#Queen Shagotte

[fangirlfortress]

Ngl he best trope is the one where, ok so there's like this people. Maybe it's a kingdom or a tribe or whatever, but it's a whole people and they're being deceived. They're generally a good people, they do what they can to survive and they love each other, and they are ruled by a good, albeit misguided person with understandable motives. Typically a queen, sometimes a mother, and she loves her people. She works, fights and shares with them - her people love her, trust her completely. But she is lying to them, maybe about a prophesy or about their own circumstances, but she is lying to them and she has been for decades, either out of the urge to protect her people or her child. Then this deception is revealed - she reveals it - and she begs for forgiveness, gives up her title and maybe tells them that she deserves to die for her crimes, that they have every right to kill her for breaking their trust and manipulating them for so long. She is crying, maybe this is on the verge of some crisis where they're all going to die because of she couldn't tell the truth, and her people are heartbroken, but forgive her immediately. They say, no, you cannot just die and be absolved of all responsibility. You have to stay and help us fix this, you have to fight. Because they love her and it is obvious that she loves them, that she did this because she didn't know any other way to protect what she cares for. And she is so beloved. Their trust is shaken, but she is their queen and she has, for so long, been one of them; someone who has sacrificed and cried and fought right alongside them, that they say no, we will not leave you. And if you die, then we will die right with you, because this is our home and you are our queen. You are one of us.

[i-love-a-lot-of-things-a-bunch]

More Panther Lily!🐈‍⬛

[fantasyandromancelover]

The Grinning Man AU

So I've become totally obsessed with this amazing new musical called The Grinning Man which is based on Victor Hugo's novel The Man Who Laughs. So obsessed that I decided to write an AU of it using Fairy Tail. I will also be incorporating a few things from other adaptions of Hugo's other works.

During a snow storm in London, a boy called Gray escapes from a figure who brutally murdered his parents and then mutilated his face. Shortly afterward, he discovers a couple who froze to death and their young, daughter Juvia who's still alive but suffering from hypothermia. Unable to leave her to die, he takes her with him. The two then encounter a cat called Shagotte who leads the two children to a camp where she stays with her kitten Carla and her master, Juvia's older brother Jellal, who had been separated from his family by the storm. Though heartbroken by the deaths of his parents, he is relieved that at least his sister still lives.

Jellal is able to cure Juvia of hypothermia but the extreme cold leaves her blind and with a weak heart and that combined with the loss of their mother and father causes him to be forever protective of her. Although horrified by Gray's face, Jellal shares his camp with him out of kindness and gratitude for saving Juvia's life. Gray suffers from moments of PTSD and nightmares from his family's murder and his mutilation, so Jellal gives him a potion that makes him forget his horrific past.

Jellal begins a career as a traveling storyteller and puppeteer while looking after the two children who form a deep connection with each other. Gray serves as her eyes and Juvia serves as his source of comfort whenever the world scowls at him for his face. They find happiness through stories and each other, and Juvia secretly prays that they will never be apart.

Years pass, Gray grows into a strong young man, attractive except for the scarred, lower half of his face which he keeps covered by a scarf, while Juvia remains blind but grows into a beautiful and innocent young woman. They along with Jellal, earn a meagre living in the fairs of London, putting on puppet shows and acting out stories. But wherever they go, Gray is always ridiculed by others for his face. He acts as if the mockery does not bother him but Juvia who loves Gray, knows that it hurts him deeply and always tells him that there's nothing wrong with him. Gray is in love with Juvia but denies his feelings for her because he believes himself unworthy of her. He also longs to learn about his past and to find the one who killed his parents and cut his face so he can avenge both.

Meanwhile Natsu is a dashing and heroic guard in the royal court, who enjoys the fairs of London and unlike most people, is very kind to all of the "Undesirables" who reside in the area. One day he and his cat Happy defend Gray from a group of men who harass him but ends up slightly injured in the process. To show his appreciation, Gray takes Natsu to have his injuries treated by Jellal, leading to the two men becoming friends and Happy becoming enamoured with the now adult Carla.

Gray apologizes for getting Natsu into trouble, claiming that's all his face has ever done but Natsu only brushes it off, claiming that he's been through far worse. He then reveals that he's a notorious womanizer but it is only to hide the fact that he is in love with the beautiful and rebellious duchess Lucy. He desires to marry Lucy, but Lucy's half-sister Erza, who became queen after the death of their father, the wretched King Faust, won't allow such a union. Jellal over hearing their conversation, can relate to Natsu's problem, telling Juvia that long ago he too fell in love with a woman of title but it was tragically not meant to be.

At the castle, Queen Erza scolds Lucy for shrinking her duties and acting carelessly. Lucy then replies that their father has kept them both locked up their entire lives and now that he's dead, she wishes to go out and explore the world but Erza believes that Lucy is too naive to be out there on her own and will only permit her sister's request if she first marries a man who can take care of her and keep her safe. Lucy is frustrated by this and wishes to marry for love rather than convenience but Erza forbids it having once fallen for a man of humble birth only for their father to cruelly separate them. Later Natsu visits Lucy and invites her to sneak out with him to the fair in order to cheer her up. Lucy returns Natsu's love but is frustrated with his flirtatious nature and does not believe that he truly loves her at all.

The two sneak off to the fair but they're secretly followed by Mard Geer, a conniving, manipulative, and ruthless agent of the court who is supposedly a trusted advisor to Lucy but is secretly plotting to somehow eliminate Erza so Lucy will replace her as queen and he can rule England through her. The three of them witness Gray and Juvia performing at the fair but during the show, Gray's scarf falls off and everyone is horrified and disgusted by his scars. Natsu and Lucy are only quietly shocked, the others proceed to throw stones and insults at him, but Mard recognizes him. We then learn that years ago, the wealthy but compassionate Lord and Lady Fullbuster went against King Faust when he massacred an entire village of innocents. The couple were then arrested and hanged for treason by Mard who mutilated the face of their young son. Mard quickly realizes that Gray is Lord Fullbuster's son and fears the wrath of Queen Erza should she ever learn he did such an evil thing.

After the show, Lucy catches Natsu flirting with another woman and storms off while Juvia tends to Gray. She pleads with him not to believe what other people say about him. She calls him beautiful and admits her love for him. Touched, Gray holds her, kisses her, and almost confesses his own true feelings but his insecurity gets the better of him. He then tells Juvia that the kiss was only a moment of vulnerability and tells her that he only sees her as a friend. Juvia is hurt by this but accepts his choice. Gray then receives a letter from someone who claims to know Gray and asking them to meet somewhere. Excited by the prospect of finally discovering who he is, Gray goes to meet this person by the bridge. However he's unaware that it was Merd who sent the letter and he intends to kill Gray once he gets him alone.

Gray arrives at the bridge earlier than expected and he meets Lucy who is sulking. She voices her woes to him, he comforts her. Lucy then hears Natsu calling her and gets the idea make him jealous by kissing Gray. This causes Gray to panic and again his scarf falls off, the sight of his scars causes Lucy to scream which leads to Natsu presuming that Gray was trying to rape her. Enraged, he arrests Gray. Lucy tries to explain but Mard convinces her not to, seeing this as an opportunity to take advantage.

In the dudgeon, Mard prepares to execute Gray but is stopped by Erza who wishes to hear his side of the story first. She is moved upon seeing Gray's face and notices that he bears a strong resemblance to Lord Silver Fullbuster. Not wanting the queen to investigate, Mard tells her that the lord's son disappeared the night he and his wife died and that the boy was said to have been mutilated.The queen deduces that Gray is the missing heir to the Fullbuster line and makes him a lord. He is brought to his family's former estate and reunited with their most loyal servant Gildarts and his daughter Cana. Gray starts to remember things but still can't recall the night he lost his parents and was mutilated. Nevertheless, he's happy to have finally discovered who he is and where he belongs.

He goes to thank Erza for her kindness but she replies that she only wants to make amends for her father's cruelty toward him. She even offers him Lucy's hand in marriage, seeing that he is a man of title with a good heart. Gray is flattered but refuses, requesting that he marry Juvia instead, believing himself worthy of her now.

When Gray does not return, Jellal and Carla go to look for him but is captured by Mard who tortures him for information on how Gray has no memory of his past. Jellal is forced to tell him about the potion that makes Gray forget which gives Mard a wicked idea. He then goes back to the fair to steal the potion and a bottle of poison, but not before boasting to Jellal that it was he who scarred Gray and killed his family. Natsu and Juvia catch him, Mard tells them of Gray's new position and that he is going to marry Lucy much to the horror and devastation of the two. He then locks them in the wagon and sets fire to it, the fire spreads through the entire fair, burning it. Luckily, Happy and Carla help Natsu and Juvia escape, though Natsu loses consciousness from inhaling too much smoke. Juvia finds someone to take care of him and has Happy and Carla lead her to where Jellal is being held. She frees him and takes him to be healed alongside Natsu, but spends the night sobbing over apparently losing Gray forever.

