I don't own Fairy Tail manga/anime, everything belongs to the creator Hiro Mashima.
Enjoy the story.
There wasn't any booing, but there wasn't any cheering either. The crowd just stood there giving them a bored look as the band continued their set of three songs. Three songs that the crowd was sick of hearing. With the band adamant refusal to do covers, F5 was left playing their original three songs.
Mira sighed as she saw her friends, struggling on stage, everyone was on key and playing great, but the lack of energy and emotion was very obvious. With a forced grin, Natsu continued singing and playing his guitar, Gray had a bored look on his face, but continued singing strumming his guitar, Loke looked like he was falling asleep on the keyboard, Gajeel muttered under his breath as he played the bass guitar, and Mira's boyfriend, the drummer, Laxus, looked pissed.
With the last stroke of his guitar, he flashed the crowd or now lack of, a smile, "Thank you we're F5." Natsu hadn't even put the mic back on the stand, when Laxus trudged off stage.
Seeing her boyfriend approach, she poured a glass of water and placed at his usual spot at the end of the counter. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asks.
"Not right now." He rubs his temples.
"You sounded well." She adds.
He smirks.
"Man F5 use to be good." A guy walks past them.
"The operative word being "use" too." A girl laughs.
Mira notices his smirk fall, before she can even say anything, Laxus downs his glass of water and walks off.
Not even backstage yet and he could already hear his band mates fighting.
"…we're so screwed." Loke runs his fingers through his hair.
"That's what you did to the songwriter, and now she ain't here because you couldn't keep it inside of your pants," Gajeel shoves the keyboard player, and then turns to the front man. "It's been a month and we're still playing the same three songs."
"We could just do cover." Gray adds.
"Hell no." Gajeel retorts. "We said we're only doing covers when we work weddings on weekends as 5 Spades." Dressed in a white tux, with their black bows usually undone the band did weddings on the weekends and played covers. However when they weren't singing at weddings or parties, they vowed not to do covers. "We're a real band, we don't play covers, we write music."
"Yeah right," Laxus snorts. "Like if any of you Neanderthals know how to write a damn song."
"Oh yeah like if you're any better," The frontman shouts. "I have the music I just don't have the lyrics. If anything we should make Loke write the song, considering he screwed us over."
"That idiot can't write for shit," Gajeel cracks his knuckles, "He's worse than you are at writing songs."
"The fire song wasn't so bad." Natsu says under breath, "Alright then we just gotta find someone who can write like poetry and stuff."
"So in other words we're going to be spending a lot of time in Starbucks looking for a lyricist." Gray says sarcastically.
"I could go for coffee." Gray's sarcastic comment flies over his head.
"I was being sarcastic you flaming idiot!" He shouts.
"Perverted stripper."
"Ash for brains."
"Snowflake."
"Fire fart!"
"Hey you two!" Laxus massages his temples. "Shut the hell up you're both giving me a migraine."
"What about Levy?" Natsu suggests. "She's smart. She could write us a song?"
"For the last time Salamander," Gajeel growls. "The shrimp can't write something like that, logical sure, the sky's her limit, but she ain't creative."
"We need to find someone soon." Loke adds.
"Is everything alright?" Erza knocked on the door, garnering their attention immediately. "I thought I heard shouting and came to check on the noise." Though her words seemed simple in tone, Natsu and Gray knew that there was violent intent aimed at them if she knew they were fighting.
"Nope." Natsu and Gray gave her nervous smiles.
"Good because as your manager, I would hate to see conflict between the five of you." She eyed both Gray and Natsu. Erza Scarlett while their friend had self declared herself their manager after not being able to join the band. Her heart leapt at the thought of being on stage once again after her failed stint in a play, prompting her to want to join F5. Unfortunately, for her, they didn't need another member, she didn't play an instrument, and early into her impromptu audition, they found out that their red haired friend could not carry a tune to save her life. "Matters aside, I see that you haven't been able to find a lyricist?" She then glares at Loke.
"She wasn't supposed to come early," He says. "At three is when I am with Mai." As a lady killer Loke had a way with women, all women, but to his misfortune some ladies don't like to share their man with others.
"Which prompted our new rule, no dating the lyricist. Period." Erza directs to Loke.
"She was cute and looked great in a bikini." Loke adds.
In a blink of an eye Erza stood in front of the bespectacled man, and delivered a swift chop to his pressure point, making the lady killer fall face first to the floor. "Now that that nuisance is taken care of I want to hear a plan of action in finding a song writer. Gajeel." Stepping over Loke she comes to stand in front of the pierced man. "Since you are insistent in not doing covers, what will you do ensure this band has a lyricist?"
Gajeel sizes up the red head, "I aint scared of you, red." He snorts. "But I will find us a lyricist. Someone better than the last chick."
