No big changes. R&R So sorry this is so late- I was lazy enjoying the last days of my senior year... Updates should be weekly again.
When Ria returns home that night, around dusk, she just about barreled backward through the door when she finds her parent carrying a cup of hot chocolate through the living room in her silk robe. Mira turns, small ponytail holding her bangs back swaying with the motion, and locks her gaze on the twitchy, stormy haired mage pushing her paper bag behind her legs.
"You're finally home. What's that?" Mira inquires, curious blue orbs straining to catch sight of the bag whose edges peeked out from behind the thin legs.
"I uh, bought somethin' for myself. Well, Ever forced me. Nothing cool. I'mma go put it in my room. Right back Ama."
The kitsune skirts pass her mother to her room, the top of the bag clasped shut, and ignores the questioning gaze trailing her form. She shifts her purchase to one hand to twist the doorknob and pushes the wood open. She carefully dumps the items on her bed, ties the pencils with a piece of ribbon that laid on her desk abandoned from the morning when Mira decided not to braid her hair and puts her new paints in her closet. Ria sheds her clothing for more comfortable pajamas after she stuffs a few sketchbooks in her closet. The kitsune returns to the living room where her mother sat curled up on the sofa with a book, reading glasses perched on her nose and her half-empty mug cooling on the side table next to her.
The child scrambles onto the couch and curls up beside her, tail popping back into existence to curl around her lap as she snuggled into Mira's side. The white-haired take over mage looks down at the feeling of a figure pushing against her side and a smile plays across her lips as she unravels an arm to pull the girl up onto her lap. The head rests on Mira's chest and the eyelids close slowly due to the lulling circles being rubbed into her back.
The kitsune sighs contently, the weight of her mother's arm soothing and nostalgic of how One held her in her sleep. A protector from nightmares and a soother of bruises. The steps approaching and leaving, other tenants moving about, were just the other girls. Shadows were just tree limbs or furniture. Squeaks were just the building's age showing. Nothing can hurt her like this, Mirajane wouldn't allow it. Ria lets herself take comfort in the thought.
"You're normally more awake."
Ria grunts, "Asuka too hyper."
"Did you eat?"
There is a nod, two fingers showing how she had two plates of food in her belly, and the head shifts, icy eyes rolling up to meet Mirajane's. "Why you home already? Thought you were working the night shift."
"Lisanna insisted I go home. Said I've been exerting myself," Mira huffs at the thought. "But I'm just fine."
"Yeah, Ama's coolest. I'm going to be with Thunder Legion tomorrow. I'll be 'round later. Okay, Ama?"
The S-Class wizard purses her lips. She had wanted to spend her first Mother's Day as a mother with her daughter. Not that Mira took offense; she told herself that the little kit didn't even know that the holiday was a celebratory day. Besides, she had a shift tomorrow and what right did she have to confine Ria to the guild hall?
"Oh, alright little Kit."
"You know you're my favorite right? No one's cooler than you Ama; not even Erza and she's really powerful too! I mean, you would obviously win in a fight," The kitsune chirps. "I overheard Laxus being a meanie about it earlier." Ria attacks Mira in a hug, small arms wrapping around her torso. "Ama's the best!"
The platinum smiles and returns the hug, "You're my favorite too."
…
The Thunder Legion stares on in wonder as Ria flicks one of her brushes. The cadmium red splatters onto the primed canvas. Her silver tail swishes in thought as she leans forward toward the easel holding the stretch canvas and stares intently, winter blue eyes drilling their gaze onto the target. Her palette bounces slightly in her hand as she considers colors. She drops her current brush onto the table supplied to her and picks up a larger broad tip to change colors.
The canvas is a mash of different colors. Splatters of bright colors contrasted the blended, more neutral mix that resembled the merging colors of certain types of magic. Driblets of yellow, orange, and ultramarine seeped down the page, their shine dulling as they dry. Splats of reds and greens dot the area as well. Silver mana, her foxfire curse, lights the room as a warm current fissures the room to rapidly exhaust the paint of its moisture. The magic concentrates to a thin outline of the Fairy Tail sigil in the middle of the canvas, an outline that she outlines in a pale gray and fills with blotches of the deep purple analogous to her guild mark and the white of Mira's own brand.
"Nice job kid. She'll love that," Bickslow compliments as he stretches. His joints click and the compressed muscles loosen after over two hours of being curled up in a folding chair in Laxus' spare room.
"Leavin' it here to dry for little while. I'mma go help Asuka with hers and go get tha flowers and chocolate. You know where Reedus is? I need his help to mat my drawing."
"Where's the drawing hun?" Evergreen asks as the kitsune gathers her supplies to go clean in the kitchen.
"Hm? Oh. It's in my bag. You can look at it, but don't touch it. It'll get ruined," Ria cautions as she uses her curse to levitate the items she can't carry.
