"Titan dammit, Amity, you are not making this easy!" Boscha grumbled.
It took some money throwing, and some convincing on Odalia Blight's part, but Boscha was able to get a flight to Cagile Island. Convincing her mothers to let her come here was somewhat easy, apparently Odalia Blight had just said that she sent Amity to the island for some relaxation, and that she wanted Boscha there, so she would pay for her to go. That was easy enough, the really hard part, from what she was told, was getting her a place to stay. The rooms were mostly booked up, and while the Blight family name carried a lot of weight, it was still hard. Eventually, they managed to get one person to leave the hotel that Amity booked. It wouldn't be on the same floor, but it was at least in the same building where Boscha could do something. As she disembarked from the airship port, she used the special necklace to contact Odalia and inform her of her arrival.
"I'm finally here, Mrs. Blight," said Boscha.
{Excellent. Now hurry and get to the Sombila Hotel, check in, and find that human and my daughter! Do whatever you can to throw a wrench into their little vacation! And show Amity why you are the superior choice,} Odalia ordered.
"Quick question, why couldn't you just cancel their reservation? You managed to get someone to leave by throwing some snails at them. Couldn't you do the same for this hotel and have them kick them out?" Boscha inquired.
{If it were that easy, I would've done so immediately upon finding out what they did! But the payment went through…and all reservation sales are final. There are just some things you don't argue about on Cagile Island, and one of them is that. In any case, I also can't help but be proud of my daughter's shrewdness in planning all of this under my nose in the dead of night and on such short notice.}
"…True."
{Anyway, find them, do what you have to do. This is probably your best chance to show up that little peasant tramp. So, get it done, Boscha.}
The crystal's shine faded, and with that Boscha nodded her head.
"Don't worry, I'll break those two up and show Amity I'm the better girlfriend if it's the last thing I do!"
One of the dock workers looked at Boscha and asked, "I'm sorry, ma'am, but are you plotting an evil scheme to break up a couple?"
"Yes, and I'm rich so deal with it!" Boscha declared.
"Yes, ma'am!" the dock worker saluted as he went back to work.
Boscha quickly took out her staff, her luggage would be taken to the hotel, but she had a carryon bag with some change of clothes for when she got there. As she flew, she saw the hotel come into view. Boscha landed in front of the hotel and marched her way into the lobby and then rang the bell where the kraken demon turned around to greet her.
"How may I–"
"Reservation under the name 'Barbtalóne'!" Boscha stated, cutting off the receptionist.
The kraken demon looked at their list and said, "Ah, yes. Barbtalóne. Right here." The kraken demon used their tentacles to grab the room key and handed it to Boscha. "You will be on the tenth floor, room 1013. Have a nice stay Miss Barbtalóne."
"Hey, question: did a couple of girls check in here recently? One of them is a human, can't miss her," Boscha interrogated.
"I'm sorry, Miss Barbtalóne, but we can neither confirm nor deny the attendance of certain guests without reason. Are you family?" he asked.
"Well…! No…" Boscha then added under her breath, "But I kinda want to be…"
"Is there a threat of danger to the person's life? In which case, if there is, we will have to get the local authorities involved."
"What! No, no, no! No need for that! I-I just wanted to know, 'cause she's my best friend! Both of them are! And I heard that they may've come here for a vacation," said Boscha with a cheerful smile.
"I see. Well, either way, ma'am, I cannot divulge that information. If they are here, you may see them while you are enjoying your stay. Although Cagile island is fairly large, and there are many spas and parks to enjoy, not to mention beaches. So, you may run into them, or maybe not. Either way, please enjoy your stay," said the kraken demon.
Boscha sneered and snatched the key from his tentacle. The staff wasn't going to be of any help, so she was going to have to do all the legwork herself. Luckily, Boscha had anticipated this, and had taken measures to help her find out if they were here or not. The triclops got onto the lift which brought her to the tenth floor. After finding her room, which was spacious for the price, Boscha plopped her bag onto the coffee table in front of the couch. When she unzipped it, she took out some clothes, and more importantly, a number of potion vials.
She had spent most of the night brewing these potions, and barely got any sleep doing so. Boscha was tired, but she was pumped up on adrenaline. She went into the bathroom and took out a bowel from under the sink. She brought it into the living room and placed it on the table, afterwards, she uncorked one of the potion vials and poured it into the bowl, filling it up about halfway. Once the vial was emptied, Boscha drew a spell circle and activated the potion. The green liquid began to sparkle and swirl, and after a few seconds an image began to pop up.
"Alright, c'mon, show me where they are!" Boscha ordered.
Her scrying potion started to create a clearer image, and what she saw made the demon-witch girl's face heat up in anger.
"Are you kidding me?! They're in bed together!"
(Last Night…)
So came the awkward time of going to bed. The slightly humid climate of the island made it so wearing more breathable clothing was a must. Luz was wearing a tank top and some shorts. While Amity was wearing a short sleeve shirt, and some shorts of her own. There was only one bed, which was meant for a couple who was engaged to be married, hence the giant heart shape. This was a bridge they had decided to cross when the time came, and now it was time to cross it.
"M-Maybe it's better if I did sleep on the couch tonight," Luz suggested.
"No way, I'm not making my girlfriend sleep on the couch! Plus, it feels cliché, like you did something wrong, and I banished you from the bed or something," Amity chuckled.
"Heh-heh, yeah, it does now that you mention it." Luz put her arm up to her forehead in a melodramatic way. "Oh, Amity, please don't banish me to the couch! I'm sorry for what I did! I won't do it again!"
Amity crossed her arms and furrowed her brow in fake anger as she replied, "No! I can't abide what you did, Luz! Until further notice, that couch is your bed!"
"Noooooo! Forgive meeeeeee!" Luz begged.
The two girls couldn't hold it in anymore as they broke out into laughter. After a few seconds the laughter settled down, which helped to break up the awkwardness of the situation they were in.
"Okay, Amity, if you want to, and if you're okay with it, I don't mind sleeping in the same bed as you," said Luz.
