#human realm shenanigans

[thebest-medicine]

Show, Don’t Tell

The Owl House - lee!Luz, lee!Hunter, lee!Amity, ler!Camila, ler!Willow, ler!Gus, ler!Luz - [read on ao3]

Summary: Camila shows the rest of the Hexsquad a way she used to calm down / cheer up Luz during a scary movie when she was little. Soon, more of the Hexsquad reveal themselves to share the same weakness.

A/N: I come to bring you sweet owl house tickles, takes place during thanks to them

Words: 1.2k

…

“Si, and any time Luz was too scared—she always tried so hard to be brave! We always used to help cheer her up with—”

“Whoa! Mama, you don’t have to tell them about—”

“No, tell us! What is it?” Amity asked, a curious smile on her face at Luz’s blurted attempt to silence the story. Luz stared back at her with blushing cheeks before the eyes turned back to her mother a moment later.

“You’re right.. I shouldn’t tell them.” Camila said calmly. She waited for Luz to lose a bit of the tension from her shoulders, ler her guard down just a little… “I should show them!” She leapt toward her daughter with a war cry. Luz scrambled backward on the couch with a shriek of giggling terror.

“No! Mama! Dohohohohohohohon’t!” Luz cried, laughing already as she feebly fought to block the advancing, tickling hands. “Oh nohohohoho! Behehehetrayal!” She cackled as Camila got to her sides, pinching up along them to her ribs. Luz clutched at her wrists as she laughed, squishing herself further back into the couch.

“You see, Luz here is quite ticklish. Never fails to put a smile on her face!” Camila explained to the grinning witch teens as they watched on.

Luz’s face burned with embarrassment as she laughed and laughed, until finally her mother pulled back a minute later with a proud grin on her face. “Tadaa—Smiley Luz!”

“Moooom.” Luz whined through lingering laughter as she covered her face.

“Did you kids have this in the Demon Realm?” Camila asked next as Luz caught her breath.

Willow and Gus nodded with a familiar smile.

“My dad sometimes used to do that when I was growing up.”

“My dads too.”

“Heh, my parents never would have done anything like that, but, the twins...” Amity responded with a shudder at the memories. “They were pretty mean when it came to tickling growing up.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that, it’s not very fun when someone takes it too far.” Camila assured her. “Luz doesn’t mind as long as—”

“Mama! Please!” Luz protested with a nervous smile.

One of the group continued to watch on confused, a strange smile working its way onto his face at the unfamiliar display of affection and sudden laughter.

“What, um…” Hunter spoke up a few moments later. “What is that?”

“Whaaaaaaaat?” Gus gasped dramatically, spinning to face Hunter. “Are you serious right now!?”

Hunter blushed a little at the attention as eyes converged on him. “Yeah, I uh, I’ve never seen someone do that before.”

“So you don’t know if you’re ticklish?” Willow asked gently.

“If I’m..? No...” Hunter looked to Luz, who had mostly returned to her normal composure and breathing. “Is it… Fun?”

Luz’s cheeks blossomed with redness at his question and she looked away. The whole group chuckled at that.

“Yes, it’s just a way of playing or bonding with someone. Lots of families or friends do it.” Camila explained, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I bet some of your friends here can help you find out.” She winked.

Everyone was smiling as she stood and announced. “I’m going to go make some popcorn and snacks for the movie, okay mijas?” Then, she made her way to the kitchen.

“Well, what do you think, do you want to try?” Willow asked, grinning at Hunter as she moved in closer on the couch.

Hunter swallowed, looking between her and Gus, who gave him a similar look. “S-Sure.”

Luz smiled at him reassuringly, then scooted out of the way so that Willow and Gus could get closer on either side of him. She turned to Amity, who was watching her with a blush of her own.

“A-Alright. What should I..?” Hunter looked between his two friends. Each got in close on one of his sides.

“Put your arms around us, like a hug!” Willow suggested.

Hunter blushed further, but then did as he was told.

“So.. there’s a few general hotspots that most people are ticklish.” Willow explained as she brought one hand up into view to get Hunter’s attention. “For example.” She brought down a wiggling claw hand, just over the middle of Hunter’s stomach.

Hunter jumped at the contact, a strange, unfamiliar sensation that made him want to shout. He reeled back with a wide grin, tightening his grip on his friend’s shoulders to keep from pulling his arms in. She kept tickling, light but persistent. Hunter couldn’t hold back the giggles long as they formed in his throat. Laughter still felt somewhat foreign on his lips, but this felt almost natural. “Wha-whahat- hehe- what is thihihihis?”

“Looks like you’re ticklish, buddy!” Gus cheered with a grin.

“Here’s another spot a lot of people are ticklish.” Willow pulled away her tickling hand, only to bring it back to poke into Hunter’s ribs. He jumped away from the touch, his body flinching toward Gus. Soon, he was met with a poke from that side as well as the other witch joined in the teasing.

“Ehehehhe it feheheeheels weheheird!” Hunter said through his laughter.

“Good weird? Or bad weird?” Willow asked.

“I-hehehehe I’m not suhuhure yehehhet!” He answered honestly, a little overwhelmed at the potency of the sensation.

“Here’s another spot a lot of people are ticklish.” She wiggled two fingers under his arm and Hunter yelped. His arm tugged back and slammed into Willow’s shoulder where she had him lightly pinned to the couch.

Gus moved his own hand up and started to poke around the other armpit, and Hunter laughed outright.

“Ahahahaha! Wahahaha- not thehehehere!” He gasped, wishing for a moment he could crawl out of his skin to escape the strong, intruding buzz of ticklish sensation.

The two of them stopped. “Sorry, too much?” Willow asked.

“No, just… that was a bad spot, I guess.” Hunter replied. “It’s fine.” Then, he continued, assuring them. “It was kinda.. fun. Is there… other spots people can be ticklish?”

Willow’s smile brightened. “Of course! Let’s try somewhere else. Let us know if it’s too bad a spot again, okay?”

“Okay..” Hunter nodded. “Hey, why are you grabbing my feet, Gus?”

…

Meanwhile, as Luz turned to Amity. “So, you said the twins were pretty bad, huh?”

Amity’s blush grew. She looked at the ceiling. “H-heh, yeah.”

“So I guess that means you’re pret-ty ticklish.”

The blush covered her entire face.

“Don’t worry, I don’t wanna do anything that makes you uncomfortable.” Luz leaned in, whispering. “But if you’d be okay with it, I’d love to try it some time.”

Amity giggled in anticipation. “T-That would be fine. I trust you.”

“Like…. Maybe now?” Luz smirked, giving her a playful look.

Amity nodded, already letting out small laughs. And Luz pounced, only to bring one slow, gentle hand down to poke at her twitching tummy.

“Hehehehe- AHH! Heheh!” Amity giggled, shouting out a little laugh at every new poke. Her laughter joined Hunter’s, and Camila smiled as she prepared snacks in the next room.

[gremlingarbagedump]

Human realm shenanigans

Luz and Gus learning that Hunter will wear whatever you toss at him when he’s hyperfixating on something so they start to play a game of “What Will He Wear.”

Notable things they got him to wear:

• In side out shirts

• “Handsome Lad” Print t shirt

• V-neck that went down to the sternum

• A crop top

• A “crop top” (a shirt with a bunch of corn printed on it)

• “It’s Britney Bitch” t shirt

Willow and Amity made them stop before they could test the hotdog costume.

[bicsbec]

The Most Mundane Slice-of-Life Date Ever (ao3 link)

Luz had been planning this for months. Well not this particular date under these particular circumstances, but a date with Amity. Any date with Amity.

Planning was a big word, too. It was more like daydreaming. She had a list she went through in her head of different dates.

Bowling, brunch, a movie, a picnic, the beach, roller skating, going for ice cream or milkshakes like in those old teen romance movies, or going to a bookstore, or—

"Luz? Hey, hello, where are you?" Hunter waved a hand in front of her face. She swatted it away.

"I'm right here."

He raised an eyebrow. "Right. Stop thinking about Blight for two seconds and focus. What can we get Camila?"

Luz scrunched her nose at that. "Just call her Mom already, sounds weird when you use her name."

Hunter blushed at the suggestion. "That's—that'd be disrespectful."

"You calling her Mom would be better than getting her something," Vee said from the cutting board. "Or we could make her dinner, like a nice one."

They were already making dinner, but it was just because it was their turn to cook that week. Gus and Amity had cleaned the common areas and Willow had been hanging up the laundry. Mamá would find the house spotless once she got back from work.

"If that's the case, Hunter should stick to peeling and cutting, and only what we hand you," Luz said, pointing a spoon in his direction. Last time he and Gus had been left in the kitchen alone, they'd created an abomination, the affront to nature kind not the magic kind.

Hunter shrugged. "It wasn't that terrible."

