Meredy was glad that her activities within Grimoire Heart at least kept her anonymous. Despite technically being a wanted wizard, she wasn't recognizable to the public as she traveled. This meant that as she sought out a job, there was nothing to stand in her way. However, Meredy still had other issues.

"You said you were…thirteen?"

Meredy nodded. She had walked into a florist's shop in the first town she'd wandered into. Without Grimoire Heart, she needed some type of work and Meredy wasn't certain if her magic would be recognized where her actual self was not. It was best to play it safe and get something that would not bring any recognition to her. The scent of the flowers had brought her to this place and she'd asked to speak with the manager about applying for a position.

"You really should be in school, you know. Why don't you come back in a few years if you're interested, sweetie?" The manager gave Meredy a pleasant smile, while the sensory link wizard frowned.

Meeting the woman's eyes, Meredy shook her head. "It would be more efficient to apply now, while I am here. There is no need to concern yourself with a school schedule. I've completed my education from home." It was as close to the full truth as she could get.

"Don't you still have work to do in homeschooling? I mean…" The woman trailed off, sighing and shaking her head. "There's just certain regulations, alright? We can't hire you until you're older. Only guilds can take in people your age and that's only because of the fact that wizards are just so uncommon."

"But I do not wish to work in a wizard's guild." Meredy met the woman's gaze. "I'd like a job here. The shop smells nice."

"I really am sorry, but there's nothing we can do." With that, Meredy saw the manager walk away, leaving her frowning in confusion. How was she supposed to make a living if people wouldn't let her work? It was a frustrating thing to consider. True, she had funds saved from working with Grimoire Heart, but most of those had been obtained through some sort of theft or assassination job taken quickly for the cash. It would be wrong to use that money if she was going to find a new, more legal way to make a living in her future.

With a sigh, Meredy left the florists shop, walking down the street again. Her clothes were starting to get dirt stains on the corner, after camping out for a few nights on her way here. She really didn't know where she was going and even if she was capable of foraging and fishing for food, she didn't exactly want to live in the forest. While Meredy didn't mind getting dirty while working or in a fight, she definitely enjoyed baths and at least being able to present herself cleanly and calmly. Then, she could occasionally get more respect. With the right outfits hiding her body, she usually even got mistaken for a sixteen or fifteen year old, which meant she didn't get treated like a child.

Maybe she'd find a place to wash her robes later, likely without soap. She frowned at the thought, realizing that it would start smelling to wash them like that; Meredy really needed a job so she could have a place with a functioning bathroom and the ability to do proper laundry. So, without much thought, she wandered into the next store on the street. This one sold clothing and didn't have the same colorful appeal as the flowers, but she would get the job done. Much like before, just the mention of her age had the manager scoffing at her for even considering work.

What really made wizarding work so much more acceptable for children? Meredy had never understood that bit of the labor laws in Fiore. Other countries banned children from work altogether, or they had lowered the age requirement in general. If someone thought about it fully, wizarding work was even more dangerous than any other job they could take. Yes, it gave the child more freedom to choose when to work and on what, but the jobs they could take often involved fighting magical creatures, dark wizards, or just plain bandits and robbers. Fighting was constant in a wizard's life, even for a legal wizard. If the government realized that, maybe things would seem at least a little more fair.

Technically, she supposed they did have a point with the ratio of wizards to nonwizards. Only about ten percent of the population could use magic at all, so Meredy supposed she was lucky. She knew it took time to master magic as well, from experience, but did that really necessitate an exception to the minimum age for working? Meredy sighed, getting turned down once again at the vegetable stand on the street. That one didn't even ask for her age. He simply wasn't hiring at all.

When Meredy walked past the inn, she paused and frowned. Maybe she could offer a trade of some kind? It would be similar to asking for a job, but she'd make it less official, perhaps making them more willing to overlook the laws for her. Stepping inside, Meredy glanced around. The town was small and not really much of a place for tourists. As such, the inn was uncrowded, practically empty in the lobby. People only stayed when passing through, she assumed.

Approaching the front counter, Meredy glanced at the receptionist and frowned. "Excuse me."

"Oh, hello! Sorry, we don't get many guests around here." The woman smiled, meeting Meredy's gaze calmly. "Were you looking for a room for the night? We've got the lowest prices in town."

