Ugh! You are all too good for me. Seriously. I leave the computer, back to real life for a moment, and when I come back, my email is filled with endearing reviews from readers. You are the best clique. Seriously the best. Is there anything that I can do for you? Like I seriously want to do some sort of a kiriban or some way to show my appreciation for you! Just let me know in comments or PMs!

Anyway for this update: This drabble is sorta sweet.

Okay, that was a pun, but you'll understand later in about 500 words.

To TOR ALVAREZ: Hm...honestly I'm not sure what double standards you're talking about….maybe I'm completely glazing over something? Haha, let me know and thanks for pointing it out!

To DEAR ANON: There's a hint of Jelano in this one, but I actually want to write a Jelano-centric few in later chapters! Maybe…in two chapters? I definitely have a number of ideas I want to bring to life for Jelano!


what's in a name?


When Jellal and Meredy came back from their quick scouting of the area, they found the previously Oracion Seis clique chattering away in a suspiciously tight circle.

Needless to say, that needed investigation—much like the recent Zeref search the two of them had just come back from.

"What's going on?" the guild leader asked, half concerned in the case something awful had happened, although when it came to those five, he was fairly certain that they had just been fooling around.

"We're thinking of codenames for you two," Sawyer explained innocently.

"Why?"

"Codenames are part of our tradition, and we wanted to give you each one," Richard replied.

"Yes," Macbeth agreed. "We were accepted as part of your family, and we wanted to show that we have accepted you into ours."

"Oh," Meredy gasped, and even Jellal had to admit that he was surprised by the sudden amicable gesture by their newest members.

"Yes, and we've finally figured it all out," Erik said.

Meredy immediately sat down to join them on the ground. Jellal followed suit. "So what are our codenames?" she asked, excitedly, ready to be inducted. "What's mine?"

"Musica," Sorano announced, a proud smile on her face. She hugged Meredy tightly—the first affectionate motion that the younger girl had ever seen from the misanthropic woman. "Because you've helped us discover the harmony between all of us after we joined."

"And your earmuffs make you look like you're always wearing headphones," Richard smartly added, with a point of his finger.

The newly codenamed Meredy laughed. "Wow," she said, her face completely lit up. "You really thought my name through!" She turned to look at the Crime Sorciere leader. "What about Jellal?"

"Jellal will be dubbed Blueberry Cheesecake," Macbeth presented curtly.

The guild leader looked absolutely horrified. "What?" he asked, albeit calmly.

"You are now Blueberry Cheesecake."

Meredy had been confused for a moment, but when she saw the unified smirk across the faces of all the Oracion Seis members—and especially Erik—she put two and two together. She smiled sweetly when the math all worked out quite perfectly, completely in on the inside joke.

Jellal, however, was still figuring out the algebra. "Why is my codename so long?" He studied all other six guild members' eyes, searching for the answer. "Also, it sounds stupid," he added, bluntly. "Why am I a dessert when everyone else has a more…relevant name?"

Sorano was quick to answer. "Because, Jellal," she said pointedly, poking his forehead with a dainty finger. "You're very sweet."

The blue-haired mage blinked and furrowed his eyebrows, considering the supposedly kind words. "Oh," he said, and then looked straight up at her. "Thank you."

She pulled herself backwards from Jellal and crossed her arms, one hand on her chin, blushing a light pink at the sudden eye contact with him. "W-Well, don't thank me. Cobra thought of it first," she deflected, pretending not to be flustered.

Jellal turned a little skeptical. "Really now?" he remarked, looking at the poison mage.

Unfortunately, Erik couldn't wipe the sly grin off his face in time. "Yeah," he said, confident nevertheless. "And your hair is blue—so Blueberry Cheesecake seemed right for you."

The cheesecake's eyebrow lifted in question.

"...and I might have read somewhere in a magazine that it was a certain someone's favorite dessert."

When Jellal's cheeks suddenly turned a matching shade of scarlet, all six of them knew he had finally balanced the equation.


I'll explain the magazine reference in a future drabble. To come!

And yes, I fit in some Jelano, light Jerik, and very implied Jerza. Not sure when the stars will align like this again so enjoy this for now, haha.

Also, whoever the hell started the whole Strawberry Shortcake and Blueberry Cheesecake thing, by the way, deserves all the credit for this inside joke. I've already used these references in other pieces but never this explicitly and I think whoever thought of this deserves a round. So cheers!

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