"Why do we have to have one of these again," the man who was getting on my nerves asked.
For the fifth time I growled "For the fifth fucking time I don't fucking know Gajeel! Now stop asking me that or else I'll have to put you back in here and this time it won't take just an hour or two to heal with Wendy's help." Man was this stupid dragon slayer getting on my nerves, right now I seriously regret not saying we should just let the burnt to a crisp (the result of my handiwork) Gajeel heal normally. No I had to let the old Lucy shine through and say we should let Wendy heal him.
Flinching back and away from the glare I just shot him Gajeel sighed again because of the subject we were currently on, a name for our new partnership and it really was a pain in the ass. Sighing I looked up at the resting Gajeel and ran a hand through the hair that ran loosely down my back.
"So let's go through the names we're not even going to think about calling ourselves okay?" I asked this and gave off a tired air that screamed don't mess with me, Gajeel nodded and I had a feeling it wasn't just because he could tell I wouldn't take any of his shit right now. "Well Mira named off a few: Steely Hearts, we both vetoed that one, Team Gajeel, I didn't think that suited this...partnership, Team L, we both didn't like it for different reasons but whatever, I won't even mention that second last one and then the final one Gal sounded too much like a couple name. Did I get all that right?" Gajeel nodded, sticking with the awkward silence of a new partnership. Again a sigh left my mouth and I asked "Would you speak already? This conversation is way to one sided."
Blinking both in a tired and confused way Gajeel returned to what he was before when he knew who I was, when I was Lucy... "Alright, whatever...rocker girl," Gajeel gruffly said. I resisted the temptation to roll my eyes at him, I mean seriously the second nick name I get from him ends in girl too? What happened to the creativity in this world?
Nodding I sighed and leaning back in my chair I asked "So got any ideas...stud face?" Smirking slightly as I said the nickname for him he gave me a grin, a smirk, I dunno something in between and with that I knew our partnership was set in stone.
Thinking Gajeel shrugged and said "I'm not the shrimp or bunny girl." Choosing to ignore that he freely spoke of me I assessed that he either didn't know, didn't care, or didn't think it should matter.
"C'mon after spending all that time with her you must know something!" I couldn't help saying that it just came out, like word vomit.
"She'd say something like Poetic Justice or Celestial Iron or something," Gajeel mumbled, embarrassed he actually could think of something like this, and once again I was surprised he figured out that without my keys what I did was still celestial magic.
"We'll put those on the maybe list, they're border line too girly for my taste and I assume yours?" When I asked this I rose my eyebrow as if I was actually waiting for an answer, all Gajeel did was roll his eyes. Suddenly getting an idea for a name that actually fit our image I asked Gajeel a serious question "How many stages of power do you have?"
A confused look on his face "Like you mean the scales and dragon force and stuff like that?" Nodding I looked at him again for his answer, still confused he answered with "Well there's just physical combat, like yours except less freaky, using just normal moves like the Dragon sword or club, the roar, then there's the scales, then the secret arts, and then finally the dragon force."
"So seven huh?" And when Gajeel nodded I said "The Seven Stages of Hell or Hell Star."
Nodding while still looking confused Gajeel said "That's bad ass and all, but how the hell does that explain our team?"
Smiling deviously at the explanation I was about to give I was just about ready to dance around in glee. The name was perfect, the explanation was perfect and no more stupid debating over how stupid or girly the possible team names were. "Okay well you know how you basically have seven magic power stages? The physical combat, the basic magic, the more complicated magic, your scales, the secret dragon arts, and then dragon force-"
"But that's only-" Gajeel interrupted me and usually I would've glared at him for that but the fact I was in such a gleeful mood because the torture was over killed the glare in it's track. In fact I was probably smiling normally right now, he probably couldn't figure out it was Lucy, but he might. Oh well.
"Six yes, but the fact so we can go into groups instead of just going solo can add to that magic power levelage, so let's go with seven. So with that I have seven stages of power too, put that together and you've got seven as a significant number. Now back to why Hell Star, first of all it sounds good for us and edgy so it suits us, and then secondly you can have a seven sided star so it works too," I stopped talking and took in Gajeel's confused, but getting close to getting all the information I just vomited out. "Now why I asked you about the power levels you have and what Seven Stages of Hell mean. Well I can't explain one without the other so let's just say at Stage one... Actually never mind let me draw it out for you." As I muttered something my finger started to glow and I began to draw in the air.
Stage 1: 1 vs. _ battles, Gajeel & Lucy Physical Combat.
Stage 2: 1 vs. _ battles, Gajeel & Lucy Basic Magic.
Stage 3: 2 vs._ battles, Gajeel & Lucy Complicated Magic.
Stage 4: 3 vs. _ battle, Gajeel Scales, Lucy More Complicated Magic
Stage 5: 1-2 vs._ battles, Gajeel Secret Dragon Arts, Lucy 1 limiter off
Stage 6: 1-2 vs._ battles, Gajeel Dragon Force, Lucy 2-3 limiters off
Stage 7: 2 (Lucy+Gajeel) vs._ battles, Gajeel Dragon Force, Lucy 4+ limiters off
"That should be easier to understand," I said triumphantly, but then my smirk dropped and a frown replaced it. "Well in actuality this all theoretical since we'll probably be in different stages at different times, but this is grouping us together and really we will be on the same stage most of the time since most jobs will only be around Stage 1 where we'll both only be using Physical Combat, maybe upping it a bit if we're bored or angry that day. The only other time we'll definitely be in sync is Stage 7, anything else other than Stage 1 or 7 we'll almost definitely be out of sync on our stage levels. Got it?"