"I-I just don't want to force you or anything. If it's too awkward for you, I'll sleep on the couch instead." Luz was about to say something, but Amity cut her off. "And that's my decision. Okay?"
Luz could see that Amity was not going to budge on this, so, with a sigh, she nodded her head in agreement with the conditions.
They pulled back the covers, and awkwardly, got into the bed, with Amity on the left and Luz on the right. Thankfully, the size of the bed was an advantage, it allowed them plenty of room to sprawl out, and kept a wide gap between them. After all, the bed was designed with two adults in mind, so for two fourteen-year-olds, it was kind of massive.
"This might not be as awkward as I thought," said Amity.
"Yeah, this bed is way big," Luz replied.
"Well, it was made with the idea that two adults would be sleeping in it, not two kids. So, guess this worked out better than we thought."
The two girls were on their backs, with the lights still on.
"So…um…guess it's time to turn out the lights, huh?" Luz asked.
"Y-Yeah," Amity confirmed.
"Well, good night, sweet potato."
Amity smiled and replied, "Good night, batata."
The witch girl drew a spell circle, commanding the lights in the room to shut off, and allowing darkness to envelop the room. For the first few minutes, all either of them could see was darkness. They were very aware of the other's presence, which was making it just a little hard to sleep. It wasn't like Luz was unused to having someone sleep next to her, as King would frequently sleep in her room. But this was different. King was her surrogate little brother, this was Amity, her girlfriend, sleeping next to her.
Amity's not expecting anything…right? Luz thought.
Luz isn't expecting me to do something…right? Amity thought.
Neither girl was ignorant of such things, both of them knew what most couples did when in a room together. But given that this was their first relationship, ever, there were some unrealistic expectations that they were thinking the other wanted.
"Amity," said Luz.
"Yes?"
"I just want you to know, I-I don't think I'm ready for anything…couply…for bedtime, y-you know?"
"O-Oh, um, well, if we're being honest, then I-I don't think I am either," Amity admitted.
"Guess we're both nervous, thinking the other wants to do something but are afraid to?"
Amity turned onto her side and faced Luz; her eyes having adjusted to the darkness to allow her to make out her girlfriend's form.
"Yeah, I mean…I've never had a girlfriend before, so…I guess I just assume we should do certain things that couples do," Amity said.
Luz felt the shift and decided to turn to face Amity, her eyes, too, had adjusted, allowing her to make out Amity's shape.
"Same here. I've read about what couples do, and seen a lot of anime about it, but…as much as I hoped to be in a relationship, I guess I never really thought about what I would do if situations like this came up," said Luz.
Amity reached out across the way and placed her left hand in the middle of the bed.
"We don't need to do anything neither of us aren't ready for. We don't have to do all things that people expect of a couple."
Luz reached out and placed her right hand over Amity's left.
"You're right, this is our relationship, and we'll take it as slow or fast as we want."
Amity smiled and replied, "Good night, Luz."
"Good night, Amity."
(Present…)
Boscha's scrying potion showed Amity and Luz now entangled in each other's arms. With Luz being the big spoon and Amity being the little spoon, and both had dopey smiles on their faces.
"AAAAAH! I can't believe this! How dare that human sleep in the same bed with Amity!"
Just then, a dark revelation entered her mind.
"No…t-they didn't…did they? T-T-There's no way they could've, right?!"
"Heh, heh, heh. Oh, Boscha, you lost your chance. I defiled Amity. All. Night. Long. She's mine now, body and soul. And there's nothing you can do about it! Ahahahahahaha!"
"I'm sorry, Boscha…I belong to Luz now…no one else will have me."
"UGH!" Boscha shook her head free of the intrusive thoughts and took a closer look at the image in the bowl. "Okay, there's nothing sus about this. They're clothes are still on, so they…" Boscha shivered at the thought. "Anyway, they have to be here in the hotel, but which damn floor?!"
Just then, a knock came at the door.
"I'm busy, come back later!" she shouted.
"Hotel Management , ma'am."
Boscha's eyes blinked. She got up and walked to the front door and opened it, spotting a lionfish looking demon standing there.
"Um, can I help you?" Boscha asked.
"Yes, young miss. I would just like to remind you, that any use of spells to spy on other guests is strictly prohibited," said Muwara.
Boscha's began to sweat.
"O-Oh? I-I didn't know…"
"Yes, it's actually printed here in the brochure." Muwara took out a brochure from his pocket and opened it to the section he spoke of. "And it clearly states: 'No scrying potions or spells are allowed on the island, for purposes of privacy'. I would hate to kick out a guest for not following the rules so soon after just arriving."
"Y-Yeah, that would be bad, heh-heh…"
"Okay, well, I will take my leave. Please enjoy your stay."
Boscha watched as Muwara walked away, after, she slowly closed the door and released a sigh of relief.
"Holy Titan, how did he know?!" Boscha began searching the room, trying to find something that would've alerted him to her using a scrying potion. "There's no way it was coincidence. He knew I was using a scrying potion, somehow, he knew."
Boscha looked at the bowl and clicked her tongue in annoyance. She grabbed the bowl, went into the bathroom, and poured the contents into the toilet where she flushed it down the drain.
"I can't risk getting thrown off the island right now. So, fine, I don't need a scrying potion. I know they're here! I'll get dressed and stake out the lobby! They have to come down sometime, and when they do, I'll be ready!"
Luz and Amity had left the hotel, with Muwara informing them that they would have a few activities set up for them later, and that they could use this time to enjoy the beach until their couple activity was ready. The two young teens flew to the closest beach, with Luz wearing the swimsuit she said she would earlier. There were already a lot of people at the beach but were pretty spread out so there was enough room for the two of them to sit up.
Luz pitched the parasol while Amity laid out the blankets. The Latina couldn't help but eye Amity in her cute swimsuit but shook her head and returned to her task. At the same time, Amity would steal glances at Luz, only to blush, shake her head, and go back to what she was doing. Once everything was ready, Luz grabbed ahold of Amity's hand as she pulled her girlfriend along towards the water.
