I’m from a family of assassins, so yeah, they’re all in the business of murder. And my entire family…they’ve got real high hopes for me. But, y’know…I can’t stand it. Who wants their whole life mapped out for ‘em?
Happy Birthday, Killua! — July 7th
I know that it's not super in-character for her to be so decked out, but I wanted to try to make this a bit like those overly-ornate church altar statues that have no business being so highly decorated.
Takes place: June 2025
Summary: After a long back and forth with the school administration, the Magnifiques finally receive credit for the semester. They reconvene and reflect on the past year.
@blight-magic @ariel-the-undiscovered
DEVYN:
They’d said yes!
It was a long and frankly harrowing process getting everything together. There was a lot of back and forth with the administration, who had clarifying questions and condescending rebuttals that they’d have to parry. Amity and Ariel’s strong voices came through in that regard, while Devyn’s conflict resolution kept things from getting out of their hands. Kleo’s impeccable organization was clutch in gathering everything they needed, far more than was requested. Giselle’s positivity managed to keep them all together, even when the going was tough.
In the end, it was their original story that did it. The administration was not particularly interested in their final assignment rewriting the end of the book, but the amount of worldbuilding, note-taking, prose–even artwork and graphics–was demonstrative of the heart and soul they’d poured into this. It was specifically noted in the final email confirming they’d be receiving credit for their study.
The Magnifiques wanted to celebrate. They gathered in Kleo and Amity’s dorms, a prime hangout for the past year. It was hard to believe that the semester was coming to a close, and this might be one of their last times together in this room. Devyn made sure to bring everyone’s favorite drinks from Hatter’s, having long ago memorized each of their orders.
After handing everything out, they collapsed on Amity’s bed with their own drink in hand. Once the subtitle spell was cast, they grinned brightly and signed, “We did it!”
AMITY:
When they got back to Amity and Kleo’s dorm room, Amity was still smiling.
For the first time since– well, since they banished Magnifico back into the world of Rosas– her chest felt light, her two hearts beating steadily and in unison. So much was still fucked up. Amity was pretty sure most of her relationships outside the Magnifiques might either…never recover or take a long time to heal. But at least they had their credits. At least, Amity was graduating. At least, Amity still had the Magnifiques.
She smiled at Dev. Despite any lingering mixed feelings, their energy was always infectious. Even when they didn’t use their magic, Amity swore the air always vibrated around them, like it was ready to pop with different colors, symbols, and expressions.
Then she smiled at Ariel, Kleo, and Giselle. “I almost thought they were gonna say no still,” she admitted. “But it feels good– at least something good came out of this, right?”
ARIEL
Ariel was ready to partayyyyy.
She wasn’t graduating, she still had a bit to go considering her inability to stay still in a subject but she was proud of what they did. She felt accomplished; she felt like she had found her spot. Even if it was a struggle to get there.
And now that she was she wasn’t planning on letting it go any time soon.
“You mean the power of friendship right?” Ariel teased with a wink as she flopped down, she could probably nap all summer but she wouldn’t.
DEVYN:
Devyn grinned. The power of friendship.
There was still a lot for them to resolve when it came to their other friends, who had got tossed to the wayside in their fervor for this project. But just like the Magnifiques had resolved this, they were sure they could do the same with the other portions of their life.
They had to. They had no other choice. The alternative was to take another gap year, move back home, and stay stuck while they languished in yet another creative pursuit that they weren’t able to turn into a career. But they didn’t want to do that again–they couldn’t. So they’d keep moving forward, even if they had no idea what direction they were going.
It helped to have friends by their side.
So they smiled and nodded along. But soon the heaviness of everything began to creep into their bones. They were tired. All of them were. “It feels like we’ve been going non-stop for the past year,” they commented.
AMITY:
“That’s because we have been going non-stop,” said Amity.
She didn’t say it in a mean way. If anything, her tone grew soft– almost reverent for everything they had accomplished. So much of it had been…one mistake after another. She had a ton of regrets. She didn’t think Willow was ever going to forgive her– Amity wasn’t even sure she should. Maybe some friendships couldn’t be fixed.
But she had this group. She had these friends. She had the story they built together and everything she learned during the process. She’d carry all that with her.
She hesitated, but felt like she should be the first to say it– to acknowledge the obvious. Amity was graduating, and the others weren’t. “I’m…gonna really miss you guys,” she said. “Like…studying with you. Sharing notes. Making up stories. Even though we messed up, the stuff we made together…I mean, that’s still my favorite stuff I did all year. So…thanks for doing it with me.” She blushed.
