#Ishgar

[spot-of-tea]

So cultures, am I right?

I a load of fan fics and various fan works I've read and seen, there's been a ton of speculation as to the kinds of cultures that are prevalent in the Fairytail universe. So I figured I'd throw my two cents in here.

Especially because I feel like I'll need to explain some of the headcanons used in my own works at some point.

Just a side note, while I do not own Fairytail these are my own headcanons, you are free to use them if you'd like. If you want further clarification or want to know more about the topic (or any other topic really) then my ask box is always open :3

putting in a read more cause I feel like this is going to get long.

Okay so far we know that Earthland has four main continents. An unnamed eastern continent, the northern continent Guiltina, the western continent Alakitasia, and of course there's Ishgar.

Now aside from these places being fictional (as much as we may want them to be real) and therefore having no real cultures, we don't really get a good look at what the cultures of these lands really are other than some vague exposition. So when it comes to thinking of what these countries cultures would be like, what their food is like, their dress, their language, I've found it best to ascribe real world examples and use those to influence how I build up this world in my fics.

Which is why my own thoughts are as follows.

The unnamed eastern country has been mentioned a few times and is shown to have a somewhat asian culture, since we don't really know the landmass I'm tempted to say that certain parts of it lean more towards different asian cultures. Instead of it being all one monoculture that leans heavily into the Japanese culture.

I've admittedly not been keeping up with 100yrs quest, aside from watching the dub as it comes out, so I can't go too into depth on what the culture in Guiltina would be like. None of my fics have really taken place in that area, other than a small reference here or there, so I have no real need to flesh it out too much. Saying that though as it's the northern continent my mind immediately goes towards a more colder climate and I begin to think eastern/northern european. I know that's not strictly the case and I think I'll revisit this as I know more about the area.

Now Alakitasia is shown to be a hot continent, So I automatically begin to lean more towards the americas. Both North and South. Maybe even seeing some african influence in some areas. The Alvarez Empire in particular was said to cover a vast amount of the landmass (I think), and with it being an empire would likely have absorbed multiple cultures along the way. The entire country has likely become a melting pot of cultural experiences from different regions within the continent. That's not to mention if Zeref didn't influence the culture there himself by bringing over some of the cultural practises from Ishgar.

Speaking of Ishgar though, I noticed that many of the names for the countries come from european languages, such as fiore meaning flower in italian, which leads me to think that the culture there is pretty euro-centric. Now I haven't thought about the cultures in every country, just a few that have come up when I get a little carried away with world building. I have no set real world equivalent for the culture in Fiore and as such I mostly view it as being vaguely european in nature. Minstrel and Midi I see as having a similar cultural spread akin to the British Isles, maybe even touching on some French influences here and there. Caelum I thought of as having an Italian and Greek influence. Then there's Desierto, which features heavily in another fic I have in the works and is mentioned once or twice in tswwid. Since I found out that Desierto is the Spanish word for desert I absolutely cannot picture the culture there as anything other than spanish/latin american.

Ughhhh if you got this far I think you need a medal or something.

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Have sparkles.

but anyway I felt like I needed to get this off my chest at some point so here. I really would love to hear if anyone has any other ideas or different views.

[bumblebeehug]

no one asked for it but here's a small list of nalu fanfic recs from fanfiction.net bc i'm insane about them and you should be too

wanted fun by atthestarlite - Natsu and Lucy play Seven Minutes in Heaven. (Rated K+)

Lessons by skysignal - Due to a misunderstanding, Erza sets up an unconventional contest at the Fairy Tail guild to settle the score between Natsu and Gray once and for all. Now Natsu and Lucy are forced to undergo training of a different kind! Nobody wants to lose, so Natsu and Lucy are willing to do ANYTHING. The stakes are high this time. (Rated T)

Kittens on a Tank Top by PanadeineForte - It should come as no surprise when Lucy loses her clothes again. So Natsu sets out to buy her a new outfit. (Rated T)

Headspace by Little Miss Writing Prodigy - His arms had been a warm presence around her waist, his gaze level with hers as he double checked to make sure she was alright while simultaneously ignoring the shit out of a still-fuming Gray and it'd probably been in that moment that Lucy noticed. Natsu had grown insanely protective of her, to the point where it must have become almost instinctual to him. 100yq spoilers (Rated T)

Quarantine Makes the Heart Grow Fonder by YouCanCallMe MrsMalfoy (UNFINISHED, 11 chapters) - Covid reaches Ishgar and the country is thrown into a panic over the spreading pandemic. Natsu and Lucy are stuck quarantining together. Will the over-exposure push them apart, or will love finally bloom? (Rated T)

The Nose Knows by Nenaro (UNFINISHED) - She should have known better. It's not like he hasn't told her a thousand times how strong his sense of smell is. It honestly just should have dawned on her a long time ago. (Rated M)

[deus-sema]

I have a crack theory feeling that Lucy will be the one to confess first and Natsu will be all confused and be like,"Wait aren't we already married and have a family and all?"

He would absolutely be someone who would expect that it's plain obvious throughout Ishgar and all the way to Alakatasia that he and Lucy are an item.

[yamishika]

HCs about Jellal : Pre abduction / Jellal backstory

Since I am in a slump and have been struggling to find the motivation to write again and continue with my works, I thought I would just share my HCs regarding what I had thought about Jellal’s life Pre-Tower Of Zeref/canon events.

I am aware of the canon backstory that had come out about Jellal in 100YQ, but this is just my HCs/narrative that I had in mind and had been writing about way before the revelation. I wanted to share it just to see if anyone else likes the direction of it and just to get me back into the mindset of thinking about Jellal again since it's been some time.

I will mention though my HCs are more of a grittier, almost seinen like origin, so it can get pretty distressing, however with the darker themes of Fairy Tail I thought it could fit.  Just a heads up...This is a pretty long read so thank you to those who are patient with it, i'm sorry I write so much. I will however include some art alongside the HCs to show what the vision was for the narrative so it's more concisive! Note : Smaller bulletpoints/text in the the post are basically related to the parent bulletpoint or image above (I don't know how to format properly on this-) CW & TW : Darker subjects mentioned and discussed, possibly some distressing art beneath

Map of Almeta : Altaïr is the capital (The heart), there are smaller countries around it which are also not recognised by the main kingdoms (it looks big on the map but it's not THAT huge.)

First of all Jellal’s birth country (Almeta) is not on the main continents of Earthland (so neither Ishgar, Guilitina etc), rather it exists/existed as it’s own entity, completely detached from the known kingdoms due to a dark history that has caused the people as a whole to flee away from the influence of magic and in doing so, are not connected to the mainlands. 

Despite being detached to the forefront of civilization, Almeta is aware of the existence of the other continents/countries of Earthland, however the existence of Almeta is not apparent for those outside of it. To the point that it does not exist on maps (Of course this is because I wanted to be inline with the canonverse, but also there is a reason for the country being hidden which ties in with the lore of my HCs too)

Almeta actually demonises the use of magic, considers the use of it lawless and eventually leading to corruption, however in the same breath the country prides themselves as being the holders of Heavenly Body Magic - Only due to the fact this was the magic that was bestowed upon them by their gods after immense hardship and tyranny.

The only ones who can actually wield/use magic in Almeta are the protectors who are sworn in service to the nation. 7 bloodlines who are said to preserve the founder’s will, Fernandes being one of them.

That being said, now going into my HCs about Jellal directly…

Jellal (5-6yrs) seeking freedom beyond confinement

Jellal was born as an heir into nobility/priestly lineage

His mother (Kaileen) was a serving priestess (Heavenly Priestess), highly esteemed and revered in the nation alike to a goddess, whereas his father (Rais) was nothing of the sort and actually grew up as seen as a ‘threat’ to society. Regardless of the obvious mismatch, his parents married secretly in a said ‘love’ marriage and when Jellal was conceived a few years after, he was kept a secret from most of the nation who still wouldn’t approve of the marriage yet.