"Let's dive in, Ams!"
"Heh-heh, okay!"
The two teens ran to the water but stopped for a moment. Luz carefully dipped a toe in the water, and amazingly, it wasn't scalding hot. She placed her whole foot in and found the water to be pleasantly warm. Convinced that her flesh wouldn't melt off her body, Luz plunged her whole body into the water, with Amity following right behind her. The two girls made a huge splash as they cannonballed into the Boiling Sea. They opened their eyes under the water and saw each other before surfacing.
"Wow! I can't believe it! It really isn't boiling!" Luz exclaimed.
"I told you. This is the only place on the Boiling Isles were you can enjoy diving into the sea and not die a horrible screaming death," said Amity.
"Then let's enjoy it! Beach fun montage engage!"
"Wait, beach mon–"
The girls spent some time swimming under the water, spotting all the different life that had adapted to the Boiling Sea as some of the aquatic demon beasts swam past them. There was a coral reef off in the distance that sparkled and shined with a rainbow of colors thanks to the rays of the sun coming through the water. It amazed Luz that there was so much beauty under the sea in the Demon Realm, unfortunately, it went unseen for obvious reasons. Luz and Amity had managed to snag a beach ball and bounced it back and forth in the water, with Luz going for dramatic dives to hit back before plopping into the water. And Amity, out of instinct mind you, would serve the ball back in a way reminiscent of her Grudgby matches, nearly smacking Luz in the face a couple of times. The girls moved onto making sandcastles, with Amity using some Abomination goo for foundational support, and Luz using her Ice Glyphs to create sparkling towers.
After some time horsing around on the beach, the two girls were now lying on their blankets, just enjoying the sea breeze and listening to the other guests having fun around them. Luz smacked her lips a couple of times and sat up.
"Getting kinda thirsty. Want something to drink?" Luz asked.
"Sure, I am a bit thirsty myself," Amity replied.
"Then you just wait right there, and I'll be right back!"
Before Amity could say anything, Luz got up and left to get their drinks. The purple haired witch chuckled as she turned onto her back and placed her hands behind her head, closing her eyes as she went back to her nap.
"OMT! Amity, is that you?!"
Amity snapped awake and sat up just as quickly when she heard the familiar voice. The youngest Blight child turned to her left and grimaced when she saw Boscha, of all people, running towards her. She was dressed in a black colored trikini with a sarong that had flame designs wrapped around her waist. Her hair, which was normally tied up in a bun, was let loose and allowed to flow down just past her shoulder blades.
"B-Boscha?! What are you doing here?!" Amity asked.
"Oh, I'm here with my Moms for a little vacay," Boscha lied. "I didn't know you came here. Did you come with your family?"
"You know I came here with Luz. I wasn't exactly subtle with my presentation back at school."
"Oh, right, forgot about that. Ah well, don't care. How do I look?" Boscha asked as she struck a pose. "Grudgby's been good to me, huh? And…wow…"
Amity raised an eyebrow as she asked, "Wow, what?"
"I never really noticed, but you're looking kinda toned lately," Boscha observed as she crouched down and looked at Amity's arms and stomach. "Have you been working out at home or something?"
Amity blushed a little and retorted, "Ah, no, no. I mean, yes! You know my Mom, she keeps wanting me to join the Emperor's Coven, so, gotta be physically and mentally ready."
Boscha hummed with approval as she, too, blushed.
"Well, whatever you're doing, it's working."
"Y-Yeah, thanks." Not like I can tell her the reason my physique has changed is because I've been helping Luz fight off Phantoms and training with her. "Anyway, do you mind leaving me for now, Boscha? I planned on spending time with Luz for the weekend."
"Oh, c'mon, Ams, you can't spend a little time with your friends?" Boscha asked.
"I'd very much would like to come out and toss her into the sea right now."
Let's just tolerate the small talk for now until Luz gets here. Where is she anyway?
(Earlier…)
Luz was standing in line for some cold drinks to bring back to Amity. She was still a little fidgety about her choice in swimwear, but no one had said anything about it or her.
Maybe Amity was right? Maybe I should have more confidence in my appearance, Luz thought.
"I've told you this before, Niña, but I'm glad it's finally sinking in."
I know, I know. Thank you, but it's…it's nice to hear that from Amity. You know?
"No, I would not. But if it makes you happy, then that's all that matters. It's your turn, Luz."
My turn?
"Yo! You want something, ma'am?"
Luz snapped out her inner dialogue with La Lechuza and realized that there was a gap between her and the counter where they were serving the drinks.
"Ah! Sorry! Sorry!" Luz rapidly dashed to the counter and said, "Two Apple Blood lites, please," said Luz as she flashed the gold card.
"Yes, ma'am, comin' right up!" said the witch.
The witch worked fast the moment Luz showed the gold card, and within seconds produced two ice cold Apple Blood lite drinks for her.
"Thank you," said Luz as she grabbed the drinks and readied to turn around.
When she did, Luz paused as she spotted two people standing behind her. The first one was a male witch, he had golden locks, piercing green eyes, and lightly tanned skin. The other person was a female demon, she had a teal-colored bikini on, and looked like an anthropomorphic shark. She had a long tail, a dorsal fin coming out of her back, dark gray skin, and black hair. Her eyes were yellow in color, with red slit irises and black slit pupils. On the sides of her body there were six crescent slits that appeared to be gills but were closed off. She had black claws for nails, sharp teeth, and all along her body she had silver tribal tattoos. Both the witch and the demon looked to be about sixteen and were quite good looking in Luz's opinion.
"Hey there, cutie," said the shark girl in raspy voice.
Luz blushed but replied, "H-Hi."
"My friend here didn't believe it when I told her, but I was totally right. You're a human, aren't you?" the male witch asked.
"Uh…yeah, I am."
"Awesome. The name's Frissh, and my pal here is Stox," said Frissh.
"S'up," Stox greeted.
