A Blight and a BAT
"There you go, Mrs. Gossamer," Emira said soothingly as she finshined tying off a bandage around the leg of an elderly Arachne demon. The woman smiled at her between her pincers, eight eyes crinkling. As Emira started placing healing patches at regular intervals and infusing them with magic, she continued, "Just remember to keep off that leg for a few days and you should be right as sunlight. I'll get a physician over here to sign off and you'll be free to go."
As Emira stood up and stretched in place, her smile unwavering even with the faint circles beneath her eyes from faint magical exhaustion, Mrs. Gossamer chuckled. The sound was clicky but not at all unpleasant. "Oh child, you must be a fresh new intern from Hexside, hmm?" she asked in a warm voice.
"Yes, ma'am. Why?" Emira replied.
"Sweetheart," she said fondly, checking a watch, " I guarantee that none of these patients will want to be checked out for the next hour. Especially us old folks."
Emira opened her mouth to ask why, but her words were stopped by someone entering the room. He was a tall young man with dark … everything. His shaggy hair was a shade away from midnight, his skin like rich ebony, and his eyes the color of rich choke-oh behind a small pair of glasses that accentuated his soft features. He was dressed in a familiar uniform, one almost identical to the famed Head Bard, Raine Whispers, who was engaged to Eda the Owl Lady.
"Good afternoon, everyone," he called in a soothing, laidback voice. The atmosphere of the room seemed to immediately lighten at his words. "I'm Derwin Croone of the Bards All-For the Titan, or the BATs." There were a few chuckles and laughs at the name and he smiled shyly. Had his skin been any lighter, Emira was certain his cheeks would be pink. He traced a spell circle that summoned a high stool for him to sit and a bassoon to his hands. "For the next hour, prepare to be led on a journey," he gestured wide as if painting a picture, "into the depths of recovery."
Derwin lifted the mouthpiece to his lips … and the deep music that poured forth slowly rose up into a higher, fluttering tenor. Derwin then moved on to a series of folk tunes, his toes tapping as he played.
And along with the music poured magic, a cherry-red shimmer in the air that enveloped the room. Emira gasped as she suddenly felt lighter, her heels leaving the ground even as she still stayed grounded. Patients gasped or sighed in relief as they floated just shy of off their beds, the pressure taken off of their injuries. And even more, the healing glyphs on various body parts began to glow with violet magic. Emira traced a quick circle and examined a patch on Mrs. Gossamer to find the magic inside slowly beginning to swirl and to beat like a heart to the rhythm of the music, easing more naturally into her leg.
"Make your rounds, sweetie," the old demoness said kindly with a sigh of contentment. "Listen for as long as you can. You'll live longer, I'd wager."
Emira smiled and nodded, checking up on the other patients with the lightness the magic brought about easing her sore feet and aching fingers, while always keeping part of her attention on Derwin's music. And, if she were honest with herself, sneaking occasional glances at the bard as he transitioned smoothly from one piece to the next. Quick shanties to slow lullabies, it made no difference. He kept the music coming and the magic flowing.
After his promised hour, Derwin wrapped up a moving piece that had to be Raine's Rhapsody and finally lowered his bassoon, the instrument dissolving into magical storage. "Thank you all," he said, his breathing a little ragged. "Rest easy and get well soon."
Emira kept him carefully in the corner of her eye until he left, then leaned against a cabinet and took some deep breaths. It felt like traces of the bard's music were still flowing through her, easing her faint aches and clearing her mind. And yet her heart was pounding and she felt flushed.
Oh, Titan.
"Was I right, or was I right, dear?" Mrs. Gossamer said smugly.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Croone," a receptionist said as Derwin checked out. "The patients are always so happy when you and your friends have your performances."
"Hey, I'm just happy to help," Derwin said with a smile. He turned and let the smile waver at the faint throbbing in his bile sac, something that always happened after a long performance at an infirmary. Using even faint Bard magic for so long would drain even the strongest of witches. Well, except for Raine. But they were an exception rather than the rule, a true prodigy whose skill far outweighed any lack of strength.
"Keep practicing," Derwin chanted to himself under his breath, a mantra Raine would so often use. Practice strengthened the bile sac, made the rhythms come more easily, and made the magic flow naturally with familiarity.
"Excuse me!" Derwin straightened and turned his head to find a girl in a Hexside uniform approaching, clutching a messenger bag at her hip. He blinked at the dark blue sleeves that contrasted sky-blue tights. A multi-tracker?
