Luz and Boscha nervously slipped into the Blight Manor at five fifteen. They'd both meant to be there sooner but Grudgby practice had gone long with Coach wanting to work on her main defender's high blocks and he needed their best striker for that. It took her 'accidentally' knocking her coach to finally get to head home. Meanwhile, Eda had kindly reminded Luz that she had lost a bet and had to clean Hooty today. That only ended when Lilith, for no reason the energetic girl could figure out, smacked her sister upside the head and said she could go.

That had led to Boscha getting there as Luz was trying to get rid of what mud on her that she could before going in. The athlete wasn't any better since she'd been in such a panic that she hadn't taken a shower or even changed. After all, they both had wanted to be here to support their friend. Well, that, and with how beautiful Amity's voice was, they could only imagine what melodies she was capable of.

Neither had really given much thought though as to what Amity might play exactly. Luckily, it didn't take them too long to head to where Boscha would have put money on the family being. There was a good sized parlor in the middle of the house with thick walls that Boscha had seen them host social events at, Amity and her had even been made to dance a few times in there. It was often to soft piano music that made her want to run away screaming though. Kind of like what she heard now...

Boscha stopped before looking back and seeing Luz blinking a few times. They were just outside of the parlor now and could hear the piano inside. Could hear the soft notes as it went through the song that was being played. Boscha couldn't quite place who it might be from, but it was definitely old. Classical, just like she normally hated. Even now she could feel a yawn coming on from the soft melody. Luz was much the same as she came closer to the door.

When they opened it though, both of them were quite awake. It was indeed Amity who was playing. She had a smile as soft and warm as the music and was beginning to sway a bit with the music as the tempo picked up. She wore more makeup than Luz had ever seen her wear before and the only time Boscha could remember seeing it was when she was around ten and her father had managed to pull enough strings to get them to an event that was meant only for the highest families. Not hers.

Her dress was simple, but silk. A soft purple that flowed off one of her shoulders while ending tightly on the other. Both of her arms were left barren though and while it likely wouldn't hug her body, it wasn't meant to. It was the sort of gown you wore to look beautiful. For being in the middle of a dance floor surrounded by royalty who were enjoying watching you spin around with you true love.

With me... Both girls at the doorway sighed as their hearts melted the longer they listened to the almost dreamlike chords. The sigh fortunately didn't catch Amity or her parents' attention, but Emira and Adric did look over. The family was seperated on two sides of the piano. Rather than each being to the side though, Alador and Odalia sat close to the left of the piano where they could easily see Amity play, while Edric and Emira were behind Amity where she wouldn't be able to see them.

The twins gestured for the two to come join them before summoning chairs for the two. They both also held fingers over their lips though and Luz pretended zipping her mouth shut. Boscha needed no such reminder though. She knew proper decorum for something like this and even scowled at Edric's big grin and Emira's wink to the two of them. The twins didn't keep their attention to them for long though as they turned to their little sister as she finished the song.

Luz paused for a moment. Her natural instinct was to clap as loudly as she could and shout because of how amazing she was. However, no one else seemed to be coming anywhere even close to that. Boscha nodded her head, as did Alador, Emira and Odalia both gave the young Blight soft claps, and Edric snapped to give his appreciation. Luz decided she felt the most comfortable with the last one as she was pretty sure any sort of golf clap from her would quickly go out of control.

Amity didn't appear to notice the extra sound as she looked over to her parents and gave them a slight nod. She then turned back to her piano and whispered, "This next one is about the lengths and depths we go for those we love. But, um, I will be doing both parts since I have no partner to sing with."

Her parents nodded at the admission. When Amity had said she was planning a romance theme for this, they had expected a problem like this. Alador in the past would pick up male vocals for her but they all agreed that if Amity wanted to cover a duet, it would be best if she found one that may make sense if done by herself.

The already nervous girl's cheeks then burned when Edric called out, "Would it help if I gave you someone to sing to?," before Emira made it even worse as she added, "Or four of that person?"

