I do not own Soul Eater or Owl House.
If I did, we'd have a Brotherhood adaption of the former.
"A Sound Soul dwells within a Sound Mind, and a Sound Body."
Maka's tone was that of an instructor as Luz did everything she could to focus. Her eyes were closed as she sat on the bed, hands in her lap, her phone set to speakerphone; her lips were pulled into a thin line and her brow furrowed in concentration as she struggled to get a feel for Maka's lesson.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Long and slow, each motion deep and deliberate.
"Just keep repeating the mantra in your mind. In my experience, finding your Soul Wavelength for the first time entails shutting just about everything around you out," Maka stated, her voice almost clinically professional, "Clear your mind of all distraction. Clear your body of all impulse. Pay close attention to your innermost depths, and eventually, you should find a sort of rhythm. A pulse you've never heard, but have always known."
"That doesn't make any sense, Maka," Luz grumbled, opening one eye.
"That's because you're thinking about it too much," a hint of mild amusement worked its way into Maka's words.
"How am I supposed to not think? You're giving me like five sets of instructions at once that all say to do the opposite thing of the last one," Luz pushed herself up on her arms, shifting to face the phone where it sat on her nightstand, "First you tell me to just repeat the mantra, then you tell me to clear my mind? How do I do those things at the same time?"
"You're just going about this wrong, Luz," Maka noted, "The mantra, paired with the breath, is what you're supposed to focus on. It's a tool to help you keep your mind clear."
"So, I'm not supposed to pay attention to my innermost depths?" Luz asked, growing more hopelessly confused by the second.
"Well, at least you're proving that you're listening."
Luz groaned, flopping onto her back and throwing out her arms and legs, "And to top it off, my arms and legs are sore… I can't sit like that for more than a minute or I start bouncing something in place. I just can't sit still..."
"You'd get along well with Black Star, then. He can't sit still either."
"Then how did he find his Soul Wavelength?"
"I dunno. He's never really talked about it, but I do know he can't actually sense the Souls around him to save his life. He's good at using his Soul Wavelength directly, but beyond that…"
"Maybe that's my problem?" Luz wondered, "I'm just bad at sensing stuff?"
"No. Black Star is at the very least aware of his own Soul Wavelength. If he weren't, he wouldn't be able to use it at all."
A whimper escaped the Latina's throat, her eyes fluttering shut. Frustration and discouragement flared in her stomach, the lack of progress and success in her efforts almost physically painful.
"... Luz," Maka began, "I'm not surprised you're having this much trouble. This isn't exactly the easiest thing in the world to do."
"Yeah, but I'm usually good at picking up on this stuff," Luz huffed, clenching her fists, "I'm not the best at course work, I'll admit that much, but… I feel like I should've at least learned something by now. I feel like I'm just spinning my wheels."
"I felt the same way when Mama first started teaching me how to use my Soul Wavelength," Maka recalled, "I struggled for a long time to find anything – it took me close to four months to find even a hint of my Soul."
"Four months!?" Luz sat up, staring at her phone in shock.
"Four months," she confirmed.
"But you're so good at everything you try, Maka! How did it take you four months just to get started!?"
"Well, part of it was that I was eight…"
"… okay, yeah," Luz flopped back down, deflated, "Yeah, that's… that's fair."
"… and the other part is that it's just… not easy to do. It's hard to explain, but there is a reason cultivating Soul Wavelengths isn't something that's taught outside of the Academy. It's extraordinarily difficult, and requires a lot of discipline just to get in touch with it for the first time."
"Should've figured," Luz murmured, once again staring listlessly at the ceiling, "So much for getting this on the first try…"
"I did warn you," Maka said.
"Please don't say 'I told you so.'"
"It's tempting, I'll admit. But I won't. I'm not that mean."
A moment of silence passed between them both.
"At the very least, you're showing the determination that you need," Maka noted again, "You said you've been doing this on your own, too?"
"Yeah," Luz nodded.
"Then at some point, you should be able to find it. The important thing is that you keep trying; that's the most important aspect of mastering your Soul."