"Hi," the girl said as she caught up. "I, um, I was doing rounds for my internship when you had your performance, and I just-" She laughed. "Just 'wow'! It was just- amazing!"
"Thanks," Derwin said, cheeks warming at the praise from a stranger. "A friend of mine came up with the idea. Some old wild magic texts said that Bard magic was once used to supplement Healing magic, and Raine has been experimenting with that."
"You call a head witch by their first name?" Emira asked, a slim eyebrow arched teasingly.
"Well, they were my teacher long before becoming a head witch, so …"
"The BATs, right?" Emira asked. "My sister is dating Luz Noceda. I've, uh, met Head Witch Whispers a few times."
"You're Amity's sister?" Derwin asked. He narrowed his eyes and looked her over before nodding in a sagely manner. "Yeah, I can see the resemblance." He couldn't help but crack a smile and offer a hand to shake. "Derwin Croone, but you probably already knew that."
"Emira Blight. And yes, I did."
They stood there for a few seconds before Derwin glanced at a watch and summoned his staff capped with an elk palisman. "Look, I need to get going. But maybe I'll see you around?"
"Uh, yeah. Totally. Really hope so," Emira said, summoning her own staff capped with a goose with a bell in its beak and fiddling with the end of her plait behind her back.
"Same. Good night, Emira." Derwin smiled and mounted in a standing position before flying off with a departing salute.
Emira waved back dazedly before blinking hard and pinching herself. "Oh Titan, there's no way I caught a crush that fast." She placed her hand to her chest and spread out her stance. "I'm Emira Blight! There's no way!" Her confident expression cracked and crumbled into unease. "Right?" she asked her palisman.
Liberty animated atop her staff and did something rarely heard from her: she honked, rather than jingling her bell.
"I'm in trouble," she admitted.
"So, what's their name?"
Emira startled from her reading, or attempted reading, of her Illusions textbook in the seclusion of the Blight Manor study to look at her little sister. "What?"
"You're blushing, Em," Amity noted, a tad smugly. "So, what's their name? That should also tell me if it's a boy or a girl."
"It's just someone I met at the infirmary," Emira waved off. "No big deal."
"Emira, you don't exactly fall easily. So if someone's got you blushing like that, they're definitely more than nothing." Amity crossed her arms and leaned backward against a bookshelf. "So dish."
Emira weighed her options before sighing. "Sister's secret?"
"Completely confidential," Amity agreed. "So …?"
"His name is Derwin," Emira admitted. "I met him about a week ago at the infirmary I'm interning at for the Healing track. He's a member of Raine Whispers's BATs and plays for the patients twice a week, using Bard magic to help them heal better."
"Yeah, Eda mentioned that a while back," Amity said. "And Derwin's the dark one with the pince-nez, right? I'm pretty sure he's the only guy in the group." Emira nodded. "So have you actually talked to him?"
"As a matter of fact, yes," Emira said primly. "After each of the three performances I've seen. He finishes around the time I do and we've talked a little each day."
"I'm guessing you haven't told him about your feelings," Amity surmised.
"No, I haven't," Emira said without shame. "We've only known each other a week, after all. I want to get to know him even better before I do anything … rash."
"I think that's a healthy mindset," Amity said with a smile.
"From your excessive experience, right," Emira teased.
"Out of the three Blight heirs, which of us has had a year-long, healthy, constructive relationship?" Amity asked haughtily.
"That's … actually fair," Emira admitted, reining in her pride.
Pride was something of a Blight family curse, she knew. It had soured their father's friendship with Darius that had only begun to be repaired after the Day of Unity, it had been the root of their mother's worst traits, it had pushed Amity to lie about the reason she broke off her childhood friendship with Willow … the list went on.
Further discussion was interrupted by a knock on the door and Edric peeking into the study. "Oh, hey Mittens," he greeted warmly, if a bit awkwardly. "Uh, Em, can I borrow you for a little bit? For a private talk?"
The sisters traded a quick glance before Emira marked her page and waved to Amity before following Edric to his room. He locked the door and sighed before sitting at his vanity chair. "I need to get something off my chest and you can't tell Mittens," he said.
"Oh man, what did you do and why wasn't I invited?" Emira teased.
"I didn't do anything," he whined, "unless …" He swallowed and lifted his glasses, which he'd begun wearing openily without a concealment stone after the Day of Unity, to rub his eyes. "Unless you count catching a crush."
