Disclaimer: I do not own Hiro Mashima's Fairy Tail, any work professionally associated with it, nor any references made such as songs. All original plots and characters are mine.
In a land far, far away lies the kingdom of Fiore, a small, peaceful nation of 17 million, and a place filled with Magic found in every home, bought and sold in every marketplace. For most, Magic is merely a tool, a mundane part of everyday life. For some, however, Magic is an art, and they've devoted their lives to its practice. These are the wizards. Banded together into magical guilds, they ply their skills in search of fame and fortune. Many such guilds dot the landscape of Fiore. But there is a certain guild in a certain town that soars high above the rest, one from which countless legends have been born. A guild that will no doubt continue to create legends well into the future. Its name...is Fairy Tail.
PREVIOUSLY, on Fairy Adventure, it looks like our heroes finally got a night to relax for New Year's Eve with parties to attend and loved ones to see—or maybe not see, in some cases. Somehow love and heartbreak were in the air on the eve before the New Year and had everyone's emotions ramped up and even right as the clock struck midnight, it just seems like our heroes' problems aren't ones to go away just yet. But at least choices were made in the right direction and it looks like Nashi and Gary are finally a couple.
"Good. It better be, dog. Because you're mine."
I'm pretty sure Gary was yours this whole time, Nashi. But I have to wonder now… How long will these happy moments last?
The little bench Nashi sat on right outside of Fairy Tail's Guild Master's office made her feel that same way whenever her mother would call on her or her siblings one by one into the living room whenever something was broken and no one wanted to fess up. So she fiddled with her Compact to keep herself calm, but her eyes kept trailing back to the business card she had in her hand.
It's been three weeks and I feel like I've done nothing, Nashi sighed. I came home a couple days into the new year. Gary thought it was a great idea for me to take the opportunity to make a difference, but still…
"You're doing it again."
Nashi shot Cat Form Býleistr a glare who was in the standard "cat loaf" position at her side. "I thought you hated being a pussy, but here you are."
Býleistr sighed. "I can actually sit in this form. My actual form breaks everything." He got up and did a big stretch. "Your boyfriend supports your choice and so do I. Why are you doubting yourself again?"
Nashi huffed. "Well, it's not like this is easy for me," she grumbled. "I'm just stressed and anxious. I've been trapped in Magnolia for the past two weeks trying to make sure everything was going well—"
"Little Moon has been trapped in Magnolia nearly her whole life," Býleistr unhelpfully pointed out.
Nashi did feel a twinge of guilt. "Yeah, I know," she mumbled. "I can't complain as much on that note. It's just weird to me. I'm so nervous if Master says it's not a good idea."
"We went over the proposal a dozen times," Býleistr reminded her. He placed a paw on her as he got to his feet and reached up to nuzzle under her chin. "You've got this. Take deep breaths and you'll be fine.
Nashi did so and nodded. "Okay."
CREEEEEEEAK…
Number Five stepped out with her chains around her ankles contradicted with her nice pants and sweater. "Master will see you now, Nashi."
Nashi got up as Býleistr poofed back into the Celestial Spirit Realm. As she passed Number Five, the normal stoic girl murmured, "Please be kind to yourself. Master will listen and support you as long as you support yourself."
Nashi blinked, taken back. "O-Oh… Thanks, Number Five." She headed in and passed Number Five's desk to go straight to Erza's office. She knocked even though it was not necessary.
"Come in."
Nashi opened one of the dual doors to see Erza sitting there with an expectant look. After she closed the door, she bowed in greeting and went over for the chair. Discomfort shackled her and numbed her tongue, but she was forced to swallow it down and that was when she noticed tea and water had been placed before her. "I-Is that for me?" She cursed how her voice grew hoarse.
But Erza did not judge. In fact, she looked like she understood. "Yes. If you need it. Honey chamomile should help."
Nashi did not hesitate to pick up the teacup, but she did so with such shaky fingers that the liquid slashed. She took a few sips of the tea and welcomed it. Lukewarm but it melted against her throat and she felt like she could breathe again. "Sorry." A nervous giggle escaped her. "I know you have more important things than me being a nervous wreck."
"I always have time for my guild," Erza told her softly. "And I especially have time for a niece."
Nashi put down the teacup.
"Now tell me, Nashi, what's on your mind?"
Nashi inhaled. "It's been a few weeks since the trial and everything," she explained slowly, "and I've had a lot of time to process and think about things." She played with her finger. "I, um, got an offer to speak with someone who heads Project Humane."
"An excellent movement," Erza chimed in support.
Nashi bobbed her head. "I looked up their website. The work they do is amazing. Trying hard to fight for the freedoms of Aberrants and speak for inter-species relationships and abuse and then the unity between Spiritless and us…" She blew out a breath. "I guess the past couple of weeks made me think about how much that affects us."
Once she started, she could not stop. "Like how it affects my mama and my papa and myself and Luke and Igneel and Luna. Papa is an Etherious and we're half-Etherious, but we can't tell people since everyone has this perception that Demons are evil, but we're not evil. We don't do all those things they claim we do, right? And Gary and Skade aren't evil either. We're all just different and horrible things happen to us because we're different because people don't want to understand. And I… Well, I was just thinking it'd be nice to be myself and not have to worry about the pitch forks and tabloids slamming down on me, you know?"
Nashi winced. "I'm not making any sense, am I?"
"You're doing great," Erza encouraged. "Keep going. I'm listening."
"O-Okay." Nashi reached for her tea and took a few nimble sips. "I want to leave Magnolia," she blurted. Then, a cringe followed. "Well, okay, not like that. I just…! Well, I…!" She sighed as she set the cup back on the table and gathered her thoughts. "I think it's time I stopped hiding," she was able to get out. "I knew exactly what I was doing when I got up on that stand. The world knows I'm with Skade and Gary. I can't just sit here and be trapped."
Teary chocolate eyes.
"If I want Luna to live in a better place… If I want Gary to be able to be himself… I can't just sit by and do nothing. Doing nothing is the same as doing something bad because you're letting it happen. I've been doing nothing for years. I just…stood by and let the world turn while Luna was trapped here and Gary was trapped in his own head. I let them down. I never defended them; I just… I just let it happen."
"Because hearing you speak so confidently and passionately about all of us, no matter who we are, could be good or evil and have both of that inside us…" Large grays full of grief and hope. "It gave myself and my group hope for ourselves. That we weren't just here to be paraded and we weren't exotic pets. We could be people."
"I'm a monster." Pained cerulean. "That's all anyone will ever see me as."
Nashi straightened and steely hickory clashed with kobicha. "I won't let it happen anymore," she determined. "I know I didn't have it easy. I lost my…" The resolve dimmed, but she pushed through. "I lost my baby. I was raped. I know that happened to me. But I keep thinking I'm so lucky I have my family here. I'm lucky I have that choice to get help. But I know it's worse for Aberrants who don't get that choice and it's worse for Mages out there stuck in countries where Spiritless hate them or the Faction is giving Magic a bad rep. I get the help I need because I'm seen as human, but they…"
"Because I was viewed as an exotic pet before I was taken in to train as an idol, I was expected to act the part."
"They call us 'animals'. They call us 'exotic pets'."
Hard sniffles. "They had us do terrible things in the lab. They had us kill innocent p-p-people—"
"They n-never had a choice." Nashi's voice might have shaken, but she held her chin high. "They were forced into a life where they had to do whatever it took to survive and so many are living that life now. And if I can just help even just a handful, that's enough for me."
Erza was quiet for a long moment. She watched Nashi behind guarded eyes, but Nashi did not backdown. Erza only looked away to log into her DAL. Once she was finished typing, she turned her screens so Nashi could see.
Nashi leaned closer and her brow scrunched up to see a list of emails. "What's this?"
"These are all offers sent about you," Erza told her, much to Nashi's surprise. "Journalists from all over the world want to talk to you—the Angel who tamed the Devil and a child survivor. Some of them want to spin your story while a mere two percent want your truth to share with their country."
Nashi could not believe it when she Erza began to scroll. She saw the headings and all revolved around the same concept. A request for an interview with her. "Wow… I mean I knew the trial was lacrivised, but I just thought…"
"Your voice was heard, Nashi." Erza stopped scrolling. "Inter-species couples aren't uncommon but they're not common either, considering many sentient species have been dying out or are now extinct. For you to come out to the world about your relationship and to a near-extinct Devil nonetheless—it alerted the world you were here and you were to be listened to." She leaned back into her chair. "That being said, I can tell you there are negotiations with the Ministry of Magical Creatures."
"What?" That raised flags within Nashi. "Why? Is it about Gary and Skade?"
Erza shook her head. "About you."
"Me?" Nashi repeated stupidly. "Why? I'm not a magical creature." She paused. "Or, well, as far as everyone knows, I'm completely human."
"They don't know you're half Etherious," Erza assured. "But as you are to Gary's Devil a partner, the Ministry of Magical Creatures is adamant in protecting the interest in rekindling the Devil species."
Nashi gripped the arms of her chair as fear wreaked havoc within her body.
"Your lawyer and Gary's lawyer are doing everything they can to get both you and Gary out of it," Erza soothed, but Nashi's terror was not yet abated.
"Why didn't he tell me?" Nashi wheezed. "How come you know, but they didn't tell me? I kept panicking Gary would want kids, but neither one of us want kids and I can't…!" Her breathing took a sharp turn. "Please, no, I can't—!"
Erza immediately stood up to round over to Nashi's side and embrace her. "Shhh… No one will make you go through that, Nashi. I promise you."
"Why didn't they tell me?" Nashi whimpered as her eyes stung.
"The trial was still fresh." Erza pulled back to search Nashi's face. "And your lawyer wanted to tell you in person, but now that you're interested in going back into the world, I wanted you to be prepared. Journalists are ruthless, Nashi, and they'll hit you at every turn—including this."
Nashi tried to calm herself down, but she felt like she was working herself up.
Erza went on: "Your mother was once put in the same position as you."
That stopped all of Nashi's anxiety short for disbelief. "Mama? But I thought—"
"Natsu being a Demon isn't public knowledge," Erza assured. "But it doesn't mean some outside of Fairy Tail aren't aware of what and who he is." Two beats. "It's why we were all very careful when it came to your mother during her pregnancies with you and your siblings. To be honest, none of us knew if your parents could have children. But we knew when that day came, we had to be ready. We didn't know the powers you'd inherit or anything."
Erza hesitated, but when she deemed Nashi calm enough, she went on: "There are rumored laboratories out there that the Faction had created. Where they keep living things around as strictly test subjects."
"Why?" Nashi could not help to blurt.
"The Faction has a resentment towards Spiritless just as Spiritless hate us," Erza reasoned. "And I'm sure Spiritless have laboratories of their own where they test on Mages and Aberrants. What the Faction tests these people for is a mystery, but they weren't subtle having an interest for your mother when she was pregnant."
Nashi's heart went out to her mother and she could only imagine a fraction of the fear her mother had induced and the constant paranoia. "I-I-I see." She gulped. "So then… For me… Do you think they'd…?"
"Nashi, I can't explain everything, but I can say this." Erza gripped her shoulders. "As it stands, by you going public and speaking out for change, you will protect yourself and simultaneously put a target on your back. By having the world notice you, the world will notice when you're gone. But by having the world notice you, the world may also want you as their puppet."
"And the Ministry," Nashi started. "They'd want me to…" She needed to say these words. "They'd want Gary—Skade—and I there as test subjects. As puppets."
Erza only offered her a look.
Nashi could only laugh. It was brittle and maybe a little hysterical. But she managed to calm down and work through the stress. "I won't let Gary ever be in a lab again." Conviction in her words. "He's already suffered enough. And I know others have. But I can't let anyone else suffer."
Erza nodded and pulled away to lean against her desk. "The first interview I thought of giving clearance for was for Petra Cromwell with DREAM Magazine," she told her. "She's been respectful towards many of our guild members during interviews. I think she will be the breakthrough you need."
Nashi nodded. "I'll do it."
"All right. We'll get the paperwork started and vet her questions together." Erza gauged Nashi. "What you're doing is admirable, Nashi, and I never want you to forget that. But never break yourself."
"If I don't push myself, then how will I get anywhere?" Nashi questioned in response.
Erza smiled. "Pushing yourself and breaking yourself are two different things. What you're about to do will wear heavily on your mental health and emotional health. Be sure to take care of yourself while you fight for others." She tilted her head. "And I know you're interested in Project Humane, but I ask we start with the journalists here. Once you see what it's like, we'll talk again about reaching out to your contact."
Nashi nodded and could not help to ask, "Do you think I can make a difference?"
"Nashi, you already have," Erza promised her. "And you're about to do so much more. I'm so proud of you as one of my fairies but also as your aunt. Always remember that."
"I will." Nashi blinked back the emotion showing in her eyes. "Thank you, Master."
°•°•°•°
Býleistr emerged from the Celestial Spirit Realm the moment Nashi was back in the hall as a Mallow Coon and stretched himself out. "See? That wasn't so bad."
"It wasn't." But Nashi let out a big exhale. "Nerve-wracking but not bad. I have the interview tomorrow with Petra, so there's that." She looked down at Býleistr. "I'm going to be okay?"
"You're going to be okay." He transitioned into his Lion Form. "Come on. Let's go home. Or do you want to go to your parents' house first?"
"Let's go home." Nashi got onto Býleistr's back and got a firm grasp of his fur. Home…
Gleaming cerulean.
As Býleistr roared to create his Stargate, Nashi felt a smile light her face. Home.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
You can do anything
Your hands grab even your life
What will you use them for?
You can take my warm hands
If it makes you feel yourself
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Today's training was held outside. The forest was drenched in snow, but between Natsu and Gale, they had cleared out the snow and Gale created a nice square platform for him and Luna to train on while Natsu had drudged out the practice mats.
"Ha!"
"Nnngh!"
Today, Virgo and Icarus were the ones to supervise their training and sat on the deck with Virgo in maid outfit and chains and blank stare and Icarus in his Dog Form, dozing away, as Luna blocked Gale's kick to the side of her face and twisted his leg to knock him off balance. But Gale used his hands to twist himself away from her grip and forced her back.
The moment Gale brushed himself back into standing position, he was already flipping backwards to avoid Luna's spinning kick. He threw himself back to his feet and used his arms to block her jabs, but in her impatience to land a hit, it left her susceptible to kick to the stomach. Luna staggered back and would have fallen, but her body took the momentum and she flipped back and rolled away when Gale's foot slammed down.
But she did not get far when Gale used his body weight and came down on her back with his hand loosely grab her nap and he gripped her hair to pull her head up.
Luna struggled against him, but she was deadlocked. She panted out, "You're so fat."
Gale snickered and leaned down to murmur in her ear, "Blondie—"
"Princess," Virgo cut in blandly, "I have your water and your towel. Please take the time to refresh yourself."
Gale knew that was a warning even if Virgo's tone never dipped. He let go of Luna and got off her only avert his eyes when she grunted and had to arch her back to stretch out. "Thanks, Aunt Virgo." She looked up to see the Celestial Spirit had come down the steps with Luna's water bottle and towel.
Virgo waited for Luna to stagger to her feet to say, "I believe that's enough training for now, Princess. Please cool down and I'll prepare a relaxing bath for you and snacks. Next, you will work on your schoolwork."
Luna made an incomprehensible noise as she guzzled her water before she swallowed. "Can't I take a nap instead? I'm so tired…!"
Gale snorted as he wiped off his sweat from the towel he had folded in his duffel that sat on the corner of their training space. He opened his mouth to comment, but when Virgo's blank eyes cut to his, he looked away and said nothing.
Virgo went into the pocket in her apron and pulled put Luna's Compact. "Here is your Compact as well, Princess. I'll go start your bath."
"Thanks, Auntie V." Luna stole back her Compact before she sat down on the ground. As she blotted her neck with the towel, she scrolled through her Compact and tried to ignore the tension in the air.
It's been almost three weeks, but it still feels…awkward, she noted. Her eyes narrowed when she saw a message from Bleu only for her heart to sink.
⌜WHATSUP
Bleu Charming
I'm so sorry, Treasure. I won't be able to make our date tonight since I have more work to do. I promise I'll make it up to you!⌟
"Of course he can't," Luna muttered, tone sour. Just like last time…and the time before that. She typed back:
« It's okay! I understand. Just let me know when you're free! Don't work too hard! »
Luna slumped forward as she sent the message and sighed. Well… Maybe I could spend some time with E if she's not too busy, but… She sighed again. What's the point of asking? I know she's busy. I don't want to be in her way. Maybe Mary Jane? Peter just left…
"You okay?"
Luna looked up to see Gale hedging towards her, but he was clearly leery of Icarus. He looked asleep, but both knew better. Pasting on a bright smile, Luna chirped, "I'm fine! Just, you know, thinking about school stuff and how much I don't want to do it."
Gale hummed and when it seemed clear Icarus would not sprint down when he took another step towards Luna, he crouched down and murmured, "You know I can smell lies, right?"
Luna's smile faltered and sadness clouded over for just a moment until she offered a wan version of her smile. "Look, it's nothing, okay?" she tried to assure. "I'm just being dramatic."
But something in that made Gale understand and he rubbed his shoulder in discomfort. "I take it it's about your…your boyfriend?"
Luna stiffened. "He's not my—"
"No need to lie. I know you made your choice," Gale huffed, bitterness sharpening his words. When he noticed the look of uncertainty and guilt and smelled it off her in waves, he sighed and sat down. "Everything okay between you two?"
"Everything's fine," Luna said quickly—too quickly.
Gale arched an eyebrow.
Luna blew out a breath as annoyance captured her expression. "Okay, so things aren't perfect. No relationship is perfect."
"What happened?"
"Why do you want to know?" Luna shot back.
Gale looked down as his finger nudged the rim of his water bottle. "Look," he murmured lowly, "I get we shouldn't be talking, but Rex over there is giving me the chance to speak to you without it being about training. It's been three weeks. I just want to make sure you're okay."
That surprised Luna, but her surprise mellowed into shame. "Right. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap," she apologized. "I'm okay, I promise. He's just been busy since the beginning of the year is all."
"Is that why I don't smell him on you?"
"O-Oh! No, it's not that. Nashi gave me some of her Lacrima spray, so Papa wouldn't smell him on me and everything," Luna awkwardly explained.
Gale swallowed. "That's good." Because I don't know how I'd take it either. "But the gist of it is, you aren't happy."
"I am happy," Luna defended. "I don't need to be with him every day to be happy."
"You're lying again." Gale said this without taunt. It was matter-of-fact. Soft. "You don't need to lie to me, Blondie. You can just tell me."
But Luna quickly downplayed, "No. It's not that big of a deal. Gary and Nashi are thousands of miles away and they make it work. I don't have the right to complain."
Gale's brow furrowed. "Blondie—"
"A-Anyways," Luna cut in, "how's therapy going? Do you like your therapist?"
Gale winced. "Doc O is a nice guy," he admitted slowly. "It's been going. Only had a handful of sessions anyways. Not much happened."
"Really?" Luna sounded more concerned than incredulous. "Is it awkward?"
Gale snorted. "No, it's not awkward. It's just weird. He really is a good guy, but I'm not too sure about reaching into the past and dragging it out." He rubbed the back of his neck.
Luna rubbed her arm and haltingly asked, "Is it about…Emma?"
Gale tensed. "Yeah."
Luna nodded and looked down.
"She's my older sister."
Her eyes snapped up to see Gale had buried his head in his hands. This was news to her. "Older sister?" she echoed.
Gale grunted. "Yeah." He said no more.
Uncertainty made Luna take a beat to consider her actions, but she followed her instincts. She edged closer to him and gently peeled away one wrapped hand to hold. "Whatever happened, don't push yourself to talk about it."
"No, I need to talk about it," Gale croaked. "I just… I don't know how." He swallowed thickly. "I don't want to get her in trouble when it's my fault."
Luna's eyebrows scrunched together. "But why—?"
"Forget it." Gale retracted his hand and moved to stand. "I shouldn't have been talking to you anyways. I fucked up and you made your choice."
Luna brushed aside that pinpricking irritation as Gale stalked away from her. "You didn't mess up," she told him. "I know we aren't supposed to be talking, but—"
"No 'but's." Gale went to his duffel and threw in his capped water bottle to pull out his sweatshirt and throw it on. "This was stupid. Just forget this happened, okay? Go back to your perfect boyfriend and forget about me until tomorrow like always. I don't need your pity."
Luna's lips dipped into a deep frown. "Gale, he isn't my—"
"I don't fucking care."
Luna flinched at the snarl.
Gale put his Compact in his pocket and slipped on his boots. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"I wasn't giving you pity," Luna tried to make him see. "And I didn't mean to make you upset—"
"Forget it." Gale popped the hood over his head with his duffel slung onto a shoulder. He was perfectly fine stalking away without a good-bye, but he halted and let out a terse breath. "Sorry," he growled. "I just…can't." And he trekked away without anything else to add.
Luna let him go and knew Icarus had descended to be at her side. With Gale's sensitive hearing, she thought to her Spirit, What did I do wrong?
Nothing, Icarus sighed. The drake has many things to figure out and his sudden anger is one of them. He nosed her thigh. Come, Pup. Time for a bath.
Luna half-groaned half-laughed as Icarus gave her harder nudges towards the deck. What are you, my mama?
You are lucky I am not your sire or else I would have taken you by the scruff.
Luna chuckled as she and Icarus made their way up the steps. Her laughter died as she wondered, Do you think there will be a day when everyone stops hurting?
No. Icarus was honest. But I do believe there will be a day where everyone accepts their hurt. And I will wait for that day for a lifetime.
Luna hummed. Accept the hurt. Her eyes skittered to the trail Gale left behind. Maybe someday.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Fairy Adventure 69
Prologue
January
新年が明けました！ 過去の問題が現在に具体化し始める！
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
With his semester fully in college even at fifteen, Luke found his workload lighter than his sisters' own. Igneel and him might have been opposites in terms personality, but their smarts were equal, if diversified. Where Igneel specialized in projects and practice, Luke always shone in exams and theory.
Luke left the lecture hall at Orchid as one of the youngest students, but that did not mean he felt ostracized. Tagging along with him was a lanky girl with a beanie and her hair covering one of her eyes as she slouched over. Another person with incredible bed head, "delinquent eyes", and a volleyball in his hand came with them. He might have looked he could hold himself in a fight, but he could rival Igneel any day in terms of happy-go-lucky spirit. A smaller boy only a little over one-hundred-sixty centimeters accompanied them with his eyes on his MagiLite and a bucket hat and face mask on. The last member of their troupe was a broad woman with curled hair in a bun and a beauty mark below their left eye as they rolled their backpack.
The happy-go-lucky student chirped, "I'm excited to do the SI session. That new teaching assistant looks so hot…!" He sighed dreamily as he twirled the volleyball on a finger. "I think I'm in love!"
⌜ORCHID STATE UNIVERSITY
Name: Kei Rosenberger
Age: 19
Occupation: Full-time second-year student, Outside Hitter
Likes: Volleyball Dislikes: hats
Special Note: Kei wants to be a professional volleyball player, but he's also in school to be a professional interpreter for Cipanguese.⌟
Kei nudged the smaller boy. "Come on, Chouchou! She is pretty hot, right?"
"I don't know," the boy muttered through his face mask. "I wasn't paying attention to her. And stop calling me that."
⌜ORCHID STATE UNIVERSITY
Name: Yuuma Yamaguchi
Age: 19
Occupation: Full-time second-year student, gLitch streamer
Likes: Lacrima Games Dislikes: exercise
Special Note: Yuuma met Luke and Genius through a Lacrima Game tournament and aspires to own his own Lacrima Game company.⌟
But Kei would not relent as he tugged at Yuuma's sleeve. "You should focus more on 3D girls, Chouchou. They're a lot more fun to look at!"
"I don't even focus on 2D girls." Yuuma deftly slapped Kei's hand away and made the man pout. "Not worth my time."
Kei nudged the girl in the beanie. "Hear that, Majesty? You're not worth Chouchou's time."
Majesty rolled her eyes. "I will pop your fucking volleyball in five seconds. Don't test me."
⌜ORCHID STATE UNIVERSITY
Name: Majedah "Majesty" Allen
Age: 19
Occupation: Full-time second-year student, cosplay weapons designer
Likes: 2.5D stage plays (anime stage plays) Dislikes: dancing
Special Note: Majesty actually knows Tesla from conventions and making props for her cosplays! She aspires to work in stage production and design!⌟
Majesty adjusted her backpack as she looked down at her friend with the beauty mark. "Hey, Izzy. I'm gonna go run into the theatre district to check to see if my stuff came. Want to come with?"
"No thanks. I have an ambassador meeting and then I have to run to club," Izzy explained.
