Gemini: okay, few things before we start. Firstly, Dana Terrace has stated that the name is supposed to be Camila, not Camilia as we've used before, so from here on out there will be that name change. I don't know when, or if, I'll get around to going back to the previous fics to make that change, but I wanted to let everyone know.
Secondly, This story takes place concurrently with the previous fic in this series, Nevermore, namely between scenes 1 & 2.
Thirdly, I am so, so sorry this took so long to get out. I'll explain more at the end of the fic.
And lastly, and most importantly, my editor has been upgraded to full on coauthor for this fic. His hard work is probably the only reason this fic ever even saw the light of day, so give him a big hand!
Raphael_Antonello: Well, it sure has been a long time since I posted something, eh? First I post an Amphibia story, then I co-authored with QuirkQuartz's "Valeween" story, only to back out due to creative differences. Well, I'm happy to say that I will be writing more Owl House stories in the future. Some of them will be with GeminiAlchemist like this story, others will shorter form fics. I do hope you enjoy whatever I write, and that you all loved this story!
Over the years, Camila had met with Luz's teachers and principals many times. Too many times to count, really. As much as she loved her baby girl, Luz had a knack for getting into trouble, and Camila had long grown familiar with the inside of a principal's office. As such, meeting the new principal shouldn't have been an odd experience, but like many things on the Boiling Isles, Principal Bump defied Camila's expectations.
First off, Principal Bump was a tall man, taller than any human Camila knew. He cut a far more imposing figure than Luz's previous principals, and his blue eyes were cold as ice. Being in his presence made Camila feel like she was back in high school, about to be scolded, and she fought down the urge to babble out a pathetic apology.
Secondly, as a witch, Principal Bump was mired in the occult. When he strode into his office, he carried a glowing skull in one hand and a crystal orb in the other. After he dumped both into a waste basket, hellfire erupted from the basket with a ghastly wail before it folded in on itself and winked out of existence. The principal didn't seem too perturbed by this, which was more than Camila could say for herself.
"W-was that some kind of explosive!?" Camila asked, gripping her seat tightly.
"Hardly! Some students simply thought it would be fun to let loose a ghost in the locker rooms." The principal shrugged. "Just a standard Tuesday afternoon, if you ask me."
Tucking his arms into his sleeves, Principal Bump gave Eda a meaningful look.
"Of course, not all students were so playful with their pranks…"
"Guilty as charged!" Eda said with a coy grin. She slouched in her seat, looking rather unimpressed with the principal. Apparently his aura of authority didn't phase Eda's shield of deviancy, or she knew this office so well that she was immune to the threat of academic punishment.
Either way, Principal Bump continued to surprise Camila by shaking her hand and welcoming her to the Isles. Hardly any of Luz's human principals were so friendly, and even with his stern aura, Camila found herself warming up to the man. It helped that Principal Bump looked forward to working with Luz's birth mother rather than any of the Clawthornes when it came to Luz's education.
"Lilith was a superb student, one of the best Hexside has ever seen! But even she turned up in here more times than I can count."
"Thanks to yours truly!" Eda said, blowing on her fingernails and polishing them off.
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I know! That's what makes it funny."
The rest of the meeting followed along these lines: for every in-depth explanation Bump gave about Hexside, and for every question Camila asked about Luz's responsibilities as a student or the school's rules and policies, Eda threw in a smart aleck quip to grind the principal's gears. At first, Camila thought it humorous, but after a while even she found Eda's presence distracting.
It didn't help that Camila had a more… extraneous question on her mind. While Principal Bump discussed the extensive amount of curriculum that Luz was undertaking as the first all-track student, the ex-nurse leaned over to her new housemate and gently whispered.
"So… is Principal Bump the witch, or is he the demon on the witch's head? Is the demon possessing the witch? Is it even possible for demons to possess people?" Camila raised an eyebrow. "Because if so, I'd better keep an eye on King."