Mard returns to the castle and tells Erza that the fair was burned and that both Natsu and Juvia were killed in the fire. She relays these news to Lucy and Gray who are both heartbroken by the loss of their true loves and guilt-ridden for not confessing what was in their hearts. Mard then suggests that they find comfort in this tragedy by marrying each other. Lucy, seeing no point in dreaming of freedom anymore without Natsu, agrees. But Gray just wants to die, refusing to live without Juvia. But Mard offers him the potion which he tweaked to make him forget his life before becoming a lord. Gray takes the potion and forgets all about Jellal, the fair, the night he was scarred, even Juvia. He and Lucy are arranged to be married but unknown to all, Mard intends to poison Erza's drink at the engagement gala and frame Gray for it, leaving Lucy on the throne and to be Mard's puppet.

When Jellal recovers, he tells Juvia about Mard and that he was the man who cut Gray's face. Sensing that her beloved could be in danger, Juvia and Jellal quickly go to the Fullbuster estate to warn him. He is not there, but Gildarts and Cana are, They tell them that he's gone to the engagement gala at the castle but agree to help them sneak in by giving Jellal one of Lord Silver's suits to wear and dressing Juvia in a gown and jewels that belonged to Lady Mika.

At the gala, Lucy spots Mard carrying two bottles, one of Erza's favorite wine and the other of the poison. She asks him about the second bottle and he lies that it is only medicine to help lower the queen's stress. As for Gray, the potion has him in an emotionless daze and he feels that something is missing and can't remember what.

Juvia and Jellal enter the gala, and Gray is awestruck by Juvia's beauty while Erza appears to recognize Jellal and he, her. Juvia tries to find Gray but runs into Mard who tells her that Gray does not know her anymore and threatens to kill him if she ever tries to see him. Juvia attempts to leave but Gray approaches her and asks her for a dance, she cannot resist and as they dance, he instantly falls in love with her all over again. As this goes on, Jellal and Erza slip away to meet in private where it's revealed that they are each other's lost loves. They tearfully embrace and kiss, admitting that they are still in love with one another. Jellal then pleads with Erza not to let Gray and Lucy marry, telling her that he loves Juvia, proves it by pointing out the way Gray looks at her as they dance. This however confuses Erza because Mard told her that Juvia was dead. Jellal then reveals the man's treachery to her.

When their dance is over, Juvia tries to leave again but Gray begs her to stay, desperately wanting to know who she is and why his heart yearns for her. Suddenly Natsu charges into the castle declaring that he cannot allow Lucy to marry Gray, challenging him to a duel. The two men fight, it becomes too much for Juvia's weak heart and she faints. Gray instantly drops everything to catch her, he holds her in his arms, and they kiss which restores all his memories. Overjoyed that Juvia is alive, Gray finally tells her how he has loved her all along and declares the two of them husband and wife. But then he at long last remembers who killed his parents and cut his face. He fingers Mard and Jellal comes in announcing that Mard is also attempting to absurd the crown.Mard calls them both liars but then Lucy speaks up about the bottle of liquid Mard had planned to slip into Erza's wine. Desperate not to be found out, he attempts to stab Lucy only to strike Natsu who shelters her from the blow. Lucy rushes to his side and professes her love for him. Natsu admits his true feelings as well and reveals that she was the only one he ever wanted.

Furious by all the hurt Mard has caused, Gray tries to kill him but he hears the voices of his late mother and father begging him not to do it, for it would only make him the monster that Mard tried to turn him into. So Gray spares him but Erza has him arrested and assures everyone that he will get what he deserves. She then blesses Natsu and Lucy's union after seeing that he was willing to die for her and she chooses Jellal to be her consort. Later Gray and Juvia marry at the re-built fair as do Natsu and Lucy, and they proclaim before all of London:

"I love Lucy!"

“And I love Natsu!”

"I love Juvia!"

"And I love Gray!"

The two couples then leave London to see the world together, taking along Happy, Carla, and their many, many, kittens.

[nagirambles]

Rambling about Fairies - Manga Chapter 176

Okay so once again. Why do we have stairs when 1. Exceeds believe they are a superior magical race and their main magic is Aera, 2. You are considered weak and disgraceful when one-winged or flightless, so 3. Everyone knows how to fly from birth. So, why do we have stairs. So many stairs? Why is this castle, which a human has never stepped foot in, designed for humans?

Like, it makes sense for Shagotte’s eventual reveal, but on the other hand, Shagotte’s eventual reveal to only have one wing feels insignificant because we are only told of how much their pride themselves in their wings at the reveal. Before then, the Exceeds never use their wings on a daily basis. 

Sure the importance of it was that Shagotte is super weak, but I wish the wings itself, which are a crucial point of Happy and Carla’s development in this arc, is emphasized a bit more to tie it all together. 

One thing they could have done to make Shagotte's reveal a bit mor restructured is maybe make the wings more... revelled? Like, maybe its custom for the cats to hide their wings, rather than use them, because they are prideful of it and it's considered crude to use their wings like utilities and transport. The only exception being down on the human country, where they show off their wings just to remind the humans they are below them. So maybe it is considered disrespectful in Extalia to show off your wings before your elders or superiors, and that is why they never show them because the queen doesnt.

So, they should do something like Carla and Happy showing their wings on Extalia in their defiance. Make an emphasis in their time in Extalia to realize the cats frown upon showing your wings every few moments like Happy and Carla usually do in Earthland. It also puts weight into that gorgeous frame of Carla pretending to be the princess to intimidate Knightwalker.

Like, dont mind me, I'm just headcanoning some could-have-beens in the side of world building for the exceeds. As they are, there really isnt much to them except that they have magic and the humans hate/worship them the same way they do the lacrima-- as magic, and not as fellow living beings.

What we got was enough, for what the story is. But I do wonder what could have happened if Edolas had more arcs to develop itself, rather than being a stop-and-go.

[nalufever]

Queen of Gin

A Shalily fic ~ Shagotte x Pantherlily, Fairy Tail fandom - written for @shalilyqueenwrites A small xmas fic gift!

Summary: Dubbed the Queen of Gin by her customers, Shagotte runs her speakeasy during daylight hours as a questionable poetry parlour. Investigated by a stalwart G-man who's got his own secret demons, Shagotte learns to love and trust, saving herself and her new love.

"Why would I look the other way, Miss Shagotte?" Lily rolled his eyes, grimacing as the suspected gin runner fluttered her eyelashes. "Somehow, every night, your gatherings are full of people."

"We're poetry enthusiasts." Shagotte grinned and winked at the irritated face of the attractive G-man. "Arts enrich the soul, doncha know."

"And yet your patrons see fit to enrich your pockets. All from reading poems? I think not." The tall and thickly muscled man shook his head. "You're wetting their lips with hooch, I can't prove it now, but I will soon."

"Dear heart, don't be such a tragic downer!"

"Excuse me?"

Shagotte crossed her arms, a tempting smile on her lips. "Would you prefer I call you sweetheart?"

"I'll have my numbers men nose out your accounts, and then you won't be so chipper." Lily straightened his hat and smoothed the lapels of his double-breasted suit. "Good day, Miss Shagotte."

"Always a pleasure." Shagotte leaned in close to her opponent. "You should smile more, makes you much more attractive." She smirked as Mr. D'Pantheur marched out of her salon in a snit. He was tasty, but the money she earned from selling gin illegally was more important than romancing some uptight government stooge.

><><><><

Miss Shagotte welcomed Friday night's guests with a smile and specially printed poetry booklets. Tonight she'd been given ideas from a certain G-man - and the lyrical poetry was very fresh - and very original.

Shagotte greeted the steady stream of her patrons. "Nice to see you and the missus, Mr. Dragneel! Who's your friend? Glad to see you've returned, Mr. and Mrs. O'Connel! You're in luck, tonight's reading is going to be the talk of the town." Shagotte passed out her freshly minted pamphlets, accepting a new stack from Aaron, one of her best helpers, and then urged him to assist in the kitchen.

"Talk of the town?" Lucy Dragneel tapped Shagotte on the shoulder. "I don't see an author's name on this."

"It's a surprise for later." Shagotte smiled, her eyes sparkling. "Who's your friend, Lucy?"

"I'm a regular blue-stocking, a bibliophile, an aficionado of the written word!" Lucy's friend answered, smiling as she took in the details of the parlour; dozens of rickety chairs ringing small tables - and a podium on a raised dais.

Lucy giggled and flicked the shorter woman in the forehead. "Dizzy dame, she wants your name!"

"Levy McGarden, pleased to meet you!" Levy thrust out her hand - which was accepted and rapidly pumped by Shagotte who smiled wider.

"I'm delighted to find another literature lover. You're gonna want a seat close to the action." Shagotte pointed to the front chairs. "Especially if my special guest shows."

Levy and Lucy exchanged looks of glee. They promised to find Shagotte afterwards to discuss tonight's poetry, moving to claim their seats.

At the scheduled time, Shagotte signaled for the doors to shut and she made her way to the podium. Her bright red high heels thumped at each step, drawing as much attention and admiration for her smart outfit as her smiling freckled face crowned with lustrous pale hair. Making a show of lifting her manuscript, Shagotte greeted the crowd. She made a few opening remarks about the weather and how glad she was to see so many in attendance.

