Shoujo: Monday!
Reaper: Monday!
Gajeel: Crazies.
Levy: I won't argue with that.
Lily: Are we starting now?
Shoujo: Only this plot is ours!
The Shrimp and the Beast
"People will hurt you because your small and helpless."
"B-But I don't want to be hurt." Levy blinked up as the women spoke to her. She was barely four years old.
"Then you must be obedient and sweet. Never argue with what an adult tells you."
"D-Do I have to?"
"Yes." The woman blinked slowly. "And beware of men. They only want to devour you. You must find men who are well dressed and respectable. Don't mess with ruffians."
"Devour?"
"They'll eat you Levy. Now do you understand?"
"Yes Aunt Vivian."
"Her taste in clothes, so last year."
"Well it is her. I mean her father did remarry to…"
"Ugh, Maria don't remind us!"
Levy sat at the kitchen table drinking some coffee, watching Lily playing on a Nintendo 3ds that Avery had gotten him as the three girls across from her spoke in what they probably thought to be a whisper. All three of them had various shades of brunette hair and skin as pale as snow. One had green eyes, one had hazel, and one had brunette.
They almost appeared to be carbon copies of each other. Maria, Jessie, Sylvia. All three of them holding the same ideas as their mother.
"I heard she had to take care of the dead girl's kid." Jessie murmured her green eyes bright as she motioned to Lily who only glanced at them before he returned to his game.
"I heard that she started doing martial arts." Maria added shaking her head.
"I heard that she is friends with strippers." Sylvia whispered.
Julia entered the room clearing her through. The three sisters rolled their eyes at her.
"Breakfast ladies?" She asked with a venomous smile.
"Ugh, no thanks." Sylvia replied. "You'll just make us that poor people food again."
"Forgive me for making poor people food." Julia muttered curling her lip. Her voice rose to normal volume as she addressed Lily. "How about you dear?"
"I'm fine." He answered not looking up from his game.
"If he keeps playing that game, he'll turn out to be stupid." Queue Vivian. The evil one herself strode into the room, casting a disdainful look at Lily, while going to speak with Levy. "Is it true you had to stay with him a few weeks ago?"
"I took care of him." Levy answered nervously.
"Ah." Was all she said, but the tone was more of an 'I'm sorry'. "Will there been anything other than eggs to eat today?" Vivian inquired snidely.
"Let me take a look." Vivian said sarcastically, she opened the fridge and revealed it's bare shelves. "It seems as though the ones who were supposed to buy the groceries, forgot to do something."
The three sisters made appalled faces. They looked to their mother.
"Are you implying something?" Vivian crossed her arms.
"Well, I seem to recall asking your lovely children to make a run for me oh… about three days ago. You're family. Those in a family help each other out."
Something seemed to snap within Vivian. "I am not your family. The only reason I'm here is because Avery asked."
Julia slammed down a stone she'd been moving. "You know what, you're right, I was wrong. We aren't family. Family takes care of each other. Family means you love each other. Family doesn't mean blood. Family doesn't mean I have to actually want to be around you, but you're Avery's family. Whether I like it or not. And I'm Avery's family, whether you like it or not. We could either sit here arguing over the fact that we hate each other for stupid reasons or we can sit here and have a nice meal."
Vivian seemed to be contemplating her options.
"Mom I don't want to eat in here with them." Maria whined. Sylvia elbowed her, effectively shutting her up.
"We'll eat in peace." Vivian finally decided, no one was pleased by that answer.
XxX
After breakfast was over the war seemed to increase tenfold. No one was sure what it started from, maybe it was because of some eggs that were slightly over cooked, or because Lily made a miscalculation when reaching for some water instead managing to spill it on Jessie. Perhaps it was the snide comment Jessie made about his flop, with the collective follow of snickers. Then again it was probably the comment that Maria made about Ericca that made everything move faster.
"That brat hit me!" Maria screeched covering her cheek that had recently been slapped.
"Maybe you shouldn't have made that comment about Ericca then!" Julia replied shielding the doorway that Lily had escaped through.
"I only said the truth!" Maria replied. "She left him! We all know it! She's the one who committed suicide, not me! Stop acting like I'm the villain for pointing out what you idiots are to blind to see!"
"He's a child! Your words were completely uncalled for and vicious! All of you girls are rotten! You're just like your mother!" Julia had never been so angry in front of Levy before.
Vivian leapt into the ring. "Don't blame my family for having faults when yours includes a child no one wants and a woman who won't admit her daughter was to blame for everything that happened. If you want to blame someone you should look at yourselves first."
A parent protecting their children is a dangerous thing, the rest of the world could be against them, but they'd fight tooth and nail. That's what was happening with Vivian's family.
"My daughters would never be foolish enough to get themselves pregnant and they would never kill themselves! Doing drugs?! Never would they imagine it! Your girl was sinful and should be treated like that, not a hero!"
"How dare you-"
"No!" Vivian interrupted. "How dare you?! Calling my daughters such things, I never once attacked your own children. And they've been bad influence on Levy since she was a baby!"
"And what does that mean?!" Julia snarled.
