(Amity's POV :000 *anime WOW*)
I'd gotten used to the rain here in the human world since it's not boiling, but the coldness of it kinda makes me a little sad, mostly annoyed though. Looking out the car window the rain gently pitter patters on the closed window, feeling a gentle hand run from my thigh to knee I look over at luz. Looking into the back at Hermes strapped into a carseat passed out I snicker slightly
" you know.. I think jess' not made out of palastor wood theory is correct, I have never seen a palisman grow like a child- they're taller than ghost now"
Glancing over at me with a smile her hand squeezes my knee, turning to her I ask quietly
"So where are we headed? You seem awfully quiet-"
Shaking her head slightly she murmurs a quick 'secret' before she smile at me a second time, the rain slowly fades after each mile the car drives on and suddenly we're driving under a sunny cloudless sky. Pulling into a small roadside diner she asks quietly
"Anyone... hungry?"
And hermes is up in a flash being constantly hungry, getting out I open up the backseat door and unclip the seatbelt in the carseat that they're having difficulty with. Sitting in the open seat next to the carseat when I get a call I answer it, sitting beside me as I put it on speaker mode jess asks
"Is luz there with you?"
She laughs wholeheartedly and remarks in a slightly cocky way but pretty much jokingly
"When am I not jess?"
She chuckles slightly, sighing gently there is the sound of paper rustling on the other side.
"So I found out more about Hermes from my father- and he has been filling in details about half forgotten boiling isles history.. they are made of a wood related to palastor wood but what they are made of is shiftor wood instead of being a hard redwood like palastor, shiftor is made of flexible, durable white wood. Used as the exact same purpose as palastor, staff wielders have noticed that their palismans grow from small familiar sizes, to the sizes of average adult men and women- depending on the owners "average". This gives them the ability of their name shiftor... they can return to their normal size but whilst they can turn into any form INCLUDING a human or witch form as a camouflage.. but unlike witches every spell they make is an illusion and therefore.. harmless"
Looking up at me then luz Hermes points at themself confused and says quietly
'I don't even know how..'
Jess ends the call before I can say goodbye, slipping it into my pocket I think a moment
"Maybe you need to just remain focused and think about what you want to take form of, like when conjuring spells"
Looking at me troubled I pet their head, closing their eyes their brow scrunches downward in concentration, after a few minutes of watching them try over and over again they pop into the form of a short brown haired, hazel eyed, freckly four year old girl. The only thing reminding me that this is hermes is the bat hoodie they're wearing, they look uncomfortable at the new form
"Gross.. my hands are tingly"
They grumble slightly as they flex their fingers, luz chuckles gently and wipes a smudge of dirt from their face she never noticed.
" you look adorable herm-"
"Rose please it fits this form better mami"
My heart melts gently
" you look really cute rose.. those freckles make me wonder where they came from.. hmm.. mrs. Luz over there seems the perfect candidate"
Looking at luz she smile and says giggling,
"I never liked my freckles but I can't get rid of them they're everywhere, like I'd be more comfortable with just a few not ten bajillion"
Sticking out her tongue playfully she chuckles lovingly at me, lifting rose out of my lap her legs wrap around luzes middle. Slipping out of the car I close the opened car doors and head inside with luz, sitting in an open booth facing a patch of woods Luz slides rose into the seat next to me. Trying to flatten her wild hair for a moment she starts using her sleeves to have a silent conversation with her two hands, luz chuckles slightly as I look at her.
"I used to do that too mi hija when I was younger... glad it passes on"
Looking up at the waitress putting menus in front of us she says kindly
"Good afternoon ladies I'm joyce, anything I can get for you three girls?"
"Iced tea unsweetened please"
Looking at luz pretty much still wondering how on EARTH I like unsweetened drinks she replies
"Coke"
Pulling on my sleeve I look down at rose, pulling me down to whisper in my ear I say for her since she's pretty shy
"And a lemonade too please"
Joyce chuckles gently her eyes smiling at the shy mess pressing into me
"Lovely little girl you have miss.. how old is she"
Rose picks up the courage to say it herself
"Almost five! Mi mami is SUPER TALL so I'm younger than I look"
Laughing gently at her I look at luz who absolutely adores rose at this point, joyce smiles gently and pulls a tiny coloring book out of the clipboard and a small package of six crayons I know rose will get bummed at.
"Here you go darling have a little bit of fun, I'll be right back with your drinks"
Back in her shy mood she nods and hands me the package to open
"It's too difficult mama.."
Flipping over the tiny package when I see the tape I open it for her, immediately taking out the green one she gets irritated that the color isn't sticking well, but is soon getting over it. Pulling out the pink when she asks me to join, I shade the bottoms of the clouds pink and many other pink required things. Tapping the paper in front of me I look over at the menu as does rose, she mouths quietly 'burgers?' And smiles when we both nod. Walking up to our table joyce sets our drinks in front of us,
"Anything else I can get you?
