PS. Chapter Word Count: 2,253
PSS. One-shot about how Luz discovered 'Good Witch Azura'! Spoiler alert: Eda needs a new place to throw away her trash. Mostly fluff honestly, but could be considered a character study I guess.
PSSS. Luz has a dad at the beginning of this, he died though so…
PSSSS. Written post- Yesterday's Lie so canon up to that point.
Reading was for nerds. That's what Luz always thought. Eight years old and nobody read; it was just stupid. Still, her parents of course decided to take her to Narnes and Bobles telling her that she had to get in some summer reading before third grade.
Luz sat down at a small, round table in the kid's book section and stared around the room, bored. Her dad told her to go find something that interested her. Luz… didn't have any interests.
She liked animals, but reading about them in school was boring so reading about them outside of school would be as well. The books they were read in class were stupid- nobody needs to learn about "honesty" anymore. It's just common sense.
Reading wasn't just for nerds, it was boring! Which was why it was for nerds.
The young girl sighed and looked up. There were a few other kids in the area, all looking around. Some were bored, some excited (nerds), and all of them with their parents elsewhere in the building. Well… except this one person.
Well, she wasn't exactly with a parent, she was the parent. She was a tall, pale woman with her hair in a green bandana which covered her ears. She had… yellow(?) eyes and weird clothing. She looked crazy and kind of insane really. She also seemed to be talking to a large stick with a wooden owl on the tip of it.
Everyone in the corner was staying out of the weird woman's way. They all felt it was easier. Luz on the other hand, seemed to decide the woman was a lot more interesting than books. Thus, she sat up, and walked the short distance towards her.
"-and never ... think ... crap again…" Luz heard the older woman mutter to herself, stuffing a bunch of books on the shelfs, clearly trying to remove them from her possession.
"Err- hi!" Luz exclaimed, startling the woman. "My name's Luz. Who are you?"
The woman seemed annoyed. Like, really annoyed. Looking up from her 'work', she asked, "What do you want, kid?"
"To get out of this store. But, since my parents won't let me, Who are you and why are you stuffing books on shelves?"
The mysterious newcomer seemed to glance in nervously left before right. "I, well, I work here? Yes, I work here in the human library."
That wasn't suspicious. "Okay! Why would you want to work at a library though? It sounds really boring."
"Now, listen here. It is boring and a job for duffuses and duffuses alone-"
"Those are called nerds."
"But I need to get rid of these so-" The woman stopped. Suddenly, she bent down and asked, "Hey, kid, what's your name?"
"I already told you, Luz! What's yours?" Said girl replied.
Ignoring the question, the aged one reached into her bag (how did it still have more books?) and grabbed a copy of whatever it was she had stuffed in her bag and held it out to said girl. "Here, as a totally real worker in this human book store, take this book, one the house!"
Taking the book, Luz had two thoughts. One, that reading was still boring, even if the cover looked really cool with a green haired elf person with a cool staff and, two, "Isn't this stealing?"
"Nah, I work here, remember?"
The brunette looked back down at the story. Deciding it best not to be rude, she assured, "I'll… try it out?"
"Ehh, it's not a very good story anyway…" The woman suddenly picked up her bag (which was empty all of the sudden, and began to walk away. "Anywho, have a good life kid!"
"Wait," The child called out. "What's your name?"
"...I went by Marilyn once or twice… that's a good cover name," The woman, Marilyn(?), muttered. Now, that was weird.
"Cover name?" Luz asked, still too young to get what that meant.
Probably stunned that she said that aloud, the mysterious one admitted, "Ehh, sure. Why not?"
Luz looked back down at her new book and sighed. By the time she looked back up, Marilyn had disappeared to… somewhere. Almost like magic. To make matters worse, Luz promised she'd try out the book and, well, she wasn't a liar.
She went over, back to the table she sat at earlier, and opened the book. "Dedicated to Heather, my best friend… yada yada…" She turned the page to one the wasn't for dedication. "Table of contents… one, The Prophecy… two, Bla, bla, bla…" She turned the page once more, skipping the table of contents. "Chapter one: The Prophecy…"
And thus, she read. It wasn't the best story ever. It started out with some characters talking about how Azura was destined for greatness but didn't know it, before the next chapter was Azura (who was actually a witch) living day to day life.
It was the best book Luz had ever read though because of the context. Luz met a weird woman who gave her a book about magic before disappearing into thin air. That was the day Luz Noceda began to believe in magic. She had, after all, had a first hand experience, even just a small one, that she was determined to live through again.
Half way through the third chapter, where Azura was talking to an actual elf, Camila and Jack Noceda approached the table. "What are you reading Mija?" The mother asked.
"A magical book that a witch gave to me," The girl exclaimed, not looking up from her book.
The parents looked at each other before the man humored, "A witch, eh?"
"Well, maybe she was an elf, but I don't actually know…" Luz muttered, putting a hand to her chin.
"An elf?" It was obviously a joke of a question, not that Luz noticed.
"Yeah, she works here I think, but that could have been a dirty lie…" That totally didn't worry the parents into talking with the staff before they left. "Anyway, her name was Marilyn!"
The adults looked at each other, mutually deciding that this was all part of a fantasy world Luz made up due to the story. The vet then smiled, "Well, at least you found a book you enjoy?"
The junior reader nodded.
"Okay then, I'll go pay."
"Oh, don't worry, Marilyn gave it to me 'on the house' or whatever that means. I think it means you don't have to pay for it actually…"
"Yes, Sweetie," Her dad interrupted. "I'm sure Marilyn or whoever meant that. Come on, let's head to the car." He held out his hand, the one not holding a bag of books, and his daughter took it. She ended up missing the slight wink her parents exchanged.