"You and I both know what swims around in their heads, it's not just brotherly-"
She never finished her statement because a swift slap came across her face. Everyone stared in shock as Levy stood before her, eyes ablaze with fury. "Don't you ever talk about them like that." Levy hissed. "Bad influence? No Vivian, you are the bad influence in my life! You dare to come into this house and accuse my brothers of perversion?!"
"Don't talk about my family like you know them when all you know is how to hurt people. You used to fill my brain with lies when I was little; you made me think that everything out there was out to get me. You made it as though I had to be silent and obedient. As though I couldn't have male friends because they were all monsters who would try to devour me."
"Girls are supposed to be sweet and gentle? They're supposed to be weak and helpless? Why?! Why do I have to be what you say I am?! Being weak and helpless nearly got me hurt by two men I didn't know! You know who helped me?! A guy with long black hair and piercings in his arms! He had scars and wore black clothing!" She balled her hands up in fists. "He was the type of guy you always said would do bad things to me! And he happens to be one of my closest friends!"
"Don't speak about Lily as if he's some problem child who needs to be fixed! Don't talk about Jet and Droy like they're criminals! Don't act like Tiffany just closes her ears to what her children do! Because that's what you do Vivian! You're the one who would swear up and down that her daughters are angels, even if they were to kill someone. Lily is ten times the person your entire family is combine!"
Vivian had begun to open and close her mouth but Levy wasn't finished.
She spoke then to the other daughters. Their words had been long ago, but she wanted to right things. "My friends aren't strippers, if people assume that just because the dress differently then that's their problem. And even if they were strippers, they'd still be able to take you on any day and they'd be making twice the money you make! Lucy is the most loyal friend, and a doubly loyal girlfriend. Erza is strong, intelligent, and probably ten times the mother that you are Vivian. Juvia is devoted and loving to both friends and lovers alike. I could go on about them, but I don't think I need to prove to you how valuable they are."
Levy began to stomp out of the room, and then she halted in the doorway. "You remember that guy I told you about who saved me? Well his name is Gajeel, and I might be in love with him!"
Her last glimpse of her aunt before she stormed up the steps were of a gaping mouth and two shocked eyes. Never before had she seen Julia look so proud.
XxX
Levy knocked on Lily's door, slowly opening it while glancing around the room. She paled when she noticed the window was open.
"He didn't…" She shook her head taking a deep breath before striding over and slowly crawling out of the window, carefully shifting across the roof. The tiles were rougher than she remembered but they were the same tiles. She just had to be careful on them. She found him nestled in the safest area on the roof. A crevice between two windows that flattened. The only way anyone could fall from it is if they were to actually jump. She knew that from her childhood.
Only once had she ever visited it since she didn't like heights, but that didn't change the fact that she knew of it and that her brothers had used it as children to shoot water balloons at anyone rude who came to their house. Lily had somehow found it on his own. Maybe finding weird hiding spots was something that ran in the family.
"Lily?" She murmured edging closer. "Mind scooching over?"
He complied, his knees yanked to his chest while he stared out in an indifferent expression.
"Vivian and those three say things they shouldn't all the time."
"I know." Lily replied without a care. "I just don't like being around her, she says stuff about my mom and my grandma. I don't like it."
"Yeah." Levy sighed. "She's partially the reason I'm so terrified of people. I think the rest of it was people kind of proving her right." She started to shiver, the realization of her actions catching up to her. She rubbed her arms.
"What's wrong?" Lily asked still not showing much emotion.
Levy blinked. "Oh, well… I was always so terrified of her. And for the first time in my life I stood up to her. I guess I didn't realize how scared I was because I was just worried about defending all of you."
"You… fought her?" Lily's eyes widened. "But you don't fight."
The blunette crossed her arms the shiver vanishing. "I'll have you know that I can fight when I need to. I mean, after you came here I started learning Krav Maga. I haven't been learning for long, but I'm getting better at being able to defend myself. Just you wait, I'm gonna be like a hero to you one of these days!"
Lily stared at her before he turned away and started shaking. At first Levy was worried she'd upset him, then she realized they weren't shakes of anger or grief.
"Are you laughing at me?" She glared at him. Grabbing his shoulder to turn him over she found that he was in fact laughing at her. When he realized she was staring at him, he tried to compose himself.
"I'm not supposed to laugh." He murmured. "We just buried my mom."
Levy ruffled his hair gently. "Burying her just means that she's headed onward. I don't think she'd want to see you forsaking your own happiness because you feel obligated to be sad all the time. Maybe you're right and you're heart says right now is too soon for you to laugh, but don't laugh because you don't think your allowed to."
Lily nodded but he didn't look like he was listening.
"Come here." Levy commanded.
His gaze flickered to her. "Why?"
"Just come here." She chuckled.
He gave her a skeptical look and she waved him closer. Eventually he did move to her and she put him in her lap causing him to look back at her with even more confusion.
"Just sit." She sighed letting him rest on her crossed legs. She wrapped her arms around him and started to hum a song Julia had sang to her.
"You're not taking me with you, are you?"
The question came before Levy realized it. "I can't."
