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You were walking and you had no idea how long you’ve been walking. The words of the woman who brought you into this world still seem to cut your skin like knives, no matter how far from home you are now.   Well if you could call that place home now.   Nobody was supposed to know. You’ve managed to keep yourself in the closet since you were 12, 8 years hiding from your family. But then college came. You should never have drunk that much and then that girl with an easy smile and pretty eyes. You should have been more careful, but you were already kissing her before you could ratiocinate it properly.   And then the photos were all over your class’s social media. And then your mother put all your things in a backpack. “Freak”, “Disgrace”, “Whore”. You remember those, but you’re sure there were others. There were slaps, punches. There were screams. And your father watched. He just watched as your mom kicked you out of the house, like you were nothing. As if you were only good for them while you were that perfect little girl they painted in their heads. You didn’t argue. It would be like this. You knew it would be like this from the beginning, that’s why you’ve never thought of telling them in the first place.   There were some tears in the corner of your eyes that you refused to shed. You wouldn’t give your mother that opportunity. So you just grabbed your backpack, slung it over your shoulder, and left.   They would tell the neighbors you have decided to leave home. That you wanted independence. Anything that didn’t involve a gay daughter and their reputation for sure.   That’s why you were walking.   Because you had nowhere to go. They weren’t wrong on some points they threw at you, like about you never hanging out with church people. You’ve never had a lot of friends, people always avoided you for some reason. As if there was a small danger sign hidden under your hair that only others could see.   You thought about your grandmother’s house, but your mother had probably already called her. And she was even worse than your mother when the L word was mentioned.   The night was falling and your tears began to fall as well.   You sit on a dead-end street, under the shade of a tree, you remember there used to be a building here that was destroyed many years ago, even the rubble is gone. You pull the heavy backpack off your back. A heavy breath. And then you bury your face in your hands. You didn’t have a job. You had no money. You would end up being homeless. You were already homeless if you were honest with yourself.   A single night. A single kiss.   And it was all gone, just like sand running through your fingers.   You want to throw up at the realization.   It’s over.   There is no family. You have no idea how you’re going to get back to college with no money. You don’t even have a place to sleep.   You want to scream. So bad. It’s not fair. You didn’t do anything wrong. You had great grades in high school, your parents were barely paying for your tuition because of the scholarship. You went to church every sunday. You dressed the way your mother told you to. You followed what was right for them.   It wasn’t your fault.   So why do you feel it is?   Why do you wish now that you weren’t born that way?   There is no way back. Maybe that’s what scares you the most.   You caused this. You and that fucking feeling.   It’s your fault. Your responsibility.   Perhaps if you repeat this a few more times you will be able to stop this feeling inside you. The disgust that bubbles under your skin. This rage so overwhelming it threatens to snap your fingers in half. Because it was her. It wasn’t you.   It was your mother who took you out of the house. She was the one who put your things in a backpack. She was the one who threw you into the street like a piece of nothing.   There’s nothing wrong with you. There’s something wrong with her. And with that man who said he loved you but didn’t get up for a moment to stop her.   She can go on talking about God’s love. She can choke on her words if she wants to. That’s not love.   Condemning a child to live on the street is not love.   It’s just cruel.   You don’t notice when you shout. Throwing your backpack against the tree behind you.   There is a low sound of something hitting a solid surface. You sigh and rub your eyes hard. Removing the remnants of tears.   You weren’t going to cry. Not for them.   You needed to think. You needed to think about what to do.   But then…There was a very strange sound, very alike to something breaking. You turned around wondering if you had broken your laptop but what stared back at you was that tree. That tree that looked so strange now, an unusual color, an unusual twist. You frown but don’t have time to think about what it means before an incredibly strong flash blinds you for a moment.   You stand up in surprise and cover your eyes. A “what the hell” coming out of your mouth.   There is a voice. You sure heard a voice. A soft, cheerful giggle that was soon lost in all your confusion.   And then absolutely out of nowhere.   You were falling. Falling down.   In an awkward position. How to fall forward and not backward. You opened your eyes, but everything was too dark for you to identify anything.   You thought it could be a dream. A weird sleep you didn’t see when you fell. You were exhausted and slept on some park bench. There is a twist in your own body. And then you hit your face on the floor so hard you don’t know how you didn’t swallow your teeth.   There was another tree like that now. Right next to your head. Perfectly put. But when you stand up, gripping the strap of your backpack tightly.   You are no longer in that street.   The place. It wasn’t human. That was the first thing you thought. It just didn’t look human because… If there was such a strange landscape on earth it would be in every geography book. The sky was yellowish, the trees reddish. There were bones the size of buildings sticking out of the ground.   Your next thought is that you’ve finally lost your mind.   But how could you have gone crazy if the ground was so firm under you and you were breathing and you had so great pain in your right cheek it felt like you had been punched?   So this wasn’t a dream. And you weren’t crazy.   A different world. It’s not like you didn’t think there were other worlds. You loved reading science and fiction books behind your mother’s back. But falling into one… That was definitely not in your plans.   Terror starts pumping through your veins.   You were good at analyzing situations without panicking. You were a very dedicated scout.   Your cellphone was out of coverage area. Obviously.   You didn’t have water so that was the first thing you looked for.   It didn’t rain in the past few days, but you found a river not far from the tree where you woke up, it was drinkable as it came down from an ice-covered mountain and the strange animals, like hybrids of the animals you knew, drank in it. They weren’t bothered by your presence. You could live some time with water and the chocolate bars you had in your backpack.   But after the second day, you knew you had to get help. Because that was your last Snickers bar.   You’ve never missed the hideous meatloaf your mother used to make.   Oh this certainly wasn’t your world and you needed to get back anywhere where there weren’t spider squirrels sleeping in the trees where you sought shelter.   There was a city on the horizon. Between the bones and the yellowish sky, but you felt your stomach churn even more just thinking about what you’d find there based on the things you’d already seen. This world was not the friendliest. These strange creatures that not even the horror books you liked to read seemed to have imagined… It made you unstable.   But if you didn’t eat soon. You would starve to death. What would be even worse than dying eaten by something.   On the third day, you decided to act.   Of all the reasons you thought could screw up your cover, the ears had been the last. But in this world. In this world, people have pointy ears, like the Lord of the Rings’ elves, large and pointy. You wish you had known this before entering the market, but you were so hungry.   You tucked your head deeper into the collar of the sweatshirt you were wearing. You had a few dollars in your jeans pocket, but based on what you saw it wasn’t the currency these…creatures used. There were many of them. Of different species. Some even resembled humans so you blended in relatively well.   You weren’t good at stealing and you had no idea what to steal because you had no idea if you could eat any of those fruits or anything that smelled relatively good.   However you understood it was a good sign when your stomach growled near a berry stand. They looked like the your world’s apples. The owner didn’t seem to be around. It was the perfect opportunity.   You hope the creatures around you aren’t quite paying attention to you before you reach out and pick up a foreign apple.   Still before you can even pull it you feel a stab of fire that runs all the way up to your palm to your arm, the pain is so intense it makes you drop the apple, your eyes filling with tears as you notice the burn spreading. You must have made some sound because now the creatures are looking at you.   Something pulls back your hoodie, something invisible. But something you can feel the presence of. It’s powerful, exudes danger and sniffles right behind your ear. You shudder as more tears gather around your eyes.   “What pretty ears you have…Human.” The thing hisses against your skin. You swallow hard. That was a shitty idea.   In all the ways you thought you were going to die.   That was it.   The other creatures are muttering among themselves. The word ear and human being hissed from mouth to mouth.   “I’m-I’m sorry I…I didn’t mean to…” You try, even if you feel it’s useless. Whatever is around you knows. It knows your intentions. It knows you tried to steal.   “Oh, my dear human…Don’t be sorry. I hate when my meat tastes like guilt.” Your eyes widen when you feel what appears to be an invisible claw running down the back of your neck. Your instinct is to run but an extremely heavy hand with sharp claws holds you around the waist hard enough to break. Your hair stands up all at once. The thing huffs playfully close to your cheek and then you feel…teeth. Pointy. Rubbing your skin. It was like that.   This is how you would die.   Pathetic. You didn’t even get a chance to write a will to leave your 50 bucks to the beggars.   “Belial, let the girl go. She dropped her snail.” The voice sounds behind you, but you can’t turn around curiously to see to whom belonged with that mass behind you. You have no idea what a snail is. But the thing’s grip gets tougher.   “Mind your own business, witch.” Witch. The voice sounds like steel, and hot as poison, pieces of glass bathed in something grotesque, scratches your back and you just want to make sure you’re still breathing.   Your heart is beating so hard now you can feel it in your ears.   “Demons always keep their agreements, right? Or do they always eat the customers when it suits them?” A demon. You wish you could talk to your mother right now. She said at some point you would burn in hell… Well, mommy…Wish granted. The creatures are muttering again, and you can almost feel the rage of the thing that holds you. The way it seems to be holding itself back from simply slitting your throat with its teeth.   “You’ll pay me for this, you disgusting witch.” He says this with a very well-placed threat. The claws start leaving you, slowly…So damn slow. When it really lets you go you drop to your knees. There are tears in your eyes, warm tears, perhaps from the pain of the burn, perhaps from humiliation, perhaps from fear. For fuck’s sake you almost wet yourself.   You notice that there is a small golden coin on the ground that disappears when you look at it again. The apple drops to your side, rolling to touch your leg.   You are no longer hungry. You surely think you might throw up.   “Hey.” The leap you take away from the person is not surprising. Your heart races again at the possibility of something else wanting to eat your ears and only when you’re a few steps away you allow yourself to focus for a few seconds.   It’s a woman.   A woman with pointy ears and heterochromatic eyes.   Her hair is jet black, long and dark, if not for a single white streak running through it, and her skin is so white it seems to reflect the sun from that strange place. She also wears a skirt almost as dark as her hair and a shirt with a low battery symbol, which would have been comical in another situation. She looks like an earth woman in her 30s, thin, white and with cheeks as sharp as knives. If not for her ears you would mistake her for a human.   She has an expression that you can’t quite understand, she seems resigned but at the same time tempted to get closer.   “I don’t think everyone is as lucky as Luz was.” You frown and the woman ignores your gesture as she takes the apple and holds it out to you. “It’s not the best fruit around here, but it’s edible for humans.” Your eyes go from the fruit to the woman to her ears.   That’s what gave you away. The round ears.   Of all the things you’ve imagined. The ears were what almost killed you.   “I’m Lilith.” You almost say your name. A reflection you can barely contain. But you have no idea who this woman is and all the stories you’ve heard about witches… Usually they fed and then ate.   Your mother’s voice resonates in your head again. Quoting some religious shit about Adam’s first wife that you can’t get out of your head.   Lilith doesn’t seem offended by your silence in any way. She gets up and dusts off her clothes.   Oh she’s tall. She must be at least 6 feet tall and you feel overwhelmed. You were no more than 5'5 and you were on your knees. On the floor.   “I won’t say you should trust me… But I can assure you, I am the last thing you need to fear in these lands.” Your stomach growls. You tell yourself that’s just why you take the apple out of her hand and not because her eyes looked so…Oddly inviting. As if she thought you were a little bird she needed to take care of. Now that you really look at her. She leans on a staff, white and with a white raven carving on top.   It was beautiful.   “I’m Y/N.” Lilith looks down at you and you can swear there’s a small smile in the corner of her black-painted lips as you bite the fruit. It tastes like watermelon. Strange but still yummy.   “If you come with me, Y/N…I believe I can get you a nice dinner and a decent bed. What do you think?” You look up at her. Maybe the dirt on your clothes told her you had been sleeping on the floor for 3 days.   You look at this strange woman who saved your life from a demon and who now offered you more. A lot for a stranger who didn’t know anything about you.   “I have no money.” It’s your answer. Biting into the juicy fruit once more. It felt different somehow, your stomach was filling up a lot faster.   “Have I demanded any?” She raises an eyebrow, slightly in true confusion.   What are her intentions? Kindness? Pity? Eat you later? You can’t tell and you desperately want to have a little sense and not accept so much from a stranger. That’s how horror stories started. That’s how people died.   But you haven’t slept in 3 days. You haven’t eaten anything but chocolate for 3 days.   That’s why when Lilith gestures for you to follow her with her staff, you do as she commands.   “Where are you going to take me?” You can’t help but question as you throw the fruit kernel into a trash can.   The trash can ate the kernel.   It ate.   “My sister’s house.” She says calmly as she walks with a posture you wouldn’t have in a thousand years. There’s a short pause as she stares at the sun and the way the city’s streets stretch into a swamp. You can’t take your eyes off her and it should make you ashamed if this day could be considered ordinary. But nothing in that day was ordinary so you don’t mind staring at her as you walk. The light that lowers in the sky reflects in her eyes, one is green like an emerald and the other is gray, it makes you think of a storm. “Home.” She corrected then, almost testing the word on her tongue. You raise your eyebrows slightly. “The owl house.” You frown, but just follow her when she leads the way.   At least it didn’t sound like the name of a house made of candy.   You thought it was safe enough. The Owl House was a residence with at least 3 floors in the middle of a clearing. Lilith didn't mind walking all the way, but you were already panting when the weathercock finally appeared through the trees. You used to be the kind of teen who only exercised in rare situations, you realize that it was probably a mistake now. "We have a quite...Noisy house. Try not to freak out about it." You would have frowned and asked what she meant by that, but before you could open your mouth a bird's face appeared before you. The surprise was massive enough for you to fall on your butt, eyes wide as your heart seemed to rise into your throat for the third or fourth time that day. "Who's your friend, Lulu?" The bird that did not have a body but a tube connected to its head spoke. That. This was the culmination of the strange things you had already seen. A bird. A tube bird...Speaking. The collapse wants to scratch under your skin. "She's a human friend, just like Luz. Her name is Y/N but don't follow her around, okay? She's still getting used to everything." There's a little giggle in Lilith's voice that says she's having too much fun with someone being all agitated with this creature. The bird nods excitedly as you get up. "Now why don't you go and let Luz know we have a guest, Hootsifer?" She caresses just below the bird's beak and it leaves with a "hoot" that you understand as cheerful. "Is his name Lucifer?" You know there are many more important things to ask, but still. "His name is Hooty. But I call him Hootsifer because..." She looks at you and you can swear there's a small blush spreading across her ears, it's pretty evident considering her ears stick out of her hair. It takes everything in you not to raise an eyebrow. "Lilith and Hootsifer. Sounds cool." It's the witch's turn to frown slightly in your direction, you have no idea what she's thinking about but then, just for a moment she smiles, just out of the corner of her mouth. It's just a small smile, but it's contagious somehow because you feel the corner of your mouth twitch. This is quite unusual. And again before you can ask one of the thousands of questions that are in her head, a scream interrupts your thinking. "¿UN HUMANO?" Your eyes go to the house just in time for a girl with brown hair and wide smile to walk out the door excitedly. "HOLA, AMIGA!" She is waving and smiling and jumping from one foot to the other. You look at Lilith again and she just motions for you to go ahead. You do as she commands. Because you don't see other options. (...) Luz was a human, just like you. She had come to this world through a portal that (oh how wonderful) was destroyed in a battle, she said it so fast you could barely catch it. She is cheerful, luminous, the kind of person you would have loved to have around when you were her age. And she's kind too. She took you by the hand and sat you on the living room sofa, asking you not to freak out because this world could be too scary the first time around. You thought she had a point, still, that owl design on the ceiling, covered in a light you'd never seen, was also incredibly beautiful. A golden owl that glowed, pulsed as if alive. The owl house. The name never felt so right. "Eda! Lilith found another human." The girl ran into the house again, returning a second later with a woman. Paperwhite skin, white hair, pointy ears, wearing a red dress with heels, and if the shape of her face didn't say enough... She had one amber eye and the other gray. Sisters. Your eyes go from her to Lilith almost at the same moment and then you lower your head. It wasn't right to stare at the lady of the house. That was something your mother would say. It would take you a while to stop following this kind of ridiculous mental rule. "How did you end up here, kid?" She doesn't seem aggressive when she asks this question. Not at all actually. She sits on the other sofa, her brows furrowed in genuine curiosity rather than accusation. "A tree. I guess." She frowns even more and looks at Lilith. Luz is still bouncing from one foot to the other behind the couch. "Portals to these lands don't come out of nowhere." She flexes her jaw as she looks at you as if analyzing you as if trying to see some kind of danger under your skin. You have to avoid the urge to roll your eyes. It's kind of ironic that she thought you could be dangerous. You. "She's not a witch, Edalyn. If she were she wouldn't have nearly been eaten alive by a demon in the market." Your eyes go to Lilith again. She's got her arms crossed now, you think it's to prove a point. You hadn't noticed it before, but she has pretty long hands, with black-painted nails. "Did someone say demon?" A small…(talking?) cat jumped to your side. That should have scared the life out of you but after the bird, at the door, you believed nothing could be weirder. The little animal appeared to have a skull fused to its head and had the loveliest eyes you've ever seen, a very interesting mix of purple and yellow. "As king of demons, I can make the best contribution." You resisted the urge to scratch the back of the pet's neck. It reminded you of the cat you had when you were a kid. Sir Arthur. "Well, in that case, how many days have you been in our world?" You force yourself back to the white-haired woman. Her eyes sparkle with curiosity. "3 nights, it's my fourth day." You could have sworn her eye glowed gold with realization. "You came here on Samhain." You've heard that word. Somewhere. In some book. But now it seems to float around in your head and doesn't make a lot of sense. Maybe it's mental fatigue. You aren't sure. "It was a pretty nice day. We had a party at school and burned blessed pieces of wood logs for good omens on the next year." Luz said and Eda smiled in a very motherly way at her before turning to you. “You humans know it as Halloween. It's basically the day when the veil between our world and your world is much thinner, much more penetrable from both sides. Even though it would be necessary a great amount of magic to bring a whole human here." You try not to get too attached to the word "whole" the image of just your underside coming into this world was too disturbing. The little demon cat looked very bored with the conversation and curled up next to you. His head resting on your thigh. "Did you go to any Halloween party?" The girl added then, looking at you expectantly. If you were honest. You didn't even remember it was Halloween. You knew the bomb was about to go off at home so you didn't have time to think about what day it was and what the implications of that were. "No, I didn't. I'm sorry." Luz wasn't disappointed though she just smiled at you in a way that... In a way that made you feel comfortable in your own skin for maybe the first time in a long time. She's really that kind of gentle. "Do you think Belos might have something to do with it?" It was Lilith's turn to ask, Eda's eyes were still on you when she shook her head. "I don't see what interest the emperor would have in bringing a human into the isles. But we cannot dismiss the idea that it was one of his attempts to try to enter the human world." You want to ask who Emperor Belos is and why the hell he wanted to go to Earth. But your head was already burning with so much information. So you just get each one of them. Trying not to freak out with each new cognitive explosion. Which was already a pretty big challenge. "So…Can we stay with her?" You would have smiled at how Luz asked the question. Sounded like Lilith, as if you were a puppy they found and had to take care of. Which, before your situation, you couldn't deny was somewhat true. "She is a conscious person, Luz." Eda corrected, but also with that motherly smile, you feel that kind of reprimand was quite common. The smooth type. No slaps. No screaming. Just a conversation. Edalyn's eyes flick to you and she inclines her head gently before speaking again. "You stay if you want. But I can assure you that if you want to go home, no other witch on the boiling isles is more interested in finding a portal to the human world than I am." You would have to understand this later. All the story that surrounded Luz, Eda, the destroyed portal. Because the Earth was your home, not this strange world where demons nearly killed customers in broad daylight. But now you just nod your head. You feel like it's never been heavier. "YeY! Weirdos stick together. That's it chica, c'mon you can have the room right beside mine. Like it's not a big room but you'll be near and I can show you around." Luz took you by the hand and practically dragged you across the room talking too fast for your aching head to get used to. "And I can teach you magic. I'm teaching Lilith and Eda because they've lost their powers and they're doing really well, as you're human I think you'll catch on much faster and..." You stop for a moment. Turning around before Luz drags you through the arch of the room. Your mother taught you a lot of useless things that you didn't agree with. But gratitude was something you could use now. "What can I do for you? For letting me stay?" Eda frowned until her eyebrows almost came together and Lilith opened and closed her mouth as if she didn't know what to say. Even the demon cat opened its eyes and stared at you doubtfully. "Hm…don't worry about it right now. I really appreciate having another adult in this house." Lilith glared at Eda in accusation and you raised your eyebrows as the other woman growled in her sister's direction. "Just rest, kid. You will surely find your place in this strange family." Family. It's a weird word that echoes in your head as Luz pulls you around the second floor of the house talking about more things you could hold back. "I've never taken you for a magpie, Lily." Eda's voice sounded even as you stepped on the bottom step of the stairs. It even sounded over Luz's voice. You have no idea what a magpie is, but from the laughter that echoed through the house on the next moment, you understood Eda was bullying her sister. You didn't have siblings, you couldn't have known the feeling. But you saved the word to search later. For some reason. (...) You lay down on the mattress Luz found for you in the back of the upstairs hallway closet. It sure wasn't the best bed you'd ever had, but it was better than the floor you'd slept in for the past three days. Plus you're clean and smelling like mint thanks to the soap in the bathroom. And your belly is full. After a rather eccentric dinner, to say the least. The owl house had a total of 5 residents and they were the most eccentric family you've ever seen. Luz Noceda. The human girl who fell into this world through a witch's portal and didn't want to leave because she felt that this was her place. The most adorable girl you've ever met. She resembled you at her age, the dilemma is that you couldn't be like her. Luz was a free bird. You were a bird whose wings were constantly clipped, always trying to fly with what was left. Depressing. Hooty. The Owl House itself. He...you don't know exactly what he is. But he seems kind, a little too outgoing to try to make new friends (he almost made you have a heart attack while changing as he appeared in the bathroom window out of nowhere) but overall a good bird, he protected the house so Luz said. King. The cat demon. King was the king of demons. Or so he said. He has a great fascination for power and is also usually quite kind, cute to tell the truth. Like a pet with a craze for grandeur. Eda Clawthorne. The owl lady as her wanted poster warned. She hung it on the living room wall, along with a Luz banned poster. They were proud to be misfits. You thought you could handle that pretty well. The owl lady is sarcastic, cheerful, and quite goofy, like a teenager. She was fun and even though you were still out of orbit you couldn't help but duck your head to laugh at her jokes around Lilith, her older sister. Lastly. Lilith Clawthorne. The woman who saved you. Also, the hardest woman to read you've ever met. If the others exposed their emotions and thoughts so easily and were so open about who they were and how they acted. Lilith looked like a brick wall. She smiled at the corner of her lips at some jokes, she watched everyone with interest as they spoke but her eyes seemed miles away. She seemed the farthest away at the dinner table, even though Eda tried to bring her as close as possible. There was something there. There was something incredibly heavy, like pure iron resting around that witch. There's something you don't understand. You don't know why it bothers you so much. That coldness so evident in the face of the heat that everyone else exhaled so easily. You barely know her, but it bothers you for some reason, it scratches under your skin for some reason. Maybe it's because she saved you. You owe her a debt now, one you're not sure you'll ever be able to repay, so maybe that's why you at least want to understand her motives. Or maybe it's just your obsession with analyzing characters sounding louder than you could stop it. It wasn't by chance that you decided to go to Literature College. After dinner, you helped Luz wash the dishes. She was still asking a million questions you didn't have answers to. Like "what did the portal you passed through look like?" "Was there a witch nearby?" “Have they released the fourth season of Stranger Things?”, that one did you know and, unfortunately, you went to a world without wi-fi and without netflix. She talked a lot but it didn't really bother you, you liked her energy and you could make the most of it once your head stopped hurting so much. "Bed, you two." That's what Eda said as soon as you put the last dish on the dish drainer. She pointed to the stairs and Luz saluted before grabbing your hand again. You were tempted to say you were too old for a curfew, but you honestly didn't find the will within yourself to object. You were exhausted and were secretly thanking the owl lady for sending you to bed. You went up the stairs with Luz again, but not before you saw Lilith open the door to wish Hooty good night. You wonder why on earth the only person she really has any kind of common bond with is a bird trapped in a door. And now you wonder why the hell you are thinking about this woman instead of sleeping. It's late. You need sleep because you haven't slept well for three days. It must be post-stress tension. You're restless, you can't keep under the blankets without feeling suffocated. You feel that demon's claw sliding down the back of your neck again, you shiver remembering the cold, the voice like poison and boiling steel, the threat, and yet if that wasn't enough you relive every word before falling into that portal. How ironic it was that those words made your body feel worse than remembering the claws of a demon. "Freak" "Whore". And then that pair of eyes. A green one. A gray one. Staring at you, trying to help. How could she have such a sharp demeanor around everyone and still be the one who saved you? Why did she care? That's why you get up. You seek in the dark for your cell phone and turn on the flashlight so you can see the corners of your room. It was a small room that Eda had probably used as an arsenal before. There were a few weapons still displayed on the walls, but they didn't look sharp. The floor was covered in soft fabric and there were weights in some corners. Maybe an old gym. You approached the window and opened it. The frosty night air hits your face and you almost sigh in relief. That's nice. This looks enough like Earth to settle your mind. Your eyes close for a brief moment and just for a second, it's like you're in your bedroom, on the second floor, with the window to the backyard where your swing set still stood. Dad never got rid of it, even if you haven't swung on it in over 10 years. He was a good father, he only failed the one time you really needed him, but he was a good father. You sit on the jamb and look up to the stars that shine in the sky above. The only issue... is that there are no stars. Just little balls of light, you can see it in almost the same second. They are small, incandescent balls that glow a few hundred yards away, some even seem to float closer, you think you can touch one if you climb to the top of the house, but the prospect of breaking your neck it's not very welcoming. However, it is certainly not the gas balls thousands of kilometers away that graced the solar system where the earth was. This was a very strange world...Bizarre to say the least. But... Beautiful too. Somehow... A morbid beauty perhaps. "Y/N." Hooty's voice hummed your name and you widened your eyes, your heart pounding. You jump away from the window in the same second, instinct making you act faster as it has been happening over and over again these days. "I can feel you have the window open, are you okay?" You ran to close the window and then crawled back into your mattress, determined not to get out until the sun came out. (...) You woke up with the slight morning light in your eyes. You slept like a rock, which was no wonder. Voices sounding through the hallways of the house, so you're sure there are people awake before you get up from your mattress. You go down the stairs, trying your hardest not to make too much noise because you had no idea if people were still sleeping. The living room is empty, but the owl-shaped symbol glows from the ceiling, pulsates. Noises are coming from the kitchen, so you head there. Edalyn is rummaging through the fridge for something. Lilith is sitting at the table, a mug between her fingers that says “Bad Girl Coven” and she seems to have the day's paper in her other hand. Her back didn't touch the chair, but her posture was perfect as if she had an invisible ruler that held her spine in place. "Good Morning." Your voice sounds hideous, a little groggy from sleep yet. Lilith's eyes almost immediately go to you, staring at you for a brief second before she goes back to the paper, no response. "Good morning, Y/N." Eda mutters while still rummaging through the fridge. "There's cereal on the top shelf of the cupboard and do you like milk or do you eat it without anything like Luz?" She turns to you with a bottle of red liquid in it and she pours it into another mug similar to Lilith's. "Hm, I'm lactose intolerant, so I think no milk is fine." Eda got Count Chocola for you. Ironically, or maybe not, it was one of your favorites on earth. "GOOD MORNING." The excited voice made you look back to receive Luz with a small smile. She already looked ready for the day, completely excited. Eda ruffled her hair affectionately as she walked into the living room. You hear the front door open and a sleepy “hoot” from Hooty as Eda walks out. "So human friend, what are you going to do all day?" Luz asked as she pulled the cereal box closer and poured some into her bowl. As a matter of fact, you had no idea. "What do you do on your days off from school?" Luz opens and closes her mouth for a moment, thinking. “I hang out with my friends, Willow, Gus, and Amity. We always find something to do, or I write fanfics or draw anime characters. I read a lot too, you can't be a good fanfic writer if you don't read a lot.” You try to control your smile, but you can't quite manage it and ends up slipping away for a moment. "Well...you seem to have a pretty busy life." Luz lets out a laugh as she shakes her head. "I'll be waiting for you outside, teacher." You're not surprised when Lilith speaks, much less when she gets up. You were well aware of her presence you didn't see how you couldn't be well aware of her presence. "Teacher?" You ask then, your brows furrowed in doubt. "Oh yes, I'm teaching Eda and Lilith glyph magic because they lost the magic in the same battle we lost the portal." There is something. There's something there. Something under your skin scratches to find out more, why they lost their magic, and how that was possible. But even from the back, you feel an overly sharp look directed at you, one that makes all the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, even though you can't even see it. The iron wall feels even firmer now. You shouldn't ask. So you didn't. "Do you think you can arrange me some books?" Luz's eyes sparkled when you asked that question, you would say with such excitement that it seemed to come out of her pores. "I surely can." She practically stuffed the rest of the breakfast in her mouth, barely chewing it before dashing out into the backyard in her colorful witch school uniform. You were smiling when you got up from the table to go outside. "Good morning, Y/N." It didn't scare you like before, you'd have to get used to that little face stuck in the door at some point.  "Good morning, Hooty." You think he widened his eyes and opened his beak in excitement. "Nobody ever says good nothing to me besides Lulu." He spins his head happily and although it's a little weird you think it's quite adorable. "I bet we will be a trio of best friends by now.  Three is always better." You just chuckled at Hooty, he was too innocent to notice how things were going. The bird just blinked his eyes several times, which you took to be a friendly gesture. "Do you think you're ready to create bigger things?" Luz asked. You frowned as you leaned against the doorframe, watching as Lilith and Edalyn stood with staffs in hand. Eda had a staff with an owl on top, quite similar to Lilith's, but it was brown. "I think we can try a combination of larger proportions, then we can think about how to transfer that to paper." explained Eda. Luz nodded for them to proceed. Your eyes followed as the two witch sisters drew wide circles on the ground with the tips of their staffs. You had no idea what they meant, but they were connected to each other and formed a pattern. "Ready Lily?" Edalyn asked as she found herself beside her sister. Lilith responded with a small smile that could mean yes or no. However, she did the same as her sister and without further verbal exchange between them, they touched their hands to the ground. The circles made in the earth ascended in gold as the symbol of the living room itself. But it wasn't just that. A golden owl left the spot where Edalyn was touching her hand to the ground, filling with fire and expanding. In the same way, a raven the size of the house itself emerged from the symbol of Lilith, spreading its wings and glowing blue. This was magic. You weren't terrified. You were delighted. "Guys, this is so damn awesome!" Luz exclaimed as Eda's owl dissolved into golden fire and Lilith's raven into blue flames. You don't remember the last time something impressed you so much. Maybe your first Fourth of July as a kid, or maybe your New Year at the beach when you were 17. Nothing compares to that. Nothing compares to this frenzy you get to see that power, to feel that power in the air, you feel all your hairs are up and your heart is surely sounding in your ears. Impressive. "You guys are doing great, keep practicing as much as you can, I'll try to get home early today so we can go over the last combinations you've been making." Luz had that kind of excitement that made you believe that even in a completely different world, in a life that wasn't yours, there would still be room for optimism. "I'll give you a ride, kiddo." Eda threw up her staff and the owl at the tip spread its wings, to simply float. Who needs brooms, right? Luz waved at you as she sat beside the witch and then they were gone, disappearing into the sky that showed the first brightest rays of sunlight. Lilith cleaned her staff before starting to walk into the house. You expected her to say at least a "hi", but she passed directly beside you, her arm rubbing yours just for a moment. Harsh and firm as steel. She smelled like something refreshing. Pine, lemon with a sweet touch. Not a word to you but she didn't look at Hooty either. You shrugged. She wasn't obligated to be your friend just because she saved your life. Still, you hated being ignored. That's why you roll your eyes before entering the house again, having no idea what to do to occupy your own head. Try being friends with Lilith was cut from your list. Hooty would have to wait to have a trio of best friends. There was an established routine at the Owl House and after 3 days, you could say you got used to and adapted perfectly to it. Perhaps that was why the human race had lasted so long, they were easily adaptable. You got involved around these misfits, criminals, and strangers incredibly effortlessly, and now that you think about it...It happened because you were considerably similar to them. You didn't have a place at home either. Weirdos stick together? That was what Luz said, wasn't it? You think you started to understand what that meant. During the morning and part of the afternoon Luz went to Hexide, a school for magic folk, Lilith and Eda studied glyph magic. Meanwhile, you read. Back on earth, you didn't have many friends, you didn't have a lot of people to talk to, while the girls in your class hung out with boys or friends, you read. You've always read more books than would be healthy for anyone and after your pleading request, Luz started smuggling some for you. Of all kinds. Ranging from the ones she used in school to witches' literature, fantasy that witches wrote about humans to very interesting tragedies that you believe inspired some of Shakespeare's plays. You've been reading most of the time, that's how you were gradually getting used to this world, with its stories, with everything that surrounded you. It was what kept your sanity in place as well if you were being honest with yourself. You've never known what King did during the day. Occasionally He curled around your feet while you read, sometimes he would just disappear. Certainly like a cat. Lilith and Eda didn't normally stop for lunch, so you ate alone in the kitchen while they practiced magic outside. It was the time of the day when you could stop and watch them without looking awkward. It was…impressive to say the least. You had already identified some types of spells. Spells of fire, ice, light, some linked to nature. Lilith was especially good at those connected with confusion, with illusion, the ones that left a glowing blue mist when she manipulated them, creating imaginary crows the size of buildings. Magic was still extremely abstract for you. Your mind still hadn't decided how to feel about it, but you had to admit it was just beautiful watching the Clawthorne sisters perform complex spells in the backyard of the house. You still don't know which kind of spell Eda is better, probably the ones linked to fire. You are not sure. When Luz returns home, she checks witch sisters' work and then gets to do her homework. As you have a lot of free time, you don't mind reading her books, you've always been a nerd in high school, and helping Luz is a pleasure for you. It's something to do. You all have dinner together and then there's free time in the living room. Usually, Luz, Eda, and King play games. You and Lilith read. You don't know if she's already noticed that Luz has been smuggling books for you every day, but she doesn't seem exactly interested in what you're reading or your existence at all. She saved your life but doesn't seem interested in establishing any kind of friendship or even a minor connection, just as she doesn't seem interested in getting involved in the family activities that develop around her. She has her own world. It's what it seems like. A world of her own where she just socialized with Hooty and had, at most, polite conversations with other people. You have no idea why your head is so involved with it. It might just be her, she's like that. You don't know her, so you can't say she doesn't feel right. So why doesn't it feel exactly right? You watch the game that Eda, Luz, and King are playing. It looks like something with cards, but a little too complicated for you, mainly because the cards were eating each other up. A particularly good move made Eda let out an excited squeal as she pulled chips from King for her. You chuckled a little while shaking your head. You've never thought you'd see anything like what you've been seeing these past few days, but it's incredibly comforting. For some reason, it's comfort you feel sitting on the sofa in the main room at the Owl House and you have no idea how long it's been since you felt it. You have no idea if ever... You felt it. It's kind of ironic that among people you barely knew you felt better than in what you used to call home. These people...These people accepted you without even thinking twice, without questions, without demands. Wasn't that how a family should act? Your eyes tingle, so you take a deep breath before gripping the book tighter. You return to your reading of the isles' history. Lilith reads about magic and history most of the time, some books in languages you don't know, and she has impeccable focus. You often found yourself getting lost as you read because Eda and Luz knew how to be chatty and noisy when they wanted to, but she didn't. Maybe she was used to it already or maybe she actually was just indifferent. You were living in the Owl House for 3 days and Lilith Clawthorne's probable indifference was already making something move under your skin. How Luz and Eda lived with it daily and showed nothing but kindness and understanding? What were you missing here? Why does nothing make sense? You fell in the middle of an episode of a show, in the middle of a book chapter. You want to understand. This lack of connection makes you uncomfortable, it's like looking at an unfinished work, a painting that never had a chance to be finished before the painter died. Harsh and firm as steel. This couldn't always be like this. "Here." You've probably spent plenty of long minutes wondering because your body jumps back when you hear a voice sounding relatively close. You hit your head against the sharp wood of the sofa. It hurts a little, but nothing compares to the surprise of hearing Lilith speak to you for the first time in 3 days. She's standing in front of you, wearing a blue sweater and pants combination. It was her pajamas, you'd noticed. It matched her eyes. You force your own head to focus on what she has said and what she's extending to you. It's a book. The cover is purple and the title has golden letters. "What is this?" You can almost hear her say "a snake, can't you see?" but then she just shakes her head negatively. You can see her rolling her eyes under her skin. "A book." She simply says. "Oh t-thank you." You stutter and feel the heat rising in your face incredibly fast for that. God, you're pathetic. Lilith offers you just that twitch of her lips again as if she knows what you mean and then she goes back to sit in the armchair across the room, nothing happened. And perhaps for her, nothing really happened. You still have no idea what was really going on at the Owl House. You feel like you've been late and missed a lot of important parts. But you learned that night that Lilith Clawthorne could be many things. But she wasn't indifferent. You look at the book in your lap. “The Boiling Isles through the years, Book II”. “The Boiling Isles through the years, book III” are the words on the cover of the one she gave you. She... She recognized which book you were reading. So if she's not indifferent... Not even with you... Why does she keep acting like she doesn't belong here? Your eyes catch her from across the room. She's back to the foreign language book. Nothing happened. She hasn't shown the slightest gesture of sympathy with you since the day she took you off the street. It's like nothing has actually changed. Lilith Clawthorne...What do you hide under that skin? What could there be inside that I'm missing that I can't understand? And why the hell does it bother my own head so considerably? Her eyes look up at you, green glowing more than the gray one. She normally wouldn't leave her reading for anything, but your staring session must have annoyed her. You have to bow your head. Your cheeks are heating up again. Something tells you that you will soon find out what is wrong here. Because apparently you couldn't get your attention away from her. Not for a measly second. You've always thought those Wattpad stories about girls killing each other over guys who didn't give a shit about them were just complete nonsense because if someone didn't care about you, you wouldn't care about that person, and end of the story. Well. You were wrong. Her supposed indifference intrigues you. You want to know who she is. You want to know Lilith Clawthorne and had no idea how to start. (...) "So here it says that fire spells are better linked to strong emotions than others, so it's the element of power." You nod your head as Luz traces the lines of the book with her fingertip, there's a picture of a witch with a fireball in each hand. You reread this part to help her with her homework that afternoon. It was quite simple, she just had to write a short summary on how different types of spells could affect a witch's emotions. Light spells usually referred to calmer, more comforting sensations. Those linked to aberrations could mean resilience. The illusion ones seemed to mix frenzy and calm in balance, often the most difficult for an inexperienced witch to perform. “There is a part at the end of the book that discusses ice spells. I don't think any of your colleagues would have time to find it.” Because you've been looking for this for 30 minutes while Luz read the other parts. The girl rolls her eyes in such a juvenile way you can't help but think it's funny. “Our spell teacher is the perfect female Severus Snape example. Thank you, Y/N.” She turns the pages to the end of the book, you point to the page and she finds it easily. There's a little section about the ice spells that you and Luz read slowly, but there's nothing about the kind of emotion there. The girl lets out a frustrated sigh before laying her head on the table. “Lilith. A little help here?” Eda had gone to the market with King to buy something you didn't pay much attention to. That's why Lilith is the only one in the living room with you, practicing glyph combinations across the table. And even though she was completely silent, you were aware of her presence, as seemed to be usual. "I'm not supposed to help with your homework, Luz. That's cheating." Now you believe that you and Luz roll your eyes in the exact same way. "As if all the witches in her class didn't have witch parents to whom they're going to ask for help." Lilith's eyes meet yours, one eyebrow slightly raised, she says “what an example” without needing words as she narrows her eyes. You just raise an eyebrow in reply, shrugging. "C’mon, Lilith, we've researched everything, you've seen it." The other witch just shook her head, black hair bouncing and receiving different reflections in the living room light. "Your teacher wouldn't have given you homework you couldn't do." Luz threw up her arms in exasperation, her eyes wide almost saying "Duh?!". "It's evident she'd be giving us homework that no one else could do, which part of her being the female version of Severus Snape didn't you understand?" Lilith looks at you for a moment and she doesn't really seem inclined to give you the answer. However, Luz's very pleading eyes must have some effect, because she sighed deeply before reaching over to pick up one of the books she had been reading. “Ice is water, water is the element of change. The sensation is one of fluidity, connection, spirit, and body as one.” She opens the book on a specific page before handing it to you. "But I don't support cheating." You nod your head in thanks, which Lilith ignores. You read the page with Luz and it's there. It was the last thing you needed for her work to be complete. "Can you read it for me when I'm done? I really want to impress her." You just nod your head, a small smile at the corner of your mouth. Gradually, you felt that you were taking Luz as a little sister you never had a chance to have and you appreciated the feeling. "You know, you should try magic." The unexpected interference of Lilith's voice makes you stop reading whatever was written to look at her. Her eyes are still on the drawings, but you can almost feel her attention on you. "I beg your pardon?" Because you don't honestly understand. You weren't a witch, that was pretty obvious, and as much as you thought it was beautiful the way people in this world did magic, you didn't know if you wanted to learn it. Mainly because you wanted to go home and you didn't see how it would be possible to use magic again in a world without magic. It was better to nip it in the bud and not even want to learn. You feel Luz's eyes playing between you and Lilith, similar to a table tennis game. She's waiting for a reply. "If you want to get back to your world it will probably entail some chaotic battles going forward. You can stay in this house while we're out resisting the best we can, but I have to admit help would be welcome." You had no idea how to feel about it, but if it could help them in any way you would definitely use your nerd brain to learn to be a witch. It was the right thing to do, right? These people welcomed you. If you could help them in any way, you would. "Do you want me to try doing magic?" You immediately feel Luz's eyes on you with quite youthful excitement. She always had that kind of enthusiasm that made you feel so significant. “YES, please! I've always wondered what another human's magic would look like and it's so cool to do magic, you feel a tingle and…” Lilith gestures to Luz, a sign of polite silence that the girl, incredibly, accepts. You watch the witch draw a simple symbol on the paper, it was the fire glyph. Her fingers are long and graceful, traversing the shape with knowledge and accuracy. She moves closer then until she can be kneeling beside you, you don't remember her being this close since the day she found you. Distinct eyes, skin so white, lips colored black. You can smell her perfectly now. She smells like a forest and tulips. Fresh but sweet. And you don't remember being so aware of someone's warmth, even close like that. You can almost feel the shadow of her touch. "Give me your hand." She's not commanding, she's asking. Her tone of voice doesn't sound the same as the one she uses daily to deal with everything. It's softer, you'd say almost childlike if that could apply to Lilith Clawthorne. It's the first time you've seen her excited about something. Your eyes stare at the glyph. Would it work? It seems a little ironic, considering your current situation, but you had stopped believing in magic many years ago. Seeing Lilith, Eda, and Luz doing this was like seeing a lost episode in a childhood cartoon, that's how it felt. That's how you felt. How long have you wanted magic to be real? But a glyph is just a piece of paper, you don't have magic, you were never special that way. The books you used to read in hiding gave you some comfort in your teens, at 11 you thought your Hogwarts letter would arrive. At 12 you thought maybe some satyr would show up at school to take you to Camp Half-Blood. When you turned 18, you just begged a golden beast to break into your house and take you to the other side of the wall. Yet that didn't happen. None of this happened and you had to live 20 full years with people who despised who you were. You weren't special. Magic was never real in your world, magic didn't save you. Why would it be any different now? Lilith looks at you, hand extended. Doubt shines in her eyes. Are you afraid? Of course, you're scared, magic is something for special people. People who meant something to the fate of the world. Not for freaks. Not for people like you. Your mother's voice echoes in your head. There is no magic. There are just them. There's just that moment looping in your head. Magic won't save you again. If you touch that glyph nothing will happen. It's just a piece of paper. You feel your lips dry and your heart beating slower and slower. Astonishing how your parents screwed your head up on so many levels. "Trust me. It won't hurt you.” It shouldn't hit you as hard as it did. But it hits. Because Lilith Clawthorne, the woman made of steel who has barely looked in your direction all these days is asking you to trust her. Just trust her, her eyes seemed to be gleaming, the shade of gray looking a lot like a misty morning now. When was the last time you trusted someone? It's ridiculous because you don't remember. And she has the most beautiful eyes you've ever seen. You hold your tongue to the roof of your mouth to keep your eyes from watering when your fingers rest on hers. Her hand is nothing like you imagined, not harsh and firm as steel. It's nothing like she appears to be. It's soft and it's warm, which reminds you of a cocoon. She welcomes your fingers and this feels like the first touch in a long time. You had no idea how starving you were for touch until that moment. The warmth and smoothness of the skin. A touch that wanted nothing more than to touch. She took the glyph and extended it across your palm and then her other hand reached for your free hand. She looks at you, just for a brief moment. But you understand what she's looking for. She's seeking approval. If you really didn't want to do this she would stop right there. She simply wouldn't do anything. She's comprehensive, she cares about how you feel. So why doesn't she demonstrate it? With everyone? You just nod your head and she nods back before she makes both your hands join. Maybe because of the emotions you were feeling at that moment or maybe because it was your first. But your first spell is like getting a shock but in a very pleasant way. An intense, heated shiver runs through your hands as the fire surges from them, glowing in a soft golden light that makes you grin from ear to ear in almost the same second. You did magic. This was magic. And it felt right. Nothing has ever felt so right. The way the flames spread through your fingers without burning, the way the fire warmed your face, the way the little chilling heat spread through your arms until it reached your heart, the way Luz screamed and made a " you nailed it!" dance behind you, the way Lilith smirked. That small smile, but that reached her eyes. The first time you did magic it was like simply finding something you didn't know you had lost. You didn't know you needed this until it happened. A puzzle piece you've been looking for. It's a connection. It's something outstanding. It's the first time you believe you're doing something meaningful. "Thank you." The words leave your mouth before you can even predict and you have no idea exactly what you're thanking for. Your ears started burning. Lilith just nods though. Sure, that's what that gesture means. And then she walks away again. Cold comes slowly, not suddenly. You don't used to notice these details and you try not to pay too much attention to it because Luz is so excited and she needs to finish this homework, but as soon as Lilith walked away you felt like the heat disappeared. Not your palms' heat, from the spell, but her heat. Now where her body was there was just cold. You feel a little stupid for wanting her to get close again. Your reflexes were way better on the boiling isles. That was the only explanation for such a strange feeling. You focus on what you have to do, leaning in and indicating how Luz should build her text. Introduction, development, and conclusion. However, you would lie if you said you were truly paying attention. You weren't. Your eyes constantly go to her. Is she pretty? Hell yeah, probably the most beautiful woman you've ever seen with those sharp cheeks and long neck. But that's not it. She intrigues you. At the same time that she appears to be this brick wall, something stirs inside her, something that seems desperate to get out. Maybe she has it inside her, this softness, this care, but she has no idea how to get it out. You want to understand her, not just because she saved your life, or because she intrigues you. You want to understand Lilith Clawthorne because now you're pretty sure she was the first person you trusted completely, probably since you were 10 years old. The last person you allowed into your bubble was your father, you told him you thought the neighbor's daughter was beautiful. He never let you play with her again. Perhaps in his head, he was protecting you, but that was the last time. You dodged your parents as much as you could starting from the age of 11, especially your mother. Because, with each new year, you began to realize that the person you were...wasn't the person they wanted. You walked away from most people, who weren't many. You grew up with the great company of books, the human touch being just a distant memory of something you'd rather avoid if you could. And then. Lilith Clawthorne. She just asked to trust her. She just held out her hand. And so you did. You didn't think what touching could mean, you didn't think she was touching you. You allowed it. There's no reason, you just did it and it scares you. Quite a lot. One week of classes with Luz and you were doing incredibly well. You weren't used to drawing, when it came to art you were better off with strings. Still, you learned to draw the glyphs as round as possible,  just as you began to learn to combine them to create different spells from those base ones. You found out that spells involving fire glyphs were usually the easiest for you to master. Perhaps because you had pretty intense emotions all the time. Or maybe because you appreciated seeing the flames around your fingers. You can't tell. You just know you love the idea of looking like Regina Mills from Once Upon a Time. Luz was a great teacher and now you could consider yourself a witch's apprentice. You still didn't know how to feel about it, but doing magic...Doing magic was one of the most enchanting things you've ever done in your entire life. It's something to keep your mind and hands busy as well. Your friendship with everyone in the house was gradually evolving. Luz enjoyed your company, probably because she saw an older sister in you with whom she could share the difficult life of a 14-year-old, between conflicts with the part of her that loved being human and the feelings she didn't understand about Amity. You're pretty sure they had mutual crushes but you haven't expressed this perception yet. You had the warmest feet in the house according to King's judgment. Hooty loved the way you scratched right under his chin and also how you were patient enough to listen to him talking about all the different bugs he ate during the day and how they tasted different. Eda preferred your kind of dark and self-deprecating sense of humor, it was very similar to hers and according to her, you were also the person with the best style for clothes in the house. Despite the fact, you believe she just said that to make fun of the Sailor Moon t-shirt Lilith was wearing that day. About Lilith...Well, you wouldn't say you were friends. But she says good morning to you now, which you once considered a breakthrough. It was a cloudy afternoon on the boiling isles that day and you were reading, as usual. This time one of Lilith's magic books that magically appeared in the books pile of your room. It could have been Luz, but you had a hunch it wasn't her. A hunch that always made your cheeks heat. The book was particularly intriguing and brought some magic fundamentals in this world. Lilith made notes all over it and her handwriting is exceptionally perfect. The type of handwriting a girl who sat at the first desk and used colored pens for her notes would have. But you weren't complaining, she had pretty interesting insights and the beautiful handwriting allowed you to understand what she saw in each different chapter or paragraph. You were about to move your feet because you were getting cramped as King was wrapped around your ankles when Eda walked into the room absolutely suddenly. "Can you help me to make a chocolate cake?" Your first action was to frown over the top of your book, mostly because you didn't know if you got it right. "I heard Luz muttering about how she missed the earth chocolate cakes." She says this with her arms crossed behind her back as if she's trying to pretend she doesn't care a lot about it. The owl lady would have to pretend better. You were in this house for less than 2 weeks and you were already fully aware she would kill to keep Luz happy. "We can try." It was your reply as you got up from the couch. Eda smiled broadly, in a way that completely clashed with her previous attitude. Her eyes sparkled and you inwardly pushed the thought you would have loved to have a mother like her far away. You made a list for her with drawings on the side so she would know exactly what to buy. Luckily for you, the ingredients for a chocolate cake were quite common on the boiling isles, due to human food experiments among witches, and 20 minutes later the owl lady was back, ready for you to get to work. "What's so special about a chocolate cake?" Eda asked as you poured two fairly full tablespoons of cocoa powder into the bowl she was holding. She has her hair tied up now which makes her eyes a lot more evident. They look bigger than Lilith's, or maybe it was the other witch who didn't open them up enough like her sister. “Well, they're sweet and fluffy. Every child loves chocolate cake and every adult pretends not to.” Edalyn frowns at this which makes you laugh as you reach for the milk carton and measure it into the cup so you can pour it into the bowl. "Adults on earth are not quite like you, owl lady, I'm afraid." Eda frowns a little more. "It was a compliment. Adults usually pretend they like things they hate and hate things they love because some things have just become too childish in the face of what society says.” The witch raises her eyebrows at you and you shrug, putting the last touch on the batter, a pinch of salt. "Sounds like a bunch of jerks." Your smile crept across your face as you handed the wooden spoon to the owl lady. “I have to agree. Circular movements." You imitate the movement with your own hand and Eda nods with her head before starting to mix the cake batter. You go to the oven to get a cake pan and then start to grease it with butter and flour. Eda follows your steps with interest, she was actually memorizing each of the ingredients and each of your moves. She was a good mother. The real kind of good mother. The kind that tries to learn how to make out-of-this-world goodies just to please the child. "Luz is lucky to have you." The words just come out, float in the heated kitchen space, between you and the owl lady. Edalyn tilts her head toward you, just enough for it to be noticeable. She smirks then, light and delicate, the kind of smile she reserved for when Luz said something silly that made her caress her hair. "Thank you, kid." You truly liked Eda. She was sincere in everything she did, there were no masks, no core to dig under her skin to discover any kind of unexternalized feeling. This is her. And you like how she is, humorous, playful, motherly, and quite chaotic. You find yourself thinking about how they were as kids. Was Lilith ever a little more like her sister? A little wilder, more playful, or even more open? It was at that moment that Luz entered pretty much like a hurricane through the living room door. You frowned and then laughed as she tripped over her own feet to reach the kitchen while she yelled a rather high-pitched “Eda”. "Kiddo, if you haven't killed anyone or anyone is in danger of death, breathe." You went to help the girl up with one hand, but Eda's wheeze made you laugh at which Luz grimaced. “We learned about the most amazing thing today in illusion class.” She said as she sat down at the kitchen table. You go get a glass of water and land in front of her which she thanks with a look. The girl looked like she was about to collapse. She was panting and her hair was sticking with her sweat. "Was it about the vomit spell?" Luz frowned at Eda and then scowled. “Ew, Eda. No. It was about the mating bond.” She drank the entire glass of water then, her face finally leaving the red to go back to brown, even though sweat still glistened golden on her forehead. "What is that?" Your question makes Luz widen her eyes and again, it's like feeling her excitement leave her pores. She seems like she's about to burst into a million words and you're ready to hear every one of them. She looks so much like Eda in personality that it's hard to believe they aren't related. "It's like a soul mate for us. Between two individuals, males, females, different genders, different species even." She seemed pretty excited by that last part and your mind goes straight to Amity. "But by the way they say it sounds a lot stronger. Not like something you choose." Luz takes a deep breath for a moment and then smirks in a way that tells you that a certain girl with green hair is on her head 24/7. It's cute. They're pretty cute. "It's stronger." Eda announced while she was still beating the cake. Two more minutes and you could bake. She doesn't seem very interested in the subject, but unlike Lilith, she didn't mind explaining. "A lot of witches die without meeting their mate. It's a unique connection in time and space, created and guided by beings greater than us and impossible to ignore once found. It's almost painful for most of us." You frown slightly, wondering how physically painful it could be to ignore a simple bond. A soul mate who wasn't chosen, so what's the point of that? Bigger beings who just knew who the right person was? Sounds kind of ridiculous. It could just be your sense of realism sounding too loud though. "Have you found your mate?" The question escaped before you could predict it. You feel stupid right away. If it was even painful to ignore that bond then it was pretty obvious that Eda hadn't found it. Yet you didn't think before asking and feel your ears heating up in embarrassment. Eda didn't look flustered about it in any way. She just smirked at you, like one who smiles at a small child who has just asked a stupid question, golden fang sticking out of red-tinted lips. "No...I haven't. And I don't even think I will. Uneven odds." You frown, even more, not wanting to ask any other thing because you've already been The inconvenient question. Still, Eda proceeds the same way. "Listen, kiddo. Having a mate is something extremely unique and special to have, but the odds are minimum. We can't wait around for a mate all our lives or we're going to die without experiencing the slightest bit of passion or love.” There's silence for a moment and you can't deny that Edalyn is right. Who would have expected greater beings to finally guide you into the special one? This wasn't living. Luz nodded, she looked a little resigned now, which almost made you ruffle her hair in consolation. Eda wasn't wrong. But if you were at Luz age, you wish you could believe in crap like destiny, soul mates, or mating bonds. It's just good to be silly when you're 14 and you have a crush on a pretty girl. The disappointing reality could hit her later. "Our teacher didn't want to explain how we know if we're mates with someone." She added then and Eda's laugh fills the kitchen this time. You smile because Edalyn Clawthorne's laugh was one of the most contagious you've ever heard. Luz laughs too even though she doesn't understand the reason for and that relieves you. Even after a reality shock, Luz Noceda was still luminous and believed. She was a believer and you would like to protect her from everything so that she stays that way. "I imagine they didn't." Eda muttered under a wheeze, wiping the corners of her eyes to go back to beating the cake. "Usually you can feel your mate when they are close after recognizing the bond. It's almost like a link connecting you, your soul with theirs. You can feel their emotions, you can feel them in place. In the most intense mating bonds, I remember some saying they could even hear their partner's thoughts. But for you to be sure, there must be carnal consummation to accept the bond, kiddo." Your eyes widen and so does Luz. She doesn't blush, unlike you who feel the heat rise incredibly quickly in your ears at the prospect of having this kind of conversation with the owl lady. You weren't a virgin but taking a mini sex education class with Eda Clawthorne wasn't in your plans. "Oh." Added Luz and you are sure she will be as red as you. But she doesn't. She just chuckles, her eyes shining. "That would make a great fanfic." Your laugh is really loud this time, Eda giggles too and Luz follows her. And you are three idiots laughing in the kitchen for long minutes. "Wait!" Luz frowns as she looks at you and then sniffs the air. "Is this smell of chocolate cake?" She didn't wait for an answer, she practically jumped out of her chair as soon as you stopped laughing and ran to reach Eda's bowl. “Oh my Gosh! Can I lick the spoon later?” The witch widened her eyes at you and you gave a thumbs up with your hand. "Of course." She responded, making Luz raise her arms in a little celebration dance. “I'm going to change. DO NOT WASH MY SPOON.” She was about to walk out the door when she stopped. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly before she ran back again to grab Eda's waist in a hug. Your heart warmed and softened in every way possible as you watched this little gesture. “Thanks for that, Eda. You shouldn't have bothered." Eda placed a loud kiss on the top of Luz's head as she couldn't move her hands. "Don’t mention it, kiddo." She pulled away and then your eyes almost flew from your face when she ran again, this time towards you. She doesn't ask before wrapping her arms around your torso. This is your first sincere hug in a long time. That's why you close your eyes without even noticing. The body heat, a little shorter than you, the thin arms around you, the soft smell of mint and sweat. You rub her hair with a slight smile. Comfort. You certainly think about the earth, a lot, because that was your home. But what you feel when Luz grabs you in a hug is simply comfort. Something far from what you felt at home. "Thank you, Y/N." She leans up to reach your ear. “I know Eda would have no idea what cocoa powder is.” You let out a little giggle and only then does Luz go. Waving to you and the owl lady before disappearing through the kitchen archway. "Oven now, right?" You nodded and helped Eda to pour the cake batter  into the pan and then put it in the oven. "40 minutes and we will have my grandmother's chocolate cake." Eda was smiling as she leaned her hip against the table, right beside you. "My grandmother cooked pretty poorly." You giggled at that feeling, the cake smell made your stomach rumble a little. (...) "This is easily the tastiest thing I've ever eaten." King glorified your cake for maybe the third or fourth time before stuffing another piece into his mouth. "It's so soft, so fluffy, so sweet, I could dominate entire breeds with this flavor." Your brows furrowed at that, but Luz chuckled as she took another bite. Eda appreciated the taste too, even though it wasn't the kind of food a witch was used to having on a daily basis. “Hoot. Hoot. Delicious.” Hooty added. He was enjoying a piece placed on the window frame for him. You had no idea where what he ate was going to, but you weren't too eager to find out. Everyone is eating cake in the living room. Well. Everyone but one. You haven't seen Lilith since breakfast. Luz arrived late from school and Eda was cooking so she didn't check your spells today and that must have been the perfect excuse for Lilith to stay in her room all day. You're not sure if you blame her. Not with the rain that started to fall outside, boiling rain, for which Eda had to build a golden shield around the house with Luz's help and a combination of glyphs you remembered to write down. And not with the cold that was coming from the same weather. If it wasn't for the fireplace in the living room, you would  try to hide under the blankets as well. “Lilith isn't coming for dinner? Or for dessert before dinner?” It was as if Luz read your thoughts, you tilt your head to look at Eda, hoping the question was evident on your face. She purses her lips for a moment before shrugging. “Maybe she's tired. We've been working a lot these days.” Well, it wasn't a lie. But it wasn't a completely truth either. You could be a nosy brat when you wanted to. You are lucky you never have too many friends, as you would surely get them into trouble in your various miscalculated actions. For example, counseling Ms. Smith about how her husband was abusive and she should leave him. Or when you kicked that guy in the balls because he stumbled over an old lady and walked away as if she was a piece of garbage. You were a nosy brat when you didn't have your nose in a book. That's why you cut a piece of cake and put it on a plate before getting up from the couch and heading upstairs. You feel all the residents' eyes on your back, they're not judging, you can feel they're a little worried, which might be considered a well-founded fear, but Eda is the only one speaking. "Watch out with my sister! She can be a magpie." You frown at that word again, but don't ask before getting to the stairs. Luz's room was at the end of the corridor, right after, yours. Eda had the one in the middle and if you weren't mistaken Lilith had the one across the hall between two junk rooms. You wonder if this was really a good idea. If Lilith wanted to eat she could just go down stairs and eat like she did every day. This is just another example of how you don't really control everything you do around her. She intrigues you, you want to understand her, and you do this kind of stupid thing trying it. If she kicked you away, literally, you couldn't even blame her. You raise your fist and hesitate two or three times before knocking on the door. There's no sound for a moment, which almost convinces you she could be sleeping. But you hear it in the next second, the sound of feet hitting the floor, almost as slowly as your knock on the door. Your heart starts beating faster as you hear footsteps approaching. What the hell would you say? Hi Lilith, I know you've been in your room since early and that you probably don't want to talk to anyone but I brought you a piece of human chocolate cake, smile. God. You are pathetic. The door opens. Extremely slow. Or maybe it's your nervousness turning everything into slow motion. But as soon as the door opens completely, you regret going up all the way and knocking on her door. God. She looked beautiful in those pajamas. The blue sweater that falls over one of her shoulders, leaving most of her collarbones exposed, the pants loose. It fits so well with her eyes, even if it's not the same color, it seems that the duplicity of colors further enhances the difference between her irises. Lilith looks truly surprised to see you there, in her bedroom door, and then really confused. Why do you feel the heat rising and warming your ears by being right under her gaze? And why the hell did she have to be tall enough for you to be forced to lift your head to look at her? "May I help you?" You have to hold back the urge to moisten your dry lips with the tip of your tongue, shifting your weight from one foot to the other as you look at her. She still looks the same, different eyes, white streak running through her pitch-black hair. Her voice is still the same, slightly hoarse and in a very balanced timbre. She wasn't abducted and exchanged for someone else just because she was in her room all day. “I…” Stuttering now would be the height of high school shame, so you force your voice to steady. "I brought you cake." Lilith's eyebrows got even more pronounced and you could almost see “what the hell” written on her forehead. "Eda and I made it, it's pretty good." Pretty good. Pathetic. You are so pathetic. Why did you have to act so stupid in front of beautiful women who intrigued you? You were old enough to know how to control this kind of impulse, right? Well apparently not, you feel like you're a kid again. It's Lilith's turn to moisten her lower lip with the tip of her tongue, as if she were analyzing what you were doing. Her eyes play between the cake and your face, her eyebrows rising, her eyes narrowing. What are your reasons? If you were honest, you didn't even know why you came up here with a cake. Perhaps being nice would make her open up a little more, make her finally a little more readable. Her absence bothers you, you were so constantly aware of her presence that her absence at such ordinary times makes something stir under your skin. You feel like a kid. An incredibly stupid kid trying to please the teacher with an apple on the first day of school. "I...I'll save a piece for you...In the fridge...If you don't-don't want to eat now." You simply want to end your shame session. It was a huge mistake to nosy and climb up here with a piece of cake. That's why you turn your back on Lilith. Determined to go back to the living room and stick your head in a hole for the rest of your days. Stupidity. Complete stupidity. Her gaze on you is completely noticeable even from behind. She's probably wondering why the hell she even decided to help you out that day at the market. She brought a clueless to the house that keeps chasing her around the corners. At least that's how you feel. You take the first step and would have immediately returned from where you shouldn't have left with abrupt steps.  However, that's the moment you hear her voice. "Wait." She doesn't need to say it a second time. Her voice is clear, but a little hoarse, what you think, is from sleep. You stand in place as if she had used magic, which you're pretty sure she didn't. "Do you want to come in?" The words echo. You turn away, excessively slowly even for your senses, and your eyebrows almost knit together in doubt. The words fall into your ears, reach your brain, but they don't make much sense. You can't decode them very well. You lift your head to find Lilith Clawthorne again, and you have to use everything in you not to ask what she meant. "I...I'm just going to change and I can go down stairs with you." Well, you could go downstairs and wait in the living room, but you weren't the one reminding her of that. Also because there was that slight pink blush on her ears, as well as on her cheeks and you sure as hell you weren't imagining that. It was shame, embarrassment. Her fingers dig into the doorframe, which you take to be a nervous, almost withdrawn gesture. Lilith Clawthorne embarrassed was something you might as well name the loveliest thing you've ever seen. "Sure." The reply comes out of your mouth, but you're not sure if it was your brain sending that command. She tilts her head toward your, lips pursed in what would be the beginning of a smile. And then she steps away from the door and lets you in. She heads toward a door at the back of the room, which you understands for a bathroom. The sound indicates she has locked herself in there and then you are alone. Lilith's bedroom is easily the brightest in the entire house. There are several lights in the ceiling that you would imagine are mostly kept by her magic, they are charming little chandeliers that don't allow any dark corners to form in the room. You wonder if there is a reason for this. There is a desk just beside the door. That's where you leave the cake plate. Numerous books stacked up there, as well as a few notebooks and several pencils, but completely organized. Just like the bookshelf, full of books, you can't tell if they're in alphabetical order or by color. A big chair raises next to the wide window, with a few different plants on the casement, the seat is big enough to accommodate more than one person and the ends of the back are carved in a raven shape, as you'd expect. There's a wardrobe and a trunk on the other wall, but there's not much furniture beyond that. Just large mirror hanging on the wall, nothing like the posters in Luz's room, just cream-colored wallpaper. Finally there is her bed. But it's not exactly a bed. It's a large surface surrounded by branches that are tightly woven together to form a very wide circle, not a single branch out of place, which makes the nest look much more organized than your own bed. In the center are more braided branches and various colorful blankets on top, including one filled with stars and some pillows. She did a great job making that place look super comfy. If Eda is the owl lady. She is surely the raven lady.  Yet, and this is definitely what draws the most attention in the entire room, there is something reminiscent of a crib mobile hanging over the nest's entire surface. Glittering stones and miscellaneous objects wrap themselves in tiny silver strands to form the most brilliant and quirky ornament you've ever seen. And it's extraordinarily beautiful. You approach for a closer look and find some very polished keys, some small light bulbs, pieces of glass that she has molded into octahedrons, precious stones and even a small mirror ball that makes a small smile appear on your face. You step back so you don't look too suspicious when she comes out of the bathroom and that's when you see a single picture frame on the bookcase, one you hadn't noticed before, probably because of the shiny mobile. You walk there and lean over, only for the most pathetic smile in the world come to your mouth. Eda's easy to identify. It's the same big, animated eyes and the same wide smile. She has apicot orange hair and clings to the waist of another little girl slightly taller than her. You wouldn't say it was Lilith, if it weren't for her green eyes, just like the one she had. One, because both Eda and Lilith had ordinary eyes as children, amber and green, there were no gray eyes. Lilith's hair is wild, wavy and the color of fire and she wears a pair of rather adorable round glasses on the tip of her nose. You could see that Eda and Lilith were sisters as soon as you caught sight of them, from the shape of the face and the heterochromatic eyes. But now, looking at this photo from when they were young, you're surprised at how much they look alike. Even the shape of the hands looks the same. "I was 12, Eda was 10." You jump in place when Lilith appears completely out of nowhere beside you. Your heart seems to stop in your throat for a moment and she twitches the corner of her mouth at you before turning her eyes back to the photograph. She's wearing the same clothes from the day she found you at the market, but without her boots, which leaves her with only one head of height advantage. "Yeah...I recognized Eda." Lilith then lets out a low giggle. She... She laughed. The sound is like nothing you've ever heard. Because you don't think you ever truly heard her laugh with you. She has an amusing, slightly mischievous giggle that makes all the hairs on the back of your head stand up out of control.  "It's probably my fault." She picks up the frame and watches herself for a moment. Your eyes are on her, on her straight black hair, on her glasses missing. You so want to ask why. “Two spells. One to fix my myopia, another to make my hair look like this.” She returns the photo to its place, arranging it in a way that you understand is important to her. She loves Eda. There aren't many things you're sure of about Lilith, but she loves Eda. You've already suspected that by the way she acted around her, but now just with that little gesture, you understand she loves her. Even though they were so different and they sure had a lot of disagreements over the years like most siblings. Which reminds you of something that is also missing from that photo. Earrings. Eda wasn't wearing any, just like Lilith. "Don't you like earrings?" It's not a very personal question and it's certainly not a question designed to understand Lilith Clawthorne, but it's a start. You had to start somewhere. "What do you mean?" Her eyes lock on your face and it's extremely hard not to feel overwhelmed when that witch's full attention was on you, when those too-intense eyes were on you, in an empty room a few inches away. Your ears get a little warmer and your breathing hitches a little. "Hmm...Eda wears earrings, Amity too, so I thought it was common among female witches as much as it's common among female people on earth." Her brows furrow softly before she shrugs for a moment. You suddenly realize that it might have been a little rude to ask this because it meant you had been staring at her ears for some time. "I have the holes." She lifts her hands to her ears, tracing her lobes with her fingertips. "But it didn't quite match my outfit in the emperor's coven." You try not to show your surprise at actually getting personal information. She was in the emperor's coven. She was an ally of the one everyone in this house seemed to want to slaughter with all their might. That didn't explain much, but it was already a path. "I should probably go back to wearing it now, there's nothing in my outfit that matches anything anyway." You smile a little at that, remembering Eda's mockery of her clothes. For some reason, you remember the weight of your own earrings in your ears. This was your favorite pair, moon and star, a sapphire gem in each. It was your grandmother who gave it to you, because you were the kind of kid who would go in the middle of the night, in the middle of the backyard just to look at the moon. Always with your head in the clouds. "Here." You don't ponder. You do. Your fingers reach for the earring back, the one shaped like the moon, pulling it out easily. Lilith's eyebrows almost join in doubt. "What? What are you doing?" You weren't sure if there was a chance of her casting a spell on you if you tried. But the fact that the glyph pad was on the desk gives you enough confidence to brush aside one of the smaller hair strands that framed her face to reach her earlobe. Her hair is soft and silky smooth. She stays still. Completely paralyzed when you put the earring through the hole and put it back on. Her skin feels even warmer than the last time you touched her, even though you try your best not to brush your fingers against her any more than necessary. "One earring for a pointy ear, one earring for a round ear." You didn't mean for your voice to come out as a whisper, but your hands were shaking now. You could be very impulsive at times and this was definitely one of those moments. Your ears are burning and you're pretty sure your face is a red mess. You put an earring in Lilith's ear. Simply put an earring in her ear. You don't want to look her in the eye because you don't know if you can face what's there, she might have found it so weird or even extremely invasive, you had no idea. That was very stupid of you. You should at least have asked first. Still, when you finally look up, she's just looking at you. Ears slightly reddened and head tilted. There is a silent question there, there is a why that echoes between the small space that separates you two. "It matches the gray eye." She opens her mouth as if to say something, maybe something about her eyes, but then she closes it again. A new blush rising around her nose as she lowered her eyes. Her ears move the same way and this is for sure the cutest thing you've ever seen. "Thank you, Y/N." Your name sounds good in her voice, almost massaged into her tongue. When she walks away this time the cold is instantaneous. Perhaps because you didn't even notice it was hot again. Your arms curl around yourself as Lilith picks up her plate of cake and sniffs it before picking up the fork and tasting a bite. You watch with interest and are surprised when her pupils double in size, enough for you to notice even a few steps away. "This is interesting." You catch your lower lip between your teeth to stop the laugh that wants to come out of your mouth. "I'm glad you liked it." Lilith looks at you again, she has some chocolate smearing the corner of her mouth. She stretches her lips just enough for the beginning of another smile. Quite adorable. "I'm only honest when it rains." And that's when you realize how screwed up you were. Because she just needs to purse her lips a little bit so you forget about anything else you were thinking about earlier. She just needs to nod her head the right way or say your name for your heart to start beating a little faster and your ears getting warmer. You wanted to know that witch and now you believe you have fallen into a path of no return. How lucky was the human who created a crush on the most emotionally cold witch of all boiling isles? Well, you've never been known to be born lucky. Friday. You believe this is your third week at the Owl House, time was passing fast with your newly established routine. Reading, studying magic, helping with household activities and with Luz's homework, trying not to turn into a blushing mess every time Lilith looked at you for more than two seconds. You had a lot to occupy your head now. You've already learned how to do a simple illusion spell and can now produce more than one light ball at a time. Something Luz celebrated for hours. It was already night when your adopted little sister had gone somewhere with her friends. You heard something about a sports game that you didn't quite understand. But they looked especially excited so you just received her goodbye hug and watched her leave with the kids towards Hexide. Eda was out too, personal matters, she said. No more explanation and you really wouldn't demand more. King said she's probably gone hunting and you don't know if you want to know what that means. The early evening is fading through your bedroom window, the sky turning from that baby blue and orange tone to the darker that borders on black. You can hear muffled sounds from the kitchen, so you rub the towel over your wet hair one last time before leaving the room. You make your way down the stairs to the living room. King's sleeping on the sofa, a very promising sleep. A small smile tugs at your lips as you gently scratch the demon's neck. Only then do your footsteps lead you to the kitchen. You don't know exactly what you expected to find, but what you found is sure to surprise you. First of all, Lilith had her hair up in a bun. You've never seen her with her hair up and she was... More than beautiful. Her neck was free now, as were her sharp cheeks. The perfectly visible moon earring in her right ear still makes your cheeks want to redden again. Second of all, she seemed to be out of her own place. There were at least 3 different pots on the stove, all over burners and she didn't seem to know what to do in any of them. She's standing there, staring at the vegetables as if they're going to cook themselves, what, you think could happen with the right spell. She crosses her arms and lets out a frustrated sigh. "Crap."  She mutters before a tomato simply rolls across the board and hits a carrot. "Do you need any help?" She looks up as you enter the kitchen. Her eyes shining somehow. "At my age, you'd expect me to know how to make a simple stew without having to use magic." She doesn't ask for help, but the way she's crossing her arms and frowning slightly says enough to you. You roll up your shirtsleeves and move closer to look at the gathered vegetables. The kitchen window exhibits the small connection that the clearing has with the sea. The waters seemed choppy that night and barely colored purple. "I've cooked my whole life without magic, don't be a crybaby." After the earrings episode, you felt her guard dropped a little with you. She sure as hell didn't act with you the way she acted with Hooty or even Eda sometimes. Yet now she purses her lips more often and has longer conversations with you. She also started leaving books for you more often, most of them she had already read and wanted your opinion on them.  What you were happy to give, you even started reading them faster just so you could talk to her. Yeah, you could be a silly teenager when it came to Lilith Clawthorne. For all these reasons you now feel you have enough freedom for occasional jokes. "Did you use to cook at home?"  You just nod your head as you turn off two of the burners and take the pots off the heat. Taking the one that was left to fill with water. “My parents are the type who believe women need to learn to serve men.  Learning to cook is at the top of the list.”  Which was kind of ironic, considering your mom only cooked at home when she hosted her friends from church, you've been cooking every day since you were 13. Her eyes follow you as you put the pot back on the stove. “I usually mix the seasonings with the water and let it boil for a while and then add the chopped vegetables.” Lilith compressed her lips into a thin line for a moment before nodding her head. "I guess I can spice it up, I'm good with flavors." You make an extravagant gesture to the pot before walking past her to reach the counter. God. She smells good after a shower. Even fresher, even sweeter. It takes everything in you not to get any closer. You find a sharp knife in one of the drawers that you remember Eda going through to make dinner. Potatoes and carrots are first, as you would have to peel off the skin. It's not strange to be side by side with Lilith, a witch, in another world, while she moved a spoon in the pot on the stove. Again what you feel in this house, perhaps from the first moment inside these walls, is comfort. Cooking for people you've learned to like over the days is much more enjoyable than cooking for an imposed obligation. The knife slides easily through the potato skins, forming a bunch of strips on the countertop. You were proud of being able to peel potatoes without any pieces of them getting stuck in the skin. The kind of activity to clear your head. With your head in the clouds as your grandmother was so fond of punctuating. "What is the food in your world like?" You weren't expecting a question. You weren't expecting her voice to sound so close. Your head snaps up extremely fast, a miscalculation that makes the knife slip from your hand to scrape the finger holding the potato. "Ouch!" It's just a reflex, it doesn't really hurt. You've had worse. But the knife has cut some of the superficial skin, and there's a lot of blood coming out. "Shit! Are there paper towels here?” You look for an answer in her as you press your hand against the cut and what you find is panic in your direction. Palpable panic that seems to come out of her in waves. Her eyes are bloodshot and glassy, her jaw so tight you're afraid she'll break a bone.  "Lilith, it's just a scratch." Of all the things you imagined seeing, a blood panic witch was one of the last. Your eyes dart to the surrounding shelves, searching for anything to wrap around your finger. You spot a dishtowel on the edge of the sink and grab it, wrapping it tightly around the cut. “I'm sorry. I…” Your eyes glance at her again now that you're sure you won't make a bloody mess on the counter. She's breathing heavily now, heavy breaths that make her chest move rapidly as if she's trying to get more oxygen to her brain. You can't deny that it scares you a little because she looks like she's on the verge of breaking down. "I distracted you and..." She opens and closes her mouth, trying to say something you can't quite understand. You swear her eyes got brighter and if you didn't consider her the iron lady you'd say it was tears. But... Why tears? Because you were stupid enough to cut your own finger? "I'm-I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." You frown even more. Is she really blaming herself? For this? Well. So we had two traumatized kids in this house. What the hell happened to her for her to think that just because she talked to you the cut was her fault? "I'm fine, it's just a scratch." Because it was just a scratch. And you only cut yourself because you were a gay mess idiot who couldn't handle a little reciprocation adequately. It wasn't her fault. God. It would never be her fault. "May you just get me a band-aid? So I can stop the blood? Everything will be fine." You talk to her in your best tone. A tone you would use with a kid. She opens and closes her mouth again and then swallows hard for a moment, before nodding her head and starting to search the cabinets. You believe you saw feathers on the floor and you don't think they were there before. You press the fabric harder against your finger as you watch her return with a small box, a red cross drawn on the lid. Some things never change. “I could heal you with magic…” She opens the box and presses her lips together quite hard before saying the next words. "If I still had my powers."  It's her tone of voice, an octave lower than usual. It's the way her hands seem to be trembling around the little box. How it should be? To have magic all your life, slipping out of your fingers and then have it ripped away? That should hurt. A lot. But for some reason, you feel it's not that. This is not what is making her fingers tremble, it's not what is making her press her teeth hard enough to break her jaw. “So you never got hurt? No colored band-aids?” You didn't handle other people's heavy emotions well, you hated seeing other people in pain or discomfort. Your father always said you were selfless. The truth is, you felt it, very deeply. Other people's pain could enter you so easily and that's what happens now. A lump forms in your throat just from looking at her.  That's the reason for the jokes, the fun comfort. You wanted her to stop feeling poor, not just because you cared about her on some level, but for the reason it affected you more than you could say. She looks up at you again and you don't remember ever seeing so several emotions in her. She... She seems miserable, nostalgic, and even slightly amused by your comment, considering the small twitch at the corner of her lips. Perhaps that's why she'd rather be that brick wall, always so harsh. You feel overwhelmed with so much to analyze in her, with so much she's showing at once. She is like a spectrum of colors, there is no definite emotion. Complex. Intriguing. Sore. She takes a small pot with clear liquid in it and puts it on the counter, as well as some colorful band-aids with heart designs, which you're sure were Luz's work. "Let me clean it." You would object, because, really, you're not 12 years old and might as well clean a knife cut.  But you're so weak when she looks you in the eyes, one green, one gray, they seem to glow for it. Please let me clean up my mess. Please just let me do this, let me help. You want to tell her she hasn't done anything at all, but there's something in the back of your head that says it won't do much good. For that reason, you remove the dishtowel and allow her to take your hand in hers. The size difference wasn't glaring, but her hands are bigger than yours and certainly warmer. She grabs a cotton ball and dips it in the clear liquid before running over your finger with it. You shudder because it stings a little. She looks up, looking at you, looking for confirmation before continuing. You swear you can hear her mutter a low "sorry", but she doesn't move her lips. A nod and she continues, wiping the blood around the cut. It had been a little wider than you imagined, you'd probably have to avoid bending that finger for the next few days. Yet you would lie if you said your attention is on it, your eyes follow her fingers, delicate and firm, cleaning the cut with all her care. You thought only Eda was the motherly here, but apparently it was a characteristic that ran in the blood. Lilith wraps the cut with gauze and then finishes the bandage with two heart band-aids. It was cute, you had to admit. "Better?" She inquires, her voice still slightly lower than usual, one of her long hands holding your fingers as if she's holding baby birds. Now free of the blood, you finally get to notice your surroundings and how close she is now. She came incredibly near to bandage and now, you have the perception that if you lift your head a little bit, your nose will touch her cheek. "Uh-huh." Wow. A 3-year-old would say something better. "Thank you."  You add then, bending your head down, really afraid that you might not be able to hold your own impetuses. You would end up staring into those overly intense eyes that seemed to be wanting to get inside of you. Your ears were hot again. "I'm honestly sorry." Her fingers release yours and she pulls back far enough so you feel it's safe to look up. She has lost some of her posture, her shoulders are slightly down as her head is bent. Eyes on the floor. Embarrassment. She's embarrassed. It was just a little cut on your finger and she seems to act as if you weren't able to walk for the rest of your life. You want to touch her so bad now it hurts. Because... Because you feel that. You feel what it's like to blame yourself for everything, even what you have no control over. You still do that sometimes, even though you know it's not your fault, it's nobody's fault and people don't have to do anything but respect you, you blame yourself. Perhaps if you had tried harder, if you hadn't drunk that much. You understand what it's like to be the kind of person who feels too much. She feels so deeply, but she keeps everything. How has this woman not exploded yet? How she managed to walk through this house as if she was in control of everything, made of steel and insurmountable when in fact she could barely deal with the possibility of committing the slightest harm to anyone, even if unintentionally. She couldn't handle herself most of the time. You're not sure how she's going to feel about this. Still, you've been very impulsive around Lilith and it's basically through these impulsive acts that you feel she's becoming a little more readable. That's why you reach up and touch her shoulder, squeezing gently. You watch her eyes go to your hand and then back to you, wide. They glow in the slightly dark kitchen. "Please." God, your voice sounded horrible when you were holding back tears. "I don't need your apology, it was just an accident." You expect her to dodge your touch, to take your hand off her shoulder because she looks so frightened with every touch just beyond her hands. But she doesn't. She takes a deep breath, her eyes watering just for a moment extremely fast. She blinks several times in a row, trying to banish it, trying to prevent you from seeing so much probably. But still, Lilith grabs your hand on her shoulder, it's a sharp gesture, but it's not rough, her fingers are still gentle and warm. She doesn't push you away, she just presses your hand against her shoulder. Perhaps you weren't the only one starving for the human touch. Perhaps you were more alike than you could imagine. "I hurt my sister…" Eda. She hurt Eda, the most lovely and gentle woman you've ever met. She was allied with everyone's enemy and she hurt Eda. It's kind of ridiculous that you only get a few glimpses of her in the strangest ways possible. And it's kind of understandable that no one had the decency to tell you the whole story. It wasn't theirs to tell. "She forgave me, of course, she did."  You can't see her eyes from the angle, but you know if you could they would be teary because her voice went down another octave. She truly loves her. She truly loves Eda. That explains a lot. The steel lady... The steel lady can't handle forgiveness. She probably didn't want that forgiveness. "But..." But she didn't forgive herself. An anime song echoes in your head, like snow that hasn't completely melted under a tree. She can't handle herself, can't handle what she's done, let alone the prospect of hurting someone else again, even in such a superfluous way. She pulls away to lean her hip against the kitchen counter. Your hand drops and you immediately miss the warmth of her skin. You don't exactly know if you have any words of comfort to give her. But you need to try, right? That's the whole point, to be honest. "I understand what it's like not to like yourself, not knowing how to deal with yourself for a long time." And you weren't lying. You felt it was your fault for most of your life and you couldn't forgive yourself for it, make peace with yourself. Lilith glances at you with interest, asks you to proceed without the need for words. "But it's not all your fault." When the words come out of your mouth the brunette shakes her head negatively, as if you were saying some nonsense. She's smiling with a bit of irony now. "I'm a big girl, I shouldn't push my problems on other people." You compress your lips and avoid the urge to roll your eyes. Stubbornness seemed to run in the blood as well. “I'm not saying to push the blame onto other people. I'm saying it doesn't matter if others blame you or not if you blame yourself.” Lilith frowns this time in your direction and you sigh deeply before leaning against her side again.  “Forgive yourself can be harder than asking for forgiveness. But having forgiveness is already a path.”  She follows you with her eyes but doesn't move her head, which makes her gaze seem more intense than it actually was at the time. You can't imagine what it would be like to face this witch in battle. "You just have to try to be good for all of the times that you never could."  Now she frowns, doubt evident on her face at this reference she sure as hell doesn't know. "It's a song."  You complete. "I'll be good, I'll be good for all of the times that I never could." You hum, feeling your cheeks heat up a little. It's been a while since you've sung, at least not since the day you fell on the boiling isles. Your eyes risk catching a glance from the woman beside you. She still looks a little tense, shoulders stiff and breathing heavily. But she has a small grinning at the corner of her mouth now. The same smile, slightly amused. "You have a beautiful voice." If your cheeks were getting hot, they burn now, just like your ears. You feel the heat rising excessively quickly from your chest to color the skin of your face and cartilage. She's never given you a compliment and just the way she says those words, in that voice, makes all the skin on your body shiver and curl under itself. "Th-thank you." Stuttering was simply the height of gay panic. Lilith lets out another giggle, just like the one she let go in her bedroom. The sound surprises you enough for you to look up at her again. "And the red suits you." Did she...Did she just make fun of you? You can't believe your own ears. She was mocking of your shame. This woman who was seconds away from almost having a panic attack was mocking you. You cross your arms over your chest, embodying the 15-year-old inside of you. "Oh don't be like that." It's not your imagination when she leans in just enough for her breath to touch your face. Your heart starts beating fast enough so that you barely know what to do. What the hell, Lilith Clawthorne? "I think it's pretty cute." Her voice sounds right over your skin and your whole body trembles. You try not to show it so blatantly, but it's really hard when she's this close, when her voice sounds like that, when she smiles from the corner of her mouth in such a suggestive way. If she touches you now, she's likely to notice how hot you are. This could not be considered normal.  This is not normal. The way your breathing picks up in your throat cannot be considered normal. Is she flirting with you? Was that flirting? Did she just call you cute? "FAMILY, I’M HOME!"  Eda's voice coming from the living room is what makes her pull away, one last amused glance in your direction. Just that look was enough for your legs to turn to jelly instantly. You feel like you're just starting to breathe normally again when Eda appears in the kitchen archway. “Y/N. Magpie."  She greets. You can feel Lilith rolling her eyes. Again you keep that word, determined to research what it meant as soon as you got back to your room. "Oh! Are you two making stew?"  Eda leans over the counter and stares at your face, probably still red, and then stares at her sister, one eyebrow raised. "How sweet." She adds and then walks away giggling, in almost the same suggestive way Lilith was smiling earlier. "I'm going to take a bath. Have fun." She hums. You watch the owl lady walk away with her eyebrows slightly drawn together. She looked excited. Almost too excited. But Eda always looked excited so you just shrugged. "We should finish dinner." Lilith's voice is what brings you back to reality. But she's not in the pot, she's trying to peel another potato. You don't object. Because you know she won't let you get that knife again. "We really should." You watch the water in the pot for a moment and smell it to see what spices it has already added. She truly had a way with flavors and with leaving you super troubled, but that didn't help with dinner. "Since you won't let me cut anything else...Can I set the table?"  You're pretty sure you see her smiling for a brief second before she nods. "Just stay away from the knives." (...) That was what was written in the Hexide's library dictionary in the letter M. Mag•pie /’maɡˌpī/ 1 .  a bird with black and white feathers and a long tail; You thought it made sense since the Clawthorne sisters constantly got involved with owls and ravens. Yet, it's the second meaning that makes your ears seem on fire. 2 .  a person who hoards small objects. Magpies are attracted to small, shiny objects, which they carry away to their nests. That was the example. You weren't stupid. The way Eda said that word and how she seemed to start saying it the day you arrived at that house or using it when you were around. Your cheeks get a little redder and you slam the book shut before crawling into your blankets. Eda thought Lilith had some interest in you. Some interest in carrying you, a little human, to her nest. You don't want to think about the implications of that. Not even.  Because your heart is already starting to beat faster, just with the possibility. You stuck your earphones in your ears and played The Lumineers songs until tiredness took over your head and you fell into a restless sleep. You dreamed of a day at the beach. The palest skin you've ever seen. Hair as black as pitch, the only white streak. Bright eyes of different colors and a wide, toothy smile that seemed to be bathed in sunlight. She couldn't be more out of the picture herself and yet you've never seen a woman so beautiful. And when she smiles like that at you, it seems like a lot of things make sense. The way your heart beats, the way she smells, the way her breath warms and touches your cheek. You think the ocean has the color of one of her eyes. That's your last thought before she wraps one hand around your chin and pulls you toward her. When you opened your eyes again, you felt the back of your head was drenched in sweat and your fingers were trembling. You don't remember the last time you woke up so heated inside and out, as if you had a fever, probably never. You were screwed. That was the truth to be faced. You were so screwed. "Truth or dare?" Her eyes narrow slightly in your direction as she takes a sip from the cup with purplish liquid. You can swear that the two are glowing with different colors, like those of a night bird. It's impossible not to be fascinated by this. Luz raises her eyebrows at you, waggling them suggestively, which makes you feel like rolling your eyes. King is intently watching the game from one of the sofa cushions. Eda strokes his back with her fingernails as she waits for your response. Hooty for his part looks very comfortable in the lap of the woman who just asked you the question, eyes on you. "Truth." You mutter, watching your glass of foreign wine that you hoped wasn't as strong as the smell threatened to be. You used to get drunk relatively quickly and last time it didn't end so well. "Smooth, Lily. There are youngsters in the room." You laugh softly at the mortal expression the older woman gives her sister for that comment. "What did you dream about last night?" It's a common question. She could have asked that to anyone in the room. There would be no way. No. There would be no way for her to know, would there? Was there something about the dreams in the boiling isles?  You had been having the same recurring dream, bright eyes, wide smile, lips tasting like sea salt. How could she know that?  She couldn't. Your ears are getting warm again, and you are grateful that your hair is covering them. There's no way she could have any idea what you've been dreaming about, and even if in some remote world she did, it's not like you're to blame. You take a long sip of your drink before looking at her. It warms you up inside and seems to give you a little more courage. There is nothing on her face that says she knows. She has her eyebrows slightly raised waiting for an answer, but the suggestive smile is not on her lips, her eyes are not twinkling with that slight amusement. She doesn't know, she would have no way of knowing. "With the sea." It wasn't a lie, but it's not the whole truth either. You should be a lawyer.  "She's lying." Hooty hummed as he moved his head in Lilith's lap. You frowned your eyebrows. "No. I'm not." You picked up the nearest pillow to throw at the bird that stuck his tongue out. That was probably the strangest thing that ever happened to you. "I'm a very sensitive house. I know when someone is lying." You roll your eyes hard, afraid that they will get stuck in the back of your head. "I'm not the kind of person who keeps much of what one dreams." Another lie. But no one needed to know. "Lying again!" Added Hooty and you narrowed your eyes in his direction, pondering whether it would be possible to make a chicken in sauce with him. "So, spin the bottle, Y/N." You blink several times to return to this world with Luz's voice and then spin the little bottle in the center of the room. It spins and spins and spins in a way that your already slightly drunk head can't quite keep up with. The options were few, so when the mouth of the bottle points to Lilith you are cheerily surprised. You certainly had a lot of things to ask her. Far more questions than would be appropriate for a game of truth or dare. "Truth or dare?" She's grinning with the corner of her lips now, barely, still enough to make your heart start beating a little faster. "I'm an open book, ask anything." Eda raises an eyebrow at that, probably because Lilith's voice sounded a little too drawn out. You guys should probably cut off the alcohol. Still, there is a small smile on your mouth as you rest your chin on your palm, thinking about what you would like to ask.  "Were you mama's little girl when you were a kid?" She certainly had this perfect little kid aura by the way she was a perfectionist with absolutely everything. It was meant to be a joke. But you felt it immediately, something that hadn't happened in a while, you felt the metal wall falling like poisoned ice around her. It's so sudden and so noticeable in the air that chilled your bones. Lilith opened and then closed her mouth again. Her jaw set, her eyes losing some of their former amused gleam. Oh shit, you had touched on a sensitive subject. "Hmm, no. I never was." There is silence then. Eda looks at King's back, Luz is staring at the floor, she obviously felt the mood weighing down. Hooty seems to be the only one still cheerful. You feel extremely stupid, just ask her what is her favorite color, or whatever her favorite animal is. You would be truly surprised if it wasn't a raven. But no, you had to touch on parent issues that she probably didn't want to stir up. Stupid. Dumbass. "Your turn, Lulu." Hooty swivels his head in her lap so he can look her in the eye. "I need to refill after this one. You can go on my turn, Hootcifer." Lilith stood up and your eyes immediately went to her, as was usual. She's wearing dark clothes that night, black pants, and a blouse that seems to blend in with her hair. Or perhaps it was just the wine doing its job. You move away from your place on the floor for her to pass, and she doesn't look at you as she heads toward the kitchen. Back to square one with a single comment. You were just plain dumb. "Spin the bottle, Hooty." The bird goes excited and singing to the bottle as you cringe against your own pillow. Perhaps disappearing now would be a good way out. She probably wouldn't talk to you ever again. Congratulations, Y/N. Congratulations, you made your crush uncomfortable in your first truth or dare game. However, before Hooty could move his beak to the bottle, something breaks. It takes you a little over a second to notice that it wasn't that bottle and that the sound came from the other room. Your head moves in record time to the hallway leading to the Owl House kitchen. You don't remember the light being off. Lilith. You think, but do not say. "Lily?" Eda is the first to say something. She pushes King's paw away and sits down. Maybe you guys should stop with the drinks if you were already at the point of knocking over bottles. There is a muffled sound. Like the beginning of a word that gets lost in the air. Sounds like "he". You frown. "Lulu?" Added Hooty, doubt emanating from his voice just like Eda's. All your attention is focused on the hallway. But there is no answer. That's why you and Eda stand up in almost the same second as Hooty slid all the way in front of you. You don't want to analyze why you acted so rapidly at that moment. Eda had the excuse that it was her sister, you were an adult and wanted to help. Good, keep repeating this until you believe it. A shiver runs down your back before you even reach the kitchen because Hooty lets out a loud gasp.  Something is wrong. Something is awfully wrong. Your heart starts beating fast enough for you to start gasping for air when you notice that something is dripping on the floor. It's not blood. It's wine. The two bottles that were on the counter are broken on the floor. But that's not why Hooty gasps and that's not why your fingers are shaking. There are scratches. There are scratches the size of your arm on the wood of the counter, on the kitchen floor, on the back door that now lay shattered. Something. Something attacked Lilith. Something with enormous claws. "We...We have to go after her." It's your instinct to look for your cell phone in the back pocket of your pants. The light in the kitchen is out. Your next action is to turn on the flashlight so that you can see anything.  Eda, Hooty, and Luz are watching the marks with the same amazement in their eyes. Something bordering on dread. They are as frightened as you are. A small bead of sweat trickles down your neck. Lilith. Where is Lilith? What's got Lilith? You want to shout because they are all standing around watching the marks, except King who is clinging to Luz's leg, looking scared enough to not even approach. But they are just looking. "Eda. Where do we have elixir?" You frown in Luz's direction. Why on earth was she talking about elixir when something had caught Lilith? Something large, something that could be hurting her.  "I've been stocking some bottles in my closet. I should probably start spreading them around the house." She lets out a loud and concerned sigh, rubbing her forehead with the fingertips. "Anyway, I'll get them. You go to the living room and stay close to Hooty. Do NOT try anything until I get back. It's the first time, she could easily eat one of you." What? What the hell? "What about Lilith? Will we just leave it at that? There must still be a way to go after it, to save her." Eda looked at you, just for a second. She frowned and then simply ignored you.  "Make light glyphs on the walls or floor. I'll be back in 2 seconds." And so she left. She didn't seem the least bit upset that her sister might already be dead and that makes the heat rise in you. You're getting pissed off because nobody seems to be listening to you. Everyone is doing a great job ignoring you. "Come on, Y/N. We have to stay together." Luz grabs your hand and starts to pull you back into the room, but you pull it back. "I'm not going to hide. We have to go after Lilith if you don't think she's worth it..." Luz sighs this time and she looks actually frustrated, that's why you shut up. "Lilith is fine, Y/N. I promise you that, just stay with us. Don't do anything stupid." She grabs your hand again and pulls you in. This time you allow it, even if you don't feel safe in her words. Those claw marks would wander into your dreams, haunt you. Possibly forever. A thud happens upstairs as if something extremely heavy hits the floor of the highest part of the house. It takes everything in you not to let go of Luz's hand and run up the stairs.  You can hear how your heart is beating faster and faster. Your breathing is getting weaker and weaker. You have to calm down, but how can you calm down if... "Okay. Last time we used a light spell. Eda thinks it might work again. Y/N, help me make a light glyph. Let's do it on the floor." You frown even more. "Here." Luz takes a crayon out of her back pocket. You have no idea why she carries crayons around. Probably for situations like this. "Poor Lulu, hoot, hoot." You glance at Hooty and open your mouth, about to ask if he was the only sensible one who was thinking about Lilith. "Y/N, FOCUS." You don't remember Luz looking this agitated before, she's being a lot more of an adult than you if you are going to be honest. You compress your lips tightly and fighting against all your instincts you begin to trace the circle on the floor. "I'm going to take a look at the second floor. Eda's taking her time." Hooty propelled himself up and the door closed behind him. You tried to keep your head focused as you slid the crayon across the floor. It wasn't meant for that and it was a little trickier to draw, the color fading into the wood. "HOOTY! DON'T GET INTO THE..." But it was too late, before Luz could finish shouting her realization, Hooty let out a chirp loud enough to shiver your spine. And then all the lights went out.  The shiver that runs through your body now can't be described as anything but terrifying. Your hair stand on end, your breath hitches. You can barely see an inch in front of you. What is it? Where is Lilith? Why can't anyone have the decency to give you some answers? King lets out a squeal and rushes off, grabbing your leg instead of Luz's. The girl is quick to make a light spell. "We have to keep going. Hooty's out. It's just us." At one time you would admire the focus and how Luz faced this situation with maturity. But now. Now all you can do is try to follow the lines of the circle in the dim light, raising your cell phone flashlight while scribbling with your other hand. Lilith had been caught. Hooty is out, apparently. Eda may have been caught too for all you know. It's picking up one by one. What chance did you and Luz have against something whose claws could very well tear you apart with a single gesture? What is it? And how did it get past the Owl House's defenses? How could Hooty not feel it? How did Hooty not protect you as he did from even the most daring squirrels? "HIDE OUT!" It's Eda's voice from the stairs, just a second before the front door is knocked down, or rather thrown open. The wood passes close to your head and slams across the room, crashing down. Your eyes go to Hooty first, but his tube is still taut, you have no idea where his head is. You hear its breathing first, heavy and panting. A wild animal after a fight. And only then you did look at it, maybe it was a bit of a foolish decision, but you couldn't control your impulses. It's large enough to get through the front door only if it sneaks. Claws the size of your arms perfectly placed on the floor of the room. Wide, spreading wings that looked silvery in the moonlight. The creature is covered in black feathers and...Maybe hair? Large pointed ears, eyes as dark as tartar itself, indicating that the creature is probably blind or very sensitive to light. And finally, a wide mouth, wide enough to swallow your head whole at once, also seems to glow a silvery hue, with fully sharpened, golden teeth, two rather protruding fangs that you are sure are as sharp as knives. The creature squeals and the sound echoes throughout the house. It makes your head dizzy with how loud it is. Luz grabs your arm. She makes a silent gesture and pulls you (and King) until you are in the safety of the back of the couch. She undoes the light spell, you turn off the flashlight on your cell phone. The creature's footsteps are heavy, it reminds you of a time when you went to the zoo and had a chance to get close to watch a rhino, whenever they walked, you felt a massive vibration on the floor, just like now. It's similar to feeling the beginning of a storm, the beginning of an apocalypse. Your breathing is hard so you cover your nose with your own hand. The thing doesn't seem even a little worried, its breathing is audible, extremely irregular, and loud. Your fingers are trembling and you widen your eyes when something touches your shoulder.  But it's Eda. She slides to your side, something glowing between her fingers, it looks like a bottle of liquid glowing in gold. "I'll attract her. You finish the glyph. She's too strong, we won't be able to knock her out with ordinary little lights." Your mind starts to short circuit for a moment. Too much information hitting you at once. "Can't we try to bind her with root spells?" Luz whispered back to the woman and Eda shook her head negatively. "She'll rip them off in two seconds, her claws are too sharp. We need to knock her out and I'm not going to risk hurting my sister with fire or ice. Damn! I miss my sleeping potions." My...Sister. The short circuit increases and you have to blink several times to get back to what Eda is saying. "That...Is that Lilith?" Luz's and Eda's eyes meet you and your confusion. You must look quite desperate and extremely white under their eyes, all the blood seems to be rushing into your limbs, a very great need to run out. The thing's breathing seems closer now and your whole body shudders. Is that thing...Lilith? "Explanations later, kid. Help Luz." You open your mouth and close it again, but you don't have time, because the owl lady is already getting up and running towards the stairs.  "JERK BIG SISTER SAYS WHAT?" The scream makes the creature squeal even louder. You, Luz, and King cover your ears, feeling the vibrations from the floor as the creature began to run toward the stairs, breaking everything in its path. You are terrified and feel that your whole body is frigid, your stomach in a knot. But you will help Luz with the rest of the glyph just the same. You're going against all your most primitive instincts, all of which say that you should run out of this house as fast as you can and hide in a hole. Sounds become absent in the house and everything inside you says that this is not a good sign. You hurry up and finish the last line of the circle. Luz is making the inner circle, so you start the triangle. You believe that you are drawing in the same rhythm as your heart beats, quite fast. Another bead of cold sweat slides down your forehead and hits the floor. Lilith. What the hell. She was a giant and probably mortal raven beast and yet all you can think about is her. Everything was extremely dark and you were focused on trying to finish the light glyph triangle. Yet you had good hearing, years of training your ear to tune the guitar. So when it steps downstairs again, you can almost feel it in the air. You know it is trying to be quiet, but the breathing is too heavy and the paws are too big, the claws scrape the floor. Your ears identify the sound as soon as it happens and your eyes widen. Something cold as ice itself runs through your heart, coming down to rest on your diaphragm. Your instincts are fighting under your skin. Beg you to run, and another thing screams for you to stay. You don't quite understand the another thing. Your heart is beating so difficult now that you don't know how your fingers aren't trembling and messing up the glyph.  Luz looks up at you, there is dread on her face, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. And then you feel it, an air breath just over your head. Fuck. You almost wet yourself. Again. You don't want to turn around. You don't want to see it.  But you feel that if you don't even try, you will die in front of Luz, death by stupidity. You don't want to give her this trauma, so you act against everything you believe in. When you turn around, your legs go limp. It's a good thing you were on your knees otherwise, you would fall to the floor. The creature is breathing heavily against your face, it's warm, and it smells of wine. Dark eyes that seem to want to consume your soul, slightly slanted to the side, like those owls that had little heart-shaped faces. You've always thought they were really cute. Well... you were quite wrong. Those eyes make your spine quiver and everything you've eaten all day wants to go back up your throat. This can't be Lilith. This can't be that woman who was drinking and playing a few minutes ago.  But you feel it. Somehow you know it's her in there, moreover, the creature seemed to have a pretty similar hairstyle to the witch.  What are the chances she won't eat you? "Lilith...Hi Lilith." The creature growls, or screeches. You are not sure. Moonlight hits something shiny she has around her mouth and it blinds you for a brief moment. Luz is scribbling behind you, too fast, too loud. She wants you to understand.  Distract her. You just need time. Distract this giant thing that is probably wondering which spots you have the softest flesh. "I know...We're not the best of friends, but I'd hate for you to blame yourself for my death." The thing growls again, your insides quivering. How could you make jokes when you were on the brink of death? It was part of your dark type of humor. "Kid! You have to get away from her, slowly." Eda's voice sounds quite distant, even though you feel she is on the stairs. Something flares. It sounds like a fire spell. She wouldn't hurt Lilith, would she? Caring about the witch when she was about to kill you, that was a new high point of altruism. Yet, you don't take your eyes off her. Because she doesn't take her eyes off you. A predator staring at its prey. That's what it looks like. On the Discovery Channel, there were whole episodes about this. About the fixed eyes, outlined by wrinkles of concentration as well as between the eyebrows, about the protruding and threatening teeth, about the ears contracted to try to catch as much sound as possible, about the attempt to control her breathing. If you moved now, she would rip your guts out with her claws. "Y/N, NOW!" You don't know what Eda sees that makes her scream. What you do know is that in the next second the mass of feathers and muscles jumps out at you. Your eyes widen and then you close them in sheer dread. You expect the teeth, tearing into the flesh of your face, you expect the claws, breaking the skin of your belly. You're trembling. Would it be like this? After avoiding death for weeks would you end up dying in the boiling isles anyway? But...Nothing happens. You feel that her claws are pressed just beside your belly and her face is quite close because her breath hits you with hot, heavy puffs. But nothing happens. You face her then. There are no more wrinkles of concentration. She's still scary as hell, but she doesn't look like she's going to eat you. You can swear her eyes return to normal. Just for a brief second, just for a brief second you see the green and silver of her eyes, much bigger than usual because the creature was huge. But it's her. It's Lilith. And Lilith is not going to hurt you. "Y/N, CLOSE YOUR EYES!" Luz shouted and so you did because you knew what was going to happen. The flash of light this time is intense enough for you to feel the waves of the spell swaying around you. The creature squeals once more, but it's not threatening, it's painful. For some reason, your heart squeezes. She leaps away from you and you hear the heavy sound of a huge body falling beside you in the next second. The whole house seems to tremble with that crash. When you open your eyes again you feel dizzy. Luz is beside you almost before you can blink, grabbing your arm and pulling you away from the feathered body that is slumped beside you. "Eda, the elixir!" She seems calmer, but her fingers are squeezing you hard enough to mark.  The owl lady's steps are quick and she rapidly reaches for the raven beast, stuffing the golden bottle into her mouth.  It's only then that Luz lets out her breath. King leaps into your midst, grabbing at your clothes with his little paws. "I thought we were finally free of that kind of event." The little demon says as he curls up a little tighter against you. Eda wheezes with a laugh. You don't feel you are in the mood to laugh right now. It takes everything in you not to check whether your pants are dry or not. The owl lady seemed about to let out a joke, however, she stopped halfway. "Wha...What's that?" She pulls out something that shines brightly in the moonlight. It's what blinded you, you notice now. It looks like a beautiful, gleaming stones necklace. A necklace? Was the beast carrying a necklace around? That's when Eda truly begins to laugh. A loud laugh filling the entire dark house. You frown and look at Luz and King, searching for an answer that they don't have either by their confused expression. "I can't believe it." She sits back against the wall, wiping the corners of her eyes with her fingers, but still holding the necklace. "It seems that the cursed version of my sister wanted to court you." Your eyebrows pronounce even more. Court? You? The raven beast was trying to court you? The confusion must be quite visible even in the dark because Eda proceeds without your asking. "Ravens have a habit of trying to give shiny and small things to their possible.... Pairs. That explains why she didn't rip a piece of your face off. She didn't want to. I'll never let her forget that." The owl lady starts to laugh again, and this time Luz and King follow her. You open your mouth, surely with hundreds of questions to ask. But they all disappear, only the blush remains. A blush that rises in your chest, spreads to your neck, and colors your cheeks. Even if she was a beast...Lilith tried to give you a necklace, as part of a courtship? You try not to look at Luz because you are sure she will be waggling both eyebrows suggestively and you already had too much to deal with. "And this little beauty is mine now." Eda simply shoves the necklace into the middle of her hair. Another thing that you would have frowned at, but that in the face of the current situation you could no longer consider anything strange. "That should be enough." Finishes the owl lady, pulling the empty bottle from the creature's mouth. You watch as the body glows with blue light, soft and warming, it doesn't blind you as much as the light spell, it just bothers a little. The feathers are gone to make way for thin arms. The ears shrink back to normal size. The feathered mane goes and long black hair emerges. The claws go away and legs and hands bring back the raven lady. Lilith. "I'll take her to bed. You guys go have a look at Hooty, I think he needs a bandage." Something inside you scratched and screamed desperately, contesting when Eda stood and took her sister in her arms, as if she were a child and weighed absolutely nothing. These women certainly hid a great deal of strength. But you were only a human. She was her sister. No one had more right to take care of her than Eda. "No need to worry, girl." The owl lady offered you a complicit little wink. You have no idea what is on your face for Eda to think she needs to reassure you. But you certainly believe you get even redder, your ears burning now. "She just needs to sleep. She'll be brand new when she wakes up." And she's gone before you can add anything, even if you have no idea what you would like to add. You feel a knot in your stomach of pure shame. You were a gay mess who couldn't control your own expressions and now the entire Owl House, except for Hooty, was probably already aware of your crush. That was a level beyond embarrassing. The thing is...There was a tiny chance...That this crush was even remotely reciprocal. You get up in the next second and didn't look at your friends before you started your search for Hooty. You needed to occupy your mind and fast. Helping the bird with a bandage seemed like a good way out of the "A giant raven tried to courtship me and that raven was Lilith Clawthorne" matter. Creature Fear by Bon Iver is playing repeatedly in your head as you go up the stairs. "You should get some sleep." An exhausted smile spread on your mouth as you put a little bobble hat on Hooty's head. Yes, Hooty was giving you advice. Hooty who's face was slightly scarred, two kitten band-aids decorating it. He would be healed soon, the Owl House had a stupidly good healing system. "I mean it, Y/N." You close your eyes a tiny harder than necessary. The back of your head hurts and your corneas burn. You certainly needed sleep, everyone was asleep, but there was a lot of adrenaline in your body. If you lay down on your mattress you would be tossing and turning without sleeping. That's why you are sitting on the porch of the house, watching the light globes shining in the sky above you. It's not that cold tonight, but cold enough to keep you awake. "I can tell you a little bedtime story." Hooty added then, stretching out enough to lay his head on your shoulder. You scratched just below his beak and denied it with your head. "Why don't you tell me a story, but other than a bedtime story?" The bird's eyebrows pronounced and you chuckled a little. "How did you and Lilith become friends?" Hooty squirmed a little more on your shoulder before beginning to speak. "I liked her well before. She was pretty insistent about trying to break in." You can imagine this happening. Lilith was pretty focused on trying to learn glyph magic, you can only imagine what she was like back in the emperor's coven. "So when she moved in I tried to become friends with her. I don't have a lot of friends, hoot, hoot, and she didn't seem to have either. Two weirdos could be good friends." He was right about that. That is the basis of the friendship that was born at the Owl House. "So I helped her get fire bee honey because she wanted to spy on her old buddies. She didn't like it very much at first and we fought, but then she realized that she couldn't do it all by herself. We became best friends since then." You are sure there are a few more things that Hooty just doesn't have much attention directed to, but that was already a good story. Your eyes close again and for a moment that's it. It's just you, Hooty, the sound of the wind singing in the distance and the waves crashing on the shore even further away. Nothing else. Just calm. Your adrenaline levels are softening, perhaps in an hour or two, you can get some sleep. "Y/N." Hooty's singing voice makes you open one eye and then the other. He seems to be chuckling. "Lilith's window has opened." You frown at this and he lets out a low but rather excited "hoot". "Don't you want to talk to her, hmmmmm, hoot, hoot?" Well, you'd think that at least Hooty wouldn't have noticed your not even slightly disguised little crush, but even from the bird, you couldn't escape. "She must be exhausted, Hooty. We'd better leave her alone." You barely finish saying those words before Hooty wraps his beak around the collar of your sweatshirt and throws you onto his back. "HOOTY. NO!" You want to yell at him, but everyone is asleep so it's more or less a shouted whisper. He stands up from the side of the house. Lilith's window is actually open, the bedroom lights on. "Lulu, I have a gift for you." You would choke that tube bird the next chance you get, you swear. "Hootsifer?" Her voice sounds slightly groggy through the window and the next thing you know Hooty is gaining momentum on his back and throwing you face-first onto the floor of the raven lady's room. Ouch. You would kill him. Choking wouldn't be enough. "Have fun!" He hums as he goes and you simply wish you never had to lift your face off that floor again. You just want it to swallow you whole. "Need a hand?" Your head lifts on its own. There is a slight smile stamped on Lilith's face as she extends her hand to you. She looks pretty good overall, no feathers, no sharp claws. She doesn't seem disturbed by your earlier comment either, perhaps she doesn't even remember it. This is what you tell yourself to hold her fingers and get up off the floor. Her hand is quite warm. However, even standing up, you still have to lift your head to look at her. "Can't sleep either?" You nod in agreement, she must wonder why. Lilith lets out a deep sigh, which you would interpret as frustrated. She certainly looks frustrated. She tilts her head up at the lights in the room before turning her eyes back to you. "Would you climb on the roof with me?" You frown until your eyebrows almost knit together. "On the roof?" She shrugs for a moment and then with a long gesture of her hands the staff appears between her fingers. You try not to stare at it because she is a witch. But it all seemed so outstanding to you even after everything. "When I was a kid and couldn't sleep..." She closes her eyes for only a brief second before sighing with a tiny smile. "Eda and I used to play climbing on the roof. She would make up random things in the middle of the night for us to do since I couldn't sleep." You bite your lower lip hard enough to draw blood. There is so much you want to ask right now. Eda said it was a curse, a curse she and Lilith shared, usually stronger when she was under considerable pressure. But there are so many gaps in your head right now and you have no idea whether to ask or not. "I would love to." That's what you reply, even in the face of everything that's echoing in your head. You would never deny a request from Lilith. Never. She just needs to ask. Her eyes light up for a moment before she throws her staff in the air and it spreads its wings at the tip. Lilith sits up as if she were riding a broom, since she's wearing pants, and then she reaches out her hand to you again. Well. You had already ridden a motorcycle and you had already flown in a helicopter. The feeling couldn't be that different. And you trusted her enough not to eat your liver while in bestial form. You thought that riding a staff would be simple then. She puts your hand on her shoulder when you accept and then you ride the staff. It really is like riding a broomstick, you remember from when you played Quidditch or pretended to play. Although, when she flies off, you let out a yelp and grab her waist with both arms. Man, this is high and this staff is thin. You feel like you're going to slip. Lilith lets out a loud, graceful laugh that makes your whole face turn red. You hug her, too tightly, your chest pressing against her back hard enough so that she can probably feel your heartbeat. Your legs almost touching hers. God, she smells good. If it weren't for the wind in your face, and the numerous feet between you and the ground you would have more time to analyze how her hair smells. But now your legs are softening and you are quite sure that a few more seconds of this and your blood pressure would go down. "My first time was kind of like this, but I don't think I grabbed anyone that hard." It's only a few seconds before you reach the tower of the house, the highest part of the Owl House. Your legs are the consistency of jello as you get out first, eyes on the ground and face red. You couldn't help but embarrass yourself even once. Lilith, on the other hand, did not seem disturbed, only mildly amused. You had never been to this part of the house before. But it seemed like an ordinary place for Lilith considering that there was a blanket up there. She sits down, with her legs close to her chest, and then, without exactly looking at you, she twirls the tip of her staff. You had already seen Owlbert wandering around the house, so it's not exactly a surprise when the little animal on the end of her staff comes to life. A white raven with very piercing green eyes. You sit down next to her, genuinely curious about it. A nice distraction from your teenage attitudes. "This is Riven." The little bird spreads its wings as if yawning and then simply hops into the palm of your hand. You put your hands together in fear that he will fall and the little bird simply flops between your fingers. You smile at this, you have always loved animals. "Oh, he likes you. That's rare." You scratch behind the pet's head and he seems even more comfortable, tilting his head toward your thumb. "Sounds a lot like Raven." Lilith rolls her eyes at you and you feel the giggle on the tip of your tongue. "I was young and thought it would be a great pun, okay? Don't judge." You shrug as you rub just below the bird's beak, causing him to close his eyes. Silence establishes its reign for a few seconds and you feel the words scratching your tongue too quickly. "I'm sorry." She frowns as you say those words, you too in a way, and Riven tilts his head, a curious eye on you. "Eda said you might have gotten stressed and that may have activated the curse, so I'm sorry for the question..." Her eyes lift to you, the gray seems truly silver under the moonlight and the green, brighter. She tilts her head towards you, twisting her lips for a moment. She doesn't seem mad about it. Not at all. "Don't apologize. You had no way of knowing." Lilith breaths profoundly and even though she's calm and perfectly steady now you feel a bit of resentment coming off her in waves. "Do you have siblings?" You deny with your head, you wish you had, especially an older brother. Perhaps things would have been different. "I'm an only child." Lilith consents with her head and again there is silence for a few seconds, just the wind blowing hard, making your hair and hers fly away from your faces. You think that's it. You will stare at the light globes for the next few hours. "When Eda was born..." She pauses for a moment and you get static because apparently...Apparently, she actually is going to tell you. You are about to hear the story. You almost can't hold yourself in place. Wow. You can be a teen around her, for sure. "When Eda was born I was only two years old. To me, it was like every day was a holiday. I loved playing with her and helping to take care of her." She grins at the thought, not the careful smile with just one side of her mouth, but a wide smile silvered by moonlight that makes your heart race. "As we grow up...Well, it's common in every family that when a new child is born the attention is divided. The youngest obviously needs the most care." You notice when she swallows a little before starting again. "In my house, the attention wasn't divided. It was transferred." Oh. She was an overlooked child. You almost reach out to touch her shoulder for how her voice sounded now. So...Resigned? It's hard to read Lilith when she's saying so much about herself. You feel overwhelmed by the slightest thing. Riven was between your fingers and you didn't know if she wanted to be touched now, so you remain in your seat. "Eda has always been a troublemaker. Mom and dad barely had time to take a breath before she was up to no good again." There is a tiny twitch of amusement on her lips, but her eyes don't lie. That still hurts. Even after all this time. It's still an open wound. "Mom, can you help me with my homework? Ah, Lilith dear, you're so smart, I'm sure you can finish it on your own. Eda needs help with this potion." A sigh. Eyes in the sky. You wonder if she's looking up to keep tears from falling. You used to do that a lot. It's much easier to look up and avoid tears when you knew that if you started to cry you wouldn't stop. "I...I didn't blame Eda for that. She...She's always been like that, you know? She doesn't need anyone's validation. She doesn't need anyone to tell her she did right. I wish I could be like that." She looks at you and you just nod. You are listening with all attention you have. You couldn't miss it. That's more than you've had in weeks. "We were best friends." A real tear trickles down of her gray eye. She doesn't even notice because it quickly runs down and hits the floor. But that doesn't stop all your hair from shivering. Watching her cry...It's almost like scraping your skin. It's too uncomfortable. Riven looks at her. He looks a little worried but he doesn't move either. He must sense that she doesn't want anyone comforting her right now. "Eda was messy, chaotic, and so fearless. But she was the most powerful witch in the whole Hexide when she was still 11." You raise your eyebrows this time. You had some understanding that the Clawthorne sisters had been very powerful witches before they lost their magic, but this is impressive. "She had all of our parents' attention not just because she got into a lot of trouble. But also because she was better than me...At absolutely everything." You feel your heart sink at that. You feel how important it was to her. How much she wishes she could have heard a "well done" just once. Would she be a little bit more open if she got the love she deserved? "She was remarkable with magic, she was the star player of our team...And she was so much better at social interactions than me." Well, the last part was a bit obvious even in this day and age. Eda was open like a book, always cheerful and communicable. Lilith was a brick wall. Perhaps that's why. "I have no idea how many times she punched people in the face to protect me. How many times she got in front of bullies twice her size and yelled 'hey this is my sister you're talking to, you dickhead'." She rests her chin on her hand and is not looking at you when a new smile breaks out on her face, driven by memories. Still, her eyes are glistening with unshed tears, and your nose tingles with it. "She even summoned an army of abominations to start a food fight when my lunch money was stolen, maybe for the third time that week." Eda was born lucky. Lilith was lucky to be born. That's what you hear. Even if she doesn't say it and it weighs on your stomach in a way you didn't think was possible. You want to touch her so badly now it hurts. Of all people, you knew what it was like to be the rejected nerd. "I'm the elder sister..." When her face contorts into a grimace you already know what comes next. The tears come quickly down her face. Thin and quick. Her eyes water. She feels too much. You feel too much. You are two people who feel too much. You wish you could say something, but she's not finished yet and you wouldn't have the courage to interrupt her. Never. Even if your heart is breaking into pieces and pieces. Lilith rubs her hands over her eyes, hard enough so you think she might hurt herself. She sniffles before proceeding. Maybe she doesn't even realize you're still there. She's just saying. She's just taking it out of her. "I am the elder sister. I was supposed to protect her and that's all I didn't do." Riven doesn't care anymore. He simply flies to her shoulder, wrapping himself around her hair. Lilith doesn't move to remove him but she doesn't stroke him either. She seems miles away from that tower. Miles away from herself. How could you grab her by the hand and pull her back? "We... We didn't want to give up on our magic. When you join an ordinary coven you can only do magic from that coven. However, in the Emperor's Coven, you have free access to all kinds of magic. Eda was too free. She didn't want to give up anything, let alone of me. And I...I just wanted to go as far away from home as possible, to work with the most powerful witches in the boiling isles, to do some good for these lands." She sighs deeply and you can almost feel the air around her getting colder. "Eda trained me all summer until I came in second place. We would go together. We would do some good in the Coven. Together." You feel you are reaching the breaking point because her lips are trembling and her fingers begin to do the same. "But then...On selection day, after we beat the whole school, they told us there was only one spot available. We would have to duel." You understand where this was going. A lump forms in your throat. She hurt Eda. She hurt her little sister. "I should have asked...Eda had no intention of fighting me. She never did." She looks down at her own hands now. It's shame. She is ashamed of herself. She is ashamed of what she has done. Her shoulders slump. She may be a brick wall in the daylight. But this...this is not coldness. This is not being made of steel. She is exposing herself more than ever. "I cursed her." Even after so many years saying that out loud feels like a punch in the stomach to her. Her face contorts into another grimace and you wouldn't blame her if she threw up. "It was only supposed to be for one day, just take away her powers for one day. I couldn't bear to lose again." In front of the whole school. Failing again. Being second again. Being worse again, not getting the least from her parents. Again. "But it wasn't for one day. And it wasn't a curse to remove powers, but an owl beast curse." She sighs once again but still doesn't look at you. It's too much. It's too much for you to digest at once. "I...I spent years looking for a cure. I went to every healer, witch, library, and alley on the boiling isles. But nobody had one." You compress your lips. You can't imagine the amount of guilt and self-loathing this woman carries. That explains quite a lot actually. You have no idea how she hasn't exploded yet. "Nobody had a cure. The Emperor, however, learned of my quest..And He promised me that he had a way and would cure Eda if I brought her to the Coven. She was powerful and well...She was already well known in the boiling isles." Eda Clawthorne. The owl lady. The boiling isles' most wanted criminal. You almost smile at the thought. "So I tried. I tried so persistently. I talked to her. I asked. I begged. But Eda was just fine without a coven...In fact, she seemed just fine running away and always escaping. I spent years without having a glimpse at her." She finally raises her eyes to you. They look even brighter now that they are splattered with tears. You believe she is biting her lips now hard enough to draw blood. "It wasn't until last year's covention when I saw her again. When I realized how advanced the curse was that I returned to my mission." Covention. Okay, another thing to research later. "Again I tried every way...But Eda did not want to and would not join the Coven. I..." She stops for a moment and averts her eyes before saying her next words. "I even kidnapped Luz and threatened to kill her to try to convince her. And just at that moment, I had the scoundrel attitude to say to her face that I had cursed her." Your eyes widen now. That was another level altogether and you are not sure how to feel about that. How Luz and Eda manage to forgive her for that? Perhaps they didn't. Perhaps they didn't forgive her completely. They were good people. Possibly they just wanted their family together again, no matter what that family had done. "Eda turned into owl beast permanently in that battle and I finally could take her in...But...The emperor didn't heal her. He never intended to." You were not wrong when you thought you missed several important parts. There were many twists and turns in that story. And you believe that it is at that moment that you start to truly hate Emperor Belos. You had no reason before. Now you do. "He planned to kill her as an example. That's when I decided on betrayal. He would have to kill me before touching Eda." The elder sister. You feel how it weighs on her shoulders. How she feels she has failed, in everything. "Luz and I saved her. Mainly Luz if I'm being honest..." She takes another deep breath, the air warms a little more, but not enough to stop the shivers from running down your arms. "And then I shared the curse. Just like when we were kids and she was hurt. I used to share the pain to make her stop crying. Half is with me. Half is with her. That's why I turned into that, that's why the white streak and the gray eye." She puts her hands together and Riven sprawls on them. "That's what happened. That's why it's not your fault. No one is to blame in this story...Besides me." It's simple. She is laying out the facts. She did horrible things and didn't want you to feel sorry for her. Lilith was a witch who blamed herself constantly, but who would easily tell her entire life story so that someone else wouldn't blame themselves. It's kindness. You look at the light balls. Digesting. She has probably spoken to you now more than she has since the day you arrived. She told you her story. She gave you the nuances and details whose absence bothered you so much. And now a lot of it seems to make sense. The indifference, or the supposed indifference around people who clearly wanted her around. The terror of causing pain to other people. Even some aspects of the friendship with Hooty. It was unusual for people to analyze each other at such a deep level as you did. "You don't think you deserve it...Any of this." You have no idea how the words come out of your mouth, your head is miles away from there. But they do come out, and Lilith's wide-eyed eyes are your answer. You have just hit a point. You had been thinking this for a while and now, faced with her narrative, it's almost a certainty for you. "Eda's forgiveness. Her friendship...Or anyone's friendship... That's why you always seem so distant, isn't it?" The witch opens and closes her mouth a few times. Static. She certainly didn't expect you to be analyzing her so sharply and you feel your ears burn for that. "I'm not a good person, Y/N." She is not asking. She is saying. "You're right. I don't think I deserve to be here. I guess I would have preferred Edalyn to yell and throw me through the doors of the emperor's castle to face my own shit or just have killed me that day...The Titan knows she could." Something stirs under your skin and your eyes widen at her use of a bad word. Just the prospect of it. Your hair stands up in dread and you don't even begin to understand why. The thought of her dead...Terrifies you...A lot. The thought of her under the emperor's clutches again almost terrifies you more. "But she took me in...Treated me like family." The witch curls her legs against her chest tighter. The self-loathing waves seem quite firm now. You have to make her stop or this may go down paths you don't want to. You can feel a bitterness beginning to build in the back of your throat. "May I offer my opinion?" It's a low question and yet it makes Lilith's attention turn to you. As well as Riven's. It takes everything in you not to wipe the remnants of tears from her eyes with your thumbs. "I just opened up like an oyster here. Please." You would have smiled. But the moment didn't call for a smile. The moment called for what you were thinking. "I understand you've made mistakes." Lilith rolls her eyes at the obviousness of your words but doesn't object before you proceed. "You were a child who didn't understand the consequences of your own actions. You don't deserve to punish yourself for that forever, especially since you tried to undo what you did, you regretted it." She follows your reasoning with explicit disbelief on her face. "About your actions in the present. I believe you were desperate. You were so afraid of losing Eda that you didn't care to do anything to try to save her. Perhaps a little bit of resentment was still bubbling up in you, for the past and even the present, but you love Eda and I don't think you wanted to lose her at all." She widens her eyes for a long moment this time. Probably still a little surprised at how you were analyzing her in such an incisive way. "I don't think you're a bad person." She wheezes through her nose and it reminds you a lot of Eda. Irony and quiet sarcasm. They truly are sisters. "There's a reason even my parents couldn't stand me, Y/N." It's your turn to roll your eyes, hard enough so that they could get stuck behind your eye sockets. Stubbornness hits your head repeatedly. "I am here and I can assure you that I am not standing you. I like you." It was an impulse. Holy shit of course it was. A very badly calculated impulse of words. And when she looks at you with her eyes completely wide open, the blush quite evident on her cheeks, you feel your ears catch fire. It's time to fix that, in a way that doesn't seem too awkward. "Hmm...You...You're intelligent to the point of being intimidating, you have an acid kind of humor that you don't show a lot, and you're kind. It's nice to talk to you." It sounded much better in your head, but it seemed enough to fix this embarrassing situation that you've wrapped the two of you. Her eyebrows pronounced. "Kind?" The word sounds strange on her tongue. As if she has never heard it spoken in her direction before. What you consider might be reasonable. "You saved me." From more things than just a demon in a market, if you were honest with yourself. "You have been distancing yourself from people who clearly want to involve you in their family because you believe it's best for them to stay away from you. You are kind, Lilith." She looks stunned by this for a moment. Riven looks curiously from you to her several times. It's instinctive when you rub the raven's head gently. You let her digest it...for long minutes. She doesn't seem to believe your words pretty much, even though you have put together the most logical reasoning possible. "I really don't know what to do with that." It's the way her voice sounds so vulnerable. She doesn't know what to do. The steel lady. The woman with few words and a calculated smile doesn't know what to do with the idea that maybe she wasn't horrible and deserved better than to just whine for the rest of her life. You move close enough to rub her shoulder with yours, pushing lightly. Her skin is warm even in the face of the cold night. "Let it in. You don't have to sacrifice the rest of your life for your mistakes." Her eyes go to you again and what you see there is pure doubt. Should she? Should she listen to you? Could it be that you weren't talking rubbish? "Lilith...You deserve a life too." And it's like hitting her with another punch. She doesn't have to penance herself for the rest of her days. She can make the best of this life, she just has to try, she just has to let it in. She opens her mouth, but nothing comes out, so she closes it again. Confusion. Worry. Disbelief and finally...Hope. It's like seeing that specter again. It's like drowning in so many emotions that she is exhibiting again. It's like drowning in her, in that enigma, again and again. "How can you be so young and talk so nicely about these things?" You didn't consider yourself that young. Your knee already made noise when you bent and you could no longer wake up early the next day if you slept past midnight. "Let's just say I also share some parent traumas." Now it's pure curiosity that shines on her face, as well as on Riven's when they both look at you. You could swear the green gleam in their eyes is the same. Something tells you that the palismen have an extremely strong connection to their witches. "You...Would you like to tell me?" Well...You thought that was fair. She had told you her whole life and solved many of the doubts you had. It was only fair that she knew a little more about you. "The day I fell into this world...I had just become homeless." Lilith frowns, asking you to proceed without needing words spoken. "My parents are exceptionally religious people. They saw a picture of me kissing a girl. Then they put my stuff in a backpack and kicked me out of the house." Her eyebrows rise on her face in a silent "wow" as you shrug. "Oh." Apparently, it wasn't just you with expressions that even a three-year-old would say better. "Is that a problem in your world?" You frown at her, compressing your lips. The thought almost makes you chuckle. "What? Kicking your kids out of home?" You understand the question, but your dark humor hasn't stopped itself from making an appearance. Lilith rolls her eyes before speaking again. "No. Kissing girls." It shouldn't, but just the way she says simply, kissing girls, makes your heart beat fast again. Kissing girls. Just that. It sounds so common to hear that you have to hold your tongue behind your teeth not to ask. She's making you think of her and your parents at the same time, which should be two opposites. The people who kicked you out, the person who accepted you. The big issue is that now that you think about them, maybe for the first time in a while, what you feel is indifference. A petty and profound indifference. "In my world...Well, we've had darker times but it's still a conservative society, both by religion and ancient taboos, that believes men should only have romantic relationships with women and vice versa." Lilith makes a funny face at this, twisting her black-colored lips as well as her nose. "I don't think we've ever had anything quite like that here. People in the boiling isles...They love people. No matter who they are." You follow this with interest. Love people, not women, men, people. It sounds nice to you. It makes your cheeks want to warm up at the possibilities too. But it sounds good. "Are you all pansexual then?" You have absolutely no idea if all the gender and sexuality issues apply in the witch world. But apparently, it does, because Lilith knew the word. "I wouldn't say that. Some people prefer one gender or another, but sexuality isn't exactly an issue, you know? No one here is going to get kicked out for kissing a girl. Possibly in more conservative families which have created rules for themselves but not for religion or social taboos." Your tongue itches to ask if she has a preference, but you thought that would be too invasive, so you just looked at the light globes, slowly getting lost on the horizon. The sun would soon be up. You really should try to get a few hours of sleep. "It would have been nice...Growing up here." You didn't mean for it to sound melancholy, but it did. It would have been nice to grow up in a place where you hadn't been forced to create trauma. "It's not a bed of roses. We still live under a dictatorship and have boiling rain, as well as other plagues." You raise an eyebrow in amused disbelief. As if boiling isles were still better. Which, you can't help but notice, perhaps they actually were. "Well..." She jokingly pushes your shoulders as she realizes what you were going to say. You chuckle at this. She lets out a giggle as well, her eyes lighting up at the corners. Something expands in your chest at being able to mitigate some of her melancholy. "I'm sorry for almost killing you." You frown for a moment, you had almost forgotten that little detail. Then she really knew. You look at her out of the corner of your eye. Had Eda told her everything? About the necklace? About the courtship? Did she have some kind of control over her beast form or was that simply the raven beast acting up? You think so because there is a vague shade of pink spreading around her cheeks, as well as through her pointed ears as she tilts her head to the side. It doesn't feel like the kind of shame for almost killing someone, more like the kind of shame for uncontrollable urges. The kind of shame you would feel for an irrepressible kiss. You're thankful that your ears can be hidden by your hair because she would realize your shame so much easier if they were like hers. "Don't worry, no scratches this time." You hold out your arms and hands, as if for proof. She just twitches the corner of her mouth, her mind still a few miles away. You don't think it's a big thing, really. Okay, keep telling yourself that until you believe it and pretend you haven't gone into complete ecstasy and dread at the possibility that your crush was reciprocated, even if in her bestial version. Still, this is not something you are going to address directly with her. Experience and your own conscience tell you that this is not the way to run things with Lilith most of the time. Gentle approaches were the key, letting her approach was the key. "So, you didn't tell me about the hair..." It's a petty attempt to change the topic, for your own mental health. Lilith looks at you in total disbelief as she narrows her eyes. "Seriously? I just told you my life story and you bring back the hair issue?" Her indignant manner makes a loud laugh come out of your mouth. One that was sure heard if there was anyone awake. Hooty probably heard it. "I'm just curious. You had a beautiful hair color and it was curly. Stunning." It was your turn to make her embarrassed with compliments. Her ears look quite red now as she looks down at her own hands. "It's not the kind of look you see in the Emperor's Coven, especially for the leader of the coven, very placid, supple...And I guess I've just gotten used to my own image." Something tells you that this was the result of external and hateful pressure. She was just a little girl and they turned her into this woman before you. Often impenetrable, a steel wall with interactions. Your hatred for the emperor grows a little more. Because he used her. You feel it in your bones. He used that little girl who had no one, he gave her a place, something she probably abhorred today, but he gave her that place, that validation she wanted with everything she had within her. But along the way, he destroyed her, almost to the point of non-reversal. You make a mental note that if you ever get the chance, you will kick him in the balls. "I like the black hair..." It's almost impossible for you to resist the urge to lift your fingers and trace the dark strands with your fingertips, it looks so soft and silky. It's a pretty recurring thought now. "But if you want to go back to the red hair...Redheads rule, okay?" She smiles at you now. Not the calculated smile, not the slightly wider one, it's a smile that fills her face, teeth and all. Lips colored black, teeth white and straight, the dimples accentuating her cheeks. She looked perfect when she smiled like that, almost childishly happy. Your heart was beating so fast you felt it in your ears. It was the first time you saw Lilith smiling like that and you decided it would be your mission to make her smile with that joy every chance you got. A blue butterfly lands on one of the bricks in the tower and your mind immediately makes the connection to Life is Strange. This action will have consequences. Ah, you were a nerd with great references, it's a shame she didn't understand much of them. "Okay." The night air pushes your hair away and for some reason, a very specific song comes into your head. What could you possibly say? You were passionate about music. There was always a song for a certain moment. There was always a melody and a lyric running through your head, even if you didn't realize it. In the human world, if you weren't nosing around in a book, you were playing the guitar, those were the things that always distracted your head. That's why you reach for your phone in your back pocket. Lilith follows the movement with the corner of her eyes, interested. You go through the playlist until you find that one. Stone by Jaymes Young. The music begins its gentle chords. Lilith and Riven tilt their heads. Her ears move adorably, back and forth with the intrusive sound. She's paying attention to the lyrics, you notice. Curious, which you can't help but find adorable. It's a melancholy lyric...But beautiful. Perhaps pretty much like her. Perhaps that's why you thought of this song in the first place. The chorus is what makes her look at you again, eyes shining in the impressive night. She sees meaning in it, she identifies with the song. She thinks the song is beautiful. I'll be the stone that you need me to be. You didn't intend it to fit so well. But the song surprisingly suits your dialogue, the moment you are sharing. To this connection that you didn't expect to have with this witch, but that now you would do anything to keep. She grins again. That smile that makes your stomach feel silly, her ears with that slight pinkish hue. You bow your head and just breathe in the night air. You weren't sleepy yet, and you would love to show her other songs. If she would just keep smiling like that at you. And for a moment that's it. It's you. It's her. It's night giving way to day. It's lovely songs from your 3 am playlist. And it's that smile that won't leave your head, possibly ever. It's a perfect certainty that your life would never be better on Mars, but maybe on the boiling isles. Who knows. At least it's not Arcadia Bay. At least you don't have to choose between a city and her. You have the realization that you would let Arcadia Bay go to hell to see her smiling like that. To save her, the parts she's proud of and the parts she's not. Without even a second thought. You've lost track of time after the first month. You stopped counting the days, to be frank. The Owl House was the place where you lived now, as a witch's apprentice and a friend of those people. You didn't use to count the days anymore because little by little the boiling isles began to seem more like your permanent habitat. Not that you like to think about it a lot. You had a life in the human world, not that it was an extraordinary life, but it was still a life. And then a portal sucks you in, you fall into this strange world, you make real friends for the first time in a long time...You fall in love...With a lot of things. And that's it? Well, yes. You loved Luz's company, your little sister, who always seemed to have something new to tell you or teach you, last time it was a very interesting invisibility spell. She also always asks you for advice, which is kind of ironic considering your current situation. Eda is like an older sister who constantly acted like a mother and had the best jokes. You felt sometimes that you were more adult than she was, but it was just part of her personality. King, half cat, half boy, half-demon, a younger brother with an obsession with grandeur and a desire to rule the world. Hooty, perhaps a very close friend who lived in your house and was sometimes a bit intrusive but understanding, the best listener in the house.  And Lilith. The woman who just by looking at you can make you unsteady enough to trip on the stairs. The woman who constantly makes you blush at the smallest things. The woman whose smell you knew by heart, as well as the tone of her voice and the exact color of each of her eyes. The woman who, after the night of the raven beast attack, every time she sat down next to you on the sofa, made all the other residents of the Owl House look at each other and raise their eyebrows. Something that became quite constant. Back in the human world, you didn't have many friends. Let alone intense relationships, the most exciting thing was the prospect of getting caught. Your first time was awful, and the sex after that was just okay. You didn't date, you didn't want to date, you saw no point in tying yourself to someone you didn't have the slightest affection or care for. She is completely different from that. Completely on so many levels. She makes your skin crawl with just the mere touch. She smiles and your heart beats so hard you think you might run out of air. Lilith is like an outlier. You've tried to understand her for weeks, digging deep into the layers she wanted no one in, she intrigued you and still intrigues you in a way. But you don't just find her intriguing or beautiful. You understand her now, for the most part, you know what she carries under her skin, it arouses your care, it arouses your affection around her. You just want to be her friend if you could never be anything else. For the reason she is an extraordinary witch who deserves to have the best life she can, even if she doesn't think so. This is more than a school crush. Absolutely. You like her, you can assume this for yourself. You have learned to appreciate the raven lady in numerous aspects and didn't know exactly what to do with it. All of them though. They were slowly filling holes that you didn't know existed inside you. Day after day it's like having a place in the world when you think about the Owl House and what you're doing there. You may not have a place in your house, but here you did, they all appreciated your company and didn't want you to change. Not really. "Y/N!" Luz shouts from upstairs and you frown over the refrigerator. You were helping Eda remove the chocolate peanut candy you two made. After your chocolate cake, the Owl House residents began to have a great appreciation for chocolate and sweet things in general, you were trying a new recipe to see if you could get the snickers consistency. You also tried to make marshmallows this time and would have to check their consistency soon. The girl appears at the kitchen entrance with her backpack on her back and you and Eda smile in almost the same way. It's the moonlight conjuring. It's slumber party day at friends' houses to animate an inanimate object. That's why Luz seems so excited. "I'm leaving...Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" As much as you thought the idea was adorable, you were a little old for a slumber party with 14 to 15-year-old teenagers. As curious as you were about Willow's house or what Amity and Luz's interactions would be like, you would have to reserve that for another time. "I will stay, but I hope you have a great time." Luz leans in to quickly hug the owl lady's hips who just ruffles her hair and then she leans in to kiss your cheek. "I'll tell you all about it when I come back ." She whispers in your ear and you offer a complicit little wink to her. You would love to hear it all, teenage dramas, so entertaining. "Stay out of trouble, kiddo." Luz nods, a wide smile that Eda responds to with narrowed eyes. Something tells you that there have been a number of chaotic situations when Luz leaves the house. "You can take Owlbert, I won't need him today." This makes Luz's eyes light up even more and she is smiling widely when Eda gestures and the staff appears in her hands. "Just don't do anything I wouldn't do." Luz raises her eyebrows at that. "You know, that doesn't quite restrict my options." The owl lady chuckles before giving the girl a loving flick on the head. "Have fun, Luz." Luz waves to you before go running through the kitchen door, riding Owlbert as soon as she reached the shore. Again, you would always wonder how she and Eda could not be related. The behavior similarities were almost uncanny. You also wonder if you will ever be able to fly like that, so effortlessly. You hope so, it would be nice to fly with Lilith again. "So what's the name of that again?" It's the woman's question as she breaks off the chocolate pieces, the consistency had turned out good. Making candy in the boiling isles could be a challenge but you particularly liked the result of this one. "S'mores. Crackers, chocolate, and marshmallow. Usually roasted over a campfire. It tastes much better roasted over a campfire." Eda raises her eyebrows just for a second before nodding. You check the consistency of the marshmallows next, they had turned out decent. "Luz went out. We could have our own moonlight conjuring." It's your turn to raise your eyebrows at the witch. "Do you want to bring something inanimate to life?" Edalyn laughs this time, shaking her head negatively as she runs her tongue over the chocolate around her fingers. "We can light a fire outside to test your recipe. Tell stories or just look at the moon. It's going to be impressive today." It wasn't a bad idea. A bonfire party at the Owl House. It made more sense than you could say. "We call it a bonfire party in the human world." Eda leans against the counter, her arms crossed over her belly as she looks at you. You wonder what she could have been thinking when she smiled like that, the golden fang emerging from her red-colored lips, almost too mischievous. Something vibrate in your spine at that look, because it seemed like the owl lady was planning something and you had no idea whether that was good or not. (...) The moon. The moon seemed to be so close to the house that night, brighter than you have ever seen in the human world, surrounded by a faint blue aura, your eyes are filling with the silvery glow as soon as you take a step out of the Owl House. The whole clearing is perfectly illuminated as if the rays of light were working like small lanterns over the place, the trees seem redder, even the air seems lighter, more enchanted, and the ocean on the shore on the other side has the color of champagne. It would be a perfect night for one of your fantasy books. You can almost imagine Rhysand and Feyre flying in that light, diving into the golden sea as if there were nothing else in the world. You take a deep breath and keep this image, this landscape, in your head because it's probably one of the most beautiful you have ever seen. Hooty's helping Lilith to bring wood from a pretty tall tree near the clearing. He can't get many sticks at once with his beak, so you come closer to help. She is wearing a gray, turtleneck sweater, which goes exceptionally well with her skin, as well as tailored pants and boots. She has an enviable sense of style, you think to yourself. She could possibly impersonate a lawyer or a teacher adequately with those clothes in your world. You don't ask because this is not exactly the way to act with Lilith. You just reach out to pick up most of the sticks she got and pass them into your own arms. Her eyes widen at the sudden presence, but then soften when she realizes it's you, a small smile appearing at the corner of her mouth. "Thank you." You just nod and start your way back to the middle of the clearing where Eda intended to build the fire. Lilith turns to get more sticks with Hooty. You gather a large amount between two logs carved as benches, gathering them into a pile that forms a nice fire. "Would you like to do the honors?" She asks as Hooty places the last one on top and you frown at that. But you understand as soon as she holds out a piece of paper to you with a fire glyph drawn on it. Your smile slowly takes over your mouth and you kneel down to touch the paper just below the sticks. First, the tingling sensation in your hands spreads to your arm, then the symbol glows golden before becoming a reasonably sized flame. The wood begins to burn and the smell anesthetizes your mind. "Hoot. Hoot. Warm." You stroke just below Hooty's beak unconsciously. "HEY. A little help here?" The three of you look at the door in time to see Eda coming out with a tray on top of another, some skewers, something slung over her shoulder, and King between her feet. You rush to her aid. Lilith takes one of the trays, Hooty the skewers, and you take the thing she has on her shoulder. It's quite light and is wrapped in a black bag, which relieves you, by the weight, it could not be a body. "Whose idea was it to stick us out here to talk? Couldn't we do that on the couch in the living room?" That's what King said as he sat down on one of the benches, extending his paws into the fire. "It was my idea, buzzkill. Shhh." You chuckled at that before sitting down on the other bench. Lilith sat down next to you, placing the tray of s'mores there. Hooty immediately started sniffing the candy, which earned him a crossed look from the witch. "Okay do we have everything here?" The owl lady asked as she looked around, sitting down next to King and warming her hands for a brief second. "Hmm...What's this?" You showed her the package and Eda raised her eyes to you. It's not your imagination when her amber eye glows in a pretty meaningful gold while the gray became almost silver. Your conscience says this indicates something, you really hope it's not a sign of a body. "That's for you. I went through my junk rooms. Luz said you would like it." You frown, even more, the owl lady is grinning in an almost feline way now. Your fingers open the package and surprise settles on your face when you realize it's a guitar. Clearly, coming from your world, a teenage's guitar, it's light brown, there are Nirvana and My Chemical Romance stickers nailed on, some really cute patches and there is a capo attached to the neck. The one you used to have at home was all black and a lot more practical, but this is something you can easily work on. Your head lifts to Eda and your smile must look quite childish now. "Thank you, Eda." You would have to thank Luz later. You don't even remember when you mentioned you played the guitar, but this is a pretty special gift. Your fingers almost itch after weeks of not playing strings. You played every day before, calmed your mind like nothing but books could, and the prospect of getting back...It fills your chest. "Go ahead." Your eyes move to the woman next to you, Eda is stuffing s'mores into her skewer, so she does the same before looking at her sister on the other side of the fire. "She has a beautiful voice, ask her to sing." You roll your eyes, but your ears are getting hot again and it wasn't the campfire's fault. "Feel free, kid." King didn't seem interested in anything other than the fact that Eda had given him control over the skewer and Hooty was looking at what Lilith was roasting with anticipation. Well. You didn't use to sing for an audience, even one composed of two people. You've never performed in church and didn't even play for your parents, not that they wanted to hear it anyway. But they are the Clawthorne sisters. Eda is the kindest woman you have ever met. She welcomed you into her home as if you were part of the family, took you in, and accepted you as no one has ever done before. And Lilith...Lilith saved you, again, echoes in your head, in more ways than you could say. You would never deny them anything...You would never deny her anything. Your ear is still entirely used to the sound of the strings, it's easy to tune the guitar, even if it doesn't seem to be played for a long long time. It doesn't take more than a few minutes, but by the time you're done, Hooty and King's faces are dirty with chocolate. This makes you chuckle. You rest the guitar on your thigh, testing the strings. Lilith has her chin resting on her hand, she looks at you expectantly, and you'd be lying if you said those eyes half-lit by the flickering orange light of the campfire didn't make everything in you shiver and curl under your skin. Eda is leaning back against the bench, but she still follows you with her eyes, it's interest that shines there. "So what kind of music do you like?" You had a clue on the roof that night. She preferred Novo Amor, Clairo, The 1975, Lord Huron. Indie stuff mostly. Lilith Clawthorne surprisingly was more of an indie girl than a metal girl, she found the Foo Fighters songs too heavy and odd. "ELECTRONIC!" You have no idea what the boiling isles' electronic is like, but cool that Hooty liked it. "Can you charm thousands with music like the mermaids?" You just deny with your head to King and he lets out a frustrated sigh. "I would listen to something about the night." Eda's looking at the golden balls in the sky and the bright moon as she says this. With that you look at Lilith again, waiting. She compresses her lips as she looks at you, as if in deliberation. You have to avoid the urge to press your eyebrows together to wonder what she is thinking. "Whatever you want." And when she says that, it sounds like velvet. The words seem to caress your mind and creep into all your pores. Oh, you feel even your thighs trembling, wanting to close. This is frightening on another kind of level. You almost feel that she is using magic around you even though you well aware she is not. A slight smile. Her eyes sparkling. Oh, God. You were so weak around this woman it was laughable. "Okay." You whisper, more to yourself, more to get back into your own body, and you could swear you heard Eda let out a muffled giggle. You focus on the guitar and the strings you have to tighten for this particular song that seems to fit both of your requests. The roughness is very welcome under your fingers and you almost sigh with relief. This feels quite like home. The first few chords come out easily, it's a beautiful song, though quite sad. It seemed that this was your particular taste. Beautiful things that appeared to be quite sad. The murmur in the back of your throat is low, just so you know when to start. "I am not the only traveler." When the first words come out of your mouth, it's like feeling at your own home again. Music. That was home. "Who has not repaid his debt." You feel it when Eda sits down again, eyes actually surprised on you. Just as you can feel it when Lilith raises her eyebrows at her in a silent 'I told you so.' "I've been searching for a trail to follow again." That part really hits deep, it's not like you're not. You've always been looking for somewhere to follow, and then the boiling isles appeared before you. "Take me back to the night we met." You met her in broad daylight, but you don't think that takes away the impact, and that verse was beautiful. "And then I can tell myself what the hell I'm supposed to do." It's second nature now, there's nothing but the strings, your voice filling the little clearing, and those people you've begun to consider your friends. "And then I can tell myself not to ride along with you." You remember the first time you heard that song, on the alternative radio, when you were driving back from the ice cream shop with your father. You've always thought it was a melancholy song, a person completely distraught at being constantly haunted by the ghost of the one they loved. This enchanted you. "I had all and then most of you some and now none of you.Take me back to the night we met." That always caught deep in the soul. You can feel the weight of each one of the words in the air when they come out of your mouth when they hit your little audience. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do haunted by the ghost of you. Take me back to the night we met." You raise your eyes, the chords were more manageable now, Eda is so attentive to you it's almost weird. Lilith still keeps her chin resting on her palm, her eyes seem a little brighter. "When the night was full of terrors. And your eyes were filled with tears." Just the image makes your heart dive again. "When you had not touched me yet. Take me back to the night we met." That was her favorite verse, it sounded so good, fill you up so well. Do you remember the first time she touched you? Your first morning at the Owl House, that rubbing of shoulders, harsh and firm as steel. She seemed quite pliable around you now, like the very marshmallow you put in the s'mores. It takes everything in you not to let out a satisfied sigh. "I had all and then most of you some and now none of you. Take me back to the night we met." If you could go back, back to that day when you had been kicked out...Would you change anything? Would you try to beg your mother to let you stay? Would you have run when you heard that noise? When you look at her...You believe you wouldn't.  It was a strange, dangerous, and very chaotic world. But you wouldn't trade what you had here for anything, even for a ticket to your old home. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do haunted by the ghost of you. Take me back to the night we met." You strum the last chords, feeling them slide into the lighted night, vanishing into thin air. The moment after a song, the world seems a better place now. "Beautiful." That's what you hear Lilith say. Again it's as if the words caress your mind, your ears warm just slightly now. Eventually, someday, you would get used to these compliments without blushing. "Wow." That was the first thing Eda said, while she was chewing a s'more. "That was intense and depressing." You tilt your head in agreement as Lilith shakes her head negatively at her sister. "Now I see why Lily likes you." She barely has time to say that before Lilith plucks a s'more off the end of her skewer and throws it at her quite hard. Eda deflects and you start laughing, even though your face is a red mess now. You weren't wrong about the magpie thing. Eda really thought Lilith liked you, it makes your heart race a little more. "Shut up, Edalyn." Eda starts laughing too, loudly, in a way that seems to irritate the witch beside you even more. "You're already so uptight, and I haven't even started the childhood stories." Lilith's eyes widen, suddenly really concerned about what her sister was about to say. "I would love to hear those." The witch at your side narrows her eyes at you and Hooty mimics her gesture. It only makes you laugh louder. "Where do I start? Do you remember that one time we were in detention for a week because we put hair-growing potion in the cafeteria food?" Lilith's eyes are quite menacing on you, so you have to choke back the laughter. "You mean that one time you put hair-growing potion in the cafeteria food and I just gave up on stopping you?" Eda shows her tongue at her and helps King grab another candy before speaking again. "The definitions of accomplice are multiple, Lily, pick one and be glad about it." Lilith rolled her eyes so hard it was impossible not to laugh at that. "What about you, Y/N? Were you more the type to put the potion on or the type to just sit back and wait for the arrest?" Neither if you were being honest. "I was more of the type who was always with the nose in a book or the type who was hit with balls in the face in pe." Eda wheezes at that. "Ha! You and Lilith would have been best friends. Right, little sister?" Lilith stares at her with her best "Really?" look and you try not to chuckle at that as you grab a s'more. You wish you had had a brother. It would be nice to have a friend to tease like that.  