Chapter Text
Being the youngest in a room of teenage girls, Luz was only seven when she learned the birds and bees. Her foster sister, Joshlyn, had invited her friend, Micha, over. They were sprawled out on Joshlyn’s bed, giggling, and talking about something that happened in their math class before Luz, having accidentally overheard, approached.
“What’s a period?” Her twin brown gaze blinked innocently as Micha and Joshlyn froze, no longer laughing.
Quickly, before Joshlyn could protest, Micha was up, bag in hand, shaking her head. She was not opening the can of worms.
“Nope. Nope.” She backed out of the room. “I’m not being a part of this conversation.”
Swinging her legs off her bed, Joshlyn sighed, motioning for Luz to sit beside her. With how absent their foster parents were, she had a feeling the fun “birds and bees” talk would fall on her for the youngest in the family.
“Have you heard of the birds and bees?”
Seating herself beside the older girl, Luz shook her head as she frowned.
“Correction-“ Joshlyn sighed. “Have you heard of the birds and bees?”
“They fly,” supplied the confused seven-year-old. “And make noises?”
“That is true.” The teenage girl pressed her lips together, humming. She didn’t know how to explain it in a way that would be easy for the child to grasp. There was no need to go into great detail as she would be learning more of it as she got older. “Have you heard where babies come from?”
“Oh-“ Luz almost preened. She knew that one. Fifth grader Issac had told Izzi and her at recess one time. “They are carried in the Mama’s tummy. The Daddy kisses the Mama, and the baby is put there.”
Hiding a soft giggle from the child, Joshlyn smiled fondly. She missed the time when she was like Luz, still young and innocent.
“That is partly correct,” she explained. “But there is more that happens between a Mama and Daddy. But a period is the result of a baby not being in the Mama’s tummy.”
Confused, the seven-year-old cocked her head and blinked.
Nearly groaning, Joshlyn took a deep breath, hoping for God to give her soul mercy. She wasn’t planning to hold this conversation until Luz was older, when she was ready. Not when she was still little as she was.
Careful not to scare the seven-year-old, Joshlyn and Luz talk. That night, must a few nights after her seventh birthday, Luz learns about periods and of what it means.
Sometime in the future, when she was older, she, just like Joshlyn, like Micha, and many others, she would have her first period, where a baby doesn’t want to form in her belly and it works it way out naturally.
She would bleed through her legs, from her vagina, not any other word. Joshlyn made good intention of the name and explained that no one except the doctor should touch her there, if not that person wasn’t being good. Instead, they were being naughty and that they needed to tell a teacher, police officer, or Micha, her, or the older girls in the house.
The teen is clear that while it is uncomfortable and can be scary at first, it’s not something to be scared about. It’s not like what the adults say, something that should not be hush hush and not spoken about.
Instead, it’s something to be spoken of if something is wrong. If she has bad stomach cramps that make it impossible for her to get out of bed, or she get faint on the period week. If anything like that happens, she needs to tell someone so that she can be looked at, so it can become easier.
Two years later, when Luz is about to turn ten, and Joshlyn is seventeen, almost aged out of foster care, the pair were out buying things from the supply list for Camp Reality Check. This was the last day together before Luz was expected to leave, and three weeks before Joshlyn turned eighteen. After tomorrow morning, they would have no contact until Luz herself was eighteen, when she aged out.
Walking down the hygiene aisle, Joshlyn pushed the cart in front of her, looking at the list. They had already gotten the shampoo, conditioner, and bodywash. There wasn’t much left from this part of Walmart. Only needing lotion, for how dry Luz’s skin got, and on her insistence, a portable first aid kit, they could move to grabbing towels and washcloths.
But, turning down to a familiar aisle, she paused as her eyes made contact with the display that filled the entire wall. Rows and rows of different brands and types of pads sprawled out before her, causing her to move over.
“Luz-” She motioned for the almost ten-year-old to come over, pulling her away from the small cartoon corked body washes. “What brand do you want?”
“Why do I need some?” The young preteen glanced at the overarching display. She only recognized a few familiar brands, ones that were stored in the bottom drawer of the dresser by the window. “I’m not even ten yet and won’t be starting yet. Mr. Marshall says that girls don’t start until their twelve or fourteen.”
“I was around your age when I got mine.” Joshlyn saw a familiar brand, glancing through the different sizes. With it being Luz’s first, she would be light until her body adapted and developed to the constant blood flow each month. “And Micha got her’s three months after me. It’s more common than you think.”
“The one you have,” mumbled the girl, eartips red. “It’s the kind that Cynthia and Cindy use.”
