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let-us-cultivate-our-garden · 2 months

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What's yout opinion on these two Owl House analysis posts (sending them in another ask)

Thank you for the links. Just for future reference though, that blog blocked me awhile back for reasons I can only guess at so I had to find another way to read the posts.

My biggest issue with these kinds of analyses is how it really has to ignore how toh executes its themes and rely on historical and political realities and awkwardly tie it to the show.

Belos may be a metaphor for colonization and oppression but good luck finding anything consistent in the show to actually demonstrate that. Belos may have been inspired by fundamentalists conservatives and he may speak like one, but on a societal level, the Boiling Isles is not a good representation of a world run by a religious zealot.

There are no wild witches that are routinely persecuted; Eda is able to walk around openly (save for one episode) with no fear of being arrested, Luz is able to multi-track despite Bump's initial misgivings about the EC potentially withdrawing funding from the school (something that never happens) no one actually treats the Titan like a divine entity despite Belos' reign being founded on that very premise, and the citizens are allowed to openly defy the emperor's potential execution of Eda--despite being the living embodiment of everything the people of the Boiling Isles are taught to fear.

There is one rule in the isles: no wild magic.

Outside of that, witches are free to live as they wish. Joining a coven is seen more like choosing a career path and not something one must do or risk ostracization. Eda doesn't suffer because she's a wild witch. Not really. The narrative focuses more on her curse and how she isolated herself because of that and had to turn to crime to make ends' meet.

Because of this, it's difficult to really discuss Belos as a metaphor for colonization when the islands don't suffer or at least the show doesn't demonstrate why joining a coven is bad outside it being a requirement. So really the theme is freedom of choice rather than "the oppressed must overthrow the oppressor."

It's Belos' status as a Puritan that's doing the heavy-lifting in any kind of post that makes the claim that toh is about colonization. Which is why so many of these posts fall back on meta-analysis and tossing in historical references rather than what actually happens in the show.

As for Luz being an immigrant to the Boiling Isles....I mean I guess? The problem is that Luz never learns to appreciate the BI on its own terms because everything is handed to her; the issue of humans not being able to eat the BI's food is dropped early and the only threats she faces are scammers. A better depiction of a girl-going-to-a-fantasy world-as-an-immigrant metaphor is Amphibia, in which Anne learns the culture and customs of Wartwood and even earns the title of Frog of the Year because of her progress and growth. We never get anything like that with Luz because Bonesborough doesn't have a distinct identity like Wartwood does. We don't get to know recurring side characters outside of Luz's clique at Hexside. Luz doesn't even work as an immigrant in Gravesfield because her problem isn't framed due to her heritage, the focus is on her overenthusiasm for Azura. Camila doesn't struggle fitting in because she's Dominican (and no, letting her hair get curly again is weak because it's literally the only example of her possibly changing herself to fit in). Her struggle is tied to her daughter and the grief they share over Manny's passing. So there's no evidence of the Nocedas having to "submit" to the dominant culture of Gravesfield because we don't know what Gravesfield's culture is. There's no oppression and Vee gets along fine despite coming from another dimension.

Finally, as for Luz's angst over being like Belos--that her anger makes her like him. Yeah no, this is weak. First of all, this is the first time that she expresses concern over being like him due to her anger. In the previous two episodes, the concern was that she "helped" Belos find the Collector and is therefore responsible for his rise and the subsequent centuries of suffering. Then, she's worried about always making mistakes and how that leads to more people being hurt. Next, in her nightmare sequence, she fears her friends secretly hate her because she helped Belos and is the cause of all this suffering so she might as well be him.

But now, her fear is being like him because she wanted the Collector to blast him and that Belos' desire to save humanity is uncomfortably close to her own.

Sorry what?

Luz previously rejected Belos's stated goal of saving humanity in King's Tide when she called him out on his hypocrisy. At every encounter, Luz calls Belos out on his bullshit, why is it now does she seriously consider that his goals are similar to her own?

Oh, so the Titan can alleviate her fears, validate her by calling her a "good witch," and throw out all the recent development of Belos' character and motivations because don't worry, he's not genuine. He's just a Symbol so we can ignore the hints of his backstory making him a more complicated character. (And believe me, Belos' story is just vague enough that you could interpret him in any number of ways).

To conclude, I've noticed a trend in fan posts that develop a conclusion and work backwards from there, taking what they want from the show that fits to support their idea and ignore everything else. It's terrible analysis even if some good points are made.

#long post #the owl house #toh critical #toh criticism #luz noceda #emperor belos #philip wittebane #asks

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ur-frndly-neighborhood-memer1 · 1 year

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Luz's Trauma Is Downplayed

In The Owl House, we've seen many kinds of trauma, abuse and abusive relationships.

Hunter is the most noticeable example. It's easy to see his PTSD because we've witnessed the abuse that he suffered from his "uncle"s hand.

And it's hinted that it was Belos who gave Hunter the scars on his cheek and ear.

Just like how he gave him the new scars...

So we know that Hunter is a victim of long life abuse and very likely to suffer from PTSD (or "Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder" to be clear)

No wonder why he was having panic attacks in season 2.

And it's the same case for Amity. We've seen her stormy relationship with her parents.

And especially with her mother. Because Odalia isn't only strict but also a narcissistic mother who was emotionally abusive towards Amity.

And her father was mostly neglectful towards her too.

So just like Hunter, it's easy to see Amity's trauma.

And for Eda's case, we've seen her broken relationship with her sister in season 1 finale.

How her own sister cursed her for the sake of being a member of Emperor's Coven, a dream that shared by both sisters. And we saw Eda giving up on her dream because she didn't want to fight her sister. But Lilith on the other hand, went as far to curse her own sister...

Their backstory was the best but also the most tragic part of the season 1 for me.

We also saw clear flashbacks about Eda's past during "Knock, Knock, Knockin' Hooty's Door". We saw her family tragedy when her cursed form took out her father's eye, we saw her break-up with Raine... Basically, we saw how mentally broken and depressed she really was underneath that funny and sassy Owl Lady image. And let's be honest, this attitude is nothing but a coping mechanism to deal with guilt hurting her loved ones, fear of losing them and pain of her broken dreams...

Not even mentioning "Eda's Requiem" when her abondement issues got exposed to the audience for the first time. And she afraid of being lonely so much that she literally got suicidal at the end...

And even Willow!

I say "even" because her dads never appeared abusive, just lowkey strict.

Like, how they forced her to be placed in abomination coven even though she obviously had no interest in it and was struggling a lot.

However, Willow's trauma doesn't lie in her family life, but rather in her school life.

She was constantly bullied by Amity, Boscha and their gaang. She was underestimated, made fun of; felt worthless because of this negative treatment by her classmates...

Again, we can see Willow's struggle and empathize with her quickly, especially because we've seen that she was being bullied in the very first episode that she appeared.

HOWEVER

We know very little about how Luz's life was like before she went to Boiling Isles.

Yes, we had some brief flashbacks in "Thanks To Them", but even then, we've seen them from Camila's perspective, not from Luz's.

There are a few hints that giving Luz was being bullied in the school due to her antics and neurodivergent behaviors.

Such as in "Knock, Knock, Knockin' Hooty's Door"

You can see how stressful and nervous she looks here. Which makes sense because she was afraid that Amity was going to reject her and find her cheesy... just as how it happened back in the human world too.

So it's very likely that Luz had a crush on someone, but was rejected and made fun of due to her weirdness. (Honestly, who would reject this cute, pretty little goofball?!)

"Oh no! I'm gonna be made fun of again" This line makes it clear I think.

And then when she can't hold herself anymore, Luz starts panicking and destroying everything in the Tunnel of Love.

Most people were focused on Amity's sadness here, which is normal since the camera also focus on her instead of Luz who is busy destroying the stuff.

And apart from this, we know that Luz didn't have any friends except the "imaginary ones".

This is literally all we know about Luz's social life, and most of these are still semi-canon since it's never been truly revealed.

The only we know about Luz's social/family life is that she has a very loving mother (which is great) but also that she is dealing with a deep feeling of grief and pain due to losing her father at such a young age...

It's not exactly revealed what happened to Manny Noceda, but since Camila said that they had to move somewhere closer to a good hospital in order to cure him, we can say he was sick with a deadly disease (perhaps cancer?)

While saying it like that, it may seem like a lot about Luz's personal life was revealed in the show, but believe me, that's far from being the case...

Luz's traumas are often ignored by fandom. And the reason is the show is ignoring Luz.

Think about it, she's the protagonist so she's supposed to have the spotlight, right?

But no, we know much more about Eda, Hunter and Amity's personal lifes. I'm not saying this to complain, their own stories are also very interesting, especially Eda's. But still, it's no excuse to ignore the main character.

For all we know, Luz was bullied and made fun of in school, like Willow.

She was afraid of rejection, like Amity.

She is manipulated and scarred by Belos, like Hunter.

She is secretly depressed because of her relationship with father, like Eda.

But despite being deeply hurt and broken, why don't most of us acknowledge Luz's trauma?

Well, we have Disney to thank for this... Due to shortening The Owl House, we lost a great opportunity to know more about Luz.

However, this isn't the only reason...

Despite the fact that the show is shortened, we still have detailed informations about other characters like Eda, Amity, Hunter...

But the reason why Luz was ignored is also Dana Terrace's fault too. She often neglected Luz and focused more on other characters.

Maybe some people will disagree with me, but still, it's undeniable that Luz was neglected as a character and barely had the spotlight despite being the protagonist.

It's not only Luz though. Gus and King's backstories aren't even revealed or foreshadowed at all. We know little to no about them. Yeah, King is a Titan and Gus' dad is called Perry, and what else?

Like yeah, at least I was able write a few things about Luz. But there was almost nothing to write about Gus and King.

I wish we could have a full season 3 and then a season 4, we'd at least have some time to see everything without hurry.

Now I can only hope to have a good final episode. I sure hope "Watching and Dreaming" will be a good finale.

#the owl house willow #the owl house eda #the owl house amity #the owl house luz #the owl house hunter #the owl house gus #the owl house king #Dana Terrace #lilith clawthorne #edalyn clawthorne #eda x raine #Luz noceda #Amity Blight #Hunter #Willow Park #gus porter #Lumity #the owl house watching and dreaming #Disney

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maneaterwithtail · 1 year

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Why Belos role and characterization and treatment in narrative or character parallel bothers me

I cannot help but feel it confuses a therapeutic uhm... end goal

"Your abuser despite his (and it is ALWAYS a he) affect, power, influence, or even your feelings to him, is wrong about you and told you lies that control and undermine you. Leave them behind. Don't engage. Separate yourself and reasoning from them. You will be free and see them as powerless a shadow and not even need the same thing from anyone else. Because you have a more substantive and whole thing from yourself"

with

"Abuser is inhuman blind liar and nothing like you so have no fear. Its all a conspiracy and you'll never be like him no matter what you do!"

This is a common thing. Over and over and over. What grants the greatest... win or catharsis or validation for the audience's hero/standin. Moreso if queer representative.

Now, I do like the talk Luz has about this. And its meaningful, without prompting, she comes to this bad emotional place by her own reasoning and feelings. SHOWING how much she's grown and avoided being a Belos.

Its the "you were never alike along" that really bugs me. Not you changed and avoided that path thanks to acceptance of and by others so have become better. But He was conspiring and lying because that all he is which you never were doing (which is remarkably...untrue in my mind. Or says forgiveness is only for the innoecent uwu baby which no matter what the polycule aspirants are)

Moreover whenever its time to imply or make decisions its to absolve the likable or standins (or useful) or scapegoat Belos like some "The Devil Made Me Do It" figure which creeps me out. I thought the entire point was to AVOID that

Its not that

there are guys so hateful so ambitious so DANGEROUS you had to use violence and people who willfully double down do these things. It sucks but.. this how it goes. here what like and how we get from there to here and how deal with even the psychological aftereffects

Its that

said stubborn blindness in everyone is all sourced by this one conveniently hatable guy.. who also is just smart enough to cause and control all but you're just so smart and special and vigorous enough can't compel you, never did. Or he is stupid enough basic teenage stubbornness foils him time and again with little cost or effort but to the fee fees.. maybe true defeat when don't feel bad anymore

Again it, to me, has always felt like at ODDS with where Owl House started. A mature take on dealing with differences and expression and learning to get along and yes tolerate not just differences but 'enemies'

Not least because they don't ever have to

Hey? Girl who has career investment and resents you and etc etc etc secretly just repressed lesbian for you.

Hey? Guy who is true believer in cause and dismissive of everyone interrupting to it? Just woobie tormented by evil abuser. Not his fault and never going to hurt you because he's so nice and tortured. But also his beliefs have no validity or positivity and were never necessary.

Hey? Guy who avoids emotional conflicts and the difficult human investments, neglecting his relationships to focus on his hobbies and then turns people into components...for his self image is TOTALLY different than a stage mom because.. uhm... well she's socially ambitious and DIRECT as toneglectful exploitive in their abusive action.

Hey? Your teasing super popular bully is secretly just like you once they accept that they will have to get along (serve to) your goals while adding to your found family (staff and servants to ease your struggles with difference, labor, money, resources, or knowledge. Conveniently.. well save for occasional emotional maintenance whew no things and effort and time and work you value thought)

ETA Hey the family who blames you for your failure, resents your marginalization, and arrogantly wishes to fix you? Always outshine by you in clash knows less than you. And after come Crawling back to you benevolent forgiveness confess they cursed you! Once convert and undermine their worldview or prioritize you as to have serious issues with your criminal, self harm, and possible addiction behavior, then perhaps you can forgive them if will continue the obsequious or usefulness. (damn maheshwarens look at the clawthornes going there for the grace of God would go i)

Hey? Those horrible parallels you notice between yourself and people you hate is just an illusion put on by an evil white guy who embodies what you hate about society and authority or that asshole from that institution you have to put up with for your education. You're not at fault because you made a mistake and you feel bad about it and with perfect knowledge and power you'd never be like them so striving for same you won't do the same things.

And AGAIN i get where this comes from and why and even in some cases its necessary but tell me there isn't something just a little TOO damn close to

The Narcissist's Prayer (by Dayna Craig)

That didn't happen.

And if it did, it wasn't that bad.

And if it was, that's not a big deal.

And if it is, that's not my fault.

And if it was, I didn't mean it.

And if I did, you deserved it.

At the least we're at lines 6-4 for the lesson/character assessment/embodiment so with the NARRATIVE supplying lines 1-3. Information always happens to clarify a situation so the initial hook gets put down.

Moreso with the idea of the supervillain narcissist who all your own problems and bad actions can be attributed or sourced. (I avoid the Invisible man movie for a line implying this. sure sure I'm certain 'in context' its justified. that's the thing lines 1-3 is ALWAYS made 'in context with what feels a powerful idealized stand in' where things bend just enough for the character. Not really the dread female or minority character accusation word but close enough or evokes my same issues (have same or similar problems with Shinji, the world is or reflects or exists to further his depression so feels.. unreal)

Made worse because of the ... meeting in the middle of the lines or the completion the problem isn't "narcissism" -which can be inborn in exceptions who are people or exceptional people- but also develop in you and me. No the problem is the "narcississt" this shibboleth (forgive my cultural appropriation and feel free to correct with better less sacred or more accurate term) Archetype Modern Folklore Myth ("but its real I used The Sciencetm not Re-lulz-gen") I Learned From Validating Empowering Source. The Narcissist is always a collection of traits in a person who is other and despicable who has made the real mistake of being both ambitious, respected, and un-ignorable/supportive down to the core. enviable AND stronger.

Oh and Belos is always lying, to himself and others .. but doesn't believe or operate in a way to best support the lie. Say, recruiting a mob or authority or gang to go into the demon realm to enact a plan?

Why did he try that stupid lie? He's a MUCH better liar than that!

Heck he hasn't really had a hatred of Luz so much as witches and the demon realm mixed with an immature hero narrative that foregoes compassion or self reflection.

But even if it was ALL a lie. If he was at the desperate point he was willing to humble himself to the witches and Luz just to save his skin why be THAT preposterous?

Because the only threat he's EVER allowed to make is emotional to trigger Luz/audience trauma in a way that them having been marginalized in a way very VERY likely shared but specific enough to neuroatypical queer younger people or folks who have been near such can very much relate to.

Its like the bad guys in Dragon Prince becoming demonic untalking firezombies in contradiction to preaching following a religious appearing figure.

Too damn indulgent.

Have Raine, King Clawthorne, and Eda beat down Phillip or older Belos. not the Wicked Fals Wizard of the South East from The Bad Times of SUPER PATRIARCHY (and why its bad this season's finest ideological threads)

Have Luz hug her mom after resolute seeing his death, no "save"of her innoencence or responsibility. However vulgar, necessary, or more she killed a dude.

Just... stop it with The Devil Belos who is the Real True Evil because *insert things hate here* who if killed all his influence dissipates as to perpetuates because he's The Source Of All The Flaws, Even Yours Or They Were Mistakes After All He Doesn't Fit In The Found Family/Polycule Dynamics.

I guess end of the day I just disagree with

Dad Titan.

I mean in one way. The assume part. Hate can come from a genuine place. OR false place. Or an insecure place. Or a narcissistic place. I suppose not disagree with his point or even actions.

Its GOOD he makes the distinction he does between Luz and Belos. But Luz wanted guidance and she got validation, particularly the kind that without context doesn't guide to good.

Its why feel so adolescent. Which is FINE as that the primary target of the show. But blows the conflict out of proportion with that target's ACTUAL challenges and needs and keeps the adult responsibility and restraint down to convenience if this is about her coming into her own as an adult woman or taking that adult step.

Compare Camilla's journey to Luz and its... off

Moreso for me the sense sending Luz to camp was 'forced on her' and was 'a bad thing' Lucedas should feel guilty for as to a critical step to better Luz and did end up for the best even in the equivalent of Luz's doppleganger/sister where it happened when she stood in as Camilla planned!