Jellal’s father was not in the country for his birth, he had gone on an expedition organised by the country to the continent for ishgar to take part in diplomatic matters between Almeta and the mainland, as Almeta was seeking to form bonds with Ishgar for the sake of creating new opportunities and gaining more knowledge for it’s people.

That being said there was an attack on Almeta a month before Jellal’s birth and that kept Jellal’s father from returning whilst also pushing back the said ‘reunion’ date until 8 months since the attack, it was uncovered that his father was deemed the orchestrator of the attack and was said to have fled the country through the expedition.

Due to Jellal’s mother’s connection to his father, she was immediately deemed as a co-conspirator and eventually the law of Almeta deemed her to be punished for her husband’s treason, which in turn stripped her from her noble rank entirely and with that, Jellal’s was too.

Almeta’s culture was very governed by their religion, one would even say the following/belief was similar to indoctrination, and any sin against the country and it’s people was considered unforgivable. So those who were tied to such sins (i.e. Jellal and his mother) were to be deemed outcasts, marked for their wicked connections and ‘devilry’.

This goes onto my HC of Jellal’s tattoo origin : (since Mashima never covers that)

Jellal (1 yr+) and his mother Kaileen in confinement

The tattoo on Jellal’s face was a marking put upon him and his mother to identify to the people that they were the ‘cursed’ and forsaken. So called ‘devil blood’ runs between them and they weren’t meant to be seen with the same status as other citizens due to their connection to someone (Jellal’s father) who was now proclaimed a devil by Almetian law.

To add, the design of the tattoo originates from the corrupt empire that had tormented/sieged and violated the citizens of Almeta before the founding of the country.  

The tyrant who had been behind all the suffering, before his death the insignia was carved into the right side of his face to mark him as the ‘first Devil’, which the tradition carried on by the people and by the ruling of the gods to mark those who follow in footsteps of the tyrant and those associated with the same.

Because of the condemnation Jellal and his mother Kaileen faced, he did not grow up as a normal child. Rather he grew up in captivity, his childhood years being wasted away by growing up in something barely short of a prison, completely deprived of freedom and he was always questioning as to why he was the one suffering like this, why his freedom was being stripped for sins of someone else.

^ This dynamic spurns into why Jellal has such a deep vying for freedom, the will for it is deep rooted beyond his time in the tower of heaven.

On top of being basically kept in confinement, Jellal and his mother faced horrific abuse for years, being the target for degradation, humiliation, cruelty, in Jellal’s case covert racism, and in his mother’s case objectification. The people were not kind to them at all, their gods had ordered the mistreatment of the ‘damned’ as it was seen as a symbol of ‘belief and submission’.

Now going onto where the canon bits of Jellal tie in with the narratives of this HC :

Jellal (5-6yrs) reading/looking at the book about the saint he idolises

Despite all the severe adversity and unfairness Jellal faced growing up, his way to cope was through a book that he somehow had that detailed the tale of a man who had faced similar adversity and was considered an outcast, who eventually went on to fight the tyrant and save everyone from great evil and be claimed as a hero.

The man in question is actually the founder of Almeta, Saint Siegrain, and Jellal idolised this man’s story to a fault. At first it was an innocent admiration, but as the world and it’s treatment becomes more clear to Jellal and his understanding of justice and himself becomes raw, Siegrain’s story became something he internalised and used to make sense of his own life and to give him hope too.

Saint Siegrain was actually the twin brother to the tyrant, and because of their likeness the facial tattoo that Jellal has, was carved onto his twin brother both as punishment and to differentiate the both of them.

Saint Siegrain was said to have been the one gifted with the destructive power of the heavens (Heavenly Body Magic) that the gods taught to him in his darkest moments under captivity by his own brother’s tyranny (I think you can tell what this is meant to parallel for Jellal)

However naturally as Jellal tried to cling to this idealistic ‘saint’ personality, the darker sides of his personality that started to grow naturally from the circumstances and injustice he grew up in became a fear for him. 

He always had a pretty black and white understanding of things, the conditions he grew up didn’t make it any better, but as a result Jellal’s darker side was something he denied on such a deeper level that he eventually went on to develop a split personality (Siegrain), who started to properly manifest when he was taken into slavery.  

His compartmentalization of his personality comes from not just wanting to align with his idol’s (Saint Siegrain) story, but also because he doesn’t want to acknowledge what it could mean if he does have these darker traits. As then he actually would be like the ‘first devil’, or the one he mostly despises, his father Rais - The one who gave him said ‘devil’ blood. And he wants to be the furthest thing away from either, because that would mean falling in line with the fate he wishes to reject.

Despite the narrative of the tale, Jellal is actually the ‘Saint’ persona, whilst ‘Siegrain��� is the ‘Devil’. (This can be explained in more detail later if wanted, but I wanted to stay true to canon here in some way).

Siegrain is the persona of Jellal who seeks freedom beyond everything and to rise beyond Jellal’s ‘damned’ fate, yet he’s a manifestation of all the traits/beliefs and ideals that Jellal denies due to his unhealthy idolisation and rejection of said ‘fate’ - He is a twisted persona that both wishes to protect Jellal yet also resents him, but Jellal’s denial of his darkness is so deep that he does not seem Siegrain as part of him at all - Rather Siegrain is his confidant, his friend, his closest, yet his destruction (Their dynamic I had in mind is very Jekyll and Hyde inspired - The extremes and absence of morality)

Because of how ingrained Jellal’s black and white thinking is, this trait of his doesn’t really ever go away even after post TOH events.

Jellal (7-8yrs) making prayers to the gods who he eventually finds out condemned him

Due to Jellal’s upbringing and the gods having basically fated his misery, it’s no surprise why he hates them. At first he prayed to them believing they would intervene for him like the Saint, but then he learned they condemned him for a sin which wasn’t his own and despised them there on out.

The only reason he eventually aligns with Zeref is because he sees his power as the thing that can break him out of his fate + ‘chosen one’ like the saint. 

Extra information about the canon info and how it ties into the HCs: 

How did Jellal get to the Tower Of Zeref? : He was abducted when the cultists of Zeref came to the Almeta and raided the country who were taking part in a huge festival for their gods, and seeking to sacrifice Jellal and his mother in order to earn the gods’s favour again…

Jellal’s personality when he arrived at the Tower Of Zeref? : Despite having been the abused ‘good boy’ in his home country, when arriving at the Tower of Zeref, Jellal takes the chance to reinvent himself. Trying to be confident, positive and everything that his past did not allow him to be.

Nirvana? : In my HCs Jellal actually knows the existence of Nirvana before he is abducted. He is told about it through his Grandfather in an innocent talk he was having about how he could ‘reverse’ his devil blood and be ‘good’ again. But that then spurns Jellal/Siegrain to actually search for Nirvana and information on it when he infiltrates the magic council.

Heavenly Body Magic (HBM)? - As established in the HCs that Almeta prides being the holders of Heavenly Body Magic, during the raid of the country the cultists steal their books and when Jellal rises to power in the tower he teaches himself the material + has a natural affinity towards the magic due to his bloodline having studied Heavenly Body Magic and being attuned towards celestial power. 

Survives being drowned in Ethernano? : Alongside being the heir of a bloodline powerful in magic ability (Fernandes), the Fernandes bloodline were known to take part in methods that would elevate their magical capacity and power + Jellal’s father had apparently been part of one of the country’s underground experiments - Ethernano Absorption.

Ethernano absorption was a project done in order to increase the natural threshold for ethernano in the bodies of humans even in huge quantities, and to be able to filter out toxic potential so it could power said individual. 

