Chapter Text
The morning sun emerged from the sky, chasing away the darkness brought by the night and scattered the soft golden hues of daylight as far as it can touch.
Eda was dubbed as the Owl Lady for a reason. Not only because her palisman is literally an owl, or her infernal house demon also a... weird type of owl, or the giant nest she consider as good as a real bed like an owl. If it isn't obvious yet, the first ray of daylight is to be avoided at all cost.
The heavily stained glass window didn't do much to keep the colored light aimed straight to her face. She let out a raspy groan and made her back face the light, only for her to feel the pop on her sore joints, especially on her back.
Now if only she's not freshly awakened, the refreshing feeling of her popping joints would be highly appreciated. But Titan, she wants to sleep. It has been a long day yesterday, considering she got home pretty late for a lady who has--
She abruptly sat up when the sound of loud metal banged outside her window. The light that she's been complaining about lately was replaced by pitch black, not even a single streak of light could seep through the metal that her house demon activates whenever there is a threat outside. More likely coven guards.
"Hooty, hooting! Jeez, you guys are so early for the house warming party! Say, do you like to be part of my tea party instead?"
Those emperor's dogs doesn't really give her a day off.
She sighed, rubbing her slender hands on her face to wake her half passing away consciousness. The owl lady was about to hop out of her bed to help Hooty chase away his visitors when she notice a mop of reddish-brown hair laying stiffly at the other side of her nest.
Just as the graying witch thought that the start of her morning couldn't be better, the sight before her made her at least have a tender smile. With one swift scooch, she's tackling the mop of hair already and placing morning kisses here and there. She felt the little thing wiggle from her grasp and didn't bother to suppress a small squeal when Eda blew raspberry at the crook of their neck.
"Mama! No! Tickles!" the little witchling laughed.
Cradled on the infamous wild witch's hand was a young little girl.
A child with fluffy and wavy auburn hair with its tips highlighted in seafoam green, a rounded chubby little face, and pale warm skin like what the elder witch had in her youth.
They were very much alike, although the eyes and the way the little child smile resemble a lot like... their other parent.
Eyes as green like the colors of human realm trees. If people would pay close attention on her hair, thin streaks of mint green hair can be seen blending within the thick layers of her ginger beer hair. The way her lips lit up for a smile, a pout, and the way she would cover her mouth and look away when her little secrets are revealed only shows the other part of her that the Owl Lady doesn't mention much.
In fact, she doesn't really talk about them at all. The little things that the little one have inherited from them is only for Eda to notice, not to tell. After all, her kid doesn't talk about them or question anything regarding who her other parent is.
"Now what did you do again last night, kiddo? I though I reminded you to stop reaching the cupboards for my snacks when Hooty isn't there to supervise you?"
The little girl pouted adorably. Using her tiny hands, she cupped both her cheeks and blew raspberry to her Mom which Eda playfully gave her a taste of her own medicine too.
The little girl yelp again as she pushed Eda's face away as she faked a side gag. "Eeww, Mama! You're morning breath stinks!"
Eda chuckled, a smirk evident on her face. "Look who's talking. Nearly half a jar of my dried rodent toes kept getting smaller these past few days. I wonder who's the culprit with that." she stated and raised her brow that made the little girl look everywhere but her Mother's eye.
"No idea what you're talking about..." she trailed with her sloppy words, and for a brief moment, Eda heard an all too familiar echo of that sentence at the back of her mind. Shaking her head, Eda ruffled her daughter's unruly hair that the little girl groaned in protest.
"Whatever you say, Reina. Whatever you say..." the elder witch simply replied before she proceed to hop out of the nest. Stretching once she's on her feet, Eda let out a relieved sigh as soon as she heard the pop of her bones and joints.
She heard the twigs on her nest shuffle and break. Eda approached her vanity mirror and snatched the thing her daughter needs before returning at the edge of the nest.
"Here," she handed the glasses to her daughter and placed the few loose strands of her hair on the back of her ear.
Just like her other parent, Reina couldn't see much without her glasses. When Reina could barely crawl, Eda noticed that she always squints her eyes to the point that she almost seemed to be asleep. Eda concluded that she may have inherited her other parent's poor vision, but then it wasn't only the case.
One time after Eda made Hooty explore the perimeter at least ten times to ensure that there are no covenant after her head hiding behind the trees, she tried to take her out for a morning walk so that her daughter could see what lies behind the walls of the house that keeps them safe from the eyes of the Emperor.
Explore new environment, as per the book she read from the human realm said.
But just after she opened the door, as soon as the sun enveloped their figures, her daughter grabbed a handful of Eda's hair, pulled it like there's no tomorrow and started to cry uncontrollably.
If it wasn't for the sudden thrum of panic spreading within her, she would've also cried on the spot due to the burning sensation on her scalp that feels like tearing her head apart.