"Nice to meet you, my name's Luz. I'd love to talk, but I kinda gotta go, my girl–"
"Say, why don't you come party with us?" Frissh suggested as the shark girl moved closer to Luz and draped her right arm over the young teen's shoulders. "A lot of us older kids know where the real party spots on Cagile are, and I saw you had a gold card too."
"Ah, yeah, we can do pretty much anything here with that. C'mon, let's hang," Stox encouraged. "You'd be a hit with the others, not everyday we see a human in the Demon Realm."
"Look, guys, you look like you'd be a lot of fun to hang around with, but I really need to get back to my girlfriend, and…" Luz looked at her drinks and noticed the amount of condensation that was coming off them. "And I probably need to get colder drinks now."
"Huh, your GF." Frissh took a step back and held her hands behind her back as she posed for Luz. "Tell me, does your girlfriend look this hot?"
"Or," Stox flexed his muscles as he said, "maybe you're interested in these?"
Luz squeezed the cups until they burst in her hands, drenching them in Apple Blood.
"I really need to go, goodbye."
"Ahem!"
Stox and Frissh turned around and saw Amity standing there, her brow furrowed at the display of the two older teenagers.
"Sweet potato!"
"Uh, hello? You'd be?" Stox asked.
"The girl who's going to toss the two of you into the sea if you don't stop harassing my girlfriend," Amity warned.
Frissh took a step forward, placed her hands against her hips, and leaned down to look Amity in the eyes as she said, "I'd like to you try, little – AAAAAAAAAH!"
Without warning, Amity had summoned an Abomination goo arm that jutted out from beneath Frissh and tossed her into the air and at just the right angle so that she landed right in the sea behind them with a big splash. The other one, Stox, looked back at Amity and was about to say something, but then was launched in the same direction as his friend.
"You okay, Luz?" Amity asked.
"Yeah, I'm okay. They were coming on a little too strong, though," said Luz.
"Sorry, I didn't come earlier. But for now, let's–"
"Hello!"
"AAAH!" Luz and Amity screamed.
Muwara had just popped out of nowhere at the last second, surprising the young couple.
"Miss and Misses Noceda-Blight! We have your spa treatments all ready for you! Come, come, we must away!" Muwara stated.
Before Luz or Amity could say anything, Muwara whisked them away. Meanwhile, Boscha was steaming.
Dang it! If those two didn't drag their heels in getting that human out of here, I could've–
"Hey!" Frissh complained as she marched out of the water. "You never said that her girlfriend was hardcore like that!"
"Yeah, what the heck!" Stox complained.
"Ugh, well, maybe if you two had hurried up and got the human out of sight – like you were supposed to – then that wouldn't have happened," Boscha retorted.
"What? You want us to kidnap her or something?" Frissh asked.
"If you had to, yes!"
Frissh and Stox blinked, looked at each other, and then back at Boscha.
"Yeah, you know what, keep your snails, kid," said Stox.
"We ain't about that, 'sides, the human looked like she'd be fun to hang out with anyhow," Frissh stated.
"UGH!"
"Ooooh! AAAaaaaah~"
"Yeeeeesss, that feels sooo good~"
Muwara had brought the two girls to one of the luxury spas, it was here that the young couple was treated to a massage courtesy of a couple of twin demon girls as they worked the two teens' muscles.
"My, my, you are holding much tension in your shoulders," said the green demon masseuse.
"Indeed, so are you, young miss," the blue demon woman added.
"Oh, you know…high school drama," said Luz.
"Mmm…family drama," Amity answered.
"Must be some drama," the twins said at the same time. "Several knots we have to work out."
Luz and Amity continued to moan in bliss as the demon women worked their tired muscles out. They had no idea how much they needed this. Between fighting the Phantoms, and their normal school activities, their bodies were tensed up like nobody's business. Which made what the two masseuses were doing all the more enjoyable as they were putty in their multiple hands.
After the massage they were taken to a sauna were they were left to sweat it out for a little bit. Luz and Amity were both wrapped in towels as they were brought to a private sauna room where they sat down and just relaxed as they allowed the heat to make their bodies perspire. Luz was a little ashamed to admit, but she was ogling Amity, watching as the sweat rolled down her girlfriend's shoulders, collar bone, legs, and arms. Amity wasn't any better as she would blatantly look at Luz, watching the sweat trickle down her girlfriend's exposed arms, legs, neck, and collar area.
Luz finally took notice and asked, "A-Are you…looking at me?"
"I am. Are you looking at me?" Amity asked.
"…Yes," she admitted.
Amity smiled as she leaned back and replied, "Good."
After the sauna, they were brought to a mineral bath where they soaked and washed off the sweat they had accumulated. Luz and Amity felt like they were going to fall asleep in the baths. Again, with all the hectic things they've been through in these past few months, they never got a real chance to just relax and enjoy themselves. Now that they were, it felt so relieving.
"Really think we need to do things like this more often," said Luz lazily.
"Ooooh yeah. I never realized how much we needed this," Amity agreed.
The two of them were sitting next to each other in the bath, with Amity leaning against Luz's right shoulder and gently placing her head against it. The Latina felt Amity's hand grasp her own as the two held hands under the water. They felt as if they would fall asleep right here and now.
"Oh, wow, look who we have here."
That is, they were, until the relaxation and cut into by a certain witch. The couple glanced to their right and blushed, averting their gazes. The steam in this room was actually enchanted, so that for those who wanted to go about without a towel, and for those who wanted to maintain some modesty, the steam would hover around the more private parts of the patron to keep them from being seen. And the water was murky enough that you couldn't see much once you submerged yourself. With all that said, Luz and Amity beheld Boscha strolling into the room.
She wore no towel, so the steam focused on her more private areas to keep them hidden. The witch girl didn't seem to care as she strutted along, just as confident in her body as she was her looks as she entered the same pool as the young couple. As to why they were blushing, well, context matters. It was one thing to just see each other in a locker room at school after gym class, but quite another to see that same person outside of school, in a different environment, with less clothing.
