Disclaimer: I do not own Hiro Mashima's Fairy Tail, any work professionally associated with it, nor any pop culture or classical references. 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.
LAST TIME, on Fairy Adventure: Magnolia Town's Parent's Day kicked it up a notch with Olivia and Veronika's temporary homecoming and Fairy Tail keeping Magnolia Town weird. From Liberty's lucky race against Gale, Luke, and Silver to the high heel egg-in-a-spoon race to a heated arm-wrestling match, Parent's Day was nothing short of chaotic. But it all came head-to-head with Luna's fight with Natsu that ended with Luna's win and the knowledge she would be enough for herself. But with Silver's powers fluctuating, Liberty's Luck manifesting at random, and her black cat showing very non-feline characteristics, keeping Magnolia Town weird isn't going to be a problem.
'My… What beautiful Magic…'
Family is not always conventional or blood-related, but family is family, nonetheless. And our special heroes seem to know all of that from the bottom of their hearts.
Her foot was gone.
GORO-GORO-GORO-GORO!
PIKA…! PIKA…!
Rain blundered around her as gray saturated the air, the sky, the ground. Everywhere she looked in this storm, all she could see were shades and tints of gray. But none of it mattered when her dizzied focus centered on her chewed-off ankle.
GORO-GORO-GORO-GORO!
PIKA…! PIKA…!
"Hylia…"
The in-and-out focus whipped to see a man close to her with his heavy and tall build and those dreadlocks banded in a low ponytail. Lightning struck for her to witness the glow in his gray eyes and his gas mask.
GORO-GORO-GORO-GORO!
PIKA…! PIKA…!
"Hylia…" His hand reached for her and smothered her mouth. "Daddy needs you to be quiet until he's done." An order. A threat. Her screams and pleas muffled through his hand as his other gripped her thigh. A ragged breath came through his gas mask. "Be still for me."
GORO-GORO-GORO-GORO!
PIKA…! PIKA…!
Desperate, her hand reached up to punch him, but heated tears and a shriek left her when he slammed down on her bleeding ankle. She thrashed like a wild animal, terrified and heart-pounding, but his large frame pinned her to the ground and the pain for her lost foot cut deeply. Fear and disgust rolled in her stomach when she heard a zipper and the clicks of his gas mask unlatching.
THUNK.
The fallen gas mask banged onto the ground.
Warm breath violated her ear as she screamed and clawed at the ground. "Hylia, stay still."
GORO-GORO-GORO-GORO!
PIKA…! PIKA…!
Sheer agony shattered her the moment she felt like she was being viciously split in half. Hatred and nausea drowned her as she screamed—
• — • — •
Tesla slammed awake, lurching off the bed. Sweat drenched her naked body and she blinked rapidly with her eyes clouded in tears. Not even she could register the mumbled words she was quickly whispering to herself or the shaking her body was doing. Her lungs burned, her throat constricted, and her heart weighed a ton as she held back the urge to expel her dinner from last night.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Jaxton's Apartment
Sororia City
Fiore, Ishgar
5:03 AM FST
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
"Tesla…"
Steely grays, pupils blown, showed no recognition to her name.
"Tesla…"
Her head jerked, but the name of her present started warring against the life she had in the past.
"Tesla…"
Third try was a charm as Tesla forcibly swallowed and could see through her tears. Those grays tore down her past to see she was in a stately bedroom, not in a storm, not on the ground, not in that room. "J-J-Jang-ta…"
"I'm right here." Jaxton stayed close with his yellow-ambers glowing, attentive to her every move, and fighting instinct. "What do you need from me?"
Tesla rasped, "Hold me."
Jaxton gently wrapped his arms around Tesla and rocked her into his chest. Eyes wide, she kept close and barely acknowledged his Sinnish soothes that he peppered onto her scalp with light kisses and nips. And maybe some would think he was running a fool's errand, speaking when she could not hear him. But they could be wrong. Those soothes—even if she blocked out each word—settled her jumping nerves until all the tension coiled relaxed and she could close her eyes. She exchanged quick and shallow sniffs for deeper breaths.
Tesla hiccupped and drew a little to rub her nose and sniff. "Thank you," she croaked.
Jaxton hummed and kissed her temple. "Feel a little better?"
Tesla nodded. "Yeah." She pulled away to wipe under her eyes, but Jaxton pushed her hand aside to thumb her cheek. "Thank you." She sniffed again. "Nightmare again." Another sniffle. "I'm sorry. Maybe I should—"
"If you feel more comfortable sleeping alone, I won't fight you." Jaxton rested his forehead against her. "But I'd rather sleep with you and be with you through the nightmares."
Tesla puffed a humorless laugh. "No need to sweet-talk your way into my pants, y'know."
"And you know it isn't just sweet talk."
Tesla sighed. "I know." She looked up for vulnerable steely grays to connect with sober yellow ambers. "You've been letting me see your yellow eyes a lot more since we came back from your home."
"I like it when you see all of me," Jaxton told her, honest.
Tesla's lips curled upwards. "Does this mean I get to see your white hair too?"
Jaxton smiled. "Maybe. It's easier for me to control my eyes in case of an emergency. My hair is a little harder."
"I understand." Her fingers came up to comb through his hair. "Do you get nightmares too?"
Jaxton's eyes darkened. He brought them back down onto the bed and held Tesla on his naked chest. "Sometimes, but not as violently," he confided. "It's different for those of us who have lived so long. We have vague memories of our past the longer we live. We more remember a blanket subject of a memory and the emotions associated with it. Even some of our traumatic memories come and go."
Tesla hummed as she threaded her fingers with Jaxton's in a loose handhold. "Do you remember the bad things the most then?"
"Depends," Jaxton supposed. "There are certain memories that still make me angry or upset on Weiwei's behalf, but…" He sighed. "My mother gave me a perfect life as her puppet," he told her. "She eliminated what she thought could traumatize me without realizing she was more than capable of doing so. I remember my father's abandonment and Weiwei's banishment the most."
"Got it." Tesla closed her eyes for a brief moment to listen to Jaxton's steady heartbeat. "I'm here too if you ever want to speak about those subjects," she quietly proffered.
Jaxton kissed the silk scarf. "I know, baby girl," he rumbled. "Thank you." He felt Tesla's hand and tensed. "Not now."
Tesla pouted. "Why? I always feel better after a nightmare when we go at it like animals." She grinned when Jaxton brought down his hand to drag her fingers away. "You're no fun."
"I need sleep," Jaxton deadpanned. "And the second we started…"—he scraped his teeth on Tesla's neck, making her shiver—"I won't stop until you're exhausted."
Tesla huffed. "From anyone else, it's some cheap, empty words, but from you, it's a threat. I might heal fast, but even you exhaust me." She teased, "For an old man, anyway." She giggled when Jaxton growled and covered her body with his own. She looked lovingly into that yellow-amber regard. "I love you."
"I love you too." Jaxton dipped his head for a sweet kiss on her lips. "Today's going to be a full day, and I already feel exhausted."
Tesla frowned and cupped his cheek. "How come?"
Jaxton turned his head to kiss her wrist. "I received an invitation to a gala on behalf of one of my mother's associates and his son. She made it clear it'd be in my best interest to attend."
"Oh." Tesla swallowed. "Are you going alone?"
"Yes." Jaxton searched her eyes. "Is that okay?"
"Yes." Tesla added due to how quickly she responded, "That's completely fine. No offense, but I'd rather not step into your family's business for a little while." Her eyes flicked down. "I'm not exactly the strongest person."
"You're one of the strongest people I know," Jaxton rumbled. "But it's better for me to go alone. The business for this party will have powers that will easily manipulate and have centuries-worth of resources at their disposal." He kissed her throat. "Marlow will be there," he grunted. "We'll be going separately, but we'll watch out for each other."
"That's good," Tesla sighed, eyes fluttering underneath Jaxton's touch. "Just let me know when you're going so I can have a nice bubble bath and my naked self ready and waiting for you so you can relax."
Jaxton smiled against her skin. "You're perfect."
"Mmm, praise me more."
Jaxton chuckled before he pulled away. His smile faded for a serious frown. "There is one more thing I should tell you now."
"Yeah?" Tesla toyed with his arms. "What's up?"
Jaxton looked reluctant as he explained, "My boss gave me a summer assignment. More than likely, I'll be gone for a good amount of the summer. From the contract, I can leave when needed for any plans we already made."
"Aw. That's nice, but still." Tesla frowned. "Well, it's your job, I guess." She asked haltingly, "Where will you be going? And if you're gone, who will be, um…? Well, who will be babysitting me?"
"That's the thing." Jaxton slid up a hand to cup one of her breasts. "If I was going alone, there would be rotations for my assignment to you. However…" Frustration etched his features. "My boss implied…you could come with me."
Tesla's eyebrows shot up. "Seriously?"
Jaxton nodded, jaw clenched. "I can't unveil the details of the assignment to you unless you accept," he told her, gruff. "But I can say that the assignment I'll be on is in regards to the original Anti-Ether wielders."
"My people?" Tesla looked down, thoughtful, indecisive, and anxious. "Can I…?" She sucked on her bottom lip for a few moments. "Can I think about that?" She hurried to explain herself, "I-I-It's not that I wouldn't want to know or anything, I promise, but I just, um…" She swallowed. "I-I just… I don't know if I'm ready for anything…extreme anymore… And I… Ah…!" She closed her eyes with a soft moan escaping her lips when Jaxton bowed his head to give her breast a soft bite. "Jang-ta…"
He stopped his ministration for a heated breath to stream onto Tesla's hardened nipple. "You can think about it, decline it, or accept it—that choice is yours," he murmured to her in sincere promise. "My flight leaves the second week of June. You have until the last week of May. You will have your own summer plans to worry over, and I'll help you should you want to rearrange your schedule." He paused to latch onto her nipple while his free hand palmed her other breast. She mewled, awareness tingling from the scalp down to the tips of her curled toes.
Jaxton swirled her tongue and sucked on her nipple before dragging his teeth to nip it. A heavy pant left him when he abandoned his teasing to drink in Tesla's expression of vulnerable bliss and need. "Should you want to go, my boss has made it clear you're allowed to make your own demands. Hazard pay and additional training are automatic. But you choose what you want to do. And I'll support that decision."
"Okay." Tesla offered a faint grin, cheeks heated. "I thought you said you were tired?"
Jaxton widened her legs as he sat up, yellow-ambers glowing with the hunger of an uncaged beast. "You'll be making me dance at the pachanga today. I don't like to dance. But for you, I will." He slowly bent forward to capture her lips in a dominating kiss that had her body shaking and the need to press her thighs together extreme. When he drew back, he whispered, "And I need some incentive."
And Tesla's shuttered cry at his sudden movement was just the start.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
kazoekire nai hodo no omoi wo
itsu made mo okuri tsuzuke te kun da zutto zutto sen mo
•
kurikaeshi gokoro ni chikau yo
te wo nigiri zutto soba ni iru n da soshite kesshite hanasa nai yo
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
The townhouse had been cleaned top to bottom with laundry put away and everything, the smell of cookies and sweetness permeated the air. Muta laid on the couch on his back, snoring away, and he ignored all the noise happening in the kitchen. The LV played a scene as cheerleaders clad in black and red uniforms prepped for the pep rally routine.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Dante's Townhouse
Poke Township
Fiore, Ishgar
10:57 AM FST
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Dante, Luna, Gale, and Carlisle occupied the kitchen with flour and milk and eggs and sugar and mixing bowls and whisks divided between them. Gale refused to wear an apron and traded his normal gloves for kitchen gloves while Luna was happy enough to wear her Young Nation apron, Dante wore his regular one, and Carlisle wore the cute, frilly pinky one Dante seldom let him wear.
Though, it was mainly because Carlisle would be naked under his apron…
As the head cheerleader on the LV opened her mouth, Carlisle bobbed his head and cheered with her, "I'm sexy! I'm cute! I'm popular to boot! I'm bitchin'! Great hair! The boys all love to stare!" He winked when Dante rolled his eyes. "I'm wanted! I'm hot! I'm everything you're not!" He blew a kiss at a disgusted Gale. "I'm pretty! I'm cool! I dominate this school! Who am I? Just guess! Guys want to touch chest! I'm…!"
"Rockin'!" Luna carried as she mixed more batter. "I smile! And many think I'm vile! I'm fly and I jump! You can look, but don't you hump!"
"Woo!" Carlisle hooted.
"I major! I roar!"
Luna and Carlisle grinned at each other and cajoled, high-pitched, "I swear I'm not a whore! We cheer! And we lead! We act like we're on speed!"
Dante shot Carlisle an amused look as he brought out another cookie sheet.
Luna and Carlisle bobbed their heads from side to side as they shouted, "Hate us 'cause we're beautiful? Well, we don't like you either! We're cheerleaders! We – are – cheerleaders! Roll call!"
"Oh my god…" Gale groaned as he palmed dough into balls for the greased cookie sheet. "Stop murdering my ears."
Carlisle stuck his tongue out. "This Bring It On opening is amazing." He sighed longingly. "If I wasn't so into skating, I would've been a cheerleader."
Dante scooted behind Carlisle to murmur in his ear, "You already have the skirt for it." And he squeezed Carlisle's ass before passing him.
Carlisle reddened while Gale looked downright sickened, and Luna was clueless. "Huh?"
"Nothing!" Carlisle blurted, shooting an unbothered Dante a nasty look. "Prince is just being cruel and mean."
Dante lifted his eyebrow. "You were calling me a prince among men not two hours ago when I said you could turn my kitchen into a bakery and I'm allowing you to cheat a little on your diet this morning." He shrugged. "I could take it back—"
"You're a prince among men!" Carlisle cooed, angelic sparking bursting off him. "You're the only god I'll ever believe in!"
Dante snorted. "Sure I am." He checked the top oven then the bottom one. "Aunt Adrienne said we didn't need to bring anything, you know."
"We can't go to a party empty-handed," Carlisle squawked with a clutching-my-pearls offense in his tone. "That'd be rude!" He winked at Luna. "And I'll use any excuse to play house with my favorite Beauty." He wrinkled his nose at Gale. "Too bad she has a Beast on a leash."
"You're the one who needs to be leashed, you shitty guy," Gale snapped back. "I'm sure Dante has one upstairs."
Luna blinked innocently. "Do you walk your cat, Dante? That's why you have a leash?"
Dante speared a sweating Gale and a panicking Carlisle equally dark looks before he softened towards Luna. "Yes. I have several leashes for our cat and a harness." He came up to lay a heavy hand on a jumpy Carlisle with a smile that Luna perceived as friendly while Gale and Carlisle were terrified. "And several collars." His other hand perused Carlisle's choker. "And he thoroughly enjoys them."
Pink slapped Carlisle's cheeks.
"Oh, that's really cool!" Luna said, oblivious to the subtext. "Icarus hates using his leash, but he's learning to like it if it means he gets treats."
Dante rumbled, "I know the feeling." And he planted a kiss on Carlisle's brow.
Carlisle mumbled a whine, "Prince…"
Gale loudly coughed. "All right, that's enough pet talk." He nodded to Luna's mixing bowl. "You sure we'll have enough desserts here, Blondie? Wouldn't want to feed an entire country."
Luna bumped his hip with hers. "Shut up," she retorted with a smile. "I just want to make sure we show we're appreciative of the invite." She worried her bottom lip. "Is it really okay if I come?"
"It is." Dante nodded. "Tesla made sure to invite you, and Aunt Adrienne is excited to meet you." He swung his gaze to Carlisle. "You too." He thought something over and grimaced. "Maybe we shouldn't wear our rings."
Carlisle gaped at the audacity. "And let people think my prince isn't spoken for? Never!"
"Aw, look, Prince, your stupid puppy is possessive of you," Gale mocked.
Carlisle sniffed. "At least I'm not humping legs."
Gale scowled.
But then Carlisle chirped, "That's Prince's job!"
Dante cocked his head with something flickering in his gaze. "You want to say that again?"
Carlisle gulped. "N-No…" He whispered to Luna, "Beauty, save me, Prince is threatening me, and your doggy is being mean."
Gale flipped off Carlisle while Luna giggled. "I can't control Gale any more than you can, Carlisle."
Carlisle (in disbelief) and Dante (with an eyebrow raised) could imagine Luna as a kind and gentle mistress, innocent as can be, with a leashed and angry Gale blushing as he followed her command. We're pretty sure you control more than you think.
"Call me a fucking dog and watch how hard I bite," Gale threatened.
Luna frowned. "Ew. That's gross, Gale."
"Yeah, that's gross, Gale," Carlisle snarked.
Gale snarled—
"Stop it," Luna and Dante barked to their respective partners.
Dante ruffled Carlisle's hair. "Stop taunting my friend, Lips." He added in a lower voice before Carlisle could protest, "Don't make me spank that bad attitude out of you, princess." He tugged on Carlisle's strands for emphasis and chuckled when Carlisle flushed before he turned and abandoned the kitchen.
Luna scolded Gale, "Stop being mean towards Carlisle. He's really nice!"
Gale huffed. "Of course you side with shitty pretty boy. The Hell do I have to do to get you to back me up here, Blondie?"
"Be nicer to Silver."
"Hard pass."
Luna shrugged. "Well then, I guess we're enemies now."
Gale grunted and reluctantly grumbled, "I'll…try." He added in a mutter under his breath, "Not my fault he's a fricken crybaby though."
Dante came back with a Compact in hand. "Lips, you have a few texts and some missed calls."
Carlisle brightened. "Did Lucy—?" He faltered when Dante shook his head. "Oh…" He turned back to his work. "O-Okay… I'll answer everything later then." He closed his eyes when Dante squeezed his waist and kissed his cheek in consolation.
Luna looked in worry. "You haven't heard from Bleu either?"
Carlisle shook his head. "No." He tried for a smile, but it was weak. "He's just busy though. He does a lot of important stuff, so, you know. I'm…" His eyes cut to the side. "I'm sure he'll call when he can, right?"
"Right." Luna still could not shake her concern. "I'm sure he'll reach out when he can."
Gale eyed Luna in contemplation. She doesn't seem too sad speaking about the son of the bitch. I wonder if he's reached out to her. It was not jealousy that stabbed him but anger. Not like he deserves it after screwing her over.
"Because I realized the same thing you did." Sad light. "She'd only know pain being with me any longer."
As much as Gale wanted to stay angry, thoughtful confusion ensnared him. What did he mean by that? Why go out of his way to make me sign that contract, go out of his way to be with her over me…and still break up with her? Why even invite Blondie and me to his birthday? And why—those rubies analyzed a downtrodden Carlisle—is he so protective when it comes to people knowing Carlisle is his family?
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Fairy Adventure 110
•
Special Episode:
La Pachanga
•
ラーパチャンガ
•
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
The town settled in for the uphill battle of the lunch rush. Double Trouble already had the regular patrons at the bar counter and in their normal booths and started seating new clientele coming in. The market café was popular this time of day as people were hungry for fresh eats they could take with them. Two assistants came into Toma's Café with a purpose and a note's page drawn up of all the orders they had to get to perfection. Saint Kardia Academy—a small academy, nonetheless—had their students in uniform as they broke into the courtyard for their lunch while a few students from Lake Sciliora South had come by to Magnolia High School's campus to catch up with friends and swing by with MgRonald's.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Magnolia Town
Fiore, Ishgar
11:30 AM FST
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
"Finally! A job!"
Silver had a pep in his step as he and Ena crossed a bridge together. With the warmer weather, Silver had broken out into a graphic short sleeve, a bucket hat, and some accented shorts and did not mind carrying Ena's bags. Ena, never the one to dress down, decided on a high-street two-piece dress with a slash neck button-down shirtdress where the waist had a printed light-weight calf-length skirt that tied in the front with a bow tie and her own sunhat.
The pair of them certainly turned heads.
"I'm so happy we're taking a job!" Silver said, giddy. "I've been working better on my whips and my tentacle arms, and I want to test it out!"
Ena shot Silver an amused look from behind her sunglasses. "Should I sit back and observe you then?"
"No way." Silver sounded so serious. "I want to fight by your side, Mistress."
Ena chuckled. "Very well." She held out her hand and Silver dug into one of her bags to hand her her personal Compact. She unlocked it and went to ⟪ Fairy Tail ⟫. "The job will leave us both with an exceptional reward. The client suspected their missing Amarok was taken into a Magimon fighting ring due to all the rumors. After our Com consultation with them and the information they gave, it's pretty cut and dry. Genius already scouted where the ring would be located. All we have to do is shut it down. And we'll get a bonus from the Ministry of Magical Creatures if we bring in the animals."
Ena shrugged. "Easy enough. It'd be nice if we had a Tamer in our guild, though. It would make the mission go a little smoother."
"I guess." Silver did not seem to mind. "But we can handle it, Mistress." He grabbed her hand on instinct and beamed. "After all, as long as we're together, we'll be fine, right?"
Ena's lips twitched. "My, my. Aren't you getting bold?"
Silver reddened and let go of her hand like it burned. "I-I didn't mean to—!"
"I'm teasing, Silver," Ena laughed behind a hand. "You're right." She patted his hand. "As long as we're together, we needn't worry." And she threaded their fingers together.
Silver looked like he was seeing a god as he gawked at their joined hands. Does…? Does this mean…?
"And if you don't walk faster, we will miss our train," Ena snarled, dragging him forward. "Honestly. If I knew you were this slow, I would've carried you to the station myself."
Silver smiled through his comical tears. "Yes, Mistress. Sorry, Mistress." I knew this was too good to be true.
"And if you do a particularly good job today, perhaps I'll allow us some free time after the job," Ena permitted. "You'll have to plan it of course."
Silver was back to being at an eleven. "Really?"
"Of course." Ena snuck him a smile. "But this is only after I evaluate your behavior on the job as satisfactory. Should you displease me, there will be no personal reward for me to you. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Mistress." A personal reward from Mistress…
• — • — •
"Oh, Silver!" Fantasy-Ena was conjured with her passionate blush as she lay in a bubble bath. "Will you please become my house husband? You're the only one I ever want to cook for me and wash my back." She blew foamy bubbles at him. "I'd marry you today if you'd let me. Will you, Silver?" Fantasy-Ena's eyes sparkled. "Will you marry me and take care of me, my precious pet Silver?"
• — • — •
"Yes, I'll marry you…" Silver had a dreamy aura around him as he lazily smiled. "I'll take care of you forever and ever…"
Ena squinted over Silver's love-drunk aura. Does he realize he's talking out loud? I guess his mind drifted to that young lady he's in love with. She frowned. I feel…odd. My heart… Her frown deepened. Maybe I ate something… She blinked to see a familiar face skulking through the pedestrians. "Mary Jane?"
Silver snapped out of his fantasizing (he had gotten so far in his fantasy that he imagined Ena dressed in fine silk as he feed her his creations and she cooed praised at him) and looked to see Mary Jane indeed as up ahead. What's she doing here? Dread struck him. What if she's been looking for an opportunity to steal Ena away?
• — • — •
"Oh, Ena…" Fantasy-Mary-Jane had lovestruck eyes as she stroked Fantasy-Ena's cheek. "I've been waiting here day and night for you to pass by. So I could confess to you how much I love you."
"Mary Jane," Fantasy-Ena breathed, awed. "I love you too."
"Then it's settled." Somehow, this fantasy twisted so Fantasy-Mary-Jane hugged Fantasy-Ena on the tip of a boat while dramatic water splashed in the air. "Let's run away together, my darling! Somewhere where that pet of yours can't follow us!"
The fantasy was jarringly interrupted when someone bellowed. "MJ!" Somehow, Igneel had made his way into this fantasy, all dramatic and in a tuxedo with a broken look on his face. "MJ! You can't be in love with her when I'm in love with you!"
"Oh!" A light bulb turned on for Fantasy-Mary-Jane. "Okay!"
And that was how Fantasy-Ena laid alone, heartbroken, as Fantasy-Igneel and Fantasy-Mary Jane rubbed noses as their boat sailed off to some unknown destination.
• — • — •
Mary Jane took off her headphones and scanned around her until she saw Ena approaching with sparkling-with-relief Silver. "Oh. Ena." She laid her headphone around her neck with a half-smile. "Hey. What's up?"
"Nothing. I just didn't expect to bump into you." Ena smiled. "Thank you for recommending me to Evie and her fiancé to make Miss Wright's wedding dress. I've never dabbled into that sort of territory, but I'm happy to do it and make a goth wedding dress no less."
Mary Jane laughed. "Ellie was the one who was all for it, but with her busy with her university plans and at her design job, I volunteered to ask. I'm sure whatever you design will be fantastic."
"Thank you," Ena appreciated. "I've assisted my mentor on wedding regalia and sat-in when he helped with wedding dress and suit consultations, but this is the perfect moment for me to break into the specialty." She looked around. "What are you doing this way? Are you headed to the train station?"
"O-Ooh." Mary Jane's smile fell. "A-Ah… No. No, I'm, um…" She sighed. "I'm just taking a walk to clear my head." She hugged herself. "Seems like that's all I've been doing lately."
Ena frowned. "Oh, dear. Something on your mind? I could lend an ear."
"Well…" Mary Jane shifted. "I don't know…"
Silver touched Ena's arm and whispered, "Mistress, our train?"
"Right." Ena brightened. "I had a wonderful idea. Mary Jane, why don't you come with us on our job?"
Silver (upset) and Mary Jane (surprised) said, "What?"
"Well, why not?" Ena smiled. "A good fight will help you calm down from being in your head for too long. And afterward, how about we have a nice meal, and we can discuss what's bothering you? Silver," she addressed without looking at him, "make reservations at the Giltenan Tea Room. Mary Jane would appreciate the comfort food."
"But…" Silver could not help feeling crestfallen. "What about us?"
Ena must have misconstrued his downtrodden demeanor for something else for she stated, "Oh if you had additional plans, you're free to leave after our assignment. I wouldn't want to keep you."
"No, it's…" Silver sighed, shoulders dropping. "I'll…happily come with you, Mistress."
Mary Jane, however, read the signs and awkwardly smiled. "I-I wouldn't want to impose. I'm sure you both had, um…something going on and I'm sure you'd prefer alone time." Come on, Ena, please read the room.
But Ena just broadened her smile and assured, "No, we didn't. And if we did, it was nothing more important than you."
Mary Jane sweatdropped when she saw a depressive and dreary aura hanging around Silver. I'm sorry, Silver, I'm really trying here. "Well, um…"
"I insist." Ena stepped forward to grab Mary Jane's hands. "Please, Mary Jane, come with us on our job. I'd be remiss if I let someone I consider family brood alone. And we could always use the extra Mage. Right, Silver?"
Silver wanted to protest, but he ended up mumbling sulkily, "Right, Mistress…"
Mary Jane's eyebrow twitched as that dark aura around Silver intensified before she looked at the sparkling Ena. This situation feels very familiar. She could remember a halo around Luna while a dark and angry Gale was behind her. But unlike Redfox, I actually feel bad for Silver. "I don't think I—"
"You must," Ena stressed.
Mary Jane's eye twitched. "But—"
"You must."
"I don't—"
"You must."
Mary Jane sighed. Sorry for this, Silver. I'll make it up to you. She pulled a half-hearted smile. "What's the job?"
"Ah, wonderful!" Ena let go of Mary Jane's hands to loop an arm around hers and guided them forward. "We're retrieving a lost Amarok and taking down a magical creature fighting ring," she enthusiastically explained. "Now that you're on board, I'll have to re-work the plan I made for Silver and me, but here's a rough idea. So…"
Mary Jane had one ear to Ena's plans, but she turned and those scarlet-ceruleans looked at a downcast Silver in sympathy. But she caught his eyes were pointed longingly to Ena's hand, and she made the connection before she turned her head back around. I wonder… Did Igneel ever want to hold my hand that badly? And maybe she imagined it.
But a comforting heat covered her closed hand.
The gym was to die for.
It made sense the cost of living in this complex was high considering all the facilities allotted to the residence. From a residential courtyard where a resident with Green Magic grew herbs and spices to sell to the basement entertainment center people could rent to play movies or host a gathering and the rooftop pool and sauna, everything in the complex made so many vie for a slot.
And the gym was certainly a perk.
The establishment came in two parts: the actual gym and then a studio. A Lacrima Screen would pitch the schedule for classes hosted, from cycling classes to gypsy dancing to aerobic and even kickboxing, that non-residents happily enrolled in, and residents got a severe discount. The gym itself came with its own cross-fit space, treadmills, a rowing machine, and a jogging track. Lacrima Screens projected on some of the stationary machines where you could watch something to pass the time and keep tabs on your meters and diagnostics.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
The Gym
Gary's (and Nashi's) Condo Complex
Magnolia Town
Fiore, Ishgar
12:05 PM FST
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Nashi worked up a sweat with her pink hair tight in a loose ponytail and dressed in a sports bra and athletic shorts as she worked her tread-climber. Her towel and large water bottle lay on the side as she listened to EMPHASIS' new song with the Lacrima Screen playing their comeback on J-STAGE. 17 kilometers were under her belt on her 19.5-kilometer stopping point, and while she sweated, her heart picked up a slight tempo.
As EMPHASIS finished their song and struck their pose, confetti shot out that had the crowd going crazy. Kyary broke formation first as she flapped her load-bearing wings to tower of the stage. The camera zoomed in when she kissed her finger heart and offered it to her fans with a wink. The broadcasters appeared and started giving their overview and update in Josean and, thankfully, Nashi understood the words.
"Ah, now that was a great song," the male presenter praised. "I'm going to be listening to it over and over again."
The lady presenter agreed with enthusiastic nods. "Mmm-hmm! I think what's great about EMPHASIS is that they keep giving fans more and more content even when they're at the top of their game. But I think the fans are all breathing a sigh of relief their favorite artists will be taking a short vacation from the middle of April to May." She laughed. "And we're all excited to see the footage on L-LIVE."
Nashi noticed a presence come next to her. She glanced over to see Diego had come to join her in the tread-climber next to her. They shared a nod before Nashi turned her attention back to the broadcast.
"Looks like EMPHASIS will be taking a trip to Sin to Monica City for some fun in the sun," the male broadcaster told the audience with pictures blowing up of the gorgeous city of Monica with crystal blue water and white sand beaches, the glorious cathedral that centered it all and mosaic art that lined the city. "Though rumor has it Kyary might not be joining her EMPHASisters on their trip."
A surprised honk and plenty of question marks and surprise animation came about as the lady presenter looked shocked. "Really? Well, where would she be going?"
"It's only a rumor," the male presenter assured. "So far, HYPE has confirmed all five EMPHASIS artists will be taking a mental reset in time for their summer launch and have a huge project coming up that features their sibling groups Young Nation and BluePink and, not to mention, they'll be presenting their brand-new summertime jam at J-CON."
After watching the interview for a little while longer, Nashi touched the screen to skim the channels. A new channel caught her attention with John and Yoko at their table and she settled on that for the last stretch of her run.
"And in other news," John said, "things get a little upsetting in Bellum as hundreds of Spiritless band together in silent protest of which they call the 'Magic-Free March'." The video in the corner showed a montage of the somber protests with their candles and their Anti-Magic signs. "When we asked the founder of this movement about this movement, this is what they had to say. Let's take a look."
The interview popped up with a young woman with her infant son on her hips and clear grief in her eyes. She spoke into the held-out microphone in Bellish, but a Minstrish translation was provided for her solemn words. "I couldn't stand it anymore. Magic…" She sniffed. "Magic isn't the answer. Magic destroyed my home and killed my husband. It's just me and my Viggo now." Her eyes clouded, but her chin lifted, strong. "People have always looked towards Magic to solve our problems, but they've been causing our problems—and we're left to just accept it and stay in the aftermath while they answer to their farce of a government who gives them a slap on the wrist."
She shifted her son. "They can't continue to be unaccountable for destroying our lives and our homes. If that Devil didn't kill my husband, that's fine. I don't care about that thing anymore. But I know Magic did that to my home."
Her bottom lip trembled. "I refuse to be silent while my husband's killer is on the loose." She gestured to the people behind her. "All these people behind me lost someone or lost their livelihood thanks to the Faction and the Magic Council's disgusting absolute power. And we won't go ignored. We're human too. And we deserve to live freely without constantly fearing for the next attack."
The video zoomed out and Yoko said, "And this is not the only movement going on." A video montage displayed footage from other marches, vigils, and protests. "Movements have been popping up all over Ishgar—all over the world—in regard to the Faction's terrorist acts and the Magic Council's dominating governance. Cities and smaller countries have taken to rebelling against Magic-users to drive them out of their homes while other countries where Wizards are already authority figures are experiencing a rush of immigration as many global leaders start locking in restrictions against Independent Wizards."
"For those who don't know, the Magic Council does not recognize Independent Wizards and, therefore, are under the jurisdiction of their residential leaders," John explained. "Legal Wizards—or Guild Wizards—have the Magic Council to protect them in some events and allows them to evacuate harsh conditions once they receive approved relocation from their Council representative, but many countries have bullied their Council representative or are instilling their will by force on any and all Wizards with curfews, mandatory passports…"
John shook his head as he turned to his co-host. "It's terrible, Yoko."
"It is," Yoko sagely agreed. "In these last few months, the country of Rambutan has made a task force they call the Magic Identification and Customs Enforcement or MICE as the order was given any and all Independent Wizards had court dates set for evaluation of their powers to see if they should be allowed to continue their residency."
John bunched his papers. "Speaking of residency, Yoko, it looks like the Alvarez Empire has succeeded in absorbing the young nation of Douban."
Footage covered the grateful Douban citizens reaching out to the Alvarezites soldiers who had come bearing crates of food and goods for them. An older grandmother was crying and smiling as she shakily kissed the cheek of an embarrassed soldier while a few kids were eagerly gathering around a volunteer who had come with toys for them.
"The search for the missing heirs prevails in Alvarez," John continued, "with King Ajeel and Prince Naseer making outreaches to other world leaders in the hopes of an alliance to find the missing prince or princess. Already, Emir Kareem of Shamballa is in agreement to share his intelligence forces. But with such excitement that the rightful heir of Alvarez will come home, more and more countries in Alakitasia are eager to sit down with King Ajeel and talk of peace."
Yoko bobbed her head. "It would seem the many battles going on in Alakitasia might end, hinging upon Alvarez's true prince or princess returning. The United Alliance of Alakitasia will be meeting in April in Shamballa to discuss political affairs, the ongoing Holy Revolution with a terrorist group, and hopefully, Alvarez will have updates on the location of the missing future Emperor or Empress—"
BEEP!