ARIEL
They had hadn’t they? It wasn’t the adventure Ariel had planned on but every moment of it had been worth it. Some would graduate, some would move on. They would always have this bond though. Nodding Ariel’s grin settled into a softer smile.
She would miss it too. Ariel had finally found her path and a lot of that was because of this group right here. All those late nights, running from chaos only to jump right back in, She wouldn’t change it for the world.
“Any time. I hope we’ll get to have another adventure in the future?” This didn’t have to be it, right?
DEVYN:
Devyn’s expression softened at Amity’s confession. They had watched her go from being a no-nonsense, academically-minded, aloof classmate to a friend who could open her hearts and share her feelings with them. In the end, their time together had been much like the wishes their Professor had used against them. They had given their time, effort, and work to a man who ultimately manipulated them and tried to throw them away. But in exchange, they got each other, they got the chance to write stories they could be proud of, and they got a year’s worth of memories they could carry with them always.
But it didn’t have to be the end! “Yeah, absolutely!” They said to Ariel’s question. “I’m going to still be in the dorms next year, so whenever you come to visit you can always crash,” they said to their friends that they knew would be leaving. Of course, Sid would absolutely hate that, but they’d flash their puppy dog eyes until he said yes.
What were they going to do in those dorms? In their classes? In their life? They didn’t know yet. They knew they wanted to tell stories for a living. They hadn’t been able to do so through art. They didn’t know how they would continue on the creative writing track when all of their previous classes had been under false pretenses. But there were so many ways to communicate–there was a whole major dedicated to it! They were sure they would figure it out.
Their enthusiastic smile dimmed slightly as the weight of Amity’s words hung over them. “I’m really going to miss you guys too. I know we’re going to keep in touch and it’s not like we’ll never see each other again but,” they hesitated, taking a deep breath before smiling even wider. “Even with everything we lost, I still feel like I gained so much. I was really scared coming back to school, and with everything that happened, I should probably be more scared than ever. But I’m not. If we could make it through this, I think we can make it through anything.”
AMITY:
Briefly, Amity let herself imagine a future where she stayed in Swynlake. She kept working at Chapter Three and with her other free time, she finally worked on an original, full-length novel. She saw Ariel, Dev, and Kleo for study sessions at Hatter’s, or maybe she snuck back into the library. They hung out at the lake. She collected reagents in Enchantra; by now, she knew those reagents as intimately as she knew the ones on the Boiling Isles. And then she’d take those reagents and build new abominations, brew potions, create spells, alongside Mim and Su.
It felt like a safe and cozy future.
But it was also a fantasy in itself. It was still…running away from the thing Amity had yet to face. She’d been chatting with Edric over Penstagram about Blight Industries. He was way in over his head. He needed her. Instead of shirking her responsibility, Amity knew that the right thing to do…the thing she should have done back when issues with the Boiling Isles kicked up… was go home.
She smiled softly at her friends. “You’re right, Dev. I’d never be brave enough to actually face everything on the Boiling Isles if I hadn’t gone through this with you guys.” She reached forward, clasping Dev’s hand briefly. “I’m going to miss you but– I will visit. And we can always chat online. Maybe– I’ll uh– join that roleplay.” She blushed a bit as she mentioned it to Dev, who had been nagging at her to be their Hecate. “That sounds like a great way to keep making stuff together.”
And that’s something Amity never wanted to lose: making stuff together. Writing didn’t have to be this lonely pursuit of solo genius. Amity didn’t want to be a tortured MFA cliche. No, the real reason Amity had always loved to write was because it helped her connect with others. And wasn’t that why people read too? So they could find a friend within the pages, just for a little while?
Amity was glad that she had found friends off the page, too.
Amity missed a few tears, and Willow reached out to wipe them away without a second thought.
"I can't wait to meet whoever you find," Willow said softly. Who knew who Willow would be at that point; she felt like every iteration of herself was crowded into the same space. Willow the half-witch. Willow the garden-talent fairy. Willow the fledgling abomination sorceress. Swynlake's Willow.
Willow knew that while Amity was finding herself, she would be trying to reconcile all of those parts into one whole.
She pulled Amity into a tight hug, holding her close enough she could feel the twin beat of her hearts in her own chest, before letting go.
"I haven't made a final decision yet, but I think once the year is done... I think I'm going back too," she admitted. "Gotta use that clout that comes with helping to defeat the Emperor to make things better for other magicks like me."
