Content Warnings (Click for details):

Vee lounged in her natural form in the portal house. It was such a relief to not have to be a human all the time. She loved her human shape, loved going to school (and didn’t understand why Luz didn’t), loved having a joyfriend, loved playing softball and having real friends, but she also loved just being herself and curling up on a sofa with a good book or, like now, a good game. The character she was playing could summon up other personalities and Vee thought it was a lot like shapeshifting, except she couldn’t channel powers specific to her shapes like her character could. She was just outfitting her party for the next level when something rattled the door.

She slithered off the couch, careful to pause her game, then she put her Steam Deck down on the side table. When she got to the door and looked through the window next to it, she didn’t see anyone. The door rattled again and she looked down. Two orange kittens were pawing at the door, desperate to get in. Vee yanked the door open. She knew these kittens. Their tabby mother, a feral, had come in almost two months ago and given birth on a towel that Luz had sat out for her. She let Luz and Vee feed and pet her while she nursed the kittens and had stayed for almost a month. Camila had given her some drugs and when she fell asleep, took her to the clinic to be spayed and returned her to her kittens. The very next day she no longer trusted Luz or Vee and demanded to be let out.

“We’ll trap the kittens in a few weeks and get them neutered.” Camila watched the three cats head into the underbrush. The mother also sported a newly clipped ear, which Vee had learned meant she’d been trapped, spayed and released.

“How do you know they’re boys?” Vee asked.

“Orange cats are almost always male. Not one hundred percent, but usually.” Camila watched them go.

“I really thought she was going to stay,” Vee said, suddenly sad to see the cats go.

“You never know with the Cat Distribution System,” Camila said and laughed. “Sometimes they stay and sometimes they leave and sometimes it’s just temporary. I would like to get those kittens off the streets at least, but I’m not going to rip them away from their mother right now.”

“What’s the Cat Distribution System?” Vee asked. She could hear the capital letters.

“Oh! Cats are like that sometimes. They will just decide that this human or that one is their forever family and move in with them.” Camila laughed and looked far away. When she spoke again, her voice was thick. “The first year that Manny and I were married, I wanted a cat, but we really couldn’t afford it with him in his first year as a fireman and me still in vet school. One day he was walking me to class and this little grey kitten came out of the underbrush and wouldn’t leave him alone. It was tiny and malnourished and covered in stickers, uh thorny little plant stickers, not paper stickers,” she clarified when she saw Vee’s confused face.

“We couldn’t find his mother and he just climbed right up Manny’s leg and that’s how we adopted Churro. He was the chillest kitty and loved Manny so much. Some cats just pick one human and love them more than any other and Manny was his human. He would let Luz pet him and would let me feed him, but he never really sat on me.” Camila had closed her eyes in memory. “But I guess he did sleep with Luz sometimes.”

A broken sigh escaped her. “When Manny passed, Churro died two weeks later. I couldn’t find a cause, but I’m sure it was a broken heart. Cats grieve their lost loved ones, too.”

Vee snapped back to the present and opened the door. The kittens rushed in, saw Vee standing in her normal basilisk form and paused. They looked up and up and up at her, their eyes huge. Vee held her breath, afraid the kittens would run away. Whenever she had tried to work in the clinic to help Camila, the animals went crazy. They seemed to sense that Vee was a predator and made a ruckus. A couple of the dogs had chewed on the bars of their cages to get at Vee, or maybe away from her, and she had to stop going to the clinic.

The larger of the two kittens opened his mouth and let out the tiniest little meow, then his brother started screeching. Vee lowered herself so her face was at their level. The smaller one flinched back and hissed for a second, but then when he saw Vee wasn’t threatening, he came back forward and started wailing again.

“What’s wrong, little one?” Vee asked.

The larger kitten stepped forward, his tail straight up and slightly bristling. Then he solemnly head-butted Vee, who flinched away. The smaller kitten never stopped screeching.

“You hungry? Where’s your mom?” Vee changed to her human self, and she was laying down on the floor, eye to eye with the larger kitten. It head-butted her again. His brother kept screeching. And screeching. And screeching.

Vee stood, looked out the window next to the door and tried to spot their mother. She didn’t see anything. She looked back down to the kittens. The smaller one had stopped wailing and was hiding behind his brother, staring up at Vee.

“Wait here,” Vee said. She opened the door, careful not to let them escape, and ran to her house. She came back with two bowls, a bottle of water, and a can of wet cat food. Even though they didn’t have pets, Camila always had cat and dog food in the house just in case she had to make a late night call to a patient.

