Disclaimer: I own nothing except my oc's
Note: I've never written an OC/Character fic before, nevermind a Fairytail fic, so I hope you can go easy on me.
Pairings: Laxus/Original Female Character (Ignea), Implied Gajeel/Natsu,
Warnings: Torture, Lemons, Dark Themes, Implied Mpreg, Heterosexual love, Homosexual love.
We welcome you today on the outskirts of Fiore, where the grandson of Fairytail's Guild Master and famed S-class wizard Laxus Dreyar finds himself in an unfortunate circumstance. Having been captured by one of the notorious Dark Guilds: The Null Guild. Not persons one of rational would hope to meet and duel, they were considered ruthless, although there was not an abundance known about them. What was however, was their infamousy as members of the Authority Alliance. A group of guilds having been built up after Fairytail's disappearance seven years ago. Unfortunate for Laxus as not much had been uncovered about their location or even the members of their guild, they remained -as their counterparts- basked in their mystery.
He was in a bad position, and he knew it. Stuck in the prison with anti-magic cuffs, and the smell of rotting rats. It was luck that no one from his guild had to see him in such a humiliating state, of course that was a double edged sword, as that meant no one could free him from his bonds. It wouldn't have been such a horrible stay if there wasn't a group of lackeys surrounding him, and spitting on his body, laughing as he was humiliated. Probably one of the worst situations he'd be in for a long time. So he promised himself he'd pay his captures back in full.
"That's enough already." Strange, a woman's voice. All of those surrounding him were men, not a single women in sight, which was not normal. He raised his head a little more, now curious on why someone was interrupting their coworkers enjoyment. What he saw was not the girl who had interrupted, she must be of short stature compared to the others, but all of the men were backing up slightly and averting their eyes.
Whoever this chick was she held a lot of sway. The crowd parted for her as she made her way over to Laxus, when she stood in front of him she stared up. She was short. But her eyes weren't slanted in a malevolent way, she wasn't smirking, and there was no grin, in fact she looked almost friendly. It put the wizard at illease. For someone to be feared or at least respected so much when in a Dark Guild and look kind was not normal, it was strange, and it brokered question.
She studied him, but it didn't look like she really gave a damn about doing so. That was until her eyes rested on his emblem, for a moment she tensed, and a small breath. What Laxus paid greater attention to was how her eyes changed. They had already looked kind but where there had been a dull gleam of red, there was now a bright ruby colour. As if something long forgotten had been returned to her. It made no sense. "Bring him to my room. I wish to have fun too." Then as swiftly as she came, she left. Leaving him with a confusion bearing on her strange demeanor and the tipping feeling in his abdomen that inclined him onto the belief that not all was what it appeared to be.
Annoyingly, she even looked familiar. But he would have recalled meeting a chick like that, a dark wizard, he was certain of that fact.
Then he was knocked out.
He woke next on a comfortable chair residing beside a well lit fire, and fine furniture within a large stone built room. At the very least the atmosphere was more welcoming, not that it made any sense. Everything was swimming around him in the dark waters and he no longer knew where he was in the ocean. Of course dark guilds rarely ever had any logic to them.
But the people did, that much he knew, so who would care if he was comfortable? That one chick everyone backed away from? She did tell them to leave him in her room, so he knew where he was. Real question was why, she seemed non-threatening, but people especially women who seemed that way often were a force to be reckoned with. Being cautious was something he wasn't overly good at, he prefered finding the threat and taking care of it. Here though, he didn't really have a choice.
"Afternoon." Same voice, same lady, at least it wasn't one of the guards. With the room she had, spacious and well kept, she would have some people keeping an eye on things. The door clicked closed, it was wooden made, and seen as the walls were made of stone, they were likely stationed in an old keep. He glanced his eyes to her, his movement wasn't great, but his feet weren't chained and he wasn't tied to the chair.
She was wearing a leotard, deep violet and looked as if it was made to appear as climbing fire, black transparent fabric in the spaces. Black leggings stretching down to deep purple boots. He was no expert, but if she was so comfortable showing her torso, why wasn't she comfortable showing her legs? Maybe his intuition was improving, but, he sure felt like it was a coverup, like she was trying to hide something. It was weird, and caught his attention.
Just as much as her hair did. It was cut very short, a mohawk that had no gel in it, laying limp beside her face. Light pink and standing up slightly as if there was static electricity in the air. With her eyes wide set as they were, she looked so similar to Natsu he had to shake away the feeling of an oncoming hallucination.