Eda blinked and opened her mouth to answer, only to pause. The Owl Lady rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I honestly have no idea. As far as I remember, Bump has always had that dumb demon on his head! Either way, they were both a pain in my butt when I attended this place."
An incredulous look fell over Camila's face. She gazed at the witch, her eyes honed on Eda's gray hair, pallid skin, and crow's feet. Despite her better judgment, Camila asked a second question.
"Wait… if I'm one to judge, Principal Bump here looks to be in his 60s, but you look nearly as old as he is! So how did you attend the same school while he was the principal? Just how old are you, Eda?"
An awkward expression crossed Eda's face, but before she could respond, Principal Bump politely coughed into his hand.
"While the nature of Eda's condition is fascinating, Ms. Noceda, I must ask that we stay on topic. Namely, your daughter Luz has performed wonderfully here at Hexside, even with the…" He spared a glance at Eda. "... less than stellar role models in her life."
"Love you too, Bump!"
Principal Bump gritted his teeth into a pained smile as he pressed on.
"Luz's grades are fine, surpassing every expectation for a student with no formal experience with magic, especially with her higher than average workload. Her attendance has been perfect, outside of one sick week. As a matter of fact, it's probably for the best that she got sick: as it turned out, Luz didn't have her leeches yet, and due to your absence, Eda signed off on her treatment."
With a polite smile, Principal Bump grabbed a quill and magically summoned a scroll with a wave of his hand. When the scroll unfolded, it showed paragraphs worth of legal jargon and medical policies.
"Shall I contact the local Healer's Coven for a copy of her medical charts? It's standard procedure, you see."
Camila blinked in confusion, then shook her head. She was still very new to the practices of the Boiling Isles and she didn't want to jump to conclusions, but the mother felt a touch uncomfortable about such archaic medical practices.
"Wait, leeches? Why would mi mija need a dose of bloodletting?" She gripped her hands tightly. "I thought you said she got sick? Why would you need to take her blood."
Leaning over to Camila's side, Eda patted the mother on the shoulder.
"Daw, don't look so worried, Cam! Luz told me you humans do something similar with needles and stuff, right? Which, if I may say, sounds pretty hardcore! I don't give you humans enough credit!" Eda gave Camila a playful punch in the arm. "I don't know about Earth leeches, but here on the Isles, we've been breeding leeches for generations! After a quick nip and a bit of blood, a leech can ward off all sorts of diseases like the plague of rats, unicornitis, all sorts of stuff!"
Resting her feet on Bump's desk, Eda rocked back-and-forth. The principal gave Eda a dirty look, but he tolerated it for now; sniping with Eda was one thing, but throwing her off the desk in polite company like Camila would reflect poorly on Hexside's image.
Eda surely knew this, because she gave Bump a wily grin, as if daring him to touch her. She kept speaking all the while, her voice casual as ever. "Anyway, it never occurred to me she didn't have all her leeches, but after Luz got Vampirized, we made sure to get her immunized to all the other diseases here."
"Wait, vampirized?" Camila said. "Luz turned into a vampire? Mi mija joined the legions of the living dead!?"
Camila shot up out of her seat, and if it wasn't for Eda's lightning quick reflects, she would have bolted out the door. As it was, Eda yanked the Hispanic mother back down with surprising strength and gave her a compassionate look. That was enough to settle Camila down, and while she certainly expected answers ASAP, she wasn't about to run off and make sure Luz wasn't draining the lifeblood from her friends' veins either.
A confused expression crossed Bump's face at Camila's outburst, but Eda waved him down. "Don't worry, Bump, I got this. Humans have some really weird ideas about vampires."
Turning back to the distraught mother, Eda reassured her. "Camila, Cam, Luz is fine. She turned a little pale, caught a cold, and was filled with an unquenchable thirst for the blood of mortal men, but that's it: vampirism on the Boiling Isles isn't some curse of undeath, just a simple sickness like the human flu or rabies."
