"Why are you so wound up?"
"Something is weird about today."
"What do you mean?" It's finally not raining since Juvia left of an errand from Master. The sky looks so blue.
"I mean just that. I feel like I do just before a fight or something."
"But you're not going to be fighting today, right? You got through yesterday with no fights."
"But I didn't feel like this yesterday."
"So should we enter the guild at all?" The two stop by the entrance.
"They want us in there."
"They don't want to be beaten into a pulp or fried."
"True, but they want me in there incase the lacrima goes off."
"I can go in and tell Master that your too wound up to be around people at this point."
"Then what?"
"We can walk off your energy and maybe grab a decent breakfast at the park since you didn't want to sit still earlier for me to make something."
"I didn't feel like sitting in the house anymore."
"I'm sure you'll feel the same way about the guild, so I'll go in and talk to Master, you stay out here and don't move until I come back."
"What am I, five? I don't need you using that mothering tone, Freed. I'm a grown man."
"I know this, but you haven't quit moving even when we stopped. Do I have to put runes up? It shouldn't be more than five minutes and I don't want you wandering off in this state." Freed takes out his sword and points it to the ground, swirling around. He then picks up the purple letters and showcases them. "Or should I have you test this out while I go inside?"
"What is that?" He eyes them warily, having been subjected to his tests before.
"Simple runes that inhibit magic and mobility."
"So, rope."
"Yes."
"You want to tie me up?"
"I want to see how effective this is."
"You want to tie me up outside of the guildhall."
"While I'm inside, yes."
"In public where people can see and walk by."
"Yes. When applied, the rope should become invisible."
"What does that serve?"
"If these work, I could vary them and do whatever comes to mind. If really necessary I could make a human puppet or spring an invisible trap."
"You're not going to make me a puppet, are you?"
"Is that necessary?"
"Hell no, and even if it was, hell no. Just do it and hurry up."
"Okay, okay." I didn't think he would agree. He'll be vulnerable in public. Something must be going on with him for sure for him to agree to this. Freed straightens them out and they hold steady at around sixteen inches. He then holds Laxus's wrists out and hits them with the rope and they snap around his wrist snugly. After a few seconds the letters disappear.
"I wasn't expecting that. Self-tie?"
"Pretty much. That's not too tight, is it?"
"No, now hurry up."
"Okay." He manoeuvres Laxus to a light pole and connects one ankle. "Now you can't walk or teleport away. Test the ropes, I'll be out in about five."
Ten minutes later, Freed comes out with extensive apologies, citing Mira as the reason he was later than expected. "It's fine. Just get these off and we can go for a walk."
He takes out his sword and slashes the runes easily and they start walking. "You don't seem as mad as I thought you would be."
"Scarlet was out here and sort of figured it out and was asking questions."
"What kind of questions?"
"Uncomfortable ones. Don't put yourself in a position to be asked. She's...blunt. She only asked a few questions, but I couldn't answer any of them. And then it seemed like something was turning in her mind as she studied me."
"You couldn't answer?"
"I couldn't understand what she was asking! It was weird ad she looked absolutely crazy!"
"She had mentioned that she ran into you outside and then winked for no obvious reason then. Maybe she's talking to Cana now."
"Why Cana?"
"It was another rumour, one I hadn't even been thinking of, I swear."
"I believe you, so what was the rumour?"
"I'd tie you up and have my way with you."
Laxus looks at the shorter man sharply before looking around. That makes Freed smile, seeing him worried about appearances. "But I was in PUBLIC. Why would she think think that about me in public?"
"How does any kink work? There's public play, seeing how far you get without being caught and everything."
"That's just...sick."
"People have specific quirks, like that one fan of yours turned stalker that wanted you take off your sound pods so she could see your ears."
"That was weird though."
"People are weird. Are you telling me that you didn't see Erza's Seduction Armour?"
"What the hell. Why use her magic for that?"
"I'm guessing she keeps a lot of outfits away with her magic."
"That's just..."
"It works for her and that's the thing." They arrive at the park, but Laxus doesn't even slow his pace. He doesn't even seem to be thinking about where his feet are going.
"Why are you so knowledgeable about this?"
"I was talking to her once because I was fascinated with how her magic worked and she was proud of her magic."
"I meant the other stuff."
"Oh. Same kind of thing, but I was asking Loke."
"Loke taught you about all of that?"
