Gray was not impressed. "This is Level E?"

Lying on a deckchair beside him, Erza nodded. "Yes."

"I expected something like going after bandits. Or a wyvern hunt." He frowned moodily. "Not this."

"Are you dissatisfied with my choice, Gray?"

"Didn't say that," he replied, sinking into his chair rebelliously. "I just don't see how this has got anything to do with S-class training."

It was true. S-Class quests had to do with going outside and actually doing shit. That was what Erza always did. He was pretty sure she never went and sat behind a desk. Unlike him.

And it was a perfect day to be out and about, too! The sun was shining, the birds were chirping. To be forced to stay indoors was a crime! Gray wanted to protest on behalf of all the white-collar workers of the world.

"It might not be apparent, but this is important," he heard Erza say. "Would you like me to explain my reasoning?"

"Please."

Putting aside the magazine she'd been leafing through, Erza looked up at him. "Your magic isn't ideal for brute force approaches. That isn't your style, either. You are brilliantly creative with how you use your magic, Gray, and I have always admired it."

Gray cleared his throat. "Uhh. Thanks."

"You're welcome. My point is that you use your wits to win, unlike Natsu and I. You rely very heavily on your imagination. Your magic caters to this." She nodded to herself. "And that is why we are here."

"At an ad agency?"

"Correct. Advertising is the epitome of creativity. Posters and slogans, pictures and words, and with just that, you are compelled to buy things you don't need." Erza shook her head. "Truly daunting."

You would know, he thought, but kept it to himself. "In that case, should we really be advocating it?"

"Absolutely. It's for a good cause."

Gray sighed and looked down at his desk. A new bakery was being opened. His job was to come up with a few catchy slogans. So far, he had nothing.

"This and Ice Make are nothing alike," he mumbled belligerently. "I can't do this."

"On the field, you don't get to choose when and when not your creativity works. Especially on S-Class quests." She picked up the magazine. "You owe it to yourself to always be ready. No matter what, you must be prepared to act, even if you don't know how. Your life, and those of others, might depend on it."

"Well, couldn't you at least give me a coupla ideas?"

"You were the one who complained about feeling like furniture. Enjoy your increased involvement."

Gray silently glowered at her. This is not what I had in mind and you know it!

"The faster you finish, the faster we can leave," she added without looking up. Gray immediately turned towards his desk. Did she hear my thoughts? What even are you? He picked up the pencil. Best not tempt her any more.

So, Gray dropped his cheek into his hand and got to work. The agency person had told him the basics of advertising. There were theories and models. The psychology was interesting, he wouldn't lie, but he wasn't equipped to handle it. Not with so little training.

The main thing is to get their attention, the guy had said. If they're thinking about it and talking about it, then the campaign was successful. Gray had to agree. Erza was mostly thinking about cake. What magic the cruel confections had worked on her, he didn't know.

Sighing out of his nose, Gray scribbled atop the page in tiny letters: aidas.

Attention. Interest. Desire. Action. Satisfaction. AIDAS. The model on which all advertising was based. Catch their attention, generate interest, make them desire it, get them to buy, and make sure they're satisfied. On top of that, there was doing market research, catering to the target audience… it was all so complicated.

He twirled the pencil between his fingers. What was so great about cake? He glanced at Erza. What did she like about cake so much? The number of times he'd seen her smiling to herself while licking the spoon… she took her cake very seriously. It was pretty cute, as far he was concerned. The thought made him smile.

She was reading an article with interest now, her brows arched and lips pursed. Maybe it was about swords. Or armour. Whatever it was, she seemed really invested. Gray had always liked her focus and determination. She got worked up about the darnedest things. Cake, most of all.

Ah well, he thought, shrugging. Whatever makes her happy.

He'd seen her cry too many times. If cake kept the tears away, then it was good enough. Apparently, cake was a mood enhancer. For Erza, anyway.

Smiling, he wrote down mood at the bottom of the page.