Nashi took a rough breath as the machine helped slow her into a necessary cool down. She turned off the screen to check her statistics that synched with her Smartwatch and went for her last half kilometer from a job to a walk and an eventual stop.
"Never thought I'd run into you here."
Nashi smiled as she took out her Milchia EarPods. "I was putting up a fight with Gary about using the gym," she told him. "The gym can only be used by members or those listed underneath the head of the household." She shook her head. "And here I am, finally caving."
Diego laughed as he finished his cool-down walk while Nashi got her water bottle. "The amenities definitely sold me on the complex. I would've loved to live in Crocus since I work at the clinic's main campus, but Crocus is way too expensive for me." He wiped his neck with a towel as he grimaced. "And I thought my ex and I would be living together."
"Ouch." Nashi made a face. "At least you're semi-close to home and Tesla."
Diego had to smile. "Yeah. My family would be up in arms if I moved all the way to Crocus. It's a good forty-five-minute drive for our get-togethers, but it's still pretty close." He got off his tread-climber as he noted Nashi's run time and her kilometers. "Training for a half-marathon?"
"Not exactly," Nash told him as she stepped down from her machine. "Actually, my mama, sister, and I will be doing a five-k together. But I try to get to nineteen and a half kilometers for conditioning to help build up my stamina and I have to kick it up a notch for a full-blown marathon if I want to be chosen for the GMGs." She wrinkled her nose. "I'll be competing in the endurance race and then in the Crocus Marathon with my papa and my brother."
Diego blew out a surprised breath. "I keep forgetting Wizards are a different breed."
"Not too different," Nashi quipped. "We might have a little more endurance than the average Spiritless, but plenty of Spiritless either are born with it or train to get up to our level. Like you, Doctor."
"Ha." Diego snorted. "I'll pass, thanks. I stay fit as it is." He wiggled his eyebrows as he teased pulling up his tank top. "But I can show you better than I can tell you."
Nashi threw back her head to laugh. "I'm good, thanks. But save that energy for the party, Bachata Bae."
"Speaking of which—"
"I am not dancing."
Diego shrugged. "Considering my and Tesla's family, you might not get a choice." He swiped his bottle. "If you're still here after my workout, I'm going to get a fruit smoothie from across the street. I know we've talked in passing, but it'd be nice to finally sit down with the woman of Gary's dreams."
Nashi blushed. "Please tell me he never said that."
Diego's eyes twinkled.
"Oh gods," Nashi groaned. "Yeah, a smoothie sounds great."
"'Kay." He nodded at Nashi. "I'll see you then."
"Sure." Nashi grabbed her belongings, but she paused to feel that pulse of winter thrum in her blood—in her chest—and those hickories softened. You stupid Devil. You really are too shameless sometimes.
And as if Gary had heard her, the winter running through Nashi's body squeezed her.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
And then…
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
The juice and smoothie bar looked every bit of the aesthetic with mellow greens and reds and yellows and blues watching over the establishment. It might not have been large, but it had regular patronage and consistent newcomers. It was popular among the health nuts and health-conscious with no artificial sugars or sweeteners, a calorie and ingredient board for each item that was not custom made, and rotating specialty items that customers could name. A university student slurped on her "bananilla nut" smoothie as she typed up a paper for her stress management class. A few unlikely friends sat at a small table in discussion for their next raid in the lacrimagame they all played together. A businessman agreed to a loyalty card as he paid for his Queen of the Green smoothie with kale, spinach, pineapple, banana, and apple juice.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
« This is Shake It Up, a juice and smoothie bar local to Magnolia Town and partnered with the owner of Juju Bar. »
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
"Two smoothies for Diego!"
Diego came up as the barista shot him a flirty smile as she pushed the two smoothies towards him. "Here you go, Diego," she purred.
"Muchas gracias, bella," Diego told her, grinning when her eyes flared. He turned back and went to where Nashi waited at the window counter. "Here you are. A Berry Orange Blast for you and a Tropical Green Machine for me."
"Thank you." Nashi plucked in her straw and clinked her smoothie with his before taking a sip. The first taste had her eyes widened. "Mmm…" She sucked down another few dips before she came up for air. "Oh my god."
"Right?" Diego gestured to the establishment. "Best place for post-workout smoothies, in my humble opinion."
"I second that." Nashi took another greedy mouthful.
Diego smiled. "It helps that our condo partners up with most of the restaurants. Residents have a sort of elite loyalty program. We show our card and get a special discount."
Nashi groaned. "You're wearing me down about officially moving in with my partner if the perks are this good, Diego." She shot him a suspicious look. "You're not in on this plot, are you?"
"I wouldn't say I am…" Diego's grin broadened. "But is it working?" He chortled when Nashi hit his arm. "What? It's not like he's not dropping subtle hints every time we talk about when his precious Angel came with a moving truck and brought all her stuff—"
Nashi gaped. "Please tell me you didn't tell him!" she urged, panicked. "I didn't bring a moving truck! I just…!" She winced. "I hired…a few movers…"
Diego raised an amused eyebrow and slurped his drink. "Mmm-hmm…"
Nashi playfully rolled her eyes before sighing out her amusement and playing with her straw. "Seriously." She hunched her shoulders. "I know it seems stupid now with basically my entire bedroom moved into his place, but I…" She let out a loud exhale. "I don't know. It's just…a really big step to make it official. It's easy when he's up at the North Pole and not living with me and all, but…" She trailed off, uncertain.
Diego added his two jewel with care. "Moving in with someone is different for every person. Coming from a person who jumped into moving with an ex, I'm happy you're thinking this through." He confessed to her, "I actually told Gary not to bring it up to you."
That shocked Nashi. "Really?"
Diego nodded. "Yeah." He sipped his smoothie as something in his eyes went distant. "I'd been living with my ex-girlfriend in our crappy apartment prior to my home now. It wasn't like it was a huge conversation about us living together. She just started spending all this time at my place since she was living with her parents and then she was just…always there."
The memories made something unpleasant arise on Diego's face. "At the beginning, when she stayed over a few nights or a weekend, it wasn't bad. But it took me a while to see the red flags."
"What do you mean?"
"Finances." Diego offered a grim frown. "She wasn't that wise with money and didn't understand how it worked. I was scraping by on my rent with my scholarships since my family couldn't help me out during my undergrad, so I knew the value of a jewel, but she really didn't. Honestly, we really should've talked about rent and chores and stuff like that, but we didn't. We just rushed into things." He gave Nashi a pained smile. "Doesn't help I overheard her talking with her friends about how it would pay off she snagged a future doctor."
Nashi winced. "Shit. I'm so sorry, Diego."
"As my mama would tell you, así son las cosas." Diego translated with a one-shouldered shrug, "It is what it is. Point is, we didn't talk about anything when it came to living together. Tía Adrienne was always worried Tesla would jump into moving in with her boyfriend, but for Tesla, she's a stickler for being independent and learning the ropes before a serious step. For some people, that next step is so natural, and they could have hiccups, but it works out. It depends on the person."
He added wryly. "Definitely more my speed to make sure my future girlfriend knows about independence."
"I bet," Nashi grimly agreed. She looked down at her smoothie. "I just… I feel like I'm disappointing him when I say I'm not ready for something like that. I mean, I'll be headed to university—"
"What university?"
"I finally decided on the University of Aronia," Nashi told him. "U of A gave me a full scholarship, but…" She made a face. "First semester has to be in the dorms. My friends Saudade and Majime told me the dorms are really nice, though, and the dorms seemed okay on the tour, but still, not looking forward to it."
"Congratulations either way," Diego praised. "What program are you going into?"
"I'm double-majoring in psychology and communications," Nashi told him. "With all my credits from Tri-C, I'll only have two years left for my degrees. And I want to take the JPE—Josean Proficiency Exam. I took it last year at a level three, but I want to take it at a level one."
Diego looked thoroughly impressed. "Wow. That's amazing." He nudged her and jested, "No wonder Gary brags about you, Little Miss IQ."
"Pfft." Nashi shook her head. "Whatever." Her amusement dulled. "I know Gary isn't the type to push, y'know, but still…" She whipped her ponytail over her shoulder.
Diego studied her. "He might be disappointed when you turn him down," he told her, honest, "and that's a natural reaction. But what matters is that he doesn't try to get aggressive or manipulative."
Nashi gave him a dry onceover. "Like making me fall in love with his building's gym and the smoothie bar across the street?"
"I'm serious," Diego chuckled. A darkness filled his eyes. "I had to watch a few of my sisters and one of my brothers and my cousins drop into those relationships or be the abuser." His jaw went taut. "Nudges within boundaries are fine. But the second someone tries to gaslight you or anything like that, that's when you drop it and walk away."
Nashi soothed, "Gary's never done that to me." And she meant every word. "I can tell he's disappointed when I say, 'no', sure, but he's supportive about everything else. He jokes around, but it never makes me uncomfortable." She smiled with it tinged in sadness. "If anything, he's a little too accommodating with me." I know he said his vasectomy was for him. And his reasoning makes sense considering how valuable he is. But…
Sparkling ceruleans.
Nashi's expression sunk. I saw how much he wanted a family. I can't help but feel guilty about his choice of getting a vasectomy.
Diego sipped his smoothie—
"Do you want kids?"
He promptly choked and made sure to roughly swallow his mouthful before coughing. "Run that by me again?"
Nashi repeated, "Do you want kids?"
Diego wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Well…" He thought about this. "Huh… I mean, I never really considered it. I like helping out with Miss T's twins—don't get me wrong—but I love giving them back. And my family always has kids running around." He hunched over. "I guess I'm a fence sitter." He looked over to her, curious. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, because…" Nashi cupped her drink. "I…don't ever want to get pregnant or give birth or any of that," she confessed to him. "I don't want that experience. But I guess… Well, I guess I don't want to force Gary into a life he might not want."
Diego frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I…" Nashi cringed. "I just mean… I don't know what I mean. Maybe I'm just talking crazy or something, but…" She shook her head. "I know we're young and all, but it's something I wanted to talk about." Hickory gleamed. "I know I'm not a Seer or anything, so I don't know what will happen to my relationship in the future or anything, but I felt I had to say that I never wanted to go through with a pregnancy. And if an accident came along, he knew where my decision was."
"That's smart," Diego complimented. "It's smart to talk about things like that early on."
Nashi half-heartedly nodded. "Yeah, well, he agreed, which…which is fine, I guess? I don't know! I just…!" She put a hand on her face. "I'm not making sense."
"Mind if I try?"
Nashi gave him a tired look. "Sure."
"Well." Diego shifted, gears turning. "I think you and Gary had mature conversations about your complete choice on your body. And Gary agreed with your decision. But you're worried that his agreement might not be actual agreement and he might resent you for it down the line." He tilted his head. "Am I close?"
"Try right on the money," Nashi muttered. She slouched forward with her hands triangling her nose. "Am I stupid to be thinking about this?"
Diego shook his head. "I wouldn't say so," he told her. "Like I said, it's smart you talked about it." A ghost of a smile. "Tesla told me she never waited about telling Jaxton where she stood. She is one-hundred-percent child-free and if he didn't like it, he can walk away. If he's a fence-sitter like me, he would need to come to terms with it or walk. But she lucked out he's child-free too." It was clear the way he spoke of his cousin that he adored her. "Our lita always joked how they might not want kids, but they're loud when they're practicing."
Nashi burst into snort-laughter. "Oh, she did not."
"That was the first and last time Tesla never used a Mute Lacrima when she and Jaxton snuck off during a party," Diego chortled. "I'll be straight with you. My friend Hotaru works in OB/GYN at the clinic as a resident and she does a lot of consultations. She's all for having those sorts of discussions with her patients and making sure her patients are transparent about their futures with their partners. It broke my tía's heart when her husband left her because they talked too late about kids."
Nashi tentatively asked, "Tesla's mom?"
"Oh, no." Diego shook his head. "No, tía Adrienne might've dated around, but she hated the idea of marriage. No, one of my other aunts." His gaze broke for his relative's grief. "It was pretty fucking terrible all around. My aunt was crying for days after her ex walked out on her. At the time, she wanted to keep it a secret about her infertility struggle. Her then-husband knew about it, and she shrugged it off by saying she didn't want kids anyway. But then she looked at IVF treatments in secret, brought it up to him, they had a huge fight, and well, he left." He snapped his fingers. "Like that."
"Wow." Nashi frowned. "That's awful."
"I guess," Diego supposed. "Don't get me wrong. We were all torn up about it. But tía Adrienne nearly got a bat to the face when she asked why they never discussed kids before." He sipped his smoothie. "It sucks to ask, but it's true. Why didn't they? Kids are a big issue. It didn't bother me that my aunt was sitting on the fence about them. It kind of bothered me she kept it quiet and then sprung it all on my then-uncle who was really adamant about not wanting kids. I didn't think he was in the wrong for not wanting them. It was shitty he just up and left and served divorced papers two weeks later, but…" He waved his hand in a dismissive gesture.
Nashi sucked on her smoothie in thought before she said, "I just don't want Gary to wake up one day and wish I was pregnant." That disgusting memory haunted her of her fraud Devil.
"I want a baby, Angel."
"Do you not want kids, or do you not want to be pregnant?"
Nashi looked up at Diego. "What do you mean?"
"Well…" Diego cocked his head. "By no means is adopting easy whatsoever or surrogacy. It takes a lot of heart and soul to adopt, and it is stressful for any sort of surrogate situation. Honestly, it was surprising to all of us how fast tía Adrienne was approved when she adopted Tesla. It was like lightning struck with that. But from what my social worker friend says, adopting is no joke, and I one hundred percent believe that. The myth people should just adopt or find a surrogate…" He shook his head.
Nashi agreed. "Yeah. Mister Justine—a Wizard in my guild—is still fighting lawsuits and everything with his daughter and he adopted her as a baby." But she thought harder about Diego's question. Do I just not want to get pregnant? Huh…
"I mean, we're all pretty young to think about adoption," Diego handed to her. "You have to be twenty-one to adopt regardless and again, the process is not easy. But it is an option if you never wanted to be pregnant, but you still want kids." He shrugged. "But that's a choice you and Gary—or whoever you shack up with—decide. Hell, be a single mom. Who gives a damn? The choice is yours."
He added after sipping his smoothie, "It takes a lot of stamina and heart to be a parent by any means. Sorry if I'm getting preachy or overstepping my bounds but take it from someone who watched my family go through infertility, fostering, adoption, surrogacy, and childbirth. You need to think long and hard about what sort of responsibilities you want, how much you can endure, and what it means to you when it comes to parenting a kid."
He nudged her with a playful smile. "But no need to think about it until you get that degree. And if Gary starts dropping hints about adoption, just tell me and I'll kick his ass."
Nashi snorted. "You're fit, Bachata Bae, but my Gary would slaughter you."
"You're not wrong, but damn, chiquita, no need to be so mean," Diego laughed. He got up from his stool and knocked his drink to Nashi's. "You ready to go?"
"Sure."
They left Shake It Up to head outside, but they took their time going across the street and made a mutual decision to take a short walk around the block as they slurped on the melting smoothies.
Diego piped up, "You haven't seen Gary's studio, have you?"
"No." Nashi swiveled her stare up to him. "Why?"
"I'm not saying I know your boyfriend better than you," Diego assured, "but you should check out his studio sometime when you're having doubts about him being disappointed in you or resenting you. I think you'll find the answer there."
Nashi frowned. "But doesn't he own an entire building full of studios?"
"He does," Diego confirmed. "But he reserved the penthouse and converted it to his private studio where he does a lot of his artwork before he brings it back to his place." He shot Nashi a teasing look. "You definitely should take a look."
Nashi gave him a wary glare that held no heat. "Is this another one of those 'Gary didn't tell me to do this, but he totally did' sort of things?"
"Actually? No." Diego was truthful. "It's just my suggestion. I was blown away when he showed me the studio when we had to make a stop there before I introduced him to a few of the other residents I know for a dinner some time ago." A knowing glint entered his eyes. "It might be worth you checking it out sometime. All I'm saying. Just make sure you look up. You'll understand once you see it."
"Okay…" Nashi sipped on her drink. His studio… He did say he'd show me it when he was permanently home, but… She did not want to admit Diego's words piqued her curiosity.
"Since I'm driving us both to the pachanga," Diego said, "make sure you come on an empty stomach."
The confused Nashi. "Why?"
"Because"—Diego grinned—"you're fresh blood and my family won't let you leave until you went up two dress sizes."
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Oye, ma'... (Dime, pa'...)
Coge por tu lao que por ahí van... [Los tiburones!]
Oye, ma'… (Dime, pa'...)
Sigue por la orilla o te van a llevar...
[Los tiburones!]
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
There was nothing like a pachanga to celebrate.
The neighborhood, filled with Andüsan and Hisinnish immigrants and sons and daughters of those immigrants rooted to their culture, had all corralled with their skirts and heels and bathing suits and good food to clamor at the Greer Residence for a cool chela, some pan con tomate, empanadas, patatas bravas, tortilla esiñola, and whatever else everyone brought to the table.
It did not matter who was who—everyone was family. That was just how the atmosphere made it to be. Kisses and hugs were exchanged like you had not seen each other in years even when you saw each other yesterday. The children had squirmed out of reach with their bathing suits on as they played in the sprinklers with their squeals as one of the neighbor's Mellie (Melandia) shepherds had made the journey and acted like a den mother to keep the children heard together.
The finished deck with padded benches and a little canopy for a chair swing served its purpose for the elders and adults of the neighborhoods to gather to play another game of chinchón and have a gossip hour. With the food and drinks all set up, the patio served as the popular dance floor with cousins and sisters and brothers and friends taking to gyrating their hips and bantering with each other with flirty smiles and teases. The sound system one of the neighbors had set up was hooked up a SoundPod with a mix already thumping. It would switch between the old hits the adults could vibe to versus the new bass-pounding beats the younger generation naturally gravitated to.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Toma, toma! (Dame, dame!)
Toma, toma! (Dame, dame!)
Mama, que tú quieres (Que me lleve el tiburón!)
Toma, toma! (Dame, dame!)
Toma, toma! (Dame, dame!)
Mama, que tú quieres (Que me lleve el tiburón!)
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Carlisle was practically bouncing as Dante parked his truck when he heard the booming music and telltale sign of laughter and conversation. He beamed as Dante helped him out of the vehicle. Both of them had dressed down, though Dante had gone with a short-sleeved button-down with the top buttons undone, and Carlisle had decided on a loose faded t-shirt and shorts with his sunglasses.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Greer Residence
Bougainvillea Township
Fiore, Ishgar
6:07 PM FST
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
"This already sounds so much fun!" Carlisle pouted. "I'm so sad Mom got cold into surgery and Maman had a late-night practice."
Dante hummed as he moved to start unloading the saran-wrapped desserts from the back. "There will be other parties." He fed into Carlisle's hands two of the trays. "All of these will be snapped up quicker than you think."
"That's why we armed ourselves."
"Carlisle!"
Carlisle swiveled and beamed. "Beauty! Come, come, we're unloading our stash!"
"Oh, good, we're on time!" Luna scurried over in her floral pink dress. It was a halter with no back to show for it with her golden locks half swept in a braided ponytail with a pink bow and the rest down. She pouted when Dante held up the tray too high for her to jump for it. "Hey!"
"Gale," Dante called.
"Yeah, yeah." Gale reached over Luna to get the trays and grinned when Luna looked put out. He had done his part to wear a black and red MagiCross tank top with his red bandana. "Sorry, Blondie, but chivalry is alive and well here and Tesla's abuela would fucking clock me with that damn cane of hers if she saw you carrying anything."
Luna sighed. "Fine… I suppose I'll let the big, strong men carry things for me." She smiled sweetly at Gale. "And you too."
Dante's lips twitched in mirth while Carlisle crowed, "Hear that, pitbull? Your Beauty thinks Prince and I are way buffer than you…!"
"Goddamn, Blondie-girl, you can't even hype me up a little bit in front of Dante's shitty boyfriend?" Gale muttered. He eyed Luna stepping closer to Carlisle and said, "Aht-aht. He came with Prince. You came with me."
Carlisle taunted, "Beauty wants to be on my arm because I'm better looking."
"Dante," Gale growled, "control your boyfriend before I muzzle him for you."
"Lips, stop making Gale foam at the mouth." Dante looked down at Luna. "Sorry, Goldie, but my fluffy retriever has to walk with me so he behaves. You'll have your hands full keeping your Rottweiler under control."
Carlisle and Gale gaped. We aren't dogs!
Luna giggled behind a hand. "Sure thing!"
"Eh, no, no!" Gale petulantly turned away when Luna sidled up to him. "You second-choiced me, Blondie."
"Third-choiced you since Dante was my first choice," Luna chirped. She latched onto his arm and stroked his bicep with a playful little grin when he gave her a flat look. "But if you don't want to be my first choice of who I dance with—"
"All right, all right, enough with the threats," Gale grunted. "We got everything?" He asked this to Dante.
Dante nodded as he shut his truck and locked it. "Yeah. We're good." He nudged Carlisle forward. "Since we're at the block party, you can cheat tonight."
"Oh, thank goodness!" Carlisle gave a sheepish smile at his enthusiastic blurt when Dante raised an eyebrow. "I was planning to sweet talk whoever I had to so I could eat whatever I wanted to."
Dante shook his head. "You're such a brat."
Carlisle wanted to dispute that—
"Ah! You're here!"
Tesla came down the sidewalk with a golden halter floral cutout tie slit dress that came down to her mid-thigh with her hair half down with part of it in thick cornrows. She could not stop the excited grin on her face as she pounced on Luna first and hugged her. "Ah, you came! I'm so happy!" She held Luna's shoulders to take her in. "And you took my advice and wore something you can shake in. Good girl."
Luna beamed. "You look beautiful, Miss Tesla!"
Tesla snorted. "Honey, I am going to teach you who is a 'sis', a 'miss' and an 'auntie' and you'll be talking just like us." She rubbed down Luna's arm as she beckoned Carlisle over. "Come give Mama a smooch my beautiful pan son."
Carlisle laughed and kissed Tesla's cheek. "Hey, mama."
Tesla gasped seeing the trays in his hand, but not for the reason you would think. "Who would dare make my child do labor?" She shot an accusing look at Dante. "Lita 'bout to pop you one making your fucking fiancé carry shit into the pachanga, osito."
Dante's lips flattened. "Great. Now everyone thinks I'm engaged."
"Not everyone." Jaxton approached with his rolled-up sleeves and cargo shorts. He swept the trays from Carlisle's hands. "I'll take that. Tesla's right." He gave Dante a mildly humored look. "The whole township is ready to congratulate the two of you, and all the aunts and grandparents wouldn't be pleased if you weren't being chivalrous towards your fiancé."
Dante's expression pinched while Carlisle was having a hoot and snuggled Dante's arm. "If this means Prince finally acts nice to me, I'm all for this."
Tesla cackled. "Well, he—!"
"Ow!" Luna hissed when she fumbled with her silver key as it heated outrageously. "Icarus—!"
DING-DONG!
POOF!
Everyone had no choice but to back up when Icarus made his unceremonious presence known and charged ahead. But his eyes were not focused on his mistress nor was he guilty of the trouble he caused. No.
His eyes focused on Jaxton with lethal attention.
And Jaxton kept up his intense stare.
Gale glared at Icarus and rumbled to Luna, "Didn't think Fido was joining us."
"He… He wasn't." Luna sounded confused. "He was taking a break today." Icarus? Icarus, what are you doing?
It took Icarus a long time to respond when he leaned forward with his nostrils flaring as he scented Jaxton's chest and neck before retreating. Heavy emotions charged through his connection with Luna. He could dampen them, but strong disbelief derailed him from sparing his mistress from feeling all he felt. It… It can't be…
Luna stroked Icarus' fur, frowning in concern. Icarus?
Jaxton rumbled, "Luna. Would your Star Spirit like to join us tonight?"
"U-Um… I mean…" Luna gave Icarus a helpless glance. Icarus?
Yes. Icarus did not hesitate. I… I will stay. He shrunk down to his Dog Form, but his eyes remained framed onto Jaxon.
"He says he'll stay," Luna relayed, still bewildered. She could feel Icarus' key had cooled off and was safe to put back into her pocket. An apologetic smile was aimed at the perplexed Tesla. "Sorry about this…"
"No, no, it's okay." Tesla shrugged. "All forms of life are welcome to our pachanga, girlie, dogs included." She wrapped her arm around Jaxton's own. "Come on. Let's get you all settled in and hit the dance floor." She led Jaxton away and the rest followed in step. Steel-grays faltered into worry, and she whispered, "Jang-ta?"
Jaxton subtly shook his head as though to tell her not right now. But his hand clenched around the tray as the bridge of his nose wrinkled. How? How is this possible?
The entrance to the party had to come through the open garage where the extra refrigerator stored most of the beers and other drinks and cold desserts for a later occasion. Tesla had them come into the house to set down the desserts next to all the others before going to the sliding back door. The second they crossed through the threshold, the aroma of lemon and grilled shrimp and meat fixated the area with the music louder and fuller and the conversation full of Sinnish back and forth.
"Están aquí!"
Adrienne swept over with her flamenco skirt and tank top and looked over enthused to have new guests. She kissed Dante's cheeks and exchanged warm greetings with him and with Gale before she clapped her hands and took in Carlisle first. "Tienes razón, nena. Es tan guapo."
Tesla grinned. "¡Bueno! No escuches lo que dice Dante. Están totalmente comprometidos, mami."
Adrienne gasped. "¡Híjole! ¡Lo sabía!"
Carlisle laughed and said humbly with a shy look at Dante, "No, lamentablemente no estamos comprometidos, pero lo amo mucho."
Adrienne gasped again. "¡Oh, y habla esiñol también!"
"He's full of surprises," Dante rumbled when Carlisle belatedly realized what he had done and started to nervously sweat. "Aunt Adrienne, ignore whatever my parents told you. We aren't engaged."
Adrienne cocked an eyebrow. "Have fun explaining that to lita, cachetes. She heard through the grapevine about The House of E dipping into wedding apparel and she is ready to pull strings for suits."
"I sort of want a train," Carlisle thought aloud. "No dress, but I always want a beautiful train behind me."
Adrienne looked at him in approval. "Lita will make it happen." She hugged Carlisle and kissed his cheeks. "It's nice to have you in the family, Carlisle. Minh and Bachram will be by later before you reveal your cake, but they told me I'd love you the moment I saw you and I already do." She shot Dante a look full of mirth. "Anyone who can put up with that one deserves my love."
Carlisle beamed. "Thanks, Miss Adrienne. And thanks for the invite."
"Of course, sweetheart. You'll be here plenty more." Adrienne turned her attention to the shy Luna and softly gasped. "Es tan preciosa," she breathed. She opened her arms. "You are a beautiful young woman." She looked at Gale. "This is your Luna?" When he nodded, she smiled. "Ella es ecantadora. She's lovely."
Luna blushed. "It's nice to me you, Miss Adrienne. Thanks for inviting me into your home."
"Oh!" Adrienne gaped, overwhelmed by Luna's cuteness. "¡Mi alma!" She hugged Luna. "Oh, you're too cute, cariño." She pulled back. "You're family. No need to be so polite." She frowned. "And so skinny." She shot Gale a sharp glower. "¿Por qué no has estado alimentando a tu amor?"
Gale snorted. "Es una gran comedora, tía."
Adrienne huffed. "Come on, Luna, let's get you a plate." She took Carlisle's hand. "You as well, Carlisle. You both need to eat since your partners aren't feeding you right."
Carlisle took this to his advantage. "I know, right? Dante practically controls how much I eat."
"Because you have a diet and will be addicted to the tape measure the second you overeat and think you gained weight," Dante muttered.
"How can he overeat?" Adrienne demanded to know. "He's practically skin and bones."
Dante's eyes slipped to Carlisle's ass. "Not in every place."
Carlisle reddened and whisper-scolded, "Down, Prince!" He sniffed when Dante slipped an arm around his waist.
"I'll get him a plate and introduce him to lita, Auntie," Dante promised. "I need a beer, and unless you have fruity cocktails, he won't drink either. He whines when it comes to anything else."
"Mean, Prince, mean!"
Adrienne tittered and released Carlisle. "I'll leave him to you." She turned to Gale with a raised eyebrow.
"Okay, no need to kill me with those laser eyes." Gale gripped Luna's shoulders. "I'll make sure she's good and fed, Auntie, cross my heart."
"Good." Adrienne whispered conspiratorially to Luna, "You let me know when my bullheaded changuito annoys you, okay? We have plenty of nice young men who would love to dance with you if changuito isn't careful."
Gale feigned offense while Luna laughed and whispered back, "Could you have them lined up for me? I have a feeling he'll annoy me pretty quick."
"I like this one," Adrienne chortled. "I've got to greet more guests, but don't think I won't come back for you two." She pointed at Luna and Carlisle before murmuring something to Tesla in Sinnish and fluttering away.
Tesla dramatically sighed. "Well, y'all eat. We'll be right there." She stroked Jaxton's chest as she looked up at him with heavy-lidded eyes. "Baila conmigo, papi."
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Suavemente, bésame
Que quieres sentir tus labios
Besándome otra vez
•
Suavemente, bésame
Que quieres sentir tus labios
Besándome otra vez (Suave)
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Jaxton offered a slow kiss on her lips before he pulled back for her to see the darkened heat in his eyes. He stopped her hand to kiss and nip her fingers. He rumbled to her in sultry Sinnish, "Tú eres mi tentadora y mi flaqueza, princesa." Even with his words, he fell into step when Tesla guided him away with the sway of her hips.
Gale steered Luna towards the porch. "Come on. Let's get you fed before the family swarms down on me."
Luna let him guide her through the people and conversation until they made it to the table. She tried to keep track of what Gale was piling onto her plate, but she could not help but worry as glanced over at Icarus. He and the Mellie Shepherd got along swimmingly with friendly sniffs and wagging tails, but his eyes strayed to Jaxton often. Icarus—
Later, Pup. Icarus glanced at her in apology before he cut their connection so only tendrils remained.
Luna flinched from the waning connection and the sting of him shutting her out. Icarus…
"Blondie?"
"Huh?" Luna blinked and readied her smile at a suspicious Gale. "Sorry. What were you saying?"
Gale gestured to the plates, but he kept a cursory eye on her. "I've got us all loaded up. Come on. We'll set up with Dante and Carlisle until you're ready to integrate with the whole family."
"Sounds good!" Luna chirped. "I'm hungry!"
Gale snorted and nudged her. "You're always hungry." He guided her to some empty chairs left out for anyone and everyone to use to sit, eat, drink, and be merry. Dante and Gale offered their helloes and kisses to the relatives and family-friends who recognized them, and all gushed over Carlisle (pointedly eyeing his ring and sending Dante pleased looks) and Luna (teasing how they could set her up with a son or a nephew in front of Gale).
While Dante and Gale got up for drinks, Carlisle and Luna huddled together and devoured their plates with their hearty appetites. Carlisle moaned, "So good…!"
"Right!" Luna swallowed her portion to watch the dance floor.
The dancers were old and young with jeans and skirts and block heels and flats, but the way they rolled their hips and flexed their bodies was something that could not be taught in a classroom. It was a natural instinct that let them move and roll. They exchanged silent smiles and laughing words as they popped and twirled with skirts flaring and hands moving.
Tesla and Jaxton could be spotted amid the dancers, but it was because of their magnetism. It was almost like they had a routine to this song with how in-sync their movements had become. Jaxton watched her like a predatory with his hand loose on her hip to let her breathe and move while his other hand clasped her free hand. They stepped together. He pulled. She followed. She leaned for a twirl, and he guided her through until he selfishly pulled her back to him. He spun her so her back was to her front and while she laughed over something one of her cousins told her, it was clear she spared attention for Jaxton as she thumbed his hand.
"Wow…" Luna breathed. "They look so amazing together."
Carlisle ardently agreed. "You can feel the fireworks. I didn't think Jaxton was such a passionate dancer." His eyes softened when Tesla spun back into Jaxton's waiting arms. "But I suppose he is for the right person."
Dante and Gale came back with chelitas for them and agua de Valencia (a twist on a classic mimosa with gin, vodka, cava, orange juice, lemon, and sugar) for Luna and Carlisle.
Carlisle thanked Dante for his drink and jerked his head towards Tesla and Jaxton. "Is that what I can expect from you?
"Maybe." Dante sipped his beer. "I normally dance with the kids or some of the older women. So, it shouldn't be hard to dance with you."
"Rude!"
Gale demolished a quarter of his plate before he jerked his chin towards Luna. "You think you'll be ready to dance with me, Blondie?" He wiggled his eyebrows. "Let me show you my moves?"
"Maybe," Luna laughed. She eyed the dancers. "I'm not sure I can dance like that."
"Bullshit," Gale called before chugging some of his beer. "I know you and your mom belly dance like pros and do all that Romany dancing too. You'll be fine."
Carlisle brightened. "And we totally need to do a belly dancing routine together sometime!" he insisted. He made a face. "My older brother thinks it's 'gay' I like to belly dance, but I had a whole belly dancing and snake charmer routine I did a year ago for one of the galas, and it was so much fun!"
"I saw that!" Luna gasped. "You were so cool! I'd love to see you belly-dance!"
Dante lifted his drink as his words floated. "So would I."
Carlisle flushed in response when Dante's heavy hand settled on his thigh. Evil prince…
"There you are!" Nashi came in a two-piece casual dress with a slitted maxi dress and her hair wound up in a loose bun. She came to hug Luna. "I'm sorry, I'm here late." When Gale got up and moved over a seat, she settled beside her sister. "This looks amazing!" She waved to Carlisle and Dante. "Hey, you two! How are you guys?"
"Enjoying my cheat day," Carlisle told her with a grin. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you." Nashi smiled back, but her eyes pinned to his sunglasses. Dammit. I was hoping I'd get to see his eyes and figure out what's the deal with him. She stole some food off Luna's plate. When her little sister scowled, Nashi said in her defense, "What, I'm hungry!"
"Get your own food," Luna grumbled.