"You can do all the same things without self reflection or ethical consideration if you find the right ideology/cause or are actually a True Victim" feels easier to get than

"This is how you balance your dreams and goals and ambitions with the fact other people are just as rich with their own inner life as you. EVEN IF YOU, as entitled and rightly, HATE THEIR GUTS"

That's taught to the Collector, but surprisingly only when absolved or 'retooled much like EVERY OTHER antagonist before to be a new party member in disguise.. also weaker now with easier exploitable weakness so not have to tolerate the threat of his power and another convenient evil abusive older shadow adult is behind it ALL! I mean don't have to deal with the possible mind warping idea of a clinical socipath or someone inherently more powerful than you you have to WORK to habituate, rehab. Or he is too attached to his trauma and wrath and vengeance, or yoy have to develop and prepare means to substantially restrain/neuter/nerf/drug/etc

much same as not have to tolerate the threeat of Belos's influence or connection and effects. Or that he's one guy when need to dismiss him but Extant all powerful shadow when need to justify your actions that support your hero narrative.

#spoilers #cartoons are series business #series finale #series analysis #The Owl House #3rd season 3 extended episode #character analysis #philip wittebane #Emperor Belos #luz nuceda #toh spoilers

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lotusthekat · 3 years

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Every little thing he does is magic

Fandom: The Owl House

Rating: G

Relationships: Luz Noceda/Hunter

Characters: Luz Noceda, Hunter (Golden Guard)

Summary: After a mission gone wrong, Luz discovers more about the boy behind the Golden Guard. More specifically, his caring side.

*Not compliant with Eclipse Lake!

Word count: 1.394

AO3 / Fanfiction

A/N: I’m kind of embarrassed to admit that I’ve been thinking about this ship in the past few days, so now I wrote a very self-indulgent fic for them. My very first TOH fic for that matter. I hope this isn’t too OOC, haha.

TRIGGER WARNING - implied child abuse

HATE COMMENTS WILL BE DELETED AND BLOCKED.

There is… a light.

No. More than one.

The smell of fire and the magic woods welcome her senses, her brown eyes finding a small campfire and several light spells, small balls floating around, protecting her from the darkness of the mysterious forest.

Luz’s head hurts, though.

She grunts, and once she tries to try and stand…

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

The voice, at first, alarms her and she’s ready to take Eda’s staff to defend herself. Except it’s not by her side, and when she realizes, Luz is not actually in danger.

A few feet away from her is the Golden Guard – Hunter, she remembers –, sitting by the campfire with a frowning but saddened gaze. His red eyes are dark in contrast to all the light surrounding them, and besides his absent golden mask, he’s not wearing his trademark white cloak, either.

… in fact, said cloak has been covering Luz all this time.

Before the girl could question it, the little cardinal lands in front of her, chirping in happiness.

“Hey, little guy,” Luz awes in spite of her pain, allowing her to sit – with a few struggles. She notices her arm is bandaged by some ripped white cloth, apparently from the cloak.

Unlike the little Rascal, Hunter doesn’t even look at her. He looks like he’s in too deep in the fire, seeing things no one else can.

“Wh… What happened?” Luz asks, unsure.

Hunter refuses to take his eyes off the flames; he seems to hug his knees tighter.

“Kikimora found us in the woods when we tried to escape,” he replies. “Let’s just say, she was less than happy to see us.”

Bits and pieces come back to Luz, having her recall they were on a mission together; as much as she still didn’t trust him, she couldn’t quite refuse when Hunter had gone all the way to the Owl House to ask for her help, in the middle of the night, to fight off the Emperor’s Coven from eradicating the few wild magic there still is.

“Did- Did we at least take some of the wood with us?” Luz wonders, searching for her bag.

Hunter looks down. “No.”

Luz stares at him sadly.

“Sorry,” she mutters.

“… it doesn’t matter.”

“What do you mean? T-They were going to destroy it-!”

“Kikimora almost killed you!”

The tone of anger and frustration in his voice shuts Luz for good. Maybe she’s still a little doozy, but she swears she might even see Hunter’s eyes glowing thanks to the light spells.

He takes a deep breath, however, and looks far away into the dark forest.

“We barely got out of there alive,” Hunter rephrases, his voice noticeably a lot quieter, as if afraid the world might hear. “And then, when she had me cornered, you”— his hands clutch his sleeves —“you jumped in to save me.”

Luz remembers.

She replays the entire scene in her head, and she sees herself stepping in. Despite all the conflicting thoughts, Luz did not hesitate; she yelled and took the blow, and that was the last thing she saw before blacking out.

The teenage girl can’t help but hear the conflict in his words. Hunter sounds guilty and confused. Then she realizes. The white cloak still protecting her, her bandaged arm, the light spells illuminating her view…

No one has ever gone out of their way to protect him.

Knowing Lilith, Luz is aware the Emperor’s Coven is hell. Imagine then, how it must be for a teenage boy who could’ve been a normal student at Hexside, being forced to work for Belos. Luz might only see it through Hunter’s scars and his short-tempered and distant attitude, but… truly, the Emperor is not a merciful man.

It’s all he must’ve learned.

And yet he’s so desperate to get out, that he told Luz about his life, he reached out to her… and now, he’s taking care of her. This isn’t a joke, nor a plan.

Hunter must be very confused.

Luz has… so many thoughts. Strange ones. Quite usual for a human living in the Boiling Isles, really.

The little Rascal flies over to Hunter’s shoulder for comfort. The boy might flinch at first, but he relaxes his body. Luz smiles in support, while the other hides half of his face in his arms.

“Hey,” she says, scooting a little closer to him, “thanks for looking after me.”

Hunter finally snaps his head at her, and his face… becomes as red as the cardinal chirping.

“I-I—” He coughs a little too violently, “W-Well, what else could I’ve done? I couldn’t just leave you there, after I asked for your help! I mean- we still have our truce, remember?”

“Well yeah, but…” Luz gestures at the light spells that join them. “I think there’s some light inside you, after all.”

After a few seconds, Hunter groans, “That was terrible.”

Luz giggles along with the Rascal. The boy sighs it out.

“In any case, we’ll have to stay here for the night. You’re not in any condition to fly all the way back to the Owl House,” Hunter observes her, with a speck of worry. He blushes again and avoids her eyes. “Early morning, we’ll get out of here.”

Luz hums. “Roger!”

“… my name is Hunter.”

“Nevermind.”

He shrugs. “I made sure to leave traps near us. I had to use some papers of yours, though.”

“Wow, someone’s becoming a pro already?” She smirks.

“I-It’s not that hard,” Hunter scoffs, “but yeah… I’ve been practicing when I can.”

“Too bad you can’t come to my glyph lessons. I’ve been teaching Eda.”

He raises an eyebrow. “The Owl Lady?”

“Mm-hmm,” Luz grins. “You could learn a lot more from me.”

Surprisingly, Hunter smiles back. “I already do.”

The girl admits, he looks good smiling. Wait.

Noticing that, he returns to his serious persona.

“You should rest now,” Hunter advises, “the healing potion I gave you might take a while to have effect.”

“Okay,” she yawns as soon as he says it. How convenient.

As soon as she lies down, Luz watches Hunter not following his advice at all.

“Well, aren’t you gonna rest too?”

“I don’t need sleep.”

Luz frowns. “Your eyebags beg to differ.”

Hunter hisses silently, like a grumpy cat.

“Hey, we’ve had a long day, some hours of sleep won’t hurt you,” she insists.

“I can’t let my guard down again,” Hunter says firmly. He faces away from her. “I can’t ever lose focus.”

She would’ve teased him more, but it wouldn’t feel right.

“… I’ll be okay,” Luz reassures him. “You made sure we’re safe; they’ll think twice before getting to us again.”

The sixteen-year-old boy holds a very long stare, mentally trying to trust her words. Luz smiles at him with support.

“Right,” he sighs. “You win.”

Luz is, admittedly, kind of surprised he’s complying, but he must be really tired. When does he even get to rest?

Hunter lies down beside her, though he keeps his distance. It allows the Rascal to sit between them, and Luz pets the adorable little bird. As for Hunter, he turns around and she only finds his back.

“Hey, um, do you want your cloak back?” Luz asks.

“You need it more than I do. It’s cold out here.”

“You sure? Aren’t you cold, too?”

“Not really. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay…” Luz hugs the white cape close, and quickly smirks, “I might not give it back though. I’m a known heat stealer.”

Even when she doesn’t see his face, the girl can tell he’s rolling his eyes.

“Whatever. Go to sleep.”

She snorts.

Although the Boiling Isles are not generally peaceful, there’s… quite a beauty to it. Even when she’s being hunted by the evil Emperor himself, this might be one of the few moments of peace Luz’s had since arriving here.

Ironically, with the guy she once hated. She’s not too sure how to feel about him yet… but he’s really just a kid, forced into a destiny that is not his own. He’s really trying to come out of his shell, and it’s pretty sweet.

Luz might lean a little to check if he’s asleep – as it turns out, he’s already sleeping like a rock. Who knows how much he needed it.

She smiles and soon joins him, guarded by his newfound magic.

#the owl house #luz noceda #toh hunter #lunter #abuse mention tw #fanfiction #toh spoilers

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captainimprobable · 3 years

Text

Part 4 of That Thing I’ve Been Writing. This one is VERY MUCH a first draft. Like, I know I’ve been saying that a lot, but this shit needs EDITING. I just have no self control and I wanted to share a little of what I’m working on. I hope you like the sneak peek! Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 ~~

They turn fifteen.

Many things have changed in the few months they’ve been together. It’s easier now, somehow, in a way it wasn’t at the beginning.

They don’t blush as much anymore, and they hold hands readily and easily. They kiss each other’s cheeks before they leave a room. Luz is overwhelmingly, uncontrollably happy.

However. Luz has noticed something, lately. Something that perplexes and confuses her.

Here’s the deal: Luz really wants to kiss her girlfriend.

It takes her days of getting distracted by Amity’s lips to come to this realization, and when she does, she’s sort of embarrassed. She knows she has no reason to be. This is her girlfriend, and girlfriends kiss, right? That’s normal!

But she’s never actually kissed anyone before, and this is Amity, and it’s been months of dating now and how in the world is she supposed to go about this? Does she ask? Does she just lean in? Does she send her a letter that says “Will you kiss me? Check y/n boxes below”?????

She agonizes over this for days, barely paying attention to the planning for their joint birthday party.

She still hasn’t decided what to do when, before she knows it, it’s time for the party. Edric and Emira show up with a tub of apple blood, hiding it behind their backs until they realize that Eda has not only already supplied the party with enough to knock out a slitherbeast, but also pregamed so much herself that she is well and truly gone.

The twins give each other a sly grin, leave Eda knocked out on the couch, and run inside. Before Luz knows what’s happening, Emira is picking her up while Edric grabs Amity and gives her a noogie. “Happy birthday baby sisters,” Emira croons, while the girls struggle to get free. “Yeah,” Edric says, messing up Amity’s hair. “Thanks for being born in the same month so we don’t have to go to two parties.”

Luz laughs, a little embarrassed at being called the twins’ baby sister. “Thanks, guys,” she says, breaking free of Emira’s hold. She manages to rescue Amity from Edric’s arms, and the two of them sprint away before they can be grabbed again, the twins’ laughter following them all the way to the door.

“Sorry about that,” Amity says, rolling her eyes. “You know how they are.”

“Uh huh,” Luz gulps, distracted by the way Amity’s hair is curling a little over her ears. “I know how it is.”

Luckily, Willow and Gus choose that moment to walk inside, and Luz has an ample distraction. “My friends!” She yells, draping her arms around their necks. “Welcome! Also!” She lowers her voice. “Did you know that I love you?”

Willow laughs. “We know that, Luz. Wanna know a secret?” She winks. “We love you, too.”

“Happy birthday,” Gus adds, hugging Luz, and then Amity. “You’re super old now.”

“I know!” Luz says. “I’m finally at the age that Taylor Swift always prophesied about!”

Gus nods wisely. “I know about Taylor Swift. She’s a powerful warlock from your realm, is she not?”

“She is,” Luz agrees.

“Happy birthday, Amity.” Willow hesitates, and then opens her arms. Amity’s face breaks into a huge smile as she accepts Willow’s hug. “Thanks,” she says. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too.”

Luz is trying not to get emotional, but having so much love surrounding her is making her want to cry. Plus, seeing Willow and Amity get along so well makes her feel warm and fuzzy inside.

“Are you okay?” Amity whispers in her ear, and Luz jumps. “Y-yeah, I’m totally fine,” she says, trying to keep her stuttering to a minimum.

“Are you sure? You’ve been acting a little weird for awhile now, and you kind of look like you want to cry.”

Ah, man. Amity wasn’t supposed to notice that she’s been acting differently. But at least this question she has an answer for. “I’m just really happy,” she says truthfully, and Amity smiles. “Me too,” she says. “Happy birthday, Luz.”

As Amity walks away to talk to Willow, Luz tries not to stare after her.

She fails.

Amity looks like a goddess tonight. She always looks good, okay, but something about tonight, under the glow of the fairy lights, surrounded by her friends and family, makes her shine undeniable. Luz cannot comprehend how everyone isn’t staring at Amity right now.

She wants to kiss her, right now, in front of everyone, but she feels like Amity might not appreciate that, and besides, Viney is walking in right now and for some reason Emira just spilled her drink all over the floor, and there are more important things to focus on, right?

(What could be more important than kissing Amity?)

She shakes her head. Not now, Luz. Not now.

Maybe tonight just isn’t the night, either.

She sighs, but then shakes herself out of it. This is a party, and she’s going to enjoy it.

She doesn’t get to hang out with Amity much that night.

Her friends all want her attention, and there’s a worrying moment where Eda starts growing some feathers on her arms, but the crisis is averted quickly. She and King haul Eda safely into her nest, and Luz returns to the party, determined to at least hold Amity’s hand.

But Willow and Gus have started a dance off against Jerbo and Barkus, and there’s no way Luz is going to miss being a part of that. She sneaks a peek at Amity, who is standing off to the side with her drink, looking content. They lock eyes for a second and Luz’s breath is taken away.

This is ridiculous.

They’ve been dating for months. This should not still be happening.

But, god, Amity is just so cool, resting an arm nonchalantly on the table, and Luz wants to run over there and-

“Luz, it’s your turn!!!!!” Gus screams in her ear, and the moment is gone again.

It’s already midnight when she feels a tap on her shoulder. “Amity!” she yells, and tackles her girlfriend into a hug. “I haven’t seen you all night!”

“Woah,” Amity says, trying not to fall over. “I know, that’s why I’m here. Could I borrow you for a second?

Luz’s stomach flips itself over for absolutely no reason.

“Uh, sure, yeah, what’s up?”

“I just wanna show you something.”

Amity grabs her hand and leads her up the stairs, passing door after door until they reach the one that leads to the roof.

“Why are we-”

“Shhh,” Amity says. “Just come on!”

Amity doesn’t let go of her hand when they reach the roof. “Close your eyes,” she instructs.

“Um, Amity,” Luz says. “We’re like, a lot of feet off the ground.”

“Trust me,” Amity insists, and god help her but Luz does, so she complies. Amity’s palm is warm in hers as she tugs her over a few feet until finally, she says “open them”.

“What are we-” Luz falters. Because there, on the roof, is an honest to god picnic. Somehow Amity has hauled up a blanket and a basket, and it’s just so cute and cliche that Luz can’t stop the smile taking over her face.

“I figured we wouldn’t have time to talk tonight,” Amity says. “And...well...I missed you, so-” she gestures to the picnic.

“This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” Luz says, sitting down on one side of the basket. “I kept wanting to talk to you all night, but there was always something happening!”

“You’re popular,” Amity says simply, and Luz starts laughing before she realizes Amity is being totally serious.

“Anyway,” Amity says. “I made you something.”

Luz is really, really hoping it’s not a fairy pie, but instead, Amity pulls out a messy chocolate cupcake. “Happy birthday,” she says, and Luz practically swoons.

They share the cupcake, digging into it with messy hands and taking turns pointing out different stars.

“In my world, constellations are symbols for things,” Luz says.

“They are here, too! For example, that’s the giraffe constellation. It symbolizes death and destruction. And that over there is the Titan constellation. It also symbolizes death and destruction!”

“Romantic,” Luz jokes.

“I know, right?” Amity responds, sounding completely serious. Luz has to stifle the urge to laugh. She sneaks a peek at Amity and, oh, wow. Her face is glowing in the moonlight. She looks bright and bubbly and all the things she really is when her guard isn’t up. Her eyes are shining and Luz could swear she’s never seen anything more beautiful in her fifteen years of life.

She needs to do this now. There’s no better time, and even if there was, she simply can’t stop herself. The words just fall from her mouth like leaves from a tree, but a lot more quickly and nervously.

“Can I kiss you?”

Amity stops mid-sentence, mouth still hanging open and finger pointing at the sky. She blinks. “What did you say?”

“I-” Luz is losing her nerve really quickly, but before it’s gone completely she gathers up the rest of her courage and says “I really want to kiss you. Can I?”

“You...you want to kiss me?” Amity’s voice is full of wonder and her face is bright red.

“Wait, why do you sound surprised? You’re my girlfriend, of course I want to kiss you!” Luz scrambles onto her knees and searches Amity’s face.

“It’s just...it’s been so long, and it never happened, so I kind of thought maybe you didn’t want to or you were uncomfortable or whatever, which would be totally fine, by the way-”

“Oh my gosh we’re both so stupid,” Luz smacks a hand to her face. “I never kissed you because I thought you didn’t want to kiss me!”

“How could I not want to kiss you! Have you seen yourself????”

Amity’s hands are covering her eyes. She’s clearly embarrassed at having admitted that.

Luz takes a deep breath and gently pries Amity’s hands away from her face. Amity’s eyes instantly find Luz’s, and there’s a determination there that wasn’t there before. They both feel it, this thing happening between them, different from what they’ve been feeling for the past few months. It feels like every moment of their relationship has been leading up to this moment.

“Can I-” Luz starts, but is interrupted by Amity’s very enthusiastic “Yes!!!!”

Luz bites her lip, takes a deep breath, and leans in.

She closes her eyes.

The kiss feels a little like the first time she did magic, but light glyphs have nothing on this. The butterflies in her stomach have migrated to her chest, and they’re fluttering hard enough to rival her heartbeat.

She can’t believe this is happening.

