Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It is day two since they had arrived.

Vee remained in her disguise as Luz and kept away from the new arrivals, watching them from the rims of the walls of each room. Observing them in silent admiration.

They all seemed like such good friends. They were Luz’ real friends. This whole time, Vee had posed as Luz and made friends with her face. Although Vee liked Luz, she was grateful for her generosity of lending her a face, she was also envious.

Vee liked being Luz. Not because it was Luz, it could have been anybody. It just so happened that Luz was the one that lent her a life. A life where she wasn’t Vee the basilisk, Vee the victim.

The first day and night had been a lot for all of them and Vee had been too busy helping Camila make temporary beds in Luz's bedroom to really take in who they all were.

Too busy to notice the Golden guard.

On the second day she could scent something. A strong scent of something, something similar to her- no, well, almost. Selkiedomus? Palistromwood? Stonesleeper? The palistromwood she figured must be from the palismen. Maybe it was because they were many and so close together in the house? Vee wasn't entirely sure but had sniffed out that there was for sure something else there too.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Gus’ little smile in her direction. Vee’s impression of him was that he was an easy-going guy, and around her own age. She thought perhaps he and her would make quick friends and happily returned his smile with one of her own.

There had been no time to properly introduce each other yet. They had arrived yesterday night, the morning was full of toast and orange juice. It was only now they could actually say hello. And Vee had looked forward to it.

"I didn't know Luz had a twin sister. Vee, wasn't it?" Gus extended a friendly hand to her and she shook it awkwardly. It wasn't this boy who smelled so strangely.

"Um.. I'm not her sister, not really." Vee stroked her hair, making sure it didn’t poof her ears out like it would do sometimes when she was nervous.

"Oh?" Gus tilted his head at her. Luz had assured her that they were all friends and trustworthy. And she did trust Luz... But before she could explain it to him, she saw him. The Golden guard.

Memories of him staring into her cage flashed before her eyes. How could she ever forget red eyes like that, starting blankly at her into the dark of her prison.

And now he saw her too. In flashes, she saw him as who he truly was - the boy on the other side of the bars, who often came down with his uncle to keep him company.

Vee backed up. "Y-You!"

Hunter raised his eyebrows at her from where he stood by the kitchen counter. He had never met her before, to his knowledge anyway.

"What's the matter Vee?" Luz asks from where she sat by the table. Vee leaped behind Luz, grabbing hold of her arm like the handle of a shield. "Woah-Wowah!"

"Th-That's the Golden guard! That's- That's him! He's a bad guy!"

"Oh! No, that's Hunter- I mean, yes, he's the- was the Golden guard." Luz explains in a soothing voice but it did not help Vee.

Hunter’s expression changed into something tense. Gus looked over at him from across the room, but couldn’t offer any support from where he stood.

"He works for Belos!" Vee's voice cracks with fear as she whimpers.

Hunter holds his hands up. "I am-"

"Get out of this house!" Vee hisses, but only sounds scared and willing to fight him if she had to. Hunter lowered his hands. He was not going to fight her and he was sorry to see the state he put her in with his presence alone.

Willow gets between Hunter and the basilisk. "Easy! Hunter is a friend. He doesn't work for Belos-"

"Is that what he told you?!" Vee could feel the panic raise to levels beyond her stability.

She morphed, desperately clinging onto her doppelganger form. Her face distorts and she hisses over Luz' shoulder at him.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Gus gasp and step away from her.

Did they not know she was a basilisk? Had Luz not told them? Oh no, was he scared of her now? Vee didn’t want to scare anybody.

Camila comes into the room with urgency at all the sounds of panic, gesturing her hands for everyone to calm down. She comes to Vee, who quickly slithers into Camila's arms to hide and sniffle.

"Camila he's bad! He's from the castle!" She cries. She was finally safe, away from the castle and it's prison. This was her sanctuary, her safe space, her refuge... And now he was here too.

Camila turns to look at Hunter, who freezes with fear.

"No! Mama! Wait wait wait! Hunter is not a bad guy." Luz gets between her mom and her friends. "Lets.. Lets all just calm down alright? Hunter is a friend Vee, he wouldn't hurt you."

Vee scrunches her face together in anger. "How can you say that?! Do you know what he's done?! I have seen him walk down to our prisons with Belos!"

Luz was taken aback.

But Hunter found his voice: "Do you think I wanted to? I did not have a choice. My uncle- I was desperate to appease him."

"Oh, how awful for you Golden guard!" Vee spits. "Just like how we didn't have a choice either, you mean?! Locked up, used for his experiments! I know he made you fetch us when we escaped! You lead the scouts on the hunts!"

Hunter looks away with discomfort. "I'm sorry."

"Oh you are sorry?! Sorry?!" Vee trembles with anger as the tears burn her eyes. "I bet you are! You villain!"

"Vee.." Camila hugs her and Vee turns her contorted angry face in at Camila.

Camila brushed Vee’s blueish-blonde hair and hushed her.

The room fell quiet and Vee became painfully aware of how loud her sniffles had become.

"I-I can't be here." She sniffles and manages to get back into her doppelganger form, stroking tears from her eyes, Vee leaves the kitchen.

Hunter watches her run away into the dark hallway and up the stairs. He looks down at his hand resting on the counter, not meeting the looks his comrades were giving him.

Camila says something to Luz before following Vee to comfort her.

Luz places a hand on his shoulder. ”She’ll come around.”

“Yeah.” Says Gus and Willow, giving him smiles and assuring nods. But Hunter remains silent and contemplating.

Amity looks towards the stairs Camila climbed up too, wondering if this sort of thing was even forgivable.

Vee was told they split the group into two, for sleeping.

Hunter had offered to sleep elsewhere, to give Vee the space for safety that she desired, away from him.

Vee was disappointed to hear that Gus had decided to join him in the basement. He had seemed like just the type of person she’d have an easy time becoming friends with and now her quick way into the new friend group was none. There was Luz, of course, but she felt a little awkward around her. Having pretended to be her and all.

Vee breathed out.

She was grateful to have a room where she would not have to accidentally bump into Hunter.

Now, Luz' room was the girls' room. Vee never had this before. At least not as herself. At camp she had friends and freedom for the first time in her life. But that was as Luz. Everything was easier as Luz. Luz wasn't afraid of Hunter, he was her friend. As Vee, Hunter was someone who reminded of her captor and abuser.

The memory of Hunter briefly looking into her cell flashes before her mind's eye again. His red eyes absently staring at her in the dark before Belos calls for him, like he wasn't seeing her; just some beast in a cage. Each time it flashed, the memory of him became clearer and scarier. The strange expression he held as he gazed at her. It wasn’t disgust, perhaps curiosity. Morbid? She couldn’t tell.

"Thanks." Vee said the first night it was just them girls in one room. "For, y'know, splitting up like this. I was asking Camila if I could sleep with her in her bed but... I did want to be with all of you, too."

"Aw, it's okay Vee. We get it. This is really hard for you." Luz stroked her arm to comfort and Vee smiled into the pillow she hugged.

"But it was Hunter's idea to split up." Amity added, hoping to give Hunter some good credit, but Vee furrowed her brows. "I think you should know he feels terrible. I understand he has done bad things in the past, and none of us are asking you to forgive him."

"Sounds like there's a but in there somewhere.." Vee muttered.

Amity smiles gently. "But.." She says and Vee hugs her pillow tighter as Luz rests an arm around her. "He doesn't want to be the person you remember him being. I have been a bad person too, and I am trying hard to change. People can change, if you give them a chance to."

Amity eyed Willow, who half-smiled at her.

"I was a bad friend to Willow, I bullied her. I was very mean to Luz, too."

"That's a bit different than assisting in imprisonment." Vee huffs. “Besides, I don’t owe him any chances of anything.”

Amity turns to Luz helplessly. Vee had a point.

"Ah, Vee, that's true but forgiveness is part of healing! Or you'll never move on." Luz tried and Vee shrugged her arm off.

"Luz, you're a good person. And your mom has really helped me a lot. But you do not get a place to talk to me about forgiveness or moving on. Not about this. He hadn’t even told you! I bet he didn’t even remember until now. My pain wasn’t even worth remembering!"

Luz' shoulders sloped. "No, of course, I just- I just don't know what else to say to fix this. I know he's not a bad person and I know you are hurting."

"Maybe it's not your place to give advice then?" Vee returned.

The cheery mood went cold. Vee cursed inwardly and turned down to face her lap. Her claws had come out and her ears hung down sadly. She was messing things up already, this was her one chance of making friends as her true self, as Vee the basilisk. And it wouldn’t work out because everyone were in defence of a boy who supported Belos.

Luz sucked in her lip. "Right. Yes, you're right. Sorry."

"I know you're just trying to help Luz, but please don't, I don't want it... I just wanted to-“ She looks up at the girls, who is watching her with pitiful eyes. “I'm going to bed."

And Vee climbed up the bunkbed to her own space. Her nest. Her safety.

Vee was not being able to hear what the whispers of the other girls was. She didn't care! Whatever, let them whisper.

She fell asleep, pressing the pillow over her head.

Vee was surprised that the girls still wanted to include her the next morning. As though her spat last night hadn't turned them off from making her a part of the group. Which was a relief! She had been worried they would be mad at her or something. But things were fine. Breakfast was- Fine… She couldn’t eat with Hunter there so she made excuses to eat later when he sat down with Gus.

"I have to get ready for school."

Camila gave her a knowing look but allowed her the excuse.

Gus was more difficult, he was always by Hunter's side. She felt bad for causing the split like this between them all - the girls were making effort to include her, and the boys were doing their own thing (often in another room).

When they all were in the same room, though, building a portal door was the hot topic.
 
Vee mainly followed with Camila on errands or went to school in Luz' place on the third, fourth and fifth day - trying to give the group of friends a space to get together without her, since she was always the reason they split apart in the house. She couldn’t stand avoiding them the whole morning and Hunter seemed to be awkward about the whole thing too. He lined himself up by the wall or wherever was furthest from her. But she always felt his eyes peering at her, and when she turned to watch him she could catch his eyes dart down or away.

She hated that he was there.

But she also hated school now.

School.

How long would she get to stay in school? Until the summer break. After that Luz would pick things back up again. Camila had told Vee she could enrol as her own person with Luz, after the spring break coming soon, if she wished to.

Camila was the best.

Vee wasn't sure how to be somebody different. She had made friends with people as Luz. It was going to be difficult making friends with them again from scratch. But perhaps this was just the life of a refugee? On the move, not having a proper background, starting over and over.

And even if she did manage to build a new life with a new face, the friends she made could never know she was a basilisk. The whole situation with Jacob Hopkins taught her what humans did to (what humans would call;) mythical beasts. The supernatural creatures. Beings from the demon realm.

Vee had spent time reading books and watching movies. She learned what funny ideas humans had about the topic. The movie that stuck out the most to her was E.T. And it became the staple of reference to what the consequences of being discovered was. If you had see E.T, you had seen them all. They followed a pattern of behaviour: Capture, imprison, experiment… Humans liked to take things apart and learn that way.

Strangely, she got really into horror movies. The monsters there were, yes, feared. But they were in control. They were the strong ones. Maybe it wasn’t the best representation for her to view as role models (given they’re often killers and villains) but they still provided her with a sense of belonging in the human realm.

And it gave her inspiration on how to defend herself, visually, should she ever need to.

She could smell him before she saw him. The palistrom wood in particular was strong, and she frowned at the scent of him like a smoker standing too close.

Vee was taking out the dishes from the dishwasher when Hunter came into the kitchen.

”Um.” Said Hunter upon seeing her, but she had the feeling he knew she was there. Alone. “Hello.”

She stared at Hunter. Before, she would always leave the room when seeing him entering and she was on her own, but this time he looked so- not pathetic. Apologetic... Apprehensive, she looked him up and down. He wasn’t there for anything, so he must be there for her.

Vee couldn't place why he smelled. For all she knew, he had showered and changed clothes. But the faint scent was still there. It was a good thing it was. She could always smell his presence that way and hide if she needed to.

Camila and Luz had assured her that Hunter couldn't touch her or harm her. If he did, they'd take care of it. They promised.

And this first week and a weekend, she had noticed Hunter trying to make himself smaller and passive when she was around. She thought maybe it was a ploy, but when she found courage to challenge his gaze he would dart his eyes down to the floor in shame. Which... She wasn't sure what to think of.

But they had promised, and despite her better judgement she was curious of what he wanted. And you got to keep promises, or your word means nothing. At least to Vee.

He just stood there, waiting to be spoken to or told to leave.

"What do you want?" She asks brashly, turning back to the dishes.

Hunter raises his hands and gapes a few times before finding his words. "What can I do to make things right?"

"Nothing."

Hunter lowers his hands. "Okay. I understand."

She throws a glare at him and closes the dishwasher lid.

"For what it is worth, I am sorry. And I am not asking you to forgive me."

"Good. Because I wont."

Hunter nods, he inhales and tries to stand a little straighter. She cautiously watches him, but realises he's just trying to gather courage.

It annoyed her that he did it the same way she did. Breathing in.. 

"I will be better than the person I was." Hunter says as firm as he can and finally dares to hold her gaze back. "I don't want to be the Golden guard. That person-"

"You." She quickly corrects. "That person was you."

"You're right. I'm just ashamed that it was."

"You should be."

It felt good, it did. She knew someone like Luz would take the moral high ground and be graceful, not take pleasure in watching him squirm. But unlike Luz, Vee was deeply wounded and traumatised by Belos, and Hunter had assisted. Part of her did know that Hunter probably wasn't as bad as she had thought he was, but she was angry at him! And she couldn't punish Belos, he was dead now. And she needed to- to- Augh!

It was petty, perhaps.. But she was hurting and Hunter was right there. She had a right to be upset, angry, spiteful and downright vicious if she so pleased.

And for some reason Hunter was allowing her to be rude and mean to him. He could easily take her down, sure it would have consequences but... She knew he was smart and strong. Yet, there he stood, letting her bare fangs and claws at him. Like he knew she needed it. Like he knew he could handle her anger. Vee resented him for his kindness.

Hunter nodded, no longer meeting her eyes. Vee shrugged and growled. She almost wished he was a bad person. That he was going to smirk all evil at her at any point now and show her that he was just manipulating everyone to think he was a good person.

But he didn't.

He was just some... Scrawny awkward boy.

"Well... I have said my piece. I will leave you be now. If there is something I can do for you, let me know."

"...Right."

"May I call you Vee?"

"Yes? Of course, that's my name. What else would you call me? Number five?"

"No! No, I just... Wasn't sure I had earned addressing you by name yet."

Vee shrugged. "It's just a name."

Hunter shook his head. "Not to me. It matters to me."

Vee blinks at him. Uncertain what he meant but still understanding that he was trying to show respect to her.

He bowed to her like she was a gentry lady and left the kitchen. Leaving her confused with a lot to think about.

Usually Vee would eat elsewhere, before or after everyone else. She didn't want to eat with Hunter present.

But... Tonight she would. At Dinner she remained by the table and nobody made a comment about it, but she did see them smile at one another. And Hunter's sigh of relief didn't escape her either.

They were talking about exploring a bit past the front yard tomorrow. Luz wanted her to join. If Luz, Amity and Willow was with, she didn't mind it. She would have to get used to Hunter being a thing in the house now anyway - and he wasn’t doing anything to her, he barely spoke when she was around. Maybe it was manageable?

And she didn't want his presence to disrupt her peace any more than it already had, so she would have to grow a resilience to his red eyes watching her from whatever corner he had slunk into.

She was not going to be chained by fear any longer. She didn’t want to be afraid of that skrunkly boy. So what if he stares? So what if he’s there?! He wasn’t even doing anything! And he’s not Belos! He just reminds her of him! She was not going to be afraid. No! She was strong!

Besides, Hunter seemed to understand something in her that she couldn't verbalise and maybe that’s why he let her be so hissy at him. Not that she'd ever tell anyone that.

But part of her appreciated it.

Vee had stayed up with Camila for a bit. "You alright Vee?"

"Yeah.. Yeah, I just... Yeah I am."

She hugged her. "You're very strong." She reminded her and Vee leaned into the hug.

"I want to hate him." Vee said.

"I know."

"Do you think he's a bad person?"

Camila sighs. "No... I don't think so. But I don't know him very well. I have only.. Hmm.. Amity is the one I have spoken to the most, as of yet. It has only been seven days."

"Mh.." Vee transforms into her basilisk form.

"Ah, have you thought about what you want to look like after summer? Or.. During?" Camila nudges her.

Vee smiles. "Yeah, but I can't decide." It made her anxious to think about who she was outside the safety of looking like Luz.

If she wasn't Luz, she was just a victim basilisk refuge. She didn't want to be that. She didn't want that to be all of who she was.

"That's alright. Take your time. We can always enrol you late, too."

"Thank you Camila."

Camila smiles and hugs her again. "Go to bed. I will clean up here."

And Vee leaves.

In the hallway she smells him. She hides and watches as Hunter walks alone. Vee frowns. What is he doing up? Maybe restroom? But he passes it by. Besides, there's one in the basement.

She follows behind him, watches as he goes to the kitchen- to Camila.

"Oh- hello Hunter."

"Hello."

"Did you need something?"

Vee lingers out of sight. If he hurt Camila she would end him where he stood.

Hunter is quiet.

"Well?" Camila prompts as nicely as she could muster but Hunter looks a little frightened of her anyway.

"I um- I just wanted to know if there's anything I can do to help out more?"

"Oh, no, it's alright. I wouldn't feel right having you do more chores than anybody else."

"I'm the oldest." Hunter says, daring to steel his eyes into her, like she's a queen and he's a knight. "And tomorrow.. Everyone are excited to explore. Especially Gus. I know there are chores to do, I was thinking I could take on theirs so they can spend more time outside and have fun."

Hunter pauses, fidgeting where he stood.

"And.. Vee. I know she avoids hanging out with the whole group because of me. I don't think that's fair, so... I thought.. I can keep busy tomorrow, give her a chance to be with all of them. I can come along another time."

Camila tilts her head and takes a seat by the table. Hunter remains standing until she gestures for him to sit too. Luz had told her Hunter was a child soldier but it both unnerved her and broke her heart how he tensed up around her.

"Hunter, Vee should get a chance to see that you're not a danger to her, if you tag along she can see you in a different context. And, you know, she already agreed to come along - even with you there."

But Hunter is disappointed to hear it. He wanted to give Vee space.

"Also, Hunter: The chores I gave you kids were not.. orders. They were just-" She tries to think of something but lands on simplicity. "Responsibilities. I only asked you pick up after yourselves and don't leave wet towels in the bathroom, that you put the dirty laundry in the basket. They’re hardly even appointed chores, just-"

"If you show me where the river is, or the washing basin, I can do the laundry!"

Camila grimaced. River??
"No, um.. That’s nice of you but with so many girls in the house.."

"Huh?"

"There are- Never mind. Thank you for offering, but I can do it. Just collect your own laundry in the basket. I can show you how to use the washing machine sometime, but you kids have only been here for seven days now, I think?" Camila tries to give Hunter a reassuring smile but the boy isn’t looking at her. Her smile falls sadly. “Luz told me what happened, I am still catching up on all the details but-“

"I can clean the floors. Or the windows! I can sort your books, or I can-"

"It's quite alright." She says softly and Hunter’s expression strains, like it made him nervous to not know his place in the house.

Hunter, distressed, tried to find ways to argue without arguing or upsetting the authority figure.

"I.. I understand. But I would like for you to give me the responsibility, before the others, if there is anything that comes up. I want them to have fun. They have lost a lot. As you mentioned; they need the break. Even if the chores aren't particularly heavy, I would like it if you gave them to me. And me alone, so if something isn't to your standard you can punish me, not them. Please."

"Punishment? No- There's no punishment. And, sweetheart, you lost a lot too, Hunter."

"No." Hunter says quickly, looking down. "No I... I didn't lose as much as they have."

Vee blinks and makes herself known to them both. "You lost your uncle, right?"

Hunter immediately stands on alert, facing her. Arms down to his sides like a soldier. When he saw it was her, he also lowered his head.

"I did." He says quietly, Vee's piercing eyes were asking him to be honest, she wanted to know if there was a part of him that still felt loyal to Belos. A lump formed in Hunter's throat as he looked down at the carpet. "He was the only family I had but he wasn't a good person. I loved him, but I also.. feared him. And I know it's not an excuse for how you were treated. By me. By him." Hunter swallows down the lump as best he can. "I mourn him. But I am glad he's gone, too."

Vee's heart sinks and Hunter looks up to check if what he's said was hurtful or not.

She was crossing her arms and looking out the kitchen window. He couldn't detect any disbelief.

Hunter breathes out and bounces his fist at his hip as the silence continued.

Camila stands to reach out to him but he flinches away a the sudden hand, gestures it's alright when she looks shocked at his reaction and smiles politely.

"Vee. I will never be able to forgive myself for how much I wanted his approval - at the cost of myself, of others, of you. I don't want to be forgiven and forget it. If you hate me for my past, that's alright, I hate it too. I'm not trying to be a martyr about this either I'm just... You get to be angry with me. Even if I am not who I used to be anymore. Because I understand. You are allowed to feel-" He sighs. "I'm not going to stand here and pretend I know exactly how you feel, but I do get it to some degree."

Vee breathes out through her nose. With her breath leaves the weight in her stomach.

"I don't know what to feel about you Golden guard, I don't think you are a bad person but I don't... You're not safe. And this house is my safe space- you're ruining it."

"I understand, I'm sorry for it." And a thought pops into his mind. Whenever Belos was upset with him, he'd punch something - sometimes Hunter if he was too close. "If you need or want to punch me, you can do that! I can take it."

"I'm sure you could." She scoffs with a hint of annoyance that it was probably correct, he could take it. She whiffed a scent of the palistromwood air around him.

"No punching!" Camila butts in.

"Right." Hunter sighs.

It would be so much easier if Vee would just punch him, get it out of her system. Maybe she was a bit like Willow? A physical person. Punch something, feel better! Though Hunter had never seen Willow punch a person out of anger, but he could imagine it.
Somewhere in him he knew punching people was bad, but he was just so used to fighting (And Belos moods) that it felt normal to him. In retrospect... He knew that wasn't a good thing. Hunter just never had a break long enough to ponder on just how messed up his sense of normalcy was. And truth be told - he wasn’t ready to reflect on his life just yet.

Vee sees Hunter's disappointment. She didn't want to hurt him, it made her uneasy. Vee was relieved that she felt unease about that. She did not want to become like the prison guards, punching at someone who couldn't or wouldn't fight back.
That was not strength.

And Vee wanted to be someone strong. She wanted her reflection to be somebody confident enough to not turn to violence.

Vee looked Hunter up and down. She still wanted to take him up on his offer in some way though. Just not in a way that actually hurt him.

"You can do the laundry I was gonna do later.." Vee looks at Camila. Vee didn’t really have any chores, she had just taken it upon herself to do laundry and dishes after she came home from school as a gesture of appreciation to Camila - Vee didn’t feel like Camila should do any cleaning, with all the labour she does for her and everyone else (she was the breadwinner and stand-in parental figure for everyone, that was tough!).

Vee figured she could tell Hunter to do those things while she was in school.

Hunter turns to Camila quickly, relieved Vee gave him a chance to reconcile. "May I?"

Camila gapes a few times before reluctantly agreeing. "Sure- but it's laundry. The girls- Oh well, never mind then. If you are so determined I suppose so..." Everything Camila said earlier had to be shelfed for another day, then. Hunter was determined to make Vee feel safe with him in the house, and if letting her bully him did that- Was it bullying? She did not condone it one bit.

But in Hunter's eyes she could see something that begged. 'Please. Let me help her.'

"I will do laundry." Hunter says politely and affirmatively.

Vee scoffs. "Good luck."

Hunter huffs. "I've done laundry before."

"Not like a human."

Hunter knits his brows and tilts his head. Vee just grins, she would show Hunter how to do laundry and she was delighted in imagining him being compromised with the girls' clothes.

The next morning, Hunter did not feel compromised. He didn't even bat an eye at underwear. It was all fabric to him and the washing machine wasn't too difficult for him. Which disappointed her.

Gus was very excited about the machine and was peering in at it from under Hunter's arm and snug past them both to touch it as it rumbled.

Gus had more sense about the whole underwear situation. He did not want to see or touch any dirty lundry other than his own. "It feels invasive."

"How so?" Hunter asked.

"'Cus it's- y'know.. Intimate!"

Hunter tilted his head, confused. "It's just clothes. They have to be cleaned."

Gus scoffed and nudged his arm. "This is one of those times I told you about, where you're a little off the social mark."

"Oh." Hunter sloped.

"It's not a bad thing. It's good you aren't bothered. Others would've been bothered. But it's good you're not!" He slaps Hunter on the back, grinning.

"Oh!" Hunter smiles. "Oh alright then." He turns to Vee in her Luz' form and smiles. "I got this. You go have fun. Unless there's anything else I must know?"

Vee shakes her head. "No. I showed you were the laundry lines are. When it's done, press this button and it pops the lid open, take them out into the basket and hang up the big stuff, the clothes goes in the drier, the instructions are on the wall."

"Got it." Hunter salutes, happy Vee is talking to him now.

Hunter takes a seat on a stool to stare at the laundry spinning around.

Gus watches for a bit too.

"So... Hunter you're coming?" Gus asks.

"Mh? No. Chores must be done."

"You can wait dealing with it, right? It's an hour until it finishes. And Camila said we don't have to do all the chores right away."

"But if I do all the chores today, we have more time after." Hunter smiles at them both. "I can come along another day. You go have fun at the park."

Gus pouts. "Alright..." He could tell this was just an excuse for.. something.

Vee feels a pang of guilt as she watches Hunter sit on the green plastic stool, staring into the swirling machine. He dutifully remains by his post and would be there until it was ready to take out.
The thought comes to her that this is what he does, that it is what he’s always done: What he is told.

Hunter’s red eyes shone in the dark as he turned, only for a moment, into her cell.

Vee held her breath and shrunk into the furthest shadows of her little space to hide from him.

He didn’t poke her with his staff, he didn’t smirk or sneer. Just watched with something of a 'glad that’s not me' in his eyes.

Belos called for him and he quickly snapped away towards his uncle, catching up to him just in time for a basilisk to shriek out that they would kill them all.

"Don't bother with those vile, soulless, creatures, Hunter."

"Yes uncle."

Vee had closed her eyes and hid under her hands as best she could. One day all of this would be gone, she would escape.

She would never have to see any of this ever again.

She lingers on the stairs as Gus gets upstairs.

She thinks to herself that Hunter looks so tired and worn. Despite his figure being stiff and just as she remembered his soldier composure to be, he smiled softly at the tumbling water, like he was as worn out as the socks in the machine. 

Vee follows Gus upstairs, returning once again into her Luz' shape when she sees herself in the hallway mirror. Her ears were puffing out. 

She was wasting magic energy on staying transformed, but she was worried they wouldn't approach her if she didn't look like them, like Luz. She wanted them to like her, despite herself she clung to her doppelganger form as Luz' twin sister. They liked Luz, after all. Maybe if she had her likeness, they would like her too.

She remembers Gus' fear the second night, when she had yelled at Hunter. His fear and surprise.

At least now they knew.

Camila was at her job, the others were at the park. He could do this. He had decided that one chore was to vacuum the floors in the kitchen, it got dirty quickly with all the cooking that had to be done now and Hunter thought to himself that Camila shouldn’t have to deal with a messy home. The least he could do as thanks was keep things tidy for her.

Camila wasn't very good at telling them what to do. But that was okay! Hunter could tell himself what to do in her place! He was good at figuring out what Belos needed by being as observant as a hare in a fox pit. If you wanted to not get hit or in the crossfire of the emperors' bad mood, you just had to be vigilant and thread carefully. With trial and error, you would learn the patterns; just as you learned which floorboards creaked the loudest. And if you did something wrong, of course you got punished. You messed up!

Hunter had no clue what Camila was really like. But she was a mom, so that was probably.... Similar? Maybe?

Authority! Anyway. Great! He could do this.

He could show Camila he was useful and reliable, so that if anyone else did something bad he could take the heat off them. And maybe then he could earn Vee's trust, too.

Hunter was planning out a schedule in his head on how to do all the chores before anyone else had a chance to. Not to steal the spotlight, he fully intended to share credit if Camila asked.

It was about earning his place.
 
Flapjack chirped and seated upon Hunter's shoulder. "Yeah," Hunter replies. "I'm good."

The other palismen decided to follow him around too. Which Hunter was surprised by, but he did not hate the company.
Palismen were easier than people, and unbeknownst to him he could do something nobody else could - he had the ability to speak with all palismen, not just his own. He thought everyone could.

He had seen where Camila had kept the cleaning supply, he had seen Vee and the girls use them before. His duties today as the laundry was washing was to vacuum. He had never used it before but had seen them press a button to make it go. It did not start when he pressed the button. He scratched his head and tried to vacuum without any suction. It didn’t work. He was worried he had broken it and put it back as he found it, taking out the broom instead.

Hunter had yet to learn about plugging things into the wall.

Then he cleaned the surfaces around the house, even shelves.

When the laundry was done and he hung that up. The clothes he folded into neat piles, he wasn’t sure which clothes went to whom but most were Luz’ anyway so to Luz’ room they went.

While he was in the bedrooms delivering clothes, he made the beds too, but avoided Vee's bed as it just didn't feel right to touch her sacred space. He did not even peer in on it, worried she might be able to tell somehow.

As he exited the girls’ bedroom he turned to his left to see Camilas office.

Deja vu shrouded him as he remembered the rare occasions Belos’ office was left open and he could sneak in to look around. He wasn’t even snooping (much), he just wanted to be in that big office his uncle sent so much of his time in. He had only been caught once and paid for it with a chipped ear as Belos struck out a needle of goop as Hunter had run out of the office to hide somewhere. Only coming out after Belos’ soothing voice promised not to hurt him again and was let go with a stern warning and washing the big entrance with a tiny scrub.

Camila wasn’t a bad person. She was a lot like Luz.

The palismen all gathered by him. “Maybe she has some useful books in there…”

He then entered Camila's office.

"It's alright guys I'm not going to pry or anything."

Hunter assures the palismen when they buzzed, meowed and meeped at him.

“I’m not snooping. I won’t touch anything! Maybe I could just… Get to know who she is. If I know what Mrs.Noceda likes, I could do a better job helping out.”

The palismen argued but he rolled his eyes, what did they know? They didn’t have parents. Parents had to be appeased or you wouldn’t get the benefits of- of…. Good things!

The office was a mess. He did not touch anything that looked important. He only tidied it up so it wasn't as messy. He used to do it all the time for Belos. Wherever he looked, he could see beast of the human realm in little photos. He had only seen photos in the context of pulling memories out of someone and wondered if these were memories or something different. The photos did not have the texture or feel to it that memory-photos did.

There were also an immense amount of photos of Luz. Hunter smiled at them fondly.

”Maybe she’s always been like this, huh?”

Hunter spots the palisman egg under a warm light. He smiles at it too.

”You’re in luck, you know. Luz is pretty great. If yooouuu like annoying and kind people, then she’s going to be right up your alley.”

He could have sworn he heard the egg hum back at him in reply and he only chuckled back at it, shaking his head.

Hunter turned towards where the other palismen were. The computer screen had a mesmerising square that moved across the screen and kept missing the corners. The palismen watched it as Hunter moved around the room. Now and then he heard them groan in unison at the square missing a perfect corner fill.  

A book about kids being different neurologically lay on Camila’s desk. Hunter flipped through it just a little, reading a few pages before he caught himself snooping and patted his cheeks to make himself stop. He turned around and came face to face with a family photo.

Manny, Luz' dad, stared back at him with a kind smile.

Hunter greeted it politely with a nod. "Hello sir." He said. "Um.. Your daughter is a good person. She's very kind. I'm happy I met her." He had nothing else to say to the man. But he was grateful and hoped that the memor- er, photo, could hear him somehow.

Hunter left the office and went to the basement to take out the rest of the laundry in the drier, hanging them up to dry on the rows of lines in the basement.

After cleaning everything he huffed out and took a break on the upstairs couch.

Flapjack found his way onto his chest and Hunter promised to only close his eyes. But fell asleep nearly right away.

And the other palismen gathered up onto his body, snuggling as his stonesleeper lungs became a furnace of comfort for them. He scented like home, a forest from long ago.

The park was a small playground two blocks from the Noceda residency. Gus was having the most fun. He was over the moon delighted about the concept of a playground, things that was just standing in an area for the sole purpose and intent to entertain you - for free! The swings and anything that spun around was his favourite things.

Back in the demon realm, playgrounds were meant for kids to have a safe place to practice avoiding the horrors of the Boiling Isles. A slide was made out of fangs and a tongue, so you could play pretend on how to avoid getting eaten.
But here?

Here you just slid down for the purpose of fun itself. 

Luz and Vee sat on-top of the monkey bars as Amity and Willow spun Gus around as fast as they could on a merry go round.

"So.. How are ya Vee? My twinsie!" Luz came shoulder to shoulder with her twin.

"Oh! Uh, good?"

"Yeah? Mom told me this morning Hunter is taking your chores. I didn’t even know you had them."

Vee hugged her knees. "He asked to do the laundry."

"I know.. But you can't punish him forever."

“It’s not punishment.” Vee turned to her sharply. "You just don't get it."

"I-I'm just saying... Don't bully him."

"Luz. I don't hate Hunter, I'm not bullying him. I just- He- You know he gets it better than you. So maybe-" She sighs. "I'm sorry, I know I'm being a jerk to him.. I just cant help it.."

"You're not a jerk!" Luz backpaddles.

"I am. Luz.. I can be two things at once, just as he can be. I am being a jerk, and I am traumatized. He can be someone I fear and he can also be.. a nice person. Now, anyway. Now he is."

But Luz, who grew up with evil vs good in the books of Azura and all kinds of media, it was difficult not to trip into good/bad thinking - that you were either good or you were bad.. Luz knew Vee was right about things being grey and not black-and-white. There are always layers to situations like this.

But Luz still struggled with the layers. Especially since she thought of herself as someone who had done something bad, and who should be punished or hated for it. Maybe she was just projecting onto Hunter? Maybe Vee was right, maybe she should bully him- No! No it wasn’t the same thing! Not to Luz. It was just different if it was somebody else.
 
She just wanted to be able to fix everything, to make everyone be friends. Everyone was a good person, to her. And she cared about them! She did not want anyone to be angry or afraid of anybody else.

She couldn't fix this.

But she felt responsible to be the one to figure this out anyway, somehow. She needed the help of the others.

Vee did not see how much her fear for Hunter affected him. But she did also not know what Hunter had been through. But it didn't matter, they were two sides of a coin. And the coin was Belos.

“Right, I won’t bother you about it anymore Vee. Just… Let me know how things are, okay?”

”Okay.” Vee said and Luz swung herself down fro the bars.

”Wanna go spin?” Luz invited but Vee shook her head no. It felt strange to join them. “If you change your mind we’re rrrright there!”

Vee observed Luz with Gus and Amity as they explored the playground, talking mostly about human cultures. Willow was walking around the edges looking at the weeds of flowers and plucking some to see what would happen.

The basilisks stared at Luz.

She had seen Luz' reflection as her own so many times, pretending to be her. Vee had built up a life in the suit of Luz. And now, well, soon she was no longer going to have that security.

If she wasn't Luz, all that was left was Vee; the wounded basilisk, the victim, the refugee. She didn't know what kind of human façade she wanted for herself. What did she want her reflection to be? Who was Vee, the free basilisk, anyway? Was she someone who hated and never let go, never healed? Was she just going to be bitter and resentful?

Anger had felt like strength. But was it? What if she was an ugly person.. What if the only thing that felt right was an unfriendly face? Hunter probably always saw her like this - around him she struggled to keep her shape, her emotions made her shapeshift. Why couldn't she just be Luz. Someone who was sweet and forgiving? Vee's chest filled with guilt. She did not need this extra work in her heart, it was difficult enough as it was. 

Willow nudged her foot from beneath the monkey bar. "What's up, you're quiet."

"Yeah, sorry, just tired. I'm, um.. Not used to all this. I mean, when I was Luz I had my own friends. And now I'm... um... y'know, not going to anymore."

"Aha, yeah, I'm sorry it's been really rough on you since we got here, huh?"

"I didn't mean it like that." Vee says sadly and quietly.

Willow climbs up to join her. "No I know, I meant that: a lot of things are changing very quickly. Can't be easy with Hunter around, too.” Vee rolled her eyes, another Hunter conversation. great. “I guess that's why he offered to stay home, though. So you could have time with us without him around." Willow elbows her lightly and Vee sours.

"Maybe. Or he just wanted to pay back in any small way he can so he can feel less guilty." She snarls quietly.

"Can you blame him?"

"No... Look, I don't want to hear what a great guy he is, okay? I get it. He's reformed and I should just forgive him." Vee crossed her arms. Why was nobody on her side? Only Camila and- Hunter.. Was on her side.

"You know, when I first met him he kidnapped me." Willow smiled.

"Really?" Finally!

"Yeah! Changed his mind and rescued us right afterwards though."

"Oh." Or not.

"Mh!"

"I'm glad he's been nice to all of you, but I have no reason to trust him." Not yet anyway.

"I get that. I hope you will someday though."

"Maybe."

Hunter sleeping covered in adorable palismen did not help her inner conflict.

This was getting ridiculous. Vee didn't stay to watch him get flustered as he woke up. Instead she went upstairs, turned to a basilisk and crept into the bedroom but halted at the sight of it. It was clean. She frowned. He wasn't supposed to be in there! See, he wasn't as respectful as he made himself out to be!

But then she saw her bed was untouched.

And the boiling temperature in her heart defused instantly.

She hated that she was so angry. She wanted to forgive him, everyone just made her feel bad for being angry with him. She sniffled and curled in under her bedsheets.

Vee didn't hate Hunter. But it was too difficult to forgive him. She wished nobody had told her to accept him or forgive him. It would have been easier if it had just been between her and Hunter. It was much better to just... Have someone accept that it was going to take time. Why did she have to be the forgiving one?! She was the one who had been hurt!

Camila understood her needs a bit better, maybe because she was an adult. Camila let the two kids hash it out on their own terms and then let Vee seek safety in her presence. Camila was safe to talk to. Strangely enough Hunter was also... safe.. to talk to. Weird.

AND!! It wasn't bullying!

...Was it? Was she a bad person now? She didn't want to be.

She just wanted to be Vee.

Vee woke up at night time. She had missed the rest of the whole day. She was hungry and snaked down from her bed, past the sleeping girls an downstairs to the kitchen.

When she saw Hunter sitting in the dark with a glass of water she hesitated going in. What was he doing up so late- early? Was it early? She glanced at the clock on the wall: it was very early.

Hunter looked up at her. She remained in her half-Luz-half-basilisk form. His red eyes illuminated in the moonlight, just like that night in the cell.

"I'm hungry." She say quietly, not expecting anything, just stating her purpose. She had only been alone with him once before, but that was day time.

This was the dark.

Dark like the castle. Dark like the time she had seen him as the Golden guard, looking briefly into her cell and then forgotten her existence.

"Oh- right. Let me grab you dinner."

"I can do it."

"I am already on my feet." He offers again in a casual tone. He didn't plead. And Vee appreciated it, it felt like a genuine gesture, not something he did out of a sense of guilt. She had been worried he was powered by guilt alone - because that would mean she was using it against him and that was bullying, wasn't it? If it wasn’t only guilt, what was the other reason? It couldn’t just be… like… care or kindness. Could it?

Was he feeling guilty? Well, yes, he probably did. But was it only about guilt? Part of her hoped not to, the other felt like he deserved to be subservient to her forever and ever.

Which just made her feel awful again.

"...Okay." Vee takes a seat opposite of him, watching him in the light of the fridge. In Luz' clothes he just looks like some regular guy. The scar on his cheek stood out on his face and, just to have something to say, she asked: "How did you get your scar?"

"Belos did it." He said simply and took out the tray of food, serving up rice and stew into a bowl and put it into the microwave. (He enjoyed how handy all the human gadgets were.) He was not going to elaborate on it unless she asked. It was a topic about Belos, and she might not appreciate him dumping his experiences with his uncle on her.

"Oh." Vee stroked circles on the table. Not pushing any further after hearing it was Belos related.

The hum from the microwave filled the space between them.

"I don't hate you." Vee said and hunter turned from the yellow glow of the microwave to face her.

"I dunno about that." Hunter challenged. "It's okay though. I understand where that anger is coming from." it was pain.

Vee frowned. "Well, I don't want to hate you. I just feel bad. Everyone says you're so nice or whatever- and honestly maybe you are! But I- I still- ugh... Never mind."

Hunter tilted his head at her. The microwave beeped and he took out her food for her, stirring it around so there wouldn't be any cold spots.

"Don't listen to them." Hunter advised and poked the bowl over to her. "They don't get it."

"They really don't. I'm not a bully, am I? Am I like.. hurting you?"

Hunter shook his head no. "No. You're not hitting me, 'nor are you manipulating me. You're just... Yourself." His words made her curl together and Hunter lowered his chin. "Look, Vee. Your anger is justified, I meant yourself as in you have a right to express your hurt. Do you want me to tell them?"

Vee shrugs.

"I can tell them I'm okay with how you feel about me. I don't feel like it harms me or.. stuff?"

"Ugh." Vee growls. "Why are you being good to me anyway? Is it your guilt? Is that why? I remember, you know. I remember you calling us worms. You had fun."

"It wasn't fun hurting you, it was nice seeing my uncle be proud of me. And for that I am feeling guilty and ashamed. I think it's warranted that I do. I hope someday I can repent properly for it, but I do not want to forget it. People like you were hurt because of my blind loyalty to my uncle. It would be a disgrace to pretend it didn't happen and had an affect on people." Hunter stirs his water. "Besides, you don't strike me as a needlessly cruel girl, you're just hurt. That's a different kind of anger."

"Are you always this matter-of-fact?"

"Kinda?" He shrugs.

Vee purses her lips and eats. "I trust Luz, and the others. But I don't feel safe with you. You.. remind me of him."

"Yeah. I get that." Hunter looks into his glass of water.

After some silence Hunter proposes this: "What if I told you something only Luz knows. That... Really would, um, ruin me if the others knew about it?"

Vee perked her ears.

"Would that make you feel safer? You could weaponise it against me whenever I make you feel unsafe."

Vee nods. "A little bit, I think." Surprised he was willing to go that far just to make her feel safer.

She didn’t like the idea of weaponizing it. She preferred to think of it as him showing her his veins against her fangs. Hunter trusted her. He trusted her, Vee, the basilisk. The prisoner, the refugee.

"Alright." Hunter coughs, preparing himself to share.

He huffed out, preparing himself. He tapped the table with his fingers like he was taking steps back before running ahead out over a cliff. 

"I am a grimwalker."

Vee's eyes enlarged. "That's what your scent is! I couldn't place it before! That makes sense-" then it smacked her, and with total horror she faces him. Hunter is sitting there, open arms and barely meeting her gaze. She looks him up and down.

"But- Who are you- What person- Did Belos make you?" She whispered.

"Yeah. I think so?" Hunter curled in on himself, his fingers stroking the wood of the table to soothe himself.

"Do you know who.. you are, well, who you're supposed to be, um, risen from?"

"Uh- not- no. Not entirely. I think it might be his brother, maybe."

Vee nods absentmindedly, only staring at him.

"They're- you are not supposed to exist anymore."

"Technically neither are you but here we are."

"But why would Belos... Make you?"

"I don't know. I was never told."

"I'm sorry."

Hunter shakes his head. "No- I didn't tell you to- I don't want pity. I know grimwalkers are- we are..."

a violation.

Vee couldn't stomach the food now. "You are an experiment too."

"We are not comparing scars here. I still hurt you Vee, I take responsibility for that. I told you so you could always use it against me if you felt like you needed to. I will not hold a grudge if you do."

Vee looks at him with absolute distraught and sorrow. She did not want to hurt him, even if he invited it or would forgive it.

"I am still angry with you." She says, feeling teary eyed. "But I do not hate you, or forgive you. But I don't want to hurt you either."

"I understand."

"Do you? I feel all sorts of things. I jump from one feeling to another- I want to shove you and hiss at you, and I want to just.... Just sit here. Too. With you. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah. It does. To me it does." Hunter nods. "I won't ever get closure with him- I wont ever be able to yell at him or tell him how he-" Hunter stopped himself. 'hurt me.' And he sighs. "I understand your anger. I am sorry I participated in causing it."

Vee sniffles. She knew that she only projected everything, that was only Belos fault, onto Hunter. The fact he gave her the space to reach any chance for closure, even if only a small bit, meant a lot to her.

He was not the person she should hate, 'nor a person she could hate. Vee had been wronged and robbed of being anything but a victim, she needed to be angry with Belos, tell him she hated him - how the fire in her yearned to eat all of his magic and destroy him. But she never could, never would. And here was Hunter; Belos nephew- grimwalker. Just some boy in the crossfire, who opened his arms and knew more than anybody how cruel Belos was, and knew that she needed to yell and be angry and hate him for awhile.

Hunter knew. And she saw it in his eyes. She saw how he knew this was healing her from something he'd never get to heal from. He extended to her, not only an olive branch to heal, but genuine friendship and understanding.

That made him her first real friend as Vee, the basilisk. He had never known her as anything else. What kind of cruel irony was this? Her first friend (as herself, anyway), who cared immensely for her wellbeing, was somebody she wasn’t ready to forgive yet.

Hunter's expression change from serious to worry. "Oh- No! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I just want to help-"

"You're just- Haha, you're not supposed to be the person who gets it, you of all people. This is such a mess..."

Hunter sighs and smiles softly, he moves his chair over next to her as she begins to cry and sob quietly. He decides moving down on the floor was better, be smaller, be a little closer.

"It's okay." He says, carefully patting her hand like he was unsure if he was allowed to. "It's alright."

Vee curls down and lets Hunter comfort her. He embraces her, and somewhere deep inside his galderstone heart he vows to protect her alongside his friends. He owed her that.

She sniffles and faces his brotherly smile. She pouts and puts a hand against it and shoves him slightly.

“Do you like tea?” She asks and gets up, wiping her cheeks as she gets up.

”Um, yes?”

”Good.”

They made tea and moved to sit outside at the steps to the backyard.

The air scented of freshly cut grass and dirt, the sky was changing into dawn. An orange and pink glow faded above them, colouring the grass golden.

Vee and Hunter had each a cup of tea, watching the morning welcome them both.

"You're not so bad." Vee said after awhile.

Hunter smiles at her. 

They both perked up at the sound of Luz' morning alarm, an anime theme song blaring. The house behind them woke up, and both of them scoffed.

"Hey, Hunter?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for not making me feel guilty about, y’know… How I feel’n’stuff. I um... I needed to, uh.. Y'know. Hate you for a bit. I still don't forgive you, yet. But you are, ah.. I don't hate you anymore." She itches her nose.

Hunter softly hums. "Thank you for giving me a chance. I won't waste it."

Vee smiles.

"And, hey, Vee?"

"Yes?"

"If you ever need to vent or, y'know, stuff. I'm here. If anyone's mean to you, just point and I'll beat them up."

Vee chuckles. "What are you, my brother now?"

Hunter grins. "I would be honoured."

Vee rolls her eyes as she enters the house. "Whatever, blondie."

Hunter scoffs and sighs with relief. Vee shapeshifts to look more like Luz when she caught herself being only half-transformed.

"Your blonde-blue ears suit you." Hunter compliments.

Vee looks at him, then at her reflection in the tiny mirror next to the door. She shapeshifts them back. Looking them over. Yeah. It did look nice, didn't it.

Suddenly she could see a piece of herself, the kind of reflection she wanted to have. Vee had never thought about it before, but her ears did look a little bit like puffy hair.

It.. was nice.

She liked it.

"You think so?"

"Yeah. Blonde. Blonde is cool." He smirks.

She laughs. "I bet you think that."

"Then I really would look like I was your brother."

"Oh my titan." She laughs, "I'd rather clean the toilet."

Camila watched them from the open window in the kitchen and smiled.

ART EXTRA:

Chapter Text

Luz's breath hitches in her nose as she wakes up from watching King slip out of her grasp. Flashes of her nightmare pounds into her vision and she has to physically shake her head to make it stop.

She sits up, sweaty and clammy, hand on her chest and sighing out the last bit of pressure in her lungs.

Next to her on the floor lay Amity on her own mattress. Luz smiles and feels peace return into her body. On her other side was the bunkbed. Willow at the bottom bunk and Vee at the top. Both still sound asleep, Willow snoring in a contorted position - Luz thought it was endearing.
The egg on her desk bathed in moonlight and remained unhatched.

Luz hugged her knees, glancing up at Vee's bed.

She felt guilty for coming back, in a way. Vee was so much better at being a regular kid in the human realm than she was, it seemed. Vee was so happy to be her.

Luz liked to think of Vee as a long lost twin sister, but that's not who she was. And having to return to school after summer, pretend to know Vee's friends and pick up what Vee had built up felt like a robbery.
It had not escaped Luz that Vee still used her likeness as a human, even if she had begun to venture out with slight differences.

At least Vee didn't seem as afraid of Hunter anymore, which was good. She had no idea how that happened. Yesterday morning they had both walked into the kitchen from the backyard in peace. Truce, maybe? She wanted to ask, but every time she tried to talk to Vee about Hunter she just said all the wrong things.
Was everything fine now, then? Was her intervention not needed? Maybe she could ask Hunter about it.

Maybe.

Luz looked at the moon. Then her phone. Dawn would come soon and she was wide awake. Maybe she could go downstairs and sit on her computer and look up what fun they could do today. Hunter had missed out on the playground after all.
She took her laptop and went downstairs.

Halfway down she saw the colourful lights of the TV, the sound was very low and barely audible. As she crept to see who was awake - the boys or her mom. She discovered Hunter.
He sat seated on the coffee table in front of a documentary about wolves.

"Hunter?"

Hunter jumps a little and turns to her. "Luz, you frightened me."

"What are you doing awake?" Her voice sweet as always, but her expression hinted of concern.

The light of the TV dances on his face, Luz can't quite read his expression and he shrugs her question off.

"Are wolves real?" He nods to the screen.

"Yeah, wolves are real." Luz smiles and takes a seat next to him. She watches as Hunter's expression changes into pure joy. "Do you like them?"

"Very! And they work in a pack, but also alone. They.. They are magnificent."

Luz chuckles. "Yeah, I would pin you as a wolf kid." 

"Is that a good thing?"

"To me it is." Luz nudges him.

Hunter smiles. He turns back to the screen, but pauses. "Wait, why are you up?"

"Um, no reason. I couldn't sleep- Wait a minute I asked first! you didn't answer!" She chuckles.

"I just get up early." He grins.

"Six am early?"

Hunter shrugs again. "I don't really sleep all that long."

"You should, sleep is good for you."

"Sleep is for the weak." Hunter replies automatically and Luz witness as his thoughts play out on his face, like he wasn't sure he even agreed with it.

"Oh, so if I sleep, I'm weak?" She mocks.

"No! No, not you! You're not weak, Luz, you're amazing. It wouldn't apply to you."

"But.. it applies to you?" Hunter hesitates and chooses to remain silent. Luz pouts as Hunter avoids her gaze. "Hunter-" She reaches to place a hand on his shoulder and Hunter stands to avoid her support. He turns the TV off.
The Livingroom is cast in darkness, but the moonlight illuminates the room.

Hunter worms a smile onto his lips before facing her, attempting something reassuring. It strikes her that the Mask he used to wear assisted in his temper and personality being perceived as calm and cool.
Without the mask, Hunter's feelings were betrayed by the emotions in his eyes.

She puts down her laptop.

"How come you couldn't sleep?" He asks.

Luz could tell he was just holding himself together. His uncle had exploded before his eyes only eight days ago, he had not spoken to anybody about it as far as she knew. Everyone was having a rough time but Hunter- well, with his background, and the whole thing with Vee and- Everything else. She hoped he would come to her when he was ready to talk.

Perhaps she should lead with example.

"I'm- I don't think I'm doing so great." Luz admits and Hunter's expression turns soft. It was unusual to see him like that, but it suited him. "I am having nightmares about the portal. How King slipped out of my hands, the world- I'm- I feel at fault for everything."

"Luz, it's not your fault." Hunter places his secure hands on her shoulders. "What happened was not because of you. You know that."

"Do I? Hunter- You know it's my fault Belos was even able to get to this point."

Hunter shook his head. "No, Luz. He would have found a way with or without you. That's what he does, he finds a way."

"But without me, maybe it would have taken longer for him to get there, perhaps by that time the rebels could succeed in overthrowing him or- I don't know."

Hunter nods, remembering the reason he wound up in Belos mind in the first place was the fault of rebels. "Luz, you saw the state of things. The rebels did not succeed."

"Sorry, I know... I shouldn't have brought it up. You must be dealing with a lot too, right?" She prompted but Hunter clammed up right away. She stood with him. "...Right? Hunter. It's me, you can talk to me. Just as I were talking to you! We need to support one another- like wolves." She nudged him.

Hunter chuckles at her attempt to coax him, his red eyes were full of appreciation, but his lips remained sealed. Luz tried to let the silence make Hunter want to fill it with words, but the soldier boy did not budge. The silence, however, choked her and she had to fill it with a light groan.

"Alright. Well, just know I'm here, okay?" Hunter nods. "Yeah? Got it? Us weirdos gotta stick together."

Hunter ruffles her already messy hair. "You're the weirdo. I am perfectly normal."

"Oh, you wish you were. You're an absolute dork."

"How am I a dork? I was your number one foe for awhile there!"

"Eeeehh, dunno about number ooone, but you were a thorn in my side for sure!"

"Oh come on! Give me more credit than that!"

Luz grins, happy to have put Hunter in a somewhat cheery mood. "Hey, Hunter, tell you what?"

"What?"

"How about you and I go down the road and buy something nice for breakfast for everyone? I think we need milk anyway." She scrunches her face together. "We're always out of milk in this house..."

Hunter hums. "Are we allowed to do that?"

"Of course! I mean, it's early but the store at the corner is open 24/7."

"No I meant: won't your mom be mad? Shouldn't we ask permission first?"

"It's alright, I'm sure." Luz finds her wallet in the hallway and puts on her shoes. Hunter puts his boots on too. Luz looks hunter up and down. Sweatpants, hoodie and knee-high boots and gloves sure was a look that only a 6am customer would show up in. But Hunter looked unbothered by his outfit. Instead he only seemed to worry about if they were allowed to leave or not. He gazed up the stairs to everyone's sleeping quarters.

"Are you positive?" Hunter asks again.

"Absolutely! I've gone out before, I live here. And there aren't any monsters out there the same way it is in the boiling isles."

Hunter hummed. "I would guess Mrs Noceda would be more worried of you disappearing though. All things considered."

He had a point. "Er, well- We will get home before she notices!"

"You still don't think things through, do you, Luz."

"It will be fiiiine! C'mon, you deserve your own little adventure, you didn't come with us to the park. Soo.. y'know." She nudges him. "I wanna make it up to you."

Hunter tilts his head and smiles, following Luz outdoors. "If you say so. It's not necessary, but if it would put you in good spirits, I don't mind the consequences."

Luz sighs and walks around Hunter as they walk through the front yard to the sidewalk. "It's fiiine! There won't be any consequences! I promise!"

Hunter only gives her a long soft stare. Like he's older and wiser. She supposed that he was older, yes, but wiser just didn't feel like it should apply to Hunter. Or maybe it did. He had a lot of experiences in life that she lacked. He was a lot more responsible too, though socially awkward and peculiar in the way he went about doing things. But he was clever and he noticed and considered things that flew her by like a plastic bag in the wind.

Perhaps she didn't give him enough credit. He was the Golden guard after all. That must count for something.

"Hey, uh.. So, you and Vee are good now?"

Hunter is quiet before he answers, considering his answer carefully. "I was always fine with her. I can't speak for her."

"No, I know, but like- you know. She doesn't seem to want to shove you down the stairs anymore."

Hunter shakes his head. "She just needed an outlet."

"It's not fair on you to be that outlet, though."

"Life isn't fair."

"No, yes, right, but I meant that-" She presses a hand to her face and sighs. "I meant that you shouldn't have to take on the burden. It's not your responsibility to make sure she's fine."

Hunter turns to her. His ember red eyes shining in the night. Luz couldn't help but feel like Hunter was seeing right through her, deep into her insecurities.

"You know, Luz." Hunter begins. "It's not your responsibility either, but you still care anyway, don't you?"

She was taken aback. "Ah- yes, but, um, this isn't about me! We're talking about-"

"Right. The difference between you and me here is that you didn't actually hurt anybody. I did. I don't mind if Vee feels negatively about me. I have to repent for my crimes, I want to."

"But- You're not a criminal! Or bad! Or-"

"Luz. Not everyone who does bad things are a bad person. Good people do bad things all the time. I've met, spoken to, and fought a lot of good and bad people. It is not so easy as to say good people shouldn't be punished for the bad they do. A good deed doesn't outweigh all the bad things, and vice versa. It's not how it works."

At least that's how Hunter thought about it. 

Belos had taught him everyone who disobeyed were bad people - but unbeknownst to Belos, that only meant Hunter learned that good people could do illegal 'bad' things too. It wasn't about being a good or bad person, it was about breaking the rules, the law, disobeying, doing the wrong thing. Etcetera.

It wasn't a bad lesson to be taught, Hunter thought.

Perhaps he didn't take it the way Belos had intended, but it made Hunter an honest and noble guy who understood the nuances of both punishment and doing the right thing despite it being perceived as bad in the eyes of the law.
He used to be very black and white about right and wrong. Bad people broke the law, good people followed it. But the more missions he went on, the more people he met, the more he realised it just wasn't that simple.

Despite it, he was fearful of his uncle enough to act on what Belos had said was the good and right thing. And Hunter had pined for his uncle's approval and love enough to go through with it, too.

He wished he had listened to his heart more often. But when he did, he was punished.

Like right now; Hunter knew going out might be a bad idea, but Luz needed to do this for him. So he agreed. If there would be consequences he could handle them.

Like he always did.

Luz quiets down and looks down at her shoes. Hands in her pockets. "I know..." And she feels Hunter's arm wrap around her shoulder sideways. She looks up to his smile. Had he always been this gentle?

"It's okay." He said and let her lean her weight on him as they walked. "I know you just want to help."

"I do. I just- Every time I do, I mess it up."

"Yes and no. But I wouldn't change you for the world Luz. You're fumbling into trouble everywhere but your heart is in the right place. And so many, myself included, have been better for it. Kindness, to me anyway, is never a waste of effort."

"Have you always thought that way?"

"I think in my heart I did. I didn't totally get it until an annoying human stole my staff and kept messing up my life." He playfully pushes her away. Luz comes back to his side with a smile of relief.

"Really, you mean that?"

"Yeah. I didn't like that you made my life rough, but I needed it. Sometimes I think we don't know what's going to be good before it arrives at the destination. Something can look terrible at first and turn out pretty alright." He scoffs. "Like you."

"And you. You turned out to be a big softie!"

"Eh." Hunter is blushing only a little. "I dunno... I've never been part of anything before where people wanted me around. Knowing I have friends now is... It is nice. I have something I want to protect now." Even if I gotta prove it to them first.

Luz nudged him back. "Maybe. But I'm glad you're here Hunter. And I am even more glad you're not feeling alone anymore."

"Yeah? Heh, I kinda feel awkward saying we're friends. I feel like I don't deserve or earned it yet."

"You don't have to earn it. You just.. You just are! You're our friend."

"You can only speak for yourself Luz. But I am glad you feel that way." He paused. "But I do want to earn your friendship, too. I mean, you earned mine. And I don't trust that easily."

Luz blinks at him. A sense of honour and pride filled her. She had thought Hunter was shutting her out, but in reality, she was one of the few people he had ever let in this close. Even if it felt distant to Luz, it was the furthest (aside from Flapjack) anyone had come as a friend.

"Oh, Hunter-"

Hunter heard a sound and his head began to dart around to locate where it came from. He found it and stared like a guarded dog ahead down the road at the oncoming car lights. He stopped to watch it approach, not in a stance but still on-guard. He held out an arm in front of Luz to protect her from the car, just in-case. But it didn't hit them or swerve off the road, it only swished them by. Hunter watched as it disappeared around a curve and the gentle summer breeze stroked the pair's hair.

Luz looked up at Hunter, his expression stiff and mellow.
He lowered his arm and relaxed. She felt sorry for him. This must be the first time in a very long time he got to relax so much, if ever.

"It's a car, like the one mama has. That's how we move around- one of the ways, anyway."

"Yeah, I figured. They're like carriages. But with engines, right?"

"Similar to that, yeah."

"The human realm is so different." Hunter ponders, only now taking in his surrounding.

He saw the empty playground across the street, the swings swaying by the warm winds. It would be spooky to someone else, but to Hunter it all looked so peaceful. Wherever he turned there were domestic little homes. People slept safely. In some houses the light were lit already and in some lights were going out. The further down a road Hunter looked, the further he could see.

The boiling isles were not this flat. It was bumpy, full of forest and even the cities and towns were filled with crooked organic streets. But here, everything was nicely lined up with wide roads for transportation. It was a lot more efficient than the demon realm. But he wasn't sure he liked it more or less. It just felt like something that was different.

Different in a good way. He understood why Vee was so protective and felt like Hunter ruined it, he must have brought back a lot of unsafety for her.

"That's where we were, when you stayed home." Luz pointed at the playground, bringing Hunter out of his thoughts. He looked at her, then back at the playground.

"Oh. Looks.. Odd."

"Heheheh, we can stop by on our way back." She juts her thumbs forward, walking backwards, guiding Hunter to keep going with her to the corner store.

The store was bright.

Hunter had to blink several times to get used to it, and rubbed his eyes. Luz dragged Hunter's blue hoodie up to cover his ears as they entered. It did make it a little easier for him to get adjusted to the light, too.

He looked around at all the colourful items.

Chips bags and milk cartons, everything was packed into a substance called 'plastic.'

Plastic didn't exist on the boiling isles, unless it was from the human realm. Hunter had seen it before, in garbage on his travels. He used to have a plastic mug that was very handy and almost indestructable. Hunter thought plastic was a very useful material, until Luz taught him that it was a huge problem in the human realm and that it was destroying nature and there were mountains of junk made out of it. He became much less of a fan, then.

Hunter could understand how it became such a big problem - everything was plastic. Wherever he turned, things were enclosed by it. Even the sigs on the ceiling, the bright lights, the glass, the- well, everything.

He inspected a glass jar of pickles. "Is this.. plastic too?"

"No, that's glass."

"Oh alright. It's difficult to tell when it's see-through. Hm.." He squinted at it. "These look like ogre chips. What are they?"

"Pickles! It's, uh, pickled cucumbers."

"Cucumbers, huh."

"Are ogre chips made of ogre fingers?"

"No, we just call them that. It's a kind of vegetable delicacy. They're called that because it's what they look like."

"Oh! We have things like that too. Naming stuff by what they look like."

"Heh!" Hunter put it back on the shelf but Luz put it in the basket. "Lets see if it tastes the same as ogre fingers! Mama is trying to figure out equivalent foods for you guys so- who knows! Maybe pickles will be close to something." She hummed. "I think I could think of food that kiiiinda tastes the same as you guys food. Hmmmm!" 

Luz squinted around at the shelves. "I think... Anything chemical might be rough on you guys stomachs, so maybe we should try clean food like veggies and fish."

"Some of your food aren't clean?" Hunter furrowed his brows.

"No! er- well, some of our food are processed in a way that makes it last longer! But it's not always good per say. Sometimes it lowers the nutritional value. And you guys have nothing similar to that processing in the boiling isles so I think it miiiight shock your system a bit."

"Oh. Roger that." Hunter made a mental note to make sure nobody ate unclean food. "Er, how can I tell if it is or not?"

"Ahh, well, hm... You already ate cornflakes. Did that make you ill?"

"No." Hunter shook his head. "It didn't. They were alright. Though they were very sweet. A bit too sweet for me personally."

"Sweet?!" Luz gasped. "Cornflakes aren't that sweet!"

Hunter clicked his tongue. "It was very sweet. Willow thought so too and I know that's why Gus keeps wanting to eat just that. I don't think Amity likes them either, I saw her grimace when eating them. Though I think she's going to eat anything you give her, she's too polite to say no in front of your mom."

"Oh." Luz blinks, he was so perceptive. "I guess you guys must be total clean slates then. Hm.. Guess that makes sense actually." She turned around to all the drinks. "I wonder if you'd even like sodas then?" Her expression that of a mischievous little cat.

Hunter suspiciously looked at all the colourful drinks and then at Luz like she was a mad scientist. "Hey now, don't experiment on us you little weirdo."

"Heh heh!" Luz slipped one soda into the basket. "We can try a little one!"

Hunter was going to argue with her about only needing milk, that's what they had come for after all and they shouldn't be wasting snails- er, money.

But just then, a stranger came down the same isle as them. Luz recognised him from the time she and her mom rescued Vee in the museum. It made her freeze up, but she didn't want Hunter to know about it - She needed him to think the human realm was safe. Hunter was way too alert all the time and she had no idea what he'd do about some guy that was going after Vee.

Hunter went quiet and glanced between Luz and the stranger. Did she know him?  Playing it casually, he positioning himself nearer Luz in a way that shielded her as the stranger man tiredly passed behind them, plucked a bag of chips, and went straight to pay for his goods.

Luz squat down a little to look through the shelves at the man. It was definitely Jacob Hopkins.

Wasn't that guy supposed to be in jail anyway?! Maybe he got out on a sanity plea, or something.

Luz noticed how tense Hunter had become, standing straight like a scout, like he was on guard for her sake. Her guard. His red eyes were glued to Jacob, observing Jacob as he left the store.

"Aah- hahah, you don't have to be on edge Hunter. We're safe." She laughed nervously and playfully nudged him.

"I know." He said but still watched Jacob disappear into his car before totally relaxing.

Luz watches hunter relax and a crease of concern forms on her forehead. He was so wound up, and the more she looked at him; the more tired and worn he looked.

Hunter turned to face her, his ember eyes similar to a flame in the night, flickering and warm.

"What?"

"Nothing, just... You really need rest. Those eyebags are not healthy for someone so young."

Hunter frowns but smiles coyly, crossing his arms. "I am older than you."

"By like, two years or something. That's basically the same!"

"It's not the same!"

"Totally the same!"

Hunter had to remind Luz to buy milk before they left the store - And she skedaddled around the store to get the milk, leaving Hunter smiling nervously at the very (very) tired cashier. Luz returned with a tiny protein bar to share too, much to Hunter's irritation and Luz innocently blinked at him.

"Let me treat you!" Luz complained at they exited the corner store. "Here." She broke the candy bar in half and Hunter inspected it before taking a small bite. His red eyes lit up at the chocolate and coconut.

"Mh! That's almost like the cornflakes!"

"What? No! They're totally different!"

"Yeah, kinda different, but this is... It tastes similar."

"You mean the sugar?"

"Maybe?"

"There is sugar in the demon-realm! I know there is. Eda got me bakery sometimes." Luz remembered the limited foods she could eat over there and her mood went sombre.