⌜ORCHID STATE UNIVERSITY
Name: Isioma "Izzy" Emem
Age: 18
Occupation: Full-time second-year student, Ambassador
Likes: hot pot Dislikes: cats
Special Note: Izzy is a university ambassador, but she loves to rollerblade and is currently studying to be a physician's assistant!⌟
Izzy nudged Luke. "Which reminds me…"
"I wouldn't be a good ambassador," Luke patiently rejected. "I'm younger than everyone here."
"But you know more than most people our age and you're definitely more mature," Izzy argued. She slapped Yuuma's arm. "Back me up, Yuu."
Yuuma kept playing his MagiLite, but he did reply, "You're smarter than ninety-five percent of the people who sat on lecture with us—including Rosenberger."
"Hey!" Kei butted in. "I'm smart too!"
"Doubtful," Yuuma sighed. "Your head is like a volleyball. Big with air inside."
Kei dramatically clutched the material over his heart. "Chouchou, that's no way to speak to your friends!"
"We aren't friends," Yuuma said flatly.
Kei gaped. "We were neighbors for years! I came over your house all the time!"
"And you were annoying then," Yuuma muttered, fingers jolting across the buttons as he forced his character to fight the horde of monsters. "You're still the worst."
Kei looked comically shattered and bore his "delinquent eyes" onto Majesty. "Ma-chan—Gah!" The whimper burned into a struggle of air when Majesty whipped around and fisted his collar.
"We are not in Cipangu," Majesty spat. "Stop with your damn honorifics bullshit!" She let him go after that with a huff.
Kei greedily sucked in air. "You're so mean to me," he whined. "What did I ever do to you?"
"Existed," Yuuma and Majesty both answered, leaving Kei heartbroken again.
Luke chuckled as he turned his attention back to Izzy. "But seriously, Izzy, I'm not an ambassador type—"
"We need students like you who can represent students in CCP classes," Izzy reminded him imploringly. "Dean's words. I know you and Igneel are more full-time at this point, but you'd both be great for this! Inspiring the next gen to get off their asses and actually study!"
Luke stiffened at the mention of his twin, but he quickly relaxed. "I'll think about it," he opted. "But I need to leave soon." He brought out his keys and showed off his broomstick keychain. "Flying in cold air sucks, but it's better to fly midday."
"Why can't you just spell yourself to be warm?" Kei asked, over his heartbreak already.
Luke grimaced. "I can and I do, but my broom is still sensitive when it comes to additional spells since I overdid it last month, so I try not to rely on it too much."
"Oh." Kei suddenly brightened. "You should stay and—"
"No," Luke, Izzy, and Majesty refuted.
Kei pouted again. "But I didn't even say anything!"
"You wanted me to set for you," Luke said. "No. Doesn't your team have…? Whoever does that?"
"Setters." Now Kei looked downright annoyed as he clenched the volleyball. "Yeah. We have two first-year setters and a second-year setter, but they suck and can never get the timing right." His eyes shifted purposefully to Yuuma.
Yuuma ignored him.
Kei gave a dramatic sigh.
Yuuma carried on.
Kei opened his mouth—
"No."
"But I didn't—"
"No."
Kei rushed out, "I'll buy you a new game!"
Yuuma held pause. His eyes gleamed when he looked over at Kei. "Five sets only."
Kei fist-pumped. "Yosh!"
"If you would buy me a new game, I would have done it," Luke argued. "Why didn't you lead with that?"
Izzy shushed him. "Oh, let Kei be." She leaned over to Luke to whisper, "You know Kei's just looking any excuse to have Yuu around. And besides, this might be the only time this month Yuu does something physical outside of showering, eating, and walking." She beamed over to Yuu. "Make sure you take off the mask while you're doing your thing, okay? No need for an asthma attack."
Yuu's brow bunched up and it was clear he was pulling a face. "I—"
"No worries, Izzy!" Kei wrangled an arm over Yuuma's shoulder with a large grin. "I have one of Chouchou's emergency inhalers with me at all times just in case!"
Yuuma looked like the next face he pulled was pinching. "You are so annoying," he grunted as he pressed the buttons on his MagiLite with a fiercer touch. "And stop calling me that." His eyes shifted to Luke. "Do you want to meet up later?"
"Sure. Legends?" Luke offered.
Yuuma shrugged. "I was thinking old school. The Arcade?"
"I haven't played that in a while," Luke said thoughtfully. "Sure. Usual wager?"
Yuuma nodded and hummed.
"Cool." The group ended up at an intersection. Orchid State University had little bridges and underground tunnels that connected the buildings together. Luke nodded at the group. "I'll see you guys on Thursday. Kei, I really think you should study—"
"I do study!" Kei cried. "Why does everyone think I don't study?"
"Because you were about to be kicked off your little team last semester for your bad grades," Majesty reminded. "And the semester before that…and the summer before that…"
"He nearly did in high school," Yuuma pointed out. A flicker of mirth or something came and went in his eyes. He could not care less Kei was mumbling how Yuuma was betraying his secrets. "It was funny at first, but it got annoying when he kept asking me to tutor him and screaming that horrible name down the halls and broke down crying—"
"Chouchou…!" Kei tugged at Yuuma's sleeve. "Stop being so mean!"
Yuuma sighed. "Stop being so annoying." He glanced over to Luke to nod before he turned and walked away alone.
Kei panicked. "U-Um, sorry, you guys! See you Thursday!" Kei might have been notably taller, but Yuuma could disappear with his shortness to his advantage and Kei knew Yuuma would. "Chouchou…!" he shouted, startling many of his fellow peers." Wait for me….!"
"That's my cue to go too." Luke gave a small wave to the women. "See you both on Thursday." Their farewells hit his back as he moved down the sky bridge to take him elevator. As he waited with a bombardment of students got the elevator, he pulled out his Compact.
Luke saw a handful of messages and some from a few Vendetta group chats he was a part of, but he found nothing from Mystogan. He glanced up as the elevator to see it was going down and stepped back to let the students flood in. It's been weeks and I haven't heard a thing from Sensei. Master told me he had an important job, but…he would've said something.
Once the elevator was closed, Luke stepped forth to press the « Up » button. He went to his « Mail » to see the last email he sent to his sensei was a week and a half ago to outline the theory he would be drafting, but Mystogan had yet to read it. Going to « Messages », he saw the texts he had sent Mystogan had been delivered but not read.
DING!
Luke buried his Compact in his pocket to head into the elevator. Two other students joined him and up they went. Something is wrong. Something has to be. I can just feel it. He would have answered.
DING!
The floor the three students were deposited at was a rooftop garage that was filled with Magic Carpets and brooms and a ghost motorcycle. Unlike normal garages, Magic buzzed in the air as barriers were in place to lock in the magical methods of transportation.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
« Many colleges and universities have special garages for Magic students who use magical transportation. However, Mage students like Spiritless students are not permitted to bring in live animals. »
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Luke took his broom off the keychain and muttered a spell to have his broom grow to full length. After putting on his hood, his hand brushed over his glasses to transition them smoothly into goggles. He mounted his broom and bobbed over to the little jutted out ramp and took off. The cold air nipped his cheeks as he fed a little Magic onto his broom and himself. Brooms were built with their own spells in place to run in cold weather, but even brooms had their limits.
Maybe…I should check Sensei's house? I have a key and it couldn't hurt. I just… It doesn't feel right that he wouldn't respond. And since no one has heard from him…
Luke hurried his broom. Just a quick check. Nothing else.
It took thirty minutes, give or take a few, to reach Mystogan's house in Magnolia. He had not wanted anything large and settled for a bungalow house. Snow trampled the yard and the roof and the mailbox looked full. Luke descended into the porch before he dismounted and let his broom stay at full length, propped against the wall. Taking out his keys, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. Resetting the physical alarm system was one thing, but Luke felt the buzz from the magical scanner and the moment he was a few more steps in, that buzz left him. He was deemed safe.
Mystogan lacked personal touches from the interior of his house if anyone was honest. He preferred to keep everything clinical and minimalist. Luke took a deep inhale. "His scent is stale," he murmured. "Place is clean. I can't smell anyone else."
He took off his shoes before slipping on the guest slippers and went deeper into the house. Nothing was out of place, but Luke did not care for the kitchen or living room. He went straight to the basement door. Rather than touch the knob, he pressed his hand on the ordinary basement door and waited.
Magic covered the door until it was shaped into an old wooden door with the knob at the center. Luke took hold of it and pushed the door open. While normally, the basement would have steps leading downstairs, this door led Luke straight into an obnoxious study that harbored its own little laboratory. For any wizard, it was like a dream come true. Magic powered this hidden study as a ladle stirred a purple liquid in a small cauldron without any assistance. Books with fraying spines to leather ones were molded into the floor to ceiling bookcases. Mystogan had an intricate DAL set up with the dual holographic monitors automatically coming alive to welcome their master home. A few vials were in centrifuge as capped potions were magically going about, following rules they had been spelled to do and carry out without failure. A few magical artifacts had their own glasses cases from a blob that looked like it had been torn piece of the universe as it slouched and bounced around to an enchanted mirror that had been cracked, but it served as a window to what looked like a forest.
Luke stopped when shadows pooled together to converge into a living, breathing silhouette of a man. But the man was a pure shadow, nothing more and nothing less. He did not have a face, but his anatomy was the only thing he could claim.
Luke waved at the shadow. "Hi, Cullen."
Cullen waved a hand.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
« Cullen is actually a Shadower, a living and breathing shadow. Shadowers are very rare, cannot speak, and do not require anything outside of light. If a Shadower is in darkness for too long, they can't reform themselves. Some predict Shadowers come from Hell, but Shadowers are benevolent beings. »
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Luke shoved his hands in his pocket. "Have you seen Sensei lately? He hasn't been answering my messages…"
Cullen shook his head.
Luke sighed and adjusted his glasses. "I was afraid of that." He looked around the study. "Do you know where I could find out where he's been? I'm worried about him." His eyes fell to the floor. "I know it's stupid. I mean he's S-Class and all. But it's been weeks and…" A presence touched his shoulder.
Luke looked up when Cullen had touched his shoulder. Being touched by a Shadower did not feel like anything. It felt like a weight was there, but it was nothing alarming. Cullen cocked his head.
Luke gave an awkward smile. "Yeah, I know, I know. Look, I should go. You were probably busy—"
Cullen shook his head. He turned to walk away and gestured for Luke to sit at Mystogan's desk. Puzzled, Luke sat in the office chair while Cullen went to the bookshelf. He had to admit it was weird watching a living, breathing shadow walk around like a normal person and lift things, but over time, it was normalized. Cullen searched the bookshelf and pulled out a few books before returning to Luke.
Luke took the books and checked the titles. His brow furrowed. "These are some really old books, but some of these are just weird…" He picked up the first book. "Wow. This is a volume from 'Lost in Time: Creatures of the Dark Ages'." His eyes shifted to the next. "And this one is about genetic engineering in Magic. And here's one about some biography on a really old wizard named 'Kalard'." He looked up at Cullen in confusion. "Sensei was looking at this?"
Cullen nodded.
Luke frowned. "I feel like I'm missing something…"
Cullen gestured to the DAL.
"I don't have access to…"
Cullen moved and Luke got out of the way so Cullen could awaken the keyboard and type. Just like that, the holographic monitors showcased everything Mystogan had once been looking at. For a moment, Luke was taken aback by the masses of information and could barely assess it all. He caught about the Boundary Forest and energy fluctuations, but his eyes had to narrow on a tab her saw. He clicked on it to see it was a webpage for:
The Sanctuary
"What is this…?" Luke studied the webpage. It seemed clean and catchy enough with pictures of wizards, Spiritless, and Aberrants alike. He read the blurb on it. "It says here this 'Sanctuary' is a place where Spiritless, wizards, and Aberrants live on some island out west. It isn't Magic Council-controlled, apparently, but it talks about equality." He looked at Cullen. "Did he go here?"
Cullen shook his head.
Luke went back to looking at the dual monitors, but nothing made sense to him. Frustrated, he pushed away. "I don't understand. What the Hell is he doing that he's gone for this long." He was set to get up and pace when he noticed one of the books had a bookmark in place. "Sensei hates bookmarks…"
Luke took hold of the book and opened it. The pages marked were made of old paper and the scratching seemed to be in a different language. "Huh… This is getting weird."
Feeling his Magic beneath his skin, his fingers grazed the page and he chanted: "Metersla en Minstrish." He watched as the odd lettering made a copy of themselves and floated into the air. Shifted and twisted, they converted into Minstrish words.
Luke began to read. "It says… This passage is about a creature called a…a…" He looked at the word, but he saw it had not been translated into Minstrish. "I don't even think I could pronounce this. Cullen? Any guesses?"
Cullen came to inspect the word. An idea seemed to have come to the Shadower as he grabbed a pen and a piece of paper. For a living Shadow, he had calligraphic handwriting. He spelled a word that had Luke frown:
METAMORPH
"What does that mean though?" Luke asked.
Cullen began to write again:
Shapeshifting
Luke still did not understand as he looked back at the words. "Why was Sensei studying Transformation Magic?" He closed the book to look at its cover and his spell lifted the letters to forge in Minstrish its title:
Lost in Time: Creatures of the Dark Ages
Sixth Edition
Therianthropy
"I've done a lot, but I don't think I've ever seen the sixth edition of this series," Luke murmured to himself. "It's not like Sensei has to tell me everything he does or anything. It's just weird I've never heard of this subject." He winced. "Sorry, Cullen, just talking out loud."
Cullen did not seem to mind. He only nodded.
Luke sighed as he turned back to the DAL set up. "But what exactly is going on? He has stuff open for Tamamoro Island in Valchestria, the Boundary Forest, this…'Sanctuary'… I wouldn't even know where to start." Slouching, he went to sign out of the system. "Thanks, Cullen, for everything, but I think I'm back at square one." He got up and gathered the books. "I'll put these back."
But before Luke could move, Cullen stopped him with a shadowed hand on the books.
Luke frowned and translated, "You want me to keep the books?"
Cullen nodded.
"You must be worried about Sensei too," Luke belatedly realized. "He's never gone this long and if he does leave for an extended trip, you're normally in his shadow."
It looked like Cullen was fidgeting with his fingers and he nodded. How odd. A nervous shadow.
Luke nodded. "I'll take the books, but I just don't know how much help they'll be. I'll have to see if Aunt Levy can help me out with the translations." His eyes widened. "But you could help me. Do you want to come with me?"
Cullen paused and, if he was human, he might have blinked in surprise. He contemplated for a moment before he glanced around at the study. Once he found what he was looking for, Cullen nodded.
"Okay. Just try not to wander around." Luke offered a sheepish grin. "My mom and one of my sisters are easy jump-scares."
Cullen nodded and his shoulders moved. Perhaps he was laughing. Effortlessly, Cullen walked over to Luke's shadow and melted into it. For Luke, it felt like a light weight was now pressing upon him, but he adjusted and got used to it after a minute. Almost like he was wearing a cape. Luke glanced back at his shadow and, for a split moment, he could envision those bloodthirsty red eyes glaring at him, but it went away with a blink and a quick breath.
"We'd better get going." Luke opened up his backpack and put the books in. He was lucky his backpack was a pocket dimension pack. "Lots of studying to do, apparently." As he slung on his backpack and left the study, he asked the Shadower, "Have you ever played Lacrima games, Cullen?"
And he had to smile when he felt the Shadower vibrate in what seemed like amusement.
January in Arcticados was nothing too special with it being twilight for a good chunk of the day and darkness overcame early. The temperatures could drop to negative fifty-degree Fahrenheit if the wind chill pressed enough. Most started their days the moment the sun rose and diversified their tasks while they had any sort of sun. Layers were important, but they were a balancing act. Too many layers could cause sweat and cause hypothermia and the same could be said for too little.
But for Ice and Snow Mages, they did not care that much.
Most Ice and Snow Mages had little use for thick layers. While intense cold could affect them as, even with Magic, their bodies could only go so much, they would wear light jackets during those harsher winters and boots and maybe a scarf, but they needed not much else.
For today's lesson, it was Gary who was helping Uki with meditation. Skade worked with her on the physicality of having a Curse, but Gary would mentally take over. Gary was in shorts in negative degree weather and a loose long sleeve while Uki had taken off her normal clothing in exchange for loose pants and a thermal long sleeve. They sat crisscross across from each other, spines straight, shoulders relaxed, and knuckles pressed together. Her arms were marred in black from her Curse and his back was tattooed in the symbol of the Ice Devil, but that was unimportant.
In and out, they breathed frost, Gary steady and Uki shakily, his heart slow, her heart racing.
Uki's brow furrowed.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
SCREEEEEEEEEEE…
The darkness, the cold—it was consuming and punishing but it was just what she needed. Cries muted and shoulders shaking, she lay barren in the darkness like this was her prison—her hell.
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
The door was pushed open and too-bright-light seeped in.
"Hello?" A small voice. A child. Their small silhouette shone as their head peeked in. "Is there anyone there?"
SCREEEEEEEEEE…
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Ice crystals and the black on her skin meshed together and crawled up her bicep. A trickle of sweat rolled down her temple. Cold and hot—that was how she felt. Like the storming winter she fought against was so cold, it was burning her alive, from her lungs to her skin.
Her knuckles shook.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
SCREEEEEEEEEE…
"Don't come in here!" she croaked. Her voice had not been used in days except for all the growling and snarling. Words were so difficult for her to remember as the cackles and gurgles within her mind grew louder. "Please! Leave me alone!"
"Why?" A curious child was always a horrible thing. The child moved inside. "You look hurt. Are you okay?"
'Kill,' a callous whisper crooned in her ear. 'Kill. Kill.'
"No!" She tried to clutch her head, but the black claws forged from her fingers would maim her further. "Get out of my head!"
SCREEEEEEEEEE…
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Uki swallowed roughly as dark ice flooded underneath her and slithered onto her legs. The frost she puffed grew more pressurized and in a greater volume. More sweat trickled down her brow as her knuckles slackened for her fingers to blacken.
Gary withdrew from his relaxed state the moment he felt something off. Eyes opening, he saw Uki's struggle and looked at the ice she was making. "Uki," he said softly. "Where did your mind take you?"
Uki swallowed again. "The child… They didn't know any better."
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
SCREEEEEEEEEE…
"You're not okay." The child swept closer in concern. "You need help."
"No!" She was sobbing now. "No, please! Go away!"
SCREEEEEEEEEE…
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
"They wanted to help me," Uki whispered. "I told them to leave, but… They wanted to help me." Her eyes tightened as her breathing labored and she fell to her hands. Ice sprayed and coated the stone she and Gary sat on. "They were trying to be kind."
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
SCREEEEEEEEEE…
Ice shards built around her like a fence, a prison. Their teeth large, the dark ice was inhaling her into its depths as the giggles grew and she was consumed in the murderous chant her Curse taunted her with. The child's concern melted away as her vision was tainted in a blood red.
"Stay back!" she moaned, but she could hear the secondary snarl lodged in her throat. "Don't come closer—Nnngh!" She flinched as her ice climbed higher and thickened.
SCREEEEEEEEEE…
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
"I can't…" Uki shook violently. "I can't…" Tears catered to her cheeks and her inhales tasted bitter while her exhale tasted like blood.
PSSH!
Three jagged pillars of her forbidden ice sprung from the icy floor to cocoon her. Pressure hit her from every side as her skin crawled and she wanted out. Hatred and guilt and shame and fear intensified as it constricted her body or maybe that was her own ice trying to chain her to the ground—to her purgatory.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
SCREEEEEEEEEE…
"Don't worry!" The child's cry sounded so far away. "I'll get you out!"
SCREEEEEEEEEE…
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
"Uki."
But she could not hear him over the wild screams of the child. Her head ached and her jaw felt off as a cry panted out only for her breathing to come out in wheezes. More ice pillars wrapped around her being to shield her from the pain or to cocoon her in it.
"Uki."
For Gary, forbidden ice was nothing in comparison to his and Skade's own ice. With Skade surfacing, the simple touch he gave to the pillars had the ice shattering into an innocent crystal that could not hurt a fly. He found Uki wrapped in her grief and agony as though she deserved it, consumed in the memories of the past that shackled her present. Without any thought, Gary knelt before her. He did not touch her. Not now.
"Uki." Gary watched her. "There is air. You can breathe."
Uki whimpered and sobbed.
"There is air," Gary repeated. "You can breathe."
She sniffled.
"There is air," Gary repeated. "You can breathe."
Uki took a gasping gulp of air.
Gary got on his knees and leaned closer. "The air first goes through your nose." Tone soft, hypnotic. "You'll feel it pass through your throat. When you exhale, it comes through the throat and out of your mouth like this." He took an exaggerated inhale and a loud exhale. "Can you feel that?"
Jerkily, Uki closed her mouth and took in a deep breath and she let it all out through her mouth. "Yes," she croaked. "There is air…and I can breathe…" Tears froze on her cheeks, but the ice and blackness that enhanced her body slowly began to recede. The taunts of those cackles faded to whispers. "It goes…through my nose…then my throat…" Another shaky inhale. Shaky exhale. "Then out my throat…and out of my mouth…" Shaky inhale. Shaky exhale. "There is air…and I can breathe…"
Gary nodded encouragingly. "Yes. You can breathe nice and slow," he vowed to her. "The past that haunts you will always be a part of you. But by displaying your past like this, it's disrespecting the life that child had."
Shaky inhale…slow release.
"The life that child had should not be represented with grief or with destruction," Gary told her. "The life that child had should be celebrated for every step they took and every person they touched. I understand that life is one you had taken. And that's all the more reason you of all people need to be the one to celebrate the life that child had."
Slow inhale…slow release.
Uki gulped and nodded her head. "We do not mourn our dead," she whispered in recitation.
"No," Gary agreed. "You celebrate their life."
Uki found it in herself to wipe away her tears and straighten up with a gusty exhale. She rubbed her cheeks and sniffled. "You know our way."
"I do." Gary sat back on his heels before pushing himself into a low crouch. "My dad and my uncle wanted to make sure Linus and I were at least a little knowledge about your people and your culture. And it's been a month since I've been here. I study as much as I can."
Uki nodded and took a greedy swallow of air.
"You know… I suffer from panic attacks too."
Uki's eyes opened and she shot him a look full of disbelief. "You?"
"I know." Gary rubbed his neck. "It doesn't seem like I do. People think I'm really calm. But a lot of what I have been through still haunts me. I'm just better at hiding when I'm bothered by it—for the most part."
Uki tilted her head as she collected herself. That layer of neutrality came with a flicker of curiosity towards him. "I know Magic Hunters are after him, but what have you been through? I doubt you've killed someone."
Hollowness crept through Gary. "You'd be surprised." He got to his feet and offered his hand to her. "Not everything is what you think of it. I'd hoped you had gotten past judging me."
Uki ignored his hand to stand up on her own. "The only thing I judge you for is your reason to keep that thing attached to you," she admitted, tone cold. "Why wouldn't you want it exorcised out of you? You could live a normal life with your partner instead of being in your personal Hell here."
Gary cracked an ironic smile. "Trust me when I saw an exorcism wouldn't work." Because many have tried before and I have the trauma to prove it. "But I am what I am and it is what it is. You'll still need to train with Skade on your physical—"
"I'd rather train with you," Uki quickly interjected. "You're human and you seem sensible enough."
Gary sighed. "For now, I'll allow it, but there's only so far your mental training can go without the physical aspect," he warned her. "Ignoring the physical aspect could lead to consequences. I'm not here to hurt you. But I will push you if I find it necessary."
Uki harrumphed. "Whatever." She brushed her pants. "I need to get going. You're leaving this weekend, right?"
"Yes. I'll be back in Fiore for a few days before I'm back here." Gary looked concerned as he noticed the black on her skin. "But if you need me—"
Uki offered a waving hand of dismissal. "I'll be fine. Enjoy your time with your partner." She moved to walk away, but she hesitated. "Your partner seems very strong."
"She is." Gary was proud of that fact. "The strongest."
"And she really accepts the Devil?" Uki questioned. "She lies with it?"
Gary grimaced. "No. Just me."
Uki looked relaxed at that. "Oh. That's good then." She hesitated again. "Have a safe flight." She offered him a bow and left the field.
Gary raised his eyebrows as Uki went back into the house to change her clothes and leave for the day. I think she likes me…in her own way. That's progress.
Skade snorted. When she remembers being Cursed, she remembers my face, not yours, he pointed out. She is easier to manage as a human because she trusts humans. She does not trust me. Understandable.
"Because you're always the understanding type," Gary muttered as he moved towards the house. His ear twitched when he heard the doorbell as he opened the sliding doors and walked through the house to get to the main door. "Did the Chairman say anything about another guest?" He peeked through the peephole only to frown. "Oh. It's him." He unlocked one of the doors and opened it up. "Why are you here?"