"Is that what time it is? Funny, I didn't notice what with being trapped in that cell of yours." She walked straight towards him, and sat in the armchair opposite, her face betrayed her, as there was a kindness in it, incongruent with her cold tone of voice.
"Not my prison. If it helps, I'm sorry for what my guildmates did to you." He didn't know how to feel about that statement, he knew what he should think, the implication that someone like her felt remorse was laughable. Yet, he knew well enough that something was different in this one, almost a type of remnant of who she had been. Something of a childhood innocence untouched by her surroundings.
"Really, a dark wizard is apologizing for cruelty, thats a new one." He couldn't allow himself to show an opening, scepticism in his position as a light wizard. That would be vulnerability amongst a dark guild, any form of doubt could be exploited. But instead of mocking him for his sass, she laughed, loudly bordering on obnoxious.
"I don't agree with their methods, or this lifestyle. I'd much rather be traveling, or spending time with family." His retort caught in his throat as he watched her lower lip tremble briefly, brows arching down into a genuine sorrowful expression. This chick wasn't play with him, for whatever reason she couldn't see her family. He didn't know about the other crap she talked about, with the dark guild lifestyle, why join a dark guild if not to fit into their idealizations? But missing family, that he could understand well enough. A feeling of tugging longing that never really went away. Maybe she wasn't the best type of person, but she hadn't completely lost her way, from where he was sitting she knew what was important, and hadn't lost sight of it.
Within a moment that vulnerability had fled, her head was held high and her eyes turned back into what they had been previously, her chest puffing out slightly. So it wasn't just a front, this was a commendable women, strong, he could see the power in her confident stance. This is what the others saw, not the kindness, hidden longing, only the power and confidence, she basically ozed it from her pores. He wondered what type of magic she used. "I have a request for you. It would benefit both of us." That was interesting, but he still couldn't trust her, not implicitly.
"I'm sure the magic council, or at least many light guilds would care to obtain information on the Authority Alliance. Well, I'm offering you the opportunity to gather some valuable intel firsthand." Not something he could bypass, in fact, he was certain his eyes had widened three sizes before her sentence had even finished. An opportunity to gather info on the most obscure guilds the magic world had faced for a long time was not something he could ignore under conscious mind. She was offering something almost invaluable at the moment, and given the nature of her deal he couldn't afford to decline her part of the bargen lightly.
"Sounds great. What the hell do you get out of it? More importantly, why should I trust you?" Her mouth upturned into a small grin, her eyes of ruby glistening in amusement, but it didn't seem mocking.
"I get the satisfaction of watching this rotten guilds fall. The knowledge that I can still make my parents proud even if I can never see them again." Well that was a reason, could he completely weigh his morals on it? No, he had only just met her, he certainly didn't know her well enough to trust what she said. But her reasoning was like nothing he had ever heard from someone of her offilation. For her parent's pride? That was a new one, and in truth to himself, he believed it. Mostly because it was an understandable reason. "As for trust, that's not something I can decide for you. I can tell you that it would not be a pleasant experience, I have no freedom outside the guild, so you'd have to remain inside." Not being able to leave? Was this a prison for all its members? Or just a select few? He decided he wouldn't question it, best not to, but he would later.
So instead, he asked. "What do I have to do?" She gave him a sympathetic look, but a nod of approval, something close to respect.
"My guildmates no doubt think I'm having my wicked way with you. Whether that be torture or something else I'm not sure. As long as they are under that impression we can use it to our advantage." He felt a twinge down his back already. He wasn't going to like this. "So, in light of this, you will pretend like I've broken your will. Made you into a servant of my own. This deception will cause my respect in the ranks to become even more prominent, and therefore I will be closer to more tightly kept intel. Which I will either pass on to you, or you will overhear."
Lovely he thought, he was never good at doing what he was told. Obedience had not been his strong suit even when he had been a young kid. But he could play a role really well, so it was possible that he could pull off pretending to be obedient, it would completely dismantle his pride, stamp over his ego. Yet, he knew how dangerous dark guilds could be if unchecked, this was something he had the capacity to do, he couldn't simply back out like a coward. They needed information. He could. So why was he hesitating? A pale hand on his shoulder shook him.