"Not sugar like this." Hunter pops the last bit of protein bar into his mouth. "I like this. It's not as sweet, but still sweet."

"Go figure you would like the jock-snacks."

Hunter rolled his eyes and she playfully shoved him. Hunter blinks, then grins and shoved her back. In the midst of their play, Hunter grabbed the grocery bag and put a hand to her face when she tried to get it back.

He insisted on carrying the bag.

Luz let him. It seemed to make him happy to do things for others. Even if they were little things like that.

She watched him as he looked into the bag with curiosity. Now that she thought about it... Hunter wasn't used to not be doing something for someone else, was he.

On their way back, they stopped by the playground. Luz ran to the swings.

"Watch this!" She shouted, leaped to get onto the swing, missed her mark and the swing swung away from her as she fell flat on her back in the sand. The swing swung above her.

Hunter ran up to her but once he saw she was fine he laughed at her flopped attempt.

"Are you alright?" He stopped the swing above her.

"Yeah! Yeah only my dignity is wounded!"

"Oh, been there." He chuckles. "It is going to be the first in a line of many."

"An experienced man, I hear." Luz gets up to sit on the swing. Hunter mimics her on the one next to hers. He only scoffs at her remark. He watches her swing, he figures out how she does it and he swings with her.

"Hey! You're doing it!" Luz cackles and stands up on hers to show him how to get even more speed. So Hunter does too, dropping the bag carefully into the sand before doing so.

Facing one another, hands on chain, the two of them swing as high as they can. But Hunter dares higher than her.

"Woah hey! Careful! if you swing too hard it will loop!" She warns.

"Yeah?" Hunter's daredevil voice comes out. For the first time in a long time, she hears the Golden guard in him. "What makes you think that would frighten me?" He grins and pushes onwards. Luz slows her swing downa little to watch him.

"Uh- Hunter!"

And there he goes. The swing slows down when it loops, like it was confused it could actually do this. Luz stares up at the upside-down boy in the sky. His grin mad with excitement. The wind, the speed. Hunter loops around and jumps off. The swing juggles around when the weight of the momentum is suddenly gone. Luz pushes the swing away with her foot when it comes her way.

Hunter laughs manically and at first Luz is concerned, then Hunter puts a hand on his chest and breathes out through a smile - like he had been holding it in for days.

And Luz smiles too.

That was one way to get rid of tension, she supposed.

"Wow Hunter! That was crazy!" She hops off her swing and picks up the bag.

"No, was it? You've seen me do more dangerous things in the demon realm. I mean, I fly on flapjack in the sky all the time."

"Yeah but- that's- I dunno. You're right!" She looks at the swing. "You're right... I keep underestimating you guys." The swing slowly settled into place. "Just.. Not a lot of stuff happens in the human realm, I guess. So to an ordinary boring person like me; anything like this feels- well, dangerous."

Hunter tilts his head at her. Red eyes going from her, to the swing, to her again.

"is that why you ran away from this realm into ours? You were bored?"

"Th-That wasn't entirely-! It wasn't boredom. I just wanted to belong somewhere, where I wasn't so different.."

Hunter chuckled. "Different? You're a human. You couldn't be any more different in our realm."

"I know! I know... But it was a different kind of different. I felt like... Maybe..." She trailed off. "It doesn't matter."

Hunter tilted his head the other way, trying to see her needs. He sighed and looked up at the changing skies above them as he came to stand next to her; blood red like his eyes.

"You know, Luz, it is because you stand out that makes people feel like they can be themselves too. Maybe you are the place different people are looking to find."

Luz takes in his words before she leans on his shoulder. "Thanks Hunter."

"Anytime."

"You're a really good friend. I'm glad I took your staff when I did."

"Me too."

The first bit of sunrise had already begun to spread it's gold across the heavens.

"I like the human realm's skies. The colours are different, softer."

"I guess you're right." Luz nods, seeing the birds fly above them. "We should head home. I think mum should be waking up soon. It's a week day so Vee is going to school and mom to work."

"How much longer is Vee in school?" Hunter asks, taking the bag from Luz, she tugs back a bit, but Hunter insists and she lets go - giving him a judgemental look.

"For like three more days I think. Why?"

"No reason. I think she's anxious about it, is all."

"You think so? I thought she'd be happy to not have to pretend to be me now."

Hunter lets out a disagreeing hum. "Luz, she has friends wearing your face. She would have to start over with them, if not with new people completely."

"Oh, right. Yeah..." She hadn't thought about that. Luz remembered seeing some of Vee's friends under a tree, back when Luz was stuck in the demon-realm.

She worried about Vee.. Would she be okay? Maybe spring-break would be good for Vee.

At the Noceda resident stood Gus spying out on the road.

When he saw them he gasped and turned to the house. "Found them! They're here!"

"Oh no." Luz whispered under her breath.

Camila ran out to face her daughter. "Luz!"

Luz' heart broke at the sight of her teary-eyed and panicked mother.

"Mom-" Camila embraced her like she had lost her again. Luz closed her eyes, cursing inwardly.

"Where did you go?" But she saw the grocery bag in Hunter's hand. "Why didn't you leave a note?"

"I'm sorry! I forgot- I'm sorry mom."

"Do not leave like that again! Do not-" Camila inhaled, lifted her glasses to brush her tears away. Luz felt like the worst daughter in the world. Past her mother, she saw Amity and her friends look at her too. Did they think ill of her for being so inconsiderate and forgetful?

"I'm sorry mama.."

"It's my fault." Hunter says and steps forward. Camila blinks at him in mild disbelief. "I informed Luz we were out of milk. And I made her walk me to the store-"

"You made her?"

"Yes I-"

"No!" Luz waves her hands, getting between them. "No no no no! No! Mom, Hunter did not make me- Hunter you don't have to lie. We're not in trouble." Were they? She turned back to her mom. "Unless we are?"

"No.." Camila rubs her cheek. She was so tired. So worried. Luz wanted to hug her and make everything alright - but she couldn't. "No you're not in trouble just- Next time... Please, Luz.."

"I will let you know. I'm sorry mom. It won't happen again."

Hunter stood on standby. Luz could practically feel how tense he was, his red eyes shining up at her mom with a waiting for something that never came. She could see the thoughts play behind his stoic face. How he was calculating her mom's possible anger, her possible punishments. Luz felt sorry for him. 

She didn't know the extent of what Belos had put him through, the only context she had was what she saw in Belos' mind and things she had pieced together from his behaviour and how he spoke.

Hunter waited, Camila sighed.

Nothing came.

Hunter blinks when all Camila does is look disappointed and heartbroken at Luz.

"I need to get ready for work. Luz, please go inside and eat breakfast with your friends."

"Yes mama.." Luz hung her head like a dying flower and starts to follow after her mom, but stops when Hunter isn't coming too. "Hunter?"

Hunter looks unsure. Luz quizzingly look at him and realizes Hunter is too confused, he doesn't look certain.

Camila turns around to see the blonde boy in the blue hoodie meet her eyes. Like he asked if he could still come in too.

"You too Hunter." Camila says in as soft voice as possible. Hunter immediately catches up to Luz. Luz looks at him, her mom and then Amity.

Amity was having the same thought she was: Something was up with Hunter. And they both figured what it was actually about, too. It didn't need spelling out. Whatever Belos had put Hunter through was still in him like a dance of shadows poking him with sticks.

Willow smiles at Hunter and welcomes him with a kind touch on the arm. "How was the human store like Hunter?" Her smile melts him. And Amity notices.

"U-uh- the store? Um-"

Gus inhales loudly. "Oh my gosh the store!! You went to a human store!!!" Hunter laughs bashfully as his two friends glee around him.

Luz smiles at him and Amity slides up next to her. "You okay batata?"

"Oh, yeah. Yes, sorry for worrying you too Amity. I just wanted to get him out of the house, y'know? I don't think he's doing as well as he pretends.. You guys have been through a lot."

But Amity was no fool, she stroked Luz' hair away from her face. "Maybe you needed some air too, huh?" But Luz pained a smile down at the floor. "You alright Luz? You were through a lot too."

"Yeah, I will be. I can- I need to work on fixing that portal."

Amity hooks her arm. "WE will work on fixing the portal." Luz eyes are full of gratefulness. "We're in it together." And kisses Luz' cheek.

"Yeah.." Luz smiles and looks at Hunter explaining what filthy food was to Gus and Willow. "We're in it together."

Vee peers at Luz and Amity from the kitchen. Behind her Camila is looking into the fridge with concern.

Vee thought to herself she needed to talk to Luz about the stress she had noticed in Camila due to the finances. But not now. Breakfast had to be made, and Vee enjoyed cooking, especially for Camila. It was a burden less for her to take care of.

Despite Amity's support, Luz couldn't shake off the mantel off responsibility.

Not entirely.

Chapter Text

The abandoned house were not far away, just down the block. It stood there just as they had left it. The ground still damp from the morning's dew. And the door still didn't work, no matter how many times Luz wiggled it.

Vee was at school, but it was better off that way. Luz had a feeling this last week of school was important to her.

She could only imagine what school had been like for Vee in her shoes. It must have been difficult to be known as the school nuisance. 

Gus looked at the state of the house. It made him uneasy to see the broken up wood, it reminded him of how they had left the boiling isles: in pieces.

Hunter stood in the door, watching Gus pick up garbage in the front yard. Watching the youngest member of the group wearily avoiding going inside.

The blonde lingered on the steps, not wanting to leave his friend alone outside.

"Oh, Hunter you can go with the others! I'm just gonna pick up all these nifty little things! I'm going to ask Luz what they are!" He held up a yellow plastic stick that once belonged to a tent.

Hunter only smiled at him and picked up something else on his way on over.

Gus appreciated that he came over. Standing before the house had thrown him in a dance with anxiety. Time had gone by so quickly, back then. He saw too much: Belos' memories, his world crackling into pieces by a manic god child, King saving them and being left behind.. The more Gus looked at the house, the more dread filled him. Was his dad okay?

He couldn't deal with it right now. He needed a distraction.

Hunter comes into his vision with a smile. "What do you think this is for?" He holds up the phone shell without the phone.

Gus ooh's at the object. "It looks like Luz' phone! Except the filling is gone. Maybe it is its shell! Like a clam."

Gus chuckles and shows Hunter the things he has found. Hunter looks down into Gus' shirt of items.

"That's a comb." Gus points out. "I don't know what that thing is, and I think that one is to decorate your ears with."

Hunter nods. "Impressive. You know so much."

"I wasn't the man in charge of the human appreciation society for nothing!" Gus grins. He realises Hunter might just be humouring him. "... Am I boring you?"

"No?" Hunter tilts his head, like it was easier to access his thoughts if he did that. "I enjoy seeing you excited. It's fun for me too." Hunter points at the one half of a kinder-egg surprise bulb. "I know that's plastic."

"So much of the human realm is made of it! They use it for everything! I have a whole collection of a plastic dining set back home-" Gus looks down into his shirt. He was surrounded by the human realm and he was picking up the trash like they were precious gems. He wasn't home anymore.

It was just trash here.

Hunter is wearing a white baseball shirt with red arms, he picks up one of Gus' items. To Hunter, it looked like a bracelet, so he takes off his glove and put it on like one.

"What do you think?" Hunter smiles at Gus. "Jewellery or armour?"

But Gus only stares at his hands and its scar. Hunter follows his gaze and removes the bracelet, putting it back in Gus' arms and slides his glove back on.

"Oh sorry!" Gus snaps out of it. "I didn't mean to stare- I just never seen you without your gloves I think, is... that why you wear them?" Gus' eyes jump around over Hunter, at the jagged ear, his cheek, and now the one on his hand that circled around the bottom of his thumb.

Hunter forces a smile but it only comes out as awkward and uncomfortable. "Uh.." Hunter doesn't want to talk about it and turns his gaze away.

"Right, sorry, I didn't mean to pry. I just... Your coven must've been really rough. I can't imagine growing up in it."

Hunter rubs his hand over his glove. "I guess? I never knew anything different so it was what it was."

Hunter can't stand the look Gus is giving him. Like he's a kicked puppy or something.

"I'm fine!" Hunter waves his hand assuring Gus that he was being totally honest. "Really! I live! Besides these aren't from the coven missions! Well, the one on my shoulder is..." He mutters, remembering a mission where an enemy nearly got him literally stabbed in the back. "But most of these are actually Belos!"

He heard himself too late. In his head it had sounded reassuring! Out loud it sounded horrifying.

And by Gus' expression to go by, it sure was a terrible horrible very awful thing.

"Aaaah! But! It's fine! He's dead!" Hunter made a ka-boom motion with his hands. "Splat! Gone!"

Gus gulped down his sickness.

Hunter wanted to scream. He was not being comforting at all.

"Hey guys," Willow peeked out from the house. "What's taking so long?"

"We are-" "We were-!" They looked at one another, pointed at Gus' shirt an in unison went: "HUMAN THINGS!"

Willow blinks, then laughs. And her laugh turn Hunter's ears rose-red and his heart into butterflies. Gus quirks a brow at his friend, observing his burning ears. Does he like-like Willow?

"Come in! we are going to explore the house!" Willow calls, waving them in. "Though the stairs to the upstairs has caved in."

"J-Just a minute! Thank you! Haha!" Hunter waves back. Once she's turned around he feels Gus' eyes on him. "What?"

"N o t h i n g." Gus snickers and heads towards the house. Hunter pouts, his ears hot as fire. He smooths them down with his hands in an attempt to cool them down, and follows Gus into the house.

Gus felt less weary of the house now. Strangely, Hunter's awkwardness had made him feel a little less alone. Like someone else was at loss of what to do.

The house was a mess of debris; nature outside had found it's way inside and everyone looked around at the barren but dirty rooms at the bottom floor.

There was nothing that made it feel special or magical, no reason to why the door should connect to the demon realm.

"I wonder why this house is the chosen one." Amity asks aloud.

"No idea." Willow gracefully swats her hand and a root from a tree outside sprung up from the floorboard to fill in a hole in a wall. "There, better." She says proudly and Hunter admires her skill from across the room.

Gus shakes his head at him and smiles. Wondering to himself if Hunter was just admiring her or if it was a twinge bit more.

Luz tapped her lips thoughtfully, opening a closet that only had a broom and a bucket in it. She groans. No magical portal there.

"I was kind of hoping all the doors might be magical." She groans and presses her forehead at the closet door. "How do we even begin to build a portal?"

Amity loops her arm with Luz' waist and turns her back towards the group. "I'm not sure, but we got a whole group of talented witches! Together we got this!" Amity curled a fist high in the air and the team shouted 'YEAH!'

Luz looks to Amity - She had grown so much, so confident. When she compared herself, she felt kind of useless. Like they had reversed roles now: Amity being the adventurer from another world, excited to discover new things and keeping an optimistic attitude! While Luz dealt with an inner turmoil of being a daughter to a hardworking single mother, and also making sure her friends didn't find out she helped Belos and- Titan, it was eating her alive.

She knew they would probably react like Hunter had. It's not like she knew Phillip was Belos at the time! But she felt so stupid. So so stupid!

Amity lifts Luz' chin up. "Don't lose hope." Amity says and kisses her on the cheek.

Luz smiles but releases herself from Amity's embrace. "Guys I- I have to come clean about something."

And all eyes were on her.
In her heart she stood on the edge of a cliff. The wind dragging and pulling at her clothes, pushing her toes over the edge, her shoes slipping on the pebbles brushing down into the dark pit below.

"I- I-"

She closed her eyes and said it. "I helped Belos."

The dark engulfed her.

"He was Philip Wittebane, the human who's diary I had been reading. I met him, in the past, with Lilith. I didn't know he was Belos! But I helped him find the light glyph, and the Collector. Without me, you wouldn't have lost your home. You wouldn't be stuck here."

She could not open her eyes. Nobody said anything. Nobody moved. She didn't dare look up at their faces either.

And sobbed. "I'm so sorry."

"Oh, Luz." Amity hugged her and Luz cried.

"That's not what happened." Hunter added, making the group turn to him for answers. "Luz, that's not how it happened. I was in Belos' mind with you, I saw-"

"You were WHAT?!" Gus gasped. "You were in his MIND?!"

Hunter raised his hands to calm him down. "Listen- Hold on- Luz. You didn't know Belos was Phillip. You were just helping another human-"

"And look what happened!" Luz cries out, her voice loud and broken and angry. Hunter lowered his hands. "Look what my helping does!! It took away everything! I'm so naïve and stupid! I'm so stupid! I was so caught up in adventure I didn't stop to think HEY, MAYBE DON'T HELP AN EVIL GUY FROM THE PAST?? But Noooooo, do I ever think?! Ever?! I don't!"

Luz wiped at her eyes with her sleeve, sniffling as Amity tried to soothe her. "You were right Hunter, I never think before I do things."

"That's.. Not really how I meant it." Hunter rubbed his neck.

Willow came forward to comfort Luz too, who had sunken down on the floor. "Hey, it's okay-"

"How can you say it's okay?! Look where you are! You can't go back!"

"Well neither could you! When you were in our realm." Gus argued.

"I didn't leave my realm in a state of- Oh, I don't know?! Doomsday!" And crossed her arms over her knees to sob.

But Gus came over anyway to squat down in-front of her with Willow.

"C'mon Luz... That's not like you." She sniffled and looked up at him. "You are Luz the human. Nothing's impossible if it's you! I still hold on to hope that everyone's safe. All we can do in the face of the unknown is to keep trying and have hope."

Luz bit down on her lip and wiped more of her tears.

Hunter watched as everyone comforted Luz and found his place on the floor next to her as well. A gentle hand on her back with Amity.

"It's not all on you." Hunter says. "We have all made mistakes- well, some of us more than others... If it weren't for me, Belos would not have the ingredients he needed to make a portal in the first place, too. Remember the selkiedomus?"

"Oh, yeah.." Luz sniffled and looked up at him. "But that's different, you were-"

"It's really not different at all." Hunter interrupts. "My point is; we can't do anything about what's been done. But Gus is right - we can do something right now, we can keep trying.."

He nudges her chin in a brotherly manner.

"Right now we can't lose hope. And the hope is not all on you, it's on all of us."

"Yeah!" Willow pumps a fist. "We got this gang!"

"Yeah!!" Gus stands. "We are the hexide squad! We got this!"

Amity touches Hunter's shoulder. "Do you still know the ingredients?"

Hunter blinks. "Oh, uh, yeah but... They're all on the boiling isles."

"Maybe the human realm has an equivalent?"

"Perhaps." Hunter pondered. "The lungs of a stonesleeper, a galderstone, palistromwood or palismen and the scales of a selkiedomus."  Hunter is happy to have remembered, but the faces of his friends were not so much. "What? That's what he needed."

"Isn't that..." Willow squinted. "Isn't there like a story about that?"

"Yeah." Amity stands, hand on chin. "That's about grimwalkers. My dad used to tell me and my siblings about that story, it's known folklore tale amongst abominationists and oracle witches." Amity itches her cheek thoughtfully. "I'm sure it said something about the moon, too?"

Hunter freezes. "W-What? It is a folktale? Why haven't I ever heard of this?!"

Gus watches Hunter intently. "You didn't know? I thought you read a lot at the castle..?"

"Not that! I weren't allowed books on wild magic stuff! He- Belos said it was-! I was-" Hunter stands, flustered. His friends watching him.

"It's alright Hunter." Willow pats him and he has to turn away from her to not explode with stress.

"No! I- He told me it was for the portal! He said he needed it for- I'm certain he said it!"

"Maybe he needed a grimwalker, then? For it to work?" Amity suggested.

Hunter's stomach twisted. "Wha- no? I, that can't be- No..?" But something crawled in his skin anyway. "N-No! No! He didn't! Grimwalkers aren't real anyway that's ridiculous!"

"You don't have to get angry Hunter, it was just a theory." Amity calmly pushes back.

"Yeah, well, it's dumb!"

"It's dumb?" Amity takes him up on the challenge. But when she sees Hunter backing down she inhales and exhales. "Alright.. Lets start over: Hunter, you are the only one who knows anything Belos did. Did he tell you anything at all about.. well, anything?"

Hunter shook his head. Luz got up on her feet, knowing well enough why Hunter got anxious and defensive.

"Anything is helpful Hunter, thanks." Luz said, wiping her eye. "And.. Thanks guys, for not thinking less of me."

"Of course not." Amity hugs her and Luz hugs her back.

Hunter swallowed. Now he was alone with secrets. Although he was glad for her sake. But being scared never helped him - Being angry did. So in a brash tone, he said: "Okay. We got this. I think-" Flapjack chirped and seated on his shoulder and any bitter-fuel he had mustered up puffed right bout of him. "Thanks Flaps, I'm okay."

Chirp!

"Yeah, no you're right."

Chi-Chirp!

"No, I can't think of anything... I asked once why he wanted to go through the portal, and he said he had been there before. But he's a human so, he was from here to begin with."

Chirp!

"That's it!" Amity gasps happily. "Belos was a human! He went through this portal! Maybe this was his home!"

"That's.. That's true!" Luz beams. "This house is really old. It looks like it has had some fixing done, but I wouldn't be surprised if its foundation was old enough."

"That's the spirit!" Amity cheers and kisses her cheek again. "Maybe we can find out who he was here? Maybe he left blueprints? If there are blueprints, then I can definitely work with it! My dad has taught me well."

"Great!" Willow exclaims, powered up. "Where can we go and find out about Belos?"

"Or, Phillip." Gus corrects. "Phillip what's-his-name."

"Wittebane-!" Luz slaps her forehead. "The museum! Maybe? Or library!"

"Library?" Amity's eyes practically sparkles with excitement.

"Oh, ours are nothing like the demon realm, haha, ours are.. err, preeeetty boring."

"Not to me!" Amity sparkles. "I will love it."

"Me too! Gus shoots forward. "I want to go to the human library!" And get out of this house.

"To the library then!!" Willow stomps.

"Library! Library! Library!" Gus chants.

"Yaaaay, libraryyyy.." Hunter tries to cheer and looks over at Luz anxiously. She nervously smiles back. Neither knows what to expect, really. Gus caught their glances and tucked it to the back of his mind. What was that about?

Perhaps Phillip Wittebane was a nobody and there were no records of him. If they're lucky, he was a prominent figure in Gravesfield. Though, by the state of Hunter, Luz wasn't sure if finding out a lot about Belos would help him feel better.

But to the library they went.

Gus looked at the house as they all left it. Like an echo with words in a language you didn't understand. He had always wanted to go to the human realm. The way he got here kind of ruined the fun a little bit- No. Bad stuff was not going to take away his joy to explore. This was not going to end him. His dad had always said that in the face of the unknown, you got to just keep trying. The last thing to leave a person is hope. And if Gus was made of anything - it was hopes and dreams that things could always go up again.

He was not alone. He had his friends. He needed them, they needed him.

Gus gave the house a though and determined gaze, like a knight before the cave of a sleeping dragon. "See you again soon, weird old non-magical house! We will figure you out!"

And caught up with Willow who was lingering behind with Hunter for him.

"Definitely." Willow agrees and Hunter smiles at him.

Gravesfield's library was a lot less murky and dusty than Amity had expected. There were no fire, just an old yellow glow from lamps that; had she been of this realm; would have recognised were hanging on for dear life not to pop and need exchange.

Aside from that, the ceiling was lower than the library she worked at and any 'secret' passageways were off-limits to staff only. Which Luz told her were just a space they had their own bathroom and ate lunch. Nothing fancy, just broken coffee machines and tired colleges.

The human realm was very docile in compared to the demon realm. 

Gus was having the time of his life though, which put everyone in a good mood. Especially Hunter, whom Amity had noticed was on edge.

"What's with you?" 

"What? Nothing." Hunter replied, staring out across the clean marble floors and spied at the humans sitting quietly in the café tapping away on their novellas and exams. "Just... Expecting an enemy, I guess."

Amity scoffs. "I don't think there even are such a thing here? Humans are so... Peaceful?" Amity tried the word.

Her and Hunter both squinted at the humans.

Everything was peaceful. The cultural contrast was very different from the Boiling isles.

"Yeah." hunter agreed. "I.. Guess?"

"That explains Luz I suppose."

"It does, doesn't it."

Luz was explaining to Gus how the library worked. Which was exactly the same as the demon realm so it wasn't particularly exciting. But Gus loved every bit of it.

"We are similar!" Gus squealed.

A nearby librarian hushed him.

Gus quieted down his squeal and shook his fists with delight.

Hunter smiled softly at Gus. "It's nice to see him happy."

"He's the youngest of us. Is he doing alright?"

"Yeah yeah, he just misses him dad, y'know?"

"Mh, me too." Amity strokes her hair behind her ear and then remembers not to do that. Her hair kept her ears hidden after all.

Hunter bumps his knuckles gently at Amity's shoulder. "And you? Are you doing okay?"

"I am fine." Amity says in her firm voice. Inhale, exhale. "We will get through this. Right?"

"Absolutely. We got your brains Blight, of course we will."

"Heh." Amity nods to him as thanks and he nods back.

It struck her how easy it was to speak with Hunter. Last she was alone with him, they were fighting over titan's blood. Now they were the unspoken leaders. With Luz going through some kind of self-deprecating spiral of self-doubt and guilt, Amity felt like she had to step into her girlfriend's shoes for awhile! Luz needed her! They all did! She was Amity Blight and she got this!!

No... Wait, Hunter was just the oldest. But his presence as someone to consult with was nice. It was matter-of-fact and down to business. Though it lacked the knives at the throat this time around.

Hunter was strangely... Brotherly. It made Amity miss her siblings. She had always turned to them for this kind of reflection. She was too worried about Luz getting more anxious over everybody if she checked in with her about these matters. No doubt would Luz go on a raid of trying to fix everything.

Gus was clever but Amity felt like he was someone to protect rather than involve in helping people with their turmoil, he was too young. Obviously a capable witch! But she.. Well, she also didn't know Gus like that yet.

And then there was Willow. The two of them had started to become better friends now, she was grateful for it. Though she knew Willow was physically strong and capable of taking care of herself - nobody needed to defend Willow that's for sure - But Amity knew Willow was sensitive and nurturing.

As big of a powerhouse as Willow had become, she wasn't emotionally mature to say and do what was- ... That was mean, wasn't it? Amity hadn't meant immature as something bad or less than herself! Well, maybe a little bit- but not in a bad way! Willow was still physically stronger and- It's not like Amity looked down on-! Agh! No! See, this was why she couldn't turn to Willow! It was Amity who was insecure about ruining the good trust that was there now.

And she didn't even know Vee. Vee seemed sweet if not a little spiteful. Even if Amity didn't understand completely why Hunter allowed her to snap at him the way she did, she could sense it was best to leave Hunter to it. He didn't seem as hurt by it as, say, Luz was over it.

Amity and Hunter follows the other trio down a section of science-fiction A-B.

There was nothing of importance here. Except for Gus finding a book that Camila also had in her home of some frontier galaxy something-something.

"Guys, me and Hunter will look for the history section. Catch up with us there."

"Oh! Uh, you sure you'll be alright finding it?" Luz' voice stressed.

"We will be fine." amity assures.

"Yeah, there's signs everywhere and humans don't seem very hostile." Hunter flips his hand up in a nonchalant gesture. Almost a little disappointedly or perhaps weirded out that they didn't.

"Alright.. Well, shout if you need us." Luz says and turns back to Willow and Gus.

Hunter and Amity's silence is comfortable. They look at the signs and point, briefly converses about directions and come to the history area. Everything looks just the same as anywhere else so they're both grateful for the signs and directions.

Both of them spent time in the boiling isles library and were familiar with what section was what. You barely had to look at the signs there, as the sections made themselves pretty obvious with both sounds, smell and aesthetics. 

But not here.

Just rows and rows of shelves, and signs and signs of letters and genres.

There's a man with glasses down the local-history section and Hunter recognises him from the store. As per automatic, he holds out an arm to shield Amity. He knows it's not needed but it's to sign to her that he's suspicious of the man. Amity looks at him, can't see any danger he proposes and gives Hunter a weird look.

Who gives her a look back.

Amity turns to look at the man.

Then Hunter again with a 'you're working yourself up. calm down.'

Hunter lowers his arm and Amity passes him to look at the shelves.

"Okay, what are we even looking for." Amity ponders.

"Belos? I guess." Hunter pulls out a book, it's about the graveyard of Gravesfield. He flips through it a bit before putting it back. "Or.. Who he could've been."

"Mh.. Do you know his real name?"

"Phillip."

"Phillip, right- I forgot. Luz told me- The uh, agh, what were he? An adventurer?"

There's a scoff from beside them from the strange man. "Are you kids doing a report on the witch trials? Heh, I know everything about that."

The duo hesitates. Looks at each other then, guarded, replies: "Oh?"

"Oh yeah I'm a bit of an expert! Yup! I work at the museum. We got a lot about the witch hunters that paraded around here. Lots of local folklore. That Phillip guy wasn't an adventurer he and his brother Caleb were witch hunters."

Hunter went pale. "He.. was?"

"Yeah! Well, until he and his brother mysteriously disappeared! It is said.." The man leans in. "That a witch took them into another realm! And it's said that she killed and ate him!"

The man was satisfied with the teenagers frightened looks. Impressed by himself to have spooked teens with his amazing storytelling for the dramatics.

Perhaps he really should write a book! He always wanted to write a book... He had a whole draft already made:

A novel about a man who is disbelieved by his town! But then the hero meets a little demon that reveals to him about the war of another realm and their evil witches plan of an invasion!
Only the hero can stop them...!! With his trusted, misunderstood, teenage sidekick, he will save the town!
And although nobody ever believed him.. He will do what must be done! He has to be the man they need...! He will be a martyr!
Nobody will know that he saved the day.. Just like a true hero, you do what's right because it's right!

"So yeah, I'm Jacob! And- Oh they're gone." Jacob's shoulders sloped. "Awh.."

Amity catches up with Hunter in the row of book next to Jacob. Hunter swallows and trying to stifle his breathing.

Amity approaches with a reached out hand to Hunter, who allows her to touch his arm.

Her eyes asked if he was alright, he nodded. Waving a hand as he let out a final big breathe. He throws a glance over his shoulder in Jacob's direction and swallows again. Another breathe.

Embarrassed, he gestures to Amity that he's fine now and doesn't need further concern. She lets him go but lingers her gaze on him.

They both see the top of Jacob's head move away from the history section and only then does Hunter truly relax. He rubs a hand against his face and grunts.

"He knew things Hunter, we should ask him more-"

"We know where he works, he said it was a museum. He's eager to talk, so, we can go there when we have prepared questions and are ready for it."

Amity folds her arms. "You mean when you are ready?" But Hunter only frowns mildly and remains silent. Amity sighs out. "Are you really alright Hunter?"

"Yes. I am fine."

"Really? Because you lost a lot too."

Hunter waves his hand dismissively. "Not as much as you guys. You guys lost your families."

"So did you." Amity sees the flash of panic in his face. "You lost your uncle-"

"He's not my uncle- I mean, he is- was-" He closes his eyes and pinches between his eyes. "Blight. Belos may have been my family but it's not as comparable to what you lost."

"Yes it is. It is to you." And Hunter's confident shatters before her. She sees him crawl into himself, someplace lonely and brooding.

When he crosses his arms and turns away from her she takes a careful step closer. "Last time I extended my hand to you, you started a fight instead."

Hunter sadly glanced her way.

"I am extending my hand again. Take it this time."

And Hunter sighs, strokes a hand through his hair a few times under the hoodie to adjust it. Fidget, before he can find a good response. But Amity is patiently waiting for him.

"Belos.." Hunter starts but curls his lips in. "He's not- He wasn't..."

But he can't quite find the right way to express himself and plays with the strings on his hood.

"He wasn't the person I thought he was. The person I lost didn't exist. And.. Now I will never get the chance to confront him about it or get closure." He scoffs nervously. "Not that I, like, would want to face him right now or anything! I just- I guess.. Someday.. Maybe.. I dunno. Did- Did he even like me?"

He swallows and shakes his head before his feelings can surface. "Anyway, eh Blight, you don't have to worry about it. I didn't lose anything important."

"Yes you did." she says and his red eyes meet her golden. "The person you thought he was were still real to you. You still lost that person. I'm sorry for your loss." And Hunter can't keep eyecontact anymore, he just turns away and adjusts his hoodie again.

"Thanks." He says flatly, not being able to bring himself further than that. But Amity understands and nods. "We should continue our search." Hunter coughs and begins looking for a book, any book.

Amity turns to the opposite shelves, back-to-back with him, to give him a little space. She can hear him sniff slightly and huff to gain composure. He wasn't as though as he made himself up to be, she thought.

Hunter's eyes fell on a book: Witch-hunters of Gravesfield.

He plucked it from the shelf, throwing a glance to Amity to see if she saw what book he picked. She hadn't. He read the back of it. Interesting. He looked through the index and saw a chapter about local Folklore; the brothers Wittebane.

Hunter's eyes widened.

He kept the book out of sight behind his back. He wanted to read it first. If there was anything implicating in there, he wanted to know first. It was exactly what they had been looking for but Hunter didn't want anyone to know just yet.

He had a right to know first.

He wanted to know who Caleb was.

But that meant sneaking the book to Luz, she had the library card. And tell her, somehow privately, that he wanted to read it before everyone else and share afterwards. Just as a precaution. Because if Caleb was a jerk, and then they found out he was a copy of him, then maybe they wouldn't like him either.

Maybe Belos had killed Caleb for a good reason.

Hunter had no idea.

He needed to know.

Besides he could share with them afterwards.

Hunter heard the murmur of teenagers nearby and amongst them he saw Luz. He didn't recognise the other ones though, maybe Gus and Willow were nearby?

"Luz!" Hunter waved at her, coming over. This was his chance to give the book to her in secret. Though Amity looked up and over.

"Ah- Hunter-"

Vee grimaced. Hunter realized too late that this was, in fact, not Luz at all and stopped mid-walking. But it was too late. Vee's friends turned to him: Happy to greet him.

"Oh! Who's this Luz?"

"uuhhh, he is aaa..."

"Her brother!" Hunter spontaneously lied and Vee shot him a wide-eyed glare of horror. Hunter shrunk nervously under her gaze. Lying was not a strong suit of his. Lying was easy when you were under a mask and had the authority of the golden guard. Here he was just a dishevelled boy in a hoodie and socially awkward.

"I- I am.. her.. brootheerrr?"

Vee closed her eyes in irritation. Then smiled at her friends. "Excuse me."

And grabbed Hunter by the arm, dragging him off to a nearby corner of privacy. "What's the matter with you?! Are you crazy?! Luz doesn't have a brother!" She hissed.

"We- but- they don't know that. It's just a little lie, how would they find out-"

"This is the human realm! They can find out that super easily on social media and stuff! You're going to make her look- I don't know! Weird!"

"Oh." Hunter sunk into his shoulders. "uuhh.. Coussiins.. then..?"

"Ugh." Vee growled. "What are you even doing here?!" She punched him on the arm. Not hard, but rough enough to let him know she was angry with him.

"I- we- I was-"

"We are looking for books on who Belos was when he lived here." Amity says behind Hunter and Hunter steps aside to let her rescue him, keeping his book out of her sight. "His name was Phillip Wittebane. A man from the museum informed us we can find out more about him there."

Vee goes pale. "The- The museum? You're going to- No, that guy is dangerous! He's the one who captured me!" Vee whispers, scared. She looks around frantically, backing up against the wall. "H-He's here? Jacob is here? Oh no- Oh no no."

"It's okay." Hunter tries. "He won't get you-"

"You've done enough!"

"I'm sorry." Hunter rubs his wrist. "I was just-"

"We're here with Luz' class! We are going to borrow books to read over the summer. Oh titan, is Luz here too?! Luz doesn't have a twin!" Vee was panicking and her form began to shift. "Oh no! Oh no no!" She thugged at her ears. "Oh no!"

"Vee it's going to be okay." Amity promises.

"No it's not! Everyone keeps saying that but it's not!" Vee backs into the corner and sinks down to the floor. She looked at her legs, how they wobbled and morphed. She couldn't hold form. "Oh no-"

Hunter squats down before her. "Vee, I'm going to pick you up and take you to safety, okay?"

Her teary eyes blinked sideways and she nodded. Sniffling. Hunter scooped her up and turned to Amity. "Lets go." He said and began to march off with Vee.

"Oh- OhOkayThen!" Amity follows, walking faster and ahead to read the signs quickly and steer Hunter and Vee to the fire-escape. There he placed Vee down on the stairs but her arms still held around him. So he shifted around to sit with her on his lap. Letting her softly cry onto his shoulder. Amity brushes her hair behind her ear, her boot still in the door so they could get back inside.

"Um... Should I get Luz?"

"No." Vee sniffles, stroking her eyes and breathing. She morphed back into her Luz disguise. "No, it's fine. I just got scared."

Hunter let her go and she quickly shoved herself out of his embrace, almost embarrassed that she had sought to him for safety. He stood with her.

"You- You idiot. Why did you lie like that to my- Luz' friends?"

"I'm sorry." Hunter repeated, voice low and apologetic.

Amity frowned. "Vee, I get that you're angry with Hunter for being the Golden Guard but you can't-" Hunter stops her. They share a look. She inhales and exhales. "Very well. Do you think you can go back and face your classmates?"

"Yeah.. Yeah I just- I want to avoid Jacob. Is he still in there?"

"He wont get you." Hunter says with confidence and Vee looks up at him, searching for a promise. "I will watch you, I won't let him as much as talk to you. I promise."

Vee nods. "Okay.. Yeah, okay. You do that Goldie." She wanted to say thanks but felt sheepish about it in front of Amity.

Hunter smiles and Amity purses her lips.

The trio goes back inside and Vee sees her friends look for her.

"There you are Luz!" They wave Vee back over and Hunter reluctantly is nearby with Amity. Her friends eye Hunter and Amity and then Vee, expecting to be introduced.

"Oh, yeah.. Uh... my brother and his girlfriend." Vee lies and both Hunter and Amity cringes at the same time, eyeing each other with mutual disagreement and disgust. Then squeamishly faces the other teens with forced smiles.

"Yep!" Amity says, slapping Hunter on the arm. "That's.. That's my.. Guy.. alright!"

"Yeah! Love.. Love this one!"

They were both in visible pain.

"Oh... Uh, nice!" Said Masha and turned back to Vee/Luz. "You find any good books then?"

"Y-Yeah. The ah, some thriller and spooky stuff!" Vee blushes, feeling a little anxious still but better when she was in numbers. She looked back at Hunter, who smiled reassuringly that he was going to stay guard.

Amity looks between them, not quite understanding what their deal was.

"Hey, Luz." Hunter says and folds out the book he had been manoeuvring around himself. "Could you borrow this for me? I forgot my card."

Vee's eyes goes from Hunter to the book. He's giving it to her with the backside up. She takes it and looks. The title has her frown and turn to him suspiciously. His smiles trembles, hoping she'd just buy into that it was for the whole group and not just him.

"Alright, sure." Vee tucks it in with her other two books.

"Thanks." Hunter breathes out. "Anyway me and Amity gotta find- er, our group. You have a good time, okay?" He notices the flash of worry in her eyes. "I will be around here. So if there's anything, just shout."

"We're in a library." says one of Vee's friends. "You can't shout."

"My sister can shout all she wants." Hunter throws back with a growl.

The guy falters and hides behind Vee's back.

"Don't worry." Vee says to her friend. "He's just protective. Thanks Hunter. You um... Have a good time too."

Amity and Hunter watch Vee leave with her friends. Vee looks tense and anxious and Hunter keeps his gaze on her the whole time.

"That was awkward." Amity shudders. "I want my Luz." And looks around to find her, and spots her, Willow and Gus spying on them around the corner.

Amity lets out a noise of relief and hurries over to meet them half-way. To catch them up with everything. But not Hunter. Hunter looks over at his group, then back to Vee.

When Vee looks over her shoulder and sees Hunter is still there, she smiles and relaxes. She and her friends borrow their books.

Somewhere beside him Hunter can hear Amity catching them up on what happened. But Hunter sees Jacob and starts walking towards Vee to get there before him.

Amity's voice fades into the silence of the library. The soft sunlight from the large windows reminds Hunter of his living quarters with Belos. Jacob's side makes Hunter see Belos in his place.

He was reminded of the good times, when Belos was just his uncle and softly welcomed him in the hallway. So pleasant. It was the person Hunter thought Belos was: A kind, kind of sickly, uncle who always enjoyed Hunter's company.

It was the illness that made him a mean and angry man. Wild magic hurt him. Had hurt everyone- or so Belos had him believe. But Hunter remembers his uncle as somebody kind. Someone benevolent and supreme, admirable and who saw what was best for everyone. A liar.

Jacob saw Vee and her friends by the counter, his eyebrows shot up happily and he raised a hand to greet. "Oh! Masha-"

Hunter stepped in his way. "Excuse me. Jacob wasn't it? Museum guy? Sorry my girlfriend pulled me away earlier, but I admire your work. Would you mind telling me more about it?"

It was like a dream come true for Jacob, he immediately forgot about saying hello to the person he knew. Finally, someone who wanted to hear what he had to say.

"What would you like to know kid?" Jacob smirked, completely forgetting about Vee; who had noticed Hunter distracting Jacob and saw her opportunity to push her friends out of the library with her.

"Your thoughts on the witch hunters of Gravesfield."

"Oh! Hohoho! You're in for a good time then slugger!"

Hunter squints his eyes, confused. "My.. name is Hunter though."

"Oh, yeah it's just- Yeah well you look like a Slugger!" Jacob scoffed and nudged Hunter's shoulder. Hunter gave him silence and Jacob winced at his own attempt to look cool. He wanted to be cool. He couldn't really impress adults, but teens were so impressionable! An army of little witch hunters! Now that sounded good to Jacob. He could be the rugged wise mentor trope in a YA novel, and Hunter could be his prodigy. Together they would have a bromance that was broody and full of-

"Well my name is Hunter." Hunter said. "Do you know about witches or not?"

"Of course! I actually have a theory that they're still amongst us!" He whispered.

"Uh-huh, uhm.. yeah? Do tell."

"Yeah! In fact, I caught a creature a few months ago! Though the lady I showed it to worked for Area 51, I'm sure. She took my creature from me but I'm onto her! I saw her in a parking lot two weeks ago!" Jacob grins.

Hunter kept his expression blank as he screamed inside. "OhYeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah!!" Jacob grins. "And I think she's using the creature to pose as her daughter! But IIiiiim oonto theeem! I have yet to find out where they live though."

Hunter stares. Jacob stares. Hunter stares. Jacob stares.

"You are a little crazy aren't you."

"I'm- NO?? I'm telling you! It's all real! And when you start seeing strange magical things happening, you should come to me and we can team up!!"

Hunter stares. Jacob stares.

"Aaaaand I think my girlfriend is calling. I'M COMINNNG!!!" Hunter yells back to the group who turns all around them and sees him with Jacob. Only Luz' eyes widens.

Jacob inhales and gasps, pointing at Luz.

"YOU!!! IT'S YOU!!!! THE CREATURE!!" The librarian hushes him and before Jacob can gets his wits about what was appropriate behaviour he runs over. Luz yelps and Hunter trips Jacob with his foot. Jacob falls flat onto the stone floors and Hunter runs to join the group.

Gus has to abandon his tower of sci-fi books as they all escape the library to return home.

Jacob curses under his breathe and sees them run outside.

"Damnit!"

Chapter Text

“The store?!” Gus’ eyes are shooting stars as he squeals and bounces around Camila. The mother chuckled.

They had only just returned home from their adventure when Camila and Vee stood by the car. 

Vee was in her disguise, hugging herself near Camila and seemed more than ready to speed back into the house.

“Yes.” Camila smiles at the boy. “I thought you should all come along this time. It’s easier than guessing what could be similar to what you eat back home. I thought perhaps if you saw , felt and smelled the food, you might recognise something.” She puffed out some weight in chest. “It is better than me guessing, anyway.”

Vee edged herself back to the house and Camila gave her a reassuring look, which seemed to help the slithering girl somewhat.

“Vee is staying home though, after what happened at the library.”

“Alone?” Luz asks, still alert even if she didn’t really need to. Amity held her hand to remind her of the conversation earlier: The human realm was hardly a threat.

But Luz knew better. Even if she couldn’t convince her friends right now, she knew the caliber of what a group of convinced humans were capable of. Perhaps Jacob wasn’t a threat, not alone anyway, and that was just it; crazy cooks had a tendency to attract similar types of crazy.

“Well, yeah.” Responded Vee and stroked her hair back over her human ear. “I’ve been home alone before. And Luz, you should go with. You’ve experienced the quizine of both realms.”

“But-“ Luz fell short halfway through her objection. It was true, she couldn’t stay and make sure Vee felt safe, or make sure Jacob hadn’t secretly followed them.

It would be cruel to ask humans-number-one-fan Gus to stay. So it was either Willow or Amity, probably Amity. Obviously not Hunt-

“I can stay.” Hunter volunteered and Vee rolled her eyes in annoyance. “We don’t even have to be in the same room!” He promised.

To everyone’s surprise Vee shrugged. “Do what you want. I’m gonna go inside, okay? I don’t like lingering out here.”

“Sure, you go do that sweetie.” Camila waves her in and turns to Hunter.

He looks up at her expectantly but he receives no warnings or stern talk-to. Only an appreciative smile. Her heart clenches with motherly ache when she sees his confusion. 

“Now Hunter, I’m sure nothing will happen. So try to relax a little, okay? A nap on the couch would be nice for you.” She gives him a parental look he wasn’t used to but still recognised as affectionate.

Hunter blushes at the nudge of concern. “Th-That’s quite alright. I’m not tired.”

When Camila pats Hunter’s shoulder, she notices him wince even when he tries not to. He caught himself too late and strained a polite smile her way before heading up the stairs.

Gus turns to Willow with worry, asking with his eyes if he should stay with his buddy?
But Willow shook her head no.

“I can stay too.” Willow suggests and Hunter trips on the last step. Smoothly catching himself.

“Uh- Oh? You don’t have to. I got it.”

“Better to be two. Can’t leave you to do all chores on your own, eh?” She winks and clicks a finger-gun his way. Hunter’s ears turn crimson.

“I-I don’t know what you’re insinuating captain.” He pretends but she only smiles knowingly and crooks him an uh-huh brow as she passes him on the stairs. He held his breath, she scented like vanilla tea.

“See ya guys later alright?” Willow waves. “Don’t forget to write and record everything, Porter! I want a full report, heheh.”

Gus salutes her with two hands to the head. “Absolutely Captain Willow!”

Camila leans to Luz, “Ah, is she a real captain or..?”

“No, no. Team captain at the flier derby team at Hexide.”

“Oh, right right… Ah, flier derby?”

“We’ll tell you in the car!” Gus says and then gasps, it dawned on him now that they were going in the human transportation. “CAR!! We’re going in the car!!” He turns to Hunter and Willow, pointing at the car like a mythical beast had just accepted his friendship. “Guys!!”

Hunter and Willow both chuckle at his excitement.

“Yeah! Lucky you!” Hunter scoffs, not feeling like he’s missing anything he wont have a chance to experience later. But still, his chest fill with calm and a soothing feeling when he sees his little brother- friend - friend… So happy!

“I know!!!” Luz helps Gus in and he practically throws himself scrambling into it. “Just wait ‘till you see the radio!”

“There’s a RADIO?! WILLOW! HUNTER! THERE’S A RADIOOOO!” Hunter laughs and displays a yaaay! with his arms in support of his excitement. Gus squeals as Luz puts it on.

Willow catches Hunter’s soft grin as all the car doors shut. “He’s adorable.” Hunter whispers. Willow tells herself it’s just the way the noon-sun is dancing through the trees and over Hunter’s face. It was just pretty, that’s all…. Though, she had never seen this side of him fully before. Only in the little glimpses that accidentally spilled out. But here, she saw him: Gentle and genuine. Soft to the core like honey on petals.

“Yeah, he is adorable.” Willow agrees, still looking at Hunter. They can both hear Gus going OH MY TITAN inside it and they laugh at his enthusiasm. Luz in the backseat cheering him on and Amity awkwardly in the front seat; looking like she’s going to die either out of being shotgun next to Luz’ mom or from being inside a machinery.

Her dad worked with machinery.

Typically you were meant to be ontop of the machines, not inside. If you were inside an abomination machine, you were guaranteed to get crushed if it failed to operate. Not even Kikimora was completely submerged inside her mecha.

Camila rolls her window down. “I told Vee to start dinner! Could you two maybe help her if she needs it?”

Luz presses herself out of the same window “OUR PALISMEN ARE WITH YOU!!” Luz shouted. “Watch them too!!”

Hunter salutes, Willow gives a double thumbs up. Camila nods and off the car goes.

The emerald duo gets inside the house.

Hunter swiftly goes to lock and secure every room before joining the girls in the kitchen. Willow was already chopping things and Vee was stirring and tasting the stew. Vee and Willow were in the middle of having a cheery conversation about human food when Hunter came in.

The conversation died on Vee’s part and Willow looked up to greet him. Vee just looked at him and turned back to the stew.

Hunter swung his arms and inhaled. “I- the house is secured! All locked up and I spy nobody in the bushes.”

“Great.” Vee says without looking at him. Willow gives Hunter a pitiful glance. Hunter wishes she wouldn’t look at him that way, he didn’t want Willow (for some reason he had yet to figure out) to look at him pitifully. It was different when Amity or Luz did it, or even Gus. But when Willow did, oh no , you might as well have knocked him off a rope into a sea of clowns. 

He wanted Willow to think highly of him! For some reason he suddenly found himself having a sense of pride that smacked him over the head and shouted what are you doing?! That’s not cool! Be cool! He just forgot how to function around her and it was getting worse.

“Right. Good.” Hunter affirms into the kitchen’s silence. “Do you need help with-“

“We got it. Right Willow?”

“Uhhh… Yeeeah um.. Hunter why don’t you clean and set the table, yeah?”

Hunter shone up like a newly sprouted sunflower at her suggestion, and Willow’s heart fluttered a little.

“I can do that.”

Hunter found a rag to wet down and swiped the table clean. Willow turned back to her vegetable-chopping. Vee pursed her lips and her ears sprouted out from the sides of her head. Willow glanced.

“Oh! That looks nice.”

“Huh? Oh- right, uh, thanks. It’s just… I usually am just myself inside the house.”

“No need to wear Luz’ face for our sake if you rather not.” Willow said.

“… You sure?” Vee asked carefully. “I mean, I know I can. It’s not like I need your permission.” She quickly added and Willow tilted her head at the younger girl.

“No, but I’m just saying that, erm..” She lost track of how to be supportive here. She wanted Vee to feel safe enough to be in whichever form she wanted! Perhaps it wasn’t the right thing to call it Luz’ face. “I mean if you want a face! You can have a face!”

Vee turned to her confused. “What?”

“I think she’s saying you can be whatever you want without judgement.” Hunter pops in and Vee inhales, turns to look at him with a hand on her hip. Hunter shrunk and kept rubbing a spot on the table.

“What happened to not being in the same room ?” Vee groans.

“Right, sorry, I can-“

“Hold on. Vee, c’mon, be nice. He’s just being nice.” Vee looks at Willow, unimpressed by her butting in. “Stop picking on him, it’s not nice.”

“Oh!” Hunter waves the rag. “No! No she’s not! It is fine! It’s just banter.”

“Yeah.” Vee agrees, steeling her eyes at Willow. “What he said: just banter.”

And Willow lowers her brows at her. “Listen Vee, Hunter isn’t-“

“I know he isn’t.” Vee hisses, her eyes turning monstrous. “But maybe lay off nagging me! All of you are always making me feel bad!”

Hunter slides his hands between them. “Hey, hey. Easy girls, look, Willow. It’s fine I promise.”

“See? He says it’s fine.”

Willow frowns and looks up at Hunter’s pleading face. But she just can’t stand seeing him get picked on and turns back to Vee.

“Vee, I like you. I get that you went through awful things but so has Hunter and-“

“Willow.” Hunter says in the most demanding tone she had ever heard in his voice, and it was soft, slow and gentle. She met his pleading face again, this time his red eyes were full of care. “Please.”

“…Alright.” She huffs, but doesn’t add an apology. Turning back to chopping things.

Vee looks to Hunter, who nods to her and returns to the table. Vee looks over her shoulder at him and Willow sees her. There was something in Vee’s expression that was apologetic or remorseful. She just couldn’t figure Vee out at all. Willow liked Vee, but she didn’t like or understand the… Banter.. She and Hunter had,

A pang of jealousy stitched into her mind and she quickly shrugged it away like a fly.

“… Have you tried peppers before?” Vee asks Willow in a friendlier tone. Willow observes that Vee is avoiding looking at her, and that her form is something half-way human half-way basilisk. But she was trying to mend the situation with Willow now, and Willow was not a sore person.

“No, I have tried cucumbers and tomatoes.” She said. “I left the peppers for Luz, she said she had missed them.”

Hunter smiles at the girls, glad the interaction hadn’t soured a potential friendship. He discreetly moved around them to get plates and glass for the table.

“Yeah, they come in different colours too! Only slightly different in taste.” Vee nudges the red bell pepper to Willow. “Try that one. It’s my favourite”

Willow slices a piece off and it makes a delicious crunch. “Mh!” She says. “Oh this is nice! Oh, human vegetables are the best. I like our veggies too but they don’t quite have the same bang of flavors as human veggies does. I mean, the luxury goods does…” Willow muses and looks at the bell pepper with ideas blooming in her head, there’s seeds in them.

Vee grins. “Right? I really like human food. And you’re right, a lot of human veggies taste the same as our luxury foods. So honestly it’s like a feast here every day to me.”

Vee looks at Hunter, who’s seated himself by the table after finishing, just kind of tuning in to their merry conversation. She wasn’t fond of how easily he blended in and became invisible with the background, but didn’t hate him for it either. He was just… He was just here now. And she was growing used to seeing his red eyes contrasting with her new safe home.

He catches her looking and their eyes meet, he looks down, fidgeting with his gloves.

Vee and Willow meet eyes and Willow has a please? In them that Vee lets out a sigh to. She knew Willow was right, it was just unfortunate that it came out the way it did; as though she was in the wrong. Just because Hunter wasn’t in the wrong (anymore) it didn’t mean Vee had to be.

“…Do you want to try a bell pepper Hunter?” Vee asks and Willow gives her a thankful smile. Which Vee feels a glad for. Relieved she hadn’t ruined the chance of making a friend in her. Vee wanted friends, after all.

“Oh! Sure.” Hunter stood.

As Hunter came around on Willow’s side, he spied what he believed was the red slice he’d seen her eat and plucked one from the little bowl.

“Oh no, Hunter. Those aren’t bell peppers.” Vee warns. “Those are chili peppers.”

“Oh.” Hunter looks at the little pepper. It looked shiny, fresh and tempting. “What’s the difference? These look like babies to the big ones. Are they?”

Vee snorts at his ignorance. “No, they’re not. They’re waaaay hotter. But they have the same crunch, so, I guess they’re similar.”

“I like hot stuff.” Hunter says in a cocky voice. “I like my beverages scalding and my soups bubbling. So if they’re practically the same but hotter, I don’t mind.”

“Uh-“ Vee realizes his misunderstanding too late and he’s chomped it. “Oh-“ And helplessly watches him chew it.

“Is it good?” Willow asks brightly.

“Yeah it’s not hot though—“

Vee squirms as Hunter’s expression freezes. “Yeah, no, not hot as in heat , hot as in spicy .” She corrects and Hunter coughs.

On his tongue spread a prickling he had never experienced before. He coughed as the spice he had swallowed clawed through his throat and down through his entrails.

Burning, to Hunter, was different than how others experienced it. He could feel heat, it was just that to him it didn’t hurt. He just felt the searing of it, but it never damaged him. He’d even grown fond of putting his hands in fire. It warmed him up on cold nights and it was cosy to him. But this? May the Titan be merciful on his soul. Is this what people felt when they were getting burned?

His eyes watered and he got stuck in a coughing fit.

“Hunter, are you okay!?” Willow was by his side, pitifully looking at him again. He waved reassuringly and moved to the sink.

“I’m F i n E !” Hunter wheezed, raspily inhaling as he ducked in under the sink to fill his mouth with cold water.

“Is that supposed to happen?!” Willow turns to Vee.

“No! Well- to some , apparently it does? Even to humans it’s difficult. But Camila likes them and- Hunter are you okay- Wait hold on!” Vee gets to the fridge and pours him a glass of milk. “Hunter drink this instead.”

Hunter lifts his head up.

Both girls stare at his ember eyes, they’re glowing. His breath heavy, he takes the glass and chugs it. It does feel better, momentarily. Vee fills his glass again.

“Try holding it in your mouth so it lasts longer.” Vee suggests and Hunter fills his mouth with it. Letting out a noise of relief through his nose, leaning over the sink.

Vee and Willow exchange looks of concern. He’s sweating a lot.

“Better?” Willow asks and touches his shoulder, he flinches a little but lets her, and nods. Willow looks at his shoulder with a hint of worry. Through his hoodie she can feel his skin burning up. “Really..? You’re burning up..”

Hunter swallows the milk and doesn’t think to keep the last of his glass in his mouth too, instead downs it desperately. “Yeah. I’m good.” He looks at his glass, not looking good at all. He keeps his mouth open, like heat was omitting from deep within his stomach and he was trying to get relief.

“That was the last bit of milk.” Vee says in a pained voice.

Hunter stares at her blankly.

then turns to the sink again and ducks his head in under it again. This time with his whole head.

Willow watches as steam begins to rise from his exposed skin. “Uuuhhhh.” That was definitely not normal and looks at Vee for help.

Vee frantically turns to the fridge, Willow with her. “Milk! Other milk products might help?! Uh- Yogurt? Cheese?? There’s a bit of-“

The sound of running has them both turn and see a trail of steam leave the room. Hunter ran upstairs with the speed of a former Golden Guard and had already locked himself into the bathroom when they caught up with him.

“Hunter??” Willow tries the handle, then knocks. “Hunter are you really okay?”

“YEP!” His voice shrouded in what sounded like heat, making him sound raspy. “I AM A-OKAY! Just need- water!”

Willow leans her ear to the door and hears the scrawny boy stumble around and into the bathtub clumsily. 

THUNK-DUNK!

“Hunter??”

“I’m okay! You can go! I got this!” Hunter did, in-fact, not. But he did what he usually did whenever he was wounded or sick or whatever else. Grab stuff that could help and hoped it did what was needed.

Like right now: he’d thrown off his hoodie and t-shirt, his socks, his gloves, his jeans and sat himself in the tub under a rain of ice-cold water. He hugged himself as nausea clogged his skull. He felt sleepy in a drunken way and felt his body slump and drag him down. He leaned down over his knees and groaned. Seasick as the feeling of a furnace in his stomach threatened him to hurl if he moved away from the cold.

Willow leaned away from the door. “He's not okay.” She frowned. “We gotta get in there.”

“I dunno Willow, I don’t think he wants us to see him like that. He seem to be-“

“So?! It’s his pride or his health!”

“Easy! Willow, he might just be- I dunno, allergic maybe?”

Willow’s eyes widened. “Then he definitely needs help! Steaming isn’t normal. Not for witches anyway.” She looks at the door.

Vee cringes, it strikes her this might be a grimwalk thing. She knew grimwalkers could withstand the boiling sea and the acid rain of the boiling isles. And Hunter had proudly announced he liked hot (heat) food. And spicy food like this didn’t exactly exist in the demon realm, at least not to this degree; and Humans took strange delight with extreme tastes. Whilst for a witch, they would only make something this spicy as a ploy to hurt someone, not to enjoy it.

The girls heard Hunter gurgle in there to what sounded like pain.

“Hunter?” Willow knocks. “Are you certain you’re alright? Maybe you’re allergic or- Or something?”

“No..” Hunter meekly responds in the cold splashing water. He sounded droopy. “I’m only allergic to sea-cloves.”

Vee snaps her fingers. “That’s just like human’s garlic. It’s the exact same thing, just different names!”

Willow blinks and turns to the door. “You are??”

“Yes…” His voice strained and low now. Willow tried the handle again even if she knew it was locked.

“And.. Does this happen then too?”

Hunter was silent for a bit. “Yeah, kind of? Not this bad though- hhh… Look, just- Just leave me okay? I got it.”

“Hunter-“

“I promise.”

Willow hesitated. “Okay.. But please call if you need assistance.”

“Okie-dokie!” He forced to sound cheerie to ease her worries but it had opposite effect.

At that moment the door downstairs opens.

“Weeee are baaaack!!!” Gus dances in with a grocery bag. “Where’s Hunter?! I got to show him the fruit we got!! He’s going to LOVE bananas!”

Luz scoffs. “That’s bananas.” She references to herself.

“Guys!” Willow hurries down the stairs. “Guys-“ But turns to Camila instead. “Mrs. Noceda! Are chilis dangerous?”

“Nooo.. They can be a bit spicy though, why?”

“Hunter ate one and I don’t think he’s okay.” The happy mood in the hallways shifts into concern. “He’s in the upstairs bathroom.”

Camila puts the groceries she held down on the floor, and without too much alarm she says: “Kids, put the groceries in the kitchen.”

“Yes ma’am!” Gus says and tries to carry all of them on his own before Luz assists him. Amity follows Camila and Willow upstairs to where Vee had transformed back to her Luz-twin self.

Camila knocks on the door. “Hunter? Are you alright?”

There was silence. So she knocked again.

“Hunter? Are you alright in there?”

“… No..” He meekly responds.

“Can you open the door?”

“No..”

“May I open it?”

There was hesitation but there was a small “okay.” From the other side and Camila pulled out her car-keys, flipped out a metal chip with the Frontier symbol on it, with it’s flat side she used it to pry open the lock from the outside and came inside without any force.

She saw the blonde boy, scrawny, scarred and.. steaming?

“Oh-!” She came over to him, thinking the water was too hot but felt that it was ice-cold. “Oh?”

Hunter looked ready to either faint or barf. “How are you feeling hon?”

Hunter breathed and swallowed. “Hot…” And his eyes rolled up into his head and nearly hit the side of the tub had Camila not caught him.

“Oh- shoot!” She caught him, the shower spraying her. 

Amity quickly came in to turn it off. Seeing Hunter only in his underwear had her turn away to find a towel and cover him with. She removed her socks to stand in the shallow water to help Camila get him out. But touching his legs made her quickly remove her hands in surprise.

“He’s boiling.” She commented and returned her hands to help him out of the tub. Leaning him against it instead.

Hunter’s eyes rolled back and he sluggishly blinked, trying to make himself wake up.

“Sorry, sorry.” He apologized. Amity detected the fear in his voice. “Sorry, I’m okay.”

“No no, you are not fine.” Camila said firmly. “How many chilis did you eat?”

“He ate one.” Said Willow in the doorway and that woke Hunter up a little. He lift his head and saw her. Amity noted the embarrassment in him as he pulled on the somewhat wet towel in his lap.

“Willow, why don’t you go downstairs and grab milk and yogurt, si?” Camila asked, having noticed the same as Amity. And Willow darted away like a bullet. Vee and Camila eyed one another and Vee closed the door for privacy.

Hunter grunted, hiding in his hands. “I’m sorry about this.”

“Hunter it’s alright.” Camila assured but the boy didn’t seem to think it was anyway.

Then she saw the steam arise from his skin. The cold water had kept it at bay but now it returned. As per nature of a mother, Camila pressed her hand to his cheek to feel his temperature and Hunter jolted away from her in surprise, nearly hitting into Amity.

Camila puts a hand over her chest as Hunter stares at her, somewhat terrified. Amity is shocked to see his red eyes are glowing. He swallows and sits back up, shoulders tense and high.

“Sorry.. Sorry.”

Camila’s eyes go down to his scars. The three ones over his back that slid down to his ribs reminded her of claw marks. Like something big and strong had held him. The more she looked, the more intentional most of them looked. Cuts, mostly. He couldn’t be older than 16 and had scars of a soldier.

Hunter must’ve noticed because he pulled the towel around himself and stared down at the floor.

“Hunter,” Amity calls.

Hunter grunts into his hands. “I’m sorry.. I’m just so hot. I can’t think.”

“A fever, then.” Camila suggests. “A very extreme one.”

Willow returns with the milk and yogurt and Amity stands to receive them but also shield Hunter from her view. They exchange a gaze and Willow throws a glance in his direction but decides not to make it worse for him and leaves, closing the door.

“Here, we bought more milk-“

Hunter’s glowing eyes fixate on the carton desperately and grabs it a little too hastily. He drinks the whole thing, the steam fading from his body a little. The clawing feeling of spice in his stomach drowned in a soothing milky bath.

Amity gave him the yogurt and Hunter began to drink it too, getting a yogurt moustache that he licked away. The yogurt seemed to help the most as the glowing in his eyes went away with the steam. He still looked nauseated though.

“Thanks-“ Hunter realized he’d eaten and drank two supplies of food on his own. “Uhm- um, I uh-“

“That’s alright.” Camila assures, about to rub his shoulder but catches herself, just deciding to lean her head down to catch his eyes instead. To show him she’s not angry. “I promise, I wouldn’t lie to you.”

And those words reached him. He sat up a little straighter, clutching the towel around him.

“Can you stand?” Amity asks, offering her hand to help him if he needs it.

“I got it. Thanks though.” He says and immediately wobbles back down to his knees, the floor wet and overestimating his own capabilities. Amity catches him and gives him a sarcastic YOU SURE? And he grimaces with annoyance.

She hoists him up.

His blonde hair dripping and flat against his face. She honestly feels bad for the guy and puts him on the toilet lid.

Camila wraps her bathrobe around him, a warm red one with yellow flowers. He worms himself into it and Amity looks away for his privacy as he removes the towel. Sure, he’s got underwear but…

“I’m.. Gonna go downstairs and tell the others you're alright. Okay?”

Hunter nods and Camila smiles. “Thank you. Oh and, could you bring him some clothes?”

“Of course.”

Amity leaves the two of them. The last she sees is Hunter looking somewhat sad and worried, with Camila kneeling down by his knees to talk with him. The rest of the conversation would be left to mystery and privacy.

“Is Hunter okay???” Gus bee-lines to Amity, his big brown eyes full with worry for his friend.

“Yes, albeit a little groggy I think.” She rubs her neck. “But fine.”

Gus sighs out.

“Gus could you get Hunter some clothes? I don’t know where-“

“ON IT!” And Gus is off like a little bullet, grabbing his palisman off the couch and flies down the basement stairs at greater speed than a bullet.

The palismen had all been napping on the couch and only now woke up to the commotion.

Amity smiles, then faces Luz. “Is he really okay?” Luz asks.

“Yeah. Promise.”

And Willow sighs with relief. “Okay, I was worried actually. When he started to steam and his eyes glowed- I wasn’t sure what to think?” She held up a chili pepper. “I nibbled one and, well, it’s not that bad at all? It’s just spicy but not unbearable.”

Vee sniffles and the trio of girls turn to look at the basilisk. Her eyes full of tears.

“Oh, Vee, what’s wrong?” Luz comes over and as soon as Vee receives a half-hug she begins to sob. “Vee? Hey, it’s okay.”

