#002. ╱ arc iii: post war. let me be gone for a while.

[aeceso]

High above her in the skies, birds were circling. If she was not in the middle of preparing her herb garden for the colder temperatures that were sure to soon come, she would have taken a moment to observe them. She liked birds, always had. Even when she had been a young girl. They were so free, unshackled. Her left ear twitched, identifying the bird calls despite her attempt to stay on task. Sparrows, presumably. Her right ear, at the same time, caught the soft sound of a breaking twig and she turned her head. Laxus. Now, that was . . . interesting. Unexpected.

She nodded at him, quietly watching his approach.

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[aeceso]

She almost rolled her eyes as she traced the rim of her teacup with her finger. Ivan could be so . . . strange about social interactions sometimes, even social interactions with people who had known him all his life. Who had cared about him on some level all his life. And who does he get it from, hm? her inner voice asked. As always, Porlyusica elected to ignore it. "You should," she said calmly. "The croissants he serves are also quite excellent."

And this, she would like to stress, was not a dig on the fact that she worried about the fact that her son seemed rather thin and haggard sometimes, and that she wished that he would take better care of himself. She took another sip of her tea, regarding her son carefully. "Sure," she said. She had been almost eager to get out of the forest as of late. "I heard rumours of strange occult rituals your guild uses to name the new members of the murder."

"i suppose that is true." bob was an intelligent man, behind his eccentricates. iva'sn mother knew much more than he did and quite frankly, he was content with that state of being. it also meant she was in touch with her friends. "i'm happy you enjoyed it. perhaps, i shall finally take up one of his invitations for brunch."

his words were littered with sarcasm towards the end. the truth was that the brunch invite felt more like an ambush in waiting than a true brunch. but what it was bob was looking for, ivan had no clue. which was annoying. but now was not the time to be annoyed. luckily, he has better news. "the hatching season will begin soon at raven tail, if you'd like to visit. it's quite...fun for some."

[aeceso]

it was quiet, but a comfortable one between them. and then, a sudden memory came to him, unbidden and something he hadn't thought about in years. it felt strange for it to be true, but no, he knows where the fossil is now, in a box in his closet with a bunch of childhood items. "...did i really dig a treasure in your front yard?"

before she had become a mother, she had always thought that she would raise her child on truth and truth alone. then she had been a mother and quickly, the realisation had set in that this was not exactly feasible. children were innocent. this innocence had to be protected. she had committed to legends about helpful elves that delivered presents on particularly chilly winter days. she had told ivan stories of fantastical things that had little connection to reality. to do so had been to protect his childhood, and to teach him about wonders and miracles.

laxus' childhood had been a lot less innocent. his illness had seen to that. thus, it had been even more important to create marvels and mysteries in his life on the good days. she remembered well how ivan had looked as she had watched on from her kitchen window, shovel in hand and slightly smiling to himself while laxus had been asleep on the couch in her living room.

looking at her grandson now, she almost smiled. his childhood was long gone, yes, but there was no need to burst what little bubbles of mystery he had still left. '' i did predict a glorious career in archaeology for you at some point, i believe, '' she said calmly.

[aeceso]

The ball of yarn bounced twice as it escaped the bowl and she snarled at it, unable to maintain her composure. This was frustrating. She should not have let herself be goaded into partaking in Bob's idea of a friendly holiday gift for our dear old teammate, but she had been having a day and Bob was good at coaxing her to delve into the less friendly aspects of her personality. Well, the wool had been laying around for quite some time because she had come to realise that anything it produced was awfully scratchy. Which was why she was knitting socks from it for her esteemed former teammate. And she would guilt him into wearing it. Silly pancake of a man that he was.

Focused on her project, she used her foot to keep the wool from escaping too far as a knock came from the door. She frowned. She was not expecting anyone, but when was she ever? "Yes?" she called out. "Door isn't locked, just come in."

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[aeceso]

on occasion,  porlyusica did feel her age in her bones by the time when she finished cleaning up after a long day of work.  most days,  her work was a reward in itself and she found peace and serenity in the knowledge that she had eased someone’s burden,  but as she sank into the old,  creaky chair behind her house to breathe,  her thoughts remained troubled.  no matter how much she did,  the mountain that needed to be shoveled away never seemed to shrink  ---  quite the opposite,  at times.  

she sighed and rubbed her temples before her head turned into the direction of a breaking branch,  tired eyes finding someone she had not seen in a while,  but she had always possessed a good memory for faces and the names that belonged to them.  it had not always been a blessing.  ‘ ‘ levy, ’ ’  she said with a nod as she gestured to one of the free chairs,  ones that were just as old as the one she was occupying.  ‘ ‘ what can i do for you?  ointment for paper-cuts,  nasty little things they are? ’ ’ 

@fairybond liked for a starter.