"Glad you could digest it," Luz shot back. "Now, el cumple de Mamá."

"I think it should be a small thing," Vee said, bringing Luz the diced potatoes and pumpkin for the beans. "We're already a handful, don't wanna stress her out more than necessary."

"Right, so dinner, maybe game night? Or a movie. And cake."

"No ghouls?"

"No ghouls, Hunter. She doesn't need one to follow her around the whole day, telling her how many years she's got left."

He raised his hands defensively. "It helps you appreciate your remaining days, that's all I'm saying."

"It is effective," Vee agreed. "But it might give Mom a heart attack, so no."

"Thank you, I like my mothers alive," Luz said playfully. But the phrase only made her think of Eda. Her stomach swooped anxiously, an itching desperation crawling down her nerves. She could only hope that Eda was okay. That King was okay.

She ran a hand down her face, trying to ground herself. It was easy to spiral. Her friends were safe. She was with Mamá. They were doing everything they could to get back. These things were enough.

They're not, but they have to be.

"That smells good," Amity's voice snapped her back. She looked back to see Amity smiling at her from the entrance to the kitchen.

"Thanks," Luz brightened."It still needs like 20 or 30 minutes so las viandas can soften."

"Sounds good, I'll tell the others."

She watched Amity walk away, getting excited all over again. After dinner she was gonna ask her out. Mamá had already okayed an outing as long as Luz kept her up to date on their location. Easy enough.

"Are they becoming less gross to watch or am I getting used to it?" Hunter asked Vee.

"Hey! We have toned it down a lot," Luz said defensively.

"You're getting used to it," Vee told him. "It's the eyes, Luz. It's impressive, really."

"Bah, you two just hate love."

Vee and Hunter shared a look. She flipped them both off. It wasn't as satisfying when they were still learning human gestures, especially learning the difference between the ones that you only use with friends and the ones you definitely shouldn't use outside of those circles.

"This one means 'screw you' and it's a 'between us' one," she explained, mostly to Hunter. Vee had started to get the hang of them faster since she had her summer camp friends. They'd been slowly reconnecting after Vee got her new face.

"Got it," he said dutifully. "Well, screw you, too. We're the ones that have to put up with it."

"How tragic for you, I have a girlfriend and we like each other."

"It gets obnoxious. You're flaunting."

"Cry me a river. Just tell Willow already."

Hunter's eyes widened. "Lower your voice."

"Tell Willow already," she whispered, smug as all hell.

"Tell me what?" Willow entered through the backdoor with a basket full of laundry, setting it on the table.

Hunter's face was red, Luz wasn't sure if he was blushing or angry at her, his posture stiff and awkward.

"That's my bad," Luz covered easily. "The guys wanted to surprise you with a Flyer Derby match. They've been trying to find a good spot where you could play without worrying about being seen."

Willow brightened immediately. "Aw, that's really sweet. I miss playing, just tell me when."

"S-sure thing," Hunter gritted out, only slightly less stiff.

She smiled at him, picking up the basket and heading into the living room to fold.

"I hate you," he turned to Luz.

"You're welcome."

Flapjack chirped from Hunter's pocket, wiggling out and perching on his shoulder.

"But she—Flap! Fine. Thank you, Luz."

"What was that? Did it sound like he meant it to you, Vee?"

"No, not really," Vee said, playing along easily.

He looked between the two of them, murder in his eyes. He took a breath, relaxing. "Thank you for not telling Willow, Luz."

"Nah, don't worry, bro. That's for you to do," she shrugged, ready to stop teasing him. "I, unlike you, am a sucker for romance."

"Yeah, okay," Hunter chuckled.

After dinner had been served and Mamá told them about her day, Vee and Gus headed over to the Swap to play Mariano Go-Kart as Hunter and Willow watched, transfixed by the tiny people in their little cars. They all sucked terribly at the game, always looking at the wrong split screen when playing. At least they always had a good laugh about it.

Luz thought about buying more controllers so they could all play instead of taking turns. She'd never needed more than two before.

She leaned behind the couch, next to Amity, watching as Vee fell off the map, pulled up by a turtle in a cloud.

"Oh, I thought that was me! Ha!" Gus laughed, even though he was in 10th place.

"This game is weird," Amity commented. "Where does the Snaggleback get that long hook?"

"I…actually don't know, it's probably something crazy, though," Luz said. The Mariano Siblings lore always was a little unhinged. "Hey, can I steal you away for a bit?"

"Uh, sure," Amity smiled. "Where are we going?"

"Just out front. It's a little more quiet," Luz said, taking her hand.

"Okay."

They sat down on the front steps of the house, lit mostly by the lamp above the entrance and the streetlights. The night was cool, the first wisps of autumn chilling the air. Amity sat close to Luz looking for warmth as her hands were enveloped in her abomination mittens, but they weren't quite right. The color had begun to change the more time they spent in the Human Realm. It wasn't less magical, Vee could assure them of that, but it was less of their world, more of this one. That by itself made Amity and Willow especially more homesick.

Luz took her hand, slime mitten and all. This was exactly why she wanted to take Amity out on a date. Something totally normal to balance out the insane.

"I've been thinking a lot lately," Luz started.

"You always are," Amity pointed out good-naturedly.

"Right," Luz smiled. "But I was thinking more about us. I had promised you a date when all of this was over and, if I recall correctly, you seemed eager for a tour of the Human Realm when we were looking for, y'know, uh, Philip's diary, so, uh…"

"Yeah?" Amity was smiling, encouraging Luz with her little speech.

"I know that things are still crazy, even though it doesn't feel that way. I mean, you're stuck here and I'll do everything I can to get you guys back, but we don't know how long that'll take and what I'm trying to say is: this is the new normal, for the foreseeable future at least."

"Uh-huh."

"You can totally say no if it's too weird or too soon or you're not in the right headspace for it, but would you wanna go on that date?"

Amity kissed her cheek. "You're so silly. Of course I would."

"Oh, okay," Luz relaxed, she hadn't realized how tense she was. This was Amity after all, she didn't need to be so nervous. "When?"

"You're the one asking, you should know," Amity said with a playful smirk. "I don't have school or extracurriculars or anything. I'm free whenever."

"Right, right." As it turned out, enrolling kids without birth certificates or any kind of documentation into a human school was insanely difficult. Especially if they had pointy ears and didn't grasp human social cues.

"We could go this weekend or tomorrow after I get back from school," Luz suggested.

"Sure," Amity leaned into her, hugging her arm. "Anything in mind?"

"Uh, y'know, just the most mundane slice-of-life date ever."

"Right," Amity giggled, dispelling her mittens and lacing her fingers with Luz's. "I can't wait."

Luz blushed, really wanting to kiss Amity. Properly kiss her. She'd been trying to work up the courage ever since the Day of Unity, but she always chickened out. The crowded house and her mother hovering in the background didn't help either.

But she could try right then, ask Amity or lean in or—

The door slammed open.

"Luz. Luz! I beat your high score!" Gus announced excitedly, ramming a steel bar down Luz's spine.

So, this is how Hunter must've felt.

"Ooh, am I interrupting something?"

"Nope!" Luz stood quickly, almost dragging Amity with her. "We were just heading inside. Wait—" Gus' words registered. "How did you beat my high score?"

He hadn't. He was reading the scale backwards; it was the lowest score. Luz didn't have the heart to tell him.

It was always hard to concentrate at school. Before the Demon Realm, her mind wandered during class, spacing out and daydreaming about fictional worlds. She had tried to pay attention but it never stuck. Only two subjects were interesting enough, English and biology; one for the stories and one for her taxidermy projects.

After the Demon Realm? Her attention had never been more all over the place. How could she go to school when King was in the hands of a terrifying little god and she could only hope Eda was some semblance of alright? How could she go to school when all her fantasies and nightmares were real?

At least today she was distracted for a different reason.

She couldn't wait to go home and get ready for her date with Amity. She was excited to be able to look forward to something for once. She had stayed up late planning their date, laying out the schedule to make sure they had time for everything.

"For next week, I want you to bring in a paragraph. Work in a prompt that could lead to a grander story. It could even be a single sentence," the teacher was saying as the class came to an end. Luz absently scribbled down the reminder as most of her classmates began to pack their things. "We'll work on story structure next week, so you'll need your paragraph to expand upon. Please don't plagiarize! And do it yourself, don't ask a classmate; it'll be easier if it comes from you."

The school bell rang and half the class was already on their feet and out the door. Luz packed her things, eager to head out.

"Luz, do you have a minute?" her teacher, Ms. M, said as she passed her desk. Luz stopped, unsure if she was in trouble or not. Her teachers barely talked to her if it wasn't to say she was doing poorly in class or needed to apply herself more. "I heard that last semester you were distracted in class, but from what I've seen this semester, you've been…well, depressed, frankly. Has everything been okay at home?"