Because his father underwent the experiment, Jellal being his child has also reaped the benefits of the experiment and has been able to absorb large amounts of ethernano to both draw power but also be able to survive incredulous circumstances such as being drowned in the pure substance since his body is capable of not succumbing (well better than the average human/wizard)

Scarlet? : Jellal’s favourite colour is red because it was the only colour that looked lively and caught his attention when living in confinement and everything was grey. He learned the name of the colour Scarlet when he learned of a flower that had it’s name in it’s description. 

Cats? : Because most people despised Jellal growing up, his friends were nature. He had cats that he considered friends and hence has a fondness for them.

Erza? : Jellal comes to the Tower of Zeref paranoid, despite trying to reinvent himself he feels that he is being seen through. He is wary of everyone around him. He names Erza in the midst of trying to be confident and doing something nice for someone (it's more explained in my fanfic), but it’s her kindness and her ability to see the good in him despite himself which really makes him fall for her.  

Origins? : Jellal never tells anyone about his true upbringing. He doesn’t outright lie as he is bad at it, but he is vague about what happened during the abduction so they can assume their own narrative and he seems more alike to the rest , as he is aware his childhood wasn’t anything normal, and he doesn’t want to tell anyone lest they discard him after finding out his truth.

Desire for Heaven? : As canon Jellal is obsessed with the idea of heaven and Zeref being the way to obtain it, in this narrative the reason why Jellal/Sieg is so adamant to achieve it is because he has been told Heaven is the perfect place. No misery, no pain. Everything will be peaceful and those who get there would not suffer anymore. (So tying it kind of into the abrahamic religions belief)

But. Because of Jellal being marked a 'devil', he is apparently not fit for heaven on his own and due to being outcasted, he wants to achieve heaven in his own means, defy his fate regardless what sacrifice it requires...Because it would all be worth it in the end.

It starts of as an innocent ideal, to combat the injustice of the world that he and many others have experienced, however then devolves into a controlling obsession, devotion in an attempt to spite the gods themselves and save him from his destined damnation

Extra information about HCs of Jellal and everything else : 

Almeta (pronounced - Al-me-tchi-a (it isn't pronounced how it's written, but this is only according to my HC-) : Means 'Ambitious' (in Latin)

Jellal’s surname comes from his mother’s side, whilst his forename comes from his father’s origins (who is considered a foreigner even in Almeta - Aramian/Azrakh (Equivalent of Arabian/Middle Eastern origin here).

When younger Jellal showed more resemblance to his mother (i.e in softness and colour), but growing older he resembles his father’s features more (and this is why the disgust and hate on him was so great in Almeta).

His father is the one who he gets the blue hair from (and growing up Jellal hated it and wished for something normal because his blue hair tied him to the ‘devil’). He started to appreciate it more because of Erza. (Unnatural coloured hair is actually not common in Almeta so Jellal stuck out like a sore thumb)

Jellal’s father is affiliated with the Tower of Zeref.  

One of the gods worshipped in Almeta is ‘Zerith’, but that being said he is not worshipped in a traditional sense. The other gods are worshipped in reverence and will, whereas Zerith has the reputation of chaos and destruction, so Zerith is worshipped out of fear.  

Because of Almeta’s connection to HBM, the country has a huge reverence for the stars and celestial wonder.  

There are subtypes of Heavenly Body Magic - Jellal’s one he studied is mainly offensive and somewhat all rounding. But the defenders of Almeta learned Heavenly magic that was extremely versatile - it could be performative, destructive, healing, defending etc.  

Jellal is actually not aware of what rank his family/mother or he could have had, he does learn Fernandes was an important people in the country but he is not aware to what extent.  

When Jellal’s mother was stripped of her rank, she was also stripped of her magic alongside and forced to live objectified and degraded for her ‘treason’ to a devil.  

His mother eventually went mad under the harsh persecution, abuse and from living in confinement. She began to hate Jellal and everything about him when she couldn’t separate him from his connection to the man who damned them.

Almeta’s inspiration is similar to the crusader period of the holy lands (hence emphasis of religion, mixed cultures, hierarchy etc). (was lowkey inspired by AC1 setting for this)

Ultear’s manipulation is a catalyst for something that was already afflicting Jellal rather than just completely brainwashing him.

Okay that was a really extensive post.

These HCs are based on a narrative I had created trying to do a character study on Jellal, trying to put more reason to his behaviours as a villain aside from Ultear’s manipulation. I wanted to really focus on the ideal of freedom for Jellal, the effect of sins and just building up his mentality from the ground and how it could have been moulded in the Tower of Zeref.

I didn’t want Ultear’s intervention to completely take away his accountability whilst in the same breath exploring what could actually turn someone to align with such ideals given the circumstances. Especially since Jellal has so much potential.

I really love Jellal and just wanted to share my brain rot i’ve had on him, I know it’s of a darker and more philosophical/psychological angle and there are layers, but I just hope everything I have written has been cohesive and if there are any questions about it, I’d love to answer! I have a lot I could say on these HCs, but I don't want to exhaust it all in one post (the post is already so long to begin with ><)

Thank you so much for taking the time to read all of this, truly.

Please do let me know your thoughts if you have any! ^^

PS : If anyone is interested in reading the fanfic I have been writing which implements the above HCs and narrative, i’ll link it below.

Also I will link the rest of the art I have been getting done related to this narrative for Jellal.

Thank you once again for reading all this 🤍

[pyropsychiccollector]

Zeref: So basically, Natsu never grew up... *very nonchalant as he sits at the bar in the guildhall*

Erza: (✿◠‿◠)*** *as tables and people are flying all around them* I'm so sorry this had to be your first Fairy Tail experience... *CRASH!* (✿◠‿◠)********* So very, very sorry... *barely restraining herself from Brawl Defusal at this point*

Zeref: *chuckles* My first experience...? You do realize I taught your guild's founders?

Erza: Y-Yes, well...!

Zeref: Not to mention, you were the ones to raze my empire. Alvarez has never been in such shambles. It's all in Invel and Ajeel's hands over there. Dimaria's retired... Brandish moved to Ishgar, apparently?

Erza: ......... *CRASH!* *SHATTER!* *SCREAMS OF "Uncle!"* (✿◠‿◠)*** You do realize you were literally asking for that ass-whooping...?

Zeref: *watches a barstool narrowly miss his nose as it flies past* Oh, I won't dispute that point. However, I'm pointing out the flaw of your apology.

Erza: Yes, well... *sees telltale lightning charging up in the atmosphere... too much to be from one mage alone* (✿◠‿◠)*** We weren't expecting you and our First Master to be sticking around, reincarnated. So technically, this IS your first experience... You're not an enemy anymore.

Zeref: Mmm... I suppose not. *watches Erza nearly bolts out of her seat once Natsu is blasted through a new hole in the ceiling* ≖‿≖ But truly... You need not apologize. You act as if this is my first rodeo with Natsu.

Erza: You knew him as a babe!!! ... And a little kid. (╬≖_≖)

Zeref: *gestures at the steady stream of lightning-flames spewing through the hole in the ceiling and nailing Laxus down below* And my original point that I labored toward...?

Erza: ......... (╬≖_≖)(╬≖_≖)(╬≖_≖) He's not... ALWAYS this bad.

Zeref: n__n *Gajeel and Natsu bash into each other midair, Dragon Force activated* He could be sweet, it's true. Well, I'm speaking of the boy who died... I assume that kind nature passed onto the Etherious Natsu, but I can't say I've had the distinct pleasure of confirming that...

Erza: ... You're exaggerating.

Zeref: He absolutely refused to listen to a word I said. It took Igneel to get him to learn reading and writing.

Erza: (╬≖_≖) I beg your pardon, but *I* taught him reading.

Zeref: And as Irene's offspring, that makes sense. :3

Erza: (╬ಠ益ಠ)I am not-

Zeref: ≖‿≖ I have several ways to confirm your lineage, Erza. It's useless burying your head in the sand.

Erza: (╬≖_≖) ... Regardless, I fail too see how my lineage has anything to do with me teaching Natsu valuable life skills.

