Definition: to fasten together with one or more paper clips:

Example: Paper-clip these letters and file them.

October 31, 791

Lahar sat at the bar in his favorite dive in Haregeon, nursing a drink he'd gotten upon arriving four hours ago. Enjoying the semi-quiet solitude as the masses began to arrive. Contrary to the popular belief of those around him, he did have things he liked to do outside of his duty both to work and family. And Halloween happened to be one of them. Even if it wasn't for the reason everyone else like the holiday, he took a perverse sense of pleasure in it.

As a child he didn't understand the hype of dressing up, getting candy from people that were almost strangers and the silly parties with games. But what he did enjoy was watching the other kids dress up and act like fools in his opinion. And as he grew into adulthood that enjoyment became the perverse pleasure he now took in watching other adults get dressed up like childish morons and get drunk. Something else he took great amusement in, watching drunk people make complete asses of themselves.

Feeling his lips twitch into a smile at that thought, Lahar lifted his beer to lips and sipped at it slowly. Already tuning out the sounds of the people that had arrived already. Knowing that no one here would recognize him with what he was wearing. Again it was a much talked about thing that he owned nothing but several pairs of his uniform to wear when he was off duty. When in fact that he was rather fond of a pair of comfy jeans, T-shirts and the baseball cap he was wearing to hide his hair. All in black of course since he detested the color white with an unholy passion, as it was his family's color he was forced to wear his whole life and the uniform color for the magic council now too.

A nod from the bartender caught his eye, indicating that more people just showed up. Lifting his head in return, Lahar spun around on his bar stool to get a look at the new arrivals. Only to raising his eyebrows upon his forehead, as he looked at the oddly dressed trio from under the bill of his cap. It was three women and they were all dressed in high-end looking clothing. Though his brain quickly processed that it was what their costumes called for, as they made their way to the dance floor without hesitation.

Curling his lip a bit in a mocking sneer, he watched as they began to blend in with the crowd already there. Their bodies catching the beat and swaying in a seductive manner to the music, quickly drawing a lot of guys to them in short succession. Lahar chooses that moment to turn around and go back to his drink. Catching the small, amused grin on the bartender's face as he looked down at the bar top. The man was used to Lahar after the last nine years of him being here on a regular basis and had become more or less a friend in that time.

Letting his mind go back to the thing that had been bothering him since his random meeting in August with a certain blond mage. He had been waiting for Doranbolt to come up to him and bemoan losing a bet. But not once over the last two months now, had his partner and friend said a singular thing. Making him wonder if it was intentional to see if he would snap, or perhaps that Lucy hadn't said a single thing about meeting him at the function. Hoping the latter was correct since he didn't want to deal with Doranbolts dramatic sense of being.

Time continued to creep on as the night passed by, giving Lahar time to feel more than buzzed. Glancing at the clock, Lahar saw that it was almost eleven o'clock. Letting a small sigh escape his lips, he put a nice amount of Jewels down on the bar to pay for his tab he'd racked up for the five hours he'd been there, with a tip like usual. Slipping from his stool, Lahar made his way to the back entrance of the bar, so he could avoid the crowd that was now in the small building. Looking back over his shoulder, throwing a wave goodbye as he pushed the door open and stepping out.

The chill late fall weather hitting him hard, making Lahar shiver a bit as he mentally berated himself for not remembering to bring his jacket. Shrugging it off as he shoved his hands in his pockets, he began walking towards the main street from the alley. The thrumming beats of the bass of the music still heard as he came to the edge of the alley. Coming to a halt to look up at the sky, seeing the full moon with an orange tint to it in the clear night sky.

Appreciating the quiet and beauty of it, Lahar frowned when the sounds of a scuffle reached his ears. Ruining the moment for him, as he turned his gaze towards where the sounds were coming from. As a female voice resounding over the muted music, followed by a resounding crack of skin hitting skin. Narrowing his eyes, Lahar let his instincts move his feet forward, hoping that it wasn't too serious. He didn't want to end his day off with a domestic issue and paperwork.