Another nod, Luz pushing herself back into a sitting position, crossing her legs; she smiled, slightly, "… thanks, Maka. That does actually make me feel a little better."
"I needed to hear the same thing when I started. It's only been a week since you started; just give it time. You'll get there."
Luz hummed, folding her hands in her lap as she rocked back and forth. She thought for a moment, debating whether or not to ask, before throwing caution to the wind.
"… hey, Maka?"
"Yeah?"
"… Dad's coming to visit soon. Before I get sent to Camp."
She paused, waiting for Maka's response; she was greeted only with another silence, and an awkwardness that planted itself deep in her stomach.
"… I… I was just wondering," Luz began, "… were you gonna come?"
She paused again, and again, Maka offered no answer.
"I won't bother you too much," she spoke quickly, "I-I can be quiet and let you read… we can read together! I love to read! You love to read! We both love to read!"
Still, nothing; Luz could hear her voice growing more desperate as she continued, "I… I could even show you my favourite book! Remember? The Good Witch Azura? The fifth book finally came out this year! ¡Papi me lo compró Navidad!
"¿Que te parace? ¿Sólo tú y yo por una tarde? ¿Leyendo nuestros libros favoritos el uno al otro-?"
"Luz?"
Maka's voice brought Luz to a grinding halt; there was an edge in her sister's voice now, an edge Luz couldn't quite place, "… you've gone full Spanish again. I can't understand a word you're saying."
Luz swallowed, finally realizing she'd bee babbling. She lowered her head, apologetic, trying not to let Maka's words discourage her, "I… I'm sorry… I just… Dad's coming, and I thought… you might come too..."
'… Dad said you missed me,' she thought, but didn't speak it aloud.
"… I'm sorry, Luz," Maka finally sighed, "But… well, with things as they are, Soul and I have a lot of catching up to do. It took us a long time to get all ninety nine of those Souls, and now, we have to start over; combined with summer classes at the Academy, and… I just… don't have the time."
"… that makes sense," despite her best efforts to keep her voice understanding, Luz felt herself crumble inside, another wave of sadness and loneliness overtaking her, "Sorry, I… I shouldn't have asked… I just… wanted to see you, is all..."
"Don't apologize. Things just… didn't turn out. That's nobody's fault."
"Could've fooled me," Luz curled up, wrapping her arms around her knees, her eyes unfocused as she stared into places she had never been, futures that wouldn't be. Dinners with Maka and Soul, reading with Papi in the Academy library or even in his living room… adventures with a partner whose name and face she wanted so badly to learn…
All quashed.
Snuffed out like embers.
"... oh, no," Maka let out a muffled curse, "Sorry, Luz, I gotta go. It's my night to cook dinner and I'm already behind."
"It's okay," Luz managed dully, raising a hand to give a half-hearted wave, "Bye Maka. Te am-… Love you."
"… bye."
The phone clicked, then went silent as Maka hung up.
Luz tilted, then fell sideways onto the bed, still curled into the foetal position. She reached, groping for her phone, and stared sullenly at the date on the screen.
It was already more than a week into June.
The pile of homework that sat on her desk was no smaller than it had been that morning; she'd been too preoccupied with trying to find her Wavelength to spare it a second thought.
Slowly, she stood, staring at the pile of worksheets and reviews. Mami would be expecting these to be ready to take in for tomorrow morning on her way to work…
On the one hand, Luz couldn't wait for the school year to be over.
On the other, she knew what waited once her finals were all done.
She sat down heavily in her chair, taking out the first worksheet, and putting in her earbuds, hoping the noise would drown out the loneliness.
"… at least Papi is coming soon…"
Maka set the phone down with a huff, folding her hands in her lap. She felt genuinely nauseous, her stomach seeming to squirm, and she knew it wasn't because of anything she'd eaten.
She'd already known that Dad was going to visit Luz; he'd called Maka a few days earlier to let her know, even offered to let her come along, see her sister again.
Of course, she'd declined; in that moment, all she could feel was relief, and she'd actually smiled at the thought of being free from his doting and nagging for a few days. It would give her some peace of mind as she and Soul worked together to catch back up with their classmates.
