#( he makes me want to dive deeper into his lore and i want to chew on him with my brain )

[gazelessmenagerie]

" Oh baby, did you really think you'd get out Alive? "

[bbq-hawks-wings]

Hiya! So I have a question/theory not exactly about hawks but the concept of quirks in the mha universe. So I had this thought and I was wondering do you think it would be possible for a character to have a quirk like whenever they played an instrument the people around them would immediately go into a sleepy, sedated state?? Or basically if it's possible for a person's quirk to be like not be biologically a part of their body (ie: anything they paint comes to life)

OOH OOH OOH!!!! I was going to write requests, but I just HAD to jump on this immediately. I like the way you think, anon! Asking some very important lore-based questions!

My short answer to your theory is “Mostly no, but kind of yes? Depends on the specifics and how you explain it.” So let me explain! I go on a bit where I geek out over Shinsou’s quirk, but I’ll keep the whole debacle under the cut. I hope you enjoy it!

Minor spoilers for explanations about how Shinsou’s quirk works from the manga.

HeroAca is at it’s core a science fantasy world - wherein inhuman feats instead of being written away by magic are given a plausible-enough “scientific” explanation to help the audience’s suspension of belief. It doesn’t have to be completely accurate but it has to make just enough sense to feel grounded in the real world and also makes it easy to put limitations on it. Quirks are explicitly described as being genetic. How they got written into the human genome is unknown, but it’s crystal clear that biological lineage is the key to passing down quirks. (All for One and One for All being glaring exceptions to the rule, even in universe.)

This is how we’re able to put “glycerin sweat” with “ sweaty, sparking palms” and get “combustible explosive sweat from the hands” or “ice” plus “fire” equals “fire and ice.”

Therefore, quirks are inherently connected via some biological component. However, how that manifests itself has a lot of potential, and it mainly has to do with the property being manifested to begin with. For example:

Tetsu Tetsu has the ability to harden his body into steel - specifically his skin. This is physical composition of his body that he is able to change at will, but he cannot change the composition of something he touches even though that organ which possesses the shifting ability comes in contact. His quirk is limited to his body, period.

Momo’s ability to create inanimate matter is manifested through her adipose tissue (fat). She requires both the energy and atoms required to produce matter directly from her own body. These things can exist outside her body but she ceases to be able to affect their composition the moment it’s no longer part of her body.

Ochako is able to nullify the effect of gravity on any body she touches - inanimate, living, herself, etc. However, this effect only works after she has physically come into contact with it and only from the pads on her fingertips. Her quirk originates from her body but leaves lingering effects as long as she doesn’t cancel them.

All of the above are easy examples of “my body changes myself/something else and my quirk depends on my body to do so.” However, let’s look at an example that feels more “intangible” which I think is what you’re going for.

Shinsou is a super interesting one and so far the closest to what you’re trying to describe. His quirk, we know, is biologically coded into every cell in his body, but how it manifest, though a bit of a mystery, has a pretty logical explanation depending on how we parse it out.

He has the ability to sedate his human target and force their body to do rudimentary tasks via vocal commands - effectively making them a human puppet adhering to his will. However, the way it both takes effect and manifests is particularly interesting, so I’ll drop the frames and extrapolate in a moment.

To break it down, Hitoshi’s quirk works as thus:

He must intentionally choose and FOCUS on his target in order to activate phase one of his quirk

His voice may be modified via his artificial vocal cords, but he cannot transform his voice digitally (mini theory on this at the end)

He must then get them to respond to him directly (it’s implied this is vocally, but the way it’s worded sounds almost like they need to consciously respond in some way instead of blocking him out)

Once he has control, he can make them do virtually anything with their body but their brain and voice are useless.

To me, it sounds like Hitoshi’s quirk actively hijacks his target’s brain by suppressing the higher functions and taking over some of the lower ones. My best “rational” explanation is some audible property in his voice (it’s presumably outside the spectrum of human hearing) is able to first bait the parts of the brain that control cognition and neutralize them when it “opens itself” up via cognitive reply. From there, cognition is suppressed and he takes over what I presume is the midbrain and sections of the gray matter physically responsible for motor control.  

Sounds crazy, but while the sound aspect is unusual, this kind of thing actually exists in real life! Check out parasitic fungus and worms that turn prey like ants and snails into “zombies” by taking over their brain and doing their bidding in order to complete their life cycle.

If you can explain an OC’s quirk like THAT, you’re gold!

If you wanted one that plays music that makes people in the immediate vicinity sleepy and sluggish, explain it by saying that something about the sound stimulates the brain into producing melatonin or effects the thyroid. It doesn’t have to be clear exactly how (though extra points if you can make it as scientific as you can) but if it’s plausible ENOUGH, it works. It could be like in Hitoshi’s case where it isn’t the so much the noise we hear but some unheard component that does the work and she just chose, say, a flute because it puts people at ease and she’s liked it since she was a kid.

