HELLO! Once again, I have made some improvements to this chapter. Please take time to read it again, a lot has changed and you'll notice it's also a lot longer than before.
This chapter was rewritten on 13/01/17
Prisoner 100977
Lucy waved to her friends before stepping out of the guildhall. She sighed, wrapping her arms around her as she made the short trek back to her home. It had been a year since the last Grand Magic Games and her 18th birthday had passed just a few days ago. Technically, she should be 25 years old, however, due to the seven-year time skip, she was still only 18, despite being born on July 1st X767, 25 years ago.
She hadn't told the guild of her birthday, preferring not to celebrate the day of her birth, considering all the pain she felt on her past birthdays when she was still an heiress. It had been a long time since she had truly felt happy on her birthday; so long that she couldn't even remember any fond memories of her previous birthdays. Ever since her mother had passed away those fateful years ago, her birthdays had always been a lonely affair. The death of her mother had caused her father to become distraught and as a result he had thrown himself into his work. It didn't help that with each passing day, as Lucy grew up, he was reminded more and more of the lost love of his life.
Thus, Lucy had always spent her birthdays lonely, never alone mind you, for all the servants used to try and cheer her up with a celebration. But even with all their love, it couldn't replace the love of her mother and father. Therefore, her 18th birthday was also spent in isolation as she locked her doors and windows, preventing any unwanted guests- Natsu, Gray, Frost and Happy- from invading her apartment with the sole intention of working on a couple of chapters for her story. And for this she was glad because it came as quite a surprise when she stepped out of her relaxing bath and in front of the mirror, only to realise that her entire body was glowing a soft midnight blue colour. Lucy soon panicked before dropping to the floor as a burst of magical energy escaped from her, triggering a flashback from twenty-two years ago to play before her.
For the remainder of her 18th birthday, Lucy sat by herself on the floor in the middle of her average sized, cosy apartment, trying to come to terms with the new information that she'd been given. Firstly, she sat shocked when she heard that she had almost died at the young age of three, and then she was amazed at the fact that like her, her mother had also met the Spirit King. Finally, she tried to comprehend that not only was she a Celestial Dragon Slayer, one who had infused with an actual dragon, but also that she was a part of a prophecy and she, along with the rest of the eight dragon slayers, would once again need to fight for their lives in order to save not only Earthland, but also Edolas and the Spirit World.
Obviously, she was not too happy about the last piece of information. Lucy wandered down the roads of Magnolia, slowly making her way to Strawberry Street before hopping onto the elevated pavement as she tried to balance herself. It was late at night and she knew she should have called Plue out; however, currently she wanted to spend some time with herself.
Lucy growled to herself, scowling slightly. Her magic awakening hadn't caused much of a difference, despite it being instinctive, as Lucy never really used her instincts. Celestial magic wasn't as explosive as Natsu or Gray's dragon slaying magic and she was no where near the powerhouse that Erza was and thus all her battles were based on strategies, which keys to use, how to take down her opponent before they could do much damage etc. All in all, Lucy didn't feel all that much different, the only real changes she'd noticed were her wearing patience as she grew as irritable and domineering as the rest of the dragon slayers. Even though her magic had awakened only a couple days ago, she quite often found herself itching for a fight, wanting to throw herself into the hourly scuffles that rose in the guild, courtesy of Gray and Natsu. That and her appetite had increased drastically, causing Happy to tease her even more about her weight. Luckily for the feline, she had managed to rein in her shortening temper and had refrained from punching the stupid cat in its disproportionately large face.
Lucy features morphed into a slight sneer as she recalled the prophecy about her and most of her friends. She silently cursed fate, Gods, life or whatever it was that kept throwing her and the rest of her precious guild into the middle of the life and death situations she constantly seemed to find herself into. Someone out there must have obviously been out to get Fairy Tail as it was completely ridiculous that they had to constantly fight for their lives every other month. Then again, it probably had everything to do with the fact that Fairy Tail were the strongest guild in the country and holding that title came with many inconveniences, such as dark guilds targeting them in order to win some accolades by beating Fiore's number one guild.