Amity squeezed her eyes shut as Willow pulled her into the hug-- like she could trap the moment and make it last forever. She knew that once they separated-- it would be time for Amity to go.
But was that such a bad thing? It had probably been time for Amity to go-- to return to the Boiling Isles, to reclaim her home, her name for herself-- for a long time now. She wished it hadn't taken her so long to realize. She wished she hadn't been so clumsy, breaking so many hearts and hurting so many feelings along the way.
But at least the hug told her one more thing-- that there would be another chance for Willow and Amity. Amity didn't deserve another chance but to her, Willow was still her best friend. Her first friend, her dearest friend. No one else would ever compare.
Now, she had another reason to become a better person. For Willow.
She pulled away, smiling wobbly at Willow in return. "I-- I'd like to see that. You'll kick ass," she said softly, but there was a tiny spark in her eye, a glimpse of the old Amity amongst her fatigue and pain. "...And maybe I can even help you. Make a better Boiling Isles than the one we grew up with."
She hugged Willow again. One last time. Every instinct in her told her not to let go.
But it was time.
So Amity let go and stepped back. "I'll ...see you when we both get there, Willow."
There was the quiet whisper in the back of her mind that Amity would reject this too. That moving without asking just meant what came next would be a shove away. Rejection was always easier for her to imagine than people expected.
But the wave of Amity's sob washed away that whisper, and what was left was two teens who kept trying their best no matter what. Even when their best failed, as if often did, they tried again.
Mim had no idea how long she cried against Amity before the tears faded. Her glasses had completely steamed up in the meantime, but taking them off to clean them meant moving and she wasn't ready for that yet either. For those few extra moments, she just kept hugging Amity. Because she could.
There was probably a lot that she could say, and a lot of stuff she needed to talk about. But she wasn't ready for any of it. Instead, what she said was, "Do you want a cupcake?"
Mim squeezed her like she could put Amity back together. And maybe she could. Amity almost believed that her mistakes weren't quite as big if Mim could still hold her like this and love her despite everything. She was still getting used to trusting this kind of love.
Or maybe it was something a little different than love.
Maybe it was just forgiveness. And kindness in the face of the cruelty both girls grew up with.
After several minutes, Amity was still leaky but she caught her breath, forcing her sobs to slow down to something manageable. She sniffled and wiped at her face and then--
Amity laughed.
"A-- a cupcake? I mean--" she smiled, cheeks dimpling. "I-- I guess. Yeah. I'll take a cupcake."
Then she hugged Mim one more time, another quiet thank you. Amity knew she couldn't say it enough.
Part of Willow wanted to fight too. Wanted to point out that she was the only one who tried to hang out all semester, who had tried to catch her eye at the parties and events they'd both attended, that had tried to offer to help Amity with her project when Amity had left them in the lurch with the Stone.
After years and years and years of just taking it, Willow wanted to bare her teeth and fight back for once.
But the instinct died away quickly, leaving her feeling hollow. What good would fighting do? She was so sick of fighting.
Willow let out a breath, the steel straightness of her spine softening. "I'm not that strong," Willow said quietly. "And I wanted you. That's all I ever wanted, even back at Hexside," she confessed. "Just... to be acknowledged by you. Maybe that makes me selfish that I need that reassurance but you of all people know exactly why I do."
"I accept your apology, Amity, but... I'm not ready to move on yet. I can't let this go again." The truth burned on the way out, but Willow knew herself too well. It would take time to let go of this hurt; of being betrayed the exact same way a second time. Willow took one of Amity's hands in her own and squeezed it tight.
"I love you," she said softly. "I always have, and I always will. But I need time. I think we both do." Otherwise they'd just keep falling into the same patterns.
Amity didn't deserve that. What did she think she deserved though, if she were honest? With no more Magnifico to distract and beguile her, she was left with exactly who she started with-- herself. And she was still not sure what she was supposed to do, where she was supposed to go, who she was supposed to be. Even in Willow's eyes-- Willow saw her as the prodigal Blight of their childhood. Her brilliance, her boldness, her creativity, before all of it had been weaponized by her parents--
That's who Willow wanted to acknowledge her. But Amity wasn't sure she had ever been that girl, really. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be that girl now.
Maybe Amity had to figure that out before Willow and her could truly become friends again.
A few tears bubbled over, slipping down Amity's cheeks. With her free hand, she wiped them away, nodding quickly at Willow's gentle but painful truth.