Vee ran back to the portal house and went in. The kittens were nowhere to be seen. Vee panicked briefly, but then put down the bowls. She opened the wet food and the scent of it made her nose wrinkle. It smelled strongly of fish and shrimp. She flipped the can over and tapped it into the bowl where it fell in with an unappetizing squelch. As soon as she had, the kittens ran out from inside the sofa where they’d been hiding under a cushion. They put their faces right into the food and started devouring it messily. Very, very messily. Vee put down the other bowl and poured water in it.

She walked to the sofa and sat down. It was 4:30 and the clinic would be closing soon. She debated calling Camila, but didn’t want to disturb her at work. Was this an emergency? She couldn’t decide. She texted Luz, but Luz didn’t answer. She might be off with Amity or at the clinic. Vee dithered, then texted Masha.

Masha texted back right away. Vee blushed. Masha would leave most people on read, but not her.

What’s up, buttercup?

Vee let them know what was happening and asked whether she should call Camila or not.

Just text her. I’ll be over in fifteen and we can look for their mom. You may want to get a litterbox and litter for them. IDK if they’ll use it. It’s instinct, but sometimes you have to show them where it is and sort of rub their butt until they go for the first couple of times.

Vee texted Camila and then ran back to the house to get an old litter box out of the basement. She found a bag of litter in the garage that they used for icy walkways in the winter. She had just returned to the portal house when Masha pulled up in their mother’s old car. Vee envied Masha for their driver’s license.

Vee waited for them outside the door of the house and when Masha came up, they kissed Vee on the cheek. Vee’s cheek flamed and Masha laughed.

“I don’t know if you or Amity gets more red.” They opened the door and both of them went in.

Vee looked around for the kittens and didn’t see them, but as soon as she moved into the room, they came out from under the sofa again.

Masha closed the door behind them and grinned. “They are the same ones, aren’t they?”

“Yeah. I recognize the black toes on that one and the tiny white tail tip on the other.” Vee sighed.

The smaller kitten screeched at Vee. Vee knelt, put the cat box down, filled it with litter and then turned back when she felt the kitten rubbing against her ankle. He paused when she looked at him and yelled again in his piping kitten voice.

“I think he wants some love, some attention.” Masha knelt next to Vee and picked up the kitten. It gazed at them as they held him in their arms. When they stroked the kitten, he began purring and kneading with his sharp little claws on Masha’s sweater.

Vee picked up the other kitten and soon he was kneading and purring on Vee.

“They’re really cute.” Masha leaned their shoulder into Vee as they sat on the floor. Then they turned and kissed Vee’s cheek again. “So are you, buttercup.”

“Aw, thanks. You’re cute, too.” Vee turned and kissed Masha gently.

The kitten in Vee’s arms had fallen asleep and the one in Masha’s was almost there too. Vee stood slowly and set the kitten down on an old throw pillow. When the one Masha was holding also fell asleep, they put him down next to his brother.

“Want to go look for their mom?” Masha held out their hand and Vee took it. They combed through the tall grass around the house first, then the sparse woods behind the Noceda house and the portal house. As soon as they crossed a stream and came to the two-lane highway behind it, Masha stopped.

“I found her.” Their voice was quiet and Vee’s blood went cold.

“Oh no. Is she…” Vee couldn’t complete the sentence.

“Yeah. Let’s go back and get a box.” Masha sighed and squeezed Vee’s hand. Vee still hadn’t looked.

“Okay. Thank you for being here. I couldn’t… I wouldn’t be able to…” Vee stopped, tugged her hand out of Masha’s and covered her face. Tears leaked out from behind it.

“Shh. It’s okay. You’re okay. I’ll take care of her and then you and your mom and Luz can decide what to do about the kittens.” Masha gently pulled Vee’s hands away from her face and pulled her into a hug. Vee sobbed into Masha’s shoulder as Masha patted her back and murmured.

As soon as Vee had gathered herself enough, she and Masha went back to the Noceda house and opened the garage to look for a box for the kittens’ mother. Camila pulled into the driveway just after they had closed the garage door.

“Hi Masha. Did you find the mother?” Camila asked through the rolled-down window.

“Yes, unfortunately. Car.” Masha answered.

“I can’t do it, mamá.” Vee rushed Camila as soon as she had gotten out of the car and hugged her, holding onto her tightly with taloned hands that didn’t go with her human form.

Camila rubbed Vee’s head. “I’ll go with Masha and you go back to the kittens.” She pushed Vee away and held her at arm’s length. “I got them some kitten food and kitten milk. When I get back, I’ll take a look at them and see what we need to do, okay?”

Vee nodded and Camila set off with Masha. When they’d walked behind the house, Vee sighed and went back to the portal house where she shifted back to her basilisk shape. The bolder kitten had woken up and was in the litter box, spraying litter around. Vee remembered what Masha had said and rubbed at the base of his tail. After a few moments, he squatted and peed. Vee’s phone pinged. It was a message from Camila.

