Jellal liked these summer days. They were long, the sun was bright, and the air was lovely and warm. They'd set up camp near a pretty little creek, with insects buzzing across the water's surface, and mysterious rustlings from the reed beds as creatures went about their daily tasks. He sat quietly, leaning comfortably against an ancient oak, eyes closed, soaking up the warmth from the dappled patches of sunlight that danced across his face. A few months had passed since he'd recruited the former members of the Oracion Seis into his guild, and so far things had gone relatively smoothly. There had been tensions to start with, even outright hostility at times, but everyone had settled into their roles and routines with surprising ease.
Sawyer had undoubtedly been the biggest challenge. It had taken weeks for him to even look at Jellal properly, and whenever they were forced into contact the speed wizard would respond curtly, and then retreat to the opposite side of the camp. Jellal had been genuinely worried that Sawyer would take off one day, running from his demons as usual. He would stare off into the horizon, as if it was drawing him in, but just at the moment he was about to take a step towards it, there would be a burst of chatter from someone, or Erik would subtly bump his shoulder, and Sawyer was grounded again. Jellal was grateful for these interventions, and pleased that Sawyer valued Crime Sorcière enough to remain, even if it was his friends he was staying for rather than the guild's self-appointed mission. But still, Sawyer was starting to find value in their work. He was now pleased whenever they took dark guilds down, rather than going through the motions like an automaton with no opinion on the outcome. Just a few days ago he'd insisted on tracking down some local kids who'd been drawn into local dark guild activity, and had lectured them at length on the merits of not wasting their lives on crime. Jellal worried they were more terrified than inspired, but the message had sunk in all the same.
Richard was an absolute blessing. He could defuse most nasty situations with ease, and took it upon himself to act as moderator during his guildmates' frequent squabbles. Jellal was quite sure someone would have died by now if Richard hadn't been with them; he had an apparently infinite stash of medical supplies, brought out most of the time because Sorano had a hang nail or had stepped on a thorn. Richard was also by far the best cook, and although Jellal tried to encourage everyone to take turns at cooking (Erik excluded, after he almost fed everyone poisonous mushrooms), he was always ready and willing to take someone else's shift. He and Richard would also talk about Wally, where he might be and what he might be doing. Jellal hadn't been sure how to react when Richard had first brought his brother up - the wounds of the past still lingered for many, after all. But there was no judgement from Richard, no resentment. He only wanted to talk about the future, about the bright new lives that awaited them all, and it gave Jellal hope that one day, they'd find true redemption and finally be released from their shackles.
Sorano and Meredy kept him on his toes. The two had formed quite the mischievous pair, and they could often be found huddled together gossiping. Occasionally they would shoot him quick glances, before looking away giggling. Whenever Jellal looked to Erik for hints, the dragon-slayer would just smirk, and make some vague comment, which never filled him with confidence. Despite the mockery, Jellal was happy they were getting on so well. Losing Ultear had been a devastating blow for them both, but for Meredy she'd lost the only mother figure she'd ever known, and if Sorano could even slightly fill that void he was glad. As for the former dark wizard herself, she seemed more determined than anyone to achieve redemption. She never spoke of her sister, but Macbeth had mentioned they'd been separated when Sorano had first been taken, and Jellal didn't press the issue. The woman was throwing herself into her studies though, determined to not to let the loss of her gate keys be the end of her wizardry. So far she'd mastered a few new spells, and their camp had mostly survived them.
Macbeth had been surprisingly placid, despite the horror and and violence of their first meeting upon Nirvana. He was quiet and kept himself to himself, but when he spoke, every member of the Seis stopped to listen. Despite his apparent authority, Jellal got the impression that Macbeth wasn't a natural born leader. Under a normal upbringing he'd probably have avoided such responsibility, but Brain had recognised his magical potential and moulded him into the perfect weapon and heir. Their former master was rarely mentioned by any of them. Whenever he was brought up, Macbeth would become more withdrawn than usual, and Jellal often saw great sadness in his face when he thought no one was looking. He understood that to Macbeth, Brain had been a father, and the man's betrayal had ripped a hole in him far larger than in his guildmates. The reflector mage hadn't come without his challenges however. More than once he'd gone overboard in a fight, hurting beyond what was necessary, and the whole alliance had nearly fallen apart when Jellal intervened in a particularly brutal, one-sided battle. That incident had brought Crime Sorcière to the very brink of catastrophe, but they had safely manoeuvred away from the edge.
And then there was Erik, the glue that held the Seis together. He knew when a comrade was in a bad mood even before they did, and wordlessly offered company, food or just a face to rant at whenever necessary. But for all his bravado and cockiness, Erik was also shy and sensitive, preferring to spend much of his time with animals rather than people. He'd already taken in an assortment of injured wildlife, including rodents, birds, reptiles, and he even persuaded Richard to use his magic to create a temporary isolation pool for a sick fish once. Jellal tried to draw the line at an abandoned wyvern hatchling, but the dragon slayer adamantly refused to leave until they could find its mother. Erik still maintained that this was the right decision even during their breakneck retreat through the forest when said angry wyvern mother returned. The man was also not above joining in with Meredy and Sorano's mockery; in fact, the three of them had an ongoing competition of sorts to see who could come up with the most ridiculous nickname, most of which Jellal found highly unrepeatable.
Something small and hard bounced off his temple then. Jellal blinked sleepily and rubbed his head.
"You're getting another one if you're not careful," Erik warned, tossing and catching an acorn from his position under a neighbouring tree. He was scowling.
Sorano yawned from her sunbathing spot on the bank of the creek. "What's he doing?" she murmured.
"He keeps thinking about us. I can't get a moment's peace".
"The perv," Sorano said, groping around until she found her own acorn, which she launched behind her in Jellal's general direction. Luckily for Jellal, Sorano's aim was off, and the acorn struck Sawyer, who'd just returned from a run, squarely between the eyes.
"What the hell!" he spluttered indignantly, before grabbing a handful and raining them all down upon Sorano.
So started the first acorn war. Meredy quickly teamed up with Sorano, and they both bullied Richard into being their human shield. Erik and Sawyer formed another team, using Sawyer's speed to launch rapid fire attacks against the enemy's rear. Macbeth snored on in the bed of leaves he'd created beside Jellal, and any errant projectiles bounced harmlessly off his shield. Jellal sighed, but smiled gently. While Crime Sorcière may still be fractious and shaky at times, Jellal was sure their bonds would cement, and give all of them the sense of family they'd been missing for so long.