Braille books were not invented until the 19th century and this fic takes place in the 18th century. But just go with it anyway. This fic will be full of historical inaccuracies. P.S, is this story any good so far?
"As the years went by." The puppeteer narrated for the audience. "Jellal imparted to Gray and Juvia his skills as an actor and a musician. But truth be told, performing came natural to the both of them. You see God had blessed them with gifts to make up for the burdens they had to suffer with. Gray despite his deformity, grew up to be tall, agile, and strapping. By the time he was eighteen he was stronger than most men, was an athlete unsurpassed, and he could be a most impressive acrobat."
He then made the boy puppet with his face covered do all sorts of flips and swings which made the children in the crowd laugh.
"Juvia grew to be like the white roses she so adored. Fair, serene, and admirably beautiful. She could sing like an angel from heaven and though she couldn't see, she could somehow dance as gracefully as a ballerina. She was a vision of loveliness if there ever was one. But perhaps what made her the most lovely was that she had a loving and tender heart to match her fragile beauty."
He made the girl puppet with white eyes dance and then hug the puppet with the covered face.
"The three of them traveled all over fairgrounds and market places to perform and sell special lotions and potions. They made enough money to take care of each other and in time Jellal was able to hire a tutor for the blind to teach Juvia how to read and write."
"But how can she do that if she can't see?" A little girl spoke up.
"Well you see there are these books where blind people read by feeling the words rather than looking at them. It's called Braille and once she learned that method, she read as often as she could. It became a very special pass time for her, however her favorite pass time activity was just being by Gray's side. Whether they performed on stage together, ran errands at the market place together, did chores together, or just sat and talked together. She loved him with her whole heart and soul, and she was the only woman who ever really saw him. In her eyes, he was a handsome prince and nothing less."
The blind girl puppet once again tried to kiss the disfigured boy puppet but the latter moved away from the former.
"But alas, Gray did not accept her affections for him or maybe he just didn't know how deep they were, point is he never allowed himself to go past the point of friendship." The puppeteer said. "Because so many people had been cruel to him for his deformity, he found it impossible to believe that anyone could love him. So he never tried to fall in love and he never thought that anyone could fall for him. But sometimes the heart disobeys the mind."
"What does that mean?" A boy asked.
"It means that despite his best efforts to avoid romance, Gray fell madly in love with Juvia. He just didn't know it yet. In fact he didn't know a lot of things. He didn't know where he came from, he didn't know how his face was disfigured, he didn't even know his last name. He had no absolutely no memory of what was there before he met Juvia and her brother. But he desperately yearned to regain that memory, and that's where the main plot of our story begins."
The solider puppet then appeared riding on a horse puppet.
"True to his word, Natsu did set his sights on becoming a solider of true justice. He left for training at age 15 and when he returned to London about four years later, he had become a young cavalier with a dashing manner and a bold swagger. He was respected by men and very much adored by women, though he did enjoy a conquest, only one woman held his heart."
Then he brought up the aristocratic lady puppet.
"The Grand Duchess Lucy had grown to become like the red roses. Blush, bright, and stunning beyond all reason. Though illegitimate, very few held it against her because of her impeccable looks, and it made her an object of lust to many men. But behind that pretty face of hers was immense boldness and wit. She refused to be seduced and remained a virgin."
A third puppet came up and tried to kiss the lady puppet only to be slapped. This made everyone laugh.
"Natsu had just returned to London and it was at the time that once again the poor, crippled, and outcasted were having a fair and it was to celebrate a long-awaited occasion. King Faust had finally died and for people like them, it was a miracle, and they were determined to make this the biggest and grandest fair of the year. One that would celebrate their liberation from a tyrant. Natsu had arrived one the day everyone was preparing for the event...
Natsu Dragneel, now a handsome young man in fine armor, walked through the joyously crowded streets, checking his rumpled map. At his side was a fully grown blue-cat, a Maine-Coon to be exact, and he was just standing there, wondering how long before his master would realize that he needed to ask someone for directions.
"Huh, ya leave town for four years and they change everything." He told the cat. "Now let me see, the closest route toward the castle is on the left. Or is it on the right? What do you think buddy?"