“He’s so stupid!” She sobs. “I told him- Kind of! What if he had died or something?!”

She inhales snot, holds her expression for barely a second before she morphs into half-basilisk and slithers into a pile on the floor. Luz kneels with her and hugs over her foster-sister-twinsie.

“Hey hey, it’s okay! He’s okay!”

She sobs into her arms. “He’s not okay!!” and then quickly lifts her head to face Luz. She’s a mess of wobbly tears and bubbles of snot. Hiccupping as Luz smiles at her.

“He is okay.” Luz pets her. “Mama and Amity said so.”

Vee quivers her lip and rubs her sleeve over her face. “Augh! I don’t even care!” She scowls at the ceiling, convincing nobody. “Who just- Who just EATS a WHOLE foreign thing?! Who does that?!”

Luz chuckles. “That guy does.” Teasing Hunter despite his absence. “He’s a little reckless but he’s alright.”

“Uuughh…” But she can’t fight it anymore and sniffles. She cared. “Idiot goldie boy.”

“Yeah, that’s him alright.” Amity smiles.

They had completely missed noticing Gus zooming back upstairs to deliver clothes. Hunter was hugging Gus around the waist as they sailed down the stairs to drop Hunter onto the couch.

The palismen began to buzz, purr, squawk and chirp and him. Hunter grunted at whatever they were all telling him. 

“There you go bud.” Gus assured as he patted his friend on the back. His blonde hair damp and shaggy from having ruffled it with a towel. He wore Camila's bathrobe on top of a white t-shirt and red sweatpants.

“How you feeling?” Asked Luz, popping her head out from the kitchen just in time to watch Hunter flop down from sitting to laying down on the couch miserably, and put a pillow over his head. “Rough, huh?”

Gus sits on top of the back of the couch, facing Luz. “He says his chest burns but otherwise he’s okay-“ Hunter groans. “He’s a little seasick too.”

“Aw, Hunter..” Luz coos and Gus gives her a head-shake of No don’t coo that’s not helping. And Luz trails her cooing into a repeated hum-hum-hum instead. “I see. Well, uh….” She looks at her mother.

Camila throws a blanket over Hunter while he’s hiding under the pillow. “Lets leave him here to rest on the couch for a bit.”

She eyes the scrawny boy and can practically see through the pillow what face he’s making.

“You rest up now, okay?” Camila commands coyly. “Doctor’s orders.”

“Mmh..” Hunter replies sheepishly.

Gus slides down to sit next to Hunter, leaning in. “I’m gonna go get you a banana.” Hunter lifts his pillow to face Gus’ smiling brightly at him.

“I don’t know what that is.” He replies croaking.

“You’re about to find out!” Gus bounces into the kitchen to get a banana for his friend, to get him to think of something else.

Hunter wasn’t sure he wanted to try anything new from the human realm for awhile. But Gus had really taking a-liking to all things sweet and he struggled to deny the boy his enthusiasm, and thus humoured him in trying a banana.

Luz watched as Gus climbed over the couch again, handful of bananas and some candy Camila had bought for Gus to share with Hunter. In the store, Gus had only wanted anything he could also share with his besties that were missing out.

Bananas for Hunter, because they’re yellow and Luz had said she and Hunter had brought up bananas before. For Willow he got apples and a snickers.

“Here! Here!” Gus’ cheered, followed by Hunter’s waning spirit.

“Oh hey this is kinda nice.” Hunter chewed on the soft fruit.

“Right?!”

Luz chuckled and shook her head. Camila was hugging Vee and stirring the stew she had worked on earlier. Luz softly smiled at the pair. They were really close, huh? She didn’t feel replaced or threatened by Vee’s presence in her home- or even by her mother’s treatment of her as a foster child (or just child in general). Luz had always wanted siblings.

Amity kissed her cheek. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Luz said and caught Willow looking out at the Livingroom with a worry in her that was failing to leave. “You okay Willow?” Luz and Amity teamed up.

“Oh! Oh, yes, just.. stuck in my head I guess.”

“Yeah?” Amity prompted.

“Yeah…” She glances at Hunter sitting up, eating a banana and seemingly feeling better by eating one. “Hey, guys, that was.. weird, right?” Luz crooked a brow at her. “He was steaming and his eyes glowed.”

“Mh.” Amity agreed, watching Hunter and Gus. “That was strange.”

Luz grimaced. “Is it? Does.. witches not do that?”

“No.” Amity adds. “And he’s… Half human, isn’t he? Since he’s kind-of related to Belos.” Amity emphasized the kind-of, as the choice of words Hunter used had bugged her. “Does humans steam?”

“No, we don’t.” Luz eyed Hunter, knowing well enough what it could be then.

“He aid he was allergic to sea-cloves too.” Willow explained. “Vee said they’re basically our version of human garlic.”

Luz’ eyes widened in alarm. What was he, a vampire?!

“Sea-cloves?” Amity hummed thoughtfully. Remembering the conversation in the shack about the ingredients to the portal Hunter had gone looking for.

Grimwalkers. The way Hunter had reacted to it in the shack played before her eyes.

Amity quickly lifts her chin from her hand.

Hunter’s red eyes softly watching Gus ramble on and on about the store. His red eyes.

“Wait..” Amity says and Willow turns to her. “Aren’t grimwalkers weak to-“

“WHO’S HUNGRY?” Luz blurts. “I’M HUNGRY.”

Amity and Willow turns to her suspiciously. Luz stands there, pretending to not be under their stare. Amity pulls Luz and Willow to the side, out of view of Gus and Hunter.

“Luz.” Amity says, and Luz curls her lips in, sweating bullets. “Luz .”

“I-I don’t— It’s not that I don’t know something but I can’t…” She trails, wageing something invisible in her hands. Then eyes her girlfriend and bestie awkwardly. “Eeehhh?” She tries.

“Is Hunter.. A grimwalker?” Amity asks bluntly, and by Luz’ wincing to go by, she was spot on. “Oh titan.”

“He’s a what?!” Willlow hisses quietly, but Vee turns to tune in on the girls.

“Pfsh! Noo! No! …No?” Luz desperately tries but neither girl is convinced. “Oh no .” Luz groans and squeezes her eyes shut. “Look, don’t tell him you know. He’s- I am not supposed to tell you, he didn’t want you to know.”

“What.” Vee joins. “You guys have a problem with it?”

The trio looks at the younger girl, whom they only associated with disliking Hunter. But as she comes to his defence, their image of her immediately changes.

“No.” Says Willow. “Of course not.. Just… They’re not exactly..” She tries to find a good word but can’t find it. So she turns to Amity for help.

“They are dangerous.” Amity fills in. “They were made extinct for a reason.”

Luz blinks, shocked and appalled. But Vee is quicker than her.

“So was my species. Look, Belos made sure a lot of things lost it’s true history. I don’t know a lot about grimwalkers, but if Hunter is any reference to go by; They’re harmless.”

Luz’ heart soared with pride for Vee. “Yeah, exactly.” Luz agreed and both Willow and Amity relaxes.

“Yes, you are totally right.” Amity agrees and Willow sighs with relief.

“Yeah, of course. It’s just a shock.”

“For sure but… It’s Hunter and… You know?” Luz gestures.

“Yeah.” Amity watches Hunter eat another banana, he and Gus engrossed in deep conversation about grocery stores, food, plastic and whatever or not the peel of bananas were edible. They concluded it was, but it was bitter and both of them approved of this.

“Should we tell Gus?” Willow asks. “I’d hate for him to be excluded on this…”

“I don’t know.” Amity puts a hand to her chin. “They’re very close… he might already know, and if he doesn't, I don't think we should burden him.”

“I think we should respect Hunter’s privacy.” Luz added, feeling increasingly guilty for not being able to persuade them otherwise. She really had to work on her poker face.

“Yeah.” Said Vee. “And lets pretend to be surprised, once he tells us.”

“If he does.” Willow adds. “He doesn’t owe us that, I think.”

Vee smiles. “I agree, he doesn’t.”

Luz nudges Vee. “Lookit you, huh.”

“What?”

“So, you two are fine now?”

Vee grimaces and both Amity and Willow gives her a look like she just scared away a deer from the backyard. “Luz.”

“What? I just meant- you know?”

“It’s fine…” Vee sigh. “Yes, it’s- I never hated him. I mean a little bit, to start. Look, guys, you really need to stop making me feel bad about it. Hunter and I already talked it over and-“

“Yeah, sorry.” Willow cuts in. “I think I get it now, what you meant by banter. You’re… Not there yet, but you’re getting there.” She threw a quick smile in Amity’s direction, who smiles softly in return, relieved things were actually going the right direction.

“…Yeah?” Amity strokes hair away from her face.

“Yeah.” Willow nudges her. “Though we’re definitely doing better than those two.”

“Oh that’s a relief at least.”

“Hey..” Vee pouts, but then chuckles. “Whatever.” And walks back to help Camila with the food.

“Oohh,” says Camila at Vee’s fluffy ears. “I really like this look you’re trying out lately. It’s a nice style.”

“Yeah? Thanks.” She blushes and fluffs her ears.

Camila turns to Luz. “Can you get the boys? Ask Hunter if he can eat in here or wants to eat out there.”

“Sure! HEY GUYS- Oh hi Gus.“

“Hi! We’re going to eat out there if that’s okay?” Over his shoulder she spots Hunter looking worried. Like he’d preferred to stay there and not eat at all, than have Gus go and ask permission to eat out there with him.

“Sure!” Camila says. “Lets eat out there then, si?”

The kids gather to get bowls. Though Camila gives Hunter a bowl of yogurt and bananas instead as stew has chili in it. She was surprised he could still eat, considering he had already downed down a whole carton of milk and yogurt and three bananas.

She remembered his scrawny figure and didn’t want to think about the boy’s eating habits (or lack thereof).

Hunter is sheepish, but he’s doing better than he did. Bananas and yogurt really seemed to do the trick for him. Willow took her place next to him on the couch. Hunter was not discreet in the way he glanced her way and squirmed into the bathrobe to shy away from her presence.

When she asked if he was okay, because his ears were turning red, Hunter’s voice cracked in reassurance that he was totally absolutely 100% fine and the redness was just aftermath.

Everyone else could tell the real reason though.

Luz eyed Amity like ‘are you seeing this too?’

‘Oh, I’m seeing it alright.’ But had to add a ‘don’t meddle.’

Luz only gestured back a ‘who knows?’

‘Luz.’

‘I’m not saying I will! Won’t commit to a I won’t.’

Gus sipped his juice as he observed the couples silent conversation. ‘Oh no you don’t. ’ He thought.

Chapter Text

Jacob read the comments on his blog over and over again. He had made a new entry last night and received four comments. One of which was clearly a troll (that he engaged with anyway).

The other two other were:

[ I love that this blog writes from the perspective of the supernatural being real, it’s so immersive.]

And,

[ Nice !]

The fourth and newest comment was a reply to the first one, which was from his ex-girlfriend who broke up with him for being too obsessed with his ”conspiracy theories” over the local legends of Gravesfield.

[ Actually he’s 100% serious. ]

Jacob grunted and deleted her comment.

He opened her brightly coloured pastel-goth blog and saw photos of her going out with her friends. He sighed. Jacob missed that big, pink, curly wig. He could still find plastic cupcake rings around his apartment and he’d sob into his takeaway coffee.

It was bad enough that his ex’s younger sibling, Masha, was going to work at the museum over the summer too. By the reception. But that was a week after the kid’s summer break started.

Jacob looked in his calendar, he’d written that down somewhere. Oh yeah, tomorrow was friday, last day of school. Good for Masha, they had looked forward to it.

His ex was a lot older than her sibling was, she took care of them as a legal guardian.

Jacob remembered watching her favorite Disney movie: Lilo and Stitch, and understood the parrarells of their situation with the movie.

He thought of himself as the surfer dude.

Obviously.

Perhaps not as handsome or easygoing but Jacob had tried.

He didn’t hate Masha or anything, he just couldn’t help but think his ex had talked them into working there to keep an eye on him. Which… Granted, felt nice that maybe she still cared about him?

But not care enough to not leave discouraging comments on his blog! Apparently! And would it kill her to maybe be a little supportive of his hobbies? He supported her sugar plum collections of tiny plushie figurines. At least his hobby protected the town from an evil invasion of witches and demons!

Nooooo, can’t support that! Nooo, that’s crazy! But sending her little sibling to look out for him, suuure! That’s so much more mature! Ugh..

He began typing something mean under her photo. But kept changing what he wrote until he just sat there, staring at her happy face.

[ Looks like girls just wanna have fu-un! ] he typed out and hit send along with a sunglass emoji.

Jacob groaned at his own cringe. Why couldn’t he just be cool? He had never been cool, just a weirdo that was into books and history. He had no social life before he met his girlfriend and now that they had broken up - his friends seemed to distance themselves too, as they were her friends to begin with.

He looked back at the screen, to her, and felt suddenly very aware of how lonely his office of trinkets and mysteries felt.

Was his obsession really worth losing all of that? He had a taste of what life could be like. But in that life he wasn’t special or chosen or a mysterious cloaked noir guy who uncovered the town mysteries and got the girl! In that life he was just.. Awkward Jacob, normie boyfriend who liked milk in his coffee and nothing else, was satisfied with ham and cheese and watched cult-classic shows rather than the new ones.

Why couldn’t he have the best of both worlds? Why couldn’t he be really into stuff that made him someone cool, and also have his girlfriend? Like a double life! Every hero has to have a double life!

What was so bad about wanting to save the town anyway? Who breaks up with someone, just because of an arrest?! He had shown her the video! How could she not believe him?! It was right there!

Jacob slowly sunk his head onto his desk.

He had to get back to work. Well, work . His own personal work, that is.

Jacob got into his youtube and read the comments under the video he released of Vee. Blurry, bad quality, but obviously not faked. At least it was obvious to him. He knew the truth. But the comment section all pointed out how it was CGI and how obvious it was that it was fake.

He needed real evidence. Real proof. He needed to capture the creature again.

Jacob had seen her at the library with some kids. Did they know what she was? Probably not. What if the beast was feeding off of them?! Eating their essence, their blood, their life force?!

He had to save them! They were in Masha’s age, too. Which meant his ex-girlfriend’s sibling might be in danger.

Regardless of the breakup and how things were going, Jacob did care about the two of them. A true hero did the right thing!

Jacob turned to a poster of Buffy the Monster slayer.

”Oh Buffy, we’re really in it now.”

Hunter was pulled out by his hand from the darkness. He gasped.

This was not how it happened, this was not how he came to be. Hunter remembers being small, being a child, he remembers a life with Belos. He remembers being at least four-five years old at some point.

The imagery of grimwalkers being pulled out as adults wasn’t correct. He knew this, because he had been small once.

So he knew, instinctively, that this was false and not his birth from the ground.

But the thing about dreams is that it drunkens your common sense, it can think; “That’s not right, hold on a minute.” And the dream adjusts accordingly to something that does make sense, and with the wits of your drunk senses responds with; “oh yeah! Yeah that’s better.” And allows the charade to continue its display.

Which, unfortunately for Hunter, was for the dream to shift him into a vision of Belos’ mind and the hallway of grimwalkers. Because that made more sense to Hunter. That was something he knew was real.

“Wait..” He took a step back, but when he turned, the other way had turned into an extension of the mind-graveyard. “Wait, no.” No matter where he turned, there was another hallway of past golden guards.

“Hunter.” Said a voice and when Hunter turned to whom the voice belonged, he saw a specter of a man in a torn sleeve shirt and ponytail. Above him floated a bleeding knife.

Hunter, alarmed but not afraid, watched the ghostly figure. He didn’t need to ask who he was. Hunter looked almost exactly like him.

“Caleb?” Hunter asked. 

”Hunter.”

Hunter let out an in-dignifying snort and sat straight up from where he had dozed off on the couch, again. The palismen purring softly at his side. ”Yes??” He looked up at Vee, who squinted at him.

”You really need to get better sleep.”

”I am-” But before he could continue she handed him the book about Gravesfield. He gasped. ”Thank you!” And took the book to stroke its cover.

”No problem. Figured you guys needed it anyway.”

”Yeah..” Hunter looked it over. Flapjack chirped. ”I know Flap.” Hunter hid the book under a magazine.

Vee spied out over Hunter’s little office of pencils, papers and a few ad-magazines of food and various other household items. ”What are you doing anyway?”

”Oh, I’m taking notes over our inventory.”

”Our what?”

”Inventory. You know, food, clothes, shammpooo…” He squints at the word, not finding it on his list. ”The hair soap, thing.” He shrugs and scribbles it down next to the conditioner with an extra o. 

”Mrs.Noceda has these magazines in the kitchen, I saw her cut some of them out.” He opens to a page that has coupons cut from it. ”I asked Luz about it and she said you use them to make things cheaper. So!” Hunter proudly taps his list with the end of his pencil. ”I am making an inventory, to help out! Matching with the coupons.” 

He goes through the list for her, it was mostly food like meats and beans. ”I was thinking we should start saving the seeds, so Willow can plant them in the backyard. We should ask Mrs.Noceda if we may dig back there and farm veggies. We will save money that way. Protein is important, so we need to focus on putting our snails to buy that first and foremost...”

Vee looks out the window, where the rest of the gang were already busy digging up a quarter of the backyard. Didn’t they talk about this yesterday at dinner? Maybe Hunter didn’t pay attention due to the chilipepper incident.

He itches his chin thoughtfully. ”Unless someone doesn’t eat meat… Do you eat meat?”

”I eat meat.” Vee informs. ”You should know that.”

Hunter grimaces. ”Right- yes, well, some people change their diet. I didn’t want to assume.”

Vee lifts a palisman out of the way to take a seat next to him. He was good at all of this but he was terrible at what they actually were.

”Why have you written that the vacuum cleaner needs ten new bags?”

”I figured it isn’t working because it has no belly. I opened it and the belly was full. I figured it needs new bellies. There’s a one-time offer right there.” He flips open to a page of cleaning supplies. “Figured it was best to take the offer. It’s a one-time only chance!”

Vee stared at him. ”No, it’s- No, Hunter you just need to empty it.”

”What? But it’s not working.”

”It does work, if you plug it in.” Hunter gave her a Whuh? and she chuckled. ”Humans use electricity to charge up their things. If there’s something that should be on that list, it should be to always turn off the light after leaving a room.”

”Why?”

”Because electricity costs money. It’s not like the fire magic-bulbs that exist in the demon realm. Here they use lightning as energy, and it costs money.”

”It does?!”

”Yes! It does! The more you use it, the more it costs. That’s part of the bills humans pay every month-”

”Every month?!”

”Yes Hunter, every month. Camila works so she can pay off the bills.”

Hunter watches Vee with an almost terrified sadness. ”What…Else are on the bill? Is she in debt to someone?”

”It is just kinda how the human realm works. There are services that provide things like electricity and for that service to continue, you have to pay each month. And if you use more or less electricity that past month, the amount of pay you have to give is different.”

That was horrifying to Hunter. If you needed electricity to cook, stay warm and help people then why wasn’t it an easy and cheaply accessed source? In the demon realm, energy sources had easy access, it was free and magical, and for those like him who were without magic - You only needed to install an energy bank once (like anyone else) and pay someone who could do fire magic fill it up, and then that would circulate forever in the tubes of your home. If it broke, you paid to have it fixed.

But having to pay every month for access?

That sounded almost cruel to him.

”I see..” Said Hunter and looks at his notes, writing it down. Vee gives him a moment to write, then he points at Flapjack. ”Flapjack, could you make sure all the lights are off in the house? Unless someone needs it.”

Flapjack chirps and flies away.

”Uh, we don’t have to live in darkness Hunter. We’re doing alright.”

”It is a waste of money if nobody's in a room.”

“Sure but, uh…” She tilts her head at him. “What are you doing?”

“I’m making-“

"Yes, but why ?”

“Because it is necessary?”

“No? Let Camila do it. She knows better what is needed.” Vee had tried to do similarly when she was found out as a basilisk. She had been so nervous about deserving to be there, having lied about being Camila’s daughter of all things. But Camila was kind.

Vee and Camila had talked about it; it concluded that Camila kept her in the loop of the state of affairs of how things worked and why. So Vee knew how bills worked, not to pay them herself, but to understand. It helped to understand. It gave her a sense of responsibility and control of how to contribute to the home without doing much else than- well, be there as herself.

There was no stress. Just awareness.

“Mrs.Noceda does a lot for us already and I want to help out. I was thinking I could figure out what our incomes and outcomes are and inform the others, so that we do not make it more difficult for her.”

“That’s very nice Hunter but I think it’s better you talk to Camila about it.” It was better for Camila to have that talk with him, like she had for Vee.

“And embarrass her? No, no no. I won’t do that. Besides, I’m good at figuring out what is needed. I’ve done that my whole life. It’s my job to know this stuff. If I don’t know it, I’ll will figure it out, don’t worry.”

“Your.. job?”

“Yeah! As the- uh, the.. um…. You know.”

“The golden guard.”

Hunter turns to his notes. Yes , as the Golden Guard. But his title and his role as nephew sometimes merged. They were so difficult to distinguish sometimes. They both felt like work.

“Look Vee, I just want to avoid any problems down the line.”

“Such as?”

Hunter shrugs, avoiding her and remaining silent.

“Such as?” She presses again and he gives her a sour glance before returning to his notes.

He didn’t want to explain to her that; if they didn’t heed to Camila’s needs they might get punished. Hunter knew Camila was a lot nicer than Belos, it was something Hunter considered lucky. He did not want to lose such luck by taking it for granted. He had a feeling Vee would argue with him on that note, and thus decided not to explain or argue at all. Sometimes choosing to be stubbornly silent was the best option, even if it could be socially strange to do so.

Vee was surprised he gave her such a sour look, he’d never dared to before. But she supposed it was a nice change.

“Suuuch assss whaaat probleemms?” She turned into a basilisk and flopped over his back and shoulders.

Hunter grunted at her antics and shrugged his shoulders a few times so she slid off and fell behind his back. He moved out of her way and she chuckled at him. He really wasn't going to do anything, was he?

“Suuuch assssss?” She shapeshifted to look like him, grinning. He turned to respond to her and yelped when he saw himself.

She laughed and transformed back into Luz. “Hahaha! You should’ve seen your face Goldie! Hahaha!”

Hunter grins nervously and shoves her lightly. “Don’t do that.”

“Why not? Can't stand seeing yourself?” She shapeshifted into him again, but started making silly faces, so it didn't remind him of his dream. This time Hunter only smiled sadly and chose to ignore her antics by leaning back onto the couch and flipping through his notes.

She pouted and turned back to Luz-twinsie-self. Poking his cheek. He sighed and slowly turned to her. Her smile curled like a cat, fluttering her lashes at him all innocently.

“Are you perhaps bored, Vee?” Hunter asks, smiling at her.

“Very.” Vee grunts and slithers onto the floor with a groan. Tomorrow would be her last day of school and it made her nervous. She could have been with the gang, had Luz not asked about what they’d all do during spring-break together. Vee was excited, sure! Great ideas! But… It made Vee anxious, too.

“Where’s Luz?” Hunter looks around, hoping the middle-child would be up to something that Vee, the youngest, could join. Knowing Luz, there was always something going on.

Hunter had to shake the thought of the three of them as siblings out of his head. That’s not what they were. He couldn’t insult them like that.. Siblings with him? Hah! They deserved better. He hadn’t earned a position like that. He had barely lived up to being a nephew , after all. Hunter couldn’t think of what this space yet meant or represented, but it was good enough for him to consider it something precious and worth protecting. A kind of light that let him sit nearby and warm himself. Maybe someday, if he was good enough, he could be part of it.

“Uuuhhh….” Vee squints towards the window. “They’re out in the yard I think. They’re digging it up-“

“What?! Did they ask permission?” He stands, papers and awoken palismen flying.

“I dunno, I think so?“

“You think or you know ?”

“Uuhhh….” Vee wasn’t sure now. She had been sure before, but now she wasn’t.

Hunter climbs over the coffee table and charges out the backdoor. Everyone turns to him and waves, but it falls flat when they see how stressed he is. They had already dug up a corner of the backyard. Hunter squeaks.

“Hi Hunter, what’s up?” Gus continues his wave. “Look-!”

“DID YOU ASK FIRST?!” Hunter hurries over, inspecting the turned up earth.

“Uh, I’m right here Hunter.” Said Luz happily. “I said it’s okay and-“

“Asdfg DID- ! DID YOU ASK YOUR MOM?!”

Luz leans onto her shovel. “I talked to her about this yesterday. Hunter, you were there. Did you not pay attention at dinner?”

Hunter stares at her. “Apparently not! I did not hear her say anything affirmatively. She said That sounds fun . That does not mean Yes, go dig up my yard tomorrow while I’m away on errands! ”

The group looked at him thoughtfully and exchanged looks. Behind him Vee is twirling a finger next to her head and mouthing ‘he just woke up.’

“Uh, Hunter, Buddy.” Luz puts a hand on his shoulder and he almost shrugs it off but catches himself in time to not do so. “…Dude, it’s okay. Mom won’t get mad. This area used to be dug up before too, look.” She stomps the ground for emphasis. “We always meant to have a little farming area here, she and I, it just kinda fell out of priority for a few years.”

Hunter’s ears turn down as he looks down at the old wooden planks that were half-buried in the grass, marking where there used to be a tiny area for farming.

He grunts and rubs his face.

“Please ask for her permission first, just to be safe.” He huffs. “On your scroll-phone-thing.” He pats his chest, his pockets- ah there, his pen and notes. “Her number is 065-“

“Ooookay.” Luz pats him again, on the chest. “I have her number- Are you okay?”

Hunter blinks. “Yes? I’m just…” He eyes the rest of the group who are also looking at him a little funny. “What?”

“How are you feeling today anyway? Do you still feel a burning in your chest?” Asked Amity, referring to yesterday’s incident. 

“No,” Hunter blushed. “I am fine? I’m fine. The bananas helped.” He clicked his pen. “Bananas!” And scribbled it down, turning around to return to the house. Then stopped, and turned back in a circle to face his friends. “I need to go through this list with you guys later, by the way.”

“List? What is it for?” Asked Luz.

Vee decided to reply for him; “He’s gone crazy and he wants to take all the lights out in the house.” She chuckles.

“Wha- No! That’s not it at all! That’s not-! I’m not crazy. This is important.” Hunter wags his little notepad.

“Yeah, yeah. He’s just documenting all our incomes and outcomes. He thinks we’re going to go broke or something.”

“No I don’t! I never said that! I’m just- We are a lot of people in this household and we are an expense. Mrs.Noceda is the only breadwinner here and we need to respect that as best we can by not being wasteful of resources.” When Vee gives him an uh-huh look - Hunter gives her another frown of mild annoyance.

“I think that sounds good, actually.” Said Amity, dusting off her gardening gloves.

“Thank you Blight! See? Amity agrees!”

Amity smiles, “Perhaps we should talk to Camila about what-“

“NO!” Hunter’s eyes widened. And Vee gestured at Hunter like this is what I meant by crazy. “We can’t tell her!”

“Why not?” Asks Luz, even more confused than anyone else. Knowing her mom had grown quite fond of their new home situation and would most likely welcome an effort of awareness - if only to help her out with what actually works and what doesn’t. Knowing Hunter’s allergy to chili pepper and garlic was, for example, pretty helpful. And Amity having a bit of a lactose intolerance too, there could be other things.

Hunter laughs. “Because she’s going to think we’re stupid if we don’t already know.” But nobody else laughed. Hunter’s grin waned. “She’s… I mean she is going to…” He saw a small head-shake from Gus and a worried look from Willow and Luz. He turned to Amity for another agreement but found her looking at him with a somewhat sad but understanding expression.

Hunter looks down at his notes in his hand. “Anyway, uh..” He coughs. “We need to turn the lights off when we exit a room from now on as it takes.. energy, it’s a waste of money.”

“Huh? What, why?” Says Gus, who was just as ill-informed as the others about electricity.

“I’ll explain later.” Says Vee. “Hey, Goldie, why don’t you go back in and nap, eh? You look like you need it.”

Hunter was getting a new habit of half-heartedly frowning at her and Vee thought it was very amusing. He mutters something about not being tired.

At that moment, Flapjack lands on his head, followed by the other palismen gathering by his feet.

“Oh, all clear flaps?” He asks his best friend on top of his head. Finally turning back around to re-enter the house. “And you guys?” He asks the other palismen.

Amity’s cat mew at him and he chuckles.

“Good! At least you guys are with me on this right?” He conversed with the palismen and to everyone's surprise, there seemed to be an actual back-and-forth conversation with them and Hunter.

Hunter says something about cornflakes as he disappears into the house. The group eyes one another.

“Is he like… Talking to them all?” Gus asks.

“I think he did.” Willlow nods, just as weirded out as the others. “And uuuhh, should we be worried about him? He's coping the least well out of all of us.”

“Oh you don’t even know half of it.” Gus huffs.

“What do you mean?” Luz asks, sticking her shovel into the earth to make it stand by itself.

“He barely sleeps. I think he’s having nightmares but he won’t talk to me about them. He just says he’s fine, but I don’t think he is doing great..."

Vee looks at the house. She regrets waking him up earlier. No doubt was he going to be pacing around the house and make useless lists (like she had once).

Amity sighs. “Isn't it obvious?” They turn to her. “I mean… Hunter was kind of sheltered, wasn’t he? From the little I understand, his role as nephew was hardly any different than his title as the Golden guard. Evidently, he wasn’t treated well and I’m sure that’s difficult to adjust away from. And regardless of his home situation, his uncle still died before his eyes. Not to mention the whole grimmmaaaaaa-baba-bam! Badada, ahaha!” She caught herself and slapped a hand to her cheek. “Ohhhhhhhh! Thaaat cloouud looks liiiikeee a tooth.. fairyyyyy-!”

Gus stared at her. Then at each one of them. They all looked incredibly suspicious and sweaty all of a sudden. Muttering nervously about the cloud sure does look like a creepy tooth-fairy!

Unimpressed with their cover, Gus sighs. “Youuu know he’s a grimwalker. Don’t you.”

“You knew?!” Luz gasps.

“Well, yes. I saw it by accident when we fought Belos.” He taps his earring. “I saw into Belos’ mind. I saw him.. Kill his brother and, uh, make a grimwalker. I only saw it in quick flashes but I picked up enough to piece it together coherently. I didn't know you and Hunter were in his mind though, I didn't connect that until you two said it the other day.”

“Oh, Gus. I’m sorry you saw that.” Said Luz, extending a hand for him. Gus smiles at her and gesturing that he was alright with a wave of his hand.

“It’s okay. I saw some… Other stuff too. But- Look. Let’s not confront him about it okay? I have thought a lot about it, I don't think he wants us to know. Yet. I think he should get the chance to bring it up himself.”

“When he told me,” Vee admits. “He made it pretty clear that it was something he thought would ruin your opinion of him.”

Willow’s heart broke at that and she looked over at the house. “In that case, shouldn’t we let him know? I don’t want him to go around thinking we would hate him.”

“Um, actually I-“ Gus started but was interrupted.

“How would we even go about doing that?” Amity prompts, squatting down to pull out some weed and puts it in a bucket with the rest. “Hunter is pretty private and I agree with Gus, I don’t think he likes being confronted.”

“Actually I think we should-“

“MAAAyyybee! we coooouuuld…” Luz ponders, then lights up. “Spin the bottle!”

The hexsquad looked at her confused. 

“Spin the bottle?” Willow asks. “Oh! Is it another human thing?” To which Gus gasped happily.

“Yes!” Luz grins. “You spin an empty bottle and whomever it lands on gets asked truth or dare! If you choose dare, you’re asked to do something! Usually embarrassing.. But we don’t have to do that. Or you choose truth! And then you have to share something truthful about yourself!”

“How would that make Hunter tell us?” Asks Amity. “Just because he’s prompted to share a secret it won’t mean he will share that he’s a grimwalker.”

“Well, if we all choose truth and share something, uh, compromising about ourselves, and we show support for it, he might feel safe enough to take the opportunity!” Luz beams, delighted at her plan.

Gus thought that could work, sure! But it depended on how it came about. He still thought it would be better to let Hunter slowly grow comfortable enough to mention it himself, naturally. All this felt a little pointed and purposeful. Hunter wasn’t one for attention, so this could all go wrong.

But maybe it could work? He hoped so.

“That could work..” Amity says with a fond smile at Luz, who was behaving a little bit like her old self again. Amity worried for Luz, she’d been so depressed and taking so much blame since they got home.

So Amity hoped this could maybe give Luz the boost she needed to see that things could go right again! 

“Alright it is decided then!” Luz grins with mischief. “Tonight, we play spin the bottle!”

Camila walked around the store with her coupons and grocery list. She hummed thoughtfully as she decided between the different kinds of juice to choose from.

“Apple blood…” She muttered absently and squinted at a package of blood-orange juice. “Close enough maybe?” And put it in her cart.

As she scooted down the walls of food, heading towards the frozen dinners, she spotted Jacob peering down into what presumably would be today’s bachelor lunch.

Camila gasps and quickly rolls her cart backwards to hide.

She peeks out and gives him a glare.

No, that crazy man would not deter her away from the frozen spinach and broccolis. It was on sale!

Camila decided to walk backwards, step by step, back facing Jacob. She edged closer to the bagged nutrition. She dared to turn slightly - No Jacob. She smiles proudly to herself and puts the bags of broccoli and spinach into her cart. Growing kids needed this.

“Are you aware your daughter is a changeling?” Jacob’s face was right there when she turned around and Camila yelled in surprise.

“Mierda santa! You !” Camila pokes him hard in the chest and Jacob oofs .

“Hey hey, I’m trying to help you!” Jacob pleads.

“No you are not ! You horrible hombrecito!” She grunts angrily and points two fingers at her eyes and then at him. “Watch yourself, I will call the police!”

Jacob follows her anyway. “Listen, I know you saw the beast in the cage! I know you are working for Area 51!”

Camila stopped to stare at him. Jacob gave her a slow nod like I know you know I know . Camila sighs and rubs her forehead, Jacob looks almost pleased.

“Look mr Hopkins-“

“Jacob, call me Jacob.. Ma'am…?”

“Noceda.” Camila was not going to be first-name basis with this guy.

“Mrs.Noceda, ma’am, I know your daughter is a changeling you are hiding from the government.”

Camila crossed her arms. “Which is it? Am I hiding a basilisk or am I working for Area 51?”

Jacob gasps and Camila realizes her mistake too late. “A basilisk!” He inhales. “That’s what it is!”

“She!” Camila corrects him with a threatening finger. “And she is my daughter, you stay away from my kids you creep!” She said it loud enough for people to turn their heads.

Jacob hushed at her but Camila got louder. “Go away!”

“Okay! Okay! But! This is not the last you will hear of me, Mrs.Noceda!” Jacob promises in a loud hushed tone that had enough volume to make the hushing redundant.

Camila scowls a rhyme of Spanish at him under her breath as she maliciously glare at him. Jacob walks backwards the whole way, doing some strange cowboy walk the whole while. He walks into a sunglasses stand and frantically tries to rescue it from falling.

Camila cringes.

She almost feel bad for her nemesis. “Ayo ayo…” She shakes her head and leaves to pay. By the counter she sees a box of crackers coated in chocolate. The cheap kind, but they were called wolf cookies. And she knew a boy in her house that had recently discovered wolves, as she had found Hunter reading one of her books on canines, and explaining something about wolves to Gus.

Camila smiles fondly. “This too.” She says and puts the box with the other things.

She makes sure Jacob is still in the store. She can see him watching her at the parking lot and she quickly dumps the bags into the car to get home, before he can follow her.

At this point, he was qualifying as a stalker, right? He was a stalker. She should get a restraining order. She wishes she had gotten one while he was in jail. “Ugh, I always think of these things too late.” She grunts.

As she drives, she sees a police car and a car accident. She overhears a lady saying there was a deer that came out of nowhere, the child saying it wasn’t a deer, it was a monster.

Camila wasn’t sure what to make of that, but filed it away in her subconsciousness. She had more pressing matters to think about.

Like all the kids in her home.

Money - They are struggling now. The idea of growing veggies was a good idea, sure, but would they really be able to grow that much quick enough with enough supply? She doubted it. It took too much time, you’d need magic. Camila wasn’t sure the children could do that kind of harvest-magic and she didn’t want to put that pressure on them either.

Clothes - They all needed new clothes, too. Luz’ clothes only fit some of them. Willow had a different size and Hunter was too tall. Gus was too small but at least he could wear her things. But to Camila, it was important for each child to express their individuality. It had given Luz confidence growing up and it had really helped Vee come out of her shell.

She wanted them all to have their own little wardrobe of clothes.

Luz - Need to talk more with her about her adventures and trials in the boiling isles. She is also grief stricken by the loss of.. King, Eda, Hooty and Lilith. And many more. Perhaps therapy is the best option. But therapy costs money, she will have to look into that. Perhaps her school has counseling? No, no, not the school. They’re the ones that advised her to send her to summer camp in the first place! But did she have any alternatives? Her friends were good support, but Luz needed more.
Camila was reading up on child-teen psychology, so she could be better for her too.

Amity - Lactose intolerant, not fond of sugar, very polite, very orderly. She was also very good moral support to the house, which was very welcomed. Camila appreciated how down to earth she was. Though she was a bit concerned with how Amity wanted to impress her, which she supposed was normal for a daughter-in-law. Amity was probably the one that were the most open (at least to Camila) about her worries. It was nice that Amity felt secure enough to confide in her.

Willow - Sweetheart, liked working out, could need some positive reassurance now and then that things were going to work out. Camila had noticed that Willow often gave others compliments, perhaps Willow needed some too.

Gus - Very smart and excited young boy, Camila enjoyed him a lot. He reminded her of Luz when she was little; so happy to discover new things. But Camila had noticed the boy’s less happy moments too. He missed his dad. She made a mental note to cuddle him up during a movie- Oh shoot! They hadn't had a movie night together yet! Gus would love that!

Side note - Think of a movie for movie night! Friendly for witches…

Vee - She was doing better around Hunter. Camila had noticed Vee was a bit stressed over summer vacation. Thinking of a new face for herself was perhaps a tad bit more stressful than Camila had wished. But maybe it wasn't bad stress? Some things were necessary after all. And Vee did seem more confident, so things were going in the right direction.

Hunter - Speaking of things going in the right direction; Hunter was not. He seemed to be the only one (along with Luz) that wasn’t doing very well. It had not escaped her to find him awake before everyone else each morning. Greeting her with a small good morning.  

Luz had told her about Hunter’s situation in the castle, but that was still only a second hand account. But she didn’t need much more, she had met and seen kids like Hunter before. Though, his situation was a bit… More severe. Had this been a human situation, social services would’ve been involved long ago and Belos would be in jail for many more reasons than child abuse and neglect.

Still, it broke her heart every time the blonde teenager looked at her with intense apprehension and fear. Like he couldn’t understand why she wasn’t mad at them for being there in the house.

Camila had been listening to a podcast about children with ptsd and traumas, and foster care education.

Camila was really trying here.

She put on the podcast, listening to a trio of psychologists and foster care servants talk about “troubled” children. 

Amity adored the sights and sounds of springtime in the human realm, all the more peaceful than her realm. Birds tweeted nearby in the greenery and her friends laughed in the turned up earth of what would eventually become their farming area.

She smiled at Willow’s excitement.

Willow really thrived in discovering nature and all its fruits, shroom and flora and manipulate to her will. Her favourite thing to do right now was to tug at the roots of trees, they emerged from the ground in little explosions of earth, piercing up to the surface like dragon claws. Amity had to admit, it looked very ferocious. And it was very useful in clearing their area of ground.

Amity, on the other hand, had tried to find an equivalent of abomination slime, which she discovered could only be made if you mixed earth with water. A mild inconvenience, but at least she wasn't too limited. 

Her own abominations, in comparison to Willow’s sprouting plant magic, were struggling to hold themselves up in any shapely manor. They lacked the typical sloppy facial features of a proper abomination. But she was her father’s daughter: this was only a chance to experiment and discover a new brand of slime. Perhaps she could use its softness to her advantage someway? Perhaps its liquid state could be used for the door?

They still needed to figure that out. Amity had some ideas tinkering around in her mind, but nothing worth putting to practice just yet.

Amity needed to know what the human realm’s elements were like first, as she deduced that whatever magic had been used for Belos’ making of the portal, he had used the nature of the demon realm.

Because the body of the Titan was magic all on its own. Just like witches had their own magic.

And the way her father’s mecha worked, he too used the instruments of their world to build his machinery. Using its chemistry in various combinations to, in a way, make a mimicry of Luz’ sigil magic. Luz’ magic was also built on the elements of their world, except symbolic.

These were important notes of science that Amity had written down, in her own journal that Camila had given her.

But the portal had to wait.

There were more important matters to deal with first.

Amity saw Luz lean against the fence that separated the forest from her backyard. Hardly a strong defence against anything (in the hexsquad’s opinion), but Luz assured it was mostly to show the perimeter of what belonged to them and what belonged to a neighbour. So it was symbolic. And leaned against it was Luz, with a smile as heavy as chainmail.

“Luz.” Amity takes Luz's hand. Luz greets her with her usual curly little smile that makes Amity’s arms buzz and her knees wobble.

“Yes Amity?” Luz knows what her girlfriend is going to ask, but wants to stall. Her beautiful golden eyes search her brown into their depths and she has to look away, over to Willow and Gus, to prevent Amity from diving too deep into her soul. “What’s the matter?”

“We haven’t had time to talk, you and I.” Amity says and Luz wants to skidoodle her little feet far, far, away. “About what you said the other day, in the shack.”

“Which of the things?” Luz played stupid, to avoid the topic for as long as possible. Because stalling and quipping jokes is what she could do. She couldn’t do anything else. She wasn’t good at anything else. In the end, it would have been better if she hadn’t stirred anything up at all.

“About Belos.” Amity reminds her softly and Luz squirmed. “I know everyone told you it was alright, that he tricked you.. That you didn’t know, but..”

“But?” Luz’s shoulders sank. “Oh god, you hate me-“

“What? No! No, Luz.” Amity squeezes her hand tightly, as though Luz was going to slip further down a hole of which she couldn't retrieve her from. “Not that.”

Amity’s sigh is loaded with worry as Luz watches every twitch of expression in Amity’s face in search of disappointment.

“This is what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Huh?”

“This, that you are beating yourself up.“ Amity’s eyes were heavy with a concern that made Luz recoil into herself, like a snake tying a knot out of its body. 

“No, I’m not! I’m noooot.” Luz could see Amity not believing her. “Awrgh, you’re too good of a girlfriend. You’re not buying this, are you?” Amity shakes her head with a smile.

“Luz, you promised. No more hiding… so, are you okay?”

Luz throws a pair of tired eyes at Willow and Gus, the duo were going through the shed. Gus’ happy voice of oh my gosh rang happily over the yard from the inside of it. By the sound of it, the pair had found the hose.

“Yeah.” Luz said and before Amity could scrunch her little lip at her again, Luz shrugged a shoulder and leaned to it. “Amity, I’m not okay-okay, but I’m… I am holding up. I just feel really guilty, you know? About everything.” Amity wrapped her arms around Luz’ arm, their fingers entwining. “I know I shouldn’t, I know you guys are right. I also talked to mom about it and- But I just-“ She closes her eyes. “No matter how I turn it around in my mind, I just wind up in the same conclusion.”

“Which is?” Amity asked carefully.

“That I shouldn’t have gone to the demon realm in the first place. If I hadn’t, maybe..”

“Maybe the day of unity would have gone according to plan anyway and none of us would have been saved.” Amity reminds her and Luz looks up at her. Amity smiles and tucks Luz’ loose hair into her beanie. “Maybe you didn’t save everyone on the boiling isles, but that was never your job. Remember? There was a rebel group organized. Eda was there, some coven heads were too… It wasn’t on you, Luz.”

“But I could have made a difference, if I had just… If I had never shown up.. Belos would never have known the light spell. And he needed it to complete his big bad spell.”

“Maybe, maybe not. But you wouldn’t hold this sort of thing over us either, like Hunter?” Amity strokes Luz’ arm and Luz shakes her head no. She would never hold the doom of the demon realm against him. But then again, Luz did feel like Hunter was more of a victim than she was. “And you know, Luz, all of what you are saying are very big what-ifs. You can’t live in what-ifs.”

Luz sighs. “You sound like my mom.”

“Well, your mom is right.”

“Is she?” Luz asks, defeated. Amity didn’t like seeing Luz so hopeless, it broke her in more ways than one to see her sunshine girl so robbed of the light she once were pouring out of her every limb. “I mean, genuinely Amity. I don’t think Belos would have found it without me. I shouldn’t have come.”

“And never met us?”

Luz cringes and caves in on herself. “That’s not what I’m saying. I just meant- I- Maybe? Maybe you would have been better without me too.”

“I disagree.”

“But-“

“Luz. You don’t get to decide what has been important to me.” Amity says in her administrative voice. “Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“Amity, you don't have to be hyperbolic.”

“I’m not, don't dismiss my words, I'm not lying to cheer you up - this is my truth. I am so much better for having met you, Luz. And I will not let whatever mean bug has burrowed into your cranium stop that from being my truth.”

“Aw, Amity.”

“I’m serious. Maybe it isn’t the reality you see yourself being in right now, but it is mine.”

Luz can’t help but get the fuzzies from that. “Thank you Amity.” And gives her a peck on the cheek.

Amity smiles and pecks her back. “And I will remind you as often as I need to, got it?”

Luz scoffs. “Alright, I got it.”

“Good. Feel a bit better? For now at least?”

“For now, yeah, thank you.”

Hand in hand, they join their friends in the shed. Gus had tied a knot on the dripping hose and Willow was trying to push back everything that had fallen out of a closet. A scarecrow was desperately trying to squeeze out of the closet door.

“Um!” Said Gus. “We disarmed the water snake!” And Willow gave a proud thumbs up.

“Oh boy.” Luz chuckles, then helps her friends. Explaining all the tools and how to use them.

Armed with a scarecrow, the group secured its leg into the ground, in the midst of their little square of a farm. It looked sad and like it could need someone’s attention with a needle and thread. Other than that, it needed a hat and an eye, too.

“So,” started Gus with a merry tune. “Now that that’s all prepared for, can I ask about tonight?”

“Aw Gus, are you worried?” Asks Willow, Gus responds with a little yeah. “It’ll be fine! Amity is going to put a little bit of slime in the bottle and make sure we all get a turn before Hunter.” She makes a little twirl with her finger to imitate the bottle.

“That’s right.” Assures Amity, who’d like to try out human slime. It would be good practice, too, if nothing else.

But Gus didn’t look like he was particularly delighted at the idea of tricking Hunter. When Adrien had first come to hexide with the magic amplifier, and Gus had his major meltdown, Hunter had been the one to approach him. And in the blue bubble, in his mist of reflections, Gus had not meant to see all the reasons Hunter had to run away from Belos.

And when Gus later had used the amplifier to try to stop Belos - Gus would never in a million years have thought he was going to see what he saw. Even if it had just been quick flashes, not lasting enough to make permanent damage on his own psyche… Gus still saw it. Like opening a door and- woops! That's child abuse and murder, and 300ish years of planned genocide! And then the door closed again.

Hunter had been manipulated and tricked his whole life. Gus did not want to be another person like that in Hunter’s life. He had promised, after all, that he wouldn't lie to him.

“I just think it would be better if we let him come to us.” Gus says, hoping this would be the last of the discussion. “We can just… be supportive and make sure he knows, beforehand, that we wouldn’t reject him.”

“But that's what we are doing!” Luz grins. “Like I said: Amity will make sure we all get a chance to share something truthful about ourselves and then it gets to Hunter and he will feel the atmosphere of support and share! I will try give him winks and nudges, too, to seize the opportunity.” She demonstrated by nudging Willow with her elbow and winking.

Willow smiles. “Yeah.” And turns to Gus, his expression somewhat defeated and she wonders why that was. Perhaps Gus knew something they didn't? “Do you not think it’s a good idea Gus?”

“Oh, I'm sure it is. I just… if he finds out we set him up I don't think that will make things better.”

“You think he will get angry?” Asks Amity.

“No,” Gus sighs and looks at a nearby hedge. “I just think- I don't know..”

“Well, whatever it is that you think is gonna happen, won't happen!” Luz curls a fist. “‘Cus we are gonna help our buddy! Yeah!”

“Yeah!” Willow and Amity claps their hands and Gus smiles, still unsure.

Willow saw Hunter in the kitchen window and smiled softly at him. He was talking with the palismen and pointing at higher shelves where Clover and Flapjack flew up with some cups.

She really did want to see the boy more at ease. She remembers first meeting him: kind of grumpy, jumpy and snarky. Hunter had always been nice at the core, he just had a twisted world view that made him exercise that kindness in terrible ways - like kidnapping the derby team. But after his run-away time at hexside, she had seen a different side of him: more quiet, a bit awkward, and protective. He looked so lonely and lost, too, and it just didn't sit right with her. At least not now when they were peaceful friends and she had gotten to know him as a silly dork.

Dorks and nerds were her people! But… he was different. She was curious about him. He sparked an interest that made her feel coy and giggly. She wasn't entirely sure why, yet. It was just fleeting fluttery feelings, something comforting, that's all.

She could see Hunter wag his finger around, the way he did when he got really into talking about something. Clover sat on his other hand and listened intently, Flapjack on his head.

Nobody should be allowed to be that adorable, Willow thought, it’s too distracting.

“Willow.” Amity said again. “You listening?”

“Huh? No, sorry. What was that? I was caught up by nature.”

Gus glanced over at the window she had looked at, saw Hunter and shook his head at Willow. You aren't fooling me Willow.

“We were talking about what to plant. You said you saved pepper-seeds right? Not the ones Hunter cant eat.”

“Ah, yes! I did!”

Hunter’s ear perked up at the sound of a car. He peeked outside the hallway window and saw Camila exit hers. He hurried out to assist her. She wasn't surprised to see the boy greet her, he had grown a sixth sense of knowing when she needed extra hands.

“Thank you Hunter,” she says as he picks up most of the bags. “For your help.”

“Of course.” Hunter replies chipperly as he puts the groceries on the kitchen table, unpacking them to put away in their places.

“I can do that.” Camila says.

“I got it!” Hunter assures. “You are home now, you can relax, I can take it from here.”

Camila’s smile is something Hunter can't place, but the way she leans on the table and looks at him makes him worried.

“Did I do something wrong?” He asks and she shakes her head.

“No, not at all. But Hunter, you know you aren’t my servant, right? Just because you live here now.”

Hunter chuckles nervously and squirms under her gaze. “Of course I am!” Was not the response Camila had expected. “How else do I repay you?”

“You don’t repay me.” Camila puts away the lactose-free milk.

“But-“

“You do not owe me anything for living here.” She says this and she sees how confused and uncertain her words made him. He doesn’t trust what she says. “Hunter, you do not owe me anything; No favours, not mentally or emotionally, you don’t owe me your strengths or your qualities. Nothing.”

Hunter looks down to his side, remaining silent.

It is just words to him. Belos used words all the time. Not reassuring words necessarily, but words. And they could mean layers of things that Hunter had to work through and make conclusions on that may or may not be accurate. And then he could get punished without really knowing what he’d done wrong. It made understanding vague and indirect things difficult.

Camila was just using a lot of language that he wasn’t used to, context he’d never grappled with, like: being given something without having to pay back for it. Belos was never kind and giving unless something came after, or if Hunter had done something good first.

“But…” Hunter begins carefully. “You do so much for us. You provide food and shelter, you don’t have to do that.”

“I want to do those things.”

“Why? Because we are Luz’ friends?”

“Yes, but also because you are children from another realm. Where else would you go?”

“That is really not your problem.” Hunter says flatly. “We could occupy the shack in the woods.”

Camila grimaces, the sheer thought makes her heart ache. “Er, no, I would not sleep well at night if good kids like you were out there. My heart wouldn’t take it.” Hunter looks confused that she’d care about their wellbeing.

“But we aren’t your children.”

“You are now, kind of.”

Hunter looks up at her, his eyes full of genuine surprise and humility.

“Because… We are Luz friends?” Hunter asks again for confirmation, and Camila chuckles at him, his cheeks turning a bit pink. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked stupid questions.”

“It’s not stupid. But I would have taken you in even if you weren't her friends. You are good kids."

Hunter darted his gaze away from her. Camila’s smile turned crestfallen, Hunter was not as easy to reach as Amity had been. 

In the store, with Luz and Gus - Amity had behaved similarly to Hunter, but after being reassured, her behaviour changed and her attitude cheered up. Camila had hoped the same could work for Hunter. But it appeared that he needed to be shown, not told, that he was welcome here - rent free.

Good kids. Hunter thought to himself. He was not a good kid. He’d fought Luz and he’d (actually) helped Belos and he had participated in Vee’s imprisonment. And that was just the short version of a very long list. He wasn’t like the rest of the group. But as long as Camila thought he was good, maybe he could stay here too, with everyone? Maybe he could prove he deserved it now.

In Hunter’s mind, the parental figure of his Uncle translucently blended over Camila. Like she was sitting on the throne now and he was trying to figure out how to be her golden guard.

How did Camila work? What were her rules and priorities? How did her punishments and rewards look like? What did she need? She was a much better ruler to have than Belos! Camila was nice! He didn't want to lose that by being disobedient or an inconvenience. He wanted to be an asset, for everyone's sake.

It did not make sense to expect the same sort of things from Camila as he had from Belos. But he also had no other frame of reference with parents, guardians or families.

He had tried to figure out how Luz and her mom bounced off of one another. But they mostly hugged and talked and- Well, Hunter talked to Belos in hallways too. The conversations weren’t as reassuring and loving though.

The more he grappled with it, the less he understood.

Why had Luz wanted to escape this place? Hunter didn’t understand it. Did Luz not know how lucky she was to have… This.. To return home to? Maybe she only knew in retrospect.

“And look!” Camila said. Hunter snapped out of his fog. She had been talking this whole time and he had zoned out.

“What- what? Yes?” And looked down at the box in her hands. Hunter couldn’t contain his excitement when he read the box. Wolf cookies.

Camila grins, finally. A smile from him. “Would you like some?”

Hunter’s eyes are sparkling pools of red suns. He didn't even dare ask really?

Camila takes out a bowl and fills it for him. Half the box goes into it and Hunter has put his hands over his chest shyly.

“Here!” She says. “As thanks for helping me.”

Now he was really confused. “Huh? But- Wait what?”

“You have helped me unpack, and don’t think I haven’t noticed how clean everything is all the time and everywhere. It is very kind of you to put in so much effort, you don’t have to do that. I felt a little bad that you had done so much for me, keeping waaay ahead on the chores, sooo..” She gestured at the cookies. “I know you like wolves.”

Hunter’s ears folded down as the tip of them turned red. “I-I think there’s been a misunderstanding Mrs.Noceda-“

“Camila.” Camila says, smiling softly. Hunter watches her intently, trying to detect any sarcasm or irony, but when he can’t find it he quietly repeats her name.

“Mrs.Camila..” And she quietly scoffs that there was still an honorific Mrs there. “I think you have misunderstood. I did all those things to pay you back.“

“But I don’t need paybacks.”

Hunter was at a loss. No matter how many times he repeated himself, it did not get through to Camila that he was trying to pay her. Unbeknownst to him, of course, she was very aware and was only countering it.

She did not want this boy to feel like there was anything to be owed in her home. 

“But hey, since we are doing so much for each other, why don’t we both have cookies then, mh?”

And she poured the rest of the box into a bowl of her own. The cookies were fairly large, perhaps an uneven five or six in each bowl.

Hunter watched, bewildered awe and confusion, as she sat down with a bowl of cookies too. Camila picked up a chocolate coated, wolf-shaped, cookie and let out a cute little howl before eating it.

Hunter’s smile was full of careful apprehension, he took up a cookie too “Awoo..” he said much more quietly than Camila and bit off its tail. Not sure if he had to awoo before each cookie or not.

Camila chuckles. “I am sure you know, wolves are pack animals.”

Hunter nods. “They can do well on their own too. A pack is just.. I suppose it’s just nicer, but it’s not like they can’t go on their own. Some wolves are outcasts and survive fine by themselves that way.” He ate the rest of the cookie.

“Yes, but they are stronger together. And, I read a story once of a wolf mother who lost her litter of pups,” Hunter lifts his head with empathy. He didn’t like the thought of such a tragedy. Camila waves a hand. “Don’t worry, no worries. The zoo caretakers had a puppy that had lost its mother to poachers. And wouldn’t you know it, although it was not her puppy.. She took it in as her own.”

Hunter sighed with relief. “That’s nice, so she didn’t have to be alone.”

“Mh, and neither did the pup.”

Hunter nods, careful not to ask stupid follow-up questions. Camila was already halfway through her bowl of cookies while Hunter took his time. When Hunter isn’t continuing the conversation, Camila takes one of her cookies and makes it parade over to Hunter’s bowl.

“This wolf came from a mean pack.. An outcast, it is looking for a new family to be with.” Hunter watches the cookie with interest as Camila makes it climb into his bowl and drop into it. “The more the merrier, said the other wolves.”

“…But why would they accept the new wolf? It hasn’t done anything special or contributed anything.”

“Does it need to?”

Hunter gapes a few times, staring at the new wolf-cookie in his bowl. “I mean, it’s broken.” He takes it in his hand, referring to its broken ears. “It would be a liability. It would have to work harder than the other wolves to earn respect.”

“What does respect mean to that wolf?”

“I dunno.” Hunter squints at it like it might give him an answer. “But with respect, the other wolves in the pack won’t ignore it or be mean to it. They wouldn’t bite him, or bark at him.. If he had respect he wouldn’t have to be so scared of- uh-“

He realizes they are, perhaps, not really talking about wolves anymore. And stops himself from going further. His ears are sloping and turning pinkish.

Camila tilts her head sadly at him.

“Well…” She starts and lifts up her last wolf cookie. “This wolf mama,” she begins and Hunter looks at her cookie. “Always wanted a big family… She used to have a wonderful wolf-papa by her side and together they had an amazing little pup! Hehe, but she always wished she had more, you know?”

Hunter observes the cookie in her hand, then at Camila who is watching him through her glasses with a warmth that makes him feel like a normal boy, not a soldier, not the Golden guard. Just a kid.

“And, you know, in her pack you don’t earn respect or love by doing favours or with servitude. You belong in her pack because you care for one another, and because she thought Oh, what a good boy. That’s my pup now.”

Hunter blushed and squirmed in his seat, he wasn’t sure at all if he should interpret what she said the way he imagined.

“Erm, but.. If the pup is broken and weird, and a bother, and-“

“No, not to mama-wolf. She likes strange puppies. And no pup is a bother to her.”

“But what if it’s a bad pup? Not… Like.. um, this one.” He takes out one from his bowl. “Or this, or this. Or.. uh, these two that she already has. What if this wolf,” He held the one with the broken ear. “What if it used to be very bad and mean and.. Maybe it even hurt the mama-wolf’s pups before? And uh, what if… He’s maybe not so redeemable, actually…”

Camila’s heart cried and broke and howled.

She sighs and scoots her chair closer, Hunter’s shoulders go up and his eyes squeezed shut like he was ready for something hurtful to happen to him. Camila puts a hand over her heart, before reaching out to tenderly cup his cheek where he had a scar.

Hunter finches.

But nothing happens.

It’s just her warm hand against his cold cheek. He blinks and looks at her. Her sad expression is so unfamiliarly motherly and warm to him.

“I think the mama-wolf would give him a chance, anyway. If he would accept it.”

And Hunter’s red eyes shine like ember.

Her hand drops to his shoulder and although he is tense, he relaxes just a little.

“The pup could consider it.” Camila says and stands, putting her bowl in the dishwasher.

Hunter sits there, his chest full of light. A bowl full of wolves. He takes another one and smiles.

“Um..” Hunter begins and pulls out his notepad. “Um.. Mrs.Camila?”

She hangs her head with humour as he once again gave her an honorific. “Yes, nino lobo?”

Hunter makes an expression at the nickname he didn’t understand. “Um.. I ah, uhm.. I made some, erm.. Ahem!” He holds it up for her.

“Oh? What are these?”

“Lists! Of our inventory! I, uh, I went through-“ He pauses and stands. “I will get my things.” He darts off to the living room, pulls everything into his arms. Magazines, coupons, pencils.

Flapjack picks up the papers that he drops on his way back.

“These!”

“Oh, my.” Camila corrects her glasses. “That’s.. so much work.”

“Yes, well, ah-ha ha, there were a lot of magazines to go through. Um.. Oh! These are some coupons I found and some prices and- erm, well, look for yourself.”

Camila sits back down to go through his attempt at an inventory. She remembers when Vee had done similarly. Perhaps not to this volume of effort though.

“Hm..” She tries to smile at the out-dated coupons and the non-edible items under the list of food. Perhaps they were edible to witches?

She eyes him over the brim of her glasses.

Hunter’s shoulders fall. “Is it.. not helpful?”

“Well, you certainly tried to help.” She muses and Hunter sighs like his heart was a vase held together by duct tape. “But no, nino, it isn’t.”

“I’m sorry for wasting your papers-“

“Oh no, not at all. I never use these anyway. I keep buying a new one because the covers are so nice but then they just remain there in the drawer. I’m sure that’s why Luz gave them to you. I’m glad they’re being used for something, heheh.”

Hunter politely smiles but it falls quickly. “I don’t know… What I can do around here. I clean but.. er, it’s not like the castle where you have to start over once you’re done. This house is, well, it is a quick sweep.”

“Ah, is that so?”

“Yeah.”

“Aha, yes that’s right, Luz told me you lived in the, er, castle?”

Hunter fidgets with his glove. “Mh..”

“Did you like living there?”

Hunter shrugs.

So no, then, she thought. “Well, this is no castle but I hope you’ll-“

“Oh! No, I didn’t mean- No, that’s not what I was-“

“Haha, it’s okay, really.”

“No, this house is wonderful! It’s- it is great! It is much better than the castle!” He stopped himself again. Curling in his lips and turning his eyes back down to the table, and his bowl of wolves. He takes one to nibble on.

Camila doesn’t press further. “Well,” she says and looks at his lists. “Bananas, mh? Did you like those?”

Hunter nods.

“Oh, I like them too. Let's put things we like on the notepad on the fridge, yeah? Not just stuff we need.” She takes one of the pencils and scribbles down bananas on the magnet-notepad.

Hunter nods absently as he eats his cookies

“Oh yes coffee! Well done noticing Hunter, I totally forgot we were out of coffee. I have to buy that next time.”

Hunter’s chest flutters when she winks at him in a way only cool moms can wink, his galderstone heart glowing under his flesh. “Really?”

“Yeah! You’re very observant.”

“Oh I-I don't know I uh, I had to be so it’s not like it’s- it’s not, um…. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” And she ruffles his shaggy blonde hair. He didn't even flinch this time.

If Hunter had been an actual wolf, his tail would have been wagging happily. Camila was the best, she was the best. He looked down into his bowl, there were maybe two left. The one with the broken ear smiled up at him and he took it, smiling at it, then at Camila who nodded thoughtfully at the fridge.

He ate it. And kept the other, the wolf-mama. Hunter wondered if their discussion about the wolf-mama had been about them or not, he wasn’t certain and he felt silly asking. But if there was a chance, he would have liked to be one of her pups. He would have done anything to have a mom like her.

The last wolf was in his hand, he wanted to keep it and thought about where to hide it for safekeeping.

“MOM!” Yells Luz, practically kicking herself into the kitchen.

Hunter juggles the cookie in his hands before clapping it mid-air. “Oh! Hi Hunter!”

“Hello Luz.” Hunter sighs, Flapjack chirps at Him. “Oh, Flap!” Hunter gives Flapjack the cookie to hold onto. Flapjack seemed to know what Hunter wanted and flew it down to the basement.

“Hey, Mom?”

“Yes sweetheart?”

“Hoooww do you feel about a sleep over night?”

“Aren't you already technically having one?”

“Yes, no, I meant a traditional one. With a movie, games, popcorn. Do we have popcorn?”

“Oh, that sounds fun. I think we do.”

“What is…popcorn?” Hunter asks. “And movies?”

Gus happily hops in. “Movies are like our crystal balls! Except they show theater on it! And popcorns are….” Gus pauses, trying to recollect what Luz said . “Hard corn seeds that pop in the microwave.” He makes a little pop sound.

“Uh, they what?” Hunter eyes the microwave with suspicion. All he knew was that you heat food in it quickly. You press the three, then start, and then it dings. If it’s still cold you repeat the process. He didn't know what the other buttons did. Maybe it made things… pop? He would have to tell the palismen to never go in there. Emmiline had wanted to sit on the spinny thing but Hunter had said no. Food only.

Hunter eyed Clover, who had found her way to Willow’s shoulder.

“Hear that Clover? It pops things. So you and Emmiline better not try going ‘carousel’ in there, alright?” Clover buzzed in response, Willow giggled at them both and Hunter blushed at having made her happy, his smile small but in full view of Gus.

Perfect opportunity, Amity thought. “Hunter, can you speak to the palismen?”

“Uh, yes?”

“How are you able to do that? Is that something the emperor's coven taught you?”

“Huh? No? Doesn’t… everyone?” He was met with headshakes. “Oh, weird.” Is all he says.

Before Amity can press further on it, Hunter has turned away from her like she became invisible. 

It was a tactic he had picked up from Belos, and it usually worked. You simply turned away to indicate there was no more to talk about and people quieted down and went on their merry way. He used it all the time when he was the golden guard. It never worked on the coven heads but, hey, it worked on most people.

Amity blinks and frowns at his rudeness. “Don't you think it is odd? Nobody else can do that.”

Hunter quirks a brow at her, remaining quiet to let her know her question was futile. “I said it was weird.” And leans his hip against the table, crossing his arms. “If I knew why I would explain it. But I thought it was normal, sooo..” he gestures with an aggressive shrug. “What makes you think I wouldn't tell?”

“Why are you being so hostile?”

“Why are you being so inquisitive?”

The two watch one another, Amity sighs and only then does Hunter relax a little. 

“Right, sorry, it’s just very strange. Was Belos able to too-“

“No. He just ate them-“ and immediately felt squeamish. Blinking rapidly and shaking his head to get the image out of his head. Against his will, he shivered.

Before anyone could offer comfort he coughed loudly, stood and stretched.

“A n y w a y. I don’t know why, I just can. It’s a mystery to me as much as it is to you, so, if that was all?” Hunter nudged past his friends. “I have things to do.” He leaned back over the kitchen table, scooping up a textbook, a magazine and a book from the library he kept sandwiched between his stuff.

“Like what?” Willow asks.

Hunter spins around in a circle. “Uuuh, chores.”

“There isn't any left to do, I checked earlier.”

“Oh, well, in that case - great!” Nodded and left anyway. Down to the basement, to read.

The squad watched him go downstairs.

“Just me or was he kinda rude?” Amity huffs and receives a small hug from Luz.

“I think he's just on edge. Still…”

“He doesn't seem bothered by his ability either.”