"Why?" There wasn't any malice behind his question, only genuine interest.
"I'm low on money." Levy said. "I got that job because I needed more. The library gave me none and I had to rely on my mom and dad. If you'd stayed they would've taken you for sure. At least with my dad you can stay with our family. He can get the papers ready and I'll be able to visit from time to time. Plus…"
"What?" Lily asked.
Levy sighed. "The city. Right now is the worst time for you to be there. Trust me. It's way safer for you to stay here for now."
Lily's head slowly angled towards the ground. "So I can't stay with you?"
"Not right now." Levy told him. It hurt her knowing that. "But… there's no telling what the future will hold."
His head lifted up and swung towards her so quickly that he nearly smacked her in the face. "Future?"
"In three or four months we can reassess the situation. If all's good I can see if there could be a way for me to either adopt you or perhaps be allowed to have you come visit with me as your guardian."
His eyes gleamed and Levy didn't realize how happy she was to see that until they filled her own.
"No promises though." She warned him.
"I know." He said but he still looked hopeful. More hopeful then she'd seen him in a while.
She would've loved to stay, but her plane would leave in an hour. She'd almost forgotten.
Reaper: So I hope you guys liked the chapter. It was kind of hard to do the fight because I wanted a reason for Levy to be angry enough to fight.
Shoujo: What did you guys think?
Levy: Reviewers-
Schreeching Harmony: Thank you darling! We're happy you liked the Levy-Lily moments! We probably will only be adding one more until the end but it really depends! Thank you for the review and we hope you enjoyed!
CuteFoxSage-NightShadeOwl: We're glad you liked the flashbacks! And gosh! You're so nice to us! We've just had a lot of practice! Thank you for reviewing and we hope you enjoyed!
LemonsandLimes1: Alright bro, calm down, we got it! If you voted then you'll have to wait and see what the results are! Thank you for reviewing and we hope you enjoyed!
Silverwolf Bombarda: The Gods of fanfiction must have been listening because we'd been planning to muzzle her in this chapter anyway! Thank you for the compliment! We're happy to hear you guys liked the Lily-Levy moment! We were going to have Levy respond but with how the line went nothing seemed to fit, it was just… complete without a response! Thank you for the compliments and review and we hope you enjoyed!
Dreamonster11: We're glad you think so! Lily has indeed appeared! We had some more emotional clarity in this chapter too with the whole conversation they had! You're so nice! And sadly Lily can't return yet because there's money and the city is becoming more dangerous! So we'll need to wait a bit! We'll try to continue doing awesome chapters like this one that make you guys and us happy! Gajeel may or may not meet Vivian, it depends on how it flows within the story! Thank you for reviewing and we hope you enjoyed!
SoulMore: Glad to hear it! Thank you for reviewing and we hope you enjoyed!
agent000sock: Thank you for understanding! No, we aren't dead, at least, we don't think we're dead! And this chapter was released on the promised release date for once! We're glad that you like it and happy to hear that you understand! Please enjoy this chapter until the next and thank you for reviewing!
AlexuPenguin: Yeah they did! However Levy can't do anything yet! We hope you also enjoyed this chapter as well as the others! Thank you for the compliments and the review!
EmmyHippo: Dear Heavens! Don't hurt us! We do have one up today! Thank you for the compliment! We're happy you liked it! Thank you for reviewing and we hope you enjoyed!
Plot Bunny Guest: We're glad you liked the chapter! And yes we have a lot of emotions in this one! (Reaper: You should see my other stories that are completely my own creations to include characters, it's pretty vicious!) And hearing that you emphasized with them just makes us happy to hear! It means we're succeeding! And yeah, people don't seem to understand things unless they're there experiencing it with you. Deaths are always the worst! Thank you for reviewing and we hope you enjoyed!
Nashi Draggs: (Reaper: We know that Levy started talking to guys a few chapters back, but in the timeline it's only been two weeks in the actual story. Including the fact that she's only just starting to face the rest of her fears, putting her in a relationship would be too much for her to handle in the story as she is now. It's a slow romance. Meaning it happens over a longer period of time. The one's you're describing are not slow romance in the slightest. And we still feel like their relationship could grow. We're tired of telling you the same thing over and over because you don't seem to realize this is how it is. This is slow romance.)
Guest: (Reaper: Not too sure about Shoujo, but I do. It's a fun crack ship, however for right now we won't be having a relationship with Lisanna and anyone else. For our next poll we might add them as an option, but for the time being we're just going to have her become used to being awake again!) Thank you for reviewing and we hope you enjoyed!
Special thanks to those who followed/favorited: BookieWorm123Nalu, xMagicMayhem, Xx12KatieKat21xX, Silverwolf Bombarda, KageYami, HavenOfShadows, AimiMcGarden16, redrose1986, SecretGurl02, dreamer1821, baylay, LunaMaxwell333, ChibiJazzyFT, and Kcrespo020691. Thanks to the readers as well!
Lily: So now we wait?
Gajeel: Don't we always?
Reaper: The polls still have the same results! Anyway, the next update will hopefully be by Saturday!
Shoujo: See you guys then!