Amity took a long, slow breath as she recentered herself. They wanted to make her flustered but Luz and Boscha hadn't shown up today so the worst they could do to her was make them sing this to them. Which was good seeing as when she'd heard the song, she'd imagined singing dueting with Boscha while she performed it for Luz. She'd have loved to imagine singing it with her crush, but she'd heard Luz sing and while she loved much about the girl, she could live without ever hearing the human trying to hit high notes again.

But she was by herself and without them to worry about. She didn't dare look behind her though to see her siblings snickering about being able to have an excuse to interrupt her performance. "That would actually help fit the mood quite well, but just one please." She then paused to give the two a chance to summon their illusion so she could start after she wasn't going to be surprised by who might be staring at her in a second.

And she immediately regretted the decision as two puffs of blue smoke came from on top of the piano and beside her. Beside her, Luz sat in her Grom outfit and was beaming at her like this was the best day of her life. On top of the piano was Boscha in the raciest dress the twins had been able to imagine. Even worse was that Amity fully believed that if she needed the rough girl to sing with her, she'd be lying on the top like she was and giving her bedroom eyes, especially if she did a slow duet.

Both girls who now saw themselves being so close for what they assumed was going to be something incredibly intimate turned bright red. Luz had to cover her mouth before she let out a yelp of fear at what the twins may have her do. Boscha merely turned away and crossed her arms. After all, if she was going to go as far as having a slit up to her thigh, she'd also make the collar so deep that she'd have to be careful with how she danced so as not to show anything. Or, she told herself she'd be that brave as even what she was wearing up there made her turn white as a sheet without confirmation that Amity liked it. The serious girl showed no reaction that they could see though and, given a few seconds to adjust, seemed to be back to her normal self.

However, this did get her parents to look over. Odalia's eyes widened at the sight of Boscha and Luz, the latter of whom gave the two Blights a nervous wave while the athlete picked at her uniform a little as she suddenly became very aware of how underdressed she was. Alador kept calm though, as if he had no thoughts on the matter, before simply saying, "Remember that we are here to listen to Amity, not to make jokes. Please refrain from distracting her while she plays."

Emira and Edric knew the warning was technically for them but the man's eyes were locked firmly on Boscha and Luz who both frantically nodded before they were kicked out. Not that either expected to be given a reason to get out of control. Regardless of how much the music made their hearts flutter, they still commonly fell asleep anytime something too classical was played. No, it'd be fine.

And then the opening notes made Luz realize it was definitely not going to be fine. Amity had asked a while back if she could spend a day or two with Luz's phone to see if she could maybe get the music teacher's help pulling a song from it. She had claimed they were unsuccessful so it didn't matter which one, but Luz now knew she had lied. And it was terrifying.

Boscha was even worse off as she had no idea what was coming as the melody started faster than she was used to these classical pieces. If there was one saving grace to all of this though, it was that the piano wasn't commonly the strongest part of the piece so it couldn't have the same driving power as when it had things like drums back it. Amity was a master though and had worked with her music teacher to help flesh out the piano's part to help makeup for the lack of other instruments, much like with most of the songs she played.

But what really sold it was Amity's voice. It was clear, smooth, but what surprised everyone the most was how raw it was. Her family knew she was a beautiful singer, as they'd put far too much tme into making her one, but they'd never heard her be able to emote this much. To put as much soul as the genre of music she was playing asked of the singer. Though just the fact that it was soul music took her parents by surprise.

"Listen baby, ain't no mountain high ain’t no valley low, ain't no river wide enough, baby."

The illusions swooned at the words and the false Boscha tried to look Amity in the eyes while the false Luz leaned against the serious girl. Amity was too focused on the performance though. Too well practiced. Too well trained. Almost nothing would break her focus, especially mid song. It didn’t even change when she would get to the choruses and look at one of the girls to sing it specifically to them before going back to her sheet music. It was the only hint that she gave that she hadn’t memorized the piece.

“From that day on, I made a vow that I’d be there when you want me some way somehow.”

