The "Knocked-Down" Holiday Spectacular:
Bilentine's Day
I was sitting down to work on my trading cards collection when a portal opened. I looked up as Steve, looking a little freaked out, came tumbling out.
"Came with Steve if Steve wants to live," the ex-scout said with a terrible German accent.
I cocked an eyebrow and stood up. "You know that's not how that reference works, right?" I asked curiously.
Steve grabbed me and dragged me through the portal.
"Steve doesn't care! Steve just needs help!"
Traveling between the real and fictional realms was usually a very smooth ride; but not this time! Having my other-worldly cousin drag me through the portal nearly by the neck was very uncomfortable.
It didn't help matter that Steve kind of threw me when we stepped into my own personal spot of the Owl House Fandom. I thankfully landed on something soft.
With a small moan, I stood up and gave my head a quick shake. I regained my senses and saw what I landed on. It was a blood-red heart/bile sac combo and I looked around. I was at the pier in Bonesborough and I can see stalls all decked in the same blood-red color.
I groaned as I looked at my cousin. "Steve, did you bring me here to be your wing-girl to pick someone up on Bilentine's day?"
I frowned when I saw that Steve was slightly taller than what I was used to, and looked down. Sure enough, I was wearing a Hexisde uniform with light blue sleeves and purple leggings. With a sigh, I did a spell circle and a mirror copy of myself appeared.
There wasn't much difference back my young adult form and my Hexside form; I still had my black hair. Now it was just shorter and a ghost hairclip was on my right side. I was also wearing my glasses from my natural form, unlike my older "Milly" form.
I made the copy disappear when I heard Steve begin to speak.
"No, No," the ex-scout said, waving his hand and then pointing to his right. "I need help watching those guys."
I looked in the direction Steve was pointing and I couldn't help but smile a bit. Two out of the three "main" couples of the Owl House were sharing some rotten candy at the Bilentine's Day fair.
Luz, Amity, Willow, and Hunter were all "knocked-down" and had their normal "knocked-down" outfits decked out in holiday colors.
With a sigh, I looked at Steve and asked, "So you need me to watch the squirts while you try to woo some lucky guy or gal?"
With a cocky smile, Steve looked back at the group of "knocked-downs". I looked in time to see a familiar witch with vampire features walked up to the group.
"Katya, serious?" I quipped, feeling a little underwhelmed.
Steve got me into a headlock and whispered, "Hey, you're the writer here."
"And you know when I'm here, you have full control," I retorted and then sigh. "But I will help."
With a goofy smile, Steve let me go and walked up to the group. When the former CATTs member saw us, she gave Steve a friendly smile. I noted that my cousin had a small blush on his cheeks when Katya smiled at him.
"Oh, there you, Steve," Katya said kindly. She frown as she looked my current body over. "Do I know you? You look familiar."
I just offered a kind smile, but couldn't help but add a hint of mystery to it. "Oh, you meant my big sister at the New Yield party. I'm Molly."
I had to pinch myself so as not to shudder as the memory of that night came flooding back to me. Katya nodded as I felt the ripples going through my own corner of the TOH fandom and she frowned as she looked me over.
"And why are you wearing your uniform?" she asked. "School isn't open today."
"Oh, I going to work at the school event later," I answered casually. "So I figured I'd skip the pain of going back home and just wear my uniform."
Katya nodded and decided my answers were good enough. I smiled kindly at the witch and turned to Steve. I cocked an eyebrow when I noticed that my cousin was just standing there with a dopey smile on his face.
I groaned when I realized that the poor boy had fainted on his feet, and made a spell circle. I spent a match-level fireball right at my cousin's rear end.
"OW!" Steve screamed, jumping slightly. "What was that for?"
"To wake you up," I said mischievously. "Now, if you want to score this day, don't fall behind."
Steve grumbled by fellowed as Katya and I took the kids into the fairgrounds.
(SC)
"So, runts?" I asked good-naturally, "What do you want to do first?"
"Tunnel of Love! Tunnel of Love!" Luz and Amity chanted.
I giggled as I noticed that Willow and Hunter's faces were red.
"Maybe save that for the end?" I suggested kindly.
I looked around at the different activities the fair had to offer. Since Valentine's day doesn't have many events, not that I could remember, I made the Bilentine's day fair like a normal fair. The only twist was that it had couples themes and most of the games were played with your partner.
I saw a game that would be perfect for couples and pointed at the stand.
"How about darts?" I asked.
The "knocked-down" lovers looked at the stand and Luz and Hunter's eyes lit up. I giggled to myself as the two ran up to the booth, and I followed.
"Can I get a couple of stools and a round of darts, my good witch?" I asked cheerfully.
The stand owner just shrugged and I paid him for the items. Set up the stools and Luz and Hunter climbed up. Both were eager to win prizes for their girlfriends and that brought a smile to my face.
"Steve wants in," my cousin suddenly said, and I groaned.
I sent a glare at my cousin, but he wasn't paying attention. He too was busy paying the man for his darts and soon got beside the others. I groaned again as I took a few steps to my right.
The way I set up a game of darts in the demon realm was very similar to human darts. The only difference was the items; both the darts board and the darts were alive. The thrower needed to trick the darts into releasing their sleeping agent if or when they hit the board.
And this is why I feel like I was about to take it in the rear.