She checked her watch and began to read the first poem, starting with the title: 'Bothersome Boy,' glittering amusement in her eyes and a suppressed smirk on her lips. A ripple of amusement moved around the room, the disturbance feeding Shagotte's satisfaction. She flipped to the next page and with even more passion, began reading 'Ode to Numbers: How a Certain Man Does Not Add Up.'

Reciting the third stanza of the poem, where the 'certain man' was compared in a bad light to a succession of local ne'er do-wells, Shagotte could hear the muffled honking of a bike horn from the street. With even more enthusiasm she read the next stanza. It dealt with the 'certain man's' poor fashion sense; cheap shoes and shiny tie that clashed with his suspenders. Keeping her eyes downcast on her book, Shagotte kept orating the poem. She heard the tread of a late-comer to the soiree and the creak as they settled into a chair. Another ripple of amusement circled the room as the attendees made certain connections between the new arrival and the content of the next poem which was titled 'Gee Whiz G-Man.'

Several more poems were read, with every progressive title drawing more titters of amusement. Shagotte announced an intermission and darted towards her private sitting room. Caught short by a 'certain man's' solid grip on her upper arm.

"Interesting, Miss Shagotte. You had such a good impression of me the other day, complementing my attractive smile. But today you've lambasted my clothes, job, and IQ. I'd be hurt, but I'd have to care about your impression of me for that to happen."

"Don't start off with a lie Mister G-man." Shagotte fluttered her thickly lashed eyes. "I said you would be more attractive if you smiled more." She tried to wrench herself out of Lily's grip and failed, so she glared pointedly at his large hand on her body. So large and capable looking, a bit rough but his warmth felt nice. "Do let go."

"Sorry." His cheeks flushed and he hunched his shoulders. "I've had enough of the stares, can we take this discussion out of the public eye?" Lily removed his hand from Shagotte's arm and looked at it front and back before shoving it into his coat pocket. "Please?"

"Fine," muttered Shagotte. "I'll give you ten minutes." She decided to blame her momentary lapse of judgment on the man's softly spoken plea. That was a weakness she'd work to eradicate later. Giving the watching crown an insouciant wave, Shagotte strutted off to her sanctuary as if taking Lily D'Pantheur there was actually her own idea.

Pouring herself a tall glass of water from a waiting pitcher, Shagotte took a satisfying gulp before offering Lily some. He shook his head and she giggled. "It's water, not gin. As if I'd offer you any rotgut seeing as you're so convinced I'm running hooch at my fine establishment."

"Thanks for bringing up the reason I'm here." Lily strolled around the room; taking a long, hard look at the pale pink upholstered seating, the doily encrusted wooden tables and gilt-covered frames holding brightly coloured art. "I need your help."

"You're crazy, Mister G-man." Shagotte set down her glass and crossed her arms, glaring for all she was worth at Lily. "My help? You've been accusing me of breaking the law and tryin' to shut me down. You need my help?" Angry sparks seemed to shoot from her eyes. "Please." Her chin lifted and her pink cupid's bow mouth flattened into a thin line. "You may leave."

"Not until you hear me out."

"How about you get out?"

"Please." Lily stopped his pacing in front of Shagotte. He bowed his head after removing his hat and holding it over his heart. "There's a new threat in town and I figure you're more good than bad. I see how many kids you're taking care of, you're their mother figure and someone like that can't be all bad."

"Excuse me?" Outrage made Shagotte raise her voice higher than she'd intended - several of her older helpers burst into the sitting room and milled about in as threatening a manner as they could manage.

"Do you need escortin' outside?" The oldest child stomped over to Lily. "Don't make me ask you twice." Miranda settled her hands on her thin hips and let her disgust show. She would have been exceedingly cute except for the jagged scar that covered her left cheek from her jaw to under her ear. With Lily remaining silent, Miranda turned to her boss. "Miss Shagotte, do you want us to give this bum the bum's rush?"

Shagotte held up a hand and shook her head. "He's a bum all right, but I need to hear him out. He's a government goon, yet I'm curious about what he's got to say."

Miranda sighed, as did the other three young adults; Richard, Betty, and Karl. The leader of the group, Miranda pouted but held her tongue.

"I'm not anything near a bum." Lily held up his hands in mock surrender. "I'm a hard working government soldier."

"Just yell if you need us, Miss Shagotte." Miranda and the others filed out of the room.

"More like hardly working government soldier." Shagotte deliberately turned her back to Lily, sauntering towards a credenza covered in books and potted plants. She turned and leaned against the piece of furniture. "What is it you want, Mr. D'Pantheur?"

Lily gulped, the sound loud and surreal in the confines of Shagotte's sitting room. "I want to understand you."

"I do believe you've flipped your lid."

"No." Lily rubbed his forehead. "The new gangs moving in are trouble. I've come to see you're the lesser of two evils."

"Thanksssss." Shagotte drew out the 'es' of her reply. "You sure know how to make a gal feel good about herself."

"Give me a chance and you'll never look back."

"Why should I?"

Lily D'Pantheur dropped his hat and sank to his knees in front of Shagotte. His voice was a soft echo of his former volume. "Because I know you are doing whatever it is you're doing to keep those kids off the street." He looked Shagotte dead in her eyes and smiled. "And if you don't work with me your business is doomed to failure."

Shagotte clenched her hands into fists. "Threatening a woman is a low and disgusting action."

"I'm afraid it's a promise." Lily slowly stood, rising to his full height. "You can work with me to bring down the new threat in the neighbourhood or be smashed with them."

Never slow or foolish, Shagotte took in all the new information given by Mr. G-man. A sour smile on her lips, she thrust out her hand and spoke. "Let's shake on it."

To be continued ^^

[impracticaldemon]

Queen & Captain

by impracticaldemon for Shalily Week 2019, prompts: “Status Quo” & “Safety” fandom:  Fairy Tail pairing: (human) Shagotte x Pantherlily words: 1300     rating:  general (historical/fantasy fluff) [will also be available on FFnet and AO3]

~-----~

Queen and Captain

“Travel papers?”

The guard at the gate looked bored, and Pantherlily saw his eyes flick toward the horizon, and the bright orange-red glow of the setting sun.  The tall former soldier had picked his time with care—no matter how much unrest remained in both the City and the country as a whole, a man who’d spent the day on gate duty in the sun would be hungry and averse to creating work for himself. Hopefully, he’d be disinclined to examine their documents too closely.

“Here.”

“Mm.” The guard scanned the artistically aged parchment with a practised eye, and Lily was glad he’d followed Lady Shagotte’s advice and spilled tea on it the day before.  There was something very normal about tea stains. “Your wife, is she?”

“Yes.”  He managed not to hesitate, this time.  Her (former) Royal Majesty had scolded him just the day before about his reluctance to claim her—on paper!—as his bride.  She’d understood his dilemma, but pointed out that she’d rather be married—on paper!—to him, than dead at the hands of the victorious invaders for the sake of royal etiquette.  There was anonymity, and safety, in being a wife.

The guard smirked.  “Frail little thing.  Try not to break her, big man.”  He gave Lily a friendly poke, and Lily tried not to scowl.  He could tell he failed by the way the other man’s eyes narrowed.  Then again, it would have been suspicious if he’d been happy with the comment.  Or so he hoped.  Acting wasn’t Lily’s strong point.

“…Yeah.”  He shuffled his feet, desperately trying to look more like a big labourer than the former captain of the Queen’s Elite Corps.  The dirt on his hands and face was authentic enough, as was the… odour… Lady Shagotte had insisted on rubbing into the soles of his boots.

[READ MORE BELOW]

There was a long pause while the guard made a show of rereading the documents.  Pantherlily was just starting to get genuinely worried when the man stepped to one side with a shrug and a nod.

“Don’t cause any trouble. We’ll be keeping an eye on you—got it?”

“Got it.”  Pantherlily gestured his ‘wife’ over, and tried to look natural about expecting her to follow him through the gates.  It was killing him not to carry all her things for her, but she’d insisted it would look strange if he did.  With an effort, he quelled the rage in his heart at having to watch her duck her head submissively to the annoying gate guard. Her life was more important than her dignity, as she kept telling him.

“Lily…”

A soft voice recalled him to his surroundings, and he felt heat suffuse his cheeks.  Until a few days ago she’d only ever called him ‘Captain’ or ‘Captain Pantherlily’.  Even if it was just for the sake of their disguise, he found it embarrassing to hear his adored Queen use his unadorned name, and a diminutive at that.  Embarrassing and ridiculously charming—as if he didn’t love her enough already.

“Yes, My Qu—um, I mean, my… my dear?”

There was a gurgle of laughter from beside him.  Two bright eyes peered up at him from between the wide brim of an unfashionable travel hat, and a wide scarf.

“You sound so—so unconvincing, Captain!”  Then she clapped her slender hands over her mouth at her faux pas and glanced around nervously.

“Sorry,” muttered Pantherlily, also casting a wary eye over the people around them.  As far as he could tell, nobody was paying them special attention except to the extent of being cautious of his size.  He made an effort to slow his pace and drag his feet a little.

Lady Shagotte cleared her throat.  “I’m sure it’s fine, dear.  No need to look so uncomfortable just because we’re finally in the big city.”