Boscha fidgeted in her seat as her cheeks burned at the statement. It was made worse by the fact that the line fed into the chorus so she’d been able to sing it directly to the false Boscha. Not that she ever expected Amity to say such a thing to her. But Boscha already ran to Amity like she had made that vow, so it was nice to think that maybe, just maybe, she’d one day make it to her. There’d be no going back to how they were before after that.

“My love is alive, way down in my heart, although we are miles apart.”

Luz shifted in her seat as she heard her heart screaming in her ears. Amity was so far away from her. Not physically, not now, but she was so much more cultured. So much more mature. And when she had to leave, Amity would be an entire world away. Sure, this was just some dumb song she chose for no specific reason, because this sort of stuff couldn’t matter to Amity, right… Luz shook her head vigorously but she couldn’t shake the promise that her rich voice gave that she meant it when she said ‘no matter how far’.

Finally, the piano petered out as she wrapped up the song. Amity was lightly panting from the effort of it. It wasn’t even that she was out of breath. She could do a few operas if she had to, though she needed more training to not shred her voice pretty quickly. No, this was simply more power than she was used to singing with. She was used to being focused on her parents, on where she was performing, and what she had to do to not screw something up. This… She glanced over to Luz and smiled a little. This was different.

The light applause came back as it had before, though it was obvious that the twins were a bit louder in their snaps and claps to let their sister know their preference in music. Boscha had to take a second to calm her heart. Because she’d danced in her chair! Yeah, she totally did that lame thing rather than anything else. She remembered she had to keep it together though. That just because the idea of Amity singing to her made her feel like she was going to faint wasn’t something to get worked up about.

Amity turned to her parents and gave them a curt nod of appreciation and smiled at the fact that they looked so happy about the song. She’d been worried that they might not like her being louder but she felt it would be dishonest if she hadn’t been today. Even if she didn’t have feelings for Luz, the girl had made her life so much brighter, happier, excitable. Even Boscha was now causing things to go sideways on almost a daily basis and she’d almost have it no other way. She appreciated the control now though. All she needed to know was that her parents liked it.

She didn’t need to find out Luz liked it by her crush jumping to her feet behind her before yelling, “That was amazing, Amity!”

Clang!

Amity’s heart slowly restarted as the sound of her slamming her hands down on the keys began to dissipate. Her head was spinning just at the idea that Luz was there, let alone that she’d heard this song of all of them. She’d thought that she’d somehow just forgotten. She had other things to do. She didn’t need to hear Amity pouring her heart out, especially the song she’d specifically picked because it made her think of her crush.

At least… At least Boscha wouldn’t be here to hear the song she’d picked out because of her. It had simply seemed too apt for what had happened between them to not include it, even if it was romantic rather than simply friendly.

She then turned around and saw Boscha yank Luz back into her seat. Amity’s old friend then looked at her and gave her a nervous smile while her cheeks turned red. Boscha’s cheeks turned red. Why were Boscha’s cheeks red from this? Wait, no, it was because Luz was making them look bad. She was embarrassed by that. Why did Amity even care? She could be as embarrassed as she wanted to be. They were just friends after all!

But then why did she pick the song that she had for her!?

“Amity?”

Luz and Boscha had both almost figured out something to do. An apology, a greeting, just anything to try and ease the fact that they’d obviously freaked their friend out. Odalia speaking shut them up immediately. There was a touch of sympathy in the tone but it didn’t match the blank expression on the Head Blight’s face. It also seemed to not help Amity who’s face had gone from bright red to white as a sheet almost instantly.

They got to slowly watch as Amity took one breath in, two breaths, and then slowly move to face the piano again. “My apologies.”

Luz winced at the softly spoken apology before opening her mouth. Emira stopped her though by covering the young girl’s mouth. Amity’s sister shook her head before turning back to look at the rest of her family. Apologies or encouragement or sympathy would just hurt Amity right now. These recitals were meant to be part of the young girl showing how far she’d come in the past few months in being able to appear as a proper Blight. Strong, calm, skilled, and impressive in all things.

All things that made Emira hate being at these. She hadn’t been in two years since her parents didn’t require her or Edric to show up. Ed always claimed to like the music too much to not come, though with recent events she wondered if there were other reasons for it. She was only here now because Amity had explicitly come to her for help on how to structure her performance. That’s why she knew what was coming and that made her deeply concerned for her little sister now.

