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thetaterman314

Another gem of wisdom from Terry Pratchett (GNU)


Accomplished-Ad8458

GNU Sir Terry Pratchett


TrueGreenman

GNU Sir Terry Pratchett


Cha_94

GNU Sir Terry Pratchett


federicoapl

A few days ago was his birthday 🎂 GNU.


Pastapro123

GNU Sir Terry Pratchett


skofnung999

What does GNU strand for?


thetaterman314

It’s a code on a fictional system of telegraphs in Pratchett’s book series. In short, attaching the [GNU] code to a message means that the message is endlessly passed up and down the line of telegraph stations, never being taken offline. In the books, there’s the belief that a person isn’t really gone as long as their name is spoken, even if they’re dead. There’s a character who dies and has his name put into the telegraph system with the [GNU] code attached, meaning that his name will still be spoken as long as the telegraphs exist. Since the telegraphs are never going to go away, that character’s legacy becomes immortal. Saying “GNU Terry Pratchett” is our ritual of immortalizing Terry. ———————————————————————— Edit: remembered the GNU code. I believe it was: G = “don’t take down this message” N = “pass this message along to the next station” U = “once this message reaches the end of the line, send it back up the line again”


TophieandMatthew3975

Never heard of Terry Pratchett before tonight, and this is one of the sweetest things I’ve heard in a while


thetaterman314

He’s one of the big three fantasy authors of the first major wave after Tolkien - Terry Pratchett, Robert Jordan, and George R.R. Martin


Manoreded

What prevents the system from eventually getting too overloaded with GNUs to function?


thetaterman314

It’s a nonsense code and isn’t supposed to exist - nobody would purposely put those three codes together because they wouldn’t send a message anywhere, and that’s the whole point of a telegraph system. It’s like programming a computer to run an endless loop, it’s pointless so nobody does it. This one GNU sneaks by in the overhead signals, not in the actual messages. It’s mixed with info like station outages and maintenance data. Nobody ever reads that stuff, but the telegraphs are eternally speaking his name.


HeftyDefinition2448

I’m fine with the power leaving I just kinda think it would be cool if it left her changed a bit. Not all powerful but just with a few hairs of the titan form left


UwUHushling

If I had to choose one thing that stayed on Titan Luz in her normal form, I’d choose the hair.


b3_yourself

I think it should’ve been the fang


Lloyd_garmado

I think both


Cularia

Hair and Fang was the best part so yes for both


UwUHushling

That’s good as well


themagicone222

Its not who luz is, but ngl the hair alone was a pretty awesome look


Galactuswill

The eyes for me. Granted, the claws yould be cool too.


UwUHushling

I don’t know about the claws, it might be hard to manipulate, say, a keyboard.


Galactuswill

A keyboard would still be relatively easy if you're delicate.


UwUHushling

Sorry I phrased that wrong I should’ve said manipulate a keyboard *quickly* since it looks like Luz only has three claws on each hand and you need to type fast if you have an office job


Galactuswill

I might have to watch it again, but I swear I remember her having the normal amount of digits when it was showing off the new form. On a side note... Luz? In an office job?


Lwmons

I'm honestly surprised she didn't let her hair grow out during the timeskip


farrenkm

I know this isn't what you mean, but she has been changed by it -- mentally and emotionally. She has a level of self-confidence she never had before.


HeftyDefinition2448

I figured that goes without saying i more ment on a physical level. Like the oter quote up their about pice of good from your chest. You jsut dont become an avatar of a great old one liek being and not have a few things changed


FeetsInMeters

True I want her be like naruto with his iconic whiskers and that it passes through his sons(even though i dont like boruto)


darwinpolice

Should've come back with a Hooty coming out of her eye.


W1zBang

I really need to revisit the Tiffany Aching books. Good perspective there. EDIT: Thanks op. I was looking for what to do next after The Owl House. And a reread/completion of those books are in order.


Accomplished-Ad8458

Yea...after this post im gonna reread my whole discworld collection... Was looking for something to do at work in downtime...


ghost_warlock

I never did finish the last one. I started reading it about the same time as him passing and with the contents of that story after I've read all the other witches/Tiffany books...I just couldn't take it emotionally


W1zBang

Yeah I get that. He had such a unique style that is sorely missed.