Zeref: (❋•‿•❋) Simple. Natsu won't bring himself to heel without overwhelming force to make him respect you. Igneel knew your pains long before you ever did, but you're to be commended for guiding him down the right path.

Erza: And you couldn't "overwhelm" him on your own...? You HAD to dump him on a dragon? (╬≖_≖)

Zeref: Unfortunately, with the Curse afflicting me, the options were "love him to death" or take a compassionate Fire Dragon King up on his offer to teach Natsu. (❋•‿•❋) It fulfilled several objectives anyway.

Erza: *whole guild is shaking from everyone going all-out on each other by now* *huffs* (╬≖_≖) I just... There must be SOME way to calm him down. Surely we can't let him remain this way forever? *mostly irate about property damage and broken bones from these brawls*

Zeref: ... Well, I COULD suggest a possible stratagem. *nonchalantly sips tea*

Erza: (☉_ ☉) ......... *bolts up to her feet and Requips Purgatory Armor, brandishing a sword towards Zeref* You KNOW a way to tame his reckless tendencies?! (╯°□°）╯

Zeref: ... From a certain point of view. (❋•‿•❋) Lord knows I must do the same with Mavis whenever she gets... mischievous. Yearning for new adventures. (❋•‿•❋)

Erza: Zeref, I will not ask you again. (╬≖‿≖) What is this "stratagem"? I must know this. This could change EVERYTHING!

Zeref: Well, I certainly hope it would... Because you'll need to get...intimate with him. VERY intimate. ≖‿≖

Erza: ... Now when you say "intimate"... You mean head pets and hugs? (☉_ ☉)

Zeref: He's not a little boy anymore, Erza. ≖‿≖ You'll need to consult your "books" for those kinds of tips, I'm afraid.

Erza: Why would you even SUGGEST such debauchery?!?!?! (⊙▂⊙✖ ) Are you suggesting you and our First Master have been...?!

Zeref: Oh, we crossed that bridge over a hundred years ago, Erza. I'm told that's how August was born. ... And how his very belated siblings are on the way, as we speak.

Erza: *scandalized* (⊙▂⊙✖ ) Sh-SHAMELESS!!!!! Y-You have to be joking!!!

Zeref: *shrugs* Believe what you will. ... Just know that I'm a little sore at the moment, so I can't reel Mavis in. Apologies.

Erza: What are you...?! *whips her head around, seeing Mavis whip up a war strategy board* Who the hell is First Master going to war with?!

Zeref: No one. She's just making the brawl more strategically organized. (❋•‿•❋) ... If chaos can even be "organized". (❋•‿•❋)

Erza: *drops sword and hurries over to Mavis, waving arms frantically* F-First Master, please, no...! (⊙▂⊙✖ ) The guild is already in the red...!

Mavis: (๑╹ω╹๑ ) *tuning Erza out effortlessly* Zeref's going to need to punish me BAD for all the strategies I've got in mind for you guys...

Erza: ...

Zeref: Still sore, Erza. So. Good luck~ (❋•‿•❋)

[badgerarts]

baby u r my ANGELLLLLLLL

Atsuko Dragneel-Heartfilia and her exceed partner Merry circa X819

more info about her under the cut if anyone's interested!

Atsuko was born August 5th, X802 and is Natsu and Lucy's third child.

She's a fire dragon slayer like Natsu! (In my headcanons dragon slayer magic is more like a genetic trait because of how much it changes the body and there's about a 50% chance of inheriting it)

I'm thinking personality wise she's a lot like Natsu but she's definately got some of Lucy's personality in there. Her mannerisms are a pretty even mix of her parents. She's outgoing and friendly but can be kind of explosive when she gets frustrated and is pretty impulsive. (Definitely was the nightmare child that comes after the calm baby.) She's a really good storyteller (just like her mom ❤️❤️❤️) Kids love listening to her stories.

She's pretty short lol. A little shorter than Lucy, about the same height as Levy.

I'm not sure how I want her and Merry to meet yet. At first I went with Atsuko finding an egg like how Natsu did and hatching it but I might do something different. They are both children when they meet though.

When she was younger she went through a period of time where she desperately wanted to go on tougher jobs but wasn't old enough to go by herself so she would beg the older mages to take her with. However, she is her father's daughter and would ask to go on the higher ranking quests, and the others would always tell her no. She did this enough times that when someone finally did let her go on a higher ranked quest she just kind of stopped and was like "I didn't think I'd get this far"

The first time she participated in the Grand Magic Games there was an event where you had to give your best battle cry. Atsuko ended up blowing away the competition by doing the same kind of yell Natsu did when he fought Cobra. (Poor Erik was having flashbacks the whole time.)

After the main plot of my next gen au happens Atsuko decides to travel Ishgar, coming and going from Fairy Tail for almost two decades before she decides to come back to Magnolia for good.

During that time she briefly joined a circus.

It took me THREE DAYS to figure out her name. I could not figure it out for the life of me (her older sister was the same way, but her older brother and younger sister's name came to me immediately)

That's all I want to say for now! There's definitely more but it's kind of plot revelant so I'm not sure how much I want to reveal just yet! I'd love to write a fic series or do a comic series but my motivation comes and goes pretty easily so we'll see what happens. Who knows maybe I'll end up doing something.

[phoenix-before-the-flame]

I’m watching one piece, and now I’m wondering do you have any hcs on the world building in the fairy tail universe ? Do you think theirs some crazy kingdom’s , advanced technology in some lands ? Love to hear your thoughts 💗

hmmmmmmmmmmm kinda a bit of a deep question tbh.

Structurally FT has good bones for its world. And that's kinda it lol

There's a fleshed out map of all the countries within the continent that fiore is found on (Ishgar, which has 16 named countries apart from fiore itself) and expanding wider than that we know that there are about 3 named continents (Ishgar to the east being a peninsula connected to the mainland that we know nothing of, Alakitasia to the west where Alavarez is and Guiltina to the north) and a fourth unnamed continent further east that exists within earthland.

But while we have all this info, nothing in particular comes into play as the series had progressed, the majority of the series' arcs all more or less take place within the same country, which for a series that has it's characters constantly travelling for missions looks particularly bad, especially when even the known locations all visually seem indistinct from each other in terms of stuff like architecture. It's a reason why I appreciate edolas in particular because it at least offered something that visually stood out and an insight into how that culture functioned. (and in Phoenix Priestess for the small montage the squad in the city of Rose Garden and showing a bit of the country Veronica)

Like it is frustrating to me whenever I think on it because the solution would be just to change the locations of where they travel to just to expand the background of the places travelled, wouldn't even have to change arc structures or anything to give some life to the named countries like:

Joya despite its small size as a country is the main manufacturers of trains and exports the majority of the transportation other countries use as well as weapons. Wizards are less found here, with treasure hunting being a more popular job choice.

Sin, despite the ironic name, is a deeply religious and faith driven country. Magics that have connection to nature and celestial bodies are particularly revered here.

Desierto mostly deals with trade, having constantly active shipping ports. Enchanted items such as brooms and carpets are popular and easy transport choices within cities and are more widely used than vehicles.

Iceberg's largely uninhabited due to the weather with most of the population sticking closer to the country's borders.

Like this is all just purely flavour text examples to just try and bring some life to these otherwise lifeless locations but you get the general gist of it.

There was clearly this effort to establish these locations by giving then names (and drawing a full on map) so it always boggled me that they were never properly used as a backdrop for the arcs within the story. (Tower of Heaven? Move that arc to Sin, Lucy's arc with Loke? Takes place in Stella, That arc with the giant village? Put it in Minstrel).

Like shifting around major arc locations would easily open up avenues to naturally expand the world as the story moves. And not even just big arcs, but smaller less grand filler arcs (which jesus christ did ft rlly need because it defs need breathing room between all the big events. It's why the story moves at such a breakneck speed without things really feeling as though they've changed in any meaningful ways) would do wonders to make earthland feel like a genuine lived in world (like how it is within the world of one piece that you cited as an inspo for this ask.)

