Lisanna. It was a name everyone in the guild knew. Even me, who had never even met her before. They were happy. I guess that was good, it's just... Where would I fit in after this? I don't think I would fit in. And it bothered me, a lot. If she was here, I would just be in the way. Even before this, sometimes I felt like I was a bit of a replacement for her. Of course, I was nothing like her, but I thought that maybe, just maybe, Natsu thought of me like that. Someone to take the place of her, for a temporary amount of time, until he fully accepted her death.
So now, here I was, being roughly shoved aside by everyone in the guild. I know that I shouldn't be hurt by this, but I am. How should I take this? Should I accept it, and go on like I normally would? Scratch that, how would she being here be normal? I could yell at everyone, but I doubt that they would here me. I could sit here, on the ground and wait for:
A) Someone to help me, or
B) someone to step on me.
I had a feeling that if I chose to wait here on the ground then the chance of someone helping me up was very low. So I had to go with option C. This was to go to the mission board grab the first easy one I saw and get out. It was essentially killing two birds with one stone, my rent was going to be due soon anyway. So, I got up, and walked over, having a bad feeling that there wasn't going to be anything easy. I sighed, I'd been right. The easiest one there was taking care of some sort of monster in the east. The pay was good, and the monster didn't seem like it would be very troublesome, it was only attacking farm animals.
I would feel bad going without telling anyone. I looked over at my comrades, all trying to ask Lisanna questions, and giving her hugs. No one was paying attention to anything or anyone else. Listening to her story. As I looked at there faces I realized that someone was missing. I looked around questioningly, when it dawned on me. Of course, he wasn't here! He had never met her either!
I grinned as I looked around toward the bar. There he was! "Hey," I said, walking over, "Umm... I was wondering if you'd like to go on this mission with me. I know it might not be the best time, but I don't have any money and my rents due soon so... Will you?"
He sat there for a couple of seconds staring at me like I was insane, before he slowly held his hand out for the mission form. He read over it quickly, quicker then I thought he was capable of, actually I was surprised he read it at all. When he was done, he handed the form back and studied my face for a second, whatever he found there must have satisfied him, though I'm not sure what he what he saw on my face, because with a grunt he got up and walked around the bar and poured two glasses full of water and said, " Sure. To our first mission together."
I grinned, a huge grin that could have put the Cheshire Cat to shame. "To our first mission together." I replied in a calm, smooth voice that totally defied the grin on my face. I momentarily wondered why he had agreed to come, then dismissed the thought just happy that he had. I don't think I would be okay with having to go by myself.
"So do you want to leave tomorrow morning?" He asked, trying to sound casual. I nodded my head, still gulping down what was in my glass before I got up. I was just turning around when he cleared his throat. I turned my head questioningly, when he asked, "So... Umm, when did you want to meet?"
"Around, ten should be fine. It's only a two or three days walk so we don't have to leave early." I answered after thinking it over. He nodded his head, seemingly accepting my logic. I frowned, unsure if he was really okay or not.
"Are you sure you want to go? I mean, you aren't really acting like yourself." I asked, unsure if I was overstepping my boundaries.
He looked at me, momentarily surprised, before he answered, "I'm just a little, out of sorts I guess. I mean, I don't know her either, Lisanna I mean, so I'm just not acting like myself. I was going to go on a mission soon anyway so I figured going with you be better than going by myself. Even if you do get in my way." He said, grinning at me wolfishly. I giggled, and turned to leave through the back door, seeing as the front door was effectively being blocked. When I reached it I decided that I should at least thank him.
"Hey!" I said loudly enough for him to hear me, "Thank you, Gazeille."
"No problem, Lucy." He replied, his lips forming something of a smile. I waved goodbye, and with one last look over at the noisy crowd of my comrades, I walked home, thinking about all the different ways this situation could possibly end. And, I decided, I didn't like any of them.