"Yes. And then I did my own research."
"Why would you research that?"
"Well it helped with that one guy who liked us attacking him."
"Is that why you had Ever take him out?"
"Yes."
"It's everywhere then."
"Well, it certainly isn't restrained to a certain area. But most of the time they are separate from your general person. Just because someone is sadistic in their personality, it doesn't mean that they are in bed."
"So Scarlet's not..."
"I never said that, but that might not be the case. However, I doubt that it rules over her in that area. She probably only does it on occasion."
"Ugh, let's drop it."
"Alright. You do realise that that little thing will probably mess with them for a while and that is exactly what we want, right?"
"But I don't want to talk about it right now."
"Are you still okay with testing my experiments?"
"Yes, just not with Erza around."
"They won't be all bad."
"What was your next one?"
"It is similar to the form of the rope, but it hooks around your neck and makes it so you cannot lie."
"We could probably use that when we come out straight if we provide a non-biased demonstration before hooking all of us up."
"And once it makes it past all of the trials, we can use it in the field."
"Maybe you can add a compulsion to it."
"I would only do that after the reveal day or they will run with it. I'm not willing to answer all their questions so thoroughly."
"Good idea."
It's quiet a few more minutes before Freed asks what has been nothing him for the last few minutes. "Why are we headed to Lucy's?"
"What?"
"Are we going to check on Bixlow?"
"I didn't even realise we were headed to Blondie's. We really are?"
"Yes. The road up ahead is where you would turn to get to the same street her apartment's on. Are you sure you didn't realise it?"
"I didn't intend to go there, honestly. We were just walking and we ended up here."
"As if it were...natural." Laxus keeps walking, even as Freed slows with his thoughts. Maybe... "You know what? Let's go to Lucy's and check on Bixlow."
"Really?"
"Absolutely."
"Alright! Let's get going then." He grabs Freed's hand and sets off at a slightly quicker pace as Freed grins.
I might be wrong, but I think his instincts are calling him back here because Lucy might be back soon. He has been so anxious since rising this morning. I just hope I'm not wrong. They get into Lucy's apartment and meet up with Bixlow, who looks terrible. "I'm going to make you something to eat and you had better eat it," Freed says, pulling up his hair and walking to the kitchen.
"Why? Ever's coming over later."
"You should eat more than once a day, and certainly more than one of Ever's meals." He gets started in the kitchen as Laxus subtly checks out all of the rooms. When he comes back through, Freed can't help but think the man is even more agitated. "Why don't you take a nap, Laxus? Show Bixlow that anyone can take one."
"Quit mothering me," he snaps, but goes and lies on the couch anyway.
Bixlow gets up from his cross-legged position on the living room floor to walk into the kitchen. "What's with him? You two fight?"
"No, he just knows he can't get rid of me, even with all I know."
"I can hear you guys talk you know."
"You don't have to listen."
"Just put up a silence wall you dope; you wanted me to rest." Freed laughs, but casts Silence anyway.
"He's listening to you."
"It is a bit odd, but I help him out. Today though, I think Lucy is going to come back."
"Today?"
"Laxus is severely agitated and is moving on instinct. We only passed by the guild before walking to the park and then here. The closer we got here, the faster he walked. By the end he was pulling me along."
"Why does that mean Lucy is coming back?"
"She's kin, and that's what is moving him around is my guess. I think his instincts are kicking in and he doesn't realise quite what it means yet."
"So you think it is today?"
"I am really hoping that's what this means. I would not like to take his state meaning that something has gone wrong."
"So you brought him here to satisfy your curiosity? That's just wrong, Freed."
"I did not! He was going to come here anyway. I just had thoughts about it is all, Bix, nothing wrong."
"So what will you do if nothing happens today?"
"I honestly don't think he's going to move until something happens, and I'm just hoping it's good. Now, would you like fish or chicken?"
Nothing happens through lunch and Laxus asks Bixlow what he does all day. "Well, mostly I just sit on the floor like I was earlier so I don't disturb things and I mull over everything and search for her soul until Ever comes with food, then after talking with her a bit and catching up on the events of the day, I end up passing out from my constant use of magic to probe the universe for her. Oh, and I chill with my babies. They keep watch for Loke as I search. I'm also looking for a location on Selena, but that hasn't popped up anything yet."
"Well, it's good you're not starving yourself doing nothing, but if you're really working that much, then you must eat more."