The moon was slowly rising as the Clawthorne sisters argued and King and Hooty gave their opinions. It was a beautiful night and you couldn't imagine a better place to be. You hear their stories, childhood memories, many of which involved Eda being a brat and Lilith having to save her skin or clean up the mess. Once Eda released ghosts in the girl's locker room, the ghostbusters tried to clean it and opened a door to the ghost dimension which almost swallowed the city. Eda was holding her stomach from laughing so hard at this one, Lilith chuckled a little because she remembered some of the horrible puns the ghosts let out. But she only laughed out loud when Eda remembered the day she cursed the school bells to sing "Since u been conned" for 5 hours straight. According to Lilith, it was an awful pop song from when they were teenagers, but one that she and Eda loved. She was wiping the corner of her eyes with that. An extreme difference between the Clawthorne sisters besides the obvious divergent behavior? Eda's laugh was infectious, it made you want to laugh along. Lilith's was anesthetizing, it made your ears go silly and your heart extremely weak. Stories about Hooty's daily life were also the highlight of the evening, about how he used to have to kick Lilith out of the Owl House as she kept wanting to take Eda away. He emphasized that he didn't like to do that. Stories about demons and reigns and lost relatives. You tell some of yours as well. For example, when you broke the bone in your left arm the summer you turned 6, trying to climb a very large tree. Eda whistled at that, Lilith just had those interested eyes, as if trying to understand the healing process of a broken arm.  You also tell them a little bit about your own world, something Lilith seemed exceptionally interested in by the way she looked at you, with Hooty lying on her shoulder. You tell them about politics, about history, about culture in general, things that Eda could never know only through objects she brought from the other world, and things Lilith would never have the chance to know if not through a human. She seemed fascinated by how much history the human world had and you were happy to say more, as much as she asked. "My back is killing me." That's what the owl lady said after you finished your little explanation about the countries' divisions on earth and how politics was made. She gets up and disappears inside the house for a few minutes, almost made you think she had gone to sleep and left you there. However, she soon returns with colorful towels in hand. You help her spread the towels around the fire and then lie down. The moon looked even bigger from this angle, so bright, so blue, so silver. And the little light globes, floating and so peculiar, yet so beautiful. Another landscape that you would keep in your memory. It's comical to be lying between two witches, in a checkered towel, with a tube bird on one side, and a demon on the other. It's like the beginning of a joke, but no, it's just the people who have taken you in and who you have learned to call friends, perhaps even more than friends. "You know what's weird?" Your voice sounds perfectly audible, yet a bit muffled by the angle and the noise of the branches, burning in the fire. You feel it as Lilith props herself up on one elbow to look at you, but Eda doesn't move, just mutters a faint "Hm-hm." She had her eyes closed. "The stars in the human world are nothing like those." Lilith tilts her head in a rather adorable way while her sister again just confirms with a sound from the back of her throat. You think she is almost asleep. So your eyes focus on the other witch beside you, as they always did. Beautiful. In this light, she is even more beautiful. In this light, she is almost ethereal. Something untouchable, something that no one would have the right to touch. Her hair looks silver and even softer, her skin bathed in moonlight has a slightly bluish hue. And her eyes look so lovely when lit, green and silver, probably your favorite color combination, slightly crinkled at the corner because she is smiling at you. The corner of her black-colored lips is smeared with some chocolate and it's impossible not to find that adorable. "Tell me about the stars in your world." It's a simple request in that even voice and that chilling tone. Curiosity and interest, a respectful nerd.  You would never deny her anything, would you? "In my world...Everything in the universe is stardust. Stars are large spheres made of plasma, which emit light and are constantly burning thousands and thousands of miles from the earth." Your eyes watch the little balls of lights and you almost smile at the thought of what it would be like to have something as hot as a star close by like that. "There are a lot more than here and they form beautiful designs in the dark sky. Like the Ursa Major, Cassiopeia, Pegasus, and Orion, many are mythological figures going back to the time of the Greeks...These were always my favorite because I've always liked connecting the dots with my dad. There are quite complex constellations just flying around in space out there and..." You look at her again and you frown at what you find this time. She is completely stunned, alarmed. Wide-eyed. Cheeks flushed. Her pointy ears, red. She looks so frightened that it makes you wonder if Eda has turned owl beast right beside you. But no. Everything looks quite normal around you, except her. "Lilith?" And when you say her name out loud it's like hitting her with a punch, she sits on the towel with her back completely erect, breathing heavily. You do as well, you really don't understand what the hell is going on, and her behavior is, to say the least, frightening. "Lilith..." Your eyebrows pronounce even more. What could you have said? What could have made her so upset like that? Your fingers curl over each other and before you can stop yourself you reach for her hand, just a light touch, just a rub of your fingers. She stands up with the reaction of a shock as if you had pressed a glyph on her skin. Her eyes widen and your heart begins to beat faster at the possibility that the raven beast is too close to the surface. You want to ask her if she is okay, what happened. What made her so out of her own mind. But you don't get the chance, because the next thing you see is her running into the Owl House. She doesn't speak. She doesn't scream. She just runs, as if she's running away from her own ghost. "Lulu!" Hooty exclaims before sliding to go after her. You pause only for a few seconds trying to digest what you might have said about the stars that could have offended her. But nothing seems to fit the case. Your eyes move to Eda then. Her eyes are open now and she's staring at the sky and the moon. The owl lady sighs deeply, fustration oozing from her pores. "Crap." That's what she says, before simply sitting down and then getting up to go after her sister. You and King stare at each other. Neither of you has an answer for this. You wish you could scream now. You sink your head between your hands. It should be a fate irony that you had to fall in love with the most stubborn witch in the boiling isles, but also the most complex.  What the hell were you supposed to do? It would be a great moment to try to analyze everything again. Since the day you met. Great. Lord Huron would not help. You take a deep breath and stand up, heavy steps...Towards the Owl House. Towards her... Ms. I'm gonna fuck with your head. You tried, for fuck's sake how you did. You hated being ignored, it's just even worse being ignored by her. You went up those stairs, you knocked on that damn door, but she didn't come out, and neither did Eda. You called them out and there was no answer, the light was on and you were fully aware that they were there. They didn't have the decency to give you an explanation for their behavior, they didn't even have the decency to come out and say "hi, we're alive". Just silence greeted you, dead calmness and indifference. It's like watching a movie in slow motion, everything seems extremely quiet, except your own brain that starts to make so many connections and have so many thoughts at the same time that it makes you dizzy. You don't think that, in your whole life, you have ever felt so stupid. Something is so obviously wrong, and she doesn't even want to talk to you. She just...You clench your fingers in your palms to stop yourself from screaming. It scratches so deeply into your skin that it's almost like a real bruise. How you hated being ignored! Yell at me. Tell me what the fuck I did wrong, but don't give me the cold shoulder. With all the frustration gathered from your misused teenage years, you went back to the clearing, gathered up the trash, kicked some things into the bags, and took King inside, along with your newly gotten guitar. "Do you think Lulu is okay?" Hooty asked as you walked through the door with the empty trays and folded towels. Your blood boiled a little at that and you took a deep breath. Hooty wasn't to blame for anything, it wasn't right to take your temper out on other people, or birds. "I can't tell, Hooty." He did what you would consider a bird's version of a pout. You didn't sleep that night. Your blood was running too fast, frustration, indignation, worry, and even a little anger not allowing your mind to calm down enough to sleep. It's just so tremendously frustrating to see someone you've been developing feelings to lock themselves in another shell and not be able to do anything about it. You just wanted to get in, you just wanted to help. And she didn't want. She...She just didn't want your comfort.  That hurts more than you can really say. The wisp signs are reverberating inside your head and you feel that it's not a good time to dwell on that Winter Aid song. But what could you say? It made sense. And how I sing you like a song I heard when I was young and buried for a night like this. You rub your temples. You wiggle on your mattress. But nothing seems to truly work, and you don't want to listen to music, because with the earphones you can't hear what is happening inside the house. Would she kill you if you made Hooty throw you through her window again? You just want an "I'm fine". You liked her, for the Titan's sake, you wanted to believe that you were at least friends. You care about her. Could she ever understand that there are people who really care and want her well? Would she not understand that no matter what she was going through you would do absolutely everything to hold on? You would do absolutely anything just to be a stone for her because she deserves someone like that. Your nose itches at that, your eyes water and you have to stick your head in your pillow to keep from tears. You got incredibly attached, didn't you? You allowed her in, you allowed her to wrap her hands around you awfully tightly. Even the raven beast's claws deeply embedded in your flesh. You let her in, as you never let anyone in. That must be why there is such a great need swirling in the depths of your being. She had become someone to you, and you couldn't just ignore that. This wasn't you. It never was. You never had a person you really wanted to have a bond with, but now you realize that you are that kind of person who gets too attached. You feel too much, so it shouldn't be a surprise, but it still surprises you how much you need to make sure she's okay. You didn't hear Lilith's door open all night, so Eda slept with her, which you're sure made you stay on your mattress all night. Sleepless, but without the courage to go knocking on her door again. But just as the sunlight began to shine, sneaking in through your window you heard the sound of wood scraping the floor. Your muscles were sore, your head was heavy, and your eyes burned so badly that you thought you might not even be able to build coherent thought. But still, you got up and opened your bedrom's door. It wasn't Lilith coming out. It was Eda. It wasn't the person you wanted to interrogate, but already something. She was coming down the stairs, still in the clothes she had worn last night, and you didn't think twice before following her. "Good morning?" More of a question than a greeting. Eda's eyes almost pop out of her face when your voice sounds. She looks back and then she relaxes with a sigh. "Good morning, kid." Her eyes watch your face for a moment, probably lingering on the dark circles under your eyes and your crumpled face. "Haven't you slept?" She inquires as she walks down the remainder stairs, heading to the kitchen. "I haven't." It's a simple answer as you follow her into the room, but it still makes the owl lady turn around with her eyebrows slightly raised in your direction. "Nightmares?" She has a slight smile at the corner of her mouth when she asks that, slipping inside the refrigerator to get her apple blood. You have to avoid the urge to roll your eyes when you sit down on the counter stool. "If your sister can be called a nightmare." Eda raises both eyebrows at you this time as she pours the red liquid into a mug with "MOM #1" etched on the porcelain. She seems genuinely surprised that you're being sincere, call a spade a spade, so to speak. Maybe it was the lack of energy in your body, your mental fatigue and your frustration speaking louder than anything else. "Yeah...Lily can be..." Hard to understand, extremely reserved, incommunicative. Likely to destroy what little mental health you have left? "Complicated." Completes Eda making you let out a heavy sigh, leaning your forehead against the cold counter table. You can almost see Eda smiling at this. You hear her rummaging through the cabinets and then the muffled sound of something being placed in front of you. It's a bowl with Count Chocula in it. You try to smile at the woman, but it must come out as a grimace, because she laughs before ruffling your hair. "If I ask you what happened, would you tell me?" Your question echoes in the empty kitchen, still receiving the first rays of the morning sun. You stir the cereal in the bowl with your spoon and then raise your eyes to Eda. The owl lady has her hip pressed against the sink, one arm under the other, her eyes staring at the kitchen arc as she takes a generous sip from her mug. You take a single cereal and bring it to your mouth, chewing and feeling no pleasure in it. Your head is too heavy, even to eat. "I don't think it's any of my business, Y/N." You frown, but your eyes burn badly at this gesture and you're forced to stop. Eda takes a deep breath for a moment, taking another sip. She does not look at you. "As much as I have my own opinions...I can't interfere in my sister's life like this. I'm sorry." Confusion and weariness must seem quite evident on your face because Eda reaches up to ruffle your hair once more. "Go to sleep." She seems genuinely concerned about your mental state and you find that quite touching. "What if I bribed you? I have a pair of human headphones that I'm not really using." The owl lady just denied with her head and smiled with the corner of her mouth. She looked a little exhausted as well. "Go to sleep, kid. Perhaps you can talk to her later." You have no confidence at all in those words, not a bit of certainty rests in that "perhaps" but you are drained. Your head is throbbing now and you feel that if you don't sleep you will end up passing out somewhere in the house. So you grab your bowl of Count Chocula and start your way to the stairs again. Heavy, completely drunken steps. Yet you can still hear Eda grumbling in the kitchen as you leave. The only word your aching brain understands is "moron". (...) You open your eyes, blinking several times to get used to the world you woke up in. Your first action is to drag your hand through the floor beside you, looking for your cell phone. It's three in the afternoon. You've had a good day's sleep. But, honestly? You couldn't care less. Your body feels like a heap of jelly and you just want to stay on your mattress for the rest of your life, which, considering your headache, might only be the next two minutes. You close your eyes and sigh deeply. Only then does everything come to your mind. Lilith running. Your sleepless night. The conversation with Eda that you didn't understand at all. All at once, which makes you lift your fingers and rub your temples. Oh, you need to get out of this bed and get your life together. Lying there isn't going to do you much good. For this reason you force your body to get out of bed and rub your eyes before going to the bathroom. "Wow!" You had better days. The dark circles under your eyes seem deeper and your face looks awfully crumpled. You wash your face and brush your teeth before thinking whether or not you would go downstairs to the main room of the Owl House and see what people were doing while you slept. You couldn't do much upstairs so you decide to go downstairs, your heart sinking a little as you walk past the door to Lilith's room. You have no idea if she's there, but it's certain reflexes you can't control. It takes everything in you not to knock on the door again, almost as if something is pulling your arm toward her room. Eda was playing cards with King on the main couch. Hooty wasn't around. Let alone Lilith. You sit down next to the owl lady in a silence that says enough about your current situation. Eda just rubs your shoulder, conscious of your presence and you sigh before leaning your head against the back of the couch. It would be a perfect moment for another portal to open and suck you back to earth. The front door suddenly opens and you open just one eye to see Luz walk through it with a wide smile and holding Eda's staff in one hand. You wanted to smile, but it was probably another grimace that appeared on your face. Luz walked into the room and went to King first, hugging him. "Who is my world ruler?" She asked as she rubbed his little belly. "It's me!" He exclaimed as he squirmed in her arms with giggles that would have put a smile on your face. She went to Eda next, handing her the staff before hugging her around the waist. That would always make your heart swell. Watching as Eda ruffled Luz's hair with affection shining in her eyes. "Hey, Eda." She greeted and the owl lady smiled rather broadly. "Hey, kiddo. Missed you." Luz offered a little wink to her, but that was really something constantly going through your mind. Has Eda thought about what would happen if you guys ever found another portal home? Luz had a mother on earth, a life too, just like you. She probably thinks about it, possibly hides it from Luz that she is completely terrified by the idea, but she truly thinks about it. "Hey, Y/N." She sat down next to you, hugging the side of your waist briefly before looking at your face. "Wow, did you guys have any energetic parties yesterday?" Well...It was energetic, until Lilith locked herself in her room as if she'd seen a ghost and you didn't know what to do. "Kind of." And that's the moment you hear footsteps. Light footsteps coming down the stairs at a low speed. Your movements up to that moment were quite slow, but now you turn your head so quickly that you believe you might have dislocated a nerve. It's her. It's Lilith coming down the stairs. You feel the blood begin to pump faster and your heart is already starting to sound in your ears. Again. Would it always be like this? She could disappear, without explanation, ignore you, and you would still feel as if the moon itself had entered the room as soon as she appeared? That was pathetic. But she doesn't even look in your direction. She doesn't even look in anyone's direction. Lilith just walks into the kitchen, rubbing her forehead with her fingers. You would believe she was oblivious if there weren't literally four people in that room. You shouldn't. It's certainly not prudent. But since when do you control your impulses around her? Isn't that how all this started? You stand up, not caring about Luz's look behind your back or the slight sigh that Eda lets out. You simply make your way to the kitchen, to her. "Lilith. Hi." She is pouring herself a mug of apple blood, with "MOM #2" etched on the porcelain. You are sure that was Luz's work. She looks up at you, briefly, before continuing to pour the apple blood, as if she had looked right through you. That doesn't stop you from noticing how she didn't seem to have slept properly as well, she had light dark circles under her eyes and looked paler than normal. "Hi, Y/N." Her voice seems to have lost some of its power. She's tired. You both are incredibly tired. But just by seeing her...Just recognizing that she is physically okay something loosens up inside you, relieves itself enough to calm your mind. It's pathetic. It's pathetic how your body reacts. "Are you okay?" The question sounds strange on your tongue and is just as strangely received. Lilith takes a sip from her mug and looks at you over the porcelain. Her eyes sparkle that way again, like a night bird. However, this time it doesn't charm you. It frightens you. "Why wouldn't I be?" The tone of her voice is so harsh that you feel it like claws, crawling over your head, pulling, tearing. It chills your bones, a lot more than those screeches you heard in this house. It's such a sharp answer that you almost walk away. It wasn't indifference, it wasn't the open Lilith of the past few weeks either. The voice and the words were from a Lilith you didn't know. It's something bitter, that you weren't sure if you could handle. "Hm...You left and...You didn't look well." You feel overwhelmed now. Not only because you feel as if you were a little girl who was left at a movie theater's entrance on the first date, but also because there is no contraction at all in her face. She is as hard to read as she was on your first day at the Owl House. Eyes hard as pieces of steel, jaw tight enough to break something, mouth pressed in a thin line. "I'm perfectly fine." She moves a little closer, and you walk back a few steps. That pure iron mask scares you more than her bestial form if you were honest with yourself. You prefer the sharp teeth and the black eyes because that is honest. It's raw, but it's honest. This is not. She's wearing an armor dipped in poison, you can almost feel the burning, the acidity splashing in your face. What did you do? What did you say to make her wear this or come back to this somehow? "And I'd really appreciate it if you started minding your own business." You shouldn't. It shouldn't hit you as hard as it did. But it does. Of course it does. She doesn't look at you when she leaves the kitchen, and you're exceptionally grateful for that because she barely had to finish saying the words for your eyes to fill with tears. It was so easy for her, wasn't it? You held back the tears while your mother cursed you and beat you to get you out of the house. She doesn't need that. She doesn't need fists, she doesn't need bad words. She just needs a few well-placed words, a sharper look, and she'll tear you to pieces. Why is it so easy for her? Why is it so easy for her to rip you to shreds? Perhaps because you thought there was a connection there. The slightest friendship? The slightest care? But there isn't. You would never treat a friend like that, not even on your worst days. Your jaw trembles, you are trying with everything you have in you not to shed those tears. You are not a child. You can take rejection better than that. But when you blink, they fall. Thin and warm, they run down so easily as your shoulders drop. You offered your friendship, you offered your care, and she stepped on them, she played and stepped on you. And it's all right. Maybe it's just her. You almost smile at that, maybe it's just her, right? Maybe it's just her. She doesn't want anyone around her. She just takes pleasure in watching people come closer, and then she cuts them in half in the most painful way possible. You take a few deep breaths, looking up to avoid further tears. The urge to scream seems quite uncontrollable now. How many times do you have to be punched in the stomach before you learn? Your stomach turns and you think it's quite possible that you might actually vomit. Oh that hurts. If your heart used to race just to see her, you believe it's almost stoping now. You have to stop yourself from wrapping your hand around your wrist, just to check if it's still beating. It doesn't matter. That's what you want to tell yourself. To hell with her. You don't need her. You don't need her friendship. To hell with her. You rub your eyes and wipe the tears away as best you can. You don't know what made her change, what happened, what the hell you said or did to make her so furious. But it was always your fault, wasn't it? Not for once it wasn't. You don't want to go back to the living room. But it's not like you can stay in the kitchen forever. When you go back into the room, you immediately notice that everyone has listened to your conversation. Eda offers you the most compassionate eyes possible, her head slightly tilted, almost in pity. Almost as if to say "I'm sorry about my sister, she's a bastard anyway". King hugs your leg with his paws for a brief moment before returning to the game. Luz looks extremely confused, so when she points with her finger to the second floor, you just nod. You walk up the stairs, a dead silence resting in the Owl House. You don't know if it's any different inside you. There are echoes inside you. Luz pulls you by the hand into her room. You sit on her sleeping bag, the world more in slow motion than you remember. She begins to change and you look ahead, but you're well aware that she is perfectly comfortable changing clothes in front of you. She sits down in front of you next, one leg under the other. "Care to explain?" You raise an eyebrow at her, the irony exuding from you, which makes Luz chuckle softly. She rests her chin on her palm and you shrug. "We had a great night, eating s'mores, telling stories, and then I was talking about the stars on Earth and Lilith freaked out. She got up and ran off to her room. I tried to go talk to her, but she wouldn't open the door, and now...Well you...You noticed what a disaster it was." Luz twitches her lips, as if that voice she had heard brought back more memories than she would have liked. "I honestly thought you guys would be dating by the end of the month if you want me to be honest." Your eyebrows frown and your ears begin to warm up again. But now your stomach sinks. It would have been nice to hear that at a time when you hadn't just been rejected and kicked and maybe left on the side of a road for a car to drive by with its rear wheel on you. "Seriously you guys were so cute, talking and looking at each other whenever possible. I had never seen Lilith blush around anyone but you. I was shippping so bad." A slight smile rises on your lips, but it could be a grimace as well. You would be lying if you didn't say that you thought at least you two had a strong enough friendship so she would feel free to say what is bothering her. Instead she pushed you away so hard that you think you hit your head. "I wonder if she's not on her period." Well, you had no idea what the witches' period was like, but unless it was something that simply completely changed their behavior around other people, you don't see how it would end up like that. "I have no idea, Luz." You let out a frustrated and rather tired sigh. "Can we just, I don't know, talk about something else?" Your eyes are filling with tears again, just remembering the way her voice sounded, how her eyes seemed to go right through your body. You didn't want to cry again so you breathe deeply as Luz tilts her head towards you before rubbing your shoulder gently. "I'm sorry." And it's sincere. You see how unhappy she is that you are like this. You would have loved to have her as a sister. Someone who really cares about your feelings. Someone who considers before they say anything. Nothing ike her. "I'm just tired and pretty mad right now, I'll be fine soon enough." She narrows her eyes at you, as if looking for the lie and you extend your hands up, lightly, demonstrating your supposed innocence. Only supposed, you'll need some time to get up from that tumble. "Why don't you tell me about your night?" Almost in the same second a rather infectious smile spread across her lips and she moved a little closer to lay her head in your lap. "We ate a lot of junk food. Then we animated a little Gus's action figure which kept talking to us all night. And..." She makes a lovely expression now, and you immediately know who she's going to talk about. "Amity sleeps with her hair down." She whispers in a shouted tone. You open your mouth in a rather dramatic fake surprise. "Oh...Does she?" Luz confirms with her head repeatedly. "I wanted to braid her hair, but I don't think she would like it. She always turns so red when I ask to touch her, and her brother always says she turns red when she's angry." You smile, shaking your head negatively as you trace Luz's hair with your fingertips. It's soft and short, it curls nicely in your fingers. Your tongue itches to say that Amity was blushing because she obviously liked her. But right after Lilith's kick you just wanted to protect her from feeling the same way. God, you would kill if someone talked to Luz the way Lilith did to you. They would find out together eventually, assuming things weren't the best way. "There will certainly be other opportunities." You offer her a complicit wink that Luz receives with a chuckle. "Thanks for the guitar, by the way." Her eyes light up, pure joy shining in them as she smiles from ear to ear. "I'm glad you liked it." You smile back. But everything in your head is how Lilith said "Beautiful" when you finished playing, in that velvet tone that seemed to caress your brain. What on earth have you done? If you did something couldn't she just say it like anyone else? But Lilith is not just anyone else. She is the witch you fell in love with. That must be why it hurts so much. Man. You need to get this woman out of your head before you have a breakdown. "Do you want to help me put together one of Eda's puzzles?" You know she's trying to distract you. She is also relatively good at reading people, she is well aware that your thoughts are on her, constantly. That significant smile, with teeth and everything. What have you done? And why do you keep blaming yourself? Would it never stop? You think that putting together puzzles is a rather peculiar way of trying to distract someone, but you nod your head anyway. Anything. Anything to put you out of your misery. You just hoped the pieces didn't have teeth like the deck cards. You just needed to stop thinking about her. That's all. You just needed to get those eyes out of your head. The voice. The smell. Everything. It couldn't be that hard. (...) Well... Harder than you thought. That day in the kitchen was the last time Lilith spoke with you. It could even be kind of poetic, her last sentence to you was "And I'd really appreciate it if you started minding your own business." You really did, even if you couldn't control your own head. It's not exactly completely ignoring you. It's as if you were complete strangers again. She sits far enough away in the room to look strange while you both read. She is not alone with you anywhere. If there is only you in the room she will quickly leave with some poor excuse. She will hide in her room and avoid coming out for as long as she can. She'll walk past you through the house as if there were no one there, not only firm and harsh as steel but bitter as rattlesnake venom. I had all and then most of you some and now none of you. It's like watching her spectrum again, you are in the darkest part now. The part she hasn't shown for a while. The part that terrified. Eda had no explanation for you, the "I must not interfere in my sister's life" philosophy was still quite active. King was not much help considering he is still a child and told you to give her another piece of cake that she would surely forgive you. Forgiveness for what was the great question. Hooty, despite being Lilith's best friend had no answers either. She hadn't changed with him, but now he had to go to her room if he wanted to talk. Luz had no idea what was going on. She still had the impression that you were about to become girlfriends and maybe she collapsed because she is not a commitment witch. Well, it couldn't not be true, but you doubted that was the reason. You knew her better than that. Or at least you believed you did. You wanted to believe you did. The days dragged on slowly. You hadn't noticed until that moment that Lilith was your most frequent companion. King was constantly missing. Eda had her own duties, for example going out to other parts of the Demon Realm to look for information about the human portal or hunting. Luz was at Hexide all morning and part of the afternoon. Hooty well...He is nice, just not the pointy-eared witch you wanted to talk to. You've got used pretty quickly to having someone to discuss the books you were reading, or practice magic or who knows maybe make a stew. God. You got to the point where you missed her annoyed sighs when she read something she didn't agree with or couldn't fully understand in one of the books. Oh, she destroyed you. You're a complete mess. And you can't even blame her. It was you who went after her, it was you who wanted to understand the woman made of steel, only to have her turn the blades and cut you in the process. Only for her to pull you deep into that ocean of bitterness she created around herself. You started to play the guitar a lot more. It was your way of being able to think without her constantly in your head, just to concentrate on the strings, the sound, and your voice. It was easier that way, especially now that you could practice some songs that you hadn't had the time on earth. Favorite Crime by Olivia Rodrigo was one of the last you picked up the lyrics. Another beautiful and extremely sad song. So was Astronomy by Conan Gray. But you really loved playing Novo Amor. It was always these lyrics that made your mind swim a little and kept you from the Lilith Clawthorne hurricane threatening to swallow you up at any minute. Practicing magic was another thing to occupy your mind. But it wasn't the same thing without her. You were practicing "Cold" when you heard a knock on your bedroom door. You usually forgot that time was passing, so it was not uncommon for Luz to come and call you for dinner or lunch on weekends. By the brightness outside it's lunch."Come in." You say as you set your guitar aside. Luz enters your room with a smile, backpack on her back, and wearing a rather heavy outfit considering how the weather was that day. "What's that? Do we have a boiling blizzard coming?" Luz laughed and denied with her head. "Eda thinks it will be interesting for us to go to the Knee." You frown and point to your own knee, which makes Luz laugh louder. "Not that knee. The Titan's knee. It's the place where magic flows most naturally in the boiling isles." You immediately think about the Moon Nexus from The Dragon Prince. Another geeky reference. You needed a life, for God's sake. "It's a great place for beginning witches to practice magic and Eda thinks that now that we have several new glyphs maybe we can do a little research in the ruins." Luz jumps from one foot to the other as she lets out an excited squeal, which makes you chuckle a little. "So...Are you coming? "You look around your room as pondering. It looked more like a bedroom than that place you slept in your first few weeks here. There was a lamp beside your mattress now, your guitar, notebooks, and a lot of books, plus a trunk for your clothes. On the ceiling, there were some little Christmas lights that Luz had put up to decorate. You had to admit it was cute. You weigh your options delicately. Staying home the whole weekend without Luz and Eda, and that would be bad enough. But staying home without both of them, with Ms. I'm Ignoring you and playing relatively depressing music. Or going on a journey in a very cold place to discover new magic glyphs and practice the ones you knew, with the two kindest people in the house. You didn't have to think twice. "Where do I get a coat like that?" Luz let out another excited squeal before running out into the corridor, probably in search of another coat. You smiled a little at this and promised yourself that at least while you were there, you would have fun with Luz. She wouldn't get inside your head. She wouldn't dig her claws into you, tearing your skin from the inside out, like she's been doing. Every fucking day. You would forget her. Of course. Talk is cheap. You sighed and got up from your mattress. Who were you fooling? Certainly not her. Certainly not you. It would have been easier if you had never approached her than to continue to be haunted by the ghost of that Lilith who no longer seemed to exist. But something curls and scratches and screams under your skin at this possibility. You can almost feel the cut this time, sliding down your spine, like one of the raven beast's claws. Even with everything, your body refuses to reject her. Even with everything... You can't hate her. How could you hate her, right Conan Gray? She's such an angel. Oh, you're stupid. Dumbass of the year. Oh, God. Not even 20 seconds and you were already thinking about her again. What you wouldn't give for a therapy session.     The Knee was awfully cold. The kind of cold you had only felt once or twice in your entire life when you went to visit relatives who lived in Alaska. There was snow everywhere, ruins that stood up in the white, a giant beast that was chewing on a tree, Eda told you not to worry because it wouldn't attack if it wasn't provoked. You didn't trust the owl lady particularly about that. Regardless, you could feel it in the air, the magic, the bond. It was really strong enough for even a human to feel, the vibrations of power that seemed to emanate from the ground. It's like feeling sunbeams on your skin, but without the heat. Sounds like a decent definition. It was lovely, despite the bone-freezing cold. You set up the tent in a clearing near some ruins. It had a perfect view of the sky, as well as a good location of the Knee itself. "Do you think there might be a stone glyph or something?" Luz inquired as she ran her gloved hands along one of the pilasters stuck in the snow. You wouldn't rule out the idea. There were ice and fire spells. If there were earth and air spells...Well, you could make an arrow in your head and play Avatar. "Eda told us to practice what we have until she returns, and specifically not to come to the ruins alone." You try to scold Luz, but it's not very effective, considering how weak you were to her extremely sweet eyes. She's a cinnamon roll. "C'mon, Y/N. Help me up here." You shake your head negatively and give Luz a leg up. She leans on your shoulder covered by the black coat and then propels herself upward until she can reach what would be the roof of the ruin. "Jump." You do so and cling to the end, Luz pulls you up right after. And damn. It's quite a picture. You can see much of the Knee covered in ice, the city in the distance, the sun on the way to set, the birds flying to get home, the river coming down the mountain... Wait. The river...That flows down the mountain. "I appeared here...Near that river coming down that mountain." Luz frowns at where you are pointing, narrowing her eyes to see better. "Really?" You nod, the river was the same. If you followed its course you would reach the spot where you were drinking water and subsequently the spot where you woke up, next to the unusual tree. "LOOK!" You jump in place surprised by how her voice sounded loud enough to scare the birds. Luz taps her feet beside you with a rather youthful animation. "What?" You feel a little stupid for asking and then rub your icy, reddened nose. Man, this place was harsh, your bones would complain about that later. Luz clearly rolls her eyes at your lack of attention and then points to the floor. Oh. There is something there. It looks like the tip of a drawing. You both frown at each other before you kneel down and start rubbing your gloves on the ground to clear the snow so you can see what's there. It's a drawing embedded in the stone, a half-circle with what looked like a half square inside and a scribbled piece of another circle, there could be a line too, but it was badly deteriorated by the snow. It could be something useful if it was complete. "Stone glyph! Stone glyph!" That doesn't disturb Luz's spirit. Of course not, she pulls the sketchbook from her pocket and draws what she can with what she can see. "The snow has deteriorated quite a bit of it, but that's pretty good already, we can try making combinations to see if we can find how it completes. And then BOOM. Stone glyph!" You smile at that and feel an incredibly strong urge to ruffle her hair. Why did she have to be so sweet? "Okay. Now let's get down from here before you break your neck and Eda kills me." You jump to the floor again and extend your arms. She doesn't even blink before jumping into your arms, impressive confidence. You grab her and then put her down again. "I think I saw something quite similar in one of Lilith's books about the boiling isles' relief. Hopefully, I brought that one." You try. But it's impossible not to feel a certain discomfort at the mere mention of her. She's miles away from you, at the Owl House, probably reading a book and being bitter, and you can't help but feel a little betrayed just by hearing her name. "Where were you guys?" That's what Eda says as soon as you step into the clearing. She had already returned with the wood sticks for the fire and her eyes narrowed as if you were up to something. The owl lady certainly had no idea how much she looked like a mother at those moments. "I think we found what might be a piece of a stone glyph!" Luz did a little victory dance, which made the witch's scowl disappear from her face as she pulled the girl's scarf higher to cup her chin. "Good. Then go get some cans of beans for our dinner, little witch." Luz saluted before running to the tent. And then Eda's eyes were on you. She gently tilts her head, frowning, as if analyzing your aura. "The fresh air has done you good." You frown at that, tempted to ask what she meant. "You know, staying home all day, playing guitar, and feeling sorry for yourself is not healthy for anyone. Like teenage dirtbag, really?" You open your mouth, your ears warming up, which is kind of nice considering the cold exhaling around you. But you have nothing to say, so you close it again as you sit on a log, crossing your arms under your chest. It was a good song and It's not like you have a bunch of options, staying in your room was simply better than staying where Lilith could ignore you more openly. "Sorry, I know I have no right to interfere in your life either." You actually want Eda to at least be honest with you and tell you what the hell happened. But you were already so tired of looking for explanations. It was everything you had done since you arrived at the Owl House. You were looking for answers to why she was so harsh, why she got away from everyone, why she was afraid of hurting anyone. Well...Fuck. "Don't worry about that. I don't care anymore." You are a terrible liar, you can barely fool yourself, how could you fool other people? It still hurts. It still makes you want to drag your teeth under your own skin. Eda raises both eyebrows in obvious disbelief and she was about to add something, but Luz came back with the cans and she remained silent. Good. You didn't want to hear about Lilith. You didn't want anything. You helped the owl lady to make some soup and as soon as you finished dinner night had fallen, a much darker night than at the Owl House, with no lights from the house or even the town around, it was a complete blackout except for the light spells you did around the tent. Eda said you all should sleep. Creatures in the Knee usually didn't like people awake after curfew. You suspect that was just another story to make children behave, but, obviously, you don't discuss it. It's warm in the tent, especially since the three of you are sleeping together. Luz between you and Eda. It's warm and comfortable and are you sleeping? Obviously not. You were already a night person before you came to the boiling isles. It only got worse after you came to a world where the night carries the beasts' noises and the face of a certain witch. Like every night, you wiggle a little bit, but for Luz's sake, you stick your earphones in your ears until you fainted to sleep. It works eventually. And when you finally fall into the Morpheus' realms, you dream. You hear the sound of the river. The trees around you seem a little more colorful than the last time you were here. But the animals are the same, and the tree that brought you to this place is the same. Even the ground feels the same under your feet. The sky is a lovely shade of pink and the wind is blowing deliciously against your face. It's soothing to be here again. You were so terrified the first time, and now it's almost like coming back to your roots. And then you hear the giggle. That same giggle. You turn around, but there's nothing behind you, or ahead. But you are sure you heard it. Your feet bring you to the edge of the river, and you kneel before the stream. Your reflection stares back at you, the same eyes, the same hair. You look pretty. Beautiful and pretty lost. You watch as your hair becomes jet-black, long and dark except for the one white streak. The eyes become wider and different colors. Your lips become black. You're dreaming. This is a dream. You sigh deeply and turn away. Your head is playing with you. The giggle is almost in your cheek this time, sweet and refreshing. And when you turn your face, you are sure you see a girl running out to hide behind a tree. You run, and run faster to get her. You feel that she is important. You need to know her name. You need to know what the hell is going on. It echoes inside you, for some reason it's important. You need to find her. You need to understand. You need to wake up. "Wake up." Luz is shaking your shoulder as you open your eyes, incredibly slowly, trying to get used to the daylight coming in through the tent, to the cold wind blowing your face. You are more tired than when you went to bed. "We have to take down the tent. We're going down the hill to go to a practice space, where Eda and Lilith used to practice." You frown, almost confused about where you are, and then finally the memories come to you and you rub your eyes, pretty hard. The knee. Snow. Stone glyph. Soup. Okay. You situate yourself. "Okay. Just give me about three minutes." Luz chuckled and nodded before leaving the tent. Maybe about three hours, you think with a sigh, rubbing your frozen nose. (...) You and Luz were great friends now. After more than a month at the Owl House, you learned to like that girl more than you could have predicted. It's so easy to hold a conversation with her, it's so nice just to be able to talk to someone not enigmatic or masked. She is young, lively, funny, and extremely sweet. You talked a lot as you walked along the winding trails, covered with snow and bits of ruins that might have been a city someday. She told you a little about her mother, about how much she missed her. You are thankful that she didn't ask about your parents because you think it would be too harsh to say that you just didn't miss them at all. Perhaps your father, a little bit, but you barely remembered your mother's existence except when you were judging yourself. She was the expert on the subject. You practiced your nature-related spells as you walked down the path. Including Eda. That was your worst specialty. Eda was good at most of what you saw her doing and Luz could already make roots twice her size grow, which you found quite impressive. It was almost lunchtime when you finally reached the spot Eda wanted. It was quite deep in the Knee. The snow was almost gone and the air here was warmer and breathable, your nose had even stopped freezing. A large clearing stretched out before you, it's possible to see the sea, a turquoise blue hue that morning. But that wasn't what caught your attention...It's the trail that stretches farther away. You were close now. If you walked another mile probably, you would be at the precise spot. It's just too tempting, especially after the dream you had, the giggle, the girl. You had to go to that place. "Can I get some wood for the fire?" It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. Again, you should be a lawyer. Luz nodded, she seemed to have just found a completely different plant and wanted to see if there was a glyph there. Eda raised her eyes at you, almost suspiciously, but nodded just the same. You sighed with relief, dropped your backpack on the clearing floor, and ran off into the forest of red and yellow trees. It's almost instinct that guides you over vines, through trees, along winding paths. It's faster than you think, possibly because you're running at the same pace as your heartbeats. You dodge tree roots and jump over rocks. You almost feel now, in your bones, you are so close. You are so close to the place where you came from. It's almost like walking home, you know the way even though you've never been exactly there. When you hear the sound of the river... You know you are in the place. This is where you woke up, this is where you felt it was so important to be in that dream, to look for that girl who giggled, the same giggle from the portal. You rest your hands on your knees and breathe several times, feeling the blood pumping too fast through your brain. Boy, you really should start working out because you feel as if your limbs are going to snap in half and your diaphragm burns with every breath you take. Yet you are in the place. This is it. This is where you fell into this world. This is where you slept for three days, eating cocolate bars, before...You take a deep breath and approach the stream to get some water. You slide your hands together and drink the water next to a small spider beaver, and then you wet your sweaty, slightly red face. For a moment you are almost certain you will see her face again and you shake your head negatively as you sit on the edge of the stream. Your coat is heavy on your shoulders, this part of the forest is a lot warmer, and you feel that you are sweating all over your body. You are not sure what you expected. It's just the place you came from. It could be a coincidence, it could be just any powerful witch playing with portals. It could just be Samhain. But you feel that it isn't. And in the boiling isles, you learned to trust your senses more than anything else...Except when it was about...Well...Her. You cross one leg under the other and then take a deep breath, meditation has never been something you used to calm your mind but at least breathing you could try. You hear the sounds of the forest, the trees rustling, the river gurgling, some animals playing among the branches, the wind rushing around you, blowing your hair away from your face. Perhaps you have finally lost your mind. You've just left your mentor and her potential mother in a clearing, and ran into a forest for no apparent reason, just because of a dream, just because you felt it was important. Perhaps that was it. You have gone mad, you were getting crazier every day. You are actually still on earth, locked up in some asylum, muttering things about witches, women with different-colored eyes and spells on pieces of paper. You sigh and uncross your legs, about to stand up when you actually hear a voice. "Is that her?" It's a low, incredibly low voice but you can still hear. Good ears. It sounds like a woman, a young woman. But you are not startled, it would be surprising if you were startled in the face of so many strange things that have happened to you in the boiling isles. It's just curiosity that makes you pay attention to the voice, waiting for it to speak again, there was someone here, creatures, people, you have no idea. "Shh." Another voice, a little deeper, scolds her. You can almost feel that your ears are moving to pick up everything around you. "Do not shush me." The younger voice replies and you open your eyes, almost like an instinct, there are two individuals there. You weren't crazy...Not that crazy to hear voices. Well...Perhaps you were. At least that's what you think, you've never studied a lot of things about psychotic breaks. "Hmmm...Hello?" Your voice still sounds a little breathless, but audible. Anyone around you would hear it. So when there is no response, you are sure that these creatures are mocking you. There is lifeless silence in the forest, just the sound of the river, the wind, even the animals stopped their noises. You sigh deeply. "I may be crazy, but I heard you talking. Can you please not insult my intelligence?" Your patience had its limit. You ran, probably a mile, just to get here. Simply because you thought it was important. Your legs were burning, the back of your neck was sticking with sweat. You want at least the decency of an answer, for having come this far. The silence lasts for long minutes, and you believe that soon Eda and Luz will be worried. You really needed these creatures to be decent. It was just at that moment that you heard the young voice again. "Hello?" And along with the voice, particularly slowly something began to shimmer on the river water. Something began to form through the sun's rays and the water itself, rising up, smelling of seaweed, shaping into the body of a woman. She had long, colorful hair and wore a dress that reminded you of those the Greek goddesses would wear. Young and beautiful. "A nymph?" The word slips through your mouth before you can even anticipate it. Almost immediately you remember all the stories you have ever read about these creatures. They are beautiful, fun, cheerful, and quite naughty. Usually attached to a place in nature, but free spirits. "Oh yes, it's one of our numerous names. But I'm Sinine." The girl smiles broadly at you before sitting on the water to be at the same height as your eyes, one leg over the other. Her whole body seems to be made of magic, there is nothing solid, but you can still see her, you can still talk to her. Everything is colourful, everything is fluid. A water nymph, a naiad. "What did I tell you about showing up, Sinine?" The owner of the deeper voice sounds just behind your head and you turn to see a tree shimmer, shake, and then transform into a woman. Shorter hair, harsher expressions, covered in green from head to toe. Another nymph, a tree nymph, you don't remember the specific name of these. "I guess we owe her, Junniper." The nymph at your side growled in displeasure, something like "I didn't agree to that" and leaned against a nearby tree, crossing her arms over her dress, same style as Sinine's, but a lot more solid. She is a lot more solid, overall. "Juno, you can come over." You watched as the water shimmered again to reveal another girl, with short hair just like Luz's and slightly shyer eyes. She sat next to Sinine, as if it were the most normal thing in the world, her hands crossed behind her back. "So...Spill the beans, are you appreciating this world?" The question makes you frown, incredibly hard. "I beg your pardon?" You add then because you are not sure if you really understand what she just asked. Sinine giggles and her laugh is like feeling the tidal wind, funny, soft, and sweet, not salty. That was the giggle. "I know the boiling isles can be a thing, but there are entertaining parts as well. Do you like it here?" She's smiling broadly, dimples accentuating in her shimmering face that seems to rise with rainbow colors as the sunlight streams through the trees. There is a lot going on in your head right now, with three nymphs suddenly appearing, so it takes you a little more than a second to realize that they know you. They know who you are. And there's only one way that's possible. "Were....Were you the ones who brought me here?" Sinine was about to answer, opening her mouth while still smiling, but Junniper interrupted her. "Well, of course. Who else do you think would have brought you. That turd of Belos?" Junniper doesn't move, but you can tell her expressions are harsh even from your back. You expected all the nymphs to be extremely cheerful, but apparently, not everything was like in the books. Should you be mad at them? Probably. But it had been weeks since you had arrived in the Owl House. You had learned to like the residents, even in the face of the treatment one of them was currently giving you. If you had met them in the days you spent lost, you might have begged them to send you back. Now...You are not sure if you really want to. However it's your curiosity pushing the anger at the lack of respect for your free will. Why? Why is the main question. Why on earth did 3 nymphs decide to pluck you from the earth and throw you into the boiling isles? "You must be wondering why, right?" And Sinine says this with an almost childish smile. She reminds you a lot of an extremely excited child, full of energy about to mess up the whole house. You nod your head, almost begging for the answer. Please just tell me. I'm so tired of looking for explanations for everything. "Well, it's a rather touching story actually. We...Nymphs are quite gossips, I have to admit." You almost smile at that, because the giggle now seems quite explanatory. "I heard a giggle when I fell." You say, almost under your breath, almost not wishing to interrupt Sinine. "Oh yes, that was Sinine. She doesn't control her excitement very well." Adds Junniper with a huff, but when you look at her, she's grinning with the corner of her mouth. The other nymph continues, however, as if undisturbed. "So when a woman started coming here every morning, we immediately became interested." You frown at that, you don't have any clue of where this is going. "She seemed...Miserable, constantly with her head down, even though the most beautiful things were around her. So lonely, so tragic. We felt so sorry for her." Sinine pouts, sighing, and looks at Juno who just confirms with her head, still not looking at you. You can almost see a slightly dark blue hue around the nymph's pointed ears. You wonder if this is how they show shame. "She seemed like a nice person though. She had a particularly good aura. And she always did some spells with pieces of paper, something that made us incredibly shocked, we had never seen spells done through paper. But she did. She would help some plants grow better and give some seeds to the squirrels." Paper spells. Miserable woman. It was Lilith. You have to stop yourself from swallowing hard to get used to that. Lilith used to come here, Lilith used to visit the place where you fell. "We nymphs can walk around the world, which is probably what kept us off Belos' radar, and we managed to gather a large amount of titan's blood during the year, enough for us to 'play' in Samhain." You get the sense that the "play" was something sexual because that blue hue in Juno's ears became more pronounced. "We usually like to summon the males from the inland forests, they are quite enthusiastic." You frown a little at how the girl wiggles her eyebrows at you. Well, you were right. "But this year...We...We decided to help." She leaned a little closer to you, her smile expanding until it reached her colorful eyes. She looked so excited, so excited that you understood that she would finally tell you...Why you were here. Why the hell they brought you here. "So we did a spell to bring that witch's mate as close to her as possible..." Wh...Getting punched wouldn't have made you that dizzy. The words fall on your ears and you immediately feel your blood running slower and slower. Mat...What? You try to come back to this world, to what the nymph is saying, and everything seems very distorted. You believe you might faint. "We knew she would find you because mates usually find each other easily when they are close enough, even unconsciously." She is talking too much, a lot more than you can digest. "We had no idea you were human, though, so it was a huge surprise, but the portal worked the same way, and you..." You raise a hand, she has to stop talking, she has to let you digest this. Your head is going to explode, any second now. Mates. The word echoes. "Wait..." You feel your blood pressure went down. Fast.  Your head is heavy and your breathing fails. You are not entirely sure you are breathing. "You...Do you mean..." Lilith. Lilith who was no longer lovely and sensitive. Lilith who ignored you at every possible opportunity, wearing the mask of steel and poison. Beautiful. Tell me about the stars in your world. And I'd really appreciate it if you started minding your own business. "Oh, Titan...Hasn't she figured it out yet? Or hasn't she told you?" It's as if a hole opens up around you and you fall and fall. The nymph's voice was awfully distant now. Lilith. Lilith Clawthorne. She is yours. You are hers. Uneven Odds. Mates. "Lilith and I...Are we mates?" And as the words fall around you, you feel as if a thread runs down your spine, tugging gently, almost non-existent if you weren't so deep inside yourself, you wouldn't even feel it. But it's there, gently laid. A golden thread, you think by its weight, stretching down to the base of your spine and disappearing. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't bother you. It's just...It's unusual. You have to breathe. You have to come out of this numbness. You raise your head to face the two nymphs who now look at you with almost compassion in their eyes. "Oh poor little thing, you didn't know." No, you didn't. But she did. She knew. You understand now. You understand how she ran like a threatened fox. You understand the enigmatic Eda. You understand the steel Lilith. Oh, Titan. You're going to fucking kill her. Mates. The word is still echoing, it seems, inside you. Echoing, playing, climbing all the way up the back of your neck, and funneling down the thread stretching down your spine. Mates. You and Lilith. You and Lilith were mates.  "Oh, my dear. Would you like a little bit of sap water?" Sinine is the one who offers it to you, her head slightly tilted in your direction with eyes glowing in different colors. You frown at the nymph and shake your head negatively. You didn't want sap water. You wanted to scream. Extremely loud. "Have you two already kissed? I know it's pretty invasive, but I have to ask." Junniper moves closer only to hit a flick on the naiad's head, her hand passes through the girl's body, but the message was the same. "Let the girl breathe. Can't you see she's about to have a collapse?" Collapse. Yeah. That might well define what you were almost having, but not what you were feeling. You are clenching your jaw so hard now that you are likely to break it in half. Your breathing is starting to become irregular. Did she know? Did she know the whole time and didn't tell you? And Eda?  It feels like there is a huge weight on your back as if you are carrying a lifetime on your shoulders. You desperately want to vomit.  Why? If she knew... Why didn't she tell you? Why didn't she have the decency to tell you? Your nose is itching and you feel anger begin to form heated tears in your eyes. You did everything you could to make her trust you. And still...It wasn't enough. It would never be enough. "Thank you." You murmur as you stand, your legs weakening, almost making you fall to your knees. "But now I must go." Junniper is the one who supports you before you fall, holding you under your elbows. She smells like a forest and has slightly rough hands. "You should accept the sap water, girl." You deny it with your head again. You don't need sap water. You need to go after her, you need to look her in the face and say what is stuck in your throat, or else you will explode. "I appreciate that you have been sincere. But now...I absolutely have to go." And you don't look back. Not for a single second. Because you can't, everything in your head right now is her. That bitter expression, those hard eyes, those words. She...She...Your fingers curl around themselves and you have to stop to catch your breath a few times before you follow with your quickened pace.  She omitted it from you. She didn't want to? Was that it? Well if she didn't want to, she might have the fucking decency to tell you. You don't remember the way, you have no idea if you're going in the right direction. It's hard to tell when you are walking with your eyes blurred with tears, when your heart beats so hard it hurts in the back of your spine, when your steps are heavy and fast. Everything in your head is her. Her eyes, green and silver. That smile, that night.  You are so going to punch her in the face as soon as you see her again. You have no idea how long you've been walking, or running. But when you recognize the clearing again, you try to breathe more regularly, to keep Eda and Luz from worrying too much. It doesn't work anyway. "Y/N?" Luz is the one who reaches you first. She doesn't care that you don't have the sticks you went to get. She just grabs you and sits down in the nearest log. You must look quite unsteady for her to do this. Her eyes are injected and extremely worried. It's touching, it's sweet.  "Kid?" Eda appears next. Eyebrows frowned, she looks quite worried as well, she possibly already was because you took a little longer than would be appropriate just to fetch some sticks. "Mates." You whisper, your voice sounding awful and extremely dry. "What?" Luz inquires, but Eda understands, perfectly, because her eyes widen and you can see that she is tempted to turn away. Almost afraid of what you are about to say. "Mates. We are mates." The owl lady takes a heavy breath and turns around, which makes Luz look at her and then at you repeatedly. "Lilith and I." You say next, which makes her eyes widen, surprise and pure... Enchantment coloring them as she smiled from one ear to the other. "That...That's amazing, Y/N. AH! The ship has sailed!" You would have laughed or smiled at that...If you were in your body if your mind wasn't on her. "You knew it, didn't you?" You try to make your voice not sound too accusatory. Eda is not to blame for anything, that's between you and Lilith. But you feel that it sounds pretty sharp anyway. "How long has it been?" You ask next, causing the owl lady to let out a sigh. "At least since the night she turned into the beast. I had suspicions, you guys were starting to smell quite similar." You frown at that, but this isn't the time to ask. "But I didn't know for sure until she told me on the bonfire night and then asked me not to tell you. I guess that's kind of pointless now." Your jaw tightens again and you are sure your eyes are bloodshot. Of course, she did. Your fingers fold into a fist. You can't remember anyone ever rousing your temper like that.  She could have been honest. But she wasn't. She hid it. She ignored you. It doesn't hurt now, it just awakens this red thing inside you that seems to want to destroy the world in front of you. It's an ugly thing to feel. You tell yourself, it's something people should avoid feeling because it consumes you from the inside out. But you can't. It chills your bones, it pulls at your insides. You want to scream and you want to punch the nearest solid thing. She just didn't have the right. You smell something in your nose and it stinks like blood. "Can you take me home?" The owl lady's eyes turn to you, silver and gold shining with interest. "As long as you promise me not to kill my sister." She says this in a serious voice, but there is a small smile at the corner of her mouth that betrays her. She was hoping you would find out, keeping that secret should be eating her up inside. "I promise nothing." Eda laughs, a delicious laugh as she moves her hands in the air and the staff appears between her fingers. "Kiddo, I'm going to drop her off at home. I'll be back in 2 seconds to pick you up."  She rides her staff and then gestures for you to hold onto her. You have no problem wrapping your arms around Eda's waist tightly. There is no discomfort, no shame. Maybe this is what differentiated the two sisters so much. For one of them, you had the purest and most delicate friendship possible. For the other. For the other, you would soon find out. (...) Eda stops at the door of the house, Hooty's tube was stretched to one of the windows. He was with Lilith. Your legs are slightly softer than usual when you leave her staff, but you couldn't be more active. You had unfinished business that would by no means wait for the next convenient moment. You are not going to be that little girl who stood crying in the kitchen when her poison spurted out. She's going to listen to you. She's not going to ignore you, she's not going to be that petty, completely selfish woman.  "Seriously...Take it easy on her." The owl lady gives you a playful punch on the shoulder, a joyful smile on the corner of her mouth. However, even though the punch was weak, you feel a slight imbalance, your vision blurs, and you shake your head negatively until it's relatively back to the ordinary. No. "Oh, I will." You find your voice betraying you, it comes out more slurred, more distant than you would like. Eda shakes her head negatively. "She didn't mean to..." But she gives up continuing when she notices the look on your face. "I'll get Luz, please don't kill my only sister." You nod, your corneas really throbbing now, and the owl lady strokes your shoulder before patting her staff and flying off into the clouds.  You look up to try to keep up, but tiny black spots appear in your vision. Why are there tiny black spots in your vision? Your eyes return to the Owl House door incredibly slowly, and yet immediately you feel like a hammering in the back of your skull.  Your fingers grip the doorframe. The pain is like a punch on the back of your neck, burning, throbbing, tightening your stomach to the point that you feel breakfast building up in your throat. What? What the hell is happening? Why does it hurt so bad? Where are you going? Focus your head. Fuck the pain. Lilith. You have to find her. You need to because she is your mate and she has hidden it from you. You want to understand, even though you're so tired of trying. Would you ever be someone indispensable to someone else? When another twinge tugs at the back of your ear you know you can't take it. You have no idea what the hell it is, but it hurts, hurts enough for your eyes to blur and your hair to stand on end. Your head swims in a strange pain that makes you dizzy. You collapse. Your knees hitting the balcony floor so hard that you think you have torn your pants and scraped them. The tiny black spots increase in size as the pain is hot, searing, coursing through your whole body and squeezing your entrails. Like having molten copper running through your veins. It's only then that you vomit. The taste is bitter and chilling, your skin curling up on itself with the horrifying sensation. Could this be what death felt like? You rest your forehead against the floor. Your senses don't feel right, everything is spinning, your breathing is so heavy that you think another vomit is quite possible. But you can't. You rest your palms on the floor. You have to get up, you have to go talk to her, she is more important than this, whatever this is. But your fingers are trembling and the tiny black spots take up all your vision. And when your head turns completely black. It's still her face in your thoughts. And it's still her name on your lips. (...) "I told you not to go too far. You see? This is what happens when you think you are immortal." Your head is so heavy that you are not sure if it is really your head, it just feels like a mass that you are carrying on your shoulders. You try to open your eyes, but they hurt, something burning inside your corneas and forcing you to close them again. But you force them open, you want to see.  Opening your eyes is how the comet storm that killed the dinosaurs must have felt. You feel your insides turning over again with the intensity of the pain, but there is nothing left in your stomach to vomit. That doesn't stop that awful bitter taste from rising up your throat. Eda is here. Luz is here. Oh, that owl-shaped light on the ceiling of the room is so beautiful. It glows. It shines. It shines extremely like the eyes of a certain mate who didn't want to talk to you and is blinding you with the intensity, not that you care much right now. "Lilith." It's the first thing out of your mouth. You don't remember your tongue being so dry or your voice being so hoarse. Luz and Eda look at you, downward. This would imply that you were lying on the sofa, probably. You are not sure, you are not sure of anything. But the pain is starting in the back of your head again, and you need to talk to her before you pass out again. Something is screaming, scratching, destroying under your skin. Please, just let me talk to her. "I...I need to talk to Lilith." Your voice becomes more and more lost, the pain is strong enough to make your head throb and twist. You can't bear to keep your eyes open, so you close them again. "Please." Education. Be polite and maybe they'll carry you to her room. Maybe they'll at least let you look her in the face and say some things that were stuck in your throat. "The only thing you will talk to is a blanket and some nice hot soup." You try to frown at what Eda is saying, but your body doesn't even want to react to it. Tears begin to accumulate inside your eyes. What the hell is going on? Just let me talk to her. But eventually, the spots start to form again. You want to tell them that it's okay, that you just need to talk to her, that this is what is eating you up inside. But they won't listen to you, your heart sinks at that. They won't listen to you. You don't know if there are tears streaming down your face. What you do know is that the feeling of fire in your veins comes back with full force absolutely suddenly. You squirm to avoid it, but it's not outside, it's inside you. Oh man, it burns. It hurts like hell. You feel your breath catch in your throat with it. You gasp. Maybe you're finally paying for your sins as your mother would say. The pain in the back of your head returns. A blow strong enough to blur even behind your eyelids. You clutch your stomach and again when you blackout...It's Lilith in your head, a green eye, a silver one, staring at you as you fall into darkness. (...) The next time you regain your consciousness, you feel that you are on your mattress, in your room, you recognize the texture of the blankets around you and the smell is quite familiar. It still hurts. Everything hurts, you don't even try to move your fingers because you feel the fire coursing through every nerve in your body, but it feels a little lighter now. You can breathe, even if in a faint way. But your mind is heavy, your thinking isn't particularly good, and you've possibly had better days with your stomach. "Please, Lily. Luz is already asleep." It's Eda's voice. Oh Gosh, has she always spoken this loudly? Her voice echoes in your head and hits your corneas. It feels like the sound waves are ripping through your skin, tearing you apart from the inside out. You almost frown, but you believe that this will eventually give away the fact that you are awake, so you try to remain as still as possible. "Just stay with her for a few minutes while I go get some more towels." Were you sick? Did you get sick? Oh, this is a whole new level of embarrassment. You got sick and now Eda was taking care of you. Horrible, Y/N. "Fine." The growl is well known to you. You would recognize her voice anywhere. You can almost feel it in your bones when she sits on a piece of furniture that you are not sure was in your room before. It would be the perfect moment to broach that subject. But what was the subject anyway? It was something important, wasn't it? It was something you needed to talk to Lilith about. Then why can't you remember what it is? Oh. You've never felt so bad in your whole life. You don't want to open your eyes, because she'll surely see that you're awake, but the thin tears come down anyway. You can hardly remember what you wanted to say, everything hurts, from the tip of your foot to the top of your head, a hot pain that spreads through your nerves and squeezes your insides. And you don't know whether you are crying because it hurts or because you just wanted to remember what was so important. If it was so important, why can't you remember? What happened to the literature student's brain, with the quick thinking and considerable memory? Your chin begins to tremble, your fingers shake in the same rhythm. When did it get this cold? A shiver runs through your body with enough force to wiggle you on the mattress. You wince, seeking the warmth of the blankets, your muscles screaming at the gesture. "Shhh..." It's the touch more than the voice that makes you open your eyes with difficulty. You have no idea how many hours have passed, but now the room is dark, lit only by light spells, little light balls that float around you and are making you dizzy but not blinding you like the light owl in the living room. You see her eyes first, green and silver, so elegant, so...So different from what you remembered, they don't look harsh. Not at all, they are safe, they are craving to care. And then you feel her fingers gently push your seemingly sweaty hair away from your forehead to land her palm there. And her touch...Her touch is like breathing again. It's comfortable, warm, and her skin is soft, probably the only good feeling you've had in a few hours, it seems to make the pain in your nerves recede a little. "It's okay, your fever is breaking. Eda is great with knee colds. She will heal you." Her voice is not so audible, just a low, slightly hoarse whisper. You don't know if you ate anything in your unconscious moments, but you think your stomach is turning again. Lilith takes a towel beside your head that you can't exactly see and then places it on your forehead. "Everything will be fine." And it's the way she doesn't sound much like the Lilith you remembered. Her voice is lovely and her fingers glide delicately across your face, being careful not to scratch you with her nails. She was furious with you for some reason, wasn't she? Then why isn't she acting like that anymore? "There. I can manage it now." Eda has returned, you see her shadow on the door, as well as her voice a little too shrill for your head. Lilith nods a gesture that seems slightly slower to you than it really should be. She is going. She's getting up. She's leaving, but... Please. Before you can better calculate, your hand reaches up and grabs her wrist. Everything inside you screams and twitches at this gesture, you shouldn't be moving muscles, not when they seem to be torn with the simplest gesture, but you try to keep the grip. You have no strength, but your fingers hold loosely around her wrist, just that effort makes your whole body shiver with pain. You frown at the sensation and Lilith stares at your fingers, frowning as well, but in doubt. "Stay." It's the only thing your sandpaper-consistent tongue can say. Stay, please. Because even if you hate me...Something in me wants you here. Just stay. Because it seems like you're the only thing making my existence less shit. You notice a rather significant exchange of glances between the Clawthorne sisters that you can't say you understand. It must be a sister's thing. "You may go to sleep." And you almost sigh with relief when Lilith says that. The tension you were holding, forcing your shoulders, is gone and your muscles ease a little. She will stay. Your fingers lose the rest of their stability and her wrist goes. The pain subsides to that burning thing, the usual. "Are you sure you can handle this?" The witch's eyes go to you in a slow gesture and you don't even want to imagine how horrible your face must have looked at that moment. Yet, you can't even feel shame. "Who do you think kept you alive during your entire childhood, Edalyn?" Eda chuckles at that, and you watch her give her sister a knowing pat on the shoulder before handing the towels into her hands and returning to the door with a long yawn. "I'll be back in three hours." The owl lady says over her shoulder before closing the door. And that's it. Lilith is here. Lilith will make you well again. You have to believe she will. "What exactly were you and Luz thinking about when climbing into a ruin with probable remnants of a knee cold?" You frown at that. You have no idea what knee cold is, let alone how you caught it. "Is Luz okay?" It's all you can think of as she dips another towel into a liquid that smells like mint and honey. "Luz is fine. Apparently, you were born lucky." You close your eyes as she replaces the towel on your forehead with a warm one, your body shuddering at the temperature difference. You wish you could have grinned, but you don't think you can do that. "Are you hungry?" You deny with your head and Lilith makes a rather funny expression, twisting her lips and rolling her eyes. "Well, you have to eat if you want to get rid of this." You just nod, however, the smell of the towel is getting into your head and is making it quite heavy again. Your eyes are needing to close. She is here. That's all that matters. "I...I'm going to eat." Your voice is even worse than before. "But...Let me close my eyes...For three seconds." Lilith lets out a slight giggle as she moves your hair away from your face again. "Sleep then." She didn't have to say it twice. And this time you really do sleep. You don't pass out. (...) And...You didn't wake up. Only darkness greeted you. You couldn't wake up, and that was the most terrifying feeling you've ever felt. You knew you were awake inside your head, but you couldn't open your eyes, you couldn't move your limbs. It's as if you were a spectator inside your own body. It's agony now. You want to wake up. Even if it's the fifth time in the last half hour. But you can't. You are panting, panting inside your own head if that makes any sense. Terror spreads through your consciousness. When did everything get this dark? Is this what death feels like? Please, not dying now. You desperately try to move, to do something. Please. Is there any way to scream for help mentally? There is something here. There's something breathing on you. It's heavy like a wild animal, it's big, much bigger than a bear or a rhino. You can't remember ever being so frightened, this darkness around you, deep, your own consciousness, swallowing you up little by little. It chills your bones, it makes you wonder if there was ever anything good in the world. It hurts in a different way, it's not physical pain, it's something that eats away at you, that tries to destroy you from the inside. That...That is more than enough to drive anyone crazy. You have to wake up. This is just something in your head. You just have to open your eyes. That's when you hear her voice. "I've always expected so little from you, but even for you this is too much." "You're not my daughter anymore." "You think this is love? That's disgusting." You shake your head negatively. That sharp voice, that tone. No. There is no way she can be here. There just isn't. You're far enough away, she must think you're dead, she can't say anything to you anymore. Nothing. She can't reach you, not anymore. The animal grows and your hair stands on end more than from hearing the voice of the woman you once called mother. You have to run. You have to get out of here. But how are you going to run if you have no legs? This is your head. Fight with it. It's your head. Nobody should be scaring you in here. But it scares. It scares a lot. You just want to go home. But...What home? You curl around yourself. You can feel her. You can feel the thing. It's going to destroy you. Little by little. And then you wept. A deep sound from the abysm of your being. Just take me home. Please. Just get me out of here. "Close your eyes, I know what you see." And when you hear that. It's different. It's not her. It's something that makes you breathe again. Ashes. You watch the words turn your nightmares to ashes.  She disappears, the growling animal disappears. You are alone in the terrifying darkness. But the voice is lovely, distant, quite distant, but beautiful. You feel it grabbing you from this confusing world, this strange feeling, this vertigo inside your own head. Her voice feels like threads, golden threads that gently wrap themselves around you, holding you tight. You feel that they will lead you. Back home. Back to her. "The darkness is high, and you're in ten feet deep." The voice continues with an elegant singing. Honey. If her voice had a consistency it would be honey, deep, dense and...Even a little sweet. It's pushing away the terror around you, this terrifying mass that could easily consume you. "But we've survived more terrible monsters than sleep." It pulls you back. You are back. The threads fade slowly, and then you can feel yourself again. You are here again. You feel your limbs and you would have cried with relief if you didn't know it would alert her. You don't want to open your eyes, you don't know if this is a dream or if she's really singing for you. "And you know I will be here to tell you to breathe." This time you feel the gentle touch across your forehead, pushing your hair away, testing the temperature. What time is it? How long has she been here? Has she slept? "So you run, through shadows you roam." Her voice sounds closer now, heavier. Either you were dreaming or she was singing directly against your cheek, the heat hitting your skin in warm, long breaths. "Seams undone by the love you thought you could own." Your sleep is clinging to your bones again just with how soothing her voice is. Even if the cold seems worse. She's warm, she's here. Why do you still trust her so badly? Why is she the one grabbing you and pulling you back? "But she's just one of many that you might call home." It's a beautiful song. And in her voice, it sounds better. She's singing. Maybe to push away what you're feeling. Maybe to calm you down. "And maybe someday, the bitter will fade from your bones." You have to look at her. You have to know if this is really happening. Your eyes open again. You are confused for a moment by the darkness and the slightly light coming from the spells again. But Lilith is here. She is close. Incredibly close. Close enough that if you turn your face, your nose will touch hers. She's lying beside you, singing. Why? She looks slightly surprised when you look at her, as if she wasn't expecting you to wake up. But then...She smiles, safe and warm. Your eyes fill with tears, you were furious with her before. And now that you look her straight in the eye all you want to do is just sob. How can it be like this? How can she take you over with several feelings at the same time? You're exhausted. You're simply consumed. And you have no idea whether that exhaustion is physical or mental. "You're my little soldier." She continues to sing. Extremely slowly, the words sink into your head, caressing you. And you don't think you can hold on any longer. "The reason I live." You close your eyes because you're sure the tears are already coming down. Why? Why didn't she tell you? Why does it hurt? Why couldn't she have been honest? "Don't forget me." She whispers the song now as her fingers push your tears away, her thumbs brushing your cheeks. And how could you forget her? You are sure that if you never even saw her face again, you would be haunted by her for the rest of your life. "I'm watching over you." You don't see. You feel it. Her lips placing a kiss on your forehead and you shiver, something in your spine shivers in the same way. You are cold and her lips are warm, delicate, it's quite a contrast now. "Lilith." Your voice sounds less horrible than before but still husky and low. She's here. She's caring about you. She's watching over you. Then why the hell didn't she tell you? "Go back to sleep, Y/N." You want to. But you desperately need an answer. Why? Just tell me why. Let me rest. "Can we talk, please?" Your voice breaks halfway. You've had stronger days. And you feel her sigh against your face almost in the same second. She's exhausted, just like you. "When you're all right again and it's not four in the morning, I cross my heart that we'll talk about whatever you want." You extend your pinky in the air and it's pretty easy to feel the doubt emanating from her. "Pinky promise so I know it's true." You are surprised that she can hear the last word because you yourself did not understand your hoarse voice. She giggles softly but entwines her finger in your pinky anyway. "I promise." You don't remember if you let go of her hand before you went to sleep again. (...) This time when you open your eyes nothing turns and the darkness is nowhere to be found. You still can't breathe properly, and your body has certainly seen better days. But you sit up without any complication and manage to lift a hand to take towels from your face just the same. The sun already seems quite high through your bedroom window, and you take a few deep breaths to get used to this world again before looking around. Your lungs complain a little with the deep breaths, but you push them anyway. There are many towels around you, as well as bowls with different things in them, there is a thermometer nearby and some potion bottles. Oh. You looked like you had been through one of the worst. It's only then that your eyes meet...Her. She's leaning in a particularly awkward position in an armchair, which was certainly not in your room before, sleeping. Not the most peaceful of sleeps. Lilith has pronounced eyebrows and that place is certainly not as comfortable as her nest. But she stayed there. She stayed with you. The whole night, watching over you. The same woman who told you to mind your own business and had been avoiding you for days. She sang for you. She kissed your forehead. She soothed you from what could have been sleep paralysis. Lilith has taken care of you and you're not sure how to feel about that. The door makes a rather distinctive sound as it opens to make room for the owl lady. She tilts her eyes, watching you and then Lilith sleeping in the armchair before shaking her head negatively and entering the room. "Here, kid." You accept as she hands you a bowl of what looked like a peculiar soup, its warmth warming your cold fingers. "It will make you feel better a lot faster, believe me." You nod, more than ever wanting your body back. And then you take a spoonful of the soup, it tastes quite like a human tomato soup. "I tried to trade shifts with her." Eda says as she sits next to you on your mattress, looking at her sister, still asleep and considerably paler than usual. "But she refused to leave." She's grinning in a very suggestive way now, the golden fang uncovering, which just makes you shake your head negatively. It still hurts a little, but not as much as before. "Did you tell her I know?" The owl lady denies with her head and takes a deep breath before standing up. You watch her take one of the blankets from your mattress to cover the other witch as carefully as she could. "I don't think that's any of my business. You two need to talk." You nodded and then tried to get up. Your legs didn't fail, which was incredibly good, however, it didn't stop Eda from raising her eyebrows in silent questioning. "I need to get some air." It was your reply, so she just agreed and helped you out the door. You looked at Lilith sleeping one last time before you left. (...) You went out for a walk with Eda while eating your tomato soup that wasn't exactly tomato soup. It was...Refreshing, to say the least. Apparently, you caught a witch disease, called the knee cold, which is very common in the ruins of the Knee. It quite explains why Eda wanted you to go with her. Although when it manifests it strikes quickly and with enormous impetus, causing delirium, vomiting, excruciating pain, and fever, the disease also goes away quickly and without much damage. You think that is good, in a way. Eda said that you would probably be in perfect shape by the end of the afternoon. And she denied it with her head and rolled her eyes when you thanked her. But feeling the morning air was nice, it freed your lungs, took away your pain. You almost felt like yourself again, even if your mouth was still a little sour and your legs didn't respond the way they used to. Eda took you home and then said she was going to the market to buy some things for lunch. But you think it's just a lame excuse for her not to be there for a dialogue between you and her sister, now that you were in almost perfect shape and had enough thinking capacity to face her. You couldn't put it off any longer. She omitted it from you. She kept it to herself as if it affected only her. She ignored you for days. But then she took care of you. Will you ever understand Lilith Clawthorne? She could have just left Eda to take care of you, it's not like you were at your best when you asked her to stay. But no. She stayed. She watched over you. And she sang you a lullaby while you went through one of the most terrifying sensations of your entire life. Could she feel it? Could she tell when you were in pain and that's why she started singing? How could you hate her, honestly? You're my little soldier. The reason I live. Did she sing that to Eda when they were young? The words weigh heavily enough on your shoulders to make you sigh. You should be angry, shouldn't you? It doesn't matter if you almost died of an illness and she took care of you. But it does. Because she didn't have to, but she stayed and made sure you were okay before sleeping in an uncomfortable armchair for a few minutes. Your shoulders drop as you face the Owl House door and absent Hooty. His tube was stretched out to one of the windows. He was with Lilith again. You rub your temples and sigh deeply. Good. It's not like you can run away now. It's time to stop being a child. But we've survived more terrible monsters than sleep. And you really had. It's time to stop fearing the monster of truth and face your mate, to know why on earth she thought it was a good idea to hide this from you. You take another breath and this time your lungs work, perfectly. Still, you feel that you are running a little short of air. You can't seem to let yourself to leave her and you can't breathe anymore. You feel that with each step your heart is beating a little faster. It's only a few steps, it's only a few seconds to her door, and you don't think you're breathing properly anymore. There is no hesitation when you raise your fist and knock exactly three times on the wood, though. You've waited too much. It feels pretty different from when you were here, weeks ago, with a piece of cake. Trying to be friendly. Trying to get her to be more open with you. She was more open, days later she went back to the steel lady and then she stayed a whole night watching over you. It's extremely arduous to understand Lilith Clawthorne. "Edalyn?" It's her voice, doubt evident in her tone. She sounds a little huskier than usual, which you believe is due to lack of sleep. "Not Edalyn." Again you try to make your voice not sound too accusatory. You don't know if truly works. There is silence for a few long seconds that make you wonder if you are going to knock that door down with a spell and force her to talk to you. But then you hear her footsteps, slow and light.  When she opens the door you realize that it's probably the first time you've looked her in the eye in full consciousness since that wonderful day in the kitchen. Something trembles inside you just by looking into her eyes, you think it might be the thread stretching down your spine, but you're not sure. She still looks the same, one eye like an emerald, the other like a storm, the jet-black hair, the pointy ears, the black colored lips.  The first thing different about her is the dark circles under her eyes, slightly marked. You feel a tiny bit of guilt resting on your shoulders for that. The second thing is that there is no more gentle gaze, no more lullabies. She has that same hard, frightening look in her eyes that arouses fear in your center. The same tight jaw. The same expression of one who might swallow your liver any time soon. The steel lady is back in full force. She's wearing another pair of pajamas, an Adventure Time shirt, and plaid pants, it tells you that she intended to sleep the whole afternoon. Which, if you were honest, you were thinking of doing as well. "We need to talk." There is no "hi", there is no "hello". You want to sound grown-up, you want to feel grown-up. And not that scared little girl who is screaming inside you just for staring at the woman who broke you in half. And not that girl who grabbed her wrist and asked her to stay. "I'm kind of busy at the moment." You weren't relatively good at controlling expressions, it was obvious. So when you moisten your upper lip with your tongue, rolling your eyes, you assume the message is pretty clear. "Will you stop acting like a child any time soon?" You want to be an adult, that's why you don't go back to the pinky promise she made you.  You have analyzed her for weeks, you know how to get her to talk to you...If it's in a hostility mood...Still works. Lilith snorts through her nose and rolls her eyes before walking away from the door. "Hootsifer. We can finish your makeup later." Hooty narrows his eyes at you from the window, before twitching his beak in what would be a pout. He has pink eye shadow over his eyes and eyeliner. Was she doing Hooty's makeup? You wonder what the occasion was. "Okay, Lulu. But I need mascara and an illuminator. Don't forget." You can see her smiling even from her back as Hooty goes out the window, closing it behind him.  Her room hasn't changed at all. The nest, the shiny mobile, the bookcase. Everything seems in its perfect place. But something definitely changes when she turns to you and crosses her arms under her chest. It's like feeling the raven beast walking through the house, the attitude is the same. Just like feeling the vibrations of the ground before a storm, you can feel the electricity in the air when she looks at you like this. There is nothing of that woman from last night. No kisses on the forehead, no whispered songs. "Well?" She raises her arms for a brief second, an almost mocking smile at the corner of her mouth. "You have my attention." Yeah. You really do, and it makes you want to scream, as your eyes prickle with warm tears. You really do have her attention, for the first time in long days. She knew it. She asked Eda not to tell you. Oh. It hurts. And it boils your blood. You really wanted to do as your mother did when you told a lie. You wanted to trap her, to be uncomfortable until she confessed. But, man, you're so tired. So tired of childish behavior. So tired of the disease that came over you and that you swore was going to kill you. So tired of having to deal with more than one of Lilith's personalities in a single day. "We are mates." And when you say that out loud, in front of her. It seems even more true. The thread in your spine quivers and your heart beats faster. You are mates. The thread coils and plays, it knows that you're talking about it. You have another shudder, and you can't tell if it is the thread or simply remnants of your cold. Lilith...You're watching a storm becoming a summer rain, and then ending completely. The harsh stare goes away, the tight jaw disappears. She opens and closes her mouth, eyebrows slightly raised. For the first time since that day...You recognize her again. The steel mask has fallen away and it's...Just her again. That woman. The woman you knew. "Was it Eda who told you?" Her voice doesn't have the same power, it sounds pretty much like a whisper now. It echoes between you. She doesn't even try to deny it, she probably knows it wouldn't do any good. "No. The nymphs who brought me into this world told me. But it doesn't matter." And she seems to think the same because she doesn't even raise her eyes when she hears the word "nymphs". You take a long breath. "Lilith, we are mates." You repeat, and it's like hitting her with a punch, really hard. She cringes, wrapping her arms around herself tightly. Your heart seems to be beating on your head, but you think you're barely breathing. "Yeah. I know." If there wasn't an almost deafening silence around you, you wouldn't be sure you could hear her. Just a whisper, that's all. Your blood boils. Even more. I know. I know you know. “Is that everything you've got to say? "I know"?" Why do you feel like your heart is falling into pieces? Why do you feel like you want to cry until your eyes fall out of your face? You're furious. You want to yell at her, you want to tell her what a bastard she was to you and how it hurt. But all you feel is pain. It's self-loathing. "What? What did you expect me to say?" Her voice sounds sharp now. She's trying to attack, a great way to protect herself. She stares into your eyes, and they look extremely like water mirrors. You have to bite your tongue to keep from letting out the first curse that comes into your head. "You let me believe it was my fault." You let me believe that I mattered. Your eyes itch, your nose itches. You just want to disappear as your stomach sinks. She frowns, almost confused in your direction. "I thought I did something to upset you and that's why..." That's why you started treating me like a heartless witch. But it wasn't your fault. It never had been.  You wish you could hate her. If only for a damn second. "Believe me, it's much better the way it is." You bite the inside of your cheek now, almost to the point of drawing blood. Was she okay with that? Was it better? Really? Of course it was. What kind of witch wants a human as her mate, right? She probably should think that this was just another irony of fate, making her connect with the least valuable thing this world had. Your tears are now pretty evident, you are sure.  Why on earth you had to like this woman? She seemed to have a sign on her forehead that read "I'm going to break your heart". And you still wanted. You still insisted. It's your fault. Not hers. You should stop acting like a stupid child. "If you didn't want this bloody bond." You almost feel the thread trembling with the way you refer to it, almost the same way your voice trembles. Lilith's eyes widen at your tone. Yeah, you could have a sharp voice too. Welcome to the club. "It was pretty simple. You just had to tell me. But putting on the armor of the heartless witch is scoundrelly. It's dishonest. It's..." But you shut up. You want so bad to be better for the way you were dishonest with your sister for so many years and at the first opportunity...But you keep it to yourself. You didn't want to hurt her. You never want to hurt her. You just wanted her to understand. You wouldn't fasten her to you, you just liked having a friend. If she didn't want the bond...Fine, you were grown up enough to deal with it. Yet, she somehow read what you didn't say. When you look at her again, thin tears are coming down her eyes, thin and fast that weigh on your heart. The self-loathing echoes inside you now, inside your pores. You shouldn't have come here, you should leave it as it was. "Why did you stay anyway?" You feel that this is a more important question. More important than why she didn't tell you. Why did she stay if she didn't want to get involved anyway? Why couldn't she choose a single personality once and for all? Lilith turns her eyes away from you, she prefers to stare at the floor. "You asked me." A sigh comes out of your nose. Long and frustrating. Yeah, you remember that part. You wish you didn't. "I wasn't going to but...Eda told me you were calling my name...While you were sleeping..." Oh. That's a level worse than embarrassing.  You called her name and you don't even remember it. But it's not surprising. You could only think of her while you were sick.  It was out of pity. "She thought you were delirious due to the fever." Probably delusions, but delusions that only came up in the first place because you needed to talk to her so badly. And she stayed. Pity. Just as it was pity when she took you to the Owl House. It was all about pity. "Good to know that at least pity you felt for me." You twist your lips to keep your tears from falling instantly. It was already hard enough without crying. Honestly, where did you think this was going? You are talking to a woman who has kept a secret for decades from her sister. Do you think you can demand anything just because you've been here for a month and a bit? She had no obligation to tell you anything. She never did. That's not how she got used to things, she'd rather shut than share. You had an answer. It's enough. "You know what?" You take a deep breath, trying to take some oxygen to your brain. Breathe. "Take care, Lilith." It's quite a different feeling now. A long shock runs through your limbs, but somehow it hurts more than having your veins filled with fire like before. Because you are tired and you don't know if you have enough emotional stability to deal with it all. You really want to be more adult and accept rejection for what it is. You've had enough " Nos' " all your life to just accept one more. So why does it hurt so bad? You trusted her, didn't you? You closed yourself off for so long, for so many years, you were so scared. And then...The first time you open up, that you truly let someone in...It's like being stabbed.  It's the facts. Uneven Odds. Maybe you simply were never enough. You turn around, ready to leave her room and go to sleep, after crying your life out of you. It would be great to have a portal to the human world now, there weren't many places you could hide here. In the human world you knew at least you could stay on the street without being eaten by something. Your good ears warn her step forward. The wood creaks. "No." You turn around because it's always like that. She just needs a word, a single word, and you stop because it's her...It's always her. It's always been her. Your eyebrows frown. You stare at Lilith. What? No what? What does she want to tell you? Does she want to humiliate you just a little bit more? However, you feel it in the air. A torment of confused emotions that makes you dizzy. Not yours. She takes your hand between hers absolutely suddenly. Your eyes almost popping out of your face because in the next second...She falls to her knees before you. Wha...What, it takes everything in you to simply not pull away. What the hell Lilith Clawthorne? "I..." Her voice breaks, completely out of that tone. She...She's Lilith again. Her voice is Lilith's, even if her eyes are on the floor, shoulders bent. You've never needed her to look you in the eye so painfully. You don't think you've ever felt this many goosebumps from an image before. She's on her knees. She's letting it all hit her at once, every bad thought, every omission, every guilt she carries so deep in her own skin that she barely realizes it's there. You have no idea what made her reconsider. But you don't pay attention to that...It's her. "I'm sorry." She's asking you for forgiveness. On her knees. And when she sobs, your skin tears apart. You feel that your almost-forgotten plan to punch her face won't work a lot. Your tears are already streaming down your face. Not like this. "Please don't leave." She takes a breath, just long enough to kiss your knuckles. Her lips are cold and trembling. Another thing that makes you want to squirm in your own body. She was always warm, now she seemed as cold as death itself. "Forgive me." She then brings your knuckles to her forehead, resting them there. It feels warmer, but it doesn't stop a shiver from running through your entire body. You're paralyzed. It's a gesture of...respect? Oh. She broke you, perfectly, in every possible way...She...Did she do that before? Is that how she apologized before? Oh, you're gonna kick that son of a bitch in the balls so hard he's gonna throw them up. It wasn't supposed to be like that. It's not fair that with a single sentence...She has broken you in half again. You feel that pressure in your chest doubles in size as a lump forms in your throat. You decide that she can do whatever she wants with your heart. It's hers to do so. The realization of this hurts. It scratches your insides. But you don't care. You just want to wrap her in your arms now. Because she never looked so small, on her knees in the middle of that room, holding your hand, her head down. The self-loathing exuding from her in waves. It's not fair, but it doesn't matter. You don't care. Not really. When she sobs again your arms are already pulling her up. You never want to see her on her knees again. For no one. If anyone ever brings her to her knees again you will kill. It doesn't matter that you've never hurt a fly. You will kill whoever it is. You wrap yourself around her, pulling her tight against your own chest. She's taller so this implies that she is practically leaning against you, but she doesn't seem to care. Considering the next thing you know she's wrapping her hands around your hip, sinking her face into your shoulder, a sob caught in her throat. Her touch. It's as if so many things made sense. How long has this woman been without hugging anyone? Weeks? Months? Years? Her hands dig heavily into your waist. It doesn't hurt. It just shows you how much she needs it. She doesn't want you to walk away and you know, deep in your soul, you never intended to. The way she holds you...It's like you finally have a place in the world. It's like breathing again. It's like sharing the air in your lungs with her. You think that if it was hard to breathe, you would surely give your breath to her. "I'm so sorry." You are not sure if she said it or if you heard her, but it doesn't matter. Her next sob shakes her body so hard that you think it's quite possible that she'll break something, that she'll crack, that she'll let it all out. But she's already breaking, every sob feels like it's going to split your heart in half. You stroke her hair, you cradle her as she cries against your shoulder. It doesn't matter that your own tears are already on your neck. Not at all. Just keep holding her. Just keep giving her everything you can. You're my little soldier. The reason I live. Never again. You will always hold her. You will always forgive her for anything. And that doesn't scare you. It soothes you. It soothes the thread stretched across your back. You have to believe that this is enough. You have to believe that giving everything you've got is enough. Oh. You missed her. You missed her perfume, her warmth. So bad. And it's really extraordinary to feel how your emotions are mixed up at the moment. You feel your own anger, you feel her self-loathing, you feel the sorrow of both of you. Again it's like a spectrum, each emotion a color mixing inside of you. Now it looks very purple, black, dark blue, maybe gray. The sense of time is gone. You have no idea how long you are just holding her, allowing her to smear one of your favorite shirts with makeup and tears, her ear rubbing against your face with each new sob. But when she pulls away your hands refuse to leave her. That's why, due to the angle, you hold her cheeks. They are boiling as if she has a fever, and moist, which leads you to rub the remnants of her tears away from her eyes. "I was terrified." She whispers as you fix the smudged eyeliner with your fingertip. Your eyes go to hers again and it's pure sincerity that you find now. None of the steel lady cold mask, none of that poison she was throwing at you before. It's Lilith again. It's Lilith saying what she really feels again. And you can't help but let out a sigh of relief. "I was terrified that night." She says it once more, but this time in a firmer, more certain voice. She wants to tell you, she finally wants to tell you. And you are willing to listen. When would you not be? When would you not give your heart into her hands with a mere request? "Mates can sense each other's emotions, can even hear thoughts sometimes." You remember that. You remember feeling really sorry for Luz for the bucket of cold water Eda threw at her that day. "Well..." She looks down for a brief second before looking at you again. Her eyes fill with tears and you feel your heart being compressed to the size of a grape in your chest. Never again. "I heard you say about the stars before you actually said it. That had happened before, eventually, and it was incredibly easy to ignore because it was about things I knew about, like magic or even trivial things. Just good communication, right? Perhaps it was the moonlight conjuring energy as well, it may have contributed. I have no idea." She sighs deeply for a moment. She's trying to breath properly. "But there was no way I could have known about the Earth stars, Y/N. I felt you inside my head at that moment, thinking about plasma and constellations before you even said the words." And then she ran away. And then she locked herself in her room and Eda...Eda realized at the same instant. "I was so out of my mind that when Eda came in...My room had enough feathers to make a pillow." She averts her eyes again and this time she actually pulls away a little, enough to have your hands fall from her face. As if your touch was too much at the moment. And maybe it really was. "When I told her...She thought it was a fantastic idea." She sighs. Lilith didn't think it was, though. You press your lips together, feeling quite overwhelmed now. She's telling you. That's what you wanted, isn't it? So hang in there like the adult you're supposed to be. You don't really blame her. What kind of witch would want a human for a mate? That should be some kind of shame for them or dishonor. Who knows? It hurts anyway. You don't want it to hurt, but it hurts. You feel as if fire is burning in your veins again."That's why when I told her not to tell you she almost punched me." Lilith leans back against the nest, crossing her arms under her chest again. Protecting herself from unseen stares, nearly protecting her own skin. "I..." And she looks at you this time. You rub your eyes roughly to banish the tears that are falling again. You didn't even notice when they started to. "I'm sorry for the way I mistreated you." It scratches under your skin. Just the memory of her voice, of her hard eyes, of those words so well placed to cut you in half. But this new memory...It's worse, the prospect of her on her knees again, asking for your forgiveness. It makes your body tremble violently. As long as you live she won't get down on her knees again. You promise yourself that. She may scream at you. She can be cold, she can put on the poison armor as many times as she wants, as long as she never kneels again for forgiveness. It...You can't handle this act of self-punishment. It makes you wonder what others she has done. It makes your stomach turn and your bones shiver. Never again. "I was awful, I know. Something inside me wanted to tell you...But I couldn't do that...To you." She couldn't give you false hope. Yet that same something inside you begs for her touch again, she doesn't have to explain anything else. Just wrap yourself around her and let it go, let it all go. Because it still hurts. It feels like the last time. Lilith looks up at the shining mobile. When a tear trickles down her eye, it has the color of all colors thanks to the shiny objects reflecting in her face. A rainbow seems to form on her cheek. You wish you could paint...You would have painted a canvas of her at that moment. She never looked so sadly beautiful. "You..." Your eyes rise on their own, even though you feel that they are the only parts of your body still functioning coherently. The pains of the disease are no longer so active, but weren't the poets who said that rejection corrodes more than death? The hand that gently strokes is the same hand that stones. And you expect to be standing to receive that stone. "Damn it, Y/N." She whispers, twisting her lips as if the next words would truly hurt. "You deserve a lot more." The stone hits you, but...It's not exactly the way you expected. It seems to have hit your head hard, harder than one of the punches you felt before, and you have no idea how you didn't throw up all your delicious little soup. "Than me..." And then she just shrugs, but you can almost feel in the air how she is trying to keep from sobbing. You deserve more. More than her. You actually should have punched her as soon as you walked through that door. She pushed you away. She ignored you. She caused that weird and completely unstoppable pain in both of you...Because she didn't think she was enough. She didn't think she was enough...And how could you blame her when you felt the same way pretty often? Gosh. How can you get into her thick skull that she is everything? Everything. She is simply everything to you. You would literally let Arcadia Bay go to hell to save her, without a second thought. Why can't she just understand that you couldn't care less about this specter of victim and villain that she had been constantly painting around herself? She is the woman you have learned to adore. And you couldn't care less about the fact that she thinks you deserve more. "I guess I'm a big girl to decide what I deserve." And you mean it. You were pretty grown-up to decide what you thought was or wasn't worth your attention. And if you decided to devote your days to understanding Lilith Clawthorne, it was obvious to you that she was worth it. It takes a long moment for her to take her eyes off the mobile and really look at you. You see a lot of different emotions now, but now you can read her. Perfectly. You can see the disbelief, you can see the regret, the self-loathing. You can understand her. Could you ever make her believe that she was worth as much as anyone else in the Owl House? "A witch who cursed and almost killed her own sister and her apprentice, served as leader of the coven of the greatest dictator these lands have ever seen..." She shakes her head negatively now. "I nearly killed you because I'm cursed...And I can possibly hurt you again due to the fact I will always be cursed." She contorts her face at the thought and you can almost feel her wince as if she has spent a long time pondering this. "Do I have to go on?" No, she doesn't have to. You don't think anything will change your mind. It's quite simple really. You barely feel your legs as they guide you to lean against her side on the nest. Fingers inches away from touching. You notice that hers are trembling, causing you to wonder if she had already taken her elixir today. You don't think you will be able to have this conversation with the raven beast. "I don't care." And it sounds nice when you say it out loud. Because you truly don't. You feel her eyes slowly go to you, staring at the top of your head as you are looking at your own shoes. "I don't care what you've done, what people think of you, or even if you believe I deserve more." You raise your face so you can look at her, her eyes softening at the corners and you are aware that it's for the reason she can hear what you are going to say before you actually say it. "I like you, giant claws and all." She smiles with the corner of her mouth, her eyes becoming bright with unshed tears. You made her smile. That was already something, right? It's not a complete recovery, but it's a smile. "Is just wanting it enough?" And her voice sounds truly melancholy now. You don't need context. That's the story of most theatrical tragedies. Not always wanting or even loving wholeheartedly is enough. You can never know what will be enough. That's real life. It's disappointing and heartbreaking real life. She believes you deserve better. She believes that you shouldn't even give it a chance. But when you look at her. At her head down, her twitching lips. The same witch who saved you, who trusted you, who sang to bring you back from the darkness of your own mind, who watched over you all night long. This witch who asked for your forgiveness on her knees. When you look at this woman who has thrown your mental health to the limbo in every possible way. When you realize that she is still wearing the moon earring in her right ear. You are sure she is worth it. She can be quite impulsive with her feelings, lock herself in shells of self-loathing, and push away everyone else who comes near her. She feels too much. But she's still kind at a particularly high level. She still makes acidic little jokes that make you laugh a lot. She still has the smile that makes your heartbeats get a little faster. And she has the most beautiful eyes you have ever seen. She's definitely worth throwing everything away and pretending that real life isn't chaotic. The world is not easy, but it's not so bad. You think it can be a better place...If you can be by her side. You don't hesitate. You drag your fingers across the surface of the nest until you can reach her hand. Your fingers curl into hers. It's not like the other times, not only because just touching her is like relieving your own mind of a weight you didn't even realize was there, which you imagine is due to the mating bond. But, this time you intertwine your fingers with hers. She doesn't seem frightened, nor embarrassed. Perhaps it was the number of emotions you were sharing. She just accepts it. She just accepts your touch as if it had always been this way. It feels promising. Accepting. "Try for me." The words seem to fill the space between you when they come out of your mouth. They echo, fill the spectrum of emotions with a yellow that might as well be hope. I don't need you to be perfect. I don't need anything to be perfect. I just need you to want to try. I just need you. Just once, let me hold you. She softens. It's like watching something melt around her, the metal walls are crumbling with ease now to the point where it feels like they never existed. "Try for you?" Her eyebrows pronounce only, merely the slightest amused twitch at the corner of her lips. "You didn't want to tell me about the bond because you thought I deserved better." She nods, resignedly, following your reasoning in silence. You ponder your words for a moment before actually saying them. "So...Would you try this bond for me?" She kept it inside for you. She intended to keep it that way for you, even if it bothered, even if it scratched under the skin. Even if Eda was eating herself up inside to tell you. So could she make the small effort to try? Try. Let me try to help you heal the parts of you that haven't managed to heal yet. Because I want to. That's what I want. That's what everything inside me is telling me to do. "You know you're not obligated to accept this bond, right?" You nod, even if you didn't know. It didn't matter. It never did. Something inside you always knew from the beginning that if she wanted to...There was nothing else to discuss. "You're a pretty stubborn and odd human, aren't you?" And she is grinning with the corner of her lips as she says that, without moving her hand away, without moving away from you. Her fingers feel even warmer as they squeeze gently around yours, her pointed nails brushing your skin. A little shiver runs down your spine. This could have a different ending than crying, screaming, and nausea. "This coming from the witch wearing a human cartoon shirt about a boy in a post-apocalyptic setting with an elastic dog and several princesses whose names are, for example, Princess Hot Dog and Princess Bubblegum." She actually chuckles at that when she looks at her shirt, Finn and Jake smiling. "Yeah, I think you've got a point." The silence that extends now is neither uncomfortable nor awkward. You just feel like you can breathe again. Not just because the disease is going away or your own emotions are free, but you feel hers are similar. There is still a lot to sort out, but the metal wall is not there and she is Lilith again. It takes everything in you not to thank her out loud, because this...This is finally something you know. Something you have learned to like with everything you have inside you. And her fingers are incredibly good to hold. "So nymphs brought you here?" She inquires as she wipes her own face with her remaining hand, brushing away the remnants of the tears. Not exactly a change of subject. "Your fault." You jokingly nudge her shoulders and Lilith frowns with a smile, one that makes your head feel extremely lighter. "What have I done?" You examine your hands together for a moment before answering. They look great like that. "The nymphs thought that the sad woman going into the forest alone with paper spells could use a mate." She seems to connect the dots while keeping a slight frown on her forehead. "Yeah, the books don't lie when they say nymphs are a bunch of gossips." But she is laughing when she says that. Loud and warm. Even if it was the result of gossip... You were here. You owed the nymphs. And she probably thinks the same way. "You..." Your eyes rise to her again, all attention on her, and it's just adorable when a blush starts to spread across her ears. You have no idea what she is going to say to make her embarrassed.  You would still have to understand this connection you shared in a better way. "Would you like to go on a date with me?" You think it's quite likely that she could be hearing your heart right now.  It's beating... Stupidly fast.  Your cheeks heat up and you try to lower your head so she doesn't notice how childishly you react to the smallest things around her. That sounded a lot like a "yes" to your previous question.  Yes...You two should try. You have to remember that you are no longer a teenager and running away to dance in your bedroom is a very 2000s romance movie attitude. "A date?" You almost test the word on your tongue and it sounds nice. A date. With Lilith. "I can try to make up for being a bitch to you." And her voice sounds slightly amused now. She's smiling as she says this and you suspect it's that wide smile, even if you don't dare to raise your face now. You press your lips together. Gosh, you want to be a little stronger and not say yes right away so badly. But how could you not? It's Lilith. She doesn't need much to break you in half. "I'd love to." You can feel her smiling, with both sides of her mouth, just as you feel her gently squeezing your fingers once again. You also feel an extremely great excitement pumping through your veins, you have no idea if it's coming from her or you. "Tonight?" You nod in agreement, the grin creeping across your lips in a rather pathetic way. Lilith Clawthorne.  Lilith Clawthorne has invited you on a date. Oh, Titan. Luz had to come home soon.  "It's a date then." Okay. You need to go now. You really need to run off and stick your head in a book, your music or sleep all afternoon or you'll freak out. You gently let go of her fingers immediately missing their warmth and then stand up. "Mmm...I will...Mmm..." Suddenly your shoes looked very interesting. You didn't exactly have anywhere else to go. You just didn't quite know what to do after that invitation. Lilith lets out a giggle at your embarrassment before getting up as well. "I'll see you at 7. Try to rest, it will be good for you." You nodded and thought that was the perfect cue for you to leave so you mustered all the courage within you to look up. The corners of her eyes are crinkling with a smile, a smile that makes you grin in a very evidently cheerful way. Oh, Titan how is your heart not beating through your blouse? You start your way to the door and you feel your hands are sweating. Before you can reach the doorknob, however, you hear her voice. "Wait." And as always. That's all it takes. One word and you stop in place. You turn around with slightly frowning eyebrows and Lilith is chuckling even more as she reaches up and grabs your chin gently with one hand. Her fingers feel quite warm and just the soft, careful scraping of her nails across your skin makes your whole body shiver. Your heart stopped a beat. You almost saw her kissing you. You almost felt that she would do it under your skin. But the witch just leaned in close enough to touch her warm lips to your cheek. Her smell is fascinating, so fresh, and her lips are as soft as rose petals. It's truly hard not to just turn your face a little bit to feel them against your own mouth. "You may go now." If only you had legs to go after that. Your calf muscles feel much weaker than before with the cold. Your face is hot enough now to fry an egg and you try to smile naturally before you leave, but it must have come out as a grimace because Lilith laughed before biting her lower lip softly. Her eyes are sparkling with a certain...Cleverness? Another thing that made your legs turn to jelly. This woman would kill you before you even had a chance to go on a date with her. You need to sleep. It's your first thought as you step into the hallway and stagger a little, feeling every nerve in your body respond to a little kiss. You need an outfit. It's your second. You need Luz. That's three. Luz barely had time to take a breath as she set foot inside the house before you rushed down the stairs and grabbed her arm. "Oh. Good afternoon to you too, Y/N." Eda greeted you with a sneering smile, you just waved before continuing to pull the girl by the hand. Luz followed you without question, only with a chuckle. Once you are in the safety of your room, you close the door and let go of her arm. Your hands immediately go to your hair in complete desperation. "Well? Are you feeling better?" The girl looks at you expectantly and with a smirk that says, somehow, she already knows. "Mm yes. Lilith asked me out." You say promptly. Luz's jaw drops and you anticipate the squeal before it even happens. She let out a tiny squeal of joy before grabbing your waist in a tight hug. "I KNEW IT! MY SHIP HAS TRULY SAILED!" You smile at this, but concern keeps pumping through your body, obviously. "But there is one thing." Her eyes go to you again, eyebrows slightly twitched in doubt. "I have nothing to wear." Luz rolled her eyes so hard it was impossible not to find it funny. "Oh Titan, Y/N, I thought you were about to say you'd have to do three impossible tasks to go on this date." You frown at this, tempted to ask, but you give up halfway through. "What do you want to wear?" She inquires as she takes a walk around you as if analyzing what kind of clothes would look best on you. "I have absolutely no idea what to wear on a date with a witch, Luz." She chuckles softly at that before pulling Hexide's jacket off her shoulders and sitting down with one leg under the other on your mattress. "You know she doesn't care about what you wear, right?" You frown at that. "She's your mate, Y/N." It's not like you know exactly what that means. It's like a soul mate, yet stronger. Well, you are quite similar to her, you get along well, you always have a lot to talk about, she makes your legs weak with a smile...But how this bond acts is still odd to you. She has possibly heard your thoughts, you also have a great sense of what she is going to say before she says it, you have this little golden thread running down your spine. But what exactly it is to be someone's mate still seems a bit nebulous. "No dresses or skirts." You frown again, getting back to the conversation with Luz, you had beautiful legs, it would be a good opportunity to reveal that. "The staff, Y/N." Ah. Yes. The staff. There was no way you could ride that thing wearing a dress or skirt. Luz had a good point. "Pants then. Okay." You must look incredibly desperate because Luz lets out a rather amused giggle as her eyes sparkle. "Why don't you take a shower and I'll get you some outfits? I'm not good with makeup, so I can't help you with that, but I love playing stylist." You take a deep breath. Yeah. Sounds like a plan. It's almost six o'clock. It's just prudent to start getting ready. "Okay. Shower." Luz laughs louder this time and picks up your towel hanging in a corner of the room, handing it into your hands. "Shower, Y/N." You nod and more out of instinct than anything else you make your way to the bathroom at the end of the hall.  (...) You tried on a total of 6 looks that Luz produced. The one chosen was the third, after the second fitting. A yellow sweater, plaid pants, belt, because the pants were one size bigger than yours, and your all-stars. It was nice, but it still looked like you, and that's the way you liked it. Luz, particularly, preferred the one with the vest, but vest was so 2000s. The girl sat with you while you put on eyeliner, mascara, and gloss. It was the only makeup you had in your backpack.  "You look beautiful." She said looking over the mirror, an adorable little smile at the corner of her mouth. "Thank you, Luz." You smiled back and actually felt your heart stop a beat because you are almost completely sure you felt her coming down the stairs to the living room. You didn't hear it, you felt it. Somehow you felt that she was no longer on the second floor but on the first. As if the thread was a little tauter. That's pretty cool if you were honest. "Lilith's already downstairs." You say, more to yourself than to the girl in front of you, and Luz's eyes go wide. "Can you really feel her?" You shake your head in affirmative and Luz lets out a huge smile "Damn, girl. That's cool." And it was. It was almost magical how aware you were of her presence. You even thought about putting some other jewelry, a necklace, or another earring in your right ear. But only the star earring in your left ear seemed appropriate. You were ready. Well, technically ready. Clothes-wise ready. Psychologically, not at all. "Will you tell me everything when you arrive?" Luz asked as you took one last look at yourself in the mirror, feeling that icy thing spread across the space below your diaphragm. "Of course I will." You ruffle her hair fraternally before straightening your sweater and finally getting the courage to leave the room. Luz leaves with you which gives you a little bit more motivation. With each step you take down the stairs you feel your stomach sink a little more, it would be a great time to be twelve again and run screaming into the blankets. But it's a good fear. You are anxious. After all, you're anxious due to the fact you like her, because you hope you can try. You are afraid that you won't be what she wants or is looking for. But you need to go anyway. Luz continued, she enters the room first, jumping up next to Eda on the sofa.  You hear her voice, talking to her sister and Hooty and King apparently.  Great, everyone is in the living room. You take a breath to get a little more courage before you enter. And then. Everything disappears. As soon as you enter the room, her eyes go to you, and she...She smiles, warm and soft. Not one of those wide smiles, but still enough to make your heart resonate in your ears. Gosh. She looks so beautiful it hurts. She's wearing a suit for the Titan's sake. A white shirt under a black blazer like her own hair, tailored pants that look great with her legs, and high-heeled boots. She's wearing heels, real heels. You will faint before you even leave the house. Her face, however, looks the same, the same hairstyle, the white streak delicately placed through her black hair, the same smooth makeup, the moon earring in her right ear. You wouldn't want her to change anyway. When she gets up, you believe it's quite likely that your face will explode. Eda raises her eyebrows suggestively in your direction, Luz lets out a giggle, and King is faking a vomit. Hooty has little heart eyes, which you find quite adorable. She stops in front of you, her differently colored eyes watching you a little higher than usual. Her smile widens and you feel your legs become pretty weak. "Ready?" She reaches out her hand to you and it must be pathetic the way you hold her fingers without hesitation. Still warm and delicate and quite comfortable. "Re-Ready." You stutter the word and hear Eda wheezes in the corner of the room. "I want you both here by eleven-thirty." Lilith gives her sister her best "Really?" look before simply rolling her eyes and starting her way to the door, sighing. "I mean it. I want to know the details and I'm not going to sleep until I get it." If Lilith wasn't a polite person you are sure she would have shown her middle finger at her sister now. "Have fun!" Hooty and Luz chorused and you sent them both a kiss with your hand before you walked out the back door, closing it behind you. The tone of the sea that night looked a lot like raspberry and the sky was in that late afternoon shade of purple to dark blue. "So..." You almost jump to the side when Lilith releases your hand so that her staff appears between her fingers. "Where do you want to go?" Have you ever seen her eyes this gentle? So far away from everything, focused only on you? You can't remember if this has ever happened, but it's impossible not to sigh. It's impossible not to think that this has just begun, and you already feel an overwhelming need to touch her. "You know I don't know anything about the boiling isles, right?" She nods, looking very excited about it. Looking very excited to show you everything. "Do you have a favorite place?" Her eyes sparkle this time, you can swear they really do rise with some kind of charm. "I had a favorite place when I was a kid..." She ponders for a moment before tossing her staff into the air. Riven opens his wings, spreading them out, ready to fly. "Shall we?" She reaches out again as she sits on the staff. The thought of flying again is not so exciting, but what wouldn't you do just to stand next to her? "Let's." That's what you say before you grab her hand to sit down. You think you have enough self-control so that you don't need to hug her waist in sheer dread, so you rest your hands on her shoulders.  You are ready, but Lilith doesn't move for a moment causing you to frown. You were about to ask if something was wrong when she spoke again. "If you feel safer on the waist...I won't mind...Honestly." Your cheeks are reddening again, but you had had enough experience with staffs to know that they were fast, went too high and you slipped too easily. If she doesn't mind, then it's safer. It's for all these reasons, or at least that's what you tell yourself, that you move your hands down until you can wrap both arms around her waist, feeling the suit fabric softness on your fingertips. Her perfume hits you like a refreshing cloud now. Tulips and forest. Fresh and sweet. When she actually leaves the ground a fairly intense shiver runs down your spine causing you to clasp your arms around her tighter. Further and further off the ground, faster and faster to get to the right height. But when you are a little above the level of the tower, flying towards wherever she is going to take you. It's actually good. The wind is nice. She's warm, and she doesn't seem to mind that you are close enough to rub your nose in her hair. Not even a little. The light balls are beginning to decorate the dark sky and you think there are worse ways to travel. It's beautiful. Lilith is even more beautiful. You travel for a few minutes, but you can see a lot. The city, the marshes, some lakes, some villages and houses further away, huge forests stretching across the boiling isles. The sea. The morbid beauty enchants you in many ways. She lands if you can say that from a staff, on a rather busy street in the city. The staff disappears as she makes another hand gesture and then you begin to walk. The city seems less threatening now. There are still relatively scary species and garbage cans that eat the trash. But you are with Lilith. The woman who saved you once and who surely can save you again. It's a silent walk, which makes you understand that you were really close and she wanted you to see. It's not until you see the lights that you realize where she is taking you. It's not different from the human world at all. A big building with colored lights around a huge sign where separate letters displayed titles and names. It gives you tremendous nostalgia. "Cinema?" You can barely contain the words inside your mouth. Lilith turns her face to you, her smile looking somewhat suggestive. "Let's just say that I may have been a child who was a little obsessed with movies." And her voice sounds so welcoming now. Like honey. Dense and sweet. "Me too!" She raises her eyebrows at that. Man, you were passionate about Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Back to the Future, whatever nerdy shit was playing on TV. You also loved the old and new generation horror movies, Robert Eggers, Jordan Peele, Ari Aster. "What kinds of movies do you like?" You look at the posters next to her. And you are exceptionally surprised how many of them look a lot like earth movies with different species actors. It's quite comical actually. "I love sci-fi, fantasy, historical, horror." Lilith raises her eyebrows at the last category and you don't even have to ask what her favorite is. "How about that one?" She points to a "The silence of the lamps" poster. You almost laughed out loud because there was a woman on the cover with a lamp in her mouth instead of a moth. Creative, you had to admit. "It sounds perfect." She grins at you and touches your hand for a brief moment before walking away to the box office. You watch the other posters, more to avoid the outburst your body was with the fact she was the one who touched you this time. There seemed to be a boiling isles version of Shrek, as well as Ghost and other pretty famous movies. You wonder if this had something to do with a connection between worlds, string theory. Could it be that some people were simply born on the boiling isles with the personality of earth people, and maybe even the same appearance, but different species? You have no idea how long you ramble on about this conspiracy theory. "A snail for your thoughts." You jump in place when she suddenly appears beside you again. Her voice was in a somewhat amused tone. This woman sometimes seemed like a shadow sneaking around places. "Just thinking about the human world, movie theaters are not that different." Lilith nods and only then you realized what she's holding. Two different bags, but colored like sweet popcorn bags from earth, and there's a rather large cup in her other hand, with a straw that looks like it's made of something edible.  "So...They had no human popcorn, no nachos. I'm sorry about that, I know that's what you guys eat." You frown now. How she had any idea what you guys ate in the movies on earth is what really worries you, you don't remember telling her that. "I...I asked Luz when you went to take a shower." The blush seems quite evident on her face now, turning her nose pink. She went to ask Luz what you could and could not eat. That's so sweet. Your heart seems to swell in your chest. "Anyway, I got everything you could digest from the menu. Hmm, I have chips here, maltesers, and a milkshake. I know you are lactose intolerant, but these are not made from milk. I confirmed, they use a cream made from flower oil, so no problem." How can she be like this? How can she seem like such a harsh woman and then remember a detail about you that you've said weeks ago? "Do you like chips?" You comprehend that you must have stood for a few long minutes just looking at her and not believing that there could be someone like that.  And that someone like that could like you. "Chips are perfect." You take the chips bag and the milkshake to free her hands. And then, again in a poorly calculated and completely impulsive act, you propel yourself to kiss her cheek. Her skin is soft to the touch. It's almost impossible not to want to make that moment last longer.  When you pull away you feel your ears burning and your face quite warm. Her cheeks have a beautiful shade of red as she looks down for a moment. "Thank you." You whisper and she just nods her head gently, smiling a little sideways, which makes your heart beat faster. She looked so gorgeous when she was embarrassed. "So..." She cleans her throat for a moment and then looks back. "The movie starts in 10 minutes, do you want to get in line?" You nod and the two of you make your way down the hallway surrounded by red ribbons. There are people of different species, most with pointed ears, but you don't feel lost. Because Lilith is here and you don't think you have ever felt as safe with anyone as you do with her, and she can turn into a raven beast that could easily swallow your head. "Did you use to come here with Eda?" She looks at you again, and it's very hard not to creep up from under her eyes. There is nothing here. It's just you two. There are no other people between you because this is a date. Just you and her. Hair-raising. "She was basically my only friend, so yeah." Your eyes go to your feet again. From time to time you would forget that she was a lonely child. It was easy to forget when she had that constant attitude of a very well-settled woman, a powerful witch who never bowed to anyone. "Most of the time I went alone." Sneaking out to be more exact. Most of the movies you watched weren't esteemed by your mother, so you would go alone, not wanting to involve anyone in it.  Lilith tilts her head in your direction, she was considerably taller with the addition of her heels. "Well...Now you have me." You don't think she understood what she said until she said it. You moisten your lower lip with the tip of your tongue, suddenly feeling it too dry. Her face looks like a tomato now and you have to lower yours to giggle a little as the heat spreads easily across your chest and neck. "And Luz. I bet she'd love to come too." In the near future, it would be good to come to the movies with the whole family. You guys would just have to figure out a way to bring Hooty. She hands your tickets to a hybrid between a pig and a crocodile who looks incisively at your ears before letting you in. You almost thought he would say something. "Enjoy the movie." That was all he said before opening the red ribbon to the reddish corridor of the movie theater interior. Room 10. Oh, you were feeling so nostalgic. You can't even remember what was the last movie you watched in the cinema, probably Joker. When would you have imagined that the next time you went to the movies would be with a witch, your mate? You still have no idea how deep that bond is, it's not like you know much beyond what Eda has told you. But just being able to hang out with Lilith is already pretty cool. Trying is pretty cool. Your seats are right at the back of the room, which you love. You used to hate sitting in the front or in the middle. You always felt like you were being watched. Maybe she feels that way too. And when you sit next to her, with a milkshake and a bag of chips. There's nothing else on your mind. You're in a movie theater, with Lilith Clawthorne, on a date. It seems like a very distant dream, and here you are. You don't think anything has ever felt so right. "I've honestly never had this candy." She watches the bag of maltesers with a rather scientific interest. "What does it taste like?" She looks at you as you steal one of them from her, taking it in your mouth. It may just be your imagination, but you find her following your gesture with her eyes, pausing for a long moment in your mouth. You swallow the little ball quite hard. "It's chocolate, but you have to crumble in your mouth." She frowns slightly before taking one of them between her fingernails and putting it in her mouth. You again watch her pupils increase in size and this time you can't help but chuckle. It was always going to be particularly adorable to you how some parts of her body reacted to stimuli.  She is adorable. So adorable. It would be impossible to ever be mad at her again if she continued with this kind of behavior. She grins at you, the wide smile that makes your heart go wild. Gosh, she is beautiful. You can't even notice the other people coming into the room, sitting in chairs.  And when the lights go out you're sure this is already the best date you've ever been on.  (...) You tried not to talk too much during the movie so as not to disturb the people around you. You didn't want to be the annoying kids in the back. But you couldn't help but point out some things that you already knew about the original film like the fact that Doctor Lacter liked to eat witch meat, which caused Lilith to poke the side of your waist in reproach. She ate almost the entire bag of maltesers, while you gorged yourself on chips. The milkshake was surprisingly good and you shared. Constant indirect kisses while the Bison Bill's story, the man who killed women to remove their skin and left little light bulbs inside their mouths, was told on the screen.  You didn't see the hours passing during the movie. Not really, not while you had to divide your attention between a very creative and interesting film and an even more interesting woman next to you. It was hard to know what to focus on. And you were doing a decent job. A great job. Until Lilith decided to propel herself over her chair to put her mouth against your ear. "I really liked that actress." It's a whisper. A whisper against your ear. You try to keep steady as your whole body shivers with her voice sounding that close. She has an extremely hot breath and her voice in that low and husky tone, in the chilling cadence. It takes everything in you not to close your legs in pure instinct. Heat rushes through your whole body to rest in your stomach. It's so pathetic the way it affects you. One little whisper and you're already shaking from head to toe. But what could you do? You had a soft spot for her voice, as well as her hands, her smile. She only needed a small gesture to have you on your knees. "Do you guys have anything like movie awards?" You try not to stutter, and you try not to turn your face to her. You are not sure what you will do if you look at her mouth right now. "Hmm yes, we do. She could probably win as a lead actress in drama." All your hair stands this time because her voice seems to sound even closer, the heat pushing the hair away from your face. You swallow hard. Does she have any idea how difficult she is really making things for you at that moment? You think she does. There is a chuckle in the air as she moves away to sit down again. You are sure that you've stopped paying complete attention to the movie at that moment. From the moment she whispered in your ear, all you could focus on was her. It was a good thing that the movie was already in the end. You no longer had the concentration to watch anything. Your whole body was alert with the slightest interaction of her around you. You were out into the starry night minutes later, fully formed. The sky was wonderful, it felt like a beautiful night to walk on the beach and feel the ocean. "That was a good movie." That's what you say as you walk through the city's winding streets. Even though the people on Earth probably wouldn't agree with you. People walk back and forth and if it weren't for the occasional horns, or the extra eyes, or even the pointy ears...It could be an ordinary day in a human city you didn't know. "Serial Killers were always something Eda and I loved as kids." You frown at that now. "Did you guys search that sort of thing as kids?" Your eyes go to her again. She's pushing a lock of dark hair away from her eyes. Ah, that suit looks...Wow on her. It should be a crime to be beautiful like that. "Ah. Yes." She lets out a chuckle next, which makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand again. "Serial Killers, haunting cases, missing people that were never found. I guess it's part of every witch's growth." You think about that one time when you were 7 years old and saw a Jigsaw scene when your uncles didn't notice. You dreamed about that fucking clown for the rest of the month. "What about playing? Hide-and-seek? Tag?" You must have incited some memory because she's smiling pretty wide now while resting her hands in her pants pockets. Oh. Your gay panic will strike any time soon. "I've always been the best at Hide-and-seek, always hiding in the most unlikely places. And I've always been better with illusion spells too." She offers you a complicit little wink. You can not help it. This woman was making things really difficult for you. "I was better in blind man's buff...Because of the ears." She looks with genuine interest at you. Her eyebrows slightly twitched, a smile adorning the corner of her mouth. "I've been playing guitar since I was 7, so I started ear training pretty early on to tune and identify notes. No one could beat me at a game where I needed to listen to win." She tilts her chin down, her eyes looking pretty bright as she says her next words. "And when did you start singing?" You don't remember her voice ever sounding so...Sweet as candy. She's immersing you so easily with these changes in her voice and you are falling so well. She's one of the few people who have ever heard you sing anything and her interest really makes you believe that you can sing minimally well. "About the same time. But you were the only people who ever heard me." She raises her eyebrows slightly in surprise. Perhaps realizing that you two were equally lonely when younger, trying to find a way to connect with people who weren't simply looking for someone you weren't. For her it was the emperor's coven, for you it was your parents. Your eyes then glance at a poster hanging on a nearby wall. "Wanted". You raise your eyebrows when you realize that it's a drawing of Lilith with a blue fireball in one hand, her staff in the other. "The Raven Lady". She had a forked tongue coming out of her mouth while a blue fire with interesting intricacies came out from behind Riven's spread wings. The reward was far greater than you could count, it had too many zeroes and your mind boggled. She was a traitor now, wasn't she? Eda was one of the most wanted criminals once for her crimes and for refusing to join a coven. Lilith left the coven, being its leader, she practically told the emperor to fuck himself politely. Mama, I'm in love with a criminal. You have to hold back the laughter at your own thought. And you would be lying if you said you care about that. "Ice cream!" It is Lilith's exclamation that brings you back to this reality. There is an ice cream parlor down the street, a large cone with an ice cream ball as a sign. You chuckle at how excited she seems about it. Lilith Clawthorne, former head of the emperor's coven, previously the harshest woman you have ever seen. Currently almost clapping her hands for seeing an ice cream parlor. You think you could have kissed her if there weren't so many people around. You approach the place. There are some customers and the smell is really good, sweet and slightly refreshing. But it's not like in the movies. Perhaps in the movies wasn't so evident. But as soon as you enter behind Lilith you feel practically everyone's gaze on you, more specifically on your head, precisely on your ears. You have to stop yourself from raising your own hands to cover them. They know you are human, and they don't seem to like that a lot. It's almost palpable in the air. You can't remember the last time you felt so exposed, and it's impossible not to feel that uncomfortable shiver running down your spine. You don't know if she feels through the bond, or if she just realizes what's happening, because the next thing you know Lilith's gripping your fingers gently, holding your hand in hers as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. She's holding you. She's protecting you. You lower your head, now the gazes seem even more incisive and you know well that your face is a red mess, but her hand is warm and your heart is beating hard. It seems a rather long way to the back of the store. "What do you want?" She leans in to ask directly against your face. Perhaps she's just trying to look intimate to keep those people away. Yet something tells you that she has realized the effect her voice has on you. When you look at her you almost can see her eyes sparkle with slight malice and a particularly warm smile on those black-colored lips. "Mint?" You ask. She nods and turns to the person on the other side of the counter. It's a witch who is staring at your ears without any disguise, directly and with frowning eyebrows. You wonder if she wants to throw up. Lilith tightens her fingers around yours. Delicately, but still firm enough to be quite evident. "I'd like a chocolate and mint carton, please." The girl with blue hair frowns, but does not refuse to serve you, you thank her for that. When she turns away, you lean on your tiptoes so you can whisper to her. "Is it that obvious that I'm human?" Lilith compresses her lips at the question and then shrugs for a moment, looking back as if to make sure no one is approaching.  "I guess besides the ears, the shoes told on you." You look down at your cute, pink all-stars with a frown. "People here wear boots more often." She replies with a humorous grin on her lips, "But I think your shoes are cute." Just like she thinks you're cute, that's what she said that day in the kitchen and you still can't get over it. The girl didn't look happier when she returned with the carton Lilith asked for. But she paid and then you were free to leave the ice cream parlor before they grabbed torches and pitchforks to hunt the human. "So...We can eat while we walk home." The mint ice cream smell felt exceptionally promising and you wanted to stick a spoon in it. "I...I have a better idea." You raise your eyes to Lilith and she's smiling broadly, that smile, as she hands the ice cream to you and makes the familiar gesture with her hands so the staff appears between her fingers. You want to ask where, but honestly, you don't care. (...) "Okay. What was your favorite subject in school?" The sea looks lovely, in a cobalt hue that reflects the tiny light balls. You have no idea if she heard you when you thought about the beach or if it was just a perfect night to be at the beach. The sand's quite warm and even though you worry that Lilith is going to coat her suit with it, she doesn't seem to mind, not a bit. She is shoveling another spoon into the ice cream carton when she asks you this question, her hair being blown away from her face by the soft sea air.  This place...This place is beautiful. The little shiny shells on the water's edge, the bone-like cliffs jutting out around you. You can imagine a young Lilith here, running away from the worries of the world, playing with Eda, just as she used to run to the roof when she was feeling overwhelmed and couldn't sleep. "Literature." The answer comes immediately. It was the one class where you felt like you weren't an outsider, felt welcomed by the words of people who lived years, centuries before you.  It's like breathing. Books gave you breath for years. "Eda and I always had a talent for potions...But to be honest I was more into illusions. I always sneaked through secret passages in the school so I could attend the classes." Just Lilith would make something "bad" sound this nerdy. She seems to stare at the ocean for a moment before speaking again. "Can you hear my thoughts?" This time she really provokes your total curiosity, making you turn your head in her direction. She looks beautiful outside of any city light, only the moonlight. Her hair looks silver, her gray eye glows, her skin reflects the moonlight as it did that night. She looks so ethereal in the night light. You are afraid to touch her. "It's not exactly hearing, right?" She agrees with a nod. "It's more like, feeling what you're going to say, sometimes I can hear a word or a phrase, but it's not as loud if that makes any sense." Lilith's grin widens across her face, you don't remember seeing her smile so much in a single night. Perhaps you were finally keeping your promise. "And...I felt something when I found out about the bond." Lilith frowns slightly this time with curiosity quite evident shining in her eyes. "It's like a thread stretched down my spine." You almost raise your hand to slide your fingers where the tip of it is supposed to be, at the base of your neck. "I don't know if that has something to do with it or if I'm going crazy, but I can feel it inside, even if there's nothing on the outside." The witch frowns a little more before bringing her hand to the back of her own neck, your eyes following the gesture. Exactly where you thought the tip was. "Ah. I thought it could be some side effect of the curse." She chuckles then, amazed, you observe. "I have to study more...But I'm pretty sure it would get stronger with consummation." She didn't say anything absurd. You already knew that. You are only sure you are someone's mate when there is carnal consummation, where you accept the bond. That doesn't stop the heat from rising pretty quickly to color your cheeks and leave them burning. You...You'd have to have sex with Lilith at some point. Well...that was how relationships normally developed. But for some reason, the prospect that it might actually happen makes a rather teen panic rise in you. It's not like you've never done it, you've just never done it with someone you really liked. "But it's a good thing you can't read my mind." She doesn't explain what consummation is to you, you notice. She changes the subject. You tilt your head in her direction and now you are sure her eyes are glittering with amusement. "What's so indecent about that head?" Lilith lets out a rather amused laugh, clouding your mind with the sound. "It would rain on my parade." You frown, and the witch grins a little wider before moving the ice cream carton so that there's nothing between you. "Because I wish I could say that I really enjoyed hanging out with you." And how should you answer that with other than your red face and unsteady hands? "I don't think I made up for being a bitch to you, but I had fun and it's been a while since I've had this kind of fun with someone else." She has read a lot of books, she must have been a speaker once. She pronounces words so easily and it's so fascinating. She knows exactly what to say to make you a little shaky with that husky voice. "It was nice to be able to see that you like horror movies and are childishly passionate about ice cream." Lilith shakes her head negatively as she looks out at the ocean again. "It was nice to see that you have a maniacal grin on your face while a serial killer commits cannibalism." You actually laugh this time, loud enough for anyone on that deserted beach to hear you. But there is no one. That's why you don't care, let alone when you turn your eyes back to her and her eyes are crinkled at the corners with that smile, teeth and all.  "Can I tell you a secret?" And she just nods. That's enough for you. "I'm only scared of clowns." She tries to keep her laugh, you see how she holds it and compresses her lips. She's truly trying to consider your feelings here, but she finally breaks and a loud laugh that makes your ears quite silly fills you. "You stared at me in my bestial form. And you're afraid of clowns?" She chuckles again, this time softly, shaking her head negatively as if she simply can't believe you. "Don't get me wrong." You can easily get lost in the glare her eyes have now. "But it's hard to be scared of a giant crow that was trying to give me a sparkly necklace." You nipped the laughter in the bud, her smile diminishes. It's so easy to notice the blush going up to her ears, making them quite adorable. "And red suits you." You add then, quite amused that you can make her so uncomfortable with her own reactions. "That's my line!" She complains as she nudges your shoulders. And when you laugh again. You don't know if you believe this is happening. You are here, in the middle of a beach, laughing and being silly with each other. How long have you just wanted her to be more open with you?  How long have you wanted her to know that she had a friend in you? You are silent for a moment. And what comes to your mind is that it's probably almost 11 p.m. already and you had to respect Eda's curfew. "There's...There's something in your hair. Can I take it out?" You nod almost unconsciously, it's probably a leaf. There were trees around and it felt like it was time for the leaves to fall. You just didn't calculate what that would entail.  Lilith moves a little closer and pushes a few strands of your hair away with her hand to remove whatever is in the middle of your hair. It was really a leaf that she throws into the sand again. You had a safe distance of a few inches before. It's over now, Well, that's it. You don't know exactly where to look. She's right in front of your face, green eye, silver eye looking straight into yours. Nose lined, cheeks sharp, lips thin and colored black. Oh. Titan. She's so gorgeous you want to run away in fear. You'd be lying if you said you'd ever felt that. She's just looking at you, she's just standing in front of you and your heart feels like a drum inside your chest, your breath feels warmer and you feel like you could snap at any moment.  It's her. Lilith. Your mate. And it feels so right the way she makes your body feel, the way she makes your mind feel.  And it scares you so bad. How long have you looked for someone you could really feel something for? How long did you just want to kiss someone and feel something beyond sexual desire? She's more than that. Extensively more. You just want to adore her. You're not imagining when her eyes fall to your lips for a long moment, her warm breath hitting your cheek. She sighs then, slightly hard, before pulling away.  She's pulling away.  For fuck's sake no. Your impulsiveness acts before you can even blink. You grab the lapels of her suit between your fingers causing her eyes to go wide at you. She asks without even needing to open her mouth. "Stay." That's what you say, for the second time you ask her to stay. But there is so much more you wish you could say. You wish you could say that she is the first person who makes you feel like this, like at any moment you are going to starve to death if you don't touch her. That you accept every part of her, the ones she's proud of and the ones she's not. That you want to kiss her so badly now that the back of your neck is agonizing. You don't know if she can understand all this through the bond. But she looks into your eyes and it seems that you don't need more than that. You are afraid of what you feel occasionally due to the fact it's too intense. Yet you would never deny it. That thing running in your veins and calling her. You couldn't. You moisten your lower lip with your tongue, trying to think rationally. "May I kiss you?" Your voice comes out like a poor whisper. Low and husky. Lilith tilts her head gently as if pondering or as if she didn't understand your question. You actually wish you could read her mind now because you have no idea what she's thinking about this extremely childish request of yours. Her eyebrows rose and you feel that your face has the color of tomatoes now. You feel like a child caught making a mess, "It's okay if you don't want to..." And it was. You were the impulsive one, that didn't mean she had to be as well. You might have to cry your life out of you when you got to the Owl House again if she rejected you, but it was okay. You were quite an adult and could handle it. "I..." "Oh. Don't be silly." It's the last thing you hear her muttering before she cups your face and then...She touches her lips to yours.  You expected it and at the same time, you didn't.  The euphoria inside you is almost uncontrollable when her mouth touches yours. You have been fantasizing about this kiss for a few weeks, a few nights, recurrent dreams, and even your wildest fantasies and daydreams couldn't compare with reality. You close your eyes and let her drown you. Her lips are soft as rose petals on yours, her breath is warm and fails against your cheek, her long fingers seem to hold your face with all the care in the world, and she smells so good.  Your whole body reacts to her, shudders and writhes wanting as much of her as possible, the thread trembles, your fingers tighten around the lapels of her suit, almost a guarantee that she would stay close like this. But Lilith suddenly pulls away, making your breath hitch. You swear that if she runs away again you'll punch her. Your eyes open excessively slowly, you feel a little dizzy and then you don't exactly understand. She's staring at you with completely flushed cheeks and hard breathing. You tilt your head. She seems to be looking for some kind of hesitation. Stubborn, impossible woman. You mutter to yourself. In what world would you refuse her kiss? It's your turn to pull her, and she meets you halfway. Your lips tangle again, and to say your mind swims would be an understatement. Your whole body melts around her, like plunging into a hot tub. That's how it feels. She's a lot warmer than the night air, her mouth tastes like mint and chocolate. And you don't think you've ever had a first kiss as good as this. Soft and gentle and...Devotional.  It's devotion. Her mouth trails over yours with a care that makes your heart warmer. She may be the steel lady to other people, lethal, deadly, but around you, she melts. She surrenders. She kisses you as if you could break at any moment and need to take unconditional care to avoid such a tragedy. You are not made of glass and as much as you find this behavior touching, you need more. It's sounding, singing beneath your skin. It's what makes your hands squeeze her shoulders as you run your tongue along her bottom lip. She shivered, so palpable, that it made your own body tremble. She understood. She doesn't have to treat you like crystal. Lilith let go of your face and you barely have time to think before she pulls you closer to her, one arm embracing your waist as she slips her other hand into the back of your neck, her nails brushing your scalp.  The first swipe of her tongue at yours almost makes you choke. It's paralyzing. You shudder from head to toe, the thread wrapping itself around your spine, trembling, begging, and you can swear she is smiling into your mouth at this reaction. Her breasts rub against yours. Oh, Titan, you are a damned horrible person. One kiss and you were slipping, throbbing. But you had waited a long time for this, so this was no time to feel guilty about anything. Because she's kissing you.  Her. Your mate. The thread stretched across your back trembles gently in recognition. It's her. And you only want her.  Just consume me. Mouth, tongue, body, and soul. You have no idea how much time you spend kissing. Just kissing in the middle of a deserted beach. Long, sweet, leg-softening kisses.  You only know that your mouth is swollen when you pull away. Your breath is short enough for you to gasp, and your forehead meets hers almost by instinct. She doesn't look any different, but her fingers still tighten around you, as if afraid that at any moment you might disappear.  Everything seems pretty warm around you now. A hot water bath. "Would you mind if we stayed like this for a little longer?" It's the first thing she says. As starving for human touch as you were. You deny with your head, you would never mind doing anything for her. Your thumbs trace her jaw gently as you try to breathe. It's a good thing she can't read your thoughts either. After that, you are quite sure that she has thrown all your self-control away. You are honestly, truly, and completely in love with her. And you don't know whether it would be very appropriate to say so on the first date. You're just delighted to know that she... She's your mate. That's what you need. And even if she doesn't believe it, you don't think there was anyone more right for you. You allow yourself to breathe in her scent, to feel her delicate skin, to enjoy her taste on your tongue. Hearing how her breathing is short. Seeing perfectly well how her eyes are glowing at you. Your five senses are on her and her alone. You want it to be like that until all that was around you was her.  You are drowning in Lilith Clawthorne and you don't regret it one bit. At that moment...You feel that you understand what it is to have a mate. She is half of your soul, as the poets say. You believe that if you stop touching her, if you stop feeling her, if you stop listening to her now you are very likely to die. She is part of you. You are part of her. And at that moment you also make yourself a promise. If someday you and Lilith go to the human world, you will show her all the nerdy crap you have ever watched and read, and she will understand every one of your references. I am hers and she is mine. From this day, until the end of my days. You just hope that there is no red wedding on your way. "Oh. The lovebirds are back!" Eda practically shouted as soon as you guys walked through the front door. Wide smile, golden eye shining. She really was expecting you. Eda Clawthorne, the most chaotic woman you've ever met. Hooty immediately came from the kitchen and you already heard the sound of Luz's footsteps coming down the stairs. "Did she treat you well, Lulu?" You open your mouth indignantly at Hooty. As if you were the one with a great reputation for mistreating people. The woman next to you could easily kill with a look. Yet Lilith just smiled before stroking the tube bird's head. "She was great, Hootsifer. No need to worry." Hooty nodded, eyes narrowed on you, which you couldn't say didn't freak you out a little. He liked Lilith better than you, it was pretty obvious. But you don't feel offended. You kind of understand him. Luz was next. She had a particularly wide smile on her face when she reached you. "Can you tell me everything now?" She leaned over to whisper to you and a giggle took over your mouth before your hand ruffled her hair. You leaned over to reach for her ear then. "Wait for me in my room and I promise I'll tell you everything." The girl smiled broadly, nodding and then running up the stairs again. King was probably already in bed, it was past his bedtime anyway. A big baby boy. "Well?" Eda has an especially suggestive smirk on her face as she looks at her sister and then at you, arms crossed, eyebrow amusedly raised. She looks really curious as she narrows her eyes in your direction. "We had a nice time. I don't know what else you expect to hear." Lilith mutters as she removes her blazer from her shoulders. The owl lady rolls her eyes hard before sighing.  "I had to be the third wheel enough times to deserve at least a little gossip." You chuckle at that, but you really don't want to get under the owl lady's gaze as she analyzes your every blush and stutter. So you just lean over to take Lilith's face in the palm of your hand and then touch your lips to the corner of hers. You would prefer the mouth, but that would be a great public display of affection. Probably more than Lilith would like. "I'm going upstairs. Good night." Her eyes light up at that, ears moving adorably up and down, and you have to avoid the urge to want to pinch her nose. She was adorable. Even more adorable when she reacted to affection she wasn't expecting. "Good night." She offers you a little wink that trembles the thread in your spine. It's complicit and slightly amusing, accompanied by that slight smile. You would love to know what she was thinking, but you sense that it would be something to do with the fact that she would like to drop you off at your bedroom door. But Eda wouldn't allow that. "Oh. I love being the third wheel. It's so cool. And no this is not sarcasm. Not at all." You show your tongue to Eda before heading towards the stairs. Again not before you hear her speak in a very loud tone to her sister. "So did you solve the problem with your virgin lips?" You have to cover your mouth to avoid the laughter that builds up in your throat.  "Get off my back, Eda." She replies, in that same sharp tone, but even just by hearing her voice, you can feel the smile that is on her face. Oh if only Eda had known. Those lips were not virgins. Not at all. But you think that's a secret worth keeping to yourself. (...) "You're slowing down, Lily!" You hear Eda shout over her shoulder as she snatches the ball from her sister's hands and rushes off to the other "net" made on the other side of the clearing, so rapidly that you feel if you blink you'll miss a move. You really should have been searching some books to find the stone glyph that Luz wanted so badly, but suddenly you got distracted. For reasons well known and obvious. You and Lilith were studying together in the living room. Something that has become quite common again. Before you used to try to read the same books so that you could discuss with each other. It was one of your favorite parts of the day. Now Lilith reads aloud to you and asks your opinion about it. Hooty wrapped around her waist, his head gently resting on her lap. She reads exceptionally well and you love the way her voice sounds.  You sit on the living room floor and research glyph after glyph, information about portals, and also about the subjects Luz was learning at Hexide. Lilith still thinks it's cheating, but she loves revisiting the things she learned in her teenage years. That afternoon, Eda came into the living room with an apple blood mug and a classic "nerds" before sitting down on the couch. Anyway, you have no idea who started it, but eventually, Lilith and Eda were teasing each other again. Eda challenged her to a game of grudgby, whoever lost would have to wear the shame hat for the rest of the day...And wash the dinner dishes. You didn't care a lot about sports, to be honest, you used to watch the NFL with your dad sometimes. He rooted for the Dolphins. But it's not really something that had your attention, you were more of an arts girl than a sports girl. So you intended to try to continue studying glyphs and maybe finally get the stone glyph. But...The whole sports thing suddenly got incredibly interesting when Eda and Lilith came downstairs in their uniforms. Shorts. Shorts. You don't know how you didn't collapse.  Lilith Clawthorne was wearing blue shorts with white hems. She had...Pretty long legs. Pretty shapely legs.  They were also wearing matching team jackets, just like the jackets of human football players, Lilith's had an "L" embroidered on the left side of her chest and Eda's had an "E", plus a little star on the right side. She was the star of the team, you remember. Both had their hair tied up in ponytails, with only the smaller strands loose to frame their faces, which made Lilith's white streak a lot more evident. They also wore knee pads, fingerless gloves, and matching spiked shoes. Eda was the first to leave, stretching her arms behind her back in the clearing outside.  And you kept staring at Lilith. Perfectly aware that your gay panic was nearly about to strike. Legs. Beautiful legs. Oh Titan she has beautiful legs. She has beautiful thighs. "Seeing something you like?" That was all she said as she approached with a small suggestive smile, her eyes sparkling. She was so aware of her effect, wasn't she? Damn woman. Your face heated up so quickly from staring that it made the witch laugh out loud. She tilted her head gently to the side before curling her fingers around your chin and then placing a kiss on your cheek, quite warm, her breath hitting your face with the same warmth. She left then. Leaving you, your jelly legs, and your red face in the living room. That's why you couldn't study anymore. A kiss. A damn kiss on the cheek. One more suggestive smile and she made you so uncomfortable in your own body and between your legs that you could barely read a paragraph without getting lost. That's why you decided to go watch the game since you wouldn't be productive studying. Hooty was making the obstacles. King was scoring. Eda was winning with two points of advantage. But were you really looking at her? No. Not really. "Hey, Y/N!" Your eyes depart from the field only to see Luz arrive from Hexide. The colorful uniform was always so lovely in your eyes. She gets off from Eda's staff and immediately has to duck her head to dodge a ball that the owl lady had thrown. She yells a "Sorry, kiddo" over her shoulder before running after the ball that Lilith had now caught. "What the hell are they doing?" She asks as soon as she stands beside you, away from the splash area. "Playing to see who will be wearing the shame hat...And washing the dinner dishes." Luz laughs softly as she shakes her head negatively. You understand the reaction. They could be very childish when they wanted to be. Two grown women who couldn't miss an opportunity to tease each other and yet who loved each other so strongly that they would give their lives for one another without a second thought. That must be how having a sibling feels like. "And you, what are you doing?" You look at Lilith running, already accumulating sweat and then smiling wide as she dodged an air attack from Hooty, jumping to a nonhuman height to hit the net, scoring another point. Your heart beats a little faster just by seeing her running so fast and so nicely. Her legs flexing, those very shapely thighs already glistening with sweat. You don't even notice as you swallow dry. Your head thought hard about "watching porn," but you just chuckled at that idea before looking at Luz. "I was searching about the stone glyph. But it turned out that I got distracted." Luz raises both eyebrows at you in a familiar "who do you think you're fooling?" look that makes you laugh. She was as perceptive as Eda. "Do you think they'll be long? I need to talk to Eda." You frown slightly at her, a silent doubt, and Luz smiles broadly. "I want to invite Willow, Gus, and Amity to a slumber party this weekend." You like the idea. Having the girls at the Owl House is always enjoyable, as is having Gus. You liked Willow because she seemed sweet but hid a lot of strength inside. And you liked Amity because she reminded you a lot of Lilith, she was a good girl and she had a crush on your little sister. A great point. And Gus was a cutie, kind, and always curious about everything. "JUST ONE MORE PLAY!" King announced, waving the pom-poms in his hands. His intimidation armor was a cheerleading uniform. You almost choke when you remember it. The score was perfectly even, 7 to 7. You look at Luz and offer her a wink before turning your eyes back to the field. The moment of truth. The Clawthorne sisters face each other in the center of the field and you can't help but notice again how much they look alike, especially when they were wearing similar outfits.  "GO EDA!" Shouts Luz next to you which makes the owl lady smile widely as she stretches her shoulders and stares at Lilith with an almost sneering smirk. "Wanna bet I make you embarrass yourself in front of your girlfriend?" Eda asked as she rested her hands on her knee pads. The "g" word echoes and sounds particularly nice to your ears. It makes them warm up slightly too and your heart races a little more. Lilith's girlfriend. Is that what you are now? Lilith looks at you for only a brief second before she gets back into the game. You don't even have time to wave, she's focused. Hands resting on her knees, exposed skin glistening with sweat. Oh Gosh. She looks so gorgeous. Hooty slides between them with the ball landing on his head. "Oh, little sister." And how her voice sounds like velvet now, perfectly balanced. The wind blows stronger and refreshes your ears, but it also carries Lilith's hair away from her face, which allows you to notice how she's grinning with the corner of her lips now. "If you only knew what a Pandora's box you've just opened." And you barely have time to blink. Hooty throws the ball up and the two of them jump extremely high to reach it. Eda is the one who catches it. She's faster than Lilith. You hear her growl from the other side of the field and all your hair stands on end. Eda's running, very, incredibly fast. She's going to get that point. Her focus is impressive, both of them were awfully good at this game so it was at least interesting to watch who would win. Who would be the first to slip up and end up losing to their sister? Hooty is the one who stops Eda from an immediate point, he spreads himself to form a big hole in the ground with his mouth, which Eda is chuckling as she jumps over it. Now all she has to do is jump to the net and game over. However, she barely has time to land on the ground next to the pole. Lilith is upon her in the next second. You hadn't even seen her approach, you hadn't even had time to see her run that far. She slams against her sister's body. They both roll on the field with the force of the impact, but neither seems to be hurt, considering Eda is laughing as Lilith takes the ball from her hand. Your eyes widen and her heart races even more. She looks so good in her own skin as she runs with a ball in her hand and a giggle in her mouth. You can't help but imagine what it was like when they were young, how these two were always ready to kick the shit out of any team that tried to take on Hexide. "If only I had known all I had to do was threatening your reputation!" Eda teases as Lilith runs to the other side of the field. The owl lady takes only a second to stand and run after her. Lilith doesn't turn away not even for a second. She runs and runs and breathes, perfectly. She's not as fast as Eda, but she has the advantage of the counterattack. And when Hooty forms a huge wall of obstacles, she doesn't hesitate. She jumps up and grabs the edge tightly, propelling herself upward. With. One. Single. Arm. Wow. Eda reaches the wall at the moment Lilith jumps from it to the net. For a moment you are completely sure that she is flying, time seems to stand still a bit as Lilith moves her arm back and then forward, throwing the ball into the net. It hits so hard that it rips the strings, the little ball bounces away from the field. If it was on fire you don't even think you'd be surprised. Wow. You believe you're barely breathing now. Lilith...Lilith was impressive. In many ways. She wasn't just an intelligent witch with great skill in magic. She wasn't just a beautiful woman with long, shapely legs that would probably colonize your dreams for the rest of your life. She is a grudgby player who can easily snap someone's head in half with her bare hands.  Jokes on you, I'm into that shit. "Wow!" Luz repeated out loud and you laughed at how she practically read your mind. "GAME OVER! And the older one got the better of us this time!" Announced King with a sigh of disappointment, his pom-poms low. Even upset he was cute in that little outfit. "It was a good game, sis." Eda doesn't seem the least bit upset that she lost. She's smiling, the sweat glistening on her forehead as she slips an arm across Lilith's shoulders. "Just wash the dishes, I don't care about the hat." Eda giggles and nods. Something tells you that she would have made Lilith wear the hat if she had won.  They walk slowly towards you. The two sisters look quite ruined after that game. Sweaty, dirty, and quite tired. Not that you were complaining. They both look even more beautiful. Throw a little more dirt on them you are sure they would only look even more attractive. "Eda, a word." Luz hops excitedly beside her and the owl lady nods, releasing her sister to slip an arm around the girl's shoulders, directing her into the house. "Inside, kiddo. I need some apple blood or I'm going to die in the next 10 minutes." Eda said as she waved her remaining hand. "I want something cold. Like my heart." King got another laugh out of you as he accompanied the two into the house, jumping and raising his little paws in the air. Hooty was the only one staring at you two with genuine interest. "Hootcifer can you make sure Eda doesn't take all the apple blood, please?" She rubs the head of the bird who nods. "Hoot, I will keep your apple blood, Lulu, hoot." He almost promises those words to himself before he goes. You hope he doesn't hurt anyone in an attempt to keep Lilith's apple blood. And then it's you. Just you. Oh, Titan.  She looks beautiful. Hair a little messy, clothes crumpled, sweat exuding from her pores, face and pointed ears red, breathing still a little short. And the shorts. Gosh, the shorts. Those shorts would be the reason for your collapse in the near future. Why did she have to have such a great pair of legs? "When are you going to play a match with me?" There is a rather suggestive smile at the corner of her lips when she asks that question. Her eyes glittering with knowledge when she comes just close enough to be exactly facing you, arms crossed under her chest. You take a deep breath, but what reaches you is her perfume, tulips, forest, and sweat. Your fingers curl to touch her, and you almost can't control the urge. How could it be like this? Does she only need to be around you for you to barely be able to think? "I don't think I can do...That." You point at the field with slightly deepened eyebrows. You could barely make a three-point basket in high school, you can't imagine trying to score points by dodging magical obstacles and running and using nonhuman strength to throw a ball.  "Oh, come on. I can teach you." She's grinning more now, eyebrows raised slightly in silent teasing. You are not imagining it when you notice that her pupils look quite dilated. She seems to be exuding a rather warm heat now. You frown slightly because she also seems to be exuding a very specific kind of feeling. Was it just you, or was Lilith a little aroused for winning a game? Well, you were certainly almost gasping to see her like that, but you don't think that all this warmth and restlessness comes only from you. These emotions are not yours alone. Oh, you can imagine that. She is too competitive not to feel a great excitement for winning something. Her heart must have been still racing, adrenaline coursing through her veins, pumping into her brain and making her thoughts especially quick and focused on only one thing, and it wasn't running, it wasn't fighting either. Associate this with the fact that she was sweating and wearing light clothing.  This woman is horny and you are not sure how not to feel stimulated by it. Lilith's needy and how could you not take advantage of that? "Do you want to teach me, Lilith?" You raise an eyebrow, a provocative smile expanding across your mouth. You could be a little brat. It's about time she got to know this side of you. The side that teases, the side that seems unafraid to have a hand wrapped around their throat. It's so easy to watch her eyes darken, her breathing changing pace. Had you hit a spot there? The thread stretched down your spine says yes, it trembles softly and the heat seems to rise. At some point, you would get used to these little tugs, but now it's just fun to watch her lose a little self-control. "Don't smile at me like that." She warns, crossing her arms more tightly under her chest. You can feel the slight discomfort exuding from her in waves. She's trying to restrain herself. She probably doesn't want you to notice how she is in a rather delicate situation. Well...You had already figured it out so what's the problem? "Why?" And when you ask the question, you try to look as innocent as possible, eyes downcast, chaste smile. Which only makes the witch narrow her eyes in your direction. You wonder if she was already noticing your poor tricks. "It makes me desperately want to kiss you...Rude." Your fingers tremble. You feel the heat rise quickly to your cheeks but also rest gently on your stomach, pulling to the middle of your legs. Something throbs just at how her voice sounds, a little too husky. That woman and that damned voice. "And who's stopping you?" You barely have time to finish the sentence before she grabs your wrist. She looks straight into your eyes before smirking in a way that made your internal muscles tighten. Her hand is gloved, but her fingers are warm and grip tightly. You don't even think of not following her. There is a shed just off the porch of the Owl House. Lilith pulls open the heavy wooden door as easily as she would open a plastic thing. You don't have a chance to get used to the objects around you, or the lack of light before she grabs you. Her mouth meets yours before her hands do. And it's like feeling a shock. A strong shock that shakes your whole body. Her lips feel like they are on fire, so heated, and her fingers sink into your hips hard enough to mark you. You think that maybe you want her to mark you. To claim you, to mark you. Isn't that what the bond meant? You were hers, she was yours. You lean on her shoulders, getting some support before she pushes you against the nearest wall. Your back slams against the hard surface, but it doesn't hurt, not really. What's on your back is cold and hard, but what's in front of you is soft and warm, you think you can handle that so well. When her tongue slides into your mouth, your knees become weak. The thread trembles enough now to feel a little odd, it seems to want more. It seems to beg as much as possible for more of her touch, for her hands all over your body. You need it so badly that it hurts, it scratches. You drag your fingers down the back of her neck. Lilith shudders, palpably, trembling. Her grip increases around you, and you barely have time to process the fact of how her body is pressed against yours before she slides her thigh between your legs.  Oh.  You weren't expecting this. But you certainly enjoyed it. The thread tensed as you felt like horrible person for being soaked with a simple gesture. It's her skin, hot and sweaty. If you weren't wearing damn sweatpants you could feel her warmth so well. Oh crap. She pulls her lips apart, only to have her mouth travel down your throat delicately, soft kisses that feel more like brushing lips. Each one making a different shiver run through your entire body. Your fingers sink into the back of her head, her hair smooth as silk strands, your breath panting more and more with each second.  You feel your legs almost fail as she runs her tongue gently along your jugular vein as if mapping where your heartbeat could be felt. A short, gasping breath comes out of her nose. And it's at that moment that she sinks her teeth into your pulse point. All your skin creeps in a way that makes your spine shiver, you choke back a whine as your hips jump forward to meet her. Her thigh is firmly in place now, pressing into the perfect spot. Oh, this is hard. You can already feel the wetness accumulating. "Was that a moan I heard?" Her question makes your body squirm even more. She runs her nose along your earlobe, her voice sounding perfectly against your skin, making your face become a red hot mess. "Oh Titan, you are beautiful." She whispers and you open your eyes to face her. Her eyes look very feline now. It seems that the little sound was her breaking point. She seems on the verge of breaking you in half or else claiming you. Silver, green, pupils dilated, gasping for breath, her body so pressed against yours that you can easily feel her heartbeat. "Harder or softer?" You should have assumed that this woman would be a monster in a bed, right? Well, you didn't. You hadn't even considered what Lilith would be like in bed.  Well. You already had an answer. "Harder." And she's smiling almost murderously as she leans in to take your lips again. A dangerous woman. You think as you crumble under the control she has over the kiss. She's a dangerous woman, and it has nothing to do with the spells she can do, the weapons she can wield, the strength she has. It has to do with the way she raises a hand to sink into your hair, scraping her nails into your scalp. With the way, she is pressing her thigh firmly against your center. With the way, she is pressing her hand against your hip to put even more pressure. With the way, she is consuming your mouth in a kiss long enough to make your head swim. You feel a tremendous will to touch her skin as your own scratches and begs. Your fingers leave her hair to reach her hips and when your fingertips find the bare skin beneath her shirt she growls. She really growls, a sound relatively similar to what the raven beast would make. It chills your bones. It makes you jump against her thigh. She seems even more energetic now, pressing against you hard enough that you feel your legs begin to tremble, your back rubbing against the hard surface of the wall. But you follow her step, each stroke of her tongue on yours, each missed breath, each slightly stronger pressure between your legs. The golden thread is pulsing now, and so is the middle of your legs, both of which seem to be searching for the same desperate release.  This is going to explode.  