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"Are you ready for date night, batata?" Luz asked. Ducking her head into her closet, she scrounged around until she found a nice, wrinkle-free button down shirt. Grabbing the hanger that held the shirt, Luz yoinked it out of the closet and laid it over her dresser and in front of the mirror.
"Almost!" came Amity's reply from the bathroom. The witch had told her girlfriend that she wasn't allowed to see her outfit yet, and Luz was anxiously awaiting the surprise reveal.
"We're leaving in...," Luz looked down at her watch, "15 minutes!"
Now the basilisk just needed some good tail-accommodating pants that would match the shirt and she would be all set. Opening the bottom dresser drawer, she moved aside the shorts and jeans until she found the pair of fancy-looking but comfy pants that Mamá had adjusted for her. Camila had added a little slit and zipper to the seat of the pants that would allow her to just unzip the back and let her tail breathe whenever she wanted. Well, as long as she was in the Demon Realm or at the Noceda House. Walking around Gravesfield in public with a scaly behind was definitely not a smart idea. (Thanks a lot, Jacob.)
Shimmying into the pants, Luz yanked them up before making sure the back was zipped and the little fabric flap was covering the zipper. Returning to the shirt situation, Luz stuck her tongue out as she pondered whether she wanted to go for an undershirt as well.
The Isles was in what was basically its equivalent of summer, and that meant it was humid and hot as all get out during the daytime. Lots of potential for sweating. Tapping her finger against her chin, Luz clicked her tongue. If she had the undershirt, that would mean she'd be in double layers and would probably be hotter than if she just had the button down on, but the undershirt would also mean that she wouldn't have to worry about sweat stains. Hmm... Undershirt it was, then. She could stand a little extra heat.
Diving back into her dresser, the basilisk found a plain white t-shirt that would fit her purposes well enough. Throwing it on, she tucked the shirt into her pants and then smoothed out the small wrinkles with her hands. Grabbing the button down, she then looped her arms through the sleeves and pulled it on before getting to work on buttoning.
Deciding to leave the overshirt untucked for better airflow and whatever other science-y stuff, Luz studied herself in the mirror. Looking good, Noceda, she thought. Shaking her head to let her curls bounce around a bit, she then brushed the hair off her forehead with her hands before smiling. Firing double finger guns to her reflection, the basilisk clicked her tongue twice. "Nice."
"I'm ready to head over!" Luz called out, sticking her head out of the bedroom.
"Alright," Amity replied, who was apparently still applying her own finishing touches to her ensemble. "Any updates from Vee or Masha yet?"
"Uhhh..." Luz scampered over to her phone and checked it. There were two text notifications waiting for her on the lock screen. "They're already at the restaurant and seated. Crud, we gotta hurry!"
"What?!" Amity shouted, hurrying to finish applying her makeup. "I thought we agreed to meet at 6:00!"
"Well, I guess they got ready extra quick," Luz said. Tapping out a quick reply that the other half of the double date would be there soon, the basilisk grabbed her purse. "Come on, Ams!"
Amity speed-walked out of the bathroom. "How do I look?" she asked quickly, looking to her girlfriend for approval.
Luz's eyes went wide as she took in the sight of her favorite witch. Amity had opted for wearing one of her favorite sundresses, a light blue number that had little floral accents around the hem and had added a pair of off-white sandals and small black stud earrings to round out the outfit. All in all, Luz was floored by just how dang pretty her girlfriend looked. "You look... incredible. Stunning. Gorgeous." Blinking a few times, Luz refocused on her current objective. "Stop admiring your girlfriend, Noceda. Alright, let's go! Can't leave Vee and Masha waiting any more."
Amity chuckled as the two went down the steps. "You look stunning yourself, batata."
As the two hurried down the stairs and out the house - after saying bye to Camila, of course - Luz rubbed her hands together in delight and anticipation and nerves. "Date night, eeh!" she exclaimed as she opened the portal door to the Isles. As the two stepped through and crossed realms, Luz's mind was all abuzz with excitement. When that smell of magic and the Demon Realm hit her nostrils, the basilisk couldn't stop herself from smiling.