[aeceso]

A rare smile escaped Porlyusica as she regarded Erza. The gift basket was a nice gesture---one that she could appreciate, she enjoyed fresh fruits---but the more important thing was that Erza was taking good care of the eye. This, from the healer's perspective, showed a certain level of appreciation for the work. And like most, Porlyusica responded well to appreciation of the things that she worked hard on.

"There are teas and the sort," the healer said as she sat down on the other side of the table. "Herbal remedies that can keep your thoughts from racing. But my field of expertise is physical health, not mental health." Sometimes, she almost regretted her field of focus. Then, she remembered that being your own mindhealer was probably highly frowned upon and that she should maybe really look into finding a mindhealer for herself one of these days. "If your physical check up doesn't show us anything, I'd probably recommend a fellow professional who actually has the knowledge required for successfully helping you."

ERZA BRINGS OUT A MINI gift basket, containing bags of tea and fruits, setting them down on one of the tables. Just a token of appreciation. Not too elaborate but it's thoughtful. She sits down across from her, readying to be checked.

          Receiving the other's question, she nods. ❝I have.❞ She religiously follows the routine. The artificial eye is truly a gift. It not only restores her eyesight, but also represents her second chance at life with Fairy Tail. ❝It's still as good as new.❞ The handiwork is still impeccable like day one. ❝Well, I can sleep sometimes but I can't stay awake,❞ she admits. Her progress has not been linear. There are days when she's okay, and days when she's not. Sometimes, she wonders if this is something she will never overcome, and just something she has to learn how to live with for the rest of her life. ❝Is there really a treatment for it?❞

[aeceso]

a brief outline about what is going on for sica after the war

technically,  she comes out of retirement during the war,  but she finalises her paperwork to reinstate her as a doctor of marigold hospital very quickly afterwards.  she mainly helped strategise medical relief --- she had been out there to see the war happen firsthand and thus,  her insights were valuable.

this time as well as the respect her expertise was met with coaxed her out of her self-imposed exile in magnolia’s forest.

during makarov’s trial  ( and there were many things he was tried for,  ranging from child endangerment to treason ),  she was a witness and her testimony was scalpel-sharp,  surgical.  for her,  this was nothing personal.  it was not the final stroke of a revenge plan many years in the making.  it was not about retribution for old pain,  it was about the truth.

nevertheless,  she left magnolia afterwards and instead moved to cornus town for both professional  ( she had been offered an interesting job in a nearby city )  and personal reasons.

[aeceso]

😟 : a worried text

➽ gildarts:  hello gildarts.  i apologise for texting you this early,  but i cannot remember discharging you yesterday and you were not in your room this morning.  i am certain you just went for a brief walk in the forest and did not wander into magnolia to help out there which would go against my instructions.  breakfast is ready in fifteen minutes,  i hope you still like scrambled eggs and bacon on toast.

texting meme:  a worried text  /  accepting.

[aeceso]

‘ ‘ ---you look like you could use a cup of coffee,  gildarts. ’ ’  averting her sharp glance upon finishing this first cursory inspection of this rock in the guild’s foundations,  she strolled away from him,  rolling her shoulders and motioning for him to follow her into her home.  ‘ ‘ careful in the hallway  ---  i’ll be departing again tomorrow afternoon so things are more messy than usually around here, ’ ’  she warned as she sidestepped the suitcase she had bought only weeks before the war for the occasional congress,  the suitcase that was now showing the signs of extensive use.  ‘ ‘ what have you been up to? ’ ’

@hisreveniens​ liked for a starter.

[aeceso]

"OG Porlyusica!" DJ Hook Wizard Puppy smiled brightly and opened his arms at the healer. "I swear, I didn't mean to drop in unexpectedly, but I was thinking about how you were doing and teleported here! Man, magic can be crazy sometimes! Like that time I ended up deadass in the middle of Iceberg when I meant to go to the Iceberg cuisine restaurant OG Goldmind recc'd me! How have you been doing? Still kicking ass and taking names? Your place is very chill, by the way. I like the vibes, man."

goldmine had told her when she had been … bewildered by the man and his general personality that his name was brent and not … whatever his pseudonym was. their paths had crossed when she had spent time ín goldmine’s guild after makarov had disbanded his, and despite what many might assume, she had yet to scold him for anything. the chaotic vibe, as he would put it, that radiated from him was a good fit for the guild goldmine had founded after leaving fairy tail. still, she had not expected him to simply — appear in the middle of her laboratory.