Despite it all, Lucy was angry. No in fact, she was fuming. She didn't think it was fair that a bunch of teenagers, two adults and a thirteen year old were going to be responsible for the fate of the world. Sure Laxus and Cobra were adults, but they had barely lived their lives. Not to mention Wendy, had just hit puberty. Lucy didn't know all that much about Cobra other than the fact that he was locked away in prison for whoever knows how long so she couldn't really judge how mature he was; but she knew Laxus.
In fact she knew him quite well due to spending time filling out the guild's paperwork with both him and the Master so she could earn some extra cash to replace the losses from her jobs due to Team Natsu's destructive tendencies. And while she believed that Laxus was more mature than about eighty percent of her fellow guild members, she still didn't think he'd had the opportunity to truly live his life and enjoy himself; especially considering how broody he was due to the scars left on him by his father. The same went for Cobra, who Lucy doubted had actually spent any time enjoying life in general, considering he was a slave for most of his life and then incarcerated in prison for the rest of it.
Ever since she joined Fairy Tail, she along with her friends had been thrown into so many situations where their lives were in danger, that now every time they would take a job; they almost expected it to go wrong and Lucy didn't think that was even remotely acceptable. They were still young for Mavis' sake, they shouldn't have had to wonder whether they'd make it back alive to their guild mates and family every time they left on a job. If their jobs were S Class she'd understand it, but they weren't. Apart from Galuna Island, they hadn't really gone on any other S Class jobs with Erza not being able to trust Natsu and Gray not to screw it up with their fights and Lucy understood that, because all in all, the two were as childish as nineteen year olds could get, especially when around each other.
Lucy sighed to herself, realising that this time, the prophecy didn't only mean that her and her friends' lives were at risk. This time, the entire world was at stake and once again Lucy scowled to herself before relaxing, her face turning impassive. She couldn't keep pouting and scowling like a petulant child, she'd just have to suck it up and get on with it. Besides, there was nothing she could do to fight this, it was happening whether she wanted it to or not and she knew she'd rather fight than let any of her friends die. The same she was sure, would go for the rest of the dragon slayers; bar Cobra that was, she didn't really know what his stance on this crisis would be. As far as she could tell from what Hibiki had told her was that he had enjoyed being let out of prison and had enjoyed his fight with the Rock Dragon. However, he had also been perfectly fine with her being absorbed into the Infinity Clock so that the rest of the world could be plunged into chaos. So really, his involvement in the matter could go either way; she just hoped it was in their favour.
She knew she should have told the Master about the prophecy by now and she knew she would have to tell him soon because she didn't know when the said 'immortals' would attack. It could be in a few days, in a few weeks, months or maybe even years. Added to that, she'd have to train even more so that she could actually use her dragon slaying magic rather than it being instinctive; she definitely did not want to be caught with her tail between her legs in a fight against a dragon particularly due to how often she seemed to run out of magic power at the worst possible time. Furthermore, she'd need to bring her 'pack' together, ensuring they're able to work with each other. Of this she had serious doubts, since Gray, Sting and Natsu constantly bickered with each other, as did Laxus and Gajeel. She didn't think Cobra really liked anyone at all, and was pretty sure that Rogue was a recluse who was too socially awkward to talk to anyone besides Frosch, despite him befriending the rest of the guild and his fellow dragon slayers.
But knowing their luck, Lucy knew the time would come sooner than later and when it did, she hoped that her friends would be ready to face something bigger than anything they'd ever faced before, including the Dragon King debacle where Future Rogue had set seven dragons loose in order to achieve the title of Dragon King. However Lucy also knew deep down in herself, that there was no way that they could ever be ready to face said immortals. Wendy was still a sweet and innocent child who'd just turned thirteen, Natsu and Gray were too busy fighting each other, all Gajeel wanted to do was train, eat iron and sing. Laxus was just too busy trying to become Guild Master, and she herself was still scowling and cursing everything that had put them in these circumstances.
Mavis only knew what was happening to the last three dragon slayers. She knew Sting was preoccupied being the guild master of Sabertooth and was still trying to surpass Natsu, and Rogue was just trying to make more friends while secretly wallowing in pity due to his future self trying to put the world into despair, at least that's what Yukino had told her. Finally, Cobra, the last Dragon Slayer, was still incarcerated for his crimes and probably wouldn't be getting out anytime soon. She frowned to herself, realising she would need to remedy that soon.