The “paintings to life” is a bit trickier. If you wanted to fit this in the lore of the series I’d say whatever substance she animates has to come from her body. However, an easy workaround is that she could produce her own paint! She adds the pigment separately, but the clear medium is whatever substance she produces from her body that she can control. The medium is basically how acrylic and oil paints are different - The shade of color can be exactly the same, but the medium it floats in will act and perform differently which is a great metaphor if she has difficultly controlling the “living” medium without a visualization to get it to do what she wants!

I hope that was a fun breakdown of how I think you can adapt seemingly random superpowers into the rules of the series. It takes some real-world knowledge to do so, but the cool part is that the physical world is capable of SO much that we’re barely scratching the surface of understanding. Doing even just a couple of hours of research can get you enough information to come up with a power that not only could plausibly work but also has the bonus of building in a weakness for power balance!

This is super fun! I love when you guys send me theories like this!!!!

Bonus mini theory! “Could Shinsou’s quirk work over old analog technology?”

Something interesting to note is the auditory angle he needs to use his quirk, and my theory is that the auditory component may force his target’s brain into doing the actual sedation work for him. In real life, our brains and bodies are very much effected by sonic waves, even those we can’t hear. It’s theorized that infrasound - sound outside our hear-able spectrum) caused by structural unsoundness, some machinery, and more might be reason humans consistently perceive certain locations as haunted. I mentioned this in my theory about Hawk’s sensory sensitivity but it’s worth mentioning again here. 

I specifically mentioned “digitally” above because analog and digital sound waves are structurally different which may be why it’s not some specific noise we physically hear but actually the vibration of the sound wave itself that does the brainwashing. Here’s a picture of analog vs digital waves to demonstrate what I mean.

See how analog is smooth but digital is a series of plateaus? Now I don’t have much formal education to back myself up from here on out, but the way I understand it is digital is basically just a complicated series of “on’s” and “off’s”/”yes” and “no” so it’s literally impossible for it to achieve that smooth curve in analog. Look at what it does to a sample in this graph.

While, to our ears, the digital interpretation of the analog signal is close enough that we wouldn’t hear the difference, the structure has been chewed up all to hell! Though we don’ have a whole lot of information one way or the other, I can’t help but wonder if those splines (the curvy lines between points) are where the magic happens. He even says outright that voice modulating technology (almost all of which is now exclusively digital) distorts his voice too much. Old technology used to work on materials that operated on these analog waves, so I can’t help but wonder if that would do the trick. It obviously wouldn’t work on a gramophone since without the active focusing his quirk requires it’s still a useless sound bite, but if he were to, say, speak over an old telephone would that work?

It’s entirely possible that there’s some other property in his voice that needs proximity to work (such as a frequency analog broadcasting can’t replicate) so he needs to be physically close to his target, or just the fact that analog technology is clunky and potentially more hassle that it’s worth that would make this a moot point; but I couldn’t help myself diving a little deeper.

[r3almellow]

Nothing More Chapter 10

A/N: I’d like to thank everyone who has reviewed and those who have stuck around for so long. This is the first time I have written a fanfic that has made it to 10 chapters! Your support motivates me to keep pushing forward with my story! Thank you so much!

Rating: M

Ship: NaLu

Series: Fairy Tail

Chapter 9

xxx

The car ride was filled with silence that almost felt suffocating. Why did Natsu have to go and say that?! Dan was probably ready to press charges if her impulsive best friend decided to carry out his “promise.” Then she would have to bail him out, scold him, and threaten to never talk to him again. Lucy knew he’d probably beg for her forgiveness, but would commit attempted murder all over again.

That was Natsu in a nutshell.

Dan broke the silence. “It seems Dragneel hasn’t changed much.”

She laughed and gave him an apologetic look. “Sorry about that. He’s just a little overprotective.” Overprotective might have been an understatement. Gray and Erza were overprotective, but Natsu? There was always a hint of jealousy radiating out of him when it came to Dan.

Natsu was in a happy relationship, so maybe jealousy wasn’t the word for it. Was the idea of someone else taking up her time, something that he couldn’t handle?

Dan chuckled, his eyes still focused on the road. “Nothing wrong with that. It shows just how much he cares for you.”

While that was true, Natsu still carried some sort of grudge against the man.

It was then her mind ran back to just moments before Dan showed up at her apartment. Natsu was trying to tell her something, but in all honesty Lucy was too caught up in her own fears to listen. She knew it was something serious and she could feel it in her heart that what he had to say would change the dynamics of their relationship.

Lucy wasn’t ready to deal with that.

“Are you okay?” She heard Dan ask.

She caught him stealing a few worried glances in her direction.

Lucy only smiled and nodded. “Yeah, its just been a while since I’ve been to one of these.”  

“A party?” He questioned.

