It's Monday! I love playing with PoV to set up tension and irony. Today we get to see through both Juvia's and Lucy's eyes. It becomes clear why we'll have a clash of interests soon.
Carla the Wizard: If only Juvia could see that! Then she could be happy (or at least, less depressed). Shaking my head at Lucy, though. I hope I'm not picking on her too much, but I see her as the sort of person who means well, has a lot of energy to try to get things done, but doesn't always have the tools or skills to get it right. As for Gray and Juvia: Gray's the guarded and slightly withdrawn friend who's surprisingly good with people (more like the Deliora Arc). Juvia's melancholy and just wants to feel loved (like in the Phantom Arc). You'll have to tell me if you agree with my interpretation, but my intent was to keep them arguably close to canon for now... but by the end, not so much. Thanks for reading.
- K. Chandler
Juvia was the kind of dizzy that she only read about in storybooks. Was she falling? Flying? Something in between? She reminded herself to breathe.
The stranger who knocked her down was devastatingly handsome and achingly familiar, with dark hair and eyes like the clearest midnight sky.
Why did he seem so familiar? Had they met before?
"Oh, geez! I'm so sorry!" he said. He scrambled to his feet before extending a hand to help her up.
Juvia blinked in surprise, half expecting him to blame her, or worse… run away.
"I-It's my fault," she mumbled at her feet. "I should have been watching where I was going." She took his offered hand, the brush of his fingers against hers sending a tingle down her spine. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked, his forehead crinkling in concern.
"No harm done," Juvia said. She couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth.
"My queen?" Bora hovered anxiously behind her, looking torn between defending her and helping.
Juvia motioned for him to stand down. "I'm all right," she assured him.
"Are you sure?" the man asked. "Natsu's got a permanent nurse on his staff, and she can take a look to make sure. I don't think she'd mind."
Juvia nodded. "I'm all right. I'm actually a bit of a healer myself…"
"Oh. Right. I didn't mean to assume…" The man stumbled over his words. "Seriously, I'm a little embarrassed at meeting up that way. I'm not usually so awkward."
"Oh, you're not awkward," Juvia assured him. She was awkward. She hadn't felt this gangly and out of place, since… ever, actually.
"Even so, I don't normally run people over…" he said, ruefully, a lopsided grin crossing his face. "Tends not to make a great first impression. I'm Gray, by the way."
His smile sent an unfamiliar flutter through her. It felt like a pulse, like butterfly wings beating so fast they sent a blooming ache through her chest.
"Juvia," she said, ducking into a hasty curtsy. Was that what she was supposed to do? Nobody ever visited Fantasma, so she wasn't good at these things. "It's… nice to meet you."
"The pleasure's all mine," Gray said. "Are you a friend of Lucy's?"
Gray had to be nobility, if not royalty, to refer to the Princess of Magnolia so casually.
"Something like that," Juvia said.
"I thought as much. Let's see where she is. I think she's still inside." Gray waved at a redhaired woman, who fell in step behind him. She was probably one of Gray's servants.
"Let's cut through the back way," Gray said, leading them across the courtyard and through the gardens.
Down a corridor of identical doors, Gray opened one without hesitation. And without knocking. He walked around like he knew the castle well and was here often.
That was where Juvia had seen him before!
Recognition hit Juvia like a bolt out of the blue. She had seen him in her scrying bowl, though she'd never paid any attention to him before this. Gray was one of the princes that Lucy always with. The dour workaholic who was always preoccupied with business back home. Juvia had never noticed how handsome he was.
Gray had led Juvia to a wide-open room with high ceilings. A plush two-seater and matching armchairs were arranged around a low table with a sage-green runner draped across it. Lace curtains fluttered next to tall windows that opened outwards… outwards to the sky. To live in a place like this… the very idea took Juvia's breath away.
"Hey, Lucy!" Gray called. "You want to stop canoodling with Natsu long enough to greet your guests?"
"We're not canoodling. You're such a tease, Gray!" Lucy said, her face flushed pink. Then she gasped. "Oh, she's here!"
Lucy hopped up off the two-seater, leaving her companion behind (presumably the afore mentioned 'Natsu'). Given the context, Juvia recognized him as the other prince that Lucy spent her time with: the Crown Prince of Draghi.
"Juvia! It's good to see you again! Welcome to Magnolia!" Lucy gushed. "I'm so glad you could come! How long has it been?"
Juvia could see right through the artificial enthusiasm. If Lucy was really interested in her, she wouldn't have waited so long to invite her. Lucy was the one who abandoned Juvia, not the other way around.
"It's a pleasure to see you as well. It's been far too long, Lucy," Juvia said formally. "I'm honored to make everyone's acquaintance." Was she supposed to bow? Or not? Lucy was this kingdom's princess. But she was a queen representing her own country on official business… Did this count as official business?
