Bardic Magic - Owl House - Bard OC

23. Hot Tea

Josefin sighed as they silently walked into the kitchen. They remembered Camila making some kind of tea with a little bag. Josefin pet the cup cupboard and opened it with a light squeak. Josefin cringed at the sound and held their breath, hoping no one heard it. It was always the loudest one you needed when you wanted to be quiet. Years of abuse had turned Hunter into a light sleeper and he needed the sleep when he could get it.

"Hey," came a soft voice in an effort not the scare Josefin.

It didn't work. Josefin jumped into the air in surprise and would have cast a spell at the source if their casting arm wasn't restrained by the sling. Breathing heavily, Josefin pulled their arms tight to their chest. "Sorry," they whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you, Camila!"

"Having trouble sleeping, hijo?" Camila asked gently.

Josefin nodded. "I thought some tea might help..." Josefin gripped the cup tightly. "I mean, the process is a little different but... it always worked when I made it at home..."

"Ya know, Luz used to have nightmares... she would wake me up at night and tell me about the monsters she saw. Then we'd listen to music together until she fell asleep."

"There's..." Josefin looked up at her. "There's a way to listen to music here? Without having to play it?"

Camila smiled. "Of course." Camila turned on the hot water in the sink. "If you want to, I can show you."

"Please," Josefin pleaded.

Camila pulled out her phone and pressed some buttons. "What kind of music would you like?"

"Violin..." Josefin set down the cup.

"Violin is a good choice," Camila smiled. She pushed play and handed her phone to Josefin.

Josefin held the phone and nearly cried as the phone let out some beautiful classical style violin. It wasn't the same feeling as playing - that was always better, hands on and physical vibrations - but it was so very nice to hear. Josefin didn't know the song, assuming a human composer, but now wanted to learn. Josefin wondered if the demon realm might appreciate human music just as much as they were in that moment.

Camila noticed the change in Josefin right away. Camila offered the cup of hot tea to Josefin. "Why don't you keep it for the night? I'll get it back from you in the morning."

"Thank you, Camila." Josefin slid the phone into their sling before taking the cup. "Good night."

"Good night, Josefin," Camila said with a light smile.

Josefin quietly went down the steps but quickly realized they couldn't skip the squeaky stairs with the tea in their hands. They carefully stepped down the stairs. Josefin peeked over the couch to find Gus drooling and Hunter staring at the feet of the couch. "Did I wake you?"

"No... nightmare." Hunter looked up as he realized he could hear music. "Is that you?"

"Playing? No." Josefin set down the cup and took out the phone. "It's some human. Camila let me borrow it for the night."

"Mirrors can play music here too?!" Hunter asked excitedly.

Josefin nodded. "I guess it's a little more like home than we thought."

Hunter smiled as the pair listened to the end of the song.

Josefin sat beside Hunter again as another song started and offered Hunter a sip of their tea. "It's not the same as in the boiling isles but maybe that's for the best... humans are a little extra squishy... like kindergarteners without the killer instinct..."

Hunter chuckled. "Yeah... but it's kinda nice, huh? To not have to worry about if something is going to bite when you want passed or if the weather will be painful or just annoying..."

"Honestly, once we get home," Josefin smiled. "I hope there's still a way to visit. I think Steve would like to see it."

"Nini Raine too," Hunter nodded. "And Darius."

"And Mama Eda but she's been here before... I bet she'd like to show Nini around herself."

"Probably," Hunter chuckled.

There was silence between the two as the music played. After a few minutes, Josefin moved to lay down, finishing off their shared tea.

"Hey, Jo," Hunter said. "Do you really think we'll get back?"

"Of course." But Josefin wasn't actually so sure. "But... but if we don't, at least we have a safe place here."

"Think you could be a musician here too?" Hunter asked, staring at the ceiling.

"Maybe," Josefin said. "Maybe I could buy the shack and make it the new Owl House. No Hooty but that might not be a bad thing." Josefin smiled. "I bet we could figure it out. There's enough of us here and Luz knows all about the human realm... might even give us a chance at normal lives."

"Yeah," Hunter said with a light smile. "Im sure we'll get back... but at least we're all together."

"Yeah," Josefin said quietly.

The two stared at the ceiling a while longer before Hunter, then soon after Josefin, finally fell into peaceful sleep.

~~~

"Wow, Gus," Josefin smiled. "You're pretty good."

Amity grabbed a green colored pencil. "Who are you drawing, Josefin?"

"Oh," Josefin's smile faded, "well... I've just got so much family, I'm not sure who to draw."

"Why don't you draw Eda? She is your mom right?" Willow asked. "We're all drawing our dads."

"Huh," Josefin chuckled. "Dads..." Josefin began slowly sketching Raine. "Nini..."

"Is that Raine Whispers?" Gus asked. "The coven head?"

"Yeah," Josefin said starting on sketching Eda beside them. "Raine is my Nini. I don't exactly have a dad but they take that role alongside Mama Eda." Josefin stared at the paper before starting to sketch Lilith in the back. "Aunt Lilith raised me, alongside the rest of the coven heads and the Emperor's Coven. It's just a big, complicated family."

"I didn't realize you grew up so intwined in the covens," Gus said.

"Hunter and I graduated an Emporor approved advanced track at fourteen."

"Seriously?" Gus asked in surprise. "I'm thirteen and I couldn't imagine graduating next year already.

Josefin rubbed the Bard sigil on their wrist. "We grew up pretty fast."

Hunter set a hand on Josefin's shoulder. "We are going to get home, Josefin."

"I know," Josefin said. "I just miss everyone."