It still hurts watching him fade away, watching him fade away
Watching him fade away, watching him fade away

-Mac Demarco

-ˋˏ ༻ʚ𓆣ɞ༺ ˎˊ-

"Are you mad?" Evie's small voice calls into Theo's new room. After being escorted to their new rooms, which are similar to a luxurious suite, the humans decided to depart from each other and spend some time alone.

Theo grunts back at her, his voice not seeming too positive when he responds, "No, not at all."

Evie grips the sides of the clothing of her sheep costume. She has tried to remove the ears, but they just won't come off. That's a problem for later, however. Evie feels as though she's been walking on eggshells around Theo ever since they were in the castle prison. Lately, he's been fragile. Not like a flower, but more like a bomb that might go off if you get too close.

Her hand goes to his bedroom door, which is slightly ajar. She can't see where Theo is, but she can hear him doing something further into the room. Evie pushes the door inwards. Her eyes scan the room until she sees Theo tying a bunch of blankets and other cloths together.

"What are you doing?" Evie nervously stands under the door frame. Theo doesn't look up at her. He concentrates on tightly securing the cloths together. It doesn't look like it's working too well.

"I'm getting out of here."

Evie looks at him with a dumbfounded face. Her friend must have lost his mind. "You're going to escape by tying a bunch of blankets together and going out the window? Just like they do in movies? Are you crazy?" Evie hisses. Her concern only grows hotter when Theo rolls his eyes to himself. He tries to speak, but Evie doesn't let him.

"Are you aware that we are about twenty stories up in the air? There is no way we'll survive."

Theo finally looks up from his dumb idea. It's only about ten feet long, anyway. "You don't have to come. At least give me your blankets."

Evie's hand flies to her chest. She grips her shirt, shocked at how selfish Theo could be. She can't let him kill himself by going out that window. Before she could do anything about it, a knock sounded on their front door. The two look at each other before Theo hurries to shove the cloths under his bed while Evie runs to open the door.

Evie gasps in delight when she sees who's on the other side of the door.

"Cosette!"

"Evie, honey, how are you?" The sheep woman pulls the human into a hug. She then spots Theo hovering at a distance. She rushes to hug him too even though he is as stiff as a board.

"We've been better," Theo responds quietly. Both the humans look like they've aged from the amount of stress they've been through. The castle staff is currently working on making them some more clothes, so they've been stuck in their sheep costumes and unable to take a shower.

Evie asks Cosette how she is allowed to see them. The lady takes a minute to get herself settled on the living room couch. She looks out the large window to see the city of Sedora surrounding the castle.

"I talked to Eloria about being able to see you two again, and she had the request approved. I will be able to frequently check up on you guys.

Evie's bright smile lit up the room. "That's amazing!" She plopped down on the couch next to her.

Theo stands near the large window. He looks out into the scenery beyond. He's happy about having Cosette around, he's just upset that he has to be in this situation. All of this wouldn't have happened if they hadn't found that stupid crystal in that stupid lake.

Out of anger, Theo's fists start to tighten together. His jaw also clenches to keep him from screaming. He's tired, hungry, and covered in dirt. How come Evie can pretend like this isn't the end of the world for them?

Theo won't act out, though. The thing he needs most is the trust of the people in this world, despite not trusting them himself.

Theo plans on escaping this castle in one way or another. He might want this magical world to trust him, but that will never happen because he doesn't plan on following their system.

While Evie and Cosette lightly chat behind Theo, his eyes continue to glaze over the hundreds of buildings out. He unconsciously presses his hand against the window glass.

The surface of the window starts to heat up. Theo retracts his hand and grunts in pain at the strange occurrence. Half a second goes by before the window flashes a red light. Theo goes flying backward.

The window had sent him flying across the living room. He, ungracefully, lands between the two women and where they are sitting. Theo stirred for a moment, not sure what was going on. He doesn't even notice when Evie jumps from the couch to avoid being landed on, or Cosette's comforting fingers in his wild hair.

"And that," Cosette hums out with a slight laugh, "Was the security system. Believe me, without a chaperone in this place, you'll never be able to get out." Cosette had a feeling that these kids would go insane. Being in this castle is a wonderful experience, but not for those who have been ordered to stay in it. With her help, she'll put some ease on their shoulders.

Evie stands by the front door. Her eyes are wide, and both of her hands are clasped over her mouth. She watches Theo rub his bruised head in shock. Suddenly, another knock sounds on the door behind her. This startles Evie, making her jump a few feet away from the door.

Cosette lets out a sigh mixed with some sad laughter. This is going to be a rough few days before they feel settled in this world. She rubs Evie's shoulder before brushing past her to open the door for the dressers.

Tall fae women with colorful hair and poofy dresses storm into the room. Tall racks of clothing follow them magically. The room fills with busy chatter. Jeweled hands dig through the messy racks. Theo crawls to the far side of the couch. He watches them pull out different fabrics, hoping they won't make him look ridiculous. Or at least, more ridiculous than his sheep costume.