"Good on you, Ed," she smiled. "But why talk in private? Amity's open to this stuff now, too."
"Because of who the crush is — and before you joke about it no, Titan, it's not Luz!"
"Okay, you got me," Emira laughed, raising her palms in surrender. She took the spot next to her brother and rubbed his back. "So why the secrecy?"
"Amity can't keep a secret from Luz, and Luz would run with this from the remains of the Head to the Toes," Edric explained.
"So it's one of Luz's friends?" Emira prodded.
"Yeah," he admitted, fiddling with his thumbs. "It's Viney Melamphos."
"The multi-tracker Troublemaker on the flyer derby team?" Viney asked. She thought over what she knew of Viney. "Viney … Huh. She's cute!"
Edric smiled tightly and nodded his head. "Yeah, dammit, she's really cute." His tight smile loosened into something almost love drunk. "She's tough as a direwolf, but so gentle with patients and animals. She's smart, too; gotta be in two of the most intense tracks, especially at the same time."
"So, how are you gonna approach this?" Emira asked.
"Not sure," Edric replied.
As he spoke, Emira listened and decided to try and help out her brother.
"So they're dating now?" Derwin asked, about a month later. Emira had offered to buy his lunch as a thanks for his amazing performances that remained volunteer work. He'd tried to get away, but Emira had insisted, using every subtle feminine wile she knew. Which was quite a few. After a few token bits of resistance, he'd agreed.
"Yeah," Emira giggled. "It's so cute! Viney's a sweet girl with a tough center, and she'll keep Ed out of trouble. Kind of like Amity and Luz's dynamic, really."
"I'm surprised that he went to Hunter of all people for advice," Derwin mused. "I mean, the guy's mind is sharp as a sword point and he's a great friend, but not exactly a master of romance."
"Great friend?" Emira asked.
"My mentor-slash-parental figure is engaged to his surrogate aunt," Derwin said. "We're at least friendly. He and Steve actually invited me to go to Lake Lacuna with them for the Equinox."
"Oh, wow …" Emira said quietly, carefully strangling the pit of stupid jealously that rose up. "That sounds fun."
"It'll mostly be trying to help Hunter cut loose a little without Willow to keep him calm," Derwin admitted. "Well, that and relaxing on the beach."
'A beach littered with scantily-clad young adults!' Emira screamed in the back of her mind while she kept up a smile. "Are you taking partners?" she asked coyly.
"Steve's got his girlfriend, Severine," Derwin laughed. "And two of my best friends are going, too. Kind of a girls' outing for them."
"Well, I hope you have fun," Emira said.
"It's not for four months," Derwin said bemusedly, eyes twinkling over that soft smile. "But I appreciate it."
'Titan, I'm so screwed,' Emira thought.
It took a full week of Amity's encouragement for Emira to muster the nerve to ask Derwin out to dinner. She'd even gone so far as to pep talk herself in the mirror. "You are smart, strong, and sexy," she told herself, looking straight into her reflection's eyes. "Any guy or girl would be lucky to catch your eye. So go out there and make it happen!"
Emira checked into the infirmary for her next internship shift and made a fire-beeline for the room that she knew Derwin would be performing in. She smiled as she entered, even wider when she saw Derwin … and the expression fell to confusion at the sight of another girl talking to him.
One second glance, a very pretty girl dressed in a uniform identical to Derwin's.
"Emira!" Derwin said brightly, waving her over. Emira fixed her smile back in place and approached somewhat cautiously. The girl turned to look at her and smiled wide, revealing prominent fangs.
"Em, this is Katya," Derwin said warmly. "Another of the BATs."
"H-Hello," Emira greeted with a small wave. She tried to keep a lid on it, but doubts and insecurities were welling up. Who was this girl to Derwin? Were they childhood friends? Were their other feelings there? Were they dating and Derwin had never mentioned it?!
"So you're the famous Emira Blight," Katya said enthusiastically, wrapping the Blight up in a hug before separating and looking her up and down. "Derwin's told us so much about you. Also, you're sister's sweet but kind of stuck-up."
Emira couldn't help it; she laughed. "Oh Titan, yeah, she can be. She's gotten better, though." Emira pushed down the fact that Derwin had talked about her to his probable friend-slash-possible girlfriend.
"Uh, ladies, if you'll excuse me for a moment," Derwin interjected, pointing at an elderly witch in a lab coat, "I have to talk to the physician really quick. Raine needed some information."