Their noses bump together uncomfortably, but she doesn’t care, she doesn’t care, because this is her first kiss and it’s with Amity and she’s flying flying flying.

They pull apart, but not too far.

“Wow,” Amity whispers, and Luz nods. “Yeah,” she says. “Wow.”

“How have we not been doing that the whole time?”

“I don’t know,” Luz says. “But I’m more than happy to make up for lost time.”

She leans in again.

#lumity #the owl house #writins #one more part and then im done ;.;#and then i need to edit it all boo

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explosionshark · 4 years

Note

47. Luz/Amity, for the dialogue prompts

s/o to the anon who sent the same prompt!

47. “Why are you whispering?” Luz hollered.

“I’m not,” Amity shouted back. “You were standing too close to the explosion spell you were trying. I think you hurt your ears.”

“Oh,” said Luz gravely, brows furrowing. Then, “What?”

“I’m taking you to the Nurse’s Office,” Amity explained, gesturing with enough vigor to make the abomination carrying Luz quaver for a terrifying split-second. Focus, Blight.

“I don’t need a new purse,” Luz said. “I keep everything in my backpack. But I’ll go with you! I can help you pick one out! Girl’s night!”

Amity opened her mouth to reply before catching herself and clamping her jaw shut. It was, apparently, a futile effort to explain. And it wasn’t like Luz was freaking out, demanding answers. She looked a little dazed, but otherwise surprisingly content to be ferried across campus in the arms of one of Amity’s abominations.

For the first time since choosing her track, Amity found herself truly frustrated with the rigidity of the coven system. Healing magic had never interested her before, but if she’d known a few spells they wouldn’t even have to be doing this at all.

But wasn’t that exactly what got them here? Luz, over-eager and so ridiculously reckless, couldn’t settle on a single track, had to try everything. Had to experiment with dangerous combinations of elemental magic in the old greenhouse after class.

And Amity, who was apparently afflicted with some kind of transmogrification curse that turned her brain (and her knees) into pudding whenever Luz was around, didn’t do anything to stop her. Not really. She’d discouraged Luz, called it a bad idea, but she should have known that wouldn’t be enough to dissuade someone as stubborn as Luz Noceda.

“Hey,” Luz called from her perch in the abomination’s arms. “Amity!”

“What, Luz?” Amity snapped, immediately sorry for it when Luz flinches at her tone. She keeps doing that. She can never seem to just act normal around Luz. Always too harsh or too awkward, babbling like a total loser.

“You mad at me?” Luz asks, a little quieter this time. That’s probably a good sign, right? “Also, is anyone gonna turn that alarm off? Is this a fire drill?”

Amity winces. Why did they build the nurse’s office so far from the center of everything in a school where students learned how to start magical fires and summon demonic constructs?

“I’m... frustrated,” Amity says, letting loose a deep breath. It’s not as difficult as she thought it’d be, to be honest. Luz frowns a little, but doesn’t interrupt her, so Amity goes on. “You scared me. I thought you might be really hurt, and I didn’t do anything to stop you from putting yourself in danger.”

Luz has the decency to look a little embarrassed at this. “You told me not to. And it’s okay. I’m totally fine!”

At this Luz tries to demonstrate her fineness by hopping free of the abomination’s grip, succeeding only in nearly plummeting onto the floor. Only Amity’s quick reflexes and an on-the-fly reconfiguration of the abomination’s form keep her from face-planting.

“Luz!” Amity barks, arms shaking from adrenaline and the strain of catching Luz’s upper body. The abomination droops into a puddle beneath them, Luz’s legs sinking slowly to the floor.

“Okay,” Luz says calmly. “That was my bad. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“C’mon,” Amity sighs, heaving Luz’s arm over her shoulder and half-dragging her toward’s the nurse’s office. She putts a little extra air into her breathing, hoping that her red face comes off as exertion and not... whatever this is. “We’re almost there.”

“It wouldn’t be your fault, y’know,” Luz pipes up after a moment, a little shaky still but steadier on her legs than she’d been when Amity found her in the greenhouse, covered in dust and shredded plant matter, “if I got hurt doing something dumb. I know I can be a little reckless. That’s not on you.”

A little reckless is the understatement of the year.

Monumentally reckless. Brash, foolhardy, stubborn, naive, frustrating, impulsive.... sweet. Cute. Thoughtful, trying to reassure Amity even when she was barely able to stay upright.

The worst part of this entire stupid crush was the way Amity couldn’t even stay mad when she had a good reason to anymore.

“Just try not to get hurt again, please?” Amity mumbles, ducking her head to hide her increased blush. “I know I’m not, like, your ‘fun’ friend and maybe it seems like I’m trying to boss you around, but I’m a good witch, okay? And if I say something is dangerous and you shouldn’t do it, I just want you to be safe. I’m not trying to stop you from learning magic.”

“You’re tons of fun!” Luz protests, sounding genuinely offended. “And I’m sorry I didn’t listen. I just got carried away. I know you’re a good witch -- I guess I just... I’m impatient to catch up, okay? If I could do even half the stuff you can--”

“Luz,” Amity interrupts, gently as she knows how, swallowing past the sudden lump in her throat. Her voice sounds weird over the thunderous rush of blood in her ears. “I’ve been training in magic my whole life. You’ve been here for a couple weeks. And you’re not even a witch! Everything you do is amazing.”

Amity cuts herself off, pausing outside the door to the nurse’s office. Luz sways gently in her arms, uncharacteristically silent, face tilted towards the floor.

“Are... you okay?” Amity asks, trying to gently detangle herself from Luz’s spidermonkeylike grip on her shoulders.

“You think I’m amazing?” Luz asks, finally looking up, face drawn in wonder.

Amity feels that familiar rush of warmth over her whole body, the fluttery swoop of butterflies in her stomach, that sensation of the ground dropping out from her feet. But she keeps her legs straight, refuses to let herself look away from Luz’s open, trusting face.”Yeah, Luz.”

“Oh,” Luz exhales and then grins, brilliant and brighter than any light spell Amity’s ever seen. “Cool.”

“I also think you might have a concussion,” Amity murmurs, partly to cut the tension and partly because Luz can’t seem to focus her eyes fully for longer than a few seconds. “We should probably get you inside.”

“Oh, what?” Luz’s mouth crumples funnily and twists into a giddy sort of grin. She looks away and then back, pushing a hand through her messy brown hair. “No one’s ever called me.... I mean. Hey. Thanks for getting me here in one piece, sugar muffin.”

“Sugar m--” Amity chokes. “I didn’t-- Concussion, I think you have a concussion.”

“Jeez, okay, Amity, I get it,” Luz smirks and leans in, pressing a fleeting kiss to Amity’s flaming cheek. Then she stomps precariously toward’s the door to the nurse’s office, missing the knob on her first swipe and struggling weakly with it until Amity shakes herself and steps forward to let them in herself.

dialogue prompts

#the owl house #lumity #amity blight #luz noceda #thanks for the prompt val!#prompt fills #explosionfic #they're just.... dweebs #valvaliant

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jammatown919 · 3 years

Text

Family

(Note: Feel free to drop some prompts in the comments. No guarantees, but I may write it for ya and give you a shout out if I'm low on ideas. Just nothing blatantly inappropriate.)

Content: When Eda walks in on her and Luz, Amity expects a negative reaction. What she gets instead makes her feel as though she really does have somewhere to go.

Since starting at Hexside, it had become common for Luz to come to Amity for help with her Abominations homework. Some days they would stay after school to do it, and other days, such as today, Amity would come home with Luz to work on their homework in her room.

The only problem with this was that, now that the two were dating, they often had trouble focusing on their homework while alone together. At the moment, Amity had two out of fifteen homework questions finished and a very clingy girlfriend cuddling up to her and trying like hell to get her attention.

"Amityyyy," Luz practically whined. "We've been at this for an hour. Can't we take a break?"

"We would've been done a long time ago if you could just focus." Amity gently shoved Luz off her shoulder. "Or at least let me focus."

"It's your own fault for being so cute." Luz grumbled, crossing her arms in a way that Amity found both childish and endearing. "How could I not get distracted when you're right next to me being all adorable?"

"I am literally just sitting here." Amity said flatly, scribbling down an answer for the third homework question. Luz tried to peer at her answer, prompting Amity to lightly swat at her and shield her notebook. "Hey! No cheating."

"But this is so hard." Luz groaned.

"I said I'd help you, but letting you copy my answers isn't helping you learn anything." Amity sighed and set her pen down. "Okay, how about this: We'll do the questions together, and for every three we finish, we can take five minutes."

"Okay!" Luz perked up at that. "Since you just finished three, does that mean we can take our first break?"

"You still have to do your third." Amity reminded her, glancing over at Luz's notebook. Luz sighed as Amity began to walk her through finding the answer, giving her hints and prods, but never outright telling her. The second she had her answer, she pushed her pen and notebook aside and leaned into Amity's shoulder.

"I hate this subject." She declared quietly as Amity put an arm around her shoulders.

"You said Abominations was your favorite." Amity pointed out, recalling the exact moment that Luz had said this, only two days ago.

"It's my favorite class, because you're in it." Luz corrected her, lifting her head to press a kiss to Amity's cheek.

Amity stiffened, eyes darting to Luz's closed bedroom door. She knew the chances of being walked in on weren't particularly high, but she still wanted to be cautious. Ridiculous as it may sound to think that Eda the Owl Lady of all people might have heteronormative views, Amity couldn't help but consider the possibility that Eda may have the same reaction she knew her parents would have if they ever became aware of her relationship with Luz.

If Amity were to tell her parents about Luz, she was almost certain that there would be major consequences, and she didn't want to risk Luz having to deal with something similar.

"You okay, cariño?" Luz asked softly. Amity quickly tore her gaze away from the door and looked back to her girlfriend.

"Yeah," She replied, pecking Luz's forehead just to prove that she was fine. And she was, truly. They were alone, the door was closed, and nobody had bothered them since they'd arrived; a bit of affection wasn't going to hurt anything.

Luz smiled at her and leaned in to kiss her on the lips. After some very brief hesitation, Amity met her halfway. Just as their lips met, the door banged open, startling them apart.

"Hey, kid, I'm maki-" Eda froze in the doorway, eyes wide. Her ears twitched back a bit as she realized exactly what she'd just walked in on.

Amity stared at her, her face warm and chest tight. Why wasn't Eda saying anything? Were they in trouble? She hoped her quickened breathing wasn't too noticeable, but she couldn't really tell over the sound of blood rushing in her ears.

"Okay, so," Eda began awkwardly. "I'm gonna leave you two alone, but this door stays partially open, okay?"

"Yes, Eda." Luz replied, her face pink with embarrassment. Eda nodded in satisfaction and turned to leave, but Amity found that she couldn't let her without knowing for sure.

"S-so," Her voice broke, and she had to clear her throat to try again. "You're not mad?"

"Mad?" Eda asked, almost indignantly, as she whipped back around. "Why would I be mad? I mean, yeah, okay, I'm a little annoyed that you two didn't tell me and I let you come up here and close the door, but I'm not mad."

"I just thought," Amity struggled to find the words, and part of her honestly wished that the rest of her would just shut up. They were good, so why was she still talking? "Because we're both girls-"

"Are you trying to convince me to be mad or something?" Eda inquired jokingly. When Amity didn't respond, her expression softened. "Listen, kid, I don't know what's going on at home, but in my house, this-" She gestured between Luz and Amity. "Is perfectly welcome."

Amity felt Luz's hand on her own and glanced over to find her smiling softly. Slowly, she began to do the same.

"Kid, I want you to know something." Eda said, her voice suddenly serious. Amity looked back at her, concerned by the sudden change in demeanor. "If anything ever happens at home, I want you to know that you can always come here. Our Luz loves you, and that means you're a part of this family."

Amity stayed silent, unsure of how to respond. She'd never been offered completely unconditional acceptance by an adult in her life before. It was always her grades or her ability to work hard or knowing when to shut her mouth that made adults want her around, but Eda had seen something that would make her completely undesirable to her parents and told her it was okay. She didn't realize she was tearing up until she felt something wet on her cheek.

"Amity?" Luz prompted, tightening her hold on Amity's hand.

"Thank you." Amity wiped at her eyes as she looked up at Eda. "Thank you. I'll remember that."

"Alright, kids," Eda gave them both an affectionate, almost maternal look, as she backed out of the room. "Finish your homework. Door stays open."

"Okay." Luz called after her as she disappeared back into the hallway, her footsteps echoing down the stairs. Once Eda was gone, Luz looked back to Amity. "That went well."

"Yeah," Amity replied. 'Well' was an understatement. Compared to what Amity had been fearing, that had gone beyond perfectly. "Yeah, it really did. But that was our five minutes."

Luz let out a short whine as she picked her notebook back up and started reading the next question out loud. As she did so, Amity gently leaned against her, feeling a lot more confident about cuddling up, even while the door was open.

She had nothing to worry about here. Not anymore. Eda knew, and she was fine it, as Amity's rational mind had always known she would be. And now even the irrational part of her no longer had any reason to fear. She was safe here, she could be herself. She wasn't sure if Eda was entirely aware - although with all that talk about what might be going on it home, it was possible that she did - but she'd given Amity the best gift she ever could have hoped to received. After years of self isolation in the interest of self preservation, Amity finally had somewhere to go.

#the owl house #toh #edalyn clawthorne #luz noceda #amity blight #lumity #coming out #tw: mentions of homophobia

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flowersandskeletons526 · 3 years

Text

“The Harshest Future We Could Have Imagined” - Lumity Future AU Fanfic Part 1

This is set about five years in the future after “Agony of a Witch.” Luz returned home through a broken portal and couldn’t return, but in four years, without the portal being fixed, Amity and the others had to focus on their lives in the present, including the rebellion they started. Now, what will happen when Luz returns to the war-torn world she used to love?

(Link to Ao3 --- https://archiveofourown.org/works/28305051/chapters/69356406)

----

“You really have to go?”

“I do.”

Luz squeezed Amity’s hands, standing before the portal with her backpack and her cloak. Amity kept her eyes down. She struggled to fight back tears, clutching Luz’s hands like a lifeline. They knew this was going to happen. Both had dreaded it all summer, ever since Luz revealed her exact situation to her friends. Willow and Gus already composed themselves - well, Gus was attempting to - and Eda and King were trying and failing not to cry downstairs. Lilith was somewhere rolling her eyes and hiding her emotions. The twins waited outside to bring Amity home once all their goodbyes were said.

Amity glanced at the fractured portal. After finding that Emperor Belos had managed to put it back together, yet another espionage mission was mounted to steal it back. Now, Luz could get back, but she only had this one chance. It killed Luz, having to leave but knowing he was still in power. Especially with Eda and Lilith rendered magicless after the failed petrification… nothing was certain now. Nothing but the fact that Luz had to leave.

Reading Amity’s mind, Luz touched her cheek and turned her head away from the portal. “Amity, I’m going to come back,” she said. “I promise I will.”

“How?”

“I don’t know. I know that I will, though. I got here before, right? I can do it again.”

“When the portal worked. What if we can’t put it back together? What if there’s no way to fix it, w-what if Belos gets it again, what if-”

“Hey, don’t think about that.” Luz pulled her in, wrapping her arms tight around her. Amity buried her face against the crook of Luz’s neck. “I’ll be back. Don’t worry, okay? You’re not going to get rid of me that easily.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.” She pulled back and pressed their foreheads together. “Don’t go soft on me just yet, Blight.”

Amity giggled through her tears. “In your dreams.”

“Look after this place for me, okay?”

“I will.”

She cupped the witch’s cheek. “And Ami?”

Amity blushed at the nickname. “Y-Yeah?”

“Don’t forget me.”

“Never.”

Luz planted a quick kiss on Amity’s cheek and pulled her into a tight hug. Amity held onto her hand as long as she could as she turned to the portal. Hiding her tears, Luz waved and flashed one last bright smile over her shoulder. She disappeared through the wall of light.

The shaking portal collapsed into a pile of smoldering pieces. Amity collapsed in a heap of silenced sobs.

****

Amity took a deep breath as she approached the Owl House. Hooty, distracted by a bug, perked up when he spotted her.

“Hoot! Hi, angry green haired friend! What’s that? Cupcakes? I looooove cupcakes! Hoot!”

Amity bared her fangs. “Don’t touch me, bird tube!”

“Alright! Hoot!”

“Sorry. Here, that one’s for you.” Amity tossed the treat in the air and cringed when Hooty swallowed it whole. “Can I come in?”

“Sure, you can! Wait, was the cupcake a bribe?”

“It’s a peace offering.”

“Okay!”

The door swung open. Eda and Lilith sat at the kitchen table, chatting idly, while King slept curled into a ball on the couch. They paused and looked up when she took a step inside. She swallowed her fear and waved.

“Hi, Eda. Ms. Clawthorne.” The latter greeting was delivered with just a twinge of venom. After hearing about how Eda was captured, about what happened to Luz, Amity still harbored a touch of resentment, even if everyone else seemed to have forgiven it. “Is it alright if I come in?”

“Sure, kid,” Eda said. Any hatred towards the Blights as a whole had been forgiven in Amity’s case. Amity attributed that to Eda’s constant subtle teasing about how she acted around Luz. Although now it just sounded like pity in her voice.

Amity stood beside Eda and set a pack of apple blood boxes on the table next to her.

Eda frowned. “How did you get your hands on this?”

“Emira.”

“She’s one of the twins I almost died with, right? The smart one?”

“Yes.”

“Ah. Well, thanks, kid.”

“You’re welcome. Luz mentioned it.”

Eda nodded and turned aside. Amity swallowed the lump in her throat and stepped over to the couch, kneeling beside King. She gently shook him until he woke with a quiet, “Weh?”

“Hi, King.”

The little demon scowled. “Hello, offering killer.”

“About that.” Amity set the cupcake on the couch in front of him. “I’m sorry.”

He sat up, inspecting the offering. “What’s wrong with it?”

“What? Nothing. It’s to make up for your cupcake I squished. I’m sorry.”

King tilted his head. He looked between Amity and the cupcake for a minute before pulling the sweet closer to him. “Offering accepted. I retract any curses I laid on you.”

“I, uh, thank you?”

“You’re welcome.”