"You can back out if its too much, you shouldn't force yourself." A genuine pitying look. One he couldn't stand, no matter how good the intention. He would do this! It's not like anyone he knew would see him anyway, they didn't have to know what he did to get the intel. It was something he had to do, for his own family, and his own damn pride.
"I'm not backing out now. I'll do it." The gleam returned to her eyes, brighter than before. She gave a firm nod, before she stood up to the vanity on the other side of the room. Sorting through items.
"Now, I want it to be clear, you can back out at any time. You will have to convince them that you are under my complete control. I might have to ask you to do something humiliating to prove that, and I might have to do that multiple times. They have to think I've broken your personality, your will, that you are barely holding on to the strive to live. It's not going to be simple, for either of us. Whatever impression they garner, will be the one we have to maintain." That meant he couldn't afford to break character even for a moment. This was a high class job, and he couldn't blow it regardless of circumstance. The chance to infiltrate a dark guild was not something dished out everyday, he had to take the opportunity.
"I understand." She came back over, holding a key, and breathed a sigh as she stood over to him. He tried to ignore how awkward it was to have her wrap her arms around him, her rather well endowed chest touching on his bare torso, was completely unintentional, and he knew it, but it still made him feel like some kind of pervert. Luckily it didn't last long for he heard the click of his chains as they were undone and removed. His wrists near numb from their tight hold.
She knelt in front of him, unembarrassed from the position, which was strange for a woman of a dark guild as it looked like weakness from an outsiders point. But he supposed she didn't think of it in that way at all. She was trusting him, as she knelt there, her eyes averted. He could get away, kill her if he wanted, she wasn't even paying attention. But he wouldn't do anything. She was putting trust in him, so he would do the same. Finally she looked back to him, completely serious, even as her voice was asking, and not telling. It was prominent that she was the one in control.
"I'm going to put an emblem on you in order to sell the illusion, where do you want it?" Honestly he shouldn't have expected any different, but he sure as hell didn't want it close to his Fairytail one. His shirt was already off, and given the nature of their agreement, it would likely remain off in order to keep the other's from being suspicious.
"What the hell, just put it where you think it'll be most convincing." An eyebrow did raise, but she didn't question him, and just shurgged, before looking at his torso in contemplation. It was kind of weird for him to have a girl looking so intently at him while half naked. It had only happened once, and that had been from someone he never ever intended to see him fully nude, which he had been. The very memory was humiliating.
She was tugging at his pants, this almost made him panic, until he noticed she was aiming for the area just below his belly button. Because of course she was, that was a good spot in order to convince her comrades. The burn was distinctly familiar, but it was more intense then it had been when he had joined Fairytail, so much that he almost let out a yelp at the sensation. So uncomfortable with the feeling of lingering magic burning into his skin. He was sweating, because Natsu's fire was hot sure, but it did not beat the feeling of an emblem being seared into the skin. Especially if it was from an unfamiliar magic.
Once she finished there was a wispy purple perfect circle ingrained into his skin, the Null Guild emblem. He had never imagined it would happen to him, another emblem dirtying the Fairytail name. Even if it was for his family. It was almost funny, that they did this for similar reasons.
"Now what?" Because that couldn't be it. She knelt a little higher, no longer resting on her feet. She was really short because even kneeling she only came up to his pecks, still it didn't seem to bother her, as she stared straight at him.
"Now we come up with a good front for you." Having no other ideas himself, he nodded, it was best to come up with a plan before actually doing the real thing. No doubt when the situation was as dangerous as this. He did despise the thought of subservience, but he was not backing down now.
"List the rules then." He agreed.
"First, you will refer to me as 'Ea,' that'll piss off the others just enough to make this believable.
Secondly, you only follow my orders explicitly, should you be ordered to do something for anyone else, you ask for my permission. That will make it a better sell.
Thirdly, do not correct any of their perceptions, we allow them to think what they will, it'll be easier for the both of us."
She paused, seemingly in thought. As it was Laxus couldn't fight with any of the rules, they all sounded reasonable, and would be easy enough to execute. But it wasn't foolproof. They needed something else, a deeper leverage in order to keep the front from crumbling. It wasn't integral yet, but depending on how long it would take to gather information, it would become necessary.
"Sounds fine, pretty much what I expected." Of course there were details that needed to be figured out, like where he would sleep, that was mildly concerning. That was something he hoped she had a plan for, but considering what the Guild thought she was doing to him it was entirely possible he would be expected to sleep in her room. Truly he wasn't sure what to feel about that. Frankly the idea of all of those people thinking he was being… Objectified was enough to cause his pride to recoil in disgust.
