#amity comes from an abusive household herself after all | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mdhwrites · 1 year

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Personally, I remember all of escaping expulsion pretty well. I didn’t mind how Odalia and Alador were presented at this point, but that’s mainly because I thought they would expand on them. Have them represent two major forms of parental abuse, of course they didn’t. they just scapegoat Odalia and make her cartoonishly stupid, while pretending that Alador didn’t go along with her stuff in the flashback.

Using a kid thing was also fine to me. One because Odalia saw Luz as a threat to her authority over Amity, which is bad long term. Two because it was an illegal (according to the GG) underground sale and the Boiling Isles has shown it is pretty brutal, one of the beast hunters gushing about hurting children, teachers getting very excited over toddlers fighting, so it seemed within the realm of possibility that appealing to the customers sadism would be smart. In fact it was arguably one of the last times we see this more brutal side of the Isles.

I agree they should have had more buildup to Amity rebelling. Heck I wouldn’t have minded Amity standing up here if there was a bit of AFTER, so ‘yes Amity rebels here because Luz will literally die if she doesn’t’ but then show that she still defers to her parents or something, have her go ‘I will succeed and be successful like you want, but I don’t want you deciding who I can hang out with anymore.’ Or have Odalia show some genuine affection, but have it be tied with the classic ‘this is for your own good.’

Finally, TO BE FAIR, Luz does show herself experimenting with a load of combos… they just… never get used… ok nevermind that makes it worse.

So… before I get into any of the main points of your post, which are good and show that with some faith, you can see possibility from this episode without being unreasonable. But… I actually have to admit something. Something that, also like your points, the show has made me forget as it doubles down on all the problems that this episode has. This episode honestly only gets more catastrophic the more time that has passed.

But… I should be fair and say that part of why I hate this episode is bias. S1 gave a lot of interesting ideas and questions but very few answers. But my biggest work was mostly written between S1 and 2. Eventually, I had to make stuff up of my own and even from go I had.

And the two biggest elements? The ones I might also be most proud of besides what I did with Boscha? Luz's magic and the Blight family. And I could do an entire blog, EACH, on how I did them in Power of Love and why I did them that way.

And then comes Escaping Expulsion entirely eviscerating anything I did and in a way that I consider fairly lazy and lackluster. Like… It's just not a great episode even if you remove bias. Is it literally the worst? In a bubble, probably not. My worst three episodes are for what they do to the series as a whole, which again, the show only made a stronger case for being a severe negative the more time that has passed.

But I do need to properly acknowledge that I'll never be able to judge this episode entirely on its own merits because of my work with fanfiction for the show and wish I had done before.

Anyways. I've talked about just how bad the Blight parents are and how disinteresting they are in the end. One by being so bluntly, cartoonishly evil that it feels from another decade and makes no sense in a show trying to be smarter and the other by being so wishy washy in characterization and role that… I find him just boring. Boring and useless because it doesn't ever actually pay off. This was just when it began.

So I would argue that the sale itself was entirely legit. It seemed to just be a press event like E3 or the like for video games. What made it illegal was the nature of the abomaton being able to be used as a personal soldier and by how Odalia and Alador react, that thought had not crossed their mind. Bare minimum, not for the purpose of an army. It was genuinely seen as "Have one abomaton in every household to keep you and your valuables safe!"

And… I do agree that it can feel very Isles to use a kid for the demonstration. As time has passed that is eviscerated because there ARE child safety laws in the Isles apparently, and always have been, and S2 Isles just feels different. It doesn't feel the same way S1 did where it is unilaterally cruel. It is just bad players now which is far less interesting and hurts S1 making any sense. The two are just incompatible.

I guess the real problem is that it's so off the mark of what real marketing would look like for this (especially a human. Cool, you murdered this magicless child who keeps somehow casting magic with paper. Get in an actual abomination mage again and then we can be impressed) that it just bothers me. Again, that's the bias as much as anything else talking. That or just hating the fact that Odalia is so evil as to murder a child, especially while knowing that it might genuinely devastate Amity.

Like… When we talk about Odalia being a bad mother, it feels more like her family is an excuse to her more than literally anything else. She is PURE evil with them.

For the Amity stuff, I think that's a reasonable level of complexity to want for a main supporting character like Amity. The Blights were never going to be as complex as I made them, that would have probably hurt the show honestly even without the shortening. But�� Something. Literally anything to not make it such basic, lazy garbage that is then thrown away would have been nice.

I said this yesterday I think but there really is something be said about how much of Amity's character was DESIGNED to be thrown away once the shock value was gone so that any obstacle or contrast to Luz could be removed as quickly as possible. And very rarely is it satisfying to see.

And finally the combo glyphs. We get lip service about her working on combos like… twice besides when she just introduces having made one without a real explanation for how. The only time we see a myriad of combos is when she's checking out the ones Philip made which don't look so complex as to have not accidentally been made by Luz already by then. Just saying, especially with how much time supposedly passes. It's… functional. That is the best thing I can say about it.

But kind of like how little the portal actually feels important to Luz in most episodes of the show, how little effort is put into it and how only one real episode of S2B is spent on trying to even further making the portal… It just comes off as shallow. You made this a big deal before then deciding it wasn't but you haven't even tried to give an excuse to the audience as to why it's important. So you can say that Luz is working on glyphs but if we never actually see that… We only have her word to believe.

And we all know how much Luz likes to lie to make herself look better and make things easier on herself. And I'd maybe argue the show has a habit of it itself.

#TOH #Rambles

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jeremys-blogs · 4 years

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Lumity: A Well-Made Bond

The Owl House has a lot of good things going for it, and I covered a great deal of those things in my last post about it. But there is one aspect about the show that I've come to enjoy possibly more than anything else, and that's the relationship between its central protagonist, Luz Noceda, and supporting character Amity Blight. And before anyone wonders, no, I'm not going to spend this entire thing just fawning over the two and gushing over how adorable I think they are together. But believe me, I am seriously tempted to do exactly that, because hey, just look at that image above. No, as much as all that stuff is true, I truly like this growing bond between the two and how it's developed over the course of the series, with them having started out as being at odds with one another to winding up as so much more. It's been an incredible journey seeing their relationship change in the way that it has, and along the way it's served as an excellent showcase for the character of Amity herself, who is unquestionably one of my favourites in this show's cast. So without further ado, allow me to explain why I feel this relationship is one of the highlights of the show for me.

When Amity is first introduced to us, her very first scene makes us think we know exactly who this girl is going to be for us. She's the typical school bully character. The one who will rival Luz and her friends and push them around whenever they meet. The girl that we'll cheer whenever she faces defeat. Yet despite Amity showing the traits of that character, even in this earliest of moments we see that there's more to her. Yes, she's unkind to Willow, but she's also someone who greatly values hard work, and utterly despises cheaters. And as the episode progresses we may find ourselves siding with her, if only out of principal. Luz and Willow were cheating and lying about what they were doing in order to make the latter look better at her classes than she really was, and no matter how you slice it, Amity losing her spot as top student to someone who only succeed through deception is an unfair thing. Amity's anger was justified, even if we were given nothing else to like about her just now. So while expectations had been set up for her to be an unlikable character, there were already shades of more beneath the surface, and that's something we'd get a lot more of as time went on.

