Sense and Insensitivity
King was attempting to promote snacks, despite the fact that they were an 8 ball, a Santa Pez, and a disgusting hot dog.
"Partake of my free snack samples! Take them. I demand it as your ruler, the King of Demons."
However, no one was paying attention. Eda was wearing sunglasses and had her hands behind her back. In frustration, he threw down the snacks.
"Why isn't anyone paying attention to me? I'm their rightful overlord. Intellectually and such," he grumbled as he sat down.
Bijou was sleeping on a nearby chair after not getting enough sleep the night before. Hazel is munching on a carrot.
"Yeah..." Eda sat up as she noticed a Hexside student walking by. "Hey!"
She took his cowl and lifted him up, sniffing his clothes. "It reeks more of nerd than money today."
"Guys!" exclaimed an excited Luz, waking Bijou up. "You will not believe what's going on!"
She led them to a room with tables and shelves full of books. "It's a book fair! Where books come to life."
One of them landed on the floor. "Hello."
She screamed and kicked it away.
"Well, you are right at the 'books coming to life'," Hazel said, finishing his carrot.
"A fair without rides?" King questioned.
A young man with backpacks approached him.
"Who needs rides when this can take you anywhere?" He pushed the book against King's cheek. He then threw bacon at the boy, who was whisked away by a large flying creature. Eda took a book.
"A, ew," she said as she tossed it to the ground. "B, I'm bored. C, I feel like pickpocketing some dork while they browse."
She then walked away, and Bijou rolled her eyes at her.
"No, wait," Luz pleaded, but Eda ignored her.
"Let her go, Luz," Hazel told her. "If Eda says she's not interested, she means it."
"Will you give it a chance?" she inquired of King. "I'll let you ride in my hoodie."
"Ooh!" King exclaimed eagerly, and Bijou rubbed her chin. She might as well find a book about wild magic that the Golden Guard would enjoy while she was here. Being associated with the Emperor most likely did not provide him with many books on wild magic and magical items of unknown origin. So she wanted to get him a book about wild magic as a thank you.
Luz inquired of Bijou and Hazel, "Are you two coming?"
"Sure." "Why not?" nodded Bijou and Hazel.
"This book fair's got everything," Luz said as they walked around, passing a reviewnicorn, a ghost writer, and comics that would literally attack people. "A zine-making workshop. Meet and greets. And...what's that?"
They noticed a banner advertising a writing competition. "A writing competition?"
A three-eyed lizard and a witch author were the two people at the stand.
"Oh yeah, didn't you tell me about this before, Bijou?" Hazel turned to her and asked.
"I did. It's a contest in which participants get to write their own pieces of literature and the person with most creative literary piece wins," Bijou replied.
"I've always wanted to be a writer," Luz exclaimed.
"Writer? What? I thought you wanted to be a witch," King asked, perplexed.
"Of course I wanna be a witch. But where I'm from, that's kinda... impossible."
"More like unrealistic to others than impossible," Bijou chimed in while rubbing her eyes.
"So my runner-up dream was to be a writer. I've had this 'about the author' picture since I was seven years old," Luz said, holding up a picture of herself at the age of seven. "I know my good angle. I'm gonna enter that competition!"
Before any of them could take a step forward, she was bumped into by a Hexside HAS member.
"Ugh! What are these basement-dwellers doing out in natural sunlight?" King exclaimed, slightly disgusted.
Tinella Nosa approached them.
"Um, we're in line for John de Plume, most famous writer on the Boiling Isles, famed author of the Realm Warrior series," she grumbled, likely due to his dismissal. They stood there watching the author sign the girl's book. "I'm gonna have him read my story. And marry me."
"Um, good luck with that, I guess?" Hazel murmured, not knowing what to make of it.
A demon supported his pig child. "John, will you sign my child?"
"I'll sign anything," he said, laughing.
"Such power," King exclaimed, impressed. "Such command he holds over his minions. I must have the same. Luz the human, I, too, shall enter the competition!"
"So are we," Bijou and Hazel chimed in.
"Really?" she asked, surprised, and then exclaimed. "We could work together! It'll be perfect. We're best friends, so we'll make the best team."
"Team! Yes!" he exclaimed. "My name goes first on the cover."
Meanwhile, Eda was looking around and throwing books away.
"Boring. Boring."
One of them smacked a child on the head. She chose a pink one that had a mirror.
"Boring," she said, but then she noticed something and gasped in the mirror. "Another wrinkle. The curse is quickening."
"You. Blacky."
She flinched as she heard a familiar voice and dropped the book. She crept beneath a 'read or...die' banner and hid behind it. She looked up to see her sister standing alongside a Coven Scout.
