The Owl and The Athlete
Chapter 9: Once Upon a swap
By
Neztro
author's note:
starting off I am using one of son of the dragon's scene ideas in this chapter… the bazaar one. I plan to use the other one too. Also we will now start the romantic subplot for boscha and tristan… it is going to be an enemies to lovers type deal… buckle up, we're going for a ride.
tristan combed his hair trying to make it stand still. Eda had woken him up last night and grabbed him… so that she could cuddle with him. Which wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that she would lick his hair and mumble about giving him a bath.
Tristan noted that eda was extremely clingy today and he couldn't place his finger as to why. Right now he was glad to just be placing stuff on the stand while eda was counting stock.
A huge fish man walked up to tristan holding a toaster. "I was told that this would brand my enemies… but when I tried to use it underwater it shocked me… I want my money back." he demanded slamming his fist on the table.
"sorry pal no refunds… store rules." Tristan replied with a bored expression. He had dealt with these types of people before and knew just how to deal with them.
"then I'll take my snails out of your hide!" The man opened his mouth to be big enough to swallow tristan whole.
Before the fish man could attack a fire ball landed in his open maw making him spit up fire and take a couple steps back as he tried to not choke. He ran away yelping after he was done with his display.
"and stay out!" eda exclaimed hands at her side and a scowl plastered on her face. Once the fish man was out sight eda's expression turned to one of concern as she looked at tristan. "oh baby, are you okay? Did the mean man hurt you? Come here."
Eda then grabbed tristan and kissed his cheek holding him close to her breast. All the other customers let out a collective awww as they saw the display.
"excuse me, I work for the bonesborough gazette can I get a picture of the owl lady and her beautiful new son." A reporter said camera in his hand.
"oh I'm not her so–" Tristan began but eda placed her hand on his mouth.
"we'd love too." She said pulling tristan into a hug and smiling at the camera. "smile baby." she instructed.
Tristan tried to struggle out of his mentors grasp but it was like a vise and the more he fought, the tighter it got. Must escape before…
Snap!
The picture was taken and the photographer smiled as eda kissed his forehead. "you look so adorable together."
"I know, he takes after me… at least in the looks and brains department. Isn't that right… are you mama's little helper." Eda cooed using one of her hands to pitch his cheeks.
"eda, stop, this is embarrassing." Tristan said once again trying to pull away but then eda placed her lips to tristan's cheeks making the crowd grow wild.
"eda!"
"I love you and nobody… but nobody is going to stop me from showing it. Understand?" there was a cold edge to her voice as she said this.
Tristan gulped in reponse. "yes ma'am."
"Good boy, now come help me carry some boxes." Eda said taking a couple steps toward tent seeing luz leave it.
"what did you just do young lady?" Eda asked, wagging her finger.
"I organized your stock!" Luz replied exhausted.
"you did what!?" Eda ran inside and grabbed her face in horror. "I had a system… dang it! Tristan you're in charge of the stand while I organize this mess."
"Yes eda,"
"By the way tristan, I would like you to call me mama, effective immediately." Eda said looking back to tristan.
"Eda, come on I can't do that… you're not my mo–"
pop!
Eda's knuckles popped as she looked at tristan.
"Yes mama," Tristan eeped.
A smile formed on eda's face once she heard tristan said that. "thank you sweetie… love you."
"I love you too… mama." Tristan said the last bit under his breath. What is going on with eda. He thought.
Tristan stood at the front bazaar desk for a few minute thinking on what could've happened to eda. Could it be the curse, no, tristan's made sure that she took her medicine. Could she be going crazy… maybe it is eda.
The sound of wood grinding on ground caught the boys attention. He turned around and saw luz dragging a sign. He chuckled to himself knowing that luz had been working on this sign for days.
She desperately tried to lift it up to position it over the tent where eda was sorting stuff.
Tristan shook his head and as it was about to fall on top of her he caught it and angled it to a secure position.