[forever-eternal]

Physical Headcanons of Dragon Slayers

Dragon Slayer Magic, and slayer magic in general, changes the User’s physiology in ways other magic types do not– though the element they correspond with does play a major factor in what changes occur, there are some that affect all Dragon Slayers: (Hiro and Tsuki are OC’s who only sort of exist in the same universe, but are both Dragon Slayers)

Indent Text = Mainpoint

Bullet = Subpoint

Number = Subpoint of Subpoint

All Dragon Slayers have enhanced senses, more so than their God and Devil Slayer counterparts– where only one or two of their senses are heightened

Their senses are nearly triple that of a normal humans, and often leads to sensory overloads (Hiro and Erik having stronger hearing than most dragon slayers, Erik due to the nature of his magic- able to hear thoughts and movements of the body- and Hiro due to her magic and a genetic defect- able to hear all the way to Fiore’s farthest border with her mufflers turned up to 10 [10 is the strongest setting on mufflers, allowing the most sound to come through, but still blocking most of it]. Without her mufflers, she can hear all of Ishgar)

Their sense of taste is also increased. To protect their nervous system and body from damage caused by certain flavors, dragon slayers have a thicker, viscous saliva that covers their mouth as a shield, which ends up blocking a lot of flavor

This means they can eat the hottest peppers in Fiore with little fanfare, fire dragons in particular are prone to such snacking habits.

It also means their food will have more spices than most humans can handle because they want to taste it

Their magic forms a thin barrier around their vital organs, though the actual purpose is unknown, it is believed that it’s to guard against internal attacks – poison, illness, etc.

The thickness of the barrier depends on age and element, with Wendy having thicker barriers than someone like Erik (who is immune to toxins), but not as thick as Gajeels.

Natsu and Tsuki’s magic burns through toxins, though Natsu is still vulnerable to a few. Tsuki’s internal temperature, being a White Fire Dragon Slayer, is far too high for normal toxins.

This means that, if Tsuki gets sick, the bacteria has evolved to survive her body temperature long enough to effect her. She will be under quarantine, as some bacteria would die with the body temp lower than they evolved to handle, while others will spread even further.

Dragon Slayers are able to roar, though their age, gender, and element do play a part in what it sounds like:

Tsuki and Natsu’s pitch shifts and changes with their mood, but it’s always extremely loud

Tsuki’s is, by far, the loudest naturally– she’s had plenty practice– and it often causes the ground to shake (There have been a few fallen buildings as a result, she doesn’t roar often)

Tsuki sounds most like a dragon, as she’s the only one who really remembers being taught how to roar like a dragon and not a slayer. Hiro would have been similar if she were old enough to learn it.

Wendy and Hiro are able to twist their vocal cords to create such a high pitch, that it can’t be heard–but still bursts eardrums

Due to their age, they have to force louder volumes, and usually need several minutes to let their voices rest afterwards

Hiro’s is more draconic simply because of the nature of Storm Dragon Slayers.

Laxus’ is loud, and incredibly deep, sounding like ongoing thunder with an echoing higher pitch– and is the second naturally loudest overall

Hiro, due to being a storm dragon slayer, also has a bit of this effect– like rolling thunder and lighting aftershocks. It’s a lot quieter than Laxus’.

Gajeel’s sounds like grating, creaking metal; it’s very deep, and has a medium volume- though it does cause slight vibrations in a thirty meter radius

Sting and Rogue have a medium volume, and no one really knows what their actual roar sounds like

They mimic each other and others, like light reflections and shadows

Erik doesn’t really roar, it’s more of a loud, ominous hissing sound

The sound causes a primal sort of fear in all who hear it, though dragon slayers are more immune than average humans. It does not affect Tsuki, who was raised and trained around many slayers, and Hiro, who lives to spite her body and instincts

Dragon Slayers also purr, much like cats do, though the same factors apply

Tsuki purrs the second most, and does it especially when around those she considers hers

Her’s in specific has a soothing, and calming effect. It tells you everything will be alright, and that she’ll take care of it. It comes with being the oldest and most intune with her instincts

Natus also purrs quite a bit, usually while eating or sleeping

Since he’s still young, it’s more of the effect of a kitten on Tsuki, though non-dragon slayers don’t really notice the difference

Wendy and Hiro purr like it’s second nature, though Wendy only really does so to calm Hiro. Hiro purrs the most out of all of them

They are very noticeably kitten purrs, giving the urge to protect and nurture to the older dragon slayers that hear it

Laxus has deep rumbling purrs, and he doesn’t purr often

So far, Tsuki, Erik, Wendy, Hiro, and his kids are the only ones who have ever heard him purr

Though, it’s more like they feel him purr

Gajeel also has deep purrs, though rather quiet

Again, it’s more of something you feel than hear, his entire body shakes with the force

This is all according to Tsuki and Hiro, though some believe Wendy and Levy have heard them– neither will reveal anything

Sting and Rogue are much like Natsu, though they have more control over it– due to the trauma inflicted by Jiemma

With Tsuki, Laxus, and Erik, they are near constantly purring

They do purr around Hiro as well, its almost infectious

Erik is more similar to a snake than a cat, and his draconic sounds reflect that! So, while he doesn’t exactly purr, he also kind of does.

It sounds more like a quiet, content hissing though, but is described as more of a churr

Purrs are very infectious, if one purrs, they all purr, even if they’re doing so for different reasons

Stick em in a room with Tsuki and/or Hiro purring, and soon they’ll all be doing it without realizing

It’s a form of nonverbal communication for dragons, usually meaning happiness or contentedness

Dragon slayers have sharp claws, though their length depends entirely on the individual slayer

Some keep them filed down as not to accidentally scratch anything, but it does cause a strange, burning-itch in their fingers

The claws grow faster than an average human’s nails

Tsuki doesn’t cut hers beyond a certain point, cutting them down to the same length of the average nail is what causes the itching, almost like declawing a cat, very uncomfortable and not the usual

Natsu and Hiro don’t cut theirs down either, and it’s up to Tsuki to make sure they actually take care of them– though Hiro is generally very good at keeping them short enough to be able to do things, but long enough to defend herself if she can’t access magic

Gajeel also keeps his a certain length, and so does Erik, but Gajeel does it for max Bad Boy Effect and Erik does it because the tips can excrete poison if he wants them too, and if he cuts them too close it gets into his bloodstream and it’s really annoying

Laxus keeps his claws short because long nails make him uncomfortable, and the electricity in his body already causes itchiness. What's a little bit more?

Wendy keeps her short, but not super short, and also files them into more a square shape

Wendy likes to paint all their nails and once she and Hiro use the Puppy Eyes, no one can decline, it’s against the law

All kinds of Slayers have two magical cores, where their magic energy is stored, while other Wizards only have one.

No one knows entirely why, but it is believed that the first Slayers evolved the second core to manage their magic easier, as it is a very volatile magic genre

Dragon Slayers are hypoglycemic, mostly because of the volatile nature of their magic eating up at any sort of energy their body has– including their blood sugars.

Tsuki is the only one who is aware of this, but thinks the others are aware even if they’re not.

They know their body feels weird and they get tired, and that Tsuki makes sure they all eat after every fight and will shove food in their mouth whenever they feel that Weird Discomfort in their bones, but they don’t know why and don’t really care. That’s it.

It’s very annoying to deal with

They suck at taking care of themselves, all in different ways and all for different reasons.

[allfiredupfornalu]

Chapter 412: Dance Unto Ishgar

Since there's not much of NaLu moment. Thank you Mashima for the cover!