In her next couple of appearances, we started to see Amity outside of the competitive environment of Hexside, and again this brought to light sides of her that wouldn't have been expected. We learn of her ambition to join the Emperor's Coven and her utter glee at the thought of actually succeeding at it. We see her reading to children and actually enjoy doing so, even if she protested at her reasons for doing it. In short, we started to see a great deal of positive traits from her. True, she was still bitter towards Luz, and actions like stepping on King's cupcake certainly weren't called for, but this was definitely the start of her growing out of the bully role she'd been set up for, which is especially interesting considering she'd only had one episode in that spot. Yet her time with Luz in both episodes, Covention and Lost in Language, shows them both growing closer, with Amity acknowledging that there's more to her than just being a cheat in the former, and recognising and appreciating that she herself hadn't been the nicest of people in the latter. The two weren't friends by this point, but it definitely laid the groundwork for them to become such later on.

Then, after the long hiatus of the show, we got Adventures in the Elements, where the connection between Amity and Luz has apparently blossomed into a full-blown friendship. Whatever animosity had been between them had gone by this point, and they were both excited at the prospect of actually going to the same school together. Amity had come to recognise by now that Luz works just as hard as she does when it comes to learning magic, even if she wasn't as far along in her skills as she was, and the fact that they shared common interests, most notably their love for the Azura book series, gave Amity possibly the first genuine friend she's had in a very long time. But there were still bumps in the road for her and Luz, especially then the latter stole her training wand for her own purposes. And on a side note, I understand that Luz was likely frustrated with her own training, but that was still the most disappointed I'd ever been in her by that point. Still, those problems were worked through, and much like with the "library incident" the two worked together to successfully overcome the big danger of the episode, resulting in Luz learning her second spell and Amity looking forward to their time as classmates.

After this, we wouldn't see much of Amity during Luz's early time in Hexside, but her next big inclusion in the story came in one of the season's best episodes, Understanding Willow, where we're given not only another great instance of Amity and Luz working together, but also giving us a full explanation as to why Amity was the way she was towards Willow during their first appearance. It is revealed that Amity distancing herself from her was the result of an apparently abusive household, where the Blight's family status pressured her to associate only with more powerful witches. Her parents even went so far as to threaten to keep Willow out of school should Amity continue to be friends with her. So in the end, it turns out that Amity's cruelty was done so Willow actually had a chance of getting into Hexside in the first place. Now, this is a terrible thing for children to go through, both Willow and Amity, and the latter's parents rightly deserve a good smack for treating their daughter that way. But while Amity's words and actions towards Willow were bad, they became understandable, as they were hiding a greater cruelty behind them. It doesn't excuse Amity for how she was with Willow at the start of the show, but it does put it in a new light. And additionally, I appreciate how this didn't automatically become a renewed friendship with Willow when all was said and done, as such things take time to heal.

And then, we came to the big one. Enchanting Grom Fright. This was it, the big Lumity moment that had the fandom screaming and squealing with joy over finally seeing those two cinnamon rolls get together. And I'd be dishonest if I said I wasn't wearing the biggest smile on my face when I saw that episode play out. Luz and Amity's moments together, especially that now-famous dance sequence, were immediately enjoyable to watch and have likely been re-watched over a dozen times now. But it also served as a pretty definitive marker that Amity's feelings towards Luz had developed far beyond friendship by this point. So much so that her greatest fear was being rejected by her, either in general or for the dance specifically. There had been hints of that liking before this, but this episode confirmed it. And what I love about it is that a lot of groundwork had been established beforehand to make it work. It wasn't just them being friends after the library and then instant crush. Time had been taken to bring us to this point, so that when they finally went together in that incredible dance, it was a moment that the show had fully earned for itself.

Now, before, I go any further with what happens with Amity in the show, I feel like I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the point of LGBT representation in this show. Now, I am by no means someone who is qualified to speak on matters like this, but if I'm going to talk about a same-sex relationship like this I feel it's sort of unavoidable. Obviously I'm happy that Disney is doing this, regardless of whether or not it's their first such relationship on-screen. I have no idea if it is, given all the news I've heard of other "firsts" in Disney media. But I think what's especially interesting about this is that it's taking place in a story where the themes and ideas sort of align with those kinds of relationships. Remember, as I mentioned in my last Owl House discussion, one of the big ideas of the Boiling Isles is that it's a society where those who deviate from the norm are looked down on or punished severely, and I don't think I'm wrong in saying that that's a situation that a lot of LGBT people can identify with. So having this relationship take place against that sort of backdrop seems like an ideal match, though I'm not sure if that's a specific idea the writers had for it.

Once we got Grom out of the way, Amity continued to be a good and enjoyable character, but her development, it had to be said, wasn't as profound after the big dance. Outside of learning that she had past regrets from hurting her former grudgby teammates, the only things new with her is that her feelings for Luz have reached such a point that she's driven to an almost blubbering, incoherent state whenever she's close to her. Naturally, this is as hilarious and endearing as you'd expect, and was easily one of the more entertaining aspects of the Wing it Like Witches episode. However, it also showed a rather unfortunate point about this crush she has on Luz, and that's that Luz herself seems oblivious to it. Sure, that's great for comedy, but it does present the worry that Amity's romantic leanings towards her might not be fully reciprocated. As a shipper myself, this is troublesome, but objectively speaking I can't say it's a real problem with the episode or the relationship. Indeed, having it turn out that Luz doesn't feel the same way, and then Amity having to deal with it with the two still maintaining a friendship has the potential for a good episode down the line, so on that note we'll likely just have to wait and see.

When that was over, we reached pretty much the end of Amity's inclusion in season one. Aside from a few cameo appearances showing her recovering from her grudgby injury, she wouldn't make another appearance in the story. Now, as someone who very much likes this character, this was disappointing, but I do understand wanting to downplay her. She had, after all, pretty much dominated the story for the last few episodes, so I can appreciate wanting to ease off her for a while and get back to the main cast. As far as her relationship to Luz is concerned, we'll have to wait until the show's second season to see where it goes, though I can predict some interesting things between them given how the season ended. Luz is now officially an enemy of Emperor Belos, the leader Amity has spent her life trying to enter into the service of, and that, coupled with Luz's likely dislike of the man, with probably lead to some conflicted feelings between the two girls. I truly hope this doesn't sour the connection they've established, but like with a lot of things brought on by the season finale, that's all up in the air right now. I've known the struggle of waiting for new season before, and I can go through it again.

The Owl House has a lot of great things to talk about, and while I may feel differently about it as time goes on, for now I really do enjoy the character of Amity a lot. The way she's written, the way she breaks out of the expectations we might have started out for her, the way she slowly grew closer to the rest of the cast, to finally developing feelings for our main heroine, it was all a delight to watch. I might even go so far as to say that, when it comes to school rival characters, she may be among the best I've ever seen, if only by virtue of how enjoyable she's been. Like with everyone else in this cast, Amity has been a stellar inclusion, and though I worry about how she'll be handled when the Owl House eventually returns to us, for now I'm very satisfied with what we've seen of her thus far. Lumity may not, as I may have indicated earlier, be the objective best thing about this show, but it continues to bring a smile to my face. And I think we can all agree that, in times like this, finding something that makes us feel happy should be treasured as much as possible 🥰

#essay #writing #my stuff #disney #the owl house #shipping #luz noceda #amity blight #lumity

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bookshelf-imagines · 4 years

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Chasing Light | Part II

Pairing/Fandom: Lumity/ToH

Summary: Things are...spicing up.