"None of that! We'll all friends here. At least we will be once we're all introduced," Lucy said, clasping her hand and pulling her over. Her eyes were bright with excitement. "Guys, this is Juvia, the Queen of Fantasma. These are my friends. This is Natsu," she said, nodding in his direction.
"Yo," Natsu said, greeting her with a broad grin and a jaunty wave.
"And this is Gray," Lucy said, clamping a hand on Gray's shoulder.
Juvia didn't miss the emphasis in Lucy's tone when talking about her friends, especially as she introduced Gray. It sounded almost like Lucy was flaunting her acquaintance with him. It bothered Juvia, though Gray didn't seem to notice.
"We've met," Gray said. His smile was amused as their gazes met.
Juvia ducked her head, her face heating up in embarrassment.
"Ooh, do tell!" Lucy said, edging up to Gray nudging him.
"What is there to tell?" Gray asked. "We've. Met. That's obvious, I would think, since I'm the one who brought her over."
"Now can we eat?" Natsu asked.
"Virgo's putting something together for us," Lucy said.
Juvia noticed that Gray's attendant had gone to assist the other of the servants as they bustled about preparing the tea service. She dismissed Bora hastily to do the same, hoping no one thought her rude.
Meanwhile, Lucy steered Gray to the two-seater, pulling him into the spot that Natsu had vacated. Next to each other, the two of them made such a pretty picture… almost like they belonged together.
Juvia couldn't help the rankle of jealousy she felt. Did this girl have to win at everything?
"Come on, Juvia. Make yourself at home," Lucy said, beckoning. She grabbed Juvia by the hand, and pulled her to sit next to Gray.
Juvia's breath caught in her throat as she sank into the plush upholstery. She and the Prince of Isvan were sharing a loveseat! She scrunched the fabric of her dress, trying to hide her nervousness by ducking her head.
"Lucy…" Gray complained. "Do you have to manhandle your guests?"
"Don't be such a stick in the mud, Gray!" Lucy said. "Keep each other company while I see about our refreshments."
Gray sighed. "I apologize for her," he said to Juvia, as if sensing her discomfort. "She's like that."
Would he be looking at her with pity? Or exasperation?
Juvia raised her head again, venturing a glimpse of Gray's ice blue gaze. He was wearing a slight smile.
"No, no, it's fine," Juvia said in a small voice. The dizzying thrum of her pulse crashed through her veins.
Could it be that he understood her?
Lucy pretended to check on the tea preparations, but really, she had her eyes on the promising couple-to-be. It took some doing, but she had succeeded. She had Gray and Juvia in her sitting room at Magnolia Castle. She had them seated next to each other on a plush loveseat. She had arranged for this piece of furniture to be aired out and moved here for this exact purpose.
"Lucy," Natsu whined. "Are you done yet?"
"Hold your horses. I'm coming." Leaving the budding couple to the loveseat, Lucy chose the armchair across the room. It was a good spot to keep an eye on them.
Initially, Lucy had been afraid that she would have a hard time convincing Juvia. Juvia wasn't known for her social prowess when they were children, and Lucy wouldn't have blamed her if she found Gray's standoffish attitude off-putting. Thankfully, it seemed that there would be no problem. It was sweet how quickly Juvia had taken to him. Actually, she looked a little bit star-struck, which wasn't a bad thing.
Of course, Gray kept glancing over at the servants' table, like he was itching to talk with his attendant. Was he making another to-do list in his head? Not today, Mister!
Lucy motioned for the tea service to be brought over.
"Gray, be a dear and help Juvia to some tea, please," Lucy said.
"Of course." Gray reached for the teapot.
Juvia's cheeks filled with a rosy blush at Gray's attentions. She looked so breathless and giddy that Lucy worried she might faint. Maybe some casual conversation would be helpful, both to liven up the room and to move things along.
Natsu plopped down cross-legged on the floor next to her ankles and leaned back against her shins.
Lucy froze, squeaking in surprise. "What are you doing down there?" she asked, hoping to sound calmer than she felt.
"Best seat in the house," he said with a cheeky grin that made Lucy's brain stop working. "It's the one closest to the food," he added.
Oh. That's all he meant… She wasn't sure why she was disappointed by that.
"Something wrong?" Natsu asked.
Lucy shook her head. She needed to get it together. She had a job to do.
"This is Juvia's first time hanging out with all of us. We should play a game to get to know each other better," Lucy said. "Twenty Questions is pretty fun. I've Never is another good one."
"A game?" Juvia said.
"Don't worry. I'll help you," Lucy said.
"Come on, Lucy. Do we have to?" Natsu asked.
"I've Never wanted to play a silly game like this, Gray said.
Lucy fought a twitch as she forced a smile. "Twenty Questions it is!" she said in a saccharine sweet voice.
Lucy explained the rules of the game, adjusting so that they'd all take turns asking Gray their questions. It was the perfect opportunity to flaunt Gray's best characteristics and probe him for information that would help Juvia to get closer to the boy that she and Natsu viewed as a brother.