"I understand," she got out, her voice small and childish. "Y-you're right. I'm... I'm going to go back to the Isles now and... I dunno. Stop running from myself I guess. Try to...figure everything out."
She squeezed Willow's hand. "For whatever it's worth...I love you too And I do see you, Willow. A-and I'm proud I got to call you my best friend, once upon a time."
"Just because I have other friends doesn't mean I don't care-- I...I know I sucked at showing that, but I do care," said Amity, her voice cracking.
She took one hesitant step toward Mim, even as her hearts crumpled inside her. Amity was bad at this kind of stuff-- bad at being vulnerable, bad at giving people what they needed. She thought Mim was the same, but maybe that had been part of Mim's armor too. She had needed more reassurance. She probably needed it now, but Amity found herself shifting her weight from foot to foot, unable to close the distance even if a voice screamed inside her to try.
She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, biting down. Hard.
Then she took another step, and another.
"I don't know what I'm gonna do next, but I... I promise, I'll do a better job of listening to you next time. When you tell me I'm being a shitty friend." A tear fell down Amity's cheek too. "B-because you're...you're like family to me."
It was those hesitant steps forward that did it more than anything else.
Maybe it wasn't a big dramatic gesture, it wasn't the hand reaching out that part of her wanted. This wasn't the big storybook end where everything was fixed just because the protagonist asked. There was a little part of Mim that still wanted the big gesture because that was easier to hold up against her doubts.
But in the end, the big gesture wouldn't be Amity. Mim knew that too. What mattered was that she tried anyway.
So it was Mim who reached out this time, Mim who caught Amity and pulled her in close to a hug and squeezed her tightly, burying her face against Amity's shoulder. It almost felt like she could hear both hearts pounding.
"You're such a shitty friend sometimes. Good thing I love you anyway."
Mim pulled Amity toward her and that's when Amity burst like an old geyser. The sob tore out of her throat and she ducked her head toward Mim like she could stifle it, or patch up the hole that had been punched through her.
But there was no stopping up that hole. And maybe that was a good thing. She had been holding on to so much regret, shame, and guilt for so long-- she had to let it go.
And with Mim, Amity felt safe. Still broken and not good enough...but safe.
"I'm sorry," she blubbered again. "I love you too. I r-really do." She squeezed Mim back, holding on tight.
Takes place: December 2024
Summary: The Magnifiques were given tasks to search for rare ingredients. Amity (@blight-magic) and Devyn venture into Enchantra Forest in search for the elusive gummi fruit and face a daring challenge to retrieve it.
AMITY:
Amity was going into the woods.
It had been a while since she had done so. During her first few years here, she’d trek out at least once a week to collect flourishing natural reagents as well as physical ingredients for her potion work, spellwork, and casting desk. Whether digging up moss from the shallows of the Kohaku River or bottling up the wind through a birch tree, Amity could waste hours collecting.
These days, she’d traded the forest for the library– and spell collection alone for researching with her friends.
But that was something unique about today too, huh? She wasn’t alone.
In fact, Dev was the reason why she came into Enchantra today. They had a specific task from Professor Salvador to gather important ingredients for an unknown spell. Amity’s was a magical reagent but Dev’s– Dev was a rare plant. The gummi fruit. And the only place to get the gummi fruits were from the gummi bears.
“I still don’t think this is a good idea,” sighed Amity. “The gummi bears aren’t exactly reasonable, Dev. They’ve been protecting those fruits since Enchantra was first planted, according to Swynlake history.”
Which she’d learned in her first-year Magick History of Swynlake class she was forced to take as a magick history major. Bla. At least it came in handy now.
DEVYN:
When Devyn realized what they had to do, of course they went to Amity.
Kleo might have been a good choice too, but Amity had been in Swynlake longer, and had mentioned frequenting Enchantra before. Despite being a native, Dev had never actually seen or communicated with a gummi bear before, and they knew it would be best to have someone magically inclined with them. Plus, it wasn't likely the gummis knew BSL or even able to read English. With their powers combined, they'd find some way to exchange ideas and ask for the needed fruit.
Amity was skeptical, though. They merely shook their head, signing with the subtitle spell. "What other option do we have? If we tried to steal it, we could start an all-out forest war. I'm sure as long as we're really polite and reverent, we'll see eye to eye."
AMITY:
An all-out forest war.
