###############

ATOPOS

A GaLe One-Shot

###############

atopos / atopos

The loved being is being recognized by the amorous subject as "atopos" (a qualification given to Socrates by his interlocutors), i.e., unclassifiable of a ceaselessly unforeseen originality – Barthes, A Lover's Discourse

###############

A blue-haired fairy mage was sitting under a Sakura tree. Her back against the cold base of the tree, she was reading a hardbound red book with silver inscriptions on the spine and the hardcover. It was a book given to her by some villagers she saved from a catastrophe a week ago. She was smiling as the words from the book flow inside her head.

Reading books has been Levy's passion since the day she can remember. It was a particular habit handed over to her by her parents. It was something that was honed and enforced by Master Makarov, who saw a potential to her when she was still young. She can still vividly remember their first encounter.

"Reading," Master Makarov's explanation echoed inside her head, "is the fundamental concept of solid script magic."

She cannot help but smile as she remembered what the old guild master had said. The first time she heard the word solid magic, she felt an instant tingle underneath her skin.

She temporarily closed the book she was reading, using her left point finger as an impermanent bookmark and looked around her. The environment certainly helped her absorb the book quickly. Everything was calm and serene. The shade of the tree as well as the breeze of the wind made her feel as light as a feather.

From afar, she could see Wendy and Romeo talking to each other and laughing. Gray and Natsu, on the other hand, were having a little fight on who should be considered as the strongest Fairy mage. Under a shade of a tree, there was the iron dragon slayer, sporting his usual look: his long unruly black hair paired with dark clothes, complimenting the darkness of his aura. He was talking to his Exceed who was playing with the dragon slayer's guitar.

Levy could not help herself but gaze towards the jet black-haired mage. She suddenly snapped out of it when she heard a clearing of throat behind her. She looked behind her and saw Lucy, standing beside the trunk of the tree, leaning her curves on the base of the Cherry Blossom tree.

"You're spacing out, Levy-chan," Lucy chuckled as she sat down beside the solid script mage, "anything wrong?"

"It's nothing," the blue-haired script mage blushed furiously, hoping that the celestial mage did not realize that she was staring at Gajeel, "I'm just thinking."

Lucy shifted her gaze towards the red hardbound. She looked closely and read aloud the silver transcription on the spine, "A Lover's Discourse."

Levy lifted the book and showed it to the celestial mage, "a book given to me by the villagers we saved from our recent quest."

"Romance?"

"Not so much," Levy answered as she opened the book on the page where she placed her finger as a temporary bookmark, "a structural point of view on love."

Lucy almost had a nose bleed upon hearing the word structural.

"A non-fiction explaining that love has a structure," Levy tried to explain. Lucy nodded, trying to decipher the solid script mage's explanation.

"I never thought of you as someone who would read on such topic," Lucy cheerfully commented, "I was expecting that you are into ancient books with those big words."

Levy laughed lightly and answered, "well, I read those as well."

"It just never occurred to me that you are into romance as well," Lucy remarked as she looked at the red book, "isn't it too trivial for you?"

"Love?"

The celestial mage nodded as she inquisitively stared at the blue-haired mage. Levy could not help herself but answer to her question diligently, "love should not be considered trivial. As a matter of fact, it is complex – too complex to be articulated well into literature."

Lucy nodded as she watched Natsu who was fighting off with Gray, "too complex, huh."

"For example, not all kinds of love were reflected in literature," Levy realized as she watched the two mages, ice and fire, brawling at each other, "or if two literature pertained to the similar course of love, there will be discrepancies and both would induce totally different response from the readers."

"You seemed to be reading too much romance novels, Levy," Lucy giggled, "it will be better if you experienced it first-hand rather than relying too much on literary works."

Levy sighed, "this coming from someone who had never experienced dating."

Lucy laughed, trying not to think about what the solid script mage just said, "well, tell me what you want for a man."

This made the blue-haired woman stop. She racked her brain to muster different qualities she was looking for a man. She racked her brain for the most loveable male protagonists that she had ever read from the books.

"Oh," the solid script snapped out of her thinking and answered, "I like a guy who doesn't flaunt his looks – you know, in a way that he doesn't even know how hot he is."

"An oblivious one?" Lucy clarified.

The blue-haired mage watched the iron dragon slayer from a distance and answered, "yeah, the one who doesn't mind his looks at all."

"That's a good point," Lucy nodded in agreement.

"He has to be someone who doesn't mind being himself," Levy watched iron dragon slayer take his guitar off the hands of his Exceed. Gajeel started playing the guitar, plucking each strand with caution. "He doesn't mind being goofy sometimes."

Gajeel caught the solid script mage's gaze and frowned. The solid script mage smiled at the man and then shifted her attention towards her blonde guildmate.

"I also like the gentleness that he has that some people do not notice," Levy added.

Lucy who was unaware of the quick eye contact of the jet black-haired dragon slayer and the solid script mage exclaimed, "like someone who seems to be tough yet has a hidden gentleness to a woman?"

All Levy could do is smile then Lucy asked, "how about someone who is well-read?"

"Well, I prefer someone who likes reading as much as I do," Levy thoughtfully answered, her eyes staring up the pinkish shade of the Sakura tree.

Lucy pondered, "how about someone who is sweet?"

"Someone who is willing to give affections," Levy blushed as she quickly glanced towards the iron dragon slayer.

"Oh, Levy, it's difficult to find someone like that," Lucy sighed. "I will not wonder anymore if you end up a spinster."

Levy laughed and looked at Lucy, "we'll both end up spinsters."

"Seriously," Lucy laid her back on the grass, "finding someone like that is impossible in this time."

Levy took another glance at Gajeel. This time, the iron dragon caught her once again. She quickly shifted her gaze back to her book and blushed. She felt the warmth on her cheeks and ears. She felt a sudden shiver on her spine as she recalled her getting caught.

"You know what, Lucy," she realized, "all those things I've said a while ago, they don't matter at all because when you felt this sudden jump of your heart and uncontrollable warmth whenever you see that person, everything doesn't matter anymore."

Suddenly, Levy saw darkness hovering above her. She slowly looked up and saw the iron dragon slayer standing right in front of them with a guitar on his hand. He looked at Levy with a confused look on his face.

He asked in a cold tone of his raspy voice, "got a problem, shrimp?"

Lucy mustered a confused, "huh?"

Levy stared at his red eyes and noticed how deep the shade of red is. Though people often associate red with anger, she associated such color with gentleness and warmth. Before she could open her mouth, Gajeel asked again, "'coz you keep on looking at our direction."

He was pointing at his original place with Pantherlily.

"You've got to be kidding," Lucy answered, "because we're talking about something personal."

Gajeel sounded a hmmm sound, seemingly curious about their topic. Levy felt more embarrassed.

"Something about love and men," Lucy replied haughtily.

"I'm not talking to you," Gajeel directly answered back and looked at Levy once again. "And what about love and men?"

"Lucy was asking about my preferences," Levy stuttered.

Gajeel placed his hand on the blunette's head and laughed hard. "Too girly. I'm not going to join that conversation."

He removed his hand and quickly went away, making Lucy a little bit baffled. Levy, on the other hand, realized something. The iron dragon slayer may not be the most handsome, the silliest, the most gentle and most intelligent man in Magnolia or in the world; for her, he perfectly fits her standards.

FIN