Lucy shook her head. “No, a party is meant to be a place of fun, friends, and laughter.  This event is meant to be nothing more than a competition to see who has the most money and who can get the most dirt on a person.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve been to such an event, but I don’t remember them being that unbearable.”

“Trust me when I say it’s a nightmare. I remember when my parents were called unfit because they decided to let me go to school in the city instead of being home schooled. All because nosey people wanted to know how “little Lucy” was doing.” She sighed heavily at the memory.

“Yikes.”

“It’s part of the reason why my family and I took ourselves out of that lifestyle,” she said flatly.

“Well, you won’t have to worry about that tonight. Anyone who tries something will have to deal with yours truly.”

Lucy smiled softly.  “Thanks.”

He smiled back at her as they pulled up in front of a brightly lit mansion.

Getting inside the Orland home was easier than getting valet parking. Once inside Lucy was complete awe of the place. She had forgotten how much money the Orland’s put into their annual event. From a live band to the detailed ice sculpture of Magnolia’s famous Sakura tree in the middle of the room.

The Orlands really knew how to go all out.

“Legion Corps Vice-Captain and Heartfilia Heiress an item?” On most days Lucy would be ready to chew out the person who dared make any sort of accusation about her, but she was all smiles when she was met with her co-worker Jason.

She waved at him. “Hey, Jason! I didn’t know you were working the event tonight.”

“You think I’d miss the Orland’s try to bounce back after what happened? I’m lucky enough to get the opportunity.” He was right. The press were outside in droves, but only a select few were allowed inside.

Probably to minimize any false news circling the air.

Jason holds up his camera. “Mind if I get a picture of you and your date?”

Lucy and Dan happily obliged as Jason began to take a few pictures. He wasn’t the only one as a few others managed to follow his lead. No doubt these pictures would make it online articles and magazines. She can already feel a call from her father coming in within the next few hours.

Lucy could hear a few murmurs from press and guests alike as they stared at her and Dan. Let the rumors begin…

Just as Lucy was ready to glare daggers at the people an announcement of the hostess’ presence towards the stairs.

At the top of the staircase stood Minerva clad in a blue tight fitting dress. Next to her stood a tall man with blonde long hair. Lucy quickly deduced that, that was fashion designer Rufus Lore. He was known as the youngest designers, getting his start with Sabertooth Collections as a teenager. Lucy remembered his early years were filled with other designers claiming he stole his work. Claims that were never proven.

Minerva looked out into the crowd and cleared her throat. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending our annual charity event. As you all know, my father could not be here tonight to grace you with his presence.”

‘Because he’s a drug dealer.’ Lucy thought.

“While he may not be here, I hope to represent the company to the best of my abilities. Do not forget that we will taking donations for various orphanages such as “The Rosemary Children’s Association.” Sabertooth Collections as well as the Orland family, hope to give the children of Fiore a bright future and we need your help to make that happen. Aside from that, the night is young and all the champagne won’t stay chilled for much longer. Please enjoy the festivities.”

The crowd clapped as Minerva was escorted down the flight of stairs by Rufus. It didn’t the woman long to spot Lucy and Dan in the sea of people. She broke apart from Rufus who disappeared into the crowd and with a few graceful strides, Minerva was at their side.

Lucy sensed a few of the press snapping photos near them. Yep, she was definitely getting a call from her father.

“Mr. Straight, I’m so glad you could make it!” Minerva says offering him a handshake.

Dan shook her hand with a charming smile. “I was honored when you sent me the invitation, Ms. Orland.”

Minerva glanced at Lucy as if she was just now noticing her. She was scanning Lucy from head to toe as if she was trying to find a way to make some backhanded comment about her appearance.

While she’d like to comfortable shorts and a t-shirt any day of the week, fashion was something Lucy never played around with when it was time to get serious.

Minerva pulled Lucy in gave her a cheek to cheek kiss. “I’m so glad you were able to make it, Lucy. Tell me, how is your mother’s health?” Oh, right. That lie was still a thing.

“She’s better, thanks.” She needed to change the subject.

Lucy looked at Minerva then at Dan. “I didn’t realize you two actually knew each other.”

“Mr. Straight has been working closely with us to create the Legion Corps’ new line of tactical uniform. We have yet to really discuss the details with the public, but I believe within the next few weeks an announcement should be made.” Minerva said proudly.

Dan chimed in. “Our collaboration was part of the reason I came back to Magnolia. You’d be surprised to see the ideas we came up with within a week. I’m almost sad I have to leave. I would have loved to dive deeper into that beautiful brain of yours just a little longer, Ms. Orland.”

Was that flirting Lucy sensed? It was easy to forget Dan had a tendency of being a smooth talker, but one would think that after all these years he would turn it down.

Minerva waved him off. “You’re far too kind. The companies research team deserves all of the credit.”

The conversation was cut short when Rufus came in and informed Minerva that other people requested her presence. She politely excused herself from the two and disappeared into the crowd.  

