Her hands idly moved as she continued cleaning the single mug in her hold for the past ten minutes, staring off as her thoughts traveled a mile a minute, trying to think of a way to help her dear friend. She sighed softly and glanced around the guild. Lately couples were appearing here and there but there was one little mage who still had not paired up with anyone and she was starting to grow impatient with the person she knew was mad about the sweet little blonde. She let out another soft sigh finally, setting down the mug, and picking up another and began cleaning it.
Returning to her thoughts of the blonde mage sitting not too far from her sipping on a strawberry smoothie, she focused on trying to figure out a new way to get the two together. Sadly for the barmaid she had attempted exactly thirty-two different times to get them together putting them in an array of situations on jobs and had even attempted to use potions on the blonde. However the girl was a hell of a lot more intelligent than she let on and it was getting completely frustrating.
Although, she wouldn't deny it amazed her how the blonde could pick up the potion filled strawberry smoothie, bring it to her lips before setting it right back down and then feign sudden disinterest in the smoothie and ask for a different drink. The first time it happened she was frustrated but curious. So when she tried it again and again she became suddenly suspicious wondering if the blonde maybe picked on enhanced smelling but had second thoughts not long after. She had continued her attempts four more times and she soon realized that Lucy knew exactly what was in her smoothie. With that she was left with trying other ways and each time her plans had utterly failed.
The take-over mage sighed yet again as she set down the mug she had been cleaning needing to find some way to thwart the blonde. She needed something undetectable, unnoticeable and something that could fool even Freed.
"Everything okay Mira?" Blinking the white-haired woman turned to the blonde with a smile on her face.
"Of course, why wouldn't they be?"
Lucy frowned slightly and eyed the woman. "No reason, but you've sighed at least ten times in the past fifteen minutes."
"Oh, I –"
"Mira" She turned to her fellow barmaid, thankful for the interruption.
"Yes, Kinana?
"We've run out of a few things, did you want me to run out and get them?" She could feel her lips twitch begging to turn into her scheming smirk but kept her smile and shook her head.
"No, I've got a few things I need to pick up for home anyways, but thank you Kinana." Taking the list from the purple haired woman she slipped out from behind the bar and made her way out of the guild.
She grinned happily as this would be the perfect opportunity for her to check out magic shops and hopefully find something that would get Lucy to confess to her fire breathing partner. She walked the streets through the shopping district having already picked up everything needed for the guild she began her search through magic shops looking for something that would be undetectable.
-x-
She entered a third shop, her eyes skimming the immediate area before venturing in further, feeling frustrated when she was let down as most of the potions she had already tried. She hummed in thought contemplating her options as she had already been out for over two hours and needed to get back to the guild but she didn't want to go back to the guild empty handed.
"Hello Miss." The sound of a voice startled her out of her thoughts and she greeted the elderly man with a smile.
"Hello sir."
"Why, it's Mirajane Strauss of Fairy Tail. What a pleasure to meet you." She smiled pleasantly, ignoring the way the old man eyed her. "What brings you to my shop miss?"
"Well, you see I'm looking for something – it's to help a friend. She's a little shy and I want to help her confess her feelings to the guy she likes."
The man nodded. "That's mighty kind of you. Have you tried one of our potions, they're guaranteed success every time." He spoke, indicating toward the bottles she had been looking at.
"Actually, I'm looking for something a little more –"She paused to think of the word. "Discreet. She's very intelligent and I've tried using these in her drink before but she's been able to detect it."
The old man hummed in thought. "Let me take a look in the back and see if maybe I can't find you something."
Mira followed the old man, waiting at the counter as he entered the back room. With luck the old man would find something and she could use it tomorrow and by the end of the day Lucy and Natsu would be together. She grinned happily thinking of the pink haired, brown eyed babies the two would create. Suppressing a squeal she glanced toward the back room and saw the man carrying a container, setting it down before he spoke.
"I almost nearly forgot about this." He removed the lid, revealing a large heart-shaped strawberry. Mira frowned in confusion.
"A strawberry, sir?" He chuckled.
"It's a very special strawberry, miss." He covered it back up. "It's called Strawberry Kiss and with it I can promise you, you won't be disappointed and you'll be able to help your friend."
Mira eyed the man as well as the container not sure of it. "What exactly does it do?"
The man chuckled again. "This strawberry has the ability to cause the consumer to reveal their true feelings to the person they like and since you mentioned your friend was shy I figured this would be great as there will be no words spoken merely a kiss given."
Mira smiled at the prospect. That would definitely get it through to Natsu that Lucy likes him. She nodded her head and looked at the man. "I'll take it."
"Great!" He rang her up and pulled out a bag. "That'll be 80,000 jewels." Mira blinked, nearly cringing at the price but reminded herself that it was for Lucy several times before handing the money over and taking the bag. "Thank you, and have a great day."