Nashi hummed her laughter before her hickories swung and softened on the dancing Tesla and Jaxton as the beat changed to a one-two-three-pop bachata beat with a sweet alto voice crooning wicked words.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Tú eres quién a mí me tiene loco (me tiene loco)
No importa el peligro, yo te quiero ver
No me importa quién me busque, contigo estaré
No me importa el que diga, que por ti ando loco
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Only a few breaths remained between Jaxton and Tesla with implicit trust following every sensual sway of their hips. They moved without either one being the dominant leader and follower. A partnership passed between them. At times, Jaxton let Tesla take the reins, and she teased him with a flirty pop of her leg that would wrap on his own. Other times, Tesla fell into Jaxton's twists and remained at his mercy like he was the robber as song caroled and she was his willing captive.
Diego had struck up the floor with one of the neighbor's daughters. Their closeness could not compare with the heat and sensuality between Jaxton and Tesla, but it was easy to see why Diego was named the "Bachata Bae" with how lucid he fell into the rhythm and acted as the perfect partner to such a carnal song to the blushing daughter. His murmured words in purred Sinnish fueled more red to her cheeks and even when she stumbled, he smoothly tugged her back into the beat.
"JJ is going to be so sorry he missed this," Nashi murmured. "And why can't I dance like that?"
"I'm wondering if I can," Luna said, a little nervous. She polished off her plate and set it aside, rubbing her arm. "Maybe I should sit out with you, Nashi."
"No…!" Carlisle whined. "You have to dance! I'm going to dance! Prince is going to dance!"
"Rhythm has no color, Goldie," Dante rumbled to her, soothing. "If Carlisle has faith you can dance to this, then so do I."
Luna swallowed. "U-Um…" Her breath was stolen when a tan-skinned young man approached her with a pearly-white grin and curly black hair. But those cattish greens of his made it impossible for her to look away. "Oh, um…" She offered a shy smile. "Hello."
"Hi," he greeted back, tone husky. "Tienes una sonrisa muy bonita. Your smile is beautiful."
"O-Oh…" Pink pinched Luna's cheeks (and Carlisle, Dante, and Nashi were properly amused while Gale grumpily finished his food). "Thank you."
He extended his hand to her. "Dance with me, beautiful?"
"I, um…" Luna looked gave a breathy, partially nervous laugh. "Okay." She took his hand and let him guide her to his feet, but she stutter-stepped when he kissed the back of her hand. She was too twisted in her bashfulness to notice the amused glint in his eye when he grinned at Gale.
Gale huffed and watched with hawk eyes as Luna and her mysterious partner took to the patio. "Why the Hell didn't you stop her?" he hissed at Nashi."
"Who, me?" Nashi sat back, crossing her legs. Tapping her chin, she drawled, "Why ever would I do such a thing? After all, she is single, and she deserves a nice guy, don't you think?"
The Wild flicked its tail, displeased and jealous, but it could not disavow her words. That thorn in Gale's side—the reminder of why Luna was available—deepened, but like a glutton for punishment, he watched as Luna nervously gave herself to her partner.
She watched the other pairings as her partner positioned her and her lips moved to count the steps. But her attention was stolen when her partner lifted her gaze to his. He took it at an exaggerated slow pace with her to help her find her footing. One-two-three-swivel. It took Luna an embarrassing four tries to understand until something clicked.
With a little more confidence, Luna matched her partner's movements and smiled when she learned the push-and-pull bachata entailed. She laughed at whatever he had said to her and nodded before she caught Tesla's grin and grinned back.
"That looks like fun!" Carlisle turned expectantly to Dante.
Dante did not look at him as he sipped his beer, but he said, "I don't think you're ready for me."
Carlisle rolled his eyes and tsked. "Fine." He pretended to scan the backyard. "I guess I could ask someone else to grind with me—Ack!" He did not expect Dante to get up nor how rough he would force him to his feet. "Mean, Prince!"
Dante chuckled and thumbed Carlisle's jaw. "I'm sorry." He rumbled silkily, "I forgot how delicate my princess is." When Carlisle flushed, Dante hit the nail in the coffin as he purred, "¿Quieres bailar conmigo, princesa?"
Carlisle tingled and found all those smart-alec words he had stashed up for the moment vanishing. "I-I…"
Dante gave him no choice when he guided Carlisle to the dance floor. Tesla cheered for the pair and laughed when Jaxton roughly brought her back to his front like he wanted her attention. Dante twirled Carlisle before they fell into step. Whatever Dante whispered into Carlisle's ear must have been loaded with filthy promises as Carlisle's ears burned red and he became a prisoner in the trap Dante set, nimble and submissive.
Gale tried to distract himself when the Wild prowled, growling with envy. "You're not going to dance?"
Nashi looked back at him with an arched eyebrow. "Is that an offer?"
"Nope."
Nashi laughed. "Whatever. I wasn't planning to dance and I'm stickin' with it." She missed with her Compact. "My dancing is best saved for bars and clubs where I'm surrounded by drunk strangers. Not for a family event."
"Fair." Rubies flicked back to Luna before they flickered away. "You've been killing it with all your interviews," he casually brought up. "And same with Gary." Admiration spawned his smile. "And rumor has it since someone is a Joseophile and pretty popular, you might be guest starring in that international J-Drama. I can't remember the name."
"The World Goes 'Round," Nashi told him, beaming. "Yeah. Now that I'm a big shot, Master had me contract with one of the social media managers for the guild. My promos for the series came out, and people are going crazy." She stole Luna's drink to take a few healthy sips and bounced her leg. "I'm pretty excited. Gary and I have to haul ass to Josea to shoot for five days for the episode."
"That's pretty great." Gale actively relaxed and avoided watching Luna swing with her partner. "You'll be getting all famous now. How do you feel?"
"Blown away," Nashi admitted, honest. "This feels so surreal to me. I thought everything would die down over a few months, but I keep getting asks for quotes and guest appearances and interviews… It's beyond insane." She nodded to Jaxton. "Jax is the one that keeps impressing me. He tries so hard to downplay himself in the guild and he'll be an actual superhero in that, um…" She snapped her fingers. "Shit, what was it?"
"The Horsemen versus the Absolutes," Gale supplied with a twitch of his lips. "It's crazy how all this is." He took a swig of his drink. "My old man told me shit like this wasn't all that common. They did interviews and modeling, sure, but it wasn't anything like this."
Nashi heaved a sigh. "I know." Hickories softened. "My mama never dreamed of meeting more Celestial Spirit Wizards. And now, she's on an education tour to help out with magical institutions and academies that have Spiritual Arts programs and Summoning Classes. She has Saint Layla's with Granny Anna. Even if the Heartfilia Clan is down to us, I remember how emotional it makes her when they rescue keys and keys choose their Summoner and get rehabilitated. That they have a choice. And that their Summoners understand their Celestial Spirits are people too."
Gale hummed, nodding. "She's out here doing the lord's work." Another sip and a thoughtful look. "I think I'll be TAing at Saint Layla's for the summer."
Nashi turned to Gale in intrigue. "Really?"
"Yeah." The more Gale mulled over the idea, the more the appeal came to him. "I'd be doing a lot with theory work and philosophy, which is my specialty. I just need to find closer housing. I could take the train all the way there or I could dual as an RA for the summer students, but…" He shrugged and then cocked his head when he caught Nashi silently snickering. "What's so funny?"
"Oh gods." Nashi could not erase the humor lighting her eyes. "Lu didn't tell you what she was doing this summer, did she?"
"No." Gale frowned. "What?"
"She's going to kill me but might as well play Devil's advocate since I'm a Devil's lover." Nashi crooked her finger for Gale to come closer. Once he did, she confessed, "Lu's going to do a summer semester at Saint Layla's to help with her Magic studies."
"Shut the front door." Gale's grin took over his face. "You're shitting me." Rubies bounced to Luna. "Why didn't she say anything?"
"Did you tell her about your TAing gig?" Nashi asked.
Gale shook his head. "No. Nothing was set in stone. It's my best option and I'd want to do it, but I didn't say anything since I'm still figuring out what address to put down and if I want to take the RA job for some extra cash." He tried to ask as casually as he could be, "So, uh… Where's your sister staying?"
Nashi mischievously grinned. "She's going to kill you."
"All I need to know." Gale set down his drink with his red gaze locked on Luna. But before he moved, he abruptly told Nashi, "I know I broke a lot of trust with the shit I did. Igneel would have pummeled me for acting this…horrible." He flexed his hands. "I'm still working out my issues. I want to work out my issues. Because no one around me deserves me acting like that—especially Blondie and especially me."
Dead serious ruby connected with somber hickory.
"I'm going to work to earn back what I lost," Gale promised to her. "And I might slip up. I can't promise I'll always do the right thing. But I promise I'm going to work hard to make less mistakes and figure out how to be better for my sake. And hopefully, the me you guys see in the future is someone you trust."
Nashi did not hide her approving smile. "I know," she murmured. "The fact that you're trying and you're doing everything you can to help yourself? That's pretty impressive, Gale. It's a good thing you're being hard on yourself." She laughed a little. "I know it's weird to say, but unless you put in the effort and keep yourself accountable, you just…fall back into the habits you wanted to get away from."
Something in her eyes sparkled. "I know what it's like to realize you need to take a step back and figure out who you are. I'm happy you're doing that." A beat. "And for what it's worth… Igneel might've been furious with you for a little while, but… He'd be proud you're learning about yourself."
"Yeah? You think so."
"Yeah, I really do." Nashi focused on her sister. "Igneel was a lot of things. He was cruel and horrible. He was depressed and mute. And then he hid everything underneath his smile. But everyone knew he couldn't hide how much he loved Luna or how much he cherished Mary Jane or how much he relied on Luke." She paused deliberately before meaningfully added, "And how much he respected you and trusted you enough to watch after Luna."
Gale let out a pathetic snort. "Yeah. Did a fine job of that."
"You made a mistake," Nashi said, never faltering. "And you're learning and trying and making an effort. Just…think about that." Her smile widened. "And go have some fun."
The Wild bowed, honored by this gift. His little moon's nestmate approved and it would take it with care and pride. Gale nodded. "Thanks, Nashi." He turned back to Luna as the bachata song blended into an old-school salsa mix that had the adults scrambling to show their children how it was done.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Quiero contarle mi hermano un pedacito de la historia negra
De la historia nuestra, caballero y dice así
Uh!
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
"Mind if I cut in?"
Luna and her partner looked to see Gale giving a firm look to the young man. He chuckled and said, "Lita no pensó que durarías una canción si bailaba con tu rubia." He kissed Luna's hand with a roguish twinkle in his eyes and a Cheshire grin. "Is it all right if he steals you from me for dance? You can always say, 'no'."
Luna tittered and slid a sly look to an expectant Gale. "I'll put him out of his misery for one song," she told her partner.
"I got it." He winked at her. "I hope you save me another dance." He mockingly bowed to Gale. "Su alteza."
Gale shot him a scowl. "Cierra el pico." He took Luna's hand and blocked her view as her previous partner strode away. "Taking pity on me, huh?"
"I'm not the one who looked like who looked like he was sulking," Luna teased. She went along as Gale spun her, but her breath caught when Gale caught her, one hand on her hip, the other holding her own hand, and their bodies close enough to make her blush.
Gale's words brushed against her ears. "Are you ready?"
Luna swallowed. "U-Um… Well, I'm not sure…"
"I'll guide you," Gale promised her. "I know you know how to salsa, Blondie-girl, no need to be nervous." He smiled. "You've got this."
"Right." Luna gave him a small smile. "Okay."
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
En los años mil seiscientos
Cuando el tirano mandó
Las calles de Cartagena
Aquella historia vivió
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Gale and Luna started in an easy back and forth in their paso mambo (three steps—fast-fast—and then a pause—slow—that went to the front then to the back) then went into their cruzamos (cross-step as they kept their mambo) and then went into a paso laterales vuelta derecha (lateral right turn). The moment the basic steps flowed through them both through the band sound, trust and confidence grew as Luna's shoulders loosened.
A game played between them, the initiation steps to a salsa. Faints and fakes as they twisted and turned. Gale followed Luna during their dancing tug-o-war before it ended in an open break and a dile que no ("tell him no"). He pulled her back to him, and they back into the basic rhythm. Their paso mambo spurned into an enchufla (a flamboyant change of position) and a dile que no and spun into a paso mambo.
Salsa was not just a dance you picked up in a wooden classroom. It was a way of life. It was expression and liberation. It was a coy and flirtatious game that spun a story before your very eyes through each and every step. With the pound of each beat and the thump of your heart, all those restrictions you placed on yourself muted and you focused on the way you and your partner entangled in this systematic rhythm in harmony.
Even at Nashi's insistence she did not want to dance, it did not matter when she had giggling women helping her from her seat. Diego took charge as he showed her the basics. Nashi laughed when she fumbled, but Tesla was spinning out from Jaxton and gave her words of encouragement. Adrienne and her neighbor did a free spin with smiles between them. Dante helped Carlisle cross into a barrel roll and let him wander before they went into a dile que no and Carlisle ducked his head and smiled into the chaste kiss his boyfriend gave him.
Icarus laid down on the grass as he watched the dancing humans. A sigh escaped him when his eyes went to Jaxton. After all this time… I never knew…
Býleistr darted over in his Cat Form to climb up onto Icarus' back and immediately knead. You're looking awfully pensive. Once he was satisfied, he laid down in a cat loaf on top of Icarus.
And you're awfully comfortable on my fur, Icarus thought, tone dry. Where were you?
Around, Býleistr replied in vague. Someone would like to speak to you.
Icarus' ears perked. Who?
I would. Muta plopped down from the fence in his Cat Form, all chunky and white fur. He sat before Icarus to show a gravity in those gray eyes. We need to talk.
Icarus looked down. You've returned as a Guardian, Extalian.
Muta's tail flicked. As have you. A sad understanding passed through Muta and Icarus. We need to talk. He glanced over his shoulder to account for Carlisle. Because I need your help. His eyes narrowed onto Jaxton. And you need mine.
Regardless of the distance sirens in the background, the city was alive with movement. Sunset had started to make a burnt orange crowd the sky and suck in the daylight blues. Streetlamps and lights automatically surged. Bistros and restaurants and cafes swarmed with hungry clientele in the mood to treat themselves. A skating rink was having a jam skate night with funky fresh music playing as everyone dressed in neon accents for the occasion. University students from a nearby city had made the trek down to the bars and clubs for not of uninhibited fun, drinks, and drugs you could not buy from any dealer. Night guards took their patrol along the docks with Lake Arethusa clear of ships.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Blühenhaven
Fiore, Ishgar
7:38 PM FST
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
A building meant for deconstruction had loose fences clamped around its borders. It was quite the tall-storied structure that had once rented floors to a dentist's office, a barrister's office, insurance agencies, and even psychological services and a small physician's office. But with the entire building foreclosed and the property brought, workers got a start on the electric work and plumping and mapped the schematics for deconstruction and reconstruction.
But tonight…
"Place your bets! Place your bets!"
Rapid-fire bets with wads of jewel were out as people clamored around the bullpen with eyes hungry for bloodshed. Musk and dirt and sweat filled up the room as they all watched the vrykolaka canine snap its jaws at the prowling hellhound. All it took was one moment for the two to go at it with claws digging in and fangs sinking down to tear into fur and muscles. Whimpers turned to snarls as the bitter taste of blood filled their mouths. The onlookers roared for a victor and hurried to counter bet against themselves or add onto their bet.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
« This is an underground Magimon fighting ring, illegal in all of Ishgar and most of the world. Many of these rings use Mute Lacrima to keep others from finding the noise and use several Surveillance Lacrima to scan for authorities or curious pedestrians. A Borderline keeps the magical creatures within the fighting ring and shocks them should they try to escape or attack the spectators. »
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
As the snapping and biting picked up, the vrykolaka had the clear advantage when its fangs found the Hellhound's neck and refused to be bucked off for its meal. The Hellhound whined and whimpered as it felt its own blood draining from its body. Paralysis set in and the Hellhound stumbled and fell to the ground. Rowdy shouts filled up the space as the fight was called. Two of the handlers came into the ring and the separation of both dogs was a violent affair. The bloodthirsty vrykolaka was forced into a wiry handle and the other handler forced on a muzzle. The vampiric canine bucked and snarled, but one injection of Anti-Ether made it spit blood and fumbled in its fury.
The unconscious Hellhound was tied up and dragged away with no remorse.
"All right, all right! End of the round!" the organizer of the event called for. "Take your bets, take your bets!"
Voices surged with jewel raised as they calculated the winnings and losses and determined how much to place—
"Is it too late for me to enter?"
The organizer—a skinny bald man—turned from all the commotion to check out the newcomer. The hooded cloak would have hidden the gender, but a slender hand branched out and held on to a chain. Attention was given to the juvenile Undumiho with its blur fur and blue gemstone. It showed its teeth as it rubbed its muzzle on its mistress' cloak as though staking its claim and warning off others.
The organizer jerked his chin. "Nice dog ya got there." Discreetly, he shifted his hand to his back and reached for the gun in his holster. "But this spot is closed to new blood, little girl. I'd ask you to leave nicely before you and your precious doggy get hurt."
"Really? But I have money." The newcomer produced a thick wad of jewel. "A lot of it. If you wouldn't mind…"
The organizer drawled loudly, "Look over here! Looks like a little girl wants to compete tonight." With attention swerving onto the newcomer in rightful suspicion and intrigue, the organizer gripped his gun and said, "Sorry, kid, but this is a closed fight. But as for the cash…" He whipped out his gun and turned off the safety.
WUH-CH!
Most of the spectators carried and did not hesitate to show their handguns loaded with bullets and pointed toward this intruder.
"You can hand it over," the organizer told her. "And you and your little doggy can walk away quietly like you saw nothing." He gestured with the gun. "So, hand it over now and be quiet."
"Oh… I… I understand." The newcomer tightened her hand on her leash and took a step back. "Can I…? Can I say one more thing? Please?"
The organizer hardened. "You want a bullet through that pretty head?"
"No. But if I'm going to die anyway…" A sly grin. "Into a man."
The organizer never knew how much pain water could give him. His eyes widened in disbelief when water had wrapped around his wrist so hard that he did not register his wrist snapped until seconds later when the sharp agony struck him.
"You."
Eyes clouded with pain and disbelief, the organizer looked into terrifying glowing blues. A young man dressed in black was the culprit of the organizer's anguish with his arm made of water into a tentacle. What the…? He choked when another tentacle of water jammed into his mouth to gag him.
Those blues swirled as the tentacles vibrated. "Don't threaten my mistress." With a grunt, he whirled the man up to hit the ceiling and retracted his water tentacle to let the organizer plummet onto the ground, unconscious.
Silence.
Some snapped out of their utter shock to snarl at the intruders. "Fucking Wizards!"
And the entire event started with a bang.
Silver brought up a water shield. The bullets socked it, but his hands clenched to fists to force the water to thicken. The bullets could drill into the shield, but all their energy was for naught when the thick water stopped them in their tracks. But the gunmen did not give up as they wailed away with fury clouding them.
"It seems we couldn't do it the peaceful way." Ena brought down her hood and pressed onto her Earpiece Communications Lacrima. "Mary Jane. You might have company sooner than you think."
"Send them my way. I'm about finished here."
"Good." Ena whirled her hands to wield Soledia and Lunagr'an. "Are you ready to find out how good I look being a dual wielder, you two?"
The moonstone on Lunagr'an and the sunstone of Soledia went crazy with their flashes.
Ena smiled. "Unnecessary force means less of a reward from the authorities, Silver."
"I'm sorry, Mistress, but he threatened you." Silver had nothing apologetic in his tone. "I thought it would be better to silence him."
Ena hummed. "Very well. But my personal reward to you hinges on your behavior tonight." She tightened her grip on her swords. "Don't disappoint me."
Silver nodded with his predatory blues on the enemies before them. "Yes, Mistress." He whirled his hands and crushed his hands before he flung them out. The water bubbled and boiled together until it snapped like a band and the bullets it had harvested burst back into the room.
The people in the room screamed as shots rang around. None could keep their attention on the intruders when the bullets they trusted to kill the intruders turned against them and speared through flush. One rugged man growled when a bullet shot through his shoulder, but he had no time to think when he was kicked in the face and buckled onto the ground. Bloodied and out-of-it, he tried to glower at his attacker.
"I'd stay down if I were you," Ena warned him. "Wouldn't want me to get rough with you."
He spat and smirked. "Yeah, that's right. A Wizard killing off a bunch of defenseless people. Go ahead, Magi."
Ena frowned, something in her eyes darkening. "That was rude."
GA-GA-GA-GA-GA-GA!
Ena did not flinch as bullets aimed for her and bounced off. She looked to her right to see the gunmen looking at her unharmed appearance in horror. "You thought bullets would stop me?"
"Shit!" one of them shrieked, dropping their gun. "We…! We gotta get out of here—!" He yelped when Ena flashed forward with her blades were beneath her chin.
The other gunmen were shocked to see their handguns had their barrels slashed.
Ena hissed quietly, "I suggest you think before you shoot next time." She reeled back before she swung her swords.
Silver controlled where his escapees went with fear in their eyes from the tidal waves he waterboarded them with. They screamed as waves sloshed down the hallways, collapsing onto them, drowning them, before shoving them further and further. His water tentacles whipped around to grab onto those who tried to derail from the path and threw them forward. Once he recognized Ena had divided and conquered, forcing their groups towards the steps, he pulled back a tentacle into his arm and pressed his earpiece.
"Mary Jane," he grunted, "they're coming."
"Don't worry."
°•°•°•°
The entire lobby had been cleared of furniture with bundles of cords and trash that remained of what used to be a luxurious reception era. The two sets of front doors and the revolving door had been stained in the meantime and would soon be removed before the tearing down commenced.
"I'm ready." Mary Jane's hand lowered as her cerulean aura charged around her and coveted both her eyes. She floated with her power creating a subtle draft to bluster around her hair. She took a deep breath as she curled a hand around her acorn button. Give me strength, Igneel.
A subtle heat pulsed through the acorn button.
The urgent sounds of footsteps alert Mary Jane and she swirled cerulean energy into spheres levitating on her palms. Okay. Here we go.
The second the doors opened, she waited a moment to make sure the culprits were scurrying out and made her move. Cerulean shot out from the spheres to bar the culprits from going any further into a blue prison like she had done to the Forestverns. She could feel their frantic attempts to escape, but she had airtight control and refused to let them be. She risked a hand to touch her earpiece and called, "The trap's set. All you need to do—"
°•°•°•°
"Is shove them in!"
Ena kicked down the door and stormed into the lobby with her swords and did not need to look to see Silver had joined her from the other side with his water tentacles ready. She whirled her swords around. "Ready to finish this?"
"Yes, Mistress." Silver shot her a hopeful smile. "Have I been good enough for a reward?"
"Hmm." Ena lifted her sword the split second a bullet came for her, and it ricocheted, but she turned to Silver with a gleam in her eye. "Finish this quickly and you will be."
Silver looked at his targets as his blues glowed. "Yes, Mistress." He swirled his water—
THUCK!
Silver reacted before he could think.
Water sloshed into a terrifying protective dome and gained the thickness of jelly, but it was not enough. The arrow cut through the thick water, but Ena's blade caught the tail. It curved into the ground before falling limp.
"An arrow?" Ena stooped down and inspected the sleek arrow. "An archer?" She set down Lunagr'an to touch—
"Don't touch it." Silver put a hand on Ena's arm to stop her. His lips parted and nostrils flared as he leaned in close to the arrow. His nose tingled and a strange yet refreshing scent stung him. A scent he knew well. A scent that pumped his blood with hatred and anger. "It's Anti-Ether."
Ena scowled. "Hunters." She stood up and looked at the door the arrow had crashed through. Why would Hunters come here? Unless…
She touched her earpiece. "Mary Jane, we have a situation," she reported. "You and Silver will need to handle the culprits. I have—"
"No." Silver drew to his height with glare thrown at her. "You'll stay here." Glowing blues furiously looked at the shattered hold in one of the glass doors. "I can handle this."
"Silver—!" Ena was too late and snarled when Silver swept away with his water. "Dammit!"
"What's going on?" Mary Jane called worriedly. "What happened?"
Ena growled as bullets blew past her. She angrily touched her earpiece. "Change of plans." She faced the gunmen with Magic gleaming in her eyes. "Silver has someone to take care of. Let's finish this quickly." She summoned Lunagr'an to her hand. "He'll need backup."
She readied her swords. I'll deal with his insubordination later. Soledia. Lunagr'an. Just as we rehearsed. Don't make them bleed. Her eyes flared with Magic. But make them hurt.
Her blades hummed.
Ena sprinted through the bullets as her powers synched with her blades. When her weapons struck the culprits, most had that momentarily flash of fear that ferocious metal would slice into their skin and draw blood. That fear paralyzed them, and they were too panicked to realize all their anxiety was for nothing.
Ena rounded onto another one as her knee came up to his groin before she turned slammed her sword down on his back. Enchanting my swords to have the property of wood was the right call. She used her blades to bust the knees of another attacker and flipped him over, stepping on his chest to make sure he was out of breath and down for the count. She glanced towards the doors Silver exited. But something doesn't feel right.
°•°•°•°
Silver burst out of the building with his canines aching and his water simmering with rage. He glanced around the construction site and took in the abandoned machines and dumpster and slats, but when a breeze tickled his nose, he looked up at the parking garage across the street.
HYU…
A masked and slender person stood atop the parking garage with their ponytail billowing in the wind. A bow was in their hand with a quiver on their backs, but the rising moon did no favors to show their face.
Silver snarled. Hunter. His tentacles lashed out. He gripped the top of the fence and slingshot himself upwards. His tentacles clamored as extensions of himself. He might have dangled against the side of the parking garage, but he preserved in a furious climb to get to the top. He vaulted over the edge with his tentacles ready to defend him.
A smirk. "So. This is what all that fuss was about in Margaret."
Silver's body coiled as he glowered at the two people atop the parking garage. The archer kept their distance with their slim figure balancing on top of a car that had seen better days. But the one who spoke had cleared features. Broad-shouldered, broad-chested, dark-skinned; his glasses were noticeable and the gap in his teeth when he smiled.
Silver already hated that smile. "Who are you?" he spat. "I can smell the Anti-Ether on you."
"Oh-ho. So, we have ourselves a huntin' dog," the man appraised, tone casual like he was making conversation over the news of the day. "You know, when that Cowboy asked for us to spare a few Hunters for her cause, I thought she was full of it." He crossed his arms. "But I guess li'l Caeryssa was right in the end."
The name sent a plethora of emotions down Silver's chest. The tormented pain, the fear, and the hatred. "So, you're working with her," he snarled. His tentacles whipped around with War in his eyes.
"Oh, we don't work for Cowboys," the man clarified. "Cowboys come to us for a contract. If the pay is good, we'll take it. If it's not, we don't. Simple as that."
"And your 'contract' involved hurting innocent people?" Silver snapped. The hatred sent his head into a blood haze. "Tormenting them? Shooting them—?"
"Wait a minute, wait a minute," the man interjected with a wave of his hands. "We're not all sadists here. But a job is a job. If it comes with torture, then it comes with torture. Point is, we abide by the contract we're given down to the letter." He brought out a little remote in his pocket and pretended to inspect it. "You see… We're not that much different from you Wizards. We take on jobs to pay the bills. Nothing personal about it. It is what it is. A man has to eat and all that."
Blood pounded in Silver's ears. "So you kidnapped my brother to pay bills? You tormented him for three years so you could eat?"
"Hunters might've captured the Devil, but you'll want to ask the Doctor for details on the Devil's time with him," the man said. "It's nothing personal about what we do. We take the jobs no one wants and turn them into profit. The same thing as you."
"You are nothing like me!" Silver snarled. Something inside him shifted, prowling, and demanding the first drop of blood.
"No, you're not." The man smiled. "But your sister is."
Those words unfastened some of Silver's anger for a moment in exchange for stunned bewilderment. But it disarmed him for a moment before his ire came back at full force. "Don't talk about my sister," he snapped. "She's not a monster!" He rushed his tentacles forward—
THUCK!
Silver growled when the twin arrows bombed his tentacles and shattered half of his constructs. He pulled back the remainders of his water tentacles as he waited for another opportunity. But one eye wandered to the archer, who aimed another arrow at him. A loaded snarl rumbled in his throat, and he showed his teeth.
"Don't mind Drawback," the man assured. "They're harmless as long as you don't do anything stupid. You see, loyalty makes people do things in this world, Prince of the Sea. But you'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" His glasses glinted. "Since you nearly killed the two men who attacked the person you're loyal to."
Silver snapped his teeth. "I don't have to listen to this—!"
"It felt good, didn't it?" the man cajoled. "When you saw your little woman all broken and bloodied, you took out the threat. And you never regretted the way you tormented them. You didn't care that you'd boiled their insides to make their flesh bubble up. You didn't care what sort of monster you'd become. All you cared about was that you had a power that could save someone you loved."
The words stroked close to home and the building blocks of Silver's wrath chipped for fear and confusion. "Shut up!"
The man chuckled, shaking his head, like this whole thing—this whole one-sided casual conversation—was something that tickled his fancy. "You and your sister really are the same. You don't care what sort of monsters you become. You have tunnel vision with your loyalty—"
"She's not like you!" Silver roared. "She would never become a monster like you! Not for anything!"
"Did you know they planned to breed the Devil?"
Silver froze. Anger crashed for confusion then nauseous horror. "What?" He shook his head as he shored up his rage. "You're lying—!"
"They had a lifelong plan for the Devil," the man continued like Silver had not spoken. "Since the Winter Devil is last born of his kind, the good Doctor wanted to preserve it. His assistants gave incentive for investors to raise incubators for the next Winter Devil. But when it was confirmed that Devil took on a mate, they struck a whole new plan." He emphasized his words without an ounce of pleasure, "They'd simply repeatedly breed the Devil and his mate by force."
A dizzying sickness rattled Silver so much so that his tentacles withdrew into his arms. The glow in his eyes and the rumble in his chest died in place of overwhelming fear and terror. "N-No… No, no, they… They wouldn't do that. No, they…" His stomach constricted at the mere thought of such an atrocious act. "No…"
The man lifted his chin, his face now unreadable, a cold trade-off from the casual air he exuded moments before. "You don't know the first thing about how this world works." Tone lethal, blunt, scarring. "Children like you piss me off. You walk on this earth, but you don't even know what happens below it. You don't know the first thing about loyalty or pain. You barely even know how to wipe your ass. But your sister knows everything about loyalty and pain. I know loyalty and pain. And if you want to keep that little woman of yours safe, you better figure out those two themes with the power you have."
A daze hit Silver. They'd… They would do that to Gary and Nashi… No… No, they…they couldn't.
"Caeryssa will come for you," the man told him. "You keep dicking around with that power inside you and you won't stand a chance when she comes for you again. This isn't a warning. This is a threat. When she gets confirmation she got what she needed from you, she'll make sure she brings you with her to make good money. Stop being a prince. Start being a king."
Silver could barely think between the doozy of information fed to him. "Why…?" He could barely get out his voice. "Why are you telling me this?"
"I have a job to do." The man thumbed the remote. "Tell your little woman she's being watched. And tell Nightingale"—his thumb paused over a button on the remote—"she owes a debt to the Colonel."
BEEP!
DOKAN!
Wind slapped Silver's back as glass shattered. A flare of uncontrolled orange and yellow flashed, but the warning glow stuck around. It took Silver a moment to understand what had happened. He did not move until a minute later and turned to face the fuming building snarling flames and embers. Fire leaked and dripped with broken glass and falling debris. Those flames burned into blues like the flames wanted to imprint their sheer power and dominance.
It was not the sirens that broke him out of his trance.
"No!"
Silver jolted. Ena. His arms wavered into his water tentacles as he vaulted off the parking garage with utter dread and panicked mashing on his face and churning around his heart. Ena! Ena!
Blood splotched onto grass. Red hair gnarled. Pale skin bruised and cut.
The adrenaline fueling Silver made him uncaring as he closed in on the flames and ignored all the danger. He could not help it. His mind scattered, and he could not control his terror. "Ena!" he shouted. "Ena—!"
"Silver!"
He bolted, but he did not have to head inside. He did a half-lap around the burning building with the adrenaline not letting him relax for a moment even when he saw Ena. Her hands were out as her Magic Aura glowed around her body and her eyes. Her jaw locked with her bangs matted, the fumes puffing close to her.
Mary Jane had gathered their original targets with cerulean cuffs barring their ankles and wrists, but she looked upon the flames in fright. Oh, no…
"Silver!" Ena winced, her right eyes closing as a headache pounded against her skull. "Silver! I can make the entire building fireproof, but I don't have much time—Nnngh!" Blood dripped from her nose, and she had no time to wipe it off. "Put out the fire!" she commanded.
Silver's head jerked. "R-Right." He fought off his trembling as he took a moment to feel out for sources of water. There are a few fire hydrants close by. They should be enough for the fire.
His eyes glowed as he roared, and the hydrants burst from the pressurized gushes. With a deep exhale, he controlled each stream and clumped them together in a churning water sphere. His arms moved like slow rotating windmills as he guided the water forward and divided them into equal masses to divide and conquer. The snarling flames stood no chance against waves of water smothering the entire floor. The toxic steam puttered in exchange for clouds of humidity and dying embers. The dramatic oranges and reds panting from the shattered glasses gave up the fight. And for good measure, Silver crushed the remaining water into scattered showers across the charred sections of the building to kill even the tiniest flame.
Once finished, Silver unwound himself and gathered his Magic back into his chest—
"Nnngh!"
Mary Jane had caught a staggering and coughing Ena with blatant fear on her face. "Ena!"
"Ena!" Silver sped over with heavy concern and fright when he took in her fragile state. "Ena…" He saw she was gripping her shoulder and his concern worsened. "You're hurt." He moved for her hand.
Ena coughed. "N-No, don't—!"
But it was too late when Silver pried her hand away to inspect the wound. It was a minor cut that went through her clothes and drew a little blood. But when he instinctively sniffed the wound, his stomach dropped and anger twisted in his mind. "The arrow," he gnashed. "It was when that arrow came. It nicked you. That's why you're weak."
"I'm fine," Ena gritted with a cough.
"'Arrow'?" Mary Jane repeated, confused. "They had an archer?"
