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For as long as he can remember, Gus has always wanted to go to the human realm, to meet humans and learn everything he can about them. His dad and him would pick up the oddities that washed onto shore, finding their way from the human realm into the boiling sea, then all the way to him. He treated each treasure delicately, carefully storing them in his room. If he had enough money on him, he’d sneak into the market and buy something from Eda. What their purposes were, their names, their importance was all a mystery to him. He did his best to fill in the blanks where he could, doing as much research as he was capable of. It was never easy—after all, humans had never been to the Boiling Isles before.
At least, that’s what he had thought at the time. Hah. How wrong he was.
Gus is here, in the human realm. He’s met a human—multiple now. He’s been doing even more research, asking a million questions about everything he doesn’t understand. But he can’t bring himself to enjoy it. At least, not entirely.
During the day, he absorbs every bit of information he can.
Gus reads manuals that explain how cars and TVs and computers work. He watches infomercials and cartoons and dumb drama shows—it’s cool how they have that in common. He asks Camila, Vee, and Luz questions about new things when he sees them. Using the computer, he researches as much as he can, figuring out all the uses and names for things he had back in his room at home.
He learns about dinosaurs and then can’t stop learning about them. He watches movies, reads articles, anything he can get his hands on to learn more. When Camila takes them shopping, he stares with wide eyes at all the plastic dinosaurs and the t-shirts that have them on them. She buys him some every once in a while. When he finds Cosmic Frontier, he reads it all in one night and watches videos about it on MewTube. While looking around, he also finds the closet full of memorabilia and costumes for it. He doesn’t look through any of the boxes and never touches any of it, because it isn’t his. He wishes it was, though. It’s one of the coolest things he thinks he’s ever seen.
And, of course, he tries to help figure out a way to get back to the demon realm. Hunter, Luz, and him read about portals and the multiverse. It makes him think about Cosmic Frontier. They all brainstorm in the shack, fixing it up as they ponder. Testing theories, drawing glyphs, using magic to try and open a way. It never works. They haven’t gotten close, not once. But they keep trying anyway, because they have to.
Late at night, lying on the couch, he thinks about home.
He does his best not to think about how they all could be dead, how the Collector has probably torn everything apart, how there might not even be a home left to go back to. The fact that his dad and all of his other friends are in danger, and he can’t help. That he might never be able to see them again. That they could be stuck here.
Most of the time, Gus thinks about how Willow and him would hangout after school. They always helped each other with their homework, and then they’d stay up late watching those dumb drama shows on the crystal ball. When they became friends with Luz, she’d join them sometimes. They would walk home together, talking about everything and nothing. And when Luz started asking for his library card, he pieced together why pretty quickly—but he always agreed, because they would still hangout and chat. Besides, it was always funny to tease her about her crush.
He also thinks about coming home after school and having dinner with his dad. They would go to the beach and find things to add to his collection. And whenever he had a bad dream, Dad would give him some warm apple blood and they’d watch How to Train Your Beast. When he got sick, his magic would act up and make him even more miserable. Dad would make him soup and spend the day with him. And when he would talk about humans and the human realm, Dad would ask questions and add his own thoughts.
Gus misses his room. He misses his collection and his clothes. He misses going to Hexside, and practicing for flyer derby after school. He misses going to the owl house or Willow’s house and having sleepovers. He misses apple blood and his dad’s packed lunches. He misses Mattholomule, playing silly pranks on each other and just hanging out. He misses Viney and how she always knows what to say and what to do, and all of her jokes. He misses Skara and listening to her talk about the best strategies, talking to her about music and how illusions could be used for concerts. He misses his dad and his hugs and how he’d tell stories in his reporter voice, which never fails to make him laugh.
He misses home.
But Gus should be happy, shouldn’t he? He’s here. In the human realm. Where he’s always wanted to be. He’s learning about humans and their customs.
He is, in a way. He loves it here. It’s everything he’s ever wanted. (Almost. Almost everything he’s ever wanted.)
Deep down, he’s ready to go home.