"Lilith," Eda growled.
Lilith asked a cat demon, "Do you have the item we discussed?"
"Oh, yes! Right here," he said, pulling a map from a drawer, and she smiled as she opened it. It glowed the moment she looked at it.
"This is excellent! A map to the Bloom of Eternal Youth. I think the Emperor will be very pleased."
"Ma'am, shouldn't we be searching for the Owl Lady to join the coven?" the Coven Scout inquired. "Remember that whole plan? And that human girl and the almiraj that escaped our clutches?"
She just laughed at the question. "My sister's curse has left her frail, but she'll still be here when we get back. And I wouldn't worry about the human girl and her almiraj companion too soon, as well. They're nothing but weaklings themselves."
Eda growled. She, Bijou, and Hazel were far from weak; she remained the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles and the Bijou and Hazel were still capable of fighting their own battles.
"This comes first. It's for the Emperor, after all."
"Yeah!" exclaimed the Scout, knocking all the books off the table. "All hail the Emperor!"
"Very good, Steve," Lilith said as she patted him on the back.
"Shoulder pats for Steve," he exclaimed as they walked away. Eda then emerged from behind a table, where she had been hiding.
"Hey bub, what'd you sell my prissy sister?" she inquired, leaning against the table.
"Oh, it's a map to the Bloom of Eternal Youth, a rare flower that only grows once a millennia. Like the name says, it gives eternal youth to whomever holds it," he said.
"Interesting," Eda said as she rubbed her chin. "So Lilith wants to nab this power for the Emperor, huh? Well, won't she be surprised when I get there first and get it for myself?"
She then let out a giggle. "That'll show her who's frail."
The cat demon scratched his cheek as he smirked.
"Yes. Well, uh, we'll see, won't we?" He opened a drawer, which contained dozens of scrolls. "Can't go without a map, of course."
He pulled out a scroll and handed it to her. She took it and opened it, smirking as she looked behind her.
As they were in Luz's room at the Owl House, she put up a cork board. Bijou and Hazel even had snacks and drinks on hand in case they became hungry or thirsty. "Now, let's write down some ideas that we wanna see in the story."
"I can write anything?" King marveled.
"That's why it's called brainstorming, King," Hazel explained as Bijou handed him some flashcards and a pen. "Any idea that pops into our heads can be a good idea."
King was humming as they discussed ideas.
"Uh-huh, uh-huh. Done." He pinned the word 'violence' to the board.
"Aw, is that all you want to see?" Luz thought, smiling slightly. He took another card and wrote the word 'blood' on it.
"Okay, don't want our work to go into controversial territory," Bijou said awkwardly, Luz humming in thought.
She jotted down some of her own ideas. "Romance. Magic. Heartbreak with shimmer tears, and the main character is, of course..." She sang in a choir-like tone. "Luzura! I know, it's kinda cliché, but what's wrong with cliché?"
"Well, nothing, but you gotta add in something a little more to break away from the cliché, you know?" Bijou asked her if she would add anything.
The foundation for King's contribution was added.
"And my main character is the King, er, the Ruler of Demons, while Bijou's character is the Fire Knight Bijana and Hazel's character will be Bijana's trusty animal companion! With this totally original, all-star cast, victory will be ours!"
Luz tossed a crocodile-shaped typewriter onto a table. She smiled as she looked over her shoulder at her sister and King. "Now for the easy part."
Luz put up a drawing and high-fived the king while they were writing with an outline of a three-act structure. She jotted down a four-step plan, and King nodded in agreement. Bijou then drew lips and eyelashes in a circle, and the four of them smiled at each other. They chose the title Luzura's Awakening for the book. While King read a page and Hazel and Bijou were drawing the book cover, papers were strewn everywhere.
"Luzura's tears fell on the frozen prince, bringing him back to life. Eh, it just feels a little unrealistic."
"I can't tell if that is like a princess' healing tear fell on the thief who was dying," Hazel said with a sigh. He didn't dislike it, but he thought it was a little overdone.
"I see what you're saying, but in King's version, Ruler just destroys everything," Luz said, concerned. "And that Bijana just stabs her enemy/lover, Ruler's right-hand man Sebek."
"What's up with my character having a love interest?" Bijou asked.
"Everyone loves an enemies to lovers trope," Luz said, smiling slightly. "So I thought some romantic tension could help the scene, but with Bijana revealing that she loved Sebek all along instead."
"Hmm... I see where you're going there," Bijou mused with thought.
"Hey, there's more to life than shipping," King countered.
"Don't you dare insult shipping in my presence!" Luz snarled.
