Chapter Text
Camila's Pov
She slowly woke, swiveling her head side to side before looking down at her sheet covered body. As the latina women got dressed she thought ‘that was one hell of a dream, I can’t quite remember it, but it was strange’. There were blips, being in the rain, her daughter being made of light, a cute slitherer that sometimes looked like her daughter. She finally finished getting dressed in soft pj’s and left her room. ‘It will be nice to have a break’ the mother thought as she went down the hallway past the pictures of her daughter. She rounded the corner into her Mija’s room to find a large snake creature curled up on the bed. Two things registered in her mind. One, the dream she had last night and two, it wasn't a dream.
“I’m sorry” she said in a voice so different from when she was cleaning up he- Luz’s, room. Far more raspy while looking down at the floor, the poor thing was looking and sounding like she was about to cry. She should be angry at this creature for tricking her for months, for pretending to be her presios mija, but she couldn't muster up any anger. She should have noticed, she had been home for two weeks and she had never noticed that she acted nothing like Luz. She was quiet, reserved, did everything she was told, and never read Azura. Christ, she never read Azura in two weeks, it was so obvious that this girl wasn't her daughter. Not even the excuse of camp changing her could explain that. Now wasn't the time to worry about that, she had a job to do.
Third person Pov
The Latina woman reached for the snake-like girl's chin, she backed away slightly as if about to be hit. She grabbed her chin and gently pulled the creature's head to face her own. “It’s alright” she told the basilisk with a kind tone that only a mother and vet could produce. The basilisk looked confused for a moment before smiling and shapeshifting into a basilisk-Luz hybrid. “Thank m-Camila” She noticed the slip but decided not to comment on it.
“So, you want breakfast? I can make Mangu!” the mother asked, putting the last part in a singsong voice. Vee quickly nodded her head and scrambled to the table and Camila shook her head and followed.
“So, what is this “Demon realm” like?” The mother asked, hoping to be told that it isn’t as bad as it sounds. At the question, the demon stopped eating to think for a moment before responding. “I don't think I could tell you accurately. I didn’t see much of it and have only heard snippets of everything else.” “Well, why don’t you tell me about what you did see?” the Hispanic women suggested.
The girl's hand was lifting her fork to her mouth as she was being asked, and it froze as the rest of her body did like the many traumatized animals the vet had seen over the years. The basilisk girl’s face contorted into one of fear before saying “N-no, I don’t want to, to” the girl stuttered out in a heart-breaking whimper before she got up. “Excuse me” she half whispered before quickly walking down the hall and into Luz’s room.
The concerned mother followed and she saw the girl searching through a secret compartment in the wall next to the bed. ‘Has that always been there, she couldn't have made it in two weeks. Wait, what am I saying? She's a shape shifting snake, of course she could have!’ the mother thought before the basilisk's fluffy eared disguise gave way to her natural scaly form as she pulled out a green brimless cap and a small stuffed snail. She slid onto the bed and under the covers before pulling the hat over her face and snuggling the snail.
The Hispanic woman got on her hands and knees before looking towards Vee, silently looking for permission. The girl lifted the sun stamped head gear to reveal her blue and yellow eyes before nodding yes and pulling it back over her face. The woman began searching through the cubby hole and pulled out the wooden box within. It was already open from Vee’s search. The mother looked through. The first thing she noticed in the box was a horizon blue steel helmet. She quickly looked to its side to find a small flag on a stick that looked like the American flag had reverted to its first thirteen star one and put its eagle in the center of the stars. “I can get rid of them.” The basilisk said, startling the mother out of her thoughts. It took a few seconds for her to get through the stuttering to respond to her offer “What? No, you shouldn’t get rid of this.”
The basilisk looked confused for a moment before insisting “no it’s fine, I can easily get rid of it.” “And I insist that it’s meaningful to you and my dislike towards it shouldn’t have you throw it away.” The mother rebutted. Vee looked stunned for a moment before smiling and tearing up. The mother simply spread her arms and Vee slid into them. The two had a nice, long, comforting hug. They were there for what felt like hours but was only five minutes when Camila broke off the hug.
“So, why did you freak out so badly at the table?” Camila asked, though she already had her suspicions. “Well,” The sweet girl began, finding the floor quite interesting as she continued. “You asked about my past and, well, I had some… scary experiences. I’m not quite ready to tell you and I don’t think you’re ready to hear them.” She explained before looking regretful. “Uh, I’m such a depressor. I’m making you worry for me, Luz, and shattering your world view. I told Luz to leave me for a good reason. I just drag everyone around me DOWN!” She shouted in her raspy voice before breaking down in tears.
Camila was shocked. This girl had asked her daughter to leave her behind to not worry her. She quickly recovered and began saying what felt right. “No, you shouldn't have been left behind. I would have been worry sick about what happened to my Luz, and I would have never known what happened. At least now I know she’s alive and safe. I also would have never met you.” “BUT I’M A MONSTER!” Vee screeched back. “No, you're a sweet, kind girl that has a heart larger than a cyclops! And I’m grateful that I got to meet you.” The woman finished. For the second time that day, Vee looked shocked. Then she wiped her tears before giving the woman a smile. “Thank you” The mother gave a satisfied smile before a small look of worry came over her face. “Do you have cyclops over there?” The very confused mother asked.
The basilisk girl giggled in a heart melting way and used her limited knowledge to respond “That depends on which kind you mean. One of the guys in my group had one eye and I saw many one-eyed men. That same guy once told a story about how they were once giants, but that might have been a myth.” when the basilisk saw Camila smile in wonder confusion, she couldn't help but Beem. She then thought for a moment before asking “Hey mom, today has had a pretty crazy morning. I was wondering if I could go chill out with my friends.” The mother thought for a moment about how she would like to know more about the world her daughter was trapped in, but relented with a “yes, just make sure you don’t find a dangerous snake.”, saying the last part in a teasing tone. “Thank you!” Vee shouted before rapidly transforming into her Luz-disguise, startling the hell out of the mother. They both froze for different reasons before Camila started laughing and Vee couldn't help but join in.
Still giggling, vee walked out of the room. She turned to wave before running out of the house. Camila stopped laughing before starting to look around and becoming lost in thought, Very deep thought, about the future. Her future, her daughter's future, Vee's future, Luz’s situation, all these thoughts swirled around in her head as she walked out of the room to make herself tea. A lot of tea, to be imprecise.