#conor fenray

[ihaveglitterbombs]

the idea started following me around and wouldn’t leave me alone until I drew this

Anyway that’s how this scene went, right?

[count-sydula]

Nodding my head as I finally get to analyzing chapter 2 of hunted

Soooo Greenhaven right. An Abeke chapter- and honestly a much needed one at that. I feel like getting to see her perspective on this entire thing since switching sides so suddenly was probably the best choice they could've made for that- especially with how she's treated by others and how she treats herself throughout the chapter.

First of all, it starting in Abeke's room at Greenhaven was a really good choice, especially how it was described as really small- and how Abeke kinda compared it to the space at the ship thing she was on with Shane to get to whatever the hell that place she was at was. How there's way too little space for both her and Uraza in the Greenhaven room, how they feel a little trapped. It was a nice touch that reminded me that Abeke is a free spirit and doesn't like being contained (I might mayhaps headcanon her as claustrophobic... teehee).

Next I want to talk about Abeke's bracelet and how it's supposedly made to bring good luck and such- and how that contrasts with what happened to her. I like how she recalls everything that's happened to her in relation to what the bracelet is supposed to bring her. How at first she joined the Devourer's forces, was on the wrong side- on the side that only wants to bring destruction to the world (or at least I think that's what they want- either that or control, or control and to destroy everything and everyone that stands in their way), and that's obviously bad luck! It's terrible luck! And how after she saw just how wrong she was and switched sides, how she was instantly taken in by Tarik and the Greencloaks, even after Barlow died (side note, I'm betting she blames herself a lot for that because he was trying to help her, and that's how he died), and that should be good luck! It should be- so why does it feel like she's still in the wrong? Why does she feel like she doesn't belong? Those feelings cannot be lucky. Perhaps she might start doubting her traditions a little because of that- or maybe the bracelet is just a one time bit.

I'd also like to talk about the way the bracelet ties with her family situation. Her sister, Soama made it for her, and she still wears it despite the... I'd like to say her relationship with her dad and sister is a little strained, probably especially after they just gave her out to Zerif as if they wanted to get rid of her as soon as they could, as if they were ashamed of her for summoning Uraza (meanwhile they should probably be proud of her for that), how despite of that she still respects and/or loves them, because they're family. How she still cares about them despite the only person that really understood her being long gone, how she still believes they truly only want the best for her... Or at least she'd like to believe that.

Either way- when the bell rang for training, and Abeke knew she had to go, so she went out of her room, that was a nice scene. It showed just how free and comfortable everyone can be in Greenhaven, spirit animals running around freely and honestly? It gave me the vibes of a National Park, a little bit- how the animals roamed freely around people, I know they're their companions and such and so obviously they'll be comfortable around humans, but it still felt like it. Or like an animal sanctuary or perserve- do you get what I mean

But moving on- I like how Uraza is shown to still be, you know, an animal. Like how she tried to hunt that bird, because she's a predator and that's what predator animals do. How Abeke had to stop her, because whoa that's someone's spirit animal and you don't eat those- and how Uraza was mad and seemed aggressive towards her before she realized it was Abeke. Honestly great stuff. Shows that despite being a Great Beast and/or because of how long she's been gone, Uraza just- she acts like an animal, because she is one.

I also really like the fact that when Abeke asked if maybe it would be better if Uraza went dormant, she denied, because it shows how free she is- she's a free spirit, sort of similar to Essix, in the way that she doesn't want to be contained, but she's a lot more willing to go dormant than Essix, because she's used to Abeke and trusts that sometimes going dormant is for the better. Sometimes she just acts on instinct and refuses to do things though, and I like that. It's also nice that Abeke understood why she didn't want to go dormant, it shows that despite their bond being good, they still need to work on some things, like control and such.

And also, as they wandered the halls and people greeted Abeke as if they'd known her for years, I'm betting that must've been weird for her. Especially since she was new there, and didn't know any of the people saying hello to her or calling her name. It probably felt strange, to have people you've never met, act like they know you. She probably felt like some odd celebrity role that she never wanted to be- yes, she's her village's chieftan's daughter, but that probably cannot compare to seeing people who know her all around, her having never met them, and them seemingly putting their hope in her hands. And it feels like oh such a burden on her shoulders, one she never even asked for. One she doesn't know she's able to carry. People put their hope in her, they have expectations, but can she live up to them? Is she really worthy of having Uraza around? Of being one of the four chosen? The ones to summon the Four Fallen? Is she really up to the test?