Gajeel reread the chart I had made and nodded and then he said "You seriously thought this up in that random second without any real trigger? Damn I'm impressed Rocker Girl."
"Hey Stud Face you didn't do too bad seeing as you have seven power levels. I probably would've socked you if you just said 'What?' like an idiot or if you said you said you only had one because then you'd be messing with my plans...and that's not the best idea," I said a smile of reminiscing across my lips and a malicious glint in my eye.
"Heh, rocker girl you would've done well in Phantom," Gajeel mused returning my reminiscent smile with a slightly darker version of his own.
Smirking at him playfully I said "I'll take that as a compliment." In reply all Gajeel did was give out a dark laugh.
"You're really something else Rocker Girl," Gajeel said shaking his head his wild mane of unruly black hair shaking with it. I just smiled at him innocently as if to say "Whatever are you talking about?"
"Well now that you've established a name were you ever going to introduce me to our new partner?" A deep voice asked.
I growled "I told you to stop fucking doing that Metalic-" while at the same time Gajeel shouted "Shit Lily-" and at the same time I realized just who it was and my mistake at the exact same time Gajeel realized what I was about to say. Frozen, Gajeel's mouth hung open and thankfully the little fur ball in the corner said something to change the subject that hadn't even started yet.
"Well seeing as my partner is seemingly incapable of verbal communication, hello my name is Panther Lily, you can call me Lily." The little fur ball in the corner with the deep voice said. I could of kissed him because he had changed the subject with such ease, sure Gajeel hadn't dropped it yet, but hey beggars can't be choosers right? Staying silent Gajeel avoided my eyes, either because I was about to say his father's name or because he was lost in thought. Either way I worried because if he didn't drop it either he would find out or I'd have to make him drop it, or if he was lost in thought he would figure out. Whichever way this was going it probably wouldn't end in my favour.
When the silence ended Gajeel looked up at me with intense eyes, the unusually bright irises clouded so that it was now a blood red rather than the more angry red they usually were. I looked back and as this exchange happened Gajeel asked "Were you about to say Metalicana?"
Dear people,
Hello again, I believe the last time any of you heard from me was in the last update of 'My Melody' and those who only read/followed/favourited 'The Hostess' was what? In March? So basically six months ago...? Okay don't kill me! I didn't me to take that long and I'm sorry about the short-ish chapter-
AND HA! I'm just pulling your legs- um well virtual legs... (*cough* awkward...) Well anyways I thought about ending it there but I will continue on because I love you all and I love my virtual life so let's continue the chapter shall we? I promise at least 2000 words from me!
Lost at what to say, my mouth didn't move like a fish, but I kept silent and that was enough to tell him that something was wrong. "Well Gajeel-" I began to say before Gajeel burst into a raucous laughter, and I all I could think is Wow now I'm really confused.
"I'm just playing blondie-" Glare "-Rocker Girl, but thanks for the concern, who'd have thought you'd be the considerate type?" I am so confused right now, but I guess in order to save face I just laughed along, awkwardly, but I did laugh along.
"Yeah Gajeel, sorry about that," I said rubbing the back of my head.
"I mean seriously, I know my father is a sensitive subject and all, but don't worry about it, then again it's hilarious that this friend of yours has the same name, much less you have a friend!." When he talked about his father, my dragon instincts said, well practically screamed Lies, lies, such a little liar we have, and I do have to say I agree with them. Gejeel was totally lying, you could see it in the smile, see the dead look of his eyes, hear the tone laced with a broken heart. But most of all I could see he had figured it out, the secret or at least the dragon secret, and with that came the realization he was giving me a chance to escape being found out by unwanted ears.
Nodding at him I tilted my head to the side and smiled with some cheek, some smirk, some smugness, and some relief all mixed into one expression of gratitude. "Well Gajeel you ain't that bad," Smirking at the usage of his name, the expression he now had on irked me and my plan of words went out the door as I stood up and stretched. Giving him a knowing smirk of my own I said "Well get better soon stud face, you're going to need it with all the food we ordered." Jerking my thumb at the stack of plates at the foot of his bed, already scowling at me already going back to his nick name of stud face his expression of annoyance turned to disbelief.
I smirked as I reached the door and not even bothering to turn the whole way around I gave him a view of a tilted up side profile of my face. I smirked, and letting go of the grip I had on the door I whispered a quiet "See ya," that was brimming with the smug feeling of victory. Hearing a groan and a "Damn you Rocker Girl," from Gajeel I let out a peal of laughter.
Now it's the end! I hope you enjoyed this long awaited chapter (And by that I meant waiting half a year to get it). Um really that's it, I do hope I'll be able to get either a 'TPTDATL' chapter or a 'My Melody' oneshot(s) out this weekend. It's possible, but I'm not sure so don't get your hopes up, I have unfinished homework so yeah. Please review and really all I can say is I hope you liked it and ask did you like this Gajeel/Lucy plus minor Panther Lily chapter?
Donc au revoir!
Clarissa Hunter xoxo