Moments after, however, the guilt began to slowly seep in, and initially, she hadn't been sure why. She had nothing but resentment for Dad, these days, going behind Mama's back with all those women.
If she could do it without getting arrested for arson, she'd burn Chupacabra's to the ground. Not with anyone inside it – she wasn't that angry – but she'd shed no tears if the bar were to suddenly be wiped off the face of the earth by the lightning strikes of an angry God.
So, why…?
… then Luz had asked in the middle of their lesson if she was coming.
Her previous relief was washed away in a shock that ran from her core through her entire body, her eyes widening and mouth going slack; she'd nearly dropped her phone, and was grateful that she had been sitting down.
She had refused to visit Luz out of petty spite for Dad – and hadn't she even given it a second thought until her half-sister, so eager to see her, so desperate for someone to relate to other than her own Mama, asked if she was coming.
What once was a creeping sense of anxious guilt had suddenly slammed into Maka like Black Star had taken a baseball bat to her stomach. And continued to swell as Luz excitedly, and desperately, tried to make the offer more enticing.
She had reacted on instinct when Luz slipped into Spanish, speaking harsher than she'd intended… and with how contrite her half-sister sounded afterwards, Maka knew she may as well have just kicked a puppy.
Of course, Maka gave Luz her excuse, and it wasn't a lie; she and Soul needed to take every chance they could to catch up, to collect a new batch of Kishin Egg Souls. She couldn't leave Soul hanging for a week – he wouldn't be able to do any missions on his own. He wasn't exactly the cleanest guy, either, and Maka dreaded the prospect of leaving, and coming back to see the state their apartment would be left in without her to help keep it tidy.
But somehow, telling Luz the truth about needing to catch up only made her feel worse. Deep down, Maka knew that was all it was. An excuse.
And to top it all off, she hadn't even been able to bring herself to return Luz's final words as she hastened to hang up.
She couldn't say "I love you, too."
"… am I really that spiteful?" she asked, staring down at her lap.
She received no response.
Her hands clenched into fists, and she pressed them into her eyes, leaning back until she staring up at the ceiling.
"… what do I do now?"
She glanced at her phone. Should she call Dad? Ask him to take her along?
Once again, her stomach twisted, but now it writhed with something else – the familiar, bitter resentment. The image of his stupid, lying, cheating face flashed in her mind, making her brow furrow and her fists clench tighter. She heard his loud, obnoxious voice, calling her name every time she called the Death Room; she remembered her phone rang for over an hour every day for a week after Mama had finally found out about it all. Maka had been on the verge of asking Mama to change her phone number when he'd finally stopped.
But even that resentment couldn't wipe the guilt.
If anything, it clashed, her anger warring against her better nature; as badly as she wanted to avoid having anything to do with her father, the guilt made her want to at least do something for Luz.
Surely, Maka could tolerate a week with her father for the sake of her sister, couldn't she?
"… what would Mama do?"
Of course, she knew what Mama would do.
Mama never backed down from her decisions. Not ever. She was like a bear, resolute and headstrong, even scary at times.
But there was always something reassuring about that unyielding stubbornness. Mama never seemed scared of anything, not even of going off on her own or separating from Papa. She always stood her ground, and never let anything phase her.
She was everything Maka wanted to be.
Maka took a breath, closing her eyes, slowly letting her lungs fill before letting out a long, slow exhale.
"Maka?"
She jumped as Soul's voice rang out from the other side of the door.
"You alright?" he asked, giving a knock, "You've been in there for a while."
"I'm fine," she answered, rising to her feet, "Just… lost in thought."
"Yeah, sounds like you," he mused, a grin evident in his tone, "Think you can shake those thoughts of yours? I think we should give Lord Death our decision before we start dinner."
"Yeah. Coming," she strode over to the door, pulling it open; Soul slouched against the wall in his usual red jeans and yellow jacket, headband lopsided and eyes half lidded in his familiar lazy smile.
"… so. We're agreed?"
"We are," she nodded, "We're not taking the Souls."
Soul bobbed his head, "Alright."
Maka smiled, then started down the hall towards the mirror.
"… can I just ask you a question real quick, Maka?"
