Extremely long AN (sorry): I want to apologise for the wait for this chapter. I only meant to delay a few days after 49 while I touched it up, only to discover I didn't like it much and life kinda… happened. I still don't like it much, the flow is off entirely and life is still happening, but if I scrap it and re-write well… we could be months.
This is supposed to be the last chapter in Fairy Lore –because my prompt list only goes to fifty. However the few people I've mentioned this to seem upset about it, so, if my readers want to send me prompts or requests (one or two or ten, in a review or PM -rhyme unintentional- a phrase or a word, a scene you'd like to see… whatever :D ) then I may consider going another fifty chapters.
If not and I do finish Fairy Lore here, then thanks to everyone who reviewed, favoured, put me on alert+ or just read and enjoyed. In particular I want to thank Mooncry without whom you wouldn't have had Mirajane telling Gray he's 'too sexy for his shirt' in "Wizard of Oz" or Happy doing the Nya Nya dance in "Wrong button" –see? I do take requests! Thanks also to Nika-nee with whom I go over every new episode and manga chapter, if I have the characters down, it's because I've gone over them with her first (on that note, go read The Good Ship Titania, I gave her the prompt list for it and she's still managed to stun me into speechlessness with some of them. Her writing is uniformly fantastic) Thanks I'm-too-emo-for-this for unwavering NaLu support, Alyson Metallium for unwavering LucyLoke support (and reminding me of my beginnings as a fanfic author –I have progressed!) and AlionAcid whose timely review put a smile on my face and pushed me into finally posting this.
Phew, note over, I hope to hear your prompts soon, if not, I'll see you in my next FT work
~Maddy
50. "Pass me another."
Lucy had read more than enough trashy romance novels to understand that love was probably the single most horrific experience one could go through. There was the fear of rejection, the pain if you had to watch your interest with someone else, the potential to destroy what relationship you already had, the possibility that you may act ridiculously out-of-character in order to please someone else. Love, she decided, invariably made idiots out of people.
So when she did fall in love, she realised that her only course of action was to call an emergency girl's night in and get utterly drunk. There was no more logic to it than going into denial about it –but at the very least she'd feel better for a while.
Erza's suite of rooms was turned into a haven of pillows, chocolates, cocktails, cosmetics and nail-file, as the girls went through the ritual of pamper-ourselves-before-gossip. Fortunately for Lucy's plans for the evening, Cana brought the drink along. Her not infrequent requests of "Pass me another" were met by the barrel rather than the glass and she was soon well on her way to peaceful oblivion. Erza meanwhile, made sure Wendy didn't get her hands on anything stronger than fruit juice.
"This had better be more than just a crush" Cana complained, watching as another of her 'boyfriends' was discarded, empty. At the very least Lucy hadn't decimated that one on her own –Levy and Juvia had helped.
"Nope" Lucy, slightly more-than-tipsy, swayed as she replied "i's actual love." The whole room turned to look at her expectantly now that she had opened the topic and she flushed "…probably"
"My, my, Lucy, don't tease!" Mirajane protested "At the very least tell us who it is you 'probably' love."
"Eh?" Lucy had the audacity to look surprised "You mean I'm not the last person to fig- to fig- fig- last to know?" apparently the word 'figure' was too complicated for Lucy's current state of inebriation.
"You're kidding right?" Cana asked "You're always off with Natsu and Gray, you have practically unlimited access to Loke… could be any of them -heck, depending on your preference maybe even Erza."
Lucy stared at Cana in shock, face bright red from more than just the alcohol. Erza, still completely sober, smiled benignly "I'd be honoured –but in that case wouldn't Levy be a better match?"
"That's a great idea! Why didn't I think of it!" Said blunette exclaimed, rushing over to throw her arms around Lucy's shoulders "Just think, you can write and I'll edit and we'd have so much fun and~"
"Le—v-y-chan" Lucy interrupted and Levy paused in her ramblings "N-no more sugar f'r you, 'kay?"
"Ah, okay Lu-chan!" Levy smiled brightly, a very happy drunk.
"I think you're all missing someone" Mirajane put in and everyone focused on (or at least turned to face) her "Happy."
