(Excerpt from Green Fairy)
When he got on the bus, he sat toward the back and stretched his legs out so nobody would slide in next to him. And when Meg got on the bus, last of all the students at her stop, he reached out and grabbed her paw.
“Lemme go,” she snapped, and walked on toward the back of the bus.
Sol watched her go, then slid out of his seat and marched back to join her. “Siddown,” the bus driver called, and at that, Meg looked up and saw Sol. She’d sat in a seat by herself, and now she slid to the outside as Sol walked up to it.
“Get lost,” she said.
A porcupine behind them lifted his head. “Ooh, lovers’ quarrel.”
“Fuck off, Cory,” Meg said without turning.
“I need to talk to you,” Sol said. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”
The bus driver looked in the mirror, back at Sol. “Siddown!”
“You better go sit down,” Meg said without moving.
“Fine.” Sol plunked himself down in the aisle and looked up at her. “I’m gonna stay here, then.”
“Hey, Sol!” The bus driver was half out of his seat now. “Find a seat or we’re gonna be late to school.”
This sparked interest around the bus. “Stay there, Sol!” “Yeah, don’t move!” a couple students yelled.
Sol looked up at Meg. “Please,” he said.
“Oh, God.” She slid over. “This is only because I don’t want to be the center of attention here.”
“Thanks.” He scrambled up and into her seat, and the bus struggled forward on its way.
“I told you we’re done,” she said, but he cut her off.
“I know, just give me a chance, one chance. ’Til we get to school.”
She rolled her eyes and let out a long, exaggerated sigh. “Fine. You’re lucky I’m a fucking softie.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Black-and-white illustration of two anthropomorphic characters talking. Sol, a black wolf talks with Meg, an otter with a nose, eyebrow, and two earrings. The faded background is the interior of a school bus. Art by Rukis. Story by Kyell Gold.
(Excerpt from Green Fairy)
Sol half-turned. The insult didn’t sting as much as it would have, because he no longer cared what Taric or anyone thought. Rather than getting angry, he could laugh it off, could come up with a return insult, like, “In what cemetery did you dig up a fox who would let you fuck her?” Xavy particularly, but the other wolves as well, looked sympathetic or uncomfortable, and probably would cheer him standing up for himself. But as he opened his mouth, he felt the pain and frustration in Jean’s account of his friends the wolf and the fox, their scorn and derision. Jean was a complete douche of a person, to go by Sol’s dream, but it was in those moments that Sol thought he was most honest, and it was then that Sol felt most sorry for him. So on the spur of the moment, Sol walked up to the coyote and stuck out his paw.
Taric looked at it as though Sol were offering him a clump of manure. But before he could say anything, Sol said, “Hey, I never congratulated you on winning the starting spot at second. You’re good and you work real hard, and the team’s better with you there.”
The coyote’s ears flattened. “What the fuck is this?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Black-and-white illustration of two anthropomorphic characters facing each other. Sol, a black wolf, who is wearing jeans and a t-shirt holds an hand out to as if to shake hands. Taric, a coyote, looks at the paw with a questioning expression. Taric is wearing cargo pants and a t-shirt. Behind them, to other characters watch in interest. Art by Rukis. Story by Kyell Gold.
Two of the final interior images from @kyellgold.com’s Green Fairy. The last—Sol meeting Niki—is one we’ll leave for readers to discover.
We hope you’ve enjoyed revisiting @rukis.bsky.social’s amazing art of Sol's journey. Azure City art reveal and pre-orders begin next week!
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