Luz
The morning walk was a blur once she had finished her hurried morning routine, if not for Willows timing and need to be early, there was a good chance the latest Human addition to Hexside College would have been very late. The pair walked up to the large heavy oak doors, students were streaming in at a consistent rate, something Willow had wanted to avoid, not that she made her friend feel guilty about it. This is it... Well, The start of it. As she took a deep breath, the two of them joined the stream of students, staying shoulder to shoulder to ensure they didn't get separated. Gus had already been to the office for his schedule, his locker and was now sitting in his home period, studious as ever. That morning despite her hurry, she felt comfortable and confident in her outfit, sporting her usual Red Beanie and Green jacket, she paired it with a light brown short sleeve shirt she had found in Liliths belongings, as well as a pair of black jean like pants, finishing the look with a pair of high top sneakers that were a subtle dark pastel green, with lines of black and white accents, she had forgotten all about them. As they turned towards the main office where Principal Bumps office was, her eye caught sight of the back of Amitys head. She hadn't mentioned the dream to Willow, even though she felt like with all that's happened, she probably should. After a moment another set of eyes grabbed her attention and a chill ran the length of her spine as she locked eyes with a pink-haired girl, with three eyes, and a very aggravated look. Shes the captain of the Grudgby team! Finally the person clicked in her mind, and so did all of the other things she remembered Willow talking about. Thankfully before her thoughts started to get the best of her, Willow broke her from the other womans gaze and helped her along through the crowd and passed Boscha.
Willow was surprised by the events of the morning, but all in all, figured it was just her friend's first day nerves that were setting her up. The walk had been quiet, aside from when she was busy explaining what she should expect, certain customs, mentioning anything she felt was important, even if only a little. They had talked a lot the night before about it too, but there were a few things she had thought of afterwards that she needed to mention. Once at the school, it was obvious that she wasn't going to get her wish of not being bothered before first period. "Luz." Willows voice was a low whisper but enough to get her friends attention while she pulled her along, realizing while she was focused on getting them to the office, she hadn't been entirely aware of their surroundings and therefore missing Boscha and her friends. Well that probably wasn't good... Ugh. A seed of self-doubt and anxiety sat in the put of her stomach, causing her mood to drop considerably, they had certainly treated her better than other years but there was something about the look Boscha was giving them that truly made her uncomfortable. Leading the way, it didn't take them long to reach the large office space where Principal had students he was expecting to wait. At the desk were multiple copies of one of the main receptionists, she was using her illusion magic to conjure these copies and speed up the process of providing schedules. If there was a system to the madness, it wouldn't be discernable from a glance. "Ah Miss Park" Two of the copies said in unison before one of them took over and ushered her to grab the laminated schedule, it was on a card no more than the size of her hand. "Thank you! Have a nice day" She was appreciative that the receptionist remembered her from prior visits.
It wasn't long after Willow got her schedule that Luz was able to go up to one of the many illusions and ask for her timetable, "Ah Noceda, Luz. Under the guardianship of Clawthorne house." Before Luz could provide an answer, or even nod to confirm, the illusion pointed towards Principal Bumps door. "Principal Hieronymus Bump is waiting for you, please knock. Next student!" The Illusion didn't waste any additional time or trade any pleasantries with her, which she was fine with, although surprised by. "Okay... Gotcha." She muttered mostly to herself, gesturing for Willow to come with her, the dark-green-haired girl seemed to pause for a moment and consider her situation. It was still well before the bell but Luz knew how important it was for her to be seated and situated before class started, so she didn't walk into a room full of people looking at her. Just when I was beginning to think she wouldn't come she made a hasty b-line for the new students position by Principal Bumps door. Not wanting to waste either of their time, Luz gave the door a mild knock, surprised by how soft the sound seemed compared to how hard she had hit it. I would never hear tha- Her thought was cut off by the door opening, seemingly by itself, ushering them inside. The magnificence of Principal Bumps office never ceased to amaze Luz; it had all the elements she expected to see in a high ranking magical official. From the tapestries to the weird unidentified artifacts and jars with body parts, it was all she expected and more.
