Chapter Text
“Let’s do it” Luz turned to Amity and as if reading her mind, the Blight replied
“Let’s get married…”
Another silence followed, before Amity all but slapped her leg, cackling with Luz who for several seconds held her aching belly. They had a full blown display of giggles. Their share of unbridled laughter turned their eyes to teary heaps and their faces a deeper shade of unidentifiable crimson. Their hearts pumped so much it left them gasping for air. They laughed as if they heard the joke of a lifetime.
“Aside from —HIC— evading your contagious disease, —HIC— you simply do not qualify to be my spouse so even if—HIC— you’re the last person in the planet I won’t—HIC— tie myself to you!”
Amity took a sip of her beer after regaining her breath
“Oh? Well hate to break it to you—HIC— but having you as my spouse did not even crossed my mind Blight. I —HIC— have standards set higher than yours.”
Luz crossed her arms upon her chest with a wide smirk
“Does your standard include —HIC— girls with glasses, green eyes, dark hair, and a sweet personality —HIC— with a snake-like under touch?”
Amity regarded her with a snort and waved a hand in random swaying motions for each word set to describe a certain someone.
“I say a snake-like—HIC—under touch is of a lesser caliber compared to a snarky, egocentric, strawberry asshole —HIC— who flirts with anything that has legs. God, your tastes with —HIC— lovers are shitty”
Luz shook her head mockingly
“I agree with you —HIC— that much about Boscha’s surface—HIC— but —HIC— you didn’t know her all—HIC— too well to judge me for my tastes Noceda.”
The tension began to rise as Amity’s tone almost turned up to a spat
“I guess love is not just—HIC— blind, it completely—HIC— impairs someone even those with a large sum of intelligence.”
Luz shrugged and pressed a finger on Amity’s upper chest.
“YOU’RE SO STUPID BLIGHT”
She enunciated the entire sentence with finger pokes that didn’t do well with the Blight. Amity grabbed the finger and fisted Luz’s shirt collar.
“And what makes —HIC— YOU any different huh?”
Their glares burned holes on their foreheads before they got back to their merriment.
“Pfft yeah!”
Amity smirked and bumped her beer can against Luz’s. They shared soft giggles, raised their cans and said in chorus
“To the fools!”
The pair snickered. There was no amusement tied to their cachinnation, just misery with their heads high up the incoherence ladder.
“By the way, my standards don’t just limit to girls with glasses, green eyes, dark hair, and a sweet personality with a snake-like under touch. I want to have what my parents had. I will marry ONLY for love, Blight”
Luz looked her straight in the eye
“And as you know…I don’t love you”
Amity had the same unfaltering look and replied
“Glad we share the same sentiments because that likelihood has the probability of finding a single grain of salt in a one-mile shore”
They bumped their cans again with grins on their faces
“First night we—HIC— actually agreed on one thing”
Luz sighed in feigned bliss
“Is this day—HIC— cursed or something? God, so unbelievable!”
The Blight slouched on her seat, head swaying slow from side to side
“Hn. Yeah…Marriage, to me, is a sa-sacred bond. You —HIC— don’t just go on ahead and call it a day—HIC— Good joke by the way nearly died laughing there”
“Amen”
The two looked up at the starry sky, lips curled to slopping smiles. Their brains were levitating from intoxication. But a lot of things are short lived in this world and the one they had never differed. Their misery parade was unduly interrupted when two heads popped out from behind their wooden seat
“DID WE JUST HEARD MARRIAGE?”
Amity and Luz bolted up a bit. For a moment they thought the pursuers caught up and they glanced behind. But some random woman was there wearing a Vermillion staff uniform. And before the pair knew it, the cold sensation of metal was on their wrists. They looked up front and saw a man, grinning from cheek to cheek
“THEN YOU’RE IN LUCK!”
Amity and Luz gazed at their tied wrists
“THE MARRIAGE BOOTH IS READY TO CATER YOUR COUPLE NEEDS!”
Their faces crumpled to a cringe realizing which assholes got to them
“AND EVERYTHING IS HALF OFF INCLUDING OUR BACARDI SOUVENIR! ISN’T NIGHT SALES FUN?”