“Should he be?” Vee asks, coming in from the living room. “Besides, we know it's a grimwalker thing, and if he suspects it is as well, he probably won't share that with us. They have palistromwood in their creatine, I think.”

“Wait, how do you know that?” Willow asks.

“Belos sometimes worked on his experiments in a room near the dungeon where us basilisks were being kept. He liked to think aloud to us sometimes, not for input or anything. I think he just… liked a scared audience. And who were we ever going to tell?” She shrugged, scratching dirt from under her nail, trying to sound unbothered. 

She understood Hunter. When horrible things were your normalcy, it was difficult to talk about it to people who would react strongly to it. You couldn't just.. talk about it without people getting sad for you, and it made going in depth difficult. 

Vee did not want to be a victim, she wanted to rewrite her story to that of a survivor. And that was difficult when people looked at you the way her new friends did now.

Hunter, probably, was feeling similarly to her, she thought. Except he hadn’t yet been able to go through seeing himself as a victim yet.

“Isn’t this indication enough that we shouldn't pressure him to tell us?” Gus said.

“Hm, what?” Camila spoke up from where she had been standing by. “No, nobody’s pressuring anybody.”

“No, no, mom. We’re not. We are just encouraging him, y’know, to help him feel secure enough to open up.”

But Camila hummed disapprovingly. “I don’t think that is a good idea, corazoncita. It is a nice thought, but I don’t think you should.”

Luz sinks down onto a chair. “Mama, you don’t understand. Hunter isn’t doing so well and I have to do something to help him from spiraling down someplace dark. Because I can, like, sense he’s heading there.”

Camila sighs.

“I need to make sure Hunter, at the very least, lands someplace safe..” she trails. “Last time, he ran away and… it was my fault his life kinda got out of hand. He was all on his own, and this time he doesn't have to be.”

Camila looks at her daughter sadly, but understanding. “Luz, I understand, I do. But I’m telling you that although your intentions are good, I do not believe they will help.”

“Well I have to do something. I can't just watch him try to- to- help himself!”

Amity put a hand on her shoulder. “Is… this really about Hunter?”

“What, yes of course! I need to help him.”

Gus takes a seat too, to get on level with Luz. “What about what he needs though? Maybe Camila is right.”

Luz hugs herself. “I have to set at least this one thing right, Gus. If it weren’t for me… Hunter wouldn’t have had to see all of that stuff in Belos’ mind. He could’ve been told instead. The way it happened was… it was so awful. Belos almost killed him.”

“You were both in his mind?!” Willow asks.

“Yeah… it was an accident. It wasn't our summoning.”

Camila eyes all the kids and puffs out. Going into someone's mind? Was that a possibility?? Cripes, that must be a lot. There was so much her daughter had gone through that she had no clue about yet. Luz needed time to spill everything to her, she couldn't just interrogate her. Any of them. All she could do was help them through the motions that was coming in.

“Luz,” Camila says and Luz looks up to her. “There are other ways to let someone know they're safe. Listen, I will prepare popcorn, music, and an appropriate movie! We haven't had a proper little party yet. I think that sounds lovely and fun, si? Lets just have fun for awhile.” She ruffles Vee who is near her. Vee curls together happily at the affection. Luz smiles.

“Okay mom.”

“Now, I don’t think I have more snacks… hmm, i will go buy some. Ah, Gus and Vee, would you like to come with?”

Gus gasps happily. “Yes, please!”

“Yeah sure.” Says Vee, who knew Camila set Gus and her up for quality time. Vee wanted to be his friend and felt like she had missed an opportunity to get closer since the sleeping quarters got split up.

Camila, Gus and Vee left in the car. Gus and Vee chanted Radio! Radio! Radio! From the backseat and when Camila put it on they both cheered.

Left home were the rest of the girls and Hunter, who had occupied himself in the basement, reading about the witch hunters and the brothers Wittebane.

“What are you thinking, Luz?” Asks her girlfriend. Luz had a serious expression as she turned to the girls.

“I know mom means well, but she doesn’t know what I- we know. I still think we should spin the bottle.”

“Alright.” Willow agrees, though she sounds less confident than before. “If you really think it will help.”

“Hunter isn't the type to share. But I think he needs this.” She says, looking towards the basement. “I'm sure once he gets to tell everyone, he’ll feel much more at ease.”

Amity looked at Luz and saw the desperation to help. But now she understood it wasn't really about Hunter, it was Luz who needed this. Needed to feel like she could help, do something right!

Amity did not know more than what Luz had vaguely shared with her. So she didn't think this ran deeper than a privileged golden guard who had been lied to about being a grimwalker rather than a nephew. She had context of his issues from their fight at the lake. But she never thought his situation was far more brutal than what she had experienced with her own strict and controlling parents.

Luz hadn’t told anyone about what had been seen in the mind of the emperor.

She had not shared the fact that Hunter had a life long history of abuse and that there was a lineage of golden guard grimwalkers that had been murdered, that Hunter had been next, that Hunter’s fear for his life had been legitimate. That his hyper vigilance and lack of self-care came from a deep rooted troubled upbringing.

Had either of the other girls known, they perhaps wouldn't have agreed to lightly approach him in a game.

Luz, although knowing all this, needed to make someone else feel warm. She wanted to help Hunter, make him see he wasn’t a villain or to blame or- or whatever was running through his mind. Like hers was running ten miles an hour, and nobody knew. Nobody saw how quickly she was sinking. Amity had noticed but boy, oh no, she was trying not to panic. 

she was the true villain, intentional or not. And Hunter was her opposite.

if she could save him, things would get get better. Warmer.

Because you were warmer together. A pack kept warm together.

And she was beginning to feel cold.

Clover and Flapjack sat on each of Hunter’s shoulders as he read the book. Emmiline was crawling around on Hunter’s folded clothes, inspecting them disapprovingly and squarked at Hunter.

Hunter lift his gaze smiling at her. “Well, beggars can't be choosers. It is what Luz has that fits me. I am grateful for anything.” He turns back down to the book, finger on the sentence he paused at. “Besides I never cared about what I wear. So long as they are practical.”

Ghost meows at him and finds it necessary to press her face in under Hunter’s arm to peer at the book with him.

Hunter scoffs. “I don’t know about that. I don’t really think I would look good in anything-“ The palismen all meep in protest and he pats at them cheerfully. “Alright, alright. Well, all I’m saying is: I’m not so good at that stuff…” His voice trails sadly. “Darius was good at that stuff… Oh, he was cool! Have you guys seen him?” They nodded. “Augh I wish I had that! I wish I could sew stylish things too and- and-“ He sighs and falls back onto his bed.

He leaves the book open against his chest and stares up at the ceiling.

Flapjack tweets at him.

“Yeah, I guess I kinda do miss him… a little. He was really nice to me after the derby incident.”

Flapjack tweets again.

“Yes, I think he wanted photos of you too just to have an excuse to check in too. Which is, y’know, kinda nice of him.” He said and sat up. Ghost is quick to occupy his lap but Emmiline doesn’t think this is an issue and makes room for herself too, whatever Ghost approves or not. Hunter scoffs at them.

“There’s room for everyone, don’t fight.” He picks up the book again and Clover flies to sit in the middle of it. Hunter furrows his brows at her but smiles. “You know, I can’t read if you sit in it.”

She buzzes.

Hunter purses his lips and sets the book down. “No.” He says. Clover buzzes again. “No, you guys promised. I said you could hang out here if you didn’t tell any of them about this!”

Clover hums quietly, tapping the book.

Hunter grunts. “I-I know but… look, I know you guys know I’m a, you know. But I’m not ready to tell them. I don’t think they would be open to it.”

Ghost purrs and stretches her head to boop it under his chin. He pets her.

“Well, if I hadn’t been their enemy first, then maybe. But the truth is, from the stuff I researched, grimwalkers were made extinct because they were dangerous. Or, well, so-the-legend-goes, rather.” He huffs. “I know so little about what I am, and you saw Amity. She doesn’t trust me yet. If she knew I was a grimwalker she would probably be like GASP! I knew you were evil!” 

He groans into his hands and the palismen all try to pat him with their teensy tiny paws.

“Agh! I just- Just give me time to prove to them I can protect them! If I can show them I can- uh, do all the labor and they can feel safe around me, that I’m not- I am not just… the golden guard or… you know, some scary monster… maybe then I could also be, I dunno.. be considered as much their friend as they are mine.”

The palismen’s big sweet eyes are turned to him and he looks into them and sighs.

“Just… give me some time, okay?” He turns back to the book, gently scooping Clover off of it.

The palismen turn to one another worryingly as Hunter gets up to sit someplace away from them. He walks over to the desk with the odd machine on it. Once again he looks at it with curiosity. This time he discovers the needle and thread. He leans in to peer at it, poking and humming. But decides not to prod more, in case he breaks it. But it looks like it had something to do with sewing. Hunter thinks to himself that he will have to ask Mrs Camila about it. It would be nice to see the look on Darius' face when they get back, when he sees how much his sewing has improved!

If.. he was okay, that is.

Hunter shakes it out of his mind. He sniffs and turn back to the Wittebane story.

“Hunter!” Willow calls and Hunter throws the book across the room into a pile of laundry, grabs the nearest thing he finds that looks like it has kept him busy, and innocently looks towards the stairs.

“Yes?”

“Hi! There you are.” She emerges into the room, she looks around the basement. “Huh, I haven’t really been down here yet.”

Hunter blushes a little. He was alone with Willow and it was in his bedroom- well, not his bedroom per say, but, uh, sort of? He had never had a friend in- except for Gus, then. Right?

It made him flustered to make sense of why he felt shy so he shoved his thoughts aside and stood to greet her properly. Because that’s what you did when ladies went into a room.

“I suppose not. Feel free to look around.”

Willow smiles at him and Hunter isn't sure if he’s supposed to do something. He tries to remember what Belos had taught him in regards to manners.

Willow tilts her head to read the title of Hunter’s book in his hand. “Beginners guide to hamsters?”

Hunter looks down into his hands, puzzled at what the hell he had picked up and what a hamster was, he turns to look at the cover. Face to face with a chunky cute little thing.

“Oh. Yes.” He says stupidly and turns back to Willow, curling his lips in. “Hamsters.”

“Learned anything? They look cute.”

“Uuhhh…” Hunter stares into the page he had open. He couldn't focus on the text, the letters just drooled across the paper. He closed it. “No.” He said simply.

“Oh, oh okay.”

Silence.

Hunter wanted to scream and slam his head against a wall. Why was he so awkward? This was the captain! Willow! She was so cool and, aside from Gus and Luz, technically his only friend. if you didn't count the palismen, that was. But even they had told him to make an effort to socialize with the other teens, not just hang with them.

Hunter laughed nervously, to fill the silence. But that made it worse.

Clover buzzed.

“Oh!” Said Willow. “Really? You’ve been having a good time Clover?”

Clover nuzzled her.

“Awwh, thanks Hunter. She says she had a good time with you.”

Hunter knew, since he could understand her too, but didn’t want to ruin Willow’s compliment by correcting her. Instead he just swayed his arms until he could fold them behind his back, leaning on his heels, stuttering. “I-I just- she’s the one who is a good time. She’s rather chatty.”

“Oh right!” Willow giggles and Hunter swallows. In the dim light of the basement, the light from upstairs rained down into the basement and threw a shine on Willow’s dark hair. The dust particles all look like stardust around her and her eyes shimmer when she coos at her palismen.

His galderstone heart hummed brightly, he had never experienced it feeling so loud before. Embarrassed that she could hear the hum, he put a hand over his chest to see if he could feel it. He couldn’t, he only felt its pulse thumping against his ribcage. He crossed his arms over his chest, hand holding onto his shoulder. He felt so sweaty and dumb and weird.

“So where do you sleep?”

“You are standing on it.” He points to his mattress.

Willow hops off it. “Oh my gosh! Sorry! I didn’t see!”

"It's okay!”

“Oh no I messed up your covers, wait, let me-“

“N-no, it’s okay! Really!”

They both bent down and bonked head.

“Ow!”, “Ouch!”

"Sorry!", “Sorry!”

“No I am-“, “No I-“

They paused to look at one another.

Then burst out laughing.

Willow playfully shoves him and Hunter’s red eyes sparkle like embers in fire, his smile shining at her, for her. Willow holds her breath as she gazes into his happiness.

They both turn away flustered, smoothing out his bed before getting up to their feet.

The palismen had been watching them ping-pong between each other and, in unison, looked at one another smugly. Knowing very well what was going on here. Clover and Flapjack, especially, gave each other a look of agreement.

“Gus sleeps there.” Hunter informs and gestures at all the palismen sitting on the couch.

“Oh!” The couch was not as neatly made as Hunter’s, but she knew this to be a Gus issue, rather than that the palismen had turned it upside down. “Oh they’re all here.”

“Uh, yes.” Hunter itches his chin. “They uh… do you guys mind?”

“Not at all. I think it’s cute how they all like you.”

“You do?” Hunter said hopefully.

“Yeah.” Willow brushes her hair behind her ear.

Hunter squirms. “Cool.”

Willow nervously points at the stairs. “U-um, Luz said I should come down and get you from whatever you were hiding away with so uh.. uhum!”

Hunter frowned. “Hiding? I am not hiding.”

“No, haha, no I think… I mean you do hide away a little.”

Hunter looks to the side. “I don't mean to.”

“You do know we do like having you around.”

Hunter shakes his head. “No, I don't know that.”

She chuckles, he was so literal. “Well, now you know.”

Hunter shakes his head again. “No? Nobody has said that. And I figured after everything I put everyone through, you might not want me involved.”

Willow tilts her head sadly. “That’s not true.”

“Isn’t it? Aren’t you guys mad at me?”

Willow’s pretty eyes look at him with a gentleness that made Hunter want to shrink and hide behind the couch and steam.

“Hunter, you’re our friend.” Hunter blinks in surprise and she tilts her head. “Didn’t you… don’t you know that?”

“I mean I consider you guys my friends, I just didn’t know if it was mutual. I didn’t want to express that we are friends before I knew you, uh, felt the same. I didn’t want to insult you.”

“What? Insult- No, how’s that insulting?”

Hunter wasn’t sure himself so he shrugged and looked down into his hands. His gloves needed a wash, now that he was actually looking at them.

Willow thoughtfully regarded him. This wasn’t… normal, she thought.

“Hunter, have you… never had friends before?”

Still looking at his gloves, he shook his head no. Then paused to think.

“Steve.” He said, unsure. “Steve was nice to me.”

“Did you hang out? Do stuff together?”

Hunter smiles and nods. “We had missions! I liked when he was on the team, because he didn’t say mean things about me. Aaand he sometimes said things like: well done, little dude! ” Hunter squinted at the ceiling. “Maybe Darius too? He became a lot nicer after I stood up to him. Asking how I'm doing and such, but uh.. we didn’t hang out.”

Willow hummed in concern. That wasn’t friendship, that was just colleagues on good terms. And she knew about Steve, he was a brotherly and nice guy to everyone.

“Uh, right.”

Hunter pressed his lips together. “Do they not count?”

The palismen responded on the couch, meowing, buzzing and meeping. Flapjack slowly shook his head no at Hunter and Hunter’s shoulders sunk.

Maybe Darius had been on a good way to be a friend, but he wasn’t so much a friend as he was a concerned adult that had begun to take notice of this somewhat lonely boy.

“Oh.” Hunter said. “Then no.”

Willow nudges him carefully on the arm. “Well, you got all of us now. And I can speak for all of us.”

Hunter scoffs sarcastically. “Uh, right. Because Amity totally trust me. Not to mention Vee! I mean, Gus is one thing- I think he’s okay with me? But I don’t even think Luz likes me, she’s just… nice! ‘Cus she’s- she’s Luz! Luz likes everyone! That doesn’t mean I am her friend and- and - and why, haha, why would you -“

He stops himself when Willow looks at him with hurt in her eyes.

“I-I mean, what I mean to say is that-“

Hunter groans at himself and Willow watches as he, defeated by himself, sinks down onto the couch. The palismen flock at him lovingly, but he ignores their little hugs.

Willow takes a seat too and Clover flies from her shoulder to make company with Flapjack on top of Hunter’s head. She smiles at the pair, and at Hunter.

“You are my friend.” She says and he shyly looks at her. She is smiling at him. “How could you not be?” Willow adds as Hunter sits up a little straighter to pay attention to her.

“Because I kidnapped you?”

“Oh that? Pfh, I am waaay past that. And lots of stuff has redeemed you since then. I mean you did rescue us from Darius too, afterwards. And helped at Hexside, and more.”

Hunter smiles. “Really? You sure?”

“Absolutely. I like you, Hunter. You are a great guy.” And when Hunter blushes, her heart swells. She nudges him again with her elbow. “And for the record… As friends, weeee can come clean to one another about stuff. Without judgment. Totally cool.”

Willow thought she was slick.

Hunter looks at her with concern.

“Do you… need to vent about something?” He asks and she blinks.

“What? Me? Haha! No! No I was just- I meant if you had anything bothering you! I'm here! Ready to be all ears!” She cupped her hands behind her ears.

Hunter pondered and shook his head. “Not really.”

“You suuuure? I mean you’re so quiet, it’s a little mysterious haha.”

“Oh, sorry. I don’t mean to be.”

“You don’t have to apologize. I just meant- you come off as troubled! Is all, like you have… things.. on your mind. Aaaand as your friend, I just wanted you to know I am open to talking about anything.”

Nailed it.

“Oh.” Hunter hums, and glances at her for a moment. Inside, Willow is hoping and hoping and hoping this was enough for Hunter to open up to her. And she did consider him a friend, and she did really care about him.

“Well, in that case.” Hunter says with a mild tone. “Is it.. mutual?”

“Of course!”

“Oh, good. Then it has troubled me for awhile.. I have noticed that you have been kind of sad. Is everything alright with you?”

She has to blink a few times for her brain to take in what he said. Willow shakes her head and lets out a long “Uuhhhhh what? Pardon?”

“I have noticed that you have been sad. Every time you are lost in thoughts, you get this sad look on your face and you make an excuse to go look at the human plants. But I’m not so sure grass is that interesting. Neither are leaves. At least not to a talented plant witch like you, I imagine.”

Willow’s glasses fog up. She removes them to clean them, and to win time.

Hunter continues; “I wanted to approach you about it at an appropriate time. I wasn’t sure how to cheer you up though. Is there anything I can do for you?”

Willow blinks.

Only now realizing what Hunter’s little gestures through the weeks had meant. When he gave her a fist full of seeds he’d been collecting from food, he made sure she got to try Camila’s shirts first so she could find clothes that both fit her and that she liked (from the small pile of Luz' and Camilas clothes), since clothes were scarce at the moment. When he had found books about the human realm’s nature in the house he had left a small tower of them outside of the girls’ bedroom for her.

“No, I… I am fine.” She hears herself say, looking out into the basement. Hunter nudges her arm gently with his knuckles. When she turned to look at him again, she knew the jig was up. Honestly, she hadn’t even known there was a jig to up in the first place. But Hunter saw right through her.

He smiled softly and plucked Clover from his head to plop her onto Willow’s shoulder. Clover had probably tattled on her, too. The fuzzy palisman snuggled by her cheek and Willow sniffs.

“I’m not sad or anything.” She strokes under her eyes, putting her glasses back on. “I just-“ she sniffles again and pats her cheeks. “I’m not sad!”

“It’s okay to miss them.” Hunter says softly and now Willow knew for sure that Clover had told on her. She would have to tell her palisman not to do that in the future.

“Ugh! No! I- I mean yes! But- if I think about it I just- I’ll get sad and- I don’t want to be! I want to be here for everyone! I can’t do anything for- for-… I’m not there . And it’s hard to not know.”

Hunter scoots closer and puts an arm around her back, giving her a half-hug. He doesn’t say anything, he just lets her lean on him for as long as she needs it.

Willow is expecting him to say something comforting, some kind of speech about how they got this and the future is bright and everything will be fine! But he’s not.

He promises nothing. Because he doesn’t know if things will be fine or if they’ll get back home. But he is here right now, and so is she. And he wants to be present for his friends.

She’s glad that he promises nothing. Because the truth is, none of them knew what the future held. But it was nice, so nice, to be held and not having to explain why she needed it. She needed a hug, but wasn’t ready to talk about why she needed one. Hunter didn’t make her say anything, didn’t ask her to elaborate. It felt so safe and natural to sit there with her head on his shoulder. Not crying or anything, just… a calm comfort.

Hunter knew she was sad, of course she was. That’s all he needed to know to comfort her.

They were all anxious and a bit scared. It was second nature to Hunter to be in-tune to others emotions. At his core, Hunter was a very nurturing person. Perhaps because he had to be for Belos, but it was nice to be nurturing for somebody who didn't intend to take advantage of it, or weaponize his kindness for guilt.

Willow leaned away from him and coughed. “Uhum, thanks.”

“Any time captain.” His voice is full of fondness and she can’t look at him, not without turning rose-red, so she doesn't. She just adjusts her glasses.

“But, uhum, um, likewise. You know. If…. You….. um…….”

Hunter nods. “Sure.”

Willow stands and breathes out the tense air in her. “Right!” She says, forcing her mood back to what it was before and Hunter gives her an understanding look and stands as well.

“So, Luz, was it?” He assists.

“Huh? Oh! Yes! Luz wanted me to fetch you! We are upstairs doing lunch. Camila texted her and said she, Vee and Gus are lunching out at a… mac… donnie?” She shrugs. “And so it’s just us for lunch!”

“Oh, nice. Alright.” He scoops up Emmiline as Flapjack sits on his shoulder. Ghost stretches and heads up the stairs ahead of them. 

She meows.

“Oh yes,” says Hunter. “I’m sure they're happy to be cooking alone too.” Referring to the lovebirds upstairs.

Willow chuckles. “Those two are so cute together.”

“Seriously.” Hunter smiles wistfully as they emerge upstairs. “Very adorable.”

Willow watches Hunter in the new light of the midday sun coming into the house. His shaggy blonde hair pointing everywhere. 

Willow scoffs, he was endeared by Luz and Amity’s relationship? That was sweet. She would have thought fluffy things like that were beneath him, the way he carried himself all serious and unbothered. But it dawned on her now that perhaps Hunter paid a lot more attention to others than she had given him credit for. She had him all wrong. He was just a big fluffy softie, wasn’t he?

This was a skill, of course, that had let Hunter survive both emotionally and mentally with his uncle. Belos was someone Hunter had to be sensitive to, lest he catch him in a bad mood or a manic one. Hunter was hyper aware of other’s emotions. It made him a good soldier too, analysing his foes weaknesses and strengths with just a glance. Stroking their egos if it meant escaping or fooling them.

Belos had loved when Hunter doted on him or took care of him. And Hunter had been conditioned to want to do that, Belos had given him praise and made him feel at ease for appeasing his tempers. That he had kept his uncle happy that day and that meant he could relax a bit.

Flapjack had told him there was a difference, though, between wanting to care for Belos and wanting to care for his friends. And Hunter agreed. This didn’t make him feel relieved and like he had avoided mortal danger. Comforting Willow had made him feel happy. Just happy and at peace.

“Oh look who emerged from his cave.” Luz jokes and Hunter has to think for a second before understanding she meant the basement. Then he chuckled.

“I am a busy man.” He returns.

“Busy reading about hamsters.” Willlow teases and Hunter might as well have flatlined.

“What is a hamster?” Amity asks and Luz describes a tiny chunky mouse to her and Hunter thinks that’s about accurate from the picture he saw, he nods.

“Yeah. That.”

“Why was that so important?” Amity asks but Luz elbows her and Amity inhales to repeat her question but in a nicer tone; “why was that so important~?” But it only came off as passive aggressive.

Hunter squints at them both, sensing there had been a certain type of conversation between them. “It wasn’t. I just got curious.”

“Oh, well, learned anything?”

Hunter stares blankly at her as he had with Willow. “No.” He admits stupidly, again, and Willow giggles. He was so silly. Hunter glanced her way, unsure how he managed to make her laugh, but happy he had. His ear twitched happily.

“Ah! I didn't know you guys could do that!” Luz beams, pointing at Hunter.

“What?”

“Your ear twitch-thing.” Her eyes sparkled.

“We can’t.” Amity informs.

Hunter grunts, annoyed. “ I don’t know why.” He grumbles, arms stretched out.

“I didn't ask!” Amity defends.

“Well you were going to. You always do. I’m weird , I get it.”

“Aw you’re not weird.” Luz says and Hunter curls together, he didn't like the coddling.

“Whatever. Did you guys need me or..?”

“No.” Says Luz, trying to sound at ease to defuse the tension. “We just… Like having you around. Feels bad when you’re off in another room on your own.”

Hunter calms down a smidge. “Oh.” He itches his chin. “Oh well, okay.” And takes a seat by the table.

Flapjack pulls on his noodly hair. He grimaces. “No Flap.” Flapjack tugs, and Emmiline on his shoulder quacks a loud cough that startles Hunter.

“What’s with them?” Willow asks, sitting next to him.

“They want to go in the microwave.” Hunter crosses his arms. “And I say no- Ew! Emmiline Gross! ” Emmiline had shot out her tongue at his cheek.

The girls giggle at him.

Hunter takes both of his tormentors off of him and puts them on the table. “You two are the worst influence on one another. Behave.”

“Awee, it’s kinda cute how they all turn to you though, like a big brother or something.” Luz says, leaning on a chair to pet at the two palismen. Ghost poked her head up by the table across from her, mewing for attention.

Amity strokes Ghost. “I agree.” She says, meaning it but also to make peace with Hunter.

“Mh..” Hunter pets Flapjack. “Sorry about earlier today and just now, Amity. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

Amity softens. “No, I’m sorry for asking when you don’t know things you said you don’t know.”

“I wish I knew why.” He said sadly. “There’s just a lot I don’t know.”

“You must have speculations? Theories?” Amity offers but Hunter shrugs.

“I rather not share.”

The girls look at one another over Hunter’s head. Thinking it must be the grimwalker business.

“Why not?” Asks Amity kindly and sits down. “We won’t judge.”

Hunter gives her a weird look. “I… didn’t think you would?”

“Oh. Okay. Uh.”

“It is just stupid to think aloud. If you’re not certain, then don’t share. Nobody wants to hear maybes and perhapses.”

Amity frowns quizzically. “What? No? Who told you that- oh.“ but she already knew the answer and Hunter was turning his gaze further down at the table, giving a mild shrug and remained quiet.

Amity had to admit it was alarming.

Sure, her parents were strict, her mother most so. But at least she could argue with them. She knew to expect emotional luggage and mental cartwheels from doing so, but she hadn't been so brutally punished that she feared speaking to others too. It was only her mother that she wouldn’t argue with, and avoid getting heated with. But Hunter wouldn’t even discuss things with his friends, even when Belos was gone. The former golden guard sat there, across from her, now she imagined his life a little more differently from her own upbringing.

“Did… Belos tell you that?”

Hunter just shrugged again, not willing to elaborate.

“He’s not right.” Amity says as she leans forward into his vision. He has apprehension in his eyes and that makes Amity want to hammer her point home even more. “You are not stupid for asking or talking about things. Even if you only have a hum about them.”

Hunter lowers his gaze further and furrows his brows. “Well, I don’t know anything worth sharing.”

“You know a lot.” Luz corrects. “You’re super well-read on lots on things! Like wild magic and-“ she sees him tense up. Like he wasn’t supposed to be well read on things like that. “Hunter. He’s not bere, you don’t have to be-”

Hunter corrects his posture and waves a hand. “Luz it’s fine, I don’t get why you’re coddling me. I know what I am good at. I mean it when I say: it’s not worth sharing.”

He looks into her brown eyes intently, and Luz interprets him correctly. But she didn’t agree, she thought it was worth sharing. He would feel so much better if he just let them help him feel safe, love him, make him feel like he’s not a bad person who helped Belos and- … this was definitely still about Hunter.

Ghost mews from the table and Hunter takes her up on her suggestion and returns to pet them. “It’s okay guys.” He coos softly at the palismen when they cuddle to him, Luz thought it was strange that Hunter would only allow the palismen to comfort him, why not them too? Did Hunter not trust her? Did he not feel safe with her, after everything? Maybe he blamed her.

“I know, I know. It’s okay.” He said quietly.

Whatever they were telling him, only Ghost and Clover could be understood, and they weren’t doing the most talking, it was mostly Flapjack and his partner in crime Emmiline

Next to him, Willow stretched out a hand to join in on getting the palismen. “You’re really good with all of them.”

Hunter smiles. “Yeah, well, they’re all good with me too.” Emmiline meeps and Hunter gives her a look of humored disapproval. “Yes, you too.” And itches her under the chin. She smirks, pleased with herself.

Willow and Hunter eye one another in comfortable silence. This was nice.

“Aaaalright I think I saved the eggs.” Luz says. “Erm, you might want to cover the burnt bits with mayo or ketchup.”

Hunter shrugs. “I like the burnt bits. Crispy.”

“Then you get the part that’s most burnt.” Luz says jokingly but when Hunter smiles at that, she decides to actually give it to him. She had thought he lied to spare her feelings but, well, of course not. But nobody commented on that being a strange preference.

“So, tonight.” Willow says. “We were thinking to just have fun, relax a bit, watch movies and play games. We’ve done nothing but tinker on how to settle in that we haven’t actually just, y’know, tried to.”

“Right. You mentioned earlier.” Hunter says. “Popcorn.” He remembers and looks at the microwave. “It pops things.” He says to the palismen and they all look annoyed with him for ruining their idea of a good time. But Hunter just shakes his head at them and gestures like what-ya-gonna-do-fight-me and looks at his gloves.

Right. They needed a wash.

“Just take them off if they bother you.” Luz scarfed down the last of her plate, she had been quite hungry. She twirled her fork in the direction of his gloves.

“Oh, nah. It’s fine. I need to wash them though.”

“Are they… since we got here?” Willow asked, concerned.

Hunter slowly slid them off the table out of view. “Uuh.. yes?”

“Oh, man." Luz smiles to try not make a big deal out of it. “You should take them off.”

“I'm not supposed to.”

The following silence let him sink his own words in, Hunter squinted at the table.

“I don’t know why. ” He adds quickly before Amity can ask anything, and the girls all sighed in unison. At this point it had become a catchphrase.

“And you never thought that was strange?” Amity sweats, trying to smile like Luz but failing. She also caught herself too late with throwing yet another inquisitory question at him.

“Well, no! I mean, you don’t question why you wear clothes either! You just- you just do! All he said was that if I touched others with my bare hands; I was disrespecting my title as the golden guard and by extension - him and the titan.”

“Thaaat is… kinda messed up.” Willow says.

“In hindsight, yeah I guess so.” He pulls his gloves back up to look at them. He has a pause of contemplation before sighing and taking them off. His knuckles were scarred, on his left hand’s palm there was a thick scar going over the cushion of his thumb.

“Woahw, how did that happen?” Luz asked. Hunter had many scars but this one looked like it must have hurt a lot. It was a little bit deeper, too, than his otherwise surface stained ones. This looked like someone had held his hand down and sliced him deeply on purpose and without care.

“Belos.” He says matter-of-factly.

Luz pouts at him. “Are all your scars from him?”

“Most are. He didn’t mean to. It was the curse that threw his temper out of control.” Hunter paused. Realizing it probably wasn’t the case at all. That Belos had just used it as an excuse. But he didn’t correct himself, just brushed his thumb over his scar.

“He… wasn’t very kind to you, was he?” Amity asks and looks to Luz, who shook her head no to tell Amity not to press that question further.

“I guess not?” Hunter says, confused. “I thought he was..? But now I know he never cared. I was just…” he closed his eyes. Shook his head.

It hurt to admit it aloud. He still didn’t want to believe that his Uncle was all through evil. He knew better, but there was a part of him that still held onto that it hadn’t all been a lie - that he hadn’t spent his whole life….. But the more he tried to cling onto that image, the more it slipped from him. The memories of his uncle smiling down at him and telling him he did a good job, that he loved him, were replaced with the brutally dismissive smile of Belos.

What a shame. Out of all the grimwalkers, You looked the most like him.

Hunter squeezed his eyes shut. Shook his head, again, again. Blinking rapidly to get it out of his head. “Gh..”

“You okay?” Luz asks, reaching for him.

“Yep, just got a sudden headache, it happens. Don’t worry about it.” When none of the girls look convinced he spices his voice with a charming tone when adding; “I got it! If it was something I couldn’t handle I would ask for help.” He makes a point to turn to Willow with a smile. “Because that’s what friends are for, right captain?”

She blushes faintly. “Oh, yes! Exactly!”

“Right.” And he sips his blood-orange juice.

Amity and Luz look between the two of them, then glances at each other. Maybe Willow had gone through to him? Maybe spin-the-bottle would be a success now.

But Hunter’s idea of what the bar for not doing well was vastly different from theirs.

Flapjack peers up at Hunter, knowing this very well, and turned to face his palismen brethren. They all nodded too. They knew. And though they had promised not to tell their respective witches anything, they were beginning to think maybe they should say at least something.

But the natural bond that arose between grimwalkers and palismen was an ancient story, long since the time of Titans had fallen into obscurity, when the palistrom forest was growing wide and healthy. And it was difficult for the palismen to break a promise to someone like that.

Chapter Text

Gus squealed and Emmiline happily squeaked with him. A party (kind of) in the human realm! A Human sleep over! He was so excited about this.

“Oh man, oh boy, oh man!” Emmiline meeped agreeably.

Well, they had spent nearly two weeks there already, but the way Vee had explained it to him, he understood the experience of a sleepover to be a bit different than simply living together. Just like their demon-realm sleepovers!

Vee had done plenty of things like that from her human friend-activities at summer camp and school, Gus was very impressed and had taken out his notepad to scribble down a few things.

He wasn’t sure what to do with all his notes, but Hunter had suggested one night that he should make an article, or documentative book, to distribute in the demon-realm once they got back.

That had been a nice dream to hold onto, it kept his joy of the human-realm alive too.

He was grateful to Hunter for letting him go on and on about his sightings and thoughts. Hunter did not even seem like he was disinterested or only humoring him either. Hunter genuinely enjoyed seeing him excited and listening to him talk.

Not even Willow had the patience to keep attention with everything he said, but Hunter did. Not that Gus expected anyone to enjoy what he enjoyed, but it was admittedly very nice to have someone who was ready to be excited with him before even knowing what was going to happen.

Maybe Hunter had always wanted someone like Gus in his life, who wanted him included and was happy to have him along.

Hunter…

images of what Gus had seen in Belos mind threw themselves at him like fire fairies in hay. It was difficult to enjoy the human-realm after seeing the worst it had to offer.

People like Belos.

Belos had hated witches so much he was willing to murder his brother for the cause.

Gus hadn’t been able to find hatred similar to Belos anywhere he looked. But he still felt weirdly guilty for liking humanity when Belos had harmed Hunter and Vee in the name of it.

But it wasn’t humanity's fault that Belos was a sack of rubbish - if it was, the same could be said about any bad representative of the demon realm! And Gus was going to fix that one day!

Besides, both Hunter and Vee appeared to enjoy the human realm.

Gus and Vee had really bonded at the store in Camila’s motherly company.

To Gus, it had felt like hanging out with a cousin and an aunt. They had gone to the big M fast food place together, it had been a fun experience to share with Vee too.

He really found a friend in her, they talked a lot about human things and shared knowledge, she was very keen on correcting his misinformation too. He didn’t mind, he was happy to be corrected.

Knowledge was power and it was his lifelong dream to establish a connection with this realm. He wanted to understand.

Camila had been very amused by them both, and was satisfied with her plan to set them up on a play-date like that. She not only wanted to give Vee a chance on making friends as herself, boost her confidence back, but she also wanted to give Gus some much needed fun mini adventure. It had not gone unnoticed to her, how the littlest of them all was also the mama of the group. As a mama herself, she knew you needed breaks away from fussing over others.

Camila looked at a photo in the hallways of Manny and smiled. He would have loved this.

It was Vee’s last day of school today. It was only a morning class to wish everyone a happy summer.

Maybe that was why Camila had wanted to take her mind off of things by going to Mac Dee? Gus thought.

But he couldn’t help but notice how Vee was saddened at the topic of spring break.

Whenever Camila asked about what Vee looked forward to doing on her break, Vee shrunk into herself and shrugged.

Gus felt bad for her.

Hunter had explained to him that Vee might be feeling a little lost now that she wouldn’t pretend to be Luz anymore. Having to build up a new identity for herself couldn't be easy. Gus figured that’s why Hunter was so protective of her (amongst other reasons) as he was in a similar seat as her.

Right now, Vee and Gus had turned the living room into cushion heaven. It was a cozy deluxe! Pillows and blankets lay strewn on the floor like a palace leisure room.

On the big TV screen there were various movies slowly scrolling by on the streaming service.

“I’ve watched quite a lot of them already.” Vee explains and taps the controller to the horror section. “I like the scary ones the most.”

“Wow.” Marvelled Gus. “There’s so much theatre in the human realm! I can’t wait to experience the peak of human entertainment!” He tip-tapped his feet around, eyes sparkling. Vee grinned.

“Would you like to see a trailer? Pick any you think looks interesting.”

“What’s a trailer?”

“It’s like a preview, a taste of what the movie will be like.” and had to explain he wouldn't actually taste anything.

Gus inhaled and began to pointing various movies on the horror section until he decided on the exorcist, he knew what that was! That was a type of coven practice that dealt with ghosts! The oracle coven! Amitys mother was in that one.

It would be interesting to see what humans thought of ghosts.

The trailer was terrifying.

Vee decided that, upon seeing Augustus’ and Emmiline screaming their hearts out and hiding behind the couch at the trailer, that witches were not ready for the high quality cinematic experience.

In hindsight, that made sense. Even when she explained it was just like illusion magic, Gus was still a little apprehensive on watching something as scary as that. Not even for inspiration for his own magic.

They found the perfect compromise.

Hocus pocus.

Now that was a human (American) cult classic, and it would perfectly summarize what humans generally thought witches were. Generally, anyway.

Amity comes in from the backyard with a bottle.

Gus looks at it and groans quietly, he had kind of hoped that whole thing had been forgotten about.

“Found a movie yet?” Amity asks happily, screwing the lid back onto the bottle. Gus saw the little goop of slime pressing itself to hide in the cap.

“Yeah.” Says Vee in her Luz form, it is the white spots on her cheeks and yellow eyes that gave her away, and her slightly raspy voice.

“We chose a witch centric movie.”

“Oh, fascinating!" Amity placed the bottle on the coffee table.

Gus squinted at it as he let out a disapproving grunt.

Amity smiles at him. “It’ll go well Gus. I think Willow spoke with Hunter before, I think he’s going to share if we ease into it.”

“I don't know…” Gus squirmed and Emmiline meeped in agreement, climbing out on his arm, he let her hop down on the table to inspect the bottle.

She squinted at it to take aim and then shot her tongue at it.

Splap!

“Gus,” Amity whispers, hand on his shoulder. “We all care for Hunter. I agree that a direct confrontation won’t help, but I do think Luz has a point: it would be best if we were all on the same page, and Hunter won’t share willingly unless he thinks it is safe to do so.”

Gus looked to the side and Amity purses her lips thoughtfully.

“If we can talk openly with him about being a grimwalker, we might figure out why Belos needed one. It might be important.”

Gus' sad puppy eyes look up into her golden. “How would you feel if you found out we had set you up like this?”

She sighs. Good point.

“I don’t know Gus. Probably a bit disappointed. But I think I would understand, too.”

Gus pouted. There was no convincing anyone, was there? Was he overthinking this? Maybe this was a good idea and he was all wrong. Maybe Hunter would be relieved to get it off his chest! That was one way to look at it.

“Amity, I don’t want to participate.” He admits. “I had promised not to mess with him. I just don't feel right about it.”

“I understand, you don’t have to. Just play the game as it is intended, or don’t play at all. I won’t control the bottle when it’s your turn.”

He smiles, relieved. “Thanks Amity.”

Emmiline was using her tongue to drag the bottle across the table. Amity lifted it away from her. She meeped in protest.

Vee hums thoughtfully. “Honestly, I think if it had been me, I would have been relieved to find out my friends knew I was a basilisk and set me up, to let me know they still wanted me around.”

Amity and Gus sympathized. Vee realized she had overshared and squirmed, her ears floofing out and her voice cracking.

“I-I mean, so, you know. I think it’s… a good idea.”

Gus gives her an understanding nudge. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. I’m just worried he’ll feel like we manipulated him, I guess.”

“Maybe he will.” Vee agreed. “But he might also be relieved.”

“Maybe.”

Luz waddles in with three bowls full of chips. “Whooo wants snaaaaacks~?” And twirls for a dramatic entrance, she nearly trips herself over on the edge of the carpet, had Hunter not grabbed her and corrected her back on track. “Thank youuu~!”

Hunter shook his head with amusement at her antics, and put down the two bottles of soda, Willow with the dips.

“Oh! Chips!” Gus beams and holds one up. “Ohoho, the tales I have been told about this! Finally, my day has come!!”

He gapes widely as he approaches the one chip to his lips. He eyes Hunter first, and seeing him happily watch expectantly and amused, Gus kisses the chip.

“For the perfect crunch..” and takes a bite.

Nom.

He lets out a happy little gasp. “Oh, titan bless me! It is a firework in my mouth! I must… have.. another!!”

“Easy there.” Hunter chuckles, hand to Gus' face. “Save some for the movie, or you won't have the ultimate human experience of a movie and snacks.” He had been listening to Gus’ speech on the topic, after all.

Gus sparkled. “You are right! I must contain myself! …. Just ooone more though.” He sneaks one more into his mouth.

“Alright, we chose Hocus pocus.” Vee stood by the TV and dimmed the light where she could reach the switch.

Gus squealed and picked up his palisman to claim a spot on the arm chair, snuggling in with her and a blanket. At least he still had his palisman.

He wasn’t sure if he would be able to enjoy the human-realm as much without her. She was a piece of home, and family, that made him feel safe.

strangely, so did Hunter.

Even if he was his newest friend, the two boys had really bonded. Gus hoped these past days and nights wouldn't be undone by tonight's game. Hunter didn't trust easily and Gus took pride in their budding bromance. It made things feel like home.

Hunter smiled at him, poured a glass of cola and gave it to Gus, then took a seat on the couch that was the closest to Gus’ side so they could talk during the movie, if they wanted to.

“I am so excited!” Gus vibrated with delight.

Luz and Amity took a nook of the couch as well, Willow in-between them and Hunter, and Vee was going to spread herself out on the second armrest.

“Oohh! Cosy!” Camila coos, coming in with a tray of mini-popcorn boxes to hand out.

Luz gasps at them. “Mini boxes! That’s so cute! I didn't know they sold that.”

“Haha, they make everything in extra large and small, but Vee saw this at the store earlier and it was too cute to resist.”

As she handed them out to each kid, Luz realized there was one short. “Where is yours mom?”

“Oh, I need to work upstairs. But you are all good kids, you need no supervision from me.”

Hunter still couldn’t help but cheerfully salute. “I will make sure, mrs.Noc—Bebebuh Camila! Mrs. Camila.” And shrunk back onto his spot after fumbling what to call her. But she just giggled and Hunter’s anxieties vanished.

“Good!” She said, mostly to humour him. “I’m counting on you then.”

And Hunter took that to heart.

Camila kissed Luz on top of her head and, in Spanish, told her to have a good time and enjoy herself. Luz replied that she would.

Camila left for her office upstairs.

And Vee put the movie on.

Luz was, at first, delighted to watch Hocus Pokus with them. Now they would get to see, on a small scale, what humans thought of witches and why it was important for them to stay hidden.

She had remembered the witches to be the best part of the movie, charismatic and iconic, but had in the midst of her fondness forgotten just how despicable they were as well.

“Eating human children is kind of a really out-dated practice to do.” Amity whispers to Luz. “Also, I read that witches that did that got sick and died from food poisoning. But some were willing to risk it in favor of the trend. Peoole do anything to be in the it-crowd.”

Luz nodded with a squeamish expression. “Oh, Didn’t know I was edible.”

Willow hushed them and the couple snuggled under a blanket.

Amity held Luz hand and stroked her knuckles, Luz smiles sadly, sinking down to rest onto Amity’s shoulder.

She could help, she was going to fix this.

Guilt sunk its claws into her skin and told her she had to suffer for what she had done. Even if they forgave her, they were her friends so of course they would! But she couldn't... not ever.

Everyone had lost their home because of her, maybe their whole world. If only she had listened to Eda. If she hadn’t tried to stay behind, then maybe King would have been able to escape with her too.

But she couldn’t do anything about that.

What she could do, though, was stop Hunter from spiralling down a similar path as her. He was trying to make sure everyone was okay when he wasn’t okay.

If only he could let himself be vulnerable. open up and talk to them about Belos, about the grimwalker stuff, about his time as the golden guard. He knew the most about who Belos was, how his powers and curse worked… Hunter had to talk to them.

And Luz told herself she had read enough books about redeemed villains to be able to help Hunter. She could definitely steer things in the right direction.

Not in a Belos kind of way, though… right? Were they different? Of course! There had to be a difference. Luz wanted to help Hunter! Belos only pretended to!

…right? Belos had only pretended. Or had he really thought he was doing right?

you cant argue with crazy.

Belos was a human from Gravesfield, their only shot at finding out how to get back is to figure out how Philip got in there in the first place.

Did he use a portal? Did he stumble upon it or make one himself? There was the local legend about the brothers Wittebane, too...

From Amity’s shoulder, Luz watched Hunter intently. He was eating popcorn, Flapjack snoozing on his shoulder.

There was a gnawing feeling inside her chest. She remembered Belos’ mind and what he had said to her.

How her and Belos were similar.

She had also forgotten about Billy the zombie. Luz felt Amity tense up and cling to her.

When Luz looked over at everyone, she saw that everyone (except for Vee) were quite scared of the whole uprising.

To Luz, these were silly movie effects, she could tell this movie was from 1993 by looking at everything that wasn’t organic in it. The graveyard was clearly a movie set. But to the hexsquad's untrained eye, this was as real as it could get.

Gus hugged his palisman and hid in his blankets. He peered out at Luz, who caught his eyes and nodded to Hunter.

In a moment of clarity, Gus inhaled a bit of courage and looked over at Hunter, who had a hand on his cheek and hugged himself in discomfort.

Gus looked over at Willow next, who was spooked - but entranced enough to absently eat her popcorn. Amity was hiding her face behind her hands.

Hunter sunk down into his seat. Hoping nobody would think the same of him - zombies were the human version of grimwalkers, kind of. Right? From what he had read, anyway, they were copies of someone dead and risen from the ground. Something-Something the fullmoon, too.

Gus gathered up his blanket and Emmiline, came over to Hunter and nudged him. 

“Move over buddy.” He said and Hunter scooted aside as best he could to let Gus hide with him.

Hunter put a comforting arm around his friend and relaxed a little.

“It’s just theatre.” The blonde assured.

“Yeah.” Luz added. “It’s not real.”

She and Hunter looked over at one another and Luz saw his worried expression, then he turned away from her.

Luz clutched her wrist.

She didn't want Hunter to think anyone was afraid of him now.

Billy the zombie cut open his lips and turned out to be good. It was Willow who laughed at it, and the rest chuckled. More so to Willow’s bubbly laugh than the joke itself, she snorted and wheezed.

“He hates them! Hahaha! He's a good guy, aww, that’s nice.” And took a handful of popcorn into her mouth.

Luz was so focused on how this wasn't a good choice of a movie for tonight's intentions, that she missed Hunter smiling at Willow softly.

Luz was relieved when the movie was over.

“Oookay, haha, so!” Luz claps her hands together, hoping this hadn’t ruined anything. “That’s pretty much what humans think witches are like, historically, anyway.” 

“Humans got us all wrong.” Willow says. “I mean sure, we fly and stuff like that but we aren’t that malicious.”

“Or kooky.” Gus adds. “Though we aaare charismatic, aren't we?” He elbows Hunter, who nervously chuckles.

“Yeah, I guess?”

“Oh come on, you were charisma itself when you were the Golden Guard.” Gus grinned.

Hunter scoffs. “Yeah well, that was easier when I was wearing a mask and already had authority to back me up.” He admits. “Though you're correct, some witches are very charismatic.” And gives Gus a nudge.

Gus laughs and pushes back at him. The boys begin to playfully shove and push at each other until they both fumble down onto the floor behind where Willow was seated.

She smiles down at them. “Having fun?”

Hunter blushes and stutters, Gus seizes his opportunity to grab a pillow and smack her in the face with it.

She cackles. “Oh! It is on Porter!”

“Ah! Hunter save me!” Gus laughs and Hunter does, grabbing him out of the way before Willow can whack him back.

“No fair!” Willow stands with a joyous gasp.

Gus sticks his tongue out at her. “Not at all! You’re way stronger than us both.”

“Oh please!” Willow scoffs.

“No, no.” Hunter waves a hand. “He’s right. This is an even field.” And hands Gus a pillow.

Amity squares up next to Willow. “Oh, a pillow fight? Sounds fun.”

“Aw now that’s not fair!” Gus gestures. “Vee! Be on our side!” He invites and Vee lights up.

“Oh- okay!” And comes to join the boys.

Luz climbs upon the couch behind the trio, two big cushions in her hands. “The element of surprise!” She yells and plonks Gus to the floor.

“Augustus!” Hunter yelps.

"Avenge me Hunter! Vee!”

The blonde duo swing up their pillows at Luz.

“Oh no wait—!”

And down she went.

And war broke out.

Playful merriment and pillows bounced through the air, betrayal, comedic ducking right on time and Willow’s manic competitive spirit turned the group against her to no avail. 

“Get her!!” Gus commanded.

Grinning, Hunter took aim for Willow. As he frisbee’d a round crocheted pillow across the room, Amity stumbled and got hit square in the face by it, causing her to crash into both Willow and Vee.

They all laughed until their sides hurt, even Amity; who got kisses for her injury. It was a good ten-fifteen minutes of war.

Luz breathed out relief. This was good. She could still save the night. 

“Alright, I think that’s enough fighting for now hah, how about we play something else? Have you guys ever heard of spin the bottle?”

“No?” Said Hunter, and Gus sucked in his lip to not say anything.

Gus turned away from his buddy to feign ignorance. The boy hugged his pillow and looked around for Emmiline as Luz explained the rules.

As Augustus looked around himself, he saw no Emmiline, or any of the palismen for that matter.

“Hey, where are the palismen?” He interrupts just as Luz is finished explaining the game.

“Oh yeah. Ghost?” Amity calls.

They hear a meow from the kitchen and, as they all stand quiet, hear the distinct sound of a microwave.

Hunter gasps loudly.

“I SAID NOT THE MICROWAVE!” And dashed into the kitchen. “Flapjack! Emmiline!” He scolds, followed by a chirp and a meep and the beep of the microwave.

The palismen escape the kitchen to hide with their witches. Flapjack simply hid in a bookshelf.

Hunter poked an angry face out from the kitchen.

“Lucky for all of you it has no effect on wood! But you still disobeyed my direct orders! What if you had broken it- Flaps! Get down from there.”

He growls when Flapjack just chirps down at him.

“I don’t care if it’s fine! It could have gone wrong!"

“Aw it’s okay Hunter. They’re fine after all.” Willow coos at her palismen, who coos back.

Disarmed by her easy going approach, Hunter mentally undresses his golden guardianship a little bashfully.

“Yeah well, they could’ve gotten hurt and I don’t know if I— look,” he wags a finger at the palismen. “At least ask next time.”

Emmiline meets.

“Sure, yes, I might say no, but you have to trust that I know better!”

“Well you didn’t know better, they could be in the microwave.” Vee corrects and Hunter had half expected it to be Amity and bark back, but because it was Vee he remained quiet for a moment before responding.

“Well- it’s not always about knowing what the right thing to do is, Vee.” Hunter explains with a much milder tone than he would have with any of the others. “Sometimes, even if things go well, you can get in trouble for not doing as you’re told. It doesn’t matter if it worked out or not. Disobedience is still disobedience. I mean, they provide you with a bed and food. The least you can do is do as you are told.”

Everyone else heard what Hunter didn’t.

His life with Belos as a parental figure had left its patterns far deeper in him than Hunter was probably aware of. There were no rules to be broken and punished for here, but it was so ingrained in him that logic left him and applied the danger anyway.

Before Luz could prod him about that, Hunter shrugs and picks up the bottle.

“That being said, this sounded like fun!”

“Yeah.” Luz said and took the bottle, trying to smile. “It is. Let's play.”

With the coffee table in the middle, bottle on top;

They were seated in order of: Vee, Gus, Amity, Luz, Hunter and Willow.

Gus pointedly made sure that Amity kept her promise and Amity gave him an affirmative nod.

He wasn’t going to be a part of the scheme.

“Right, so everyone gets a turn, clockwise.” Luz says. “Who wants to begin?”

“I can do it.” Willow volunteers and is the first to spin.

The whole point was that everyone was going to have a go to be truthful before Hunter.

To do this, Amity had to keep her hands on the table to control the goop inside the bottle. Under the table made the magic too distant for such a small drop of slime. She also had to keep one of her fingers extended out towards the bottle, her movements were discreet and careful. When the bottle had to stop, she tucked her finger in.

Willow spun the bottle and Amity waited until it would look like a natural stop, on Luz.

“Truth or dare?” Willow asks.

“Truth!”

“Alright, hmm!” Willow had to think of a question of equal measure to that of Hunter’s grimwalker. “Um… how big of a question can I ask?”

“As big as you want! That’s the point, we are getting to know each other. It’s a bit of a prodding game, heheh!”

“Alright.” Willow hums. It was difficult, but she finally thought of something. “Um, when you helped Phillip.. did you know he was Belos?”

For a moment, Luz was unable to respond. “Uh.. no. I didn’t.”

Hunter turns to Willow. “Hey, that’s a little uncalled for. Are you doubting her?“

“No! No that’s not why I asked! It was just never elaborated upon. And, Luz, you’re still beating yourself up about it. So I thought… maybe you knew, but were tricked, or something?”

Luz hugged herself. “Um, no. I didn’t know. I guess I just feel so stupid. I know, logically, that there was no way for me to know. But I also thought that-“

she shut her eyes and her stomach tied a knot.

“I don't know. I just wanted to prevent something bad from happening, instead, the opposite happened. I think I just imagined that, because it was me, maybe I was meant to stop him?”

She scoffs at her own stupidity.

“But that was my hubris, I wanted so badly to be meant for something. That maybe there was a reason why I wound up in the boiling isles? I mean, me! Stupid Luz! I don’t fit in anywhere, I didn’t even have friends! The human realm had no place for the way I am… and when I found Eda and King and… I was on an adventure. A real one.”

Her brown eyes focused somewhere distant, somewhere a little darker and desperate.

“Like in my books. I thought… This can’t be a coincidence.”

Luz paused, and blinked. She hadn’t ever thought this deeply about it before, never allowed herself to. It was like wiping a dirty mirror, the more she wiped, the more she could see herself understanding Philip.

Luz hugged her arms around her knee, her friends sat quietly. The pressure of silence forced her mouth to continue.

“And I guess I… Thought… That maybe if I was good enough, it would would out-do Belos bad. And look where that got everyone.”

Amity embraced her and she sniffled.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to vent.”

“Hey, I asked.” Willow says. “And, Luz, nobody thinks like that except you.”

Her friends agreed, except Hunter. Who only looked at his hands thoughtfully.

“I think,” says Hunter, after everyone had consoled Luz, “that it is good you realize you’re not that special.”

Luz’ lip curled sadly and Amity threw him a gaze full of daggers. “What’s your problem?”

Hunter holds his hands up, “You misunderstand. Everyone wants to be special, to.. someone or something. But the truth is that— at least I don't think that you have to be special in some grand big schene to be important to.. to.. well, us?” Hunter offers Luz a smile. “You know?”

Everyone wants to believe they are chosen. But if we all waited around for a prophecy to make us special we’d die waiting. That’s why you need to choose yourself.

Eda’s words rang through her head like chiming bells. She thought she had done what Eda had advised, but she had misunderstood the deeper wisdom of it. Eda hadn’t told her to go make herself special.

Luz blinks away her tears as she smiles back at Hunter. “Yeah. I think so.”

Hunter tilts his head. “Besides, Belos always said the same thing.”

“What?”

“Yeah. That he was chosen by the Titan. But knowing what we know now, I’m pretty sure he meant he had chosen himself to be the hero that destroyed all witches, yeah?”

Luz gripped her wrist as she hugged it to herself. “Yeah…”

“And it’s a dangerous mindset to have, regardless of which way it goes.”

Luz shrunk in on herself. “Yeah..”

“Because-“

Amity shook her head at him but he ignored her, he had to tell her, someone had to.

“--Because Belos hurt people, and you hurt yourself.”

Luz looks up at his soft, caring and brotherly face.

“And none of us wants to see you hurt.”

Luz’ eyes filled with tears and she let out a happy, wobbly, squeak.

“Ah- sorry!” Hunter fret.

“No-- just, thanks, Hunter. That means a lot coming from you.”

After all, Hunter was the only person who knew the difference. To hear him make a line and declare that; although they had similar mindsets, they were not the same.

“Any time.”

“Okay!” Vee breaks out to cut away from the sappy atmosphere. “If we are all good and happy…?”

“Haha, yeah, yeah!” Luz assures, wiping her face with Amity cuddling close to her. “It’s your turn actually, Vee.”

“Is the game supposed to get this intense?” Hunter itches his cheek sheepishly, feeling bad for having pressed the conversation to Luz crying.

“Yeah!” Luz chimes a bit too enthusiastically. “Theee truth can be difficult!” She ha-has. “Buuuut healthy! And if you rip it off like a band-aid you'll feel relief for sharing! With friends! That love you mo matter what secrets you hold, hahaa...!”

“Oh.” Hunter grimaces. “Humans are… intense.”

“Well we can’t go around punching people in the street, so we punch each other emotionally!”

Everyone had their own unique reaction upon hearing that. Maybe humans were scarier than they had thought.

“Okay, my turn!” Vee spins the bottle.

Amity pokes her finger out and lets it stop on Gus. Gus gave her a look, but he didn’t have to play along.

“Truth or dareeee?”

“Hum! Truth!” Gus says and pops a chip into his mouth. 

Vee tapped her chin. “Do youuuu… is the human realm worse or better than you expected?”

Vee opted for a less exposing question, as she had heard that Gus didn’t want to participate. And besides, after Luz’ emotional truthing, they needed something lighter. 

Gus exploded into little stars, sunshine and rainbows. “It’s great! I love it!!” And went on to list off all of his happiest discoveries. “But I still wonder where the giraffes are?”

“At the zoo.” Vee says flippantly. “They haven't escaped so my guess is that they like it there. Maybe.”

“Oh! Maybe we could go ask them sometime?”

“Ask them?” Willow asks. “Ask them what?”

“How they were banished? Maybe they know a second way to get to the human realm, other than the door. I’ve been thinking, the door was human made, right? Or… something. Either way, it’s too small for giraffes. And we know human stuff winds up in our realm all the time!”

“Eda used the door to get human trash—“ Luz begins.

“No wait, Gus is right.” Amity piles on. “Remember the Azura books? There is other ways trash gets to our realm. Not only that, people have been accidentally going back and forth for thousands of years. The door can’t be the only way.”

Everybody's hearts are lit with the flame of hope.

“Yeah!” Gus beams. “There got to be a way!” And points a finger gun at Amity. “But now it’s your turn to spin!”

“Actually it’s yours.”

“Oh! Very well! Lets spiinnn!”

Gus spins. And the bottle lands on Willow. “Truth or dare, madam!”

“My, my. Truth, good sir!”

“Alright. Hm…” Gus meet eye with a pleading Amity. He sighs. Truth be told, he had been worried for Willow. “So… truth huh? Hm, well, are you doing okay?”

Willow smiles. “Yes, of course!” And saw Hunter’s red eyes look through her. “Er, actually, no. I have to be truthful.” 

She looks at Luz, she had been very honest. Willow had to be too. 

“I am, um, trying to hold things together but it— I really miss—“

she couldn’t. She wasn’t ready to talk about how much she missed her dads. She didn’t want to tell anyone about how scared she was. She was strong-Willow now!

And there was Amity, too. Who had only a few days ago finally started to see her as a person who didn’t need to be protected anymore.

Willow wasn’t in a place where she was comfortable sharing her insecurities with everyone. Even if Luz had been brave enough to do so— ugh, was she this much of a coward?!

“I am—“

Hunter swayed his shoulder against hers, and she turned up to face him. Hunter and his gentle, kind, eyes.

“You don’t have to.”

Oh. That’s right. She had already told Hunter, maybe that was enough?

“No, it’s the rules of the game. I have to!”

“You can change to dare, right?” Hunter asks and turns to Luz. This was dangerous, because if Willow was allowed to change, so would Hunter later.

“Erm, not… really. If you’ve chosen, you’ve chosen.”

“Can’t we make an exception? I think truth sounds a little too heavy. Maybe we can have lighter questions?”

“I’m okay Hunter. Thanks.” She smiles up at him.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Thank you.” She inhales and exhales. “I’m worried for the safety of my dads. And I am… worried I’ll never get to see them again.”

She wouldn’t elaborate further. She couldn’t. But she could admit to this at least.

“Me too.” Gus says.

“Me as well..” Amity looks down at her hands, her finger still out on the table.

Hunter looks at her hands, and when she taps it, the bottle moves slightly. He furrows a brow but brushes his suspicion out of his mind.

“You too?” Willow blinks.

“Of course.” Amity offers. “I try really hard to keep myself occupied with the portal construction. It… helps me feel a bit closer to my dad, doing so.”

Willow nods. “Yeah, I wish I could do something similar.”

Hunter taps a little melody on the table, grabbing her attention. “Weee could try flier derby sometime? In the woods? Y’know, we can’t slack off on practice.”

And Willow’s heart flutter a little. “Yeah?”

“Yes!” Gus says. “I’m in! I need to practice disguises anyway! If I am going to be the ambassador to the human realm someday, I gotta become an expert in disguising witches and demons!”

“I can help with that too.” Says Vee. “If.. that’s okay—“ Gus swings an arm over her shoulder.

“Heck yeah it is! You and I Vee! Head of the human-demon resources department!”

And something in Vee clicks just right.

That was it. That’s who she wanted to be.

The human realm had become her home, she was a demon immigrant living there. The thought of perhaps helping other witches and demons immigrating too, or just showing them what the human realm was all about, lit a flame within her that she hadn’t know to been vacant of light.

“Y-Yeah! Yeah!!”

"Ambassadors! Ambassadors!" Gus chants, fist pumping into the air. Vee joins him.

“Hahaha, alright, who’s turn is it now?”

“Mine.” Amity reaches the bottle and spins it.

Her finger flicked out, making a tiny circle against the table as the bottle spins.

Hunter notices but, again, tells himself it’s nothing. Even if he could’ve sworn he saw a sparkle of purple from her fingertip.

She tucks her finger in and the bottle stops on Vee.

Hunter furrows his brows.

Vee awkwardly smiles. Knowing she had to choose truth, but couldn’t think of what Amity possibly could ask her that would be revealing enough.

“Truth or dare, Vee?”

“Truth.”

“Another truth, very well.” Amity politely holds her hands on the table. “Are you worried about starting over again, as… You know, yourself and not Luz?”

Hunter cringed, these questions were so pointed! And of course Amity would ask Vee that. To Hunter, it came off as Amity being defensive over Luz or.. something.

“Oh come on, why don’t you ask her something nice! Like what her favourite food is!”

“The point of the game is to dig a little, Hunter.” Amity explains.

Hunter frowns.

“It’s fine Goldie.” Vee shrugs awkwardly. “Yeah, I mean, of course I am worried about it. I liked the people I made friends with, I’m also kind of… I dunno, it’s not like Luz has to be friends with them too. But it just feels bad that you probably won't.”

Luz tucks her chin down. “Hey, I can try to!”

“No. We’re very different, they’ll just think that I- er, you, changed personality over spring break or something. You won’t know our inside jokes or anything either.”

“You could tell me!”

Vee pulls her knees up. “I don't… want to. They were my jokes, my friend. I kind of just rather you grew apart from them, honestly.” But Vee’s heart still sank. Bittersweet is the letting-go-of friends in favor of finding safety in a new identity.

“Well, good thing you can always make friends with them again as yourself, then.” Willow offers.

Vee darts her piercing yellow eyes at her. She had a point. She hadn’t thought about that.

Hunter shrugs. “And, hey, maybe Luz could introduce you to them! You know? So you don’t just show up randomly, knowing a bunch of stuff. Maybe Luz had told Vee all about them, yeah? That could give you deniability if you slip up a little.”

Vee blinks at him. “That’s… not a bad idea, actually.”

“Heh, I know. If I’m good at anything, it’s to be incognito~!”

“Is it?” Amity sceptically squints at him.

“Hey, I have training!” Hunter huffs. “Becoming the Golden Guard wasn’t easy, you know.”

“I heard. Though, wasn’t it just a teeensy bit nepotism, too? All things given.”

Hunter pouts. “No.”

Then pauses to think. Was it? Belos wanted the grimwalker to be the golden guard, after all. But he had earned it! Right? He was the youngest at least, so there must have been a quota of acceptance!

“No! I earned that!” Hunter decides, and subconsciously touches his scar on his face.

All chances has to be earned.

Again, Hunter has to blink himself out of being jumped with mental images of Belos. His uncle giving him the chance to graduate as a scout, then prove himself to be worthy of the Golden Guard title.

He remembers.

And shakes his head.

“You good bud?”

“Yeah, sorry. Random headache again. Ahem, anyway.. uh, who’s turn is it?”

“Luz’s turn.” Says Willow.

Luz can feel herself don a mantel, heavy as chains. This was it. Oh god, she hadn’t given any thought on how to ask him, or even what to ask him!

Sweat rolled down her spine as she plastered a smile on her face. She tried to squint her eyes a little to convey genuinely.

She met a gaze with Hunter, who returned a pleasant one; more genuine than hers. An invisible knife twisted inside her belly, threatening to poke through her entrails and shank her from the inside.

“Yaayyy, my turnnn..!”

Hunter tilted his head curiously at her, wondering why she was nervous? She chose the game after all.

When Luz spun the bottle, he saw Amity’s finger poke out against the wood again. And when she tucked it back in, the bottle stopped on him.

Hunter looked from the bottle, up at Luz and her nervous attempt of looking excited.

Something was up.

“Truth or dare?” Luz jazzed her hands.

Hunter crossed his arms and pretended to think. From the corner of his eye, he observed similar tension in everyone else, too.

Something was definitely up.

“Well?” Gus breaks his silence.

“Dare.”

Luz blinks. “I’m… sorry what?”

“Dare. I choose dare.”

Vee chuckles. “Everyone chose truth, don’t you wanna choose that too?”

Hunter gives her a long and searching glance, she cowered under his gaze. He hadn’t meant to frighten her, but he wasn’t wrong - things were afoot and apparently Vee was in on it too.

“Exactly.” Hunter flicks a hand out with merry pretence. “Everyone has chosen truth. I want to know what dare looks like.” He turns a cocky smile towards Luz. “So? What’s my dare, Luz?”

Luz masks her nervousness by stroking a pretend moustache. “A dare you say, hum hum!”