After all, there was one song that, if a Blight was going to do a romance set with their parents around, they had to do. Amity took another second to ready herself before saying, “If I may have you two join me in this for vocals, the next song shall be ‘All I Ask of You.’”

Boscha glanced at Luz before snickering to herself a little. The poor human looked absolutely baffled by the title. They must not have Phantom back in her world. Lucky her, since Boscha had been dragged to the sappy play at least three times in her life.

Whether they knew it didn’t matter though as Alador and Odalia smiled at each other slightly before they both stood up and came to the piano’s side where Amity was able to see them just over her sheet music. Both elder Blights knew how to sing, though none of their children knew that Alador only learned after he had met Odalia so he could join her for these songs that she liked so much. This song was the first the two had sung together at any events together and the one where, when finished, had led to Alador proposing.

And it was one Amity had enjoyed playing for them almost anytime she could for half a decade now ever since she could handle keeping up with them. It made them smile at the thought that their young girl had always been a romantic, rather than simply knowing how much it meant to them. It also comforted them that she would still include it now, even if they knew the topic of love was on her mind for other reasons.

And all of this made it so much worse when Amity missed a note within the opening bars. Everyone could see it hit her almost like someone had actual struck her. Her eyes darted up to her parents, who were stoic as always, before she tried to catch up. Something was off now though and now everyone winced as she got one of her hands out of position for a few notes. She was trying to cover it but quickly simply stopped. She then breathed, barely whispered a “my apologies,” before starting over.

And only getting worse.

It was on Amity’s third reset that Odalia stepped closer and played one note. The two shared a look before Amity looked back to the piano. Her mother would play one note and she’d respond with a practiced set of keys. Then Odalia would play another note and Amity would respond. Then another. And another. And another until even Luz realized it was the opening measures of the song. Only then did Odalia straighten herself and ask, “Ready?”

Amity nodded as she whispered, “Yes, mother.”

Luz couldn’t help but let out a slight “Aw,” at the sight but no one shared the sentiment. Even without knowing the inner depths of the Blights, Boscha knew this wasn’t ‘just a family performance’. Not just practice. Amity was too well dressed. The parlor was too quiet. The whole thing too serious. Amity was supposed to be playing like she would in front of every noble family in the land, regardless of how few people were there.

Emira was even more livid as she clutched her knees. Her mother could have simply told Amity to breathe or take five but instead she treated her like she was still just learning how to play. She didn’t care how effective it was, that sort of treatment still made the elder sister’s blood boil. Odalia hadn’t even said it was okay or the like!

Then again, if she was performing, she’d have simply been told to stop and go to the library to study…

Alador simply forced himself to smile as his bride came back to him like he was still excited to sing. He wanted to reach out to Amity and tell her it was okay. That she was still doing great. But he feared he might just hurt his daughter then. She was being trained to be the next head of the Blights after all, and she would likely find him trying to comfort her as patronizing. As possibly worse than if he reprimanded her. She took their praise so poorly already by so often saying she was simply doing what she knew she was capable of. Even Odalia stopping to try and ease Amity had obviously left the youngest Blight devastated.

But it would only hurt her more to acknowledge the pain. She had friends who would be able to help her after the performance. So he began to sing.

“Let me be your freedom, let daylight dry your tears. I’m here with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you…”

It was obvious that Amity had lost her confidence and the power behind her play, but the two parents got to watch as her eyes darted up at lines like that. Lines that in the past made her blush. Lines they knew she took as being sung to her, even if it would be deeply inappropriate for either to sing the entirety of to her or with her. This song was also the one that, when relaxed, Amity could almost play by pure muscle memory. In fact, the more she relaxed while playing it, often the better it sounded from her. It had been in so desperately wanting to escape to it that she had begun failing the bars after all.