[ao3feed-gratsu-brotp]

Intoxicated Love

by Lily_May2105

Juvia Lockser is the Princess of Aquatia, who is soon to become Queen. Gray Fullbuster, the Ice Demon Prince, is known and feared throughout Ishgar. One day Tarturus invades Aquatia, and the cold-hearted Prince strikes a deal with the King. The Demon King will only relieve their kingdom from his havoc in exchange for a bride. Will Juvia sacrifice herself to save her kingdom? If so, can she melt his ice cold heart?

Words: 1782, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Fairy Tail

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: F/M, Gen

Characters: Gray Fullbuster, Juvia Lockser, Levy McGarden, Erza Scarlet, Gajeel Redfox, Mirajane Strauss, Natsu Dragneel, Lucy Heartfilia, Wendy Marvell, Jellal Fernandes, Silver Fullbuster, Mika Fullbuster, Ur (Fairy Tail), Ultear Milkovich, Meredy (Fairy Tail), Lyon Vastia, Makarov Dreyar, Porlyusica (Fairy Tail), Original Characters

Relationships: Gray Fullbuster/Juvia Lockser, Levy McGarden/Gajeel Redfox, Jellal Fernandes/Erza Scarlet, Gray Fullbuster & Juvia Lockser, Juvia Lockser & Levy McGarden, Juvia Lockser & Erza Scarlet, Juvia Lockser & Gajeel Redfox, Juvia Lockser & Mirajane Strauss, Juvia Lockser & Meredy, Meredy & Ultear Milkovich, Gray Fullbuster & Gajeel Redfox, Natsu Dragneel & Gray Fullbuster, Gray Fullbuster & Silver Fullbuster, Mika Fullbuster/Silver Fullbuster, Makarov Dreyar/Porlyusica

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Fantasy, Magic, Dark Magic, Juvia Lockser-centric, Gray Fullbuster-centric, Kings & Queens, Developing Relationship, Forced Marriage, Devil Slayer Magic (Fairy Tail), Demons, Fluff and Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Angst, Heavy Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Drama & Romance, Slow Burn, Eventual Romance, Background Relationships, Minor Levy McGarden/Gajeel Redfox, Minor Jellal Fernandes/Erza Scarlet, War, Fights, Action, Didn't Know They Were Dating, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Weddings, POV First Person, POV Multiple, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cross-Posted on Wattpad

Source: https://archiveofourown.org/works/61748539

[spot-of-tea]

More tswwid info?? more tswwid info!!

Okay let's go...

Part 1

Laxus has been working with the dragon population in the northern continent. A lot of dragons escaped the war by fleeing north to get away from Acnologia and now some want to return to their ancestral home. The problem with that is now humans have expanded and have taken over those lands so Laxus is trying to find a peaceful alternative that won't start another war.

Deedee (Adira) is the guild's unofficial therapist. With her magic primarily affecting peoples emotions she found it easy to get people to open up to her and talk about their problems. She eventually took over a spare room in the guildhall and turned it into a 'den of mindfulness' as she likes to call it. It has a secret mini fridge filled with premixed cocktails and other drinks that she keeps hidden from her mother and grandpa.

Erza and Laxus are both wizard saints at this point and take their duties to protect Ishgar very seriously. Their was talk that the magic council were thinking about reinstating Jellal as a wizard saint but nothing came of it, when asked if he would accept if the position was offered he stated that he would respectfully decline.

Both Erza and Laxus are semi-retired from the guild due to their additional responsibility to the rest of the continent. They occasionally go on a small job whenever they find themselves back in Magnolia for old times sake. However, they mostly spend their time around their friends and family catching up on what they've missed.

After Warren created his portable communication lacrima he set up a business to sell them that became wildly successful. He very rarely does guild work nowadays but still spends much of his time around the guild with his friends in between working. He makes sure to keep the guild updated with his latest tech and even uses them to test out new ideas.

Okay that's everything for now Might make a part 3 at a later date once more chapter's have come out.

[sexybritishllama]

‘role quests! look you can go to all the city states to help out with their monster issue, we have limsa, ul’dah, gridania, ishgar-‘

[my bags are already packed i am at the aetheryte i have my date outfit for aymeric ready i am gone]

[platypus-love]

Hi can I request. A doodle of your fairy tail oc please if not maybe tell us hcs or what inspired you (love their design and aww Percy is so cute)

Ok! May or may not end up being a big response! There will be SPOILERS for 100 Years Quest and also the end of the Fairy Tail anime, so don’t read below the photo if you don’t want spoilers

Sorry if this post is hard to understand too, there’s a lot of thoughts to get out!

Noel Pendrake is a water dragon slayer trained by the Water Dragon God Mercphobia. She was taken in at a young age after the dragon got word of the plans in place by Igneel and the other dragon parents. Noel is raised with the intention of fighting and killing Acnologia.

However, Noel is not like the original 5 dragon slayer children, she was born in the present time and her dragon parent is still existing in the world, which means her dragon seed was not stopped. Since the dragon gods are capable of transforming between human and dragon, Mercphobia is able to train her to do the same!

When Noel is older, they get word that the dragon slayers of Ishgar had killed Acnologia, thus making Noel’s purpose kinda go away. She takes a trip to find the ones that did the job she was meant to do and comes across Fairy Tail!

Now… this is kinda an AU of sorts, I’m sure you guys remember the weird Mavis and Zeref doubles at the end of Fairy Tail right? And the fact the majority of the battle against Acnologia was in some out of time zone? WELL, Acnologia in this AU is back! But he’s different. Once the original was defeated, being that things were a bit out of time, a past version of him got sent to the present! Almost like the universe tried to replace someone who popped out of existence by splitting up and putting another one in their place. (Listen… there’s a lot of strange stuff in the show anyways, so I feel like it checks out honestly lol)

This Acnologia is post dragon king but before totally losing his humanity. He’s still killed a LOT of dragons and even people, he’s done horrible things but he’s still himself as well. And on top of that, being slapped into the present kinda knocked him out of his whole rampage and sent him into being a bit of a hermit instead (think Porlyusica) He’s now living on the far outskirts of Crocus.

Noel comes across this Acnologia and instantly begins to fight, it’s what she was raised to do! But through the fight, she realizes something is off and this guy doesn’t really line up with the stories she’s been told. In fact, he’s trying NOT to fight, he wants the insanity to be left behind him!

Basically… enemies to lovers, you know? Besides half the ships in Fairy Tail are characters getting with people they considered an enemy at one point right?

There’s so much more I could say, but I feel like I gotta leave it at this for now… just enough to share the fact that she’s being shipped with Acnologia of all people lol, and kinda how that even works!

[sakurakitsume-art]

Arataxia

The armor of Ishgar's old queen, increasing the magic of its weilder. It's possible, before she died, the enchantress queen left some enchantments to aid the next users.

For Erza, however, it seems to bring out new markings across her body.

[teleiapotami]

NaLu Week Day 4

Prompt: Shenanigans

Summary: After the war, the wizards of Ishgar celebrate their victory. With a sneaky princess, free booze, and an endless buffet, shenanigans are guaranteed.

@allaboutnalu @thenaluarchive

In the aftermath of the war with Alvarez and Acnologia, there was much to do. Cities all across Ishgar needed rebuilding, there were lives to mourn, and new dreams to chase. However, for the guild wizards who fought well beyond their limits to win the battles, the first item on the agenda was a celebration.

The massive event was held in what was left of the palace, where every wizard in Ishgar was welcomed openly. The kingdom of Fiore provided an unbelievable mountain of food, musical entertainment, as well as accommodation for all who attended.

Lucy was blown away by the efforts of the King and Princess. Despite the damage done to the palace and city, the areas used for the celebrations were immaculately decorated, and the rooms they had been provided with were exquisite. When Lucy tried to thank Hisui for the spectacular room she had been directed to, she brushed it off.

