Chapter Text
Riven took one more drag of his cigarette, then smashed it under the heel of his shoe. The corridor he lurked in was mainly deserted, save for a few first years rushing to get to their dorms before curfew.
He had come for a smoke because he had been bored of Sky rambling over his new ginger fairy fixation. Sky had gotten halfway through a pros and cons list of befriending the Earth girl before Riven was out the door without a care.
He was bored. The flurry of fairies and specialists that had walked by had been unassuming and he was itching to rile someone up. No one had come close to piquing his interest.
He sighed, pushing himself off the floor and brushing the dirt off jeans. He watched as a girl turned a corner, completely closed off to the world with massive earphones covering her ears. She stood out in the dark passageway, dressed in an awfully iridescent purple windbreaker that reflected the moonlight.
The first thing he noticed—other than her iridescent clothing—was the way she walked. She glided across the floor with the grace of a dancer in brisk, lithe steps. Her hair was a deep dark brown nearly black, long and smoothly pulled into two pigtails.
She didn’t even bat an eye at him as she walked near him. Her hair swishing around her and his hand involuntarily raised, longing to see if her hair was as soft as it looked.
“Someone better call the fashion police.” He blurted out.
She kept going and never one to be ignored Riven reached out and gave a swift tug to her pigtail. The girl’s hand flew up to yank her hair out of his grip. She turned on him, dark eyes storming with a fury that actually frightened Riven although he would never admit it.
She shoved him into the pillar he had been resting on earlier. He chuckled, oh he was definitely going to have fun now.
“What the hell is your problem!” She pulled her earphones down to hear his excuse, he didn’t give one.
“Pretty sure that awful excuse for a coat is a reason we should have uniforms.”
Okay, so not his best quip but it still had her seething.
“It’s called freedom of expression,” She eyed his own horrible excuse of an outfit and raised an eyebrow. “Clearly you have no room for judgement.”
Wanting nothing more than to leave, she turned away from him, and Riven immediately tugged at her hair again.
“Seriously!” She growled, stepping back from the specialist. “Have you got nothing else to do? It’s very childish of you to be pulling on girls pigtails, innit?”
“It’s very childish of you to be wearing pigtails, innit?” He smirked as she rolled her eyes at his childish banter. “Let me guess freedom of expression?”
“Do you go around assaulting every girl you see?”
“Assault? You had a leaf in your hair, I was only helping you out.”
She sighed, “Well, thanks for taking out the invisible leaf out of my hair. Bye.”
She walked away, her hair taunting him with every sway. He easily caught up to her, her short legs were no match for his long ones. She growled and Riven might as well be a mind fairy sense he could feel her curiosity.
“What do you want, stranger?”
“Riven,” He grinned as she eyed him from the corner of her eye. “I think I should tell you my name since you’re going to be moaning it all night long.”
She scrunched up her nose and mimed throwing up, “Gross, I think I just threw up.”
“That coat is a crime my poor eyes had to witness, I think it’d look better on the floor next to my bed.”
She stopped abruptly and let out the loudest laugh that resonated across the deserted passage. She took one glance at him and doubled over laughing.
“Nope absolutely not,” She wheezed out. “Are those your best pick up lines? I wouldn’t even follow you down the corner for that cheesy line.”
“Usually my face is enough for most,” Riven grimaced, his ego slightly bruised. “How about I guarantee you a night you will never forget? No one has ever complained about my expertise, cheesy lines completely forgotten by then.”
“Hmm not interested,” Her shoulders shook from quiet laughter. “You look like the type to get any girl he wants. I’m not about to inflate your massive ego any further.”
“My ego is not massive,” He snapped, feeling agitated. He was not anticipating being the one teased in this situation.
“Ooh touchy subject, pick your poison megalomaniac or narcissistic self-proclaimed casanova?” Her eyes flashed a bright purple as his anger peaked. “Let me guess, neither. It’s all a facade...it’s the front you put up. All these walls..”
“What the fu—”
She shook her head, rattled it like a bobble head, and her eyes went back to brown. He stepped closer to her, inspecting every emotion flickering across her face. She looked down, guilty, and he knew.
“You’re a mind fairy.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and gave her some space. “Just my luck to flirt with a damn mind fairy.”