She smiled and with a small wave left his shop, making her way through the streets, stopping briefly at her home to leave the items she purchased there before finally making her way back to the guild feeling giddy.
There she began putting all of the recently purchased items away, hesitating on whether to leave the strawberry at the guild or not. Contemplating it a moment longer she placed the container in the back to keep it out of sight before shutting the fridge and returning to her duties as the Fairy Tail barmaid all the while keeping her matchmaker side in check.
The next morning Mira woke bright and early dressing she ventured into the kitchen to prep breakfast for her siblings followed by finishing up getting ready for the day and practically skipping her way to work. She hummed happily at the prospect of pink haired brown-eyed babies running around the guild calling her auntie Mira. Suppressing a squeal she pulled the door open to the guild and slipped in, quickly setting about her normal routine of organizing the guild and getting things ready for the members that would be entering soon.
First to come in would be Laxus and the rest of the thunder legion and she knew that they would need their drinks and food for the slayer and seith mage. Next Nab would enter to 'search for the perfect job' and then Erza would come in demanding strawberry cake followed by Cana and her alcohol, Gray would come in arguing with Natsu – both would be reprimanded by Erza and the fire breather would look for his dear partner Lucy but get distracted by the arrival of his sister coming in with Elfman. It would be eight-thirty by the time her favorite little celestial mage entered the guild with a happy smile on her face asking for a strawberry smoothie.
Mira hummed as she finished up breakfast for two members, wondering why they chose to eat at the guild when at least one of them was perfectly capable of making their own breakfast. Shaking her head she finished, placing several mugs of alcohol by the plates, turning away to begin cutting the cake for Erza, putting two slices on a plate for the requip mage. She then began breakfast for Natsu knowing he couldn't cook to save his life greeting her siblings when they entered the guild. Taking a moment she chatted with the two before her brother left to go talk to Evergreen. After talking to Lisanna for another moment she returned to her duties, refilling drinks and cleaning up after members.
When eight-thirty came and went Mira became concerned as Lucy had yet to show and she was anxious to use the strawberry on the celestial mage. Letting out a sigh she greeted other guild members as they entered and continued with her work. At nine-thirty Lucy entered the guild a bright smile on her face sending out her greetings to everyone when they called out to her, maneuvering through the guild to avoid the brawl that had already begun before plopping herself on a barstool asking for her customary strawberry smoothie.
Suppressing the excitement Mira began making it, starting with using the strawberry she had gotten the previous day. She added the other ingredients, mixing it and pouring it into the glass along with placing a pink straw in before serving it to the blonde.
"Lucy" She called and the blonde looked up at the barmaid.
"Yes, Mira?"
"Is everything okay? I was a bit worried when you didn't show up at your usual eight-thirty."
Lucy smiled giving a nod as she took a drink from her smoothie. "Everything is fine." She assured the barmaid. "Team ridiculous and their annoying leader decided to show up at my place and didn't leave until later than I normally allowed guests."
Mira frowned not sure what she meant but glanced over at the thunder legion as that was the only team with a leader. She could feel her brows furrow further wondering if maybe Laxus had meant what he said a while ago about wanting Lucy. Giving her head another shake she looked to the blonde noticing that she was still talking and luckily in between drinks of her smoothie.
"I mean seriously what is so fascinating about my apartment? I'm pretty sure it's just like all the other apartments in the building." Mira giggled knowing that everyone had a tendency to break into the poor blonde's apartment. She had been there herself several times – though accessed it with a key – she had noted that it was a cute cozy little place and it actually felt rather nice to be there. After seeing it she could understand why everyone gravitated toward the girl's place but she never thought that the thunder legion would show up.
Giving a small shake of her head she pulled herself out of her thoughts and returned to her normal activities, giving Lucy's smoothie a glance she realized it was empty already and the girl was talking to Natsu. She could feel the excitement bubble up as she waited impatiently but felt a slight bit of worry as several minutes had passed and nothing was happening. Taking a moment she composed herself and decided to wait as patiently as she could. Maybe there was a reason why it was taking time. As long as it worked that was all that mattered.
Ten minutes later Mira stood behind the bar wiping down a mug as she secretly watched the blonde still sitting where she had been, talking now to Levy. After another moment she watched curiously as Lucy stopped talking and stood up from her seat. She set down the mug and watched anxiously as the blonde slowly began walking toward the man, biting her lip from squealing in excitement only to frown in confusion as she bypassed her fire breathing partner, her eyes widening as the celestial mage walked over to a table of five.
The stellar mage stood for a moment before leaning down and kissing the one man she had never expected her to kiss, ignoring the hoots and hollers going on in the background she continued to stare, trying to process how she had missed this. After another moment she watched as Lucy suddenly pulled away before looking back at her with a face of hurt and betrayal before running out of the guild.
Mira watched in anguish as the girl left the now silent guild, her eyes watching the normally grinning man stand up saying something to his leader before leaving, his babies following him out of the guild.