Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

–

I often find myself standing in the center of your room. Long since vacant, it is unbearably dusty; but irrevocably touched by you. Permanent fixtures that only I’d notice. How the sun washed floorboards pale even further against the dark spot left by furniture. The markings scored across the wallpaper from your opulent vanity chair being pulled back each morning. A blotch of dull palatinate that you colored your lips with pressed into the doorframe. 

Beneath the dust, I can feel the animosity, just as plain as I can see where you kept your dresser. You haunt this place, a specter of dysfunction. 

So why do I want to flick my hand against the floor to invoke your spirit into consciousness? Why do I want the grime you’ve left behind that we cannot bother to even clean, swirl around and settle into my sinuses? Why do I want to breathe it in and cough so violently that my vision darkens?

“…are you going to just sit there and read your diary, or are you going to help me pack?” 

How fitting that the sound of her best friend would tear Amity Blight from her horrendously poor and angsty prose in an instant. Really, she should be grateful, considering the tendons on the lavender witch's neck were so taut from cringe that a bard could pluck them and produce a sharp tone. Coming back to reality was the only way Amity could prevent herself from gazing into the blackhole of consolidated teenage edge. Still, said esteemed status of Gus Porter did not grant him admittance into her most private (and indulgent) thoughts, so Amity was quick to snap her journal shut. It’s one thing to torment herself with her ill-defined thoughts of the past, but giving a self proclaimed comedian ammunition to roast her into oblivion on a silver platter was another! Besides, he did raise a valid point. Amity promised to help Gus pack.

“Sorry,” Amity tossed the tome of embarrassment back whence it came, hopefully its final resting place in a box amongst unimportant study guides and a half empty bottle of hair dye. All of the useful goodies that were inside were plundered and already relocated in Gus’ luggage. “I was trying to find field notes that may be helpful.”

“What notes would I need? I am the premier scholar on all things human. Unlike you, I don’t need a guide on how to talk to people.”

“I forgot. You’re gearing up to write a grueling dissertation on the science of…palling around humans while on vacation.”

“Oh, forgive me for taking an interest in practical matters instead of washy theoreticals,”

It was natural they fell into this type of banter. Being as they were the two academic powerhouses at The University of Wild Magic, it was hard to resist a bit of teasing. They’d grown close enough for Amity to be certain their exchanges would never breach past japes. After all, Gus and Amity had been living together for just over a year. Sharing a humble bothy a stones toss from their ‘campus’ had proven to be comfortable for the witches. Though in their teenage years, the pair were merely just part of the same social circle, once college started it was inevitable that a bond was to form. Amity found it hard to believe that they had been anything other than a dynamic brainy duo, but time had a funny way of distorting things. 

“But!” Gus knew as well as Amity their back and forth could, theoretically, persist until dawn broke. “I need your help on deciding if I should bring my iconic peacoat, or if it’ll make me look too distinguished to be approachable by the average hip city person.”

As if to assist Amity in her decision, a healthy amount of Gus shaped illusions appeared around their living room - all taking on the most ostentatious poses. In turn, Amity could only offer the master illusionist her most incredulous look. “It’s summer, Gus.”

“Fashion trumps comfort.” Gus retorted with a collective wag of smarmy index fingers. Amity scooted forward and started to neatly fold a pair of trousers he’d laid out, not bothering to entertain the hoard of expectant witches.

“Ugh, okay. No peacoat.”

“Thank you for your concession. I was a bit worried that I’d receive a call from Willow that you’d passed out in Manhattering, or whatever, for the sake of looking good.”

“Manhattan.” Gus corrected with a practice nonchalance. Though there were still a few things that needed to be packed, the witch opted to instead flop onto the couch Amity was stationed at. “Man…it’s going to be so weird being around Willow and Hunter now that they’re…officially an item.”

Amity hummed softly, busied hands meticulous in their organization of her best friends’ clothing whilst he laid listless on their second (third, forth - really, who knows how many butts have made their home here) hand couch. “I, for one, am thankful they’ve finally stumbled into realizing their feelings. It was getting old watching them constantly find excuses as to why they were still ‘ultimate besties’ despite canoodling on the regular.”

“I mean, yeah okay. Good for them and stuff.” Gus huffed, flailing his (very not busy) arms around as he pontificated. “I’m glad the university paired me up with my friends for this expedition. But still. Third wheeling for two whole human months? It’s going to be awkward! We’re going to be exploring all of these amazing human cities, seeing all these breathtaking sights – it’s gonna be like, a million dates that I’m just tagging along with!” The groan Gus let out was as comical as it was relatable, which earned a smile of commiseration from Amity.

“Good thing you’ll have enough work to keep you distracted from their romantic antics.” Amity chided as she added another article of clothing into his suitcase. “And who knows? Maybe you’ll find a cute human boy out there to shack up with in a whirlwind romance that’ll put them to shame?” And that earned a luminous smile from Gus. Once, his grin would’ve been piteous at Amity mentioning dating a human, but enough time had passed that it couldn’t be anything other than genuine. And with a pair of shoes tucked into the proper pocket, everything Gus could possibly need was contained within the suitcase between them. Melancholic as it was, Amity was not one of those things. She weaved a spell circle, summoning the helping hand of wondrous slime to settle the heavy luggage onto the floor, before allowing herself to flop onto Gus’ shoulder with little in the way of grace. 

“I’m going to miss you.” Amity sounded so sincere and vulnerable, it almost made her sick. Especially since Gus simpered at said earnest affect.