After multiple years of rebuilding, the Isles was finally back to its former glory from before Philip What-a-bum had ruined everything. Streets were full of the hustle and bustle of witches and demons living their lives. As it turned out, people actually liked not having to live under the restrictions of the Coven System, which was a super big shocker to absolutely nobody. "Wild" magic (which was just magic, now) was everywhere!
Taking a deep breath and relishing in the scent of magic all around her, Luz smiled as she grabbed her lover's hand. The basilisk bobbed and weaved through the crowds as they made their way through the streets, making a beeline for the restaurant. It was a recently opened one that Masha had chosen as the venue for their double date, so Luz was excited to give it a shot.
"Come on, Ams!" Luz said, tugging her along so they could get there faster. "Vee and Masha are probably thinking we're ditching them or something!"
"Okay, okay!" Amity couldn't hold back a laugh. "Titan, I think they'll be fine if they have to wait a few minutes. The restaurant's not going anywhere."
"I know. I just... I wanna see them!" Luz said. "I miss them! I haven't seen them in so long!"
Amity scoffed. "Luz. Vee is literally your sister. You saw her two days ago."
"Two days is a really long time!" Luz countered.
Amity just rolled her eyes as they approached the restaurant. "You're such a sap, Noceda."
Opening the door to Hell's Kitchen and Pub, the two were punched in the face with the overwhelming delicious smell of food and the loud chatter of the restaurant's patrons. The restaurant was packed, but Luz thanked Papa Titan that Vee had been smart enough to call ahead for a reservation. Approaching the host stand, Luz smiled. "Hi! We're here to join our friends. Name is under Noceda. Should be two others who're already here."
The hostess, a middle-aged satyr with bright green hair and even brighter blue eyes smiled. "We just seated those two, actually. Follow me, please."
Smiling, Luz linked hands with Amity as they followed the satyr, weaving through the tables and high-tops until they ended at a booth tucked into a corner of the restaurant. There, on the far side of the booth, were Vee and Masha, both busy poring over the menus.
"Hey, guys!" Amity said as she slid into the booth first, finally drawing attention to the arriving party. "Hope we weren't holding you guys up too long."
"Hey!" Vee answered, looking up from her menu. "No worries. There was actually a bit of a lag between us getting here and actually getting seated. I guess my text was... ambitious. Anyways, yeah. Glad you could make it!" Her partner's face was still buried in the pages until Vee nudged them with her elbow. "Mash, we have company." Vee hissed.
The enby finally looked up from the menu. "Oh! Ohh. Hi Amity, Luz. Sorry," Masha apologized for their distraction. "Just... all this demon food looks so awesome and different. What even is a 'chasfarna'?"
"Chasfarna is a really rare species of ratworm bred specifically for its meat," Amity explained. "It's a delicacy. Kinda like a... Wag-You beef or whatever it is that humans eat. The really fancy steak. That's basically what chasfarna is."
"Can humans eat it?" Masha asked, eyes hopeful at the prospect of eating demon wagyu.
"I mean, I could eat it," Luz said. "But I'm only half human, so I don't know if our stomachs are the most accurate one-to-one comparison."
"Well, that's good enough for me!" the enby said, closing the menu and smiling. "Come to Masha, chasfarna."
Vee scoffed and rolled her eyes at her partner's antics. Turning to the other side of the booth, she propped her elbows up on the table and rested her chin in her hands. "So what are you guys thinking of gettin'?"
Finally opening her own menu, Luz perused her options while Amity did the same. The basilisk's eyes were instantly attracted to the 'Earth-Inspired' section of the menu. None of the offerings were actually originating from Luz's home realm, but were more like a triply-photocopied version of real Earth meals. 'Spaghetti Bolognese' and its associated picture, for instance, looked like a completely different food compared to the real Italian dish that Luz was used to.