A soft chuckle escaped the Owl Lady as a fond expression filled her face.
"You should have seen her though, the poor kid thought she was going to be stuck like that forever. Luz spent days staring at the moon, pining she would never feel the warmth of the sun on her skin. She even started wearing a dusty opera cape for some reason?" Eda shook her head in confusion. "Anyways, I kept garlic out of her diet and threw some rice for her to count whenever Luz tried to bite anyone. After about a week, she was right as rain and back to her clueless, happy-go-lucky self."
The Owl Lady patted Camila on the shoulder and gave her a thumbs up. The gesture still felt weird to the witch, but it was a neat trick Luz taught her to help humans relax. Judging by the tension leaving Camila's shoulders, it seemed to be working.
"Really, the whole vampire debacle was for the best. I don't even wanna imagine what would have happened if Luz got Lycanthropy." Eda shivered in revulsion. "You think puberty is bad? Try having hair absolutely everywhere and a face like a mutt! And when you shave it off, it grows back even worse!"
"That was the worst week in my life as an educator." Principal Bump buried his face in his hands and sighed so long and deep that Camila was surprised he didn't turn blue. "Eda bit half of her class for laughing at her, then they bit people who laughed at them, and so on… can you imagine what it's like, teaching a school of angsty teenage werewolves?"
Principal Bump gazed into the middle distance, and for a solitary second, Camila wondered what dark visions swam in the poor man's mind. She strongly suspected it involved a lot of teeth and a copious amount of drool.
"There are some stains that can never be cleaned, Ms. Noceda. Some things that cannot unseen..." A cold shiver ran down Principal Bump's spine and he shook his head. "So, ahem! Is there anything else I can help you with? Any more questions?"
Camila shook her head, more than eager to escape this weird place and clear her head. "No, but if I do have any later, I'll be absolutely sure to ask."
Bump smiled, "Of course. My door is always open, to students and their parents alike. But, before you go, can you promise me one thing?"
Principal Bump turned his gaze over to Eda, who stuck her tongue out at him. The witch locked eyes with Camila again. "The next time you come to my office, can you please leave her behind? I'm only a few years from retirement, I don't intend to spend my retirement in the grave."
For the poor man's sanity, Camila agreed.
After leaving the office, Eda took Camila on a tour around Hexside, giving her a sense of the layout while sharing stories about her old stomping grounds.
"This place was so much better before Luz enrolled. Ol' Bumpy made me clean up all of my old tags and pranks, just so she could attend this stupid place!" Eda rolled her eyes and gestured to a group of students, who were merrily walking and talking between classes. "They sure brightened up these halls of prepubescent torment. Does Bumpy have no taste?"
"You did that… for Luz?" said Camila. While the Hispanic mother had only known Eda for a few days, she knew how much the Owl Lady cherished chaos; the idea of Eda sacrificing her old gags and graffiti for Luz's sake only cemented how much the witch cared for her mija.
Hearing the surprise in Camila's voice, Eda blushed a faint pink. She then snorted and rolled her eyes.
"Well, yeah, sure! I wasn't about to let my past haunt Luz's future. That girl loves magic too much to squash her dreams before they start!"
A gentle smile filled Camila's face.
"... thank you for that, Eda."
"Pssh, don't sweat it, Cam. You'd do the same for her."
As the impromptu tour continued, Hexside students shuffled from the first period to the second period classes. A few students spared them glances, and one witch with a fish hook in her ear even waved at Eda, calling her 'Lord Calamity.' They high fived as they passed, and Camila could only chuckle and imagine how infamous Eda's reign of terror throughout Hexside was if she was still popular among the delinquents.
"My, aren't you Miss Popular?" said Camila. She smirked and nudged Eda in the shoulder. "You really must have raised hell when you were here, huh?"
"What can I say: I attract trouble like a magnet." Eda shrugged her shoulders with a not-so-humble sigh. "But if you ask me, I got nothing on Luz."