“It’ll only be two months. And then, we’re all going to meet up out there. Plus, we’ll both be out in the human realm, so we can always get in touch with each other via cell phone.” Like he was tending to a kicked palisman, Gus’ words were delivered in a clement tone. 

“I still fumble around with those things,” Amity fell victim to Gus’ placation, she DID feel a little better. “But…I also mean that I'll miss seeing you finally getting to experience the human realm outside of Gravesfield.”

“I’ll miss you too, Amity. If only because I won’t be there to remind you to look up from your research from time to time.” Gus patted his friend's hand a few times. “And, man…when we finally group up again, it’ll be fun. Not having to worry about any deadlines or making it to class. Just like old times, hanging out with everyone again.” 

It was such a tender moment ruined by the compunction Amity felt when bitterness nipped the back of her throat. ‘Almost everyone’ was on the tip of her tongue, ready to fire if the witch hadn’t honed the art of self control years back. Instead, she let a comfortable silence mollify any sharp remarks.

“Well,” Amity broke the lull in conversation she imposed. Nice as it was, they couldn’t sit here all night. “it’s our last night here on the Boiling Isles together for quite some time.” She moved off of Gus’ shoulder which wasn’t comfortable enough to be a pillow for much longer, anyway. “So why don’t we make it count?”

“You don’t mean?” Gus shot up.

“Oh, I do.” Amity rose to her feet and looked upon her shorter friend.

In tandem they spoke.

“Time to go to bed super early!” 

–

Gus was going to be leaving early tomorrow morning, several days before Amity, so she bid him her final farewell until their rendezvous in a few months. In truth, she was almost as ecstatic as Gus about this trip. It was a glorious opportunity for Amity to start pulling data for her ambitious thesis, and the people she was grouped with were top notch scholars. Not to mention, it was going to be a great change of pace to just get away from the complexities that home brought her for a while. And yes, Amity wasn’t afraid to admit that the trip being capped off with hanging out with all of her friends was the cherry on top of this sweet gig. 

Amity danced as she set down the box of junk she’d brought out into the living room onto her desk, filled with a positive energy in her excitement for what’s to come next. Her moves proved simply too funky, as a wide hip swing knocked the box out of place and its contents of accursed (pejorative) journals and bottles of dried up hair dye spilled onto the floor. It didn’t elicit much of a reaction out of Amity, other than instantly bending down to scoop everything back into the container. 

Until.

That familiar bitter taste was punctuated by a thought that echoed in her head. 

‘It’ll be so nice to have everyone together again,’ 

Amity’s fingers wrapped around a polaroid that fluttered onto the ground, a memory she’d long stored away. Luz’s king-ceañera, everyone huddled around the human with such merriment painted on their faces, including the purple haired witch who’d taken a spot between Willow and Gus. 

‘almost everyone.’

It was the first picture Amity had of them where Luz and her weren’t smooshed together. Despite that fact, this memory was decidedly a good one.

‘But I guess it’s only natural,’

Beyond it being a well deserved celebration for their beloved human Luz, who’d done nothing but enrich the lives of everyone in Bonesborough, it was an important date for Amity. 

‘...after awhile,’

It was the day that Luz and Amity had finally reached a pretty amiable relationship after their breakup. 

‘people who are just friends tend to drift apart, huh?’

Chapter Text

 –

Not that Amity had much reason to hang around Gravesfield, but it always surprised her how resplendent the golden hour of dusk was. The warmth of the sky contrasted against the verdant trees, painting a serene picture that was only heightened by the pleasant tepid temperature and breeze. It was markedly different from the torrid heat that the Boiling Isles suffered in the summer months. Even though her ears were confined underneath a seasonally inappropriate beanie, Amity found that she was comfortable. 

Well, okay. It was nice out, but comfortable? That was…categorically false. 

It was still bizarre to traipse through the door of what was once The Owl House with no invitation from its former occupants. Similarly, the ‘novelty’ of being in Gravesfield with no express purpose to visit any of the Noceda’s still hadn’t worn off. Top all of that off with the fact Amity was fatigued from buzzing around all day to attend to an assortment of errands (affairs, farewells) and was about to leave for a lengthy quest through quasi-unfamiliar lands (being as her knowledge of earth was centralized in mostly in Gravesfield) – Amity was leaning towards being uncomfortable. 

Oh, and of course, Masha and the other UoWM students who made up Amity’s group were late. Tardiness always miffed ol’ Mittens, as did all capricious things. She’d been standing outside the Noceda's colorfully conspicuous portal house for about thirty minutes, and the headcount was still a resounding one (two, Amity supposed, if you count Ghost). It was almost getting to the point of Amity spiraling down the ‘oh Titan, had I misread the memo and I’m the one who’s late ? What am I going to do? I wish my phone wasn’t dead so I can call them. I should’ve asked Gus to leave one of those human charging devices. This is what being underprepared gets you Blight!’ path; when her savior in the form of Masha jogging through the tree line had spared the witches' catastrophizing tendencies from fully manifesting. 

“Gah, soo sorry I’m late. Hectic day.” Masha heaved between stuttering footsteps which stopped several paces in front of the witch. Amity just couldn’t quite muster the gumption to get sassy with them, not after they’d been making a concerted effort to get here. She was just glad to see someone had finally shown up. 

“Considering we’re still waiting on the other two, I think you’re good.” Amity replied lightly, as if her cordial smile would dab the sweat off Masha’s forehead. It did no such thing, naturally. Actually, it appeared that it was the catalyst to an adverse reaction, considering their contrite countenance. That was…very un-Masha of them.