"Yeah, everything's fine, Ms. M," Luz said, confused but trying to be reassuring. Her teachers had never expressed concern for her specifically, just concern for her grades.

"Okay, that's good to hear. You have seemed a little brighter these last few days, still distracted, though," she smiled like she was in on a joke with Luz. Luz was waiting for the Your grades have been slipping or aren't looking so good. "That was all, just worried. Just know that you can come to me if something isn't okay at home. I don't want to keep you, you can head on out. You seemed excited." Weird. She was a relatively new teacher, maybe she didn't know Luz's reputation yet.

"Alright, thanks, miss."

Luz thought about the interaction on the bus ride home. It was a little comforting; it was a sign of change, that she'd changed. Nothing much around her had indicated that time had passed, that she'd been in the Demon Realm at all (except for its actual residents currently living in her house). Her teachers resented her past disruptions, her classmates were just that, classmates; even Bosha had held longer conversations with Luz.

It'd usually been the case that she didn't give much weight to what her teachers thought, unless it worried Mamá as well. But Ms. M taking notice felt nice, a recognition she had never craved before. The approval of a teacher.

Eda.

Eda was more than a teacher or mentor or guide to the Demon Realm. But her approval had always felt like earning an A-plus. Her first banned poster, her first wild glyph, her first heist; Eda’s eyes shone with pride after each one. Eda loved teaching her and caring after her, and Luz loved being under Eda’s wing. She missed her.

She was at her stop.

"Hey, what's that look? Everything okay?" Willow asked as she came into the house. Gus' air mattress was still out, Willow and him huddled in the blankets. Hunter still had his nest of pillows and comforters on the couch. The explosions from the TV paused, what sounded like a Flare Strikes movie binge. They must've had a very late morning. The scene alone was enough to brighten up Luz a little.

"Just, uh, missing Eda," she sighed, dropping her bag against the mattress and slumping across Willow's lap. Willow was always a calming presence, being able to soothe her frayed nerves with a giggle and an encouraging pat.

"Aw, I'm sure she misses you, too," Willow said with a reassuring squeeze. "We're all missing family, but we're not alone at least. And your mom is awesome."

"Yeah," Gus said with a half smile. "We're gonna see them again, one way or another. It's unlike us to just quit."

They looked up at Hunter, waiting for him to say something.

"What? I'm starting to like it here, I'm not exactly eager to—"

Gus and Willow smacked at his feet.

"I mean, of course we're gonna get home," he said like it was obvious. "We're getting you guys back to your families, yes, obviously. Just sayin' it's not a crime to like it here. After all, Luz liked the Demon Realm."

"Yeah, that's fair," Luz sighed. "Just wish we'd have a big break or something, or just got lucky for once."

"It'll be fine," Willow patted her head. "Hey, isn't today your big date with Amity?"

Willow was an awesome friend, always knowing exactly what to say to course correct Luz's spiral.

She immediately perked up. "Yes, it is. I have to go get ready," Luz said, crawling out of the air mattress.

She found the door to her room (or their room, given that it was being shared with Vee, Willow, and Amity) closed. Luz knocked, lesson learned a few weeks ago.

"Come in."

She opened the door and was yanked in by the arm. There were two Amitys in the room, the one clinging to her arm in her pajamas, looking a little disheveled and anxious, and the other with her arms out in a very cute yellow day dress.

"Willow, I need your opinion before Luz gets home. Do you thin—" the anxious Amity finally looked over at Luz. This was her sweet potato.

Vee shifted back with a smirk.

"Luz!"

"You are so friggin' cute!" Luz pulled her into a hug, making her giggle.

"I'm still in here!" Vee said, fake grossed out, walking towards the door. "Wear the dress, Amity. Luz's eyes sparkled when she saw it, okay? Sparkled."

Luz felt her face heat up.

"It was very pretty!" Luz said defensively.

Amity was blushing.

"Okay, I'm out. Have fun on the date," Vee said, closing the door behind her.

"I'm guessing you need the room," Amity said, moving to pull out her box of clothes from under the bed. Storage was becoming an increasing nightmare; when at home, they usually just wore whatever fit, but Willow and Amity had separate boxes for going-out clothes and underwear.

"Yeah, I'll just change real quick."

Amity pulled out the dress she'd been looking for. "Okay, I'll be downstairs."

She kissed Luz's cheek on her way out, her lips like a spark that left a soft, wild thrumming under Luz's skin and stomach warm.

Luz got ready in a flash, grabbing her phone, the tote she'd prepared the night before, and her spare keys, all while smiling. She couldn't really stop. She rushed downstairs to find Willow spinning a laughing Amity as Vee and the boys voiced their approval of her outfit.

"Es que mira, they're a matching set," Vee said when she saw Luz by the stairs. Luz had picked out her nicest graphic tee layered with a violet flannel and denim straight pants; the colors, she now realized, went nicely with Amity's dress and hair.

"Give us a twirl!" Gus bounced from his slightly deflated mattress and conjured an Illusion Gus next to Luz, taking her hand and spinning her, too. Luz felt her smile grow to the point it was a little painful. She hadn't really smiled in a long time.

As Gus' illusion dispelled, Luz felt something melt away from her chest. Like a weight that had been dragging her heart through rocks. She felt lighter, the laughter and voices of her friends dusting her off and chipping away at the debris.

They were doing everything they could, not just to get back, but to be normal kids. And for once, it felt like enough.

"Bueno, hermosa, we should get going," Luz said, extending her hand out to Amity. She was already blushing, linking her arm with Luz's.

"Have fun on your date," Willow called.

"Bring her back by ten," Gus said in a silly voice, like a dad in a movie.

"Of course, sir," Amity played along, hand to her chest in sincerity.

"Remember what Mom said," Hunter's voice followed them to the door. "Location on!"

"Chill out! I'm on it," Luz called back, pulling out her phone. She first texted Mamá, letting her know they'd gone out and sent her a live pin that would last a couple of hours.

"Okay, ready?" She asked putting away her phone as Amity closed the door behind them. Luz heard a small sniffle and stopped cold. "Amity?"

"Yeah, sorry," she looked up, her nose red and eyes a little watery. "It's just—" She took a steading breath.

"What's wrong?" Luz brought a hand to her cheek, wiping away a stray tear.

"It's just nice, y'know? For a second there it felt like being back home. Ed and Em were—are a lot like that. Whenever one of them went on a date it was always a big fuss. The teasing and hyping up and all that…I always thought they'd do the same with me."

"Oh," Luz smiled, easily imagining Ed and Em's banter and cooing over their little sister. "I'm sure they still will, when you tell them all about your date with your awesome girlfriend." Luz nudged her playfully with her elbow, getting a smile from Amity.

"Yeah," she agreed, linking their arms again and starting down the sidewalk. "I'm sure they will. By the way, did I hear that right? Did Hunter call Camila 'Mom'?"

"He did, didn't he? She's gonna be so excited."

"Think she hasn't heard him?"

"I think he's practicing."

"Cute," Amity said and immediately scrunched up her nose. "Never thought I'd say that about the Golden Guard."

Luz laughed. "Well, I think it's safe to say that he's hardly the Golden Guard anymore. He's more like a—"

"Dorky older brother?"

Luz tapped her nose. "That's what it is."

"I already have one of those, you can keep this one," Amity joked; Luz giggled.

"Yeah, okay. I think Mom likes him anyway. It works out."

"So, what are we doing? For the date, I mean."

"I would say it's a surprise, but I really wanna tell you," Luz said brightly. She could tell her face was gonna hurt after today. "Okay, so, first I thought about doing like a thousand things, but I realized we only had an afternoon and I really wanted it to be perfect. I promised no monsters and no duels so the movie theater was out, they only show scary stuff in the fall. Next I thought—"

"Luz," Amity shook her arm impatiently, amused by her girlfriend's rambling.

"Okay, okay. Big clichés, so first we're going for milkshakes."

"Like smilksnakes?"

"But without snake straws."

Amity nodded, maybe a little disappointed. Luz knew how it felt to have something so familiar become incredibly foreign because of a few letters. She remembered how Amity lit up at the mention of rugby, but increasingly lost her enthusiasm as she saw a match progress.

"Where's the scarab? Where's the peril?" Amity had asked. Luz didn't want to imagine the severity of her disappointment if Amity had actively liked grudgby.

But Amity remained excited. "And then?"

"Up to you. We could go to the bookstore or—"

"Bookstore."

Luz chuckled. "Okay, bookstore. And last, Gravesfield Park. How's that sound?"

"Perfect," Amity sighed, leaning on Luz's shoulder.

"Perfect," Luz smiled, kissing the top of her head.

