Chapter Text
“Let’s go over what we know.” Viney looked at Jerbo and Barcus, her mouth pulled into a tight line as they huddled together in their hideaway.
“First-” Jerbo started, clearing his throat. “The Blight family is one of the most influential families on the Boiling Isles, hailing from a long lineage of incredibly powerful magic wielders. Old blood, older money.”
“Second-” Viney continued. “All three of the current Blight heirs attend Hexside; Amity Blight, Emira Blight, and Edric Blight, taking the Abomination and the Illusion tracks respectively.”
“Woof!” Barcus added, garnering a nod from both of his witch companions.
“Right. So the only mystery that remains is...what do they want from us?”
The question hung heavy in the silence that followed; for the last week the Blights, specifically the older twins, had been trying to initiate some sort of complex rich witches’ ritual with them, extending social graces that the trio were, honestly, unequipped to reciprocate in any meaningful way. The first time they figured it had just been a coincidence? The second time, however, they'd only managed to escape thanks to Viney’s quick thinking and a nearby piece of chalk. The third time it’d been inescapable; the Blights had cornered the group after school and they didn’t have an easy reason with which to immediately slide out of the conversation. If you could really call it a conversation.
“So.” Edric had taken one side, forcing Jerbo to take a step closer to Viney, who’d been stepping back in an attempt to ease herself away from Emira leering in on the other side. “You guys got any plans after school today?”
“Because we’re free.” At this point Emira had winked at Viney and that alone had been enough to activate her fight or flight instinct. “And if you’re free you should come hang with us.”
It didn’t sound as much an invitation as it did a threat.
“Uh.” Jerbo had broken out into a cold sweat and the only reason Viney knew that was because she could feel his lightly dampened school uniform brush up against her own as they both desperately tried to figure out how to navigate this social grimefield in real time. She probably wasn’t doing much better though. Barcus, bless him, had simply settled for hiding between his friends’ legs and letting out a low whine. “I-I dunno, uh...about that.”
“Right! Right, because…” Because they had something to get to, right? An appointment? A dinner? A hole to jump into? Viney desperately wracked her brain for anything that might get them out of...whatever this was. Did they have any tests coming up? No- and she wasn’t really a fan of blatant lying, so that was off the table. They didn’t have anyone else to meet up with since...well, they really only had each other as friends. The double-track kids were there for each other- and Luz too, she assumed. The all-track kid. But Luz hadn’t exactly invited them out that day, so they couldn’t use that either. “We...uh.” She petered out lamely, but not before she caught the look the twins shared over her shoulder.
Barcus let out another little whine, and Jerbo tensed against Viney’s back.
“Because- we have to take Barcus to the healers!” See? Lying never sounded as good as the truth but it was better than nothing. Besides, Barcus had gotten a small cut helping Jerbo with his carnivorous coniferous earlier, so…
“Right!” Viney piped up, not taking her eyes off Emira- never take your eyes off the predator. “He got a bit of a scrape helping in the greenhouse earlier, so...we better go help him with that. Sorry, maybe next time.” She snapped her mouth shut just a moment too late, and she could feel the exasperated gazes of Jerbo and Barcus on her, not that she could blame them. She’d just inadvertently offered the Blights an invitation to come around and bother them again, the vague promise of some future endeavor now out in the open. And, of course, the twins snatched it out of the air before she could do anything about it. Like a couple of bloodhawks.
“We’ll hold you to it!” They said in unison, seemingly appeased for the time being. “Until next time!”
They had pushed so easily off the wall, Edric flashing them all a smile as he jogged backwards after his sister. When they were well out of earshot Jerbo had leveled Viney with such a look.
“Great.” He’d said. “Just great. ‘Maybe next time?’ Why don’t you just throw us to the wood growlers now, Viney?”
“I panicked, okay?”
“Boof.”
Viney winced. “Yeah, but...you don’t have to put it like that.”
So now there they were, huddled in the room of secret passages, discussing what the Blight twins could possibly want to do with a bunch of magical and social outcasts as they desperately attempted to avoid a fourth run in.
Viney let out a low sigh. “I mean, it’s fully possible they just want to mess with us, right? They take us somewhere with the promise of some classic troublemaker fun and then we get caught with our tights down in front of all their rich important friends.” Because what else do rich people do for fun besides remind everybody else of their place on the social and economic food chain?