“Uhh…So…Okay,” Masha began. “Like I said, hectic as hell day.” 

–

Amity was very glad she didn’t waste her catastrophizing on something as piddling as tardiness. It would’ve been energy undeservingly wasted. No, no. Her reserving her Blight Meltdown was tactical, considering Masha had delivered some extraordinarily bad news five hours ago, and Amity was still riding the waves of emotional turbulence. 

“The transmission is busted in my car, it’s totally out of commission until I can get it fixed.” Masha had told Amity. “There’s only one mechanic in Gravesfield, and he’s the biggest tool I’ve ever met. Scumbag is holding my car hostage for nine thousand bucks!” 

Amity had questioned if they were really so reliant on the car, recounting that Gus’ group were traveling the country without one.

“I mean, yeah. I guess? I can’t go running around the country catchin’ buses and shit when I got a bond to pay. I don’t even have half of what I owe in my bank account! I need to pick up extra shifts and OT.”

Could they just not buy a car then? Amity proffered an anecdote that Hunter and Luz were automobile shopaholics, but her naivete meant it was a frivolous one. And maybe, incidentally, a little insulting. 

“What? No dude, cars are a hugggge financial commitment. If you add each digit of my credit up, it still wouldn’t be enough to buy one without a cosigner. I think they were pullin’ your leg.”

Oh. Luz lied to her there too. 

“Uh. Amity? You’re kinda…staring off?”

Well. That wasn’t anything new. It was easy to brush that off in order to focus on salvaging her trip. Amity, with a vestige of optimism, proposed that she and the other witches pull together their stipends from the university and brave the human world by themselves by way of public transportation. Unfortunate that Masha couldn’t tag along, as they’d contributed so much, but it didn’t mean the rest of them had to miss out.

“Look girl, I hate to rain on your parade, but the other two ain’t coming either. One refused to step foot outside of Gravefield without a guide, and the other one had tanked their final and was now taking a remediation credit this semester. Right now, you’re the only one who’s on board, and I don’t think the budget they allotted us with would cover the amount of motel, hotel stays you’re booked for AND transportation.”

No. No, no, NO. Amity had prepared for MONTHS. Sedulous planning, careful financial considerations, fifteen scrapped itineraries, dozens of hours studying obscure (and contentious) human history alongside Masha, learning how to DRIVE (horrible, scary, awful) – it all had fallen through. 

“Uh… maybe you could call…Willow and ask if you can tag along with their group? Or maybe see if Vee can fit you in with her crew when she leaves? I know neither are routed for the research we intended, but maybe…you can find some stuff off the cuff?”

Amity was on the precipice of a fit. In hindsight, it probably seemed unearned to Masha, but this was a very sudden change of plans. 

“Ooookay. Okay. How about we go back to my place, get out of the heat, and rethink things? Sure we could come up with something that’ll work for you?”

 

Masha’s attic was at least a soothing place for Amity to decompress. The scent of mildew, lack of windows, single dingy lightbulb and being surrounded by dozens of creepy porcelain dolls was homey, which made it an unexpected (and unintentional) kindness that Masha suggested it to the witch for some privacy while she ran through logistics. They had become working colleagues in their academic pursuits, but Amity would not consider the human to be a friend, so it was exceedingly difficult to do much but excuse herself so that she may process this nightmare alone. Amity wasn’t ready to abandon this endeavor, not after all this time she’d sunk into this project, not when she was banking her future on this research. 

Not if it meant she’d have to stay in Bonesborough this summer.

You haunt this place, a specter of dysfunction.

EUGH. Amity did NOT want to think about her cringy diary entries, not now. Not when she’s trying to find a solution to her problem!

And yes, maybe ‘finding a solution to her problem’ at the moment was pacing from wall to wall, just replaying Masha’s bad news in her head.  Which…was not productive in the slightest, Amity could admit. What she needed to do was accomplish something small, to get some momentum behind her to fully tackle the larger issue at hand. Amity glanced around the room, taking care to acknowledge her audience of glassy eyed baby dolls, before her gaze settled onto her phone charging on the floor. Right. She needed to call Gus. But…what would she even tell him? Amity wasn’t keen on dampening his mood by informing him that she was in a pickle. This was his trip, beyond anyone else, and it just didn’t seem fair to drag him into it. Amity, under no circumstances, was going to lie to him though. Maybe she should call Willow? Just as gauche, since this was also a big trip for her, what with her romance finally unfurling. 

Maybe Vee? That’s a good choice. Camila as well, she was wise and the human-iest human she’d ever met. Or…

The sound of her phone vibrating ripped the fidgety witch out of her cyclic ruminations. It also caused Amity to flinch back and yelp, caught flat footed by modern technology. Hapless, considering all that she’d been through. It took a few buzzes for Amity to recall what to do. 

“Aw, no. I don’t know what to tell Gus yet–” She murmured as she squat down to answer who she assumed to be her best friend. Who else would be calling her? Masha was downstairs, her other colleagues were out of the picture, and everyone else was in the demon realm. “I’ll just have to tell him the truth, and-”

Amity’s words halted with a sharp inhalation. Her mouth went as dry as her eyes were wide as she registered what was on her phone’s display. Her legs even wobbled underneath her, plaintive in their duty to keep her upright. All Amity could do was sink onto the moldy hardwood floor and stare at this regrettable human invention. 