It's so close. If she moves her thigh one more time if she presses just a little harder on you. The thread is extremely tense. That's it. It will break. "Lilith." And when her name comes out between your lips in a worried tone, she pulls her mouth away from yours at the same moment. Her eyes meet yours, slightly alarmed, for any sign that you didn't want to. It's touching the way she can go from beastly to soft with just one word from you. "The bond." You warn her and she takes a deep breath, trying to grasp your words, trying to get back into that world probably. She doesn't even seem too surprised that you know that this kind of more intense interaction would make the bond consummate. "If you keep going I will..." Your ears burn a bit and you think "come" hoping she might understand. You could still be embarrassed about the most basic things. "Oh..." Her breath is short against your face, hot and panting. She looks at your pressed bodies with interest. Her thigh seems to have a perfect fit between your legs. "Do you think it will be consummated if you come?" You close your legs out of pure reflex when you hear her voice say "come". Damn husky voice. You have no idea, it's not like you had a lot of knowledge about mating relationships in the boiling isles. All you knew was what Eda had told you and what that thread stretching down your spine told you from time to time. The tension was easing now that you were not so much on the edge. "I have no idea, the thread was tense enough to break." Lilith frowns slightly, her breathing slowly returning to normal, as did her pupils. "Okay...Our next mission is to study up on this before we do anything." You nod, a little unsteady, a little airy, certainly extremely shaky.  Lilith giggles, an amused laugh, placing one last chaste kiss on your lips. She then pulls away. The lack of her warmth now is almost a bother that sings under your skin, it would have been so easy, just a little bit more.  "Does that mean I affect you like that?" You nudge her shoulders, rolling your eyes as she laughs louder. Your ears are red, because yes...She affects you a lot. Enough to make you want to come inside your clothes and consummate a mating bond without even thinking twice. You needed a cold shower before you started looking for books about this thing on your back that have just cockblocked you. You had big plans for your university years. You wanted to get a job, move out of your parents' house, and rent an apartment. Then you would start thinking about your career plan. You thought that maybe you could write professionally, or even become a university professor. Dating was not in your plans, you didn't even like anyone.  But do you know what else wasn't in your plans? Being kicked out of your home, falling into a world completely different from your own, being welcomed by the people of the Owl House, and then finding out that the person you were meant to be with was...Lilith Clawthorne.  Falling into this world brought numerous surprises. You found out that you are good with spells, even though you are human. You found out that witch milkshakes could be surprisingly delicious. And you didn't have to worry due to the fact they didn't use milk. Also, you discovered, when you fell into this world, that dating Lilith could be one of the most extraordinary things that ever happened to you. She is a very peculiar kind of girlfriend, which you named soft-hot. She had these two spectrums inside her. She is that kind of girlfriend who will learn how to make hot chocolate the way you like it and give you a kiss on the forehead when she hands it to you while you read about deals in the demon realm on the living room couch. But also the kind of girlfriend who can easily push you into the nearest dark corner to steal a breathtaking kiss, sliding her thigh between your legs when she needed you and couldn't help herself. She noticed, quite clearly the effect her legs have on you, as well as her voice, her fingers. Well, Lilith is a very attentive girlfriend. Soft-hot. You loved that combination with everything in you. And you were never going to complain, but it was a hard thing to deal with when you hadn't decided yet what to do with the information you had. Another thing you discovered is that there were several books about mating bonds. You and Lilith had spent the whole week studying about this. You had been getting books and books about old agreements in the demon realm from the library, as well as about relationships and bonds in general. Some were in different languages so that only Lilith could read. But most of the time you were able to help her with the research and it was particularly fascinating research if you were honest. The first records of mating bonds go back thousands of years, it's an extremely old bond and you have no idea how humans have just been ignoring it for millennia.  Sure there are legends about soul mates since the world is a world. But nothing tangible, nothing like the boiling isles put together in complete volumes. You got the information you needed from a fairly recent book, actually, that had more in-depth studies on magical covenants. Some pretty interesting pictures made you feel like a girl in sixth grade with her first anatomy book. The thread is something interesting, not everyone has it but it's something relatively common. Anyway, for the mating bond to be consummated, the mates must come together. If one of the mates makes the other come without themselves coming it won't make the bond consummate to pieces but the moment of consummation may be weaker. You regretted not letting go that day for sure. There are stronger and weaker mating bonds. Only the mates can tell how connected they are to each other. You almost raised your eyebrows as Lilith read this part aloud. You hadn't even consummated the bond yet and you could feel her emotions perfectly, sometimes even hear her thoughts. It was pretty obvious that your bond wasn't poor in any way. Also, and this reminded you of that day at the Knee, other witches can tell the bond by the smell. Not exactly the perfume, but more like the natural smell of two mates becomes quite similar.  In the end, you decided that quickies would not be an option. Lilith wanted the consummation to be perfect, and you couldn't deny that you wanted it too. It was an old bond, and as difficult as it was, you didn't want to waste it because of your sexual urges. So you chose to wait. The perfect opportunity. Not the wedding, for the Titan's sake, you don't think you can hold out until next week. "Please, Eda, pleeeeeaaaaaase. I swear, we won't make a mess, we'll sleep in the living room and no one will touch anything." You take your eyes off the fantasy novel about the human world you were reading, Luz's recommendation, to the scene unfolding in front of you. Luz had been begging all week for Eda to let the children come to the slumber party. The owl lady believed she would forget about it by the end of the week, which she didn't. "Okay, fine. As long as their parents agree. I don't want Odalia Blight, in my house, announcing that I kidnapped her daughter. Okay?!" Luz nods with a small, soft smile. Odalia Blight...Considering her last name you believe she is Amity's mother. But it's not something you pay much attention to. As soon as she is out of Eda's vision, Luz does a little dance of joy before running up the stairs, which makes you chuckle. It's almost night, you figure the guys will be here soon. "I'm going upstairs and have a shower. I'll be right back to help you with some snacks." Eda puts her hands together as if pretending a prayer when you get up from the couch. "What would I be without you?" You chuckle as you squeeze the owl lady's shoulder. "Probably a woman with five kids at home and no snacks." Eda twitches her lips in agreement. You close your book with the bookmark and then head toward the stairs.  When you reach the second floor, you sense that Lilith is still in her room, probably studying. You should warn her that there will be three more teenagers in the house in a few hours. You say that this is the only reason to go knocking on her door, but internally you know that this is a lie. Any excuse to see her for a few minutes. Lilith opens the door almost before you remove your fist from the wood. She has some red paint smeared on her cheek and is wearing classic pajamas with a Dragon Ball Z blouse. She's smiling, teeth and all, and you frown slightly, but don't even have time to ask before she grabs your wrist and pulls you inside.  "I figured it out." Your eyebrows pronounce a little more as she bounces near her desk. She was in the soft mood now, soft and cheerful. You look at what she was doing. There are open books, on geography and relief, as well as some discarded glyph drawings, some papers with her elegant handwriting. But what catches your eye are the two papers placed perfectly in the center of the table. The drawing is pretty similar to the one you saw with Luz at the Knee, but complete. A circle, with a square in the middle and another smaller circle inside, and two lines cutting through it, one horizontally and one vertically. "Try it!" she asks, putting one of the papers in your hand. "But on the floor." She points to a recent scratch on her desk that wasn't there before.  You kneel and look at her once more with that childlike excitement before you touch the glyph. The familiar tingle rises up your arm as the design rises in gold. And so the paper crumbles to make way for a massive ball of stone that weighs down on the floor. "It worked!" Lilith bounces more behind you and you can't help but smile. It really did work, a stone glyph, Luz would be fascinated with it. Maybe not as much as Lilith was. You can almost feel her excitement in the air, and how happy she is to have finally figured it out. She helps you to stand again and then she grabs the remaining paper, probably to run after her teacher and show her what she has discovered. But you hold her by the hand. "Luz has invited Willow, Gus, and Amity to a slumber party." Lilith frowns slightly and then smiles. "Can you make that cake again?" You shake your head in promise with a small smile spreading on your mouth.  "Sure." And she grins so broadly at such a simple thing that it makes your heart swell in your chest. "I'm helping Eda with the snacks." Lilith nodded and leaned over to place a quick, warm kiss on your cheek. "I'll show this to Luz!" You giggled as she came out in small steps and bounds into Luz's room. She could be extremely adorable when she wanted to be. It's so hard to just not grab her and not let anyone else touch her. She is the sunshine that you didn't want anyone else to feel. (...) The kids arrived just as you and Eda were trying to figure out if you should bake fairy pies together with human cakes. You heard the sound of the door slamming and numerous voices at once, that's how you knew there were 5 kids in the house now. "Hey, guys." You greet as you arrive in the living room. Gus waves energetically at you, Willow smiles with her eyes closed and Amity just grins with the corner of her mouth. You can't help but think that the way someone smiles says a lot about that person's personality. "Do not destroy my house, thank you." It was Eda's greeting that made Luz slap her hand against her own face and you let out a low chuckle. "Come on! You won't believe it." Luz takes Amity's hand lightheartedly as she pulls her and her friends into the main room. "Lilith discovered a stone glyph, which ultimately demonstrated how our trip to the Knee was not in vain." Amity went increasingly red as she was led into the house and you had to lower your face to laugh.  They were adorable. Watching them interact would be one of your favorite things about that event. "Sometimes I think I should try to give them a little push." Eda whispers beside you and you turn to her with frowning eyebrows and narrowed eyes. "And didn't you think to give your sister a little push?" Eda rolls her eyes hard before starting her path to the kitchen, the sound of children starting some sort of game is quite evident. "You guys are adults. I should have punched each of you to establish my dominance in the sisterhood." It's your turn to roll your eyes briefly before accompanying her into the kitchen. "You know, I never had a younger sister." She is grinning broadly as she looks at you now, wiggling her eyebrows rather suggestively. "I wonder what kind of pranks you would fall for. It was always so hard with Lilith. She's just too smart." You stand in your spot on the countertop to start making some sandwiches and give the owl lady a particularly disbelieving look.  "Thank you for insulting my intelligence and threatening me in the same sentence. I already feel like part of the family." Eda laughs out loud before stroking your shoulder, amber eye glowing gold as she leans against the counter. "It's actually incredibly nice to have you here." You smile, but find it breaking in the middle, because your heart seems to swell and break a little at the same time. You're not sure how long it's been since you've been truly wanted somewhere. "Well, I'll go find mattresses for the invaders. Can you handle the cooking by yourself?" You just wave your hand. Cooking also relieves the head and you don't mind, you enjoy. Eda gives you a knowing pat on the shoulder before she leaves. You smile when you hear laughter around the house.  It's really nice to feel wanted. It feels really good to feel happy maybe for the first time in...who knows how long. (...) Cooking things specifically for witches was not your specialty, but it wasn't that bad. You had a recipe book and material to work with. You are just finishing making some particularly healthy human sandwiches for you and Luz when Lilith enters the kitchen. You don't even see her. You feel when she enters the room as if the thread knew she was near, signaling where she was. You feel like a whale with sonar every time this happens. Her perfume comes to you next, stronger after the bath, warmer. It's refreshing and seems to calm your mind. She hugs your waist just for a moment to kiss your cheek and then goes towards the refrigerator. It's such a simple gesture and yet you can't stop your heart from beating a little faster. It's simple, but at the same time, it's almost involuntary. It's involuntary caring, it's routine. "We should have made plans. I don't think I ever had that many teenagers in a house." You chuckle at this as she rolls her eyes rather dramatically. Considering the voices coming from the living room, you guess they are arguing about which type of magic is the best. Luz's response was the most obvious, "all together." "Stop. Willow and Gus are great and I know you like Amity or you wouldn't have been her tutor." It's a good thing that Luz had talked so much about her crush because it granted you quite a bit of information about your girlfriend as well.  Lilith leans against the counter and only then do your eyes go to her. She's wearing a black sweater and soft fabric pants that look so good on her legs. Her hair is tied up in a bun, the smaller strands framing her face, and she is sipping a glass of apple blood. Long fingers tapping their nails rhythmically against the wood. When you look at her like that...It's hard not to think that choosing to wait for the perfect opportunity was a shitty move. You could just go up to the second floor now, lock yourselves in her room and consummate this bond. The possibility is very tempting. And she is too tempting. Oh how you were tempted every goddamn second by that most appraising look, by those black painted lips, by that long neck, by that too white skin that seemed to be asking to be marked, by her fingers, her voice, those legs that she knew how to hide so well. You don't know how you managed to supervise your self-control for so long. "Stop staring at me." She says as she turns the rest of the red liquid in her mouth, without removing her eyes from you. You feel the hint of her smile as she washes the glass in the sink, even though you don't see it. "Does it make you nervous when I stare?" You answer with a slightly raised eyebrow, humor dripping through your voice. She looks at you over the shoulder, her gray eye glinting silver in knowledge. You were playing with fire here, and you knew it. She takes a breath and then reaches over casually to lean her hip against the side of where you are making the sandwiches. You watch as her eyes travel across your face, down your neck, across your torso, and down your legs. Shameless. You swallow hard as she stares at you like a prey she intends to eat on her nest. Her gaze lingers on your hips before she slowly returns to your face. Her eyes seem darker, pupils slightly dilated, but bright, like a night bird. She smiles, just softly, running her tongue along the corner of her mouth. You can't stop the shiver that runs down your spine. "You look just about good enough to eat over that counter." You feel any witty response of yours get stuck in your throat. Oh. What an image she has just given you. Your ears are on fire and you have to lower your head because your whole face feels so hot. She, between your legs, against the rough wood, her mouth on you, the hair falling in her face, the smell of sweat. Uh. You have to stop yourself from squeezing your thighs together. Your inner muscles tighten and you find your fingers trembling around the slices of bread. Lilith lets out a graceful laugh before leaning over just enough to be in front of your face. She reaches out to lift your chin with the tip of her index finger. "What's the matter, my darling? I thought you liked teasing." This is the first time she has used a possessive pronoun with you. Your whole body trembles. Her voice has a slight tone of amusement as her breath feels really warm against your own lips. You again watch her eyes play between your mouth and your own eyes. Your heart could easily escape through your mouth. How does she manage this? She had barely touched you and your breathing was already failing. "Lilith..." It was the middle of the kitchen. Anyone could enter, including one of the five kids who were currently in the house. It was not a safe place for that kind of interaction. But do you control your body or your mind at that moment? No. She surrounds you, she sinks her claws into you so difficult that it's extremely hard to have a coherent thought when she is close like that. "Shh..." She whispers getting close enough to lean her mouth against yours "Let me kiss you." And when she speaks in that tone, with those glowing eyes you don't think you can stop yourself. Her lips fall over yours and you dissolve around her. She seems like a mist, slowly penetrating around you until she has taken you completely inside her.  You think you might as well be consumed. You don't care. A weak sigh leaves your nose and you wrap your arms around her neck before kissing her back. It always feels more intense than the last time, and it always feels like you can never get enough of her. She thrusts herself against you, her nails sinking into the counter exactly beside your waist, but not touching you except with her mouth. She's teasing you. You know it. You feel it. You pull her by the shoulders, trying to feel more of her, trying to stop the pulse that is growing stronger against your skin. The shorter strands of hair rub against your knuckles. Lilith lets out a giggle against your mouth before pulling your bottom lip between her teeth. "It's my entertainment to watch your face turn so red." She whispers as she wraps her hand around your chin. You're trembling, aren't you? She has such an effect on you. You are so easily malleable around her it's ridiculous. "Is it good when I kiss you?" You find yourself choking, but the answer doesn't seem to come anyway. This woman. She knows what her voice does to your nerves, she knows perfectly well what her mouth on yours does.  She is learning so well how to take you out of your ordinary state. She is so aware of the power she has over you and she enjoys every second of it. "Lilith..." It's just her name and she leans into the sound, breathing deeply against your face. Your thumbs trace her jawline, warm and firm, you want her mouth on yours again so badly it feels like it hurts under your skin. "Please..." She may want to tease you, but she seems to be as weak to your requests as you are to hers. Because in the next second she slams her mouth on yours again, her hands sinking to your hips.  The world disappears. It's just her mouth, consuming yours. It's just her hair between your fingers. It's just her body so pressed to yours that you can feel her heartbeat, it's quite racing, as is her breath on your face, quite irregular. You feel her thrust her hips between your legs, almost pushing you to sit on the counter. You thrust forward to try to climb up. "Hm-hm!" The intrusive sound makes you jump away from her, slamming your hips against the counter, hard enough to hurt. You almost whimper with the pain spreading through the sensible bone. It's a loud enough throat-clearing sound that makes your heart pound at the possibility of Luz or Amity or Gus or Willow...Oh Titan, don't let it be King. But it's pure relief that takes your bones when you turn around, there is no kid. And you let out the breath you didn't even realize you were holding. It's Eda who is standing in the archway, with two sleeping bags under her arms. "Get a room, you two. For the titan's sake and for my sake." She rolls her eyes and you lower your head, feeling your ears reasonably warm, you don't know if it's need or if it's shame. Maybe a little of both. "Sorry." You mutter, and Lilith just lets out a mischievous giggle before turning away from you to grab a tray of the snacks you had already made. "Let's take that before you burst with shame." You really want to finger-flick her on the head because she was the one who started it in the first place, but she is already too far away for you to reach so you just take the other tray of cakes and candies and follow her into the living room. The kids have already made a real mess. There are books in a lot of places, plants that Willow seems to have grown to demonstrate something, board games, and lots of little clothes scattered about. You frown until you realize that they are playing dress-up games with King in different outfits. He was currently dressed like a supermodel on the red carpet, lipstick and all. You let out a chuckle before placing the tray on the coffee table, taking a seat next to Lilith on the couch. She just gives you a little wink, to which you respond by pushing her shoulders slightly. "So..." Eda begins, dropping the sleeping bags on the floor and rubbing her fingers across her forehead. She seemed to be having the time of her life. "One of you will have to sleep on the couch I only found two mattresses in my junk rooms." You frown slightly and you don't even see it when you speak. "I sleep on the couch. You guys take mine, no problem." It's only one night and you really don't see a problem because you have slept in harsher places than Eda's couch. The bed in your grandmother's summer house looked like a board stretched out on springs and they are kids, they are growing up, they need a mattress more than you do. Slumber parties are also more fun when you all sleep together. And you didn't want to run the risk of Amity sleeping on the couch and Luz missing the opportunity to stare into her eyes until sleep. "You may sleep with me." And it's as if someone has simply silenced the room. An embarrassing and extremely unannounced silence spreads through the room in a way that makes your whole body feel very warm and all your hair stands on end. Your ears feel a little numb as well. Amity, Willow, Luz, Gus, and King stop whatever they are doing to look back at you and then at Lilith and what she just said. You hear Eda let out a not-so-discreet muffled laugh.  If your face was red before, it burns now. Lilith just told you to sleep with her. Sleep with her. Oh. Your fingers look very interesting now. "Willow and Guz take the remaining sleep bags, Luz with the one in her room, Amity with yours, and you with me." You bite your lips hard enough to draw blood, feeling your ears complain from how hot they are. Your heart begins to beat faster, a lot faster. Gosh, could anyone see it beating through your blouse? More importantly. Could Lilith feel what you were feeling right now? "Okay." You say even if you are panicking and your face is so hot right now that you think you might turn into a human tomato.  Well, you were waiting for the perfect opportunity and it sort of...Happened? There was no reason for you to sneak into Lilith's room in the middle of the night and now...There is? The adrenaline seems to run pretty rapidly throughout your body now, your limbs are at the point for you to run out the front door. "What is that cake made of?" It's Gus who cuts through this extremely awkward moment around you and you take a second to get back into this background to answer him. "It's chocolate." You reply, more out of orbit than usual. Titan. You're going to have a breakdown. "Come pick a wine with me." Her voice sounds low, low enough so that even if everyone was around you, only you could hear. Your head moves affirmatively, but you are not sure if you really respond. She grabs your fingers and you think that she sort of carries you back to the kitchen, while Eda throws herself on the couch, eyes following you with interest. She's probably wondering if you are going to desecrate her kitchen counter again. You lean against the kitchen wall, trying to breathe as best you can, trying not to freak out. It's Lilith. It's just Lilith. She's not going to do anything you don't want her to do. The problem is that you want to and you have no idea how to have sex with someone you really care about. Oh, your first time should have been like this, nervous, worried.  You hear her rummaging through the small wine cellar that Eda has behind the cupboards. She really seems to be choosing. Anyway, her taste in drinks was better than yours, so you don't even think about interfering. When she comes back to where you can see, she has a dark glass bottle and three glasses in her hands. Why are you panicking anyway?  It's Lilith, for fuck's sake. It's your mate. Probably the person you've most trusted your whole life. You're not sure if you've ever trusted any friends, except for the people who lived in this house. And you certainly trust any of them more than you ever trusted your parents. You trust her more than you trust yourself. Even in bestial form, you simply know that she won't hurt you. That doesn't stop the thread on your back from coiling, curling, and screaming under your skin.  The witch opens the bottle on the table and then pours just one of the glasses with reddish liquid before approaching you again. Your fingers reach up almost on their own to hold the goblet. Lilith tilts her head then, just enough so that she can look into your eyes without having to lean in. "You know I'm not insinuating anything, right?" Your eyes rise to her and her head returns to its normal angle. Your heart seems to swell a little in your chest just from looking at her and you're not sure why that happens. "I want you to sleep with me because I have a rather large nest and I don't want you sleeping on the couch." You swallow hard, feeling like you need to breathe properly again. Here she is, proving that she is everything and more. "I slept there while I was finishing my nest. It was a pretty slow torture." You smile a little at that, but that doesn't stop the chill from spreading through your belly at just the thought of sharing a bed, a nest with Lilith Clawthorne. It's not exactly panic now, it's anxiety. She touches your chin with her fingertip, but this time it feels careful. Her touch feels a lot softer. "But if you don't feel comfortable, then I'll sleep on the couch or with Eda and you sleep in my nest." Your shoulders fall, and you feel as if your own walls are falling in the same way. Her eyes are sincere, her smile is comforting, and her touch is simply sweet. She knows what you are feeling and she wants to reassure you. Why did she have to be like this? Why did she have to be this lovely woman on so many levels that you couldn't help but feel any and all of your insecurities melt around her like warm butter? She made you feel safe like no one ever did. She makes you want to just never leave her arms again. She surrounds you. Body, soul and being. If that thread in your back breaks from being so taut. To hell with that. It's only her that will be in your head. "I'll sleep with you. No problem." She smiles wide now and it's so evident how happy she is...Because you trust her. Yeah. You two were extremely similar on many levels. You lean in to kiss the corner of her cheek and your heart pounds in your ears. Because that's the fragrance you'll smell all night long. Maybe you never wanted to sleep alone again after that night. (...) It was easy to forget about the night's biggest event and the slight discomfort in your back because there was so much to occupy your mind. You played a slightly different version of "double ditto". You had no cards from that game, so Luz suggested a new game, which is not surprising since she's probably the smartest person in the house. The premise is simple. You write categories on the top of the pad each of you has in hand, you all choose a letter of the alphabet, and you have two minutes to fill them all with words that start with that letter. If someone puts in matching words, it's 5 points, unique words are 10 points, and no words are 0 points. Eda and Lilith got very competitive with this one in particular. You are almost afraid of the way they are writing fast and almost tearing the notepad. In the end, it was Amity who won, with a 10 point advantage over Lilith. The pupil surpasses the master and they both seemed extremely proud of it. You saw the witch giving the girl a little wink and she smiling afterward. There was also the blind man's bluff. You weren't too tempted to participate, because you, Eda, and Lilith had already had two whole bottles of wine, perfectly evident on the coffee table. But it was the game you had the most practice at. Even in your drunken state, you let them wrap a blindfold around your eyes and spin you around in the middle of the living room. Thank goodness that the key to this game was your ears and not your focus. You won that one, the easiest to find was Hooty who couldn't get out the door. But after you went to hide near the stairs and the world turned a bit when you crouched down, you decided to sit down and give up the games that involved you walking around the house. Eda seemed to think the same, and you were almost asleep leaning against each other when they finished the last round. It was Gus who won, and you catch yourself wondering if he didn't take off his blindfold and build an illusion one because it was something you would definitely do if you had any focus to do an illusion spell now. After that, you are just watching the kids' imitation game. Luz is imitating what reminds you a lot of a hot gas balloon, but it could be an elephant too. Amity is particularly laughing a lot, her hand covering her mouth to avoid a louder sound. A laugh that makes a small smile appear on Lilith's face. "She never laughed like that, before everything." She whispers to you, overall the noise the children are making. Before everything...Before Luz. Luz is the sunshine that basically made all the people in that room become friends. Maybe Willow and Gus and Eda and King were a case apart, but the rest...Nobody would even look each other in the face if it wasn't for Luz. She is an incredible girl. Everyone at the Owl House was an incredible person actually. They weren't just misfits, they were people with unique talents and impressive skills, exceptionally kind and you couldn't understand how that could be considered weird. You're a little philosophical, aren't you? It's the alcohol stepping into your nerves, making you extremely silly and The Neighbourhood is playing constantly inside your head. Oh. You are so gay. "I think it's a rat." Eda tries a guess and Luz makes a "what?" face. You wave your hand at the girl to ignore what the woman said, by the way her voice sounded, she was already a little philosophical too. Your eyes stray to Lilith again. She's braiding Amity's hair, making it perfect for sleeping. You look at her now, and it might be the alcohol, but her hair looks so glamorous, so dark and shiny.  It's like the night itself.  Elizabeth Bishop had a poem about it, didn't she? "The shooting stars in your black hair in bright formation are flocking where, so straight, so soon? - Come, let me wash it in this big tin basin, battered and shiny like the moon." Oh, that bitch was gay. Good for her. "Thank you, Miss Lilith." Amity says as soon as she finishes the little braid by tying it with the hairband the girl used to hold the top of her hair. She smiles in a way that makes you tilt your head. She seems to have a rather motherly glow around her now. "You should start stopping using the Miss." She warns. Amity's eyes soften at the corners as she smiles more. So light. Why do you get the feeling that this was not something she had much of? An adult who really wanted to give a little bit of affection and care around her? Maybe it's something about kicked kids. You meet in the middle of the road, you can see the signs in each other. "I promise I'll try." And she seems really sincere about it. Lilith is simply relaxed as she leans her back against the couch, her hair brushing your thigh as she lays her head on the cushion. "May I braid your hair?" Willow guesses Luz's impersonation. That was Principal Bump. Her eyes go to you, they look softer too, but still bright, silver and green staring at you. Good thing you guys had stopped with the alcohol. "I'm sorry?" She frowns, just slightly, just as if she really didn't understand the question. "It's so long and beautiful." You trace your fingertips through her hair, it feels like silk between your fingers. "May I braid it?" She frowns again, but this time it's confusion. Why? She seems to want to ask but gives up when you just smile with a shrug. Lilith giggles next, probably at the immaturity of your request. "Sure." And you have to remind yourself that jumping around is still a too 2000s teenage movie attitude for you to do. You jump to the side of the couch and pat where you were previously sitting. Lilith has a small, disbelieving smile on her lips as she sits down with her back to you, facing Eda. She doesn't miss the opportunity to poke her sister with her foot, which makes Eda show her tongue. Hooty realizes that he finally has a place to lie down and moves closer again to his place on Lilith's lap. She strokes his head in acknowledgement. You kneel so that you can pull her hair from the front, forming a strand in your hands. She had quite a large amount of hair, it would be enough to play with. You start by braiding the top part, as was common for the French braid. Your fingers glide gently through the dark strands of hair, like the night sky itself. You believe that you can sprinkle her hair with stars and it will look just like the human night sky. You catch yourself imagining what it would be like to braid her hair if it were still red and voluminous. Once you finish the top part, you start taking the strands behind her ears, pulling them one by one to join the middle set, crossing over the middle strand. You keep repeating this, it's almost therapeutic. Her hair is reasonably long so it's simply relaxing to go strand by strand. Slow and therapeutic, you can feel your mind becoming more and more relaxed. It's not until you get more than halfway through the hair that you are surprised by a very noticeable shudder on her part. Lilith's whole body trembles and your eyes widen. You look at your own hands and realize that you have just taken the locks from the back of her head. The last strands to be placed in the middle strand. Oh. You had already been suspecting this, but now it's a clear confirmation. "You have a sensitive nape. I'll keep that in mind." You say more to yourself than to her, a small mischievous smile rising on your mouth. You can almost see her rolling her eyes as you pull the last two strands to work with just the middle one. The way down is much quicker now and in less than a minute you manage to finish the braid, tying it off with a rubber band you found on the coffee table, probably holding the cards from some game. "We also have very sensitive ears. Not that I should be hearing you. You're disgusting." Eda complained then as you placed the braid to fall delicately down Lilith's back. You looked at her curiously over the brunette's head. "Sensitive ears?" Your eyebrows frown, pure interest coming out of your voice and the owl lady smiles in an almost wicked way. Lilith narrows her eyes in her direction, in a silent threat quite clear to your eyes. "In the same way that we have keener hearing, we have a slightly more receptive cartilage, so to speak."  Oh. That was interesting. Sensitive cartilage where have you ever heard that? "Oh." Your fingers almost itch to touch her ears. The moon earring shines, perfectly visible on the right now that there was no hair covering it. "Don't you dare." Lilith replied with a little growl that made you laugh. She had to stop trying to be so grump if her face was red like that, it would never work. "Please?" You pout as you look at her, resting your chin on her shoulder. She looks at you with the same narrowed eyes, but you know the effect your puppy eyes have on most people. Especially on her now. She rolls her eyes hard before sighing. "Fine. Just once." A rather silly grin appears on your mouth, pure excitement pumping through your veins. You raise your hand and trace the tip of the pointed ear between your thumb and forefinger delicately, it's really smoother than the human ear, thinner and even a little softer to the touch. Lilith sighs, audibly, and it's surprising how she simply sinks between your legs with a soft shudder. Her back leaning against your chest as she closes her eyes and tilts her head toward your fingers, the contractions gone from her face, entirely. Just the slightly irregular breathing. Her body feels quite warm and it takes everything in you not to wrap your free arm around her. Certainly sensitive ears. Completely sensitive. "Thre you go. You're welcome, Y/N." Eda murmurs as she closes her eyes with a giggle still on her lips. You remove your fingers from her ear and Lilith immediately opens her eyes. Heat rises quickly up to her face, coloring her cheeks red and then the tips of her ears. She was quite adorable when she was embarrassed. "Lulu, why did you stop the petting?" She blinks several times before returning to this world and then sitting down again to continue petting Hooty's head. You think her fingers look a little shaky. When the clock struck two in the morning. Eda decided that the adults should go to bed. It took you a second to remember that this also applied to you because you were currently in an extremely complex discussion with Luz about which was the best anime with girls as protagonists. She would choose Sailor Moon and you obviously Violet Evergarden. She also preferred Levi to Hange, which you thought was almost a crime. Lilith caresses Amity's hair gently before she takes you by the hand and starts to pull you away from the living room, or else you would be all night proving that Hange Zoë was simply Daenerys from Attack on Titan. Amity nods as you are heading toward the stairs and Lilith waves her free hand, a simple loving smile on her lips. You remember to think she would make a great mother someday. If she ever wanted to. Luz gives you a rather suggestive look that would have made you shake your head negatively if you had the time. It's only when you reach the second floor that reality falls on your slightly drunk brain again. You would sleep with Lilith. The thread in your back tightens against your spine a little, but you push everything you are feeling to the back of your mind because Lilith was Lilith. She wouldn't do anything you didn't want her to do. She was your mate. She holds your wrist with the greatest delicacy in the world. "You have to get your toothbrush. About the pajamas, I can lend you one." You nod your head, your reasoning probably not understanding that she had her back turned and couldn't see. Let alone that you could just take one of your pajamas. "I...I'll be right back." Her hand releases your wrist and you walk to the bathroom down the hall in search of your toothbrush. You find yourself standing for long minutes... Simply standing in her bedroom doorway. Wondering whether you should go in or run out and slam your head against the nearest wall. The latter option was looking rather tempting. You sigh deeply, trying to stop being a child, and knock on the door. "Come in." You take a couple of deep breaths before doing as she asks. Lilith is looking out the window as you enter the room. Arms crossed over the same sweater she had worn during the night, but the pants have changed to pajama pants, at least they weren't shorts. That's what you tell yourself. At least they are not shorts. There is a pair of pants and another sweater on her desk chair. They look exceptionally soft when you pick them up and they smell like her, fresh and sweet. Your eyes go to the large nest, it looked quite comfortable, far more comfortable than your bed, but that doesn't stop your spine from quivering at the prospect of sleeping side by side with Lilith Clawthorne. You must have spent a few seconds staring at the nest because you don't notice when she approaches, a slight smile on her lips, delicate and warm. "Go get changed, I'll make it comfortable." She touches your face, kisses your cheek, gently and softly.  And you have to stop yourself from sighing, her mist around you seems quite firm now. She doesn't need much. You nod again, not trusting your voice to speak, and then force your legs until they work and lead you to her bathroom. The bathroom in her room is exceptionally clean. Everything is in its perfect place and you change clothes quickly, getting rid of your jeans and shirt for the more comfortable clothes. You can smell her perfume as soon as the clothes settle on your body, it seems to permeate you now and you're not exactly complaining. The clothes are a little bigger too, considering she's taller, but you feel welcome. This time you try not to stand in the doorway to go back to the room. Try to be a little more adult so to speak. Lilith stands in front of the mirror as you get in. You frown slightly because she's running a cotton pad over her shoulders, apparently a small bottle of potion between her fingers on the other hand. "I can't sleep with concealer on, even though I wish I could, it does a lot of damage if it stays on the skin for more than 24 hours." She says, without turning to you and you find your eyebrows pronouncing even more. Did she wear make-up? Besides eyeliner and black lipstick? Why did she apply makeup to her shoulders? She still doesn't look at you when she returns the bottle to its place in the trunk. Does she look...embarrassed? That's what you feel at least, shame that exudes from her pores enough to reach you. "Lilith?" And when you say her name out loud, she finally turns around. Your jaw drops almost in the same second. She...She has freckles. Freckles that spread down her nose, up her cheeks, some across her forehead, and even above her lips. Some also spread to her shoulders and speckle the skin of her neck, you imagine they must extend up her arms, down her back, even up to her thighs. Which makes you imagine that even on the game day she applied that thing. You remember thinking...They looked like grains of sand. "Oh Gosh, you're beautiful." She opens her mouth, slightly pink now that there was no black lipstick, but then she closes it again, her ears completely red. "Why do you cover them?" You take a step closer and can't stop yourself from starting to count them, one, two, three, four. Oh, there were so many. She is quiet for a moment as she shrugs as if it's no big deal. You think about the Coven again, did those shits really have the courage to look at that face and say she was too malleable? Too weak? "When I was a kid a girl I liked and who I even dated for a while..." She begins as she crosses her arms under her chest in a protective gesture you already know well. "She...She said it made me look imbecile, some of her friends agreed and suddenly I was the 'scabies'." Your shoulders drop. It was easy to forget that Lilith Clawthorne, the sharp witch was once a nerd who suffered bullying. "But I didn't have the courage to remove them with a spell for perfect skin like some girls did. So I started using a concealer and the mockery stopped." You don't care who the girl is, you know you already hate her with all your heart. Who would have the courage to look at her like that and not say that she was simply beautiful? Simply perfect? Who would have the courage to look at that cute little girl in that picture and say that she was anything but adorable? You don't understand why your eyes are tearing up, you have to swallow as your instincts beg you to come closer. So you do. There is only doubt in her eyes when you take her cheeks in both hands. She looks afraid of what you would say. But you don't say immediately. You lean in so that you can kiss one cheek and then the other. Her eyes close with the contact of your mouth, her eyelashes fluttering slightly. "You had a terrible taste in girls." You whisper next, which makes her genuinely laugh softly. "I think they're beautiful. You should let everyone see them." She looks with mild disbelief at you. "I mean that. They enhance your eyes and make your face look a lot less threatening." Your fingertips run through the little dots. Oh, you would spend a lifetime memorizing the place each one occupied on her face. "Don't you think everyone will think it's weird?" You frown slightly at that. "Think it's weird that you finally feel comfortable showing them who you really are?" She shrugs again, staring at the floor. "I think they will love it, Lilith, especially Eda. She'll love having her big sister back." A small smile begins to form on her mouth. It's a little odd to see her pink lips when you were so used to the black lipstick, but you love it. "I loved them if that's any encouragement." Lilith's smile widens and it's sheer surprise that takes your face when she simply wraps her arms around you, squeezing gently around your waist. She rests her face on your shoulder, completely leaning against you and you just frown slightly as you hold her by the shoulders. "Thank you." She whispers then, her voice touching your cheek and making your whole body tremble. You want to ask why. But you think you understand.  You've seen all of her. The parts she liked, the parts she didn't. And you accepted every one of them. You were willing for each of them. You want to tell her that she really doesn't need to thank you for that. Because that's what friends should do. That was just you being her friend. As a mate... As a mate, you intended to give her the world. When did you think of that? Having someone who with one touch tears you apart, who with one word shatters you, who with a single different breath makes you reconsider what you're going to say. It's just her.  You sigh and stick your nose in her hair.  No one will ever take you out of that embrace. No one will ever touch her again. And when you promise yourself that, it feels like the thread finally loosens behind your back.  You can breathe again, and you're sure of what you want. Her. You just want her. Lying on a nest is surprisingly very comfortable. You feel like you are inside a warm cocoon, it's soft and quite gentle against your shoulders, better than your mattress and even better than the bed you had at...Home. "Well?" She raises an eyebrow as she lies beside you. You look at the shiny mobile on the bed and immediately smile. Lilith claps a hand and the lights in the room go out, only the mobile glows now, the crystals mirror the moonlight outside and it looks...Wonderful.  You have no idea if you've ever seen anything this bright. "Does it help you sleep?" You point to the mobile and she nods her head particularly slowly, almost as if she is analyzing your reactions. "I like shiny things." So do ravens. You think, but you don't say. You just move a little closer so you can see her eyes perfectly. Five, six, seven. You couldn't stop the urge to count her freckles. It would be your new hobby. "You're staring at me again." She doesn't say it in the same way as earlier, she looks slightly amused now as a few locks of hair escape from her braid to spread across her cheeks. "What can I say? You're beautiful." She blushes so easily at compliments that you are sure you will spend your life saying how beautiful she is just to see that slight hue of red take over her ears.  She tilts her head gently toward you just enough, just enough so that if you tilt yours, your mouth will be on hers. You look into her eyes and it's so odd and comfortable to be able to talk without needing a single word. You don't have to say anything at all, and yet she knows what you want. She brushes her lips against yours, slow and warm. Her mouth feels softer without lipstick and smells strongly of toothpaste. Your fingers immediately reach for her shoulders, pulling her a little closer to you. Her warmth is entirely surrounding now, and you are quite sure that you just want to wrap yourself around her until your death comes. But she's not moving forward. Not really. Her mouth seems to slide over yours as gently as the first time. It doesn't take. It gives. Your heart is already racing a little in anticipation. You need it. You need her. You pull your lips away from hers just enough to be able to speak. "Kiss me properly." You murmur and Lilith giggles, a laugh that makes your spine quiver softly before she wraps her hands around your hips and pulls you into her arms, firmly. She kisses you now. One of those kisses. One of those kisses that will steal your breath and your sanity on the way. She thrusts herself almost completely over you as her tongue slides into your mouth. Oh. She turns your legs into jelly in such an easy way.  Your whole body responds to her, moves closer, asks for more. The thread responds in the same way, it seems to be completely aware of what is happening around it.  It's you who pulls her leg between yours this time. Lilith sighs against your face, warm and flawed. You don't want to stop kissing her, not for a single second. You need to feel her skin, every bit of it, your fingers slide up her neck and finally reach the back of her head. She murmurs into your mouth just for a moment before pressing her thigh firmly against you. You're pretty sure you're already dripping. That's all she needs, a kiss, a touch, and you already need her so bad that it scratches under your skin. You clutch her sweater between your fingers. What wouldn't you give for a spell to simply make her clothes disappear? Her lips move down your neck, moist and warm, making you push your hips against her leg with a faltering sigh. Her hands run over the bare skin of your hips, gently moving up and down under the sweater. Her nails scrape your belly and you find it incredibly hard to think or even breathe. You tug harder at the sweater with real intent to remove it and that's when Lilith's mouth pulls away from your skin with a naughty giggle. "Are we in a hurry?" She inquires with a slightly raised eyebrow. Your face feels warm under her gaze, everything about you feels quite warm. "Lilith, please." This need's pumping so hard in your veins now that you think you might actually cry for her to just make you come. You don't even think about the bond. "I know." She says as she leans in to place a fragile kiss against your neck, making your body twitch with how good her lips feel. "But we drank a lot of wine." You sigh so impatiently it makes her laugh again, the vibrations hitting your skin making it even harder to think. "Just a few glasses. I am perfectly fine. I want this. I want you." Her eyes sparkle in your direction when you say that. It's clear when her pupils double in size. She leans in to place a short, chaste kiss on your swollen mouth then. "I want you too..." Your heart beats extremely fast now, to the point that you feel it all over your head. "So much ." She murmurs against your cheek, her breathing a little heavier. You sigh at her voice, at her mouth, at her skin so pressed against yours. "But I want you to be sure." You let out another sigh, completely frustrated, in her face. Your insides were pulsing so hard that you think you were totally likely to explode. "Such a greedy little thing, aren't you?" Her eyes are gleaming in amusement and you feel a little indignation pumping through you. She's having so much fun while you could barely think straight. Well, you're never going to do anything straight. But that's not the point. She's not making it easy for you. You have to close your legs just at the spasm that single sentence and that smile cause in you. "I hate you." You whisper, completely flustered, and Lilith chuckles before kissing the tip of your nose. "We've already waited so long, what's a few more hours?" A few excruciating hours you think to yourself before sighing once more. "Come here and be my little spoon and stop being grumpy." You wanted to give her the cold shoulder, but you are weakened by that wide smile, the corners of her eyes crinkling. So you wrap yourself in her arms, placing your back to her chest. Your body is still throbbing and the warmth of her body doesn't help a lot, it's heated and the fit is perfect against your back. But her arms wrap around you like a pair of wings and she smells so good and everything around you is so comfortable that you think it's not impossible for you to sleep. It's only long minutes later when your breathing was calming down and your body was getting used to her touch that she speaks again. "Will you sing for me?" It's simple. It's such a simple request. It's something so...Intimate. She's just asking you to sing for her as her fingers gently move up and down your arm. You don't think anyone has ever made you a request as soft and lovely as that. "What do you want?" You don't think that you will ever be able to deny any of her requests. You will always give her everything. Lilith yawns behind your head, slow and sleepy. "Calm and cozy." She replies, her voice sounding perfectly next to your ear. All the hair on the back of your neck stands on end with that, and she giggles against your skin at the reaction. Impossible woman. You think again how you barely sang at home, only to yourself. And here you are, about to sing, wrapped in the arms of a raven woman, in the boiling isles, inside a nest. You think it makes sense. For some reason, you think it makes sense. You imagine the lyrics in your head, the delicate chords before you actually bring the words. "May these words be the first..." It was one of your favorites, it was pure and the lyrics were sweet. And Lilith leans into the sound as if she appreciates it as well. "To find your ears..." You can feel her nuzzling her cheek against the curve of your neck. "Don't stop. Please." Her voice drips honey, sleepy and sweet. You curl your fingers around her hands, taking a deep breath before searching for the next words. Singing to Lilith is as good as simply breathing the first-morning air, as feeling the ocean waves breaking on your feet, as taking a warm bath after an extremely long day. Because when you sing you can feel her emotions become a spectrum of light pink, white, and lilac. Pastel shades that indicate to you how she is simply...Pleased. "The world is brighter than the sun... Now that you're here." Her arms tighten loosely around you, but you know she's listening. "Though your eyes will need some time to adjust to the overwhelming light surrounding us." The light surrounding you. Adjust. It sounds good. You sing each word, feeling the letters fill the air around you, transforming the atmosphere, making your head light as Lilith's breathing became more and more rhythmic against your neck. You feel the spectrum slowly losing its color, the sensations of peace and belonging slowly diminishing because... Because she is slowly falling asleep. And this is beautiful. "With every heartbeat, I have left I'll defend your every breath...I'll do better..." And when the last verses leave your lips, they sound more like a whisper than anything else. Your eyes are almost closed. You're pretty sure she's asleep. You just know. You don't even have to turn your face. So you smile. Feeling that every word of that song was as true as it could be. It sounded like a promise. And only then you close your eyes and sink into her. Allowing her aura to cover you. (...) You smell her before you even open your eyes. Fresh, lemon, and tulips. Sometimes you thought it was all a dream, but it wasn't. You inhale with your eyes still closed and her fragrance almost makes you dizzy for a moment, probably because everything in this nest smells a little like her. It's one of the best smells. Your eyes open and you blink a few times, getting used to the dim light coming from the window. It was early morning, and the weather seemed a little cloudy, but still, there is enough light for you to look at her. And she is beautiful.  The black hair caught in a braid thrown behind her back could wrap itself around you so easily. The pale skin, with lovely freckles around her nose and up her cheeks. It's almost impossible to resist the urge to count them again. How she could have the courage to cover them up with make-up? They are perfect. Her long lashes that fluttered slowly while she was still dreaming. The pointed and well-designed nose and ears, the moon earring on the right. Her lips showing a natural pink color. Pale as a swan. So beautiful. She looks like a painting. Oh Titan, you already want to kiss her again, so bad. A little smirk shapes on your lips at this thought, and you instinctively move a little closer to her. Your eyes close again as you rest your forehead on the curve of her collarbone. A few more hours of sleep. That's all you want, a few more hours of sleep with Lilith in the nest. Just that. You must have miscalculated your movements, though. Because you feel her sigh a little and then her arms are wrapping around you, her hands outlining your hips as if they were born for this. Her touch. Her touch is everything. You lift your chin so that you can look at her. Her eyes are a little watery from sleep, but she is grinning, a wide smile that made your heartbeat so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of your chest. "Good morning." Her voice, husky with sleep, makes a shiver run down the entire length of your spine.  "Good morning." It's pure instinct when you raise your hands to trace her face. Just feel her. You were deprived of that contact for too long and now that you had it, you wouldn't stop. Her skin is warm and she closes her eyes as your fingers gently glide across her cheeks. She feels so comfortable under your touch, so at home. You like how this feels. She seems to be as hungry for touch as you are because her next action is to pull you even closer to her until there is no space between your bodies. You can feel her breathing now, rhythmic and heated, as well as the way her chest moves up and down. "I dreamed of you." She says as she blinks her eyes repeatedly. Green and gray. They stare at you, slightly amused, slightly playful. You can read her so well now. "May I ask for details?" Lilith moistens her lower lip with the tip of her tongue as she looks at you. She is grinning wider as she leans in a little to reach for your ear as if there is someone else who can hear what she is about to say. "I can show you. What do you think?" Your spine twitches. It's pathetic the way you get such a chill just at how her voice sounds, just at how close her breath feels to your ear. You move your chin to nod, and you feel her smile as she leans in to rest her mouth against the skin of your neck.  Her lips are warm, and yet you feel your hair stand up on end as if it were cold. Her hands grip you as she carefully kisses the delicate skin, moving her mouth up and down your neck, below your ear, down your jaw. Your fingers slide up her neck, reach the nape, and you feel her sigh against your cheek as you brush your fingers there. Your mouth seems to beg for that kiss. Her lips follow the curve of your chin. She moves past your mouth to kiss the tip of your nose playfully and then your forehead. Her eyes meet yours again and you are sure that you have never wanted someone more than you want her. She seems to read it in you. Because when you thrust in she receives you. Your eyes close again when your lips finally meet hers. She still tastes minty, fresh, and warm. Your insides throb with just that little contact. Her kiss. Her kiss was enough to make you question the meaning of life. Delicate, soft, and moist lips, her hands holding you like you were something extremely precious. You wanted her and only her. You trace the line of her chin with your thumb, feeling the lack of resistance in her face. Your tongue slides into her mouth and her fingers sink into you. Heat seems to exude from your face in waves and maybe from her face too due to the fact everything seems so heated all of a sudden. Her taste explodes inside you, her breath becoming a little flawed against your face.  You trace her hair with your fingertips, reaching for the end of the braid so you can pull the hairband, and then you can thread your fingers between them. Lilith murmurs. Just a small sound that sends vibrations through your tongue and your entire being.  Maybe you just want her to consume you. Something that feels like begging. You have never felt this before, it's more than sexual desire, you simply need to feel more of her.  A shaky sigh leaves your nose as she slides her thigh between your legs. It's more of her. You can feel her body heat more easily now and it's so simple for you to push yourself down, just a little bit so that the fit is perfect. Her breath changes against your face, as does her tightness. She pulls her mouth away from yours and you would have whimpered in protest if her eyes hadn't stared at you with such doubt. It's so evident in the way she looks at you right now. "Are you sure about this?" It's a simple question. But you feel the weight of it as soon as it leaves her lips, hitting your face in warm, soft waves. You knew what it meant, you've read a lot about it. "If...If we do this the bond will be consummated. What we have will become vastly intenser." She grabs your right hand, bringing it to rest on her chest. Her heart, you can feel it in your fingertips. It's beautiful, it's the most calming sound you have ever felt. "I don't know how it will be for us, it may be weaker than I imagine or it may not. Either way, it's a perpetual bond, Y/N." It's something that weighs on her shoulders, you realize. She's still thinking that you deserve more. Gosh, why did you have to fall in love with the most stubborn witch in the boiling isles? "Do you want to bond with me, probably forever?" You almost chuckle at how that sounded like a marriage proposal.  Does she really still have the courage to ask? "Lilith." It's the way her eyes soften when you say her name like that, how they seem insecure. Silver looking like gray. You are so sure you would choose her. Above all things. Overall other options. You have fallen in love with this woman and every layer of her. "I don't think I've ever been so sure of anything in my entire life." Her smile slowly takes over her mouth, delicate and warm, reaches her eyes and you could swear they sparkle.  It's her turn to propel herself towards you, with a lot more purpose shining in those eyes. You can almost feel the seconds before she brushes her mouth against yours. It's almost like getting a shock this time, your whole body shakes, and you could swear she lets out a giggle at this reaction. Her fingertips slip under your sweater, caressing your belly's skin, her long fingernails making a specific space in your spine extremely sensitive.  "Wait." You sigh impatiently this time as she pulls away. Lilith lets out a loud laugh at that. She rises from the nest and the lack of her warmth really startles you this time. Something under your skin almost jumps to reach for her hand. You watch her go first to the trunk and take out a small bottle of elixir. She takes in all the golden liquid with a grimace. This is understandable, high levels of pressure could turn her into a raven beast, and as much as you thought her power was pretty cool...You don't think you're ready to a giant raven flirting with you again. She then goes to the desk and draws on the glyph pad for just a second before slapping one hand on the other with the piece of paper between them. A small blue mist appears between her fingers, the magic is delicate and beautiful, and when it finally fades you notice that her nails are perfectly short. "I like them pointy." You pout when she approaches again. Eyes playing with yours, amusedly. "I can return them later." She climbs into the nest again, propelling herself between your legs as if this were her place. And you had to agree that it was. Your legs hook into her hips perfectly, as if they were made for it, and your heart seems to beat so fast in anticipation that you're sure she can feel it. "But I'm not going to risk hurting you." She traces your lower lip with her thumb gently and takes everything in you not to suck it into your mouth. She has an elegant hand, with long, slender fingers. You have always thought her hands were so beautiful and just the thought that she is caressing your mouth with one finger...It's almost too much. Her eyes are sparkling and seem to sparkle brighter now that she is underneath all the objects in the mobile, silver and shiny.  "It's okay. Open your mouth for me." You frown and your cheeks immediately turn red. It was incredibly easy to forget that she could hear you in other ways. Your ears burn, but you would not miss that chance. You part your lips and she is grinning as she slides her thumb into your mouth. Your cheeks boil as you slide your tongue across the soft skin before sucking. Lilith sighs loud enough for you to know that she thought this was hot. "Good girl." If the way your face heated up didn't say enough, you think the way you grabbed the hem of her sweater was quite evident. You were a mess with compliments.  Her finger goes away, only for her lips to replace it. This time without any interruption. You feel that you might as well be trembling. Her tongue enters your mouth almost at the same second that her hands meet your hips. You don't know what to focus on first. On her mouth that feels even hotter than last time, on her fingers pulling up the hem of your sweater, on her hair falling delicately across your face. They smell so good. She hesitates, only to look up at you when your sweater reaches your chest height. She was so careful around you it was comical. The perfect combination of sexy girlfriend and overprotective girlfriend. Your arms reach up and she pulls it easily over your head. You pull her sweater off without even hesitating, which makes her laugh before discarding it as well. Lilith is impressive in a lot of ways. Her skin is beautiful, freckles spread across her shoulders, across her belly, it's just gorgeous. Her breasts are perfect, and there is a jewel, a green rhombus attached to her chest, a little above the middle of her breasts. You think it was a little peculiar, but you were dating a witch so you just pulled her back to you by the sides of her face. When you kiss again it's like feeling the world shake. Something from underneath your skin stirs surprisingly as you feel her bare skin on yours, the thread stretching down your spine, trembling, it's not unpleasant, it's just so unusual. You've never felt it before. It's what makes you cling to her back almost instinctively, almost afraid she'll stop. Her lips slide across your skin. Your mouth is probably already swollen and she leaves one last delicate kiss on it before sliding down your jaw. Just below your ear. Your neck. Your breath hitches for a second and her eyes meet yours, silver and green.  "Are you okay?" Her eyebrows frown delicately, genuinely concerned about how you feel about her every move. No one has ever treated you like this, no one has ever cared enough to wonder if you were okay.  But Lilith does care. "Is this okay?" She asks as her fingers reach across your bare belly, brushing her thumbs on your skin. The shudder is impossible to control. "Lilith..." And you hope that just her name is enough reply. You just want her to consume you, in every possible way. She smiles. Suggestive and quite warm. "Okay." She murmurs leaning toward you again, to meet your chest. Her mouth is moist and warm as she wraps one of your nipples with it. She's not trying to be rushed here. She is taking her time to run her tongue over your skin, to make it stiff and sensitive to touch. Your insides pulse, the thread trembles. Your fingers dig into her hair and she seems extremely proud of this as she moves to the other breast. She sucks it as if she were hungry and your hips immediately respond to this, jumping toward her. Her fingers brush your ribs, almost as if to calm your spirits. As if to say, we're just getting started. Or maybe she did, and you heard it. She continues the path with her mouth, between your breasts, down your sensitive rib bones, into your belly. You feel your whole body shiver at the difference in temperature between the wetness of her mouth and the warmth of your skin. She looks at you again as her thumbs hook into your pants. She's waiting for an answer, a confirmation, and you just nod, not trusting your own voice to say anything.  She pulls your pants out of the way and the thread trembles a little more when she places herself between your legs again. The hair spreads down her back and then you realize...She has a tattoo on her back, there are wings and it looks like a triangle. That's sexy. Uh. Why did she have to be so sexy? She looks so good with her swollen lips and dilated pupils. You don't even remember feeling any shame or discomfort. Because it's her. She's your mate. She wants you. That's all that matters. "Show me how you like it." That is the last thing she says before she simply sinks between your legs.  The first stroke of her tongue at you is like a punch. South and north. You feel as if all the air has been stolen from your lungs. The thread stretches and your fingers sink into her head. All the heat seems to be rushing through your whole body, up and down from your cheeks to the middle of your legs. You think that's not normal, but you couldn't care less as Lilith opened her mouth and sucked you. Your legs begin to tremble around her, and you're sure she's smiling because of it.  A firmer stroke, the perfect pressure change on your clit makes your body jump toward her.  Her eyes lift up to you. Dark and shiny, like a predator's. She wraps her fingers around your hips and sinks you hard enough into the blankets to be a warning. Quiet. You stroke your fingers through her hair, so soft, guiding her to the sweet spot, and when she sucks exactly there you almost fall apart. Oh, she knew how to work that mouth well. Your inner muscles tightened so much that you thought you could have come just with that. Everything was pulsating. Everything was trembling. But you want more, you want more of her. You want to feel her. So much. It's the desire that screams under your skin, it's this desire that seems to make you blind and deaf. You need her. You need to feel her almost as much as you need to breathe. "Li-Lilith." She murmurs against you, without shifting her focus, and your body trembles again, as expected. "Lilith, please." When you pull her gently by the hair she seems to understand. She stands up, kneeling between your legs and you again do not hesitate to rip off the last two pieces of clothing that are preventing you from feeling her fully. It should be a crime to be beautiful like this. The flat, perfectly drawn belly, the smooth, delineated curve of her hips, her thighs, her long legs, freckles spreading all over her soft skin. You would lose yourself in this woman so easily. She is smiling as she leans over you again, kissing just behind your ear to whisper. "You're prettier." You feel her nails trailing down your thighs, the hairs seem magnetized now. "And tastes so good." The thread seems tense enough to break now. You need to kiss her, your gasping breath tells you so, your trembling fingers confirm it. You pull her by the sides of her face and she approaches as easily as she can, her fingers curling around your face. Your taste really is still in her mouth. Something quivers inside you at this. This woman was between your legs, this woman was eating you a few seconds ago, and now she was kissing your mouth with everything she had. Her tongue brushing yours like she was born to do it.  She is still on her knees so it's so easy to bend your knee so that your thigh slides across her. Lilith chokes and the thread seems to extend a little further. She is wet and it's so hot. When would you have the chance to sink between her legs? You just feel it, one of her hands moving down your body, until she reaches between your legs again. When she slides her fingers inside you, you have to move your mouth away from hers to breathe, your hands sinking into her hips. The feeling is dominant, the filling makes your legs weak. Oh she looks beautiful like this. Red cheeks, chest, and ears. Hair sticking to her forehead with sweat. Breathlessness. Suggestive smile on her face. She looks like she's about to make a mess of you, and you're not exactly complaining. She moves over you and it's very hard to control a pathetic sound from coming out of your mouth as her skin slides over yours and her fingers sink into you. You feel that you won't last long like this, not with her body so close, not with her breath so shallow against your face. She is addictive, she is everything. And you feel her as on the edge as you are. It's like falling into a vat of steam. Just consume me. You can almost see, as well as feel, now. Golden threads that seem to wrap around you, that seem to wrap around her. It's like the beginning of a storm, the electricity in the air is very similar, that tension about to break is very similar. In the first thrust, your eyes don't stray from hers, they are glowing now, you are sure they look much more golden than green and gray. In the second, her mouth falls over yours again, her hair spreading over your face. The third one is tougher, you sink your fingers into her hips to return that because you think it won't last long. And you have to come together. You want this and you know that she wants it too. She kisses you. Again and again. Her fingers move, she grinds against your thigh. Again and again. The golden threads seem tighter and tighter, shining brighter than the hanging mobile, the energy seems to fill the whole room, expanding, showing itself. It's going to explode, it's going to break everything around you. It's hard to breathe. It's hard to hold on much longer. "Lilith." Her name. That's all she needs. She doesn't need you to tell her you're almost there, she knows. The witch's forehead brushes against yours, her skin seems to be as boiling as your own. "It's okay, my dear." Your inner muscles tremble with the pet name. "You don't need to hold on." She leans over you and her fingers find that sweet spot inside you that makes your whole body twitch. Threads are swaying around you, they know the moment is so close. "You are so good for me." She whispers against your skin and...That's all you need. You slide your hand to reach between her legs and when your thumb finds the apex of her legs, Lilith murmurs against your throat, her fingers tapping hard enough to move you over the blankets. When you two come. It's like watching a fireworks display. Everything seems to expand for a moment, even though nothing moves. Your body collapses, so you cling to her, sinking your fingers into her back. She does the same, her arms wrapping around your head like a cocoon, a very protective gesture that makes your heart swell. The golden threads are perfectly visible around you now, floating between your bodies, blending with her extremely white skin and your more tanned one. They are forming a beautiful spiral of golden mist, like Christmas lights around a tree. You think you can touch it. You reach out for one of the little braided strings, and when your fingers touch it, it gently crumbles over your hand, like touching golden dream dust. Like in that movie with the guardians, Sandman. It's so beautiful. Your breath seems long lost. But so does hers. You are just panting against each other's face, nothing feels more right than feeling the warmth of her breath. You can feel her heart beating against your own body and it's like hearing a hummingbird. Wingbeats too fast. Lilith Clawthorne.  You don't want to see. You don't want to hear. You just want to feel her. Just her. Your eyes close. Nothing in your head but how she is here. Just her. Something tells you that this was literally a point of no return, she's part of you now. You are part of her now. You feel that you need her at that moment almost as much as you need to breathe. I can't seem to not need to need you. "How do you feel?" She whispered, her voice in a much lower tone than usual. Her eyes are still closed and you just take a few breaths to try to get the maximum amount of oxygen to your brain before answering. "As if a truck ran me over?" Lilith chuckles. A low, humorous giggle that makes you smile. "Try to think of something." Gosh, you were hungry, so the first thing that comes to your mind is that chocolate cake in the kitchen fridge. The sweet, soft, smooth taste. "Why did you think of cake?" She finally opens her eyes to look at you, a giggle in her mouth still. She watches the golden threads slowly fade afterward, she looks delighted and you can't help but find it adorable how her eyes sparkle with that adorable curiosity. "I'm hungry." You replied simply, your smile getting bigger from seeing that smile you liked so much on her mouth. How beautiful she looked now, eyes soft and bright, smiling, ears still slightly reddened. You raise one hand to trace the tip of the right, Lilith closes her eyes and leans into the touch, almost purring. You completely loved those sensitive ears.  "This...It's incredible." She raises a hand to run through the golden strands, the golden dust easily falling onto her skin. "I didn't think it would be like this, so..." You hear the word before she even says it. "Enchanted." She looks at you when you say the word, and her eyes seem to reflect the gold. So beautiful. "You'll have to stop mentally complimenting me." She snuck up to place a delicate kiss on the tip of your nose, before resting her head on your shoulder, her eyes watching the strands slowly becoming thinner and smaller. "It always makes me want to kiss you."  You just shake your head negatively, tracing her hair with your fingertips, running them inside of her pointed ear delicately. She actually purrs this time, a low, cooing sound, tilting her head toward you. "That gem...Did it hurt to be put in?" You feel her frown, even though you can't see it. "Not at all. It's quite common among witches." You want to frown now as well. "It's quite useful for knowing the level of your magic, as well as, in my and Eda's case for knowing when the curse is very close to taking over your body, the gem darkens and turns black. I put mine on many years ago for control, it turned out to be quite useful." It's instinctive for your hand to trace the small crystal with your fingertips.  "It's pretty." Her eyes meet you again, now from the bottom up. It's impossible not to smile. Part of her. Part of you. You feel the little thread now, it's like a little chain stretched down your spine. it's not trying to steady itself now, it's perfectly in place. It doesn't bother you. Mostly because you feel where it ends. "And that's a tattoo?" You ask with a little giggle as you run your fingers along the scarred skin of her back, it really looks more like a scar than a real tattoo. Lilith just contorts her lips as she denies it with her head. "It's my coven sigil. When we join a coven we get one of those, usually on our wrist, but I thought it would look better on my back." You raise your eyebrows and Lilith laughs. "I was a bit of a hardcore teenager okay?" And you weren't judging, it was a beautiful golden tattoo, if it wasn't a reminder of her time in the Coven you would really love it with all your heart. Lilith stares into your eyes for a moment and then smiles wider. You frown, and she suddenly pulls away from your arms. She leaves the nest. Completely naked to go to the trunk in the corner of the room. You feel your ears burning because you can't take your eyes off her.  You watch her take something rather large out of the trunk and then turn to you with a huge smile. She walks quickly over to enter the nest again with...A guitar case next to her chest? Your eyebrows frown almost at the same second. What? "I read in some books in ancient languages that it was common for mates to give gifts as a celebration for the bond consummation." Now you raise your eyebrows in surprise, opening your mouth to try to add something, but she continues anyway. "The bard coven is one of the nine main covens, they use instruments and music to cast spells." She says as she extends the case between you and opens it, revealing a brown les paul. That would have already made you widen your eyes, but there are runes on it. Runes are intricate and perfectly placed all over the length of the wood. "You would need to have magic to do this naturally, but I researched and discovered some spells for enchanting musical instruments." She points to the runes. "It's enchanting, well I hope it works, but anyway it's a way to make the instrument work like the glyphs, pretty handy for those who can play." She looks at you expectantly now as she removes the instrument from its cover and places it in your arms. You don't think anyone has ever given you such a specific and thoughtful gift. "I haven't found any spells to summon the instrument as we do with staffs, but you can carry it with the case, still cool right?" You open and close your mouth a few times, not knowing exactly what to say.  Why does she have to be like that? Why does she have to look at you with the world's most childish expressions while grinning from ear to ear? How could this woman and the cold-expressing witch you tried so hard to understand be the same person? "I don't have a gift for you. You should have told me." She frowns with real doubt. As if you had just said the stupidest thing in the world. "You've already given me my gift." You frown. Not understanding what on earth you had given her. She points to her right ear and the moon earring seems to glow. "I didn't give it to you as a celebration for the bond and it's just an earring." She smirks with the corner of her mouth as she shakes her head negatively. Again as if you have said the world's biggest nonsense. "It's not just an earring." But she doesn't explain what she means by that. "Try it, I want to see if it worked, and I have no idea how to play string instruments." You smile imagining Lilith on the piano before reaching your fingers into the neck. It's been a while since you've played electric guitar. You imagine that this particular one doesn't need amplifiers. When the first chord leaves your fingers, a bluish haze comes off the instrument, chilling your skin as the whole room fills with light, bright, and extremely beautiful. Impressive. That is impressive. Your heart races at how thoughtful this gift was. Her eyes glow in different colors as she follows the magic around the room, like a concert smoke machine. You put the guitar aside so you can propel yourself towards her, taking her face between your hands and placing a kiss on her lips. "It's perfect. Thank you." Her ears move adorably in a reaction to the unanticipated affection. Her cheeks heat up next, probably from that impulse she couldn't control. "You're welcome." She whispers. "We should probably go downstairs to make breakfast. Eda and the others are doubtless still in bed after yesterday." You close your eyes and sigh deeply, feeling laziness creep into your bones. "What if we stayed here all day?" Lilith lets out a graceful giggle before denying with her head. "As much as I find the idea promising, I believe it would not be very polite of us." You roll your eyes enough to make the other woman pinch your nose as you sit down on the nest.  However, before she can pick up her sweater tossed on the edge, you pull her back by the hand. She taps against your body and has an eyebrow raised slightly in your direction with that gesture. "One kiss." That's what you say. Even if it's not what you are thinking. "Then why am I hearing 'please buy it' so loudly?"  Damn mating bond, you think with a sigh. Lilith laughs before leaning down, taking your cheeks in her hands, to place an extremely chaste kiss on your mouth. "You're cute when you're needy." You sigh deeply against her face. How could you already want her again? How did her taste seem to awaken things in you that you surely never felt before? It's only a kiss and you already wrap your hands around her. You want her as close as possible. "Y/N..." She scolds in a veiled tone. Your mouth finds the junction of her neck, placing numerous soft kisses that make her let out a sigh against your face.  You feel when she loosens up in your arms, just as her aura becomes much more malleable. This bond thing could have its advantages. "20 minutes." You ask for, your mouth running along the underside of her chin, almost reaching her mouth again. Your fingers reach down her back, curling the hair at the ends. "10." She retorts as she leans back toward you, her eyes shining with an amusement you loved. "Make it 15 and we're even." She doesn't answer, but when she touches her lips to yours again you hear her inside your own mind, no words needed and yet the voice is the same and in the same suggestive tone. "You're lucky you're cute." You took longer than 15 minutes. But eventually, you agreed that you should go downstairs and make breakfast. There were five children in the house and Eda needed help. You showered in her bathroom, looking at the products she used, there was one that smelled perfectly like the tulips you smelled on her and it was impossible to resist the urge to use it. Feeling her smell on you, surely one of the best things you have ever felt. However, and especially alone you can feel the bond better. You feel it stretch to the end of your spine and then feel where it ends, on her. She's moving around the room, doing something, and just relief takes over your mind through the connection. She's calm. She's in peace. You want her to be like this forever. You close your eyes to let the water run down your face, knowing that it will take some time to get used to feeling someone on such a deep level. But you decide to try an experiment. "Hey mate!" You think in a high pitch if that makes any sense. You feel the slight vibration through the bond and the distinct sound of something falling to the floor in the other room. You laugh softly. "Your cuteness has its limits." She returns and you hear her voice perfectly inside your head. It sounds a little scolding, but still funny...And beautiful. It's a little awkward. But...Soothing. "Does it?" You hear her laugh through the bond. "Hurry up, goofy." You giggle as well and wash your eyes, feeling when she has drifted off to the back of the room. You rub your wet hair with a towel as Lilith stops in front of the mirror with the pot of concealer in her hand. She seems to ponder for a moment as she looks at herself, almost as if trying to recognize what she's seeing. It's been years. A silly smile takes over your mouth as she returns the pot to its place without applying anything, and you can't resist the urge to kiss her cheek. She grins a little uncertainly at you...But cheerful. Small steps, one at a time. You follow her downstairs. You yawning and wishing the nest back and Lilith perfectly fine as if she had slept her best, even with probably only 3 or 4 hours of sleep. She still has that perfect posture. Impressive. The kids are all asleep in the living room. Willow and Gus with King in their midst. Amity and Luz slept facing each other and you could swear by the position of their hands...They could have slept holding hands. Ah, the teenage love. So soft and romantic. You hoped they would find out how they felt soon enough. You're still yawning as you start to make toast for the kids. But you feel your tiredness drift away a little when Lilith hands you a mug of hot chocolate, completely lactose-free, in your hands. It smells particularly good. She kisses your forehead almost unconsciously as she walks away with her mug of apple blood. You remember thinking that you could easily get used to a routine like this. She starts preparing breakfast for witches, pinning her hair up in a bun and she looks beautiful. "Stop mentally complimenting me, Y/N." She complains back and you chuckle softly before returning to your activity, taking a sip of your particularly good chocolate. The kitchen smells like chocolate, apple blood, and toast. An interesting mix. Yeah. You can easily get used to it. (...) It's a few minutes later when the owl lady enters the kitchen. She is still in her pajamas and her hair looks a mess, but she seems pleased to see you both. But then...Eda takes a few deep and fast breaths, and you frown, thinking that she looks like a dog when they smell meat. She looks at you next, at Lilith after, and smiles in a quite mischievous way. "The shower didn't take away the smell." She stated simply as she walked to the refrigerator. Your ears heat up, but not as much as Lilith's on the stove, completely red. Apparently, it wasn't just their hearing that witches had keen. Eda pours herself a mug of apple blood and then turns to the two of you. Her smile becomes wider, but...Warmer. She approaches Lilith first, pulling her away from the stove, where she was working on what you think are omelets, to wrap her arms around her sister's shoulders. "Congratulations, sis." Your heart expands to the point where you think it might burst out of your chest. Lilith opens and closes her mouth, completely shocked for a moment. You don't even wonder how long it's been since the last time they hugged. You feel like...It's been a while. She swallows hard before wrapping her arms around her sister's back, closing her eyes to plunge into the embrace. You don't know why your eyes are watering. Maybe it's her emotions, or maybe not. But your eyes tickle when you look at them, cuddled in the middle of the kitchen, for much more than a minute. They were becoming those little girls you saw in that picture again. Together. Best friends. And that...That really makes you happy. "I'm proud of you." She then says, pulling her face away so she can hold Lilith's cheeks between her hands. You notice as Eda traces the freckles with her fingertips, almost mapping them, just as you had done. "It's good to have you back." Your girlfriend smiles, luminous, her eyes seem bright with unshed tears. And you don't think Eda's look much different. You wish you had your cell phone now so you could covertly take a picture, but you think your memory is already decent. The Clawthorne sisters. Deadly if you were the wrong person, but around each other...They melt. The owl lady turns to you then and her smile becomes vastly more playful and amused. She lets Lilith's face go and you barely have time to blink. You widen your eyes as she runs towards you and picks you up in a high, tight hug. "WELCOME TO THE FAMILY, LITTLE SISTER!" You laugh out loud as Eda takes you in her arms like you weigh nothing and spins around the kitchen. Lilith's laughing and you don't think you've ever had a memory as worthy of a family movie as that. It's just...Pure affection filling your heart as you cling to the owl lady's shoulders to keep from falling. When Eda puts you down again, your legs are a little soft, but you couldn't care less. You propel yourself to kiss her on the cheek. "Thank you." Her eyes crinkle at the corners as she smiles broadly. It's different. You swallow hard. These people. These people really want you. For the first time in a really long time, you truly feel like you have a family. People who care about you, people who accept you for who you are. You don't have to change. Not at all. You're thankful that Eda turned to get some toast because your eyes filled with tears too quickly and you didn't want to ruin this moment just because you were a mess. However, she notices it. Of course, she notices it. Lilith grins at you before reaching out to curl her fingers into yours, gently squeezing them around yours. "Everything okay?" She asks, and her voice caresses your nerves from within your consciousness. "I just didn't expect it." She frowns slightly, her eyes becoming cloudy with doubt. "I didn't expect to find home here." Home. Home it's not the human world. Home it's where they are. Lilith smiles then, wide and warm before moving close enough to touch your cheek with her fingertips. It's just her fingers now that her nails are short but still so good to feel. "I know it's not the dream family, but..." You just shake your head negatively and lean over to rub your face against her hand. "It's perfect." Eda's throat clearing is what makes you pull away a little from the other witch. "As happy as I am, that doesn't mean I'm willing to see you two eating each other around." You try to hold back your laughter at the not-so-good expression Lilith made at her sister, but it slips out eventually. "As If I was the one with the reputation for getting caught. Should I remind you of that time with Raine in the broom cupboard at school?" You watch the owl lady's face turn completely red as she brings the mug to her mouth, probably to try to cover up the blush. "Shut up, Lily." You are curious to know who Raine is and what happened in the broom cupboard at school, but decide that can wait when you hear the very clear sound of King complaining about someone stepping on his tail. Now you had five kids to take care of. (...) The house was a real mess during breakfast. Further than during the night, probably because now the kids were all rested and had several plans as they gorged themselves on toast, cereal, and a juice that you didn't risk drinking. You like the noise, the excitement...It's not something you used to have much of, so it's just relaxing to hear the kids talking so much, to watch Eda ruffle Luz's hair, and then help King up to the table. The world's dumbest expression probably appearing on your face when you see Lilith hand a cupcake to Hooty's beak and then stroke his head gently. Was this how a family was supposed to feel? Belonging? You fell into this strange world...And strangely enough...This is where you belong. Uneven Odds right? Right. It's Hooty who brings you out of the reveries that were taking over your mind at the moment. He squeals loud enough to be awkward and then glides back to the door of the living room. You raise your eyebrows, Eda and Lilith do the same before you follow the tube bird into the room. There are two hooded people in the room. Dementors are your first thought, it sends a chill down your spine. You shake your head negatively next, there was no way it could be dementors, but you still wish you had your glyph pad in your back pocket. "WHO ARE YOU?" Hooty half shouts, half screeches as all his feathers became ruffled. There is a humorless laugh that echoes throughout the room before the first person pulls up their hood. It's...A woman. She has a round face with very intense blue eyes and her hair...Oh. Now things make sense. "Hm. So I suppose you are the owl house?" She asks with a little smirk that for some reason makes all your defenses go up immediately. It looks innocent, but it's the kind of wry smile your mother would have. The kind of fake smile she would put on her mouth to say how proud she was of something you had done for her friends. "I am a very important house, I control everything." Hooty replied with an excited little peep, not the least bit suspicious of the intruders anymore. "Mother?" Amity pushes Gus aside to make it into the room. You don't know why, but a rather bitter taste takes over your mouth. "What did I tell you, Luz?" Eda murmurs in a low tone to the girl who just shrugged her shoulders with wide eyes as if she didn't expect this visit either. "Amity, dear. Good. You're already here. Get your things. We have an appointment." The second person in the room pulls back the hood to reveal a middle-aged man, square chin, messy, rain-splashed hair, purple-lensed glasses rested on his brown locks. "Appointment?" Amity doesn't contest, you realize. She starts gathering her things in the room without hesitation, almost worried. You don't like that, for some reason. It hits too close to home, so to speak. "I'll explain on the way..." The woman stops when she notices that there are at least 6 other people in the room, watching the scene without many reactions to offer. "Edalyn, still without a Coven, I imagine." Sarcasm is quite evident, dripping off her tongue as her blue eyes sparkle with an amusement that seems clear only to her. You did not like this woman. It's impossible for you not to raise your eyebrows, your eyes going to Lilith while Gus, Willow, and Luz go to help Amity. You want to ask her about this extremely humble woman. But your girlfriend is not looking at you and the bond is in complete silence, she seems almost alarmed by this woman's presence. Quite alarmed. Your eyebrows frown slightly. Why? "When you cast an illusion spell again we can discuss that. Okay, Odalia?" The woman, Odalia Blight, from what you remember moistens her lower lip without dispensing a smile. The man, who appears to be Amity's father doesn't seem too interested in chatting, he looks around and walks over to the first thing that catches his eye. In this case, Hooty. "You haven't changed a bit, Eda." Her eyes trail across the room, pause on you for a single second, and then simply ignore you as if you simply aren't worth the time. You really didn't like this woman. You feel the uneasiness under your skin at that. Her eyes widen then, the drawn eyebrows rising on her face as she finally notices the last adult in the room. "Lilith?!" And it sounds more like an exclamation than a question when she says your girlfriend's name. It's discomfort emanating from her now. You can perfectly feel the waves of pure embarrassment coming from Lilith, which only increases as the woman leaves her cloak on the hat rack and approaches with a smirk that is just too big. Oh. She has a body...Curvaceous to say the least, thick hips. She is pretty. Exceptionally pretty. "I haven't seen you since..." She stops then, her eyes glittering with a kind of knowledge you didn't appreciate, her smile opening wider, if remotely possible. "Well..." You don't like how that sounds, honestly. Something incredibly bitter is rising from your stomach to your throat. "You're looking good..." Her eyes roam the surroundings as if analyzing the owl house. "Despite your accommodations." And when her eyes return to your girlfriend's face she seems to frown for a moment, almost as if she sees something on her face. Probably her freckles. Lilith hadn't shown those to anyone in years and you weren't about to let this strange woman make her even more uncomfortable. "Hi. I'm Y/N, we haven't been introduced. And you are?" You reach out, with your most falsely bright smile, almost slipping yourself between the woman and Lilith, wanting to keep her as far away from her as you can. Stay away. You try to make your expressions show that. Stay away before I rip out that smirk off your face. Yet Odalia ignores you completely. A little bug in her way. She is tall enough for you to think that you could actually be a little bug. Why was everyone in the Boiling Isles so tall? "Not interested." She simply replies, scorn glistening on her white teeth at that comment. You open and then close your mouth again. You are not sure if you really heard that right. She really...Petty woman. Horrible woman. Uh. It takes everything in you not to growl. Who exactly is this woman to act like this with other people? "But I didn't know that this house had become a refuge for humans." She raises her eyebrows at Eda who just rolls her eyes, wordlessly saying that she didn't owe anyone an explanation, let alone her. Apparently, you and your sister-in-law shared opinions about Amity's mother. "Anyway..." She turns her body so she could meet Lilith again and your teeth grit, quite hard. Why is this woman surrounding your girlfriend while she clearly seems totally uncomfortable with her presence? However, Odalia stops for a moment, silencing whatever she would say next. She frowns pronouncedly as she rests her hands on her hips on the white vest she's wearing. She sniffs the air for a moment and you already know what's coming next. It was predictable. The witch's eyes widen again, first toward you and then toward Lilith once more. "Even for you, this is too low, Lilith." You've heard worse. A lot worse. It doesn't really hit, you just raise an eyebrow and roll your eyes, almost in the same way as Eda. Still, you didn't expect what happened next. Not really. Because the next thing you know is that Lilith almost growls. A guttural sound that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up at the end. Fierce. Furious. You like that. "I'm not in the mood to stand you, Odalia." And her voice sounds like a knife. Sharp and quite powerful. The woman pouts as she shakes her head negatively, almost disappointed. It's disgust that bubbles up in you. She reaches a hand to touch Lilith's chin with the tip of her finger, which she quickly pushes away, pushing her head back as if the touch burned. Good thing, you were already thinking about which object was the sharpest and closest. "You used to be more flexible with me, Lili." Wha...What? Oh, you're going to be sick. Is she...Is she really...Is she implying? Oh, you're sure to throw up in the nearest garbage can. "Mom! I'm ready. Let's go!" Amity seems to notice the tension forming in the room. You believe your and Eda's faces glow with the same menacing shade of red. If she...If she really...Oh, that's...You let out a breath through your nose trying to calm your mind, trying to push away the mental image of kicking that woman in the shin. "Of course, my dear." The girl offers an apologetic look at you, before leaving to pull her father by the hand. You want to wave and say that she doesn't have to apologize for anything, but she's already far away. The kids walk her to the door, probably to say goodbye. "When you get tired of playing with this little thing..." Little thing. Hm. Height jokes or value jokes. You have no idea, but it doesn't matter to you. The woman who from that day on would be at the top of your Death Note continued. "You can always call me...I really like the ordinary look, it suits you well." She offers a little wink to your girlfriend before dragging her fingers along her wrist gently. Lilith pulls her arm rapidly enough for you to think that the touch could be physically painful. Would she have the power to curse you if you chew on her arm? Odalia Blight leaves, taking her cloak back. She still looks one last time at Lilith before leaving the house, a too suggestive smile on that mouth. The cloying smell of too expensive perfume lingers in the room as you stop yourself from going to kick the door closed to make sure she wouldn't come back. "Hmmm...I will..." Eda starts, probably sensing in the air and seeing on your face how aggravated you were."I don't know I'll do anything not to be the third wheel in this discussion." She turns back to the kitchen and your eyes shift to the witch a few steps away. To be fair she looks astonished. Emotions are kind of messed up, you feel a bit of shame, disgust even. You were about to open your mouth to ask what the hell had just happened when she spoke. "Can we go upstairs?" She looks at you as she frowns slightly, her breathing a little altered. "Sure." Her fingers are extremely cold as they wrap around yours and guide you up the stairs. It's a silent walk, the stillness rests both physically and mentally, the bond remains completely wordless. It's not until you enter her room again and she locks the door that Lilith lets out a long sigh as if she was holding it all the way. And she probably was. She runs her fingers through her hair next, nervously. "Mind to explain?" You ask, not in an accusatory tone. What you saw was a strange woman clearly flirting with your girlfriend who seemed to want to run to the first hole that came along. "Hmm..." She takes another breath as she sits down in her desk chair, rubbing her temples with her fingertips. You frown as you lean your hips against the wood. "Do you remember the girl who didn't like my freckles?" Your eyebrows frown for a moment, your neurons taking longer than an inch of a second to make the connection between the two pieces of information rattling around in your head. But when you finally understand. Your lips part. Your eyebrows drop. "No...." You begin in a low tone and Lilith lets out a humorless chuckle. "Yeah..." She confirms and you feel that it's quite possible that your nausea will become physical now. She...She was the girl she dated, one of the bastards who made her so insecure about herself. That girl was Amity's mother. Oh. That is. Ew. Just the image makes goosebumps run the entire length of your spine."You dated Amity's mom?" She...And Odalia. Uh. Your skin shivers as the taste seems even more bitter in your throat. You don't care that she's Lilith's ex, not really, not that she's not pretty and stirs up some bad feelings in you. What really makes you feel truly horrible is that...She has changed absolutely nothing from what you could see. She's still a pretty bad person who treats the people around her like nothing. You should have kicked her in the shin when you had the chance. "She wasn't Amity's mother at the time." Lilith adds then with an amused smile, probably because of the grimace that rests on your face right now. You simply can't control this. Ew. The bond is probably contributing to this feeling, not just a certain discomfort, but a certain clear urge to tear your own skin off at the thought. There is a bit of possession as well. You just shake your head negatively, as if that way you can send that intruding thought away. "Ew!" It comes out of your mouth loudly. Even though Lilith has probably heard it a few times. "She was cute and even kind sometimes." She proceeds as she shrugs. As if she was trying to justify why she would date someone...Like that woman. As if you want to know the least about that woman. Cute. Kind. Oh. Okay. You can certainly believe that. For some reason, your jaw clenches as you cross your arms over your chest. "Are you really telling me what it was like dating Amity's mother?" The question comes out in a pretty clear tone. You certainly don't need a more detailed mental picture than the one you're already building. You raise an eyebrow, snorting without even realizing it. Bitterness fills your mouth, while that ugly red feeling takes over you, all over your body. The way she touched Lilith's wrist, the way she seemed to be staring at a piece of meat. Oh. You should have hit her face when you had the chance. Her face, her shin, whatever. Why did she think she had the right to touch Lilith? Your girlfriend? Petty woman, horrible woman. Woman... Argh, you have to hold back your instincts not to snort again. Your face feels incredibly hot as you sink your nails into your palms. "Y/N." Your eyes go to her again as she calls your name in a precise tone. Lilith has the corners of her mouth twitched in a failed attempt to control a smile. For someone who looked so uncomfortable two minutes ago, she seems even too amused. "Are you jealous?" The question echoes as you stare her in the eye. How could you deny it? You twitch your lips, tempted not to answer the question because just the image of that woman with her hands on her makes you a little sick in your stomach. Your hair stands on end once more and you just look away from Lilith. Yes, you were. Awfully jealous. Because Odalia Blight wanted to eat your girlfriend. "Oh, Titan. Are you?" Her eyes widen and a huge smile expands on her mouth as if it was the most amazing thing in the world that you were jealous. You know that jealousy is an ugly and stupid thing to feel. But you can't help it. Possession is a horrible thing to feel, but what can you say when that woman touches your girlfriend in front of you, insinuating things without even changing the color of her face...It's not fair. You feel your lips twitching again. Lilith laughs at your lack of response. A delicious laugh that seems to make you feel even stupider than you already do. Your ears are boiling. "Shut up, Lilith." You mutter between your teeth and sigh deeply afterward. In the end, Odalia was a beautiful woman and she clearly still had some kind of interest in Lilith. It's not as if you were particularly wrong in this story. You were doing so well 10 minutes ago. Enjoying breakfast at the Owl House, enjoying the familiar feeling. And then this damned woman walks in the house and makes bitterness bubble up in you like soda. The indifference because you are human. The flirting. The superior aura. You hate how this woman was able to get into your mood and completely ruin it. You sigh one more time before you move away from Lilith's desk needing to breathe. "Oh, no. Come here." You feel her hand wrap around your wrist and then pull you hard enough so that you fall sitting on her lap. You don't resist, because you're not sure you can resist. She's stronger and more persuasive. "There is no reason for you to be jealous." Her voice against your ear makes your whole body shudder as her hands wrap firmly around your waist. "She was a part of my life that I would rather forget." Her fingers spread nonchalantly across your belly skin as she speaks, which doesn't stop them from sending shivers down your spine. They seem warmer now. "You...You are my mate." She whispers the word now, rubbing the tip of her nose against your earlobe. "More than girlfriend, you are my mate." Her fingers almost unconsciously caress your ribs, spreading a warm sensation all over your skin. "My beautiful, stubborn mate." She clamps your earlobe between her teeth before pulling gradually. Your whole body trembles with the feeling and your cheeks heat up. It's so easy for her it's ridiculous. She wraps you around her fingertips like a string. She has so much power over your being that it should be considered strange. "I hate you." You whisper the same thing you said last night. Lilith lets out a low laugh against your skin, so aware of the effect she has on you. Her fingers gently reach inside your pants, caressing the curve of your waist with her fingertips. You try to hold back, but the sigh is simply impossible to control. Her fingers are warm and spread a very welcome sensation all over your body. It's quite easy to forget that you were pissed off in the first place when she touches you so gently like this. You feel her lips move slowly down your ear to your neck, where she leaves a warm, delicate kiss. You squeeze your fingers against your hand. Why did you have to be so weak for her? Why does she only need a few touches and a few words to have you in the palm of her hand? Why do you always need her to touch you so badly? "But I wouldn't mind proving that I'm serious." She giggles again, one of her hands coming up to meet your cheek and then forcing you to turn to face her eyes. They look pretty amused now, slightly aroused. Silver and green, they seem to blend. She moistens her lower lip with the tip of her tongue as she looks at you, and you almost can't hold back the urge to close your legs. Damned woman. She tilts her head as she looks at you, she seems to be pondering for a moment as she gently runs her fingers along your chin. Those fingers. Long, slender ones that were inside you a few hours ago. You shiver at the thought of them returning to where they were. Your cheeks burn and something tells you that she knows perfectly well what is going on in your head, even though you haven't used the bond. "Open your mouth." It doesn't sound like a request, not in the least bit like how she asked earlier. Her voice sounds slightly hoarse and her breathing quickens. She's commanding. She's not asking. The brat in you really wants to say "Make me," but you think you can tease her later. Right now you just want to feel that she wants you. You part your lips for her. Lilith caresses your lower lip with her thumb, gently, as if drawing, marking, and then she pushes it into your mouth. "Suck it", you hear her say without having to speak and immediately follow her request which again sounded like an order. You suck her finger, feeling the skin's softness on the tip of your tongue. Lilith takes a deep breath for a moment before removing her thumb to return with her index and middle finger. You know it's already dripping between your legs. It's so easy for her. Those fingers would easily be the reason for your death. And the way those eyes darken with desire makes your cheeks completely red. She wants you. She wants to fuck you. That's a great stimulant. That's a great way to forget that woman. When she moves her fingers into your mouth, you find it almost impossible to hold back the moan inside your throat. How? How does she bring out the heat so effortlessly in you? She's just pulling and pushing her fingers into your mouth and you think it's quite possible that you'll pass out. Oh, Titan. It's hard enough to breathe. It's hard to breathe as your body heats up in flames of need for her. Always and only for her. When she pulls her fingers back, you barely have time to complain before her mouth hits yours. Her lips are still soft and the taste is still delicious on your tongue. But she's not gentle. She kisses you as if...As if she wants to destroy you. Her tongue glides over yours with such ferocity it's hard to keep up. This woman. This woman is stealing all your breath, clasping her hands around you hard enough to mark. Her mouth feels like it's boiling, and the breath against your face feels extremely shallow. You feel her fingers return to where they originally were, playing with the waistband of your pants. Your whole body shivers and you are sure that she is grinning against your mouth. Damn woman. She's having so much fun making you so unstable. She pulls away, slides her lips down your neck, sinking her nose into your shoulder's juncture. "Spread your legs for me, love." Oh. Pet name. Her voice sounds against your skin again, and it chills every hair on the back of your neck. You feel extremely overstimulated and she's not even touching you yet. It's just her voice, sounding husky against your skin. Just her fingers playing with the hem of your clothes. You shouldn't have. There was still an amount of resentment bubbling up in you. But how can you help yourself? She only needs a few words for you to melt around her like butter. She only needs a few words to make you dripping and needing her so bad that you think you're going to explode. Your legs spread almost of their own accord and Lilith lets out a short sigh against your skin. The idea that she's panting, she's panting to fuck you. Oh. That shakes your whole body. This woman really wants to make you come, you know that. And that makes your legs weak. She slides her right hand into your pants, ignoring any other piece of fabric in her way. When her fingers reach your legs' apex you feel that you have probably lost all capacity for coherent thought. She slides her fingers gently up and down, testing every reaction of your body. Your breath is lost and only becomes weaker when her other hand comes up, with a fairly sure path. She's like a drug, a numbing mist around you, completely hallucinating, completely addictive. Who needs narcotics when Lilith can make you dizzy with a few touches? She changes the pressure of her fingers as her free hand slides into your bra and you choke. Your hips thrusting toward the touch in a reflex of need that is quite evident. You hear her giggle again, but you're not sure if it was in the bond or not. You feel that you just don't whimper when she pulls her hand from between your legs because you still have enough presence of mind. Her fingers glisten with your juices. "Oh, my dear..." She whispers before bringing her fingers to her own mouth. Your eyes follow the movement, but you find that your consciousness does not. Your inner muscles tighten as she sucks on her own fingers. Holy shit, Lilith Clawthorne. She finds your mouth again. Your taste's in her mouth as she slides her hand to the place it shouldn't have left. Your whole body twitches again. It's too much stimulation, both hands playing with you, the tongue making it so hard to breathe. Her smell. Her taste. The heat that exudes from her in waves and seems to envelop you. You can barely think. And you really don't have time to think about it, as two of her fingers slide into you a second later. Your eyes widen. Your heart races fast enough that it feels like it's pounding all over your body. She has made you dizzy. The filling has made you dizzy. You pull your mouth away from hers to try to breathe, to try to do anything but gasp. "Li-Lilith." You grab her wrist almost to anchor yourself to that reality when her fingers begin to move in and out of you. Your inner muscles contract harder. That, your legs begin to tremble. Oh, Titan. She...You feel that even your fingers are trembling around her. How is that remotely possible? "There, there." She whispers, moving her lips up to your neck, brushing her mouth across your jugular vein. She isn't really calming your spirits. "Shhh...I'm right here, just breathe." You swallow hard even without realizing it, nodding as you let go of her wrist. You take a deep breath as her fingers pause for a moment. "Good girl." She murmured back, making your whole face turn red at the compliment. That voice. Uh. Damn voice. Damn woman. Her fingers slide more easily into you and you find that if there is a meaning in life. That's it. It's this woman pumping her fingers inside you as she breathes impatiently against your neck. It's this woman caressing your breast with her fingertips, her body so pressed against yours that you think it quite possible that your heartbeat is perfectly in tune. Heaven is not a place...It's a woman. It's difficult to reason. Especially when she curls her fingers and reaches for that sweet spot. Your back twitches, the sweat already pooling on the back of your neck. She's a attentive girlfriend. When her fingers return she finds that same spot, her teeth sinking into the jugular vein. Rough. Too much stimulation. You won't last like this. "Lilith...Lilith I'm..." You can't complete the thought with words but she understands perfectly. You don't need words. Not when she hears you with body and mind. "It's okay, baby." Another pet name. And her voice sounds like velvet as she soothes the skin she just nearly broke with the tip of her tongue. Her fingers thrust harder. It's so close, a knot in your stomach, about to break. "Come for me." She didn't command it this time, but you don't think it matters. The knot loosens and the thing between your legs explodes. When you come, it's like being hit on the head. Everything around you seems to spin a bit as your head dives into a delicious lethargic state, the middle of your legs throbs, and you think it's relatively possible that you'll become a jelly on the floor. Incredibly, that's not what you want to do. You can hardly breathe. But the thought is clear and sounds under your skin. "You did so great, my dear." She whispers then as she gently pulls her fingers out of you. You're probably a mess. But do you care? Not really. "I want it." That's the first thing you say, turning your head to look Lilith straight in the eye. Her pupils are twice the size and her cheeks are completely flushed. She frowns as if she really hasn't understood your point. "What?" She seems genuinely curious about what you want after a mind-blowing orgasm. "I want to taste you." She opens and then closes her mouth. It's clear that this is not what she was expecting. Surprise settles on her, in her slightly alarmed eyes and her slightly pronounced eyebrows. Lilith had versatile energy...Just like you, a little more top, but still flexible. Yet you feel that this is something that she doesn't let anyone give her in a long time. It's something that could be challenging for someone who always wanted to be in control of everything, like her. "Please." You add next, trying to make your face as adorable as possible. Lilith moistens her lower lip with the tip of her tongue again. You can identify much of her emotions. She looks a little thoughtful. "Please?" You ask again, tilting your head just a little downward. And you imagine that your puppy eyes convince her because she nods. And there is no hesitation when she does. Your heart pumps faster. That would be interesting. You rise from her lap quickly, not caring if your legs fail you a little. It doesn't really matter. You pull her by the hand toward the nest, and her fingers feel a little cooler than before. Due to her large stature, it was usually you who was always looking up to meet her eyes, so it's just interesting to have to look down now. It's very interesting to be on top of her. You like it. Very much. Your lips meet hers as your fingers slide easily down the sides of her pants. Her hipbones are another of your favorite parts of her body. They are sharp and remarkably sensitive. You pull the pants out of the way, along with any other piece of fabric as your tongue slides into her mouth. You want to take care of her, just as she takes care of you. Your fingers run through her. Lilith shudders, her fingers sinking into your back. She's already soaking wet, which you couldn't say didn't massage your ego. She's like this because she was making you come. The heat exhaling from her. Her breathing starting to get a little shallow against your face. The way her body feels. You will spend your life pleasing this woman in every possible way and you don't even blink when this information runs through your head. She is yours. You are hers. She's no angel, but she's my religion. You pull away for a moment and you look at her. Her cheeks are red and her lips are swollen. She looks beautiful. Still a little ashamed, a little embarrassed. A small worry rests on your shoulders. If she didn't want that...There were other ways. "I...Lilith if you don't...." But she's already denying it with her head, pushing away any hesitation of yours with just a gesture. She raises her hands, wraps your hair with her fingertips, before simply pushing your head down. Her breathing seems quite short now. Oh. You came into this world to please, and that's what you're going to do. You pull the pants down the rest of the legs. And you think you salivate when you see her like that. You could taste it on your fingers. But you want the source. When you slip between her legs, you're sure you've just found heaven on earth. Her taste explodes in your mouth as her hips contract forward, her fingers sinking into your head. This is simply the most delicious thing you have ever tasted in your entire life. It's dangerous that she can't get you off, ever again. You sink your fingers into her thighs and do the job you believe you were born to do. You follow her every reaction, every gasp, every breathe, every contraction of her hips as your mouth tries to kiss her as gently and as intensely as possible. She tastes wonderful, and she makes such lovely little sounds. Again. If there is a heaven. It's not a place. It's a woman. She's Eden. This kind of heresy, tasting heresy on the tip of your tongue is simply the most satisfying thing in the world. "Use your fingers." You feel a tension in her voice through the bond, she is panting, she is clinging to you as if she needs to anchor herself to this place. And you do as she tells you, as is the usual thing to do. You slide one finger in first and then the second, she receives you with anticipation and warmth. And it's perfect. She's perfect for you in so many ways and nuances. You know she is almost there when you curl your fingers to try to find the right spot. Her fingers squeeze your scalp tighter as her body begins to tense around you, her powerful thighs closing around you. You are sure you wouldn't mind if she choked you. You just have to push your fingers in one more time while sucking at just the right spot so that she lets out a low sound from deep in her throat before she comes apart in your mouth. Your eyes lift to her. And she looks like a goddess when she comes, her cheeks so red, accentuating how pale her skin is, slight signs of sweat, and her breathing completely lost. Giving her an orgasm is almost as good as having one of your own. Probably because of the relief she gives you through the bond. It feels good. And quite relaxing. You place one more kiss on her inner thigh before you rise from between her legs to lie down beside her. Her breathing is short, but you find that yours is no different. So you just stay beside her, waiting for whatever comes next. The world could end now, you're not sure you care. This must be what running a marathon feels like. "No one..." Lilith mumbles in a slightly husky tone, your eyes go to her, but she has hers on the mobile, which gives you a view of her sharp jaw. "No one has touched me like this...Since...A long time." You weren't wrong. Lilith has shut herself off for years and you imagine that sex wasn't one of her major priorities in the Emperor's Coven. She's silent for a few seconds as if testing her next words. "I know that..." You frown slightly as her emotions change a bit, the specter rekindles with a purple that makes you a little worried. "I'm not the easiest of witches." She finally meets your eyes, a small smile rising on her mouth. "And sometimes I'm afraid that I won't be able to be the best for you." Your heart sinks a little in your chest. It would still take you some time to get it into that hard head that she was...Everything. Your religion. "But I like the feeling of trying." It's a little melancholy to put it that way, but isn't that one of the reasons you fell in love with her? You love that melancholy look. One day you'll write a song about it. And you made her feel good.  She is satisfied if a little melancholy. "I don't know if you noticed." You start as the smile gets incredibly wide on your face with a specific thought. You move close enough to rest your head on her shoulder so that you can look her in the eye, perfectly. There are golden streaks on the green and blue streaks on the silver. The freckles bring out their color so well. "But you are my mate, officially now. No returns accepted." She raises a hand, and your fingers instinctively curl with hers. She's warm now and they look so good together. "It's me. It's you. It's us." You whisper. She raises her eyebrows at you, slightly amused. "It's a quote from a horror show with a heartbreaking story." Lilith tilts her head to rest her cheek on the top of your head. You can't help but think about how things took different turns that morning. Less than two hours and you were already in the nest again. You also can't help but wonder what Eda must have been thinking. "Us...I like the sound of that." And her fingers tighten around yours. You can't see her eyes, but you don't need to. There's nothing in your head when you close your eyes but her and the way her breath rises and falls in a rhythmic sound. It's golden behind them when you allow any mental barriers to fall away. And then...Two are one. You feel her. You embrace her. Us. And it does sound good. Anyone who had a glance at Lilith Clawthorne in her coven days would say that she was an unbreakable witch. She was a witch who knew where she was going. She knew exactly what she was doing. She would never let herself be shaken by anything. She was strong, she was centered, she was the third most powerful witch in the boiling isles, respected where she stepped. She was a brick wall, an unstoppable storm, she answered to no one but Emperor Belos. Nothing deserved her loyalty but the emperor. Nothing would stop her but the emperor. Every day she woke up with a focus and a mission in mind. She would not linger observing the lifeless ceiling of her room, or the lifelessness her room had overall. Unstoppable. She would open her eyes. She would stand up. She would check her duties put in order of priority and start walking around the castle to make sure all the troops were doing their jobs correctly. She was the inspiration of the new generation of witches. The words success and dedication carried her name. Anyone who knew her before would say that she was someone impossible to break. Made not of iron but pure steel. Nothing could strike her because she had no weak points. A perfect soldier. Molded to obey. Molded to do whatever was necessary. Someone impossible to break in half, who even when on the brink of death in battle would die with a smile on her face. Someone who could not be struck by love, because she had simply forgotten what that was.  And someone who could never be struck by hate because there was no one she hated more...Than herself. Who could have known that underneath her steel skin, underneath her cold eyes, her sarcasm dripping with venom, her posture as firm as a statue...There was someone who couldn't live with herself? Lilith hated every second of her existence almost as much as she hated herself.  She stuck her head in paperwork, in training, in missions. She filled her head as much as she could. This is how she lived, trying to survive with the guilt and the fact that no one... No one... No one would ever look at her with the slightest bit of affection on their face. No one would simply listen to her talk about her day. Because...Who the hell would want to talk to someone as hateful as she was? She clung to the crumbs Belos offered. She believed that a "well done" and a "very good" was all she needed...But that was all she had. For years. Years.  For years all she could think about was pleasing that man because it was the only interaction she regularly received from anyone. Lilith got used to sleeping three hours a night.  She got used to being quiet while the emperor murdered wild witches and broke their palismen to stay healthy. She convinced herself that this was right. Believing that he would save Eda. Believing that he could fix the biggest mistake of her whole life. Because if he healed her...Eda would be fine. The guilt would go away, the weight on her shoulders would go away. She could have a sister again. They could be united in the coven like they were when they were young. Best friends.  All those dreams, bad dreams... They would stop. She could keep fooling herself, or trying to fool herself. But it was the only thing that allowed her to sleep. The only thing that would stop the dreams, the dreams that wouldn't leave her alone even when she was awake. For how long had Eda, Eda's ghost, kept her sane? For how long was that connection lost in time all she had to keep her up every day? Tomorrow I will be able to bring her in. Tomorrow he will heal her. Tomorrow this will be over. There were days when she felt that there was only her and Riven. The only being that could stand...Someone like her. She still doesn't understand how he just hasn't flown away over the years. Titan knows he had reasons for it. She didn't deserve even such a good little bird in her life. But then...That happened. The moment the emperor said what he intended. The moment he left the throne room. She... She broke, as perfectly as a piece of crystal. Perfectly.  "You deserved to be petrified. Not Eda." That's what Luz said. And she was never more right. She was that thing with no feelings, while her sister was willing to die for a little girl. Never.  No one had the right to lay a single finger on her sister.  She broke in half. She realized that...If Eda had joined the coven. They would have killed her. Not physically, but inside. Eda was free, chaotic, smiling, and kind. A few weeks in the coven, with whispers, nightmares, too many harsh words and...Well, worse things...Things Lilith didn't like to think about. No. She would never allow it. She betrayed the emperor. She stood by her sister for the first time in years. And she didn't regret it for a single second. It was the least she could do...After so long and after all she had done. And Eda accepted her.  Even knowing everything. She didn't just forgive her. She accepted her. She took her by the hand and showed her that nothing had to be awful. They could face anything, as long as they were together. It was a slap in the face. More than a slap in the face. It was a punch in the stomach, the kind that steals the air and makes vomit build up in her throat. Her little sister. She didn't hate her, she didn't kick her out of her life for what she did. She simply was Eda...She simply gave her a place in her life. And she felt like shit for that, every day.  She would choose screams, cuts, eyes glittering with hate. It was what she got used to. After so long you interpret a raised hand as something other than a pat on the back. You get chills just hearing a sharper male voice, even if you know it's the Tv...And not him. You feel that you are not welcome, even when everyone is smiling at you. She didn't feel she deserved any of what had happened. She was the one who cursed Eda. She was the one who hid it. She was the one who chose the emperor for so many years, choosing poor validation over her family. She was the one who was this horrible creature for so long.  She constantly thought about leaving for another place. She never had a home besides her room in the emperor's castle, but maybe she could have one, somewhere. Just to allow her sister to have her family in peace. She certainly deserved that. Lilith believed that even Hooty would be better off without her, he didn't deserve someone like her as a best friend. She was trying to live one day at a time, trying to deal with everything that her head was thinking about every second of the day. That was until you arrived. Stubborn. Insistent. Persistent. Kind. Loving. You were the outlier. Completely outlier. She had nothing against humans before, not really. She made fun of Luz before only because she was still trying to deal with everything she felt about Eda and the curse and the Coven. But she found humans quite fascinating, to be honest. However, she really didn't expect the human girl she helped because she realized she was a lost human as much as her sister's adopted daughter to be her mate. Lilith is no longer the witch who served in the emperor's coven. She no longer commands troops. She doesn't obey orders anymore. And she doesn't intend to do that ever again. When her eyes open in the first light of the morning, she doesn't think about her duties, or about troops. She blinks a few times to get used to the brightness and the surroundings she has just woken up to, and the first thing she sees, are shiny objects, producing little rainbows as they receive the first rays of the morning sun. It's a beautiful sight to wake up to. The somnolence is still taking hold of her, so she doesn't mind considering a few more minutes of sleep. She moves and her arms unconsciously wrap around the other body in the nest, seeking warmth almost sleepwalkingly. The body is small compared to hers, but it fits so well with hers as if it was born to be so. And it probably was. She breathes in the smell of your hair and wishes she could make a moment like this become eternal or at least long enough for her to carry in her memory. Lilith doesn't have substantial nice memories if she were honest. She doesn't think that after she left her parents' house she has any worth keeping until she started living with Eda again. Most of her memories...She'd rather not even touch.  So while she has been living in the Owl House she keeps every one of them.  She keeps the first time she made Eda laugh after discovering about the curse, warm and wide, a laugh that almost made her cry. She keeps when King grabbed her leg in a hug for helping him down from the kitchen table. She keeps the day she and Hooty became best friends. She keeps every time Luz was proud of her for her advances in glyph magic. She keeps every smile she took from you. She remembers and doesn't think she will ever be able to forget. Each one of them. Lilith Clawthorne used to be unbreakable. But she...She is not. Not anymore. She has something she can call family now and even if she thinks she doesn't deserve them...They are the people she devotes herself to every day to protect and care for.  She will make up for it. Eda, Luz, Hooty, King, and you. She accepts it now. Even if she doesn't feel she deserves it...She accepts the affection. Because she doesn't know if she can live any other way now. She also doesn't think she's good at showing feelings. She was once a little more open as a child, just a little. People were already cruel when she was young, and she could usually only talk to Eda...And sometimes Raine. This got worse over the years. Now it's extremely complicated to say how she feels or to find out how she feels. In the coven...If you indicated weakness or feelings in general, things didn't end very well.  She's trying, though.  She always tries when she thinks about you. She hopes that you all know...That you all know how important you are to her. How much she would rather have Belos rip her heart out than hurt any of you again. "Lith?" She hears you mumble a very sleepy, slow question, but she still understands. "What time is it?" Her eyes move to the window, the sunlight still incipient, slowly creeping over the horizon. Everything still seems a little dark. "Early." She whispers against the back of your out head, your hair is smelling particularly good. "Go back to sleep." She says next. Lilith is sure her voice sounds awful when it's hoarse like this. "Okay." She wants to giggle because you didn't even want to question it. You could be a bear when it came to sleep, and she thought that was quite adorable. She didn't laugh, though, because she felt you gripping her fingers gently, entwining yours with hers and then pulling her even tighter against you. You are exuding a very welcoming morning warmth and she can't stop herself from tightening around you. A small smile threatened to curl across her lips. It had been a few weeks now, but she would be lying if she said she had gotten used to...The touch again. How important is it to feel someone's touch? How long had she only had the comforting weight of Riven between her neck and shoulder and that was all? Lilith was once an unbreakable woman. But now she has a weak heart for the simplest things. And when she closes her eyes again, pressing her fingers against yours, smelling her mate...She is sure she doesn't care that her heart has softened. And when she breathes. Long and soothing. She reckons. How rare and beautiful it is to even exist, how rare and beautiful are the odds of you finding her. Of her finding you. Uneven.  She sleeps more than three hours a night now.  And she is fine with that. (...) When she opened her eyes again. The morning is already a little higher than before, the sun is already a little too bright, which tells Lilith that she should get up. It's kind of ironic, but she is a morning person.  She stretches her neck and sighs for a moment. Her eyes fall to you then and the smile slowly spreads across her lips.  Lilith sneaks up to place a little kiss on your forehead before getting up from the nest. She's not sleepy anymore and she didn't want to wake you up by tossing and turning around. So she crawls out of the nest and looks for comfortable clothes to go downstairs and make breakfast. She doesn't forget to take a bottle of elixir. It tastes awful and burns her throat a little when she swallows it, but it's worth it. Anything to keep the raven beast away from everyone, especially away from you. She remembers that. Of that thing in her head, enveloping her with that aura, preventing her from controlling herself and her own feelings. And the terror that gripped her whole body when she became conscious again and realized that she was one step away from... Eda was already awake. And so was Luz. The two are talking about something outside, which Lilith doesn't pay much attention to. She just caresses Hooty's head with a morning greeting and then heads for the kitchen. Lilith Clawthorne no longer has duties to perform. She now has chores that she enjoys doing. She pours herself a mug of apple blood and realizes that Luz must have already had breakfast because she left the cereal box on the table.  If a year ago someone asked Lilith to make a hot chocolate...She would ask what the hell hot chocolate was, let alone one with no lactose. Lately, it's almost second nature to her. She walks easily through the kitchen, picking up coconut milk, chocolate, nutmeg, cinnamon, and other ingredients that she wouldn't know the name of if not for this specific thing. She was still learning to cook without using any magic. She's mixing the darker melted chocolate into the mixture and keeping it warm with a simple glyph combo when her ears move with an intrusive sound. She feels it more than hears it, to be honest. The leaves move hard, the winds are violent, it rocks the house in a very familiar way.  Her heart...Her heart seems to stop for a moment because years have passed, but she still recognizes it. And when the voice comes. She knows she wasn't wrong. She's a grown woman, isn't she? So why is it that when she hears her voice it sounds like she's 15 years old again? Her fingers tremble around the porcelain and she sets it down on the table, afraid it will fall.  Mom.  It's her mother's voice.  Why? Why is she here? Does it really matter? It's your mother. Talk to her. You are no longer a child. You don't need her to look at you constantly anymore. She's your mother. You haven't seen her for longer than you can remember. You miss her. Lilith takes a deep breath, trying to orchestrate her thoughts, but her legs carry her to the door before she can really form a coherent one. "I heard all about the petrification ceremony." That's the first thing she hears when she puts a foot out of the house. She remembers that day pretty well. She remembers the fear of dying, not death exactly, but...Dying without being able to redeem herself for anything. She remembers the other fear that still chills her bones. The fear of losing Eda. She would rather someone kill her than have to feel that again. "Mother!" The word sounds strange on her tongue. After all this time, she still looks...Almost the same. Mother has grayer hair now and her eyes have darkened a bit, looking more like one of her own. But Gwendolyn Clawthorne still looked like the same woman, with a smile that matched Eda's and eyes that reminded her of the person Lilith was. She's wearing an amulet with a strange symbol, but mama has always been somewhat adventurous. "Oh hi, sweet flea." Sweet flea. Oh. That's nostalgic. It's been years since she heard that. She smiles at it. A single smile. After all this time. Does she notice the changes in her? The heterochromatic eyes? The freckles all over her body? She's probably lost quite a bit of weight since she last saw her mother. "Still dying your hair, I see. It's very sleek." The witch moves closer for just a brief second, just a small touch on the smaller strands of her hair. It's only a delicate touch, but it seems to make a lifetime since her mother last touched her. Because it probably does. It feels like a lifetime since the last time she had a chance to see or hear her mother. She almost closes her eyes with that single touch. "Now give me a moment with Edalyn, dear. It's important." Lilith opened her mouth in pure reflex, but...Nothing came out. Don't feel that. No. You are a grown woman. You are a grown woman, a grown woman who cursed her own sister. You can't demand more of her, you just don't have the right to do that. That doesn't stop her stomach from sinking, her eyes itching. She pulls away, wrapping her arms around herself, perhaps trying to keep this feeling from spreading. Her skin creeps with an icy sensation that runs through her entire body. Tighten your arms, keep it inside you, you are no longer a child begging for attention. Eda. Eda deserves better. Eda deserves this family. You don't. You are only here because she had compassion for you. Don't be like that. Don't be that stupid, spoiled child again. This all happened simply because you were like that. When will you stop? Will it never be enough? "Hey, guys. Good morning." She tries to return to her more ordinary mood when you cross the doorway with the hot chocolate in hand, giving her the brightest smile in appreciation. Lilith tries to smile back, it comes out as a grimace. She knows that the only reason you don't feel everything right away it's because you're still sleepy, but as soon as you fully return to your body, you will. She can't let that happen. Not about that. It's childish, it's stupid. She doesn't want you to see that side of her. It would be better if you only knew the problems with the parents, no more than that. It's not fair to you. "I shall be curing your curse!" It's Gwendolyn's exclamation that makes all eyes turn to her. Including yours. Lilith watches your face, she watches you raise your eyebrows in confusion, noticing the obvious resemblance in the woman present there, and then your eyes go to her.  But before you have a chance to ask, Eda's response diverts your attention. "No, thanks." A chorus of "Whats?" arises, coming from, Luz, Hooty, and you. Lilith dare not open her mouth once more. Not again. "I said, 'No, thanks'." Repeated Eda simply, while shrugging. Yes, it hurts. It hurts how indifferent Eda is. Because she didn't need mother to look at her. She never needed it and it's not the least bit different now. Lilith wanted to be like her. Eda was so extensively better than her at everything. "I got my elixir system. I'm good." There's a sour taste in her mouth, but she can't tell if it's leftover from the elixir...Or everything.  "But... But who knows what they put in those nasty concoctions?" The matriarch of the Clawthorne family proceeds, her eyebrows raised in complete disbelief. Luz nods her head in agreement and Lilith feels your eyes upon her incisively. You haven't asked anything yet, the bond is in complete silence. She wonders if it's due to the fact you have already sensed how petty she is wanting to behave now.  "Actually, I do." Eda said with her tongue dripping sarcasm. "And... Would you look at the time?" She pretends to look at a wristwatch before simply sitting mother on her staff. "I got a lot to do today. So sad to see you go. Okay, bye!" She hits a resounding slap on the tip of the staff, causing the wings to spread and then the eagle ascends into the sky. Everyone looks quite indignant. Lilith. Lilith doesn't know what to feel. She...For the first time in a long time, she feels like she is floating in that cloud of emotions that was being in the emperor's coven. She doesn't know what to feel. She doesn't know how she should behave and it scares her...Quite a lot. "I'd kill to see my mom right now, and you just launch yours into the sky?" Luz's voice is particularly shrill, but Lilith doesn't pay attention. She doesn't think she is paying attention to anything. That's lethargy. "Oh, listen, she comes around every year, toting a new cure for my curse, but they never work." Every.  Every year? She watches Eda entering the house and the word seems to echo inside her. Every.  Every year.  No. Don't start with that. You don't have the right. But if mother had appeared once every two years, or three? Maybe four years? Would it have made things easier when she could barely look in the mirror? Would it have made her less hateful? No. Lift your head, don't cry. This is not the time to cry, even if your eyes water. Even if your heart squeezes until it feels like it's going to turn into a grape. You can't do this. She didn't even ask if you were okay. How long has it been? 8? 10 years since you last saw her? And she didn't even ask if... if you were okay. She didn't even look at you. "Lilith." She feels your touch, slightly hesitant on her shoulder. She has no idea how long she has been staring at the spot in the sky where her mother disappeared. "Everything okay?" The right answer? No. She's not okay. She thought her parents' lack of attention was kind of a Clawthorne thing, they had to pay more attention to Eda because she was chaotic...And she was cursed. But...Decades later. They still pretend they have only one daughter. It's still the same shit.  Stop it. It's not right. If you hadn't cursed your little sister in the first place, none of this would have happened. "Sure." She swallows hard to manage to say anything. She sees you frown and tilt your head, doubt emanating so evidently. She knows you feel it. You know exactly what she is feeling. She can't allow it now. When the walls go up around her, she's not even fully aware. She just needs...She just needs you not to see that side of her. You, a girl who was kicked out of your home by your own parents, who probably never had the slightest bit of love within your own home. You don't need to see this petty side of her that complains even with a...Loving mother. She can't remember the last time she felt this bad. You don't have to feel that way. You don't need to be around her now.  "I...I'll go see if Eda needs help with anything." That's a lame excuse. She just needed to get away from it all for a second. For a second that was. She wanted to not exist. For a damn second. For one damn second, she would like to stop thinking. "Lilith..." But when the word tries to reach her, it hits and doesn't really touch her. She knows how much she must have hurt you. She hates herself a little more for that. But now. Now she really needs to hide again. She really needs to not be here. Fear makes her skin freeze. She doesn't want to hurt you. None of you. That's why she needs to be alone. Before her poison sprays. (...) That. That almost tore you apart. Not the attitude, but the barrier. It was almost physical, your skin froze when you felt the word simply float. It hurt, but it hurt inside. It sank into your stomach, made the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. She pushed you away. Again. She...She went to lock herself away. Again. You try not to feel your heart fall to pieces at this, but it's slightly impossible. Your eyes seem to fill with tears as you watch her disappear into the house.  You knew that her relationship with her mother was, to say the least, complicated. But, you had shitty parents as well, you could help. You wanted to help. But, as always...She didn't want to. Even after everything. Would that ever change? "Y/N!" You blink several times to push the tears away and then face Luz. It's a bit complicated and you make her frown as she looks at you. You try not to grimace, silently asking what you could help with. "Will you come with me, after Miss Clawthorne?" Your eyebrows pronounce and then you realize that she is pointing to a spot in the forest. The woman had not gone away. "Why do you want to go after her?" You think it sounded a little too harsh, but it was Lilith. She would do that to you. You'd go into defensive mode when she got like that.  "She's trying to help. If she has some way to actually cure the curse we can't let it slip just because Eda is too proud." She had a point there. If she really could cure the curse...Maybe she and Lilith could establish some kind of connection again. It was a silly hope. But what wouldn't you do for her? And what other options did you really have? Staying in the Owl House, watching the weather while Lilith didn't want to talk to you? "Fine. Let's go." Luz raises her arms and you make your way toward the clearing, with quick steps, really fearing that Miss Clawthorne would leave without you having the chance. "MISS CLAWTHORNE!" Luz's shout makes the woman stop in place and turn around with frowning eyebrows. She's strangely very similar to the two sisters, facially it's like looking at Eda, but her eyes are exactly like Lilith's green eye. "Hi! I'm Luz. Eda's apprentice." She looks at you then and a small smile forms on her mouth. "And this is Y/N, my apprentice." Miss Clawthorne frowns slightly at that but doesn't interrupt. "We think what you're doing is so sweet. Eda can be so... Eda sometimes." The lady smiles now. She doesn't seem bothered by the fact that you are both humans, which is good. "You may call me Gwen, my dears. But please don't blame Edalyn." She clings to her staff. An eagle. You watch with interest. Owl, raven, eagle. The Clawthornes had something with birds. "It was the curse that created the rift between us." Your tongue curls into your mouth to ask about Lilith. Had she not even noticed that she was cursed too? Had she not even noticed the change in her eyes? The white streak? Oh, this is worse than you thought. "I understand. Right now, there's an actual rift between me and my mom in the Human Realm." You feel for her. Luz's mother loves her and you can't imagine the pain she is feeling without any word from her daughter. You wonder if your parents at some point tried to look for you. Probably not. "Human Realm? Hmm." Miss Clawthorne seems to ponder for a second as she looks at the two of you. "My dear, I may know how to fix both our rifts." You frown, almost to the point of joining your eyebrows together. The human world? "I've heard some information that may assist you on your quest." She's smiling in a rather cheerful way now, but for some reason, you can't smile back. Probably because of the lethargy you are feeling. "Help me cure Eda's curse and that information is yours." You are about to add something. Why would she really need your help to cure Eda if she already said she had the cure? And why would an adult make a bargain with a child? "Yes, yes, yes!" Luz, on the other hand, doesn't seem too discouraged. Maybe it's just you. You don't even think of the human world as home anymore. Home. That word doesn't belong where you came from. "Where do we start?" She then adds, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "We'll be consulting someone very special." And when she touches the amulet she has on her chest, it glows with a green light that you don't think is very safe. But when Luz starts walking beside her and chattering, you follow her. Because you see no other option. Going home now and feeling that barrier that almost ripped you in half is not an option. You follow them. Not before you take one last look at the Owl House and pray to the Titan to take care of her while you cannot. (...) Having ice cream of controversial origins with a demon in the middle of the day. Maybe this was the new humiliating one for Lilith. For Titan's sake. Hooty had to tell them to stop. If Hooty became the voice of reason then she was really in deep shit.  But she wanted to stay away and she succeeded. You, Eda, and Luz just disappeared. Which is good. She says to herself as she takes another spoonful that seems to cloud her head even more.  It's good that you are far away and don't get a chance to see her like this. Especially you. Family issues and night market ice cream do not get along well. "If my dad doesn't care about me, why should I care about him?" Unfortunately, this is not how things work. Children who are left out are always the ones who are so in need of care. She observed this in Amity for a while, it was almost impossible not to make a self-projection. With you, it was vastly harder to ignore.  That's another reason why she stayed with the emperor for so many years. She was so afraid of leaving him and never having anyone again. Belos did several things that she would rather forget, but he spent more time with her than her own parents. Which is kind of ironic. How ironic is it that the dictator who tried to kill her and her sister, who tor...For years was more present in her life than her parents? Would it have been the least bit different? You can't blame them. You can't. They shouldn't even have to look at you in the face after what you did. "Hmm? Well, I'm not going to him. He's gonna have to come to me." King proceeds, throwing his stuffed animal across the room. He's furious. Lilith is similar. She knows she shouldn't...But that's all she feels. She wishes she could have been the perfect daughter. She wanted so badly to impress them. She wanted so much to give them pride and nothing was ever enough. She was still second, even though she was first. She will always be...That. "I have no mother." She mumbles, feeling the burden of the words weigh on her shoulders. She really didn't have one. She can't remember the last time her mother spoke to her before today. She didn't visit her. She didn't call. She didn't send a fucking letter. She didn't care. It was the same as not having a mother.   A thin tear runs down one of her eyes, but she doesn't bother to wipe it away.  "Isn't that taking it a bit too far, Lulu?" Her eyes go to Hooty and it's touching how concerned he looks. If she were still in her body, she would probably caress his head. "It's not taking it far enough." King rebuts with his paw in a fist. "Go tell her that. Go on. She's right outside." Lilith's eyebrows pronounce as she settles on the couch to look at the little demon. "She is?" And her voice breaks halfway. She has no idea why. "Yeah, I saw her go off with Luz and Y/N. I think they're gonna heal Eda's curse or whatever." She hesitates for a moment when she hears your name. You were trying, even after she pushed you away again. You were still trying. It hurts. Her chest tightens. All the pain she's been causing. All the people she's been hurting. You. But indignation blisters it all away so easily. Resentment is such an easy remedy for self-loathing. It doesn't stop her eyes from filling with tears, though. Again? "Mother paying attention to Edalyn, again." She says more to herself as a sneering smile begins to appear in her mouth. It's always been like that. Why on earth did you think it would change? "I mean, it's not like I care." And she tries to say it with conviction, but she thinks the way her voice breaks is too obvious, even for a tube bird and a demon kid.  It's like being 15 all over again. Mother was traveling, looking for a cure. Papa had gone to the Mandible, not exactly answering the letter she sent. She hadn't seen Eda for weeks, she didn't know where she was. And she didn't have the right to ask her anything. Alone and standing in that hall full of people with judgmental looks. No familiar faces, no one to guide her. Just judgment, just people with very threatening expressions as that woman pressed the glove on her back.  She was a fucking child. She just wished someone had held her hand. That's all.  The tears fall more easily now. "You got, uh... You got a little, uh... Hmm." She frowns when she realizes that King is pointing at her face. She raises her hands, almost feeling what she would find. Feathers. Feathers sticking out of her skin. Her eyes widen. Her chin trembles. She rises from the couch with enough force to push it away and slam it against the wall. From under the cushions, behind the pot, on the ceiling. Where? Where are they? Eda has scattered hundreds of them everywhere. Where? "Where are the elixirs?" She runs, her legs almost failing, her limbs no longer wanting to respond to her pleas. She doesn't want to hurt anyone again. Please, not again. She can't take this anymore. It hurts.  There are no elixirs in the kitchen cupboards, nor in Eda's room, even the ones in her trunk are gone. Despair surges through her veins. No, not again. She tries to calm herself, to take a few deep breaths, but the thought that there is nothing here to stop it...It only increases her agony. It will consume her. Her lips quiver as hot tears trickle down harder. She will hurt everyone again. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt any of you. When King and Hooty appear at the bedroom door, she wants to say that she's sorry. She wants to say that she tried and failed. She wants to apologize if she hurt them. However, she doesn't have time. It's extensively stronger than her. Everything. Her ghosts are tougher than her. They pull her into them. They grab her hard enough to hurt, they are strands of black dust that clamp deep, like claws, into her skin and drag hard. There is nothing here. There is nothing but pain and anger and resentment. She doesn't want to. She tries.  But what comes out of her mouth is only a cry and everything turns black before her eyes. And then... She has no body left either. (...) You thought it was a shitty idea from the beginning. It didn't matter how shiny that cave was, or that that guy with more than two arms had healed the creature that looked like a rat. It didn't matter. You didn't think it was right to try to cure the curse by pulling it out, through high levels of stress, as your...(Mother-in-law?) claimed was written in that book. It didn't seem right. This is not any kind of traditional medicine, even for the boiling isles, it didn't seem right. But she was older, right? She was wiser. She was their mother for the Titan's sake. "Gwen, we tried freezing the curse out, we tried sweating the curse out, we even tried flying snakes for some reason." The lady looks at you, skeptical, as you continue to speak. "I don't think this stuff is working." Eda just flew over your heads and you don't think this was very productive, considering that she was currently running from flying snakes and the curse was perfectly fine. "Did Wortlop ever say where he learned this stuff?" Luz completed and from the look on her face at you...You understand that she wasn't very confident either. "Yes, I'm sending it right away." Gwendolyn said as she pressed a button on a phone that was a bird and it flew away. Your eyebrows frowned again, your intuition sounding throughout your whole body now. "What did you just do?" Luz murmurs with slightly narrowed eyes. You can already sense where this is going. Nobody charges to heal people if they are not licensed doctors. That's one of the basic things you learn in school. "It turns out the ancient tome is only the first of a series." You look at Luz and she looks at you. You both raise your eyebrows in the same way. "So I'm trading in a few paltry family heirlooms to get the rest." Gwendolyn says as she hands a bag with more jewelry than you've ever seen in your entire life to a bird that immediately takes off flying. "Let me see that book." And you're not asking. You want to see what the hell is written there. A certain indignation bubbling up the lethargy you've stopped feeling for a while. "Halt." She pushes the book away from your hands and you feel your jaw lock, hard as a piece of metal. "Only people who have scaled Wortlop's 'Pyramid of Study' can touch the tome." You roll your eyes before Luz uses a root spell to throw the book directly into your hands. "Hey!" Gwendolyn complains in an alarmed tone. But you and Luz are already going through the pages. Every one of your previous misgivings is confirmed. "Jar of bees for existential dread?" You mutter, hardly believing your own words. "Aromatherapy for broken legs?" Luz adds, raising her eyes in alarm at the woman. You remember her saying that her mother was a veterinarian. If you were outraged by that, how should it be for a doctor's daughter? "Gwen, you're being scammed. Wortlop is the worst kind of fake I've ever seen." But you can see the denial on her face as soon as the words come out of her mouth. She...She truly believes in that crap. "You really think I'd spend my life savings on a fake?" Your immediate response is "yes". Yes, you would spend your life savings on a book that isn't going to help anything because apparently your censorious ability only... But you shut your mouth. Letting Luz do the talking, she has more finesse. She has more patience than you do at the moment, and you don't think that being rude like this to your mother-in-law is going to be very good for the future.  "I know you want what's best for Eda, and so do I." There was no cure. That disappoints you a little. You certainly wanted to give this cure to Lilith if it were possible. But if it isn't. It doesn't matter. Giant claws and all. Always. "But I'm calling this off." Luz pulls an elixir from the fanny pack she was carrying around her waist and starts down the path to get down from the tree. You intend to follow her before you let out all the swear words that are in your head at this very moment. "Luz, I really thought we were on the same side." And when she grabs Luz's arm, pulling the elixir from her hands, you already have a fire glyph between your fingers. You normally had some in your pockets. And you've never thought you would have to use it against a family member, but you certainly will if she wants you to. "According to Wortlop, poison like this is made by healers and potion makers who simply want money." You again glance at each other before looking again at the Clawthorne's matriarch. How could she be the mother of the most intelligent woman you have ever met? What kind of mist is that around her? The book floats up to show you an image that shows a witch poisoning herself with the elixir. Oh my Titan. She's an anti-vaxxer. Your mother-in-law is an anti-vaxxer. "You have to be fucking kidding me." You barely notice as the curse comes out of your mouth and Luz raises her eyebrows at you, but there is a smile at the corner of her mouth that says she loved it. Oh, Eda is going to kill you.  "You just give..." Luz looks as much on the verge of collapse as you do. She sighs deeply and touches her forehead with her fingertips. "Whatever. I'll just get more at the house." She barely has time to say those words before Gwendolyn smiles too broadly.  "I'm afraid that will be a waste of your time." The eagle scraps past your ear before dropping a wide bag in front of you that reveals...A lot of...Elixirs. No.  She didn't fucking do that. Your breathing changes pace. Your face heats up in a rather obvious outrage. She...Did she leave Lilith alone without elixirs? Lilith who was currently fighting with herself over her feelings? What if...What if she needed it? "Hawksley cleared out every bottle hours ago." She seems so happy about it. You press the glyph, fire rushing through your fingers. You don't give a damn if she is Lilith and Eda's mother. You will take those elixirs for better or for worse. If Lilith needs them if Eda needs them. There's nothing to discuss. "Why would you do that?" Luz folds her fingers into fists, looking worriedly at you. You don't remember looking so out of sorts in her eyes. She is right to be worried. Your teeth are grinding, your breathing is changing. You try to look for Lilith through the bond, but your concentration cannot focus to communicate.  "Because I am a mother who will do anything for her daughter." Your teeth grind a little more, you feel like you are almost growling. Anything but talking to them. Or noticing them. Or. You don't have time to complete the thought. Because Luz literally leaps at Gwendolyn and there is a huge crash as they both fall from the branch of the tree. Your eyes widen and your heart races. But there is no sound of bones breaking, only of glass. The elixirs are gone. You put out the fire on a leaf and climb down the tree as fast as you can, being able to hear the exalted voices below. "You weren't healing me. You nearly killed me!" Eda's eyes are flickering as she looks at Luz and her mother and when she looks at you soon after. She shakes her head negatively in pure disappointment, the feathers increasing around her hair and limbs. "Eda, please try to stay calm." You sense in the air that this was completely the wrong moment to ask her to stay calm. "Why? Why should I be calm?" She almost smiles wryly, as Eda normally would, but her eyes turn black when she blinks, much larger, and a huge shiver runs through your skin. "I have a right to be upset!" And her voice doesn't sound like her. It sounds more like a parrot and a demon at the same time. It's terrifying. It's very terrifying. And when she lowers her arms, it's wings coming up, head triples in size, feathers and more silver feathers, claws, and teeth too sharp. Black, non-human eyes. And that is the owl beast. The raven one was vastly bigger, but that doesn't stop your limbs from getting jelly-like consistency from seeing her. "Let's get out of here. Now!" You say too quickly, while Eda is still stunned. Eda is not Lilith. She's not going to court you, she's going to rip your liver out. "No need to worry, dear. According to this we just have to... Uh..." Gwen flips through her helpful book. Eda's approaching, she's smaller than Lilith's form but still big enough to swallow a hand at once Uh.  "Have to what?" Luz's voice sounds quite shrill now. It's desperation. "Buy the next volume." You almost curse again. But Eda screeched, too loud. You almost had to put your hands to your ears. And then something stabbed you in the foot. You jumped on the spot in time for King to pull his horn from your shoe. He had just fallen from a bush in front of you, screaming at almost the same cadence as Eda. Too many things happening at the same time. You feel extremely disturbed. "So Lilith was feeling stressed and, uh, the light glyph didn't really work. So...uh..." You don't even need him to say anything else. You know what comes next. And you want to punch your mother-in-law in the face right now, so bad. But Lilith's shrill squeal doesn't let you think straight. The black shape flies through the trees with a ferocity that few things could have.  Your heart sinks in your chest. She was so on the verge of collapse. You should have insisted. You should have tried a little harder. You should have stayed with her. When she lands, her claws scrape the ground. She looks even bigger than she did that night, maybe because it was so dark then, but she's easily three times Eda's size. And they are both so furious. This is not going to end well. "Sweet flea?" You roll your eyes at your mother-in-law. That's not going to help. When Lilith starts running toward Eda, fangs bared, it's you who runs toward her. You don't really think about what you are doing. She could hurt Eda, a lot, but she's still Lilith. You still feel her. If there is any way to stop the disaster. You couldn't care less about what happens to you.  You wedge yourself between the two beasts that could tear you to pieces. "LILITH!" The bond is there, you know it's her because the thread ends in her. But the other end...The other end seems to be covered in a dark mass of feelings that you can't identify. She's so lost inside her own head. She hardly knows what to feel. And she keeps running. Her claws tearing up dirt everywhere they go, with only one objective, her sister. "LITH! YOU HAVE TO STOP!" You scream at her, you scream in the bond. Stop. For the Titan's sake, stop. Because this isn't you. This is not you.  This is not my Lilith.  That's the curse talking, be stronger than that. Don't hurt Eda. Don't hurt yourself. "Y/N! GET OUT!" She won't hurt you. You know she won't. She would never hurt you, right? She would never do that. Yet her claws rise up, huge. They glow golden in the setting sun. And the fangs look very promising. She truly scared the life out of you. You feel a thrust from the ground, your body is thrown upwards, and a stabbing pain spreads down your right arm. Blood trickles down as your body slams hard against the ground on the other side. Luz used a root spell. If not for that, it would have been your chest probably.  Uh. It was a nasty cut and it's throbbing like hell, causing hot tears to pool in your eyes. But you don't blame her. You're the stupid one.  You had to try. You watch as the winged creature that is also your girlfriend picks up her sister as if she were a little keychain and flies away. Just like that. One last loud squeal in the air. "Y/N!" Luz shouts, coming at you in almost the next second. She pulls a piece of fabric from her fanny pack with ease, tying it around the wonderful new cut you have on your biceps. "That was extremely stupid!" She scolds as if you were the child. "I had to try." For her. You always do really stupid things for her. Standing in front of her in bestial form and trying to chat is just one of them. "That was my little sweet flea. That means she's also..." Yes. She's also cursed. Gwen's expressions drop. She...She finally gets it. "Cursed, yes. Were you not paying any attention to her?" King didn't spare the words you had been thinking all along. She was so focused on trying to heal Eda that she didn't notice anything regarding Lilith. "I'm going after them." Luz said as she picked Owlbert up. You immediately try to stand, your face contorting with the pain spreading through your arm, it's hot, scalding, and seems to make your skin curl. "You stay." She points at you and it's almost impossible not to roll your eyes. "I'm not leaving my girlfriend alone, Luz." Gwen's eyes widen even more. "Girlfriend?" Well, about that you don't blame her for, she hadn't seen that much yet.  "You won't be able to hold a staff with that arm, you stay." You open your mouth again, ready to argue, but Luz won't give you room. "Are you coming Gwen?" She asks then, which makes you widen your eyes in indignation. "This... This must be part of the process, right?" You don't know if it's the pain of the recently opened cut, but you feel a twinge in your heart. She wants to believe so badly, doesn't she? "I can see you still need a little time." King climbs on Owlbert and you barely have time to hold the end of the staff before Luz takes flight. You can't believe they left you behind because of a crappy biceps injury. As if you're just going to sit around in this damn clearing while your girlfriend is in need of all the support in the world. You turn toward where you know the Owl House was. You wouldn't give up. You don't know if it would work. But you wouldn't leave her.  Never.  You sigh, getting your brain some oxygen, trying to get used to the pain spreading through your member. And then you beg the Titan to make it work. "RIVEN! RIVEN COME TO ME!" Your scream echoes through the trees echoes through the clearing, it sounds as desperate as you really are. You are not confident, but when the sound of something cutting through the air comes closer you almost let tears of relief and a little pain come out. You make a great effort to ignore the pain in your arm and stand up. Riven is coming flying in, with...With your case wrapped around his head? Your eyebrows furrow until you realize that this is a great idea. Oh, he took after his mom. The bird lands and you immediately catch him up. You have never flown by yourself before, and thinking about it now you should have asked Luz or Lilith for some lessons. But it doesn't matter. You slip the case around your chest with your good arm and ride the staff. She's more important than your questionable skills in riding a staff. "This can't be right." Gwen is still staring at nothing, her hand holding the amulet tightly.  Your anger fades to a slight resentment. She is not a bad person. She just refused to see...For so long. You take a deep breath. "Listen, Gwen...I know you tried." Her eyes move to you and you again are taken aback by the intensity of another Clawthorne's eyes. "I wish I had parents who at least tried." And you are not lying. Not really. "But they don't need healing, they need you to see them. I want your daughter, claws and all, and I'm just a human girl who shouldn't even be here in the first place. It would be nice if you did the same." It sounded good in your head. Her eyes look so much like Lilith's when they are filled with tears like that. You hoped she would understand. That she would finally see what she had lost from her daughters. But now you really needed to go.  "Let's fly, Riven." You tighten your fingers tightly around the staff before the white raven rises and takes off into the sky. (...) "You know this is all your fault, don't you?" Lilith crawls. She tries to pull away. She tries desperately to get out of it. She's so exhausted. She's so tired of running. "Little Miss Perfect." The thing taunts as it laughs. She hears the claws scratching the ground, the recognizable sound of too heavy paws hitting the ground. "Look at you!" She knows that. She doesn't need anyone else to say it.  She shrinks away. Leave me alone. I know...I know I'm worthless. Just leave me alone.  Haven't I given enough already? "It won't be enough until you're left with nothing." She watches. She watches her surroundings change. She's there. She knows it. She would never forget it. The huge heart is beating. The ground at her feet feels extremely rough. Not again. Not again. "You have failed. Again." Vomit builds up in her throat when she hears his voice. Yeah. She has failed. That's pretty much all she's done since the moment she stopped wearing diapers. "Look at me when I talk to you!" And a hand that isn't exactly there makes her chin rise, featureless, no human nor witch blue eyes stare at her, from behind a horned mask made of gold. She remembers the first time she saw that look. She was a child and could not sleep for a whole month, because she swore those eyes were in her room. She's not 15 anymore, but she's still scary. Extremely terrified. Don't cry. Don't show weakness. You know what happens. You have experienced what happens. But she's not the same woman who once knelt before that throne, she doesn't know how to put on that mask anymore. "I'm sorry." And it comes out as a broken and rather pathetic whisper.  Belos growls. The ground shakes. Lilith closes her eyes and cringes hard. She just needs to wake up. (...) The sky is in a yellow hue that reminds you a lot of gold. But the landscape is not your focus. Your heart is beating hard, your breathing is getting more and more labored. It's easy to see them as Riven flies. It's easier to fly when you are not a passenger too. Your fingers are white around the stick with the force you are applicating, but you focus. Lilith. Eda. You need to help them. You must use your questionable abilities to bring the Clawthorne sisters back. There is a particularly tall building in the center of the city. You lead Riven there.  They are destroying some of the lower buildings while tearing into a mixture of claws, squeals and growls that makes the people around them scream and run in terror. A black, gray mass. You get out from Riven. He stops beside you, as if waiting for your next order. "LILITH! EDA!" Your throat complains for another rather desperate cry. They won't listen to you. You don't know why they would listen while they are killing each other, fangs and claws. So you rip the case off your shoulder. The arm complains, you ignore it. You pull the les paul and wrap it around your neck. Music to play spells, spells that were based on the melody. Okay. Music. You need music. And you need them to open your eyes. The chords come out of your fingers. A purplish-red mist takes over the ground around your feet, leaves a warm feeling on the way, and spreads, more and more. The feeling's soothing. That's what they need. "All this feels strange and untrue and I won't waste a minute without you." Your voice seems to add to the mist, makes her more powerful, more steady. It moves forward, whips of reddish magic chasing, searching. You are not exactly paying attention to the people below, but there is the vague impression that they are stopping running. The mist hasn't yet reached the two huge bodies fighting in the middle of the houses, you play with more impetus. "My bones ache, my skin feels cold and I'm getting so tired and so old." You're stronger than this, I know you are. "The anger swells in my guts and I won't feel these slices and cuts." The rhythm is increasing, and so does the mist. "I want so much to open your eyes 'Cause I need you to look into mine." It finds Eda first, and you can feel through the instrument when it really hits her. She stops for a moment, before Lilith grits her teeth and tries to attack her again. Luz flies past you and she seems genuinely amazed by the magic around her, enough not to comment on the fact that you are there. They spin around and burst through another building. "Tell me that you'll open your eyes." Come on, Lilith. Come back to me. You have to come back to me. (...) Blood drips and seems to glow in a strange green as it falls on the extremely clean floor of the throne room.  Blood. The metallic taste in her mouth seems horrible enough to make her want to vomit. But she deserves that, doesn't she? She has failed. As she always does. She is a disaster at everything she tries to do. She doesn't even know why the emperor tolerates her transgressions one after another.  But he was never a merciful man. She has always known that. "You could end this faster, Lilith." His voice sounds like claws dragging across the floor. He's prowling around her. She can feel this creature of massive height surrounding her like a cornered child. She can't use magic, she can't fight back. She deserves it. Did she think she could make up for everything with a childish spell and some nicer words? No she couldn't.  "Just accept it. Accept that you can't. Accept that you are weak. Accept that you belong to me because you have no one else. You are as horrible as I am." Was he lying? Why would Emperor Belos lie to her? He had hundreds and he still chose her. But if he chose her...Why was it always like this?  She spits out the blood, but the taste doesn't go away.  In another life. In another life she would have done so many things differently. She wishes she'd had another chance. She sure did a lot of shit. She's certainly not the best person in the world. She's no angel. She wouldn't have cursed her little sister. She wouldn't have joined the Coven and been contaminated by those people who slowly erased everything she was. She would have been better. She would have been better for all of you. But she tries to be better, doesn't she? She's trying so hard. That has to be something, right? That has to be worth something. She wakes up every day and she wants to be better. She wants to be someone who deserves...The family that she has. What she feels. What she is building around her new family, that has to be worth something. You are important. All of you. You accepted her.  She... She doesn't need that anymore. She doesn't need envy, resentment, blood and blue eyes anymore. She doesn't need that validation that has consumed her from the inside out for years.  She will never go back to that. She will never again let anyone cut her skin or anyone she loves. "ADMIT IT!" And when those blue eyes without any trace of kindness appear before hers, she still feels fear. She is still terrified, and all the newly opened wounds hurt like hell itself.  But she doesn't stutter. She doesn't hesitate when she says just two words. "Not today." And that's when she hears music. (...) "Every minute from this minute now." Your fingers are trembling as the owl beast grabs Lilith with what appears to have been an arm wrench and then falls before you. Only then you noticed the eyes. They are Eda's eyes on that monstrous face. It makes you smile a little, golden, your heart rate slowing a little now that you were sure it was working. "Hey, Eda." She gives you what you think might be a smile, full of fangs, holding her sister down. Mist covers the raven beast's face as she struggles under the owl lady's grip. "We can do what we like anywhere." And now...You actually sing to her. The black mass around the bond still seems quite firm, but you will not stop. It's her. You would play until your fingers turn to ashes for her. "I want so much to open your eyes 'Cause I need you to look into mine." The song seemed to make sense. You need her back. You need her to look into your eyes so you can tell her...That things aren't so bad. "Tell me that you'll open your eyes." The beast stops struggling. But you're not sure what exactly caused it.  Because when you turn your face, just for a brief moment, you notice Gwendolyn. "I should've listened to you." Her voice is shaky as she approaches the two beasts who are actually her daughters. You don't sing anymore. Your fingers slow down the chords, because you feel that they will no longer be needed. "I know now why you pushed me away." She touches Eda's face with one hand, without any uncertainty and you take a deep breath, feeling that this was finally coming to an end. Your eyes fix on Lilith, though. "I made you think your curse was something to be ashamed of." She is not a bad person. That's what you think as she rests her forehead against Eda's. Not really. "Whether we want it or not, it's a part of you. And I love every part of you." Your eyes fill with tears, too quickly, too hard to control. It would have been nice. That's what you think. It would have been nice if they had at least tried. "And Lilith..." You shake your head, trying to chase away the tears that have accumulated. Them. They are the focus here, not you. "You were always so self-sufficient." You can imagine a younger Lilith, independent, outstanding, always trying to impress. You wish you could have hugged that little girl and told her she was enough. "But I didn't give you the attention you deserved." And when Gwen takes Lilith's face in her hands, tears are glowing in the raven beast's black eyes. She's crying. Thin tears fall from your eyes in the same way. "Shh." Gwen whispers then, wiping away the tears with her thumbs. "NOW!" The shout makes you jump in place. Luz flies with Owlbert, a bottle of golden elixir gleaming between her fingers. The first target is Eda and then...Lilith. You can only stand back in pure delight and dazzle when both of their eyes turn golden. Mist, magic and golden light seem to blend before your eyes as they envelop the two sisters. Following them into the air, surrounding them and then...Transforming them back. The image of a giant bird expanding into the sky as the curse disappeared and brought back the Clawthorne sisters. It looked like that scene from Lord of the Rings that you always thought was so cool. This is beautiful.  You were about to grab Riven to stop them from falling straight to the ground. But...They just go down in the air, float, as if they were flying, and then Gwendolyn picks them up in her arms, as if they were still two little girls.  They were fine now. Their mother was there for them. The bond is clean and all you feel through her is relief. She's so relieved to be back that the tears that fall from her eyes are completely understandable.  "She was trying to do her best, huh?" King whispered then to you and Luz and you smiled with the corner of your mouth, but it probably came out a little sadder than you intended.  Yes. She really was trying her best.  Maybe that is the standard for a good parental figure. Not being the best, but trying your best.  You sigh and the pain in your arm clouds your head enough for you to forget about it. Thinking about it now would be of no benefit. (...) Luz makes a very specific bandage on your arm while Lilith and her mother are talking outside. You imagine that she is telling her everything, from the slight tension you feel through the bond, but it didn't seem to be going that bad. It's a modest tension, enough to keep you from worrying, nothing like the incommunicable dark mass that takes over when the curse takes hold. Nothing is as terrifying as that. "It will heal in a few days...If you don't do anything stupid again." Luz said as she tightened the bandage a little tighter than really necessary. You chuckled softly and nodded. "Okay captain." You jokingly salute and Luz narrows her eyes at you before letting out a very motherly smile in your direction. She left you alone right after. You, your thoughts and an empty room. It had been a long day and you couldn't wait to curl up in that nest and forget that there was a world out there. The Titan knows you need a good night's sleep. So does Lilith. So does Eda. In fact, everyone at the Owl House needed a few hours of sleep after all that had happened. You sit on the edge of the nest and take a deep breath.  There is a great feeling of completeness now. You believe that Gwen is finally going to communicate better with her daughters. She will finally see them for who they are. And this relieves you. It relieves you that Lilith and Eda don't have to deal with shitty parents, they've been through so much already.  And when you close your eyes, it's like the whole world takes one long breath. The calm before the storm. You don't want to think about it, you don't want to think about how this day seems just too simple. Okay, you've had an emotional roller coaster, you've had an awful cut, reconciliations have been made. But...It sounds too simple. Or maybe it's you who is being a big fan of literature.  It ended well. That's what you tell yourself. That's enough for now. It ended well. You don't need to open your eyes to feel when she enters the house again, when she comes up the stairs, when she comes straight to you, without hesitation. A delicate smile takes over her lips when you hear the doorknob turn. She looks enthusiastic when she opens the bedroom door, there is a small smile on her lips, and her eyes seem to sparkle. You remember thinking that she looks great dressed in black, considering it brings out the color of her eyes as well as her skin. But this all disappears as soon as she lays her eyes on you...More specifically on your bandaged arm. The spectrum glows in a dark shade as she swallows hard. She was still going to blame herself for a while, and you would still have to try to tell her every time that she was not herself and that you don't blame her for anything at all. "With me, only words bleed, Lith." You whisper, a small smile tugging at your mouth with the reference. She frowns as she closes the door, and you smile a little more before moving closer. "I'll sing that one for you later." She twitches her lips for a moment, there is a slight anxiety now. You sense that she wants to tell you something, something important.  You tilt your head gently toward her, stopping yourself from counting her freckles once more. She knows she can tell you anything. She knows you would listen. "I..." She cringes a little, looking down at her own feet. It's shame now. She's embarrassed. "I'm sorry, for earlier." You compress your lips, as you swallow a little. Sure it hurt, but after all she's been through during the day, you really didn't expect an apology for something she did. She really cares a lot about how you feel...It's nice to know that someone cares that much.  And she didn't get down on her knees. That's good too. Never again.  "I should have stayed with you. I'm sorry too." She raises her eyes to you, her eyebrows slightly pronounced. Doubt? Perhaps confusion. "What?" And there's a tiny smile wanting to rise on your lips again because she was so adorable when she frowned like that. "I don't think anyone ever said that to me." You wish you could have been able to hug that little girl. You wish you could have been there when she was sinking into the Emperor's Coven. She deserved someone who would have stayed. You wish you could take all her pain away with your hand. Your eyes are watering again, so you blink them several times.  You know that you have been repressing a lot of of feelings during this single day. But now is not exactly the time. "I heard you." Your eyes rise and your heart seems to beat fast, particularly fast. Her lips are contracted into a small smile that warms your whole body. She heard you. Even if she hadn't become aware, she heard you. "The song was beautiful." And your smile must be exceptionally silly because she reaches up to touch the tip of your nose with her finger. "Thank you, for always trying..." Comfort. That's what you feel. That's what she passes on to you. Comfort. That's it. But there is still something. She still wants to tell you something. That's what makes you look into her eyes, lose yourself in their gleam as she tilts her head in a slightly guilty way in your direction.  She knows that you already know her too well.  "Hmm...Mother invited me to spend a few weeks with her." She says then, while moving her hands to her back in an anxious gesture somewhat like a child would do. You frown just for a moment. "Get back to my childhood home, developing our relationship, you know? Try not to freak out every time she shows up." Now you understand the behavior. She's not saying she will. She's asking your opinion. That's sweet. "Do you want to go?" You ask as you move a few steps closer so you can look into her eyes without her having to look down, silver and green, they look very unsure now, but also a little excitement exudes from her. You already have the answer. She wants.  "I want to spend time with my mother and...Yes I haven't seen my father in years..." She begins as she lets out a slightly frustrated sigh. "But?" You raise an eyebrow and her eyes fix on you, you know why, you understand why. "I don't want to leave Eda...Not when we are sisters again after so many years." She loves Eda so much that she doesn't even need to tell you out loud for you to know perfectly well. Lilith compresses her lips for a moment as she looks at you, she's waiting for your advice. It's almost comical, considering that you're not exactly a role model with family relationships, but she wants to know what you think. Again, it's really sweet. "Well...It's only a few weeks, right?" She twists her lips next, as if pondering the same thing. "And you can always call or write."  You guys would have a serious problem with Hooty on that matter. "I think you should go, it will do you good." And you really think so. Lilith's parents were one of the big reasons she went down the path of the Emperor's Coven, it would be good for her to reconcile with that part of her life and leave those who hurt her so incisively in the dust of her shoes. She nods, but the slight frown does not leave her face when she looks at you again.  "So?" It's your turn to frown as a slight smile forms on her mouth. "So what?" Lilith raises an eyebrow, as if it's perfectly obvious and you just frown even more. "Will you come with me?" And when she asks that question, it's only at that moment that you truly reason. It was so obvious to you that you would be with her, that you didn't think it implied that you would go with her at first. Just, wherever she is, I am. It seemed so simple in your head that just the possibility of her thinking that you would stay anywhere without your mate is a little insane. You don't even ponder it a second time.  "What do you think?" And a humored smile takes over your mouth when you say that. Any and all of her insecurity seems to fade away when you do so. The anxiety is gone and only a relaxing feeling takes over the bond when she smiles wide, teeth and all. Titan...You love that smile. "I only have a single bed there." She moves one step closer and then there is no more distance. You sigh at the closeness again and how good it is just to feel her. You love to smell her and feel her warmth. It's so comforting to know that she is okay. It's comforting to know you've won. At least today. "I won't mind if you kick me in the middle of the night." Lilith rolls her eyes, but she's grinning as she leans toward you. Just enough for you to reach her. Your fingers touch her shoulders first and when your mouth touches hers. It's peaceful. It's pretty obvious that this isn't exactly a happily ever after. A let's be happy in my parents' country house forever. No.  There are still wounds. There are still traumas. There is still a dictatorship in the world outside.  But In spite of the uneven odds beauty lifts from the earth.  And you find that even though things are still uncertain, when you cling to her shoulders, feeling her hair on your fingertips, it doesn't seem so bad. You will always go where she goes. Always. And you have to believe that you both against the world has to be enough. It will be enough. You tell yourself as you rest your chin on her shoulder, tightening your arms around her.  It has to be enough.  (...) Lilith Clawthorne was once an unbreakable woman.  She breaks now. She is brittle, completely, the slightest scratch on those she cares about is like a tear in her heart. The sharpest word, the hardest look, everything hits her so deeply that she thinks it might be awkward to get used to. But she doesn't care.  When she glimpses at Eda laughing and punching their mother in the shoulder. When Hooty clings to her shoulder, refusing to leave throughout dinner. When Luz and King hand her a "Good luck in the new house (which is actually old house)" card. When...When she sees you giggling at a very bad joke Eda had told. She doesn't mind that she is no longer the lady made of steel. Being brittle, also means being malleable and she really likes the idea of being malleable. She certainly has parts of her that she wants to protect you and everyone in the family with all her strength.  But she is beginning to feel...That this is not the way.  She thinks...That maybe it's good to let her walls cave in. For you. Oh. You are beautiful under the dining table light. Like she've never seen.