Jerbo nodded with a grim expression weighing on his features. It was as if he could read her mind. “Or worse- they get us to be part of some big prank that lands us in hot water! Remember what Principle Bump said; one more strike and we’re out for good.” If the mood hadn’t been tense before, it was now. Those words certainly put Viney on edge, and she looked over to Barcus, whose ears were back, eyes downcast at the prospect of being kicked out of one of the best magic schools on the Boiling Isles.
“That seems plausible.”
“A little more convincing than ‘oh, us Blights just want to be your friends suddenly and without any ulterior motive!’” Jerbo emphasized the line like it owed him something.
“Well, at least we don’t have to worry about them finding us here.”
“Who's finding huh here?” A familiar voice came from a newly opened door. The three duel-track kids immediately broke their huddle, all of them offering a smile and a friendly wave to their fellow detentionaire.
“Hey Luz.” Viney patted the empty space next to her. “We’re just talking about how weirdly friendly the Blight twins have been lately.” That bit of info seemed to perk the little human freshy right up.
“Ed and Em? Or- wait, maybe it’s Em and Ed. I never did ask if they had a preference for order.”
Jerbo scoffed. “Wait- hold on, you know them?”
Luz nodded with that ever-present enthusiasm she always seemed to have on tap. “They’re so cool- well, most of the time. When they’re not annoying Amity, anyways. But yeah, I know them! One time we fought a Slitherbeast together!” Viney could have sworn she’d seen a light blush creep across Luz’s cheeks, but she was quickly distracted by the mention of such rare and elusive fauna.
“A Slitherbeast?!” She leaned all the way forward, tucking her elbows in close as she stared down her friend in wide eyed wonder. “But they’re so illusive, not to mention powerful and deadly! What were you doing fighting one?” Viney watched as Luz opened her mouth, closed it, looked off to the side, and then shrugged.
“Well, you know! The pursuit of magical knowledge can be dangerous! Definitely didn’t have anything to do with me chasing an easy shortcut, stealing Amity’s practice wand, and almost getting the twins and Eda killed! Not at all!” The canned laughter told Viney otherwise. “But we knocked it out, made our escape, and I have not seen it since. Although I’m pretty sure it’s still out there somewhere. Looking for me.” There was a haunted look in the young girl's eye before she quickly shook her head, offering her full attention to Viney once more. “So! Blights!”
“Oh, right.” Viney slumped back into herself as the conversation pivoted away from cool animals and towards a couple of not nearly as cool witches. “Blights.”
Jerbo just sighed- probably disappointed about not knowing more about the Slitherbeast too. “The Blight twins have taken an interest in us, and we’re trying to figure out why.”
“We’ve been hiding out here so they don’t try to, like, humiliate us in front of their rich friends, or pull us into one of their pranks and get us kicked out of school just because they can.” Viney added, explaining her earlier comment.
Luz’s smile faltered for a moment. “Aw, they’re not so bad once you hang out with them! They probably just want to get to know you better! That’s all.”
“Grrr…” Barcus looked at Luz evenly before getting up and padding over to her. “Grroof.” His tone was firm, but not unfair.
“Aw, don’t be like that, Barcus.” Luz rubbed at her arm. “The Blights are…”
“Rich.”
“Entitled?”
“Untrustworthy.”
“Woof!”
“No!” Luz shook her head furiously, waving her hands as if to disperse the negativity in the room. “Well- okay, they are rich, and they are entitled, and they’re also troublemakers, sure, but they’re not bad people, I promise! They just have a lot of…” She glanced off to the side again, her mouth forming into a small frown. “They have a lot of expectations to live up to.”
Expectations of what? Being general nuisances? Viney wanted to ask for clarification, but the expression on Luz’s face conveyed very clearly that it wasn’t really her place to explain, which only prompted more questions. Who were they trying to impress besides the Emperor's Coven? And if they had so much to live up to, why did they spend so much time skipping classes and causing mayhem around the school- that they’d never get expelled for, because, you know, wealth, status, etc. What could people like that possibly have in common with her, or Jerbo, or Barcus, who all had to walk on eggshells just to keep attending the classes they loved so much. The answer evaded her, but Luz had gotten that quietly determined shine in her eyes that nobody could ever bring themselves to say no to.
The three dual-track kids shared a look before Viney finally let out a small huff.
“Well if you’re willing to vouch for them…”
“Then I guess we can give them a chance.” Jerbo shrugged, picking at one of the loose stones on the floor.
Luz immediately hopped to her feet, her usual smile back and brighter than ever. “Great! Oh, this’ll be just like those stories where the unlikely hero gets two enemy factions together and they all become the bestest friends!”
For some reason, Viney doubted that.