Nodding, she throws the small package of sixteen into the cart on the off chance she would need it.
***
After being on the isles for six months and having no way to return home, the conversation with Joshlyn had slipped to the back of her mind until it couldn’t. Waking one day to finding her sleeping bag stained and her stomach aching, she recalled what Joshlyn said. It appeared her former foster sister had been correct on when she started.
Knowing that Raine and Darius had returned late the night before, and Eberwolf was off somewhere outside, she collected school uniform, small bag of pads, and other needed things. Quickly arriving to the bathroom and dealing with it, the preteen was set to leaving it behind her.
She had learned fairly early just how different witch’s biology was to human’s. They didn't carry their young as humans did. Rather, there was an external womb that incubated the baby for a full summer until it issued a red alert, the baby being born within hours.
None of her guardians, even with the best intentions, would probably not be able to understand periods or other fun things that came with “becoming a woman” as Mr. Marshall had mentioned.
Several days later, after keeping her new development a secret, she was relieved for it to be over. There wasn’t anything to worry about until the future. Joshlyn said periods could be irregular while they were new, and would be barely noticed. Despite that, the older girl was very serious on changing your pad as the directions on the back of the bag directed.
***
Five quarters later, at the start of the Heims break, Luz awoke to the same aching feeling as she had before her first period. Not wanting to risk staining her sleeping bag again, she went over to her duffel bag unzipping it and digging around inside.
Over the last almost seven moons, the supplies inside had depleted until only a few items, outside of her clothes, were left, including the last few scraps of snacks Joshlyn, Cindy, and Cynthia had packed her as a surprise.
Digging to the bottom, she found the items she was looking for. Clenching them into a fist, she pulled the blue disheveled bag out. Reaching inside and yanking one out, the preteen felt her stomach drop when realizing there were only two pads outside of the one she held.
From the first one, she almost used all the pads. There would be no way that three pads would last the entire time of her period.
Fighting the urge to scream into her pillow or to bother either of her three caregivers with her human biological means, she glumly went to the bathroom, quickly saving from any embarrassing moments that could happen.
Coming to the dining area, she found Katya, Derwin, and Amber all scrunched together, arguing over each other, about the upcoming market trip. They only had a few spare snails out of the budget to get anything that was a want. Neither of the three wanted to waste it on something that only one wanted.
“Hey, Sweets-“ Katya gently ruffled her hair as she settled beside them, handing over a bowl of oatmeal and screamberries, her favorite breakfast. “Do you need anything added to the list? Amber, Derwin, and I will be leaving soon.”
“I have a list in my room,” she offered softly, pushing the oatmeal around. “Can I get it after breakfast?”
“I can grab it.” Amber slid off her seat. “Where is it at, Luz?”
“On my sleeping bag.” After getting changed and everything, the preteen had started to make a list of things to approach Darius, Raine, and Eberwolf on needed. One of her most needed pads, had been replaced by bandages, which she had read in a book could be used in place. “It should be underneath my coat, hat, and mittens.”
“Going somewhere today?” Derwin glanced over as he carried the other three’s dishes to the basin, leaving them to soak until they returned later in the day. “You’re not up until after Raine or Darius wakes you on weekends.”
“Amity’s older sister, Amelia, is taking Amity, Willow, Gus, and I to go sledding on the knee at their family’s cabin,” she explained between bites, quickly finishing her breakfast. “This is the last warm day of the season apparently, and Amity wanted to show me the proper sledding hills before it got too cold.”
“Did you ask teach or Darius?”
She nodded. “They okayed it two quarters ago. After we got the dates for break, Amity and all of us got planning on plans until the Dark Days arrived, and later Light Celebration.”
“Amber, hurry up!” Katya was packing the things into her messenger bag, ready to leave. “Derwin and I are leaving without you if you don’t hurry up.”
“I’m coming-“ Amber grumbled as she came back into the room. “I’m here, Katya,” she said, handing the fisted list to the older vampire witch. “Put this in your bag. It’s Luz’s list.”
“Have fun, Luz-“ Derwin was quickly ushering Amber and Katya out before they threw out a full brawl in the kitchen. “Make sure to dress warmly, bring your scroll, and check in with any of us if something happens. And-“ He ducked out of the way of an incoming fire orb. “Take lots of pictures!”
***
Many hours later, not long after dark, Luz was dropped back off at the coven head estate, frozen and ready to crawl into her sleeping bag. She loved spending time with her friends but it was easy for them to forget she didn’t have the same energy as them. Being able to go hours and hours on end without eating and not growing tired, she had spent most of the time running to keep up with them, tumbling through snow and playing until it was almost dark.