"Apprentices, Fluffykins, living room!" Eda yelled from outside the room.
"We'll be back. We'll figure this out. Okay, writing buddy?" Luz stood up and exited, followed by Bijou and Hazel.
King raised his eyes to the typewriter and the cover sketches. He felt like some of his ideas weren't being considered, and he was determined to change some things.
"My turn to write!"
Eda lowered her gaze to the map.
"Hey," Luz said as she closed the door. "What's up, boss lady?"
"I'm popping out for a few days to an undisclosed place to do undisclosed things. Bijou is in charge."
"Great," Bijou agreed right away.
"No questions!" Eda pointed at them.
"Okay."
"I said no questions!" Eda said, pulling up her cowl and closing the door behind her.
Luz hummed as they walked back to her room.
"Well, King, it's just us and you for a while," she exclaimed, and Bijou and Hazel blinked in surprise.
This is because Luzura's Awakening had been replaced by Ruler's Reach, which King was still typing away at.
"Hey, guys. Great news," he said.
"King, tell me you didn't..." Hazel sighed and shook his head.
"What have you done?!" Luz exclaimed in disbelief as they looked around.
"I just made a few tiny edits, and this baby is humming!"
Bijou looked over her shoulder as the younger girl took a page. "Luzura dies?! And Bijana finds another wizard, dumping Sebek?!"
"King, this is not what we are going for," Bijou objected.
"I know, right? What twists!"
Luz pinched her forehead. "I know you're trying to help, but I think you're crossing a line."
"Yeah, into greatness! Don't you want us to win?"
"If this is how you want to win, maybe you should submit the story on your own. We don't any part of your revision," Hazel said, as he and Luz exited the room.
"What?" he asked, perplexed, and Bijou sighed at him.
"This meant a lot to Luz, King, and you just ruined the story. I hope you're happy," she said as she walked out the door, closing it behind her.
"Bah! What do they know?" King exclaimed, staring out the window.
"What the heck, man?" even the typewriter agreed with the girls. "Learn to collaborate."
"Hush, you! I'll prove to all four of you that my story is superior," the little demon shook his fist.
He went to Grimgrub's Pub after finishing, slamming the door open.
"Hey, you scum!" he exclaimed to the entire crowd. "Which one of you wants to read my literary masterpiece?"
He was holding up the final draft of the book.
"Anyone brave enough?"
They all groaned and threw him out. He landed in a mud puddle, his book thrown at his head. He groaned and sat up slowly. Someone in front of him took a step.
"I'll read your story." His draft was taken as he looked up and saw the same lizard from the book fair that was next to John de Plume. He sped-read the story with one of his eyes open, his eyes glowing. When he was finished, he smiled and closed the book.
"You wrote this?"
"Yep, that's me!" King exclaimed, jerking a thumb to himself. "Only me," he said as he wiped the mud from his face.
"Let me get you some fruit punch," the lizard suggested.
"Ooh, I love punching!" exclaimed the pair as they entered the pub. The lizard snapped his fingers, causing a fruit punch to appear in front of King, complete with an umbrella and a bendy straw.
"I'm Piniet of Piniet Publishing House," he said. "And your name is...King?"
"It's more of a rank than a name," King clarified.
"I loved your story. It was so much better than the submissions we got for the competition. I want to buy it and publish it for everyone to read. I'll make you as famous as... John de Plume," He said, motioning to the witch, who was enjoying the attention from his fans—even from an abomination! Two girls squealed as he backed up and sat on them like a chair.
"I've always wanted a people chair. I'm in," King enthusiastically agreed. "This'll be the first step in my reclamation of power!"
Piniet raised a scroll.
"Then all you have to do is sign here," he explained, laying down a contract. King signed by dipping his paw into his fruit punch. After he did this, the paper began to glow.
"You're ominous, and I like it," King remarked to Piniet.
"Get ready to be famous, Mr. King." He extended his hand, and they shook to seal the deal.
As a blacksmith wielded Ruler's Reach, little goblins got to work maintaining a furnace: Enter the Bad Boy. Copies were distributed to the Book Nook, where Mattholomule threw one onto a living carpet.
"Ow! Geez..." he exclaimed as he entered the store to deliver the books.
"It's the perfect blend of heart and heartlessness," the reviewnicorn explained to those gathered at his stand. "Like two authors mashed into one."
Soon, King had become the most popular author in the Boiling Isles, with people grabbing copies at such a breakneck pace that it felt like whiplash. One person even took King's cardboard cutout home with them...
King was wearing a jacket, red sunglasses, and a scarf as he walked down the street. He looked for bookstores that sold his book. A sign said, "Spend money on something I wrote!"