She stopped, turning, blinking in confusion, "What is it, Soul?"
"… who's Luz?"
Maka did her best to not react, but she couldn't stop herself from turning away; it was too much like a flinch, a reflex she couldn't stop, clutching her arms.
"… I've just noticed you've been on your phone a lot lately," Soul padded close, eyes narrowed somewhat as he tried to get a better look at partner – but Maka didn't meet his gaze.
Regardless, he continued, "In the time I've been living with you, I've seen you talk to someone on your phone like, five or six times total. And never for over twenty minutes like you were today. I just want to make sure you're doing okay."
Maka bit her lip, "… Luz is…"
Her head swam with answers. Sister? Half-sister? Friend?... why was that question so difficult to answer?...
"… she's…" Maka sighed, "… she's hard to talk about, Soul. She's… in a bit of a quandary for me."
"… okay. Is there a reason for that?"
'Oh, is there ever,' Maka thought, but she brushed it aside, "Luz hasn't done anything wrong... I just…"
She trailed off. She didn't know if this was something she should even be talking about with Soul; she'd never once mentioned Luz to him before, and it was clear he'd only heard her say the name in passing.
She knew he was just concerned for his Meister and partner, but even so…
Soul gave a slow nod, closing his eyes, "… been there, Maka. Been there. It's such an uncool feeling."
"… she asked for my help about a week ago," Maka finally settled, "She wanted me to teach her how to use her Soul Wavelength, and I said I would. That's why I've been on the phone so much."
He opened one eye, lips parting in a smile, "… heh. Already aspiring to be a teacher, eh?"
"… something like that, yeah," Maka smiled.
Soul chuckled. He stretched, folding his hands behind his head, "Gotta say. That suits you, Maka. You make it look cool."
"… you really think so?"
"Of course you do. You're not exactly the coolest girl around, but what you make look cool? You make look really damn cool."
She closed her eyes, her heart growing lighter, softer; a little bit of the guilt lifted, a physical weight being pulled up and off her shoulders.
'… I'm sorry, Luz,' she thought, 'But I gotta stand my ground with Dad. I'll find another way to make it up to you.'
She strode down the hall, raising her hand to trace the familiar number into the mirror.
'I promise.'
"You be sure to enjoy yourself, Spirit. I don't want a single thought about work to enter your mind while you're out there," Death ordered, trying to make his tone sound stern.
The Death Scythe chuckled, rubbing the back of his head, "Well, I'll try, but I can't make any promises in that regard. Luz is bound to ask me about the Academy at some point."
"I suppose that's fair enough. You've made all the arrangements?"
"Almost all of them," he nodded, "I'm deliberately putting off getting my plane ticket back home."
"Oh?" the Reaper tilted his head, "Whatever for?"
"It's a habit I've made to remind myself what I'm there for," Spirit explained, "I bring a limited amount of cash and limit my credit cards. If I splurge too much, I can't afford my way back home – meaning I have to spend that money on what's important."
"Imposing self control on yourself," Death hummed, "I'm genuinely impressed, Spirit."
"Hey, if I couldn't do that much for Luz, what kind of father would I be?"
"I wouldn't ask Maka that if I were you," Death warned, "Especially if she doesn't know about that little detail."
Spirit's jaw clenched, but not out of indignance.
How could he be frustrated with anyone but himself, knowing that the Grim Reaper was right?
He stuffed his hands into his pockets, looking down, "It's… harder here, Lord Death. Here, I have free access to basically everything I want at a moment's notice. Working on a limited budget and living in a hotel room – that makes it easier to keep myself under control."
"You could always put a spending cap on yourself," the headmaster reminded, "Credit card limits are not exclusive to long trips, and I'm sure you could arrange something with your bank as to where most of the money you make goes."
"Most of the money I make already goes into savings accounts," Spirit pointed out, "One for each of my daughters, and the one I've been using to support Camilia and Luz. I'd spend more on supporting Maka if I could, but during the divorce proceedings, Makoto refused to let me have any sort of custody or even pay for child support. I can't even pay for her schoolbooks, legally speaking."