"How do you mean?"
"You know that 'hi-five' I just gave that kid? Luz introduced that whole idea to the Isles. Plus there's the 'parallel arm thing' and more! Luz has grown a lot since we first met, but you'd be surprised how much she's changed this place too, Cam. Luz's charisma is a magic in its own right, if you ask me."
Camila nodded and turned her eyes downwards as a reflective look filled her face.
"... yeah, I suppose she does, huh?"
Before the tour could continue much further, the two women froze as a feminine voice called out from behind them.
"Miss Eda? What are you doing here? Luz isn't in trouble again, is she?"
Turning around, Eda and Camila saw a young witch standing at the end of the hallway. She had dark blue hair, a pair of thick glasses, and she wore the green uniform of the Plant Track. Beside her was a short boy with rich dark skin who wore the aqua blue uniform of the Illusion Track. The young witch immediately locked eyes with Camila as a big smile brightened his face.
"Oh, Willow!" Eda waved hello and shook her head. "Nah, Luz is fine. I was just introducing Cam to Bump and the rest of the school, since she's– "
"A human!" shouted the witch boy with a squeal. He excitedly bounced up and down, earning more than a few odd glances from the students still wandering the halls. Running up to Camila, Gus pointed to his pointy ears. "Your small, round ears are a dead giveaway! What's your name, how long have you been here, what's your favorite human food? Oh boy oh boy, how come Luz didn't me we had another human on the Boiling Isles?
With an almost obscene amount of excitement, the witch boy aggressively shook Camila's hand. "Hi, the name is Augustus Porter, human enthusiast extraordinaire! But you can call me Gus, just like Luz does! Can you believe she gave me that human nickname, isn't it the best?"
While Gus pumped her hand with the enthusiasm of a dog with a new chew toy, Camila blinked as she recognized Augustus: only last night, Luz had shown her mother pictures of all her friends, including Gus and the blue-haired witch, who must be Willow.
"Yes, it's very nice to meet you too, Gus. I've heard a lot about you and– "
Before Camila could say another word, she was cut off when Gus let out a sharp gasp. The witch boy's eyes overflowed with tearful joy as he put a hand over his heart, and driven by maternal instinct, Camila patted her pockets for a handkerchief to dry his wet eyes.
"Y-you have? How do you know about me? A-am I a famous researcher in the human world? This is amazing! Has your kind finally decided to sweep me away to your world, just like the oracle said they would someday?"
"Uh." Camila didn't quite know how to respond to that one. Luz had told her how much Gus loved humans, but somehow Camila underestimated his sheer level of fanaticism.
Doing her best to remain polite, Camila tried to wiggle free of Gus' tight grip. Before anyone stuck their foot in their mouths any further, Eda stepped in and roughly patted Gus on the head, forcing him to let go of Camila's hand.
"Calm down, shortstop, you're spooking her." Putting a hand on Camila's shoulder, Eda gestured to the Hispanic mother. Camila gave a friendly nod to Willow as she joined the small party. "As I was saying, this is Cam. She's Luz's mom, so treat her with the same respect you'd show me."
A small frown crossed Willow's face and she tilted her head to one side. "Wait, you're Luz's mom? I thought the portal to the human world was lost, taken by Emperor Belos?"
"Yeah, but we got it back." Eda shrugged, clearly in no mood to elaborate further. She casually rolled her hand around her wrist. "Ask Luz about it later. It was a whole adventure, and I won't deprive the kid the chance of sharing the whole melodrama. You know how she gets."
"That sounds like Luz. She even throws in funny voices for everyone." Willow let out a soft giggle. "I like her impression of you the best, Miss Eda. It's so spot-on, she even throws in all the groans of old age and foul language!"
Eda narrowed her eyes. "Care to repeat, kid?"