Hunter blinks slowly at her sorry attempt of being inconspicuous. Something was definitely going on.

Were they all in on it?

“I dare you tooooo…” She grins with evil in her eyes. “To go to my mom and tell her you’re a banana!”

“What?! No! Give me another dare! She is working!”

“Heheheh, that is my dare.”

“I changed my mind. I choose truth.”

“Ah-ah-ah!” Luz wag her finger like a ticking clock. “You can’t change, those are the rules. I thought you said earlier that the least we can do is follow the rules.”

Grumbling, Hunter gets up from his spot on the floor. He looms down at Luz defiantly and holds her gaze for a moment, mutters under his breath and makes his way to the stairs. Once out of sight, he anxiously makes his way upstairs.

“Why didn’t you let him change?” Vee hisses.

“Because otherwise he might choose dare again! Now he knows dare sucks and wont pick it twice!” Luz whispers back. “Also, help! I have no idea what to ask him! And now it won’t be my turn for awhile, gah!”

“I can ask.” Willow offers. “It will be Hunter’s turn next, and then mine. I could ask him.”

“Or,” Gus flicks in. “We could drop it? Things are going well. We don’t need him to tell us, we could just carry on as usual. We will find a better time to bring it up, or he brings it up himself.“

“I think we should do this now.” Vee argued quietly. “He might.. be relieved. I would have been.”

The group falls quiet, they try to listen to Hunter’s footsteps but he is soundless.

“What should I ask?” Willow asks as quietly as possible.

Amity leans over, so she can whisper even lower. “Ask him to be truthful about what he knows about Belos’- er- Philip’s brother. That gotta open a box of honesty.”

“Okay..”

Gus squirms and grimaces.

Luz thinks of Hunter’s smile when he had offered her comfort about not being like Belos. It had been a boulder off her shoulders, coming from him of all people. She had to return the favour now. She had to. She needed to.

And it was true, right? She wasn’t like him. She wanted to help and save people - her greater good wasn't the same as Phillip’s.

But maybe that was the same rhetoric Phillip had used to excuse himself. How far could you take it before it crossed a line with no return?

Luz was not a bad person, in her heart of hearts she knew that. Clumsy, yes. But she wasn’t as bad as Belos. If she was… her friends would for sure nip it in the bud! Or stop her! It would never get to that point! Unless… of course, like the emperor of the boiling isles had been - just convincing enough to convince even good people that she was right.

No, no no, she couldn’t think like this!

Luz’ chest tightens even more, she looks around at her friends discussing and can’t ground herself enough to pay attention. She sips on her cola, hoping the bubbles would open her chest back up.

Upstairs, Hunter stood outside of Camila’s office.

He was brought back to all the times he had stood just like this outside his uncle’s door. Trying to sense through the barrier between them if it was a good time or not.

Was he in a bad mood? Busy? Too busy for him but not other things? And if he had time, would it suddenly become a bad time once Hunter opened his mouth?

And here he was, about to waste Camila’s time by telling her he was a banana.

Maybe he could just pretend he’d done it?

Yeah. He could pretend.

Camila opened the door and gasped in surprise at seeing him, his shoulders shoot up.

“Oh! Hijo lobo.” She chuckles. “Did you need something?”

“Um-“ Camila strokes a tear away from under her eye. “Are.. you alright Mrs Camila?”

“Mh? Oh, yes. Sorry. I was talking to Manny.”

Hunter blinks up at her, confused. Her smile is soft and she opens the door to reveal his photo on the desk.

“Oh. I am so sorry for disturbing you.”

“Not at all. I was just about to go down and check on you kids. So, good timing! How are things going?”

Hunter lets the tension in his shoulders go and smiles at the opportunity to report back to her. “Oh! It is going well. I think.”

“You think?”

“Ah, well… Yes, it is.”

“That is good!” Camila beams with her hands together. Hunter holds onto the edges of his flannel shirt as he looks at her happy approval. “Ah, while you’re here. Come in, if I can borrow you for a moment.” 

Camila opens the door more to let Hunter walk in, she leaves the door slightly open and lets him be nearest to it. she returns to her computer chair.

Hunter stands by, similarly to how he would for his uncle.

He throws a glance at the open door and it puts him at ease knowing he was so close to an escape. Unlike Belos, who would always stand between him and the exit, Camila made herself unthreatening by sitting and becoming shorter than him.

She looks fondly at Manny’s photograph, inviting Hunter to observe it as well.

“Manny disowned his family, did Luz ever tell you that?”

Hunter shakes his head mildly.

“They weren’t very nice to him at all. He was never enough to them, no matter what he did or how much of himself he sacrificed, it was never enough.” Camila smiles to Manny in the photo and holds it fondly in her hands. 

Manny looked like he had been such a good guy, Hunter couldn’t imagine why his parents would treat him like that. Some sort of cogwheel began to turn its gears in his mind.

“I wasn’t enough for them either.”

Hunter, shocked, turns to her. “What?! That’s preposterous!” And Camila giggles at his outrage. “You’re great!”

“They didn’t think so.”

“Then they’re wrong! And stupid!"

“Oh, I agree.” She hung the photo back on the wall. “But for a very long time, Manny was very conflicted. He disagreed with them about me, but agreed with them about himself.”

Hunter turned back to Manny. His kind smile is full of love and warmth. The gears in Hunter’s mind kept connecting and spinning. Camila let the silence hang in the air as she observed the quiet boy. He reminded her of Manny when they were teens, awkward and a little antsy, but sweet.

Hunter turned to face her motherly smile. Shyly, he squirmed and looked downwards.

“For the longest time he thought he was unlovable.” She says.

Hunter lifts his gaze to her again. “He looks like a nice guy to me.” Hunter strokes his arm for comfort. “And you loved him, right? Why didn’t he believe you?”

“Sometimes people only accept the love they think they deserve. And when they have fought for so long to be loved by someone who only gave their love with conditions, it is difficult to comprehend when someone loves you for free.”

Hunter holds her gaze for a bit, the wheels in his head clicking and rolling smoothly now. He understood what she was saying, but still struggled to apply it to himself completely.

“Even if,” she adds, carefully approaching her hand to nudge him on the elbow. “They think they’re something or someone bad. Maybe they need to see that people love them, not for what they do but for who they are.”

“That’s a very kind sentiment.” Hunter says, only half-dismissing her words. But she was not defeated by it. She heard his words for what they were: careful hoping.

She smiles, “So, what did you come here for?”

“Oh, uh, we are playing spin the bottle. I was dared to come here and tell you I am.. a.. uhm..” She smiles at him patiently. “A banana..” Hunter turned beet red as he mumbled it out.

When Camila giggles, Hunter’s hands unclenched.

“A banana, heheh! Nooo.” She chuckles. “You are hijo lobo.” She jokes.

Hunter smiles shyly, he dares to voice a question; “What is a.. miy-hoo-loo-bou?”

“Oh! Hmm… it is my nickname for you, it is a wolf puppy, I suppose.”

“Oh!” Hunter brightens up. “That’s.. cool?”

“Very cool.” Her heart melts at how happy he got. She wasn’t sure if Hunter was ready to know, or even okay with, that she called him her wolf son. So she left that part out.

“Alright.” Hunter nods. “Mi-yo-loboo.”

“Ah, hijo is for me to call you. Lobo means wolf.”

“Lobo.” Hunter repeats like it was his new title.

No longer the golden guard, he was the lobo. He wondered what Camila’s family colours were, her crest. He’d like to be a proper lobo guard, a wolf instead of an owl. This house’s guard. Guard of the Noceda home and to all who lived there.

Finally part of a pack.

Belonging somewhere where he could discover the person he really was. Not the person Belos wanted him to be.

She strokes his hair away from his face and he blinks a few times, like a worried kitten, at the gentle touch. But it was gentle, and it was nice. A playful ruffle.

“Mi hijo lobo.” Camila’s voice reminds him of soft bed sheets, billowing curtains and good breakfast. “Go have fun, si?” She encourages.

Hunter salutes.

She chuckles at him as he leaves.

Camila turns to Manny and tells him how much Hunter reminded her of him. That she knew Manny would have told her to just adopt him right away.

She giggles, imagining all the times Manny had brought home an animal and sobbed, begging to adopt it so it knew it was loved.

Manny had a big heart and Camila had loved that about him, he cared so much and despite his terrible upbringing he had spent every opportunity possible making sure the people he loved knew how much they mattered to him.

She turns to a photograph of him and Luz, Camila’s smile sad and wistfully. 

“Oh Manny, Luz could really use a bit of your found self-love.. and me too.”

It had taken Manny years to finally choose himself, his happiness, and forgive himself for mistakes he had made.

Camila wished she had the knowledge needed to help Luz reach the same place as her father. But she didn't. All she had was the patience to support her journey to discover it herself.

Beep.

“Took you long enough.” Vee teases Hunter when he descends the stairs. “I was just about to go rescue you.”

Beep.

Hunter gives her a lopsided smile and a wave of his hand. “Mrs Camila just wanted a status report of the night. So we had a short conversation.”

“You know you can just call her Camila right?”

Hunter frowns. “Of course.”

Beep.

Vee looks around to find the source of the faint beeping. Hunter and Vee turn in unison to the kitchen, where the palismen are watching Clover spin around inside the microwave as Emmiline is stuck to the box’s side, tapping the 3 button on repeat.

After all, this was the palismen’s idea of a party.

“HEY!!” Hunter shouts, pointing at them like he’s caught a criminal in action, again. “NO RIDING THE MICROWAVE!”

The palismen scatter, laughing in their own way.

After an unsuccessful chase and Hunter slipping on the hallway carpet, they had made it back into the living room again, Hunter huffs as Flapjack chirps on his shoulder.

“I don't care if it's fine! You guys disobeyed me, again. I specifically told all of you not to! You could break the machine!”

Emmiline meeped from the table on her spot in-front of Gus.

“Don’t argue with me! It’s about the principle!”

Gus chuckles. “Things turned out fine man, it’s cool. It didn’t break, I think it’s safe to say they can ride it.”

“It’s not cool..” Hunter mutters but decides to lay off for now, crossing his arms where he had returned by the table. It was difficult to stay mad when palismen were so cute and Flapjack was cuddling his cheek.

And Gus was right, the palismen were okay and so was the microwave. But he’d hate to discover he was right, eventually. Better safe than sorry.

“So, resuming the game then?” Luz asks, tapping the bottle. “Iiiit’s Amity’s turn right?”

“No, it’s Hunter’s turn.” Says Vee and receives a look from Luz, who had hoped Hunter would’ve forgotten.

Vee just stares at her in return, fair had to be fair. It was Hunter’s turn.

“Oh!” Hunter grins and rubs his hands. “Hah! I know exactly what to dare anyone!”

“If they choose dare.” Willow smirks.

So Willow was in on it too.

Hunter smirks back. “Oh, what? You scared Captain?”

“Gasp! Never!”

Before Hunter spins the bottle, he looks at Amity's hands.

She placed them on the table again, one finger out. He spun the bottle, and when it almost stopped on Luz, Hunter saw Amity move her finger against the table surface so that the bottle kept moving past Luz. She tucked her finger in and the bottle stopped by Amity.

She was willing to do both truth or dare to move things along to Willow’s turn.

He lifts his red eyes from her hand to her face. “Truth or dare, Blight.”

“Truth.”

He lifted his chin thoughtfully and watched her. “Alright, I want to know why you’re cheating.”

“What?”

“The game. You’re controlling who’s turn it is to be asked.”

“Uh, haha, no I’m not?”

Hunter takes the bottle and Amity instinctively reaches for it too but stops herself.

The two teens hold a tensive gaze across the table. Hunter looks the bottle over in his hand, then screws it open. Inside the cap was a bit of slimy goop.

He tilts it over so it drops onto the table.

Blub.

Hunter clicks his tongue before returning his eyes towards Amity. Amity curls her hands and lips.

“So.” Hunter screws the cap back on. “What’s up with that?”

“It’s my fault.” Luz immediately leaps. Hunter furrows his brows at her. “I asked her to! I wanted everyone to get a turn.”

Hunter nods absently, eyeing his friends one by one. “You wanted everyone to have a turn to choose truth?”

“Yeah, sorry.” Luz smiles all woopsie you got me! But Hunter pays no attention to her charade.

“Mh.” Hunter squints at the ceiling, drumming his fingers on the bottle. “The problem with that is that; there’s a 50/50 chance each person will choose dare. Which means that everyone knew to choose truth.” Hunter and Luz’ eyes meet and her stomach scrunches together like paper. “Except me.”

He stops drumming and Luz looks down.

“So,” Hunter lays the bottle down and turns the tip to Luz. “Truth or dare.”

“Um-“

“Come on, be a sport. Truth or dare.”

Gus puts a hand on his friend’s arm. “Hunter-“

Hunter shrugs it off and gives his friend a look of hurt. You were in on it too, Gus.

The younger boy’s ears slope down, this is exactly what he had feared would happen. Hunter returns his red eyes to Luz, full of fire, challenging her.

“Truth or dare.”

“… truth.”

“Right, what is it you wanted to ask me?”

Luz holds her breath. “I, uh..”

“Or, rather, what is it you all wanted me to be truthful about?”

Because it could only be one thing, right? He wasn’t like any of them. They had all been friends before they met him, he had been their enemy. Of the worst sort too.

Of course they didn’t trust him yet. Not even after two weeks in this house together.

Why would they?

Why would they want Belos’ nephew around.

His cocky smirk faded into something pained. He licked his lips and scoffed.

“Oh, hah,  let me guess: You’re wondering if I can be trusted or something?”

“W-what? No!”

“Right, yeah! Of course, silly me, haha! Because you can trust the former Golden Huard. I just dangled you over the boiling sea, fought Amity for titan’s blood that I gave to Belos. I kidnapped Gus and Willow, aided in the captivity of Vee and- ah, oh! The lifelong servitude and loyalty to my uncle. Right, I get it.”

“No! No Hunter, that isn’t why!” Luz stood up, flailing her hands to make him stop accusing himself. This isn’t what she wanted.

And he was all wrong! Nobody thought that!

When Hunter stood in turn the air became electric, its prickling pressure seemed to almost make the room darker.

“What is it then?! What else is there?! What, you think I am stupid or something?!”

“No!”

Whatever anybody else was saying to calm things down was deafened by the cloud of broken trust between the two of them. There was nothing else. Just Luz wishing Hunter would believe her, and Hunter who was swallowing down the hurt.

“I know you’ll never trust me, but I am trying to earn it! Okay?! What do I have to do?! I know sorry isn’t enough—“

“It is! I mean- there’s nothing to apologize for! Your case is different—“

“Different? Different from who, you?”

Luz froze.

“Oh my titan, Luz you must be joking. You can't actually think that you helping Phillip by accident can compare to my life of serving him.”

“You’re wrong! You didn’t know-“

“Neither did you and you did one thing! One! And may I remind you that I was onboard with what he was doing before I knew he was evil, you were never onboard with anything even before you knew! If you can't forgive yourself, why would you forgive me?! Why would you TRUST me?!”

Hunter was a grey cloud building up a storm.

“Why would any of you!?”

Luz’ words got stuck in her throat and choked her. She didn’t know, she was stumped. ‘Just because’ didn’t cut it.

Whatever she said next had to convince him this wasn’t what all this was about! This wasn’t why she had planned to do this!

“Hunter, wait hold on! You’ve totally misunderstood! I didn’t plan this so you would be truthful about Belos! I did this so you’d tell everyone you’re a grimwalker of his brother—!”

The invisible gray cloud over Hunter rumbled with thunder. All the steel in his eyes fell away.

"What..?"

As soon as she said it she grasped to rewind time, to pull it back into her mouth, to choke on her words.

She covered her mouth.

Hunter had never looked smaller and more fragile.

“No- wait.” Luz begins but she can already see the panic dart around behind his eyes.

“We already knew!” Willow quickly throws out, trying to salvage the situation.

“W-What?” Hunter’s voice is small and full of betrayal.

His chest heaving as he backs away from his peers. He turns back to Luz.

“You told them?” His vision turns into a tunnel, he can hear his own blood rush in his ears.

Why did I ever think I could make this work?

The air in his stonesleeper lungs clawed out through his breathing. He couldn’t stay here. They knew, they definitely didn’t trust him. How could they? They set him up. Was this am ambush? Was this a fight? No.

It was worse, wasn't it?

They were scared of him now, he could see it in how everyone was looking at him.

He backed up.

“No! No!” Luz tries. “Hunter, wait a minute!”

Gus reaches out but the blonde flinches away and shoves Amity out of the way when she tries to stop him from running past her.

Flapjack is quick on the pursuit. Hunter is fast and nimble, in only his socks, he had already made his way out to the backyard.

His breath raspy, his hands reach for the wooden fence that is between him and the woods.

He had to run.

He had to get away.

His thoughts raced. But his body was louder and screamed danger at every cell in him. And there is no reasoning with the broken spirit of a scared boy.

Why would anyone trust him?

He was so stupid to think this could have been any different than the castle. Of course they didn’t trust him enough to talk to him directly.

They were scared of him! Scared of what the grimwalker deal meant. This whole time they had known about it! his efforts to gain their friendship had been in vain. It had been pretend out of fear, hadn't it?

He was just some kind of creature Belos had made in the image of his dead brother - a man they knew nothing about. What if Caleb was just as evil? What then?

Why did Belos make him?! What if they need to kill him to make a portal?

Would they see him as an extension of his uncle forever? Vee certainly did.

Luz blamed herself. But at least Luz had always been their friend, of course they forgave her. But Hunter had been the golden guard. He was made to be the Golden Guard. He would never be anything different than that now. 

I wouldn’t lie to you.

Gus wouldn’t lie… would he? No, maybe not.

ut Hunter couldn’t cling to that edge of hope even if he wanted, and he did want to cling to it. But his head was full of bees and lightning, threatening to both sting and strike him if he didn’t keep running, so he threw any rhyme or reason away in favor of survival. Sprinting forward through the blurry tunnel the world had turned into.

Hunter was going to jump the fence when Flapjack flew up in his face like a wall of feathers and chirped at him.

Hunter yelled and fell backwards into the grass, returning to the world outside his head for a moment.

“Flapjack!” He spat his name like it was a curse. “Get out of my way!” But no matter where Hunter tried to climb or run, Flapjack got in his way. “Stop it!”

Flapjack tweets desperately at him.

Hunter grabs at his own head, his mind throbbed, it was too loud in there. He couldn’t think, just do. Just act. Just run.

Chirp!

“Stop saying it’s fine! Nothing is ever fine!”

“Hunter—!”

Hunter becomes sick just hearing Luz calling for him, it brings him back to when he ran from the owl house, and in turn; what happened in Belos’ mind.

It flashed before his eyes. The broken masks, his uncle's glare.

His whole body went cold with sweat, the breeze stroked him like a ghost. He sees an opening to run while Flapjack is distracted by Luz.

He was almost over the other side when suddenly the ground broke open and, what Hunter at first thought were hands but actually roots, grabbed at his legs. Entangling him up to his knees, coiling and smelling like a newly made grave, Hunter’s eyes widened and he choked on his own shriek.

Hunter was reminded of how it had felt when he was sinking into Belos’ mind. How he had almost disappeared.

“No - no no, no! Let me go —! Oof!”

Hunter fell to the grass, kicking and clawing to get away, his fingers digging down into moist earth and struggled as best he could. The roots held him like chains. His head hurt, his voice broke.

“Let me go!”

His eyes stung from tears, the light from the house turned everyone into blurry shadows and his ears were ringing.

“Let him go!“

Like bedsheets and breakfast.

His legs were suddenly free, and just a glimpse of Camila’s knees to the lawn beside him was all he needed to scramble up and hide in her embrace. Throwing himself into her arms, curled up - he bawled, hiccupping as she held and hushed him.

The world was too much, he didn’t know what to do, didn't know what to think or say. But Camila’s voice was soothing and he curled up into her lap when she offered it.

He could hide here. Hunter found someplace to hide, somewhere safe.

He didn't care how small and pathetic he must look. That he didn’t look reliable or strong, that he was no golden guard or lobo or brother or friend. Camila let him be a scared boy.

“It’s okay mijo.” She whispered, rocking him slightly and stroking his hair as tears stained her cardigan. “Okay? You’re okay. I am here.”

Mijo.

Hunter’s lip quivers as he sobs and covers his eyes to hide, turning to her shoulder, her hand upon his back to soothe.

He sniffles and is guided by her quiet voice to breathe, he inhales sharply like he’s drowning. He shakily breathes with her until his sobs are gone and at last he is calm.

Hunter returned from the dance of death he had run from in his head, grounded once again in the world of real things.

The real world was made of his damp socks and dirty hands, soft grass, dark skies and a big lit-up house, and Camila who scented of vanilla perfume and breakfast.

Hunter’s eyes now hung half-lidded and sore, he rubbed them free from tears. His limbs were made of iron and stone. He just breathed, filling the empty barrel that had become of his chest. Camila looked him over with concern.

“Okay..?” She asks and he nods.

Hunter’s voice cracks a little. “Sorry.." he gasps raspily.

“It’s alright.” She says and he believes her.

Camila stands and offers him support to stand back up, he takes it and keeps his back turned to his friends and has to rub his face with his sleeve a few more times. Camila extended out a finger for Flapjack to land on.

He chirps quietly at his witch.

Hunter sniffs and takes Flapjack carefully into his hands to hug, Flapjack spreads his wings to return it. He doesn’t even have to say sorry, Flapjack sings quiet tweets of forgiveness anyway.

“Hunter..” Luz's voice has Hunter’s shoulders turn up again, remembering everyone's presence. “Hunter I am so, so, sorry.”

Hunter rubs his sleeve under his nose and turns to face her apprehensively. She stood in the light of the door that had cast down across the grass, like a golden pathway.

“I did not mean for it to escalate like that.”

Hunter swallowed to gain his voice back, his mouth felt dry. “You told them..”

Luz cringed. “I—“

“No, I already knew.” Gus said from the door as he came out to join Luz in the light. “I saw it in Belos memories with my enhancer, when we fought him.”

Hunter lifts his head to his friend. “you.. you knew the whole time..?”

“Yeah, I didn’t know how to tell you. I wanted to give you time to tell us yourself but..”

“But you thought tricking me was better? Were you that scared of me..?”

“No. None of us are scared of you.” Amity interjects. “And Augustus' was against this whole thing. And Luz didn’t tell us about you, I figured it out by how you reacted about Caleb.”

Hunter shook his head in disbelief. “You figured it out because I didn’t think Caleb was my father? And you leaped to the conclusion that that means I'm a grimwalker?” He turns back to Luz with a look of betrayal. “You confirmed it, didn’t you?”

Camila looks from Hunter to her daughter.

Luz reaches out, as though a good answer would come to her from the air itself, like a glyph. An answer that would make Hunter stop looking at her like his whole world had broken apart again .

And her mom. Luz couldn't tell what her expression meant. Was she worried? Disappointed? God, she was probably disappointed, wasn't she? Luz assumed the worst.

"I-"

Vee sighs loudly. “I confirmed it.”

Hunter turned up to her, she shrugged awkwardly, hugging herself and stroked her brown hair behind her yellow ear.

“You.. said I could use the information however I wanted.” She continues, Luz watches her quietly. “I overheard Amity putting her thoughts together and I thought; well, they already figured it out. And it’s better we’re all on the same page anyway. It was like, yesterday. So it’s pretty much still news.”

Vee manages to bring her yellow monster eyes to his grimwalker red. She could detect a smidge of disappointment but because it was her, he let it slide. Luz observed that Hunter wasn’t mad at her anymore, and he wasn’t mad at Vee either.

Part of her wanted to be honest and say Vee was protecting her. The other part of her wanted Vee to protect her, if only just this once.

And nobody else corrected her either. Maybe they all thought to themselves what she was thinking too - a white lie. She could always tell him later, when it wasn’t as hurtful. Maybe?

It was fine.

It was fine.

“So, yeah.” Vee strokes her ear and squirmed in the uncomfortable position. “Um… sorry.”

Hunter didn’t respond, he understood but he had nothing to say to it. Camila wrapped an arm behind his back. But Hunter couldn’t move his feet from the ground. Not even when Flapjack chirped encouragement at him. He just stroked his palisman sadly.

“Hey, man.” Gus got his attention back. “To us, you’re just Hunter.”

“Yeah.” Willow extends a hand out to invite him back in. “C’mon, come back inside and let us love ya!”

Hunter’s shoulders curl up. “Really..?”

“Yeah!” Luz takes her chance. “Look, Hunter… I am sorry about all this I- I’m so stupid. I thought I could… I don’t know?” She didn’t want to say manipulate, although it kept popping into her mind. “I just wanted to help. But I didn’t. Again. I just knew you needed it off your chest and I-I—”

Hunter sighs and comes closer to Luz and the light she stood in.

“Luz,” he says, not meeting her gaze yet. “I get it. But I wish you had just.. talked to me instead. You know? Since you knew.”

Luz had been somebody her whole life, she was Luz Noceda, the weirdo. The weirdo who needed time to find her place and friends who understood her. Who needed to be given the space to find, or make, a place to call her own.

Weirdo’s gotta stick together.

Luz lifts her gaze to meet with his, he takes a second before meeting hers in return. And it surprised her that this is the very first time she actually saw him.

As he stood there under her mom’s arm, looking kind of scrawny and abused by life. She saw Hunter - a boy who just wanted to know if it was okay to be somebody too.

Who, just like her, also needed to be given the space to make his own place in the world, with people who let him stick around and together with them. A weirdo just like her, like Willow, Gus and Amity. Even Vee.

And Luz hadn’t seen Hunter as somebody like that. Up ‘till now, he had been the former Golden Guard, an enemy-to-friend and a reformed villain trope, someone she thought she understood because of context only in regards to her own journey.

In being so caught up on what she needed, she had forgotten he had his own journey, at his own pace.

Gus had tried to tell her, and she hadn’t listened.

Luz sniffs, the guilt cramped through her chest.

“You’re right.” She blinks as her eyes stings. "I'm so sorry Hunter, I am so stupid.”

Hunter’s brows turn up in sympathy and he steps out of Camila’s arm towards Luz.

“Yeah, you’re a little bit stupid.” She can hear the smile in his voice. “But I know you didn’t mean to hurt me, it’s okay to mess up sometimes.”

Luz sniffles and throws her arms around him, snuggling into his forgiveness and weeps. Camila coos and puts a hand on each of their heads.

“Mija, mijo, are we good now?” She asks.

Luz looks up to Hunter, his tired smile and his nod brought her relief.

“Yeah…” Hunter ruffles Luz gently. “next time, talk to me instead. Please.”

“I promise.” She hugs him again and he coughs at the force. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, I’m- I’m okay now.”

“Yeah!” Shouts Gus with his hands in the air as he hops down the stairs to worm his noodly arms into the hug too. “Oh I am so relieved! I was scared—!”

Hunter hooks his arm around Gus’ head, Gus’ wet dark eyes peered up at Hunter.

“Sorry if frightened you.” Hunter offers and Gus only snuggles in his smile at his chest.

“It’s okay. Can we go back inside?”

“Yeah.” Hunter looks at Luz. “Yeah?”

“I would like that.” Luz strokes a tear from her eye, Amity’s hand around her arm brings her focus back to the house.

“I apologize too, for my part.” Amity spoke softly.

Hunter coughed. “Alright it’s fine. Enough now, really, it’s okay.” He was getting embarrassed and bothered by the attention.

Camila’s hands pushed the teenagers back towards the house.

Luz and Hunter share a final look of assurance - yeah, things are okay now. Luz's chest finally unclenched all the way.

“We can put on another movie…” Vee offers as everyone are back inside.

“That sounds nice!” Willow almost forces her voice to sound more cheery than she really was, to bring the mood away from the tired and sad one. 

She still found herself looking over at Hunter, who made himself smaller by sitting on a chair by the door to remove his wet socks.

Hunter saw how everyone tried to make everything okay, pretend he hadn't had a melt down. He looked down at his wet socks and felt how heavy his chest had gotten. 

Were they afraid of him being a grimwalker? What did they know about it?

He was tired, and weary. He lifts his head up to Camila, who gave him an assuring gaze. Things would be okay. She was here. He felt at ease knowing she was here.

“What movie?” Willow asks. “Something light-hearted!”

“Romance?” Was all Vee could think of.

“Oh I love that! What do you guys think?” Willow turns to the whole group, everyone looking tired and a little emotionally exhausted, Luz and Hunter the most so.

“Sounds great.” Luz quipped with a half-reached enthusiasm. Nobody else had much opinion, really.

“I think I'm gonna go to bed, actually.” Hunter offers. He sees their fallen smiles.

“Oh, you sure?” Willow asks.

“Yeah, no, sorry I just… I need to sleep. I think."

“Me too.” Says Gus, not sounding at all like he was as tired. Hunter gives him a look. “No really! I’m kinda sleepy.”

“Alright. Good night then.”

“Good night~!” Gus waves as everyone said their good nights.

Camila stops the boys to give them each a good night hugs. “Good night. I’ll be upstairs if there is anything.”

“Thanks.”

The boys descended the basement stairs. As soon as the door closes, Luz fall together like a balloon. Her mom speaks to her words of comfort in Spanish, hugging her.

"It's okay.” She murmurs. “Let's watch a movie, just us girls, mh?”

“Yeah, it’ll be nice.” Amity promises and Willow nudges her encouragingly too.

“Don’t beat yourself up over this either, Luz.” Willow adds. “Hunter will be okay. Tomorrow we will do better.”

“Yeah but…” Luz stops herself with a heavy sigh. “I know but… I just want to make everything okay again.”

“We know.” Willow says. “But it’s not all on you, we gotta stick together as best we can.”

“But you saw how hurt he got. He almost ran away… again. Just like back then. And that was my fault too.”

Vee picked up the controller. “Luz, you are not so special that the actions of others are within your control.” The twins look at one another, but Vee holds her gaze like a sword. “Okay? Stop it. Hunter’s reaction is because of himself and his past experiences, they're not a reflection on you. You can’t predict or control the outcome of others.”

Vee taps the buttons to get through the streaming services. Pride and Prejudice is recommended. Why not?

“I know that but I just thought I could-“

“Do what? Predict it? Nobody has that kind of control.”

“She’s right hija.” Camila pets her curly hair gingerly, Luz leans into her love. “Trust your friends, and from now on; you all talk things through, okay? Communication is key.”

“Yes mama, you’re right.” Luz looks at the screen, the Gregorian romance seemed like something light-hearted to end the night with.

Amity and Luz fell asleep, Vee was sleepily curled together in her arm rest, while Willow and Camila was watching the movie with deepened love for historical dramas.

Downstairs, Gus had intended to talk to Hunter about stuff, but seeing how worn out he was, all Gus did instead was introduce him to the book series he had found.

“I think you’ll really like o’bailey!”

And Hunter had laid down to listen to Gus theatrical rendition of reading the first chapter, but for the first time since coming to the human realm - Hunter fell asleep first.

Gus smiled. “Good night big guy.” Gus said and tucked Emmiline down with him on the couch. “And you too, Flapjack.”

Flapjack chirps.

Gus turns off the lights.

And Hunter dreams.

Chapter Text

Willow and Clover entered the kitchen, both squinting at the quietness. There was no coffee brewing, usually Hunter had already put on coffee for Camila (and himself) by now. The absence of slightly burnt coffee didn’t feel right.

“Hmm..” Willow peered at the coffee brewer. Because Hunter always did the chores so early, it left none of the other hexsquads with the knowledge of how things worked.

She poked the buttons, but nothing happened. “Clover, you hang out in here alot, have you seen how this works?”

Clover buzzed and began to tip tap her little feet on the machine. It became clear to Willow that her palisman was guessing as much as she did.

“Aaaand you have no idea either, do you.”

Clover buzzed indignantly and Willow smiled at her knowingly.

Gus poked his head in. “There you are, Willow. Are you busy?”

“Nope!” She gives the brewer a look of defeat. “Not anymore.”

“Oh, did it break?”

“No, we just can’t figure out how it works.”

Emmiline squarked happily. “Oh, Emmiline says she knows.” He let her down on the counter and she crawled to the grounded-coffee jar, fetched a triangle paper, and looked proudly up at the witches at her collection of necessities.

“Oh, we need these?” Willow asks happily. “Then what?”

Emmiline stared at the witches, her eyes began to drift apart. She meeped.

“She says she doesn’t know the rest.”

“Aw, that’s okay.” Willow pats the lizard. She climbs up on Willow’s hand and Willow passes her onto Gus’ shoulder. “So, what did ya need me for Augustus?”

“Oh, it’s Hunter. I uuhh… He’s still sleeping and I can’t wake him up.” Gus rubs his neck. “I got a little worried but didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, y’know, with yesterday still fresh and all.”

“Of course, I’ll help.”

The emerald duo are knelt by each side of Hunter. He’s as still as death itself.

Willow holds her hand over his mouth.

“I already checked, he is breathing.” Gus says and glanced his worry over at his sleeping friend.

“He’s so still.” Willow gently pokes Hunter’s shoulder with no reaction. “Has he never slept like this before?”

“I’ve never seen him sleep before.” Gus admits. “He always fell asleep after me and woke up before me.”

“He must have been really tired, then…”

“Yeah…” Gus soft voice is laced with guilt. “Do you think he’s mad at me?”

“If he is, it’s not any more or less than at the rest of us.” Willow comforts and tries to wake Hunter by lifting his hand and dropping it. But Hunter remains as is. “Why?”

“I was so worried he’d feel like we didn’t trust him.. I never wanted to play the game like that to begin with.”

“I know.”

“He has been a really good friend to me and I let him down. I should’ve just told everyone no, being a bystander wasn’t right of me..”

“Aw, no, Gus. Don’t beat yourself up. We can still fix this. We’ll all just have to make it up to him! He forgave us, I think, but let's do the work and build trust up again, yeah?”

“Yeah, you’re right. Let's do that. Thank you Willow.”

“Of course! ….if only he’d wake up.” She stares at his sleeping face. He looked so peaceful. “Hunter.” She poked him on the scar.

Hunter’s eyes shoot open and he sits up, hands curled to fists, and knocks his forehead against Willow’s.

“Ow!” , “Ack!”

Hunter and Willow both rub their heads.

“Sorry!” Willow exclaims merrily. “Haha! Sorry!”

Hunter blinks up at her and his ears turn red. He glances at Gus too, who was sitting rather close to him as well.

“Good morning!” Gus chimes.

Hunter holds his wrist to his chest. “… morning.” And turned his red eyes away from them both. Augustus’ heart sank.

“Sorry,” Willow continues with less merriment and more friendliness. “You were sleeping so heavily, we got worried.”

“Oh.” Hunter offers and scoots away for space. He looks around for Flapjack, who chirps and lands on his head. “There you are, good morning.”

Clover and Emmiline both greet him too.

“And to you too.” Hunter returns.

Emmiline meeps and climbs down on her witch’s arm, down to Hunter’s foot and makes her journey up to his knee.

She quacks and gestures at Gus.

Hunter and Gus look at one another and Hunter sighs, hugs himself loosely, and faces out at the room. “Yeah, well.. still.”

“Hunter, I’m sorry about yesterday.” Gus says and Hunter turns to him, trying to see through the boy but wasn’t able to.

Hunter squirms. “It’s fine… I’m just kinda sad you knew from the start. Kinda made my efforts a bit redundant.”

“I know, I just didn’t know how to tell you I knew. And I didn't want to corner you. Like Emmiline said; I was against the setup. But I should’ve tried harder to stop it.”

Hunter rubs his palm, furrowing his brows as he purses his lips, a little confused. “Wait… Weren’t you scared of me?”

“What? No?” He scoffs, confused in return.

“Why… not?”

“Why should I be?”

Hunter gestures to all of himself. “Grimwalker??? Look, I get why you guys set me up, you wanted to know if you could trust me by having me be honest about it.” Hunter shakes his head and shrugs. “I just feel stupid thinking I was making progress as your friend. I understand you don’t want to be around me anymore or-”

“No, let me stop you right there. Hunter, I’ve known this whole time and I still wanted to sleep down here with you and I still wanted to hang out with you.”

Hunter’s eyes had a hopeful shine to them, he hadn’t thought of it like that.

“So it… wasn‘t to keep an eye on me?”

“What? No! Dude.” Gus chuckles at Hunter’s surprise. “You’re my friend . I mean that. Honestly I feel the safest when you and Willow are around. This whole time, it wasn’t pretense out of fear, we like you man.”

Hunter blinks, relaxing. “Really..?”

“Yeah! You’re my buddy.” And when he sees Hunter get a little emotional, he smiles. “Oh, dude, come on, we’re the emerald trio! We’re not scared of you, you’re our friend.” Gus slings an arm over Willow’s shoulders to include her.

“Yeah!” She grins. “We’re a team!”

Hunter’s cheeks turn red and isn’t sure what to do with himself, so he just curls up and awkwardly puts a hand to his face to hide half of his smile.

“So we are okay…?” Hunter asks timidly. “The whole… copy of a dead guy isn’t weird?”

“A little weird.” Gus nudges him. “Which is great, ‘cus then you fit right in with us other weirdos.”

Hunter scoffs mildly.

“Though admittedly… I don’t know anything about grimwalkers.” Gus hums, inviting Hunter to open up if he wants to.

“That makes two of us.” Hunter sighs. “I just know their ingredients, from Belos’ missions, and that they’re dangerous. And an old folktale about the moon..?”

Willow giggles. “No offense but, you’re the least dangerous person here.”

Hunter smirks. “Hey, I am a trained soldier, you know.”

“And a big soft sweetheart.” She winks.

Hunter could’ve sworn his heart buzzed with magic. Which wasn’t possible, obviously. He lacked the anatomy. He pulls his knees up to his chest to hug them, Emmiline is still on the left knee and she begins to climb up on his face to the top of his head. Hunter barely reacted, already accustomed to the palismen using him as their personal playground.

“So…” Willow continues. “Just to be on the same page: how do you feel about yesterday? I know you said it was fine but… you know. It got a little intense. I guess at least I am a little concerned.”

Hunter shrugs and looks down at the space adventure book between him and Gus. He honestly wasn’t sure what to think of yesterday; it really was fine, but he was also morally injured by it.

Gus scoots closer to Hunter’s side. “We will make it up to you.”

“You don’t have to.”

“We want to!” Willow boosts the sentiment. Hunter smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes all the way.

“Look, guys, I appreciate it but.. I dunno. I just feel awkward about it. It’s not like I can give any clarifications on anything. I know as little as you do. Well, actually I did find out a little, but it’s not much.” 

Hunter reaches to pull out the book from the library, he had hidden it underneath the couch. The duo look at the book in his hands with interest.

“I asked Vee to rent this for me. I wanted to know who Caleb was, before telling you guys about being a, you know. I just wanted to know if the man I am designed to be a copy of was a good person or not.” He flips the book open. “But there’s nothing. It just says a little bit about how he was a woodsman and carved idols and figurines from lumber.” Hunter’s eyes go down to the paragraph he dreaded. “And that he, like all the other puritan inhabitants, was a witch hunter.” He closed the book and let it drop to the floor. “So that’s fun.”

Willow and Gus turn their gaze from the book to Hunter, who looks as upset about it as expected.

“… So maybe he was a jerk too.” Hunter mumbles.

“No, man, stop that.” Gus puts his hand over the book and puts it aside. “You are not a jerk, okay? Who cares what some book says about a dead guy long ago? He isn’t you. You are Hunter, and Hunter is a pretty dang good friend of ours.”

His galderstone heart spread it’s warmth through his body. “Really?”

“Of course.” Gus beams. “I wouldn’t lie to you. Not on purpose, anyway.”

Hunter’s mouth twists a smile and he blinks a few times to stop any tears.

He pulls Gus into a hug. Surprised to receive affection, but relieved that Hunter still trusted him, Gus hugs him back.

“Thanks Gus." Hunter’s heart feels as warm as Gus smile. "You're a really good broth- BUDDY. Buddy.”

Gus laughs. “Hey, I’m an only child.” He grins happily into the hug, Hunter is a castle of pillows to him, Gus finally felt secure again. “I always wanted a cool big brother.”

Hunter’s ember red eyes sparkled like ignited fire. His heart becomes a furnace. As Hunter put his hands flat against Gus’ back to hold him closer, Gus felt a surge of power, his own eyes sparkling blue.

“Woah-wow!” Gus shouts, Hunter lets him go. “Wow, did you feel that?”

“Feel what?”

“I feel so charged up!!”

Hunter scoffs. “From... hugging?”

“Yeah!! Oh wow, oh, I haven’t felt this charged since I found the illusionist graveya—“ Gus inhales and squeaks, slapping his face. “GALDERSTONES!”

“Uh, what?” Willow and Hunter eye one another, just as puzzled as the other.

“Galderstones! Galderstones!”

Hunter chuckles. “Repeating yourself doesn’t make you more understood-“ Gus puts his hands on Hunter’s shoulders. His eyes are manic with magic power.

“Galderstone!!”

Hunter blinks, then it clicks. “Oh!! Galderstone!!”

Willow ping-pongs between the boys. “Uuhhh.. fill me in wont you?”

The boys turn to her in unison, pointing at Hunter’s chest. “Galderstone!!!”

Willow looks down at Hunter’s chest.

It takes a second.

Then she gasps.

“GALDERSTONE!!!” The trio yells and cackles.

Gus stands, excited. “Oh man oh man oh man! Oh that is so cool! Can you do stuff?’

“I don’t know??” Hunter stands, looking at his hands. “Was it the hug? How do you feel?”

Gus sweeps his hands above him, creating a rainbow. “Faaantastiiiic~! I feel like I could- could just—!”

And Gus spins around, the basement turning blue for a moment before it turns into the boiling isles forest.

The trio stops to look around. It looked just like home.

Willow holds her hands over her heart longingly. “It… looks just like the woods beside Hexside.” She reached to touch an illusion tree. “Wow Gus, it’s so big! And youre not breaking a sweat! This is so detailed. I cant tell its an iklusion at all!”

Gus blinks and touches a tree too, where he knew there was only air in the basement. Sure enough, it was an illusion and his hand went through it, but he could've fooled himself by how incredibly realistic and big it was. Marvelled, Gus could feel how he coukd jold the ilkusion with ease- maybe even the whole day if he wanted to.

“Wow..” Gus breathed. “This is amazing. Hunter, you boosted my magic!”

“I- did I? Weren’t you always this powerful?”

Gus looks at Hunter. He tries to think if their interaction at Hexside had triggered anything. Maybe? He couldn’t remember, they hadn’t hugged. Or touched at all from what he could recall. Well…once, when Hunter slapped his hand away. But was that it?

“I don’t know. Maybe your presence low-key boosts witches around you, but if you touch them, it gives them a super-boost?”

Hunter squinted. “Uuuh, and you base that on?”

Gus shrugs, hands up and out. “I dunno? What do you think Willow?” Willow sat knelt by a flower. “Willow?”

Willow tried to make the flower grow with her magic, but nothing happened. Hunter kneels down beside her and she comes back out of her thoughts.

“It’s an illusion. You can’t use your magic on it.” He reminded her softly.

She strokes the flower. “I know, I just wanted to pretend.”

Gus sadly watches her and flicks his fingers, the illusion disappearing. “Sorry Willow. I forgot you missed home.”

“We all miss home Gus.” Willow forces a smile and stands, hands on hips. “It’s okay. It was nice to see a little of it again, you know?” She sniffs.

Sure, they all missed home. But it affected them differently. Willow in particular was struck with homesickness. Gus wished she'd admit as much. It didn't make her less than.

Hunter nudges her. “Hey, maybe we can do that derby practice I promised? With Gus’ being boosted, maybe we can experiment with disguises?”

“Yeah! Good idea Hunt—eerrrrrr.” Gus sank together on the floor like a ragdoll, his friends ran up to catch him before he sagged together completely.

“Augustus!” Hunter fret and held him up.

“I’m okaaay.” Gus sailed a finger up in the air. “Just, whew! I shouldn’t have let it go. Haha! I feel so light now, kinda loopy, woooh..”

Being boosted was like holding a balloon, it made you lighter for as long as you held onto it and then gravity brought you back with a smack. It took Gus a moment to get used to his regular self again, like an astronaut back on earth.

Hunter pressed his hand against Gus’ chest. Then to the young boy's face. It didn’t work. Hunter looked at his hand, confused.

“How does it work??” He squints at himself.

Willow giggles. “We’ll figure it out - together!”

“Yeah, together!” Gus cheers.

Hunter watches them both, happy their friendship remained as it had been. “Thanks… you know, for being cool about this. I.. guess I was worried for nothing.”

Willow sways her shoulder against his. “Understandable though. But I’m happy you feel okay.”

The tips of Hunter’s ears tinted a hot pink. He shyly stroked his hair back. Willow always made him feel like there was steam in his head whenever she smiled his way.

Gus elbows him from the other side. “You know what we need?”

“What?”

“We need you to show us how the coffee machine works.”

Willow gasps. “Oh yes, please! It was driving me crazy!”

Hunter had never felt this warm and comfortable in his entire life. “Sure, yeah, okay. Of course.” 

His friends pumped their fist in the air. “Yeah! Go Emerald entrails!”

Hunter laughed nervously. “Yeah, go.. us?”

The trio of the Emerald Entrails made their way upstairs.

Willow had to admit, she really liked all the strange machines of the human realm, they were so convenient.

Though she made a note to herself to ask Hunter to show her a few more times. It just didn’t stick to her the same way it did for Amity and Gus. Thankfully, Hunter appeared more than happy to be the one to show her. Not that she had any complaints either.

The sound of Vee transforming was heard before they saw her enter the kitchen as Luz’ doppelganger. “Hi guys, are you making breakfast?”

Vee looked dishelved, like turning into someone else was like clutching your hands to hold your clothes together by the seams.

Hunter nodded politely yo her before pouring himself and Camila each a cup of coffee.

Hunter briefly wondered if it was exhausting for Vee to always be transformed. It must steal her strength away.

In his opinion, Vee could be in her basilisk form as long as she was inside. He understood if she felt awkward being a basilisk around the other witches, perhaps fearing their prejudice or something else.

Hunter would have brought it up with her, offer some reassurance. But after yesterday, he felt as though they weren’t as far in their relationship as he had assumed.

She must still hold some resentment, he concluded. And decided that giving off-hand advice like ‘you don't have to transform if you’re tired’ would be an uninvited gesture. So from now on he would revert back to how it was before, just stay out of her way.

“Morning Vee!” Gus greeted with an excited wave. “Guess what we discovered?”

“What?”

“Hunter can boost magic!”

“Really?” Vee’s basilisk eyes jumped to Hunter, who made a point not to meet her eyes, she was a little taken aback by it, she had thought they were past that. “How so?”

“He hugged me and I got a boost to my magic!”

“We think it’s because he has a galderstone somewhere in his anatomy!” Willow presents.

“Galderstone.” Vee repeats hungrily. “Those are… pretty powerful magic boosters, I heard.”

Hunter turns to her. “You know of them?”

“I heard from the older basilisks.” She looks him up and down. “Do you… know what part of you it is?”

“No.” He says quietly. "Maybe my heart? I think heart."

She nods. “Can you… boost anything?”

“No idea, I’ve never been able to before now.”

She furrowed her brows thoughtfully. “That’s weird. Shouldn’t you always have been able to? What changed?”

Hunter pours milk into Camila’s coffee. “I didn’t know before. And it’s not like I handed out hugs left and right. I don’t know how it works.”

“I’m only wondering because I was thinking maybe you could… uh.. boost the cards I eat? If at all possible. That way I could last longer on them, I think. I get so hungry otherwise.”

Hunter quirks a brow. “Oh, if it is possible, of course. I could give it a try?”

Vee reaches up to the little box on top of the fridge where she and Camila kept her cards. She handed him a deck. it only had half the cards left. By the looks of their stash, Hunter could see there were only one other full deck left. She must be using a lot of her energy to shapeshift around them.

Hunter held it. Nothing happened.

He pressed it to his chest, nothing happened.

To his cheek, still nothing.

Vee’s fluffy ears wilted downwards when the deck was handed back to her and she felt no difference in them. “Thanks anyway, it was worth a shot.”

Hunter snagged a card away from the deck. “Let me keep this, just in case I figure something out.”

She smiles. “Thanks, I appreciate it.” He just nods politely again. Which wasn’t that strange of an interaction between them, but she couldn’t help but sense a bit of stiffness from him. “Are you mad at me for yesterday?”

He shook his head. “I’m not.”

“You are being stale though, like, more than usually.”

Hunter turned his gaze down and lightly shook his shoulder. “I’m not mad at anybody.”

She grimaced. “Are you disappointed? I rather you be mad.”

He sighed, frustrated. “I’m neither. I get why you told them, I respect that you still feel that way about me. I promise it’s okay.”

Vee squirmed and looked at Willow, who also knew it was actually Luz’ bad poker face that had confirmed it, not Vee.

“Yeeeah…” Vee rubbed her neck. “Ookaaay…“

“So, I think we still have enough yogurt for everyone.” Hunter walked past her to the fridge, but in that awkward familiar manner he used to navigate around her a week ago. “Gus, could you set the table?”

“Roger that!” Gus turned around to get bowls. Hunter put out the yogurt and the two different types of cornflakes, and the lactose-free milk for Luz and Amity.

Willow put a supportive hand on Vee’s shoulder, Vee nodded gratitude to her and took a seat by the table. 

A week ago, Vee wouldn’t have cared what Hunter thought of her. But they had built something between them now that she couldn’t have with anybody else.

She regretted taking the blame now, even if it had been the best solution. She didn’t want Hunter to think she still resented him, or that they weren’t on better terms. Vee felt as though this had forced her to pretend they hadn’t progressed at all. She honestly didn't want Hunter to return to being awkward and quiet around her again.

She liked their more easy-going down-to-earth back and forth. She groaned inwardly. This brought her as much enjoyment as licking soap, which was pretty bad. Even if it were strawberry scented; pretty bad.

She tried throwing a smile his way, but he just did what he’d done before - a subservient smile, polite nodding and kept out of her vision.

Vee sunk down into her chair.

Willow pitifully grimaced, trying to convey sympathy. Vee sighed at her like ‘this suuuuucks!’

‘I know. Hang in there.’

Camila was happy to see everyone and came in along with Luz and Amity. Hunter lit up at the sight of the matriarch. “There’s coffee!” He said, pointing to the same mug he made her every day.

“Oh! Thank you mi hijo lobo.” She dares to ruffle him, he doesn’t flinch and looked happy to receive the affection now. He trusted her.

Luz grins. “Mi hijo lobo?”

“Yes.” Hunter points a thumb at himself. “Wolf. It is cool.”

Luz was not going to object to that, she just smiles and looks at her mom, who is trying to communicate to her daughter that Hunter does not know what the whole sentence meant. Luz nodded, Aha, got ya.

Vee scoffs. “Mija, mija, hijo.” She points between herself, Luz and Hunter.

Hunter looks between them. “Huh?”

“Yeah, mija, which means—“ She points at Luz, who’s desperately trying to tell Vee not to explain by shaking her head and widening her eyes. Vee turns to Camila, who’s doing the same wide-eyed stare. “Which.. means….. giiiirrl?”

“Oh, so hijo is boy? Wolf boy?” He turns to Camila, who’s smile is that of someone who isn’t sure.

“Yeeees, I guess that would be accurate-ish.”

Hunter nods, happy he’s kind-of getting it.

“Isn’t mija daughter?” Amity squinted at the air. “I read in the spanish dictionary it meant daughter?”

Amity faced a room full of people who had caught on before her. And she immediately tried to backtrack. “OR GIRL?? I don't know???”

Hunter threw a quick glance at Camila, who was chugging coffee, then down into his own mug of coffee.

Oh.

Wolf son.

“Cool.” Hunter said and sipped his coffee. The machine was old and made it taste of metal and charred coffee beans. He liked it quite a lot.

“Cool cool cool.” Agreed Camila and stood up, sandwich in hand. ”I am actually running a little late.” She ruffled everyone as she passed them by, kissed Luz on the head and scarfed down the rest of her sandwich. “You kids be good! Enjoy spring break!” She was halfway out the door, then leaned back in. “Luz, it will be takeout today. Pizza, korean or thai?”

“Korean sounds good!”

Camila finger guns and then leaves. Hunter watches her from the kitchen window, giving a wave when she spots him. She waves back with a big smile.

Son.

Hunter had never been a son before. He wasn’t sure how the language actually worked, if it was just an affectionate nickname you called boys or if it was literal. Either way, he was honored Mrs Camila extended to call him something so familial.

So… he hadn’t ruined things on that front, at least. He smiled, something similar to peace washed through him.

“You can power us up?!” Luz yells excitedly behind Hunter’s back and his coffee does a loop in his mug. He turns around to give her a look. He had not paid any attention at all to the conversation behind him.

“I don’t know.” He says and spins the spoon in his coffee. “I might? I mean, there is a galderstone in me somewhere.”

“Do you have a sense of where?” Amity asks and Hunter places a hand over his chest.

“My heart. I’m pretty sure it’s my heart.”

“Aww.” Luz coos. “Oh! Maybe that’s why the hug worked?”

“How so?” Gus asks with his mouthful of yogurt and cornflakes.

“Well, typically - heart related powers are in tune with your emotions! Right? So maybe if Hunter feels a strong emotion he can boost you!” It made sense to her at lealt. "The power of love and friendship!”

Hunter hums. “I dunno…”

“Have you hugged anyone else? We should try it out!” She suggests, opening her arms for him and Hunter crosses his arms and sips his coffee. “Or… not?”

Hunter squeamishly moved away from her. “I just don’t think hugging anyone is going to work if your theory is right.”

“It worked on Gus.” Luz points at Augustus, who was spooning himself full of fruitloops.

“Yeah. But that’s Gus.” Hunter knew before he looked at her that Luz would be crestfallen. “It’s not personal, I just… give me some time, okay?”

“Of course, I get it.” And Luz meant it. “Besides, it prooobably doesn’t work on humans anyway, haha!”

He smiles, raising his coffee to her. “Probably not.”

“Well, it sounds fascinating nonetheless.” Amity offers Hunter a friendly smile. And did her best not to bring up the reason of fascination - that maybe this was why Belos needed a grimwalker.

Hunter stirred his coffee, almost reading her mind. “Yes, fascinating. In regards to the portal or Belos, or both?”

Amity closes her eyes. “That’s not— yes, both of those. Of course. But it is also fascinating on its own. There is little known about grimwalkers, I consider it a privilege to be able to discover something this unique with a friend .” 

Hunter and Amity regard one another from across the table.

Amity liked Hunter. She had grown to both enjoy and seek out his companionship. He reminded her of how she would turn to her siblings to brainstorm ideas. They were similar in how down-to-business they both approached problems.

She was particularly fond of his bluntness, and willingness to let her be blunt in return. They were equals in many ways. It was a loss to her to lose him as a friend.

It was only last night she had learned that she sometimes put others (mostly Luz’) needs before her own rationale. She had known this might backfire, but she had seen how much Luz wanted and needed to do the game that she had put her own thoughts aside. That wasn’t good. They were a team, and a team doesn’t just go along with one another - they check in, make sure the other has their feet on the ground.

Otherwise, Luz might allow Amity to make big mistakes too.

And Amity did not want to be the kind of person that couldn’t be free to think for herself. Like Hunter did with Camila, Amity did with Luz. They found something familiar, but healthier, to keep old patterns with.

But that’s not how you grow.

And Amity had realized that last night. From now on, she wouldn’t let her love for Luz get in the way of actually helping her. Enabling helped nobody. Amity just… hadn’t wanted Luz to feel more guilty. Against her better judgement - She wanted Luz to have a win. And in the end, it had hurt both herself, Hunter and Luz.

Hunter writhed where he stood. “I didn’t think you guys wanted to be my friend, honestly.” 

“Of course we do.” Amity asserts. “I understand our behavior last night didn’t convey that very well. I am sorry for my part in it.”

“… Aren’t any one of you scared of me?” He already knew Gus and Willow wasn’t, and he did believe them, but he still needed to know.

“Not me.” Amity says and the rest follows. “I was worried at first,” Amity admits. “But Vee was quick to wash the worries away when she said that: if you were anything to go by, then grimwalkers probably aren’t as scary as the stories say.”

Luz grins brightly. “Yeah, I remember the same was said about snagglebacks! That they were the most terrifying demon on the boiling isles! But in reality, heh, they are just these tiny little guys with spiky shells.”

“Oh.” Hunter tilts his head in that thoughtful way he did. “Well, that’s nice to hear…” and glances at Vee, she had stood up for him? His smile was small but grateful. “Huh…”

Beep.

Everyone in the kitchen turned to the microwave.

Emmiline’s big eyes stared back at everyone,  as though being still made her invisible. Inside the microwave, Ghost was pressing her face to the door, grinding her face slowly across it before spinning by, then her butt bumped at the window, sliding her behind across it as well.

Beep.

Hunter licked his lip, sipped the last of his coffee and pushed himself away from the counter.

“Just don’t break it guys.”

The palismen gasps a cheer of delight, climbing up to the counter and making a big ruckus in who’s turn it was next.

Hunter put his mug in the dishwasher.

“Sooo, hey! It is saturday!” Luz claps her hands together. “And officially the first day of spring break! Weeee should do something fun! Right Vee? It’s your first break. What would you like to do?”

“O-oh, uhm, uh…” Vee’s brain flatlined. She couldn’t think of anything on the spot when her stomach was hissing at her.

“Actually!” Gus plops his spoon from his lips to his bowl. “Hunter suggested we fly today, I want to practice disguises!” And he turns to Vee excitedly. “You wanted to try that too, right?”

Vee squeaks. “Yes! That! I would like that.”

“Aaaaand! We thought that way, we could try figure out how the galderstone stuff works, maybe, too?” Gus turns to Hunter for approval.

“Sounds alright by me.”

“Clover!” Willow calls and Clover stomps her little foot like damnit, as it had been her turn to ride the microwave. “Awh, haha, there will be another time.”

“This sounds intriguing.” Amity agrees and Ghost turns to a staff, along with the other palismen.

“Yeah!” Luz stands, excited. “We should try in the woods! For starters.”

“Ap-ap-ap!” Hunter taps the table and everyone stops to turn to him. He gestures at the breakfast with his eyebrows high. “Ahem.”

“Oh right haha!” Luz and the gang return to clean up first.

Jacob Hopkins had just parked his car by the library and was shouldering his equipment. Cameras and wires, mostly. And, of course, witch bait. Everyone knew that witches couldn’t resist a nice crystal.

Few people knew this but Connecticut actually had a bigger witch-persecution history than Salem. Connecticut just lacked what Salem did not - the art of commercialism. 

To most people; jeopardizing on the tragedies of innocent victims and, despite their unjust depiction as green skinned flying hags, turning them into a caricature merchandise; would be seen as insensitive to most. Even to Jacob. However, Jacob only thought that about Salem, scoffing at their inaccuracy and hyperbolic tourism-traps. To Jacob, the witches of Connecticut was the real deal.

You could tell by the nonchalant information about it. Just brushed aside, despite it’s larger-than-Salem documented history.

There was only one reason for this! O b v i o u s l y !

And that was that it was real.

It was a conspiracy to keep the truth hidden. But Jacob knew better.

Jacob had seen an owl-like beast in the woods once, in the abandoned house where he caught the video of the demon girl. It solidified his beliefs. The photo he snapped had flicked this entire thing from a wishful thinking to a real chase.

His ex-girlfriend said it was probably a weird bear with mutations. Or something. But you could see the wings! And the human-like face! 

Optic illusion, yeah right.

Jacob made his way down the road, towards the old house. It was the hotspot after all.

There was something about the woods that gave Hunter deja vu. He had always liked the woods, even back home in the demon realm. He had taken any chance he could to explore them. But this just hit a little differently.

As he stroked the trees nearby, it was as though they whispered memories back to him. Memories that weren’t his own. He wondered if it was because there were parts of him that had belonged to Caleb.

Could bad people love things like nature? Could they sit in the silence of a forest and feel bliss? Probably. He had seen Belos watch the boiling rain through windows and sigh wistfully, closing his eyes and remembering something fondly. Hunter had often just been quiet company in moments like that. It had been one of those rare times when his uncle didn’t mind if Hunter made some noise.

Knowing what he knew now, maybe his uncle had been pretending that he was Caleb and things were as they had been before he died. Or, rather, before he was murdered.

Why had Belos killed someone he loved, anyway? Was it to stop him from going evil, or was it because Caleb tried to stop Philip?

Flapjack chirped and Hunter blinked himself out of his thoughts to pet at his palisman. He caught a glance of Vee, who was wearing a hat to cover her ears, she looked somewhat weary from being transformed on the regular.

He touched the card he carried in the pocket of his shirt. He hoped that maybe if he could figure out how to boost things on command, he could help Vee, and that would for sure get them back on track again.

The gang had taken the woods pathway to the abandoned house. Deciding that starting their flying there was better than too close to the Noceda residence.

Hunter tilted his head at the rotten old house, he imagined people living in there, looking out of the windows.

Flapjack turned to a staff and Hunter flew up to peer inside.

“What are you doing?” Amity asks with genuine curiosity.

“Just checking.” He replies and climbs into a window. From downstairs, the upstairs floor was inaccessible. And they hadn’t thought of exploring the house.

The gnawing familiarity disturbed him, like when a fly keeps bouncing at your leg no matter how often you snack it away.

The room was dusty and broken like everything else, debris and furniture were strewn around by time and seasons. Dust and crusty old leaves coated everything. There was nothing to be found in there at first glance, neither was there on second or third.

He peered out the window and saw Luz and Vee chatting in private away from the others. Gus and Willow were trying to show Amity how to do loops and she didn’t look very confident doing so.

Pleasant. Seeing them all, it was a pleasant feeling. Despite yesterday, they still seemed okay with him. He was grateful... Hunter wanted to give them a second chance, to trust them, he was willing to - if they were too.

Hunter leans on the windowsill, looking down and trying to imagine who had once lived there. After all, this was the house that connected with the portal.

It must mean something.

Hunter pushed himself back from the window and went through the room, into the hallway. There were two more rooms and one closet-looking door that led to an attic space. Going upstairs, it was dark and the cobwebs thick. The roof was low. Too dark. He could make out the shapes of old furnitures. They would have to check this space out sometime.

He heard his name being called, so he went back downstairs. Deciding to make way down the caved-in staircase to the bottom floor by teleporting with his staff.

Hunter exited through the backdoor.

“Find anything?” Amity asks and Hunter shakes his head.

“A dark attic space, bedrooms. Debris.”

Amity taps a finger to her chin. “I wonder who lived here… given it has connections to the portal, and that it is abandoned.”

“I was thinking that too.”

The two academics hums aloud as they try to analyse the house from the outside.

“It’s definitely a home.” Amity concludes. “Not a store or such.”

“There’s two bedrooms, so I agree. One appeared to be an office or study, but there’s no leftover work to go through.”

“Any books?”

“Nothing. Probably scavenged. Only the heavy furniture and what’s broken remains. There is an attic full of stuff, though. Perhaps worth checking out.”

“That makes sense.”

Luz taps them both on their shoulders and they turn around to face her.

“Hi, wanna clue us in too?”

“Oh right, sorry.” Amity chuckles. “We were just brainstorming.”

“Yeah.” Hunter looks back at the house, bouncing his staff against his shoulder. The house stared back at him like an old photograph. Hunter grimaces and grunts. “There’s nothing new to report right now, anyway.”

“We can go through the house when we get back.” Willow suggests, seated on her staff and ready to soar.

“Sounds like a plan, but for now…” Gus holds up his hands, ready to use magic. “I’m going to disguise you guys as a popular human bird! The penguin!”

Luz and Vee are quick to correct him, much to Gus' disappointment. Penguins were an iconic bird from what Gus had been able to deduce, why else was it depicted so much on human things? Everything from icecream to baby clothes had penguins on them. He was informed that penguins were just cute, and that was that. He was surprised to learn they could not fly. “But why do they have wings then?! What’s the point of the wings!”

“To swim!” Luz guesses.

“Like.. flippers? So they are fish. Not birds.”

“They’re birds, they lay eggs and they have beaks. And aquatic bird feet.”

Gus shook his head. It made little sense to him. Human rules for animals were so different. Vee explained to Luz that the demon realm had not really had a darwinistic discovery yet. Which made a lot of sense to Luz.

“Try this one instead.” Vee showed Gus a photo of crows on her phone.

“Oh! I can do that!” He circled his fingers around in a loop. “Hunter! Try boost me!” Hunter put a hand on him. Nothing. “Aw, worth a shot.”

“Come on! Lets go!” Impatient, Willow flew up and Amity follows first, then Hunter.

Willow breathed out, stretched her arms and welcomed the sun’s embrace against her skin. The winds were cool up there, the clouds were misty strokes, and she was free.

Amity came up next to her. “Feeling better?”

“Oh, I feel right at home.”

Amity smiles. “I’m glad.” And Willow smiles in return.

It was nice that they could have this. Amity looks out over Gravesfield.

“Wow, the human realm is so different looking.”

“Yeah, but nice.” Willow sighs. “I wonder what those spire tipped buildings are?”

Amity looks over at the churches. “I don’t know. Looks like castles, except small.”

“Hmm…”

Willow heard the whistle of wind from somewhere nearby.

Hunter is flying straight up in front of the girls, through a thick fluff of cloud. The hexgirls stare at him in surprise.

He is only holding onto his staff with one hand, and dragging the other through a cloud, causing a tail of mist beside him.

Willow sees him in slow motion, his eyes glowing a golden red by the sun, his body blocking the light. His blonde hair waving like grass in the surge of wind.

In a brief second, he was turned to her, grinning to the brim of his soul with freedom.

His waved at them.

“Hai—!”

And then he was gone.

The slow curl of a cloud all that was left of his presence. They turned their heads up to follow the blonde boy's journey up into the skies.

Hunter loops himself high up there, riskily swinging his legs upside down towards the higher heavens, like his staff was a branch on a tree to swing from.

Willow could see him up there; free-falling, pumelting downwards, eyes closed and smiling - like it didn't bother him. Like he was untouchable.

She felt her heart thump in her chest, her breathe full of admiration for his free spirit. It was nice to see him like this.

This is how he should always be, she thought. Free.

As Flapjack tilted downwards to return back down, Hunter hooked his legs secure onto the stick and slowed down as he came to their level.

“Show off.” Amity scoffs, amused. Hunter grins and shrugs a hand like he couldn’t help himself from making a cool entrance.

Willow felt her breath return. “Cool moves, Hunter.”

“Well, captain, I had to prove I’m still worthy to be on your team.”

“Oh, you definitely proved that. Don't you worry.”

“Yeah?” Hunter’s cheeks are warm.

“Oh, yeah.” Willow smiled back, her brow quirked. “Nobody got moves like you.”

Hunter’s heart pounds softly to the equivalent of squealing into a pillow. His laugh quiet and shy as a morning daffodil.

The card in his chest-pocket glowed.

Amity looks back and forth between the two. She could only half believe what she was witnessing. Was… were they flirting? Was Willow flirting? Was Hunter blushing?