As they left the store (after Camila insisted on checking the book out at the register) her dad asked, "So what's this book about? 'Good Witch Azura' is it?"
"Yeah! It's about this awesome witch who's going to go on some awesome adventures I think, but I don't actually know… I'm not to that part yet but-"
o0O0o
Throughout the years, many things happened in Luz Noceda's life. She wasn't always sure where she was going and what was happening. One minute she was in second grade, the next she was in third. Still, she always found a solution to feel at home.
She lost her only friend, Gloria, in a move? She made friends with the snakes.
She was bullied for liking a book as "stupid" and "imature" as 'Good Witch Azura'? She didn't care. To her it was all non-fiction.
Her dad leaves her mom and her in a terrible plane crash? She made a point to be there for the woman.
'Good Witch Azura Four: The Bugs in the Magic-zone' is delayed? She reread the first four books on loop.
Anime was no longer cool or hip? She binged her favorite anime for three nights and spent a week shouting random anime facts because she could.
She wasn't allowed on the cheerleading team? Cheer at every game from the bleachers and let them know you're there.
No date or friends for homecoming? Go in the most hideous outfit imaginable and eat all the snacks!
[AN: All crap I would do if the situation was brought up, not that I watch anime, do cheerleading, etc. Honestly, I act even crazier for pettier things at my school! LOL]
This, and so much more, made Luz's life difficult. Like everyone's life. Everything was changing. Though, one thing remained the same throughout Luz's life. The day at the bookstore, it changed her. Luz had the mindset that magic… magic was real.
She knew it sounded stupid, and she would addmit to that if people asked her, not that anyone knew though. She made theories, plans, ideas, and hopes. She made sculptures, models, and disgusting abominations of what the magical world must be like.
And, well, when Luz was fourteen, seven years after her spiral into weirdness started, Lus fell through worlds. While shocked at first, there was a reason she adjusted so fast.
From such a young age, Luz knew she would always end up here. Well, not on the Boiling Isles specifically, but she knew she'd meet with magic again.
Eda felt familiar, King resembled the brother she always wanted, she had friends, she felt at home. Her way to Earth was broken, but not exactly her way home. It wasn't until she met Vee and saw her mom once more that she really thought about where this all started, why she felt the way she did about magic.
o0O0o
It was early morning in the Owl House. Very early.
So early, that when Luz drowsily shouted, "Oh my god, Eda is the reason!" not even she processed what she meant for about half a minute.
"That's cool kid," Said witch mumbled, picking at her living broccoli egg.
After several seconds, King deadpanned, "What?"
Luz seemed to wake up a little bit more as she continued, "Eda was the one who got me to believe in magic!"
"Yeah, well, you did fall through my portal door, so I would hope I showed you magic. Are you… feeling alright Luz? Did you get enough sleep?"
"What? No! I mean, yes I'm feeling alright, but that's not what I meant. You showed me 'Good Witch Azura'!"
King snickered while Eda just looked exasperated. Why would I show you that stupid, flowery, inaccurate story book?" She asked. Luz then noticed that, while such a memorable event to her, there was no way Marilyn/Eda remembered that human child she talked to for two minutes that one time.
"No, when I was seven! I was at a bookstore and I met a woman named 'Marilyn', who I know is the name you went by thanks to a coffee shop with Vee, and she handed me the book!" The child reminded. Eda suddenly looked surprised but reminiscent while King just liked the syrup off his paincakes plate, ignoring the conversation.
"Oh my-" Eda definitely began to remember, even just slightly, the conversation she held with the younger human child.
"After that day," Luz continued, "I believed that 'Marilyn' was something magical after the way she disappeared and went the rest of my life believing in magic! It was why I was so open to the Boiling Isles!"
Everything began to fall into place. Of course, her magic mentor (adoptive mom first of course) was going to be the one to let her find the secrets of the other world, even if it was just a little bit. "Wait a second," The mystery species of demon interrupted. "Eda had something to do with 'Good Witch Azura' books?"
The old witch visibly tensed.
"Oh yeah, what were you doing with those?" The human asked.
"That's- err- I was getting rid of them in another realm you dufuses. What do you two think? But, that was you?"
Deciding to temporarily drop the topic considering the fact that Eda used to travel to the human realm frequently, Luz confirmed, "Y-Yeah. And it stuck with me."
Eda and King (who also decided to drill the former later) looked at each other, smiling. "It's these funny coincidences that make life worth living, eh?" Eda asked as she began to clear the small family's plates, fully awake like the rest of them.
"Yeah, but it isn't a coincidence-"
"If you start going on about destiny, I'll puke," The eldest interrupted, suddenly sounding bored as King nodded.
"No, of course not!" Luz waved her hands in front of her face to prove her point. "It's just that, if it wasn't for the fact that I believed in magic from such a young age, which was because of that encounter, I would have been way to freaked out by the Boiling Isles to stay. Heck, I wouldn't even be in the Boiling Isles to begin with because I wouldn't have followed Owlbert through for my book or even be going to summer camp in the first place. It's because of that encounter that I'm here!"
Eda sighed, "Well, at least one good thing came from those blasted books-"
"The Luz Noceda we all know and love!" The brunette pointed at herself with both thumbs for effect.
"Ehh, don't get all sappy and mushy or whatever."
But in truth, the three Clawthornes, whether they were born into it, adopted, or fell through one's magic portal and got trapped in the family, wouldn't change this for the world.
PS. I am: obsessed with reviews so review. I do: respond to everyone who I can PM. I can: Easily change my obsession to window curtains. My fate is in your hands…
PSS. Seriously though, you likey?