‘My Luz is Calling’

The device buzzed again, Amity figured it would be three more vibration cycles until the call would fail. 

How did she know Amity was in the human realm? She didn’t recall telling Luz what her summer plans were. Perhaps Willow or Hunter mentioned it? Maybe Vee or Masha? Still…even if she knew…why would Luz be calling her? It was pretty late, wasn't it? What did she even want to talk about? What would Amity even say?!

Another buzz. Amity had a choice. Answer, or let it ring. Face the discomfort of talking to Luz so unexpectedly, or forever wonder what she could've even wanted. Both had their pros, both had their cons. The luxury of time to examine both sides in a satisfactory manner to Amity simply did not exist - this was a finite moment, and she wasn't quite sure if she would be okay with letting it pass without making up her mind.

It wasn’t like they were on bad terms, per se. Amiable!...right? Maybe it was just disconcerting because Amity was already agitated? So why? Why was Amity hesitating? It was just a dumb conversation, it wasn't like they were strangers. Not at all! Friends! They were...just...friends. In theory, at least. In practice?

The final buzz. Mere seconds were left.

Amity, decisively, reached for it and tapped accept in one hasty and clumsy movement. She wanted a hurdle to cross so that she could gain traction? Here one was! Talk to your friend, Amity! 

Deep breath. In and out, and speak. “Oh...uh…Luz?” She couldn’t sound more sheepish if she tried! Apparently talking to her ex girlfriend was a hurdle that she could only slam into at full speed. Amity wondered if it was too late to hang up, throw the phone down Masha's stairs and retreat into a fetal position for the rest of her life. 

“Auh-Amity?” There it was. The voice that once soothed every ache in her body, right there in her ear. Ah, but...perplexed as Amity may be about this whole affair, Luz sounded just as surprised that she’d answered. Which was an absurd concept to the witch. The human called her! It kindled an indignant feeling in her chest, one that allowed her to enunciate with more force. 

“Uh…you called?” 

Silence. Uncomfortable, thorny silence. 

“Er, Luz did you–” Amity was interrupted by the other woman taking in a sharp breath before speaking once more. 

"You're in Gravesfield?"

"...Yes."

“Meet me at the park. Our spo- I mean, you know. The oak tree near the swings. I'll see you there.”

And then, Luz hung up. How presumptuous. 

Chapter Text

–

Presumptuous Luz may be, Amity was magnitudes above her in predictability. It is an irrefutable law of nature, as far as Amity was concerned, that she will always approach when beckoned by Luz. At least Amity could assuage her vacillating thoughts on that universal truth by convincing herself that Luz might’ve had a solution to give. It was a logical assumption to make, the degree of separation between Masha and Luz was Vee. Of course, it would be myopic to discount that Luz’s timely call was merely a coincidence, but it just seemed improbable. Titan knows why whatever Luz wanted to discuss couldn’t be disclosed over the phone, but Amity didn’t exactly have any leeway to be persnickety if it benefited her. It wasn’t like the park, that spot, was difficult to get to from Masha’s residence. Even if it had been years since her last visit, it was a location that was scored into Amity’s mind.

That last visit (and most before it) Amity took a different path, one that was a straight shot from the portal. Her stomach had been home to a flock of butterflies, a mixture of teenaged excitement to see Luz and exhilaration from sneaking out. Now, Amity was taking a roundabout route to avoid getting her shoes too muddied, and whatever was squirming in the pit of her stomach was a little too frenzied to be a whimsical insect. She was certain of that, seeing as it was determined to flip flop with each step she took down the final twisting path towards her destination. Excitement it was not. But fear? Dread? Amity could not, in good faith, say that the sensation was so bleakly negative. 

It was an emotion that was impossible to place, whatever it was. Maybe if she had a longer walk to delve further into introspection she could figure it out, but her solitude was transient; as there Luz was, half illuminated by the glow of street lamps, half shrouded by the shadow of the oak. Curls cropped into her signature short mullet, wearing a shirt Amity didn’t recognize (a pair of canvas shorts she did) and sitting on a longboard which must’ve been a recently acquired hobby. Luz was familiar and so foreign at the same time.

Luz stood. Amity stopped. Their eyes met. The air was still.

“Hey, Amity.” 

Said witch felt her arms move aberrantly. She absolutely didn’t know what to do with them. Hug Luz? No, she couldn’t even remember the last time they’d embraced. Maybe a wave? With what? Two hands? That was excessive. She wasn’t sure why nothing felt natural to land on. They’d been split for some time now, years and years had passed of them simply being just friends. Granted, it was rare that they’d encountered each other privately like this, but they’d spent plenty of time together in group settings. And, yes, this had all been very sudden and Amity was having a hellacious day, but she was certain this wasn’t how she was to be behaving. And in that agonizing moment of her not knowing how to respond to a (very simple and straightforward) greeting, Amity remembered the second irrefutable law of nature.  

Luz Noceda made Amity Blight act like an idiot.

Amity settled on crossing her arms behind her back. “Hey…Luz.” Did her voice sound weird? To her, she sounded a little strained and flat. Luz made no indication that Amity was being weird, but it was apparent that the human wasn’t impervious to the awkward energy between them. Her fingers interlaced and wove together, a nervous habit, but Luz was gifted at pushing past negative and uncomfortable feelings - so, she spoke again.

“Good to see you again. It’s…been awhile. Thinking…the last time was…” 

“The end of last semester...the group all went out together to celebrate passing our finals. We went to that tavern up by the university that offered ‘delicacies from the navel’ you wouldn’t stop asking about.” Amity stepped in, assisting to fill in the blanks. 

