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Being the first fairy born in centuries, Peri found himself worshiped quite often.
From his birth to the beginning of college, beings from all over couldn’t help but to take in the aura that was the newest fairy. Destined for greatness, destined to be the next in line to join the leading working fairies of the world, destined for perfection. No matter what they may be, any being found a reason to take in the glimmering hope that was Peri.
Throughout his schooling, he found himself to be a straight A student. The expectations placed on him pushed him towards perfection, nothing less. Peri was the start of a new generation. Ergo, he had to lead a perfect line of fairies in the making.
Of course, Peri (had to) followed this idea, passing each and every class with flying colors. Numerous compliments flew his way, and to each and every fan a smile was granted. After all, the perfect fairy had to be kind. A friend to all the beings of the world! He couldn’t just let them down. Being the start to a new generation meant you had to leave a good impression on everyone a future descendant may come upon. So a smile to all it was.
As time passed, the standards and practices had solidified themselves in the mind of everyone. Peri was the perfect fairy, no questions asked. Of course, Peri was happy to act as what he was supposedly destined to be.
For the most part, at least.
There were times he was on the verge of snapping, and it became very noticeable to certain beings. Pixies and Anti-Fairies typically tried to use any breaking moment of Peri’s to get him out of the spotlight, using old excuses such as ‘his magic is still highly unstable’ or ‘he’s a dirty, little cheater’ to get the public to turn on him. Being the evil beings that they were, most turned a blind eye to their complaints, and Peri had to keep up to make sure such complaints could never be confirmed.
Only a few could actually prove these complaints to be real, but he’s sure nothing would ever come to light.
In more recent years, Peri had found himself able to let these breaking moments out more. Not to the public, of course, but there was always one fairy out there who would never bask in the glamor that was Peri. One that knew of the imperfections never seen to the light.
One all the beings would only ever see as his unfortunate roomate.
With a grin, Peri strolled down the halls of his university, using his wand as a cane to assist him as he carried numerous books in his other hand. The weight of the books was too much for his wings, so he resorted to a small stroll through the hall. Nobody questioned if he actually needed help with his books. He may have been incredibly popular, but he was not the type to ever be seen needing assistance carrying heavy objects down the hall, despite the mighty need for assistance.
“Ah, Peri! Just the fairy I wanted to see.”
His persona was frail at the end of the day, but it couldn’t slip off if the audience wasn’t done with him yet. “Ms. Ray. A pleasure. Did you need something?”
The sparkling yellow elf smiled. “Oh, I just wanted to congratulate you on a job well done! The fair you planned last week went splendid. We raised a hefty amount for the theater department. Our next play is going to go together splendidly! Will you be auditioning?”
Peri giggled, “Of course. Can’t let the department down, right?”
Ms. Ray smiled, “No siree! Can’t lose one of my best actors, now can I?”
“Awh, I wouldn’t say I’m the best, now.”
“Look at you, Peri. Winning Dazzle after Dazzle for our department. If you’re not perfect for us, then I don’t know what you are.”
Peri only smiled at that, desperately trying not to break the facade. He hit his wand on the floor just a little too hard. “Welp, I best be on my way now.”
“Ah, yes, of course! Don’t forget to sign up now!”
The fairy prodigy quickly turned away from the teacher and resumed his walk, not wasting another word on the yellow elf. He was sick. He was so sick.
A few more turns and he ended up outside his dormitorium. Due to his status, he was lucky enough to get his own private suite built within the university. With many private schools begging for his presence, there were many perks that came along with each admission. This one was gracious enough to allow him his own dorming area away from all the other beings. How could he reject such a gracious offer, especially when they never backed down and never accepted no for an answer!
How kind!
The large purple doors separated his living quarters from the school. Most beings would have to walk at least a mile to get to the main part of the university, but he was lucky enough to be placed at the center of it all. Completing a wing scan and a retina scan opened the doors to the luxurious oasis. He walked in, closing the buff doors behind him.
“Oh great, the prodigy’s back.”
One thing that wasn’t so gracious here was his own anti-fairy.
Truthfully, Peri has nobody to blame but himself for the welcoming insults thrown at him when he steps through the doors. It was his idea to allow Irep to stay in his dorm, let alone be admitted here to the university! Peri had no requests at any of the universities aside from one; grant Irep admission alongside him. Many saw it as a courageous act of kindness to welcome the likes of an anti-fairy into his perfect life; a way to show that compassion really is the key to overcoming the darkness within the world.
The divine prodigy never viewed it like that.
Peri was just head over heels for Irep.
Although the public couldn’t see it like that, so the kindness bullshit it was!
“Aww, I’m glad you missed me.” Peri replied to the anti-fairy, setting his books down on a nearby bench. Although he couldn’t see it, he knew Irep had just rolled his eyes at him.
Peri let his wand transform from the cane to its usual size, not needing it for aid anymore. After lazily putting his books in a decently neat stack, Peri floated up to the second level of the dorm; the bedroom. There was a nice escalator on the side that he found himself using whenever he was bringing his school supplies up, but he usually just floated up to the balcony.