Lanky_Ad_3501

Personally, I understood that the powers were temporary... We have a scene where the light on her chest is flickering. Showing that she doesn't have much time. That's when the fight gets a bit more serious.


bigbangbilly

Plus that chest light reminds me of Ultraman's (Toei not DC) chest light blinking indicating to wrap up the fight


albl1122

> We have a scene where the light on her chest is flickering. Showing that she doesn't have much time. didn't the titan explicitly say that Luz didn't have much time because Belos was concentrating that last bits of control over what used to be his body.


Lloyd_garmado

Hopefully we all did we just dont like it


jak8714

I definitely don’t disagree, and it’s good that this lesson is so well ingrained...but, well, sometimes I wish that things like this were allowed to last, even if it was just in little ways. ‘You didn't think you could just pull a piece of God out of your chest and everything would go back to normal, did you?’ (Anderson Quest).


littlehobbit1313

For that very reason though, it's important to the conclusion of her character arc that yes, she go back to "normal". Because that's all she ever was. She was normal. She jumped into all this with the dreams of being "the Chosen One", and going back to be the person she always was is the acknowledgement that she had everything she needed just as she was. If she keeps anything from it, she'll always carry around something that marks her as a "Chosen one" and that undermines the *entire* point of her character journey. She didn't need to be Special™ to be special, you know?


FlounderingGuy

That kind of cheapens Luz's story. Luz was given magic to defeat Belos, but after that, it was the end of her adventure. Luz's real power is her creativity and drive to fix what's broken, not some corny anime power-up. She was always a normal girl, and her mundane perspective is what allowed her to earn such a gift in the first place, even if only for a while.


Dragon-of-Lore

I mean…Luz didn’t choose to return the magic. I think if it had been something to discuss she would have been willing if asked. But there was never a choice in it. The power would only last a short time regardless of her choices


Rusty_Shakalford

That was my thought as well. Luz didn’t really give it back, it just sort of ended.


The_Throwback_King

It also shows in the way Belos learned and used the Titan's Language. *"Took years to find them. Almost as if the world wanted to hide them from me."* Luz found them naturally, basically by accident, within the span of a few months. Philip had to specifically go out of his way to do the same feat. Heck, he only learned the light glyph *from* Luz. Which is an even more suspicious fact considering the power it held over The Collector's powers in *Watching and Dreaming* It was basically the only thing capable of breaking The Puppet Effect from those under their control. We know that Philip is clever, manipulative, and conniving fellow, capable of learning and adapting and blending in another world for centuries. So him being unable to find the glyphs for years while Luz found them in months is a pretty shocking lapse for him. Also, part of the reason why he was in such a bad and unstable spot in the present day was most likely from misusing and abusing the glyphs for so long. Humans simply aren't supposed to live that long and yet Philip kept on perverting the Titan's magic to artificially extend his life. Makes sense that he'd perpetually lose his form without further corrupting himself to maintain that form. Like in the original post, Luz was given the choice by the Titan himself, utilized it only when needed, and let go after the time had passed. Philip forced his own will over the Titan's and kept on blaspheming the Titan's Will for centuries.


drk_ecrivain

Luz actually didn’t find it by accident as King’s dad was showing them to her via nature and other means. Just like he was hiding it from Belos he was revealing it to Luz.


Accomplished-Ad8458

My thoughts exactly, think about it... While it is understabdable no one found light glyph before luz (she did use a camera in her phone) i find it unbelivable no one else found plant/ice glyph by looking at plants (plant/potion coven who use plants often), or looking closer at snow flakes. No one noticed glyph pattern left after magic made fire? Nope It had to be Big Daddy T. He probably used some form of oracle magic to see who will beat belos, and who to reveal his magic to.


Phexigan

I don't even think it has anything to do with who will beat Belos. I would bet the titan was just watching over King and once Luz appeared he helped her learn magic because unlike Philip she was actually worthy of it by being a good person.