"You're the only inn in town."

"So?" Meredy's expression didn't change while the receptionist raised an eyebrow. "We're still the cheapest, even if there's nothing to compare to." Meredy was aware of this, but it seemed like a pointless attempt to sell their services. "A thousand jewel a night. Comes with complimentary breakfast and everything."

"Would you be willing to accept work in return for lodgings?" The receptionist blinked at her, before laughing.

"Seriously? Are you really thinking that old fashioned trick will work here?" The woman shook her head. "That stuff only works in novels, kid. We're a business and we operate on money. There's no positions available for a kid."

"I could recharge any lacrimas while I'm here in return for the stay." Meredy frowned. "Well, within reason. All wizards have limits and I cannot say I know how many you use within your daily business."

"You're a wizard? Then go take a quick job and come back with jewel."

"I don't work in a guild." Meredy glared at the woman. "There's no reason for me to do so."

"Making money seems like a good one to me." With that, the receptionist sighed. "I don't know your situation kid, but I really do advise you to go home instead. Runaways never make it on their own."

Meeting her gaze, Meredy shrugged. "True. However, my family is dead. I will work to survive, but I refuse to turn back to magic as my solution." She only knew how to use her magic to hurt others. That was all she'd ever been taught to do, now that she truly thought about her training.

Her words made the receptionist flinch slightly. "Kid…I really wish I could help. But I don't own this place and I'll lose my job for taking an offer like that."

"I understand." Meredy gave a quick bow, before turning to leave. "Have a nice evening then."

"Wait! I could contact someone who can help. I mean, there's an orphanage in Oshibana that'd take you in and find you a home—"

"I don't want to be handed off to strangers who wouldn't understand me." Meredy wouldn't have a choice, not in a situation like that. People would come to meet her and they'd get to decide if she'd leave with them or not. She wouldn't surrender control over her future like that. "This is my problem and I am strong enough to handle it alone."

She didn't know if the receptionist called anyone or not, but Meredy didn't stick around to find out. Instead, she walked across the street, trying to talk with someone in the coffee shop instead. However, things were crowded and hectic, with a line of people waiting to be served. Seeing that, Meredy moved to sit at a table in the corner, watching them work. One person was focused on taking orders, greeting everyone with a smiling face. There must have been some sort of magical communication set up to allow for information to be given to the person making the orders. He didn't pause to hand her anything or explain what was on the order before moving on to the next one.

Watching them, she wondered if it would be faster if both of them could just hear the orders. It wasn't like it was impossible to hear from where the coffee maker was at, but it likely was too faint to hear details. Still, business seemed to halt suddenly with a shout. "The lacrima's down! Start writing orders down, Crow." That was a strange name. Maybe it was a nickname? Meredy had used it for Zancrow before, after all, so it made more sense that she'd shortened his name in some form.

"Got it, Sara." At least the girl had a normal name. Meredy watched them, before sighing and shaking her head. She rose to her feet, walking around the line and approaching the counter, focusing on the girl.

"Would you like help?" The girl blinked, turning around and staring at her. Overall, Sara seemed to be rather young. She had pale white hair, pulled up and hidden away underneath a visor with her uniform. An apron rested on top of her plain outfit, with 'Eternal Life's Coffee Shop' printed on it. "I came to search for work, but no one seems willing to hire—"

"Don't bother." Sara didn't sound nearly so friendly anymore. She just shook her head, scowling and finishing her next drink. "Life is short and I recommend enjoying it before forcing yourself into servitude."

"I enjoy having someone to serve. It gives me purpose, at least while I am still figuring out what I wish to do on my own."

Crow passed back another order and Sara was busy again. It was as if Meredy didn't matter at all with the way she worked. Sara stopped speaking at all, just continuing to run between the serving counter and different machines for making coffees in the back. The sound of a blender drowned out the lobby for a moment while she made a frozen coffee of some kind, before quieting down again. "I'll show you I can be useful then." With a scowl, Meredy lifted her hand. These people were annoying her, completely ignoring her offer for assistance. Maybe she could have fun with this while proving her worth.

