Disclaimer: I claim no ownership over 'Fairy Tail' nor am I profiting from this.
I am very much alive despite having disappeared for months. Yes, things have settled down for now - but that remains up in the air. Thank you so much for remaining around.
Mira insists on resuming their routine with the promise that it's cleansing. People have already discovered new gossip and either lost interest in their scandal or temporarily forgotten. Leaving the house and socializing with other people will be beneficial. Guild members are beginning to express concern over their wellbeing and are threatening to break the door down.
Mira's persistence begins teetering between well-meaning sisterly affection and an overbearing mother hen. Eventually its enough to sway her brother, but she forgets to mention the part where she intends on using a casual pace and addressing the occasional stares. Mira's sunshiny smile keeps potential whispers quiet and minimizes staring.
Lucy, frustrated with their pace rushes ahead and then hurries back to stutter on what she observed. Picking them up and sprinting would be much easier, but she refuses to move any faster. Worse, she maintains a firm grip on his arm to prevent him from running off.
"I arranged things in advance," she promises. "I knew people would be curious and have questions, which you wouldn't be eager to answer right now. Everyone has been discouraged from giving advice and asking questions."
"I would much rather people be real men," he grumbles. "Ask questions and give whatever advice is supposed to be helpful. You better recognize and accept that its probably going to be rejected."
Mira squeezes his arm. "I've done everything in my power to make this more comfortable. Do you remember our signal for when things become too much? Don't hesitate to use it."
Promises no longer matter even when it comes from his sister. For every awful scenario that runs through this mind, he could admit that being somewhere other than the house was a welcome change. True, he's been sneaking off in the mornings for training, but that involves little interaction with others. He's been forced into taking a short break from the training with Mira worried he could injure something. Taking a break has forced him to acknowledge his sore spots and recognize that a break in the routine is perhaps necessary, though he's allowed complaints.
"I don't intend on sneaking off," he sighs. "I can't run away with how sore everything is and that will get rumors going again. I can always just step outside should something become too much."
Mira gives his arm another squeeze. "Don't forget to use our signal. Everyone will understand."
Everyone isn't a large group. Laxus scans the board and nurses his drink while Master Makarov dozes against the bar. A couple teams discuss prior work, upcoming events while some pause to raise a hand in greeting. Mira corrals Lucy toward an empty table where paper and crayons wait. Right, he's supposed to begin settling back into a routine now.
Hovering or sitting near the teams is tempting, but he can't pick up work until everything here settles and teams have been known to be somewhat cliquish. Master Makarov's peaceful naps are a rarity especially when his grandson is around, but Laxus appears to be his best chance for some company right now.
"Well, have you found anything worth taking?" Elfman asks. "I owe you for borrowing Freed so much. I can't take any work right now but,"
Laxus takes a long drink. "I don't want anything back. Just do the right thing for her, okay?"
"What's the right thing for her?"
"I don't know the right thing for her." Laxus shrugs. "I do know this: were we the children missing? Mira would exhaust her resources just hoping she could discover some lead. I can't see my father being upset other than knowing he lost an experiment that couldn't complain without being beaten. Yeah, my grandfather would care but that's it."
Master Makarov had allowed them to search for Lisanna's body for weeks until he deemed it necessary to begin moving on. Every guild member cared then and everyone cared now. Laxus' father wouldn't have even tried to search for him. A new experiment would show up eventually.
"You can be apologetic for how things happened. You shouldn't have become attached but then several people here became attached to her." Laxus gives him a hard pat on the shoulder. "Don't enter this with further assumptions or hopes."
Her voice wobbles as she raises the picture. "Frand?"
"Yeah, I understand."