"And yet, you still have enough to spend five nights out of seven at Chupacabra's," Death countered, chiding, "Including the night Maka and Soul fought that cat for their first Witch's Soul. You only barely made it back to watch the last five minutes of that battle."
That promptly shut the Death Scythe up; once again, he broke his gaze from the headmaster's, Spirit silently cursing himself as shame washed through him from another hole in the floodgate.
After a moment, Death spoke again, his tone apologetic "… I'm sorry, Spirit. It wasn't my intent to ruin your mood right before you go to visit your daughter."
"No. Don't apologize," he sighed, "You're right. You're… completely right."
Before either of them could speak further, the mirror went dark; its surface rippled with rings of light from each corner, a sound similar to that of a ringtone blaring out with a rhythmic chime.
"… you should go," Death urged, turning away, "We can continue this discussion at a later date. As of now, you are officially off the clock."
"… thank you, Lord Death."
With that, Spirit turned, and started down the path beneath the guillotine gates.
Death listened to his redoubled pace for a long few moments before letting out a heavy sigh, "I really wish there was more I could do for him, beyond lecture him about being a better parent."
He turned to the mirror, placing a hand on its surface, and silencing the ringing. The dark surface quickly cleared, lighting up, and showing two of the most promising students that the Grim Reaper had ever seen in all his long years.
"Hello, Lord Death? Are you there?" Maka Albarn called, her usual smile in place.
"Hello, hello!" he called, "Scythe Meister Maka and Demon Weapon Soul Eater! It's good to finally hear from you both!"
Soul's half-lidded gaze swept back and forth over the mirror, his brow creasing into a frown beneath his headband, "… weird. Where's the old creep? Usually he's giving me all sorts of Hell by now."
"Spirit is currently off duty, Soul," Death declared, "He'll be taking about two week's worth of vacation starting today."
Soul blinked, "Two weeks without the idiot screaming in our faces?" the white-haired teen paused, then let out a laugh, "That's gotta be the coolest thing I've heard today!"
He turned to his partner, grinning, "Two weeks without your old man, Maka. If that's not good news, I don't know what is."
"Y-Yeah," Maka stammered, trying to force a smile, "It's… great news. Just… just great."
Soul's laughter immediately faded, levity replaced with concern; Maka had crossed her arms over her stomach, and her expression was one of anxiety, knowing that she had failed to hide her unease.
Before Soul could voice his questions, however, Death interrupted, "So, what is it that you've you called about? Have you finally come to a decision regarding the Kishin Souls?"
"We have, actually," Maka answered, clearly grateful for the shift in topic. She straightened, her smile becoming more genuine, "Lord Death, we have decided to decline the ninety nine Kishin Egg Souls collected by Black Star and Tsubaki."
"… oh," Death managed, more than a little surprised by the verdict. He glanced between the Weapon and Meister, gauging their posture; Soul, though clearly still concerned about Maka's earlier apprehension, had settled into a relaxed posture, only giving his Meister the occasional glance. Maka, meanwhile, stood straight, hands folded behind her back, eyes clear and brows creased with a knowing determination.
The Reaper could sense absolutely no disagreement between the pair.
"… and you're quite certain about this?" he asked, "I know it's bad form to encourage benefitting off work that isn't your own, but I was quite serious about my offer – and what I said about the Souls you have already collected. If you refuse these ninety-nine Souls, you will have to start over."
"Lord Death," it was Soul that spoke this time, stepping forwards, "We've already talked about this between us. We know what saying no here means. But honestly, we can't take those Souls."
"Soul is right, sir," Maka confirmed, "We worked hard to get up to ninety-nine Souls. It does suck that we'll have to start over, but… honestly, it doesn't feel right to take Souls someone else collected.
"We don't want to benefit off of someone else's hard work; we want to make Soul into a Death Scythe, the right way."
If Death could, he would have blinked. Slowly, surprise gave way to pride as he stared at the pair before him. So young, and they'd already developed such sterling integrity and character that they were willing to completely start over, despite the fact that they had lost all those Souls at no fault of their own…
These two had moral cores and dedication that most adults would envy.
