"Throw everything away."
The celestial mage sat in a small diner, sipping on a cup of tea. Lost in thought she absent mindedly continued to sip, Jiemma's words reverberating through her mind. With her free hand she rubbed on the left side of her abdomen, where her insignia use to reside. That bastard subjected her, forced her to remove her pride, and in front of everyone she cared for. "C'mon Yukino," she began a pep talk to herself, "You have to really evaluate your options here." her whisper conversation was cut off when she looked outside; Crocus, what a ravishing city with sublime people.
Yukino poised her hand tucked delicately under her chin as the tip of her finger found the rim of her tea cup, tracing it with delicacy, she couldn't help but think of Fairy Tail, their complete compassion toward her and ultimate victory at the Grand Magic Games. If anyone deserved to come out on top, it was them. A breathy sigh formed from the light blue haired mage as she absorbed the aesthetic of people, city life, magic, and happiness in the town enveloping her. Now, they wanted her to come back, to Sabertooth. Ha! How insane was that? The Guild she once thought would be her forever home stripping and shaming her to no avail. Sting and Rogue, the thought of them both made her stomach tie in knots. Why did they both just stand idly by? Vexation swelling in her chest, she rose to her feet with a huff and walked over to pay for her tea before heading out.
The moon hung scintillating in the night sky above, the brick streets were met with vacancy as people began to bleed into their homes heading in for the night. The clicking of Yukino's heels were the only solace she found, as she trotted to the inn she had been staying in for the last few nights. She couldn't just go back to Sabertooth, even after she saw their love for her at the party following the eclipse gate she still had so much to ponder over. She had decided instead that she needed time to fabricate her own fate, be it with Sabertooth or not. As her alice blue hair bounded at the sides of her head whilst walking, Yukino focused heavily on the ground not really looking in front of her. Could she reunite herself with Sting and Rogue like that? How she did miss them, and even grabbed them both into a tight hug after the party, but still, she wasn't sure if there was a place for her in Sabertooth now.
Rounding a few corners, and walking a block or two, Yukino finally arrived to her temporary living space. The inn was tucked away neatly in one of the corners of Crocus, she decided she prefered something that wasn't so obvious while she made her decision. Mind on autopilot, she walked in and made a feigned smile to the attendant while grabbing her key to her room and bounded upstairs. Upon entry of her cozy little room Yukino tossed whatever accessories she had, opened her window to inhale the breeze, changed into something more comfy and threw herself onto the bed. With yet another sigh, the celestial mage slung an arm over her eyes and delve deep back into her thoughts.
After what seemed like an eternity she found her hands gripping at the bed beneath her in frustration. Why couldn't she get them out of her mind? Sting had been devastated when she'd hesitated insisting that she needed time to think before jumping right back into the guild. What made him think she wouldn't need time? After something so humiliating? "Whaddaya mean you need time?" She could remember the way he rasped the blurted question with hands hung apart in disbelief, then tried adamantly to get her to change her mind that night. "Sabertooth wouldn't be the same without you!" Wouldn't it though? There would still be the Twin Dragon Slayers, Orga, Rufus, and the others. "There isn't any room in Sabertooth for weaklings, right?"
"Yeah, and that's exactly why you belong there."
A hurried gasp and Yukino shot up looking to her window.
Sting sat on the windowpane.