“ brent, ” she greeted as she set aside the basket of herbs she had gathered from her greenhouse minutes before. “ i’d invite you in but you’re already in my living room. ”

truth be told, half the time, she did not really understand what he was talking about, but this seemed to be a common affliction around him; goldmine seemed to have reached the point where he had just accepted that this young man was the way he was and that there was likely nothing that could possibly change him. 

mentioning for him to sit down, she leaned against the door frame and shrugged. “ can’t complain much, ” she said calmly, traces of fondness ghosting over her face. she did like goldmine’s guild; sure, it was  somewhat chaotic,  but it was chaotic in a … good way. when his mages did outrageous things, it was born from the essence of their personality, not their need to follow their guild master’s reckless philosophies. “ no patients at the moment, only visitors who stop by to … chat, like you, i suppose. i don’t think i heard the iceberg story yet? do you want tea or do you have somewhere to be? ”

[aeceso]

laxus paused. no. nononononono. this CANNOT be his life. why. why had god abandoned him. he swallowed his tea even though it was still hot and merely said, "oh. i didn't know you knew any quatro cerberus members ... i met um. that one. dj. at a rock festival in crocus." laxus craved death !

almost, she would have scoffed. of course she knew the members of the guild an old friend of hers had founded. the mere idea that somehow, she might not have kept in touch with someone who had always been reliable — it did not make much sense for her. then, she recalled that as far as the mages of his generation were concerned, she was an angry old woman who lived in the woods and who reacted … poorly to visitors.

“ goldmine is an old friend of mine, ” she said with a shrug. “ not of your makarov’s, however. and i do know brent, too. he has shown up here a few times. ”

[aeceso]

"For the arm." Ivan said, showing off a little box. It was wrapped with a pink bow and in yellow wrapping, colors that were so far away from the man's own taste but even after all these years he had a sense of humor. The clash was hilarious--to him. In it, of course, was his mother's favorite tea. "It's semi-legal considering the political climate but I did pay for it." With honest money? Who's to say.

“ hmpf. ”

porlyusica did not look up, though her eyes had not moved from the line she had been reading when he had approached. in all of earthland, she was likely the one person who did not feel — nervous, apprehensive when her son made an appearance. she had remained — impartial through everything, had had put her own grudge to rest a long time ago. life was too short to dwell on the past and as she had gotten older, too many things had happened that had put her frustration into relation.

then, she put aside the leatherbound notebook and turned towards him, a wry smile on her face. “ i  was  starting to run out, ” she admitted as she crossed her arms and swallowed down the  sadness  that so often threatened to choke her. “ thank you, ivan. ”

she should not accept his gift, just like she should have refused to treat him in the first place. but … but … sometimes, it was impossible for her to look at him and not see the boy she had raised, the boy he had been before he had been  destroyed,  before his heart had been shattered. and she was a mother, still. it was the one thing this forsaken world had not taken from her  ( yet ),  despite all attempts to do so.

“ will you stay for a cup? ”

[aeceso]

tag drop.

[aeceso]

@chaoticor​  /  brent:

‘ ‘ life hack:  you don’t have to be a wolf to yell sad noises at the moon. ’ ’

her first thought was a  brent,  you’re killing me,  immediately followed by a  well,  he isn’t wrong,  is he?  and she was not entirely certain if she liked what that meant for her overall sanity.  thus,  she found herself sighing at both him and herself as she watched him pluck the apples from the branches she had not been able to reach.  but at the same concern was biting down on her heartstrings  ---  the kid was one of goldmine’s.  one of his mages.  she wished she could still kid and have it mean not something that felt like sharp blades against something soft and vulnerable,  but too much had been not all right by the time she had left her old guild.