“Ah, yeah. That’s right! It looked so charming from the outside, I was dying to give it a try!” Luz animatedly snapped her fingers in recollection. 

“Too bad if you tried it, you would’ve actually died.”

“It was all way too acidic!” A broad smile pulled Luz’s lips up and she shuffled a little further into the light. “Like, face melty levels. I could’ve dangled someone over the stew there to prove a point to my arch nemesis.”

Amity tittered. “Giving you enough time to monologue to them about your tragic backstory, right?”

Luz took a step forward. “Loud enough for the protagonist to hear it.” Her voice was filled with her characteristic zeal, so readily shedding reservation, so quick to make the atmosphere congenial. She was bright, present. “It would be a faux pas to not. Comes with the territory of being a ne’er-do-well that uses vats of acid and all.”

“Well, you do love your tropes.” Amity responded, her words softened by an unintentional fondness. “And acting out dastardly acts in Hunter’s food.”

“They weren’t even eating it! Hunter got the spiciest thing on the menu! Poor sap can’t handle that kinda heat.”

“Considering you can’t handle acid, should you really be casting stones?”

“Why have a glass house if you aren’t going to shatter it?” Luz’s laugh carried in the breeze and straight through Amity’s chest, making it tighten and sting. A part of her wanted to indulge in the lightness of this moment, it was attractive to just pretend things were normal. But the fact of the matter is that things weren’t.

“...we all used to hang out all the time,” Amity uttered, snuffing out the positive momentum of the conversation right there. “but after that night…besides in passing, I haven’t seen you in months..” 

Luz kept a smile on her face, though it took a hit from the others' lugubrious observation. Her lips subtly thinned and her eyes dimmed a touch from reality being presented in front of her. Her visage was verging apologetic, to the untrained eye. But to Amity, this was a very familiar face of regret. “I was stacked with classes this semester.”

The regret of having to tell a half truth.

It shouldn’t surprise her. Luz was under no obligation to enlighten Amity as to why she’d been so distant from her - the group - these past few months. They were just friends, after all. It wasn’t a flat out lie, as far as she could tell, just an omission of some truth - but it felt like a form of rejection to her despite any sense of logic dictating that it really wasn’t. Amity, perhaps unfairly, felt compelled to honor her uncharitable mood and reacted like a child. 

“I bet.” Amity returned, toned barbed. Luz looked a little wounded by her curtness, but didn’t make a show of justifying herself. She just uttered a rather straightforward apology, which felt like a platitude to Amity, a method of placation to keep things cordial, rather than addressing the issue at hand.

“Did you…want to talk about something in particular Luz?” Amity petulantly asked, sidestepping the apology all together. Luz, in turn, tensed. As if she was put on the spot, curious enough, despite her being the one to arrange this meeting. She ran her hands through her curls, before phishing out her phone and presenting it to the lavender witch. The screen, despite Luz tapping on it, remained unlit.

“I asked to meet you in person because my phone was about to die.”

Amity’s expression lifted with expectancy. That only answered part of her question, and Luz clearly understood that she was waiting for a fuller response. The human twisted a little in place, weight shifting just so half her face was cast in light. Luz’s words were carefully chosen, and tinged with a subtle melancholy that weighed them down.

“I…didn’t mean for – it was an accident. I…didn’t know if I’d have time to explain myself, and I didn’t want you to be stuck wondering why I’d hung up right after I called you.”

Amity’s eyes dropped from the other's face, fixed instead on the longboard that was at her feet. 

“I felt so stupid after I blurted it out, but my phone died, so there was nothing I could do but wait. I’m really sorry, Amity.”

Amity couldn’t tell if Luz was being totally honest or not, but it was frustratingly moot, because both options were decidedly unpleasant. Both resonated within her as rejection, something Amity had grown sensitive to in all these years. 

“But…I am so glad I got to see you. It really has been too long.” And how genuine did Luz sound when she said that. It was tender, filled with a candor that was just as attritional on Amity’s heart as the half truths. Her hands that clutched the fabric of her shirt didn’t help offload her tumultuous emotions, it felt like there was nothing she could do other than feel the full force of it all. It shouldn’t feel this way, not after all this time.

Too bad it did. 

“...today has been a long day.” Amity found herself saying. It might’ve not been the kindest thing to say, but it was honest. With the day she had, Amity didn’t really have it in her to backtrack, and she had much more pressing things to worry about than her decaying friendship. Walking away felt like the only way to preserve the last of Amity’s sanity. 

“Wait, Amity.” Luz halted her before she could even move. “Why…are you in Gravesfield?” Despite the brusqueness being dealt her way, she was quick to forgive Amity’s attitude (she was always so understanding) and even hastier to attempt to cap off an uncomfortable interaction. Amity almost felt compelled to wave it off and walk away, but…well…Luz was brilliant at offering solutions. Whatever badness was going on between them, it paled in comparison to the urgency of Amity’s current plight. So (and she would tell herself over and over again that it was tactical) Amity postponed her absconsion. 

“I’m going to be in the human realm for a few months, carrying out some research for the University.”

Luz had that look in her eye, a spark of intrigue which contrasted her general crestfallen demeanor. “Oh...yeah. That makes sense. I heard about that. That’s super freaking cool. It looked like a nightmare of an application to get approved and sponsored.”