"Swallow something sour?" Was that a joke? Laxus looked to where she had walked away, only to see her bare back, he got a full view of her Null Emblem on the nape of her back before he turned away at the fact that she was stripping without shame. His face felt like it was on fire, he hadn't meant to see anything, but he had seen accidentally, and god he wasn't a perv like the old man! At least she hadn't taken off anything else.
"Jeez give a guy some warning won't you?!" He heard her laugh, it was stupidly full bodied, like her whole soul shook when she laughed, it was almost a bellow. For someone so careful about demeanor she sure let herself lose when she was amused.
"Come on man! I think you've seen a naked girl before." He stayed silent, he had. But it hadn't exactly been a two sided affair, she had been straight up hammered, and it wasn't a mutual coupling, as he had been trying to get her to sleep rather than have any type of sex with her. Poor girl had been so confused, of course, that had been a long time ago when he had been a pretty young teen. "Oh please tell me you actually have." Now her tone changed, almost horrified was how he would describe it.
"Of course I have! Man, have you?" It was meant as a test of her patience, as she was mostly mocking him in good humour at this point. Her sputtering was answer enough, he smirked, well at least his stay wasn't without goodish company. The woman, though Dark as she was, had a good personality from what he could tell so far.
"Your a total virgin aren't you?" His turn, he thought, glaring at her as she came back over, wearing a long bathrobe that was almost transparent. He daren't allow his eyes roam as she sat back down across him, legs crossed. A playful smile dancing on her face as her eyes sparkled in mirth. It was almost funny how easily they had fallen from such a serious conversation to this banter. It was alarming, he didn't usually talk to people do often, it could have been the circumstance he had signed himself over too. Nevertheless, it was nice to just sit. The conversation strange as it was. She giggled, actual giggling, and before he could come up with a defencive retort she had stood back up. "Well, for integrities sake, you should probably sleep here."
He stood, his legs numbed from having been sitting for so long, massaging the crick in his neck he wondered if he could get away with sleeping on the furthest corner of the bed. There was no doubt in his mind that it was big enough for the two of them, but that was about it. It would be tight because of his height and braun.
"A guard wakes me in the morning, so you should probably sleep in the bed, as opposed to standing up." It was easy for her wasn't it? For Laxus it felt like he was being rude to her as a girl, not to mention the implication that would put in the guards mind was a margin embarrassing. Still he walked over as she rose her eyebrow, the sheets were pretty high quality. They weren't to Evergreen's standards, but certainly the second most comfortable he had felt in a long time.
He wondered about her behaviour around others, it couldn't be as carefree as it was with him, no, they feared but respected her. Her front was important, and he doubted he would see the kind portion of her anywhere but in this room. Saddening, but not unexpected, Dark Guilds must really shape their wizards into deformity.
With the day he had his mind was quick to descend into a RAM cycle. The next day would be just as draining he was positive.
He awoke with the dawn, the sun peering through the curtains, and a guard stepping into the room. Beside him his kidnapper stirred, and he dared not move until she did. This had to be done right. She sat up, not even bothering to yawn, simply sitting straight, it was almost unnerving how easily her face morphed into blankness. It wasn't his first time seeing it, Erza could do that without a problem, but right after waking up people were supposed to be comfortable. She had her guard up already.
"Morning Miss Ignea. The-" Poor man stuttered as Laxus rose, making himself known, and keeping himself with an uninterested expression. Careful not to look the guy in the eye, staring down near his feet in what he hoped to appear as vacancy. In his peripheral he saw Ignea give a sharp look in his direction, and not bothering to even turn her head, she glared at the man. At least, that's what she must have done because the guard instantly straightened.
"What? My slave? He has his place beside me. Which is more than I can say for you. Get out!" Her tone was rock, unwavering, she had done this many times. His pride hurt his chest as it wracked in protest. He cringed at the impulse. She didn't spare a second, as she threw off the cover and got dressed. Trying to give her some form of modesty, he drew his own attention away. She said nothing to him. Either she had awoken in a bad temperament or wasn't saying anything in order to keep him from feeling pressure of some sort. Laxus wasn't sure which was more likely, the Lightning user didn't know her well enough. "Follow closely." She grunted, before they left out the double doors.