The two participants quickly dissolved into nervous chuckles and aversive eyes. Floating apart.

Yep. Indeed, from what Amity could tell, there was definitely some fluff going in here and it wasn’t the clouds.

“Ooookay.” Amity coughed. “We should probably fly lower to the trees, so Gus can still hide us.”

“Oh, right. Yes.” Willow agrees and flies lower and closer towards the treetops with Amity.

Hunter was on a high to impress, so he tucked his hands behind his head and lay down on his staff, sailing by Willow innocently.

Amity humorously gagged at her friend’s dorky attempts, but Willow giggled at him. When he saw her delight, he turned around to lay on his stomach and wave at her as he sailed the girls by. Willow waved back, charmed.

Amity side-eyed Willow, there was no way something that silly would normally impress a girl like Willow. So it must be because it was Hunter doing it. She flew closer to Willow, elbowing her.

“I didn’t know you liked him.”

“Huh? W-what? Hah- ahaha! Of course I like him, he's my friend!” Willow tried to emphasize as the sweat and shifty eyes betrayed her. 

Amity gave her a look. “Yuh-huh.”

Willow playfully shoves her. “Shh! Stop it!”

“Alright, alright.” Amity giggles. “Just didn't think dork was your type.”

"He's not a dork.” Willow protests, quickly realising her admission, and Amity blinks knowingly at her. “Oh shut your pie hole.” Willow scoffs and pushes her away with her foot.

“I didn’t say anything.” Amity teases. Willow stuck her tongue out at her.

Hunter shouted from five treetops away. “Look!” Hunter was gliding by hanging from the staff with his hands, stepping on the treetops in a circle. "you guys, come try doing this!” 

Amity floats above him anxiously. “what are you doing?”

“Having fun? try it!” He made a treetop shake as he tiptoed on it.

“How is that fun? What if you lose your grip and fall down?”

Hunter lets one hand go to shrug with it, Amity gasps with alarm and reaches out. But sees he’s fine and she breathes out. Hunter chuckles, his staff rotating slowly where he hung in the air.

Daredevil, comes to Amity’s mind. The boy weren't careful with himself.

“Blight, if I didn’t know better I would think you were worried.”

“Yes, please sit on your staff properly. You were in a coven once, surely you know staff etiquette.”

Hunter laughs at her chiding and swings himself until his leg hook back onto the staff. But he hangs off of it like a cat from a couch, one leg abd his body dangling. Amity grimaces.

“P r o p e r l y.” She chides again and Willow giggles at her.

“Oh Amity, it's fine. Hunter’s an expert flier.”

“I am sure. But statistically, experts suffer from the hubris that their expertise makes them exempt from accidents.”

Hunter and Amity share a look that could be summarised with her begging him to get back up on his staff, her anxiety for his safety growing by the second.

“Alright.” He climbs up properly.

She breathes out. “Thank you.” And receives a friendly nudge from Willow.

“I’ll just do my tricks where you can’t see me.” Hunter grins, his staff flying up and behind her. Amity throws out a row of objections, Willow cackles.

Luz and Vee were sitting by each other in deep conversation.

Vee sighs. “Please?”

“I will, I promise.”

“Today?”

Luz gives her a pained look, but Vee begs in return. “Okay, today. I promise.”

Vee sighs out and rubs her face, groaning. Luz tilts her head in concern. “Other than the whole Hunter thing, are you okay? You’ve looked weary all day.”

"I'm okay. I just… I'm hungry.”

“Oh. For magic?”

“Yeah… the cards are good usually, but Im transformed so often now that they’re not enough to keep me full.”

“Vee, you don’t have to look like me when we’re indoors, you know.”

“It doesn’t matter who I look like. It is still exhausting.”

“No, I meant that you don’t have to be transformed at all.”

“Yeah!” Gus agrees from where he’s spinning his hands around. “We don’t mind.”

Vee grimaces. “I mind… I want a human form.”

“Don’t you like how you look, Vee?” Gus asks carefully, knowing it might be a sensitive topic.

“It’s not that. I guess I just want to fit in here, in this realm. I feel like having a second skin I can turn into- a person, you know? Myself. I just think it would be nice. And if I want to stay in this realm, I gotta build up my strength to last in a form.”

Luz nods and rolls her thumbs. “So you… want to stay here?”

Vee curls her arms around herself and shuts up.

“It’s okay if you do, you know.”

Vee turns her hopeful gaze at her. Luz greets it with love.

“I wouldn’t mind if you stayed in the house with mom and me.”

Vee lights up. “You wouldn’t?”

“Not at all.”

Gus didn’t voice his next question - you’re staying too, Luz? But kept it in his heart as an unsent letter, for another time.

Gus huffed out. “Okay I don’t think I can do this much longer.” He shouted up at the trio in the sky, but they couldn’t hear him. He grunts. “Hey, one of you take Emmiline and fly up to tell them to come down. I can’t keep their disguise up.”

Vee shook her head. “Not me!”

“I’ll do it!” Luz picks up Emmiline who turns into a staff. Oh, she had missed this with Owlbert.

She flew up.

Jacob squinted at the sky. Holding his phone up at the suspicious crows. Crows were an omen of witchcraft, right? And these crows were flying in really strange patterns. Two crows were just… flapping still in the air, one flying slightly backwards and forwards, as the third made strange wavey loops.

“Huh.”

Then a fourth crow flew up to them. Cawed. And all crows flew back down.

That’s weird. Right? 

Yeah, crows were smart birds but this was just straight up human-like.

Jacob furrowed his brows.

It was near the old house anyway, wasn’t it? Just a bit away from its backside from where he could tell. He decided to take another route, through the terrain.

He knew that house was a hotspot for weird stuff!

Vee tucked her ears into the hat more. “Hey, guys, I gotta go home. I can’t keep myself together.” And the white spots spread across her cheeks. Upon seeing that, the group agreed in various manners of yikes.

When Vee stood, her legs wobbled and merged. “Ugh!” The knelt down into her serpent body and coils. “Oh no- already?!”

She thought she would last longer. Luz is by her side, tying her jacket around her waist to cover up her legs.

“You alright?”

“No! How am I gonna get home?!” She concentrated as best as she could, kicking her tail out. Momentarily they turned to legs, then morphed around until her legs were just two tails instead. “Noooo! Augh! Stupid!”

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay!” Gus assures. “I’ll disguise you!” And he twirls his fingers. Vee looks exactly like Luz - but still couldn’t stand up. “Someone has to hold her.” 

Gus turns to Hunter, who looks away apprehensively. He wasn’t sure if he still could do that sort of thing for her. Vee wanted to tell him it was fine, she could feel her hunger turn into anger - hangry, if you will. She did not want to get nasty. But seeing Hunter get all awkward again made her want to claw the trees and yell at him; not that it would help. And she knew it wouldn’t. But you can’t control how you feel.

And when it came to Hunter; Vee stood on a fence, balancing between wanting him to be who she had come to know him as, and the figure she remembered him being.

His red eyes shone in the dark dungeons, just as they still shone in her memories.

She remembered what Belos had called them. Vile and evil things. How he had taught Hunter, each time the blonde boy in the mask came down with his uncle, how despicable they were - even for demons. Soulless and hollow. That was why they sucked in magic, because they were empty and void of humanity.

Of course it had made it easy for Hunter to not think of them as equal beings. But it hadn’t excused it. Or did it?

Why did Vee have to be the moral judge on it? She didn't know.

And Hunter being awkward again didn’t make her newfound reflection of him any easier.

Hunter merged in her mind with the feelings she had once felt in the dungeons, fear and hatred plastered on top of his friendly brotherly face.

You could hate your friends. She had seen it on TV. So it was fine. Right?

“I can carry her.” Willow scoops Vee up.

Gus grunts and drops his spell, Vee turns back to a basilisk. “Sorry, I’m out of juice. Gimme a moment, alright?” Gus breathed, sweating from the magical exercise.

Hunter looks at his hands.

He awkwardly pats Gus on the back. Still nothing. Gus smiles at him. “Nice initiative though.”

Hunter growls. “Why isn’t it working?”

Vee puts a hand to her face. She wasn’t feeling well. She tried, and tried, to transform. Watching her legs flip and flop like a fish gasping for air. Her whole body tensed up. Her belly growled and hissed at her to devour, to consume. They would survive! They would weaken temporarily. It would take them a week tops to recharge! At most! She had been going hungry for two weeks! It was fair, right? It would be fair!

She licked her dark blue lips.

“Vee?” Willow asks and watches as the girl in her arms' face transforms into a basilisk. Vee’s eyes blinks sideways and up at Willow with a hunger that the witch was less than secure with receiving from the demon. “Umm, Vee?”

Vee shakes her head. “No! No-!” Vee shoves at Willow until she drops her. Vee groans as she hits the ground and holds her head. The hunger had clawed from her stomach to her head. “Ugh!”

“Vee?”

Just a little bit. A little nibble would be fine.

“Mngh..”

“Vee..?” Luz reaches out. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.. I am just… so… hungry .” She hisses and turns a wild grin at them over her shoulder.

Willow moves her hands to do plant magic, Vee quickly inhales her and the group’s tank-girl drops to her knees. Like the basilisk that had invaded the school, Vee grew slightly in size.

“Willow!” Luz yells. “Hey! Vee! Snap out if it!”

“Ngh! I’m sorry! I’m just… you have so much. I don’t have anything.” Vee blinks one more time. Her eyes now completely glassy and beastly.

Her mind foggy.

Gus pointed his glowing blue fingers at her. “Sorry Vee, time to cool down—“ he avoided her inhalation, but even as he got an open shot; his magic died before it even got to try. “Uh-oh.”

Vee grabbed hold of his arms and slurped in his magic.

Gus caught himself with his hands as he fell down. This was the opposite of what Hunter’s charge-up had done. Hunter had made him feel light and powerful, Vee made him heavy and tired.

Willow reached out to Gus where she laid, Vee clawing and slithering by them. She wondered if they could regain their magic if they just rested?

“Gus…” she breathed, she had become so weak and tired, feeling gray.

“I’m okay..” Gus lay himself down. “Just gotta… gotta… lay down.”

“Vee! Stop!” Luz yelled and her doppelganger hissed. Hunter grabbed her and hoisted Luz up on Flapjack with him. Amity was ready to fight with her staff. 

“Hunter!” Struggling against him, Hunter dumped her on a tree. “Wait! I can—“

“You don’t have glyphs, Luz.” He reminded her. He could see that she was hurt by the reality of the situation, but all Luz could really do was hit Vee with a stick or something, and nobody here wanted to hurt Vee. Just stop her. Before she could protest further, Hunter had dashed to join Amity’s side.

Vee, corrupted by hunger and full of magic that wasn’t hers, grinned at her new prey. She leaped for Amity and Hunter got in her way, using his staff to barricade and hold her off. Vee began to inhale, but discovered she couldn’t get anything from Hunter. 

Hunter smirked. “Nothing to eat here.” Vee snarls at him.

Amity made a circle, but the slime she could gather up wasn’t enough to fight Vee off.

“I will hold her off!” Hunter growls. “You gather what you can!” Amity nods and begins to do big circles above her head with her staff. Like she was winding up a big machine. All around them; grime, dirt and moisture of the forest began to move towards the purple witch. 

Vee hissed, snapping her jaws at Hunter to try to bite him or get past. He dashed around her, grabbing at her tail and pulling her away from Amity. Vee let out a roar and held her claws high to swipe at him.

“Get off of me, golden guard!”

She was quick on crawling towards him and crashed her newly gained body weight ontop of him. Knowing she had to get rid of him first if she wanted to satisfy her hunger and eat Amity’s magic too. She grinned down maliciously at Hunter, her instincts of survival kicking in. 

In her head, she wasn’t Vee anymore, not entirely. Just gluttony. Purest of hunger, purest of emotions.

There were a lot of things Vee wanted for herself; a life for one. She devoured knowledge like she had starved for it her whole life, and in a very truthful way she had starved. She hadn’t lived.

When you spend your life in a cage, only touching someone of your own kind by reaching through a jailcell, it does things to you. It warps your perception of time.

When nobody spoke, or sang, Dissociating when things got quiet was second nature. You just blank out, time passes, days go by. Then the guards came down and dragged someone away, you wailed sometimes - even if you knew it wouldn’t save your peer. But to fill the silence, to let out your despair, you wailed.

And sometimes there were Belos. And you couldn’t inhale at him without feeling nauseated, like he was something different or something too powerful. Maybe the Titan really did favor him?

And the same was for the golden guard. Every golden guard had been the same. You couldn’t touch them, couldn't consume them at all.

Vee remembers Hunter without his mask, looking into her cell.

Vee looked into Hunter’s eyes and he could see something in her brain switching. She wasn’t here anymore, not really.

And she let out a wail that brought him to the dungeons with her.

Now they were both no longer fighting on the damp forest soil, but instead the filthy dungeon floors. The light came from flames in their memories and not the sunshine in the trees.

Her claws curled around his staff and pressed it down against his chest, pinning him to the ground.

“You vile, evil, thing.” She hissed at him, Hunter drowned in her eyes, she took great delight in the guard’s fear of her. Finally, she was feared by the guard. “Oh, you think I forgot?” Her golden eyes glowered as she transformed into him, in his full golden guard armour.

Grinning down at him was now himself. “I will never forget you.” She said with his voice. Hunter lost his strength and froze. His galderstone heart went as cold as the night Belos had given him the scar on his cheek.

The world swallowed them both. Hunter’s heart thumped as he stared up into his own manic and cruel face. Vee-Hunter lift her claw up, to aim for Hunter as he lay paralyzed beneath her.

Luz threw a pinecone at her. “Hey!!”

Vee turned up and got a face full of Luz crashing into her. Vee hissed and turned to grab and throw her off. Luz was sent flying towards Gus and Willow.

Vee stood up, as Hunter and came after Luz. Luz stared up at Hunter’s doppelganger looming over her. This version of Hunter was not the golden guard she remembered. This was taken from Vee’s imagination. This is what a villain looked like.

“Stay out of it.” Vee spat.

“I wouldn’t touch Luz if I were you.” Said Amity cooly. Vee turned to the witch and saw the pile of grime Amity had collected. In one motion, Amity sent a big wave towards her. “There will be no deserts for you!”

Vee was swept up by the filth of the forest, the force of it threw her off balance until she was buried in it, only her face and fingertips poking out. The clay lay heavy around her, she struggled but could not move an inch.

“Ngh!” She transformed back into a basilisk, trying to push herself through but unable to. Vee opened her mouth to inhale and Amity moved to squish her cheeks too, to stop her.

“Don’t, Vee. Sorry about this.”

She squeezed Vee's body with the slime until Vee barfed up the magic she had taken. She shrunk in size.

Willow and Gus both gasped as it returned to them. The duo carefully got up.

“Wow. Not fun.” Gus shook his head to gather himself. Willow brushed herself off.

Hunter stared at Vee, shaking himself out of his shock and got up. He put a hand over his chest to calm down and then remembered the card. He pulled it out. It was glowing.

He'd done something! It had worked! ...somehow.

Amity and Hunter exchanged a look, Hunter came to Vee, Amity let Vee’s mouth be freed again. Vee opened her mouth to throw insults at him and he quickly stuffed the card into her mouth.

Her eyes lit up, returning to how they usually looked. “Mh!” She chewed and swallowed and let out a happy ferret whistle. She blinked a few times, staring up at the trees and skies and faces of her friends. There was no dungeon.

“Uuhhhh…” she squinted, everything had been a blurr. “Did I go a little nuts or did I dream that?”

Amity spread her arms and the clay and grime let Vee go. Vee lay flat on the ground as a basilisk, then transformed into her doppel-Luz as she sat up. Luz helped her up on her feet.

“Yeah, you kinda went a little crazy.” Willow tells her and Vee shrivels up.

“Oh, tight, I did didn’t I. I'm so sorry!” It came back to her now, as she looked at Gus and Willow. “Aaah! Oh no! Sorry, are you guys okay? I didn’t mean to!”

“Haha, it’s okay!” Gus laughs and Willow smiles. “But from now on, you shouldn’t waste your energy, okay? No more transforming until you know you got dnough to stay full.”

“Y-yeah! Sorry—!” Hunter looks away from her when she turns to him. Her heart drops into a cold cellar. Now seeing what things had actually been. “I’m sorry.”

Hunter waves a hand. “You couldn’t help it.”

“No, I’m so sorry.”

“Vee it’s fine. You were hungry. I know how basilisks get when they’re hungry.”

She gapes, then closes her mouth.

Hunter curls his shoulders.

Of course he knew.

Nobody was sure what to say next, Vee holds up a hand to start but Hunter is quicker.

“Im stupid.” He says. “I completely forgot I had a card on me.”

“… Hey, you charged it up, though.” She tries to meet him with a smile. “Thanks. I feel really full. Like… I think this will last a few days, even.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

He nods and picks up Flapjack, letting him turn back into a bird on his shoulder.

“Vee.” Hunter says quietly and she turns up at him, hoping. “I don’t… think you are vile or evil.”

She lets out a breath. “I don’t… think you are vile or evil, either.”

And the light around them is just sunlight through the trees. Hunter smiles at her and she returns it.

Nobody said healing was easy or full of forgiveness and forgetting what had been done.

“You made me look scary.” Hunter breaks the tension with a scoff.

“You were the golden guard.” She rolls her eyes, “you were scary.”

“What about now?”

She smiles, hugging herself. “A tall, soft moron who forgot he had a card.”

Hunter puts a hand on her face and shoves, she grins. Happy they were back to where she wanted them to be. Looking up at him now, she didn't see the golden guard, just her brother. It was a nice feeling to have.

Luz sighed out the biggest huff of relief. “Pheeeewwwww well okay! Good! Glad you guys worked that out quickly!”

Luz nudges them both and wheeze-laughs, going nearly cross eyed as the anxiety-trembles caught up with her. She wasn’t sure if she could handle her kind-of-siblings having even more layers of tension between them.

It had been suffocating her to not be able to be a meddling middle-child and help. Hunter and Vee share a look before both giving her a sibling pat.

“Okay. Not to be that guy.” Gus says, hands on hips. “But I could do with some lunch now.”

It was a welcomed sentiment. Vee was a little wobbly still, and Willow gave her a piggy-back ride. She had offered, because despite Hunter recovering fairly well and quickly mentally; she had seen his hand tremble. To save him grace, she had offered before he could.

Vee apologised again on their way home. But Hunter complimented her on the terror. Something like that was deffinitly worth working on. He even suggested that Gus and her should watch movies together and get inspired. Gus could develop disguises and Vee could develop defenses. Both would be important for the future ambassador duo.

Vee and Gus excitedly began to babble their ideas to one another.

Willow glanced at Hunter, giving him a soft look. He was looking after everyone… even after all of yesterday still fresh, he had been the one to cheer her up in the skies, came to Amity’s defense in the fight, and all of their rescue, and made sure Vee picked herself up after this.

He had a good heart.

Willow wanted to wrap him up in a blanket and kiss him.

Huh? Kiss? Where had that thought come from?

In the corner of her vision, she saw Amity and her high brows smiling knowingly at her.

OH SHUT UP AMITY. IT’S NOT LIKE THAT!

Still… though… Hunter was the one who should have some comfort.

Jacob cried. His phone had died right before all the cool stuff happened. He had been laying there in a bush, filming. Not believing his luck. Then it died. And all he got to see was magic with his own eyes.

The girl with the purple hair moved things with her staff. The boy from the library teleported!! The doppelganger was transforming and eating the life force of the other kids!! And the human girl- aaaaaaa!!!

He understood nothing!! And yet!! Everything made sense!!

Jacob returned to his car.

Unbeknownst to him of the creeping gloopy figure inside a hare had been observing him for days. Slowly and surely, building up to bigger and bigger animals.

“Jacob.. hopkins..” The dead looking hare mouthed, before sloppily making its way to lure a bigger animal, perhaps a fox, to eat it. To possess.

Eventually, hopefully, he would be big enough that he could speak to Jacob and make him join forces. He just needed to know a little more… the more you knew about someone, the easier it would be to suggest the right things.

Belos had not been around for hundreds of years. The past two weeks he had spent dragging his remains around his old home. How it had changed. Luz had been right, this was not the home he had left.

But it was still the world he had sworn to protect. That he had murdered for.

Belos coughs the hare’s blood. The flesh of it rotting off. He needed a new host. This one was too small.

He watched Jacob sit in his car and thought to himself that this idiot was perfect.

This idiot thought he was special.

Everyone wants to be special.

But nobody is. 

Not like him.

Chapter Text

The rest of the day went by relatively quietly. Lunch had been nice. The few hours thereafter had been spent reading or watching videos on the video-tube(?) to learn more about the human realm.

Hunter was feeling more tired than he had ever been in his life— no, tired wasn’t the right word. Exhausted .

During dinner, after Camila had come home with Korean takeout, Hunter hadn’t eaten much of the dish. it wasn't bad food or anything - he liked it, and he’d gotten the non-spicy-special and everything. Like a deflated bagpipe, he’d lost all appetite. His body doing all it could to let him know he didn’t need the fuel, he just needed rest.

He was happy to hear Willow so happy though, it had been similar to what her dads cooked at home sometimes. It had made poking the noodles around and pretending to eat worth it.

But he was tired. Everyone's voices became a distant murmur, not unlike the rainy nights at the castle, when he could hear the coven scouts in the hallways talking during patrols to avoid the searing rain; distant but close by. He wasn’t part of the conversation, but he enjoyed listening.

Flapjack rubbed his head against Hunter’s cheek. Slowly moving his beak to behind his ear, Hunter’s eyes began to droop. He leaned into his hand and swatted carefully at Flapjack with the other. He knew what he was doing.

Flapjack edged himself back to Hunter’s ear and burrowed at him, nuzzling. Lazily, Hunter’s hand didn’t reach up this time. He blinked. Closed his eyes.

Luz noticed the older boy begin to nod off where he sat.

“Uh, Hunter?” Luz waved a hand in front of him face. “Hunter?”

Hunter slid off his hand, dunked his head onto the table, and sat straight up. A red spot on his forehead.

“Hunter! Geez louise, are you sleepy?”

“……. Mh! I am……. Gonna go to bed. I think.”

“Aw but we were going to watch Balto!” Willow pouted. She had asked Vee to find a wolf themed movie. Vee had also been eager to cheer Hunter up a bit. Hunter had no idea what a Balto was.

“Mh…” Hunter stroked his fingers under his eye.

“It’s a movie about a wolf-dog! He’s half wolf, half dog!” Luz explained. Hunter lifted his head, interested.

“Oh, hm. Well, I can stay up a little bit for that, then.”

Hunter couldn’t concentrate on the movie either. But he did enjoy looking at the cartoon wolf and the goose was very funny.

The palismen had all cuddled up around Hunter like he was a tree. It would have looked silly to anyone else, but had become part of an ordinary sight in the Noceda residence. 

Flapjack chirped quietly to Clover. And Clover spy-walked across the couch behind Hunter, against the wall, over to Willow; buzzing quietly in her ear so Hunter wouldn’t hear.

“Hm?” Willow turns to her right. Hunter looked like death was going to claim him any time now. She put a pillow on her lap and patted it. “Hey Hunter.” She whispered, he looked over and down at the pillow quizzingly. “You can lay down if you want.”

He stared at her.

The pillow.

Blushing lava had nothing on the shade of red he turned into. “ItisfineIamokay.”

“Clover said Flapjack told her you would like it.”

The red stars of space would have been too hot to exist, had they tried to compare to the heat in Hunter’s cheeks. He slowly turned to stare down his palisman. Flapjack tweeted with the innocence of a filthy sinner.

Et tu, Flapjack. Et tu.

“I… have said no such thing.”

Gus lay down on the pillow from her other side. “Awh, yeah. Willow naps are the best!”

Willow snorts at him. “You’ve had a lifetime-fill of willow pillows!”

Gus grins up at Hunter, letting him know it wasn’t weird to get comfy with your friends, that this was something they did. “I'm sure we can share, right, big guy?”

Hunter’s voice doesn’t leave him. The palismen all nods at him and he grimaces at them all like what is this? A coup?

He grumbles and lays down with Gus onto the pillow, because he did actually want to, trying to turn back his attention on the movie. As soon as things felt alright again, Gus sat up to use the restroom, abandoning him - an excuse, for sure. Hunter remained and thought to himself that he’d sit up again in a few seconds so that he wasn’t alone on Willow’s lap. In a few seconds though; to not make it so obvious.

He just felt like he was doing something wrong by laying there and liking it, his heart thumping with nervous delight and filled his head with a buzzing carousel.

Willow’s hand absently began brushing his hair.

He inhaled sharply and tensed up.

But her soft fingers stroked by the back of his ear, ever so gently repeatedly stroked a finger behind it. His eyes fluttered, sleep and calm came over him like a cozy blanket. He let out a soft murmur of comfort before getting knocked out.

When Gus returned, Hunter was sleeping. “Oh, it really worked huh?”

“Yeah.” Willow smiles at Flapjack and Clover. “Good to know there’s a way to incapacitate him.” She chuckles. “Stubborn as he is.”

“You were the one who wanted him to stay up for the movie.” Amity teases, grinning.

But Willow only gave Amity a huff, a smile, and continued brushing through Hunter’s hair, tracing the rim of his chipped ear.

Whatever.

It was nice.

This was nice. She was allowed to want nice things for him.

Amity cuddles to Luz, who also turns away from the movie to look over at Willow. “Wait what? What are you talking about?”

“Nothing.” Amity kisses her cheek.

Luz watches Willow blush faintly, Hunter sleeping, Gus giving Luz a look and Vee hadn’t caught on yet.

“Oh wait- I thought I imagined it!” Luz whispers loudly, all smiles and gasps.

“You are!” Willow hisses back, hand gently over Hunter’s ear, just in case.

“You like him a little bit.” Gus wobbles his head before sipping his tea.

Willow indignantly gapes at him. “Augustus!” She whispers and smacks his arm carefully. She looks down to check that her crush was still asleep, he was. The palismen climbing ontop to blanket him.

“I do not.” Willow repeats, eyeing the rest of her friends with a finger up in the air. “Okay? We are just good friends.”

“Aw, pretty sure he’ll be disappointed to hear that.” Amity coos.

Willow stares at her. Then at Hunter. Back to Amity’s stupid raised eyebrows and Luz annoying smirks. Willow turns red.

“Oh hush!”

Hunter moves, letting out a quiet hum. Willow’s eyes are large as saucers. The boy rubs his cheek at the pillow and rolls over, now facing towards her stomach. The palismen all flop over, now bundled between Hunter’s body and the couch.

She felt his soft breathing through the fabric of her shirt.

‘Titan kill me.’

Clover buzzed and Willow stared her down. The palisman blinked innocently next to Flapjack. What was this? An assassination? If it was, mission complete. Willow was dead.

Gus chuckles. “Here, let me help.” He slides his hands in under the pillow, lifting Hunter.

“Wait wait he will wake!”

“Nah.” Gus demonstrates by lifting up and down. The guy was properly out cold. Willow awkwardly slid out from under Gus’ arms. Gus put the pillow down and kept his own hand on Hunter’s head, brushing him. Next to him, Willow was a sweaty flustered mess.

“Don’t giggle at me!” She protests.

"We're not!" Luz grins, hands up. “It’s just cute. We will stop if you don’t like it for real.”

Willow brushes her shirt down. It was a little bit fun, she supposed.

“Not in front of him.” She warned “And I dunno if I like-like him, yet. Or.. you know…”

“We get it.” Luz says but Willow squints at her.

“No shenanigans.”

“Aw not even a little bit?”

“Luz,” Amity nudges.

“Alright alright, I promise. No shenanigans.”

Willow smiles and puffs out. Good!

Vee finally caught up. “Oohhhh! You like Hunter??”

“Shhhhh!” Everyone hushes at her.

But Hunter slept like a stonesleeper, that is to say; heavy and unmoving.

Hunter doesn’t remember walking downstairs, but he must have. For next time he opened his eyes he was in the basement. Looking up at Gus who was making himself comfortable and ready for bed.

“Hey.” Gus smiles down. “Sorry, did I wake you?”

“No.” Hunter blinks a few times.

“You good?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, well I was going to sleep so—“ But Hunter didn’t last the end of that sentence before his consciousness reclaimed him back to land of dreams.

Hunter woke up in a bed that wasn’t his. In a room that no longer was full of debris and time’s uncaring touch. By a desk, basking in candle light, sat Luz and wrote in a book with a feather. Hunter squinted at her, she wasn’t dressed in a way he recognised to be of the human realm.

“Oh, Caleb.” Said Luz and looked relieved to see him awake. “You’re awake. Are you feeling alright?”

Hunter blinked at her. “Um, yes? I am fine.”

“That wicked witch really got you good though.” Luz put the feather away and closed the book. The book was thin and made of red leather, particular designs and initials were crafted into the skin. P.Wittebane.

Hunter looked up at Luz who had come over to sit on a chair by his bedside. She didn’t carry herself the way he remembered Luz to behave.

“I have called a doctor to come look at you.” Luz explains.

“What- Pip, we can’t afford that right now.” He heard himself say.

“Caleb, a witch blasted you!” Luz gestured at Hunter. “She could have done something to you. Something invisible.”

“You are exaggerating, it wasn’t a blast.” Hunter waves a hand. “I am fine, she wouldn’t hurt me, she was doing the opposite.”

Luz watches him as though a devil had crawled into his skin and puppeteered him.

“I mean…” Hunter nervously spirals. “No listen— She helped me. She healed me. I had fallen down a tree during my lumbering. My leg was broken, I am sure of it. Now look at it!” He lift his leg, it was untouched by any accident.

Luz apprehensively looked him up and down, as though she was analyzing him.

“Maybe she isn’t evil?” Hunter tried again.

“Have you lost your mind?” Luz scowls. “Do you even hear yourself?”

“I know it sounds like I have been corrupted but—“

“It does.”

The two of them watch one another. Hunter scoffs nervously at the sudden tension. “Come on, Philip—“

There’s a knock downstairs.

“Wait here, okay? Rest.”

Luz leaves the room and Hunter hears the door lock and his chest is full of led. Why would she lock it? Did she think he was bewitched? He gets up from the bed, carefully tries the handle. It really was locked. He can hear the doctor downstairs talking.

“I’m not possessed!” Hunter shouts as merrily as he can to convince his brother. “Pip?”

The voices quiet down even more.

Hunter knocks at the door. “Philip, open up. You’re being ridiculous!” He tries to sound easy-going, he presses his ear to the door to make out anything of their conversation.

“And what of his faith? I noticed his absence...”

“I fear the true reason he has not attended as of late is because he has been stalked by an unknown witch of the woods. As you know, my brother explores the forest depths for the best trees, and to not trespass upon the Saukiog tribe.”

“You mean to imply that he, for his duty as woodsman, have put his soul at risk and has now befallen into the clutches of a witch?”

“Yes, doctor.”

There’s a short silence.

“Mr Wittebane, your brother has always been the lesser of you both in wits and manner. Is it possible you are trying to save him grace by excusing his absence with an ailment of witchcraft? It is a serious affliction. The cure is severe and limited.”

“I would not sin with such lies, doctor. He is afflicted. He speaks of spirits in the guise of animal companions, he has confessed to me that he witnessed witchcraft and was enamored by it.”

Hunter stares at the door, he could not believe this breach of trust - his own brother! the walls echoing his heartbeat and their voices. The room tilted where he stood.

“Not only just, but I believe my brother is in grave danger. The witch has taken a liking to him, by the manner of how he speaks of her, I don't think he is aware that he is spellbound.”

Luz’ voice became deep and masculine, no longer hers, Hunter recognised it as somebody conving, somebody that turned his blood to ice.

“The night before yesterday, he spoke to be about God in such a way that made me believe he was having doubts.”

Hunter shook his head in disbelief.

The doctor’s voice hummed. “If what you say is true, the situation is dire indeed.”

“It is, doc, it is.”

The room around him grows dark.

The door in front of him wobbles, he steps away from it as a big yellow eye open up to stare at him. Hunter gasps and falls backwards.

“No!” He yells. “Go away!”

The floorboards turned to ink. The big orb of an eye blinks at him. 

And Caleb Wittebane stared back.

He wished he had never chopped that tree down. Why hadn’t he listened to the warnings from the Pequots? They hadn’t even tried to stop him, just chuckling at his stupidness. ‘It’s your funeral.’

He had just hoped that his christian soul would protect him from any devilish curses! The wood was sturdy, bendable, perfect for building a house! What evil could trees possibly have anyway!? But now their house was made of the timber of evil wood. No native of the land came near their home for that reason, but if not even they would come close - then neither would their fellow christians.

He had thought he’d done something clever, he didn’t tell his brother until after Philip came to him with anger in his voice; someone had told him but their home was already built by then. Philip had clutched at his hair and called him an idiot, now he had to tell their neighbors it was all just fear mongering from the pequots for their amusement.

Philip was clever, Caleb had just wanted to be too, for once. But he wasn’t. It didn’t come to him as easily as it did his brother - who learned to read and write by sight alone. Who understood people and the social currencies in ways he couldn’t grasp.

Caleb never fit in. Neither did Philip. And when they were younger, Caleb had taken care of them both as best he could and Philip had quickly learned how to fill in the gaps Caleb lacked. They were dependent on one another, in ways that had them reject anything that didn’t include the other.

Their parents had been part of the strangers on the mayflower, but died soon from starvation - then the saints (puritans) had looked after them in an absent kind of way. In exchange for labor, they received food and shelter.

Caleb was able bodied, and artistic, but art was rarely deemed worthy unless it was a cross. His creativity was unwelcome while his brother’s growing intellect became more and more beloved.

He had only wanted to do something clever with this house. And now, because of him, they had this accursed home that blinked at him and him alone. Haunting him for chopping down the trees.

Hunter heard Luz and the doctor come back upstairs. He put a chair under the door handle, the door shook.

“Caleb, open up.”

Any trace of Luz's voice was gone. It was all Belos. The ink beneath his feet tried to sink him, Hunter stepped around to try to avoid being sunk.

“Hunter.”

The room lost all colour, Hunter’s breath became smoke in the air. He ran to the window, threw it open and halfway through climbing out of it, he saw that in the forest stood Willow, not dressed as herself. She looked up at him, surprised to see him running away. Hunter was so taken by seeing her that he halted his escape.

The door behind him flew open, he turned, Luz and Amity barging in. 

“What are you doing!?” Luz shouts, alarmed and begging. “I am trying to help you!”

“I-I’m just— woah—!”

Hunter fell out the window.

And into his bed.

He sat up in the empty basement. Flapjack chirped at him. 

Hunter rubbed his face and stroked a hand through his hair. Noticing it had grown since he had arrived here.

He sighed.

Flapjack tweets at him and Hunter’s body feels too heavy to get up and make himself ready for the day.

Did he even have to, anyway? He was so tired.

Flapjack tilts his head and hops at his bed.

“I’m not really that hungry Flaps.” Hunter says and lays back down. Flapjack hops over to his head and pulls at his curl. Hunter is too tired to be annoyed. Flapjack lets him go, concerned, he tweets at his witch.

“I am just tired. I’m not sick.” Hunter closes his eyes. “Go upstairs if you want to.”

Flapjack lingers until he sees that Hunter is serious about resting, the scrawny boy slumping into his pillow and lays as still and unmoving as a stonesleeper.

Flapjack flies upstairs. Willow and Amity had set away some breakfast for Hunter. Flapjack tweets at Ghost, who in turn meows a few times to Amity.

“Oh.” Amity says. “Is he ill?”

Ghost meows.

“No? Huh… you sure?”

Flapjack and Ghost both shrug. They're only messengers.

“What’s the matter?” Willow asks.

“Hunter is tired.”

“He should have breakfast at least.”

“We can carry it down to him.” Amity peeks into the livingroom. The rest of the gang were out in the backyard already, working away on the gardening. This would be a quick trip down the basement, no need to inform everyone yet if Hunter was fine anyhow.

Amity set the breakfast down on a small table and Willow shook Hunter lightly. He wouldn’t wake, just like last time.

“Heavy sleeper.” Amity states.

“Yeah.” Willow remembers that touching his scar had woken him last time, but instead of poking she cupped him carefully, stroking her thumb over it. Hoping that wouldn’t startle him. “Hey…”

Hunter’s eyes flickered open. He licked his dry lips and turned his heavy red eyes towards her. He felt warm and full of bricks, but forced himself to sit up and rub his eyes.

“Yeah?” His voice is hoarse.

“We brought you breakfast.” Amity moved the tray over to him.

Hunter’s eyelids were sinking down and he leaned onto his elbow, like a scarecrow trying to hold itself up on the stick inside itself. He stared at the food for a good moment like he tried to register what a breakfast was. 

“Oh. Thank you." Hunter continued sinking down onto his bed, he closed his eyes. “I’ll eat it soon.” And made himself comfortable on the pillow again.

“Are you… feeling okay?” Willow asks.

Hunter nods. “Mh.. jus’ tired.”

Amity puts her knuckles to his forehead to feel his temperature. Hunter glances up at her and rolls over to make her stop.

“Are you sure?” Amity prods, concerned and aware of Hunter’s lack of taking care.

“Mh.” He hums confidently.

“Just tired?”

Hunter doesn't reply.

“Hunter?”

He’s asleep again. The two girls turn to one another and stand.

“Maybe we should just let him sleep.” Willow suggests. “He hasn't slept well since we arrived, so… y’know.”

“If he’s sick, it would be nice to keep an eye on him.” Ghost meows. “That’s a good idea… the palismen can watch over him. Ghost, come get us if something is amiss, alright?”

Ghost curls a happy smile. She would.

The palismen all made it comfortable around Hunter, a proper little nest of blankets and cuddling. In the midst lay Hunter, still as snow itself.

Throughout the day, his friends came down to check, even if no palisman had come to fetch them. Hunter slept the day away, the breakfast remained untouched and he hadn’t come upstairs for lunch either. Camila had come down once around dinner to check on him and only then had he eaten the breakfast that had gone stale next to him, then he promptly slept again as soon as he felt she had been convinced.

Not that he had much control over it. He just fell down like timber in the woods and lay on his makeshift bed like a fallen tree.

When Gus came downstairs for bedtime, the palismen poked their heads up at him.

“Still asleep, huh?”

They nodded to the witch.

Gus made himself comfortable on his couch, watching Hunter down on the floor. He wasn’t even snoring. Just to make sure, he reached a hand out to feel his breath and there was airflow. The young boy tucked himself down and flicked the light off.

“Good night.” He said to Hunter for the sake of wishing him a good rest, the palismen purred in response.

Gus closed his eyes.

And sometime later that night, Hunter’s eyes opened.

Masha sighed as they stood in Jacob’s entrance, waiting for him to gather up their sister’s remaining stuff. 

“Here you go Masha.” Jacob said, trying to sound like this wasn’t emotional to him.

“Thanks.” Masha looked into the bag, everything their sister had asked for was in there.

“That’s new.” Jacob nods to their skirt. “Nice. Nobody’s giving you trouble, right?”

Masha smiles. “No, nobody’s giving me trouble.” And glances at the satchel Jacob had, with the trans-ally pin on it. Even after their sister broke up with him, he was still supportive.

“Alright good, ‘cus you know, just because your sister and I aren’t together-“

“I know. Thanks.”

“Right… so, you’re going to start working at the museum with me, huh?” He nudges. “Are you spying on me perhaps? Mh?”

There was a hint of hope in his voice.

“No Jacob, believe it or not I’m just into history.”

Jacob lit up. “Really? Oh, well you’re going to love the ideas I have—“

“ Real history, Jacob.”

“It is real.”

“To you it is, and you alone.” Masha sighs. “You know she’s right, right? You need to talk to someone about this.”

“I am not delusional.” He groans.

Masha hugs themself. Jacob had been part of their life for years now, a good part for that matter. He was a bit awkward and nerdy, sure, but he was reliable where it had mattered. He was kind to their big sister and he had always been supportive - of both of them. He had showed up when their dad hadn’t, Jacob had picked them up from school and sleepovers and had made sure their dad hadn't ruined their birthday two years ago.

He hadn’t needed to do all of that stuff, but he had anyway. Because Jacob cared. And Masha cared.

“Jacob, if you just went to therapy, she would take you back in a heartbeat. She just thinks you’re… you know, not like dad but…”

Jacob looks at them like they had spat in his wounds. “Oh.”

“I don’t think so! I don’t think she does either. I’m just saying, you know?”

Jacob fidgets with his wrist watch. “So you don’t believe me either?”

Masha groans.

“Did she show you my video? Of the demon?”

“You mean the poor girl you kidnapped? Jacob.” Masha stomps their foot. “There’s a reason Gretchen gave you an ultimatum. Your delusions are going too far.”

“But did you see it?”

“Jacob,” they look at him with weary sorrow. “Do you actually believe I would believe that video? You put some sfx on it or-“

“Why would I do that?”

“To fake evidence you don’t have?”

Jacob inhales. “Wait here.”

Masha sighs.

Jacob quickly returns with his camera. “This is the original file, in the camera. You can’t edit in a camera.”

Masha gives him a look but Jacob begs. They reluctantly agree and begin to watch the video of the girl entering the old house for the first time. Masha stares at her, it was Luz, their friend from camp. Luz transformed.

Masha stares at the little screen, hears Luz's voice. They shake their head.

“See? It’s real.”

Masha gives it back. “No you just.. moved the file into it or something.”

“Masha! I am not lying. I would never lie to you.”

Masha looks up into his pleading eyes. “I know.” They said. “Not on purpose.”

Jacob is crestfallen, but bids them good bye.

Masha puts the bag in their bike basket and puts on their helmet. They bike home.

On their way, they spot Luz with a purple haired girl, Masha lifts a hand to greet but Luz looks past them.

Blinking, Masha follows the two girls with their gaze, Luz hadn’t even seen them. How could she not? Luz and them had been so close at camp and school only ended a few days ago, they had been at the library together.

Masha watches Luz, she is dressed differently too.

The evening springtime wind billows at their skirt. Masha continues their ride home.

EXTRA:

Chapter Text

Hunter’s eyes opened and standing by his bedside was the ghost of Caleb.

He yells at the sight of him and leaped away, hitting his back against the couch.

Caleb just stands there, looking sunken and sorrowful. Above him floated the knife coated in dry blood.

Hunter is silent, waiting for the specter to do something. But the dead man is doing the same thing.

“You scared me.” Hunter complains.

Caleb nods his head side to side as if to say ‘yeah well how else would this go?’

Hunter stood. “Are you haunting me?”

Caleb grimaces, shaking his head.

“So why do you keep appearing? What do you want?”

Caleb’s shoulders sloped.

“… Do you not know? Is it because I am… made of you?”

Caleb tilts his head and shrugs his shoulder.

“Cant you say something?”

Caleb opened his mouth, and if dust had a voice, it was Caleb’s. “S o m e t h i n g.” He smiled proudly.

Hunter cringed through a smile. Caleb’s laugh was a quiet soft wheeze, like he was trying to speak through earth.

But it did make Hunter feel a little better. “So why are you here, now?”

Caleb motions to him to follow him. Upstairs.

Hunter follows.

“H—-t—r” Hunter looks behind him into the empty basement. There were soap bubbles everywhere in the air and he remembers the curtains from his bedroom in the castle, they donned the big window that spied out over the boiling isles. That made sense. He was sleeping here after all.

He follows Caleb upstairs.

The hallway no longer had the Noceda photographs hanging there. In their place were paintings of his memories. He didn’t look at them right now though, more occupied with his fascination to watch Caleb move. Like a mist in the shape of a man. Hunter tried to see in what ways he looked like him. You seldom got a chance to see what you’d turn oug to look like someday, or from behind for that matter.

“Hu—tr.”

Hunter paused, behind him he saw Gus.

“Oh, hi Gus.”

“Hun— whe— y— oing?”

Hunter squints at him. “What?” But Caleb interrupts by lighting up a lantern, it lights up the whole doorway to the lawn. The warm glow beckons Hunter to follow him outside, like it was any other ordinary walk into the woods. Hunter had always liked the woods, he didn’t fear its dark corners or it’s creatures. Somehow he knew he would be the scariest thing in it.

Caleb wanted to show him something, he just knew it instinctively that Caleb had something Hunter needed to find. Hunter begins to walk to the door, reaching out.

Gus grabbed him. “HUNTER!” And Hunter is shaken awake. “Wake up man!”

“Huh? What-what? Huh?”

“Dude, you are sleepwalking.”

“Uh—“ Hunter turned to look at the door to the backyard. It wasn’t open anymore. Caleb long gone.

“Hunter, you good?”

“I— yeah. I think so?”

Gus' blue eyes peer up at him in concern. Hunter didn’t look alright. He looks to the door. “You were going to walk outside, it is a good thing I woke up too.”

“… Yeah.”

“Right?”

“Oh, yes, of course.” Hunter looks out through the glass in the door, deep in thoughts. “I dreamt about Caleb, he wanted to show me something. He was guiding me.”

Gus threw a worried glance at the door, then put his little hand on Hunter’s arm. “If it happens again, don’t. We don’t know if he has good intentions.”

“It was just a dream.”

“Or a ghost.” Gus says matter-of-factly. “Would that be so impossible? He is, you know..”

Hunter brushes his shaggy hair out of his face. “Right. Well…” why was he trying to deny it? It made sense. It had felt like more than a dream. “No, yes. You’re right. I think it was, I just felt silly saying it was him.”

Hunter glances to Gus, searching for ridicule, but didn’t receive any.

“Yeah.. lets be careful about that stuff. Okay? We can tell the guys in the morning. Amity knows a bit about mystic magic.”

“Does she? I thought she was strictly an abominationist.”

“She dabbles.” He smiles. “Or, at least I know she read a little when she had her library job.”

“Hm.”

“What about you?”

“Oh, I’ve read a lot about every coven and magic type.” Hunter admits shyly, not wanting to brag too loudly but also wanted to impress a little too. Gus was looking up with him admiringly. Hunter smiles and lets himself be a little bit less humble. “Actually, when it comes to summoning ghosts you do need a piece of the person you’re summoning. Like a tuft of hair or bone or— uh—“ He grimaces, realizing he was forever attached to the ghost of Caleb in that case. “Though you still need to, like, ritualistically summon them. And I never did that.”

Gus hums thoughtfully. “Aren’t there ways to get ghosts stuck in objects though?”

“Oh for sure, mirrors, items, dolls—“ his frown deepens. He was the item. His creation the summoning. Perhaps Caleb had always been around him, just latently, waiting for the right time to be helpful or of use. But then, why now? And why would he help them?

Hunter grinds a hand against his head. “This is too much to think about this late at night.”

“Yeah.” Gus pats his buddy on the back. “Let's deal with it tomorrow.”

The two friends went back downstairs.

The ghost of Caleb Wittebane sat in the stairs of the Noceda residence and closed his eyes, letting himself fade into mist once more.

Hunter woke up late again. His limbs were too heavy to move and his head too deep in the pillow. When he sighed, it felt like the last steam of his engine puffing out. When he inhaled, it was as though he tried to blow air into a broken balloon. He groaned.

Was there even a point to get out of bed?

Why should he.

There was nothing to wake up to anymore. Sure, to be with his friends, but they didn’t really need him at the moment anyway. He could join them when they needed someone to defend them. But there were no threats here, no enemies in the human realm.

Hunter was too tired to eat, and why should he anyway? He didn’t need the energy and the less he ate the more there was left for the others.

He closed his eyes and pulled the covers up over his shoulder. He just wanted to sleep the time away. He didn’t want to think about anything, just sleep, because if he began thinking about what he could or should be doing he just kept looping back into the territory of the future - something he no longer had.

He squeezed his eyes shut and curled together under his covers to hide from the ticking of time.

Everyone had a future to fight for. Everyone had dreams and aspirations. Not Hunter, he had been living at the peak of his life goals as the golden guard. That was all he had fought and strived to be, and now it was nothing. Just vacancy. Could he even reinvent himself back home? What would he do? Who could he become? Belos nephew was hardly the reputation you wanted in a post-apocalypse society caused by said uncle.

Hunter ran through the laws of the Boiling Isles justice system, what crimes would he be convicted of for his role as the golden guard? Would the context of his upbringing aid in his defense or amplify it?

Hunter put his hands over his face and hid under the blankets.

Don’t cry.

Don’t cry.

“Hunter.” Gus’ feet thumps against the wooden stairs. “Breakfast! There’s bananas!”

“I’m not hungry.” Hunter cursed inwardly at his stupd voice betraying him. “I’m not hungry~!” He repeats, louder and clearer with some forced merriment.

“Are you.. crying?”

“I’m not crying!” He growls as he sits up, angrily shoving at his covers, hoping that woukd look convincing - it did not, he looked like he’d definitely been in the midst of crying.

Gus sucks in his lips, then smacks them open. “Dooo… yooou wanna talk about it?’

“I am not crying! Go away.” Hunter pulls the covers over himself again. “I’m just tired and I’m not hungry. Just leave me alone.”

Gus remains on the stairs for a while. “You do know if I tell the others that - they are going to want to come down here and check on you, right? Just open up to me, Im your friend.”

Hunter was out of fuel. “Gus, just go away, okay? If you guys care, then just leave me to sleep.”

“You are tired a lot lately—“

“And before I wasn’t sleeping enough. Make up your mind!” He spats and curls.

Gus pouts, turning to go upstairs. “Alright then.” And leaves him.

Hunter groaned at himself, that was mean. He shouldn't have yelled at Gus like that. But… maybe he would leave him alone now. It would be better if they all just left him be. Stopped asking how things were- they were always so damn concerned and he didn’t know how to handle it without getting anxious about being a burden.

Hunter sighed.

Closed his eyes.

Tried to let the dull basement and all its dust particles consume him.

But Gus had been right. It did not take long before the basement was full of voices and noises.

“Hey.” Stomped Willow, marching over to his bed.

Groaning, Hunter peeped out from his covers to see Willow’s feet by his bed. “What?”

“What’s with you?”

“As I informed Gus - I am tired.” He growls. “Leave me be.”

Luz squats down next to him and pulls at the cover, revealing his hair. “You gotta eat though, you barely ate anything yesterd—'' Hunter forcefully pulled the covers back over his head. “Hey.” She tried to pull but he pinched it down. “Hunter, c‘mon.”

“Go away.” He grunts.

“Hunter.” Amity’s calm voice annoyed him. She was going to lecture him and sound reasonable. “Gus told us about Caleb’s ghost earlier, is this about that? And Luz is right, you need to eat and-“

Hunter flings the covers open, revealing how ill and weary he looked. His sunken eyes, his scarred arms in the blueish button-up, his shaggy unwashed hair and blood-shot eyes. He was sweaty and his breath was full of morning moisture. It was not his peak of health or peak anything, really. A wet hissing cat with scabs would have looked more charming.

“What?!” He yells. “What do you want of me?!” He glares up at Amity. “Oh let me guess; Hunter you gotta eat for energy!” He jazzed his hands and his voice wavered in disjointed empty amusement. “I know! But - I don’t care! I don’t want energy. I want to sleep! My head hurts, my eyes hurt, everything hurts and I just. Want. To. Sleep. Okay?!? I'm not siiiick, I’m not unweeell, I’m just… tired. Am I allowed to be tired?”

“Of course, we just—“

“Great!” Hunter claps his hands, double thumbs up. “Good talk! Now shoo! Don’t you have things to do? Like, I dunno, the garden?” He lays down, pulling the covers back up and over himself again. “Whatever it is, do it without me.”

The gang is quiet for a bit, eyeing one another.

Gus crosses his arms. “Dude, you can’t let yourself spiral like this. You gotta let us help you.”

“I can and I am and I will.”

“So that’s the plan? You’re going to stay here, not eating and not moving, forever until… what? You rot away?”

Hunter is still under the covers. He closed his eyes. There was no plan, he just felt empty, he just didn’t want to feel anything anymore.

“Hunter.”

He felt the weight of Gus’ knees on the mattress, his little hand on his back.

“Hunter, why don’t you come with us to the old house today? Get some air.”

“Yeah.” Luz agrees. “We prepped snacks and everything.”

Hunter lets out a heavy sigh. “No thanks. I have to shower if I'm going outside and I can’t be bothered.”

“You don’t have to.” Amity suggests. “Just come as you are.”

“I have to get dressed.”

“Anything will do.”

“…What I’m wearing?”

She would have liked him to change. He’d spent, what? Two days and nights, in that outfit. But Gus was onto something; Hunter was spiraling into some sort of depressive episode and it would be good to bring him along. If only to give him air.

“Yep.” Amity solidifies. “Whatever you’re wearing works.”

Hunter sighs, he’d hoped she would say he had to change so he could reject them. Gus’ hand patted his back.

“I would really like it if you came along.”

Well, Hunter couldn’t oppose that, and moved to sit up. His arm trembled a little as he pushed himself up to his knees, pausing to gain some energy and then stood up. Yeah. He hardly looked like christmas, more like a pumpkin two weeks past halloween.

Gus smiled up at him. “I promise it’ll be fun—“

Hunter swayed slightly, Willow held a hand up in case he toppled over.

“Are you sure you aren’t sick or something?”

And Hunter moved to sit on the couch so he wouldn’t actually fall over and embarrass himself, head in hands. He was a husk and he had no vocabulary to express it, no energy to discuss it, he just wanted to lay down and turn to ashes.

Luz took a seat next to him. “How about this: Today, all you gotta do is eat something. Okay?”

He turned his red eyes to her, they lacked their usual depth and shine.

“Okay? I’ll bring some down for you. So today, you just eat and rest and tomorrow you can come with us, okay?”

“… okay.”

“Okay. Good.” She smiles his way and when she stands up, Hunter lays down on Gus’ bed. Gus tilts his head at his friend and kneels down to come face-to-face with him.

“I’m worried.” Gus tells him. Hunter meet with his eyes but can’t hold his gaze for long.

“I know, sorry. I’m just… my head is full of stuff.”

“When we get back, maybe you could tell me about the stuff?”

Hunter smile is lopsided. “Nah.” He closes his eyes. “But thanks.”

“Okay, well, the palismen will be here. Will you look after them?”

Hunter knew it really was the other way around, but he still agreed to watch over them.

The gang went upstairs, telling the former golden guard to take care. He promises. Luz comes downstairs with the food before they leave. The group wait in the stairs and door, just in case something happens at the last minute. With their luck, it might.

“I get it, the wanting to sleep thing.” She said when they were in semi-privacy. “I’m sorry you’re going through it.”

“I’m not going through anything. I am just tired, it happens.”

“Does it?”

“Yeah in periods.”

Luz gives him a look he can’t decipher. “Do you think maybe you’re depressed?”

He frowns “I am not depressed. I am just tired.”

“Okay… well, as long as you don’t have any scary dark thoughts or anything.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, uh, y’know..?” But Hunter blinks slowly at her, not knowing what she meant. “Like… stuff like death and disappearing?”

“Oh that.” He scoffs. “All the time, but that’s normal.”

“That’s— no it isn’t.”

“So you have never thought that you have no future and that you're a burden to everyone you care about?” She gapes a few times, she had but didn’t want to say yes - knowing the rest of their friends were hearing everything. “See? Normal.”

“No- wait, you think those things?”

Hunter gives her a long blank stare and then shrugs. He did, but was beginning to get the sense that Luz was fishing for something. He knew himself well enough that if he opened the lid just a little bit he would get in a foul headspace and pour his heart out. That’s not who he wanted to be with Luz. But Luz was good at getting the ball tolling and he was not equipped enough in the game of friendship to dodge it. Silence was the best defense against Luz's unrelenting olive branch.

“What do you usually do when you uh.. think like that?”

“Sleep?”

“What, for days?”

“Days, weeks, until the next mission? I don't know.” He itches his head.

Luz hums with concern. “That sounds like depression.”

“I’m not depressed.”

“What do you think depression is?”

Hunter gestures at the air, not really knowing. “Some sort of melancholic state of mind that weakens you? I’m not weak.”

“That’s- who told you that.” She didn’t need an answer. “Right, well, I’m no psychologist but you sound depressed.”

“I am functional.”

“Not emotionally!” she aggressively gestures at him. “Or physically, right now.”

“I don’t care about my body. As long as it gets from point A to B, I don’t care how I look or what happens to it. I never needed to care, I had my uniform, any blemish or scar I could just hide. I’m not like any of you, Luz. I don’t know what I like to wear and I don’t care if I look nice enough to anybody - I already know I don’t so why try? It’s not like I even have anything to return to to impress back home anyway.”

Ah, oh no. He said it out loud. He bites down at his lip. Inhales and manages to press the feeling away. As long as Luz doesn’t press further, he could manage this.

“Yes you do though..” Luz pressed the right button.

“No, I don’t!” He flails. “I’m the golden guard- or was! Rather, but do you think that will carry well when I get back and after all of- whatever we might face there, is over? Then what? What will I do Luz? Who’s waiting for me?? Darius?!” He cackles at his own hopes, his heart whimpers. In his heart of hearts, he knew there wouldn’t be anybody.  “I got nothing. My whole life is to be— I was made with a purpose I can’t fulfill anymore.” He turns away from her. “He’s dead. And I hate him, and I…miss… him. Because at least I knew who I was then, it wasn’t a good thing but it was something. Now I’m… I am nothing.”

He swallows. Luz looks at him pitifully, painfully aware that their friends could hear this from the stairs right behind them where they stood.

Gus was not going to have another spin the bottle situation and made himself known.

“You don’t have to be who Belos wanted you to be.”

Hunter turned over his shoulder to face the stairs and saw them all look down at him. He got up from the couch, looking up at them standing in the daylight that rolled down from the door. His friends all looked like they felt sorry for him, like he was helpless.

He was not helpless.

He’d always managed - he took care of his uncle, of the missions, the scouts, he became a golden guard all on his own merits. He was not helpless. He took pride in having survived. He had little else to be proud of. Little else to return to other than his legacy of who he had been and what would be the consequences of it.

Why did they care anyway? It was too difficult to let anybody care for him, it was too vulnerable to just be loved at the cost of nothing. Nothing was free, especially the chance of being loved. Hunter’s whole life was built up in such a way that he gave a ten to receive a one. He wasn’t worth any more than that.

He had always had to work twice as hard to earn the same as anyone else and ten folds more to earn a place above them.

You clawed your way up and out. It wasn’t free. You had to give yourself away to the greater cause at the price of getting to taste a bit of solace.

And here they were, giving him their support and concern and love and grace for the price of nothing.

He couldn't comprehend it. It almost felt unsafe. It was too good to be true. He couldn’t trust it.

They had lied to him once, even if it seemed to have been for a good reason - could he be sure? What if they were like Belos. Just really good at manipulating him because he was socially stupid and couldn’t always tell right away if someone was just lying and using him.

He knew that wasn’t true but Friendship was too good to be true. He didn’t deserve that. To protect himself, his heart tried to convince him that it was safer to not trust it.

Shut the door on them. Not try at all.

With Caleb haunting him and his body protesting, not processing the death of his uncle and the overwhelming guilt of mourning the person he thought he had been…

Hunter just couldn't bear trying anymore.

What was the point?

He was tired of going past his limits to earn anything from anyone who anyway would never love him. Would he chase scraps of love his whole life? He wasn’t sure he deserved any more than scraps anyway, maybe it was karma.

Maybe he should never have been born- or made. Yeah, grimwalkers weren’t supposed to exist anyway. They were just dead things walking.

He might as well be dead then, right? Sleeping was the closest thing to dying without actually dying. It wasn’t like he wanted to die, he just couldn’t stand living.

His emotions bottled into a box inside his heart, chained to his limbs, and weighed his body down. He couldn’t carry it anymore. His mind threatened to shut off if the pressure became more.

Sleep. It told him. Let go, sink, rest. Let me take you away for a while.

Gus’ words hung in the air between him and his friends.

Not be who Belos wanted? How could he say that like he hadn’t been made for that, like he hadn’t been conditioned to want to be that.

“That’s so easy for you to say.” He says to Gus defiantly. “It was everything to me, I had no room for stupid things like you guys were up to! Like— like sports and- and things!”

“Maybe.” Gus agrees and Hunter squirms at his friend’s soft smile and rea hed out hand. “But you’re good at a lot of things that have nothing to do with being the golden guard.”

Hunter rolled his eyes and turned away. His galderstone heart ached, it hurt. His lungs felt full of thorns. 

“Yeah.” Willow says softly. “You’re good at flying-“

“That’s not worth anything.” Hunter hisses quietly. His breath became shallow.

“And you can sew!” Gus says happily. “I have seen the ripped jeans you patched up.”

“I’m not good at it, it’s useless. Look, I appreciate that you’re trying to encourage me but it’s not helping. I just feel even more incompetent- I mean- ugh! Just- stop! Okay? Stop. I am not depressed. Okay? I don't need a pep talk or whatever. I just want to…”

He breathed out steam.

His heart slowed.

His lungs weighed him down.

His head felt hollow and it was like a light went out in his whole body.

“Sleep.”

His red eyes dulled into a pale shade and he slowly sank onto his knees with a deep, extended, sigh.

His gaze got stuck to one spot on the floor. That book Gus had wanted him to read. He stared at it, the world turned gray and he fell to his shoulder. His vision dimmed away into a mush.

Hunter didn’t hear his friends. He could see them as blurry moving things, but couldn’t move his eyes. He was paralyzed. But he had no fear, no feelings at all. He was empty.

He closed his eyes.

Sleep took him.

There was a nice blue hue glowing somewhere above him, like he was under water. It danced over his face in shimmering lines.

Hunter blinked and groaned, sitting up slowly in the ashy sand. It was nice to lay there, honestly, he could lay there forever and sleep.

He stroked the sand with his hand, he touched something hard and picked it up. It was a piece of blue stone, but it didn’t glow. It felt like it should be glowing. It was smooth on one end and jagged on the other, like it had broken to pieces.

He dropped it, sighing. He didn’t have to think about things anymore. Just rest.

Brööl.

Hunter turned to the deep animal sound, facing a selkiedomus blinking down at him. The boy yelled and scrambled up and away. The sand was silken soft and he tripped into it, falling back down onto his back. The demon didn’t follow him, it just watched from where it sat.

When Hunter peered over himself, he saw a stonesdeeper there too, tilting it’s head at him.

“What the..?”

“Oh they are part of you. That’s why they are here.”

Hunter tilts his head backwards, seeing a prototype golden guard mask look down at him. Hunter gets back up to his feet.

The mask was made of wood, the guard was wearing a misty blue cape and wielding a palisman staff with a spider on it.

The two of them watch one another in silence.

“Caleb?”

“Yes. That’s me.” He gestures at his staff. “This palisman is your creatine, that selkidomus is your skin and that stonesleeper is your lungs. And I am, well, your blood. And a few of your bones.” Caleb held up his hand. “Your thumb, for one.” And wiggled his thumb.

Hunter looked at the big gash in his hand that circled his thumb. He stroked it. Wondering if Belos had chosen to cut him there because it had been Caleb’s thumb.

“Where… am I?”

“Somewhere.” Caleb unhelpfully informed with the same polite and tired voice of a man who had been around for awhile.

Hunter looks between all his new companions. They all had one thing in common.

“Am I dead?”

“What?” Caleb scoffs. “No. If you were, the galderstone would have broken.” He points up and Hunter follows his finger. Up there floated a galderstone, glowing brightly. “You are asleep.”

It quickly dawns on him that the stone from before—

Hunter looks back towards it and sees a beach of grayish, smoking, sand. Here and there were blue glimpses of broken galderstones.

Hunter wearily turned back to Caleb. Who stood still, watching him through the wooden mask.

The stonesleeper sighs and rolls over to its side, rubbing itself into the sand to snooze. Hunter sideyed it with apprehension.

“Don’t worry, it’s just me and the boys here. We’re not dangerous.”

“Where… is here exactly? And why are you here?”

Caleb tilts his head back and forth. “Good question.”

“You’re not very helpful, are you.”

Caleb didn’t reply. Hunter groans and sits in the sand. The further he looked, the world just turned into a smoke. There was nothing out there than the flat dunes of ash and sand.

Caleb came over to sit with him, with some space between them.

“Maybe…’’ Hunter scoffs. “This is my subconscious. And you’re my inner guide? That makes sense.”

“You think that makes sense?”

“Doesn’t it to you? Look at this place.” Hunter nods out to the wasteland. “If this isn’t a reflection of who I am then I don’t know what is. This is… empty and useless. And then there’s you guys, you’re all part of me, so.. there gotta be a common factor here and I guess it’s me.”

Caleb sits still, watching him through the mask. Hunter turns to him.

“Right?”

“No, I don’t think so. I think this is my own personal hell, actually. The common factor here is me, not you.”

Hunter was going to argue but Caleb pushes his legs into the sand, making lines.

“When the grimwalkers die, I’m still here.”

Hunter closes his mouth and turns to the dunes and its specks of blue. “So… where is this place?”

Caleb shrugs a shoulder. “a place of penance, I suppose." He gestured at the emptiness.

Hunter tilts his head sadly and hugs his legs. “I’m sorry for your loss, you know, of your life.”

“It’s okay, I kinda deserved it.”

“… what did you do?”

Caleb was silent. Hunter knew he wasn’t going to share. It seemed he took after his blueprint in that regard. Hunter changed to sit the same way Caleb did. Caleb glanced at Hunter’s legs. He pulled his own up and Hunter did the same. Caleb scoffed.

“Hey, lad, want to know something about fires?”

“Sure?”

“Well, if you burn yourself, that stress will live in your head and the trauma will live in your body. So when you are around fires that aren’t dangerous - like cooking! It’s going to make your brain stressed and your body scared, for it still remembers the terror of being burned.”

Hunter isn’t sure where he’s going with this metaphor, but listens anyway.

“Now, well, if you know you are afraid of fires because you got burned, you might be able to heal from that. Because you can rationally tell yourself this fire was bad, but that other fire isn’t bad.”

“Okay?”

"Right. There are fires that burn you bit by bit. Invisible flames. You don’t notice it until one day your hands are full of blisters and you think; that’s not very good innit. But nobody ever saw any fire, never smelled any smoke, so they tell you it’s in your head and you believed them. Lies are beautiful like that."

Caleb grabs a handful of ashy sand.

"And then one day your hands are charred, in fact it’s begun to burn all of you away… And you don’t even know where to start putting the fire out. And because you were scared and you didn’t trust your heart, you became the fire yourself. You are the fire and the whole forest is burning. Your home is burning and it’s your fault."

Caleb let the sand go, it turned to smoke before it re-joined the rest of the dunes.

"...I was a fire, Hunter." He said like he confessed to a crime.

Hunter looks Caleb up and down, then the world around them.

The two of them sat in silence as the smoke billowed around them and the animals.

“I think you’re a good person.” Hunter says quietly.

“I am not.” Caleb says tiredly. “But thank you, lad.”

“So how did I wind up here if… if it’s not inside me?”

Caleb turns to look over his shoulder at the galderstone above them. Hunter did the same.

“That thing follows me. As does these boys.” He nods to his large demon companions. “Artemis here,” Caleb wags the palisman staff. “Told me that as long as there’s a grimwalker alive or in the making of my image, I will remain here. Or return, shall I be brought in again to be used as a blueprint, as your friends call it.”