"Actions speak more than words," Erza did not back down from his stare.
"I'll turn every rock and visit poetry classes if needs be."
"Very well then." She walks over to Gray and Natsu, "And what will you two be doing?"
"Going to Starbucks," Natsu says as he throws an arm around his "old pal" Gray.
"They're practically in bulk there." He lets out a small laugh.
"And there's coffee and muffins." Natsu adds. And just in case writers aren't at their infamous hangout, he'll have to hope that Erza doesn't see him Google "where to find someone who can write a song?" Waiting for her answer, the pinkette felt a drop of sweat roll from his forehead to his cheek.
"That's cliché, but it works," Erza smiles, she then turns to Laxus giving him a look. He nods acknowledging. "Very well then, I expect immediate results. We will reconvene in three days, till them meeting adjourned."
Immersed in her own little world, with ear buds in her ears, a pen in hand, and a leather bound notebook, she wrote as fast as her hand could run across the lined paper. Fully immersed in her writing, she didn't notice, a fellow business major and classmate, Max waving his hands in front of her.
"Lucy." He repeats, the blonde continues writing. This always happens, he thinks to himself. He checked his watch, five minutes till class starts. Seeing, as there is no other way to get her attention, he taps her shoulder. Startling the blonde and in the process drops her notebook to the floor. "Sorry." He picks it up and hands it to her.
"Thank you." She says.
"What are you writing this time?" Not surprised considering the blonde is always stuck in her notebook writing something, if he didn't know her well, he wouldn't thought she was an English major with how much she writes.
"Just something." Never one to reveal details of her writing to anyone, she quickly shoves the notebook into the deepest depths of her bag.
"Well we should get going to class, we only have five minutes to get there."
She nods.
With class dismissed earlier than usual, she found herself going to her usual place, the local coffee shop across the Magnolia University Campus. Ordering her usual coffee, she took a seat at the corner booth, put in her ear buds, and began to write.
"I was kidding about the coffee." Gray face palms as he follows his pink haired idiot of a best friend into the coffee shop.
"Hey, yesterday we told the redheaded monster we would find us a lyricist and that's what we're going to do," He grins as the aroma of coffee beans and pastries hit his nose, "Besides the coffee is good here and Levy is working today so she might give us a discount on those big muffins that are as big as your face."
"Whatever," Gray shoves his hands into his pockets. "Just make it fast."
"No way man, I'm going to sit down and eat my muffin." He runs up to the counter, spotting his blue haired friend, he waves. "Levy!"
Many customers look up from their computers and coffee and give the pinkette a weird look.
Levy sighs, "Natsu." She smiles, but places a finger in front of her mouth. "Indoor voices."
"Sorry." He says.
"Hey Levy." Gray waves from behind the pink haired man.
Before Levy could even finish her thought, another bluenette, appears at her side, "Gray!" She smiles, with hearts dancing in her eyes, "My love."
"Juvia." He greets nonchalantly.
"My dearest Gray," She practically throws herself across the counter and hugs him. Gray just stands there with his hands in his pockets, and an uncomfortable look his face. "How are you? Juvia is sorry she couldn't come to your performance last night, Juvia was working a shift, and the mean manager wouldn't let Juvia go. But do not worry darling; Juvia will quit her job—."
"Juvia—."
"But Juvia wants—Juvia must see her ice prince perform," She says in a low. "Juvia has to keep all the rivals away from Gray."
"Stop right there." Gray removes himself from the bluenette's arms. "You don't gotta do that okay."
"But the love rivals," She growls. "No one is going to take Gray away from me."
"Please stop," He face palms. "Just. Just I don't know come whenever you're free or whatever."
She smiles to herself, "Oh my beloved Gray is so kind," She clasps her hands together, "Juvia will always be there for her love."
"Anyways." Natsu snorts. "Levy give me your biggest blueberry muffin you got." His stomach growls. "You know what make that three. Oh and large cup of coffee with three creams, five sugars, and whip cream on the top."
"Like if you aren't hyper enough." Gray scoffs.
"What you say ice princess?"
"I said you're already bouncing off the walls you flaming idiot." He growls.
Rolling up the sleeves on his pullover jacket, the pinkette balls his fists, "What! Them fighting words!"
"I'll give you something to fight about," The now shirtless raven haired man retorted. "Bring it on fire breath!"
"Not here you don't!" A familiar voice, made the two freeze in their spots.
"Erza!" They both squeak. The Titania of Fairy Tail Bar and Grill stood before them, arms crossed in front of her chest, and eyes set on both Gray and Natsu.
"It seems whenever I hear that a fight is about to take place you two are always there, why is that?" She uncrossed her arms to plant her hands on her hips.
Gray swallows hard, "Coincidence."
"Yup," Natsu throws an arm around Gray shoulder. "The good thing though is that you always find the both of us together, right pal?"