Going to be a moment. We’re burying the pobre gatita.

Vee picked up the kitten and looked into its blueish eyes. He squealed at her until she petted him. The other kitten woke up and ran over to Vee. She scooped him up and put him in the litter box. After rubbing him for a moment, he pooped. The smell made Vee gag. It was so foul. What had they been eating?

She watched, fascinated as the kitten buried his poop. It helped the smell a little bit. Vee wondered about how instincts worked and what hers were. She had fight, flight, freeze or fawn down for sure… She tried so hard to avoid conflict and wanted to please everyone. She looked at the tiny kittens now climbing on her snaky form, not afraid of her like almost every other cat she had met.

She was still laying on the ground letting the kittens climb on her when Masha and Camila came back. Both of them stopped just inside the door at the sight of the kittens climbing on Vee. Masha pulled their camera and snapped photos, then Camila did the same.

“I needed that after what we just did,” Masha said as they sat on the floor next to Vee. Their hands and face were streaked with dirt and when Vee looked at Camila, she saw the same dirt on Camila’s hand.

“Was it bad?” Vee whispered to Masha, who nodded.

“It’s the hardest part sometimes; knowing that there was nothing you could have done even if you’d been there.” Camila sighed.

The larger kitten leapt off Vee into Masha’s lap and yowled at them until they stroked him. “I thought I wanted to become a vet once, but I don’t know if I have the heart for it. How do you do it, Camila?” they asked.

“You just put your head down and know that most of the time you can make a difference and it makes up for all those times like today.” Camila stood and headed for the bathroom. A few seconds later Masha and Vee heard the sound of water running in the sink.

The smaller kitten climbed off Vee and over to Masha’s lap to join his brother. “Are you going to keep them?” Masha asked.

“I don’t think mamá wants pets and I’ve never had one.” Vee smiled at the kittens climbing on Masha.

“It’s not too hard and cats are the best. You like Sabrina well enough.” Sabrina was Masha’s cat, a rambunctious tortie.

“Yeah, she’s great.” Vee leaned forward to kiss Masha, but pulled back when she heard Camila speak.

“Do you want to keep them?” Camila knelt by Vee and Masha.

“I—I want to do what’s best for them.” Vee held her hand out to the smaller one who swatted her finger playfully.

“You and Luz would have to take care of them, and they’ll need to stay in the house. Cats live longer, healthier lives as indoor cats.” Camila picked up the larger kitten and examined it carefully, palpating his abdomen and looking through his fur. When she was done, she picked up the smaller one and examined him also.

“I’ll need to give them a checkup regardless, so I’ll take them to work with me tomorrow. They’re old enough for kitten food and don’t need milk anymore, so that’s a blessing.” Camila kissed Vee’s forehead. “Think about it. If you and Luz agree to keep them, we can, assuming they’re healthy. It’s been… long enough.” She stood and headed out.

“I’m going to go make dinner. Have fun here and keep an eye on them.” Camila left.

“Gonna keep them?” Masha asked again.

When Vee looked down into their faces, she knew she wanted to.

A month later, she was slightly regretting her decision as Calabaza was a terror and always had the zoomies. He was still bigger than his brother and Camila said that Zapallo would likely always be tiny, but Calabaza might be fourteen pounds.

“Stop it, Zipi!” Vee shouted at Calabaza, using the name he was usually called. Luz had suggested Calabaza and Zapallo, but Camila had called them Zipi and Zape and the names had stuck. Luz had laughed so hard at their names that she had sat hard on the ground, gasping for breath.

“I know that zipizape means chaos, but is there something else?” Vee asked.

When Luz stopped laughing, she took Vee to the attic and dug out some yellowing comics with two kids named Zipi and Zape who got into all sorts of adventures. Vee read through them and immediately saw why Camila had given the kittens those names.

Zipi was busy hauling off with a wet paintbrush from her cleaning glass. Vee sighed, put down the pencil she’d been holding and picked Zipi up from the desk. As she was putting him on the ground, he wriggled out of her hands, bounced off the floor, then sprang up onto the desk again. This time she was too slow to prevent him grabbing the paintbrush. With a swish of his tail, he was gone, trailing light pink watery paint drops behind him from the brush in his mouth. Vee finally corralled him in the bathroom and, after a brief tug of war, took the brush from him. When she had cleaned up the drops of water and returned to her desk, she found that Zape had run off with her good art pencil and chewed on it.

“It’s a good thing you’re cute and I love you, or I’d put you outside and let the coyotes get you.” Vee took her pencil back from Zape and scratched him behind the ears.