“As you say, Sh-Shagotte.” Her name wasn’t a problem in and of itself, since many girls had been named after her while she was still a child, and even after she’d taken the throne following her parents’ tragic death. But to use such a familiar form of address—!  It simultaneously lacerated Pantherlily’s sensibilities, and made heat rise to his cheeks.  He was glad his skin was too dark to show any but the deepest blushes.

~-----~

They took a room at a moderately respectable inn, grateful for the chance to wash, even superficially. Pantherlily had already chosen the place as a short-term refuge during the early part of the one-sided war.  Lady Shagotte’s most devious advisor—and where was that irritating man now?—had arranged things so that Pantherlily would be known as a friend of a friend when he arrived.  It was fortunate that the Royal Palace was located in a town over a hundred miles from the City, though.  Otherwise, it would have been too great a risk for him to travel with the Queen, even in disguise.

“You’re frowning again, Lily,” murmured Lady Shagotte, setting a cup of tea in front of him. She’d insisted on learning to make and serve ‘commoner’s tea’.

“My lady—”

“Pantherlily. You promised to try harder.  We’ll never be convincing in public if we don’t practice in private!”

Lily took a sip of tea. It was an effort to drink the bitter, ill-steeped brew, but she had made it for him, and he bore it stoically. Besides, it had improved, and now resembled tea more than ditch-water.

“…I beg your pardon, my—I mean—Shagotte.”

With her hat and gauzy scarf discarded—the door had been firmly locked—Shagotte looked much more herself again.  She was smiling, but her eyes were tired and sad, and Lily longed to hold her and—

“Well, I suppose I am your Shagotte at the moment.”

“Ah—er.”  Her words had been light, but it had been impossible—even for him—to miss the hint of underlying sincerity, or maybe hopefulness.

They stared at each other, expressions mirroring the same rush of longing, uncertainty, and  deep loneliness.  Old habits and rigid principles vied with human need for love and consolation.

Shagotte cleared her throat and looked down, eyes once more veiled by long, near-white lashes.  “Captain, I—”

Her words were abruptly muffled as Lily pulled her across the short distance into his lap, and pressed her tightly against his solid chest.  Large, capable hands stroked her back, and caressed her damp, tangled hair. He was very strong, but she was the most precious being in the world to him, and his touch communicated both love and desire—he would never hurt her, even by accident.  The gate guard had risked his life by implying otherwise.  

“My Queen…  Let’s just pretend… for a while…”  He pressed his lips to her forehead, marvelling at how warm and supple she was, despite the superficial frailty that had caused such anxiety to her court officials.  They had not understood her brilliance and strength, and their fear had led to disaster.

“…Mmm… Lily…” Shagotte leaned away from him a little, just enough so that she could glimpse his face.  “Let’s—let’s stop pretending for a while.  Shall I tell you how I really feel about you?”

“No—I don’t know if I could go back to… how it must be… if you did that.”

In response, Shagotte wrapped her arms around Lily’s neck, and pulled his face down to hers.  Her beautiful eyes were brighter than ever before.

“Then I’ll show you, dear captain, dear Lily, so that you’ll never forget.”  She whispered the words against his lips, before kissing him as passionately as innocence and inexperience would allow.

“My Queen…”  Minutes passed, and when they finally needed air, Lily corrected himself, murmuring the words into her ear, while his sword-worn hands explored her soft skin:  “Shagotte, my dearest, only love…”

[END]

Likes, comments, reblogs are all appreciated!  ~ Imp

[ships-inside-your-head]

“I love you”

@shalilyweek

"I love you ..." he murmured softly, every word accompanied by a gentle kiss to her temple. He had to be careful as to not wake her, she generally did not get much sleep as a queen, but he could not help it. Instead, he could only watch over her, confide in her the secrets he was not ready to tell her if she were awake. Pantherlily still had some time before he would bring those words to his lips when she was not sleeping and lying in his arms.

He preferred to keep watch that no one had followed them and watched her sleep, rather than confess. That her sleep was anything but peaceful was clear to him as soon as she fell into Morpheus's arms, but he could do nothing except wait until the morning dawned and they had to move on to shake off her pursuers.

He wanted to be angry for her on her behalf, he really wanted to, for all the treachery she had experienced several hours ago, when a group of rebels invaded the castle and seized power by a coup attempt.

His beloved queen had seen her younger sister, Alisha, get murdered cold-hearted by slitting her throat after she had already given up and submitted. The girl had never been violent, so her death was all the more cruel and ironic.

Her screams ... he could never forget those screams, he did not want to, because he would stick to those memories, make himself strong, so that Queen Shagotte would use him as a shield, a sword, a friend, whatever she needed him as. He did not care what was happening to him, she was the only important thing in the world and if he died for her ... he would do it - without hesitation.

Today, however, he could only hold the devastated woman in his arms, warm her and hope that the next day would dawn. Hope her pain would fade.

"I love you ..." he breathed again, a kiss on her head this time. "I'll take care of you ... just the two of us against the rest of the world."

He did not allow himself to sleep.

[pan-princess-levy]

What's your favorite minor character in Fairy Tail?

send me “what’s your favorite..” asks 💫 !

does levy count

oh, here we start

first off, i love shagotte, the queen of the exceeds

also, the ex-oracion seis/crime sorciere, especially sorano and erik

i love the lamia scale guild a lot, but sherry really interests me, especially her very likely trauma about the nirvana thing

and the dragon parents! and acnologia! i want to know every possible bit of knowledge about them all

more information about the spriggan 12 is very appreciated as well

[juviarainworld]

Fairy Tail aesthetics : Shagotte , Queen of Extalia

Status: Requested @indayiashow

Tag squad: @gruvia-for-life @erza-scarletx765 @animoozies @fairyfree2fly @christinelucka @leashykitty-chan @its-raining-stars

//Im sorry for being so late! I hope you like it, please let me know!//

[lazy-stitch]

Briny Dregs

It was supposed to be another quiet summer, this time working with two of her best friends... but Levy finds out that regulars at a coffee shop are different than regulars at a library. (A GaLe/Gajevy coffee shop au)

Rated: T Disclaimer: I don’t own Fairy Tail. Trigger warning: Not the usual coffee shop au.  And two mild descriptions of anxiety attacks.

There was something pretty nice about working in a coffee shop, Levy mused.  While she never drank coffee because she could always taste the heady bean flavor, she did love the smell of it.  It was a nice way to start her summer days, smelling coffee being brewed and greeting Extalia’s regulars.  In the school year, she knew Extalia got far more customers since it was relatively close to both the high school and Magnolia’s community college, but customers never ran dry even in the summer.  Adults always had work, and there were some students with summer classes.  Besides, Extalia’s main draw wasn’t the coffee - it was the baked goods. Shagotte Faust, the owner, was the queen of the kitchen.  Breads, muffins, brownies, mini pies, crepes… whatever people craved, Shagotte could bake it, and she could bake it well.  Levy was more than happy to buy herself treats sometimes (and take home any unsold leftovers if she was on the closing shift).

With the promise of astounding baked goods, coffee, free Wifi (with a purchase, mind you), and its good location in Magnolia, there was no way Extalia would ever run out of customers.  It also never ran out of people willing to work there. Young people were especially attracted to the work, and Shagotte liked giving them the chance.  Levy had been roped into applying by her childhood best friends, Jet and Droy.  Normally, she’d work at the Crocus library, Crocus University library, or Magnolia library, but when Jet and Droy asked, she couldn’t really say no.  It wasn’t like she’d make any less with Shagotte, and she’d be able to spend time with her friends that she didn't get to see often anymore.

Jet and Droy had been working for Shagotte every summer for four years in a row.  Droy was immensely useful in the kitchen, and Jet could somehow apply his quick running speed to making coffee.  Plus, they could easily switch roles because Jet could follow a recipe and Droy could make a mean expresso. They could pick and choose when their shifts were, and their good word to Shagotte certainly didn't hinder Levy’s exemplary resume when she applied.  Levy wasn’t exactly cut out for working at the coffee shop, though.  She was a bit clumsy sometimes, and that was why she was given cash register duty more often than not.  She was terrible in the kitchen, even following recipes with Shagotte looking over her shoulder.  Her tendency to daydream when something snagged her attention also kept her out of making drinks because she’d accidentally let cups overfill more than once.  Honestly, Levy felt very lucky to not have been fired already, but Shagotte just took the small expenses from her paycheck and left it at that.  Everything had been exactly how she’d thought it’d go (hell, it went better because she was still working at Extalia)… except…

Her eyes flickered from the customer at the front of the line to the man three people behind them.  He had a knack for appearing during Levy’s shift, and he was even better at showing up in Extalia during the morning rush line.  He was tall, and he was handsome.  His dark clothing always looked good on him, fitting in all of the right places.  He ran a hand through his dark hair, pulling it away from his sharp facial features.  There was something about him that drew in people’s gazes, and a hint of danger kept them reeled in.  Currently, he was wearing a slight frown, staring down at the screen of his iPhone.