Either way, Abeke got... a bit lost in those halls. So, naturally, she thought to ask her spirit animal for help. That can't go wrong, right? Except it did, because Uraza didn't exactly listen to her- instead going off and chasing another spirit animal. Which, not cool. Honestly the entire scene with how they ran through the building and destroyed everything felt really like those old cartoons where a cat chases a bird or a mouse and just ruins everything without even realizing it- that's what it felt like reading it. It was pretty nice. Not for Abeke, though, because you know, her spirit animal was just destroying Greenhaven and she couldn't even stop it. And she knew just how it made her look, like someone who can't control her spirit animal, it made her look bad. And that made her feel awful about herself, because why couldn't she just control Uraza a little better?

And when she finally stops, she realizes she got tired. And she gets confused, because she used to do the exact same thing back home if not more, and not break a sweat. I'm betting she got worried in that moment that she got worse, that her stamina was deteriorating, she might even grow suspicious of this. But maybe it's just a small detail that won't be brought up later and I'm being insane lol

And after she realizes she got lost, I think that's the final thing that made her just realize how bad it all makes her look- the destruction, the lateness, everything. Especially with her history, which she already isn't proud of, joining the Devourer, being manipulated by Zerif and Shane and such, she knows people will very likely get suspicious of her, especially her teammates who saw what happened and gods I would not be surprised if they blamed her for Barlow's death. After all, it was her he decided to help when Zerif stabbed him. And at that point, she was still on the wrong side. I wouldn't be surprised if at least one of the other kids thinks this was a planned thing and that it's all Abeke's fault that Barlow is dead now.

She weny into a room, and goodness was it a strange room. There were a lot of things there that seemingly didn't make sense, didn't go together at all. Perhaps it was some kind of storage room for things the Greencloaks didn't find useful? Then again, this could mean absolutely nothing, be just a filler. But I think the things have meaning- like the mirrors. Maybe it's for some ritual? Especially when you consider the other things that could be found there, like instruments and that portrait of the girl- and the mural of a man leading animals into battle. I think the mural could be the first leader of the Greencloaks leading their forces into battle with the Devourer. The girl could be of importance to the first leader, or maybe she could be one of the leaders, or an important figure for the Greencloaks in general. Perhaps the room is for rememberance of their history, maybe that's what it's for. I really hope it's explored because the sheer randomness of it all is kind of cunfusing and I can only tell so much about it right now.

And the man that was in the room when Abeke went in- the way she described him, her respect of him for successfully covering up what his spirit animal is with so many tattoos on his body that she couldn't tell which one was his spirit animal's dormant state. Then again, I have a theory that he doesn't have a spirit animal anymore/never summoned one and is an honorary member at this point, which I'm going to talk about more by the end of this rant (lords it's getting longl lol)

Now I'd like to talk about when Abeke left the room and Uraza immediately knew she was upset with her. I don't remember this much, but I believe her tail was tucked between her legs? It felt to me like a house cat getting scolded, which feels like a really nice contrast to the fearsome predator demeanor she presented just moments before. Knowing her human companion is angry with her is... it makes her more 'tame' side show, I think. And that makes her go dormant without protest.

When Abeke finally found her way to the training room, late as all hell, she knew she wasn't going to be greeted by friendly looks, and she understood that. She understood why her new teammates can and are suspicious of her. She doesn't blame them, she's hyper aware of why they may think of her badly and she understands it. Even if it hurts, she knows she probably would act a similar way if she was put in their shoes having to deal with someone like her. A traitor, in their eyes. How could they trust her? She let herself be deceived by the Devourer and they don't know the extent of the manipulation she was put under. They don't know whether she's spying for him.