“Aw, thanks, sis,” Luz said from the doorway.

“I wasn’t talking about you,” Vee said through clenched teeth. She loved Luz, but sometimes she understood what people meant when they talked about their annoying siblings. Luz was a bit… much sometimes.

Luz came in and flopped on her bed. Zipi leapt up into her arms. Zape followed a moment later.

“Whatcha workin’ on?” Luz asked idly while petting the cats.

“I’m trying to do a watercolor study of Monet’s ‘Water Lilies’ but I’m struggling with how to get the reflection on the water right. No matter what I do, it just comes out muddy.” Vee sighed and turned to Luz. “You know I was just kidding, right? I would never put Zipi and Zape outside.” Vee tugged at the sleeve of her shirt like she often did when she was nervous.

“I know. It’s only been a month, but they’ve already become part of the family and it would be unthinkable to get rid of them.” Luz laughed. “This must be how mamá felt when you came out to her.”

“What?” Vee shrieked. “I haven’t come out!” She put her hand over her mouth. “Oh! Oh! You meant when she saw the real me for the first time!”

“Yeah.” Luz sat up, eliciting squeaks from Zipi and Zape. She leaned forward to stare at Vee’s flaming face. “So, I struck a chord; anything you want to tell me?” Her tone made it clear she was kidding.

“I—not yet. I promise when I’m clear about that myself that I’ll let you know, but it’s all so confusing. I love Masha and that’s what’s important. I—does it need a label? Humans feel the need to label things… and people.” Vee sighed and shifted to her basilisk shape. The cats saw and immediately leapt off Luz to come jump on Vee’s back. Zape let out excited cheeps as he climbed on Vee. They could use their claws on Vee’s thick skin and scales and she never felt it unless they yanked her hair.

“But yeah, I’ve thought a lot about how she accepted me right away. She didn’t think I was a burden or a freak. She just let me be me,” Vee said. Luz laughed and Vee looked at her sharply.

“Sorry. I just think she thought that I’d suddenly become so much better behaved and the camp really worked. You’re the good girl and I’m the troubled one.” Luz’s tone was still joking. Last year Vee would have been worried about Luz saying this, but all the things that had happened since had made Luz more centered and sure of herself.

“She just took me in. Bam! Like that. Like adopting a cat, but I’m not a cat. I’m a person.” Vee’s eyes filled and she wiped away a tear. Zape tried to lick it off her hand and she pushed him away into her mane of hair. He slid back reluctantly, complaining the whole time with meows and chirps.

“I wonder if they have Siamese in them sometimes with how vocal they both are, especially Zape.” Luz laughed again.

“I think Zape just likes to talk to me.” Vee’s voice was still thick.

“I think he just likes to hear the sound of his own voice. He’s just like me.” Luz got up from the bed, pulled the beanbag up next to the chair Vee was sitting on and started petting Zipi. He chirruped at her and lifted his head so she could scratch it, but he wasn’t moving from his warm spot on Vee’s back near her hair and neither was Zape.

“I see how it is,” Luz said to the kitten. “You’re going to take scratchings from me, but Vee is favored, is that right?”

Zipi answered with a meow and both Vee and Luz laughed.

“I’ve gotta go meet Amity in a few minutes, but I heard you in here with the cats and wanted to talk to ask you something and got distracted.” Luz kept stroking the kitten. “It’s coming up on two years since you came to the Human Realm and I thought we’d have a party.” Luz held up her hands at the objection Vee was forming. “Not a birthday party, I know you don’t like to think of your birthday, so let’s call it an adoption party.”

“I don’t know. You know I don’t like to make a big deal out of it.” Vee seemed to want to say more but didn’t speak.

“I know you don’t, but we love you and sometimes it’s okay to let others make a big deal out of you. If you really don’t want it, that’s okay.” Luz kept her tone carefully neutral.

“…If it’s just friends, I’d be okay with that. Masha, Amity, Gus, Hunter and Willow?” Vee asked.

“Yeah. Sounds good. I think I could get everyone here in two weeks. Hunter might be the hard one; he starts his apprenticeship with Dell in a week, but I’ll see if he has a free day and we might plan it around him.” Luz started to wrestle her way out of the beanbag.

“Um. Could we invite Trey and Twain? I think they’d like to come, too.” Vee had been going back to visit the two basilisks who had taken up living with Eda. They were still scared to go out in their own forms even though Eda had told them no one would bother them or they’d have to face a pissed off Owl Beast.