“Can you not say it like that?” She stepped closer to him, hands on her hips and staring him down. “You make it sound offensive. Like a slur. I’m a mind fairy and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Sure, just stay out of my head.” He hissed.
“I didn’t mean to,” Riven felt some part of his heart soften at her expression. Her eyes drooped apologetically. “I can’t control it. It sort of just happens.”
“Do not do it around me again,” He warned, pointing a finger at her face which she swatted angrily.
“Like I’d willingly want to read what you’re feeling,” She remarked heatedly. “I can’t read your thoughts, my main connection is with emotions, jerk! You couldn’t pay me enough to pick at your brain. It’s probably disgusting.”
Not wanting to let his emotions rise to the point where they become tangible to her, he changed the subject.
“Filthy, actually,” He winked at her salaciously and she gagged. “Want to know how filthy I can be?”
“I’m going to be sick,” She was off again, turning around the corner with him trailing her like a puppy nibbling at her ankles. “Have you imprinted on me like a baby duck? Can’t you let me be?”
“Where’s the fun in that?” He asked, walking her down the brightly lit hallway to the fairy suites. “You know, you’ve taken a look into my psyche but I still don’t know your name. Seems very one-sided to me.”
“So you can jot it down on your little black book or is that part of your facade too?” She slowed to a stop in front of one of the suite doors, regarding him with piercing eyes. Riven noted that even if she were a mind fairy who can easily see into someone’s emotions, she was very perceptive even without her powers and eyes observed it all.
“Musa?” Riven felt his skin crawl at the sound of that familiar voice. “Riven?”
Musa. Her name was Musa. An interesting name for an interesting girl.
“Terra!” Riven was glad he wasn’t the only one who dimmed at the sound of the earth fairy’s voice. “I thought you’d be inside.”
“I was visiting my dad,” The earth fairy turned to face Riven and their faces both showed mutual dislike. “You’re not bothering Musa are you Riven?”
Riven pulled his most forced, enthusiastic grin that can only more like a grimace, “When am I ever a bother?”
“I cannot agree with that sentiment,” Musa immediately inputted, leaning towards Terra and watching Riven in amusement, she whispered to the other fairy, “He’s like a little duckling, following me around like he’s imprinted on me.”
“I’m leaving now,” Riven stated abruptly, “I’ve had my fun, I’m not staying for this nonsense. I’d rather listen to Sky’s ramblings.”
Musa laughed and even Terra cracked a smile. The specialist sauntered down the hallway away from Musa and Terra. He was rounding the corner, winking at a small fairy scurrying into her suite, when he suddenly felt a hand ghost over the back of his head.
He was about to turn around when he felt a quick tug at his short hair. He yelped and spun ready to unleash hell on his assailant.
Dark eyes peered up at him, the mind fairy was staring up at him good-naturedly and beaming. She cackled and looped her arm around his neck and played with the hair on the nape of his neck.
Her warm body was pressed dangerously close to his. Riven’s breath hitched, he was used to girls being all over him but this felt different. He couldn’t explain it but a part of him lit up at her touch. Her presence felt familiar, which was odd considering he had barely met her. He could see that same familiarity reflected in her eyes
She rose on her tiptoes, the flesh of her palms burning the cotton of his shirt as she used his body as leverage. If his thundering heart under her hand wasn’t ratting him out, surely the surge of emotions he was emitting was enough.
Her breath fan across his neck, her mouth near the shell of his ear, “Consider this payback.”
She dug her nails into his scalp and yanked his hair hard enough to probably leave him bald. Riven bit his lip to prevent an embarrassing groan to escape his lips.
Riven felt cold as she detached herself from him and landed back fully on the flat of her feet. She gave him her most sarcastic smile before her face went completely blank and straight-faced. The mind fairy walked away from him, a new bounce to her graceful gait.
“Goodnight Musa,” He called out, his lips involuntarily splitting into a soft smile. “I know you’ll be thinking of me tonight.”
“In your dreams!” She called out as she reached her suite, never once looking back but he could hear the playfully lilt in her voice.
“You’ll be the star of my dreams, love!”