Warnings: ABUSE, BLOOD, VIOLENCE AND A LOT OF IT

Notes: Strophium - Cloth wrapped around the breasts (bra) Palla - Female Roman equivalent of a toga; best to look it up for a picture. Don’t really know how to describe it beside “scarf” but it’s not:( PART I || PART III || PART IV || PART V || PART VI || PART VII

Odalia’s iron grip tightened around Amity’s hair and wrists with each struggle, causing the captive to cease her rebellious actions and comply with the older woman. Besides, she broke the rules. For that, one must pay.

Amity was dragged back in the direction of the dreaded manor, only to be thrown into a shed that sits off to the side. It was unkempt, dirty. The cement floor was stained a dark crimson and the walls were cracked from the harsh sunlight. The brown-haired girl knew the room too well, for on occasions where her mistress was angry, she would be pulled there and beaten until miles past exhaustion. She had learned to not fight it - there was no point.

Her knees slammed against the rough stone as she was shoved to the ground, scraping the skin off her hands in an attempt to catch herself in the process. Odalia took her time. One by one, causing her ‘daughter’ to anxiously wait for what was to come.

A candle was lit. The shadow behind Amity grew as she covered the back of her head and curled into a ball. She couldn’t fight it, she would never win.

A whip bounced off of the dry walls, sending a shiver through their brittle bones. They could only watch the poor girl suffer, even after all these years.

Amity flinched, sucking in a sharp breath. The first was easy, the rest would be easy as well.

Wrong.

Another crack broke the air and stripped straight through Amity’s tunic and strophium, licking her bare flesh.

A weak whimper escaped her lips. Odalia cackled and drew back once more.

CRACKLE!

The scourge painfully sliced through the thin flesh on Amity’s back, feasting upon the red that dripped from the wounds left in its wake. The sharp edges dragged back and forth, digging deeper with each thrash and pullback.

Odalia continued the beating until there was barely a shirt left on Amity’s back, completely shredding it and everything else in its path. The latter lay limp on the floor, silently sobbing.

Her back stung like the sting of a thousand scorpions. She was in unbelievable pain, unable to move a single muscle in fear of the rest of her body shutting down permanently. The torn flesh screamed in agony as the air clung to it like a wet washcloth, making her shudder.

Amity stayed rooted to the stony deck as Odalia triumphantly smirked and threw the scourge back in the corner before making her exit. A vile woman, that one, if one should choose to even address her as human.

It was many minutes before any of the other slaves poked their heads inside as they usually did. Granted, the first few beatings they did not help her since she was a Blight, but after they witnessed the inflictions, they eventually opened their arms for her. They did not interact with her outside of the shed, but they would sate her wounds until she could continue working.

