Behind the Lens (the owl house au)

Ch. 18 ~ Alaska

Luz stepped out of the airport and was met by the cold Alaskan air. She opened her arms wide and breathed it in. Eda trailed behind her, bundling herself in her scarf.

"You feel that, Eda? That cold breeze," Luz exclaimed.

Eda grumbled, "I'm in Alaska, aren't I?" Luz adjusted her backpack straps and said, "Oh, come on, Eda, it isn't that bad."

Eda shivered, wrapping her scarf tighter. "Don't tell me what's bad after I spent 6 hours on a flight next to a crying baby." The automatic doors opened, and a woman with her crying baby walked by.

The baby's wails echoed through the airport, drawing sympathetic glances from passersby. Luz winced, sharing a look with Eda. "Okay, maybe Alaska is starting to grow on me," Luz admitted, smiling. "You have a strange way of warming up to a place, kid."

"I warm up with the heart," Luz professed, putting her hand to her chest.

As the automatic doors closed, Dana exited the airport along with a bunch of crew members. Luz and Eda followed, with Alex joining them wearing an excessive number of layers. He pulled out a map from his backpack.

"Alright, team, we need to find our way to the hotel. Does anyone know which way to go?" Dana inquired.

Amity and her siblings, Emira and Edric, also exited the airport. Emira looked at Alex and Eda quizzically and asked, "Why on Earth are you using a real map? We all have phones. It's like a supercomputer in your pocket that can give you directions."

Eda, with a confused look, added, "Yeah, are you stuck in the past, Alex?"

Alex, undeterred, defended his choice of a map. "Call me old-fashioned, but sometimes technology fails. A good old map never lets you down."

Luz agreed, "Well, I'm with Alex. Maps have a certain charm, and they never run out of battery."

Emira rolled her eyes, "Charm won't keep you warm in this freezing weather. Let's use our phones and get to the hotel before we turn into icicles."

Eda chuckled, enjoying the banter. "Alright, kids, let's see who gets to the hotel first – Team Map or Team Phone. Winner gets bragging rights."

As they all started moving towards the parking area, Alex unfolded the map with determination to win, while Amity, Emira, and Edric confidently followed the digital path on their smartphones.

Luz and Alex entered the hotel, raising their fists high in victory and high-fiving Eda, Amity, Ed, and Em. They grinned triumphantly, thinking they had won the race.

"Took you guys enough time," Amity teased, sharing a laugh with her siblings.

Luz and Alex sighed and pouted when they realized they lost. "Well, Team Map, it seems like the charm of maps couldn't beat the speed of technology," Emira remarked playfully.

Eda chuckled, patting Luz on the back. "Nice effort, kid. You'll get 'em next time."

Luz looked around the hotel lobby, spotting Dana at the check-in counter and the crew members wandering about. "Well, at least we made it in one piece. What's the plan now?"

As Luz looked at Amity, who walked off with purpose, she quickly realized that the walk to their room might be a bit more awkward than she anticipated. Determined not to let the silence linger, Luz quickened her pace and caught up with Amity.

The two walked side by side in silence, the tension between them palpable. Amity maintained a cold demeanor, and while it was less intense than it used to be, she still kept herself distanced from Luz. Luz, feeling the need to break the ice, nervously spoke up, "So, roommates, huh? This should be fun, right?"