"Spend money on my thing I wrote," he said, looking around at the stunned onlookers. They dashed over, throwing him into the air.
"Whoo-hoo!" "Yeah!"
"Mr. King!" Tinella Nosa called out to him.
"Mr. King, I love your writing. Pwease wead my stowy," she offered him, and he laughed.
"Oh, my," he exclaimed as he took a pen from someone. "It's always nice to meet minions, er, fans."
He signed it and tossed it in her face.
"You're my inspiration..."
Eda followed the map she was given, and when she looked up, she saw a statue covered in vines. She walked up and removed them, revealing a minotaur statue...which she thought was a little tacky in retrospect.
"Okay, from the Minitaur, I head due north," she murmured to herself. "And with luck, I'll get to the Bloom of Eternal Youth before Lilith," she snorted. "Ah, who's frail now, emperor dorks?" She hid the map in her hair before hearing a branch snap. She exclaimed in surprise.
"Someone's following me," she said as she drew a magical sword and looked around. She hid behind a tree, watching the person approach. She launched a fireball at him.
"Spicy toss!"
The person was revealed to be Lilith, who was dressed in a cloak with her hair in a tangle. She screamed in terror as Eda came to a halt.
"Lily?"
"Edalyn?"
Lilith crossed her arms in mockery as Eda dropped her weapons. "And of course you would be here just to be a nuisance. Why don't you go home and rest? Wouldn't want you breaking a hip."
"Sorry, sister," Eda said, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm stronger than you think, and I'm here to save the Bloom of Eternal Youth from the likes of you," she said, pausing briefly before running right past Lilith. "And I'm gonna get there before you~!"
Lilith gasped and ran after her. "No you won't!"
Luz was in the middle of writing about Bijana and Sebek's relationship when she came to a halt on the word 'suddenly.' Hazel and Bijou were working on the book cover.
"Hey, Luz. Hazel. Bijou!" King exclaimed. They scowled at the open door to Luz's room.
"Guess who won the writing competition and became a blockbuster writer superstar?" Bijou gave a deadpan expression while pulling out a scroll. She opened it and displayed a photograph of him being worshiped. Of course, they were aware of his success; his books and name were ubiquitous in town.
"You're right. It's me. Me!" He came to a halt next to the three, who ignored him.
"Do you want to touch my scarf?" he asked, holding it out to them. "A fan crocheted it out of their own hair. It smells so bad!"
Bijou put away her scroll as the two continued to ignore him. She then took a seat nearby and returned to drawing the cover.
"My publisher is throwing a huge party for my book, Ruler's Reach," he explained, holding out two red envelopes and placing them on the table. "And, I, uh...I'd like for you guys to be there."
The three continued to refuse to speak to him and declined his invitation. It'd just make them uncomfortable because King basically stole their ideas and used them in the book.
"All right, fine," he said as he replaced his glasses. "Be that way, I guess," he said as he walked away, the three staring after him.
"Guys, you don't need him," said the typewriter.
"But I don't wanna be mad at him," Luz admitted to them.
"Are you sure, Luz? Because he did become famous, while tampering with our story and taking all the credit for himself," Hazel pointed out to her.
"Yeah..." She picked up the invitations after looking down at them. "But he's still our friend, you know? And we gotta at least show some support."
The older girl smiled, pleased with her friend's decision. "We'll go with you."
Luz returned her smile.
A long line formed outside the library just to meet King. He was signing books at the counter next to Piniet.
"Your fans are dying to know when Ruler's Reach 2 comes out!" a fan from the phone line exclaimed.
"That's between me and my publisher, right, Piniet?" King asked, nudging Piniet slightly.
"Yes. Oh, pardon me. I need a few moments of King's time," he said as he walked away, King returning his gaze to the line. He waved at them, and they squealed back.
"Where's John de Plume?" King inquired as they entered the hall. "I wanted to compare sunglasses!"
"Oh, he's taking a break to finish his latest masterpiece," Piniet said dismissively. "Fame can really box you in, you know? Speaking of, how's your second book coming along?"
"Coming along...or finished?!" King exclaimed, holding out the draft for the sequel. "Bam! Ha ha! Ruler's Reach 2. Now with more swears!"
"Ah, splendid," Piniet said, taking it and sped-reading through it. "Oh, you cad," he said as he smiled down at King. "Not only are you a great writer but a practical joker as well."
"That's true. Wait, what?" King looked up, perplexed.
"This is truly awful. Looking forward to the real draft," he said as he handed it back and smiled as he walked away.