So, they did what they do best. They got to work.

~~~~~~~~~~ One week later ~~~~~~~~~~

“It’s not like she’ll actually see you. Just walk by.” Luz mumbled, pacing back and forth. “Smoothly. Walk by smoothly. You can do that. You’ve slain a cyclops. You can stroll by a house.”

The legionnaire had been on patrol for the last three hours checking the perimeter of the town and establishments within five miles of said town. Well...for the last ten minutes she had been tracing and retracing the same eight steps barely outside the view of the Blight Manor.

Luz never would have thought she would have this much difficulty simply passing a house. Even if the house wasn't what she was afraid of seeing, her mind was screaming at her to woman up and continue her patrol.

Without warning, a crash not far away caught Luz’s ear. She poked her head around the corner and saw a carriage with a figure behind it, seemingly loading it. Apparently, however, the figure dropped something, so Luz being the curious soul that she is went to investigate, unknowingly gravitating toward the building she had been avoiding.

“Stupid,” Luz heard a thud follow the word, “Worthless,” another thud, “slave!”

Upon hearing the last word, Luz quickened her movements and fully came into view of the two figures. What she saw sent her into a frenzy.

Amity was curled into a half-ball on the dry road whilst Odalia kicked her again and again. On top of that, a dark crimson could be seen seeping through the back of Amity’s shirt - and it looked like streaks.

Luz immediately went into fight mode and pulled Odalia off of Amity, throwing her to the ground in the process.

“Stay down.” Luz warned.

“She’s my slave-”

Luz unsheathed her sword, pointing it directly at the woman’s throat.

“I said stay down.”

Odalia seemed to stay down at that point, allowing Luz to sheath her sword and turn back around to the injured girl that was struggling to get up. Luz crouched and hovered by Amity, mentally figuring out how to go about the situation.

“Amity.”

“I don’t need your help.” Amity grunted, grabbing on to the side of the carriage but ultimately slipping and hissing in pain.

“Put your arm around my neck.”

“I said I don’t need your help-”

“I’m not asking.” Luz affirmed.

Amity looked back and saw the intense and, not to mention, serious, gaze of the centurion. Her back was screaming due to one of the wounds opening back up when she dropped the box, but she didn’t want to look weak. If she looked weak, she would be punished.

Reluctantly but surely, Amity slung her right arm over Luz’s neck and the latter carefully scooped her into her arms. The arm under Amity’s legs supported most of the weight in fear of causing her back to bleed more.

“You can’t take her. She’s not yours!” Odalia howled, dusting off her tunic.

Luz continued toward the hill, patrol and Odalia long forgotten.

“She’ll...find you, you know.” Amity dazedly mumbled, subconsciously tightening her arms around Luz and burying her head in the woman’s neck.

“Let her find me. It’s you that I’m not letting her near.”

At that moment, Amity’s heart did a backflip. No, two backflips. Was this the feeling of being cared for? Cared about? She didn’t quite know, and she didn’t want to question it either. If she did, it would slip away. Gods, she didn’t want it to slip away, no matter how foreign it was to her.

They continued up the hill until they reached the town, briskly but not enough to irritate Amity’s wounds further. Swerving before they arrived at the gates, Luz traveled around the wall until they were on the eastern side and then entered the town. She went to the first house on the left, seeing her friend outside.

“Willow!” Luz shouted, “I need your help.”

Willow gasped and ran over, “What happened?”

“I’m not sure.” Luz continued, “I need uva ursi and plantain.”

The nature-lover took a second glance at the body her friend was carrying but did not say anything related to them.

“Right.”

With Amity completely passed out from blood loss and no doubt exhaustion, Luz gently laid her on her stomach and ripped open the back of her tunic and carefully peeled off the vermillion-soaked strophium.

What she saw next caused her to choke back a sob.

From shoulder to shoulder, from the neck down, from top to bottom. All that was there were scars and a lot of blood. Lash marks in x-shapes, divits in the tissue, countless short scratches. It was practically a murder scene.

Shaking herself from shock, Luz grabbed a cloth. As she did so, Willow entered the room with the three plants in hand and a bucket of water. The cloth was dipped into the water, wrung, and sluggishly placed on the re-opened wounds, turning from white to red within a second. Every few dabs, the uva ursi would be applied, aiding the effort in discontinuing the bleeding.

After replacing most of the clear liquid with scarlet ichor, Luz got to work with the plantain - one of the weeds to heal wounds. She took the reeds and placed them accordingly, then wrapped them so they would stay.

When she was satisfied with her tasks, she moved Amity to a cot in another room and draped a blanket over her. The latter was still unconscious but seemed to have a more tranquil than agonized expression. Luz soundlessly exited and latched the door, coming face to face with her friend.

“Is she okay?” Willow worriedly inquired.

“She will be.”

“Thank goodness.”

“Wait. Do you...know her?”

“It’s-it’s complicated.”

“Willow.” Luz put a hand on the other girl’s shoulder, “I might be able to help her if you know something.”

Willow paused and contemplated the thought for a moment before sighing.

“Amity Blight. We...we were friends as children-”

“Blight?” Luz blurted.

“Well, yes-”

“Amity Blight.”

“That’s...what I said, yes.”

“I’m sorry, Willow, but I think there’s something I need to take care of. I’ll be back.”

“But, Luz-”

Before Willow could finish, Luz had already sped out the door and outside the gates, winging her way back over to the southern wall.

With each step, Luz’s stance became more intimidating. Her shoulders broadened, her anger visibly flared, and her strides elongated.

She was infuriated.

Odalia had just dismissed a few slaves and was, unfortunately for her, still outside the main house.

Every footfall caused Luz to clench her fists tighter. The sight of the woman sent pure fire through her body, fueling her actions.

“She’s your daughter!” Luz yelled, coming up to the Blight household. The slaves stopped and leered.

“I’ve no idea what you’re talking abo-” Odalia was cut short.

Luz grabbed Odalia’s palla and threw her against the wall, securing her by pressing against her shoulders with her left arm.

“You heard me.” Luz growled. “She’s your daughter. Amity is your daughter.”

Odalia sneered. “That abomination is not my daughter.”

“You’ve been passing her off as a slave for Gods know how long. Why?”

“I said,” Odalia spat, “That thing is not my daughter.”

Luz attempted to strike back, but was surprised by Alador opening the front door with a solemn guise present on his face. He looked at the legionnaire.

“She’s not worth your time.” He sighed, “Trust me, I would know.”

“Amity’s your daughter.”

Alador cast his gaze to the ground before resuming eye contact. His demeanor exuded fatigue, as if he had lied for far too long. His lips drooped then formed a line when he replied, a slight nod in his movements.

“She is.”

“Alador-”

“Not now, ‘Dalia.”

Luz’s force subsided, allowing the woman to slip from her clutches. However, said woman seemed as if she was about to burst. The centurion stood tall, clenching her fists once again and lifting her chin.

“Tell me everything.”

#lumity #toh #the owl house #lumity fic #luz noceda #amity blight #gus porter #willow park #toh fic #the owl house fic #tw: violence #tw: blood #tw: abuse #odalia blight #alador blight #my fics

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sepublic · 4 years

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With what Dana revealed about the Blight parents and they arent what they appear to be in either a good or bad way, do you think she's going to reveal that they arent abusive? Because honestly with the whol thing with Willow and Amity's hair, the fact she never felt close to a parent, that she didnt have a place to go and that she still called a teacher Mom are all red flags. Maybe it will be that not both of them are horrible, maybe Mr Blight is also a victim?

(TL;DR at the bottom)

Let me get this clear; Abuse is abuse, intentional or otherwise. That it doesn’t matter if you didn’t realize how much you were hurting your loved one (like Emira and Edric), or if you were doing it ‘for their own good’ (Like Camila and Lilith). Emotional abuse is REAL and nothing can justify that, and after seeing the very elitist, almost disgusted way Mrs. Blight regarded Willow? How she’s so quick to blackmail her own daughter and someone else’s kid, and treats it like it’s all fine, implies to Amity that if she’s upset about the situation then she’s just being a silly little kid?!

This lady is AWFUL, there’s no room for interpretation. Whyshe’s awful and in what specific ways is interesting… But she’s awful regardless. I’m pretty sure Dana was alluding to the Blight Parents having more nuance than anticipated while still being terrible people, just as Lilith had her reasons for cursing Eda but was still a bad person for never telling the truth, supporting the Emperor’s Coven, mistreating Luz, etc.