A grin full of fang. "Is that any way to treat the person who helped save your life?"
"No, but I don't like you." Gary kept his face neutral as he took in Pazuzu in his Waleed Wintour appearance, suit and all. "Why are you here?" He looked past Pazuzu to see there was no car or any indication of one having left the estate. "Did Uki already leave?"
Pazuzu shook his head. "But I need to talk to you before that little lawyer of yours comes up on Thursday. It's important," he stressed when Gary looked suspicious. "It involves your girlfriend."
"Fine." Gary stepped aside. "Come on in. We'll use the study." He waited for Pazuzu to cross into the threshold before he shut and bolted the door. "Take off your shoes. Follow me." He did not wait for the Panther Devil as he navigated to the study, a closed off room large and concise with its own fireplace. He waited for Pazuzu to come in before he slid the doors shut. "What about Angel?"
"Do you want the long story or the short story?" Pazuzu asked.
Gary folded his arms. "All I know from Mirella is she's still locked in negotiations with the Ministry of Magical Creatures. Skade met the representatives, they asked him questions, but they didn't do much else which made me suspicious." His eyes narrowed. "Is this about Angel carrying my kids?" he snarled.
"Yes." Pazuzu could not beat around the bush nor did he want to. "The ministry is trying to plea for the preservation of a future generation over longevity. They can't force you and your princess to have sex, but they can try to push you both to it. The bureau agrees."
Gary shook his head in disgust as he moved over to the chair. "Of course the bureau agrees," he muttered. "Let me guess: they think we'll consent to have sex in a lab where they can monitor all of our bodily functions until Angel conceives."
"You sound like you talk from experience?" Pazuzu remarked.
Gary rubbed his face. "Not any firsthand experience," he assured. "Only from observation during my time at the bureau." He leaned back in his chair. "I told Mirella I scheduled my vasectomy. I'm not having children—ever. But I wanted to wait to make sure Angel didn't want any kids which she doesn't."
"By all means, get a vasectomy," Pazuzu encouraged. "But that won't stop them from trying to push for clinical sex to secure our species' future. Between both of us, you're the only natural-born talent. The rest of us literally killed for this power and can't pass it to our spawns. If there is even a minuscule chance of you having a little Devil, they'll take it."
"Yeah, and they'll try to use my kid as a weapon just like me." Gary shook his head. "I don't want children, Pazuzu."
"I know that and Mirella knows that, but the world doesn't know that," Pazuzu pointed out. "It's why I came here today to discuss something with you." He lifted his chin. "How would you feel about going head-to-head with the bureau of Magical Development—?"
"You know I can't," Gary growled. "You think I don't want to? I would in a heartbeat. But heresy isn't a viable option when trying to go against an entire branch of the Magic Council." He raised a hand when Pazuzu tried to speak again. "I'm well aware they can drag the memories out of me with a potion or a Memory Mage could do it. And you know the bureau was well aware of that fact too." He had to get up and walk, pace, do something. "I tried," he admitted. "I want to tell the world this is what their precious bureau has been doing as a little side project. But the potion didn't work. And the Memory Mage they brought in only got memories from when I blacked out and when I woke up in a hospital."
Pazuzu scowled. "This is bullshit. How the Hell did they pull that off?"
"I've driven myself crazy trying to find the answer to that," Gary snarled. "I can clearly remember every second of what they did to me—what they made me do. But no one else could ever see that memory." He paused. "Maybe Angel could, but even then, I don't know. I don't know how our connection works."
Pazuzu flexed his hands as though they were claws. "I'll try to figure something out regarding your memory," he promised. "But have you been watching the news lately? It looks like Alvarez is gearing up for something pretty big considering they've invited journalists from around the world to listen to their king address the rumors about the 'true heirs'."
"Býleistr and I talked about it and I talked about it with Mirella." Gary stopped to put his hands on his hips, jaw locked. "I've tried to ask the Chairman several times, but I only get his assistant. I can't contact Master or Angel or her family. I'm stuck here. Býleistr promised to keep a close eye on her, but that doesn't make me any less worried."
"King Ajeel." Pazuzu tested the name. "You know, we did a little digging into his background and he was apparently part of the late Emperor Zeref's inner circle. Further back than that, though, he was royalty before the late emperor took over his country. Royalty or not, the Alvarez people will always love their beloved late emperor since he was such an apparently benevolent being."
Gary drummed his fingers. "I'm sure Natsu and Lucy already are aware of the situation and have done everything they can about it." But even he sounded uncertain. "I'll be back in Fiore this weekend to pack up my stuff and ship it over."
"You don't think they told her?"
"I know Natsu told the entire family they're half Demon and his brother is Zeref," Gary said. "But I don't know if it really hit them that their uncle is the Black Mage and they should be concerned about the Alvarez Empire. When my dad told me, I did some of my own research. Zeref, before he died, was a smart man. He made it so any living family of his could take the throne, even if he wasn't directly on the throne because Alvarez was built on blood-right. Technically speaking, Angel could deny her right to the throne. But a target would forever be painted on her back and the entire family." He sighed. "I should have just made her stay here with me where she's safe."
"Muta always has one eye open in Magnolia," Pazuzu reminded him.
Gary glared at Pazuzu.
Pazuzu chuffed at him. "I understand. Might want to wake the weekend to explain things to her, if her parents haven't. Get her to lie low."
"I will."
Pazuzu nodded. "Then, that's all I needed. I've got some things to do, so I'll leave you to it."
Gary nodded, but he felt Skade prod him. What?
Ask him.
Gary's lips twisted. Are you sure?
Yes, Skade hissed. He will know.
Gary cleared his throat to stop Pazuzu. "I… Skade and I have a question for you."
"Okay." Pazuzu nodded. "What is it?"
"We don't know that much when it comes to Namers and Makers," Gary admitted. "Mirella gave us a crash course, but she's obviously busy. Unlike Angel, I don't know how to get in and out of the connection."
Pazuzu crossed his arms. "Nashi is well-versed in the Soul Arts and she's a Namer, so it makes sense she has a good sense of it. But even with her connection to Kyler as her Maker, she has incredible power to be able to reach out to him."
"That's what I wanted to ask," Gary led with. "I want to know how to use the connection both ways."
Pazuzu frowned. "I can't promise anything. I can't even use the connection both ways. It's not normal for creatures like us to be able to summon our Makers or Namers."
Gary sighed. "I see…"
"But…"
Gary perked.
"Let me see if Kyler can come up here," Pazuzu decided. "He might have more answers. It might be different when it comes to Agents and the ones they Name."
Gary looked relieved. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet." Pazuzu moved to the door. "Thank me when you and your princess are safe."
Gary blurted before Pazuzu could leave, "Why are you even helping us? What does your master want with us?"
Pazuzu gave reasonable pause. "The same thing everyone wants." He opened the door. "Power." He left Gary to think about that.
Death metal was a great way to let your aggression show and Gale knew that all-too-well. Maybe that was why this session was held in an underground venue as death metal banged against the wall and the crowd was strapped in piercings, tattoos, colored hair, and banging their heads to the screeches and rumbles. Brash red and yellow lights sprayed the stage. The bar was messy with drunks and that inescapable scent of sweat and weed and arousal and anger filled your nose like nothing you had smelled before.
Gale slummed it at one of the high-rise tables in the back of the venue as he fingered his drink, all moody. Doctor Orr settled across from him, unbothered at the noise. He kept his focus on Gale.
Gale took a swig of his drink. "Why am I here?"
"As I told you before, Mister Redfox, your mind goes to where it wants to go," Doctor Orr said patiently. "But something must be making you angry if you're here."
Gale smirked. "What? Don't think this is my normal scene?"
"What I think what's normal for you or not doesn't matter," Doctor Orr said. "This place feels angry. It makes me wonder why you're angry." His eyes shifted the same time Gale did when a blonde bypassed them, small and out of place. Wide brown eyes took everything in, but she was on the arm of another man. "How did your training with Luna go?"
Gale snorted and pointedly looked away from the blonde. "Fine." After a beat, he muttered, "We talked. She's having boyfriend troubles."
"I see." Doctor Orr blinked. "For some reason, you sound upset rather than happy she's having issues with her partner."
"Well, yeah. I might be an asshole, but it's not like I want her to be unhappy," Gale said as though it were obvious.
"But it isn't just that," Doctor Orr suggested. "Is it?"
Gale huffed. "No, it isn't," he grated. "I'm fucking pissed off she even has a boyfriend. I get it. I screwed up. But it doesn't make me pissed off any less."
"Are you angry at her or yourself?"
"How the Hell am I supposed to answer that without sounding like a dick?" Gale growled.
Doctor Orr did not even flinch. "Keeping it inside will lead to you eventually taking out that aggression on someone undeserving once again. I'd rather you say it and acknowledge it than keep it inside and hurt someone."
"You aren't a very nice person," Gale grumbled.
"You don't need nice or coddling," Doctor Orr stated. "And I think you'd resent me if I did that."
Gale snorted. "I probably would." He played with the glass before he said, "I'm angry at myself and her, okay? I'm angry at myself because I let a good thing go and it pisses me off." Rubies awash with fury and grief. "She was mine. She wanted to be mine. I only had her for a night and it was the best night of my life."
The music around them dulled and, one by one, the attendees began to leave.
"I'm angry at both of us for holding back for so long. Maybe if I had grown a pair, I would've said something sooner. And I wish she did too," Gale confessed. "She said she loved me… But what the Hell do I know? She moved on pretty fast."
Doctor Orr carefully said, "I can't speak for Luna's actions. But I want you to take the time to acknowledge her actions and reasoning, not your assumptions. You keep calling her partner her boyfriend, but is this something she stated?"
"She did." Gale paused then huffed. "Okay, so, no, she didn't say their boyfriend-girlfriend, but—"
"Gale." Tone a little hard. "I want to remind you why you are here with me. You lost control due to your own assumptions. And when she attempted to explain, you disregarded everything she had to say because your assumption overrode her truth." Doctor Orr crossed his arms on the table as Gale digested his words. "I understand you are an incredibly bright man. Your critical thinking helped you succeed at such a young age. So what makes Luna so different that you can't think straight?"
"I love her—"
Doctor Orr shook his head. "Love can make us lose ourselves, yes. But that sort of love is healthy love. A love where you lose yourself in making them little gifts or planning a vacation. A love where you get tongue-tied when you see her in a wedding dress. But for you to get more aggressive, that isn't a healthy love."
Gale scowled. "Well, what the Hell do you know?" he snapped. "I do love her."
"I'm sure you do," Doctor Orr placated. "But I don't think it's love that draws at your aggression."
Gale instantly got up from the table. "You don't know what you're talking about." He abruptly pulled away—
SMACK!
Gale cupped his cheek in astonishment at the burning sting. His eyes rounded when he realizes who had slapped him. A teenage girl had been the culprit with light blue locks and hatred burning her stare. "Emma…"
She sneered at him, chin lifted. "I wish you were the one who died instead of him. He should be here instead of you."
Gale backed away as his bottom lip quivered. "I-I-I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry."
"Why did it have to be you?" Emma's hands filled with Magic and she took aim at him. "You should have died instead!"
Gale tripped on his feet and landed on the ground. Eyes filled with tears as he watched her look at him in such vile malice. "I know, I know, I'm sorry," he whimpered. "Pl-Please, I'm sorry—"
"You're sorry?" Emma cackled before she charged her Magic and chains wrapped around her arms. "I know you're not. But you will be." She screamed as she flung chains at him.
Gale flinched and tried to shield himself from the impact, but it never came. Hesitantly, he looked to see Emma was gone. He had been placed on a beach with a prism-like sunset painting the sky. The water ebbed and flowed in gentle waves and the sand was almost like a pillow you could sink into, white and soft and smooth. Confusion tore him as he stood up and let the sea breeze ruffle his hair and clothes.
"My apologies." Doctor Orr appeared beside him, hands behind his back, as he looked at the sunset. "This is one of my favorite places I found while dreamscaping. I hope you don't mind."
"I don't." Gale's voice sounded hoarse.
Doctor Orr hummed. "I understand Emma is a hard subject for you," he murmured. "From the glimpse I've seen, she did a number on you—"
"She didn't mean to," Gale found himself defending. "She was… She was grieving. She was just upset."
Doctor Orr countered, "Just as you get upset and take out that grief on someone else."
"I'm not an abuser." Anger sharpened Gale at the accusation.
"And Emma isn't?"
Gale faltered and he looked at the sand. "She lost someone—"
"You lost someone too," Doctor Orr reminded gently. "Your entire family lost someone, Gale."
Gale shook his head. "But it was different for her," he insisted. "She was so upset—"
"As were you—"
"But I don't have that right!" Gale wiped his nose with the back of his hand and sniffled. "Okay? I don't get to be upset because this was all my fault. This was always my fault."
Doctor Orr asked, "Why is it your fault?"
"Because I'm a Dragon Slayer and K—!" Gale pressed his lips together to not say the name. "Because I have these powers. And it shouldn't have been me. I don't… I don't deserve these powers." He sank into a crouch and folded his arms. "She was right to hate me," he murmured as the wind blew. "She was always right. I never deserved this."
"Because someone else deserved it more." Doctor Orr proceeded to sit on his knees. "Desert and entitlement are often used interchangeably, but they mean very different things. To deserve something—to be worth it or to have earned it—takes an unbiased culmination of one's actions, character, and reasons. Entitlement, however, is bias-based and is more selfish and social than anything else." He rested his hands on his knees. "I understand you feel like you don't deserve to be a Dragon Slayer because you feel someone else deserved it more. Why do you think this person deserved it over you?"
Gale hesitated. "Emma said…it was always his dream to be a—-"
"I'm asking what this person said, Gale. Not Emma."
Gale licked his lips. "He died before I showed Metalicana's Magic Circle."
"I see." A beat. "Emma's words affect you because she feels this person was entitled to the power you have and you are undeserving of it. But what she says, Gale, doesn't mean that that is true. Because she can't speak for this person."
"But they were close," Gale tried to get Doctor Orr to understand.
"If Galileo and Olivia were the ones involved, would you still believe the same?"
"No," Gale responded, frustrated. "But it's… It's different." He sat on the sand and drew up his knees. "I know it's illogical, but I just… I can't…" He groaned.
"Whether it's logical or illogical doesn't matter. What you feel matters," Doctor Orr assured. "You have never allowed yourself proper grief because you have felt like you don't deserve it. You have never allowed yourself to even process the relationship you had with that person because you felt like you don't deserve it. But the blame you put on yourself isn't something you felt on your own. This blame was forced on you."
Gale shook his head. "No. Emma didn't force anything on me."
"Then why do you feel like you are to blame?"
Gale opened his mouth and hesitated. He cursed and, in his agitation, he picked up sand and flung in at no one. "I fucking hate therapy."
Doctor Orr chuckled. "So you've said many times. It's not easy to be here, Gale."
"Not like I had a choice," Gale grumbled.
"You always have a choice," Doctor Orr assured. "You aren't court-mandated to be here. Yes, you have pressure to be here, but, ultimately, you are the one who agrees or disagrees. I have no legal obligation to report back to your Guild Master that you showed up today. Easily, you could make yourself scarce for the hour you're supposed to be here."
Gale raised an eyebrow. "Trying to give me ideas there?"
Doctor Orr shrugged. "I never want to work with a patient who doesn't want to be here. So, if you truly do not want to be here, then that's that. Therapy shouldn't be something forced upon you by someone else. It's something you should want." He glanced at Gale. "So, do you want to be here?"
Gale fell silent.
He did not know how long they both sat in silence on this whimsical beach with a never-moving sunset where the breezes were warm and the sand was soft. But that silence was not tense or angry. It was just silence that passed through the minutes.
"I told Blondie Emma is my older sister."
Doctor Orr said nothing.
"But I… I couldn't say anymore because it felt wrong." Gale chewed on the inside of his cheek for a moment. "It felt wrong to call her my older sister when I don't deserve her as an older sister."
"Or is it that she gave you the idea you didn't deserve it?"
Gale hedged.
"In psychology, many argue that no one can force you to feel anything and, in some ways, that's true," Doctor Orr said. "But it's wrong to say a person's words or attitudes don't affect you in ways you can't control whether that effect is a positive or a negative one. People will always be affected by others. Some are better than others in controlling the effect, however, and it always depends on the person affecting them and the situation at hand.
"You're a strong young man," Doctor Orr continued. "Physically and magically and intellectually, you are impressive, Gale. But no matter how smart you think you are for repressing how Emma affected you, it still affected you in a negative way—your aggression."
Gale felt like he could not move as his eyes rested on the water, cloudy and uncertain. "I just don't want her to get in trouble because I'm alive and he isn't and she's upset," he whispered. "She didn't mean to…" But his tongue thickened and his throat dried. "She… She didn't…"
"She didn't mean to what, Gale?" came soft prompt.
Gale swallowed and shook his head.
"Gale." Still soft. A little pushy. "What did she do?"
But Gale only shook his head again and placed his forehead on his knees. "It wasn't her fault," he whispered, shaky, hurting, afraid. "You have to understand. She was just so angry…"
Warmth flooded around him. "Little Gem."
Gale did not even question the fact that Sycaña was on this beach in her Dragon Form with her kind eyes and her maternal scent bathing over him. A mother comforting her son. She dipped her head for her jaw to rub against Gale's back in a soothing gesture. "I am here," she promised. "I will listen."
DRIP.
Gale broke from his position to bury his head in Sycaña's jaw.
DROP.
Sycaña let out a deep and throaty purr saved for only the most intimate moments between a Dragoness and her young. "I am here. What did she do to you?"
Gale ended up blurting into her jaw, "She hurt me." His hands scraped her jaw to keep close to her. "She always hurt me. But then she said she loved me when Mom and Dad were around—" He choked as he shook his head.
Sycaña did not force him to continue. "You are loved, Little Gem," she promised him. "You are so loved in the right way. And you will learn to love in the right way."
"She didn't mean it." Gale's voice broke as he trembled. "She was just upset."
Sycaña nudged him as her purr intensified. The water gave its soft crashes into the sand. The breeze tickled his hair and her scales and for once—for once—the pain that gutted him and he buried deep down had risen to the surface in violent eruption and he lost himself in it with no restraint. Maybe later, he would feel guilt and shame for letting emotions he tried so hard to quiet had come to the surface against the odds, but he let it consume him. And later he would realize the beach was gone, Sycaña had disappeared, he was scrounged up on a couch in an office with Doctor Orr sitting in an accent chair, mellow and a little sad. But that did not matter right now.
His feelings mattered.
For once.
Every-so-slowly, Gary's condo was infiltrated with Nashi's own belongings, but she had a feeling Gary would be more ecstatic than her that it happened this way. She had her bangs gathering to a ponytail on the top of her head and the rest of her hair behind her shoulders thanks to a fluffy bow headband she had on. She had on a charcoal exfoliating mask as she tucked herself into the couch with her PAL on her lap.
Býleistr came over with a plate of meatless pasta and set it on the coffee table. "I prefer hunting, but human cooking is always a treat," he commented. "I don't get your whole I-don't-eat-meat thing."
"Personal preference. Shut up." Nashi continued her search and frowned (even though it was hard to move her face under her mask). "This is so disgusting."
"Your research?" Býleistr went back to the kitchen. "What did you find?"
Nashi sat back to cross her arms. "More political battles between Mages and Spiritless and Aberrants," she confessed. "I guess in Ishgar, we're pretty fortunate to a point. Joya and Iceberg are already trying to regulate Mages through their own system outside the Magic Council and the same with air travel. But it's so much worse around the world." She pointed at her screen. "There's an article here that talks about the Valchestrian Union are altogether trying to pass so Mages require secondary ID as citizens and cap the amount of traveling Mages."
"I think that's more because of the Faction," Býleistr reasoned. "But they could go about it in a better way that doesn't hinder innocent Mages."
Nashi shook her head. "In Northern Andüsa, a few countries are putting more restrictions on Mages adopting children, and children who are above the Ether Level are more difficult to adopt. But Aberrants stand no choice worldwide when it really comes to anything." Angrily, she scrolled. "It pisses me off. From healthcare to jobs to really anything, Aberrants are mainly rejected by society."
"What about the winged girl you talked to at the Snow Ball?" Býleistr asked.
"I searched into Aberrants in Josea, but it's like…" Nashi let out a frustrated breath. "It's like they're hiding it. Some countries have articles slide out and get translated and it's too late, but Josea and Cipangu are pretty much locked down. They promote Aberrant artists, apparently, but…" She began to type. "Okay, come look at this."
Býleistr came back into the living as Nashi streamed a YouView video to the LV. "What?"
"Watch." Nashi pressed ⟪ Play ⟫.
The video began with normal J-Pop artists. It was a girls group of nine members performing a pop song. But all of a sudden, one of the members fainted. While the other eight continued their song and dance, a few crew members in all black came to the fallen members and gently took her offstage.
Nashi stopped the video and clicked on another video she had pulled up. "Okay, now look at this."
The video that played was an Aberrant who had gills and fins and had to be in a water tube in order to perform. But as she performed, it was apparent something was wrong with her. Her eyes drooped and her movements looked a little more languid than before, but with a quick look to the side, something about her went rigid and she forced her smile to be big.
Býleistr's eyes narrowed. "That wasn't just a glance to the side," he determined.
"There's not much on J-pop Aberrant artists behind the scenes," Nashi started, "but what Kyary told me had me interested, so I took a spiral down the J-pop Stan world and found bunches of videos. No one really points out the Aberrants struggle more so than human artists, but maybe it's because the government shuts it down before it could make it out to light?"
"Aberrants still haven't won our freedom of speech in Josea. Those who protest or speak out on YouView are taken away to…"
Nashi bit her thumbnail. "What was she trying to say?" she mumbled.
BEEP-BEEP-BEEP.
"Go take off your mask. I'll make the drinks," Býleistr told her as he slunk back to the kitchen.
Nashi pushed her PAL off her lap. "Thank you." She went straight to the master bedroom and back to the master bathroom. The murals Gary had painted from wall to ceiling were a breath of fresh air every single time Nashi walked into the bathroom. She had to admit his bathroom turned into a his and hers bathroom with a lot of her products and make-up splayed across the counters, organized of course but still.
As she found her hand towel and began to wet it, thoughts came to her. What was she going to say? Where do they take Aberrants that speak out? Once she rang out the towel, she began the delicate process of removing her mask. I've been doing a lot of research these past weeks, but I can't find much when it comes to Mages and Aberrants who speak of their freedoms or anything. But I did find something called 'The Sanctuary'. But it's just a place for peace.
Once her mask had been wiped off, she disposed it and immediately began to wash her face. I have my interviews to start with, but… I mean I can still talk to ICY after I did that little collaboration a few years ago. Maybe visit Josea?
Don't even think about it, Býleistr warned her. Don't overwhelm yourself, Princess. The world was and has been a terrible place. You can't fix everything at once.
I know that, Nashi said defensively. I'm just angry the world is like this and I've been sitting in my own little bubble.
And wasn't it you who advised Little Moon the same that making yourself out to be a martyr wouldn't do her any good aside from putting on unneeded mental strain?
Nashi reached for a hand towel to pad-dry her face. Okay, so, yes, I did say that, but—
No 'but's. Focus on your issue first, Princess. Get your message across. Starting small is never anyone's ideal way to start, but you'll start waves sooner than you realize. And hurry up. I want to eat.
Nashi snorted and shouted, "You're more of a domesticated cat butler than a Celestial Spirit." She laughed when she heard Býleistr's growl. "Hey, I don't mind. I don't have to lift a finger." She quickly moisturized her face, checked herself in the mirror, before she left the master bathroom and bedroom to get back to the living room. She frowned at Býleistr when something came to her. "But you're not doing this because you think I want this, right?"
Býleistr shook his head. "No. Star Spirits are in-tune with their owner's needs, but we don't have to comply with them. The bare minimum we're required of is obeying a summoning. But we don't need to do anything else. Your mother's Star Spirits are always around only because they want to be around and they like the work they're given."
"So you're saying you've been housewife material all along and all this fur is just for show?" Nashi teased as she plopped on the couch.
Býleistr took away her plate and lifted it high in the air. "I will dump this on you."
"No, you don't." Though, Nashi sounded uncertain as she looked from Býleistr's face to the plate. "You wouldn't waste food you cooked."
Býleistr huffed, but it set the plate back down. "Dammit."
Nashi beamed. "Thank you." She reached for her fork and took the plate to begin tucking in her food. "I think tomorrow, I want to go back to my parents' house and see if Justin and Ellie are down to hang out." She made a show of rolling her eyes. "But they might be busy since they're living with Ace and Ines now."
"You're technically—"
"Don't say it."
"Princess, you have pretty much all of your belongings in his home which you call your home," Býleistr reminded. "I don't see what the big deal is."