Luz had stumbled her way through the Demon Realm, making mistakes and offenses she had no idea about, with no one that could stop her overexcitement in time. She was glad she could be there for her friends as they navigated through the Human Realm. An odd fumble in the Demon Realm just meant someone that was slightly weirder than the rest, nothing too out of the ordinary. In the Human Realm, they would stick out like a sore thumb, like Eda had, calling a lot of attention to themselves.

"Just follow my lead," Luz said reassuringly as they sat down in a window booth. She scanned the QR code on the table with her phone. "Here, this is the menu. If you have any questions, let me know."

Amity had a lot of questions. It was a fun challenge trying to help Amity figure out the flavors.

"Milk chocolate is the same as chocosmilk, only a little sweeter."

"Ooh, how about a banana split?"

"It's very much not a public dismemberment of a banana."

Amity sat back defeated. "The Human Realm is so mild."

"Yes, it is." Thankfully.

A waitress approached them. "You girls ready to order or do you need more time?"

Luz looked over to Amity, who seemed uncertain. "A little more time, please."

"Sure." The waitress moved over to another booth, unfazed.

"Look, this one's kinda like Ghoul Aid, but a little less awful. And boba is like boiled firebee eggs."

"Got it. I think we can order now," Amity said, handing Luz her phone back. "Do you know what you're getting?"

"Yeah, Papi took me here once, the day after we finished moving. He'd ordered pistachio and I ordered mint," Luz smiled at the memory. "I took a sip from his drink by accident and made a face, he couldn't stop laughing. So I always kinda get pistachio now."

Amity took her hand, interlacing their fingers. "That's really cute."

The waitress came around eventually, happy to interrupt their conversation.

"Ready to order, girls?"

"Yes, I'll have a pistachio milkshake, please."

"And you?"

"Um, a mint milkshake."

"Mint. Okay, anything else?"

"No, that's all, I think," Luz smiled pleasantly. "Thanks."

"Yep." The waitress walked away unceremoniously.

"Is it me, or is she rude?" Amity asked in a hushed voice.

"Nah, she just has to deal with people all day. We're tipping big before we leave. It's rude otherwise."

"Is that human etiquette?"

"I guess so."

"What else is considered polite?"

"Oh, that all depends on context and even then, it's easier to point out what's rude."

Amity listened with rapt attention as Luz began to list things she knew to be rude and different quirks in human etiquette. Luz thought that perhaps Amity didn't like the Human Realm like she liked the Demon Realm, but she seemed to like learning about it. Or maybe hear Luz talk about it.

They'd somehow ended up talking about the spork as the superior utensil, when the waitress brought up their order.

Luz thanked her and slid Amity her milkshake.

"Oh, I see," Amity said, inspecting her glass.

"Hm? Oh, the color, yeah."

"Does it taste much different?"

"Wanna try?" She offered her a straw. Amity took a sniff of her own drink and tried it. Her face revealed nothing. She waited for the taste to wash out and leaned over to try Luz's.

"Oh, these are both something," Amity said nodding, clearly fighting to keep her face pleasant and making Luz burst out laughing. "Yeah, I don't know how you drink that. I'll stick with the mint."

Amity chuckled at Luz's laugh, then let out a cute little snort and started laughing in earnest, Luz's laugh too contagious.

"Ay, batata," Luz managed after calming down. "So, are they much different?"

Amity stuck her tongue out at her playfully, sending them into another fit of giggles. Luz could've kissed her there, her cheeks pink from laughing, golden eyes bright as she looked at her. But she didn't, it had to be perfect. She had a plan. And they were having fun, conversation was easy, laughter bubbling at the surface.

They finished their drinks with jokes and silly antics in-between, like showing Amity "human magic."

"Check it out," Luz said, holding her straw over the crinkled paper straw wrap she'd carefully extracted. Amity's gaze was focused, her curiosity getting the better of her skepticism. Luz dripped over a couple of melted milkshake drops onto the paper, making it expand rapidly; she'd always loved that trick when she was a kid. Amity's eyes widened as the paper worm slowly halted its stretch.

"Is it alive?"

"Nah, it's just magic," Luz wiggled her fingers for emphasis. "Paper absorbs water, so it expands when it's all squished together like that."

"That's hardly magic," Amity said with a raised eyebrow.

"But you were amazed, weren’t you?" Luz said, wiping the table and tucking the tip under the napkin holder. She held out her hand for Amity. "Come on, we got places to be."

Old Gravesfield was still a walkable town square, with old family shops and newer establishments lining the sidewalks. The roads were narrow, originally built for carriages instead of modern cars, and the pavement was an old mix of its original cobblestone and repaired patches of cement with imprinted brickwork. Luz had never really appreciated the curiosities that Old Gravesfield had offered her, but now she saw the town with new eyes, and saw its potential for answers on a way back to the Demon Realm, Hunter's Golden Guard sigil being the most taunting and infuriating.

But this time she was walking down the sidewalk with her girlfriend, on their way to the quaint bookshop in the town square. No monsters, no mysteries, no deadly duels, no questing for answers. Only showing her girlfriend around the town she'd partially grown up in.

"Where is it that Mrs. Noceda works?" Amity asked as she looked around the shops, occasionally nudging Luz when they passed a place where Eda was banned.

"In the new part of town, it's less cramped over there, but there's more car traffic," Luz said, stopping at the entrance of the bookshop. "Here we are."

"Surprised Eda isn't banned from here, too," Amity said inspecting the sign. It read Hoot's Books, a little owl with glasses as its mascot.

"She'd first have to step inside," Luz said good-humoredly, opening the door for Amity.

The shop smelled old, like the smell came from the building itself having existed a long time, a little dull, a little humid, all shrouded in an unshakable layer of dust.

Amity started pulling on Luz's arm urgently. "Oh, it smells like, it smells like—"

"The Forbidden Stacks."

"—the Forbidden Stacks."

Amity's eyes were bright, a little part of home in a sea of unknown territory. The bookstore had been the better option.

"Wow, I had a stupid big crush on you back then," Luz said, recalling the day and her stomach-turning nervousness around Amity.

"So did I," Amity said, her cheeks turning red. "I could've phrased it better, about being stupid and all that, but being around you sorta short-circuited my brain."

"Hm, can relate," Luz said playfully, kissing Amity's cheek.

Amity eagerly perused the shelves, dragging Luz along by the hand. There were no titles she could possibly recognize, but she still seemed to be searching for something.

"Do you think they carry the Azura spin offs?"

"Oh, maybe," Luz said with a start, eyes scanning the genre labels. "It could be a special order, too. They're not super popular."

"Why not?"

Luz shrugged. "People don't know how to recognize good literature."

"Someone there?" A voice came from the aisle over. He peeked his head around the side of the shelves. He was surprisingly young, but had a tired look that aged him. "Hello there. Let me know if I can do anything for you or if you have any questions."

"Yes, do you carry the Good Witch Azura's spin off series?" Amity perked up.

The guy wrinkled his nose like he was thinking about it. "Doesn't ring a bell. Let me check the system."

He made his way over to the counter, booting up a computer that had seen better days. Amity looked back at Luz.

"Do I follow him or…?"

"Yeah. If they don't have it, he'll probably ask if you want to place an order," Luz said. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, it's fine. I got this." Amity seemed determined to conquer this aspect of the Human Realm by herself. Books were something she would know, magical or not. Luz smiled as she watched Amity walk up to the counter, her stoic Blight-in-control mask in place.

While Amity waited, Luz went down the aisles, skimming over the title and waiting for something to catch her eye. She'd always been pulled into the fantasy section before, but was now being pulled into the history shelves. Gravesfield near the Deadwardian Era, witch hunts and hunters; she'd gotten so used to research that she naturally gravitated toward anything remotely connected to returning to the Demon Realm. Stories of tricksters and deals gone wrong, crossroads and alluring fiddles. They couldn't afford to pass anything up.

She scanned the shelves, an odd assortment of old books that seemed to have sat there since their first printing and newer books, editions she realized were brand new and the clerk had been shelving, a cart with more copies by Luz's side. She'd already read some of these books from the library, but the titles that caught her eye made their way into her hands. Gravesfield's Witch Hunters,The Witches of Gravesfield: Suspect and Trialed, Witch Hunter General Wittebane: the Legend and Disappearance.

Luz stopped in her tracks. She scanned the back of that one more carefully than the others. Caleb Wittebane, Witch Hunter General, and younger brother Philip… it was Belos. And a brother. Caleb. Belos had called Hunter that name when they were in the Titan's head. They'd lived in Gravesfield. Luz's heart was racing, hope soaring through the roof.

It was a break. Something. It wasn't a way back to the Demon Realm, but it was evidence of…sanity. Philip Wittebane, a guy with a paper trail, an actual person, not a boogeyman or specter haunting the shadows of her nightmares. A guy that vanished in the 1600s. Something tangible.

Amity appeared beside her with a bounce in her step. "Gary said I can pick up the order next week," she announced excitedly. "Next week!"

