Lucy was in a state of relaxation as she laid back on Midnight's "magic carpet". Gazing lazily above her, she admired the mottled sunlight filtering through the hues of red, yellow, and brown leaves. She inhaled deeply, the air was crisp with the sweet smell of decaying leaves, a hint of pine riding along with the scent that is often associated with the forest and the autumn season. The scenery was slowly passing her by, she listened as small animals scurried about the dry browned leaves on the forest floor as they gathered food. It left her with a delightful sense of peace. She had always enjoyed traveling, even now, despite being exhausted and slowing everyone down.

"Can-it Jasmine, you're not slowing anyone down, keep enjoying the deathly delights of fall," Cobra spoke over his shoulder as he led the group on the path through the woods. "The other saps are doing the same thing you are," he snorted in disgust mimicking a higher pitched whining tone, "Ohhh I just love autumn all the pretty colors and crisp air," his voice returned to it's normal gruff tone, "It's fall who gives a shit, everything dies and then we freeze our asses off."

Midnight smiled and sighed, "Cantankerous as usual" he spoke as he walked slowly beside the slowly gliding Lucy. Leaning slightly down towards her, he added, "He enjoys it as much of the rest of us."

"Shove it up your emo-ass Midnight." Cobra snarled which only made the group chuckle.

Currently, it was Midnight's turn to assist Lucy so he sacrificed his more favored mode of transportation and forced himself to stay awake and walk. It was an added strain filtering and dividing his magic to power his, for lack of a better term, magic carpet. The celestial mage was glad he didn't opt to try and carry her since they were almost the same size and she wouldn't feel comfortable. Lucy's mind mingled back to memories of how Happy would always comment on how heavy she was, while the logical part of her brain knew he was just being a little shit; the emotional part always let it eat at her a little bit.

Cobra turned to walk backward, "That little blue twat-waffle is going to find himself waking up hairless one of these days."

Lucy couldn't help but see the glean in the singular violet colored eye and she just laughed at her mental imagery of a hairless Happy."

Lucy had sat up during the small exchange and she began to focus on the odd sensation of drifting along on the floating material. She had been on Bickslow's back earlier and this was a nice change of pace.

She didn't mind riding Bickslow's back, clinging to him like a monkey, finding comfort in the warmth of Bickslow's tall frame. She had focused on how his body felt moving under her as they walked, the pleasant rhythm of movement coupled with being surrounded by the rich smell that was unique to the Seith mage allowed her to feel a modicum of normalcy. The scent of vanilla and patchouli was something she always associated with comfort and happiness since they had become friends.

Feeling momentarily care-free from being out in the open and enjoying the light-hearted bantering, she admired the views from her vantage point. Particularly, the two taller men walking ahead of her. It was something she allowed herself to do at that moment because it felt like her old self.

Bickslow, who was closer to her, caught her focus first. She was admiring his height, as she so often did, even before her incident. There was something about the way he towered over her that she always enjoyed, he was a pillar of security and protection when she was feeling uneasy and in her moments of feeling cocky and sure of herself, he was trusted partner in crime.

She watched how he walked, his long, strong strides that held confidence in each step. He may have his insecurities around people but he had the most excellent command of his body. The acrobat as agile, athletic, swift, and sexy as hell. She always appreciated his reasonably muscular form, he wasn't overly built but had enough sculpted muscle to support his frame in some of his crazier aerial stunts. Lucy found herself constantly chastising herself for feeling that way about her friend. She reminisced about their workouts from before; how drool-worthy his physique was underneath his ridiculous Camelot on crack getup.

Her attention was drawn to Cobra when he let out a sound that almost sounded like a snort. She didn't miss the tenseness in his shoulders, she was unsure of why though. Her attention now focused on him, she watched his smooth gait as he led the group through the forest. Lucy noticed how well proportioned he was, he had a deceiving appearance. He did not look overly athletic or muscular but he was very well toned.