As soon as the two entered the office, an abomination goo hand seemed to pop into existence near the door to shut it behind them. "Good morning girls." The principal's tone was low and even, although seemingly a bit absent, he was finishing completing what looked to be a giant stack of forms. "Apologies." He said after a lingering moment of silence, neither Willow nor Luz minded waiting on the man, especially Luz, as it gave her the opportunity to keep taking in the scope of the room. With a tap of his quill on the last page, he let out a small sigh and pushed the paperwork from his field of vision. "To business, I have your schedule Luz, I had to make a few changes to your... Requests. But I hope you find these arrangements satisfactory." The older witch pushed a single sheet of parchment paper towards the edge of his desk, motioning for her to grab it and review. "Now, I would love to chat but I have an exceptional amount of paperwork to complete, as I'm sure you can see, and I must complete some walk arounds for our coven inspection this week." Before Luz even had a chance to look at her schedule, the principal had ushered them from his office, using a wave of abomination goo to effortlessly carry the two out. The sudden movement left both students landing on their behinds, just outside of the principal's office, clearly a bit surprised.
"Well that could have gone worse?" Luz offered as she stood, one hand rubbing her sore rear end while the other helped Willow to her feet. Flattening out her schedule she had squished in her hand, she motioned for her dark-haired friend to come closer and help her understand what she was looking at. Although it appeared to be the same as what she was used to in the human realm, she was a bit nervous there were potential nuances she would miss. It only took a moment for Luz to read the look on Willows face wasn't exactly a happy one, though, as soon as the witch saw her friend looking, she tried to make a neutral expression. Sweat appeared from the mild strain Willow was experiencing as she tried to cultivate her thoughts. "Ooh-kay... Wills, what was that face for?" She let out an uncomfortable chuckle, hoping her friend was just trying to psych her out.
Of course, she couldn't have had more classes with Gus or I... Ugh. On Luz's schedule was a list of seemingly uneventful classes and to most, it would stay that way. However, after experiencing torrents of abuse from bullies in elementary school she's learned to read farther into things – probably more so than she should – and ready herself with the information. Luz's timetable read,
Potions 8:30 – 9:20 – This will obviously be with Boscha, which should be okay now... She's really different than she was in Elementary. Still caution is warranted.
History 9:30 – 10:20 - Gus is thankfully in this class, however, I believe this is part of the necessary first year commitments for Potions Coven as well...
Abominations 10:30 – 11:20 – Amity. I need to ask her whats going on... I mean more of whats going on.
Lunch 11:30 – 12:20 - Lunch time! Time to relax and unwind from her morning of hell...
Anatomy, Beast Keeping, Indexing – 12:30 – 1:20 - No red flags here... Lets hope it stays that way.
Herbology 1:30 – 2:20 - A good break for both of us, plus I can help her out.
Oracle 2:30 – 3:20 – A last minute addition, felt like it had a lot of potential, although if what I overheard is right by the sound of chatter in the halls there are quite a few students opting for multi-track even if its just one... At least Luz and I have it together. Great way to end the day.
Willows's mental assessment came to an end when she finally noticed that her face was giving too much of her thoughts away. "Oh uh..." Her face flushed with a slight reddish pink as she panicked to gather herself, "Wel... We have a few classes together!" She said cheerfully, however when Luz's look of concern didn't subside, she sighed slightly and started to go down the list, giving her a full breakdown of her thoughts. "Probably nothing to worry about" Her mild voice was confident, even if she wasn't completely in agreement yet. Glancing to the side she decided it was best to usher them to their classrooms, they still have a bit of time left but the last thing she wanted was for either of them to have to walk into a full classroom.
Following Willow, Luz took in all the information her friend shared, She really is over-prepared... But she also has a good point, who knows how people are going to be when it comes to a human being in their classes... It hasn't been bad so far but. Nope, lets stay positive. she took a long breath in and tried to let it out as slowly as possible while following Willows brisk pace to her first class. Doing her best to listen to the direction she was spewing out along the way, School is cut up into the tracks mainly, so... I will need most of the ten minutes to get over to the other side but... If I can remember where which one starts I should be able to get around... On all her other visits to the school, Luz had never realized that the school was chopped up into the different Covens, between the different levels of the school there was a general area in which the coven related classes were held. It made a lot more sense now how even new students seemed to navigate with minimal efforts. As they walked by countless faces of witches, demons, hybrids and the like, she couldn't help but notice when they saw her they immediately were aware of her round ears. The small comments, mild as they were, caused her to pull her beanie down to cover the roundness of her ears. A few moments later Willow started to slow down, allowing them to match pace now, "Are we close?"