Luz jumped, startled, but couldn't help but smile. "That sounds great. Can't wait to read something other than old newspapers and fake apothecary manuscripts."

"Find anything interesting?"

"Not terribly," she handed over her small pile, still searching the shelves.

"Wittebane?" Amity murmured, flipping opened the book for its summary. A shock of cold dread ran through Luz. She'd been distracted, she hadn't realized what she'd handed over.

Luz felt frozen to the ground, waiting for Amity's judgment to come.

"Philip was a witch hunter? Look, he had an older brother too. Was he trying to get back to him with the portal door?" She seemed to be musing to herself. "Or maybe they got lost together. But his journal never mentions his brother. Huh."

She looked but from the book to find Luz petrified and looking guilty of something.

"What's wrong?"

"N–nothing, I just, um—" But there was nothing to give her away. The book wouldn't say that Philip was Emperor Belos, it wouldn't say that Luz had taught Philip the light glyph, it wouldn't say her friends had been living with the monster that had enthusiastically aided Belos in meeting the current reigning terror of the Boiling Isles, it would say nothing beyond the story of the brothers Wittebane and their sudden disappearance. Anything else was trapped in Luz's conscience, edging to get out and confess, but finding every excuse not to.

Not the first week, they were all terrified; not the second week, they were buried in research, not this week, it had been good and Luz had never heard Hunter laugh that hard before; not that week, Gus had a bout of homesickness; not this week, they'd been plagued with nightmares. Next week, next week, next week…

"Did you know?" There was no accusation in her voice, but Luz flinched anyway. "Did the Echo Mouse show you a page or…?"

"Um…okay," she took a calming breath, the guilt that had been coiling in her chest released. She was not about to lie. "Okay, okay. I did know, but it's a little more complicated than that."

"Okay," Amity said easily. She really had no idea how terribly it'd been weighing on Luz. And that was the point, Luz's best kept secret. Her self-loathing and guilt.

"I can explain it better once we get back and I'll explain everything, too. I just—I want us to enjoy this date."

"Hey, yeah," Amity ran a soothing hand across her shoulders. "Of course, don't worry about it." She kissed her cheek. "Unless there's reason to be worried." The words tilted into a question, verification of Luz's well-being.

"No, no," Luz said, a little tired, a little relieved. "Or at least, I don't think so."

I certainly hope not.

"So," Amity nudged her good-naturedly. "How about we pick something more date-like instead of research we're always doing?"

"Yeah, that sounds good," Luz said, trying a smile. "I am going to take these home, though." She pointed to the pile.

"I know," Amity said, not unkindly. "Come on, batata."

No questing for answers.

They continued to browse through the shop, picking up titles and avoiding plots that sounded a tad too familiar. Slice-of-life, mundane, peaceful, boring. Boring would be great right now.

Amity had suggested they pick a book to read together, something new, a clean slate. Luz loved the idea. As anxious as she was to get back to the Demon Realm, having something that was theirs from their time in the Human Realm was charming. Not that it wouldn't be laced with anxiety and the uncertainty of being able to return to the Demon Realm, the beginnings of their relationship was tainted with a similar anxiety. But there was a devastating sense of calm in Gravesfield, they weren't being hunted, they didn't have to dismantle an empire, everything was…quiet. Like still water. Anticipating a disturbance that usually never came.

Luz was happy to give Amity however many moments of reprieve from that anxiety as she could manage, even if it meant shouldering it by herself for a while.

Amity settled on a contemporary YA that had come out a few years ago. Luz had never deigned to pick it because of its lack of fantastical elements, but now it seemed like the most compelling storyline she'd come across. A sweet coming-of-age story, growing pains only experienced through harmless school shenanigans and misunderstandings. Peaceful and boring.

They checked out with their little pile of books and a reminder that they'll receive a phone call when the Azura books arrive. Luz tucked them away in her tote and led the way to Gravesfield Park.

The sun was only beginning to set, but the street lights flickered on, most of them thankfully working. Amity huddled closer as the evening cool settled around them. The walk was placid, everything it needed to be. Peaceful and boring.

Gravesfield Park was tragically close to the Historical Society, something that felt like the closest the universe will ever get to saying, Screw you specifically, Luz Noceda. But Gracefield Park was one of the few decent spots for a date, so it was something she was willing to put up with.

She pulled out a thick blanket from the tote and laid it under the fading shadow of a tree, strategically blocking the old building. She kicked a few leaves off and wiped away the grass blades as best she could, using the weight of the books to pin down one of the corners and sitting adjacent to it. She propped herself against the tree and patted the spot beside her.

Amity sat down, hugging Luz's arm and leaning on her shoulder. "So, is this a picnic?"

"Sure," Luz said with a shrug. "It's whatever you want it to be really. Wouldn't call it a picnic 'cause I didn't bring much food. But it's definitely picnic adjacent. It's…a quiet moment. With the best girlfriend in the world."

Amity kissed her cheek, that soft spark still there. "That's really sweet. I've loved today. It's a nice break from everything."

"Yeah," Luz agreed with a slow nod. The day was bleeding out of her, a soft wave of exhaustion washing over her. The night before planning, school, walking from place to place. It was nice to sit down for a while and just talk. "So, what do you think of the Human Realm?"

"It's just as strange as I thought it would be, a lot less," she paused looking for the word, her hand gesturing almost as if to aid her along, "violent? Dying seems a lot harder to achieve casually."

That made Luz laugh. "I mean, sure. The weather is less likely to pummel you to death, rainbows are a trick of the light, and the bees aren't on fire. Danger in the Human Realm is more intentional, I guess. Depending on where you are."

"It's a change of pace," Amity said.

"Definitely," Luz nodded. "That it definitely is."

"I like how you talk about it. Your home. You do make it seem less strange."

"Only because I know the Demon Realm," Luz smiled softly. "It's made me see home with new eyes. It's fun, finding the right words, the closest possible equivalent to it so my world seems more approachable. I want you guys to have fun when you can. New normal and all that."

"I like this new normal," Amity said with a sigh. "As much as I miss Em and Ed and Dad, I know I'm gonna see them again. That's not even a question. So I try not to feel guilty for liking it here. For enjoying the quiet. And your mom had a point, we should get to be kids. I don't want to feel bad about it."

Luz realized Amity was good at keeping secrets, too. Silent things they didn't share with each other, even though they understood it, felt the same compulsion to keep it to themselves. They all had their burdens and they still struggled to share the load. Selfish and possessive.

But then they had moments like this, where sharing was easier, where they realized the load would be lighter if they shared more often. Fleeting exceptions to their silent rule, but exceptions that were never ignored.

Luz took her hand and brought their interlaced fingers to her lips. "I really, really get that, hermosa." She wished she could do more, never realizing she did enough.

Amity brought her other hand to Luz's cheek, turning her head and leaning her forehead against hers. "I know."

Her thumb was soft against Luz's cheek, a gentle caress that coaxed her forward. Luz couldn't stop the grin that spread on her lips.

"You're so much better at this than I am," she whispered.

That seemed to startle Amity, pulling away a little to look at her. "W-what do you mean?"

"No, no, that was really smooth," she said quickly, blushing, her head finally catching up with what almost happened.

"I mean, it was," Amity was blushing, too. "I'd been trying to kiss you all day."

"Amity," Luz was laughing. "We've got to stop doing this. I've been trying to kiss you since we got here. To the Human Realm, I mean. I had a whole plan and everything and you just stumbled into the perfect moment like it was nothing."

Amity was laughing, too. "Wait, wait, what was the plan?"

"Okay, so, Gravefield Park has these fairy lights that come on an hour after the street lights, so I was waiting for them so I could give this big romantic speech about making the best out of a crummy situation and you making that easier and yada, yada—"

"No, not yada, yada. I wanna hear that speech."

"You'll get it later. Anyway, I was still figuring out how to transition from the speech to the kiss and then you just," Luz gestured uselessly, "you just nail it. No effort."

"Luz, my heart was hammering out of my chest," Amity said gravely. "I would not say, 'no effort.'"

"Okay, okay," Luz said with a shake of her head, steeling her nerves. "Can I kiss you?" She felt her face warm at the question, which felt silly since she was the one asking. And even sillier was that Amity, smooth as she had been, was blushing, too. They both laughed at themselves. Why was this so nerve-racking?

"Yes, oh, my Titan. Yes," Amity said, leaning against her forehead again, her hand returning to her cheek. This time, Luz took the lead, understanding why Amity's heart was hammering out of her chest. It was absurd. "You okay?" Amity whispered.

"Yeah, this is just terrifying," Luz said in a breathless chuckle.

"It's just me," Amity said gently. And she was right. It was just Amity. Her wonderful, patient girlfriend. The girl she laughed with, fought against and alongside, the girl that made butterflies flutter in her stomach and blush like she was sunburned. It was just Amity.