"Truly awful?" King began to panic. "But I'm a best-selling author, how?" He looked up to see the two girls and the almiraj walk in, both of them feeling a little uneasy. "Luz, Bijou, and Hazel! I can't write or have any structure without them."
He approached the pair. "Guys, I'm so glad you could make it."
"Hey, King," Luz was the first to greet him. "I didn't want to be angry at your success. You're our friend. So, congratulations."
"I still don't like how you handled it, but that doesn't mean I won't be supportive," Bijou said as she crossed her arms.
"This is the very least we could do," Hazel added.
"Great to hear. Cause I really need your help with my next book."
The three of them exchanged puzzled looks. "Huh?"
"Apparently, I can't write my daring works of genius without rebelling against your gushy fantasy slop or Bijou's top-notch format."
"Excuse me?" Luz's cheeks flushed.
"What are you even saying?" Bijou screamed, her fists clenched.
"We make a great team. So, here's a pen. Writey, writey. Clock's a-ticking," he said, holding out some pens and waving the draft to them.
Luz took it and tossed it to the ground. Everyone else gasped for some reason as a result of this.
"I'm not writing for you after you made fun of all my ideas."
"Quel est votre problème?! You're so wrapped up in fame that you're no longer the King we know," Bijou said angrily.
"Hey! What the heck?" he exclaimed to them.
"Congratulations on all your hard-earned success," Luz said as she walked away.
"Yeah. You really earned it...or did you?" Hazel asked as he hopped on Bijou's shoulder and they walked away.
"What am I going to do? I can't write without them," he said, unaware that Piniet had overheard the entire conversation...
Eda was in the lead, followed by Lilith, and they didn't notice anyone following them.
"Ha! Doesn't this remind you of how we used to race to the kitchen, Lily?" Eda looked over her shoulder and noticed that her older sister was no longer following her.
"Lily?" she asked, looking up from her muffling. She gasped upon seeing Lilith ensnared in webs and held by a crab-spider.
"Lily!" Eda spun a circle, casting a fire spell that blew it away.
Lilith landed safely in a bush while the crab-spider flew away screaming. Eda approached her and picked her up.
"Alley-oop!"
She sighed in relief as the webs slid off her.
"Thank you, Edalyn. I wasn't certain that you'd save me."
"Stow it!" Eda retorted. "Oh, we may fight, but you're still my sister," Lilith said with a smile. "Besides, if anyone is going to put you down, it's going to be me."
She nudged her before slapping her hard on the back. Lilith simply chuckled and then gasped when she noticed something.
"Is that-"
Eda pushed past her as she noticed a pink glowing flower ahead.
"The Bloom of Eternal Youth!...Alright, back off," Eda said as she pushed her sister to the ground. "That baby's mine!"
Lilith gave her a grunt. "Why are you always like this?"
"Because, Lilith, you think I'm just some tired, old biddy," Eda explained. "Ah, but I'm more than that."
She cut the flower and held it in her hand. "And with the Bloom of Eternal Youth's power, I'll show you!"
The flower vanished from her grasp, and she returned her gaze to the stem, alarmed.
"What the..."
A shadow fell over her, and then she heard laughter. When she looked up, she saw the same cat demon who had given them the maps. Lilith joined her side, her gaze fixed on him.
Bijou, Hazel, and Luz walked around the library, their gazes drawn to a banner depicting him.
Luz sighed in response. "They got his good angle."
"Still..." Even Hazel couldn't be upset with that image. "The nerve of him."
Footsteps were heard, and two large lizard men appeared in front of them. "Uh, can we help you?"
"Hey, whatever this is, we don't know you, and Eda's not here," Bijou stood protectively in front of Luz and Hazel.
They simply stepped away, revealing Piniet.
"Perhaps you can help. I hear you're an aspiring writer, and that your sister there knows about a good foundation."
Luz laughed nervously. Bijou and Hazel exchanged puzzled looks.
Everyone had gathered at the convention center to await the announcement of the sequel.
"We love you, King."
"King! King! King!"
"I can't wait for the sequel," a young boy said, clutching his book. He approached one of Willow's classmates.
"If it disappoints me in any way, I will spend every day of my life trashing it!" she declared emphatically.
King panicked even more as he moved the curtain backstage
"Oh, boy. Oh, man. Aw, jeez," he paced anxiously around the room. "Hemming, hawing," he murmured to himself as he looked up at the lizard.
"Piniet, I gotta come clean. We can't announce book two. I can't write without...without..."
"With your writing partners?" Piniet finished, and he looked up, puzzled, wondering how he knew.