“All I want is freedom, a world with no more night and you, always beside me, to hold me and to hide me…”

Odalia was obviously the better singer and even Emira turned away at her mother’s emotions. She wasn’t always the best at it, but hundreds of times doing this song meant that even if she was in a bad mood, she could pull it off as if her and Alador were alone on a dance floor as teenagers. And right now, she was emotional. And not mad at her daughter for making the mistakes but the fact that she was so inspired to play for once. That she’d managed to not just perform technically well but in a way that would move people. In a way that she wished Amity had been able to carry into Alador and her’s song so she could feel like she could really let loose.

That emotion was still there though as Amity didn’t seem to even notice as she missed a pair of notes as a smile slipped across her face. She’d practiced the song only a few times for this recital but she kept finding the words striking her. The images of her parents singing being instead of her and Luz. How Luz had freed her. How Luz had changed so much and yet let Amity feel so safe in spite of it all, at least when she let herself accept it.

“Say you need me with you here, beside you, anywhere you go, let me go too…”

Both Boscha and Luz noticed at that line that there were tears in their eyes. Neither dared look at each other as they turned away to try and get rid of them. Neither could help but replace one of the parents with themselves. Wishing that they were either the one singing to a certain someone or that they were being sung to by them.

“Love me, that’s all I ask of you…”

As the final notes from Amity and her parents faded from the room, everyone except Edric checked themselves for tears. The young man simply sighed as he rested his head on his hand and wondered when he’d find someone to sing like that to. Or if he’d ever have the time between following his dreams and trying to do as his father asked of him for his sisters. Those were questions for far off in the future though, not for when he should be snapping at how beautiful that was.

Thankfully for Amity, the next piece was another instrumental one. In fact, most of her audience appreciated it. The emotion behind her ivories was still powerful, but they didn’t have to hear the young girl pour her heart out or try to be cheerful right after obviously having been made into a disaster before her parents’ song. It gave Luz a chance to not want to simply sprint at Amity and tackle her into a hug. It gave Boscha time to wish her parents had stayed together or question if she would ever get, or deserve, someone who would sing at her like that. It gave Emira time to act like she still didn’t care about being here rather than having let herself get swept up in all of this. And it gave Odalia and Alador a chance to not let their emotions for each other to make them suddenly reach out to their daughter when they couldn’t.

The show had to go on though and Amity had one more song that was different from her normal set before her final piece. The one Emira had told her that maybe if she sang it in front of them, it might give her the courage to maybe sing it in front of those she wanted to sing these songs to, even if it meant risking being burned. The one that was almost meant for her specifically. Ruminating on what she wanted to be. The one that could maybe lead to her mom talking to her like she did the night with the Blood Blossom…

Amity shut her eyes to clear her head. She had to focus on this one. After all, if she made mistakes on this one with Boscha around, she might just hurt her friend all over again. Make her feel like she was putting the minimal effort to recognize her again. Like that rift was still there.

All the reasons she’d picked this song because it felt so much like what she’d felt reconnecting with Boscha. Now if only its chorus was less… problematic.

Amity showed none of this though as she said, “This next piece is about love lost and rediscovered. About remembering what you had and appreciating it anew. I, uh, promise.”

Amity’s parents glanced at each other at the pause. Should they have a reason to think it wasn’t about that?

Luz was once more the one to recognize the song before anyone else, though this, like most music, had actually crossed over at some point to the Boiling Isles, likely by someone who wanted to escape. Boscha noticed as the human brought a fist over her mouth to try and stop herself from laughing. Her eyes narrowed for a moment as she wished she could do something but Edric was already on it as he spun a circle in the air and made Luz’s mouth vanish. After a brief moment of panic, that did the trick to stop the energetic girl from making another outburst.

That meant that Boscha could focus on the music.

“I was tired of my lady, we’d been together too long. Like a worn out recording of a favourite song.”

The song was easily the calmest of the night. Even the two that Luz and Boscha had missed were more intense then the relaxed droning of this song about love gone cold. The chorus though, about love at midnight, not putting up with idiots… It made Boscha smirk. Had the singer been watching her or something? If they had they’d have known better than to mention anything alcoholic, though she wouldn’t be against something to calm her nerves. Amity would kill her if she admitted that though.