Mature

It was just another normal day on the Boiling Isles.  As normal as things could be on the decaying skeletal remains of the Titan, surrounded by a literal boiling ocean, and home to its weird, wacky, and wonderful inhabitants consisting of witches, demons, and countless other bizarre creatures that’d only seem to be capable of existing in the strangest and most obscure fantasy novel that you’d ever read, if you were on acid. Ok, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but to an outsider, life would be pretty different. That’s not to say that life here would be completely foreign to any outsider that had the fortune, or misfortune, to stumble their way here; to the contrary, day to day life here is fairly comparable to life a person might expect on planet Earth, also known as the human realm. There are still towns, schools, libraries, jobs, money, government, responsibilities, forests, rivers, lakes, mountains and everything else in between. There’re also close resemblances within the technology with parallels to tvs, phones, and even the internet. Though, obviously they operate differently on their own magical principles and have more fantasy oriented designs. Once you get past the differences in culture, customs, and the dramatic departure in environment, the people here aren’t so different after all. They all have goals, ambitions, friends, families, loved ones; they laugh and cry, live and die all the same. School had been cancelled today because of the boiling rain. Whether it be caused by the boiling ocean or some other magical phenomenon, the rain came down at dangerously hot temperatures that would scald any poor victim that managed to cross paths with it. When it rains, the standard procedure was to cancel school if it had begun raining prior to the school day officially beginning. The school would also act as a shelter for any students that made it there early or in the event that it had started raining during the school day and continued beyond the end of the day. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem for Amity Blight, one of Hexside School of Magic and Demonics’ top students and youngest daughter to the most prestigious family in the area. Today, however, was the exception. Amity had only noticed that morning that a book, ‘To Witch, There Were None’, which she had recently checked out from the Bonesborough Public Library would become overdue if she did not return it that morning; books would be considered late if they were not returned by noon on the date that they are due. She would have to do it prior to going to school that morning, as it would be impossible to leave during school to return it and the library wasn’t out of the way on her way to school anyways. What she didn’t expect is that it would rain that morning, leaving her temporarily stranded within the library. She had intended to return it earlier, but after a long weekend of helping her friends catch up on school work that they had missed due to their temporary expulsions, the book had been one of the last things on her mind. She felt completely awful that her wicked mother, Odalia Blight, pulled strings to get her three closest, and arguably only, friends expelled from school. Amity’s mother didn’t attempt to separate her from her friends in retaliation because she ruined the Blight Industries presentation, but because she thought removing ‘distractions’ from Amity’s life would be beneficial and benefit the family image. Odalia also thought she could get away with it without any consequences or push back, but to her credit, it had almost always worked out without fail, at least concerning Amity. Most of all, Amity felt the worst about not taking a stand against her parents from the start and letting things spiral out of control. Sure, things worked out in the end, and for that she was relieved. She was too afraid to tell her parents ‘no’. In the Blight family household, disappointment and disobedience were two of the gravest sins that could be committed. Resisting would almost certainly make things worse; even still, not having the courage to protect her friends haunted the young witch. She was a Blight. She was supposed to be unwavering and unyielding to any obstacle that stood in her way. Instead, she embarrassed herself by running away, which only made things worse. Why am I so weak? Why do I always screw up everything and need to be bailed out? And why is she always the one to clean up my messes, Amity relented. Thanks to the rain, she had nothing to do and was left to wander the empty library and her guilty thoughts. Though the library was normally sparsely populated, even fewer people were here than usual. Amity fairly regularly visited the library and thus could recognize other people that also frequented the library. Judging based on what she could see, she presumed that most of the few people she did see in here were just sheltering from the rain rather than being those that took a serious interest in the words contained within these halls. Having some anti-social tendencies, mostly with strangers that were her age or older, Amity felt a little uncomfortable around the sudden influx of new people, some of which were disregarding the noise policy, and decided to retreat to the hidden room in the library, located behind one of the bookcases in the romance section. It was a secret hideaway, her own personal clubhouse, and housed many of her favorite books, all lining the walls in snug nooks that acted like bookshelves. It also was furnished with a cozy desk and chair along with some comfortable pillows that were scattered randomly against the walls and corners of the room. Taking a quick look around to make sure no one would see her, she lifted the book titled “The Lone Witch & Secret Room,” which opened the bookcase to reveal the hidden room. Darting inside and closing the bookcase behind her, she tossed her bag into one of the corners of the room. Amity briefly thought about revisiting some of her old favorites or maybe picking up something interesting from her backlog that looked interesting, but that she hasn’t got to yet. After a long moment of pause and indecisiveness, none of the options presented seemed all that compelling, though that was mostly due to her still being distracted by the thoughts of the events that recently transpired. With nothing better to do, she thought she’d just take a nap and catch up on her sleep a bit. She was a bit tired because she got up early this morning so that she’d have time to return the book prior to heading to school. Gathering up a few pillows, she positioned them in a pile against the wall so that she’d have a place to rest. She laid down, propped her arm up underneath one of the pillows to support her head, and let her mind wander in a drowsy state. Luz… the human. Why did she come up so often? It wasn’t long ago that she entered Amity’s life. Starting off as a nuisance and someone that always got her in trouble, as time went by, the annoying, quirky girl unintentionally managed to worm her way into Amity’s life and eventually her heart. Luz’s eccentricity wasn’t a call for attention, but instead her genuine personality. Somehow, her kind-hearted, bubbly personality melted Amity’s heart as if it were chocolate over a roaring fire. The good nature that Luz oozed everywhere leached onto Amity and changed her for the better. She had never intended to be a bully; it all started off innocently enough to protect her former best friend from her parents. Somewhere along the line though, she became desensitized to it all. It was the new normal; it was just who she was. It took one troublesome, but very sweet, human to remind her of who she really was deep down, or at the very least, who she ought to be. And somewhere amongst all of that, she had fallen completely head over heels for that very same girl. Amity wanted to spill her feelings out to Luz, but she was terrified by the repercussions of that. What if Luz didn’t see her that way? What if she just wanted to stay friends? What if it changed how Luz saw her? What if it made Luz treat her differently? What if she didn’t want to be friends anymore because it’d be too weird? Could a human even fall for a witch? Are witches and humans even compatible? Aren’t they too different? When Luz offered to be her date for Grom, Amity was enthralled with it, at least at first. When she thought back on it though, there was one nagging statement that she obsessed over. “That’s what friends do.” That was it. It’s settled. Luz saw her only as a friend. You can’t call that love! Not real love! At least not the kind she wanted. Maybe friendship is a form of love, but can you blame someone for wanting something more, something deeper? Being Luz’s friend genuinely made her happy, but being limited by that was also like a curse that made her heart ache, as if it was being deprived of something essential so that she would not become hollowed out emotionally. Thinking about it even more, her own self-reflection of her feelings was driving her mad. Love? Why was she thinking about love? She doesn’t know the first thing about love. Luz was, at best, a first crush. The feeling that she believed, even for a moment, could ever be love at this stage just made her feel like she was some crazed, obsessive, delusional madwoman that couldn’t distinguish between fiction and reality. It was rather hard for her to all take in, and she broke down in tears with hushed sobs. Amity turned to face the ceiling and watched the shadows dance as the dim magic candle flickered in the small room. Suddenly, a loud click penetrated the room. It was the sound of the locking mechanism opening, which would only happen if someone on the other side had attempted to move the specific book which would release it. Amity let out a quiet yelp and flinched a little. She quickly rubbed her face with the sleeve of her school uniform to clean up anything that might be considered unsightly. Has someone come for me? There’s not many people that know about the hidden room. Did someone just happen to reach for the right book, now of all times! Her thoughts began racing as she tried to reason who it’d be. The librarian would certainly be one of the people that would know, however she doubted that he would be looking for her, nor had a reason to come in here. Her older siblings, the twins: Edric and Emira, certainly knew about this place, but how would they even know that she came to the library this morning? She was certain that they hadn’t seen her leave the manor. Even if they were looking for her, they’d probably just page her on her scroll. That left Luz. Did Amity somehow miss Luz earlier? Did Luz see her come in here and decided to follow? It didn’t make sense that Luz would somehow fail to get her attention. Besides, Amity had to have been in here for at least ten minutes by now. If Luz had seen her come in, wouldn’t she have come in several minutes ago. Amity supposes that it’s possible that Luz would wait till she left, but then why come in now? If Luz was going to wait, surely she would have toughed it out a little longer before breaking down and coming in. It wasn’t likely to be Luz either. The bookcase slowly slid inwards and rolled into the side as the mechanism was designed to make it do. The outside light that flooded inside practically was blinding to Amity as she kneeled facing the entrance, positioned with her left hand fanned in front of her face and eyes squinting.  “I’m a sucker for a good romance, and the title was an attention grabber, but I didn’t expect that the book would be non-fiction,” gushed out a high-pitched saccharine voice followed by some penetrating giggling. As the silhouette came into focus, it appeared to be a woman garbed in a straight black skirt that came down to just above her knees. Below that, there she was wearing long, black and dark-gray, leggings that came out from the black high heels she wore, up and under the skirt. Accenting the skirt was a dark-gray short sleeve top complete with a collar that was just barely visible underneath the long gilded white cape that wrapped around her chest and rested on her shoulders. Completing the outfit were a pair of long, black silk gloves that almost reached the sleeves of the top, but not quite so as to expose a ring of unblemished pink skin.  At first, Amity thought it might have been Lilith, her former mentor, because of the wardrobe that was so strongly indicative of the Emperor’s Coven. But after the most basic cursory examination, it was obvious that idea was absolutely off the mark. She was clearly a young adult, a bit older than her 16-year-old siblings, which would most likely put her in her early twenties. The visitor that stood only a few feet away from her had medium length, slightly messy, golden blonde hair that ends barely brushed against her shoulders, it was all topped off neatly with a basic black hair band that sat pleasantly on top of her head. Amity saw that she had dull and desaturated red eyes that could be easily mistaken for brown, and there she stood over her with a slight smirk on her light-skinned face. Amity found it embarrassing to be exposed like this, particularly to a stranger that pretty much came out of nowhere. Until now, no one else had managed to, accidentally or otherwise, stumble their way into her secret hide-away. “I- I,” Amity stuttered; she wanted to scream and shout at the intruder to leave, but the words wouldn’t come out. A state of trepidation had nearly engulfed Amity. “I don’t really understand what’s going on here, but I can see that I’ve made some sort of mistake based on your reaction,” the blonde boasted as if she didn’t have a shred of pity for poor Amity. The woman took a step towards the bookcase to pull it back into place. As she reached over, she did a double take and took another glance at Amity. “Hey, you’re Lilith’s kid, right?” she probed, standing there glancing the green haired witch up and down. Amity stood there and blushed a little as she accidentally remembered calling her former mentor ‘mom’ once. “She used to be my teacher, yes. It’s not like she’s my mom or anything,” she nervously affirmed and stood up from kneeling on the floor. The woman raised an eyebrow and positioned her index finger and thumb up to her chin as grinned. “Yes, of course. That’s what I had meant,” she quipped in a smug tone as she realized she must have pressed the girl into awkward territory with how she had phrased it. “I’m sorry, I know I’ve heard it before, but your name just seems to have slipped my mind,” the woman said with a chuckle. “Amity… Blight ma’am,” she replied wearily. Even if this woman was familiar with Lilith, Amity wasn’t sure what that had to do with her. Amity didn’t want to seem rude though, so she didn’t press the issue and was willing to hear out what the witch had to say. “Right, right. The Blight kid, I should have known on account of the green hair. How silly of me,” she retorted and smiled as she took a few steps towards Amity. “The name is Tracey Ives,  you better not forget it,” she exclaimed as the taller woman playfully jabbed a finger into Amity’s chest. “Right..,” Amity trailed off, uncertain about what this strange character was still doing here. “How do you know Miss Lilith? I assume you knew her through the Emperor’s Coven judging by the way you’re dressed? And how do you know about me?” “I wouldn’t say we are necessarily friends per se, especially with her being considered a traitor to the Emperor now, but she worked in enforcement being part of the guard, while I’m part of the legal body, serving in the Witches’ Senate.” The Emperor’s Guard were the most visible part of the government to the citizens of the Boiling Isles. As their name suggests, they do serve as guards to the Emperor. They also had other duties though, such as executing the emperor’s orders, enforcing the law, and maintaining order. You could consider them to be the police force, or maybe more like the military. The Emperor’s Guard was also responsible for running the Conformitorium, a detention center and prison meant for confining criminals and other “deemed problematic” members of the public. The Witches’ Senate would be considered the other body of the government. They had control over pretty much everything that the Emperor had not laid out expressed orders for, and even when he had, they would be the ones to draft the legal language used to enshrine the policy into law. The Emperor was far too busy of a man to oversee rule on every facet of society, so a body of appointed representatives, the senate, was created to serve that role. They would draft and enact other laws that were to be followed on the isles, create offices and sub agencies that would handle specific operations of government following policy set by the senate, as well as set regulations and taxes businesses, guilds, and covens would have to follow. Members could also try cases and act as a judiciary if charges were contested and one or more members approved a trial, but this process tended to be rare. Usually the disciplinary committee at the conformitorium would handle punishments and sentencing in most cases, and their decisions tended to be harsh and unjust. Tracey continued, “Lilith and I have worked together on a couple of minor projects in the past if memory serves correct, but mostly it’s just my job to be familiar with the affairs of the isles, and that would include you and your family.” “Oh, that makes sense,” Amity replied with a hint of hesitation in her voice. “If that’s all though, I think I’d like to be alone now if you don’t mind.” “Fine, fine, if that’s what you really want. I suppose I don’t mind leaving you to your own devices,” taunted the blonde witch as she motioned as if she were about to leave. “But you’ll never avert your fate with tears alone.” “W-what are you talking about? What could you possibly know?” snapped Amity as she nearly stumbled over her own words, stiffened arms at her sides with tightened fists. “Please, your eyes were practically red when I first saw you,” she stated with some cruelty in her voice. “Out of everything in this library, you’re the most open book here.” Amity diverted her attention to the corner of the room, unable to face the older witch. “So what, you just want to make fun of me for being weak?” Memories of her parents came flooding into Amity’s head. They always had expectations and strict rules on who she was allowed to be. She was constantly pressured into being nothing other than perfect. Showing weakness, let alone feeling it, was simply not permitted. That was one of the unspoken rules of the class she belonged to. “Actually, not at all,” Tracey chimed in as she flipped to face Amity with an excited hop. “To the contrary, I’d actually like to help you!” Amity had nervously taken a step back in response to Tracey’s sudden advancement. “Help me, how? What do you get out of it?” She hit straight to the point. “I need to do my one good deed for the day,” Tracey proclaimed as she wrapped her arm behind the younger witch. “And how else would I help you except with my magic of course~.” “Magic isn’t going to solve my problem. Well, I guess you could always use a love potion, but…” Amity pondered this possibility for a moment until she realized that it had been several uncomfortable seconds of silence. Her face practically glowed red at this point as she was aware of what she had just admitted. She folded her arms and tried to act like everything she just stated didn’t happen. “Anyways, not going to happen!” “Oooh, it’s about a boy! I should have known. Mhm,” Tracey gleefully stated with confidence, as if she knew what she was talking about. “No, she’s a girl. Wait, why am I telling you any of this?” Amity questioned as she briefly covered her eyes with her left hand. “Boy? Girl? Dolphin? It’s all the same thing to me. And a potion, really? I wouldn’t lower myself to that level in ten lifetimes. No, what I have is real magic, the power to grant a wish to anyone I so choose.” Tracey stared down at Amity with a very smug smile; she pressed her fists into her waist triumphantly and leaned over to meet the fellow witch at eye level. “Wish magic? You can’t be serious?” Amity chuckled at the ridiculous proposition that was just thrown her way. “Stuff like that only exists in childrens’ fables, there’s no such thing,” she asserted with audible annoyance in her voice now. “Hey, I’m serious! It’s true! I’m actually a really powerful witch,” she stammered back. Tracey, face filled red and brows furrowed, stomped down hard on the ground with her right leg. Time had slowed to a crawl within a moment, and the surrounding world appeared to have partially desaturated. Amity had lost her balance and fell backwards, landing on her behind. As she gazed up, she noticed another Amity standing there, right in front of her, frozen in time. She lifted her body...spirit….form off of the floor and inspected the bizarre sight in front of her. Suspended was the scene she had experienced herself only moments ago, except she was an outside observer now. Amity peeked out into the library only to see that the outside world had suffered the same fate as in the secret room, except she was the only one that seemed to have left her physical body. “Like I said, I’m really strong. You could consider me an elite amongst witches,” she asserted proudly. Another animated Tracey appeared to step out from the inanimate one, and took a bow. “W-what is this? How is this even possible? What did you do?” Amity rapidly shot questions at the woman standing in front of her. “My magic is on a whole other level from yours; it’d be useless to try explaining it to you, you wouldn’t understand,” Tracey said mockingly as she shook her head. Suddenly, several orbs ascended from the ground and surrounded the pair. They sort of looked like broadcasts you’d find in a crystal ball, only much clearer. Within them, various iterations of Amity appeared, each appearing in different scenarios. The girl stepped closer so that she could witness the events unfolding within. In the first, she was in the bleachers at school watching a grudgby match. Luz was on the field, running around appearing to have fun despite the obvious danger she was in. The Amity in the orb appeared very nervous for Luz’s well-being.  Amity moved onto the next orb. Luz, Eda, King, Willow, Gus, Edric, Emira, and Amity were all standing outside of the Owl House next to the portal. Everyone was hugging Luz and telling her goodbye. Luz departed through the portal and Amity chased after her through the portal moments later. She turned to a different orb. Amity was dancing with another witch at a party. It was another girl of a similar age. She was curious who it was, but was unable to tell who it was because they were wearing a mask. Both of them appeared to be enjoying each other’s company. Finally, in the last one, she saw older versions of herself, Boscha, and Edric playing in a band on stage, surrounded by a large crowd of people. Amity and Boscha were both singing, playing the guitar and bass respectively, while Edric was on drums. It looked like a lot of fun. “What is all this? Is this my future?” Amity asked in amazement. To her, this looked like the most advanced oracle magic she’s ever seen in her life. Being able to predict the future isn’t outside of the realm of possibility; most was rather vague, unclear, and relied on spirits relaying a cryptic message. Even the best oracles were unable to predict with such clear quality, nor be able to foretell distant futures. “Your future? No, well, probably not anyways. These are the roads traveled by other Amitys; people you could have been had you made alternative choices or if the circumstances were slightly different,” Tracey explained with a serious tone in her voice. “You have potential, nearly limitless possibilities ahead of you, all you have to do is seize the one you choose.” The magic on display was more advanced than anything Amity had ever seen. It wasn’t just that time had stopped. Not that the surroundings had been frozen; all of time had come to a halt. And on top of that, she was shown alternate realities? No witchcraft like that was possessed by anyone living on the Boiling Isles, nor recorded in any history book to the best of Amity’s knowledge. Only now was she beginning to comprehend the situation at hand; she queried hesitantly, “So, it’s really true that you can grant wishes?” “Only if that’s what you truly want and if you have an unyielding will to make that dream into a reality. Without those, I can’t say what form your wish will conclusively take. Fate is a fickle and cruel mistress to those that stray from their goal. Ultimately, it’s up to you, I can only say that your efforts won’t be in vain.” The great witch paused for a moment in an attempt to build suspense. “So, what’s it going to be?” “Hmm... I wish I had good parents then.” Tracey let out a shrill laugh. “Unexpected, but unfortunately that’s outside of the realm of possibilities. I can only grant wishes that you have the capability of realizing. I’m not saying your wish is impossible per se, but that you have no influence in your parents’ moral conduct. The request was too sterile anyways. People that know you might plausibly expect you to say that, but that’s not what your heart craves, is it? So tell me, what is it you truly desire?” Amity stared into Tracey’s eyes, glancing a couple times at the creepy smile decorating her face. So that’s what she was getting at. There was one thing that Amity really wanted, but was afraid to ask for, only one person on her mind. In fact, they were almost constantly occupying her thoughts. Maybe it seemed stupid, but in this moment, that person was what she really, truly wanted. Things might not work out, first loves rarely do, but there was no way of knowing how things would turn out if she shut out her heart before even giving it a chance. “What I truly desire… There's only one thing, one person, I really can say I want right now,” after a moment of hesitation and working up her nerves, she continued, “Luz, the dorky, cringey, annoying human that entered my life and now bewitches my, admittedly enjoyable, dreams. I don’t know if she feels the same way, in fact I’m almost certain that she doesn’t, but I want my feelings to be acknowledged at the very least. I don’t want unrequited love. I want an answer!” Tracy emitted a sigh of disappointment. “Love? How boring. I could tell you that you’re already loved, only not in the form you’d like, but you wouldn’t want to hear that, and I already knew that you’d ask for this if I’m being completely honest. No marks for creativity, but ok, never let it be said that I’m not a witch of her word.” The elder witch raised the backs of her hands up so that they’d face the younger witch and wiggled all of them simultaneously. Tracey let her left hand fall to her side while keeping her right hand held in place, then she positioned her fingers in such a way that it became obvious that she was about to snap her fingers. With a crackling snap, a burning orb of rainbow light appeared in Tracey’s left hand. She held it out in front and nodded, signaling for Amity to touch it. Amity was weary to touch something that clearly appeared to be burning in front of her, but rationalized it with the belief that her body wouldn’t be harmed if she touched it while in her current form. As she picked it up and held it in her hands, it didn’t burn or even hurt. The orb actually felt cool to the touch; she felt relaxed holding it. Then, without warning, the orb shattered into incredibly small glittering particles that began to spiral around Amity in a narrow stream. The fragments began to separate from the small circle they had formed and flew in curved lines around the room, making a few small loops along the way, before finally finding their way into her back. Unexpectedly, they felt very sharp and burned as they entered her back; Amity cried out in agony and collapsed to the ground, her knees buckling from the pain. With her head and eyes throbbing, she strained her neck to look at Tracey as her vision darkened and blurred, before ultimately collapsing. “Very well, I like you, kid! Be sure to keep me entertained; your wish will undoubtedly be granted. I look forward to the conclusion of your story!” Amity found herself sprawled out in the middle of the room when she woke up. Her entire body was about as sore as it had ever been in her life and she had a splitting headache to boot. She struggled to lift her body up off of the ground, but after a few attempts, she was successful. “Why am I over here? What happened again?” the girl grumbled as she held her cool hand against her head in an attempt to soothe the pain. Wait, wasn’t a woman in here a while ago, she wondered as she glanced around the room. Nothing seemed out of place; the bookshelf that served as the entrance to the room was shut tight like it always was. All of the books, pillows, and everything on the desk remained just as she had left them. Amity grabbed her bag then opened the bookcase from inside of the room, peering out into the hall to ensure that no one else was around before exiting and shutting the shelf behind her. She saw that the sun was shining brightly through a couple of nearby windows, which meant that it had stopped raining. She could see that the people that came in earlier were nearly all gone by now, with only a couple remaining. Amity decided that it was a good time to head home now. After she had left the building, she stopped on the steps to check her scroll for the time. Three hours, huh? I must have been more tired than I thought this morning. When did I start dreaming though? On her way home, Amity vaguely recalled her encounter with the strange woman who called herself Tracey. Who is she really? She said she was part of the senate, but what about that magic she was able to do? Was any of that even real or was that part of the dream? The pain that I felt, that I still feel, it seemed so real... But there’s no way someone with magic that powerful can exist, right? There was still one question that remained on Amity’s mind, something bizarre and out of place that she couldn’t help but blurt the thought out loud, with a very confused expression on her face, when it crossed her mind. “Wait, what’s a dolphin?” It was a white room filled with only white decor. Nearly everything in the room was white. The white desk and white chair in one of the corners, a white coffee table surrounded by two white sofas on each side in the center of the room, white pillars with white candles atop in the other three corners, and a few white bookcases lined one of the walls, though the books weren’t all white, obviously. Two women sat across from each other, each occupying one of the sofas, and each drinking black tea from pristine white tea cups. One of the witches was Tracey. She sat with her feet kicked up on the table, legs crossed. The other witch was a pale woman with dark violet eyes. She had long, straight blue hair with a very plain style, a bowl cut in the front and a straight cut in the back that ended just below her shoulder blades. Her choice in fashion wasn’t nearly as eccentric as Tracey’s. She was wearing a dark gray and black maxi. It had a dark gray top that had long sleeves and cut off just below her chest; it was decorated with a black bow in the center, as opposed to a crystal like on Liliths, and it had white frills around the wrists and neck line. The black skirt of the dress reached down to nearly cover her white socks and black flats. “How cruel of you to get that child’s hopes up. I pity the poor thing; your help tends to only end in disaster,” the other witch said in a calm, but monotonous tone. She took a sip of the tea and continued, “And what’s this about you needing them to make their own wish come true. You could easily make anything she asked for a reality with no effort on her part. Hard to say you’re doing anything at all if you’re going to make her do it all alone.” Tracey let out a bubbly giggle. “Yeah, but wouldn’t it be fun to watch her as the future unfolds. How will she react and grow as a person? It wouldn’t be fun to just give it to her from the start. What’s the point in watching two happy people be together if there was no sacrifice, no tribulations for them to endure?” “Yeah, it wouldn’t be any fun at all. Who’s to say that they’ll end up together at all though? It’d be a shame if something happened and ruined all of your plans.” “Already planning something to stop me, Mira?” The blue-haired witch hissed, “I told you to never call me that again, that was a one time thing.” “Sorry, sorry. Anyways, do you?” Tracey pressed, leaning forward in anticipation of the other girl’s answer. “Yeah, something like that,” she replied as she took another sip of Tea. “It’ll be interesting to see what the human does as well. I know every way it could go, but it’ll be interesting to see which one it ends up being. I’m assuming you already had something picked out though?” “You know me so well! Oh, did you end up deciding on a name for that person yet?” Tracey bounced in her seat as she demanded to know. “Oh, her? I think Emilia is a fitting name.” “Are you ready for your first day, Emilia?” “Yes, Lady Amara.” Two witches were alone together in the white room, with the elder witch situated behind the desk in the corner, and the younger of the two sitting on a simple white chair in front of the desk. “I realize that this will be your first time that you’re thrust into a social situation with peers of your age. It may be hard at first, but forming connections is important for people your age,” Amara replied very plainly with a soothing voice, though she sounded completely disinterested with anything going on. Truth be told, she never sounded like she cared about anything going on. “Friendship is the most powerful magic of all, or so I’ve heard,” the witch giggled. “Yes Lady Amara..,” the girl mumbled. Amara picked up the cup of tea that was placed in front of her and savored it for an unnaturally long period of time. She glanced up and down the girl sitting in front of her.  Emilia was sporting the Hexside uniform, which consisted of a gray tunic with a dark gray belt, a dark gray cowl, and dark gray boots with a lining around the top that matched the tunic. Under that were visible yellow sleeves and leggings which signified the girl was part of the potions track. Emilia herself had long, black, wavy hair that extended past her shoulders and reached the center of her back. She also had clear, almond skin and her eyes possessed pale white irises. After finishing off her tea, Amara resumed her conversation with Emilia. “I remember when I moved to a new school. I was worried about fitting in at first, but I found my place rather quickly. I ascended to the top of my class and managed to make a few friends along the way,” the blue haired witch shared as if it were a trivial accomplishment. “Lady Amara… no offense, but your accomplishments can hardly be considered typical. I mean, you’re on the Witches’ Senate, and you’re a high ranking official at the Church of the Titan. You’re like the most powerful witch I know and I can’t even conjure the most basic illumination spell,” Emilia passionately protested as she slammed her hands on the desk. Amara stared at Emilia, not in anger, but as if she were nothing at all. “Choose to believe that if you wish. Regardless, you’ll benefit from this arrangement.” “How did you get me into school anyways? I thought the school said that I’d have to demonstrate my magical talent before being admitted,” Emilia questioned. “I persuaded them, of course,” Amara boasted with a creepy smile on her face as she stared off to the side. Emilia knew that whatever Amara did, it couldn’t have been good. She supposed that Amara probably used her position in the senate to get her way, though she couldn’t rule out that blackmail or threats of violence were possibilities. The woman had both a surprisingly kind side and a terribly cruel side, although she outwardly appeared to be neutral towards most things.  “So, the Potions Track?” Emilia questioned with uncertainty, absentmindedly looking down at the yellow colors that were part of her uniform. “It’s the only one where you won’t have to explain your lack of magical ability. For better or worse, that’s how it’ll have to be. Unless you can remember how to use magic, that is.” ‘Remember’ how? The way you speak is very deliberate, Lady Amara. You should know better than anyone that I don’t remember much of anything prior to being found by you… It wasn’t long ago that I met you. Only a couple weeks, I think. I haven’t really been keeping track of the days since then, but it wasn’t too long ago. Back then, I was still living with my parents. I think they were my parents anyways, I don’t really remember too much about life back then. I’m starting to sound like a broken record with how little certainty I have. I remember spending a lot of time with dad. He was a quiet man, but I felt like we spent a lot of quality time together.  When he was home, he’d find something to work on, and I’d usually watch. Sometimes, he’d take a break. When he did, he’d come up to me and give me a hug or a massage. He’d stay up late into the night, either working on something or keeping me company. After a long day, he’d tuck me in and leave. Mom was a different story. Sometimes she’d come to hang with us. Most of the time, she was busy with other things. I assume she had an important job, only because she wasn’t around much. Sometimes she’d pop in just to see us. That was followed by one sided long conversations that I couldn’t follow. They’d usually go over my head, but on occasion she was unintelligible on account of her yelling. I can remember one time where she came up and yelled right in my face. I wanted to curl up and hide in the smallest crevice that I could find, hoping never to be found. I never did get an apology for that. Then, it was on that fateful day that I ended up running away from home. Dad had work that day. He came into my room to check up on me. After that, he only had one thing to say to me. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t be there for you. I’m a failure.” I don’t know what he was talking about. I probably forgot something important. Maybe it was something from my childhood. Regardless, I couldn’t let his words stand unchallenged. I sat up and stretched my pale arm to his shoulder. “Don’t worry dad. You didn’t do anything wrong. I love you, and I always will.” I pulled him into a hug and held him there for what seemed like forever. He started sobbing and wrapped me in his arms, rubbing my back gently. The embrace didn’t seem to be helping though, the wailing only got louder until it was uncontrollable. His face was flushed red and soaked with tears, some of which had fallen onto me; he left the room with haste and without a goodbye. As I sat there alone, I wondered if I did something wrong. I didn’t know what it was, but it was very out of character for my father to suddenly burst into tears. He definitely seemed to be upset about something concerning me though. Father was looking right at me the whole time. I don’t see how it could have been anything or anyone else. It was then that I decided to venture out of my room. Admittedly, it wasn’t something I was keen on doing, as I preferred staying in my room as much as witchingly possible. I got up and fumbled my way out of the room into the living room. Glancing around the room, I didn’t see anyone there, but was reminded of my mothers’ tacky taste in decor.  If he recently left, then maybe it was still possible to catch up with him; that’s what I told myself anyway. I found my way to the front door and bolted out onto the path outside. Come to think of it, I don’t remember when I stopped leaving home. Had it really been that long? Had I ever left before on my own? Had I ever even left the house before? I’m sure I had. I pushed those thoughts out of my mind and continued to run till I hit the road that headed towards town. No sight of anyone. I decided to see if I’d catch up with him, so I ran down the road. If I didn’t see him after a few minutes, I’d head back and wait for him to come back tonight. I thought it’d be worth a try at least, I had to see him, I couldn’t let him suffer like that, I needed to find out what I did wrong and apologize. After a few minutes of running down the road, I came up empty handed. I felt guilty that I was powerless to do anything, but at least I could make things right tonight. As I decided upon heading home, I only then noticed that there were clouds overhead. The air was musty and a pungent smell filled the air. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was about to rain. Walking back home, I saw dark spots slowly, but surely, begin to cover the path. Occasionally, something hot and painful hit the top of my head. I flailed my arms wildly in the air in a futile attempt to whip away whatever was causing these painful irritations. Realizing that it was the rain. I ran under a nearby coniferous tree for shelter. At first, it seemed to help, but as time continued, and the wind picked up, I began being pelted with the hot rain once again. The tree I stood under was now saturated with rainwater; hot drops of water trickled down the branches and through the needles to land on me. The droplets stung and burned; I tried not to scream from the torment I was forced to endure. It was too much to not let out an occasional whimper as I struggled not to weep. Suddenly, I could see two monstrous yellow irises with red pupils staring right at me from only a few yards away. Uneasiness turned into anxiety, anxiety into worry, worry into dread, dread into terror, and finally terror descended into panic. Something snapped in me then. I didn’t know what I was facing down; I didn’t want to know. All I knew is that whatever it was, if I didn’t flee right then and there, I’d surely die. I leapt out from underneath the tree onto the path and sprinted towards the house. That… was a severe mistake. Now that I was fully exposed to the unbridled wrath of the boiling rain. Not only was I soaked within moments, but the pain that came with that was insufferable. It was too much, the weight of my poor decision literally caused me to collapse to the ground. I felt like I was being boiled alive by the droplets drizzling down my body. The ground below my body felt uncomfortably warm while the sweltering humid air was unquestionably worse. My body refused to move after that; all sensations dulled before finally becoming numb. A pleasant warm sensation flooded my body; it was almost calmly soothing. As I layed there motionless on the ground, a glimpse of a faint memory came into mind. I remember running through the forest. I think it was from when I was young, but my memory of the event was hazy at best. I think I was being chased by something fierce, a monster or demon perhaps. I don’t remember what happened after that, but that’s probably when I stopped leaving the house. An eternity seemed to have passed before anything else happened. I could hear the slight shifting of stones and the gentle splashes of puddles approaching. I tried to get up to see what was approaching, but I was powerless to do so. Suddenly, the gentle footsteps had come to a stop directly next to my body. It was hard to tell at first, but some of the rain that had previously been pelting my body had subsided. I desperately wanted to see who or what had strolled up to the assuredly pathetic sight that was soon to be my corpse. As I sluggishly took a gaze to witness who was in my presence, there I saw her. Standing above me was a witch who I would soon become very familiar with. She held a dainty white parasol with azure ruffles around the edges. Her eyes glared down at me, uncaring and unimpressed with the spectacle before her. “You poor thing. What a pity. You’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you?” the witch declared. Her words seemed to imply empathy, however they rang hollow with sarcasm. I tried as hard as I could to utter even a single word to the woman, but nothing came out. My body felt devoid of any structure or expendable energy; as I was, I struggled to even maintain eye contact. “Ah, forgive me for my overvaluation of your abilities. It’s only natural that you cannot speak in your present state. I shall make you whole,” the blue haired witch callously remarked. She motioned as if she were conducting an orchestra with an open hand and my body began to levitate off the ground. I could feel my strength returning to me and my body became more defined with every passing second. After only a few moments—it couldn’t have even been a minute—I felt more or less the same as I did prior to the rain. I stared at my hands, opening and closing them tightly as I flexed my fingers. I didn’t even notice at first, but a small forcefield had been created above the two of us. Then, my attention redirected to the plain witch garbed in clothing reminiscent of the Emperor’s Coven. “W-Who are you?” I stuttered out as I questioned her. Looking her over, I was certain that I had never met this woman in my life before, yet she seemed familiar to me somehow. “A wandering traveller, someone in search of amusement to ward off the monotony that is existence. However, is it not proper to introduce one’s self prior to requesting the name of another?” the witch queried back seemingly disinterested in my presence. “My name? It’s...” Wait, what is my name? Everyone has a name, damnit; I know I have one too. I remember having one, almost like it was on the tip of my tongue, so why can’t I remember it now? No matter how much I tried to focus though, it never came to me. Maybe being nearly boiled alive scrambled my memories, because that’s not the only thing I forgot. “My name is...Uh..Ummm…I don’t remember,” I uttered out nervously, ashamed of the answer I had just given. What kind of person just forgets their name like that. It seemed ridiculous on its face. “Oh, I see. How unfortunate. I suppose it wouldn’t be right for me to hold that against you in that case. Amara Sombre. I’m a member of the Witches’ Senate and volunteer my spare time at the Church of the Titan.” “That sounds really… interesting I think, I mean it would if I knew what either of those things are.” I said blushing, embarrassed at my ignorance. “I suppose that’s not particularly a rarity, though I’d feel a bit insulted if you were someone that could actually remember their name though. Tell me, is there anything you do know?” The witch  stated with a tinge of annoyance in her voice. I had tried to think of something, anything to say, but my mind was blank at the time. There were only a few things I could remember. “Well, I have a dad… and a mom too of course. They’re not home right now. I think I live around here somewhere, I’m just not sure where exactly.” Amara let out a sigh and frowned a bit. “This won’t do. That won’t do at all,” she let out an exaggerated groan, perhaps for dramatic effect, “I’ll just have to take you home with me for now.” “You don’t have to worry about me, miss! I’ll figure something out, somehow. Possibly. I think.” I shot back trying to sound confident, but it came out all wrong and I ended up sounding clueless. “So you could handle the boiling rain by yourself, or perhaps the Ursa Immani?” “Ursa Immani?” I spoke as if I were surprised even though I was clueless about what she was talking about. “A large creature that was spotted roaming the woods around here recently. They’re not known to live near people, but sometimes they wander close in search of food. Ursa Immani have been known to eat witches sometimes out of desperation though, so I’d be careful if I were you.” “R-Right, I’ll keep that in mind.” “To be quite honest with you, there really isn’t any choice to be made here. You know nothing and there is no one waiting for you at present. Either you come with me or you’re subjected to a torrent of hot water and die a pointless and futile death. The choice is yours.” I wanted to protest, but knew that nothing I could say would change her mind nor the situation at hand. She was right; the only choices I had were life and death. Hardly a choice at all. “Fine, you win. I’ll go with you,” I whined, thoroughly bested by the cold proposition Amara had just made. She nodded, turned towards town, and began walking in that direction. I wasn’t about to look like a fool and contradict myself, so I followed along. The ambient temperature, even under the forcefield, was still very warm. With that and the humidity in mind, I felt like I was about to melt; perhaps to no one’s surprise, I did not, but that would have been a pretty interesting story. After a long period of time—maybe fifteen to twenty minutes later—the rain was finally starting to calm. The cloudy overcast that seemed to last forever finally dissipated and allowed the sun to peak out from behind its thick curtain. I let out a sigh of relief and wiped my brow. Not too much later, after the rain had completely subsided, Amara released the forcefield, allowing a refreshing breeze to pass through. I decided to break the silence that had persisted throughout the trip so far, “Ahhh, that feels nice, doesn’t it?” Before Amara could reply back, the sound of some rustling from the forest grabbed my attention. It only took me a moment to realize that I recognized the yellow and red eyed creature that was peering out at us. It was the same one that I had encountered earlier this day. Before I could say anything, the creature let out a loud snarl. It jumped out from behind a tree onto the grass adjacent to the road. To describe what it looked like, well it looked like a monstrous bear. It had a black coat and was gargantuan, large enough to fit a witch easily into one of its two stacked mouths, each stacked with teeth that looked like the tips of blades protruding from swollen gums. The creature looked misshapen in its proportions; its jaws were nearly larger than the rest of its head and its limbs were oversized to compensate for its large body which hung low to the ground, many of its bones must have been nearly the thickness of tree trunks. Finally, what I didn’t notice before was that the ‘whites’ of its eyes were actually a very dark gray, which I must have missed in the darkness of the forest before. It charged at us, tearing up the ground along the way with claws that’d be more fitting on a mole than a bear. Compared to its size, the pace it appeared to be moving at looked slow in comparison, but I could tell that it was still quite a bit faster than I could move. I knew that I’d neither be able to fight this monster, nor would I be able to escape. Even if I wanted to do either of those things, my body tensed and froze in terror, unable to move a muscle because of the knowledge of my impending demise. Or, so I thought. The ground itself morphed and molded into a colossal sized hand that stretched up into the sky with the creature comfortably fitting into its palm. The hand, made from stone and packed dirt, gripped its victim tightly with its fingers so that only the front end could be seen. It squirmed and wriggled with no success, letting out a couple loud roars before giving up. The ground let out a groan as the hand began retracting into the ground; it morphed as if it were a liquid or thick mud as the hand slid deeper down. Ultimately, it retracted completely into the ground, pulling the Ursa Immani under completely, submerging it until there remained no trace or cries from the beast. As I glanced around, there wasn’t a trace of anything that had just happened. Everything had reverted to the state before the creature appeared, even the claw marks engraved into the ground were now missing. Shocked at what had just transpired, I only managed to mutter out, “Was that..? Is it, k’know? Are we safe?” I had so many questions that I wanted to ask at that moment, mostly related to what happened and if we were going to be ok. I was also curious about Amara herself. I didn’t know much about witches, or anything really, but I wanted to know. Maybe that was relatively ordinary in the feats witches normally were capable of, or maybe it was actually impressive. Regardless, in that moment, I wanted to be as great as her. Brushing her long hair with the back of her silky hand, Amara looked down at me and began to speak. “I’ve grown tired of the scenic route. Why don’t we head home now?” Before I could respond, the witch whisked her hand and a bright light shot out which engulfed the two of us. As I rushed to cover my eyes from the intensity of the increasing brightness, I saw the world appear to break apart, shift, and slide around like a tile sliding puzzle. For a brief period of time—about fiveish seconds or so—all I could hear was the sound of a calm wind on a clear day. Not the sort of sound of the wind brushing through the trees or anything like that, more like if you were to travel very fast and the wind would catch in your ears.  When I finally pulled my hands away from my eyes, I was in a white room that looked like an office or a study; I’d later learn that this was the office of Amara Sombre, Orphanage Director at the Church of the Titan. For once—one of the few times I can remember anyways—Amara looked back at me and smiled; a bit of a creepy smile, but a smile nonetheless. “Welcome to my quaint quarters. I hope you enjoy your stay at the Church of the Titan.” It was just another normal day on the Boiling Isles.  Luz Noceda, a fourteen-year-old Dominican American, had finally woken up after a long night’s rest in the comfort of the Owl House. The human stretched her arms and squirmed out of her sleeping bag to look out the window of her room—well, it was actually Eda’s room, but Luz was using it as a bedroom while she stayed on the Boiling Isles, so it practically was her room at this point.  Today would be her first day back after being unexpelled from Hexside School of Magic and Demonics. Speaking of, she knew Amity’s parents were bad—she saw Amity’s memories after all—but it was still hard to believe that they got Willow, Gus, and her expelled from school for “being bad influences”. I mean, it’s true that she was at the center of all of the bad things Odalia brought up, but it’s not like it was all bad. Arguably, more good came from those incidents than any lasting negative effects. And while we’re on the subject of “bad influences”, Edric and Emira Blight could hardly be considered angels with all of the pranks they’d pull. Luz wasn’t about to say anything about that though, she was on pretty good terms with them. Yesterday was actually supposed to be her first day back, but school had to be cancelled because of the boiling rain. Even if it’d only been two days since she saw them, it’d be nice to see Willow, Gus, and Amity again. On top of that, she was excited to get back to classes. Even if she couldn’t perform in the practical portion of most classes, it was still fun to learn about all of the magic that was out there, and she assumed she’d utilize everything she learned once she better understood her own glyph magic. As it was early in the morning, Luz spoke softly to herself. “I have a crush, and her name is education.” She did a little fist pump and stared at the reflection of herself in the window. This wasn’t the first time she professed that, borderline cringey, phrase; she’d also said the same thing prior to her first day attending Hexside. If she was being completely honest with herself though, that’s not the only crush that was on her mind. She had already struggled to push it out of her mind over the weekend, especially since she had to spend it with her. Amity… What did she mean by “my Luz”? “It’s probably just an expression here. She just means we’re really good friends, of course!” Luz swallowed those feelings. It was probably just a one time thing, just under the heat of the moment. Amity just looked so cool defending her, like a real fearless champion. Even though, to Luz, Amity was one of the most amazing people in her life, there was no way she’d have a crush on her, right? Of course they would! Grom came and went and she didn’t feel anything at all, right? Besides, she knew that Amity had her own crush anyway. It’d be best to not think any further about her own feelings, for everyone’s sake.

Teen And Up Audiences

Quando Boscha a convidou para ir ao cinema local, Amity confirmara de imediato. Era muito melhor do que ser a auxiliar nos trabalhos em que seus pais a metiam. Chegou na entrada do estabelecimento e encontrou o grupo reunido perto da cabine de ingressos. — Ei Amity, que bom que veio! — A de cabelo rosa comenta com um sorriso. — Ei, poderia pagar meu ingresso? Esqueci de trazer dinheiro suficiente. Amity se perguntou por que alguém se esqueceria de trazer dinheiro quando obviamente teria de gastá-lo, e também por quê ela teria que pagar, visto que havia mais alguns amigos com elas. — Claro. — é o que diz, se dirigindo ao caixa. — Dois ingressos, por favor. — Pede, já dando a quantia necessária através do acrílico. — Deixa comigo! — uma voz animada responde. É só então que ela ergue o olhar. A atendente parecia estar fantasiada, com uma bandana azul com uma caveira na frente deixando seu cabelo curto para trás. Usava uma camiseta em trapos, o que a fez pensar que estava tentando se fantasiar de pirata. O olhar da outra após lhe entregar os ingressos a despertou de sua análise. — Tudo certo aí? Ela deve ter notado que Amity a olhou por um período maior do que as outras pessoas. — Ah, isso aqui? — Ela aponta para a caveira no topo da própria cabeça. — É um filme de piratas que lançou hoje. Spoiler: — ela se aproxima e faz uma concha com a mão ao lado da boca, como se estivesse contando um segredo. — É muito bom. Deveriam ver depois, mas o filme que vocês vão ver também é ótimo! Amity não sabe o que dizer, como reagir. Então apenas agradece e dispara para o grupo de amigos que já haviam entrado e estavam pegando suas pipocas e refrigerantes. Pelo menos, demorando para pegar os ingressos, poupou de ter que pagar para Boscha. — Por que demorou tanto? Estávamos quase entrando sem você — o comentário de Boscha era pra ser engraçado, mas Amity não riu como o resto de seus amigos. — Ah vai, é brincadeira! Vamos, o filme já deve estar começando. — Ela colocou o braço ao redor do ombro dela e a guiou para a sala do filme. Amity virou a cabeça o suficiente para ver se veria a garota de novo, mas sem sucesso. O filme foi razoável. Nada que despertasse muitas emoções em Amity. Até porque era difícil disso acontecer com ela. Na saída, escutou seus amigos comentando sobre o filme e parecendo engajados com a história contada. Ela se manteve quieta, em seus próprios pensamentos. — Ei gente. Esperem um pouco. — Boscha parou na frente de todos, com uma expressão travessa. — O que acham de fazermos um desafio? Como no filme? — Vamos ter que matar alguém? — Skara pergunta, remetendo a uma parte do filme. — Não tonta! Digo algo tipo falar com algum desconhecido coisas desagradáveis ou coisa assim. O que acham? Os amigos concordam, ansiosos. Amity não parece empolgada com isso. Teme o que Boscha possa mandá-la fazer. — Amity. — Ela chama e a outra a olha, assustada. Até então havia mantido sua cabeça baixa. — Você é a primeira. — Todos sorriem, maliciosos. — Hm. Deixa eu ver... — Boscha apoia a mão no queixo enquanto vira seu corpo para observar o ambiente, pensando em qual pessoa seria a vítima, e o que Amity teria que fazer ou dizer a ela. — Já sei. Amity continuou a olhá-la, esperançosa. Sabia que não podia esperar muito da outra, mas uma parte de si imaginava que ela seria mais piedosa dessa vez. — Você irá conversar com a atendente lá da frente. — Ela aponta para a cabine de ingressos e Amity solta a respiração que não percebera que estava segurando. Não era tão difícil. — Depois, vai ter que dar um beijo na bochecha dela e pedir seu número. O que acha? De repente, Amity sentia que iria implodir. Preferiria estar em qualquer lugar. Preferiria estar em casa ou trabalhando com seus pais ou fazendo favores para seus irmãos. Menos aquilo. — Não tem como negar então vai ter que fazer. — Boscha continua, sorrindo. — Vai lá. A de cabelos esverdeados suspira, reunindo o máximo de coragem que consegue. Seu corpo a leva para a entrada do cinema, por mais que sua mente implorasse para que fugisse dali. Era só um desafio, não faria nenhum mal. — Ah oi! O que achou do filme? — a garota questionou assim que a outra se aproximou. Amity procurou por palavras que não admitissem que ela mal havia prestado atenção ao filme. — Intrigante. — Diz. — Pois é. Eu não imaginava que ele fosse fazer aquilo no final, mas quem sou eu para julgar? — e ri. Sua risada é suave. — Amity. — Ela dispara. Seus ombros estavam tensos. — Oi? — a outra faz uma expressão confusa. — Meu nome. — Completa e logo se arrepende. Como pôde ter sido tão robótica? — Ah, tá. O meu é Luz. — Ela começa a lhe estender a mão, mas percebe que dali de dentro não iria ser possível. Então abre a porta atrás de si e contorna o pequeno espaço para cumprimentá-la. — Prazer! Amity sente receio por um momento, porém sua mão fora mais rápida que seus pensamentos, apertando a mão da outra levemente. Um silêncio constrangedor se instala. Amity sabe o que tem que fazer, mas não sabe como vai executar. — Então... Eu... Fiz um desafio. Com meus amigos, aqueles ali. — Ela pende a cabeça levemente para o lado apontando para o grupo atrás dela. — Legal! Quer que te ajude com isso? — a outra não parece se importar com a demora da outra para formular a frase. Amity aperta os punhos de nervosismo tão fortemente que sente suas unhas começando a fazer sua pele doer. Decide ser rápida. Se aproxima de Luz com passos curtos e rápidos e lhe deposita um beijo na bochecha esquerda. — Posso ter seu telefone? — ela diz depois de afastar. Disse tão rápido que até talvez a outra não tenha compreendido de primeira. Luz parece surpresa, mas não uma surpresa negativa. — Claro. — Ela retira um bloquinho de post—it e uma caneta do balcão, anotando rapidamente. — Aqui. — Ela a entrega. Amity agradece e guarda o papel no bolso. Dá as costas para Luz para voltar até seu grupo, e percebe que ela deve ter acenado para eles, porque eles acenam de volta. — Boa Amity! Sabia que ia conseguir. Estão vendo isso? É assim que vocês devem fazer nos desafios. — Boscha continua e pede para Skara fazer algo, mas a atenção de Amity já divaga novamente. Ela olha para trás, mas a atendente parede ter voltado para sua cabine e está atendendo um cliente. No fim, ela saiu ganhando, e não apenas no desafio.

Teen And Up Audiences

It had been a long day in the human world, Amity being toted by Luz from place to place, shop to park, every which way. And so far, it was seeming to be a long night as well since, despite how tired she was, she couldn't seem to fall asleep. Apparently, neither could Luz. “Amity?” “Hm?” “Are you awake?” “No, I’m responding in my sleep.” “Oh, okay…” Amity rolled her eyes in the darkness. “Yes, Luz. I’m awake. Why?” “Oh.” Her voice came out quieter than usual. Nothing like the boisterous energy she normally radiated. “Um, can I ask you…” Amity waited for her to continue, her ears twitching in search of the rest of her sentence. All she heard was her own breathing. “What?” “Do you remember when you told me… at school…” Luz seemed to search for her words. “Um, you were upset…” Amity cringed at the memory. She had been crying and blubbering on about her parents. “Yeah?” There was a pause slightly longer than normal. The air felt heavy with something intangible. Finally, she asked, “What were you gonna say? About humans?” "What?" "You were… You were gonna say something about humans being… being… I don't know." This made Amity sit up a bit. She did remember that moment. I'm supposed to be perfect, and humans are… "Have you been thinking about that this whole trip?" “No," Luz denied. Even with the limited light from the moon, she seemed to sense Amity's disbelief and admitted, "Not… actively. It was just kind of going in the background. And then I’d show you some human thing, and I’d immediately think, ‘Wow, she probably doesn't want to hear about all this human stuff.'" “Luz…” “It’s not, like, a big deal or anything," she tried to clarify, but if she had any certainty in the statement, her slightly frantic tone and quick pace didn't show it. The words seemed to tumble out of her mouth. "It’s just something I’ve been thinking about since, you know, we’re surrounded by humans. And, I guess, since I’m a human, and if you don’t like humans, then you might not… like…” “Luz. Hey, look at me." She crawled over to place her hand on hers. "I like you so much. I don't really know any other humans, so I can't speak about them I guess. Everyone here has seemed alright so far. But no matter what, you need to know that you are unlike anyone I've ever met, and I mean in that in the best way possible." "Really?" Luz asked. Her girlfriend nodded. "Then what about…?" Amity sighed. “Look. I’m gonna be honest with you. I grew up believing that humans were weird. I also thought having money entitled me to things or that fear made it okay for me to treat people like dirt. I haven’t always been a great person, and I’m not saying I am now, not yet, but… I’m trying. You make me feel brave, like I want to try. “What I’m trying to say is that if I ever say something like that, you need to know that it’s not true. It’s just me being scared and going back to what they taught me. But I'm trying my best." By the time she was finished, Luz's eyes were shining. "So you had a good time today with all the human stuff?" "Really and truly," Amity assured her with a nod, "everything you've shown me here has been amazing. Even the things that kind of scared me." Luz shot her a quizzical look. "Scared you? What scared you?" "Those metal death traps on wheels for one. I still can't believe you use those to go everywhere. And I was pretty freaked out when it started raining." They both laughed, remembering her misplaced fear. Then the witchling continued, quieter, "And I was honestly scared of how you made me feel at first." Luz cocked her head to one side. "Well, I hope it doesn't scare you any more." Amity smiled and shook her head. "Not one bit." She closed her eyes as she lay beside Luz on the ground, and suddenly, the night didn't seem so long anymore as it winked away to dreams.

General Audiences

No One's POV~~~~~~~~~ ~~Distant Future~~ Adora was standing on top of a cliff. She had an eye patch, after previously losing her left eye. She looked down at her army. Her army of former Horde Soldiers, former Bright Moon Guards, former Thiefs, and robots were cheering for her. "Soon we will have all of Etheria." Said Adora. The crowd cheered. "We'll save everyone." She continued. "The Horde and the Princess Alliance thought that the only way to save Etheria was to use Child Soldiers. They raised people all their lives to do one thing; fight. If they die? They're considered replaceable. No more of that." She turned into She Ra, without using the sword. "Anyone who wants to fight for an army," Said Adora. "will have the freedom to choose. You all had the free choice of joining me, and you did. Anyone who refuses?" Everyone looked with anticipation. "They'll be able to live." Said Adora. "But only as long as they promise to better themselves. No more crimes, no more hatred. Just start anew. And for this army, we look out for each other. Man or Robot. We have one life to live. Let's see to it we all try to have the person on our right or left live it the best they can. I might be on top of this cliff, but we are all on the same level." Everyone cheered. "And to think," Said Adora. "I was a fool, only a couple weeks ago." ~~3 Weeks Ago~~ Adora was woken up by a knock to her bedroom door. "You may enter." She yawned. Glimmer and Bow ran into the ran. "Adora," Said Glimmer. "The Horde is attacking a village." "What else is new?" Adora asked. "I'll be out in a minute." Bow and Glimmer nodded before running out of the room. Adora got out bed, and walked to the corner of the room, where her sword was. Rubbed both her eyes. The scars on her back always gave her a sore pain in the morning. Adora then looked at the sword and picked it up. Adora smiled. "As long as we're together." Said Adora. "Nothing will stop us. No one will tear us apart. What does that mean anyway? "Tear us apart?" Does that mean we get ripped to shreds? Or do we just go our sperate ways?" Adora got dressed in her usually clothing. A Red Vest, A White Long Sleeve Shirts, Grey Pants, and Red Boots. She still resembled a Horde Soldier. But she knew, she could never go back. No One's POV~~~~~~~~~ The Horde had successfully taken over an innocent village. A few of the citizens were being beaten up by the Horde Soldiers. "Get up and fight." Taunted one of the Soldiers as he kicked one in the stomach. The Soldiers were setting the houses on fire. For the Horde, this village was an easy win. One Soldier was about to use a taser on one of the citizens, when a hand grabbed his wrist and lifted him up in the air. "Why don't you fight someone who'll fight back?" Asked Adora, in her She Ra form. Adora threw the Soldier at another Soldier, rendering them both unconscious. The Soldiers shot their rifles at Adora. Adora was easily able to avoid the blasts. She charged at a group of Soldiers, knocking them down like bowling pins. Then a tank shot her. Adora fell to the ground in pain. "When I recover," She said. "the person driving the tank will feel very sore in the morning." The Soldiers pointed their rifles at Adora. "Turn back into your real form," Said one of the Soldiers, before turning their guns to the citizens. "or the heathens get it." "No!" Exclaimed Adora in worry. "I give up!" Adora turned back into her real form, and threw the sword forward. She put her hands up. "Time to see Hordak, Traitor." Said one of the Soldiers. Adora smirked. "Not today." She said. An arrow was shot at the tank, blowing it up. Then arrows that shot nets were set onto the Soldiers. Bow ran forward. "We keep saying you shouldn't go first." Bow told Adora. "Just doing what I love." Said Adora, running and picking up her sword. She turned back into She Ra. Then, Glimmer appeared. Glimmer went to work, knocking Horde Soldiers out with punches to the head. Then Perfuma came out of the woods and used her plants to wrap around Horde Soldiers, hanging them upside down. Then Frosta came out of the woods and started turning the Soldiers into Ice sculptures. Then Mermista came out of the woods, controlling the water of the nearest pond, and using it to swipe Horde Soldiers off their feet. "Retreat!" Said one of the last Soldiers standing. The Soldiers left with their tails tucked between their legs. "Mermista!" Exclaimed Bow. "The fires!" Mermista nodded, she aimed her hand at the nearest pond, gaining control of the water. Using the water to put out the fires, saving the village. The Villagers started clapping with joy. "That was an easy win." Said Glimmer. To that, everyone agreed. As long as the Princess Alliance was around, the Horde stood no chance. ~~Elsewhere~~ Hordak was watching through a screen as the Princesses took down his troops. "Dammit!" He shouted. A Soldier ran into the room. "What do you request, Lord Hordak?" He Asked. "Get Catra." Hordak demanded. "She knows Adora. Have her come up with a plan to destroy the Rebellion." "Yes, Sir." Responded the Soldier, marching off. Catra's POV~~~~~~~~ The Horde was able to take a lot of Etherian land. But that damned Princess Alliance? It was keeping us from completing our goals. That damned Adora. We were fighting for two years. I win some, she wins more. That... damned former best friend of mine. Who just has the loveliest hair, prettiest eyes, and just that adorable way of being dumb, but still incredibly precious... Wait, what? No. You didn't hear nothing about love. I hate her. I wish she was dead. I could've had so much more, if I had gotten rid of her sooner. Hordak ordered that, because I know Adora, I came up with a plan. There has to be someway of making the Alliance give in. While they were together, we couldn't push through. Can you believe it? Dozens of trained Soldiers, having the shit kicked out them by a few Princesses who grew up with silver spoons in their mouths. Think, Catra. Think. What could make the Alliance give up. What could...stop...an... Alliance? That's it! Why didn't anyone think of this sooner? To stop an Alliance, you have to end an Alliance. We have to turn them against each other. After we get them to kill each other, we fight who's ever left standing. Perfect. Nice one, Catra.   Now to tell Lord Hordak. Hopefully Adora can make it out alright... ....so she can be punished of course. Adora's POV~~~~~~~~ Queen Angella called a meeting. We all had arrived. "The Horde is taking over too much of Etheria." Said Angella. "From now on, we have to find more than just villages to protect." "So we free captured empires?" Asked Mermista. "Not quite yet." Said Angella. "First of all, Adora, you need to stop going first all the time. You constantly put the the mission in jeopardy when you almost get captured. We need She Ra, be She Ra." "Yes, Your Majesty." I said looking down on the table. I always assumed Angella hated me. If I wasn't She Ra, she probably would've put my head on a spike. After the Battle of Bright Moon, Catra put some serious scratches on my back. Permanent reminders that Catra now hates me. The only mother figure I had was Shadow Weaver. And I hate her...so much. "We need to destroy Horde camps that are in the Whispering Woods." Said Angella. "When do we attack the Fright Zone?" Asked Bow. "Not for a while." Said Angella. "We'll have to get stronger and get more people if we stand so much as a small chance." Stronger? Okay. I'll get stronger. I can't afford to be weak. Angella's POV~~~~~~~~~ After the meeting was adjourned. I noticed Adora was upset as she left. Was I too hard? I just don't want Adora getting hurt. Not only because she's She Ra, but because... she feels like a second daughter to me. I wanted to get up and apologize, when one of my advisors came in and said it was urgent. I'll apologize later. I hope Adora's not upset. I truly do care about her. Whatever Shadow Weaver did to her, we'll try to undo. No One's POV~~~~~~~~~ ~~At the Fright~~ "Lord Hordak," Said Catra, entering Hordak's throne room. "I've found it." "What's the plan?" He asked. "We turn the against each other." Said Catra. "Then after they kill each other, we fight who's left." Hordak nodded. "Great idea." Hordak said. "Ask Entrapa to build robots to attack all their castles at once. You'll see why soon." "I have a request?" Asked Catra. "What?" Asked Hordak. "Can I personally execute Shadow Weaver?" Asked Catra. Hordak laughed. "No way." He said. "Don't ask again." Catra nodded. "Yes, Lord Hordak." She said. "Now get out." Demanded Hordak. Catra left. She was pissed. Catra thought that of everyone, Shadow Weaver deserved to be executed. Catra couldn't believe she couldn't execute her. "I'll get that bitch eventually." Said Catra. "She'll pay for what she did to Adora." Adora's POV~~~~~~~~ They were attacking all kingdoms at once. The princesses couldn't all unite for this one. Everyone was trying to defend their own castle. There were tanks, soldiers, and robots everywhere. We were done for. No. Gotta stay strong. We were currently fighting in front of the castle. We had to keep them from entering. "Adora!" Cried Bow, sending an arrow into the head of a robot. "There's too many of them." I sliced through a robot's torso. "No." I said. "We can't give up so easily." Gotta stay strong. Glimmer was teleporting around and knocking Horde Soldiers down. "We need all princesses." Said Glimmer. "What the hell were they all thinking?" "They're protecting their own castles, Glimmer." I said, knocking a dozen or so Horde Soldiers to the ground. "They love their home too." "But they should've chose here first." Said Glimmer, punching a Horde Soldier in a wall. Is she hearing herself? They have a right to put their homes first too. No One's POV~~~~~~~~~ ~~With Perfuma~~ Perfuma was sending thorns into all of the Horde robots. "You aren't ruining nature!" She exclaimed. Perfuma sent a wave of vines to cover dozens of Horde Soldiers in her path. ~~With Frosta~~ Frosta and her army were fighting against the Horde Soldiers and robots attacking their kingdom. "What will we do?" Asked one of Frosta's guards. "Fight until dawn." Said Frosta, freezing a Horde Soldier where he stood. ~~With Mermista~~ Mermista was sending wave after wave at the upcoming threat that neared her kingdom. She was successful in stopping Soldiers and robots alike. The boats were destroyed...by someone else. "What now, my lady." Asked Sea Hawk, while fighting Horde Soldiers on one of the boats. "Just fight." Exclaimed Mermista. Adora's POV~~~~~~~~ They started to attack us from the sky. Swift Wind came to me. "Let's go." He exclaimed. I mounted, and off we went. We were on top of one of the ships when I heard...her. "Hey, Adora~" Said Catra. "How's it going?" I gritted my teeth. Of all the ships I could've landed on. "Swift Wind," I said. "Go help Bow and Glimmer. I want to deal with Catra myself." Swift Wind left. "How could you do this?" I asked Catra. "There are people dying." "You shouldn't have left me." Said Catra. "I asked you to come with me!" I exclaimed. Catra scoffed. "I guess we better do this then." She said, equipping her claws. I gripped my sword. She swung her arm at me, I quickly dodged. I punched her in the stomach. She bit me on the forearm. "OW!" I shouted, shoving Catra to the other side of the ship. Catra landed on her feet. "Reality bites?" She asked. I scoffed and charged at her. I swung my sword. She dodged. I was able to punch her in the face. "OW!" She exclaimed. "Reality punches?" I asked mockingly. She scoffed. "So you have this entire ship, all alone, just to fight me?" I asked. "When I left you to fall," She said. "I was disappointed to see you still alive." That hit me in the heart. "Now I can do the job for real." She said, charged at me. She managed to scratch my shoulder. I hollered in pain, before grabbing her and shoving her against a wall. "Can we do that again, harder?" Asked Catra, smirking. I tightened my grip. "Enough!" I exclaimed. "This has gone on long enough! Even you can see how this is stretching the limit. You have to call of your troops. Order a retreat, NOW!" Catra scoffed, headbutting me. I backed away and she dropped to the ground. "I'm never listening to you again!" She shouted, before swinging her hand at me. I couldn't dodge. An agonizing pain hit my face as I felt where Catra hit. I let out a scream of pain. My eye. She scratched my left eye. There was blood pouring everywhere. I dropped the sword, and turned back into my normal form. I dropped to my knees, clutching my left eye. I couldn't see out of it. No more depth perception. Gotta stay strong. Catra's POV~~~~~~~~ After my hand made contact with Adora's face. I saw where I had hit her. Her eye. Her beautiful blue eye. What have I done? I thought that whatever damage I did to her She Ra form wouldn't be permanent. She turned back into her true form and was on the ground crying. Her tears and her blood mixed together. Regret heavily filled my heart. I backed away. Then I walked slowly towards her. I knelt down beside her. "Adora, I'm sorry." I said. I truly was. Then Adora tackled me to the ground and started punching my face. "You Bitch!" She exclaimed. "You blinded my eye, you Bitch! I used to love you!" She was still punching my face. What the fuck did I expect? I cut her eye out. She used to love me? Blood was dribbling on my face. I couldn't tell if it was mine or hers. Then she was about to land another punch, but then she hesitated. Then she got up, having on hand to hold her eye. "If I ever see you again," She stated, looking at me hatefully. "I will kill you." That hurt me more than the punches. She picked up her sword. Then she called her flying horse. "Hey-Woah!" The Horse exclaimed. "Your eye!" "Take us home." Said Adora, sounding light headed. "What about Catra?" Asked the Horse. "I don't have the energy to kill her." Adora said. That made tears come out of my eyes. Adora basically collapsed on her horse. They flew away. I picked up my communicator. "Scorpia," I said. "call a full retreat." "Catra," Said Scorpia. "What's going on? Are you hurt? We're in the lead-" "RETREAT FUCKING NOW!" I shouted. Then I saw everyone was retreating. I drove the ship home. I'm so sorry, Adora. Now we'll never be friends again. Adora's POV~~~~~~~~ Queen Angella demanded that I rest. Rest? Why would I rest? The Horde needs to be stopped. And now I was literally stuck in my room FORCED to rest. Why did I have to lose my eye? I'm showing pain. Pain is a sign of weakness. If I show weakness... I'll be punished. It worked that way my whole life. ~~Flashback~~ ~~11 Years Ago~~ Me and Catra were both only 8. We were doing our usual nonsense. We snuck into Shadow Weaver's room. "Wow!" I exclaimed. "It's so big." "I don't know, Adora." Said Catra. "We shouldn't be here. I don't think Shadow Weaver loves me." "Nonsense." I said. "She loves both of us." I saw something glowing in the corner of the room. "Woah!" I said. "What is that?" "Adora, no." Said Catra, jumping in front of me. "It's too dangerous." "What are you doing here?" We heard Shadow Weaver's voice. "Catra, was this your doing?" She froze Catra in place. "You must be punished." Said Shadow Weaver. "How dare you try and ruin Adora's bright future?" "Shadow Weaver, wait!" I said, jumping between her and Catra. "It was my idea. Catra tried to stop me. Don't take it out on her." Shadow Weaver glared at Catra. "Is this true, Catra." Asked Shadow Weaver. Catra looked at Shadow Weaver. "No." Said Catra. "It was mine." What is she doing? It my idea. "Catra!" I exclaimed. "No. It's my fault, not yours." "Stop trying to defend me, Adora." Said Catra. "It's my fault, I'll take the punishment." "Now leave, Adora." Demanded Shadow Weaver. "But I-" I started. "Leave!" Pleaded Catra. I had tears in my eyes as I left. ~~Two Hours Later~~ Catra returned to our bunk room. She had bruises on her face. I ran over and hugged her. "I'm sorry." I pleaded. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Catra. It was my fault. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Catra was laughed and calmly pushed me away. "It's okay." She said. "Your okay." "No." I said. "Your face is bruised. It's all my fault." "Adora," Catra began. "I'm okay. As long as you're doing fine, I'm fine. If you cry, I cry. Anywhere you go, I go." "Promise?" I asked. ~~End Of Flashback~~ Catra's POV~~~~~~~~ I promised. I promised to help Adora. I ending up scarring her for life. Does every injury we've dished out on her, happen to her real form? I've always tried to stay by her side until the last couple of years. Why? Why didn't I join the Rebellion? What the fuck kept me from helping Adora? Scorpia was concerned about the bruises on my face. But they'll heal. Unlike Adora's.... She'll only have one eye from now on. Not to mention the permanent psychological wounds caused by Shadow Weaver. She might've been Shadow Weaver's favorite, but we all know she didn't get a free pass from her abuse. We all got hurt, but we learned to embrace our pain. Adora is different. She doesn't worry about her wounds... only ours. Whenever we got hurt, we never needed to cry. Adora always did our crying for us. Our pain was her pain. When she gets hurt, she never wants our help. When we get hurt, she always want to help us, and always does. Adora...was always too good for the Horde. Maybe she...was always too good for me. I'm gonna pay a little visit to the bitch who always led to Adora's pain. No One's POV~~~~~~~~~ Shadow Weaver was cuffed to the floor of her cell. "Long time, no visits." Said Shadow Weaver, sensing Catra's presence. "I messed up." Said Catra, entering Shadow Weaver's cell. "An now I'm talking to the one person who lead to those very problems." "Let me guess." Said Shadow Weaver. "You found Adora, you injured her, and now you're here to gloat?" Catra sat on the ground, right in front of Shadow Weaver. "I cut her eye." Catra said. "I didn't mean to. Now she's blind on the left side." Shadow Weaver laughed bitterly. "Isn't that what you wanted?" Asked Shadow Weaver. "To kill Adora? Isn't blinding her a good thing? Why don't you just sneak into Angella's castle, go straight to Adora's room while she's sleeping, and skit her throat? You like that, Force Captain?" Catra sneered at Shadow Weaver before standing up. "Whatever I do to get Adora is none of your concern." Said Catra. "Then why are you talking to me about the troubles you face with her?" Asked Shadow Weaver. "Scorpia might have a shoulder for you to cry on. But I might just kill her. You have no friends, right?" "One of these days, Weaver." Said Catra. "Make no mistake. When the time comes, and believe you me, I hope it comes soon, I will kill you for everything you've ever done to us. I made a promise to Adora that I'll always have her back. I haven't been honoring that promise, lately." "Honor?" Mocked Shadow Weaver. "Really, Catra, honor? Nowadays, honor is completely lost. Only tanks and guns fill the void." Catra was about to walk away. "One more question?" Asked Shadow Weaver, making Catra stop. "Who do you think would cry the hardest? You? Or your number one enemy?" Shadow Weaver started to laugh. Having enough, Catra turned around and punched Shadow Weaver in the face. Her laughing stopped. Catra started to walk out of a cell. "Adora is only a ticking time bomb." Shadow Weaver called. "How long until she'll blow up?" ~~Timeskip~~ Catra was awoken that night by the sounds of alarms. One of the Soldiers walked in. "Force Captain Catra." He said. "It's urgent!" "Is it the Princesses?" Asked Catra. "Shadow Weaver." Said the Solider. "She's gone." No One's POV~~~~~~~~~~ Adora was sleeping in her bed. Her left eye was covered with a white cloth, and tied to her head. "Adora~" Whispered the darkness. Adora slowly started to wake up, only to see Shadow Weaver nearing close to her bed. Adora shrieked in fear as she fell out of her bed. Luckily, her sword was right by her bed as she grabbed it and pointed it at Shadow Weaver. "How did you get in here?" Demanded Adora. Just then, guards barged into the room and pointed their spears at Shadow Weaver. Shadow Weaver calmly raised her hands in the in defeat. "What is going on in here?" Demanded Angella, walking in the room, only to be shocked as she saw Shadow Weaver. "Take her to the dungeon." Demanded Castaspella, entering the room. As the guards escorted Shadow Weaver out if the room, Adora tried to follow only to be stop by Angella. "Leave her, Adora." Calmly said Angella. "She can't hurt you anymore." " No, I-" Adora hesitated to get out. "I need to see her." Angella and Castaspella were shocked upon hearing Adora's words. "After all she's done to you?" Asked Castaspella. "She's a monster." "She's my mother." Said Adora. "She raised me. Admit it, Your Highness, you always thought of me as nothing more than a Horde Soldier." Angella felt her heartstrings pull. Angella always thought of herself as Adora's mother and was shocked by Adora's words. Angella felt a tear go down her cheek. 'Horde Soldier?' Angella though. 'She's so much more to us than just She Ra or a Horde Soldier.' Angella put her hand on Adora's shoulder, only to have it shaken away. "I won't let you be hurt by her again." Said Angella. "I'm more hurt by not being trusted enough." Said Adora. Angella sighed than looked at her guards. "Keep Adora away from Shadow Weaver." Demanded Angella. "It's for her protection." "I'm gonna hurt Shadow Weaver." Said Adora, accusingly. "It's not for her." Said Angella. "It's for you." Adora's POV~~~~~~~~ All my attempts to see Shadow Weaver failed. Each time I would sneak away, Bow and Glimmer would bring me back to Glimmer's room. "Why won't you let me talk to her?" I demanded. "Adora, she's dangerous." Said Glimmer. "Only an idiot would trust her." "She's from the Horde." Said Bow. "Anyone from the Horde can't be a good person." "I'm from the Horde." I said. "Adora, that's different." Said Glimmer. "You're kind, you're fun, you're nice-" "And She Ra." I accused. Bow and Glimmer looked down on the ground awkwardly. I knew it. "She's can't be redeemed, Adora." Said Glimmer. "She's only gonna wind up hurting you again. Her opinions are filled with cruel and unusual violence." "I can handle myself." I said. I looked around the room for my sword. If Adora can't pass the guards or Bow and Glimmer, She Ra can. Wait... where's the sword? I know Glimmer left it here. "Where's the sword?" I asked. "Adora, you are not turning into She Ra only to pass us." Said Bow. "No, I mean it's not here." I cried. "What?" Cried Glimmer. We looked around the room worryingly. Then the ground started to shake. What's happening? Is it the Horde? No One's POV~~~~~~~~~ ~~Meanwhile in the Fright Zone~~ "I can't believe it." Said Entrapta, working on a portal. "The portal is opening up. You'll be able to see Horde Prime again." They took the sword and connected it to a portal. "Very good." Said Hordak. "We'll be able to bring the rest of Etheria to its knees." "Wait." Cried Entrapta, looking at the computer. "Somethings wrong. Oh no." "What is it?" Asked Hordak worryingly. "The portal..." Started Entrapta. "...is only only going to open up false realities." "No!" Cried Hordak, running to pull the sword away from the portal. But it was too late. Everyone in Etheria would be pushed into a dream like reality. Where everything everyone wants is there. But it's not. ~~Timeskip~~ Adora's POV~~~~~~~~ I managed to break out of the false reality. Everything was a lie. I was still in the Horde, I was still friends with Catra, I had both my eyes, and everything was good. Too good to be true. I was where the sword was. After I pull it out, everything will turn back to normal. But I'll die. No. I gotta stay strong. "Adora." Said a voice from behind me. Turned around. Angella? Is she the real one? "Are you real or imagination?" I asked. "Real." She said. "The portal wanted to trick me into thinking Micah was still alive." She was really there. "I gotta pull the sword out." I said. "Please don't make my tombstone. I don't want to be remembered. I'm the one who causes problems. But this, this sacrifice, is my destiny." I was about to walk to the sword when Angella put her hand on my shoulder. "No it's not, My Child." Said Angella. "Etheria needs you." "What?" I said, turning around. "No. I-I keep messing up. I can't fight without getting injured. I can't get my best friend out of the Horde. I'm nothing but a mistake." Angella sighed. "Adora, do you want to hear a secret?" She Asked. I nodded. "I'm a coward." She said. "This is my destiny. Etheria needs you now, more than me." Angella gave me a kiss on the forehead, before flying towards the sword. "Your Majesty!" I cried. "Mom!" Angella pulled the sword away from the portal and then their was a flash of light. Then everything went black.       "Adora." Said a voice. Glimmer? My eyes opened. I was lying in a bed with bandages wrapped around my head. Glimmer was standing there. "Where's the Queen!" I asked. "She..." Glimmer started crying. I reached forward. Glimmer hit my hand away. "It's all your fault." She said, leaving the room. She's right. How could I have been so weak? Glimmer's POV~~~~~~~~~~ I don't know how it happened. But I still can summarize it. After we captured Shadow Weaver, Hordak created a portal that sent everyone into different times. Adora was about to stop it. When all of a sudden, my mother took the sacrifice from her. Why? Why did she do this? It should've been Adora. It was three months since the incident, since the coronation, but still I cry. I'm Queen now. But I still have less power compared to some. Shadow Weaver helps me run things in Bright Moon. Adora is upset that I'm trusting Shadow Weaver. Why? She's just jealous that Shadow Weaver likes me more, now. Adora is also upset that I don't fill her in on all my plans. But I don't have to. I only need Shadow Weaver to approve my plans, then I know they're good. Now and the rest of the Alliance don't like the new me, but I'm Queen. Aunt Castaspella didn't approve of Shadow Weaver, so I gave Shadow Weaver HER job. Adora said I was crazy. Jealousy will make a fool of her. On this current day, me, Shadow Weaver, and Adora were in the garden discussing our next course of action against the Horde. "We must throw everything we have at a few of them at a time." Said Shadow Weaver. "What!?" Exclaimed Adora. "That's preposterous. We have to only send a portion of what we have on a few. We send everything we got, when they do." "Fighting fair?" Asked Shadow Weaver. "We must send all our troops to kill everyone, whenever a threat is on the orizon. If they take a village we go in and kill everyone there." "What about the civilians?" Adora asked. "If they accidentally die," Started Shadow Weaver. "we'll mourne." "Shadow Weaver's right." I said. "Not everyone can make it out. People die in war." "We've managed to avoid fatalities until Shadow Weaver became your second in command." Said Adora. "And being okay with civilians dying? What is wrong with you?" "Nothing is wrong." I said. "Except for the fact that I still let a vermin stay in my castle. But that vermin lost her usefulness, then we can kick her out." Adora looked hurt. Good. That's how I feel. "Your Majesty." Said a guard walking up to us. "What is it?" I asked. Then the guard started to glow. They changed into a green monster with yellow eyes. A shape shifter. "I'm actually not a guard." They said. "I am Double Trouble. But do not fear my abilities, I want to use them to help you, Your Highness." Double Trouble kneeled. "I want to be accepted into your army." They said. "I will beat up many Horde Soldiers, Good Queen." "Glimmer." Said Adora, walking closer to me. "I think we should let them in. They can help us infiltrate the enemy lines." "I don't know." I said. I turned to Shadow Weaver. "What do you think?" I asked her. "Glimmer, what are you doing?" Adora asked. I put my hand in the air to stop her. Shadow Weaver walked over to Double Trouble. "On your feet." She demanded. Double Trouble stood up. "Are you a man or a woman?" Asked Shadow Weaver. "Miss?" Asked Double Trouble. "Your gender?" Asked Shadow Weaver. "I-I-I am a nonbinary." Said Double Trouble. "I am neither a boy or a girl." Shadow scoffed then turned to me. "They can't be trusted." Said Shadow Weaver, coldly. "What?" Asked Adora. "They identify as nonbinary if they want to." "It's not only that." Said Shadow Weaver. "They're a Shape Shifter. Their name is "Double Trouble" not "Double Good." They also might be working with Catra." I nodded. I walked over to Double Trouble. "I must take the word of my second in command." I said. "But, Glimmer-" Said Adora. "Your opinion doesn't matter, Adora." I said, glaring at a sad looking Adora. I turned back to Double Trouble. "I'm sorry, My Friend." I said. "We cannot have you." Double Trouble started sobbing. Then I started walking into the castle, Shadow Weaver following close by. "You are wrong, Glimmer!" Yelled Double Trouble. "I could've helped you! You are wrong!" Adora's POV~~~~~~~~ I was left in the garden with a sobbing Double Trouble. They only wanted to help. I put my hand on their shoulder. "I'm sorry." I apologized. "Glimmer isn't herself right now. I know you only want to help. Shadow Weaver had no right to say those horrible things." "I'm not upset with you." Said Double Trouble. "You actually wanted to help me get into the army. It's the Queen I'm mad at." I sighed. "I truly appreciate that you wanted to help us." I said. "Thank you." Said Double Trouble. Then Double Trouble started walking away. "Wait, Double Trouble, where are you going to go." I asked. "The Crimson Waste." They sighed. "It's where monsters like me belong." "You're not a monster." I said. "I know and you know." They said. "But hate hurts less there, when everyone hates each other the same." Then they walked away completely. What has Glimmer become? No One's POV~~~~~~~~~ Everyone in the Alliance was sitting down at the meeting table. "As you all know," Said Glimmer. "we have to attack the Fright Zone. Immediately." Everyone gasped. "Now?" Asked Bow. "We don't nearly have the resources to attack now." "We still have our powers." Said Glimmer. "You all can use yours to get us through. After all, Shadow Weaver told me the plan." "Are you serious?" Asked Mermista. "You're following her ideas? After we get in the Fright Zone, how do we get out? Did you ask your oh so perfect second in command?" "Are you arguing with me?" Demanded Glimmer. "I'm the Queen, whatever idea I have, we do. You guys are only Princesses, an Archer, and of course...a Horde Solider." Adora looked saddened. "Quit taking it out on Adora." Said Frosta. "Ever since you let Shadow Weaver in your kingdom, you've been treating Adora like shit." "Watch your tongue, in front of me." Demanded Glimmer. "Adora is the one who got my mom killed. If she didn't have power, we'd kick her back into the woods where we found her." "Glimmer, that's enough." Said Bow. "Adora already told me on how you were rude to that shapeshifter and how you turned them down. They could've used their skills to help us." "Of course you'd choose Adora's side." Said Glimmer. "That shapeshifter could have betrayed us. It could've been a trap." "You turned someone down and didn't think to tell us about it?" Asked Perfuma. "I don't need to tell you everything." Said Glimmer. "I only need the approval of Shadow Weaver. I'm the Queen, and what I say goes." "Enough!" Shouted Adora, standing up. "Shadow Weaver is only using you. It's what she does." "You're just jealous because she likes me now." Said Glimmer, walking over to where Adora was. "After all, didn't you, at one point, want to see her?" "You said she was evil!" Said Adora. "You told me that I couldn't trust her. You said only a fool would trust her. Now she's your second in command? You choose her, over your real family and friends?" "You're not family." Said Glimmer. "And I know you think of my mother as your mom. She wasn't. Also, we're not friends. You're just her because you're She Ra." Adora had a tear coming down her eye. "You hypocrite." Said Adora. "You're doing the very thing that you were afraid I was going to do. After everything I've done for the Alliance. After everything I've done for you and your mother. You say we're not friends?" "Never were, Horde Solider." Said Glimmer. That hit Adora in the heart. "I left my best friend for you." Said Adora. "I used to call the Fright Zone home, then you forced me to betray them. I wasn't going to, but even if I wanted to, I could never return. Catra took my second eye." "WELL MAYBE SHE SHOULD'VE GONE FOR YOUR THROAT!" Yelled Glimmer. "IT SHOULD'VE BEEN YOU, NOT MY MOM! WHEN THIS WAR IS OVER, WE'RE KICKING YOUR SORRY ASS OUT! IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU, MY MOM WOULD STILL BE HERE!" Adora started to full on cry now. Glimmer realized what she said and didn't mean. "Adora," Glimmer started, reaching a hand forward. "I'm so-" Adora pulled back. "No." Said Adora. "I know what you meant. You're right, I don't belong here." Adora grabbed her sword and started walking away. "Adora," Started Glimmer. "I'm sorry. Where are you going to go?" Adora stopped momentarily. "To see Light Hope." She said. "Are you coming or staying, Swift Wind? Because when we leave, we're not coming back." Everyone looked at Swift Wind. He followed Adora out of the castle. Glimmer's POV~~~~~~~~~~ What have I done? The the Hell is wrong with me? I yelled at one of my best friends that I wanted her dead. How I be so stupid. "I'm leaving the Alliance." Said Mermista, standing up an walking out. "I'll fight the Horde on my own." "Me too." Said Frosta, getting up and leaving. "Adora deserved better." Perfuma followed. "No, Guys, wait." I said. They stopped and looked at me. "We need to stick together to win the war." I said. Bow got up and walked to where the rest were. "You said you only needed Shadow Weaver." Said Bow. "Enjoy her company." They all left. No more Alliance. Why? Why did I have to say those hurtful things? It's all my fault. No One's POV~~~~~~~~~ Adora had arrived to the cave. Swift Wind waited outside. She entered and Light Hope appeared. "Light Hope," Adora began. "I can't bare to be She Ra anywhere." Adora threw the sword to the ground. "Find someone else." Adora said. Light Hope lightly chuckled. Adora was confused. "You don't choose to be She Ra," Said Light Hope. "you were chosen. Now pick up the sword and be be She Ra. You have no choice." Adora stood her ground. "I can make my own destiny." Said Adora. "I refuse to just be another one of the Princess's tools." "There is no refusing." Said Light Hope. "The only reason you were brought to Etheria from Eternia was to do this." "Eternia?" Asked Adora. "That's where I'm from. That's my original home?" "Etheria is your home." Said Light Hope. "Go and keep the citizens under control." Adora went and picked up the sword. Light Hope smirked. "No." Adora said, much to Light Hope's chagrin. "I refuse to make people live under fear, tyranny, and monarchy. I have cost so much problems with this sword. No more!" Adora slammed the sword against the ground, shattering the blade. Light Hope disappeared forever. Adora left the cave. "Where's the sword?" Asked Swift Wind. Adora looked him in the eyes. "Destroyed." Said Adora. Swift Wind's eyes widened. Adora mounted. "Where are we going?" Asked Swift Wind. Adora looked at the sky. "To the Crimson Waste." She said. "That's the only place monsters like us belong." Swift Wind flew into air. Catra's POV~~~~~~~~ I was sitting on my bed. We killed Angella. It was all our fault. I heard the Alliance broke up. I should be happy. But I'm not. Where will Adora go? She won't ever come back.     I have to see her. Adora's POV~~~~~~~~ ~~2 Weeks Later~~ Me and Swift Wind were at the camp we made in the Crimson Waste. It was right by a cliff. From what we've heard, the Horde was taking over more land, easily more than ever. We'll be able to live full lives until they come her. Who's want to rule the Crimson Waste? I guess maybe the people here. But nobody from the outside had the guts to come her. Except me. There was a sound behind me. I turned around, pointing the makeshift spear I had to whoever or whatever was behind me. "Hey, Adora..." Said Catra. How'd she find me? "I...heard you left the Alliance." Said Catra, awkwardly. I stood my ground. "Look, Adora, I'm sorry." Said Catra. "How'd you find me?" I demanded. "I looked for smoke." Said Catra, pointing towards the fire. "It took me a few times." "I'm no longer She Ra." I said. "I broke that damned sword. Now leave. Before one of us loses a blue eye. And I plan on it being you." Swift Wind was backing away from the commotion. "Adora, I-" Started Catra. Then a huge spider came out of nowhere. "Catra, look out!" I said, jumping and pushing her out of the way. I tried to use my spear to kill the spider. No good. Then, the spider managed to knock me back. The spider made its way over to Catra. It was going to kill her. No. Then there was something I felt inside me. Like....it can't be. I turned into She Ra, again. Holding two swords. Then I charged at the spider and cut it's head off. I turned back to normal. "I thought you said you couldn't turn into She Ra." Said Catra. "I shouldn't be able to." I said. "Try again." Said Catra. I tried again and I did it. I could transform into She Ra without the sword! I guess Light Hope was the one requiring that I need it. I don't know why it took me two weeks to figure this out. Until that spider... tried to get...to... Catra. "Leave." I demanded. "What?" Asked Catra. "I came her because I needed to see you." "I SAID LEAVE!" I demanded, a lot louder. Catra had tears coming out of her eyes. I sighed and turned back to normal. "I'm sorry, Catra." I said. "But where I'm going, you could get hurt. So leave...please." Catra nodded and walked away. She got into her ship, then left. How the hell did I not hear her land? Oh well. Whatever. Nevermind. I turned to Swift Wind. "I guess without Light Hope," I started. "I can make my own destiny, now." "What is your new destiny?" Asked Swift Wind. I looked up. Gotta stay strong. "We free the Crimson Waste from all the crime and the thieves." I said. "Then we free Etheria of all monarchy and tyranny. We'll need a lot of help. But it's only fair if they choose to help freely. Not from fear." Catra's POV~~~~~~~~ Adora wanted me to leave. But what can I say? I damaged our friendship. And it'll take a while to repair. No wonder Adora doesn't want me.       Not like I want her. No One's POV~~~~~~~~~ Adora walked into a canyon. She made Swift Wind wait above. Watching her. Watching THEM. "Who goes there?" Asked a giant lizard man. Adora didn't respond at first. The lizard man jumped over close to where Adora stood. His men and woman were watching from above. "Listen." He demanded. "I am Tongue Lashor. Leader of the second greatest gang in the Crimson Waste. And by that authority, I demand you to tell me your name." Adora didn't respond as she looked up at the huge person standing before her. "Listen." He said. "Cyclops, do you really think your strong silent type will work on me. And do you really think that your pathetic Horde Solider outfit with fill us with anything except joy as you fall on the ground dead, while wearing it?" Adora looked Tongue Lashor in the eyes. "Who's "us?"" She asked. "My men." He said. "And how do think my enemies would feel if they knew that I'd let even my own men perish? You should be shaking where you are." "And you should leave." Suggested Adora. "These men and woman are not your slaves. I'd die trying to protect every single one of my friends. You view their lives as meaningless. I think they all should have a shot at life. And not as your cronies." "You will pay for talking back to Tongue Lashor!" Said Tongue Lashor, pulling out his whip. "Kinky." Said Adora, rolling her eyes. Tongue Lashor shot his whip at Adora, but she dodged his attack. Adora transformed into She Ra. Tongue Lashor managed to put a cut on Adora's ankle. Adora winced from the pain, stopping momentarily. So did Tongue Lashor. "You should join my team." Said Tongue Lashor. "You can be my second in command. We'll kill Huntara and then have everyone do what we say." "Fuck monarchy and tyranny!" Said Adora, charging into Tongue Lashor. Tongue Lashor fell into quick sand. "HELP!" He cried. "DON'T LET ME DIE!" Adora, without hesitation, grabbed Tongue Lashor's wrist and pulled him out of the quick sand. She threw him 10ft away from the quick sand. "Wanna call it a draw?" Asked Adora. "Never, Bitch." Said Tongue Lashor, about to throw his whip at Adora again. Adora dodged, charged at Tongue Lashor, and used her sword to cut of his right forearm. His arm and whip flew across the canyon. "MY ARM!" Cried Tongue Lashor. Adora put her sword cold to Tongue Lashor's throat. "It's not yours anymore." Said Adora. "Like these people's lives. Go. Run along to Bright Moon and tell Glimmer that there are free people here. Not people living under Shadow Weaver's monarchy. And that any of her subjects will be free to join Adora's cause. Do it quickly, before I decide to take the other arm." "You will die." Said Tongue Lashor. "I will laugh at your funeral. You will leave here in a coffin." Tongue Lashor looked at his men. "KILL HER!" He demanded. They didn't move. "To Adora!" Said one of his men. "Liberator for all people trapped by tyranny." They started clapping in Adora's favor. "TRAITORS!" Yelled Tongue Lashor. "They're finally free." Said Adora. Tongue Lashor left the Crimson Waste in defeat. "Now!" Yelled Adora. "I have a proposition for some of you. All if you all want to." Everyone listened. "Who here wants to free Etheria?" Asked Adora. "Not a quarter. Not half. All! To get rid of monarchy and start elections. Power comes from the many. Not the few! This choice is yours. If you don't want to, I won't force you. You go live a peaceful life." There was a moment of silence before everyone clapped their hands. They all wanted to join Adora's cause. ~~Timeskip~~ Glimmer was sitting on her throne in regret. "Your Majesty." Said a guard, walking in. "There's someone here to speak to you." Tongue Lashor walked in, holding his bloody stub. "I was forced to send you message." Said Tongue Lashor. "What happened to you?" Asked Glimmer. "A blonde bitch cut my arm off and took my gang from me." Said Tongue Lashor. "She told be to warn you. And that your subjects can join her. It's bullshit." "What else did this woman say?" Asked Glimmer. "That they don't want my men to live under your or some bitch named Shadow Weaver's monarchy." Said Tongue Lashor. "I ask that you kill that cyclops." "Adora?" Asked Glimmer. "Oh yeah, that was her name." Said Tongue Lashor. "Guards!" Said Glimmer. "Take this man to the dungeons." "What?" Asked Tongue Lashor, being pulled away. "You admitted that you were the leader of a gang." Said Glimmer. "While I do thank you, you still must face consequences for your actions." Tongue Lashor was taken away. "Why would Adora do this?" Glimmer asked herself. "It's all because of me." No One's POV~~~~~~~~~ Adora led her army of former thieves to a village close to Bright Moon, that had been taken over by the Horde. She walked straight to the front the village. The Horde Soldiers laughed. "Look who's back." Said One of them. "With a Golden eye patch. Looks like you've gotten sloppy. Not even bothering to sneak up on us." Adora punched the Soldier across the village, sending him crashing into a well. "Fight till they fall to their knees." Said Adora. Adora and her men charged at the Horde Soldiers. One Horde Solider tried to shoot one of her men, Adora picked him up by the arm. "My men aren't your target practice." She said, throwing him into a few other Horde Soldiers. "They're free people." Adora's men continued to battle the Horde Soldiers, with none, Adora's men or Horde, being lost. Only people defeated were knocked unconscious. A tank came and aimed at Adora and her army. "Duck!" Adora commanded. Her men ducked. Even Horde Soldiers got out of the way of the tank. Adora noticed a Horde Solider on the ground about to be run over by his own  army's tank. She quickly ran over and stopped the tank with her bare hands. It seemed like more than she could handle, but she refused to have that Soldier's life be lost, even if he was trying to kill her. Adora managed to flip the tank to the side. "You-you saved him." Said one of the Horde Soldiers. "Why?" "The Princess Alliance and the Horde might not worry about the deaths of their enemies or their own people." Said Adora. "But I do. I might take away some people's limbs, but never their lives." The Horde Soldier looked down in respect. Adora looked at the the other Horde Soldiers. "Now, for all you fine ladies and gentlemen." Said Adora. "I'm giving you three choices. Give up and join our cause. Give up and deny our cause. Or continue to fight. It's your choice, but just know that if you choose the last two, you will not just be able to go back to the Fright Zone. No, you will put in a cage and made into a prisoner of war until this is all over. It's your choice to decide. We stand for freedom. Real freedom." The Horde Soldiers all looked each other. About half of the Horde Soldiers took off the helmets and threw them to the ground. The other half couldn't believe their comrades. "Very well." Said Adora. "Rid the ones who choose to go against our cause of their weapons, then take them to the cages we have ready in the Crimson Waste." Half of the Horde Soldiers cuffed the other Horde Soldiers who went against the cause. "Also." Said Adora. "To everyone joining us. Pick up your helmets. You can use to blend in on the battlefield." "How will we tell the good from the bad?" Asked one of the Horde Soldiers turned Rebellion members. "They attack the members not dressed like Horde Soldiers, they're bad." Said Adora. ~~Timeskip~~ Throughout Etheria, Adora was ridding villages of Horde Control. She gained many new followers. Former Horde Soldiers, Former Royal Guard, Villagers who chose to fight, even managed to  give robots free will and the urge to free Etheria. In many battles, the backs of the rival armies yelled "FORWARD!" The fronts would always yell "BACK!" before the were grabbed and thrown to the ground. Adora's army destroyed all the tanks rather than be forced use them. They could rifles, only if they shot at the ankles. Many still Horde Soldier given false hope when they saw other people dressed in the same uniforms. Until the people in the same uniforms started shooting their ankles and punching them in the face. And while many rival soldiers were sent into cages, they themselves were surprised at their treatment. Instead of harshness and malnourishment, they're were given plenty of food, and each cage was even allowed to have everyone in it exercise for an hour at a time, while under constant surveillance. The war went on like this for three weeks. One day, Adora got a visitor. "Hello, Adora." Said Double Trouble. "Double Trouble, was it?" Asked Adora. "I remember you." Double Trouble wanted to kneel, but Adora waved it off. "There's no need for that." Said Adora. "Not a monarchy. You are a free person here. Glimmer was harsh to turn you down like that. And Shadow Weaver to judge you unfairly." "I want to join you." Said Double Trouble. "To get back at Glimmer. To overthrow her of her throne. And one more thing." Adora listened. "I want Shadow Weaver dead." Said Double Trouble. Adora smiled. "One of the few deaths that has to come and will come." Said Adora. "It'll be done." Double Trouble smiled. "Queens and Kings want you to kneel." Said Adora, extending her hand. "I only ask that you accept our cause for freedom and equality." Double Trouble looked at Adora's hand, before shaking it. "Welcome to the Rebellion." Said Adora. "The real Rebellion. The true Rebellion." Glimmer's POV~~~~~~~~~~ I have to get the Alliance back together. For the past three weeks, Adora has been creating her own war. It's not for a bad cause. It's a GREAT cause. However, she's turning people against me. Many of my own Soldiers want me gone. Dethroned. I don't mind giving up the crown. It's just...I don't want to be alone. I have to stop this. Adora hasn't killed anyone so far, and she even saves EVERYONE. Enemy or ally. But what about the Horde Soldiers joining her cause. They join and get immunity from their crimes. That can't stand. I have to get the Alliance back together. And I won't make the same mistakes again. But I don't think I have the guts to face everyone alone. "Your Majesty." Said one of my guards. "There's someone here to see you." The guards escorted... Catra, Scorpia, and Entrapta? "I want to join the Rebellion." Said Catra. "I don't want Adora dead. But I only have two friends to help." "Hey~" Said Scorpia and Entrapta awkwardly. "I know we've done some terrible stuff." Said Catra. "But Adora is too precious to me. I can't allow her to throw her life away being feared." Catra looked down saddened. "Please?" Catra asked desperately. "Please don't get Shadow Weaver's approval, she'd say "no."" I looked at her sympathetically. "She is no longer my second in command." I said. Catra, Scorpia, and Entrapta looked at me in surprise. "When did you realize you hated her?" Asked Scorpia. "I always did." I said, getting up and walking towards them. "I only thought I could trust her. Adora was right. I am a hypocrite. Hopefully we can stop the new war before things truly escalate." "So we can join?" Asked Catra. "Welcome to the team." I said smiling. Catra quickly hugged me. "Thank you." Catra sobbed into my shoulder. ~~Timeskip~~ Me, along with Catra, Scorpia, and Entrapta first went to Bow's house. I knocked on the door. Both his dads answered. "Hello, Glimmer." Said George. "Long time no see." "Could've been longer." Said Lance. "Lance." Said George sternly. "Well, she did lead Adora to start her own war." Said Lance. "Personal I wouldn't mind elections." "She's our son's friend." Said George, who then turned to me. "Please, come in." We entered the house. "I need to see Bow." I said. Just then, Bow came in the room. Dressed like a librarian. "Hey~" Bow said awkwardly. "Bow, we need your help." I said. "Adora needs to be stopped before she hurts herself." "Please?" Asked Catra. "Catra!?" Cried Bow in surprise. "What is she doing here?" "She joined us." I said. "Her and her friends." Scorpia and Entrapta waved awkwardly. "We need to get the Alliance back together." I said. "Otherwise Adora will be a symbol of fear." "Or a symbol of hope." Said Lance, before being shushed by George. "If we do." I said. "I'll no longer be the evil tyrant I've set myself to be lately." Bow looked down at the ground, then back to me. "Okay." He said. "I'll visit the others. After the last time I spoke to them all, they seemed like they didn't want to see you. I can convince them." "Thank you." I said, hugging Bow. Bow hugged me back. ~~Timeskip~~ Bow managed to convince everyone to come. Well, everyone except Adora. "Now you know why I called you?" I asked them. "To brag about your power and berate Adora?" Asked Mermista. "I'm no longer going to be that person." I said. "Bullshit." Said Mermista. "You were rude to Adora. You led her to the path of building her own army. You made her abusive mother figure your second in command." I looked down. "I was a fool." I said. "I wanted Shadow Weaver's approval to make Adora jealous. No more of that. We have to once again unite our powers and our kingdoms to save our friend. Adora might be stopping the few Horde Soldiers she can, but she can't hold out forever without letting the power get to her head. People are living in fear. We have to stop her." "Are we going to kill her?" Ask Frosta. I looked at Frosta with a worried look. "No." I said. "No, no, no. We're going to save her." Mermista sighed and stood up. "I'll join." Said Mermista. "But for Adora." Perfuma stood up. "Me too." She said. Frosta stood up. "Me as well." She said. Then Bow stood up. "I'll always go where you go." He said. "For Adora!" I said raising my fist. "For Adora!" Everyone else said. "I also have another surprise." I said. "Come on out!" Catra, Scorpia, and Entrapta came into the room. Mermista, Perfuma, and Frosta looked worried. "I'm not crazy." I said. "We have new friends." "Wait!" Said Perfuma. "How about one of us goes to talk to Adora?" "I tried that." Said Catra. "Didn't work....she hates me." "We have to send her a message of peace." Said Perfuma. "Before we-" Then a guard walked in. "What is it?" I asked them. They started to glow before turning into someone else. Double Trouble. "A shapeshifter!" Cried Scorpia. "You made a mistake." Said Double Trouble. "After your vulgar behavior, I joined Adora's army. The true Rebellion." "I'm sorry." Said Glimmer. "Too late for that." Said Double Trouble. "I have a message to give you." "What is your message?" I asked. "Give up your kingdoms." They said. "Adora wants no more monarchies. And if you even think of harming me, she'll take over your kingdoms by force. Worry not about death. Adora only wants two people dead. Anyone in the way, simply gets covered in a blanket, moved to the side, and stays more or less unharmed. With even the chance to join Adora's army." "Who does Adora seek to kill?" I asked. "You know." Said Double Trouble. "Hordak and...oh, yeah. The bitch you keep in your basement dungeon." Double Trouble turned to leave. "Bye." They said. "Wait!" I said. They turned back around. "May you live on forever." I said. There was a moment of silence. Double Trouble looked down at the ground in sadness. Then they finally left the room. "I can't believe they're gonna kill Hordak!" Cried Perfuma. "Sure he can act mean, but he's still a cool guy." "Perfuma?" I said. "I changed my mind. Send Adora a message. But just remember, nonviolence. We need to show her that our ways of life can still work." No One's POV~~~~~~~~~ Perfuma entered the canyon. She was stopped by two guards. She could've easily taken them down, but decided against it. Nonviolence. "State your business here, monarch scum." Demanded a former Horde Soldier. "I'd like to speak to Adora." Said Perfuma. "A princess messenger?" Asked one of the guards. "How pathetic." "If I am unable to talk to Adora," Started Perfuma. "this war will take its devastating turn. We need to sort this out." Adora's POV~~~~~~~~ I was going over our next battle plan with my men, when one of them entered the tent we usually discuss our affairs in. "Adora," He said. "the Princess Perfuma would like an audience with you." "Does she have her army?" I asked. "She came alone." He said. "Probably out of trust." Perfuma a messenger? How ironic. "Would you like some of us to accompany you?" Asked Double Trouble. "No need." I said. "She came alone. I'll go alone." No One's POV~~~~~~~~~ Adora exited the canyon and saw Perfuma. "You two may leave us alone." Said Adora. "Yes, Ma'am." They said in union as they left. Adora turned to Perfuma. "I never thought of you as a messenger." She said. "Are you willing to give up your kingdom and allow our plans for elections?" "Adora," Started Perfuma. "You have to stop this personal war. Glimmer is sorry. She removed Shadow Weaver as her second in command. The Alliance is back together. We'd like to rejoin." "And submit to monarchy?" Asked Adora. "No way." "Well," Said Perfuma. "you seem to have trust in me. As you don't have your sword." Adora smirked and transformed into She Ra. Perfuma was amazed and frightened. "But the sword-" Started Perfuma. "A reminder to Light Hope that she wanted me to pursue a destiny I was forced into." Said Adora. "I destroyed the reminder. Now I can make my own choices. And luckily, I can still turn into She Ra." Adora turned back to normal. "Adora, please." Said Perfuma. "The war is lose lose. People are taken from both sides." "All my people are alive." Said Adora. "And we don't kill our enemies. Might scar them, might cut off their limbs in battle, maybe even take some teeth in battle. But we'd never take their lives. Even we prisoners we have, every few days, we offer to them a chance to join our cause. After they see our hospitality, many join." "So your doing this for glory?" Asked Perfuma. Adora looked Perfuma in the eyes. "For freedom." Said Adora. "I don't care if people, thousands of years from now, even know I existed. I only care that they wake up not under monarchy or dictatorship." "They'll wake up from fear." Said Perfuma. "You want to control your enemies by fear." "If fear will keep people from killing each other," Started Adora. "so be it. As long as they can choose their leaders and pursue any dream they have. For all men, women, and people who identify as nonbinary from all walks of live respectfully." Adora turned to enter the canyon. "That's the end of your audience." Said Adora. "Now leave." "Adora...I-" Started Perfuma. "I SAID LEAVE!" Demanded Adora. Perfuma looked saddened. Adora felt terrible for sounding so rude. "...please?" Ask Adora, sympathetically. Adora turned and walked into the canyon. Perfuma left. The war wasn't over. It only just begun. Glimmer's POV~~~~~~~~~~ Perfuma had informed us that Adora would want to continue this war. We have to find someway to make it end. "I have an idea." Said Entrapta. We listened. "What if we united with the Horde?" Asked Entrapta. We all gasped. Unite with the Horde? That's suicide. "I can convince Hordak." Urged Entrapta. "He'll turn good and help us." "Life isn't a fairy tale, Entrapta." Said Mermista. "So you guys are going to not take the chance because you find something hard to believe?" Asked Entrapta. We all looked at each other, then at Entrapta. "It'll work." She insisted. I looked at the rest of the princesses, they nodded. When in doubt, work with your worst enemies. "Alright." I said. "But how will we get into the Fright Zone?" "How about the bitch in the dungeon?" Asked Catra. "She knows how to get in and out of that place." ~~Timeskip~~ We walked into the dungeons. "Can I be released, now?" Asked Tongue Lashor as we passed his cell. "Later." I said. We wend straight to Shadow Weaver's cell and opened it. And there she was, sitting on her bed. "I wondered when Catra would join the Rebellion." Said Shadow Weaver. "Shadow Weaver, you need to teleport us back to the Fright Zone." I said. "Teleport you to the Fright Zone?" She laughed. "That's a suicide mission. You'd need a squad for that. A truly vile team who can get the job done. Not a bunch of princesses." "Bullshit." Said Catra. "We have to go. You still had some magic to escape there, so you must have some magic to get us there." "Will I be removed from the cell?" Asked Shadow Weaver. I signed and nodded. Shadow Weaver reached in her pocket and pulled out a vial. "This will teleport us all to the Fright Zone." Said Shadow Weaver. Hordak's POV~~~~~~~~~ Adora had caused half my army to join her. A quarter of it was trapped in her cages. All Adora has to do now is attack us. We'd be Like fish in a barrel. So this is what the fear of defeat feels like? Just a another clone of Horde Prime who can't get the job done. I need more help. But I have none. ...God, I miss Entrapta. She always was great company. I was in my quarters working on a new portal, when there was a flash of light. The Princess Alliance, the traitors, and... ENTRAPTA! "ENTRAPTA!" I said excitedly. "Where have you been the last couple of weeks? I missed you." "Great." She said. "I was talking with the Alliance...and we want to join forces to stop Adora." Join forces? The Horde and the Princess Alliance? "I know it sounds stupid." Said the Queen. "But if we want to stop Adora's impenetrable army, we need to work together." As if. "No way!" I said. "The Horde had suffered great losses enough!" "Please?" Asked Entrapta. Absolutely. "Yes, of course we'll join." I said. "I trust you, Entrapa. I... actually view you like a true friend." ~~Timeskip~~ We were at the table discussing our plan to stop Adora. The rest of Horde learned about the new Alliance. Many were upset, but they listened to me. "What advantage to we have?" I asked Glimmer. "Nothing." She said. "Adora's army are willing to die for her. But she's also willing to die for them. Strong sense of unity. But we can try to overcome that problem. "Then where do we start?" Asked Entrapta. "Adora would be easier to take on if she was alone." Said Glimmer. "But she never leaves her men on their own." "Do we kill her men?" I asked. "No." Said Glimmer. "But we couldn't even if we wanted to. Adora's got all their backs." A true warrior. Won't leave her men to die. Actually... I thought of how we can use that to our advantage. "Wait a moment." I said. Everyone looked at me. "I have a plan." I said. "We can take her on by herself if we follow it." Adora's POV~~~~~~~~ We were outside of the Fright Zone. It's time to get rid of the Horde once and for all. "HORDAK!" I shouted. "YOU ARE ENTIRELY SURROUNDED BY FREE PEOPLE! GIVE UP NOW! YOUR DEATH WILL BE A LITTLE BIT QUICKER!" The speakers turned on. "Funny of you to say that." Said Hordak through the speakers. "I have a couple of your friends. Come in alone, straight to me, or they die." He has my men? No. This can't be. I can't let them die. "FINE!" I shouted. "I'M COMING IN ALONE! TRY ANYTHING, AND YOU WILL FALL LIKE LEAVES!" I turned to my men. "What's one of the greatest values I've tough you?" I asked them. "NEVER LEAVE A MAN BEHIND!" They all shouted. "I have to go in alone." I told them. "If anything happens to me, burn this place down to the ground. Evacuate everyone, except Hordak, and burn it down." They all saluted. I walked into the Fright Zone alone. Many of the citizens and soldiers looked at me in fear and curiosity. They'll all be free soon. ~~Timeskip~~ I entered Hordak's quarters. There were three of my men, who were still dressed in Horde Soldier outfits, with their hands tied behind their backs. "You came." Said Hordak. "Let my people go." I said. "They were once my people." Said Hordak. "Then they joined you." "Let them go." I ordered. "Turn back into your true form." Demanded Hordak. "That's the plan." "Plan?" Asked one of my tied up men. "Oh, right the plan. The plan to trap Adora. The plan to defeat Adora. The plan to use three soldiers, pretend they're three soldiers on her side, and pretend to kidnap them, get Adora to transform back to her real self, have the princesses jump her, and end this war." Kyle, Lonnie, and Rogelio? Hordak facepalmed. "That plan?" Asked Kyle. "YES, THAT PLAN!" Said Hordak in anger. "JUST GET HER!" Glimmer, Frosta, Mermista, Perfuma, and Bow all came out of the shadows. "Some bait." I said. "Kyle is dumb." Said Another voice. "But we love him." I turned to see Catra, Entrapta, and Scorpia come out of more shadows. "Wow, this place is dark." I said. "Give up, Adora." Said Glimmer. "You're heavily outnumbered." "So you finally join the Horde?" I asked. "It's about time you turned full on hypocrite." "You have to stop, Adora." Said Bow. "Or we'll have to fight you." "My men are already fighting your men." Said Hordak. "It's over." "The battles only just begun." I said. "But one more thing." I pointed my hand towards Frosta encased her in a magic dome. "Why'd you do that?" Asked Entrapta. "I don't harm children." I said. "But everyone else I will take care of. Not fatality though, except Hordak. He has to die." Bow shot an arrow at me, I cut it in half. Mermista and Entrapta worked together to try and distract me with water blasts while Entrapta's robots attacked me. Big fail, the water only bounced off me and the robots were all knocked to the side. Glimmer teleported Infront of me and tried to punch my stomach. I grabbed her fist, and threw her into Mermista and Entrapta. Scorpia came from behind me and grabbed me from behind. She lifted me off the ground. "Give up!" Said Scorpia. "A Warrior doesn't give up." I said as I used the back of my head to smash into Scorpia's face. I broke her nose and she let go of me. She yelled in pain as she tried to hold her bloody nose. "Good night." I said, kicking her across the room into a wall. Perfuma wrapped her plants around me and I was lifted into the air. I couldn't use my sword against the plants. But that wouldn't stop me. I pulled on the plants hard enough to make them break. Then I charged at Perfuma, grabbed her by her arm, and lifted her up in the air. "Sorry, Perfuma." I said, before throwing her across the room. Then Catra grabbed me from behind. I couldn't shake her off. "Please, stop." She begged. As much as I tried to shake her off, I couldn't. I ran backwards into a wall, and smashed both of us into it. Catra yelled in pain and let go. I caught her before she could hit the ground. "What are you gonna do?" Asked Catra. I looked her in the eyes. "Good night." I said. I applied pressure to her neck and she passed out. I set her gently against a wall. Glimmer appeared behind me and wrapped herself on my ankles. I tripped and fell backwards. Bow and Entrapta tried to pin me down. No avail. I threw them all off like it was easy. Then I remembered Hordak. He had a cannon on his hand. It had the force of a tank, shooting into me and sending me through a few walls till I was outside. Everything went black for a moment. No One's POV~~~~~~~~~ Adora has passed out for a minute. When she came to, she noticed she was back where she started. Her soldiers were gone. "Where are my troops?" She yelled out loud. "We captured them all." Said Glimmer, appearing close with everyone else. Catra had conveniently woken up. Frosta was free from the magic dome. Horde and Royal guard soldiers alike surrounded the rest of where Adora stood. "We don't want to kill you, Adora." Said Glimmer. "We've finally gotten rid of our differences. Due to your war, ours was done. You unknowingly saved everyone and restored peace." Shadow Weaver appeared as well. "So now the Horde, Hordak, and Shadow Weaver truly decide they want to be good now?" Asked Adora in disbelief. "How convenient." Adora turned back to her real self. "If anyone really cared from the start, none of this ever would have happened." Said Adora. "Life can be cruel." Said Glimmer. "But with friends is beautiful." "So you want me to resubmit to your monarchies and dictatorships?" Asked Adora. "No way." Adora ripped off her eye patch to show the permanent wound she received. Catra had a look of horror when she saw it. "What's one more death to your kingdoms?" Asked Adora, standing straight like she was waiting for something. Everyone looked confused. "Well what are you waiting for?" Urged Adora, with shaking breath. "In your books, I'm Etheria's greatest threat." Everyone looked distraught. "Do it." Urged Adora, with tears coming out of her good eye. Everyone looked at Adora sympathetically. "Do it." Said Adora again, while she was starting to shake. Everyone looked at Adora with looks of hope that she'd know they cared for her. "DO IT!" Demanded Adora, more distraught than before. Shadow Weaver raised her hand towards Adora and splattered her to pieces. "NO!" Cried Catra, getting down on her knees and holding her arms out, as tears ran down her face heavily. Everyone covered their mouths and tears rolled down their eyes. Catra looked at Shadow Weaver with absolute fury. With tears still in her eyes, Catra got up and charged at Shadow Weaver. Shadow Weaver didn't even stop Catra, and just allowed herself to be shoved into the ground and beaten to a bloody pulp by Catra. Her mask flew of as Catra scratched at her face. Catra stopped momentarily. "One more will kill you." Said Catra. But before Catra could do anymore damage to Shadow Weaver, she was pulled off of her by Scorpia. Catra was kicking and screaming. "LET ME GO!" She screamed. "SHE HAS TO DIE!" Scorpia enclosed Catra into a hug. Catra started to cry waterfalls as she allowed herself to sink into Scorpia's embrace. Glimmer looked on at the bloody puddle that used to be one of her friends. 'This is all my fault' Thought Glimmer as tears ran down her eyes. Bow, with tears in his eyes, hugged Glimmer to try and make them both feel better. It didn't work. The pain of loss hurt too much. Glimmer's POV~~~~~~~~~~ We had a funeral to mourn the loss of Adora. Most of Etheria showed up. All except Shadow Weaver. She was put back in dungeon, this time we checked her thoroughly so she didn't have anything to escape. We built a statue of Adora in Gold to commemorate her legacy. I was asked to give a speech at the funeral. Despite the pain I feel inside, I held my head high. "Adora and I might not have agreed on everything." I said. "But she was my friend, my ally...my sister." I sniffled. "The war she caused us, created tons of damage." I said. "But no casualties. Buildings and houses can be fixed. Lives can't be returned. And I wish Adora could've done more with her's." Catra was crying into her hands. Nobody could blame her. "If I would've known what my actions would've caused," I continued. "I would've done everything to avoid them. If I had known what Shadow Weaver was going to do, my last words to Adora...." I started crying again. I had to fix my stance. "I would've told Adora she was my sister." I said. "That's all she would've wanted. She viewed my mom as her's, and I rudely told her it wasn't so. I-I... I'm, Adora. I know you can't here this, but.... I'm sorry. We'll mourn your until we get our own." I had to wipe many tears from my face. "Thank you, everyone, for coming." I said. ~~Timeskip~~ I was sitting on my bed crying. It was all my fault. How could I have been so blind? Bow walked in. "I came to see how you were doing." He said. "I.." I began. "I shouldn't have been so hard on her." My crying began anew. Bow hugged me trying to drown away the sadness. I'll miss you, Adora. If only we could've had another chance.                                     Horde Prime's POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I was sitting on my throne in my ship. "Lord Prime." Said one my clones. "The Warrior Princess is dead." I smiled. "Good." I said. "The Princess of Hell and now She Ra. Less people to stand in my way." "Could they ever return from death?" Asked the clone. "Not unless Cipher's replacement wants to." I said. "I'm pretty sure Princess Charlotte might be harder to bring back. But that kid only uses his powers to pull pranks and trick small time criminals into turning a new leaf." "He is only 19, Lord Prime." Said the clone. "A waste of all that power." I said. I looked out the window of the ship. "We will conquer Etheria, Earth, Hell, and the rest of the Galaxy." I said. "What about the Irkens?" Asked the clone. "They only fly in a straight line." I said. "They won't bother us." No One's POV~~~~~~~~~ ~~Distant Future~~ ~~5 Months After Prime~~ Exterminators were flying in the sky looking for more people to kill. Pentagram City was completely in ruins. Cars were on fire. Windows were broken. The only building on the block that had light, was a pub with boarded up windows. Inside, was a 20 year old Human-turned-Demon named Dipper Pines and a 75 year old Flying Cat named Husk. Dipper wore a Gold Button Up Shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a Black Button Up Vest, a Black Bow Tie, Black Dress Pants, and Black Dress Shoes. Dipper was decently ripped, having worked out more in his spare time. Dipper's right eye had a Black Scerla with a glowing Golden Iris, and a Skull Shaped Pupil. There was a huge scar on the right sight of his face, under his eye, that had a Golden Glow. It was even easy to see behind his Black eye liner. The bangs of his hair were dyed Golden. His nails were painted Black. His ears were both peirced with Gold Studs. His left wrist had a Gold Watch. He had a tattoo on his right inner forearm that was Bill Cipher's Pentagram in Black ink. "Well, Fuck." Said Dipper, looking through the bar shelf. "All out of the Vodka." Husk was on the other side of the room, his face buried in his arms, while they were resting on the table. He had a beer glass right next to her. "At least we still got whiskey." Said Dipper, pulling two bottles of the shelf. "I mean... lot's of fucking whiskey." Dipper set one glass down, and downed the other bottle with a few quick gulps. "It's a shame we'll have to find a new bar eventually." Mumbled Dipper. "But good things don't always last forever." He noticed Husk wasn't responding. He turned to face him. "Are you hearing me?" Asked Dipper. "Oh! Still crying in her beer, huh? I'll leave ya to it." Dipper waved a hand of dismissal. "Hello, my old friend, Gin." He said, taking a gin off the shelf and downing it. Two people wearing hoods over their heads walked into the pub. They saw Dipper allowing himself to get wasted. Eda turned to Amity. "We need him." Said Eda. Dipper finished the bottle and let out a loud belch. "We're doomed." Sighed Amity. Dipper was starting to drink another bottle. "Dipper Pines." Said Eda, getting Dipper's attention. "I'm glad we found you." Dipper set the bottle down. "Find your own bar." Said Dipper, jumping over the counter, to the front side. "We're drinking our way through this one. In fact the whole streets ours, by the law of the bar land, so Fuck off." "Dipper," Said Eda. "it's me." Eda pulled her hood down. "Eda Clawthorne. We used to do business together." Dipper's eyes widened, he walked drunkly until he was leaning of Eda's shoulder. Dipper realized she was actually there, and not a hallucination. Dipper stood up right. "Oh it is you." Said Dipper, relieved. "I thought you passed. Dipper swiped his hand in the air, using his magic to send Eda across the room, crashing into some tables. Amity spawned one if her abominations to punch Dipper into the Bar Counter. "God damnit." He said, standing up. "Now you've done it." "Dipper, wait!" Cried Eda, running in front of him. "We're not here to fight." Then there was sounds from outside as Exterminators broke in through the boarded up windows. "You've come to the wrong place then." Remarked Dipper. An Exterminator charged at Eda as she grabbed their spear and tried to push them away. Amity called more abominations to fight off the Exterminators. Dipper noticed Eda's lack of using magic. "Quit playing around, Owl Lady, destroy them." Demanded Dipper. "I can't." Cried Eda, forcing the Exterminator back. "Oh for fuck sake." Said Dipper. Dipper grabbed a glass bottle and hit an Exterminator in the back of the head. Dipper said a spell, as fire appeared from his hands. Dipper used the fire to torch a few of the Exterminators. Dipper then threw a fire ball at the Exterminator attacking Eda. An Exterminator then ran into Dipper, sending him crashing onto the table where Husk was. Dipper turned to Husk, sighing in pain. "A little help would be nice." Said Dipper. The Exterminator who crashed into Dipper landed right next to Husk. Husk took his head off the table and faced the Exterminator. The Exterminator raised his spear, as the Husk pulled out a pistol and shot the Exterminator dead in the head. "Annoying Fuck." Commented Husk, as the Exterminator fell to the ground dead. The last Exterminator grabbed Dipper from his shirt collar and threw him behind the bar counter. Dipper got up and smirked. "Last call, Bitch." He said, pointing his hand at the Exterminator, setting him ablaze. "And I'm sober again. Having powers can be such a bitch." Dipper went to the other side of the counter. Dipper then noticed that Eda's eyes were each a different color. "Gift from Belos?" He asked. "From my sister." Said Eda. "To keep me from using my powers." Dipper's eyes glowed for a moment. "So you were cursed by your sister, caught by Belos, were saved by a 14 year old human, and still lost your powers?" Asked Dipper. "That's rough, Buddy." Dipper was about to walk away. "Dipper, where are you going?" Asked Eda. "We still have..." "A plan to save the world?" Asked Dipper. "The world already died. It's too late now." Dipper started walking away again. "I told you he's a coward." Said Amity. "Most Pines are." Dipper stopped, turned around, and walked back. "I didn't destroy the world." Said Dipper. "I actually tried to save it. That Fucker killed most of my new friends and brainwashed the ones he captured." "Then why'd you run?" Asked Amity. "Why not right your wrongs?" "Because I'm saving more people by staying away." Said Dipper. "A lot of people who I met....suffered because of me." Dipper then turned to Eda. "And what happened to your Apprentice?" Eda looked down on the ground saddened. "And what happened to that adorable King?" Asked Dipper. Eda had tears coming out of eyes upon having both Luz and King mentioned. Dipper then looked around the bar. "Now me and Ol' Husker are drinking ourselves into a stupor in a shitty bar in Hell." Said Dipper. "Drowning away our sorrows. Alcohol; the cause and solution to all of our problems." "Then quit the alcohol." Said Eda. "Save your friends. Join us." "How'd you even get here?" Asked Dipper. "Who's favor was this?" "Your uncle can still make portals." Said Eda. "But at the time, only we could enter." "Ford." Dipper mumbled under his breath. Dipper turned to walk away. "Sorry." Said Dipper. "But Demon Dipper is retired at 20." Dipper started to walk away when Eda grabbed his wrist. Dipper turned back to face her. "Your friends would want you to hear us out." Said Eda. "We have a group of survivors. Your friends. They want to make sure you're alright. Or you can stay here, and continue to look like the lead singer in a boy band who is sad that the band split." Dipper sighed. "Fine." He said. "But I'm still pissed at you." Dipper looked at Husk. "You coming, Old Man?" He asked. Husk stood up. "Whatever." He said. All four of them walked out of the bar.

