*Makarov's POV*
Master Makarov looked out at the guild from his usual spot on top of the counter. A few minutes before, August had burst through the door. His appearance had gone unnoticed by many of the usual members, but Makarov knew what it ment.
The boy hadn't run after all. It seemed the guild had won him over.
The master wasn't surprised enough to be relieved, thought the sight of the guild's newest addition did give him some ease. The appearance of August combined with the relatively quiet atmosphere of the guild in it's rowdiest members' absence made him feel almost surreal. But that didn't mean the master wasn't eagerly awaiting the others' return.
He had been expecting that they would spend the night in Hargeon, but now that the first twenty four hours were coming to a close, he was starting to wonder when they would be returning. He was curious to know who had really sent the job request.
curious to see what had become of his talk with Natsu.
The master's eyes were drawn to the door again when he noticed Gajeel enter. The man lingered there for a moment, scanning the crowd, his eyes finally falling on August who, rather than sulking at his usual spot at the bar, had opted for a table near the center of the room. Gajeel watched him for a few moments before turning away and walking toward the master instead.
The old man watched him approach silently, waiting for Gajeel to be the first to speak.
"Didn't get the chance to check in with you last night." Gajeel said, "thought you might want to hear how it went."
The offer wasn't what the master had been expecting, but he took it in stride. "If you don't mind," he said, hopping down from the bar, "let's go to my office."
Gajeel followed him casually, but didn't miss the way August was watching them disappear behind the bar from his seat in the middle of the hall. The master strode into his office without looking to see if Gajeel was following, sitting down at his desk and leaving the door open for the younger man to close.
"How did it go?" he asked once they had both found their seats.
"Fine I guess," Gajeel shrugged, completely at ease under the master's watchful gaze. "He didn't talk about anything sensitive. Once I got him out the door, it was just the same as before everythin' went down with Natsu and the kid."
"And before you got out the door?"
Gajeel let out a half hearted smile, his hand idly creeping up to scratch the back of his neck. "Well it wasn't pretty, but I'll get over it."
The master raised an eyebrow.
"He went for some low blows is all." Gajeel said, "probably trying to pick a fight. He backed off when I didn't go for it though."
The master stroked his beard slowly. Quick to anger, but quick to simmer down too. Not the worst traits to have.
"Whatcha say to him when he came back in anyway?" Gajeel asked conversationally.
"I took his Lacrama bracelet away." the master said, his mind still elsewhere.
"You what?"
The master blinked. "Well he couldn't very well sleep in my office forever." he said, "I let him go home."
Gajeel seemed on the verge of protest, but then broke out into a grin. "Well it looks like it worked. He's still here isn't' he?"
"It would seem so."
"So are you gonna take Violet's lacrima too then?"
The master let out a sigh. "I've yet to decide."
It wasn't what Gajeel had been expecting. "You don't trust her do you?"
The master didn't want to respond to such an absolute, but he didn't want to dodge the question entirely either. "As soon as August received his archive magic he started to see the flaws in Justice Valerie. But Violet...the thought that her guild could have been bad all along is still a new idea to her."
"Guess I hadn't thought of it that way." Gajeel sighed.
"August has been dealing with his sudden reveal of identity by convincing himself he doesn't enjoy Fairy Tail. lying to himself, as instantly and flawlessly as he once lied to others. But it would appear that the truth came out when he returned to the guild on his own volition this morning."
"So we give Violet that same choice right, get her to choose Fairy Tail over running."
"It's not that simple." the master said. Because Violet didn't want to run. She wanted to hide. She too had found in Fairy Tail what she had not felt anywhere else. But rather than convince herself she didn't want it, she convinced herself that it didn't want her.
"It would seem that Violet's current coping mechanism is to isolate herself." the master said. She had to let someone over those walls before they crushed her.
"Well use August then." Gajeel said.
"Pardon?"
"If she's cutting herself off, then use someone she already trusts to convince her to stay."
The answer seemed simple enough. The master started to smile. If anyone could help Violet it would be August. Lead him in the right direction and she would follow. It was the perfect plan.
As long as August stayed on the right path.
*Violet's POV*
I was determined not to look behind me on the walk back to the train. I knew that Natsu and the others were fowling a few yards behind me, lingering just on the border of my ear shot.
It was obvious who they were talking about. I didn't want to know what they were saying. I had already embarrassed myself enough for an entire lifetime on that porch.
Asking Natsu what his emotions were called... Stupid. Now I seemed like even more of a socially stunted freak than they already thought I was. Surely now it can't get any worse.
And yet...the tone of his voice… when he spoke, it echoed back and forth in my head, the taste of the sound almost as strong as the words themselves. Violet, it's called comparison. Violet, it's called companion. Just the memory of it sent a shiver down my spine.
When he had given his answer, he hadn't been mocking me. Nor had there been pity, and thus nothing negative to deny. It had been compassion in him then too. And I wondered if it had always been there, mixed in with that power I had always felt boiling under the surface. I'd come face to face with that power in those woods alright. But it hadn't been during the battle. It had been when he lifted his hand as if to strike me, and brought it down to give comfort.
Comfort I didn't want.
And that scared me more than all the fire in the world.