The cat gestured his head toward some on the people in the street.
"I do not need to ask for directions Happy." He said. "I am a highly trained solider of the royal army. I think I can find my way around a city."
"You can't even read the map you're holding." Happy thought.
That's when he noticed that the three attractive ladies who had been admiring the window display of the jewelry store, were now admiring him. Natsu smiled.
"On second thought maybe asking for directions wouldn't be such a terrible idea." Natsu slicked back his hair and approached the young women. "Good morning ladies, might one of you mind showing me around?"
"Oh but we're not those kind of girls." One of them teased while the other two giggled.
"I like all kinds of girls." He smirked.
"Oh please." Happy thought with an eye-roll. "Then again, I can't be surprised. He has spent four years surrounded by nothing but men."
Where Natsu and those women stood, they could hear an interesting conversation going on inside the jewelry store. It was between the clerk and a masked customer who was trying to make a purchase.
"Ten shillings." Came the voice of a customer. "Now may I have that necklace please?"
"Which one?" The store clerk asked.
"The one on in the window display."
"Very well, here you go."
Natsu glanced over at the store window and casually watched as the clerk started to hand the jewelry over to the customer, only to stop and pull back when the customer reached to claim it.
"Something wrong?" The customer asked.
"I've seen you somewhere before, haven't I?"
"No I don't think so. This is my first time coming into this shop."
"I'm pretty sure I've seen you before." The clerk thought for a minute. "Now I remember! You're part of that freak show!"
"Yes I am. Now could you please give me the necklace now?"
"I was wondering why you wearing that mask. You kmow I didn't see you without the first time I saw you, and I've always wondered if you're really as scary as people say you are. Mind taking it off and letting me see?"
"Actually I mind very much. I don't like to show my face. Now again I ask, can you pleas give me the necklace?"
"Of course, after you show me your face."
"I'm sorry but I can't do that."
"Then I can't give you this necklace."
"But I gave you the money for it."
"Doesn't mean I have to sell it to you."
"Actually it does, fork it over."
"Show me your face."
"No."
"Then no necklace."
"Geez what's this guy's problem?" Natsu thought. "Can't he just give him the necklace and be done with it?"
Natsu then saw the customer clench his fist in anger. He sensed that things were about to get ugly and made ready to intervene if need be.
"Alright then." The customer said. "You want to see my face?"
He reached for the back of his neck and undid the scarf, unveiling, the horrifying image and caused the store clerk to scream so loud that he almost shattered the glass of his window display.
"Yes I am a rather good-looking fellow aren't I?" The customer said sarcastically.
"What the hell are you?!" The clerk asked trembling.
"A man who's losing his patience. Now give me my purchase already." He reached for the necklace again but the clerk stepped back.
"You stay away from me! Don't come near me! Help! Help! Someone help!"
Panicked, the customer quickly snatched the necklace and bolted out of there so fast that no one had time to see his face. Natsu quickly went to see the clerk's needs.
"Are you alright sir?" He asked him.
"You have to stop that...That thing!" The clerk said. "He attacked me!"
"With all due respect sir, I saw the whole thing." Natsu said. "He didn't touch you."
"But he stole from me."
"I think you need to get your eyes checked, because he left his money right here in front of you. Nothing was stolen. Just calm down and breathe."
"I've never seen a face so hideous in all my life. He cannot possibly be human."
"Sir if I may gave you some advice, insulting your customers is bad for business."
After that Natsu tried to find that man to see if he was alright but he had completely disappeared.
"Nice to see that some things haven't changed." Natsu said sarcastically to Happy. "People here still have a problem with those who are different like Father always said."
Happy nodded in disapproval.
"You know Happy, at times like these I wonder, who's really the more intelligent species? Humans or animals? Because last I checked, animals don't attack just because of how another creature looks."
"Can't say for certain pal." Happy thought. "But humans are definitely the more complicated species."
"Oh well, we better get going. We don't want to be late."
Then the two continued onward through London, wondering what Natsu would face in his new position as a soldier.