"wanna do the honors light bright?" He asked, as luz began rubbing the back of her head.
"Give me a lift." Luz said walking up to tristan.
The boy cupped his hands and let luz put her foot in them as he lifted her up. The girl pressed the sign and it lit up with luz's light glyphs into an impressive hollywood esque show which read. "eda's human collectibles." with a winking Face of eda.
"that is the ugliest thing I've ever seen on a sign." he joked, pointing to eda.
"now is that anyway to talk about your mama?" Luz snickered covering her mouth with her hand. "you know it's your fault she's like this. I bet you that she is doing all this to get to me… I know it."
"Actually tristan, I think she really cares for you as her baby." Luz replied her eyes going wide.
"really, how would you know?" tristan asked looking at her.
Luz began telling him a story of what happened a few days ago. "remember when you got sick with the common mold?"
Tristan's mind raced he was pretty out of it and he could barely remember what was going on. "not really, it's all like a lucid dream."
"well let me tell you what happened.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
"Eda?" luz asked standing in the doorway of eda's room. Tristan was placed in the middle of the witches nest and wrapped up tightly in a blanket.
The owl lady brooded over the boy looking down pitifully. She turned her head upward with a glare. "what is it?" she said, coldly.
"I brought tristan's medicine." Luz replied showing the bag full of potion vials next to her foot.
Eda's hard gaze softened as she scrambled toward luz. The owl lady snatched the medicine bag from the girls grasp and then returned to tristan.
She began pouring a vial of gray liquid down tristans throat. He began to hack and cough looking disgusted by the flavor of the medicine.
"I know, I know, it's nasty but it's going to make you better baby. Mama needs you to be a big boy and finish." eda finished giving tristan the vial and then pulled out a pink liquid filled vial. "here this will get the taste out of your mouth… it's bubblegum flavored."
Luz looked on as Eda nursed tristan back to health, feeding him over twenty vials which took most of the money she got from the bat queen. Luz knew eda well enough that she was thrifty but she demanded actual medicine for tristan.
The girl smiled at that and watched a connection form between a surrogate mother and her son. Luz bore no ill toward the maia's but she knew they weren't present in tristan's life after he started going to elementary school.
They always went on business trips and left tristan with babysitters at first but that soon became spending entire weeks at her house due to their friendship. Luz's mom would always make tristan feel comfortable and the boy was always respectful with the mature latina.
Luz did see Tristan as part of the family… like a cool cousin but she also knew that he required maternal affection or any parental love though he wouldn't admit it. Seeing eda and tristan together like that made her realize something.
Tristan couldn't come back to earth with her. The thought filled her with dread but she'd be a selfish friend if she tried to take away her friend's happiness.
He was normal here, he had a winning personality and people who loved him… he could prosper here. If need be she'd tell his parents she knows they're witches and thus they should let their son choose whether he wants to live in the isles where he can be with his people or on earth with them.
Luz knew she'd have to confront tristan with making his choice and though she hoped he'd pick earth so she wouldn't be alone… she'd make sure he chose what was best for him even if it meant that she would never see him again.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
"wow luz, she did all that for me?" Tristan was taken aback by the bold admission. He knew eda was close to him but she was really that close to him.
"yeah and I know you're parents rarely ever see you but I hope you can accept eda as like a bonus mom of sorts." Luz asked, eyes filled with hope.
Tristan had to think about this… eda was more maternal to him then even his own parents but he couldn't just abandon his parents. He knows they love him even if they don't always show it.
"what a stupid sign!" A snarky voice called from behind tristan's back.
"Oh it's boscha… one of amity's friends." Luz skipped past her friend and dashed up to boscha. "so what can I do you for boshca? Would you like some human collectibles?"
"Ugh, pass, I'm here to take an ironic selfie in front of your lame sign." Boscha then turned her back to luz and lifted her scroll to snap a picture. After she did she began typing on it.
Luz frowned when boscha said that. But she had expected it due to what willow told her when they talked about amity's friends. "that wasn't very nice boscha."