“I didn’t think about my lady. I know that sounds kind of mean, but me and my old lady had fallen into the same old, dull routine.”

Luz blinked a few times as the song began to click in her mind and her head turned to Boscha. Her mind immediately split into two halves. The first was concerned about how hurt her new friend might get when she realized how close to home it was to Amity and her. Then the second half came screaming in to ask why Amity chose a song specifically about them? Boscha merely glanced over and gave Luz a quizzical stare since she couldn’t figure out why in the world why the human was so mad. After all, at this point, Boscha was having issues not thinking it was about Luz stealing Amity from her.

“I knew smile in an instant, I knew the curves of her face.”

Boscha glanced back over to Amity before blinking. What?

Luz spirits sank as she would really rather Amity not finish the song, but-

“It was my own lovely lady.”

Boscha’s eyes snapped open hard enough to hurt at hearing that, only made worse when Amity finished the verse.

“And I said, I never knew… That you liked Pina Coladas!”

Boscha blinked a few times as her eyes watered, her heart pounded in her ears, her head felt like it was in an oven and… And it was too much for her as she tried to quietly slip out of the room while pretending she wasn’t starting to cry. Amity hesitated for only a moment as she looked back before wincing and getting back to finishing the song. She’d been somewhat prepared for this outburst at least and Boscha maybe not taking it well. She would explain later that it was meant to be a way to let her old friend that she recognized she had a lot to learn about her. A lot to discover about them. Things she’d said before but hoped her singing voice could maybe get her to believe.

Of course, Amity’s original plan hadn’t included Boscha ever hearing her play the song but those were problems that if she started thinking about, she would start screaming and shut down again and she had three more songs to go.

The next two were back to classical pieces, both with lyrics but one being in a language Luz didn’t even begin to comprehend. She appreciated the confusion though as she used Boscha’s chair to help her lie down. Maybe the duet had been for her? Maybe it was just Amity fitting a song to Boscha into her theme but it didn’t mean anything or was it coincidental? Or maybe she should just go somewhere and scream.

Edric and Emira looked over at the human before Em sighed and made a circle over her mouth. She then whispered, “You sure climbed a mountain for her facing Grom,” before dismissing the spell as Luz almost immediately popped up in excitement. It had been part of the reasoning the two had made for why to include the song, since it had meant so much to Amity even if ‘friends definitely go to those sorts of lengths for each other, and just friends’. Emira had plausible deniability though since no one other than Amity knew she’d worked with her little sister.

By the time the final song came around, it was clear that Amity was back in the swing of things. She had done well with the past three songs but she was as strong as she had been for Luz’s song at this point. She almost forgot to change sheet music for this one as she turned to her parents. After all, this was the one who made her choose the theme. That made her choose that she wanted to make sure her parents understood that her mind was at least on these sorts of things, if not talk to them explicitly about who she might have been thinking about. She knew this one by memory but still took the precaution, in spite of how ironic one could claim that was given the song. “For my last song, I shall sing about the pain, fear, and excitement of love and the courage one needs to jump in.”

She then turned back to her piano and missed Alador frowning as he looked at his watch.

“We call them cool, those hearts that have no scars to show. Those ones that never do let go and risk the tables being turned.”

Emira smiled as she tapped her foot along to the music. She was all too ready for Amity to lose herself to the performance. To sing of taking risks and finally take one herself. To act for even a second like she wasn’t a perfect little Blight. It was catching Amity with this song’s sheet music that made her ask to help her little sister with this set.

She then noticed as Odalia mouthed something to her husband and her heart sank. This couldn’t happen. Not now.

“Standing outside the fire,”

Alador sighed in admission before straightening his cuffs.

“Standing outside the fire,”

Emira’s hands curled into fists as she sucked in her lips. They couldn’t do this. No, she knew they could, but this was precious little Ami. They’d miss whatever they had to do for her. She was the favourite after all so sit back down!

“Standing outside the fire,”

Odalia and Alador quietly stood and began walking away while Amity was too lost in the chorus to notice.

“Life is not tried, it is merely survived if you’re standing outside the fire!”

