OTA

[winter_wisp]

It had been a strange week. It was his season, and so it should have been full of joy- But this year it was different. The winds that sang his name were too cold, too sharp. The trees seemed dead rather than naked, and the chill that usually lit up his magic was heavy and without spark. Everything was slightly wrong, and the longer it lingered, the more uneasy the pixie became.

 

An awakening was approaching, something powerful and dark. Winter could feel it in his bones, tainting the world around him- Something was approaching this realm, though the pixie couldn't sense who or what. He was sensitive to the change though, maybe more sensitive than most, and it was slowly altering him, as things so often could.

 

Walking down the high street he kept one eye on his reflection in the shop windows, noting the way his wings showed occasionally, even though they were hidden- And freezing in place when he saw a familiar figure behind him.

 

Aspid's eyes were dark, and though Winter knew he wasn't in this world with him, he still tensed as the reflection of the dead wizard rested his hand on his shoulder, and leaned in to speak in his ear. The words he whispered were like a low hum, but Winter heard each one, his shoulders shaking as he closed his eyes.

 

"You're lying," the pixie said quietly. "You're a liar!" he shouted, turning his head and opening his eyes- Only to find the shadow of Aspid gone, and a small group of people staring at him as though he'd lost his mind.

 

Looking back in the shop window, Winter saw himself alone again- But changed. Taller still than his new height, with a sunken gaze and painfully thin body. He looked warped and dark, and though he wanted to believe it was an illusion, he couldn't help but fear it was a vision of the future Aspid's warning had painted for him.

Comments

[winter_wisp]

Winter nodded a little, resting his head on Sunny's shoulder and calming himself with slow breaths.

"I know, I know," Winter said quietly. "It's not only him I fear though, Sunny. Bad things are coming."

[akatawitch]

Sunny nodded, her hand continuing to move up and down. "Me neither," she admitted. She hesitated before she told him, "You're not the only person who's seen him in the last few months, and I can't help but wonder if it's connected."

[winter_wisp]

"He can't come back," Winter whispered. "He can't. ...I wont let him. I'm free now. Free always."

[akatawitch]

"It wasn't really him," Sunny assured him softly. "Faizel saw him in the fog on Halloween, and we hunted him. It wasn't him at all, it was some kind of mist creature, but... the magic might be related."

[winter_wisp]

"He never told me," Winter frowned, a touch angry that Faizel had kept such a thing from him.

"It could be his magic," he said after a moment. "Aspid's magic, or a shadow of it. An ember..."

[akatawitch]

Sunny kissed his forehead, as if trying to smooth that frown away. "He didn't want to scare you for no reason." Though the idea that Aspid's magic might be lingering on after the man's death was a little terrifying. "We didn't think it had anything to do with him."

Not impossible, though. Spells often lingered on after their caster died. She had no idea what the old man had set up before he was killed.

[winter_wisp]

"I don't know what to do," Winter confessed, holding onto Sunny's sleeve when she kissed his forehead. "Should I tell brother Will? Should I tell Finlay?"

[akatawitch]

"I don't know what Fin could do, really," Sunny mused, much as she didn't want to admit it. "I think Willy is your best bet." And she managed to sound only a little reluctant when she said it.

She hated the fuck out of him, but she wasn't foolish enough to think that anything good would come out of putting her hate above big damn fairy magic.

[winter_wisp]

Winter really, really didn't want to have that talk with Will. The fae could be somewhat intense when he was worried.

"I need cake," he said after a moment. "And coffee. ...We should have cake and coffee."

[akatawitch]

"Sounds like a good idea," Sunny agreed. Get sugar in him, then come up with a plan. But she wasn't about to let go of the idea of coming up with some sort of plan, even if it was just telling certain people about what happened.

[winter_wisp]

Standing up straight again, Winter put his shoulders back and his chin up. Cake would fix things. ...Cake would make it better.

Raking his fingers through his hair, his white locks stood up slightly on end.

"I will treat you," he decided, a small sign of maturity.

[akatawitch]

Sunny pulled away from him, her smile showing she clearly approved of this. "I won't argue with you if you really want to."

[winter_wisp]

"I do," Winter assured her, nodding and reaching for her hand.

[akatawitch]

Sunny slipped her hand into his, giving it a squeeze and him a little smile. "Such a thoughtful pixie."

[winter_wisp]

"I am thoughtful," Winter agreed, looking pleased for a moment and then nodding.

"Come, cake awaits," he decided, starting to walk.

[akatawitch]

She laughed and walked with him, finding herself thinking back on where Winter had been just a year ago. In some ways, he was exactly the same, but in others... Sunny couldn't imagine Winter making a gesture like offering to pay for something for a friend. If anything, he'd have been trying to cajole her into buying.

That wasn't the whole of it, of course, but she was actually... kind of proud of him. "Don't let it go to your head," she teased.

[winter_wisp]

"Where else would it go?" Winter asked, the question dead serious, despite being a bit silly.

[akatawitch]

Don't laugh. "Figure of speech," Sunny explained, leaving it to those three words for the moment so she wouldn't start to giggle.

[winter_wisp]

"...Oh," Winter replied, though it was obvious that even with this new information he was trying to decide where else feelings of pride might travel. ...His belly, he decided, seemed the most likely place.

[akatawitch]

Sunny grinned. "When people say, 'Don't let it go to your head' they mean 'Don't let it make you assume you're better than you really are.' In this case, thoughtful pixies need to continue doing thoughtful things, or they're not thoughtful anymore. Language is weird."

[winter_wisp]

"Language is weird," Winter agreed, looking thoughtful, then grinning, all teeth. "We should speak as cats do."

[akatawitch]

Sunny arched an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

[winter_wisp]

"With whiskers and rubbing," Winter replied, as though that ought to be obvious.

[akatawitch]

That got a choked little laugh out of her. "Well, we don't have whiskers. I don't think everyone would be open to rubbing. Especially from strangers."

[winter_wisp]

"I think the world would be a much happier place if we were more open to rubbing one another," Winter said seriously- So seriously, in fact, that it was hard to believe he didn't know exactly what it sounded like he was saying.