"and what are you going to do about it? Spit your human venom on me?" Boscha teased, chuckling to herself.
King walked up next to Luz and looked up "you have venom? Luz! Start melting faces!"
The girl leaned down and whispered to king. "even if I could, I wouldn't, they're not worth it."
"let me show you how to deal with ruly teens." King hopped up on the counter and pointed his finger at boscha. "Obey!"
The girl replied with an aw and picked him up. She took a selfie with him and smiled. "How much, I have to own him."
King squirmed out of her grasp and landed on the table. He stamped his little foot and wagged his finger. "you couldn't afford me sister."
this solicited another round of cooing from the teens including luz.
"So you're boscha, the best grudgby player at hexside… I'm not seeing much." Tristan said suantering up the counter. He looked the witch up and down then clicked his tongue. "you look so weak, I bet if it wasn't for magic you'd be a poor athelete."
Boscha's entourage began chuckling behind her back making the pink witch go red in the face. A scowl for the boy in front of her formed on her face.
"Oh yeah, and what do you know about grudgby, earth witch?" Boscha replied cocky as ever.
"Not much, but I have played football for three years and the rules are similar I have been told. Heck, I bet I could beat you in grudgby game." Tristan gloated a smug smirk on his face as he looked boscha deep In her eyes or at least two of her three eyes.
"you, me, grudgby field, dawn, one-on-one… don't be late." Boscha said, fighting back against having an outburst in the middle of the bazaar where plenty of her fans were shopping.
"you're on." Tristan replied and then turned his back to the witch.
"see you on the field earth witch." Boscha flicked her hair at Tristan and turned up her nose as she trotted away from him.
Tristan growled in anger and gritted his teeth. "What a bitch." he said under his breath.
"Tristan! Langauge." Luz said flicking the boys forehead. "you know that is no way to talk with a lady."
"Luz you Are literally the only person who can put her hands on me and not get hit back." Tristan rubbed his forehead, letting the sting subside.
"I still think you should have fought her tristan." King added letting his legs drape over the table.
"King, no offense, but you don't understand how the teen world works." Luz admitted, leaning against one of the tent railings.
"It sucks for the most part." Tristan affirmed setting stuff up on the counters
"Nonsense, you have it so easy. If I was a teen then I'd have them eating out of my hands like that." King snapped his fingers and looked toward where eda was leaving the tent.
The witch turned her head to the sign. "who put this up here?"
"I did eda, do you like it? It should bring in the customers by the boatloads." Luz beamed with pride but eda just scowled at her.
"it will also bring in guards by the buttloads… take it down." Eda replied walking past luz and not seeing the human's frown.
"Eda tell these humans that my life is the hardest." King affirmed toward Eda.
"you? A hard life? You just sit around and get pampered like a dang baby all day." Eda said, slightly annoyed.
"one problem with your logic… I'm not a baby!" King exclaimed stamping his voice.
Eda was enjoying herself watching king have a tantrum. "there is only one thing to do when friends don't get along with each other." eda said, rubbing her hands together mischievously.
"Hug each other until we pass out." Luz asked, holding king up and cuddling him to her face.
"fight to the death!" King exclaimed raising his right paw in a fist and using his left to push luz away or at least try too.
"leave this can of worms unopened?' Tristan asked raising a finger and hoping eda would take his advice.
"Nope, body swap!" eda twirled her staff and in a bright flash of light which engulfed the four friends a wave of experience flooded their minds.
Tristan opened his eyes and realized he was taller. "Huh, who did I get turned into it." he looked toward a mirror and noticed he was… eda!
"ah, this feels so wrong!" Tristan exclaimed trying to run but falling flat on his face. "stupid heels! Why do women even wear these… besides the fact that they look sexy as hell, what's the point?"
"tristan, do you think you're mama is sexy?" Eda's voice asked walking toward tristan.
Tristan noticed a familiar pair of white shoes and looked up. "Eda?" he asked looking up at luz's face with eda's eyes.