"Go do your nerd stuff, Winny," Katya said, waving him off and looping an arm over Emira's shoulders to draw her into a squishing half-hug. "We'll have some girl talk before the show."
After a long, unimpressed look at Katya, Derwin nodded and walked away, Katya turned an eye on her. "Okay, so you've got a thing for Derwin, right?" she said, her tone far from accusatory and more like a gossiping cockatrice.
"W-What?" Emira stammered. Mother Titan, was she stammering?! She was Emira Blight, smooth and sultry heir to the family! Not some socially-stunted dork!
"I've got an eye for this stuff," Katya said by way of explanation. "And with that same eye, I get the feeling you'll do right by him. So, as his oldest friend, I say go for it."
"You want me to ask him out?" Emira asked in shock.
"Totally," Katya said. "In fact, I think I can help." She released Emira and summoned a tambourine that she rattled for a moment. "Raine taught me a trick to quell your fears, something they use for their stage fright. A kind of courage spell that lowers your inhibitions a little." Her eyes glittered with mischief. "It can make this a little easier, huh?"
Emira blinked owlishly, placing her hand over her stomach where a thousand butterflies seemed to be at war. She felt the tension in her spine that rose up every time she tried to ask Derwin out for anything more than a friendly bite after their work.
And she made her decision. She nodded.
"Alright," Katya said. "Hold still." She tightly shook her tambourine, the zills chattering, and Emira felt magic flow into her body, much like when Derwin would perform. She felt herself lift gently off the ground, her hair suspended as if underwater. But more than that, she felt renewed confidence flood her very being!
The magic ended and Emira settled back onto her feet. She breathed deeply and smiled, turning on her heel and marching up to Derwin. He seemed to be finishing his talk with the head physician and turned to smile at her approach, the smile wavering at the force of her confidence. He opened his mouth to say something-
Emira grabbed the sides of his face and pulled him down into a full-on kiss, pouring her feelings and intention into the contact with a delighted hum. She pulled his lips from hers with a hearty smack and sighed wistfully. "You. Me. Dinner. I'll buy," she said, firmly and without room for doubt.
"Wh- Uh," Derwin seemed to have trouble thinking, blinking vacantly behind his pince-nez.
"Wha-ho!" Katya jeered. "I expected confidence, but that was bold!"
Emira shifted her grip to hug Derwin's arm. "I guess your spell worked, huh?" she giggled.
"No, not really," Katya replied, scratching the back of her neck sheepishly. "That spell only lifted you up a bit. The rest was all you, in your head."
Emira's expression went blank as she processed this. And then she blushed as hard as Amity or Alador on their best day!
"Oh Titan!" She jerked away from Derwin as if she'd been scalded, covering her face in mortification. "Oh, Mother Titan! I'm so sorry, Derwin! I thought- I wouldn't-!" She groaned and wished she could just melt into a puddle of goo. "I understand if you never want to see me again."
"But I didn't say no."
Emira's thoughts came to a screeching halt and she peeked from between her fingers at him. "What?"
"I didn't say no," he repeated, brushing his thumb over his cheek. "And I don't want to say no. In fact, er …" He looked up and Emira glanced over her shoulder to find Katya giving him a shooing motion with her fingers. "I was actually gonna ask you the same thing after the performance." His bashful expression turned teasing. "And I do mean ask, not tell."
"So, that's a yes?" she asked, just to make absolutely clear.
"Absolutely," he laughed. "How about tomorrow night? I'll pick you up at seven?"
"…Okay," Emira giggled into her palms.
"Well, now that that's settled," Katya said, tracing a spell circle to summon Derwin's bassoon that she tossed to him, "we have a performance to get to. And I think you have work to do, Em."
"This was wonderful," Emira cooed, clutching Derwin's arm as they walked the streets of Bonesborough a few weeks later.
"I'm glad," Derwin said fondly, leaning his jaw onto her head. "But I feel kind of bad that you insist on paying for everything."
"Oh, not this again," Emira scolded lightly. "My family is loaded. And how much does a bard make, even on the personal staff of a coven head?"
"I just don't want you to think I'm only interested in money," he said morosely. "Or for your very powerful father and sister to think that."
"Well, luckily for you, they don't know yet," Emira chirped. "I've got you all to myself. And I know for a fact that you don't care about money, honey."
"Oh, come on," Derwin whined teasingly. "I asked you not to call me that."
"Is it better than 'Winny'?" she asked innocently.
"It's just as bad," he reasoned. "Don't you agree, Emmy?"