Eda beckoned to Amity as she stood. “C’mere, kid. Come sit. Now, not that I’m complaining, but I have to ask. What’s up with all this.”

Amity took the offered seat and bowed her head. “Luz. She… she wanted me to stick around. She told me to before she left, so I figured it would be good to at least try to make up for what I’ve done. You are her family, after all.”

Eda sighed and rubbed her eyes. “Right. That’s right. Well, look, you don’t have anything to make up for anymore. You and the other two troublemakers are always welcome here. I know Luz will want to see you all when she gets back.”

“Do you think she will come back?”

“Of course. I mean hey, it’s already been what, a month? And we’ve already got all the books possible on fixing the old thing.”

“Four weeks, two days, and five hours,” Lilith interrupted. Amity and Eda stared at her. She cleared her throat. “I’ve been keeping track.”

Eda smirked and squeezed her sister’s hand. She turned back to Amity, reaching out to touch her shoulder. Amity flinched beneath the gentle pat. Eda paused, just long enough for Amity to relax, and tried again. This time, Amity just sighed as Eda rubbed her back.

“She’ll come back. It’s Luz, after all. Knowing that kid, she’s already got a new portal halfway finished in the human world.”

“You really think so?”

“Absolutely.”

****

“Absolutely not!”

“But Mom, I-”

“Amity, that is enough!” Odalia Blight slammed her hands down on her desk, looming over her youngest daughter standing across from her. “You are forbidden from returning to that den of criminal activity ever again. Do you understand me? If I ever hear about you so much as heading in that direction again, you will be sorry. Titan, I should have known this would happen after that fiasco at the petrification. That Clawthorne woman never should have been in the Emperor’s coven to begin with, considering her criminal sister.”

“Eda isn’t a criminal! Okay, well, technically, but not for any good reasons! And Lilith isn’t bad either, not anymore. She’s better than she was when you approved of her!”

Odalia scoffed. “Please. I know what is best for you, young lady, and I have made my decision. You are not to return to that place ever again or associate with anyone connected to it, including that half witch and the reporter’s runt.”

“But Luz-”

“Oh, the human! That’s where this began! I should have put a stop to this behavior as soon as Boscha’s parents told me you were hanging around her. This is what is best for you.”

“No it’s not!” Amity hollered. Odalia froze at the outburst. “Luz is my best friend and I’m not going to let you talk about her like she’s nothing! Not her, not Willow, and not Gus! They are better than anyone you ever picked for me and care about me more than you ever did.”

“You will do what I say! I am your mother!”

“I want what is best for you!” Odalia protested.

“You want a perfect daughter as head of the Emperor’s coven,” Amity retorted. “I’m not abandoning them like I already abandoned Willow. And I’m not abandoning the Owl House, either. You can’t make me.”

“I don’t care!”

Amity regretted the words the moment they left her tongue.

Odalia froze. Her face went deadly cold, eyes like ice as she leveled a vicious glare at her daughter. Amity shrunk.

“You don’t care that I’m your mother?”

“I-I… I didn’t mean…”

“Hmph. Fine. Then our name shouldn’t matter to you. If you are going to keep associating with the Clawthornes, you can take their name instead. Anything but Blight.”

“What?”

“Get out of this house, Amity.”

“Mom!”

“Get. Out.”

Amity took a step back. Tears burned her eyes. She clenched her fists and scowled.

“Fine.”

She spun on her heel and marched out. Flying to her room, she slammed the door behind her and grabbed a bag. She shoved a few regular outfits inside, along with her books, her school uniform, and her box of keepsakes with her Grom tiara in it. She shouldered the pack and bolted out of the house.

The twins intercepted her before she reached the door. Their ever present smiles disappeared when they saw her face, streaked with tears.

“Mittens, what’s wrong?” Emira asked.

“Ask Mom.” Amity shoved past them.

“Wha- Amity, wait, where are you going?”

“The Owl House!”

The massive doors of Blight Manor slammed shut behind her.

Casting a light spell, she ran through the Isles all the way to the Owl House. She never stopped or looked back, even as hot tears poured down her cheeks. When she reached her destination, Hooty let her in without so much as a hoot.

Eda gave her just a passing glance as first when she marched in, then whipped her head around when Amity’s appearance registered. Amity stood in the doorway, shaking and panting, clutching her pack to her chest. She scrubbed at her face and scrambled to regain some of her composure.

“Eda, Lilith, I, um… C-Can I…?”

“Kid, what happened?” Eda asked.

Amity shook her head. “My mom kicked me out. She told me I had to stop coming here and said I had to do what she said because she’s my mother and I told her I didn’t care so she kicked me out. I just… Can I stay here? Please? I-I don’t have anywhere else to go right now.”

“Of course. Come on, you’ll stay in Luz’s old room. Lilith, help me get her set up.”

That night, Amity cried herself to sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor, clutching her pillow and cursing all the years she spent in that controlling hell already.

The next day, the twins came by with the rest of her belongings, most of them dirty and broken.

“She threw them out the window?” she asked when they told her what happened.

“Well, she had the servants do it for the most part, but yes,” Edric replied. “Look, Amity, if you just apologize-”

“No,” Amity snapped. “I’m not apologizing to her. I’m staying here.”

Emira put a hand on her twin’s shoulder. “Ed, drop it. Look, Mittens, we’re here if you need us, okay? We’ll see you at school.”

The two hugged their baby sister and waved to Eda and Lilith sitting in the living room. Amity watched them disappear down the trail before shutting the door silently. She leaned her head against the wood for a quick moment before straightening.

“You okay, kid?” Eda asked.

“I’m fine.”

The next morning, Amity approached Lilith with a pair of clippers in hand. “Lilith?”

“Yes, Amity?”

“You do your own hair, right?”

“I dye it on occasion, when the orange roots start to become noticeable.”

“Will you help me cut my hair, please?”

“Of course.” Lilith closed her book and stood. “How did you want to cut it?”

“Cut off all the green dye.”

“Are you sure? That would make your hair quite short.”

“I’m sure. I just want it gone. I’m not going to let anyone force me to dye my hair again.”

Lilith frowned. “Your mother-”

“Please help me cut it.”

“Alright. Come here.”

****

“Okay, these are the outposts we know of so far.”

Gus spread a map over a rickety table. Orbs of light hovered in the tunnel above them, illuminating the little meeting place dug beneath Hexside. Willow and Amity knelt on either side of him and watched as he gestured to little markers on the creased parchment. Emira stood behind Gus, watching over his shoulder with Viney and the rest of the detention kids.

“Belos has squads of guards here, here, and here, and then multiple roving patrols through the marketplace and around Hexside. As long as we stay in the tunnels for meetings, we should be fine.”

Amity idly ran her hand over the short sides of her undercut, with the long part on top pulled into her normal short ponytail. With Lilith’s help over two years ago, she cut out all the green dye and never touched it with a drop of pigment afterwards.

After the meeting, the group said their goodbyes and took off down different tunnels of Gus’s making. Willow and Emira hung around with Amity as she extinguished the light orbs.

“Has Eda made any progress on the portal?” Willow asked after a moment of silence.

Amity sighed. “No. Nothing. We haven’t even gotten a flicker from it. I…” She shook her head and extinguished another light, trying not to think about the missing human. “I don’t know what we’re going to do.”

“How long has it been?”

“Too long.”

Willow nodded and touched Amity’s hand. “They’ll find a way to fix it.”

“I hope.”

Willow took off, leaving Amity alone with her sister. Emira leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. Amity stopped and turned to her sister.

“Have you heard anything from Edric?” the elder asked.

“Nothing. Has he been talking to you?”

“Not a word. He hasn’t told Mother and Father, I know that, but he stopped talking to me as soon as he learned about this. He doesn’t even play pranks with me anymore.”

Amity scoffed. “He’s trying to become their favorite child.”

“I think he is, at this point.”

“Right.” She held a light orb between her hands. “I heard they made Dad the leader of the emperor’s coven.”

“They did. It’s no wonder Edric is trying to get in so badly. I still can’t believe he’s doing all this.”

“Me neither. Look, I have to get back to the Owl House and keep helping Eda with the portal.”

Emira bowed her head with a tight lipped grimace, watching Amity with pity in her eyes. “Mittens, do you really think you’re going to get her back?”

“I know I will!” Amity snapped, but the anger faded quickly. “She promised she would come back.”

“Not all promises can be kept.”

“I know that, but we’re going to find a way. We have to.”

“Okay.” Emira hugged her sister and kissed the top of her head, still so much taller than her even after the years that had passed. “You’ll figure this out, Mittens. They can fix it.”

Amity just nodded and hugged her sister tighter.

****

Edric stood on the edge of a crumbling roof. Fires raged around him in the burning marketplace, littered with the bodies of fallen Emperor’s coven soldiers and wounded rebellion fighters fleeing the scene. His white cloak was stained red, and his sharp beaked mask hung around his neck. He leaned heavily on his staff.

In the street below, Amity wielded her own staff with its snarling tiger palisman. She growled at her brother while her friends fell into line behind her. Emira stood at her side, watching Edric not with anger, but heartbreak in her eyes.

“Ed, please!” she called. “This isn’t you!”

“Enough, Emira!” he roared. “I’m done being the stupid twin. Now it’s time for me to do what you and Amity failed to. I’m going to lead the Emperor’s coven after Dad and my career is going to start with ending your stupid rebellion!”

“You know Belos is wrong!” Amity protested. “This isn’t going to end how you want, Edric. Please just come with us.”

“Never!”

Amity shook the tears from her eyes and cast a spell circle. “Fine.”

A pink flame lit in her hand. Emira grabbed her arm.

“Mittens, no!”

“If he’s not going to join us, he’s against us! Belos is going to fall, Edric. Belos, the coven system, all of it. Including you.”

“Grow up, Amity. It’s time all three of us started acting like Blights. If you two won’t, I will.” Edric lifted his head. “Soldiers, retreat!”

Amity watched her brother flee with the rest of the soldiers. She gripped her staff and turned to Willow and Gus and the others standing behind her. “Everyone out of here!” she ordered. “Before they send reinforcements back. At least we know our enemy now.”

“Our brother,” Emira said quietly.

“Our enemy,” Amity repeated. “Willow, Gus, let’s go.”

The pair followed Amity back to the Owl House. They walked in silence, all three contemplating the day’s battle and the new development. There were suspicions of Edric’s involvement, but they hadn’t known the extent. And the fact that he was leading a command…

Amity, although hiding it beneath her rage, wanted to weep and curse at the sky. Her own brother! After all those years of him and Emira goofing off, never conforming to their parents’ expectation, leaving all the vicariously realized dreams to fall upon Amity, she never could have imagined him becoming so fed up with Emira’s jesting that he would turn his back on the both of them. She cursed under her breath thinking about it and forced the thoughts from her head. She couldn’t afford getting stuck in her thoughts now. She had the rebellion to think about, the rebellion that Willow founded and the two of them now led together. The rebellion, keeping the Owl House hidden, fixing the portal…

Titan, she couldn’t even afford to think about the portal anymore. Four years passed without anything working, and then the rebellion started with Willow’s attempted assassination of Belos a year ago.

Amity glanced at Willow beside her. A long scar wrapped around her eye from her forehead down to her jaw. She cut her hair short and wild to display it with pride. They all bore scars now, but Willow’s scarred face had become a symbol of the rebellion with her wanted poster plastered all over the Isles. Amity, although a leader herself, didn’t envy the responsibility Willow gained. Her speech all those years ago is what sowed the seeds, after all.

Hooty greeted them when they returned and flung the door open. Amity sighed and rubbed her eyes as they stepped inside, keeping her head down. She hadn’t noticed Willow and Gus stopping in their tracks by the door.

“Eda, Lilith, we found the new commander Belos has,” she said.

“Amity,” Eda said, rising from her seat. “Look up.”

She did.

Standing across from her was a tall girl with rich dark skin and fluffy brown hair pushed out of her face. Wide, fiery brown eyes locked with her golden stare. She was taller now, finally overtaking Amity, and her weak nerd arms had developed built and defined muscles. Her gently rounded ears were pierced with multiple golden rings. Despite everything, her bright smile was still the same, and it still sent Amity’s heart racing.

Amity sucked in a sharp breath.

“Luz?”

The girl grinned.

“Hey, Amity.”

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im-the-king-of-the-ocean · 4 years

Text

Coming Home

I recognize that the finale will probably give us an entirely different plot line with Eda, but I have A LOT OF EMOTIONS ABOUT THAT LAST EPISODE OKAY, and needed to write something, so here we are.

Or Eda’s perspective of being trapped by her curse, and then getting out.

Eda always knew, if she became the owl beast permanently, whatever would be left of her would be trapped in the gray mindscape she tends to visit when the curse overpowers her. What she didn’t know, up to now, was how boring it would be. She’s just sort of here, wherever here is. Sure, it’s most likely her mind, but it irks Eda that her mind is this dull, though. She’d think she’d have a lot more interesting things going on in here. At least before she’d had the recurring memory of when she was cursed. Even that isn’t coming to her now. Not that Eda wants to think about it, about Lilith. She just…she wants something.

Something to ground her in this endless gray. Eda can ‘walk’ in any direction and feel like she’s going somewhere and nowhere at the same time. She can look at her hand and consider it both close to her and far away. Eda’s perception of reality is skewed, warped. She’s both conscious and not. She hates this feeling. Having enough awareness to know she still exists, but not enough to truly be anything.

Eda is fading away. She knows this in a calm, accepting sort of way her old self, the one who existed back in the physical world, would never tolerate. If she’s anything right now, it’s merely a phantom projection of that self. The last vestiges that refuse to let go before the curse consumes every corner of her mind and Eda as she was is finally no more.

She’s not really Eda anymore anyway, is she? Not Edalyn Clawthorne. Not the Owl Lady. Not anything. Just a ghost, a lingering memory. Will the owl beast remember her? Doubtful. She never had any awareness of what the beast did when it was in control—only the terror of those who witnessed its carnage afterwards. The memories of fearful faces of former friends comes back to her for a brief second. A moment to be sad, and a little relieved. No one will mourn her. After all, there were reasons she lived alone in a secluded house in the woods.

The thought that that’s not quite right struggles for her drifting attention. The details are blurred shapes she can’t quite focus on long enough to recall.

There had been a reason for all this, hadn’t there? A strong emotion for something—someone?—outside herself. She can’t describe it, but she knows it. There was something and, whatever it was, it drove her to pushing beyond the breaking point, to where the curse could fully exert its control.

She doesn’t regret it, is what she assumes her last cognizant thought will be. Even though this is her fate, she doesn’t feel remorse. Whoever it was, was too important to her.

It’s comforting, in this final moment, to know she had something worth sacrificing everything for.

Hooo.

And then there’s an owl. Sitting on her knee. A vibrant splash of brown and gold disrupting the endless gray monochrome. Her focus is caught on it, stuck on the only thing that can differentiate itself from the miasma.

Hooo.

The owl spreads its wings. Small, cute, familiar. She can’t place how, but she knows the little creature. It circles around her once, twice, and then starts flying in a direction. Entranced, she follows it. This time, when she walks, she feels like she’s going toward something.

She arrives at a door. Its details blur and meander, but eventually settle into a design. Soft wooden features. What looks like two spy holes over the backside of an owl—owls seems to be a recurring thing now. Vaguely she wonders why. It feels important, that there are owls.

There’s a long door handle. She looks at it, blinks at it, and then realizes she can reach out and take hold of it. She does. It feels heavy. So heavy. Impossibly heavy.

The owl that led her here—Owlbert—coos comfortingly in her ear. She can do this. It’s just a door. She can open it. She’s opened lots of doors before, hasn’t she?

She pulls. The door resists. She pulls harder. The door doesn’t budge. She wraps both hands on the handle, hopes they don’t pop off as they occasionally do, and yanks. The door jerks open. She’s sucked beyond, plunged into an abyssal unknown.

“HOOT HOOT! HEY EDA, YOU’RE BACK!!!”

The sky is above her. Her head throbs with the worst imaginable headache. Hooty is yelling obnoxiously. Eda groans. She’s going to lie here, wherever ‘here’ is, for the rest of her life. Everything hurts.

“Eda!” She’s being squeezed. A set of arms wrapped too tightly around her. A body pressed against her own. Soft, muffled sobs soaking her tattered dress. “I thought…I thought…” Luz clings to her, as if letting her go will mean Eda will slip away again.

It takes Eda’s brain some time to catch up. She’s out. She’s not sure how exactly, but she’s escaped her mind. Either that, or this is the afterlife, but if this were the afterlife, Luz wouldn’t be crying. Granted, it seems to be a relieved, joyful sort of crying, but still. Eda wants no part of any afterlife that causes her apprentice to cry.

“Uughghgh…” Eda’s first attempt to vocalize start and end with her jaw forgetting how its supposed to function. She moves her mouth around, adjusting to the feeling of having a defined, physical presence again, and then tries speaking a second time. “W—what happened?”

Luz relaxes her tight hold on Eda, sits back, and looks up into the Owl Lady’s face. She wipes tears out of her eyes. “We rescued you and Owlbert, but we couldn’t get you to turn back. Then Owlbert went and got the Bat Queen.” Luz gestures to where the massive demon is watching them from a distance. “They did a palisman magic thing and went in your head I think? I’m not sure. Then you changed back.”

“Oh,” is all Eda can say.

“Curse is not gone for good,” The Bat Queen speaks up. “More must be done to prevent it from coming back.” She pauses and dips her head in a slight bow. “But help I am willing to give to Owl Lady.”

Eda nods. She’s having trouble keeping up. Words of her own will have to wait.

“Hey, Luz, I got the blankets. Do you think she’ll want some twigs too? You know, cause she sleeps in a nest and if she’s stuck like—EDDDDAAAA!” King drops everything he’s carried out of the house, charges forward, ducks under one of Luz’s arms, and slams into Eda. His tiny limbs can’t fully wrap around her, but he holds her tight regardless. “I—Luz was so worried you wouldn’t be back this time!” He buries his face against her stomach, careful to keep his horns pointed away.

Eda wraps one arm around King. The other she uses to draw Luz back in closer. She hugs them both tightly. They’re real and present and solid, and she’s here with them. Owlbert lands on her shoulder and nestles against her neck. Hooty stretches down, squirming his way into group embrace where he can.