Ena shivered from the pain. "I-It's nothing—"
"It was a Hunter's arrow," Silver spoke overtop her to explain to Mary Jane. "The arrowhead was made of Anti-Ether or dipped into it. It pierced through my barrier when I tried to protect us." His teeth gritted. "And it still hit her."
That thoroughly spooked Mary Jane. "A Hunter was here?" Fear rooted her heart and she sustained a fretting expression. "Ena, we need to get you to a hospital for the injury—"
"I'm fine," Ena stressed as her face contorted. She tried to school her features, but the draining sensation from her superficial wound made it almost impossible to maintain composure. "Th-The animals…"
"I had finished up before the other guys came down," Mary Jane quickly reported. "It took some convincing, but I got the remaining animals they were stashing into cages. And I made sure to call. A few Tamers have been dispatched and the Guard will be here any minute for the criminals, but Ena—"
"G-G-G-Good." Ena's teeth chattered as she struggled to get to her feet. "We'll have to stay for debriefing—"
"Mistress."
Angry, Ena pressed her lips together.
Mary Jane watched as Silver pulled Ena from her arms and into his own. He gathered Ena in a bridal carry and picked her up, curling her into him. "Silver…"
"Mary Jane," Silver softly cut in, "I'm sorry to ask this of you, but my mistress is hurt. Do you think you're able to give the Guard the oral report and give them our information if they need our reports too? And has the client been contacted that we found their pet?"
"I, um…" Mary Jane swallowed and tried to tamp down her distress seeing Ena sweat and writhe. "Y-Y-Yeah, yeah, I… I called the…the client. Once I'm finished here, I'll personally deliver their pet to them."
"Thank you." Silver kept his eyes on Ena. "I can take care of her from here. Don't worry. She'll be safe with me."
Ena tried to weakly protest, panting, "I'm… I'm fine… It just scratched me." She groaned and turned to Mary Jane. "I can stay. W-We were supposed to talk—"
"We'll talk another time," Mary Jane soothingly promised. She came closer to Ena and took her hand, squeezing it. "Right now, you need to rest." She could see the arguments rise within Ena and reminded in kind, "You'd make Luna upset if she found out about this."
Ena hesitated. "Well…" She swallowed, shoulders sagging. "I don't want to upset her." She quickly followed with, "But you shouldn't do all this alone—"
"Ena," Mary Jane laughed, "we've all been doing this since we were ten. Don't worry. Besides, you're designing me a killer battle outfit in time for Inter-Guild." She smiled. "This is just a small repayment towards that. Go with Silver. Get some rest." She added meaningfully, "Let him take care of you, Ena. Because he will."
A vulnerable moment passed between dark chocolate and scarlet-cerulean.
"Okay." A soft acquiescence. Ena rested her head against Silver with a deep exhale and her eyes fluttered closed. She squeezed Mary Jane's fingers. "Thank you, Mary Jane. We'll… We'll talk later."
"Of course." Mary Jane released Ena with a gentle tug before she looked at Silver. She did not need to say the words, but she felt compelled to. "Please take care of her."
"I will. I'll take care of her. For all time." Genuine mayan blues connected with gentle scarlet-cerulean. "Always." He nodded. "Let me know when you get home. Thanks, Mary Jane." He turned away…
But Mary Jane did not miss the warring love and aching in those blues. She watched as Silver conjured a small cyclone and jetted away. Sirens and howling dogs clawed through the air, but she ignored it. She could only cement the way Silver looked at Ena and the way Ena did not notice. I wonder… Igneel…
Silver blustered down the street with a faint Ena curled into him and those blues tormented with worry and adoration. "Don't worry, Mistress." He nuzzled his nose to her temple. "I'll take care of you."
He lifted his head and something dark poisoned those blues, cruel and callous. And I'll remember that Hunter's message and find out the truth. He tightened his hold on Ena.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
'…did you ever look at me the same way Silver looks at her?'
— • — • — • —
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Fairy Adventure
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Even with the stars in the sky, the night was young, and no one was ready to leave. More beers were brought out from the cooler and more agua de Valencia was made for the occasion. The bonfire on the deck had been pitched where the elders gathered. Springtime in Fiore offered decent nighttime temperatures, but a few had brought out their shawls to share as they gossiped. The music was still pumping with Oye Mi Canto blasting and had those ready to dance swinging their hips. The little ones had retired into the basement to check out the pool table and LV as they played Just Move.
Minh and Bachram had come just in time and were eating on the three-tiered cake made for Dante and Carlisle while they spoke to the uncles and aunts over some idle chitchat. Adrienne played dutiful hostess and checked in with her sister, who looked a little weepy. Diego rubbed his head with a rueful laugh when his great aunt scolded him for not wanting to chat up with one of the neighbor's daughters.
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Greer Residence
Bougainvillea Township
Fiore, Ishgar
8:34 PM FST
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The driveway had become the hangout for some of the teenagers with introductions being made around for the cousins and neighborhood kids who had come over for the Pachanga. Jaxton and Dante had gotten out the portable bonfire and pitched the flames. Chelitas passed around and once the ice was broken, exaggerated stories were played out as the newcomers quickly warmed up to the others and found out they had more in common than they thought. Tesla and Carlisle had no issue crawling all over their partners while Luna and Gale had taken the swing bench with Gale's arm along the back of it.
"I can't believe you turned down a future viscount and you once turned down the daughter of a duke," one of the cousins gaped at Carlisle. "I wouldn't have the strength."
Carlisle laughed as he fed Dante more cake. "I know it sounds weird. But I just couldn't say, 'yes'. People in power aren't my thing." He smiled sweetly at Dante. "But if Prince was an actual prince, I'd reconsider."
"You just say that so you hope I spoil you," Dante murmured. "Which, if I was a prince, no, I wouldn't."
Carlisle pouted, "Rude Prince."
A neighborhood teen snickered. "No need to be so cold to your fiancé, Prince. Lita already gave you a warning about treating him right. You might scare him off with that mean personality."
Dante raised an eyebrow as he lifted his water. "I'm not mean to him." When Carlisle squeaked, Dante added, "And if I am mean to him…" He feathered Carlisle's choker, eyes half-mast as Carlisle blushed. "He likes it."
Laughter rang around the group as Carlisle ducked his head, embarrassed, while Dante sipped his water.
Gale shifted and murmured into Luna's ear, "I'm going to get some water. You want anything?" He grinned. "Still hungry?"
"Jerk." Luna playfully shoved him away. "I'm fine, thanks. Go." She giggled when he stubbornly stayed rooted in his seat, and she shoved him again. "Go…!"
Gale snickered, but he got up and moved out of the circle to head back into the house.
One of the cousins closest to Luna turned to her and asked in a whisper, "So what's going on with you and that asshole you're sitting next to?"
Luna simpered. "Nothing really. We're just friends." She caught the unconvinced flat look and laughed even more. "Seriously." She shrugged. "We're friends. That's all we need to be."
An impish glint entered the cousin's eyes. "Oh, really?" She crossed her legs and crooked her finger for Luna to lean in. "I know you might say that, but I'm pretty sure the reason he turned down every girl here."
Luna's eyebrows shot up. "What?"
The cousin bit her lip to stop her grin from growing and nodded. "Mmm-hmm." She pointed to one of the neighborhood girls with her sunglasses tucked into her hair and a buttoned star-spangled crop top. "See her? That's Marisol. She lives down the block—whole thing with her stepbrother"—she shot Luna a look—"but I'm not about to get into that. Anyway. She was all over Gale during a party we went to in Grand Bronc." She rolled her eyes. "She puts the 'whore' in horrifying. Seriously. Watching her try to grind on Gale was so sad, but it was so satisfying watching him walk away."
Luna covered her smile behind a hand. "I'm sure."
"Oh! And see her?" The cousin pointed to a thicker girl with her wavy hair a natural honeyed brunette and she streaked it with dim blonde. "Do—her name's Dorinda, but we all call her 'Do'—had a major crush on Gale." She groaned. "Whole thing was a nightmare. We went to this club, right? And Do got all fancy because she wanted Gale's attention, like, with cleavage and heels and make-up—everything. Well." She paused for dramatic effect. "Thank god Tesla was being DDM because I remember her dragging Do's ass out from the back. She cornered Gale while he was outside and pretty much stooped to begging for a…"
Luna's brow furrowed when the cousin made a motion with her hand and cheek that she did not follow. "What's that?"
"What…? Well, that's a…" The cousin's eyes widened before pouting endearingly. "Ay dios mío, you're so innocent."
Luna flushed. "I'm not that innocent."
"Well, I'm not about to expose you to some certain things. Oh. I'm Catalina, by the way," she introduced. "You can call me 'Lina' since I hate my name."
"I'm Luna. I'm okay with being called 'Luna'."
They shared smiles and a little laughter.
Lina continued her tale: "So, anyway, after that, Tesla looked ready to cut Do. They only chilled out because Gale asked Tesla to calm down." She shook her head before she pointed to a beautiful tan-skinned girl with jaw-length brunette hair and bright blue eyes. "That's Gloria, but we all call her Riri." She waved her hand. "It's a whole thing. Long story short, we all went to the beach for a party. Riri can't drink for shit, so she fakes it most of the time. She's faking being all tipsy towards Gale and tried to, um…touch him."
Lina's shoulders shook as she laughed. "Ooo, you should've seen Riri's face when Gale suddenly got up and nailed her jaw with his thigh."
"He didn't!" Luna gasped. "That's mean!"
Lina waved it off. "I mean, he apologized and Riri kept up faking being drunk, but I personally think he was fine. She played a stupid game and got a stupid prize." She shivered. "Ugh. These brujas are vicious, mean, and bony." She smirked and nodded to Dante and Jaxton. "But they don't touch those two." She snorted. "Well, they talk about how they probably have monster cah, ah-ha…" She trailed off under Luna's curious look. "Well, they spark a lot of gossip around them, but they're too intimidating for anyone to approach."
Luna smiled as she observed Carlisle snuggling into Dante and Jaxton absently rubbing Tesla's leg while she excited squealed over something with her friends. "And they're both in love."
"That helps too," Lina jested. "I wish my boyfriend could've come tonight. He's a whitey-white boy who went to flavor school." She smiled as she thought of him. "He had some important stuff to do tonight, but he would've been here."
"He sounds nice." Luna's cheeks pinkened slightly when she found those green eyes studying her in open interest, curiosity, and amusement. "And, um…" She subtly pointed. "Wh-Who's he?"
Lina pitched up an eyebrow in the direction of the young man and popped him a middle finger. He mimed putting it in his pocket, and she remained unimpressed. "Ignore Romero. It's in your best interest." She shipped her chelita. "It's not like he's a bad person, but, well, you know…" She made a vague gesture.
Luna did not understand, aiming a confused smile. "'Know' what?"
"Well." Lina took another swig. "Look. I love Romero. I mean, I have to because, you know, él es mi familia y lo que sea. But I know for a fact he's thinking with the head down there and not his brain."
Question marks went around Luna. "What?"
¡Ay dios, es tan linda! Lina slowly explained, "He's thinking of making out and sex and not thinking of nicer and more innocent things."
"O-Oh!" More pink tackled Luna's cheeks. "Th-That's, um…" She glanced at Romero before hurriedly reaching for her drink and taking a large gulp.
Lina chortled witnessing Luna's abashment. "You're too cute. I can see why Gale's been hiding you," she said good-naturedly. "You're so innocent. It's honestly refreshing considering—and no offense to my cousins—everyone here does some thot shit. Even Tesla, but we all know it's a show for her boyfriend." She bobbed her head to the side with a shoulder-up-and-down sigh. "I wish I hadn't gone down the rabbit hole when I was younger," she confessed. "It sort of ruins things and corrupts you, y'know? I'm sure Gale doesn't have to worry about you guys going into all that territory."
Luna slowly pulled her drink down. "What do you mean?"
"It's just…" Lina shrugged again. "I don't know. It's, like…normal for thot shit to happen pretty young here. I'm not shaming anyone or hyping it up or anything like that. I lost my V young." She nodded to Tesla, who got up after a whisper to Jaxton and sashayed back to the house. "So did Tess and a few others. It was like the 'cool'"—she rolled her eyes as she air-quoted—"thing to do for some of us, I guess. Not exactly something I'd repeat. But that's why it's so nice you're keeping it together and not constantly thinking about this shit."
"Lina!" one of the cousins hollered. "Come on, we're playing!"
"Sure!" Lina nudged Luna. "I'll be back." And she got up to strut away.
Luna stared into her drink. A musing frown tampered with her once sunny smile and her brown regard dampened into something negative. But… Gale already had sex, right? A discomfort weighed her down. Would he…want that again? Her stomach constricted as the air felt thinner. We're friends, she told herself to calm down. It doesn't matter.
But a disturbing thought whispered her dark fears. But what if I never want it? What if whoever I'm with wants someone more mature? What do I do? Her breath quickened. What if I never want to? Gale already did. What if he wants that from me? A prickling hit her eyes, and she gripped her cup.
Pup. Icarus cantered over in his Dog Form to whine and place his muzzle onto her lap. Pup, I can feel your rising panic. Now feel my soothes.
Luna's eyes fluttered under the fluffy comfort and ease Icarus slowly fed in their connection, but her creeping dread and dark terror kept a solid grip on her. Shakily, she reached out to pet Icarus' head and ground herself. Thank you, she whispered to him, ashamed. I'm sorry—
No need for sorries, Icarus shushed her. I am here, Pup.
"I brought el agua." Gale came back with a smile on his face. "Sorry for taking so long. I got roped into…" His brow furrowed when he tasted thick fear and anxiety. "Hey…" He sat on the bench to get a look at Luna, but she turned her head away from him. "What's wrong, Blondie?"
"It's nothing," Luna pushed out in a thick tone. She bucked up and faced him with a weak smile. "I'm fine."
Gale's brow furrowed. "Blondie, hey." He set down their waters to try and cup her cheek, but when Luna kept turning him away, the worry heavied his heart. "What's going on?"
"It's nothing," Luna repeated in her attempt for a bright tone. She tried to hide her shaking fingers and gave her cup an iron grip. I'm just panicking for no reason like normal. Her eyes stung. I thought I was over this. Why aren't I over this?
Heartbreak struck Icarus. Pup…
Luna made sure her cheeks were clear and dry before she chirped to Gale, "Sorry. Guess I'm just tired, um… Maybe it's time for me to go home."
"Oh. Sure." Gale nodded. "Let me say some goodbyes—"
"Oh, no, it's fine." Luna hoped her wider smile did not look like she was breaking. "You should stay and have fun," she insisted. "I can go home on Icarus." She fumbled in getting up and tried not to meet Gale's eyes. "I j-just, um, need to throw this out—" Her words hitched and wobbled, and the desperate need to get out get out get out hit her hard.
"Blondie." Gale stood up with her and shielded her from curious eyes. "Are you—?"
"I'm fine," Luna stressed, trying not to snap. The panic hit her throat and the food in her stomach churned. A hysterical laugh bubbled out. "I just need to throw this out and I'll head out. Really." She wanted to reach up and touch her, but she fought against the urge. "B-B-But you have fun—"
Gale refused to budge, alarmed. "Blondie—"
"Whoopsie!" Carlisle slipped to Luna's side. "Sorry to interrupt this, but I totally forgot that Beauty left something in Prince's truck." He dangled Dante's keys before Gale before snapping them up again. "And I need to get something from the truck, so this is the perfect time for it, right, Beauty?"
Gale growled at Carlisle. "You—"
"Carlisle's right," Luna blurted. "I-I forgot something in the truck," She handed Gale her drink with a harried smile. "I'll, um, go get it with Carlisle. I promise I'll say goodbye before I leave, okay?"
"But Blondie—"
"And we're walking," Carlisle said as he guided Luna away. "And we're walking." He tucked Luna under his arm and put his sunglasses in his hair once the laughter and conversation did not seem as intoxicating. "We can just sit in the truck, okay? I've got you, Beauty."
Luna's shoulders shook as she sniffled. She choked out a wet, "I'm sorry—"
"Shh, sh-sh-shh," Carlisle shushed her. "Don't worry about it, okay?" He rubbed her arm. "You don't even have to explain until you're ready to." He unlocked Dante's truck and helped Luna get in first before he got onto the bench and shut the door. He tucked her under his chin when she collapsed and heaved into his chest. "Some hurts never go away," he murmured to her. "And sometimes, those hurts hit you when you least expect it."
Luna sniffled and rubbed her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she whimpered. "I thought I was over th-th-this—" She sucked in a breath and hiccupped. It always felt like the most apocalyptic sort of embarrassment when no matter how hard you tried, tears spilled over uncontrollably and no amount of rubbing away made them disappear. All the internalized guilt and shame burst out from a volatile gush of emotion that you could not stop.
Carlisle held Luna as tight as he could. "Sometimes, all that hurt that scars over gets cut again from something random," he told her. "And it's a different type of hurt from what hurt you before, but it still hurts all the same." Sea greens freckled in violet tinged with grief. "It's not easy getting hurt again. It might feel embarrassing. Things that happened so long ago and you told yourself you worked through it… Sometimes, your mind has to reprocess things from another direction. It's not fun. But our minds really are our worst enemies."
Luna hiccupped again before she sniveled. "I-I feel stupid," she lamented. "I'm ruining things—"
"You're not ruining anything," Carlisle assured her. "If anything, you made things so much better at the party getting your Beast all jealous with a new Gaston." He smiled when Luna shakily and breathily laughed. "You should've seen him whenever you danced with Romero. He was slowly losing it."
Luna sniffed and laughed, relaxing in Carlisle's hug. "I'm sure." Her mirth faded. "But… But it doesn't matter, Carlisle. We're friends." And that fear that had set her on edge came back to bite her. "And I'm not exactly, y'know…his type."
Carlisle frowned. "Beauty, I think the only type he has is beautiful inside and out which is, AKA, you." He reached into the glove compartment to pull out some tissues from the packet inside and offered a few to Luna. He coveted one to help blot her face.
"Thank you," Luna mumbled.
"Of course, Beauty," Carlisle told her. "I understand you two are friends. But why would you say you're not his type?"
Luna sniffed and looked down. "You're going to think I'm stupid."
"I won't," Carlisle soothed. "And what we say in this truck stays in this truck."
Luna bobbed her head and blew her nose into a tissue before wiping it. After a shaky inhale and exhale, she confessed haltingly to Carlisle with a roll of her eyes, "It's just… I know people have already done…things. Like…" She sniffed again and rubbed her cheek. "Like more than kissing. And I just…" She shook her head. "I'm sorry, never mind—"
"Luna," Carlisle urged softly.
Luna picked at her tissues when her nose crinkled as she sniffed. "I don't want that," she confided to Carlisle. "But other people do, and I don't, and I just start panicking that maybe that's what Gale wants and what if he does want it, Carlisle, what am I—?" She heaved another shaky breath. "All of you guys are so…mature. And I'm…I'm not because I'm not thinking about all that other stuff—"
"That's not it at all," Carlisle soothed. "What made you think that?"
"Well…" Luna rubbed her nose. "I-It's just… Hearing how all those girls were with Gale and other stuff." She forced a shrug. "I'm not like that—"
"And that's a good thing," Carlisle insisted. "It's a good thing you're not like that."
Luna flicked her teary gaze to him. "Why?"
"Oh, Beauty…" Carlisle rubbed down Luna's arms until he took her hands into his. He took a moment to gather careful and caring words. "What people fail to understand when it comes to maturity," he started, "is that there are no concrete milestones. Maybe your environment might coerce those milestones like when you get your license or get married or have kids, but those aren't actual milestones you have to conquer to live your life."
He squeezed her hands as the past combatted with the present in his eyes. "But I used to think there were," he confessed.
Curiosity framed Luna's gaze. "Really?"
Carlisle nodded with a sad smile. "Yes." A heavy exhale. "I didn't understand that love didn't come with a set timer on things at the time. I just…wanted to be loved and I thought if I did things right then maybe I could feel that sort of real, eternal love and never be lonely again." A dark haunting crossed his eyes. "I'm sorry. You don't want to hear this when I should be cheering you up—"
"No." Luna nodded at him gently. "It's okay."
Carlisle gave her a feeble smile before his eyes went to the distance. "I'd done a lot of things, but I guess I still did them for the wrong reasons," he supposed. "I'm not proud of my past. I was so desperate that I'd do anything—even forcing myself to be okay in situations that were horrible and toxic." It was like a part of him died remembering those moments of harsh words, fake smiles, and all the tears he saved for when he was alone. "Because I thought that too—about the milestones. I was constantly worrying I'd be left behind if I didn't think like they did."
His bottom lip quivered, but he cleared his throat. "Y-You know…" He cleared his throat again. "I lost my virginity when I was really young," he recounted. "I regret it a lot, but I was just…so, terribly desperate for them to love me. I hadn't really thought about stuff like sex or anything outside little pecks, but the person at the time… They were into a lot of hedonistic lifestyle stuff."
"What's that?"
"To put it bluntly, they were into a lot of sex and pleasure," Carlisle explained. "And there's nothing wrong with that," he enforced insistently. "Please don't misunderstand me. I know a lot of people with lifestyles like that and I love them to death. But this particular person made things ultimatums." At Luna's puzzled look, he further elaborated, "They made a lot of implications that they'd leave me if I didn't give them what they wanted or made me feel bad when I was uncomfortable."
"Oh…" No pity was in Luna's stare, but sympathy and a sad understanding. "I'm happy you're free from that."
Carlisle chuckled with little humor. "I am too." His eyes warned down the street like he could see Dante. "I didn't have a lot of healthy relationships. Hunter…" He swallowed thickly and switched to something else. "I wish I had talked to Maman sooner about all this. Once we sat down and talked, I started realizing things I should have when I was younger."
Affectionate sea greens fraught with violet connected with sparkling chocolates.
"You are not stupid for being worried about things like this," Carlisle consoled. "It's good to think about things like this because it helps you figure out what you want. It forces you to reconcile with your own personal milestones. That's maturity, Beauty."
Luna sniffled and rubbed her cheek with the side of her arm. "Thank you," she mumbled in a stuffed-up tone. "I'm sorry your first time was something you regret."
"It's okay." Carlisle tried to make light of it all, but it was clear the memories were off-putting and atrocious. "It's not okay, but I can't change the past." His eyes went downcast beneath those silver lashes. "It took me a longer time than I'd like to admit that regretting things openly and wanting to change the past wouldn't help me. All it did was make me sadder. Over time, I understood what went wrong, what hurt me the most, and how to prevent making the same mistake."
Sea greens sparkled in violet gazed down the street with a small but adoring smile toying on Carlisle's lips. "It took some time. But with Prince… I just have that feeling I won't need to worry as much anymore. I can talk to him about certain things without being judged. And I can choose what I want. I never thought being with someone…could be so freeing." He laughed a little and wiped away a stray tear. "I guess that's a bit of an oxymoron, huh? I'm sorry."
"No."
Endearing chocolates collided with glistening violet-freckled sea greens.
"I think that's beautiful, Carlisle," Luna told him, tone genuine and soft.
Carlisle hummed his sigh. "I'm sorry. I was hoping to cheer you up—"
"You did." Luna adopted a sincere smile. "You really did. Maybe…I'm not as better as I thought. But I'm getting there. And I know I can talk to you if I feel like I'm hurting again, right?"
"Of course." Carlisle's smile widened. "I'm your friend, Beauty. I'm not going anywhere."
Those words filled with such honest promise sent a shock down Luna's spine, and her vision was swallowed in black—
• — • — • — • — •
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The alleyway was crowded in orderly trash and filth with stone buildings on either side and LacrAir Conditioning units jutting out. A fire escape clamped onto one building with the ladder drawn up and the foreign words of pedestrians came too distant to decipher each and every word spoken. The humidity choked the air with sweltering temperatures that would drive a tourist made to buy strong deodorant and portable fans.
A sweaty Carlisle winced as he gripped his arm, barely holding it together. It looked like he had been on a trip of leisure with his grocery bags haphazardly on the ground and visible fingers prints had bruised his upper arm.
"You've hurt, Carlisle-po." A boy with black hair pinned up into a bow with Zhōnguánese hairpins stood before Carlisle with black gloves and a cold expression that could freeze a desert. "I cannot allow that anymore."
Carlisle panted, "Tantan, careful. He's—"
"I know." This "tantan" adjusted one of his gloves. "I can feel it pouring off him. Don't worry." An electric blue crowded his irises and a circle blossomed beneath him with that same hue. A budded cross took up the center as tendrils of power clacked off this powerful sigil. "I'll take care of him, Carlisle-po. And then we'll go home together."
A smirk. "I have no need to fight you." A third person was in the alley and blocked the exit with their tall form. "I only came to collect a kitten a return it to its proper owner. But if you insist to get in the way…" Black and cold wound around their person and lit up in a dark oak gaze full of sadistic pleasure and blundered around scarlet hair. "I'll make sure your death is quick."
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Carlisle held Luna when she gave a startled gasp, eyes wide. A knowing calmness overtook him as he grounded her and waited for her to settle down from her sudden panic.
Luna gulped, eyes sifting. I… I don't understand. Her fingers trembled. That person… That was—
"You had a vision, didn't you?"
The words were so calm and casual and unsuspecting that Luna ended up breathing, "Yes, I did—" Her mistake was made. More panic and horror slammed her, and she jerked her wide stare to Carlisle in alarm. "I-I-I mean…" She tried to think of a lie. "I-I-I, um…"
Carlisle gently shook his head. "It's okay," he soothed. "I know you did. I know you have a special connection with Time just like Gale does."
"B-But…!" Luna could not help it when she gawked.
Carlisle sighed and glanced away with a depressive smile. "Don't worry. I'm aware that you've kept this a secret. And I approve of that. To have those abilities—Hindsight and Foresight—you have to safeguard such power. Especially you. You have a gift inside you that most Time Wizards would've been killed for." He looked back at her, somber. "Protect your secret with your life. And I promise I will too." Something in his gaze dimmed. "I know what it's like to have secrets that could kill you."
"I-I…" Luna searched his eyes before her shoulders sagged. "I know you're telling the truth, it's just…" Self-aimed frustration hit her. "I still shouldn't have said anything."
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Carlisle soothed. "You're very young. It takes many decades to perfect unreadable composures to shield their thoughts. But I know you'll protect your secret against those you need to."
"I…" Luna rolled her lips. "I guess so…"
"If it's not too much," Carlisle imposed, "could you…? Could you tell me about your vision?" He saw her stiffen and asked, "Was it about me?"
"Yes," Luna confessed, hedging.
"Was I alone?"
Luna shook her head. "Um, no. No, you weren't alone." She decided it was best to explain. "I couldn't tell where you were, but I know it was hot and humid." It hit her. "I guess this was happening in summer. You were… You were hurt and in an alley. But you weren't alone. There was this boy with you. I think you called him 'Tantan'?"
"Aphtan," Carlisle softly named. "He's one of my best friends. What was he doing? Was he protecting me?"
"Yeah, he was protecting you," Luna confirmed. "He was protecting you against—"
Dark oaks clouded in bloodlust. Scarlet hair.
Carlisle could see Luna's indecision and troubled expression and assured, "You don't have to tell me who he was protecting me from. But you could tell me… Was Tantan using any sort of ability?"
"Ooh…" Luna remembered that burning blue sigil. "I… I think so. But I don't think I've ever seen it."
"Could you describe?"
Luna nodded. "Um, it looked like he made some sort of cross thing, but it looked a little funny."
"I see…" The gears turned in Carlisle's head. So. Whoever attacked me must've been someone wielding something dark. But it's more than that. Tantan wouldn't use his ability on just anyone, Warlock, Black Wizard, or otherwise. This person had to have something else happening with them for him to risk exposing himself. "Did I look my current age?"
"I mean, yes, I…I think so."
Then it'll happen this summer in the Nácarlines, Carlisle determined. I'll be attacked. But just to confirm… "Did the person attacking us say anything that stood out to you?"
Luna's brow furrowed. "Yeah. He said he was coming to get a kitten and…" She broke off when she saw Carlisle's body lockdown. Her own confusion and nerves were set aside for worry. "Carlisle? Are you okay?"
Carlisle forced an exhale. "Y-Yes. I'm okay." But he hid the pounding of his heart. I knew it. The attack on me at Nine-Dollar… It wasn't just dumb luck. His mind felt like it was unraveling. I've been so careful. Why now? Why now when I'm happy?
"Carlisle?"
"I'm sorry." Carlisle swallowed and shot her a weak smile. "Just in my head for a moment." He quickly derailed to another subject. "I know you had a vision when you saw Prince at the Commons. If it's okay, could you tell me about it?"
"Oh, right." Luna scourged up the memory, but it was not hard to do. "I couldn't tell where I was. But I think… It looked like something out of a movie. Like a blacksmith shop or something hidden in a cave. There was…" She thickly swallowed. "There was…a woman there. She was being held at gunpoint."
"Please." A soft beseech that sounded too calm and controlled. "Please."
Carlisle smoothed a hand down Luna's arm to bring her comfort. "I can tell where this is going. You don't have to—"
"No." Luna took a deep breath. "No, I… I need to get it out." Another inhale through her nose and exhale out her mouth. "She was… She was shot. A-And…"
"No!" A wild roar. A frantic plea. "Giáo viên!"
GA!
A final breath of frost.
Cold ceruleans.
Luna blinked rapidly when her eyes stung. "Two other people were there," she choked out in a rushed breath. "I couldn't see one of them. But…they were yelling this word. I-I think it means 'teacher' from all the yelling. Zah… Zau vein…?"
"Giáo viên."
"Yes." Luna sharply nodded. "That's what he said."
"It does mean 'teacher'," Carlisle confirmed. "It's the Báchnamese word for it." He then questioned, "And the shooter?"
Luna winced.
"It's okay." Carlisle looked on. "Thank you for telling me what you can."
I knew her vision was about Dante and his teacher. I could feel Dante's worry about her—The Forge. Considering all I know about her, a bullet wouldn't have been enough to kill her. Nothing would've been enough to kill her. No one can find her in this era outside of The Hearth. So why would she choose to be shot? His eyes darkened. And why let her student witness that sort of trauma?
"It might not happen," Luna tried to assure as though misconstruing his thoughtful silence for distress. "I-I'm not all that sure which visions will come true or not. Sometimes, they come true, but things are twisted."
Carlisle gave her a placating smile. "Right. Foresight comes with that sort of drawback. It's why trying to tap into it is so largely forbidden in the wizarding community. People can fall into severe paranoia disorders relying too heavily on a power that shows them possibilities that could come from complete left field."
"That's what Icarus said too."
"Yes. Your Star Spirit is very wise." Carlisle withheld his curiosity. I suppose she's too immature in her ability to recognize when her visions have a Thread and which color they are. Her vision with Dante…her vision with me…they were part of the Red Line. But I wouldn't be able to teach her how to See. And she's too young. His stare softened. But she'll learn. It's just not the right time for her to meet her teacher.
He beamed. "Do you feel better?"
"Mmm-hmm. A lot better." Luna squeezed his hands. "Thanks, Carlisle." She blushed, embarrassed. "I still feel bad making a scene. I sort of don't want to go back."
"Well, if you make a scene, then you own that scene," Carlisle instructed. "And if someone gives you lip about it, you can blow them off or come get me and I'll go off for you." His smile broadened when Luna laughed. "But we can wait a little bit until you're ready. You'd be doing me a favor." He pouted. "Maybe Prince will be kinder to me since we've been gone for so long."
Luna snickered. "He's really nice, though."
Carlisle gaped. "What sort of betrayal is this? You're supposed to be on my side! Do you know what he called me?" He did not wait for Luna to ask. "He called me a drama queen. Me! Can you believe that?"
Luna raised an eyebrow.
Carlisle offered a sheepish smile. "Well, I'm only dramatic a little bit of the time." He pulled a face. "But not enough to be a drama queen. Such a mean Prince."
"But you love him," Luna pointed out. "You wouldn't be wearing his ring if you didn't."
"Yeah." Carlisle looked at his mermaid ring with clear love. "I do." But he was back to pouting. "But you should've seen how he put the ring on. He was like a brutish titan claiming his bride! He didn't even ask me or anything!"
"Because he knew you'd say, 'yes'," Luna giggled.
Carlisle opened his mouth to protest, but he sulked when he could not find an argument. "Well, he still could've asked," he huffily muttered. "He can be such a brute sometimes! I have such simple demands too and he shoots them down. What's so wrong about me wanting an occasional cheat day?"
"Because you ask for them every day?"
"Et tu, Beauty?!" Carlisle groaned, "I'm being betrayed left and right these days!"
Luna giggled and nudged him. "I think it's sweet Dante is helping you keep to your diet. But if you really feel like you deserve something greasy or really sweet, we can make a break for it to Nevereverland and gorge ourselves."
"You know, Beauty." Carlisle's eyes lit with all the sparks of a troublemaker. "I like the way you think."
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Rewind!
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
The conversation in their circle around the pitched bonfire was going strong as the cousins and neighborhood kids chatted about anything and everything under the sky. Some of them brought up some trashy memories with humor-filled jokes and blushes exchanged. Gale had vanished with Luna paying attention to whatever Catalina was murmuring to her over her drink.
Tesla slid a hand down Jaxton's chest as she moved off him. When she saw the questioning in her eyes, she whispered to him, "I'll be right back."
She pecked his lips before she pushed off and scurried back into the house. She offered kisses and hugs to relatives and neighbors before she went to the bathroom. Quickly doing her business and washing her hands, she came out and went back down the hall—
"You got a second?"
Tesla held pause and crossed her arms under her chest. "What is it now, Romero?"
Romero grinned, those cattish greens glinting. "No need to be so mean."
⌜CHERRYGROVE FALLS
Name: Romero Serrano
Age: 15
Occupation: Year 11 Student, Assistant Football (Soccer) Coach
Likes: going to races Dislikes: babysitting
Special Note: Romero might get good grades, but he has quite the reputation as a troublemaker with his teachers—and his mom! ⌟
Romero shrugged his hands into his pockets. "Just wanted to ask. Your friend, the rubia. Is she actually dating Gale?"
"No…" Tesla gave him a suspicious dressing down. "But you know they have a thing going on, Ro," she reminded with an edge. "And even if they didn't, I'd rather you not corrupt another innocent." She softened the harshness with a quip, "I'd already picked you up after you nearly got your ass beat sneaking over to some girl's house. Rather not have to drag your bloodied body after Gale finishes with you."