After getting over the initial shock of Boscha's partial nudity, Luz managed to ask, "When did you get here, Boscha?"
"Oh, Amity didn't tell you? We met on the beach earlier," she answered.
Luz glanced at her girlfriend, with a look that silently asked for confirmation.
Amity sighed as she answered, "Yes, we did talk. She came here with her folks, apparently."
"Wow, and you didn't tell her I was here?"
"It didn't seem relevant at the time since I had to go and help Luz out with these two people who were harassing her," said Amity.
Boscha shrugged her shoulders as she said, "Well, that's to be expected. I mean, Noceda is a human. She's gonna attract a lot of attention, good and bad."
"What do you mean? What kind of bad attention?" Luz asked.
"Didn't you almost get kidnapped because some mysterious and creepy person paid that mercenary to get you?"
Luz couldn't deny that it was in the local news and in the newspapers.
"What's your point, Boscha?" Amity asked, annoyed.
"I'm just saying, you might be putting Amity in danger."
"What?!" Luz exclaimed.
"Boscha!"
"What? I'm not saying anything that isn't true. Humans are rare in the Boiling Isles, and there are freaks out there who might want to get her and own her like an exotic pet or something," the triclops explained.
Good luck with that, thought Amity. Considering how powerful Luz is, I feel sorry for any idiot who tries that.
"Eh, I wouldn't necessarily overestimate Luz's capabilities," Bast warned.
"She's right, Amity. That mercenary had a poisonous insect ready to strike her, and in the end it did. If it were not for Viney's parents…"
Luz shuddered at the thought. That was probably the fourth time she almost got killed, right behind her fight with Oscura, the battle with Nuckelavee, and the fight with Lich.
"If you think about it, you're kind of a danger magnet Noceda," said Boscha.
"Oh…" Luz couldn't deny that Boscha had a point there. She had unintentionally become a magnet for all things chaotic and weird lately. Especially since becoming a Kamen Rider. Heck, she even wrangled Amity into this without meaning to. "…I…"
"Okay, I think we've soaked for long enough. Luz, c'mon," Amity ordered as she held firm to Luz's hand as had them rise out of the bath.
Boscha watched as Luz and Amity left the bath, with Amity leading Luz out. The triclops clicked her tongue in disappointment, realizing that she might just have to resort to her last measure.
I really didn't want to do this, Amity. But…if it has to go there, then so be it.
It was nighttime on Cagile Island, and it was time for a romantic dinner date. Luz had put on a tropical themed tux, with bright colors, and a bowtie. Boscha's words were still ringing in Luz's ears, how Luz brought trouble and danger to those around her, to Amity.
"Forget what that witch said, Niña. Just enjoy your time here with Amity."
I know…But she might have a point, Lala.
"That's it, summon me so I can come out and bap some since into you!"
Okay, okay! I'll stop thinking about it!
Luz heard the bathroom door unlocking and that's when her eyes went wide. Amity was wearing a beautiful black and purple off the shoulder dress. Her crescent moon pendant was dangling around her neck, and Amity was blushing brightly.
"Whoa…"
"How do I look?" Amity asked.
"Mi amor te ves tan hermosa (My love, you look so beautiful)," Luz said. The Latina shook her head, remembering that Amity hadn't learned a lot of Spanish yet. "Sorry, I mean, you look beautiful, Amity!"
Amity giggled a little and replied, "I promise, I'll learn more."
"I know I never asked you to, but I love that you're trying for me," said Luz.
"I like this other human language of yours. It sounds pretty when you speak it, and I'd like to communicate with you in a way that only you and I can understand. Like our own secret code," Amity mused.
Luz blushed, no one had ever said that her speaking Spanish sounded pretty before. It was nice seeing Amity take an interest in her learning Spanish, and she became giddy at the prospect of the two of them being able to speak in a language that only they could understand, well, aside from King and Eda, who she was teaching as well. King seemed to be getting it a little faster than Eda, but that might be due to him being younger and able to absorb knowledge a little faster.
The Latina walked up to her lover and hooked her right arm around Amity's left as she said, "Well then, Miss Blight, shall we go and have our fancy dinner?"
"Why, I believe we shall, Miss Noceda," Amity replied.
After a giggle, Luz and Amity left their room and made their way to the lift. Once they were in the lobby, they saw Muwara, who was waiting for them and led the young couple to the restaurant inside the hotel. Muwara brought them to a table where he pulled out the seats for them. Luz and Amity sat down as the candles were lit up with a casting of a spell.
"Thank you for informing us of your dietary constraints Misses Noceda-Blight. Rest assured that I have had our chefs prepare your food in such a way that you will never look at griffon eggs the same way again!" Muwara declared.
"Thank you, Muwara, we look forward to the meal," said Amity.
"Of course, and now, music!"
Muwara clapped his hands, and a band of Bard witches came out and began playing a soothing melody in the background.
"Oh, and do not worry about the musicians. Your table has been enchanted so that words spoken at the table cannot be overheard unless you allow it. Okay, have a nice dinner!"
With that, Muwara left them alone.
"I like Muwara," said Luz.
"He's pretty eccentric, but yeah, I do too," Amity agreed.
"Hey, I was just wondering, do you think we should pop over to the mainland later? You know, just to check up on things?" Luz suggested.
"Luz, it'll be fine. It's just one weekend. Plus, I'm sure if it was anything serious, Gus, Willow, Skara, or any the people who know our secret would contact us right away," Amity assured.
Luz sighed as she nodded.
"Sorry, we're supposed to be relaxing, and here I am thinking about hero stuff."
"Don't be sorry. That's just who you are, and it's one of things I love about you." Amity took a calming breath, the mood was right, and they mostly had fun – Boscha's sudden appearance notwithstanding – so now was probably the time to address the original issue that brought them here. "Luz, I need to explain myself, rather, I need to explain what the picture's about."
Luz remained silent and nodded for Amity to continue.