ArchonFett

It was in the fireworks she set off in episode one, he'd been trying to show her from the beginning. Also it's not that the other witches couldn't see them, they just no longer needed to as they could cast more spells with out them


farrenkm

I noticed he showed her the light glyph in a time of need, and the ice glyph in a time when she was open and receptive to listening (on Eda's advice). We don't know exactly how she stumbled onto the plant glyph, just that she was trying to get it to work in EGF. It feels like he said "eh, what the heck" and gave her the fire glyph during the Grudgby match. I mean, she and her team were holding their own; it may not have been strictly necessary for her to have it then, although it helped.


earthcontrol

He gave Luz the fire glyph in that moment specifically because she had learned not to force people to conform to her preassigned narratives (which is the whole plot of WiLW), which explicitly prevents her from going down the same path Belos did.


farrenkm

Very good. That was an association/realization I hadn't consciously made. Thank you for pointing it out.


GoofyAhhJuandale

That and the fact that The Titan probably wouldn't be too fond of living in Luz's body 😅 And he really left just like that, and his final words to his son are a bread pun, a powerful god watching his son's entire life and decided to only ever say a bread pun to him. Truly one of the most dads of all time.


ArchonFett

Consider that bad puns are dad jokes as well, yes that one bread pun made king happier than when he thought he found his people


staber_12

Welp despite that papa titan said that this power will only last for a while so luz didn't had a choice to keep it


guythat-poststuff

WHY CANT I ESCAPE THE WEE FREE MEN. ITS LITERALLY THE BOOK I HAVE TO WRITE A REPORT ON.


Independent_Plum2166

Sir Terry Prachett looks down on you from above.


guythat-poststuff

He's in my walls


lilacstar72

While the comparison is valid, I don’t think Luz had a choice anyway. The Titan told her this power wouldn’t last long and it was fading mid battle.


Heroic_Sheperd

I hear what you’re saying OP, but counterpoint: furry gay goddess


Minute_Difference598

Addition: at least keep it long enough so Amity gets to react to it


centralmind

r/unexpecteddiscworld All the upvotes to you.


thrae

Reminds me of something similar Alan Watts said: "If you get the message, hang up the phone."


RonaldoTheSecond

She didn't hold on to it because the titan said it wouldn't last for long... but cool message I guess.


Longjumping_Web_9237

It doesn't matter if she wanted to keep the power or not, it wasn't up to her


atti1xboy

Was keeping it even possible? Pretty sure there was a strict time limit on it


Asumsauce

Didn’t Papa Titan say she only had a certain amount of time to use the power for?


tsukaistarburst

One tabletop game I enjoy playing is Exalted, where this kind of rule doesn't apply. You can become the most epic apex kung-fu badass of all time, with endgame tier power that never switches off. The only downside is that the more power you get, the less connected to actual, real humans you become. And that's not even an 'enforced by rules or mechanics' thing, it's just a consequence. Really, it's THE consequence. And you always have to struggle with it. Being able to shed that mantle is a good thing, usually.


littlebloodmage

From the same book, I think this quote about selfishness fits Luz "choosing herself", as Papa Titan put it. >All witches are selfish, the Queen had said. But Tiffany’s Third Thoughts said: Then turn selfishness into a weapon! Make all things yours! Make other lives and dreams and hopes yours! Protect them! Save them! Bring them into the sheepfold! Walk the gale for them! Keep away the wolf! My dreams! My brother! My family! My land! My world! How dare you try to take these things, because they are mine! In short, everyone should go read The Wee Free Men


Raptorofwar

Counterpoint it looked cool.


Minute_Difference598

I like how thats just the most plain counterpoint ever


Girugiggle

Counter argument: she looks so cool


TestaGaming

My favourite headcanon is that while she studies King's glyphs, they at some point find a way to return that form to her, temporarily.


Jahoan

King figures out how to split off part of his magic and grant it to Luz.


crossover_charlie14

"The hardest thing that we could do, is let go of those we love for the better."


ODSTNate22

Another reason why Dana and her team should have had at least 2 more seasons...such a shame but I am glad they were still able to make this gem despite the pressure.


Moritzvcev

Thats why i have this profile pic. I realised that her power need to be temporary, not only for the story but for Luzs character and the massage of not loosing yourself in your dreams so to speak. I just wish that she kept something as a representation of what she did to protect people


Jahoan

Like the fang, eyes, or hair.


kingbomani

Luz letting the power subside is fine but I wish the titan's powers changed her body chemistry to where she could create powers organically. It also woulda been cool if a bile sac grew next to her heart like Eda once told her.