“We’re not exactly couples” Luz said trying to break off the shackle
“TWO PEOPLE WITH A RICH HISTORY ALWAYS SAYS THAT. DON’T BE SHY NOW WHEN THE BOTH OF YOU WERE OBVIOUSLY GOOGLY EYED WITH ONE ANOTHER!”
“If the definition of googly eyed is synonymous to bloody murder then that’s some homicidal relationship”
Amity flashed them a dead pan expression, unimpressed by their outlandish assumption about a functional relationship. Such belief of this so called rich history clearly came from certain references that include whatever dumb romance movies these cuckoos have been brainwashed to view.
“WHAT’S A RELATIONSHIP WITHOUT THE THRILL!”
“Look, leave us—”
Luz and Amity spotted the security guard in their periphery. The Noceda paused for a second. In the vicinity only the Marriage Booth chapel served as a great hiding spot—quite a misfortune. Its either they go with whatever this is or get caught. They made their choice.
“The Bacardi is half off you say?”
Emira absently watched the horizon of flickering lights. At her side was Boscha, holding a glass of iced rum. They were at the deck, hairs flipping as the winds picked up and the grandiose splay of Vermillion Park all but shrank the more the yacht cruised away. Edric had it moving when Willow was finally asleep and warmed up and just like her, Boscha’s natural complexion was back as it was. Emira Blight would have liked it deathly pale but toying is her preferable hobby. Things are not supposed to be easy especially for those that slither and crawl.
“I haven’t directly congratulated you and the family. The park is beautiful, Boscha” Emira commented, a practiced charming smile on her pretty face
“Of course it is. It’s common knowledge not to hire incompetent people to handle a multi-million project if it wouldn’t reach our standards. The staff were also hand-picked. The big roles have to be spot on as my parents love to say. So spot on, they even hired a professional judge for our marriage booth”
Boscha leaned against the railings, feeling pride
“A marriage booth with a real judge? How about that. So if you decide to get on with a quick wedding you can go there?”
The red head smirked and downed a quarter of her beverage
“Pretty much so. But they’re careful except when they’re drunk as fuck. It’s all just entertainment in there actually and I’d doubt Amity would want our wedding plain and simple. We prepared six months for it”
Emira nodded in agreement
“That much is true. Mittens would want something grand. I mean she’s dreamt of marrying you since you were little! Oh, it was priceless.”
Emira giggled
“Mittens don’t frequently smile…”
The Blight said in melancholy
“So if you hurt her in any way…”
Emira’s golden eyes glowered, she leaned away from the railings and closed their space form one another. Pink lips whispered something playful but foreboding on the red head’s ear.
“You’ll say hi to Santa in the North Pole. Festive and quite fitting…it’s almost Christmas”
“To all present I say: We are gathered here, not to witness the beginning of what will be, but rather what already is!”
Amity and Luz stood, shoulders sagged and eyes unfocused at the altar. The Blight held a plastic bouquet and the Noceda drank from her beer. Unlike most of the pranked people that came in the chapel, the two had their handcuffs removed—the perks of coming in voluntarily to experience the humiliation.
The only accessories they had other than the bouquet was a short veil for Amity. A neck tie, and a brooch that matched the flowers were for Luz.
“We do not create this marriage, because marriage is created in the hearts of two loving people. We can and do, however, gather to celebrate with…”
The priest paused and an altar boy handed him a piece of paper. It was one of those tiny parchment the staff used to log their names.
“with Lucia and Amelia the wondrous and joyful occurrence that has already taken place in their lives, and the commitment they make today. Now if any of you have any objections, speak now or forever hold your peace. Going once…going twice..."
Amity hiccupped and golden eyes found themselves on the isle where she walked in a few minutes ago. The “ceremony” started out like a typical wedding with music and all that flowery junk except all the guests were dolls seated on rows of long chairs. They stared back at them with their hollow gazes and zipped lips, far better guests than Amity’s relatives in her opinion. All the high schoolers that came in there have vacated when the last wedding took place, most were done with their crazy shenanigans giving Amity and Luz the opportunity to do theirs.