The fairy mage nods and walks over to the small knapsack in the corner. She flips over the cover flap and gently pulls out the sketchbook she had helped Ria purchase. The first page is nothing but charcoal scribbles that the kitsune had sketched and simple 3-D figures. Her lines were shaky and primitive, characteristic of younger children, but there was some form of an upcoming artist from a lesson with Reedus. Freed had to explain motor skills when she complained her lines had come out obnoxiously wrong (the kitsune protested that the kitsune part of her should've lessened that problem) and Ria had resorted to making guidelines with her magic to create the desired result.
Bold black smears of charcoal created a portrait of the take over mage, simplistic yet still resembling the young mother's take over. The brunette feels her two male colleagues peer over her shoulder.
"Woah, those guidelines really helped with her lines."
The sketchbook's cover is carefully put back into place and Ever wraps the loose binding around the pages before slipping it back into the crevice of the traveling bag.
…
The model watches curiously when the kitsune child slips through the large doors propped open to let the spring breeze circulate through the guild hall. She pauses in her work, wet rag creating a puddle on the counter and dripping water down the wood, to follow the preschooler with her eyes as she weaves through members, royal purple sigil flashing through the mass of humans as it peeped out from its place above the collar of her shirt. The tail tucks closer to her frame to avoid being trampled by the chaos of the room as she sidles up to the thin artist. She gently tugs at his shirt and raises onto tiptoes to whisper into his ear when he bends over.
Reedus grins broadly, lips making way for teeth as he nods enthusiastically and motions for the girl to follow him. The duo start making their way towards the front door, Ria's lips moving with silent words the take over mage can't make out from her position. However, the child pauses, ears twisting away from the noisy guild hall before she turns tail to meander through the crowd again. Mira smiles when the silver ears pop over the bar counter and leans forward over the counter, arms buckled to support her weight.
"Hello, little Kit."
"Hi Ama! Reedus is helping me with somethin'. I'll be back soon," Ria informs as she reaches up into the air as Mira comes out from behind the counter.
The take over mage bends to hug the girl, arms folded tightly around her body. Ria's body vibrates with contentment, the low vibrations barely being heard through the noise of the guild. Mira's chin and neck are nuzzled affectionately and she returns the attention by blowing a raspberry into her hair. Ria shakes her head in retaliation and swishes her tail to tickle the mage's arm. The child untangles herself.
"See ya Ama!"
The barmaid smiles and waves goodbye as Ria returns to the artist side. She motions to her backpack to be handed back to her and carefully pulls her arms through the straps before pushing back through the open entrance.
…
The Arc of Embodiment mage's bushy tail brushes the guild floor in her nervousness, twitching across the floor. Her fingers grasp the box in her hand that held the portrait and a box of chocolates that she herself didn't really care to eat (chocolate wasn't a good idea for foxes and made a kitsune's stomach queasy depending on the creature). The smell of the red floral arrangement that she and Asuka picked up earlier still linger in her nose as she sat beside the ravenette and her father as the older girl presented her gifts to her mother.
Bisca smiles in thanks and strangles her daughter in a death grip hug.
"Thanks Dumpling. Best year yet!"
"Aw yeah! I did it!" Asuka cheered while the guild clapped.
The noise died down when the little girl hopped off the bench and dragged her younger friend into the open area made by the crowd. Ria stumbles and tightens her grip on her bag as she is pulled forward.
"Alright Ria! It's your turn! Give Mira your gift!"
"Asuka," Ria whines as she tears her wrist away and glares at her with betrayed features.
"Little Kit?" Mirajane asks as she exits the counter and kneels in front of the twitchy kitsune.
"Uh… here," Ria mutters, face flaming red at having to present the item in front of the entire guild. Her eyes avert away from Mira's face.
The platinum pushes the wrapping paper away and places the red carnation bouquet onto the table before pulling out the portfolio folder out of the decorative bag. She opens the folder and gasps at the charcoal drawing.
"Lisanna, Elfman come look at this," Mira bids as her siblings come to crowd around their sibling.
"Woah."
"That's man!"
"I used my magic to create guidelines," The kitsune admits, considering the drawing like a child's paint by number. "They're late with the other part," Ria murmurs to herself as she glances at the door, tail swishing nervously and hands wringing each other.
"What's wrong Ria?" Asuka asks.
"They're late."
"What are you talking about Sweet?" Mira asks.
"Sorry we're late Asvoria!" Freed huffs out as the Thunder Legion bursts through the doors with a covered canvas.
"Sorry hun. We had some obstacles. Mostly avoiding an idiot with a hose," Evergreen apologizes as the boys mount the painting on a table. "You want to do the honors?"
The kitsune seems apprehensive at the idea of revealing her own work, but grips the white sheet shielding it from view. There is a swoosh as the fabric falls to the ground.
"Alright! Great job kid," Natsu yells as he examines the picture, still being held at bay by his bombshell partner to prevent it from becoming ashes.
"You're such a child Natsu!"
"Yeah but you love me anyway?" He smiles widely and turns back toward the painting, oblivious of the blush painting her face.
"Uh? Did I do this holiday right?" The silver haired mage asked as she was pushed toward the edge of the crowd as others rushed to get a look at the painting.
The kitsune grasps at the arms surrounding her torso and grips Mirajane's black dress as she is turned toward her.
"You were perfect."