“How about we start off this night with a dance?” Dan offered as he bowed with a stretched-out hand.

Lucy giggled and took his hand in hers. “Of course.”

The sounds of jazz music echoed from live band as Dan gently pulled Lucy onto the floor. It took no time for Lucy to find herself in his embrace as they slowly moved with the music.

“Reminds me of our first dance.” He says in a quiet tone.

Lucy looked up at him confused. “Our first dance?”

“Back in college. You were so upset that night and all I wanted to do was make you smile again. Do you remember?”

How could she forget?

Xxx

Lucy had just finished working on a big assignment for her Multimedia Reporting class. She had spent the last few hours analyzing the same audio files of the big Second Trade war.  Lucy had listened to those files so many times that when she heard the loud music blasting from the fraternity house as she made her way inside, it almost sounded foreign.

Lucy had no intentions of going to any sort of party after the busy week she had. On a good day, she would have no problem partying with her friends, but there came a time when a girl needed to be alone. She was ready to hit the sheets and read her favorite novel “A Cursed Love.” A book she never knew she needed until Levy presented it to her as a gift.

Surprisingly, it was Levy that had been the one to finally drag the blonde out of her dorm after countless hours of pleading and promising to help her study for her Spanish exam that was to come in the next few days. That girl was lucky Lucy loved her dearly or her butt would have stayed home.

Lucy threw on whatever she could find in her closet and wrapped her hair into a bun. It wasn’t her best look, but there was no reason to get dolled up for her current location.

Stepping into the frat house she spotted Natsu through the crowd of people and smiled. Suddenly the tiredness she felt seemed to melt away. He always had that effect on her. He was like a ball of energy that selflessly shared its power with others.

Natsu had offered her a drink and teased her about her low tolerance when she declined. She huffed and attempted to bite him. What else could one do in her situation? Let him slide? Nope! Natsu liked seeing her flustered and she wasn’t having any of it.

Lucy suddenly felt someone wrap and arm around her waist which startled her. She was relieved to see it was Cana who began to pull her away.

Natsu called out for her over the loud music asking to save him a dance and she accepted. A small blush crept up to Lucy’s face and she hoped it went unnoticed as the sight of him disappeared.

It wasn’t the first time the two had danced.

Natsu reluctantly became her test subject once she joined the dance team. Any moves or tricks she wanted to try out, he was her guinea pig. He wasn’t bad at dancing like she believed him to be. He wasn’t perfect, but he was good at following instructions when he wanted to.

This time, however, was different.

He wasn’t helping her with a new routine, he genuinely wanted to dance with her at a party. What if he wanted to dance to a slow song? That meant they’d be close. Really close. He’d have his hands around her waist while hers would be wrapped around his neck. She’d be able to get lost in his eyes as they swayed to the sounds of the music. She’d want to lean up and kiss him before any second thoughts cloud her mind.

The desire to ask him to go back to her dorm with her with hopes he’d comply, would have lingered as she slowly pulled away from him.

The idea of what could transpire between the two caused the pink blush surrounding her cheeks changed to red.

Maybe reading nothing but romance novels was bad for your health.

“Having naughty thoughts?”

Lucy was brought out from her thoughts and was met with a devious smirk from Cana.

“N-no!”

“Right and I’m not tipsy.” Cana mused.

If she was, it was hard to tell. Cana could fake being sober if she wanted. She was a master drinker and could drink anyone under the table. Many have tried and failed miserably to beat the brunette.

A habit that Lucy sometimes envied yet disliked at the same time.

“Did you need me for something?” Lucy asked quickly changing the subject.

“As a matter a fact I did!” Cana pulls out her phone and grins.

“I want you to take pictures with me so that asshole of an ex-boyfriend I have can see how much fun I’m having without him.”

“Trying to make him jealous?” Lucy asked.

Cana scrunched up her face in disgust. “Hell no! If he sees me having the time of my life with someone else and gets jealous then that’s his problem. I just want to prove that I don’t need his dick to be happy.”

“Wouldn’t a guy be better suited for that? Gray, maybe? I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.” Juvia on the other hand…

“You’re much cuter than Gray and it gives me an excuse to do this!” Without a moment’s notice, Cana pounces on Lucy earning her a small squeak from the young Heartfilia. A second later Lucy heard the small click of a camera and evil laugh from Cana.

“Don’t we look so cute together!” Cana exclaimed as she waved her phone in Lucy’s face. Lucy looked at the phone screen and smiled. Cana had an arm wrapped around Lucy, who was in mid smile as her friend leaned in for kiss.

“You tried to kiss my cheek?” Lucy questioned.

“I was aiming for your lips, but I guess I’ll have to try harder next time.” Cana winks.

Lucy rolled her eyes at her friend’s teasing. Cana was never one to hide her sexuality and she was rather bold. No matter who you are, if she found you sexually attractive you were going to know about it.