Lucy remembered watching him in her drug-induced state, how easily he moved with a grace and beauty that was an odd juxtaposition to the fact that there was blood everywhere as he killed and poisoned people with almost a giddy enthusiasm. She knew it should have bothered her, she should have felt something akin to horror but if she was being honest with herself, she felt no shame in remembering how sexy and attractive he was in his element. Even if she was in her right mind, if she was her old self, deep down without admitting it to a soul, she would have been just as enthralled. She wanted to fear that revelation except, the truth was the truth and there was no denying herself that. Even while his very demeanor screamed predator and danger to almost the whole of Earthland, to her he was a haven.

The blonde found herself grappling between her current state of feeling and thinking and the old sensibilities of her former self. It as a battle between pre and post Black Sun Lucy.

The old Lucy would have a problem with admiring both men equally, and she would have had objections to Cobra's disregard for human life regardless of how much they may or may not have deserved his wrath, or how attractive he appeared doing it.

She thought this beaten, recovering version of herself shouldn't allow for her to admire the attractiveness of a man she barely knows or to a very close friend who she hadn't seen in so long, where so much has changed.

Lucy's mind started shutting down, too focused on the fact that it wasn't proper to think such things at this time, or if there even was a time when it could or would ever be proper.

"Fuck proper Sweetness, you're entitled to think about what you want when you want. Ain't nothing wrong with that." Cobra's strong voice pulled Lucy out of her downward spiral, she looked up to see the slayer walking backward again and his violet-eye staring her down.

Bickslow watched the exchange and silently questioned the slayer about what he missed.

Cobra looked to Bickslow with a crooked smirk, "She likes the way we walk." He knew that Bickslow wouldn't be satisfied with the answer, but he also knew the man was smart enough to read the situation. There was a silent understanding that they would discuss circumstances later, along with a slew of other things.

Lucy shook her head, "Can-it Sauron, my internal musings are not fuel for your gossip-mongering." her smile was there but it was not one that reached her eyes.

Cobra walked toward the blonde and scooped her up off the carpet, Lucy not having any energy to object, let him do so. Besides, the second he made contact with her she felt a calm grounding sensation flow through her body which allowed her mind to rest a bit easier.

"I gotcha for a while, Aladdin is going to fall flat on his ass if we don't get him on his trusty carpet."

The blonde relaxed into his arms and leaned her head into the crook of his neck as she curled into his body. He began having conversations with Bickslow and she relaxed into the vibrations of his voice through the side of her head that was against his body. The rhythm of his breathing and words lulled her into a peaceful sleep.

Bickslow looked over at the two and smiled, he didn't realize how happy it made him two see two of his closest friends interacting like this. He felt a very small sliver of jealousy at the fact that he couldn't feel as content as she looked being carried by Cobra.

Jealousy was something the Seith mage wasn't accustomed to, after all, he was Boscan and their culture very different from Fioran culture. Bickslow rolled that small piece of jealousy around in his mind, trying to figure it out. It would be easier to dispose of if he knew where it was directed. Did he feel that hint of emotion because his Cosplayer was receiving comfort from the slayer and not himself or was it that the slayer was giving this small piece of himself to her and not him.

Regardless of which outcome it was, one thing was becoming clear, in the almost twenty-four hours they had been together the dynamic of their relationships among each other had changed during the time that they were apart.

From a small distance behind the trio, Midnight sat with his eyes closed appearing to be sleeping while Wendy walked alongside him holding a napping Carla.

"What do you think is happening there, my dear?" Midnight asked without so much as opening his eyes.

Wendy smirked, "You noticed it too?"

Midnight nodded in agreement, "I noticed it between Bickslow and Cobra first, but in Lucy's presence I sense something even stronger there."

Wendy listened a moment to what her dragon instincts told her, "The three of them fit well together."

The floating reflector mage opened his eyes to look at the two men walking side by side, Lucy's small feet sticking out the side, "Two of them possess soul magic, is there any soul magic in Lucy's heritage?"

Wendy shook her head no, "Not that I am aware of, maybe she has something latent or undeveloped."

"Bickslow and Cobra never had this tension in the air about them before." Midnight closed his eyes again.

"Yea, Bickslow and Lucy didn't have it either. Now that the three of them are together though..." Wendy's thoughts drifted off as she realized both her companions were now sound asleep.

She shrugged her shoulders more to herself than for anyone else and the party walked along relatively silent for the rest of the trip to the safe house.