A/N:
I want to give a shoutout to one of my favorite TOH content creators - Magpie. Magpie V Raven, they make PHENOMINAL fan animations. They're also TheEmperor'sCoven on Etsy, selling phenomenal Belos plushies and pins. If I had to choose someone as head of our fandom, it'd be them.
And I'm shouting them out because they're on rough times at the minute. Mentally and physically. So, if you could hop down by their shop - or drop them a Kofi, it would be tremendously appreciated. Tell them Zedd sent'cha :P
—-
Luz licked her lips looking down at her plate, cutting off a solid hunk of her breakfast and sloppily shoving it into her maw. Almost immediately swallowing.
"Slow down, Luz." Amity laughed. "Don't forget to chew."
Amity looked over to Phillip, trying to start up some conversation. "So, Phillip! It's been a little while since we talked, what've you been doing? What's your biiiig project?" Even though she'd already heard about it on the way over - she wanted him to share it with the rest of the group.
The whole table looked over at Phillip, which made him feel extremely awkward. He tried to be a bit theatrical - "Uh, uhm… Well, Since I've regained my memories, I've felt at a loss of what to do. Belos' infection ran down to the Isles very core, and I feel hopelessly lost as to where to start attempting to clean up the mess…"
"Oh!" Amity peeped. "I had an idea. Hey, Lilith - the Bonesborough Library is open again soon, right? They've looking for someone to host their children's storytime hour! I used to do it all the time, But i've been suuuper busy lately."
"Yea!" Luz happily squeaked. "It was how I first realized that maybe you weren't so bad after all."
This made Amity blush and go "Oh, stop it, you."
Lilith shrugged. "I don't see the harm in it. If you'd like to do it, of course."
Luz prodded him. "Oh, you totally should! You got like, a super-slick voice, dude. You could probably narrate a phone-book and make it sound interesting."
Eda rolled her eyes at what she saw as fake sincerity. "Oh, I know a good way for you to make a change! The University of Wild Magic is suffering from a lack of staff - why don't youuuu come and be our janitor?"
"Uhh…Well, I like the first one, but…" Phillip stammered, thinking about it for a bit.
"I was joking." Eda grumbled.
"No, no, even though it was a joke… Perhaps an educator of some sort." Phillip rubbed his chin. "To help extoll the virtues of the very things he hated…"
Lilith cleared her throat, changing the subject. Less out of uncomfortability and mostly out of impatience. "I thought you were here to talk about some sort of cure for petrification? If you just wanted general advice I wish you'd have just led with that."
"Oh, My deepest apologies." Phillip embarrassedly rubbed his head. "Yes, that is what I wanted to discuss. See, I've discovered a method to turn Fool's Blood back into pure Titan's Blood! And, so, I was thinking of using its power as a potential petrification cure. Perhaps mixed with the same boiling algae that creates a time pool?"
"Yes, well, Time Pools being made from Boiling Algae is just a theory at the minute - No, Not even a theory, more like a best guess." Lilith tapped her chin.
"But it's certainly possible that you could. Years ago, I built a machine to detect time pools, but - Titan's blood is the only thing powerful enough to power it."
"It was how we managed to go back in time to meet you!" Luz happily squeaked, chewing on the last bite of her French Goast. Purposely not taking off the rose-tinted glasses thinking back at that time.
"We could take samples from a time pool, determine what they're made up of." Lilith was clearly deep in thought. "But, they're becoming rarer and rarer every day. It might take weeks or months for the next one to show up." She stopped, letting out a deep breath. "Plus, for all we know - next time a time pool shows up it could be at the other end of the isles, and be gone by the time we get to it."
"Well," Phillip confidently nodded. "I have to try. Even if it takes time. As Luz once told me, 'you can't make it perfect, but you can make it better.'"
Amity stifled a laugh. "You know that's a movie quote, right?"
Phillip's expression dropped. "I-I don't think that matters. It's the sentiment that matters, right?"
"C'mon, just let him have this one." Luz smiled, but felt slightly…awkward? She was happy he took the moral to heart, though.
Phillip looked over at Amity. "Perhaps I could set up a new home on the shore. Or perhaps, near the beach of Lake Lacuna." It was where he started his new life, after all. Trying to focus on those positive, new memories instead of those cruddy old ones.
"Wouldn't you want to be closer to Bicrosh or Diaphrallows? If you're going to be commuting to the University of Wild Magic on the regular." Amity shrugged. Any which way, she knew her parents would be happy if that meant him moving out. "I'll see if I can conjure up a few abominations to help with construction."
"Thank you. I would try to do it myself, but…" Phillip held up his left arm, tied off sleeve flopping about. "I'm afraid I'm in no condition for it."
Luz spoke up. "Hey, Phillip, Have you thought about maybe looking into a prosthetic hand?"
"Prosthetic hands? Well…I don't even know where I'd look for them in the Boiling Isles. As far as I know, The Healing Coven does offer something of the sort…But they're spells that rely on having a bile sack to make a magical limb, but… I'm kind of missing that." Phillip just resigned. It was a spell that would be impossible to transcribe into a glyph combo, considering it required persistence.
"Well, the human realm has some really cool prosthetics. Ones that some-how like…Read the signals from your brain, and it'd be like you never even lost your hand! But they are suuuuper expensive… Like, without insurance, as much as a down-payment on a house." Luz rambled, thinking of potential options. Perhaps they could make a DIY one for Phillip? Something out of abomination goop?
"Honestly, Luz, I think I'm getting along fine without it. Between you and me…I consider having lost my hand a badge of honor, considering the circumstances." Phillip shut his mouth, trying not to blare his own bugle too much.
"Well, it's your body." Luz just shrugged.
Amity cut in, trying to continue the conversation. "Say, Phillip, If you need a change - have you thought about dyeing your hair? Perhaps a new color could spice up something mundane." It was how she expressed herself!
"You know, I haven't…But, I don't mind that idea. Perhaps I could dye it brown, like when I was a boy." Phillip did use to have chestnut brown hair - but it lightened as he aged. He never minded, because…It made him look more like Caleb. He needed to forge his own identity. Get out of his brother's shadow.
At this point, everyone had finished their Breakfast - and Phillip decided to make his leave. "Lilith, Eda, Raine. I must thank you all for a lovely breakfast." Before quickly heading out, Eda hurl any more muck in his direction.
He made a note to call Lilith later, further discuss theories and ideas. But the trio returned to Blight Manor about an hour later.
It was funny how Phillip felt so hopeless yesterday but today - he felt rejuvenated. Or perhaps, he was just distracted from the dread eating away at his soul. If he even had one anymore.
