Chapter Text
"Welcome home, everyone!" Luz called out to the witches, titan, and grimwalker following behind her. She dashed -- accidentally doing so a lot more literally as she seemed to jolt forward a few feet -- towards her house's front steps.
"Mamà, I'm home! I told you I'd be back as soon as I coul-WA-" Luz was wrapped up in her mother's arms before she could finish speaking.
"Oh, mija, I missed you so much. Tell me, are you okay? And, er, what's with the face paint?"
Oh, yeah, that's a thing, isn't it?
"I, uh, I had to do something really stupid to even be here with you right now... so, well..."
Luz suddenly performed an overly dramatic series of poses, before speaking in a far more childish tone.
"So now you have two kids in one body! I'm The Collector, but you can call me...-" they bowed, before continuing "- Cölestinus!"
"Comò estas, mi mija? Are you feeling well?"
"That'd be... Mi... jo? Mijo, yes. Luz is your mija, I am your mijo."
"Let's get you and your friends inside. Obviously we have a lot of catching up to do..."
"...So then I willingly let myself be possessed so I could have the power to go between the Demon Realm and Human Realm! And that's why I was acting all weird on the doorstep... Sorry, mamà..."
"Mija, you have nothing you need to apologize to me for... well, maybe leaving initially, but that's in the past and you're home now."
"Yeah..."
"And besides, you were safe with... Eda? Am I saying that right?"
"Yeap." The witch in question sipped some tea Vee had made for them.
"Did anything else happen? Besides trying to stop a human-turned-eldritch-being from destroying your world?"
"Well... I got a girlfriend!" Luz pointed over at Amity, who blushed from both embarrassment and appreciation.
"Oh, mija, that's so sweet. And you seem to have brought a few friends along as well."
Gus and Willow poked their heads out from the kitchen.
Gus spoke up, "Um, Ms. Noceda... what does this do?" He revealed a kitchen timer from within his hands.
"It's just a kitchen timer. Lets you know when your food is done cooking."
"Interesting!"
Luz leaned toward her mother, "You're gonna be doing a lot more explaining to Gus than just a kitchen timer. He's a human fanatic. He had a human appreciation society back at Hexside."
"Intriguing. By any chance, is that how you met each other?"
"Sorta..."
"And what about him over there?"
"Who? Oh... Hunter..."
Hunter had been sitting in the corner, petting Flapjack, their beloved cardinal palisman. He was mostly keeping to himself, and wasn't really paying attention to anything other than his little friend. Hearing their name, however, was enough to get them moving.
"Y-yes? Luz, you said my name. Y'need somethin'?"
"No, just introducing everyone to my mom."
"O-oh... Well, hello, Ms. Noceda. I'm Hunter, and I-"
"Goodness, muchacho, tú estás muy pequeño!"
"Wha... what did she say?"
Luz answered with a half-sigh half-giggle, "She said you're very small. I think she means small as in strength, though."
"Oh..." Hunter glared at the floor indignantly, before looking back up and continuing his statement, "I am apparently something called a Grimwalker. I don't know exactly what that means, but what I do know about it is that... well, I'm not a human, and I'm not a witch."
"Honor to meet you, Grimwalker Hunter. Now, if you'd like, there's some fruit in the kitchen if you'd like to feed your little birdie fr-"
"His name is Flapjack, and I'll take you up on that offer."
Hunter made their way to the kitchen, grabbed an apple, cut it in half, and gave one half to Flapjack, and kept one half for himself.
"He's quite a loner, hmm?"
"Hard to trust people when you've been abused and betrayed by the only parental figure in your life."