The two had made it down the Potion Covens corridors and to Luz's first class, with lots of time to spare, she hadn't meant to walk in silence, but her mind was getting the better of her now. She was worried about leaving Luz, she wouldn't admit it out loud, as she didn't want to potential hurt her friend's feelings or her pride, but there was something about the way Luz was when she got to her room that caused her worry to intensify. Between this morning and all that's happened over the last few weeks, the anxiety in Willows gut wouldn't subside until she had that 'talk' with her friend. "We are here!" She laced her voice with fake enthusiasm and optimism, or at least, that's what she was trying to portray. "Remember, your next class is History and its just down the stairs and to the left, super close." Her voice was surprisingly reassuring, and despite her anxiety she held it together. A small peep escaped Willows lips as Luz gave her a tight but brief hug, thanking her for all the help to get her here, not just physically but with all the other things leading up to this moment. "Oh shucks... Don't mention it." She waved a hand at her friend, colour returning to her cheeks as she tried to play off Luz's kind gesture. "I'll see you at Lunch." Giving a reassuring smile and thumbs up –which Gus had taught her was a positive 'human gesture' – she departed for her first class.
Luz was happy she had such a great friend in Willow, although she wished her first class was with her she knew she needed to face her fear at some point. Come on Luz, you've nearly died, you've certainly killed someone, fought off a weird wizard thing, and a Slitherbeast. This is nothing. This is a dream. Despite her peptalk she found herself paused in front of the open classroom door, staring down at the threshold. She was positive she would have stood there the whole day if her classmates hadn't brushed by her, a mix of polite and brash excuses as they got by. Not wanting to stick out anymore or hold anyone up she marched into the classroom, her body ridged, almost robotic. Too close and I'm a brown noser, too far back I'm a troublemaker... She knew better than to stick to such cliches but it was all she had to work with, although before she knew it though she was smack in the middle of the classroom, with what felt like a physical divide between 'good students' and 'bad students'. There was an ominous presence in the back of the classroom, while the front felt heavy with the weight of expectation. Never been more upset to be on the right track... She promptly picked a seat by the window and started to get her books out, there was a few more minutes before the bell – scream – would sound off. Pulling the sleeves of her green jacket up, she took her notebook out and started to write the date, the name of the class and of course, started to doodle. Lost in her own world, Luz was oblivious to the fact that the bell – scream – had sounded and that the teacher was now in place at the front, calling attendance.
It didn't take long for the teacher to get to Luz's name, causing her to finally snap out of her trance-like state. Her 'doodle' had certinly turned out to be a lot more detailed than she originally intended, on the lined paper was a detailed drawing of a Slitherbeast and herself, dressed in a wardrobe closer to that of Azura than her own. Just as her teacher called her name, she had begun her third character and, in that moment, she was thankful for the distraction, on the paper were the beginnings of a tall strong female character with what looked like a wild mane of hair. "Here." Her tone was pleasant but much more neutral than when she had departed from Willow a few minutes earlier. Okay come on Luz. Focus! This isn't a regular school... Even if it feels like it right now. the teacher seemed to stare between her and the clipboard for a solid 5 seconds before nodding their head and finishing the list of students. With that, the lesson began, and it was to Luz's delight that she hadn't been called on to introduce herself, something she had been more than a little panicked about. The teacher was reviewing their basic ingredients, why the items are the fundamentals for nearly all potions, and how their quality affected the brew. For most, it seemed as if this was a review but for Luz all of this was new information. Eda had taken the time to show her the basics, of course, but she hadn't taken the time to explain why these things were important or how they might be used in other aspects of brewing. "Now can anyone tell me how using too much spider-spew can ruin your brew?" The question confounded Luz, as far as she was concerned and Eda, spider-spew could never be used in excess as it was a foundation of creating a thicker, well melded potion, meaning it would bind ingredients together better.