"Uh, no. Sorry, Miss Eda…"
In spite of Eda and Willow's discussion, Gus was clearly not paying attention. He simply kept staring at Camila and asked countless questions, bouncing around in excitement like a kid in a candy store. Camila did her best keep him calm, but she was strongly reminded of Luz when she was six-years-old and so painfully curious about the world around her.
"Ooh, ooh, can I interview you?" With a spin of a finger, a notepad and pen appeared out of thin air and dropped into Gus's hands. "What's life in the human world like for an adult? What jobs do human adults do? What was it like after you emerged from your chrysalis and spit acid for the first time?"
"Well, it's very busy. I worked a whole lot as a nurse, and didn't have a lot of spare time. And whoever told you such an awful thing!?"
As Gus jotted down her answers, he casually weaved another spell in the air. A second Gus popped out of nowhere, making Camila nearly jump out of her skin. This Gus also held a pen and notepad, and he gave the Hispanic mother a hopeful grin.
The second Gus asked, "How do airplanes work? Amity doesn't believe anything larger than a dragon can fly, so I really wanna give her solid proof they can exist! Luz had no idea, but you gotta know!"
A third Gus then poofed into existence. Camila again jumped, and she put a hand over her heart as it nearly leapt out of her chest. This third illusionary Gus then asked, "Does the Loch Ness Monster actually exist? Is it related to the sea monsters we have around the Isles? And just what is a 'loch' anyways?"
By the time a fourth Gus poofed into existence, Camila was almost numb to the shock. No, the constant stream of questions was even worse, and steadily Gus and his clones closed in on the Hispanic mother like sharks smelling blood in the water.
After a fifth Gus joined the crowd, they pressed deeper into Camila's personal space, their faces practically shoved into hers. The corners of Camila's vision grew fuzzy, and she broke out into a nervous sweat as she held her hands up defensively.
"P-Please slow down, niño! I only have one mouth, and you have so many, many questions!"
Before Camila was totally overwhelmed, however, Eda stepped between her and Gus. She gave the witch boy a scowl before she flicked the real Gus in the forehead. With his concentration broken, the illusions disappeared in a puff of smoke and magic, leaving Gus to rub his forehead.
"Ow, hey! I was just getting to the good stuff!" said Gus. Before he could say anything else, however, Willow stepped forward while Eda rubbed Camila in the small of the back in an effort to calm her down.
"Shame on you, Augustus!" Willow said, hands on her hips. "Mrs. Noceda has only been here a day, and you're already pestering with questions? She isn't used to magic like Luz is. Please give her some space to breath, okay?"
Gus looked between Willow and Camila, who indeed looked stressed out. As per usual, Gus got wrapped up in his own thoughts too much to notice how he affected other people. With a small frown, he bowed his head and sheepishly kicked a wad of paper on the ground.
"... sorry, Mrs. Luz's Mom." Gus gave a hopeful, but more polite smile. "I'll reign myself in more. Can I still ask some questions later?"
Now that she could see clearly now, Camila nodded her head. Brushing herself off and giving Eda a thankful grin, she said, "That's okay, I know a thing or two about excitable children. Magic is still new to me, so no illusions next time, okay?"
"Okay!" said Gus with an eager nod. Willow joined his side and balled her hands into fists with an encouraging expression.
"If you ever need help familiarizing yourself with the Isles, you can count on us!" Willow then hooked her arm around Gus' and dragged him away, presumably to their next class. The school bell had shrieked awhile ago, and they were almost certainly late. "Come on, Gus, before we get thrown into the Detention Track!"
Before the two children disappeared around the corner, Eda called back. "You make it sound like I can't teach her how to survive myself!"
"If Luz was a test run, then you aren't ready for another student, Eda!" said Willow, giving a playful wink.
If Eda still had her magic, she would have blasted a fireball at the blue-haired witch's head, but Willow ducked behind the corner before anything could be thrown her way. All the Owl Lady could do was grumble and pout, but with a weak chuckle, Camila patted her on the back. That almost made up for everything, and for perhaps the first time in a while, Eda felt grateful to have another woman at her side.