That was a bit dramatic. What was one fruit? If they were sneaky and clever, they could snatch one without the gummi bears even discovering that they’d done it. They just needed to learn the schedules of the gummis, when there was a shift in guard around the gummi fruit trees, and then Amity could create a cloaking spell or make a distraction while Dev snuck toward the fruit…
Buuuuut they weren’t going with that plan. They were going with ‘stroll up and ask.’
“Just be prepared,” said Amity. “Magical creatures don’t usually just give their stuff away.”
There was always a catch. Amity should know; she’d had to save Riley from the Stone Trolls once.
The forest grew thicker on all sides, and the snow sparser in this part of Enchantra due to the thick canopy above. The Gummi Bear territory had the most diverse wildlife from what Amity knew of the forest– filled with various trees and plants of all kinds, plus the creatures who ate them. But the gummi fruit was the only one of these trees that flowered all year long, no matter the weather, though the fruit they bore changed in color, taste, and nutritional/magical value. The winter gummi fruit was known for its gorgeous deep reds and apparently was a little bit like drinking alcoholic hot cocoa. You felt warm, satisfied, and a little slap-happy after a few bites.
Amity had no idea why Professor Sal wanted one but–
“Oh! That’s a gummi tree!” she exclaimed, pointing as she spotted the rich red fruits in the leaves.
And right on cue:
“HALT!” Two Gummi bears bounced down from the trees, brandishing their spears. “Not a step closer!”
DEVYN:
Devyn wasn't sure what they were expecting from all this. In their mind, they imagined wandering into a magical and mystical gummi bear village where they could talk to the elder or the leader or maybe just a nice little group of guys where they could exchange thoughts, ideas, and eventually, gifts.
Unfortunately, they would never see the gummi bear village. It seemed they'd already stumbled on one of the trees bearing fruit. Before they could even process what was happening, they noticed the shift on Amity's expression as she heard something. They turned, following her eyeline to where it had come from.
Only to see the bears themselves. It was pretty wild, like something you'd see out of a dream. The spears themselves looked rather violent in comparison to those that were holding them.
But they couldn't let themselves linger for too long. They took a step back and bowed deeply.
"Greetings!" They signed, the subtitle spell doing its job. "We are but humble travelers from the town of Swynlake, sent on a special mission. We are to return with a gummi fruit, however, we greatly respect the bearers of these fruit and so approach you with proposal of intellectual or cultural exchange!"
AMITY:
Amity glanced between the glaring Gummi Bears, their fur sticking straight up, and Dev’s jovial smile and round, friendly letters from their subtitle spell. You’d think these things would be flipped– that it would be the Gummis, whose fluffy appearance and colorful fur made them as cuddly-looking as stuffed animals, while Dev would be the intimidating imposter.
But those Gummis, as cute as they were, only narrowed their eyes.
“Of course, you want our fruit!” grumbled the pink one. “The gummi fruit is the rarest and most sought-out treasure in the entire world!”
Well, Amity wasn’t so sure about the entire world. This is what happened when, as a species, you didn’t leave Enchantra. Or like, read a book.
“What could you possibly offer us that would be worthy of our fruit?” the yellow one added.
Amity looked back at Dev. This was their idea so they should have some kind of plan…
DEVYN:
Of course they had a plan! With a nod, they slung their backpack off their shoulder and opened it up, starting to rummage through. First, they pulled out a vintage tea kettle that they’d gotten from Whosits and Whatsits on sale. Next, a wrapped-up cake that their Mama had made for them wrapped in a little bow. Lastly was a Pride U beer cozy that the frats had been given out at their last party.
They were doing their best, okay?
Devyn looked up from where they were crouched, now at the gummi bear’s level. “And this is just the material offerings! We are also fully prepared for intellectual and cultural exchange. For we are storytellers, and keepers of the great works of the human world!”
AMITY:
Amity could have comically slapped her own face.
She should have asked Dev about their plan in more detail. But Devyn had insisted that ‘asking’ was their best shot. She had no idea that they’d also cobbled together the most random list of junk for the gummi bears to reject!
Indeed, the gummi bears’ eyes flashed. The pink one jumped forward. “How dare you insult us with this drivel! Our gummi fruit only grows in this forest, while you can get these items anywhere! What use do we have with this human drivel?!”
“Look– it’s just one fruit!” Amity jumped in, unable to help herself. She’d been trying to be emotional support but this was getting frustrating. “He worked really hard on this– can’t you just give us one fruit!”
“One of our gummi fruits is worth a fortune!” hissed the yellow bear.