Romero laughed. "Not looking for a fight from him, I promise. Just was curious if she's dating anyone." His grin broadened when Tesla pursed her lips. "Don't give me that look. She's pretty cute."
"Uh-huh…" Tesla slowly closed in on him as she gestured with the I'm-watching-you two-finger pointing. "Keep those hands where I can see them, Ro. She's sweet and you are—"
"Spicy?" Romero jested. "Flavored?"
"Try rotten." Tesla playfully shoved him, but her eyes held firm. "Unless she makes herself available, keep that flirting down, 'kay?"
"How am I supposed to know if she's available if I don't flirt?"
Tesla whacked his shoulder.
"Hey!" Romero rubbed his shoulder. "¿Para qué chingados era eso?"
Tesla snapped in his face before holding a finger. "No seas estúpido. No need to be smartass." She sighed and ruffled his hair. "If she gives you the signals, lo que sea. Just don't push her."
"I'm sorry." Chocolates leaking uncontrollable tears and a break in her voice. "I'm s-s-sorry—"
Steely grays burdened with grief. Holding her while she cried… I can't imagine what she went through. That entire situation was a nightmare and Nashi told me since she was out of it for the most part, Luna did a majority alone. And the way she was crying…
"I won't push her," Romero promised. But he added with a wolfish grin, "But with the way she was dancing with me, I don't think I have to push." He ducked when Tesla swiped at him and darted away.
"Gilitonto!" Tesla called after him. She shook her head and crossed the hall. She meant to grab a few things from the kitchen and let that be that, but she peeked out the window and did a double-take. Oh…
°•°•°•°
It was not that Nashi was antisocial, but she liked the wooden swing set. She kept herself as a steady to-and-fro with her hands wrapped on the chains, thinking of everything and nothing at the same time.
"Can I join you?"
Nashi looked up with a guilty smile as Tesla made the trek over. "Hey. Sorry I'm out here—"
"Nah, you're fine." Tesla took up the other available swing and took a few steps back before swinging forward. "It feels like it's pretty much a law that people do their best thinking on a swing set or in the shower."
Nashi laughed. "I think I'm a shower person."
"I'm both," Tesla decided. "But all my thinking in the shower gets sidetracked the second Jang-ta's with me. Shower sex isn't as easy as people think, but when you have a glass shower, it's easier to give head. And you get a shower afterwards."
Nashi shook her head, snorting. "You are something else," she murmured. "I don't think I've ever met two people with this much stamina."
"Thanks." Tesla skidded to a stop and whispered to Nashi, "Guess my regeneration gives me an edge, but trust and believe that Jaxton knows how to wear me down. Healing? I can do that. But even I can get exhausted." She rolled her eyes. "You try having sex for ten hours and see when you start tapping out and you need some air."
Nashi gaped. "Ten hours?" She pinched Tesla.
"Ow!"
"I had to check if you're real," Nashi said like that explained everything.
Tesla scowled with no real ire. "Pinch my tit or something, not my arm," she grumbled. She smiled when Nashi cackled. "Sorry for being a shitty host and not checking in sooner. How are you liking your first pachanga?"
"Love it." Nashi was truthful in that. "I'm sorry JJ and Ellie had to cancel." Hickories darkened. "JJ's dad got a call about Liberty, JJ's little sister. They didn't want to alarm her, so she's staying with Justin and Ace and doing a mini-trip while Mister Justine handles things."
Tesla frowned. "That bad, huh?"
Nashi nodded and pushed herself into a small swing. "Yeah." She looked down at the ground. "Adopting isn't easy in itself, but it's even more difficult adopting Wizards. Though, JJ said he's adopting was a little easier because his parents had passed, and I guess his parents had a history with Mister Justine. Libby's situation is entirely messed up. And she gets so worried she'll be sent away."
"I can understand that," Tesla sympathized. She licked her lips and twisted a little in her swing. "I had this background fear that, someday, my DNA donors would get me back. I knew my mom was kind and nice. But when the kids at school picked up I was adopted and black and my mom is a wee bit lighter than me, I'd get mocked about how my mom would give me up and force me—in their words—'back to where I belong'."
Nashi scowled. "That's disgusting and awful."
"Kids are disgusting and awful," Tesla said with a shrug that meant what-are-you-going-to-do. "To be honest, things like that didn't get to me. My mom made sure dead ass that I had it in my head she would never give me up. She would do everything it took to make sure I stayed her daughter." Admiration and respect for her mother threaded in her tone. "But it sparked thoughts about my blood relatives. Trauma hindsight is, like, twenty-twenty, but all I knew was the lengths my sperm donor would go to…keep me contained," she said with a quiet hitch. "I was worried about my mom. I never wanted her to get involved in something awful because of me."
"JJ says Libby thinks about that too," murmured Nashi, timbre soft. "It's not like we try to hide it from her about all the legal battles happening, but she's cried more than once over worrying her dad would get hurt fighting for her to stay with him."
Tesla faintly nodded. "I can't really speak about what every adopted kid goes through. I met a few when I started college in high school. I never have ever felt disconnected from my mom. Honestly, I hit the jackpot." Thanks to Jang-ta's doing. "I think only one friend of mine who was adopted felt that sort of 'I'll never be their real kid' since their parents had one blood kid and it was rocky with them.
"Another felt her parents wouldn't understand her. It was a big identity crisis. She's Josean and a Wizard, but her parents are white Spiritless." Tesla made a hand gesture. "It was a time and a half. Everyone has different experiences with it. Point is, I totally get where Liberty is coming from, and I'm happy Justin is making sure his sister knows she's safe and secure." She started a subtle swing.
Nashi toed herself to swing, but her mind latched onto one topic. "You don't want kids, right?"
"Nope." Tesla popped the p.
"How…?" Nashi swallowed. "How did you, you know…know you didn't? If that's okay for me to ask?"
Tesla hummed. "Well." She paused in her swinging. "First"—she ticked off a finger—"I love my body and birth screws that up. Second"—another finger—"I don't like children—at all. I love my cousins, but my mom backed me up when I said I would never babysit, family or not." She shrugged. "I've been bingoed a few times about 'oh, pobrecita, you haven't found the right man' or 'oh, chelita, you're young, you'll change your mind'." She pushed herself back to a swing. "Nope. I'm good."
A thought occurred to Tesla that had her abruptly stop and toss Nashi a curious look. "Why do you ask?"
Nashi pressed her lips together.
"Hey…" Tesla softened. "I'm not going to judge anyone who wants kids," she assured. "If that's where your mind is at or anything—"
"No, it's not that," Nashi slowly said.
Tesla tipped her eyes, steely grays observant. "Are you and Gary considering kids?"
"No." Nashi winced. "No, it's not that." Her shoulders dropped. "I guess… I guess I was hit with something I never considered. The question if I never wanted kids period or if I just never wanted to be pregnant."
"Ah…" Tesla gave a thoughtful nod. "Gotcha."
Nashi passed Tesla a grim look. "Any advice?"
"Well." Tesla puffed a cheek in thought. "Hmm… I don't want to get preachy or get too under your skin or anything, but…" Another long exhale. "Well, when people bingoed me about what sort of audacity I had being child-free and wanted a whole ass essay, I'd tell them that my body is not their choice. People have a number of reasons for not wanting kids. Maybe people don't want to pass down some disease or something or they like their finances or they had a miscarriage."
Nashi cringed and her stomach clenched.
Tesla noticed and lessened her tone to add a soothing lilt. "But the reverse is true. Why do you want kids? For my mom, she told me lito and a lot of her family didn't get her decision to adopt. The older relatives are all Catholic conservative, which my mom and I are not, thank god—"
Nashi chuckled.
"But they got it that my mom hated the idea of marriage," Tesla continued with a smile. "They might've been sad about it, but my mom takes no shit from anyone. Had her independence down packed and lito was pretty happy his granddaughter was taking care of herself. But when she opened up about adopting, oh." She rolled her eyes. "Mami says she might've caused a civil war. Oh, everybody got on her."
"What did she do?" Nashi followed with, "I mean, she obviously adopted you and she seems like she's okay with all your relatives now… What did she say about…why she wanted you?" She cringed. "That sounds horrible, I'm so sorry."
"No, no, I'm living for this real-talk," Tesla assured, sincere. "All she said was that she knew herself, she knew she had friends and family, and she wanted to nurture someone and give them love, care, and opportunities like she had and have them grow into whoever they wanted to be."
"Wow," Nashi breathed. "That's… That's really sweet."
Tesla could not help looking proud and satisfied. "Right? Well, my relatives at the time said shit about how she could get that from a blood kid, but she said she didn't want that. She has health stuff going on, but she didn't want to get pregnant regardless. So, in the end, she adopted me."
"Was it hard on her?" Nashi wondered. "I'm pretty much an idiot when it comes to adopting and fostering, so…"
"It wasn't for her," Tesla confessed. "At least, that's what she told me. The worker she was with said she was ultra-lucky with how the process went for her because the process can get highly stressful."
A thought betrayed her. If Jang-ta was the one to vet my mom to becoming my mom…is he the reason my adoption went so easily? Part of that realization troubled her. I'd want to think not even he has that much power, but he's a Lycan and a Cultivator and his entire job is still in the dark to me. Could whoever he works for actually have that sort of authority?
Nashi's sigh drew Tesla out of her darkening thoughts. "I feel like I haven't been asking myself the right questions," she told Tesla. "There's just so much to think about."
"True," Tesla agreed. "But the good thing about having friends and family is that we're here to help you talk out how you feel and what you're thinking." She added, "And I'm sure Gary would be fine with this sort of conversation too."
As if rehearsed, Nashi felt winter flutter in her heart, secure and soothing. You stupid dog, she thought affectionately. How is it you know when I need you the most?
"Oh my god, wait, I totally meant if you're considering kids with Gary," Tesla rushed to explain, slightly panicked. "But it's your choice. I didn't mean to do that whole insinuation thing or anything—"
Nashi burst into laughter. "No, no, it's okay! Really, I…!" Hickories gleamed as a small smile toyed on her lips. "No, I…I know this is something I should talk to Gary about. And I will. I just need to find the right words and I think I have." She touched her chest. "I could feel he was worried about me today since I was caught up in my head. But he's relieved I figured things out. I know it's not like we're doing to jump into marriage and everything right away, but… This is something I need to talk about him now." Her smile widened feeling winter strengthen. "And he agrees."
It's not a decision I can take lightly. But maybe…we just need to start talking about it, Nashi determined. And…we can keep talking about it. It's not like this is a singular conversation. It's just a continuous one. She sighed through her nose in slight disbelief at the realization. I'm an idiot. Here I freaked out when I never needed to. We won't ever stop talking about things. We just pick up where we left off. Just as long as we start talking about it. She closed her eyes. Just realizing that… It makes me at ease.
"Can I ask you something?"
Nashi opened her eyes, content. "Yeah, sure."
"You're…" Tesla hedged as she tried to decipher her thoughts. "Well, your… You and Gary have a…a connection, right?"
"Yeah."
"What's that like?" Childish curiosity and fascination sparked those steely grays. "Is it like in all those paranormal erotica and stuff where you have this, like, 'mind link' and boy toy GPS and can feel each other get hot and bothered and stuff?"
Nashi cracked up. "You have got to stop reading those things."
Tesla gave a sheepish shrug. "We don't get to choose what gets the motoring running."
"Right." Nashi shook her head in amusement before stewing over Tesla's inquiry. "To start, there is no telepathic connection. It's fully empathetic. If you know Telepathy, then sure, go at it, but Gary and I don't use Telepathy without a telepathic conduit. About the locator-GPS thing…" She lulled her head from side to side to think harder on that. "I wouldn't say it acts like that."
"Is your connection weak with him being in Arcticados?"
"I wouldn't say so," Nashi mused aloud. "It all feels steady and solid, but I think it's because this isn't a brand-new Bond. How Kyler and Mirella explained things to me when I had questions was that new Bonds took time until you could go longer distances if it wasn't that strong of a Bond to begin with."
"Aw." Tesla's shoulders sagged. "So it's…not like in the books how you need to basically have a fuckfest until everything's well and done?"
Nashi gave her a humored and disbelieving look. "No, but gods, you really need to stop reading that."
"Don't hate my turn-ons," Tesla muttered.
Nashi shook her head. "Maybe it's different for other races, probably, I don't know. But Kyler and Mirella explained that you're locking your spirit and soul to whoever you chose. If you're compatible and have some basis of emotional stability, you're not going to go crazy." She frowned. "But it could be different. Both of them said races like Dragons needed a hot minute with their new partner since Dragons didn't naturally Bond to begin with. They sort of just had sex to have eggs and left."
Tesla had to concede to that. "Fair." She asked carefully, "What's it like when you first did it? And what's it like now?"
"Huh." Nashi rocked herself. "As a kid, it was like an amorous feeling, I guess, but when the Bond went to full capacity twice—when I got my wings back and when I realized I loved Gary—the sensations felt like lightning struck."
She looked up at the twinkling stars. "You don't feel 'complete' or like you were missing half of you. It's like you feel them alongside you. They're adding onto you, if that makes sense, and it's so beautiful and overwhelming and addicting all at the same time. The physical sensation of those two times, though?" She smirked. "Pretty much the best ground-breaking orgasm you could ever have, and I couldn't get enough of Gary."
"Knew it," Tesla whispered.
Nashi simpered, but she went on: "But after that, you just feel…like you, but then there's someone else there supporting you. It feels like support. It's nothing that carries you on or anything like that. It's a back-of-the-head sort of thing."
She gave as an analogy, "It's the same with breathing. You breathe as a function and it's subconscious just like when you speak or eat. You would never notice something you're automatically doing unless you focused or something really horrible happened. My Bond with Gary is like that. It's not something I actively focus on or that he focused on. We go about our lives with our Bond running in the background. But if we focus or something doesn't feel right, we feel the full effects of each other and what we made together."
"I see." Tesla gave a minute swing, contemplating. "That's really poetic and beautiful. You both have something special."
"It is special," Nashi agreed, tenderness glowing about her. "And it's something I don't regret."
Tesla nodded, but something bothered. "But then… What happens to you if, you know…? If one of you dies? And what happens to you guys while you live since you and he are both…you know?"
"Kyler explained to me we'd have a long lifespan," Nashi confirmed. "Wizards naturally have long lives and so do other races. But if one of us died…" A grim look crossed her. "We'd have that choice of re-Bonding to someone, but… I don't think I could take that. And I'm not so sure Gary would either."
"I understand," Tesla was quick to insert.
Nashi eyed her, probing. "Is that what you want with Jaxton? This connection, I mean?"
"I mean…" Tesla gave a big exhale. "It's something on my mind, but it's nothing immediate. And besides, Wizards don't normally do that," she laughed off, a little awkward. "And anyway…" Her eyes fell. "I'd probably kill someone considering my little gift."
Nashi frowned at Tesla's plight. "I'm not saying I understand all that you can do since all I know comes from horrible people, but you're the only one with your 'gift'," she reminded. "Who knows what you can and can't do?"
"Yeah. Maybe," Tesla mumbled half-heartedly.
Nashi laid a hand on Tesla's shoulder. "It's always worth talking about to Jaxton."
Tesla snorted. "Well, well, well, if it isn't my advice coming back to bite me."
Nashi shoved her with a laugh. "Take your own advice, Tesla, just like I'm taking your advice. Because you were right about one thing." She smiled as she watched the moon glow in her night sky. "You won't get far with anyone if you don't talk."
"Aw, is my cousin giving relationship advice again?"
Both looked up to Diego coming over with soda cans, and Tesla shot him a middle finger. "Chingate."
Diego grinned as he handed Nashi her can. "No need to get filthy, Tess." He cracked open his can and nodded to Nashi. "You doing okay?"
"Yeah," Nashi chirped. "Tesla was setting me straight. I'm fine." She shot up and offered her hand. "And now that the dance floor is looking a little more empty and I have some drinks in me, I'm ready to try some more dancing, Bachata Bae."
"Please. I can only make so many excuses to dip out from another matchmaking attempt," Diego grumbled.
Tesla snickered. "It's your fault you stuck your dick in crazy. No one trusts you to find someone respectable."
"I'm sure Lita would be very interested to know where you snuck off to during Juanita's first communion," Diego threatened.
Tesla scowled. "Yo mataria tu, bastardo. You swore you wouldn't tell!"
"What happened at the communion?" Nashi asked, interested.
Diego smirked at a furious Tesla and told Nashi, "Tessie invited her boyfriend, and not even five minutes in, I realized they were gone. Tía Chanel asks me to go find them, and I end up surprised that they were screwing in the—"
"Ugh…!" Tesla growled, getting to her feet. She shoved Diego's chest. "Gilipollas. Vete."
"Como sea." Diego took Nashi's hand and purred, "Baila conmigo, bella."
Nashi snickered. "If you could teach Gary Sinnish, I'd be eternally grateful."
Tesla watched them walk away, but she backed onto the swing and took a moment to herself. She pushed herself into a lazy swing as those grays fell with emotion and a frown covered her lips. There's still so much I don't understand. About me. About Jang-ta. About…everything. She curved herself a little higher. It seems like every answer comes with a dozen questions. And I just fall down a rabbit hole. Grays sparked. Zelda's been busy with whatever she does that we had to cut training. I keep up with Dante when we can and Gale. But…
Blood-red lips. Soulless obsidians. "Sweet little One of the Gray."
Tesla's fingers tightened on the chains. Jang-ta's mother. My sperm donor. Hunters. Everywhere I turn, it's like things get worse. And on top of it all, I'm dating a centuries' old Cultivating werewolf who spies on me for a living. And even if he wanted to Bond with me… He'd be burdened with all my shitty feelings. And I'm just a human while he's…not.
Her feet came down to skid the grass and drag her into a lurching halt. She heaved a sigh as steely grays glistened. What sort of future does someone like me even have with someone like him?
CRUNCH… CRUNCH…
Tesla closed her eyes when trusting hands pushed her into a swing. "I was going to come back," she tried to explain, though a flatness cruised her words. "I'm sorry. Guess I was just thinking a little."
"It's fine." Jaxton kept up his gentle pushes.
It did not matter that the music was going and laughter pierced the air. A grave silence birthed between the two as Jaxton pushed Tesla. She did not go too high as though he knew she needed a soft rocking to gather her thoughts.
"It's okay, you know." Her fingers gripped the chains. "If you fall in love with someone else."
Jaxton kept pushing her.
Head down, Tesla droned, "I don't want to hold you back from all that you have. We're different. And I love that. But I…" Her mouth closed when the corners of her lips trembled. "You deserve to be with someone who can match you and give you something beautiful." Because I can't, she wanted to add, slathering on her misery. I can't get out of my head and stop my nightmares. I don't have anything to offer except a never-ending pity party.
Jaxton stopped her swinging. His hands slid up to encompass her own as his head dipped down to her ear, "You're right. I deserve to be with someone who can give me something beautiful." Before Tesla could turn away to hide, he told her, "And I've found someone who gives me that, Tesla."
"Look at us, Jang-ta, we're a mess," Tesla whispered. "I can't… I can't give you…" A noise of frustration came from her as her eloquence failed her. "I can't give you that."
"What can't you give me?" Jaxton asked her in a rumble. "You can't give me love?"
Tesla clenched her jaw. "No."
"You can't give me trust?"
Tesla huffed. "It's not—"
"You can't give me your time? Or your patience? Your honesty—?"
"I can't give you what Nashi and Gary have," Tesla blurted in a half-snarl and half-cry. "I can't. I can't…be that. I can't just…live as long and give you warm, happy feelings all the time or be solid and steady, I-I can't…" A breath, in and out and in and out.
Jaxton questioned, unbothered, "Do you know why you can't give me what they have?" At Tesla's stubborn silence, he answered, "Because we aren't them. And they aren't us."
Tesla pursed her lips. "You know what I meant—"
"You meant that you're scared that we're too different," Jaxton put it, blunt. "You're not scared of the commitment. That's something you want. But you're scared that you'll grow old while I'll stay the same. You're scared I'll feel every negative emotion and nightmare you have. You're scared that all of those reasons will somehow drive me away and you're saying this now because you spent too much time overthinking about a future you can't see."
Tesla turned her head to the side.
Jaxton pressed a scorching kiss on her pulse. "I can't see the future either," he murmured, a breath away from her flesh. "And I don't care. You don't live this long worrying over the distant future. You take value in what you have in the present and you treasure it." He slid his fingers between hers. "I made a mistake glossing over Bonding. And I want to correct myself, so listen to me closely and carefully."
Tesla's eyes closed when she felt Jaxton's warm breath give her gooseflesh down her arms and spread static inside her.
"I have this lived this long before I always had a job to do," Jaxton told her. "My parents drilled into my head how to maintain my distance from everyone. There was a time I was silent with Weiwei. I didn't care about much outside my assignments. But that's changed completely ever since I realized you are the only one I would howl for."
Tesla's breath caught.
"I hope to get answers about your ability and your lost people on this summer assignment, so I can make you feel more secure about yourself," Jaxton continued. "But that won't change my answer."
"And what's your answer?" Tesla scarcely breathed.
"That under no circumstances will I let you go."
Tesla felt her head being guided up. Through black bangs, yellow-ambers burned passionately into glossy steely-grays.
"You can't give me what Nashi gives Gary because you aren't Nashi and I'm not Gary," said Jaxton. "Their connection will be different—as it should. I would never want a replicated Bond. Because you give me so much more." A decision clicked into his eyes. "And I'm going to show you as much as I'm telling you."
That puzzled Tesla. "Jang-ta—"
"You are my life."
Tesla froze.
"My light."
Steely-grays clouded.
"My weakness."
Her bottom lip trembled.
"My strength."
His hand clenched onto hers.
"My hope."
He lowered his head.
"My future."
Their lips were a hair apart.
"And I'm yours, Tesla," he whispered. "Just like you're mine." And he could not wait anymore when he slanted his lips onto hers for a soul-soothing kiss that curled her toes and fogged her head with an echo that shattered the depths of her misplaced fears and worries.
Mine.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Rewind!
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
"But Blondie—"
"And we're walking. And we're walking."
Gale watched with a clenched jaw as Carlisle shuffled Luna away. The Wild whipped its tail, instinct yearning to comfort his little moon with touches and purrs. But he sank back onto his chair and guzzled a few gulps of water. Rubies made sure to watch Carlisle and Luna stray into the darkness, and he forced himself to relax when they made it into the truck.
Dante glanced at Gale. "What was that about?"
Gale grunted, though he eyed as Icarus and Jaxton exchanged a look before Icarus slunk away. The Hell was that? "It's nothing," he rumbled. "I'm sure Blondie will talk it out with your boy toy."
Jaxton cocked his head. "Does that bother you?"
Gale swept his red gaze to Jaxton's dark one. "Does what bother me?"
"That she went to someone else and not you," Jaxton elaborated with that dead tone. "Does it bother you?"
Gale took a few more swigs of water before he answered. "Yeah, but not in the way you think." He adjusted himself. "I'm not breathing fire or jealous. I'm just…on edge is all. I'm worried." His leg bounced a little as the Wild paced, rumbling and impatient. He would stay rooted and fight instinct to provide comfort.
"I know the feeling," Jaxton commiserated. "But you're doing good stepping back. It's her choice who she shares her concerns with." He gripped his bottle. "I know Tesla shares many things with me. But I understand there are some things she feels it's better to share with someone else, like Dante or Julianna."
"And it never made you feel jealous or anything?" Gale asked him.
Jaxton and Dante exchanged a look of mild humor. "It bothered me a little," Jaxton remembered. "But just like you, I wasn't jealous or hurt. I was worried Tesla was upset. And I just wanted to support her however I could." He sipped his drink. "Jealousy isn't attractive."
"No, it isn't," Dante agreed. "It's manipulative at its best."
Gale raised an eyebrow. "You never got jealous?"
"I never said that," Dante coolly replied. "But I know it's irrational and I respect Carlisle and trust him. There's never a reason to act on jealousy unless someone gives you a reason to be jealous."
Jaxton's eyes flickered and something of a smile fell on his face when Gale pointedly looked at him. "If I minded that Tesla had a flirtatious personality, we wouldn't be together. That fact that we are should speak for itself."
"Fair point." Gale took another sip as his eyes flashed down the street. "I'm just surprised she still wants to speak to me," he let slip. "I acted like a fucking asshole to her."
"You did."
Gale nearly fell over at Dante and Jaxton's joint agreement. "Well, thanks a lot for that, you dicks."
"You know our stance on how you acted," Dante reminded him. "And now that I've had the pleasure of meeting Goldie and with how much Lips loves her"—the darkness in his eyes intensified—"don't fuck this up."
Gale comically shivered, eye twitching. He might be more of a Demon Prince than Luke. But he paled remembering Luke with his red eyes and his claws and his mad cackle. On second thought…
"We understand you had reasons for being angry," murmured Jaxton. "And neither one of us will take away from what happened to you in the past. And we don't tell you to keep the past in the past. But it's relieving that you're working through your past."
Gale rubbed his neck. "Yeah…"
"I know you don't know how to love someone."
• — • — •
With Porlyusica's sick room all around him, the focus concentrated on the dark-faced Igneel with those emeralds that could pierce through diamonds and see through all lies.
"The love you got from Emma… It was toxic, Gale." That emerald regard saddened. "She hurt you, Gale. She hurt you in the cruelest ways, and then she said she loved you." He tussled through blonde locks. "We're both messed-up, you and me. I did shitty things. You were treated like shit. We have all this power, but…we're not using it in the right way. For me, tonight was the last wake-up call I'm going to get until something worse happens. So tell me."
A seriousness crystaled within emerald. "What will it take for you to have your last wake-up call?"
• — • — •
"I had my wake-up call."
Dante and Jaxton regarded Gale in subtle curiosity.
Gale rocked the bench with his heels. "I didn't know if I was comin' or goin' for a while there," he told the both of them. "Stuff with Blondie was the tip of the iceberg. I know I was an asshole with everything else." He scratched the underside of his jaw. "I had all this crap inside me that I didn't even realize was there. And I took it out on everyone else. And I hurt someone I care about. I disappointed a lot of people. And if I was looking at myself back then…"
He could imagine his unhinged self with angered eyes, splotches scales, and fangs out, ready to take what was necessary.
Rubies darkened. "I'd be fucking beating myself up too. I disappointed myself." His hands clenched. "I've got a long way to go. But fuck if I want to repeat shit. I thought I was doing good before. Maybe I was. But that's not enough. I just…need to do better."
A hush.
"Wow." Jaxton arched an eyebrow, his lips twitching. "You really have grown as a person. It's cute."
KAA-KAA!
Red bloomed on Gale's cheeks as he barked, embarrassed, "Sh-Shut up! I'm not fucking cute!"
"I'd say that was cute," Dante murmured. "Not as cute as Lips, though."
"Don't compare me to such a shitty guy!"
"You're improving for yourself. There's no better reason for that," Jaxton said, swirling the liquid in his bottle. Eyes darkening, he confided, "I understand not knowing if you're coming or going. I don't think I was breathing for a long time. I drifted"—his hands clenched around the bottle—"and obeyed."
Vile obsidians.
Indifferent yellow-ambers.
"It took time until I understood the position I was in and the actions I was doing," Jaxton relayed. "And people helped me realize…the way I was living wasn't the way I should be living."
Admiring ceruleans.
Loving steely-grays.
"I started learning how to breathe for myself and the rest fell into place." Jaxton tipped his bottle towards Gale. "I'm proud of you for discovering that much sooner than I ever did. Do everything you can to help yourself. And you'll notice things happening for the better soon enough."
Gale thumbed the rim of his water. "So I'm figuring out." He shifted, eyes flanking the street. "I think things are starting to happen for the better. Figured out my program for the summer will be TAing at Saint Layla's." A grin lit his face. "And it just so happens Blondie's doing a summer semester there."
Dante chuckled. "I don't think she'll like that."
"It gets better," Gale chuckled. "Little Angel implied Blondie would be staying in the summer dorms. And would you look at that? I got offered to live on campus as an RA for the summer dorms. Lucky me."
Jaxton shook his head. "Be careful with that. Some don't appreciate the chase."
"I've been tracking since I could walk and hunting since I could run. I know what to do." Gale sipped his water. "And I don't plan on doing any relationships for a while or hooking up or that shit."
"Because constantly being in her orbit isn't wanting a relationship," Dante said dryly.
Gale gave him a onceover. "And the Hell do you call rings and living together, Your Majesty?"
Jaxton muttered, "He's got you there."
"The rings are a promise," Dante emphasized. "And he hijacked my summer trip for iAIM in the Nácarlines. You don't sleep with him." His eyebrow twitched as he remembered Carlisle's childish tantrums. "If I had said, 'no', I would've dealt with the worst adult-child in the world constantly in my ear."
"Take me…!" Chibi-Carlisle begged all sniffly and teary-eyed. "Take me, take me, take me!" And then he started rolling and kicking on the ground, whining loudly, "I wanna go, I wanna go, I wanna go, I wanna go, I wanna go—!"
A tick mark hit Dante's temple. Just imagining him annoying me and throwing a temper tantrum makes me want to take him over my knee.
"Did you submit everything for housing?" inquired Jaxton.
Dante nodded. "Yeah." He brought out his Compact. "Carlisle found us a two-bedroom to rent." His eyebrow twitched again. "I wanted to kill him when he tried to get ones with bunk beds."
"It'll be super fun!" Carlisle had insisted as he sat crisscrossed on the bed in one of Dante's shirts like an eager puppy. "It'll be like we're having one big sleepover all the time!"
Dante's face darkened as another tick mark hit his skull. That brat. He's either an idiot or he knows new ways to torment me. He found the apartment. "Here." He passed it to Gale first. "This is the place."
Gale took the Compact and looked at the pictures, impressed. "Wow." He swiped and took in the modern apartment. The furniture was sparse and the appliances were a little dated, but for a summer rental, it offered more than it should. "Good pick." He passed it back to Dante.
"Lips did all the work." Dante gave his Compact to Jaxton. "The building is normally full of summer students, vacationers, and con-goers—or that's what Lips said when he made contact. We're near a tram to get to the campus I'll be on since we agreed about not renting a car. He came up with a budget, called insurance…" He shook his head. "I never thought he'd take this so seriously."
"It's nice." Jaxton passed back the Compact. "Will you start with those private contractors once you return from the Nácarlines?"
Dante's face shuddered into coldness. "I'm still debating about working for them. The garage will be down an Enchanter for the summer, but I put out some feelers to entice one to come this way. Working with those private contractors will be a thing I decide after talking to Teacher."
"When are you calling her?" Gale asked.
"I'm not." Dante took a healthy gulp of his drink. "I'll be doing to see her during spring break. Lips will be coming with me."
That stunned Gale and even Jaxton showed a hint of surprise.
"Are you sure about that?" Gale asked him, tone low. "Isn't your teacher someone high up there?"
"She is, but Lips is high up there to me." Dante's eyes flickered down the street. "He was eager to meet my parents," he murmured to both his friends. "He wanted me to meet his. He wants to meet my family. He made an effort to get to know Tesla and understand her and me." Darkness tendered. "So yeah. I want him to meet Teacher."
Jaxton bobbed his head. "I hope she likes him for your sake."
"She will." Dante could not keep out the fond memories of his teacher. I'll have to ask her more about the sort of Ether I want to imbue into the rings. He told Jaxton, "Lips is bummed we couldn't join you for your trip to Caracole Island. I'd like to meet Gary. Tesla says he's your best friend."
TICK!
Jaxton kept an indifferent exterior as he lifted his drink and simply stated, "I never said that."
Dante and Gale sweatdropped when they caught a wagging-tail aura springing off Jaxton. Yeah, but you're certainly showing it.
"Man, I'm so jealous you get to go to Caracole," Gale groaned. "Better than my plans. Lady J hit me up that she wanted to go on a 'destination vacation' and needed my ass as a DDM." He made a face. "I would've said, 'no', but she blackmailed me. Fucking has some major cojones to do that."
Jaxton cocked his head. "Where are you two going?"
"She said it's a 'surprise'," Gale mocked, using air quotes. He rolled his eyes. "It's whatever. As long as I get to relax and she's paying for the entire trip, I don't fucking care where we go as long as there is a clean room and alcohol."
Dante cocked an eyebrow. "Not going to look at all the women?"
"Do I have a death warrant written on my face?" Gale retorted. "The Hell is that question? I don't see your head turning with your twink assistant."
Dante frowned. "I don't like twinks in the first place." He added wryly, "Apparently, I'm into bratty figure skaters."
Jaxton got up to clap Dante's shoulder. "It's never too late to take him to the Academy," he suggested.
"Maybe." Dante toyed with the idea. "I'll have to think about it."
Jaxton nodded and walked away.
Gale snorted. "Y'all and your BDSM shit." He eyed Dante. "Are you making your little princess wear that choker when you meet your teacher and during the Nácarlines thing?"
"Yeah."
Gale guffawed at how unfazed Dante was. "You're a cruel bastard."
"I'm a patient tamer," Dante supposed with a dirty gleam in his eyes. When Gale exaggerated a revolted gag, Dante chuckled and prompted, "Lips and I watched the FT Generation Smackdown stream. With your TAing, are you still going on the trip?"
"Hell yeah I'm going to Lincoln City," Gale told him. "It's only a ten-day trip. We have a loose itinerary with group tours and stuff, but we basically have our own free time. Lady J put it on blast she wants to go to the countryside and do a bunch of tours of old castles and manors and stuff."
A thought occurred to him so hard that he near jolted. Manors… The McGarden Manor… I could figure out stuff about my mom's family. Why didn't I think of that before? I could have living relatives over there.
"What's wrong?"
Gale shook his head. "Nothing. Just thought about something." Blondie and I still didn't come clean to my parents about meeting my relatives or hers. But we might have to switch gears. He cleared his throat. "But yeah, I'll still go." He threw his head back and groaned. "Shit. Big Red has fashion week."
"'Big Red'?"
"A guildmate. Ena Fernandes. She's the one behind 'The House of E'." Gale scrubbed his face. "Blondie was all gung-ho about Big Red getting into all this fashion shit and she was saying something about Big Red doing something in Minstrel which I'm pretty sure lines up with our vacation. Ugh. Now I'll have to deal with her and my pussy ass cousin."
His upper curled in disgust as he thought about Silver all wimpy with a dog tail and ears while Ena towered over all with a furred cap and her swords. Dammit. Big Red will fuck me up if I mess with Blondie or her little pet.