"Don't let it bother you, Eda. No one's a perfect teacher the first time around." Camila gave the Owl Lady a warm grin. "I for one think you've done a great job raising my Luz, even if you weren't the best teacher. That means more to me than I can express."
"... thanks, Cam."
After the tour through Hexide, Eda showed Camila around the Marketplace and the other stores across Bonesborough. While Luz's stories about the Boiling Isles gave her some idea what the place was like, Camila was still shocked at the myriad of fantastical, dangerous, and downright weird creatures who called the Isles home.
"Did that… baby-faced caterpillar just vomit out a fairy, then wish her a good day at work?"
"Yeeeeah, not gonna lie, stuff like that is normal here. You'll get used to it."
While Eda's pocketbook was pretty tight, the two women bought an assortment of clothes to replace Camila's wardrobe along with a few essential supplies. They had lunch at a humble diner, where Camila ate a stew that winked back at her, and after a small adventure where Eda fought a gang of mushroom people over the last Tooth Mushroom at a potion shop, they returned to Hexside to pick Luz up from school.
Unusually, Luz wasn't waiting by the school gate waiting for the pick-up, so the two women explored Hexside's interior to find the missing girl. After some searching, they found Luz standing by her locker, chatting with a green-haired witch. She looked vaguely familiar, and Camila swore Luz shared a photo of her last night, but Camila couldn't place the girl's name for the life of her.
The green-haired witch leaned against a locker as Luz animatedly talked about today's classes. While her body language clearly tried to appear chill, even at a distance Camila could read how painfully awkward and forced her cool attitude was. From across the hallway, they could hear snippets of the conversation.
"So, there I was, pouring the wormwood extract into the truth potion. Everything's going fine, yeah, and I'm feeling pretty good about today's assignment. But then who shows up but Boscha, who 'accidentally' bumps into me and dumps the whole bottle into the cauldron!"
Luz hopped a foot into the air and spread her arms wide as she made loud explosion noises. The green-haired witch couldn't help but chuckle at the human's enthusiasm.
"Everything went 'boom, bam, kablammo!' The whole class got covered in goopy gunk, and both Boscha and I got Fs on the assignment! Can you believe that?" Luz gripped her hands tightly as she gazed into the heavens, demanding they correct this injustice. "What cruel fate has befallen me that I share the same Potion 101 class as Boscha!?"
"Maybe you killed a priest in a past life?" The green-haired witch shrugged. "Or, uh, something? Do humans believe in reincarnation, ooor…?"
"Some of us do! But I believe…!"
While the awkward scene played out, Eda let out an amused snort and elbowed Camila in the ribs. The Hispanic mother let out a short squeak like a dormouse, and Eda thought it was the cutest thing in the world.
"Wait, hold up: this should be good, this goober is always great for a laugh."
Sadly though, Eda's fun was ruined when Luz noticed them and waved in their direction.
"Hi, Mom! Hey, Eda! How was your day?" Luz shouted suddenly, making the green-haired witch leap in the air. This made her stumble forward and fall into Luz's arms, then she jumped again with her cheeks burning red-hot.
"Gah, Luz! Don't startle me like that!" said the green-haired girl, shoving Luz off. The human girl simply chuckled and batted her eyes at her friend.
"Daw, you know you love me~"
The green-haired girl's jaw fell to the floor and she stumbled over her words to the point of incoherence. Even when Camila and Eda joined the little group, she kept stammering as Luz pulled her mother into a hug and gestured to her.
"Mom, this is my very best friend in the world, Amity!" Luz wrapped an arm around Amity and pulled her shoulder-to-shoulder. Luz beamed like the sun. "She's a super-smart witch who works with Abominations! She's brave, kind, and wicked cool. She tutors me when she can, and honestly, she's just the best!"