"It's just… It's the order of things," Nashi explained after a mouthful of pasta was swallowed. "I don't want to live with a man until I'm better off. Since I've had to take little jobs around Magnolia, I'm pretty much dipping into my savings—"
"He left you money—"
"I don't feel right taking it—"
"He gave you access to his credit cards—"
"Which I don't feel like using—"
"But why—?"
"Because it's weird!" Nashi exploded. "We haven't even been together long and he's given me so much!"
Býleistr sighed. "He just wants you in his life, Princess. He wants you happy and taken care of."
"Which is great," Nashi rushed to assure, "but it's just…! It's too much too soon, okay?" Her appetite wavered and she set down her fork. "I just…! I just feel like, even though he's not here, we just moved really fast. Yes, he's amazing. And those days we had in Arcticados felt amazing, but I don't want to rush this."
Býleistr studied her. "Is this about what happened?"
Nashi held a pause for five beats before she let out a shaky breath. "I didn't mean to have a panic attack," she murmured. "It just got to be too much with him behind me and I felt like…" She gagged. "I just… I remembered."
"I know you did." Soft words. Býleistr dropped into his Cat Form to nuzzle her side. "Why didn't you tell him?"
Nashi shook her head. "I didn't want him to worry. What was I supposed to say? I was afraid of us doing it doggie style because I'm reliving the moment someone who wasn't him but looked exactly like him was doing me?" Nausea rolled in her stomach. "He would have felt so guilty. He wouldn't have wanted to touch me, Býleistr, and I needed him to touch me."
"He might have been hesitant," Býleistr gave to her, "but he knows to trust you know your limits. Princess," he added when Nashi closed her eyes and looked away, "he would have understood."
"No." Nashi held firm. "I don't want him to know. And I don't even know how to start talking about it." She messed with her headband. "I just need us to slow down a little bit. That's all. I know he won't be home frequently, okay, I know that. But I just don't want this to be so overwhelming. The money is overwhelming…! Býleistr, he had me listed as his beneficiary."
Býleistr pawed at her shoulder. "Princess…"
"Don't tell me you haven't thought about it." Nashi sniffed and rubbed under her nose. "I'm happy we're on the same page about the future and those days are days I'll remember for a long time. But we both have work to do. His life is on the line for this. I don't want to be a distraction and I don't want him to be a distraction. I don't want to get so wound up in each other, we just forget everything." She shook her head. "Not again."
Býleistr did not have the antidote for her worries. He purred and rubbed his cheek against her shoulder. "Then, I'll make sure it doesn't happen again," he promised her. "You are my mistress, Princess. Before all else, I will protect you."
Nashi got out a pitiful laugh. "What if I don't even see it again? What if I'm so into him, I don't even see I'm losing myself?"
"Then, trust me to drag you out kicking and screaming." Býleistr was careful when he craned his neck to lick her cheek and nuzzle it. "I won't ever let you in another situation like that again, Princess. Even if you hate me for the moment for taking you away, I won't let you be consumed."
Her bottom lip trembled. "You promise?"
"Always."
Nashi abruptly moved her plate to the coffee table before she shifted Býleistr in her lap to hug him. His purring increased in volume as he absently began to knead at her shirt. As she sought comfort in her Celestial Spirit, neither noticed that ⟪ Auto Play ⟫ had begun on YouView for an ad to come up.
An ad about the Sanctuary.
Tesla was an idiot.
Or so she thought to herself as she saw Jaxton just staring there in the theater just normal shoes, a pair of jeans, and a jean jacket hoodie and baseball hat and she knew she was panting after him.
Which is what she should not be doing.
"Tesla, your man is here, isn't he?"
Tesla looked away from Jaxton to turn her attention on a bald black young woman with a nose piercing and dressed down in a hoodie for Orchid State with her Perench Horn in her hands who was still in the pit boat. "Shut up."
The bald woman cackled. "You're just cranky because you want some."
⌜ORCHID STATE UNIVERSITY
Name: Letitia Bassett
Age: 20
Occupation: Full-time fourth-year student, Outside Hitter
Likes: Perench Horn Dislikes: music theory
Special Note: Letitia is a double major in Music Therapy and Perench Horn Performance! She identifies as a nonbinary woman!⌟
Tesla wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, well…" Unable to deny, she muttered, "Shut up."
"I think that's a wrap."
Tesla and Letitia turned their attention to the composer of the music, a barrel-chested man who wore a brimmed hat and a matching sweatshirt and shorts that were all words associated with a popular anime and black shorts underneath. The man looked at the other instrumentalists and said, "I'm sure we've got it down packed. Next stage will be the recording studio."
⌜ORCHID STATE UNIVERSITY
Name: Shinx Seongwu
Age: 22
Occupation: Full-time graduate student (second-year)
Likes: EDM Music Dislikes: writing for piccolo
Special Note: Shinx is composing for OSU's winter stage play as part of his grade for a class!⌟
The instrumentalists nodded and all thanked him for his work while he did the same and walked off to check in with the conductor. The entire theatre was something out of a dream for most students layered with a balcony, professional lighting, and rigging, and the theatre program was swollen with potentials. Right now, the stage production crew was hard at work with set design as they had built a rotating platform for the stage this time around. A few other students and faculty had come to sit in the theater. From the Documentary Club, a camera crew had been sent to capture the process and do some interviews. Right now, it looked like the trumpet trio was goofing off and the camera crew was capturing their shenanigans.
Tesla ducked back into the pit boat to start cleaning out her flute, her piccolo, and her alto flute she had on their stands. Letitia sat on the chair beside her that belonged to the now-gone oboe and Minstrish Horn player and said, "So why are you not just anger-fucking him again?"
"Because I'm mad at him and he'd try to manipulate my anger sex into something else," Tesla grumbled. Not even try. He'd do it and I'd let him.
Letitia shivered. "Well, have sex with him so you're not as snappy," she suggested. "Unless you're willing to abandon your primal ways and—"
"Ace Club isn't for me, Letitia, but I'm happy it is for you," Tesla told her squarely as she took apart her alto flute first and went through the cleaning process.
"We are not a club. We are a forgotten underground society," Letitia remarked with a grin for Tesla to shoot her a look. "I don't get why you don't just enroll here and you torment yourself at Saint Theo's."
"Because I need that letter of recommendation so I can get a full scholarship to either go here or go to the Crocus Conservatory," Tesla sighed. She finished off her alto before she went to put it away. "Can you do me a favor?"
"What?"
"Can you go tell him—?"
"Oh, no," Letitia refused. "You tell him yourself."
Tesla pouted as she went to clean her flute. "Come on, Letitia, this will be the last time, I promise."
"You said that two weeks ago." Letitia smacked Tesla upside the head. "Stop avoiding him and making yourself scarce, Greer, and sit down with the man and talk to him."
"I do talk to him and I do see him," Tesla said hotly.
Letitia lifted an eyebrow. "And when is that?"
Tesla pursed her lips. "I hate you."
"You love me because I give you the advice you never needed." Letitia put her hand on Tesla's shoulder to stop her when she went to put her clean flute head joint away. "I don't know what happened between you two over break, but I hope it's something you can come back from."
Tesla sighed. "Yeah. Maybe." But she shivered when she heard a low voice.
"Ready to go?"
Letitia looked up to smile at Jaxton who leaned over the pit with his eyes trained on Tesla. "Hey, Jaxton," she sang. "She's almost done."
"Thank you, Letitia." He offered her a small smile then his eyes went back to Tesla.
Tesla stiffened and robotically when through the motions of cleaning out her piccolo and loading it back to the case. Once everything had been stripped down and put away in her bag, she murmured to Letitia, "I am not snappy."
"Yeah, and tramp stamp trumpet number three isn't a total douche." Letitia nudged Tesla away. "See you tomorrow."
Tesla muttered her good-byes and made her out of the pit. She gave a few vague smiles and farewells to other members of the pit, acutely aware Jaxton's eyes were pinned on her form. The moment she swept up the steps to the main level, Jaxton was there and she complied in letting him carry her music bag. She briefly kissed his cheek before pulling away, eyes elsewhere. "Hi."
"Hello." Jaxton began to walk. "Let's hurry to make it back in time for your last class of the day."
Tesla hummed her acknowledgement and followed him out of the theater. It was not too busy of a day, but students milled out the lobby some used it as a place to study while others were part of the theatre program and were in desperate need of someone to run their ideas with. The parking garage was attached straight from the theatre and Tesla was grateful for the short walk until they were alone in the car. She held her breath for Jaxton to say anything.
But all he asked was, "Do you want to stop by somewhere for food before we go back to your school?"
"No." Tesla turned her head to roll her eyes at herself. Why the Hell did I say that? I'm starving!
Jaxton held his silence for a few moments. "If it's okay with you, do you mind if we stop by somewhere anyways?"
Tesla swallowed and forced out an agreeable hum.
Jaxton took that as her consent and began to make his way out of the parking garage.
Silence was unsettling in the car with them. Normally, they would be talking (Tesla would be gushing about practice while Jaxton listened and smiled proudly), but today, not even the radio would be on to add unprecedented noise to their quiet. At least for Tesla, it felt awkward and uncomfortable. Words wanted to push past her lips, but she held them back and played with her fingers instead.
I want to talk to him, but… Tesla looked out the window in sad frustration. What's the point? He already knows anyways. He's just been indulging me talking this whole time. She wanted to tell him everything that happened, from the trumpet trio finally getting on Shinx's nerves to a few of the funny fumbles they went through and everyone lighting up when Shinx incorporated the electronic aspect of the score.
But she could not make herself do it anymore.
Instead, she found herself saying, "You don't need to drive me the rest of the week. I'll be fine." Her hands clasped each other. "I'm sure you have other things to do than wait around for me." A snarky voice wanted to add more, but she bit it down.
"I like to do it," came Jaxton's soft reply. "It gives us time to spend together. But if you don't want me, then that's fine too."
Tesla closed her eyes at Jaxton's double meaning, but she refused to call him out on it and decided to keep up her silence, even if her thoughts were bouncing off. I want you, but I just… Her face screwed up in visible frustration and she pushed back the flood of heat that rushed to her eyes.
Jaxton had ended up pulling them to a restaurant that specialized in different takes on macaroni and cheese. "I'll be right back," he told her as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "Do you want anything?"
"No," Tesla answered quickly. "I'm fine." But she silently mouthed a curse at her.
Jaxton was quiet for a beat. "All right." He closed the door and he was gone.
Tesla waited until he was safely out of distance and opened her mouth only for her eyes to warily check the windows and she narrowed her eyes at her own reflection. She pulled up her hoodie and drew her drawstrings until her hoodie encompassed her face to let out a muffled scream. "Ugh, I hate everything!" She buried her hoodie-covered face into her hands. "Why couldn't his secret be he's secretly into white girls or he actually hates my cooking? Why did he have to be a freaking spy?"
Tesla sniffled and freed her face from her hoodie once she felt her screaming was over with, but she kept her face buried in her hands. I hate this. I hate not knowing. He couldn't even tell me who he reports to or anything. He just told me he's been spying on me ever since three days before I escaped from him. The heat she held back spilled over and she felt her hot tears. Fuck, I can't do this. A watery inhale. I can't, I can't, I just…
A sudden trumpet began to blare.
Tesla sniffled and went for her Compact stuffed in her sweatshirt. She saw it was Doctor Orr calling and she did not hesitate to answer. "You always call when I'm spiraling," she joked.
"Call it my sixth sense with my patients," Doctor Orr said. "If you don't breath, Tesla, you'll work yourself into another panic attack. Breathe, Tesla. Breathe."
Tesla swallowed instead. "I'm fine." She wiped her nose on the back of her sleeve. "Really, I am. Just a momentary spiral, but I think I'm done with panic attacks for the next lifetime."
Doctor Orr chuckled, but he followed with, "If your father's release this week is taking too much of a toll on you, you are more than welcome to check yourself into the hotel I recommended."
"Psych unit."
"A hotel, Tesla," Doctor Orr affirmed. "And has more Spiritless protection than most hotels."
Tesla snorted. "That wouldn't stop him." She glanced out the window and focused on her reflection before she pointedly turned away. A mirthless smile wound onto her lips. "And he probably knows I'm breaking down now. Perfect."
"Your father?"
Tesla shook her head. "No, not my sperm donor." She straightened and hurried to wipe away her tears. "Anyways, I'm fine, really. I'm all cried out now. I just got caught up for a moment. The call really wasn't necessary. I'm sorry you felt like you had to call."
"No need for sorries." A beat. "Where is your partner at this moment? Is he with you?"
Tesla released a sharp breath. "You know we're not exactly at a good point right now."
"Which I understand," Doctor Orr assured, "but I am to also understand he's aware of your state and can help if you feel like you can't breathe. I know he isn't someone you want to talk to, but I want to make sure you're around someone can help you in your time of need."
"Isn't that what I have you for?" Tesla teased.
"For your psychotherapy and your check-ins, yes, but for your physical well-being, you need to be with someone you find is safe. I know you said you occasionally have been going over to your friend Dante's home. But what about the other times?"
Tesla saw from the corner of her eyes that Jaxton was returning and quickly answered, "I'm okay. Really. I'm fine. But my boyfriend is coming back, so I have to go."
"All right. If you need me, you know where to reach me."
"I know. I do. Bye-bye." Tesla ended the call, locked her Compact, and turned away as Jaxton opened the car door.
"I know you said you didn't want any, but I got you macaroni and cheese with broccoli and breadcrumbs," Jaxton informed as he slid the warm paper bag into her lap. "You don't have to eat it, but I wanted to make sure you had some food."
Tesla felt a new wave of tears try to emerge, but she swiped them away. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Jaxton made no move to start the car.
Tesla straightened her shoulders. "I know you were spying on me." Her voice wavered and maybe it was ignorant of her, but she carried a little hope he would deny the claim.
But he was silent.
"Well, then you should know, there's no need to worry about me." An edge covered Tesla's tone and she could not help it with she scathingly muttered, "It's not like you need to be around to know what I'm doing."
Jaxton carried on in his silence.
For some reason, Tesla found the silence maddening and blurted, "I think I'm going to get a cat, actually. It'll be nice to not be in my apartment alone."
Jaxton said nothing.
Fed up, Tesla spat, "Well? Anything to add?"
For a while, it seemed like Jaxton would say nothing. But he quietly murmured, "I understand I broke your trust and I'm the reason you've been upset. I know I've been contributing to you crying and I hate that."
"You haven't—" But Tesla stopped herself from trying to lie.
"I'd feel more comfortable staying with you," Jaxton admitted. "Then, I'd know you're safe—"
"You can just spy on me like always, so what does it matter if we're together or not?" Tesla countered. "You didn't need me to sleep over to know I'm safe. You didn't need to date me and fuck me just to know where I am all the time. And I know," she groaned in addition as she rubbed her wet cheek, "you told me you didn't do all of that because of your mission. You did it because you love me. But I just…" She tried to press her lips together, but a sob bubbled out.
"Tesla…" Jaxton's neutral voice broke at her name.
Tesla shook her head. "Just take me back to campus," she pleaded. "I can't do this."
"Tesla—"
"No!" Tesla wrestled off her seatbelt. "I can't do this right now!" She waited for no one when she pushed the car door open and slammed it behind her the second she was outside, but she did not go for. She crouched on the ground and covered her face with her hands.
SLAM!
CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH!
Tesla felt Jaxton had given her a nice berth, but he would remain close and stay silent. Gasping for air, she blurted, "I can't keep driving myself into the ground thinking about him getting out of jail and knowing he's coming for me and running myself ragged with training and trying to smile and then there's you! You—!" She sniffled. "You, the only person who was supposed to just be there for me, but you get the last laugh because you've known everything from the start!
"And that's just perfect!" Tesla let out a mad cackle before it choked into a cry. "It's wonderful really! All my time opening up to you about what happened was just a fucking waste of time for you because you know it already." She shook her head as she shivered. She heard Jaxton shifted and knew without looking up that he had settled in front of her.
"Loving you and listening to you was never a waste of time." Ever controlled. Ever maintained. "I understand I made you feel like that. I don't know what to do to help you understand that." No accusation or frustration. He was just collected.
But Tesla was not. "I don't know!" She scrubbed her face. "I just… I can't… I can't…" She could not finish her words.
So Jaxton carried on in his low voice, "I understand you don't trust me. I know everything is a lot right now. I never wanted to be a reason for you to cry, Tesla." His hand came closer to her own.
Tesla peeked her eyes to look at Jaxton and she knew it was him. She knew it was him. But a split-second changed everything and she saw him before her, crouching down with his hand reach to pull her from under the bed. Panic clasped her throat and she flinched back.
Jaxton stopped.
Tesla blinked rapidly. "I-I-I'm sorry," she blurted. Abruptly, she got to her feet and kept her eyes away from Jaxton. "We need to hurry. I need to get back to campus."
Jaxton was slow to rise, but he did not press his luck and come closer. "I'd like to open your door for you," he told her. "Would that be okay?"
Tesla sniffed and stepped aside. The door opened and she climbed into the car with the paper bag back in her lap for Jaxton to close it behind her. Grief and guilt wound around her heart and tore at it. Jaxton came into the car and strapped himself in.
Silence.
Tesla felt the need to do it. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm not being fair to you. I…" She swallowed thickly. "I know you can't tell me why you did it, but…" She shook her head. "Never mind."
"Tell me." A soft command.
Tesla sniffed and shook her head again, but she answered this time. "I don't know." A long inhale and loud exhale. "I'm just…stressed. And I'm angry, but I'm also just a nervous, horny wreck." She rolled her eyes. "I'm just a mess of emotions."
"Horny?"
Tesla shot Jaxton a look. "You would just pay attention to that word."
Jaxton shook his head. "Not for what you might think. We haven't touch in these last three weeks. I assumed that was far from your mind with everything happening."
"Oh." Tesla blinked then looked at her lap.
Jaxton sighed. "I understand you need time. If you want that time away from me, I'll give it to you."
"But you'll still be spying on me."
"Yes." Jaxton nodded. "Whether or not I'm with you, I still carry out that part of the mission."
A stab of irritation hit Tesla at how calm he seemed. "Glad I'm still revered as 'the mission'."
"I don't want be anymore dishonest than I have been before," Jaxton said. "I hope you will continue to tell me what you feel when you feel like you can trust me again."
Tesla nodded. "I want to trust you, it's just…" I don't want to think it's him when I'm with you. She licked her lips and tried to force out the words, but they did not come. Why can't I just say that? Why am I so afraid?
"It's okay," Jaxton regarded, gentle. "Do you want to have dinner together?"
Tesla shook her head. "No. Nashi and I are getting dinner tonight."
"Okay." Jaxton put the car in reverse. "I'll get you back to campus." When Tesla said nothing, he backed the car out and drove them out of the establishment and back onto the road.
Tesla found her mind blanking to her surroundings, but a pressure was built around her. Sickness coiled inside her when she remembered his traitorous words and slurs he fed her day after day. The way he pushed until she broke and pushed further until she was shattered. Her stomach lurched as her fingers trembled. She could see him. She could see that smile he would give her the moment he had her within his grasp. That pressure grew into a weight on her lung and her thighs twitched in an uncomfortable way. Age-old fear drudged back up and a pain shot through her temple.
"Good girl," came perverse purr. "Daddy will always find you, won't he?"
HONK!
Tesla's eyes snapped open as wild panic made her look for an immediate exit. She felt hands try to grasp her own and she knew someone was talking, but that crawling sensation leeched on her skin and she knew she was most likely pleading for them to let her go, to let her escape.
"Tesla." A soft plea. "Come back to me."
It took a moment for Jaxton's voice to reach her, but when it did, the guilt surged again. She could tell with a quick look out the window they had arrived on campus and Jaxton was at the drop-off zone, but she could not face school and she could not face him. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I-I-I—"
"Tesla—"
"I need to go." Tesla handed him the paper bag. "I'm not hungry. Thank you, though, for the food." She unbuckled and grabbed her music bag from the floor.
"Tesla, wait—"
But she sprung out of the car and grabbed her bag to sling around her shoulders. "I'm sorry," she said again. "I'm just… I'm sorry." She left without looking at him and closed the door behind her when she heard the driver's side open. "Jaxton—"
"No, Tesla." Jaxton rounded the car and planted himself in front of her. "There is no need to apologize. Your father is about to be released from prison. Things are going to surface. You feel out of control and unsafe. But you shouldn't apologize for feeling that way."
Tesla shook her head. "There's more to it than that, Jaxton, I—!" She sighed. "I'm just not being myself and I know I'm not and I'm sorry you have to deal with all my emotional whiplash, being my boyfriend and my spy."
"As your surveillance, I wouldn't be here to see your emotions up close," Jaxton said. "As your boyfriend, I get that privilege."
Tesla snorted. "What privilege? This must be a nightmare."
"Not a nightmare," Jaxton assured. "I wouldn't be here if I thought this was a nightmare. I'm here because I want to be." His head cocked to the side when he noticed Tesla's eyes pass over his body. "What is it?"
Tesla quickly shook her head. "No, nothing, just me being irrational again."
"Irrational or were you thinking horny thoughts?"
Tesla narrowed her eyes at him when his face remained completely neutral. "I can't believe you have the nerve to ask me that."
"You're right." Jaxton lifted his chin. "I shouldn't have to ask. I know that's where your mind went." She opened her mouth to contradict him, but Jaxton continued to speak: "You should take the mac and cheese with you. Eat a few bites."
Tesla did not know whether to feel annoyed he changed the subject or pleased when she heard the underlying authority in his voice that she had missed. "And if I don't?"
"Then, you don't." Jaxton noted Tesla's frown with his own lips twitching. "Anything else to add?"
Tesla's frown deepened to a scowl. "No. Nothing."
"Okay." It took Jaxton less than a minute to retrieve the paper bag and he offered it to her, his eyes lighting in amusement when she took it grumpily. "I will be back to pick you up from your last class."
"Yes, Master."
Jaxton did not say anything about that. "I love you."
"I love you too," Tesla mumbled. It was normal for her to go up and kiss him on the cheek, but she held herself back and watched him.
Jaxton raised an eyebrow.
Tesla let out a terse breath. "Bye."
Jaxton gave a slight nod. "See you later."
Tesla looked away and pretended not to care or be interested he was getting his car and driving away from the school, but her eyes followed his car until she could not anymore. She let out a loud groan, stamped her foot, and then she proceeded to cry out loud, "Why the Hell am I stressed, angry, and horny?"
No one had the answer to that for her.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Fairy Adventure
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
It was one of Carlisle's weird days and, yes, even someone as strange as Carlisle had weird days. It was weird to him because, one, the man he had tried to text and call had given him short, clipped answers over this last week and, two, he was actually nervous what that meant.
"You know you're acting stupid."
"Shut up, Lucy."
This was why Carlisle was sitting in his Lacrima Car, chewing on his nail with half-eaten vegan food and listening to an orchestral ballad as he parked right across the street from C & M Motor & Garage.
"I don't think he's going to happy you're there."
"What do you know? Your relationship is on the fritz," Carlisle snarked onto his CarPlay. "You were the one who told me I should go after him."
Bleu sighed from the other end of the line. "By agreeing to meet him somewhere, not showing up unannounced at his work place."
"But he would just not come or say he's busy," Carlisle complained, kicking his feet a little. "It's been a week, Lucy. Something is wrong. I can feel it."
There was rustling until Bleu said, "If you're certain you want to be attached, Car, then kick down the door he locked. But please be careful."
Carlisle huffed. "When am I not careful?"
"Carlisle—"
But Carlisle cut him off when he leaned forward and his eyes squinted at a form. "Lucy, hold on." He saw the black hair and tan skin and once the figure turned, he saw those red eyes. "Okay, your girlfriend's ex is here, I gotta go."
"She's not my—"
Carlisle abruptly ended the call to climb out of his car. He cupped his hands and shouted, "Gale! Gale, it's me!"
Gale froze on the other side of the street.
"I know that's you! I see you!" Carlisle yelled as he wildly waved his hands. "Don't ignore me! I will continue screaming until you acknowledge me; don't think I won't!"
Gale tensed at that, but he reluctantly changed directions with his glare on a very pleased Carlisle who beckoned him and happily wolf-whistled. When Gale was finally within distance, he hissed, "Are you trying to get arrested or get me to punch you?"
"Not on my schedule until next week," Carlisle quipped. But it was then he noticed the redness in Gale's eyes and all his teasing diminished into concern. "Are you okay? You look a little sad…"
Gale looked away and shoved his hands into his pockets. "I'm fine," he grunted. "Been a long day." He glanced over to the auto shop then raised an eyebrow at Carlisle. "Why are you stalking Dante?"