Piniet smirked at him and then opened the dressing room door. Because they were both trapped in a large purple cube, Bijou, Hazel, and Luz turned around to see them.
They exclaimed, "King!"
"Luz! Bijou! Hazel!" he exclaimed as he approached the two.
"He tricked us into going into this shrinking box," Bijou said angrily, pointing to the lizard. "Is he your publisher? He's a madman!"
When Piniet clenched his fist, the box shrank slightly, causing them to fall to the ground.
Luz sat up, her face pleading with King. "You gotta get us out!"
"What are you doing with them?!" King exclaimed to Piniet. "Let them go!"
"You wrote Ruler's Reach together," Piniet said, putting his hand on the box. "So, if you don't want them crushed, you'll write together again."
They just looked up at him.
"Oh, don't give me that look. Some of the best books were written in literal crunch time." He clenched his fist, and the box shrank again, the girls and almiraj screaming.
"This is not what the world of literature is supposed to be," Hazel objected.
"That's a toxic mentality that contributes to burnout and unrealistic expectations!" Luz began to argue with him.
"King, please do something," Bijou pleaded.
The treatment they were receiving enraged King. "Set them free now!"
"Not until I get my best-seller, and you'll recall you're under contract," he said, pulling out the fruit punch-colored paper King had signed.
"Aw no! Don't you know that you never sign contracts without reading the fine print?!" Bijou replied with a worried and angry voice.
The cube opened a hole, and King was thrown in. As he slid down the wall, they looked back in concern. Papers and a pen were also thrown into the cube.
"Make your deadline or you'll never be able to hold a pen again," threatened Piniet. "Just like..." He held up a cube...revealing John de Plume in cube form!
"Mr. de Plume!" Hazel gasped.
"Help me!" he yelled.
"No!" King screamed, his head bowed. Piniet opened a briefcase to reveal a dozen authors, all of whom were cube-shaped like de Plume. As they cried for help, Bijou gave a horrified expression.
"Help us!"
"Get us out of here!"
After that, the briefcase was shut.
"You're despicable!" Bijou yelled. "It's called rising to success! I'll leave you to it," Piniet said as he walked to the door, looking back at them.
"Looking forward to your next volume..."
He then walked away, and the box shrank again, leaving them all gasping.
"We're not getting out of here until we write a book," King declared as he held up the supplies. "And that'll take forever!" he exclaimed, starting to panic. "We're cube meat!"
"Well, I have my story," Luz offered, her draft in hand.
"But it's all hugging and crying, and I can't put my name on that," King said.
"King..." Luz rose to her feet as much as she could. "That is why we are in here! Because you can't compromise!"
She turned around, her back to him. He took the same position, with Bijou and Hazel squeezed in between them.
"All I wanted was to write a dumb story with my friends."
"...Luz, you're living your dream. You're becoming a witch. Bijou and Hazel get to do whatever they want. But this celebrity is as close as I'll ever get to my dream," he said. "It all went to my head, and I hurt you guys. I'm sorry."
The human girls and almiraj exchanged glances.
"Hey," Luz said, turning around and wrapping her arms around both of them. "Being with you is one of my favorite parts of this dream."
"Yeah. And, besides, all that matters is that we're having fun, right?" Bijou added with a small smile.
The moment was ruined when the box shrank and hit both girls on the head.
"No time for sentiments. It's time for us to get out of here," Hazel said.
"I have a plan, but we have to work together this time," Luz said to King as he looked over the draft.
"Just tell me what to do."
The two Clawthornes raised their eyes to the cat vendor from earlier.
"I know you must be confused," he said to them. "The Bloom of Eternal Youth, dead?" He loomed over the stone, opening his mouth and showing fangs. "What if I told you the Bloom never existed at all?"
The two exchanged irritated glances.
"And now that I have led you to my nest, I'll suck all the life out of you to satisfy my unending hunger!"
"He scammed us. Can you believe he scammed us?" Lilith asked Eda, appearing to dismiss the threat.
"I thought there was a 50/50 chance going in," she admitted to her sister.
"Hard not to admire the tenacity, though." He blinked, perplexed, at their conversation.
"Good entrance," Lilith said, a playful smile on her face. "But that outfit? Ha!"
"Oh, look at his little shoes," Eda mocked, and they burst out laughing as he hid behind the cape.
"Stop it," Lilith said jokingly.
"Well, maybe you've never been led into a lethal trap before, but the response should be 'Ah! No. Spare us,'" he argued, not amused at all.
The two exchanged smirks.
"Ah, sure. Spare us," Eda said as he approached with a slightly worried expression.
"Woe to us, whose fates are sealed," Lilith exclaimed as she summoned her staff.