"No other human ties are more tender, and no other vows more important, than those you are about to take. Both of you come to this day with the deep realization that the contract of marriage is sacred and binding, as are all of its obligations and responsibilities. You will leave here embracing one of the greatest human bonds that life has to offer. May your shared life be adorned with the blossoms of love, and your days together be many and rewarding."
Amity listened to the script of the priest that sounded like a copy-pasted ceremonial preach found somewhere in the internet. Her hand snatched Luz’s beverage and drank some of the beer before returning it.
“Now you may exchange your vows as you physically bind your everlasting love with a ring”
The priest gestured at the altar boy. The booth assistant shook his head.
“There are no more plastic toy rings father” said the altar boy
Luz watched the exchange with amusement.
“Very well, you may say just your vows”
Luz’s hazel eyes were now on the pull tab of her beer can.
“Hold that thought. —HIC— What’s a wedding without a ring?”
She began to dislodge the tab. She handed the beer can to the priest and held Amity’s hand. She dozed off for a moment just feeling the smoothness of her bride’s hand, feeling the length of her fingers. It took a few moments and the Blight’s patience grew thin. The more they stay inside the chapel the more chances the security could barge in. She snapped a finger at her.
“Wha—right! Vows! I… what’s your name again?”
The Noceda squinted her eyes, all she could see were blobs. She blinked for a moment and spoke with a giggle
“Ah! Right! Amity…uh…”
The drunk thought of something witty then started to slowly place the round and hollow portion of the makeshift ring.
“With this ring, I promise that from this day forth I, Lucia, take you to be the perpetual blight of my life, to—HIC— share a path of chaos and trickery with; equal in destruction, embraced as mirror for your true self, —HIC— promising to cherish you through good times and bad until graduation.”
“The fuck” Amity snorted
She began to fish her blazer pocket for her can of beer and removed the tab. In a similar fashion, she handed it over to the priest and held Luz’s hand. She got a feel of her fingers then adjusted the ringer of the metallic circle before putting it in place.
" And with this ring, I, Amelia, take you to be my law—HIC— AWFUL wedded asshole, to elbow and to hold from this day forward, for worse, for destruction. I will hate you and honor our rivalling ties—HIC— until graduation."
The priest finally sighed in relief. The assistant handed in a few papers.
“For me to get back to my drink and to lawfully bind your marriage under the constitution of the Boiling Isles, you may now sign your contract”
The altar boy handed Luz and Amity individual pens. They began scribbling their barely legible names, ending the process with rough wobbly signatures. The priest read the text
“I now pronounce you Lucia and Amelia Clawthorne. You may now ki—”
“I OBJECT THIS UNION!”
The door of the chapel slammed open and entered Hexside’s security guard. He and the park’s guards panted in exertion. While their hands were on their knees, Amity took off. She left behind the veil and the bouquet. The Blight ran first to the exit, Luz reserved a moment to smack some cash on the priest’s table and grabbed one of the Bacardi bottles sitting there. However, before she made a sprinting bee line to match the Blight’s lead, she placed a hand on her chin and thought for a moment, fingers slowly getting rid of the brooch and tie.
“Hey, —HIC— aren’t objections supposed to be —HIC— before the start of the wedding, not after? Sorry folks! But go get your own asshole! That one is mine!”
Luz laughed at their pursuers. The room instantly got quiet. The guards stared at her and everyone remained still until Amity all but yanked Luz’s arm and the entire chapel was disturbed by the rowdy slamming of shoes on wooden altar floorboards.
Together, the newlyweds sprinted as fast as their feet could take. Unknowingly, they made it out of the park and off to the business center of Bonesburough. Major skyscrapers of the city stood alight but quiet, being the audience to the wayward pair. A drunken smile was on Luz’s face, her crazed expressions looking behind in search for the security. Amity held back her giggles, heads tilting from side to side. The Blight being the lead, did not notice a trippy ice-glazed pavement and fell face first on the sidewalk. Luz saw this and laughed before helping her up, a hand raising her arm. Blight hissed at the sudden movement and groaned loudly, she sat on the sidewalk. One knee was terribly scraped. The wound bled rather quick.
“Hey! That’s not —HIC—your bed… no time for sleeping…We got—HIC— another Bacardi!!!”