The scene reminds Evie of when she had visited New Jersey for a wedding. She had gone to a local shop to get a dress for the event. The way the women talk to each other closely resembles the sharp New Jersey accents Evie had witnessed that day. She still remembers how their pointy, colorful nails felt on her skin as they measured her. She hopes the fae are more gentle creatures.

Amid the chaos, one of the tallest women with striking purple hair lifts her head from a box of ribbons. Her high-pitched voice sounds over the other voices as she spots Cosette patiently waiting next to Evie. "Hey, babe!" The woman straightens to rush to hug Cosette. "Are you helping with the humans, too? The whole situation is just crazy?"

Evie shrugs to the couch where Theo sits. She finds more comfort in his company than near the fae who talks like she's not a real person. Right as she sits down, she hears Theo mumble something about 'too many sparkles to be considered legal'.

Cosette catches up with the dresser and even helps them pick out wardrobes. She used to work in the fashion department before she had her twins. She had even met Orion, her husband, with this job. It was a fun time of her life, but she finds her peace at home with her children.

While sticking a needle to finish up a dress, she spots Evie and Theo huddles together. Their eyes follow the action. Cosette feels a pang in her chest. How could she be a good chaperone? Fixing her mistake, she puts down the fabrics to get the dresser's attention.

"Oh!" Cosette claps her hands together. All eyes land on her. "I had forgotten to introduce you all. As you know, we have some special guests." Cosette rushes over to the couch and ushers Evie and Theo off of it. She gestures for them to get closer to the fae.

"This is Evie," Cosette introduces, "And this is Theo. I hope we can all get along despite our differences.

Evie gives a shy wave. Some of the dressers responded with a greeting, others just smiled. A few of the women turned away with disgust written on their faces. Evie tries to not let her bother her, understanding that she's not from here.

"Pleasure to meet you all," the fae woman who ignored Evie earlier gives her a now welcoming smile. "We are almost finished with your wardrobe. It's been a blessing to serve you today."

Theo watches the interaction between the fae and Evie. The dresser's message had seemed off to him. Maybe he's just tired and trying to find someone to hate on, but even though the fae was polite, her tone sounded like she'd rather be anywhere else.

-ˋˏ ༻ʚ𓆣ɞ༺ ˎˊ-

Theo wipes his hands on his newly designed pants. Currently, he is waiting with Evie to be escorted to tonight's dinner. This is the first he'll be meeting with the council members that is not in a courtroom. Cosette left right after the dressers had finished choosing his new wardrobe, so he wasn't able to get any advice on what to do tonight.

He's been ordered to stand in a random living room in the castle for his escorts to swap out. His current one is a buff-looking bird woman who looks ready to fall asleep on the nearest couch.

Theo goes to the nearest mirror to fix the heavy crystal jewelry around his neck. The outfit he's wearing is something his parents would have thrown a fit if they saw him wearing. The clothing taste in this world is vastly different from Earth. His previous fake sheep horns are now in a trashcan somewhere. The costume Orion had designed has been replaced with heavy fabrics in dark blue color.

Theo catches Evie looking at him through the mirror. She nervously stands next to a window; her hands clasped below her waist. She flashes him a small smile before turning to look at the window. While Theo believes he looks like he's ready to go Trick-or-Treating, he admires how Evie looks like a real princess in her dress.

"Apologies for being late." The new escort enters the room. "Shall we go to the dining room now?" The question isn't a question.

After being led down many new halls, they arrived at the dining room. Theo starts to sweat all over. He questions the dinner etiquette here. What if they don't have silverware? Is he allowed to talk to the council members?

On top of swearing bullets, Theo is worried about that too. He's not sure how well the deodorant he found in his bathroom works. He's not even sure that the bottle was deodorant.

"We'll be alright," Evie leans closer to Theo. Her hand reaches for his to give a reassuring squeeze. They walk into the dining room together. All of Evie's worried thoughts disappear for a moment as she takes in the interior.

A long table filled with council members is placed in the middle of the room. Evie chooses not to focus on their stare on her, but rather look at the high ceilings and the decoration on the wall.

The escort leads the two humans to their seats. A new seating arrangement has been made so Councilmember Eloria can sit next to the humans. Evie takes the seat next to the familiar woman, and Theo takes a seat next to her.

Across from them, a younger fae man gives them a nod as they settle down into their seats. Immediately after, someone from the other end of the table stands up.

"Welcome, Evie and Theo," says a short man with blue, leathery skin. He gestures a webbed hand towards the humans. "Thank you for joining us. Food will be served shortly."

A small applause comes from the other members of the council before they engage in their conversations. Eloria turns to Evie, she brushes a willow tree strand of hair out of her face before speaking.