"You, that is to say, I, I mean…!" said Amity, her body frozen stiff as a statue.
Oh, Amity! That was the girl's name, now she remembered. Camila felt so silly for forgetting. After all, Luz spent a whole hour last night blathering on about this girl, from the rocky start of their friendship where Amity nearly had Luz dissected to their icy adventure on the Titan's Knee and their fun night at a school dance. Luz clearly cared about this girl, and if Luz trusted Amity so much, Camila could do the same.
Still holding Amity tightly, Luz patted her frozen friend on the shoulder.
"Aside from school today, I was catching Amity up with everything that happened yesterday. And boy howdy, is there a lot to share!" Luz counted off her fingers as she ran down the list. "There was the super secret spy stuff at Belos' castle, stealing the door back, opening the portal…"
"Uh, are you sure you should be sharing that with people, mija? I cannot imagine the Emperor would be happy knowing who stole his portal…" Camila said, glancing around in case anyone was in ear shot. Luz simply shook her head and waved the worries away.
"Ah, come on! I'm only telling Amity, it's fine!"
Speaking of Amity, the green-haired witch was still frozen with fright. However, she wasn't just blushing madly over Luz, but now staring at Camila like a deer caught in headlights. Her hands clenched and unclenched, and her face was fixed in a rictus grin.
"Uh. Uh. Uh," Amity said with the utmost eloquence.
"What's the matter, kid? Didn't think you'd be meeting the parents so soon?" Eda winked and nudged Amity with her elbow. With an audible snap like a skeleton rousing itself to life, Amity swiveled her head at Eda and glared daggers at her. She clearly wasn't in a mood for any sort of teasing.
With that little nudge, however, Amity found some deep reservoir of inner strength and offered her hand to Camila, her body lurching like a stiff corpse. She sweated bullets as if she was talking to a man-eating lion.
"You. You are Luz's mother?" said Amity. She put a hand over her chest. "Me, Amity. I mean, my name is Amity Blight. Nice, nice to meet you."
Camila nodded and accepted the sweaty hand. Despite her small size, Amity had an iron-tight grip, and Camila winced a bit. After spending time with Eda, Camila wondered if all witches had superhuman strength, or if she just needed to build up more muscle? The Hispanic mother made a mental note to ask Eda if there were any gyms in Bonesborough where she could pump some iron, just to be safe.
"Why, yes I am." Camila gave the green-haired witch a warm grin. "Luz has told me so much about you! I'm glad to know she has such a good, trustworthy friend. You take care of mi mija now, understand?"
"Yes? Yes, a friend! I absolutely lov– like! I like spending time with Luz, she's the best. Who doesn't like Luz, we are all friends here, hahaha!" Amity tugged the collar of her uniform and glanced around, as if to see if anyone could see through her.
Camila put a hand over her mouth to hide her grin. This girl was so obvious, it was adorable. She had no idea Luz got herself a little girlfriend. Based on last night's conversation, it sounded like they were only friends, but clearly Amity felt deeply for her Luz. Then again, how many children slow danced with friends at 'Grom', or gushed about their beautiful green hair or impressive magical skills?
Not many, and when Luz finally let go of Amity's shoulder, she instead reached down and tightly squeezed the witch's hand. The gesture was unthinking, automatic, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Amity blushed harder and a dopey grin spilled across her face. The green-haired witch was clearly on cloud nine, even as she stood before perhaps the biggest obstacle to dating Luz.
But Camila was not a harsh woman, and if her Luz found love in Amity, there were plenty worse people to pick. Tilting her head to the side, Camila gave the green-haired witch a curious look.
"If you don't mind me asking, could you tell me more about yourself, Amity? Hearing stories from Luz is one thing, but I'm curious who Amity Blight really is. Straight from the source."
Amity somehow did the impossible and straightened her back even more than before. Counting off her fingers, Amity spoke in an increasingly fast voice.