Wendy was the first to break into giggles, breaking the stunned silence which followed that suggestion. Soon enough everyone followed.
"Not that Happy isn't 'mazing" Lucy managed after several deep breaths "but I l-ike my lovers… taller." She giggled, waving her hand somewhere over her head.
"Ah, but you'd be so cute together!" Mira persisted. Juvia nodded in agreement. Infact, so long as she wasn't paired with Gray, Juvia would cheer Lucy on with any romantic endeavour, even Happy.
"Chocolate please" Bisca called, unable to help herself as she waited for a new coat of nail polish to dry. Levy disentangled herself from Lucy long enough to crawl over and help the gunslinger. "-cheers hun. Now Lucy, it's one thing being in love with a fella, 'nother thing entirely to do summat about it" she managed round a caramel crème. "Tell us who your man is, and we'll come up with a plan."
"I 'ave a plan" Lucy insisted and indicated her glass "I'm going to get really, really, reallyreallyreallyreally drunk and hope i's all taken care of in the morning."
"Well you're halfway there already" Cana murmured at the same time as Levy said "I like this plan" and proceeded to pour another round of drinks.
Mirajane pouted "But you still haven't told us who! Except that it's not Happy."
"You're not really one to be talking about plans now are you, Bisca?" Erza asked, cutting across Mira completely "Have you confessed yet?" Bisca blushed and looked away disgruntled.
"Who is it you like, Bisca?" Wendy asked and the whole room looked at her in shock.
"I know you're new kid, but open your eyes from time-to-time huh?" Cana laughed. "Who's the only guy you ever see Bisca with?"
"By that logic should we be pairing you off with the only guy we see you with?" Bisca shot back, but instead of blushing and backing off as expected, Cana leaned forward with a smirk
"Sure, if it gets you two to stop dancing round each other."
"Listen you, I ain't dancin' and I woulda-"
"Ladies" Erza interrupted in a voice that brooked no opposition, she then pointed at Lucy and Levy who were both completely dead to world, drooling on each other's shoulders, and Juvia who was struggling not to join them in slumber-land. The unspoken commands were received loud and clear.
"Bedtime kiddo" Cana said, standing up and scooping Wendy onto one of the smaller piles of pillows, as Erza distributed blankets.
"But I'm not tired" Wendy lied as she was placed down.
"But I still don't know who!" Mira complained as Erza hovered over her with a blanket
"Whose love life were we talking about Mira?" Erza asked, apprising the half-glazed look in transforming expert's eyes.
"Happy's"
"I thought as much. Go to sleep Mira, even if Lucy had said, you wouldn't remember in the morning."
"Why would… L …ucy… say…" Mira forced out before succumbing herself to the effects of too much of a good thing. Erza suspected that Mirajane had put away more than Lucy and Levy did between them. The Demon wasn't usually so easily put off the scent of gossip.
With everyone else asleep, Erza, Bisca and Cana shared a glance. Cana was the first to sigh and give in.
"Best odds are on Loke, he actually shows an interest."
"Has to be Natsu" Erza disagreed "Those two always seem to wind up together. Even when we're out as a team and he's the first one of us she met, they've spent the longest together."
"I've seen Gray give her more than a few o' those looks though, an' we sure see enough of him to be getting on with." Bisca voiced her own opinion.
"Please, every man in the guild has given her at least one of those looks, half of the women have too. And I don't see either of them telling Juvia to back off. If even one of them was interested in the other they'd have snapped at her by now." Cana replied "My money's still on Loke."
"The immortal womaniser?" Erza asked "I know Lucy is a believer in the equality of her stellar spirits, but Loke tries to charm every pretty girl he meets and Lucy knows it. He'd have to be seriously trying to win her for Lucy to even consider him romantically -I doubt if he knows how. That's assuming his flirting is any more than Loke being Loke."
"So you think Natsu then, but is he even an option?" Bisca asked "It hasn't really been that long since… I doubt he's encouraging her at all" she finished with a sad look in Mira's direction. All three sighed and looked down. In danger of slipping into melancholy, Cana shifted breaking the threatening gloom with a grin.
"Well, there's a chance we could all be wrong. Maybe it really is Happy."