“It is the least we could do for the pair who saved our entire continent!” Lucy tried to ask what she meant by pair, but the Princess just gave her a sweet smile and vanished. In her room, Lucy dressed herself in an open-back strappy A-line dress in a deep blue. Silver heels and a matching pin to hold up her hair completed the ensemble.

When she stepped out of her room, Natsu was leaning against the wall across from her. He was wearing the same thing he always did, but his coat was clean, and the arm had been repaired. She gave a little twirl in front of him, her dress flaring around her thighs. His eyes lit up and he grinned at her, holding out his hand. “Finally! You take forever to get pretty, and I am starving, come on!” He dragged her off at full speed, ignoring her laughing protests.

The food was excellent, as it always was at a castle function. Lucy hung out with Natsu at the buffet until she had eaten her fill. She watched him gorge for a while, wondering if he intended to do anything else, though she knew he never did. Eventually, she wandered off to find a drink. She snagged a flute of champagne off a tray on one of the tables and wandered around. She found Yukino and the Sabertooth slayers grouped around the exceeds Lector, Frosch, and Happy, who were having a fish-eating contest. She greeted them warmly and was startled to find that Sting seemed flushed and a bit….drunk.

“Lucy! C’mere! You are incredible! I heard what you did for Natsu and I gotta thank you for saving my brother!” Sting caught her hand and spun her around, planting a wet kiss against her cheek. She flushed brightly.

“S-sure Sting, it was no trouble….at all…” She looked at Yukino pleadingly who stifled a giggle and pried her guild master off of the blonde. “I didn’t realize slayers could actually get drunk!”

Yukino left Sting hanging off of Rogue, who looked vaguely annoyed but took on the task, nonetheless. “Of course, they can. I think it’s just your Natsu who can’t. Probably because of how hot his body runs!” Yukino smiled at her, but her hand dropped rather abruptly from Lucy’s. The sudden motion made Lucy look up to find Natsu at her side suddenly.

“I can get drunk, I just have better sense than that dumbass,” he said coldly, gesturing at Sting. He grabbed the hand Yukino had dropped and tugged Lucy away. She waved at Yukino and followed. “Luce don’t wander off like that! Sting isn’t the only one acting like an idiot tonight.” His eyes darted around the room. Lucy wiped at her cheek with the back of her hand, removing the lingering feeling of Sting’s warm lips against her skin.

“Oh please. They aren’t the first drunks I have dealt with, and they won’t be the last. I can take care of myself Natsu.” He made a frustrated sound, and to appease him she promised not to drink too much on her own. Begrudgingly, he released her arm, and she wandered off again.

Passing by the men of Quatro Cerberus (or was it still Puppy?), she found Cana battling it out with Bacchus again. It looked as if it was going just as poorly for the woman as it had last time. Kagura of Mermaid Heel was already quite drunk, hanging off of Millianna and yelling about Erza being absent. For such a reserved woman normally, she certainly let it all go when it came to parties.

As the night wore on, the crown got rowdier and rowdier as the drinks continued flowing. Several times Lucy found herself stuck between friends who’d had too many drinks. Natsu always showed up and dragged her out of the predicament, following the rescue with another lecture.

“Natsu, if you don’t like me wandering around with our friends, why don’t you leave the buffet and stay with me? I’m not going to neglect the party just to watch you eat yourself sick!” she finally snapped at him, after his fourth lecture. She yanked her arm out of his grip and stalked back into the crowd without looking back. No matter how she tried to understand his behavior, she could not figure out why he was being so overbearing and protective tonight. He was being even more intense than usual!  She found her way over to where the Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale groups were and slid into a seat across from Sherri.

Though the conversations were always littered with snide remarks, Lucy liked talking to Sherri. Their magics were similar enough to understand one another, and they always had a good time when they got along.  Sherri and Ren had been married for a while now and the bride was more than willing to share stories about their new life. After a lull in the conversation, Sherri smirked at her and said, “Enough about us, what about you? When are you and Natsu going to stop dancing around your feelings?”

Lucy flushed bright pink and looked down at her hands. “It’s not like that! Well, I mean….ugh, I don’t know what I mean.” She looked over at her partner who had finally moved on from the food and was now playing with the cats alongside Rogue.

“Well, it’s obvious to everyone around you that you are made for each other, so why don’t you just do something about it yourself?” Sherri reasoned.

Lucy shook her head. “I don’t think it is so obvious to everyone. Oh look, here come the boys.” She smiled as Ren and Hibiki approached their table, offering the usual flirty greetings. When Ren and Sherri became engrossed in each other, Lucy let Hibiki lead her out to the dancing area. He was a wonderful dancer, and Lucy had forgotten how much she loved having a partner that didn’t get pukey moments after the movements began.

“Lucy, I wanted to congratulate you on what a wonderful job you did during the war. I heard you are a major reason that Acnologia didn’t manage to destroy even more while the slayers were battling him.” Hibiki spoke against her ear so she could hear him over the music and chatter. His breath tickled her neck, and she suppressed a shiver.

“Thank you, Hibiki. I only did whatever I could, same as you. It’s still nice to hear though.” She smiled up at him, ignoring the grumpy pink-haired spectator as Hibiki twirled her around. They danced in comfortable silence for the rest of the song. When it ended, Lucy followed Hibiki’s lead off to the side of the floor.

“Lucy, I feel like I have to tell you, I think you are an incredible person…and I wouldn’t normally do or say anything if I thought you were involved with someone else, but your relationship with Natsu never seems to change.”

Lucy looked up at him warily but nodded. “I’m not really sure there is a relationship to change in the first place. Natsu and I are friends and partners, that’s all.” He nodded.

“That’s what I mean. So, I just wondered if maybe you’d like to have dinner with me sometime? It doesn’t have to be anything big if you don’t want it to be, but…. I really like you, Lucy.” Before she knew exactly what was happening, Hibiki lifted his hand to her cup her cheek, and leaned down. His lips pressed against hers softly, making butterflies dance in her stomach. She felt frozen on the spot, but her eyes fluttered closed for a moment before she pulled back.

“Um…I-I’ll think about it. I promise. Thanks, Hibiki.” She slipped away through the crowd quickly. She glanced back over her shoulder after making it through and let out a squeak when she stumbled into someone. Warm strong arms that she recognized caught her. “N-Natsu?” She looked up at him, a bit dazed. He was glaring back at the space she had just come from. Without a word he began pulling her along, heading out of the party area.

Lucy’s mind was still reeling from her first kiss, with Hibiki of all people. She really thought it would have been with Natsu. That was his own fault for never making a move, and she decided that there were worse people than Hibiki to kiss. When she looked around to see where he was leading her she was startled to find them outside in the city, almost back to her hotel room. She tugged against his grip slightly, but he just tightened it and pulled her closer. “I’ll carry you if you make me,” he growled. She gave in and just followed him.

When they reached her door she was startled to discover that he had a matching keycard for the lock and suddenly Hisui’s words began to make sense, setting her heart to thudding wildly all over again. She made a note to have a conversation with that sneaky Princess. Natsu pushed her into their room and shut the door behind them.

“I told you not to wander off! But you just had to go and dance with the drunks,” he seethed, moving across the room to turn on the lamp.

“Hibiki wasn’t drunk, Natsu, and neither am I. I promised you I wouldn’t drink, and I didn’t.” She sat down on the chaise by the window. Natsu let out a frustrated grunt and faced her, crossing his arms over his chest. “Why are you mad?”

Despite his stance and the way he was glaring at her, he said,” I’m not mad… I just think you could choose better people to kiss!” Lucy raised an eyebrow.

“What? Like whom? I haven’t exactly seen anyone else lining up for me to choose from. Hibiki is the first man to make it known that he even wanted to kiss me, so I let him. If someone else wanted to be first on the list, he should’ve spoken up!” she snapped.