Still, though, some of them did look appetizing. Especially the 'Screech Tacos', which Luz was pretty sure was the Boiling Isles version of street tacos. Sure, the ingredients listed 'screaming hot fairies' which Luz was a little iffy about, but the picture to the side of the listing looked delicious. She would probably be picking that one when she inevitably thought that she would be getting something else but then switch back to the tacos at the last minute. That was just how Luz's brain worked.
"I'm probably going for the Screech Tacos," Luz announced her decision. "Ams?"
Amity hemmed and hawed for a few seconds before coming to her own conclusion. "The fried griffin cutlets are kinda calling my name," she said.
Vee perked up at the mention of the cutlets. "Ooh, yeah, those caught my eye too. Though I think I'm probably just gonna borrow some of Masha's chasfarna."
Luz giggled. "I think you mean 'steal', oh sister of mine."
Vee stuck out her tongue in retaliation. "Masha, would I ever steal food from you?" the younger basilisk asked, looking to her partner with cute puppy dog eyes. For extra effect she jutted her bottom lip out and batted her eyelashes a few times.
"Yes, you would." Masha said flatly, playfully shooing Vee's face away with their hand. "I could probably feed a small country with how many fries and carrots and celery sticks you've stolen from my plate over the years."
"But stolen food is the best food!" Vee protested. "Crime just amplifies the flavor so much."
"'The secret ingredient is crime'," Luz quoted, covering her mouth with her hand as she leaned in to whisper to Amity. The witch fought to keep a straight face, but eventually the dam broke and she burst out laughing.
"Freaking Eda," Amity bowed her head as she tried to stifle her giggles. "Where did she even come up with that?"
Luz leaned back in the booth, putting a hand under her head. "Titan... I think it was when she was trying to show me how to do that 'bring fruits and veggies to life' potion, and she was like 'I actually nabbed our test subjects from the Emperor's garden' or something like that. Then she just crouched down and whispered 'the secret ingredient to a good potion is crime.'"
Vee chuckled. "Jeez louise. Do we even know how many times Eda broke the law and stuff?"
"At least 2839 times," Luz replied. "At least. That's just from the ones the Emperor's Coven had recorded when we were looking through their old files."
Masha shook their head. "And now the Isles most notorious criminal is headmaster at the premier magic university. Insane character arc."
Amity scoffed. "That's definitely one way to describe Eda."
Suddenly, the waitress came to the booth to grab the party's orders. "Have you all gotten a chance to peruse the menu?" When the four nodded, the waitress continued. "Nice. So, what can I get you all?"
Luz was the first to answer. "I'll have the Screech Tacos, please."
Vee answered after. "I'll just get the charred fairy wings, thanks, and just bring them out with the rest of the order. Don't need it as an appetizer or anything."
"Fried griffin cutlets," Amity added once the waitress looked her way. "Oh, and a side of the vegetable medley, please."
"And I'll take the chasfarna," Masha said.
"How'd you like it cooked?" the waitress asked.
"Ah, medium rare, please," Masha answered.
The waitress stared blankly. "I don't know what that means."
Masha's mouth made a small o shape. "Umm... cook it like 2/3 of the way through? Like, not bloody raw but not just a chunk of dry meat either?"
That seemed to spark recognition in the waitress's eyes. "Oh... Oh! I get what you mean. Yeah, we can do that."
"Great!" Masha said, forcing a smile as they handed the menus back to the waitress. "Thanks."
Once the waitress had walked to tend to another table, Vee leaned to the center of the booth. "So, how's your exploring and engineering and stuff going, Amity? Close to making any wicked breakthroughs or awesome discoveries?"
Amity shrugged. "Eh, it's all going... alright, I guess."
"Just alright?" Vee pressed. "C'mon, gimme the deets. Doesn't being the sister of your GF get me some inside access to all the cool stuff you're working on?"