Amity, who gave her courage and support, who drove her forward and made her rest. Amity.

Luz leaned forward gently, her heart pounding in her ears. And just like that she was kissing her again, her stomach fluttering alive. Amity's lips were soft and a little wet, warm and electrifying.

Luz had no idea what to do with her hands this time so she just held on to the hand she was already clasping. She was also running out of breath, so she pulled back softly, breaking the kiss.

"How do people do this for a long time?" She wondered out loud, not really meaning to say it.

Amity giggled. "I think they just breathe on each other."

"Weird. Didn't expect a learning curve, or rather, I thought it would be different."

"It's not bad, though," Amity said with a shrug.

"Yeah, you're right," she said, her face heating up again.

"Luz?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I kiss you?"

"Hm, let me think about it," she said, making Amity laugh before she leaned in again. This time it was a little braver, her lips moving against hers once. Luz tried it, to see how it felt. It was weird but not unpleasant. Like it took a little getting used to. Amity pulled away, leaving Luz a little dizzy. She wasn't sure if it was the not-wanting-to-breathe-on-Amity thing or something else. She just knew they were both red-faced.

Just then, it got brighter above their heads and they looked up to see the fairy lights that were strewn overhead to poles and streetlights.

"Oh," Amity said with a little awe. It was mood lighting. Luz's plan would've been perfect, if she had followed through. But this was also perfect. It was clumsy and awkward and theirs. She wouldn't trade it for the smoothest pickup line or suave move. This was their perfect.

They got home just as the sun had finished setting, the sky an odd blue, the lightest residue of purple and orange scratching the horizon. Vee and Gus could be heard in the dining room, laughing, probably playing Hexes Hold'em by the sound of it. Hunter was passed out on the couch, his feet resting on Mamá's lap as she watched the news; Willow had stopped behind the couch to watch the TV too, her original destination seemingly forgotten.

It was Mamá and Willow who greeted them.

"Hey, how was the date?" Mamá asked casually.

They both turned red, suddenly bashful. One usually got to go home to gush about a date and it's small wonderful moments to one's respective household, but their current arrangement didn't allow that. A small oversight in Luz's planning.

"Oh, well," Luz started flushing more than she thought possible, "I thought it went well." She swung her arms back and forth, trying to release her nervous energy.

Mamá seemed to realize the mistake in her question a little late.

"I thought it was perfect," Amity managed in a casual tone, but her face was pink.

"Oh, that's lovely!" Mamá said, recovering.

There was a beat of silence, and it was the closest thing to actual Human Realm magic. A silent understanding, a still race.

Almost at the same time they blurted out:

"Dibs on Willow!"

"I get Vee!"

They laughed and raced toward their confidants, Amity dragging Willow up the stairs and Luz barging into the dining room, ready to gush about their date, a small semblance of different households for just a moment. A different type of normalcy.

The house felt lighter than it had in weeks, different corners alive with laughter and giggles and uh-huh, then whats. Luz's face did hurt from all the smiling. Then she got to the part in the bookstore and remembered the titles and her promise to explain everything. So she did.

She brought Gus and Vee up to her room and knocked.

Willow opened the door. "Luz, not now. Amity's getting to the good part."

"It'll have to wait," she said, determined to finally get this out. "I have to tell you guys something."

It felt like finally letting go of a long held breath, like releasing a terrible nagging knot in her back. It felt like stepping out from under a ridiculous weight, your feet skimming the surface of the floor.

She told them. About Philip and the glyph and the Emperor's mind and the Collector and how they found that Philip had a brother, a man with the title of Witch Hunter General.

Gus gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"I was wondering when you'd be ready to talk," he said with a sympathetic look. "You and Hunter have been killing yourselves with this, keeping it quiet."

"You knew?"

He shrugged. "I got a good look at that monster's noggin, it was really twisted in there. You know it's not your fault, right?"

"I-I don't," Luz said, defeated. "I don't know that. If I hadn't—"

"He would've found someone else," a voice came from the door. Hunter. "We've talked about this, Luz. You know he would've found someone else to trick. That's just how he was."

Gus nodded. "It's true."

Their words didn't do much to ease Luz's conscience, but it did help to hear that they didn't blame her. She had friends that loved her and trusted her, trust that had been earned through the same kind of kindness that had her tricked. Of course they wouldn't blame her for it.

"We'll always have your back, Luz," Willow said with a confident smile. "Just like you have ours. Now get out." She started pushing them out of the room. "Amity wasn't done."

Amity giggled at that, helping clear out the room.

"Done with what?" Hunter seemed disoriented, like he'd started to wake up just then.

"Ooh, stay. Amity will fill you in on their date," Willow said, pulling his sleeve.

"Nope!" Luz yanked him out of the room. "My brother, I get to tell him!"

"Yes! I'm in the sibling squad!" Gus jumped on Hunter's shoulders.

"Tell me how she tells you later!" Willow called before closing the door.

"Ooh, double agent. You got it, Willow!"

Luz couldn't help laughing, feeling as light as she ever had since returning home. She hadn't realized how she'd underestimated her friends. How unfair she'd been to them.

As they sat down at the table and Gus a Vee filled Hunter in on the details and Luz handed him the books they'd bought, she made a silent promise. One last promise. A promise to never doubt the people in her life, to trust them as they trusted her. To be fair to them.

One last promise.

[hex-wittebane]

hex_memes:

T̸̢͇̘̬̖̖̭̄̆̾́̄̀̔͜͠h̷͈̃̌̓̉͝͝e̴͙̳̥̣͎͐͂̀̆̽͆r̷̨̗̞̄̂͌͒è̷͚̝̖̯̜͎͆̃͋̆̉͌̓ ̸̨̨͚͖͖̬͚͉̖̒̄͋͊͛̔͋͊̄͜I̵̧̼͈͂s̵͙̺̯̉̂̿̾͆̔͗��̧͉̱̣͇̫ ̷͍̇͌͌̓̓̈́͘̚͝N̷̢̰͖̤̜̩̿̎̽͗̚͘͝ŏ̵̳̙̜̳̲͌͌̃̑͝ͅ ̶̣͙̩͙̙͌̐̾̊͘ͅE̶̡̨̛̻̞͒͂͂̔̕͝ș̷̗͇̣̮̗͔̎̔̈́̅́̓͑͊́c̵̜̥̟̟͔̓͋́͘à̶̮̈́̒̇̈́͌̅̀p̴̡͍͈̹̬͇̻̥͈̿̊̍̓̚̕͠ē̸̤͔͉̪ @ RULERZREACHF4N

#humanrealmshenanigans

[incognito-lionbeast]

I think in my AU Tianlang-Jun/heavenly demons in general are a (demon world variant of) Mew. So.. essentially. Big, bad gyarados Su Xiyan saw this funny little foetus cat & was like "I can't NOT have an egg with that"

Thankfully Mew knows Transform. It's fine.

[little-shadow-club]

SL Rag spoilers but anyways it's so funny to me seeing every new monster's reactions when they meet Suho for he first time and he launches his secret attacks.

[annamations03]

totally real thanks to them moment in which luz finds her old scooter from when she was five laying around in the garage and hunter insists on showing everyone his (nonexistent) skills

[skyelights-xox]

I am very aware this has to have been done before (because if it wasn't we as a fandom simply would not be working with what got handed to us on a silver platter) but would anyone be interested in a fic about the night Willow cut Hunter's hair?

I mainly ask because this is my first time writing fanfic in years and maybe if someone else other than myself knows about it it might push me to work on it more

[watery-melon-baller]

ok listen like. i understand she wouldn't actually do this but how funny would it have been if during YBOS when belos asked Luz to hand over the portal she pulled it out and just. left. entered the human realm and closed the portal door so fast he didn't even have time to react. now the portal is with her in the human realm. whatcha gonna do now belos huh????

[iricathel]

Hold the fucking phone man, I need to seriously work on Tumblr >:(

[powersandplanetaries]

I just finished Season 2 in my Owl House rewatch, and i really want to watch S3 now but. I am fairly wine drunk right now and this will end either end with me ugly sobbing OR ranting furiously about Disneys interference. Neither of which my family will want to deal with.

[thebest-medicine]

could I get some lee hunter owl house tickles with 24 “Sounds like someone needs a visit from the tickle monster” ?

Prompt 24 - “Sounds like someone needs a visit from the tickle monster."

A/N: omg poor baby hunter NEEDS a visit from the tickle monster

…

“You’re really grumpy today, did you pinch yourself with needles too many times sewing?” Gus asked, sitting on the arm of the couch.

“No. Don’t know what you’re talking about, I'm fine. I’m perfectly happy.” He replied, notably unhappy sounding.

“You don’t sound very happy.” Willow’s voice came in from the top of the stairs. She made her way down toward them.