“Sure. But that means Eda would likely show up also,” Luz said. Sometimes Eda frightened Vee. Vee knew Eda didn’t mean her any harm, but she was loud and boisterous and that often made Vee retreat. It also meant that Lilith might be there and Vee wasn’t completely sure she’d forgiven Lilith for working for the Emperor. She knew Belos had lied and manipulated her, but Lilith had seemed to enjoy her work for him. She’d never personally seen Lilith tormenting the basilisks and she’d forgiven Hunter, why not forgive Lilith also? Her feelings were so mixed about Lilith. Maybe this would be a good time to start trying to forgive.

“I’m… okay with that.” Vee willed it to be true and it felt almost like it was.

“Okay, I’ll talk to Amity about it tonight and we’ll start planning it. You don’t need to do anything.” Luz finally wrestled her way out of the beanbag, nearly face-planted, laughed, then stood. She reached the door, then turned around. “Well, we might ask you to make some of your famous turtle brownies. Seriously, I don’t know how you’ve become such a good baker.”

As Luz left, she leaned over Vee and hugged her. Vee froze for a second, then turned and hugged Luz back.

“See you tomorow?” Luz asked and Vee nodded. A moment later Vee heard Luz clomping down the stairs.

Vee turned her attention back to her painting. It wasn’t going to be finished today and she wasn’t in the mood for Monet anymore. She ripped out a fresh piece of notebook paper and started drawing, just letting her mind wander. When she looked down an hour later, a half-finished sketch of Zipi and Zape sleeping in their cat bed sat on her desk. She knew when she colored it that it would be vibrant, their orange shining out against the light gray background of their cat bed. She loved it in a way she hadn’t loved the Monet she was trying to copy for class. Maybe when it was finished she might give it to Masha. No, she suddenly realized; it was going to go to Camila. Flipping her phone over, she checked the time and saw she didn’t have to meet Masha for another hour and went back to her sketch.

She fell down the rabbit hole and jumped when her phone rang. It was Masha’s custom ringtone, “Them” by Flavia. When Vee had read the lyrics it made her cheeks flame, but Masha had just laughed and said it should be their ringtone. Vee had just nodded, agreed, and set it.

She answered her phone, worried because Masha never called, only texted.

“Masha? Is everything okay?” Vee asked.

“What’s up buttercup?” Masha replied. “You were supposed to meet me after work. You okay?”

Vee pushed her phone away from her ear and looked at the clock.

“Shoot! I’m sorry; I lost track of time. I was drawing. I’ll be there in ten minutes.” She started to get up.

“Nah, it’s all right. I figured you were drawing or something and was only slightly concerned. I’ve got the car and I’ll be right over. Still wanting to go out tonight?” Masha asked.

“Umm, could you pick up Panda Express on the way over? I’ll Venmo you for it. I think I’d rather stay home and watch a movie.” Vee’s stomach rumbled. Camila was out tonight on a date and Luz was off with Amity, so it was a fix your own dinner night. She’d originally planned to go out with Masha, but a night in on the sofa with a movie and takeout sounded even better.

“Sure. Just make sure to pick a romcom this time instead of an action movie.” Masha laughed. “I can see your blush over the phone, buttercup. See you in a few. Love you.”

“Love you too,” Vee said, her heart beating faster still every time she said it.

“Love you Five,” Masha responded in their customary endearment. They hung up.

Vee’s eyes were drawn back to her sketch, now wishing that she’d started it on a nicer piece of paper instead of notebook paper, but Camila would love it no matter what. She paused with her pencil lifted. Camila loves her no matter what. She looked at the mischievous kittens sleeping in their bed. She loved them no matter what, no matter how much trouble they got into. Camila loved Luz no matter how much trouble she got into. Camila loved Vee even though she wasn’t her biological daughter and not even human. Camila loved her. Masha loved her. Luz loved her. Her friends loved her. She loved all of them. How had she been so lucky to find these people?

Her phone buzzed again when she’d only been sketching for a minute, or was it fifteen? Time had no meaning when she was lost in her drawing.

I’m in your driveway. Please get the door.

Vee shifted to her human form, rushed down the stairs for the door and got there just as Masha was coming up onto the porch. She stepped forward, kissed Masha’s cheek and took the drinks from them. She could smell the orange chicken and spring rolls and her stomach rumbled again.

“Oh, I hear thunder,” Masha said as they walked into the house.

“Sorry, it was just my stomach.” Vee laughed as she saw Masha had been joking. Sometimes it was still hard to catch tone, even from loved ones. It had led to more than one misunderstanding with Luz.

They sat at the table in the kitchen and ate while Masha told Vee about their day at work. Usually it was pretty tame; they only had to sit at the desk and greet people, hand them brochures, answer questions about Gravesfield and its history, and occasionally give a tour. But today a group of cosplayers had come in dressed in costumes from the ‘Witch Hunting’ manga and Masha had talked to them for a long time.