The student who answered the question didn't even wait to be called upon, as soon as the moment of silence had swept across the classroom they had taken it upon themselves to answer and they sounded very confident in their answer. "Isn't it obvious?" the rhetorical question didn't hang in the air for long before the student continued, a small sigh escaping their lips as they continued, "The spider-spew might bind the ingredients but using too much can snuff out other ingredients that need space and time to dissolve. Not to mention, if it's not added in the correct order, some potions can even become thick gooey versions of themselves, not so pleasant to drink." At first Luz was going to just take note of the individual's answer, however, when they started into more details, she couldn't help but swivel in her chair slightly to peek at the student. At the opposite end of the classroom with a bored expression on their face was the pink haired witch from earlier and from the Grudgby matches, Boscha. Willow had given her plenty of backstory on her, though the last time they really interacted was when the pink haired girl was still in the poor habit of bullying other students, now she was content or seemingly content to be a regular jock. The teacher clapped their hands together and nodded, writing the answer on a portion of the board. While they were doing so, Boscha was taking her own notes, and even though Luz knew better she kept inspecting the other person, curious as to why they seemed to be so hot and cold. Before the train of thought could leave the station in Luz's mind, the third eye embedded in her forehead shifted and pierced right into her, causing her to shift her gaze and turn back around. The back of her neck prickling from the suddenness of the motion.
Luz didn't even have time to smooth her sudden heart rate spike when the pink haired student spoke again, "Miss Rammstain, if we have time, wouldn't it be productive to have our newest student introduce herself?" It's like Boscha could feel her apprehension and fears, as soon as the notion was mentioned a cold dread ran through her veins and caused a small sweat to form on her brow. "I'm sure we would all like to know more about the human." There were a few small murmurs of agreement to the pink haired students suggestion, causing the teacher to agree with even more vigor.
"What a wonderful idea Boscha, always looking out for the interest of your classmates education. I mean, what else to expect from the Grudgby Captain." The teacher approached Luz's desk, they seemed kind enough, their tone was mild and their eyes hide no malice but it would take more than just that for Luz to be comfortable in front of so many new people. The teacher gestured with her hands for Luz to stand, something she was hoping to avoid, what if she tripped? Even if she was standing still, she was positive if anyone could make it happen it was her. "As you all may have heard by now, Luz is not only a new student to this fine college but also, to this realm." The students who were still in the dark or unsure of the claims gave an audible gasp, murmurs spreading amongst them, their interest was renewed. It was official, no matter how nice this teacher was they were now her least favourite. Avoiding her would be easy and It would be even easier to spot them in the halls, they were one of the only hybrid teachers in the school, they were covered head to toe in short thick white fur, resembling a cropped goats pelt. Their eyes were human, and the horns that protruded from their head was the same stark white as their fur, giving them a look of purity.
You can do this. It's all good... She's probably just wanting to you know... Educate her peers. The notion seemed ridiculous but Willow had said she changed, so she tried to focus on the positives and not let the past dictate how she felt before she even really met them. Clearing her throat, she pushed away from her desk and stood, the seat beside her had remained empty for the whole class, something she was only noticing now. "Hi all, Luz Noceda here, pleasure to meet you all. I've been in the Boiling Isles for a... A few months no-" A voice from the back of the room interrupted her, questioning how she was admitted, they heard humans had no magic. The teacher shushed the student and apologized but Luz welcomed the question, anything so she didn't need to come up with something herself. "Err... Solid question, I discovered a different method of magic. It's too much to explain but It allows me to do … stuff like this." Reaching into her pocket she crumped up a piece of paper she knew had a light glyph on it. She put her hand up towards the ceiling and released her hand, allowing the fist sized ball of illumination to climb up before disappearing against the stone ceiling. There were a few ooos and ahhs as the students watched, even the teacher seemed pleased. However, in the corner of the classroom, where Boscha sat she let out a small snorting laugh. Not only did the students around her seem caught off guard by her blatant rudeness, but she also seemed slightly taken aback; she waved a hand in front of her face as if to wipe the action from existence. "Uh... So, yeah that's just part of what I can do." Again Luz cleared her throat, unsure of how to proceed, "Well it's a pleasure to meet you all, I hope that we can all be friends!" Her voice cracked, sending a shiver of impending doom down her spine. "I'm happy to share more about my realm some other time maybe..." As she reached the conclusion of her sentence, the bell rang – screamed – marking the end of first period and allowing her a moment of reprieve.