In general, if I had to pull together my current read on the Blight Parents, and combine it with my own personal speculation and ideas…

Mr. Blight seems like the kind of person who’s at least… straightforward and honest about his abuse. Like he doesn’t bother with the pointless, ‘sweet’ façade, acting like he’s oh-so kind and caring, that this doesn’t REALLY matter… He seems rather blunt with his feelings. Like he doesn’t try to undermine your feelings by gaslighting you into thinking they don’t matter, mostly he’s just saying, “They don’t matter to me.” Which is still, like, AWFUL, but…

Then we have Mrs. Blight, who seems to be actively smiling at Eda’s misery in the flashback; That or she’s smiling at Lilith, but regardless. She comes across as a lot more willfully sadistic, and more intentional of a gaslighter; Someone who makes you doubt yourself by getting into your head, making you question yourself and if you’re right… Really playing it up like she DOES know best, that you’re just a silly little kid, you’ll learn and grow up eventually… It’s so dismissive and condescending.

Like, Mrs. Blight is the kind of person who when called out bats her eyes and is oh-so innocently like, “Oh, me?” As if she never did anything wrong, that at worstit was some mistake or misunderstanding… That you can still LOVE her, because she totally still loves you and always did! And then you start wondering if you were too harsh with your accusations, if you’re assuming too badly of her, that maybe Mrs. Blight didn’t ACTUALLY mean it, maybe you’re just going too far…!

…Like let’s be real. They’re BOTH terrible. But something about Mrs. Blight rubs me the wrong way… And it’s even MORE aggravating considering how much she looks like Amity and Emira. I suspect that it’s her way of sugar-coating her abuse, dressing it up in a little bow, that REALLY contributed to the Blight Kids internalizing a lot of toxicity without even realizing it, and thus transmitting it to one another and outsiders as a result, under the impression that they’re not actuallybeing that bad, right? That if they other doubt their harshness, Mrs. Blight’s abuse undermines that doubt by reassuring the kids that they’re totally in the right and that at worst they’re just misunderstanding things!

In Lilith’s childhood flashback, Mr. Blight doesn’t really seem to be reacting much.

He seems mostly apathetic, aloof, and chill about the whole thing… Meanwhile, you have Mrs. Blight who very clearly has a much more willfully malicious smile to her about the situation! Though it’s hard to say what him and his wife were reacting to specifically in that moment, as they can be seen glancing at Lilith, who has just been inducted into the Emperor’s Coven…

But their expressions could also be hold-overs from their reactions to Eda, who they likely looked down upon for being a troublemaker and defying the Emperor’s Coven in that moment, getting cursed. Knowing Mrs. Blight in particular, she was probably smugly vindicated by the moment; Like this commoner dared to spit on the very values and ideals that nobles like her held themselves up to, and was karmically punished by the Isles for this! Meanwhile she’s looking down proudly upon Lilith for actually ‘knowing her place’, for ‘learning to be one of them’, for ascending past her lowly peers and whatnot… You get the idea.

Given the way Mrs. Blight was smiling at Lilith in that flashback, I have to wonder if in general she approved of Lilith was one of those few ‘humble beginners’ who became acceptable for the Blights to hang around, which coupled with her status as Belos’ head enforcer, led to Amity being her apprentice…

Though I have to wonder how Mrs. Blight reacted to the Covention Incident and what Amity had to say, especially since she knows firsthand that Lilith and Eda –sort of- had their feuds in the past? I wouldn’t be shocked if she believed Amity about Lilith resorting to the Power Glyph, but still punished her daughter anyway because she’s an abuser…

So, when you combine this with what we’ve heard from Dana herself, about the Blight Parents appearing in multiple ways that could be ‘good or bad’ for our protagonists, and Mr. Blight being an interesting person to write for…

…I think it’s likely that Mrs. Blight was born into the family. She’s the one who has power, given how she dictates that Amity have green hair like her… She definitely has the more elitist look to her in childhood, and her VA was specifically mentioned as a guest-star and everything!

(Getting into some baseless speculation, we know the Abomination Head can’t be the Blight Parents as they were appointed when the Coven System began, when clearly the Blight Parents were kids in its earliest years… Dumb idea, but the Abomination Head’s hair is tied back in a bun, like Mrs. Blight…?)

So in all likelihood, Mrs. Blight is probably the one who wields the power in the family, and I have to wonder what her husband thought of it when she prioritized making Amity look like her, in the process removing the main visual connection his daughter had with him! Did he have any doubts, did Mrs. Blight have to reassure her husband that it was all in good-nature, that surely he understood as an outsider? Or…

In Amity’s flashback, Mr. Blight specifically states that Blights only associate with the strongest of witchlings. If he did marry in as a technical outsider, this would obviously be a very conceited thing for him to say, that he considers himself worthy and strong enough to have joined the family… But after seeing his generally aloof expression, slightly unruly hair, and what Dana said? Amidst my observations of Mrs. Blight having the power, and Mr. Blight seeing more like an enforcer what his wife has to say?

…I have to wonder if Mr. Blight was like, perhaps. The FIRST person that his wife abused and began to take control of. Like, Mrs. Blight WAS interested in him as children because Mr. Blight was genuinely charming and also pretty strong… But somewhere along the way, she used her greater social status to be in charge of him. Maybe Mrs. Blight began dictating how her significant other acted and behaved, to make sure he was ‘worthy’ enough to be a member of the Blight household. And while some of this could’ve been motivated partially by a genuine desire to see him fit in with her, as well as her own conditioning…

…It’s still kind of an awful way to treat your beloved. Maybe Mrs. Blight intentionally abused and gaslit or him, or maybe Mr. Blight was always used to being in a position taking orders from her, out of a genuine sense of loyalty and love… And one way or the other, that twisted into him only caring what she had to say. That to him, his self-worth hinged entirely on whether or not he matched the Blight standard, if his beloved wife would approve…

Perhaps Mr. Blight was someone who was also indoctrinated into the Blight family, not allowed to become one of them until he changed who he was? Like his relationship with his wife as kids was similar to Boscha and her friends, just sort of a follower who got roped in… But with a dash of genuine love and you’ve got him unquestioningly carrying out her orders, helping Mrs. Blight abuse their children together because can’t you see your beloved mother knows best???

Maybe he has experience with what they’ve gone through, albeit from a more sympathetic angle from Mrs. Blight… And regardless, to Mr. Blight, he’s someone who survived the abuse and came out better, stronger for it! He knows it’s a good thing and pays off in the end, those children of theirs just need to understand…!

Because it’s worth noting that he has brown hair. So to Mr. Blight, his wife may be the world to him in a rather toxic sense… That HER lineage matters more, that SHE graced him and his ‘humbler’ backgrounds… I have to wonder if Mr. Blight purposefully cut off ties with the rest of his family to be with his wife, either because his wife specifically demanded it or simply as a side-effect of absorbing her elitist, classist attitudes over time.

…Like, what if Mr. Blight dyed his hair green, too?! To match with his wife… Like he’s the one always making concessions for her because SHE is the noble Blight, and he doesn’t even realize or consider how toxic it all is; Because to Mr. Blight, he takes a personal pride in serving his wife, because there really IS a genuine love there… But that real love is unknowingly hindered by Mrs. Blight needing to enforce some elitist hierarchy within the family. To Mr. Blight, he’s just repeating his wife’s mantra, he sees himself as serving his rightful place in the world, no doubt thanks to Belos and his Coven System encouraging such a viewpoint…

And, like. There’s still some genuine, legitimate trust between these two. I wouldn’t be at all shocked if Mrs. Blight had indoctrinated her husband without either of them realizing this, because they were both kids and this is how she’d always lived! But alas, it’s worrying… That too much of his self-worth is directed towards his wife and neither of them consider this, that Mr. Blight would gladly lay down his life for her because she showed him kindness… But he’s still dependent upon her, and conditioned to be so like many others with the Emperor’s Coven!