Mature

So what if he let his guard down on the boat, and got burned a little? (Or let his guard down again, once he was back home safe, and didn’t stay off his burnt feet?) It hurts, yes, but a King can bear it. He’ll just need a little bravery, and a lot of King Time. He’s got bravery to spare, of course, but time alone is in short supply, tonight. “Hey, King?” Luz is in her pajamas, carrying her phone and a ball of light with her as she weaves her way across the cluttered, hazardous living room floor. “You coming up to bed tonight?” “Nuh-uh,” King yawns. Lying prone on the couch, he stretches his limbs even further for emphasis. “Too tired for bed.” “Well, if you change your mind, try and do it before your vicious roommate falls asleep,” Luz teases, and King immediately flashes back to the night he’d tripped over Luz’s feet on his way to his bed. Unfortunately and immediately, he’d learned two new facts about his sleepover buddy — first, that she was easily awoken, and second, that she always brought her fire glyphs with her to bed. Yeah, after all that screaming, bucket brigading to save the house, and apologizing to both Luz (sincerely) and Hooty (insincerely), King isn’t making that mistake twice, even though he knows Luz has switched to sleeping with ice glyphs instead. “Too tired to change my mind, too,” he tells her. “If you say so.” Luz turns to leave, and King closes his eyes, but the next thing he hears are her footsteps changing direction, coming closer. “Actually, hang on. Are you feeling okay? You never sleep stretched-out on your stomach like this —” “Oh, uh, you’re right! I don’t!” King curls his arms and legs back around him, biting back a yelp as the sensitive spots on the flats of his paws touch the couch. “You solved my problem, Luz, and now I’m piping full of energy again —” “King.” Luz sits down at his side, repositioning the light between them. “Show me your paws.” King sticks out his tongue. “No!” “Oh, come on!” Luz taps the bandage at her left index fingertip, applied by Eda after helping her get out a pesky splinter that evening. “What happened to the Boo-Boo Buddies Club?” “I told you, I’m over that nickname!” King snaps, harsher than he meant to. “I mean — it’ll all heal by tomorrow anyway, so I don’t — I don’t need anyone babying me for no reason, or just because I… got captured…” Luz’s eyes widen. “Oh, shoot — did you get burned by the Boiling Sea while the Golden Guard had you?!” “Of course not! I got just a little burned by the cage because it was metal, and it kinda touched the sea during the golden boy’s dramatic entrance, but it’s really not that bad! I only — um, how do you doctor people say it — oh, right! I only got within two degrees of anything actually scalding, and everyone knows second degree burns aren’t as bad as first — wait, why are you shaking your head like that?” “King, can you… can I please take a look at your paws? So if they are fine, then at least I won’t be up all night worrying about you?” Even in the dark, King can see the concern in Luz’s eyes, so slowly, he extends his right paw to her, resting it right beneath her light. His fur’s thinner on his paws than on the rest of his pelt, and though he’s still grateful for it dispersing the worst of the heat, it doesn’t quite hide the red blotch on his skin. “It really didn’t hurt that much when it happened, honestly,” he promises. “But it… it got a little worse once I started walking around back here.” “Got it.” Luz leans in close, lowering her light for a better look. “Do your hind paws hurt more, then?” King doesn’t answer (which probably, no, definitely tells Luz everything she needs to know). “In that case, King, I… I’m not gonna leave you be, but I promise, I’m gonna do my absolute best not to baby you. Because taking care of your needs and asking people for help, that’s serious business! That’s a really responsible, mature thing to do, and that’s how I’m gonna treat it. Does that sound like something you’re okay with?” It does. He nods, and Luz finally smiles. “Huh. I sound like my mom.” King blinks. “I thought you didn’t have a Healing Coven in the human realm.” “Oh, we don’t, but — well, she works in urgent care, so she’s about the closest non-witch equivalent. And I guess I did pick up some medical stuff from her…” Her eyes wander around the room, but her hands tug at the key hanging from her neck. “But mostly, I was thinking about how my mom sounded this one time a couple years ago, a day after I felt sick and went to the school nurse… who wasn’t a great nurse, it turned out. I felt awful, but I guess I didn’t have a fever, which meant I got accused of faking to get out of class —” Luz picks up her blue bandanna from the end table, placing it in her lap and carefully folding it over itself several times. “That’s kinda the opposite of how people treat you, I know — but I got so embarrassed that when I got home that day, I didn’t even tell my mom I was sick, at first. I think I worried her a lot, with how quiet I was being — but once she figured out what happened, she made sure I knew that I deserved people who’d take me seriously, and that I’d never be in the wrong for asking for help. Because that was my most important responsibility to myself.” Then she laughs softly. “Oh, and she called out of work a couple days later to talk to the principal, and eventually got the nurse in a ton of trouble for not believing me.” “Ha, perfect!” King snorts. “Did the nurse get fired?” “I’m actually not sure? But that was fifth grade, so I changed schools the next year, and I didn’t have to deal with her again.” Luz draws an especially small glyph on a sticky note, crushing the crystals of ice it produces and letting them fall onto the bandanna. “Okay, how does a cool compress sound for those paws?” “Sounds… great? What are you gonna do with it?” Luz wraps the cloth over itself one last time, and ties an awkward knot, before depositing the package in front of King. “You can hold this against the burn for a few minutes at a time — I don’t think you’re supposed to let your burns get too cold, or let any ice touch your skin — but if you alternate between your paws every so often, it should keep the swelling down. Ideally! I’m making a couple assumptions about demon health, but I don’t know why they’d be any different from humans.” King rests a paw against the bandanna, and the relief — cool, but not enough to be uncomfortably numbing — is almost immediate. “If it still hurts tomorrow, we can ask Eda if she has any burn ointment,” Luz tells him, and salutes. “But for now, this is Nurse Noceda the younger, signing off.” “Thanks,” he admits. (For not panicking, for not picking him up and insisting on carrying him around whether he wanted to be or not, for not treating him like a child or a pet instead of a…) “For being here, Luz. I… I guess just haven’t had a lot of great experiences with letting people take care of me.” Luz winces, but nods, too. “Is that something you need to — um, or want to talk about with Eda?” “Mm… no, not really. She’s almost never treated me like a King, but at least she treats me like a friend — and when she does baby me, now at least I know it’s not because of me. Like, she does the same to you, and to the Bat Queen’s little spawns — she’s just like that, Luz.” “Heh, yeah. She does have that… mom energy.” “It’s when I go out without Eda, actually, that… non-Eda people get ideas stuck in their skulls. That I’m weak, and I’m helpless, and I need them, I need what they think would help me —” King shudders. “Actually, ma’am, I’d do a lot better stealing pies off windowsills to feed myself without you putting me in itchy sweaters and attaching me to your snotty kid with leash! But do you listen to me? To me, the King of Demons? I guess you don’t, huh?! I guess I just —” He struggles to suppress a sniff. “I’m really glad you’re different, Luz.” “Oh, King, I… I’m just glad we’re friends, King. This was the least I could do for you, after everything that I —” King scoots closer, nuzzling her hand. “Don’t you start calling yourself a burden again, Private Nurse Noceda. That’s an order.” “I keep hearing that today,” Luz murmurs, gently ruffling the fur on King’s back. “But I guess if you and Eda agree on it, it can’t be too bad a thing to work on —” “And your mom,” King blurts out, and Luz blinks. “It doesn’t sound like she thinks you’re a burden either, I mean. And she also sounds more responsible than anyone in the Owl House, maybe even anyone on the Boiling Isles.” “Really?” Luz whispers, like it’s just occurring to her. “Huh.” And for all King knows, maybe it is. (Are nurses — even nurse parents — in the human realm as infamously busy as the Healing Coven is here?) “If she were here, she’d buy you the griffin eggs too, right?” he asks. “Not because you’re a burden she was in charge of, ‘cause you weren’t, but because that’s what you need. And deserve.” He might not know a lot, but now, he can see Luz’s brow un-furrow, her frown give rise to a smile, and the corners of her eyes shine more than they should in the dark — so with that, his worry melts away. “I guess… I guess she wouldn’t have ever thought of me like that,” Luz finally says, running her hand down King’s back one last time. “Thanks, King. For putting it that way.”

General Audiences

Hexside Academy. And a certain student was sitting somewhere you wouldn't expect to see the school's normally star student to be sitting.   "It was so worth it."   Amity sat bored in the detention room...or more accurately, the storage room that was being used as the detention room until the actual one was fixed. Which it still hadn't been. School budgets were murder sometimes.   "I can hear mother's lecture already. She's gonna love this one."   The thought of angering her mother caused her to chuckle slightly.   "Like I said, worth it."   What was worth it? Well, that required a jump back to...   A FEW HOURS AGO   "Hey, beautiful. What do you think? Looks pretty snazzy, huh?"   Luz had arrived at school yet again with a rather unique new hair color. Or hair colors this time.   "Wow, Luz. That's certainly...you. What's the occasion this time?"   Luz spun around to show it off.   "It's what I decided to do for Pride Month! Normally Mama would tear me in half if I dyed my hair any color, but that's one of the perks of being stuck here."   Yes, Luz had dyed her hair in the colors of the Bisexual Flag. It certainly appeared to have gone better than her previous attempt to turn it blue.   "Normally I'd just wear my flag shirt, but I decided to do it up for once."   Luz definitely seemed more chipper than normal, practically gliding over and pecking Amity on the cheek.   "Mama was going to take to the local pride parade for the first time this year. But since that's not gonna happen, I decided to be the parade. I even have stickers!"   Amity still wasn't sure what she was talking about.   "So, what exactly is this Pride Month about? And what do the colors you dyed your hair have to do with it?"   Luz explained as the two walked, Amity very quickly seeing the appeal of the whole thing. She wasn't going to dye her hair in flag colors though. That seemed like a lot of work.   "Well, happy Pride Month then Mi Belleza. I have to get to class...before I go, can I have-"   Luz stuck the lesbian flag sticker on her cheek before she could even finish.   "Thanks, Luz. I'll see you later."   As Luz sauntered off, Amity sighed wistfully.   "She really is amazing..."   As the school day went on, Amity could see Luz's handiwork all over the students. Stickers of all orientations stuck on cheeks everywhere, And apparently, her support had convinced a few students to even confess a crush or two, as evidenced by the new couples she spied holding hands in the halls.   "Playing the proverbial...what was that weird winged baby with the bow and arrow she told me about..."   Before she could deduce the name of Cupid, a couple of students walking by got her attention.   "Man, I don't know why Boscha has to be so nasty. The human was just being nice."   Amity's ears perked up. It was never good to hear Boscha's name mentioned when Luz was concerned.   "Oh, no..."   Amity took off for where she knew Luz's current class was. And indeed, there she was. Sitting dejected by the lockers.   "Luz, what did she do?"   Luz looked up, sniffling slightly.   "Well, I tried to be nice. You catch more flies with honey after all. I explained my hair, my stickers, etc."   Amity could already feel her blood boiling.   "She told me to 'Pick a side' and then she used a spell to set my stickers on fire. I don't know...Amity?"   Amity was gone. Marching down the hall at surprising speed. She turned the corner, finding exactly who she was looking for.   "BOSCHA!"   Boscha turned to see who was screaming her name.   "Oh, Blight. How's your little human doing? I imagine she's not feeling very prideful right now, is she?"   Amity kept marching. Boscha's friends wisely backing away from what they knew was coming.   "Oh, stop with the angry walk. You can look as angry as you...want?"   As she got closer, Boscha could see the look in her eyes. That was not a look listening to anything at the moment. No, it was a look of complete, blind fury.   "Now, let's talk this out, Amity. I can get the human more stickers! I'll even apologize for-"   WHAM!   And that's how Amity wound up in detention. And why Boscha, sitting as far away as she could, had 2 of her eyes sporting shiners.   "You're lucky the teachers pulled me off when they did. Or I'd have blackened the third one, too."   Boscha scooted her desk away slightly, Amity smirking at her fear.   "Yeah, that's right."   Detention passed annoyingly slowly though. It felt like an eternity before the teacher on duty finally told them to get out.   "Ugh, finally. Stuck in a room with her for-"   As she opened the door, she was instantly wrapped in a hug by Luz, who peppered her face with kisses.   "Well, it's good to see you too, Luz."   Luz reluctantly released her ravishing rescuer.   "I heard what you did. Now normally I don't promote violence as the solution to life's problems...but in this case, I love it. Thanks for standing up for me like that, Mi Bonita Bruja. I really appreciate it."   Amity smiled and flexed her skinny biceps.   "I do pack quite a punch, don't I?"   Luz mockingly swooned over Amity's noodle arms as Boscha tried to slink past them.   "And Boscha is very sorry for what she did. AREN'T YOU, BOSCHA?"   Boscha suddenly stood straight as an arrow, spinning around and bowing in apology.   "Thought so. Now beat it."   She very quickly split the scene, Luz giving Amity another peck on the cheek.   "You're the best, Amity."   THE NEXT DAY   "It's not like her to be late. Where is she?"   Luz scanned the area for her hard-punching girlfriend, spying her in the distance.   "There she is. Hey...Amity?"   Amity's hair looked a little different than usual. Particularly like the colors of a certain sticker Luz had affixed to her cheek the day before.   "You have no idea how hard it was getting seven different colors properly spaced on my head. You're lucky you're worth all this trouble, silly human."   Luz smirked and took her hand.   "You're amazing, Amity."   She glanced around and pecked Luz on the lips.   "You too, Luz."

General Audiences

The sun blooms over the wintery terrain of the knee. The snow glistens and the sky explodes with color. Eda enjoys the sunrise. She watches it through the window of the owl house on the few days that she wakes up early. Eda is lounging on the couch nursing a cup of something Luz calls ‘tea’. Eda takes a sip and sighs in comfort. Eda thinks, for what seems to be boiled leaves, this isn’t too bad. Eda yawns. I wonder how much this would sell for. Eda is torn from her musings when she sees Luz walking down the stairs. Eda says, “Hey kid.”   Luz says quietly, “Hey Eda.” Eda scans Luz in concern. She’s usually more exited.  “Is everything okay?”  “Oh! Everything’s good, I just eh... Yesterday, I heard you and Lilith talking about spells that were cast to uh, make you?”   Eda shrugs and says, “Yeah, that’s how it works here. Parents cast the spells to have children, and then we’re here. I assume it works differently in the human world?”  “Yeah. It’s a bit different.” Luz clears her throat and sits down on the other side of the couch. She continues, “In our world, children are said to be generally made by two people who love each other. Is that how it works here too?”  “Uh. Yeah, usually.”  “And ours usually happens with marriage. Is that how it works here too? ...A man and a woman?”  “Well, I don’t know what marriage is, but here the spell works with any combination of people. Man, woman, anyone.”  "That's cool! Does,” Luz takes a shaky breath. She holds it, then breathes out slowly. She continues, “Love work with any combination? Like two w-men?”  Eda's eyebrows raise. She says, “Yeah, it works.”  Luz swallows. Her shoulders rise as she says, “A-and is that normal? …Does anyone see it as wrong?” Luz shuts her eyes tightly as she thinks, Do you see it as wrong?  Eda wonders how different the human world is that Luz can seem so scared by talking about love. Eda says, “It’s seen as normal and fine. It’s no different than anything else.” Luz’s shoulders sag and she breathes out a sigh of relief. Eda places a hand on Luz’s shoulder. Eda asks, “Why?”   Luz tenses as she says, “Uh- No reason. Don’t mind me. I was just being silly. You know how curious I am!”  “...Well, if you ever have any questions or anything, I'm right here.”  "Thanks.”  Eda squeezes Luz’s shoulder. Eda says, “Anytime.” In the warm atmosphere of the owl house, Eda frowns. She says, “Luz, you have to stand straight for this potion to work.”  Luz crosses her arms and says, “I am.”  “Well, stand taller.”  “Okay, okay.” Luz straightens her posture. Eda inspects Luz.   “Okay good, you’re straight now.” Luz snickers. Eda says, “What’s funny?”  Luz says slowly, “Well, it’s just that, I’m not straight.”  Eda looks at closely as she walks around Luz. Eda stops in front of Luz. Eda says, “No, you are standing straight up.”  Luz nervously chuckles. She says, “No, Eda, I was making a joke. I’m not straight... I’m bi.”  Eda looks around Luz. Eda says, “You’re by what?”  “...What?”  “I don’t see how what you’re standing by has anything to do with how straight you are.”  "No. I mean bi. B. I. Bisexual?”  “By-sect-yall? I don’t think we have that here.”  Luz slumps. She says, “Oh. Ah… never mind then. We should get back to the cooling potion.”  “The potion’s probably gonna explode anyway. I want to hear about this.” Luz hesitates, so Eda continues, “C'mon, explain it to me. Is it something I can sell?”  Luz snorts, then she says, “You can’t sell sexualities.”  Eda pouts and says, “Why not?”  Luz shrugs and says, “Well, it’s more of a concept, it’s not really a material you can sell.”  Eda raises an eyebrow. She says, “Okay, what’s the concept then?”  Luz fiddles with her hands as she says, “Well, straight –or uh, heterosexual- is attraction to the opposite gender. Bi or bisexual, is attraction to two or more genders. There’s a lot more sexualities too.”  “Huh.”  “So, I was making joke when I said I wasn’t straight. Because I'm bi.”  “Oh. We don’t really have any names for that stuff.” Eda freezes for a second. She continues, “Wait. Is this why you were being weird earlier and asking about love here?”  Luz winces. She says, “Yeah. In the human world, straight is what’s seen as normal, and everyone else isn’t treated too great.”  Eda leans back. She says, “You were afraid. To tell me.”  “Yeah.”  “Your world treats people differently based on who they love?”  Luz looks down and says, “Yeah. Humans are bad at that. Pretty much anyone who’s 'different' has to deal with some form of discrimination.” Eda watches as Luz frowns.  “I’m sorry. That... sucks, Luz.” Eda takes a deep breath before she continues, “I can promise you that no matter what, I will always love you.” Luz’s eyebrows rise and she looks up. Eda opens her arms for a hug. Luz smiles and gives Eda a tight hug.  Luz says, “I love you too.”

General Audiences

    It’s only to be expected, really, after everything that happened. Sleep has always been a luxury for Lilith, even when her life was fine and perfect in the Emperor’s Coven. Too often her mind would swim in the worst way, conjuring images where she would visit the Owl House only to find there was no house at all. Or she would find the house, but empty and lifeless and torn asunder by the claws of an owlbeast. Sometimes the house was undamaged, but when she entered she would find her sister standing in the center of the living room. Eda’s eyes were dark, even the sclera, and she would turn to face her with a slack expression.     Sometimes Lilith dreamed she found a cure. She’d rush to the house, potion in hand and heart hammering in her chest, only to open the front door and gasp awake. As always, there is no cure, not to her curse. Next time , she’d think, next time I’ll find a cure .     Those were her nightmares from her past life. She had them frequently, every month if not every week, but it is something she got used to.     These nightmares, however, are different.     In these nightmares, there are others.     She dreams of Eda leaving her bruised in the debris of the emperor’s castle. Her sister is holding a human in her arms before walking away, throwing only a furious glance over her shoulder. These are the better nightmares, in all honesty, because even though Eda leaves, Eda is safe . The worse ones take place in a subterranean chamber, or in a cage bathed in green light. Belos is sometimes there, his voice dripping with derision and disappointment as he condemns her and her sister to petrification.      Sometimes Lilith watches from outside the cage, in a reality in which she didn’t turn traitor. She watches, but she can’t do anything about it. Her legs are frozen in place, and Eda’s screams linger in her ears. Other times she is in the cage with her sister, and King isn’t there to defend her. Eda tears into her body but Lilith doesn’t resist, numb and paralyzed.     The most bittersweet of them all is the dream under the night sky. She holds Eda’s face and whispers a spell. The feathers retract. Her form shrinks down to her witch self and her eyes brighten, golden irises rising from the shadowy gaze of the owlbeast. The dark cloudiness vanishes from her gem, and Eda is cured . Her sister stretches up her arms and smiles, thanking Lilith.      And then Lilith coughs, her body shifting as gray feathers sprout from her skin. Everything is burning as she grows taller, as her vision fades and as she succumbs to the curse she deserves. She doesn’t know what happens next but she hopes she takes flight, she hopes she takes flight and never returns.     Lilith sits up from the bed, rubbing at her temples. Her throat is dry and her eyes wet. It’s a familiar scene to her, and she presses a tissue to her face before rising. The glass of water beside her bed is empty, and she takes it in hand as she exits the room.     The hallway is dark and silent, but she pauses. A sliver of moonlight spills out from the human’s bedroom door. Lilith peers inside to see an empty pile of blankets and an open window, and her heart drops. No, no. Eda loves the human. She would be distraught if something happened to her.      “Human?” She calls out in a dry whisper, pushing the door open. There is no sign of any life, only curtains swaying in the night wind. Lilith swallows, fearing for the worst as she approaches the window.     Outside, a shape sits on the tiles of the roof, facing away from her, and Lilith exhales. The human hasn’t run away and is unharmed. She’s wrapped in one of her blankets out here. Lilith retreats from the room and descends to the kitchen to fill her glass. On second thought, she fills another one. Quietly she returns, standing outside of the human’s door again, but now she isn’t sure if it’s a good idea. She isn’t sure her presence is wanted, not after everything happened.     Lilith backs away, but she steps on an old board. Immediately the human turns her head, dark circles around her eyes.     “Who’s there?” She calls out, posture tense. Lilith swallows and steps into the moonlight.      “I… what are you doing awake?” Lilith asks. “It’s late.”     The human’s shoulders fall and she turns away, setting her chin in her palm.     “Oh, it’s you,” she says softly, “I couldn’t sleep. You?”     “Me, too,” Lilith answers, approaching the window again. She looks down at the two cups in her hands and frowns, and then sets one on the sill silently. The human glances back at her, her narrowed gaze falling to the glass. Her face softens, and then she reaches out to pick it up.     “Thank you,” she says. She takes a sip, and then looks back to Lilith. “Bad dreams?”     Lilith bites her lip uncertainly, her grip tightening on the cup before offering a single nod.     “Me, too,” The human says, turning her gaze back to the sky. She lifts her hand hesitantly before patting the spot beside her, a reluctant, unspoken invitation given only out of generosity.     Her immediate reaction is to reject the offer, but Lilith has been watching her every move around the human, out of fear for angering her sister. She quietly climbs over the sill and gingerly sits down as the human makes more space. The breeze is cool and refreshing, and the moon reflects beautifully in the sea below.     There’s silence for a minute as the two look out to the world beyond.     “Do you... wanna talk about it?” Luz asks softly. Titan, she shouldn't, but she wants to let the words free, to respond to the kindness. The human is too good.     “It must be horribly ironic and unfair for me to say this,” Lilith begins, words roiling inside, “but I… I dreamed I lost her. My sister.”      Titan, she said it. She said it out loud. Lilith can see the human shift in her periphery, but tears brim in her eyes and she doesn’t want to be seen crying, so she keeps facing away. Lilith pulls her knees to her chest as the wind turns chillier, and she shivers. A touch on her arm startles her, and she looks up to see the human reaching the blanket around her shoulders, another generous offering that makes no sense for her to receive. A single tear runs down her cheek as the human holds the corner towards her. But Lilith doesn’t want to be unkind. She takes the edge and pulls it over her other shoulder and shifts closer before pressing her face to her knees.     “Me, too,” the human repeats quietly as she turns her gaze away again. “You love her a lot, don’t you?”     Lilith’s lip quivers as she curls her fingers into fists. She wasn't the only one dreaming of losing Eda.     “Yes,” she whispers, “but I don’t know if I’m allowed to say that.” Not after cursing her, hurting her, capturing her. There’s another pause as her words sit in the air. She shouldn’t have come out here.     “I love Eda, too,” the human says, and Lilith thinks of her sister being dragged away, begging for Lilith to make sure the emperor didn’t hurt her apprentice, didn’t hurt Luz . She thinks of Eda’s last words before succumbing to the curse, of Luz reaching out to her sister as Eda exhausts the last of her magic.     “I’m sorry,” Lilith says, the words straining to escape past the ache in her throat, “I’m sorry.”     There’s another touch on her arm. She lifts her head and Luz is there, smiling weakly.     “I know,” Luz says, patting her gently. The moonlight glints off a welling tear in her eye.     Lilith nods and Luz’s hand falls away. The two turn their gazes back to the sky. //       The sun hasn’t risen yet when Lilith blinks awake. Her eyes are still tired, of course, but she’s leaned against the outer wall by Luz’s window. And Luz is asleep, too, her face pressed against Lilith’s arm. Lilith sighs softly, putting a hand to her forehead. Looking around there’s two half-empty glasses of water on the open sill. It must have been hours.     Lilith bundles Luz up in the blanket and stands. It takes some trouble, but she successfully ducks back in through the window without knocking over the cups, and she sets Luz down amongst the pillows and blankets on the floor. The human looks exhausted, and it’s easy to guess why. Lilith closes the window and draws the curtain before leaving Luz’s cup on a table nearby. She hopes the human will be able to sleep for a little while longer.     Lilith glances back one more time, and then leaves the room.

Teen And Up Audiences

Luz Noceda was not by any means normal, and being Latina and bi definitely didn’t help her case. So when Luz came to the Boiling Isles she was shocked by how weird was the normal there. So when Luz got quiet everyone noticed.   Especially Amity.   When Luz walked through the classroom doors and sat next to Amity without making a sound, worry bubbled in Amity’s chest. Luz looked over and gave Amity a tired smile, Amity immediately noticed her puffy eyes and the eye bags. She’s been crying. once the reality dawns on Amity protectiveness and anger replace the worry in her chest. Her hands clench around the pencil and her ears flatten. Luz notices the movement and looks over only to see Amity’s ears lowered and a scowl on her face. Luz laughs and Amity looks over, her ears perking up curiously. Luz coos and reaches over, not thinking.   Once Liz’s hands come in contact with Amity’s face a blush spreads like wildfire on her face. And maybe it’s a trick of her mind, but Amity thinks she sees a blush on Luz’s face too.   Luz examines her ears, and when they twitch Luz lights up a little more every time. Amity thinks, Maybe my dignity’s worth it. For Luz. Then Boscha clears her throat, snapping Amity out of her trance.   “The Amity Blight really has gone soft. It would be better if round-ears over there never came here. Then all would still be right in the hierarchy.” Luz deflates at Boscha’s words, and Amity feels her ears flattening again. Luz removes her hands from Amity’s face but before she can turn back, Amity reaches over and interlocks their fingers. A sudden surge of bravery gracing Amity. Even though her heart is doing backflips she smiles and finds she doesn’t mind the feeling. Luz looks over, scanning Amity’s face. Amity only smiles softly in return. Luz turns back to her paper and unbeknownst to Amity, tries to shove down the unfamiliar fluttering in her gut.     ————————-     When the bell screams Willow grabs her bag and walks to the front of the school with Gus. Luz is leaning against the impressive pillars above the stairs. Gus excitedly runs over, shocking Luz which causes her to almost fall off the pillar, her arms flailing all around her. Willow runs over and steadies her. Luz laughs, although it sounds forced. Willow quickly notices Luz’s downcast look. Little pricks of worry nick at the back of her mind. She decides to ask Luz about it later. The familiar click clack of heels hitting marble flirting rings in Willow’s ears. Before meeting Luz the sound would sour her day, but now it’s... getting better. She turns around and sees Amity walking over, muttering something to herself. Willow’s ears twitch, picking up what Amity’s saying.   “Alright, it’s just Luz, you got this Blight.” She mumbles. Willow had to stifle a grin as Amity’s face blooms an impressive scarlet once Luz greets her with a cheery “Hey Amity!”   Amity’s spine straightens and she gives a shy smile before glancing at Willow. Willow nods, a silent understanding passing between them while Luz excited explains human “teknologe” to Gus. A giant gust of wind suddenly blows, along with a chill greeting everyone. Luz grumbles as she turns around, reaching her hand out. With a snap The Owl Lady’s staff flies into her hands, emerging from the woods out of nowhere. Everyone looks at Luz with a puzzled look on their faces, she’s just grinning.   “Eda said I could fly Owlbert back to the Owl Shack,” (She winks at Amity when she says this, causing Amity to flush and fiddle with her fingers while laughing nervously.) “But that she would send a big gust of wind to let me know.” She explains before saying goodbye to everyone and taking off on Owlbert.   “So, how’s the crush going?” Willow asks, Amity groans when she asks this, rubbing her face. “Am I that obvious?” She asks. “Yep.” Willow says. “What’s going on?” Gus asks at the same time. “Uhhh, girl stuff.” Amity tries to brush it off, (And does terrible at it.) Gus winces, the voice of his dad rings through the area at the same time as Willows Papa calls out for her. Willow and Gus wave off Amity before getting on their parents staffs, heading home for the day.      back with Luz   Once she lands in front of the owl house, (definitely not almost crashing into a tree.) she tries her best to smile at Hooty before rushing in. Eda’s warm greeting of, “hey kid, how was school, yada yada. Can you grab me some apple blood? These glyphs are tough and mama needs a break.” Rings through the worn-down shack. Luz chuckles before shouting back an “Ok, just give me a second.”   Luz leans against the walls of the house, trying to hold back tears. It’s tough when you remember it’s your mother’s birthday and you can’t be there though. I can’t even send her a text. Luz quickly takes a deep breath in before rummaging around the fridge, looking for the alcoholic beverage. Once she finds it she grabs Eda’s 30 and flirty mug. Pouring the drink she lets her mind wander, subconsciously doing the task. She snaps back to reality when Eda shakes her shoulder and says her name in a worried tone.   “Kid? Luz? You ok? You seem out of it today.” “Huh? Oh I’m fine, just… human stuff.” Luz tries, although Eda doesn’t seem convinced she decides not to pry. “If you say so, but if somethings up you’d tell me. Right kid?” Eda asks, but before Luz can answer Lilith comes barging into the room. “Market, Amity, Faries-“ Lilith huffs out, clearly having ran home. Luz straightens once she realizes Amity must be in trouble.   Luz looks at Eda, and she nods. “Don’t forget the mask, Kid.” Luz grins and takes off to her room, grabbing a mask similar to Belos’. The wood being made by Willow but the mask itself carved by the person holding it. The cuts are rough and uneven, (Luz had cuts all over her hands after.) but the design being a similar to Owlbert. Although a much messier version. Eda summons Owlbert and hands the staff to Luz when they re-enter the room. They open a window and take off.     -At the Market-   The swarm of skin-eating Faries buzzing around are flying up to people and latching on, digging into their skin. Willow, Gus, and Amity all stay huddled in a tent with other strangers trying to hide from the swarm. Out of nowhere, a familiar voice rings loudly through the market.   “The Good Witch Luzu-“ it cuts off before returning. “The Good Witch is here!” The trio immediately recognize the voice and turn to each other. They all let out a heavy sigh with a breathy laugh. They peer over the table and see someone with a mask holding Eda’s staff in one hand, papers in the other. Owlbert perched on their shoulder. Gus throws his head back in annoyance before saying, “why does she do this?” Drawling out the word “this.” The figure (Luz) throws some of the papers onto the ground, letting the Faries swarm them before the glyphs activate, sending the Faries flying and causing the others to latch onto Luz. Luz let’s out a yell before throwing the creature onto the floor. They cradle their arm and Amity sees blood peeking through her fingers.   She grabs the staff at the base and starts swinging it around like a bat, hitting the Faries and throwing them across the market. Owlbert also flies up and dives at a few of the creatures. Before long, the entire market is cleared. It’s once the action dies down Amity notices Luz isn’t wearing her signature hoodie, but instead she’s sporting a grey tank top. If Amity looks close enough she can see Luz’s arms are littered with fresh cuts and gashes from the Faries. Luz then gestures for Owlbert to settle themself on the staff again before taking off.   ————   A few minutes later the trio arrive at The Owl House and knock on the door, Hooty staying quiet only because Amity keeps sending him death glares every time he opens his beak. He opens the door (himself?) and the trio stand awkwardly in the living room before Luz comes thundering down the stairs, her arms still un-bandaged and unhealed.  Amity notes Luz still doesn’t have on their hoodie. But before Luz can greet them Willow asks Luz if she’s going to heal her wounds. Luz chuckles sheepishly and rubs the back of her head, indicating that no, they are not going to heal themselves.   With that, Amity grabs Luz’s hand and drags her to the couch. She tells Willow to find a First Aid Kit. Willow takes Gus with her and shoots Amity a smug grin. Amity rolls her eyes before inspecting Luz’s arms. The bigger wound has already started to bruise, Amity notes. If Amity hadn’t looked up, she wouldn’t have seen a slightly blushing Luz.   It’s then Amity notices how close they are. Their bodies are pressed flush against each other and Amity can feel the warmth radiating off the other person. The two lock eyes before Amity frantically scooches away. It’s then Willow returns with the First Aid kit. Willow and Gus say they have to leave and that their parents must be worried. Amity shoots Willow a look and Willow just smiles her smug little smile. Amity supposes it’s fair, although Amity is nervous, she pushes it to the side and helps Luz apply bandages and some healing glyphs in the kit. They laugh and have some playful banter long after they finish applying the bandages to Luz. Only when the sun is setting does Amity get a call from Emira.   “Where are you Mittens? You know how mom is about curfew.” Emira asks, as Amity checks the time she realizes she’s going to be late. She frantically thanks Emira and hurriedly explains to Luz she has to get home ASAP.   “I can fly you on Owlbert if you want?” Luz seems to sense the urgency and Amity is grateful for the offer. “Yes please.” Amity responds. Luz smiles and leads them out of the house, quickly flying Amity home. (Luz dropped her off at the edge of the manor thankfully.) they hurriedly said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. Amity was still late, and if anyone saw the slight bruise on Amity’s wrist the next day, no one said anything.     ———   It’s been two days since the market incident, and Luz’s arms are still healing. They do seem to be returning to normal though. What didn’t lessen everyone’s worry was Luz’s inability to move their ring and pinky fingers on their left arm. The bite must’ve injured her worse than originally thought. When writing or making the glyphs this proved a challenge. Often she would get annoyed and go out into the forest, needing to be alone. She finds a stump and sits on it. Luz looks down at their left hand, trying to close it. The two fingers twitch and close slightly, but they don’t move. Something warm burns the corners of Luz’s eyes. She closes their eyes and roughly wiped away the tears that are forming. One Luz lowers their hand their eyes feel heavy. must be from not sleeping. Sleepless nights trying to move their fingers have taken their toll on her. Their posture sulks lower then it already was as she drifts off to sleep. ….   She falls off the stump with a thud.   ————- At the owl house   “You know Luz makes better food just admit it!” King yells. “No! I own this house!” Eda rejects Kings comment. “What’s your point?!” “…Damn. It doesn’t work on a rebellious child.” “Ha! Now let me tell Luz of our victory!” King yells joyously. As he run-waddles up the stairs Eda sighs and turns to the fridge, searching for apple blood. As she rummages through the fridge she realizes there is no apple blood. “Double damn! We need to go shopping anyway.” She mumbles. There’s a clatter behind her and when she turns around she sees Lilith and king standing on top of the stairway, worried looks plastered onto their faces. “Damnit Luz, what did you do.” She groans under her breath.“The window was open, she must’ve snuck out. I wonder where she learned that, Edalyn.” Lilith explains, sneaking a jab at her sister. Eda rolls her eyes and turns to the door. “OWLBERT!” She yells. Hooty flies open and Owlbert comes flying through the brush into Eda’s open palm.“Take us to Luz, assuming you know where’s she’s at?” Owlbert unscrews and nods, flying onto Eda’s shoulder. Nudging her before taking off. They all follow closely as Owlbert leads them into a clearing. It’s hard to see, so they all use light glyphs to brighten up the place. The clearing lights up and they see Luz lying on the ground, face first. Eda, assuming the worst, runs over and immediately checks Luz for injuries. The younger one stirs before falling still again. Eda sighs in relief when she realizes Luz is just asleep. Eda looks up at Lilith and back at Luz. “Owlbert, can you pick up Luz and put her on the staff?” Owlbert hoots and picks up Luz by the hood of their cloak and places them on the staff. He quickly flies down and screws himself back onto the staff while Eda gets on, holding onto Luz to make sure she doesn’t fall off. Lilith summons her staff and King climbs on with her. They fly back to the owl house, Eda brings Luz up the stairs and puts them on their “bed.” “I should get her a bed.” Eda turns to leave the room before she hears Luz start to struggle in their sleep. She turns back and looks down at the person on the floor. Eda groans and sits next to Luz. Luz calms down when she feels Eda and lets out a sigh. Luz turns onto her side and goes into what Eda hopes is a dreamless sleep. Eda leans down and kisses their forehead. “Eugh, parental shit.” Eda groans. She gets up and leaves the room with a small smile on her face. As she opens their eyes, it’s pitch black. There is no floor or walls, Luz is just floating in a void. She tries to move but is unable until they see a glowing ball of light. The glyph! She reaches out and cups the little ball of light. Suddenly, a tingling feeling envelops the human. The light shifts and turns into a flaming ball of heat. The fire roars to the heartbeat of the human. She looks away as it abruptly engulfs their hands. Surprisingly, it doesn’t burn as bad as she thought it would. Once the flames subsides two small gloves sit comfortably on her hands, they’re white fingerless gloves, patches are obviously stitched together with gold embroidery. She turns her hands over, admiring the gloves before they notice something. The palms have something embroidered on them in the same gold stitching as the ones splattered all over the gloves. With one glance the human is able to tell it’s the glyphs! Well, two of the glyphs. One is her light glyph on her left hand, and the other is fire on her right hand. The human taps the light glyph and a small orb of light emerges from her palm. The glove doesn’t dissolve or anything, Luz looks upon it in awe. She flexes their fingers and grins. She looks up and sees an ice glyph. She reaches out and grabs it, a shard coming off and forming a pointy weapon. She taps the shard on their hand and swings it a bit. It’s weight is similar to a baseball bats, and it seems pretty sturdy. Seemingly out of nowhere, some Emperors Coven goons enter Luz’s field of vision. The human witch spins around and swings her ice-bat, aiming for a goon. Luz manages to hit a coven member on the head with a loud THUD! The goon falls to the floor and surprisingly, the bat stays intact. Luz looks at the unconscious goon on the ground in surprise at themself, forgetting about the others. A pair of arms wrap around Luz and drags her around, another guard comes and takes their shard of ice. The human tries to get free, momentarily forgetting about the gloves. Then, they stop moving. Luz, not realizing they had closed her eyes, opens them and is in a familiar room. A feeling of dread settles uncomfortably in Luz’s gut, a feeling of being watched also accompanies it. Luz looks up and sees azure eyes piercing into her soul. Luz shudders and squirms in the grasp of the guard. “Hello, Human. You have caused much trouble, for that you will have to pay.” Belos looks at the guard holding Luz and nods. The arms remove themself from Luz and back away. Before Luz has a chance to get up two flesh hands similar to the ones Belos used on her a few days ago grab the humans arms and pull her down roughly. Belos stands up from his throne and glides down the stairs. The closer he gets the faster the human’s heart gets. He reaches Luz and kneels down, gloved hand reaching out and grabbing her face, turning it and examining it.   “A young face, much like Hunter’s. Although, it is untouched by harm or injury. I will make sure that changes next time we meet, Human.” Belos booms, his voice carrying through the chamber with ease.   He’s gonna kill me. Luz thinks, heart racing and palms sweaty. Belos lets go of Luz’s face with a shove. He rises and towers over Luz. “Hunter, come in. I know you’re out there.” Belos says, shortly after the sound of the chamber doors opening fills the room. A cloaked figure with a mask similar to how Hooty looks emerges into Luz’s field of vision. The presumed “Hunter” kneels and takes off his mask. The first thing Luz notices is how young he looks, then a long scar on the side of his face. A crooked nose that has obviously been broken before emerges, and dark bags under his eyes. His mouth is pressed into a thin line and he seems stressed or worried. Hunter looks up at Belos and speaks. “Were you eavesdropping, Hunter?” Belos asks calmly. “No sir, I was simply coming to you to tell you we have acquired palismen, but I didn’t want to interrupt. My sincerest apologies if I intruded.” Hunter explains calmly. “That is good news, but since you’re here, I have a new task for you.” Belos looks down at the human on the ground distastefully. “Batter her up a bit, she committed a great treason against this coven. Use whatever means you’d like, just don’t kill her.” Belos explains with a glint in his eye. Luz’s breathing becomes erratic, Hunter looks at the human with sympathy before looking back up at Belos. “Of course, Uncle. Where should I preform such a task?” Hunter asks. “Any dungeon should do, now get on with the task. We’re on a time crunch.”   “Yessir.” Hunter replies, he summons a staff and grabs Luz’s arm. Luz looks at him with hidden fear. He scowls at her, before a nauseating feeling pools in Luz’s stomach. Luz hunches over before realizing they’re in someplace different. It seems to be a dungeon. Hunter lets go of the human and locks the door to the dungeon. He turns back to Luz with ⎍ grin look on his face. “I’m sorry, but it’s orders of the Emperor.” He says before he makes a sword out of what looks like flesh. He also makes something similar to a baseball bat, but it has spikes on the end. He grabs the baseball bat and brings it up, swinging it down. “Wait, WAIT!” Luz screams.     ———-BLOOD, INJURY, AND TORTURE WARNING———- The bat clocks Luz in the shin, hard. The human buckles and holds back a scream, the bat comes back up and hits Luz in the face. Pain blooms on her face and leg, something warm drips down her calf and cheek. Spikes dig into her skin and come off the bat, staying lodged in their skin. After a bit, Hunter grabs the sword and dulls the end a bit by hitting it on the wall. He grabs the staff and before they know it, Luz is tied to the wall and is unable to move. Hunter brings up the sword and Luz turns their head, the sword coming down and hitting Luz across the nose and cheek. The human screams in agony, tears mixing with blood. Hours of torment later, Luz is unconscious on the floor. Hunter looks upon her with sympathy before leaving the room.     ———END OF THAT————   Luz wakes up, writhing in agony. The human simply lies there for who knows how long before getting up. They go to the bathroom, legs hurting horribly, and entire body feeling like hell. She has a splitting headache and when they look in the mirror they have to look in there twice. A gash goes across her nose and cheek, dried blood sticking to it. Luz, remembering the nightmare, looks at their leg. Spikes are planted in it and throughout her entire body. They look at her hands and see the gloves. “It wasn’t a nightmare…” dread fills Luz’s stomach, and she calls out for Eda, terrified. —IN THE LIVING ROOM—   Lilith is sat on the loveseat, King sprawled out next to her while she reads her book. It is almost… domestic. Lilith knows she’s far from a part of the found family that occupies the building, but she hopes she can redeem herself someday. The silence is abruptly interrupted by Luz calling out for Eda in terror. Lilith slams the book shut as she races up the stairs, knowing Edalyn would kill her if anything happened to the human. Lilith runs up to Liz’s room and scans for her, realizing she’s not there, the witch runs to the bathroom. She throws open the door to see Luz pressed up against the bathtub, looking up at her in fear. There’s a large gash across her face and spikes poking out of her legs. The older gasps in horror at the sight.   “GET AWAY FROM ME!” Luz cries out, her voice shaking in fear. She closes in on herself more, one hand in her hair and the other clutching onto her legs. The human cries out in pain when she grabs her calves.   “Hum- Ahem, Luz, please let me help y-“ Lilith is cut off by Luz screaming at her. “NO! You cursed Eda, You almost KILLED me!” Lilith winces at that. The humans rage seems to fade as she softly says, “I just want Eda…” “Luz?” King asks in a tiny voice, matching Luz’s. Luz looks up and moves her hand, inviting King in. He runs over and knocks on Luz’s leg in the process, causing her to cry out in pain. She quickly clasps a hand over her mouth. King looks at her eyes for several silent seconds before he notices the wound on her face. He carefully maneuvers himself to hug her tightly. Luz looks at him before she starts tearing up.   “Do you want me to go?” Lilith asks tentatively. “No, Just don’t talk to me.” Lilith feels hope bloom in her chest as she closes the door and sits against it, away from Luz.   “Will you let me help you with the wounds?” Lilith asks. Luz looks at her before taking in a deep breath and sighing. “Yes, but this doesn’t mean I forgive you.” Lilith nods and stands, opening a cabinet at searching for a first aid kit. After searching for a bit she finds the black and blue box, turning back to Luz as she opens it. She finds the tweezers and kneels down next to Luz. Luz looks at her with apprehension.   “You need to relax for me to able to get these, also, this is going to hurt.” “I figured.” Luz replies with a chuckle. Luz sighs and her body sinks lower, legs shifting. Lilith sucks in a breath and grabs the first spike. She yanks it out and the human lets out a cry of pain.   20 minutes later, Lilith had taken out all the spikes and started bandaging the wounds. Lilith looks up at the wound on the humans face and reaches over to grab the healing cream. The older witch puts some on her hands and reaches up to the younger witches face. The human flinches and holds her breath. Lilith sighs for what feels like the 100th time today before speaking.   “This is healing ointment, it will help with the cut.” Lilith explains. Luz looks at it before letting Lilith apply it. The older witch also puts a bandage over the wound.   “You need to be more careful, how did this happen?” Luz seems to stiffen at the question, replying with, “I’d rather not say.” Lilith stands and goes to leave the bathroom. “Where is Eda?” Luz asks. “Went out to get groceries. She should be back by now.” “Ok. Wait, what time it is it? Eda never goes out early.” Luz asks. Lilith looks at a clock down the hall before replying. “It’s 1:20.” Lilith replies with a strained smile. “Titan I slept late.” Luz whispers under her breath. “You needed it. Now rest today, hu- Luz.” Lilith says with a smile.   -Hours later-   The human is sat in her room, unbeknownst of the witch in the living room explaining what happened to Eda. Eda swings the door open and looks at her daught- her apprentices face. True to Lily’s word there is a clear gash on the humans face.   “Luz? What happened?” Eda asks in a not at all motherly tone. “Eda! Nothing happened!” “Kid, please, I need to know what happened so I can help you!” Eda says softly as she kneels down to the younger person in the room. “I..” Luz sucks in a breath before speaking, memories of her mother saying the exact same thing before sending her away. “I’d rather not say.” Eda nods understandingly before standing. “Im here if you ever need me kiddo.” Eda says with a smile.   Luz forces a smile on her face as Eda walks out, closing the door and leaving Luz in darkness. Both physically and metaphorically. Luz glances to her left, her phone lying there. Luz sighs and leans back, sprawling out on their floor. The phone buzzes with a reminder, lighting up the room.   “Hóla mija! Can’t wait to see you next week, camp is almost out.” Their mother, Camilia, texted. Luz’s heart beats out of her chest, the dreaded day inching closer and closer. Luz sends back a smiley face and turns off the phone, darkness swallowing the room once more. Luz tires to sleep but is unable, flashbacks to the previous night flooding their mind.   “I should catch up on schoolwork. Yeah, that’ll take my mind off it.” Luz thinks to herself. The human starts drawing light glyphs before remembering the gloves. She reaches over and grabs the light one, slipping it on and tapping her palm. A small orb of light floats up and the human repeats the process until the room is lit. They then start on the homework.  Hours later golden light peeks through the small window. Luz can see the shadow of Hooty beginning to open the window before deciding against it. Luz cracks a smile at it before realizing, “the sun is rising.” At the realization a sudden wave of exhaustion overcomes the human. They lean over her desk and run a hand through their hair, eyelids getting heavy at the motion.   “I suppose if I just rest my eyes for a second…” the thought trails off before they fall asleep. They wake up to Eda shaking her awake and the smell of the Boiling Isles version of pancakes. The human sluggishly wakes up and gets ready for school. She hurries downstairs and munches on the food. Eda hovers near Luz. Maternal instinct telling her something is wrong. Although, the feeling has been there since yesterday. Eda sighs before speaking.   “Kiddo, you aren’t looking too hot. Do you want to stay home from school?” Eda asks. Luz pauses mid-chew and locks eyes with the older witch. Luz swallows and opens her mouth. “I can’t, I have to go back. Besides, I’ve completed all the school work that was due.” Luz explains. Eda’s eyebrows shoot up. “Kid, that was a whole stack of paper.” The pieces click. “Is that why you fell asleep at your desk?” She asks. Luz nods before continuing to eat. A few minutes later Luz is out the door with Owlbert in hand, flying off to school. Eda hears the creaky top stair and looks up. Lilith is standing there, clutching her head. One look at her and Eda instantly notices the feather sprouting from her hair and arms.   “Lily! Here, let me get you an elixir.” Eda runs over to the couch and lifts a cushion, revealing a plentiful amount of elixirs. Eda guides the older Clawthorne sister down the stairs onto the couch. There’s a clink of glass as Lilith sits down. Eda uncorks the drink and hands it to Lilith. Lilith drinks it, but not without making a face.   “Tastes like copper and abomination goo.” Lilith groans. Eda snorts before asking. “How do you know what abomination goo tastes like?” With a smile. Lilith’s cheeks light up like Amity’s, although not as bright. “Don’t wanna talk about it.” She mumbles under her breath. Eda laughs as the older witch protests. They fall into a comfortable conversation after. Like old times.   ———- -With Luz-   Luz fights exhaustion as she lands at the front entrance of Hexside, hopping off Owlbert before he hoots and flies away. The human stands there, taking a deep breath before straightening her posture and plastering a smile on their face. They take a step before a familiar voice speaks.   “Luz!” Amity. Crap. She’ll know somethings up. Luz turns around and speaks. “Amity! Hey! Didn’t hear ya sneak up on me.” “Heh, sorry.” Amity says sheepishly before getting a good look at Luz’s face. Amity tenses before speaking up.   “Hey, did you get any sleep?” Amity asks, deliberately ignoring the fresh wounds on her crushes face. “I-“ Luz is cut off by the screech of the bell, much to the relief of the human. “The bell just screamed, I’ll see you at lunch!” Luz says before bolting through the halls of Hexside. Amity looks on with a puzzled expression before following the human.   --in class—   “-And that’s the pixie dust taxes. Any questions?” Willow, Luz, and Gus are sitting next to each other. Luz is trying to focus, but their mind is elsewhere. Willow looks at Luz out of the corner of her eye before nudging Gus with her elbow. “Do you think Luz is acting weird?” Willow whispers. “I guess so, she doesn’t look good though.” Gus whispers back. Luz looks in their direction and raises an eyebrow before looking back up at the board. They quickly yet sloppily jot down the notes they missed before leaning back in the seat, sighing. Suddenly, the human seems to perk up. She reaches for something in their pocket and pulls out a white fingerless glove. It’s the fire glyph one. Luz puts it on and taps the center, only wanting a small flame. A tiny flame dances over her fingertips as the human controls the flame. Willow and Gus look upon it in awe as they follow the flame with their eyes. Luz closes the fingers that work and the flame disappears, no trace of a fire anywhere on the human.   Luz grins and looks back up at the teacher, locking eyes with them before looking at their paper. Luz mumbles something under her breath and looks at their fingers. The grin falls as they try to clench their fist but are unable to, the fingers injured by the pixies not moving.   “That’s gonna take some getting used to.” Luz mumbles sadly to themself. Willow looks away in sympathy. Unconsciously clenching her own fist. The bell screams for lunch, releasing the students. Everyone gets in line, going through the usual routine. They all sit at the table and start eating. Luz, the one with the biggest appetite out of all of them, isn’t eating much. This causes more concern among the group.   “Luz, what happened?” Gus asks. Willow glares at Gus from across the table, and Amity winces. Luz looks at Gus owlishly. Ironic seeing as she’s The Owl Lady’s apprentice. Luz seems to snap out of whatever trance she fell into before speaking.   “Promise you guys won’t tell anyone?” Luz asks quietly. “Promise.” Everyone says in unison. “Well…” Luz then goes on to explain what happened. Amity and Willow slowly get more and more angry as the story progresses. Gus just looks on in shock at Luz. Willow and Amity look at each other, a mutual understanding passing between them. To kill the person who did this to Luz. Willow summons a spell circle and a yellow rose blooms out of it. Willow hands it to Luz, but then another flower blooms from the spell circle. A Chrysanthemum. Only Willow knows the meaning, but she smiles to herself.   “No one hurts my friends and gets away with it.” She thinks grimly. Amity is thinking something similar, but it’s more Luz-centered. —-After school—-   Luz walks out of the school doors accompanied by Willow, Gus, and Amity. They’re all deep in conversation before a familiar voice snaps them out of it. “Hey Luz-er, what happened to your face? The Owl Lady hit you?” Boshca says teasingly. Luz tenses, their shoulders raising slightly and her hand clenching at their sides. Willow and Amity look at Boshca with fire in their eyes, ready to kill. “Listen here you-“ Amity is cut off by a hand on her shoulder. “Amity.” Willow says, shaking her head while pointing to Luz. Luz’s posture has become fully relaxed, and they seem oddly calm. Gus is backing away towards Willow and Amity. “She’s shaking, somethings up.” He says. Amity looks closer, and sees her crushes body shaking, hands clenched until their knuckles are white.   “Luz?” Willow asks. “Hey Boshca, how’s your nose?” “Huh?” The biped demon asks, confused. Luz locks eyes with Boscha and runs at her, their fist swinging at her nose. A resounding CRACK! Fills the shocked silence. Boscha, now on the ground, looks up with blood spilling out of her nose onto her lips. Boscha summons fire and chucks it at Luz. It grazes her shirt and hand. Luz steps back and frowns. “My shirt.” She says quietly and sadly. “But to answer your question, no. Eda didn’t hit me.” Luz answers, their voice back to normal volume and shaking her hand. Willow, Amity, and Gus look on in shocked silence. Luz steps closer to Boscha before kneeling down onto her level. She grabs the demons shirt and picks her up with their “weak nerd arms.”   Luz kicks Boscha in the shin, then punches her in the gut. Amity, Gus, and Willow yell in alarm before trying to stop Luz. The surprisingly strong human shoves them off before continuing.   “That’s for making Willows life hell,” they knee Boscha in the face while she’s doubled over, they grab a glyph out of her pocket. “That’s for making Amity suffer.” They look at the glyph before tapping it, vines wrapping around the demon and tieing her to the pillar by the entrance. Luz then socks Boscha in the cheek.   “And that’s for messing with my friends.” Luz says darkly before walking away.   “You- you freak! Get back here and fight me fairly!” The biped yells. “You never fought anyone else fairly, so why should I fight you fairly?” Luz asks as they continue walking. Willow smiles in satisfaction before chasing after Luz. Amity and Gus follow suit.   “Luz! What was that back there?!” Gus asks, concerned. “I was just repaying good karma forward.” Luz says simply, confusing the witches. “You’re acquainted with Kharma?!” All three witches ask, shocked that the human is friends with a god. “What? No! It must be a human thing then. Tell me about Karma!” Luz exclaims excitedly, back to their normal self. Gus happily obliges, explaining the god Kharma. Willow and Amity hang back, whispering amongst themselves.   “What was that? Luz didn’t act like herself.” Amity says. “I know, but Boscha had it coming. Luz has been through stuff, guess she wasn’t playing around.” Willow states. Amity nods begrudgingly before noticing The Owl House. “Hey! we’re here! Time went by quick didn’t it?” Luz smiles, their posture relaxing significantly. “Hey, I know, you guys wanna watch a movie on the crystal ball? Most of the ones Eda has are cheesy romance, action, or horror.” Luz explains. Willow nudges Amity at the romance and horror movies, and the poor witches face takes a pink hue to it. Amity grumbles and Willow shoots her hand up, suggesting a horror movie. Amity glares at Willow, who has a smug smile on her face. “That’s a great idea! I’ll go ask Eda if we can borrow the crystal ball.” Luz says with a smile as she casually walks into the owl shack, ignoring Hooty on their way in.   “Eda! I’m back from school!” Luz yells. “Hey kiddo! I’m on the couch!” Eda replies. A pale hand shoots up, signaling that she is indeed on the couch. Luz struts over and leans over the back of the couch, looking down at Eda.   “Can we use the crystal ball?” Luz asks. “We?” Eda says with a raised eyebrow. “I brought Willow, Gus and Amity.” Luz says sheepishly, running their neck with her hand. “I don’t need more kids.” Eda mumbles as she rubs her temples. “But fine, sure. Go ahead and use the crystal ball. It’s in the closet.” “Thanks Eda!” “No problem kiddo, but we are talking about the burn on your hand and uniform later.” Eda says sternly. Luz ignores that in favor of searching for the crystal ball. A couple minutes later Luz comes barreling down the stairs with a crystal ball in hand.   “Let’s watch it in my room.” Luz says with a grin. “Kid, watch it here. Mama needs a nap anyway.” Eda says as she stands, going to walk up the creaky stairs. “Ok, thanks Eda! Sleep good.” Luz says with a smile. Luz walks over and gestures for everyone to stop standing awkwardly in the doorway and join her on the couch. Luz plops down and tries to figure out the clear orb in front of them. Willow walks over and helps Luz while Gus and Amity take their seats.   “So what do you guys want to watch?” Luz asks. Gus chimes in with, “Horror!” Willow agrees and Amity nods begrudgingly. “Ok cool, I’ll turn on a horror movie.” Once everything is situated Luz walks over and blows out the candles and closes the curtains, shrouding the room in darkness. The only light is the soft glow from the crystal ball.   “Ready?” Luz asks as they sit down next to Amity. Everyone nods and they start the movie. The intro blares and Luz bolts up, grabbing two blankets. She throws one to Gus and Willow and keeps the other and drapes it over themself and Amity. The girls face blooms scarlet, and she starts to feel warm. Hours later Amity and Luz are holding on to each-other like a lifeline. The movie ends with a “To Be continued.” And Amity and Luz realize how close they are to the other and quickly separate. Willow nudges Amity again and smirks, pushing up her glasses. Amity glares darkly at Willow before Luz and Gus talk about the movie.   “That was a Boiling Isles horror movie? That was so much better than a human one!” Luz exclaims. “Really? We’ll have to watch a human one then!” Gus says. Both of them break out into a smile before talking animatedly once again, leaving Amity and Willow to talk amongst themselves. Luz, still sitting next to Amity subconsciously scoots closer to her and wraps an arm around the witch, trying to hear Gus better. They continue to talk to the other from the opposite end of the couch, annoying the two girls in the middle. Although, Amity doesn’t mind, her brain frying from the closeness between her and Luz. Willow notices and tries to hide a smile before raising a suggestive eyebrow at Amity. Amity’s face somehow gets redder and Amity lightly punches Willows shoulder.   They all fall into a nice conversation before the witches have to go home. Amity lingers at the door, wanting to talk to Luz a little longer. As Luz waves Gus and Willow away, Amity stands next to Luz.   “Hey Luz, there’s something I want to ask you.” Amity says nervously. “Yeah? Is everything ok?” Luz asks. “Yeah! I just um… would you wanna maybe, go out with me sometime?” Amity blurts out, red overtaking her face. “Sure! I’d love to!” Luz says, oblivious as ever. Amity looks at the human in disbelief. Both girls hearts twist painfully, Luz because she doesn’t believe Amity could ever like her that way, and Amity’s because she thinks Luz is rejecting her. But still, Amity tries again. “Luz, I mean as a date.” Amity desperately tries again. “Oh.” Says as they look at their feet. “Oh..? Is that… bad?” Amity asks, fear gripping her. “OH!” Luz exclaims, locking eyes with the witch in front of them. Amity’s pulse races as Luz grabs her shoulders and smiles widely. “Yes! I’d love to!” Luz says. “Oh thank the titan.” Amity says breathlessly. She smiles and says goodbye to Luz. “Wait, Amity?” “Yeah?” Amity turns around. Luz, still giddy reaches over and grabs Amity’s hand. They pull her in and kiss her cheek. Amity stands, stunned at what just happened. When she processes she looks at Luz, noticing how worried the human seems and returns the favor.   “Ok! Goodbye forever!” Amity blurts out and starts walking away briskly without looking at the humans reaction. The Latinx smiles with glee as they walk back into the owl house and go to sleep with a smile. —-At the Emperors castle—-   “Tell me, Kikimora, why you have returned to me empty handed?” Belos asks, lifting a single finger to point at the smaller demon. “You see, we’ve run out. The reserves are empty and there’s not enough wild palismen.” Kikimora explains, calmly. “Is that an excuse, Kikimora?” “N-No, of course not!” Kikimora says in rebuttal, offended. “Then see to it that it doesn’t happen again. You are dismissed.” As Belos finishes the sentence, he groans in pain and slouches over.  Clutching his chest the mask falls off his face. The large green and blue streak across his face dripping goo onto the floor. It spiderwebs throughout his skin before swallowing his eyes into darkness. His dried skin becoming slick and moist, his arm loosing shape as he slams it onto the armrest of his throne.   “My Lord-!” Kikimora tries to speak, desperate to help. Belos looks up quickly, his blue eyes now a rich brown with red undertones. His “arm” shoots out, forming a spike and barely missing Kikimora’s face and cutting her uniform in the process. Belos seethes as he speaks. “You are to never speak of this to anybody.” Belos booms, his voice echoing through the chamber. His voice is now distorted, slurred. He straightens and his arm returns to normal, as does the rest of him. The goo on his face squelches as it drips onto the floor and his cloak. Belos takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, as he opens them they glow softly. Comfortingly, if you will. The kind look returns to his face. “My apologies for my outburst Kiki, but I will require more Titan Blood. Bring me The Human if you must.” “The Human?” Kikimora parrots. “Yes, The Human. She got here somehow, didn’t she? She has Titan Blood in her veins somehow.” Belos explains shortly. “I will use her for the portal, and for myself.” Belos stands, his shadow easily swallowing Kikimora. He kneels down and picks up his mask and looks at it before throwing it to Kiki.  “Tell the blacksmiths to fix it. It’s almost shattered. Tell them to make it more durable while your at it.” Belos says as he turns, facing the flames dancing at shoulder-level. “Of course, my leige.” Kikimora says with a bow. She scuttles out of the room and lets the doors close behind her before she sighs deeply.   As Belos watches the flames, he thinks about The Human, Luz.   How do you have Titans Blood in your veins, human? If you are human after all. But then what could you be? You can’t be a witch with those ears, perhaps a half-witch? No, your ears also prove otherwise. Plus, you have no magic. So how the hell did you get here? A portal is the obvious answer, but you have to have Titan Blood in you veins. Belos’ brain twists and turns trying to figure out how Luz got here, yet he’s unable to figure out how. The chamber doors creak open as Hunter walks in.   “Uncle, I have brought you a palisman.” The young witch states. Belos turns around, a pleased smile on his face. “It would appear so, wonderful. Good job, Hunter.” Belos says. He reaches out and grabs the staff, it’s an otter that’s curled around the staff, hues of purple and brown color the wood. Belos snaps it, the glowing fluid floating up to his eyes and letting him absorb it. The burning sensation causes him to blink multiple times as he lets out a sigh of relief. Hunter stands there nervously, watching his uncle in such a state never gets any less terrifying. Belos discards the now empty wood as he places a hand on the young boys shoulder.   “Shall we take a walk through the castle?” Belos asks. Hunters heart races in his chest as his throat tightens. “Yes, Uncle.” “Good, there are a few things I would like to discuss with you.” Belos says with a false smile. Hunter looks up at him and searches Belos’ eyes for any kindness, a shred of humanity. “Yessir.” “Wonderful, now.” Belos clasps his hands together as he walks. “I’m aware you’ve met the human, the one you beat up a little?” “Yes?” “Well her blood, was it… different?” Belos asks. “Different?” “Did it seem like Titans Blood?” Belos asks bluntly, not wanting to dance around the matter at hand. “Now that you say it, it did.” Hunter says thoughtfully. Belos smiles at that as he look forward. “Excellent, I need you to find the human. Bring her to me, alive.” Belos looks back down at Hunter. “As you wish, Uncle.” Hunter says.   ——At the Owl House——-   “KING, WHERE IS MY APPLEBLOOD?!” Eda yells through the House, King, (Who is sitting in Luz’s lap while they read the Azura books (again.)) lets out a loud “Weh!” In response. Luz stifles a giggle as she pets King.   “For the last time Eda, I don’t know where your appleblood is!” King cries in annoyance when Eda comes up the stairs to accuse King. “Can you guys be quiet! Some people are trying to sleep!” Comes Lilith’s groggy voice from the other room. “I have the worst headache.” Eda’s sensitive ears pick up the last bit. She lets out a gasp as the pieces click.   “Lilith Rose Clawthorne! Did you drink my appleblood?!” Eda exclaims with mock offense. Lilith groans from the other room and Eda breaks out into a wide grin. She shuffles over to annoy her sister and King sighs in relief. “I told you it wasn’t me!” King exclaims and Eda replies with, “Yeah yeah whatever!” Luz laughs before quickly being cut off by a intense headache. And a familiarly annoying voice in her head.   “Hello, Human. Miss me?”

General Audiences

“What’s with the chart, Luz?” Eda asks, a mug filled with Apple Blood in her hand. Luz didn't answer her former mentor right away一 instead, she looks at the chart more and made little adjustments to it. She mutters a few things under her breath as she tries to make sure no other dangerous objects or Hooty could do anything to it, and so it would stay insight as well. The human then hopped off the couch, dusting her hands off while she stared at the chart proudly. Only to jump in surprise when Eda cleared her throat to get the human’s attention. “Oh right, sorry,” Luz says, scratching her head before noticing something. “Is Lilith awake yet?” Eda shrugged, “Don’t know, gimme a minute and Lily should be down in a few if that’s what you’re wanting.” “Okay,” Luz nods. The human sat on the couch with a sigh, feeling more relaxed than she did before while Eda left to go upstairs. Trying to find the right spot to place the chart was hard as she kept being interrupted by the others, especially Hooty. So the chart stays hung up beside Eda’s wanted poster after removing the sword, so it’s now in Luz’s sight and free from most dangers …. hopefully. Suddenly, a loud shout that belonged to Eda erupted causing Luz to almost fall off the couch. She could hear Lilith’s scolding toward the younger Clawthorne who ignored it, as she preferred walking downstairs rather than hearing her sister. Eda saunters down the stairs with an unbothered expression, unlike her older sister who walks down with a look of tiredness and irritation on her pale face. Luz felt a little bad but hoped her chart could at least lighten up the morning mood. Lilith perks up with interest when she sees the chart, raising a brow at Luz only gave a small smile to the older woman. Soon the three were settled, Lilith having her mug of Apple Blood like her sister as she sat on the chaise lounge. The cauldron of the Scrying potion was moved to somewhere else in the Owl House as they don’t need anyone else besides them knowing. Eda sometimes messed around with it when she became bored and had nothing else to do, and she was always so loud when mocking other people's misfortune. “I'm assuming the chart appears to be something between Edalyn and me, telling by how our names are written down, correct?” Lilith questions, smiling softly when Luz nods. “Yeah, that way both of you can also notice how well you two have improved over the weeks!” Luz says, grinning at the sisters.“You two are using Glyph magic now, so I thought it’d be nice for the both of you to know how good you two are getting," Lilith and Eda stared at each other, both interested in Luz’s idea. Then Eda一 being Eda 一jumps up from the couch and points to her sister with a challenging smirk. The older Clawthorne was caught off guard, but she stayed in her seat as she waited for Eda’s reply. Which didn't take long to wait for. “I bet I can get better than you with those Glyphs!” Eda states proudly, puffing out her chest. “What?” Lilith says, standing up as well when hearing her younger sister’s declaration. “No need to be that foolish, dear sister, you do realize who was the one to save King all those days ago, which was from your doing, correct?” Eda rolled her eyes, “So what? That doesn’t mean I can't beat your ass!” “Language, Edalyn!” Lilith says, fully aware of Luz’s presence. “The kid’s already heard a lot from me, so no need to be so hateful,” Eda says, not bothered at how her sister is becoming annoyed. "Especially when it's already morning." “I- you- gah!” Lilith slaps her forehead and growls, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She lets out a deep sigh, before glaring at her sister. “You will not beat me this time, Edalyn." “Let’s see about that!” Eda says, grinning. “The first one to make the better Glyphs gets bragging rights.” Lilith narrows her eyes at the younger woman, before quickly running out the door. Luz and Eda blink in surprise at how quick the older Clawthorne was, but Eda immediately snapped out of it before running out the door. The human being is the only one in the room, but not the house since King was napping in her room and surrounded by his stuffed animals. “Hopefully, nothing too bad won't happen,” Luz says, sighing. She then gets off the couch and places her hands on her hips as a smile makes its way onto her face when she thinks about who she is now. The teacher (mentor?) to the former most powerful witches of the Isles, which shouldn't get out of hand if Eda would pay more attention. Then again, with what happened the morning after Amity’s parents'一 as they (Lilith) had explained what had happened while she was gone. Luz was not that surprised with it being Eda who caused it, but her interest had been in how the Glyph reacted. When she had the time, she was surely going to research more about Glyphs, along with some experimentation. “Luz!” “Teacher!” “Oh, right一 I’m a teacher now …. or am I a mentor?" Luz asks herself before running outside, hoping that no explosions or possible adventures haven't happened when she is called once again. “I'm coming!” Luz sometimes wishes she didn't get her hopes up because being a teacher was much harder than she had originally thought. Would you look at that, so this was how her teachers had felt when dealing with her, except for the magic and dangerous everything that is the Demon Realm. Apologies were needed to be given if she were able to ever get back home and if they let her into the school. She was so tired. Not only did Eda and Lilith's competitiveness go farther than she had thought, but they have proceeded to increase the power of the Glyphs which became disastrous quickly. Luz is beginning to question if this might be the death of her as she remembers all the times she tried to stop the dreadful tries with Glyphs. Lilith was supposed to be calm and collected, not as catastrophic as her sister who rejoiced in ticking the former Emperor's Coven leader off. While it was good Eda was improving as well as Lilith一 from the charts 一that didn't mean everything had to go south. Now she lays in her sleeping bag, upset and tired after weeks of destruction and trying to be a good teacher一or mentor, whatever. "Tomorrow will be good," She tells herself. "Hopef一 you know what? I'll just shut up." And so, she pops the Light Glyph and gets comfortable in her sleeping bag. Lilith couldn't sleep. Her mind kept replaying what has happened over the last few weeks and she wasn't happy about it. It was good her sister has been improving, but the fact that she was beginning to get to Lilith's level一 as told by the charts 一unsettled her. For all her life Eda was better than her at magic, but now that it was gone Lilith had something she was better than Eda at. However, the younger Clawthorne has slowly started improving and becoming better, to the point where she was getting closer to Lilith's score on the charts. Lilith tried to stay positive and get better, but sometimes when alone her thoughts would wander. However. She wasn't going to be beaten once again. She wasn't going to go down a worse path. "I wonder if there is anything else I can do," Lilith says. "Perhaps she could give some extra credit lessons..." The more she thought about it, the more it proved to a better and easier way as she had noticed how tired the human has become. It's not like she could blame Luz, she can admit her own, alongside Eda's, actions were sure to be tiring. Especially with how destructive they一 mostly Eda 一have made the Glyphs achieve a higher score than each other. She and Eda may have一 certainly 一gone a bit too far when it came to the chart, but that chart felt so mocking in Lilith's opinion. Almost as if saying all her hard work to keep being better than Eda was useless. With a sigh, Lilith leaves her room. Her footsteps were quiet and careful, not wanting to wake anyone besides one person in this late night. She made sure nothing was on the ground一 such as a toy or potion bottle一 to not trip or cause anything else to happen. A shiver crawled up her spine when she thought about what happened the last time. "Now is not the time," Lilith mutters. When she is in front of Luz's door, her expression contorts to anxious一 possibly, yet even not, fear? Lilith shakes her head at the foolish thought, grabbing a hold of the doorknob. She opens the door, a 'creak' emitting, but not awakening any occupants of the house to Lilith's relief. The witch grabs a Light Glyph she kept a hold of, as it was quite dark in the house一 pitch black even. Lilith makes her way into the room, being careful as she sits down on the floor beside a sleeping Luz. At first, she's hesitant as she stares at Luz for a minute. Her teal and silver eyes trailing the human's covered body, noticing how relaxed Luz is一 as the human has been so tense for the last few weeks. With a deep breath, she began to lightly shake Luz awake. "Teacher," Lilith calls out. Luz groans, shaking her head and turning away from Lilith. Unfortunately for the human, Lilith does not back down easily. “Teacher, I need your attention for something,” Lilith says. “Not now,” Luz answered, tugging at her cover. “We can talk about it in the morning.” “It’s important,” Lilith said. It’s quiet for a moment, and with another groan, Luz slowly sat up but kept her sleeping bag's cover close to herself. She rubs her eyes and yawns, before glancing at Lilith who waited quietly. Luz nods, urging Lilith to continue since she wouldn’t be getting any sleep if the older witch kept pestering her. So she might as well listen. “As you noticed,” Lilith began. “Over the past few days, Edalyn and I have improved, correct?” “Yeah,” Luz grumbles. “I一we一have been able to handle Glyphs better, as well as draw them much quicker than before,” Lilith resumes. “The Glyphs power has also been increased, as well as it slowly becoming able to controlled一 even if barely.”   Luz nods, “Okay, what else?” “We’ve been finding interesting and useful combinations,” Lilith says. “And that is all wonderful …. however,” “However…?” “I was wondering if you would think about extra credit lessons?” Lilith inquires. Luz stares at the older woman for a few seconds, before a look of annoyance makes its way onto her face. Lilith flinched at the look Luz gave her but didn’t think of leaving as she still needed Luz’s answer. “It couldn’t be that much of a problem,” Lilith said. “I’ll make sure I don’t cause any more trouble and do my best making sure Edalyn does the same.” “Lilith, I already have so much on my hands,” Luz tiredly announced, rubbing the bridge of her nose.  “Don’t bother, it’s just a human saying, meaning I’m busy and don’t have time.” “I promise to keep up and not do anything to irritate you,” Lilith continued. “Lilith.” “All I’m wanting is to be a good student,” Lilith said, not saying what other words went with that. “Nothing won’t be too damaging like how the weeks have been, all I just ask is for some extra lessons to improve my performance.” “And that's good, it is,” Luz mumbles, feeling even more tired. “Please just go to bed, Lilith, we can talk about this tomorrow.” “But一” Luz doesn’t bother to give attention to Lilith's pleading, instead, she pulls the cover of her sleeping bag higher as she laid back down. She closed her eyes and tried to fall back asleep, feeling uncomfortable as she knew Lilith had not left yet. Those mismatched eyes were burning a hole in her head, at least that is how she felt as she nervously一 but as subtly as she could 一shuffles around to become comfortable. After a bit, she can get a bit used to those eyes staring at her, and she’s about to fall asleep until she hears Lilith growling. The human rolled her eyes at how childish the witch was acting, apparently, Lilith still has surprises left. “Teacher.” Silence. A huff leaves the older woman, so she resorted to leaning down enough to not harm Luz, and grabbed the edge of the sleeping bag. She yanks the blanket that covers Luz off, making another groan leave the human. Luz tries to retrieve her covers, another look of irritation comes across her face when Lilith doesn’t give her the covers like she wants. The human doesn’t bother any more as she just lies sprawled out on her sleeping bag, still annoyed but not bothering to do anything else. “Lilith, please give me the covers,” Luz requests. “Not until we ta一” Lilith’s words become caught in her throat as she becomes quiet. Her silver and teal-colored eyes roam Luz’s sprawled out body, mixed emotions clouding the older witch’s mind. Luz’s crop-top exposed some of her midsection while her shorts fit her perfectly, complimenting her developing figure. When the human noticed the sudden silence of the witch, she glanced to see what was with the sudden silence. She believes she revealed too much skin as she watches Lilith’s wandering eyes, but doesn’t do anything. “Apologies,” Lilith said, snapping out of her trance. "You have quite the…..nice figure." "Thanks ….” Luz mumbled, scooting away from Lilith一even if it was barely. "It's late, why don't you head to bed?" "I would like to continue our conversation from a while ago," Lilith announced quickly. "Please, Teacher?” Luz narrows her eyes at the older woman, slowly getting frustrated. "You have beautiful eyes," Lilith admitted to the human with an apologetic smile."They look so bright and ….. lively, the color also compliments you." "Mhm…..” Lilith began to move slightly closer to Luz, her hand moving closer to the human's elbow一 since she had crossed her arms when noticing Lilith's gaze a while ago. Much to the human's displeasure, Lilith wasn't bothered by how she was trying to avoid her. Instead, it only seemed to encourage the older witch, as she kept her hand close to her. "What are you doing?" "Your hair is also beautiful," Lilith acknowledged. "I wonder how it would look when it's longer, do you?" "Um, not really ….. " Luz murmurs. "I like it better when it's short." Lilith hums. "Welp," Luz sighs, sitting up and stretching. Her crop-top slightly exposed more skin. Lilith gulps at the sight, her cheeks heating up. She clenches a fist and scoots closer to Luz, which the human caught. Before Luz could comment, Lilith gently rested her hand on the human's bicep. "Lilith一" "Your skin is soft, despite everything you've been through ….” Lilith praises, not budging even when Luz attempts to tug her arm away from the witch. "Is there anything you have to help it remain in such a state?" "No," Luz mutters. "And besides, I already have a few scars, so my skin won't be soft forever since I'll likely get more in the future." "Of course," Lilith says, not bothered by the human's harsh tone. The two stay in uncomfortable silence一 well, uncomfortable for Luz, that is. "Teacher?" Luz sighs, scratching the back of her neck and turning away from Lilith. Unfortunately, the woman didn't take kindly to Luz looking away and avoiding her sight. Lilith grabs the side of Luz's face一 the part that was facing away from her 一and turns the human to look at her. Light brown colored eyes that held panic and annoyance met silver and teal-colored eyes that held interest and desire. "It astonishes me how you're able to even look at me sometimes," Lilith notes. "How you're able to greet me, walk by me, help me learn magic differently." "L-Lilith一" Luz stutters but is cut off. "Teacher…..” Lilith whispers, rubbing the human's cheek lightly with her thumb, being sensible to not scratch the girl. Her other hand slithered down to touch Luz's waist, feeling the girl shiver. Slowly she moves her hand up, enjoying the softness of the human's skin一 very few, small scars were felt. Luz tries to leave, but Lilith immediately has a firm grip on her which makes the human internally panic further. "L-Lilith, please let me go," Luz pleads. "Let me help you, Teacher," Lilith adds, ignoring the human's plea. "I can have you feel many sensations none like you would think of, just calm down and relax…." Luz squirmed, feeling more uncomfortable with the older witch's touch and words. Unfortunately, Lilith didn't let her go, instead, she pulled her closer to her. Strong fingers gripped Luz’s chin, forcing her to look straight ahead. A hot flush of shame went through her as she registered the sight of herself, helpless and slightly exposed, with Lilith’s leering over and alone with her in a room. “Lili—mmmph?!?!” Luz yelped as Lilith pressed forward fast, taking advantage of her open mouth. Luz made a sound of confusion and alarm, this was her first kiss and just like that Lilith claimed her.Taking advantage of Luz’s shocked state, Lilith pressed harder, Luz’s lips had been as soft and heavenly as she'd expected and more, and she needed to know if the rest of her mouth followed suit. Clamping her lips over the girl's smaller pair, the witch added a lot of force onto Luz to stop her from pulling away, and at this point, she’d surely bruise.  Luz was completely unprepared for this ferocious oral assault. As Lilith's attack pulled her head back, she put her hands up at her sides, unsure what to do with them. Lilith was quick to respond, and one of her hands reached down to seize Luz's little breast while the other gripped the back of her head and held her tightly in place. "Mmmmfhphh!!" For what felt like forever, Luz’s lips and tongue were sucked, Luz moaned at the strange feeling, she’s never had someone play with her mouth like this, granted she’s never been kissed before and didn’t think Lilith would be her first. Lilith’s tongue moved away from Luz for a moment and her lips wrapped around the human’s lower lip. “Lilith stop please,” Luz pleaded the moment Lilith pulled away but the woman ignored her and resumed their kiss. Luz’s breath hitched when she felt Lilith’s fangs nibble on her lower lip. Luz froze in her place in fear that any sudden action could result in her lips being bitten off. Luz sat still and let her mouth be dominated by the older woman. One of Lilith's hands increased pressure on Luz's hard nipples, while the other carelessly grabbed at her breast. “Hah...Lilith...Hah..." Luz moaned. Only strands of saliva connected their outstretched mouths as Lilith abruptly pulled away. Luz was dazed when she gazed at her, her lips plump and swollen from the kissing, and her legs still swaying with a hand between them. Lilith’s throat went dry and now she was hardly more composed. “Teacher, you’re so cute, and look how easily you blush,” Lilith admired with a smile, Luz was still in a daze, some of the drool from the kiss ran down her chin, Lilith's mouth went dry and she was tempted to lick it off but stopped herself. “Lilith, why did you do that…?” Luz puzzled innocently, she wasn’t even looking at the witch anymore, she was staring at the wall and still in her kiss daze. “This isn’t right at all…” Lilith hummed and ran her hands up Luz’s figure, her nails caught onto the fabric, and she pulled up her shirt, revealing more and more of Luz’s lovely soft skin.  Her lips landed on Luz’s neck placing open mouth kisses on it. She used her tongue to lap at the skin. Luz cringed at the feeling. Luz gasped when she felt Lilith pull up her shirt and exposed her breast, she hadn’t been wearing a bra, she never does when she goes to bed. “Oh, what’s this?” Lilith says with a sly smirk as she examines the girl's hardened nipples. Luz blushed hard, she raised her arms to push Lilith back in a feeble attempt but that kiss sucked all the strength out of her.  “H-hey, that’s enough! Don’t look!” Luz pleaded and tried to pull back, Lilith pressed her body weight on Luz and kept her in place even as the human was squirming around. “Your breasts are lovely,” Lilith mesmerized, eyes glued to her chest, and Luz can hear the reverence in her voice, the awe, and it makes her squirm. “Although small, you’re not done developing. I can see you growing into a fine young woman, Teacher.” Lilith heard Luz groan again when her fingers slid up to touch them.  Luz whimpers while Lilith gets on top of Luz and straddles her thighs, hands slipping beneath her top and dragging it up over her breast till it's clumped beneath her underarm.  Lilith goes closer and presses her mouth to the space between the human's breasts, groaning into her skin as she squeezes hard enough to pain, thumbnails stroking over each of Luz's nipples until they're sore, it leaves Luz grunting and moaning. “Lilith, stop,” she whines, but it comes out as more of a plea.  “You have such a lovely body, why were you hiding this?” She breathes over Luz’s tan skin, Before sucking a nipple into her mouth and twisting the other one between her thumb and forefinger, she buries her face between them as if she wants to drown in them. making Luz’s body tingle up like the tips of her hair brushes over Luz’s skin, freehand tugging Luz’s shorts down over her thighs. Luz whimpers and attempts to throw her out, but her legs are still imprisoned beneath Lilith's weight, so all she can do is lie there and cry out when Lilith's teeth tease at her nipple, causing Luz to shudder and struggle beneath her. Why is her body reacting in this way? She can feel herself becoming shamefully wet. She may have found Lilith attractive but she never expected something like this to happen to her in a million years, but here she is now: laying under a beautiful witch, completely at her mercy. “Ahhh mmm, Lilith please…” Luz moans, letting the pleasure Lilith was giving her dictate her thoughts and words. Lilith looked up at Luz with her nipple still in her mouth and that made Luz’s heart pound even harder, her face turned red and her entire body felt like it was going to melt. she didn't think such a look would make her react like this but it did. Lilith understands. With a wet pop, she shuffles away from her nipple, digging her manicured nails into her other nipple one final time. But suddenly she's spreading Luz's legs and sitting in between them, her legs hanging in the air behind her as she makes a gasp that sounds like it's coming from her gut when she realizes how wet Luz is, her long fingers caressing along the length of her slit. Luz hisses as two of Lilith's fingers slide inside her at the same time, her chest heaving as she tries to squirm free, but Lilith just presses them even deeper, thumb firmly rubbing over her clit as a third finger pushes into her cunt, leaving her holding back tears as Lilith starts to move them in and out of her. “Mmm Lilith….ahhh Lilith please…” she cries out and starts to squirm. Lilith smirks and puts her hand on Luz’s thigh to keep her in place and even digs her nail into the muscle of Luz’s thigh. “Want me to stop, teacher?” Luz shook her head, this was so wrong but this sensation all over her body was stopping any rational thinking she had prior. All she wanted now was a release and Lilith would be the only one to give her it. “Don’t…don’t stop,” she breathed out. Lilith gave her a warm smile and laid down between her legs so her face was over the girl's crotch. Wasting no time, Lilith immediately got to work on licking Luz’s slit. Luz let out a little moan at the stimulation as soon as the witch's soft tongue touched her slit. Lilith's licks were precise, and it was clear that she had previous experience. Despite this, Luz felt her pleasure grow as the stimulation from Lilith's tongue caressed her inner parts increased. As it went on, Lilith's licking settled into a rhythm that steadily increased Luz's pleasure, bringing her closer and closer to climax. Lilith then abruptly diverged from her pattern, brushing Luz's clit with the side of her tongue. Luz’s pants became more harsh and quick as her moans got louder, “Ah ah—right there! Mmmfffphh Nmmm!”  Lilith grinned while adding more stimulation on such a sensitive spot, no matter how small that stimulation may have been, pushed the human over the edge. She let out a loud moan and grasped Lilith's head, pushing her deeper into her cunt. Lilith didn't stop and the extra pressure only added to the thrill of her climax as she felt the build up to release and abruptly came, letting out a loud moan that surely anybody would have heard. This was all too much for Luz’s inexperienced self to handle.  Luz emerged from her climax, panting and still basking in the afterglow of what was likely her first non-self stimulated orgasm. She felt Lilith’s tongue pull away from her, Luz looked down with hazy eyes and a flustered face when she saw that Lilith was now kneeling between her legs. The witch slid her fingers on Luz’s slit to collect some of her juices before putting it in her mouth to taste it all while giving Luz a lustful smirk and maintaining eye contact. The witch leaned down and gave Luz a passionate and more savory kiss, it was a simple gesture and Luz responded despite being tired. After pulling back, the dark-haired witch sat in between the human's legs. Lilith started, “Well that was certainly—” Lilith barely had time to offload when the slam of the door had permeated their consciousness. Neither of them noticed the approaching footsteps of Edalyn Clawthorne towards the door, there was a turn of the door handle and a creaking sound of the door sliding open but with Luz’s moans, neither of them heard it. The owl lady walked into the room due to the absence of her sister in her bedroom and the strange noises coming from Luz’s room.  “Hey, Kid, what’s with all this noise—" Eda stopped mid-sentence when she looked up and saw Luz laying down with her shorts off and her top pulled up, and her older sister between her legs. Eda stood frozen, not even blinking as her mind was trying to process what she was seeing. On Lilith and Luz’s end, it was too late to disengage, Lilith was still in between her legs when Eda walked into the room. They can’t explain themselves and it is exactly what it looked like. Eda finally blinked and her face crumpled in confusion at first, her mind processed it better when she blinked again and found her eyes weren’t deceiving her. Eda’s gold and silver eyes finally expressed a look of shock then tightened in anger. “WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!” She shouted, taking up a much more demanding and fierce tone that Lilith and Luz weren’t used to hearing. Luz froze in horror, a chill crawling down her spine. Lilith tensed up, slowly mounting pleasure vanishing in a snap, and turned her head to see her sister staring at them in complete shock, having seen way too much of everything for neither Luz nor Lilith to explain themselves. Luz figured she’d need to try to calm Eda down and spoke: “Well….ummm…” “LILY WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING TO LUZ?!” she screamed accusingly at her older sister. “It’s not what you think sister, I came here t—“ “You came here to molest Luz is what I think!” Eda interrupted, stomping up to Lilith and Luz now only standing a few inches away while still wearing that threatening expression. “You really think you can get some cheap points by eating her out?!” “Edalyn, calm yourself.” “I can’t exactly “calm myself” when I walk in on you going down on her!” Eda yelled.  Luz blushed and cowered, “Eda, I’m so sorry.” “Kid, I don't know what she said to you to make you go along with this but I can’t talk to you exposed like that, ” Eda pointed out at her lack of clothing, Luz’s breath caught at the reminder she was naked and she raised her blanket to cover herself. Eda turned back to her sister with an accusing look, “And you didn’t answer my question, just what are you doing?!” Lilith sensed her sister wasn’t going to get into a physical altercation with her since Luz was in the room so the witch sighed a bit. Once she thought it was safe she only rolled her eyes, “Well as you can see Edalyn, I’ve been trying to get on our teacher's good side, and clearly I’ve made more progress than you have,” she spat. “Oh please, I don’t need to have sex with Luz to know I’m the better student, damn teacher's pet,” Eda insulted and stuck her tongue out. “Humorous, I’m afraid I’ve already proven I'm the teacher's favorite,” Lilith quipped with a smirk. “Pfft as if!” “Don't believe me?” Lilith ribbed and turned back to where Luz was laying and lowered her blanket just to reveal the girl's flustered face. With a sweet and calm voice, she asked; “Teacher, did I please you?” Luz somehow blushed harder and wanted to sink into her blanket. Hide under it and pretend she wasn't here the embarrassment of the attention being put on her was too much for her. She was used to being confronted by adults over her misdeeds but not over a question like that! Luz couldn't deny it felt good, better than anything she could do to herself but she didn't know how to answer it and didn't want to displease Lilith. Luz didn't know why she wanted to please Lilith after the woman practically molested her but maybe it had to do with the pleasure Lilith gave her or the fact she felt bad about what happened with the sisters. She might be overthinking but it was all so complicated.  “I umm yeah? You did great.” Luz answered despite her answer sounding more like a question and she gave an awkward smile. Lilith faced Eda again and smiled triumphantly, “You see? I am a better student.”  Eda growled and her eyes narrowed for a second to look at Luz then back at her sister. There was a sense of Eda’s spitefulness leaking through her, her instincts told her she couldn’t let her sister beat her at being Luz’s favorite. Eda’s body moved before her mind could process. It seems she’s already made up her mind before she could even think about what she was going to do. “You think so? Well…I’ll be damned before I let you one-up me on this!” With that Eda kneeled and cupped Luz’s face in her hands. “I-uhh what’s going on?” Luz asked before Eda slammed her lips on her former apprentice. Luz’s eyes widened in shock when she felt her former mentor's lips roughly pressed against hers. Her toes curl and Luz opened her mouth to gasp which allowed Eda to slide her tongue into her mouth. Eda’s lips muffle the moan that escapes her mouth. Lilith sat by and watched with amazement that her sister would even do this, might have been their sibling rivalry causing her to act irrational but Lilith didn’t stop it, she simply sat back and watched. as Luz clamped her eyes shut and made another noise. She sucks at Luz's lip and bites it, leaving it red and bruised. Eda puts her hands over her head, completely in control, and Luz kisses her back as best she can. After a couple of seconds of kissing, Eda finally pulled back with a thick string of saliva, Luz’s eyes looked glassy and her pupils looked back like the kiss sucked the life right out of her. Eda wanted to laugh at the lewd face she was making but instead leaned into the shell of Luz’s round ears and licked them, her tongue tracing teasingly on the shell which made Luz let out a cute shudder. “How was that, Teacher ?” Eda purred in her ear. “Did I do better?” “I…” Luz trailed off, her words were caught into her throat. Her body felt so weak when Eda said those words to her, it was more like the way she said them made Luz almost shut down. It was strange, her body felt so weak and exhausted but her mind was running. She’s tired, her body needs to rest yet her mind keeps running, all these words, thoughts, make her realize what’s happening. She made out with her former mentor, just what is happening right now? “It appears our teacher wasn’t satisfied with your performance sister,” Lilith teased with a libidinous smirk, running her hands up Luz’s thigh. The girl wanted to pass out now, maybe wake up and realize this was all some kind of dream. She’s fourteen, after all, it’d make sense for this to be in her head and not all a reality.  Eda turned to her sister and scoffed, “As if, you did other things to her right? Well, it’s only fair I get to do them too.” Luz’s eyes jolted at this. Eda wants a taste of her too, Luz doesn’t know what to do. Should she kick them off her? Yell at them? Maybe this is normal? Luz doesn’t know anymore and she doesn’t do anything now as her body freezes up. All she can do is lay back and pant as the owl lady moves her lips to her neck. Leaning in to press a kiss to Luz's neck just above the collar, she drew more pleasing noises from the girl by sucking gently on her tan skin- leaving many hickeys behind. The witch’s tongue drifted expertly and lazily up Luz's neck, her skin trembling by the strange and ticklish feeling, Eda’s stopping to nibble on Luz’s collarbone with her fangs, making sure not to prick the human. In her state of lust, Eda was sure she heard a soft gasp escape her lips. Luz could feel Eda linger purposefully, breathing into her ear as she leaned in close, pressing her chest against her former mentor. “Ahh, Inghh fuc...Eda!” Luz groaned, feeling Eda’s lips move down to her chest. Edalyn sat there for a moment to admire Luz's breasts, the way her brown nipples were already perked up, and how they’re still not done developing. Luz noticed her stares and cast her eyes aside while her face got even more flustered, so cute. Almost immediately she moved to capture the nipple in her mouth. Lightly closing her teeth around the nipple, she applied pressure, wanting to elicit a reaction from the human. Eda looked up at Luz as she was still sucking on her, her hand was placed right under her breast and she could feel the human's heart pounding. Lilith moved closer to get a better look and Luz let out a quiet moan. Lilith sensed Luz having more of a reaction with her sister than with her, it made Lilith feel a little jealous and left out. Not wanting to lose to her sister, Lilith decided she was going to get in on this too.  “Well it’s not fair I’m left out.” Without thinking, Lilith leaned down to Luz’s right breast and wrapped her lips around her other nipple. Luz gasped then whimpered, she raised her arms but didn’t push the sister back, this situation was too much for her. Her core was getting wet again, it was starting to feel uncomfortable which made the human whimper. Lilith continued to nibble on the first nipple, while Eda applied pressure to the second, the action causing Luz to arch her back at the sensation.  “G-guys—it’s too much!” Luz whined then let out another loud moan. Eda rolled her tongue over Luz’s nipples before letting go with a pop, Lilith followed soon after. The sisters both trailed their lips down Luz’s chest and abdomen, admiring her physic and making sure to praise her. “Your body is lovely,” Lilith mesmerized while sucking on the flesh of her stomach and kissing one of the scars. “Yeah, it’s so cute and your skin is so smooth~” Eda expressed in a lust-filled tone, trailing her tongue and letting the rough front of her taste buds gloss over Luz’s skin. The Latina’s face soon became as red as roses. Her face was heating up and she couldn’t even bring herself to look down, she was sure one of them was looking at her. She felt too embarrassed. It didn’t help that the stimulation made her cunt aroused to the point she was staining the sheets and was sure she was going to finish before they even touched her down there. Luz prayed to the titan she wouldn’t finish so soon. Before she would have told them to stop but the pleasure clouded her thoughts and that's all she could seek now. Going further and further, Eda’s fingers brushed against Luz’s slit, she could tell Lilith made her cum prior, now it was her turn but she figured Lilith would try to one-up her. Eda pulled back and kneeled in front of Luz, Lilith followed suit right after. Eda began peeling off her nightclothes, removing the first layer of cloth over her body before she spoke; “I call shots on her cunt.” Luz gave a look of confusion but said nothing, the words weren’t directed at her. “That doesn’t seem fair,” Lilith objected with a frown, removing her own clothes. Soon, both witches were left naked. Luz would have taken time to admire their bodies if she hadn’t been curious as to what Eda and Lilith were saying. “You already got a turn, it’s my turn to use that!” “I still want to use her as well.” “She has another hole,” Eda pointed out, referring to Luz’s ass. Which made the human eyes jolt open at the proposal, her energy came back at the thought of one of them touching her other hole. Luz quickly sat up and tried to scramble away but the sisters had their hands on her hips which kept her in place. “Woah Woah! Wait a second, don’t use that!” Luz shrieked abruptly, startling the Clawthrone sisters that her adrenaline came back that quick. Luz raised her hands to her chest and blushed harder. There was a pause in the room, Eda and Lilith looked at Luz for a second with blank expressions till Eda burst out in laughter. Lilith’s dark lips soon turned into a grin, mostly of amusement. Did she say something wrong? Feeling the embarrassment weigh on her more, Luz stared at them with confusion then a look of humiliation, if her face could get any redder she was sure she would explode. “I...uhhh…” she murmured and looked down, not even bothering to finish her sentence, just listening to Eda’s laughter. Edalyn’s laughter finally died down and she shook her head, “Okay okay kiddo, guess I’m sharing.” Luz still stared at the witch with a puzzled expression, “What was so funny?” she asked innocently.  “Nothing...we just thought the way you were alarmed was...charming,” Lilith responded with a giggle. “Cute too,” Eda commented.  Luz looked down, it was bad enough she was blushing like crazy, she couldn't even look at them, “Oh…” Lilith and Eda looked at each other and nodded, Lilith crawled around so she was sitting behind Luz and pulled the girl to her lap and arranged her so Luz’s back was pressed against Lilith’s chest.  “Just stay like that,” Lilith said to her.  Luz was confused as to what they were planning on doing to her till Lilith spread her legs a bit and pulled out a glyph of an unknown symbol from one of the pickets of her scattered clothes. Luz watched as the woman placed the glyph on her own slit and in an instant, a strap-on with a dark purple long dildo was summoned. The human's jaw dropped and her mouth went dry at the sight of this. A part of her wondered how Lilith even found a glyph like this, she never taught her spell like that ever. Her younger sister looked on with awe, her face showing interest in Lilith’s new spell, “Where’d you learn to do that?” Eda asked, marveling at the toy. “I was toying around with some summoning glyphs and eventually made this,” the older witch shrugged, then moved to place a kiss on Luz’s shoulder, she sensed the girl was nervous and moved to calm her nerves. “Don’t be nervous, I’ll take care of you~” she whispered into Luz’s round ears. The human shuddered at this then nodded. She's got her hand on the dildo, holding it, but the other hand is on Luz’s abdomen and she's looking carefully at her.  “Are you ready?” Luz wriggles her hips downward, a part of her was conflicted by the way Lilith rubbed the toy on her slit made her crave more, it was like all previous struggles were now gone. Going from scared and fighting back to laying down and enjoying this. Just what has this night become?  "Are you sure?" she finally says. "Is it gonna hurt?” “Of course not, child, unlike Edalyn I’ll be gentle.” “Hey!” Eda shot back, clearly offended by what her sister said. Lilith's thumb is the first to locate her cunt, followed by the toy's head, Luz didn't realize how much she needed this. At first, Lilith teased Luz by thrusting the dildo inside her in quick, shallow thrusts. It lacks depth and does not fill her at all, yet the focused friction at her entry is exquisite. For a brief moment, Luz hears herself groaning and is surprised about how loud it sounds in her ears. it sounded distant, lower than before. “Oo...Ah! Haah...Aaaah!” Slowly - far too slowly for her liking - Lilith sinks forward. Luz feels every inch of it, and god she hasn't felt like this before. She wraps her legs around Lilith’s hips, changing the angle just enough that the head of the dildo hits exactly the right spot. "Ahhh Fuck," she hisses, surprising both the older witches she even knew how to swear. Lilith's smile is crooked and a little tender as she replies, “Are you alright?” "Yeah, it just...mmphmm...feels weird," Luz sighs. It doesn’t hurt as she expected, it’s not painful at all, it feels like something she can't even describe and can't find a comparison close to it but her body welcomes it. She means to say more, means to reassure Lilith but then the witch backs and thrusts. Eda realized now she still had a chance at beating her sister, the witch eyes were locked on Luz’s clit seeing as her other hole was being used at the moment the owl lady seized this opportunity and brought her face closer to Luz’s nub before sticking her tongue out and giving it a nice long lick.  Luz's body shook at the sudden contact Eda’s tongue made with her nub. Her brown eyes rolled back at the stimulation, the feeling of her cunt and clit being pleasured was too much for her. It was like she was being filled to the brim, all her nerves overreacting and her mind turning to mush. Lilith raises the human’s hips a little more and gives her a nice slow and hard thrust. Luz has to admit: Luz doesn't want to enjoy herself too much when Lilith fucking the human with a soft and lazy pace, each thrust hitting the right spot it feels strangely pleasantly, but it's impossible not to. Lilith was fucking her with a strap-on and Eda was eating her out, how could she not enjoy it? This all feels so weird, never in a million years did she expect this to happen. Luz isn't thinking too much about what she's doing until she feels a strong surge run throughout her entire body, Lilith reaches and pushes harder. Eda’s pressed against Luz’s clit, and she's matching the pace of her hips with it. Luz bites down on her lower lip as hard as she can, manages to turn her moan into a high-pitched, needy whimper that's not making it any better for her. “Please ahh…” Tears streamed down Luzs face as she felt a blush creep all over her face, her nearly-unintelligible groans were a clear indication of her longing for something other than just an orgasm, something that filled the sisters with a much more raw emotion than anything else.  Running her tongue inside of her former student, Eda’s own body was heating up from both the powerful scent of arousal her pet bore after a week in that state as well as the sobbing moans from above her. Continuing to lick Luz’s most sensitive areas, the owl lady continued until she was certain her human couldn't take it any longer. While all this was happening Eda managed to slip her hand between her own legs to pleasure herself, Luz’s moans were making her more than aroused and she wanted some release too.  “Eda—ah! Sh—haah…please Lilith…right there! I’m close!” Luz panted and her tongue stuck out while drool was sliding down her chin.  Gradually, Lilith's and Eda's pace quickens until all Luz can think about is how she feels, the roughness, and how she's being filled up. Luz feels her inner walls begin to clench, everything overpowering and wonderful and warm, and then she feels it all rush out of her. She felt Lilith’s hand caress her face for a bit and turn her head aside to capture her tongue in her mouth, Luz mindlessly responded to the kiss, intertwining her tongue with Lilith and following the kiss. It felt similar to what happened when Lilith was licking her but it felt more tense, like everything in her body was being played with. It built up more like there was a knot tightening inside her until it finally let loose and Luz let out a guttural moan and came hard on the strap. Her juices coating the toy and Eda’s face and her soles dig into the mattress beneath them and every part of her cunt feels slick, over-sensitive but Eda didn't stop her sucking. “Fu… shit…” It's almost a cycle; her inner walls are flexing around the dildo from her orgasm and it's making her feel even better, bringing her closer to the edge all over again. Her second climax hits moments later, this time with a moan that she's too far gone to hide. Lilith rocks against her until she's cums too, giving only a pleasurable sigh and kissing Luz’s shoulder. Eda's climax approaches right after and she grunts when she finally cums but she doesn't stop licking. Luz’s body twitched more at this overstimulation to the point it started to hurt, that was when Edalyn finally pulled back. The sight when Luz finally opens her eyes is completely drained. Lilith gently pulls Luz off her lap and sets her down. Luz was panting heavily, her body relaxed and released all the tension built up earlier. Eda let out a long sigh and brushed some of her gray hair back, she looked at Luz for a moment then to her sister, she remembered there was cum on her face and she moved her fingers to wipe some of it off. The owl lady brought the human cum to her lips and tasted it. Tastes good. The sisters looked on and saw how cute Luz’s small chest was rising and falling with each breath she took, her body was drenched in sweat, theirs as well. Luz’s eyes were half-lidded when she opened them and looked up at the sister. Their faces were flustered, kissed like a spring rose on their cheeks, a little breathless, and naked above Luz, Their grins delighted to the point of smugness. The human noticed their bodies were lovely, breast firm and slightly sagged with their ages and their pale skin looked lovely covered in sweat, Luz wished she would have admired them earlier. Luz couldn’t help but give a small smile back. “You okay there, kiddo?” Eda asked, holding back her amusement. Luz gave her a subtle nod while her head turned aside with a noticeable blush. Lilith rubbed her thigh a little comfortably. Now that was over, there was something important they needed to address.  “Ha! I made her cum!” Eda declared, raising her hands in triumph “Woohoo! In your face Lily!” “You did not!” Lilith scoffed and pouted almost childishly and pressed her finger into the gem on Eda’s chest, “I did, I was the one fucking her!” “You think penetration is all a girl needs to cum? As if, it's clearly me!” “Is not!” Countered Lilith. “Is too!” Eda stuck her tongue out. The two naked sisters continued their bickering all the while Luz laid on her mattress completely worn out, every cell in her body was utterly exhausted and she just wanted to sleep, even Eda’s and Lilith's arguing felt like it was in another room. Luz's eyelids begin to droop. Luz pulls the blanket to her body and notices the shuddering of her body, her body was beginning to lull towards slumber. The Latina's heart slows to a more calm rhythm as each limb becomes heavier. She just wanted to sleep now. “Ugh well it seems we cannot come into an agreement, you know what we do now, sister?” Lilith inquired vaguely and with a serious look. “Fight to the death!” Eda declares with a grin and pulls a glyph out of nowhere. “No, you idiot!” Lilith scolded and pinched her cheek Eda made a whining sound. “Our teacher will decide which one pleased her better, it's her responsibility after all.” “Oh…right, yeah that makes sense, ” the owl lady agreed and nodded while rubbing the back of her head. The sisters pulled Luzs blanket down and nudged her awake. “Teacher,” Lilith called soothingly. “Errrr…what now…?” Luz questioned sluggishly, shuddering when the air met her naked body once more, “Is it morning yet?” “No, Teach we need you to pick who pleased you better.” “Better?” Luz repeated, then groaned, her eyes half opened now, just how was she supposed to pick? Luz couldn’t tell who did better, they both fucked her hard and she was sure she was gonna have a hard time walking tomorrow seeing as her legs felt like jelly. Even if the human knew that if she picked one over the other, they wouldn’t let it off her for weeks.   “Both of you did great.” She answered dryly. The two witches did not accept that answer and frowned. “What? C’mon Teach, you can’t say we both did good, which one did better.” Eda urged, placing her hand on Luz’s shoulder and shaking her a bit. “Both of you.” Luz insisted. “That’s not a good answer,” Lilith stated, then frowning. “I don’t know what to say, I think you both did good, now can I please go back to sleep? I've been up long enough,” Luz murmured tiredly then letting out a yawn, shifting back to lay on her side, and pulled the blanket just below her head.  The sisters exchanged a look with one another, their eyes reading to each other that they wouldn't be satisfied till they knew which one did better.  “It seems our teacher can’t decide which one did better,” Lilith started with a smirk slowly forming on her lips. “Yeah…which means we need to have a rematch,” Eda suggested with a libidinous grin.  Hearing that, Luz’s eyes snapped right open in alarm, her soft tiresome state faded and formed into a far more alert one. Luz quickly turned her head aside to see the Clawthornes sisters crawling closer to her with a look of lust in their eyes. Eda grabbed the helm of her covers and pulled them back. Luz raised her arms in some attempt to protect herself from them. Luz couldn’t handle round two, she was already exhausted and by the looks of their faces, they were determined to outdo each other. Oh no... “Wait!”