"I'm not stalking." Carlisle cursed the hitch in his voice. "Look, it's… It's a long story—"
"I don't fucking care. I need something to make me less depressed." Gale rounded to the passenger side of the car. "Some time today?"
Carlisle blinked twice. "You want to listen to my problems?"
"Yeah. Sure. Whatever." Gale sniffed and rubbed his nose. "Just some time today would be nice."
Carlisle snapped out of his disbelief to say, "The car's unlocked. Let me move my food first." He dove back into the car and brought his food over to his lap before waving at Gale to enter. They both closed their doors and silence passed between them.
And then, of course, a Stellian opera singer began to belt notes.
Carlisle heaved a breath. "So, um… Are you sure you're all right?" he tried again. "I know you don't like me, but I'm a good listener. I promise I won't tease you or anything."
Gale huffed. "I'm fine," he stressed as he leaned his head on the window. "Why are you stalking Dante?"
"Why were you going to see Dante?" Carlisle pried.
Gale shot him a side glare before rolling his eyes. "Just wanted to talk to him. Needed some advice from an unbiased source."
"Did he say he was fine with you coming to his job?" Carlisle found himself asking.
Gale gave him a weird look. "Yeah? I texted him after therapy—" He covered his eyes when he realized what he said. "Dammit."
Carlisle took a beat before he slowly said, "And then what? He replied in actual sentences?"
"Yes. He answered and said it was fine." Gale brought down his hands to look at Carlisle in uncertainty. "You aren't gonna…?"
Carlisle shrugged. "Nope. Not if you don't want me to."
Gale regarded him for a few more moments. "Maybe you're not such a shitty guy after all."
"Well, ouch." Carlisle feigned his hurt. "Here I am, letting you sit in my car while you pour your heart out—"
"I'm not—"
"And all you do is insult me, a perfectly fine specimen of man—"
Gale growled as he opened the door. "Fuck this. I'm leaving."
"Wait, wait!" Carlisle lurched onto Gale's wrist to stop him. "Don't go! You said you'd listen to my problems!"
Gale growled again, but he stayed in the car and shut the door again. "Fine. What 'problems' do you have and why do they involve Dante?"
"How do you know they—?"
"You are across the street from his garage, you jackass," Gale snapped. "Of course they have to deal with him."
Carlisle pursed his lips. "Someone's touchy."
"Someone just had a fucking tiring session and their patience is thinning," Gale sneered. "What is your problem?"
Carlisle sighed loudly and Gale was about to bunch the melodramatics out of him when Carlisle suddenly whined, "When did I stop being hot?"
Gale blanked. "What."
"He just… He doesn't want to be with me," Carlisle complained as he looked at the garage. "He doesn't really respond when I text and he won't even look at me when we're together." He chewed on his nail again. "Have I really lost my touch? Am I just not hot anymore?"
"I could answer that in so many ways," Gale said dryly as he scrubbed his forehead. "But you really lost me. I thought you guys were just talking or whatever the Hell gays do."
"I am not gay, thank you, and I reject your sexuality norms," Carlisle sniffed. "And there's a lot more of us than just white gay. I'm insulted you thought I was a white gay. I have more class and more muscle."
Gale looked like he wanted to murder Carlisle, but he thought the better of it. "Okay. Whatever. You guys were fucking." He paused. "Wait, so you're the sub?"
"It's called bottoming, you hetero, and, yes, I bottom." Carlisle sighed dreamily. "Not like I liked to bottom or anything, but Prince definitely makes me want to bottom. He's just so…athletic."
"Jesus, I don't need this right now," Gale grumbled. "You two were screwing. What happened?"
Carlisle kicked his feet. "I don't know…!" he whined. "It's like a flip switched!"
"That's not the saying—"
Carlisle ignored him. "He couldn't get enough of me and now it's like he can't even look at me and…!" He breathed heavily as he frowned at the garage. Genuine doubt arose. "Maybe…he really doesn't like me." His fingers played with each other. "Maybe he's done with me? I mean we were just having sex, so I guess he doesn't owe me anything…"
Gale turned to examine Carlisle and had a thorough look at the sadness Carlisle exuded. It tainted the air like bitter rain. "Ah, fuck, now I actually want to help you now," he groaned.
Carlisle blinked over to Gale, perplexed. "What?"
Gale dragged his hands down his face and over his mouth to sigh. "Look, His Majesty over there—the one you've been stalking?—is pretty choosy about the guys who come around. He doesn't really have all the time in the world to go to gay bars or whatever and come home to someone new every night."
"I… How is this helpful? He found me on Gyndr. That screams either I-want-a-one-night-stand or we'll-talk-until-we-get-bored." Carlisle sighed sadly. "And I'm pretty sure I know where I am."
Gale glared at him. "You shitty idiot, I just told you that's not Prince's normal MO," he growled. "He's been on Gyndr ever since you pumped and dumped him at that party last month."
Carlisle gaped at him. "I didn't—"
"Point is," Gale stressed, "Prince isn't built like you for a casual fun time."
Carlisle opened his mouth, but he was speechless. He ended up frowning, brow furrowed, and looked down at himself. But then he quietly said, "But he didn't say anything."
"He probably thought you were the hit-it-and-quit-it pretty boy type," Gale presumed. "Guy's a beast on the matt and he's…honestly one of the greatest friends I could have. Trust me when I say I want him to be happy. Just fucking doesn't make him happy."
Carlisle worked his mouth. "Why didn't he say that?"
Gale blew out a breath. "Outside of assumptions, fuck if I know." He saw Carlisle huff and he smacked his arm. Ignoring Carlisle's cry, Gale said, "Sitting here and stalking him won't make him talk to you. Talking to him will make him talk to you."
"But…" Carlisle was all out of sorts now. "But when we do talk, he barely even looks at me."
"Well, what were you about to do before you saw me?"
Carlisle sunk in his seat. "Go to the garage and hope he hadn't taken his lunch yet, so we could talk." He chewed on his nail. "But—"
"No. None of this 'but-but-but' shit." Gale opened the door and got out.
Carlisle's eyes rounded. "Wait—!"
Gale dipped his head back in. "Give me ten minutes then come to the garage."
"But—!"
Gale shut the door and ignored Carlisle as he jammed his hands in his pockets and began to walk. I don't know whether to hurt him for being this stupid or thank him for taking my mind off of literally everything else wrong in my life.
Sycaña chuckled. I like him. He is…eccentric.
Oh, yeah, his shitty personality is so alluring. Gale crossed the street and came to the garage. It was not like it was a huge auto shop, but January was a prime time for accidents, remote start installs, and late drivers getting proper tires for the winter or upping the enchantments on their cars. Most worked in their work boots and jumpers, some with work jeans, as they blared Bellish rock over the speakers. Gale nodded to the receptionist as he came inside and proceeded into the garage to find Dante underneath the hood of a car with thick cloves on, the palms fueled with a crystal Lacrima.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
« The gloves Dante is wearing are Enchanter gloves. Because Lacrima cars are infused with both Lacrima and created by Spiritless engineering, most mechanics are Enchanters to be able to effectively work on transportation. It is dangerous work and the certifications are extensive, but it pays a big salary. »
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Outside the gloves, Dante wore overalls fixed with a little grease and oil, one strap down, with a long-sleeve underneath and a backwards cap. He looked up as Gale approached and nodded. Muttering to one of the techs who blushed and nodded, he left the car to take off a glove and shove it under his arm. "Hey," he called over the music.
"Hey. You got a minute?"
Dante shrugged as he took off his other glove. "Sure." He shouted something quick to the tech who jerkily nodded before he led Gale out of the garage and into the mini offices. It was an open space with a few lockers, a kitchenette, a continuous counter with filing cabinets, but the space was empty for the time being. Dante gestured for Gale to sit anywhere while he went to the refrigerator.
"Want anything to drink?" Dante offered.
Gale settled in a chair. "Nah. Thanks though."
Dante took bottled water and chugged a few gulps before he asked, "So what's up? I can take a late lunch if you need to talk."
"Hold that thought." Gale leaned forward with his arms on his knees. "Can I ask you something weird?"
"Sure." Dante took a seat next to Gale. "What's on your mind?"
Gale rolled his lips. "Do you…? Do you think I…hold back what I feel? And… And that's why I fight?"
Dante took another sip of water as he processed the true meaning of the question. "You always seem like there's something more to it when you fight," he confessed. "You fight, but it's like you're not just fighting the person in front of you. It's like you're fighting someone else." His lips twitched. "You ex's boyfriend?"
Gale snorted. "No, but now I like the visual." They shared a chuckle before Gale sighed. "I never thought hashing out the past would be painful."
"It's more painful to run from it or forget it existed over confronting it," Dante murmured. "Letting your past sit there like that just brings more pain into your present and future. And that pain starts to leak out onto the ones you care about."
Gale slicked back his hair. "Can't I put an ice pack on the pain? Or a band-aid?"
"Those are temporary fixes," Dante chided mildly. "Pain isn't mean to have a temporary fix. Not if you want to heal."
"Healing can leave scars," Gale muttered.
"And scars might remind you of the pain," Dante admitted, "but they remind you of what you overcame and healed from."
Gale shook his head. "Maybe you can be my therapist instead."
"No thank you." Dante chugged some more water. "I'm already playing couple's counselor with Tesla and Jaxton."
"They've been pretty tame lately and not in a good way," Gale commented. "Everything okay?" Maybe I should visit them. Touch them and figure out what happened.
Dante shrugged. "They're together, but Tesla has an interest in breaking down my door late at night, wanting to get drunk, and then Lips—" He pursed his lips.
Gale saw this as an opportunity. "Speaking of him," he began, eying Dante's ridiculously neutral expression, "how are you two lovebirds?"
"Fine."
Gale gave Dante a look.
Dante sighed. "He's great," he admitted. "Really, he is. But…" He rubbed his nose. "I can't just be with him all the time and not be in a relationship."
"And you've told him this?" Gale questioned.
Dante stayed silent.
Gale sighed, exasperated. "The Prince himself is suffering from lack of communication? How will we peasants cope?"
Dante's look said it all. "You've seen him. He's just so…pretty. Everywhere we go, he always has a fan club—"
"Of girls—"
"He isn't gay—"
"But that doesn't make him a cheater," Gale argued. "Come on, man. Isn't that a little biphobic?" He made a face. "Panphobic? Whatever-he-is-phobic?"
Dante grimaced and sipped his water. "Yeah," he supposed. "I know it doesn't mean he's a cheater or looking for anyone else, but… Like I said, you've seen him."
"Yes. I have. Several times and wanted to murder him each and every time I see him," Gale deadpanned. "He's the cousin of my first love's boyfriend, my guy, I have every reason to be shit-talking your fuck buddy and his shitty personality."
("Achoo!" Carlisle rubbed his nose and sniffled as he came to the garage and went inside. "Lucy better not be saying mean things about me to his butler, or I swear to—!")
"But here is why I'm not," Gale went on. "Because you're being an insecure little bitch about this and not talking to him about this which, okay, I get it, you're the quiet one of the group, but you don't hesitate to talk when you need to. What's so different about him that you can't talk to him?"
Dante gulped his water before he let out a long breath. "He's just so…him."
"And that's a bad thing?"
"No." Dante shook his head. "No, I like him for it. I really like him, Gale." He screwed the cap on the water bottle. "But I get busy at the garage or finishing up school and he's just so pretty." He pressed the water bottle to his forehead. "And he could replace me at any point."
Gale's eyes were wide. "Wow." He choked a laugh and waved a hand when Dante raised an eyebrow at him. "Dude, I'm not laughing because this is funny. It's just… I don't think I've seen you like this. Being all insecure like us commoners."
Dante snorted. "Yeah, well, liking someone does things to you."
Gale studied Dante for a few beats. "You really like him? I mean…him? Him out of all people?" He grinned when Dante laughed. "Come on, man, he has such a shitty personality."
"He does not," Dante negated. "You're just biased. But, yeah, I like him—a lot. Which means don't hurt him if he antagonizes you."
Gale opened his mouth to openly complain about that, but someone else spoke.
"You like me?"
Gale and Dante looked in surprise to see Carlisle had entered the office with a funny look of anticipation and pure happiness.
Gale scowled. "I said for you to give me ten minutes."
"You're lucky I even waited. I got impatient." But when Carlisle breathed those words to Gale, his eyes were on Dante who maintained his surprise. "You like me. This isn't a joke, right?"
Dante shook his head. "No," he said softly. "It's not a joke." His mouth hardened and he looked away. "It's why I didn't want to see you, Lips. I can't just…do this anymore—"
"Wait, no, no, don't change the subject." Carlisle hurried over and ignored Gale's raised eyebrow as he crouched before Dante. "You like me, right?"
"Yes, as he said before," came Gale's sarcastic drawl.
The couple ignored him.
"Yes, I like you," Dante repeated. "But, Lips—"
"Shut up."
Dante's eyebrows rose. "What?"
"No, no more questions. Shut up. Let me speak." Carlisle took a breath. "I like you too."
Gale groaned in his seat. "Oh my god, this is torture."
He went ignored again.
Dante's eyes went from shocked to hopeful. "You do?"
"Well, yeah," Carlisle laughed. "I don't just bottom for anyone, you know."
"So you mentioned before," Dante remembered as a gleam entered his eyes. "You like me?"
Carlisle got to his feet and had no reservations going onto Dante's lap. Both had athletic builds, but Dante was buffer while Carlisle was leaner. "I like you," he murmured. "You should be happy I do. You know how great of a catch I am?"
Dante chuckled. "I do." He set down his water for his hand to grab Carlisle's thigh. "Drama queen."
"Says the stoic prince," Carlisle mocked in good humor. "I hope you know queens pretty much overrule the prince—"
"Mmmm, you tried that once, Lips," Dante reminded with a kiss to Carlisle's cheek. "Not happening."
Carlisle heaved a big sigh. "You're an evil, evil man who hates my ass."
"It's because I love your ass," Dante amended. "An ass that's mine."
"Just my ass? Well, okay then." Carlisle turned to a very disgusted Gale and chimed, "Hey, Beast, my body's up for grabs if you want to—Mmmph!"
Gale pulled the drawstrings of his hoodie to avoid seeing Dante rope Carlisle in for an aggressive kiss. "I cannot believe I used my 'I am a good person' card to witness this bullshit," he complained. "Can you guys save that for later? As in I am not here later?"
Carlisle pulled away from Dante with a rapid-fire blush, but he rudely quipped, "You could always leave."
Gale narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't have even gotten the balls to come in if you hadn't flagged me down. Remember that."
"Oh, please, I would have," Carlisle dismissed. "No need to be upset that I have a better love life than you."
"You are such a shitty guy." Gale pointed to Carlisle and begged Dante, "Can't you find anyone else? Anyone?"
Dante shrugged. "Sorry. I like him." Carlisle beamed only for Dante to add, "Shitty personality and all." He laughed and held Carlisle down when he tried to get off.
Gale got up and shook his head. "Just don't do things in your workplace, Your Majesty. Do it at home."
"I have to take a late lunch." Though Dante said this more to an intrigued Carlisle.
Carlisle lost all pretenses as he eagerly purred, "Want to fuck in your truck or my car?"
"All right. That's my cue." Gale began to exit as he threw back his head and shouted, "Use condoms, ladies! Bye!"
"Bye!" Carlisle hollered before Gale slipped out. He turned to Dante. "As much as I'd love to bottom for you, I need food. I stress ate a bunch of vegan food."
Dante raised an eyebrow.
"People show stress in very different ways," Carlisle hotly defended.
Dante chuckled. "I'm sure." He let Carlisle climb off his lap to rise to his full height. There was not too big of a height difference between them.
But still…
Carlisle squinted. "I vowed to myself to date people who were as tall as me. Ugh. This is going to be an adjustment. Bottoming. Height difference." He caught the uncertainty that flickered in Dante's eyes and smiled. "I like you." He wrinkled his nose. "Even if you are a gross, gross man making me bottom like this."
Dante shook his head. "You might be saved by Tesla again if she drops by."
"Oh, I hope she does!" Carlisle desired. "She's the only who wants to watch documentaries with me! You seduce me every time I put one on," he quickly put in when Dante raised an eyebrow. "Gross, gross man."
Dante sighed. "Well, let this gross, gross man get to a good stopping point before I clock out." He grabbed Carlisle's hips to pull him close. "I like you."
Carlisle grinned. "Of course you do." He laughed when Dante pressed a kiss to his bottom lip and nipped it. "Oh, speaking of Tesla, if she's probably coming by your place again, maybe I should get some more mixer. She's the only one who can match my liquor diet." He frowned. "And she and her boyfriend…?"
"Still together," Dante confirmed. "Just…in a rough spot."
Carlisle hummed in sympathy. "I see." Then, he brightened. "I know what will make her feel better. There's this really great bar—"
"No more bars," Dante admonished. "You always get in trouble when girls flock you." He shook his head. "Pretty boy."
Carlisle beamed, sticking out his tongue. "I can't help that girls like me. I'm hot and popular."
"Yes." Dante covered Carlisle's lips for a steamy kiss before retreating to take a little pleasure in the starry look in Carlisle's eyes. "You are." He released Carlisle. "Stay. I'll be back."
"This isn't fair," Carlisle grumbled. "Leaving me like this. You're an evil, cruel, gross man."
Dante hummed. "I'm sure you'll say something different later." He left at that.
Carlisle sunk into a chair. "Jerk." He felt his Compact vibrate and took it out only to frown when he saw the incoming call. He took it and deadpanned, "What do you want?"
A light chuckle. "Any way to treat your cousin?"
"We aren't cousins by blood, asshole," Carlisle said flatly. "You can thank your granny for that. Now, what do you want?"
"You're never fun, Car," came mock-pout. "I'm going on a little trip is all. Have some business to take care of."
Carlisle's eyes narrowed. "What sort of business?"
"Always so suspicious," came tease. "Business for Grandmother, obviously. An auction. Just wanted to give you a fair little warning. Grandmother wanted me to place a bid on the prize and I just thought it'd be nice if your little Lucy did the same. The prize is priceless."
Carlisle abruptly stood up as rage fueled him. "Don't you dare—!"
"Unless the rumors aren't true," came taunt. "Everyone thinks the mighty son has fallen and, well, if he has, we know what that means for his place, right? Is it true, Carlisle? Has Lucy finally done it?"
Carlisle pressed his lips together to control the snarl he wanted to unleash and collected himself. "I hate you," he gritted out. "Lucy hasn't done anything which means I'd watch it if I were you. Wouldn't want him to pass judgment—?"
"But he can't judge me, can he? He has no weight to throw around."
Carlisle cursed. "Listen, you little power-hungry shit," he hissed, "I don't care who made you or how smart you think you are. Stay away or I'll deal with you myself—"
"And do what? Risk your boyfriend finding out?"
Carlisle froze.
"Not that anyone cares. It's normal for you people to fuck just about anything that breathes," came careless comment.
Carlisle closed his eyes to try and bring back his fury. "If you do anything, your little granny won't keep you safe anymore. I outrank her and I outclass you. It won't be a fair fight. I promise you that." He ended the call and quickly went to his contacts and find LUCY.
He typed:
« I'm hungry. We should get vegan food »
"Please call me back," he prayed. But he was cut short when Dante came back in and he sprung up a strained smile to mask his thirst for vengeance the moment Dante was only steps away. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah. We've been pretty ahead of schedule, so the tech will finish up the non-Magic stuff on my lunch." Dante frowned at Carlisle's strained smile. "What's wrong?"
"Family drama," Carlisle dismissed in vague. "It doesn't matter right now." He tucked his Compact into his jacket and grabbed Dante's hand. "I just want to go back to your place since you've been evil and ignoring me and I want to be spoiled before I have to wake up early for morning skate."
Dante kissed his forehead and grabbed his hip with his free hand. "You are such a drama queen, Lips."
"But you like me for it," Carlisle chirped. Then, his eyes rounded and a giddy smile toyed on his lips. "You really like me for it."
Dante chuffed before leading Carlisle away. "What do you want for lunch?"
"Ramen!"
Dante shook his head. "How are you figure skater with your shit diet?"
"My magnet school has sports dietitians for the students in any sport programs," Carlisle explained. "And my moms are pretty serious about making sure we all eat from our carefully constructed meal plan."
Dante let go of Carlisle to get on his coat. "Is this why you always beg for me to make ramen?"
"They never would let me eat it at home!" Carlisle complained. "You give me that little drop of happiness letting me eat what I want!"
Dante sighed before he punched out. Taking Carlisle's hand, he led them to the back entrance. "Maybe you are such a shitty guy."
Carlisle gaped. "Evil man!" he cried. "You're an evil man!"
Dante chuckled and was about to say something when someone cleared their throat. Both were interrupted to see the same tech Dante had been working with nervously playing with his fingers as he kept his eyes to the ground. He was shorter than both of them with a face full of dark freckles against his tan skin.
"S-S-Sorry, Dante," the tech stammered. "I just wanted to double-check with you on something before you left…" His eyes shifted to Carlisle and he flushed which made Carlisle narrow his eyes. "It can wait until you're back—"
Dante shook his head. "No, Ren, it's fine," he assured in a gentle voice. "But, really, you've been doing great these few months. Have a little more confidence in yourself."
Carlisle's lips pressed when Ren nodded as red crawled up his neck. "I-I will," Ren promised, though he shrunk back when Carlisle shifted his weight. "This, um, can wait until you're back, though."
Dante frowned. "Are you sure? I mean—"
"He said it could wait," Carlisle intervened with a sweet smile towards Ren. "And I'm sure he can ask someone else if he's having a problem, right, little mouse?"
Ren reddened even more, but he stammered, "Y-Yes. It's okay. I'll be fine."
"Okay…" But Dante did not look convinced. "Do you want me to bring you back something? You've been working hard. I don't mind."
Ren shook his head and picked at his latex gloves. "N-No, it's okay. I'll get something later."
"Just don't push yourself too much," Dante chided. "I'll be back in an hour. But I'm sure your work will be perfect."
"Not as perfect as yours." Ren offered a small smile that was crushed when he met Carlisle's eyes. "Um, I'll see you later then." And he scurried away.
"Well… He's cute," Carlisle commented the moment Ren was out of the office.
"Like a little mouse?" Dante took hold of Carlisle's hand and got them out of the office through the rear doors. "His name is Ren, by the way, not little mouse."
Carlisle shrugged. "I think 'little mouse' suits him better." As Dante directed him to his truck, Carlisle asked experimentally, "So he's working with you?"
"Techs do rotations," Dante explained. "Between myself and one other guy, there's only two Enchanters here. Ren'll move onto installs on the non-Magic side afterwards." He opened Carlisle's door and waited until he was inside before shutting it and getting to the driver's side.
"Is the little mouse younger than you?" Carlisle snorted. "He seemed like a nervous wreck."
Dante started the truck and waited for it to warm up. "No, he's a few years older, but he gets mistaken as younger, he told me."
Carlisle hummed. "And you two always go out for lunch?"
Maybe Dante did not hear the underlying question as he shrugged and said, "Yeah. I'll get lunch for techs who do their rotation with me or we'll go to a bar after work. Ren is just anxious. I'm hoping I can build up his confidence."
"You're so nice to such a nervous little mouse, buying him food and drinks all the time," Carlisle teased with a thin veil of annoyance. "He looked like the wind could take him out. And all those freckles too? How adorable."
"He gets teased about his freckles," Dante offered as he rubbed his hands together. "He's half-Cipanguese and they don't normally have freckles, or so he said. His mom always wanted him to wear make-up and cover them up, but I told him he's fine the way he is."
"I bet the cute little mouse practically melted hearing you say that," Carlisle muttered.
Dante raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean? And you have freckles too. And, if I have to remind you, I told you how much I like your freckles."
"You did, but…" Carlisle shook his head. "You are so hot but so dense."
"What?"
"Nothing, nothing." Carlisle grinned. "Now, come on. I'm hungry. I want food."
Dante sighed as he shifted down to drive and brought the truck out of the parking spot. "Yeah, Lips, let's get you fed."
Carlisle hummed, pleased, when his Compact vibrated. He pulled it out to the device to see a message.
⌜WHATSUP
Lucy
I'd love some. Let's add some mochi to that too. Call me tomorrow about the details⌟
Mochi? Carlisle frowned. What happened now?
Dante's voice got Carlisle out of his thoughts as he said casually, "My lunch is an hour…"
"Food first. Fucking later," Carlisle asserted as he typed back to Bleu a kissy face and a peace sign. "I'm hungry. Maybe you don't even deserve any of me with the way you made me eat vegan food."
"You pretty boys stress in the weirdest ways," Dante muttered. "Do you have to get back to school today?"
Carlisle groaned. "Yeah, but for ballet and then I hit the ice rink for two freestyle sessions and a light workout, so I should be done earlier than normal, but then I have homework. Tomorrow is going to be Hell."