"that's mama to you young man now get off the ground with my body… it's dirty down there." eda helped tristan up.
The boy tried to take a couple steps forward but almost fell flat on his face when eda helped balance him.
"you're so cute in my body, you're like a new born deer." Eda cooed.
"Hey look at me!" Luz called hopping down from the table to reveal she's king.
"Oh god, double the the cuteness in one body." tristan cooed, picking luz up and cuddling her. "Now I can pay you back for all those videos you took of me and eda. Wait a minute? If I have eda's body, eda has your body, you have kings body, then that means king has..."
"fear me! For I am the king of all witches!" King's voice came out of tristans body with king's eyes instead of tristans.
"I know it's narcissitic but I look good." Tristan commented making eda snort.
"Like mother, like son." eda then kissed tristan's cheek going on her tippy toes to do the smooch.
"Eda, don't kiss me when you're in luz's body." Tristan was about to cross his arm but when hands grazed Eda's boobs his cheeks immediately reddened and he held his hands at eda's hips.
"Ah, tristan are you trying not to fondle your mama?" Eda cooed smiling with the typical luz cute eyes.
"Yes, I don't know where to touch you on this body… it feels like I'm groping you."
"sweetie, it's perfectly natural for you to be curious about the fairer sex… look how's about we have the talk when we get back home." Eda asked, holding her hands together expectantly.
Tristan's whole face went fire hydrant red when eda said this. "No! That is so weird… I don't want to have the talk with you."
"Why not? It's a mothers job to make sure that the children know how to properly treat their partners when they start dating. Before you ask, yes I will allow you to have sex but I would like for three things to happen: I want you to wear a condom, I want it to be a mutually consenual… do not let your partner dictate when you have sex, it has to be mutual, and finally I went it done under my roof where I can make sure you are safe and following the rules." Eda said smugly, thinking of herself as a cool mom.
"eda! That is so wrong! No, I will not have the talk with you!" Tristan exclaimed a little louder then he meant to be.
"tristan, it's either you and me have the talk or I start walking around the house naked...no underwear or coverings… full birthday suit." eda's eyes glared as a smirk appeared on her face.
Tristan went red thinking of that. "y-you wouldn't!" Tristan replied, trembling.
"want to find out?" Eda smirked which on luz looked very intimadating.
Tristan slumped his shoulders and looked at the ground. "No ma'am, we can have the talk."
"Ooo, I knew you'd see it my way. I love you sweet heart. Come here and give me a kiss." Eda puckered luz's lips and jumped onto tristan making the boy hold her in eda's arms and letting her kiss his cheek.
"My turn." eda said patting her cheek with a finger.
Tristan looked toward luz who was in king's body and was already recording the whole affair.
Tristan rolled his eyes and planted a small kiss on eda's cheek, making the matre witch moan in pleasure.
"can you stop moaning when I kiss you? It makes me feel weird."
Eda pouted, "do you not like me showing you how much I love you?"
"It's not that." Tristan began but one look at the puppy dog cute face of luz with eda's sad expression broke his heart. "I just don't think it's approbiate in front of strangers."
"but you do like me when I give you attention… right?" eda asked raising an eyebrow.
Tristan gulped. He did indeed love it when eda gave him a kiss on the cheek and he sometimes liked it when she babied him but not all the time. He was just embarrassed because until less then a month ago she was a complete stranger… now she's his 'bonus mom' as luz put it.
"tristan, do you like it when mama gives you kisses and shows you her love?" Eda asked, this time a little worry clear on her tone making her cuter then ever.
"Yes." Tristan said under his breath.
Eda cupped her hand over her ear and asked "what? I can't hear you sweetie."
"Yes I enjoy your kisses and expression of love." Tristan said trying not to be too loud.
"Louder and say I love my mama's kisses and expression of love."
"I love my mama's kisses and expression of love!" Tristan shouted at the top of his lungs, his cheeks blood red as he growled at eda. "are you happy now?"