“It’s so hard not to tell them that the history here is actually real. Witches really were here; witch hunters really were here and one of them lived for like 500 years in another world. I have a hard time believing it myself sometimes until I’m back with you.” Masha waggled the spring roll in their hands in emphasis with their words.

“Luz wants to have an ‘adoption party’ for me,” Vee blurted suddenly, unable to keep it in anymore. She hated to change the topic so abruptly, but the whole time Masha had been talking, Vee’s thoughts had been circling, spinning around and around in her head like a cyclone. “It’s possible that it might be at the Owl House, since I want her to invite Trey and Twain and I don’t think they’ll want to come to the Human Realm. Would you be willing to go with me?” Vee watched Masha carefully. For all their initial excitement about the Boiling Isles, Masha had been obviously terrified the few times they’d visited, only visibly relaxing once they were back in the Noceda house.

“For you, yes. As long as Eda or Raine is there. I don’t know how Luz does it; I don’t know how your mom lets her go there on her own.” Masha shivered and laughed. “Some ex-Goth I am, huh?”

Vee smiled at them. “Are you an ex-Goth now? You emerged from your chrysalis and are entering your emo phase?”

Masha leaned over and punched Vee lightly on the arm. Vee yelped and pulled back like Masha had slugged her.

“Oh! Woe is me! My joyfriend is upset with me. Wait… maybe I’m entering my emo phase.” Vee picked up an eggroll and devoured it whole.

Masha laughed. They passed the rest of their dinner in light conversation and cleaned up talking about what they were going to do after the summer when Masha went off to UConn and Vee had to finish her senior year.

“I’ll miss you is what’ll happen,” Vee said as they settled onto the sofa.

“It’s just a year and then you’ll be at UConn also. I can’t wait to see you in a Huskies uniform. Mmmm, a girlfriend in a sports uniform.” Masha laughed again, showing the gap in their teeth as they did. Vee leaned forward suddenly and kissed them. It was hard to kiss them with Masha still trying to laugh, but eventually they relaxed and the kiss went on and on.

Masha pulled back and flopped on the sofa. “Seriously though, I’ll miss you, too. And I do look forward to having you at UConn the year after. They’re still recruiting you, right?”

“Oh, yeah. Them and a few other schools. If Luz really wanted it, she’d be getting looks also, but she’s deadset on moving to the Boiling Isles after high school.” Vee flopped next to Masha, leaning on them heavily. She changed to her basilisk shape and pinned Masha to the sofa.

“No fair,” Masha groaned around another laugh. They struggled to push Vee off, who let them for a moment then slithered behind them on the sofa so Masha was reclining half on the sofa and half on Vee.

“Camila told me about the Cat Distribution System and I thought it was so similar to what happened with me and Trey and Twain. I found my family here with Camila and Luz and they found theirs with King and Eda. I don’t know, but it feels right to have the party with all of us.”

“That’s because it is,” Masha turned around in Vee’s arms, slipped their arms around Vee’s scales, pulled themselves up to Vee’s mouth and kissed her, careful of her pointy teeth in this shape.

When Camila came home that night and asked what movie they’d watched, they said different movies at the same time and all three of them laughed.

“Ready?” Vee asked, turning to Masha.

They gulped and nodded. Vee opened the Portal Door to the red tinged landscape outside the Owl House. Someone had replanted grass in front of it where it had been bare earth before (or was it Titan flesh or flaking epidermis, maybe dandruff? Vee wondered). Masha squeezed Vee’s hands tightly as they passed through. Raine had obviously been waiting for them and stepped into view from around the frame of the door.

“Good to see you,” they said and hugged Vee, then Masha.

“It’s been a while, abuere,” she said as she broke the hug, using her pet name for Raine, a portmanteau of abuele and Raine. They’d always laughed that they weren’t old enough to be a grandparent but went with it anyway, swayed by Vee’s earnestness. Raine was less amused when Luz took it up also.

“You should visit more often, Trey and Twain especially would like to see you more.” They turned to Masha. “And you are always welcome here. We’d like to get to know you better.” Their smile grew sly. “Especially if you’re going to be family.”

Masha laughed. “I’m just eighteen, it’s a bit early to be talking about family.”

Raine widened their eyes innocently. “I only meant found family. What did you think I meant?” They chuckled at Masha and Vee’s flaming faces.