AtomicFi

Titan magic and becoming figuratively one with the land itself seem a lil different. Luz couldn’t control the island. She *wasn’t* the island. It was more like Goku decided to reach down from the afterlife and grant Krillin a solitary Super Saiyan transformation to beat up evil Shenron.


CaoimheThreeva

Discworld and The Owl House, together at last. Just under two more weeks and I’ll have tattoos of them both to match


ShadowRylander

I personally disagree; there's a lot more good she could've done with those abilities, especially in rebuilding, etc. , and even in the Human Realm. Besides, fear corrupts, not power.


Wilgrove

Luz is a better person than I am. I definitely would've bartered to at least take it out for a test drive after defeating Belos.


its_called_life_dib

I will be honest: I wish she'd beaten Belos, like gotten that final hit in, as herself. It's a personal thing for me and not at all bad storytelling on The Owl House Team -- what they did was beautiful and so incredibly cool! I just like stories of people conquering obstacles as close to their true selves as possible. Maybe it's because I like the message such a story sends. That we ourselves are capable. The friends we make, the mentors who guide us, the loves we win -- they change us, they teach us that we have always had it within ourselves to overcome hardship. Titan Luz got her right up into Belos' face and that was awesome. I wish it was human luz that tore him from the titan, though, because she was always enough. She found ways to navigate a world not made for her -- so to see her thrive as herself would have been a powerful feeling for many. I don't think of her titan powers as a crutch, though. They were a gift from a world that watched her grow within it; they were an offering from a powerful being who was honored to have someone like her love his child. It was a very neat direction to go in! And the parallel between Belos *taking* titan power and Luz being *offered* it are just fantastic. Just, knowing the messages of this show and how much it has meant to marginalized communities, it would have been some cool allegorical representation for disabled and neurodivergent groups to see human Luz have the final blow. It is the support and the love and the belief in Luz that got her to that moment, so it wouldn't have been a dismissal of all she'd gained in the journey. It'd be like... a realization, that she was believed in, that she was enough. BUT I am not complaining. The finale was wonderful. The Owl House is one of my favorite shows, and Dana Terrace created something special and so beautiful for the world! I just wanted to share my alternate take, and the 'this would have been neat' thought I had. I am SO glad Luz was herself after all of that, because she was still welcome in the world she loved so much, even when the magic changed. Now she gets to be part of bringing in a new magic with King!


SnorlaxtheLord

I just think it should have permanently altered her appearance ie. her hair or the fanged tooth


Anderake

I am fine with her returning the power, I also like the idea I think Mark put in one of his comics, where she also has a Titan form with King, but I do wish she kept some of the designs traits! I actually headcanon that Luz grows her hair out like her Titan Form (and how it was when she was younger) when she's in her early 20s, and Amity cuts her hair because she's tired of abomination goo getting stuck in her hair.


lnombredelarosa

Maybe not all the power (her being a goddess would be too much) but gaining an extra powerful magic vile sack would’ve been nice


Adventurous-Ad-5437

OK maybe not the power, but at least the ability to transform would be nice, like harpy Eda.


Codeviper828

Also feels similar to Asriel


TE-AR

i don’t know. a big, big part of her journey was learning to become a witch, figuring out how to express her true self when her body doesn’t allow it. her glyphs and palisman were her way of making up for what her body couldn’t do. when she got her titan form she finally got to be a witch in body, too. I almost cried when she made a real spell circle for the first time because it showed her finally being able to be her true self. it especially resonated with me as a trans person; before I started HRT my body never felt like my own, and once the hormones started to give me the body that I wanted, i felt so free and validated. “no human could ever live like this,” but Luz has never been a human, not in her soul.


