This is just a little interlude to bridge the gap between the "Azura relays stories to friends" chapters and the subsequent "Azura and friends all hear the stories together" chapters.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I can't believe I'm here! In your house! Talking to you, Luz Noceda, in person! Please sign my forehead!"
Luz stared at Syl awkwardly. Even after all these years, she never quite got used to situations like this.
"Uh… we've met before. Several times. This isn't even the first time you've been in Casa Noceda"
"I know, but it's so exciting it feels brand new each time!" The demon quickly pulled a marker from his pocket and offered it to Luz. "So will you sign?"
"Don't do it! He wants you to stain his fur permanently!" yelled Peony from further inside the house.
"She's allowed to make her own decisions!" Syl angrily replied before turning back to Luz.
"I don't think your parents would appreciate a forehead signature," said Luz honestly. But then she noticed the kid's disappointment and knew she had to salvage this situation. "But I could… sign your horns instead? It would wash off cleanly."
"Hmmm…" Syl thought it over for a few seconds. "Okay, I accept your compromise."
"Alright, cool." Luz grabbed the marker and signed Luz on his left horn, and Noceda on his right. "There you go, my signature and it's mostly legible."
Syl ran over to a mirror in the room and admired Luz's handiwork. "I will treasure this moment forever."
"Syl! Hurry up!" Julie shouted. "We've been waiting two days to hear the rest of this story!"
Luz glanced at Syl and took him by the hand. "C'mon, let's get this show on the road."
"Mr. Porter, look! You inspired me to get a head signature!" Syl happily pointed to his horns.
"Hell yeah, welcome to the club!" Gus gave Syl a high five.
"Ah, the coveted Human Realm high-five," said Willow with a smirk. "The greatest honor Gus can personally give."
Gus just smiled. "It's old, but gold."
There were now a bakers' dozen people gathered in the living room— 9 kids and 4 adults. All the kids sat on bean bags or comfy chairs surrounding the couch, with Azura right at the center. Luz and Amity squeezed onto their wide couch, alongside Willow and Gus. They're the guests at today's part of the story, while tomorrow someone new would appear.
Telling the story in such a staggered way would certainly make it take longer, but it would provide the kids with a greater number of perspectives.
"Before we start," said Amity, "I figured I'd address the wizard in the room." She chuckled a little but stopped when she noticed no one else was laughing.
"I don't get it," Lobo whispered to his sister.
"Uh, anyway," said Amity, blushing slightly. "I consulted with Lilith and Malphas, and the only written references to wizards are in human books, or books that use human books as sources. The few people that referred to themselves as wizards must've learned the concept from those."
"That makes sense," Gus remarked. "And as a wild witch who sold Human Realm trash, Eda would've known more about wizards than the average person."
"Alright!" exclaimed Luz. "Now that we've solved the great wizard problem, it's finally time to continue the story! Are you ready, kids?"
"Aye, aye captain!" exclaimed all the kids, with Luna being the loudest.
"Yes! You all knew the reference!" Luz cheered. "Anyway, it's time you all learned about my first Moonlight Conjuring…"
I haven't even started going over Hooty's Moving Hassle yet but I had the very beginning of the chapter close to completion, so I just finished it and posted it as its own chapter.
See you soon(ish)!