Edric whispered, “Oh no,” as Amity took in a deep breath.

“There’s this love that is burning, deep in…”

Amity blinked as she processed what she saw. Or didn’t see. She wanted to sing this part directly to her parents. To gauge their reaction to her being in love when she wasn’t an emotional wreck. But they weren’t there. She’d wasted too much time when Luz and Boscha had surprised her and they must have had to go do something else. Everyone still present got to watch as Amity simply sat there and stared at the empty space, processing that for the first time she’d screwed up a recital enough not to be able to get a hug from her parents while they told her how well she’d done.

Edric put on a bright smile before hopping off of his chair and having the two illusionary chairs kick Luz to her feet. “I think that’s our cue to go. See you in your room, Mittens!”

“Come on, she can still finish it out for us.”

Edric looked back to his twin before mouthing, “What are you doing?”

Emira didn’t appear to care though as she walked across the parlor, missing, or simply ignoring, Edric leaving with Luz before anything happened. The elder sister though was just as confident without her brother as she was with him and spun onto the piano bench beside Amity. “Remember, life is not tried, it’s merely surv-”

“Emira, please.”

The older Blight didn’t even appear to pause as she said, “One should not leave their audience wanting, especially when they may want what you have to give the-”

“Emira, stop.”

This time the plea was harsher. More of a command. That made Emira pause for a moment as her eyes narrowed. She then wrapped her arms around Amity and asked, “Aw, who needs them when you’ve got u-”

“Emira!”

The piano bench clattered to the ground as Amity stood up and turned to her sister. Emira stumbled a little but managed not to get caught up in her seat’s fall. The two Blight sisters looked at each other for a moment, tenser than they had been in a few weeks ever since they had finally agreed to work with one another. Amity knew all too well, or assumed she did, that that was part of why Emira was pushing her. She wanted to show off how well she’d done without having to have actually worked at all for the praise. She could finish her set and then Emira could say she composed part of it.

She didn’t dare say it though. She tried not getting into fights with her siblings, regardless of how mean Emira and Edric could get at times. They didn’t get it after all. “I have studying to do, so this is for the best anyways.”

Emira put her hands on her hips. “Yeah, wouldn’t want to get burned or disappoint anyone, would you?”

“Emira, I asked you t-”

“Stop?” Emira stepped closer to Amity. She shouldn’t be this mad. She shouldn’t care this much. But between Edric hinting that their dad still had a stranglehold on him and Amity actually accepting her help… “You did amazing today. Why do you need them to say it?”

Amity looked down as all the screwups of the day came to her mind. Her having told Luz and Boscha about the recital at all. Staying up until ten minutes before Boscha would wake up and so being late to school. Sleeping in class. Making a fool out herself in front of her parents. “I could have been better.”

“Who’s asking you t-”

“Everyone!” Amity then looked up as tears ran down her cheeks and her throat was already angry at her for screaming after singing as fiercely as she had been. “Everyone is, Em! I know no one has ever asked you of anything, but they do of me!”

Emira’s hands curled into fists. Why did they have to leave? Or, why did it matter? It wasn’t like them abandoning their kids was a new thing to her. Or Amity for that matter. Why was she acting so surprised? Why did she still care when she saw what life away from their parents was like? How much better it was to be in the fire than to stay safely in the rules they set?

She took in a deep, slow breath finally to try and calm herself. She was Amity’s older sister. She needed to relax, even for a second. To say something rather than just bite back. She could finally tell her about having gone through the same lessons as Amity. Maybe even play a few bars to show she knew the piano as well because of it. Or she could keep trying to joke. Lighten the mood. Be herself. She just had to do something.

She then looked into those angry eyes. Those angry eyes that looked at her like just because she wasn’t acting entirely seriously that she was wrong. The same eyes she’d seen so many from their mother. The same eyes she didn’t want Amity getting.

Emira blinked at the thought before she reached for the piano. She didn’t look to the sheet music but instead simply began playing. It wasn’t anything complex, she was too out of practice for the hand breaking runs that Amity had been doing but she could play fast, with confidence, and without sheet music. It was enough to get Amity to become quiet for a second and calm down.