“A large Americano, got it.” Levy said, stealing her eyes away from the man in the middle of the line of customers.  She rang up the drink then turned to Jet, who nodded very seriously and locked gazes with her.  So, he’d noticed the man, too.  Levy almost wanted to laugh.  Of course Jet noticed him.  It was hard not to, honestly.  Jet winked at her with a half smile before he turned to make the Americano.  After giving change to the customer and signaling them to wait at the side counter, Levy accidentally met the gaze of the tall man. She flushed and looked down, heart racing.  She was such a fool.

“A slice of coffee cake and a medium dark chocolate mocha. Anything else?”

Levy could feel his dark eyes on her as she left the cash register to retrieve the cake from the glass counter.  Her fingers trembled a bit unconsciously as her heartbeat picked up even more.  Levy clenched her teeth, breathing quickly through her nose as she concentrated on getting a slice of cake and not dropping it on the ground.  It wouldn’t be the first time, and certainly not the first in front of the man.  A thin sheet of ice seemed to be growing over her shoulders, swooping slowly around to envelope her neck and slow her breathing to sharp bursts.  Her chest hurt in ways she didn’t know were possible before this summer.  Levy pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, and, when she accidentally met the eyes of the tall man, again, over the coffee cake, bit down hard. Why was he already here?  He was early today.  Extalia had only been open for a half hour, and he usually showed up forty-five minutes in.  That was when the normal morning crowd was, anyway, not that six people in line was a real crowd.  But he was here already and that was unnerving and he really shouldn’t be there, smiling at her and making the butterflies in her stomach multiply to the point where she felt like she was going to be sick and…

A hand on the middle of her back made Levy jump. She squeaked a little bit, but thankfully did not drop the slice of cake from the plate she’d somehow gotten it on in the middle of her thoughts.

“Looks like we need to tell Droy and Shagotte to make more coffee cake, huh?” Jet’s voice was soft, and the look he gave her was softer yet. He grounded her thoughts spiraling out of control even though she loathed needing it.

“Yeah.  You mind doing it?  I’m-I’m okay.  I was just thinking about a book I read last night.” Levy smiled at him, both knowing she was lying though her teeth.  Jet’s eyebrows knit together and his lips puckered slightly, but he nodded and headed to the back room anyway.  Levy straightened herself, eyes on the slice of cake as she walked back to the register.

“Sorry about that!”  She said, putting on her best retail worker smile.  The older woman gave her a gentle one in return, shrugging it off with a, “It’s no problem, dear.”

“A’right, I need six small black coffees, stat.  I’m already runnin’ late without having to do a stupid coffee run.” The next customer groused, looking down his nose at Levy.  She said nothing, just ringing him up before turning around to the coffee machines. Jet had just started working on the dark chocolate mocha, but he’d need help with six drinks in one order regardless. Levy knew when the irritated man joined the old woman by the side counter because the air around her got heavier. She could feel the weight of the man’s gaze on her back, making her shoulders subconsciously curl inwards.

“That last one was six black coffees, right?” Jet asked as Levy joined him.  She made a noise of agreement, pulling six small cups off of the holders.  She started pouring the first one, eyebrows slanting downwards over her eyes.  The tall man wasn’t going to affect her.  She wasn’t going to allow his stupid smug face to affect her in any way. Concentrating solely on pouring coffee and slapping on the lids, the next few minutes passed much too quickly for Levy.  She didn’t want to pass on the drinks to the irritated businessman because that meant her resolve would be tested.

You’re prettier when you smile.

The memory made Levy bite the inside of her lower lip, willing herself not to smile.  Levy knew she was a bubbly person when she wasn’t feeling shy.  She liked smiling.  Even when she didn’t mean to smile, she usually did to help alleviate awkward situations.  But this man… he didn’t deserve that.  Levy felt tainted when she smiled around him.

“Hello there, Peaberry.” He smiled roguishly at her.  Levy figured his smile, all straight white teeth, could be blinding to some, but she preferred the snaggletooth grin of someone else.

“What would you like to order?” Levy asked, not meeting his expectant gaze or reacting to his greeting.  From someone else, nicknames were endearing, but from this man… it made her skin crawl.  Jet’s presence, leaning against the counter with the coffee machines, gave her courage.  Levy was startled when she heard the back door open and Droy walked out, bearing a platter of banana bread.  He was whistling some sort of tune, and even after putting the loaf on display, stayed behind the counter instead of returning to the kitchen.  The both of them being there, and the fact they weren’t actively butting in, made her sense of dread fade a little bit.  Jet and Droy had eventually learned she could fight her own battles, but it was nice knowing they always had her back.  She had allies if something ever got messy.  Not that Levy thought Shagotte wouldn’t be on her side, just… she’d known Jet and Droy since she and Jet were five and Droy was six.  They provided comfort few others could give her.

“Aww, don’t be like that, Peaberry!  We’re friends, aren’t we?” His saccharine voice didn’t match the intimidating aura he had.  Levy sucked in a sharp breath, mentally cursing herself for keeping her hands on the counter instead of literally anywhere else.  The man reached forward, patting the back of her hand twice, lingering for a fraction of a second too long after the second pat before pulling back.

“Ah well, there is a line here.  It’d be just terrible of me to hold it up.  Hmmm…  today, I think I’ll get a blueberry muffin and… a salted caramel frappuccino.”

He definitely thought he was doing Levy a favor, and it made her sick to her stomach.  Levy didn’t respond to him, turning to get the blueberry muffin only to almost run into Droy.  Droy smiled at her, holding up the requested blueberry muffin on a plate.  Jet was already working on the drink order with quick hands.

Even after ringing the man up and giving him his muffin, he wasn’t out of Levy’s hair.  He leaned casually on the side counter, trying to strike up a conversation.

“You know, after I saw you eating one of these delicacies, I thought to myself, ‘Bora, you just have to try that muffin!’ I know everything here is delicious, but I want to find the best treat.  I think I’ve found it, if I do say so myself.” The man was always dropping his name, probably in hope to hear Levy say it. She vowed never to say it or to even think it.  It’d mean he’d won something if she remembered his name. So, she always pushed it out of her mind as she casually ignored him.  Levy could get away with ignoring him since he was only around when there was a line keeping her busy, but she assumed he showed up then so she couldn’t go to the kitchen “for a few things."  She’d done that once, letting Droy take his order, and he’d shown up in the middle of a line ever since.

His presence seemed to choke her even when he got his drink and sat down.  He always chose a little table far enough from the counter to not seem creepy, but he was always watching her.  Levy didn’t like leaving the register even when he stared relentlessly because she didn’t want to appear weak.  There were so many things that made her look weak, and she knew that.  So she wanted to prove that she was strong.  If she could bear him for the fifteen or so minutes he was there, she told herself she wasn’t weak.  She had endured him, and she could be proud of herself.  But some days, when she was feeling particularly lonely or just off her game, she had to escape to the back kitchen to talk with Shagotte and whichever one of her boys was helping Shagotte bake.  It felt horrible, like a retreat, but she just couldn’t take the weight of his gaze on bad days.

After the line had dissolved, Levy pulled the barstool out from beneath the counter and sat down, pulling her phone from her pocket.  Shagotte was pretty lenient on phones as long as the volume was low and they weren’t on for too long since an employee on a phone seemed unapproachable to some people (Levy understood that since she felt bad interrupting someone who was looking at something).  Looking at her notifications, her sour mood lifted and her shoulders uncurled. Unlocking her screen, she tapped at the message, positively glowing when she saw the image she’d been sent.

“These two assholes somehow unlocked the damn cabinet, found the catnip, and got so high they passed out.” The text read beneath the image of two cats, a very large, very fluffy silver Maine Coon and a smaller Russian Blue, curled up together.  Her phone buzzed alive with a new message of, “How do fucking cats figure out child locks???”

“What’s making you smile like that?”

Levy jumped, phone tumbling to the floor.  She’d been so close to laughing in his presence and hadn’t even realized it.  Immediately, her face flushed, and she scrambled off the bar stool to get her phone from the ground.  She wasn’t scared that it had cracked since she’d bought a heavy-duty case, but she felt the need to move away from the man leaning over the counter and into her personal bubble.  Levy shoved her phone back into her apron pocket, blinking rapidly. She could tell the man it was a message from her boyfriend, but then he’d want proof or something.  He could carry the conversation, keep her talking and expressing emotions. 

“I was—it was a funny picture on the Internet.” She scrambled for something safe, something that he couldn’t extrapolate on.  It was hard because naming a site, especially a social media one, was taboo.  He’d suggest being friends with her on the site then. Levy hadn’t touched Twitter ever since he’d followed her on there.  She also couldn’t name an online news source since he could dig into what she read (“Aren’t politics these days just a disaster?  That newspaper is so biased, you should try this one instead.”).

“Oh really?  What website?  I might—“

“Hey, you mind going to the back and getting some more cups, Levy?  You know it’s hard for me to get down to the bottom shelves with my knees.” Jet casually interrupted the man, coming up to Levy’s side.  He was lying because his knees were fine, but it was a believable lie since Jet was tall.

“Y-yeah, no problem.” Shame burned furiously on Levy’s cheeks and she turned tail and went into the storage room.  She wasn’t mad at Jet, no.  She would’ve done the same had he been in the same situation. It just made her feel… like she couldn’t handle this man.  And she wanted to prove so desperately that she could.  That her friends didn’t need to worry about her because he didn’t bother her that much.