But how?
The magic council already hated Fairy Tail and they sure as hell wouldn't be granting them any favours anytime soon. They'd be more inclined to throw Lucy and the rest of Fairy Tail into prison just for trying to free the Poison Dragon Slayer. She'd have to find a way somehow, maybe they'd be willing to listen to reason considering the world was in jeopardy. But how would she convince them she wasn't lying? She could try getting Stache-face to speak to them but he was busy doing whatever he did in the Spirit World. She could try and get the Princess to put in a word for them… No she couldn't do that again, she'd already asked for Jellal and Meredy's freedom, she couldn't ask for Cobra's too. She'd have to find another way.
Alas, despite the fact that they weren't ready, she knew that would have to be ready, regardless of the fact that they were all still pretty much grown up children in her eyes. Lucy once again sighed to herself before hopping off of the pavement, she was two minutes away from her apartment and right now, she wanted nothing more than to fall asleep in her warm and comforting bed, hopefully she'd have the whole bed to herself, that was if Natsu and Gray hadn't managed to break in somehow. Honestly, she had no clue why the two constantly chose to invade her apartment. Well she had a hunch about Natsu, considering his house was a pigsty and his bed was a hammock, but Gray had an apartment that was pretty nice. Then again, he was probably just trying to avoid a love crazed Juvia who'd break into his apartment every night. That still gave neither of them the right to intrude on her. She'd have to start charging them rent soon enough, Lucy snickering to herself at that thought.
Suddenly Lucy tensed, the strong smell of alcohol, cheap cologne and the faintest hint of vomit filling her dragon senses. She almost gagged, silently sending her deepest sympathy and condolences to every Dragon Slayer she knew, whether they were criminals or children. She didn't know how they managed to deal with the intensely strong smells they encountered every day. She still hadn't got used to the onslaught of scents and sounds that surrounded her, then again, she didn't expect to after only a few days. Lucy silently wondered how she could ever stand to be in the guild anymore, it didn't smell particularly bad the past days, but that was mainly because they hadn't been partying but when they did, she could expect to smell nothing but alcohol and vomit mixed with the smell of her guild mates. She continued walking down the barely lit street while keeping an eye out for the drunken group of men who she knew were lurking around the corner thanks to her sharp draconic sense of smell.
She didn't have to wait for long to spot the small group of loud and obnoxious males who were making their way down the road towards her, their speech slurred as they stumbled along the pavement. She sneered slightly as her quiet peace was disturbed, quickly realising that they weren't mages, just ordinary drunken idiots. She let herself relax, gathering that if they did start anything with her, she could easily take them out. Soon the quiet night air was filled with rambunctious laughter and the group all turned towards her, staggering in her direction, causing Lucy to once again eye them cautiously.
"You know girlie, young hot women such as yourself shouldn't be wandering alone on a night like this" One of the men said, leering at her body.
"Yeah little lady, you never know what sort of trouble you could run into" Another one joined in, the rest of them laughing. As to what was so funny, she had no clue. Lucy raised an eyebrow at them, revulsion and loathing radiated off of her body as she took in their sorry states. She turned towards them, crossing her arms in defiance as they males continued to laugh. She knew she should have silently walked away, but she just couldn't. Her instincts were kicking into hyper drive and her inner dragon was itching for a fight, to be let loose for once so it could dominate the men in front of her.
"And pray tell what kind of trouble could I run into?" Lucy questioned, a smirk playing on her lips as her voice was filled with a mocking tone.
"Well, it would be trouble for you, but fun for us" another replied, he was the biggest out of all of them and Lucy assumed he was the leader of the group.
"You see, you're all alone out here and there's a whole group of us and we're going to have such fun with that delicious body of yours, we'll make you scream for hours" another male commented, licking his lips slightly, Lucy simply raised her eyebrow at them, completely unfazed by their comments. She'd gotten enough of them ever since she'd developed her body. It was both a blessing and a curse, a blessing in the sense that she could use her sex appeal to barter for lower prices or get the opposite sex to do as she wanted; but a curse because it meant a lot of men saw her as nothing but a sex object and constantly wanted to bed her.