Explicit

Dean watched as Grace's face shifted from relaxed to stressed and when the whimpers hit her ears she pulled Grace into her arms and whispered into her ear "Grace, your okay..your safe now shh"  Grace seemed to relax and push herself towards Dean, Dean sighed she hasn't left the room once since Grace and her got back and due to Grace's cut and burned back she wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. Dean looked toward the window and noticed the sun on the horizon, soon it will be morning and Grace will wake up to mostlikely feeling the pain in her back and muscles. Dean lied down and rested her chin on top of Grace's head while her arms held the girls waist to not rub the bandages, Dean could faintly see the white bandages turning a pinkest color. Dean closed their eyes and found the image of Grace locked up and the random Alpha standing in front of her once again, Dean reopened her eyes, she wasn't going to try and sleep..it brought back the events. Amity groaned has she stirred in her sleep, she sat up and found Luz sitting up on the edge of the bed, Amity rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Luz..?" Luz looked over her shoulder toward Amity "Oh..hey Ami how was your sleep?" Amity shuffled closer to Luz and leaned on the girl "Good, how about you?" Luz looked down to the floor. "You didn't sleep did you?" Amity asked which recieved a nod from her lover, Amity sighed and hugged her wife from behind "Luz..you need rest"  Luz sighed "I-I know it's just..Grace was attacked and by my father Ami..I thought he was long gone.." Amity placed a kiss on Luz's neck "I know.."  Luz started shaking which made Amity look up to see the tears, Amity held Luz a bit tighter and buried her face into Luz's neck. "W-Why did he have to hurt her s-so bad.." Amity heard Luz whisper while her sobs made her voice shaky Amity could understand perfectly "I..I don't know love..we at least know that his alive and that his after our family..we can fix this together..okay?"  Luz looked up to Amity with red puffy eyes "w-we can f-fix this together" Amity smiled and kissed Luz's forhead making Luz shut her eyes "Good"  Luz yelped when Amity pulled her down to lie down beside her, they stared into each another's eyes and Luz couldn't hold back a giggle. Amity smiled and pulled Luz closer while being mindful of Luz's stomach, Amity sighed has they both got comfortable. Luz looked towards Amity's hand and intertwined their fingers together, they smiled together while they lied on the bed until the sun shined into their room. Grace groaned as they woke up, she could feel someone breathing and holding her tightly as if to protect her but with everything that has happened her mind wasn't fully aware of this. Grace panicked and kicked whoever was behind her but when she heard the yelp and smelt their scent she regretted her actions and with her moving her body so quickly it irritated the burn and cuts. Grace clenched her teeth in pain and shut her eyes tightly "Grace?!, Are you okay?" Grace could hear Dean ask but Grace was right now fighting off the pain, it was horrendous. Dean sat patiently as Grace fought the pain, Dean wished to pull her in and hold her but knowing the raw skin and cuts all over it would hurt badly. Grace took big slow breaths of air as tears slid down her cheeks she opened her eyes and looked up to Dean who smiled softly "Hey.." Grace whispered up to Dean. Dean looked all over Grace and could see some bruises that make her heart tighten and hurt at the mer sight of them. Dean frowned and looked down in painful regret because if Grace hadn't followed her out that front door that night, she wouldn't have been attacked and kidnapped. It was all her fault.. Grace seem to sense the mood Dean was in and knew she had to help the girl, so even in such great pain she struggled with a snarl to reach for Deans hand and intertwined their fingers. Dean perked up and looked down at their hands in disbelief "G-Grace..I..I-" "Shhh, it wasn't your fault Dean..We both didn't know what was happening"  Dean didn't even realize the tears that slid down her cheeks till one landed on their joined hands, Grace squeezed Dean's hand and got a squeeze back in response. Dean turned to a nearby window and notice that it was now daylight and that Grace's parents will be up soon and would want to talk to her. Dean smiled has they thought of a way to help everyone here "Grace, what do you feel like having for breakfast?" Grace hummed and smiled "How about you make what your good at and I'll eat it and judge you on it, Okay?"  Dean huffed but smiled "Fine but don't judge too hard you may make me cry again" Grace giggled but winced has she shook, Dean frowned and looked around the room for anything to help. Grace groaned and relaxed again "Dean, when you got downstairs can you grab some ice and wrap it in a towel for me" Dean nodded and let go of Grace's hand before taking off to get some ice. Grace looked toward the garbage can and crinched at the amount of bloody wipes in the can she can see, but she knows that's only half of what they cleaned up. Grace heard footsteps coming back and smiled turning away from the trash, Dean rushed in with a towel full of ice. Grace tried to move but yelped, Dean placed the ice down before rushing over and slowly helping Grace lie down on her stomach "O-Okay..place the ice on my back slowly.."  Dean nodded and went to do that, but right has the ice made contact Grace yelped and jolted, Dean quickly moved the ice away "Are you okay?!" Grace huffed with more tears running down her face nodding her head she covered her face with her arms. "Do it.." Dean was really worried but listened and slowly did, bringing the ice down and placing it on Grace's back Dean flinched at the whimper that came from Grace but continued. Once the ice on a part of Grace's back the girl seemed to relax and breath heavily but seemed fine at least, Dean sat down on the ground and reached out to hold Grace's hand which she greatly enjoyed. Dean watched as Grace's eyelids began to flutter till Grace fell back to sleep, Dean smiled at the relax look on the girls face when she sleeps. Dean slowly let go of Grace's hand and stood from the floor to go make breakfast while Grace sleeps, she walked to the bedroom door opened it but before closing it she looked over to Grace once more before closing the door. Dean made her way downstairs and toward the kitchen, but when she heard dishes being moved around she raised a brow at who would be up so early in the morning. Dean leaned around the kitchen doors corner and was surprised to see Amity making coffee and cooking breakfast. Dean cleared her throat to catch the women's attention who looked over and smiled toward Dean "Hey Dean, why are you up so early?" Dean rubbed her arm while looking upstairs. Amity made a 'oh' noise knowing exactly what the girl meant, Amity poured two mugs of coffee and placed then on the kitchen table and taking a seat. Dean decided it would be rude not to sit and drink the offered coffee which is why she sat across Amity and took a sip of coffee before sticking her tongue out because she had burnt her tongue. A giggle caught Dean's attention towards Amity who covered her mouth her hand to hide her laugh, Dean smiled "It's very hot" Amity nodded "Sure is, anyway how much sleep did you get?"  Dean winced at that "Um..well not alot..maybe like an hour?" Amity frowned but nodded "Yeah, Me and Luz both had a hard time sleeping" Dean nodded while taking another sip of coffee. Amity tilted her head to the side as if in thought, Dean placed her mug onto the table and looked at Amity who seemed to still be lost in thought. Dean waved a hand in front of Amity causing the Alpha to jump "You okay, you kinda zoned out there?" Amity shook her head "Yeah..yeah just thinking of what we're going to do now with Him back.."  Dean raised a brow "him who?" Amity sighed "Nothing..we'll tell you eventually but for now just..please stay and help Grace..she trusts you alot" Dean couldn't help but flush at that. "Yeah..I trust Grace alot too" Amity smiled hearing that from Dean, and Amity could see the faint blush on the girls cheeks. She knew that the two of them were stronger together in more ways than friends. Luz groaned has the light from outside hit her eyes, she turned over and reached out for Amity only to find her not there, Luz sighed has she grabbed Amity's pillow and immediately her lovers calm scent hit her noise. Luz smiled has she buried her face into the pillow not wanting to get up yet, Luz felt relaxed, safe and warm which was good since she was pregnant and needed to be in a comfortable environment and not a stressful situation. Luz could hear talking downstairs and knew that someone was up with Amity so she didn't move to get out of bed, she was just so tired. Luz understands why Amity keeps telling her to rest and to not get so worked up but..it's her baby that went missing and now her baby is hurt and she's expecting another on the way here. Luz buried her face deeper into the pillow as her chest seem to tighten, she failed has a mother to make sure her baby was safe and happy. Now not only had her daughter been raped and nearly beaten to death, but it was by Luz's own father, well to her his a monster and not a father to her but now his after her children which is worrying. Luz didn't even realize how tightly she was holding the pillow and the tears that built up, Luz growled as she wiped them away "stupid hormones.." Luz spoke to herself before returning her face into the pillow to calm herself. She knew it wasn't her fault but..it was her father that did all of this even with their first child he was the one to murder it by miscarriage. Luz gritted her teeth while resting a hand on her stomach, she could still feel the pain of that day in great detail. "Luz!" All her friends and wife shouted while her arms were held behind her own back, Luz looked up through tearful eyes they locked with golden ones filled with worry. Luz could feel her father tighten his grip on her wrist making her whimper and close her eyes, she could hear Amity snarl "Let her go!" That's when they heard the sickening laughter of Belos. "My my..temperament Ms.Blight who knows what may.." Luz felt him tighten his grip "happen.." Amity snarled has her eyes shifted to half red half gold. The Emperor seemed to look around the group and snarl "where is the Owl lady?!" Willow growled "She knew your plan you idiot!"  Belos huffed and stared at the large group, Luz felt the chill run up her spine "Fine..I warned the Owl lady and her choices will have consequences" everyone's eyes went wide by the tone in his voice. That's when Luz felt the first punch. She didn't even hear the screams, then she was hit again and again and again. Luz could only hear static but when she hit the floor she curled up and held her stomach in pain, she felt two people by her but couldn't hear them calling her name.  Eventually she felt someone pull her onto their lap and hands cupping her cheeks, she looked up to see Amity in her werewolf form, She could see tears running down her face. That's when her ears seem to clear of static, she could hear Amity sobbing and two others, she whispered up "Ami?.." Amity looked down into her eyes. "Shh, we-we can fix this..I..I promise" Luz nodded slowly but that's when she felt the wet between her legs, she felt tears hit her cheeks "Ami..is..is the baby okay?" Amity gritted her teeth looking away from her, Luz felt her chest tighten knowing the answer, Willow decided to conform it "N-No Luz..but we'll g-get you checked out" They sat there with Amity holding Luz while Boscha called Lilith and Eda on her scroll, later Eda and Lilith had rushed there and took Luz to the Healers only to find out she had just lost her baby. Amity and her busted out in tears, Eda and Lilith held the two girls while tears fell down their own cheeks, that night Amity held Luz both of them didn't sleep that night. Nor did anyone in the house. Grace groaned as she woke up she rubbed her eyes and looked around, she noticed Dean wasn't in the room so she knew she must be downstairs or the washroom. She sighed trying not to move, she heard a soft knock on her door making her look over at the door "Come in" the door opened and she seen her Mami with tears streaming down her face. Grace frowned "Mami are you okay?" Luz approached Grace and knelt down by Grace's side "Yeah I'm okay Mija, I just..I had a bad nightmare"  Grace smiled softly at her mom "Do you want to talk about it?" Luz looked down before locking her eyes with her daughter's "Mija, I think I need to tell you the truth about something.." Grace rose a brow. "Mija, My dream wasn't just a dream it was a memory..of my father.." Luz could see Grace's breath hitch and fear in her daughter's eyes. But she continued "It was when I was captured to try and get Eda to give up but she didn't fall for it so she sent your mother and aunts to save me.. Sadly it didn't go has planned. Belos had hurt me badly and not only me but..your older sister.."  Grace frowned "Older sister?.." Luz nodded slowly "Yes Mija, you were suppose to have an older sister but.." Grace could see tears form in her mother's eyes. "But..B-Belos hurt me..a-and made m-me mis..miscarriage.." Luz had tears running down her cheeks after she finished. Grace was deep in her thoughts but it clicked quickly that Belos had killed her sister and hurt her mother deeply. Luz stiffened when she felt Grace hold her hand, when Luz looked at her daughter she could see tears in Grace's eyes "It's okay Mami..he hurt me too I understand"  That broke the walls down, Luz carefully pulled her daughter into a hug, Grace sobbed into her mother's shoulder too. They both knew they could get through this together, Luz pulled away and wiped her daughter's tears away and smiled "S-Soon Mija..Y-You get to be an older sister"  Grace raised a brow toward Luz in question, Luz took her daughter's hand and rested it on her stomach, That clicked Grace into what her Mami meant. "Your..your pregnant?" Grace asked while staring at her Mother's stomach, Luz giggled while nodding, Grace smiled and rubbed her mom's stomach, she was happy. Luz smiled and let out a heavy breath "Okay Mija you ready to head down for breakfast?" Grace seem to come out of her trance and smiled embarrassed. "Yeah, um want to get mom or Dean to help me?" Luz nodded she got up from her knelt position and went to get either of the two girls. Grace was shocked that she was going to be an older sister and that she was suppose to have an older sister, it was just alot of news to take in. So Grace lied there thinking while Luz made her way to get help to move her to the kitchen, this was going to be a long healing time. Dean and Amity both turned when Luz arrived at the kitchen, Amity got up from her seat and helped Luz into her own.   "Dean could you be a sweetheart and help Grace come down for breakfast, she's up so you don't have to worry" Luz asked    "Oh!, yeah I don't mind I'll get on that" Dean shot up from her chair and ran upstairs to help Grace which made both Amity and Luz shake their head.   Amity then realized Luz had bloodshot eyes "Sweetheart have you been crying?" Luz stiffened but came clean "Yes, but don't worry I am fine" Amity looked worried but leaned down and placed a kiss on Luz's forhead.   "Okay bit just know you can talk to me, I love you" Luz blushed softly and smiled "I love you too" Dean didn't even realize when she was infront of Grace's door but when she did she raised her fist and knocked "Grace? It's Dean your mom said you needed help?"  "Come in" Dean smiled when she heard to soft angel like voice, she opened the door to see Grace still lying how she had left her. "Hey Grace, you ready to head down and get some..breakfast?" Dean stopped when she realized Grace had tear stains going down her cheeks. Dean frowned before she made her way over to Grace's side and sat down on the bed beside the girl "Hey..what happened?" Grace looked up at Dean and smiled "I..I was um..nothing nothing everything is okay"  Dean could tell she was lying "Hey you know you can talk to me" Grace felt Dean grab her hand and hold it tightly, Grace let out a shaky breath "I-I was suppose to have an older sibling and now I..I'm going to be an older sister"  Dean smiled "Hey from personal experience it's actually nice to have siblings they can help and their always there if you need to chat or just to play fight with"  Grace stared in awe has Dean went on to name a list of good things about having siblings "And even if they can be annoying they are always going to have your back" When Dean stopped she realized she went on a rant and blushed. "S-Sorry I kinda ranted there" Dean looked down to see Grace staring at her with a spark in her eye "Grace?" Grace blinked and flushed red with her ears going down in embarrassment "AHa sorry it was just really sweet how you just spoke all your feelings with passion" "Well I get that from you..you know?" Grace looked at Dean who was staring with something in her eyes that made Grace's insides flutter "Uh..Y-You want to head down for breakfast?" Dean asked while rubbing the back of her neck. Grace smiled "Yeah, but um I..I am worried that once you move me It's going to hurt.." Dean frowned knowing how much pain Grace must be in "Well, I can try to be extra gentle I promise"  Grace took a deep breath and nodded, Dean stood up from the bed and leaned down she wrapped her arms around Grace's shoulders and legs before making the girl roll to be on her back. Dean held Grace up from the bed so her back would be rubbing against the blankets, she heard a small whimper making her look down "S-Sorry I could carry you with you on your stomach.."  Grace looked up "It's o-okay just take it slow okay?" Dean nodded while pulling Grace close to her chest and making sure she had a good grip on her before making her way towards the door. Grace wrapped her arms around Dean's neck and buried her face into Dean's shirt, Grace could smell Dean's scent it was sweet and warm she loved it, and it seemed like her Omega likes it too making her flush red. Dean made her way down the stairs slowly has not to make Grace move with her steps, Dean could also smell Grace's scent she always loves being close by Grace and smelling the sweet and warmth of her scent but God when she's this close it makes her feel even better. When they made it downstairs they could see Amity and Luz sitting in the kitchen waiting for the both of them, Grace smiled at her Mother's "Goodmorning Mami and Mama how are you this morning?" Amity and Luz smiled toward their daughter "Great Mija now come Me and Dean made breakfast for everyone"  Grace looked up at Dean who flushed red "What she offered to teach me how to make a mix of human and witch food so.." Grace giggled as she cuddled up to Dean "I think it's sweet Dean"  Dean smiled down at Grace while both parents gave smug faces to the two, knowing that they are head over heels for one another, Amity cleared her throat to get their attention "Um would you like to eat when the food is hot?" Both girls flushed red and Luz and Amity busted out laughing. After breakfast Dean had to get ready for school but Grace was to stay home and heal before attending, Dean looked over at Grace who was pouting. "Aw don't be like that Grace, eventually you'll go back to school" Grace whimpered and looked away "Grace.." Dean sighed has she walked closer and pushed some of Grace's hair out of her face. "I promise, once your better we can walk together to school and have the whole school day to ourselves and my sister too"  Grace perked up "Hey how is your sister doing anyway?" Dean smiled "Geez she's great she's always running around with her mate and being all lovy dovy"  Grace held back a laugh has to not move her back, but she could just picture was Bell going on and on while Dean smacked her head against a locker. Dean smiled "And when I get home we can watch a movie together" Grace smiled "Okay okay you win but I get to choose the movie" Dean nodded while grabbing her school bag. "Okay okay, See you later Grace" Grace watched has Dean left once the door closed she whimpered feeling lonely again, what Grace didn't realize was her parents were watching the whole ordeal. Luz let out a snicker making Grace flush red "Aww my baby girl likes someone" Luz bugged as Amity smiled toward Grace, Grace stuttered and growled "N-No I d-don't!"  Amity sighed while going toward Grace and kneeling down beside her "Sweetie it's okay if you like Dean, your mother and I wouldn't care" Grace looked up at Amity with a new light in her eyes. "R-Really?" Amity and Luz both nodded making Grace smile "I mean..I-I don't mind Dean she's been there for me since..well everything..she's helped me through it and saved me from dying and well she even helps make me happy when she's down..She's so cool and cute and I-I Mean like yeah she's awesome!"  Amity looked towards Luz who was pouncing with a big grin on with wide eyes, Amity could tell she was fan girling. Luz squealed making Grace stop her ranting and flush deep cherry red, both Amity and Grace watched as Luz freaked out about Dean and Grace. Dean walked up the school stairs hearing the whispers about Grace and about how Dean's parents disowned her, which she could care less about. Dean made it inside but froze as rage filled her bones and she held her books tighter has her eyes landed on Rex. Rex was talking with his buddies and calling to Omega's who walked pass the group, Dean had to hold back her Alpha from breaking loose like it did last time she seen Rex and broke the fickers nose. Dean sighed and made her way to the locker which was pass Rex, they both locked eyes making the tension around the friend group change. Dean could hear Rex snarl so she snarled back but continued walking, making everyone in the hallway tense due to the interaction. But Rex wasn't done, Dean heard a slam next to her and when she looked over Rex was leaning against the locker next to her own. Rex had a smile on which unnerved Dean "Dean nice to see you again buddy old pal, listen I think we got off on the wrong foot so what do you say we start over?" Rex held his hand out for Dean to shake but she simply stared at it. Rex lowered his hand "OOkay well I was just wondering if you'd like to join my group, you know rule the school halls with me?" Dean huffed and gritted her teeth. Rex yelped when his shirt was grabbed and he was slammed into a locker with Dean glaring also snarling at him "Listen buddy I don't care what you do in your free time but..you ever EVER hurt Grace when she returns I will personally deal with you myself! Got it!" Rex nodded with a relaxed face on. Dean dropped him and walked off leaving a pissed off group of three, Dean felt someone running up next to her making her turn to see her sister Bell. Bell hugged Dean randomly making Dean raise a brow "Bell are you okay?" Bell nodded but tightened her hold on Dean "I-I heard something happened to Grace, is..Is she okay?"  Dean smiled "Yes, she's just resting at home don't worry so much" Bell pulled back from her sister but was looking at her sisters face "And you are you okay?" Bell asked  Dean nodded "Yeah, Grace was in worst shape than me but we both got out safe Bell so we're both okay" Bell seemed to sigh in relief but not before glaring at her sister Dean frowned when Bell smacked her "Ow! What was that for?!" Bell growled "You idiot you and Grace could have died why didn't you get the police to handle it!"  Dean sighed "It's would've been too late Bell and she needed me then and there" Bell huffed crossing her arms and looking away from Dean "I gotta go to class okay will I see you at Lunch?"  Bell sighed but nodded "Yeah I may be mad but I'll always be here for you Sis" Dean smiled and hugged her little sister again "I love you sis" Bell hugged back "I love ya too"  Dean pulled away and walked off to her class with Bell watching has she went Bell whispered under her breath "You idiot.."  When lunch time came around Dean was already hating today, Rex wouldn't stop nit picking at her to join his pack and his two cronies were starting to get on Dean's last nerve. Bell could tell her sister was losing her patience and was worried about a fight breaking out again with Rex and Dean, so she tried everything to calm her sister down. Bell and Dean sat together at lunch talking about what had happened over the few days that Grace and Dean weren't at school and Bell told Dean that the rumors going around about Grace were nothing close to the story at all. Dean felt eyes on her making her growl knowing it was either Rex or his two pals, Bell could see Rex glaring at their table from a distance making her uncomfortable. "Is he seriously still trying?" Bell asked making Dean sigh and rest her forhead on the table "Yes and I'm this close to knocking his ass out" Dean held up her two fingers that were so close to touching. Then Bell seen Rex starting to approach making her gulp "D-Dean his coming over here" Bell has whispered to her sister and immediately Dean sat up and glared at Rex. "Hey Dean, I was wondering when I'd find you around the halls, after Abominations you just disappeared" Rex leaned against the table basically ignoring Bell all together. Dean snarled and stood up from her seat slamming her hands on the table making everyone look over "What the fuck do you want Rex, and why in the hell won't you leave me alone!" Dean shouted making everyone freeze in the lunch room. Rex smirked "I already told you join my pack and we'll stop bothering you, it's not a bad request" he smirked knowing this was passing Dean off, that's when Rex felt a tap on his shoulder making him look over with a scowl. Bell was growling at him even though she was filled with fear "L-Leave me and my sister alone!" Rex rose a brow and looked back at Dean then Bell "Oh my gosh you two are sisters, geez I didn't even realize"  Dean sighed while grabbing her text book off the table and looking at Bell over Rex's shoulder "Come on Bell let's go, it stinks of road kill in here all of a sudden"  Rex snarled making Dean snarl right back but Bell grabbed her hand pulling her away from Rex, when the two of them finally got out into the hallway Dean relaxed. Bell smiled "Hey why don't you head home for the rest of the day?" Dean shook her head "Nope, I'm staying to make sure the asshole doesn't pull shit with you while I'm gone" Bell frowned but nodded. Both girls decided to go outside since it was nice out "So..are you and Grace like a thing now?" Dean stopped dead in her track's as her sister stopped too. "N-NO Why would you think that?!" Bell deadpanned and rested on hand on her hip "Dean you smell like cherry blossoms and that's Grace's scent, your scent is more of a fire like" Dean flushed not realizing. "Um..it-it could have been an accidental scent marking, I mean we both were under a lot of stress and like it could have happened just randomly and-" Bell rose a brow smirking making Dean growl and flush deep red "You know I wouldn't mind Grace being part of our family you know" Dean was cherry red hearing that "S-SHUT UP"  Bell laughed has her sister chased her, they both laughed has they ran across the field making a scene but thats what sisters do. Grace whimpered while tears fell down her face, Amity was apologizing while she cleaned her daughter back "I'm so sorry sweetie but it has to be cleaned so it doesn't get infected"  Grace looked up with bloodshot and tearful eyes making Amity hold back her own whimper "Shh it's okay" Grace bit her lip "H-Hurts.." Amity closed her eyes "I know I know Shh.. "  Once they finish and had the bandages all wrapped up Amity pulled Grace into her lap and held the girl close while Grace cried from the pain. Amity rocked side to side "I know it hurts and that you're fighting the tears let them out Grace it'll help" that broke the walls has Grace sobbed into her mother chest. Amity held back her own tears seeing her daughter in so much pain reminded her of her own childhood, but she knew Grace's back had the mark to prove it. There was a small knock at Grace's door "Come in Luz we're finished" Amity said has she hears the door open and Luz knelt down beside her wife and child pulling both into a hug. Amity let off calming pheromones helping both her wife and child calm down, Amity kissed Grace's forhead and Luz's cheek before picking up Grace and laying her down on the bed. Grace was on her stomach as she sighs "Mami, Mama when is this going to heal it hurts so much.." Luz and Amity both looked at each another "Soon love soon" Luz leaned down and placed a kiss on Grace's forhead. Amity rested her hand on Luz's shoulder "Mija we promise things will get better in due time okay?" Grace sighed but nodded slowly "Okay Mami.." Luz smiled and rested her forhead to Grace's. Luz's eyes shot open before she backed away from her daughter and sniffed "Grace did you and Dean..scent mark each another?" Amity rose a brow and sniffed their daughters scent which smelt of cherry blossoms and fire? Amity snarled before huffing "When did this happen?" Grace rose a brow "What's scent marking?" Luz and Amity both had surpised expressions on "Um sweetie it's when an Omega and an Alpha join their scents together to show others that an Omega has been claimed for.." Luz explained  Amity noticed a shocked look on her daughter's face making Amity's anger sky rocket "Grace did you know about this?" Grace looked at Amity before replying "N-No but I don't mind..I mean..Dean and I are close friends so maybe it's to protect me or-"  Amity cut off Grace "Sweetie this is for mating reasons not friends or protection, they mark who they want to be with so others don't take their future mates"  Grace gulped before sighing "I-I Mean it could have happened when we were running from the titan prayers but like I said I don't mind.." Amity held a snarl has normally an Alpha would ask for the pack leaders permission. Luz smiled toward her daughter "Well has long as your okay with this Grace then were okay with it right Amity?" Luz looked over to smell Amity's anger and could see how angry Amity was making Luz frown "Right Ami?.." Amity looked down before huffing "right.."  Luz gulped knowing that Amity maybe a little protective over their daughter but Luz would make sure everything stayed calm and safe for her daughter's sake. Luz smiled softly toward her daughter "And if you want we can talk to Dean about this" Grace thought about it and nodded "Yeah..yeah maybe it was an accident"  Luz nodded before brushing hair away from her daughter's eyes, Luz thought she say a glimmer of gold before it went back to soft brown, Luz narrowed her eyes but shook her head "Okay mija you rest now, we love you"  Grace smiled at her parents "I love you guys too..and Mami you should rest too you know with being pregnant and all" Luz frowned but Amity smiled "See dear Grace agrees with me you need to rest and stop pushing yourself"  Luz pouted "But.." Amity shook her head "No buts let's go and let Grace rest and get you off to bed too" Amity looked over a Grace "I love you Grace get some rest" Grace smiled and closed her eyes. Amity and Luz left Grace's room before Amity could walk to their bedroom Luz held her wrist making Amity turn around with a brow raised. "Ami..are you actually okay with Dean scent marking our daughter?" Amity frowned "No I'm not Luz, you know that we're suppose to ask for permission but they just did it with no questions or comments"  Luz slid her hands into Amity's "Kinda like us when we were younger?" Amity looked toward Luz and huffed "That was different..I-I was in a rut and-" "And Eda was just as mad" Amity pouted because Luz was right. Amity sighed and squeezed Luz's hand "I-I guess so" Luz kissed Amity's cheek "Good now let's go rest" Luz pulled Amity along to their bedroom to rest for a bit. Dean was happy the day was done so she could get back home, she stood with Bell at the end of the day "And then one of the plants ate a student and we needed to pull them out until the plant let go" Bell told Dean making her laugh. "Geez I hope they are alright" Bell shrugged "They seemed fine once the plant let go but they were traumatized" Dean smiled shaking her head. Bell stopped and held her hand out in front of Dean making Dean raise a brow, that's when she seen Rex and the two other boys Dean could tell this wasn't good. "Bell, go to your mate I can handle this.." Dean whispered Bell looked surpised "What no I can't leave you alone what if-" Dean snarled making Bell stop talking "go now before you get hurt.."  Bell sighed but nodded slowly and running off to her mate, Dean stood and narrowed her eyes toward Rex and his group, people watched all around wanting to see what happens next. "Dean..we tried to work with you but now your just being a pain in our asses" Rex snarled but Dean just stared at him with no emotions. Rex rose a brow "What no response?" Dean shrugged "no point in fighting you since I don't feel up to it.." Rex was so confused but Dean just didn't want to fight since she wanted to get home and hang with Grace. "Fuck off you bitch, fight me!" Rex yelled thinking Dean was making jokes but she just sighed "I really just want to go home and hang out with Grace you know.."  Rex smirked "Well I guess now I know why you won't fight, you want to go home and get sloppy seconds?" Dean snapped her eyes open and glared at Rex "Don't you dare bring that up you sick fuck!"  Rex laughed has his gang smirked knowing he hit a nerve "What's wrong don't want to know that I got to her first and had my time with her, you know I could have easily marked her and claimed her as mine"  Dean snarled fighting to keep control of her Alpha who was screaming to be released "And the way she cried and crawled away to hide, it makes me laugh just thinking about it, and how was it when you found her Dean did she panic or did she cry out for help?"  Dean's claws were growing as her anger started to grow, Rex was waiting for her to turn so they could fight but he yelped when something hit him on the head. Everyone froze and looked over to see Bell holding a branch from a tree, she had taken the branch and knocked him over the head with it.  Rex snarled making Bell whimper "I-I want you two to stop fighting!" Dean and Rex both were staring at her one with understanding and one with anger. "The fuck did you say Omega.." Rex snarled turning to face Bell who gulped but took a deep breath and stilled her fear "I told you to stop fighting" Bell met Rex's eyes making the Alpha surpised. Dean was able to calm a bit to let her body shift back to normal, Bell and Rex stared each another down "Who do you think you are talking to, I am an Alpha and a powerful one"  Bell smirked stepping closer being inches from Rex's face "I am Bell Highty sister to Dean Highty an Alpha who also attends Hexside, believe me Rex you don't want to mess with Dean"  Rex raised a brow with wide eyes before looking over at a calm Dean who was watching the whole thing, Rex growled before walking away from the group that had formed around Dean and Rex. Dean turned to her sister with a smirk, Bell simply smiled back before walking away to head back to her mates house, Dean shook her head knowing her sister would face a slitherbeast even if her life was on the line. Dean turned and left Hexside toward her home, Dean stop her train a thought when she came to her senses when had Grace's house became home to her. Dean smiled knowing she didn't mind that Grace and Her had scent marked each another, that way even when they were apart she could still smell Grace on her, it made Dean smile and her heart flutter. God was today an emotional ride for her, but she was happy it was over and that she could go and relax. Dean finally got home, she sighed as she got through the front door and leaned against it, she didn't know why but her body was so sore and tired. Dean looked toward the stairs, Dean pushed off the front door and went upstairs with a soft smile she couldn't wait to see Grace after a long day. Dean walked down the hallway and made it to Grace's bedroom door she knocked and heard a small 'come in' so she turned the handle and walked in. Dean's heart fluttered with a big grin falling on her face "Hey Grace" Grace looked up over her shoulder at Dean "Dean! I'm so happy your home now" Dean walked over after shutting the bedroom door and sat on the edge of the bed with Grace lying on her stomach next to Dean. Dean looked down toward Grace's covered up back with her smile fading a little, she felt Grace grab her hand and squeeze it "How's your back feeling?" Grace but her lip "It-It hurts a bit still but it's healing pretty good at least that's what my mom's told me"  Dean nodded slowly before looking toward the ground knowing they both had to talk about the scent marking, she was about to bring it up but was caught off guard by Grace. "D-Dean did you um..did you scent mark me on purpose?" Dean stiffened and turned to look with surpise toward Grace "N-No I wouldn't do that to you Grace, We must have done it when we both were in danger"  Dean squeezed Grace's hand before looking Grace in the eye to ask one question that would hurt both of them "D-Do you want to break the scent mark, we can i-if you want I'd just have to stay away from you for awhile-"  "NO!" Dean jumped when Grace shouted making Dean worried that she made the girl mad but Grace's pheromones told Dean she was more worried and scared. "N-No I-I want you to stay with me..Please don't leave me alone.." Dean noticed a tear slide down Grace's cheek making Dean panic. "Hey hey its okay I won't leave you alone, I promise Grace I'll stay with you through anything" Dean cupped the girls cheek making Grace look up into Dean's eyes, Dean used her thumb to wipe away the tear that slid down Grace's cheek. Grace sniffed and lifted her own to hold Dean's hand on her cheek, Grace leaned into it while holding back the tears trying to fall, Dean smiled rubbing the girls cheek. "W-Why.." Dean raised a brow at the question "What do you mean why Grace?, why about what?" Dean asked. Grace looked up with a frown "Why did you risk saving me that day, you could have died down there and it would have been my fault..so-so why stay with us if your just in danger around me.."  Dean sighed before leaning down and carefully pulling Grace into a hug, Dean felt Grace grip her shirt and hide her face into her neck, Dean placed her one hand on the girls head and brushed it through her hair. "Because Grace you mean more to me then you know, your the one person that believed in me even when my parents tried to take me away you saved me from them, you don't realize how many people love you and care for you, so let me protect you like you did for me"  Dean could feel Grace shake a little with sniffles being heard, Dean felt the tears fall on her neck but she tightened her hold on Grace making sure the girl felt safe. Dean waited and let Grace stay as long has she needed, when Grace's sobs turned into small hiccups Dean pulled back and looked at Grace. Grace looked into Dean's eyes and could see the different shades of grey and the way the light hit them made Grace's breath hitch, Dean could say the same about Grace the way the light hit her brown eyes showed small golden pecks and they seemed to glow. They both leaned their forheads together closing their eyes and just enjoying each another being close to one another, Dean felt her own tear slip but she just let it fall. They both felt safe and warm in which another's presents, Dean could fell Grace's shaky breath so she held the girls hand tighter letting her know she was there. When they both seemed to calm down they pulled away from each another, Grace smiled making Dean smirk happy to know that Grace wasn't scared or worried anymore but calm and safe. Grave lied back down on her stomach with a sigh, Dean crawled and lied beside her on her back looking at the ceiling. "Dean" Dean looked over toward Grace who was looking up at her "My um..my parents know about the scent marking, they they want to talk to you" Dean felt her chest tighten knowing that they were probably mad about not having been asked but she understood. "Okay, I'll make sure to talk to them" Grace groaned while she mover closer to Dean, Dean looked over and noticed Grace trying to snuggle into her, Dean smiled and lowered herself more and helped by moving closer and pulling Grace closer. Dean made sure to rest her arm over the girls waist has to not rub her back, Grace relaxed with a deep sigh closing her eyes and buring her face into Dean's side. It only took a few minutes for Grace to fall asleep, Dean watched the rise and fall of her back knowing that the girl had fallen asleep, Dean smiled and leaned down to press a kiss to Grace's forhead. Grace seemed to smile in her sleep, Dean snickered shaking her head a little, she knew her feelings were growing for Grace and Dean was really thinking over what Rex had said she was really worried. But Dean knew she wouldn't rush anything, Grace was really important to her and she wouldn't ruin the trust and care over Rex's threats, she knew she was stronger then Rex so she had nothing to worry about. But Grace didn't need anymore trauma, the girl had been through so much and Dean was here to make sure nothing more would happen to her, she would protect Grace to her last breath. Dean sighed and turned over onto her side and nuzzled her face into Grace's hair, taking a big breath and sighing with peace, Dean didn't even realize she fell asleep until everything slipped away. Grace was floating in an empty land of darkness, she felt lost but not alone she felt like she was being watched by many eyes. She looked around and couldn't see no one but her hair stood on end "Who's there!?" She yelled into the darkness and waited..waited.. no response came. Sudden light made Grace turn to see a small golden light spell in front of her, Grace raised a brow before making her way over to it. She reached out to it but it moved out of her reach and further away from her, Grace felt like she needed to follow this light. So she started to follow the light, Grace still could feel eyes on her but she felt safe with the light, Grace tried a few times to see if anyone was around only to still be dark around her even with the light. Grace stopped when a whole line of golden lights showed a path for her to follow, she didn't know where but she had to find out. She took a deep breath and started to walk along the lights when she passed one it would dispell, she gulped not knowing if anyone was really watching or if it was just nerves. When she reached the last light spell it grew and made a door, Grace didn't understand but reached out to the knob, she turned it and it opened with golden light. Grace covered her eyes as a flash happened when the door opened, when she uncovered her eyes she was shocked to find herself not in the darkness anymore. She was in a field full of green and tall trees, she was standing on a hill when she could see the forest go on forever. "Beautiful isn't it?" Grace stiffened and turned quickly to find a person sitting cross legged under a tree, they wore a hood of white and purple, they didn't seem to want to fight or anything they just sat and waited for a reply. "W-Who are you, where am I?" Grace asked gulping back her fear, The person patted the ground inviting Grace to sit with them, Grace seemed hesitant but sighed and sat down. "We are in your mind, we are in a land you find peaceful and beautiful, I quite like your taste for relaxation" Grace rose a brow "Okay so we're in my mind and I created this field because I think it's peaceful?"  The person nodded "Tell me Grace do you feel at peace in this very moment?" Grace hadn't realized but she wasn't afraid of tense anymore she was calm and relaxed "Yeah I am but can you tell me who you are?"  The person tapped the ground with their finger before replying "I am simply an aid for you, but Grace who do you think I am?" Grace looked down at the green ground around her and shrugged "I-I am not sure to be honest.."  The person in a hood nodded "In due time you'll know, as for now how are you outside of your mind child?" Grace grimaced "I mean emotionally I am okay but..physically I am hurting.."  The person I the hood frowned but nodded "I can feel the pain you spoke of, your back..what creature caused this child?" Grace hummed while thinking how to explain. "Well it wasn't a beast but to me his a monster, he had hurt my family once before and now his still harming them, his name is Belos but his my grandfather and he caused all the scars on my back"  "child you've been harmed not just by this man but others in your life have you not?" Grace frowned and looked down before nodding "tell me what happened child"  Grace sighed and shook her head "It..it's a touchy subject for me, let's just say I was made to do somethings I didn't want to and now I-I feel gross and used..I just..I just don't know why they did it.."  Grace didn't realize she had tears running down her face but she didn't care she pulled her knees up to her chest holding them tightly to her chest and gritting her teeth. The person just sat there and waited "I-I don't know what I did to deserve it, it hurt so much and..and they just don't care..they think they can do it because of a title!"  "you don't need to worry no more child, they will not harm you no longer..I promise to protect you when you feel threatened or scared" Grace looked up at this random being "but aren't you just a person I made up in my head?" The person smirked shaking their head "No child I am someone who is in you and will grow with you through your life, As well I share your thoughts and knowledge of the outside world this is why I asked if you were alright"  Grace smiled "thank you..you don't realize how this talk has helped me with the weight on my shoulders" the person smiled "Do you normally snore in your sleep?" Grace flushed "W-What do you mean snore?!" The person giggled "You are cuddling with this girl named Dean and are snoring and drooling"  Grace flushed beet red "I m-must be sleeping really good" the person seem to tense in front of Grace who rose a brow "Our time here is up you must go before the darkness comes for you again, go and wake up I will protect you from here" the person pointed at Grace's heart and head. There was a sudden flash of light where Grace had to cover her eyes before everything disappeared. Grace groaned as the sun hit her eyes she turned over and could feel someone's arm pull her towards then which made her panic with flashes of Belos and Rex. She kicked her legs back and pushed whoever was behind her off the bed hearing a yelp when they hit the floor, but when the scent of said person hit Grace's noise she grimaced. "Shit s-sorry Dean I-I thought you were someone else" Dean groaned but sat up with a smile "It's okay but next time just turn over because ow.."  Grace nodded, Dean yawned before grabbing her scroll and checking the time, it was around 6pm so dinner should be read soon. Dean got up from the ground with a groan and stretched, Grace wanted to stretch too but was worried it'd hurt, Dean stopped her stretchs and turns to Grace. "Ready to head down and see if dinner is ready?" Grace nodded, Dean walked around the bed and stood beside Grace before gently moving her arms under Grace. Grace was confused since there was normally shots of pain but she felt nothing, then Dean rolled her onto her back in her arms but still no pain. "Dean..I-I don't feel anything" Dean frowned "What like you can't feel your arms or legs like anything?!" Grace rose a brow and shook her head "N-No I mean I feel no pain on my back"  Dean rose a brow "Maybe they finally scabed over?" Grace hummed "Maybe.." Dean started to walk toward the door and went to the First floor for supper. When the two made it downstairs they seen Amity in the living room on the couch out cold and Luz in the kitchen making dinner, Dean made her way pass Amity and to the kitchen. Dean carefully placed Grace down "thanks Dean" Dean smiled "No problem" Luz turned around and wiped her hands on her apron. "Hey you two how was your nap?" Dean yawned "good though someone kicked me off the bed" Grace flushed red in embarrassment and shyly giggled, Luz smiled shaking her head. "Hey how, how are you feeling Grace?" Luz frowned a little with worry but Grace shrugged "I feel great, I didn't feel any pains and I feel energetic" Luz smiled "that's great but just relax until your back heals okay" Grace smiled and nodded. Luz turned back around and groaned that turned to a growl with a hand resting on her stomach, Dean got up and walked beside Luz with a worried expression "Luz are you alright?" Luz looked over to Dean with a shaky smile "Y-Yes i-its just the baby kicking"  Dean sighed but nodded "you should be relaxing Ms.Noceda-Blight" Luz pouted "Don't turn into another Amity please she won't let me do anything" Dean and Grace laughed about Luz's complaint "Now sit back down and let me cook you some food my baby ain't going to feed themselves in my stomach" Luz playfully pushes Dean toward the table making the Alpha girl giggle without complaining "Okay okay I'll sit"  Grace and Dea smiled while watching Luz cook and mumble a song, Dean smiled happy that she was apart of this family she felt accepted and loved it was nice. So yeah the household was doing amazing and they all were growing closer as a family, just like Eda and Luz when Luz was younger.  Life's looking pretty good..for now..

Mature

Willow was on all fours, her bare ass pointing directly at Amity, her cheeks and hole shiny with the lube the witch applied liberally. Amity stood there finishing putting on her strap on. “Well half a witch Willow, are you ready to be pegged?” “”Uh Amity, I’m a girl. You can’t peg me.” “What?” “Only guys can be pegged. I’m a girl.” “Pegging is when you fuck someone in the ass with a strap-on.” “It’s when you fuck a guy in the ass with a strap-on.” “Than what is fucking a girl in the ass with a strap-on called?” “I don’t know. Fucking a girl in the ass with a strap on?” Amity sighed. “Fine. Half a witch Willow, I’m gonna fuck you in the ass with this strap on.” “Bring it on.” Willow grunted as the rubber member penetrated her asshole. Her large, soft butt cheeks was slammed by Amity’s hips. She felt the toy deep inside. The pressure was strange but it felt good. And was feeling better by the second. Feeling a burning in her lions, Willow moved one of her hands to her crotch and began fingering herself as Amity railed her from behind. The climax hit her hard. Amity did not let up and continued thrusting as the orgasm tore through Willow’s body. Covered in sweat, Amity pulled out the dildo, slick with lube. She gave Willow’s ass a little spank. “We’re gonna be doing that again.”

Explicit

Amity woke up a couple minutes before her alarm went offThis wasn’t a rare occurrence, she had a fairly strict sleeping schedule, so her internal clock was reliable to have her awake in time for schoolThe alarm was really more for Luz, who commonly spent her days in high effort activities that drained them of all energy, and would often crash into bed at the end of the day with little regard for things like brushing their teeth or leaving their phone charged Amity sat up in bed, looking around the tiny room she inhabitedAt the beginning of the day the sunrise would shine through the curtains of the apartment, wrapping the whole thing in deep blue lightAmity stared at the window, usually she'd get up, open the curtains to let the sunlight in, wake Luz up and get the day startedBut today she felt completely powerless to do soHer limbs felt heavy and her mind was clouded with a melancholic feeling of tirednessShe let her head fall back into the pillow and let out a shaky breath She stared at the ceiling for couple minutes before feeling Luz’s finger playing with her hair“Is it one of those days?” Luz asked with a groggy voiceAmity nodded, not finding it in herself to speakLuz snuggled up beside her “Do you want me to stay or do you need some space?” Amity brought her hand to Luz’s and intertwined their fingers“Okay…” Luz said in understanding “...we can miss one day of college, we’ll catch up later” Even if she knew Luz was doing it on purpose, Amity was extremely relieved to hear thatHer mother had a completely opposite policy, no matter how sick, no matter how sad, Amity couldn't miss a single classThis lead to some of the worst days of her lifeHiding her meltdowns in the school bathroomChoking back tears for hours on end Dealing with all the echoed noise of the cafeteria when her head was already achingShe was so thankful it wasn't like that anymore, and so thankful to be in a loving household for the first timeShe’d never told Luz thatMaybe she shouldWhen she got her words back, of course Luz did always say she had a way with wordsAmity found this ironic, as she only actually spoke about half of the timeLuz said maybe the words she saved those days were combined into better words for the days she did speakIt was nonsensical, but a sweet sentiment nonetheless As were a lot of things Luz saidAmity liked that about them, it balanced out her by-the-book approach to life Amity was pulled out of her thoughts by the feeling of Luz pulling away from their cuddle to sit at the edge of the bed“I'm gonna go make us breakfast and i'll be right back, okay?” they saidAmity smiled and nodded as Luz left the roomHer gaze then turned back to the ceiling She never quite knew why she had these kinda daysShe’d wake up with a heavy sensation in her chest and the smallest things would be enough to make her cry When she explained this to Luz, they decided that any time this happened they’d just coddle her until she felt betterShe loved Luz for this, but with how she was raised it was hard not to feel like a burdenAll those times she was told to ‘suck it up’, dragged out of bed and forced to mask and present with normality when she could barely make herself talkTo suddenly have someone who’d drop everything to make her feel even a little bit better took some getting used to, the closest she ever had was the twins, but they could only do so much without majorly confronting their mother Her mind lingered on the twins for a whileShe hadn’t talked to them in nearly 3 monthsWhen she left for college she did so with a ‘Never look back’ mindset, but the twins didn't deserve that treatment, she quickly realizedShe just couldn't figure out how to approach them after all this time, would they even want to talk to her? After she didn't even say goodbye the day she turned 18? Did they resent her for grouping them in with their parents like that after all the times they helped her? Did they even feel her absence? She was pulled out of her spiral by Luz’s voice coming from the hallway“I was making french toast, but halfway through i realized you might not be in the mood for that kind of texture” Luz said apologetically “So i also made some regular toast and brought you some jam” Luz walked in the room with a tray of food “Just... eat what you want and ill have the rest, okay?”Amity pulled herself to sit up as Luz set the tray down in the bed “Are you feeling any better?” Luz asked between bites of toast‘A little bit’ Amity signaled with her hand“That’s good…” Luz said “Y’know...i had the weirdest dream last night” they started “Me and you were trying to get married, but we just couldn't find the ceremony… so we were both in tuxes, aimlessly walking around a forest”Amity gave Luz an amused look“Yes, i know you wanna wear a dress if we get married, i don’t control my subconscious” Luz said, as if reading Amity’s mind “And at the end of the dream we just kinda gave up and returned home… and just cuddled in the couch for hours”Amity made a face, trying her hardest to communicate ‘sounds accurate’ without wordsLuz chuckled, so Amity figured they understood The rest of breakfast went by in silenceAfter taking the now empty tray back to the kitchen Luz decided to get a bit more sleep while Amity stayed awake, thinking Life was roughSometimes so rough she could barely make it through the dayBut being here, feeling Luz’s head resting in the nook of her neckMoments like these made it worth it.

General Audiences

  Excitement welled up in Luz. It was finally her first day at Hexside! She’d finally get to learn with Willow and Gus and Amity! Amity especially.  Luz shook her head, trying to get herself to stop blushing. She grabbed her bag and headed toward the door. “Bye, Eda! Bye, King!” She said, waving to them. “Wait,” Eda said, getting up from her chair at the table. She walked over to Luz and gave her a big hug. “Good luck, kid.” Luz smiled, nodded, and headed out the door. Almost as soon as she closed the door, she yelped in surprise and fell to the ground.  Amity was standing right in front of her, which wasn’t too much of a surprise, but she had been literally an inch away from her face. “Sorry, Luz,” Amity apologized, reaching her hand out to help Luz get up. Luz grabbed her hand, trying to not explode in embarrassment. “It’s okay, it’s not your fault.” She said. “So, should we go now?” Amity nodded. “Yeah. We can’t be late, or else we’ll get detention.” Luz shivered, remembering her experience at the Hexside detention last semester. She never wanted to go back there.  “Also,” Amity added, “Your bird tube is annoying.” “Hey!” Hooty said as they turned around, “I’m not annoying, hoot hoot! I’m a great friend!” He hooted. Luz could hear King screaming in annoyance from inside. She chuckled. “Well, we should go now. Come on!” Luz turned around, grabbed Amity’s hand, and began running toward Bonesborough. “Luz, this is the wrong way!” Luz and Amity arrived in the potion homeroom about 30 minutes before classes would start. She was probably happier than she should be that Amity was the one showing her around. As Amity opened the door, Luz looked around. The walls were covered with shelves, which were filled with bottles, plants, and other things that Luz didn’t recognize. There were 2 rows of tables, 4 tables in each row. And in the front of the class there was a desk, probably belonging to the teacher, as well as an extra table on each side of it that had potions on them. But more importantly, Willow and Gus were there! “Willow! Gus!” Luz ran over to them, leaving Amity by the desk closest to the door.  Willow looked up from what she was doing. “Hi, Luz!” Gus waved to her. “What are you guys doing here?” Luz asked, looking down at the plants and pots laying on the table.  Willow put the plant she was holding down. “Well, I’m here for a class project. I’m trying to make a certain type of fertilizer for one of the plants.” She explained. “And I’m here because it’s my day off!” Gus said. “Each month, each track gets one day to do whatever they want, as long as we stay on campus. And uh, Willow is kinda my only friend.”  Willow glanced at the other side of the room. “Uh, Luz? Why is Amity here?” She asked cautiously.  Luz smiled. “She’s my chaperone for Hexside!” She answered cheerfully.  Willow and Gus glanced at each other, uncertain. “Luz, you do remember that Amity bullied me for years, right?” She asked.  Luz’s smile dropped, but she shook her head. “Yeah, I know. But she doesn’t seem like a bad person… I mean, she opened up to me, surely she can open up to you again, right?” She asked.  Willow turned away, looking out the window. “I don’t know. I mean, she never explained why she was doing this. It just… started one day.” She mumbled. Luz reached out, putting her hand on Willow’s shoulder. “Hey, don’t worry. Maybe I can get Amity to explain it to me.” Without waiting for a response, she headed back over to where Amity was. “Hey, Amity!” Luz said.  Amity looked up. “Yeah?” “So, just wondering,” Luz said, trying to act as normal as possible, “...Why did you start bullying Willow?” Amity looked surprised, then shook her head. “You mean half-a-witch? I don’t like to talk about it.” Her voice wavered as she said “Half-a-witch”, almost as if she regretted it. Amity sighed and turned toward the window. Luz turned around to see Willow mouthing ‘well?’. Luz shrugged, turning back around to Amity. Wait… Luz squinted at the table. There was an almost empty bottle there, with droplets of hot pink liquid sitting at the bottom of it.  “Willow? Gus? Can you come over here?” Luz called across the room. Willow and Gus cautiously walked over to that side of the room, eyeing Amity.  Before Luz could say anything, Gus gasped, staring at the empty bottle. “Luz…” Luz was confused, wondering if Amity drank… whatever that was. “Yeah, Gus? What did Amity drink?” Gus gulped, seeming kind of scared. “Luz… I think she drank a love potion…” He mumbled.  Luz yelled in surprise, falling to the ground. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA- Amity’s head jerked up, and she turned around, “You okay, Luz?” She asked. Amity, just like earlier, lended her hand for Luz to grab.  Luz was too surprised to do anything. Do love potions activate for the first person she sees? Did she see anyone before me? Even so, she doesn’t actually love me… Luz shook her head, grabbed Amity’s hand, and stood up.  “Hey, Luz?” Amity asked, staring into her eyes. “I know this is really sudden, and we’ve only known each other for about a month, but…” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “I think I love you…” She said. Luz felt her face heat up, turning as red as a tomato. She almost fell again, but Willow caught her from behind. Luz shook her head. “Thanks, Willow.” She turned back to Amity, almost exploding with embarrassment. “No, Amity, you don’t. It’s just a love potion.” She mumbled, sadly. Though, on the inside, she was still having a bi panic.  Amity looked… really sad, which just made Luz feel worse. “But Luz…” Luz shook her head. “No, I’m sorry Amity, but this isn’t how you really feel.” She turned back to Willow and Gus. “So, how do we get her back to normal?”  Willow shrugged. “Sorry Luz, I don’t really know. I’m not in the potion track, so I don’t know that much about it.” “Gus?” Luz asked, turning to him.  Gus shook his head. “You guys need an antidote for a love potion?” A voice sounded from across the room. Luz didn’t recognize this student. “I’ve heard there’s a plant that can help with that.” He said.  Luz nodded in thanks, grabbed Amity’s arm, and ran toward the door. “Come on, guys! To the plant homeroom!” Willow and Gus searched through the plants, trying to find an antidote, while Luz and Amity stood off to the side. Amity kept staring at luz lovingly. It took everything in her for Luz to not panic. Well, she was panicking, internally.  “Luz…” Amity said after a while.  Luz hesitated, then turned to Amity. “Yeah…?” Amity grabbed her hand and looked directly into Luz’s eyes. “I wasn’t lying, you know. I really do love you, with all of my heart.” She said. Luz took her hands back to cover her face. “No. No, you don’t. It- it’s just the love potion…” Luz could feel tears forming in her eyes. She really wished Amity was telling the truth, but she knew she wasn’t.  Unable to take the pressure anymore, Luz ran out the room, looking for the nearest bathroom. As soon as she found it, she went in one of the stalls and locked the door. She sat down on the ground and began to cry.  “...Luz?” Willow's voice sounded from outside the stall after a little while. “Are you okay?” “No…” Luz mumbled. She could see Willow’s shoes standing right outside of the stall she was in. “Ugh, I don’t even know anymore!” “Do you want to talk about it?” Willow asked.  “...No. Maybe… Okay, yeah.” Luz mumbled. “It’s just… not fair! I should be really happy right now! My crush said she loves me multiple times today! But I know it’s not real. She doesn’t actually feel the same way. It’s all because of this stupid love potion!” She cried, punching the door to try to take out her anger. It didn’t help. Willow was silent for a moment. “...You know, just because she drank a love potion and is admitting it now doesn’t mean that she doesn’t actually like you. She might just… not make it obvious.” She reassured Luz.  Luz thought about this. I mean, I guess, but what are the chances she actually likes me? It’s possible, but… Luz sighed, stood up, and opened the stall door. She stepped out, and hugged Willow. “Thanks…” She mumbled. Willow nodded. “Yeah, of course. Now, come on, I told Gus to bring Amity back to the potion homeroom. I think he had to go do something else after that though.” When Luz and Willow arrived back in the plant homeroom, Gus wasn’t there. Amity was sitting on a bench by one of the tables, reading a book. She looked up from her book, and her face lit up. “Luz!” Amity got up from where she was sitting and came over to Luz.  Willow stepped back a bit. “... Hey, Amity.” Luz didn’t know what to think anymore. She really wanted Amity to like her but… She didn’t want to take advantage of her like this.  A few other Hexside students were looking around near the front desk frantically. Curious, Luz went over there to see what was happening, Willow and Amity following her. “Hey, are you guys okay?” Luz asked. One of the students nodded. “Yeah, I guess. We were working on a truth potion yesterday but didn’t finish it so we left it here. But the bottle’s empty.” They explained. “...Luz.” Willow said seriously. “Luz, look at the bottle they’re holding!” She exclaimed.  Luz turned back to the other student and saw an almost empty bottle in their hand. Almost empty, except for a few droplets of hot pink liquid at the bottom. “No… You don’t think?” She turned back to Willow, who nodded.  “Luz, she didn’t drink a love potion…   She drank a truth potion!” Luz stood there in shock. So.. that means… Amity wasn’t lying.. She felt her face turn red, and began screaming internally. She didn’t exactly know what to do with this information. “Luz, are you okay?” Willow asked. “Noooooooooo.” Luz grumbled, pulling on the tassels of her hoodie so it covered her face. “Let’s just find an antidote for her so we don’t have to deal with this.” Willow hesitated. “I mean, yeah, but… We could figure out why she bullies me. I don’t think she would tell us any other way.” She suggested. Luz poked her head out of her hoodie. “I don’t know, Willow. These are private thoughts, we shouldn’t take advantage of her like this.”  At that point, the potion track teacher came into the room and sat down at his desk. “Alright students, settle down. It’s time for class, so get to your seats.” Reluctantly, Luz and Willow followed Amity to a desk and sat down for class. The class was amazing, really, but Luz couldn't fully pay attention. She couldn’t stop thinking about Amity. She actually liked her, too! Luz noticed a few students staring at her during the class, which was probably because she had a giant smile plastered on her face the whole time.  Though, she also pondered on what Willow said. She really didn’t want to take advantage of Amity like this, but… Maybe if Luz figured out why Amity bullied Willow, she could get them to be friends again…? The bell rang, a scream from the hallway. All at once, the students ran out of the classroom and started chatting.  Luz followed Willow out, Amity following her. They walked around for a while and found a bench where they sat down.  Luz looked around. That area of the school was mostly vacant. There were only a couple of students strolling around, but none of them really stayed there for long. “Alright, Amity?” Willow started, “Why… why did you start bullying me?” She asked, voice wavering. Amity looked down, avoiding eye contact. “I didn’t want to. I wouldn’t have done it if I had a choice.” She mumbled. “We were such close friends, but eventually… I developed a crush on you.” Luz felt a twinge of jealousy, especially when she saw Willow blush a little bit.  “I don’t like you anymore,” Amity continued, “but my parents… didn’t approve of it. They didn’t approve of me liking girls. They didn’t let me hang out with you anymore, thinking you had ‘turned me gay’.” Luz saw tears starting to form in Amity’s eyes.  “They had Ed and Em keep their eyes on me so I couldn’t even go near you at all. Eventually, I just… became less happy. And I- I blamed it on you. I thought that it was your fault that all of this happened in the first place and to take out my anger I guess I just… started bullying you.” Amity said, tears flowing down her face.  Luz put her hand on Amity’s shoulder to try to comfort her.  Amity looked back up at her, surprised, and smiled a bit. “I know it wasn’t the right thing to do now,” She continued, turning back away, “but I figured that if I stopped, Ed and Em would notice and tell my parents. And then they would think that we started hanging out again and they would…” Amity shook her head and wiped her tears. Then, suddenly, she blinked a bunch of times, and looked around, confused.  Oh shoot. Luz sat there, realizing what just happened. The truth potion wore off.  “What am I doing here? And why is half-a-witch here?” Amity asked, though more directed at Luz than Willow.  “So, uh,” Luz mumbled, fumbling over her words. “We kinda thought you drank a love potion… but you drank a truth potion.” Luz said awkwardly. She could feel herself sweating nervously.  Amity sat there, fear filling her eyes. “No… no, no, no no!” Crying, she grabbed her bag and ran away into the school.  “Amity, wait!” Luz said, trying to run after her, but she didn’t know her way around the school, and ended up running into a wall. “Ow…” Willow turned the corner and helped Luz up. “Luz, I think it’s best to just leave her alone.” She mumbled. “Come on, you shouldn’t be late to your next class.” “No!” Luz said, pulling her hand back to herself. “I don’t care if I’m late to class! I need to find Amity! She probably thinks I don’t like her, too!” “But Luz… her parents are homophobic. Who knows what they’ll do to her?” Willow mumbled.  “Her parents won’t do anything to her as long as I can help it! If her siblings are decent people, which they are, then they won’t let their parents hurt her either!” Luz yelled. “Willow, I love her… I can’t let anyone hurt her. I need to find Edric and Emira. They knew where her library hideout was, maybe they know where she might be now.” Without waiting for Willow to answer, Luz bolted off into the halls.    Eventually, Luz found her way to the Illusion track hallway. She looked around frantically. As soon as she saw Edric and Emira, she ran toward them.  “For the last time, Ed, eating snow isn’t gonna help with your magic!” Emira shook her head, laughing. She turned and noticed Luz. “Hey, cutie!” Luz blushed a bit and shook her head. “Do you guys know if there's a place where Amity goes to be alone in Hexside? I need to find her, now.” “Mittens got in trouble? She’s probably in one of the storage rooms backstage in the auditorium.” Edric said.  Luz gave a quick nod of thanks and ran off again. Luz snuck behind the curtains and looked around. There were 3 doors, 2 open and one closed. Luz walked over to the closed one and knocked on it. “...Amity?” No response.  Luz sat down, back against the door. “Look, you know I could never hate you, right?” “Just leave me alone.” Amity’s voice came from inside, shaking.  Luz frowned, but then she had an idea. She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. She drew the light glyph, but modified it a bit so it would form as a heart shape. Quietly, she slipped the paper under the door. “Tap the glyph.” She said softly. It was a few moments, but Luz saw light come through the crack of the door. She heard Amity let out a small laugh, crying.  Luz smiled and put her hand on the door. “I can’t hate you because I love you too, Amity.” She said softly.  “But my parents…?” “Your parents are jerks if they can’t accept you for something you can’t control. Also I think Emira likes girls, too.” Luz said. She heard Amity stand up from inside, so she stood up too and took a step back.  The door opened slowly, and Amity stepped out. Her face was red from crying and blushing and she was smiling. She jumped toward Luz and wrapped her arms around her. Luz smiled and hugged her back. After a few seconds, she and Amity both let go of eachother and stared into eachothers eyes.“I love you.” She said. Then, Luz leaned forward and kissed her.  

General Audiences

Amity ran in the front door of the Owl house disregarding Hooty’s complaints about being ignored. She grabbed the key and pressed the button making the door rise from the floor. A hand lands on her head stopping her from leaving yet. “Hey, kid.” Amity turns around and watches the disembodied hand crawl back to Eda “You’re in a hurry.” “Sorry Eda, my classes ran later than usual.” Amity felt bad that she didn't have time to talk, but she was already running behind. Eda drew Amity into a warm hug. A few months back neither witch even knew what a hug was. But within the time Luz had been on the Isles, they had learned that a hug gave a comforting feeling. When they pulled away from the hug Eda gave Amity a small smile as Amity walked through the portal. “Make sure to bring back human garbage!” ----------------------------------------------------------- Amity put their notes, and her textbooks on Luz’s bed and headed to the kitchen for a bottle of water. “Buenas tardes, Amity! I didn’t see you come in.” Amity had picked up an understanding of some of the phrases Luz and Camilia would say in the other language Luz called ‘Spanish’. She was in no way able to understand a full sentence yet but Luz was starting to teach her. Amity sits at the table across from the woman and takes a sip of her water. “I'm sorry Ms. Noceda. My classes ran a bit later than they usually do and I wanted to see how Luz’s first few days back in school went. I didn't know if anyone was home so I didn't want to be too loud.” “It's okay if you make a little noise. Your family now, it's your house too.” Amity smiled at her. “Besides, I think it would freak me out if I didn’t know you were here and then saw you out of the corner of my eye. I would think someone had broken in.” she laughed at her own words. “Okay, I'll announce if I'm here.” ----------------------------------------------------------- They continued talking for around an hour before Amity checked the clock. “When's Luz getting back?” Amity asked. Camilia looked at the clock and answered. “Um, I don't know. She’s usually back by now.” “Do you want me to go look for her, it’s not a very long walk.” Camilia agreed, knowing that Amity could protect herself if needed. “Alright you can go, Just be careful. I'm going to start dinner, ¡Adiós, te veré cuando regreses!” ”Bye, Ms. Noceda!” Amity  said, waving as she started down the sidewalk and putting up her hood. For the most part, Amity wouldn’t get to a road she had to cross until she got to the school grounds. Camilia and Luz had made her promise that until she knew the basic safety of the roads, she was not allowed to walk across a road without one of the two humans(This also applied to any other person or creature that Luz had invited across the portal). Amity finally made it to the road and could see the school across the street. This was the first time she had ever crossed a road by herself, she was kind of nervous. There weren’t that many vehicles driving on the road today, but from the stories of people and animals being severely hurt or dying from a car accident left her cautious of crossing. Amity tries to tighten her grip on luz’s hand but realises, “Right, I'm on my own.” Her brows furrowed as she focused on the road and thought. “Okay Amity, look right. look left. look right. look left. look right. look left........ Okay we’re getting nowhere.” Amity groans as she realises that the only reason she hasn't crossed the road, despite her many opportunities to, is that she's just scared. “To think, I'm scared of crossing a road, when on the Isles I could walk outside at the wrong time of the day and have my skin melted off by rain.” Amity thought. After pacing for a while she gathers up the courage to try again. Amity begins to count as she gets ready to book it, ”One… two... THREE!” she sprints across, not stopping till she reaches the other side and falls face first into the grass. She can feel the adrenaline pumping in her body, like she wants to pass out but also continue running at the same time. She rolls over, still laughing and gripping her hair before running her hands over her face. She sits up and shakes her head and hands. She realised her hands were wet from the tears on her face. Once she calmed down enough to move without her heart pounding against her chest she stood up and started to search the school grounds. “Alright Amity, time to find Luz.” She knows that most of the sports teams didn’t have practice today, for whatever reason, so when she found most of the school quiet she wasn't confused. She checked the library, Luz’s classes, the nurses office, the guidance office, the gymnasium, then she checked the outside field. She heard laughing voices coming from one of the only spots of the school not in the view of cameras. The closer she got the clearer the voices got. “What a fucking looser.” one said, followed by a low pained groan “God, I thought your mom sent you away for the summer to fix you.” another said, sparking her interest.  “You used to never shut up about your fantasy worlds, but now you seem to think that ignoring us and staying all quiet is going to make you look cool. But no, now you’re just acting like a bitch.” a third more feminine voice said. Amity finally peaked around the corner seeing what was going on. Three kids were cornering a forth against the wall. She couldn’t see their faces but could see their hair and skin. The first one had short brown hair and their skin was about the same color as Bo’s. The second had black hair, their skin color was slightly darker than Amity’s own. Then the girl had tan skin and blond hair with a stripe of pink in it(she kind of looked like Amity). Amity couldn't see the person who was cornered but she had an idea of who it was, and the idea made her blood boil. "What, nothing to say?" The brown haired person kicked them again. They let out a struggled breath as they gasped for air. "You think you're cool?" The girl kicked them again, moving enough to give Amity eye contact with the person on the ground. Luz. Luz was sitting on the ground with bookmarks on her clothes. Her skin was bruised and scraped up, she was bleeding. Seeing Luz like this didn't sit well with Amity… NOT. AT. ALL. "They hurt Luz… Her Luz… They were gonna feel fear!" She took her hood off her head and lowered her stance. "They thought Luz was crazy, oh how wrong they were." She lowered her ears and bore her teeth making sure her fangs were oh, so visible. "I'm sorry, what are you doing to my Luz!"Amity growled out. Luz's brown eyes never failed to leave her girlfriend's own Amber eyes. The smug looks dropped off their faces as their eyes landed on the brown haired witch. They're faces turned to fear as she slowly walked toward Luz, keeping her eyes on them and continuing to growl and bare her fangs. They seemed to be frozen, besides moving out of the way for her. She picked up Luz on her back, supporting her legs. Luz smiled, hugging her and Whispering a quiet "Love you, Bunny!" Amity passed them again before blocking the entrance, drawing a circle, making a flame in her hand and giving them a warning. "If I EVER find you so much as touch my Luz again I will not hesitate to find you and hurt you! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" They nodded their heads, still shaking. "Good." She turned around and started toward the house, making sure that Luz was okay. ----------------------------------------------------------- “You know Luz, if it was Willow that was there instead of me, she might have killed them with her vines.” The two girls were sitting in Luz’s room with Lucia studying their notes for Hexside. Luz was cleaned up and took a shower,getting the blood and dirt off her body. Luz laughed, knowing it was true. "Yeah,just wait till I have to explain the bandaids to Eda. We might have to restrain her from trying to kill them." Luz and Amity laughed at the mental image. "Yeah, she might try to convince you to just stay in the Boiling Isles." Luz agreed. "Maybe you should just keep Lucia with you at school. We might be able to find a spell to turn the staff into a smaller object. You know? Like that book series you mentioned." "Yeah, that'd be cool, maybe Lucia could turn into a little pencil topper!" The small red owl tilted her head in confusion.

Not Rated

Collecting the bounty these days was getting less and less rewarding. It was already bad enough that Eda was struggling to hold the fort down, but now they were without money — which led to some very… interesting meals some nights.    Their little household was ever growing, now with the newest addition. Eda’s sister, Lilith. She was… well, she was something. The three of them ( four if anyone considered Hooty) were still learning to trust the ex-emperor’s coven member, and Luz sincerely hoped that it would become easier to do so as time went on.    Even though there was still some tension between the original inhabitants of the Owl house and its most recent recruit, anyone with common sense could see that Lilith was trying hard to redeem herself. Sometimes it was the little things that Eda appreciated most, like when the dishes were clean when they returned from chasing their chances at a decent meal.    Other times, it was cheap and blatant — like those times when it was obvious that Eda’s nest had been mysteriously fluffed and prepared for a good night’s sleep. Eda would always rub it in that she needed to try harder when she did things like that. Luz always found it sweet.   Either way, Eda and Luz appreciated her efforts, even if one of them didn’t want to admit it. Especially on occasions like today when Luz suggested that they all split up on different bounty-seeking endeavors to try and bring in more cash at once.    The Owl lady was hesitant to let Luz go all on her own, but after convincing reassurance from the girl, she didn’t see a problem in it. Still and all, it was a rather well-known fact that Luz was now stronger than both Eda and Lilith combined.    Even if it was a little humiliating for the once most powerful witch in the Boiling Isles, it was the broader truth. That didn’t mean she wasn’t going to send King with her for a little extra protection, though…   “What is this place? Gives me the creeps…” The King of demons mumbled, shrinking back behind Luz’s neck from his perch on her shoulder.   “I’m not too sure, but this is where the map said to go. According to the description of the creature we’re after, Glop… Gloppomogus ?… Okay, I have no idea how to say that…” she admitted, squinting at the bottom-of-the-barrel scroll that she was given. “In any case, we’re headed right towards it!”   “Gloppomogus, huh? Sounds lame. I bet he’s some kind of pretentious jerk,”   Luz just rolls her eyes. King was always going around insulting things like he had something bigger. Any other time, she would have laughed, but right now? She was determined. She was focused. She uncompromisingly set on providing for once, just like Eda was always doing for her.    Sure, they were currently walking through a forest of thick trees and shrubbery filled with critters she’d never seen in Bonesborough, but she was doing rather well with holding it together if she was allowed to brag…     She didn’t know how many leaves she’d almost swallowed. She had to use the Owl Staff to swipe the low hanging branches and cobwebs that threatened to entrap her. It almost made her wish she went with the bounty that the others went after. It was much less demanding in terms of finding it, and Eda persisted that she took that one instead.  Luz really hoped Eda and Lilith were doing alright with all those glyphs she had sent them off with.    Better her than her two defenseless maternal figures, right ? That’s what she kept telling herself as she admittedly didn’t know where she was going. If she pretended to be confident, then eventually it might become reality…    Eventually.    Hopefully .    She groaned.    “ Leaves!” Swipe.    “ Leaves!!” Swipe. Aggressive swipe.   “And more LEAVES-“   And then with a panicked yelp, suddenly, she was tumbling down a steep incline, twigs snapping and leaves crunching as she hurled downwards. King had never known that he was capable of such a death grip until now.    Luz’s eyes are squeezed shut and she lands on her belly with an ‘ oof’. There was a pause in which either of them spoke, but instead tried to catch their breath. Luz felt King clamber off of her.    “Luz? Are you alright?!” He blurted, placing his paws on her back. He looked at her with concern and a small wince. That fall definitely had to have left a mark.   Luz moaned in pain, a hand going to massage her sore neck as she shifted to try and stand. “Yeah. Yeah , I’m alright…”   “Phew! I thought you died or something,” he joked, trying to lighten the mood. It didn’t work. There was a possibility that she could have died.   Once she was on her feet, she felt around her pockets for the map. She gazed at it closely, making a connection of their current surroundings and the illustration. Quite literally, she had stumbled upon a clearing. There were much less trees and firmer land. These parts however, were much thicker and less sun shined through the thickness of the tall trees that she could only compare to Sequoia semervirens back at home.   “Hang on a minute…” A quick glance down to the paper in her hands. “King!- I think… I think we found it!” She shouted immediately upon spotting the cavern-like structures made of rock that was identical to the one on the map. King rushed over, crawling up to her shoulder and clinging on for lack of better words that he was terrified of this obsolete, bleek and unpopulated place.    They approach tentatively. Luz may have been reckless at times, but she wasn’t foolish as to rush in with zero caution.    The girl takes a deep breath, looking back one more time at the outside world. From what she could tell by looking up at the sparse and thin rays of light shining through the leaves, the sun was setting. If they made it out of here, it would be night time on the Boiling Isles, which was not a good time to be out.   It may have been crazy, but she had to do this. She had to try.    For the Owl House.   Her determined expression quickly flashes into horror when something quickly flies past the light, making it go dark for no longer than half a second.   Her heart raced in her chest, King whimpered, and she got ready to panic over this of all things.    She takes another deep breath and regains her composure. She’s made it all this way. No turning back. “D-Don’t worry, King… Hey, it was probably just a bird. No need to worry.”    “ You’re right. Just a bird… heh. We should get going…” he suggests in cowardice, but even Luz likes the thought of being out of sight of whatever may have been watching them. Thinking that it was merely a bird was a nice thought, but deep down, King and Luz both knew it wasn’t.    “Geez, t—this better be easy for how many Snails were getting for this…” He shivered as an empty, cold breeze brushed past them upon stepping into the cave. Closing his eyes, he buried his face into her shirt and was glad for once that his human companion was so fearless.   Reaching into her pocket, she grabs a light glyph. It hovers in her open palm as they trek further and further into a cave filled with things neither of them were prepared to see. The Gloppomogus and its four-thousand bounty reward, hopefully — but Luz was not confident that they’d find it before they came across some other sleep-stealing critter.   Luz and King were silent. The only thing that could be heard were mysterious echoes of something that they were approaching, Luz’s uncertain footsteps, and water dripping sounds amplified by the echo and indefinite deepness of the cavern. The light spell illuminated the rocky walls like a candle. Luz gulped, careful to not look at the shadow of her own figure in fear that she’d see something following them.   “Aw man… a fork in the road.” Luz announced suddenly, breaking the deafening silence. King opened his eyes for the first time in minutes and observed the scene.    There was indeed, a fork in the road. A plethora of entrances leading to who knows what. There were about four of them, each archway carved into different, mysterious shapes. Luz hated decision making, especially in times like these when hers and others' lives depended on it.      “King, we might just have to try all of them…”   “ All of them ? But that could take all day!”   “I know, I know . But… we don’t have a choice. Eda is relying on me. I have to do this.”   “Uh… Luz? I’m pretty sure Eda wouldn’t care if you do this or not. She cares about you more than she—“   “I know.”   Luz looks to the side, a line of guilt forming between her brow. Her fists tighten, hanging dull at her sides. She knows this. These things that King tells her. But it just wasn’t right. She couldn’t stand the thought that Eda gave up an entire week’s worth of food for all of them to buy the only thing that her human body can digest.    She couldn’t stand the passing memory that the very reason that the mighty Eda The Owl Lady is now just a sick joke with not an ounce of power left lies in her own existence.    She can’t even bear to think about all the trouble she’s caused for the Owl House. It was just too consuming and the guilt swallowed her. And she didn’t even try to resist, because maybe she deserves it.    Maybe that’s what she gets for being such a weirdo.   “I know.” She couldn’t stand it. “And that’s exactly why I need to prove myself useful today.”   “ Luz… that’s not…” King tries, but Luz cuts him off.   “We’re going to start from right to left. We’ve got nothing but time, so let’s stop standing around.” She declared, feigning sureness. And just as she starts, she finds herself tumbling to the ground for the second time today when a broad, showy voice suddenly echoes off the rocky walls.    “ Have you considered that the average Gloppomogus commonly resides in the west?”   Had the intruder been one with predatory intentions, Luz and King were as good as doomed. But luckily for them, it was just someone who was starting to become familiar these days.   The Golden Guard.    Luz never knew where she stood in terms of alliance with him. After all, he was a worker of someone who definitely wasn’t a friend. Emperor Belos.    He seemed nice enough, and he never really went out of his way to antagonize them on the few occasions that they came across one another. Heck, she’d never even seen his face! It was all a little fishy how chance always had it that they’d meet. She was almost starting to think all of those times, including this one, weren't a coincidence…   “You again.” Luz acknowledges broodingly, collecting her scattered glyphs.    “Yeah, it’s me. Thought you could use some help.” He informs casually. “Looks like I came right on time.”   King stared daggers into that pompous imbecile as he crouched by her. Contending with the thin paper glyphs, she inadvertently casts most of her light and ice spells while trying to grab them.    She groans. What a waste. At least King was a sweetie pie and tried his best to help out.   “ Are you just gonna sit there and watch?” Luz asks, genuinely puzzled. She doesn’t bother because she can see him in her peripheral vision.   “ Heh . Yeah.”    “Well— mister… whatever your name is. Thanks for the directions, but I don’t need your help.” Luz concluded, dusting off pebbles that had stuck to her. She tried to ignore him, turning the other way and mentally recalculating which way was west.   “ Really ? ‘Cause last time I checked — I was helping. And you needed it.” He insisted, standing beside her. However, Luz excludes him and simply sighs. If west is where he said, then west it is. After all, he probably knew more about the Boiling Isles than she did. She didn’t have much of a choice but to trust him.    Much to Luz and King’s demoralization, the Golden Guard persists, following them as they enter the west tunnel. Luz kept stealing quick glances at the shadow on the wall, inwardly pondering if she were safe in his presence or not. Eh, at least if she died, there’d be a witness.   “So… Emperor Belos’s guard, huh? How long do you plan on following me?” She pandered aloud, hoping to start some kind of small talk to fill the  less than pleasant silence.    “As long as you’re in here. Someone’s gotta protect you, right?” He dismisses her question nonchalantly.    “Hmm. Yeah. Alright, alright .” Luz says slowly, processing the whole thing. This was incredibly suspicious. Even more so than the Selkidomus incident.    Suddenly, Luz snaps around, halting their steady pace of walking. Pointing the Owl Staff defensively at him, he puts his hands up defensively after the girl shoves her light-glyph holding hand closer to his masked face. She glares at him suspiciously, and even King was giving him a black look.   “What are you really here for?” She presses sternly.   “Geez, I’m just here to make sure the Emperor's target doesn’t get herself killed! Is that really a bad thing?”   “Waitwait— ‘Emperor's TARGET?’ KILLED? You don’t think I’m strong enough to do this?!” She snapped, “It’s because I’m a girl, isn’t it? So you’re one of those…”    “What? No- I-“   “Now listen here you pretentious jerk! Luz and I are busy here, so why don’t you go scrub your fat Emperor’s feet?” King barked, pointing an accusatory claw at the seemingly innocent offender.    The mysterious boy sighs, smacking a hand to his faceplate where his forehead would be. “A guy can’t get a word around here, can he? Human, can you tell your weird dog to stop yelling at me? And for Pete’s sake — I’m here to help.”   There’s a pause in which Luz just stands there, the Guard just stares, and all of them are still in defensive mode. “ Look . I don’t know who you are, or who’s side you’re on, but I can’t trust someone who works for the guy who tried to kill my mentor,”   She jabs Owlbert softly into his chest before taking a more civil stance. “And for the last time, I don’t need your help.” She says seriously, and it’s final.    The Golden Guard can’t seem to fathom how foolish it was for someone as uneducated as Luz Noceda could insist that she doesn’t need help from a professional, and following the stretching silence from the finality of her words — he says all that he can say in a relenting voice.   “ Fine.”    At that, Luz turns back to the right direction. Straight ahead. She hugs herself regretfully as she listens to his footsteps that grew more and more distant. Even though she really could have used the guidance and protection, she simply couldn’t bring herself to deal with someone like him. It was too risky. And if it weren’t for her dwindling determination and false confidence that she had to do this on her own to prove herself, then maybe she would have gotten somewhere.    But for now, it was just a rocky tunnel. And lots of walking.    Lots and lots of walking.    In the fullness of time though, they stumble upon an open space. It was almost too open.    Almost suspiciously so…   Digging in her pockets, she grabs another light glyph and combines it with her old one and creates a larger, brighter orb of light. It illuminated the dark, rocky cavern a greater deal.   “We should split up. Maybe we’ll find something faster.” King suggests, hopping off of his warm, safe perch on Luz’s shoulder. ”I don’t like this place… gives me the creeps.”   “Same here buddy, but that’s a good idea.” She creates another light orb and crouches in front of her furry companion, slowly passing it into his open paws. “Here’s some light,”   The two of them begin to wander, but they absently stay close to one another.   “Alright King, let me know if you see anything. I don’t know how big this thing is- or what we’re dealing with, so just—“    “ Uh, Luz?”    She was hesitant to answer, taking into consideration the fear in his voice. “…Yeah?”    “What is that? U—Up there? On the ceiling?”   “ Oh boy.” Her gaze slowly wanders up to where he was pointing, fully ready to see something very frightening.    And indeed, was it frightening with its ten or so eyes, lumpy, misshapen body and slimy exo-coat. No wonder there was a pile of mysterious goop in the middle of the cave. Just sitting there all nasty and ominous.    Living on the Boiling Isles had given Luz her fair share of terrors, but this one was especially jarring because when she made eye contact with it, it seemed to have already had its preying gaze on Luz.   A loud, sticky sound followed it detaching itself from the rocky ceiling as it prepared to do… something. Attack probably? But whatever it was, it was happening fast — but Luz had just enough time to scoop up King into her arms and dive out of the way when it plopped on the ground, sending a loud echo through the caverns.    Alright Luz, you prepared for this one. Just kill it, collect evidence in that weird bottle thing they gave you back in Bonesborough, get out of this cave, and prove to Eda that you’re helpful.    Simple.    King quivered, his eyes shut tight while he clung to the human. Somehow, Luz quickly recovers from her fall and she’s up again, just like that. She was in that mode she always went in when it was combat time. Fierce, unafraid, and unyielding once her objective was clear. Telling her anything would be like talking to a wall when she was like this, so King just closed his eyes and wished desperately that he wasn’t here when he could feel Luz running straight toward it.    Following that, he heard the casting of an ice glyph. He felt them pass through something and felt the rumbling of her grunts as she summoned several plant magic glyphs. The unraveling of the vines was loud, but whatever she was doing must’ve worked, because that distressed sound that came from their enemy sounded perfectly in their favor.   “ What?! HE’S GROWING?” She bellowed frustratedly, panting as she caught her breath. At that, King’s eyes flew open, and absolutely, it had grown.    Luz’s endeavor to regain her oxygen flow was concerningly brief. Right away, she was back at it — but even more aggressive this time. King felt himself being thrown around as Luz whipped around, throwing glyphs left and right at a chimerical speed. “ Why won’t you die?!”    “ Luz, c—calm down!” King pleaded fearfully, his eyes clamped again. The thought of being back at the Owl House with Hooty as his only company suddenly didn’t sound so bad at all. He wished he was there right now. He wished he wasn’t here.    “ You should listen to your pet more often,  human.”    It was that dumb voice again. Didn’t she tell him that she didn’t need help?   Luz’s head whipped toward the direction of the voice after she landed on her belly from diving out of the way from the ravaging creature again. By now, Luz had used up every bit of her energy. Getting up from this wasn’t going to be as brisk as all the other times, which was a shame because the Gloppomogus was getting really really close with its mouth open.   This was the end, she guessed. She wished she could tell Eda that she was sorry. She wished she could tell her mom that she loved her. Or talk to Amity, Gus and Willow one last time.    She squeezes her eyes tightly and prepares for the worst.   At least… These were her thoughts before the Golden Guard put himself in the rapidly closing distance between the fallen girl and the slimy bastard, of course.   Luz couldn’t see much from behind him, but her eyes were unfortunately open when the blinding light that came from his staff filled the space before the Gloppomogus began to swell. It grew and grew and grew right before it was enveloped in a swirling storm of magic that Luz hadn’t seen in all her time on the Boiling Isles. It was magnificent. A captivating light show that she couldn’t take her eyes off of.    He turns his head back to her slightly, pulling his mask aside just a tad, revealing a boastful, red eye. He shot her a blink-and-you-miss-it wink, right before Gloppomogus combusts into a big, slimy mess. Luckily though, the Guard had protected them last minute with one of those force fields that Eda always used when it rained.    After a silence and a half, Luz opens her eyes again. She can feel King clinging tightly around her neck. Slowly, she shifts to sit and stares at her savior with wonder. “ Thanks .” Is all she can come up with.   “ Eh . I mean, I know you didn’t need me to help you in the first place, but I just thought I’d pop in and see how bad you were doing.” He says for a laugh, extending his staff out to pull her up.    The human girl is still trying to process everything, but maybe it was better not to dwell. “Alright, alright. I definitely needed your help. I was… stupid for thinking I could do this on my own.”   He crosses his arms. “I gotta give it to ya. That determination of yours is quite captivating.”   And despite everything, Luz convinced herself that the warmth creeping up on her cheeks is because she’s had it with this guy. That’s all. But in the grander scheme of things, Gloppomogus was dead. She opened the lid on the container and scoops up some of the goo. A few of his eyes too, just in case .    Closing it up, she tucks it under her arm and collects herself after everything.    “We should get going.”    “Yeah, you probably should. If Gloppy was too much for you, then the night critters that roam these parts are a different story. Good luck out there, human.”   Luz froze, suddenly growing fearful of what was waiting for when they got out of the cave. She was all out of glyphs, and there was little she could do with the Owl Staff.    “ See ya,” The Golden Guard bid his farewell rather teasingly as he mounted his staff. At a cruising pace, he was on his way past when the flight came to an abrupt stop.   Luz had grabbed it with no remorse, smiling at him apologetically. “ Room for one more?”   “Two more!” King corrected.      After about twenty minutes, they had finally made it out alive. Luz had never been so grateful to see grass in her life.    Either way, the hard part was done. And now, she could prove to Eda that she wasn’t just some freeloader !    King was fast asleep on her shoulder and she listened to his soft snores as she gazed down at the forest that grew more and more distant as they flew away.    His staff is much faster than Eda’s, Luz notes inwardly as she snuggled into the shoulder blades of a boy whose face she’s never even seen. Or learned the name of.   But that’s what was fun about it, right? Luz loved a good mystery, and this was no exception. Besides, what harm would it cause if she was starting to trust him? Surely it wouldn’t interfere with her endeavor to find a way home.    Right?   Right?  