She walked with purpose, quick steps not waiting, not that she needed to, his stride was rather large. Still it was rather obvious at this point, that it was go time. He wouldn't have any practise, simply the main event. This was a job he couldn't mess up under any circumstances, because not only was their integral information on the line, so was his and Ignea's lives both.
It looked like they were on the first floor, as they were on a balcony that overlooked the ground floor below, with strong mahogany beams. Underneath many forms were socializing, some eating and drinking, others looking at a makeshift request board. There were guards blocking the staircases to their level, so it was restricted access, and if he were to guess, big players only were allowed on this floor. It was like back in the old guild, but he didn't know if it operated quite the same way, all guilds had their own ranking method.
Proving him correct on the far end of the hallway there was a request board on the second floor, full of S-class ranked job requests. He had always wondered how Dark Guilds got work, they were less restricted from their disobedience of the law. But they must work the same as every other guild in truth, maybe not in the sense of devotion to each other, but at the end of the day, a job was a job and they took almost the same caliber as the other light guilds surrounding. Simply with less restricting policy. Made things easier.
"Miss Ignea, got yourself a plaything have you?" Questioned a nearby male voice, he had to fight instinct not to turn towards the man. It seemed to annoy his companion however, for her scowl was telling, as soon as she heard the voice she got annoyed. Whoever he was he had sparked her ire.
"I have. You should get one Titan, they're quite useful." It was clear to him at least that this man was in deep water with Ignea. The man didn't seem to care for her mocking tone, as his turned into something bitter and more jagged.
"Oh? Do you use him to satisfy your needs Ignea?"She sucked in a breath, turning away from him she stared instead at the board. Laxus knew what the guy meant, and he badly wanted to punch his teeth in. But he kept his muscles relaxed as he followed through with the plan. He didn't need to know her well to feel that this guy was a pervert, or something close to it. "You could have just asked me, you know there's no man better to fulfill your desire." Forget punching his teeth in, this guy was asking for a lightning fist to the crotch, where did he get off being so disrespectful?
Ignea beat him to the punch, literally, her fist shot out and landed right in the man's abdomen. She must have used a lot of force for the man gagged and spittle came out of his mouth, and he winced pained before rolling off her fist onto the ground. Clutching his gut.
"Watch your mouth Titan. I would gladly rip your tongue out should you ever speak to me like that again. Got it?" She was staring him down, even as he lay on the ground.
It was almost cruel, but in the world of Darkness it couldn't exactly be called wrong, and it wasn't as if the bastard didn't have it coming either. Reminded of his role, the Fairytail dragonslayer averted his eyes again. "Dumbass…" She whispered, but it sounded like a yell in the silence of the first floor. It was clear who had the most influence. Laxus wondered briefly about how the others in the guild must see Ignea. A woman to be respected, but did they all think of her like Titan did? It could just be because of his position as a S-class. Seemed more likely.
The rowdiness downstairs was similar to his own guild, but it sounded far different. This wasn't friendly, they were all shouting at each other, shoving someone away from their spot. Drinking and throwing their cups at heads. They hated each other, there was no trust amongst their own members from the looks of things.
Along the adjoined hallway someone laughed, a guttural thing that sounded fitting within the bowels of hell. From the shadows of the hall emerged three persons, cloaked in their robes and laughing at the man on the ground. But when they caught sight of Ignea their mouths shut quick, and a bitter silence filled the way. Once he would have found it funny too, which was probably why he felt nothing even as they were unnecessarily cruel to the man laying struggling to stand. The wind must have been knocked right out of his body the way he was heaving.
"Commander." They spoke in unison, though it was a faint voice.
"What?" Commander huh? Was that her nickname? Or her title? He couldn't tell, but the latter would make sense considering her accommodations.
"Is it true you trained a Fairy?" There was more of a deeper tone this time, less feminine, so they were three separate people, just connected. It was probably one of the weirdest things in a long time.
He was gestured vaguely too, and the heads covered swept to look at him in earnest. He made no movement, carefully controlling his breathing.
"Don't get excited. He only follows my orders." They, it? Chuckled quietly. Almost as if they were ghosts, only whispers could come from their lips.
"We care not. As long as he follows along like a good boy. We shan't question you Miss." They then disappeared like mist, fading slowly in a cloud. In paying attention to Ignea, he saw her motion for him to come closer, so he did, leaning into her space as discreetly as he could. Lips brushing against his ear as she tiptoed up to his height her breath was warm on his skin.