“Yeah. You know what you sound like?” Gus said, a small smirk growing on his face as he caught eyes with Willow.

“What?” Hunter asked a little sharply.

“You sound like you need a visit from the tickle monster.” Gus found himself fully smiling by the end of the sentence. He locked eyes with Hunter for a moment as it sank it what he said.

Hunter’s eyes went wide, his cheeks pink, his ears warm. Suddenly, whatever inner turmoil he’d be ruminating over all day seemed to be nothing, gone with a few simple words.

“Wha.. Gus.. Y-you can’t be serious..?” He broke eye contact and turned to his other friend, swallowing hard before he continued. “W-Willow?”

“I think you’re right, Gus.” Willow teased, hopping over the back of the couch through the side of the stairs on Hunter’s other side.

“Guys… wait a second…” Hunter protested, a giddiness bubbling from within.

“Okay.” Willow said. “One second!”

“Listen! I think I hear one now!”

“Yeah it’s close! You’d better watch out Hunter…it’s closing in!” Willow said ominously, wiggling her fingers into menacing claws and further boxing him in.

Hunter brought his legs up to his chest at the teasing, curling into a ball and smiling already, troubles long forgotten.

“Oh no! It’s here!” Gus proclaimed in faux distress, then he leapt toward him and wrapped his arms around Hunter’s waist, pinching and tickling and scribbling into the fabric of his shirt.

“AHH hah- nohohoho- guys! HahahaHA!” Hunter laughed, free and unabashed. Willow joined in the tickle monster attack shortly after, grabbing for his wrists and quickly taking his flailing arms out of the equation. “Wahahahait! HeheheEE NAHAHA! No fahaHAIR!”

“The tickle monster doesn’t play fair, sorry Hunter!” Willow teased. Once she had him wrestled against the couch, she used one hand to tickle along his neck and collarbone, making him squeal through his laughter. The two of them continued their playful attack for a few minutes longer, until their cheeks started to hurt from smiling so much.

Hunter wouldn’t be keen to say it, but he appreciated his friend’s occasional little tickle-monster attacks when he was feeling down, and today was no different. That didn’t mean, however, that he wouldn’t get them back.

…

[more sentence starter fic prompts]

[other sentence starter fics]

[read this & further TOH drabbles on ao3]

[internetwerewolf]

I LOVE THE OWL HOUSE! I LOVE THE OWL HOUSE SO MUCH!!

[evilminji]

You Know How There Are Those AU? Where SUPER Injured Ghosts Need To Retreat To Their Core?

No one seems to be USING that to its fullest potential! For SHENANIGANS! Because! Who?? Could POSSIBLY carry a Halfa's Core safely... but another Halfa?! A FULL ghost would KILL them. A human would be killed! What terribly precarious peril we find ourselves in! Oh nooooooo!

Well, no worry!

As much as Dani fuckin HATES this. That there is her brother. Her Template. Her Clone Daddy and Bestest of Bros. Like HECK she's gonna let him suffer for centuries and possibly DIE. She can take it, Doc! Pop him in! We'll go road tripping and-

What do you MEAN "No"?

Unstable??! Of course she's unstable! But the-.... Oh.

Turns OUT? Dani? Can hitch a ride in DANNY for Emergency Medical Aid... but NOT the other way around. Her body is too loosely held together. He would parasiticly consume her from within. Instead of feeding off her Ecto System like injured ghosts are supposed too, because she's a CLONE? AND an unstable one at that? His Core would just... see her body as free ectoplasm. All of it.

He'd eat her.

Which mean Frostbite can not and WILL NOT allow that.

But he's HURT! That big, off screen, cataclysmic Fight To Save Everybody From *cough cough mumbles* and settle us all in the DC universe, REALLY messed him up! What are we supposed to DO!? He can't STAY like this!!!

Enter-> My FAVORITE DCxDP Trash Ship! Vlad&Lex!!! *horrified screaming from the crowds, someone shouts "oh god, no! Please!"* Ha! There are no gods here, silly billys! Only two terrible, terrible HIGHLY Dramatic, self serving, incredibly damaged, gay peacocks. In Business Suits that cost more then your house is worth.

They're AWFUL~♡

And! Vlad was sent ahead to lay the ground work. Insure there would be no GIWs. Also because no one could stand him and his EXTENSIVE criminal record. But that's besides the point.

But!

You know what he found? A Business Nemesis. Who he routinely dates and/or Dramatically Hate Fu-*coughs* I mean, attempts a Corporate Take Over(tm) off. You know how it is. Business. He ALSO gets to make it no secret he's a "Meta", thanks to the INCOMPETENCE of one Jack Fenton, because that- *seething rant*

Yet? Dispite his STILL burning hatred for Jack? And his finally letting go of Maddie? You know what he STILL wants?

For Danny to be his Son.

*Gets a call from Frostbite*

...............soooooo........ what you're SAYING is..... I can be pregnant with Daniel.

You, Frostbite, need ME, Vladimir Masters, THE ONLY OTHER HALFA, to carry Daniel around inside my body, in what to all appearances resembles a pregnancy, in order to heal him. Because I am an Older And Stronger Halfa Upon Which He Relies.

:)

*instantly begins plotting*

Just? Imagine. Vlad is a FUCKIN LIAR. No one but him would even KNOW what was going on! He just? Rocks up one day, like? *falsely demure* "oh I couldn't POSSIBLY has any scotch, Lex! >:) I'm eating for Two~☆" and just? Deals the MAXIMUM amount of psychic damage he can.

Probably says it at their weekly, public, Veiled Threats Brunch.

It makes front page news. Luthor choked on his eggs. The paparazzi lost their SHIT. Vlad is doing the FULL Celebrity Mom Thing. The classes. The photo shoots. The Gucci sunglasses as he peruses high end strollers. All while HEAVILY suggesting that not only is "The Baby" Lex's.... but that he's going to withhold the child and deny Lex any access.

Danny isn't even aware. He's in a lovely lil medical coma. Dani is trying to find a good spot to plop down Amity. She just know Vlad is being... Vlad. Meh. He can handle it. Dan? He's not even IN the human realm and is not sure he wants to be.

But over in the LEAGUE? Everything's on fuckin FIRE.

Kon is losing his SHIT and Clark is thousand yard staring into the void. Kon's half brother is in the hands of a... Less Then Ideal... Meta that Batman is PRETTY sure is highly suspect. Might be a deliberate weapons experiment. Certainly is a hostage. And the DRAMA.

Lex has never been worse.

He might actually stab his...partner? Vlad. At the hospital. The SECOND the child is born. There are already long term kidnapping plans in the making. He's hiring lawyers. Getting VICIOUS. There have been talks with DEATHSTROKE. By BOTH OF THEM.

Clark wants to cry.

@hypewinter @ailithnight @nerdpoe @hdgnj @the-witchhunter @mutable-manifestation @babbling-babull

[call-me-strega]