“Thank you,” Eda whispers, “for bringing me home.”

For being my home.

#the owl house #eda the owl lady #edalyn clawthorne #luz noceda #toh king #toh owlbert #whirls writing

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firstofficertightpants · 4 years

Text

In Your Honor - CH.3

Luz has wanted nothing more in life other than to join the ranks of the Emperor's Knights - the highest rank of royalty defenders, but after a disaster of a first impression with the bratty princess, she starts to wonder if it’s worth it.

The market was busy as ever, elves and demons pushing past each other as the shop keepers tried to sell their wares. The sounds of feet and hooves against dirt and the voices of the market goers mixing together in a weird harmony. Luz couldn't focus on any of that though as she followed her mother around, basket full of ingredients in hand. She let out a small whine as her mom stopped at yet another stall to look over their items, taking her time to ask the keep about the different ingredients he had available. Camilia picked out a few roots and paid the shop keep before moving on, Luz following once again. Eda tailed behind Camilia, taking a glance back at her step daughter. When Camilia stops again Eda takes the chance to pull Luz to the side.

“Hey kid, I know spending time with your mothers isn't ideal but don't let your mom catch you sighing like that.” The owl lady warned Luz.

“It's not that!” Luz defends herself. “It's just, Skaras birthday is today and I need to go get ready.”

“Ah, I see.” The older witch thinks for a moment. “Alright, here's the deal, I get you out of shopping if you take over my turn giving King a bath.”

“Whaaaaaat?” Luz whines before huffing out an agreement. Eda pumps her fist in victory before catching up with her wife.

Luz watches as Eda and her mom talk in hushed voices, turning her attention to the crowd with a “Blech” when Eda starts getting hansy. A few feet away, standing on a wooden box, was an elf boy maybe two years older than Luz. He was surrounded by a crowd of people as he spoke.

“WE NEED TO BRING THE BLIGHTS TO THEIR KNEES.” The boy shouted at the crowd, the crowd cheering in response. “TOO LONG HAVE THEY TAXED THE POOR AND LET US DIE IN THE STREETS AS THEY SIT IN THEIR CASTLE.” He points to the castle, the building visible from almost any place in the town. “I SAY WE NEED TO MAKE THEM PAY, LET THEM ROT IN THE STREETS WHILE WE LIVE IN THE LAP OF LUXURY.”

“Alright kid, I got you out of shopping.” Eda returns to Luz as she watches the boy continue his rant about the elven royalty. The witch turns her attention to the kid and sighs. “Poor kids going to get himself in trouble.”

Just as the words left her mouth a duo of Emperors Knights approached the kid, cutting through the crowd. They stand to each side of him as they grab his arms and lift him off his box.

“You’re under arrest for disturbing the piece and threatening acts of violence against the royal family.” The knight to the left says.

“YOU CAN'T SILENCE ME” The boy shouts as he struggles against their hold. The knight to his right takes his armored gloved hand and knocks him out, raising shouts of rage from the crowd who still lingered.

“Put him down!”

“Yeah, he’s just a kid!”

“This is why no one likes the royal family!”

“SILENCE.” A voice rings out through the market. Luz and Eda both turn their attention to the sound.

A large man makes his way through the crowd, his dark bird helm visible above the heads of the market goers. Luz decided he had to be at least eight feet tall, adult elves being able to reach seven feet by the age of twenty, and he towered over them all. He wore a dark blue cape lined with gold, that paired with his dark colored helm showed he was Captain of the Emperors Knights. Luz watched in awe as the man controlled the attention of the crowd. He stopped in front of the two knights holding the boy before turning around to meet the faces of the town.

“I assure you, my good people, this boy will be treated with respect as he is put on trial. If he is innocent, then he will be able to return to his home.” His voice was deep and gravely, “If we find out he is planning an attack against the royal family, well, we haven't had a public execution in a while..” The captain's words trail off as the crowd stays silent.

With a wave of his hand the captain and two knights walk off with the unconscious boy. When they are finally out of sight, Eda lets out a breath Luz hadn't even noticed she was holding.

“Good to know Captain Wrath is still as pleasant as ever.” Eda grumbled as her daughter looked up at her with concern. “What's wrong kid?” she smiles softly at the younger witch.

“Is that boy going to be okay?” Luz's voice comes out soft, her concern very evident.

“Oh, I'm sure they’ll probably just toss him in a cell for a few days then send him home.” Eda reassures Luz, ruffling her hair. “Now go, you have a party to get to!” She takes the basket from Luz’s arms and turns her around, pushing her towards home.

“Okay, I’ll see you tonight!” Luz waves at her mothers as she makes a mad dash for home.

When Luz leaves her house she sees the twins Edric and Emira who greet her with a luxurious carriage, much larger than the one Luz had rode in during her move. She heads down the few steps from her house and smiles up at the siblings. The twins had decided to wear matching yellow dress clothes. Emira wearing a nice dress and Edric wearing a fetching suit. Luz straightened out her suspenders, hoping that she wouldn't look too out of place with her simple white dress shirt, black dress pants, matching dress shoes and slicked back hair. As if sensing her concern the twins both looped an arm with the younger witch.

“Don't worry, Luz.” Emira smiled as she opened the door to the carriage. “You look great.”

“Couldn’t say it better myself.” Edric agreed as he helped the two girls into their ride.

“Thanks guys.” Luz chuckled nervously, a slight blush to her cheeks. “It's kind of hard to find nice clothes at such a short notice.”

As she moved into the carriage she was also greeted by Willow and Gus. She takes a seat between the two as the twins take the seat opposite of them. Willow has dawned a lovely green ball gown while Gus decided to go with a nice blue suit. Luz made a mental note about how absolutely adorable they all were.

“They insisted that they come with us to get you.” Edric is the first to speak once they are all settled into the carriage and it starts its way towards the castle.

“It was so adorable.” Emira laughs as Willow and Gus mumble and hide their own blushes.

“We all wanted to see you.” Willow corrects.

“Thanks guys, I have to say I was a little nervous.” Luz admits. “But going to the party as a group is definitely calming my nerves.”

“That's great! Now before we get there we need to go over some things.” Gus speaks up from his spot next to Luz. “As a fellow commoner, there are a few things you’ll need to know before walking into the party.”

“What?” Luz nearly jumps in her seat. “You’re not royalty?”

“Nope.” Gus smiles. “I did pass the entrance exam into the royal school though, that's why I'm able to go.”

“He was the first commoner to do so.” Edric adds. “To the surprise of no one, it's a little harder for commoners to get a good education.” His words come out through gritted teeth as he crosses his arm and stares out the window.

“I'm just really smart!” Gus is practically beaming with pride. “But back to the main point.” He adjusts himself so he’s looking at Luz. “I’ve been to a few of these things, usually as Edrics plus one.” He shoots the twin a thumbs up and Edric responds with one of his own. “So I know how to act around royalty, but do you know how to Luz?”

“Uh, is there more to it then just bowing?” Luz chuckles nervously and Gus plants his face into his palms.

“We should start with who’s important.” Willow grabs Luz’s attention with a gentle hand on her shoulder. “First you have the Blight family which you’ve already met.” She points to the twins. “Then there's Skara and Boscha who are both Duchesses, Skara’s the one with the birthday today.” Willow pauses to make sure Luz is paying attention, the witch in training nodding her head to have Willow continue. “Then there's my family, the Parks! We’re of commoner blood so we’re lower on the food chain but I'm still considered a Duchess.”

“Oh wow, there's so much to learn about elves!” Luz stares wide eyed at Willow.

“We’re almost to the castle so we’ll have to fill you in later on more of the details.” Gus interjects. “Mainly we need to cover how to NOT insult them.”

“First, you bow to anyone in a tiara.” Emira instructs. “Then you make sure to use titles like ‘your highness’ and ‘your majesty’.”

“But you don't have to do that with us, we don't care.” Edric adds.

“And don't make any moves on Mittens, Boscha gets really jealous when people talk to her.” Emira’s tone takes a serious turn. “Seriously, just don't.”

“Why would I make moves on Amity?” Luz blurts out, blushing. “I'm pretty sure she hates me!”

“We’re just looking out for you~” The twins speak in unison and it only kinda freaks Luz out. Just kinda.

The carriage finally pulls to a stop in front of the castle and Edric exits first, holding the door open for everyone as they leave the wagon, and the five of them head up the stairs to the castle entrance. The doors seem to open on their own as the group approaches and Luz finds herself staring again, the main entryway redecorated for the party. Along the walls were tables covered in all sorts of elven delicacies and the center of the room was left open for the attendees to dance as they please. A large orchestra band played music in the corner that carried through the room. Luz didn't recognize the music but it was nice and light, perfect to slow dance to but also nice to just listen to. To the side of the entrance was a well dressed snake man that reminded Luz of the cobras near her old home.

The man cleared his throat as they entered and introduced them as they made their way into the room. Luz gasped when he introduced her, turning to Willow with wide eyes.

“How did he know my name?” She asked her friend, her excitement barely contained.

“We have to give a list of our plus ones before the party.” Willow giggles at Luz’s excitement. “Since you came in with me they know you’re my plus one.”

“So cool.” Luz whispered, stars in her eyes.

The group made their way towards the snack tables, lightly chatting amongst themselves as the rest of the party goers entered the room. Luz looked over the table with awe and asked Gus about many of the small snacks and finger foods they had laid out. The smaller elf did a good job keeping up with her and even going as far as telling her which were his favorites. Luz had never seen so many different types of food before. She did her best to not over indulge herself though, not wanting to puke before the party truly got started. Just as Luz went to ask Gus about another strange snack she had seen, the doors to the hall opened once again.

“Her royal highness, and heir to the throne, Amity Blight.” The snake man introduced the princess, his voice echoing through the room. “And her majesty, Boscha.”

Luz looks to the main entrance and sees a strange elf girl with three eyes holding out her hand to Amity. The three eyed girl must have been Boscha. Luz could swear she saw Amity roll her eyes before taking the other girl's hand.

The redhead makes a point of pulling the princess closer to her as they make their way into the room. Amity wore the most elegant purple ball gown Luz had ever seen, not that she had seen many, and the girl accompanying her wore a red suit with a fur cape draped lazily over her shoulders. Boscha, which Luz had mixed feelings about, led Amity towards the snack tables and right for Luz and her group.

“Your highnesses.” Boscha bowed upon reaching the twins, the two frowning momentarily before offering their own greetings. “Willow.” Boscha says the name flatly, with a hint of disgust.

“Boscha.” Willow glares at the redhead before turning her attention to Amity. “Your highness.” She bows deeply, if not stiffly.

Amity gives a simple nod of her head as a response, her attention elsewhere. Her eyes scan the room before landing on Luz. Her eyes go wide as she points to the human girl who is currently stuffing her face with cookies.

“What are you doing here?” She hisses as Luz chokes on her cookies from being startled.

“Oh calm down, Mittens, we invited her.” Edric crosses his arms.

“But she's a commoner!” Amity weakly argues, her anger deflating at her brother's words.

“And so is Gus, but you have no problems with him.” Edric points out, completely shooting down his sister's protest.

“Yeah, well...he’s…” Amity struggles to find a good response when Emira tsk’s at her.

“We aren’t being racist, are we Mittens?” She raises an eyebrow at the younger witch.

“What? No!” Amity defends herself as Luz comes around the table to try and deescalate the situation.

“I’m sorry, your highness.” Luz bows as low and as elegantly as she can handle. “I believe we got off on the wrong foot.” She stands up and smiles at the princess. “I'm Luz Noceda, Emperor’s Knight in training.”

Amity huffs, turning away from the human. Boscha, who had been busy talking to another attendee, returns her attention to Amity. She takes one look at Amity’s stiff posture and her eyes train on Luz. She steps closer to Amity and places an arm around the princesses shoulder.

“Is this human bothering you, your highness?” She basically hisses out the word ‘human’ as all three of her eyes stay on Luz.

“No Boscha, I can handle myself.” Amity mutters before turning and leaving, Boscha following behind her like a lost puppy.

Luz deflates as the princess and her escort leave. The twins give her a pat on the back followed with reassuring words. Luz doesn't really hear them though, her mind focused on other things. She was not a person to give up. Ever. If she had given up before then she wouldn't be where she was today. So help her, she WILL befriend Amity. She has befriended the siblings, how much harder could Amity be?

The answer was very. The rest of the party, Luz finds herself seeking out the green haired royalty. Every attempt to talk to her is thwarted, however. Either by Boshca or Amity herself. The human flops down on a chair placed near the back of the hall, letting out a deep sigh.

“Rough night?” Willow's voice brings Luz out of her thoughts. The green witch hands her a drink before taking the seat next to her.

“Yeah,” Luz pouts as she takes a sip of the honey drink Willow had handed her. “I keep trying to talk to Amity but.. I think she's avoiding me at this point.”

“Hmm, well, Amity is a tough one.” Willow looks out to the dance floor where Gus danced with Edric, the boy standing on the taller elves feet as he leads the dance. “We were friends once, back when we were younger.”

“Whaaaat?” Luz sits up in her chair and leans in closer to Willow. “Tell me more!” She pleads.

“Well, I mentioned earlier that I'm a lower ranking Duchess?” Willow waits for Luz to finish nodding her head enthusiastically before she continues. “Well my dads got the title of Duke by helping fight in a war a long time ago, their combined magic helping save hundreds of soldiers.” She lets out a sigh. “So we’re technically royalty but the other families, they don't see it like that. Amity, however? She never cared.” Willow lets out a sad laugh. “Until one day when suddenly she did care, she said I was weak. That my family wasn't real royalty so she couldn’t be my friend anymore.”

“That's so mean!” Luz gasps, placing a comforting hand on Willow's leg.

“It's okay Luz, I'm over it now.” Willow reassures her friend. “My point is, Amity is strange. It takes a lot to be her friend, and you’re a commoner so she’s not even going to look your way.” The words come out harsh but Willow smiles at Luz. “That's okay though! Cause you have me, Gus, and the twins.”

“Yeah.. I guess you're right.” Luz beams at her friend.

“So, why don't we go dance?” Willow stands, offering a hand to Luz. The human girl takes it with glee and follows the other witch to the dance floor.

Maybe she couldn’t be friends with Amity, yet, but one day she was going to reach her goal of becoming an Emperor’s Knight. Then Amity would have no choice but to talk to her. It was a fiendishly clever plan, she thought.

#toh #the owl house #edalyn clawthorne #amity blight #luz noceda #camilia noceda #willow park #willow toh #gus toh #edric blight #emira blight #does eda and camilia have a ship name?#eda x camilia #lumity #my writing #alternate universe #knights au #in your honor #boscha

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novelist-becca · 4 years

Text

Panic: Chapter 2

Fandom: The Owl House

Rating: Teen

Relationships: Eda Clawthorne and Luz Noceda

Summary: Luz wakes up from her first nightmare after escaping from the Emperor's Castle.

Ao3 link FFN link

Eda was on her way back to her room with a glass of water when she heard a noise come from her apprentice’s room. Immediately, she was worried. That was Luz, she told herself. Without hesitation, she rushed to the door, placing her hand on the knob, ready to turn.

She knocked. “Luz, is that you?” No answer. She knocked again, a little harder this time. “Can I come in?” Then Eda heard crying, and that was enough for her to twist the doorknob and just let herself in.

Sure enough, Luz was upright on her sleeping bag, face in her hands, body starting to tremble. It was a truly heartbreaking sight.

Eda kneeled in front of her and reached out. “Kid, are you--” She asked. But as soon as her hand made contact with the girl’s shoulder, she was shoved back, making her stumble and land on her bottom. “Luz!”

Eda slowly got on her knees, making her way towards Luz as the poor girl backed herself up into a wall, looking scared senseless. She began to hyperventilate and proceeded to curl into herself, eyes shut tight, head hanging low, and hands clutching her hair.

Titan almighty.

Eda brought up her hands to show she meant no harm, even if Luz wasn't looking. It hurt to see her kid like this. She was shaking so much, it looked like she was about to fall apart.

“Hey hey hey, it's okay,” Eda attempted when she was finally at arms length with Luz. She was breathing too fast, and her grip on her hair was so hard she might hurt herself. Eda summoned her nerve and put her hands on Luz’s forearms, moving her hands away from her head. Sure enough, Luz tried to struggle, but Eda was stronger. “No no, don't fight me…” she said. She moved her hands from Luz’s arms to her shoulders. She needed to pull Luz from her mind, needed her to breathe.

“Luz, look at me. It's me, it's Eda. You need to breathe.” She demanded softly. But Luz shook her head.

“N-no, y-y-you’re not, she’s…” Luz murmured weakly.

Oh, so this is about the other night.

Eda's heart cracked. Luz didn't deserve this pain. She tried again. “Please, Luz, open your eyes?”

Finally, Luz’s eyes cracked open, and she started to raise her head. Eda took the opportunity to gently take her face in her hands, making her look up. “Look at me. Look into my eyes.” She says to the panic-stricken girl. It hurt to see her apprentice like this.

Thankfully, Luz’s eyes began to focus and she looked at Eda with a confused expression. “E-e-eda?” She stammered out.

Eda nodded, glad that Luz knows she's there for her. “Yes, that's right, it's me, kiddo.” She says, relieved. But the crisis wasn't averted just yet. Luz was still practically gasping for air.

“I'm so sorry, I-” the sentence was interrupted by a harsh cough.

Eda shook her head and took a shaking Luz in her arms, holding her close, but not too tight in case it made her feel like she was suffocating. “Shh, no no no, don't do that, don't talk, you'll make it worse.” She chided. Eda has had her own panic attacks when the curse was still fresh in her body, but a small number of people were there to help her. Despite that, she knew how to get through them, and if anyone deserved the help, it was Luz.

I know you're scared, Luz, but I know you trust me.

She pressed Luz’s head to her chest so she could hear her heartbeat. “Hear that?” I'm alive thanks to you. “Focus on me, okay? Just listen to me. Listen to my voice. You're gonna be okay. I'm here.” Eda cooed to the girl. She felt her nod, and Eda brought her closer and soothingly rubbed her back, praying her hands wouldn't tremble. She wanted to help Luz through this. She wasn't used to comforting anybody like this, but didn't want anybody else but her to do this.