"Gaji the Titan, Raisu the Beings." Explanation; they were titles. So Commander was a title, as Raisu had used it, and as had she with her addressment to Gaji the Titan. "Everyone on the first floor has a respectable title. Mine is singular because of my rank." So she was above the others, which would make his job easier. He nodded slowly, and backed away from her close range.
The most important intel he could gather was; Locale, Master's name, scale of magic power, and a list of their S-class personal. Those would be his main objective, he had already gotten some names. However, none of the task ahead of him was quick to obtain. Experience was helpful, he himself had been in a privileged few for a long time, having held first floor access along side very few. It made people arrogant, even Mirajane had been a little horror for awhile after obtaining S-class. So, getting intel on the cream of the guild shouldn't be to difficult, he just had to be able to hear them bragging to each other. Maybe he could even ask his companion to start some sort of competition to get them riled.
This was the Null Guild, there were two others in the Authority Alliance, supposedly higher up in the ranks then this one. But so little was known about those two that their names weren't even known, just that they existed and that was due to a slip of the tongue.
It occurred to him -as they moved downstairs, that his companion didn't have a particular destination in mind. She was purposefully walking at a fast pace to intimidate the others. To get their attention, and show him off. It was pretty smart all things considered. He just hoped she had a plan on how to get further info and keep the others from calling them out.
A great quiet descended as Ignea entered the area, all of the lower ranked members stared, some with sweat on their brow. While others only inclined their heads in her direction in greeting. The bartender, even went a step further and gave her a smile. There was a clear contrast, he just couldn't tell what it meant. Those who didn't seem all to afraid of her looked at him in curiosity, eying him up and down in judgement.
"Miss Ignea! Good to see you down here! Been awhile! Who's the man meat?" That was definitely a male voice, somewhere on the other side of the hall, but the Commander didn't glance in his direction, she did incline him with a deep chuckle though. The bartender seemed to have grabbed her attention. A good looking guy by all accounts, looked a little rough around the edges, with slanting green eyes and stubble on his chin, some grey peeking through his hair.
"Didn't take you for the type to break in a slave, Miss' Ignea." Said the man, smirking over the counter as he stared straight through at Laxus. He seemed more intense then the Beings from upstairs, a cruel curve to his mouth. "Well then, let's see what he can do." It was apparent that he could no longer hide behind his collaborator, it was time to play the part, and embarrass himself. He just had to keep a clear mind, not acknowledging where he was.
"Hm.. Good idea, I could do with some entertainment…" She changed her pitch, and motioned at the band on the small performance stage they had, all the members swallowed loudly. "Play something sexy." They all quickly nodded, not even questioning her request. As soon as the music began to play she turned to him. Morphing her face into a mocking smirk that didn't suit her face, she put her hands on his chest and leaned into his space. It was difficult to remain still and not react. "Dance a pretty dance for me won't you?" She spoke directly to him, but her voice was meant to carry throughout the hall.
"Yes, Miss 'Ea.'" It was obvious what she had in mind, and he fought with the rising bile in his throat. His mind rejected the idea so strongly, that his body rebelled slightly. Being turned into something of a stripper was humiliating, even if it would sell their front perfectly. The mighty Laxus dancing for a Dark Wizard, it was hilarious to think of. She smiled, but it wasn't for his benefit, as it didn't reach her eyes, just carved on her skin in a wicked flash of teeth. Her hands pushed him away.
"On the table, give us a show!" There was chat amongst those surrounding them, and the bartender was watching him intently with a jeer. Ignea was leaning against the counter watching him with her fake smirk firmly fixed to her face. He swallowed, and got up on one of the tables.
He hated it. The mood the music set was sultry, the females tone was sweet and clearly heated in an old jazz vibe. The piano and the base setting the tone perfectly. So he closed his eyes, and willed his body to move to the music. He swayed his hips and glided his hands slowly over his muscles. In his mind he had retreated to his home. The laughter around him was nothing but the call of birds, and the music was just something he had obtained from his mother as he enjoyed the flow.
"Ha! Well I've got to admit, he certainly knows how to please!" The bartender spoke as the song descended into its finally softly sung notes. It ended, and he remained on the table, his eyes protesting their opening everything in his chest constricting. Humiliating. The safest place to look was at Ignea, so he did, catching her gaze. She didn't have an expression her eyes rock hard, before she tilted her head, it was an apology. All the other gazes looking at him were bellowing in laughter, revelling in the fact that one of their highest managed to break a well known Fairytail wizard.