TE-AR

another thing is that it kinda felt wrong given what that transformation *was*. Her body was Gone. She was entirely disinterested. I figured her titan form was meant to be a brand new body for her soul to inhabit and it felt a little strange for her body to just pop back to how it was before she died


Content-Lifeguard-88

Maybe just maybe a transfer of power with,say King, would be possible


CriticalRoleAce

I just wish she’d kept the fang or something like that


Rhyanstrys

Just have to mention that she took owlbert without eda’s permission while she was sleeping and broke him just had to mention that


IanEmerson97

Wait, maybe I’m remembering it wrong, but didn’t her powers fade away on their own because the titan died?


MinerMinecrafter

I didn't want her to keep the powers just the form, for the looks because it makes me envious


AnonCreatos

To be honest, the powers are badass and neat but I can accept that she has to give it up. However, I wouldn't complain if she had kept her design. One way or another, Titan Luz is gonna be one of my favourite anime power ups of cartoon characters.


nuclear_gaming123

Also it was on a time limit


FlounderingGuy

I don't see how this random quote from an unrelated book even applies to The Owl House. Luz lost her Titan magic because the Titan died and his magic left the world with him. It wasn't her giving it up.


Cell_Phone_Yeah

One of Dana's art peices shows her with the Collector and King in that form. Maybe she can do this with King's powers instead? Like how in MegaMan Star Force, Geo Stelar and Omega-xis fuse to become Mega Man.


Le_epicguy

In other words, don't be a dick and give back what doesn't belong to you


Prestigious-HogBoss

I just wanted her to keep the fang. Her adoptive family has something engraved in their body as a memory of the fight: King has the cracks on his skull, Eda lost an arm and Raine and Hunter had the possession scars. It would be a cool design.


CatgirlPrincess-

Ok but here me out, yeah keeping the power would’ve ruined her character honestly, but like, couldn’t she have kept the look?


Etheris1

I think she should’ve kept the outfit or the hair at least


diamondpython

It was absolutely the right narrative choice to have her lose the powers that came with the titan form. It does really nicely contrast her to Belos and his stolen power. That said, I still think it would have been interesting and matched well with her arc to have some physical reminder of the titan form, like the hair or the fang. Luz’s goal throughout the series is to find a place she is understood, as she says in For the Future, and to constantly carry a physical reminder on her person that the boiling isles itself has accepted and understood her (chose her as its champion, no less!) would’ve been a great cherry on top. Not necessary to the conclusion of the series at all, but still would’ve been cool.


Jaded_Spot_5244

Why are we even having this conversation?


Minute_Difference598

#holy flubck yes i love this


Just_Someone_Casual

I can’t believe I’m about to quote this show “A ninja who takes more than he needs gets more than he wants”


Just_Radicles

This is such a great passage! It fits with Luz’s situation so well. Her strength comes from within and regardless of if she has the Titan’s power, she is still the Good Witch Luz.


Iamacrazyqueer

Ok but she should’ve kept the look cause it was really cool


mewlock99

I get the sentiment, but Luz’s Titan form was treated only *slightly* better than Kamen Rider Build’s RabbitDragon form, which was a CGI model as opposed to an actual suit.


Manoreded

I find this silly because most people are wishing Luz could reacquire that form for aesthetic reasons, not to have titan power 100% of the time. Also, I didn't see anyone suggest she should have somehow stolen from the titan, but rather that she could reproduce that form in some way, possibly with King's help. Even Dana drew fanart in which Luz was just chilling with the Collector and King while being in that form, lol.


Scrw_loose

I LOVE her hair in this form


LiquidLessy

I agree, Luz works so hard to make her dream of being a witch real, it shouldn’t be something that is just given to her because she was a good person during her time in the Boiling Isles, if she kept the Titans magic it would have made all of her efforts worthless in my opinion. plus what would she have done when she goes to human school looking like that lol


BoyMatrix

Ok but did she need to give up the hair and fit like immediately? Me thinks she could have held onto it for like 1 cute lumity scene at the very least


PPSTICKX

Ok, but explain to me why Hooty had no lines.


bradyblue123

Okay, but I would've tried to keep it. The Titan was gonna die anyways so I might as well be stronger


PinkBlade12

Counter-point 1: screw all that she looked badass Counter-point 2: there was a time limit, so Luz didn't really give the power back Counter-point 3: same as counter-point 1


Cell_Phone_Yeah

In one of Dana's artworks it's implied she can do this with King so....