For a moment, it seemed as if neither Crow nor Sara noticed a difference with the sensory link. Crow kept writing down orders and Sara just kept making them as she read through the sheets. Yet, once Sara was caught up, that was when Meredy noticed the shift. Sara would start making without the paper, still accepting it later, but staying ahead. The sensory link wizard smirked at that, aware that it was her doing, however neither barista seemed to acknowledge the existence of the link. It was as if they'd felt it before and had no concern at all over why Sara could suddenly hear better, or why Crow must've felt it when Sara spilled hot coffee on her hand.

With a huff of frustration, Meredy turned, ready to pull her magic back if they were going to be so ungrateful. She'd have to try the next town, she supposed, which meant more aimless traveling to figure out what to do next. "I see you are taking my advice." There was no anger or disappointment in that tone, just a simple statement of fact with Sara's back turned towards her. How did she know Meredy was leaving though? The sensory link wasn't broken, not yet, but it was as if she just knew. Her gaze flickered towards Crow, who was finishing the last order of their line. The crowd was clearing out, either taking seats or bringing their coffees with them outside. How long had she been in here waiting anyway?

"I was being practical. If you have no interest in my skills, then I will bring them elsewhere to find work."

For the first time since she arrived, Crow turned to look at her and raised his eyebrows. Unlike Sara, he seemed to be a bit older. There were wrinkles on his forehead and he had long hair, for a guy. The silver strands were pulled back into a hair tie like Sara's, with the same black apron with the name of the coffee shop written in gold on the front. "You won't get her to back off so easily." Crow tilted his head. "Things could go rather poorly if we lose this connection, Sara."

"I know, I know." Meredy frowned, while Sara shook her head. The girl made the last drink and the guest walked past Meredy, leaving the shop. There were other customers inside still, but the store was a lot more quiet without them around. "Congratulations, you get your wish. Waste your life if you want. It isn't my problem in the end."

"No, it isn't." Meredy frowned at her. "Did you not even wish to perform an interview? I thought most jobs did things like that."

"This isn't most jobs." Sara crossed her arms over her chest. "We're a coffee shop. Always, it has been just the two of us running things. We don't exactly need more help."

"Sara." There was a strange warning in Crow's voice, but Meredy didn't know them well enough to understand. Based on appearances, she'd assumed they were friends and little more, though she was questioning if she was wrong. With how well the sensory link worked between them, the emotional connection had to be quite strong. Meredy didn't know if she was comfortable thinking of them as anything other than friends though. Maybe siblings? Family would work as well.

The girl shrugged, before turning to walk behind the counter. "Help with whatever you think you're good for. Clean, take orders, make coffee, I don't really care. If it means I get some time away from this place, I'm all for it."

"For someone who is here daily, you don't seem to enjoy your job that much."

"I've always hated my job." Sara scowled for a moment, before shaking her head. "But, things do still need to get done anyway. This job just happens to be even worse than my last one."

"You complained even more then."

"Because people do stupid things, Crow. Can't you at least agree with that much?"

"You simply don't see things as I do."

"No one can."

"And no one can see things quite like you, either."

Meredy interrupted before the odd debate could continue. "Is there any sort of training you plan on giving me? A specific schedule so I know when to come in?"

"I'll handle that. Managing time and schedules is by far my area of expertise in this place," Crow said. Meredy nodded, moving to follow after him. "I will get you your uniform apron as well. With short hair, you should only need a visor, but if you do grow it out, you'll need to wear it up like ours." Crow continued explaining things for her, while Meredy found herself listening in silence. This was going to be a strange place to work, based on how she was hired, but she couldn't complain. It was work and she wouldn't need to rely on her magic to get through this sort of job at all. No one would get hurt and she would have time to consider what to do next.

"You'll need to smile if you want to deal with customers daily." Crow was serving as her trainer and Meredy had learned that of the two, he had far more patience than Sara. "They are what let us continue to operate and while there is some level of quality required for them to return another time, they will also refuse to come back if we are not friendly with them."

"That seems rather obvious. People don't often seek out an unpleasant experience." Meredy frowned, making Crow laugh.

"I mean no disrespect, but I was only trying to imply that it seemed like it would be difficult for you to manage."

Meredy could smile. It just wasn't often that she had a reason to do so. Making coffee was simply a way to get money so she could have basic comforts and a home. She wasn't exactly passionate about the job itself. "I don't see any guests that require me to smile now."

"Pretend, then." Crow watched her and Meredy sighed. After a moment, she forced her expression to change, giving him a small smile. "You don't have to look so pained while doing that. Have I done anything to offend you?"