Riven’s words couldn’t have been so right. Well partly. He had dreamt of Musa, but she wasn’t the sole focal point of his dreams. No that spot had been taken by the water fairy he had slipped away with in an alcove the morning before.
Musa had showed up randomly. Her smooth, long hair in pigtails undulating rhythmically like waves as the wind blew. Which was bizarre considering they were harboring in Professor’s favorite greenhouse where there was virtually no wind. She was dressed prettily, clearly done up in her finest purple dress.
Terra was also there, but Riven had chosen to ignore that part of his dream. Musa had only made her appearance briefly, but it was impactful enough. They had bantered playfully for a moment as Terra went away for more plants. When he caught his own reflection on something and woke up in a frenzy. He had looked like the pitiful, nerdy first year he tried so hard to hide.
Sky had doubled over, booming with laughter when Riven had fallen off his bed in horror. Sky hadn’t shut up about his reaction to that nightmarish moment even as they entered the canteen for a quick morning snack. They were already late to meet Silva before class started and had opted for some fresh fruit and cereal bars.
Riven figured it must have been his unconscious self warning him that no matter how hard he tried, people will still see him as that lonely boy from last year. That even Musa, only having known him for a small fraction of time, had read him like a book. He knew she saw right through him, powers or not, and that irked him.
“Bloom, hi,” Sky breathed out, trying to balance his breakfast in his hands unsuccessfully as he accidentally spilled parfait on his shirt by ogling Bloom.
Riven hid his laughter by ducking into the salad bar to fish out some cucumbers, his back to his friend. He was already experiencing secondhand embarrassment by just hearing his best friend’s heavy breathing. Riven did not want to see the blond’s smitten puppy-eyed gaze, he already witnessed that enough with Stella and it had been sickening.
“Oh, um, hi my name is Sky. This is Riven.”
“Musa, pleasure to meet you.”
Riven thumped his head on the plexiglass that was over the salad bar as he heard that familiar voice. His face burned with embarrassment and he knew Sky was preening like a peacock now that he was no longer the center of embarrassment.
“We’ve met,” Riven wore his best nonchalant smirk. He ignored how uneasy he felt under the intense stare of the mind fairy. “I do miss your pigtails, it gives me something to hold onto if I were to...well you can only imagine.”
Sky shrunk, red-faced and wide-eyed, and Bloom seemed unamused. Musa only rolled her eyes, patting the little space buns on her head sheepishly.
“We should go,” Sky blurted out, pulling Riven by his arm and away from the dark-haired fairy. He caught Bloom’s eye and gave her a soft smile.
“I’ll be seeing you, Musa,” Riven’s eyes lingered over her form and Musa’s eyes flashed purple as the onslaught of Riven’s emotions crashed into her waves. “I’ve got Specialists ego’s to burst.”
Riven’s body went limp as Sky dragged him away. For a moment, he had forgotten just how easily Musa can pick up on his emotions. Could she sense all emotions he tried so hard to push down with his cranky demeanor and salacious commentary? That even mentioning his specialist classes brought all those emotions boiling up.
It didn’t matter how drawn he felt to her. Of course, he was drawn to her. She was a very pretty girl and the attention—even negative—brought some unhealthy dose of validation that he had lacked last year. He was just hoping to cop a feel, that was it. It didn’t matter that she bit back whenever he said something and that excited him.
Mind fairies were trouble. Walking red flags. Musa was no exception and he hated being pitied. As Sky dragged him away, he could feel her stare on his back. Solid and burning. He was not going to be pulled apart bare by her and have her feeling sorry for what she saw. He was going to stay away from her.
Riven’s chaotic mess of emotions electrified her senses. It was almost too much to bear for Musa. She could feel it, simmering just beneath the surface, all his bottled up emotions. It didn’t matter how hard he tried to hide it. Without having known Riven for too long, she could see it all written in his green eyes.
“You okay, Musa?”
“Yeah,” Musa replied as she watched Riven’s retreating figure taking his chaos with him, although she could faintly feel the buzz of emotions of the canteens attendants.
Suddenly, a lone figure with unkempt brown and a backpack slung messily over his back rushed by them. Musa watched the boy run off and disappear into the crowd. For a moment, everything had stilled when the boy was near her vicinity. That mere moment had brought something Musa had never experienced.
The absence of chaos.