"We're back! Roll out the red carpet please!"
Gale looked up to see Carlisle carrying Luna in a piggyback. "Since when did you have enough muscle to lift a finger let alone carry a person?"
Carlisle smiled sweetly. "Things become so much easier to do when you get the stick out of your butt, Beastie. You should try it sometime but looks like yours is way up there."
Gale growled while Dante sighed. "Stop reacting to him," Dante instructed. "He does it to get a rise out of you."
"He better watch himself before I go beast on his ass," Gale grumbled.
"No need for that." Dante sipped his drink. "I already do that."
Gale's face scrunched up. "I didn't need to hear that. That was an overshare." His eyes cut when he saw movement. The Wild bared teeth when Gale noticed Romero give Luna a flirtatious glance over as he sat in the middle of a lively conversation. What the fuck?
Luna jumped down from Carlisle's back and beamed up at him. "Thanks for the lift."
"Anything for my Beauty." Carlisle dramatically put the back of his hand to his forehead. "If only my Prince would treat me like how I treat you—Ah!" He stumbled and fell into Dante's lap, disoriented. Shaking off the dizziness, he angrily pouted at Dante. "Rude! I was in the middle of talking, you brute."
"I missed you," Dante said like he mentioned the weather.
"I—" Carlisle worked his mouth as a redness took over his cheeks. He ducked his head, all shy and bashful, and mumbled, "Don't just suddenly say sweet things to me. It makes you look suspicious you're acting nice to me."
Dante rumbled a laugh before nodding down and purring in Carlisle's ear, gravelly and sultry, "There's nothing nice about me, princess."
Carlisle was about to faint.
Gale watched as Luna took her seat beside him and noticed she put a little distance between them. "Everything a little better?"
"Mm." Luna nodded, not looking at him. "Better."
Gale spared her another moment of observation before the Wild could not take it, jittery. He scooted over with his arm thrown across the back of the swinging bench. He got close to rumble, "Do you still want me to take you home?"
A hint of pink pinched Luna's cheeks as she shook her head. "N-N-No, I, um…" She heaved a breath and turned so apologetic chocolate connected with serious ruby. "I'm sorry. I got caught in my head for a minute. Carlisle helped talk me down from the ledge." Her gaze flickered to sisterly appreciation towards a blushing Carlisle as Dante wooed him. "He's like having another brother around."
Gale huffed, but he reluctantly told her, "If you like that shitty guy and he helps you out, then…I guess he's all right with me."
"Look at you, being the bigger person," Luna teased, turning her body to him and curling her legs to her side on the cushioned bench. "I never thought I'd see the day and live to tell the tale."
"Don't go hurtin' my reputation there, Blondie," Gale drawled humorously. "Gotta let people think I'm a cruel son of a bitch. If they think I'm getting soft, I'll have some fights on my hand."
"Oh, yes, because someone in one of the most reckless guilds of Fiore wouldn't want a fight."
"That smart mouth of yours, Blondie-girl, I swear," Gale joshed. The Wild laid down under Luna's laugh and all of Gale's worry and tension uncoiled. He swiped her chin with gentle fingers. "You really okay?"
Luna nodded. "I am," she promised him. "I was just panicking." She changed the subject with a teasing smile. "And I heard you had a lot of admirers around here who would've done anything for a piece of you."
"Yeah… Guess so…"
Luna's smile faded when Gale's grimaced registered. He normally just laughs it off, but he looks uncomfortable about this. "I'm not judging," she insisted, "if you did something with someone or anything, Gale. We're friends—"
"No." Gale ruffled his hair. "No, it's not that, Blondie." Rubies cut to the side. "I never touched anyone until the night at the party when I got crossed. Honest. I might've gone to clubs and did shit with Dash and Cane when we'd go to bars, but it's not exactly my speed. That party was a mistake." The regret was clear on his face. "So, no, I haven't touch anyone here. Doesn't mean that put off contenders." He added in a mutter, "Even after I tried to ward 'em off."
"Oh…" Luna blinked down. I guess I never thought Gale wouldn't be comfortable. He always jokes, but… She felt bad about her teasing. Maybe he doesn't like that sort of attention. I don't. I shouldn't judge. "Gale—"
"Don't expect Tesla and Jaxton to be down here anytime soon," he suddenly told her.
Luna took notice that the couple had deserted the driveway. "Why? Where are they?"
Gale held up a finger as though to tell her to wait a moment. He listened for a few seconds before a filthy smirk overtook his face. "One word: headboard."
Luna still did not understand. "Huh?"
"You're so cute." Gale shook his head, laughing. "Oh, it looks like someone found the Mute Lacrima." He explained to Luna, "See, Blondie, Tessie and Jax have a bit of a reputation. They normally socialize at parties, but when both of them disappear, they normally tiptoe away to do some…unspeakable and sweaty things meant for privacy."
"What do you…?" Luna's brow pinched until it hit. "Oh. Oh." Red crowded her flesh. "Oh, my." She covered her mouth. "Th-They're so mature!"
Gale threw back his head and laughed. "I wouldn't go that far," he told her. "But a word to the wise? Never try to hunt them down unless you want to witness something you didn't want to. Fairy Tail might be up for some nudity, but those two…" He made a slicing motion over his head. "Nah, nah. You only want to walk in on them once and that's already once too many."
"I… I see." Luna could not help the heat on her face. I guess it's stupid of me not to assume that. Carlisle practically made me lose my soul the first time I met him and he spoke about his ex. She remembered how she had passed out as Carlisle enthusiastically told her about his intimate time with his ex and Bleu grabbed her soul to resuscitate her.
"Won't be catching me do that."
The bubble Luna was in with her thoughts popped under Gale's casual murmur. "What?"
"What?" Gale parroted back. "What Tesla and Jaxton have…" He did a one-shouldered shrug. "It works for them. They can screw like rabbits and still be ridiculously in love with each other." He lazily looked at Carlisle and Dante and how amused Dante was of Carlisle was slowly and embarrassingly unraveling with every word. "Same to them." He sighed. "But it's not my thing. I think I'm just okay with just cuddling—y'know, the cutesy shit."
Luna blinked before looking away. "'Cutesy', huh?"
"Yeah. Because it's cute."
Luna was startled when Gale's hand fell atop her own and jerked chocolate clashed with soft ruby. Gale…
"I did something stupid and tossed away my first time," Gale said quietly, thumbing her hand. "It really fucking sucked. I wasn't ready. Fuck if I know if I will be. So, yeah. I like the cute stuff. I'd take cuddling any day of the week."
Luna gave him a hint of a smile. "Even if we're watching Poko?"
"Yeah, Blondie." Gale's lips quirked. "Even if we're watching Poko." He threaded her fingers. "Now c'mere." He yanked her towards him and chuckled when she splayed onto her chest. "Take it easy there, Blondie, no need to get aggressive."
"Jerk," Luna muttered, though she adjusted and laid her head against him. She rested a hand on his chest and could feel his heartbeat. And for a moment, it was beating as hard as her own. "We have a really weird friendship," she murmured into him.
Gale closed his eyes and sighed, "Yeah, I know." He opened his eyes to look at the winking starlight. "I know, Blondie."
And the moonstone on his bracelet and the sunstone on hers twinkled as the map of the stars printed on them.
The building was nothing too special, just a building with many administrative offices. But it rotated with Guards coming in with detained Spiritless criminals or Anti-Magic officers coming in with a Wizard criminal strapped with sealstone cuffs. One mother rushed in with a blotchy face from crying to come and pay the bond for her son's release. A delivery boy got out armed with wings and pizza, a regular late-night dinner for the station.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
« This building houses both the territorial Guard force and the Anti-Magic Unit and their administrative workers. While it's common for the Guard local Anti-Magic Unit to have their stations close, it's not typical they are in the same building. »
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Mary Jane stretched as she came out from the building and fanned her mouth as a yawn came out. "Goodness," she breathed. "I didn't think things would be this exhausting. Since none of the culprits were Wizards, I had to deal with the Guard Inspectors." She sighed. "I never like dealing with them."
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Guard Division 18 and Anti-Magic 18th Unit Department
Blühenhaven
Fiore, Ishgar
9:51 PM FST
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Mary Jane popped in her Michlia EarPods and set her favorite playlist on ⟪ Shuffle ⟫before kicking off into a walk down the street. She kept her volume low to get a feel for any danger, but she kept her head down and her feet falling into step with other pedestrians.
The soft piano filled her ears for an introduction that was as soft as falling snow before a vocaloid crooned, "Kimi ni kiite… Hoshikute tsukuri ageta senritsu… Kotoba wo noseru tabi ni iro wo kaete shimau kedo…!"
Mary Jane sighed, and her hand reached up only to hit air. That's right. She pushed her hand back down. I haven't been wearing Igneel's scarf out. Cerulean-scarlet dimmed when she saw the knitted bracelet. The bracelet I share with Peter… Her fingers swirled around the acorn button. And Igneel's charm. She stuffed her hand back into her crop top jacket pocket.
"Toozakatte yuku ikutsu mono keshiki wo…!"
Peter and I are still dating, but everything feels so strange, Mary Jane concluded. I feel bad making our Com-calls shorts, but I just… I don't know what to say. I'm still confused over so many things. I'm not closer to understanding my connection with him and my powers and… Well, everything else. And especially…
Playful onyx.
Feral emerald.
Scarlet-ceruleans shimmed.
"Mada mienai sekai wo machi kogareru demo ure ude mo naku…! Kimi to nagamete itai…!
I've been trying hard to focus on my powers, but I can't understand them, Mary Jane thought, frustrated and exhausted. I know that my blue powers are easier to control. But every time I try to use my red powers, I feel like I'm losing control. But then…when I touch Igneel's scarf…it's like that red power just gives up. And I don't understand why. Her brow twitched as her tired dissatisfaction made her expression tremble. And whenever I talk to Peter, it's easier to control my red powers, but why? Why him? Why them? Why can't I understand this?
The piano danced into a rift.
Those last moments before Silver and Ena left, Mary Jane remembered. Silver's eyes…
Shining mayan blues.
A grim smile touched Mary Jane's lips. I could see it. I was worried about Ena—I still am—but…his eyes… It's like I just knew. I could feel how much he cared about her—how much he loves her.
"I will. I'll take care of her for all time." Vibrant mayan blues brimming with honest intent. "Always."
A soft happiness caressed Mary Jane's features. I can remember last year how they'd fight like cats and dogs while Paige was always running away from Silver. But his feelings… They'd shifted into something honest and open and mature and centered on Ena. And Ena doesn't even know how much he wants to hold her hand. She squeezed her fingers into fists. How could she not notice?
"He would constantly find little ways to be around you, remember?"
• — • — •
The focus centered on the dignified and refined Ena as she toyed with her pen and a twinkle entered her eyes. "Even for the most mundane things, I'm sure he was insistent to accompany you. I'm sure he'd find little ways to try to touch you. I'm sure he learned your favorite foods just to share them with you. He'd probably pour hours to learn your interests just so he had another thing to bond with you over. He'd creature situations that would stick you both together. And I'm sure whenever you asked him to leave…he'd beg to say."
• — • — •
"Jibun ni ii wake shite…! Kokoro wo gomakashite wa…!
It's funny. That day, I was trying to bring up to her how Silver was acting towards her, but in the end, she had me remembering…all the times Igneel acted towards me. Mary Jane remembered how annoyed she felt when Igneel pounced on her at the guild. I remember how he'd always surprise me. She remembered him ducking her lightning bolts when he came through her window with his fangy grin and takeout. And how you'd come visit me with food whenever I worked late. Another memory hit her of him goading her about music. And you even listened to the heavy metal bands I liked to talk to me about them. And then—
"Please don't make me go away," a half-sob beseeched, croaked and cracking. "I'm sorry. I don't want to fight anymore. Please don't make me go. I'm sorry."
And then… Scarlet-cerulean glinted with despair. You'd beg to stay.
The vocaloid belted, "Kita tashikana ai no uta…!"
I was cruel to you, Mary Jane thought. I didn't care how kind you were. I didn't care about your feelings. I just…hurt you over and over again.
The harsh words she spat came back to bite her. "I don't need you! I don't want you! And I don't ever want us to be friends!" That past fury stung her. "Stay the Hell away from me!"
And still, you…
"I'm sorry… Please..." Tear-filled onyxes. "I'm sorry… Please…"
Mary Jane could not help it when heat stung the back of her eyes. You'd still stay by my side and smile. You didn't care what I said to you or what I did to you. You kept coming back. You kept…smiling and wanting to be next to me.
"I made a promise." Firm tones. Firm onyxes. "I made a promise that I won't give up. It didn't matter what happened. I'd always come back."
Mary Jane's hand reached out to wrap around the acorn button. But you told me that promise wasn't made for me. So then why…? Why use that as a reason to keep coming back to me? Why?
You've never been my Tinkerbell. The words from Igneel's letter strung together in a love song. You've always been my Wendy.
Her fingers tightened. I have so many questions for you that I don't even know where to start. Who are you to me, Igneel? When can I see you again to ask you that sort of question? To ask you…if I really am your Wendy?
"Magare dashita merodi…!" the vocaloid sung. "Yawara kana kodou ni natte…!"
"It will happen in August!" Her grandfather's crazed rant would not leave her. "He won't survive without you in August!"
"August," Mary Jane softly repeated. "August…" Just the word "August" makes me think of…something. But I don't know what. Like it's right beyond reach. Her brow scrunched. August… August…
The vocaloid sang, "Tsutsumi komu hachi-gatsu—!"
"August!"
Scarlet-cerulean widened. Huh? She staggered one step back when something ran into her leg. What…? She turned to see a small boy with bleach blonde hair was hugging her legs. Oh. It's a kid. She smiled. "Hey, little guy. Are you lost?"
The little boy tipped up his head—
LUB-DUB.
Scarlet-cerulean crashed with basalt—
LUB-DUB.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
KRRRRRRR!
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
"It was a special pe—…of time that I…—red with a gi—"
The signal cut in and out like an LV that could not grab a clear hold on the cable. The picture fizzled, and the audio bunched together with static with spurts of clarity, but a man was there with hair dark as knights and eyes that halved with madness and peace.
"It wa…s among—… —th of Augus—"
A beautiful young boy with hair that the sun had colored and the moon had lightened. The boy dressed all proper with his little vest and nice shoes. But his eyes were covered with a black bar as the picture cut from color to a sea of static to color to a sea of static.
"Someho—…you remi—…e of her—…"
Flames. A fire that expunged lies and forced out truths. It did not consume and corrode and corrupt like its demonic nemesis. But it did not nurture the soul. It yanked you down and stripped you bear in its overwhelming aggression to sniff out every truth you tried to hide under a lie.
"Why didn't His Majesty love his child?"
Death never felt so freeing. Madness and depression and brainwashed loyalty and unspoken about longing all melded away into the air as a gentle peace came over. A peace that melted in a breeze of the cusp of change.
"August…"
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
KRRRRRRR!
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
"You're crying."
Mary Jane barely recognized someone had spoken to her. I'm…crying? Shakily, she touched her cheeks to see they had undoubtedly wetted and streams of hot tears came down on her. Oh… I'm crying…
"August!" Bare feet hurried against the pavement. "August, oh, you can't run like that!"
Mary Jane blinked when the little boy latched onto her leg. A sluggish feeling overtook her, and everything felt slow to her. This boy… His name is August?
Panting as feet slapped to a stop. "Oh, goodness! I'm so sorry about him!"
"I…" Mary Jane blinked to clear the fog in her head and registered the little boy in his Magimon t-shirt as he held onto her leg like his life depended on it. "N-N-No, it's, um…" She tried to remember how to speak a proper sentence. "No, ma'am, it's fine."
A sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. Still, I'm deeply sorry about this." A breathy laugh. "My August is just as bad as me when it comes to running off when something catches our attention. It's a bad habit. My husband swore to me it'd get passed down, and now he's having fun telling me 'I told you so'."
"Um…" Mary Jane closed her eyes as the sensation of the city fell back into her body. "No, no, it's okay." She opened her eyes and felt better prepared to speak, listen, and respond. She looked toward the mother. "It's fine—"
She froze.
A wide smile. "You're so sweet."
Mary Jane could barely breathe.
"You'll have to excuse our bad manners. I promise we're not all this ill-behaved." Wavy pastel blonde shuddered as a wild wind barreled down the sidewalk. Nimble fingers brushed down front locks. "The secret is to trick us with sweets. That's how we always ended up on our best behavior." The noticeable ahoge (cowlick) twitched like it agreed.
Mary Jane tried and failed for a response. This woman…
"Oh! I'm being even more rude not introducing myself!" A short woman stood before Mary Jane in her dark-colored sleeveless dress and two hands cradling her noticeable baby bump. Face given a youthful complexion, she looked like a timeless beauty with hair that fell to her knees and wing-like ornaments around her ears. Wide green sapphire looked on in a carefree kindness.
The woman smiled even wider. "I'm Mio and that little one hugging you is my son August." She tilted her head cutely. "It's nice to meet you, young lady!"
"I…" Mary Jane could not avert her eyes from this graceful woman. Why…? Why does she feel familiar? Like she's someone I used to know? Manners drilled into her by her mother smacked her, and she gave a quick smile. "I-I-It's nice to meet you too. I'm Mary Jane."
Mio blinked owlishly. "Mary Jane. Mary Jane." Her eyes narrowed as she pinned Mary Jane with a laser-focus stare. "You look familiar…"
That sharpened Mary Jane. Can she feel it too?
"Oh!" Mio placed a fist in an open palm. "I know! You're part of the Fairy Tail Guild! Oh, wow!" She had an eager fan aura all around her as she swarmed Mary Jane to scan her high and low. "An actual Fairy Tail Wizard in person! This is a dream come true!"
Mary Jane sweatdropped. Never mind. She can't. Her smile went twitchy. "Um, ma'am?" She tried not to cave underneath all the stares they acquired from passersby. "Maybe we should take this somewhere else?"
°•°•°•°
The bookstore was nothing more than a family-owned store, but it gave it that much heart and soul and care. Not many visited the small two-story bookstore outside desperate university students in search of one of their textbooks for class, a high school student on the hunt for their assigned literature book, a curious wanderer, or a loyal patron. Tonight was not that much of a busy night.
HORI-HORI-HORI-HORI!
Mary Jane's eyebrow twitched. Why…?
Mio gripped her large waffle cone with two hands as she finished off her scoops of double chocolate chip ice cream. August settled in Mary Jane's lap with his cup of cookie dough and his kiddie elephant spoon while Mary Jane had a strawberry milkshake in her hands.
…did I let her buy me ice cream?
"I can't believe I'm meeting a real, live Fairy Tail Wizard," Mio gushed, touching her cheek. "And I bought her ice cream! This is a dream come true!"
Mary Jane feigned a laugh over Mio's flowery aura. Yeah, she's definitely a fan all right. "It's nice to meet you as well, Miss Mio. I hope I didn't disappoint."
"Not a chance!" A sharp gleam entered Mio's eyes—the same protective glint J-Pop stans had defending their artists. "You're even cooler in person. There are no words."
"A-Ah…" Mary Jane's smile twitched. "I-Is that so?"
She must be one of those superfans. Scarlet-cerulean darkened. But still. That feeling I got from her when I saw her. She eyed the perky pregnant woman beside her on the wooden bench. It's gone now, but… Just for a moment… It felt like I knew her. And him. She looked down at August. This boy. I saw…something. But I don't understand what.
She gripped her milkshake and pressed her lips together. More questions with answers I'll never get.
"What brings you to Blühenhaven? Wait, no, don't tell me!" Mio looked at Mary Jane with an eager sparkle around her. "You were on a really cool Wizard job, weren't you?"
"Um… Well, yeah, I was," Mary Jane haltingly replied.
"That's wonderful!" Mio gushed. "How did it go? What did you do? Did Fairy Tail save the day again?"
Mary Jane faltered as Ena's injury and the explosions flashed forward. "Yeah." Her hands cupped her shake and lowered it to her knee. "Yeah, we caught the bad guys." But at what cost with Hunters ambushing one of our own?
"It's okay."
Mary Jane blinked and realized August spoke to her as he munched on his ice cream.
"Don't be sad, déesse," August told her. He looked up at her with ice cream slathering his mouth and his spoon hanging out. "Everything will be okay."
That surprised Mary Jane before she softened. "Right." She picked up one of the napkins and wiped August's mouth. "Everything will be okay." Her smile gentled. "Thanks, August."
Mio observed the interaction with her own little smile. "It's funny." She finished her waffle cone and wiped her hands on her napkins. "August isn't that big of a talker. He's not shy. But he prefers to speak when he needs to and tends to avoid people. But it's curious he hugged you and even is sitting on your lap." She tittered. "You must be one special person for August to do all that."
"I'm not that special," Mary Jane dismissed with a twinge taking over the softness on her face. "That's the last thing I need to be these days. I just want to be…normal."
Maybe if I was normal…I wouldn't have so many questions about things I'll never understand. Maybe I could really be—crying onyx flashed before her—someone's Wendy.
"I suppose being 'normal' is an attractive goal," Mio faintly said. "But to be honest, I've always been curious about the outliers of life." Green sapphire fell into a blissful wistfulness. "The repetitive mundane gives you consistency and stability. But what's life with curiosity and finding out what's beyond 'normal'? What's life without a little adventure and abnormality?"
She caressed her baby bump lovingly. "My husband and I hope to show our children that sort of life—pushing beyond the every day and exploring what life has to offer—to adventure—to live. Because to live seeking out all that this world of ours has to offer…"
Mary Jane's eyes widened when Mio gave her a warm beam.
"That'd be an awfully big adventure," Mio told her. "Don't you think?"
A wild breeze tussled through tints of blonde.
"Because to live the way you want"—Igneel's letter drifted through the breeze—"would be an awfully big adventure."
Mary Jane's fingers shook. "Yes." She looked up at the dark sky with her eyes sparkling hints of violet with the depths of cerulean and scarlet. "It would be an awfully big adventure." She tucked a straggling lock of blonde behind her ear. Are you on your own big adventure, Igneel? Are you trying to find answers too?
"Oh!" Surprise dashed onto Mio's face as she palmed her stomach. "I think the baby agrees with me!" She laughed behind a hand. "He's a kicker," she let Mary Jane know. "I don't know where he got the spirit, but I can tell he'll be a handful."
Mary Jane smiled. "Do you have a name for him?"
"Not yet," Mio confessed. "My husband and I have been trying to pick out a name, but nothing seems to be the right fit." She looked at her son in adoration and threaded fingers through his hair. "We have an older daughter we named 'Zera'. She's only two years older than August." She laughed a little. "And she has such a personality. But I picked out her name from an imaginary friend I had when I was little." Green sapphire softened. "It's a little hard to remember now, but I had this little fairy doll I carried around with me everywhere. I don't know why I named her 'Zera'. But I could swear that she was my best friend. And I'd imagined how she'd look if she was real. She meant a great deal to me back then."
Mio went to her bag to get out wipes and start gently washing her son's messy mouth. "August's name came from both my husband and me," she told. "It's a silly story, really. I met my husband at Misses Heartfilia-Dragneel's award ceremony for the first book she wrote." She hummed her mirth as she finished washing August's face. "I was working for a small publishing firm. I was supposed to be acting as a good assistant, networking and all that, but I sort of wandered away."
Mio shot Mary Jane a rueful look. "And I might've lost my shoes in the process."
"Barefoot is the way to go," Mary Jane praised.
"Exactly!" Mio's eyes lit up excitedly. "I know it's indecent, but it just feels so much better to be barefoot everywhere!" She sighed, shaking her head. "My husband ended up picking up a handkerchief I dropped, but when he told me about my shoes…" She pressed a hand against her cheek, blushing. "I couldn't believe such a cute guy saw me like that! How embarrassing!"
Mary Jane laughed behind a fist at Mio's antics. "But it worked out well for you."
"That it did." Green sapphire twinkled. "He's a novelist, my husband. After I met him…it was like my adventure was just getting started." She thumbed her stomach. "We took to traveling for research on his new book, and we saw things I never thought were possible. We met Wizards with extraordinary powers. We went to places filled with such diverse culture and people and languages." She tittered. "And the food was always delicious and exciting," she added in good humor. "But none of those adventures would've happened if we hadn't met that day in a month that means change. And that's how we named our son—"
"August."
Green sapphire connected with scarlet-cerulean infused with violet.
Mary Jane's lips curled into a delicate smile. "That's a beautiful name," she murmured, "from a beautiful story."
"Thank you," Mio appreciated. "Some of our good friends find it a little sappy, but… That month changed so much for us." Nostalgia for such a precious time gleamed in green sapphire regard. "For a long time, I wondered what was out there—what I was missing. I worked much during my youth, so I didn't have much time to explore. But then meeting that person… It was like…like…"
"Like…you'd been given a second chance at life," Mary Jane filled in as something warm expanded in her chest. "Like you had been living before, but…now the real adventure started."
"Exactly." Mio gave Mary Jane a curious and knowing onceover. "I take it you've met that person too?"
"I…" Instinctively, Mary Jane played with her acorn button charm. "I… I don't know. I don't…think so." She could not keep the sadness out of her smile. "My dad would think I'm too young to have that sort of person, anyway."
"I disagree," Mio offered not unkindly. "There's never a right or a wrong age for things like this. Feelings can expand and evolve as we evolve, but any person can have that sort of person." A subtle breath. "I met my husband when I was seventeen. Some people don't meet their person until they're in their twenties or thirties or even sixties. And some are lucky enough to find them when they're children. It's not up to us to decide if it's right or wrong for someone to meet that person. All that matters is that the love they share is genuine."
"'Love'?" Such a strong word bewildered Mary Jane. "Who said anything about love?"
Mio tilted her head with knowing in her green sapphiric stare. "No one." She added gently, "But your eyes speak for you."
"My…eyes?" Mary Jane lightly touched her face. "What…? What do they look like?"
An ember stirred.
Something in those greens shifted in a mature affection, a kinship, and sadness. "Sweet fairy… Those eyes of yours… They tell me you understand the truth." Her dainty hand came forward to touch Mary Jane's brow and curve down to her cheek, and Mary Jane's lashes fluttered before she closed her eyes. "You're hiding because it isn't time yet. This part of the journey you have to do alone. But you know, little fairy. You've known ever since that fateful day in August."
The ember nudged the stones to warmth and heat.
"You've known, little goddess…"—delicate fingers trailed to circle Mary Jane's hands coveting the acorn button—"how much you love him."
The stoked embers burst into flame.
Mary Jane's eyes open and flared violet, spearing into serene green sapphires. A heavy exhale left her, but she could not look away from this stare that held so much wisdom, so much sorrow, and so much love. "Who are you?"
"I am Mio," Mio told her gravely. "But I also am who you think I am, Mary Jane Dreyar." She curled her hand tighter around Mary Jane's own. "Trust in this feeling. Because this feeling is the strongest power you could ever know. It is stronger than the imbalance inside you."
Mary Jane's bottom lip trembled. "I can't control it—"
"You can," Mio softly insisted. "You can when you trust this feeling." Green sapphire mourned. "You've been hiding because you're afraid. Because you want to protect the ones you love. But you can't give in to fear. You have felt that unconditional trust and love once before. And you will again. That conviction will give you the power you need to control and bring balance."
"I-I-I—…!" Mary Jane roughly swallowed. "I… I want to—"
GA!
LUB-DUB!
"Nnngh!" Mary Jane cringed as pain sprung about her head and tears sprung into her eyes. It felt like a battering ram was bashing her skull and she keeled over with August looking at her in worry.
Mio held steady. "Trust it," she pleaded.
"I… Nnngh!" Mary Jane bit her lip when her heart constricted, and she could feel that crawling sensation of violence and chaos thickening around her. "I-I can…feel it…" She shook her head with a wet suck of breath. "I can't…control it—Ah…!" The urge to purge her late lunch was strong when that baleful presence singed her inside with bloodlust and destruction and madness.
A heated breeze swirled around them.
Mary Jane's eyes widened in panic. "No!" She could feel flames press around her with that heady scent of smoke and spice. No! No, please, get away! She tried to clutch her head with her hands—
—but Mio would not let her go, determined. "You can overcome this, Mary Jane. Trust in that feeling."
"No!" Glossy violets pleaded with steady green sapphires. "Pl-Please! I-I-I can't—!" She winced when the swarm of warmth tried to shield her. Get away! she begged. Get away before she takes over!
A growl was the response, insistent and low.
She could feel those poisonous claws of scarlet try to lash out and use her body to do so. It was that pull—that force. I can't…let anyone get hurt because of me, she whimpered. I can't… I can't…
"Mary Jane." A motherly soothe overlayed all the agony ripping Mary Jane's mind. "You will never control this power if you don't trust in the unconditional bond you share."
"I… I…" A moment of calm washed over Mary Jane as cowardly violet met maternal green sapphire. And she breathed those fateful words. "I can't."
The fire went out.
It felt like time and space had stopped when Mary Jane's eyes closed, and she surrendered everything to go back under—to hide. It was like not even the world could breathe and would wait out to see what happened next.
"Mmm…" Mary Jane's brow furrowed and twitched. "Nnngh… What…?" She stirred and took in her surroundings only to jolt. "Oh my gosh! I must've accidentally dozed off!" She clapped her hands together and bowed her head. "I'm so sorry, ma'am! I-I-I'm normally more polite than this!"
"Oh, no need to worry!" Mio beamed, waving a hand in dismissal. That heaviness in those green sapphires vanished for a youthful glow. "You did have a mission before, right? I'm sure you're exhausted from that."
"I guess." An embarrassed laugh. "Still, sorry about that." Mary Jane took out her Compact to check the time. "Ah, I promised my parents I'd be home right after I finished up the report. And I have to check in with my guildmates. I'm so sorry to cut this short, but I need to go." She set down her milkshake to move August onto the spot she had preoccupied as she got up. "Thanks so much for supporting Fairy Tail. I'm so sorry I have to go."
Mio giggled. "Please, it's okay! I'm just honored I got to meet a Mage of Fairy Tail! Your guild is so famous and you do such amazing work around Fiore! Thank you for your service."
"It's no problem, ma'am. I'm happy to do it!" Mary Jane swiped her milkshake with a smile. "And please. If you ever stop by Magnolia, you're welcome to bring your family to the guildhall. Tell whoever is at the bar that Mary Jane Dreyar sent you and your food is on the house."
Mio's smile slipped a little. Dreyar…
"Oh, no! I better get up in the air! Even with my Flying License, I still have to follow curfew since I'm not seventeen yet." Cerulean glowed around Mary Jane as she levitated. She offered a shy well. "Well, goodbye!" And she pushed herself into the air, ignorant of the jaw-dropped onlookers gaping at her.
Mio watched Mary Jane streak into the sky, inquisitive. That name… Dreyar… Her hand settled over her heart. Why does that name…invoke such sorrow?
DING-A-LING!
"Mama, Mama, Papa got me a new fairy tale book!"
Mio turned with a beam as feet slapped against pavement. "That's great, little fairy!" she enthused. She pulled August onto her lap just before her daughter could ram into the bench. "Which fairy tale did Papa get you this time, Zera?"
Zera grinned and looked like a troublemaker to the core with that grin. She carried angled eyes of peridot that were always lit like she was plotting something naughty and got thick, wavy black curls tied into twin ponytails with red ribbons and her own ahoge like her mother. But that orange springtime dress looked endearing on her.
She held up her new book and proudly declared, "He bought me 'Peter Pan' this time! And I'll get to read it all by myself!"
"Very good," Mio tittered. "Is Papa still inside?"
Zera huffed as she hopped onto the bench. "Mmm-hmm!" Her eyes greedily took in the cover over her brand-new fairy tale. "He said he'd be out soon, but he really wanted to make sure the store had the book he wanted."
"He's quite determined to find it, isn't he?" Mio chuckled. She stroked August's hair. He's always had such a passion for books and writing. I wonder what will inspire his next piece…
"She had pretty eyes."
Mio blinked down at August. "Who did, sweetie?"
"The nice goddess," August said as he looked up at his mother with those large basalts. "She had really pretty eyes, Mama."
Mio hummed as she brushed back August's bangs. "You mean that Fairy Tail Wizard from before?" She looked up. "She did have beautiful eyes, didn't she, August?"
(Mary Jane pierced through the night with a smile on her face and her cerulean aura glowing around her. She got past the city limits of Blühenhaven with ease and the bright lights and big city below her were exchanged for a steady suburbia where the stars felt a little more comfortable to peek out from the night sky and watch what the humans did.)
Green sapphire sparkled. Her eyes once held such sorrow when we met. But now…
(Mary Jane laughed as she did a barrel roll in the air. A gay feeling awoke inside her, freeing and lively and full of boundless energy. She scarcely recognized the subtle warmth she tunneled through as she turned onto her back.
Starlight imprinted onto hues of scarlet and cerulean…but something had changed.
Subtle hints of violet etched into those eyes of her.)
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
'…her eyes… They hold the beginnings of love.'
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
DRIP.
It was the echoes that started it.
Echoes that came in whispers from languages that could not exist. Echoes that came in twisted and despaired cries. Echoes that came in angry grunts and shouts. Echoed that came in amorous sweet nothings.
Echoes.
Always the echoes.
DROP.
"You cannot ask this of me!" came an overpowering snarl. A memory sanded into the darkness with feelings of betrayal and anguish so deeply wound to the memory that it would choke someone. "You cannot!"
"Great Sage." A tired feminine sigh rooted with a front of strength and backed with hopelessness. "You told me you would abide by all orders that befell upon you by me. This is my last order to you."
"You ask too much of me." Jackknifed fury to hide utter despair. The roar echoed and echoed in its passion.
"I have never asked for more than you could give." A soothe to ruffle agitated feathers. Subtle praise. A tide to smoothen disturbed sand. "You will do as I say."
"You order this of me as a queen?" A desperate attempt to ignite an argument, to stave the inevitable, to stall the coming pain.
"No, Great Sage… I ask this of you as your savior and friend."
A telling silence resounded in the darkness. But the emotion gnarled and tangled. Betrayal and distress were prominent as they battled for dominance and anger that those emotions were invoked in the first place seethed beneath. But reluctant acceptance rose from the depths alongside a grief that could sustain lifetimes.