"very happy, and mama loves giving you kisses and expressions of love." eda replied, standing on luz's tippy-toes and pinching his cheek. "alright mama is going to win this bet… and also whoever has the easiest life in their borrowed body gets out of house cleaning duty this week."
This made all three of the others eyes go wide. Cleaning house was the worse chore in the owl house due to hooty being a brat. He would always roll in the mud every chance he'd get, make the stairs into a slide, and always refusing to stand still in the bath… without a treat and promise to hear his stories.
His horrible, horrible, stories. Tristan shivered just thinking about it.
"You are such a mama's boy." Luz said looking up at tristan's in kings cute little body.
"am not!"
"are too." Luz purred making tristan uncomfortable.
"you know what you are?" Tristan asked pointing a finger at luz.
"what?"
Tristan wrapped the small body under his arms and then placed his fist on her forehead rubbing it slightly making her struggle agianst his grasp. "tiny enough for me to give you noogies without mercy."
Luz in king's body tried to fight against tristan's grasp but he had her in a vice like grip, holding her tight. "stop tristan! It hurts."
"apologize." Tristan replied smugly.
"I'm sorry for calling you a mama's boy."
"and."
"and I'm sorry for recording your intimate moments with eda."
"and who is the greatest sports star in gravesfield?"
"you are! Now let go!"
tristan dropped the girl and chuckled to himself as she began rubbing her head. "that really hurt tristan."
"i'm sorry, here let me make it up to you." Tristan then began scratching luz's ears making the girl rub up against his grasp as she began to purr.
"what are you doing to me?" Luz asked purring loudly.
Tristan chuckled to himself. "you're in kings body and even though he doesn't like to admit it… his ears are super sensitive and when you rub them gently he is like puddy in your hands."
"Ooo, I'll have to remember this when I play with king." Luz said.
"excuse me are you eda the owl lady?" a man in a cloak asked.
Tristan raised a suspicious eyebrow to the man. "you a fan of human collectibles?"
the man stepped forward and reached into his cloak. "no, but I'm a fan of…"
Clink!
Iron manacles were clasped on tristans hands stopping him from casting magic. "justice!"
"ah crud." Tristan said, shaking his head. "Luz go find eda and king… I guess I'm off to be interrogated."
Tristan groaned as the guards led him away and one look back at the worried luz was all he needed to know that she was gonna get in trouble without him.
Good luck light bright… you're gonna need it.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
snap!
The camera flash nearly blinded tristan as the photographer smiled at it. "this is some of my best work… really captures the frustration and anger."
Tristan growled as he placed his finger tips in the imprint and shook his head.
The boy was lead into an interrogation and left there to stew in his own agiation. Tristan began whistling in order to pass the time. He knew how this all went down as one of his great loves was true crime stories and thus he has done a lot of research on the criminal processing procedure.
So he knew they'd come in-probably with some food in order to soften him up for info-then start accusing of all this stuff. The whole shebang from we have witnesses that put you at the scene to we have enough to put you away for a long time.
The door to the interrogation room swung open to reveal the pale skinned witch in the black dress… lilith.
Wasn't expecting that. Tristan realized now what this was. An ultimatum, eda told him about how lilith has constantly tried and failed to get eda to join the emperor's coven. Now tristan in eda's body was within her grasp.
"Edalyn, we have you now… can I get you something to eat?" the smile came easily to lilith's face though tristan did not detect any deception from it. She was genuinely happy about seeing edalyn again.
"Yeah, you have me Lilly… what now?" Tristan asked trying to use eda's magic to change his voice to match hers but only managing to make him squeekier.
"trying to use magic to escape huh, but the curse has drained you of your effectiveness." Lilith said taking a seat from across the boy.
Tristan looked at lilith and noticed that she was more relaxed then usual and not as angry or intimadating as back at the convention.
The boy looked down at the floor. "Lilith, I'm not eda… I'm tristan in her body."