"What makes you think that's ever going to happen?" She questioned in insolence causing the males to snicker at her, Lucy's ire rising with every passing moment.
"You can act as tough as you want, but it is going to happen, even if we have to hold you down and take you against your will, you are going to satisfy us. After all, chicks with a body like yours only have one purpose and that is for male's pleasure" The leader reply and Lucy scoffed to herself. All of a sudden, two men appeared behind her, holding her in place as the others all laughed. Lucy kept herself calm in the situation, knowing that she was still in control and could take the idiots down any time she wanted, she just had to play the helpless damsel for a little while longer so she could get the drop on them.
"I suggest that you let me go before you regret it" Lucy gritted out and once again the males snorted to themselves.
"Or what? What do you think a weak and helpless girl like you could do against a large group of men like us?" The leader mocked while stretching out a hand to grope her. Lucy's anger flared and she fell back on her dragon instincts completely forgetting about her Gate Keys.
"I'll show you weak and helpless" Lucy growled out before kicking her legs out, using the leader as leverage to push her body off of the ground. She flipped in the air, breaking the males' hold on her as she landed in a slightly crouched position.
"Celestial Dragon Slash" Lucy called and soon, midnight blue wisps of magic surrounded her foot, yellow and white lights entwined in the wisps, it was almost as if she was wielding the night sky itself as a weapon. The males watched in surprise as she kicked her leg out, knocking out the two men who had restrained her to the floor. Next, she opened her mouth wide; as she had seen both Natsu and Gray do many a time, sucking in the Celestial Eternano from the air. Tiny dark blue lights rushed towards Lucy, filling up her mouth and once Lucy had had enough of her meal she grinned. Her face then puffed out as she quickly gathered Celestial Magic into her mouth before she opened it wide, a gold magic circle appearing before her face.
"Celestial Dragon Roar" Lucy roared and a torrent of midnight blue magic spiralled out of her mouth, the tiny white lights dancing through the magic as it collided with the group of males, quickly sending them through the air before they all fell unconscious. Lucy turned and glared at the cowering leader who tried to crawl away from her. Lucy scoffed at the display before menacingly walking over to him, she grabbed him by the shoulders, causing the leader to whimper in fear as he took in her smirking face, chocolate eyes shining in mirth and sadistic pleasure.
"Please lady, we didn't know you were a mage, I'm just an ordinary guy, please don't hurt me," The leader begged and Lucy sneered, her fangs bared to the man, causing him to let out a small whine.
"You know, in a way, I'm glad you came after me rather than any other girl. At least I can defend myself, if I was anyone else, you would have raped me and so, I don't think you deserve any mercy. Rapists like you should be behind bars" Lucy scorned, the man crying, his neck stretched as he tried to distance himself as much as possible from the blonde.
"Celestial Dragon Wing Attack" Lucy spelled and suddenly her hands ignited with Celestial Magic. The force of the magic sent the leader flying through the air till he crashed into a building, knocking him out.
"Open, Gate of the Maiden, Virgo. Open, Gate of the Golden Bull, Taurus" Lucy summoned and Virgo and Taurus soon popped out, Virgo bowing while Taurus leered, hearts in his eyes.
"Moooooo, you have such a fine body Lucy" Taurus said, admiring his master's body.
"Punishment time Princess?" Virgo questioned and Lucy shook her head.
"No Virgo, I need you to restrain these men. Taurus, I need you to help me bring them to Magnolia Police Station" Lucy said and both spirits nodded as they got to work. Once Lucy had dropped them off at the police station, she once again made her way back home, this time with no disturbances. She sighed as she changed into her pyjamas before crawling into bed and falling into a deep sleep, thanking her lucky stars that for once her male teammates hadn't crashed at her apartment for the night.
The next day, Lucy groggily woke up to someone pounding loudly on her front door. She groaned, her hand reaching for Horologium's key letting out a whine of protest when she realised that it was 6am on a Sunday. She turned to her stomach, burying her face into her bed as she clutched the pillow around her head, trying to drown out the noise. She knew it was futile considering how sensitive her ears were now but it was the principle. She lay in bed, hoping that if she ignored it for as long as possible the person knocking on her door would leave. Sadly, after another ten minutes the knocking had yet to cease and Lucy scowled as she dragged herself out of bed.