“You can see my life?”

“I hope you don’t mind. There is not much else to look at around here and the stone projects your life if we ask it to. We are…” he wobbles his head. “You are the cauldron and we are the soup. So to speak. We can’t really leave you alone even if we wanted to.”

Hunter smiles with furrowed brows. “Well, all right. I guess. Uh, so, have other grimwalkers come here?”

“One, but he did it on purpose.”

“How did he get here?”

Caleb points Artemis towards the stonesleeper. “Stonesleeper lungs, turn out you can put yourself in some sort of permanent sleep-state, if you want. Without death. Like sleeping beauty.”

“Who?”

“Oh right.” Caleb chuckles. “Ask Luz when you wake up.”

“How do I wake up?”

“When Chase was here, he said—“

“Chase?”

“The other grimwalker.”

“Oh…” It was nice to have a name for one of his predecessors.

“Chase said that he put himself into, what he called, a stone-sleep-state to speak to me. He was very interested in the mystic magic coven, and managed to make himself heartbroken enough to get here.”

Hunter grimaces.

Caleb weaved his fingers together and leaned on his knees.

“I… am not heartbroken.”

Caleb was a quiet companion. Hunter groaned and let himself fall into the sand. Looking up at his heart.

“…. Can that thing break from heartbreak?”

“I guess that’s up to you. You can try break it, or kill us.”

“I wouldn’t kill you.”

“Technically we are all dead already.”

“I don’t want to.”

“No, I know. You’ve always been an honest and good boy.”

“I’m not very good either.”

“Hunter.” Caleb says his name and turns up his mask. Hunter stares up to the ghostly features of the weary, tired and dead englishman. “You are not bad.”

“I have made some terrible mistakes-“

“Complicit ignorance, yes. And they were bad, yes. You’ve made terrible decisions. But good people do bad things - like me, trying to be there for my brother and I didn’t know at the time that my actions would turn him so desperate and cruel… I Didn't know. I meant well, I did. I loved him, I still do. But I created the person he became.”

Hunter watches Caleb’s face turn mournful, he regretted so much.

“I will never forgive or excuse what he has done with the time he has been given. But I love him enough to want him to repent for his crimes. He is no longer the boy I protected or… … Philip is a bad person, now. But he wasn’t always. Even bad people are capable of good. I know he was kind to you at times. Even if they weren’t always genuine, I know it was real to you and I know he did it because he knew it would matter to you.” Caleb sighs. "Not that it pardons how he treated you. He was far more cruel than he was fair or tender. He has grown into... somebody unrecognisable. I dont know him anymore."

Caleb closed his eyes.

“Hunter… a lifetime of evil won’t be undone by an act of goodness, and Philip has done too much to be given a second chance. You can’t compare the deeds of his to yours. You have to look at the things you broke, one by one and undo your damage with effort to heal what you’ve done - and you do. Philip never did. Unlike him, you try to put out all your fires, big and small.” He nudges him. “You have done good things too. Much more good than bad. I know, I’ve seen your life. You are not like him at all, so do not think his cruelty is a reflection on you. You are not an extension of him.”

Hunter half-smiles and then turns to the sand sadly. His socks are dug down into it. It is lukewarm.

“If you want my advise,” Caleb says, leaving time for Hunter to say no, but he doesn’t, so Caleb continues; “I think you already know in your heart of heart that this whole I-don't-deserve-their-love business is very unhelpful to you. You’re not going to earn it more by hurting more.”

“But… I don’t know how else to earn it. What should I do?”

Caleb’s smile is soft and kind.

“When a guest knocks on your door, you open it and you welcome them in.”

Hunter’s red eyes are wet with worry. “But what if— what if they don’t like what they see inside?”

“Then they’re not the right people.”

Hunter strokes his palms at his eyes.

“Hunter we are not brought to the world to be alone and abused.” Caleb ruffles him. “I know it may feel hopeless sometimes. And really lonely. But you cannot live your life punishing yourself into terror of failure. You have to open up, maybe even go to their doors and knock on them. Go Into their houses… you have the same power as anyone else. And you get to choose who you are with that.”

The red in Hunter’s eyes light up brightly as he looks up at Caleb, who gives him a fatherly pet through his hair.

“I know it’s scary.” He comforts. “And I know it won't change over one speech like this. But put the effort into yourself, catch the fear when it tries to choke you. Bravery, you know, is knowing you might not win but choose fighting anyway. Because the only big hold fear truly has on you - is making you not try at all. You will be surprised at what you are truly capable of.”

Hunter sniffs and strokes the tears from his face. “See? I knew you were a good guy.”

Caleb scoffs.

The galderstone hummed and sparkled brightly.

“Oh, look at that.” Caleb stands up. “Your heart is full of magic.”

Hunter bashfully gives the stone a glance. “How does it work anyway?”

Caleb shrugs, jazzing his hands up and out. It was kind of strange for Hunter to see his own mannerism like this. Caleb wasn’t a brother or father to him, but he felt like family. An ancestor, rather than a blueprint. It was nice to think of Caleb as a flawed good man, not perfect or full of answers, just some guy who tried his best and still came out making Hunter feel less afraid of being alike him. Honestly, it was nicer like this. Caleb wasn’t a saint to live up to, neither an evil to avoid repeating. Despite being stuck here in this- wherever they were- Caleb hadn’t turned resentful. He still tried to do good with the reach he had. And that mattered, to Hunter, that was a relief.

“It’s okay.” Hunter says. “I will figure it out.”

“Alone?”

Hunter sees Caleb smile knowingly.

“No. With my friends.”

And it’s the first time Hunter can’t see any trace of sorrow on Caleb’s face. He almost looked alive. “Good.” 

“Hey uh, I recognise Artemis.” Hunter says. “He looks like the staff in Belos prototype for my, uh, assistance staff.”

“Oh, yes. It is him.” Caleb twirls the staff. “He belonged to my wife! Philip took him, broke him down and have been using him to make grimwalkers. I know he eats them, but Philip is strangely sentimental about using symbolic representations.” Artemis transforms and climbs up onto Caleb's head. “Like Flapjack. I carved him from palistromwood with my wife. We made a set of three…”

Caleb’s smile fades, he shook his head.

“I’m glad Flapjack found you.”

Hunter smiles. “Me too.” Hunter blinks up at Artemis, who blinks all his eyes down at him. Caleb points up at the palisman.

“Your assistance staff with the wing, you are correct, Philip modeled it after Artemis. The first version just had legs but he added the wings over time. With the owl beast imagery and all that, he wanted to claim the solar depiction of the previous ruler.”

Hunter staggers. "Previous ruler? There was no previous- it was just wild witches and—“ he stops himself. “So there is more history Belos has burned.”

“I am afraid so.” The selkidomus grunts to Caleb, who turns over. “Yes old boy?”

The selkidomus nods seal-like up to the stone and Caleb squints at it. Flicks the mask back down and lifts the palisman Artemis up at the stone, a little yellow zap makes the image clearer. Caleb chuckles at the sight he sees in the stone.

Hunter looks up at it too, having to put a hand to his forehead to be able to look into the light. “What’s happening?”

“Your friends are trying to wake you up.”

Hunter squints, he can make out Willow, but he isn't really sure what she’s doing.

“Oh, and, Hunter?”

“Yes?”

“You like that Willow girl, don’t you?”

“Uuuhhhh—“ Hunter blushes. “No? Yes? Why???”

Hunter could hear Caleb’s grin under the mask as he spoke. “Well she’s kissing ya.”

“What?!” Hunter burned.

“You should wake up if you want to enjoy a little of it.”

“What are you talking about?! I wouldn’t enjoy— I mean— not like this!!” Hunter wheezes and flails. “Why is she kissing me?!”

Caleb laughs merrily at him.

“Stop laughing it’s not funny!”

“Oh, to me it is! It’s hilarious. You’re just as bad at this as I was!”

Hunter yells.

The stonesleeper yawns and lets out an echoing growl.

“He says that she is blowing air into you?” Caleb translates.

“Why?!”

The selkidomus lets out a trumpet BRÖÖL that blows the sand around them with little waves.

“Ah, they think you’re dying, you’re not breathing.” Caleb gestures at the stonesleeper. “It’s a quirk of yours. Thank him.”

“I’m not BREATHING?!?!”

“You’re not dead. You're just… off.”

“Well put me back on!”

“You’re the one who went to sleep! Not us!”

“I don’t know how—“ 

heartbreak. Right. 

“How do I unbreak?”

Caleb flicks his mask back up to give him a knowing look.

“Well, you closed the door and turned off the lights. I think you know what to do.”

Hunter stands there in the sand with Caleb, the stonesleeper, the selkiedomus and Artemis. The gray sand around them blillowed smoke. Hunter ran up to his blueprint and embraced him.

“Thanks Caleb.”

And Caleb held him back.

“Don’t forget Hunter..” Hunter looks up at him. Caleb looked alive now, a healthy pinkish colour to his cheek and a shine in his eyes. “There’s always a light to find.”

Hunter threw his cheek against Caleb's chest one last time and squeezed.

The galderstone shone and sparkled until the light consumed everything in a white sheet. He felt Caleb’s arms around him until he was ready.

Then he opened his eyes and let the light back in.

Willow’s lips were the softest thing in the world. He instinctively blowed the air back into her mouth and yelled, smacked her in sheer surprise.

“OH SMITING TITAN—! Willow!!! Sorry! Sorry! Oh- I am so sorry—!”

She threw her arms around him and sobbed. He nearly fell over but caught with one hand. She sniffled his name and he, confused and flustered, held her back.

“U-um??”

“Oh god, he’s okay mom! He’s back!” Luz gasps into her phone.

“What?” Hunter blinks and then Gus dogpiles onto him too, he falls.

“We thought you died! You weren’t brea-he-eeaathiiinngggg!” Gus wails.

Hunter pushed himself back up. “I’m okay! I’m okay—“

“Nu-uh! Don’t start! You are NOT okay!” Luz eyes are full of tears and she pokes him with some spanish words he doesn't understand.

“Okay! Okay.. I’m not.. okay.”

His friends calm down. His body tenses up.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. Good news is - I wasn’t dead. I was… uhhhh….” He squinted, trying to remember what Chase had called it. “Stone-sleep-state.”

“A what?’ Amity asks.

“My lungs. I have stonesleeper lungs. Caleb told me I can go into a stone-sleep-state for, well, as long as I want, without dying. Because of- uh- erm… heartbreakorsmething I don't know.”

“Wait, Caleb?” Amity’s voice is a little stressed from having thought Hunter died. “Wait what- hold on-“

“Oh no, yes, he’s uh… not.. in my subconscious but- uuhhh… you know I don’t actually know.”

Luz inhales sharply. “Okay this is too much. Hunter. You are so not okay and we were really scared and— mom is on her way and—“ and the tears roll down.

Hunter aches.

Luz throws herself to her knees and into Hunter’s chest, between Willow and Gus.

“God you idiot!”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t ever do that again!” Gus squeezes his arm.

“I will try.”

Willow sniffs and Hunter eyes her shyly. She smiles and he melts.

“I'm glad you're back.”

His heart thumped in his chest, he was sure Luz could hear it. And she did. She sat back up sniffling, Amity kneeling down behind her to welcome him back to the living.

“Glad you’re okay now.”

Camila’s voice was heard from the phone. Luz juggled it back to her face to tell her mom what was going on. Hunter could hear the panic and worry leave the mother figure. His shoulders went up and he held himself.

“Sorry, I really am.” Hunter said but remembers what Caleb had said. “But- uhm, thanks for… bringing me back.”

They looked at him.

“Uhum, um.. i uh… … .. I think maybe, um, Luz had a point, before.” He didn't want to say hey I’m depressed maybe but the sentiment was understood.

“We know.” Gus said and held him.

“But you got us.” Willow takes her glasses off to wipe at her eyes. “We won’t let you drift off again.”

“Well, if he does.” Says Vee who previously had her nose full of snot and was pretending she totally hadn’t had a breakdown. “Willow can kiss him awake again.”

Willow and Hunter sat there like two tomatoes.

She let him go. “Sorry about that Hunter, we were, um… thought you uh… you weren’t breathing, so..”

“ItIsOkayIGetItHaHAHaaahhhah..hah…”

But Gus didn’t let go of him.

“I’m okay Gus- besides, I smell. So-“

“You do. But I don’t care! I was scared man!”

Hunter leans his head ontop of Gus’. “I know. I will try not to worry you guys anymore. I’ll stop being depressed.”

“That’s not how depression works-“ Amity sighs, but smiles. “Just… let us help, when you struggle. Okay? No more stone-sleep-whatever, okay?”

“Okay.” Hunter nods. He still felt kind of sore and heavy. “Actually, in that case… a shower would be nice.”

“And food!” Willlow prods.

“Yes! Food! Food and shower!” Gus stands up. “C’mon, lets get your stinky self upstairs yeah?”

Hunter scoff and takes his hand. “Yeah.” He sways a little, just dizzy. “Im good! Good. I am good.”

But Gus keeps a hand hovering behind his back anyway. He can walk on his own but the gang still follow him up to the main floor and were about to follow up to the shower too.

“I can shower by myself—“

Camila practically slams the door open. “Where’s my babies?!” She sees Hunter curling his hands to his chest, blinking at her with the rest of the kids. A shower of petting and hugs and a lot of spanish fell over him. Her motherly eyes searched him for damage, she held his face in her hands.

“Mi bebe,” her sigh was full of worry. “Are you alright?”

He nods in her hands. She sighs and hugs him close, his arms squished between them. She lets him go. “Oh sweetie, go take a shower yes? What time is it? Lunch?” She turns to the other kids, giving them things to turn their energy to - mostly lunch. Gus and Vee got to go through the closet to find him an outfit, his was… well, it was laundry ready.

She holds his face one more time, now with more privacy. Her brown eyes told him what her lips didn’t have courage to say yet; dont do that again, I was scared for you.

Hunter’s ears slope down. “Sorry I worried you, mrs Camila.”

She strokes his shaggy hair and she smiles. “It is what mamas do. If you need help, just shout okay?”

He nods, she lets him go upstairs. She lets out a big breath in the kitchen.

The gang updated her on what had happened.

Hunter washed up, Gus gave him the new clothes. “You sure you’re okay now?” He asks in the bathroom as Hunter puts on a SailorMoon t-shirt.

“Yeah..” Hunter says tiredly. “I’m still tired though.”

“Not… that tired, right?”

“No, not that tired.”

“If you feel like you will be, will you um… let me in on it?”

Hunter looks at Gus, who looks up at him. In a t-shirt and a towel, Hunter hugs him.

“From now on, yeah. I will work on getting better with that.”

Gus smiles and hugs back. “Good. Then I will too.”

“Hah, you were always good at communicating how you feel.”

“Yeah but, y’know, brother solidarity.” He grins up at him.

“Awh,” Hunter hugs his head, Gus muffles into his arms.

“Hey!”

“You’re just too cute~!”

“Come on! Hunter! Watch the hair, man!”

Hunter grins and gives him a brotherly kiss, with a big comical MWAH, on the top of his head before letting him go- one final ruffle.

“Hey!” Gus grins and climbs to ruffle him back. Almost managing but has to get a second illusion of himself to climb on Hunter’s back to ruffle him in turn.

Hunter laughs at Gus’ unfair victory.

“Not fair!” He playfully shoves him.

“Oh it’s fair! Look at my hair!”

“Your hair always look great, stop it!”

“You’ve seen it in the morning! This takes work to maintain. I miss my dorags.”

“Maybe Mrs Camila has some?”

Gus smiles. “You can just call her Camila, you know. She’s practically adopted you, all of us.”

Hunter itches his cheek. “Yeah I just felt underserving—“ he catches himself. It felt strange to try tell himself he deserved someone’s love. But she was giving it to him herself, so… maybe it was okay. “No, you’re right. I should… honor her better. She’s..um.. you’re right. Camila is very nice.”

“She is.” Gus picks up the jeans that was dropped to the floor. They were patched up on the knees. “I don't care what you think. I think this is good work.”

Hunter looks down at the patchwork in his hands.

“Really..?”

“Yeah, you should ask Camila to show you how the sewing machine works.” He smiles, halfway out the bathroom. “With a machine like that, you’d be unstoppable.”

Hunter smiles. “Thanks, Gus. For being my friend."

“Likewise.” Gus bows theatrically. “See you downstairs bud.”

“You too, bud.”

Hunter is dressed, he watches himself in a mirror, trying to comb his hair in a satisfying way. He sighs and decides to let it do its own thing. Flapjack chiros encouragingly at him, Hunter pets him.

He wasn’t happy with who he was.

Yet.

But Caleb was right.

You had to put effort into being brave, opening your door, let the light in, knock on other doors.

You had to make yourself matter. That’s how you earned it. Even if you felt broken apart and unmendable.

There's a crack in everything.

But that's how the light gets in.

Hunter had no boarders anymore, the only one shutting the door was him. And now that he dared to peer through it - there was an abundance of futures to choose from.

And he wanted to make one of his own.

Chapter Text

Belos took his new body through the streets at night. A fox was better than a hare. It had struggled against him, to start, but he quickly taught himself how to crawl into the right places to take control of the unfortunate creature.

It wheezed desperately, staggering as it sniffed against the air to find food or water to soothe the painful possession. It annoyed Belos that the fox would gain spurts of trying to fight back against him. Not that it helped any, in the end - the warrior of good would prevail.

Gravesfield was not as he remembered.

There were sticks of light coming from the ground alongside the sidewalks like trees of metal. There were no more wagons or horses, but cars weren't the strangest mode of transportation Belos had laid eyes on in his life. He adapted quickly by watching and observing as a scab-ridden animal in the shadows.

Women, much like the witches of the demon realm, wore trousers. Again, it wasn’t the wildest thing he’d seen.

For some days he had clawed himself forward in the world he had once left behind. Luz had been right. His home didn’t exist anymore.

He himself was falling apart, too.

Belos stepped into the patch of grass in the middle of the town. Wheezing, he lay down beneath the statue and kept his thoughts to himself.

It had not all been for nothing.

Perhaps it was a good thing that things were different. He and Caleb could start over, maybe they could fit in.

He lay down on his side, not to sleep, but to rest. His glassy fox eyes spied out over the dark roads and the night lights spread its golden glows. He breathed. Remembering the silhouettes of the forest in the night. It had become smaller, the town bigger. He estimated where his old house would be. The church he remembers was still there, with some additional things around it like a parking lot.

He turned his eye up to the statue.

Caleb.

Belos sat up, he almost collapsed when trying to stand with his paws against the plaque.

Caleb & Philip Wittebane, local folktale of two brothers.
Caleb was taken by a witch, his brother Philip then went after to save him. Neither were ever seen again.
The legend stems from the witch hunting practices that occurred in Connecticut during the early 1600th.

Belos stared at the words over and over again. Over and over. Over and over. Until the left eye of the fox rolled up into its head and goop pressed out under it like a tear.

“It changes nothing..” he mumbles and lets himself slide down against the stone that he and his brother stood on.

“It changes… nothing.”

The fox slumped against the statue.

Spring break, 7th april to 14th april, and the first weekend had been an emotional rollercoaster. 

Spring break was supposed to be a week of fun and goofing off with friends. Not whatever this was.

Vee was standing by the mirror, looking herself over as she transformed different hairstyles. None of which Luz would’ve ever chosen. 

The two of them were very different people. Luz recalls how Vee had been intent on throwing away all her nerd stuff once upon a time.

Vee didn’t enjoy comics or cartoons. She liked horror movies and thriller detective books. And her sense of style was, well, it was Luz’ clothes. But Vee wore them in different ways that made her vibe more as a normie-teen-girl who was into rock’n’roll.

Luz wasn’t disappointed or anything, just surprised.

“That ones nice.” Luz says in the doorway.

“Oh. Hi Luz.” Vee brushed her new red hair. “I dunno… I don’t think ginger is very me.”

“Well, you got all week! Annnd! Look what Hunter made!” Luz grins and presents a glowing card.

Vee gasps and takes it happily. “Yay! He figured it out??”

“No, he just tucks them in his pockets and hopes for the best.” She chuckles.

Vee forlornly smiles.

Luz tilts her head at her foster sister. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh nothing. I am just… surprised, you know? I thought the golden guard was evil but he’s just some boy.” She takes a bite of the card and sighs delightfully. “Titan. These are sooo good. And filling!” She curls her serpent tongue around the rest to chomp down.

Luz comes further into their bedroom, looking into the mirror with Vee. They had the same face and body, yet Vee was the one seeing potential in it. Luz sighed.

“I wish I could transform.”

“Well, I wish I was human.” Vee crooks a brow at Luz, who looks herself up and down. “But what’s wrong with you? As someone who’s been living as you for months, I think you look great.”

“Oh it's not that. I like how I look! I just… don’t like who I am here.”

“You don’t?” Vee gestures at the room. “You have everything.”

“Yeah. I know. And I feel terrible about not being satisfied. It’s just that,” Luz opens the mirror to reveal her closet so she can grab a hoodie. “I’m not really, uh… I don’t fit in here.”

Vee nudges her, not knowing how else to comfort. “Don’t say that.”

“Sorry, I’m being a bummer. I guess I am just nervous about going back to school after this week is over.”

“Oh yeah, I guess you want to know what your life has been like without you. Want me to catch you up?”

“Yeah, that’d be great. Thank you Vee.”

Vee had been doing a much better job at being her than Luz ever had at being herself. She had given her better grades, a somewhat social life, not standing out or being ostracized or bullied, just regular. Nobody had given Vee any crap or told her to stop being a nuisance.

Vee was so much better at this than her.

Her classmates even liked her now. Vee explained that there had been some odd comments from classmates about how “you’re actually not that annoying.” During group projects.

Maybe it would be best to keep up the low-key façade, so that the school wouldn’t pay too close attention to her again and maybe uncover that her mom now had a bunch of quote-foster kids-unquote that lacked IDs.

Luz wasn’t actually sure how big of a problem it was. Maybe it was all in her head. But her anxieties crawled over her thoughts like decay worms and roaches. No amount of optimism-slippers would whack them away.

Luz couldn’t afford being herself anymore, not when she had caused her friends to lose everything, she couldn’t take this safety away from them too.

She had to face what she had run away from in the first place. But this time, she would try harder to conform. Fit into the format Vee had built up that worked. Be normal.

Luz thanked Vee for the update as Vee tried blue hair.

“That suits you better, it has your basilisk colour.” Luz spun on her computer chair.

“Yeah. Ugh, I don’t think I can come up with a look before spring break is over.”

Luz grins. “You’re Vee! Of course you can. And like mom said: you can always join school mid-semester too.”

“Mhh..” Vee smiles half heartedly. “Thanks Luz.” She tried a split colours, half-red and half-blue.

Luz waves, leaving Vee to her own devices. She didn’t need Luz’ encouragement, Vee was doing much better than her anyway - what advice could she possibly give her that Vee hadn’t already thought of in a better way?

Every time Luz had messed up, Vee had been there to pour the cold hard truth on her.

You're not so special you can control how people will react or what they will do.

The roaches in her mind bit her and burrowed into her cranium. And she shivered when imagining how that looked. She ruffled her fingers through her hair.

Downstairs, Luz saw Gus was reading with Hunter. Hunter was already on book two on the cosmic frontier series while Gus was on book four. Luz watched the two boys with their legs entangled on the couch. Gus lips and tongue tried to find the straw for his ice tea, eyes glued to the lines of the book.

The domestic bliss smacked her mind-bugs away.

Hunter gasps, “Noooooo!!” Hunter groans. “Noooooooo! Captain Avery!!” Hunter blubbers out a row of incoherent fanboy pain noises at Gus. “You promised Gus!”

“Keep reading! He’s—“

“Ap ap ap! Don't spoil!!”

“But-“

“No! Hush! Let me grieve for the man!” Hunter moaned dramatically. “Averyyyy…!”

Gus laughs at him.

“Who died?” Luz asks merrily and Hunter gets up on his knees to turn over the back of the couch.

“Captain Avory sacrificed himself for O’Bailey! They were brotheerrrsss in arrmms! And he never-“ Hunter’s voice cracked and wavered and he pressed the pages to his face, sliding back down to the couch. “He never got to teelll hiiiimm they were familyyy..!”

Gus gives Luz a big grin and a chuckle, Hunter turned his face into a pillow with a teary eye and a pout. “He’s coming back right?”

Gus shrugs. “Who knows. No spoilers.”

“Aauugghhhh….” Hunter turned the page to read.

“Where’s the ladies?” Luz asks.

“Willow and Amity are outside.” Gus points. “Vee was upstairs with you.”

“Thanks! Aaaand enjoy the books!” She pats Hunter’s head as she passes him, his hair has really grown out, he mutters in response and Gus gives her a salute.

Luz goes out the back door and hears Hunter gasp again; “The mars crystal!!”

“See! I said it was gonna be okay!”

Luz chuckles at the boys and hops outside to the girls.

“Luz!” Amity removes her gloves to hug Luz and kiss her. “Look what we found out!” she points at Willow poking a seed down and covers it with earth.
“We figured out why it wouldn't sprout before! Earth plants require a combination of moisture and earth.” And watered it. “Check this out!” She twirled and tomatoes sprouted upwards.

Amity hugs Luz, Excited. “In the demon realm, the earth is fairly moist already due to the Titan’s nature. But here, only your wild forest seems to be similar to that.”

“Oh!” Luz whistles, fascinated.

“We have been documenting, Gus asked us to.” Willow shows her their shared journal. You could tell who had been writing which page. “You should write too if you think of anything.”

Willow hands her the journal. On the front it said Human and Demonic resources research of integration! HDRRI for short. On the first page were their names written with their handstyles.

Augustus Porter - witch

Amity Blight - witch

Willow Park - witch

Hunter

Vee Noceda - basilisk

“You should write your name too.” Amity gives her the pen. Luz smiles and adds herself to the list.

Luz Noceda - human

Luz looks at Hunter’s single name and strokes it.

“He wasn’t sure what to write.” Willow says. “And grimwalker might make someone target him back home if this was uncovered, so, well, you know.”

“Yeah…” but Luz still takes the pencil and, with a very faint scribe, she writes Noceda next to him. She smiles at it. Hunter Noceda looked nice.

Luz turned her gaze to the next pages. Gus had done the most writing so far, then Vee had gone in to correct information. The two of them had tried to keep it color coded but as the pages went on, each person just signed the upper left corner with their name and the date they wrote it.

Hunter had written a page about how some human food was too spicy and that, if you ate it, what to do to soothe it. He also wrote a page about taxes, finances and human gadgets like microwaves, dishwashers and sewing machines.

Luz passed them quickly before boredom would shut off her brain.

Willow was writing about plants and what made them different, what kind of plant magic you could or couldn’t do, what effects it had. For one, unlike the boiling isles, you could accidentally kill a tree if you uprooted it and didn’t put it back. The earth here was more sensitive. You had to be friendlier with it.

Amity’s pages were a little about abomination magic but mostly notes on how to build a portal. But Luz had already seen those pages- well, before they were copied into this journal that is.

“I dunno what I could contribute with.” Luz admits with a hint of fomo.

“Thoughts, comments, corrections, additions.” Amity snuggles her playfully. “Don’t worry. Also! None of us can really draw, except Hunter, but he can't draw people.” Amity opens Hunter’s page and shows the palisman doodles, and a really dumb drawing of Amity.

Luz giggles. “I think he’s just being a tease.” Hunter’s style reminded her of how someone from another century would depict things from real life, while Luz had a more cartoony anime-esque style.

“Tease or not.” Amity grimaces. “I would like a secondary drawing of me. So that history doesn't think I look like… that.”

Luz laughs and Amity smiles fondly. Glad to see Luz merry again.

“I kinda like it.” Willow shrugs.

Amity’s smile turns smug. “I am pretty confident you’d like anything he makes.”

Willow blushes and shoves her. “Stoooop~!” But giggles.

Luz Cheshire smiles at Willow with wiggling brows. “So you really do like Hunter, huh?”

“I dunno.” Willow twirls her braid. “He’s cute I guess. But I don’t think he’s interested in me like that.”

Willow might as well have said that fairies weren’t real.

“What makes you think that?” Luz asks, it was absurd. The way Hunter stole glances her way and got flustered spoke for itself. If he didn’t like her, he at least admired her.

“Hello?” Willow gestures at herself but neither girl could see what was wrong. “I’m not really his type, I think.”

“In what way?” Amity scoffs with insult, she had seen how Hunter looked at Willow. When they had been flying and how he was goofing off to impress her, it pretty much confirmed to her that he had an interest in her.

“He’s of the gentry.” Willow complains. “I’m not exactly lady material.” 

“Whaaaat? You’re plenty of lady material!”

“Luz is right.” Amity crosses her arms. “Also, he’s not a gentry anymore. If anything, he has no prospects or social standing either. He was never a socialite, neither as the golden guard or as Belos’ nephew. He was just an icon.”

Luz blinks, surprised. “Really?”

“Yes. He never attended balls or social events. Golden guards have to be pure, they are the second hand to the emperor. Social events could be… well, my dad told me that a lot of gentry socializing involved gossip, colluding and blackmail, if you weren’t careful you made enemies. That’s why my mom went and not my dad.”

“Huh…” Luz grimaces. “That explains a lot, I guess.” Then frowned. “Aw man! We could have had a masked ball! I totally missed out on the other cultural aspects of the boiling isles! Ack!” She smacked her forehead. “So much cool potential!”

Amity puts a finger over her smile. Luz was such a dork.

Willow sighs. “Yeah well, we wouldn’t have gone to a ball anyway. Neither of my dads are elite, neither is Gus.”

“Neither is Hunter.” Amity consoles.

“But he was raised with that! He probably has standards.”

Luz and Amity throw each other a glance.

“Yes.” Amity says. “I’m sure he has standards but I think you far exceed them.”

Willow scoffs. “That’s nice of you to say. But look at me.” She pulls on the white t-shirt with sunflower print, the blue skirt, the wellington boots. “I don’t strike as someone to bring home to a castle, exactly.”

Luz puffs dismissively. “Castle smashle! Hunter doesn’t have a castle anyway!”

“The castle of his heart, then!” Willow grunts.

“Ha ha! Okay, okay. Hey, Amity, you’re gentry aren’t you?”

“Yes?”

“Maybe we should go upstairs, look through the closet. You have an eye for upper class fashion, right?”

“Yes, but—“

“Oh please!” Willow clasps her hands. “Pleaaase? I want him to see me as a lady! If only once, so he knows I'm capable of being one.”

Amity smiles softly and puts her hands on top of Willow’s begging. “Sure. But it really isn’t necessary Willow. You’re plenty lady as you are.”

“But not gentry lady…” Willow pouts. “And… When we saw that movie the other day, pride and prejudice?”

Luz snaps her fingers. “Oh yeah! You really liked that one huh? My mom likes it too.”

“Yeah! Yeah… that one! I just thought, you know…” Willow removes dirt from under her fingernails. “It was really pretty.”

Willow strokes her dirty shirt. It wasn’t something that made her feel beautiful.

Willow was a tough girl, yes, but she was girly too. And all girls wanted the person of affection to drop their jaw at the sight of them. A swish of the skirt, a fluttering lash, and people swooned. It was the feminine power fantasy of it all. And Willow liked to feel powerful. But around Hunter she wasn’t. Whenever he was there, she said things that kept her up at night cringing. Flirting? More like quipping bad jokes to a coughing crowd. She was not as graceful and alluring as she wanted to come off.

In the human movie she had seen; Elisabeth Bennet had walked through the wet grass and stained her skirt, her hair frizzy with little curls from the morning air. She was messy with grace. That’s what Willow wanted too. Messy with grace.

She looked down at herself.

Dirty knee-spots in the skirt that didn’t quite go with her curves, a shirt that pinched in the armpits and stained with sweat.

No. This was just messy. Not elegant or brought an air of a woman who knew what she wanted from the world. The only type of air she saw herself bring right now was; a girl who spat in a bucket and yoddled to the fanged-cows for dinner time.

“Pleaaaase.” Willow grunted, pulling on her shirt. “This is torment.”

“Alright, c’mon then.” Amity chuckles and Luz pumps her fist.

“Yeesss! Make over! Oh! Me too! Lets all dress up—! Oh, oh! Lets get Vee in on it too!”

“Oh? Don’t you think that’s a little girly for her?” Amity asks.

“Who said make overs had to be girly?” Luz grins, hooking her arm around Amity’s and slides her hand across the view. “Make overs are to bring out the YOU in you! Confidence! The inner essence and style of you!”

“That’s great.” Willow claps. “Buuuut I want my inner essence to be.. Classy.”

Luz winks, clicks and finger guns at her.

The girls pass the boys in the livingroom.

“What are you up to?” Gus asks, putting a bookmark in his book.

“Make oveerrrrr~!” Luz does a little squid dance.

“Oh!! Are there more clothes?” Gus beams.

“Um.. no. But we were thinking of trying to go through them all again, to see if we can style them up a bit more.”

“That sounds tun!” Gus kicks Hunter. “Hey lets join!”

“Uuhh.. you go. I’m not done yet.”

“You’re at the last two chapters right? Join us after then.”

“Mh.” Hunter turns the page. Flapjack is reading along with him on one shoulder and Emmiline on the other.

“You staying?” Gus asks his palisman, who meeps in return. “Alright. Have fun!” The trio lets out a unison of yeah-yeah.

Luz opens the door and, at first glance; thinks it's Hunter standing in there with a dress on. But after a blink, she sees it’s a mashup of herself and Hunter and her mom.

“Oh-!”

Vee turns back to her basilisk self, in a dress. “Don’t you knock?!”

“Sorry! Sorry! I didn’t see anything!”

Vee grumbles, flustered by being caught trying to look like the people she thought of as family.

“What's up?” Gus greets and Vee smiles, brushing her fluffy ear.

“Oh just uhh, trying to figure out a human body to default to. Why are you guys here?”

“We~ are going to go through Luz’ clothes again!” Gus strikes a model pose, and another. “Because we need a wardrobe update.”

“Tell me about it.” Vee sighs.

Luz rubs her neck. “Yeah, I guess my style is a little out there and not for everyone.”

“No it’s fine.” Amity reassures and opens the closet. “So, just dump them all out on the floor like last time?”

“Sounds like a plan!” Willow grabs half the closet while Amity was taking piece by piece off the hangers.

“Where’s Hunter?” Vee turned to Luz.

“He’s still reading, he’ll join us soon.”

“Oohh! I like this one!” Gus Holds up a blue shirt with a ribcage print. “I didn’t see this one last time.”

“Oh yeah that’s from the attic. Mom brought down a box of my old clothes we never donated.”

“Are there more up there?”

“Maybe?” Luz hummed. “Probably mom’s stuff, in that case.”

“Oh!” Willow smiles. “Do you think she’d mind?’

“I don’t think so. Gus, why don’t you come with me to look for more? There’s a lot of old human junk up there.”

“Yes!!” Gus stands, then puts the blue shirt on the side. “My pile!” He commands. “No touchy the a-Gus-stuff.”

“Okay.” Amity chuckles and watches the duo leave. “Oh, this would fit Gus too.” She says and put it in his pile; he was the youngest and a bit smaller than everyone. Then she turns to Vee. “Okay, Vee, we have a little bit of a mission today.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, we are turning Willow into a lady. Wanna help?”

Vee looks Willow up and down. “Isn’t she already?”

“Not a gentry one.” Willow sighs and looks at the clothes on the floor. 

Most pants were too small for Willow, skirts were pretty much all she could wear with a shirt. But Luz wasn’t big on skirts either. She had been borrowing pants from Camila but those were often too large. She hoped Camila’s old clothes were a better fit.

“Why do you wanna be a gentry lady?” Vee scoffs at the idea of ever wanting to associate with the elite classes of the boiling isles. “You look fine. You don’t need all those fancy stuff to be pretty. And if anyone thought you were less for how you dress they’re an idiooo— oooohhhhhhh.”

Vee's finger slowly rose to point at Willow’s increasingly blushing face.

“Oohhh no. You think Hunter likes that?”

The two girls hush at her, looking at the door like Hunter might stand there.

“Vee, just roll with it.” Willow says, embarrassed. “It’s not just for him, it’s for me, too.” 

Amity throws her a glance, Willow strokes a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“I just wanna try to find a style I feel confident in, y’know? I always kinda dressed down because I was insecure. That’s not who I am anymore. I want to feel confident and, um, if Hunter happens to think so too then.. yeah.”

Vee wags her tail and rolls her eyes. “Having an elite class of fashion doesn't give confidence.”

“Maybe it won’t for you, but it might for me.” Willow holds up a frilly blouse that belonged to Camila. “What about this?”

“Ooh! We can work with that!” Amity peers over Willow’s shoulders. “Very a’la the Toe-tips.”

Willow giggled. This would be fun.

The yellow light from the bulb hanging from the ceiling threw thick shadows in every corner of the small attic. And there were many corners. Gus looked around the place with a bit of awe.

“It’s like an old oddity shop back home.”

“Oh yeah, I guess with how cramped it is haha!”

“What’s this?” Gus points to a sombrero.

“An authentic sombrero! From my parents honeymoon in Mexico.” Luz opened up a box with boxing gloves. “Nope. Wrong one.”

“What is a honeymoon?”

“Oh, uh, it’s a trip you take together as a newly wed couple!”

“Do you do it during a full moon?”

“Uhh, noooo…”

“Why is it called a honey moon?”

Luz smiles thoughtfully. “You know, I don’t actually know why.”

“Understandable. The human realm has a lot of stuff, can’t believe you're all expected to know everything about everywhere.” Gus puts on the sombrero. “Vee told me what you learn about it in your school. It’s very different from what we get to learn.”

“Yeah, a bit different.” Luz takes the boxing gloves and tank top out and closes the box.

Gus hangs the hat back and looks at Luz. “So… How do you feel about going back to school, anyway?” He caught her trying to cover up her grimace with a grin.

“Oh, pfh! That! Haha! Not much, I mean, what’s there to think about???”

“You seem nervous about it.”

“I’m not! Not even a little bit!” They look at one another, Gus blinks slowly. “Augh..” she sinks to sit on an old chair. “Is it that obvious?”

“A bit.”

“Awh… Do you think Amity can tell? Or mom?”

“Probably.”

“Aauughhhh awwhhhh…” she slides off the chair and onto the floor.

“Is it that bad?”

“No! It’s not! It’s—“ Luz puts her hands on the gloves that hung over her neck. “I’m… the one who’s bad at it.”

Gus sat down with her.

“I shouldn’t even go to school. Vee was doing a great job being me. A lot better, actually.”

Gus sympathetically put a hand on her shoulder. “You’re not bad at being you. Vee was just good at being Vee.”

“But she was pretending to be me. And my grades are better, people don’t avoid me, the teachers don’t tell my mom I need to do better- it’s their job to teach me! By the way! If I’m not good at fitting into their box then maybe they need to make a new one! Or something! Nothing here works for me…”

Luz dunks her head at a box behind her. The paper bag on top of it crinkles, tilts, and tips down over them both. Baby clothes. Luz looks at the little shirts and begins to pick the ones that fell out to put back into the bag. Gus helps her.

She stops at a small dress with the text I <3 dad on it. Her lip quiver up.

“Hey…” Gus comforts. “I’m sorry the human school is rough for you. If you need us to help you out. We will.”

He gives her a smile and she lifts up her teary eyes to him. His smile falls and he scoots closer to give her a hug. Luz leans into it, wrapping her arms around him.

“Hey.. Gus?”

“Yeah?”

She wasn’t sure how to ask. “Do you— I’m—“ she lets him go, looking down at the dress in her hands. Gus looks at it too.

I <3 dad.

“Yeah. I miss my dad. But he’s strong. He always told me that I have to let go of the unknown, take hold of what I can do right now, and move forward. I’m sure he’s doing the same.” Luz is not looking at him. “Do you… also miss your dad?”

She nods. “He.. died.”

Gus is quiet. “My mom too.”

Luz looks up at him, he rubs his neck. “I was really little. I don’t remember her. It’s always just been me and dad.”

“Sorry for your loss.”

“You too.”

They sat in a minute of mournful silence.

“What was he like?” Gus asks softly.

“So cool! You’d have loved him. He would have loved you, all of you.”

“Heh, I’m hard not to love.”

“Heheh, that you are Augustus." She puts the dress back into the bag and stands to put it back to where it had fallen from.

Gus peers into a plastic box full of technology. “What are these things?”

“Oh, retro things.” Luz does a double take. “Actually we might be able to use that for the portal.”

“Oh! Neat!” Gus carries it to the stairs to bring down later. “There’s so much stuff up here!”

“Yeah.” Luz opens another box. Finally! Her mom’s old clothes. “Attics are always full of stuff. It's the nature of attics!”

“Are all human attics like that?”

“If not the attic, it’s the basement!” She twirls the box around to show Gus her findings. “Found clothes!”

“Yay! Oh there are pants in there! Hurray!” Gus pulls a pair of jeans out with a chain on the side. “With armour!”

Luz laughs. “No no, that’s just accessory. For cooool aesthetics.”

Gus crooks a brow of intrigue. “Cool.” He repeats, something stirring in him. Human fashion was so different, but he understood it. He completely understood the personal expression of wearing something solely for aesthetics alone. A door had opened for Gus in that attic, a horizon of self-expression.

The two friends climbed around some more, threading belts over their arms and towering old hats, caps and beanies onto their heads. All the while balancing boxes down the steep stairs.

“Woah there.” Says Hunter, plucking off boxes from Gus as he dangerously threaded his way down.

“Thank you!” Gus hops the last bit down. Hunter extends a hand to make sure Luz doesn’t fall.

“What’s this?” He asks, looking at the gadgets.

“For the portal!” Gus chimes.

“But what is it?”

“That’s a VHS! ….. no clue about the rest.”

“The polaroid camera I think we should leave to mom.” Luz takes it out of the box and onto a nearby side table in the hallway. “She used to take a lot of photos with that.”

Gus knocks on the girls door. “Aaareee you decent?”

“We are decent!” Vee says back and Gus opens the door. “Oh! Wow! Nice Willow!”

Luz comes in second and gives a whistle.

Hunter turns to her as he enters, to see what all the hooting was about.

Willow’s eyes met his, and truth be told - Hunter had no clue about clothes. To him, it was all just about practicality. He had never understood the need, ‘nor desire, to dress up. It was an inconvenience to have to consider what matched and did not. Perhaps he was just jealous, Darius had proven to him that fashion added a certain sting to your presence. But Hunter could never figure out how it worked and boiled it down to; it must be magic. 

All Hunter had to use was his Golden Guard garments, he never needed anything else. Until now. And became painfully aware of his lack of knowledge for it.

But now he saw Willow, and he understood what dressing up actually meant. It was the way she carried herself in the frilly blouse, how her loose hair curled from being in braids all day on her shoulder. The small swish of the pleated skirt that swirled a tiny wave around her ankles.

And for the first time in Hunter’s life, he felt indecently dressed. 

“You think so?” Willow swayed the emerald skirt for Gus’ amusement. It hypnotized Hunter. It was criminal to him that she had never worn it before. He put the box of tech down.

“What do you think Hunter?” Luz elbows him.

“Huh?”

“Willow’s outfit!”

“Oh, yes.” He coughs, half nodding in Willow’s direction. “Very nice.”

He couldn’t look directly at her. He just couldn’t. If he did he would just stammer and sweat and get weird. She was so pretty and he was still wearing sweatpants and last night’s t-shirt.

Willow’s heart sank a little, she had hoped he would get flustered or fumble a compliment. But it didn’t matter, she still liked her outfit all for herself.

Luz dumped the new box of clothes into the pile, throwing the boxing gloves to Hunter.

“Here! There’s a boxing sack in the basement somewhere.”

Hunter inspected the gloves.

“Boxing gloves.”

“What do they do?”

“Protect your fists?”

Hunter chuckles. “Nobody has time to put these on before a fight. And they’re impractical to wear around all the time.”

“Oh, no it’s for sport.” Luz explains but Hunter’s confusion deepens.

Vee leans into him to whisper. “I’ll show you later.” She wags her phone. Hunter nods and lets his friends find clothes first, taking a backseat by seating himself on the computer chair. He gives a little nod to Luz’ palisman that still hadn’t woken up.

It made Hunter happy to watch them get excited. Gus was starting to lay out outfits on the floor of different combinations. He seemed to have the same kind of understanding for what worked as Darius did, Hunter tried to no avail to understand where the logic in it was. Was there a pattern? How did you know when something ‘clicked’ as they kept calling it.

“What about you Hunter?” Amity asks. “Won’t you pick something?”

“I will take whatever’s left over, don't worry.”

Amity tucks her chin in and smiles at him. “You ought to grab something that fits you. With your broad shoulders I’m sure some of Luz’ shirts haven’t been comfortable.”

Hunter shrugs. “Beggars can't be choosers. And I never cared about how I look anyway, never needed to, I had my uniform.”

“But you don’t need a uniform anymore, or have it. You can wear what you like.”

Hunter screwed himself around on the chair. “Eh, I don’t really know what I like. It doesn’t matter. I don’t suit in anything anyway.”

Amity leads the collective pout that spreads through the room.

“What? I don't." He says with a chuckle. “It’s not like I wouldn’t want to, I just.. uh.. I’m not good at it. And I rather not be laughed at.”

“Nobody will laugh here.” Luz promises and puts on a baseball cap with cat ears on it.

Hunter smiles through an uncertain grimace. “Right.”

“What colours do you like, Hunter?” Willow asks.

Hunter glances at her, then back to his hands. “Oh uh, dark blue, brown and red.”

Willow digs through the pile. There were some blue jeans and a white-red baseball shirt.

“What do you look for in clothes, generally?”

“Uh, comfort, flexibility?”

Willow checks the shirt size, it was a Large, so it should fit Hunter and his shoulders. She would think Medium was his size, but if he liked to be able to move then a little bigger might be nice for him. She handed the pieces to him.

“There.”

And a brown checkered flannel shirt. He’d practically been living in Camila's old flannels anyway, so she figured he liked them for one reason or another.

Hunter held them in his arms and sized them with his eyes.

He smiled. “Yeah, I like these.”

It was such a basic type of outfit for a boy to have. But Willow kept in mind that Hunter was a boy who had never even experienced basic things before. To him, comfort and basics was a style.

"Besides, ah, I don’t think I’m ready to look so high class as you guys do. I don’t know how you’re able to make clothes look so easy to wear..”

He inspected his new clothes, he was sure he wouldn’t look as good in these as any of them would. Maybe it wasn’t about skill, maybe it was just him. Maybe he was just ugly. He had honestly never needed to think about his appearance. His mask hid him.

Gus laughs. “Whaaat? Dude you’re the most high society out of any of us.”

“What? Because the emperor was my uncle, you think I lived in class?”

“Yes? Kind of?”

Hunter laughs. “No! I had a bedroom, that’s it. Hardly even my room, it was the golden guard room. I used to have a smaller room next to Belos sleeping quarters. But ah… I preferred the other. It was bigger, and had an actual window!” Hunter said window like it was the height of luxury. “Less strain on the eyes when you’re up reading all night.”

Hunter put an authoritarian finger in the air and changed his voice to the soothing tune of his uncle, mimicking him the same way you would a teacher behind their back:

“No night is wasted when spent studying. Knowledge keeps the boiling isles safe.”

It was the looks of his friends that made him curl in on himself.

“I mean, uh… sorry. Didn’t mean to bring him up.”

“No, it’s okay.” Amity said. “That was spot on.” She comforts and he uncurls a little. “He was pretty strict with you.”

“Mh. I guess? I have nothing to compare to.”

Luz folds some shirts. “You really did think you were helping people, huh?”

Hunter got quiet.

“Yeah… Some guard I am. I really did think wild magic was evil and wild witches just… needed to be shown there was a place they belonged, in the system. That maybe they just hadn’t found it yet, needed some help. Sometimes people don’t know what’s best for them. Or, so I thought.” He sighed. “Anyway.. I was stupid to believe in all of that.”

Willow put her hand on his arm, knelt beside him next to the computer chair.

“It’s not stupid to have a good heart.” She said and Hunter could have turned into a puddle right there and then. “Just because Belos made you work for a lie, doesn’t mean it was meaningless work.”

Hunter tilts his head softly at her and puts his hand on top of hers, guiding it off of him. “I did hurt people.” He said simply. “Intent matters, yes, but so do the consequences. I will not defend the time I wasted believing him or the things I did in his and the Titan’s name.”

Willow’s eyes are full of sigh and care, Hunter’s skin prickles with electricity and he spins away from her on the chair, his cheeks flaming up.

“Uh- a-anyway.” He stands up, coughs, glances at Willow’s cute round face blinking up at him and his heart punches out of his chest. A card in his jeans began to glow.

“Oh!” Vee calls and hops over to fish out the card from his back pocket. “Glowy!” And ate it.

Vee did a little cha-cha-cha dance because it was so delicious. Gus gasped and joined her, recognising the dance from a meme video Vee had showed him. The two of them wiggled around to a tune nobody else could hear but the two of them.

“Well,” Amity says and taps the garments in Hunter’s arms. “These are nice for you. I found some other shirts that would fit your broad shoulders.” Her own brother and Hunter had similar figures, so she tried to think of what Edric would look good in.

“O-oh, thanks.”

Luz holds up a dress. It was an off-white summer dress Camila wore when Luz was little. A sweetheart neckline with swoopy sleeves with a little bit of glitter faintly sewn into the pleats of the skirt to make it glitter in the sun.

“Oohh! Willow, this would totally look nice on you!”

Before anyone else says anything, Hunter points at it happily. “Oh, yes! That’s obviously pretty enough for Willow!”

The dancing duo stopped. Luz looked at Hunter over the dress she held up and Amity slowly turned to him with something akin to a smug oh really? He didn't dare to look at what Willow’s expression was.

“You think I’d look nice in this?” Willow’s voice was honey and he decided that staring at the dress was going to keep the blush from spreading from his ears to the rest of him.

“…….Yes.”

“Well if it’s that obvious.” Vee teases and Hunter turns to her sharply, wanting to hiss shut up but couldn’t muster his voice. “I think it’s obvious too. That’s sooo her!”

Luz gives the dress to Willow, her eyes glitter and she goes out into the hallway to try it on.

While she's out of sight, Hunter groans inwardly into his hands.

“Awh, hey you are right though! It was pretty!” Luz slings a sisterly arm over his shoulders. He grumbles and regathers himself. Brushing his hands through his hair a few times to soothe the creeping nervosity that tazed his skin.

“Hey Hunter, look at this shirt!” Gus distracts him with a new situation, holding up a cosmic frontier shirt. Hunter gasps and reaches out to touch it, escaping Luz’ arm.

“Oh lucky!”

“It’s too big for me.”

“You can sleep in it! You saw it first.”

“We can share.” Gus winks at his friend and Hunter lights up. “But it’s definitely right size for you.” Gus hands it over.

Hunter lets out a little buzzing squeal. Gus squeaks with him. They both sit on the floor and fanboy over Avery on the shirt, quickly going over the other referenced details.

“Nerds.” Vee scoffs affectionately.

Willow comes back in. “Agh, it’s a little tight over the waist.” She sighs. “Otherwise it's nice.”

Hunter drops the shirt and Gus looks from Hunter to Willow with the rest of the hexsquad.
“Wow! Willow! You look like a princess!”

Hunter agreed. He was looking up at a princess.

He was too taken by her to even be nervous. There was nothing else except the way she lit up the room and the wallpaper framing her.

All his life he had tamed his emotions, they were angry and difficult- always battling the fear and panic that threatened to reveal him to the world as somebody less than worthy of his position. It was a constant struggle to not let his true feelings surface all the time. The mask helped to, literally, mask his lack of poker face.

But in the face of her, he was tempered. Calm, quiet, sweet and soft, like the stuff pink petals are made of when they fall from the big blossoming trees like a rain of good dreams. He wanted to feel this at ease forever.
The sunlight from the window caught the hem of her skirt, the glittery strings woven into thin lines in the fabric sparkled when she turned. It swooped around her shins and his eyes traveled back up to her round cheeks and smiling eyes. Her greenish hair shimmered in curls and he was brought back by Luz’ voice.

Luz held her sleeve.

“We gotta find more stuff like this for you!”

“Oh stop, I can have other stuff than dresses! I’d like some trousers too.”

Like a gust of cool wind on a hot day. Hunter blinked himself back to planet earth, only now realizing everyone else was showering her in compliments and assuring her the waist wasn’t an issue, neither was the loose shoulders she complained about.

Hunter stood to the side and held his wrist politely. Like he was at court and there was an important lady present. As the golden guard, he never had to keep manners to the gentry. They were technically all beneath him at the time, and Belos had told him to remind them of their place with his behaviour. A twinge of rudeness kept people humbled. But here, with Willow, he wanted to be as good as he possibly could. If only to make up for the fact he was, in comparison to her, looking rather wilted. Titan, he wished he had showered today at least.

Willow looked at him. “Eh, it was worth a try, right? Whad’ya think, still good enough for me? heheh!”

“What.. what is wrong with it?”

“Oh, just a little tight around here.” She strokes over her ribs. “I think Camila and I have sliiiightly different builds haha! She’s taller than me, the shoulders are a little lose—“

Hunter comes forward and tucks two fingers between her shoulder and the dress. “A little loose but I can fix that.”

Willow holds her breath, her green eyes looking up at his red. He’s not meeting her gaze but she can see him calculate stitches as his eyes slide down her waist too, deep in thought. His fingers pinch the side of her dress by her ribs.

“I think it’s supposed to be that way, but if you want I can unstitch it and give it more room?”

“You can do that?” Amity asks.

“Yeah, I’ve practiced on some shirts for me and pants for Gus. Wouldn’t be a problem. This one looks easy enough.”

“Ah- uh- you don’t have to bother.” Willow nervously swats a hand. His hand was lingering on her waist. The flower in a nearby pot began to bloom as Willow leaned siffly away from him.

“Not a bother.” He said and met her eyes. “I’d do anything for you.”

She must have made a face, because Hunter’s eyes widen and he quickly removes his hand from her waist.

“Ah-buh-deh-the— the— I mean— you look fantastic!” He gestures frantically. “Y-you, you are— very, very. You know? You know.” He winces.
If Luz had known a few months ago that making Hunter and Willow become friends would be a quick ticket to the adorable demise of the Golden Guard, she would have started that engine waaaaaay sooner by introducing them to one another. Hunter was, to a T of the diagnosis; a sad and shy boy. Painfully shy. God, it was almost a little difficult to watch him. Was death by embarrassment possible?

“I will ask mom first! I mean my clothes are fine if you edit them, buuuut I think it’s best to ask mom first!” Luz jumps in to save him. “I think she’ll be cool with it but some of these she might be too fond of, y’know, ‘cus of dad and stuff.”

Hunter points at her. “Excellent. Great. You let me know which ones. Anyone who wants edits knows where to find me.” Hunter heads to the door.

“The basement?” Amity asks.

“ The basement. ” Hunter affirms and leaves quickly. “Okie-dokie gotta go, books and palismen and other stuff- cool! Byeeeee!”

Hunter leaves the room in a wake of silence.

Vee breaks it first with a fit of snickering and the rest follows with giggles. Even Willow, who’s hiding in her hands.

“Oookay.” Gus chuckles. “Don’t be mean to him.”

“I wouldn't dream of it.” Vee says.

“That was really sweet..” Willow quietly sighs.

Gus looks her way, curious. Their gaze met. It was strange how much they had grown in the short span of time here in the human realm. Willow didn’t like how far away Gus felt. Usually they were each other's go-to for everything, but now Gus had become the last one to know the details of what was going on with her lately.

It felt almost like thousands of years ago since he sent his little blue men to her home to take care of her when she had hurt her arm.

“Hey, Gus.” Willow starts. “Do you think he likes me?” She missed having him by her side to talk to. There has been a lot of Luz and Amity lately, she missed him.

Gus smiles her way. “That’s not for me to say.”

“C’mon.” Luz coos. “Do you know?”

“I think he’s not used to being around friends, or people he admires.” He emphasizes by looking at Willow. “And I think we all can tell he’s shy and awkward. I wouldn’t be able to say whether that means or doesn't mean he like-likes Willow.”

“So he’s not said anything?” Amity asks.

“No. I let him talk to me when he wants to, he extends the same to me. I appreciate that about our friendship.”

Willow pouts. “You have things you need to talk about?” Willow was supposed to be the person Gus always came to. What changed?

“Of course.” Gus shrugs a little, softly smiling. “Hunter’s been really good to me, we’re basically brothers now.”

“You two are really bonding in the basement, huh…?”

“Yeah.” Gus smiles but sees Willow looking a little worried. “Hey. My heart’s big enough for everyone. Willow, why don’t you and I hang out in the basement, yeah? Catch up a bit.”

Luz thought that sounded fun, but Amity took her hand and gave her a sympathetic glance. This was perhaps something that shouldn’t be all of them. Luz smiles back; yeah, probably.

“Really?” Willow brightens up.

“Yeah! Emerald trio time!”

“Okay!” Willow glees. “Oh, um, if you guys also want-“

“No.” Amity holds up a hand. “We don’t always have to be everyone together. This is a you and Gus thing. And Hunter. With all of us being busy since getting here, I don’t mind if you guys do your own thing. Right?” She turns to Luz and Vee.

“Yeah.” Luz grins. “Besiiides~! That just means me and Amity get some quality tiiimeee- er, and.. Vee, of course.“

“I don’t want to be a third wheel on your date.” She makes the peace sign and scoffs. “Alone time is a good time for me too. I like it.” She slithers up to her bed in the top bunk.

“Well then!” Luz turns her thumbs up to her besties. “You guys go and enjoy, yeah? We will all hang out a lot together later anyways.”

It was true. Just because they weren’t all present at the same time didn’t mean you missed out or were less of a friend to the rest. Both Hunter and Vee opted out of a lot of activities, and nobody thought either was any less of a friend for it.

Gus and Willow walk downstairs, but not before Willow changes clothes and they grab some of yesterday’s dinner for some lunch and quality time, just the Emerald Trio.

Belos woke up in a cage. The bump of being moved woke him up. He gurgled and spat, the man carrying the big box he was in tried to soothe him by talking to him - like some poor pet.

Belos threw his fox body against the walls, the ceiling, trying to make the man drop him so he could escape.

"Oh geez, it has rabies or something.”
“Let’s both of us carry it.” Said the woman and assisted carrying the angry fox into the veterinary clinic.

No matter how much he tried to free himself, it just wouldn’t happen. But as he was carried inside to the big cages, he saw the big dogs in the dens. Strong ones, domesticated hounds just waiting to be used by him.
He half-listened to the conversation, they were discussing where to put him. Isolation was best, they said.

Camila peered into the cage and cooed. “Poor thing…”

Chapter Text

Camila had put the boxing sack up in the basement, it hung from the ceiling in the corner bear the laundry room/basement bathroom.

Hunter thought it made for a good addition down there, if not just for him to use but also the rest of the hexsquad (if they wanted to practice using their fist).

Not that there was anything to fight in the human realm.

But Camila had been so excited about it.

She had been taken down memory lane, seeing all the old junk and clothes the kids had taken down. Her boxing days were fun days, she met her best friend there and they still went out for coffees now and then.

She offered to teach Hunter what she remembered from when she was a 25 year old in a women's boxing club.

Camila had expected Hunter to have been reliant on magic for battle like everyone else - only that she hadn’t seen him use any yet due to his apparent shyness.

Hunter corrected her quickly to the fact that he had no magic.

To which she then said; “Oh! Like me and Luz! Eh, aren’t we two peas in a pod, mh?”

Her goofy-mom elbow nudging was a gesture Hunter had come to cherish.

He found himself sometimes doing the same towards Gus or Luz, nudging them with an accompanied grin of encouragement.

She showed him what she remembered from her days of boxing. Hunter thought it was endearing to watch her try to teach him how to protect himself.

“If anyone grabs your collar like this, you grab them here and ka-pow!”

Hunter smiled at her.

He did take notes. Human fighting styles weren’t too different from the hand-to-hand combat he had been taught back home.

But the dodging and defence was vastly better than what he had been taught.

As a scout, their combat of defence was often their preferred magic style, which Hunter had to adapt into pretending a staff was his magic.

“Show me what you got, hijo.” She gestured and Hunter got into a position he was familiar with to show her the way he fought, which was mainly an offense rather than defence.

Camila’s brows arched high when Hunter had the sack swing around from knees, kicks and fists.

It was a heavy bag.

“Oh.” She claps. “Very.. Good!”

She was only mildly concerned that he was so good at combat, and remembered the scars on his body when she helped him in the shower a few days ago.

Hunter lit up a little at the compliment.

“But ahh.. Your hair.” She squints and takes a scrunchy from her wrist and gives it to him. “It’s getting rather long. It’s going to get in your way. You can have this!”

Hunter holds the red scrunchie in his hands like it was a symbol for something. He puts his hair up in a ponytail.

“Ohh! Look at you!” She coos and preens his hair a little to put it in place. “There, so handsome.”

“Ah, am I?” He blushes, trying to look up at his hair.

“All my babies are handsome.” She curls her fist proudly.

He scoffs and rubs his arm. “You’re only humouring me.”

“No, you are very handsome.” She lightly pinches his cheek and he chuckles, swatting her hand away playfully. “Sooo handsooome~!”

“Haha, I’m not. Thank you though.”

“Nu-uh, you are. I say so.” Hunter stops objecting and puts a hand on the sack to stop it from swaying. Camila tilts her head at him. “You don’t think so?”

“Eh, I’m not doing great right now. I probably look as great as I feel.”

“Well, the brain fogs up your eyes sometimes. It can make you blind to what’s beautiful.”

She watches Hunter’s eyes jump around in that I-don’t-know-what-to-say way he often did, like he was too apprehensive to agree with her in fear of looking full of himself.

Camila tucked her head to the side like he knew Luz to do when she had love in her heart.

“I can see..” She started. “Kind eyes, a strong jaw.” He bashfully looks down. “A handsome nose, nice shoulders! And reeaaally cute ears.”

“Thanks.” His voice is low but she can hear that at least he believed she meant it.

She nudges him. “And goodness, you are so fit! You really know how to throw a punch, eh? O'Bailey."

Hunter jerked his head up at her with a little gasp. “You’ve read the books?”

“Yes, ah, they’re mine.” she awkwardly itched her cheek. “Couldn’t help but see you and Gus read them. He asked me about it. Haha, aah, I was really into that when I was young. Me and Manny.”

Hunter softens. “Is it really alright then, to touch it? Isn’t it sacred?”

“Oh, no, he would have wanted it to be used and loved. As do I. It’s nice to see the love getting passed on.”

Hunter smiles from the heart, the galderstone charged up the card in his pocket.

“Aha another card!” Camila points and Hunter takes it out to tuck it in the deck he was saving up for Vee. “You’re getting really good at that!”

“Ah, no. It’s random. Honestly I think it’s actually you guys doing it, not me.”

“Oh? How so?”

Hunter strokes a loose strand of hair behind his ear, but it falls back out again.

“I noticed that when you guys are nice to me is when it happens. I think it charges up any magical item I have in my possession.”

He looks at a new, unglowed, card of hexas hold’em.

“I wonder if it would work on other things. Does humans have other magical things here, you think?”

“I don’t know? Would it have to be from your realm?”

“I think so. Depends.. Does humans have magic of other types?”

“Hm, I will keep an eye out.” Her pager beeped. “Aaaah, oh no. Hm. I gotta go make a call.”

“Is everything alright?”

“Yes, I think so. Well, no. There was a poor fox yesterday, we might have to put it down. It’s not doing very well, it seems...”

“Awh..” Hunter’s ears sloped sadly. “Do you really? Isn’t there a way to save it? It.. won’t hurt, will it?”

“Sometimes it’s mercy to let things go. You can’t keep creatures that are hurting alive just because you can’t let go, you know?”

They look at one another and Hunter nods, still a little sad the fox had to die. He thought of himself as a grimwalker; Maybe he was the result of Belos not being able to let his brother go?

“Take it easy today, okay?” She bids him bye and he promises.

Almost immediately after she leaves the basement, Hunter lays back down on his bed.

Flapjack chirps from his little birdcage and hops out the door to sit on Hunter’s chest. Hunter pets him and scoops his feathered friend up so he can lay on his side and rest with him.

Hunter glances at the boxing sack in the corner, the gloves on the floor.

He imagines which of his friends would like to learn combat - Willow, obviously. He would tell Camila to show her how to box.

He himself was too tired, he wasn’t sure he would be using it much anyway.

besudes, any reason for Willow to come down and hang out here with him– ER, WITH GUS! Gus! Not him! Gus! Ahem! Was a good reason.

Flapjack furrows down with him.

Hunter’s chest feels heavy as he breathes himself into slumber.

Willow raised the polaroid camera Luz had gotten from the attic.

Camila had been kind enough to show her how it worked. 

Willow had already taken a few photos and stuck them in the common journal - but she had begun an entirely new one all for herself; a photo album of sorts.

She wanted to be able to look back one day at all of this.

She lift the camera upwards and snapped a photo and a little polaroid slipped out the front. She wagged it to let it show itself to her, and looked at the photography of the Wittebane brothers.

Gus hummed and was looking at a map of Gravesfield, Willow leaned over to peek too as she slipped the polaroid into an envelope and then into her bag.

They peered over the brim of the map at the town around them. Coffee shops, cars, trees and humans. The duo squinted in opposite directions of one another.

“Whereeee exactly is the castle?” Gus squints around them.

Willow looks over at the cars going by. In a way they seemed primitive to her, even though she knew they were an advanced mecha.

“I don’t know.”

“We should wait for Vee to get back with the ice-cream.” Gus sighs. “There are too many brick buildings, I don’t know which is supposed to be a castle.”

“Yeah.” Willow looks at the church. “That looks the most like a castle.”

“Is it though? It's really small. I forget what Luz called it.”

“A choorch!” Willow said confidently.

“Choorch.” That sounded right to Gus.

Vee, in the guise of Luz, hopped on over with three ice-creams in plastic packaging.

“Hey guys! I chose three different flavours, thought we could all take a bit of eachothers!”

She gives the pink to Gus, the yellow to Willow and the orange for herself.

“Raspberry, mango fruit and this one’s caramel.”

The trio sat down on the bench opposite of the Wittebane statue. They all shared a bite and looked up at the brothers, tilting their heads as they imagined them in the flesh.

“Sure looks like Goldie.”

“Yeah, it looks like Hunter alright.” Gus hums, taking a bite of his ice-cream.

“Dooo you think he will look like that when he’s older?” Willow smiles. Vee and Gus gives her a smug look. “What? Stop! Not everything is like that!”

Vee chuckles. “Youuu really got it for him, huh?”

“He’s so cute though.”

“He’s a mess.” Vee bites her ice-cream. “And scrawny, and emotional, and–”

“Why are you still so mean to him?” Her tone wasn’t angry, just full of the dragged out sigh of someone who’s seen a movie four times and felt it was four times too many.

“I’m not mean? I like Hunter, I’m just teasing.” Vee admits, her friends turning to her. She squirms. “He isn’t so bad– I dunno, I just, ugh, it’s just difficult for me to, like, be all mushy buddy-buddy like you guys are.”