Masha resumed their grip on Vee’s hand as they stepped away from the Portal door and closed it then walked the short distance to the Owl House’s entrance. The hole in the door that Hooty would normally occupy was empty. You should be able to see inside the Owl House by looking through it, but the first time Vee tried that the depth of it kinda broke her mind. She hadn’t done it again. Raine ignored it and opened the door. It was dark, but they ushered Vee and Masha inside. As soon as they stepped over the threshold, the lights flared and shouts greeted them.

“¡Felicidades!” “Congratulations!” “Hooray!” A cacophony of voices greeted them exuberantly. Vee could clearly hear Eda and Luz, but all the other voices mixed together.

Vee craned her neck trying to see who was there and saw Eda, Lilith and Alador towering over everyone else at the back of the room. She was just turning to look elsewhere in the room to see if Trey and Twain were there when Luz practically tackled her in a hug. Amity joined a second later.

“Happy adoption day.” Luz kissed Vee on the cheek, then hugged Masha while Amity said something to Vee that she immediately forgot because she saw Camila coming toward her with a large sheaf of paperwork.

“I—what’s that?” Vee asked as Camila hugged Vee tightly. Amity and Luz took Masha’s hands and dragged them a short distance away.

“It’s paperwork, both for the Boiling Isles and for our world. I want to make it official. Do you want to be my daughter, officially?”

“Of course,” Vee said as hot tears began to well in her eyes. “But how?”

“The little diosito, the Collector. They have friends in our world, friends like them, and Eda knows someone in Oregon who has connections. They both assure me that it will hold up in our world, even if someone did a deep dive, like a background check.” Camila hugged Vee again.

Luz appeared suddenly at Vee’s side again. “You already are my sister, but this will give you legal rights and protections that you didn’t have before. Also, Eda’s connection provided a birth certificate and other paperwork that proves you were born on Earth in the Dominican Republic.” Luz stepped into the hug with Vee and Camila.

“Mi hermana, finalmente,” Luz kissed her cheek again and then let Masha come back in. A moment later the crowd surged and everyone was shaking Vee’s hands.. Gus, Willow, Amity, then Eda, Lilith, Alador, and Raine. Finally, Hunter hugged her.

“I’m so happy you’re official.” Hunter whispered. “Camila was always kind to me and I think of her as the parent I never had until Darius stepped up.”

“I’m sure she’d do the same for you if you wanted,” Vee whispered back.

Hunter shook his head then released the hug. “I don’t need the paperwork, but it will make your life easier in the Human Realm. Congratulations, sister.”

Vee watched him go back to Willow’s side. They jumped into a conversation with Masha and Luz. Masha saw her watching and they blew Vee a kiss. Vee ‘caught’ it and blew it back. Masha laughed then turned their attention back to what Luz was saying.

Raine came back, took her by the elbow and began guiding her to a table where Camila was already sitting, pen in her hand.

“Trey and Twain aren’t here?” she asked Raine in a whisper.

“They’ll be here,” they said mysteriously.

Vee sat at the table next to Camila to sign the paperwork together under Raine’s watchful eye. Vee was numb. Happily numb. She felt like she had the one time she kissed King’s cheek and his power had washed through her, satiating her for days. It required so many signatures and initials in so many places. Vee’s hand shook for the first few, but then steadied as they went on. Each signature and initial filled a hole in Vee she didn’t know needed filling until just then. The numbness slowly oozed away also, replaced with… joy? Happiness?

Vee signed the last line with a serifed flourish. Raine took the papers and added their signature to the bottom line and it was… done.

Vee looked up at Camila, at her mother, her real mother, no matter what anyone said, and knew the feeling was love. It was love. She loved Camila.

“Te amo, mamá,” Vee said to Camila, hugging her again. Amity handed Vee a glass of Apple Blood mixed with Abomination Goo and they all toasted her with raucous cheers.

Masha had been separated from her, but now that the toasts were done, they were back by Vee’s side.

“Officially Vee Noceda now. I know Raine was teasing earlier, but I like the sound of Masha Noceda. Maybe someday.” Masha laughed at Vee’s blush, then kissed her thoroughly, earning hoots from everyone there.

“All right, all right; let’s reset for our next guests!” Eda’s voice boomed.

“What’s happening?” Vee asked Luz, who was heading toward the door.

“Trey and Twain should be here in a few minutes. We’re going to do it all again.” Luz smiled at Vee’s confusion.

“What?” Vee asked, but then Luz turned out the lights.

“What’s going on?” Masha whispered to Vee.

“I’m not sure. Luz said Trey and Twain were coming and… oh…” Vee trailed off.

“What?” Masha asked again, as the door burst open with Hooty back in his normal spot. Two miniature Hootys galumphed into the room. Except… one of them had dark shaggy hair on top of his head and on the other, dark violet hair flowed as they moved. Their forms shifted with a waver of the light around them that Vee knew well from her own shifting. In a few seconds, they had shrunk lengthwise, but thickened around the middle and then were in their basilisk forms. It was Trey and Twain, finally here.