Cana snickered. “I’m only teasing! Besides, I know a certain soccer player who would kill for a kiss from you!”

Lucy laughed nervously and waved off her friend’s accusations. “Natsu doesn’t like me in that way.”

There was no use in denying her feelings for Natsu. Most of her friends knew long before she even came to terms with it. However, there was no way Natsu would ever think of her as anything more than a friend. In the years that she has known him, there was no indication that he was remotely attracted to her the way she was to him.

Cana’s eyes widened and looked as if someone took the last bottle of beer. “Are you kidding me? He’s Lucysexual!”

Lucy’s looked at the brunette quizzically. “Lucysexual?”

Cana looked at her friend with a smug expression. “Erza and I made it up! He’s attracted to hot blondes, with big boobs and have the name Lucy Heartfilia.”

“Th-that’s not true!” She yelled.

Lucy would have expected Cana to come up with such a ridiculous word, but Erza?

Levy soon appeared with Juvia following close behind. “Are we trying to convince Lucy that Natsu likes her, because I’m all for that.”

Lucy made no effort to hide the betrayal she felt. “You’re supposed to back me up here!”

Levy shrugged as she took another sip of her drink. “I’m not going to lie. The two of you were always joined at the hip. He’s possessive of you and will probably kill the next guy who looks in your direction.”

Lucy wasn’t sure why she was looking sympathy from Levy. She would join forces with the pink haired man when it came to teasing Lucy. High school was all fun and games until her two close friends found a common interest and that was poking fun at her.

“I wouldn’t say possessive and Gray would do the same!  I don’t see you guys throwing him on me!” Lucy eyed Juvia, hoping that the woman would agree with her comparison.

“Juvia used to think of Lucy as a love rival, but it is clear who her heart belongs to.” Ah, yes, the wonderful “Love Rival” phase that started at the beginning of their friendship. It took a while for Lucy to convince Juvia there was nothing going on between her and Gray.

Lucy rolled her eyes. “Why do I even bother?”

Cana thought to herself for a moment and then her devious smirk returned. That was never a good sign. “Why don’t we test this theory?”

Levy raised an eyebrow. “What are you proposing?”

“Natsu asked Lucy to dance. If a slow song comes on and he shows up that means our lovable pink haired friend totally has the hots for her.”

“I don’t thin-“ Lucy began, but was immediately interrupted by Levy.

Levy clapped her hands together and smiled brightly. “That sounds perfect!”

“How are we sure a slow song will play?” Juvia asked.

Cana looked at the DJ and grinned. “You leave that to me. I just need you two to be good little distractions and get those two away from Natsu.” She pointed behind the women.

The women looked over to find Gajeel, Gray and the man of the hour drinking.

“Piece of cake!” Levy said.

Lucy seemed to be the only one against the plan. “Hold on! Don’t I have a say in this?”

“Nope.” Cana said simply.

Lucy gave Juvia one last look, hoping to get through to her friend. “Juvia, you’re not going to go along with this?

“If this is a plan that involves Juvia getting close to her darling Gray then she is ready.” There was determination in Juvia’s eyes as she responded.

Lucy didn’t know what she expected.

“I’m going to go talk to the DJ. You guys get in position.” Cana orderd.

The three women broke away from Lucy to commence their plan. It didn’t long for Levy to drag Gajeel off and Gray was so busy with Juvia clinging on to him that Natsu was left on his own. Lucy looked over at Cana who was flirting with the DJ and whispering who knew what into her ear. The DJ blushed and nodded at Cana.

In no time, Cana made her way back over to Lucy.

“You’re up after this song. Go find him and make sure he asks you to dance.”

Find him? Wasn’t he…?

When Lucy turned her attention back to Natsu, all she found the space he had occupied filled by another person.

Lucy looked around. “Where did he go?”

“I saw him heading outside. Better hope he doesn’t leave.”

Lucy sighed. If her friends went through all this trouble just for her, she might as well go through with the plan, right?

Cana gave her a thumbs up as Lucy walked away.

What was the worst that could happen? It wasn’t like she was going to confess right then and there. He was just going to dance with her to a song…a slow song…possibly a love song.

Lucy’s legs started to shake and her confident stride across the room didn’t feel so confident.

This might have been a mistake.

Before Lucy could back out, she found herself opening the door and suddenly she wished she backed out of this sooner.

Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach at the scene that unfolded before her. Natsu was there with his lips pressed against Lisanna Strauss, who seemed to be really into the kiss.

Lucy was aware of Lisanna’s crush on Natsu. She was subtle about it, but if you paid attention Lisanna’s interactions with him, figuring out her feelings for him was a no brainer.

There was always a small pang of jealousy Lucy felt whenever Lisanna and Natsu were together. Whether if it was for a project or them casually hanging out, the sight of the two left a bitter taste in Lucy’s mouth.

Lucy begun to slowly understood Juvia’s jealousy earlier on her friendship.