Natsu glared at her for a long moment, then looked away. He looked like he wanted to say more but shut down instead. Lucy stood up and wrapped her arms around his chest, hugging him. After a moment, his arms wrapped around her in return.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so angry. Just…please don’t shut me out Natsu. I don’t understand why you’ve been so irritable tonight.” She felt him nuzzle his nose into her hair and he inhaled deeply.

He mumbled against her hair, “I might be interested… You know, in kissing you, sometimes. I guess…I thought you knew what I meant when I said we’d be together forever. ”

Lucy looked up at him. “Natsu, are you seriously telling me that….that you have been romantically interested in me for that long, and you never told me? You just assumed that I could read your mind about it?”

He smiled slightly and shrugged. “I mean, you read my mind about everything else anyway, so it didn’t seem like a stretch to me….. I’m crazy about you Luce, I can’t always think straight when it comes to you, and I guess my feelings got the better of me tonight. Sorry I never said it plainly before now. Probably coulda saved me some trouble if I had, huh?”

His hand moved to the clip that held her hair in place. Gently, he tugged it loose and her hair unwound itself and tumbled down her back.  She shivered at his fingers running slowly through it. “N…Natsu?” He hooked a finger under her chin and tilted her head up to look at him.

“I know I’m not great at words, but I’m saying it now. I want you to be mine, and I want to be yours. So don’t go kissing anyone but me from now on, okay?”

Lucy stared at him, dumbstruck for a moment. Eventually, she nodded, finding herself lost in the way he was looking at her. “Uh, sure…okay. I guess…I should probably tell Hibiki I can’t go to dinner with him either then, huh?”

Natsu rolled his eyes with an exaggerated grumble. “Don’t worry. I’m sure they’ll all figure it out soon enough. The princess wasn’t exactly discreet about the room arrangements after all. Juvia and Ol’ Popsicle are packed in together too.”

Lucy flushed and buried her face in her hands with a moan. “I bet she went to Mira to play matchmaker, too. I really am gonna have to have a serious conversation with her.”

Natsu chuckled. The image of Lucy chewing out Hisui was amusing to him. “I’m sure you’ll have to wait your turn. If Jellal ever decides to go back to his room tonight, I’m not sure Erza will be expecting the company.”

Lucy gasped and looked up at him again. “She didn’t! Oh, that is just plain evil!”

She opened her mouth to ask who else was a victim of Hisui’s games, but Natsu made an impatient sound in his throat. “Enough about the others, can I kiss you already? I want to so badly, and I’ve waited a really long time to do it!”

She shifted, snaking her arms around his neck. He needed no more invitation than that apparently, and his lips crashed against hers in a hungry kiss that was long overdue.

[pyropsychiccollector]

Heine: Lady Irene's spawn has some nerve, limiting the quests you can take. (╬≖_≖)

Natsu: Who, Erza? Nah! She's awesome. (❋•‿•❋)

Juliet: What, stopping you from ever taking the jobs on the board downstairs? (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑) Seems pretty bitchy to me.

Natsu: Those are the jobs anyone can do. And those are usually lame - more like chores and runnin' errands. (❋•‿•❋) Instead Erza gave me the S-Class diet~ Which means I can kick ass and not hold back! :D

Juliet: Ch-CHORES?! (☉_ ☉)

Heine: (☉_ ☉) Is it any wonder Ishgar is so pitiful? You don't have a system arranged for soldiers to handle the daily rabble?! Mages should only have to deal with the battle-intensive or supernatural affairs. (☉_ ☉)

Natsu: … I don't have any idea what you just said, but it sounds like you're putting us down again. Even though we kicked your butts. (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)

Heine: W-Well, yes, but…! strangled noises (☉_ ☉)

Juliet: Bah, who cares, Heine-chan?! We dodged a bullet! 〔´∇｀〕Natsu-sama isn't gonna pussy out or atrophy or whatever! (๑╹ω╹๑ )

Heine: You're always too nonchalant about the bigger picture! (╬ಠ益ಠ) huffs I guess it's fine if Natsu-sama gets the most important missions… But this damn country's infrastructure is a mess. (╬ಠ益ಠ)

Natsu: Meh! The Council never likes us much anyway. (๑╹ω╹๑ ) I think I'm responsible for over half the complaints those pricks file against Fairy Tail. Yeah, I'm awesome~ (๑╹ω╹๑ )(๑╹ω╹๑ )(๑╹ω╹๑ )

Heine: … ≖‿≖ Only half? We should bump those numbers up. Perhaps redecorate the Council chambers. … Or better yet arrange happy little accidents to get a new one that treats mages RIGHT. ≖‿≖***

Juliet: Why bother with those clowns? If we get the most kickass missions, leave the rest of the dirty peasants to become laughably weak. (๑╹ω╹๑ )

Heine: It's the PRINCIPLE, you fool. ≖‿≖*** If Natsu-sama is left undefended in a country of weaklings, we'll have to relocate him to Alikitasia. Or we can restructure this worthless country ourselves. ≖‿≖

Natsu: Uhhh. Erza said I'm not allowed to mess with the Council. She said the current one's probably gonna be the best we get, ever. (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)

Heine: And what the Princess says is law, is it? (╬≖_≖)

Juliet: (๑ н´๑) I mean... She kinda IS? She kicked out asses? (๑н´๑)

Heine: A minor setback! (╯°□°）╯We're the bosses. … Well, Natsu-sama is. So-

Natsu: And I say we're gonna listen to Erza cuz she knows best! … Most of the time. (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑) If it was the other way around, I'd riot, sure. But I'm not gonna piss her off when she's minimizing damage or whatever. (✿◠‿◠) She gets less paperwork. I get kickass adventures~ (✿◠‿◠)(✿◠‿◠)(✿◠‿◠)

Juliet: (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑) That does seem like the best of both worlds, Heine-chan. You remember when Lady Irene made us do all the paperwork.

Heine: I'd rather forget those dark times ever existed, yes. ಠಿಠ huffs exasperatedly (╬≖≖) Fine. No revolutions until Natsu-sama says so. grumbles

Natsu: pets her on the head, making her mewl It's kinda cool you guys wanna do whatever I say. (✿◠‿◠) I'm always the muscle so hardly anyone follows my orders. Happy always wants a fish~ (✿◠‿◠)

Juliet: Most people are idiots! (๑╹ω╹๑ ) Only power should matter, and you're a big, stronk dragon of mass destruction~ (๑╹ω╹๑ )/

Heine: … still getting head pets… and not resisting

Juliet: ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Natsu-sama found your mute button, Heine-chan~ Good to know. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) I'll give you all the pets.

Heine: You touch me, you die, twit! (╬ಠ益ಠ) Natsu-sama:s pets are… special. I just can't let him stop!! Σ('◉⌓◉’)

Juliet: (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑) Well, when Irene-sama did it, we were scared for our lives… Σ('◉⌓◉’) No fair, Natsu-sama, I want pets, too!!!

Natsu: Uh.

Heine: uses bands to yank Natsu closer to her, glaring down Juliet You stop petting, you suffer. (╬ಠ益ಠ)

Natsu: …

Juliet: stubbornly squeezes between Heine and Natsu, splattering hot goo everywhere to get her way (๑ `н´๑)

Natsu: But the jobbb! Σ('◉⌓◉’)

Heine: Your new job is NEVER STOP PETTING!!! (╬ಠ益ಠ) uses bands to electrocute Juliet in retribution for melting bits of her clothes

Juliet: (๑ н´๑) *melting all their clothes* Go fuck her, Natsu-sama!!! I'll hold her down. (๑н´๑)

Heine: No, fuck her!!! (╬ಠ益ಠ) using bands to restrain Juliet's wrists and ankles

Natsu: … This just looks like somethin' out of Erza's books. (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)

Heine: Wh-WHAT?! WHAT PERVERTED SHLOP DID SHE EXPOSE YOU TO?! (╬ಠ益ಠ)

Juliet: I knew Lady Irene's brat would be a kinky freak! Σ('◉⌓◉’)