“Okay, now just inhale through your nose slowly for 6 seconds,” Eda instructed taking a deep breath to demonstrate, and noted Luz taking in a shaky breath. “Good, now just exhale through your mouth for 7 seconds.” And Luz let it out. Eda could feel Luz’s tension start to go away. That's my girl. “That's it, there we go. Let's do that again.” Eda praised, bringing her hand up to ruffle Luz's hair.

They went through this a few more times, but Luz whimpered and began to tense up again and hyperventilate in her arms, almost making Eda panic, too. She tightened her grip, looking down at her.

“Luz, no! Stay with me kid. Stay with me.” Eda noted her own voice beginning to shake. “I'm not gonna let go, everything's going to be fine.” she promised. “Just breathe with me. In and out, in, and out.” And Luz shifted closer to her as she began to breathe steadily again. “That's it, you're doing great.”

Eda didn't know how long they were sitting there, but she didn't care. She held Luz for as long as she needed. Eventually, Luz stopped shaking and had the strength to look up at her mentor.

“Eda?” She said hoarsely. Her throat must be dry after that episode, Eda thought.

“Yup, it's me, kid.” Eda nodded, sighing in relief. She held Luz back, keeping her hands on her shoulders to ground them both. “You really gave me a scare. Looked like you were about to pass out.” Eda brushed some hair out of Luz’s face. “You wanna tell me what happened?”

Luz’s eyes widened. She threw herself back into Eda’s embrace as she talked about her nightmare. Just as she thought, it was about her near-petrification. “I'm okay, kiddo! Come on, don't fall apart on me again…” Eda said in a joking manner. But Luz didn't cheer up. And on top of that, Luz blamed herself.

“It's my fault you were captured, my fault you were about to get petrified, if I hadn't been so stupid and wandered off…” Eda would have none of that. She took Luz's face in her hands.

“No. You listen to me. Don't you dare blame yourself for that.” She stated firmly. “None of that is your fault, you hear me? I don't want to hear you say that about yourself. And if anyone tries to convince you otherwise, you can bet I'll make them pay.” She insists. Luz was about to say something, but Eda cut her off. “And before you say so, I don't blame you and I never will.”

Luz took another deep breath and smiled. “Okay. You're right.” Eda used her thumb to brush away her tears, noting Luz leaning into her hands. Once again they were in each other’s arms, Eda stroking Luz’s hair.

“You'll always have me,” Eda reassured. “Okay? I'm here for you.” And Titan help anyone that tries to hurt you again.

Luz nodded and pulled back, looking at her with trusting eyes. Eda would never admit it, but she's amazed that a child is able to trust her this easily.

As Luz forced herself to stay awake, she looked at Eda and took a breath. “Stay?” She asked groggily.

Eda kinda expected that, but was still surprised. She couldn't turn that down after what just happened. “Sure. I'll be right beside you if you need me.” Then she tucked Luz in and took a spot beside the sleeping bag, facing Luz with a fond look in her eyes.

“Thank you, Eda. I love you so much…” Luz said before drifting off.

“…I love you too, Luz.” Eda returned.

As Luz appeared to sleep peacefully, Eda softly stroked her apprentice’s cheek before resting her hand on her shoulder. For both their comfort.

Eda knew how Luz felt. She knew she felt like she was dying when she really wasn't, when in reality she was fine. Right now, Eda would give anything for her to not experience this again, but she knew it wouldn't be the last time. Luz may have been brave and determined to save Eda, but she didn't come out of it unscathed. But whenever Luz broke down, Eda would be there for her. It was what she deserved.

#the owl house #the owl house fanfiction #toh #mine #eda clawthorne #edalyn clawthorne #eda the owl mom #Luz noceda #hurt/comfort #the owl house spoilers

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thegoodgayshit · 3 years

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Luz’s mother really doesn’t want to send Luz to camp. She knows once she leaves, there is no going back. But Luz has a knack for getting into trouble, and one day she stumbles into the same type of people her mother would have preferred she avoided. After helping Luz dissolve her high school bully into dust, Eda and Lilith know right away that this kid is just like them - a child of the gods. So Luz hops on a Pegasus and heads to Camp Half-blood, where she embarks on a dangerous quest that makes her both friends and enemies... and she might even save Olympus along the way.

Chapter Twenty-Three: I Find Out that Death Tastes like Rotting Chicken

Luz had no choice, she had to use her phone and call them a cab. Unless they wanted to just keep walking until they were inevitably cornered by some night monster looking to grab exhausted demigods off the street.

The second she’d reached in her backpack and turned on her phone, she’d gotten a handful of texts from her Mami. Deciding to ignore them for now and look later, she ordered the cab to pick them up at the public library a couple of blocks down the road. When it’d arrived, Luz had quietly told the cabbie to take them to Leadville before climbing in the backseat next to Amity while Gus sat in the front.

It was a horribly silent three-hour ride.

The cabbie was playing some of his music in the front, which was a nice distraction for Luz since she couldn’t stop nervously looking over at Amity. The daughter of Aphrodite was staring out the window, and Luz couldn’t see her face, but she could see the subtle shaking of her shoulders. Luz didn’t know if she was crying or desperately trying not to.

She wanted to reach out with her hand, to touch Amity’s shoulder and offer some kind of comfort, but the girl had purposefully turned away from her, and Luz was already starting to feel incredibly guilty for what happened. She had been the one to start the fight and escalate things to the point where they’d exploded.

She’d done it again. Just like her Mami said, she’d retaliated, and hurt Amity in the process.

So, she just swallowed, turning her head back down to look anywhere but at her. She felt a soft hand on her knee, and when she looked over, she saw Willow watching her with kind eyes.

Luz swallowed, trying to keep her lip from quivering. Willow gave her the tiniest smile and squeezed her knee again, and Luz watched her eyes flicker back over between her and Amity. Something in Luz’s head clicked, and with courage she didn’t have before she reached over and gently rested her hand on top of Amity’s.

She jumped, clearly not expecting it. Luz waited, watching to see if she would pull away, but instead, she just leaned into the touch, linking their fingers together. She finally looked over at Luz, her gold eyes watery and red. Luz’s guilt flooded right back up in her chest, and she opened her mouth to apologize, but Amity just shook her head.

“Don’t, Luz.” She whispered, and it was so quiet, if Luz hadn’t been leaning into her she would have missed it. “It’s not your fault.”

“Maybe,” Luz tried, but it didn’t sound reassuring. “It’s not not my fault though.”

Amity’s face tightened, looking at Luz with an expression she couldn’t read. Luz thought that maybe she was going to pull away, but instead, she just leaned in, resting her head on Luz’s shoulder tightening her grip on her hand.

Luz was pretty sure her heart skipped a couple of beats. She really hadn’t been expecting that or when Amity turned her head so her lips were right next to her ear.

“Nobody’s ever stood up for me like that before,” she whispered softly, “not even Edric or Emira. Thank you.”

“I’ll always stand up for you, Amity,” Luz responded, tilting her head so it rested against the top of Amity’s own. “Thanks for… you know. Not letting your mother kill me.”

Luz had never been so happy to hear Amity giggle in her entire life. At least she hadn’t totally screwed up everything between them.

By the time they’d arrived in Leadville, it was well after midnight. They had the cabbie drop them in the little town square, and they paid him with almost all of their cash. They snuck around to a little mountain forest just outside the main town where they wouldn’t be spotted and Gus reached into his bag and popped out the tent in a can.

“I can take the first watch,” Amity offered, as all four of them got comfortable. Luz frowned, her stomach twisting uncomfortably.

“Are you sure?” Luz asked, frowning. “I don’t mind taking the first watch if you want to sleep.”

Amity smiled softly, shaking her head. “It’s okay, Luz. I’m not tired.”

Luz didn’t want to argue with her, so she just shrugged. “Alright, wake me up when you are and we can switch.”

Amity nodded, before stepping out of the tent with her backpack, zipping it shut behind her. Gus had already collapsed into his sleeping bag and was snoring softly, and Willow was just about to tuck herself in when she turned to Luz with a smile.

“Try not to worry about her. Amity’s tough. Just focus on getting sleep. We have one gods forsaken hike tomorrow.”

Luz nodded, still feeling uneasy, but she settled herself into the sleeping bag. It took her a little while to fall asleep, her mind still whirling as she thought about everything that had happened that day.

Eventually, she did manage to fall asleep, but the dreams that came made her wish she’d just stayed awake.

She was back in that mountain again, standing behind Hestia’s cage, hiding behind a crate of supplies. She was only able to catch a glimpse of the shimmering portal, and the flame on top of it before she turned to the Hestia. The goddess was looking a lot more worse for wear than when she’d seen her last. She was kneeling in the cage, struggling for breath. Her face was drenched in sweat, pale, and her eyes that she’d remembered being the color of dying coals were much darker. Like they were about to be extinguished.

Hestia must have seen her coming, because she looked up, and for just a moment there was a relieved expression on her face. She almost smiled, but then there was a crashing noise coming from across the room, and Hestia quickly put a finger to her lips. Somewhere in the back of her mind, there was a voice that seemed to echo around in her skull.

“Hide.”

Luz ducked around another crate, pressing her body against it as she heard another crashing noise, followed by a grunting of pain.

“Again!” The voice said, deep and booming, so loud Luz winced.

“What is the point of this, Achilles?” Said another voice, and Luz's stomach dropped before she slowly felt anger rising up in her chest. It was Theseus.

“You know what we’re doing!” The booming voice snapped back, and there was another sound of a slashing blade running across the side of the mountain wall. “We have forty-eight hours before the portal absorbs her for good, and we begin our assault on Olympus. Do you think the gods take your pathetic skills seriously? Do you think you’ll be able to strike down your father with a swing that weak?”

“He is not my father!” Theseus growled, and Luz’s heart began racing in her chest. Forty-eight hours? That’s all the time they had left to stop them? “Besides, we won’t need to be strong when we begin our assault. We’ll have the numbers on our side when every fallen demigod in Asphodel marches through that portal with us. I’d like to see the sea god try and kill five hundred of his sons all at once.”

Achilles made a bellowing sound of anger, and Luz heard his sword clang against the floor.

“Don’t forget that we would be marching right now if you hadn’t screwed up in Kansas. Every time those demigods step closer to Mount Pelion, the more power she gets. If you’d actually done your job-”

“How is that my fault?” Theseus retorted furiously, “I’m not the one who had the love goddesses brat in their grasp and let them slip away-”

“Enough.”

The voice was so low, it sent chills up Luz’s spine. The temperature around her felt colder like she was suddenly running through a snowstorm. Belos.

Achilles and Theseus got quiet. Luz heard the clinking of footsteps on the cold rocky floor.

“It is pointless to squabble when out time is almost here,” Belos continued, and Luz held her breath as Belos walked right past her, thankfully not seeing her behind the crate. “In two days’ time, the portal will be open for good, and nothing, not even those little demigods will be able to stop us. So, quiet yourselves. Find Orpheus, and be prepared to stop them before they find us.”

There was a quiet shuffling of feet before Theseus spoke up.

“But… Emperor Belos… what about the centaurs-”

“I’m sorry,” Belos interrupted, his tone going dangerous. Theseus quieted immediately. “Was I at all unclear in my orders?”

Theseus swallowed. “No, Emperor Belos.”

“Then why are you still standing here?”

There was a shuffling again, a lot quicker than before, and then Theseus and Achilles were exiting the mountain. Luz peered over the crate, watching them leave, and saw that the exit was not far from the inside cave. There were two pillars Theseus and Achilles passed on their way out both bronze, one in the shape of a sword, and the other in a shield.

Luz ducked back under the crate when Belos suddenly moved, taking slow steps towards the cage Hestia was trapped in. Luz peaked back out over the crate, cautious as she remembered the last time he’d caught her eavesdropping.

Belos was dressed exactly as he had been last time, down to the gold mask and the white cloak. As he walked up to the cage, he slammed his staff into the ground, and it echoed across the cave. Dark mist started swirling around the room, blocking whatever Luz could see of the cage. When the mist came up into her nose and mouth, Luz had to hold back a loud and panicked cough.

It smelled… well… the only way Luz could describe it was that it smelled like liquid death. Rotting meat and sulphury smog. As Luz fought to cover her nose and mouth with her hand, her tongue could taste the metallic tang of blood, like she’d bit the inside of her cheek.

It was horrible. Luz's body screamed for air, but her brain was screaming at her to run, get away from the smog, and never show her face here again.

Hestia got a full blast of the mist, and double over into a cough. Belos clicked his tongue, leaning down on his staff to look at her.

“Why must you let yourself suffer like this,” he cooed, his tone riddled with faux sympathy. “Your demigods aren’t going to save you. The portal will open, even if I have to pry the last of your hearth from you myself. It would be so much less painful for you to just give in.”

Hestia lifted her head, glaring at him. But she was gritting her teeth like the act itself was painful.

“Those half-bloods would be more receptive to your wishes if you didn’t treat them like toys.”

Belos slammed his staff into the floor, and Luz flinched. Hestia stared at him unblinkingly.

“You’d be wise not to test me, goddess,” Belos said, and despite the obvious anger in his narrowed neon eyes, his voice was steady and cool. “I have no quarrel making this as painful for you as you can.”

Hestia turned her head, locking eyes with Luz. “I know you don’t. And I don’t care. They’re coming for me whether you like it or not.”

Belos’ grip on his staff tightened, and he slammed it into the ground again. With a trembling fury, the mist moved like a wave, crashing over Luz and drowning her in the disgusting smell and taste until she snapped awake.

She sat up quickly, her whole body shaking and her forehead covered in a thin layer of sweat. Luz gripped the sleeping bag tightly, closing her eyes and willing the racing of her heart to calm down. She was safe, and in the tent away from danger.

But why could she still smell and taste nothing but death?

“Luz? Are you alright?”

She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder, and after a moment of breathing, she finally opened her eyes. Amity was kneeling next to her, watching her with a worried expression. Luz swallowed, reaching up to touch the hand on her shoulder.

“Yeah… I… I think I’m alright. I think I’m going full vegetarian though. Do I smell like rotting chicken?”

Amity’s expression softened, and she removed her hand to sit cross-legged next to Luz. “You had another dream, didn’t you?”

Luz nodded and told Amity what had happened. When she finished, Amity’s gaze hardened.

“That was Death Mist,” Amity said when she’d finished. She reached across the room and handed Luz a bottle of nectar. “Have a sip of this, it will clear your nose and mouth.”

The second Luz sipped it, she sighed. All the terrible smells and tastes were immediately covered up by the sensations of her Mami’s soup.

“Thanks,” Luz said appreciatively, taking her first deep breath since she'd woken up. Amity shrugged her shoulders.

“Don’t mention it. Death Mist is… not something anybody should ever experience. Hecate campers use it primarily for self-defense. But it was outlawed at camp during capture the flag. It… it can be pretty traumatic.”

“Have you experienced it before?” Luz asked, and Amity’s face twisted, her eyes looking down at the floor of the tent.

“My mother used it on me once.”

Luz wanted to smack herself. What a stupid question. “Amity, I’m sorry-”

“It’s fine,” she replied quickly, “I just… I know what it’s like. I can’t believe he’s been using it on Hestia. Too much of it can drive a person a little crazy.”

“She didn’t look good,” Luz said quietly, thinking of how much worse she looked than the last time Luz saw her. “And if we only have two days to get her out of that cage before the portal opens permanently…”

“We need to hurry,” Amity finished for her. “It will take every bit of Hestia’s power to open a gate like that. If they open it before we get there… she’s gone.”

“I wasted so much time after the prom,” Luz muttered, mentally cursing herself. “We could have been there by now.”

“And what, fight Belos high on that helium bomb?” Amity said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “How well do you actually think that would have gone? You had three cracked ribs.”

“That’s true,” Luz said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. “I just feel terrible for Hestia. I haven’t dreamed about her or Belos since the bus ride to Denver. Things are just getting worse.”

“That’s usually how quests go,” Amity said quietly, fiddling with her fingers. A thought popped into Luz’s head, and she turned to face Amity. She watched her cheeks darken as they were almost nose to nose, but Luz didn’t let that distract her.

“You had been having dreams too. Is that why you wanted to take the first watch last night?”

All the color that was in Amity’s face drained. Luz knew she had her answer.

“Amity, you need to sleep,” Luz started, but Amity cut her off.

‘I know, I know I do,” she said quickly, running her hands nervously across the tops of her thighs. “It’s just… my dreams aren’t like yours, Luz.”

Luz tilted her head curiously. “What do you mean?”

“My dreams don’t take me to the mountain,” Amity started, and she looked so pale and nervous that Luz leaned forward and took her hand comfortingly. “They take me to the portal.”

Luz’s eyes widened, but she didn’t say anything. Amity looked like she was going to panic, so she just sat there quietly, holding Amity’s hand while she kept going.

“I always see Belos standing in front of me. He’s… he’s laughing. I’m… I don’t know where I am. The ground is black stones that look like ashes, and the air is so hot it hurts to breathe in. He’s always taunting me. Telling me I was the weakest link… that I…” her voice cracked, shaking her head, unable to go on. Luz squeezed her hand comfortingly.

“That sounds terrible,” she said quietly. She wasn’t sure how she could help Amity feel better. She couldn’t even shake her own dreams, never mind the nightmare Amity had to deal with.

“I do sleep,” Amity continued, looking back up at Luz with a little smile. But Luz could see how it didn’t meet her eyes in the slightest bit. It was another act Amity was putting on to try and be brave. “If I sleep in hour intervals, I don’t dream. I’ve been doing that since the last time I dreamed after you were injured.”

Amity scoffed, rolling her eyes. “My dreams were always worse at my parents’ house.”

Luz tried to ignore the guilt bubbling back up in her stomach. Despite Amity telling her not to worry about it, she couldn’t help but think that all she’d done for Amity in the time they’d been friends is making her life more difficult than it already had been.

“I… I know you probably don’t want to talk about it,” Luz started, biting her lip. “But I meant what I said back at your parent's house. If you ever needed to talk, I’m here.”