Reaching the second floor, he spotted the anti-fairy on his own bed, scrolling through his phone. They both had their own beds, placed side by side. Irep didn’t bother to look over at Peri. He already knew he was in the room, why bother. Peri frowned at that, “And I thought you were so happy to see me.”
“Yeah, happy.” Irep spat. “That’s a word to use.”
Peri sighed, floating over to the anti-fairy’s bed. Once he was close enough, he threw himself onto the bed, landing on the anti-fairy’s legs, a wince instantly following.
“Alright! Alright…” Irep shot up, glaring at the smirking fairy. He sat his phone on the dresser, annoyed.
“Hmph.” Peri pushed himself up slightly, letting his wand fall to the floor as he stared up at his opposite. Irep rolled his eyes, “How were your classes? Perfect?” He taunted.
“Eh. More or less. Everyone failed the test in my child development class.” Peri laughed at that, “They want to be godparents, or something of the sort, and yet they don’t even bother to study.”
“Did you study?”
“Nope.” Peri smiled, laying back down, “Got an A.”
“Suppose that kid was good for something.”
Peri froze momentarily, his eyes glowed viciously knowing exactly what Irep was referring to. He wouldn’t dare to say his name, that was one of the limits he still had yet to push again. The fairy let it slide this time, understanding what he was trying to convey.
Irep knew that it struck a nerve. He didn’t comment.
He quickly snapped back to telling his story, “Let me tell you, the glares flew at me instantly after! They act like it’s my fault they failed.” Peri put his hand on his chest.
“Kids being kids.”
“They’re all older than me.”
Irep shrugged, “Then it’s just fairies being the assholes they are.”
“Oh that’s bold coming from you, anti-fairy.”
“I know.” He giggled.
Peri found that these moments made his day worth it; someone he could just unwind around. Irep wasn’t the type to act fake around him. He could put up a villainous act, but at the end of the day, Peri would be the only one to break it down completely. Same goes for him. Irep would always see past the perfection to the bitter fairy he truly was. Complete opposites and yet they still found a path to each other. Peri supposed it was love, in a very bizarre way.
…Eh, maybe not love. He still hated Irep. However, the fact that a ‘not always’ could find itself into their situationship meant that there was still a large ounce of love that would remain.
“Oh, I also ran into Ms. Ray.”
“Urgh. Do I dare ask how she is?”
“Fine, for the most part. Claims I’m her best actor.” Peri smirked, seeing the unbridled rage appear on Irep’s face.
“Of course you are, you prissy little perfectionist. Even if you messed up terribly, the audience would still cheer.” Irep cursed. “Only reason I was never the best was because she never dared to let me on that stage. You know just as well as I do how much she has wasted my potential.” The anti-fairy sighed, “I suppose my talent was too great for the world.”
“Or she didn’t want you to blow up mid-rehearsal.”
“Oh—! You’re such an ass.” He hissed. “With the way you complain about those theater kids, I’d be doing us a favor.”
“Fair, fair.” Peri waved his hand. “Speaking of fairs, you know I set one up for her the other day.”
“So you could act like her little mascot?”
“Hmm, you know that makes sense. She dragged me around to the attractions that made her the most money. Everyone came flocking over to whatever attraction I was at.”
“Of course.” Irep rolled his eyes.
“Funniest thing is this supposed fundraiser is gonna do shit for the department.” Irep raised a brow at that. Peri usually cursed whenever he was in this mood, but the words were usually directed to the beings he absolutely loathed, like Irep. Even the anti-fairy knew that Ms. Ray was, conveniently, a ray of sunshine. Peri’s words seemed to prove the opposite.
Peri could be a snob, but even with that status, he was usually never wrong about the being he blabbed on about. He stated facts. As much as he talked about beings, Peri hated accounting for any false information. If they’re a dick, they are a dick. He knew everything about everyone in and out of the university.
And if he didn’t, he soon would.
“You know she does shit for the theater department. Acting as if the money is actually going somewhere.” Peri sighed, “I guess it’s in the name; acting.”
“Oh really? How would you know?” The anti-fairy raised a brow.
Peri smirked at that, so did Irep. The anti-fairy knew the superb fairy had his methods of receiving dirt on anybody, so of course he would know. It wasn’t a dumb question, more so a way of getting the fairy to spill. He would always spill to Irep, and only Irep, and the anti-fairy would never dare to leak anything given.
Peri pulled his phone out from his pocket and began searching through. Within a minute, he had a picture pulled up of Ms. Ray at a bar with a large group of other teachers. “Money always goes where she wants it to go. Last week, it was her turn to pay for their outing, and pay she did.” Swiping to the next photo showed an enhanced snap of a credit card, belonging to the university.
“You sneaky bitch.” Irep teased. Peri smiled at the insult.
“The fair was merely a way to replenish the funds she spent that week. None of the teachers realized, all too drunk out of their minds to comprehend anything.” He shut off the phone, tossing it to the side.