That wasn't the worst... But what was with that voice crack? I'm not thirteen and I'm not a boy for crying out loud... Ugh. Still lots of first day left. Luz swallowed the anxiety induced lump in her throat as she packed her belongings, trying her best to avoid the eyes of her peers, some seemed curious while others scrutinized her, glaring even. As she looked up her eyes instantly connected with the piercing glare of the three eyed witch, her grayish blue eyes seemed to bore into her with an intensity she wasn't expecting. That's Boscha... W-why is she looking at me like that, did I offend her? Ah... Come on, new school, new start... Befriend people Luz. Despite her optimism, she was skeptical and worried that she was leaving herself open to getting hurt, and in this realm, she was sure it didn't just end with feeling getting hurt. Before she could speak up, a darker skinned girl appeared in the doorway, calling to the pink-haired student, causing the eye contact to break and it almost seemed like a trance to snap away. On to... History. On to finding a seat with Gus. Trying her best to push a less than ideal first period from her mind, she made her way down the stairs as Willow instructed, feeling instantly relieved when she saw her friend waiting for her by the door, awkwardly nodding to students as they entered the classroom.
Luz was doing everything in her power to leave her angst and anxiety behind her, she wanted the best impression and hoped by striving to be 'herself', she could trick not only her friends and peers but herself. So far it was working, despite the oddly hostile gaze she was getting from Boscha everythig was going well enough, her History class with Gus was exactly what she needed after her struggle in first period. The teacher, Mr. Sprattle was nice enough but didn't seem very interested in the topics in the lesson plan he provided at the beginning of class. He was a middle-aged gentleman with white cropped hair that was shaved on the sides and parted in the middle with a white thick mustache to match. His skin was a light bluish gray colour, but that wasn't the most shocking feature, he also had 6 eyes all stacked ontop of one another going up his very elongated head. He seemed to have an aversion to bright lights as he immediately dimmed the classroom lights and sported 6 pairs of red tinted glasses. His classroom was much more bare bones than Luz's first class, there were no inspirational posters, club flyers, it was bare, just flat white walls with a chalkboard at the front and back. The desks were all the same, small individual desks that were just large enough for a book and notebook to sit comfortably. Much smaller than the potions class desks that seated two and needed enough space for notes, books, cauldrons and beakers. Anytime Luz seemed lost on what they were talking about or how it related to History, Gus slipped her a note giving her a hint of the correlation or directed her to another page in their text she could reference. It was a welcomed intervention; however, it was quickly stopped when Boscha caught wind of it and brought it to the teacher's attention. The once bored and seemingly nice teacher turned annoyed, causing all his eyes to narrow and knot. "This will be your one and only warning Miss Noceda before I send you to detention." There were a few snickers and murmurs behind her that caused her cheeks to redden. Despite this, the class was informative, and Gus was able to provide her notes still with some illusion magic.
As the bell rang – screamed – Gus was the first up and was giving Luz an expectant look that caused her to scramble to get her things together. She muttered a small sorry and awkwardly laughed as she followed him out, using her infinite bag to stuff her things into. "No problem!" Gus said in a cheery voice, unbothered by anything that happened in class. "I think with some studying you will be in a great place soon enough, take notes from me, Agustus Porter, professional studier" As they walked to the point where they would part, Gus summoned an illusion of a large trophy that read 'Agustus Porter. Champion of the study body. Professional Studier.'. His humor was always welcomed and always hit Luz's funny bone.
Luz let out a barking laugh as she slapped the illusion out of existence and patted her friends shoulder, "Oh great and wise study master-" "Champion" Gus quickly corrected, briefly interjecting before motioning for her to continue with a wave of his hand. Rolling her eyes, Luz continued, "Fine, Champion. Teach me your ways." She clapped her hands together in a begging motion, when Gus seemed to hum and haw about it, she started to lay it on thick, unlocking her puppy dog eyes. Once the Illusionist witch glanced over he was ensnared in her trap, his eyes glossed over and he let out a small 'Awww' before quickly agreeing to help. As soon as she got his commitment to help her she dropped the look and laughed triumphantly. Before either could say anything else, they reached where they needed to part, Gus would need to head over to the Illusion wing while Luz needed to find the Abominations classroom labelled A1408, Surely there isn't actually that many doors... "I'll see you and Willow at lunch." They parted ways, fist bumping enthusiastically, Gus never ceased to enjoy the 'odd' customs of the human realm.