“It was a lengthy process to get selected. Between submitting something that constituted funding, finding peers that all had similar enough goals, painstakingly putting together every detail of the plan to be approved by the universities council? It was a massive headache, even with Willow, Gus, Hunter and I all helping each other out.” Amity offered, watching Luz relax as the ire shifted away from her. 

“Whoa. All I had to do to get a romp of a lifetime in a strange realm was chase an owl.” Luz replied, naturally coaxing the flames of conversation that had been damped by tension with humor. 

Amity shrugged. “What’s a few dozen sleepless nights in exchange for the pursuit of knowledge?”

“And going on a radical, life altering, coming of age road trip with a group of great friends.” Luz added, and Amity was sure to catch a lick of emotion in her words. Her logical side beat down any urge to investigate, as it was sure to prove fruitless. 

“I’m not with Gus, Willow and Hunter. Or Vee’s team. I am paired with another group.” A beat passed before Amity offered a correction. “Was…paired with another group. Due to unforeseeable circumstances, they flaked.” If Amity had been more emotionally regulated, she’d find it unfortunate how unfair she was being to her peers. Tonight though, at this very moment, everything felt like a personal attack against her. “As of right now…I’m not going anywhere.”

Luz mirrored the frown on Amity’s face at the news. “That’s really unfortunate, but there’s got to be a way to make this work.”

“And I’m determined to find it.” Amity replied, with a surprising amount of optimism considering how this whole encounter had gone. “I’ve spent so long planning this out, there’s so much I feel like I can get out of this, I want this more than anything. I just have to sit down and figure out how I can turn a trip that accounts for four people splitting funds and using a private car, into a cheaper one that uses…the…public big car.”

Luz’s brow furrowed. “What?” To match Amity’s tonal switch, Luz shifted from being gently sympathetic to confused. “You want to go alone?”

“It’s not like I have many other options?” 

“Going alone is not safe.” Luz persisted, and it felt patronizing to Amity . 

“I’ve been in plenty of dangerous situations befo–” 

“The danger we’ve bee–”

“I have been in dangerous situations.” Amity repeated in a haughty interjection.

“The danger you have been in,” Luz corrected with a hiss, steadily (but somehow suddenly) losing her patience with Amity. “is nothing like what you can run into here. It's quieter, less visible. You can’t blast people with magic, and you’ll be all alone, with no place to reliably stay and with limited resources–”

“I’m adaptable.”

“Amity, no. Why do you always think it's about yo…arghh!” Luz threw her arms up in exasperation. “What are you going to do if you get lost in the middle of nowhere, without any signal? You’re…people treat women…differently, in the human realm.” 

“Luz, I’m sure I can figure out how to make more signa–” 

“SEE? You don’t even know what I mean when I say signal! You don't know what a bus is, you wouldn't know if someone is ripping you off - Why don’t you go with the squad? I’m sure if you call Gus, you’d be able to make some arrangement to-” 

They were destined to keep talking over one another. Amity hadn’t even noticed that just as Luz wore her thin, she’d done the same to the human with her regrettable behavior. “I can’t go with them, Luz. They're going to be mainly visiting large cities. It would do very little for extracting data to back my thesis, which I’d promised to return for the university. It would be a waste of time to blow it on a vacat–”

“What?! Hanging around your closest friends would be a waste of your time? So, what, everything has to have quantifiable value to be worth something? There's no way you could make something of what you've experienced with people you love?” Amity can’t quite remember the last time Luz had sounded so…angry. She might’ve taken pause, to evaluate if she was being an active enough listener and absorbing what the human was saying, if not for the fact Luz’s stance here was utterly hypocritical.

“Oh, so now you’re going to lecture me about spending quality time with friends when you’ve been avoiding us for the last six months? This conversation wouldn’t be happening if you hadn't accidentally contacted me! Real easy to believe this all stems from concern when you've been too busy to even show your face around us!” Amity bit back, words concise and effective at targeting a low hanging fruit if Luz’s hurt expression had anything to say. The human just looked away, radiating shame, unable to fight back against that. It was something that softened Amity instantly, because…she didn’t want to cut at Luz’s weakest points to gain foothold. Amity had ignored her logical arguments to go after a tower that was easy to topple in order to be right. That was so painfully reminiscent of- 

Gah.

“Luz...I appreciate what you’re trying to get across but…I’m studying something vastly different from them, and people are expecting certain things from me. I’m seeking out to prove the demon realm and human realm are intrinsically connected beyond the singular Clawthorn portal, if there are other portals, or if there is dimensional merges that bridge the two worlds. The others…are…” Amity petered off when she took in Luz’s face. It morphed from moue to cautious intrigue. Luz was hatching an idea, born from the interest she took in what Amity had just said. 

"You're looking into how the two interact with one another?" Luz asked, voice significantly mellowed from their argument. 

"That...and...if we need to reconcile how we've affected your earth." Amity's ears drooped in the beanie that concealed them. Luz didn't immediately respond, letting her eyes shift fitfully around the park in thought. 

"Can you just hear me out on this Amity?" Luz question after a time, again demonstrating her quality of not letting resentment get in the way of bigger issues. Without this, Amity would've been halfway back to Masha's house with tears streaming down her face. Though it often proved frustrating for Luz to continually push past her own problems (and how that incidentally led her to avoiding others problems) it also made for someone who looked to find an understanding with people.  

And she found a third irrefutable law of nature. Luz Noceda tempered the qualities Amity liked the least about herself. 

So, Amity nodded, allowing for Luz to take the floor. 