Not Rated

It was the first day of school at Hexside Academy, and Amity Blight sighed happily as she walked into the school's front pavilion, watching the various multi-formed students mill about in the pre-class shuffle. After the very turbulent year she'd just gone through -- strangers from another world, shuffling of the social order, rebellions, emotional goodbyes that proved to be temporary, etc. -- it was nice to get back to something normal again, even if she herself was a very different person now than she was a year ago, and not just that she was letting the dye grow out of her hair, leaving it about 20% brunette to 80% mint green. "Hey, Hot Stuff!" said the upside-down face that suddenly appeared in front of her face. Case in point... "Hey, Luz," Amity responded, a small blush dusting her cheeks as she looked up. As she suspected, Luz was hanging upside-down off of Eda's staff, hovering just right to put the two face-to-face. Luz gave Amity a quick kiss on the cheek, causing her smile to widen and a quick flush of pleasure to redden her face just a little bit further before swinging off the staff and landing cleanly on her feet. She waved the staff off as it flew away. "Thanks for the ride, Owlbert. Give Eda my love." Luz turned her full attention to Amity. "Sooo," she said, a playful smirk on her face. "How's the most beautiful girl in Hexside today?" Amity smirked. Luz wasn't the only one who could press buttons anymore. "Oh, I don't know, Batata, how are you this morning?" Luz's eyes widened ever so briefly as a very satisfying dusting of pink appeared on her cheeks. Then she snorted before releasing a hearty laugh. "Ohohoo, Cramity! Lookit you, hitting me with a Reverse Card. When'd you get so smooth, Blight?" Amity started walking as she gave a playful 'Hmph.' "I've always been smooth, Noceda." Luz hopped in front of Amity, walking backwards so she could lean forward and look her in the eye (not for the first time Amity cursed the surprise growth spurt her girlfriend went through over the summer while she stayed practically the same height.) The look on her face was obviously trying for sly, but missed by just enough to be absolutely adorable (and how unfair was it that she'd grown to be simultaneously cute and hot?) "That's not how I remember it," Luz teased. "Oh?" Amity responded with a raised eyebrow. "And how can you remember what you never noticed?" At this Luz actually got a little defensive, twirling a finger around one of the long sidelocks she'd grown out from her otherwise short hair. "I noticed! Sometimes. Sort of. Maybe. Yop!" This was the moment the Universe apparently noticed that Luz Noceda was walking backwards and caused the inevitable to happen -- Luz tripped, fell backwards and landed on her back. Amity chuckled and walked over her prone form. "Ami? ¿Querida? Little help?" Amity continued walking another two steps. "Amity!" There was a definite whine in her voice. Amity decided to show mercy and turned around to stand above the heap that was Luz. "You're ridiculous," Amity said as she casually drew a magic circle in the air.  As she was levitated off the ground, Luz tried for that sly look again. "You know you love me." As she placed Luz on her feet, facing right-way-forward, Amity playfully rolled her eyes. "Yes, I do," she admitted. "Though the reason why is a mystery that haunts my nights." Luz squealed as she clung to Amity's arm. "So you do think about me!" Luz waggled her eyebrows. Amity tried to keep a straight face, come up with a witty reply, anything, but Luz had finally won this one. She laughed.  A voice interrupted them from the direction of the school's front entrance. "Hey! You two done flirting yet? We wanna hang out a bit before class too!" The two girls looked up to see Gus waving at them with a big smile on his face, Willow standing behind him, leaning against the door frame. "Flirt?" Luz took on a very fake affronted tone, even as she gripped Amity's hand, fingers intertwined. "We do not flirt. We banter. There's a difference." Willow couldn't help but chuckle. "You two absolutely do flirt. All. The. Time. It's adorable, really. But still, do you think you can put it on pause for just a few minutes?" Amity whistled appreciatively as they came even to the other two. "That was a surprisingly biting comeback there, Willow. Where'd you pick that up?" Willow smiled sweetly even as the snark continued. "It's just a little thing you pick up being friends with you two." Even after all these months, Amity couldn't help but feel a small flutter in heart at being included as one of Willow's friends. "I love the new hairstyle," she said. "Any reason in particular?" Willow blushed a little as she ran a hand self-consciously through her shortened and straightened hair. "No reason. Just... wanted to try something new." "Well it looks good," Luz agreed, her free hand raised. "Up top!" She made one of her weird/cute squeaking sounds as Willow returned the high-five. Amity lost herself in the next couple of minutes of small talk. Gus was going on about some new aspect of his Illusions, Luz was still absolutely going to Study Everything, and Willow was quietly listening to them both ramble. This was... nice. Very nice, actually. In all actuality, her life was still a bit of a complicated mess. Her parents were still The Blights, her teacher Lilith was still a wanted criminal along with Luz's... whatever-Eda-was to her, and she and Luz still had enemies out there on the Isles who would have liked nothing more than kill the lot of them and make sure the Emperor's Coven would rise above the "setbacks" they'd inflicted on it over the summer. But here she was, with the best girlfriend in the world, and friends who actually liked her rather than were assigned to her. Whatever the future held, she knew she could face it. Her thoughts were interrupted when the bell shrieked. "Ah! School time!" Luz squealed and began running off. "Luz!" Amity called back. "Your first class is Potions on Mondays!" Luz skidded to a stop then ran in the opposite direction. "Thanks Ami! Love you. ¡Nos vemos chikas!" "Hey!" Gus called back. "I'm not a chika!" Luz blew a playful raspberry as she ran around the corner. Amity rolled her eyes with a smile. "That girl is exhausting." "I bet," Willow said, a much better attempt at sly on her face than Luz could do. "Oh, get your mind out of the gutter." The school day was freshly underway, so there was no one outside to see the group of three Coven guards meet up just outside of the grounds. The colors of their robes and the beaked masks showed that they belonged to the Emperor's Coven. The Squad Leader turned to her two subordinates. "You know your roles in this mission, correct?" The other two nodded. "Then let us begin." The Squad Leader made a magic circle one foot in diameter and the three Coven members vanished from sight. ~*~ The Squad Member moved unseen through the halls, heading straight for the Abominations classroom. His target was one Amity Blight. Privately, he was rather surprised if he were honest, even if the orders were to take her alive. Bearing the name Blight should have made her off limits by default. That said, Amity Blight had been directly involved in many of the events that led to the Emperor's Coven being as weakened as it currently was, so either she was likely near-disowned as a result, or Emperor Belos had decided her removal was worth more than the trouble the Blights would cause.  The Squad Member snuck into the room, the invisibility spell and his skills keeping him unseen and unheard. Blight herself was there, in the front of the class, nose buried in her notebook as her pencil never stopped. The Abomination Teacher was lecturing in the front of the room, dangling in the arms of his personal Abomination, just as the Squad Member remembered from his days here. The Squad Member situated himself in a back corner of the room, planning on a snatch-and-grab as class ended. When the bell shrieked, the Squad Member was surprised when the teacher pointed to the Blight girl. "A moment of your time, if you please, Miss Blight." "Of course," she agreed. Once the last classmate exited the room, the Blight kid folded her arms with an almost put-upon expression. "With all respect, I was already prepared to take care of him." ...Wait, what? The teacher chuckled at that. "And I have no doubts as to your ability to do so," Here the teacher looked the Squad Member right in the eye. "But as long as you are on these grounds, you shouldn't need to." The teacher drew a quick magic circle, and the Squad Member heard a very unnerving sound from behind him. He turned and the last thing he saw was an Abomination coming out of the wall, grasping at him, its maw a wide open black void. ~*~ Luz groaned as the potion she tried to mix turned orange and bubbled out of the flask when it was supposed to turn purple and stop boiling. She rubbed at her temple. She did want to learn potions, really. Both as part of her Study Everything plan, as well as to help out Eda and Lilith with their business. The problem was potion making was way too much like chemistry class back home, which she just wasn't any good at. "Having trouble, Miss Noceda?" the teacher suddenly asked from behind, causing Luz to almost hop out of her chair with a sound somewhat like "abababada." She looked up at the teacher looming over her, grinning guiltily. "Oh, sorry. I'm trying, really. This stuff's just... hard." "Hmm," the teacher said, a finger scratching her chin. "Maybe a demonstration will help inspire you?" Before Luz could even say anything, the teacher made the mess that was Luz's attempted potion disappear and placed a purple bottle on Luz's desk and popped the cork. Smoke began rising from the bottle as one would expect... for a moment. Then the smoke launched itself toward one of the ceiling corners as if it were a viper. The smoke wrapped itself around the Coven member who thought he was hiding up there and dragged him down to the teacher, who casually opened up one of the classroom windows. "Well, off to the Principal with you." "Are you kidding me?" the Coven member cried before the smoke actually started dragging him outside. "You're not kidding. No. Noooooooo!" And away he went. This being a class attended by Luz Noceda, none of the other students even spared a look at the sudden drama. Luz smiled brightly. "Okay. That was pretty cool." ~*~ The Squad Leader was a bit nervous. She hadn't heard back from the other two yet. Which, given that lunch was about to start in two minutes, probably meant that they had failed. Great. That meant she was going to have to make the risky move to snatch-and-grab both kids in the middle of the lunch rush. Honestly, if the Emperor hadn't given her such a strict time limit, she'd abandon the plan for now, maybe give it a try as school was ending, but here she was. On the one hand, there were a lot of possible witnesses, on the other, at least there would be a big enough crowd that confusion would be easy enough to generate.  The bell shrieked, and before long the cafeteria began flooding with students. It didn't take long for the targets to walk into view, both at the same time, hands linked. Good, they were effectively one target. She now just needed to... CLANG! The Squad Leader fell bonelessly to the ground, as the cafeteria cook behind her took a wistful look at his now-dented-and-ruined frying pan, then just grabbed her by a leg and dragged her out. ~*~ A smell not unlike a very strong cigar was what woke to Squad Leader up. She groggily opened her eyes, then immediately regretted it. Her head felt like it was splitting open. Actually, it might well have been doing just that, this was the Boiling Isles, after all. She'd have to get that looked at. She was bound to a chair. That was the first thing she noticed. She turned to her left, and found one of her squad members tied to a chair, smoke rising from his robes. Ah, that was the smell then. To her right was the other squaddie, covered head to foot in grey goo. Finally she took in her actual surroundings. She woke immediately, fear taking her heart in a way it hadn't since she was a teen. She was in Principal Bump's office. She was in Principal Bump's office! "Ah, you're awake. Good." The man himself was just entering the office, what little of his face could be seen twisted into a smile that still radiated disappointment. "I was hoping Belos wouldn't have stooped to this. I guess I underestimated him." Despite the three of them keeping their mouths shut to prevent the old man from possibly discerning their identities, they still somehow conveyed their shock at what Bump and just said -- both what he said about the Emperor and his blatant refusal to use his proper title. His smile now was conveying wordlessly that, yes, he said what he meant and that they were welcome to call him out on it. None of them did. "Now, I don't blame the three of you for today," Bump continued. "You're just following orders. That is something I do understand. So. Just this once, I'm not going to punish you three directly. However, that courtesy will only be extended just. This. Once. The staff have been informed they will no longer be required, or even encouraged, to be gentile with any further trespassers. Is that understood?" The three Coven members nodded. "Excellent. Now, remind Belos for me. The school is neutral ground. I gave my personal word that the Clawthornes and their family have safe passage on these grounds. If anyone were to make a liar out of me, I would be most displeased. Understood?" They nodded again. "Good!" He said, good humor returning to his voice. "Off you go." A quick spell circle later and his office was empty of company. Or so it seemed. Bump sighed as he looked at a shadow in the corner of his room. "Looks like you were right. He's gotten more aggressive." From the shadow stepped former Coven Head Lilith Clawthorne. "You really should not be surprised. With all the damage we've done to the Coven over the last few months, especially our recovery of the portal to the Human Realm, well, he would not, can not, take that lying down." She absently ran a hand through the grey streak in her hair. "It's likely a matter of principle now." "We're going to have to raise our security. Next time he'll actually send some elites." "I agree," Lilith said. "If you have any further need for my expertise, do not hesitate to contact me. I refuse to let anything happen to our girls." Bump couldn't help but smile at that. There was a fire to that statement that he would not have expected from Lilith even four months ago. Further conversation was interrupted by the sound of a scroll ringing. Though it couldn't be seen under his hood, Bump rose an amused eyebrow as Lilith rolled her eyes and answered her scroll. "Yes, Edalyn?" "Hey, Lily!" Eda's slightly rough voice sounded from the scroll. "Just calling to check in on ya!" Lilith almost chuckled. If it were anything except for Luz, her little sister would have been more than happy to wait for Lilith to return before badgering her. "He did send a squad. It was dealt with by the staff, relatively quietly. No harm to Luz, Amity, or anyone else." "Oh. Okay. Good." Eda was trying to be casual, but both Lilith and Bump could hear the relief in her voice. "We're still going on a revenge run for this, though, right?" A smile graced Lilith's face. It wasn't much, objectively speaking. Just a very small upturn of lips. But that look promised such pain to so many people that Bump couldn't help but feel a bit excited. "Oh, Edalyn. That goes without saying."  Eda whooped at that. "All right then. Get your butt back to the house. We got some glyphs to make." And the call ended.  Lilith turned back to the Principal as she withdrew a sticker with a glyph on from somewhere in her robes. "Will that be all?" she asked. He answered in the affirmative, and she nodded. Lilith stuck the sticker to left hand, then activated it with her right, and she vanished from sight. "Then by your leave." And she was gone.  Bump chuckled to himself. They finally refined that glyph to run on something other than holding their breath. The Clawthornes just kept surprising him. And it did always warm his heart seeing parents actually involved in the welfare of their children. If that involvement happened to result in some chaos and pain, then so be it. Camila Noceda dropped down on her couch with a sigh. As a veterinarian, she generally kept to a reasonably steady schedule -- compared to, say, an E.R. nurse -- but that didn't mean that long days weren't long, and she didn't get a little tired. Especially with the empty apartment she had to return to now, what with Luz over in the Demon Realm and Vee off on another Summer Camp (A normal one this time, more fun in the woods, less balancing checkbooks). She was about to turn on the television to get some relaxation time before bed (she had no trouble admitting to enjoying her very stereotypical novelas. They were both hilarious and strangely compelling), when her phone went off, notifying her of an incoming video call. Her tiredness instantly melted and a smile graced her face when she saw the I.D. of the caller. "¡Hola, Hijita!" she said when the call connected.  "¡Hola, Mamá!" Luz said as her image appeared on the screen. Camila smiled at what she saw. The phone -- or scroll, rather -- was far enough away to give a cozy, but full-body view of a smiling Luz and her girlfriend Amity, who's legs were draped over Luz's lap and her arm was draped around Luz's shoulders, presumably (though Camila did know better) to bunch up for a better visual. They were sitting at the worn, homey couch Luz always sat at during these calls, when they weren't being made from her room "Hello, Ms. Noceda," Amity said, a small but warm smile on her face.  "Amity, we've been through this," Camila chided. "It's Camila. Always Camila for you."  "Sorry, Ms. No -- ahem -- Camila." a small blush graced Amity's face as a smirking Luz ruffled the other girl's hair. "Old habits die hard, I guess."  "So what's the occasion?" Camila asked with a smile, which then dropped. "I didn't lose track again, did I? It couldn't possibly be Saturday already?"  "Nah, Mom," Luz laughed. "Still just Monday. It's just that Eda and Lilith are... out... and King just came down from a massive sugar high and passed out, so with no distractions around --" "DID SOMEBODY SAY DISTRACTIONS?" a screechy voice suddenly interrupted as a vaguely owl-like face suddenly took up the whole screen.  "Hello, Hooty," Camila said with a tired smirk, even as a small part of her started wondering when this became her life.  "HI, CAMILA!" Hooty shrieked. "WANNA HEAR ABOUT THE RARE, POSSIBLY ONE-OF-A-KIND BUG I DISCOVERED TODAY?"  "Did you eat it?"  "I ATE IT!"  "Hey, Bird Tube!" Amity's voice called, even as what once would have been a disconcerting FWOOSH noise could be heard and the lighting of the image became red tinged. "What did I say last time?"  "OKAY, OKAY, I'LL GO, I'LL GO, GEEZE..." Another FWOOSH as the red lighting got brighter for a moment. "YEOWTCH! I SAID I WAS GOING..." and then he was gone, leaving the happy couple alone to talk.  "...ahem," Luz continued, as if the interruption didn't happen. "With there being relatively few distractions, we thought we'd just call and say 'hi.'"  Camila's smile widened at that, even though she had to ask. "So, what happened?"  Luz's smile wavered considerably. Honestly, she really needed to work on her Poker face, given what Camila knew what she was getting into over there. "Happened? Nothing happened. Why would you think something happened?"  "Oye, no me mientas," Camila scolded. "You said that both Eda and Lilith were out, and I know what that usually means even if I hadn't seen the look on your face when you said it. So, come on. Out with it. What happened?"  Luz slumped, even as she tried to be casual. "Not much, really. The Emperor just sent a couple of ninja assassins to the school is all."  Amity rolled her eyes. "They weren't ninjas, Luz. I don't even know what a ninja is. They probably weren't assassins, either. I'd put my snails on kidnappers."  Luz rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Tomato, topato. They didn't really even get a chance at us, anyway. The teachers -- oh, and one of the cafeteria guys, can't forget him -- took 'em down before we could get a shot at 'em." "I still say we could've taken 'em," Amity said, a small pout on her lips. Not for the first time Camila felt a sudden urge to insist Luz return home right now, given that not only was somebody sending kidnapers / assassins after her daughter, but it was common enough for her to be so casual about it. That urge was quashed pretty quickly by the sight of Luz smiling and ruffling her girlfriend's hair again as she told her it was okay to let others take care of them sometimes. Whatever dangers the Boiling Isles presented, there was no denying Luz was living her best life over there. And besides, there was a reason Luz was so casual about it. She could take care of herself in such matters, as she'd proven many times over the last year. Not only that, but as this story proved, she was not alone, and had plenty of people to keep her safe. "So, yeah," Luz said, a lopsided smile on her face. "You know Eda. Doesn't matter nothing actually happened. The fact they even tried something put her in a full on tizzy. Soon as Lilith came back from whatever she did today, Eda dragged her into an afternoon of glyph making and then stormed out with her to teach the Coven a lesson or two. They used up all the good paper, too." Luz pouted a bit at this, more concerned with her supplies than the mayhem that was undoubtedly happening somewhere right this very moment.  Amity giggled into the back of her hand. "Oh, don't let Lilith fool you. She was just as eager, she just hides it better." She rolled her eyes and sighed. "She's gonna egg Eda on just as much as Eda does her, until..." "Boom!" Luz finished, grinning. Then the two suddenly stopped short, eyes wide, having heard something that the scroll did not pick up. They looked over their left shoulders for a moment before turning back to the call. "Literally," Luz added, her grin turned nervous. Camila admittedly felt happier than she probably should that there were people willing to take retribution in her daughter's name. "So, apart from the whole ninja thing," ("Ninjas" Amity grumbled with a smirk) "How was your first day of school?" she asked. Luz lit up and began ranting about all the cool magic theory she learned and the three or so new glyphs she had planned because of it, while Amity settled herself in for the long haul, her head resting on Luz's shoulder. In truth, Camila didn't get a word of it, but she still smiled a little sadly as she watched the sheer enthusiasm on her daughter's face. The irony was not lost on her how sending her to that camp ended up being the best thing for her, due to the fact she actually sent her to the exact opposite place. Once Luz hit the end of her monologue, Camila said, "And now you're waiting for Eda and Lilith to get back for the night." Her face turned a little wry. "So what are the two of you up to now?" Luz's ears turned a bit pink. "Oh, you know. Studying. With the books, and the learning, and the... yeah." Amity's expression also turned wry even as her ears also pinked. "Yeah. Studying books. And... other things." Luz turned completely red at this. "Ami! Not in front of my mom!" Amity cackled as Luz buried her face behind her girlfriend's shoulder. Camilla raised an eyebrow at that. "Niña, hemos tenido esta charla antes, ¿verdad?" "Si, mamá." "Puedo confiar en que no dejará que estas "otras cosas" se salgan de control, ¿verdad?" "Si, mamá." Camila nodded, satisfied at that, though there was the problem of Amity looking far too pleased with herself. Camila grinned. "So, Amity, 'other things?' What 'other things?'" Camila had never seen such a pale face go so deeply red quite that fast. "Lily, you are such an insufferable showoff!" The smile on Lilith's face could only be described as smug. "You don't like it?" Eda couldn't help but grin. "Now, I didn't say that." Leave it to Lilith to not only freeze an opponent, but to freeze him into the base of a twenty foot tall ice sculpture of a Grudgby trophy, topped with highly detailed figures of both Lilith and Eda in their old Grudgby uniforms fist-bumping each other. "It certainly does send a message." "Yes, well, that is sort of the point of tonight, isn't it?" "True," Eda said with a shrug as she tossed a handful of glyph papers into the air. A tap of Owlbert's staff to the floor caused the papers to explode into a blast of lightning bolts, which lashed out and dropped the platoon of Coven guards that were rushing the sisters, causing them to spasm for about a minute. Since the sisters never really cared about leading any sort of resistance against the Emperor and just wanted to live their lives in peace, they'd more-or-less left the Coven to its own devices once they finally got Eda's portal back from the Emperor himself, resulting in something of an unofficial truce. Sure, they were still technically wanted criminals so meeting out in the open still equaled arrest attempts and such, but that was just the way of things. They were okay with that. But then Belos went after the girls directly. So Eda and Lilith opted to raid the Conformatorium. Yeah. They had a message to send. Lilith drew a stack of glyphs that could pass for a deck of cards. "So, Edalyn, let's make this interesting." She spread the cards in a rough circle around her, then tapped the ground with her raven staff. Each glyph transformed into a miniature Abomination, each about a foot tall. "The one who frees the most prisoners wins." Eda laughed as she hopped onto Owlbert and drew a hand of glyphs, fanned out like a Hexas Hold-Em hand. "You're on, Lils!" To the figure frozen in the ice she waved. "See ya Warden!" And she was off, zipping around the "ring" of each second floor, slapping glyphs on each cell lock, which promptly exploded. The Abominations took the floors Eda didn't, jamming their arms into the locks, reforming them into proper keys and unlocking the doors manually. Lilith stayed on the ground floor, using her staff to scratch marks into the stone, between using various elemental spells to take out any guards that rushed in to apprehend the intruders. Eda's grin was wide and mischievous, bordering on Evil. The kids would not approve that she and Lily were attacking such a big target (which is why they were told the target was a much smaller Coven facility on the East side of town, with Lilith and her amazing Hexas Hold-Em face to tell them this). Both kids' voices whirred in her head. The Conformatorium!? Are you crazy? Lilith you're the responsible one, you're okay with this? What do you mean it was your idea? A likely disparaging something said in that language Luz knew. And so on. But Eda and Lilith had something to say. The Clawthorne sisters were here. The Clawthorne sisters were strong. The Clawthorne sisters' kids were off limits. As Eda cleared another ring of prisoners, she could hear Luz's voice reminding her that they weren't even close to getting hurt in school today. She told Head Luz to shut it. She could hear Amity complain that their retribution was far in excess to the actual crime. She told Head Amity to go away, it was already annoying enough dealing with Head Luz. Suddenly Lilith was at her side, riding her staff side-saddle. "Well, well," Eda said with a smirk. "Finally decided to join us, Lily?" "Indeed," Lilith said, tossing a handful of glyphs in the air. A tap to the head of her raven staff resulted in a spray of icicles, each of which unerringly hit and shattered a lock, freeing an entire floor all at once.  "Hey!" Eda complained, laughing. "That's cheating!" "I don't remember ever setting rules for the contest, Edalyn." Oh, the smug was an almost palpable thing in her smile. "Don't forget, I can play that way, too," Eda said as she tossed out a handful of her own glyphs, which, upon a tap to Owlbert's head, turned into spheres of golden light. The modified spells streaked out in a spread that disintegrated another two floor's worth of locks. You used up all the good paper. Why? How? And more to the point, why? Seriously, shut up, Head Luz. A few minutes more, and all the cells were open, a stampede of prisoners charging through the facility, mowing over any guards they come across. Eda felt no guilt or remorse. It wasn't like these were actual threats to the public. Most of 'em were here for things like writing weird fanfiction or eating disgusting things. Or just talking to the weirdos. "I think I win, by a full floor." Lilith nodded. "I concur and concede. Though in fairness, I was a bit delayed." With a smile she pointed down at the bottom floor. Eda followed her gaze. When she saw what Lilith had done, she cackled. The smug grin on Lilith's face was almost cute now. "Still think I'm an insufferable showoff?" "Yes," Eda said bluntly. "I never said it was a bad thing." ~*~ It took quite a while to actually activate that final glyph. Eda and Lilith had to fly through the whole facility several times to make sure there was no one left in the place, and they levitated out the ice sculpture the Warden was trapped in, landing several blocks away with it. The sisters each put on a pair of sunglasses (Luz had insisted sunglasses were required for moments like this. Who were they to argue?), then simultaneously tapped the ground with their staffs. The Conformatorium went up in a column of fire.  A fist bump may have been shared. ~*~ It was far too late when the sisters returned to the Owl House. Late enough that even Hooty just grumbled out a sleepy salutations when Lilith fondly pat his head. When they walked into the foyer, they stopped short. Then chuckled. Scattered throughout the room were a number of books -- mostly textbooks, but the one that was actually on the coffee table and open was Azura book seven. Sitting in the dead center of the couch, snuggled together, were Luz and Amity. Luz was somehow sitting almost straight up, but her head was lolled back and her mouth wide open. Amity was using Luz's shoulder as a headrest, a few strands of her own hair stuck to her face, thanks to the small dribble of drool. Between them, they had a firm grip on each others' hand, fingers intertwined.  The sisters shared a look, then Lilith just grabbed a blanket that was draped over one of the other chairs and went to cover them up as best as she could. The only reaction either of the kids gave was a small twitch from Luz and a mumbled "¿Cuántas tazas de azúcar se necesitan para llegar a la luna?" before she started snoring again. Lilith and Eda shared a fond eye roll before sneaking back upstairs, careful to step over that one step that creaked extra loud. Nine months ago: They had yet to kiss, and it was kind of driving Amity crazy. Naturally, it was Luz that broke that stalemate, because of course it was. It happened largely by accident, because of course it did. It was a meeting of the Top Secret Azura Book Club, in Amity's secret room at the library (Fortunately, despite teasing promises, Ed and Em did not, in fact tell anyone about either), though by this point they'd talked all the Azura that could possibly be talked until the next book came out, and both girls had finally gotten comfortable being together together without nearly passing out and becoming gibbering messes around each other. They were finally able to just do best friend stuff again, and Amity wasn't even thinking anything particularly romantic for once. Today, she was helping Luz out with her latest glyph, which amounted to her making a magic circle and letting Luz take a picture of it with her phone. "Now, don't be too surprised if you don't get it right away," Amity said, probably for the hundredth time. "Abominations are different then most magic, and your glyphs are a unique magic all by themselves. We don't know if they're compatible." Luz shot Amity a smile. That smile. The smile that still caused Amity to melt into a puddle of goo if she wasn't careful. She managed to not embarrass herself by keeping her mouth firmly shut, but she could feel the heat spread through her face. "True," Luz said. "But we don't know that they're not compatible, either."  Amity would have admitted that was fair enough, if she could trust herself to open her mouth at all just then. Luz then got to work on the new glyph, looking back and forth between her phone and the drawing, an adorable look of concentration on her face that caused Amity to stare shamelessly, a finger unconsciously tangling itself in a purple lock of hair.  After a couple of minutes, Luz seemed to be satisfied with her work. "Well, here goes nothing." She tapped the paper with her finger. To Amity's surprise the paper instantly curled up into itself, then with a splorch became an Abomination. A tiny Abomination, about six inches tall, but an Abomination nonetheless. Luz leapt to her feet, and started shouting out various nonsensical sounds -- and by this point Amity could tell when she was doing that versus saying things in that second language Luz knew. Amity's attention, for once, was not on Luz, though, but the Abomination. She placed her hand, palm up, on the table in front of the Abomination, and it almost tentatively stepped onto it. "Wow," Amity said, inspecting it. "This... this doesn't.... I mean, it isn't... Luz, this is...." Amity found herself making a heady giggle. Amity then noticed the sudden uncharacteristic silence from her girlfriend (Girlfriend! Eeee!), and she looked up, seeing Luz staring at her with a weird, blank sort of look. "What?" "I could so totally kiss you right now," Luz said without changing expression, then she gasped, obviously not having meant to actually say that. Amity dropped the Abomination. "What?" "What?" Luz parroted, her face suddenly red and her eyes darting back and forth in clear panic. A panic Amity was certainly familiar with. But then, Luz being Luz, her face screwed up into a look of determination. "No. You know what? I said it. I meant it!" Next thing Amity knew Luz was kneeling in front of her with a big, excited smile on her still red face. "Can I kiss you, Amity?" "What?" "And I don't mean, like, a cheek kiss, either. I mean a kiss kiss." ...... EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE WhatWhatWhatWhatDidIJust....? Abort! Abort! cnwoigl;yas.j,mviuluwgbilvk  It was seeing Luz's smile start to waver that caused Amity's thoughts to become coherent again, and she realized she was staring slack jawed for perhaps a bit too long. "Yes!" she barely squeaked out, before coughing and repeating herself more clearly. "Yes." Luz's smile returned, twice as bright, as she leaned in. Their first kiss was... yeah, okay, honestly it was weird and awkward and neither of them had a clue what they were doing. It was nice, though. Like, really nice. Amity could feel that last lingering bit of tension just release as she sighed through her nose. When they separated, Luz had a giddy smile on her face, that faded almost instantly. "Amity? Ami?" (Ami? Where did that come from? Luz never called her Ami before. It had a nice ring to it, though.) "Are you okay? You're crying." "What?" Amity asked, her hand brushing her own cheek to find that, yes, there were tears streaming down her face. She couldn't help but smile, though. "I'm fine, Luz. I'm just really, really happy." Ah, there was the adorable smile again, and Amity came to a decision. Luz had already made the first move, the least Amity could do was gather up her courage and properly reciprocate. She took a deep breath and said, "On go date to want?" Ha, ha. Very funny, brain. "I mean, do you want to go on a date? A real date? With me?" Luz's smile shifted. It was... softer was the only word that came to mind. She cupped Amity's face in her hands and brought her forehead to meet hers. "Oh, Ami. Of course I do." Their second kiss was only slightly less awkward than the first. It still felt nice though. ~*~ "WAKE UP KIDDIES! SQWAAAAAAAAAAAWK!" "Gwuah!" Amity cried as she fell out of the couch, tangled up in the blanket. "HOOOOOOOOTYYYYY!" "HEY, IT'S SEVEN O'CLOCK ON A SCHOOL DAY. YOU KNOW THE RULES." Amity blinked, her ire temporarily calmed. "Oh. Right." Though she'd die before saying it aloud, she was kind of glad for Hooty's wake up call. That dream had a tendency to go sour right at the last minute, the kiss morphing into another, more desperate one, framed by the light of an open portal. Amity shook her head, clearing that thought away as Hooty continued to try to wake Luz up. "LUZ. LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUZ. LUZLUZLUZLUZLUZLUZLUZLUZ." Luz barely moved. Amity was actually almost kind of impressed. Finally she responded, clearly still about 98% asleep. "Estoy dormido. Váyase."  "C'MON LUZ. TIME TO GET erk!" Luz's hand shot out and apparently managed to close around what passed for Hooty's throat. "Estoy dormido. Váyase," she repeated. Amity chuckled. Like the rest of her life, Luz's morning routine could be a little unpredictable. Though there was a slight pattern. If Luz was the one to get up on her own -- which did happen more often then not considering she was generally a doofy ball of sunshine made flesh -- she was a very happy little morning person. If waking up were someone else's idea, though... King padded down the stairs, yawning a cute little squeak of a yawn. He stopped on the bottom step, looking up at the scene before him. "Yeah, I'm not getting up into that." And he vanished into the kitchen.  Amity chuckled and plopped onto the couch next to her sleeping girlfriend. "Luz, ¿Amor?" she said, poking Luz in the cheek. "It really is time to get up. Come on. Up and at 'em." Here she pinched her cheek. Which caused Luz to jerk awake. When she saw Amity's face kind of hovering above her she smiled.  "Mornin', Ami," she said, still a little groggy.  Amity chuckled. "Good morning, Amor. Are you awake now?" At Luz's humorously thoughtful nod, Amity pointed at Hooty. "Then if you don't mind...?" When Luz saw the death grip she had on Hooty, she immediately let go with a squeal. "Omigosh, Hooty! I'm so sorry!"  "THAT WAS REALLY MEAN, LUZ."  "I was asleep, Hooty! I didn't do it on purpose, I'm really, really sorry!" And out came the puppy dog eyes.  "AW, I CAN'T STAY MAD AT YOU." And Hooty gave Luz an affectionate, if maybe a little harder than necessary, nip on the ear before withdrawing back to the front door.  Luz chuckled for a moment, rubbing her ear, before her situation came to her. "Ah! I'm late!" And she was instantly gone up the stairs. Amity chuckled as she picked up her scroll off the table to check for messages. There wasn't much she could do until Luz had finished with the bathroom anyway. Huh. Ed sent her one about three hours ago. She clicked the message. Ed: So, Mittens, what can you tell me about this? [link]  Knowing she'd regret it, Amity checked the link.  Conformatorium Destroyed by Clawthorne Sisters  .... EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE I could really use a shower, Amity thought to herself as she finished brushing her teeth. Waking up on the Owl House sofa in yesterday's clothes -- again -- and waking up too late to properly get ready when so many people shared one bathroom -- again -- was not going to leave her feeling minty fresh as Luz had sometimes put it. At least there was a clean school uniform waiting for her in Luz's room -- and wasn't that a scandalous thought, though Amity didn't care about that; she cared that it meant the Owl House family cared. Luz's muffled shouting had stopped, only having lasted a minute or two. Unsurprising, really, since the fight boiled down to Don't put yourself in danger like that. I care about you too much and Of course I'll do it again if they try something, I care about you too much. So, she was certainly unsurprised when she came down to the kitchen to find Luz sitting at the table, drawing up a number of experimental fuzed-spell glyphs as she ate, Eda resting her chin on Luz's head, with her arms loosely draped around Luz's shoulders. The basic "fight's over" position for those two. King was sitting on Luz's lap, and when he saw Amity come down the stairs, he quickly wrapped his little forearms around Luz's middle and made a sound that she supposed was supposed to be a hiss. "Go away! My Luz time!" Amity chuckled as she grabbed a bagel from the pantry and some apple blood from the fridge, and excused herself out the front door. It wasn't like she couldn't relate. The sight that greeted her outside, frankly, still astounded her, even after the last almost-a-year. Sitting on a stump not far away, in her apparent favorite "low battery" shirt, was Lilith, having what seemed to be an amiable conversation with Hooty as she practiced her own glyph drawing between sips of tea. How that friendship grew so strong was a mystery. Not that Amity was one to talk. Amity walked up to the stump, and wordlessly gave Lilith a Look, as she bit into her bagel. Lilith didn't scoff, but it was a close thing. "I do not offer any apologies for last night." "I don't need any," Amity responded, heat in her voice. "But you should offer one to Luz. Do you know how badly she'd take it if anything..." Amity sighed, finding it hard to finish that sentence. "Edalyn can take care of herself," Lilith responded with a huff. "With her current mastery of Glyph Magic, she's at least as powerful as she was before -- almost moreso in some respects due to the sheer versatility of the magic and the lack of strain it puts on the caster. And if something were to overpower us, I'd make absolutely certain she'd come home, whatever it took." The Look Amity was shooting Lilith now was less I'm mad at you and more Are you really this dense? "Wow, after all this time personally getting to know you? It still kinda boggles my mind how much of a dummy you are at some things."  "HEY!" Hooty responded in an affronted tone. "LULU IS THE SMARTEST WITCH I KNOW!" Amity gestured to the house demon as if that just proved her point, and Lilith had the gall to giggle at it. Amity hadn't reached the almost passed out there level of temper yet, but she could tell it would be a close thing. She took a deep calming breath before saying, "You do know she'd be devastated if anything happened to either of you, right? Yourself included?" This time Lilith did scoff. "Why would she care what happens to me?" Now the disbelieving look was shared by Hooty of all creatures. "LULU, I'M AFRAID I'M GONNA HAVE TO RESCIND MY PREVIOUS STATEMENT ON YOUR SMARTNESS." "What?" Lilith said, defensively. Amity pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay, look. I'm not gonna lie and say that of the two of you Eda isn't Luz's favorite. That goes without saying. But that doesn't mean she doesn't care about you in the same way I know you care about her." She looked up at a now stunned and slightly blushing Lilith, who at least knew better than to deny that last statement. "Now, it's not like she's verbalized it this way or anything, but she's totally slipped and verbalized it this way: if Eda's Mom 2, you're something like... Aunt Lilith. And if you ever say I told you that, I will squish you with the biggest, goopiest, smelliest Abomination I can possibly summon." Lilith looked doubtfully at her still-sometimes apprentice. "You'll have to forgive me for finding that hard to believe. I mean, I know we live in the same household, and Luz has been very patient and cooperative when it comes to teaching me Glyph Magic and everything else, but... I mean, all that could only be for Edalyn's sake, couldn't it? After the way we started..." At that Amity could only laugh. "That's the thing about Luz, Lilith. She isn't like most of the other witches here, myself included." She shot Lilith another Look, one that clarified how lucky Lilith was that Amity's leg was broken when she nearly got Luz and Eda killed last year. "She forgives things abnormally readily. It's not like we started on the best of terms, either. The only person in the world I know for a fact she despises is Emperor Belos, and even that's more because of what he's done to you two rather than to her. I mean, I think she'll even find a way to get along with the Golden Guard after she lights him on fire once." Amity ran a hand through her hair as she chuckled at that thought, then startled when she heard the front door open. "Just... apologize to her, okay?" And with that she turned her attention to the still-annoyingly-tall human leaving the house. "Hey, Ami!" Luz said, twirling Owlbert's staff once she cleared the door. "Sorry I took so long. King got really clingy. That was it. Nothing sappy or sentimental between me and Eda at all." She smirked and waggled her eyebrows, eliciting a chuckle from Lilith. Luz got the staff in flying position. "Well, hop on!" And Amity did so, forgoing side-saddle to get as much grip on Luz as possible.  Before they took off, Lilith called out, "Uh, Luz, before you go..." She sighed. This was obviously not something that came natural to her. "I cannot promise that nothing like last night will ever happen again, but I do apologize if I worried you." The look on Luz's face was, in Lilith's opinion, dazzling. No wonder she was just as eager as her sister to smite anyone who could possibly try to hurt her. "Aw, thanks Lilith. I know better than to say 'don't do it again,' but... don't do it again." And with that she was off, spiraling through the air an a rapid series of what she called 'barrel rolls,' Amity's voice shrieking Luz's name as they disappeared over the horizon. Lilith chuckled as she turned her attention back to her friend. "I don't think I'll ever understand why Amity keeps letting Luz fly. She knows what will happen when she does." "OH, I DON'T THINK IT'S THAT HARD TO UNDERSTAND," Hooty responded. "I MEAN, IT'S JUST BASIC MATH. LIKE 2 PLUS 2 EQUALS STAG BEETLE." "Oh?" Lilith said with a smirk. "Enlighten me, Hootsifer." "WELL, IT'S THE SAME REASON SHE CAME OUT TO CHEW YOU OUT ISN'T IT? AMITY IS HAPPY WHEN LUZ IS HAPPY. MESSING WITH AMITY IS SOMETHING THAT MAKES LUZ HAPPY. SO 2 PLUS 2 EQUALS AMITY LETTING LUZ MESS WITH HER, SO BOTH ARE HAPPY." Lilith rose an eyebrow in appreciation. "You know, Hooty. Sometimes, every once in a while, you are actually really quite smart." "THANKS, LULU! YOU'RE LIKE THE ONLY ONE WHO SAYS THAT ABOUT ME AND I DON'T KNOW WH--IS THAT A BUMBLEFLY?" "Luz! If you wanted me to hold on tighter, you only had to say so!" Luz laughed as she evened out her flight path. "Oh, come on, Ami, where's the fun in that?" Amity just grumbled something under her breath, but she did snuggle into Luz's back, so Luz considered that a win. They spent the next minute or two in comfortable silence, Luz gazing out over the utterly unique view of the Boiling Isles before Luz spoke up again. "Amity? Thank you." "Hm?" Amity had not nearly dozed off on a staff flight and there was no proof otherwise. "You know, for talking to Lilith?" Luz was weirdly awkward. "Me and Eda have been trying to convince her for forever that I don't, in fact, hate her -- anymore -- and... I think you might've actually cracked the rough and tough outer shell, just a little. So... thanks." A single huff of laughter escaped Amity's lips. "I have no idea what you're talking about." Luz chuckled herself. "Oh, por supuesto que no. The great and powerful Amity Blight wouldn't be caught dead doing something nice for her own girlfriend." Amity giggled even as she tightened her grip around Luz's waist. "Nope," she agreed. "Never ever." Luz was quiet again for another minute before a thought came to her. "You didn't tell her about that time I accidentally called her 'Aunt Lilith' did you?" "Now what kind of girlfriend would I be if I did that?" Amity's voice was far too innocent sounding. "Oh, I dunno," Luz responded. "The kind that takes great pleasure tormenting me in front of my moms and other parental figures?" "It's not my fault they're literally the only people you actually get embarrassed for. I have to get in my licks where I can." "Hmm..." Luz seemed thoughtful for a moment, before she did another surprise barrel roll, causing Amity to shriek in surprise. "Hang on tight," Luz said with a grin. "What do I even see in you?" Amity said once her voice stopped shaking enough to be understood. "Oh, just a little thing called the Luz Noceda charm." There absolutely would have been finger guns if both Luz's hands were not busy with driving at the moment.  "Well, aren't you two cute?" a sudden unexpected voice said, which startled Luz into veering off course for a moment. "Rotting my teeth and clogging my arteries all at the same time." The pair glared at the newcomer, who was, and there was no other word for it, lounging on his odd one-winged artificial palisman staff. "Hey, String Bean. Hey, Shorty." Despite his near featureless golden mask, the snide smirk was easy to imagine. "What are you doing here?" Luz asked, annoyed. "What?" the Golden Guard said defensively. "I can't just pop in and say 'hi' to my favorite arch foes?" "NO!" both Luz and Amity shouted. "Okay, okay," he muttered, lowering his hood and running a hand through his slightly outgrown white hair. "Look, it's probably what you expect. The Emperor is not happy about last night's... performance... by the Owl Lady and Lilith. I mean, he is really mad. I think I actually saw his mask go red from the heat." Luz harrumphed. "Well then, he shouldn't have sent ninjas to the school to kidnap and / or assassinate us." The Guard laughed at that. "Oh, don't I know it. Except for the ninja thing. What even is that? I'm just glad I was stopping an out-of-town uprising when it all went down." And if he specifically found an out-of-town job the instant the rumors hit him on the Emperor's plan, that was no one's business but his own. "But now I've been assigned." He said the last word almost as a sigh, like he couldn't believe he had do deal with all this. "So, what, you're going to attack us at school now?" Amity asked. The Guard laughed even harder than before. "Are you kidding; and mess with Bump the Grump? No thanks." "So..." Luz didn't like where this was going. "You're going to attack us on the way to school then?" The Guard rolled his head in a way that made it clear that he was rolling his eyes and he wanted them to see. "If that was the plan, do you think I would've announced myself so brazenly? Naw, I would've launched an ambush, shot you down before you even knew what hit you. It would have been easy." The sudden, evil sounding reverberation in his voice made both Luz and Amity tense. "But!" he said, his voice back to normal again. "When I look at you two, I don't see a pair of subversive super-criminals. All I see is a couple of cute girls going to school and making googly eyes at each other. And yes, you absolutely do make googly eyes at each other. It'd be cute except that you do it in the middle of a life-or-death battle. Seriously, guys, time and place. And as long as that remains all I see when I see you two, you'll get no trouble from me." Luz rolled her eyes. "But all bets are off as soon as we step out of line, right?" The Golden Guard clicked his tongue and shot a pair of finger guns at Luz. "You got it. And of course, Eda and Lilith are arrest-on-sight. I mean, they destroyed a major Coven outpost and left an ice sculpture of themselves behind (Luz had to chuckle here. "Showoff," she muttered). Oh," he turned his attention to Amity now. "And I'm not gonna be the only thing you have to worry about. The Emperor has decided to... ah, hire out." "You're cryptically hinting that the Emperor is buying weapons from my parents, aren't you?" she grumbled deadpan. "I am cryptically hinting that the Emperor is buying weapons from your parents," he said, with far too much cheer. "You get a gold star." He ignored the glare Amity was shooting him here. He started counting on his fingers. "Hmmm... ominous threats, vague inferences... I think that's everything I came for. Byeeeeeeeeee." And with a red flash, he was gone. "What is his deal?" Amity asked rhetorically. "I do not know," Luz replied, annoyed. "What a buzzkill." Suddenly the Guard was back, standing on his staff and taking a mocking bow. "Thank you, thank you. I try." "I will light your cloak on fire!" Luz practically shrieked. Amity couldn't help but chuckle at that. Lilith probably assumed she was speaking metaphorically when she brought that up earlier. She was not. "... Fair enough," the Guard said, almost meekly, before vanishing again. The first time Emperor Belos had met Luz Noceda face-to-face led to his first setback in a long time. (Defeat. It was a defeat) ... It was a defeat. No matter what he claimed to either himself or the Coven. It was an easy defeat to cover up, despite the fact that the whole of the Isles was watching, as it was the most aggravating sort of defeat; the sort where the contest itself was won soundly, yet somehow, somehow, all the objectives slipped through his fingers. (Even then, it's not like you escaped the combat uninjured, did you? How close were you losing an eye, hmm?) When all was said and done, Eda Clawthorne had escaped petrification, Lilith Clawthorne turned her back on the Coven and escaped with her sister, and most importantly, the portal had been destroyed, and the Emperor did not yet realize it could possibly be rebuilt. It was infuriating. And yet... The Emperor could not help but be impressed.  This girl, this human girl, with naught but a handful of offensive spells that she couldn't even cast with her own power, challenged the Emperor of all the Boiling Isles to combat and came out the other end with a battle trophy, this despite the Emperor having soundly defeated the considerably more impressive Clawthorne sisters. This girl, a young girl with a world, a home, and a family waiting for her to return, had the determination to destroy the only known way home, just to keep the portal out of his hands, and had the foresight to not bring the key with her, just in case. This girl, with a known penchant for poor judgement and harebrained schemes, showed the charisma and wisdom necessary to force Lilith Clawthorne into admitting to mistakes she'd been hiding from for decades and bring her to her side. There was a very important takeaway to be had from all this. Luz Noceda was dangerous. (And doesn't that just stick in your craw, as she is a human child.) Her power and skill certainly improved over time, but that was not where her danger truly lay, she never matched him in that department. (How, then, do you explain your current state?) No, it was her ability to break down barriers and connect unexpectedly with others that made her a threat. In a matter of days, she toppled the single-track system of Hexside Academy that the Emperor had gone through great lengths to enforce, and Principal Bump declared the school a neutral, safe place for all who attended. Eda Clawthorne, cursed Wild Witch, wanted by the Emperor's Coven and a near loner by pure necessity, took her in as an apprentice within a day, leading to a never ending source of setbacks, defeats, and headaches. Lilith Clawthorne, who had spent literal decades in conflict with her sister, turning a blind eye to her own contributions to the feud, was brought back into the family thanks to the girl, bringing her knowledge and education to the fledgling rebellion. Everywhere that girl went it seemed she gained allies that by all rights she should never have been able to even speak to civilly. In particular, Amity Blight. (Another teenager. Such majesty and power you must wield to gain such exemplary archenemies.) The loyalty the Noceda girl received from Amity Blight was, frankly, preposterous. Amity Blight was, for some reason, so loyal to the Noceda girl that she deliberately and in front of all defied the will of her mother, the effective head of the storied Blight Clan. Amity Blight made it clear that a random human girl was more important to her than the family name and reputation. And that ended up being the last straw that led to his current state. (Again, teenagers.) The Emperor could still picture it, easy as if it were yesterday. Eda and Noceda were double teaming him in combat, using a wide enough variety of glyphs with enough skill that Eda almost might as well have not lost her magic at all. A double attack by a vine and an Abomination knocked him a few steps back, and that was where it all went wrong. Belos instantly felt all his strength leave him, dropping him to his knees. Of course, he'd been knocked back into a large glyph symbol, one he did not recognize. Looking behind, he saw that it was the Blight girl who was tapping the glyph with one hand, the other maintaining a proper spell circle. Lilith was behind her, that infuriatingly smug smile on her face. The human spoke. "My glyph magic, Lilith's research, Amity's magic power, and Eda's pure bullheaded stubbornness. You never stood a chance." The Clawthorne witch smirked and ruffled her hair. "Flattery isn't gonna keep you from being grounded for this mess, kiddo." Belos fell forward, still trying to process what was happening. "Once, after living with Eda -- and later, Lilth -- for a while, I thought that I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy," the human said, a blank look on her face that conveyed a deceptively strong suite of emotions. "Then you just had to threaten my family. Both of my families." Belos was certain that despite her words, he saw regret flicker across her face before it hardened. "You deserve this." That was where it clicked. Cursed! As the four of them turned to leave, Noceda pausing only to pick up the re-folded portal, Emperor Belos could only laugh. (And here you now are, barely able to walk down the hall without getting winded, your magic either gone or sealed, and a voice in your head to keep you company. Your Coven is just barely keeping hold of the Isles, uprisings everywhere, and you're left relying on the Golden Guard to be your mouthpiece.) The Emperor ignored the mocking voice in his head as he collapsed onto a chair. It was a different curse than the one cast upon Eda Clawthorne. A better researched one, with no potentially dangerous transmorphic side effects. They just stole his magic away was all. Again, infuriating. The Noceda girl had vanished shortly after that, apparently going home, finally. Leaving the Emperor more-or-less at square one. With her gone, it was basically just him and the Clawthornes again. That he could deal with. He was nothing if not a patient man. It was only a matter of time before he regained his power, regained the portal, and could restart his plans. Then Noceda returned. (I'm beginning to get concerned over your obsession with a teenager.) And now there was this week's situation. There was no way he could afford not to respond to the loss of the Conformatorium. (And, really, what did you expect? It's not like you don't know how overprotective those two have become.) Well, then. It was time to respond. The King of Luz's Heart. That's what she called him back then, on what probably was still the hardest day of his life, when he learned about the truth about himself. Well, the important part, anyway; that he was not, in fact the King of Demons he once thought he was. She allowed him to keep his name and his dignity with a definition that, if he was truly honest with himself, meant far more than what he previously thought it was. He was already putty in her hands -- not that he ever admitted it -- but that was enough to earn his undying loyalty for all time. Now, though, he wasn't entirely sure if that was still the case. Now the Cupcake Crusher had taken up residence. "Wow, you are just mopin' up a storm, aintcha?"  King leapt into the air from where he was looking out the window, he arms and legs flapping around aimlessly before he landed basically on his own face. He turned to glare at Eda. "The great King of Luz's Heart does not mope!" Eda smirked as she crouched down to get closer to his level. "Are you certain you're not jealous of a certain green haired witch girl?" King sputtered. "W-w-w-why would you even think that?" Eda chuckled. "You only go full on third-person complete 'King-of-Luz's-Heart' royal title mode when Luz's really on your mind." King harrumphed and turned back to the window. "Yeah, well... non'yer business." Eda's face softened a little before she grabbed King with one hand and went back to the couch. "YOU DARE MANHANDLE ME? PREPARE TO SUFFER MY WRA...eh?" King's rant interrupted itself when Eda placed him on her lap and began running her fingers through the fur on his back. Eda's smile was more sincere than it normally was. "Hey, c'mon King. I'm not the best at this mushy stuff, but you are family. Always have been. You can talk to me." King stubbornly stayed silent for a minute or so, but finally sighed. "It's not just the Cupcake Crusher," he admitted, even as Eda chuckled at his stubborn insistence on calling Amity such things. "I know Luz; just 'cuz she loves that girl doesn't mean she doesn't love me. She's got plenty of the stuff to go around. I know that, but..." Eda was intrigued; King powered himself through the talk she was already prepared to have with him. "But...?" King looked up at Eda, and deep, deep down she had to admit that the look on his face tugged at her heart in a way she hadn't had to deal with in a long time. "It's just... I mean... okay, look suddenly one day she just popped right on into our lives, right? And she just sort of... became one of us. Then one day, she left. Then she came back. And she says it's for good, she's a Boiling Isles kinda girl and all that, and I believe her. She doesn't lie. Not about stuff like this. But... ah!" King pawed at his face for a moment in frustration. "It's stupid. It's dumb. Not even worth talking about." Eda's expression was pensive. "Try me." King looked away, mumbling to himself. Then said, loud enough to be understood, "Whenever she goes out, to school, on a date, her once-a-month visits to the Human Realm to see her mom and stock up on human foods, well, I..." He trailed off, still unwilling to finish the thought. Eda knew where he was going with that, and the smile came back, maybe just a little sadness to it. "You're scared she'll leave again." It wasn't a question. King immediately turned to face Eda again. "I'm not scared! I'm not scared about anything!" He couldn't take holding her gaze very long and amended, "...Except that. Yeah. I'm scared of that." Eda chuckled a little as she continued to pet King. "Well, I got a secret for ya." She leaned down, all secretive and conspiratorial, and she instantly had King's undivided attention. "Deep down? I'm scared of the same thing." King's eyes widened. "Wha...?" But Eda just laughed as she straightened back up again. "But I don't really think we have much to worry about there. You know what Cam said about when Luz went back? "Wait, Cam?" King said, confused. "Yeah. You know, Luz's mom? I talk with her a time or two a week -- something about the responsible adults coordinating on the kid's life or something." "Cam?" King asked again, his eyes narrowing in that way that showed he was smiling. Eda looked genuinely confused. "What? I give people nicknames. You know this. I don't see why it's a big..." She stopped, suddenly realizing who she was starting to sound like, then laughed. "Oh, I see where your little demon brain is going with that. Well I hate to burst your bubble but Cam doesn't even swing that way and I got Raine, remember?" She couldn't help but give King a noogie here. "You do know two people can just be friends, right?" "It's not my fault!" King cried under the playful punishment. "Because A) Raine's been off with their little resistance movement so long, I forget they exist ("It's been, like, two and a half weeks," Eda muttered.) and B) you can only listen to Luz's shipping stories for so long before you start seeing it everywhere. Especially since her life basically is one and she still doesn't realize it, even after picking up a girlfriend." Eda cackled at this and let King go, returning to the previous petting. "Yeah, okay, fair enough. Now where was I...?" It took a moment to reconnect her train of thought. "Oh right, what Cam actually said." Here Eda picked King up to look at him in the eye. "Did you know, when Luz went home, she could only ever talk about us?" King's eyes widened. "Really?" Eda chuckled. "Well you know, not just us. Willow, Gus, Amity, all of us. But it was apparently all she talked about. Like, she apparently couldn't shut up about us." Her demeanor dropped a little as she placed King back on her lap. "And then there was school." She sighed a little here. That got King's attention. As far as he ever saw, school was one of the things Luz cherished. "What about school?" Eda chuckled sadly as she apparently read King's mind. "It's different for her there than here. The subjects are all things she doesn't care for or can't wrap her head around. Even the stuff she'd like, like creative writing and stuff, just... well from what Luz and Cam said, the class didn't exactly live up to its name. And she's a strange, weird, and wild kid. Which is what we love about her, sure, but over there..." Eda sighed. "Let's just say that Luz absolutely meant it when she said she was a Boiling Isles girl. She can see it, I can see it. Even Cam can see it, even if this place scares her to death. So, even though things change, even when she does get homesick sometimes, even when she leaves for a quick visit... well, I know she's always gonna come back. She's home here." King actually felt a bit conflicted. On the one hand, he was filled with relief that his fears were unfounded, that Luz was here to stay. On the other, there was a weird spike of anger he felt towards those people in the Human Realm who couldn't see how amazing his... his... his person was. He was going to allow her extra snuggle time without complaint tonight. The moment was interrupted when the door swung open, and Hooty dragged in an angry and contrary Lilith. "Hootsifer, stop! I'm not a child! I can fight too!" When Hooty dropped her, he said, "I KNOW YOU CAN, LULU. IT'S NOT ABOUT THAT. IT'S ABOUT ME DOING MY JOB AND KEEPING YOU ALL SAFE." Then he was gone and door slammed shut. This was followed by the very distinct sounds of Hooty's particular brand of violence when serious intruders were on the property. "Lily, what's going on?" Eda asked as she grabbed a pair of binoculars to check the scene. "Coven attack. Big one. I estimate three times more troops than I was ever allowed in my previous attempts." Eda nodded at that. It seemed to track, though even with the heightened body count Hooty was still beating them off handily. Something still seemed off... as she swept her gaze over the impromptu battlefield, she caught a glimmer of reflected light off to the side. When she trained her sight on it, she cursed, even as the masked figure apparently realized he was being watched and shot a pair of finger guns her way. "They brought the brat." To those who didn't know him, and to many who thought they did, the Golden Guard was a cocky little brat who had the unfortunate distinction of having the power to back the boasting up. He made it a point to project this persona at all times. Like now, when he finger gunned at Eda when he noticed her looking at him through the front windows of the Owl House. Behind the mask, though, Hunter was... conflicted. Not enough to actually sabotage the job or anything. But he didn't take any joy in taking on the Owl Lady, or any of Luz Noceda's chosen family, even if he honestly still didn't quite get the concept himself. The ominous threats and vague inferences he left with Luz were the best he could do as far as giving an honest warning for her to stay out of things for once, please. He really hoped she listened. Hunter chuckled at that. Yeah, right. And maybe pigs would stop flying. The Golden Guard sighed as he ducked the flailing form of one of the Coven soldiers that got sent flying his way by the raging house demon. He looked over at the face at the end of the weird extended tube, and saw it give him a knowing look even as it continued fighting off his forces. He didn't even want to bring them, but Uncle insisted. So he let them take the first shot at getting past the house demon. If for no other reason than to see what he would be up against -- he'd never tried a direct confrontation with it before. Given how fast it was dispatching a triple-sized team, it was pretty powerful, but from what he could tell, it was mostly physical power. Something told him there was more to the strange demon than was on display. After all, it wasn't like foot soldiers brought a lot to the table.  The house demon would be finished with the riffraff soon enough, so Hunter took a moment to look up at the spot of red he could see hidden in a nearby tree. "You stay put," he said, a fond smile on his face, even if the mask hid it. "This won't be long." One way or the other. The Guard turned his attention back to the house demon, just in time to see the last member of the opening act scramble away. "HOOT WANTS SOME?" the house demon screeched.  ...Did he just... make a pun?  Hunter managed to keep his laugh from being more than just a little snort even as he pointed his staff at its flailing tube-like body. I kinda love these guys. Still, duty called. He let a small red sphere of magic build up in front of his staff, then released it as a huge blast of power which slammed into the side of the demon's tube-like body. It squawked in pain and fell to the ground for the briefest of moments, before immediately picking itself up from the ground and rearranged its face into large monstrous, demonic owl face and made a sound between a screech and a roar, before charging at him. Oh. Mistakes had been made.  The house demon dove into the ground, and the Golden Guard willed his staff to fly straight up as quick as possible, himself dangling from it one-handed. The house demon erupted from the ground, his monster face huge and his mouth open in a great black maw, trying to swallow him. The Guard summoned another small ball of red light and casually dropped it into the open mouth, where it blew up, causing smoke to erupt from the demon's mouth as it dropped back to the ground. The Guard stopped his upward thrust as he spun his staff into the crook of his arm and clapped his hands together. This caused the dirt around the demon to form into no fewer than six large hands that clapped down on the demon's tube-like body, pinning him down.  The Guard dropped to the ground not far from the house demon's now-normal face and spun his staff back into proper position, just for a little flare. He gave the demon a quick finger gun and said, "Hey, don't feel too bad, you did pretty good there. I'm just better."  He took two steps before he heard the demon say in an annoying, cheerful voice, "WHAT'S THE PASSWORD?"  The Guard turned to look at the demon, who was grinning at him with his usual idiotic look, though there was something about it that sent an absolute chill down his spine. "What."  The house demon suddenly and with no effort broke free from all six dirt hands and the scary, large, wild owl demon face was suddenly right in the Guard's face. "PASSWORD!"   "Uh, 'owl pellets?'"  Next thing Hunter knew he was being chased by another big black void of an open maw. "Not the password! Not the password!" he found himself repeating.  Just as the house demon was about to apparently eat him whole, the Guard vanished in a quick flash of red, appearing in the sky, riding his staff (properly this time, thank you. He knew when to take things seriously. This was one of those times). The house demon didn't take long to find him and the chase was on again. The Guard got an idea. He fired off another bolt of magic, not at the moving tube body, but the large stained glass window that made the centerpiece of the Owl House itself. It shattered and the demon howled in pain, thrashing wildly about, actually hitting the Guard and sending him spiraling to the ground.  The Guard kept his staff clutched to his body as he rolled along the ground, his years of training managing to get him to roll onto his feet and point his staff at the house again.  "You will not hurt my friend any more, if you please." Hunter's eyes widened a little at the sudden interruption, even if no one saw it. The sentence was said calmly, collectedly, very little obvious emotion.  Hunter still heard the absolute fury under the surface.  Standing on the front porch, a bandolier of potions around her torso, a raven Palisman staff in one hand, and a notepad in another, stood Lilith Clawthorne. And she was angry. Not her usual keeping-a-lid-on-it-and-letting-the-anger-simmer-under-the-surface mad, either. The fury was clear as day on her face.  "Lily! Get back in here!" Eda whisper shouted from within the relative safety of the house. "Hooty can handle this guy! You know he can! It wasn't all that long ago he was beating you up!"  Lilith ignored her. The Guard spun his staff back into a neutral position where he could lean on it. "Hey there, Boss. You're lookin' pretty good, all things considered. Still have that massive stick shoved way up your...?" "I see you're still an impertinent brat," Lilith said, her eyes narrowing. The Guard laughed. "You kiss your mom with that mouth? Hmph. 'impertinent.'" Lilith dropped her notepad and tapped it with her staff, which caused the pad to erupt into a small army of miniature Abominations. Lilith withdrew another notepad, this one with her elemental glyphs, and Hooty withdrew himself in order to pose behind her. "You will either leave on your own power, or because of us. It is your choice," Lilith said. Hunter scratched his chin. "Huh. Wild Magic Abominations. Neat." He grinned behind his mask as he snapped his fingers. Four large golden spheres suddenly appeared on and around the grounds with a set of loud thuds, each stuck in a miniature crater. These spheres opened up various openings which leaked out purple ooze. It took but a minute for them to form into the latest model of Blight Industries Abomitrons -- much more powerful than last year's model. "You sure you really want to do this?" Lilith's glare intensified. "Absolutely." Not far away, hidden in a tree, a small, newly arrived owl Palisman was having a chittering conversation with a small red cardinal Palisman. After a few moments, the two nodded at each other, then the owl flew off at top speed, back in the direction it came from, as the cardinal turned its one-eyed gaze back on the battle, a worried expression on its face. "Mittens!" The stereo cry caused Amity to groan and Luz to chuckle. Edric and Emira waved from where they were waiting beneath one of the many trees lining the path to the school and they jogged up to the pair. Oh, Luz noted, they'd changed up their hair again. Em's hair was now a deep grape purple, but with a streak of her natural green hair going the full length of the loose ponytail she was currently wearing. Ed had, apparently, learned the joys of hair gel, and had his hair spiked up like those models in the posters of a chain hair salon, hair bleached blond with red tips. Looked like they were still showing solidarity with Ami, even with her current return to the old look. Luz felt a little warm and fuzzy, even as her mind flashed back to the first time they'd done so. Six months ago: "Yowsa Wowsa!" Luz exclaimed when the twins opened the front door of the manor. "You guys look... very different." Em's hair, while still in the usual braid, was now a deep apple red, and Ed's was now blue. "Lookin' good! Uh, what's the occasion?" The twins shared a Look, then Em started, "So, you know how Mitten's roots've started growing in?" "Well, Mom's been bugging her hardcore to re-dye her hair," Ed continued. "You know, the whole Blight-children-must-match-with-the-family-hair-color thing." Ed grinned. "So, Mittens dyed her hair, all right." Em's grin matched Ed's. "And, let's just say... it's still not green." "We're so proud." "But, Mom's gonna be... well... absolutely furious, and we just sort of realized..." "We don't need to match, either." / "Why do we need to match?" Luz chuckled at the not quite simultaneous twin thing they did. But then her smile turned a little sad. "So, sharing the pain, huh?" The twins smiled warmly and sincerely at Luz as they placed a hand each on her shoulders. "Hey," Em said. "Don't give us that look, Cute Stuff. You'll break our hearts." "And you know how sensitive a soul I am," Ed said, only halfway teasing. "We're the troublemakers, remember? We're usually in hot water with Mom. This is no biggie." "But enough about us," Em said as the two pulled away, giving Luz room to enter. "You're here to see Mittens, right? She's in her room." Moments later, Luz opened the door to Amity's room and stopped short. "Yowsa..." Amity rubbed the back of her neck and gave a crooked, embarrassed grin. "Too much, you think?" Given her complexion and overall style, it was really only a matter of time, Luz figured. While Amity kept the cut the same, the purple was now replaced by stark black, with bright red -- well, Luz didn't know how to describe it, really. Saying the red was highlights would imply a subtlety that just wasn't there, but calling it red 'streaks' didn't seem right either -- with emphasis on her bangs. It was actually very well done. On most anybody else, it absolutely would have been too much, but on Amity... "¡Ay que preciosa!" Luz squealed as she enveloped her girlfriend in a great big hug and kissed her on the end of her nose -- a surefire way to get her blushing from chin to roots. "You like it?" Amity asked, a little shyly. "Are you kidding?" Luz enthused. "You are super cute!" "Careful there, Mittens," Ed called from the doorway. "Luz might, just might, be a bit biased." Amity used a quick spell to slam the door in his face, but his and Em's laughter could still be heard from the other side. Luz shrugged with a chuckle. "Not my fault you're always super cute, in any color." "Even the green?" Amity asked, only half joking. "Even the green," Luz said immediately. At the shocked-but-trying-to-hide-it look on Ami's face, Luz elaborated, "I get it, I do. It just never meant The Blight (tm) to me. It just meant Amity." Luz tightened the hug, basically turning it into a snuggle. "But the cool thing about all these other colors you're doing? It means you're figuring out what means Amity to you. Not me, not your parents. You. So, yeah, I might be a bit biased." (Luz didn't actually remember the conversation, but Amity swore it went like that, and it did sound like her.) "You forgot to tell us you were spending the night, Mittens," Ed said to Ami with a teasing tone, which brought Luz back to the present "Yeah, we almost didn't get the Illuso-Mittens ready in time to fool Mom." Em said, grinning herself. Amity blushed slightly. "Ah. Yeah. Sorry about that. It... wasn't planned." Em grinned knowingly. "So. Fell asleep in each others' arms again?" Amity's blush deepened. Luz found it adorable, of course. "No! Yes. Shut up." "Well, regardless, you owe us one now," Ed singsonged. Amity sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "What is it?" "Hmmm..." Em pretended to be in deep thought. "How about... an afternoon with just us and Luz?" Amity was reluctant, but not for the reasons one might think at first. Sure, the twins certainly turned Luz's head initially, but Luz got over it pretty quickly after the first Library Incident, and they even stopped with the play flirting once it was clear that Amity was laying a claim, so to speak. However, any time they spent time alone together usually resulted in unexplained property damage and new rules at school. But... she did owe them, so she sighed. "Fine. As long as it's okay with Luz." Which, of course, it absolutely was. Ed, Em, and Luz all fist pumped at that, causing Amity to smile, even as she said, "I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" "Probably," all three of the others said at the same time, their smiles far too innocent looking. After that brief moment of levity, Em gave Amity a semi-serious look. "I don't think I've ever seen you let so much of the brunette show before. Still not sure on the next project?" Amity shrugged with a grin. "Actually, I think I'm gonna just go natural for a bit. Except for a lock of my bangs that I'm leaning towards... hot pink, maybe?" The twins laughed as Ed playfully slapped his little sister's back. "Oh, both Mom and Dad are gonna hate that. I absolutely approve." Amity laughed genuinely with her siblings, because there was no denying this was partly her motive, though most of it was, in all honesty, because she remembered actually liking her brunette hair before her mom started making her dye it. It wasn't like her dad cared that much over what her hair looked like. She just wanted to see if, well, she still actually liked it that way. Like the current return to green, which did cause a little bit of stir when Luz first saw it. Two months ago: Amity was startled from her homework by her scroll suddenly sounding out her special alert for messages from Luz (that being Luz singing rather... enthusiastically in her other language). She immediately stopped studying to check the message. She froze.  --Guess who's back and here to stay! On my way to see you! The message was accompanied by a selfie of Luz, a bit taller, a new hairstyle starting to grow out, and very obviously back at the Owl House with a very happy Eda and King crowding into frame. Amity stood up suddenly, causing her chair to clatter to the floor. "Luz's back!" After actually running into her door in her hurry, Amity was charging through the house in a very undignified way. "Hey, Mittens, where's the fire?" Ed called from the top of the stairs as she very nearly fell down them. Luz wasn't even there and she was making her trip over her own two feet. "Luz's back from the Human Realm!" Amity called back and was gone before she could hear his reply. She threw the door open to, she didn't know, run all they way to the Owl House, only to stop short. There on her front porch, panting and sweating, holding Owlbert's staff in one hand, was Luz.  The smile on Luz's face froze as she saw her. "Ami, are you okay?" she asked in concern. Amity grew confused. "Uh... yes?" She phrased it as a question. Luz surprised her again by firmly but carefully gripping her shoulders as her eyes darted every which way, looking her over. This was certainly not how Amity was expecting their reunion to go. "Are you sure?" She continued her inspection, muttering under her breath, "Lo juro por Dios, si ella te pusiera la mano encima..." Amity didn't understand the words, but she could hear the intent behind them. She was still confused until Luz's eyes glanced up at her head. Oh for... Amity forgot she re-dyed her hair again last week, and went back to green. It wasn't even quite the same shade, evoking Azura rather than Blight -- or rather Azura as portrayed by a very good fan artist Amity followed. She hadn't had the chance to warn Luz about it. Amity clapped her hands over Luz's cheeks, and held them there as she looked her full on in the eye. "Okay, Luz? Hon? ¿Batata? Back up, rewind. It isn't like that. At all." Luz still looked concerned, but at least Amity had her attention. "It's not?"  Amity smiled, and said "Te prometo." (One of the three or so phrases of Luz's language she actually knew outside of a handful of pet names; they helped calm her down when she was in a tizzy like this.) "I just... kinda... found I missed it? I figured there were other meanings to it than just Blight." At Luz's blank stare she laughed. "You don't remember do you?" "Remember what?" At this, Amity let go of her girlfriend's face and covered her own face with a hand. She sighed, but was smiling. That was something that took some getting used to; Luz's ability to drop what was for Amity life-changing truths, then forget the conversation took place, not out of malice or insensitivity, but just because to Luz she stated something obvious like "rain boils your skin off." "A few months ago, someone once told me that the green could just mean Amity, and that I should find what is Amity to me, and not anyone else." Luz grinned. "She told you that, huh? Sounds smart. Did she say anything else?" Amity pinked a little even as she kept her grin. "She also said I was 'super cute' in any color." Luz laughed. "Yep. She definitely knows her stuff." Amity nodded. "I just... I think I just realized that there are enough good memories attached to it, that I didn't have to abandon it entirely you know?" Luz got that look of contemplation on her face, and nodded. She seemed to get it.. At least she calmed down. Then a wry grin formed on her face. "Also, you just confused the heck out of your mom so when you change it up again it'll hit just that much harder, right?" Amity laughed. "Yes, that too." "Ha! I knew it!" Ed's voice came from the balcony above them. "I told you Mittens didn't betray the cause! OW!" "Ed..." And there was Em. "Will you two just go away?" Amity called up to them. "Never." Amity pressed a pair of fingers to her temple. "Luz, I'm warning you ahead of time so it doesn't take you by surprise, but next time you come here it's highly likely that I'll be an only child!" "You know you love us." Of course that, they could synch up perfectly. Luz chuckled. "You do love them," she reminded her. Amity could only sigh. "Yeah. I know." She cast Luz a look. "Well, now that the surprise drama is over with..." she nearly tackled Luz in a big hug. "Welcome home, Batata." "You know, I've always kinda wanted to see you in the natural color," Luz said, snapping Amity from her sudden remembrance.  "I mean, I know what it is, obviously, but I've always wondered how you looked in it. Pretty hot, I'll bet." "Are you two flirting again?" Gus said, having only just caught the tail end of Luz's statement as he and Willow approached.  "Gus, they're always flirting," Willow reminded. "We've been through this." Luz and Amity looked at each other before bursting out laughing. "It was actually pretty low key today," Amity said. "Good morning you two." Before the conversation could continue, Luz got smacked in the face by a small, fast moving object. This happened often enough that she was easily able to catch it as it bounced off from the impact, and already recognized it before it had slowed down enough to be clearly visible. "Owlbert? What're you doing back here little guy?" Owlbert hooted what sounded like an entire paragraph to Luz, and though she didn't have the connection with him that she would eventually have with her own Palisman (She was working on that, it turned out that carving your own really was the long way), she was close enough to both Eda and Owlbert himself to get the gist. She sighed. "Eda's in trouble, isn't she?" Owlbert hooted in agreement and Luz shook her head. Given the weirdness surrounding the flight, she had a pretty good idea of who was bringing the trouble. "Great. Second day of school and I'm already gonna miss." Luz began talking even as she dug through her bag for her anti-magic cloak. "Sorry guys, I gotta go take care of a thing. Can you cover for me to... day?" Her train of thought derailed as she pulled her cloak out of the bag and turned to her friends, only to see Gus and Willow already holding their own Palisman staffs, and Amity was tying her Abomination pack to her waist, little Ghost already resting on her shoulder (Luz had long given up asking how he always seemed to show up out of nowhere, as the answer was, always, "he's a cat"). All three of them were grinning at her. Luz couldn't help but grin herself. "I'm not going to be able to convince any of you it's too dangerous, am I?" "Nope!" Willow responded. "So I should probably just skip the conversation entirely so as to not waste any time, shouldn't I?" "Probably," Gus confirmed. Luz rolled her eyes fondly as she threw her cloak around her shoulders. "What am I going to do with you three?" "We learned it from watching you, all right?" Amity said, the other two nodding sagely. Ed grinned, a little nervously. "Me and Em are more than happy to stay behind. Let you guys handle the unknown dangerous Owl House stuff." Amity chuckled at her siblings. "Seriously, almost get eaten by a Slitherbeast one time..." Em shrugged, smiling. "What can we say? We're just not the thrill seekers you are." She then got serious. "But if you do find you need our help with whatever-this-is, call us immediately." "No joke," Ed added. Amity did not admit aloud how actually kind of touched she suddenly was. "Whelp, come on if you're coming," Luz said as she got on Owlbert's staff. Amity positioned herself behind her (It was long ago established she preferred to fly with Luz rather than by herself. Partly because, surprise stunt flying aside, Luz was actually the better flyer of the two, and also because, well, Amity liked to hug Luz from behind. Ghost for his part, as both a linked Palisman and a cat, tended to pretend he was just too good to let Amity fly on him when Luz was around.) Ghost curled up into Amity's shoulder as they took off, followed shortly by Gus and Willow. "So, what's up exactly?" Gus asked as he cruised up beside Luz. Luz shrugged. "Not sure exactly, but my money's on the Golden Guard." Willow blinked in surprise at that. "The Emperor's Coven guy? That's a pretty extreme assumption from an upset non-linked Palisman. What makes you think that?" Amity answered. "For one thing, he threatened Luz and me on the way to school." "What?" the other two shrieked. Willow in particular looked rather shaken. "And you just... came to school like everything was normal?" Luz shrugged. "Well, if I let every threat to my life keep me from doing things, I wouldn't do anything." Amity chuckled as she gave Luz an extra squeeze. Gus and Willow gave each other a look. "Y'know that's fair," Gus said. "But you know that's not normal, right? Not even on the Isles." Luz had to laugh a little at that. "Yeah, well. Never claimed to be normal, did I?" After a few minutes, the group neared the general location of the Owl House. "Okay, Luz," Amity chided. "We're not going to just dive in without a plan. You know, like usual. We might actually have the element of surprise on our side for once, so land a little ways into the woods so we can see what's actually happening and make a plan." Luz rolled her eyes in fond exasperation. "Yes, mom." Amity grinned and lightly whacked her girlfriend on the back of the head. "Don't you take that tone with me, young lady," she teased. "Ew!" Willow shuddered. "EwewewewEW! Never, ever do that again! You guys are so weird sometimes!" Amity responded by crossing her eyes and sticking her tongue out at Willow. Willow mirrored the expression. Gus sighed. "I'm, like, two years younger than all of you. How is it that I'm the the mature one?" "I mean, one of us had to be," Luz said. "And I think we can all agree it was never gonna be me. Landing time. Follow me!" And she started a gentle descent, for Luz, Gus and Willow falling back to follow her lead. ~*~ The Golden Guard had to teleport several times in about three seconds to avoid all explosive potions being shot at him, finally taking to the air. He had to admit, Lilith kind of surprised him with her first move, dumping two thirds of all her potions into the House Demon's mouth, who then started firing them off at him like some kind of ballistic weapon. While the House Demon was focusing on him, Lilith herself was keeping the Abomitons busy, dancing between their attacks, responding with various elemental attacks, none of which actually damaged the Abomitons, but did keep them away from the house and focused on her. Hunter dodged another attack from the House Demon then was surprised as he got swarmed by a good number of Lilith's mini-Abominations, who had leapt off the roof of the house when he got close enough to it. "Wha-where-who?" he sputtered before casting a quick exploding sphere of energy, disappating the clingers-on immediately. With another teleporting dodge to avoid another grouping of potions, he glared at Lilith and with a quick gesture, caused the ground beneath her feet to wrap around her ankles, keeping her immobile just long enough for one of the Abomitons to swipe at her unhindered. A grey streak swooped past and the arm of the Abomiton, removing the arm before it could land its hit. Lilith used a plant glyph to free herself as the Abomitron regrew its arm. Hunter was distracted, though, by the sight in front of him. Pure black eyes glared at him, as yards-wide wings kept his new opponent hovering in the air before him. So, Eda becoming a half-cursed harpy was a thing now. Just. Just swell. "Okay, kid," Eda said, a beastly growl underscoring her words. "I'm only going to say this once. Get off of my lawn." Before Hunter could respond, he was nearly jostled off his staff by a mighty "WEH!" which caused one of the Abomitons that had gotten too close to the house to slide back a few feet, leaving the little dog demon standing on the front porch. The heck? "You guys are a lot harder to deal with than you used to be." His power began to crackle around him in the form of red electricity. "I'm gonna have to kick up my game." ~*~ Gus whistled. "I dunno, Luz. They seem to be holding up pretty good on their own. Do they really need the assist?" Luz was going through her bag as she spoke. "Trust me, you haven't see the Golden Guard when he gets good and mad. I have. We only got past him during the Raid because he was... conflicted."  "And those Abomitons are nothing like the ones we fought last year," Amity piped up. Luz's attention was grabbed by a little cardinal flapping right in front of her face and chittering at her. "Oh, hey there, Rascal," she said with a smile as she stopped what she was doing and held out her hands for it to land in. It continued chittering at her, and though she was even less bonded with the Rascal than Owlbert, she could still basically get what he was saying. "Yeah, I know. He's being dumb again. We're gonna stop him, but it's probably gonna hurt a bit." She could see Rascal get a little sad at that. "Hey, you know he makes it impossible to be gentle with him." Rascal chirped at her then flew back into its hiding place. "What was that all about?" Willow asked. Luz sighed as she continued to dig through her bag. "It's kind of a secret? And not our place to tell?" she said, even as Amity opened her mouth to comment.. Amity closed her mouth with a sheepish look. "But it is one of the big reasons I'm going to set the Guard on fire. Ah, here we go!" Luz brought out a handful of Glyphs, which Amity recognized. "Luz, are those Strengthening Glyphs?" she asked, as small but noticeable note of coldness entering her voice.  "Yeah," Luz said, her own demeanor quite sheepish. "I had Lilith show me how they're made. I know there's bad memories attached to these things, but they're useful. And I can at least see a move and a half ahead and know we're gonna need as many advantages as we can get." She looked up. "Am I wrong?" Amity sighed. "No, you're absolutely right." She held out a fist so Luz could stick a Glyph on the top of it. "Let's get this over with." Luz got a little awkward. "Oh, and I haven't been able to test them yet." "What." "Well, I don't have any magic at all and Eda and Lilith's bile sacs are still messed up, so..." Amity, Willow, and Gus shared another Look, before Amity turned back to her girlfriend. "Well there's no time like the present." ~*~ The Guard dodged past a diving swipe and managed to blast Eda in the back with a bolt of magic, causing her to crash and tumble along the ground for a few feet. "Well, okay, ow," she muttered as she stumbled to her feet. Then gasped as one of the Abomitons took up her field of view. "Aw, crap," she muttered. Before it could do anything, though, it was grabbed from behind by an Abomination that was actually a little bigger than it was, which suplexed it into the ground. The Abomiton splattered into a formless pile for a moment before reforming and began grappling with the new Abomination. Another Abomiton was now surrounded by three illusions from that Goop kid, each now about six feet tall, over muscled, and wearing multi-colored tights (Luz had been bringing him 'comic books' from the Human Realm), though Eda was somewhat surprised when two of them managed to grab the Abomiton's arms and the third one actually punched its head off. A huge vine suddenly shot from the ground and wrapped itself around the Guard. That's when all four of Eda's dumb kids walked out of the tree cover and into the yard. The Guard looked down at the four of them. "You kids should be in school," he said in his threatening reverberating voice. "And you're trespassing," Luz responded. The Guard chuckled at that. "It's not trespassing when you're on official government business." "Can you show me any paperwork?" Luz asked. The Guard laughed at that. "That's what I like about you, Luz. No one banters with me the way you do." The vine suddenly exploded in a red light, and the Guard landed just a few feet in front of Luz, smoke coming out of the visor of his mask. "I'm going to miss that." Luz fanned out a handful of Glyphs, as Amity, Gus, and Willow prepared for their own casting. Her eyes narrowed. "Hoy te quemarás." Luz opened up with, unsurprisingly, Fire Glyphs, sending three Owlbert-enhanced columns of fire at the Golden Guard, who teleported around them, only to be taken by surprise by a blow to the back, which caused him to stumble forward. He managed to stop himself from stumbling into a suddenly created column of earth that would have sent him flying had he not stopped himself. Growling, he turned to face his attacker, who was, naturally, Amity, her arms covered in Abomination slime, large, spike-knuckled fists clenched at each end, her Palisman staff nestled in the crook of one arm. "Oh, so that's how it's gonna be?" the Guard asked. "That's how it's gonna be," Amity said with an actually kind of scary smirk. She rushed him, a spell circle formed before he could blink, sending a wave of Abomination his way, he teleported a little to the right, only to take a trio of ice spheres to the side of the head, with enough force to almost knock him to the ground. He had to drop into a roll to avoid another blow from Amity, and he launched himself into the air to get himself out of their easy range.  "Okay, all right, sure," the Golden Guard said when he had a second. "You guys have gotten pretty good." "You ain't seen nothin' yet," Luz said as she tossed a Glyph paper to the ground at Amity's feet. Amity stepped on it, and the Earth Glyph generated another small column of dirt that send Amity flying right at the Guard.  "Aw geez!" the guard cried as he leapt off his staff and spin kicked the Blight kid as she reached him. To his surprise, his foot passed straight through her, with just a minimum of resistance, the two halves of her body turned into purple-grey goo and fell back to the ground. The Guard blinked in surprise as he landed back on his staff. Then, upon seeing a shadow pass over him, teleported straight up a few feet, to see an Abomiton fly under him and crash into one of the others, which was being held in place and tied down by a number of large, spiky vines. Ignoring as Lilith ran in and froze the two Abomitons together with an Ice Glyph, he turned and glared at the Abomination that had thrown it, the Blight brat sitting on its shoulder, smirking at him. "Okay, seriously, what is this?" he said in exasperation. "Our last fight was a month ago. There's no freakin' way you guys got this much better in one. Month!" "You'd be surprised what can happen in a month," Luz said with a grin. "Though actually you've just been weirdly lucky in somehow always barely missing the Harpy Eda thing." "Wait, what?" the Guard said. He was blindsided by a a long, thin, feathery arm that clotheslined him, knocking him off the staff. "Hey, kid, did'ja forget me?" Eda said, her gold fang glinting thanks to her grin. (Hunter had, in fact, forgotten about her. The brats used a blitz of an attack as a distraction! He was actually kind of impressed.)  She spun in the air once, and swung her arm to launch him straight to the ground. Painful as the landing was, he did manage to summon the staff back to his hand before anybody could grab it and keep him powerless, and he stood up, absolutely furious if the scarlet flames that were licking his body were anything to go by. He looked around and saw that only one of the Abomitons was still active, and even it was just barely so. It was being held in place by vines and earth, with the Illusionist kid's weirdly solid illusions continually pounding on it as Lilith was launching giant icicles that were likely seconds away from piercing the armor of its torso. The Guard turned back to his three really annoying attackers and the flames flared even more. "That's it!" he shouted. "Everyone dies!" He zipped up about fifty feet into the air, stood on his staff, raise his arm above his head, then spun it like a clock hand, almost as if he were casting a large spell circle. Instead of a circle, twelve red spheres of light appeared in a circle in the air around him. Luz's eyes widened. "Gather!" she shouted, and all the witches immediately clumped together around her. An Earth Glyph brought a dome of dirt and rock to form over them all. Meanwhile, King dove back into the house, and Hooty stretched his tube form out long enough to wrap himself around the house forming a cocoon-like shield. Just in time for the Guard's attack to launch; beam after beam after beam, razing the area for multiple minutes. Luz and her friends and family were relatively safe under her dome, a Light Glyph providing visibility. Nobody said anything for a moment, and everybody was a little nervous as the sounds of magical impact hit their improvised shelter like rain. "I, uh, guess you were right about him getting mad," Gus said, his nerves causing his voice to almost crack. Luz laughed. "Yeah, this's about par for the course. Dude is an emotional roller coaster." Amity rolled her eyes. "Like you would not believe."  Willow looked between her two best friends before looking back to her third. "I'm starting to worry about how blase they've become about this kind of thing." Gus nodded. "I know, right?" Eda, who was crouching on her knees and had her wings folded up as tight as possible to take up as little space as possible, was also looking at Luz and Amity with a concerned look on her face. "Yeah. It's actually kinda getting to me, too. And that should tell you something." "I'd appreciate it if you all didn't talk about us like we weren't here," Amity said with a huff. "Besides," Luz said with a grin. "We're absolutely gonna freak out about this later. We do a coin toss to decide who goes first so the other can provide proper support, then switch places." "Luz, honey," Lilith said, a concerned look of her own on her face. "That doesn't make us feel any better." Luz shrugged, then cupped her hands around her mouth. "How you doing Hooty?" Hooty popped up out of the ground at her feet, his face twitching, but mostly smiling. "IS THIS WHAT A FULL BODY MASSAGE FEELS LIKE? IT KINDA HURTS BUT BOY AM I FEELING THE STRESS KNOTS LOOSENING UP." Luz smiled fondly as she scratched the bird tube's head. "Hey, Hootster, when we give the signal, how do you feel about special delivering the Golden Guard my way?" Hooty's smile widened. It was kind of unnerving. "I'D ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO." Luz chuckled and looked up, a glint in her eyes. "Oh no." Amity said. "What?" Gus asked. "I have a plan," Luz gushed. "...Oh no." Upon seeing the pure, bare excitement on Luz's face, the poorly disguised amusement on Amity's and Lilith's, and the naked fear in the other two dumb kids', Eda cackled. ~*~ The attack finally ended, and the Golden Guard sat on his staff, breathing heavily. Maybe he shouldn't have gone quite that nuts with the attack. Given that he had actually come close to blacking out before the end of it there, it was safe to say that he'd let the anger burn a little too hot. A second or two after the attack ended, the Owl House group erupted from a small mound of earth, scattering in different directions, and the House Demon unfurled itself from around the house, and it relaunched its attack on him. "Oh, come on!" He groused as he resumed the mad dodging of a mad House Demon. It wasn't just the House Demon, either. Oddly dressed, over-built, solid illusions; elemental attacks, with a focus on ice; a Harpy-formed Owl Lady; focused sound attacks from the dog thing on the roof. All of which were attacking from different angles, all at once. Another blitz attack. And he could tell there were some attacks that were missing. Another distraction. The problem was... The Guard cursed as he barely dodged a swipe by the Owl Lady, a swipe so close that he felt her finger across his back. Then he saw her grin. "Oh no." And the tiny Fire Glyph she placed on his back erupted like a rocket sending him flying out of control. "Not this agaaaaaaain!" he wailed as he desperately used his staff to keep some modicum of control over his flight path. The Glyph burned out after a couple of seconds, but the Guard had barely enough time to dodge another spray of icicles and another lunge by the House Demon. The problem was, even though he knew it was a distraction, it didn't keep it from being a very effective distraction. But he was the Golden Guard. He wasn't about to let a group of Wild Witches, who either had no magic of their own or were kids, stop him. He clapped his hands together and a red shockwave of magic erupted outward, scattering his attackers for a brief moment, but it was enough for him to retaliate. Once again he had the House Demon pinned to the ground, this time using solid bedrock for the pinning hands. He then pointed at the dog thing on the roof and fired a small bolt of magic at him. The little guy barely dodged with with a startled weh, and he leaped off the roof and into Eda's arms, who glared at him with a hiss.  Not letting up, the Guard launched himself forward, and, taking a cue from the Blight brat, formed a fist and used his magic to create a large, spike knuckled gauntlet of red energy around his fist and landed a hit that caused Eda to drop the little demon (Lilith did a mad dash and caught him so he wouldn't get hurt) and send her flying off into the distance. A quick razor wind spell dissipated the spandex-clad illusions that had surrounded him, and he glared at the little guy who was casting them from the house porch. The Guard launched himself into a low dive a aimed right at the kid even as he scrambled to get into the relative safety of the house. The Guard was stopped by suddenly getting tangled up in a from-nowhere group of vines, which constricted so fast that he was slammed into the ground.  "That's one of my best friends you just went after," Willow said as she took her place next to Lilith. The Guard knew, he knew she'd been missing from the blitz until now, a suspicion confirmed by the sunglasses she was wearing. (He suddenly felt his stomach drop at that. Sunglasses usually meant the end of a Luz plan.) "Thank you, Willow," Lilith said in that infuriatingly prim way of hers. "But I would not have let him harm a child in front of me." Before the Guard could make a rude comment about the irony of that statement, the Owl Lady landed next to her, so suddenly she may as well have teleported. "You just tried to fry my kid!" she snarled, a more primal growl underscoring her words. The Guard blinked behind his mask. "Your 'kid?' Dont'ya mean your p-" "Finish that thought and I'll remove your throat." Eda interrupted, her voice that particular kind of calm that makes most people terrified, her owlish features beginning to ruffle and expand. "Woah woah woah woah, Eda! Eda Eda Eda Eda!" The dog demon sputtered as he scrambled up the Owl Lady to rest on her shoulder. "Calm down. Calm down calm down calm down." He knocked on the Owl Lady's head a couple times ("Hey!" she grumbled), "You too in there. I'm fine. Don't go full beast on us, 'kay?" At that the Owl Lady calmed down a bit, her feathers settling back in place -- which caused the Guard to release the breath he didn't actually know he was holding. The vines tightened around him just a little for good measure. "Hooty?" Willow said. "Special Delivery." And at that the House Demon broke free of his bonds again ("Oh come on!") and before the Guard could teleport or burn the vines, he was gobbled up whole by the House Demon. Hooty, his cheeks bulging and the sounds of spellcraft mutedly coming from within his mouth, looked around until he saw Amity standing a few yards away, holding a spell circle in each hand, a grin on her face, and wearing yellow tinted sunglasses that still allowed her eyes to be seen (Luz had insisted that they really needed to be fully opaque black lenses, but Amity insisted these fit her style better, and Luz, naturally, caved). She jerked her head to her right, and when Hooty looked, a few feet in that direction, stood Luz. Her sunglasses were the small round sort, and she was in a slightly crouched position, her feet spread just a little wide, both hands gripping Owlbert's staff in an over-the-shoulder position. Directly behind her was Amity's oversized Abomination in the exact same position, holding what could only be described as a log, tapered to make a comfortable handle and covered with an obscene number of Fire Glyphs, in place of the staff. King, who had kind of gotten into Human Realm sports over the last year ("The complete lack of deathtraps is a little disappointing, but I find I actually care about what the whole team does.") laughed maniacally. "Hey batta batta, swing batta batta!" he crowed, as Hooty horked a quite literally screaming fastball at the Abomination. The Guard only got half a shield spell thrown up before the Abomination swung. To those who weren't wearing their eye protection, the light was blinding.  Tok. Tok. Tok. Hunter groaned and blearily opened his eyes. Nothing but black. Wha...? Tok. Tok. Tok. Oh, right. The mask. Hunter reached up to straighten the mask, then decided to just rip it off. He was completely unsurprised to see his Palisman sitting on his chest, glaring at him with its good eye. "Yeah, yeah, I know." Getting a look around he saw that he was lying in a furrow he'd dug in the ground somewhere in the forest, no Owl House in sight. How far did Luz send him flying? Little Rascal chirped at him angrily. "Hey, language," Hunter grumbled playfully. "Where'd you even learn that?" "Oh, please," a sudden voice spoke up. "Like you're any better. I was there that time you stubbed your toe, you know." Hunter looked up to see Luz leaning against a tree, smirking at him. He groaned, "I thought we agreed to never speak of that again." Luz chuckled. "The way I remember it, that conversation amounted to you saying 'you saw nothing,'" said in a deep voice that sounded nothing like Hunter himself, "and me laughing at you." Hunter dropped his head back to the ground, defeated. "What are you even doing here?" he grumbled. Luz shrugged as she pushed off the tree and began walking towards him. "For one thing, I volunteered to keep you busy while the others move the house." Hunter looked at her with curiosity. "You can do that without a Moonlight Conjuring?" Luz shot him a deadpan look. "Uh, huh. And, gee, why would we possibly need to learn something like that?" Hunter had the grace to look a little sheepish. He held no illusions as to who were the aggressors in this particular rivalry. "Right, sorry." Luz grinned and produced a handful of fire Glyphs. "Also, I'm not entirely convinced that finishing move back there counted as properly lighting you on fire." Hunter took a moment to take stock of himself. There were several notable scorch marks throughout his Coven uniform, some of which were still smouldering and smoking, so he felt he could actually make a case that he had, in fact, been properly set on fire. Instead he just closed his eyes with a groan. "If you're gonna do it, do it. I'm far too tired to care right now." Luz stood there blinking at him for a moment before putting the Glyphs away. "Aw, I can't do it like this. It'd be like kicking a puppy." Hunter cracked an eye open and smirked at the human in front of him. "You going soft on me, Noceda?" The Glyphs were back in Luz's hand and her expression was unimpressed. "Oh, I'm sorry Hunter, what did you just say? I could'a sworn I heard 'Oh, Luz, I'm so cold. Perhaps a bonfire would help.'" Hunter had both hands up in surrender as he chuckled for a moment, before he then hissed as pain shot up his right side, and he grabbed the injury. Luz was immediately kneeling at his side, Glyphs gone, a concerned look on her face. "What is it? What's wrong? You okay?" It was Hunter's turn to be deadpan. "Oh, I don't know, could it possibly be that an exploding log to the side might have cracked some ribs?" Luz poked him in the forehead, annoyed. "You don't get to be uppity with me for defending my home and family, Mr. All-Right-Everyone-Dies." "... Fair enough," Hunter grumbled. Then Luz started unfastening his leather armor, causing him to redden in the face. "What the Titan are you doing?" "First aid, what else?" Luz said casually. Then noticed the look on his face. She chuckled and flicked him on the forehead again. "I dunno what you were thinking I was doing, but I'm pretty sure you already know you're not my type." "Shut up," Hunter grumbled. Master of witty banter he was. Luz grumbled as she continued to work. "There are a lot of buckles on this thing." "Yeah. It's a bit of a pain," Hunter agreed. Then he looked at Luz suspiciously. "Do you even know proper first aid?" Luz laughed. Hunter ignored how it kind of sounded like an evil cackle. "I was such a wild child even before arriving at the Isles Mom made sure I knew some basics. Got me a few proper classes before I came back again. Then there's the Healing Track classes I take as school. So, yeah, I know what I'm doing. Mostly." "Oddly enough that doesn't make me feel better." Luz stuck her tongue out at him as she unfastened the last buckle and opened the armor up. She then brought out her pocket knife and Hunter blanched. "LUZ!" "It's for your shirt. I need to be able to look at the injury, geez! What have I ever done to you to deserve this lack of trust?" "You hit me with an exploding log!" Luz rolled her eyes before she got to work cutting into the side of Hunter's shirt. "Yeah, in a fight, where you were trying to arrest or kill us. You know I'd never stab you in the back. If I do ever kill you, you'll be standing, facing me, and armed." Hunter studied Luz briefly while she continued to cut along the seam of his shirt. "You just quoted something, didn't you?" Luz just grinned. "Maybe." That's when she cut enough of the shirt away to see the injury underneath and winced. "Oooh, that's a lot of bruising." Hunter groaned something that sounded like "exploding log." "Yeah, yeah," Luz said with a smirk. Then got serious. "I'm going to prod a little. I'll be gentle, so it's really important that you tell me if it hurts, okay?" Hunter nodded as she got to work. So far so good, nothing the bruising wouldn't account for. "So, a Glyph-covered club? Pretty clever. Ever consider making one for yourself?" Luz shrugged in that way that Hunter knew meant she had, but didn't want to admit it. "What's keeping you? I mean, I guess you'd have to figure out something to protect the club itself, or it wouldn't last long." "That's part of it," Luz agreed. "Also, both Mom and Eda are a little wary about me making actual weapons. I think they're concerned I might acquire a taste for blood or something." Hunter grinned at that, then hissed in pain as Luz apparently found the injured rib. "Yeah, that's pretty bad. Hold on a second." She began digging through the school bag Hunter hadn't noticed she had with her. "Ah, here we are." She pulled out a pad of stickers and withdrew three with Glyphs on them. Hunter raised an eyebrow. "What, you have healing Glyphs now?" Luz nodded. "You can thank Lilith for these, she figured them out. Somewhat related, we now have a 'do not disturb' rule between 1 and 6 in the morning, unless it's an emergency." Hunter gave her a confused look at that, but decided he didn't actually want to know and kept his mouth shut as she attached three Glyphs to his side in a rough triangle around the affected area. She tapped them in sequence then sat back and watched them glow. Hunter himself sighed as a soothing cool burst of magic surged through his side. "Okay, this'll take a few minutes and is... whatdyacallit?... battlefield treatment? You'll want a real Healer to look at it when you get back." "Of course," he sighed.  A few moments of silence passed, then, "You going to be okay?" Luz asked. "No digging your own grave?" "You guys are never going to let me live that down are you? What do you care anyway? You..."  "Hit you with an exploding log, I know. Get over it. Question still stands. You going to be okay?" Hunter sighed as he thought about his answer. "More or less, I think. Failure still comes with... consequences, but with the damage your family's caused the Coven over the last year or so, Uncle can't really afford to be as brutal as he might have been once. And with Kiki gone, well, I'm even more important to keep around and in one piece." Luz hummed. "Why do you still do this? I know you hate it." Hunter's face was carefully neutral as he said, "You know why." Luz shook her head. "I know the story," And she suspected she knew more of it than Hunter himself, but that was a can of worms she wasn't ready to open yet. "But I don't know why. He's abusive to you, Hunter. You know he is." Hunter didn't answer, so Luz sighed. "Has he sent you out on any Palisman hunts lately?" At the sudden change of topic, Hunter blinked in confusion. "Technically that'd be classified information, and you are an enemy..." At Luz's unimpressed glare he shrugged. "... but no. He hasn't." He thought for a moment. "He hasn't sent anyone out, now that I think about it. Not since you Owl People interrupted the Day of Unity. Why?" Instead of answering Luz asked, "Has he, I dunno, melted any since then?" Hunter thought on that for a minute. "Not in front of me. Which is really weird now that I think about it. Why?" Luz sighed, and there was a small smile on her face. "So there were some good side effects. Good." Then she remembered that Hunter was looking at her and got serious. "Okay, uh, you're probably going to be mad..." ~*~ He was, indeed, mad. But not, surprisingly, at Luz and her family. They were just protecting them and theirs. He knew that. So the anger wasn't directed at them, per se, but it was there. "So... you cursed him," he said with a scary sort of calm, even as he paced back and forth in agitation.  "Yeah," Luz said, herself still sitting cross-legged on the ground. "Lilith and Eda put it together. Designed it to lock away his magic. We didn't even think about it maybe, also, slowing or stopping his... condition, 'till later." Hunter didn't answer, but he did stop pacing to look at her, his expression scarily neutral. Then he put his mask back on and Luz's heart sank a little as she watched Hunter shift back into the Golden Guard, his posture going from ramrod straight to casually leaning against the Rascal's staff. "Whelp," he said, his tone going sarcastic and carefree. "Looks like you beat me again. We'll meet again, you haven't seen the last of me, et cetera, et cetera." He hopped on the staff and gave Luz a two finger salute. "Ciao." And he was gone in a golden flash of light. Luz stared sadly at the blank spot he left behind. "Bad and sad," she muttered to herself. Seriously, one day she absolutely was going to set the Golden Guard on fire, if only so she could give Hunter a big hug afterwards. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her Tomagochi alerting her to a new message. She and Amity absolutely could text like normal now, but the Tomagochi had kind of become their own thing at this point. The message, once translated, read: House is moved. U OK? Luz smiled. There was her awesome girlfriend, being awesome. Ya. Hunters gon. Come home then. Missing you. At that moment, Owlbert landed on Luz's shoulder, causing her to grin. "Here to lead me home?" Owlbert hooted. OMW. Love u :) Owlbert turned into his staff form and Luz hopped on. Just before pocketing the Tomagochi again she got another alert. Love u 2. The smile on Luz's face was wide and sincere as she flew off. Home Amity said. It had a nice ring to it. Thing 1: Just checking in. You okay Mittens?                               I'm fine. I've had worse fights with the Guard. :Amity              But I have to ask, have either of you noticed anything weird with mom and dad? :Amity              More than usual, that is. :Amity Thing 1: No. Why?              It's just, yesterday there was a kidnapping attempt :Amity Thing 2: Wait what? Thing 1: OMG are you serious?              and today the Guard brought some current gen Abomitons to the fight. :Amity Thing 2: Can we rewind a moment to the KIDNAPPING ATTEMPT?              I'm fine, Ed. :Amity              It was just some coven goons coming after Luz and me at school :Amity              The faculty took care if it before I could even do anything. :Amity Thing 1: Is that salt I hear?              No. :Amity              But I could have taken them. :Amity Thing 2: Geez Mittens, why didn't you tell us this?              What? :Amity Thing 1: Mittens, hon, kidnapping attempts are not normal.  Thing 1: At least at the school.              I think my sense of normal has become a bit skewed since I met Luz. :Amity Thing 2: You think!? Thing 1: Wait, you said the Coven made an attempt. THE coven?               Right. :Amity Thing 1: And the Golden Guard brought brand new Abomitons to arrest the Owl Lady?                Right. :Amity Thing 2: No wonder you're asking about mom and dad. Thing 1: We haven't seen anything out of the ordinary. Thing 2: But we'll snoop harder, keep you posted.               Thanks. :Amity Thing 1: Is this why you've been away from the mansion so much lately?               Well, yes and no :) :Amity  Amity smirked as she looked away from her scroll to the now-sleeping Luz using her lap as a pillow. They were relaxing on the big couch in the Owl House foyer, Amity sitting, more-or-less straight and proper (old habits and all), with Luz sprawled out on the couch dead to the world and King sleeping on Luz's stomach. It was all very domestic, really. The scroll gave one last notification (Thing 1: LOL, okay. I can take a hint. We won't bother you anymore. That means you Ed.) Amity put her scroll away and just... let herself enjoy a quiet moment, her fingers idly playing with Luz's hair. Life had gotten complicated since her human came into her life, and most certainly not in the typical ways of a girl in love. Her life became more like the cartoons she used to watch on the crystal ball. On one hand, the typical life issues were still something she just had to deal with; family issues, school, Grom and crushes, the occasional monster threat. Then there were days like today, where she found herself battling the head of the Emperor's Coven himself -- the same Coven she once thought she wanted to join -- to keep her girlfriend and the new family that came with her safe. They were the unofficial de facto faces of the Revolution, and had done more damage to the Emperor and his coven than any other group, including the BATs, much as most of them would never admit it. And yet.  She wouldn't trade it for anything. She was happy. How long had she gone without being happy before Luz basically fell backwards into her life? Lilith, enjoying a cup of tea on one of the smaller chairs, chuckled, bringing Amity back to the present. "Apologies," she said. "I've just never seen her sleep like that so early in the day. Even after a day like today." She stopped in thought for a moment. "Especially after a day like today." Amity shrugged. "It only happens when she lets herself calm down and sit still for more than five minutes. You can guess how often that happens." She cast a fond look down at her girlfriend's sleeping face. "I think she burns up more energy than the rest of us just... existing, but tends to not realize how much she's gone through until it's too late." "Do you think that's a human thing or a Luz thing?" Lilith asked, curiosity in her voice.  "It's almost certainly a Luz thing." The front door slammed open as Eda came barging in, already mid-conversation on her scroll. "Of course I had to, Rainestorm, they went after my kids," she was saying in irritation. "Don't act like you wouldn't've done the same. ... Well it's not my fault you guys are stuck up on the Knee, you're the one that insisted..." And she vanished into the kitchen. Lilith rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips, and Amity shared a chuckle, then the two fell back into a comfortable silence for a couple minutes, snippets of Eda's argument drifting into the room.  Then, apropos of nothing, Luz sat straight up (sending King sprawling with a "Weh!") and shrieked in a way that caused both Amity and Lilith to jump in fright and Eda to charge into the room in concern. "What? What is it? What's going on?" the Owl Lady asked. The look on Luz's face was, in a word, haunted. "I was your crush during Grom last year," she said, her tone equally haunted. There was a brief moment of silence, then Eda started cackling. Lilith hid her amusement by taking a draft from her cup, and Amity managed to keep hers down to a small snort as she brought her scroll back out to take a picture of Luz's expression (She then took a second one when said expression changed to a cute little put-upon pout that may or may not be going straight to her desktop background.) "Yes," she said, mostly keeping her voice from cracking. "You were." Luz covered her face with both hands as she flopped dramatically back onto Amity's lap. Amity couldn't be one hundred percent sure, but she thought she heard a muffled but disgusted "That's what friends do" from behind the hands covering Luz's face. This time Amity did laugh. King crawled back onto the couch, but was obviously a bit disgruntled. "You couldn't have waited another week and a half?" he asked. He flopped onto Luz's stomach. "Months of forcing myself not to even say the word Grom, poof! Nothing to show for it." Luz removed her hands from her face and looked at King in confusion, "¿qué?" Amity, having found the file on her scroll she was looking for, called back to Eda. "Hey, Eda. Tell Raine they won the bet." Eda, who had calmed down a bit, brought the scroll back to her ear. "Sorry about that, babe. Just the kids being the kids. Good news! You won the Grom bet, so now you have to find time to come down and visit." "Wait," Luz said, horror dawning on her face. "There was a betting pool on this? And Raine was in on it? We didn't even know them when Grom happened." Eda snorted. "Yeah, like I wouldn't have told 'em this story. It's hilarious. And adorable. Hilaridorable." Amity was trying to be a good girlfriend by not laughing further at Luz's misfortune. She was failing. "Luz, hon, everyone was in on it. Boscha was in on it." She pointed at a name and number on her scroll.  "And I'm about eighty percent sure that this one's a pseudonym and burner scroll for the Golden Guard." Luz covered up her face again and groaned. Amity, her giggles now under control, started poking at the hands hiding Luz's face. "Hey. Hey Dork. Look at me." Luz parted her hands like a pair of curtains and gave a pained look up at Amity, who took the opportunity to lean down and kiss her right on the lips. It was a quick kiss (they were in public and that was still a little embarrassing, plus their positioning wasn't great) but given the stunned look on Luz's face when they separated, the point got through. Amity grinned, despite the heat she could feel in her own face. "Love you." The next thing she knew Luz had sprung up and wrapped her in a mighty bear hug (and King found himself face first on the floor again). "Love you, too," Luz said, as Amity returned the hug. "And that's my cue," Eda said. "I'm getting outta here before you two rot my fangs out." "You love us," Luz called back, the grin clear in her voice. "Uh-huh," Eda replied noncommittally as she retreated back to the kitchen. "You do realize," Amity added before she could stop herself, "that was a positive affirmation." "Uh-huh." King scrambled up to his feet to go after Eda. "Wait, take me with you. I can't take 'em when they're like this." Luz had separated from Amity with a grin on her face. "Sounds like someone's jealous about hug time again." "Wait, no I --" And then Luz sprung from the couch and tackled the little demon, before lifting him up in a snuggly hug of his own "I never consented to this! Unhand me woman! Eda heeelp!" Amity took another picture as Luz continued to snuggle King and King continued to struggle to get out of it (or pretended to in any event).  Still exhausting. Still worth it.   ~*~ He was silent as he sat on his perch on the Rib, his little red Palisman snuggling into the crook of his arm. On one hand he felt foolish. The fact that Uncle hid his loss of magic, along with the improvement of his condition, shouldn't rattle him like this. Uncle kept a lot of things secret. That was the purview of the Emperor after all. But, after years and years of lies both grand and small, little abuses and big alike, he had apparently hit -- what was the phrase? -- the straw that broke the giraffe's back.  So now, here he was, sitting and stewing on one of the dead zones of the Isles, waiting for an answer to come to him. He knew the time was fast approaching for him to make a decision; he couldn't continue to be loyal to the Emperor while continuing to give one of his biggest enemies slack, nor could he continue to think of Luz as a... friend, while still clinging to the Emperor and the Coven.  He'd say he was deliberating for hours, but in truth, it had been months. And finally, finally, he made a decision. He stood up, Palisman on one shoulder, artificial staff in one hand. Without so much as a word, he threw the staff as far as his rather respectable throwing arm could throw it, and the Palisman turned into a staff in his hand. Then he vanished in a burst of gold energy.   

General Audiences

“If magic’s all about digging for slime balls,” Luz said, glaring down at the greasy object as she walked, “maybe I don’t have the stomach for it.”   “Don’t say things like that, you can do this!” A voice rang out from behind the treeline.   “Mysterious voice of encouragement?” Luz asked.   “No, Amity. You tutored me for a week and I still don’t get it. I’m going to fail.” answered another voice.   "Mysterious voice of discouragement?"   Luz moved toward the sound of the voice, on the other side of a line of trees and bushes she found two girls around her age standing in a clearing connecting two forest roads. A bespectacled girl with dark turquoise hair was glaring at some sort of giant pot, while a freckled brunette with golden eyes held onto her left hand.   “No,” Luz whispered excitedly, “little witch girls!”    -----------   Amity POV   “Willow” Amity said as she tried again to pull her girlfriend out of her defeatist melancholy, “It’s gonna be ok, I promise. You can’t really have done that bad, and even if you do get a bad grade it’s not a reflection of you as a witch.”   The look on Willow’s face as she turned towards Amity made it abundantly clear that this wasn’t working. “No. I did do ‘that bad’,” she said, “I’m hopeless.”   Before Amity had a chance to respond she was forced to yelp and pull Willow out of the way as the large pot shook and fell onto its side, spilling its entire contents onto the forest floor.   Amity suppressed a wince as she saw the violet slime. Even with her limited understanding of Abominations she could tell Willow was right about how poorly she’d done. It was clearly too runny to hold a cohesive form once animated, and somehow Willow had managed to use the wrong type of eyeball. Amity doubted even her father could make anything of this mess.   “See?” Willow said as she sank to the floor, “Boscha was right, I’m useless. Just ‘half-a-witch willow’.”   Amity’s face screwed up, the mention of her Rival’s name and her treatment of Willow was a surefire way to provoke her more aggressive instincts, but Willow doesn’t need a hero right now, she needs her girlfriend. Reigning in her temper, she fell to her knees in front of her girlfriend and reached out to cup her cheek.    “Willow, look at me.” Her voice was measured and firm, but not unkind. For a moment Willow didn’t respond, and when she finally did look up her eyes were misty with the threat of tears.   “You know that’s not true,” Amity said, “you’re not a 'half-a-witch', Willow. You’re one of the strongest witches I know. Just because abomination magic isn’t your thing doesn’t mea-”   Amity didn’t  get to finish. At that moment there was an awkward shout and loud crash from behind her as someone fell face-first to the ground in front of a line of trees and bushes.   --------- Luz pov   Luz’s face hurt. Actually most of Luz hurt at the moment, but her face was rather high on the list. She had been leaning against a tree as she watched the two girls interact--totally not creepy, thank you very much--when she leaned a bit too far past the tree and slipped, faceplanting hard on the ground just a few yards in front of the girls.   They probably didn’t hear that, though, right?   “Um… who are you?” one of the girls asked.   Aw heck.   Luz popped her head up, faintly registering the taste of iron on her tongue, to see both girls staring at her in bewilderment. “Uh… I’b-” “Bleeding,” the brunette Luz assumed was called Amity said as she abruptly stood up and ran to Luz, “you’re bleeding.”   “I ab?” Luz asked, leaning back slightly as the girl knelt down in front of her.   “Uh huh. Just, hold still for a second,”she said. As she raised her left hand and drew a bright pink circle in the air directly in front of Luz’s face, the human felt a fleeting tingly numbness in her nose and heard a pronounced *pop*.   “Wow!” Luz said, prodding at her own nose, “it doesn’t hurt at all, that’s amazing!”    “Um. Thanks.” probably-Amity said, looking more than a little flustered, “but it’s just a simple healing spell. It’s one of the first ones we learned in school…”   Luz lunged forward with a happy squeal and grabbed the girl by the shoulders, “Like, magic school? That’s so cool!”   From behind the brunette, the girl she had called Willow commented “you… seem very easily impressed.”   Rather than respond, Luz let out a nervous squeak as Amity’s face was suddenly only a few inches away from her own. “Your ears are very round.”   Luz squeaked and clapped her hands over her ears, she had no idea how these girls would react to her being a human but she wasn’t anxious to find out. “um. No! No they’re not.”    The brunette raised an eyebrow and Luz suddenly felt like those golden eyes were peering into her soul.    “Yes they are, we just saw them.” Willow said, suddenly standing right next to Amity and scrutinizing Luz with narrowed eyes, before they widened in realization. “You’re human!” she chirped.   “A human? On the boiling isles?” Amity asked, still staring intently at Luz.   “This is astounding!” Willow gushed, “How did you get here? What are you doing here?”   Amity started at the sound of a large bell tolling in the distance and turned towards the other witch. “Uh, it’s time to go, Willow. It was, um, nice to meet you, human...” she mumbled as she gently pulled her away.   “Oh, right. Sorry, human. I have to go--” Both girl’s stopped just before the puddle of purple slime and grimaced down at it, “How are we supposed to get this back in the pot?” Willow asked warily.   “I like your puddle of goop!” Luz said brightly, crouching in front of the mess and poking at one of the eyeballs floating around in it.   “It’s not supposed to be a puddle,” Willow muttered dejectedly as she kicked at the eyeball Luz had been playing with, making Amity frown at her tone. “Oh,” Luz said, “Well what’s it supposed to be?”   Willow drew a spell circle in the air and a heavy tome suddenly rose up from the busted wagon the large pot had been in and flew to her hands. “It’s supposed to be an Abomination. A big ugly goop monster that talks weird and does my bidding,” she said, showing Luz an image of a humanoid monster that oddly resembled a Pokemon she couldn’t remember the name of. “But I’m terrible at abomination magic.”   After staring at the picture for a moment, Luz’s eyes drifted to the purple puddle on the forest floor as she broke into a grin. “I have an idea!” Luz said, before immediately bending forward to dip her hands into the purple goo and slathering it over her front, “Make me your abomination!”   “What!?” both girls asked in unison.   “I can shamble around and talk weird!” Luz beamed, “and it can’t be that hard to do your bidding!”   “That’s true,” Willow said with a giggle, “Ok, it’s a deal!”“I’m sorry, what?” Amity said, drawing both girl’s attention, “That’s a terrible plan! Why- why would you even want to do this?”   “I- I don’t know,” Luz’s radiant smile visibly dimmed as she looked away, “I just… I’ve never been to a real magic school before but I always wanted to. There’s no way my mentor would let me enroll but… I wish I could spend one day there, and this way we can both get what we want.”   Amity frowned at the girl, “Ok… I, I get why you would want to see the school but this is just too dangerous. They don’t want people sneaking into the school, you could get hurt, Willow could get expelled, or worse. It’s just too risky to try. I’m sorry-”    Amity suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Willow smiling softly at her, “It’ll be ok Amity. We’ll be really careful and won’t do anything risky. I… I don’t want to take another failing grade back to my dads.”   Amity stared at Willow’s verdant eyes for a moment before sighing. “Okay.” she said, “But please, please be careful. I’ll be all the way on the other side of the school in healing class. If something bad happens I don’t know if I’ll be able to help.”   “Don’t worry Amity!” Luz chirped, “I’ll make sure nothing goes wrong.”    Willow and Amity gaped as Luz spread her arms and let herself fall forward, belly-flopping into the puddle of purple gunk with a comical squelch.

General Audiences

"A...A Sleepover?!?!" Amity asks, blushing madly. She could barely process the question posed by the beautiful, sweet, bubbly girl in front of her. "Yeah! Me, Gus, and Willow are going to have a sleepover at the Owl House and I was wondering if you'd like to come! Please???" Luz says with puppy dog eyes. "Me? Sleeping with you? Together?!?!" Amity's face turned redder than ever before. Luz just smiled densely. "With Gus and Willow too!" She said. Luz raised an eyebrow. "You keep repeating things. Also, you're kinda red. Are you alright? You don't have to go if you're feeling sick." Luz says, concerned. "I'm fine! I just..." Amity looked away, not knowing what to do or say in this situation. "I guess that's a no...? S-Sorry..." Luz says, a bit disappointed. She began to turn around. "W-WAIT! I-I'll go!!! I'll go!" Amity says. "It sounds fun..." She smiles nervously. Luz looked at Amity with a huge smile. "REALLY?!?! Yes!!!" She says fist pumping the air, grinning widely with sparkles in her eyes. "You won't regret it! Come over at 8! We'll see you there! I can't wait!!! Bye Amity!" She says, running happily away, waving at Amity. Amity, still a blushing mess, slowly waved back. In her head, however, she panicked. What the heck did she just do?!?! At her house, Amity was freaking out. She should've never agreed to the sleepover. But seeing Luz look so sad, she couldn't just say no. What was she going to tell her parents?!?! What is she going to wear?!?! And, more importantly, what was she going to do?! She's going to be sleeping with Luz. Together. Under the same roof. IN THE SAME ROOM!!!! Amity almost fainted then and there, a big red blushing mess. She shook her head, trying to get herself together. She picked the clothes she was going to wear, packing them. "Going somewhere, mittens?" Edric says, leaning on Amity's head. "Ooooh~ Are you going on a date???" Emira added, checking out her bag. Amity turned red once again, this time out of anger. She quickly grabbed her bag from Emira. "If you must know, I'm going on a sleepover with Luz and her friends..." She says. "Oh. my. gosh! Fun!" Emira says. "But what about Mom and Dad?" Edric commented. Amity rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "I'll just tell them I'm...sleeping over at...ugh...Boscha's." "That works, I guess." Edric says, shrugging. Immediately, Emira pushes her brother away. "Don't worry, Mittens, We'll cover for you~" She says, smirking. "Sure. Why not." Edric says, rising up behind Emira. "It'll be fun~" He adds. "Really? You'd do that for me?" "Course! What're siblings for?" Edric says. "Messing with!" Emira says, playfully punching him on the shoulder. He rubs his arm, mumbling "ow". "But first, let's get you all prettied up~" Emira says as both siblings smile as they get closer to Amity. "Wait. What're you...stop...HEY!" Luz sat on the couch, excited. She had the whole day planned. First, they'd change into their PJs. Then, they'd all build a pillow fort. Then a pillow fight, making each others nails, etc. It was going to be perfect! She wondered who would show up first. Just then, speak of the King, the doorbell rang. Well...if you could call it that... "Hoot!!! You're friend is here!!!!!!" Hooty said loudly. "Thanks Hooty" Luz says, opening the door. "I swear if you touch me you stupid noodle bird, I'll-" Amity was about to clock Hooty before seeing Luz and getting her act together. She cleared her throat. "Eh hem. Luz. Hi! I'm here. At 8! On time! Right now! At the specific date you set! Specifically!" She says. "...I've been talking for too long." She mumbled. Luz looked at Amity, smiling. "Hey! I'm glad you came! You look very...sharp?" She says. Amity was wearing a lot of makeup. Luz blushed just a bit because of it. "Yeah. I know. My brother and sister decided to do my makeup. It looks awful, I know..." "No! No! You look nice..." Luz smiled. Amity blushed this time. "R-Really?" She asked. "Yeah! Come on in!" Luz gently took Amity's arm and pulled her into the house. "Make yourself at home!" Luz says. "Mi casa es tu casa!" She adds. "R-Right..." Amity says. "You know I don't speak your other language, right...?" Amity says. "It's just a saying we humans have. Don't worry! So what do you want to do? We could do something while we wait for Gus and Willow!" She asks. "Well...um..." Amity thinks of all the things they could do together. Hanging out with Luz. Alone. Together. Amity couldn't help but turn red at the compiling thoughts. "I-...um...Well-" She couldn't think of anything. She wished she could escape this situation right now. Amity opened her mouth to say something when all of a sudden, she heard a "Hey Luz! You're other friends are at the Door! Hoot!!!". Hooty informed Luz. Luz gasped excitedly. "Hold that thought, Amity! Willow and Gus are here!" Luz went over to the door. Amity sighed with relief. She watched Luz greet her other friends. Luz looked so...happy. It was same with her. Amity couldn't help but wonder...did Luz feel the same as her? Did Luz love her too? If only she knew... "Hey Amity! Amity! AMITY!" Amity snapped out of it, looking at Luz. "Huh?! Oh, sorry! I zoned out a bit..." Amity says. "Don't worry about it. I do that too. Anyway, Willow and Gus are here!" She says. "Hey Amity!" Willow waved. "What's up?!" Gus added. "Hey guys..." She shyly waved at them. "I'm glad you came" Willow smiled, giggling. "R-Really?" Amity asked. She knew she recently became friends with Willow again, but she didn't know if Willow still harboured some hate for her, not that she'd blame her. Willow nodded. "Of course, silly!" Willow says. "We're friends, after all." She smiled. Amity felt a bit better after hearing that, but still felt a tinge of guilt. She then noticed the sparkled eyed Luz. "Awwww...C'mon! Let's go change into our PJs!" Luz says, taking everyone over to her room. "I'll go first!" Luz says, going into her room. "No peeking!" She smiled, joking. Amity turned red. Luz closed the door, changing. After a while, she came out in her classic bed costume, a white t-shirt and boxers. Amity took one looked at this and she tried not to pass out. Amity's face was even redder this time. "You look...really nice..." Amity says. "Aw thanks!" Luz smiled. They all took turns changing into their PJs. Willow was wearing green PJs with plants on them. Gus wore blue PJs. It was Amity next and she walked into Luz's room to change. She's been in Luz's room many times, but never without Luz there. It was unnerving, to say the least. As she was getting changed, however, Amity noticed something in the corner of the room. It was a book. After getting changed, she slowly walked over to it. What she saw made her quickly turn away, red faced. It was Luz's diary. Her actual diary!!! She slowly turned to look at the Diary. What did it say? What was in it. Did Luz have the same feelings for her as well? There was really only one way to know... NO! It's wrong!!! She of all people should know! Her diary got read by Luz, after all and that was most embarrassing. Then it's only fair, right? No! Luz never meant to read her diary, unlike herself who was actually contemplating reading someone's actual private thoughts! But curiosity got to her. She had to know if Luz harboured the same feelings. She slowly began reaching for the book. Before she could open it, however, she heard Luz. "Amity? Are you alright? You're taking an awful long time in there." Luz said behind the door. Amity shook her head. "Coming!" She says, walking to the door. She glanced at the diary one more time, frowning. She then left to join the others. Amity exited Luz's room, blushing. She wore a Azura t-shirt and pants with an Azura pattern on them. She blushed with embarrassment. "I-It's stupid, I know. B-But I thought you'd l-like them..." Amity stated, her face red. Luz blushed slightly herself, smiling. "I think you look cute!" She says. "Thanks..." Amity says, smiling back. "C'mon!" Luz says, grinning and taking Amity's hand. She leads Amity to the living room, where she already has games set up. "This is going to be so fun! We'll play games, pillow fight, make a fort! Oooh! I got an Azura movie, too!" Luz says excitedly. Amity smiled at how happy Luz looked. "What do you guys wanna do first?!" Luz asked. "How about Truth or Dare? I love that game!" Gus suggested. "Oh! Good idea!" Luz says, sitting down. The others joined her. "Who wants to go first?" Luz asked. "Oh! Oh! Me! Pick me!" Gus said eagerly, waving his hand. "Alright then Gus. Truth or Dare?" Luz asked. "Truth!" Gus says. "Do you use illusions of yourself to skip situations like Class or Hanging out with us?" Luz asks. Gus began to sweat nervously. "Hehe...Maybe?" He said. "Answer truthfully, Gus!" Luz crossed her arms. "Okay fine...Yes." Gus said, ashamed. "So when we all hung out those other times, sometimes you were just an illusion?" Luz asked, a bit sad. "Only if I was sick! I swear, I would never hurt your feelings! Promise!" Gus said. "Hmmm...Okay! I believe you!" Luz smiled. Amity watched, smiling as well. She loved how forgiving Luz was, even when others didn't deserve it. "Willow! Truth or Dare!" Gus asked. "Hm...Dare!" Willow says. "I dare you to talk to Hooty and stand there listening to him talk for a whole minute." Gus said. "Oh god." Amity says. "Don't do it Willow! It's not worth it!" Luz adds. "Hmph. I'll do it!" Willow says, walking outside. The others followed her. They hid in the bushes as they watched Willow talk with Hooty. "Hello Hooty. How was your day?" Willow asked politely. "You're talking to me? You're actually talking to me??? Yayyy!!!! Luz has such polite friends! My day was sooooo good! I woke up! I ate dirt! I talked to a bug! Then I ate the bug! I played in some dirt! I played in leaves! I looovvveee leaves! Do you like leaves? I heard you like plants so you must love leaves! I could play in them forever! and ever! and ever! and ever! and-" It went on like this for a full minute. The look on Willow's face said it all. Even a kind, patient girl like her couldn't take it. "It's been a minute! I'm done!!!! Ahhhh!!!!" Willow says, screaming into the bushes. Hooty raised an eyebrow. "Why does that always happen when I talk to people..." He says, disappointed. There was some sorrow in his voice. "Nice! You made it!" Luz high-fived Willow. "Hehe! Thanks!" Willow says. "Oh and Gus?" She turned to him. "Never make me do that again" She tells him with a hidden scariness to her. "R-Right...Sorry Willow..." He says. They all eventually went back inside to continue their game. "Hey Luz. Where's Eda and the others?" Willow asked. "Hm? Oh! Eda and King had to go do some business that'll last the whole night. That's why I picked today to have the sleepover!" She grinned. "Don't worry, I got permission first." She says. "I won't make the same mistake I did when we controlled Hooty that one time." Luz says, laughing nervously. "Hehe. Right..." Willow replied. They sat down and continued with their game. "Alright. Now. Amity, Truth or Dare?" Willow asks. "Truth" Amity replies. "Hm...What is your favorite thing about Luz?" She asks, smirking. Amity immediately turned red. Damn you Willow. "Aww...I can't wait to hear!" Luz smiles. Amity turned even redder at this. DAMN YOU WILLOW!!!! "Well...I..." She couldn't get it into words. "I...ILOVEHEREARS!!!" She said quickly. "I-I really like Luz's soft, r-round ears. They're so c-cute and p-pretty..." Amity says. Luz blushes a bit, grabbing her ears. "Awww! Thanks so much Amity! I know their pretty weird here in the Boiling Isles...so that means a lot. Especially coming from you..." Luz says. Amity blushed madly. She quickly turns away from the sweet human girl. "N-No problem..." She says. "You're turn now!" Luz says, smiling excitedly. "O-Oh! R-Right!" She looks at Luz. "L-Luz! Truth or Dare!" Amity asks. Please say truth. Please say Truth. Please say Tru-. "Dare!" Luz says. Amity sighed. "I dare you to...um..." She tried to think of something clever. "I dare you to recite all of Azura book 1!" She says. "Seriously?! I know that like the back of my hand!" She says, getting up and starting to recite everything. Willow and Gus looked at Amity with deadpan ‘I hate you faces’. It took half an hour for Luz to finish. "Annddd...Done!" Luz says. Everyone except Amity sighed with relief. "My turn now! Amity!" Luz turned to her. "Truth or Dare!" Luz says. "T-Truth!" Amity says. "Who were you going to ask out at Grom???" Luz asked. Amity immediately blushed heavily. Shit!!!! "Um...Dare????" Amity says, looking away nervously. "I dare you to tell me who you were going to ask!" Ahhhh!!!! "F-Fine! It was...someone important to me. Someone who made me believe in myself again and made me want to work even harder to accomplish my goals. I'm impressed by her ability to never give up and to never stop trying, despite their obstacles. They're an inspiration to me." Amity says. Luz's listened with big sparkly eyes which almost filled with tears. "That was...*sniff*...beautiful" She says. "You completely dodged the question." Willow says. "Yeah!" Gus added. "Guys. It's fine. She doesn't have to answer if she doesn't want to." Luz says. "Alright Luz. Truth or Dare." Amity says. "Truth!" Luz replied. "Who...do you have a crush on?" Amity asked, a huge blush filling her cheeks. Her face was completely red. Luz was taken back by this, also blushing a bit. She then smiled. "I have a crush! And her name is..." Amity listened with anticipation. "Education!" Luz winked at Amity. Amity was put off by this. Education? What? "You didn't give me an honest answer, so I won't give you one either." Luz teased. Amity groaned in annoyance and frustration. The game continued on for a few hours. They then played other fun games. Gus and Luz had a pun off. They then had a pillow fight which lasted a long time. Amity had never had so much fun. She laughed loudly. They fought each other, punching with pillows. Willow won, of course. That girl was built like a tank. They then built a pillow fort and watched Azura inside the fort. Everyone was having a great time and almost everyone fell asleep inside the pillow fort while watching the movie. Everyone except Amity. She just couldn't get the diary out of her head. Now more than ever after Luz told her truth. It was wrong, but she needed to know! Amity slowly got out of the fort, careful not to wake anyone up, especially not Luz. She then made her way to Luz's room. There, laying on the table, was Luz's diary. She contemplated what to do. Should she open it and read it? No! It was an invasion of Property! But this is how she'll ever figure out Luz's true feelings. She contemplated and argued with herself for a long time before finally taking the diary and opening it. She read through it. She felt a tinge of guilt. The diary talked about meeting Eda, Going on a chosen one quest that almost got her killed. Oh my god. What?! How much trouble did this girl get into?! She read through Luz's many adventures. She then got to the part where Luz meets Willow and pretends to be an Abomination.  "I didn't like that Amity girl. She was so mean to Willow! She also tried to get me killed at one point!" Amity felt like a dagger just pierced her heart. She felt so much guilt that it weighed her down. She could never forgive herself for that. She continued to read, flipping through the pages. She got to the fight they had. "Today at the Convention, I met that girl Amity again. She insulted King and I challenged her to a witches duel. I may have thought she was a jerk at first, but I realized today that she's just a girl with issues, just like everyone. We had a moment together. I think I got to see the real her. Who knows, maybe we could be Friends? Enemies to Friends trope! I love it!!!" Amity smiled at Luz's dorkiness. She then flipped to the Library Adventure. "I met Amity's brother and sister today...god, why is everyone in that family so hot???" Amity blushed a lot at this. She thinks her brother and sister are hot??? She thinks I'm hot???? She continued to read, flustered. "I met Amity earlier, though she got mad and wanted nothing to do with me. But then I met her siblings. Did I mention they were hot?" Amity screamed loudly in her head. "I thought they were nice at first. I mean, they were nicer to me then Amity was. But then I realized they were Jerks. They wanted to spread Amity's diary throughout the school. I tried to stop them and put the diary away, but I dropped the papers of her diary and Amity caught me. She called me a bully, which I kinda was. I felt awful. I mean, I understand how she felt. I would be upset too if someone read my diary." At this, Amity felt a huge surge of guilt. She shouldn't be doing this. Luz never intended to read her diary, it was an accident. Luz was going to put her diary away. Yet here Amity was, reading Luz's diary with full intention. She was an awful, awful person...yet she felt compelled to read more. "I ran after her to apologize, but we got caught and we almost died because of a stupid mistake I made. I gave her my Azura book afterward, but I still feel awful for reading her diary." She flipped the pages more. "Because of me and my stupid actions again, Eda, Emira, and Edric were captured by a snow creature. I stole Amity's wand and caused all this. Why am I so stupid?!?! Why can't I just be normal and listen for once?! Maybe I should've stayed in the human world..." Amity continued to read. She felt the guilt stabbing her more and more. "I just...I didn't want to be seen as weak in front of Amity. I only knew one spell and I couldn't be in a little kids class...what would Amity think of me?" Amity smiled. She'd think of her all the same. "The important thing is, I learned a new spell and I can be with Amity at Hexside." Amity read this with a blush. What did this mean? She flipped a few more pages until she reached Grom. "Today was...eventful. Amity was pronounced Grom Queen, something that's a bad thing at Hexside. I talked with Amity and I felt really bad for her. So when she asked me later who would take her place, I couldn't help but say I would. She just looked so sad and miserable and I didn't want to see her that way. Not in a million years." Amity smiled at this. "So I took her place and she trained me! Both her and her brother and sister did! Not that it mattered though...I couldn't do it in the end. I couldn't defeat Grom. Not by myself. But then Amity showed up and saved me! Grom ripped something she had and I found out she was going to ask someone to Grom. I felt so bad. Her biggest fear was being rejected. By who? I offered to go to Grom with her and we danced together. It was the best feeling I ever had! We defeated Grom and I couldn't have done it without Amity! For the time I've been here and gotten to know Amity, I've learned she's a very sweet, dorky girl. Dancing with her, I felt so alive. I just wish I knew who she was going to invite to Grom. Being there with her at that moment, I think I finally realized something...that I-" Before she could read more, however, she heard the door slowly creak open as a small "Amity...?" came from behind. Amity turned around with the diary in hand, looking directly at Luz. "What...What are you doing with my Diary?!" Luz quickly walked over to Amity and grabbed it out of her hands. Luz looked at her diary. "L-Luz! I can explain!!!" Amity says, trying defuse the situation. "What is there to explain?!?! You took my diary and read it! These are my personal and private thoughts and you just...read them without a care in the world!!! What is it with you and your family and reading diaries, huh?!" tears began to fill her eyes as Luz looked at her so-called friend. It felt like a huge spear pierced Amity's heart. Guilt surrounded and clouded her thoughts. Seeing her like this...this was her fault. "I thought you of all people would understand what it felt like to have another person read your diary! Was this...was this payback for what happened in the Library?!" Luz asks, hugging her diary tight. "N-NO! Of course not!" Amity reassured. "Then WHY, Amity?!?!" Luz yelled. "I...I-" Amity couldn't find the words. What could she say? Hey, I love you and read your diary to see if you love me back? I invaded your privacy instead of waiting to see if you confess? Amity's guilt began to build up more and more, feeling like the scum of the Earth. Especially now, seeing Luz tear up like that. She never wants to see Luz cry, yet here she was, making her do so. Luz gripped her diary tight, hugging it against her chest. She turned away from Amity as the others came to the door. "Luz? Amity? What's wrong?" Gus asked. "What happened?" Willow added. Luz didn't look at Amity as tears dripped down her cheeks. "I guess you are the bully this time...I really thought you changed....I think you should leave..." Luz told her. Now more than ever, her chest felt like someone shot her. At this point, the guilt was too much to bear as Amity started to tear up. She ran out the room, past the others, and out the Owl House. This was all her fault! She made Luz cry!!! Luz hates her now!!!! Thoughts filled Amity's mind as the tears kept flowing from her eyes and down her cheeks. She was so stupid! She never should've read that diary! Why was she so stupid?!?!?! It felt awful to have Luz read her diary, why would she think Luz wouldn't feel the same way about her??? God! Why was she so stupid?! She finally had a true friend and she ruined it by invading her privacy! The tears wouldn't stop as she ran all the way home. The Twins looked at each other, concerned for their baby sister as they stood outside her door. They could hear crying coming from her room. It was concerning, to say the least. Something must have happened at the Sleepover. But what? Emira knocked first. "Mittens? You okay?" She asked. "Go away!!!!" Amity replied behind the door. "C'mon Mittens...we're worried. What happened?" Edric said. "I'm a monster!!!! That's what happened! Now leave me alone!" Amity said, still crying. Edric and Emira sighed, looking at each other. "If you don't let us in, we'll tell mom and dad." Emira said. It was silent for a moment. Then the door could be heard unlocking. The door opened and standing there was Amity. Her eyes were red and dry from all the crying. "Oh mittens..." Emira said. "Hurry up and come in!" Amity said, going back to her bed. She put her face on her pillow. The Twins walked in, closing the door behind them. They both sat on the end of the Bed. "Tell us what happened." Edric said. "What's making you so upset?" Emira added. "If I tell you, will you go away?" Amity asked, face still buried in her pillow. "...Fine." Emira said. "Just tell us, okay?" Edric added. Amity sat up, her eyes still sore from crying. "I...I read Luz's diary. She caught me and was upset. She yelled at me and cried. I made Luz cry!" Tears began to well up again. "I'm a monster!" She says. "Jeez mittens, that's pretty low, even for you." Edric said, who was immediately elbowed by Emira. "Oh don't give me that crap!!! You're the ones who wanted to spread my diary throughout the entire school!" She glared. "Yeah...but we apologized and figured out the error of our ways. But you knew reading others diary's was wrong. What made you want to read your only friend's diary so bad?" Emira asked. Amity looked away from them. She stared at the ground with a sorrowful look. She blushed a lot. "I...I'm in love with Luz." She said. "Knew it." Edric said, who got punched by Emira again. "I mean...Really?!" Amity just glared at them again. "I wanted to know if she had the same feelings I did, okay?!?! It was wrong and I was stupid and I made her cry! What kinda monster makes the ones you love cry?!" Amity cried into Emira's chest. Emira was taken aback by it, but hugged her younger sister. Edric joined in too. "Listen Mittens. We read your diary and you forgave us, right?" Emira asked. "No." Amity said. Emira and Edric were taken aback by that. "Okay. We deserved that one." Edric stated. "But still. Luz still hung out with us after what happened in the library. She's a really sweet girl and forgiving. I'm sure if you give her time and apologize, everything'll be fine." Emira stated. "R-Really?" Amity asked. "Yeah! No problem, alright?" Edric added. "I hope you're right..." The next day, Amity got ready for school and put on her uniform. She realized she forgot her bag at Luz's place. ...Great. Amity took her books and had an Abomination carry them. As she walked to Hexside, she felt a sense of dread. Walking inside the building, she was met immediately with Boscha. "Girl! I knew you were just messing around!" She says, laughing. "Wh-What are you talking about?" Amity asked. "Well...a little birdy told me you read the human's diary~ HAHA! Nice one! Glad to have the old Amity back!" Boscha said. Amity grew red with anger, upset. "Where did you hear about that?!?!" She demanded. "I heard half-a-witch Willow talking about it. Naturally, I told everyone." She smirked. "You're welco-" Amity pushed Boscha to the ground. "Hey! What the heck-" Amity's glare pierced Boscha. "Stay Away from me, Boscha." Amity growled. Boscha cowered on the floor, intimidated. Amity walked to her locker, ignoring the whispers and gossip. She put her books in her locker, feeling ashamed. She then turned around. She flinched, walking back as Luz appeared in front of her. How long was she standing there behind her??? Luz didn't even look at Amity, just handed her her bag. "Here...you forgot this at the owl house..." She said, immediately walking away once Amity had her bag. "Luz! Wait!" Luz stopped, not looking at Amity. "I-I'm sorry..." Amity said. "Me too..." Luz said, continuing to walk away. Amity wanted to go after her, but stopped herself. She just gripped her bag, running to class. It was a miserable day so far. Classes went by slowly. Lunch period came and Amity looked over to see the 3 friends eating. Luz looked just as miserable as her. She then caught a glimpse of Willow, who was staring back at Amity. Only...she was glaring. Amity looked away and sat at a table by herself, eating. It went on like this all day. The miserable day was finally over and she went to her locker, sighing. She then turned around and was once again frightened by someone behind her. Why does that keep happening?! She then saw who it was... It was Willow. Willow stood there in front of Amity, not saying a word. You could cut the tension with butter. This lasted for a while until Amity gathered the courage to speak. "I'm Sorr-" She was immediately cut off by Willow grabbing her collar and slamming her into the locker. "You don't get to apologize! Not to me!" Willow glared. Amity sweat nervously. "I don't get you!!! First your a jerk, then you're nice, then you're a jerk again?!?! Pick one already!!!!!" Willow yelled. "Luz was the one who finally made us friends again! And you repay her by reading her diary and telling everyone at Hexside?!?! What is wrong with you?!?!" Willow demanded. "I-I...I'm sorry..." Willow groaned. "Don't apologize! What made you read her diary, huh?! What could have possibly made you do such a thing?!?!" Willow asked eagerly. "TELL ME!" She yelled. "I'M IN LOVE WITH LUZ!!!!!" Amity blurted out. Willow was taken aback by the sudden outburst. "Okay?!?! I'm in love with Luz!!!! I just wanted to know if she loved me too! I was stupid and wrong to read her diary! Especially after what happened at the library! But I just wanted to know! I can't confess to her, so I wanted to find out for myself!" Amity stated. "I hurt her feelings and it's all my fault. Boscha told the whole school and now you and everyone thinks I'm back to my old ways. I just want everything to go back to normal. I want friends again. Real Friends! But I know she hates me now and I'll never ever have friends again..." She crouched to the ground, crying. "Why am I like this?! Why am I so stupid?! I finally have true friends and I screw it all up!" The tears wouldn't stop. "Luz...I'm so sorry..." She mumbles. Amity was crouched on the floor crying for a long time before she felt someone hug her. It was Willow. "It's okay. I get it now. Stop crying...please." She said. "Wh-What-" Willow shushed her. "Shh. Listen, I'm not going to fully forgive you for what you did, but I'm going to help you make amends with Luz. She's just as devastated as you are, right now. So I'm doing this for Luz. But you better not screw it up this time, okay?" Willow smiled. Amity hugged her tightly. "Thanks Willow..." Willow smiled. "What're friends for?" At Amity's house, both Willow and Amity were planning many different ways Amity could make it up to Luz. It had to be something big. Something that would knock her socks off. "Don't you think this is too much? I'm sure if you talked to Luz and apologized, she'd listen and understand." Willow stated. "I tried that...It won't work. I have to do something special. Something she'll love..." Amity says, looking through the plans laid out on the table with a determined look on her face. Her focus was cut short after hearing a "Can we help?" from behind. Amity turned around to see her brother and sister, Edric and Emira. "Really? You'd help?" Amity asked. "Anything to see our baby sister happy again~ It sucks seeing you and Luz so sad. Kinda makes teasing you guys not so fun." Edric said. "And we want to see you be friends again." Emira added. "...Alright then." Amity says. "I think I have an idea...but we'll need one more person." Just then, the doorbell rang. Amity got up and answered it. Standing there at the door was Gus. "Uh...hey?" Amity said. "Listen! I'm here because Willow asked me to come. I'm doing this for Luz, so don't get any ideas, Diary Reader!" Gus walked in, squinting at Amity without losing eye contact as he walked backwards toward the others, making a scissors gesture from his eyes to hers repeatedly. Okaayyy...that was weird. "Aren't your parents gonna be mad that we're here?" Willow asked. "Nah. They're out working. They usually don't get back for a day or two. That's why us and mittens over here have so much time on our hands~" Edric says. "I won't tell if you won't, cutie~" Emira adds, winking at Willow. Willow blushed a bit at this. "Ugh! Emira! Stop bothering her! Listen up! I got a plan and I need everyone's help." She says, laying out plans on the table. Everyone looked over Amity's shoulders. "...You really think that's gonna work?" Edric asked. "Looks fun~" Emira added. "Wow" Gus stated. "I can't believe you planned this all out..." Willow said. "Of course I did. Now, here's what we're gonna do..." Luz was in her room. She laid on her sleeping bag, back toward the ceiling. Everything was currently a mess. Her hair. Her room. Everything She just couldn't believe it. Amity, who finally became her friend, who became friends with Willow again, who she danced with at Grom...just betrayed her trust just like that. Why? What could possibly have made her do that? Payback for her reading Amity's Diary? But Amity knew it wasn't intentional, right? Was she just pretending to be her friend the whole time waiting to get payback? That just doesn't seem like her... Needless to say, When Eda and King got home, they noticed Luz's change in behavior. She wasn't her usual bubbly energetic self. It wasn't long until they found out what happened. Eda was ready to kill Amity but Luz stopped her. Both Eda, King, and Hooty stood at the entrace of Luz's room watching her in her depressive state. Eda hated to see Luz like this. "I swear that kid's gonna get it!!! She did this to Luz!" Eda says, pacing in anger. "This is bad...she didn't even get excited when you offered to teach her some new magic." King stated. "Maybe I can sing her a song! Hoot!!!" Hooty suggested. Both King and Eda yelled "NO!!!". "You're not helping Hooty!" Eda said. "I swear, I see that Amity girl again, I'll-" Just then, there was a knock at the door. Eda walked over to the door and opened it. Standing there was Amity. "Hello Miss Edalyn. May I speak to-" Immedietly, the door was slammed in her face. Eda was fuming. There was another knock at the door. The door opened again. "Listen here, you little shi-" She then realized it was Willow and Gus. "Oh! It's you. Sorry...I thought you were someone else. Come here to see Luz? She's a bit of a mess right now. Maybe you guys can cheer her up?" Eda says. "That's what we're gonna try to do, miss." Willow says. "May we come in?" She asks. "Huh? Oh yeah, sure..." She let's them in as she looks around. "Where did that little jerk run off to...?" Eda said under her breath. She shrugged it off and walked back inside, closing the door. Hiding in the bushes was Amity, sighing. "Knew that wouldn't work..." Walking into Luz's room, Gus and Willow looked around. The room was a huge mess. Glyph papers everywhere, books scattered all over the place, clothes here and there. Luz looked even worse. She wore her night clothes, not even bothering to change this morning. "Luz...?" Willow said. Luz groaned, her face in a pillow. "Luz, it's us...Willow and Gus." Luz turned on her back, still groaning. "Hey guys..." She said, not a care in her voice. Willow sighed. "Listen Luz, you can't just stay in your room and waste away just because of what happened..." She stated. "Watch me." Luz replied. "Maybe if you got out, you'd feel better." Gus said. "Doubt it..." Luz replied once again. Gus and Willow looked each other, concerned. "C'mon. Let's go do something!" Willow says, helping Luz up. Luz just had a dead look to her, sighing. "Don't feel like it" She says, falling back on the floor, face first. "This is gonna be harder than we thought..." Gus said. Willow rubbed her chin. "Hm...Oh! Did I mention there's an Azura convention happening today?" Immedietly, Luz lit up. "Azura Convention? Here?! Today?!?! RIGHT NOW?!?!?!" Luz got up excitedly and put on the nearest clothes she could find and ran out the door. "C'mon! C'mon! C'mon!" Luz said, already outside the Owl House. "Hurry up!" Luz yelled excitedly. Gus looked at Willow. "Azura convention?" He said, raising an eyebrow. "Hehehe...I'm only half right, y'know." Willow said, smiling and shrugging. "At least it got her outside." "Hurryyy" Luz said. "Coming!" Willow says as both she and Gus join their impatient friend. As they walked through the woods, Luz looked around. "So where is it?! Are there any Azura merch stands? People in costumes? Fanart?" She gasps. "Book Signings????" She grinned. She then realized something, immedietly changing her mood. "Do...Do you think Amity will be there...?" She says sadly, looking at the ground. Willow and Gus immediately panicked. "A-Ah! I'm sure she's at home studying!" Willow reassured her. "Y-Yeah! You know how she is with H-Homework and all that." Gus added. "Yeah...I guess your right..." Luz says, continuing to walk. Willow and Gus sighed with relief. That was a close one. "It's just behind those trees." Willow said, pointing at Trees with light shining through them. Luz smiled. "I can't wait to meet other..." She looked at what she saw in complete shock. "...fans.." What she saw was Green Plant-like statues of Luzura. There were a lot like it. Some, plant. Others, Illusions. It was a collection of all the things Luz loved, from Azura to Cats. Illusions of her adventures here in the Boiling Isles. Luz couldn't help but cry a bit. "You did all this...for me?" Luz asked. "We wanted to cheer you up!!!" Gus said excitedly. "You weren't yourself so we wanted to do something for you." Willow stated. "Though to be honest...this wasn't our idea." Willow said. "It was mine..." a voice said behind Luz, who turned around to see Amity, the twins leaning on her, much to her annoyance. "We helped too!" Edric said. "But Mittens came up with the plans." Emira added. Luz stood there in shock, trying to process everything. "I just wanted to make up for what I did. I know it may not be enough but-" Amity was then cut off. "It isn't." Luz said coldly. "Wh-What?" "It isn't enough! You think doing all this will make me forgive you?!" Luz said, tears flowing down her cheeks. "You broke my trust! I trusted you! I thought you were my friend and you just read my diary like it wasn't full of my personal thoughts and private information??? You spread that you read it all around the school! And you think just because you did all this, I'll forgive you???? Was everything a lie?! Was all the time we spent together as friends just so you could get payback for what happened in the library?!?!" Amity was taken aback. "Luz...I- No!" Luz clenched her fist tightly. "At least when I read your diary, I never meant to! You just read it, knowing it was wrong! Did our frienship...really mean nothing to you????" Luz says, tears filling her eyes as she turned around and ran away into the forest. Amity stood there, devastated. She was in shock, trying to process it all. It felt like daggers pierced her entire body. So much guilt weighed on her. She collapsed to her knees. Everything around her blocked out. Everything except... "Go after her!!!". "What?" Amity said. "I said, go after her!!!!" Willow yelled. Go after her. Go after Luz. Amity, with a determined look on her face, immedietly got up and ran after Luz. Amity ran after Luz as fast as her legs could take her. In the forest, Amity looked everywhere for Luz. Her head went in all different directions. "Luz?! Luz, where are you?! It's dangerous in the forest!!!" Amity yelled. At this point, she panicked. Everything went so horribly wrong. Ugh! Why was she so stupid?!?! Of course Luz wouldn't forgive her for something like that...Amity just stood in the forest, crouching on the ground. She hugged her knees, tears falling down her cheeks. "I really am just a stupid idiot, aren't I? I'm sorry Luz..." She said, staring at the ground. Amity stayed like this for a while until she heard crying. It came from somewhere else, so it wasn't her own. "...Huh?" Amity says, turning to the source. She got up and slowly walked over to a huge boulder, the crying getting closer and closer. "...Luz?" She asked, nearing the corner. Immediately, Luz saw Amity and flinched, turning away from her. She hugged her knees, looking away from Amity with tears in her eyes. "G-Go away!" She said. Amity just sighed, sitting next to her. Amity leaned against the boulder, looking up. She then hugged her own knees, burying her face in them. The two girls sat there with hugged knees in silence. This lasted for a long time until Amity gathered the courage to speak. "I...I really am sorry..." She said. She turned to look at Luz, who was still faced away from her. "About what you said earlier...our friendship really did matter to me. More so than you think..." She said, looking down at the ground. "Then Why?" Amity looked up to see Luz staring at her, tears in her eyes. "Why did you do it?! Why did you read my diary?!?! You, of all people, should know how it feels to have another person read your diary! It was an accident, I never wanted to read your diary back at the library, but It fell. You on the other hand, read it knowing it was wrong...I trusted you. I thought you were my friend. But you broke my trust just like that..." Luz said, looking at the ground away from Amity, crossing her arms and leaning against the boulder. "Why would you do that? What made you risk our friendship so badly? Revenge for the Library Incident? Something else? I just want to know...If not, I don't think I can forgive you..." She said. "I..." Amity didn't know what to say. Hearing those words, she felt like a dagger pierced her heart. She breathed in slowly. This was what made her do all this in the first place. All because she couldn't find the right words. She was going to do this right. She had to. "I just wanted to know...if you loved me too." Amity finally admitted. "Wh...What?" Luz said, turning to Amity. "I wanted to know if you loved me too. For the longest time, Luz, I've loved you. It started ever since we talked at the Covention. You showed me your light magic and I broke off our deal. Then after the Library incident, the thoughts just kept coming and coming. And then we became friends. We fought a snow creature together and saved our family, We saved Willow together, restoring her memories and my friendship with her...even though it was practically my fault. All those times I spent with you just made my feelings for you worse and worse. Finally, Grom came and I decided enough was enough. I spent all night writing a note to ask you to prom. But I was too scared to give it to you...then I was picked as Grom Queen and my luck went from Bad to Worse. I was on my way to give the note to you until you showed up and hit me with a stick. Not really a great situation to give a Grom note to..." Amity says, rubbing the back of her neck. "I was just upset and then you did something I thought no one would do...you offered to take my place. That's when I realized what kind of person you are...you're a sweet, loving, kind person, Luz. I helped you train and when I met you in the hall later that night, I wanted to give you the note, but I backed out again. Then we fought Grom and he turned into you...ripping my note." Amity stated, looking down. "So your fear was being rejected by...me?" Luz asked. "Yeah...But then you offered to go to Grom with me and we danced, defeating Grom. It really did make me feel alive. But I felt awful not giving you the note...I should have just given it to you, but I was scared...I didn't know how you'd react." Amity stated. "I didn't know if you liked me back cause I never had the courage to give you my note. My fear overcame me." She said. "So when you invited me to the Owl House for a sleepover and saw your diary...I just couldn't help myself. I had to know if you liked me back. I couldn't just ask you...I was too scared. But what I did was wrong and I understand if you hate me now and never forgive me...I screwed up my chances of ever being with you or telli-" Before Amity could say more, however, she felt a hug. Luz hugged her tightly. "I don't hate you...and I forgive you..." Luz said, hugging Amity tighter. "I'm sorry...I didn't know..." Luz said. She let Amity go and leaned against the boulder again. "You're stronger than I'll ever be Amity...I'm sorry you thought that I would ever do that to you...the truth is...I love you too." Amity looked at Luz in shock. What? What did she say? "I just thought that...a human girl who doesn't have any magic wasn't good enough for you. You're so strong, powerful, and prestigious." She says. "People say your part of the Blight family, who are very high in class. Your at the top of all your classes. Everybody respects you and admires you. What am I compared to that?" Luz says. "I'm just a human who draws on paper..." She says, drawing in the ground. Amity quickly turned to her. "No! You're more than that! You're kind, bubbly, caring! I love everything about you!" Amity states, making Luz blush. "You're always there for your friends and always put yourself above others! You're very sweet..." Amity says. "Who cares about class?!?! I love you, Luz. Even if you're human!" She says, a determined look on her face. "R-Really?" Luz asks. "Of course!" Amity smiles. They both slowly get closer to each other, their lips almost touching. "Hey! There you are, Mittens!" Edric says, above the boulder leaning down to see them. "Oops, Sorry. Don't mind us~ Did we interrupt something important?" Emira added. "Looks like you too made up. That's good!" Edric says. He then turned to the left. "Hey! We found them!!!!" Edric yelled. "Amity! Luz! There you are!!!!!" Willow says. "Don't run off like that, Luz!" Gus added. Both Luz and Amity just sat there, frozen and almost about to kiss. Then Amity grew red. "Ugh!!! Why do you two always do this?!?!" She said. Luz just giggled. "Haha... It's fine, Amity. Really." Luz said, getting up. "So you two are friends again?" Gus asked. "Yep!" Luz says, putting her arm over Amity's shoulder as she gets up. Amity blushed being so close to Luz. "That's great!" Willow says. "I'm glad everything worked out." Willow smiled happily. "Now. Can we get out of this forest already?" Edric says, starting to walk. Everyone followed after him. As they walked, Amity and Luz looked at each other, smiling. They didn't even have to say a word. Walking together, holding each other's hand was enough...