To say Lucy was shocked wasn’t the best word. Heartbroken? Upset? There were so many words that could describe how she felt.

Natsu has never shown any interest in Lisanna, that Lucy could notice, so why in the world was this happening?

Maybe there was a spark between the two she was just too blind to see. An attraction that was so strong that Lucy could never begin to understand.

Not wanting to be spotted she closed the door gently and leaned up against it to keep herself steady.

Lucy felt the urge to cry. Her eyes burned as the tears formed and it took everything within her to choke back a sob.

She knew she was fool for believing that Cana’s plan would work. She was even more foolish for thinking he was interested in her in the slightest.

Her internal meltdown was interrupted when she heard her name being called.

She quickly wiped away a stray tear before looking up at the person. It was Dan Straight. “H-hey, Dan. I didn’t see you there.” Lucy blinked back the tears a little confused. She half expected Cana to be in front of her ready to eavesdrop, but the sight of Dan threw her off guard completely.  

They had crossed paths a few times, but not enough for her to know him that well.

“Are you okay?” He seemed genuinely worried.

“Yes, I’m just a bit stressed. I was hoping coming here would relieve that, but I guess I was wrong.” Dan looked at her for moment. Lucy knew he could sense there was more to her story and whatever it was, was happening right outside that door.

“Dance with me.”

For the second time that night, he caught her off guard. “No, I-“

He puts up a hand to stop her.

“I will have none of that. Let me take your mind off of whatever it is. I’m not the most skilled dancer, but I can at least try to make you smile.” He held out his hand.

He was sweet, she had to give him that.

Lucy contemplated for a second.

She could decline, go home and possibly cry herself to sleep. The idea was tempting, but then she’d have to devise an escape plan because going out the front door was not an option.

That was too much work for an already emotionally tired mind.

The other option was to accept Dan’s offer. There was nothing wrong with dancing with him. From what she’s heard Dan was a nice guy and didn’t seem like a complete creep compared to most of the drunk partygoers.

Lucy smiled halfheartedly and took the young man’s hand.

Dan pulled her onto the dance floor pushing through the crowd of people.

Cana was the first to spot Lucy and her expression mirrored that of her other friend’s as she passed them. Confusion.

They didn’t know what had transpired moments before this moment. They didn’t know how hurt she was, but she would tell them and they’d understand.

At least, she hoped they would.

When the song started, Dan pulled her close and gently swayed to the sound of a guitar emitting from the speakers.

She closed her eyes in hopes to block out the stares she received, but the feeling of holes boring into her wouldn’t go away.

She tried to take her mind off it by listening to the music and listening to the rhythm of Dan’s heartbeat as she rested her head against his chest.  It worked for a few seconds until she heard the faint sound of Gray’s voice. She could have sworn she heard him call out for the young man that currently plagued her thoughts.

When the song ended she politely thanked Dan and walked away. Not even a second later Cana pulled her over to the side still in complete shock. Levy and Juvia soon joined her their expressions unchanging. Lucy told them what she had seen and their faces forming into a mix of sadness and sympathy.

Lucy decided to head home after that. She didn’t see Natsu or Lisanna for that matter, but it was probably for the best.

As the days went by Lucy spent most of her time working towards getting an internship with Sorcerer Weekly, her dream job.

Lucy knew that this was an excuse to avoid Natsu which was the hardest thing to do. Being a part of extracurricular activities that sometimes-crossed paths with the soccer player and sharing the same circle of friends made things very difficult.

Natsu was the first to give up the charade and did all he could to move forward with their friendship. Even when she insisted she was busy, he would want to be “busy” with her.  It took Lucy some time, a day and a half to be exact, until she started feeling comfortable around him again.

The image of him kissing Lisanna, never left her, however. That was something that would take her a while to get over.

Whenever Natsu wasn’t around Dan seemed to make his presence known to Lucy quite frequently. He would visit her after practice and walked her from class to class every chance he got.

Shortly after he asked her out on a date. Her friends thought it was a bad idea, but what was the harm?

Lucy thought that by agreeing to be his girlfriend would rid her of any feelings she might have had for Natsu.

Oh how wrong she was.

When senior year rolled in, Lucy had gotten accepting as intern for Sorcerer Weekly and got herself an apartment that was close to her new job. Dan had left for about a month and a half to start his military training, which left Lucy alone. Well, not completely alone.

She always managed to find Natsu either rummaging through her kitchen or passed out with Happy on her bed. The first few times she would scold him and wonder how he managed to get in without a key, but she quickly got used to him being there.

She got to see more of him, so she couldn’t complain too much.

Lucy would never admit it, but she loved coming home to Natsu.

She loved scolding him for leaving a mess or for breaking into her apartment. She loved being able to cook for him and Happy. She loved seeing a smile on his face when he asleep and wrapped up in her sheets. She loved how he always looked as if he had the best sleeps  in her bed.