Rollan frowning, she understood that, she understood his disdain, his suspicion. She understood he didn't like her, she knows why he doesn't like her. She doesn't blame him. She'd do the same. Meilin keeping her face neutral, without expression, but I bet Abeke wouldn't be surprised if she didn't like her, either. She didn't blame her, she'd do the same. Only Conor tried to be nice, smiling towards her. Now, here I think Abeke either didn't understand why he'd want to be nice to her or thought that the niceness was fake, maybe he felt pity for her. She'd unerstand if he pitied her.

She was probably so sad when she saw Tarik's face, as if he was disappointed in her. Yeah, she knew being late would make her look bad and get her a scolding, but goodness, seeing that face probably hurt. It wasn't her fault! She hasn't been here long. She wasn't that good with directions and where what was in this place. It wasn't her fault. Realistically she knew people were going to think it was her grand evil plan, but it still wasn't her fault, and wow it must've hurt.

Meilin being impatient and angry at Abeke for being lost is extremely in character, scolding her and mentioning her homeland again. Her fixation on Zhong is interesting, and I hope we get to see how she develops in that field. Then Rollan jokes about what she said, which is also incredibly in character for him, I think he and Conor could possibly be the ones to cope through humor, then laugh about things with Abeke once (if) they get used to her and start trusting her. Meilin is probably going to refuse jokes the longest, probably finding them distasteful and not appropriate for at least two more books, but I think she'll warm up to them as well. And Tarik being there to shut Rollan down for the joke is pretty cool, too, because he probably sees how bad that could make Meilin feel.

Alright, now it's time to discuss the main thing that happened- training. Fianllyyyy... yay, I've overanalyzed hah- anyway.

So, when they were told they'd be fighting with adults, it probably sounded really fun to them, like Tarik trusts them enough to actually test them in real battle instead of whatever last time was. And then they get told they'd be using regular objects, everyday use stuff, it was... well, they seemed offended, didn't know what this meant. They thought this was going to be cool, but oh man, of course there's a twist to this! There's always a twist to training that Tarik prepares...

And now I'm going to talk about Meilin because she's my favorite(/silly), because she really seemed like she wanted to win training. I think she really needs to realize that you... can't win training. You can't win this- it's practice, it's supposed to make them make mistakes and see where they could do better. Anyway, back to the main plot-

Tarik also set rules, that the adults are to keep their spirit animals hidden but the kids can use them. This just further shows he takes the safety of the children seriously and that he knows that they would need the extra assistance for now- maybe in the future they'll train with the adults having their spirit animals out, but for now he knows the kids aren't ready for that, so he's having this be played out safely. Even if they need to save the world, he knows they won't instantly be good at fighting, so the limits for their adult opponents make a lot of sense. It shows he cares for these kids, and I love that for him. I love that he's just. The father figure, or seems to be.

The training was going good I'd say, honestly not bad for children who for the most part (excluding Meilin) didn't have professional practice. I like the way Errol (the man Abeke sparred with) gave her tips and a 'free pass' at first, because you know, it was her first training with the Greencloaks, so he didn't really know what she knew, how she fought, what she was capable of. It's a nice touch, shows that the people in Greenhaven are just... nice for the sake of being nice, I think.

And then it all crumbled when the second round of training came, because the kids were supposed to work together for that part. And oh boy... at first it seemed fine, but then the adults all teamed up against Abeke, and she seemed just so... helpless. She knew she couldn't defend herself all on her own, and none of her teammates were coming to help her- yes, she tried, but she waws quickly overpowered and tackled to the ground, much to Tarik's disappointment, and the training had to be paused.

Abeke felt like crying. And that's undestandable. Even though she knew her teammates don't exactly trust her, but it still hurt that they didn't even come to her rescue. It hurt like hell, and she wanted to sob, but she knew it would make her look even worse. So she held those tears back, no matter how much she was hurt by this entire thing. Tarik scolded the rest of them, and only Conor seemed apologetic, actually saying sorry to Abeke and helping her up, but the others didn't even bat an eye. They don't like Abeke, and they were making that painfully obvious. Very, very painfully.

And then Olvan interrupted the thing and announced they would be going somewhere for I think another amulet? I think it was that there was sighting of some Great Beast in Eura(?) I think. And he said Finn would be joining them to guide them. And boy, I am curious as to who Finn is, just based on Tarik's reaction to that information. He seemed surprised and maybe disdained at it, and honestly? I don't know what happened with Finn, to make him banned from figthing, but it must've involved Tarik in some way. I'm really curious about that...