"While you were hanging out with Ms. Lilith, my Mom brought me to some fancy party hosted by Boscha's family. We were invited, and as one of the top witch families, we were socially obligated to come. Halfway into the party, Boscha invited me to stay for a sleepover. Which my Mom agreed to let me attend," Amity explained.
"Isn't that a little suspicious?" Luz asked.
"Not really. Mom always wanted me to spend time with Skara and Boscha. Honestly, if Skara didn't hang around Boscha as much back then, we probably could've been closer friends. But I'm glad we are now, and that Willow's forgiven me." Amity shook her head. "Sorry, got off track. Anyway, when the sleepover started, it was decided that we would play Lie or Challenge."
Luz cocked her head to the side cutely and parroted, "Lie or Challenge?"
"Yes! It's a game where you have to tell a convincing lie or do whatever challenge someone asks of you!"
"Oh, that sounds a lot like a game in my world called Truth or Dare."
"…Huh?"
"You either have to tell the truth or do a dare. I never got to play it, but I've seen it played all the time in teen drama tv shows," Luz then leaned forward as if to whisper in a conspiratorial way, "And a few fanfics that use it to lead to saucy situations."
"Wait…so…your 'Truth or Dare' uses a magic circle that detects if everyone believes your lie or makes you do the challenge if you refuse to?" Amity asked.
"Uh. No, it's pretty much just regular peer pressure."
"So…Ah, Titan, so you would've understood," Amity lamented as she slapped her forehead.
"What do you mean?" Luz asked.
"When I was at the party, one of the girls challenged me to kiss Boscha. But I refused, and the spell compelled me to do it. But before I could do it, Bast gave me some of her mana to help me break the spell before I could do it. That picture was just taken at the worst moment before I broke it," Amity explained.
"Oooooh, so that's what happened. You should've told me, Amity. I would've understood. Truth or Dare in my world has lead to a lot of misunderstandings and shenanigans."
Amity smacked her forehead against the table in annoyance and herself for putting it off this long and going through this overly elaborate way of apology for how that picture looked.
"I hate to say I told you so…"
No, you don't.
"You're right, I don't. I told you so~!"
Luz reached out with her right hand and patted Amity on the head in a comforting manner.
"Did you do all of this as a way to apologize or something?"
"Yes…"
"Oh, Amity. You should've just told me."
"I know…now."
"Well, regardless of the why, I'm happy either way. It was just an innocent sleepover game – still glad that you didn't kiss Boscha though – but I'm also happy we got to have this vacation/date together."
Amity finally lifted her head and smiled up at her lover as she sat up fully.
"Sorry for being like that. I really should've just talked to you right away instead of avoiding you like a child. Still, I'm not sorry about bringing you here. I didn't realize how much we both needed this vacation."
"Seriously. I feel so relaxed."
"Hello!" Muwara appeared with the waiters. "Your dinner is served."
Once their plates were placed in front of them, the waiters and Muwara left them once again to enjoy their food. The two girls smiled at each other before taking their forks and knives and cutting into their food. Luz and Amity hummed in delight at how delicious the food was and started to eat in silence. At least until Boscha came and broke it.
"Amity, Noceda, looks like we meet again," said Boscha as she held a glass of Apple Blood lite in her right hand.
"Boscha," they answered in a monotone.
"Oh, c'mon, don't be like that." Boscha looked down at their meals and smiled. "I see you guys are enjoying your dinner."
We were, thought Amity.
"Sorry for that picture, Noceda. One of my friends posted it without my knowing. I hope it didn't mess with your vacation."
Luz smiled as he replied, "Nope. Amity explained the whole Lie or Challenge game to me, and like I told her, we have a similar game in the Human Realm. So, no worries there."
Boscha looked a little shocked upon hearing that.
"Oh…I…I didn't know."
"Neither did I, until now. So, as Luz said, nothing to worry about."
Boscha's brows furrowed a little as she said, "I see. Well, I mean, you can hardly blame Amity if she wanted to kiss me. I mean, not to brag, but I am pretty attractive and popular. And I have no shortage of boys and girls wanting to be my girlfriend or boyfriend."
"Good to know. Why don't you pick one then," said Amity.
All three of her eyes shifted to Amity as she replied, "Because the only one worthy of being my girlfriend is sitting right here. Right, Amity?"
Boscha gave the purple haired witch girl a double wink with her right and middle eye.
"Uh…Boscha, Amity is my girlfriend," said Luz.
"Let's ask Amity, shall we?" Boscha turned to her head towards Amity and asked, "Amity, who do you want more as a girlfriend, me or Noceda?"
"Pfft, the answer's obvious." Amity stood up from her chair and said, "You, obviously."
Luz paused, because when Amity said that she was not looking at her, rather, Amity was looking directly at Boscha.
"Uh…"
"Excuse me?"
"Right? She's clearly not the best one suited for you, Amity. You need someone who can keep up with you. Someone who will watch your back, just like I did on and off the Grudgby field," Boscha stated.
"Of course, I don't know what I was thinking this whole time. You're really the better choice. It's exhausting having to watch over her all the time because she's a fragile human," Amity agreed.
"W-What is happening right now? Amity, you're just kidding, right?" Luz asked.
Amity turned her gaze to Luz and narrowed her eyes.
"No, Luz, I mean it. Boscha's clearly better than you, I was just settling because I didn't think she felt the same way about me, but now I understand that she does. And now that I know that, we're through."
Luz stood up and slammed her hands on the table, making the band stop their music and caused more than a few gazes to be directed at their table.
"That's total baloney! I know you don't feel that way, Amity!" Luz exclaimed.
Boscha finished her glass of Apple Blood and put it on the table before throwing her right arm over Amity's shoulders, causing the other witch to wrap her left arm around Boscha's waist.
"Oh, sorry, does the truth hurt, Noceda? Just accept it. You were always just the girl she settled for, but now, she can be with her real prize," Boscha mocked.
"Okay, that's enough! Bast! Are you just going to stay silent about this whole–!"
"SHE'S NOT IN HER RIGHT MIND!" Bast yelled in the mindscape. "There's…There's something wrong with her! I can feel something influencing her! She's trying to fight it, but she needs help!"