Luz swayed like a seaweed as she waved the bottle around like a flag then her nose twitched, easily detecting the scent of copper like she’s so used to the smell. She glanced down and stared at the wound
“You okay Princess?” she had a slightly troubled expression
“Oh yes, I’m fine!” Amity growled “I’m—HIC—JUST bleeding!!!”
The Noceda squinted her eyes and looked around for an open store. As she heard rapid steps closing in from somewhere in the alleys, mild panic now driving her mind. Amity was in no capacity to run and the guards are still after them.
“Ah, shit, they won’t—HIC— leave us alone do they?”
Her voice had an irritated tone to it, already getting fed up with the chase. Hazel eyes scanned the area and saw an open building nearby like a blessing from above.
“Hold this” she handed the Bacardi to Amity. She quickly composed herself and crouched with her back facing the Blight. The green head dozed off for a moment, a little quizzical at the gesture
“Hop on! Quick!”
Luz encouraged just at the right moment when Amity’s ears caught the pitter patters of shoes. She hastened to wrap both arms around her shoulders. The Noceda hoisted her up on a swift piggy back ride, approaching the building with much zeal of that of a tortoise. Amity was the look out as her craned her head to the side, trying to see if the guards had followed.
“Ya know—HIC— Blight, sometimes I wonder how the hell you—HIC— once became the captain of the Grudgby team. You’re heavy as fuck! Explains why you stumbled after all that running”
“Keep talking —HIC—like that and I might think—HIC— about making a makeshift noose out of my arm”
The heat of the building kissed their chilled skin. A receptionist having more make up on her face than necessary said a routine welcome. Luz couldn’t judge whether she was pretty enough below that thick mass of foundation or not but that’s irrelevant and should be a problem for another time. As long as she can answer her requests, she’ll do fine.
“Good evening young lovers! Welcome to Bonesburough’s leading love hotel—Vermillion Love Suites! How may I be of service?”
Most of what the woman said fell into nothing but inaudible blabber
“Do you have—HIC—adhesive bandages?” was the first thing Luz had asked, her voice sounded like a slow motioned recording but the urgency was there.
“I’m sorry, this is not a convenience store but we do have first aid kits in our rooms. I’m sure you’d like to book one as its already very late and the Bacardi is of abundance!”
The lady gestured at the bottle Amity was holding. The Blight, quickly answered her
“One room—HIC—then?”
The woman at the front had her ever present smile spread the wider and fingers tapped away on her keyboard. A sumptuous sum of money was given as an amount. And Amity groaned
“Deduct that to my account, —HIC— Amelia Blight…”
Then Amity murmured the number. The woman was about to tap the name but halted for just a second.
“Amelia Blight?”
She looked up raising a suspicious brow especially when the number popped on the screen. She stared back and forth between Luz and Amity. Their clothes were soaked with sweat, they reek alcohol and the way the Blight was wrapping her arms tightly around Luz spoke many volumes to the woman. She had a confused look in her face before tapping away. She hesitantly handed the keys to Amity in which the Blight grabbed halfway.
“That will be…room 52...”
“Thanks!” Luz told her before going off. A hotel staff guided them to their room. And he too looked at them up and down, a horrified surprise on his face upon recognizing the woman who as people saw, clung far too close, an action that couldn’t be considered a respectable distance especially for a woman of her current relationship status and birth class.
The staff reluctantly opened the door for them and they entered with a few words of thanks not minding a flash from a nearby phone. Once inside, Luz circled the bed and dropped Amity unceremoniously. The Blight groaned, feeling her brain getting flipped over when she hit the mattress.
“Fuckin dammit, —HIC—Noceda was that really necessary?” she turned to her side. A first aid box dropped on the floor. Luz got the band aids and some antiseptics.
“You know you—HIC— should really sit up and let’s clean this up. You—HIC— don’t want your flesh to rot do you?”
The Blight took a proper seat, at least something a drunk can manage. Her unfocused eyes stared up at the ceiling and then at the bottle of Bacardi. She began to open it with a twist at the lid. Her lips got the taste and the burn of the drink and hummed. She now looked down at Luz.
She slowly tended to her wound, the cotton dabbed somewhere way below the knee and far from the injury but at least the Noceda was trying. Amity’s drooping eyes blinked as she snickered with mirth at the helpless idiot.