"… well, if you're both quite sure," he finally conceded, a smile more than evident in his tone, "Then the both of you are back down to zero Kishin Egg Souls; it won't reflect on your grades, but that doesn't mean you're not starting from scratch. You'll have to work hard to catch back up!"
"We will, sir!" Maka agreed, pumping her fist.
"Who do you think we are, Lord Death?" Soul grinned, "We're the coolest Weapon and Meister pair at the Academy. This is just a bump in the road for us. We'll be back up to ninety-nine Souls in no time."
"I look forwards to it, then," Death nodded, "Is there anything else you wish to discuss?"
"No sir," Maka shook her head.
"Think that's about it, yeah," Soul agreed.
"Then I bid you both goodnight!"
"Goodnight, Lord Death!"
"Adios."
With that, the mirror went dark, and then reverted to its regular reflection. Death stared into his own mask for a long while, replaying the memories of his conversations – with Spirit, with Maka and Soul…
And his thoughts turned to that of a boy with golden eyes, pale skin, and three stripes in his hair.
"… hm," he mused, "Maybe I should look into taking a few days off to spend with my own son…"
"… alguien, por favor, mátame," Luz groaned, letting her forehead smack into the desk; the pile of unfinished assignments had slowly dwindled over the course of the afternoon. It was now well into the evening, and despite the fact that she was finally in the last stretch of worksheets, the Latina had long since stopped caring about the actual quality of the work she put into them.
She just wanted this nightmare to be over.
"I swear, they've given me more homework than everyone else," she bemoaned, letting her head roll to the side so she could peer out the window at the moon, "Seriously, how many more assignments can they add? It's June. Shouldn't they be winding down for the year?"
She pulled out her phone, looking at the time with dull, tired eyes.
It was almost eight.
She'd been at this for over four hours.
"… I'm taking a break," she decided, pushing up and out of her seat, "I'm tired, and hungry…"
Hands in her pockets, Luz slowly descended the stairs, the wood creaking beneath her feet at every step. Mom still wasn't home – she'd texted earlier to let her know she wouldn't be back until it was late – so she still had the house all to herself.
She didn't like it, if she were to be perfectly honest. It was at once a lonely and frightening thing, knowing there was no one around. It was one thing to be the only one who was awake; there was at least still someone else, even if you had to wake them.
It was quite another to be well and truly alone - and Luz often found herself scared by every little noise, her mind immediately blowing them up into much larger things than they actually were. Branches hitting the windows became people trying to break in; the sounds of an old house settling became a monster from one too many late night creepypastas making the floorboards creak as it came to take her.
Luz knew that, realistically, it wasn't any of those things. It was her mind getting the better of her, some sick trick played on her by herself.
It was one of the only times she actively disliked her overactive imagination.
She entered the kitchen, pulling open the fridge and perusing the selection of leftovers, "… nuggies… burger… broccoli 'n cauliflower…"
Gradually, Luz amassed a small assortment of food, dumping it all in a pan with oil; once she was satisfied with her selection, she poured herself a glass as she waited for it all to heat up, not in the mood for a frigid meal.
"Stupid lactose intolerance," she muttered, taking a sip of the lactose free milk, "I'd happily trade any Weapon trait for the ability to actually eat ice cream right about now…"
Soon enough, the sizzle and scent of the food reached her, a small smile breaking out on her face. It already smelled good… maybe she'd feel better once she had something warm in her stomach.
Her ears twitched as the lock on the front door clicked, sliding out of place; the door swung open, and familiar, tired footsteps quickly followed, a relieved sigh reaching her ears.
Luz turned, and there stood Mom, shrugging off her coat, hanging it and her bag on the hooks on the wall. When their eyes met, she gave a shaky smile.
"Hola, Mija."
"Hola, Mami," Luz gave her food another stir, her nerves now soothed by her mother's presence. She let her smile stretch a little wider, glad that she was no longer alone.
Mom slipped off her shoes, and didn't so much sit down at the table as much as she collapsed into her chair, taking off her glasses and rubbing her brow.
"… Mom? Are you okay?" Luz felt her smile slip, "You look exhausted."