Once the storage room door closed behind her, Levy leaned against it and slid down to the floor, frustrated tears making pin pricks at her eyes.  She felt pathetic.  Only forty, forty-five minutes into her shift, and she already was crying in the storage room.  Plus, she had to be saved by Jet because she’d been floundering, unable to handle that man. Bile rose in her throat as she tried to hold back her heavy heart and heavier tears.  Her phone started vibrating, but she barely noticed it.

“You’re just being stupid, Levy, he’s just some stupid guy… he-he’s got nothing over you…” Levy whispered, blinking rapidly to keep her tears from falling.  It was the same thing she told herself, looking at a screen with Twitter, before she closed out of the website without doing anything.  Even to her, her words felt hollow and meaningless now. Sniffing, Levy ducked her head into her knees that were pulled up to her chest.  Maybe if she spent the remainder of her shift in here, she’d finally be fired like she should’ve been ages ago after her fourth ruined coffee… or second dropped sweet… or third burnt batch of cookies… or… Levy grit her teeth, unable to think with her phone buzzing madly near her face.  She’d been able to ignore it before, but with such a close proximity now, it was impossible.  Sneering, Levy pulled her phone from her apron pocket, ready to throw it against the wall in frustration before she saw the name on caller I.D.  Straightening slightly so she could lean her head against the storage room door, she swiped right and answered the call.

“Yer on speaker phone.  Oi, Shrimp, how do ya ignore all those cat pics an’ comedy gold, huh?  I mean I know yer at work, but—“

“Shove off, Metal Face, and get to the point already!” A second voice interrupted him, slightly muffled.

“I’m gettin' there ya fuckin' piece o’ flamin' shit—“

“Happy could be dead and all you’re doing is flirting!”

“He is not fuckin’ dead, yer just bein’ an overdramatic asshole!”

Levy gave a shaky laugh at that, rolling her eyes.

“Pot calling the kettle black, Gajeel.” She said softly, feeling warmer the more he spoke.  She could imagine Gajeel holding Natsu away from his phone, the both of them wrestling somewhere.  Probably the floor in their living room.

“Aww, whatever, Pipsqueak, ya know ya love me.”

Levy sniffed again, nodding despite knowing he couldn’t see her.  Boy did she love this big, overgrown dork.  She’d met him in her first semester of college and hadn’t been the same since.  Gajeel Redfox was a very odd person, but he was full of love, especially for her. And they both knew it.  It was hard not to, seeing how he was a lovesick fool around her.  Not that she was any different, mind you.  Hearing Gajeel now in her current state made Levy's heart ache and fingers burn, wanting to be touching him somehow.  They'd only been separated for a month, but she missed him so damn much.

“Stop – ugh – fuckin’!  Flirting!  And!  Ask!  FUCK YOUR LONG ARMS FUCK FACE!”

Yeah, they were definitely wrestling on the floor, and Gajeel was winning, if barely.  Somehow.  Natsu was a very flexible person, so Gajeel had to be sitting on him.  That was the only way he’d ever successfully kept something out of Natsu’s reach despite being six inches taller than Natsu.

“What are you supposed to ask me, Gajeel?” Levy asked, unsuccessfully preventing herself from sniffing for the second time since picking up his call.  Hearing Gajeel’s voice had made her tears start falling, but she felt more relieved than anything else.

“… Are ya okay, Levy?”

Oh no.  Cold lightning ran down Levy’s spine.  Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no no no nooooo.  She didn’t want Gajeel finding out about her current predicament. He’d weaseled some of it out of her during their daily Skype calls, but she didn’t want him knowing how utterly useless she was with this man.  Gajeel was so big and strong, and nothing ever seemed to bother him.  He could always keep his composure in public (if Levy wasn't around).  Levy wanted to be more like him, more like his iron-like sturdiness… He couldn’t know how weak she was, no no no.  Plus, she could totally see him driving down from Crocus and beating the living shit out of that man, and she couldn’t have that.  That man would deserve it, but Gajeel would end up in jail.

“Oh my god!  Will!  You! Stop!  FLIRTING!”

“Shut up fer a goddamn second, Flame Brain!”

Levy heard a loud thump and felt sorry for Natsu. Now she was causing him pain… not that he and Gajeel wouldn’t eventually fight over something…  but still.

“Oi, Levy, what’s wrong?”

 And now she was making Gajeel worry.  Fuck.

“It’s-it’s nothing.  I just have a bit of a head cold.  What are you supposed to ask me?  Ask real quick and then I have to go, you know I only picked up because I’m—not behind the register.” Her sentence was jerky because she’d been a half second away from saying “hiding somewhere.”  But saying that, even though she had before, would only increase his worry.  Levy didn’t want that.

“… Natsu thinks Happy isn’t breathin’.  We ain’t got those lil mirrors.  How can we check?”

Gajeel sounded incredibly reluctant to change the subject, but Levy was thankful he did.

“He’s still with Acnologia, right?  Have Happy face Acno and see if Acno’s fluff moves at all.” Levy instructed, rolling her eyes.  They’d definitely disagreed over feeling Happy breathing on their hands.  That’s what prompted the call.  Idiots.  Gajeel had to be very damn sure Happy was breathing since he’d been flirting with her before he’d been sidetracked by her sniffles.  Gajeel was nothing if he wasn't crazy about the welfare of animals, especially cats.

“Yer a genius, Levy.  Thanks.  A’ight, Fucker, go see that yer cat is alive.”

Levy heard muffled movements and wanted to laugh at just how predictable the boys were.  She heard Natsu grumbling as he got up.

“Now he’s dealt with, Levy—“

“I’m sorry, I have to go, Gajeel.” Levy interrupted him, hanging up immediately.  She turned her phone off before composing herself, grabbing a sleeve of small cups.  If the man was still somehow there, it’d be weird if she didn’t leave with cups.  Levy squared her shoulders before leaving the storage room, breathing a sigh of relief when she didn’t see the tall man anywhere.

“You okay, Lev?” Droy asked, watching her closely.  Because he was sitting behind the cash register, it meant he and Jet had traded positions.  Jet was now helping Shagotte bake, and Droy was going to help Levy with the customers.

“Yeah, sorry, Gajeel called and Happy supposedly wasn’t breathing and… yeah.” Levy shrugged, putting on a smile. Despite the fact Jet and Droy had known her the longest out of all of her friends, she was always able to fool them eventually.  That, she supposed, was one of her strengths.  Lying about her feelings to the people closest to her when she really didn't want them prying.  The only one that was always able to see through her was her socially awkward boyfriend. Gajeel said it was because he knew how she felt, and sometimes she let herself believe him.

“Dang.  He must be worried sick.” Droy’s eyes widened, taking from her choice of words that Happy was okay.

“Yeah, he is.” But about the wrong thing, Levy finished the sentence in her head. Placing the sleeve of cups next to the others, she sucked in a deep breath, and faced the rest of her day with more confidence than she felt.  Their shifts passed without anything else eventful happening, so when Levy went home with Jet and Droy, she had almost convinced herself nothing had happened in the morning.  The first part of her shift was just a small hiccup, nothing serious, something she’d just blown out of proportion because that man was staring at her.  She shouldn’t have let it bother her that much.

At night, tucked into her bed with her laptop open and Skype pulled up, that notion crashed around her and shattered into pieces twenty minutes into her call with Gajeel.  His cat, Acnologia, jumped into his lap and started batting at his nose for attention and food, and the memories came back with an edge.

What’s making you smile like that? You should smile more.  You’re prettier when you smile.

All Levy could see was those leering eyes as the man, the first day he’d come in during her shift, leaned down close to her chest.  Her nametag was pinned there, but girls could always tell when someone was looking at their chest.  Levy was no exception.

Oh, you’re a cute one!  Levy is it?  Nice to meet you!  I’m a regular here.  The name’s Bora.

“I-I have to go, I…” Levy stammered, unable to come up with a plausible excuse as she hung up the Skype call before Gajeel could say anything. She logged out of Skype and shut her laptop off, shoving it away to hug her knees to her chest.

“You’re just having a bad day, Levy.  Shake if off.  You’re okay.  You’re okay.  You-you’re okay.” She gave herself a small shake, concentrating on nothing but breathing slowly in and out.  Levy refused to let that man ("The name’s Bora") affect her in her own home.  He (“I thought to myself, ‘Bora, you just have to try that muffin!’”) couldn’t touch her here.  He (“You know, I had a crazy ex once – know what she told me? ‘Juvia can’t believe you, Bora!  Prioritizing your work over Juvia!’  Well, she doesn’t know the name, Bora, my name, will soon be heard around not just Fiore, but all of Ishgar because I work so hard!”) was not allowed into her sanctuary.

Levy started when her phone started vibrating, but she didn’t answer it.  She let the call go to voicemail, not even looking at who was calling.  She didn’t care, and she didn’t feel like talking.  She did, however, look when her phone buzzed again, telling her whoever called had left a voicemail.  Levy played it when she saw it was Gajeel, feeling guilty. 

“Ya hung up ‘fore sayin’ g’night.  So, good night, sleep tight, an’ don’t let the bed bugs bite.  I love ya, Levy, no matter what.”