Lilith covered her ears and screeched. Surprising the boy.
"I don't want to hear you mention that earth witches name again. He's too disrespectful even for you… and you embarrass our family by making him apart of it."
Lilith slammed down on the counter a newspaper titled the bonesborough gazette with the headlines on the front page reading "notorious owl lady now a mother to an abandoned witch from earth." with a picture of eda holding tristan close like a mother holding her baby to her breast.
"do you think it's funny? Do you think it makes you special? Adopting a witch that is ignorant of our customs and laws… do you think mother would be proud with an earth witch as a grandchild?" lilith slapped the table and clenched it at it's side.
Tristan felt his blood boil… not only was she making fun of him but she was only concerned with her bloodline… her family's reputation… she didn't care about eda… she only cared about her own reputation.
Tristan rose from the table even though his manacles were strapped to it he pulled against the chains.
"you're seriously trying to muscle your way out of your bonds… how please listen to reason." Lilith pleaded. "the emperor can cure your curse and make you the most powerful witch on the boiling isles once again."
"Tristan glared at Lilith. "you really don't think eda would buy that would you?"
"what are you talking about Edalyn?" Lilith asked genuinely confused about her sisters behavior.
tristan could feel his powers increasing as he began using magic to weaken the metals strength and trying to snap it in twain.
"eda is the nicest, sweetest witch in the world. Sure she doesn't act very womanly, and of course she has her flaws… be she is the most honest woman in the world. She is the one who saved me from my self loathing, she's the one who showed me who I really was, and who I wanna be. So like it or not... I am her son!"
Tristan broke out of the manacles and used a spell circle to push lilith back slamming her against the wall with increase gravitational force.
"you! You disguised yourself as my sister… you will pay for this earth witch." Lilith said trying to push her way from the wall a small trinkle of blood exiting her nose.
"Trying to muscle your way out of your bonds… how boorish." Tristan mocked and kicked down the door. He whistled for owlbert and ran past all the guards.
The boy clasped his hands together as a sea of guards ran after him and clapped them making a huge thunder blast knocking all the guards out.
Tristan left the guard station and hopped on the staff flying up to eda's stand hoping to find her. The boy zipped through the air and saw eda and king in luz and his own body respectively running from an angry mob of teenagers… he also noticed luz was bein chased by a pair of old woman.
The boy chuckled knowing that his friends would get in trouble.
He flew down and swiped up luz first and the grabbing eda and king.
"thanks tristan." Eda said holding on tight to tristan.
The boy smiled as they flew toward the owl house. Once they landed eda did a finger twirl and turned them back into their proper body.
"since tristan saved us… he won the bet." eda groaned, realizing she had to do the housecleaning chore too.
Tristan immediately wrapped eda into a hug and kissed her cheek.
"wow, what's gotten into you? You're not usually this affectionate. Not saying that I don't enjoy it but… are you okay?" Eda asked rubbing her cheek as she warmed to tristan's affections.
"i'm great mama…" Tristan replied kissing eda's cheek again and then releasing her.
"did you? Call me mama… unironicly." eda squealed the last part and smiled.
"yeah, and if you'll have me… I'll gladly be your son… if you want."
eda's face contorted and she began fighting back tears of joy.
"is that a yes?"
"Of course!" Eda grabbed tristan and placed his head on her breast as she cried. "you're my baby now and forever!"
Tristan held her close and realized this was what it was like when someone loved you unconditionally and without hesistation… his parents weren't bad parents but they also weren't affectionate.
It left the boy wanting more and now he had it in his mama eda.
An:
next chapter we have the grudgby game between boscha and tristan… hijinks ensue and also I don't plan on keeping boscha a bad guy forever… we're gonna lay seeds for her redemption next chapter.
Marbled gold:
thank you it took me a while but it was fun to write
Son of the dragon:
I plan on using all the scenes you've given me at one point or the other
Alexc1209:
I agree with all that… also sorry for mistaking your gender.