Crossing in front of the bar and reaching the other alleyway, he saw one of the well-dressed women from earlier letting out a pained hiss as the male grabbed her wrist. The lewd look in his eyes as his other arm moved forward grabbing her shirt and jerking her towards him. Lahar let out a low hiss and shot forward, just as the man spoke about getting what was owed him for her teasing.

As the woman denied the man about teasing him and began to use her free hand to try to detach the man's hand from her shirt, Lahar closed the distance. Reaching out he grasped the hand holding the woman's while driving his other hand up into the man's armpit. Straight into the muscles that allowed him to lift and rotate it, drawing a gasp of pain from the man. Feeling the muscles in the arm relax as he released the woman's wrist.

Looking up at the man from under his cap, Lahar felt a cold smile spread across his face as he withdrew his free hand, snapping it straight into man's sternum. Forcing the man now in pain to step back, his eyes wide as the breath left him. Not wanting to stop the moment, once he saw that man had let completely go of the woman, Lahar spun his body so he came up and under the arm, he was still holding, jerking it behind the man and pinning the hand between his shoulder blades.

"I don't really care what your reasons are, but it is rude to harm a lady. More so when she has apparently expressed her disinterest in your attention. As well as denied any enticement or teasing towards you sir. So if I let you go, you will just leave and act like nothing has happened, right." He stated more than asked as he spoke, giving a jerk of the man's arm to really drive the point home.

When the man whimpered a yes as he shook his head, Lahar let him go and pushed him forward and to the side. Watching carefully and ready to act again as the man stumbled, before catching himself and righting himself. Getting a dark glare from the man, Lahar lifted his head up more, so that the man could see the look in his eyes of how serious he was. Only to grin malevolently as the man took off at the look on his face.

After a few seconds, Lahar shook his head and glanced around. Seeing the woman sitting on the ground, hunched over. He assumed she was possibly dazed as he looked at the top of her head, that had a few strands of blonde hair escaping from the well-coiffed and tight bun. Coughing politely, Lahar thrust out his hand out in the offer to help her stand up. Earning a brief peek from the woman as she lifted a hand out and grasped his. With a quick pull, he had her standing up and giving him a wary look as a soft smile curved her full lips.

Hoping she was okay, Lahar began to give her a once over to make sure that she was actually okay. Blinking once as he stared at her feet, noting that she was wearing three-inch black heels, that were partially covered from the well-tailored black slacks that framed her long legs and well-rounded hips. Before continuing up and noting that the black matching suit jacket had come open revealing a white button-up blouse to his eyes. What he saw there only to stop and jerk his eyes back up to her face, feeling a bit uncomfortable as heat flooded his cheeks. Being thankful that his cap and the darkness of the alley was hiding his face from view.

Swallowing a few times, Lahar opened his mouth only to be silenced as the sound of two females reached his ears. Drawing his attention to them, to see it was the two that she had arrived with earlier in the evening.

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Lucy stood there feeling a bit out of sorts with everything that had just happened as she stared at her savior. She hadn't expected anything like this to have happened when she had agreed to go out to Haregeon with Cana and Levy for Halloween to a small dive bar. It had been something she'd been looking forward too since she was already missing her best friend and teammate Natsu. Hardly believing that almost three months have come and gone since he'd left to train.

All she had wanted was some fresh air away from the now overly crowded interior. So she had excused herself, letting Levy know before leaving that she was just going to step out. Unaware that one of the men that had been dancing with her off and on since they'd arrive was following her out. That was where things had gone south quickly as he had forcefully grabbed her and drug her around the corner into the alley.

Of course not wanting to cause a scene, thus a bad wrap for Fairy Tail, she had tried to reason with the man that she wasn't interested. So when he had attempted to get a bit handsy, Lucy had slapped him in anger and self-defense. Next thing she knew her wrist was caught and the man was grasping the front of her shirt and jerking her to him. Even as she struggled to get away, which was looking futile. When a dark blur came out of nowhere and easily disabled the man as if it was nothing.