Her vision blurred the more she stared until blobs of that beanie hat was all she could see. When it cleared for just a second, Luz wasn’t there like the last time, all she could see now in a drunken fantasy was Boscha on her knees and holding up that ring. Amity was beginning to frown. The nerve showing up all of a sudden!
But Boscha had that solemn expression like how Amity remembered. It made the Blight melt. She knew she was happy that day and she couldn’t help but let out a glum smile. She could never take it back and it killed her truly. She started to caress Luz’s cheeks. The Noceda flinched a little and looked up.
“Boscha…”
Amity held that sad look on her face. Her memory brought rage the entire night but now rather than something that caused complete scorn, she felt it was something she’s about to part with like a dear companion off somewhere she could never go and she can never come back to no matter how many times she tries. Glass can never be put back together. And it spelled a great turmoil knowing it was precious.
Why is letting go so difficult?
But why let go when it still can be fixed? Pieces can still be put together.
Putting it all back together sounded desperate. But Amity’s face cracked into another series of sobs, completely aware how much she wanted it.
“Boscha…”
Luz began to frown
“Hey Blight, the fuck is with you?” she grabbed her wrists
Amity sniffed and fought with Luz wanting to touch those cheeks. She removed herself from her seat and hugged the Noceda tightly. With a pathetic whimper she said
“… I’m willing to forgive you…”
She pressed her forehead at the crook of her neck while the bottle of Bacardi rolled down, spilling it contents
“If I did something wrong…I swear I’m willing to change!”
She sniffled on Luz’s collar
“I’ll do anything!”
Amity once more looked into her eyes
“I’ll color my hair black”
She smiled pleadingly
“I’ll…I’ll wear glasses…I’d plant trees…I’d…”
Her lips quivered, curling down to the sides as snot and tears intermixed on her face, creating a pitiful sight like she was begging for her life.
“just please, please just pick me…”
Amity fisted on Luz’s shirt as Luz was about to try and stand up. Amity hugged her legs, preventing the Noceda from moving any further. The Blight practically clambered, her frantic movements caused her beanie to fall off, her messy tufts of hair out of their confines.
“…pick me please”
A deafening sound of loud, chocking whimpers scathed Luz’s heart. It was painful to watch the sort of damage that emotional attachments had brought on Amity. Luz could no longer move as the Blight seemingly trapped her with arms unmovable like boa constrictor. Amity embraced her, everything left forgotten. With no other options to do, Luz waited it out and started patting the Blight’s back. Amity was gently nestled on her torso, bawling her eyes out on her collar. They stayed in the position for almost half an hour until Amity quieted down.
The Noceda noticed it and started removing the hold slowly
“Alright, that’s—HIC—enough of that…it’s time for you to go to—HIC—bed…”
Puffy eyes looked up at her and those soft palms were once more upon her cheeks
“pick me…”
Weakly, Amity closed her eyes
“Amity—”
And the Blight leaned forward, her shallow breathing ghosted upon Luz’s lips.
This made Luz’s heart skip a beat then began to rapidly bang against her chest. It was very odd and for just a moment, her a tad bit sober brain cell processed what was about to come.
Their noses touched. The Noceda’s hold on her shoulder tightened but held no strength. She stared directly at those eye lids, long lashes and then down to those pink lips that appeared soft to the touch.
Before long, Luz saw Willow as her hazel eyes took in everything about the woman before her. Black hair, fair skin, and bespectacled eyes. It was nothing but a pathetic illusion that her heart conjured. A tearful gaze was upon Amity. Luz desperately held her cheeks.
“Willow…” she let out a cracked whisper. It was so quiet she barely heard herself with how much her chest thrashed wildly.
Slowly, the space began to close between them. The Noceda closed her eyes. Her hands lowered down to Amity’s waist.
One more kiss. One more before she says goodbye. One more before she truly grieves and move on.
Arms circled one another. A pair now upon the other’s shoulder and another around the other’s waist. Chest was against chest, hearts booming in sync.
Until…
Amity leaned back, hurled out her stomach’s contents on their clothes, drenching them with bile
And the rest was history.