Dc x DP Prompt #8: Best Friend’s Brother

Preface: this prompt can be used with different characters but I’m writing it as Dead on Main bc that’s my favorite. Also the colleges I mention are real colleges from the DCU

~~~

Danny Fenton was 18 when he moved to Gotham for college.

It was the only place with a half decent engineering program that would take a kid with his record; drop in grades, unexplained absences, missing class, a disciplinary record, etc. Plus there was a decent saturation of both magic and ectoplasm in Gotham’s air. After he got accepted he decided to tell his parents he was Phantom. They reacted surprisingly well all things considered. They were horrified to learn they’d been hunting their son but it quickly turned into acceptance to listen to what he had to tell them. Now they turned their obsession from hunting ghosts to learning more about ghost more humanely. He also managed to get his former rouges to agree to call off any major shenanigans in favor of less destructive outlets. (He got Ember a TikTok and a YouTube channel, he set up a drag racing circuit in the realms for Johnny and Kitty, let Technus enter the internet as long as he stayed within Amity’s grid or help Ember manage her stuff, allowed Desiree grant wishes for Make a Wish Foundation kids so long as she didn’t horribly twist them, etc.)

Now with the town not at constant risk of danger and his parents agreeing to really handle any rouge ghosts, Danny could leave Amity with a clear conscience. His friends were also growing up and heading to their own colleges. Tucker was heading to Ivy University in New England, which rivaled MIT in terms technological prestige, and Sam decided on Vandermeer University in Pittsburg, which had a reputation for being a very liberal, anti-authority campus. Although their trio would be spread out, Danny found comfort in the fact that they’d all moved from the Midwest to the Northeast.

With promises to stay in touch a visit. Danny got set up in GCU’s dorms, ready to move into the next chapter of his life.

~

Danny Fenton was 20 when Tim Drake (age 19 but nearing 20) officially became one of his best friends.

They had been introduced to each other by their mutual friend Sebastian Ives for a new Warlocks and Warriors campaign. Their friendship extended beyond WnW when they ended up on the same Applied Physics and Mechanics class. It was cemented when they got pair up for a project in class and had to spend lots of time around each other.

Danny didn’t mind that Tim tended to be a bit flaky and Tim didn’t mind that Danny was possibly not 100% human. They didn’t ask each other too many questions about that stuff. They knew the other had something odd about him and that was fine with them. It was nice to have a causal friend they could be normal with, without being questioned about their more peculiar behaviors.

They officially became best friends when the built a Rube Goldberg machine with a working trebuchet within an hour of the three they had to complete it for their Applied Phys-Mech final. Danny introduced Tim to Sam, Tucker and Jazz. Tim introduced him to Steph, Tam, and Cass. They texted and hung out fairly often. They truly did consider each other one their best friends.

~

Danny Fenton is 22 when he meets Tim’s family.

Tim’s 21st birthday is coming up and he has plans with his family the day of and is going out with his friends, including a couple from out of town, that night. They want to take him out for his first drink and it’s fortunate timing since it’s the weekend so nobody has to worry about classes. Everyone who was going was already informed that Tim would be spending most of the day with his family before Steph and Cass would bring to the club everyone was meeting up at. Which is why it’s purely a coincidence when he runs into them at BatBurger during the lunch rush.

Danny had just picked up the part-time job to earn a little extra cash to pay for his hobbies. Tim new about it but didn’t know the exact location he worked. That’s why they were both presently surprised when they heard each others voices in the drive through. When they pulled up to window Danny saw his friend leaning over a tired looking black-haired man, trying to stick his head out of the drivers window to give Danny a maniacal grin.

He quickly introduced the other passengers of the car as his dad, Bruce, and three of his brothers Dick, Jason, and Duke. He mentioned he had a fourth brother, Damian, who was still at home. Danny couldn’t really see everyone all that well on account of they were inside a car but he happily greeted them as well. They laughed and Danny wished Tim a happy birthday saying he’d see him at his celebration later tonight before handing them their food. He could the rowdy boys ribbing their brother as the car drove away and Danny resumed his work.

That incident seemed to have opened a gate because now Tim felt more comfortable inviting him over when his brothers were still around the house. He occasionally talked about his family more and Danny returned the favor letting snippets of his own family spill a little more. Occasionally, he’d see Tim’s family outside of his interactions with Tim.

He’d run into Damian, and sometimes Bruce or Dick was with him, at the museum or in the park while the younger had been walking his dog and stopped to say hi a couple of times. He chatted with Dick a couple of times when they were both in line to get coffee at a cafe. He saw Duke on a college tour once and waved at him.

The family member he probably saw the most other that Tim (and by extension Cass) was actually Jason. He’d ended up ditching BatBurger to get some more practical experience at an apprenticeship at the auto shop Jason went to to get his motorcycle serviced. The two of them got along pretty well and would often make conversation when Jason was waiting on his bike to be ready or to get his bill.

At first is was small talk about little things like how he and Tim were doing in class or how their days were going but they soon grew to have genuine interests in each other. Jason let Danny talk about space and mechanics and even gave his own thoughts sometimes, once helping Danny realize he was over complicating the circuit board of the device he was building. In return Danny let Jason ramble to him about literature, even taking the initiative to read a book Jason mentioned so he could talk to him about it better. Their conversation tended to be on the briefer side but were always enjoyable to both parties.

Danny actually liked being around Jason a lot but didn’t really bring that fact up a lot around Tim as it didn’t seem necessary. Tim was pretty glad that Danny got along with his family but he preferred to keep them in separate places in his mind. Danny knew and respected that, only really mentioning that he’d seen them recently and that they’d told him to say hi on their behalf (or die in Damian’s case occasionally).

~

Tim Drake was 22 when he came to a horrific realization.

Well, perhaps horrific was a bit of an exaggeration. Tim wasn’t necessarily horrified by the revelation. In all honesty he didn’t know how to feel. He felt an odd mixture of protectiveness, possessiveness, confusion, and optimism(?).

You see, Tim and Danny had been hanging out in the campus center, studying and goofing off when he got a text from Jason saying he was coming to pick him up for family dinner at the manor since he was closest and Dick was busy picking up Duke and Damian from their after school clubs.

“What’s up?” Danny asked him curiously.

Tim set his phone on the table and started putting his stuff away. “My brother is coming to pick me up for family dinner so I gotta head out soon.”

“Ah well I should probably get going too. Tell Dick I said hi.”

“Actually, it’s Jason. Dick is picking up Duke and Damian,” he said shoving his textbook into his bag.

“Oh? That’s nice of him. Hey do you wanna just head out together?” Danny asked, fidgeting with his hoodie strings.

Tim noticed a slight strain in Danny’s voice at the mention of Jason but didn’t comment. He just nodded his head sure and walked outside with Danny. They got out to the street when Tim realized he’d left his phone in the library. He faced palmed and asked Danny if he could hold his stuff so it wouldn’t slow him down as he ran back to the campus center to get his phone. Danny agreed to and hold his stuff and wait for Jason while Tim went back.

After getting his phone Tim started heading back to where he left Danny when he saw that Jason had arrived that Jason had arrived and was talking to Danny. He was about to call out to them when he noticed several things in quick succession. Danny was fidgeting with his hoodie, something he tended to do when nervous. The tips of Danny’s ears were a light shade of pink (it isn’t cold out yet?). Danny looked deeply absorbed in his conversation with Jason in a way that reminded Tim of how he talked about space. And Jason seemed just as absorbed in the conversation as well.

The gears in Tim’s head went into overdrive and he realized ‘Ah- Danny has a crush on Jason’. His eyes widened as his head whipped around to examine Jason again. He saw a look of genuine fondness in his eyes. Thus Tim was confronted with the aforementioned horrific realization and complicated feelings. Tim didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or both.

‘My dumbass best friend has a crush on my brother. And worse(?), my idiot brother returns those feelings.’

[merchantziro]

DP x DC Writing Prompt: Watchtower Technician/Engineer Danny Fenton and Justice League member Dani Phantom

It's been a few years now since Danny Fenton had become the Ghost King. Since then, he's been working hard to maintain peaceful relations with the Living Realm and had found a system to keep his rouge's gallery from being too destructive while still satisfying their obsessions and such.

After that, he decided to semi-officially retire as a hero since he didn't need to protect Amity from his subjects anymore. Choosing to focus on balancing his human life and career, and his duties as the ruler of entire dimension of spirits.

While Danny knew he could never be an astronaut with his "condition", he was able to find a substitute that also managed to satisfy his protection obsession without needing to become a hero again.

Danny Fenton had chosen become an engineer/technician on the Justice League's Watchtower. Which, after a lengthy background check to make sure he wasn't joining as a cover for anything malicious, was ultimately given the green light since Zeta Tube transport was deemed much safer for his "condition".

Meanwhile, the Justice League had finally found a recruit they were interested in for the past few years now since information about him spread to the hero and supernatural communities. Namely, one 14 year old looking ghost named Danny Phantom. However when they did manage to finally track him down, they instead found what looked to be a now 14 year old ghost looking girl calling herself Dani Phantom who looked to be a match for their information on Phantom.

So cue the League coming to the (completely incorrect) conclusion that this must be the hero they're looking for (though he seemed to have become a she, so congrats to her) and don't say anything.

Basically shenanigans with retired Danny Fenton working on the watchtower in peace while Dani Phantom joins the Justice League after they mistake her for a transgender Danny Phantom.

I'm imagining this going in one of several different routes with some potential overlap.

- Both recognize a ghost is nearby (each other) but the League, upon realizing that Danny Fenton comes from a family of Ghost Hunters that span back to 1600s with Jack Fentonightingale, thus assuming it's best to keep Danny oblivious to Dani's existence but they can't keep each other oblivious forever.

- The Watchtower is under attack by some villains and Danny finds a heavily injured Dani among other heroes. As such Danny becomes angered enough to temporarily bring his old hero persona out of the closet (possibly going as far as showing his Ghost King power depending on the villain). Meanwhile the rest of the Justice League are losing their minds over the revelation of them working with the hero's cousin/daughter/clone instead of the original they thought they were working with this entire time.

- One of the supernaturally powerful JL members (John Constantine, Zatanna, Dr. Fate, Shazam, take your pick) recognize that the new employee radiates the same ghostly power as Dani, only stronger before recognizing him as the Ghost King.

- Dani and Danny meet and have their Spider-Man pointing meme moment before nigh-immediately realizing that the League have mistaken Dani for Danny. Thus they immediately realize after that realization they can use this to completely mess with them since they're still unaware.

Probably more ideas but I'll leave that for you to imagine.

I've seen Danny working on the watchtower, both as Fenton for a casual position and as Phantom as a League member. So why not both at the same time only it's Dani Phantom and not Danny.