from my Discord recently I wanted to share.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

#the owl house criticism #toh critical #toh #the owl house #The Collector

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