Amity had to bite down on her tongue so she didn’t curse. “Well, then what do you want for just one fruit?”
The pink and yellow bears looked at each other knowingly, nodded, and then faced the two of them. “You have to engage in combat and win the fruit honorably!”
“...Excuse me?!” Amity exclaimed. “Combat?!”
DEVYN:
Well, this was going south fast. Devyn had never seen a gummi bear in town, so they thought that maybe the creatures would see some value in human artifacts they'd never encountered before. That clearly wasn't going to happen. Sheepishly, they began to gather everything back in their bags, trying to think of where to go next. It was Amity that jumped in though, defending their case. They smiled to themselves--they knew it was the right call bringing her.
Their new offer of combat had their eyebrows raising in surprise. "What kind of combat? Not to the death, right?"
The pink gummi bear scoffed. "What other kind of combat is there?"
Yikes. Dev shivered a little, glancing at the tips of their spears, but was quick to pivot. "Well, there's knocking someone out of a circle--or an obstacle course!" They offered, thinking back to their time in the Clawthorne Tournament. Both Dev and Amity had placed, so they were fairly confident in their abilities. Then again, there was definitely no chance of death or spears being used in that case...
"Or there are other ways to show your physical prowess and honor. Like--dancing!"
This seemed to pique the interest of the gummi bears, who looked at each other, and then back at the duo. Devyn glanced at Amity, as if asking for backup.
AMITY:
Honestly, Amity was ready to accept the ‘to the death’ terms. How hard was it to defeat a gummi bear anyway? They were so… fluffy and cute. Their fault if they wanted to turn her into a gummi bear murderer.
The mention of a dance battle frightened her more.
Her eyes widened and she glanced back at Dev, trying to both shake her head emphatically and barely move to give away her trepidation. It didn’t work through. She felt the pink bear’s eyes slide her way and then smirk.
“Dancing it is!” Pink Bear exclaimed. “And since you are the challengers, we shall appoint the judge!”
“What?!” Amity said again. “That’s literally so unfair! You’ll just appoint your friends!”
Pink Bear scoffed. “We do not cheat. Gummi Bears are creatures of great honor. We will appoint one of our allies.”
“Okay, that still sounds like cheating,” grumbled Amity.
Yellow Bear put his paw up to his mouth and whistled. The trees rustled and then a tiny darting form shot out from the leaves. In a shower of pixie dust, a fairy became human-sized, already smirking.
“Heya,” said the fairy. “Name’s Althea, scouting-talent, gummi bear-detail, nice to meet you. A dance battle, eh? Then there will be three rounds– one dancer from each team will face off for the first two rounds. The third will be a team battle. I’ll judge on creativity and musicality.”
“Well, do we have music?”
“You’re humans! You got phones, yeah?” said Althea.
Amity got out her phone. “Okay but– we pick the music!” She insisted. The gummi bears shrugged, clearly not worried about that. She glanced at Dev. “Okay, Dev–” she hissed, “what song should we do?”
DEVYN:
Devyn didn't notice the horror on Amity's face. If anything, this was the best case scenario! No one was going to get killed, or even hurt! Peaceful conflict resolution was always the best way to go.
They understood their friend's worry of an outside judge chosen by the opponent, but they trusted the gummi bear's honor and word. Especially when the fairy showed up, that seemed like a reasonable third party to them! They waved and nodded politely as the rules were explained--sounded good to them!
And hey, they got to choose the music! That seemed like a fair compromise. And especially helpful for them. They couldn't hear the music, so their dance wasn't going to be on beat or to the rhythm, but they'd never let that stop them before. With their ability to choose the music, they'd at least have some idea of where to start, rather than it being completely random.
"I can do it with a broken heart," they signed, letting the subtitle spell translate for them. As Amity got it started, they moved out into the middle of the clearing, turning to face her while their back was to the gummi bears.
She knew to hold up the phone for them so they could see the video playing and get an idea of where in the song they were. When the lyrics started, a grin spread across their face, they gave Amity an encouraging wink, and spun around.
Their dance was all over the place, just a mishmash of various TikTok trends they'd learned over the years. It didn't match up with the music at all but that wasn't the point--their energy and physicality was meant to make up for that.
Moreso, they added a bit of a magic touch as well. Surrounding them, thought bubbles began to form, adding visual aids with little cartoon characters dancing alongside them, and then a full-size imagining of THE Taylor Swift herself singing along!