‘ ‘ . . . i hope that is not your only coping mechanism,  boy. ’ ’  she moved closer,  her skirt and her cloak rustling as she moved.  she had not seen much of goldmine since the war  ---  there had been an unspoken agreement between the three of them  ( goldmine,  her and bob )  to push back any meeting that did not have the fate of the country hinging on it until the dust had settled,  but she did not need to have insight into her old friend’s daily life to have an idea on how he was handling it  ---  a lot of time spent in quietude with his souls,  then trying to pass on the peace he found there to his mages.  she had known him long enough to foresee his actions,  to know that he had sent brent over with a basket of herbs because he had wanted to get the kid away from the more daunting tasks that waited outside of the woods.

she rubbed her wrist and stopped a few steps away from him,  her fingers tugging on a heavy branch to pull it down to her so she could grab some of the apples.  ‘ ‘ come on,  brent,  if you have more sad noises to yell at the moon inside of you,  you also have things to talk over with someone over apple pie and tea, ’ ’  she said calmly.  ‘ ‘ i am currently too exhausted to listen  ---  and you might prefer to talk with someone who isn’t a fossil like me,  but i can help you bake the pie. ’ ’

[aeceso]

@caelusia​  /  chelia blendy.

“  everything that you feel is just a chemical reaction inside your head.  wow.  ”

‘ ‘ it does not make it any less real,  chelia. ’ ’  red eyes narrowed with worry as the healer turned to look back at the girl that was trailing after her as she was picking apples from the trees she had planted near her home.  the wisp was one of ooba’s,  something that was a comforting thought today because as sharp and venomous as the viper was,  she took care of her own. 

and after what had happened,  chelia did need that care.  

rubbing a particularly pretty apple against her skirt until it looked as if she had stolen it from a fairy tale,  porlyusica sat down on the bench that laxus had insisted she needed.  ‘ ‘ the human body is a complicated construct,  one that has never ceased to fascinate me, ’ ’  she went on as she offered the apple to the other.  ‘ ‘ it is also not quite that simple  ---  i have books that i could give you so you can figure it out for yourself,  if you’d like. ’ ’

[aeceso]

Ivan had come to seek his mother for some company, as he did now and then. He only had the one mother, after all, and she was probably the only true human contact he had. Entering her house was easy-he knew where the key was and he saw her in her usual spot, researching but on the corner of his eye was a figure he truly thought was dead. "Hm. Seems you are a survivor, after all." he said, to the sleeping figure of Zilla. He turned towards his mother. "Where'd you pick that one up?"

sometimes, ivan reminded her more of her brother, his uncle than she could bear. godric had been a thousand kinds of great — truly great, not the pale imitation makarov had chased — but he had been flawed, too. he had never had their father’s easy charm or their mother’s way with words. godric had been brilliant, but he had been the silent, near lurking kind of brilliant. ivan, too, was that way.

despite what some might paint her as, porlyusica was too old to be naive. she knew what her son had done to others — he had  borrowed  her research, after all — but unlike most people, she would never pass judgement as she could, better than anyone else, understand the complexity that her son had become. there was no easy solution, not when one had been there and  witnessed  how a boy who had been merely brilliant had changed.

( had his wife lived, had she not died the way she had, ivan would not have become the man he was now. )

but this — this was not the time to contemplate what-ifs. closing the book on herbal remedies she had been browsing to reaffirm something she thought to already know, porlyusica turned towards her son, pale fingers gently caressing the spine of her  other  book. usually, she did not find this to be necessary — arming herself, bracing herself for the possible fallouts. someone had once said that even monsters could love their mothers and while porlyusica could not see the monster in her son, she was too smart to think that he had nothing to do with how undisturbed she had lived through the decades.

an aging woman, living all alone in the woods would be a target in the eyes of many yet she had never encountered anyone who was after either her material possessions or the knowledge she had amassed throughout her life.

right now, ivan did not remind her of godric and she was nearly grateful for this. while flawed and being vaguely imposing at times, her brother had never unsettled her. perhaps because he had been too gentle for this, too kind.

holding her book to her chest, porlyusica took a step towards her son. “ hello, ivan, ” she greeted, her voice nearly  pleasant.  “ i didn’t expect you to join me for tea this afternoon. ”

not that he had ever been in the habit of writing her ahead of time, asking if she would even be home. perhaps, he knew her too well, knew that unless she would  finally  be able to pull herself away from this forsaken city and the pain it was still causing her, she would never go far.

idly moving between her son and zilla, she nearly smiled. “ as for her, we met a while ago, ” she said — truthful because unlike some, she would never lie to her son. “ i do need someone who helps me a bit. after all, i’m not getting younger, am i? ”