I also have to wonder if Mrs. Blight will be an extreme version of Lilith; Someone who legit thinks she knows best and casually gaslights others into doubting their objections without even thinking about it, without even self-reflecting upon it… Like a part of her is willfully ignorant of the harm she’s causing, or she’s taught herself to be outright dismissive of it in the end; Because surely she knows best, right? Perhaps she’s someone who casually steamrolls over what others have to say because while there’s some genuine love and interests she’s also very elitist and patronizing, and was taught that she’s the one who should be in charge.

Then there’s my speculation, half-joking, on the idea of Luz being wholly accepted into the Blight Family, because look at this clever human who managed to wound Emperor Belos! Clearly she’s VERY powerful… Not to mention, Luz is very friend-shaped! So we could have Mrs. Blight trying to assimilate Luz into the family, dye her hair green, make Luz hang out with her kids more and more…

And Mr. Blight is just watching it all, and when Luz expresses doubts he pulls her to the side, explains that he understands and empathizes… But then he tells her to keep going with it, because who wouldn’t want to be where he is now? That obviously it’s worth it in the end to be with your beloved Blight… Not for social status or anything, but simply to serve a higher cause, and someone you love.

So this could be a very ‘twisted’ form of acceptance, kind of like how Lilith initially loved Eda but more the idea of her up until the season finale… Of the Blight Parents wanting Luz, but wanting a specific version of her that’s fully integrated into the family! I can see them using their influence to cut off Luz’s ties with her other friends and family, to make her more entrenched and dependent upon the Blight household…

And naturally, Eda and Lilith and the rest, have a lot to say! Amity definitely has reservations, she wanted to keep Luz from her parents for this and other reasons… While Emira and Edric possibly take it in stride, because they don’t quite realize what’s going on, or they’re just too thrilled at having Luz be accepted to consider the implications of what’s happening! Maybe they think it’s okay because they can teach Luz how to still be her own person, or they’re just glad to have her and don’t think much of it, because while those two certainly try, they’re not always self-aware of the toxicity their parents passed on.

Either way, Luz is inevitably going to have to make a stand and insist on still maintaining her own connections and who she is, Amity will stand up for her… And things will get messy, because I REALLY do not want to see the Blight Parents be angry! Maybe the Twins stick up for Luz and Amity or just stay to the side, because they didn’t really see the issue beforehand? Either they’re neutral and/or they take Amity’s side, there’s no story where they side with their parents!

And, there’s the possibility that. The Blight Parents just REJECT Luz, immediately! And we’ve already seen plenty of speculation on how THAT will go… Such as the idea of them sabotaging Luz’s enrollment at Hexside, even if Belos himself doesn’t care about persecuting her as of the moment.

TL;DR Mr. Blight was an outsider and got fully-indoctrinated into the Blight family mentality and dutifully serves his wife. While he’s still a victim of toxicity, that doesn’t change the fact that he’s now complicit in it as well, something the show addresses with characters like Lilith or Amity. Mrs. Blight is elitist and definitely more of the ‘mastermind’ who has the final say in things, but whether or not she’s actively, intentionally spiteful or is just devoid of self-awareness (or both), I can’t say!

#the owl house #owl house #blight parents #the owl house amity #amity blight #the owl house edric #edric blight #the owl house emira #emira blight #speculation #theory #ask

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kali-tmblr · 5 years

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The Sisters: Parallels in the Relationships Between Yang, Ruby, Weiss, and Winter in RWBY

It's tempting just to run "Sister Stuff" on this space and be done with it, but the subject needs a bit more attention than that. Ruby x Yang and Weiss x Winter are not exact parallels. Winter isn't a straight-up Yang counterpart for Weiss. Yang and Ruby are two years apart. Winter and Weiss are six to eight years apart. Because of age and distance, the relationship Weiss has with Winter seems halfway between the relationship Ruby has with Yang and Qrow. Weiss relates to Winter more like the way Ruby relates to Qrow in Volumes 1-3 than the way Ruby relates to Yang. Weiss adores and idealizes Winter, but she really isn't that close to her in daily life. So while they are alike in some ways, in other ways they are very different.

Let's talk about the similarities first. We have two pairs of sisters. They come from families that have suffered trauma. All four girls want to be Huntresses, with the Big Sisters being further along with that goal, Yang by two years and Winter having gradated from Atlas Academy (a requisite for becoming a Specialist). Both Big Sisters are helping their Little Sister with her training, and are proud of her progress. Both Little Sisters show high levels of talent and dedication. Both Little Sisters adore their Big Sisters, but don't copy them completely. This is fortunate because both Big Sisters are emotionally damaged. Yang has PTSD from the Fall of Beacon, and Winter appears to be still traumatized from her childhood experiences. Having been in a similar situation I would not be surprised if she has PTSD as well.

There's a final set of similarities between Yang and Winter. Both women have tempers that have caused them grief in combat. Winter's signature move in Amity Arena, the one she opened her duel with Qrow by performing, is essentially the same one Yang was performing when Adam cut off her arm. Both women also start out with a tendency in battle to concentrate too much on their goal to the exclusion of their surroundings. This tendency cost Yang her arm at the Fall of Beacon, and Winter her duel with Qrow when she didn't realize Ironwood was right behind her. According to the information on her Amity Arena card, Winter had this tendency even before she enrolled at Atlas Academy, and has it to a greater extent than anyone else we've met except for Ironwood. Yang was able to overcome this tendency with the help of her mentor, Tai. Unfortunately Winter's mentor is Ironwood, who could use some help in this department himself.

But there's more contrast than there is parallel with these young women. Both families have suffered trauma, but the Xiou Long household has recovered and is healthier, in spite of the fact that it's the Schnee family that is "intact". Yang is an optimist, Winter seems to be a pessimist. Due to the difference in their ages, the way both Big Sisters relate to their Little Sisters is different. For Yang growing up with Ruby only two years younger than her, Ruby was her world. According to the Amity Arena card, for Winter growing up with Weiss born around the time she started school, Weiss was an afterthought. These two minor deviations combine to result in a significant difference in how the Big Sisters treat their Little Sisters. Yang is very protective of Ruby, whereas Winter vacillates between "tough love" and abuse, with an emphasis on teaching Weiss that she shouldn't expect anyone to ever protect her. I couldn't help thinking, at the end of Winter's introductory scene in Volume 3 that Winter's treatment of Weiss is not going to go down well with Yang. Honestly, I'm looking forward to that meeting as much as I'm looking forward to Winter meeting Weiss or Qrow.

(I understand that Winter is still reacting from her own abusive upbringing and that she is trying to do better, but she needs to work on it more.)

These differences are underscored in the Yang and Weiss character shorts from Volume 5. Both of these shorts have the same basic plot -- Big Sister gives Little Sister a training session just outside their house back before Volume 1 again. In the case of Yang and Ruby, this appears to be a clearing in the woods near their house. In the case of Winter and Weiss, this appears to be the courtyard of their house. Both Big Sisters state that they are giving Little Sister this lesson because Big Sister won't be around to protect them all the time. And that's about where the similarity ends.

Weiss' short opens with "Path to Isolation", the bleakest of all the Weiss songs. Weiss is practicing with her sword, killing wave after wave of Winter's summoned Beowolves, each preceded by a wave of very specific snow flurries on a cloudless night (a sign, perhaps, that Winter is the Winter Maiden?) while Winter watches from somewhere unseen. (Coincidentally, killing Beowolves is the same thing we see Ruby doing in the first trailer.) Weiss takes out about a dozen before losing her sword and going down. We learn that Weiss didn't perform well enough, but what we don't learn is what the target was. How many Beowolves did she have to kill to pass? How close did she get? Or was it a timed test, did she have to keep going for a certain length of time? You need to give that kind of information when you are coaching, otherwise the coach isn't doing her job. Expressing disappointment with no objective feedback can actually make the student worse. Curiously, Winter never touches Weiss, not even to hand her back her sword. Instead she sticks Myrtenaster in the ground and walks away.