"T-that's right! Witches, cower," he whimpered in terror as they approached. "Cower?"
He gulped, unaware that he was about to receive a brutal beating.
When the cube-shaped authors fell over, Piniet was playing with them. "Oh, dang."
"Hey, Piniet!" King exclaimed from the locker room. "We're done."
He opened the door and saw that the three had almost no space left in the box. "Faster than I expected."
"That's the miracle of teamwork!"
Piniet ripped a hole in the box, and Luz held up her draft. He stopped reading after about half of it, and the box shrank again.
"This is much more...gushy than your last book," he observed. "Sebek and Bijana themselves are just...dull."
"Well, we did our best on that one," Bijou grumbled, while Luz looked as if she wanted to punch him.
"Skip to the end because it's a big payoff," King advised, and he did so.
They waited in anticipation until he finally stopped as he reached the final page. He held it up so they could see the light spell he had drawn on it.
"What is this all about?" he enquired.
"Light spell!" Luz exclaimed as she tapped the symbol with her hand. A flash of light blinded him for a moment.
"Ah! I just realized I should've said enlightening," King scolded to himself. "Skip to the finale, you'll find it enlightening."
"King! Get the contract!" Hazel yelled, as they noticed the scroll hanging from Piniet's pocket.
"Pretentious scarf, go!" he yelled, grabbing Piniet and yanking him over to the box. Luz grabbed the contract and used her teeth to rip it apart. The box set them free because the contract was now null and void. Piniet gathered himself and looked at the trio.
"I made you a star!" he exclaimed, removing his scarf. "And this is how you repay me?"
"No. This is," King said, holding up the briefcase, freeing all of the other authors.
"How's this for edits?"
"I'm self-publishing."
They began attacking him, and the three fled. When they ran into the two enormous lizard men, Piniet threw off all the cube people. He fixed his gaze on them.
"You're making this harder than it needs to be!" he exclaimed as he walked over to them. "And believe me, I am being very patient."
Bijou stood guard in front of the three. "Trust me, buster, you don't wanna step any further than this."
Piniet stepped on one of the cube people. With her eyes narrowed, Bijou quietly activated her bangle as a light rune appeared.
"But let's..." He took out an ink pen, which transformed into a massive axe. "Cut to the finish."
The girl bit her lower lip nervously, but she stood firm in front of Luz, Hazel, and King. The giant lizard was knocked down when the door burst open.
"Huh?" they exclaimed as Tinella Nosa dashed in.
"King, I am your biggest fan!" she exclaimed as she ran over one of the guards who was standing in front of King. "And I fought my way back here for you...to read my story?"
She presented him with her draft.
"I'm sorry," he said, waving his hand. "My lawyer advised me not to look at unsolicited work."
"You have a lawyer?" Hazel inquired, surprised.
"But..." she said, disappointed. "But-"
"Ugh!" Piniet interrupted her story. "Will you leave if I read this, so I can annihilate them in peace?" he asked, pointing his axe at the quartet.
"Of course!"
He set the axe down, adjusted his glasses, and read it. They all waited, the three of them looking at each other. Luz then raised her gaze to one of the giant lizards, who simply shrugged. Piniet closed it, and when he did, he started crying. He let out a small sniffle.
"It's beautiful...You...you must let me publish this! I can make you a star!" he exclaimed to Tinella Nosa.
"Really?" she asked cheerfully.
"Wait a minute, what about King?" King asked, surprised. "Ugh!" Piniet yanked off his jacket.
"You're old news, but she's the future."
He put the jacket and sunglasses on her while the cube people fled.
"Whoo-hoo!"
"Freedom!"
"Hey!" King reacted angrily to Piniet's decision.
"King," Luz restrained him. "We're good, then?"
"Yes. Quite," Piniet said as Luz picked up King and left. Bijou stopped them when she squeezed between the two lizards.
"Wait right here. I'm not letting him off that easy after all he did." She took a step forward, and punching noises were heard. The two lizards winced, and Luz cringed, covering King's and Hazel's eyes. Bijou walked past the guards, who scrambled away in fear after a few seconds.
"All right, now we can go," she said sweetly to the three as they continued on their way home. Piniet was now bound up, slightly singed, and covered in bruises.
After they finished beating him up, the cat salesman landed in front of the Clawthornes.
"Well, we wrecked this chump," Eda smirked down at him, her arms crossed. "But I guess the Bloom of Eternal Youth isn't real."
She sighed, a little disappointed, but it didn't seem to bother her.
"Well, if it makes any difference, I don't consider you to be a tired, old biddy," Lilith admitted to her sister.