"Luz!"
I heard!
Luz reached into her pocket, she couldn't use any of her rings, the Flash ring would be good in dispelling any kind of curse that Amity might be under, if that was the case. But the closest thing that Luz had to the Flash ring was…
"Sorry, Luz, but I'm done with you. Please, for your dignity, don't make a scene and leave so that Boscha and I can enjoy this meal instead. If you want, I'll…I-I'll pay for an overnight flight back to the mainland," said Amity with a tinge of hesitation.
"No, I understand, Amity. Although, there is one thing I would like for you to do," said Luz.
"And what's that, Luzzer?" Boscha mocked.
"Look into the light!"
Luz swiftly took out her Light Glyph, activating it and releasing a bright flash of light that made Boscha shut all three of her eyes out of how blinding it was. The rest of the patrons had to turn away from the light as well, but for Amity, she seemed mesmerized by it. After a few seconds, the flash of light faded, and Luz worriedly looked upon her girlfriend who shook her head in a daze.
"A-Amity?" Luz called out.
"I…I…" Amity seemed to recall all of what she said as her face morphed from remorse, to concern, and then to anger. The purple haired witch sharply turned to face Boscha as her eyes glowed faintly. "Boscha."
"W-What?" Boscha asked with elevated pitch in her voice.
The young witchling looked back at the food that he had eaten. She quickly drew a spell circle over the food, a moment later, the food glowed with a pink aura before fading away.
"You're coming with me."
"A-Amity, I-I can explain–!"
"NOW!" Amity ordered.
"Amity, wait, you don't have to–"
"Luz, please, stay out of this one."
Amity swiftly grabbed Boscha by the wrist and pulled her roughly behind her. The two teen witches walked for a minute before exiting out into a patio area that was clear of any guests, granting them some privacy for what was about to happen.
"Are…Are you going to fight me, Amity?" Boscha asked.
"I should, Bosch. I really should just summon an army of Abominations and have them beat you like a ragdoll! But, right now, it is only out of sheer morbid curiosity that I'm restraining myself from doing so and getting myself and Luz kicked out. So, right here, right now, Boscha, tell me why you spiked my food with a charm potion?!"
Boscha wracked her brain trying to figure out something to tell Amity, some kind of lie that would get her out of this. But upon seeing that hard expression on Amity's face, she knew she couldn't lie her way out of this one. The only way now was the truth, and maybe, that's what needed to be said.
"…I want you back, Amity."
Amity remained silent as she crossed her arms and listened to Boscha's rant.
"You quit the Grudgby team when we got hurt during a play you called. But it worked! We won! And it wasn't as if we were injured severely or anything! But instead, you focused your Grudgby energy into joining the Emperor's Coven. And I thought you were even cooler for it! But that human shows up and now you're…I don't even know anymore! I barely recognize you, Amity!" Boscha exclaimed.
Amity had to admit, she could feel the hurt in Boscha's voice, but she didn't let that show on her face or in her body language.
"We've been friends for eight years! You've been there for me when I had that bad breakup! You were there for all the sleepovers, the carnival games we played, the things we talked about in private…my hopes and dreams for the future! You were there for all of that Amity! I know your mom set us up to be friends! But I liked having you as a friend! And…I…I…"
Boscha screwed her eyes shot as she balled up her fists.
"I realized why those other guys and girls never worked out! It's because I already liked someone to begin with!"
Boscha's eyes flew open as tears formed in all three of them.
"I…I like you a lot, I've had a crush on you since the day we met! But I was too much of a coward to say it…it wasn't until that human arrived and you…everything changed! You got so far away from me, Amity…Did our friendship really mean nothing that you could easily just throw me to the side and forget about me?!"
The triclops marched up to Amity and grabbed her by the shoulders as she looked into her former friend's eyes.
"I deserve that much, don't I?! I deserve to know why you up and left me! Why did you choose that human over me?! Someone who knows you so much better than her!" Boscha declared.
"…What's the name of my favorite book."
Boscha shook her head in confusion and asked, "What?"
"I asked you: what is the name of my favorite book?"
"Wha? It's Otaben, duh," Boscha answered.
"You're right."
"See!"
"But I didn't say my favorite book from childhood. I asked you what my favorite book is. It's a book that inspired me to become a strong and powerful witch. With a character I hoped to emulate."
Boscha started to think, but her mind was drawing a blank.
"I…I…"
"It's 'The Good Witch Azura'."
Now Boscha looked confused.
"Wait, you like that book? Since when?"
"For a long while, Boscha. But I never told you because I knew you would look at me the way you are now. You don't take an interest in what others like, or even pretend to be interested unless it's something you like. I consoled you through those breakups because I felt bad for you. Getting your heart broken is never an easy experience, and I wanted to at least help you through those times."
Boscha slowly loosened her grip.
"The carnivals, all the games and rides, were always your idea. You took the reins on everything we did, with no room to compromise or listen. You kept acting like a Grudgby captain even off the field, making sure everyone marched to the same drumbeat as you. That's not what friendship is."
"T-Then why didn't you say anything?! You could've said something! You're the only other witch I would listen to, Amity!"
"And there's the problem, Boscha. You also see others as lower than you because you have more skill than they do, or you're of a higher social class than they are," said Amity.
Boscha growled as she retorted, "Oh, don't act all holier-than-thou with me, Blight! You did it, too! You were right there beside me for all the times I did that! And even joined in!"
Amity sighed heavily as she replied, "You're right. I did. I won't deny that I did those things and am guilty of such things. But even then, I knew that that was far from the ideals of Azura that I wanted to live up to, but somewhere along the way, things got muddied. But then I met Luz…"
The young teen witch smiled.
"She became a ray of light that cut through the darkness. Showing me how far I strayed from the ideal witch I wanted to become. I thought joining the Emperor's Coven was a way to do that, but now I know that was never my wish or my own goal. That was just someone else's. Luz made me realize all of this Boscha, because she cares about other people, almost to a fault. She doesn't look down on others because she knows what it's like to be looked down upon. She always listens to her friends, even if she chooses a completely different route for certain things, she at least values their opinion," Amity explained.