Back on Patch, Yang's short opens with "Ignite", the cockiest of her songs. She is giving a very reluctant Ruby a lesson in weaponless combat. Hand to hand is Ruby's weakness, and while she she's content with that fact, Yang isn't going to let it rest there. Their sparring amounts to Yang attacking and Ruby dodging, until Ruby can't dodge a blow and uses her Semblance to run away. Yang looks for Ruby and finds an Ursa instead. Ruby comes back to find her sister locked in a tough battle with the Grimm that Yang eventually wins. Ruby is relieved that Yang won and distressed that she couldn't help Yang without a weapon. Yang hugs Ruby and, assures her that Yang will always have her back.

Both shorts begin and end with similar framing scenes revolving around runaways. Weiss is running away to Mistral hoping to catch up to Winter (who previously in a time-honored tradition among abused children, ran away from an abusive home by joining the military). Unlike the audience she is unaware that Winter has been recalled to Atlas, and her quest is in vain. Even so, her mood is more melancholy than hopeful.

Meanwhile, Yang is in Anima searching for Ruby, who has run away from home seeking answers in Mistral. Yang was too broken to say anything when Ruby left, but now she is well enough to follow. Her mood is hopeful and somewhat amused.

The major difference between the two stories comes down to expectations. Winter and Weiss have been taught not to expect people to help them unless they "earn" it by virtue of their rank and/or effort. The interesting thing about this assumed privilege is how Weiss uses it. We never see her try to use her status to get something after Blake shoots her down in their first scene. And while she does claim to have earned certain things by virtue of her hard work, the favors in question are all fairly ordinary things that anyone should be able to ask for by virtue of being a person. The most extreme example is when she questions Ruby's leadership position in "The Badge and the Burden Part 2". The question itself is legitimate, but premature, however Weiss is a teenager and "jumping the gun" is a common trait in teens. So it's interesting that in the first two volumes she thinks she has to earn the right through hard work to ask legitimate perfectly questions.

Winter emphasizes that she won't be around to save Weiss and that Weiss has to be able to save herself. This is true, but there's a big difference between being able to look after yourself and expecting that you will always have to look after yourself because no one will ever freely help you.

Ruby and Yang have a different expectation. As Ruby explains to Ozpin in their first meeting, she and her sister were taught to help people. This leads them to have two expectations. They expect that they will need to be able to look after themselves so they will be available to help others, and they also expect that other people will be willing to help them. This leads them to ask other people for help more often. Sometimes the people they ask to help them don't, with Raven being the most prominent example. But more often than not, they do. These different expectations are thrown into stark contrast when Weiss and Ruby run away from home. When Weiss runs away, she's on her own. When Ruby runs away, she takes Team RJNR with her.

(I'm not underestimating how difficult life is for abuse survivors trying to escape, just pointing out how it messes with your head over the long term. I'm over 50, and I still have trouble asking for help.)

Expectations lead to promises. It's interesting how Yang and Ruby approach promises. Yang promises Ruby that Yang will always have Ruby's back, and she keeps that promise to the best of her ability. This knowledge gives Ruby the confidence to push herself further. Does Yang always keep that promise? No, but it takes being maimed to stop her, and as soon as she can she is back to keeping it. In the meantime the confidence Ruby has gained from all the times Yang has kept her word has gotten her almost to Haven by then.

Ruby has promised Weiss that Team RWBY will be by her side every second in Atlas, and has acted to keep that promise at every step along the way. It's not a promise that can be kept forever. Eventually it's going to be broken. But by then the strength and confidence Weiss has gained from all the times it has been kept should help her go much further than she could have gotten on her own.

On a final note, the Winter we saw in Volume 3 might not be the Winter we meet again. As much time has passed for her as for the rest of the characters, and they have all changed. Weiss'disappearance may have shaken her, and she may either scream at her, or smother her with attention, or both. We shall see.

#rwby #rwby thoughts #rwby theory #rwby7 #winter schnee #ruby rose #weiss schnee #yang xiao long #rwby ruby #rwby roosterteeth

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pikablob · 4 years

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Fic Masterpost

It’s been a while since I did one of these, so here’s my so-far posted list of all my fics. Enjoy!

Owl House:

We’re Family Now (T, Luz & Eda & King, Nonbinary Luz, Hurt/Comfort, Family, Adoption, tw: NBphobia) “When Luz's mother refuses to accept her for who she is, Eda and King become the family she desperately needs.”

All The Little Lights (G, Luz/Willow, Soft Fluff, gift for @witchesbeforewizards) “After a long day of school, Willow finds a surprise visitor waiting for her.”

Bruises (T, Amity & Lilith, Hurt/Comfort, Adoption, tw: Child Abuse, Description of Bruises) “When she discovers the abuse Amity's suffering at home, Lilith steps in to give her apprentice the loving household she deserves.”

Camp Camp:

I’ve Had Worse (T, David & Max, Dadvid, AU after S01 E03, Hurt/Comfort, tw: Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Non-Graphic Injury) “While trapped in bed due to his injuries from the Woodscouts, Max is forced to confront some of his buried weaknesses in the form of a worried David.”

Nightmare Hour (G, David & Gwen & Max, Gwen/David, Dadvid & Gwenmom, Hurt/Comfort, gift for @maxunwelll, tw: Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Nightmares) “Unable to sleep after a particularly bad nightmare, Max finds comfort in David & Gwen.”

Port in a Storm (G, David & Gwen & Max & Nikki, Dadvid & Gwenmom, Hurt/Comfort, Adoption, tw: Implied/Referenced Child Abuse & Neglect) “Tired of her mom neglecting her, Nikki runs away to the one family she knows that care about her; David & Gwen.”

Borderlands (Maya & Ava Series):

More Than An Apprentice (G, Maya & Ava, AU after Invasion of Privacy, Hurt/Comfort, Adoption) “Ever since her diary was read live on air, Ava has been hiding away in her room; Maya goes to try and offer her apprentice some comfort.”

In The Aftermath (G, Maya & Ava, AU after Beneath the Meridian, Direct Sequel to More Than An Apprentice, Hurt/Comfort) “Maya survives having her powers drained; she finds Ava waiting for her when she wakes up.”

Halcyon Days (T, Maya & Ava, AU (vaguely post-canon), Direct Sequel to In The Aftermath, Hurt/Comfort, tw: Discussion of Death) “The last of Ava's deepest secrets come out during a stop-over on a backwater planet.”

Red Dead Redemption:

Regarding ‘Jack Callaghan’ (G, Jack & OC, Jack & the Van Der Linde Gang, John/Arthur, Abigail/Sadie, Post-Canon, AU Everyone Lives, WW1 setting, POV Outsider) “In the lull between battles on the Western Front, a young man sends a letter home detailing the unusal friend he has made; a mysterious young man from Valentine by the name of 'Jack Callaghan'.”

Shoot Fellas As Needs Shooting (T, Arthur & Hosea, AU during Blessed are the Meek?, Arthur Kills Micah, tw: Graphic Violence, Character Death) ““It was point-blank. The volcanic pistol roared with fury and spat death." Arthur makes a decision in Strawberry.”

Other:

KND: Insubordination (T, Kids Next Door, Rachel/Fanny, AU (ignores the series finale), Sector Z recommissioned, Hurt/Comfort, tw: Brief Mention of Blood) “Jealousy can be a powerful force; but when it drives Fanny Fulbright to desertion during a high-risk mission to restore Sector Z, she finds herself dangerously close to losing both those who she cares about and her beloved position in the KND for good.”

First Night Jitters (G, Star Wars, Rey/Rose, AU (ignores The Last Jedi onwards), Soft Fluff, Meet-Cute) “Spending her first night on D'Qar, Rey struggles to sleep. Luckily, she's not the only one awake late.”

Nos (T, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Mai & Ozai, Mai & Ukano, Post-Smoke and Shadow, Stealth Crossover, set in my Multiverse crossover continuity, tw: Non-Graphic Violence) “Stripped of his bending and imprisoned for his crimes, Ozai receives an offer from an unexpected visitor.”

The Cruel Wars (M, Hunger Games, Prim/Rue, AU - Rue won the Hunger Games, Angsty Hurt/Comfort, War, tw: Graphic Description of Injuries) “In the burning ruins of District 2, Prim is forced to confront the girl who took her sister from her.”