With a wave of her staff, Eda lit all the candles. They flared to life, causing the basilisks to blink their third eyelids (or nictitating membranes as Camila called them properly, which always made Vee laugh for some reason). When she refocused, she joined Luz and Camila in shouting “¡Felicidades!” Willow, Hunter and Gus whistled sharply in a Boiling Isles version of approval while Raine bowed to the basilisks from their place across the room. When they saw Vee looking at them, she mouthed ‘adoption’ to them. The shouts of congratulations continued as Eda made her way through the throng.

“Eda’s adopting them like Camila adopted me!” Vee shouted to Masha over the noise.

“Damn straight, kid,” Eda said, elbowing past her with a sheaf of paper that looked remarkably similar to the one Camila had earlier.

Shock showed in Trey’s wide, yellow-pupiled eyes. Twain stood still, frozen in their surprise. When Eda reached the two basilisks and said something to them, Twain broke their paralysis and reached trembling hands out to Eda, gripping her tightly. Vee held up her adoption papers with a wide smile and saw the comprehension grow in Trey’s eyes.

Trey put his hands over Eda’s and Twain’s, holding them in a gaze. Vee knew that look well from having shared it with Camila and Eda a few times. Family. Found family. The tears welled in Twain’s eyes and Trey’s hands shook in Eda’s grasp, but she stilled them with a squeeze. The private moment passed. Eda looked around at the crowd, sniffled loudly, then she was dragging Trey and Twain to the same table that Vee and Camila had signed their paperwork at. When it was all done, they were also given a glass of Apple Blood mixed with Abomination Goo also and were toasted. The celebration broke up into wandering groups and finally, Vee was able to get Trey and Twain by themselves.

“I can’t believe it,” Twain said. They shifted to their preferred witchsona, a slim, dark purple-haired witch with pale alabaster skin and black painted fingers. Trey changed to his, a persona that Vee would have called a shaggy-haired stoner if he’d been copying a human.

“I’m so happy for both of you. Eda scares me, but you’ve both spent so much more time with her and I know she loves you.” Vee felt her eyes drawn to Camila, who was talking with Eda and Raine, her hand on Eda’s elbow familiarly.

“She’s… loud and brash and she’d do anything to protect us. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Did you know she’s planning on making her own University for Wild Magic, teaching anyone who wants to learn?” Twain sighed. “And I want to learn. I don’t know if it’s possible for us to do magic, or if we can only devour it, but I want to try.” They turned to Trey, obviously waiting for him to say something.

He grinned. “I’ve been learning how to play the guitar and I want to learn Bardic magic if it’s possible. I want to be like…” He trailed off and turned to look at Raine, who was smiling at Camila’s hand on Eda’s elbow.

“Raine’s a good person to copy,” Vee said softly.

“So is Camila,” Twain said.

“Yeah. I’m so glad the Basilisk Distribution System found us all families.” Vee laughed. They stared at her blankly.

“Um, it’s like. Um…” Vee stammered. “In the Human Realm, cats seem to know when they need help or when they’ve found a human they want to live with, and they’ll just, like, insert themselves into their life. They call it the Cat Distribution System. We adopted two kittens that had recently lost their mother and they came right to me for help. It seems to be a common thing in the Human Realm with cats and I see it in us. We each found a home, a family. It’s like we knew who could be trusted, who would love us. Shoot! I’m babbling!”

“Not babbling,” Twain said.

“Yeah, that was really eloquent,” Trey said, laughing.

Vee pulled out her cell phone and showed them photos of the kittens.

“That’s Calabaza, we call him Zipi and that’s Zapallo, who we call Zape after two cartoon characters that were always getting into hijinks. Their names are types of squash… umm, human vegetables? Fruits? Not sure which ones squash are. Oh, but their nicknames mean chaos and I’m babbling again.” Vee laughed along with her brother and sibling. Even if they were created instead of properly born, they had been raised in the same creche; they were her siblings.

“They’re really cute,” Trey said and Twain nodded.

“I don’t mean to take up all your time, but I… I love you.” Vee hugged Trey, then Twain joined in.

They both smiled widely, kissed her cheek, squeezed Vee’s hands and then went to be with Eda.

Vee turned to see Masha talking with Camila, Hunter and Luz. They waved her over, laughing and smiling, even Hunter. She walked slowly over to her Mother, her sister, brother, and joyfriend, wiping her eyes as she went. When she got there, they pulled her tightly into a group embrace. It was the Basilisk Distribution System at work and it was right.