"… 's been a long day, Luz," her mother's heavier accent was laden with lethargy.
"Was it the crash a week ago?"
"No. No, it wasn't," she shook her head, "Most of them have already recovered. Two of them had broken bones and need to stay in the hospital a little longer, but they should be out by the end of the week."
"Then… what happened?"
A deep breath, her mother closing her eyes and clenching her jaw in unmistakable frustration, "There are… issues with the hospital's funding."
"… oh," Luz felt her heart drop, returning her attention to the stovetop.
A slow exhale through her nose, "It's possible we… may have to cut some staff. And we're already short on staff as it is,"
"… Lo siento, Mami," Luz apologized, "That… that's…"
Mom raised a placating hand, managing a smile, "It's alright, Luz. We'll figure things out, one way or another."
"… alright," Luz sighed, finally dumping her food onto her plate, "… do you want any?"
"Thank you, Mija, but I ate on the way home," her mother declined, "Don't worry about me."
"If you're sure."
Luz sat down across from her Mami, taking the first few bites. It wasn't as good reheated – but then, most things weren't. It would still be enough to get her through the rest of the night, though.
"… and what about you? Have you finished all your homework?"
"Almost," Luz spoke around a mouth full of chicken nugget before swallowing, hard, "I swear the pile keeps getting bigger every time I look at it though. I really do have to wonder if they're even grading any of these."
"It's just practice for your finals," Mom assured, "It will be over soon."
"And then I get to go to summer camp," she grumbled, stabbing her vegetables with a fork.
"It won't be so bad, Mija. I promise."
Luz sighed, settling back in her chair and staring wistfully down at her plate, poking the chunk of burger with her fork.
"… I know you don't want to go, Luz," the doctor reached across the table to stroke her daughter's hand, "But please believe me when I say that this is for the best."
"I either get sent to a mind numbing camp meant to curb my creativity, or I get to live in a city and go to a school where I better fit in and where I get to see Dad more than twice a year," she grumbled, "I don't really see how option A is the better choice."
A long moment of quiet lingered between the two of them.
"… I'm sorry," Luz set her fork down and closed her eyes, rubbing them with her clenched hands, "I just… I've had kind of a bad day, too. I don't mean…"
"… No," her mother crossed her arms, empathetic, "You do mean it. And I understand why. This… must seem like an extremely harsh punishment, to you."
"But you're still doing it," Luz took another bite of chicken nugget, sullen.
"… I am," the doctor did her best to keep her tone resolute.
"… can I… can I ask why?" Luz began, raising her gaze to meet her mother's, brown eyes wide and brows upturned, "I just… I don't get it. Death City sounds like everything I've ever dreamed of. A place where I can actually fit in, where being weird isn't treated like some kind of plague. Dad lives there, Maka lives there, and the DWMA itself sounds incredible. I could make actual friends there. I could even help people.
"And you," she gestured, "You could find work there easily. Dad's told me how much the school needs doctors. It sounds perfect."
Luz paused, and breathed, trying not to get herself too excited; slowly she looked down, "But… instead, we're here. You don't… want to go. You're choosing to keep me in a school that sent me to the principal's office for flipping my eyelids inside out for ten seconds. You're choosing Camp Reality Check over Death City – and I don't understand why."
Her mother took a deep breath of her own, closing her eyes; for a long moment, neither of them spoke, Luz waiting for her Mami to break the silence.
When Mom finally opened her eyes, Luz was surprised to see tears brimming at their edges.
"Luz," she started, voice soft, "It's not that I want this for you. It's not that I want to send you to that summer camp, or keep you in a school that refuses to understand you. It's that… Death City, and the DWMA, are not the perfect solution that you seem to believe they are."
Luz's brow furrowed slightly, "What do you mean?"
"Mija, I want you to think about this for a moment. The DWMA is not short of staff in any regard. Why do you think the school would be in constant need of more doctors?"
Her forehead creased further, her expression morphing into one of thought, "… I don't know. I just… assumed no one took the job."
"… the DWMA is where Weapons and Meisters go to train," Mom stated, "I'm sure your father has told you about the missions that they go on."