By the time they finished, they struck a pose pointing their finger in the air, panting deeply.
AMITY:
Honestly, Dev did a fucking amazing job.
As soon as the music started, excitement shot through Amity’s veins. She loved this song, after all. And then Dev stumbled out after the Bear had done their bit, and began to wiggle, groove, and bop along to the music. Was every move perfectly on beat? Far from it. But Amity’s eyes still widened, hearts racing, as she watched Devyn embrace their natural rhythm and their magic color the sky. It was a little bit like watching Just Dance (a game that Amity had played reluctantly with Mim once) in person, with all those different thought bubbles glittering and sparkling around them.
And as the music got closer to the end, all that excitement crashed into– dread.
How the heck was she going to follow that up?!
Amity gulped. She wondered if it was too late to switch to hand-to-hand combat.
But then Althea pointed to Amity. “Your turn!”
Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh!
Amity fumbled with their phone, scrolling through their Spellify (the Boiling Isles version of Spotify obviously) for some song she wouldn’t make a complete joke out of herself to.
“What’s taking so long?!”
“Sorry! Sorry, um–” Amity slammed her thumb down on a Chappell Roan song. She’d gotten really into her since last year. And thankfully, this song had instructions in it.
The first few chords of HOT TO GO filled the forest air. Amity stumbled a few steps out, but felt frozen with stagefright. She looked back at Devyn, panicked.
DEVYN:
Adrenaline was rushing through them by the time they stumbled off the “dance floor”. That was so much fun! They hadn’t really come out here expecting to have fun, so this was a great change of pace! They almost forgot what was at stake here.
They gave a big thumbs up to Amity as they passed each other, at first not noticing her trepidation about the whole thing. It was only when she looked back at them like a deer in headlights did they realize–oh no!
At first they gave her another encouraging TWO thumbs up, but even that didn’t feel like enough. So, taking a deep breath, they shifted their focus. Soon, thought bubbles began to form around her, giving a similar visual lights display to back her up. They didn’t know this song as well, but they knew Amity did and she’d be able to give a great performance!
AMITY:
Amity was going to bomb this.
She was going to be the reason Dev failed their quest. And without the gummi fruit, they’d fail Professor Sanchez too. He’d kick her out of the group. Her friends would stop talking to her. These thoughts spiraled and roared, drowning out the cheerful beat of HOT TO GO! She might as well just give up.
But then the air started to shiver and color all around her.
Amity’s eyes widened. Tiny bubble hearts popped around her, little spirals of confetti too. She looked back at Dev and now her eyes were shining not from panicked near-tears, but because she realized she wasn’t alone.
The pre-chorus hit. Cotton candy colored pink and blue hearts whirled around in the air perfectly to the beat (Amity didn’t know how Dev did that, but then again– it was magic. She didn’t need to know).
And Amity moved her hips to match that beat. She still felt clumsy and awkward, but as the music swelled, she got more excited, and then she was jumping up and down and doing Chappell Roan’s dance moves to the chorus:
“H-O-T-T-O-G-O! You can take me HOT TO GO!” Amity sang and danced.
The bears exchanged a worried glance. Althea got into it too, fluttering back and forth and bobbing her head.
When the song finished, there was an explosion of magic rainbow glitter through the sky from Dev’s magic. It fluttered around Amity like little snowflakes. She panted in her final pose and despite knowing she’d probably looked like a fool, she didn’t feel like it at all. Her hearts buzzed; she felt like a star.
Althea cheered and clapped. “Wow that was awesome! Okay, final round– you have to both dance together! The Bears will go first and then you lot… better get a song ready.”
Amity quickly turned to Dev. “What song should we do?! What do you think she’ll like?” Amity jabbed a thumb over her shoulder toward Althea. If they could please the judge, that was all that mattered.
DEVYN:
It was difficult. Devyn really wanted to watch the performance, but they really needed to concentrate to give Amity the best back-up they could provide. There were a few times they closed their eyes to really hit home a stunning visual. As Amity danced out the letters, they were able to mirror them behind her for extra effect. Who says you need to be able to hear to enjoy music?
Finally it ended and Devyn released a heavy sigh as they let the thought bubbles dissipate into nothing. Still, their heart was racing and that adrenaline was rushing like no other. They wondered if they'd be able to convince Amity to go out dancing with them at some point in the future.
They jumped up and down, clapping and throwing out a fist to show their enthusiasm and cheer for their friend. They totally got this!