Ripping the front door open, she glared at the person in front of her, hoping to channel her inner Erza as best as she could to cause whoever was interrupting her sleep to leave as quickly as possible. However, considering her eyes were still half closed with sleep, she only accomplished in scrunching up her face and ridiculing herself. She assumed that it was someone from the guild who had come to wake her up at this ungodly hour because honestly, who else would it have been? And just as she was about to rudely tell them that they could fuck off and leaver her alone for another couple of hours or they'd be another victim to her Lucy Kick, her eyes opened wide, causing her to stutter. There in front of her weren't any of her guild mates; instead it was Lahar, Doranbolt and an amused Cobra. She gaped at the three males, wondering what they were doing at her apartment as she stuttered.
"May we come in Lucy?" Doranbolt questioned and all Lucy could do was open and close her mouth greatly resembling a goldfish as she stepped aside to let the mages in.
"What is it you need?" Lucy questioned once they were seated and Lahar looked at her pointedly.
"We can speak about that once you have changed and are more decent" He commented, eyes sweeping over her figure. Lucy blushed bright red, realising she was in one of Gray's large t-shirts and a bright yellow lace thong with nothing else on. And considering she was sitting Indian style, Gray's shirt riding high on her thighs, she'd just managed to flash the three men in front of her, her honeypot.
"Uhh yes of course" Lucy said quietly as she grabbed something from her closet and made a beeline towards her bathroom. She finally stepped out after twenty minutes, her only change to the outfit being the addition of some black yoga pants.
"Now Miss Heartfilia, we have decided to release Cobra from his sentence early, he will be on parole for the next three years" Lahar informed and Lucy looked confused.
"What does that have to do with me?" She questioned.
"Obviously, we cannot allow him to simply roam the streets. His release is currently only temporary due to the good behaviour he has exhibited over the past eight years. As to what it has to do with you, well he will be placed in your care for the rest of his parole. He will be joining you in Fairy Tail, as decreed by the Magic Council. You will be responsible for him during the next three years. We will be monitoring his progress over this time obviously, and once we feel he has been rehabilitated we will release him from your care and he will be a free mage," Lahar explained and Lucy turned pale, staring at the Dragon Slayer.
'This is impossible. Someone has to be out there playing with us. After everything I found out ' Lucy thought to herself.
Cobra sat silently as he watched the blonde's mouth twist into a thoughtful frown, her eyes wide as if in disbelief. If only the Council Dogs had taken his magic cancelling handcuffs off him he'd be able to delve deep into her soul and find out just what was rummaging through that mind of hers. How he longed to hear the tortured and despairing souls of people around him once again; or just souls in general. At this point they didn't even need to be hopeless or suffering. He just wanted to hear something other than the loud crackling static that clouded his mind. The last time he'd managed to hear something else was when the Dragons had attacked at the Grand Magic Games, and a whole year with nothing but the sound of static was slowly driving him insane. Sure he'd spent longer with the sound, but it was easy to get used to it after seven years.
However, those small fleeting moments during the Games and when he and the Seis were free, when there'd been a break in the crackling and different sounds, colours, thoughts, instruments and images filled his mind had been both a welcomed reprieve and a horrific curse. It had been so wonderful taking in all the souls of the damned, people crying in fear, other's completely hopeless but none of it was as wonderful as hearing her soul. It had been relieving to know Cubellios was still safe and that the Council hadn't found any reason to lock her up to. However, as soon as he heard it, it had stopped and once more he was locked up. It was unbearable. Having his freedom, being able to take in all the souls only to have it ripped away again. It was pure torture. He would have been better off without hearing them, at least then the crackling static would have been more sufferable.
"Right Miss Heartfilia, that is all that we needed to discuss with you. We have already spoken to Master Makarov and he is well aware of the situation. He has agreed with Cobra being in your care, however you must also agree with it" Lahar continue, Lucy cutting him off quickly.