"My shift ends at a little late, but…" Dante rested his hand on Carlisle's thigh. "You want to wait at my place once you're done?"
Carlisle offered a teasing beam. "Why, Your Majesty, already trying to domesticate me? Having me have dinner waiting for you in some frilly apron with nothing underneath? What will your hot new girl neighbor think when—? Ow! Hey…!"
"You are such a little shit."
"Don't insult me when I'm trying to paint an erotic scene—Ow!"
"Fine. You're such a shitty pretty boy."
"That's still an insult!"
Silver decided he hated being awkward.
The day was normal—or as normal was it could be. Ena was busy between meeting with Gigi, a regular meeting with her staff (who Silver had gotten to know and meet via Teamwork and they all seemed like eccentric yet lovely people), using her Magic as she worked on her winter line, and sorting through emails and paperwork. By this late into January, all his sessions with Genius paid off for Silver to be more useful to Ena and all the technology and terminology she used. Not that Ena bothered to praise him.
Or at least, at first.
Maybe it was the whining he had done to Luna that had forced Ena to stiffly compliment him. His cheeky reminders that she always complimented her staff nearly earned him his name written in the Book of Death, but slowly by slowly, Ena eased up and gave him smaller appreciation with a fleeting smile—
—and it made Silver so happy but so awkward.
Right now, Silver was on the L-Pad with it propped up and a keyboard attached to it as he typed up the notes he had taken when Ena had a sudden inspiration for something called "haute couture" for one of her clients. But his eyes looked over to Ena who sat a little away from him to sketch. Hair pulled into a large bun with her braid on her side, Ena was immersed in what she sketched and it made Silver feel…
Well…
Silver's eyes went back to his L-Pad as warmth hit his cheeks. Why is she cute without even trying? he complained. She's doing this just to spite me, isn't she? She probably has this whole master plan drawn up. He forced his eyes to go back to the screen then his written notes. I'll just ignore her. She ignores me. But his eyes sprang back to gloss over her as a pleasant beam lit her face.
He felt his Magic tingle and he buried his red face in his hands. This isn't fair! Why is she so cute? He peeked through his eyes to witness Ena bite her lip, excited, as her sketching pencil went through more fluid motions. With Paige, I could just say it and it didn't matter. But with her… he swallowed when he thought of Ena's murderous look and her blade. She'd probably kill me.
His eyes widened a little when Ena turned to him, but he could not make out anything over the blood rushing over his ears, his own pounding heart, and staring at her lips. More embarrassment flooded him when he remember their kiss on New Year's at midnight. Her lips tasted like vanilla when we kissed. And they were…really soft… Would they still taste like vanilla?
He could imagine scrounging up the courage to kiss her again and it filled him with immense pleasure with the thought of her kissing back this time around. Yeah. Her lips would be soft again. And she… She would look at me…
"You idiot!"
Silver ducked when a knife was thrown at him and his eyes rounded onto Ena's murderous look. …in complete hatred?! He nervously smiled at her. "You were saying something?
Ena huffed. "I was saying take a break to be kind, but clearly you need one if your head's in the cloud and making you unproductive."
Silver could not argue with that, but he still felt guilty and grimaced. "Sorry. I didn't mean to get, um…distracted."
"It's fine." Ena went back to her sketch, irritated her bout of fluid inspiration was gone.
Silver frowned, however. "Don't you want to know why I was distracted?" And then it hit him and he sweated. Why did I even ask that? I can't tell her I was—
"No. Not really."
Silver at first sighed in relief. "Oh, well then that's—" But he thought on that and wilted. I don't know if I should be happy or sad she doesn't care. Clearing his throat, he locked his L-Pad and moved to stretch. "How is your sketching going?"
"Fine," Ena signed, resting her cheek on her knuckles. "Honestly, my summer line is pretty much final, but I like to tweak things before the big reveal in April."
"Why do you release the line in April anyway? Summer isn't until June."
"To catch interest," Ena answered. "I make my clothes unique, but not all my clothes are at the behest of a client or for L. Sometimes, I just make it to make it. When I reveal my collection in April for summer, I get traffic on the website. My little ads Jasper and the marketing team helped will hype up my line. The preorder launch helps a lot with getting people interested and locking in projected sales and even seeing what demographic I'm catering to."
"Wow." Silver blinked twice. "That's…really…um… It's really—"
"I know you didn't understand half of what I just said, but that's okay. One day, you'll get there."
"I was saying, 'that's really smart'!" Silver huffed, but his irritation shrank down within moments as he sighed. "Look, I get it. You're really smart and I'm nothing more than some idiot Romeo, right?"
Ena was more than inclined to agree with him when she remembered Luna's smile that masked her threat. "E, when you are friends with someone, you should lift them up when they are down and that goes for all of your friends."
Sighing, Ena begrudgingly said, "I don't think you're characterized only by that description. You have…other talents."
Like a puppy, Silver perked. "Really? Like what?"
"Ah…" Ena's cheek twinged. "Right. Your talents…" Her eyes shifted left and right as she tried to grasp for something—anything. "You're on a swim team."
"And you think I'm good?" Silver looked so childishly bright, hanging onto her words.
Ena deadpanned, "I have no idea if you're good nor do I have the right to judge. Look at your statistics and decide where you rank on a national level."
"Oh…" Comically, Silver melted with his head on the table. "You think I'm terrible then."
"I didn't—!" Ena closed her eyes and counted backwards from five. "Look. What I think doesn't matter. The only thing about you that matters to me is your productivity. Paige's opinion should matter in all other aspects of your life."
"Well, I mean…" Soulful mayan blues turned to her. "We're friends, right?"
Ena's cheek twinged. "Yes," she grated.
"Well, Lulu would tell me I'm really good and praise me, and we're friends," Silver slowly started. "And you and I are friends. Can't you be…nicer to me?"
Ena breathed tersely. "I am nice to you. I came to one of your swim practices—"
"No, you didn't!"
"Okay, L suggested it to me and I thought about it for a second," Ena amended, agitated.
"You barely even talk to me if you, Lulu, and I get food—!"
"Because I see you all day and I want to talk to my best friend—"
"Well, so do I, but you monopolize her!" Silver whined. "She's my best friend too!"
Ena wanted to pull her hair out. "Are you this cranky because you haven't seen Paige? Is this why I'm dealing with you being whiney? Need your daily dose of stalking?"
Silver whipped a finger at her. "See! This is you being mean to me!" he cried. "You should be nicer to me!"
Ena growled, but all she could think was of Luna's threatening smile. "I'll try to reign it in a little more," she muttered. She held pause. "It's weird. You haven't insulted me in a while now."
Silver jerked as a blush spread and he toyed with his fingers. "W-W-Well, um, you're my boss, so it wouldn't be okay if I did that, right?"
"I meant outside of work," Ena said.
"O-O-Oh!" Silver blushed harder ad his eyes went this way and that. "I just thought I should be nicer to you too, you know, since we're, um, friends and all."
Ena hummed and observed him closely.
Riddled with anxiety from her stare, Silver abruptly got up and blurted, "I-I'll make some more tea!" He scurried off to the kitchen and leaned on a counter for support. His heart felt rickety and he clutched his shirt. I hate feeling like this, he whimpered. I feel so…weird. It wasn't like this with Paige. Now I feel all weird and tingly and like I'm going to throw up but I also really want to kiss her again…
Grimacing, Silver went to fetch the tea kettle. Why do I even feel like this anyway?
"Oh… I see what this is." He remembered how smug Luna had sounded and could remember that grin she gave him when he was having s nervous breakdown in her bathtub. "You totally like E!"
SHHHHHHH…
Silver had turned on the sink faucet to flick cold water onto his face, but it did not stop the heat flushed on his neck and cheeks. Dammit, Lulu. Why couldn't you just be wrong for once? Why'd you have to go and give me ideas?
He cupped his hands underneath the faucet and let water gather in his palms. It's just a crush. I don't like her. It's just a crush. We're around each other all the time. Of course this would happen. This is normal—or so Goggle told me. Not like I'd ever tell Lulu that. She'd just have more ammunition on me.
The water did not string down the cracks between his fingers and simply gathered. For a moment, he stared into the water and saw his reflection. But after another moment, the water rippled and his reflection was gone. Instead, a large green eye stared at him.
"What do I do?" Silver asked. "I've never felt like this before."
The eye slow blinked at him.
"With Paige, I never felt all clammy and awkward," Silver continued in a low voice. "I was never nervous. But now I feel like…like there's something in my stomach. Like I'm sick when I see her. But I'm also really happy to see her." He sighed. "I don't like this at all."
The eye blinked again.
Something pulsed in Silver's head and made him wince. That water rippled. "Nnngh… Another headache?" He let go of the water to touch his forehead as another ache came. He grunted and bent over the sink. Something is…wrong with me…
The faucet spewed more water.
Silver gripped the edge of the sink as his head pounded. It…hurts…
The water began to hiss at the pressure.
Silver grappled his head as his teeth gritted at the pain. It hurts!
The faucet broke off and water sprayed everywhere.
Water rushed in Silver's ears when he stumbled back and hit the floor. The only thing he knew was suffering as it flushed over his body and he could feel water gather beneath his hands. Shaking violently, he howled his pain as tears pressed in his eyes.
"Silver?"
Silver blearily looked up to see Ena has come over to him. Embarrassment and fear clenched his heart as he pushed the word "Hurts" through his lips but at a cost of more pain. He felt Ena wrap her arms around him and maybe later he would be more impressed she had the strength to pick him up, but right now, everything hurt and he clung to her in desperation she would make it go away.
The next thing Silver knew, Ena had set him down in a rather large bathtub and turned on the water. The second warm water dampened his clothes and hit his skin, a relief hit him. The pain was there, but it ebbed away the more he felt the water. Ena let the tub fill until Silver was shoulders-deep in it before turning off the knobs. His tears cleared away when he rubbed his eyes, but he sniffled as he saw Ena begin to leave. He did not know why or what, but he lurched for her and grabbed her hand.
"Please don't go," Silver croaked. "I'm s-sorry. I didn't mean to—"
"I'll be right back," Ena promised him without looking at him. "I need to fix the sink. It'll take a minute."
"Will you come back?" Silver asked, worried.
Ena softly said, "Yes, I'll come back. Take off your clothes. I'll find you something to wear."
Silver let her go and watched Ena leave the bathroom and close the door. Closing his eyes, he sunk into the water and sighed. "I'm such a mess."
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
A few minutes later…
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Silver sat in the bathtub stripped down to his boxers, embarrassed and feeling low about himself. He had rung out as much water as he could from his clothes and piled them up on the rug right before the tub. Knees drawn up, he perked when the door opened. Ena, cloaked in a robe, had come back with a towel and a set of clothes for him. Silver watched as Ena set down the clothes and towel on the counter.
"You should be grateful L knows you so well," Ena told him. "She was the one to tell me you might have an attack and I should put you in a bathtub. She also gave me a spare change of clothes for you."
Silver blew bubbles into the water. Lulu, I don't know if I want to kill you or thank you. Coming up for air, he murmured, "Thank you."
"No problem." Ena remained standing, uncomfortable. "Would you like me to stay or would you like me to go?"
Silver did not hesitate. "Stay. Please," he tacked on.
"All right." Ena took off her robe—
Silver's eyes were as wide as plates when he saw Ena in a ribbed cut out one piece that was a lighter tint of red and showed off her mid-section. To him, the water began to bubble as heat flooded him. "Wh-What are you—?"
"Blame L." Ena held mild annoyance as she hung her robe on a hook. "She gave me a whole instructional lecture on how to handle you." She climbed into the bathtub, but she quickly winced. "I'm sorry. Was the water always this hot?"
"H-Huh?" A new wave of embarrassment hit Silver when he realized why the water was boiling and he wrestled with his Magic. "U-Um, sorry, sorry. Just a, um, force of habit." He poured more focus and he could feel the water respond as it cooled back into a relaxing warmth. "Better?"
Ena hummed and sat down on the far end of the tub. "Much." She let out a groan when she was submerged. "This feels nice. Like a personal hot tub." Her lips twitched. "Maybe you are useful to me outside of work after all if you can always give me a bath like this."
Silver felt all sort of tingles as he could imagine it. Ena and I…taking a bath together…
He could imagine that laugh of hers with a mass of bubbles and suds between them. "Hey, Silver?" Fantasy-Ena turned to him with a soapy wash cloth and a wink. "Would you mind getting my back for me? I need you."
"Ow!" Ena flinched when the water began to bubble and boil over. "What in the—?"
"No, I couldn't!" Silver covered his red face in one hand while he held out another hand to stop her. "Please refrain from saying anything like that until marriage!"
"I'd never marry you!" Ena flinched again at the heat. "You're so strange," she grunted. "Would you mind not boiling me alive? I still have a lot of life left and my clients can't see me with dried-out skin."
Silver tried his hardest to calm down the roaring water, but all he did was manage to settle it into a nice bubbling.
Ena sighed again. "Is there a reason why you're going through these attacks so violently?" she asked of him. "And is there anything I can do help you through them or to prevent them?"
"You really want to know?" Silver seemed skeptical, but he was hopeful all the same.
Ena's expression did not change. "You're both my assistant and…friend. So, yes, I'd like to know." She tilted her head. "Is this actually about Paige?"
"No." Now Silver felt annoyed. "It never was, so stop asking that."
Ena blinked. "I'm sorry. You're normally moody when it has to deal with her, so I assumed."
Silver felt bad. "Yeah, I guess you're right and that was true before, but it isn't anymore," he explained. He tucked his chin into his knees. "I'm just having these weird dreams and visions and my Magic is acting up. It's like I have this entire puzzle piece in front of me and I kind of know what the picture is, but it's still blurry." A sigh. "But I guess that doesn't make sense, huh?"
"It makes perfect sense." Ena hesitated, but she came forth and sat back on her heels to touch his knees. "My mother always told me visions and dreams mean something. You have to take the time to figure out their meaning."
"How?" Silver wanted to know. "How do I figure it out?"
"I'd recommend a dream journal or something of that nature," Ena suggested. "It sounds silly, I know, but it helps." A beat. "I have one."
Silver's eyebrows rose. "You—?"
"If you're about to make fun of me—"
"Oh, no, no!" Silver hurried to decline. "No, no, I was just surprised! I mean you just seem like you're so focused and you really know what you're doing and everything, so I just didn't think you'd need one, and…" His eyes dipped down and he swallowed. "Sorry. I'm not making much sense."
Ena bit back a chuckle. "While I appreciate that comment and I do know what I'm doing, my dreams are something else entirely. Dreams can bring back warped memories or answers or inspiration. So when I wake up in the morning, I immediately write down what I dreamt before I lose it." She let go of his knees to slide back to the far end of the tub. "You should try it. It might help you."
Silver slowly nodded. "I think I will…" He closely straightened his legs. "What do you normally dream about? I-If it's okay for me to ask?" he added quickly.
"It's okay to ask," Ena assured him as she leaned back and closed her eyes. "My dreams aren't that interesting. Most of it is fashion-related. Then, I'll get a strange dream about my family being whole again. But a dream is a dream for a reason."
Silver agreed with her, but he deigned to ask, "I know you want to meet your dad, but… Did you ever think about what would happen if Mystogan was around more?"
"Why bother?" Ena breathed. "It won't happen. I don't waste time thinking about 'what if's."
Well, that's better than a complete shutdown, Silver supposed. He decided to switch topics. "S-So, um—"
"We don't have to talk," Ena cut in gently. "I understand you're probably anxious or embarrassed, but really, we don't need to talk. We can stay in silence for as long as you need."
But I just… I just wanted you to keep talking. Silver, however, reluctantly nodded and murmured, "Okay." Two beats. "What about work?"
Ena waved a hand. "I'll continue to work once you're comfortable. You're free to go home and relax and come back tomorrow when you're feeling better."
Guilt and warmth—he was torn between the two. "Thank you, but it's okay. I'd, um…" His eyes went to her face then looked away. "I'd like to stay if, um, that's okay with you?"
"Are you sure?" Ena lifted her head and opened her eyes. "I don't run a dictatorship. First and foremost, my employees' mental health comes first."
I wish you knew what you were doing to my mental health. Silver bobbed his head. "Yeah, it's okay," he assured. "I want to be useful to you."
"You are useful," Ena told him, confused.
Silver wanted to slap his forehead. "No, I know I'm 'useful', but I just…! I don't know, I just…! I want…!" His shoulders slummed as his hands came up to hide his face. "Forget it. Never mind."
Ena observed him for a moment. "All right then…"
Internally, Silver gulped. I can't just flat out tell her I want her to need me or just say she needs me. That'll sound stupid. Their proximity to the bath tub felt too much. "C-Can we get out now? I think I'm feeling better."
"All right."
He continued to look away as Ena got out first, but once he peeked and made sure she was preoccupied drying herself off, he climbed out of the tub and moved to drain it. He kept his back to Ena as she told him, "I know you say you feel better, but why don't you take the guest bedroom and lay down for a little."
Silver hummed his agreement, not trusting his voice.
Ena soon left him alone and closed the door.
It did not take Silver long to dry himself and change into the clothes Ena brought for him, a pair of his sweatpants and a t-shirt. He folded the towel neatly and brought it with him to the guest bedroom which had a thick queen-sized bed, a dresser, an LV, nightstands, and even a desk. He put down the towel on the bed as he listened to Ena retreat into her room and close the door.
He bit his lip. She'd probably kill me for asking, but… But I…
Before his nerves would make him think this through, he left the guest bedroom and went straight to hers. He rapidly knocked on the door.
"Come in."
He opened the door to see Ena had changed out of her robe and swim suit and into a comfier t-shirt and leggings. She sat against her pillows with her L-Pad as she went through emails and messages. "Do you need anything else?"
Silver swallowed and felt that same anxiety crawl through him, but he yanked it back down. "C-Can I stay in here with you instead? I'll be quiet," he promised quickly. "I just…" He cupped his elbow. "I don't want to be alone right now and…"
Ena looked up to gauge Silver's expression before she sighed. "Why don't you take my bed and I'll use my thinking chair? That way, you can be comfortable and I'll be within reach."
But Silver inserted, nerves a wreck, "Could you stay in bed with me?" He closed his eyes and waited. He waited for her to reject him. He waited for her to threaten him or scoff at him.
A long sigh. "Okay."
Silver's eyes popped open and he gaped at her.
Mild irritation flared in Ena as she frowned. "Well, don't look at me like a dead fish and stand there," she groused as she pulled back part of the covers. "Move it or lose it."
Silver scurried over to the bed and climbed under the covers. He took a deep whiff of the pillow and instantly felt relaxed. It smells just like her. So nice. He peeked upwards as Ena went back to her tablet. "Do you and L cuddle whenever she sleeps over?"
Ena snorted. "Of course we do. She's a crazy sleeper. If I'm not cuddling her, she'll whack me in her sleep and I mean hard."
They both laughed.
Silver laid on his stomach as he shored up the pillow beneath his chin and watched her profile from beneath his lashes. She's so pretty, he admired. But it's… It's different this time. She's really smart. I might not know a lot about fashion and stuff, but her passion about it is really pretty. She can get murderous pretty quickly, but she defends Lulu without any hesitation. How could you not respect that? He snuggled into her pillow and inhaled her lingering scent. This is nothing like I felt with Paige. I don't think I'd ever want Paige to see me have an attack, but… I don't mind if Ena sees me.
He mumbled into the pillow as he closed his eyes, "You're really incredible, you know that?"
"Of course I know that," Ena remarked, dry. "I expect nothing less from myself. Anyways, shouldn't you be sleeping and not talking?"
"I can't sleep," Silver muttered.
Ena began to shift.
For some reason, out of all the possibilities of what Ena could have done, Silver would have never thought of this. His eyes flew open as he felt Ena get under the covers and literally drag his upper body into her chest. He could have melted on the spot and was certain his nose was bleeding. "Wh-Wh-What are you—?"
"You calmed down the last time I did this at the Snow Ball," Ena sighed. "And when L is upset, she needs a good cuddle. And you're my friend. Don't expect me to do this frequently. I plan to have an hour shower after this."
It was not that Silver wanted to complain, but he still hedged, "But work—"
"The sooner you get to sleep, the sooner I can work," Ena hissed. "But if this arrangement isn't working for you—"
"No, no, no!" Silver instantly clung to her and hoped she could not feel his beam and flushed cheeks. "This is fine, really. I like this. Cuddling is nice and it always makes me feel better."
Ena made a noise of disgust. "What is it with you people and cuddling?" she grunted. "L is like a koala bear and so are you. Are all of my friends destined to kiss me and cuddle me?"
It took Silver two minutes to register the meaning of that sentence and he pulled back to gawk at her. "Wh-What?! You and Lulu…! You guys…!"
Ena grinned. "Yeah."
"Oh my god!" Silver slid his hands down his cheeks in disbelief. "When was this?"
"I told Bleu he'd be very happy when she's drunk," Ena chuckled. "She's a clingy drunk." She shook her head at the memory. "I'm glad I'm not dating her. Her kisses are lethal."
Silver did not know whether to laugh, gasp, or blush. "So are you…you know…?"
"A lesbian? Bi?" Ena shook her head. "No. Neither is L, if that's your next question. You can kiss the same gender once and not be gay or bi. Like I said, L was a clingy drunk. She kissed me, I kissed back, and I managed to pin her down to get her to eat and drink water if I promised we could cuddle." She face scrunched up. "I'm pretty sure she thought I was Gale, though, towards the end."
Silver broke into a breathless giggle. "How did she never tell me?"
"Like she wanted you to have that sort of leverage," Ena snickered. "So this is between us that you know, okay? She was so guilty and felt like she forced herself on me. She was crying the next day and everything as she kept apologizing. But I kissed her back, so it wasn't like she's to blame."
"Why did you kiss her back?"
Ena shrugged. "I was curious." She smiled. "Bleu is a lucky guy."
"Wow." Silver fell back into bed, reeling from the reveal. "You and Lulu really are best friends. You guys have kissed." He paused and cleared his throat. "And I mean we've kissed—"
"No, you kissed me," Ena corrected. "Something I still don't appreciate."
Silver pouted. "So you'll kiss Lulu, but you won't kiss me?"
"Exactly. Try and kiss me again and you'll be tasting blood." Ena opened her arms. "Now, you've done a lot of talking and not enough sleeping and I'd like to eventually work."
Silver fell into her arms and held her tightly. "You know, when Lulu and I cuddle, I'm supposed to be the one tucking her in."
"You should be fortunate enough I'm not trying to sanitize myself from this contact," Ena said dryly. "I'm the one who always has L tucked into me. You're the same. When you find yourself a girlfriend, you can be the big spoon all you want. Now, go to sleep."
For a minute, it was quiet. Until Silver whispered, "Can I tell you a secret?"
Ena exhaled through her nose. "What?"
"I like being little spoon," Silver confessed.
"Okay? Go to sleep."
Silver wanted to groan in frustration when she seemed so uninterested. "It makes me feel—"
"I don't care." Ena tightened her grip to the point Silver felt like he was choking. "Go to sleep." She loosened enough for him to gasp for air. "I won't ask nicely the next time and will knock you out myself."
"You're so violent," Silver muttered. "That's not the way to get guys to like you."
"Good thing that's not what I want." Ena sighed again. "Please just sleep. This is an order as your boss."
Silver closed his eyes and fell silent. He nuzzled into her and even when she stiffened, he clung to her.
Softly, Ena murmured, "I'm sorry you can't be with the person you like."
Silver muted the words he wanted to say and feigned sleep instead. I already am.
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK.
"Yeah, come in."
Luna opened Luke's room with her PAL in hand. "Can you help me?" she asked. "I'm having trouble with my biology module and I could use your help breaking it down." She looked up to see Luke looked like he was trying to solve the questions of the universe as books and letters swirled around him. "I could come back later…"
"No, no. I need to take a break." Luke waved his hands and the books gathered onto his desk with the words gone. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I think I'm in over my head here."
"What's going on?" Luna went in further into the bedroom and sat on his bed. "What are you studying now? You normally do all your schoolwork without Magic because you actually like the notetaking stuff."
Luke snickered then sighed. "My homework is online and I'm a quick study. All this other stuff is for a little side project, I guess."
"Side project?"
"Yeah." Luke cracked his knuckles. "Sensei has been gone for a while, but his research material is still here. I'm sorting through it all to figure out what he found out that made him leave without saying a word after all this time, but Translator Spells are a lot on me right now since a lot of it doesn't have a direct or even partially indirect Minstrish translation." He swiveled in his chair to face Luna. "Shouldn't you not be here though? Don't you have a date?"
Luna puffed her cheeks before expelling the air. "No, not today." She put her lap top to the side to lay on the bed. "Bleu's busy, so we had to reschedule."