A good mood food.

Gray straightened. Then he wrote down food beside mood. He stared at the words, his smile widening.

Eureka!

Suddenly, he had an idea. A catchy slogan he would deliver, all right. But would that suffice? He glanced at Erza again.

She was the target audience. She was a cake fanatic. What did Erza like? How would he sell a cake to Erza? She'll eat anything remotely related to cakes. She's easy like that. Gray shook his head. Erza represented the cake loving public. How would he catch her attention? How would he hold her interest? How would he make her desire–

Don't go there. Nothing good ever came of thinking about that.

Gray tapped the pencil against the desktop. Erza had always been the one to catch and keep his attention. She'd had it ever since she first walked into the guild. She kept it through all the times she'd handed him his ass. He'd wanted to be like her. He'd worked towards that, pushing himself harder and harder through the years.

But what about satisfaction?

He had no answer to that.

Again, he turned his gaze towards her. She was still reading. Probably didn't notice him staring. For the best. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

The human eye was a marvel. It gathered information so accurately that Gray sometimes didn't know what to do with it. This visual information, once collected, could be recalled innumerable times. Sometimes involuntarily. And one of the most haunting images he could recall was of Erza crying. He never wanted it to happen again.

But he remembered every detail. He could visualise it behind his lids no problem.

The human eye was indeed a marvel. When people were sad, it leaked water. It made no sense. But it made his heart clench. Every time.

His fingers moved before he knew what he was doing. The lead danced over the paper, independent of his thoughts. Gray let it. He didn't overthink it.

The room was silent other than Erza's soft breathing, the turning of pages and the scratching of pencil on paper. Gray didn't mind. It all added to the atmosphere. He worked steadily for two hours before he was satisfied with what he had. He made minor adjustments, but the overall concept was finished.

Erza looked up as he leant back and stretched. "Are you done?"

"Yep."

"Can I see?"

"Be my guest."

Putting her magazine down on her lap, Erza reached out and took the sheet of foolscap from his desk. Gray closed his eyes, his fingers interlaced behind his head. He heard a sharp intake of breath.

"Gray, this is…"

"Yeah." Words alone wouldn't have done it. Not everybody was a fanatic like Erza. They'd need something more. Something visual. "You like it?"

"I… I don't know what to say." Her voice was quiet. "I didn't know you could draw this well."

Gray shrugged. "Ice Make is about visualising. You can't create something you can't see in your head. You need to know every detail. Starting out, it was hard." He opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. "So, Ul had me draw. Sketch stuff, you know. Helped me think in shapes. I liked doing it, so I stuck with it. I used to sketch mountains and trees and snowflakes. Weapons, animals, what have you. Just practice." He glanced at her. "Think it'll work?"

"Yes," Erza replied. She was smiling gently at the paper. "I think it will."

Gray hummed. He knew what she was looking at. Four separate images, drawn in sequence. The first was of a little girl crying by herself. The next one showed her looking at a cake that had appeared at her side as if by magic. In the third image, she was taking a tentative bite. The final one showed her smiling happily, eyes closed and hand on cheek in wonderment. Below were the words: Sweet Food to Lift Your Mood.

It wasn't a revolutionary idea or anything. Really, it was pretty simple. But simple ideas usually worked best.

"C'mon, then," Gray said and rose to his feet. "Let's submit it and get out. I don't wanna spend all day cooped up in here."

Chuckling, Erza followed suit. "I agree. I think you did a fantastic job, Gray. You gave more than what they asked, so a bump in pay is in order."

"It's fine-"

"Nonsense! Hard work must always be rewarded!" She held up a determined fist. "Haggling is also a requirement for an S-Class mage. I shall show you how it's done."

With that, Erza strode off towards the door. Gray watched her go and laughed quietly before following her.

She hadn't commented on how the girl in his ad bore an uncanny resemblance to herself when she was that age. And he was grateful for that.