"You did imply she was too depressed to smile, Crow." Sara shook her head. "She's not that miserable. Trust me, she's far from the tipping point on that side of the spectrum."

Crow chuckled, shaking his head. "I didn't mean that at all."

"Try a joke instead. Do something to make her smile."

"A joke?" Crow glanced at Sara, who smirked back at him. "Humor isn't something either of us are skilled at, you know."

"Poetry then?"

"Poetry?" Meredy echoed her this time. "What exactly makes that something to smile at?"

"There's a certain beauty to words that people often admire. Certain genres tend to make people smile — romance, comedy, things that are calming." Sara shrugged. "Ridiculousness as well, I suppose. I cannot tell you how uncreative people are, constantly repeating the same 'roses are red violets are blue' poem all the time."

Meredy's smile gradually turned a bit more real at that, and she shook her head. "That doesn't even make sense. Violets are purple, hence the name."

"Have you not heard those rhymes before?"

Meredy shook her head. "I was never one for poetry." She bit her lower lip. Her education had been on magic and little else. When she wasn't strong enough, she'd turn to Hades who would provide her with resource materials on her magic to study from and learn new spells.

"Well, go ahead Sara. Tell her one of your infamous hated poems."

Sara glared at Crow, before shaking her head with a sigh. "Roses are red, violets are blue, say this poem again, and I'll kill you." There was an audible break between each line and despite Sara's glare, Meredy couldn't help but laugh at the threat. Sara wasn't exactly a threatening girl. She was almost as short as Meredy and she looked like she hadn't trained for a day in her life to do that sort of work.

"Well, now there's a real smile." Crow smiled at her and Meredy blinked in surprise. She was in a good mood, she realized. When had that happened? Crow turned his focus back to the front counter instead, where magic hovered in the air as a strange screen. "This is where we ring orders in. It is a magic based on Archive, so the system is relatively new." She hadn't heard of that magic before, so it really must've been a recent branch. "This allows us to type in orders and display them on the screen where Sara is standing. It makes the process faster for taking orders and it even displays the total price at the end. Quite useful, so long as we have the energy to keep it active."

Sara snorted. "We run out of energy almost daily. These new systems are expensive and are made to guarantee constant work for the companies that make them." She glanced over at Meredy, leaning over the counter. "Since we've got someone with magic here, though, I don't think that'll be a problem anymore. Give us that connection like before and then charge the lacrima before coming back. Seems simple enough."

"Why get such an energy draining system if neither of you can recharge it?"

Crow and Sara shared a look, before Sara shrugged. "Seemed helpful at the time."

They didn't elaborate on their explanation before moving on to a demonstration of how to use the system. It didn't seem that bad, with it basically being just pressing the button labeled with the product name for the order taker. Next, they started showing her how to make some of their simpler products. The store was opening soon and while they had claimed they weren't going to show her too much on her first day, they did want her to know some things. So, they showed her how to operate their coffee maker and where to find both decaf and regular coffee grounds for the beverages.

"Sara will still be in charge of making today, but I'd like you to keep things clean and help with orders, alright?" Meredy nodded at Crow, determined to prove that she could stay here. She needed this job, a place away from her own magic. Sure, any place of business would have some sort of magic tool to help operate, but it wasn't quite as directly in use as it was for a wizard.

The doors opened and business began. It didn't seem to get as busy as she'd seen it yesterday, but it definitely wasn't slow either. Meredy tried to take orders, but she found that without knowing how to make the coffees, she struggled with answering some of their questions. Hating feeling incompetent, she'd glare at the guests simply for asking questions. Seeing that, Crow would step in and push her aside, asking her to clean off some tables while he worked through the line. Meredy was starting to get the feeling that maybe customer service just wasn't for her at all, not if she didn't have the patience to answer simple questions.

Just as she was about to lock the doors, a young girl came running in, carrying a white cat in her arms. "Excuse me! Sorry I'm so late." She was huffing, breathing heavily as if she'd just been running. Her dark blue hair framed her face and she stared at them with wide brown eyes. "Can I still place an order?"

"Welcome back, Wendy." Crow smiled at the girl, nodding towards her. "You came on the perfect day. We've got a new recruit starting out."