Amity asked for a song and they curled a thoughtful finger at the base of their chin. While they enjoyed music, they were certainly no expert. They needed something bouncy, something vibrant, something that told the world they were here for what they needed and not afraid to earn it!
Finally, they typed into the phone, "Shake It Off".
Amity hit play and with that they were both off. It was hardly synchronized, but Devyn put everything they had into the visuals around them, combining shapes, colors, and magical backup dancers the like that even these enchanted gummi bears had never seen. Amity, despite her nerves, let loose in a final burst of energy the like that Devyn had never seen before. By the end of it all they were both panting, laughing, and it didn’t even matter if they got the fruit or not–this was just fun!
But they did get the fruit! Althea made the final call and even the gummi bears had to concede that they had been outmatched. They gracefully plucked and offered the fruit to what they called “honorable warriors” who they wished well on their journeys. With heads spinning and hearts thumping, the two Magnifiques took their prize to return to their professor, who they could only hope would do something even more magical with it.
"Do you?" The question wasn't harsh. It just...was.
Because Mim still felt the sting of every fight they'd had. Watching Amity walk away from her to go to Ariel's for Christmas. Watching Amity walk away from her and the search for the stone. Watching Amity walk away from her to go back to the library where she had better things to do.
Amity who said she had nothing to come back to this world for because in that world she had everything she wanted even as she promised to send Mim away.
"It's like you said. You have your own friends now. And if you just want to write and you don't ever do magic again, that's up to you. It's your life. Just. Make it yours. Whatever it is." The words were quiet, and Mim couldn't look at Amity, wiping away another set of tears that trickled down her cheek.
But Mim didn't know what version of her and Amity could exist without magic. Mim, angry and grieving going to Amity to learn wandless reagent collecting. Amity, fierce and brilliant pulling a golen out of nothing to smash into Mim in a duel. Mim, furious and desperate as she chased Amity into the woods to face down hell together, and then equally furious and desperate as they faced down Odalia. There were days of shopping to put together Amity's room, and hours of videogame playing that Mim reluctantly dragged Amity into. Mim had dragged Amity into her search for the Staff too as they'd poured over Alchemy books.
The memories between the two of them felt like they pulled just under her skin, but maybe that was only true for her. She'd just have to live with it.
"Just because I have other friends doesn't mean I don't care-- I...I know I sucked at showing that, but I do care," said Amity, her voice cracking.
She took one hesitant step toward Mim, even as her hearts crumpled inside her. Amity was bad at this kind of stuff-- bad at being vulnerable, bad at giving people what they needed. She thought Mim was the same, but maybe that had been part of Mim's armor too. She had needed more reassurance. She probably needed it now, but Amity found herself shifting her weight from foot to foot, unable to close the distance even if a voice screamed inside her to try.
She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, biting down. Hard.
Then she took another step, and another.
"I don't know what I'm gonna do next, but I... I promise, I'll do a better job of listening to you next time. When you tell me I'm being a shitty friend." A tear fell down Amity's cheek too. "B-because you're...you're like family to me."
"What I want is to have my best friend actually just want to be around me ever without me having to beg for scraps. What I want is to be able to reach out to someone and actually have them reach back. What I want is to not have to stand at another fucking grave of someone I care about, hating myself for all of our lost time because it fucking sucks."
Mim didn't know when she'd started crying in there, and she only noticed because it started to fog up her glasses. Furiously, she yanked them off and rubbed them clear, swiping at her eyes. Another tear immediately trickled down her cheek.
Because at the end of the day, what she wanted didn't change anything. The time had been lost. Amity had gotten caught up with Magnifico, gotten hurt, and gotten out all without her. Whatever their story had been before, Mim was a side character in Amity's life now.
What she wanted didn't matter, and she had no idea if she deserved anything. She wasn't that pissed off. She was mostly just sad. That was harder for her to deal with.
"But I guess 1 out of 3 is not bad considering my track record."
Because she couldn't take it back. She couldn't undo this past year and give Mim what she deserved. Amity had been thoroughly sucked into Magnifico's world and all he had promised her. She let herself be consumed once again by her ambition, her greed, and her insecurity.
She hated that about herself. She knew her apology was useless.
Her throat lumped, and before she could stop them, several tears rolled down her cheeks, mirroring Mim's. They were hot and salty. Amity wiped them away as quickly as she could.
"I'm sorry," she said again, voice cracking. "I-- I can't fix any of that. I did miss you though, Mim. I-- I still miss you. I want to be that person for you again, one day."
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