The three throwers picked up a dart and I watched as they each used a different method with their darts. Luz tried to befriend her darts and Hunter tried to command his set. Then, there was Steve; he just threw a dart without a care in the world.
I watched as the dart veered off course and bounced off the edge of the target board. The dart bounced off the stand edge and might have just flown off into the distance…if it didn't bounce off a bird flying by.
"OW!" I screeched as the dart hit me in the rear end.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at me in concern. I tried to smile off the pain as I slowly took the dart out of me. I groaned slightly as I took out the dart, and suddenly become dizzy.
Oh right, the sleeping agent. The last thing I saw before I blacked out I was Katya running up to me.
(SC)
With a groan, I slowly opened my eyes. What happened…right, Steve hit me with a sleeping dart. I was still a little groggy as I looked around. I could barely make out the faces of my charges and frowned as I realized I was on a bench, on someone's lap.
Becoming a little more alert, I looked up into the concerned eyes of Skara Siren. The young bard/healing student smiled when noticed I was awake.
"Oh good," Skara said with relief. "I was hoping you wouldn't suffer anything nasty after taking that dart. Are you okay?"
"Y-Yeah," I muttered shyly.
Oh, titan, I am really going to do this myself? Am I really going to have one of my witch personas start crushing on a fictional character?
I quickly pushed myself into a sitting position and looked around as I tried to calm my beating heart. I frown as I noticed something; Lumity and Hutlow were with us, but I didn't see Steve or his date.
Oh, that can't be a good sign. I forget my inner panic for the time being and looked at Skara. Before I could say anything Luz walked up to me. I noticed the sad look in her eyes and my heart broke.
"Otay?" the "knocked-down" human asked sadly.
I smiled and got down from the bench and onto my knees. I took Luz into a light hug as I used my writer's power so the dart's venom wouldn't do more than knocked out creatures for a few minutes.
"Don't worry, runt," I said soothingly, "My family is stubborn and I wouldn't let something like some venom get me down."
Luz didn't fully believe me and I was about to comfort her more. Suddenly, I heard a large boom, and the entire group looked to the right. I saw a red burst of magical energy off in the distance and groaned when I realized something was coming our way.
My first thought was that whatever was about to happen with Luz's fault, but she was here with me. And I could only think of one other person who might have caused this.
"Please let this not be Steve doing," I muttered under my breath.
I groaned when I got my answer a second later; Steve and Katya were riding on what appeared to be a tidal wave of fruit smoothies.
"Steve," I groaned.
"Umm, what's happening?" Skara asked.
I just sighed as I picked up Luz and Amity. "Just another Steve moment," I muttered bitterly. "But now…PICKED UP SOME KIDS AND LET'S RUN FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND HIT THE DIRT!"
Skara didn't need to be told twice; she grabbed Willow and Hunter. Together, we both ran for it.
I looked over my shoulder and frowned as I noticed something. The fruit smoothie wave was starting to slow down because it was absorbing everything it touched. Too bad it wasn't slowing down fast enough and it would be on us in a few seconds.
So, I quickly repositioned one of the kids in my arms and made a quick spell circle. I summoned two spirits and gave them quick commands.
"Toss us as high as possible!"
The spirits quickly obeyed. They grabbed us and tossed us as high as spirits possibly could. We started to scream as we sent flying and I realized I didn't think this through. Thankfully, even in their youthened state, Luz and her friends were quick on their feet.
Both Luz and Willow summoned some vine and whipped them to the tallest stand on the fairgrounds. They pulled us to the stand and Amity used some abomination goo to soften our landing.
"Uhh," I moaned into the goo, "I am so giving that cousin of mine creeping root."
(SC)
"So, let me see if I got this right," I said with a sigh. "The guy running the smoothie stand was out, and you tried to make a drink for Katya and used something that caused this mess?"
Steve simply nodded with a goofy smile and I sighed. I looked around and couldn't help but smile. Despite the chaos, things turned out better than most probably thought; young witches were giving their dates smoothies from the mess.
My smile grew when I saw Lumity and Hutlow sharing a smoothie each and giggling.
"I may have created the "Clawthorne paradox" but it's always a surprise when I see it in action," I said to myself and looked at Steve.
Katya was tending to my cousin and though it wasn't much, I did sense a growing attraction between the two witches. My smile might have grown if everything hadn't caught with me at that moment and made me feel older than I currently was.
So, with a semi-tired sigh, I walked over to a nearby bench and took a seat. It wasn't long before Skara joined me and I could feel my face heat up.
I was starting to think my current witch persona must have something for bard girls. I made a note to keep that in mind as I looked at my crush.
"Never a dull moment around here?" I asked in a light and joking manner.
Skara offered me a warm smile but otherwise said nothing. Titan, I could sit here all day and just bathe in that smile. Still, that wasn't the plan here, so after a short rest, it would be back to business.
Still, I made a promise to myself to take Skara on the Tunnel of Love before the day was done. You know, just to see where I go with her.
(M Corner)
Steve: Steve here; between you and I, Steve was the one who gave my cousin the crush on Skara. Homeboy needs to get out more; there's more to life than just work and working on one's hobby.
Now, if you excuse Steve, Steve needs to get back to Steve's date. Stay tuned for the next story in this non-canon entry of the Noceda-Clawthorne Series/Owl Familia series.
