Work Text:
“You’re sure you wanna do this?” Vee asked softly, her hand on the doorknob before she and Luz set off for school. “I mean- I know you had a reputation and all, but...”
Vee could only bring herself to giggle at the absurdity of it all.
“You’re a harpy, Luz!”
Luz flexed her talons and ruffled up her feathers as she smiled a bright, wide smile. “It’ll be awesome! I really need you to trust me on this, Vee!” She laughed. “We’re going to do great together.”
Vee took a small breath before nodding and finally opening the front door. “Bye, Mamá! We’ll see you after class!” She cheered out towards a fretting Camila.
“Please stay safe,” she urged the two of them quietly.
Luz blew her right off, strutting through the door and fluttering her earth-toned plumage with a very Luz-typical confidence. “I’m, like, a whole harpy, Mom!” She said, puffing out her chest and acting like nothing was wrong.
Vee’s face softened and she looked back at Camila. “I’ll take care of her,” she assured their mother gently. “That’s a promise, Mamá.”
Camila let out a sigh. “I know you will, Vee,” she said, managing a smile as Vee slipped the door closed behind her.
Vee joined Luz quickly, jogging up next to her as she made her way down the sidewalk towards the school. “I think it’s really cool that you’re a harpy now, but aren’t you worried about that weird historical society freak?” She asked, fluffing up her short brown hair and peering down into a compact mirror. It was her first time wearing her spots out now that the real Luz was back. She was ready to be Vee, but she would be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous.
“That loser?” Luz scoffed, cocking her head as she walked.
“You don’t remember his name?”
“Do you?”
Vee giggled into her hand and tucked her mirror back into her pocket. “Never bothered learning it to begin with.”
“As you should!” Luz declared proudly. “Titan, that guy was annoying.”
Vee clasped her hands together in front of her tightly. “The Boiling Isles really changed you, didn’t they?” She noticed.
When Luz looked over at her, she wasn’t ready to see just how sad she’d looked.
“Well, yeah,” Luz responded. The backpack on her shoulders hurt the junction of her wings just slightly. “I think...” She let out a sigh. She didn’t feel like she had the right words. “I think it was better for both of us that we were gone for so long. Even if that means I have feathers and don’t really fit into doors now.”
Vee cast her gaze back up at her and smiled a small smile. “I think you’re right,” she whispered, tightening the straps on her bag. “How fast are those wings of yours, really?”
Luz showed her a toothy grin and spread out her full wingspan. “So fast.”
“Race you to first period!” Vee cried, jumping briefly with a single hand piercing the heavens before dashing down the concrete towards the school.
“Hey, you got a head start!” Luz laughed, pushing off the ground and getting herself into a comfortable soar.
She had a feeling it would be easier to readjust than she first thought.