“...I don’t want you to travel alone. Humans can be nasty pieces of work and love to take advantage of people who are out of their element.” Luz started, which was…bizarre to Amity. A generalization like that felt peculiar for Luz to be making. Unsettling. 

“But I know I cannot convince you to back down from something once you’ve set your mind to it. You have to produce results, and you’re willing to do whatever it takes. And…for what it’s worth, I think what you’re looking into is really important.”

There was so much unsaid between the two of them, things that were sticky and complicated and tense, but Luz had found a pretty convenient solution to her pickle. Something that could settle quite a few logistics in one fell swoop. An obvious answer, which Amity hadn’t even thought to consider. Luz had a car, human currency, was well versed in the culture of this land, and apparently knew why a signal was important. 

“I know we’ve got some issues, but it’s not the first time we’ve had some and managed to pull off some good things. So…”

Luz extended her hand to the witch, proffering an olive branch, which Amity stared at owlishly.

No way was this a good idea.

“Why don’t we work together? Let me...travel the country with you.”

Chapter Text

One Twenty Seven.

That’s what the digital display on Camila’s oven read. Allegedly, it was three minutes fast, but that mattered very little to Amity. Be it One Twenty Seven, or One Twenty Four - Luz dilatory packing speed left very much to be desired. Actually, it was her slow rising which was more of the culprit, but pressingly all Amity could focus on was the fact Luz was stumbling around upstairs trying to stuff as many pairs of mismatched socks into a duffle bag. They were supposed to be five hours on the road, as carefully outlined in the itinerary. Perhaps it was Amity’s mistake for assuming a lengthy trip like this could be spontaneously packed for but, again, perhaps Luz should’ve woken up a little earlier than noon.

Even Ghost and Stringbean had worn past the novelty of seeing each other again, now both tuckered out in an adorable serpent-feline (dare she say, serpine?) cuddle puddle on Camila’s lap. It also cemented her ex's mother in place on the couch, as no one with a working conscience could dare disturb the little angels. This at least gave Amity a task (that wasn’t indignantly huffing about punctuality) in the form of fetching her ex-girlfriend's mother some tea.

One Twenty Eight.

Amity forced her eyes away from the damnable clock and onto the kettle, hoping that she could will it to scream so that she may stop fixating on what she could not help. A part of her was bitter enough to waltz upstairs, call the whole thing off, and figure it out on her own. Surely she was savvy enough to manage the human realm by herself. She was Amity Blight, a genius engineer, instrumental in the reconstruction of the Boiling Isles - a mind so highly regarded, UoWM staked a heavy bet on her to return groundbreaking results. She could surely navigate this uncharted land solo and-

…oh. She’d forgotten to plug the kettle in.

Amity let out a weary sigh and remedied that.

“Is…everything alright in there?” Camila called out.

“Yes. Sorry, it’ll be a few more minutes before tea. It’s always an adjustment from abomination automation to human elec-tricty.” Amity replied as she shuffled back into the living room to rejoin the woman. They’d been passing the time in waiting for Luz to finish getting ready by idly chatting to catch up. And making breakfast. And lunch. Oh, and Camila stepped out for forty five minutes to run to the store.

“That’s a very witch-like learning curve.” The other commented, very clearly unbothered by the delay (tea and their departure). Amity reckoned it was equal parts being patient and enjoying having both hands free to shower the palismen with affection. “I’m sure it’ll wear off in a few days. You’ll be on the road, totally immersed in the rich culture and beauty earth can offer you.” Her statement was punctuated by a crash upstairs and a dismayed yowl from Luz.

“Do…you think she needs help up there?” Amity questioned.

“Ai, no. You know how Luz is.” Camila responded, gesturing for her to take a seat, which was obliged. “She’s already a little indecisive as is. Considering this was a sudden change of plans, she just needs some time to figure out what she needs. Having us up there will overwhelm her.”

Amity felt a strange sense of guilt deflate her shoulders. “...I’m assuming you guys were going to spend the summer together?” The other nodded, which drew the witch further in on herself. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get in between your mother-daughter time.”

To the witches' surprise, her apology elicited a good natured laugh from Camila. “It didn’t really sound like this was your idea.”

“Luz didn’t want me to travel alone.”

“Which I happened to agree with, by the way.”

Amity tangled her fingers together on her lap and turned her eyes onto a nearby plant. It was flourishing, well taken care of and emboldened by the summer. “Luz was sure to inform me of the quiet dangers lurking on earth.”

Camila regarded the two creatures in her laps, blissfully unaware of what was going on around them besides the generous helping of pets the human was bestowing onto them. “Safety wise, yes, it’s always better to travel with someone. But also, I think it might’ve felt lonely after a while, you know?”

Amity shifted her gaze back onto Camila, heedful of what wisdoms she was attempting to impart. She hadn’t considered that. Hours upon hours on the road, each night spent in total solitude without anyone to talk to save infrequent phone calls to her friends - it probably would’ve been an isolating feeling. So set on trying to salvage her studies, Amity neglected to account for the fact that she was a social creature.

“Plus, this’ll be good for Luz. Freshen her outlook on things.” Camila’s hands shifted over Stringbean with a tender touch, a care that was reserved for something unyieldingly precious. To Amity, those words were laced with an edge of concern. Any investigatory words, though, were melded into a startled squeak as a suitcase careened loudly down the stairs.

“Ack. That thing is heaaaavy.” Luz’s voice rang from above, followed by a chortle and her bounding down (though more gracefully) the same path her bag fell.