"Aye," Gray says. "We would never fight or cause each other harm in anyway because we are best friends."
"That's good," Erza looks between the two suspiciously, but then her features than soften into a small smile. "But even best friends get into bouts here and there."
Levy couldn't help but stifle a laugh, as menacing as Erza is there were many things tended to fly over her head.
"While I am here, I'll have a small coffee, and a slice of your strawberry cake," she says, then turns to her two friends, "and if you two are still here, please free to join me."
"Aye." Gray and Natsu respond in unison.
"Hey fire breather, make sure you get your crap and then we head out." Gray whispers.
Natsu nods, "No way in hell I am spending time with that monster."
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the Fairy Tail gang, A young blonde who was sitting at the corner booth rushed out of the door, leaving her prized notebook behind.
"…Ms. Lucy," Her chauffeur Capricorn opened the door to the town car for her.
"Thank you." She takes her seat in the back.
"I've spoken to your father's secretary on your behalf and according to her; there will be a 15 minute gap in his schedule, enough time for you to see him today." He smiles through the rear view mirrors.
"Thank you." After weeks of trying to schedule an appointment with her own father, word had gotten around the mansion, and everyone was helping to make the meeting with him possible.
"Not a problem, Ms. Lucy," Sensing a little distress from his lady, Capricorn continues. "You know your mother would be proud in seeing what a great girl—woman you've grown up to be. She always did say you look your best when you're smiling. Now, may I ask you question, and feel free not respond if I'm overstepping my boundaries?"
"What is your question?"
"Is something the matter, miss, you seem a little distracted."
"I," She takes a deep breath. "Am nervous to see my father. It's been four years since I moved out of the mansion, and months since I last spoke to him." She balls her fists. "But I've made up my mind," She says with great pride. "I don't want to continue business school or even major in business for that matter. I want to be a writer; I want to major in English. Whichever comes first I want to do something that makes me happy. Money has never been a necessity or on my mind like father's," She sighs. "It's just taken me a little to remember that."
"Then what are you going to do now?" he asks.
"I don't know," She relaxes into her seat. "But I feel like I'll be going on adventure real soon, and nothing is going to stop me."
As Natsu waited for his muffins, something caught his eye, running up to the corner booth, he found a leather bound notebook. Taking a seat on the comfy cushions, he opened the notebook. First thing he noticed was that it didn't smell like paper, instead it smelled flowery like vanilla or maybe lavender, definitely a girly scent— correction a good girly scent. The second was the writing, the penmanship was great, unlike his friends who wrote like chicken scratch, especially the redheaded beast. Next was the red ribbon sticking from out of the pages, it was a nice color, but it smelled even stronger than the notebook itself, making him smile for some strange reason. Going to the page where the ribbon was holding, he finally read the notebook. Poetry. Good poetry. Poetry that he could actually understand, suck on that Shakespire or spear…guy who wrote that love story about the two kids that die in the end. Point is, the poems he read made sense. Whoever this chick, he assumed by the smell of the ribbon, had some fire in her, with way she expresses distrust towards some guy named Jude.
"This is good." He smiles to himself. This is exactly what he needs, poems like this. Flipping through the pages he finds short stories and even more poems. Jackpot. Before he could even think of shoving it into his jacket, he could already hear Erza in his head telling him "not take things that don't belong to him" followed by Elfman, "Stealing is not manly." He scoffs, "It's not stealing it's borrowing."
"Hey pyro whatcha got there." Gray takes the notebook out of his hands.
"Give it back Gray." The pinkette shoves him.
"Let me see what's inside first," He laughs, "What is this your diary or something." He begins flipping through the pages.
"It's not a diary and it's mine, I found it first so hand it over, stripper."
"Whoa this is good." Gray ignores Natsu's plethora of insults.
"Hand it over ice princess."
Gray looks both ways, cautiously he whispers, "You said you found it right?"
"Yeah so what, give it back to me, I found it—."
Gray covers his mouth, "Will you shut your big mouth already and let me speak, honestly next time I go to the store I need to get you a dog muzzle."
Natsu removes Gray's hand from his mouth, "Whatever."
"Dude." Gray smirks as he tosses Natsu the notebook. "We have the answer to our problems."
"And that would be?" Erza says from behind the both of them.
They both turn around slowly, with such movement, the notebook falls out of Natsu's jacket.
"Crap," Natsu puts his arms in front of himself in a defensive manner, cautiously backing away, "I can explain."
"Oh really because I want to hear what excuse you have for taking something that doesn't belong to you and stuffing it into your jacket like a petty thief?"
Gray stifles a laugh.
"You're his accomplice!" She smacks him on the back of the head, knocking him out with one blow. She then turns her attention back to Natsu. "And now it's your turn."