They returned unconventionally, both quiet, Natsu unusually so, prancing to the front counter for a drink while his mentor went to the second floor to cool himself from everything. No one really understood of course, the Thunder Legion stared down their leader in hopes of forthcoming answers from his back, then flicked their attention to Natsu. Not for long, as he stood after drinking down a large glass of milk and ran out the hall with hells fire on his heels.
Makarov looked on at both and grunted in displeasure. Thinking the pairing a bad idea from the beginning. -Gildarts would have been a better match he so reasoned.- The young adults mainly laughed at the strange disposition it left the hall as aftermath, neither males were very expressive persons. Well, holding Natsu to his anger management problems, he was actually stoic, none would think so with all his bluster however. Which caused such rippling effects to be felt throughout the guild. Younger generations staring off, some in irritation, confusion, and amusement.
What caused the most uncertainty was the way Natsu had left.
Laxus gave no heed to any conversation struck as to the demeanor presented. Though the gaze of his slightly tipsy grandfather did bare a few holes into his back as he took a single shot of whiskey. The man was to close by to ignore properly, though Lisanna had complained of spills upstairs one to many times that she didn't allow drinks on the second floor when she was playing barmaid. There were no empty tables to vacate to either, causing him to give a dissatisfied grunt as he settled on a barstool. His aim wasn't to get drunk anyway, he just needed to calm the fuckin' jitters crawling up his arms.
"Boy." He grit his teeth at the nickname. Not wanting the association now that he was twenty, and very obviously out of puberty and her cruel hands. Gesturing at Lisanna once more for a beer this time, she'd understand what he meant verbal or not. "Don't ignore me brat." There was an urge to roll his eyes that he did not ignore, luckily that was what Makarov took into account as paying attention. "There is a new member I'd like you to train-" He slammed his fist on the counter, not harsh enough to splinter, but rattling the entire thing.
"Not a chance." He wasn't stupid and hormonal anymore, angry or not, this was not something he needed to get worked up over.
Unfortunately for him, the wizard saint was far too adapted to his grandson's temper that he didn't care to acknowledge it. "Well three persons, but you'll only be training the one. She refuses to go anywhere without her friends." The majority of that sentence was mumbled, but Laxus did have good hearing and it caught interest. For him that was an unacceptable circumstance, he could hardly deal with a person, nevermind people. As his beer arrived he guzzled half of the thing before he stared his guardian down.
"Can't help em'" He decided as an answer to the demand.
"Don't start. I would teach her myself but I have far more important things I have to do. Unfortunately for everyone you are the only one familiar with the concepts of Fairy magic besides myself." He drank a little more.
"She wants to practise Fairy magic? Very original." Spilling alcohol over his shirt from the slap he earned from the frustrated master of fairytail.
"Enough sarcasm out of you boy. If that's not interesting to you, then consider one of her friends uses Saint magic." That did catch his interest, the only person he had confronted that practiced such an obscure magic had been Majal. A man he'd rather avoid for the rest of his life, though the type of magic was nevertheless an amazingly rare type of magic that he wouldn't mind learning more of.
It was enough for him to give an inch. "What about the third?" Clearly glad to have finally gotten some interest he earned himself an eyebrow raise. Laxus almost turned away at the mock.
"Letter magic." Laxus almost laughed, but refrained, he was a combat expert, not a strategist, there was no way he could teach someone without the same mindset. A scoff did escape him. "He uses Dark Écriture." He froze as he brought the mug to his lips. His luck seemed to never fail him. The only type of Letter magic used for direct combat. Though he couldn't pretend to understand the runes involved, the Transformation magic directly coalescing with Dark Écriture was something he knew at least a little about to be aidful. It was years of listening to Mira bitch about how her magic worked -usually she complained.
They both knew he hated to comply openly, so he gave a nod of affirmation, giving his grandfather the indication to go and retrieve his new student(s). In the recesses of his mind he knew that the man was attempting to distance his and Natsu's chaotic personalities out of regret for pairing them together. This, he deftly ignored, though his reluctance still fought with him, there was a deeper desire to see the fireball regardless. Training was a good excuse as any he could make, and this way it needn't explained to the prying old man.
Whatever his relations were none of grampa's business anyway. He stood stretching out his neck, there was no point putting off meeting the team of younger fairies.
"They aren't complete morons." So he said to both himself and Natsu, who happened to be walking with him at the present, that, in due course with the date they were on -he ignored that it was a date at all.- The teen was currently devouring a flaming kabob, with a look of admiration on his face rarely seen. Accompanied by little sniffles and moans of delight that were uncomfortable for a man such as himself. This was not helped by the fact that Natsu kept looking to him out the corner of his eye, like he knew. But every so often grin like an idiot.