"Oh." Luke frowned. "Are you okay?"
Luna waved an absent hand. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's not a big deal." Disheartened words. "People get busy." Three beats. "Right?"
"They do get busy, yeah," Luke agreed albeit slowly. "But it's okay to not be happy about it. Wanting to spend time with someone isn't a crime."
Luna shook her head. "Yeah, maybe." She sounded unconvinced. "Do you remember anything yet?"
"No." Frustration seeped into Luke's tone. "And I don't understand why. It's not like I'm drawing a blank or anything, but the memories are just so fuzzy that I can't really make heads or tails of them."
Luna turned to her side to study her brother. "Maybe you're just exhausted," she suggested. "You've been pulling a lot of all-nighters and you know how Mama feels about it."
"I'm not pulling all-nighters anymore," Luke said in his defense. "I just get up early in the morning to do stuff, so I don't have Mom getting upset."
Luna grinned. "Well, aren't you smart?"
"It's strategic and Mom can't get upset, technically." Luke grinned back. "But, seriously, what's going on? Between you and Nashi, I'm not sure who to worry about more."
"Nashi," Luna said without hesitation. "She's going through a lot more than any of us. She's been stuck in Magnolia for weeks and everything. I'm sure she's not feeling her best and Gary's somewhere else."
Luke had to agree. "Yeah. But I have a feeling she's still working hard even if she's here." He added, "Are you upset about Mom and Dad not letting you go on solo missions?"
"No." Luna paused. "Okay, maybe a little. But I understand why. I get it. I'm not strong enough to fight on my own." She lifted her hand to watch her guild mark. "But one day, I'll be strong enough to fight on my own and I'll have earned my guild mark."
Luke hummed. "You earned your guild mark the day you joined Fairy Tail," he gently reminded. "You don't have anything to prove to anyone."
"I do." Her hand tightened to a fist. "I have to prove to myself I've changed."
"Ah. I get it then." Luke tilted his head as he turned back to his DAL. "I know this is a random question, but have you heard of this place called 'The Sanctuary'?"
"No." Luna sat up to over to him. "Why?"
Luke shook his head as he kept the website up. "It's nothing." He glanced over at Luna who came to his side to study the screen. "I don't know. It's just something Sensei had up, but I couldn't understand why. It's a pretty place. It's on some huge island and people just live in peace there. I guess it was set up to help with refugees from warring countries and it's not even Magic Council-controlled."
Luna pointed at a link on the screen. "Who sponsors it?"
Luke flicked the ⟪ Sponsors ⟫ tab and both siblings were wide-eyed with surprise at the amount of logos that had been listed. "That's a lot of sponsors," Luke regarded.
Luna hummed in agreement when a black symbol caught her eye and she grabbed Luke's shoulder. "Hey, wait, stop!" She pointed at the three-pointed black crown crest encased in a shield that crossed the symbols of a six-pointed star and what appeared to be a double-sided wrench. "What's this symbol?"
"This?" Luke hovered his mouse of the symbol. "This is the Alvarez Federation of the Mystic Arts. It's similar to the Fioren Magic Bureau, I think? I think the FMA publicly declared Machias to be able to register with them some years ago."
Luna frowned. "Machias?"
"Yeah. Think Constantine and Chrome and Opera from Lacrima Scale," Luke explained. "Technically, while Constantine falls under a Lacroid, he'd still fall under a Machias. Living and breathing metal. Chrome and Opera have half-metals in them, so they'd count as Machias too. Fiore recognizes them as Lacroids, though, since Ishgar has a whole thing going on with Machias. Alvarez pretty much factored in Machias as citizens decades ago."
"Huh." Luna squinted at the crest. That symbol… So then that vision I had was of Alvarez then. But why'd I have a vision about Alvarez? Slowly, the pieces clicked. "Hey, Luke? I think—"
CRASH!
Luna jerked back. "What was—?" Her eyes widened.
A tall shadow in the form of man had entered the room with what appeared to be Lacrima Games in his hands.
Luna instantly held out her hands and her Magic gathered in her palms. "Stay back!"
Luke whirled around and panic came over him when he saw Luna's stance and Cullen promptly dropped the Lacrima Games and put his hands up. "Lu, wait—!"
BOOM!
[]
Nashi continued to brush her hair on the couch while Býleistr was invested in a documentary on the LV when the Home Communications Lacrima began to ring. "That must be Tesla," she said as she pushed off the couch. She answered the call and pressed 9 to let Tesla into the building. "Are you coming or staying?"
"I'll stay here," Býleistr decided, eyes trained on the LV. "Just link me if you need me." He glanced over at Nashi. "You sure about this though?"
Nashi nodded. "I need to stretch my legs beyond Magnolia and my Transformation Spells are pretty much effortless at this point. I'll be fine. We'll be in the town over." Without needing a spell, she ran her hands through her hair and her pink locks changed into an inky black. Her hand waved over her face and those hickory irises brightened in a light gray with a beauty mark next to her right eye. "How do I look?"
"Fine. Beauty mark is a nice touch," Býleistr commented.
Nashi curtsied. "Why thank you, Sir Puss-in-Boots." She grinned when Býleistr rolled his eyes. "I'll probably be back late, though, or not at all. It all depends where this night goes."
"Not like you have a curfew or anything." Býleistr shrugged. "Do whatever. Just please do not get drunk. I can't just randomly jump when I feel like it because of your stupid Teleportation Laws."
KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK.
Nashi stuck her tongue out at him. "Have fun watching your documentary," she said in breezy farewell as she grabbed her mini backpack and slung it on. "See you late—" Her face flattened when she saw Býleistr scamper in his Cat Form to get to the door. "What is wrong with you?"
"What?" Býleistr put his paws on the door with his tail vibrating. "I like it when she visits. She gives me belly rubs."
Nashi shot her Celestial Spirit an exasperated look. "But you hate belly rubs."
"Not when she does it." Býleistr pawed at the door before going back to four paws. "Come on, come on, let her in…"
Nashi rolled her eyes. "Jesus, stop being such a dirty pervert." She unlocked the door and pulled it open. "Hey, Tesla."
Tesla stood before the door in thermal tights, knee-high boots, and a very warm looking sweatshirt with her hair in five thick cornrows that led down her back. She offered a bright smile in return. "Hey, Nashi." She went to flick Nashi's locks. "Love your hair."
"Mrrow!"
Nashi narrowed her eyes on the Mallow Coon as Býleistr made a show of winding around Tesla's legs before patting her boot with paw. "You can ignore my attention whore fat as Hell cat. In fact, I implore you to ignore him."
Tesla, however, was gushing over Býleistr and picked him up. "How could I ignore all this fluff?" She giggled when Býleistr wriggled to nuzzle under her chin and offered love nips. "I'm considering getting a cat myself, actually."
"Really?" Nashi's eyebrows rose. "I thought Jaxton hates cats?"
"He does." Tesla kissed Býleistr's head and he purred loudly. "I don't give a shit. I want a cat." She shifted her attention back to Nashi as she thumbed Býleistr's stomach. "There was this white cat I saw coming in and he was so cute! He looks like a stray and he's chonky, but he just rolled over and let me pet his stomach." She pouted. "I wish I could have taken him home, but he ran off."
Nashi's eyes brightened. "Ooo, you know what we should do? You, me, Justin, and Ellie should go to an APL and go to the cat room!"
"Love that." Tesla nuzzled Býleistr who seemed over the moon at the attention. "Done. We're doing it."
"Awesome." Nashi shot Býleistr a scowl. "Now, if the only actual pussy around here will excuse us, I am trying to go on a friend date here."
Býleistr shot her an annoyed look, but he did wriggle and Tesla let him back on the ground. If it was not for Nashi tapping his side, Býleistr would have continued to wind around Tesla's legs, but with a huff, he padded away.
Nashi shook her head. "Let's bounce." She stepped out into the hallway and locked Gary's condo and reset the protective enchantments. "So." She turned to Tesla. "How have you been?"
"Is there a better word for stressed, horny, and angry than stressed, horny, and angry?" Tesla sighed as she looped her arm around Nashi's. "I hate this."
Nashi cocked her head. "You and Jaxton still not on the same page yet?"
"Not really." They got to the elevator and Nashi pressed ⟪ Down ⟫. The elevator opened for them and they stepped inside, letting each other go, for Nashi to press the button for the lobby. "Dude, I don't even know what to do," Tesla groaned. "We talked and…I get why he hid things from me, but it's still hard to wrap my head around."
"What did he hide?" Nashi pried.
Tesla's lips twisted.
Nashi held up her hands. "Sorry, sorry, I know, I won't ask again," she promised. "Are you going to get a cat to deliberately piss him off or because you want one?"
"I've always wanted a cat," Tesla explained as the elevator dinged. The doors opened and the pair got out to go through the lobby. "But pissing off Jaxton is a bonus."
Nashi laughed. "Tesla!" She smacked Tesla's shoulder. "Don't piss him off! He's been trying really hard!"
"Yeah," Tesla grumbled. "I know." They paused before they left the building for Tesla to eye Nashi's casual wear. She had chosen light tights, some combat booties, and a long sleeve, but that was it. "Are you sure you'll be okay? It's pretty windy tonight."
"I'll be fine," Nashi assured. For some reason, Gary's immunity spell still hasn't faded. I don't have complete immunity or anything, but the cold doesn't affect me as much. "Let's go."
Tesla nodded and they were outside. Their talk spun into Tesla's complaints about her upcoming recital and one of her students' parents who were attempting to steal her as a tutor for only their child. Nashi added bits and pieces, from Justin living part-time with Ace to little gossip Ellie had shared with her. Tesla had parked in the underground parking garage and it was not long before both had made it Tesla's car that had been remotely started.
As they buckled up, Nashi stopped Tesla who raised an eyebrow. "Coming from a person who can't have sex with their partner because he's elsewhere, why are you denying yourself?"
Tesla hooked up her Compact to her car and shuffled her J-pop and C-pop playlist to start playing an HYPHEN8 song. "My body is a temple and I choose who I let into my temple." She started getting them out of the garage. "It's not like I don't have things I can do to reduce not wanting to jump him, but I'm angry."
"And him lying to you or hiding serious things from you validates anger," Nashi assured, "but do you feel the reasons he did it were justified?"
Tesla shot her a glare and grumbled, "Yeah, they were." They got to the top of the garage and Tesla carefully pulled out onto the main street.
"And isn't Jaxton trying to show you he loves you?" Nashi reminded. "The dates, the little presents—"
"Yeah, well, he does that normally," Tesla muttered. "Now he's just laying it on thick because he has blue balls."
Nashi snickered. "I hate to break it to you, Tesla, but I'm pretty sure Jaxton could be smelling like a gym locker and you'd still want to jump him."
"Yes and he knows that," Tesla whined. "Do you know how hard it is to be with someone who knows you're holding out on them, but they also know you're a wet freaking mess?"
Nashi gave her a look.
Tesla sighed loudly. "Then, you know it sucks and it's so hard because they aren't even trying to be sexy and seduce you, but you're panting at them anyway even though you told yourself you're not going to give in."
"And you're not giving in because…?"
Tesla turned down onto a broad street that wove through a vast expanse of more suburban-country where the houses were a little farther apart and more trees could be seen. "Because it's, like, the principle of the thing?" She pouted when Nashi raised an eyebrow. "Okay, fine, I'm being irrational and petty at this point."
"Thank you." Nashi chuckled. "I'd kill to see Jax sexually frustrated. He always seems so in control." Her eyes widened and she clapped her hands. "Oh, oh, oh! That's what you should do!"
"I've tried that before," Tesla said, grimacing. "I'm not exactly the poster child for resisting him until now and even now, he seems perfectly in control. Last time we had sex was New Year's the second we got back to my apartment and that was it. No touching or anything." She slumped in her seat. "Is it petty that I want him to touch me first?"
"He's probably trying to give you space," Nashi reasoned. "But I get it. It's a weird feeling, but I get what you mean. But as someone likes to tell me, if you just talk to him—"
"No, no, no, please let me be unreasonable and petty just for a little longer before I break down and jump him," Tesla pleaded.
Nashi giggled. "Fine. But since Gary is coming home this weekend, you have these final days to resist Jaxton, but Friday night, I want you in your best lingerie and making Jaxton unable to resist you."
"Fine," Tesla supposed with a grin. "I guess on Friday I'll have sex with my boyfriend."
"Good. Tell Jaxton I accept gifts as a thank-you."
Tesla had to laugh at that. "I will, I promise." She was about to say something when a soothing beat filled the car with gentle percussive rhythms. She tapped her steering wheel as she hummed along.
"Is this Life Goes On?" Nashi asked.
Tesla only winked as she began to sing in a lazy lilt, "Eoneu nal sesangi meomchweosseo… Amureon yegodo hana eopshi… Bomeun gidarimeul mollaseo… Nunchi eopshi wabeoryeosseo…"
Nashi crooned back: "Baljagugi jiweojin geori… Yeogi neomeojyeoinneun na…"
Together, they chorused as Nashi got out her Compact to record them: "Honja gane shigani… Mianhae maldo eopshi…"
Nashi laughed when Tesla began to rap in Josean without a flaw and made sure to record the moment. The rest of their drive consisted of singing along to J-pop songs and a few anime openings before Nashi had been reminded of a duet song from a Magia Channel Original Movie that had both of them near crying in laughter. They arrived at a simple bar and grill and, thankfully, the wait was not too long until they were able to get a booth on the second level.
"This is so weird," Nashi whispered.
"That no one recognizes you?" Tesla guessed.
Nashi nodded. "I mean I know why they don't recognize me, but still, it's so weird." She placed her hair behind her shoulders. "I even brought jewel instead of my debit card just to make sure I wasn't recognized. I feel like a celebrity."
"You were on international Lacrima-Vision," Tesla pointed out. Both thanked their waitress for their drinks and decided they would need a few minutes for their entrées, but they did quickly skim the menu to order appetizers. "How are you with everything though?"
Nashi stirred her drink. "A little stressed and tired," she confessed. "I have an interview tomorrow."
Tesla's eyes went round. "Wow." She took a sip of her drink. "Are you going to be okay?"
"It's time, Tesla," Nashi decided. "I can't just sit around and keep doing nothing. I want to make a difference. I want to help people. And I can't do that in my little corner of Magnolia holed up at home."
Tesla softened. "I might not understand your exact situation, but I understand not wanting to be helpless," she murmured. "You have my support in all this. Just talk and tell the truth. People will listen. I know I am." Both girls took a few sips of their drinks before Tesla questioned, "So what's it like to be in a poly relationship?"
Nashi choked for a moment.
"Sorry! Was that overstepping or—?"
"No, no, you weren't!" Nashi offered a shaky smile. "These are questions I'll have to get used to." Then, she considered the question. "I can't say I'm in a normal poly relationship or anything like that. It's mainly Gary and I. Skade is there, but we don't need as much contact as Gary and I do."
"I'd honestly be really curious about hearing more about your relationship with them both," Tesla confessed. "I happy you're happy with them both, but I've always been curious about inter-species relationships." She winced. "Is that weird?"
Nashi shook her head. "No, not at all! I'm hoping me talking about it will open up more conversations around Aberrants and other sentient magical creatures."
"What's wrong with Aberrants?"
The appetizers came—loaded potato wedges for Tesla and jumbo coconut shrimp for Nashi—and both placed their orders for their main course. After taking a few bites, Nashi explained: "From all the research I've been doing, Aberrants have a lot more restrictions than Mages in a lot of countries. Some laws require Aberrants to have a special license signed and documents to pursue a relationship and others say it's illegal to marry an Aberrant."
Tesla's brow furrowed in indignation. "What the Hell? How the Hell is that legal?"
"Racism," Nashi supposed. "Even in countries with a hefty Magic population, Aberrants are treated unfairly. It's not like they're any different outside of physical looks. They normally can't perform Magic. Aberrants who can perform Magic are Wizards first and foremost by right of the Magic Council, but you know these countries don't necessarily follow that rule."
Tesla shook her head, lip curled in disgust. "Let me know how to get involved in stopping this bullshit. Love is love. Pride needs to be expanded to include Aberrants."
"Don't I know it," Nashi said with an eye roll. "I asked Justin about it, but the LGBT community is still iffy when it comes to Aberrants. Like, I don't understand how, considering both communities are very much oppressed and they can be killed for being themselves, but…?" She waved her hands.
"To be fair, not like us rainbows are any better than normal people," Tesla reminded. "Even within our community, we have people with transphobia, biphobia… It's stupid as shit, but change is a very slow thing."
Nashi nodded. "I agree." She tucked in another coconut shrimp. "So," she started between bites, "I've been doing my research and I basically used all of today to get my focus points in order. I want to make sure everything goes smoothly for this interview."
"You're going in so fast," Tesla remarked.
"I should've been more prepared for this," Nashi argued. "And I should've expected to do interviews immediately after the trial, but I didn't. I know I'm not supposed to push myself beyond my limits, but I need to do this and do this now."
Tesla bobbed her head. "Well, like I said, you have my support. Just let me know what I can do and I'll do it."
"Thank you." Nashi meant that. "And you know I'll support you, right?"
Tesla nodded. "I know that."
"Good." Nashi measured Tesla's facial expression. "Because I know this is going to be a hard week for you. And I really don't want you to be alone."
But Tesla was already shaking her head. "I'll be fine—"
"Tesla."
"Nashi, really, it's okay." Tesla cut her potato wedge and dipped it into her sour cream. "I'm…dealing with it."
"That doesn't sound assuring," Nashi told her in truth. "I know you're not happy with Jaxton and I'm not going to push you into him outside of Friday," she added when Tesla shot her a salty scowl, "but if you aren't going to him for comfort, you can always stay with me."
"I don't—"
"Think of this as a selfish request of me," Nashi quickly cut her off. "I want you to stay with me, okay? Ellie pretty much does her sleepovers with Ines to the point where I'm pretty sure they're living together and with Justin and Ace at Ace's place while Justin gets ready for his launch, I'm pretty much alone. So you'd be doing me a favor if you slept over once and a while."
Tesla narrowed her eyes. "Uh-huh…" She whirled a finger around Nashi's form. "I see where this is going, but, fine, I'll spend the night."
Nashi beamed. "Perfect! Now we can have all night planning what to wear to seduce our men."
"I could wear ratty ass sweatpants with grease stains and Jaxton wouldn't care." Tesla took a bite of her loaded potato wedge. "But I want this man to be panting for me. He's just so in control, you know? I just want that control to slip, just a little bit."
Nashi tilted her head. "Doesn't he lose control in those 'scenes' you told me about?"
"No, he shows a lot of control during scenes. Even when he's 'losing control' per se, he's not really losing control unlike my whore ass," Tesla explained. "But I just want that mask to drop." She toyed with her drink. "He asked me to go home with him to Zhōnguá for Zhōnguánese New Year back in December."
"That sounds like fun!" Nashi relayed.
But Tesla was less enthusiastic. "I guess." She began to cut her next wedge. "I just keep thinking what's the next secret I'm going to find out about. I know that's not healthy. It's just…hard not to think about it."
"Was the secret he kept that big?" Nashi wanted to know, quiet and unsure.
Tesla heaved a sigh and nodded. "Yeah. I let him explain everything to me the next day—or what he could tell me." She groaned as she went into her next bite. "Dude, I don't know. I love him, but this isn't something I can just forget. But I feel like if I don't forget, I'm going to be the reason we break up."
"I don't think Jaxton would let you go too far from him," Nashi murmured. "But…maybe every time it upsets you, you should try asking him for hugs?"
Tesla's face screwed up. "What?"
"It's something Gary needs," Nashi professed. "Full disclosure here. I slept with Gary once, I got all caught up with my feelings, and I ended up sleeping with a good friend of mine because I'm a selfish bitch like that."
"You are not a bitch, but holy shit," Tesla gaped.
Nashi's face twisted and nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'm not proud of it. I shouldn't have done it, but I did and I accept I hurt Gary. We weren't together then, but still, I hurt him and I never want him to feel like that again. But he told me when he was feeling hurt over the situation, he'd ask me for hugs."
"Sort of like a comfort thing," Tesla analyzed. "Even though you were the one to hurt him, you're also the only one who can reassure him and comfort him."
Nashi nodded and agreed, "Pretty much. It took me back for a second, but I liked the concept. While we were together, we both thought it would be a good thing for both of us to do. Like if I'm in a mood and feeling really down or if he is, we just ask for hugs. Short, sweet, simple, and effective."
"What if…?" Tesla looked down at her plate. "What if you aren't sure you want physical contact because…?" She swallowed. "Well, you know."
Pain for Tesla and her own past stirred within Nashi. "Yeah, I do," she said softly. "It differs for everyone." She fiddled with her straw. "When I went to visit Gary, I had a brief relapse. It was really embarrassing. We were, um, doing doggie style and I just… I started having a panic attack."
"I'm so sorry," Tesla whispered.
Nashi shook her head as her eyes closed. "No, it's okay, it's okay," she promised. "I wasn't ready for us to do that. I just needed to see his face."
"No, I get it." Tesla very much did. "It's an assurance thing. It makes you feel like you're in the present and not in the past. Honestly, as horny as I am and as petty as I might be, I don't want Jaxton to touch me because I just keep thinking it's him," she confessed, tone quivering. "And I don't want that screwing up our time together if we ever go back to that."
Nashi opened her mouth, but the waitress came back with their main entrées. She had ordered a blackened salmon with broccoli and rice while Tesla had opted for steak and shrimp with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. After giving the waitress their thanks and no, they would not need anything else, they were left with their food.
"You know I know what you mean," Nashi assured her quietly. "I know we both process it very differently, so how we both manage it with our partners will be different. Maybe try baths? I liked it when Gary sat in the shower with me and washed me off. It was like I was erasing someone else off me if that makes sense."
Tesla set her elbows on the taboo and put the butt of her wrists to her eyes and rubbed them. "I'll have to think about that one. I like it when we take baths and showers together, but I just feel like I need to do it myself." She sniffed and a tear bared down her cheek. "I don't want him to think he's the reason I'm spiraling. He's not the problem. I'm the problem." She took away her hands to wipe away the few tears she shed. "Sorry. This is not the time for tears."
Nashi looked at her in heavy concern. "No, every time is the right time for tears." She reached for her mini backpack and pulled out her tissue pack. "Here." She passed them over.
Tesla took them with whispered gratitude and plucked a few tissues to dab under her eyes. "I'm a mess," she laughed. "I'm sorry."
"You're not a mess," Nashi admonished. "You're a person with feelings, Tesla."
"Not normal feelings." Tesla sniffled again. "I just want to be normal and not have a freaking breakdown every fifteen minutes. I feel bad enough for Jaxton having to put up with this and now you—"
"We are not 'putting up' with anything," Nashi stopped her. "We're here to be your support just like you're our support. It's what friends do, Tesla. And who the Hell cares about 'normal' anyways? I honestly have started hating that weird because it means so many different things to so many people." She reached across to grasp Tesla's hand. "Here's what's going to happen. We are going to ask our waitress to box this up, I'm going to leave her a big tip, and then we are going back to my condo where I want you to shower and then you can pet my cat and we'll watch Dawn."
Tesla bubbled out a watery giggle. "Oh my god, please, yes, I need to watch Dawn. Jaxton hates Dawn because of the werewolves, so I never get to watch it."
"Then, you better get ready because I bought the entire extended cut of the series, so we're going to watch it." Nashi smiled when Tesla giggled again. "You can borrow my clothes or we can stop by your apartment if you want to. But I really think you need a good cry and cuddle session and I give amazing cuddles."
"I need to be a little night."
"Well, duh, you thought I was going to let you be the big?" Nashi chuckled. "With Gary, I love being in his arms, but with Ellie and with Justin, I hate being the little. I have to be big spoon with everyone else. Oh!" She lightly hit Tesla's hand. "Speaking of everyone else, why am I hearing Justin keeps talking to Orochi about you?"
Tesla frowned. "He does?"
"Yeah, but don't worry about it too much," Nashi hurried to assure as she tried to catch their waitress's eye. "Really, don't stress. Chi-chi doesn't really talk to women. Well, not seriously anyway. I think Justin's just reeling from shock Chi-chi spoke to you multiple times." She offered a playful grin. "And considering the way he responded to you…"
Tesla groaned. "Ack, don't remind me. You know how many spankings I got when Jax and I got home for doing that?" But she had a little grin of her own and a fond gleam in her eye. "Whoever gets Cobra is a lucky woman."
The waitress nodded over to Nashi and hurried over. She offered an understanding smile about their request and managed to make Tesla smile a little more before she took their plates to box them up, but not before Nashi gave her a hefty amount of jewel.
Tesla pouted. "I could have paid for that."