His voice, saying those words and being suppirtive, shattered something within her.  It had been a while since Levy had cried herself to sleep from something other than test anxiety.  But in the morning, with puffy red eyes, she felt…  better. Depleted of all emotions and slightly robotic, sure, but that was better than feeling her skin crawl endlessly, heart thump painfully, and brain pulse against her skull erratically.

“Today is a new day, Levy.  You can beat him today.  You’ve already forgotten his name.” She whispered to herself as she brushed her teeth.

“He’s unoriginal, so he’s not going to come up with anything new. It’s been a month.  You’ve heard all his stuff by now.” She reassured herself as she got dressed.

“He’s just a dumb, disgusting little man and you’ll be done with him in fifteen minutes.  He’s got nothing on you.” Levy mumbled to herself as she chewed her toast at breakfast, careful to be quiet so Jet and Droy couldn’t hear her across the kitchen table.

“You’re not going to let him win today.” Levy told herself as she and the boys climbed into Jet’s beat up car.

“He’s not going to get the best of you today.” Levy promised herself, entering Extalia’s back door with Jet and Droy.  They were there before opening.  She and Jet cleaned and set up the front of the shop while Droy helped Shagotte start baking in the back.

“You will beat him.” Levy steeled herself when Jet turned the front sign from “closed” to “open.”  As people started leaking in over the course of fifteen minutes, she gave herself more pep talks, feeding more and more into the feeling that she’d win the mental duel with that man.  It felt like it was her only defense after a night like hers.  She felt nothing but spite and dread as the clock ticked closer to the normal morning rush.

With five minutes left before the usual start of the morning rush, the bell above the front door jingled.  Levy looked up and her heart stopped.  A tall frame filled the doorway, and it broke her resolve a little.

“Oi, heard ya got some good kiwi bread?”

Heat pooled in Levy’s face, and it stung the bottom of her eyes. Gajeel gave her his snaggletooth grin, raising his arms in his “oopsie” gesture he thought made him look innocent.  It, however, always made him look like he was saying, “Come at me, bro,” especially when he was wearing a tank top like he was 

“I thought I told you that shirt is so stupid?” Levy rolled her eyes at him, willing her tears not to fall. Personally, she had thought she’d cried all the tears out of herself yesterday, but Gajeel always proved her wrong. He looked down at the bold letters saying, “Sun’s out, guns out,” made a noncommittal noise, and left Extalia’s doorframe to stop in the center of the store.  He looked unsure of himself, like he might not be welcome.  Jet sensed the tension between the two of them and said nothing, eyes traveling between Gajeel and Levy like he was watching a tennis match.

“What are you doing here, Gajeel?  Don’t you have work in Crocus?  Don’t tell me you were fired again.  You need to work on your customer service smile.” Levy started babbling, hoping he hadn’t actually been fired.  If he had been, that meant he’d be hanging out with her until term started and they both had to go back to Crocus for classes.  Not that she didn’t want Gajeel around…  just… that man complicated things.

“Oh, uh, no, called in sick – Natsu is coverin’ fer me, which is definitely a bad idea, but, ya know… ya seemed like ya had a problem, yesterday.” Gajeel shoved his hands into his pockets, looking a little to the left of Levy’s head.  She watched his eyes dart to her face every few seconds and saw the muscle jumping in his jaw.

“And you’re here to, what, solve it for me?” Levy frowned, heart sinking.  It was bad enough that he had figured out something was wrong and thought it was serious enough for him to make the four hour drive from Crocus to Magnolia, but… if he wanted to come, barge in on her problems, and fix them himself… he was not wanted around.  At all.

“No ‘course not!  ‘Member the first memorable thing I told ya?  I’m goin’ ta make ya big, Levy McGarden.  I’m here ta support ya.  If ya want me here.  If not, I’ll just go an’ – ooof!”

As soon as he’d finished saying her name, Levy had started moving.  It had been the first time Gajeel looked her in the eyes since entering Extalia, but she was still able to surprise him with the strength of her hug when she barreled into him.  Levy pressed her face into his chest, half crying and half laughing.  It was hard to tell what Gajeel was going to do… except when it came to her.  He’d never stepped in to fight her battles for her, not once.  Though this was an entirely new situation, one he didn’t even know the scope of, she was glad he hadn’t changed his ways.  Levy felt Gajeel’s arms wrap around her, holding her tightly.

Now she had the force of a dragon behind her to fight off the unwanted suitor prince, and her shoulders didn’t feel quite as heavy anymore.

[usagirln120]

Fairy Tail Supernatural AU

Natsu Dragneel: Werewolf

Natsu it’s a part of a Werewolf curse in his family, where the secret Werewolf (Acno) promised to bite and curse five in the family. Natsu was the first one to get bitten. Natsu can at first only transform during the fullmoon but it is very painful and he doesn’t have any control over himself after. After the Tower of Heaven Arc he will gain the ability to transform without the fullmoon. The transformation is still painful but not as painful as during the fullmoon.

Lucy Heartfilia: Demi-goddess

Lucy will be a Demi-goddess with her mother being the goddess of beauty. Lucy will live with her father Jude, believing that her mother Layla (Goddess) and her younger sister Michelle (Vampire) were dead. Finds out during the Phantom Lord Arc that her mother is alive and a Goddess while she finds out Michelle is alive in the Key of the Starry Heaven Arc.

Erza Belserion: Demi-Goddess

Erza is also a Demi-Goddess. She is the daughter of Irene and Mars the god of war. Since she lives with her mother she has her mother’s last name. She finds out she is a Demi-Goddess in the Alvarez Arc in her mother’s suicide note.

Gray Fullbuster: Vampire

Gray Fullbuster was at the start of the series a human but got turned into a Vampire in the Tartaros Arc. He eventually becomes human again thanks to Juvia who finds a cure for vampirism.

Happy Dragneel: Half-Fairy

Happy is Natsu’s cousin and a half-Fairy from his mother’s side. Happy is related to Carla but he still have a crush on her, claiming that they are only related by marriage. He find out he’s a half-Fairy in the Edolas Arc.

Gajeel Redfox: Werewolf

Gajeel is a Werewolf and Natsu’s cousin on his mother’s side. He gets bitten by Acnologia in between the Phantom Lord Arc and the Battle of Fairy Tail Arc while he was running away. He gained the ability to transform without the fullmoon in the Grand Magic/Sport games arc alongside Rogue (who didn’t remember it because he was possessed at the time).

Juvia Lockser: Mermaid

Juvia Lockser is, of course, a Mermaid. She turns into a Mermaid in the Phantom Lord Arc while she is fighting Gray and falls into the moonpool. She is the one who finds a cure to vampirism.

Wendy Marvell: Werewolf

Wendy is a Werewolf. She gets bitten by Acnologia alongside Erik/Cobra in the Oraciôn Seis Arc. She gains the ability to transform without the fullmoon in the Tartaros Arc. She is in a band with her best friend Chelia.

Carla Redfox: Half-Fairy

Carla is a half-Fairy. She is the daughter of Pantherlily and Shagotte Redfox. She finds out she is a half-fairy and the daughter of the Queen of the Fairies in the Edolas Arc. She is more skilled with her magic than Happy, Lector and Frosch.

Mirajane Strauss: Half-demon

Mira is a half-demon. Mira was the result of a drunk night with the demon Kyoka. Her siblings is only her half-siblings. She finds out who her mother is in the Tartaros Arc and discovers that Freed is her half-brother. She used to be a bully until her sisters disappearance.

Makarov Dreyar: Human

Master Makarov is a human but he knows about the Supernatural world. He is married to a witch called Porlyusica who had three kids from a former marriage who is called Grandenney, Metalicana and Pantherlily. With Makarov had Porlyusica Ivan. Makarov is the son of the famous Yuri Dreyar and his wife Rita. He is also the principal of Fairy Tail academy.

Laxus Dreyar: Werewolf

Laxus is a Werewolf. Everyone in the family believed that Laxus was a part of the Werewolf curse even if he claimed he wasn’t. It wasn’t before the Grand Magic/sport games Arc that the truth was revealed to the whole family. He was expelled from Fairy Tail Academy in the end of the Battle of Fairy Tail Arc but later got back in. He gained the ability to transform without the fullmoon in the Tenrou island Arc. He gained his scar in the Werewolf attack when he was seven.

Cana Alberona: Seer

Cana is a seer. A seer is a human that can see the future. She is the daughter of the sherriff Gildarts but she was raised by her mother Cornelia so she has her surname.

Elfman Strauss: Half-Werewolf

Elfman is a half-Werewolf. He was attacked by a Werewolf but it wasn’t during a fullmoon. The scar on his chin come from that attack. He was a shy and kind boy when he was little but became a trouble maker after his sister’s disappearance.

Lisanna Strauss: Human

Lisanna Strauss is a human. She was missing for the first part of the series but it was revealed in the end of the Edolas Arc that she was cursed by Jellal and Mystogan’s father Faust and turned into a tree. She is very interested in the Supernatural world and tries to fit in as much as she could.