She loved him.

The time Natsu spent at her place caused the feelings she had for him to make its way back to the forefront. It was as if her efforts to push away her feelings and be happy with Dan went down the drain.

Lucy would be lying if she said she was excited when Dan returned. Natsu grew busy with his firefighter training and didn’t come over as much. Dan was still the charming prince that showered her with compliments, affection, and so much more, but it wasn’t enough.

Not long after, Natsu announced that he and Lisanna were dating. It made her blood boil.

Lucy couldn’t understand why.

She was in a good place with her boyfriend and yet the thought of Natsu being with someone else still managed to make her feel envious.

There was a huge part of her that couldn’t bring herself to feel anything but jealousy. The feelings she had weren’t fair. It wasn’t fair to Dan, Natsu or Lisanna and yet she still had them.

By the time Lucy was ready to put her jealousy behind her, Dan decided it was best for them to part ways. In a way, Lucy was hurt, but she was more relieved than anything. She didn’t want to continue to hurt Dan without him even knowing.

Now here she was a few years later, still alone and still in love with the same man she’s tried so hard to get over.

Xxx

Dan chuckled causing Lucy to look up at him. “Same old Lucy. You always had your head in the clouds.”

She must have been out of it because they had stopped dancing at some point.

She laughed nervously. “Sorry, I was…trying to figure out what your other reason was for coming back was. Did you have something else to do?”

Dan thought for a moment. “If I’m being completely honest with you, Lucy, I was more eager to see you again.”

Lucy looked at him shocked. “Y-you were?”

“I was afraid that you had moved on and I’d lost any chance I had of seeing your gorgeous face again.” Lucy blinked blankly for a moment to register what he was saying. She could feel her face grow warm.

Dan leaned in to get a good look at her. “You okay? Your face is looking a little red.”

Taking a step back Lucy nodded quickly. “Y-yeah! It just got really hot all of sudden.”

“I’ll get you some water.” Dan escorted Lucy off to the side and ventured into the crowded room in search for a suitable beverage.

Lucy sighed once Dan left. To think one of Dan’s reasons for coming was to see her again. As sweet as it was the thought alone turned her into a bundle of nerves.

“Is that who I think it is?” Lucy immediately perked up at the familiar voice behind her.

“Oh my gosh! Mira?!” Lucy pulled her friend in for tight hug and received one from Mira in return.

“I had no idea you would be here tonight!” Mira exclaimed.

“With what’s been going on with Minerva’s family I thought she could use a friendly face!” Lucy replied. Laxus then appeared behind the two with two glasses in hand. He greeted Lucy with a small nod in her direction and handed her the clear liquid that looked more like water than any form of wine.

“You’re only having water?” Mira wasn’t a lush like Cana, but it just seemed odd that she chose water as her drink of choices. It was then the realization hit Lucy. Her eyes widened as a blush appeared on Mira’s face and Laxus looked away awkwardly.

“Three weeks.” Was all Mira said.

Happiness couldn’t even begin to describe how she felt for Mira and Laxus. She contained her squeals by bringing her hands up to her mouth. “Congratulation!”

Mira’s smile widened. “Thank you! We’re hoping to announce it right after the wedding or at least before I start showing.”

“Your secret is safe with me! Not even my date wi-” Mira interrupted her.

“Date? You have a date? Is it with someone I know?” Mira always enjoyed learning about Lucy’s poor excuse of a love life. Lucy never understood why.

There were times when Mira would joke that Lucy and Natsu looked good together. A thought Lucy already considered.

She started ignoring the woman’s comments right after she suggested that Gray might have a thing for her. Good thing Juvia was nowhere near them at the time.

“You’ve crossed paths with him a few times.” Lucy said.

Mira’s eyes lit up and she eagerly looked around. “Finally! Where’s Natsu?”

Lucy frowned at the question. Why would she think Natsu was here? More importantly, why would she think he was here with her?  “Why would I be he-“

“If it isn’t the dazzling Mirajane Strauss and her husband to be.” Dan’s voice sounded behind Lucy as as she felt his arm wrap around her waist.

Mira’s eyes widened in complete shock. Even Laxus looked surprised to see the man “D-Dan, I didn’t know you were back!”

“Not for much longer. Although, if given the right reasons, I might change my mind.” He looked over at Lucy with a warm smile causing her to blush. She heard a faint snort coming from Laxus and turned just in time to see Mira lightly elbow her fiancé in the stomach.

Mira brought a hand up to her mouth and she urgently looked at Laxus. “I’m not feeling too well. Laxus, would you mind escorting me to the restroom?” She gave Lucy a quick hug before pulling Laxus off.

That was weird to say the least.

Dan was the first to speak after the couple’s departure. “I hope she’s alright.”

“I’m sure she is…” Lucy’s words trailed off when her eyes were met with Minerva from across the ballroom floor. She was talking with a group of people when Rufus walked over and whispered in her ear. Minerva’s thoughtful smile she held for most of the night fell.