Amity ****
Amity's first two classes had thankfully gone by with very little interaction and allowed her some time to further study things she felt she actually needed to work on. Despite how appealing looking into different tracks was for others when the option became available, she had only selected a single deviation from a full Abominations schedule. Of course, it meant she had Professor Hermonculus for nearly every one of her classes, and despite being in his good books, she wasn't a fan of the little man. He was very arrogant, all knowing and often refused to answer good questions, usually stating for the student to find the answer themselves. Perhaps his attitude and superiority were due to his small stature, He used his abominations to carry him everywhere due to his small stubby legs and years of lethargy, or so people speculated. He was a very pale man with a larger than average head – especially for the size of his body – and he had dark green hair that was thinning on top. He was always well dressed, typically in black school robes with white or gray bowties and a purple overcoat. At the end of her second period, Amity decided to take the long way around to her next class, A1408.
The hallways were bustling with students of all ages, shapes and sizes, despite this anyone who saw her tended to give her a wide berth. Amity hadn't used her status as a Blight or been a 'mean girl' for some time and yet there was still an unspoken rule that gave her this weird bubble at school or social events. It didn't bother her; in fact, it gave her much of the space she desired and those who penetrated her bubble were typically those who she would allow close to her anyways. As she rounded the corner that cross sectioned with Potions and Construction she paused, at first she nearly missed the sight, but it was so odd to see she couldn't help but notice. On the opposing corner, was Boscha, Skara, Amelia and a student she didn't recognize, but she saw the potions and construction colours striping a small ascot the student wore. Not wanting to jump to conclusions, she let the scene unfold, she was also stuck with a whole student body moving between them. It looked like the group was exchanging words, at first it seemed pleasant, the unnamed student was awkwardly laughing and looking at the ground. Just as Amity thought she could walk away, she saw Amelia hesitantly cast a small green spell circle, In an instant the student was dangling upside down calling to be put down. Numerous students saw what happened and all of them, tucked their heads down to their chest and walked faster ignoring the situation. There was a lot about this that burned the wild-haired witch to her core, Whats going on? I haven't seen any of them act like this … In, in years. The shock of the situation quickly wore off and Amity pushed her way through the crowd, well, most of it parted for her but she still bumped into a few hurrying students.
Seeing Amity's approach, a cord seemed to be struck in Boscha's mind and she was again in full control of her body. It had felt like a small haze was in her mind, thoughts blinking in and out of existence, but they quickly escaped before she could think on it or even remember it was there. Just the feelings remained, and they were of rage, loathing, jealousy. Taking the situation in, she nudged Amelia to end her spell and retract the plant vine that was holding the student. There was a mix of relief and surprise on the slim girls face as she did what she was asked. Stupid brats think they can come into potions and be so good, they belong in construction, a single track... The thoughts that were fluttering in and out of the pink-haired witches mind were dark, single minded and not how she had felt, and yet, she was thinking it, actioning it.
The student let out a yelp as the plant spell ended and they plummeted towards the floor from head height, they closed their eyes tight waiting for the impact, but it never came. Instead, they found they were cradled in an oddly smooth abomination goo. Not wanting to question what was happening, the student gathered their fallen supplies and bolted, not even looking at Amity who had barely cast her spell in time. This was your past? Why oppose it so? A burning thought scratched through her mind as she cut her spell off and let the goo slide back into the container on her hip. You would oppose your friends? Your ONLY friends? Knives were stabbing into her mind, causing her to flinch and mentally cry out at the sudden pain, pain from the words, pain from the intrusion and pain from the contact. Rallying herself, she split her attention and looked the trio standing on the corner, the hallways starting to empty as class got closer to starting. "What was that?" She asked, her teeth mashed together to mask her pain. Both Amelia and Skara looked at one another and then Boscha, followers, they had always been followers.