"That sounds easy enough," Juvia said.
Lucy nodded. "You'll get the hang of it. The only rule is that once it's been asked, they have to answer. No exceptions."
"Anything?" Natsu asked.
"Anything. What they like, or don't like, how they feel, what they believe. It's all about getting to know each other better."
"Can I go first?" Natsu's hand flew into the air. "Hey, Lucy! What kind of guy do you like? The cold, dark and brooding type? Or maybe someone with a more fiery personality… and magic?" he asked, giving her a look that couldn't be anything but deliberate.
"N-Natsu!" she yelped, clasping her hands to her burning cheeks. Fire magic, indeed.
"You said I could ask anything…"
"If you don't quit clowning around, I'm going to ban you from the game," Lucy said, narrowing her eyes in irritation. She let out a long breath, trying to focus again. "All right. Gray, you're It. You're first to answer everyone's questions."
"Why me?" Gray asked.
"Sorry, we're the ones asking the questions," Lucy said cheerfully. "Juvia's first. What do you want to know about Gray?"
"…What's your favorite color?" Juvia asked.
"Blue."
Juvia's questions weren't the most inspired, but it was a good effort.
Natsu's, on the other hand, ranged from absurd—if you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be? (A fir tree, apparently, because they stayed green despite Isvan's inhospitable climate.)—to downright embarrassing: tell us about the time you tripped and fell on your face during a public proclamation. Lucy had to step in then (That's not a question, Natsu. Next.)
It was up to Lucy to lead the discussion to highlight Gray's likes (organization), dislikes (nosy people and nosy games) and what he was afraid of (Spiders. Even Flame Brain wants to light 'em all on fire). Lucy quizzed him on where he'd want to travel to (the desert, because it'd be something different than Isvan, what with all the snow and ice) and what he couldn't live without (a tidy schedule and a to-do list).
Gray's answers weren't the most romantic, and some of them seemed a little contrived and impersonal, but Lucy managed to spin most of them in a positive light.
"I guess I'm next, then," Lucy said. "So… Gray, tell us about your hobbies."
Gray shrugged.
"You like archery," Lucy reminded him. "Right? Been doing it for years?"
"Sure," Gray said. "But you already knew that."
Lucy almost rolled her eyes. "Gray's a really good shot. You should see him out on the range. He's as good a fighter as he is a mage."
"You're a mage? What kind of magic do you use?" Juvia asked.
"My specialty is ice," Gray said.
"And do you still keep up with your training?" Lucy asked.
"Not like I used to," Gray said. "I don't have all day to do that anymore, but I make sure to make time for it. It's working out okay, I think, seeing as I can still destroy Natsu."
"Gray is pretty strong," Lucy observed, giving Juvia a meaningful look.
The corners of Juvia's mouth turned downwards, but no one else seemed to notice.
"Destroy me? Quit dreamin', Ice Block," Natsu snorted.
"Don't be such a baby," Gray said. "I beat you, and you know it."
"That was one time," Natsu said. "One time! And besides, I won the week before that."
Juvia's frown deepened.
"Seriously," Lucy said, trying to smooth things over. "Natsu's in a class all his own, so Gray has to be amazing to keep up, y'know?"
"Is he?" Juvia said, her expression smoothing into something neutral. Her serious stare fixed on Lucy's face.
"He's amazing, I swear," Lucy said.
Maybe this was going to be harder than she thought.
Oh, boy. Can you imagine how Juvia's interpreting Lucy's 'help' here? Well, you won't have to imagine for long! Next week, we'll get the other half of this scene and we'll see just how Juvia feels about it. This was originally meant to be just one chapter, but I split it for length.
Gray and Natsu are really taking things in stride, though. Natsu reminds me of one of my guy friends here. Sort of a: "You're doing what now? Okay..." before he makes an exit. And Gray's just chillin' since things haven't gotten too out of hand yet.
I hope it didn't throw anybody too badly when Juvia casually called herself a bit of a healer. It's a bit unbelievable, in that where would someone of her station get that sort of knowledge? But where would someone of her station learn how to brew potions? I didn't have a good answer, so I figured I'd just roll with it. As far as calling it medicine instead of magic, I was sort of inspired by Akagami no Shirayuki-hime (Snow White with the Red Hair), mostly because the main character shares an English VA with Juvia. (Actually, Natsu's VA is in that one too, playing a very different role. I got a kick out of that one!) Beyond the title, it doesn't share a lot with where I saw this story going. I didn't end up borrowing a lot from that anime, but you'll see a couple areas of influence.
Anyways, I hope you liked it. Let me know what you guys think so far.
Next time, in Toxic: If Juvia had to endure five more minutes of Lucy giggling, "Gray's just amazing. Isn't he amazing, Juvia?" then Juvia might just have to strangle her.
Stop back next Monday for the next installment, or just follow me, Karine of R011ingThunder.