Smiling kindly to her luz replies as me and rose continue to doodle on,
"Three burgers please"
Nodding gently she turns around to return to the kitchen, pulling her cup closer to take a sip- well.. a large damn near choke yourself gulp- I smile and take a sip of my tea.
_____
Heading back to the car I take away the back rest from the convertible carseat, setting rose in the carseat I buckle her up. Getting into the passenger's seat I look over at luz smile, but her disturbed facial expression makes me look confused
"The waitresses were staring at us the entire time- it made me uncomfortable"
Patting the back of luzes chair rose says quietly
"Mami, mami!"
Turning around to look at her luz cocks her head slightly in curiosity,
"That joyce lady was saying I was kidnapped to the chef man.. she had a very creepy smile on her face that said it too"
Luz looks at her kinda shocked, buckling up she shakes her head slightly and pulls out of the parking lot. Giving rose my tablet they go and download better strategy games, looking out at the road I shiver slightly
"Why do older people have to be so superstitious? Like- yes facts would point to me being thirteen when I would have most likely given birth but- yeesh.. my old friend had a child at twelve."
She suddenly asks blurting it out loudly, patting her shoulder I say with a chuckle
"Not everyone has a friend who would make teen moms look like a spinoff series of preteen moms which thankfully doesn't even exist"
She smiles gently at me her eyes holding a sparkle, her hand comfortably reclaims it's place on my thigh. Leaning onto the once again rain pattered window I close my eyes, the soft rain noises making me fall asleep. Opening up my irritated eyes I look around the darkened car luz still driving on, but an empty five hour energy lays inside an added empty coffee cup. Running my hand along her thigh she swiftly looks at me,
"Let me drive a few hours hun.. you look exhausted"
Pulling over into a conveniently placed rest stop she says quietly
"I am exhausted..."
Trading seats with her she plugs her phone into the aux to play the google maps voice when needing a turn, slipping off my coat I hand it to her. Wrapping herself in it like a blanket I pull the car out of park and head down the streetlight lit road, stealing short glances at luz now asleep I smile to myself. Stirring in her sleep as the street lights make more an appearance, I rub her thigh and murmur
"Don't let the lights trouble you gorgeous.. they'll pass soon"
Mumbling inaudible things she speaks up loud to say
"I love you ami.."
Before returning to sleep, bringing my hand back to the wheel I look in the rearview mirror to see rose also asleep.. I would have thought she'd have changed back to a palisman by now but- it mustn't be that much a pull on her magic- hell shifting might not even need the use of magic.. sighing gently I look around the road and press the gas just a tad more to the ACTUAL speed limit rather than the truckers speed limit, pulling into a gas station real quick I top off the tank, a whole ton of snack food, and two hardcore green apple rockstars, turning the engine over I cradle a can with my thighs to keep it upright as I pop it open, sipping the energy drink every now and then to regain some energy I reassuringly sneak glances at luz, then to now awake rose her attention back on the tablet. Chuckling gently as I take another sip before placing the can back in between my thighs- since the cup holders are occupied with luzes rockstar and her phone on Google maps.
"Mama..?"
Roses tiny voice asks quietly as not to wake up luz, looking into the rearview mirror I smile gently and reply lovingly
"Yes baby? Are you a little bit hungry? There's a box of strawberry pop tarts in the bag closest to you, they're not warm but just as equally delicious"
Nodding gently she leans towards the bag and pulls out the box, taking one package out she gratefully eats it while she continues to play- only I can assume- angry birds. Pressing her cheek to the window luz jerks awake to the cold temperature, smiling gently at her I ask quietly
"Sleep well beautiful? You took in a few hours"
Handing her the extra energy drink I quickly rub her shoulder before returning my hand to the wheel, looking at her from the corner of my eye too tired to drink the now opened can I ask teasingly
"Would you like a straw love?"
Chuckling gently she takes the straw out of her coffee cup, and puts it into the can to be adorably lazy. Watching a car pass in the opposite facing lane I blink away the white spots from their high beams, seeing luzes hand run lovingly over mine I look at her a moment
"We can switch off if you want to am"
Shaking my head no I smile and joke,
"I can manage two more hours luz.. you don't need to have constant control of the S.S Illumity captain"
Watching a coyote pass the road I cock an eyebrow slightly
"Do I get the privilege to know our final destination?"
She shakes her head immediately no and let's her hand reclaim it's spot on my thigh it had before, chuckling she says teasingly
"Now would it be a secret if I told you?"
I shake my head no with a chuckle then go back to watching the street lights fade as the sun goes up.