Boscha's attitude didn't quite diminish despite the haze disappearing, she shrugged her shoulders and patted Amelia on the back. "We were just having a little bit of fun. Right Amelia?" The question was forceful, full of venom, there was only one right answer. Thankfully unaware of the threat that loomed beside her, Amelia nodded her head in agreement, although she didn't have the same arrogant attitude as Boscha. "See! Ams, no need to get yourself all worked up." The sentence was a mix of casual reassurance and dismissiveness. "Now let's not be late on our first day, hm?"
The voice coming from Boscha's mouth was certainly hers, but it held a tone, an inflection that it hadn't for what seemed like years. Amity picked up on it as soon as the words dropped from her best friend's lips, had she had any more time or the willpower she would have challenged her friend. But between being late and the mental hell she needed to let it go, perhaps it was for the best anyways, maybe it was the first day jitters. Letting out a sigh, Amity agreed. "Right, I'll see you all at lunch..." She eyed Skara and Amelia who were now parting ways to their classes, they seemed blissfully ignorant to the situation but then again, she wasn't in their heads. Summoning her scroll she cursed under her breath at the time, she had two minutes to get to her class. The mental abuse seemed to vanish when she started to make her way to class, the suddenness of it gave her a slight pause but she would never complain about being able to grasp her own thoughts. Shit that's Professor Hermonculus's abomination closing the door! using her own abomination she stalled the door from closing, leaving a gap just large enough for her to squeeze through. As she regained her composure inside the classroom she could feel it, everyone's eyes were on her. "Apologies Professor." The apology was short, and she provided no excuse, he never cared for them anyways, besides she wasn't technically late. As she turned to find her seat, she scanned the open chairs and stiffened when the only open seat left was in the middle row, by the window, next to The human.
The gripping tension in Amity's body was immediate, she felt constrained, it was hard to breath and her limbs felt stiff and heavy. If not for the intrusive thoughts and the eyes staring at her, she was sure she would have bolted to escape the hold her amulet had on her. You are a BLIGHT; you only associate with the BEST WITCHES. You are studious and trouble free, you will take over Blight Industries once you've accomplished your families' goals. Although the voice in her head sounded like hers, it wasn't, it was echoing, painfully loud and all consuming. As if on autopilot she nodded to her professor and found her seat, pulling the heavy wooden chair from the shared desk, she pulled it as far away from her neighbour as possible. Her hands were numb, moving on their own as she sat in constricted and pained silence, watching her life unfold in first person. Far in the depths of her mind she could hear murmuring, whispers, so faint and yet something in her body felt like it responded to these wordless sounds. It wasn't until she had her book out and the professor was in full swing of his lesson that Amity got feeling back in her hands, and her posture was able to slightly sag. The pain was still present, but more manageable, more of a sharp aching in her chest and ribs, worse than most injuries she's ever had, even on the field. Leaning her weight on her elbow, she blocked her view of Lu-The human with a veil of wild green hair. Retreating into her mind, ignoring the lesson – she knew it all anyways – Amity found herself on the brink of breaking down, the pain, the thoughts, the indistinct whispering in her own mind, the odd hate she felt for the girl next to her, not being in full control of her own body. It was wearing on her, she could feel it, like she was a stone being smoothed out by the crashing waves of the vast boiling sea. How much more could she take- You could let go. A ghostly rasping voice suddenly dug into her mind, causing her to jump in her chair and feel suddenly thankful they were doing Independant work. No one should have noticed. She recognized the voice, and yet, couldn't place it, I won't. Answering with such finality clearly amused the intrusive, ghostly voice, as it faded away with no reply just an eerie laugh. Whatever that was... Whatever just happened, that wasn't possible. I'm going crazy... Talking to myself... Time had passed much faster than the green-haired witch had expected, as soon as the bell rang – screamed – she bolted from her seat, simply throwing things from the table into her bag and jetting out the door ready for the stabbing in her chest to subside. Once she was a few halls away the pain seemed to let her go, she was flooded with gratifying relief, breathing never felt so good. But how am I going to do that... Every... Day. The faculty wasn't in the habit of allowing class changes, she would just need to do her best to find a separate seat each time and avoid all contact, easy. Easy...
*** Luz
Willow and Gus found Luz sitting at an empty table inside the large cafeteria, her head down on the table and her arms at her side, her body slightly hunched over. Before approaching the table they shared a look of concern, and proceeded to sit on either side of her, giving her a light nudge on either side. When they didn't get a reaction, Willow cleared her throat "So good first day then?" The question was all It took for Luz's head to snap up from the table, the look on the humans face was that of defeat and sadness. "Oh Luz... What happened?" At first she thought maybe her first was being dramatic but after seeing her expression, she realized, it was more serious than that.