"I know you could have, but I did." Nashi prodded Tesla's cheek. "You're the little," she cooed, making Tesla snicker. "Let me take care of you."
Tesla's eyes wandered over Nashi. "I do like that idea."
"Don't look at me like that," Nashi chortled. "I see the ideas running through your head and it's not happening." She sighed dramatically when Tesla pouted. "At least let me talk to Gary first—"
"Really?" Tesla's eyebrows rose. "I was kidding, I swear. I don't pressure people into anything, I promise."
"No, I know you were joking, but…" Nashi looked Tesla up and down, cocked her head, and her smile grew wide when Tesla shrunk back subconsciously. "Gary told me once he'd submit to me, but I don't really know if I understand what that means."
"He said he'd submit to you?" Tesla gawked. "You're one lucky bitch."
Nashi snorted. "I know, right?"
"And you were looking at me because you want to use me as your practice submission doll," Tesla simpered in presumption. "I'm game if you are, honey, but you'll have to run it by Jaxton. Even if we aren't touching, he's still in control of who I let in my temple."
Nashi laughed. "What a fun conversation this is going to be."
The waitress came back with their boxes already bagged for them, but she thanked Nashi profusely for the overwhelming tip she had left on their behalf. Both women left the restaurants in good spirit, but the moment they sat in the car, the weight of everything encompassed them. Nashi took Tesla's hand and held it. "We've got this," she promised.
Tesla let out a shaky exhale and nodded. "Yeah." She tightened her hold on Nashi's hand. "We've got this." She let go to start the car and start them back to Gary's condo.
Nashi felt a prick in the back of her neck and her head swiveled to look out the window. She saw a few smokers and some were on their way into or exiting the restaurant, but that was it. I just felt someone target me. It was quick, but it was there. Her eyes narrowed and she was acutely aware of Tesla beside her. Or maybe it wasn't me they were targeting…
BANG-BANG-BANG.
The townhouse door had a coating of black on it with gold letterings, but it swung open to reveal Dante in a sweatshirt opened up to reveal he was shirtless underneath, his hair tussled, and he was in a pair of athletic shorts. His eyebrows went up when he realized it was Jaxton on the other side of the door in his glass and he looked…irritated. "Hey."
A shout came from the distance. "If that's Tesla, she's the only one allowed in here."
Jaxton's irritation melted into confusion. "Who's that?"
Dante gestured to Jaxton to come inside and, once he did, Dante closed the door and said, "That's Carlisle. He's locked himself in one of my bathrooms." He gestured to the home. "Take a seat. You know where everything is. Let me see if he'll come out."
Jaxton nodded, still confused, but he took off his shoes and headed to the living room. Dante's townhouse was a modest two-bedroom and furnished with mismatched furniture that was a personal preference rather than a budgeting choice. The smell of home cooking filled the entire apartment in a pleasant way. Little projects loitered the apartment, just side projects he worked on in his spare time or maybe projects for his classes. It looked like a nature documentary had been paused only fifteen minutes in on the LV.
Jaxton sat on the couch as he heard Dante sigh from the stairwell and called upstairs, "Lips, come out, please. I said I was sorry."
"I can hear you're happy about this, you evil man!" Carlisle shouted. "I'm not leaving this spot! And I want my clothes back!"
"They're in the wash. I'll get you something to wear."
"Hmph. Fine. But they better not be too big on me."
Dante sighed as he dropped down from the step. Jaxton looked at him in vague amusement. "What did you do?"
Dante opened his mouth—
"He knows what he did!" came Carlisle's cry from upstairs. "He's an evil man!"
Jaxton's lips twitched. "Apparently, you're an evil man for whatever you did."
"I'm always evil in his eyes." Dante tilted his head. "Something is on your mind. Do you want anything to drink?"
Jaxton shook his head. "I'm okay."
Dante nodded and crossed the living room to head to the laundry room. As he sifted through the dry clothes he had yet to sort through, he called, "Tesla isn't coming over tonight."
"I know. It's why I came over."
Dante came out of the laundry room with a pair of harem joggers and an old shirt. "Give me a few minutes. I'll be back downstairs with him." He headed up the steps and knocked on a door.
Jaxton heard furious whispers that sounded more embarrassed than anything else, then Dante's chuckle only for a hard THWACK to come next. Jaxton shook his head in amusement as he relaxed on the couch. It was only a few minutes later when he heard struggling and indignant muttering, but it did not matter. Dante came downstairs with a body slung over his shoulder that had Jaxton raise his eyebrows.
"Sorry. He was difficult," Dante explained like this was an everyday occurrence. He decided to sit on the decliner and he pulled Carlisle down only to wrap an arm around his middle and drag Carlisle down into his lap the moment he sat down. "So what's on your mind?"
Carlisle gaped. "You're not even going to introduce me?" He tried to get out of Dante's hold, but he huffed when Dante did not let go. Rolling his eyes, Carlisle struck Jaxton with a charming smile. "Hi, I'm Carlisle. You are…?" He squinted. "You are very familiar-looking."
"Jaxton." Jaxton cocked his head to the side. "Have we met before?"
"Oh, you're Tesla's boyfriend! Okay, then, yes, we've met. I came with Gale to that party in December," Carlisle explained. "I was the one your evil friend here snuck off with and he couldn't get enough of me and now I'm here."
Jaxton's eyes shifted to Dante's in question.
Dante shrugged. "He's pretty."
"I have more traits than that!"
Dante ignored him and repeated to Jaxton, "Something is on your mind."
"Yes." Jaxton sighed and rubbed his cheek. "I want to comfort Tesla with her father's release coming this week, but she doesn't want me to touch her or be around her. I feel like I'm failing as her boyfriend. And I feel jealous she's been coming here instead of home."
Dante frowned. "I think she wants to go to you, but it's difficult for her. There's no need to be jealous, but I know that's just how you feel."
"I'm happy she's getting comfort from someone," Jaxton wanted to emphasize. "Even though it's not me, I want her to feel safe with someone. I know she'll come back to me, but patience isn't my strong suit."
"It is when Tesla's involved," Dante corrected, mirth shining in his eyes.
Jaxton chuckled. "Maybe." He adjusted his glasses and nodded at Carlisle. "So are you two dating?" he asked, directing the question at Carlisle.
Carlisle made an exaggerated motion of looking around before pointing at himself. "I'm allowed to speak? Here I thought it was just the two of you and I was in another dimension—Owie…!" He rubbed his side and pouted at Dante. "What was that for?"
"Quit being such a drama queen," Dante chided him.
Carlisle huffed. "We're not dating," he told Jaxton with a glare flicked towards Dante. "He just lets me eat junk food and watch documentaries here like an unwanted roommate."
It clicked for Jaxton. "Tesla kept saying you had a roommate and kept stressing it, but I didn't know what she was talking about." He said this to Dante. "When did this happen?" His lips twitched again. "Does Ren know?"
Dante's brow furrowed. "Well, Ren saw him, if that's what you mean."
"I knew it wasn't just me!" Carlisle exclaimed. He pointed at Jaxton. "You see it with that little mouse too?"
Jaxton nodded.
Dante's frown deepened. "What are you two talking about?"
"How dense you are." Carlisle pinched Dante's cheek. "It's all right. Even princes can be dense as a brick wall sometimes—Oof!" He had been shoved off Dante's lap and onto the ground for that remark. "Evil man." He crawled over to the couch and sat close to Jaxton in defiance. Dante only grinned, so Carlisle hmphed and turned to Jaxton eagerly. "So I'm really not crazy? You noticed the little mouse is such a nervous wreck around a certain someone?"
Jaxton raised an eyebrow over to Dante who shrugged and got up from the recliner to head to the kitchen. "Don't mind Dante. He has a good heart and he's pretty observant, but he can be the densest person in the room when it comes to someone liking him." He looked Carlisle over. "I take it you're the reason why I had to spar with him."
Carlisle looked confused. "What? I made him angry?"
"No, not angry," Jaxton said. "Frustrated."
Carlisle made a large O with his mouth. "Really?"
"Dante and another friend of mine have a tendency to fight out their frustrations," Jaxton relayed. "You gave both Dante and me quite a workout."
Carlisle slow blinked. "I'll admit. The imagery is hot, but I don't think that's what you meant."
Jaxton smirked.
Carlisle leaned forward, eyes wide. "Is that what you mean?"
Jaxton's smirk broadened.
Carlisle gasped and covered his mouth. "No way… So have you two…?"
Jaxton inclined his chin, but he said nothing.
Dante came back with water and looked between Carlisle and Jaxton. When he saw Carlisle's wide eyes and Jaxton's smirk, his eyes narrowed. "What did you tell him?"
Jaxton shook his head when Carlisle whirled on Dante and gasped, "You two did it?"
Dante paused and he looked at Jaxton who shrugged. Chuckling, Dante came over to the couch and sat down. "Here's water for you."
"Why aren't either of you answering my question?" Carlisle whined. "Silence is a form of admission!"
Dante and Jaxton grinned over Carlisle's head.
Carlisle looked up at both of them and huffed. "How is it I'm tall around normal people, but you two are giants?" he complained. "I should've stuck to dating my height. I hate looking up."
"You are such a whiner." Dante looked at Jaxton. "Want to share him?"
Carlisle's face turned red. "Wait! Share me?"
Jaxton hummed with his eyes on the LV screen. "Sure."
"Wait, wait, wait, what's happening?" Carlisle looked between both of them with wide eyes and pink cheeks. "What do you mean 'share' me?"
Dante set the water bottle on the coffee table before he yanked Carlisle into his lap while Jaxton stretched Carlisle's legs amongst his own. "We were watching a documentary about the Boundary Forest," Dante informed. "You okay with that?"
"I had a lot of other ideas about sharing and it didn't involve this," Carlisle grumbled.
He went ignored.
"That sounds fine," Jaxton assured. "Is it okay if I stay here tonight? If Tesla's not with me, I'm not exactly getting much sleep."
"With a body like hers, I wouldn't be getting much sleep with her there—Ouch…! That was my head, you evil man!"
Dante nodded, ignoring Carlisle's complaint. "Yeah, it's fine. You need any sweats?"
"Nah. You okay if I strip?"
Carlisle perked. "We're very okay if you do that—Je-sus!" He rubbed his backside. "Why are you so mean to me…?"
Dante shook his head as he grabbed the remote and pressed ⟪ Play ⟫. "It's fine. Let me know if need anything." He shifted and thus made Carlisle shift on top of him. "And you better fall asleep to this because you have early morning," he reminded Carlisle.
Carlisle pursed his lips. "So I exist when you're mean to me but never any other time?" He blew a raspberry. "Evil man—Hn!" With his cheeks squished by Dante's hands, he looked ridiculous with his lips jutted out and his eyes comically wide.
"Shhh…" Jaxton shushed him as he absently stroked Carlisle's legs. "The men are trying to watch something."
Dante grinned. "Exactly. Just lay here and look pretty, pretty boy."
Carlisle wrenched his face away to scowl and cross his arms as he curled into Dante. "This was my idea," he muttered. "Now you both come here and ruin this."
"It's my house," Dante reminded, amused.
Carlisle huffed. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
Dante offered a low rumble of a chuckle. "We can watch the documentary again later. Go to sleep. You need to be up by four if you want breakfast."
Carlisle looked up at Dante in surprise. "You're making breakfast?" He beamed. "Can I have coffee too?"
"No," Dante rejected while Carlisle pouted. "You can have one of my shakes instead. It's healthy for you and I'm not having you blame me if your coach gets upset about your weight game."
Carlisle gasped. "You did not just call me 'fat'." He lifted his head to whine, "Jaxton…! The evil man just called me 'fat'."
Jaxton simpered while Dante rolled his eyes. "You're perfect the way you are, Carlisle."
"Don't encourage him," Dante berated as he shoved Jaxton. "He's already got a big enough ego with his fan club. I don't need you adding onto it."
Jaxton eyed Carlisle. "Can I join this fan club too?"
Carlisle beamed. "You should—!"
"All right, that's enough." Dante shoved Carlisle onto Jaxton, but before Carlisle could either protest or be pleased with this new arrangement, Dante dipped down to haul Carlisle over his shoulder. "We're going to bed before you start cheating on your girlfriend."
Jaxton waved a hand. "Good night, Dante, Carlisle. Dante, wake me up when you go work out. I'll work out with you before I head to the institute."
"Sure." Dante slapped Carlisle's butt. "Say goodnight, pretty boy."
Carlisle waved at Jaxton with a dramatic sigh. "Night, Jaxton. If you hear screaming, I apologize in advance and don't call the police. It's just me being sexually harassed by this apparent caveman—Ah-ha-how…!" He crossed his arms as Dante made his way up the steps. "Spanking is still a form of abuse, you know."
"I warned you the first night you wouldn't be able to handle me back at that party, but you just kept taunting me and now you're stuck with me." Dante got to the second level and rubbed Carlisle's rear as slight apology.
"You were just saying that to bait me," Carlisle dismissed. "And you were the one eyeing me the moment you saw me."
Dante chuckled as he went into his bedroom. It was nothing special. Just a bed atop of a platform bed frame, his dresser shoved into a corner, and an LV mounted to the wall. He splayed Carlisle onto the bed only to raise his eyebrows when Carlisle flopped over to his stomach. "You really want to wear my clothes to bed?"
Carlisle only lifted his arms.
Dante sighed. "So high maintenance." He got the edges of the shirt and rolled it up Carlisle, sighing again when he had to treat Carlisle like a doll and lift him to rip the shirt off. He shook his head when Carlisle kicked his legs and tugged off the sweatpants he had lent him to leave Carlisle in nothing else. "I'm going to brush my teeth." And he turned away.
Carlisle groaned as he crawled over to the end of the bed where his Compact was charging and decided to take a look at his notifications. "Do you get this bossy with the little mouse at work too?" he called.
The sound of vibration pierced the air, but Dante answered in a muffled voice, "Ren is old enough to be able to change out of his clothes on his own."
"I bet he'd like to change you out of your clothes," Carlisle grumbled under his breath. His scrolling stopped and he pressed on the news article to expand it and read the headline.
What it means for Alvarez Empire and their allies if the "true heirs" claim their birthright.
Carlisle saved the article for later before he went to Bleu's contact and began to type:
« Let's meet up for food tomorrow after my last class and before I head out to the rink. Can you spare some time? »
The sound of water ran as Dante spat out his mouthwash. "What are you doing tomorrow after your classes?"
"Hopefully, getting a meal with my cousin." Carlisle looked up from his Compact to watch with half-lidded eyes as Dante tore off his zip-up hoodie before stripping out his shorter. "Then, living in the ice rink for hours. I qualified for the Ishgaran Cup since I won two years ago as a junior in the Worlds, second place at the Worlds last year as a senior, and I got a bye to get past the Flower Cup for Fiore. The cup is in February and if I place in the top four, I get to go to the Worlds."
Dante hummed as he checked his face and his hair in the mirror. "No wonder you have a fan club."
"Yeah." Carlisle threw an arm over his eyes and sighed. "At my school, I have a sort of like a social media assistant of sorts. He helps me out with doing streams, pictures, and all of that. They kept telling me I shouldn't actually respond to fan mail or fan emails, but I can't help it. They show up to all my shows and leave gifts and write really beautiful notes; how can I not respond?"
"Pretty boy with a heart." It sounded like Dante was walking towards the bed, but there was the telltale sound of a switch being flipped and the room darkened. "I'm sure that's why you're popular outside of being a complete tease."
"I resent that, evil man," Carlisle said. "I'm a flirt, not a tease." He felt the bed considerably dip and shift and warmth flushed his skin.
"You still need your Com?"
Carlisle frowned. "Give me a second." He moved his arm to check his Compact, but Bleu had not written back. "No, I don't." His frown instantly went to a smile when Dante took his Compact and crossed over him to put it back on the charge and onto the nightstand.
"Good." Dante wrapped his arms around Carlisle and nipped at his ear. "Get your ass to sleep. I need to get up early so Jax and I can go to the gym."
"You don't want me to come with you?" Carlisle teased.
Dante snorted. "No. You'd do something that would have your fangirls panting at the gym doors." He nuzzled Carlisle's neck. "Stay. Sleep in a little. Get up by four." A heavy exhale. "Go to sleep."
Carlisle groaned. "But you're squishing me…!" He laughed when Dante tightened his hold even further. "And you don't feel like you want to sleep, Dante."
Dante stirred hearing his name. "Carlisle, don't."
"What?" Carlisle lifted his hand and found Dante's jaw in the darkness. "What's wrong, Dante?"
Dante gave a throaty groan. "Sleep, Carlisle."
"But, Dante—Ah!" Carlisle tensed only to relax a moment later as Dante had rolled atop him and buried his lips into Carlisle's neck to pant. "Sleep can wait," Carlisle coaxed. "We have time, Dante—Ah-ha…!"
It seemed Dante agreed.
°•°•°•°
Jaxton was relaxed downstairs as he played the documentary. Without straining himself, he knew Dante and Carlisle were preoccupied more so in each other than their surroundings. He kept the documentary at a reasonable volume as his head rested against the couch. For a moment, he closed his eyes and it looked like he would fall asleep.
His eyes opened and a ring of teal went around his irises.
The glasses he wore might have looked like normal fake glasses worn for style, but on his side of the lens, he could see a few messages pop up on the corner as routine scans were done. He sighed as he moved his hand which shifted what he saw in the lens. He kept moving his hand until the image he had captured of Carlisle came up. His eyes narrowed and he flicked his hand for pictures to begin moving right next to the image of Carlisle when a match came up. It was Carlisle in a hoodie as he seemed to be escorted into a limousine.
100% MATCH
CONFIRMED
Jaxton shoved the images to the side in their own thumbnail and began his search again. He brought up his messages and his fingers began to move like he was writing on a keyboard in mid-air.
« Are you sure this is necessary? »
He received text bubbles and Checkmate replied back:
« Yes. Did you get a DNA sample? »
Jaxton found himself hesitating before he answered:
« Affirmative. »
Checkmate quickly replied:
« Pandemonium will be by to collect it. »
Jaxton sighed and was about to swipe away the messages when Checkmate kept typing.
« Your request has been approved. I understand your circumstances. Morningstar will return to work this weekend and take your place for Operation: Four »
« Please continue with your previous tasks. »
Jaxton answered:
« Of course. »
He swiped away the messages before pulling off the glasses to rub his eyes. "Maybe Tesla was right," he murmured to himself. "What the Hell sort of mess did we get into, Gary?"
After a shake of his head and his hands coming back his hair, he let his eyes absently rest on the Boundary Forest as it showed the center of the Boundary Forest that consisted of a tree larger than life surrounding in a mountainous structure of boulders. The center teamed with life of all kinds, both Spiritless and magical, but just as Jaxton closed his eyes, a stag-like creature suddenly pranced across the screen so fast, if you blinked you would miss it.
Todoke kiseki ja nakute ii
Utsukushikunakute ii
Ikigai tte yatsu ga hikari kagayaku kara
•
Kirenai batterii
Tamashii no kagiri
Shukumei tte yatsu o
Moyashite Abaredasu dake nanda
TO BE CONTINUED…
It looks like things are winding up for Fairy Tail and their friends in not in a good way. Why is Jaxton researching Carlisle? And what was Mystogan actually researching before he vanished? To find out, tune in to the next Fairy Adventure!
Chibi-Luna comes into the classroom with her glasses and her pointer. "Hi, everyone!"
"Hi, Teacher!" the students chime in reply. "What's our Fairy Lesson today?"
Chibi-Luna turns on the projector. "I'm so glad you asked! Today, we'll be learning about the Inter-Guild Training Camp!" The first slide shows the title of the lesson with pictures of various Mages in their youth. "The Inter-Guild Training Camp is for all non-S-Class Mages or senior Mages under the age of twenty-one," she explains. "Inter-Guild training camps happen all over Fiore, but Fairy Tail participates in the Inter-Guild Training Camp as a 'powerhouse guild' with Lacrima Scale, Blue Pegasus, and Sabertooth in Mount Altana."
The next slide shows the training facility alongside a huge dome facility.
"The camp is voluntary for younger Mages, but it's definitely a great opportunity to get ready for the Grand Magic Games," Chibi-Luna explains. "Each guild has to separate their Mages into teams of six and each with their own captain. The Mages spend most of their time doing physical and mental training, lessons in Magic types, Unison Raid training, and even get to meet world-class Mages if they're available at the time!"
"What's that dome for, Teacher?"
Chibi-Luna beams. "I'm glad you asked!" She points to the large dome. "This is called the Battle Arena," she explains. "Mages have designated Magic Battles in the Battle Arena. The Battle Arena was specifically designed to handle large quantities of Magic and convert it into energy for the camp. Mages can use Magic outside the Battle Arena but only for non-combative purposes. Let's look at what a schedule would look like for a team member."
The slides changes to show a schedule.
6AM – 6:30AM – Morning Run
6:30AM – 7:30AM – Morning Meditation
9AM – 9:30AM – Sprints
9:30AM – 11AM – Cross-Training
11AM – 12PM – First Lecture
2PM – 3PM – Second Lecture
3PM – 4PM – Team Practice
4PM – 4:30PM – Cool Down
6PM – 8:15PM – Battle Arena
One of the students gasp, "That looks so intense, Teacher!"
"The training camp is intense," Chibi-Luna states. "The training camp is designed to help younger Mages unlock their potential and push forward to becoming S-Class. Some Guild Masters use the Inter-Guild Training Camp as a reason to select candidates for S-Class status or send to other Magic Training Camps."
A hand goes up. "Do Mages get to work with other Mages from other guilds?"
"At times, yes," Chibi-Luna answers. "On some days, your time in the Battle Arena will randomly pair you with a Mage from another guild to help you learn how to adapt to an unsuspecting ally in a fight. But, individually or as a team, you have to collect as many wins are you can. A lot of Mages use their downtime to make connections and train with Mages outside of their guild for the experience."
"But why would they want to if they're enemies?" a student questions.
"While it's true they're enemies during the Grand Mages Games, they're still Mages," Chibi-Luna attests. "Everyone wants to learn. Some Mages choose not to go that route and stick with their own guild, but it's a great opportunity to learn from those you admire."
"When is the Inter-Guild Training Camp?" another student poses in inquiry.
"The Inter-High Guild Training Camps normally in March or April," Chibi-Luna explains. "It gives a lot of younger Mages the chance to improve before the Grand Magic Games in August." Her smile widens. "Well, that's all we have time for in our Fairy Lesson! Next time, on Fairy Adventure: IMPOSTERS!"
Voices of Characters in Order of Appearance
Nashi Dragneel – Lauren Landa
Býleistr – Josh Tomar
Number Five – Melissa Fahn
Erza Fernandes – Coleen Clinkenbeard
Luna Dragneel – Brynn Apprill
Gale Redfox – Greg Cipes
Virgo – Terri Doty
Icarus – Christopher Sabot
Kei Rosenberger – Mike Yager
Yuuma "Yuu" Yamaguchi – Rylan Strachan
Majedah "Majesty" Allen -
Isioma "Izzy" Emem – Hope Olaide Wilson
Luke Dragneel – Alan Lee
Uki – Devery Jacobs
Gary – Griffin Burns
Skade – Sean Schemmel
Pazuzu/Waleed Wintour – Bill Butts
Doctor George Orr – Michael Forest
Sycaña – Christen Auten
Letitia Bassett –
Hylia Lynk/Tesla Greer – Galena White
Shinx Seongwu –
Jang-ta "Jaxton" Yang – Eddy Yeong
Carlisle Justino – Eric Scott Kimerer
Lucifer "Bleu" Demiurge – Xander Mobus
Dante Princeton-O'Neill – Adrian Petriw
Ren - Clint Bickham
Silver Fullbuster – Yuri Lowenthal
Ena Fernandes – Xanthe Huynh
• — • — •
Additional Voices
Opening Narrator – Mary McGlynn
Description Narrator – Mary McGlynn
Ending Narrator - Melissa Fahn
— • — • — • —
⌜OPENING THEME
⟪ Your Hands Grasping Even Yourself ⟫
Noisycell
Lyrics by
Noisycell⌟
•
⌜INSERT SONG
⟪ Life Goes On ⟫
BTS
Lyrics by & Composed by
Pdogg, RM, Ruuth, Chris James, Antonina Armato, SUGA & j-hope⌟
•
⌜ENDING THEME
⟪ Shukumei ⟫
Official HIGE DANdism
Lyrics by & Composed by
Satoshi Fujiwara⌟
Chibi-Luna peeks out from the end credits. "Hi, everyone! Please be patient with Author-san. They'll be posting every week once they are able for the start of this new arc. Please brace yourself! This arc will be a little darker and Author-san will make sure you're warned before a darker part appears! I hope you were able to find the hidden references!" She offers a peace sign. Bye-bye!"