Pressing her palm against the runic to open the door, she stepped inside, storing her icy boots in their holder. Knowing they would be warm for tomorrow, for when Willow’s Papa and Tata were taking their daughter and her to pick icyberries, she thumped to her bedroom, wanting to get her wet and cold outerwear off.
Distant, from the other side of the six bedroom house, she could hear the Crystal Ball on, broadcasting some coven issued show. It was too early for Raine, Darius, or Eberwolf to be back. They had said yesterday, they had an important coven meeting that would run late and reminded her not to stay up late.
Thinking that it was just left on for background noise as Katya wrote, she didn’t even pause to peer inside before making a beeline for the kitchen. Pulling the witchlet weighed icebox open, Luz was digging around when the familiar mana of a certain abomination witch washed over, causing her to pause.
“Darius?” Blinking her owlish gaze, she glanced over her shoulder. The witch stood in the center of the entrance, Derwin, Katya, and Amber behind him. “I thought you had a coven head meeting. Why you home so early?”
“I got a very concerning scry from three student bards,” rumbled the witch, green eyes settling on the child. “Is there something that I should know about, Luz? Or do I need to bundle you up, and take you to the nearest emergency Healer?”
Resisting to growl, even as cute as they said it was, at the older students, she crossed her arms, shaking her head. “I’m fine,” she insisted before turning her attention back to her icebox. Her stomach felt like it was moments away from trying to eat itself. “Just hungry after sledding all day.”
“I don’t believe that.” Darius crossed the kitchen in half a stride, just long enough before Luz could process, and plucked her off the ground. “If you don’t want to be truthful. I will be taking you to an emergency healer and be contacting Whispers and the mutt to meet us there.”
“There is nothing wrong with me,” she complained as she clung to the abomination witch’s arm. Over the seven moons in the three coven head’s care, Luz had come to feel safe with being carried around by Darius, and sometimes, Raine, when she had fallen asleep while doing coursework or in a crowded place that they could be separated from. “I just gave them a list of things that I need!”
“Than, why did you need bandages, puffy gauze, and magical sealment?” Derwin held the list out. “Those are classified healing supplies, Luz.”
“It’s a human thing-” Luz felt her lip quiver as she tried to keep her frustration under control. She couldn’t be mad at her caregivers for not knowing something that wasn’t even a thing in their realm. It was as if expecting her to know every social cue that witches of her summers knew. “It’s something that happens for humans every moon.”
Darius was halfway through wrapping his cloak around her when he paused. “Explain,” he rumbled, summoning a chair over and settling her down. “What do you mean by a human thing?”
“I don’t know it fully-” Luz blushed as she squirmed. It hadn’t been this uncomfortable when Joshlyn explained it to her when she was seven. While she thought it was icky, Joshlyn had made it feel like nothing was wrong. But, with four sets of eyes baring down on her, it felt like everything was wrong. “I-I’m just learning the basic on human anonymity and human puberty, unlike here where they learn at six and seven summers, during Pre-track courses.”
“It’s a part of your version of witchlet biology?” Darius looked perplexed as he tried to grasp the concept. “But you don’t hear of it until your almost a witchling.”
“I was lucky,” she expressed, remembering how some of her classmates where pulled out before the birds and bees talk. “Joshlyn only explained the basics, but she told me not to tell anyone about it. There are many people who don’t think its a good or moral subject to talk with human young about.”
Not wanting to linger on that, Darius nodded. “You can promise that you’re not sick? Or trying to hide that you are hurt?”
“I promise,” the ten-year-old answered, omitting the fact of the pain that came with getting your period. “It’s said to be a natural thing.”
“Okay-” The witch gripped his nose, overwhelmed by the drastic differences between witches and humans. “Okay, Luz. For now, grab something to eat and join me in the sitting room. We’ll wait there until Eberwolf and Songbird come home from the meeting. And you three-“ His green gaze fell to the other three bards. “I suggest you make yourself scarce for the rest of the night. Eberwolf, Songbird, and I need to have a private conversation with Luz.”
“Don’t have to tell us twice.” Katya pressed her ears back as she brushed past Darius, grabbing her outer garments. “I’ll go and stay over at the B.A.T.T.’s old base. I don’t want to be here to even on the off chance I can accidentally hear tidbits of this conversation.”
“Amber and I will join you,” Derwin said, pushing Amber to get her own things on. Quickly, once warmly bundled, the three left, leaving a sulking Luz and partly amused and partly confused Darius behind.
“Titan and Goddess-” Luz wanted to hide away, not looking forward to what was coming in a few hours. “Give me strength.”