With an ugly snorting, sniffling sound, Luz rubbed her face and blew her nose with a napkin from her bag. She brought them in case she got emotional, she was just thinking that perhaps it would be a good emotion, and not whatever this is. "First day is fine..." The words were dragged out and her sad voice made it hard to believe. "Not the best first period but whatever, second period was good, Gus, you saved it." She gave him a small nudge and smile, to which he returned and slyly slipped to the otherside of the table to better see his friends. "And then... Ugh third period." Putting her hand over her face again she took in a deep breath, it hadn't even been a big deal, and yet it hurt her feelings enough to push her over the threshold between having a good day and a bad day. Both witches were patient as Luz took a moment to compose herself again before she continued, Gus however, despite his patience did start to very slowly and quietly pull out his lunch. "Third period, Abominations. No one sat with me, it was fine, you know, I'm new and not … Uh, a witch in the same sense" She pointed her fingers to her ears to make her point. "A minute before the bell rung Amity came in and sat beside me"
Willow jumped in, ferocious and protective, "Did she say something?" she growled, balling her fist up on the table. She knew that Amity had changed in recent years, but something was going on with her and now it felt like anything was possible.
Shaking her head Luz continued, "She just sat there. Didn't acknowledge me, moved her seat as far away as she could." She sighed, pulling her beanie off to smooth out her hair. "Even when the teacher made us lab partners for the semester, she didn't say anything... When I tried to talk to her, she just acted like I didn't exist. I didn't know that could hurt this much." She let out a small laugh, the sound was short and full of self-pity. I know I should just leave her alone... But, shes going through SOMETHING... At the Knee she wanted to say... I know she did! With a large sigh she stuffed her beanie in her pocket and put her head down on the table again, this time with a slight thud, causing both Willow and Gus to wince in sympathy.
Gus was the first one to speak up, surprising both Willow and Luz, "You don't have anything to prove to her Luz, you are here, you got in on your own merit! Titan, you found a new way to do magic! If she doesn't want to be your friend its her loss." His calm conviction put a small smile on the human witches' lips, he was right, she had a lot to be proud of and yet, most of the time she felt empty.
"He's right Luz, don't let this get to you. It's still your first day and you worked hard to be here!" With some minor force Willow lifted Luz's upper half off the table and gave her a small pat as Luz straightened up, figuring her friend wouldn't let her face plant again. "Now, put this back on, eat something and let's have a better afternoon." Willow pulled Luz's beanie from her pocket and handed it over, insisting she put it on, knowing it was a type of comfort object for her. Titan... This reminds me of my first day in high school... She'll get there. Turning her attention to her own bag, she pulled out her lunch, mostly odd coloured vegetables, with bits of spider, scorpion and fairy wings throughout the odd salad-looking food.
I don't know what I did to deserve them... Luz did what she was told and put her beanie back on, feeling oddly calm after the small pep talk. She knew she had blown it out of proportion to some degree but she was having a hard time understanding how she could get the cold shoulder to that extent. All she could do was try again the next time, and keep at it, at some point they would need to interact, after all they were partners and abominations was one of the things she couldn't figure out with her glyphs. "Thanks, you guys... I'll do my best." Pulling out her own small lunch, which mostly consisted of 'bug snax', 'fire bee honey sandwich', the sandwich was no longer on fire of course but the honey had certainly caused the 'bread' to toast to a golden crunch. I can do this... In a flash, the lunch hour was over, Gus had only been able to share a portion of his morning, he had gone slightly overboard in details but neither Willow or Luz would say anything, plus they enjoyed the scenes he played out with his illusions.
The rest of the day went on much like the morning, introducing herself to her classmates, and sitting alone when she wasn't in a class with Willow or Gus. She wished that she had a better day, the afternoon felt like it went by far too fast and left her unable to fully grasp what was expected of her. Willow promised to help where she could, but the human student knew she couldn't rely on her friends for everything. Tomorrow she would pay closer attention, tomorrow she would get Amity to answer her, it would be a good day. Hopefully...