Hi! This will be a mostly NaLu fic. However, this chapter is just an introduction: a world-builder of sorts. There will be some other pairings too, though.

Disclaimer: disclaimed

Title belongs to Coldplay and Atlantic Records (or whoever their label is now)

A short young woman with azure hair and crimson-framed reading glasses stepped up to the microphone. She glanced questioningly at her producer, who nodded in return. She cleared her throat and signalled to her coworkers that she was ready.

She voiced her thoughts to no one in particular, "Alright, then. It's showtime." She stretched her interlocked hands outwards with her palms facing away from her and slowly exhaled.

A sign above her head flashed five large fluorescent letters, loudly displaying a bold red ON AIR for all to see. She took a deep breath and smiled widely. Even though nobody outside of the studio could see it, the woman knew that her enthusiasm carried across the airwaves to all of her listeners around the city.

"Hi, guys! I'm Levy McGarden from the Script Evening Show, and I'd like to thank you for tuning in to 75.3 SLLD FM, Magnolia's most popular radio station! Really, I mean it. I wouldn't be here without y'all.

"Well, enough with this sappy stuff. It's finally Friday, guys: we've made it. But it's not just any Friday, of course. For all you seniors, it's the last freaking day of school, well, ever! Enjoy your summer freedom while it lasts, but let me tell you one thing… The job market's a bitch."

Levy winced in empathy. Those poor kids wouldn't know what was about to hit them…

The young host kicked herself. That kind of language made her feel really old, even though she was only a year ahead of the new grads.

"But, anyways, because it is Friday, you know what I'm about to announce… Yes, that's right- Your Script FM Band of the Week, as voted on by listeners, is… Fairy Tail!"

As the studio's electronically synthetic confetti cannons and generic celebration sounds erupted, the blue-haired host looked down at the thick script in her hands, even though she knew everything she was about to read.

"Here's the facts. Formed two years ago, this band is made of four members, all from this very city that we call home: guitarist Erza Scarlet, bassist Natsu Dragneel, pianist Lucy Heartfilia, and drummer Gray Fullbuster.

"They burst onto the music scene with the breakout hit, "Yellow", from their first album, The Beginning of the E.N.D.* However, they have continued to impress with nonstop chart-toppers. You'd have to think that their incredible musical variety and abilities play a huge part in their popularity: from soulful pop ballads like "Hey There Deliora"** to emotional melodies such as "Tower of Heaven", Fairy Tail's members write all of their songs themselves! Their incredible success has driven them to establish Tenroujima Records, which manages major groups in their own right, such as the Thunder God Tribe and the Zodiac.

"But I'm sure y'all already knew all this! I know you have all been waiting for something else.

"So, as I'm sure my regular listeners have heard before, I have a very famous friend, and she's hooked me up with an amazing opportunity! That's right, Fairy Tail's Lucy Heartfilia has given me - rather, you guys - an exclusive look into the daily lives of Fairy Tail! Drum roll, please…"

Levy exhaled as she paused for the studio effect to play. The young woman knew that she was about to make two Magnolians out there very happy. In fact, she would have been jealous, if she had not been going as well.

"Be the 75th caller to get the once-in-a-lifetime chance to spend an all-expenses-paid week, with a friend, living with the year's biggest band … FAIRY TAIL! Call the number 917-257-0753 at 6 PM, which is in about 10 minutes. Again, that is 917-257-0753. Good luck, Magnolia!"

Fuck.

Gajeel Redfox surreptitiously snuck a glance at the woman sitting in the passenger seat next to him. Time seemed to slow down for the tall, pierced man as he watched the bluenette's eyes widen to the size of his fists, and he groaned in expectation of what was sure to come next.

One…

He sighed deeply and shook his head in regret, his long black mane shaking with the movement.

Two…

He mentally prepared himself, so as not to accidentally veer off the highway as a result of what was coming next. Sadly, it wouldn't even have been the first time. In fact, it probably wouldn't have been the second time either, had there not been a traffic barrier between his truck and a 20-foot drop into a fast-flowing stream when the same damn woman from the same damn radio station had been giving out free tickets to a sold-out Fairy Tail concert.

Three…

"GRAY-SAMAAAAA!"

Jesus fucking Christ. Right on time.

"OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD GRAY-SAMA! PLEASE, GAJEEL-KUN!" Juvia Lockser's blue waves of hair bounced incessantly with the emphatic swaying of her head as she pleaded with her best friend.

"No."

"GAJEEL-KUN!"

"No."

She pouted, offering Gajeel her biggest, saddest puppy-dog eyes. "Pleeeeeeeease, Gajeel-kun?"

Shit! Don't look, Gajeel! Do NOT fall into those dark blue pits of despair!

Gajeel barely managed to tear his eyes away before he was sucked up into doing something he would regret. Mentally, he smirked and patted himself on the back. He put on a mental iron facade over his face and soul, custom designed for these alarmingly frequent situations.

"Why do we even have this station on all the time? You know that I know that a good metal band like the Thunder God Tribe is so much better than this 'friendship is magic' shit," he scowled.

Juvia's eyes began tearing up, and her lower lip began quivering.

"B-b-b-but… GRAY-SAMA!"

Oh right.

A major radio station always open to song requests + an emotionally unstable roommate + said roommate's strange obsession with Fairy Tail (namely, the band's black-haired drummer that always seemed to end up stripping on stage) = Gajeel's personal hell in the shape of his matte black pickup. Well, the pickup wasn't his hell. Quite the opposite, really. However, hell was the other person in the front row of his baby.

Anyways, that drummer - his name… some shitty color like Gray, right? What the hell, might as well change his own name to Silver because of the metal studs on his face, if it got him even half as many women - apparently once had even managed to get completely naked before security got to him, and somehow Juvia had gotten her hands on pictures of the incident. Blergh.

Anyways.

"Tch. Whaddya want now?" he scowled.

"Juvia will make your dinner, do all of your dishes, and buy groceries for a month if you just make this one call, Gajeel-kun."

Holy shit! Gajeel's lazy-ass brain was rapidly sending him multiple messages that simply contained !. However, the man could almost feel the intense stares of both his personal shoulder-demon and shoulder-angel.

Gajeel imagined a miniaturized embodiment of his father standing on his shoulder, screaming directly into his ear. Take the offer, ya damn lazy brat!

Oh, fuck off, old man.

Keep your dignity intact, Gajeel. On the other shoulder, his beloved cat Pantherlily provided an august reply to his mini-dad in his adorably deep voice- or at least what Gajeel imagined his cat's voice would sound like…

Fuck, was his blue-haired roommate's insanity contagious?

But outwardly, Gajeel managed to delay his inevitable trip to the loony bin with a calm "Hmm…"

"Juvia will even wash your clothes, Gajeel-kun! Well, on second thought, maybe not. But-"

"Oh, what the hell. It's not going to make a damn difference, but I'll do it if it'll stop ya screamin' and cryin' my ear off, ya damn rain woman."

He really didn't need life-sized Juvia and a mini-Metallicana both bursting his ear drums.

*sorry

**sorry again