"Well, I'm the best student in the Abomination Track, not just for our year, but across all grade levels. I'm the former captain of the school Grudgby team, The Hexside Banshees, and under my leadership we won every game. I'm currently the co-captain of the school football team, which your daughter Luz introduced to the Isles. I'm the second member of the Azura Book Club, and I've loved the series since I was young. My favorite color is purple, my greatest fear is being rejected by the people I love, and my life goal is to be the best witch ever."
Amity gulped hard and she hesitated for a second, her eyes darting around nervously. She then bit the bullet and clenched her hands as she said in a furiously fast voice, "I'm also from a fabulously wealthy family with a long lineage of great witches, thekindanymotherwouldlovetheirhumandaughertomarryinto!"
Camila blinked and wiggled a finger in one ear. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that? You lost me on that last part."
"Nothing! Forget I said anything!" Amity hugged her textbooks close to her chest and radiated such silent desperation that Camila and even Luz bit their tongues, even if they didn't fully know why. Instead, Eda snorted and gave Amity a smug smirk.
"Real smooth, Blight. Way to lay it on thick."
After that little debacle, it was just a short walk out of Hexside. Once they reached the outer gate, it became apparent that their paths diverged. Camila was a tad disappointed; she really wanted to learn more about Amity, and if possible, make her support of the witch's feelings clear.
Instead, Luz gave Amity a small frown.
"I'm sorry I didn't finish the story about yesterday. How about I finish tomorrow, even though you're pretty much spoiled for the ending?" Luz offered.
"Yeah, sure!" A fond expression radiated from Amity's face. "I'd love nothing more than to spend more time with you, Luz."
"Great! It's a date!" Luz gave Amity a quick hug before rejoining her mother's side. She waved farewell to her green-haired friend. "See you tomorrow!"
Amity's face burned red-hot, and she didn't trust herself to speak, so she gave a shaky thumbs up instead. Clumsily, she walked off into the distance, and the moment she disappeared into the forest, Amity let out an ear-piercing shriek of joy. Both Camila and Eda winced, but Luz stared ahead as she held both their hands, humming a soft ditty under her breath.
"Please tell me that obliviousness isn't a human thing?" Eda groaned, rubbing a ringing ear.
"Wait, are they... not dating?" Camila asked, a confused look on her face.
"Last time I checked, no, no they were not. Not that anyone can blame you for thinking otherwise, Luz seems to be the only person on the Isles who hasn't noticed."
"Well, she certainly doesn't get the obliviousness from me. Now, her father on the other hand, couldn't take a hint to save his life."
"About that…" Eda raised an eyebrow as the trio neared the Owl House. "Where is Mr. Noceda, by the way? Luz never mentions him, and you didn't seem too heartbroken about leaving your realm behind, so…?"
The question hung in the air, silent but heavy like a raincloud hanging overhead. Camila didn't answer at first, and for a second, Eda wondered if she poked at old wounds. But after taking a deep breath, Camila shook her head..
"He's… not around anymore. I prefer to keep it at that, if you don't mind?"
The Owl Lady nodded her head. There were plenty of skeletons in her closet that she didn't want dug up, old ghosts that were better left forgotten. She could respect that, and it wasn't her place to pry into Camila's love life. The fact that Luz never mentioned her father was telling, and Eda certainly didn't want to upset the kid.
And deep inside the Owl Lady's mind, unbeknownst to even Eda, a little check mark was signed on a mental note. And that was that, at least for now.
Gemini: okay, so, reasons why this took so long... It's basically filler. I needed this fic to help cover my bases for the next fic, and I lacked passion for it as a result. It's also why I needed a coauthor!
Thankfully, the fic this one helped lay the groundwork for is one I am passionate about. I'm not entirely sure when it will be out, but hopefully before the end of the year. This next fic is one I have been planning since before the first in this series was posted, and I've been subtly building towards it for a while.