"Really?" Eda asked, surprised and a little smug. "If you were, you'd be much easier to catch."
"Oh great," The Owl Lady exclaimed eagerly. "You're gonna cart me away to the coven now, are you?"
"Not now, because I want to give you a chance to join on your own," Lilith pleaded, and Eda flinched in surprise. "Join me in the Emperor's Coven, Edalyn," she said as she extended her hand. "He could even...heal your curse."
Eda looked down at her hand, reaching out and gently pushing it away.
"No. I'll heal it on my own terms. I don't wanna owe him anything. Catch you later, sis."
"Not if I catch you first." They exchanged sad smiles at their predicament.
Eda then took off with her staff.
"I'll see you around."
Lilith sighed and averted her gaze.
"...You're welcome for the chance to bond," said the weakened salesman from the ground.
She cast a fire spell on him, not only for ruining the moment, but also for unnecessary speaking.
Eda returned to the Owl House, safely jumping and landing. When she entered her house, she discovered Luz, King, Hazel, and Bijou all sleeping.
"Hey, kids," she said as she walked in. "Woof," she said, dropping her staff and cracking her back. "That was a rough couple days."
"Yeah, I'll say," Luz agreed, rising to make room for Eda between them.
"Mm-hm..." Bijou nodded before checking her phone's time. "Well, I better go to bed now. See you guys in the morning."
She got to her feet, picked up the sleeping almiraj, and went to their room. They all looked at her, perplexed.
"Hmm... Bijou's been out of it recently," Eda observed.
"Must have been all that self-teaching," Luz replied.
"Huh," Eda said, a little suspiciously, but shrugged it off. "Well, nothing a bit of apple blood and a good book can't mend."
"Books?" Luz asked, scratching her chin.
"Nope. I don't know nothing about that," King said, shaking his head.
"We despise books; look at the time," Luz said, pointing to her empty arm.
"What's a book? Good night!"
The two ran off in opposite directions, Eda glancing around in confusion She picked up a book she saw on the table.
"Huh?" She was holding Ruler's Reach and turned to look at the back cover of King. She exclaimed in surprise. "What the...?"
"Girl, you do not want to know," the typewriter said.
The Golden Guard was impressed as he watched his student create light orbs, small tongues of fire, and clusters of vines around them. Just then, Bijou noticed that he was a bit distracted by the Ruler's Reach book he just took out.
"Hey, a little birdie told me that you read Ruler's Reach, right?" Bijou asked.
Her question made him flinch but he had to hide it by playing it cool.
"Yeah," the Golden Guard replied. "How did you know?"
"That book really sold like hotcakes a while ago" she shrugged. She didn't want him to know that the King wrote it, or else it might make her predicament as a wanted criminal even worse.
"So, what spell are we learning next?" Bijou asked as she skimmed through her notepad.
"The ice spell seems easier to draw, but make no mistake, I'm only doing that one next because you're...passable in progress," He said as she crossed her arms.
"You just don't want to admit that I've mastered the light, fire, and plant, even though you contributed on the last one," she said, pausing. "Why don't you want to acknowledge your success? I figure you'd be at least bragging by now."
"...Where I come from, success is the only way to go; otherwise, it costs you. Trust me, you don't need to know," he said as he averted his gaze, and she blinked.
She cast a silent glance at the paper.
"I see..."
She didn't want to pry because it wasn't her concern, but...his response felt off. She couldn't even tell where this would even lead or whether it involves the Golden Guard or the Emperor.
"Golden Guard?"
"Yes?" he asked casually as he searched for the ice glyph symbol.
"I just wanted to say that...all things considered, I think you're great no matter what you do."
He raised his head slowly as she rubbed her arm.
"I was unsure of what power of the other elements are, and you've got the patience to deal with me. So...you know, you shouldn't bring yourself down around me. I won't judge."
At her words, he clenched the book slightly. No one had ever said anything like that to him before her...
"Anyway, pay attention," he told her, composing himself calmly. She stood up and sat down next to him, and she couldn't tell, but...behind his mask, he appeared to be happy. He pointed to a few pictures, the girl smiling because she enjoyed his reading...
"Just like the plant spell, you've got to really be in tune with the environment to learn ice. Witches back in the day would use their surroundings to learn spells, so you're gonna practice being in tune with what's around you."
"You mean, their could be glyphs symbols hidden around the forest?"
"Exactly!" he exclaimed. "And it's not just in this forest. Glyph symbols can be found anywhere."
A/N: Finally finished my first chapter in the year 2024. I'm still waiting for more voters on the poll so feel free to choose who Bijou's love interest will be.