Amity was quiet for a second, scanning Luz’s face with her eyes. Eventually, she smiled. “I know you are. Thank you, Luz.” Her eyes widened, and a new smile, a genuine one this time, had set on her face.

“Oh, by the way, I forgot to give this back to you!”

Amity reached into her backpack, pulling out Luz’s copy of the fifth “The Good Witch Azura”. When she handed it to Luz, her eyes widened.

“No way! You finished it already?”

Amity laughed. “Yeah, I finished it last night. You were still asleep, and I had some time to catch up.”

“So… what did you think?” Luz asked, leaning forward and grabbing Amity’s wrist in excitement. The daughter of Aphrodite flushed, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

“It was… fine.”

Luz noticed a little piece of paper sticking out of the book, and when she pulled it she could help but eye Amity teasingly.

“So fine you drew yourself with Malingale the Mysterious Soothslayer?” She said, pulling out the drawing. It was crude and done on lined paper, but it was so cute and well thought out Luz couldn’t help but chuckle even as Amity’s face darkened, and she ripped it out of Luz’s hand and shredded it between her fingers.

“Amity!” Luz gasped out between laughs. “Why would you do that?”

“I didn’t mean for that to be in there,” she muttered in embarrassment, and Luz shook her head.

“It was cute! I didn’t know you liked to draw.”

Amity’s face, if possible, turned even redder. “I… I mean I wouldn’t say that. It’s not like I was trying to make it look good or anything….”

“Well, I liked it!” Luz said, breaking out into a wide grin. “Maybe when we’re back at camp we can draw together or start that Azura book club. Spend time together like normal teenagers instead of running around killing monsters.”

A strange look passed over Amity’s face, but Luz was too excited about the idea of hanging out with Amity in a non-monster-fighting enviroment she didn’t even notice it.

“I’d like that,” Amity eventually said, tilting her head with a smile. “It’s a date.”

Luz went from smiling to feeling like her brain was short-circuiting in a matter of seconds. A date? Like a date, date? Did Amity want to go on a date with her?

Did Luz just unknowingly ask Amity out on a date?

She doesn’t know how long she sits there, saying something super-intelligent like “uhhh” before Willow and Gus walk into the tent, carrying a variety of snacks in their arms.

“We grabbed some food with the last of the money for the hike,” Gus said, dropping them rather dramatically on the floor. “Are you guys ready to get going? It’s almost eight.”

“Yep!” Amity replied, getting to her feet and slinging her backpack over her shoulder. “I’ll go do a quick scout and find out what trail we're supposed to take. You three good to close camp while I’m gone?”

“Sure thing,” Willow nodded, packing her portion of snacks into her backpack.

When Amity left, Luz tried to busy herself. She knew time was of the essence, but she just couldn’t shake the previous conversation she’d had with Amity. She felt like she had whiplash, starting the whole thing smelling death and ending with Amity agreeing to go out with her.

“Hey! Earth to Luz?” Luz felt a push in her shoulder and turned her head to see Gus blinking at her in confusion. “You’re zoning out there. Is everything okay?”

Luz had no idea how to reply to that. Now that she was all packed, she really just needed some air.

Maybe a sense of familiarity before she went hiking to her possible death.

“I’m alright,” Luz said, reaching in her backpack to pull out her phone. “Do you guys think it’d be okay if I texted my Mami before the hike? I just… don’t know if I’ll have another chance.”

Gus and Willow seemed to catch the implications of what she was saying, and they glanced at each other for a moment before nodding.

“Yeah, sure,” Gus said with a shrug. “As long as you turn it off when you’re done, monsters shouldn’t be able to track us.”

Luz was already pushing her way out of the tent. “Thanks, guys. I’ll be right back.”

As she walked through the trees to a spot closer to town, she turned on her phone and was relieved to see she had a signal. She flipped to her messages, seeing the string of texts that were under the photo she’d sent her Mami before the prom.

Look at you!!! You look so dashing.

Where did you get a suit that nice? It’s probably worth more than everything in your room combined.

And your date!!! You look so cute together. She looks like a lovely girl.

I have to hear all about these friends when you come home.

It’s so nice to hear that you’re having a wonderful time. You look so happy, mija.

Luz read the messages and then reread them. Then she read them again. She felt horrible lying to her Mami. The quest was by no means a “wonderful time”, but what was she going to say to her?

How would she just text her Mami, “oh, by the way, I’m on a quest to save Olympus and have almost been killed by monsters several times?” She would have a heart attack.

Sometimes, it was better to keep the people you loved in the dark.

But then, she read the messages again, and something inside her changed. Her Mami had just been pointing out what she saw after all. She knew Luz was a demigod, and she knew that her friends probably were too. Her Mami had never wanted to send Luz to camp because she knew it was dangerous. There was a decent chance her Mami knew more than she was letting on. Luz had always been a terrible liar, after all.

And some things she said weren’t an exaggeration from the truth. Luz loved that suit. She cared deeply about Willow and Gus, and Amity… well Amity was her date to the prom, and maybe after that too. She really was lovely.

Luz was going to gush to her Mami all about her new friends when she got home, and even if the quest wasn’t the easiest thing to deal with, Luz was in a way having more fun with her new friends than she would be alone in Manhattan.

Thank you, Mami. Amity’s mom Aphrodite had the clothes made for us. Talk about godly treatment. I will tell you all about them. Especially Amity. She really is the best.

I have something I have to do for camp, so I don’t know when I’m going to be able to message you again. But I promise I’m being as safe as I can, and my friends are with me, so I’ll be just fine. I am happy, Mami. Te querio.

Luz sent the messages, and then turned off her phone, sticking it in the bottom of her backpack. Now that she had some time to think, she’d realized things in her life really had changed for the better.

Now it was time to begin those final steps, and stop Belos for good. And for the first time in her life, she wasn’t alone.

#the owl house #lumity #luz x amity #Percy Jackson AU #shelby speaks

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neverendingstories00 · 3 years

Text

a winnix! found family au with easy company as kids part one out of a million!!

hi, hello! i’m back on my bullshit again. the creativity train had once stopped at my brain. I may have a thousand wip’s but tonight I’ve decided to focus solely on this one. also a ton of credit to @apairofwingsforme for rambling with me about this idea, thanks buddy! anyways, my mind is literally a terrifying place 😁 please send help. i’m literally at my breaking point

Also this is part one out of..a lot! I wanna write a fic of this, but school is a bitch. This is just winnix at the moment, but I promise I’ll start talking about easy company as kids and how chaotic it is. Literally. Child! Luz is going to be a little monster. But hey, only seven more weeks!!

It's a modern au. Both dick and Lew have been married for seven years and are happier than ever.

Okay! But before the found family part, time for the backstory!

dick and lew both met in college when there were in the same intro to marketing class. dick was struggling in the class and absolutely despised Lew, who he stereotyped as a “typical New Yorker '' as Dick donned his bean boots and flannel shirts. However, Dick learned not to make assumptions about people. Their study sessions would turn into long conversations about the newest episode of Mad Men, their families in Lancaster and Manhattan, etc. Dick and Lew grew to be best friends.

Dick felt strange around Lew. He wanted to hate him, but he couldn't. He would catch himself staring at Lew for too long and a strange feeling in his stomach. Lew caught onto this, but said nothing. He was overthinking it. Dick was the poster catholic boy with his outfits head to toe from LL Bean, carried a tiny bible in his backpack, etc. Lew knew Dick was too good for him. Besides, there was no way he would be gay.

One thing led to another and the complicated relationship between Dick and Lew changed. Dick had sworn off alcohol, but had no idea that the orange juice was a screwdriver. Dick got intoxicated and Lew dragged him back to his dorm. Next thing he knew, Lew woke up, cuddled with Dick in his neat dorm room.

After that little incident, things became awkward. They were in their senior year; friends for four years and the awkward tension was high between them. After they graduated, there was an afterparty held at their old farneity. Dick, of course, had won vladicictroain and Lew won salutadorian (shockingly). Dick knew that if it wasn’t for Lew three years ago, he wouldn’t be where he is.

So in a little corner, Dick walked up to Nixon and gifted him an apple pie, fresh from The Winter’s farm in Lancaster, thanking him for all he’s done for him. Nixon smirked and knew that Dick would give him some pie, but he was still nice about it. He took Dick to his room and gave him cufflinks that he bought especially for Dick from Nordstrom because during their freshman year, Dick was in charge of planning events in their fraternity. It was movie night and in 2007, Casino Royale was all the hype. Nobody came to the movie night since there was a huge football game and party after. Dick sat there, popcorn all made and even pushed the coaches together, and nobody showed up. He considered just packing up and calling it a night until he heard the door slam open. As he was cleaning up, Dick ran right into Lew.

“Hi, hello. Sorry I’m late, I was busy doing...stuff.”

“Oh,” Dick would reply, “I was just packing up.”

“What movie?”

“Casino Royale. Nobody’s coming though.”

“Well, is the popcorn still hot?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, consider me your customer.”

Dick and Lew watched the movie. Lew never shuts up during the film. Dick talks ethier to tell Lew to be quiet or that he loves Daniel Craig’s cufflinks. Lew made a mental note of that.

The night of graduation, stuffed in Dick’s little dorm room, was the last time Dick and Lew ever saw each other. For a while, atleast. They had a heated makeuout session that followed with awkward but passionate sex. The next morning, it was a screaming match between Lew and Dick. Dick didn’t even remember what it was about-he was too upset. He simply finished packing, threw the stuff into the back of his subaru outback, and drove back to Lancaster.

Seven years flew by, and Dick and Lew hadn’t spoken a word. Both of them were no longer twenty two year old’s who had no idea what they were doing with their life-they were now twenty nine, both trying to figure out their lives.

Dick worked as an accountant in Philadelphia, Boston, Hartford, and jumped around the east coast. He didn’t really enjoy his job so he went back to Franklin and Marshall to become a History Teacher. He had been looking for work for some time and eventually found a teaching job at a boy’s school in Bronxville. It was a job, after all.

So Dick arrives in Bronoxville and gets an email. He recognizes the last time-it’s Lew. He heard about Dick moving and wanted to catch up. Dick was new to Bronoxville and as reluctant as he was, he agreed to meet with Lew.

Lew and Dick meet at Rosie’s, a nice little Italian restaurant in the middle of Bronoxville. Lew surprises Dick, and greets him with a “going my way?”. Lew looks different; he’s gotten more handsome with age, his hair is shorter but still unruly with a tint of gray, and there’s a good amount of stubble. He hasn’t changed one bit.

Their first meeting went well. Just like Dick, Lew had a rocky start after college. Lew had foolishly gotten married to some girl he had gone to boarding school with. They barely lasted a year, and Lew left the marriage with a child he had no custody with and a large penthouse in Tribeca. Life had been lonely. He worked as an economist for a while, but hated the job and quit. With no job and a failing marriage, Lew turned to one resort; alcohol. He had nobody and nothing left in life.

Dick could see the fire that was once in Lew slowly dying out. The once sarcastic and dry Lew became a self--deprecating and lonely man with too much money and time on his hands. Naturally, Dick pitied him. He could see that Lew still loved him-if he didn’t, then how did he find out about Dick moving to Bronxville? How did he find out about Dick’s new job? Why did Lew take Dick to the nicest restaurant in Bronxville. And still, even though seven years had gone by, Dick was still in love with Lew. He’d come up in his thoughts once and while, but now, when faced with him-it was hard to resist those old feelings.

Dick was worried about Lew. So being the Architect he is (mbti type wise, he’s an INTJ), he creates a plan. Lew comes down from the city to Bronxivlle on Fridays and they meet at Rosies. They catch up on their week. From court cases to annoying students, the little things that they share each make their day a little better.

Dick was well aware of Lew’s alcoholism. It was noticeable in college, but it seemed to have worsened as Lew got older. Dick encouraged Lewis to go to therapy. When things had gotten to the worst, Lew enrolled in rehab (all thanks to Dick). He saw the stubbornness in Dick and the clear frustration. Dick wasn’t one for emotions, but when he saw Lewis with a bloody forehead because he fell down the stairs, barely able to speak, Dick sobbed in the waiting room at the hospital. Lewis had never seen Dick ever be that emotional. He was hurt.

That’s when Lewis realized two things. One, he needed to fix himself. If he kept living this deductive lifestyle, he could end up dead. He didn’t want that. And Two, as much as he repressed it-he was still in love with Dick.

Lew finally deals with his issues, ranging from alcohol to his childhood trauma and abuse. It was all with the help of Dick. Dick was there for him every step on the way, playing the role as that supportive friend. Here they were, two thirty year olds. Lew would’ve never imagined being friends with a Quaker that was too good for him, but there he was.

One night, after they had dinner at Rosies, Dick and Lew go back to Dick’s tiny little colonial house. It’s not his house, but a shared apartment. It’s small, but it’s something. Lew is shocked by the living conditions, and Dick simply finds the place charming. They laugh, lock eyes, and next thing they know their lips are clashing together, rushing to take off their clothes as they fit onto Dick’s small bed.

Seven years later, they finally realize they're in love with each other and officially start dating. Dick moves to Lew’s apartment and they live there together for a while. Both getting sick of their lives in the city, Lew decides they need a break from the city and the states.

A year later, Lew proposes to Dick at Rosies, all thanks to the help of Anne Winters, Blanche, Kitty Gorgan, and Harry Welsh. Dick happily accepts, and yes; he sheds a tear. And so does Lew. Everybody sheds a solid tear; it’s a beautiful moment.

Three days before their wedding, Dick and Lew elope on the rooftop of their apartment complex. They invite the same people who helped Lewis propose to Dick. It’s a small and intimate ceremony. Their dance song is “Flightless Bird, American Mouth”. They wanted to get married without the big crowd and Lewis’s “rich jerk friends'' and “daddy’s money”.

For the next seven years, Dick and Lew travel the world. They live all over Europe. From London, To Austria, to Tokyo-they do it all. Dick always ends up sunburnt and Lew is always wearing his classic aviators, wanting to take a photo of Dick. Whenever they go to a new location, Lew always forces Dick to pose next to something, whether that be the La Fontana Dei Quattro Fiumi or the Tokyo tower, and then he sets the photo as his lock screen. Now THAT is romance right there.

Seven years of travel is a lot. Dick and Lew traveled back to the states once in a while for Holidays, but spent most of their time overseas. They are both now in their late thirties and a little exhausted from travel.

Whenever they go to a forgien country, Lew has a tendency to buy shot glasses from each country even though he’s sworn off drinking. I just want to imagine Lew, dragging Dick into a little chaka shop and being like “Oh look darling! Aren’t these adorable” and Dick would just sigh.

So after their final destination, Greece, Dick and Lew decide to retreat back to the states. They don’t wanna live in the city, so they choose to move to the quaint Lancaster. Dick mentioned that he and his friends used to go explore this abandoned farmhouse that wasn’t too far from where he used to live (about 20 mins). Lew wants to be a romantic so he decides to pay a whole lotta money to revinate the barn into a modern mansion. Here’s a picture for reference. Lew goes the extra mile and Dick is like “ *insert eye roll emoji* lew, were two people. Lew would give him a little kiss on the cheek, “and? I’m making room for the dogs.

Oh I should add that Lew officially retires (he has loads of money, it’s called inheritance baby!) while Dick considers it, but chooses not too. He chooses to live the peaceful life of a farmer.

OKAY, but here is the very juicy part

Reminder that there house is like...fucking huge. Like ridiculously big. Like there are so many rooms, and they are furnished. Like what is the point of having furnished rooms if you only have two people living in the house??

Also Lew and Dick adopt a whole armanda of dogs. If you want specifics, they have a collie named Lassie, two westie named Lovey and Duffer, A carin named Toto, Beethoven the St.Bernard, and Copper the hound dog. Oh-and that’s the start. So. Many. BUNNIES.

Dick knows Lew. He already has a child that he’s unfortunately not been able to raise since he barely has custody over his child. He seems to like his own dogs over his children. Dick doesn’t mind. Sure, he’s worked with kids, but he’s okay not having them. He does like his dogs, after all.

Harry, Dick and Lew’s best friend from college, doesn’t live far from them. He’s been married to his college sweetheart, Kitty, for five years. Together, they have a little son named Louie. Harry comes over a lot with Louie, and Louie plays with the dogs in the backyard. Dick’s a very observant person; he sees the relationship between Louie, the dogs, Lewis, and Harry. Lewis doesn’t mind Louie. Actually, he likes the kid. He’ll run around the backyard with Louie and their dog.

So Dick starts thinking about children. Maybe he’s changed his mind; maybe he wants a kid. One or two would be fine. It could be through adoption, help a family out or a kid who’s stuck in the system. Dick is like a mother when he wants to help others around him.

One night, Dick and Lew are sitting in bed. Did I mention all the dogs sleep in their bed. When shopping for furniture, Lew wanted to pick out a bed to fit all of the animals they were gonna have. Dick didn’t like the idea and made the dogs all sleep in their crates. But one night, Lew walked in on Dick snoring, lovey and dovey tucked right next to his stomach and feet. Lew once again, takes a photo, and shows it to Dick, who’s as red as a tomato.

Dick does a little sigh and Lew looks up from his book, his reading glasses slipping down his nose. He’d be like “oh, what is it now sweetheart?”

“We have such a big house, Lew. Twenty rooms and only two people live in the house-”

“Actually Six dogs and three rabbits. The dogs sleep with us and the rabbits...wherever they sleep.”

“Lew, I know you don’t like children but-”

Lew holds up Toto, who tilts her head. “But look at her! Yeah, you’re a good girl aren’t you? Daddy's little girl!”

“You love Louie-”

“Yeah, cause he’s not mine. He’s a nice kid. But children, especially teenagers, are the devils of this earth. You need to fear them, pay for them, do all kinds of stuff. With dog’s it’s easier.”

“I love our animals, but just one or two. We have so much space in the house. Help out a child who needs it. I know you don’t wanna admit it, but your great with kids-”

“Not my own. I don’t even know my own daughter. Kathy got married to some damn twink. How the hell do you think I’d be a good father?”

Dick gives him that *insert pouty emoji* look. “Just think about, Lew.”

So Lew actually thinks about. He walks around the house, feeling and seeing the quietness. They do have thousands of empty rooms and a little too much freetime on their hands. Plus, Lew hates the puppy eye stare Dick gives him.