Minerva gave the guests an apologetic look and if Lucy looked hard enough there was some irritation as well. With a handshake, she walked away from the group of people with Rufus in tow, disappearing around a corner.

Something was up. Minerva was never one to leave a party. In fact, she lived and breathed opportunities that would put her family on the front page. What could possibly pull her away?

Lucy quickly turned to Dan ready to give the good old “I need to powder my nose” excuse, but he beat her to it. He was staring at his phone with annoyance dancing in his eyes.

“I have to make a quick phone call, beautiful. Excuse me.” He didn’t even give her time to answer before he briskly walked off.

‘It must have been important.’ She thought to herself.

Lucy didn’t dwell too much on his abrupt exit as it gave her the chance to figure out what was going on with Minerva.  

Just as Lucy was ready to follow the raven-haired woman two men stepped in front of her.

Lucy had forgotten the type of people events like this attracted. Rich people, yes, but most of the guests were questionable, creepy, and snobbish. The two men before her fit all three categories.

Jose Porla and Duke Everlue were a part of one of the richest families in Fiore.  One was a billionaire entrepreneur and the other was part of a lineage of authors.

Lucy had only met them a few times through their business with her family. Jose was the one that used to creep her out the most. When her mother was present he made no effort to hide his attraction her. He tried very hard to be the charming stud he wishes he was, but he just came off as pushy.  “I never thought I would see the day when a Heartfilia would grace us with their presence again.”

Lucy put on her best smile. “Mr. Porla, it’s been a long time.”

He takes Lucy’s hand, leaning down to gently kiss it. “Please, call me Jose.”

The feeling of the man’s wet kiss and mustache brushing against her skin made Lucy’s skin crawl.

She pulled her hand away with a polite smile. “R-right…”

Jose looked Lucy over and as flattering as it was supposed to be Lucy felt like she was on display. “You have grown up to become quite a sight, my dear. You definitely are Layla Heartfilia’s daughter. Don’t you agree, Everlue?”

Everlue shrugged his shoulders clearly unimpressed by the blonde before him.

“I’ve seen better.” Was the short man’s reply.

Lucy didn’t let his words get to her. The man had weird taste and would call the most beautiful women ugly. Her mother was one of those women who received his harsh critiques.

Lucy smiled to show his words did nothing to her self-esteem. “You’re just as direct as ever Mr. Everlue. I would like to send out my sympathies for the loss of your old library. As a person who avidly visited the facility, it pains me to see the building be tarnished in such a way.”

The man shifted uneasily as if the topic made him uncomfortable. He glanced at Jose for a moment, who seemed to be too distracted by Lucy to even notice. “It doesn’t really matter to me. The building was old and set to be taken down anyway. Someone did me a favor,” he said with trying to show his disinterest.  

A pretty indifferent statement for someone who almost had his building burned to the ground. Whether it was going to be torn down or not, that building was what put the Everlue family name on the map. It’s one thing to tear down the building on their own accord, but it’s another when someone else deliberately does it. It should have been unsettling.

Making note of his response, Lucy held her smile. “Of course. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be on my way.” Far away from them was very ideal. “Wait!” She felt Jose grab her arm with long, clammy fingers. She flinched at the sudden contact and quickly pulled away.

Jose smiled one of those creepy smiles, as if Lucy wasn’t already weirded out. “I was hoping I could ask you for a dance.”

Not even on his best day would she consider him as a dance partner. “I would love to but I can’t because…because…”

Where the heck was Dan when she needed him? Her eyes darted around the room in hopes to find the missing man, but there wasn’t a trace of him.

Lucy felt a warm hand gently grasp her shoulder and she sighed with relief.

“Because she promised me a dance.” Lucy’s heart leaped out of her chest at the voice.

That didn’t sound anything like Dan. Not even close.

That voice was something she spent years listening to and could point out without having to second guess herself. There was still a sense of hope within her that she was wrong.

Lucy slowly turned her head to the person who now stood by her side and her heart stopped.

This could not be happening.

Next to her stood a tall man wearing a black suit which revealed his white partially unbuttoned shirt. On most people, such an attire would be deemed sloppy or unkempt, but the look was working for him. The next thing Lucy noticed was his jet black spiky hair. It was as normal as any other hair color, but on him it looked so unnatural.  

Jose glared and looked the man up and down, as if he was sizing up his competition. “And who might you be, boy?”

The man in question gives Lucy a quick wink and holds out his hand towards Jose.

“Zeref Vermillion at your service.”

Only one thing came to Lucy’s mind.

‘You have got to be kidding me…’

xxx

A/N: Has a new challenger appeared?! Mwahahaha! I hope you guys enjoyed Lucy’s side of the story! I apologize for not coming out with this much sooner! Both my beta and I have become super busy, so please forgive the lateness! As always, please review and stay tuned!