Amity rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. Recently, I've been working on a new fusion of abomination magic and oracle magic. Basically, it would be like a... like if you took a crystal ball predictor and then fused it into the golem. So like the golem would be able to see just a little bit into the future and then alter its actions to do... whatever it is its tasked to do in the most efficient way possible. It's still in the early stages, but I think it has a lot of potential."
Vee's eyes widened the smallest bit. "Huh, that sounds really cool. So like if you gave it a maze would it be able to just instantly find the exit?"
"Eh, I don't think it would be that good yet." Amity replied. "It wouldn't be able to see that far into the future that it would know the exact path. It would be more like if it just saw dead ends and stuff quicker by a few seconds."
"Ohhhh, okay," Vee said with a nod. "Still, that's super cool!"
The next few minutes were spent chatting over whatever topics came to mind and seemed interesting to one person or the other. Luz talked about her latest batch of students she'd been working on teaching glyph magic. Vee disucussed her extended shadowing of Camila as she interned at the animal clinic. Masha discussed all their various art projects and songs they had bouncing around in their brain. When the food came out, it finally put an end to the conversation.
Luz rubbed her hands together in delight as she thought which of the tacos would be the first victim of her hungry tummy. Eventually, she started with the middle of the three. Taking a bite, the basilisk closed her eyes as she relished in the flavor. "Titan, did they put crack in these or something? They're so good!" she exclaimed.
Then the heat hit her. Her eyes went wide again, but this time in panic. Dropping the taco, she frantically chugged her water to try and quell the five alarm fire that was assaulting her taste buds. "Jesus! Titan! How do people eat these?!" The basilisk stared at her girlfriend who casually took a bite of the taco and proceeded to not even so much as flinch.
"These taste fine," Amity replied. "Maybe your taste buds are used to human food?"
"No, I've had demon food before. Never made me want to rip out my tongue, though!" Luz said. "Vee. Water. Gimme."
Vee shook her head and giggled as she passed her drink. "Ahh, your weak human taste buds can't handle the heat, huh?" she teased. "Couldn't say the same. Tough."
Luz leveled a glare at her sister. "You try it, then. Go on, tough gal."
Vee smirked as she took a bite. After a few seconds of bravado, it melted away as the heat punched her in the gut and she doubled over. "Oh fuuuudge," Vee groaned. "I take it back. I'm gonna die. Thanks, Luz. You killed me."
Masha took one look at their girlfriend and clicked their tongue. "Yeah, I'm not touching that."
Slowly, the fire in Luz's mouth began to die down and her brain could focus on something else. "Ams? Can we... swap plates?" she pleaded. "Please?"
Amity rolled her eyes but nevertheless swapped their plates. "Enjoy something you can handle, batata."
"Thank you," Luz breathed out. "You're a life saver."
With Luz now able to actually eat food that didn't make her want to commit seppuku, the rest of the meal went by without a hitch. Amity pounded through those devilish tacos like they were nothing, Vee snacked on her fairy wings (and did in fact steal from Masha), and the enby loved the new flavors offered by the chasfarna. When the check finally came, Luz was pleasantly surprised to see the total read a whopping 0 snails. "Thanks for saving our butts," was scribbled on the ticket.
As the two lovers walked down the streets of Bonesborough, Luz smiled and leaned over. The basilisk pressed a soft kiss to Amity's cheek and pulled her in for a small hug. "I think this was my favorite date night ever."
"You say that every time we have a date night," Amity replied, but she still smiled and returned with a kiss to Luz's cheek in kind.
"I mean it every time. They just keep getting better!" Luz said. "I love you, batata. Te quiero mucho."
Amity felt her cheeks flush red. "I love you too, Luz."
Smiling like a dummy, Luz reached behind her and finally unzipped the back of her pants to let her tail out. When the appendage started wagging a mile a minute, Amity laughed. "How long have you been waiting to do that?" she asked.
"All night," the basilisk replied. "Now, where do you wanna do for dessert? I'm thinking ice cream."