"Oh?" Wendy glanced over at Meredy, before smiling and shyly holding out her hand. "I'm Wendy. I come here a lot as a favor to my guild, since I'm not really ready to take on jobs myself yet."

"You'll get there eventually, Wendy. Just don't push yourself too hard." The cat in her arms spoke. Meredy blinked at it, before focusing on the girl instead.

"Meredy." She shook the girl's hand, but didn't say much else. Then, she remembered what she was doing and put on her best smile, which still wasn't great, but it was better than before. "May I take your order?"

Wendy frowned, staring at her. "Um…sure." She avoided Meredy's gaze, staring at her feet. "Just a mocha iced coffee, large, and five small plain iced coffees." Sara had already been working before she even spoke. "Not many people at the guild drink coffee. I'm sorry for making these trips so often without more business for you guys."

"Don't worry about it, Wendy." Crow smiled at her, while Meredy took her jewel and began to get her change. Crow handed the girl a small glass of milk, setting it on the counter. "We're always happy to see you here."

"Speak for yourself." Sara muttered under her breath, scowling. "I don't get along well with happy people."

"You don't get along well with anyone, Sara.," Crow said. From what she'd seen thus far, Meredy couldn't help but agree. Sara just seemed to complain about everything and got irritated quickly. She had no patience, which made Meredy wonder what even brought her to this place anyway. Maybe she was desperate, like Meredy was. "So, how's the guild been doing anyway?"

"Great! Master says I'm finally going to be taking on a job soon." She smiled brightly. "I don't know all the details, but apparently, the magic council's been talking about getting a team of wizards together from multiple guilds for something really important. Since we haven't gotten a lot of new members recently, not many of our wizards can handle that sort of dangerous work. I told him I'd do my best, if it came through. I mean, there's a chance that I'll be able to meet another dragon slayer on this team. Fairy Tail should be one of the guilds participating, after all."

Meredy frowned at her. "Fairy Tail won't be a part of this job."

"What?" Wendy frowned. "Why not? They're one of the most well-known guilds out there. In comparison, asking Cait Shelter for help just seems weird, you know?"

"Fairy Tail no longer exists." Meredy looked at the child, blinking in surprise when Wendy gasped and stumbled back.

"Oh no…" She shook her head, holding her hands to her face. "What happened? Why would they disband? Something awful had to have happened and I didn't even hear about it."

"I haven't heard details about this either." Crow raised his eyebrows at Meredy. "Were you a former member?" For some reason, this comment had Sara rolling her eyes, but Meredy didn't quite see what was so irritating about the question.

"Not at all." She stared down at her hands. "I'd prefer to not talk about my former guild, to be honest." She didn't want anyone knowing her former associations, not here. "However, I was near Magnolia when Fairy Tail vanished. Grimoire Heart launched an attack on that town and a dragon seemed to get involved as well." Meredy still didn't know how the battles had gone. "By the time I arrived in an attempt to assist them, the entire city had vanished."

"Wait, like completely vanished? Without a sign of anyone?" Wendy still looked stunned.

The cat huffed, shaking her head. "She's likely just making this story up, Wendy."

"But she sounds so certain of it." Wendy looked over at Meredy, who shrugged. It didn't matter if they listened or not. Fairy Tail wasn't her problem, not anymore. "And she mentioned a dragon too. Do you know what it looked like?"

"Black scales. It blended in with the sky at night." Meredy didn't know what more to add. She hadn't exactly been planning to identify an actual dragon for a little girl.

"Oh." Something like disappointment flashed on the child's face. Sara passed over a carrier with her order and Wendy quickly moved to grab it. "Thanks again, guys. I'll try to be in earlier next time!" She glanced at Meredy, smiling. "It was nice meeting you too! I'll tell you about the upcoming job once I know more, so you'll know not to worry about me when I stop coming in for a while."

She walked out and Meredy followed her to lock the door. "She's one of our regulars. Cait Shelter sends her out to get coffee at least once a week, usually more often than that," Crow said after she left. Well, wizards did need something to help them stay awake as well. Meredy didn't know much else that would be safe work for someone that seemed as timid as Wendy, so she supposed it wasn't her place to judge. Either way, Meredy simply got back to work, deciding that she'd start by trying to make friends with her weird co-workers. Later, she'd think about possibly connecting to the guests as well.