"And if I say no?" She questioned, cocking her head to the side slightly. Of course, there was no way she was going to refuse the offer, but she did want to know what would happen to Cobra if she refused.
"Master Makarov believes that you will take him in, however, should you not, he will be put in the care of Mister Fernandes. Do you wish to reject the appeal take him in?" Lahar questioned, and Lucy thought it through.
If he were in Jellal's care then he'd still be part of the guild but at what cost? Erza had mentioned that Cobra was also a part of the Tower of Heaven, and if that were true (and Lucy had no reason to doubt Erza whatsoever) then that meant that Cobra was also a slave to a possessed Jellal. There was no way she could do that to him. She may not know the guy, but he was coming out of prison. Did she really want to throw him back to his past keeper? No of course not. It wouldn't go down so well. Possessed or not, Cobra wouldn't take too kindly to Jellal's presence and he'd be even more inclined to deny them any help with the immortals. It would be easier to just ease him into it instead. Besides, Cobra had no clue that Jellal was being controlled and tricked during his time in the Tower.
"No, I'll be happy to take him in" Lucy answered, Lahar nodding as he pulled out a stack of paper. 'Transferal Documents of Prisoner 100977 – Cobra of Oracion Seis to Fairy Tail' was clearly written in bold at the top of the first page. Lucy took the documents from Lahar and placed them on her coffee table so she could read through it later. From the corner of her eye she could see Doranbolt moving to undo Cobra's shackles. She watched as Cobra noticeably relaxed, twisting and rubbing at his wrists. Lucy stifled a small giggle when she saw his ears twitch slightly before frowning at Cobra's wrists, wondering just how long he'd been in the shackles for.
"Good. You will need to fill out and sign these in order to complete the transfer of Cobra into your care legally. We hope they are completed and returned within the next two weeks, or the transfer will have been illegal and we'll have no choice but to imprison both you and Cobra once again" Lucy blanching at the thought of that, "We will check in every few months through Master Makarov keep track of any progress. For now, I suggest Cobra gain his guild mark and join a team. We'd usually recommend him being placed on Team Natsu in order to be close to you, however due to the already destructive nature of your team, he will be placed with Crime Sorcière or any other team willing to have him. Eventually he will need a place of his own, however that is only when and if the Council decide he can be trusted to live alone. We've been informed that the apartment opposite yours is free and we will be making arrangements to keep it that way until Cobra can live by himself. We will take our leave now, good luck," Lahar said and both Magic Council mages left quickly, Lucy following them as as she bid them goodbye. Once they'd exited her home she shut the door before resting her forehead onto it, taking in everything that had happened before turning to eye the Poison Dragon Slayer wearily.
"Alright. It's still quite early and the guild won't be open. Since I won't be getting back to bed anytime soon I'll start on the paperwork. Have you had breakfast?" Lucy asked, Cobra shaking his head absentmindedly. He was far too busy taking in any and every soul that he could. Many of them were still asleep, random scenes and images from different dreams filling his head but there were a few who were up, such as shopkeepers, the fishermen who worked on the river outside Lucy's apartment and a bunch of drunken stragglers who just didn't seem to want to end the night. Lucy noticed Cobra was distracted and shrugged to herself, moving to her kitchen to prepare some breakfast. Hopefully, she had something left in her fridge after Natsu and Gray's last feast at her expense.
"Where are you going?" Cobra questioned, as he watched Lucy walk away, his eyes staring at her deliciously rounded and perfectly sculpted ass.
"The kitchen to make some breakfast. Are pancakes alright with you?" Lucy questioned, Cobra grunting in what Lucy assumed to be a yes. Cobra sat on one of the sofas in the living room, taking in his home for the next three years. It was quite cosy, then again anything would be after eight years in prison, but overtly pink in his opinion. He wondered if he'd be able to convince the blonde to redecorate.
His head jerked to where he'd watched the blonde disappear when the sounds of melodious piano tenors and the philharmonic harp strings assaulted his ears. There was something about the sound that was very soothing, the harmonious song soft and cheerful. Well at least her soul wasn't the same loud and obnoxious as Dickneel's; whose soul constantly clanged and clattered with the sounds of offbeat drumming and out of tune electric guitar strings. The Fire Dragon's soul was as explosive and unpredictable as his personality and fighting him had given the Poison Slayer the worst headache (and earache). But no, the blonde Fairy's soul was comforting and gentle, something Cobra silently appreciated. At least he wouldn't find himself wanting to strangle her just to shut it up.