Boscha's hands slid off Amity as she continued to listen.
"I'm sorry that you feel like you're being thrown away, that I don't care anymore. But Boscha, sincerely, I hoped you would change like Skara did. I hoped that you would want to make amends with Willow, and everyone, and be the better person you could be. But you seem so determined to get back something that wasn't there."
"Amity…please…"
"I'm sorry I didn't realize you had feelings for me. But I'm with Luz now. You may not like it, and you don't have to. I had just hoped, out of respect for our former friendship, you would at least respect the fact that I do. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case." Amity turned around and began walking back towards the hotel. "I don't know if you're really here on vacation, or if you just came here to try and break us up. But either way, this is my warning to you."
Amity glanced over her shoulder and stared directly at Boscha.
"Never do anything like that again, whatever shred of respect I had for you, Boscha, it's gone as of tonight. The next time you try something like this, I will teach you a lesson in what happens when you try to interfere with another person's love life. Go back to your room or go home. Either way, please, leave us alone."
Boscha stood there, unable to say anything as she watched Amity walk away, leaving her alone in more ways than one.
The dinner was more or less ruined, and despite what happened, Luz insisted that Muwara didn't do anything to Boscha. Amity felt differently but relented to Luz. Her girlfriend had such a kind heart, it almost annoyed her, but then again, it was one of the many things she loved about Luz. Muwara promised to make their Sunday dinner more romantic and spectacular to make up for this little fiasco. So, after getting a couple of new dishes, and checking them for any tampering, Luz and Amity were able to finish their meal and return to the room where Amity explained everything that happened.
While Amity was busy pacing the floor back and forth as she tried to mull over everything that happened since that sleepover 'til now, Luz sat on the bed in her pajamas as she, too, mulled over the info dump, her heart hurt a little for Boscha, strange as it sounded.
"I do feel bad for her, all things considered," said Luz.
"I don't, that little witch almost ruined this!"
"Here! Here! We should go over there and teach that little yapping whelp a lesson."
"Guys calm down. And, Luz, why would you even feel bad for her?! You should be furious! She used a charm potion on me! She was trying to break us apart! If anything, I'm starting to think I should go to Muwara and have her thrown out of the hotel!" Amity exclaimed.
Luz rubbed the back of her head as she explained, "Because, I kind of get how she's feeling right about now. The person she's been crushing on just crushed her heart, and right now, the stinging pain of that feeling is worse than just having her thrown out. So, just let her be for now."
Amity sighed frustratingly as she sat down next to Luz and glanced at her lover.
"Sometimes, Luz, can be too forgiving and kind…however, it's that part of you that allowed you to even consider me a friend, much less a girlfriend," said Amity with a smile. "Ugh, why I do I have to be the cynical one most of the time?"
"Well, you don't have to always be the cynical one. For instance, you can be cynical, and the dorky girl you are around me. And of course, I can be the lovable and fun girlfriend, with a dark side," Luz said with a faux sinister grin.
"Oh, I'm the dorky one? Just me? Spare me, you dork" Amity retorted as she gave Luz a little shove."
"Guilty as charged for the dorkiness. Well, all that aside, let's just enjoy tomorrow, and go back to school rejuvenated. Oh, which reminds me, do you think your dad could make another one of those blank rings for you?" Luz asked.
"Yeah, sure he can. Why?"
"Because~ I think I can bring out Bast to walk around with us. I did it for Lala."
"WHAT?!"
"Laly, is this true?!" Bast asked.
"Indeed, it is, cat. My genius witch here figured out a way to bring me out. Well, in construct form, but it's as close to being allowed to roam around freely as we're going to get."
"Amity let's go back home now! I want to come out!"
"No, you'll wait. I know you'll just use most of your time to annoy me in some way, right?"
"…"
"I rest my case."
{YOU WHAT?!}
Boscha was in her room, currently sitting on the couch as she finished explaining her failure to Odalia Blight, who was less than pleased, to put it lightly.
"I…I'm sorry, Mrs. Blight…I-I tried! I really did! But…nothing worked. I even tried a charm potion…and I'm sorry for using that," said Boscha.
{Do you think I care that you did, girl?! If it managed to get that human away from my daughter, then all the better! I could've dealt with Amity afterwards! But you went and did all of that, and still managed to lose to that human! I thought you wanted my daughter, is this the limit of your determination?}
"No! I mean…I-I want Amity! I want her back! But…at this rate, if I try something again…she'll hate me! She's already mad at me for what I did, if I try something again, that's it! I got off with a warning, but next time…she'll throw me away for good!" Boscha stated.
{Sniveling little…If you really wanted her, then nothing would stop you. Not even that human! Ugh, I'm surrounded by incompetence. Tell me this much, Boscha, did you mention my hand in this at all?}
"No…"
{Humph, well, at least you did one thing right.}
Boscha winced at that and asked, "W-What do you want me to do now…?"
{You? Not a Titan damned thing! You had your shot, and you blew it. Leave that island and return. I'll have to think of something else.}
"Please, Mrs. Blight, I can do better! If we're sneaky about it, maybe I can still convince Amity that I'm–!"
{No, I'm through with you. Just leave, and if you know what's good for you, you won't utter my involvement.}
The gemstone's glow faded and Boscha was alone in her room now. The teen demon-witch brought her legs up to her chest and cried bitter tears, with anger and sadness spiraling inside of her.
Meanwhile, below the Emperor's Castle, Belos was busy concocting the next phase of his plan to end Kamen Rider Witch. He stood before two giant vats, one that had the seal of the Illusionist Coven and one that bore the symbol of the Potions Coven.
"Now the real fun begins, little false witch."
A/N: For those of you wondering where this island is, I used this map that someone on reddit made:
r/TheOwlHouse/comments/13vx0rl/my_updated_map_of_the_boiling_isles_plus_variants/