"No," she said shortly.
"Then we have a deal, yes?" he darted back. "Doesn't a Blight always uphold a deal?"
"Fine, a bargain, then," she sighed, nuzzling deeper into his arm. She squeaked as Derwin stopped in his tracks, spinning her to face him before catching her and holding her in place by her hips. He looked down at her with those dark eyes with a warm smile.
"Sealed with a kiss?" he asked, his voice husky.
"Oh, yes," she gasped, and threw her arms over his shoulders to draw him to her. The kiss was deep, but not obscene. Emira hummed as the grip on her hips rose to her lower back, and she hugged his shoulders closer in reply.
"Hello!"
The two jumped apart in shock, only linked by one hand each, and Emira's face turned whiter than a ghost. Edric stood with one hand on his hip and the other arm around Viney's waist, grinning for all he was worth. Hunter and Willow were standing with them, curled into each other and apparently content to watch the show.
"So, anything interesting happen lately, Sis?" Edric asked, grinning even wider.
"E-Edric," Emira stammered. "W-What're you doing here?"
"On a double date," Edric said innocently. "And who's this?"
"I'm Derwin Croone," Derwin said, offering a hand. "A member of the BATs."
"A pleasure, Derwin," Edric said, taking the offer handshake. "Funny thing, dear Em hasn't mentioned you at all."
"She hasn't?" Derwin asked, looking a little hurt.
"I've told Amity," she said quickly, then looked at Edric. "And you were having your own love troubles."
"Love?" Viney asked teasingly.
"Like," Edric said quickly.
"That's not what she said," Viney countered.
"Really like," Edric said through gritted teeth. Viney laughed and kissed his cheek. "It's nice to meet you, Derwin," she said. "I'm Viney. I go to Hexside, too."
"Viney …" Derwin said slowly before his eyes brightened. "Oh! Luz has mentioned you. You were one of the original multi-trackers, right? You and the group handled that Greater Basilisk?"
"That's me and my pals," Viney confirmed and gestured between the twins. "We blazed the trail for folks like these two tricksters."
"Does, uh, does Mr. Blight know about you?" Derwin asked.
"Dunno," Viney shrugged. "And honestly, I don't care, y'know?" She hugged Edric closer. "This Mr. Blight is all I need. For now, at least."
"What if we introduced you both at the same time?" Edric offered. "That way Dad only has to go through it one more time?"
"Emira?" Derwin prompted, looking at her with those deep, earnest eyes. How could she say no?
"Okay," she sighed fondly.
"Well, since we've been forgotten here," Willow said bemusedly, summoning Clover, "I think Hunter and I will head home." They both mounted the staff and Willow waved as Hunter gave a mock salute and they kicked off to fly toward Willow's home.
"Sorry!" Edric called back, the word ringing with laughter. "See ya later!"
"Care to join us on the way home?" Derwin offered. "As a last bit of double date? Emira's told me so much about you, Edric. It's nice to put a face to a name."
"I'm sure," Edric teased. "Mine looks so much like her's, after all."
"Ew, Ed," Emira groaned. "Way to make it weird."
"I think it's cute," Viney laughed.
And with much more teasing, they all started the way toward Blight Manor, the couples hand-in-hand … and the twins bumping affectionate shoulders.
Hey, hey, everyone! The other side of the twin coin here! Hope it was as fun to read as to write!
*An Arachne demon is named after the character in classical myth, the woman who was turned into the first spider. A canon example, in my mind, is the Hexside teacher of the baby class.
*The phrase "right as sunlight" is a flip of the real phrase "right as rain." Boiling rain would never be "right," so they use the opposite while still having it rhyme.
*Derwin's last name is a slight alteration of the word "croon" - meaning to hum or softly sing in a soothing or sentimental way.
*Studies have shown repeatedly that music improves mental health, lowers anxiety, and can even help patients heal and recover faster! And in my mind, just as Raine could disrupt spells, Bard magic can enhance them, too.
*Derwin's palisman being an elk is based on the wide variety of fadcinating noises they make, plus it evokes to me a gentle giant - much like Derwin who seems like theo ldest of the BATs besides Raine. Also, in the lore of the Plains Native Americans, the elk is a symbol of love and passion~ Since it didn't appear in the story, the palisman's name is Dain - named for one of the four stags that live in the world tree Yggdrasil.
As always, I hope it was fun to read. Leave a review if you like! And may your own works be fun to read and to write!