The older Blight sister then stood up and looked at Amity. “Mom had to make a choice when I was ten and Belos asked her to become dad’s assistant to make sure he could keep up with his promotion.”

Amity glanced away. She didn’t need to be reminded of that. It was close to where her proper memories began. Before then she’d just been a dumb kid. One her parents tried to take care of but they were too busy with Em and Ed. Back then, they were the ones she went to. She shut her eyes at the thought before opening her mouth.

“Don’t apologize.” Emira reached over and rubbed Amity’s head. “We made our decisions. One of mine was that I wasn’t going to be the heir anymore, but it took two years for mom to accept that.”

When Emira was twelve and she was eight. She remembered something shifting in the house around that time. Emira and Edric spending more time with each other and less with her. “Did mom make y-”

“Mom didn’t.” Emira shut her eyes as she made an illusion pick up the piano seat for the two to sit on. “I did. She gave me an out one day and I took it. And I can’t take it back. I… I don’t know what I’d do if I had to.”

Amity sat down next to her sister quietly. “Emira?”

“A little sister doesn’t change that you were born first.”

“Then what does?”

Emira smiled a little before whispering, “I know I haven’t made life easy on you, and there’s a lot about you, mom, dad, even this house that makes it hard for me to want to make life easy on all of you. But I promise,” she said as she turned Amity’s head to look her in the eyes, “that I just want you to be happy. And… And I don’t think being a Blight makes someone happy.”

Amity’s eyes hardened at the last line. Emira’s hands twitched to become fists at the stare. They both watched each other for a second before the older sister got up. “Fine. Keep staying out of the fire and being miserable. Luz is probably better off that way anyways.”

Silence. Dead silence. Amity’s eyes widened as her face softened and any touch of anger that Emira had thought she’d seen was twisted into agony. The older Blight realized a fraction too late what she’d done and by the time she reached out to stop her little sister, Amity was already running off in tears.

That left Emira alone in the parlor with the echo of Amity’s dress shoes against wood mixed with her soft sobbing. Emira looked at her hand for a moment before sighing. She would ask herself why she kept fucking up like this when she tried to help Amity but she knew better than that. If she started doing things right, she might be allowed back in after all, both in name and spirit. To be a part of all of this properly again like she was until she was twelve and she told her mother she’d rather be disowned then keep going through these lessons that she thought were dumb.

But Amity valued them.

Because she was a Blight.

Because she was everything Odalia wanted.

Everything that Emira didn’t want to be.

Everything that, on days like today, made her look out the window and wonder how hard it would be to just start walking and just go. See where the sun took her. And why hadn’t she done it before now?

“Hey, I was thinking of getting some ice cream, you want some?”

Emira turned to see her brother and smiled a little.

“Why can’t I go hang out with Ed? He says he found frogs yesterday and I want to help him catch them.”

“Because you are the Blight heir and need to be taught. Now come back to the piano.”

“But you have Amity now. Why can’t she be the heir?”

Ed tilted his head a little before saying, “You’re getting that weird smile again you know.”

Emira hummed to herself as she strode over to him before slipping her arms around one of his. “I’m just happy to have something to distract me from Amity.”

Edric pretended to flinch but didn’t pull away from his sister as he asked, “Went that badly?”

The young woman sighed for a moment before saying, “I just need to stop trying to get to her. She’s just… not me and I need to accept that. But,” she said as she smiled again at Ed, “let’s not focus on that!”

Edric chuckled a little before pecking the top of Emira’s head. “Yeah, but who wants another you? You’re special enough by yourself.” He did then frown for a second and add, “We’re getting Amity some mint cookie dough too though, okay?”

Emira nodded. “I think I can deal with that.”

And so the two went out together. And then Edric had to deal with seven different people teasing him about having ‘gone out’ with his sister the next day until he finally just punched someone to get them to shut up. He was just thankful no one had the guts to ask Emira that or else the ‘Blight Corpse Rumor Count’ would need to go up each time the two spent any time just relaxing with one another.