She moved, leaning her hands on the table where he stood, a hand on her chin, and she gazed at him with a smile of pure indulgence. "Well done Laxus. You've earned a drink." Hopefully that would sooth the crippling tightening over his lungs and heart. It must have been one of the most embarrassing things he had ever done. Now, he would get to avoid his own feeling of mortification with a drink, hopefully one of alcohol. Considering how he could still hear the ringing sounds of laughter, not subsiding in this guild it was almost fortune that he could advert his eyes and pretend to feel nothing. Acknowledgement of rational wasn't coming to his aid, for it was emotion that was controlling him, his logical side brought up only the fact that neither he nor Ignea had wanted this, but it was imperative. Saying that he could back out in a faded hushed sound.
"A beer and red wine, I don't care what kind." Ordered the pink head in front of him, a comfort drink. It was considerate almost, although her kindness had been made obvious, it was still a strange thought to him. And he could say he didn't entirely trust it.
"Say Commander… You heard 'bout the business with the Quantum Guild right? That new job your superior took?" Quantum? He wondered for a moment, it was definitely one of the other guilds in the Alliance, it had to be. Whatever they did looked like it caught Ignea's attention as well, for she bore a visible wince just before sipping her wine.
"Yeah. Bold move. Guess things are moving ahead of schedule huh?" Greying man hummed, cleaning the counter, still his eyebrows were tightly furrowed and his mouth was ticked to the side. Whatever this was about, it was dead serious. The guy paused and flicked his eyes to the woman, before resting back on the counter, nerves showing plain as day.
"Think you'll be sent to take control soon?" Beside him, she put down her glass and rubbed her fingers down on the underside of it, breathing heavily with her eyelids resting on her cheeks.
"If I am, I can't say I look forward to it. The Commander… What a ridiculous title."
"True. But you were picked for a reason, can't think of anyone better to fill the role." A big plan was going down, no wonder she had gotten desperate enough to ask for an outsider's help instead of seaking alliance within her own peers. There was no time to raise followers, her resources were limited, and there was no chance of exterior aid as she was restricted to the guild unless on a job, and he had the distinct feeling she didn't take many. Laxus reasoned that his presence must have seemed like divine luck for the woman. Someone with a well known reputation and the stones to devoid himself of pride in order to accomplish a goal.
She grabbed his beer and took a long swing. It was tempting to chuckle at her behaviour, even as he wanted to steal it back but he was more amused then angry. Which was different, but it wasn't as if he couldn't understand her situation, so maybe he felt an emotion similar to sympathy, it happened rarely anyway. She said nothing about her theft, but stopped and gave him back the sudd filled mug.
"Whatever, if the Assassin wants to be an idiot, that's hardly my problem. If he gets into shit I'll just have to pull his ass out." Nonplussed as her tone suggested it was a common occurrence. Still how she had originally reacted, something must be different this time. The plans being quickened sounded vital to his job here, it was something useful, of that he held little doubt. The nickname, or title, caught his attention however. If Ignea was the Commander, and Quantum guild was in possession of someone titled the Assassin? Was there a similar person amongst the other unknown guild?
"The great Laxus of Fairytail! Reduced to a slave!" The jeers and cheering grew ever louder, echos bouncing off the walls and ringing in his ears. They did nothing else, even so his chest constricted, his teeth cracked under restraint. A longing that matched no description, other then pretentious masculine pride; keeping along his mind, the thought of punching out the loser.
"You think… That they'll send her out?" Playing at the pronoun game always stuck him as dumb. But this guy had it nailed to an art, now with his combined creep factor and annoying mysterious adamancy to hold names on his tongue Laxus could only use the very last of his patience not to outright punch the guy. Ignea seemed pretty worn herself, a tick forming on her cheek, muscle flinching as her eyes closed in a hope of calming a tide of rage. Still when they opened, her red eyes were steel, completely serious. Whatever this guy was talking about wasn't something to take lightly.
"With what's going with…" She stopped herself quickly, concealing. The shift to her sentence not going unnoticed as instead of forceful she slipped into a quiet whisper of what neared defeat. "Yeah. They will." That was the end of the conversation.
Ah, well, this is my first FT fic, and on top of that it is OC based. I hope it you all like it enough. Thanks for reading.