Luz nodded, "He's told me all about a lot of Maka's missions. They collect Kishin Egg Souls to prevent the creation of another Kishin."
"They are sent to fight murderers, and worse," her mother confirmed, "Now come back to the original question. Why do you think the DWMA constantly needs more doctors?"
Slowly, the connection formed in Luz's mind; her eyes widened, "… kids don't get hurt that often, do they?"
"I don't know how often it happens, now. But I know it still happens," she folded her hands on the table, doing her best to maintain her gaze with her daughter, "Children younger than you are sent out to fight monsters, Mija. And they don't always come back okay. Sometimes… they don't come back at all."
Luz bit her lip, her eyes once again falling to stare at her plate as a cold chill ran down her spine. All of a sudden she couldn't get the image of Maka out of her head, lying lifeless on the pavement, staring up at the sky with unfocused eyes as blood pooled around her…
She shook her head, trying to clear it, and returned her gaze to her mother, "… but… they're helping to save the world, aren't they? Weapons and Meisters travel the world, fighting killers and protecting people. Isn't that worth something?"
"… I can't justify it, Luz," her mother shook her head, "I tried for years to justify it to myself, and I just can't. Nothing is worth asking children to lay down their lives like that."
Silence reigned over the dining room for a long few minutes. Luz had stopped trying to eat completely, trying to wrap her head around what she had just been told.
"… Dad always said that students were trained to deal with monsters before they were sent out," she mumbled, "To make sure they could handle things like that."
"They are," Mom acknowledged, "But you can't account for every monster. Some are worse than others. The day a student gets hurt, they are hurt severely."
Luz fell silent once more.
"If the DWMA were just an academy that taught people how to be Meisters, and Weapons how to use their powers, I would not have such an umbrage with sending you there," she continued, "But it isn't just an academy. It's an army. And I won't send you to fight in that war.
"Do you understand, Mija? Why I don't want to send you to the DWMA?"
"… I don't know," Luz admitted, "I… I don't know. It's… I knew about the monsters and the possibility of getting hurt, but… everything you've told me is…"
"… the complete opposite of what your father told you?"
Luz nodded.
"… Spirit still believes that the DWMA, for all its flaws, is ultimately a force of good in our world," Mami explained, "Whether or not he's right… I don't know. Maybe I'm not seeing things as clearly as I believe I am… I doubt you're getting a full picture from either one of us."
"… maybe not," Luz pushed her chair back, slowly rising to her feet, "But… even so… I…"
"… you've had a long day," her mother's voice turned soothing, a bittersweet smile on her face, "And a longer night. I think… it might be best if we leave the conversation there for now."
"… okay," Luz picked up her plate.
"You're not going to finish?"
"I'm not hungry anymore, Mom."
"… I'm sorry."
This time, Luz didn't answer, merely returning to the kitchen and putting what was left of her food away.
"… your father will be on his way tomorrow. Would you like to come with me to see him at the airport?"
Luz turned once more, a faint smile on her face, "… I'd like that."
"Alright," Mom bobbed her head, then checked her phone, "… almost nine. It feels closer to eleven."
"I know," Luz rolled her shoulders.
"… I think we should head to bed," Mami stood, and then strode over, pulling Luz into a hug and gently kissing her on the forehead, "Buenos noches, Mija. Te amo."
"Te amo, Mami," Luz returned, responding with a hug of her own, "Buenos noches."
With that, her mother turned, and started up the stairs to her room.
After washing what few dishes she had made, Luz followed suit, flopping down on her bed and not bothering to give her homework a second glance.
She just put in her earbuds, set her playlist to random and stared at the moon as the conversations from her day – with both Maka and her mother – played in her head on loop.
Author's Note: I hope you're all having fun with this story! Unfortunately it's going to take at least one more chapter for Luz to reach the Boiling Isles - but believe me, it IS going to happen! I love Eda being Owl Mom as much as anyone else and I can't wait to reach it!
Thanks for giving this a read, everyone, and thank you so much for your patience and understanding with me. Let me know what you think! I hope you all enjoyed the third chapter of Owls and Souls, Witches and Resonance!