#this was A LOT #more then I was expecting #I just really love my gay dads #second part will have the rest as easy #either as kids or cringey teens #it's gonna be a LOT #trust me it won't be as heavy as this #stay tuned!#band of brothers #winnix #lewis nixon #dick winters #my writing

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drabbles-of-writing · 4 years

Text

Happy Birthday (pt 2)

This is part of my Four Years AU

AO3

Masterpost

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It was October thirteenth.

Luz’s first birthday without her mother.

She hadn’t told anyone what today was. She had mentioned it before, during the summer. But Eda and King weren’t known to be the best at remembering something so small from a single conversation.

They were already worried about her, it would only make things worse to remind them.

She saw the worried glances Eda and King gave her. Even Lilith looked concerned. Luz assured them she was fine before she holed up back in the library and, later, her room. Which she had made into makeshift into a study area.

Just because it was her birthday didn’t mean she had to stop trying. Even if it was her quinceañera.

‘Mamá must be worried.’ Her mind murmured.

‘She probably thinks you ran away.’ Added a snicker from the back of her mind. ‘She must think you hate her.’

Luz shook her head and hunched back over her papers. This wasn’t the time to mope and worry. This was the time for research! Even the words ran off the pages and her mind kept wandering.

‘You shouldn’t have gone through that door.’ Her thoughts spoke up again. ‘How bad could a reality check camp be, really? Would you really rather spend an eternity here, where your madre will never know if you're alive or dead?’

“Will you be quiet?” Luz snapped to no one.

‘Look at you,’ Her mind sneered back. ‘Talking to yourself. Maybe you did need that summer camp.’

Luz groaned and thunked her head on her desk, hands collapsing behind her neck. How was she supposed to work under these conditions?

She should’ve asked Gus to research with her. Out of all her friends, he was by far the most willing to spend all-nighters reading and searching for anything human. Any single link to the human realm.

This wasn’t to say Willow and Amity didn’t help her. They did, plenty of times. But it was always Gus she could call at two in the morning and ask to travel with her to some long-forgotten ruin on the slim chance it had even a sentence of human language on its stones. Amity was definitely a close second.

Everyone had tried. Even before the summer was over they had tried. Luz still beat herself up about not searching harder when she didn’t have to worry about her madre thinking she was lost somewhere. Every day that ticked by didn’t seem to bring her any closer to making it home.

The first week when summer vacation was over was horrible. Luz barely got any sleep and practically tore the library apart looking for any book on the human realm. She had crashed on the fifth day and slept all of the sixth. While she slept, her friends had taken up researching for her. Even Eda and King. Well, King tried. He couldn’t read all that well, but Lilith was happy to help.

Luz tried to at least get a few hours of sleep each day now. She still had bags under her eyes and her footsteps still dragged, but at least she wasn’t about to collapse anymore.

‘Mamá would tell you to go to sleep.’

Luz lifted her head and looked towards the window. It had originally been a hole in the wall courtesy of one of her recent adventures, so Eda had turned it into a wonky window instead of bothering to fix it up.

It was dusk. How had time gone by so fast?

Luz dug around in her desk for her glyphs and pulled out her light spell. She tapped the paper and it transformed into a small ball of light. She let it float next to her for a moment, simply watching it.

“She would like this spell.” Luz said to herself. “It doesn’t cost any bills to keep up.”

She almost laughed at her own joke. Almost.

‘Yeah, like she’d be proud of anything you did here.’

Luz sighed and turned back to the pages spread out before her. She stared blankly for a few moments, repeatedly telling herself to focus and failing to do so.

Then her bedroom door slammed open.

“LUZ!” King cried.

Luz yelped and shot backwards, tumbling out of her chair and hitting the wooden floor.

King winced and scurried over to where she lay, giving her a nervous look.

“Eh heh, sorry…”

“King! Don’t scare me like that!” Luz scolded, sitting up and rubbing her head.

“Sorry, but it’s important!” King said, waving his little arms. “Come on, come on!”

“Is something wrong?” Luz worried, standing up as King tugged on her cape.

“Well, no,” King said, still pulling her out of her room. “But it’s still important!”

Luz, more confused than ever, followed King as he finally let go of her cape and scampered down the stairs, practically shaking with excitement.

A part of Luz was expecting some prank he and Hooty had concocted. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for them these days.

Luz wandered down the stairs as King skittered towards the living room. She heard murmuring and frowned, slowing her steps until she was right by the doorway and peeked her head in, one hand resting on the doorframe.

Willow, Gus and Amity were sitting on the floor around the couch. They had pushed a table up in front of it. A cake sat on the table, and Amity was currently trying to stick in a candle shaped like a five next to the one shaped like a one, though was clearly having trouble as the candle was made of something very squirmy and kept shifting into something that looked more like a weird S.

Gus was trying to help contain the candle as Willow looked on with concern, holding a small square lidded box in her lap.

Eda and Lilith were sitting on the couch directing Gus and Amity with little success. As Lilith was also dealing with Hooty continuously bugging her with questions or whatever he ate outside that day.

King had just arrived and was now climbing onto the table, promptly freaking out everyone else who clearly didn’t expect him to be back so soon.

“Guys…?” Luz blinked, taking a step into the room.

Everyone's heads whirled around to her, none of them having expected her to make it downstairs faster than they anticipated.

Hooty, as per usual, was the first to break the silence.

“Hi, Luz!” He greeted. “We made a cake!”

“You didn’t do anything!” Lilith snapped. “All you did was be a lookout. A very lousy one, at that!”

“Hey! I deserve credit for doing something!”

“What...is all this?” Luz asked, deciding it was better to cut in before Lilith and Hooty started arguing again.

“What does it look like, kid?” Eda snorted, snatching the five candle from Amity and sharply sticking it into the cake, making it lopsided and causing clear distress to Amity’s OCD.

“This is what human birthdays look like, right?” Gus worried, sitting upright and putting his hands on the table. “Was there supposed to be streamers? I knew we should’ve gotten streamers,” He grumbled.

“No, no, it’s just…” Luz looked over everyone before her eyes landed on Eda and King, who had hopped onto the couch beside her.

“You...remembered?” She asked quietly.

“Of course we did! The King of Demons never forgets!” King said proudly.

“Yesterday you forgot that you drank your own apple blood and threw a fit because you thought someone else drank it.” Amity deadpanned.

“That was one time!”

“Happy birthday, Luz.” Willow said, gesturing for her to sit down and setting the small box on the table.

Luz slowly walked towards the table, sitting on her knees at the end of the table. Still stunned, she slid the gift closer to her and pulled off the lid.

Inside it was a book. It was dark blue with golden lining along the edges. It’s title in gold cursive read; Glyph Spells & Other Written Magic .

“Thought you could use one of those,” Willow said casually. “Since you’ve got your own students to teach now.”

“We all pitched in for it,” Eda said gleefully.

Amity gave the witch a very pointed glare. One that Eda sighed in response to.

“Alright, we all pitched in to look for it. Little Miss Rich over here paid for it.” She relented, pointing a thumb towards the girl.

“I tasted it!” Hooty added happily. “It tastes like old dust and death.”

Luz carefully lifted the book out of the box. It seemed like well-kept book. Though the frantic scratches among the cover here and there proved that it had likely been quickly cleaned before placed in the box. The pages were yellow and crinkled, and there was the occasional stain or tear. But overall, it wasn’t unreadable.

“Do you…” Amity swallowed. “Like it?”

Luz kept her eyes on the book for a few quiet seconds. She pulled the book close to her chest and lifted her head, trying and failing to fight back the tears welling in her eyes.

“I love it.” She said hoarsely, a wide smile stretched across her face.

Everyone in the room visibly relaxed, shoulders sagging.

“Does this mean we can have cake now?” King asked, impatiently tugging on Eda’s dress. “I’m starving!”

“Nope!” Hooty chirped, his head popped up beside Luz and startled her. “It’s group hug time!”

“Wait, wait, Hooty NO--!”

Hooty was faster than any of them could react and wrapped around them all, pulling them into a tight ball with Luz squished in the middle.

“A little more warning next time?” Gus wheezed from where he was currently being suffocated by the insistent bird tube.

“The cake!” Willow exclaimed.

Everyone craned their necks downwards towards the table.

Sure enough, amongst the struggle to get everyone in a circle, the cake had been knocked off the table and onto the floor, completely smashed against the carpet.

Everyone stared at it for a few moments.

“Floor cake!” King exclaimed. “The best kind of food!”

Nobody knew who laughed first, but it wasn’t long before everyone had smiles on their faces. Now, it didn’t seem to matter how human they made her party.

“Thanks, guys.” Luz said once she’d calmed down. “I...I think I needed this.”

“Any time, Luz.” Eda smiled.

Luz giggled and looked towards the stained windows of the Owl House. She could already hear Lilith and King arguing with Hooty again, probably to put them down, but it was tuned out.

The sky was completely dark now. And though the sky back home looked different than in the Boiling Isles, Luz couldn’t help but wonder if her mom was looking up at the stars, too.

She glanced back to her friends, still not processing any of the arguments or conversations they were having as they tried to free themselves from Hooty.

Yeah, she’d be okay.

Luz smiled and relaxed. Even if her mom didn’t know where she was, Luz could at least rest assured that she’d make it home, eventually. And she’d have real friends helping her out.

‘Keep that light on until I get there, mamá.’ She silently asked.

‘Te veré pronto.’

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flipomatic · 3 years

Text

Internship Chapter 34: Day 27 - Amity, Emira, Edric

Author Note: I'm posting this chapter a couple days early, since I have a busy week coming up and I don't want to delay the final chapter.

First Chapter Previous Chapter

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As it turned out, their parents had already been informed of the incident by the time they made it home. They had been waiting in the study, not bothering to come to clinic.

Amity had left Ed and Em in their care, though they didn’t seem upset about what had happened.

No, they actually seemed pleased, which was super strange. Their mother said something about how the publicity of this would look good for the family, which Amity didn’t understand. Amity could hear them interrogating the twins as she left, asking for all the details.

It was hard to fall asleep that night, though not due to what happened with the twins. No, Amity realized that after visiting all of the major covens, she still didn’t know which one she was going to join. Sure, she had learned about each one of them, but she hadn’t succeeded at her true goal.

Despite all of the time spent searching, she didn’t have an answer.

She had no idea what to do about that, which led to uneasy sleep.

The next day, Amity went back to the library as arranged with Luz. The plan was to finish the conversation they’d been having about Azura yesterday, but Amity couldn’t focus on that.

They were sitting in the same spots they had been the day before, both flipping through a book. Amity closed hers and looked up at Luz slowly. She couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“Since we visited them all, have you decided which coven to join?” Amity asked the question that had been haunting her since last night.

Luz brought her eyes up, connecting their gazes together. “Nope.” She said the word with certainty as she closed her book. “They were all so cool, with so much awesome magic, I can’t decide.” She still sounded happy though, even without having come to a conclusion. “I really loved seeing the different beasts for beast keeping, oh and the future at the Oracle Coven.”

Thinking back to what the oracle saw in her future warmed Amity’s cheeks. “I remember.” She also recalled how excited Luz had been, looking around the covens, and how eager she was to learn new spells.

“Plants too, oh plants are too great!” Now Luz’s eyes were sparkling. Amity thought about the plant that almost ate Luz’s hand, and was less enthused. “It’s impossible to pick.” Luz stated with a firm nod.

“What will you do then?” This was the question Amity had been asking herself, for the whole month now. The question she’d been struggling with all this time, with no progress.

For Luz, the young woman who always seemed to know what to do, the answer came easily. “I’ll keep learning all of them!”

Was that the answer then, to learn all types of magic? It wouldn’t work for Amity, she knew that. But that wasn’t the point.

No, what Amity was starting to understand was that it was okay to still be learning. Luz felt perfectly comfortable stretching her wings and trying new things. She wasn’t prepared to choose a coven, and so she didn’t.

Amity could do that too. She’d spent the last month traveling around with Luz, after all, exploring what different covens had to offer. She had loved almost every minute of it, all of the time spent learning with her friend.

With Luz by her side, the possibilities were endless.

Even though Amity hadn’t come to the end with an answer, with a coven to join, she had still learned something.

“That’s just like you.” Amity replied to Luz’s exclamation, which surprisingly caused the other teen’s face to flush pink.

Luz broke eye contact and ducked her head slightly, seeming embarrassed. “What about you?” She asked.

“I haven’t decided yet.” Amity chose her next words carefully. “Do you mind if I keep learning with you?”

Luz lifted her head and looked right at Amity. Her bright brown eyes were wide with surprise. “Of course!” She almost shouted, then covered her mouth with her hands. “I mean, of course I don’t mind.” She looked so endearing like this, too cute.

Amity smiled; she couldn’t help it. “Thank you.” She then looked back down at her Azura book, which was lying forgotten in her lap. “Maybe after book club, we can get started.”

Luz’s hands fell away from her face. “For sure!”

The two resumed flipping through their books, though they had to try and remember what they’d been searching for earlier.

Later, after they were done, they would start trying to learn a healing spell. After seeing Ed and Em’s burns the day before, they felt that was the best place to start.

Progress was slow, but that was fine. Amity was in no hurry.

As long as she was spending time with Luz, expanding their limits together, she was happy.

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The attic was dusty, despite its more regular use. Emira had been very careful while climbing up as to not irritate her healing side.

The burn had hurt quite badly on the walk home, which was only made worse by her parents fawning over her. It had been weird, and she got away from them as soon as she could.

The burn cream, which the clinic gave her, helped ease the pain. She had applied it carefully while changing the bandages.

When morning came, she mostly sat around the house. She couldn’t go anywhere, and with the internship over it wasn’t like she had anything she needed to do. School work wouldn’t start again until Monday.

Emira had been sitting in her room when a small magic symbol flashed on her desk; Ed was summoning her to the attic.

That was how she ended up carefully hauling herself up the ladder, taking it one step at a time. Ed had beaten her up there, which was no surprise since he put out the summons.

He had taken his bandages off to let the burns breath, which he could do since they were smaller burns. He was sitting on the same box as usual when Emira made it to the top, wearing his casual clothes.

“We could’ve met downstairs.” Emira protested as she got both of her feet onto the landing, moving to sit on a box and rest.

Ed looked her over, eyes stopping where the large burn was. “And risk being overheard?” He asked, with the real unsaid question being, would that be worth it?

The answer was no. “You’re right.” Emira sighed, slouching against a box.

A small smile crept onto Ed’s face. “Thank you.” He quipped, before the smile shrank back away. “Frederick sent me a note this morning, the coven is investigating Nick.”

That sounded like good news. “So, did we win?” Emira asked, still not sure of all the details involved.

“I think so, yeah.” Ed put his elbows on his knees, leaning forward so he could rest his head on his hands. “Can’t believe it’s over.” He muttered.

Emira understood how he felt. The second half of the internship felt like it had flashed by, like a firework. “Back to school on Monday.” Emira replied, causing Ed to roll his eyes.

“Unfortunately.” He grumbled. “Did you at least learn any new spells?” He asked, still leaning on his arms.

Oh, that was right, Emira hadn’t had time to show him yet. “I did.” She said with a smile. Though she hadn’t expected to, she learned a lot from Jen.

The internship had turned out far better than her first impression of it; she probably should’ve given it a better chance from the start. Emira would try not to make that mistake again.

Ed sat up straight, now intrigued. “What kind?” He asked, and Emira could practically see the gears in his brain already turning.

“A layered fireworks spell, I’ll teach you once I’m healed.” Creating fireworks while covered in burns wouldn’t exactly be responsible.

“I learned one too.” Ed replied, now smirking. “By that, I mean I created it.”

“Ooh.” Emira leaned closer, though had to sit back up when her side twinged. “What’s it do?”

“Creates a patch of anti friction ground, it’ll be great for pranks.” Ed then explained the basis of the spell, and demonstrated it on an object in the attic. Emira couldn’t wait to try it.

They continued talking about the spell, along with potential combos it could be used in, for a while longer.

“There is one more thing I have to do, before we go back to school.” Ed said as the conversation was winding down.

“What’s that?” Emira thought that dealing with Nick had been the last thing.

“Later, when Mittens gets home, I’ll show you.”

________________________________________________________

“This is the spot.” Edric stopped about a hundred feet away from the house, marking a patch of grass with his foot.

“Are you sure?” Em asked, with one eyebrow arched in his direction. They had already reassessed two different spots.

“Yes.” Edric ignored her sass and nodded. “Go ahead and cast.”

Emira rolled her eyes, but did as she was directed. She spun her finger in a large circle, casting an illusion mirror. It sat between them and the house, reflecting back the grass so that they couldn’t be spotted.

Amity had her arms crossed. “What do you want me to do again?” She asked, clearly annoyed with how long it had taken to choose a spot.

“Summon your abomination and have it dig, this is what we’re burying.” Edric tried to remain patient as he held up the item in question.

Amity called for her abomination, and it appeared out of a spell circle. It was a small one, to avoid being seen around the mirror. She directed it to the designated grass. “Abomination, dig.”

The purple creature obeyed, digging up the grass and creating a small hole. Once it was wide enough, Amity had it stop.

“Perfect.” Edric said, leaning over to examine the hole. He held the object in both hands. “Would either of you like to say a few words?” He asked his sisters.

“Pass.” Amity said bluntly.

“It was better than going to school.” Em supplied.

That was true, it had been better than going to school. Edric was not excited to get back to that, but at least he had a couple new tricks up his sleeves.

He looked down at the mask in his hands, the one he’d worn every day for the last month.

What had he learned? Well, a new spell, but what else? Watch out for corrupt authority figures?

New experiences weren’t so bad, or something like that.

“Good riddance.” Edric said, kneeling down to place the mask into the hole. It looked good there, better than it had on his face.

Amity then had the abomination cover it back up with dirt, leaving a slightly elevated patch.

Edric cast a plant spell, the only one he knew, to try and make some of the grass grow back. A couple strands popped out of the ground.

“Good enough.”

#the owl house #the owl house fanfiction #amity blight #luz noceda #emira blight #edric blight #and with that the fic is complete #I hope you enjoyed it and thanks for reading!

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