But that stunned shock when her capture had let go of her shirt while she was still pulling away, had her landing hard on her ass. More than a bit dazed, Lucy had just sat there watching and listening as the man took control of the situation. When he was finished, watching as the other man leave, she hung her head in sudden embarrassment. At least until he coughed and gave a hand to help her up, which she of course accepted.

Staying wary, she couldn't help but give him a smile in thanks, as she saw him giving her a brief look over. But when he snapped his face up and seemed to quit looking at her, Lucy wondered what was wrong. About to ask something when she heard Levy's voice, Lucy looked over her shoulder and smiled widely at her friends as relief flooded her system.

"Hey, are you okay? We came out because you were taking a bit of time. Saw one of the men you were dancing with run outta the alley holding his arm." Levy asked quickly as she came up to stand by her.

Giving a quick shake of her head, Lucy spoke, "I am okay. A bit stunned and my ego bruised you two. This man saved me."

With that she lifted her hand and pointed at the man, getting a deep throaty chuckle from Cana as she wrapped her arm over Lucy's shoulders. Leaving Lucy feeling a bit confused as she finally looked back the mystery man. Noting that he was looking anywhere but at her and fidgeting slightly. Wondering if something was wrong, she reached out to touch him, only to see him step back and his neck go an interesting shade of red.

Frowning as Cana started to laugh and Levy giggled behind her hands, Lucy looked at the man and spoke, "Sir are you alright? Are you hurt?"

When the man just raised his hand and waved them in front of himself, stepping further back giving her a look at his face in the dim light from one of the sidelights from the bar. Lucy blinked in shock as she realized who it was, as well as how red in the face he was as he continued to look above her head. Narrowing her eyes at his reactions, feeling he was being rude while she was being polite, she took a step forward, only having him look stricken.

About to lay into him, Lucy felt both her arms being grasped, just before Cana spoke, "Uh, Lucy you might wanna stop and think of why this poor man would be reacting like that. Take a good long look at yourself too."

Her words a bit broken due to her laughing harder now. But stopping, Lucy looked at Lahar as she began to replay everything in her head, only to feel her eyes go wide as she looked down at herself. Having her sudden fear confirmed, as she reached up and pulled the shirt shut. Her own face flooding with heat as she blushed just as darkly as he was that moment. Feeling embarrassment and shame flood her system at her actions to him trying to be polite. All the while her mind stuck on the fact that it was Lahar that had just saved her ass, wearing civilian clothes and at a bar.

"Uh... Sorry...sir." she muttered out as she peeked at him from under her bangs, before continuing on,"Uh Cana, Levy do either of you have something I can use to hold my shirt shut?"

Turning to look at them after asking, to only see both of them shake their heads no. Letting her shoulders slump as a small wave of sadness went through her. Only to jump with a squeak a few seconds later when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Spinning around she saw Lahar holding his hand out to her. Giving him a curious look as she lifted her hand to take what he was offering, before peeking at it.

In her hand sat two small silver paper clips, which had her looking at him in a confounded manner. Earning a shrug of his shoulder as he spoke, "Force of habit to never go anywhere without something to fiddle with if I get bored."

At his reply, she blinked and started to laugh full heartedly. With a small shake of her head, Lucy turned back towards were Cana and Levy had been, only to see the space they'd occupied empty. Rolling her eyes as she began to straighten one of the paperclips, so she could put it through the button holes to hopefully close the shirt up. After a few attempts, Lucy was able to get it to work by poking a hole where the button had been sewn on and twisting it shut.

As she started on the second buttonhole, Lahar spoke again, "So... Devil wears Prada huh?"

Giving a small chuckle, as she poked another new hole in the shirt, she replied, "Yeah. I love how Meryl Streep played her role. And Cana and Levy wanted to do female villains. At least I was in style, not Cruella DeVille and Maleficent from Disney right?"

Turning as she finished speaking, now that her shirt was more of less closed, Lucy saw Lahar still a bit red in the face, but an actual smile on his face. Transforming it into something completely amazing. When he just nodded in answer to the question, Lucy smiled brightly up at him before motioning at going back into the bar. Earning her a small nod no, as he stepped forward and around and left. Leaving her to stand there alone, in wonderment as she watched him walk off.