“And you know she’s done this before?” Irep raised a brow. Of course, he believed Peri. He was just intrigued by how much he has on her. Ms. Ray wasn’t his favorite, and knowing she wasn’t the joyous ray she literally claimed to be made Irep feel some joy within.
“She’s snuck into the business offices to cover her tracks.” Reaching down for his wand, he lazily waved it, summoning multiple documents. “She’s replaced the originals with frauds, and I managed to catch them before they hit the shredders. Business department gives two shits about their jobs, so they never realized. I suppose she gets the money quick enough that the business office never sees the original amount was gone, but I haven’t checked over there in a minute.” Peri spoke with a hint of boredom, feeling like he was retelling the story. He still felt the butterflies in his stomach seeing Irep’s face light up.
“Isn’t that brilliant!” The anti-fairy brought his legs up, rolling Peri closer to the edge of the bed and sending his wand tumbling off. Irep crawled over to the fairy excitedly, “That annoying elf can finally get what she deserves.” He reached for the papers, but Peri instantly poofed them away, a grin on his face.
“Oh, this can’t get out.”
Irep instantly sulked, “Do you know how long I’ve wanted to get her ass out of this building.”
“And did you know how long it’s taken to get all this data? It’s not just this; I have a whole file on her.”
Irep stared at him, astounded, “A-And you’ve just hidden it from me?!”
“We both have our secrets.” Peri calmly shrugged. “I’ve been keeping tabs on her since before we even started here. If I told you any earlier, you would’ve tried to kill me for access.”
Irep sighed irritably, “Periwinkle, my dear, I don’t ask this often, but for once in your pathetic life span I need you to actually do something about her.”
“No can do.” Peri shook his head. “I’m supposed to be the perfect one, remember? Plus, I’m close to being Valedictorian for this year’s class! I’m not even graduating this year.” He grinned arrogantly. Irep hated when the fairy got pompous like this. It was funny when he was snobbish as he talked about his sucky classmates or terrible teachers, not when he’s using it against Irep.
The anti-fairy backed away from the fairy with a groan, his eyes glowing ever so slightly, “Wouldn’t it be a shame if everyone knew just how much of a dick you really were?”
“Hmm, I suppose so, but how would Anti-Fairy World feel if the only one of their kind who ever made it to college got expelled at the hands of his own fairy?” Peri’s eyes held a similar glow, a darker purple in comparison to Irep.
“Oh, Periwinkle. Despite that perfect persona of yours, you do pull out some nasty threats.” Peri rolled his eyes at the retort. Irep sat back against his headboard. “Besides, you wouldn’t actually do it, and you know I give two shits about what they think nowadays. They hate me enough for agreeing to room with you. Plus,” He tilted his head up to glare down at Peri, a curious expression, “we both know why I’m still here.”
Peri blushed at the retort, looking away from the anti-fairy.
It could be considered a standstill with the way they were at each other's throats. The idea that one wrong move could send the other spiraling was always present, but they never saw it like that. This was just how their situationship worked. The bitterness in Peri was given to Irep only, and the little bit of kindness that survived in the anti-fairy was given only to the fairy. These feelings couldn’t simply be passed off to anyone else, only each other.
Destined to hate each other, and yet they could still find comfort in each other knowing the other would always welcome them.
Neither of them could send the final strike being aware of such.
Peri sighed. “Fine,” He stood up, grabbing his wand off the floor and summoning the papers again. “I’ll give you copies of the papers as long as you promise to keep it anonymous.” He crossed his arms, “Magic it on over to that unofficial newspaper committee or something. I know their secretary has been dying to publish some gossip sections.”
“Of course, Periwinkle.” He pushed himself onto his knees and snatched the papers out of the air, his eyes glistening as he scanned over them. While he could theoretically pull a stunt, he knew when Peri wanted a promise out of him, he had to follow. Peri was one of the top fairies for a reason, and as easily as Irep could kill him, it would be ten times easier for the fairy to do such (they couldn’t actually kill the other, but it was easy for them to get close to that point in a conflict).
“Thank you.” Peri smiled.
“Yeah, yeah...” He mumbled a ‘you’re welcome’ shortly after. Irep picked up his wand from his dresser and sent the papers over to his workstation. It was incredibly obvious that the grim-looking station belonged to the anti-fairy while the purple-themed desk adjacent to it belonged to the fairy.
Once the papers were tucked away decently, Irep collapsed back on his bed. “I’ll let you know what I end up doing. Maybe I don’t even need to use those and I can get her fired by my own hands.”
“You’re gonna use them.” Peri bet.
“Whatever.” Irep grumbled.
Peri smiled at his opposite, deciding to climb up the bed and rest next to him. It wasn’t the biggest bed in the world, but enough that the two could get situated comfortably. Irep glanced over as he watched him slide on up, but didn’t comment. Not a word was exchanged even when Peri nuzzled his head against his anti-fairy. Irep didn’t disturb the fairy as he reached over to his nightstand and grabbed a remote, turning on the TV.
Neither of them would actually acknowledge what was occuring.
“Anything in particular?”
“Whatever you want.”
Irep merely nodded his head in response.
Despite not admitting it aloud, they both enjoyed times like these.