The Custody Contract (G, A Hat In Time, Snatcher & Hat Kid, Dadtcher, AU - Hat Kid Never Left, Hurt/Comfort, Adoption) “He never expected to care about her, but after finding out how alone Hat Kid really is Snatcher can't help stepping in.”

Orange Fabric (G, Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Link & Aryll, Gender Non-Conforming Link, Family Fluff) “Link is scared to be himself; Aryll just wants her big brother to be happy.”

Hand In Hand (G, Hilda the Series, Hilda/Frida, Marra Frida AU, Hurt/Comfort, Reconcilliation, Fluff, gift for @dailywoodman) “Weeks after Frida cut ties with her friends, choosing to hang out with Kelly instead, Hilda receives a surprise visitor.”

Sleep on the Floor (T, Folgers Commercial, Brother/Sister, Romantic Fluff, Running Away Together, tw: Consensual Incest) “”Brother?” He looks down; she isn’t smiling anymore. He squeezes her hand again, offering gentle reassurance. She takes a deep breath. “Take me with you? When you go back?”“

I’m Here (G, Klaus 2019, Jesper & Margu, Jesper & Alva & Klaus, Post-Canon, Hurt/Comfort, Adoption, Minor Character Death, tw: Discussion of Death) “Two days after the worst storm in Smeerensburg's living memory, Jesper finds a distraught child waiting for him on the post office porch.”

You Came For Me (T, Game of Thrones, Davos & Shireen, AU - Shireen Lives, Hurt/Comfort, tw: Brief Mention of Blood) “But none of that mattered anymore. Stannis and his army and his crown and the witch he’d let influence him could all go to the Seven Hells and take his title of the King’s Hand with them. What mattered now was Shireen.“

I Can Hope How This Will End (T, His Dark Materials, Lee & Lyra & Roger, AU during S01 E08 (Happy Ending), Hurt/Comfort, Adoption, tw: Character Death, Mild Blood) “Lee arrives just before Roger can be intercised, and everything changes.”

Eat You Alive (G, Nighlights (Lorena Alvarez), Sandy & Morfie, Hurt/Comfort, Reconcilliation) “Weeks after their first encounter, Sandy runs into Morfie again, only to realise they have a lot more in common than she first thought.”

The Offworlder (G, Steven Universe, Steven & Blue Pearl, AU - 2nd Gem War, Post-Canon) “On a backwater planet, years after the end of the Second Gem War, a familiar stranger wanders in to Blue Pearl's store.”

Hideaway (T, Wonder Park, Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Spirited Away, June Bailey & Sally Jackson, June Bailey & Haku, AU - Sally Jackson runs a Space B&B and adopts a lot of children, Hurt/Comfort, Adoption, Sickfic, set in my Multiverse crossover continuity, tw: Illness, Discussion of Death) “Lost and alone, June came to the interdimensional station of Argo seeking a fresh start. But after some run-ins with a well-meaning local woman and her adoptive children, she finds the family she's been missing for so long.”

Fallout Equestria: Due North (M, My Little Pony (Fallout: Equestria), OC & OC, Adventure, Found Family, Human-In-Equestria, Incomplete, tw: Graphic Violence, Character Death, Mention of Rape) “After his brother disappears, an Enclave technician finds himself lost in the Wasteland with a foal and a human child to protect and only one aim; reach the Crystal Empire.” - DISCLAMER: I wrote this a long time ago during my edgy teen phase, so I can’t in good faith recommend it. I’m including it here for completeness more than anything else.

#fanfiction

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lollytea · 2 years

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Interesting that no one has any issues with Amity's history of abuse in terms of Lumity, even though Amity has based her ENTIRE PERSONALITY around being Luz girlfriend, and pretty much nothing else.

I've already SAID that I don't believe in the whole "No girlfriends until you've healed from trauma" take so this isn't a critique on lumity. Obviously I adore lumity. But Amity Blight was an emotionally abused, deeply troubled and love starved little girl. At one point, after years of suffering, she eventually learns to stand up to her parents because she's inspired to be a better person by Luz. That being said, though she was implied to improve mentally after that, Amity still did not escape her abusive household. She was still in a terrible situation. Maybe a month later, she paired up with Luz. Where was the time devoted to processing her trauma and healing before she dove into such a taxing emotionally draining responsibility as holding a girl's hand and kissing her on the cheek sometimes? Where was the outrage when it wasn't shown?

I don't mind at all if you believe in the whole idea that Hunter needs time first before he starts thinking about a romantic relationship. Like to each their own or whatever. I'm just saying that it's hypocritical to preach it and not bring that same energy towards lumity.

And also this other idea that if Hunter were to pursue anything romantic with Willow, it would somehow stunt any further development on his part?? What?? he would be rendered incapable of discovering anything new about himself??? You want him to study and learn more about wild magic, you want him to strengthen his bond with Darius, you want him to go to school. Sure. Yeah. I want these things for him too. However because the poor idiot can only focus on one significant relationship at once, let's give his dynamic with Darius all of the focus. Because it clearly has the most healthy and conventional foundation.

(Again, you know I love Dadrius. Everyone knows this. I'm just saying that it's kinda insulting to shelf Hunter's dynamic with Willow in favour of it, if you're gonna preach about a healthy healing process. Of course Darius is gonna be an important part of Hunter's life. But you gotta acknowledge that Hunter's journey to recovery is just destined to be an unconventional one. And it's gonna involve the guy who started off by demeaning him and making him feel like shit. But dating would just be way too much for him to handle, right?)

But anyway, though being Luz's girlfriend became a significant part of Amity's identity, (Listen she's excited. Shes fourteen and it's her first gf. We will be nice to her. ) the relationship did not halt her character development. Admittedly, a lot of it was linked to their romance, though Eclipse Lake had an interesting angle of tackling Amity's trauma by relating it to her relationship with Luz. It was all about how being with Luz has not fixed Amity. However, overall, it's a very positive reinforcement for her.

And what makes it work is that it's never depicted as Luz's responsibility to make Amity better. But rather, it's the reality of having Luz in her life that encourages Amity to do the heavy lifting herself. When Amity realizes that she's not gonna be dumped if she doesn't come back with results, Luz is nowhere around. Luz wasn't even aware Amity was worrying. It was simply Luz being herself that brings Amity to be a better understanding of what love is supposed to be. Amity grows as a person because she wants to be better. And Luz just existing helps her to better understand how.

Beyond that, since she and Luz began dating, Amity has also had time devoted to establishing her interest in competitive brawling, how her dream of being in the EC has been squashed, and repairing her damaged relationships with her father and Willow. (Opinions on the writing of some of these aspects are irrelevant to this subject matter. The point isn't in how they were handled, it's just an acknowledgement that they were added to the show at all.)

Anyway, Amity's relationship with Luz was important to her character. But it did not stunt her ability to develop any further outside of that relationship. Luz did not fix Amity. Amity is working on fixing herself but having Luz around certainly doesn't hurt.

And yknow. Considering the viewpoint of the Hot Take that this discussion is all about. When Amity began dating Luz, she had nobody. She and Willow were still kinda awkward around each other, Alador was still distant. I suppose she had Ed and Em, which was probably the closest thing to a healthy dynamic, if you forget a few months prior when they were absolutely awful to her. Luz was the most positive relationship Amity had at the time. So you don't think there's an argument in here somewhere about dating her being a little unhealthy? Maybe a slippery slope towards the direction of co-dependence?? Maybe??

(Gotta establish AGAIN that I love lumity. You know the point I'm making here.)

Would Hunter have this problem if he were to date Willow? Honestly, it's very unlikely. From where he's at currently, Hunter has a far bigger supportive network than Amity did when she and Luz started dating. He has Luz, Gus, Darius, Willow, Viney, Skara , Flapjack ( Possibly Amity, Camila, Vee, Eber, Eda and Raine too. But we'll only list the ones we're certain of.) Willow does not consume Hunter's entire world. There is no reason for him to become dependent on her alone.

But if I said huntlow has the potential to have a more healthy foundation than lumity because of this point, would you even agree with me? Do I even believe in it? Not really. I dont believe in seriously measuring the level of "toxicity" in either of the ships. They're just kids who are exploring first relationship experiences. Like it's not that deep.

#stupid babbling with no real structure

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