She tried advancing to the sunlight more, thinking the morning rays might sooth her, but it only made her poor daughter to give her loudest cry.
Then, after the most chaotic ten minutes of her life figuring out why her kid is acting like this, the answer presented itself.
The moment it was revealed is when they're already back inside the house. Since she wants to test if her hunch was right, with one swift circle of her finger, all the curtains fell down. Hooty caught up with it too as he shut the lights all over the house, only leaving the living room in a dim glow of light.
And that move had hushed her down a little. As she helped her daughter wipe away the tears on her eyes, she have concluded that her eyes are highly sensitive to light. Now that the owl house have barely enough light for the ordinary eyes to see, the perks of her curse made her saw for the first time how round her daughter’s eyes are.
But that's when Eda unexpectedly saw it. The moment her daughter opened her eyes, it gave a sudden chill down her spine that made the feathers pop out of her skin. Instead of seeing the familiar shade of green she loved very much, she was welcomed with a pair of dark eyes. Her irises were covered with darkness, and it was enough for Eda to know that even the curse would never spare the little life cradled in her arms.
Out of shock, she didn't dare to move, thinking that sudden movements would only make it worse... and turn her little girl into a monster like her.
The only thing that brought her back into her senses is when she felt soft, tiny little fingers playing with the feathers on her arm. And when she blinked to confirm if it is true, what she saw made her think twice.
Her eyes are green. Staring at her Mother in wonder and question, the little one made her Mother shed a tear with that one brief scene. That's when Eda noticed, her whole body is shaking dangerously.
Her baby...
Curses. That darned beast.
"Ma?"
The graying orange haired witch came back to reality with her four year old daughter staring at her, green eyes seemed to be in question.
"Hmm?" she raised her brow.
Reina shook her head and advanced a little to flick her Mother's forehead, earning a deadpan look from the elder.
"You tiny gremlin better have a reason for that." Eda stated as she pinched the bridge of Reina's nose and immediately letting it go before she pounce at her.
Her kid really got her competitiveness and really loves mimicking everything she do. Sometimes she even wonders if that is a good thing.
"I was asking about what's for breakfast and you answered out of the blue, 'curses'. What's with that?" Eda pursed her lips for a moment before shaking her head and standing up from her seat. Reina, who's too lazy to walk lift her arms up with a cheeky grin.
"Aren't you getting too old for upsies now?" Eda stated, but also deep down, she disagree about her own statement too.
"Noooo. I'm just a baby!"
She chuckled. Without further more comebacks, she obeyed and carried her in her arms.
"To the kitchen!" the little gremlin ordered, even pointing towards the closed doors.
"Alright, raindrop. But no rodent toes for today."
That earned a whine from the witchling on her arms and endless pleases as they descended down the stairs.
But since her house demon adored the little Clawthorne very much, after the tea party with the coven guards in the far part of the woods, Hooty owl pelleted at least three rodents above the table as they eat that earned a squeal and endless thanks from the Owlet of the house yet a grim and disgusted face from the infamous Owl Lady.
Giving her Mom a wide grin, she showed her palm and twirled circles at it using her other hand's finger. Eda closed her eyes and sighed. Those rodents are gonna make the graying witch have a hard time making her little spawn brush her teeth. Not to mention it just came out from a house demon's barf.
Surprisingly, her daughter and Hooty have became the best of friends in this household. And if Eda isn't watching over her daughter for at least twenty-four hours a day since she was a baby, she'll accuse Hooty for bewitching her kid.
Up till now, she can't believe her little spawn haven't snap on Hooty yet. Not like she's anticipating for it to happen though but their friendship just grew unexpectedly, although it is nice to see the two of them getting along well.
If the little Clawthorne have Hooty wrapped around her fingers, then the head of this household would have him by his head if the little spawn would have a breath that could kill within the next few hours.
Parenting one chaotic little gremlin is hard, but seeing her only daughter unhappy is a lot harder too. Although, all is well seeing how adored and spoiled she is by the ones who's been there from the very start of her journey to motherhood helped her lessen the burden she placed on her shoulders. Even though it's only been Hooty and Owlbert from the start, she's more than grateful to have them watch over her little gremlin whenever she's making a living and dodging coven guards in most days.
Reina Peregrine Clawthorne... you have everyone here to obey whatever you desire.
She watched her daughter who's happily and attentively listening how Hooty's morning started with a mighty battle with the coven guards that she knew are now currently piled miles away from the house. Probably still traumatized and recovering as fast as they could with the fear of the owl tube returning with another batch of tea.
The little Clawthorne laughed heartily, and for a moment, Eda heard the dulcet tone of a certain witch's voice, playing lyrically like a violin yet blue like the human realm skies.
Though it didn't reach her eyes due to a sudden flash of a bittersweet memory, she smiled the moment her daughter turned to look at her.
And if the Owl Lady imagined a little more, a mint-haired witch would be sitting with them at the table, smiling back at her too.