Thus the conversation turning to something less oddly stimulating. The group he was teaching. Actually answering a question Natsu himself had asked, having heard from Mira, who heard from Lisanna, who heard Laxus and the old man talking about it: that he was taking on a team to teach. Word spread fast in a guild of gossip mongers. After knowing the way in which it had spread he groaned at just how irritating Cana would be about the entire thing. Of all the brats, he tolerated her the most, she and Mirajane were the closest to his own age, and thus spoke to him more. The others were a little more intimidated as his stature became more imposing -grown. Erza was more an annoyance then a person he tolerated, she was gunning for S-class and was haggling for tips as of late.
He daren't say anything around Natsu however, he wasn't stupid.
Still...Pondering, he glanced to his companion, whom was now crossing his arms and pouting. There was someone he wanted the brat to meet, a strange cycle of whims. Though he knew Natsu would like Kiri's simplistic old wisdom and friendly face. Knowing his course he jutted out his arm, getting the hot-head to bump forehead first into the appendage, and a fire fueled glare given. "I want ya to meet someone." The glare turned into curiosity, quickly killing whatever ire Natsu had been conjuring.
The last place he recalled the man staying was an old cargo hold along the docks. Probably a place Natsu half destroyed at one point, the docks had seen some major reconstruction over the years. The slip of sand under his heavy metal boots and sight of the crashing waves had him remembering a long-ago guild trip to the sea from just how hot it had been outside. Grey hadn't stopped bitching that day. Everyone had splashed around, some tanned, but Natsu had lost his swim trunks in the once turning the tide of Grey and Natsu's perpetual fight of regarding stripping. He'd been sunbathing that day, and the entire argument made him go into the water from the headache it gave him.
Though he hadn't been paying attention to what they had been yelling about when he dove into the icy sea. Thus as he'd come up for air, the dragonslayer of the guild had been slipping back on his shorts behind a rock; and he'd gotten a view. Finding that Natsu's genitals were mixed, not male or female, but both, had done something to his groin, and despite how cold the water was he hadn't been able to leave for almost fifteen painful minutes.
Last year's summer had been kinda shit for him.
Now that it came to mind: the thing that Natsu had been going on about made more sense. Maybe dragonslayer magic was so powerful that it affected physicality as well as magic strength. Thinking further, as Natsu had depicted, it may be a case that different types of dragonslayer magic affected each person differently. He had the want to ask, but blushed slightly at the thought.
They were not at all ready to talk about that in their relationship. Curiosity could wait.
Thinking of the one in Phantomlord was not where he wanted his thoughts to go, in fact the direction grossed him out, the guy wasn't bad looking, but Laxus was well aware that punk rock gothic was not his type. Luckily, he spotted Kiri lounging on one of the boardwalks peacefully, and his thoughts didn't have to get anymore disturbed. Apparently, his height could attract attention automatically -although he was still lanky, only just filling into his height with muscles.- His friend turned to him with a dead tired facial expression, making him pause his steps at just how desolate it seemed. Never minding the moment, he was given a slight crooked smile from the man, wrapped in the coat that overwhelmed his form, fighting the chill.
"Hello Laxus-" He coughed loudly, covering his mouth with his fist as the sound of a wet cough filtered into a stagnant silence. It was pure restraint that stopped the lightning mage from lashing out and hitting the man.
"You should be inside! It's way too cold ya moron!" Again he was given a smile, this one more indulgent as if he was an unreasoned child throwing a tantrum. It did not fit his prideful image very kindly.
"You fret young man. My time is almost out as it is, I can feel it approaching." To a man in denial of death and all it implied, Laxus scoffed at the very notion, his grandpa was still kicking and hardly one foot in the grave, certainly, Kiri could hold fast.
"Don't be an idiot yer hardly picking out yer coffin' yet." His infractions crept up on him, a product his Mother had left for him in way of familiar slang she had known, and he had learned. There, he crushed the annoying vocal slur, few things caused it to come out, but it was usually pretty randomized, and he hated it.
In response, Kiri gave out a cracking guffaw. Slowly he shook his head, and peeled off the coat, -which only hung on his shoulders, 'as if that could keep any moron warm,' Laxus bemoaned to himself. Not speaking a word of his thoughts.
Unexpectedly he found the hefty coat thrust into his face, the man not looking to him, but the fire wizard just slightly behind. "Laxus is a very stubborn man, but a good one. Few of those these days, keep him warm." As he was about to protest the way he was made out to be some sappy child. Natsu on the other hand just seemed amused, yet earnest as he nodded to the man, as if some great knowledge had been passed to him.
The coat remained in his face, but he didn't take it, he'd bought it for the old man, not himself, it wouldn't be right to take it. He'd need it. However, Natsu took the choice out of his hands, grasping the hefty fabric and throwing over his shoulders. It swarmed over him in a sudden warm sensation, his natural static securing it unwittingly so it wouldn't fall.
Grinning, Kiri stood, patting at his arm. Laxus stared at the affectionate action with furrowed brows. There was something different about it, shifting about his insides. Pin-pointing that it was harboring finality, he almost grasped the man's hand in anger. "I think I'll go see my grandchildren before I die." That was absolution, any ire that was created by denial simmered away in an instant. "Goodbye Laxus."
Sighing, he let go of the losing battle. "Goodbye Kiri."