The Owl House: Tesoro

Chapter 5: The Battle of Pulmonary Valley

Luz knew they shouldn't have come early.

It's not that she didn't agree with Amity. Her wife knew as well as she did that if they didn't arrive at the Wellness Centre early, they'd never work up the nerve to even enter the building in time.

But they shouldn't have come early.

Despite how nervous Luz was, she found a new sense of confidence. Amity had bought a new outfit for her recently. She was reluctant to try something that didn't seem to be her style, but once she put it on, that wicked fantasy-type jacket, symphony-blue jeans and neon-purple crop top seemed to fit her perfectly. Amity herself would attest that she rocked that outfit way more than her bounty-hunter attire or 'Battle Jammies' (trademark pending.) Luz noticed the odd stare from passersby in the waiting room and just kicked back with a wicked grin, as if to say 'That's right, witches, drink it all in'. That extra comfort was just what she needed.

But they so shouldn't have come early.

At least it's not too quiet in the waiting room. Luz remembers how nerve wracking it was at their last appointment. No music, no conversation, no noise except for that hexing clock ticking away. Each second bringing the same noise that echoed throughout the room, getting progressively louder. Now, though, they had a CD of lo-fi hip hop playing, drowning out the stupid clock. She had no idea how the Centre managed to find such music, let alone on a format that predates her very existence, but she can't complain. It was actually pleasant to listen to.

But they really shouldn't have come early.

Of course, Amity was aware of Luz's waiting room issues, and being her awesome wife, she devised a little game to pass the time. In moments like these, they try not to console each other too much, lest they exhaust themselves emotionally. The key word being 'try'. So, they compete to see who can hold out the longest without uttering any reassurances. Loser kisses the winner, each kiss was one point. Amity was confident in her unshakeable resolve.

THIRTY MINUTES LATER...
Luz: 15 pts
Amity: 2 pts

Amity might have overestimated her resolve a little. But Luz was making that cute little pout the whole time, which was totally unfair. Still, turnabout was fair play, so the purple-haired witch put on a despondent display of her own. Her human partner succumbed to her charm sooner than anticipated and offered her consolations. That kiss was as good as--

"Mrs. and Mrs. Noceda? Celine will see you now."

Internal screaming aside, Amity was at least relieved at not having to wait anymore. Fortunately, Luz was a good enough sport to give her a peck on the cheek before getting up.

"Amity! Luz! It's good to see you two again."

"Hey, Cece!" Luz could never shake the feeling that Celine overdressed for her job. She looked more like a coven head than the witch equivalent of a psychiatrist. Those flowy robes, the near-regal pauldrons and a tiara with chains studded with every kind of jewel imaginable? Her outfit just screamed 'Final Form'.

"You really think it's too much?" Celine looks at her clothes, then at Luz, with concern.

"WHA--?! I... that is... I didn't..."

"Sorry! Sorry. I promise I'm not trying to read your mind." Celine spouted. "It's just that sometimes, people's thoughts can be so vividly projected that they practically say them out loud to me. It's kinda hard to ignore."