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Jay shook his head, that same sheepish grin still on his face. "N-neither am I; we'll just... we'll just have to dance poorly together!"

Verdant's melodious singing echoed throughout the venue as everyone danced and swayed to the beat. Even Ellandra and that boy, so shy and timid, were dancing! Okay, so maybe the two were just shuffling their feet, but it was something, right?

Just as Verdant jumped into the air before the fourth verse, something caught his eye. When he landed he checked to see what it was and nearly stopped playing. The drummer was stalking towards Ellandra and the boy, his balled-u T-shirt in his fist. He watched in horror as he got closer and closer to her, then got ready to throw the shirt back at her. Verdant dropped his guitar, jumped offstage, and tackled the dumb b*****d.

"Don't you dare touch her!"

Verdant felt the drummer's fist collide with his shoulder, but it barely even stung; he never was good at fighting. Verdant, on the other hand, sent his fist crashing into his foe's face and cringed as he heard the crack of his nose.

"GAH! You queer, get offa me!" The drummer kicked the amaranth nymph off of him and sent him sliding into a chair. Verdant rubbed his head, but quickly recovered.

"Don't you dare hurt my friend!" cried Verdant as he charged him once more, the drummer's blood staining his clothes.

As the singer and drummer scuffled, Jay jumped in front of Ellandra, shielding her from any possible punch or kick. He was scared out of his wits, but seeing this girl cry made a courage he had not known he had rise up in him and push him forward.

Verdant saw Ellandra's tears as he fought the jerk underneath him and rage overwhelmed him. He got up, picked up the drummer with one hand around his neck, and dragged him towards the rest of Blessed Ambivalence.

"I think this trash belongs to you," Verdant spat as he tossed the drummer at them, knocking them off their feet and onto the floor.

Verdant picked Ellandra off the floor, cradling her close to his body, and pulled Jay along with them. Audience members stopped Verdant in his tracks, each of them asking if Ellandra was alright.

"She'll be fine, this is just a huge shock for her. Thank you, but we have to leave now. Excuse me." Verdant pushed through the crowd until the three of them were outside breathing the cool night air. He found a bench and sat Ellandra down. She was crying and it was all his fault.

"Ellandra, I... I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. All I wanted was to play music for my friends, to help inspire you, and this is what happens... damn it all." He slumped down next to her and stared at his bloody boots. Tears began to stream down his face as he looked up at the boy.

"Thanks for protecting her. At least you got to dance with her." Jay tried to smile, but just sat down on the other side of Ellandra.

"I'm sorry for all that happened, Ellandra. I'd understand if you never wanted to talk to me again, but please... don't stop writing. Don't let this stupid night ruin what you have going for you."

Verdant felt ashamed. He was the one who'd messed everything up and she was the one apologizing. He lifted her head up so he could look her in the eyes.

"It wasn't your fault. No more apologizing, no more taking the blame. You did nothing wrong. Stop being so hard on yourself." He smiled warmly and he bloomed, just a little bit. "You were braver than anyone else in that venue and I'm proud of you. You fought your shyness and won. You should be happy." He stood up and helped Ellandra to her feet. He apologized to the boy for the trouble he'd caused, but he merely shook his head. He said his farewells and blushed when he told Ellandra that he was happy to have gotten to meet her. With that, he left.

"Come on," Verdant said. "I'll walk you home, okay?"

The lonely street that Verdant and Ellandra were walking down together had given way to the night; the lamposts were shining brightly, making the star-studded sky difficult to admire. Moths and other nocturnal insects darted about lights and a stray cat would disappear into the shadows every so often. They walked together in silence, frustrating Verdant a bit. He didn't really like silence, especially if it was of the tense and awkward variety.

"Um, aside from the fiasco from a few moments ago, did you have fun?"

He wasn't sure what else to say. She was timid, but stubborn. Trying to convince her that no fault lay with her would be pointless.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it, Ellandra! Ah, here we are, "Verdant said, a bit of sadness entering his voice at the last bit of the sentence. He had just met this kind girl and he had to say goodbye. She was starting to come out her shell, smile a lot more, and she seemed to be getting bolder. Though the night had not gone as he'd expected, they'd both come out of it as stronger people, he hoped.

"So, I suppose this is goodbye, isn't it? Well, I hope that we'll see each other again soon." He took off his top hat and placed it on top of Ellandra's hat. "Consider this a souvenir so you won't forget me," Verdant said with a smile on his face.

Verdant laughed merrily, blooming like he always did. "Worry not, my dear. I'll visit soon. Maybe we could even go back to the café; I think you made a good impression on the owner." He took Ellandra's hand in his, bent down, and kissed her kuckles very gently. It was the gentlemanly thing to do, after all, and she was certainly a lady. If there was anything he prided himself on (aside from his music), it was his courtesy towards the opposite sex.

"Very well, then. This shall not be 'goodbye', only 'until next time'. Goodnight, Ellandra. Sweet dreams." And with that, Verdant left for home, realizing just how tired he was. He waved back before he turned the corner and disappeared into the shadows.