Gus smiles.

“It’s okay Vee, we all express friendship differently. Willow likes to defend people she cares for, that’s why she will always jump to protect. Even if you’re not around.”

Willow blinks at Gus, that was an insight she hadn’t realised about herself yet. But he was right, that was how she did things. She stood up for people.

“I tend to be emotionally available.” Gus points a thumb at himself. “Amity will get real with you aaaand Luz will always see the best in you.”

“And Hunter..” Vee says, looking at her ice-cream, wanting to prove a point that she did like Hunter, added; “He will always listen and make you feel like, um, it’s okay to come as you are.”

Gus’ soft smile meets hers.

“Yeah. He’s a bit grumpy and stuff, but he’s good. You know, a few nights ago I was really sad. Like, eh, out of nowhere I panicked about not ever seeing my dad again.”

Willow’s heart clenched. “Really? Oh, Gus..”

“It’s okay. I’m okay, it comes in waves. It was late at night and he woke up. He made me feel a lot better. He didn’t say things would be fine, but he said he would be there.” Gus takes a bite. “He got up to sleep on the couch with me and it felt like I was back home with dad.”

gus rubbed his neck, feeling a little embarrassed for still needing to go sleep in his dad’s bed when he got scared. But there was no judgement from his friends.

“I’m glad Hunter was there.” Willow says. “I Hope I can still be there for you too. If you ever need it, I hope you know I’m here.”

“Always.” Gus chuckles. “Buuuut you need to do the same, too.”

Willow stuffs her mouth with the last of her ice-cream. “Mhm!”

Gus scoffs out a sigh, she was impossible sometimes. But he understood.

He hoped she would let herself be vulnerable again. Just because she could get stressed or sad didn’t mean she wasn’t capable of being supportive to others anymore.

Perhaps the case was that Gus felt more secure turning to Hunter these days because it went in both directions.

Gus didn’t want to be treated like he was the youngest (although he was) and incapable of meeting his friends on a mature level too.

Willow and he were growing unevenly in that department, but that didn’t mean they were growing apart. It just meant that she was blinded by her need to look strong and didn’t realise it made him feel weak. If she was weak for sharing her feelings, then didn’t that mean she thought of him as weak (to some degree at least?) even if it wasn’t ill-meant or intended that way?

Gus understood Willow, perhaps too much. He was trying to find a balance between understanding people so deeply and empathetically - and still allowing himself space in that equation.

Just because you understand someone’s perspective, it doesn't mean it is okay if their behaviour hurts you. Gus was a patient guy, especially with people he loved.

Hunter had warned him that sometimes, if you only look at other’s needs; you’ll forget to look at your own. It had been good advice for Gus.

Now he kept himself in mind as a friend to look after emotionally too. They had different love languages, but they could still meet. He needed her to open up too, it wasn’t fair otherwise.

“Alright.” Vee licks the stick in the middle and chews on it like a toothpick. “Church. Which one you wanna go to. That one?”

“Oh! chuuuuurch, not choooorch!” Willow laughs. “I got that wrong.”

“Yeah, the castle!” Gus unfolds the map again. “I can’t see it on the map.”

Vee points at the cross. “There. Churches have these symbols.”

“Oh, like a treasure! X marks the spot.”

“Er, sure! Yeah, X marks the spot.” Vee gets up and throws her trash away. The emerald duo does the same.

Willow looks up at Caleb and smiles, then at Philip and frowns, and follows after Gus and Vee to the church.

“Hey Luz.” Says Masha on their bike outside the church by the parking lot.

Vee spins around at the familiar voice. “Huh? Ah! Oh! Masha! Hi!” and waves.

“Hey.” Masha smiles and takes off their helmet. “You saw me this time.”

“Huh?”

“I saw you a day ago or so, you were walking with your.. uh.. brother’s girlfriend, was it? You didn’t see me at all, I was coming right at you and waving.” They chuckle.

“O-Oh! Haha! Oh, sorrryyyy! Eh-heh heh.. I uh, right so, ahem. That’s not my brother’s girlfriend thats my girlfriend. And I ah- uh- I don’t have siblings! I mean- I do! Kind of! Uh, foster! One is Hunter and the other is Vee!”

Masha blinks. “Oh.” And hung their helmet at the steering handle. They look at Willow and Gus. “Hi.”

“Hi.” “Hello!”

“Oh right! Ah! This is Gus and this is Willow. Guys, this is Masha, I met them at camp. They’re in a class above mine.” Vee nervously sway her arms around. “I ah- I can introduce you to the other two someday! … Again! Like, officially. Maybe.”

“Sure.” Masha tilts their head. “So what are you guys up to?”

Gus spreads out the map for them. “We are checking out the choorches!”

“Church.” Vee corrects.

“Churches!” He points at the one they were heading to. “We are going to go in there and see if we can find out anything about the local history on the witch trials.”

“Oh, cool.” Masha nods. “Then you ought to go to the old courthouse, not the church. Father Elroy is renovating the church so it’s only open during service.”

“Service?” Willow blinks.

“Yeah. You know? The whole blah-blah thing?”

Willow and Gus blinks at her confused. Vee steps in, arms spread and laughs.

“HAH hah! Haaahh, aahh! They’re joking. They know what a service is. They’re uuuhhh, from out of state! They’re my.. Online friends! Yes. Visiting for spring break!” She leans in to Masha to whisper loudly. “Their parents were hippies so they weren’t raised in any religion except love and friendship.”

Gus and Willow crooks an eye at one another and shrugs quizzingly. Whatever works, they supposed. They could roll with it.

“Heh, that’s weird.” Masha looks at the duo. “But I totally respect it.”

“Cool.” Willow gives them an uncommitted thumbs-up.

“So the choorch won’t-” Willow elbows him. “The church won’t give us any history lessons?”

“Not today anyway.” Masha says.

“But the courthouse will?” Vee asks.

“Yeah. I can come along if you want, I need to practice my tour-guide speeches anyway. I got a side-job at the museum.”

Vee tenses up. “Oh. Did you?”

Masha looks at her with pity, remembering the video. They looked Luz-Vee up and down, they couldn’t imagine that Luz was anything but human.

“Yeah.” They sat on the bike seat and leaned on the handles. “Look, Luz. I know that Jacob guy. He’s my sister’s ex boyfriend. He showed me the video of capturing you.”

Vee stared blankly, her entire bodylanguage changing. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Masha blinks. “The.. Video? It was definitely you. I mean he did some SFX stuff to it I guess, but I saw that he–”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Masha and Vee stare at oneanother. Masha furrows their brows, then looks over Vee-Luz’ shoulder at her friends. Oh, right. Not infront of them, maybe. Another time then.

“Right. My mistake. Sorry." Masha looked down. “I can still tour you-”

“It’s okay. Thanks.” Vee said quickly, not wanting to stick around Masha in case they began clueing things together.

Masha sadly puts their helmet back on. “Right, sorry Luz. Didn’t mean to upset you.”

“I’m not upset.” She said in a tone so uncanilly flat it could only hide turmoil beneath its surface.

“Right. Okay.” Masha sighs, giving Vee-Luz a last attempt at a smile. “Let's hang out in school when it starts again, yeah?”

“Actually..” Vee grimaces. She might as well rip the bandaid off now. It’s not like Luz could pick up on their friendship. “If you know Jacob, I don’t think I want to hang out.”

Masha leans on their bikeseat. “..Oh. Okay. I mean, he’s my sister’s ex, we don’t have to be around him when we hang out--"

“But you work with him.”

“He’s not a bad guy. He’s just, er, a little… Different.”

“Oh yeah? Sure, different in the head then.”

Masha huffs. “I thought you didn’t know what I was talking about.”

Vee’s shoulders go up to her ears and she lets out a little gasp of fright.

“Hey, leave her alone.” Willow stomps up, giving Masha a glare that only big sisters and bear-moms could conjure from the depths of a sleeping volcano.

“I’m not picking on her.” Masha gruffly says. “Besides– Actually, whatever.”

They sniff, kicking off with their bike.

“I don’t need this.” And rode off. “Text me when you’re not being weird.”

Vee watches Masha disappear down the road and past the coffeeshop, wishing there was a way to keep Masha as a friend but couldn’t think of any way that wouldn’t also expose her.

And if Jacob knew Masha, then there was a no-go.

Her lip pulls up as Masha disappears around a corner with all of Vee’s wishes to keep them around.

She looks down to the side and Gus puts a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“No.” Vee sighs and hugs herself. “I like Masha. I just.. I didn’t know they knew Jacob.”

“You don’t need them.” Willow tries.

“But I want them around.” Vee rubs her eye. “It’s not fair. I tried so hard to build a life and now I have to start all over again.”

Willow and Gus look at one another.

“Hey..” Gus’ voice is sweet and she looks to him. “Not totally all over. You got us, that’s a little bit further than from scratch.”

She smiles. “Thanks. Yeah.. I guess I meant in a human context. It’s just been difficult to think of how I should look, y’know? Being Luz was easier, then there was already a framework to go by.”

“Yeah.” Willow nudges her. “But maybe you can pretend there is a frame.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like… What is your human backstory? Camila’s daughter or niece or..?”

“Oh.” Vee blinks. “I haven’t really thought about that. I was so busy thinking of my face.”

Willow chuckles. “Yeah, it’s easy to go blind by the surface stuff. But I think if you know what your story is, it’s gonna be easier to see yourself.”

Vee looks at her hands. “My story…” And imagined the shackles around her wrist that once had chafed her skin. “I don’t want to be a victim. I want to be a survivor.”

“You can be.” Gus said. “You already are. You choose what your life meant to you, all of it, bad and good. That’s the cool thing - you have a choice to be whoever you want.”

“What if that person will never fit in?”

“Then you make a new space and people will gravitate to it.” Willow says. “That’s what Luz did in the demon realm. She kind of just flopped in there and challenged the rules and things got better, honestly. I wasn’t a fish in a birdcage anymore, I was given a riven.”

She twirls her finger, making apple flowers sprout above Caleb Wittebane’s statue.

“Now I thrive. Luz does that.. She’s like a light that attracts all us weirdos to it. Aaand makes us belong.”

Vee looks at her.

“I think you can do the same thing. You just gotta allow yourself to fit in with yourself, rather than everyone else. Luz didn’t fit in here either, right? And she’s great.”

“Yeah, she is. Luz is weird but.. I’m jealous. She’s so confident in who she is and- I just- I just want to be one of the crowd. You know? We’re so different.”

“Like sisters.” Gus says happily.

Vee smiles sadly. “Yeah, like sisters.” And her smile falls like a saunting leaf to the ground. “Do you.. Think she feels I’m trying to push her out of the nest, y’know? like take her place?”

“No?” Willow blinks. “Luz likes you alot. I think she feels inferior to you honestly.”

“What, why?”

“Yeah.” Gus hums. “I think she thinks youre doing a better job being her.”

“What?” She scoffs. “That’s dumb. I was terrible at being her, everyone thought I was different from how Luz used to be.”

“Exactly. Luz thinks that’s a good thing.” Gus explained and Vee can’t believe what she’s hearing. Luz was strange, sure, but she wouldn’t change her for anything.

“But… Why?”

“Dunno.” Gus shrugs. “I think she’s feeling like a burden, maybe, to her mom.”

“But she’s not.” Vee frowns. “That’s really dumb. Camila loves her.”

“We know. And she knows. I think it’s a thing she’s going through right now.” Gus says. “I think what we can do for her is let her know we like how she is, tell her when the opportunity calls for it; that she has helped us by being herself.”

“Yeah!” Willow agrees and Vee stands quiet. “Yeah?”

“I mean, she hasn’t helped me by being herself. She was just the right person at the right time. But I will think of something, I’m sure.”

“I think it would mean a lot to her.” Gus starts walking a bit and the two follow along.

“It would be nice if she could tell Hunter it wasn’t me, too. She promised she’d tell him and she didn’t.”

“I'm sure she will when there’s a good moment to do it.” Willow assures. “And I think Hunter is past it now–”

“It’s about the principle. I didn’t confirm to you guys that he was a grimwalker.”

“She didn’t either. Not really, she just doesn’t have a poker face.”

Vee sighs. “I guess it’s dumb to cling to it. I dunno, I just think you should keep promises.”

“I agree.” Willow says. “Promises are important. But is this the hill you want to die on?”

Vee and the emerald duo crossed the road as she thought about it.

“I guess not… But still. She better make it up to me some way then.”

“You should let her know that.” Gus says.

“Why do I have to say it?”

“How else will she know?”

Vee whines. “Fiiine! Ugh, I’ll just let it go. A conversation like that is just too awkward, I’d feel petty and silly.”

“There you go then. Welcome to compromising.”

“Mhh..” Vee puffs out at the loose strand of hair that kept falling over her face.

At least Hunter’s wavy hair kept his loose noodles away from poking him in the eyes. She blinks.

“I think I want to have thick blonde and wavy hair.” Vee announces. “So it doesn’t poke me in the eyes.”

Gus and Willow smiles at her.

Willow snuggles to her side. “That’s gonna look great on you Vee!”

Vee bashfully shoves at her, but has Gus cuddle her from the other side and Willow quickly returns to cooing too.

“That will fit you so well~!”

“So well~!”

“Ugh..”

.........

The old courthouse was not much to look at. The floors from wall to wall were made of old wood that had been stepped on so much that its surface no longer lay flat.

Dust had scraped into the creavances of the fibres and turned everything into a washed out grey. The big room, the courtroom, was decorated as it once had at the time of the puritans.

It was simple; a thick oak table with cloth over it and a big book, chairs in rows along the walls; squaring in the table as a headpiece.

Behind the table was a wooden throne-like chair on an elevated platform, around it hung curtains like the sad wings of a near-death phoenix.

Along the walls were framed pictures of the witch trials, some illustrations and informative plaques.

The hallways outside the courtroom were more giving, as they were filled with glass cases full of things from the trials.

Clothes, tools, a lump of leather, some Pequot artifacts, bottles and pictures.

There was nothing of great noteworth. But at least they had gained a basic understanding of the time Belos lived there. It wasn’t too different from the Deadwardian times in the demon realm.

Though they concluded together that the humans were a very aggressive and prejudiced lot.

The woodcut prints of hanging witches were enough to make all three of them squirm and scurry out of the courthouse.

And those witches had, most likely, not all been actual witches or demons from their realm. But the humans’ own kind, guided by delusions of fear.

Willow shuddered.

“Humans sure get violent when they’re scared.”

“So do we.” Gus reminds her. “But yes, that was… Quite something. No wonder Belos was so hateful, it seems to have been his entire life from birth to, well, his death.”

“Yeah, but was Caleb too, you think?”

Vee puts her hands in her pockets and sighs up at the sky. “What about that guy anyway? The Caleb guy, I mean.”

“What do you mean?”

“He was Belos’ brother right? Was he a witch hunter too? Didn’t you mention at breakfast sometime that Hunter had a dream about him and sleepwalked?”

Gus strokes his chin.

“Yeah… And he told me later that when he went all–” He waves a hand infront of his face. “Gone, that one time, he wound up someplace where Caleb is. His ghost.”

“Oh yeah.”

Willow remembers yesterday after the whole makeover ordeal, when she and Gus hung out in the basement with Hunter.

It had been briefly mentioned, but not in great detail. Hunter appeared a little awkward and confused about what it meant or where it was.

“Someplace with sand made of ash.” Willow quotes.

Vee turns to her. “What, like a curse?”

“Huh?”

“Y’know, curses? When you’re bound to a curse of sort, your astralself co-exists on a plane of existence that looks like an ashy beach, you’re locked together with the being that makes up your curse, until death do you part.” Vee crooks a brow at them.

“It’s a wild magic thing.”

“Ohhh!” Gus and Willow look at one another.

“Do you think Eda the owl lady had a place like that with her owl beast?” Gus asks.

Willow shrugs. “Maybe? It is possible. We could ask Luz.”

“Yes, let's do that.” Gus agrees.

“Wait so you think Hunter is cursed?” Vee asks, then ponders on it. “Well, I mean, he’s technically the curse, I guess? Hold on, if you’re cursed you gotta keep it at bay though. Does Hunter require any medication?”

Gus shook his head. “Not that I know? But then again, we don’t really know much about grimwalkers at all, other than the very few stories.”

“Yeah.” Willow scratches her head. “What was it? Like, full moons or something? I don’t remember, I wasn’t ever interested in that stuff. Amity might know!”

“Then let's go home and ask Amity about grimwalkers and Luz about Eda’s curse.” Gus says with a curious smile on his lips, and once they’re in an alley he twirls his finger and throws a guise over their wands to look like bikes in the eyes of the humans.

Vee got up behind Willow and they rode back towards the Noceda residence. 

Camila put a hand over her chest and stroked the still body of the fox under the sheets.

The fox had behaved very well in its last moments of life, unlike when they first captured it. In its last moments, it had looked up at Camila like it was grateful to not be alone and that the pain was gone.

None of the veterinarians could figure out what had killed the fox, or what had caused this decay plague it had festering all over it.

Some kind of disease, anyway. They had all been cautious when putting the fox down, wearing protection gear from head to toe.

Whatever it had been afflicted with, had somehow gotten to a chihuahua that was found dead this morning in the cage next to the fox.

The Scottish deer hound, that had shared the same space as the little one, was unaffected. And after thorough examination they couldn’t find anything wrong with it or any other animal around.

They hoped whatever had killed the fox died with it and the chihuahua.

Belos licked his gums, or rather, the Scottish deer hound’s snout. It was big enough to hold his decay at bay for a while but it dribbled from the nose sometimes like snot. He had gotten into it via an infection in the dog’s ear. It was bandaged and yellowish from an ulcerously wound.

He needed to get out of here. He was waiting for the right time to be brought outside and escape, or perhaps some other opportunity.

But that might take awhile. Too long, even.

He took his gray and rugged hide to the wall and looked up at the slim squarish window. He had seen them open it sometimes, he needed it open at night at least. He could probably get through it, the hound felt nimble enough.

Belos was grateful that the dog was a gentle and obedient minded creature, it barely put up a fight. He let out a whimper and wheezed louder and more pitifully to alert the nearest veterinarian.

Camila comes over and looks in. “Oh, you okay baby?”

Belos pretended to be very, very, warm and bothered.

“Ohh.. Poor thing.”

camila comes inside the cage with a chair to open the window, gives him a little chin scratch, a bit of petting under his yellow collar that helped an itch he had, and gets up on the chair.

Belos plan had been to try to get out through the window.

But Camila had just left the cage door open, perhaps because his new host was such a good boy that stayed put.

Belos side-eyed the open exit shiftily.

Camila steps down from the chair. “There, I will get you some ice water for your bowl too–” She blinks. There was no more good boy in there with her.

Camila called for him. “Oohh, baby? Where are you?” She couldn’t find him. She scratched her head thoughtfully and opened the door out to the hallway.

Belos had squeezed himself into the thin space between the wall and a slim closet where they had kept the broom.

As soon as the door opened he pushed his hind legs against the wall behind him and leaped out, pushing Camila aside as he did.

Belos flew out into the hallway, darting– No, skidding, flopping and spinning around on the clean white floors and dunked straight into a door.

“Stop him! Ah!” Camila yells. But the door opened from the other side.

“Huh?” Said the lady who looked at Camila frantically yelling at her to stop the dog.

Belos pressed himself between her legs and toppled the woman over, scurrying as fast as he could across the road, through an alley, over grass and sidewalks, until he finally came to the familiar woods near the residential areas once more.

This dog wouldn’t last many days, but it would for now.

“Good boy…” He mumbled and somewhere deep inside the dog wagged its tail, not understanding at all what fate would befall it.

Belos thought about his old home, of Caleb, of their lives together once upon a time in a world that no longer existed. A new world existed in it’s place.

The pavement covered old muddy streets and some curves were in the wrong places. But he remembered the gist of it.

With tired paws and drooling mouth, he made his meager way to his home. He knew it was still there, after all.

He followed an overgrown trail through the woods, people still used it.

When Belos had used it as a child it had been a broad road for wanderers and horses. Now all that remained was a slithering thin line between pine trees and red oaks.

Nostalgia filled his chest when he made his way over the little curve of a rock that marked the entrance to their backyard.

His gleaming, sunken, eyes stared at the shack.

The windows were dark and barren, the wood crooked and they were void of trace of having been inhabited much at all over the centuries.

Nature scattered over the roof and had broken into the chimney. It had been left to hold itself up on its own, without much love or notice.

But, Belos thought, it still stood. And that was the mark of his brother’s good woodwork and dedication.

Belos pokes the door open into the house.

He had arrived here the same night they had, but he had quickly - with intense and dire need to survive - hurried into the basement of the house when he saw a chance to hide, and attached himself to a rat with a bleeding toe in there.

He hadn’t had time to stick around and see what had become of everything.

But now there was a little time to recoup and gather himself to do something else than survive. He could think again.

Philip Wittebane stood in his home, without his brother, once more.

His eyelid twitches when it filled up with tears, like he couldn’t quite comprehend how to handle the emotion of loss that filled him.

“Hm.” He mumbled and looked around at the teenagers' childish and primitive collection of scientific ideas on a billboard.

He thought to himself it would be in his best interest if he let them figure it out, maybe even help them from the shadows. It would be easier to build a new one from scratch than to find out how Caleb and Evelyn had done it.

Well, he knew how.

The witch had titan’s blood and used it on that arch portal in the woods, which he had now come to find out had become a graveyard, covered with water all around it.

Fitting, he thought.

Right now he did not have the means or body to make a portal. But they did.

They could make one.

He saw their little drawings of their families and noted the lack of Hunter’s among them. Hunter.

He could still use him. The question was how to make the boy come back to his side again? He needed him. He needed him.

Hunter was his only chance to bring Caleb back, even a little bit. Even if it wasn’t actually him, it was– it was– 

He was not desperate.

He was not crazy.

He could fix this , he could make things right. 

He was going to save Caleb’s soul and everything was going to be fine! He was going to kill all of the witches, he was going to put their world ablaze for what they had done– Not just to him and his brother, to everyone in the human realm!

He was going to get rid of hell itself.

Philip was doing mankind a favour! He was practically a saint! No more demons or wicked witches, no more eternal torment.

All of those creatures were just inhabitants of hell. Sinners that bred with demons to glutton on the humans and their good christian world.

Without a demon realm - no demons or witches - no more hell for humans to go to.

This was practically an act of self-sacrifice, virtue and dedication. An act so selfless only Jesus or an angel could measure.

He could do it.

Sure, there had been times when he doubted, when he wondered if they really were soulless monsters. He had seen innocent children, met those who stupidly wanted to be his friend.

Crude temptations in the guise of friendship and comradery. Whatever flutter in his heart had been evidence enough of the devil being at play, tempting him with lust, greed and forbidden knowledge.

But he had been strong and not fallen for any of it. Because he was the smart one, it was Caleb who was the half-wit!

Philip would never fall for the tricks and seductions of devils, not even for hundreds of years did he ever budge.

After all, look what happened to his brother. Philip would never fall like he did.

Good old Caleb, who had given up so much for him, who gave him a place to be himself and grow into the pious and god-loving man he was today.

He had to take care of his stupid good natured half-brain of a brother now. Save his soul, at least, from hell itself.

Philip stared at a corner of the room.

He could see in his mind's eye what had once been there. A table, a chair, where Caleb often sat and carved something while waiting for the food to cook.

For some reason, an old memory came to him now. Philip had said no to an offer of marriage in favour of making sure his big brother wouldn’t be alone.

“You what?”

“I broke it off with her. She wanted to be engaged with me, Caleb.”

“And you said NO?”

“It’s a bit unorthodox for a woman to propose, anyway.”

“So you broke her heart because you felt slighted?” Caleb scoffed. “I thought I was the half-wit.”

“Stop calling yourself that.”

Caleb shrugs and grins as he sits down on a chair.

Philip could see it all play out in the room before him. How old had he been? Nineteen, twenty-something? It had been so long ago, he couldn't remember. But it was years before it all happened. Before the witch came.

“That’s what everyone calls me.” Caleb plays with his sheeted knife over his fingers, making it carousel over his knuckles, and points it at his frowning baby brother. “I don’t care.”

“I care!” Philip growls. “Why won’t you care for your reputation Caleb? Don’t you know how it reflects on me?”

“So get married and move out!” Caleb spreads his arms. “As you should! Live your life Pip! It could do you some good to not be stuck in your books and your writings all the time up in your room. You need friends…”

“I have friends.”

“Name one.”

Philip paused. “Abraham.”

“Abraham. Who lives by the docks? With the beard.”

“Yes.”

“He’s your friend?”

“Yes!”

“Alright, what is his wife’s name?”

Philip blinks, growls and groans and flails his arms. “You-You always do this! I have you! I don’t need anybody else! You get me, nobody else has to get me.”

“You will still have me, even if you don’t live here!” Caleb sighs and sinks into his hand. “Her father offered you an internship just the other week, Pip! He has no sons, his daughter loves you, you could even go to England!”

“Not without you.”

“Sweet holy mother Mary and a good potato.” He claps his hands and inhales sharply. “Philip. You can’t waste opportunities because you think you have some sort of debt to me.”

Philip ignored him. “I wouldn’t be able to write to you. You can’t read.”

“I will have someone read and write for me. I can visit! And maybe you don’t leave? Maybe you work here? It’s a post office, maybe–”

“Maybe, maybe, maybe . You work in maybes, I work in definites!”

Caleb looks his brother up and down and shrugs out a sigh, he stands. “Alright, Philip, you don’t owe me anything. You know that, right?”

Philip scrunches his nose. “I owe you everything. Caleb, you gave me a future. It’s thanks to you I have a future and dreams to dream.”

“And you’re wasting it all staying here with me. I would want nothing more than for you to find yourself in that future, with those dreams.” He puffs his cheeks. “Preeeferably with the girl you rejected.”

“Augh.” Philip throws his hands up and goes to stand by the fire and look into what’s cooking. Rabbit meat, onion and carrot stew. “Look at this, we can’t afford anything nice.”

“If.. you took the apprenticeship-”

“I don’t want it! Alright!? I don’t–” He pinched the ridge of his nose.

“You don’t?”

“No!” Philip faces his confused brother, who didn’t have to ask, because Philip already knew his question. “I don’t know why. I just… It’s not right. It’s not me.” The warmth of the fire warmed his skin. “I promise, I am trying to apply myself, I really am. I just, everyone here thinks so small. They look at the sky and think of heaven’s gates, while I count the stars and measure weather.”

“What would be right then?” Caleb watched the back of his brother shrug.

“I don’t know, Caleb. I want to discover, bring something good into the world, make a difference. I want to know the universe, what heaven is like, what hell is like - Because they are real, right? We must be able to go there, then! Peek up or down? Like Dante, I could visit it and document it all! I want to–” Caleb was smiling at him. “Stop it, I'm not a child. I’m being serious. There must be a science to it all!”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were thinking it.” Belos points accusatory at him, Caleb held his hands up and smiled.

“I wasn’t thinking anything other than; it sounds lovely that you want to do something so big and grand for mankind. But..” He puts a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t think you will find that here. Not with me. You would find your place and your likeminded kin if you just let yourself go out and find them.”

“I did try.” Philip crosses his arms and turns away. “People think I’m queer for wondering about everything. Father Gregory told me to pipe it down! Could you believe it? Me? He’s supposed to have answers! I have questions!” Caleb gave him a look, so he added; “That I don’t ask anymore.”

“That’s not queer. That’s just.. Gay! You know? You’re just a little enthusiastic about.. things. Sometimes. Odd things, sure, but I think it’s quirky! Everyone’s got to have a little bit of flavour to them, right?”

Philip gives him a long glance of annoyance.

“What?” Caleb chuckles.

“Nothing you’re just so.. You. I wish I could see the good in everything the way you do.”

“Eh, it’s probably because I’m not smart enough to see all the bad in things.”

“Right. Not even in me.”

“There’s not a single bad bone in your body.”

Caleb turns Philip around to face him, his smile soft and proud.

“One day, you will have your grand adventure. You will find your place, your crowd, odd people like you. You will gain knowledge about things beyond what’s ever been found by mortal eyes before. I bet God made you this brilliant because he knew you could help mankind. The only flaw you have is that you care too much about saving everyone, even your daft old brother.”

Philip smiles up at him. “Stop it, that’s so corny.”

“And,” Caleb continues, rustling his brother playfully by hooking his arm around his neck. “I will stand in the crowd as the king of England knights you for your valour and virtues, and I will bask in your radiance.”

“...Yeah?”

“Absolutely Pip.” Caleb ruffles him and Philip groans. “Now, make sure you talk to the girl’s father, alright?”

"Maybe.” Philip escapes his arm.

“Pip!”

Philip blinked, he had zoned out. He coughed and decay dribbled from his snout. He licked it away and shook his head. 

He needed to heal from this blasted oath Edalyn put on him. 

At the start, he had thought it was a curse, but after his time in the boiling isles he had discovered it did not work the same as a curse at all.

“Swear you won’t take him from me.”

“Sure. I will even shake on it.”

“Good.” She circled around his hand and shook it. “The everlasting oath is sealed.”

Philip stared at his hand and furrowed his brows, smiling nervously. “Thaaaat is probably fine.”

It was not fine.

When you break an oath, the punishment fits the crime, so to speak.

When you promise something, it will weigh in your consciousness because that’s what it does if you are a good person.

Ever heard of how your consciousness can eat you alive? Well, witches took that to a whole new level.

Sure, he had lied, cheated and murdered the residence of the demon realm, but they were soulless devils - it didn’t count! He didn’t have to feel bad for them.

Breaking promises with them held nothing to greater promises, like swearing vengeance on them all.

Evelyn had found a loophole with the whole oath ordeal, lying about not trying to take Caleb back home had been a severe mistake.

But Philip had found a loophole in turn. Namely palistromwood. A sacred tree of the titan’s nature, it contained the same essence that magic inside the bailsack of witches were made of.

Which meant he could consume it and delay the destruction of himself - it also happened to prolong his life, which was a quirk he supposed.

He had also experimented with sigils that he found, carving them into his skin to counter the decay as best he could and to be able to digest the palistrom magic.

Now, he couldn’t get palistrom wood in the human realm. But he knew something else that could fix him - the galderstone heart of a grimwalker.

A grimwalker could heal him and keep his curse at bay. It was annoying that the golden guards never seemed able to use their powers on him.

Only a few times here and there had they been able to awaken their powers, and even then they couldn’t seem to control it properly.

Perhaps because their blueprint was human, the grims never developed enough in that direction to have a good base for research to go on.

Philip discovered it had been in moments when the grimwalkers had felt loved, that it began to work.

So he started to care for them in hopes that they would turn their abilities onto him - the good one, the one that healed and boosted you, not that fullmoon thing.

And unfortunately he actually cared, too.

He was a scientist, he had told himself he could turn his heart off - But then the little Caleb-copy smiled up to him, hugged him and called him 'Uncle' like it was the nicest word they knew.

He saw so much of Caleb, in glimpses, to such degree that he sometimes thought that Caleb's ghost was looking at him through those red eyes.

'Caleb?' he had whispered sometimes, despite himself. 'Who?' they had asked.

They were just ungodly creations sprouted with the blood of his brother, a sort of homunculi. So technically, they were related.

He did find himself to feel the way he would have, had the boys really been sons of Caleb.

Somewhere in the part of him that remained human always found a way to call them his nephews.

And that was the devils greatest temptation to him. Dangling these things in-front of him and taunted him for loving them.

'Look' the devil said in his mind. 'Look at these things you made in the shadow of God. You play god amongst the demons, the witches worship you. You insult God, in the name of what?'

The question was never answered. Belos always ran away before his reflection grew horns.

So he also grew resentful, loathing them for both being just like his brother and for not being enough like him either. Loving that they gave him a sense of human normalcy and a family - a nostalgia for a life he once had, and another that could never happen.

He couldn’t grapple with his feelings for them, so he controlled them and pushed them away at the same time, lashed out on them and held them dearly.

Punishing them into blind obedience. If they didn't think, or act out of line, they couldn't sin like his brother. They couldn't share his fate.

And whenever he had to kill them, he relieved Caleb’s death over and over again.

You can only punish yourself so many times until you grow numb to it and begin to get fascinated instead. Forbidden knowledge, if you will.

Fascinated by the pain and death. The constant bargaining with himself of what he could have done differently.

He could have saved them, and Caleb, right? He could have. There must have been a way to save Caleb’s soul, his nephews, his life.

Hunter was the last chance he had now, to fix everything.

In a secret space somewhere deep inside him, he knew, though. By god, he knew.

And no amount of prayers, slick charm or silver tongue could fool the reflection God made him stare into when he was alone.

He could convince himself for periods of time, he was clever enough to make himself agree with how things had derailed - it did make sense and it was all justified. Hundreds of years of violence, spite and grovelling.

It was not for nothing, it was not a waste.

He knew deep down though, the cost of it all…

Philip shook his head and turned around, leaving the house.

…Every bone in him had turned bad.

But it was for the greater good. To save his brother’s soul, his own. even if just a piece of it.

Saving Caleb would make all the evil he had done okay. To cleanse the perdition that was the demon realm would become his salvation.

He had already wasted his life, his future and dreams for this. It was the hill he was willing to die on.

Belos looked back at the house one last time, and disappeared.

“Sorry, I don’t know more than that.” Luz shared what she knew about Eda’s curse, and the group let out a unified ‘Aww man.’ “She never really explained how it looked inside her head.”

“It’s okay.” Willow says.

“Yeah, besides I don’t think grimwalkers are cursed. I mean, they’re more like an advanced abomination– er, no that’s not right. Well, they’re a wild magic type of deal." Amity explains. "I suppose it’s a combination of using abomination magic and mystic magic. But it’s gruesome. Instead of using the grime, slime and decay of nature you use a dead body. That stuff is restricted for a reason.”

Luz chuckles. “Hunter said the same thing about wild magic when I first met him.”

Amity smiles.

"He was right though. I like wild magic as much as any of us, but neoromanticism never ends well - I mean, well, Hunter is a pleasant outlier. Hm, but yes. I do remember something about the moon.” she taps her cheek thoughtfully and looks down at Ghost who tilts her head at her witch. “Maybe Hunter knows? Isn’t it better to just ask if he ever felt strange in moonlight.”

“Maybe he’s a werewolf.” Vee chuckles into the fridge, now back as a basilisk again.

“A what?” Amity asks.

“Oh it’s a human thing, there’s a human who can turn into a wolf creature.”

The og-hexsquad looked confused. Luz nearly bent herself in half with surprise. “Wait WHAT?! I thought you guys had werewolves! You have vampires!”

“No, I have heard of were-creatures but not wolves. Wolves are human beasts.” Gus explains.

“That’s crazy.” Luz laughs and turns to Vee. “Right? That’s crazy. I thought all monsters came from the demon realm.”

“No.” Vee nibbles on some leftovers. “Humans are pretty creative. You got monsters that don't even exist. I doubt he’s a werewolf though, I was just joking.”

“A what-wolf?” Hunter rubs his eye as he comes into the kitchen.

“Look who’s awake!” Gus banters playfully and Hunter scoffs.

“Yeah, I was tired. So what’s this about wolves?”

“Actually, man, we were talking about grimwalkers and curses.”

“Oh. Okay.” Hunter tries to act as non-nervous as his voice sounded. Luz was again reminded of how much legwork his mask had done for him to hide his emotions.

“We were gonna ask you if you ever felt weird in the moonlight?”

“uuhhh, No? Why?”

Willow puts on a kettle. “There’s some story we’re trying to remember about grimwalkers, none of us can really remember the details but we thought you might know anyway.”

“Oh. Right.” Hunter tilts his head to think. “No, I don’t think so? Though I know I wasn’t allowed out on full moons. Belos didn’t like it. He said the moon made wild witches strong and he didn’t want to lose me.” He grimaced. “Honestly he was kinda weird about that, now that I think about it. But I boiled it down to the fact that he was genuinely worried about losing me. I mean– To my knowledge, we had lost our family to wild magic so I just did as requested.”

“You have never been outside during a full moon?”

“Uuuhhhh….” Hunter squints. “Nnnnooo?” He scratches his shaggy hair. “Uh, maybe? I haven’t really thought about it to notice it?”

Gus leans on the table. “Have you ever done a moonlight conjuring?”

“You mean that thing kids do? No.” Hunter clicks his tongue, smirking. “I’m too old for that.”

“You were too old for that your whoooolee life?”

Hunter pouts. “...Fine, I didn’t have any friends back then. But it doesn’t matter! I don’t think that’s a thing. I never felt anything in the moonlight.”

“But the full moon is different.” Says Amity. “It has magical properties that affect us witches.”

“Well, I’m not a witch.” Hunter spread his hands out like remember? 

“No, well– I mean, I think you are- er, kind of???”

“It’s alright.” Hunter flippantly passes his friends and comes over to Vee, he steals a piece of turkey slice from her plate.

“Hey!” Vee moves the plate away from him.

Hunter greedily smiles as he chews the turkey. She sticks her tongue out at him, he does it in turn. Vee makes an ugly face to him, he does one in turn.

“What is happening?” Willow whispers to Amity.

“I don’t know.” She whispers back.

“Bleeeeeegghhhh!” The two contested, until Hunter cheated and put a hand on her face. “Asdfghjk! Cheater!!”

“There were rules?” Willow chuckles.

“Actually,” Luz swings her arms around a little. “While weeeee are on the topic! Just gonna throw it out there! Uhhh, it wasn’t Vee, by the way.”

Vee turns to her, her ears sloping. Hunter blinks. “Not her that what?"

“That confirmed to everyone else you are a grimwalker?” Luz put her hands together over her head. “Sorry!! Vee just stepped in to save me, back then. I shouldn’t have let her. I promised to tell you, and I didn’t, so. Um.. Yeah. Sorry. It was me.”

“By accident.” amity adds quickly.

Hunter tilts his head to look at Luz, he lifts his hands and (like Darius had) lightly chopped at her head. Luz looks up at his forgiving expression.

“I already knew.”

“You- You did?”

“Yeah. Flapjack told me.”

“............Oh! Oh . Oh uh, okay.” Luz lets out an anxious noise. “Soooo we are okaaay?”

“Yeah, of course.” He scoffs. “You guys can let that go. I’m just glad you don’t think I’m dangerous or, y’know, soulless or something.”

“Of course not.” Vee says quickly and Hunter turns to her, she holds onto her tail and puffs her cheeks. “I mean.. They don’t think I’m scary, so, why should they think that of you?”

Hunter chops her too.

“Asdfgh!” She smacks her hands at his hand and lets out an embarrassed hiss. Hunter chops her again to tease her, she taps his head in return, and the two have another game of trying to out-do one another.

“What’s happening?” Amity whispers to Willow, smiling.

Willow smiles back, whispering; “I don’t know.”

Luz sighs with relief, watching her friends banter and make teas and coffee.

This was nice. She was at peace, and it felt just like how things had been back at the owl house. A bit chaotic, familiar, homey and… Strange!

A good strange.

But it wouldn’t last forever.

Spring break was almost over and school would throw her back into how things used to be.

The bugs of her mind crawled and burrowed into her thoughts, not letting her enjoy the good moment she was having.

Chapter Text

[ Mash-up-13: Looking forward to school again? ]

Vee looked at the text notification preview. And almost as quickly as she had read it, a new one came.

[ Mash-up-13: We can still meet at recess if you want? :) ]
[ Mash-up-13: No hard feelings btw, I understand. But I want to explain myself, please? ]

Vee scrunched her face together and groaned. She wanted to throw her phone away, but instead she shut it off and got up from the beanbag in the girls’ room.

She saw herself in the mirrors. There was no way she was going to figure out what to look like before spring break was over. There was a day left. Vee stroked her ears and watched herself transform in the mirror into her go-to doppelganger, but this time sprouted out fluffy blonde hair with blue tips. She smiled, that did look better. It looked more like her. It made her think of Hunter, though. Not that that was a bad thing (anymore), but she didn’t want to have the same brand of blonde. She wanted it unique to herself, so Vee toned it a little more towards blue until the yellow was almost greenish in tint.

“There, like that.” Like her basilisk skin. “That’s better.”

She looked down over her body and hummed. She liked how Willow looked. And changed the size of herself a bit and looked at herself. It just looked like Luz had grown a little taller and gained more muscle and weight. That’s not what she wanted, it just looked like a mash-up of other people rather than herself. But trailing too far away from the Luz format was her comfort-zone and leaving it made her feel insecure.

Vee turned away from the mirror and back to her doppelganger form. But kept her new blonde hair. She pinched its tips, smiling.

She shouldn’t be wasteful though, Hunter’s powered up cards were really helpful but she had seen him stress about there only being one deck of cards left. Nowadays when she goes to the top of the fridge to get a card, she would feel the absence of what had previously been many cards. Vee only had to look Hunter up and down to see that every pocket on his outfit had at least a card in them.

They had discovered he could only power up one card at a time, though.

As she came down the stairs she turned into a basilisk and saw Gus with a hammer heading out.

“Oh hi Vee! wanna come to the shack?”

“Not today, thanks tho.”

Gus purses his lips. “Do you not want to go because of last time?”

“No, that’s not why.” She takes out her phone. “Masha is texting me. They want to talk at school but.. I won't be there. I don’t know if I should reply. I think maybe I should just tell Luz to avoid them at school.”

Gus’ big eyes of sympathy makes her squirm. “It’s fine. It was bound to happen anyway. They were a good first friend.”

“Maybe you should talk to Luz about this. I’m sure she and you can work something out.”

“I dunno… Why fight for something I’m gonna lose anyway. It’s easier to let it go.”

“Friends are always worth fighting for.” Gus nudges her and she smiles.

“You guys are always so corny.”
Gus smirks. “You mock us, but I’m proudly corny.”

She chuckles and shoves at him. He shoves back. They both grin.

“Thanks Gus.”

“Any time Vee.” He wags the hammer. “Gotta go back to the HQ. We forgot the hammer.”

“HQ?” She scoffs.

“Yeah!” He claps his hands and makes an illusion between his hands like a rainbow of text. “Demonic & Human resources HQ!” and dragged his finger under the rainbow for a smaller rainbow text. “And: portal hub for realm transports!”

She looks at the terrible name and cringes, but smiles at the dream of it all. “That name needs work.”

“And a logo.”

“Logo would be nice.”

Gus pretends to hammer something. “And the house needs fixing - but! Right now, portal work. See you later Vee!”

“See you later!”

When Gus has left, the house falls quiet. She sighs and looks at her phone again. In the hallway was the mini-satchel Camila had gotten her, she put it on and slipped her phone into it and made her wiggly way into the kitchen for a card.

She took one, it wasn’t one of the glowy ones. She could hear Hunter’s voice in her head nagging her about only eating glowy cards if there was any, because with patience the non-glow could give her more if she waited for him to power them up.

She ate the card anyway.

To get her thoughts away from Masha, she went to the living room to watch TV. The couch was occupied by all the palismen, who turned up at her, and were all seated either on top of or next to; Hunter.

Hunter was sleeping with a book on Gravesfield flopped on the floor, with a bunch of tourism fliers on the table. She remembers Gus plucking a bunch of these whenever he, herself and Camila went grocery shopping together. 

She picked it up and flipped a few of the guides through for some inspiring ideas:

• The graveyard with the big ornamental arch at the top of the hill.
• A hiking trail with a waterfall view in the forest.
• The beach, Gravesfield Cove. (ooh! a beach!).
• There were various old buildings too, some had turned into café-museums with lovely little back gardens. (Vee thought she should tell Luz about that, for her and Amity.) Other houses had been turned into shops that sold “merchandise” of puritans and witches, for tourists.
• The trash museum could be fun for Gus, possibly.
• There was the Elizabeth park, too, which Willow might like.
• But it was the river ride and the bowling alley that sounded the most fun to Vee.

She looked down at Hunter and knew how to wake him; his scars were the on button, it seemed. Amity had made a guess that this was due to the outer layer of skin (that the selkidomus scales was woven into) was disturbed.

Vee poked him on the cheek and Hunter’s eyes fluttered awake. He licked his dry lips and peered up at her.

“Oh.” He croaked and sluggishly sat up. “I fell asleep.”

“Again.” Vee scoffed. “But it’s okay. I was just bored and it’s just you and me here.”

Hunter rubs his eyes and coughs to get his voice back. “Where are they?”

“Where else?”

“Mh.” Hunter nods, so the old house then. Portal, right. Vee was smirking at him. “What?”

“Your hair.”

Hunter removes the red scrunchie and re-does his ponytail.

“Do you not want to cut it off?”

Hunter shrugs tiredly. He didn’t really care. Vee looks him up and down; loose soft jeans and one of Camila’s t-shirts. At least he had showered and changed. She was glad that he at least got up these past days to do that, at minimum, at the very least.

“Did you have breakfast?” She asked and looked at the clock. It wasn’t lunch time yet but it was getting there.

“I can’t really stomach anything before I have had my cup of coffee.”

Vee looked at the cold mug of coffee on the table. “You mean that cup?”

Hunter stared at it. “Yes.”

“So that’s a no on the having eaten part, then.” She watched Hunter hang his head.
“I am trying. I just don’t have any appetite. Everything just taste like paper and I can’t bother making anything for myself.” He held his hands up and swayed them. “I’m just so tired, I can’t even hold my book up today–” He looked around and found it on the floor and picked it up; immediately contradicting his statement. “I mean, not literally. I’m exaggerating, obviously.”

“I get it.” Vee heads to the kitchen. “If it’s all the same to you anyway, I can make you something.”

“Oh, uh.” He looks over the couch and watches her snake into the kitchen. Perplexed, he got up, brought his cold coffee to sip on, and followed into the kitchen. The palismen trotted after him and into the kitchen too. He eyes the calendar on the wall, little notices Camila had written in; birthdays for colleges and when work started. He noticed the tiny lunar moons on each day, showing the progression of its cycle. Next full moon was a week from now.

Hunter turn to watch Vee take out some bananas and yogurt with some flakes.

“You like it with yogurt rather than milk, right? And bananas?”

Hunter nods and sips his coffee. Vee frowns at him.

“Goldie that’s cold, throw it away.”

“But.. That’s wasteful.”

“It’s cold.”

“I don’t mind.”

“But you like it scalding hot, don’t you?”

Hunter remains silent and looks at her from where he stands in the doorway, like he wasn’t entirely sure what was going on.

“What?”

“Are you sick?”

“Huh? No? Why?”

“You’re… I dunno.” He looks into his cup.

Vee crooks a brow at him, groans and curls her tail around the leg of a chair to pull it out. “Sit down.”

So he does. Vee plops the bowl down for him and, for herself, some toast with peanut butter and jelly. Hunter looks down at his bowl and moves the spoon around. She knew what he liked?

“Thank you.” He said.

“You don’t have to eat all of it, but eat some.” She said with her mouthful. She watched him scoop and stir it all around. “...Also, um.. Like… Thanks for the glowy cards and stuff. It really helps me last longer.”

He smiles. “Of course.”

“No, it’s not, of course. Just because you can do something– I mean, I know you and I have a bit of a… Journey.. But like, you know? I’m- ugh.. I don’t know how Gus does this!”

Hunter’s tired red eyes light up as he smiles at her.

“Shut up.”

He chuckles with the spoon in his mouth. “You don’t have to do things the way Gus or anyone else does, you can do things your way.”

“Mh, I dunno. Feels like I’m doing it all wrong.”

“But I understand you.”

“Do you?”

“Yes. You’re not the type to say what you feel, you show it. Right? Like this.” He pokes the spoon in his bowl. “You remember what I like and you.. Offered to make it when I don’t have the energy to.” He looks up from his breakfast to her. Vee stares at him with a tint of pink on her cheeks.

“Yeah-well– You got to eat! Dude.”

“Yes but–”

“YES. I care, okay? Ugh.” She leaned her head over the back of the chair, staring up at the ceiling. “I don’t… Like when you’re.. You know… Sad.”

“I’m not sad, just tired.”

“No, you’re sad. I see it. Luz does the same thing. You both space out, but you do it differently. She will have a good time and suddenly look sad, and when you have a good time you start removing yourself without anyone noticing. You’re both so dumb, you don't think anyone notices. But I do! I see it!”

Hunter tilts his head to his shoulder. “I’m-”

“Don’t say sorry. You always say sorry, stop apologising for feeling bad! You can feel bad! Say sorry when it’s appropriate to, otherwise it’s just something you say and you wear the meaning of it out.” She sighs and looks back at him. “I don’t mind it. Okay? Take your time, you’re both going through some stuff in here. ” She taps her head. “Just know that I see you . And that I care, okay? So like, let me care for as long as whatever this is is still going on with you.”

“Okay.” His smile is small, but warm. “Thank you Vee.”

“Good. Because, like, I worry and stuff… You know?”

“I didn’t, but I know now.”

“Good.” She shrugs and eats her toast. “Also everyone's at the shack. Wanna do something? Just us two? We can play games if you want, on the playstation. I can show you how to do it.”

“I’m a little old to play games.” Hunter eats more of his bowl and sips his cold coffee.

“Not play-pretend games, video games!”

Hunter chews in silence, not sure what she is getting at.

“... You know what, I’ll just show you.”

Mario Kart was a lot more fun when it was against someone else than the game itself. Hunter and Vee got so competitive they had to stand up and race. Hunter moved his arms around, like it was going to help him steer better.

“No! No! No!” Vee groaned.

And apparently it worked, because Hunter was taking the lead. And just as Vee was gaining on him, he dropped a banana peel and cackled with delight as he sailed over the finishing line and Vee spun away, losing second place to Bowser that sped past her.

“YEEESSS!!!!” Hunter cheered. “Ha-haaaah! Aaah, sweet victory!”

“Whatever! I won the first two times!”

Hunter stuck his tongue out at her. “And I won the last two times!”

“Alright, one more, let's settle this!”

“Nyeh.” Hunter drops back onto the couch. “That’s enough.”

“Coward.” Vee coyly baits him.

Hunter almost bought it, had he not caught her mischief grin. He coyly smiles in return. “Nice try, Vee. Buuuut, I'd rather cool down for a bit now. We can have a rematch later, if you want. With an audience to watch your humiliating defeat.”

She rolls her eyes. “You wish. I will make you eat that up.” Hunter only grins at her. He had missed doing this; ironically it was a very golden guard thing, where he got to quip and sass at someone. He appreciated that it was Vee, honestly. It allowed him to feel like he could re-frame that part of his personality as something positive rather than something that was only used to bully his enemies around - like Luz.

Vee sat down next to him, sinking down in a similar manner to him.

Hunter put his feet up on the coffee table, Vee gave herself a pair of legs to do the same. He put them down, she did the same.

He scoffed. “Alright–”

Beep.

Hunter closed his eyes. The palismen were in the microwave again.

“Remember to be three! Not two! Okay?” He shouts out to them, he hears little noises back and he counts that all of them are there by the sound of it, so he settles back into the couch.

Vee turns herself towards him, shaking her head,

“What?”

“You’re such a big brother.”

He smiles, touched at the sentiment.

Vee glances at him. “Uh– I mean– to them– er–”

“You’re a great sister too.”

Vee sits with those words in comfortable silence with him. A sister. She could be a sister, his sister. That was a person she could be.

“Hunter?”

“Yes?”

“What do you think of this?” She transformed into Luz, but with blonde hair. “Does this look like me?”

“The hair does. Your face looks like Luz though.”

“Hmm..” she made herself a little chubbier. “What about now?”

“Yeah, that’s a bit different. You could change your eyes too, I like your original eye-colour.”

So Vee does. “How about this?”

“Yeah, that looks more like you.”

“Cool.” She pauses. “More like… I could be related to you?”

“Like you could be related to me and Luz, honestly.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Vee nods and smiles. “Hm, that’s nice. I would like that.”

Hunter watches her look herself over, watching her morph her hands and her clothes. Like she wasn’t quite sure what sizes everything should be yet.

“So, have you thought more about what we talked about yesterday?” Vee asks and Hunter sinks down on the couch with crossed arms.

“I don’t think the fullmoon is a thing. I never experienced anything weird anyway.”

“Okay, but have you seen the fullmoon? Looked at it?”

“Of course I have.”

Vee thought for a moment. “Directly, or only through the tint glass of the castle?”

Hunter furrowed to think. “I mean, I must have? Who lives their whole life not looking at a full moon?”

Vee shrugs. “Did you?”

Hunter gapes and then closes his mouth. “...I have seen the fullmoon.” He says again, trying to be affirmative that he had. He knew he had. Who have not? But it wasn’t the sort of thing you thought about. If nobody ever tells you to look for a purple rabbit, you didn’t look for it. It may have been there all along and you never thought twice about it; there’s the purple rabbit where it always is. And went about your day. You didn’t ask questions like; does everyone have a purple rabbit in their home? Is it a concern to have it?

Hunter grimaced. The more he thought about it, the less sure he was.

“You don’t know if you’ve ever seen the fullmoon directly?”

“I–I– Hey! I don’t know! Have you?”

“Yes. I can confidently say I have. Yes. It should be that easy to say.”

Hunter muttered. “I don’t know. I guess… I mean, maybe that’s why we had dinner together once a month? I thought it was just– I mean it was family time. We were in the parlour, reading. Writing. Whatever. As the sun went down, it was bedtime- But I always went to bed at the same time. It was a strict schedule! It was the same hour every day!”

Vee got double chins as she tilted her chin and arched her brows.

“I– I mean I guess.. that, uh…”

“So what you’re saying is that your whole life, you’ve been conditioned to just go to bed at a specific hour, follow every scheduled meeting he gave you, and you don’t think that maybe.. Because you got so normalised to that, that maaaaybe the real reason was because… He needed you in your bedroom during certain moon cycles so the moonlight wouldn’t touch you.”

Hunter stares out into the room blankly like the ceiling just opened up and the Titan was waving hello down to him.

“Oh, Goldie.”

“No! That’s crazy! That– All scouts– So you mean he would make this a thing for everyone just so I wouldn’t feel like it was just me?”

“Maybe he learned from previous golden guards that if you felt like you’re the only one with certain time schedules, you’d get suspicious. I mean he’s like.. 300-400 years old, right? That’s a lot of time to learn how to… Brain..wash.. you.”

Hunter stares at her.

Then out at the room again

“No that’s too crazy. That’s– No. That’s– Why? Why would he do that??”

“He’s Belos, and you’re wondering WHY?”

“He was many bad things but he was not stupid or irrational!”

“He killed people!”

“Not irrational in that sense!” Hunter gestures his hands wildly and sits up. “He was smart! Very smart! He– But why?! I– Why did he need a grimwalker anyway?!”

Hunter grabs his head and Vee leans away a smidge, surprised at his sudden existential crisis. Hunter was generally kind of mellow these days, which apparently covered up whatever turmoil his inner life was made out of.

“I don’t know.” She replies, even if he hadn’t specifically asked her.

Hunter calms down and leans on his knees. He stroked the scar around his thumb and looked at it. He bent it and remembered Caleb. The bone of his thumb was older than he was.

“Sorry.” He sighed. “I guess I’m just a little…” But he trailed off and sealed his lips.

“A little..?” Vee coaxes, leaning into his view and he gently pushes her away and stands.

“Nothing. It’s just stupid stuff.”

“Is it though?” Vee watches him go to the plants in the window, he touched the earth. They were all damp, of course. And he smiled at the thought of having found a trace of Willow’s presence where he stood. Earlier this morning she had spoken of making a scarecrow for the farming patch, to keep the birds and rodents away. Her expressions dramatic as she explained who her new nemesis in the human realm were. Hunter smiled fondly, just thinking of her.

“Yeah.” Hunter says. “it is.”

In the corner of his eye, Hunter catches movement through the window. When he turns up from the plants, he sees a grey tall canine out there.

He gasps with delight.

Vee turns to him. “Mh?”

“A wolf!” Hunter cheers and points at the sad, skinny looking dog. It’s blue eyes staring at the house from where it eerily stands in the backyard.

“A wolf? What? Here?” Vee strides up to peer out the window with Hunter. “That’s not… There are no wolves in Connecticut.”

Hunter squints at the hound. “Maybe its lost?” He moves to the left towards the backdoor, slips into Camila’s crocs and opens the door.

“Wait Hunter! if it’s a wolf, they’re not friendly!” She slips into Luz’ crocs and follows him out.

As Hunter stands on the porch, he stops. “Oh, it’s not a wolf.”

Vee stands on the step behind him, unsure. “That’s one creepy dog.” She notes. “It has a collar, maybe the owner is around somewhere?” She carefully looks around but can’t see any human anywhere.

Hunter walks out onto the grass. “Here boy! Or girl? C’mere!”

“Ah, Hunter! Careful. Some dogs are aggressive.”

“Naww, not this one! Heya there. Whosa good pup, mh?” He pats his knees and the grey dog’s tail sways, like it wants to be happy but can’t quite muster the enthusiasm. Hunter’s joy bleakens as he begins to take note of the state of it. The bandaged ear was becoming undone and it looked both weary and unwell.

“Hey.. C’mere, let me look at you, yeah?” Hunter approaches carefully, not wanting to scare the dog. The dog comes closer, it puts its head under Hunter’s reached out hand. Hunter smiles with a breath, happy to be petting a wolf-looking canine.

“Oh!” Vee calls. “That looks like the dog Camila talked about, that escaped.”

Hunter looks it over. “Oh, you’re right. We should call her, let it know it’s here–” The dog whines. “What’s wrong buddy? Don’t worry I’m here.”

Hunter pets the dog over the head, scratching over the good ear.

Philip looked up into Hunter’s red eyes.

“I got you.” Hunter says softly. “You don’t have to be alone anymore. We’ll get you home.”

Hunter couldn’t quite put a finger on what made the gaze of the dog feel so… Like it understood what he said. Like it knew. Like it was trying to figure out if he could tell if he knew.

“I will call her!” Vee says and takes her phone out of her mini-satchel, she calls her.

Hunter is pre-occupied with the dog. It blinks up at him. His petting slowed down, the dog’s tail was not wagging anymore. He stops.

The dog’s blue eyes look into his blood red. The springtime wind stroked his hair and pulled on his ponytail. Hunter watched the rugged fur of the dog dance in long shaggy waves. It would not stop staring at him.

Hunter couldn’t place what it was.

But there was this uncanny, terrifying, feeling that something was wrong.

“Mh.” Said the dog, in a tune so familiar and human to Hunter it got him standing up and backing away. The dog remained where it stood, only turning its head slowly towards Hunter. Hunter’s heart was thumping.

He knew that sound, that tune, that condescending ‘Mh, Hunter..’ anywhere.

“Hnn..ter.” Whined the dog.

Hunter’s eyes widened, the world turned into shades of black and white static. He heard nothing else than the screaming of needles in his skin, telling him to run.

He turns, his arm hooks around Vee’s waist as he leaps inside.

“Hrk–!” She nearly drops the phone, Hunter practically throws her in and slams the door and locks it. He breathes, gasps, looks through the door window. It just stood there, knowing that he knew. His eyes trembled as they refused to lose eye-contact, lest the dog suddenly be gone from his view.

Vee flew into the armchair with such force it toppled over, she rolled out of it.

“Hunter!” Vee groans, she pats around on the floor and picks the phone up. “Ah! Sorry Camila, Hunter just–”

“It’s him.” Hunter gasps through dry lips. “It’s him.”

“Huh?”

“It’s him.”

“Who?”

“That’s Belos.”

Vee immediately goes alert, and looks at the dog. It was a meek and pathetic looking, sure, a little creepy, but... She relaxed a little again. “I think it’s just a freaky looking dog.”

“No.” Hunter shook his head. “No no, th-that’s him.”

Vee glances up at Hunter. “Uuhhh, Camila? Can you come home? Hunter-”

Hunter shoots an arm out to grab the phone, holding it to his lips. “I’m fine! We are both fine! We’re out of coffee! And milk! Byeeee!” And hung her up.

“Wha- Hunter!”

“Don’t tell her to come!! She will be outside with him!”

Vee stares up into his panic ridden face. “Hunter, Belos is dead. You all said so.”

Hunter mumbles, gasping. He turned back to the door. The hound wasn’t out there anymore.

“No. ” He breathes out and quickly checks if he had really locked the door. He had. He checked the windows.

“Hunter.” Vee tried but Hunter was running around the house now, any time something could be opened he shut it with a loud slam, terrified the slight opening could’ve been enough for him to somehow slip in.

“Hunter.” Vee followed him around. “Calm down! He’s not here!”

Hunter felt the handle to the basement, it was open. He shut it and put a chair up against it.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m not going down there yet. If Belos got in via the basement window, at least he’ll be stuck down there for now.” He goes upstairs.

Vee watches her friend spiral into a delusion of survival. She opens her phone and calls Luz.

“Yeah. Hi, Luz? Are you guys still at the old house?”

[ “No! we are halfway home, actually! Why?” ]

“Uuhhhh…Can you hurry up? I think Hunter, er, he’s… We saw a dog. And he totally lost it.”

[ “What? A dog? Like, happy lost-it?” ]

“Nu-uh.” She went upstairs and looked into the bedroom. Hunter locked the window and pulled the curtains. “Yeah, no. Not good. Hey, Hunter? I got Luz on the phone–”

Hunter grabs the phone like a fish in the river and just holds it near his face.

“Luz!! Don’t come here!! Belos is outside!”

[ “WHAT?!” ]

Vee grabs the phone. “No! No, he isn’t! He- Hunter! Aaannnd there he goes.. Please just come.”

Hunter ran down the stairs again, into the hallway just in time for their friends to open the door. Luz stared up into the shadow of the stairs where Hunter stood frozen. His red eyes illuminated his alerted senses. In a swift decline of the steps, Hunter kicked the door shut once he knew everyone was inside. And locked it, peering outside.

No dog.

“Okay.” Amity holds her hands up. “What’s going on.”

“Belos.” Hunter says with his chest heaving. “He was in the backyard!”

“It was a dog.” Vee corrects. Hunter turns sharply to her and snarls.

“You didn’t hear him talk!! I heard him talk!!”

“You did?” Gus asks. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure!! Why would I lie?!” He growls.

“I’m not saying you are lying. I’m asking if you were mistaken.”

Hunter rubs his face. “I wasn’t! I would recogise his voice anywhere!”

“What did he say?” Willow asks.

“My name!” Hunter gestures at the living room. “My– I– I heard him!”

Vee looks at him pitifully. “I didn’t, and I was right there.”

“You were on. the. phone!”

The friends exchanged looks.

And Hunter looked at them all. “You… You don’t believe me.”

“Hunter..” Willow places a gentle hand on his arm. “Belos died, we all saw him die. He couldn’t survive that–”

“But what if he did survive?! What if– He could have! Somehow?! You don’t know what he’s capable of!”

“Could he survive that?” Amity prompts.

Hunter struggles to converse. He hears a small sound from behind him. A knock on the basement door.

“Flapjack.” Hunter calls calmly before his storm. Flapjack flies to his hand and turns into a staff.

“Wait, Hunter. What are you–” Luz starts but Hunter shrugs her off.

“Stay here.” He orders in the tone of voice of a coven head. Without thinking twice, he sweeps Flapjack across his body and puts on his golden guard armor. Mask and all.

His friends all watch in shock and disbelief as Hunter opens the basement door and runs down - completely missing the blue palisman on the swinging door that had been knocking to be let out.

The gang followed the yellow glimmer of Hunter’s dash. The group watched him grab a hockey stick to barricade the slim window near the ceiling. He was breathing under the mask like he was fighting to run up an ice-coated slope. He banged his fists against the hockeystick so that it would hammer itself stuck infront of the window. He stood ontop of a box full of books.

Flapjack chirped where he sat on Hunter’s bed, looking at the witches sadly.

“Hunter.” Luz said, more firmly, as she approached. But it was as though he was somewhere else in his head, far away, where he couldn’t hear her. “Hunter.” She repeated again and touched his back.

He turned with a hand sweeping out and grabbing her wrist. She could hear his frantic breath under the mask. She didn’t budge at the sight of him. In the slits of his mask, she saw his widened red eyes peer out at her, recognising her. He let her go. His hands trembling.

“Luz. Belos–”

“Is not here.”

“But the knock–”

Gus held his palisman up. “It was just Emmiline.”

Hunter stood there on the box by the window, looking out over the calm basement and his friends.

“But– But he-he was here. I saw- I mean, I- heard him. I did! I know I did! And– His eyes! I saw– you– Believe me!”

Luz sighs sadly. “Hunter.”

“Believe me. Please.” He climbs down the box, still not level with her but he pleads with his friend anyway. “Luz. I heard him. I did.”

“Belos died.”

“He survived.”

“As a dog?”

“...” Hunter couldn’t make sense of it either. “I don’t know how.” He looks up at his approaching friends. Willow made her way to him and reached up to his face to remove the mask. He let her and blinked when it was removed.

And blinked again when he saw it in her hands. He hadn’t seen that in weeks, a month? Since he ran away from the owl house.

He just stares at it as the ghost it was.

“Hunter..” Amity’s firm voice grounds him somewhat. “What did the dog say, exactly?”

“My.. My name. Kind of- I–”

Had it? it could have just been a growl he misheard. Maybe it had just been the tone of it that triggered him.

“I–” He blinked. “I think– I’m– uh–” And he looks down at his gloves. His boots. His golden armour. The golden shirt.

He went pale and gulped.

“Uh–” He threw off the gloves like they were itching him. Clawed at the armour that pricked his skin like an army of venomous ants.  “Um– I– Uh–”

“Oh- Hunter, breathe. It is gonna be okay!” Gus held a hand up, trying to get contact with him to start counting. “Let's breathe–”

Hunter claws the armour off of himself, it clatters at the floor. His voice breaks as it gets stuck in his throat. He throws it aside and pushes past them.

“Hu–!” Nobody had the strength or time to stop him.

But Hunter didn’t run far this time. He ran into the laundry room and slammed the door shut behind him so hard it bounced ajar. Hunter fell to his knees and threw off the rest of what remained of his guard outfit. He remained in his greyish turtleneck and brown trousers. Gasping, he pressed himself under the open space beneath the sink next to the trash can. And sobbed.

Luz and Gus both took a step forward and turned to one another, trying to determine in a second’s moment which one should go in. All of them would crowd him.

Willow did not hesitate, she slipped in through the door and let it stay ajar behind her. It always smelled like lemons and laundry powder in there, the white tile floor had become a little yellow with age. In a shadow under the sink sat Hunter, his shoulders shook from his sobs, his arm folded over his head as he curled in on himself. She could hear how much the crying hurt his throat.

She knelt down. “Hunter..” She said carefully. His hair had come a bit undone from the pony tail and hung in strands over his face when his sore eyes looked up at her. “Oh... Hunter.” She whispered and tried to come in there with him, but there wasn't enough space for two.

“I heard him.” He croaks quietly. “I did.”

“I know.” She hushed. “I know.”

He inhaled the snot that threatened to pour out of him and pressed his palm against his eye. “I don't know what– I’m not–”

“I know..” She stroked his arm. “I know Hunter.”

He sucked in his lip and sniffled, swallowing and met her eyes. She invited him to come out and into her arms. He closed his eyes and put his hands over them. He felt so stupid.