"I will do what you say." The defeat tasted wrong. "I will serve as her protector as you wish. But your second ask… I cannot do it in succession without assistance, as much as such a confession of weakness angers me."
"Fear not, Great Sage." The echoes were growing distant, but something new grew. A mother's touch drifted over doughy flesh and the smells of brightness and milk and warmth and a newborn permeated the air. "For you will know the proper heir is under your protection. She will not be born alone."
A mother's kiss pressed against a brow.
"For she…"
The echoes whispered and rallied and argued and cried.
"…will be born with a king."
• — • — •
Ena's eyes cracked open with a subtle grunt expelling. She blinked, but she had enough strength to keep her eyes at half-mast. Her body felt a little sluggish and weighed down as though paralyzing her and forcing her to lie on the bed. A subtle orange glow flickered to light the room, but she did not recognize the ceiling and the bed beneath hers did not cater to her back.
"Mmm…" Ena fought against her lethargic restraints, but she managed another grunt and a subtle shift in her body. Where…am I…? Those dark browns flickered downwards to see a shirt covered her up in a deep-sea blue—not a shirt she recognized. What…? She tried to move her arm, but her shoulder twinged, and it made her hiss. My shoulder…
"Mistress. You're awake."
A bout of déjà vu came over Ena and cleared some of her dragging exhaustion. "Silver…" She moved again, but her shoulder held her back from furthering her attempt.
A plate and glass settled onto wood. "Let me help you, Mistress."
Ena felt like a doll when cool hands slid against her back. She winced, an ache biting her when her shoulder was moved, but she was propped up against pillows and got a better look at her surroundings. A blue bedroom imprisoned her with J-artist posters of AFTERGLOW and EMPHASIS and Young Nation. A bulletin board was nailed to the wall with pins of tickets and brochures and flyers with a prominent calendar showing it was the month of April. A subtle hint of paint mocked the room, and clothes needing to be hanged compiled into a laundry basket.
"I brought you dinner and some pain medication, Mistress."
Ena inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. "Thank you. I'll take the medication now."
"Yes, Mistress."
Ena kept working on her breathing as a bottle rattled and a capsule bopped open.
"Here, Mistress." He spilled the sleek pill into the hand of her good arm. As she took it, he told her blandly, "You might feel woozy and won't remember anything once it takes effect since it's a Wiccan-made medication." He offered her water and waited for her to get her fill before taking the glass back.
Ena wetted her lips as shifting went onto the side. "Thank you." Her eyes flickered to see Silver had rolled over his desk chair to be at her aside, forgoing his stealth suit for a comfortable t-shirt and shorts. But his expression was masked behind a blank façade.
This… This is just like before. He looked like this when I woke up after the ambush. Dark chocolates softened. But now, I understand why.
"Silver," she softly called, "what happened?"
Silver's hands clenched. "The arrow that nicked you was dipped in Anti-Ether and possibly something else," he reported, tone dead. "Miss Wendy came by. Since whatever that arrow was dipped in had Anti-Ether, she couldn't use a spell. She has pain medications and she'll come by with some potions. She helped me change you and clean the wound."
Ena hummed. "Why am I here?"
"Miss Wendy said she has to report a Hunter attack to Master, Mistress," Silver explained, blues dull. "I know how much you don't like worrying your mother, so I brought you here to rest so you could have time to figure out what to say."
"Thank you." Ena could not explain the gratitude she felt for such an action. "The assignment?"
"Mary Jane completed it and sent me the forms for us to give our written statements," Silver said. "We were awarded a bonus that will be deferred to Monday, and the client is satisfied."
"Very good." Ena closed her eyes for a moment for a soothing breath. "Silver."
Silver's spine went rigid. "Yes, Mistress?"
"Thank you," Ena breathed. "This is twice now you've saved me, and I couldn't be more grateful for your courage and bravery. So you have my thanks for tonight. I know that I can count on you to be my shield."
Silence.
Before, Ena thought, I was blinded and prideful. Her distasteful response to her own personal tragedy during Savant Hall came back with the wall Silver built up and the loneliness that chilled her. I couldn't see that Silver was by no means someone who pitied me or would stand on the sidelines. I couldn't see that I wasn't alone. But now…I couldn't be more thankful I wasn't alone and that he cared for me. And I hope I can convey that.
"Four times."
Puzzled, Ena opened her eyes, half-lidded, and looked at the hunched over Silver with his bangs covering his eyes. Silver…
"Four times." Silver's nails dug into his palms as he gritted his teeth. "The first time was Gary."
A lone boy in a cold room starting listlessly at his walls with dead ceruleans.
"The second time was Cade."
Cade crumped on the ground with his chest unmoving and his hand that had tried to reach out fell limp.
"The third time was Miss T'oree."
T'oree face down with her massive red hair tangled and her body lax and lifeless.
"And the fourth time…"
Blood plunged onto grass. Scarlet hair entangled and yanked. Pale skin marred with wounds. Fallen swords of sun and moon.
Nails dented skin and were close to drawing blood. A neck vein bulging.
Ena's eyebrows drew together in concern. Silver…
"All those times," Silver said in a tight voice as though restraining a harsh emotion, "I did nothing. I was useless. My own brother was dragged away to be tormented. I watched Cade and Miss T'oree get shot before my eyes. You were beaten. And I did nothing."
Ena maintained her silence.
"And this time, I was there." Silver's shoulders shook. "I was there. I was at your side. I was to be your shield. And in the end…I did nothing. You still got injured because of them. All of this power—my promise—and I couldn't do anything." His nails bit into flesh. "So how…?"
DRIP.
A tear glistened as it caressed his cheek.
DROP.
"How can I call myself your shield," Silver shouted, "if I couldn't even protect you when I was at your side!"
Hot tears gushed down his cheeks as he heaved shaky, teeth-gritted breaths to hold back the cries. He kept his head down low and did not care about the pain his nails dug into his palm. He could not stop his tears. He could not stop his self-loathing.
Ena kept quiet.
"M-Mistress… Please don't forgive me." Silver lowered his head even more as his tears fell. "D-Don't…!" He hiccupped as all his anger burned out into grief. He sniffled and tried to dry his cheeks, but it was all for naught when he could not stop crying. "I-I…!" HIC! "I can't…look at you b-because"—HIC!—"I-I don't"—HIC!—"h-h-have the right to l-l-look at you—!" HIC! "I d-don't deserve"—HIC!—"to be n-n-near you—!" HIC! "I shouldn't"—HIC!—"b-b-be your shield!"
Silver sagged and bit his lip to stop a cry. I'm useless. I thought I was getting stronger. I thought I could be her shield—someone she could rely on. But in the end, even when I was there, I couldn't stop it. I couldn't protect her. And now I can't stop crying.
Sheets rustled.
His teeth clamped down harder on his bottom lip as he watched his own tears drip down his chin and onto his hands and shorts. What right do I have now to stand next to her and being her shield?
A shirt bunched up.
That despair threatened to drown him as mayan blues gleamed in self-hatred and anguish. How can I even say I love her when all I've done is—?
Scarlet hair fluttered.
Mayan blues widened.
It felt like time stood still and Silver's body locked down when he realized what was happening. Ena had thrown her arms around him in a loose embrace with his head resting on her chest.
Ena smiled with her eyes closed as she feathered his hair. "I told you I didn't want you to cry because of me again," she told him. "It looks like I've broken my words. You're crying again because of me."
Silver's eyes clouded as his hands scrunched up. "Mistress—"
"I won't forgive you."
His body clammed up.
Ena continued: "I won't forgive you if you stop looking at me. And I won't forgive you for saying such cruel words about yourself. And I won't forgive you if you take back your promise to me. I won't. I can't." She leaned her jaw against his head. "We did everything right—both of us. You can't blame yourself for not knowing what the future holds. In the end, all that matters is that we satisfied the client. And that I'm right here with you, my shield. For you to say you no longer want that title…" She slackened her hold. "If you truly mean that…"—she started pulling away—"then perhaps…I should grant you that wish—"
"No!"
Silver had acted before he thought it through. He hugged her midsection tightly as though hoping, praying, wishing she would not let him go. He nuzzled, tasting her sweet scent, and savored feeling her right here with him.
Ena, however, did not give him the satisfaction of another embrace. "I'm very tired, Silver. So if what you wish is for me to release you—"
"No!" Silver reflexively tightened his hold. "No! That's not what I want!"
"Then what do you want?"
"I…!" Silver thickly swallowed before his shoulders dropped and all his panic and anxiety fell into vulnerability and insecurity. "I just…want to be your shield," he confessed. "I just…want to be with you. I want to be enough for you." He blinked, surprised when he felt hands touch his shoulders and press him away. Hurt and dread churned in his stomach, and he could feel rising panic that this was it—that he was losing everything—but it all stopped when her hands slid onto his damp cheeks.
"My Silver…"
Soft dark chocolates connected with astonished mayan blues.
Ena smiled down at him. "You already are enough for me." She leaned down. "And there's no need to want me…because you have me." Her eyes fell shut as she pressed a kiss against his forehead.
Silver could scarcely breathe.
LUB-DUB-LUB-DUB-LUB-DUB-LUB-DUB!
Ena pulled back as she thumbed his cheeks and searched his eyes underneath her lashes. "Tonight didn't change a thing for me. You'll always be my shield. Just as I'll be your sword. It's how we'll live." Her smile, tired, remained. "Never worry that I'll cast you aside again. Because you won't. I very much need you. And I'm very much yours to shield." Dark chocolates sparkled. "And nothing in this world could change that."
Mayan blues glistened. "You mean that?"
"I do." Ena rubbed his cheeks. "I'm yours, Silver, for all time—always."
LUB-DUB-LUB-DUB-LUB-DUB-LUB-DUB!
Silver's jaw clenched as he rumbled, timbre smoky and low, "Mistress… You should be careful with what you say to people."
Ena blinked, her exhaustion mixing with her confusion. "What do you—? Oh!" She had not expected Silver to surge off the chair and with her strength still faltering, she expected pain to radiate from her shoulder. But it surprised her when Silver made sure her descent onto the bed was slow and soft enough that it did not jar her injury. But still, the fog of dreariness and bewilderment did not help her understand. "Silver—"
"Saying words like that… Do you even understand what you're saying, Mistress?"
Ena heard something in Silver's tone, but she was too depleted to decipher it. "Silver, I…" Her breath caught when he hovered over her. Even underneath all her sleepiness, she could see those glowing blues and something serious fueled them. And something else she could not figure out. "What are you…?"
"You said you're mine, Mistress," Silver softly hissed with something inhuman running in an undercurrent in his words. "Don't you know what words like that do to a person? You shouldn't say such words carelessly."
"But I didn't say them carelessly—" Ena's body twitched only just when she felt the full force of Silver's proximity. Heat splashed her face and all those walls she prided herself on deserted her in reckless abandon for a tingle to shiver down her spine. Intoxicating rain and the beach surrounded her and drew her into a lawless tizzy. What is…this…?
"Such a cruel mistress," Silver silky rumbled. "Saying words like that so recklessly… Those are words that would drive anyone crazy."
"But I…" Ena stutter-breathed when she felt fingers drift down her cheek and jaw. The moment the fingers brushed against the juncture of her neck and shoulder, it felt like lightning struck. I… I don't understand… "What are you saying, Silver?" Her tone wobbled, disoriented, weak. Gone was all the strength of an iron-hearted mistress. "Speak clearly so I can understand." A lungful of rain and ocean dizzied her, and more heat flushed her neck. What is…happening to me? A side effect from the arrow?
"You smell so sweet, Mistress." A husky purr brushed over her ear. "Did you know that? You always smell sweet."
I…smell? He can smell me? What should have alarmed her dulled into a nonexistent warning. Thoughts were hard to scourge up and verbalize. All she could do was breathe, "Silver…"
"You're so cruel for telling me you're mine, Mistress." Skin touched skin. Cheek to cheek. His nose trailed her jaw. "I wish you meant those words to me. I don't want you to say those words recklessly to someone else."
"But I won't," fell from Ena's mouth like it was automatic.
"Mistress really is cruel." His nose brushed against hers. "Telling me you're mine and that only I get to hear those words… Mistress, you don't understand the effect that has."
"I…" Ena's lips trembled when she could feel how close his were to her own. "W-W-Wait…" Her tongue felt thick and tied. Everything felt too hot. "You're…t-t-too close…"
Silver held where he was. "Mistress," he breathed. "If I told you I was yours, would you understand? Would it drive you crazy too?" His fingers caressed her jaw. "Would you let me do something I've been wanting to do?"
Ena made a noise that registered as a whimper. Words failed. All she would do was feel. And she felt him overwhelm her with that heady scent of rain and ocean as he trapped her there, woozy and weak. I… I can't understand… Why do I feel so hot? And my heart…feels fast. What is he…? She could feel his lips close in. Why would he…?
"Ena…"
That soft growl made her lashes lower. He's…so close… I don't…understand… Her lips parted. Maybe… His hand palmed her cheek. Only a whisper held them apart. Maybe…I…
A switch flipped.
KUSU!
Silver paused, jarred. What the—?
The entire mood crashed when Ena burst into rancorous laughter, smacking Silver's shoulder in her fit of untamable mirth. "Haha! You should try that on your lucky lady because that was good! Haha!"
TICK!
Dammit. Silver had shadows covering his eyes as he watched Ena roar with laughter. The pain medication kicked in.
"Ooo, what's this?"
Silver gawked when he saw a flashing outline of Ena beneath him, but Ena's physical person was gone. She moved so fast!
Ena giggled as she opened a dresser draw and coo, "Ooo, aren't you bold?" She giggled even more as she held a red speedo. "Looky here! You're so daring—!"
"Don't touch that!" Silver grabbed her swim speedo with a bright red face, steaming pouring out of his ears, and stuffed it in his drawer. It's not like I don't wear this for swim meets, but for her to see them might drive me to an early grave.
"And what's this?"
Silver gaped, horrified, when Ena held his boxer briefs up with a rainbow waistband with a rainbow across the rear that said SPANK THE RAINBOW and she giggled, "You wear some wild undies, Silver…!"
"Give that back!" Silver clung to those boxer briefs and was ready to dig his own grave and fill it. I knew not throwing these away after that PRIDE party would bite me. But they're some comfortable. Dammit.
"And what's this?"
Silver wanted to die when Ena found his hentai shirt (a t-shirt of manga girls giving many salacious and suggestive expressions) and his East High Musical karaoke microphone. Someone just murder me.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
15 minutes later…
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Silver panted as he barricaded his closet door with his body, hands on his knees. How…is she so fast when she's injured? Did I accidentally give her drugs or something? He gathered his breath and tried to collect his thoughts. She has to be tired out from all that.
"Ena," he said carefully as he rose to his height, "I really think you need some rest—What are you doing!"
Ena had gotten up her shirt and exposed her toned abdomen and panties. "I'm hot," she complained. "I want to take it off." She tugged it up further and the bottom of her breasts started to show—
"NO!"
Silver shoved down the shirt with firm hands and could have passed out with how red he had gotten. "Keep your clothes on!" he scolded. He crossed his arms, huffing. "You can't just take off your clothes whenever you want! That's indecent! And I'm a man! What were you thinking just stripping in front of me?"
SNIFF.
"I'm… I'm sorry."
Silver looked up—
Tears cornered Ena's eyes as she sniffled with her shirt sliding to expose one of her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Silver," she whimpered. "Please don't be mad at me." She sniffled again as a wholesome and sparkling aura surrounded her. "I'll be good for you, okay? So please don't be mad?"
Silver's jaw dropped as a dreary aura surrounded him. What the Hell is going on here? How is she acting like this after one pill of pain medication?
It struck him.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Back in Episode 22 from Silver's Point of View
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Chibi-Luna sat before him with rosy cheeks and big brown eyes. "Oh, E's in our room," she explained. "She said she had a headache, so she wanted to rest for a little bit before she headed over to Lamia Scale. She doesn't like taking any sort of pain medication since it makes her all wonky."
She cupped one side of her mouth and loudly whispered, "Honestly, whenever she would take medication, you wouldn't believe how much she acts like she's drunk. She's bouncing off the walls—it's crazy!"
"Ha!" He remembered barking a laugh at that. "Like Fernandes would ever take the stick out of her ass and loosen up that much."
"Hey!" Chibi-Luna fed him a stern look. "You just wait. One day, you'll have to deal with E going off the rails due to pain meds and I'm going to laugh at you and say, 'I told you so'."
• — • — • — • — •
Silver was down on all fours, depressed. Lulu warned me and I didn't listen. This is karma. He could imagine miniature Luna's tweeting at him repeatedly I told you so I told you so I told you so!
"Silver? I'm sleepy."
He puffed as he got to his feet, eyebrow twitching as kept his eyes closed. If I don't look at her, maybe she won't affect me. He roughened his tone and grumbled, "Then go to sleep. That's what I was telling you, like, twenty minutes ago." He turned his back on her. "Look, you can sleep in my bed. I'll be downstairs on the couch." The quicker I'm away from her, the better it is for my health.
"Silver, wait."
He stopped when fingers pinched his sleeve. He tried to be strong and hold a stiff upper lip like he had seen Ena do countless times. Don't look back, don't look back, don't look back. But like the fool he was, he turned his head—
"Please don't go." Ena had crawled to the edge of the bed to cling to his sleeve. A darling pout worked her lips with her eyes large and inviting as her shirt sagged to expose her uninjured shoulder. "Please, Silver," she pleaded breathily. "Won't you come sleep with me?" She leaned closer—
Silver found himself sweating when the shirt he had lent her started dipping. Her shirt…
"Keep your eyes up," Shoulder Angel Silver instructed him in song with his cherub toga and lyre. "Treat her respectfully. She would not normally consent to you staring at her body."
Shoulder Devil Silver grinned and drawled, "You can stare at her body respectfully." He goaded an eye-twitching Silver, "Come on. You know you want to. You've seen 'em before. Why not again? They're right there…!"
"Please, Silver?" Ena splayed a hand on his chest, doe eyes blinking up at him. "Sleep with me?"
Silver closed his eyes and banished his imaginary shoulder council. He loosely took hold of her wrist. "Ena." Those firm blues captured doe dark chocolates. "You need to rest," he told her, no-nonsense. "I'm not going to play games with you. You don't even know what you're saying."
"Yes, I do," Ena told him. "I want you to sleep with me."
Silver forced his huff to transition into a long sigh. "I can lay with you if that makes you feel better, but I'm not going to touch you."
"But…" Ena's fingers slipped down. "What if I want that?"
"You don't." Silver kept his tone consistent and stern. "And even if you did, I don't. All I want is for you to get some rest so you can heal. You're injured, Mistress. Please let me put you to bed."
Ena smiled lazily. "You called me 'mistress'. I like it when you do."
"Then let's go to bed, Mistress. It's late." Silver was delicate when he maneuvered to help Ena lie down on the bed. Turning off his desk lantern was a matter of a simple spell, and the bedroom sunk into darkness. He carefully laid down on his back, letting him and Ena brush against each other but not touch. "Are you comfortable, Mistress?"
"Almost."
Silver stayed still when Ena turned over to cuddle on his chest and made no room to return the favor. He asked, tone unyielding, "Better, Mistress?"
"It'd be better if you'd hold me."
Silver sighed. "Mistress, you don't know what you're saying." And his heart was swelling and breaking all at the same time from interacting with this side of Ena. "Please rest. We have a lot to do tomorrow."
"Mmm, 'kay."
Silver exhaled through his nose and looked up at his ceiling. His hands clenched and his jaw went taut. What the Hell was I thinking? I almost kissed her. It doesn't matter how much her scent and those words made me kill. She doesn't like me like that. I shouldn't have done that. Loathing punched his stomach. I'm disgusting. What's wrong with me?
"Silver?" Ena sleepily slurred.
"Yes, Mistress."
"I hope that young lady you're in love with returns your love."
Oh, how his heart broke and every part of him wanted to run to Luna and cry. But he forced his tone to be even as he simply stated, "Thank you, Mistress. Please rest." Heat pinched his eyes, but he held himself together and took deep breaths. She'll never love me, Ena, because she's you, he wanted to tell her. And you said you never want that for yourself.
Something hit him. Wait…
He shut his eyes. No. Don't do it. Don't do this to yourself. Don't make it worse. His mouth moved before he could stop himself. "Do you think you'll ever love, Mistress?"
It was done. The question was out into the open.
He waited with bated breath for the answer.
"No." Ena's voice sounded soft, exhausted. "I don't."
That was all it took.
Silver's heart sliced and heat pricked his eyes. All his pining, all his longing, all his love—it would meet a stone wall that had no weakness.
"But…I could."
A pivot. A change.
An answer with a second part.
Silver capped a lid over his overflowing hope. "Really? Who…?" He licked his lips. "Who could you love?" But when all he received was empty silence and steady breathing, he panicked a little and prodded, "Mistress?"
Silence.
LUB-DUB… LUB-DUB… LUB-DUB… LUB-DUB…
Silver muzzled his wilting disappointment. She's asleep. I should let her rest. She needs it. Master will probably storm here tomorrow. Mom and Dad said they'd hold her off. I know Ena doesn't like to worry her mom, but…I don't think she knows how much her silence worries her more. He turned his head to look at her in all her sleeping beauty and scarlet hair.
"I'm yours, Silver, for all time"—sincere dark chocolates—"always."
Ena… Did you mean it? Did you mean what you said? That you're mine? Silver's arm came up to wrap around her waist and his thumb shifted a lock of scarlet from her face. Because I'm already yours. If you asked me to be yours, you don't know how happy it'd make me.
Ena sighed and her nose twitched.
"Please remember," Silver whispered to her in a near-beseech. "Please remember what you told me. Please remember you said you're mine…and that you could love. Don't forget it." Please remember. Please. Please say those words to me again. And then I can tell you I'm yours—every part of me. His lashes fluttered when he kissed her brow and whispered against her skin, "Please remember you're mine, Mistress."
Ena's cheek twinged and she snorted, but that was it.
Silver turned back to the ceiling. All the tender love and affection he held for Ena evaporated into a steep and lethal coldness that brought out the inner predator in those blues.
"Tell Nightingale…she owes a debt to the Colonel."
I'll remember. Silver tightened his hold on Ena. Don't worry.
And laying on a folded towel beneath his bed…
I'll remember.
…was that poisoned arrow.
The party had wound down for the little ones as parents scooped them up and said their goodbyes to their kids and bed. The young and older adults stuck together as the older generation huddled on the porch to speak politics or share funny stories of the past as the music crooned sweet and low. The young adults had broken out into Cards Against Humanity that was already earning rancorous laughter for the lewd suggestions that filled in the blank for the black card.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Greer Residence
Bougainvillea Township
Fiore, Ishgar
11:27 PM FST
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Nashi came into the kitchen and sighed. Man, I'm tired. I feel so old. She yawned and covered her mouth as the back door slid open and Adrienne stepped inside the house before sliding the door shut after her.
She smiled at Nashi. "Have we overwhelmed you yet?"
"Not in the least," Nashi promised. She moved over so it was easier for Adrienne to get to the plated cookies. "I've had a lot of fun. Everyone is so welcoming and inviting here." Her smile turned sheepish. "Guess I've been so busy that now I'm starting to tap out before midnight."
Adrienne snorted as she chewed on a cookie. "Tell me about it. Nights like tonight are a rare one. Normally, I'm passed out by now." She and Nashi exchanged warm chuckles as she crossed an arm under her chest. "You're always welcome over, Nashi, really. We could all use more family." She rolled her eyes. "Even if my daughter isn't acting like it right now."
Nashi snickered. "Do they always sneak off?"
"They try to be discrete about it, but a mother knows these things," Adrienne sighed, shaking her head. "One of my older sisters kept telling me I needed to send Tesla to a catholic academy or an all-girls school since she thought it was 'improper' Tesla was intimate." She shrugged. "As long as she's safe and happy, I'm not going to stop her. And on top of that, I like Jaxton." She smiled a girlish smile. "Especially when he comes over to mow the lawn shirtless. It's my eye candy."
Nashi snorted into a breathy laugh. "Oh my god."
Adrienne's eyes gleamed in amusement. "Though Dante and him rotate when it comes to mowing the lawn and helping me out with landscaping." She sighed, placing a hand over her heart. "You should see some of the ladies on the street. They all want to gather to watch the show. But when you get to this age, I guess being a cougar is the new thing to do."
"Oh, no…!" Nashi chortled. "How does Tesla take it?"
Adrienne's grin broadened. "She'll join in since she says it's her right to ogle at her boyfriend."
Nashi shook her head, too amused. "Goodness, you guys are something."
"We certainly are. I like to joke Tesla got all her flirting techniques and boldness from me," Adrienne jested. "She's definitely her mother's daughter. And I wouldn't want it any other way."
Nashi agreed, but the words shifted within her. An awkwardness hung around the questions she wanted to ask and could not force on her tongue. I want to ask her questions about adoption, but it's not like I know her that well. And I should probably wait, right? Wait until I've talked to Gary? But I have a million questions in my head…
"As you know, Tesla's adopted."
Nashi's gaze bounced back to Adrienne. "Right. She told me."
"I'm sure." Adrienne smiled to herself. "She's never been shy about being adopted. To the both of us, it's just our synonym for 'birth'. It doesn't change a thing." Her eyes flickered. "But not everyone feels the same. And that's okay. Everyone has their views on adoption and childbirth. It's not my call to figure out who's right and who's wrong."
Nashi consented to that with a nod. "Right…"
"But if you ever want to ask questions, you're more than welcome to."
Nashi's spine straightened as shock hit her face.
"Tesla might've mentioned something to me before she and Jaxton made a break for it," Adrienne filled her in. "While she can speak of her own experience being the adoptee, she thought you might have questions better suited for an adopter. If that's something you want," she added.
"Yes," Nashi instantly breathed. "Y-Yeah, I just…" Her shoulders went up and down with her next breath. "I feel like I now have a thousand questions I need to figure out how to ask and then get answers to."
"Take your time," Adrienne told her. "You still have a few years until you can legally implement the idea. And even then, you have decades to come to consider any and all of your choices. It's not easy. But it's good to get the ball rolling."
"Right." Nashi bobbed her head. "That's what I'm hoping to do. I think that's part of the reason I'm tired. I have so much on my mind that I feel like I need to sleep some of it off and look back on this with a fresh mind."
"Which you should," Adrienne agreed. "Like I said, Nashi, I'm here to answer any questions you have. And I know other parents who adopted who could help too. All of our experiences were different and our relationships with our kids are different too. We can be a resource if and when you're ready—and the same to your partner should you have one when you're thinking about the process."
Relief touched Nashi's eyes. "Thanks, Miss Adrienne."
"Of course, sweetie." Adrienne came over and gave Nashi a one-armed hug, rubbing her back. "Come back over anytime. We'd be happy to have you." She pulled out with a roguish glint in her eyes. "And Tesla showed me pictures of your partner. Please bring him over any time."
Nashi laughed. "I will."
"And you get home safe," Adrienne instructed with the same maternal sternness Lucy gave her daughter. "Is Diego taking you home?"
Nashi shook her head. "No, I told him I didn't need a ride home." She could see the worry in Adrienne's eyes and assured, "Don't worry. It's a little easier for Wizards to get home. We don't always need cars and we certainly don't have to walk."
"Still, be safe."
"I will." Nashi waved as she grabbed her keys and Compact. "Thanks for having me, Miss Adrienne."
"Thanks for coming," Adrienne appreciated as she walked Nashi to the front door.
After another hug, Nashi jogged down the steps and the sidewalk. She smiled a little when she saw the hullabaloo in the driveway with all the cousins and neighborhood friends. She skimmed over to see Carlisle curled up on Dante's lap, but she internally cursed when she saw his eyes were closed. Dammit. He's been wearing sunglasses all day and now that they're gone, he's asleep. I'll have to wait another time. She made a beeline to Luna, who had her head resting on Gale's shoulder, eyes half-lidded.
Luna perked seeing her sister. "Nashi!"
"Hey." Nashi opened her arms. "I'm heading out."
"Really?" Luna stumbled to get up and giggled a little when Nashi helped her. "Do you want me to come with you?"
"No. I think I'll take the scenic route home." Nashi eyed her sister and took a whiff of her mouth. "How much have you had to drink?" She abandoned wanting Luna to answer and turned her attention to Gale. "What are you drinking?"
Gale held up his water bottle. "Don't worry. I promised your mom I'd take Blondie home," he told Nashi. "And she's having what I'm having. She's tipsy, but she's sobering up fast."
"Yeah, I'm fine," Luna assured Nashi without any slurs.
"All right." Nashi ran fingers down Luna's hair. "I'll come by a little later for conditioning. And you're lucky I'm the one you're working with. Papa did not give a shit if we came home drunk as a skunk at three AM. He'd bang pots and force us up at four-thirty for our morning workout and if we slacked off, it meant we added fifteen more reps." She huffed. "Bastard."
Luna hugged her sister. "Get home safe."
"You too." Nashi squeezed her back before letting her go. She and Dante exchange a nod and she gave a few farewells and waves to the others before walking down the driveway and onto the sidewalk.
Princess, Býleistr called. Are you sure you don't need me to drop you off at home?
No, it's okay. It's dark enough that a flight won't be a problem. Will you be home soon?
I will. I know you wouldn't be able to cuddle without your favorite lion, Býleistr teased.
Nashi snorted. You're just staying behind to catch a glimpse of Tesla.
Hey, the heart wants what the heart wants.
Yeah… The heart, Nashi muttered, sarcastic. You know, eventually, you need to show her your actual form.
Are you kidding me? And have her not pick me up and let me rub my face all up on her ti—?
We're not talking about this. Nashi lessened their connection and felt pulsations of his amusement. She glanced around to see she made good progress away from the party. Darkness tore through the neighborhood since the streetlighting was not mandated and only a few houses had installed lights. This should be good enough. Her walk turned into a jog turned into a sprint. As easy as breathing, her white wings came out with mighty flaps and soon she carried herself into the air.
Maybe it was because flying came to her as easy as breathing that she was not gazing down admiringly at the sights below. When you flew, your eyes were on the ground and the skies. You made sure your surroundings were always clear for your flight path. You had no choice in that matter. You had to be ready at a moment's notice for a bird of prey, for vengeful humans, or the slightest wind change.
Nashi sighed as she hugged herself. Nighttime in spring was always a crisp cool like it was in autumn, but her internal summer kept her skin snug and warm. Cael?
Yes, Little Wing?
Do all Agents want the same thing? Nashi asked. Is there…a right or wrong thing to want?
No. Agents do not want the same things. Just as humans have personalities and likes and dislikes, as do Agents, Cael informed her. At her sigh, he told her, Regarding your plight, I don't have the answers you want. But I find it right that you are considering options for your future.
Of course you do, Nashi sighed again. Did you ever go through this?
No, I didn't, Cael told her. I never had an interest in sex or romance and found both uninteresting.
That surprised Nashi. You're aro-ace?
I suppose so. I never spent enough time studying human culture in that aspect. Most of the cultures I studied had a very different view of personal identity and their society's views on them.
Huh. That should not have perplexed Nashi, but it did. When I found you that day when I was kidnapped…you never told me exactly what happened to you. Or what you were doing before that.
You were young, Little Wing, Cael explained. I hadn't thought it was necessary, but I can elaborate now. The Prosecutor had ordered the capture and death of a notorious Sinful and her young. I had managed to kill the father of the Sinful's child, but I had been chasing after the Sinful for a long time. I came to Earth Land on good intel the Sinful and her child made a home here, but I failed in their capture. Then, I met you.
Nashi's eyebrows knitted together. You killed the dad? Why?
It was a Commandment. When a Prosecutor gives a Commandment, Agents can't disobey. Even Sinful have trouble resisting. It's nothing like us turning into mindless slaves. We have a choice in how we obey the Commandment. But in the end, we follow the Commandment.
And what's a Prosecutor? They're your boss?
There are seven Prosecutors who enact Judgment on those who reach The End, Cael told her. They reach beyond the confines of space and time and work together with Mothers who create The Beginning.
Nashi felt her head spin. 'Mothers'? 'The End'? 'The Beginning'? You're making me regret I asked.
Cael chuckled. We can save this for another time. But to sum it up, Prosecutors are, yes, technically, my 'boss'. They don't handle direct interaction with Agents unless necessary. They live their lives, pass Judgment, and we Agents have our own workload to handle while we live our lives.
Nashi could not help her grin. Wow. Here I thought you all hung out on clouds with harps and togas and everything in golden streets.
No. Though that would be nice, Cael joked. The lore races create to make sense of the abnormal is always a curious thing. Agents and those above us have no actual physical form. But we adopt forms mortals can comprehend. I never cared for it that people thought we were monstrous butterflies or blonde. I'm not blonde.
No need to get defensive, Nashi snickered. But yeah, I can see why people try to make sense of things they can't understand. Hickories sobered. It's funny. I guess I never realized that Demons could be good guys and Angels could be bad until I learned I was part Demon and that Agents weren't necessarily 'do-gooders'. We're all just…people.
Sometimes, to survive mentally, people shift blame onto a group rather than an individual, Cael thought. He hesitated then let his shame known. I suppose I was one of those people too.
What do you mean?
Your Star Spirit is correct that Devils were always considered bad omens, Cael relayed. I've lived many millennia and seen the rise and fall of the cosmos. And in many of those falls, Devils were at the heart. Back then, I was young and foolish. I'd listened to Agents who were my senior about Devils and found them to bring devastation wherever they stepped. I'd seen them with Horsemen. I'd seen them with Demons and Sinful. And they brought nothing but bloodshed. Even upon our finding of your Chosen, I remained wary he would become another plague in this realm.
Oh. Nashi's eyes fell. I see.
Cael streamlined apology and care to her. But once you Bonded with him, I understood his emotions. I understood he, too, understood pain and devastation—that he was a child. And all he wanted was acceptance and love. And your bond to him and my resonance with you made me realize…perhaps I'd been far too judgmental towards races who didn't deserve it. And Devils may be the same as me.
Nashi's lips quirked. And how do you feel about Gary now?
I share Kyler's sentiment you would've been much better with a Phoenix. Nashi burst into chortles and could feel Cael's smile. But I respect him. Even when our wings were gone and our resonance was weak, I could see him through your eyes. And I admired that, even with your bond disbanded, he continued to act as your Chosen. A softness touched Cael's words. And his care towards Igneel was something that knows no bounds.
