#faeveries

YOU WOULDN’T END THE WORLD OVER A TORTILLA CHIP…

😭 - A sobbing face. 

“What? No, this can’t be it,” Olvia whispered. Despite her best efforts, she let out a sob. Angry tears rolled down her cheeks, and she scrubbed her muddy face with muddier hands. 

“I am sorry, Miss Olvia. We have exhausted all efforts, and with the imminent storm we cannot guarantee safety during the search.”

“With the imminent storm I can guarantee he will DIE out there!”

“Miss O-“

Olvia grabbed the acolyte by his cloak and yanked him to her face. Weapons rose around her, but she didn’t care. 

“Listen here, Rivens. I don’t care what you think you are, or what you think you can trick us into thinking you are-“

“Olvy-“ Helena’s voice. 

“But I swear to all the angels above and devils below, if your little cult hurt a single curl on my brother’s head-“

“OLVY!”

Everyone was tense and ready to pounce on her. But she held her ground, glaring into the cloth shrouding their face. Unseeing. Unfeeling. Betraying nothing of what lay underneath. 

Olvia scoffed and let go. She shoved her way through the crowd despite Helena’s protests and swung the doors open. As she crossed the barrier, she could hear Helena’s voice in the background. 

“I would like to apologize on her behalf, Enlightened One. She can be sensitive…”

The doors swung close. 

Olvia stormed down the long, dark hallway. She welcomed the chilly air and pouring rain steadily getting louder. She much preferred this than the stuffy spire. At least the rain is what it says it is. At least it doesn’t pretend to be what it’s not. 

A voice drifted from the shadows.

“He hears Its calls. He follows Its song.”

Now the weather was talking to her. “Fuck off. I don’t want any of your nonsense.” 

She took a step forward but staggered back when the shadows coalesced into something solid. A tiny flame sparked to life, illuminating the small, round body it belonged to. Another robed one.  

“He give me this. Say you trust me if I have.”

They held up a silver chain adorned with a carved charm and a large turquoise stone. His talisman. 

Olvia’s eyes widened. “Give me that!” She lunged forward, but they sidestepped with ease. 

“No. You follow. I show you.”

Down the hall, the doors opened. Footsteps echoed throughout. 

“No time! We go!”

Olvia balled her fists. If this is we her best shot at finding OJ…

“Lead the way.”

DEATH ORDER

🥺 - A pleading face.

“You would do that for me? You would?!”

Ari exchanged a glance with Angeline. Even if their clock-headed friend had no eyes in the traditional sense, one could just feel the puppy eyes he would have if he did.

“…Uhh-huh,” he responded. “All you need to do is let Angie and I take a little visit to the vault, and then we can, uh, grab lunch or whatever.”

“And sail swan boats in the lake!”

He looks like he could burst at any moment, Angeline’s voice sounded in his mind.

Yeah, no kidding. Pop a gear like last time. “…And sail swan boats in the lake! Right, haha. Just remember, not a single word to anyone, okay? This is a secret between friends.”

“Friends, YES! WE’RE FRIENDS!” he squealed. He jerked forward with his arms out for a hug, nearly toppling over the desk in the process.

“Oh, that’s alright-“

“C’mahnnn Ari, it’s a friendship hug,” Angeline said with a sleazy grin.

“FRIENDSHIP HUG!”

“Okay, fine-“ No sooner did the words leave his mouth when Angie pulled him in.

When they were finally on their way, Ari fixed his ruffled hair and tie with a huff. Angeline swung the keys around her fingers and whistled an easy tune. The sound echoed through the soaring marble halls.

“Now then,” he muttered. “Time to look into the untimely murder of one Jeanette La Sue.”

Foggy art: @black-dreamscape, OJ lip bite art: @eggslurpee; all other character art by me!

The Death Order (similar cast as Tortilla Chip, but everyone is older and in a different world)

And this is how Ari sleeps (real):

The holographic couple pass by their flesh and bone counterparts, giggling and murmuring and laughing until they disappear behind the sheer curtains leading to the backyard…

…To sit in the grass and watch the moon and stars. To hold hands as a light show unfolds in the sky. To talk about space and stars and wonder does magic exist the same on other planets? and maybe it won’t be magic to them. Megumi knows all these things to be true, knows what happens next in this not-world, because it is exactly what happened the night before she disappeared.

“Olvy, I- I can’t watch this again,” he croaks.

Olvia says nothing. Her grip is steel around his wrist.

Yelling. The holographic couple flickers into the room, Megumi’s expression panicked, Olvia’s glaring.

“No, Olvy, it’s too dangerous!”

“This is the only night we can do this; with the Blue Moon, all the gates are open and closer to our world than they ever will be. It’s- it’s- it’s the only way, and Goddesses know when it’ll happen again.”

“O-Olvy. Olvy. Listen to yourself. Please. You want to-“

He squeaks when she grabs his elbows, eyes boring into his. ”I have had nightmares these past few days. Of you, crumbling to dust in my arms. And all I could do is watch.” Her grip tightens as she clenches her teeth. “It’s—it’s all too real. This is the only way to prevent it from actually happening.”

Tears prick his eyes. “Olvy, please. I can’t lose you.”

Olvia leans in and searches his face for one, harrowing, second, before she releases and steps back, looking away.

”…You’re right, it is dangerous… Let’s take a break, then have some hot cocoa together,” she murmurs.

Megumi sighs. The anxiety is so clear on his face, yet he can’t get himself to voice it. He swallows thickly. “…Okay. Okay.” He sighs again and scrubs his face. ”…Okay, okay… I’m… sorry.” And he leaves, heading towards the bathroom.

”…Not your fault,” she murmurs to his retreating figure.

The door closes behind him, and the vision flickers as a strange sensation tickles the real Megumi’s brain, like a wire disconnecting. Olvia’s grip tightens once more. If he listens, he could hear her breathing heavily.

…Not-Olvy stares at the door a while. Expression slowly draining, drop by drop, until blank. She pushes herself off the couch and enters the kitchen, starting the kettle, grabbing items. A single mug, a single packet. She empties the cocoa mix into the mug, and when the kettle begins to scream at her, the hot water too. She stares into the murky water for a long, long moment… and produces a tiny bottle from her sleeve. One drop, two. Mix it in. Stare at the liquid.

Stare at the door.

When it finally opens, her expression brightens into a sweet smile. Megumi’s face relaxes instantly, and he scoops her up into a tight hug.

”I’m sorry,” he breathes into her hair. ”I’m so sorry, Olvy. But I c-“

”It’s ok, Megs. It’s ok.” She grins and holds up the mug. “Hot cocoa?”

He looks at her with an expression so soft, so full of love. And he takes the mug, takes the sip, and gives it back so she could have some too. ”Tha-“

The sound scarcely leaves his mouth before his eyes roll back and he topples over.