Moments later, Lucy re-entered her living room, a large stack of pancakes big enough to satiate his hunger twice over in her hand. She moved to sit by the dining table, beckoning Cobra towards the table. He slowly walked over to the cherry wood table, resisting the urge to drool at the food. How long had it been since he'd had a proper meal that wasn't stale or tasteless? Honestly, he couldn't even remember anymore. A curious indigo eye followed the blonde as she retreated back to the kitchen, carrying out a large bottle of syrup, a plate of butter and to his delight a bottle of bleach. Lucy placed the items on the table before motioning for him to dig in with a sheepish smile.
"It's probably not much, but Natsu and Gray almost cleared out all my food so I'll have to go shopping. And I don't really keep any poison around here so I hope bleach will do? I do have some rat poison somewhere but I couldn't find it…" Lucy said guiltily as she smiled at the maroon haired mage, knowing that as a slayer, Cobra would need to regularly consume his element.
She made a mental note to find out his preferred poisons and then keep them in stock. Cobra grunted in thanks before serving himself half the stack, and after drizzling about half the bottle of bleach and syrup onto his plate he took a bite of the pancakes and had to stop himself from letting out a moan at the mouth-wateringly sweet taste. He watched as she served herself the rest, keeping his face passive in order to hide the shock. There was no way she'd be able to eat as much as him; she was too small and far too thin. However, she managed to surprise him when she managed to clean her plate, though he kept his mouth shut about it. He'd learned from Sorano that you never ever criticised a girl's figure or her eating habits. Once they were done, he stayed seated; watching as Lucy quietly cleared the table, his mind turning back to the souls that were beginning to wake up and start their day.
"Alright Cobra, I'm gonna start on this paperwork. I don't really have much to do here… you could watch something on the Lacrima TV or read a book?" Lucy suggested, Cobra shrugging.
"I'm fine" He replied, Lucy nodding with a frown before turning to the stack of paperwork on her counter, grabbing her Gale Force glasses on her way.
"Oh while you're there would you mind drawing the curtain and locking the window?" Lucy asked from her seat on the armchair, Cobra's eye narrowing.
He could tell it was to prevent the Fire and Ice Dragon slayer along with their Exceeds from entering her apartment. The minute he had walked into her apartment he'd been assaulted with the scent of both Dragon Slayers, and listening to her soul, flitting through her memories he could see why. The two managed to break in almost every day and night. He would be able to recognise the smell of smoked oak and amber anywhere, the unique smell belonging to the Fire Slayer while the smell of fish belonged to his feline companion. He could only imagine the smell of peppermint and mist belonged to the Ice Slayer while the scent of tuna belonged to his cat. While the scents of the cats were prominent, the smell of the two dragon slayers was overpowering and he could only imagine why. The two were quite obviously marking their territory, letting everyone know that this place was theirs to protect and defend. Cobra smirked to himself, knowing they'd more than be pissed when they found another dragon slayer's scent all over the place.
He turned his attention back to the blonde, taking in her hunched figure, her lower lip pulled between her teeth as she worried it while pouring over the paperwork. His eye narrowed once again as he felt a strange power emanate from her, it was one akin to his own but for some reason it felt stronger, as if it were more deeper connected to her and something about it was calling out to him. He also noticed that her scent had changed, no longer did she smell like cherry blossoms and fresh cotton, instead she smelled like the raspberries, oleander and stardust. As far as he was aware, scents didn't usually just change of their own accord. Then again, she could have been wearing perfume or maybe she'd changed her shampoo. Either way, Cobra didn't bother dwelling on it. Instead, he turned back to the window, while the curtain was shut; a small sliver was left open. Allowing him to look outside as he continued listening to the sound of Lucy's soul, completely fixated on the jovial melody her soul was currently singing.
Please read and review! Let me know what you thought of the changes if you've read this before and if you think it's been an improvement. I certainly think it has aha