"I'm eating fine. Geez, you really have turned into an old mother."
"Told you," Laxus interjects.
"Shut up and rest." Freed says before going back to Bixlow as he reads. "Look, I know that you put it on yourself to stay here and wait for her for us, but that doesn't mean you have to fas-"
"Shut up, Freed!"
"No! Neglecting one's health is not-hmph!"
"Listen to the man!" Laxus says with a hand covering his mouth.
"Mwasahs!" Freed says, glaring at the man who just points to Bislow.
"Lecture him later, pet; I think he's onto something." Freed looks over to Bislow and sees him stock still with his visor on the floor.
His eyes look unseeingly at the empty air as his babies circle the air. He then looks sharply up and says "find". The babies break up to the different areas of the apartment only to head back into the kitchen. Bixlow gets up to follow them, so the other two silently follow him, and they all enter the kitchen just as Loke appears.
"Good heavens!" Loke says, clutching his heart. "How did you know I was coming? Most people can't anticipate such a thing. What were you trying to do, startling me by coming around the corner like that?"
"I've been studying this space for the past week. I'm so in tuned with it that I could feel you coming a while away. So what's the news?"
"A week?" He looks at Bixlow in confusion. "How could it be a week- oh right, the time differences. Sorry about not checking in then, it was a bit hectic. I just got back after getting her stable. She should recover fine. Can't do any world traveling for another hour though."
"She's fine?" Laxus asks, making sure he heard correctly.
"There may be some things different, but she will be pretty much healthy."
"That's good." Laxus then takes a powering up step and then punches the lion spirit right in the face, knocking off his sunglasses as he falls. "That's for leaving us hanging for eight days. Don't do it again."
"If I update you daily, that's about every fifteen minutes in the spirit world, give or take a couple. There wouldn't be much to say."
"All you would have to say is that she is doing fine or responding well and give an approximation of her return really. Just say something. Laxus was going mad," Freed tells him as Laxus walks away to update his grandfather on the lacrima.
"I couldn't even step away for the first hou-er, few days I guess, because I was helping with the surgery."
"You're a surgeon?"
"Not the best we have, but I was assisting the surgeon. I should have sent someone alone to update you guys I guess."
"At least now we know. Now," Freed looks at him seriously as Bixlow's babies get his visor as he watches them, "what's going to be different and why is she going to be 'pretty much' healthy?"
"You caught that, huh?"
"Tell me now or so help me you will face Laxus regarding withholding information on his kin."
"His kin?" His eyes go wide like he has seen a ghost.
"Lucy is apparently his kin. Some dragon slayer thing."
Loke pales. "A-about that..."
"What is it?"
"I was going to inform the Master about it because he is pretty much family. You see...well, seeing as it was major surgery and she had lost a lot of blood already, we kind of needed to replenish that blood lost."
"What happened to Cosplayer?" Bixlow asks, getting anxious again.
"Well, we were going to use her spirit's blood to do a transfusion, but..."
"What did you do?" Freed asks, not liking how Loke is looking.
Laxus walks into the room and sees the pale spirit. "What happened?"
"Y-you're her k-kin?" Loke asks.
"Yes. What happened?"
Loke takes a deep breath and rights himself to stare right into Laxus's eyes, letting his position and years of life show in his eyes. "On behalf of the Spirt King, I, Leo the Lion, head of the Zodiacs, must relay this message to Lucy Heartfilia's next of kin in regards to the medical procedure undergone hours ago at the Lion Estate in the Celestial Kingdom. Do you, Laxus Dreyar, formally acknowledge yourself to be in this position and accept to hear this message pertaining to Lucy Heartfilia?"
"Why are you acting like this? It's freaking me out a little."
"Laxus, as kin, you're technically the only family she legally has left," Freed says. "He says he was going to talk to Master about this, but after he found out about the dragon kin thing, the message is now apparently to you."
"Alright, but why is he being so formal?"
"I'm guessing confirming your status as kin in this manor practically makes it legal. It is more than a formality, it's law." Leo's eyes don't move and his face doesn't give anything away as they talk it out and Freed explains things to Laxus.
It takes a few minutes for the seriousness of the situation to hit him, but he stands up straight and faces him, looking him in the eye. "I, Laxus Dreyar, acknowledge myself to be her kin and accept this message." He says, mostly confident.
"Then we may proceed."