"That was Kaia. He's from the oceanic part of our world. His species is rare around places like Sedora because most don't have legs." She smiles at the last part like it was a joke. Evie tries to play in and gives a small laugh and nod.

For the next few minutes, Evie and Theo talk to each other quietly. Food hasn't arrived yet, and neither of them knows what to do. Suddenly, the young fae from across the table catches their attention.

"Earth to humans," he says while waving a hand to get their attention. "Or at least that's what you say on Earth, isn't it?"

Evie lifts her head and shoots the guy a confused stare. His humorous smile doesn't falter. She watches as he runs a hand through his dark red hair. She immediately can identify that he's a part of the Faerie species.

"Er... hi?" Theo mumbles to the guy who looks between him. His hand falls from his hair to fiddle with the tablecloth.

"Oh right. My name is Riven. Don't worry to introduce yourselves, I already know who you are," Riven says before flashing a wink in their direction. "Anyways, I'm fascinated with the human life. I mean, you guys are so interesting." His smile widens as he leans back in his chair.

"Thanks," Evie quietly responds. She doesn't know what to say or how to act around a councilman. She does wonder what the age range is to be on the council because Riven looks plenty younger than the others.

"Do you get a free crown when you order at Burger King? Does that mean anyone can become royalty?" Riven asks innocently. The light shines brightly in his colorful eyes.

Theo lets out a real laugh. It is a relief he doesn't have to act formally around a council member. The goofy conversation is just what he needed to ease his nerves.

After answering some more questions from their new friend Riven, the servants entered the dining room with trays of food. They place down all the unique-looking foods to try. However, it's not the food that would be considered the most unique part. As all the trays were set down on the table, one of the servants clapped their hands. All the dishes then lifted slightly into the air, and slowly they started to rotate down the table.

This excited Theo. He had no clue how this type of magic worked, but it was amazing. He reached out to grab a fluffy piece of bread floating his way, but Eloria made a 'tsking' noise before he could do so. Theo took his hand back, embarrassed about acting rationally.

Eloria told him to unwrap his napkin by his plate. Evie followed Theo's lead and did so as well. In the napkin, was a single blue stick. Theo looked at it in confusion. He had expected them to not have silverware, but they could have done better than a stick.

Eloria picks up her stick. She raises it into the air. "Focus on what you want the food to do," She tells them. Her hand tilts the stick towards a floating plate of fruit. The food then starts to float to her and then to her plate.

Evie's mouth falls open. It's like she had just witnessed a magic trick. Quickly, she and Theo give it a try. At first, it was hard to focus and point the stick in the right direction. A few council members laughed, mainly Riven, at their attempts, but after some practice, they had a plate full of food.

Theo observed how the other people ate. With their magic sticks, they lifted the food to their mouth. He also figured out that if you think about dividing the food, then it will cut itself.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Riven asks from his side of the table. He then points his stick towards the pocket of his jacket. A single piece of candy floats from it to land next to Theo's plate. "This is even cooler, though." Riven's same smile stretches across his face.

Theo observes the candy. It's in the shape of wings and no bigger than a peppermint. Without hesitation, Theo plops it into his mouth. The sweetness of the candy coats his tongue. Even with its rough surface, it softens to the feel of a marshmallow in his mouth. Theo closes his eyes to savor it. The food in this world is good, but he has never tasted anything this good.

As he chews the candy, it feels like he's floating. This might be the best thing he will ever eat. Theo is so in love with the candy, he can barely hear the voices around him.

"Theo!" Evie's voice fills his ears. Theo blinks until his eyes snap wide open. He is no longer sitting in his chair, he's in the air. Down below, all the council members look up at him, calling his name and freaking out.

Theo tries to make a swimming motion to move out of the air, but it's no use. Helplessly, he's stuck with no way to get back to the ground. He's starting to float more towards the top of the ceiling.

"Someone get him a glass, quick." Someone orders from down below. At once, a few glasses with liquid in them fly up to where Theo floats. He reaches out a hand to lift one to his mouth. As the taste of the candy fades from his mouth, Theo is lowered to the floor.

Evie grabs onto his tightly once his feet touch the ground. He looks around the room to see the shocked faces of all the council members. However, out of all of them, Riven is the only one laughing. The one who gave Theo the candy clutches the table in laughter. He wipes the tears of laughter off of his face with a napkin in hand.

"I think we've all had enough fun tonight," Dyer, the winged council member announces in his usual grumpy voice before shooting Riven a side-eye. He calls for Evie's and Theo's escort to take them back to their rooms after apologizing for the trouble.

"We're dead meat in this world," Evie whispers in terror to herself as she exits the dining room.

-ˋˏ ༻ʚ𓆣ɞ༺ ˎˊ-

3098 words

Posted 5/1/2024

Hey there! I know this chapter was long, but I really hope you enjoyed it. What do you think of Riven and his little candy scene?