And when Finn arrived and it was revealed that he was the tattooed man Abeke saw in that room from earlier in the chapter? Yeah, that's where my theory from earlier in this rant comes in, and I think Finn lost his spirit animal at one point and that's why Tarik feels odd about that man joining them...

Anyway this was the long awaited analysis I've had in my drafts for like a month- I hope I managed to get everything lol

[cococrim]

Meilin, irritated: I hope you have an explanation for this.

Rollan, smug, having already though this through: We have 3 actually.

Conor, unsure of how he got dragged into this: Pick your favorite.

[ihaveglitterbombs]

anyone else ever read a book when they’re like 9 years old and get so obsessed with it they can’t stop thinking about that one character for years or is it just me? No seriously when i was little i used to imagine Conor getting beat up to help me fall asleep and the worst part is that it worked like a charm 😭 i have always loved torturing my faves. Its a personality trait. Or something.

[ihaveglitterbombs]

wdym i dont have it out for conor what are you talking about https://archiveofourown.org/works/78739561 (the little pink fairy photo is from i blieve an insta user called hyacinthiart)

[ihaveglitterbombs]

I’m procrastinating so hard

Anyway I love how you can’t see blond peoples eyelashes until you’re 0.00001 cm away from their face

[ihaveglitterbombs]

Spirit animals high school/band au anyone?

Guys I know NOTHING about music production so like bear with me ok im just drawing what I thought would be a cool idea (fun fact I’ve had this au for years now b it I’m only just sharing it)

Meilin - lead vocals

Abeke - guitar

Conor - drums & backup vocals

Rollan - bass

Their spirit animals are now more domesticated animals so:

Jhi- a rabbit/large bunny

Uraza - Savannah cat

Briggan - uhh a large dog that looks like a wolf, NOT to be confused with an actual wolf dog

Essix - just an actual gyrfalcon, ik u can’t own them but I couldn’t find any domestic bird breeds that remind me of her so technically Rollan doesn’t own her. She just got attached to him and will frequently pop in to check on him

Extra stuff about them/the au:

They go to a private boarding school (Greenhaven) owned by the greencloaks which are like idk an environmental group. They wanna save the environment or smth. And the leader Olvan is very rich and cares about education so he decides to open a school with support from like a bunch of other rich people

They actually have a huge campus and share it with another school called BrightTorch or idk smth like that, bear with me it’s the redcloaks school BUT it’s funded by Shane’s dad and like Zerif and stuff is a part of the board, all the students hate Zerif but idrk where that’s gonna go maybe they’ll mutinize him or smth (im aware that isnt a word)

Meilin and Conor know each other first, Meilin is in all the honors classes and extracurriculars like sports clubs, arts clubs and the like. Conor is in a pre calc and advanced physics course because while his English and grammar is pretty poor, he’s not that bad at other things. He’s in workshop because he likes to carve things and he meets Meilin at a math contest of some sort. They’re probably competing for a money prize because his family is broke idk, Meilin’s just there because she has a need to win everything and prove herself. Rollan meets them somewhere idk and immediately starts teasing them both. Meilin hates him, Conor doesn’t really care at first but it eventually gets on his nerves. One day when Conor and Rollan are doing something random they meet Abeke. Her locker is actually right beside Meilins so Rollan takes this as the perfect opportunity to befriend her and constantly be near Meilin to just annoy her (and slip ridiculous items/notes into her locker pretending he meant to give them to Abeke). Conor thinks Rollan is being a bit mean but his backbone is basically nonexistent so he just tries to be nice to Abeke and hopes the problem will solve itself. Idk how but eventually they become good friends and form a band yayy

[ihaveglitterbombs]

I believe I promised spirit animals content!!!

I love imagining Conor as those tweets on Scottish twitter (in case it’s not readable it says “Asked the bird at Krispy kreme for 4 Nutella donuts and she asked if I’ve got any nut allergies. Aye pal I’m plannin s|_|icide by donut.” I love how sarcastic they are and I live for the idea that Conor is a sarcastic menace whenever he chooses to speak. Also yes he picked it up from Rollan.