Nashi slightly frowned. Do you know what happened?
I believe I do, Little Wing. But that isn't for me to share.
I know, Nashi sighed. I just… I never knew Gary and Igneel were close. I feel like I'm missing something there. I feel like…like I might know it, but it's almost like something isn't making the final connection.
All you need to know is that when Igneel had nothing left to live for, your Chosen's whispered words were what gave Igneel the strength to get through another day, Cael commented. None could understand him. But for every day Igneel wished for an unpleasant fate, your Chosen was there to show him love and give him a shoulder to lean on.
Nashi tried to think back on all of Gary and Igneel's interactions in their shared youth. I remember that time. I remember I could feel Igneel's soul slipping away. Such horrifying feelings. To feel life slip away—to watch it before your very eyes—it drove a person into a traumatic spiral. Mama would cry for hours and just beg him to eat or speak, but he looked…so lifeless. But one day, I came home from a job and I saw Gary was there with Igneel. And he was feeding him.
• — • — • — • — •
The focus peeked around the corner and into the dining room.
Igneel hunched forward with dead dark eyes and a face gaunt and withering away. Even his hair had dulled and his skin had grayed. But Gary sat beside him with a soft look on his face as he spoon-fed him. The focus was too far to catch the word, but it mattered little. For whatever Gary spoke lifted something in Igneel's eyes.
DRIP.
DROP.
Tears poured from his lifeless onyx regard.
• — • — • — • — •
Nashi swooped to avoid going through cirrus clouds. All those years without my memories… Looking back now, I understand why Gary made such an effort. I thought he was just strange. It never made sense to me why the guy I used to fight with all the time suddenly chased me around and just…confessed to me out of nowhere. And nothing I did made him go away.
Not like you wanted him to go away. Secretly, you enjoyed his boldness.
You know, I liked it better when you couldn't talk to me, Nashi huffed.
Cael freely laughed. I'm sure you did, he quipped. But it's true. Even though your bond to him was something you couldn't remember, you always had feelings for him. You couldn't understand why you gravitated toward him naturally. And even when you appreciated other men, there was always that crucial disconnect that stopped anything serious from happening.
Ain't that the truth, Nashi muttered. My crush on Misty pretty much plummeted. She hastily added, You can't tell anyone about that.
Cael puffed up in amusement. Who am I supposed to tell? Seraphim is the only one here I can speak to.
Oh. That's right. Something came to her. What exactly do you guys do now? Before, you guys had lives and now, well, you're stuck in the body of a hormonal lady.
Quite the tradeoff, Cael jested in good humor. We aren't bored, if that's what you're asking, and we don't entertain ourselves watching your every waking moment. Generally, we stay in a peaceful stasis unless you need us. Though you are strong enough for me to project into the world.
What? Bewilderment struck Nashi. You could actually take form here?
For a limited time, yes, Cael confirmed. Your strength has improved vastly. The stronger you improved, the stronger my projection would be and the longer I could be projected.
Huh. Nashi mulled over the idea. We'll have to try that at some point, then. She stored away that information for later. Speaking of souls… Another accursed sigh. Cael, about Gary…
Yes. A graveness fell over Cael. I know.
It all makes so much sense when I think about it more and more, Nashi thought. I never thought hard about his words, but they were contradictory. And it makes sense Skade is so quiet now. It makes sense about us meeting in the woods and what I saw. Hickories sparkled in grief. But telling him might break him. But I can't… I can't not tell him. He has to know what he's been doing this whole time. But what if he doesn't believe me?
You must tell him, Cael thought to her softly. Whether he believes you or not is his choice, but you must tell him. Perhaps he already had his own suspicions. Perhaps not. He coped with his trauma this way, and you could see how much it tore at him. Now that he's reconciling with himself, it's the perfect time to tell him.
Yeah. Nashi hugged herself tighter. I know.
The flight back to Magnolia Town did not take that much longer. She welcomed the sight of her home and all its canals. The trolleys had finished their last runs and hid in their stations. Not too many roamed the streets, but the lighthouse park was occupied with amorous lovers. The condo complex came into view, and Nashi tipped her swings to begin her circular descent—
"You haven't seen Gary's studio, have you? You should check out his studio sometime when you're having doubts about him being disappointed in you or resenting you. I think you'll find the answer there."
His studio… Nashi picked up her wings and drew herself up, flapping to keep herself hanging mid-air. He said he owned a building full of studios. She squinted as she looked at her town. Where was it again? She took out her Compact and texted Diego.
« Do you remember the address to Gary's studio? »
It took seconds for Diego to send the address with a follow-up text:
« Remember to look up »
Nashi tapped the address and scanned the directions on the map to compare it to her bird's eye view. Huh, okay… So it's over there. She tucked her arms to the side as she soared away. The building she was after was close to Lake Sciliora with a beautiful view of the moon reflecting onto the water. The building looked well-kept and was an apartment building way back when. She circled her descent until she was close enough to let go of her swings and float down, landing with quiet feet.
So… This is his building. Nashi looked up to see the building had gone up to at least six stories with a clean brick exterior. The balconies all looked decorated with artwork outside of sculptures and some filled with plants. Bucking up her courage, she went to the dual doors and opened them. Oh, wow…
Music hit her ears, some muffled, some classical, some loud and full of rap. The ground floor had been stripped bare of all the rudimentary things, but a mailroom was still available and an office with posted office hours. But the floor looked more like a warehouse space with graffiti thrown up on the walls. Already, a few teenagers had come with their PPE as they outlined new art and listened to a popular rap song. Old couches and coffee tables offered some comfort and even a couple of LVs. She could see that there was a vending machine room all stocked and loaded and unisex restrooms too. But even with spray paint going off, she could not smell a thing.
This is pretty sweet, Nashi realized as she stepped in further. I can feel some of the protective enchantments. He must keep the entire building open twenty-four hours so people can come and go as they please and have a safe place for their art. Her heart sighed. He made them a safe haven. She headed for the elevator and did not have to wait long for the lift. She pressed the button for the sixth floor.
The doors shut and the lift went up.
He told me he converted some of the rooms to practice rooms and music studios for people to play and even rent out to give lessons, Nashi remembered. I wonder how he managed to do this. And how did I never know about this before he told me? I don't even think it was ever told in any of the gossip about him that he owns this place.
The lift stopped, and the doors opened.
Nashi froze.
A cream-colored foyer splayed out before her to lead to Traditionalist-made twin doors, but the design of them was peculiar. The door on the right was pitch black and the door on the left was fluffy white, but the carvings on them reflected each other. The knobs were matted and more intricate than they should have been.
Nashi's approach was slow, and her heartbeat picked a little. The protective enchantments on these doors are strong. They must have a Magic Lock on them to keep Gary's work protected. And he never showed me how to unlock it. She stood before the doors, disappointment filling her. Well… Her hand reached for one of the doorknobs. I guess I'll come back at another time.
Her fingers grazed the metal—
Magenta burst into her eyes.
Nashi snatched back her hand as Magic crackled onto the door with pink and blue symbols and letters she failed to understand as they locked and shifted. Runes? These are runes?
The runes all locked and flashed lavender as clicks and locks popped. Then, everything disappeared and quieted.
Apprehensive, Nashi went for the doorknob again. She twisted it slowly and pushed. The door gave in to her touch and opened for her. Trepidation and subtle anxiety pitted Nashi's gut, but she forced herself to move into the penthouse. A brilliant view of the moon-touched Lake Sciliora could be seen from the expansive windows on one side, but the natural lighting did nothing to help Nashi see the penthouse outside of the outlines of furniture.
Then—
CLICK!
Nashi whipped around to see the door closed without her permission. What the—?
FLICK!
She winced when a few lights turned on, but they kept themselves low and soft as though acknowledging she would be shaken with bright white lights. She blinked, adjusting, but the floor-wide penthouse opened up for her—
Hickories widened, and her hands covered her mouth. Oh my god.
The penthouse looked like an artist's dream. Canvases were being constructed and left to dry, with multiple works-in-progress scattered across the floor. Once the inspiration to finish them was back, they would be finished masterpieces. But those works-in-progress were not just paintings. They were sketches and magical animations and sculptures and abstract street art. On canvas on an easel showed a dotted painting of an intricate butterfly as it slowly waved its wings while sitting on a flower. Another work-in-progress was a still-portrait of an intimate love affair between a warrior woman with skin a rich brown and her loyal white monstrosity of a wolf.
But as dazzling as those pieces were, that was not what caught Nashi's attention.
The walls had been turned into the perfect canvas for a never-ending mural.
Nashi started a slow walk to one of the walls with her collecting every detail of the story painted. He created…all of this?
Her fingers slid onto the wall as she looked at a design she had seen before—a large and intricate snowflake with five large branches. Each branch crafted initials in beautiful calligraphy. This is Gary's tattoo with the initials from his family.
She walked along the walls and saw an interpretive piece of a snake, a little beast, and a horned boy playing in the woods. This must be about Gary's friendship with Orochi and Ezra. She smiled at an interpretive piece of a Magic Show with a faceless Magician with her top hat and cane and sparkles all around her. And this is obviously Dazzler and when he met her at that Magic Show.
She kept moving along the expansive of the penthouse to capture more and more of the stories he had painted. She saw he had painted the happy times, such as when he witnessed Silver's love of swimming. He captured the sad times with Saudade on the ground as a teenager, crying, and Ezra's back turned to her. He captured the oppressive times as he painted a horned and winged Devil boy in a cage with no one to hold him. And he captured the intimate times as he crafted his moments with Igneel, sitting side-by-side, with their hearts shown as cracked, but glue was holding their hearts together to not shatter.
Tears swept in Nashi's eyes when she saw he had painted the weddings he had attended and the relationships he had witnessed and the despair he endured. He painted the rift between him and his family during his youth. He painted his father soothing the horned boy with his battish wings. He painted the joys of Fantasia. He even made room to paint his first memory of Luna, all small and peachy with those big brown eyes.
"Oh, Gary," Nashi whispered. "This… This was your therapy. You couldn't find the words…so you painted." It felt so intimate and invasive seeing Gary express his emotions so vividly with each brushstroke. Different emotions had invoked different painting styles, some modern, some abstract, some impressionism, pop art, photorealism, and surreal art. But he poured out his feelings into the memories he laid on the walls. This was not a mural. This was his diary. This was his therapy, his comfort—
His life.
She wiped her cheeks, smiling. This is beautiful. His art… It's so beautiful. Her eyes shopped around the penthouse, approving, admiring. I hope he's not angry with me I saw this. But I won't tell anyone. This is private. And it's so gorgeous. She found the dual doors. I'd better get home. I'll have to come back later—
"Just make sure you look up." Diego's words came back to her. Frowning, she looked up at the ceiling—
Her eyes widened in full-blown disbelief.
"You'll understand once you see it."
She took a step back and did not register her keys and Compact had clattered to the floor as dumbfounded awe made her freeze and her heart stop for a minute. What is…this? She could not believe what she was seeing.
Because what she was seeing was them.
The memory stained onto the ceiling drew out the Devil boy and the Angel girl as they stood upon their rock tower and oversaw the autumn forest they called home with a pink sunset and distant sails on the horizon. Their fate was unknown, but they held hands as though they knew they would face the uncertainty together. But as the forest was painted, snow started falling onto the ground. The memory shifted in a winter wonderland of pine trees and white forest floors with mountains in the background. A little wooden cottage built itself a home in these wintry woods with the chimney puffing and silhouettes of a man and a woman dancing together stained onto the closed curtains.
As the memory went on, the forest started to see spring as the winter melted in exchange for new growth—new life. The colder the winter had been, the warmer was the spring. The ice and snow had cracked and melted to let the brooks babble and the streams giggle. A doe grazed mushrooms with her young. Photorealistic birds had made their nests and were teaching their hatchlings how to fly.
But spring heated and warmed and teemed with life as a new season came.
Summer.
The forest came to an abrupt stop.
And so began the season of summer.
Bleeding hearts forged a blossoming meadow with their magenta hue vibrant and sky with a subtle pink warming all who thrived under it. Glowing white butterflies entangled themselves in the flowers, fluttering about and sipping from sweet nectar. You could smell a summer breeze gently roll across the expansive of flowers and taste the warmth and comfort of summer.
A stone-washed castle sat in the distance, a spectacular citadel built into a peninsula. It did not flaunt wealth or regality. No, this was a haven, a home. For beyond the castle and its beach laid a glistening crystal-blue sea that would take any sailor on their final voyage to The End, to their own personal paradise.
"Oh my god," Nashi whispered, throat clogged and eyes pricked with tears. "Oh my god…"
Her soul trembled as her summer stirred, thrown-off.
How…? When…? The questions could not come into fruition when Nashi was too overwhelmed, too rattled, too awestruck. She surveyed over the entire story—of their seasons of love—without a breath to her name or a word on her lips. This… I…
As she reached what she thought was the end, more had been added, and she had to see it through.
She wished she had not.
The crystal-blue sea—the last voyage—had sailors.
The boat was small, wooden, but sturdy with its sail. It needed no embellishments or bells and whistles to get where it needed to go. And within that boat was a woman made of magenta as she sat and looked up at her partner, a strong man painted of cerulean, as he controlled the sail and steered them on their course to The End.
Gary's initials had been painted onto the boat to make this piece officially his own. But it looked a little crude, like he had never painted his initials before and this had been his first take on it.
She looked at the date signed on the boat—
"I'm not here to just date you."
Nashi sank to the floor.
"I'm here to fight battles with you, to grow old with you, to live with you and die with you."
Her hands shook.
"I'm here to buy a house with you and we can argue about decorating it. I'm here to tell our parents why they're not having grandchildren. I'm here for us to fight about which family we visited for the holidays."
LUB-DUB.
"We're always going to be fighting for a future for us to live as ourselves. But whatever they say or try to do won't matter. Because we have each other and our family and our friends and Fairy Tail with us fighting alongside us for a future we can share together."
LUB-DUB.
"You will always have me."
A tear splashed onto the floor and disappeared into shards of Magic.
"And I plan to show you better than I can tell you."
She sucked in a watery breath, shaky and sharp. He knew. He knew. And after all this time…he never gave up and even after he knew.
It was one thing for him to say such sweet and loving words. And all of Gary's actions had confirmed his words were full vows rather than empty promises. But this… This painting… This mural… This love letter… It showed how deeply he felt.
Because the date this was signed and finished.
That date that was burned into her—that scarred her.
The date signed was one the first anniversary of the day she had been gang-raped.
"Every time I see you like this, I want to kiss your scars." His soft words played in her ears. "Because I want you to know how beautiful you are. You are strong and you are powerful. And each one of these scars tells me that."
He had known.
He had known.
And he had still painted their seasons of love.
Nashi curled as she felt winter bless her with comfort and adoration. She hugged herself, but it felt like he was there, hugging her, soothing her, loving her. The tears could not stop and neither would how shaken she was, but she did not cry out of sadness and pain.
She cried tears of joy.
Gary… Thank you for still loving me when I couldn't even love myself. Her lips trembled as she watched the lady in pink and the man in blue sail towards The End together. Thank you…my Devil.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Come on now, dance tonight
We can boogie till the morning
There's no plans tonight
Gonna have a good one
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Mio watched as the view passed them by and they traded bright lights and skyscrapers for stretches of paved road and very few cars to bypass or see up ahead. The stars were easier to see without the lights from the city dissuading any of the stars to gloat about their luminescence. She turned to see Zera was knocked out, head lolling and lips parted as she slept. August slept neater than his sister with his head cocked to the side and his chest rising and falling.
Mio's hand curled atop her baby bump and rubbed it soothingly when she felt her husband thread his fingers with her free hand. With a smile on her face, she leaned against the window and let her eyes fill with twinkling starlight.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Seaside no bijo
She's like an illusion
Pinku iro no neon
utsushidasu vision
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
With Gale pulling out in his truck with a dozing Luna leaning against the window, Dante deposited a sleepy Carlisle on the front bench of his truck. Once he was situated and buckled in, Dante rounded to get to his side, settle in, and get them on the road. But he was surprised when he caught Carlisle's face twitch into something unpleasant.
Softening, Dante cradled Carlisle's jaw and blessed a loving kiss on the corner of his mouth.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Himitsu no location (location)
Mabushii refection (reflection)
Hikitsukero attention yoru no nuke dasou
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Mary Jane might have cut the lights in her room, but like she was a little girl all over again, she had hidden herself beneath her blanket with her flashlight and decided to re-read Peter and Wendy with her scarlet-cerulean gauge refracting hints of violet in the background. And as she indulged in the tale of the boy-who-never-grew-up and his partner-in-crime, she never noticed on her nightstand that her Compact lit up.
And Peter was calling her.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Daremoga jealousy ni naru hodo ni sexy
katate ni wa Hennessy katachi dake tipsy
yarikata wa classic-hin yoku majestic
yokeinamono wa hora nugisutete sa
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Tesla was dead-asleep. Not even a hurricane would wake her up. A dreamless slumber was exactly the sort of compensation she needed for the rude awakening she had early in the morn.
Jaxton was dressed in a tight black t-shirt as he crouched by her side, eyes glowing yellow-amber. He studied her—his life, his light, his weakness, his strength, his hope, his future—before pressing a long kiss on her brow. But it was all too soon he pulled away and drew himself up to his full height. And without another word, he left.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Come on now, dance tonight
We can boogie till the morning
There's no plans tonight
We gonna have a Good One
Mizugiwa no playground
Konna kyouku wo play
And we can dance tonight
Hey we gonna have a Good One
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Luna blearily cracked her eyes open.
A low groan escaped her from this unanticipated awakening. Going back to sleep was not an option but being fully alert and awake did not seem possible. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and forced herself to sit up. A yawn escaped her. She took a moment to realize she was asleep in her bedroom and, somehow, she had managed to put on pajamas and braid her hair before her slumber.
But someone was missing.
Luna sleepily looked at the foot of her bed to see it empty. Icarus? Her fatigue dissolved into worry with her missing Celestial Spirit. Icarus? She crawled forward to see if he fell asleep on the floor—
A flash of white breezed in the corner of her window.
Luna turned, curious, and looked out the window when puzzlement captured her seeing Icarus vanish into the forest. Icarus? She opened her window to call him back when—
GAO…!
Luna's eyes widened. That howling… Could it be…?
°•°•°•°
The eastern forest during the night was musical in a sense you heard nature's nocturnal buzz. Owls took off for their hunt to feed their fledglings. A flying squirrel climbed up to a branch before launching into a glide. A fox lapped from a stream to quench his thirst. Two badgers went through the underbrush to get back to their den.
Paws galloped through the forest and crunched the grass beneath it.
The moon had scurried away her clouds to bless this night with her ethereal grace and light. Even the wind had remained stagnant, unwilling to give an updraft or a downdraft, but it kept the night cool and comfortable.
TATATATATATATATA!
A possum carried her litter back to the den.
TATATATATATATATA!
A mouse washed its face before quickly scurrying for cover as a bird of prey swooped overhead.
TATATATATATATATA!
Paws stepped steadied into a canter then a trot and then a meaningful walk. Icarus was careful in his mighty form with his white fur drizzled in stardust and his gait dominant, tail high, chin lifted. His teeth curled as he gave a commanding rumble before stopping in the small clearing.
His ears perked.
He waited.
A low growl hit his ears.
Blue connected with yellow-amber.
A white wolf came from behind the streets, large and muscled. But his head fell low with his tail still and close to its body. He met Icarus' strong gaze for a few moments before it dropped, submissive.
It was Icarus who closed the distance. The white wolf stayed still, bending, subservient, when Icarus prodded his fur, sniffing, scenting, fur brushing fur. He made sure to scent this male, sniffing the undercarriage, but when the white wolf made a partial rumble, not liking it, it yelped when Icarus bared his teeth and gave a warning growl to be still.
The white wolf froze.
Icarus took his time making sure to scent this new male before stepping back, expectant. The white wolf, body low, crept forward to brush their fur, imprinting, familiarizing, showing his obedience. Curious, he tried to sniff Icarus' stomach, but a well-placed bite on his ear made him stop, tail curling over his leg, and ears back, apologetic. He went back to showing respect and care for this beast of a Star Spirit before retreating.
Blue held yellow-amber.
The change was slow as fur receded for skin as though making sure to exaggerate the shift to show he was no threat. The shape of the wolf descended into the shape of man.
Yang Jang-ta stood before Icarus with that yellow-amber regard, but all his seriousness had been devoured into something he normally felt in spades around Tesla.
Happiness.
"My father told me you abandoned us," Jaxton murmured, tone quiet and careful. "That you had died."
And I thought none of my own were alive, Icarus thought to him. I was stripped from my connection to you all when I had been given a second chance. It was the only way I could exist again. He lowered his head to breathe upon Jaxton's face and his nose touched his brow. How many are left?
"My father and I are left," Jaxton told him. "There are no others." A flicker of sadness raged in his eyes. "And I don't want there to be others."
I understand. Icarus pulled back with his blues shining, rejoiceful and grieving all at the same time. You have Mirzam's scent. I mourn with him the loss. I was not there to guide their Wolf Spirits to the Great Forest upon death. And I can still never be your Guardian again. I have a pup who needs me now. I am now a Star Spirit.
"I understand." Jaxton meant that. "But I still wanted to meet you." His hand came up, and Icarus pressed his nose to his palm.
You are Báihǔ's Child, Icarus recognized. He chose well. He added, And you chose well for your Chosen.
"Thank you."
Icarus looked up at the moon. I must return to my pup soon. He looked back to Jaxton as something passed in those blues. Run with me, Child of Báihǔ. Show me who you are. Without waiting, he sprinted into the trees.
Jaxton exchanged skin for fur and shook his head in his Lycan form of a pristine white wolf before he blundered after him into the trees.
Shaking hands. Oh my gosh…
Luna slowly gathered herself behind a tree, tucked into the shadows, with her eyes blown wide and her trembling hands covering her mouth. Mister Jaxton… He's a wolf. And…he was the wolf in my vision!
And in the distance crowed a wolf's howl.
°•°•°•°
The apse was well-kept and pristine.
The moon burned through the stained glass to show the design on them with each glass displaying a single race that had once populated this realm. From demigods and Demons to Salamander and Undines, all of them bowed in the presence of the glowing woman fashion of white as she clasped her hands in prayer with burning tears streaming down her face. The domed ceiling of the apse painted the flowing woman with a bandage over her eyes as she gave birth to the cosmos, making stars and suns and planets and life.
A cloaked man came down the aisle before kneeling at the altar in reverence. "I have confirmed the Hunter completed our assignment to him, Mother."
"Thank you, High Brother." Mother Clarion stood before the ostentatious stained glass of the lady in white—or Her. "And the report?"
"I have confirmation the Water Mage took the bait," High Brother verified.
"Excellent." Mother Clarion let a finger gloss over her many rings. "Perhaps Father and I were too hasty to want to remove that Mage from the Enchantress. He could be more useful than we thought. It would be ideal for the Enchantress to fall for Nora, but I could see that Mage has a hold on her that prevents her from giving herself to Nora."
High Brother bowed lower. "Should I send for someone to kill the Mage?"
"No. He's needed alive." Mother Clarion moved closer to the stained glass. "If we can wait for the perfect opportunity, we can use him as the final push needed for the Enchantress to come to us willingly. After all…" She stopped. But she did not stop before the stained-glass window of Her. No, she stopped before a different window garbed in green with a warrior of a woman wielding twin swords of the sun and moon. A scarlet mane crossed down her shoulders.
And beautiful winds protruded from her back.
Thin lips pulled into a closed-mouth smile. "Even the great Titania fell for a knight."
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Come on now, dance tonight
We can boogie till the morning
There's no plans tonight
We gonna have a Good One
Mizugiwa no playground
Konna kyouku wo play
And we can dance tonight
Hey we gonna have a Good One!
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
KACHAKACHAKACHAKACHAKACHAKACHA…
Gary remained glued to his DAL in the study as he typed and processed and studied. He had no choice but to work late into the night. Backdoor messages boards all theorizing about the mysterious laboratories was on one screen while another struck up research about the unnamed serial arsonist responsible for countless deaths of Wizards who had rare powers. His report needed to be finished, and he wasted no time making sure every sentence of it was important.
But on the corner of his desk was a present he received long ago.
It was a potted bleeding-heart flower cloaked in a delicate frost, its beauty immortalized and timeless.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
— • — • — • —
Wanna see you move like this
I like it, you like it
Side to side, front to back
He likes it, she likes it
Wanna see you move like this
We like it, they like it
Upside-down, inside-out
And it's gonna be a good one!
— • — • — • —
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Have you ever been an in-patient at a hospital?
There was this…certain smell that lingered in hospital hallways. If you pushed past all the body odor, a clinical smell lingered, stagnant and unpleasant, but you grew used to it the longer you stayed in the hospital.
The main lights had been cut off for the night. Normally, in a hospital, the rooms were cracked open a hair to ensure should a patient make an odd noise, help could come in an instant. But these dense doors had been bolted shut and their window slots had been shut for the evening. No noise from the rooms ever made it to the hallway. That was how it was. Silence was preferred in this place.
Loafers and moccasins stepped down the vinyl hall with no real purpose.
"Doctor, Experiments two-three-five, six-two-one, one-four-one, and three-five-four will be ready for auction," the Assistant reported, dressed in his lab coat with those milky blue eyes piercing through the darkness. "But there is talk among the investors they share displeasure Experiment six-six-six is no longer available to purchase its offspring."
"We can't afford to steal back the Morningstar without a global search and an intense investigation for its disappearance," the Doctor remained in his lackadaisical air. "Not after that farce of a trial."
The Assistant suggested, "We could send someone to collect its emissions—"
"The Morningstar is always on alert," the Doctor interrupted. "It's continuously killing the pets we've released to try and collect any sort of ejaculation for artificial insemination. Those humans will have to be patient about the loss." His hands clenched. "And even if the Morningstar let its guard down for recapture, without the Winter Warlock's approval, we can't reclaim the Morningstar unless we want to destroy our hard work."
The Assistant sighed. "They won't be happy at the auction, Doctor."
"I don't care," the Doctor dismissed. "Let them be unhappy. However"—hands shifted gleaming goggles—"I have no intentions of giving up on breeding more Devils." He paused at a locked door with the Assistant close to his side. "We just need to approach the situation more delicately with the Winter Warlock. I was too hasty in wanting to start the breeding and too eager. Now that the Devil has matured and its mate is the niece of Zeref, I'm sure the Winter Warlock wouldn't oppose to breeding if we promise him the first spawn."
The Assistant nodded and tapped on their tablet. "We're still unsuccessful in recreating the hormones Dragons produced for breeding cycles, Doctor, since we failed to get the Dragon on the breeding mount before it escaped us."
"That project might have been set back, but we acquired what we needed before that little Dragon escaped." A hand went to a latch and slid the small cover open to reveal a darkened window. "Isn't that right…?"
Glowing golds pierced through the darkness. A band of sunstone glared aggressively.
"…Experiment seven-seven-seven?"
Voices of Characters in Order of Appearance
— • — • — • —
Gannon Lynk -
Tesla Greer / Hylia Lynk – Galena White
Jang-ta "Jaxton" Yang – Eddy Yeong
Carlisle Justino / The Catalyst – Eric Scott Kimerer
Luna Dragneel – Brynn Aprill
Gale Redfox – Greg Cipes
Silver Fullbuster – Yuri Lowenthal
Ena Fernandes – Xanthe Huynh
Mary Jane Dreyar – Erica Lindbeck
John – John Michael Higgins
Yoko – Lyrica Okano
Diego Sepúlveda – Matt Ellis
Nashi Dragneel – Laura Landa
Gary Fullbuster – Griffin Burns
Icarus – Christopher Sabot
Adrienne Greer – Carla Gugino
Býleistr – Josh Tomar
Muta – Jason Douglas
Maxim – Major Attaway
Aphtan Ángel – Adam Gibbs
Mystogan Fernandes – J. Michael Tatum
Igneel Dragneel – Bryce Papenbrook
Makarov Dreyar – R. Bruce Elliot
Mio – Leah Clark
August – Brittany Lauda
Zera – Jeannie Tirado
Mysterious Female Voice – Rachel Robinson
Great Sage – Phil Parsons
Cael – Jason Griffith
High Brother – Joe Ochman
Mother Clarion – Linda Leonard
The Assistant –
The Doctor –
• — • — •
Additional Voices
Opening Narrator – Mary McGlynn
Description Narrator – Mary McGlynn
Closing Narrator – Melissa Fahn
— • — • — • —
OPENING SONG
⟪ Walking with You ⟫
Novelbright
Lyrics by
雄大 / 勇太朗⌟
•
INSERT SONG 1
⟪ El Tiburón (feat. Baby Ranks) ⟫
Alexis y Fido
Produced by
Nesty & Victor (Co-exec.), Noriega, and Luny Tunes⌟
•
INSERT SONG 2
⟪ Suavemente ⟫
Elvis Crespo
Written by
Elvis Crespo⌟
•
INSERT SONG 3
⟪ Te Robaré ⟫
Prince Royce
Written by
D'Lesly Lora, Geoffrey Royce Rojas, Yonathan Then⌟
•
INSERT SONG 4
⟪ Rebelión ⟫
Joe Arroyo
Written by
Joe Arroyo⌟
•
INSERT SONG 5
⟪ 八月の風 (August Wind) ⟫
GUMI V3 POWER
Written by
40Meter-P x Mogelatte⌟
•
⌜ENDING SONG
⟪ Good One ⟫
HIRAIDAI
Lyrics by
EIGO, Dai Hirai⌟
•
•
•
•
— • — • — • —
Next time, on Fairy Adventure
•
Episode 111
•
WELCOME TO CARACOLE ISLAND
— • — • — • —
•
•
•
•
SEE YOU AT THE NEXT PACHANGA, FAIRIES...
Start of speech.
This episode was supposed to be lighthearted.
That did not happen.
I am not sorry this chapter was long and emotional and full of serious conversation.
Our heroes are Wizards. They will go through political battles, actual battles, a war, an apocalypse—but they also have to process trauma, grief, anger, abuse, and guilt. None of them come without scars and hang-ups. They have to learn self-love and self-worth. And I will continue to convey both their physical fights and their mental ones.
Mio, Zera, August, and Arius will return in the future—and the newest addition in their family.
Chronicles of Parent's Day and La Pachanga kicked off our next cour—The Spring Break cour—for our fun, fancy, and free arcs journeying into Caracole Island, the important of The Forge, the truth of Ena's Caelum trip, Luke learning about The Tower of Learning, and Shamballa's Silent Action Party where Vinyl's importance and Gajeel and Thirteen's past rear heads.
If you have not read my speech from the previous episode, please do as it pertains to The Disappearance of Igneel Dragneel which will be released as a 12-episode journey following Igneel and how he ties with Ignia, Wander, Arunima, Tiger Lily, Majerlie, and unraveling a fateful act he did in secret for Gale regarding Emma.
COMMENT RESPONSES:
In response to Sidney Martin: As of now, the pairings you have witnessed that are explicitly official will be together for a while. However, I deliberately and preemptively coupled characters because every couple will experience unfathomable hardship in the future through death, chaos, and choices no human being should make. But there are many more pairings who will not see an HEA (happily ever after) that are part of the main cast.
In response to Murtalah: No need to hide what you want to say. I would love to reply to your thoughts and theories.
See you on the island.
End of speech.
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
TRANSLATIONS
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Sinnish → Fioren-Minstrish
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Muchas gracias, bella
Thank you, beautiful
• — • — •
Así son las cosas
It is what it is.
• — • — •
Tía
Aunt
• — • — •
Lita
Grandmother (inf.)
• — • — •
Osito
Teddy / Teddy bear
• — • — •
Están aquí!
They're here!
• — • — •
Tienes razón, nena. Es tan guapo.
He's right, [term of endearment]. He's very handsome.
• — • — •
¡Bueno! No escuches lo que dice Dante. Están totalmente comprometidos, mami.
Right! Don't listen to what Dante says. They're totally engaged, Mom.
• — • — •
¡Híjole! ¡Lo sabía!
Ah! I knew it!
• — • — •
No, lamentablemente no estamos comprometidos, pero lo amo mucho.
No, unfortunately, we're not engaged, but I love him very much.
• — • — •
¡Oh, y habla esiñol también!
Oh, and he speaks Esiñol (Finnish) too!
• — • — •
Cachetes
Cheeks (used for children, predominantly)
• — • — •
Es tan preciosa
She's so precious
• — • — •
Ella es encantadora
She's lovely
• — • — •
¡Mi alma!
My heart!
• — • — •
Cariño
Sweetheart
• — • — •
¿Por qué no has estado alimentando a tu amor?
Why aren't you feeding your crush/love?
• — • — •
Es una gran comedora, tía.
She's a big eater, Auntie.
• — • — •
Changuito
Little monkey
• — • — •
Baila conmigo, papi
Dance with me, Daddy
• — • — •
Tú eres mi tentadroa y mi flaqueza, princesa.
You are my temptation (or you are my temptress) and my weakness, princess
• — • — •
Chelita
Beer or a nickname* for a woman (Depends on the context of conversation)
• — • — •
Tienes una sonrise muy bonita.
You have a very beautiful smile.
• — • — •
¿Quieres bailar conmigo, princesa?
Would you dance with my, princess? / Want to dance with me, princess?
• — • — •
Lita no pensó que durarías una canción si bailaba con tu rubia
Grandma didn't think you'd last one song if I danced with your blondie.
• — • — •
Su alteza
Your Highness / Your Majesty
• — • — •
Cierra el pico
Shut your mouth / Shut up
• — • — •
Ay dios mío
Oh my god
• — • — •
él es mi familia y lo que sea.
He's family and whatever.
• — • — •
¿Para qué chingados era eso?
What the fuck was that for?
• — • — •
No seas estúpido.
Don't be stupid
• — • — •
Gilitonto
Dumbass
• — • — •
Pobrecita
Poor girl
• — • — •
Lito
Grandpa (inf.)
• — • — •
Chingate
Fuck you
• — • — •
Yo mataria tu, bastardo.
I'm going to kill you, bastard.
• — • — •
Gilipollas. Vete.
Asshole / Duchebag. Go away.
• — • — •
Como seas
Whatever
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
Perench → Fioren-Minstrish
• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •
déesse
Goddess