General Audiences

Luz unlocked the door to the house and headed for the kitchen, setting her school things on the dining room table. Mami had told her that she would be home late and that there were habichuelas in the fridge for her to heat up, so while she waited for them to heat up, she sat down and started some school work, but she found herself unable to focus on anything she read.   At school, one of her classmates had brought up her dad again, and it had been on her mind since her second block. She had been mulling over it all day and she couldn’t quite place why it had bothered her so much this time. She should be used to the comments by now, after all, she’d been dealing with them for 14 years. It wasn’t that her mamá wasn’t enough, she cared for Luz and supported her even when she didn’t get what she was on about. Her mamá was always there for her and dealt with Luz even when Luz couldn’t deal with herself. It shouldn’t have bothered her this much, but Luz couldn’t seem to shake the comment off this time.   She sat there lost in thought. Mami had always been very open about everything. She and Luz always shared everything with each other. Even when Luz was questioning, the first person she went to for advice was her mom. They told each other everything, but when it came to her parentage, her usually smiley and happy Mami had always gotten quiet and solemn, never answering and excusing herself looking as if Luz had just struck her. Luz had learned it was better to quit asking by the time she was around six years old, but as she sat there ruminating over it, the stove’s timer interrupted, reminding her about her food. She shut off the stove, served herself a bowl, and went back to her seat, her thoughts still lingering on her classmate’s comment.   When she finished up her food, Luz decided she would do some investigating. She knew if she asked her mamá it would just bring back the pained expression that seemed to appear anytime she asked in the past, so that wasn’t an option. She thought about where she would start her sleuthing as she cleaned up her plate.When she glanced at the clock, it read 4:13. I can get in and out of Mami’s room in an hour, she thought to herself, and so off she went.   Once in Mami’s room, Luz decided to start with the most obvious places like under the bed, in the bureau, the closet, and the bathroom. After looking and finding nothing, she looked at the clock and saw she only had about twenty minutes before her mamá got home. Looking downcast, head bowed in disappointment, she started towards the door, making sure she’d left everything in order, but as she got to the left side of the bed, she felt something move under her feet. At first she had thought it was just the yellow rug her mamá had under her bed and thought nothing of it, but remembering all the fantasy and adventure books she read, she backtracked and hastily lifted the rug to expose the worn floorboards underneath. “Ha!” she exclaimed to herself when she noticed a notch just the right size to put a finger in on a wiggly floorboard and decided to put her theory to the test.   She reached to try and move the floorboard, but she hesitated. She had been all caught up in the possibility that she could find something about her dad, she hadn’t thought about what she was looking for. For example, why would Mami even have anything about her father? Especially when the mere mention of the man left her mother a shell of herself. But on the other hand, Luz felt she was old enough to at least know what her dad looked like, what his name was, or even just what his ethnicity was. After considering both sides of the argument her mind had created, she reached out and wiggled the floorboard. When it finally gave out and she’d opened it, she saw three items: an envelope, a weird looking key, and a button that looked like it belonged on a blazer. But before she could examine any of the objects any further, she heard the familiar sound of her mamá's car door closing. She froze at the sound and after a second, Mami’s footsteps snapped her out of her stupor and she scrambled to put everything back to the way it was when she entered.   When her mamá walked in, Luz had just barely managed to sit down at the table and stage it as if she’d been doing an assignment. Her mamá entered asking, “Ey, Lucita, ¿cómo estás, mija? Did you eat yet?”   “Sí Mami, comí un plato de habichuelas,” Luz answered. “They were good, but ahora, I’m doing some…” Luz trailed off as she looked down at which textbook she’d grabbed. “Biology?” she finished.    Her mamá gave her a puzzled look, but just shrugged and sighed, “Okay mija, voy a bañarme, let me know if you need anything. I’ll eat after.” With a kiss on Luz’s head, she went to take a shower, leaving Luz alone with her thoughts again.    I wonder what that button was, she thinks to herself. And that key. It had a weird eye on it. The envelope had a name on it. Eda. It looked to be her mamá’s handwriting, but Luz doesn’t know any Eda, and she had never heard Mami mention one, but deciding that enough was enough, Luz got up to splash some water on her face and opened her homework to finally get started on her assignments. Her mind kept wandering, and when Mami came back out to eat and spend some time with her daughter, Luz had only finished one of her three assignments for the night. Upon hearing this, her mamá asked her if she’d taken her booster today, and Luz, although she had, pretended to get sheepish and shook her head. Mami just shook her head warily. “Ay mija, what are we gonna do with you?” she asked in a teasing tone.   When she finally finished, she joined her mamá in the living room, where she found her watching the Hispanic news anchor ramble about something going on in Bolivia. She tuned it out in favor of going back to thinking about the things she had found. The name kept swirling around her head. She couldn’t think why her mamá would go to such lengths to keep an envelope, a key, and a button hidden from her. She didn’t think it involved her dad anymore, but her mind had moved on from the comments from earlier that day, instead focusing on that name. Eda . Why had Mami never mentioned her? And the button: now that she thought about it, the button had an engraving on it. Her thoughts were going a thousand miles per hour, and eventually she came to a resolution. Tomorrow before Mami comes home, I’m going to go back and examine the stuff better.   With that in mind, she got up from the couch, said good night to Mami, and headed upstairs to sleep. Luz hadn’t been able to focus on school all day. Her thoughts just kept coming back to the items she’d found the previous day. When her mamá told her she’d be home even later than yesterday, instead of the usual disappointment, she nearly fell out of her seat in excitement as she read the message. She ignored the weird looks her classmates sent her way, more focused on the fact that she would get to do more investigating.   She got through her last two blocks of the day, and the second she heard the bell ring, she was out the door, sprinting home, wanting to make the most out of the four hours she had alone.   When she finally got home, she kicked her shoes off and swung her school bag off of her shoulder, half running, half sliding into Mami's room. She found the loose floorboard and wasted no time on opening it. Only then did she finally slow down. She realized that her hands were shaking and sweaty from running the two miles it takes to get home. In an attempt to keep the items from getting sweaty, she went into her mamá’s bathroom to grab a tissue to grab the items with. After finally getting them out, she took them to the living room, forgetting to put the floorboard and rug back how she found them.   When she finally sat down and laid the items out in front of her, she saw the envelope had a piece of tape keeping it closed, so she decided to start with the key and button while she waited for her hands to get stable enough to open it without tearing the envelope.   Luz wiped her hands with the tissue and reached for the button. It was a golden color, and it looked a little worn, but taken care of. The metal was still shiny and Luz brought it close to her face to get a closer look at the engraving. It looked like an emblem; there was what looked to be a… cauldron? It was sitting in fire and had a book with a snake biting its own tail in the shape of an infinity sign on it. Under the image, it said Hexside School on a ribbon that wrapped around the fire. That made Luz pause. She tried to remember if her mamá had ever mentioned a Hexside when talking about her education, but she couldn’t think of a moment when she had. Shrugging it off as something she could figure out later, she reached for the key, putting the button back on the coffee table. The key resembled the keys they have in medieval fantasy, but as Luz examined the strange, yellow eye on the handle, she noticed the key had started to vibrate slightly, glowing a bit as it did so. With a yelp, Luz dropped the key back on the table and scrambled backward in surprise, trying to put some distance between herself and it.   When she realized the key had stopped vibrating and glowing, she collected herself and resolved not to touch the key until she finished checking out the envelope, since she’d crumpled up the tissue from earlier and thrown it in the dustbin next to the couch. She was meticulous about taking the tape off, wanting to avoid leaving evidence that she’d opened it. When she finally got the tape off, she reached in carefully, and she felt the gloss of picture paper. This only piqued her interest even more, and as she laid her eyes on the first picture, she was surprised to see her mamá at what looked to be around 16 years old. She stood with her arm around another person. She assumed, given the name on the envelope, that this was Eda. She had the biggest, brightest head of hair Luz had ever seen. It was a bright orange, but the other thing that caught her attention was the color of Eda’s eyes. They looked almost yellow. Luz thought it was a little weird, but her eyes could be a trick of the light. Eda was admiring Mami’s face, looking at her as if she had placed the stars in the sky. Her mamá had her eyes closed and was laughing as if a joke had just been told, her glasses sliding down her nose a bit. But while her Mami was wearing 90s fashion, the girl next to her was wearing a black shawl over what looked to be a grey tunic. Her sleeves were yellow and the shawl had a button that looked just like the one on the table in front of her.   The next photo was of her mamá, again with Eda. This time, though, it was Mami looking at Eda as if she’d placed the stars in the sky. They looked a little older too. Eda was no longer wearing the shawl. She had replaced it with a weird, but more normal looking outfit consisting of a bright red shirt, yellow rimmed sunglasses, and a jean jacket. Luz saw that one of Eda’s canines had been replaced by a golden fang and noticed her hair looked as if it were going grey. Since people don’t usually start to grey in their early twenties or late teens, she moved on to the other pictures, waiving off the grey hair. But when she noticed the amount of grey hair only grew, she retracted her idea of it being a simple trick of the light. The rest of the photos were all similar: her mamá and Eda in positions that looked a little much to be platonic. She noticed Eda’s eyes stayed covered in the rest of the photos though, so it was hard to check if the golden yellow eyes from the first picture were accurate, but that escaped her mind as Luz got the final photo.   In the last photo, Mami, who looked to be in her mid twenties, was kissing Eda. Her mamá looked elated and had tears coming out of her eyes. Eda’s expression was somewhere between smug and surprised, and her golden tooth was shining in the light. Eda had a blush on her face and this time she didn’t wear anything to obstruct her eyes and her eyes were wide open, and it confirmed that Eda’s eyes were actually that golden yellow color from the other picture. Luz sat there dumbfounded, her mind stuck on the fact that not only was her mamá kissing someone, but that someone seemed to be a woman. Luz decided she’d come back to it at some later point, but she looked back at the photo, and this time, without the surprise of the kiss, she noticed her mamá had the key with the eye tied around her neck. She thought it was peculiar her mamá was wearing a key, but even more peculiar was the house in the background. The house looked oddly familiar, and after thinking for a second, she remembered where from. It was the old rundown house that was just past the edge of the woods near the end of their road. Though in the photo, it didn’t look half as bad; in fact, the house looked new. She looked back at the clock and noticed she still had two hours until Mami came home, so she carefully put the photos back in the envelope and grabbed a new tissue to retrieve the key from where it had landed earlier and the other two items in her school bag. With that, she put her shoes back on and set off toward the desolate house.     When she got to the house, she wasn’t surprised to find it in worse condition than the last time she’d visited. A banister on the front had broken in half and the roof now had a hole in it, as if a tree had fallen on it. The house had been built in the 2000s, but the owners had never moved in, so it just weathered away with time. All of the neighborhood kids told stories of how it was haunted and teens would be found partying or holding séances there from time to time.    Her mamá had always told her to stay away from it because it was dangerous, and Luz mostly obeyed, but sometimes she let her curiosity get the best of her and she’d wander near the house, but she’d never so much as stepped on the steps that led up to the porch, not even when the neighbor's kids had dared her to go up and knock on the door.    Mami’s warnings and the stories she’d been told about the house lingered in her head, making her stomach squirm and her palms sweaty as she stood before the foreboding house. Clenching her fists and squeezing her eyes shut, she took in a deep breath, and stepped on the first step. She paused, as she did so, as if waiting for a punishment or curse that never came. When she realized that nothing had happened, she opened her eyes and let out the breath she’d been holding, continuing quickly and cautiously into the house.   The house was covered in trash and graffiti. There wasn’t any furniture, but the original paint could still be seen in most places. Luz continued through, finding the house had three bedrooms, an incredibly rundown kitchen, two bathrooms, what looked to be a study, and a small dining room. There didn’t seem to be anything she connected to her mamá or Eda, so she went back to the living room to find the envelope to examine the photo more closely, but in the process, her hand touched the key again and the vibrating and glowing came back, but stronger this time. She hastily moved her hand back, but when she remembered the key had been around Mami’s neck in the photo in front of the house, she reached back for it. If I haven’t found anything so far, maybe the key will help , she thought to herself, There had to be a reason Mami had it around her neck in only that photo .   As she wrapped her hand around the key, it immediately started vibrating and glowing again, but this time, Luz was ready for it. She noticed the key was not only vibrating, but it seemed to pull her too, and she decided to follow the strange pull. The key led her back through the house and back into the primary bedroom. The key at this point was vibrating so violently that Luz was struggling to keep a good grip on it. The glow it was emanating kept getting brighter as well, basking everything in the room in its white light. She noticed the key was leading her to one of the closets, and when she opened it, there was an equally luminescent glow coming from the top shelf. She reached for the object emanating the light. It was some kind of suitcase with an eye matching the key’s.   In her struggle to try and keep the key from jumping out of her hand while she got the suitcase down, Luz’s thumb pressed something on the handle of the key, and suddenly, the already bright light somehow increased, blinding Luz. She stumbled, disoriented by the sudden loss of her vision. She held her arms out, looking for the door frame of the closet, but as she passed through it, she felt a rush of wind and her stomach flipped as if she were falling, but as she reoriented herself, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to bring her surroundings back into focus. When they finally adjusted, she found herself in what seemed to be some sort of storage room. She looked around and then back in the direction she had come from, and she saw the suitcase had changed into a glowing doorway. But as she was about to run back to try and go back through it, she felt a hand grab the hoodie of her shirt, pulling her backwards. “Let me go! I have to get back!” she yelled as she tried her best to escape, but as she did so, she suddenly felt her mind get fuzzy and her vision faded to black. When Luz woke up, her brain felt foggy and her eyes were unfocused. She groaned as she sat up, trying to remember when she’d fallen asleep. She forced her eyes to refocus, rubbing them with both hands. When her vision finally cleared, she took one look at her surroundings and realized that she was definitely not home.    She hastily tried to stand, but felt herself get lightheaded and unsteady after a few seconds of standing, opting to sit back down in fear of passing out again. From her seat, she looked around in stunned surprise, trying to orient herself in her strange, new surroundings, but before she could look too closely, she heard a set of voices moving toward her from another room. Panicking as they got closer, she realized that if she tried to run, she wouldn’t make it very far in her state, but if she stayed where she was, who knew what the people approaching would do. After quickly weighing her options, she decided to go with pretending to still be unconscious, that way she could give herself some time to formulate a plan and her head some time to clear the brain fog she had woken up with.   As the door opened and two sets of footsteps entered the room, Luz heard one of the voices she’d heard say, “I dunno what to tell ya, King. The kid looks so much like her, and Cami was the only person I ever gave that key to, I couldn’t’ve just let the first person to use it in 15 years go when they had it with them.”    Luz tried to remember why the name Cami struck a chord with her, but her head still felt as if it was filled with cotton, and before she could dwell on it further, she heard who she assumed was King speak in a high-pitched, squeaky voice, “I know, but did you really have to bring her here? She smells strange, like…” she heard what sounded like a dog sniffing at the air, “I don’t even know, but I don’t like it,” King huffed.   “It’s just temporary, King, I just need her to wake up so we can ask her some questions. She might know Cami,” the first voice said hopefully, but it deflated quickly as it continued, “or maybe not, but either way she can at least tell me where she got the key from.” Hearing the name again cleared a bit of the fog in Luz’s head, but she still couldn’t think of why the name sounded so familiar. It reminded her of someone close to her, but just as she attempted to follow that train of thought through her muddled brain, King’s voice interrupted her thoughts, snapping her attention back to the conversation going on.    “Fine, I’ll deal with the weird smelling human,” King responded, “but only if you promise you’ll bring me some of those crackers you always get the generic brand of; I expect real Kraken Crisps, Eda, not…” Upon hearing the name, Luz stopped listening, feeling as if she’d just been drenched in ice water, the fog in her brain clearing. How did I not connect the dots? Luz thought to herself, It was right in front of me.   Cami was a nickname her mamá had mentioned going by when she was younger, and the key and portal: Where else would they lead other than the mysterious Eda from the envelope? It felt so obvious now that Luz thought of it, but it also brought new questions to the forefront of her mind. Like, why did it sound like her mamá and Eda hadn’t seen each other in 15 years? Did they have an argument? And why did Mami have the items hidden under a floorboard, unused if she and Eda seemed to be so important to each other? Why not use the portal to see each other? Luz started to spiral, her mind going a thousand miles a minute. Every question she asked herself only brought up more questions and those brought up even more. She kept this up until her thoughts were interrupted by the voice she now knew was Eda sounding a lot closer than it had been before.    “Well, now that you mention it, the kid should be awake by now. The spell I cast wasn’t very strong, it should've worn off a while ago,” she heard Eda say. Luz felt her mouth go dry, feeling, presumably, Eda’s presence near her head. She decided to keep on with her act, but then she felt a cold finger poke her forehead, it startled her eyes open and made her yelp. Eda flinched at the sound and scrambled back a little when she saw Luz open her eyes. Luz knew this was her chance to book it, but just as she was about to make a run for it, she saw what looked like the cutest little dog with a little skull on its head and impulsively decided she just had to pet it.   Before she could think twice, she’d gotten up and ran to him, exclaiming, “¡Ay, que lindo! ” as she scooped him up.   She held out the dog to continue to coo at it, but when her brain caught up with what she had just done, Luz froze, put the little guy down, and apologized to him quietly.  She was taken aback when he responded, her eyes wide like saucers when she realized he was speaking.   “As you should be,” he said. “Does no one in this house realize that I am the fearsome King of Demons? You should be trembling before me, not hugging me like I’m some baby,” letting out a disgruntled huff as he continued, crossing his arms as he looked up at her.   Luz slowly backed away with her hands up, amusement evident on her face as she looked down at his cute little pout and replied, “Woah, woah, woah, you can talk?!”    King just scoffed at her. “Of course I can talk. I’m not a dog,” he answered, rolling his eyes as he turned on his heel to leave the room. Luz stood there, staring after him as he left muttering angrily under his breath, but then someone behind her cleared their throat, reminding Luz that she wasn’t alone.   She hesitantly turned around at the sound, finding Eda looking down at her with those bright, golden-yellow eyes from the photos she’d seen.    “And now, who might you be, human?” Eda asked, her voice sharp and cold like an icicle. Luz gulped audibly as she tried to find her voice in order to answer, but instead found herself staring at the woman.    Eda’s mouth had her golden fang Luz recognized from the photos on display and her hair had gone completely grey now. She looked older than in the photo, but judging from what she’d heard earlier, it made sense considering it’d probably been about 15 years since the picture was taken, but now, as she looked over the woman, she noticed something she hadn’t in the pictures. Eda’s ears. They looked like an elf’s, pointed and a little longer than a regular person’s. She wondered how she’d missed them in the photos, but as she looked at them again and took notice of the mane of hair that surrounded them, she realized they’d probably just been hidden under it. Luz continued staring at the woman until Eda’s voice snapped her out of her stupor.    “I already asked once, and I won’t repeat myself more than once: who are you?” she heard Eda ask menacingly and tried harder to answer this time,    Without the initial shock of seeing the person who had previously only existed in a picture, Luz was able to stutter out, “I’m, uh, I’m Luz, uh, Luz Noceda.”    Upon hearing her last name, the already frighteningly pale woman, paled impossibly further and her face flashed a look somewhere between betrayal, sadness, and hopefulness. She remained like that for a moment before schooling her features back to a neutral expression and asked Luz, “Well, Miss Noceda, and what might a human like yourself be doing on the Boiling Isles?”   Luz took a moment to consider the question. She wanted to answer by asking a few questions of her own, namely, What the heck were the “Boiling Isles?” and Why does she keep referring to me as “human?", but after reconsidering, she decided against it and went for the, probably, more acceptable answer, “Uh, I’m not actually sure, I stumbled upon you guys by accident.”   Eda looked at her skeptically when Luz said this, spurring her on to continue, “I found a weird looking key hidden in my mamá’s room, along with a button and an envelope full of pictures, and one of the pictures showed my Mami in front of an old house with the key around her neck, so I decided to do some investigating and it led me to this closet where I found the weird suitcase/portal/doorway thing and I ended up here.”   Eda looked at her with an indiscernible expression on her face, processing what Luz had said, but when she was quiet for too long, Luz felt the need to fill the silence and continued talking.   “The key was all glowy and it shook when it was in my hand. It sorta, like, pulled me toward the door/portal thing, but I noticed it only did it when my hand was bare.” Luz said, clamoring around her brain to find parts of the story that didn’t require bringing up the fact that the photos showed Eda and her mamá being all gooey and starry eyed over one another. “And, uh, I felt my thumb press something like a button on the handle of the key, and there was a bright light when I walked through, and then there was you knocking me out, and then I woke up here, and boom, here we are, talking about what I’m doing here,” she finished, chuckling awkwardly and rubbing the back of her neck, aware she had been rambling.   At this point, Eda was just staring at Luz as if she were waiting for her to make a mistake, and Luz decided it might be better to just shut up rather than risk screwing up. Once Eda realized Luz wasn’t going to keep talking, she stood up straight and crossed her arms, still observing Luz, and finally said, “Who’s this Mami character you keep talking about? I forgot how confusing you humans and your languages are.”   “Why do you keep saying "humans"  as if you aren’t one?” she asks the woman, cocking her head at her. Eda scans her face for a second before laughing with her head thrown back.    “Kid, you’ve got a lot to learn. Seems I also forgot how little you guys know,” she said, snorting as she did so. “I am not a human, I’m a witch, weren’t my eyes and ears a good enough giveaway?”   Luz regarded the woman, hoping to find signs of a joke, but didn’t find any. It seemed as if Eda was serious, so Luz answered her point blank, irritated by the woman’s attitude, “I didn’t even know witches were a thing until just now, so no, sorry to say, but your features were not a dead giveaway.” Feeling a little snarky due to the smug, amused look on Eda’s face, Luz decided to bite the bullet, “And as for the Mami ‘character’ I keep bringing up, she's my mom. I’d’ve thought you’d know at least a couple words in Spanish after having known her. Though, you might know her better as Cami.”   The smug expression on the witch’s face immediately dropped, replaced instead by one of surprise and confusion as she implored, “What did you just say?”    Her tone was sharp, making the satisfied smirk on Luz’s lips waver a bit as she became nervous she might’ve taken it too far, but when Eda continued, the anxiousness quickly dissipated.    “Did you just say Cami’s your mom?” Eda’s face shone with hopefulness as she asked, but as she went on her expression changed once more, this time to a look Luz couldn’t quite place. “Wait, hold on, how did you know she was the Cami I was referring to? How old are you, kid? Cami didn’t have a kid the last time I saw her.”    Luz took a second to process the questions, but soon answered when she finally recognized the emotion on Eda’s face: betrayal . She was a little confused as to why Eda would feel betrayed, but brushed it off, deciding she’d come back to it later since she still needed to answer.   “Yeah, my Mami, she went by Cami when she was younger. It’s short for Camila.” she replied. “I knew she was the one you were talking about when I heard King say your name. The envelope with the pictures I mentioned before had your name on it and pictures of you and Mami together,” she explained, deciding she might as well be honest about the contents of the pictures. “And as for that last question, I’m 14. I was born on July 15, 2006, if that helps you with your timeline.”   The witch stayed quiet for a moment, processing the information she’d just received. It made Luz restless; she’d always hated moments where she couldn’t gauge how a person would react. She stayed still and silent though, using the moment to look around the room she still hadn’t had the chance to look at. The walls were a pale beige and they were covered in trinkets and posters. One of the posters caught her eye and she paused to examine it. It had a drawing of Eda and King under the word “Wanted”, and under the image, it said “Owl Lady” with a reward with a weird looking symbol followed by a one and an obscene amount of zeros. I wonder what she did to deserve a bounty like that, Luz thought to herself, finding it strange someone her mamá had been in a, seemingly, romantic relationship would be capable of anything warranting such a large reward and even, what seemed to be, a moniker. With that in mind, Luz turned back to the witch, remembering she had been waiting for her reply.    Eda looked stricken. “That was eight months after I left,” she said, almost as if speaking to herself.   Luz was surprised to find that her voice sounded hollow and devoid of emotion or feeling as she continued, “That means that, if I’m remembering how long human gestation lasts correctly, either you were born earlier than you were supposed to be, you’re adopted, which I find unlikely, considering you look just like she did when she was younger, or Cami was pregnant with you when the last time I saw her.”   Luz really didn’t want to respond with the truth. The witch in front of her looked desolate and disbelieving, but she felt that lying would only make things worse.   “Um, I’m pretty sure I was actually born, like, almost a month after my due date. They had to induce Mami ‘cause the doctors were worried. I don’t really know much about the time my mamá was pregnant with me, though, or who my dad might be. Mami always gets really weird and sad whenever I ask about it.” This seemed to only deflate Eda even further, but after a moment, she seemed to realize something, the hopefulness from before coming back by tenfold.   “Aha! I dunno how it slipped my mind, kid!,” the witch exclaimed, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Instead of just asking you, why don’t we just go back to the human realm and ask Cami herself! She’s bound to know more than you seem to.”   Luz sat there stunned at how quickly the witch’s mood had changed, and as the words registered, it occurred to her that she didn’t even know how long she’d been here. She began to panic, looking towards the witch who was now in a frenzy looking around for something, shouting, “Hey King, get down here! We’re going to the human realm to talk to Cami!” as she looked.   Luz heard an annoyed groan coming from somewhere in response, but she was too busy wondering about how long it’d been since she’d come through the portal to register where or who the sound had come from. Before she could ask about either, though, she saw King come in, joining Eda, who had found what she’d been looking for in her hair. Eda then proceeded to grab her arm and pull her toward another room. Luz saw the object Eda had found and realized it was the key she’d used to get here. She noticed it was glowing and shaking in Eda’s hand and discerned what they were getting ready to do. She braced herself for the blinding light by squeezing her eyes shut, and as she felt the now familiar feeling of the portal, she grabbed Eda’s forearm, not wanting to be left lost and disoriented like before. When Luz no longer felt the effects of the portal, she opened her eyes, dropping Eda’s arm. She heard King saying something about feeling queasy as she looked around for her bag, the envelope, and the button. As she grabbed them, she noticed the sun had gone down and realized she had been right to worry back on the Boiling Isles. Her mamá was probably worried about where she was, especially since, Luz realized, she had forgotten her phone and hadn’t updated Mami on what she had been doing. She turned to Eda to tell her they had to get moving, but when she looked over, the witch was staring around the room, tears brimming in her eyes. She realized that Luz was staring at her and turned her head, wiping her eyes, saying in an unsteady voice, “So uh, since this doesn’t look like you’d live here, why don’t we get out of here so you can lead us to your house.”   Luz continued to stare at the witch for a moment, but eventually just shrugged and turned on her heel, heading toward the door.    “Okay, we should hurry though, I forgot my phone at home, so Mami probably doesn’t know where I am,” Luz said over her shoulder at the footsteps she heard following her out into the hallway. “It’s only about a 15 minute walk from here.”   “Ugh, I didn’t volunteer for that much walking, Eda,” Luz heard King complain. She glanced back and saw King climbing on Eda and getting in her hair and Luz decided it was probably normal for them, considering Eda’s unbothered expression. She turned back around to try and remember which direction led to the front of the house, but before she could decide, Eda passed her, confidently turning left down the hallway and leading Luz out the front door.    Once they were outside, Eda turned to Luz and put her hands out as if asking her to lead the way, so Luz obliged, quickly finding her way away from the house, leading them out of the wooded area and onto the main road that led home. She noticed that Eda had a bit of a nervousness about her. Her eyes were darting back and forth, she was fidgeting with the staff she’d brought with her, and she’d pulled her hood up over her head. Luz decided to break the silence, knowing that dealing with nerves in silence was never ideal, “Hey, Eda?”   The witch looked up when she heard her, looking surprised that Luz had decided to speak, but answered after a beat, “What’s up, kid?”   “How do you know my mamá?” Luz asked, having had the question eating at her since she’d first seen the photos with the both of them. “Like how did you two even meet? You live in different dimensions.”   Eda looked to be taken aback by the question, but after taking a moment to think, she slowly answered, “We met when Cami was in high school. I had found that portal we used and figured out how to use it to come to the human realm. I had portalled in where that house we were just at was. The lot was just a clearing at the time, and I decided to wander around. I found Cami sitting at the edge of the woods on the other side. She was reading a book for school, and I decided to approach her and ask her where I was, but I must’ve scared her or something and she tried to get away. I tried to chase after her a little and I asked her to calm down. I explained that I wasn’t looking for trouble, I just wanted to know where I was.”   Luz had fallen into step with Eda as she told the story and was looking up at her with a curious expression. Eda had stopped talking, so Luz urged her on, “And then what?”   Eda looked down at her, as if remembering she was talking to someone, and continued, “Well, she stopped when she heard me speak, and agreed to help me out. She asked me a bunch of questions, and I fired back with some of my own and we talked for a while, learning about each other. Once she realized it was getting late, though, she had to go home. We promised each other to meet up again the next day, and we did and it became routine. We eventually even started hanging out in other places too. She helped me hide my appearance and we’d go to the mall or restaurants. We’d do so much fun stuff together, I would always get us into some shenanigan or another, but she’d always be there to get me out of them. We were always up to something” She sighed with a nostalgic expression on her face. “Those were some amazing times, kid.”   Luz was a little confused why she hadn’t heard of Eda, if those times were really that “amazing,” but as they finally approached her house, and she saw that her mamás car was in the driveway, she forgot about it and told Eda, “We’re here.”   Eda was brought out of the daze she’d been in and the nervousness from before returned. She led her up the driveway to the door, and Luz tried her best to collect herself before opening the door.   As soon as she walked through, she heard her mamá’s voice, “Luz Carmen Noceda, ¿quisieras decirme donde has estado?” Luz winced at that, freezing in the doorway; it was never good when her mamá used her full name.    “Hola, Mami,” was Luz's answer. “Te prometo que no estaba haciendo nada peligroso. Well actually, depende de lo que pienses ser ‘peligroso.’ Pero mira, I brought a friend, she can help explain,” she stated as she signaled at Eda behind her.   Her mamá looked as if she’d seen a ghost. Luz turned to grab Eda’s arm, pulling her gently inside. “This is Eda,” Luz said sheepishly, “Though, I think you might already know that.”   A silence settled over the room and both women just stared at each other as Luz stood there awkwardly, waiting for a reaction from either of them. Camila was the first to react, looking down at Luz, an admonishing look in her eyes. “Luz, ¿dónde encontraste a esta mujer?,” she asked her daughter.   Luz shrunk at the sharpness of her tone, “Por favor no te enojes, pero I wanted to know about my dad, so I sorta, kinda, maybe went looking in your room and I found an envelope, a key, and a button and they all related to the old house in the woods, so I went investigating and this weird portal took me to her and then Eda was all like, ‘Why don’t we just go ask Cami,’ and here we are.” Luz realized she was probably going to be grounded for the rest of her life as she listed everything she’d done to get to this point, but that seemed to be the last thing on Mami’s mind.    Just as her mamá opened her mouth to say something, King, who had been sleeping in Eda’s hair, decided to speak up and say, “Eda, why didn’t you tell me we were here?”   The little creature climbed out and onto the floor while Eda apologized for him, “Sorry, about that, this is King. King, this is Cami.”    King took this as a sign to go up to her, saying, “Hi Cami, I’m King, the King of Demons. Now bow before me!”   This made Luz and Eda let out a small laugh, which was quickly silenced by a glance from Camila. Right as she said, “Hi King,” Eda interrupted, “King, stop that, this is the human realm, no one has to bow to you here. Now come here.”   King grumbled something about humans sucking as he walked back to Eda, indignant about being denied a bow. Eda shushed him, and Camila turned to address Luz.    “Luz, I will deal with you later, but right now, I need you to give me and Edalyn some time to talk. You have school tomorrow and given what you told me, I doubt your homework is done.” As she glanced back at King, she added, “Take King with you. He seems tired, so let him lay down while you do your work.”   Luz opened her mouth to argue, not wanting to go just yet, but the look her mamá sent her way made her opt for a simple “Sí, Mami, buenas noches,” before grabbing King, asking for his permission this time, and heading to her room to do as she was told, disappointed she’d have to miss out on the conversation. With Luz and King gone, Camila and Eda stood in silence once more, Camila staring at Eda and Eda staring at her feet. Camila was the first to break the silence. “What are you doing here, Eda?” she asked tiredly.   Eda looked up at that, a bewildered look on her face, “No ‘How are you?’ or ‘I’m sorry for leaving you stranded on the Boiling Isles,’” Eda asked in return, resentment evident in her voice. “I waited for you on the other side of that portal for years, and now all you have to say is ‘What are you doing here?’ Really, Cami?”   Camila’s eyes widened at that. “What do you mean I left you stranded? That stupid key you gave me didn’t work. I went back every day for months trying to open it, but the stupid portal wouldn’t do anything,” she said, anger starting to seep into her voice. “You left me feeling like a fool, and eventually, once Luz was born, I had to move on, for her sake as well as mine.”   “Hold on, what do you mean the key didn’t work?” Eda asked, a puzzled look on her face. “I used that portal to come and go all the time, and your kid, she used it just earlier to get to the Boiling Isles. There shouldn’t be any reason it wouldn’t work for you.”   “I don’t know, Eda, I’m not an expert on how interdimensional travel works,” Camila answered. “I don’t even know how Luz figured out how to use it, I found the floorboard where I’d hidden the key opened and the key along with some other things missing and assumed she’d gone to ‘investigate,’ as she likes to put it, but I thought she’d come home empty handed, not with you in tow.”   “From her rambling earlier, it seemed like she figured it out by accident. Maybe we can ask her what she did to get it to work later.” She paused for a moment before continuing, her voice turning melancholic, “She seems like a good kid, Cami.”     Camila’s expression softened a bit at the mention of her daughter, “She can be a handful sometimes, but she really is a good kid. A little too curious for her own good sometimes.”   “Who’s her dad?” Eda asked suddenly, no longer able to bite back the question she’d been dying to ask since she found out Luz was Camila’s daughter, “She mentioned she’d been trying to find out who he was. Did I know him?”   Camila’s expression hardened again, making Eda regret the question, wanting to take it back, but when Camila answered, “I don’t know,” Eda was back to being confused.    Camila continued before Eda could ask anything else, “I genuinely have no idea. I was too busy trying to figure out the portal to do anything that would result in getting pregnant. I just started presenting the symptoms and when the doctor told me, I didn’t believe her. I was in denial for the longest time, and no one would believe me when I told them I didn’t know who the dad was. Eventually, I just came to terms with it and bought this place to settle down with her. That house brought back too much, I couldn’t raise a kid there.”   Eda nodded in understanding, “I probably would’ve burned it down if I’d been in your situation. But the thing about your kid, you really just got pregnant out of the blue?”   Camila felt exasperation creeping into her words, “Yes, Eda, I just said that. Dios mio, I’d forgotten how obtuse you can be sometimes. All I know is that she was a little slower to develop. She was born a month later than they expected, but she was the size of a baby born at 7 months, she even spent some time in the NICU because her lungs were underdeveloped. The doctors thought they got her date wrong because of how small she was.”   Eda contemplated that for a minute, taking in the information Camila had just given her, before something dawned on her. “You know, now that you mention how pregnancy works, I just realized I never told you how witches have kids,” Eda scratched the back of her neck sheepishly as she spoke, shrinking under Camila’s sharpening eyes.   “No Eda, I don’t think you ever mentioned it in the nine years we knew each other. Would you care to explain why you’re bringing it up right now?” Camila asked, her tone getting dangerous.   “Well, uh, you see, we sorta have a different reproduction system, and now that I think about it, especially with Luz being born early but coming out so small, and witches taking 14 months to develop, there could be a possibility that the kid could be mine? Isn’t it funny how that slipped my mind?” Eda tried to chuckle a bit, but it came out strained, resembling a cough more so than a laugh of any kind. Camila looked as if she were about to explode when she heard what Eda had said.   “What do you mean there’s a chance Luz might be yours? ¿Cómo se te pudo olvidar mencionar algo tan grande, ah? We dated for five years, Edalyn! How did it not occur to you to mention something like that? You’d think witches reproducing differently would’ve been brought up at least once!” she half yelled, half whispered, not wanting Luz or King to hear from upstairs, “Hay Dios mio, qué le voy a decir a Luz,” she muttered to herself, rubbing her forehead as she paced.   “Cami, don’t get mad, I know I probably should’ve mentioned it before now, but it’s not like I’ve really had the chance, and look, I was young and in love, I wasn’t really thinking about the differences between witch and human anatomy at the time!” Eda tried to explain, but it seemed to just bounce off of Camila, who was more preoccupied by her thoughts on what she was going to tell Luz.   “Eda, I know you didn’t mean for it to happen,” Camila said when she’d calmed down a bit. “but it did, and now, apparently, you’ve got a teenage daughter. So what we’re going to do, is come up with a plan to tell her, and a plan on how we’re going to introduce you into her life if that’s what she ends up wanting.”   The weight of the situation seemed to finally hit Eda as she heard Camila’s words. Eda had a daughter. A teenage, half-human daughter. She’d missed out on so much. What if Luz didn’t want to know her? What if Luz hated her and she never got to see her or Cami ever again? Or she messed up if she did want to know her? Eda started spiraling, tuning out whatever Camila was saying, walking over to sit on the couch and putting her head in her hands.   “Eda?” she faintly heard someone ask. “Eda, are you okay? Eda?” She felt the couch dip next to her as someone shook her and she finally snapped back to reality.   “Sorry, Cami, it just hit me that I have a kid. Might take a sec to process that before we get to planning,” Eda said when she’d gathered her thoughts.   “Yeah, it can be a bit much, finding out you’re a parent,” Camila responded sympathetically.    They sat in silence for a while, allowing time for Eda to process the events of the evening and Camila to come up with what kind of schedule they might need if Luz decided she wanted Eda in her life. She thought about how much Luz would probably love the idea of a magic realm and the things she could do and learn there. She didn’t like the idea of her going without her though, and Luz had school the next day, and once she saw that Eda was sat up and ready to talk, she started. “We can tell her tomorrow after school, I don’t want it to distract her from her studies and for her to be asking me to stay home. She can decide if she wants to get to know you after that. If she does, since that portal of yours seems to be working, maybe we can figure out why it didn’t work for me and I can take her to visit you. Maybe eventually, since I know Luz is going to love the idea of access to a magic realm, she could start going on weekends and spending time with you. But this is all only if both of you agree to it. I don’t know how Luz will react to knowing that you're her other parent, she might need some time to process it, and right now, she’s my priority, so if she doesn’t want to see her, or you feel that this is all too much, it might be best that we part ways.”    Camila looked Eda in the eyes, looking for any sort of sign that she wasn’t cut out for this, but Eda’s eyes showed nothing but determination as she started to speak, “I want this, Cami. I already missed so much, and the stuff I can teach her about being a witch. I think I can do it. I never really wanted kids if I’m being completely honest, but I’m willing to try if she’ll let me.”   With that, they sorted out the specifics of how they would tell Luz the next day and Camila went to check on Luz after she got Eda set up in the spare bedroom. She found Luz asleep, the little creature Eda had brought snuggled up next to her, snoring lightly. She went to kiss Luz on the forehead, whispering, “Buenas noches, cariño, te quiero mucho.” She smiled at the scene of her sleeping daughter as she closed the door behind her, mentally preparing herself for the next day and heading to bed, hoping to get at least a couple hours of sleep before it was time to get up.  Luz woke up to the feeling of something furry on her face. She opened her eyes to find King taking up about half of her twin mattress and an arm splayed out on Luz’s face. After her mamá had sent Luz and King upstairs to allow for some privacy for her and Eda to talk, Luz had spent some time sitting against her door, straining to hear something from downstairs. She had given up pretty quickly after she realized she wasn’t going to hear anything from upstairs. When she had looked over to her bed and found that King had settled himself atop her bed and fallen asleep, she decided to make the most of the fact and set to work on her assignments. Once she’d finished her school work, she decided to take a quick shower, leaving her door open in case King woke up and couldn’t reach the door knob. Luz had come back to the room and found King whimpering in his sleep, and as soon as she had realized the whimpers seemed fearful, she had gently woken him up, telling him it was just a nightmare. She had then joined him on the bed and they had spent an hour or so just talking in an attempt to distract him until he finally fell back to sleep, followed by Luz shortly thereafter.   She carefully reached over King for her phone to check the time and saw there were about five minutes before she had to get up. She checked her alarms and turned them off to avoid scaring King awake and laid there for a moment, not wanting to get up just yet. Her thoughts wandered back to what her mamá and Eda had talked about last night. She had been dying of curiosity all last night until King and his nightmare had momentarily worked as a distraction. She understood why her mamá had wanted privacy, but that didn’t mean she liked it. She wanted to know what they needed to talk about that was so private, but eventually, she decided she’d been lying there long enough and carefully moved to wake King.   “Hey, King, buddy,” she whispered as she shook him lightly. “We should get up, my mamá and Eda are probably waiting for us.”   Instead of waking up, King just turned away from Luz, grumbling something about five more minutes. She resolved to let him be since she realized she might benefit from some time alone with Eda and her mamá. She let him know she was going downstairs in case he decided he wanted to join her. He just grumbled okay, and with that, Luz headed downstairs.   Instead of her Mami cooking, Luz was surprised to find Eda in one of Mami’s old sleep clothes, making what looked to be some kind of omelette and some toast. Her mamá was sitting at the table, coffee in hand, laughing at something Eda had said. Luz stood in the doorway, admiring the scene for a moment before interrupting.   “Buenos días, Mami. Good morning, Eda.”   They both stopped their chattering as Luz went over and gave her mamá a kiss on the cheek before sitting down.    “Mornin’, kid,” was all Eda said, but her mamá responded with a question, “Buenos días, mija. How did you sleep?”   “I slept pretty well,” Luz answered. “King had a nightmare, though. I had to help him get back to sleep after, but other than that, we were all good.”   This seemed to pique Eda’s attention. “Is he okay? His nightmares usually leave him real tired but too scared to go back to sleep. I hope he wasn’t a bother.”   “He’s fine, I think,” Luz said. “It wasn’t a bother, he just won’t get up. He seems really tired, though. He kept grumbling about five more minutes when I tried waking him.”   This brought a smirk to Eda’s face, “Yep, that sounds like King.” Her face turned serious as she continued, “Thanks for being there for him. Real good of ya, kid.”   Luz looked down at the table at the compliment, sheepishly responding, “It was no biggie, I just did what anyone else woulda done.”    Before Eda could respond, Luz’s stomach growled and she remembered she had completely forgotten to order dinner like her mamá had told her the day before, meaning that she hadn’t eaten since lunch yesterday.Her Mami seemed to have heard her stomach and asked Luz what she had eaten for dinner. When Luz refused to meet her eyes, she lightly scolded her, “Ay Lucita, you gotta eat, cariño. It’s not good to skip meals.” Sighing, she continued, her tone softening, “Grab a plate and serve yourself some of the omelette Eda made. I can’t promise it’ll be good, but it’s better than just a bowl of cereal.”   Eda turned to make a face at Camila, who was now smiling in amusement at what Eda said. “Oh, come on, Cami, you know it’s just ‘cause you humans have all these weird ingredients. Back on the Boiling Isles I make killer food.”   Camila laughed as she spoke, “If you mean ‘killer,’ as in ‘probably lethal’, I completely agree.”   Luz snorted and Eda looked at both of them, a look of mock betrayal on her face, “I can’t believe this. You know my cooking is great, Cami, and if you really thought otherwise, you wouldn’t’ve let me cook for Luz, and eaten some yourself, so I don’t wanna hear it.” She turned back to the stove, huffing a bit as she muttered in disbelief under her breath.   Camila just continued laughing, “Eda, you know I’m just kidding. Your food is wonderful, especially considering you have to work with ‘weird human ingredients’ as you put it.”   This appeased any uncertainty Luz had about trying the food and she got up to serve herself, “Mami, ¿vas a querer algo?”   “No, thank you, mija. I already had breakfast, and you need to hurry or you’ll be late. Please don’t rush though, the Heimlich is not something I want to perform so early in the morning.”   Luz looked at the clock and realized she only had 30 minutes to eat, pack her gym bag, change, and get to the bus stop. “Oh shoot, you’re right,” she exclaimed as she went back to sit down, eating as quickly as she could while also being careful not to choke, not wanting her mamá to perform the Heimlich either. Her mamá and Eda just watched her silently as she ate, not wanting to distract Luz from eating.   When she finished, she grabbed a bottle of pills off the counter. She took one out and served herself a cup of water, chugging it with the pill. She put the cup and her plate in the sink, turning to Eda, “Thanks for breakfast. Mami’s right, you make wonderful food.” She then turned to her mamá, “Me voy a ir a cambiar. I’ll send King down if I manage to wake him up.”   “Okay, mi amor,” was all Camila said before Luz sprinted up to her room to get ready.   Her usual hoodie was dirty from yesterday, so she opted for a striped purple and white shirt with a pair of jeans. For P.E., she packed a pair of athletic shorts and an athletic shirt. Once she was all packed and ready to go, she attempted to wake King up. This time, he still rolled over, grumbling about being tired, but got up, although hesitantly. He just waved at Luz, saying, “I'm gonna go get some food, see ya later Luz,” before leaving Luz to brush her teeth and fix her hair a bit. Luz chuckled at him before responding, “Alright King, see ya later little guy.”    She found her mamá sitting in the same spot as before when she headed back down to say goodbye, but this time Eda and King joined her, King with a bowl of Froot Loops and Eda with a cup of coffee.   “Okay, Mami, I’m gonna head out.”    Instead of her usual goodbye, though, her mamá gestured for Luz to come to her. “Before you leave, come here one sec.” Luz was unsure about why her mamá had such a serious expression, but decided it was best to listen without interrupting. “After school today, it’ll just be you, King, and Eda. I’ll be home at around 4:30 today, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Pero, that’s not all I wanted to say. When I come home, Eda and I need to talk to you about something important, so I need your homework to be at least started by the time I get home, because I anticipate this weekend will be pretty busy. Can you do that for me, corazón?”   Luz was confused as to why whatever Eda and her mamá were going to talk to her about would be so time consuming, even into the weekend, but she just nodded, “ Sí, Mami, I can do that, but I really gotta get going now. Te quiero mucho.”    She went to give her Mami a hug and a kiss, then went around the table to give King a small hug, saying “Bye, King, I’ll see you later, ya cutie.”    King shook his head, insisting that he was not, in fact, a cutie, but actually a fearsome king of demons, which left Luz and the rest of the table amused at his antics. But when she got around to Eda, she suddenly didn’t know what to do. She had hugged the other two at the table and felt that if she just waved, she might come off as rude, so she wrapped Eda in a hug. She felt Eda tense up in her grasp, “Whoa, whoa, what’s this, kid, what’re you doing?”   This made Luz freeze, thinking she’d done something wrong, but before she could apologize, her mamá was the one who spoke up, “Calm down, Eda, she’s just being a good Latina, she wasn’t gonna hug the whole table and just wave at you, that’d be rude.”   “Oh, right, I guess that’s true,” was all Eda said before awkwardly patting Luz and saying bye.   “Sorry about that, Eda, I should’ve asked first,” she said as she let go of Eda, relieved her mamá had spoken up for her.   “It’s all good, I just forgot how huggy you humans are,” Eda smiled as she responded.    Luz smiled back and waved at the table as she left the kitchen. She made one last stop at the entryway to put her shoes on before heading out. “Bye! See you guys later!” she shouted over her shoulder as she shut the door behind her. She heard a muffled Bye come from inside as she started for the bus stop.     Camila had left shortly after Luz, leaving instructions on how to not burn the house down, how to use the TV, and some of Luz’s old toys for King. Eda had gotten bored after about two hours of aimlessly flipping through channels, eventually just flipping the TV to a kid’s channel for King before letting her mind wander back to the revelations of last night.    She had tried to distract herself from thinking about it too much, but the fact that she was going to have to spend an hour with Luz without spilling kept coming back to her. She had already struggled this morning, using Cami and King as a buffer. She had no idea how she was going to be able to keep it up until Cami got home that evening. Her mind kept endlessly looping back to the thought throughout the day, no matter how much she tried to distract herself. Only King’s demands for food or attention worked to distract her, and eventually she conceded to allowing her mind to wander. The day flew by her, her nerves making the hours feel shorter than they were, and before she realized how long it’d been, she heard the front door opening, followed by the sound of shoes being removed.   “Hi Eda!” Luz greeted as she walked into the living room, “Where’s King?”   Eda had frozen at the sound of the door opening and hadn’t realized Luz had spoken until she noticed the teen looking at her with a concerned look on her face.    “Huh? Oh, King. He’s upstairs sleeping. Little demon loves his naps,” she said when she finally snapped out of her daze.   “Oh, ok. Are you okay though? You seem a bit frazzled. Is it about what my Mami mentioned this morning?” Luz asked, voice laced in concern.   Eda sputtered out a response, not wanting Luz to continue with this line of questioning, “Whaaaa, nooooo, of course not, don’t even worry about me, I’m fine, kid. I made a light dinner if you want something while we wait for Cami. It’s a mix of a common plate from the Boiling Isles and a recipe your mamá taught me back when we were younger.”    Although Luz still didn’t look too convinced, she seemed to let it slide, intrigued by the notion of trying something new. “Sure, trying new foods is always fun, especially if it’s from a magical realm.”   This brought some relief to the witch’s face. “Alright, well, it’s still warm, King and I had some earlier. It should be on the stove, feel free to help yourself.”   “Okay, thanks. I’m gonna try and work on my homework when I’m done, so I’ll probably be busy until Mami gets home, so, uh, if you could, if King wakes up, could you keep him entertained until then?”    When she saw Eda nod in agreement, Luz proceeded into the kitchen, leaving Eda alone with her thoughts again. Well, that wasn’t even half as bad as I thought it would be, I might actually make it without spilling the beans , Eda thought proudly to herself as she leaned back on the couch. She flipped through the channels, stopping when a show that seemed entertaining enough popped up and turned the volume down in consideration of the kid doing her homework in the next room. Now we just wait until Cami gets home . Luz was finishing up the last of the assignments she felt would be most time consuming and harder to accomplish when she heard her mamá come through the door. She had managed to keep her mind from straying too while she’d done her school work, but it didn’t mean her uneasiness and curiosity about what Mami and Eda had to say had dissipated. Eda had acted rather skittish when Luz had gotten home and had seemed to want to avoid her, so she knew she wasn’t the only one feeling the effects of having to wait for her mamá, but it did little to ease the pit in her stomach. Her anxiousness had thankfully not impeded her from finishing the majority of her homework, but now without the work to distract her, it came back full force as she went to pack up her stuff. She moved quickly, needing to greet her mamá and maybe say hi to King as well, shouting, “Ahí voy, Mami, I’m just putting my stuff away!”   “Okay, sounds good, mija,” she heard from the other room. Once she finished, she headed for the living room, taking a deep breath in an attempt to prepare herself for whatever her Mami and Eda had to say. When she walked in, Eda was sitting, looking even more nervous and standoffish than she had earlier, Mami was standing, messing with her glasses a bit, and King had come barreling toward her, easing some of the tension in the room she had just walked into.   “LUZ!” King shouted as he hugged her legs. “I missed you today, I didn’t think you’d come back. Eda said I had to leave you alone!” His face was animated as he spoke, and Luz grabbed him from the ground, hugging him back.   “Now why would I leave and not come back? I live here, silly.” She said, poking at King’s tummy making him giggle. “And I just asked Eda to give me some quiet time so I could work on my school assignments, but after I’m done talking to my Mami and Eda, what do ya say I play with you for a bit; I noticed my mamá brought some of my old toys out for you.”   King nodded so hard, Luz was scared she’d drop him or get an eye poked out with that horn of his. “YES! We can rule over my unruly subjects together! I’ll go get them ready for you while you talk!” With that, he squirmed out of Luz’s arms, running to grab the toys and heading upstairs to Luz’s room.   Once King was gone, Luz greeted her mamá, giving her a hug and a kiss. “Hey Mami! ¿Cómo te fue tu día? ”    “It was alright, mi vida, thank you for asking,” Camila responded, placing a kiss on Luz’s head. “But since King seems to be entertained for now, let’s get down to business before he comes back looking for you.” Luz nodded in understanding, moving to sit down across from the loveseat where her Mami joined Eda.   There was a beat of silence before Camila took a deep breath and started speaking. “Okay, so first, I’d like to hear what you know about mine and Eda’s past. I just want to get a gauge of just how much you know before we start.”   Luz thought for a second, not really expecting a question, but rather just an explanation as to why they needed to talk. “Uhhh, well, I know you and Eda met when you were in high school, and, that, um, that you guys seemed to have a, like, romantic, or at least definitely not platonic, relationship, and eventually, Eda left around 15 years ago or so, but the key and the portal seemed as if they were on this side, so she couldn’t use it.”   Her mamá seemed to blush a bit at Luz’s words, while Eda, who’s nervousness had seemingly disappeared, smirked at her. “Yes, that’s about right. We were in a romantic relationship for give or take five years, but we had known each other for a lot longer. We met when I was a junior in high school, and started dating when I was a junior in college.”   Luz’s eyes were wide as saucers as she heard this. She had known it was probably true, but to have her suspicions confirmed and hearing that they had dated for so long blew her mind a little bit, especially since her mamá had never brought it up before. She shook it off as her mamá continued though, not wanting to miss a single word of what she had to say.   “And, you’re right about the portal being stuck on this side,” she continued, the blush from before having disappeared and Eda’s nervousness reappearing. “Eda and I discussed it for a long time last night until we came to a probable conclusion as to why I wasn’t able to use the portal to follow her all those years ago.”   Camila paused, closing her eyes and muttering something to herself before opening them back up and continuing. “Luz, we believe you were able to go through the portal because, well, there’s really no right way to put this, but we believe Eda might be your other biological parent.”   Luz sat there stunned for a good 45 seconds, processing what had just been said. Camila was concerned for what might be going through her daughter’s head, and Eda had a hopeful look on her face.   “Huh?” was all Luz said when she finally spoke up.   Camila exchanged a confused glance with Eda, who just shrugged at her, before looking back to Luz, “What do you mean, ‘huh?’, mija?”   “I mean, like what? Like, how does that even happen? And what does it have to do with me being able to go through the portal? I didn’t even know that two women could biologically have a kid together. I thought you just didn’t like talking about my dad, and now, apparently I have two moms,” Luz elaborated, rambling before she paused slightly and continued much more excitedly, interrupting her mamá as she opened her mouth to try and respond, jumping from her seat. “Hold up, I just realized! I have two moms and one of them is a whole ass witch from another dimension! DOES THIS MEAN I CAN USE MAGIC!? Mami, por favor dime que tengo poderes mágicos, or otherwise I might implode. WAIT, DOES THIS MEAN WE’RE MOVING TO THE BOILING ISLES?!” When she realized they probably were struggling to keep up with her, Luz stopped, taking a deep breath, and getting herself together.   “Lucita, what have I told you about using that language?” Camila asked sternly, referring to the word Luz had used.   “Perdón, Mami. I was just excited, won’t happen again, promise,” Luz said, trying to reign in her excitement and sitting back down.   “I hope that’s true,” she answered, a weary tone taking over her voice as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Now to start answering those questions of yours. We believe you have to be from the Boiling Isles in order to activate the portal, which is probably why you were able to use it, but I never could. I didn’t know two women could have a biological child together until yesterday, so Eda can answer that, same goes for the powers part. And as for the moving to the Boiling Isles part, I really don’t think we’re gonna do that, but if you decide that you want to get to know Eda and that side of yourself, I’m open to eventually talking about some sort of split custody agreement or something of the likes.”   Luz took in all the information, processing what her mamá had just told her. She turned to Eda to ask her about the things Mami had mentioned she couldn’t answer, and only then did she finally realize that Eda had been exceptionally silent throughout the entire encounter, and even now, she was just staring at Luz as if she were still processing the information herself.   “Hey, Eda? You good there?” Luz waved a hand at Eda as she spoke, trying to snap her out of her stupor. When Eda seemed to be brought back, she finally seemed to be looking at Luz instead of staring.   “Sorry, kid, this was just a lot to process. Not the fact that you’re apparently my kid,” she rushed to explain, not wanting Luz to believe she felt badly about the situation, “Just your reaction. I honest to Titan thought you would hate me for not being there all those years, or that you would be a whole lot more shocked, not as excited and happy about it as you seem to be.”   “That makes sense, especially since we don’t really know each other, like at all. I mean, we just met, like, yesterday,” Luz said thoughtfully, almost to herself, not noticing as Eda’s face fell a bit, “but that’s exactly why I want to get to know each other, we missed out on so much and it seems like neither of you knew I could possibly be your kid. Getting to know you and the Boiling Isles and where the other half of my family is from is honestly a dream come true.”   Luz’s words seemed to put a toothy grin on Eda’s face. “You really mean that?” she asked hopefully. Luz nodded, her mouth turning into a smile to match Eda’s.   “Heck yeah I do! And while I might need some time getting used to you and seeing you as a parental figure, I’ve always wanted to learn about my other parent, and now I get to,” Luz said simply before continuing, her smile morphing into a sillier, joking one. “And turns out, that other parent is a witch from another dimension with magical powers and a cute demon roommate, so that’s a plus,” Luz added, making all three of them laugh.   “Well, as much fun as this has been, I am starving,” Camila said when the laughter started to fade, getting up from her spot next to Eda. “Have you guys eaten yet?”   “Yeah, Eda made this really good stuff that’s like a mix of your food and Boiling Isles’ food, and I had some before I started my homework. Though that was a while ago, and I could go for some pizza right about now,” Luz said hopefully, following her mamá toward the kitchen   Camila hesitated before answering, not wanting to spend money on take-out if they had food at home, but before she could say no, Eda decided to take advantage of the pause and help Luz. “Come on, Cami,” Eda pleaded, “Human pizza is delicious, let the kid have some. Besides, I know you want some too.”   Camila looked between the now two pleading faces, and sighed, putting her hands up in defeat, “Fine, you win, pizza it is.” Luz and Eda both whooped in celebration, thanking Camila before chanting “Pizza! Pizza!” for a good five minutes. Ay Dios mio, que voy hacer ahora que hay dos, Camila thought to herself as she saw Eda send Luz a conspiratorial wink, which her daughter attempted to return, both of them bursting out in laughter when both her eyes shut instead of the one. The moment was interrupted when Luz seemed to remember something.   “Oh shoot!” she exclaimed suddenly, making both women jump. “I almost forgot I told King I would play with him! Let me know when the pizza gets here, please!” With that, she darted out of the room and ran back upstairs where King probably lay in wait for her, leaving both Camila and Eda staring after her with affectionate looks on their faces.   “Well, that went a whole lot better than I expected,” Eda said, turning back to Camila. “I thought for sure that she’d need more time to make a decision on whether or not she’d want to get to know me and stuff. She was real excited about the idea, though.”   Camila chuckled lightly before answering. “Yeah, that’s Luz for you. She’s a bundle of energy with more love and affection to give than she knows what to do with.” Her voice was laced in admiration as she spoke, and it made Eda feel a pang of sadness and jealousy in her chest.    Instead of unpacking that right then, she decided to ignore it and change the subject. “So, how about that pizza?” she asked, forcing a smile.   “Let me go get my phone so I can order.” Camila stopped before turning, noticing that Eda seemed a bit off and asked with a playful smile on her face, “Would it be right to assume you still like that ungodly mix of pineapple, yellow peppers, olives, onions, and pepperoni?”   The joking tone in Camila’s voice made Eda perk up a bit from the dejected feelings of before. “Obviously,” she said, a real smile on her lips this time. “I don’t know what you have against it, it’s my best culinary creation, if I’m being honest. Besides, you’ve always been too scared to try it, so don’t bash it if you haven't even tried it,” Eda joked back.   “Fine, you’re right, I concede,” Camila said as she went to find her phone, smiling at herself, proud that she had been able to bring Eda’s spirits back up and pleasantly surprised that she could still read Eda, even after so long apart. “Ohhh, nooooo, my heart,” Luz said as she fell to the ground dramatically, making fake dying sounds.    King giggled at her antics, announcing his accomplishment, “Aha, I have defeated the great Luzura! Now all shall bow before me!” He continued celebrating, but when Luz didn’t move after a while, he grew a bit concerned and approached her to check if she was okay. “Hey, Luz, are you okay?”   Just as he was about to shake her when she still didn’t respond, Luz popped up, scaring King and grabbing him. “The great Luzura refuses defeat!” she exclaimed, tickling King.    “Ah, that tickles, Luz!” King said in between laughs, squirming in Luz’s arms.   “Does that mean the King of Demons admits the great Luzura has won?” Luz asked, making her voice deep and dramatic for effect.   “Never!” he squealed as he tried to get away.   “The King of Demons leaves me no choice then,” Luz continued as she increased the tickles, laughing along with King’s infectious laughter.   “Fine, fine, you win, Luzura!” Luz stopped when he said this, and the both of them continued laughing, but after a moment, King stopped suddenly, his expression turning ominous. “You may have won the battle, but let it be said, I, the King of Demons, shall win the war!”    He shook his fists in the air and his tail wagged as he spoke, making it hard for Luz to take him seriously. She tried her best to keep her face as neutral as possible, but failed, giggling at the little demon, “Of course, you will, my principito.”   King huffed at her, “What does principito mean? It sounds an awful lot like ‘prince’, Luz, and we’ve established that I am a King.”   “You’re right, sorry, King,” Luz said, admitting her mistake, her voice apologetic. “Can I call you reycito, then? That means ‘little king.’ Is that better?”   King thought about it for a second, saying the word to himself quietly. After repeating it a couple times, he seemed to come to a conclusion. “I like it, it sounds nice,” he nodded at himself before smiling at Luz and repeating the word one more time. “Reycito.”   Before Luz could respond, they were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing and Camila shouting, “Pizza’s here!”    King gave Luz a puzzled look in response, so she explained, “My Mami ordered some pizza for dinner. It’s a type of human food. It’s really good, I think you’ll like it.”    At the mention of food, King’s face brightened up, needing no further explanation. “What are you waiting for then? Let’s go eat!” he exclaimed as he bolted out the door.   Luz smiled to herself before calling out after him as she ran to catch up, “King, wait for me!”   “Last one there is a trash slug,” King said over his shoulder. Luz wasn’t sure what a trash slug was, but she decided it probably wasn’t something she’d ever want to be. She sped up, and she would have won, but just as she was about to beat King, she slowed down a little, letting him win.   “Ha! I reign victorious once again!” King declared as he picked a seat, oblivious to the fact that Luz had let him win.    Eda had noticed though, and as she opened her mouth to say something, Luz quickly interrupted her, shaking her head at Eda, while trying to signal for her to cut it out “You sure did, reycito.”   When Eda noticed and realized what Luz was trying to say, she nodded in understanding, instead smirking at King as he popped up, having to stand to see over the edge of the table, and saying, “Yep, I guess you’re just too fast for any human to beat, King.”   Luz sighed in relief before mouthing a thanks to Eda as they both sat down across from each other. Their attention was quickly brought back to King when he spoke up.    “Where’s this pizza you were talking about, Luz?” he asked impatiently, his hunger apparently trumping his need to boast any further.   “It’s right here, King,” Camila said as she entered the room, two boxes of pizza in hand. The trio at the table turned to her, hunger apparent on all three of their faces.    “Okay, first up, Luz, here’s yours.” She handed Luz the smaller pizza box with “No cheese” written on the top.    “Thank you, Ma,” Luz said as she received the box.   She then turned to Eda, putting their box in the middle. “And here’s for you, me and King. I got half sausage and pepperoni and half pineapple, yellow peppers, olives, onions, and pepperoni. King, you can try some from everyone and see what you like.”   King nodded at her, and reached for the pizza, but before he could open it to start eating, Camila spoke up again, “Before you start eating, did you guys wash your hands?”   King turned and looked at Camila, seemingly bewildered at her question. “Why would I need to wash my hands? I’m just eating.”   Luz and Camila looked at the little demon in slight disgust.   “Well, if you have germs on your hands, you could get sick,” Camila explained before asking. “So, could you please go wash them? Luz, le ayudas con eso, por favor, dudo que pueda alcanzar solito.”   Luz nodded at her. “Come on, King, let’s go get those hands of yours washed,” picking King out of his chair and taking him to the bathroom to wash his hands.    Once they’d left, Camila turned to Eda and said, “Eda, have you really never told him he needs to wash his hands?”   Eda turned a bit red at that, embarrassment obvious on her face. “I’ve been busy, Cami, I used to remind him when he was younger, but I forget,” she excused. “And besides, it builds up his immune system.”   Camila rolled her eyes at the attempt of a joke. “Well, since your memory seems to be faulty, could you please wash your hands too? Use the sink in the kitchen since they’re using the one in the bathroom.”   Eda complied, getting up to wash them, the running water the only sound interrupting the silence.    “How do you know King?” Camila asked as Eda turned the faucet off, not wanting the silence to return.   Eda looked up at her, taken aback by the question. “I found him about eight years ago, he was still a baby. He was all alone, so I decided to take him home. I thought he was some sort of dog until he spoke, hence the collar, but I don’t know much about him. He’s pretty much a mystery, in all honesty. He doesn’t know all the details on how I found him, so maybe we can talk about it another time, 'cause right now, I don’t want to risk the kids hearing.”   Camila nodded, smiling sympathetically, “I understand, some things just aren’t meant for young ears to hear.”   Eda smiled back, grateful Camila had let her drop it as King and Luz walked in, Luz with a good amount of water on the front of her shirt and King writhing in her arms as she held him.   “What happened to the two of you?” Eda asked with an amused smile.   Luz finally dropped King and he ran back to his spot at the table. “King did not like washing his hands. He acted as if I were killing him!” Luz exclaimed as she dropped into her chair. When she caught a glimpse of her shirt, she groaned, “King, look, you got my shirt all wet.”   “It’s not my fault you made me use that slimy stuff,” King rebutted, turning to Eda, who was now laughing at the scene before her, and stage-whispering, “It was all gross, Eda. It had a smell.”   “It smelled like lemon lavender, King,” Luz huffed, annoyed at King in the moment, before asking her mamá, “Mami, was I this bad when I was little?”   Camila laughed, “I’m sorry to say, but you were worse, mijita. Mealtimes were especially a battle with you; we both needed baths afterwards.”   Luz cringed as she recalled the numerous photos of her mamá with a tired look on her face as Luz screamed or cried with food on both them and the surfaces around them.   “But that’s not important right now,” Camila interrupted her thoughts. “Go get a different shirt on while I get everyone served up. ¿Okey, mi vida?”   She responded with an “Okay,” and with that, she went.   “King, you should really apologize to Luz when she gets back,” Eda said as soon as Luz’s footsteps were upstairs, surprising Camila with her words. “She’s only trying to keep you safe, and you acted like a little jerk, so I don’t wanna hear it,” she continued as King tried to excuse himself.   “Ugh, fine,” King surrendered, crossing his arms across his chest, visibly unhappy with the idea. “I’ll tell her when she gets back.”   Eda was happy enough with that answer and turned to Camila. “Do ya have any drinks to go with the pizza?”   Camila shook off her surprise at seeing Eda acting parental as she responded, “Yep, what would you guys like? We’ve got water, apple and orange juice, and some pera piña,” Camila offered as she got up to grab plates and cups for everyone.   Eda perked up at the last bit. “I’ll take some of that pera piña stuff. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve had some and it’s too good to pass up on. And since you guys don’t have apple blood, King’ll have some apple juice.”   Luz, who had just entered, out her previous outfit and donning her pajamas, paused before sitting down and looked at Eda. “Apple blood? Is that some sort of Boiling Isles thing?”   “Yeah, it comes in a bunch of different kinds, the fermented kind being my favorite,” Eda responded, a mischievous grin on her face. “You’ll have to remind me to let you try some when we go.”   Upon hearing that, Luz nodded with her entire body as she sat down, not catching Eda’s joke, “I can’t wait to go back.”    Eda smiled at her reaction, but before she was able to respond, Camila spoke, her voice admonishing, “Edalyn Clawthorne, under no circumstances do I want to hear that you have given Luz an alcoholic beverage, especially if it’s from the Boiling Isles.”   Eda shrunk under Camila’s gaze, putting her hands up in surrender, “I only meant the kiddie stuff, Cami. Promise. I wouldn't dream of giving a kid alcohol.” She put on her best innocent act, hopeful Camila would let her off the hook, not wanting to risk her chances at being able to take Luz to the Boiling Isles.   Although Camila didn’t look completely convinced, she let it go, opting to bring her attention back to getting everyone’s drinks served. Eda sighed in relief and caught King’s gaze, sending him a look that hopefully conveyed that he should apologize. She got up, hoping that leaving him alone with Luz might help.   “Hey, Cami, you need help with those drinks?” Eda asked, pointing back at King when Camila looked up with a questioning look on her face.   When she caught on, she nodded, saying, “Yeah, that’d be great, Eda, thanks!”   With no one to fill the silence, King and Luz just sat there, and King didn’t seem all that excited about it. As they watched from the kitchen, Eda was starting to get impatient with him. She cleared her throat, getting everyone’s attention, “Luz, King has something he’d like to say to you.”   Luz straightened up, looking toward King with a surprised look on her face. “Is that so?”   King looked uncomfortable, but eventually, he answered, his voice quiet, “Luz, I’m sorry for getting water all over you and being rude when you were trying to help me.”   Luz just stared for a second before getting up and scooping him into her arms. “Aw, thank you, King. That means a lot. I’ll try to give you a bit of a warning next time I use soap on you, that way you can prepare yourself. How’s that sound, mi reycito?” Luz gave him a kiss on the head before putting him back in his chair.   “Yeah, that sounds good,” King answered, a smile on his face now as Eda and Camila moved to join them. They served the pizzas and finally got to eating.   “So, how was everyone’s day today?” Camila asked the table when they settled in.   Luz answered first, excited to fill her mami in on her day, “I had a pre-lab day in bio and we collected some of our cheek cells for a PCR lab we have coming up, so that was pretty cool. Oh, and I need you to sign a slip. We’re going to a museum in two weeks and we need a parent to sign the waiver.”   Camila nodded at that, “I loved doing PCR labs, I’m sure you’ll like it, they’re always fun. And  just get me the slip and I’ll sign it, alright?” She turned to the others after she saw Luz nod in confirmation, “Now, what did you two do while we were gone?”   “I played war with the toys you left out for me,” King responded, enthusiastic to tell everyone about what he’d done. “I made sure both sides lost, and François and I remained in power.” He proudly pointed at a little blue bunny that sat on the counter. “And then we had a victory nap in front of the TV and woke up to eat lunch and then Luz came home, and then you, and then me and Luz battled against each other. Though, the great Luzura won,” he wavered as he recanted the loss, but as he proceeded, his voice came back stronger, “But then I beat her in a race, so we’re even now.” He took in a deep breath as he finished, going back to eating his food.   “Well, that sounds like quite the day you’ve had, King,” Camila felt a bit of nostalgia, remembering the days when Luz had been that small. Finally, she, Luz, and King all looked at Eda expectantly, waiting for her to talk, “So, how about you, Eda?”   “Well, I didn’t do much,” Eda seemed hesitant to speak, but when she saw that everyone was still looking at her, she continued. “I watched TV for a good bit, then I gave King the TV so I could cook us some lunch. Then I went back to the TV and Luz showed up a bit after that.” Eda shrugged as she finished, going back to her pizza. She didn’t want them to know that, in reality, she had spent the majority of the day worrying over the conversation they were going to have, and if she kept talking, she was sure she’d slip up, so she kept it short.   “That sounds like fun, I’m glad the TV didn’t give you guys any issues,” Camila said once she realized Eda was done talking, moving on to talk about her own day. “My day was ok, though, one of our patients decided to keep pressing the emergency button when they needed something, rather than just asking someone or using the call button.”   Luz laughed at that, “They’d get along great with that patient that kept pressing the channel button instead of the volume button last week, Mami.”   Eda and King got that reference, their confusion at the previous statement dissipating as they joined in the laughter.   When it finally died down, they ate in a comfortable silence for a while before Luz spoke up, hesitance audible in her voice, “Mami, Eda, do you guys know when will I be able to visit the Boiling Isles?”    Both of them knew the question was coming, but Eda looked at Camila. She hadn’t had the courage to ask, not wanting to be disappointed if the answer wasn’t the one she wanted. She hoped Camila would say someday soon, but prepared herself for a date further in the future.   “I was thinking, why don’t we do a trial day before I let you go somewhere I can’t reach you,” Camila looked at the both of them as she spoke.   “How will we do that, Mami?” Luz asked, her face and tone hopeful as she spoke.   “Well, since Eda has been to the human realm before, and she knows how to hide her appearance, why don’t you two have a day out tomorrow, just you and Eda. I’ll stay with King so you two will be able to have a bit of mother-daughter bonding time. I’ll have to look for that stroller your tía left last time she was in the States so King can hide while we’re out. I think I put it in the attic.” She said the last bit thoughtfully, almost to herself, but remembered she’d been talking. “So, what do you think? That way, I can make sure you can take care of Luz and we’ll see how you two get along, though I doubt that will be an issue.”   Luz and Eda looked at Camila with twin expressions of incredulousness and excitement on their faces. Luz was the first to find her words, “Are you serious, Mami? We can spend the whole day without you? Not that I don’t love spending time with you, just, it’ll be fun to spend time with Eda. I promise I’ll be on my best behavior. Scout’s honor.”   “Lucita, you were never a cub scout,” Camila shook her head at her daughter, amusement lacing her voice. “Pero, I get what you mean. Since Eda can’t drive, and before you say you can, I know for a fact you can’t possibly have a driver’s license,” she paused as Eda clamped her mouth shut, “Just as I thought. As I was saying, I can take you guys downtown and I’ll leave you some money so you can buy lunch and pay for a cab or Uber to get around. How’s that sound?”   “That sounds awesome, Mami!” Luz exclaimed, getting up to hug her mamá. “Thank you for letting us do this.”   “Of course, mija,” Camila replied as she hugged her back, turning toward Eda, “You haven’t spoken up much, Eda. Do you not like the idea?”   Eda looked at her wide-eyed, shaking her head, “No, no, not at all, I love the idea, I’m just surprised you're letting us do this so quickly. I was ready to have to wait up to a month.”   Camila looked at her owlishly, “Eda, we knew each other for nine years, and now we have a kid together. It’s not like I don’t trust you. You haven’t done anything for me not to,” Camila explained. “Unless there’s something I don’t know about, I don’t see why I shouldn’t let this excursion happen.”   Eda nodded slowly, taking in the information, “Huh, I guess I hadn’t thought about it that way, but I guess you’re right.” A smile grew on her face as she continued, “Guess we’re having some mother-daughter bonding time, kid. Hope you’re ready.”   Luz unwrapped her arms from around her mamá’s neck, standing up to address Eda, “Heck yeah, I’m ready. Gosh, I’m so excited, we can go to my favorite restaurant, and that art store. Oooo, and that bookstore that has all the Azura books. Maybe we can even watch a movie in the theater!” Luz continued on her tangent, naming different activities they could do tomorrow, and both women staring at her lovingly, until Camila interrupted, laughing lightly, “Alright, mija, I know you’re excited, but it’s getting late, and your pizza’s getting cold.”   Luz seemed to realize that she had been in the middle of dinner when she’d stood up to hug her mamá, and she returned to her seat. “Okay, Ma, you’re right, I just got a little hyped.”   “I know, now, finish up, ‘cause I think King is falling asleep standing over there,” Camila whispered, making Luz giggle when she saw King’s eye’s drooping.   “His tiny little body just gets drained so quickly,” Eda commented as she walked over to grab King. “I’ll take him to bed. Do you want him in your bed, or should I take him to mine, Luz?”   Luz opened her mouth to answer, but just as quickly as he’d fallen asleep, King jerked awake, “I want Luz’s bed. You always take all the blankets, Eda.” He scampered away from Eda’s grasp, climbing into Luz’s lap. “Can I please sleep with you, Luz?”   Luz hadn’t been planning on saying no, but his plea just steeled her decision. “Of course, mi reycito, you’re always welcome in my bed.” Satisfied with her answer, he curled up on her lap, letting her finish her pizza.   When she finished, she moved to put her plates in the sink, but her mamá just shook her head at her, “Don’t worry about it tonight, mi cielo, Eda and I will clean up. Que tengas buenas noches, mi niña. I love you.” Camila leaned in to kiss Luz on the cheek, rubbing her back as she did so.   “Buenas noches, Mami. Te quiero mucho,” Luz responded before getting up, careful to keep King in a comfortable position. She made her way around the table, wrapping her arms around Eda, best as she could with King in her arms, for the second time that day, though this time, Eda was noticeably less tense. “Good night, Eda.”   “Good night, kid,” Eda said, ruffling Luz’s hair. “Don’t let the bedbugs bite.”   Luz’s laugh turned into a yawn, and she realized how tired she was after the emotionally taxing day. With that, she headed upstairs, and put King in her bed. She left him for a moment to brush her teeth, shouted a final “Goodnight” down the stairs, and finally headed to bed, scooting King over her, and sleep overcoming her as soon as her head hit the pillow. Camila was jolted awake by the sound of something breaking followed by the sound of Luz exclaiming and a cackle from King. She figured those were not a good sign and reached for her glasses, sighing as she stood to go check on what was going on.   In the kitchen, she found Luz kneeling on the ground, cautiously picking up pieces of a ceramic mixing bowl as King sat on the counter, shaking with laughter as he watched Luz’s struggle.   “Ay mamita, ¿qué pasó aquí? ” Camila asked Luz, who paused what she was doing as she realized her mamá had joined her in the kitchen.   “Buenos días, Mami,” Luz smiled sheepishly up at Camila. “I was trying to make some pancakes for breakfast, pero se me cayó el bol cuando estaba tratando de bajarlo.”   She seemed embarrassed as she said this, her face turning red and her eyes averted. Camila sighed before smiling and getting down on the floor to help her clean up. “That’s very thoughtful of you, mi amor, pero te había dicho que usaras los tazones de plástico para que no pasara algo así .”   “I know, Mami,” came Luz's answer, “but I couldn’t remember where they were, y quería tenerlos hechos antes de que se levantaran. I wanted to show Eda my cooking skills.”   “Mija, me hubieras despertado, I could’ve helped.” Camila walked to the closet under the stairs, leaving for a moment before coming back with a vacuum in hand. “Now, let me help you pick that up, no quiero que te lastimes con las piezas más chiquitas.”   “But won’t the vacuum wake Eda up? I really don’t want to wake her up before we finish the pancakes.” Both King and Cami looked at Luz before bursting into laughter.   “Ay Lucita, don’t worry about waking Edalyn up,” Camila said, starting the vacuum and passing it a couple of times to ensure she got everything before shutting it off. “See, not even a sound from her room, she sleeps like the dead. I used to have to set my alarm 20 minutes before she had to get up so I could wake her up in the mornings, even the loudest, most obnoxious alarms did nothing to wake her up.”   “Yeah,” King agreed, standing eagerly to add to what Camila had said. “The only thing that would wake her up right now would be the promise of apple blood or a shiny new object.”   “Exactly, thank you, King,” Camila regarded the little demon. “But could you please sit down, you could fall if you’re standing on the counter, and then you wouldn’t be able to help me and Luz make the pancakes and you’d be hurt. We don’t want that, do we?”   King sat down, muttering, “No, we don’t. Fine, I’ll sit down then.”    Camila, satisfied with his answer, turned to Luz. “I’m gonna go put the vacuum up. Los tazones de plástico están en el gabinete al lado del micro, los moví para hacer lugar para unas cositas que compré.”   “Okay, Mai,” Luz answered, going to find a plastic bowl, some flour, and some sugar for the pancakes.   She was helping King measure out some flour when Camila came back, and she stood, watching for a bit, enjoying seeing the two interact.   “Okay, so you use the knife now and level it out, and put it in the bowl.” King tried it and looked back up at Luz.   “Like that?” he asked Luz, showing her his results.   “Yep, exactly like that! Good job, King!” she congratulated him and his face morphed into a proud smile.   “Of course I did it right, I’m the King of Demons, Luz,” he rolled his eyes at her, seemingly exasperated, but it was obvious he enjoyed the praise. “What’s next?”   “It says here we need some baking powder, salt, and sugar,” Luz answered, looking at the recipe book. She looked back up to King, a slight panic in her eye. “Oh crap, I don’t think we have baking powder.”   Deciding it was best to interrupt before Luz made a mess looking for the baking powder, Camila spoke up, “Luz, calm down, mi vida, we’ve got some baking powder, I bought it the last time I went grocery shopping.”   Luz looked at her mamá and let out a sigh of relief, “Ay, gracias a Dios, I was just about ready to ransack the kitchen or go ask the neighbors for some.” She thought for a second, looking at her phone as if checking something. “Though, I doubt they’d be happy with me since it’s 6:30 on a Saturday morning, they’d probably be a tad upset, huh?”   Camila took a double take, realizing she hadn’t checked the time in her rush to check on the sounds that had awoken her that morning. “Luz, ¿ de verdad son las seis treinta? ” she asked her daughter, who just nodded.   “Yep! I wanted to get an early start today,” she explained. “I want to make the most out of today, and getting an early start is the first step.” She grinned up at her mamá. “But anyway, where’s the baking powder you bought?”   She stared at her daughter, still reeling over the fact that it was only 6:30, but when Luz repeated the question, she blinked and shook her head, “It’s in the pantry, right next to the baking soda,” she responded, gesturing towards it. “Ten cuidado, no quiero que tengamos que recoger otro tiradero, mija.”   Luz nodded and went to get the rest of the ingredients, and Camila went to help King measure out the sugar while they waited for Luz. Once Luz had collected everything, finishing the pancakes went by quickly, Camila only having to interfere when King decided he would be the one cracking the eggs. It was clear pretty quickly that he didn’t have the slightest idea how to do it when he threw one on the counter. After they got the eggs away from him, Luz finished up the batter, adding an assortment of toppings, and Camila set up the griddle to cook them on.   “Why don’t you two go wash your hands while I finish these up,” Camila said after King and Luz had both had a chance to pour a pancake. “It’ll go by quicker that way.”   After looking down at her hands, and then at King, Luz decided her mamá was probably right. “That’s probably a good idea, we can even wake Eda up while we’re at it!”   “That sounds good, cariño. Maybe King can help you wake her up, ah?” Camila smiled at King and Luz as they exited, both of them chattering with each other to figure out how they were going to wake Eda up   King thought that pouring water on her was the way to go, but Luz quickly shut that down, telling King that she wanted to make a good impression, not a “sorry for waterboarding you awake” impression. They kept discussing it, even making it through washing King off without issue, and came to the conclusion that they would try using the promise of some old, glittery Mardi Gras beads with a flashlight to wake her up.   Once they found the beads, they headed back downstairs, passing by the kitchen to let Camila know that they were going to go and try waking Eda up. Camila wished them good luck and off they went. Upon entering the room, the first thing they noticed was Eda’s snoring. She was bundled up in various blankets, despite the warm May weather, and only a couple of gray wisps of hair were visible. Luz put King down as they walked in and turned the lights on while King went and peeled the covers off of Eda. She didn’t give much of a reaction, just mumbling a bit in her sleep before settling back down, unbothered by the lack of a blanket. At first, they both just nudged her, saying her name repeatedly, but when that didn’t work, Luz looked to King and nodded, signaling for him to start Phase 3 of the plan they’d come up with. King got close to Eda’s left ear, Luz to her right, holding the beads up, and they both yelled, “Eda, we have something cool and shiny for you!”   The witch sat up almost immediately, eyes wide and searching for what the two spoke of. When she spotted them, she just about knocked Luz over in her attempt to grab the play jewelry, leaving King bent over in laughter. Luz quickly put the jewelry behind her back, glaring at King over Eda’s shoulder. The little demon paid her no mind, his laughter still carrying through the room, making Eda pause and realize what she was doing. She backed away, apologizing. “Sorry, kid, I dunno what came over me,” she sounded sincere, but her eyes were still searching for the beads Luz was hiding. “But that shiny thing you had, you guys said it was for me?”   Luz giggled at the childlike hopefulness in her voice and handed the jewelry to Eda, who sat and admired them before Luz interrupted, “Yeah, sorry about that, we just needed you to wake up ‘cause we made pancakes!” Luz smiled brightly at her. After a moment, Eda went to put on the beaded necklaces, realizing Luz was signaling for her to follow.    “I didn’t know what you’d like so we made banana, chocolate chip, blueberry, and strawberry ones,” Luz told her as she led her out of the room, a slight bounce in her step as she explained everything that went into making them.   “I helped a lot, right, Luz?,” King asked as he scampered to catch up with them.   “You sure did, reycito.” Luz scooped him up and gave him a kiss on the cheek as they approached the kitchen where Camila could be heard listening to music as she worked. “Mai, sí la pudimos despertar, ¡mira!” Luz exclaimed, making her mamá turn to look.   “Buenos días, Eda,” she said, smirking at the obviously exhausted witch. She then looked to Luz, who was bouncing up and down in unbridled excitement as she put King on the counter to grab them some plates.   “‘Mornin’, Cami,” Eda replied flatly, the excitement over the beads having left her, replaced by tiredness and anxiety. She approached the counter where Camila stood, and Luz pushed a plate in her hands.   “So, like I mentioned, I didn’t know what to put in the pancakes, so I put a little bit of everything,” Luz explained as she served everyone. “It’s my Lita’s recipe. I think you’ll like it, everyone loves my Lita’s food.”   “Oh, I know from experience, kid,” Eda answered, her mouth now watering at the thought of the pancakes. “Cami’s mom is an awesome cook, and anytime your Mami got that recipe book out, I knew I was in for a treat.”   “I keep forgetting you knew Mami before,” Luz said thoughtfully, a slight frown playing on her lips. It disappeared just as quickly as it appeared, though, morphing into excitement as Luz continued. “But at least that means I know what I can cook for you, and you’ll love family reunions, too.”   “Mija, why don’t we go sit down and we can continue chatting at the table, hm?” Camila interrupted, not wanting the food to get cold, nor wanting King to get syrup all over the counters. “ Y pasame el plato de King. Le voy a cortar sus hotcakes para que no haga un tiradero.”   Luz did as she was told, handing her mamá King’s plate and moving to the table. Once they were seated, the conversation started back up, mostly Luz expressing her excitement for what she had planned for the day and King adding his two cents here and there.   “And then after we have lunch, we can go to the mall. It’s only two stops from the town center,” Luz told Eda, who was a little overwhelmed by the information, but nodded along anyhow. Suddenly though, Luz stopped, gasping as if she had just realized something important, before turning to look at Camila and going on a rapid fire spiel all in Spanish.   “¡Mami! ¡Me acabo de acordar de mis quinces! ¡Tenemos que invitarla! ¡Porfas Mai ! ¡Les encantaría a Tío Lonnie  y a Tita Mattie ! ¡Y si no ha conocido a todos, este podría ser su chance de conocerlos! Mai, no puedo creer que no me había acordado de esto, porfas dime que puede ir si dice que sí,” Luz was out of breath and almost falling out of her seat when she finished.    Camila was silent for a while, allowing Eda to think back on any words she recognized. She recognized the names, Lonnie and Mattie. Lonnie was one of Cami’s closest cousins and Mattie was her aunt on her dad’s side. One of the other words also sounded familiar, but it’d been a while since Eda had heard rapid fire Spanish. Quinces was a word she’d heard, but before she could put her finger on it, Camila spoke up, in Spanish as well, but a little slower than Luz’s had been.   “Mi vida, me encantaría invitarla, pero antes de que diga que sí, voy a tener que hablar con tus tíos y con Lito y Lita,” Camila explained, her tone calm and soft, “La situación va a ser difícil de explicar, mi amor, y es mejor que lo haga sola para no tomar chances innecesarios, ¿entiendes? ”   Luz nodded, “ Sí, Mami, pero por favor trata de hacerlo pronto, a la mejor debes hacerlo cuando esté con Eda y King. Eso es, si hoy nos va bien. ” Her excitement from before had lessened but it was still there as she turned to address Eda. “Eda, are you almost done?”    She looked around the table and realized she was the only one with food left on her plate. “I think I overestimated how many pancakes I could eat, I’m stuffed, kid,” she smiled at Luz and stood to help pick up. “They were delicious, thank you. Now, let’s get these dishes washed so we can go get ready.”   “You guys don’t worry about the dishes, King and I can do those while you guys go get ready,” Camila took the plates out of their hands and sent them on their way. “Isn’t that right, King?”   King looked less than excited at the prospect of doing the dishes, but nodded anyhow, grumbling about how he never got to have any fun.   “Thanks, Mami!” Luz called over her shoulder as she ran upstairs to get ready.   “Well, I’ll be back in a zilch, don’t want the kid on my case about how slow I am,” Eda said as walked out.   “Well, how about we get to doing those dishes, King?” Camila asked once they were alone. “I can tell you about what we’re gonna do while those two are out and about.”   “We’re gonna do stuff?” King seemed surprised at the prospect. “I thought we were just gonna stay in again.”   Camila chuckled as she put King on the counter next to her to start washing the dishes, “Did you really think I was gonna let those two have all the fun? No way, José. First, we’re gonna do some shopping, get you a booster seat for the dining room, a step stool for the kitchen and bathroom, and a carseat. After, we can go to the park, but you have to promise you’ll listen to me, it can be dangerous if you don’t.” She waited for King to answer. Satisfied when he nodded, she continued, “Then, I have to do some grocery shopping for dinner, and finally, we can pass by and get some lunch so we can come home, cook dinner, and watch some TV. How’s that sound?”   “It sounds great, Cami!” he shouted, getting a bit of water on her in his excitement. “Ope, sorry about that.”   “It’s alright,” Camila responded, turning the tap off and drying off her hands to put King back on the ground. “Luz should be back any minute now, will you stay here and tell her I’m getting changed so we can head out?”   “Yep, me and François will make sure to get the message to her,” he saluted and raised his stuffed bunny, which he’d grabbed while on the counter, in the air to show her his seriousness.   “Alright, thank you, King,” Camila chuckled, leaving King to play.   It was only a couple minutes before Luz came running down the stairs, wearing an Azura shirt tucked into a pair of jeans and some Converse. She stopped in the doorway, asking King where her mamá was, and King filled her in. Deciding there was no point in rushing her, Luz sighed and took King to the living room while they waited, and before long, both her parents joined them. Her mamá was wearing a pair of Mom jeans, a flowy, baby blue blouse, and some sandals, and had walked in with a folded up stroller. Eda, on the other hand, looked bonkers. She had on a striped short-sleeved button up, a pair of cargo shorts, a bandana, and hiking boots.   “Well, I guess we’re ready to go then,” Luz hopped up at the sight of the two women. “But, uh, Eda, you might wanna get some sunglasses, your eyes might throw some people off.”   “Damn it,” Eda said, feeling around in her pockets, freezing when she heard Camila clear her throat. “Uh, I, uh, I mean, dang it, sorry. And I knew I’d forgotten something. Cami, you got any I could borrow?”   Camila sent her a disappointed look and sighed before reaching into her purse, “Of course I have some, here, Eda. I knew you were bound to forget something. Now, since that’s resolved, is everyone ready to go?”   “YEAH!” Luz shouted as she grabbed King and ran out the door into the car, leaving Eda and Camila alone inside for a moment.   “Well that’s gonna be a whoop to keep up with,” Eda joked before turning her expression into a more serious one. “But in all seriousness, thanks for this, Cami. You could have easily said no and kept Luz to yourself, so thank you for giving me a chance.”   Camila looked at Eda, taking in her expression. She’d never doubted that she’d made the right decision in letting Luz get to know Eda, and she hated that Eda couldn’t see that she trusted her, but she settled for a nod. “Of course, Eda. She’s your daughter too. You guys are gonna have a blast today. You’ll love it,” she smiled and motioned for them to head to the car, lest Luz start it herself and drive off without them.

Not Rated

{Luz' POV}   "We are glad to have you here miss.Noceda. I do hope you enjoy our school." Lillith Clawthorn said to the young adult. Luz's eyes roamed around the lobby of the building. The flooring was made of a creamy white marble that reflected everything like a mirror. The ceilings were white, with large squares cut into it. Tube shaped light bulbs were installed in the fine-cut square. In the corner of the lobby was a sitting area. There area had carpeting, it was a rich creamy white color almost identical to the marble. There were small couches in the area each with its own small or medium sized coffee table. Vines ran down the walls to give it a maturing feeling, while being fake they looked so real. There were pillars lined along the hallways, The pillars had a dark brown structure within that structure was glass that held the shape of stars. There was a light inside the pillar that made it glow for more affect. There was an enormous chandelier only about 17 in front of the entrance doors. The entire place was absolutely beautiful. "Thank you so much aunt Lilith. This is amazing" Luz couldn't help but squeal. Little chuckled, "your a smart girl Luz. You deserve this and I'm happy to help you get here.... And just call me Lilith 'aunt' is so weird"     The woman laughed. "I'll help with your things and show you your room." Lilith said picking up 2 of the bags Luz had dropped on the ground. "Thank you Lilith." The girls traveled down the hall and up three flights of stairs. "Geez Lilith you would think for a building so expansive to live in they would have a fucking elevatorrrrr" Luz dragged on. "Watch your language you big baby." Luz groaned."Oh I did forget to mention who your roommate would be. Your roommate is Amity Blight-" "AMITY WHO NOW!?" Luz hand dropped all her luggage completely flabbergasted. Lilith turned around and looked at the girl with a look. "Oh you will be fine. She's not a bad roommate if you want someone that you'll never have to deal with. Trust me you could have gotten someone way worse" Luz scoffed, "east for you to say she famous!! Like REALLY FUCKING FAMOUS. One slip up and the internet will drag me. I'm going to be over as fast as I started." The girl deadpanned. Lilith let out a sigh. "I promise it won't be that bad. You'd be amazed at how little she can care about someone's existence." The older woman said turning around and walking again. Luz let out a frustrated sigh. "Whatever" she murmured licking her things up and walking with Lilith. At this point they were outside room 399. Lilith hesitated to put the key in the door. Luz looked over at her confused. "What's wrong?" Lilith sighs and drops her arm limp to her side and looks over to Luz. "Ok... so I may have forgotten to mention she would be getting a new roommate.." Lilith said. Luz stared at her wide-eyed. "your kidding right..?"Luz whispered in disbelief. "Ok y'know what? Sooner we get this over the sooner I can leave what is going to be a distasteful situation." Lilith put the key in the keyhole, turning it and opening the door. Right when you entered the room, the kitchen was to your left there was an L shaped counter against The wall where the door was. To the right of the door was a built in closet that most likely served as a pantry. When you walked in, there was a soft black leather couch facing the opposite direction of the door. The couch was sitting on a black furry rug. Infront of it was a cherry wood coffee table with glass in the middle. About 6 feet infront of the coffee table was a black T.V stand holding a 16 inch flat screen T.V. There were tall pots with large plants clearly for decoration sitting on either side of the T. V stand. It was a living room about 40 feet wide. On the right side of the living room was a dark oak bookcase that seemed to already be filled with books. Same on the left side of the living room. The bookcases had vines and fairy lights rapped and streamed on it. About 4 feet away from each bookcase was a door. The bedroom doors. In Luz' eyes one of the best parts was that the entire back wall was decorated with pictures and posters.  "Wow Lilith... you guys have amazing interior designers.." Luz let out dreamily, still amazed by the room. Lilith snorted, "we don't decorate the rooms nor do we provide anyone with anything. The only thing we provided was the bookcases and the beds. Amity bought and styled everything else." Luz looked at her with a surprised look. "Maybe she should have interior design as like a side job aside from singing cuz holy shit she's got good style." Luz looked back around the room. "Now that I can agree with you on. Your room is on the right. Amity took the room on the left. I'll fill you in on everything you need to know." Lilith exclaimed. Luz hummed in agreement and went over to where her room was. She opened the door and turned the light on. The room was about 20 long and 50 feet wide. The bed was up against the wall on the left side of the room, it was lifted on the floor by steps. (I'm sorry I have no clue how to really explain how I imagine the bed being placed so bare with me:/ )the floor beneath the bed was elevated into a round platform floor the bed was a cambeck queen bed with two lights hung from the tops of the frame. On the right side of the room was a small sink and a wide mirror on the wall on top of it. On the right of that was the bathroom. That contained a simple toilet and small glass shower. "This is a nice room." Luz stated sitting her belongings down against the opposite wall. "Indeed it is. This is one of the more expansive rooms. It has more character than most others." Lilith said smiling over at Luz. "But gosh if you thought the living room and the lobby was beautiful, wait till you see Amity's room. That girl has a talent for decor" Lilith snorted at the end recalling what Amity's room looked like. Luz turned around and looked at Lilith who was putting the young adults bags down. "So is there anything I need to know about Amity?" Lilith looked up at Luz and smiled. "From what I know, she's not big on loud noises or people. So you would have to tone it down. That girl also cannot cook FOR THE LIFE OF HER." Lilith couldn't help but laugh at the memory. "She loves reading as you can tell by the fact that she filled your bookcase and hers with a bunch of her books, not to mention she has a bookcase filled with books in her room to. She's pretty good at drawing. Amity also has a weird obsession with snakes and frogs.... And We only said no cats or dogs aloud, so she does have a case with a Burmese python and another case with an Amazon milk frog." (Yes I'm forcing my obsession onto Amity leave me alone.) Luz stood there blinking for a few seconds. "She.... Has a what now?" She questioned wanting to curl into a ball knowing her roommate has them in the room across from hers. Lilith laughed, "oh don't worry, they are both non venomous you will be fine." She waved off the younger woman's concerns. "How do you know they aren't venomous!?" Luz practically yelled. "I'm basically a second mother to Amity. She loves those creatures and has spoken to me enough times about them for me to know they pose no threat. They also wouldn't be aloud in the building if they did..." Luz huffed in annoyance. Luz had finished unpacking all over her things and putting up all of her posters and belongings. She had to admit, this place was very well built. According to Lilith her roommate was busy at her recording studio today. Luz didn't know how long she would be gone but apparently she left at about 1:20 in the afternoon, and it was currently 7:45 at night. Luz couldn't help but become curious as to what the Amity Blights room looked like. While knowing she had creepy animals in there it kinda sounded cool. She didn't want to go look, because she would be breaching her roommates privacy but she was very curious. Luz sighed, letting her curiosity get the best of her. She walked out of her room closing the door behind her and walked over to Amity's. Standing there for a few seconds, she contemplated whether she should really just go in. Deciding that it wasn't a big deal she put her hand up and turned the nob. ‘Shit’ {Luz’ POV}   ‘shit’. The door was locked. ‘Why would she lock her door if she didn’t have a roommate?? That’s so extra’ Luz rolled her eyes. If you thought a locked door was stopping her from looking in the singers room, you are very mistaken. With Luz being raised by Eda, she knows every tip and trick in the book. Eda was all about “if it’s not illegal, it’s not fun”. Good quote in Luz’ opinion. The girl went back into her room and brought out her trusty Swiss Army knife. Picking the lock, she heard a click. She tossed the knife over to the couch and opened the door. Luz’ mouth went WIDE.Right when you walked in there was a long white dresser that stretched from the middle of the room all the way to the right wall. It had shelves and cubbies inside of it. Figurines and little trinkets, along with books, and drawing, she had a lot of crystals too. Vines decorated the ceiling, with each vine was a fairy light. Posters of different things like Rick and Morty, Bob Ross, spice girls, King Princess, astrology, MHA, ghost stories, Tokyo goul, and other things plastered along the walls. On top of the dresser was a large glass case holding the infamous python. If Luz had to be honest it was a beautiful creature. It had bright yellow and white blotches along it’s body it was also inherently larger than Luz expected. The glass case was about 20 feet long covering over half of the dresser. It also glowed a floral green colour. The little space that was left were just for study books and… an espresso machine? ‘Rich ass British girl’ (yes I made Amity British because I like the accent.) looking over to the right her bed was just like hers with the platform floor. Fairy light streamed along the headboard of the bedframe. The comforter was sage green, along with the three pillows. There was a white night stand on the right of the bed that had 3 books stacked on top of each other, all clearly from the same series. It also had a small leather black notebook with a pen on top of it. Against the wall where the door was located, was a shoe rack that held a lot of different shoes. A lot of boots from what Luz could tell. She had seen Amity before, not in real life of course but on the internet. She would be lying if she said the girl wasn’t absolutely beautiful. Not only that but she had really good style. Luz had never really listened to her music but she had heard 1 song Amity made 2 years ago called “misery business” (by paramore) it was really good and Amity had an amazing voice.‘Wait I thought Lilith said she had a frog?’ Luz thought looking at the python. ‘Maybe it di-‘ her thought her cut short with something hitting her head. “OW” Luz yelled turning around. There was Amity, standing 5 feat away with a frying pan.’wow shes really fucking pretty’ Luz stared at her with stars in her eyes, knowing full well she was blushing. Amity had platform boots on. The heel of the boot a little higher than the toe. The platform part had rainbow stripes going side to side. The boot reached about 2 inches above her ankle. The rest of the boot was black, with rainbow buckles. She wore fishnet leggings the reached about 3 inches above her knee just barely showing that they weren’t connected. She had a high waisted cargo skirt on. She had a black and gray sleeveless lace shirt on. With a black chocker about 3 inches wide on her neck. Her nails were black and 2 inches long. Each nail had designs related to Baphet. Tatoos decorated each of her hands along with a bunch of rings. ‘God she is drop dead gorgeous…’ “WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!??” Amity yelled, holding the pan up, ready to strike again if needed. Luz threw her arms up defensively. “Calm down Blight! I’m your new roommate Lilith ever so gracefully forgot to mention you were getting.” The girl yelled using her right hand to rub the spot her new roommate hit with a fucking PAN. Amity stood there for a few seconds. Luz though she was thinking. She lower the pan and shot Luz a look of annoyance. “Well why the hell are you in MY bedroom?! And how did you get in? I locked it.” Luz dropped both her hands to her sides. Chuckling, “I was curious as to what your room looked like. And I picked your lock with a Swiss Army knife.” Luz stated, slowly realizing just how bad that statement sounded. “Ever heard of this thing called ‘personal space’?” Amity retorted. Looking Amity dead in the eyes she noticed the girl had round eyes, her eyes were pretty big and kind of gave her an anime like face. She had dark blue thick winged eyeliner, with glossy black lips. “Yeah but I didn’t feel like waiting.” Luz blurted out, feeling really stupid but being to prideful to admit she was in the wrong. “Well then, thank you for breaking into my room you can take you’re leave now.” Amity said clearly annoyed using the pan as an indicator as to where the door was. “Fine fine” Luz put her hands back up and started walking to the door. She quickly stopped and looked back around the room. “What are you waiting for?” Amity asked impatiently. Luz looked at her, “Lilith said you had some type of frog.. where is it?” “He died yesterday.” Amity mumbled. “Whatever, now that you have asked your question. Get. Out.” She spat.Luz giggled at the girls outrage. Walking out of the room, she stopped right next to Amity. “Your a lot more hot in person.” She whispered in a low voice. Not waiting to see the shorter girls reaction, she went straight back to her room closing the door. ‘Omg omg omg omg omg omg…… WHY DID I DO THATTTTTT. she doesn’t like me now.. wkdudmwkw’ Luz’ brain was going a mile a minute. Had she really just broke into her room, gaslighted the problem, act like she wasn’t in the wrong, AND flirted with the girl after she said her frog died…. ‘Wow I’m so fucking dumb… just a little bit ago I was worried I would accidentally slip up.. now here I am..”. She heard Amity’s door close, and distant foot steps. “This is going to be a long year…” {Amity’s POV}   ‘HOLY FUCKING SHIT, COULD MY PRODUCER BE ANY MORE OF AN ASSHOLE!??’. Amity had just walked out of a building that contained her recording studio. ‘I want to make ONE FUCKING SONG that isn’t based off of a book and it’s immediately shut down… UGH’ Amity made songs that she wrote about books that she read. She had been singing since she was 16 and had made well over 100 songs based off of different things she’s read. After a stressful day of constant arguing, crying in a bathroom stall, talking to fans online, not to mention Lilith calling her out of the blue to quickly tell her she had a new roommate then hanging up, you could say the girl was having a rough day. She just wanted to go home and sleep. So that’s what she planned on doing. After walking a few blocks, she finally reached the building containing the dorms. Walking in, she saw Fred. The desk guy. Fred looked up and waved at Amity. “Hey Amity, how’s your day been?” The old man asked. Fred was about 75 years old. He was a sweet old man that you couldn’t help but love. “Oh better than ever Freddy.” Amity politely responded. Amity went to the front desk where the man sat and handed him a few caramel twists from her pocket. Fred took the sweets, eyes lighting up. “Thank you so much dear! I love these things.” Amity chuckled at this. “Dont eat them all in one sitting though. You know what that did to you last time old man.” Amity joked. The man laughed and put the candies next to his computer. “Oh haha I get it I’m old I know. My bones remind me of that every day.” Amity snorted. “Oh, by any chance did Lilith mention you have a new roommate?” Amity’s face turned sour for a quick second before putting a happy facade over it. “Yes she did. She called about 30 minutes ago to let me know.” She spat shear venom obvious in her words. The man let out a long sigh. “I truly wish she would stop doing that.” He shook his head. “Well you better get up there and meet her!!” Fred said cheerfully. “haha.. yeahhhhhh…” she dragged the words out. “Bye freddy, have a good night!” She waved walking off. Climbing the stairs and walking down the hallways she finally reached room 399. ‘Uuuggghhhh’. inserting the key and pushing the door open, she immediately noticed her room door open. ‘ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?’ Amity thought as she saw a little bit of the figure that was in her room. ‘Y’know what if I act like I didn’t know I was getting a roommate and claim I thought she was an intruder, I could get away with wacking her in the head with a pan…..’ so that’s exactly what she did. As quite as she could she closed the door and went into the kitchen picking up a pan from the cabinet. Walking over to her room, and sliding through the door, she quickly and quietly made her way behind the taller girl. ‘Holy shit! She’s like 5 inches taller than me.. and I’m wearing boots!’ Amity shook her head, raised the pan and, *CLANG* “OW” she heard the taller, nameless girl Yelp and look back at Amity. ‘Wow…’ The nameless girl across from her was gorgeous. She had black covers with black short cut socks, an anklet that was silver and decorated with skulls, and ripped black skinny jeans. There was a small silver chain reaching from the side of her belt, to the pocket of her pants. She had a slightly baggy gray t-shirt with random holes in it, and another skull decorated it. She had a spiky black bracelet on her left rist, and a box ring with ANOTHER skull on it on her right ring ringer. She had really short nails, painted black. Her hair was cut short into a grown out buzzcut, a crimson beanie covering it. Looking up at her face Amity could see her features. ‘Oh fuck me- OF COURSE I JUST HIT A HOT GIRL WHO IS NOW MY ROOMMATE IN THE HEAD WITH A PAN. AAAGGGHHHH’ amity quickly recovered and found her words. “WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!??” She yelled. The girl across from her blinked. “Calm down Blight! I’m your new roommate Lilith ever so gracefully forgot to tell you about” Amity’s roommate had put her left hand up defensively and her right went to her head where Amity just hit with the pan. ‘So Lilith did talk to her.. I’m going to kill Lilith for this.’ Lowering the pan Amity shot Luz a look. “Well why the hell are you in MY bedroom?! And how did you get in? I locked it.” ‘Did this bitch really pick my lock?’ She could see the girls arms go limp at her sides. Chuckling, the girl said: “I was curious as to what your room looked like. And I picked your lock with a Swiss Army knife.” Amity blinked, ‘does she know how weird that sounds or is she just weird herself?’ “Ever heard this thing called ‘personal space’?” She blurted. Amity could see the sharp features of her roommates face. She had a relatively slim face. ‘Damn that jawline’ “Yeah but I didn’t feel like waiting” her roommate Said. ‘Bitch-‘ “Well then, thank you for breaking into my room you can take you’re leave now.” Amity wanted to make her annoyance for the situation clear. She couldn’t quite tell if her roommate got the hint but honestly, how could she not? Amity was glaring daggers at the taller girl. “Fine fine” she put her hands up to indicate she wasn’t playing any tricks. The girl took maybe two steps before stopping. ‘Oh my gosh, THE FUCK IS SHE DOING’ Amity thought she was going to pop a blood vessel. She saw the girl look back at her. “Lilith said you had some type of frog.. where is it?” “He died yesterday” Amity mumbled. “Whatever, now that you have asked your question. Get. Out.” Amity stated firmly. She saw the other girl giggle. ‘Is she really laughing at me?’ The girl started walking only to stop right next to Amity. In a low voice, the taller girl whispered: “your a lot more hot in person.” And walked out. Blinking a few times to try and register what she just said, Amity’s face went tomato red. ‘SHE JUST CALLED ME HOT… AHHHH’ she put her hand over her mouth for no real reason. ‘THAT BITCH’ is all Amity could think. After a few seconds, Amity put the pan down on the counter, going back into her room and shutting the door. Deciding not to dwell on the recent interaction she went to get ready for bed. After taking her makeup off and changing into her pajamas that consisted of dolphin short and a gray crop top, she hoped into bed and reached over grabbing her black notebook and pen. That notebook was for her songs. She wrote the lyrics in it. She was currently working on the lyrics for a book called ‘The End Of The World’ by Ariel Stanley (not a real book from what I know). The book was about a 23 year old woman who was a scientist. Her and her coworkers were working to create a cure for stephanistal. A disease that spread through the air. They didn’t know where the disease came from, all they knew was the disease spread fast and killed faster. Soon realizing that there was no cure, she decided to spend her last days with the love of her life, Ryan Lee. Her boyfriend. Amity thought the book was interesting, while she thought the end was dragged out way more than needed she still cried when they both died at the pan end. So she thought it was worth writing a song about. She had of course gotten in contact with the author for permission to use her book. She was more than happy to say yes. With Amity’s popularity, having a song written by her for a book instantly made it more popular. Which in turn made a lot of authors love her, and hate her. Sometimes when she wrote songs about books and her fans went and read the book, it didn’t always end well. Sometimes the majority of her fans would dislike the book and leave bad reviews for it. Which you can tell the author wouldn’t appreciate. But what could Amity do? She had permission and if people didn’t like it as much as she did, it wasn’t really her fault. After about an hour of trying to come up with lyrics and fixing or erasing a whole segment because she thought it looked bad, she decided to call it a night. She put her book down, turned the lights off, set her alarm, and got comfortable in bed.

Mature

Lilith found herself in a situation that, if she was going to be honest with herself, she wanted no part of. The twins had needed a ride to their respective places of employment, which had left Luz and Amity, who had come to visit the twins unannounced (and also discuss the matter of the Blight parents and ways in which Amity might be able to get around the whole “we’re holding your tuition hostage” thing which was at the moment necessitating a certain amount of subterfuge re: her and Luz’s relationship), on their own for a while. Lilith had made the mistake of assuming the two would behave themselves and left, figuring she could run some errands in the meantime.  Except those errands had ended up going very quickly, resulting in Lilith walking into the sight of Amity perched on Luz’s lap and rather enthusiastically exploring both Luz’s mouth and torso using a combination of hands and lips while Luz made a gallant effort to return the favor. It was, she quietly reflected, more or less a scene she’d seen before with Eda and whatever paramour she’d brought home growing up, which in another context would have been funny. In the context where Lilith had to be the adult in the room, however, it was less funny and more mortifying - although the way Luz’s eyes had nearly bugged out of her skull when she’d spotted Lilith entering the room was absolutely something she was going to tell Eda about one of these days. Amity surprisingly, had almost seemed more annoyed than mortified, most likely because (according to her siblings) the poor girl had spent so much time pining over Noceda and being terrified of discovery that she was pissed to have her time interrupted. Lilith could sympathize, almost, except for the part where Amity had decided to do it on Lilith’s couch . Lilith had taken a deep breath, held it, let it out, and told the two to separate and wait for her to finish putting away her groceries.  While Lilith unpacked her purchases and attempted to figure out what the best way to proceed was, Luz sat petrified in the living room and looked over at Amity with an accusing glare. “This is your fault,” she hissed, “and don’t think I'm going to forget it.” “I didn’t know she was going to be back so soon!” Amity insisted, glaring back, “And I didn’t hear you fucking complaining, Noceda!” Luz flushed crimson. “Okay look that’s fair, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m going to be killed!” There was something slightly feral in Amity’s grin as she replied, “Well, at least it was worth it, don’t you think?” “Aaaames,” Luz whined in a very different tone of voice than she’d been whining the name a few minutes ago, “this is serious! Eda’s sister walked in on us-” “You make it sound so scandalous , Luz.” Amity interrupted, seeming remarkably calm, Luz thought, for someone who had been caught by her former tutor and current sort of mother figure with her hands up Luz’s shirt. “It’s not like I was ravishing you against a wall or something.” The feral grin returned. “Although we can try that next time if you want.” “If I survive this,” Luz growled in response, “I'm going to insist on you making good on some of your dirty talk, Blight .” The way Amity inhaled sharply served as all the indication Luz needed that her comment had been well-received. “Careful now, Noceda,” she said, her voice low and approaching a register that was causing Luz to reconsider the whole ‘stay seated and wait patiently for Lilith’ thing, “you don’t want to get caught again , do you?” Lilith heard the comment as she approached the living room again and quickened her pace, sweeping into the room as noisily as she could. Luz went from being several seconds away from tackling Amity onto the couch to extremely nervous with a speed that could not actually be measured by existing scientific equipment. “Well,” Lilith said, taking a deep breath, “we can talk about the appropriate use of my furniture later, but I believe you two had more pressing matters to discuss with me first, correct?” Once again, Amity seemed to recover faster than Luz, who still looked as if she might run at any second. “It’s my parents. We’ve already come up with a plan, but it’ll take a year at least to be able to do it and…” Amity looked over at Luz awfully shyly for someone who had been straddling her not too long ago, Lilith thought, “I don’t think it’s fair to make Luz sneak around for that long.” Luz opened her mouth to protest. “Hey, I said I was-” “I know you did, Luz.” Amity said, smiling warmly. “And it means a lot that you’re willing to. But I don’t want to have to hide, and I know you don’t either.” “Aw, Ames…” Lilith interrupted. “I take it your plan involves getting some other way of paying for your schooling, Amity?” “Y-yeah, I haven’t made any applications for financial aid or scholarship assistance, because… well, because I didn’t think it was worth anything. I um, I didn’t expect…” Amity gestured toward Luz, as if that would explain things. “Ah. You didn’t expect you would end up with a compelling reason to risk your parent’s wrath?” Lilith smiled, a little teasingly. “You both are, and I do say this with love, extremely dense about your own feelings. Fortunately, there are things you can do, Amity - or threaten to do, at least. I think what it’s going to come down to is how much you’re willing to bluff.” “Bluff?” Amity’s voice was a little uncertain. “I’m… I’m not very good at bluffing. Especially not to my parents.” “I’m going to let you in on a little secret, Amity:” Lilith said, smiling a little mischievously, “your parents aren’t good at bluffing either. I think you have a lot more leverage than you realize. You definitely will once we’re done talking, at any rate. Trust me!”  By the end of the talk, Lilith had explained the full gamut of Amity’s options, starting with emancipating herself and moving on from there. College funding could be obtained through aid programs post-emancipation, which thanks to what Amity’s newfound status as Extremely Poor would mean, might even be something she could hope to ever pay off (“Failing that,” Lilith said dryly, “you can just wait for the collapse of the student loan industry and never pay the money back”).  Amity seemed far more relaxed. “So what you’re saying is, I won’t really be bluffing.”  “Right.” Lilith nodded. “I won’t lie to you - if you end up having to go through with it, things are going to be extremely difficult. Money’s going to be a constant issue for that first year - I can’t promise much help from me personally, because I’m already handling your siblings and honestly…” she trailed off. Perhaps, Lilith thought,  it was best not to tell Amity that her parents had gotten her effectively blacklisted from further tutoring opportunities in the community in retaliation for taking the twins in. “Well, honestly my own work barely supports them as things stand. I could offer you housing here if it came to that, but not much else. It might end up being a situation where the best option is to drop out and make another run at it when you’ve actually got the time to apply for scholarships and the like. That said, I know your parents pretty well - they were only willing to throw Edric and Emira out because you’re the heir. They’ll be much more reluctant to throw you out, because then they’d need to either name one of your relatives an heir-” Amity tried, and failed, to suppress a snort. “Or have another child. Which I doubt they’re really eager to do.” “I just want to say,” Luz spoke up, “that I fucking hate your parents.” “Luz,” Lilith said, a little sharply, “please don’t treat this lightly. Amity is going to need support from you when things come to a head. It is… no small thing to sever ties with family, even if that family is…” “Fucking awful?” Amity said, a little wryly.  “I appreciate your coming to their defense, I guess, but they disowned my siblings , Lilith. I think that bridge is pretty burnt.” “All the same,” Lilith said, “it is perfectly okay to feel upset about it. Families are… well. You know even better than I do, I suppose.” “Thank you.” Amity said, rising to give Lilith a hug. “For everything. Especially for taking Ed and Em in. I know it hasn’t been easy for you.” “It’s the least I could do.” Lilith replied, wrapping her arms around the younger Blight. “Like my sister says, outcasts need to stick together.” She took a step back from Amity and wiped a few tears from the young girl’s face before glancing over at Luz. “Now, if you could do me a favor and give Luz and myself some privacy? There’s a few things I need to discuss with her.” Luz blanched visibly. Amity hesitated, but Lilith very firmly maneuvered her out of the room, whispered a quick “Don’t worry, she’s not in trouble,” and shut the door.  Luz was quick to speak up, perhaps hoping to head off whatever was coming as quickly as possible. “So, uh, do you really think Amity’s parents are going to back off if they think she’s serious?” “Unlike my sister,” Lilith said, not without a little fondness, “you’ll find I generally gather information and make a plan before charging in. I would not tell Amity to call her parents’ bluff if I didn’t think there was a high chance of it working.” “But not a guarantee.” “Miss Noceda, practically nothing in life is guaranteed - the way a parent acts when confronted with open rebellion among them is just one example. I am confident in my guess, based on my interactions with the Blights in the past, but I cannot offer certainty.” Lilith was capable, at times, of being an incredibly intimidating presence. Currently, she was doing an excellent job of it, if Luz’s suddenly sweating palms were any indication. “That, however, is not what I wanted to talk to you about.” “O..oh? Are you sure?” “Quite sure.” Lilith smiled, but it was not a particularly comforting look. “Actually, I misspoke. I very much do not want to talk to you about this, but the Blights certainly won’t, so it falls to me. I cannot believe that I am forced to say this, Luz, but do not , in the future, put my furniture at risk of desecration with the young Miss Blight.” “I-in my defense,” Luz said, swallowing, “it was Amity’s idea-” “And yet, Miss Noceda, I somehow am certain that you were the one responsible for the state of her top when I entered the room.” Lilith said, falling into her teacher mode so that she did not immediately abandon all sense of decorum and run out of the room to either laugh or throw up. “Particularly given the position of your hands-” “Okay look can we not talk about this because I think I'm close to dropping dead of either embarrassment or shame and I can’t decide which.” “Oh, there’s nothing to be ashamed of, Miss Noceda! I don’t mean for that to be the outcome of this conversation.” Lilith was mortified, although whether that was out of the idea that Luz thought she was being shamed or because she was extremely not excited about the rest of this conversation was anyone’s guess. “I appreciate that the two of you care for each other very deeply, and obviously at your age there are going to be… urges to express that affection in a physical way. This is perfectly normal and natural, and even beautiful!” Luz looked like she was close to death. Lilith continued onwards, determined to get to the end of the thoroughly uncomfortable discussion as much as possible.. “I do request that you perhaps put a little more thought into when and where you two choose to express that affection. It is difficult to believe but I was your age once, and I had some… encounters of my own that were, perhaps, a little ill-advised in terms of when and where.” Some spirit of mischief (she had been speaking with Eda recently) moved her to add, with air quotes for flourish, “Learn from my mistakes, Luz, and please don’t ‘fingerbang’ Amity on my couch. I like that couch.” Luz choked, spluttered, and went the color of, Lilith thought, a particularly ripe tomato. “I… we haven’t even- that’s-” Lilith, who had always been the more mature and collected of the Clawthorne sisters, managed to keep it together for nearly twenty seconds before she exploded into laughter. “Oh, if you could see your face right now! Oh gracious, that was entirely worth it.” She leaned against the wall for support. Luz glared at her at first, but had to admit that it was pretty funny. “So… good talk then? I can go?” Lilith composed herself, wiping a tear of merriment from her eye. “Not quite yet, Luz. It is my duty as the closest thing to a decent parent that Amity has to make certain that your intentions with her are pure. Or, I don’t know, something like that.” “I mean you just told me not to-” “Yes, well, that was said in jest.” Lilith cut Luz off, then as an afterthought, added, “Mostly. I would like my furniture to remain undefiled.” “So what, is this the part where you go ‘don’t hurt my not-actually-daughter-but-kind-of-my-daughter?’” Luz crossed her arms, looking unimpressed.  “Something like that.” Lilith replied. “Except I wouldn’t insult your intelligence by making an idle threat to your safety, and I certainly wouldn’t insult Amity by implying she needs protection, least of all protection from you of all people. I think I know you well enough to be aware that you aren’t going to hurt Amity intentionally. It is also painfully obvious, and has been for quite some time according to my sister, that you care very deeply about her.” Luz’s posture had shifted and she stared back at Lilith without a hint of embarrassment. “She’s the most important person in my life.” “Good.” Lilith nodded. “Because if I’m not mistaken, you are the most important person in hers. The two of you are good for one another-” “Glad we meet with your approval .”  “My approval isn’t the point. My point is…” Lilith took a deep breath. “Amity is going to need you, Luz. Going up against her parents is going to be one of the hardest things she’s ever done, and while I do think her parents are going to back down, they are also going to throw everything they can in the hopes she'll back down first. I do not doubt that it is going to get extremely ugly, and they will hurt her. Not physically - at least, I doubt they’d result to physical violence - but certainly they will attempt to tear her down as much as they can. She is going to need someone to lean on afterwards, and she trusts you more than anyone else.” “She trusts you too, you know.” Luz said, quietly. “It wasn’t my idea to come to you about this. I was ready to wait it out.” “Unusually cautious of you.” Lilith commented. “Not what I would have expected from someone who spends a lot of time around my sister.” “Like I said,” Luz grinned a little ruefully, “Amity’s important . I’d wait as long as it took.” “Good.” Lilith replied. “You’ve put my mind at ease, Luz Noceda, and for that, I am grateful. Amity is very lucky to have found you.” “You know,” Luz said, giving Lilith a long look, “I think Amity’s just as lucky to have found you . I don’t know that she would’ve been able to wrangle her parents on her own, and my default answer to problems like this is generally-” “Property damage, I know.” Lilith smiled. “You do spend a lot of time with my sister, after all.” “Yeah, well, go with what you know, right?” Luz grinned. “But… thank you. For helping her. It’s… it’s good to know she’s got at least one adult in her life who doesn’t completely suck shit and isn’t my parents.” Parents, huh? Lilith thought, but didn’t say. She’d have to tell Eda about that later - it would, she assumed, make her sister’s day. “You are both welcome here any time, of course. Just…” “Right, right, no uh… of that on the couch. Got it.”  “Good.” Lilith said. Luz made for the door to the room and opened it to reveal a noticeably moved-looking Amity, who immediately threw her arms around Luz and kissed her with a not unnoticeable fervor.  “All done?” Amity asked, failing to even pretend that she hadn’t been listening in the whole time, her eyes fixed on Luz. “Yes, you’re both free to get out of my house now, thank you.” Lilith said. “Please take your out of control hormones somewhere else, like Eda’s apartment. Her furniture is probably already ruined.”

Teen And Up Audiences

"Come on!""Hold on, im coming!" Jerbo chased after the green haired boy in front of him, sprinting towards the Lunos museum. They ran through the forest of gnarly, black trees, pink, purple, and blue flowers and wild green grass, all under the cover of the rich purple night sky and the shine of the full moon. "Remind me why were running again?" The gangly teenager panted out.He wasn't new to high-speed chases do to the excercise Viney dragged him along to do and he was strong despite his looks, but Edric was making him pull stitches he didn't even know of. "Because I don't want to be late! If the flower starts blooming without me seeing it I wont get to brag to Mittens and Em about it!" He whined out half-jokingly."Is that the only reason your going with me? Not for the once-in-a-millenia chance of seeing the Lunos Lux in full bloom?""Well excuse me Mr Flower connoisseur, not everyone studied the dork arts of fancy flower stuff." He teased. As much as Edric didnt understand Jerbo's interest in the flora and fauna of the boiling isles, it was cute to see him nerd out about it. "Well anyways, we have lots of time and the show lasts for a whole hour. Maybe we could take a stroll through here? Ooh theres a bunch of lovely medicinal plants here, Viney would love these for ointment!" Jerbo had stars in his eyes, it was adorable. He sat down in front of a purple flower, its multi-layered flowers open to reveal a pale almost-white purple liquid in the bowl shaped stigma. Along with that it had royal purple vines crawling down from the head. "This ones called a Sanitatem vinea, the healing vine, its obviously a flower but the small vines protruding from the head give it its name." He gently poked the top of the stem."Ooh pretty" Edric squated down next to him."It is. But its not just pretty, its also very resourceful like most plants! The sticky liquid in the center can be turned into a natural ointment, almost instantly cooling down burns and bruises. Viney often gets me to find some for her. Its very good quality."The illusionist nodded in facination, he leaned in to smell it. "Wow this smells great! Its like lavender except not lavender at all and far better!"Jerbo giggled. He took out a small container and a tiny spoon from his brown satchel bag and scooped up the liquid into it. "The flowers here get much better, do you wanna see some of my favourites? Ive been here so many times before so I know them off the back of my hand.""Yeah I would love too!" Edric grinned, he couldnt tell the difference between most of the plants that surrounded them, but it was all worth it to hear Jerbo. He liked hearing Jerbo. He liked Jerbo. "Ooh! Whats this one?" He picked up a a closed up pink flower with big leaves the same color as his hair. He poked the shut top."Wait don't do that!" Jerbo yelled in panic.The flower opened up instantly, revealing a set of teeth circling all around the inside. Its tongue-like anthers twisted around Edric's finger.He let out a scream before the other witch ripped it off him and crushed the plant under his palm, before falling under his own weight."Jeez, I should've expected that, stupid bitey-plant." He mummered."Uh y-yeah." Jerbo stutteredHe came to terms with the more...intimate position they were in, with his head layed down on the shorter witches chest, not the most comfortable when his head slammed into the green jewel at his center but still relaxing non the less. He got up face flushed red. "Well we should probaly get going, we wouldnt want to be late.""Aww but didnt you say we had lots of time?" Edric got up and leaned in closer to other man, eyes half-lidded. "Oh are you flustered?"He smirked."I-I!" Jerbo panicked and pulled for something to say in the moment as his face felt hotter and hotter. "Well you know its good to be early! And, uh well they’ll be prettier non-bitey plants as we go!""Prettier than me?" Edric looked like a cat, head laying on the back of his hand, smiling smugly."No no!" Jerbo got up and started running."Come on!""Hold on, im coming!"

General Audiences

“Amity! You Made it!” Luz called, waving enthusiastically at her from where she was standing with Willow and Gus.  She smiled and waved back. “Yep, I made it." Luz ran up to her and pulled her into a hug. "It’s, uh nice to see you Luz.” She said, blushing like crazy as she pulled away. Thank goodness Luz was an absolutely oblivious witch. Less fortunately Willow was not, and would absolutely be teasing her mercilessly later.  She shook her head and looked at Luz. “Anyway, you said there was a new glyph you wanted to try?” “Yeah! It was in an old oracle track textbook I found at the library! Maybe it will let us see the future!”  “We’ll see Luz, oracle magic is generally pretty vague when it comes to the future.” Willow said, smiling at their friend’s infectious excitement. “Shall we get started?” "Yeah!" Luz jumped forward and began drawing the new glyph in the dirt. It was a complicated one, and it had to be pretty large to fit all the details. By the time Luz was done with it all four of them could have stood inside if they squashed together. Luz stood up and brushed herself off. "Alright! Who's gonna do the honors?" "Well I did the last one, so that makes it Amity's turn." Gus said. "You up for it Ami?" Luz asked her, making her blush, again. "Yep uh, sounds good." She managed to stutter out over her crush. Get a hold of yourself Bligh.  "Awesome! Then Willow and Gus, you two get your shields ready and I'll be the spotter." They all got into position. Willow and Gus in the back with their shields up, Amity in front ready to activate the glyph, and Luz behind her, ready to pull Amity behind the shields in case the glyph exploded again. "Okay ready? Hit it!" Amity activated the glyph, Luz immediately pulling her back behind the shields. The glyph glowed brightly for a moment, and then something started to rise up from the ground. Or rather, someone.  Whoever it was began to solidify, turning from a glowing outline into a witch with a single green streak in her brown hair, wearing a pink dress and black studded leather bracelets. She looked, actually, she looked like a cooler and more mature version of Amity. "So, this was today. Huh who knew." The older witch brushed herself off and turned to look at them. "Oh gosh, we were so cute!" The witch, who Amity was now pretty certain was an older version of her, laughed and whipped out her scroll to take a photo of them. "I can't wait to show this to Luz." "So you are Amity then?" Willow asked. "Yep, that's me, ten years older than little me here." She gestured to the glyph she was standing on. "This allows you to summon a future version of yourself to answer questions. It does have some limitations though. Each person is only able to use it once, and it only lasts around a minute. So I won't be able to use it again, and there's not a lot of time for you guys to ask me questions. So I'll just give you the answers I gave us last time."  She grinned and pointed to a ring on her hand. "Yes Gus, this is a wedding ring. Willow, yes it is who you think it is. Luz," her smile softened, "don't worry. You'll find a way home. And me, trust your friends. They'll have your back as long as you let them."  She smiled at them and bowed dramatically. "Adios kids! See you in ten years!" Then, with a flash of light, she disappeared. Willow laughed and rolled her eyes. "Nice dramatic exit Amity." Later, as the three friends walked home, Luz having headed in the opposite direction to return to the Owl House, Amity asked Gus a question that had been bothering her. "So Gus, what's a wedding ring?" Willow nodded. "I was wondering that too." "Oh yeah! They're a human thing!" Gus said excitedly. "When humans get married they give each other rings to represent love! Isn't that cool!" "Yes," Willow smirked at Amity. "Very cool."  "Who knows, maybe Luz started a wedding ring trend in the Boiling Isles." "Oh, I definitely think that Luz is responsible for Amity wearing a wedding ring."  Amity squeaked and Gus glanced at her. "You alright there Amity? Your face is really red."

General Audiences

The Owl House. After ‘Escaping Expulsion’ POV: Luz   What was that? Luz paced. She always paced now. She walked around her sleeping bag, pausing at the window to check if Eda and Lilith were still practicing glyph magic. But it was dark and they remained indoors. Luz hadn’t noticed Lilith’s newfound bond with Hooty, but she knew the sisters had started to find peace with each other. It’s funny, Eda and Lilith’s relationship had been such an enigma to Luz, and now it was pretty clear how both of them felt about the other. It was clear all they needed was each other. Magic or no magic, they had a hole in their lives which, despite the curse, is being filled now. Luz could see Eda’s impatience had something to do with the heartbreak of becoming powerless. She felt weak. And, yet, Lilith understood that, she could probably help them accept it. It’s all new, and they were doing it together. With Luz, King, Hooty, and… Luz was restless. She sat abruptly on her sleeping bag and thought to tuck her feet in, hesitated. She took the phone from her pocket and brought up the camera. She stared at her face. It was a little bruised and singed. She noticed the reflection’s bottom lip tucked behind her top teeth. She shook her head and released them, leaning forward to push the play button. “It’s, uh, only been, well, I’ve updated you quite recently, but, of course, on the Boiling Isles, nothing is totally predictable.” A pause. “I got expelled today. Ok, no, not really, well a little, and I know what you’re going to say, this is the reason you sent me away, isn’t it? I get that, one hundred percent, but listen, it wasn’t technically my fault. Well, I did do everything Mrs Blight said. I messed up Grom. I disrupted Abomination class--I’ve mentioned that before, but I can explain it later--and, yes, there hasn’t been a normal day since I arrived. Maybe that’s just who I am, you know? I make messes, and I don’t mean to, you know that, and I clean it up, but today, I almost didn’t clean it up, and I’m pretty scared, because I could have really been destroyed by an Abomination. It was huge and it had its phasers set to kill, really, it would have done. I’m clearly…” Luz couldn’t keep her head up. She clenched her fists, drove one into her lap, and let go. She examined the dust and dirt under her fingertips, and the red marks which had formed on her palms. Falling from the vines had hurt, but she wasn’t upset about that, about how it looked on camera. She was… feeling something else. She looked at her phone. “I wasn’t powerful enough today. Eda and Lilith are learning glyph magic, which is great, and they’re doing great, but I’m their teacher, and I was no match for the Abomination today. I need to be good enough, otherwise…” A gulp. “I didn’t die though. Obviously. “Remember when I asked how you knew you liked Papa? And you told me that crazy story when I was a kid, about a young man on a stallion, and you were the princess, and he tried his hardest to win your affection, and his romantic gestures were enough to do it? And then, you told me later that you had told me that story because it was what every girl wishes it was like, the knight would just fall into your life and you just knew, but that wasn’t how it usually went? Well, I think, uh…” Luz’s face warmed. She uncrossed her legs. “I was saved today, I didn’t not die because I got myself out of it, it’s because someone was there for me. And my friends, they’re always there for me, isn’t that what you wanted, isn’t that really why you sent me away? Well, now I have friends who literally throw themselves into danger for me. I know, I don’t know how I feel about it either. But it really does happen, and it happened again tonight. If I was talking to you about this yesterday I would have thought, no, that love story you told me was definitely false, just as you said. But I’m starting to think… maybe it isn’t. Maybe, a girl does just know, it isn’t something that knowingly builds over time, it can sometimes just hit you as plain as a knight wooing a princess or a prince for their affection. They literally swoop in at the right time, and in that moment you realise this person was meant to be there, they were meant to know you and… I’m sorry, I’m probably not making any sense, I should just…” Luz pushed the front of her phone onto the table. She groaned. “Luz, what are you thinking?” When she rested her face on her hands, she noticed immediately her cheeks were warm. And it made her even more restless. She stood up. And paced. “Wh, what am I thinking? I…” She combed her hair with the tips of her fingers. “I’ve never felt, she’s never made me feel like this, she’s Amity. That’s all. She’s my friend and…” She pictured Amity on the railings above her, removing the hood of the cloak which had hidden her face. The way her eyes pierced into the creature, who had very nearly thrown Luz into oblivion, and when she jumped in front of Luz to shield her. She wasn’t sure if it was the exhaustion. She wasn’t sure if it was in her head, but Amity looked… different, somehow. She glowed. Stay away from my Luz. What was that about? It hadn’t escaped Luz, those words, those very… possessive words. Would Willow or Gus have said it like that? Would they have swooped down like Amity had, and laid claim to Luz’s heart like she’s clearly done? “No.” Luz messed up her hair. It wasn’t like that, was it? She heard a noise from outside. She felt for the window and peered into the garden. The ice glyph of Hooty had melted. The air was quiet, save for crickets in the distant field. She’d never known a place so quiet in her life. The stars melted into the purple sky, a hundred galaxies within reach. The air was still, and it was strange to Luz because she had grown up with noises from all four walls, all day, everyday. She had imagined during many daydreams each wall led to another dimension. Each noise was a different universe, and the shouting was the creatures from each universe calling for her to visit. Now, she was in one of those universes and, even as she had wished to get away from it all, the person she missed the most was now out of reach. All she’d dreamed was right there, and it wasn’t good enough without the one who raised her. It wasn’t enough. She slid onto the floor. She suddenly felt heavy. The bruises on her arm finally started to hurt, and there was something else, another pain, unseen, and Luz realised this pain was the root, the original pain, where all her bruises and cuts and burns intersected, it was fuelling them like a furnace. Her cheeks were wet. She grasped the covers sprawled on the floor and held them to her chin. She cradled the blankets, ashamed with her feelings, ashamed with herself, she thought she had been the cause for every pain all the people she’s met had felt, and she was ashamed she was feeling her own pain at all. That wasn’t who she was. A thought came to her, as brief and swift as a meteor, the meteor we mistake as shooting stars, and we’re lucky if we ever see one, and it softened her heart. 'You’re allowed to feel, Luz.' She wasn’t sure if it was her own thought, or a whisper which had been carried through the window by the wind, but it was enough to help her eyes dry. She fell asleep like that, and she couldn’t hear the second whisper which lightly danced on her human ears, whose voice was like the one she had heard all her life. 'It’s not weak to love, mija.' The trees swayed, the crickets sang, the sky yawned. More adventures were sure to come, and Luz would be ready for them all. No matter what happened.

General Audiences

With the swelling excitement she'd felt a thousand times before while doing this, Eda pulled her hood up and stuffed her hair into it.She ducked in behind a distracted security gaurd, and in through the heavy closing doors. She weaved through half intoxicated adults, Thankful for her recent growth spurt, and the dim lighting that hid her school uniform from suspecting eyes. Though there were never many.At these kinds of underground events staff did't care enough to check through the hundred odd witch's for the under aged ones that definitely didn't pay. Eda found from personal experience that once she got through the front doors she was often in the clear.She perked up when she spotted them, close to the far back, green eyes under hood locked onto hers, and her heart beat a little faster. Eda blamed that on the security gaurd that stalked by her before she could continue."Cutting it close aren't you?" Her friend said when she met them, "did anyone see you?""Nah, I'm just fashionably late," Eda threw a glance around before leaning back against the wall beside them. They could talk freely hidden in shadows "and no one saw me, they never do."She continued with:"So, are we gonna stay back here the entire night, or are we gonna see some action?" The red head wiggled their eyebrows at the last part pulling a laugh from her companion."Oh, There'll be plenty of action, I promise," Rayne said loosening up."Really, so no classical music then?" Eda said.They rolled their eyes under their hood but still smiled, "No, no classical music, I've made plans to accommodate your uncultured, unrefined tastes."Eda feigned offence, "How dare you! I'm the most cultured and refined person I know! I even own a monical!""You own a monical?" Rayne chuckled."Well.. Own. stole. What's the difference?" Eda hummed with a shrug."Well, anyway." They said getting back on track, "I think you're going to be really impressed with tonight's performance.""I hope so," Eda responded teasingly, "we wouldnt want a repeat of last time would we?""I had nothing to do with those bats." Rayne looked way with what she guessed to be a blush in the dark. "Welp, I'm just checking I'm getting a good time, that's all," Eda said, "my time is precious.""When have I ever shown you a bad time?" Rayne asked with a scoff, "come on," they grabbed her wrist, fingers momentarily brushing against her's;"I know a place."Eda grinned and allowed herself to be led away.––––If Hexide didn't want its students to turn into delinquents, they shouldn't teach them spells perfect for sneaking past idiots, Eda thought as they snuck past idiots.She wasn't concerned with how high up they were going, she'd been up higher. Every footstep from the stage below, the chatter from the crowd, the band setting up bellow, they all rose up and reverbed against the arching dome ceiling; Eda felt her excitement rise at the thought of getting to listen to music like this.She pulled down her hood."You good?" Eda asked turning back to her friend who didnt join her on the beam above the stage but instead clung tightly to the edge where they'd climbed up."Come back," Rayne hissed, panicked expression partially illuminated by the stage lights bellow, "you're not supposed to be on that!""And were not supposed to be up here," Eda whispered, "come on, this was your idea.""I meant that we could stay over here, Calamity!" Rayne shot back, "not fall to our deaths! My father will kill me if I die!""Were not gonna fall," she insisted, "come on you dork, I'll protect you, promiss."Rayne hesitated:"you better know what you're doing." They muttered eventually.She held out her hand to them and the took it as they joined her on the beam now.They both sat, Rayne somehow hadn't released her hand, but hey, she wasn't complaining..The crowd went quite bellow, the lights dimmed and the band began to play.She turned and grinned at the teenager beside her, they sported their own smug smile."You dork," Eda said, "you do know me.""Just don't headbang off the ledge." Rayne shrugged still smiling.The lead singer continued to yell and scream into their floating microphone and a mixture of obscenities and sex references filled their ears making them both laugh."You're still holding my hand," Eda smirked, fighting to be heard over the screams bellow.Rayne said, "Do you want me to let go?""Nope," She said with a pop, "how else would I protect ya?"Eda went back to listening to the music and Rayne didn't take their hand back.A halfway into the next song she leaned back too much and almost lost her balance.Only to be pulled forward in by the teen beside her, bringing their faces inches apart."Hello," Eda said aware of how tightly her companion gripped her hand. How warm they were.Rayne sighed. "I told you this would happen.""You shouldn't live in the past," she told them, righting herself."You're an idiot." They grunted."And you're a dork, so we're even, Rainy," The red head grinned.They hadn't moved in proximity and they still held her hand. A crazy, dizzying thought jumped into her head, it was insane and kinda plausible the more she thought about it. It made her heart pound in her chest and because she was someone who never thought her words through she spouted them out, the idea came out without her thinking of the consequences."Can I kiss you?" Her friend tensed and she emediatly regretted the slip of tongue."I uh, um.." She watched them flounder.She was about to try and laugh it off when they blurted out a:"yes.""Oh," Eda said and nodded. She nodded again.Neither of them said anything for a while.Until Eda decided, fuck it and went in breaking her uncharacteristic shyness.Their lips were soft against her own causing butterfly's to form in her belly and her heart soar. She pulled back after a short while to read raynes expression."Was that..uh, okay?" She asked them.The other teenager nodded quickly snapping out of a daze."Yepgreatlet'sdothatagain," Rayne got out.Eda laughed at their reaction, "I've stunned you, you're stunned by my skill.""I just expected your mouth to taste like bird seed, thats all." Rayne said then, gaining back some composure."How do you know what bird seed tastes like..?""Don't ask," They winced.They continued to kiss and joke for a while until a voice called up to them:"HEY YOU KIDS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE UP THERE! GET DOWN HERE!""Ah shit, that's our que," Eda muttered pulling her friend–significant other? Up with her. Drawing a spell circle she prepared to run, Rayne panicking beside her.Well that certainly was an entertaining night.

Teen And Up Audiences

Yesterday was… hard, almost impossibly so for bonesborough. Everyone either was friends or just knew her, some from the beginning, some just from passing stories, and as such, no one worked yesterday. Not the council, every market stall was closed, no guards on patrol, and even the night market closed. for one day all of bonesborough closed in remembrance of a hero, a leader, a principle, a troublemaker, a friend, a partner. The next day the markets opened up, the council meetings resumed, and guards were back on patrol. But no one in the council questioned why the abomination coven leader did not show. In all likelihood, she wouldn’t make an appearance for a day or 2.    4 days later…   The dark comfortable silence that blanketed the room was suddenly ripped away as someone in one swift movement ripped the blanket off the form of the auburn-haired witch waking her “Wiiiilllllooooow” she whined “AH ah ah none of that” Willow retorted “I've been fine with you crashing at our place but you haven't left in four days” Amity just grumbled in response, Willow sighed “Skara’s cooking breakfast” at hearing that a single ear perked straight up “you can come down and have some but after you’re leaving to get some fresh air” the ear fell for a moment then perked back up at the soft plucking tune drift through the door as willow left the room.    Slowly dragging herself from the bed being lulled out by the music through the bedroom door, down the stairs, and through the halls stopping at the entrance to the kitchen as the music abruptly stops. Amity's eyes snap open as she shakes her head “wha... Di..did you charm me?” Amity questions groggily. “Well, it wasn't that hard,” Skara chuckled. Amity glared for a moment before a chair and table made of vines grew out of the floor as Skara placed platters of scrambled griffin eggs, blood sausages, and bramble wheat toast. “Thanks,” Amity mutters. Skara gives willow a concerned look which willow reciprocates. Amity, while halfway through a cobbled-together breakfast sandwich, looks up and sees the silent conversation happening between the two for a couple of minutes before questioning.  “What?” The couple is startled as they're suddenly reminded that they are not alone. “‘Well…” Willow starts but its skara rips the preverbal band-aid and she creates a bright red spell circle and a single envelope drops from it. “Your… Lord Blight sent an invitation… for you to meet with him at the manor”   The world fades away except for the letter   A beat   An eye twitch   A deep inhale   Another beat   A Shaky exhale   Another beat   An extended hand    A letter dropped   A slightly shaky inhale    Another beat    A second    A third    A steady exhale   The ripping of paper   Heavy heartbeat after heavy heartbeat   The world fades back into existence   The tragically familiar faded blue doors of the blight manor are staring right back at her as she stands before blight manor, a place she hasn’t called “home” in well over a century. Amity doesn't remember getting dressed or the flight over but here she is. As the golden-eyed black and purple dragon, palisman unscrews itself from the deep purple staff and curls itself around her neck and shoulders as it lets out a distasteful puff of smoke from is nostrils “I don't like it here either but Da... Alador wanted to talk and at least he learned to respect my choices, Merida.” the dragon let out a disgruntled puff before wiggling into a semi-relaxed position.    ‘Alright here goes nothing’ amity thought as she went to knock on the door before seeing that one of the door knockers is missing the... Left... one   The sound of boiling rain and thunder hissing and crackling in the dark afternoon sky is heard as Amity is rushing down the stairs the once wild mane of auburn and faded mint green now freshly dyed, carrying a suitcase and her box of personal items away from her room, away from this house, as she reaches the main foyer of the manor a cold hauntingly saccharine sweet voice rings out  “Amity Coraline Blight just where do you think you're going”  “Away.” is the only response as she continues towards the door suddenly being held by spectral bindings around her ankles and wrists causing the suitcase and box to drop “I don't think so you will not be leaving and unlike you failures of siblings you will obey and be the perfect blight just like you're meant to be.”  just as amity is about to retort a loud crash is heard as the left front left door is yanked open as a slightly steaming and absolutely furious luz is standing their door knocker in one hand, glyphs cards in the other, red beanie slightly off-kilter upon her messy brown hair responds   “Like hell she is!”   Luz throws four dispelling cards at the bindings and as they fade and amity drops reaching for the box luz then throws the door knocker straight into Odalia’s shocked and angry face. Rushing up to amity luz kneels “And scoop!” picking amity up as she clutches onto the box and starts sprinting towards the door hoping onto owlbert and taking off into the storm as amity creates a shield from the boiling rain for them. Then Amity buries her face into the wet green army jacket that’s about 7 sizes too big yet fits perfectly and starts to shudder as horrific sobbing cries escape her throat. As luz runs one of her hands through the wild mane of hair amity states “One of these days I'm gonna burn that manor down” “I’ll help” luz responds then starts whispering sweet consoling words into her ear as owlbert flies them home. As Amity comes back from the memory lightly chuckling to herself before a pang of sorrow hits her heart “if only” she wistfully mutters under her breath. Reaching for the right door knocker and gives three loud knocks no longer amplified because of the damage done so long ago. One minute stretches into three before the door swings open with more force than entirely necessary amity is startled to see standing there is none other than Alador Blight himself sleeves rolled up forearms covered in abomination goop  “Ah sorry about the wait the door greeter abomination started falling apart” alador continues to mutter about goop composition and obedience gland stability for a moment before realizing who knocked on the door “Maybe I could use... Rock wort..f.f... Amity?” “Hi” amity provides with a small wave and a tiny smile “He.. hello and what brings you back here?” Amity simply holds up the slightly crumpled letter “Oh” his brow furrows a bit “did I send a letter, I mean I must have given that you have one but I simply cannot remember. Hmm,” alador thinks for a moment before remembering that amity is still waiting patiently. “Ah, right umm would you like to come in for tea?” “That would be lovely” Amity replies “Right let's head to my study” A few minutes later is when things start to crumble Amity cannot remember the last time she and her da..d dad(she gave a tiny smile at the thought) actually just sat down and chatted with no arguments nothing rude or belittling being said it was… refreshing until alador slipped “So where is luz I can barely remember the last time you two weren’t together ” The genuine smile that had found its way onto Amity's face dropped faster than a shooting star and she immediately froze, muscles tensed and locked up. Merida let out a sad trill as she nestled into Amity's neck.    Alador stopped for a moment wondering why bringing up luz had caused amity to lock up like that then the memory came rushing to the forefront of his mind with all the force of a rampaging slitherbeast oh. OH NO NO NONONO I DID NOT JUST Alador’s mind screamed at him but as he focused back to amity she was in the middle of what could only be described as nearing a complete meltdown legs pulled up to her chest with her head between her knees breathing hard.   “Oh, my dear I'm so sorry I’m so so sorry” alador spoke in a panicked voice trying to console his youngest. Just as he was about to reach out to try and hug her they heard the door to the study open and a bitterly tired voice rolled over them like a miasma   “Ugh, you will not believe the day i..oh Amity” odalia voice turned from bitter and sour to nauseatingly sweet “I’m so glad that you got my letter now onto more pressing matters” odalia continued without even looking at amity “know that the human is out of your life and you've had ample time to grieve whatever fleeting dream that was.” with every word, no, every syllable that left the mouth of that vile thing angered amity even more but it was what she said next that broke the dam It was so outrageous to amity that she didn't couldn't believe what had just come out of odalia’s mouth   “I have arranged a meeting with the eldest of the wilkthread family for dinner tonight. I have also arranged the wedding f-”   It was at this moment that all hell broke loose     Morton was having a rather peaceful day thankfully, no longer having to operate out of the night market solely for business. (though sometimes he still did) After closing shop for the day he was walking home when he swore he could feel a titanquake strange but not unusual but then he saw it, a forty-foot abomination made of nearly midnight black goop and with flaming red eyes burst out of blight manor before with one arm swiped away more than three-quarters of blight manor. Then it collapsed in on itself flooding the blight property     Back at the manor moments after the abomination fell Amity and alador were huddled under a barrier spell that he managed to create and maintain under hundreds of tons of abomination goop as the spell dropped alador tried to pick up amity and cradle her but he was beaten by a smaller than average abomination that just picked up amity and walked away this abomination was far lither yet incredibly solid far more so than your average abomination it also looked incredibly familiar. alador found his voice and drawing a spell circle spoke out to command the abomination, curious to study and understand what and who “Abomination Halt”   The abomination stopped turned to face alador, not with the typical yellow eyes but with two small little lights almost looking like stars, it smiled one of the stars like light winked out for a moment then it turned and trotted down the hill

Teen And Up Audiences

Amity was hosting a party and everybody was there. Gus was standing against the wall when Edric winked at him. He blushed. Edric nodded to the door and left as Gus followed. Gus began to realize that Edric room. Once they were on his bed, he took off his shirt. Gus couldn’t help but notice his abs. “You want this?” Edric asked him. Gus nodded. He began to take off Gus’s as well. Once he was shirtless, Edric bent down and kissed him. Gus squirmed as Edric took off his pants. Shirtless, he towered over Gus. He moved Gus’s hands to the waist of his jeans. “If you want this, take them off.” Gus complied. He tugged it down, pants and underwear all. Edric’s penis was already erect, springing as it was freed. It made Gus keenly aware of his own erection. Edric opened the night stand next to his bed and pulled out some lube. “So Gus,” he asked, “How do you want it? For me to take you from behind or face to face.” Gus felt his mouth go dry. “I want it face to face.” Edric grinned. He squirmed to the lube fingers and brought them to Gus’s asshole. Gus moaned as he felt Edric massage his prostate. His heart beat fast when Edric pulled away, Gus knew what was coming next. He felt Edric’s cockhead press against his gaping ass. Edric was not gentle, shoving it hard in his ass. His thrusts were fast and hard. The base of his hips slamming into Gus’s asscheeks. Despite his roughness Edric looked Gus in the eyes as they fucked. He towered over him. It was Gus who came first, squirting his jizz onto his stomach. He made the cutest expression he came. Edric dumped his payload, flooding Gus’s ass. Still inside Gus, Edric bent down and kissed him. Gus slid his tongue into his mouth. Pulling out, Edric wrapped Gus into a hug.

Explicit

Amity took her seat at the table opposite Luz and in the Owl House and watched her set up the tiles for the game Luz wanted them to play. "So, what's this this game called again?" Amity asked. "Bananagrams!" Luz grinned, holding up a yellow banana shaped bag the tiles had come in. one of the few things she'd brought from home. "Bananagrams?" Amity echoed, "But I don't see any bananas?" Luz giggled. "Of course not, silly. This s a word game. Just with banana themes. Also, I think whoever made it just really liked bananas." Amity sighed and shook her head. "You humans are weird." "Yep!" Luz said proudly. "Now lemme explain the rules. The goal here is to use all your tiles to make words that read across vertically or horizontally. When you put down your last tile, you say 'peel' and take another from the big pile. That's the bunch. When all the tiles are gone and your tiles are all used in your grid, you shout 'bananas!', and then you win. And get to be top banana." "Sounds easy enough," Amity conceded as Luz gave them each twenty one tiles to start off the game. "Okay, ready?" Amity nodded. "Yep." "Split!" "What?" "Turn all your tiles over," Luz prompted. Amity blushed. "Oh. Right." She quickly turned all her tiles over and started making up her own little crossword – only without the clues. "Peel," Luz said, taking another tile from the bunch. "Aw man," Amity frowned as she picked up a new tile. "What am I supposed to do with this Q?" Luz looked up from her own tiles. "Hmm. You know you can always say 'dump' and trade it for three more tiles." "Oh, I can do that?" "Yep," Luz smiled, "As often as you like." "Thanks Luz." "Anytime." They played together for a while, until Amity placed her last time and called out, "Bananas! I win!" She smirked as she announced her victory, and Luz looked at her grid, impressed. "Wow, you're fast, Amity. I got stuck with these letters. And I had no idea where to put this O. You're really good at this. Amity's cheeks flushed again, and she smiled at the compliment. "Ah, really? Thanks." Luz smiled back at her. "Shall we play again?" "Oh yes, I like this game." Luz grinned. "Best two out of three?" "You're on." They played several more games together, both girls winning an equal number of times, just laughing and enjoying their day together. Amity hadn't played a board game in so long, she'd forgotten how fun it could be. And by the end of their fifth game Amity was breathless from laughing and ready for a drink and some snacks. "Do you want anything from the kitchen?" she asked Luz. "I can get you something." She knew her way around the Owl House enough by now to navigate the kitchen. Having been around here so many times with Luz. "Oh, some chips and soda would be great," Luz told her, "Having fun sure makes you hungry." Amity gave a little laugh and agreed, then disappeared into the kitchen to fetch the drinks and snacks. Luz sighed after her, a soft smile on her face. God, Amity was gorgeous. Not only that, she was smart and sweet, with a kind heart. It was easy to fall for her. Luz wondered if there was a way to tell Amity how she felt about her. If she said it, she just knew she'd get tongue tied and nervous, it'd probably all come out wrong and she'd only end up offending Amity somehow. So that was out. She sat there, deep in thought, keenly aware it wouldn't be long before Amity came back with the snacks. Then she glanced at the pile of letter tiles on the table, and a lightbulb flicked on in her head. She reached for the letters and turned them over, seeking out the ones she needed. Thankfully, she didn't need many. When she'd spelled out her message for Amity, she turned the rest of the tiles back over and sat back in her chair. All she had to do now was wait for Amity to come back. . . . Amity walked back into the room carrying the tray of snacks and set it on the table between them. Sitting back down opposite Luz again. "Okay Luz, are you ready for another..." she paused, glanced down at the table. At the words before her. "Round?" Her cheeks heated when she read what Luz had done. The message laid out with the tiles from the word game, reading: I love you Amity. "I..." Amity began, lost for words. For months now she'd been wondering if Luz returned her feelings. Guess now she had her answer. She looked up to find Luz blushing opposite her. "Well, say something, Blight. You're making me nervous here." Amity snapped her gaze back up to Luz and tried to find her voice again. Swallowing the lump in her throat. "Luz, I..." she felt her whole face heat up as she looked into her friends eyes. "That's really sweet," she finally managed. "I... I love you, too." Oe heartbeat passed. Then two. Then three. And amity watched as the human's whole being seemed to light up. "Really?" Luz exclaimed. "I... I thought I was the only one. That you just wanted to be friends." Amity laughed, more out of relief then anything. "Oh Luz, no. Actually I've liked you for months. I can't believe you never noticed." Now it was Luz's turn to laugh. "Well, I was kinda busy with with school and learning magic and trying to keep out of trouble..." she admitted. "But I'm so relieved that you like me! I can't tell you how long I'd been keeping it secret." Amity smiled at Luz, soft and warm. "I could say the same thing," she said, tucking an errant lock of hair behind her ear. Heat colouring her cheeks as she met the girl's gaze. "So... shall we make a date then?" she offered. "Go out to dinner somewhere maybe? Or the fairground for a day?" Amity watched Luz's grin broaden, feeling hope – and a hell of a lot of butterflies – take flight inside her. "It's a date!" Luz declared proudly, a light blush colouring her cheeks as well. "Shall we say this Friday after school?" Amity grinned back at her, unable to keep her excitement contained. She hadn't felt this happy since the second Good Witch Azura book came out. "That sounds great." "Wonderful! I'll come pick you up at eight then." Amity felt heat rush up into her cheeks again, her smile matching Luz's for width. "It's a date," she agreed.

General Audiences

The Clawthorne sisters sat boredly on the bus stop bench, both lost in deep thought. The eldest, Lilith, sat with her back flat against the back of the bench, ever conscious of her posture. If enough attention was given to the little details, the big picture would be perfect. In her hands, she held the tickets they’d been given, reading them over and over but never stopping to decide how she felt. The sun beat down on her thick curls, and the sweat fogged up her round glasses, forcing her to pause and wipe them. She set the pair down next to her, effectively breaking the cycle. Edalyn, the younger of the two, was contemplating whether running off to live in the woods would be a valid solution. She’d learned, back in her old scout group, how to make a simple shelter, so it could work! Besides, making things had always been exciting to Eda. The “potions” she would make as a little kid, stirring up whatever “ingredients” she could get her hands on, or the seeds she took from random plants and buried in the backyard. It was, much to her father’s chagrin, now completely overrun with untameable sprouts. The fantasy of being totally independent in the wilderness was a welcome escape from reality. “...The bus must be running late,” Lilith broke the silence. She’d been born and raised in California, yet strangely her voice had a slight accent to it. “What an inconvenience. How could they leave us stranded in this heat?” She asked, not particularly expecting an answer. “Sure is boring,” Her sister added. “What kind of summer camp doesn’t allow phones? We won’t be able to text, or take any pictures, even if there isn’t any service,” Eda complained. There was little point in bringing electronics when they would just be confiscated, so they sat at home to be untouched until school would start. The girls didn’t usually tend to look for it, but they found trouble pretty easily, and made a bit of a name for themselves. Literally. The Clawthorne girls were infamous, and known by many names. The Prickly Pair. The Disaster Duo. The Blister Sisters. Their mishaps, only some of which were on purpose, had made their way back to their mother, and for their crimes they had been sentenced to ten weeks of unimaginable torture: Sunny Days Sleepaway Camp for Unruly Teens. Their mother happily told them all about it after signing them up, but everything she mentioned about it sounded miserable. The militaristic teaching style filed kids who went there down into smooth, unprotesting canvases that anything could be painted over, and that rubbed Eda the wrong way. In her bag were several of her finest pranks, and she would take great pleasure in making her mark on Sunny Days. “Oh, well. It isn’t like we have a choice, might as well grin and bear it.” Lilith’s voice wavered ever so slightly, and Eda knew she was just as disturbed. “Aw, Lily,” Eda scooched closer to her sister. “At least we’ll have each other, right? You know you don’t have to put on a brave face for me," She laid a hand on her sister's shoulder and leaned into her. Physical touch wasn't the most common way they showed affection, but it was still a welcome comfort to Lilith. "It's us against the world, and we'll show those camp dunces who they're dealing with! Don’t let them break your spirit." Lilith smiled softly. Edalyn took this as a triumph, and grinned.   At last, the bus pulled up to the stop and the doors whooshed open. "Sorry for the wait," The driver rustled the hair on the back of his neck. "The camp is in a bit of a situation, and we were delayed while leaving. Something has been stealing our keys, and we couldn't leave without being able to even turn the thing on," He explained. "Go take a seat somewhere, and watch your balance," "Thank you!" They replied together, and turned away to find a spot. "You don’t think they'll have us all searching for the keys when we get there, do you?" Eda whispered. "That would be unlocky," Lilith chuckled. The girls set their bags down and sat next to a window, letting the minutes fly by. Slowly, the houses grew fewer and further between. The roads inclined upward, and when they checked outside, they could see the mountains getting closer. They were dotted with tall trees and as the wheels rolled, the gravel crunched beneath them. Edalyn pointed out every wild animal she could spot, and Lilith had pulled out a book to flip through. The other kids on the bus more or less stuck to their own devices. None of them seemed very jazzed about summer camp either. It was quiet, save for the sounds of nature. When the double doors hissed open again, Eda had fallen asleep against the window. Lilith tapped her shoulder, and when she jolted awake, an imprint of her cheek was left on the glass, with a red spot on her face to match. “We’re here...already?” The grounds were totally surrounded by trees, and the log houses were obviously ancient. It smelled like wet soil and campfire smoke. Yellow windows were clean from the inside, but the outside was full of dirt and cobwebs. Actual spiders weren’t visible, which was far more concerning than being able to spot them. There were various trail markers, and one large building with a deck overlooking everything else. “It’s been hours. Let's get oriented, it can’t be that bad.”   It was, indeed, that bad. The leaders lined all the campers up in rows in front of the large hut’s patio and filled them in on all the rules of the camp. Lilith loved rules, Eda liked to tease, and even a suck-up like her had been annoyed with the restrictions. First off was the ridiculous dress code. Then there was the constant supervision. Tables in the lunch hall would be assigned. Mandatory lectures and a set schedule lasted the entire break, not giving them a shred of independence or agency over their own lives. If the sisters wanted to be ceaselessly controlled and overloaded with work, going back to their school would have saved them the drive. After the drawn out speech, everyone had been dismissed to find their cabin. The two sisters had gotten confused and wandered away trying to find where they belonged, going further and further on the Otter Trail searching for it. “...That can’t be it.” Lilith pulled down her glasses and squinted. Before them was a little house that was practically falling apart. It was made of brown planks that flaked and warped from water damage. A dusty rocking chair rested on the front porch. A dragonfly perched on it, and it crumbled instantaneously. The door was open, inviting them in. “Even if it isn’t, we can’t just leave without checking it out. And leaving a memory, of course.” Eda reached into her bag and fished around before pulling a canister of spray paint from a hidden pouch. “That’s contraband! What if we get caught with that?” Lilith floundered. “Why would they trace it back to us?” Edalyn brushed her off, running inside. “Because your name will be all over the walls, you clown!” The older sister gave chase, hoping to prevent what would inevitably become a future headache. Eda continued to look for a good place to tag, but something distracted her. A tiny brown otter had its jaw clamped around a ring of various keys, metal and electronic, and dragged the heavy object up the ratty stairs. Up at the top was a door that connected to nothing, but gleamed with light. The younger Clawthorne’s jaw gaped as she took it in. It was something out of a movie, or one of Lilith’s cheesy fantasy books. There was no way she could go back to camp and forget this happened. When the little ball of brown fluff disappeared through...whatever that was, she ran after it. Before disappearing, the last thing she heard was her sister’s scream.

Teen And Up Audiences

“Awww Lulu, you didn’t have to.”   “Sh-shut up, Hoocifer.”   Lilith didn’t have any words to say; infact, she couldn’t say anything. Ever since that first attack on the Owl House (back when she still had her magic) she’s been infatuated with that bird tube thing. His voice was just a piercing nail in her ears, like nails scraping on a chalkboard, yet she couldn’t let go of hearing his voice.   “How did you know I loved flowers? They’re my favorite fruit!” Hoot exclaimed as he devoured the bouquet that Lilith summoned. “Yeah, your favorite.” Lilith couldn’t help but blush while looking away with her tattered shirt swaying in the wind. As she watched Hooty consume the flowers she took the time to reflect to herself on how she got here now before being quickly snapped back to reality. “What’s wrong Lulu?” Hooty sarcastically asked. “Cat got your tongue?”   “Well... Hooty I-um,” she stammered. “Oh, well, if you want to talk about it, you can talk about it,” he added, shifting his tone. “But if you don’t want to that’s also fine.” Lilith sighed, sitting down with her back towards Hooty. “Well you see, the thing Hooty is that” she took another deep breath “I um don’t know how to say this right or properly even.” “Come on Lulu, you can tell your old buddy Hoocifer. Right?” “But here’s the thing,” she began curling her legs up to her torso, “I really don’t know how to say this because…” “Because?” as he inched to an uncomfortable distance to her face before being playfully shoved away getting a light chuckle out of Lilith.“Well, the thing I wanted to say is really embarrassing,” she snickered to herself. “And I really don’t know what he’s gonna say.” “He?” Hooty asked. “Well more if an ‘it’ really, but yeah, he’s really sweet.” “Oh, tell me more of this mysterious person,” shoving his face into Lilith’s again. “Alright, alright you crazy devil, but make a promise with me will you?” “Ooook Lulu but only because you’re my beeeeest friend hoot hoot.” “Yeah well, I guess I should start from the top,” she took a deep breath. “I guess you could say he’s a really caring person who wants to make sure his friends are safe all the time. And he also has such an annoying voice but I guess that’s kinda what makes him him.” “Lulu.” “Hmmm? Yes?” “You’re turning into a tomato.” “WHA-WHAT I AM MOST CERTAINLY NOT!” she rudely exclaimed. “Then why is your face red like one hmmmmm?” he slyly smirked. Realizing his motives, Lilith quickly covered her face. “I-uh, guess they triggered some really strong emotions huh?” “Looks like they really did.” Hooty began smirking again. “Soooooooo are you gonna tell me who it is?” “I wish I could, I really did.” Lilith really didn’t know what she was doing with herself. With this bird tube. “Why not?” She really didn’t want to do this. “I can’t.” “But why?” “I said I can’t.” “But why Lulu?” “BECAUSE I’M AFRAID HOOTY!” she cried out. “Afraid? Afraid of what?”   She can’t believe she was here. With him in all places. “I’m just,” she stammered out, “afraid.” “But why are you afraid?” Lilith couldn’t take it in any longer. She wanted to say this for so long, she wanted to cry out with all her heart. She really did. “I’m afraid,” her lips began quivering, “that if I tell him, he’ll treat me the same or worse, how he treated me in the past. He’s been so sweet to me lately but I’ve just been treating him like and the things I’ve done to his friend in the past have well, put a damper on our relationship to say the least, and I’m really, truly trying my best to be the best I can for him, but I don’t know if what I’m doing is the right thing to do or even say.” tears began streaming down Lilith’s face. “I-I just-want to feel like I’m wanted. Like I’m actually deserving of something, but I don't have anything to prove. I have nothing to me or anyone else except him and if he leaves me or shoves me away then what? Am I supposed to move on? After what I did to Eda-” “Wait, Eeeeeda?” “I-um-well.” “As in my Eda?” “I’m afraid so yes,” Lilith timidly said, wiping away her tears. “I didn’t know she had a boyfriend. And especially not one that liked you as well hoot hoot.” “But it’s not any of Eda’s ‘boyfriends’ or any types of those people for that matter.” “Well then who is it?” Taking a deep breath, Lilith let out a heavy hearted sigh, knowing that this moment can either spell life or death for her right now. “It’s you Hooty. It’s you who I love.” “You wha-?” “It’s just...I don’t know. You just seemed so sweet and kind and no matter how many times I tried to kill you, you’ve always kept up a cheery attitude while you nearly killed all the Coven Guards and I’ve found that so alluring and I don’t know why.” Hooty stood in silence for a moment taking in all the information with a long pause before speaking. “I love you too Lulu.”“You-you do?” “I really do Lulu.” “But why? After everything I put you and Eda through, you can’t possibly love me.” “Well from all my time with Luz, she always said that it’s better for someone to admit their mistakes than live by them and you have admitted to your own so I guess that makes us even. And you’ve learned as well. Learning how to be a better friend and I really love that.” “You do?” “Yep!”   “Thank you, Hooty.” “Oh no problem, Lulu.” “No I mean, really thank you. For listening and staying with me after all I’ve done and said. I-I actually think I do love you. Truly.”   “Well if you want, you can always talk to your ol’pa-er-booooooyfriend Hoocifer anytime you like.” “Thanks for everything. And um, before I go, I need to ask you something.” “Aha sure what is it?” “Well the thing I need to ask is…” “Yeah Lulu?” “I-I”“Mhm? What is it?” “I-I” She didn’t know what came over her, but next thing she knew her arms were cuddling around the cylinder of Hooty’s neck in a tight embrace with her hands guiding his lips (or beak rather) to her own and slamming it into her own. Lilith couldn’t believe her own eyes or herself for that matter. After years of isolation, years of loneliness, and years of unsolved grief for her sister, for her family, she finally found someone she could truly love and someone she can confide with.

General Audiences