“What did you even pack that it’s so heavy?” Amity inquired after sharing a knowing look with Camila.

“Oh you know. Clothes, shoes, toiletries.” Luz counted off using her fingers. Amity wasn’t aware her countenance was so blatantly drawn in disbelief, because Luz squirmed a bit under her gaze. “Some…art supplies.”

“Art supplies?” Camila piped up, almost hopeful.

“Uh, yeah! Y’know. Out on the road, I’m bound to muster up some...inspiration.” Luz watched Amity as she stood up and approached the bag. With a roll of her wrist, Amity conjured an abomination from her gourd, which promptly (and easily) scooped up the luggage. “Okay, it’s not that heavy. I can totally carry it to my car.”

“No need.” Amity replied, twirling her hand again to direct the sludge creature to unceremoniously shove Luz’ belongings into its gut, which elicited a strangled sound from the human. “In preparation for this trip, I’ve engineered a storage abomination which offsets any weight or mass of object suspended inside of its medial compartment. It can also preserve human food for up to five days - I was short on time to optimize this functionally, but I have balanced the itinerary accordingly to provide adequate time to acquire fresh food.”

Normally, upon Amity’s diatribes, Luz had a look of giddy intrigue. She was an intelligent individual, always eager to learn and understand. At the moment, she appeared a little…

Agitated?

Though, her words hardly reflected her face. An effort was made to sound lighthearted and eager.

“That’s pretty nifty. You’ve really thought of everything, huh?”

Or maybe not? Amity wasn’t the greatest with tones, but that ‘huh’ was spat out and it rattled against her sternum. It was punctuated (and emphasized) by the scream of the kettle. To back her suspicion up, Camila cleared her throat and stood up (placing Stringbean upon Amity’s head and Ghost atop Luz’ shoulder, where they both gladly perched).

“OkayI’mgoingtocheckonthetea!” Camila spewed as she whizzed by, eager to escape the tension that had blossomed in the room.

Luz scratched the back of her neck, butting her knuckles against the cat. 

Amity, foolishly, persisted. “Is everything-?”

“Fine! It’s fine, aha.” Liz dismissed. “Er. I’m fine!! Sorry, still a little sleepy.”

Always quick to avoid conflict, always quick to bury her feelings. Amity had zero resolve to pull teeth, and had even less interest in self reflection to hypothesize what she might’ve done to elicit such a tangy response. Perhaps it was lingering animosity from last nights conversation, but Amity wouldn’t dwell.

She couldn’t.

—

But she did!

The two were on the road without a hitch. They packed up, said their goodbyes to Camila, and were about three hours southbound to their first destination. Luz had quickly shrugged off her irritation - Amity was driving herself up a wall replaying that ‘you thought of everything, huh?’ over and over and over. Was it something she said? Her attitude? Maybe Luz didn’t want to do this road trip? 

So…

Amity shifted in her seat and looked directly at Luz (who stiffened and clutched the wheel a little dearer). “You…uh, can change the song…if you’d like.”

“Luz.”

The human swallowed. “It’s a last minute playlist, so you won’t hurt my feelings if you wanna skip a son—“

“If this is going to work, you’re going to have to talk to me.” 

Luz went silent. The lack of smarmy remarks about ‘we are talking’ to deflect any discomfort was appreciated, but the lack of a response left a little to be desired. 

“Luz…”

“I know.” That got her. “I know you hate…not talking about things. You’re a chronic overthinker, and it’s hard to just…let things slide. It’s just…sometimes…hard for me to air things out. Because, y’know, what if it’s all in my head, or not worth getting into, or leads into something totally-“

Amity softened her eyes. Somehow, Luz felt it.

“I guess I’m an overthinker too, huh? Cauldron, meet beaker, or something like that.” Desperate for levity, Luz attempted to crack a joke. Which, endearing as it was to Amity, didn’t offset Luz’s troubling thoughts.

“You don’t have to keep things from me, Luz.” Amity wanted to kick herself from how feeble her voice was. Strained, brandishing her hurt blatantly.

The witch followed up after a few beats of quiet. “…my family has a penchant for letting things simmer. For a really long time, I felt like I couldn’t unveil a single grievance, so I held it in. I internalized it, and each little thing plagued my mind. It made me bitter…”

Luz tensed.

“But it also made me feel small,”

Luz deflated.

“And I don’t want you to ever feel small, Luz.”

Those words hung in the air, louder than the music drifting between them or the engine of the car.

“It’s hard to change.” Luz croaked out. “Old habits. Ways of thinking that are so deeply ingrained, it’s uncomfortable to unroot them.”

Amity’s hand twitched, desperate to reach out and comfort Luz. Though, the label of her being an ex made this a daunting task. “To unroot an entire unwanted tree is…a lot.” Amity settled on words. “But…if you start with the rhizomes, it’ll wilt, and be much more manageable to pull out.”

Luz blew out a gust of air. “Willow taught you that, huh?”

“Actually, I’ve taken a course or two on botany.”

“O’lala.”

Amity let herself smile. “I also learned it’s easier to dig up a garden with another person helping.”

“Okay, well that just seems like a common sense thing.” Luz pointedly replied.

“You would think, wouldn’t you?” Amity leaned back into her seat, still regarding the driver with an expectant look.

“Okay…okay.” The human took a deep breath, as if she was about to leap off a cliff. “…I…wasn’t crazy…about you touching my stuff without asking me…and letting your abomination shove it all in its stomach.”

Baby steps. Rhizome by rhizome.