Levy McGarden: Witch

Levy McGarden is a witch. At first only Jet and Droy knew her secret but it was common knowledge by the main characters by the end of the Battle of Fairy Tail Arc. She started working as a police officer after school with Gajeel and is currently pregnant with his child.

Gildarts Clive: Human

Gildarts is a human and the current sherriff of Magnolia. He is the father of the seer Cana Alberona. He was shocked to discover the Supernatural world but was supportive.

Evergreen: Descendant of Medusa

Evergreen is a descendant of Medusa. She is the girlfriend of Elfman Strauss.

Freed Justine: Half-Demon

Freed is a half-demon. He was revealed to be a half-demon in the Battle of Fairy Tail Arc. He later got told by Mira that they were the children of Kyoka. He got very protective over his half-sister and his step-siblings during the one year timeskip.

Bickslow: Demi-god

Bickslow is a Demi-god. He is the son of Hades. He is a great friend of Happy and they love to tease Lucy.

Pantherlily: Fairy

Pantherlily is a Fairy. He was a human at first but later let himself get turned into a Fairy in the Tartaros Arc with Lector and Frosch so they could fight.

Loke Lilica: The reincarnation of Leo the Lion

Loke is the reincarnation of Leo the Lion. He regained his memories while visiting the grave of his half-sister with Lucy.

Macao Conbolt: Human

Macao is a human. He was turned into a Wendigo in the Macao Arc but got turned back into a human by Natsu, Lucy and Happy

Wakaba Mine: Human

Wakaba is a human and a teacher at Fairy Academy. He is the godfather to Romeo.

Alzack Connell: Human

Alzack is a human. He came from a long line of Vampire hunters but he still helped cure Gray since he was a student and friend of his.

Bisca Connell(Mulan): Human

Bisca is a human. Just like her husband she used to be a Vampire hunter but changed their mind about them when they meet Lyon.

Jet/Sarasuke: Human

Jet is a human. He is the best friend of Levy and have a crush on her. He is the current candidate of being the godfather of her and Gajeel’s child.

Droy: Human

Droy is a human. He is the second best friend of Levy and have a crush on her.

Max Alors: Descendant of a mummy

Max is the Descendant of a mummy. Thanks to this he got powers of the sand and his much stronger than he is credit for.

Nab Lasaro: Elf

Nab is an Elf. He hids his ears under his hair and can talk to animal.

Reedus Jonah: Wizard

Reedus is a wizard. He got cursed by a transformation spell that worn off after 7 years.

Vijeeter Ecor: Siren

Vijeeter is a siren. He is a close friend of Juvia’s and she enjoys hearing him sing. Since she is a Mermaid she isn’t effected by his singing. The main difference between him and Juvia is that he was born in the ocean which means he needs to go swim sometimes to stay alive.

[nagirambles]

Rambling about Fairies - Manga Chapter 176

So this scene stumps me, a little. I get that Carla misunderstood her mission from her future visions, but if so, then Nichiya and Nady should have no idea that this was the conclusion she came to. How did Carla know exactly the ruse that they gave the public? They don’t know how she knows, those that know the Queen doesn’t have powers should expect all the children to be as confused as Happy is. 

I guess this can be explained away again as ‘Shagotte predicted that Carla predicted that’, or that they acted knowing that Carla is Shagotte’s daughter and would be an outlier. 

I guess we can interpret this scene as them improvising? They saw what Carla interpreted the mission as, and improvised a new plan? Hughes is telling this story at the same time, so it can’t be on the spot. And Shagotte presumably saw that the slayers would make it to the castle so they improvised this change of plans into their actual plans to the humans, too. 

But like, even though my mind says ‘I guess that’s how it is’, I can’t help but just feel like it’s kind of reach. So much stuff is just--- grasped for, assumed. We just assume they knew this because Shagotte’s prediction is so all-powerful, and yet selectively Shagotte didn’t know enough to not send all their kids into Earthland.

And like, why did they change their plans? Because Shagotte knew Carla would bring the slayers here. Why did they do this? Because Carla would do that. Why did Carla do that? Because Shagotte did this two years ago knowing she would do that. It’s just--- so tight-knit in the illlogical nature of ‘the future leads to the future but you get your information from the future so where did it come from?’, that I feel trapped and suffocated by it. 

Also, ultimately, my question is what the hell are they trying to achieve with these lies? They’re telling this to Carla and Happy only. The only thing they’re doing right now is confusing them, breaking their spirits, and giving them a fucking identity crisis. This isn’t exactly ideal in assimilating them back into Extalia or returning to their parents, if that was ever in the plan. 

While some may crumble and give up like Carla in this moment, if it had been any other pair of Exceed, (you know, the dozens that never even met dragon slayers) they’d just call bullshit and leave. And that would be where the entire thing ended. 

This entire ruse and sequence of events would never have worked if Shagotte didn’t send Carla down and know she was coming back up, and that unfortunately cheapens her entire speech about ‘being a mother that loves her child, so I sent my egg down to be safe’ thing at the end of the arc. 

Like, a lot of this arc feels like it only happened because the universe magically aligned in this perfect moment, for this perfect situation, for this perfect full circle-- and not in a good way. A lot of it feels like plot convenience in the guise of a future sight we later learn is flawed, and it always stumps me coming back to it. Reading it all a second time just doesn’t feel right. 

Don’t get me wrong. It’s good development for the exceeds. But everything else still feels lacking, and that really makes it difficult for me to wholeheartedly like it.

[fairy-tail-lover-blog1]

Carla (シャルル Sharuru) is an Exceed, the daughter of Queen Shagotte, and a close companion to Wendy Marvell. She and Wendy belonged to Cait Shelter before joining Fairy Tail. After the disbandment of Fairy Tail, Carla, along with Wendy, joined Lamia Scale.

[ships-inside-your-head]

delights

@shalilyweek   sequel to “messages”

He could not quite tell how much time had passed since he had sent the last letter to her and he wondered ... had she ever received it? If so, she might have responded, but that letter never arrived in her hands? Had she no opportunity to write an answer to him?

This last thought made him sick in the stomach. He hoped so much that she just could not write because she had no paper and no ink at hand and not because she was hurt or worse, which he could not or did not want to imagine, at least not without feeling having to suffocate.

He just did not want to think of this fatal possibility, but unfortunately he caught himself more and more often as this thought settled in his head, more often and hauntingly than before and it scared him.

Silently, he watched Charle hand over one of her biscuits to the little blue-haired one, which Levy had baked and given to the girl. It pleased him that she was so nice to share her beloved biscuits, she did not even wanted to give him one - every time he asked, she'd looked at him as if he was crazy. He quickly let it go.

A figure sat down next to him and handed him a cold drink. Thankfully, he accepted it, so he knew that it was from Gajeel and he took it personally if you did not appreciate his gifts. "Are you thinking about your Madame again?" The black-haired grumbled, chewing on something and Pantherlily really did not want to know what it was.

"Naturally. It will not work if Charle is almost a copy of her. "

"Apart from her eyes," Gajeel said and he hummed. "Except her eyes, right."

There was silence between the two of them, though the rest of the guild made enough noise, but it still felt so peaceful and Pantherlily enjoyed it, without any doubt, but he also knew that something, no, someone was missing and it became him with each day he saw Gajeel and Levy in intimate together, more conscious and it hurt.

He would never reproach the two, but he could not help being jealous. They had a chance of a simple and happy life from the beginning. He and Shagotte, however? Their love was almost doomed at the beginning, making their relationship official had hurt them both, and in the end he had to go with their daughter while she was left behind because she had a duty as a queen.

The dark-skinned man sighed deeply before sipping his drink. Charle and Wendy were now playing with some dolls and he would have liked to know what they were saying, but they were too quiet to make out single words. They were so fixated on what they were doing, that his heart once jumped around in his ribcage. His little one was precious to him, more valuable than all the gems and gold bars of this earth.

The look of his dark eyes wandered through the guild. As always there was a lot of coming and going, as well as a cheerful mood and once again he was just happy that he had found a second family here.

"Have you found another assignment?" He asked his friend, who shook his head. "No, Flame Brain has caught the latest one. If I catch him as soon as he comes back, I'll give him a good rub, gihi! "He just laughed and was momentarily engrossed in his darker thoughts before regaining his composure.

 "Why do you ask? Do you need money? "Gajeel asked him gravely, and Pantherlily wanted to avert his gaze, but the other did not appreciate that. "I'm should start to pay rent to you," he said, still feeling guilty that he and Charle still lived with the couple. It did not feel right.

The Redfox gave him a scowl. "How many times, tomcat, you're welcome to us, and you do not have to pay us, you'll help us enough, enough is enough."

"You say that over and over again…" he did not go on, not sure how to put it into words.

"It's true, so stop whining, damn you-" Gajeel did not get any further, because then Lucy was standing next to them. "Hey Lily, Mira has a woman who asks for you, she looks pretty classy, ​​I would not necessarily keep her waiting," the blonde said and frowned at her. "Okay," he said, getting up and glancing quickly at Charle to check if everything was alright, he headed for the bar, where a figure in a cloak and Mirajane stood, the bar maid smiling at this person.

Once there, he wasted no time. "Hello, I'm Pantherlily, how can I help you-" he did not get any farther, for then it was as if the words were stuck in his throat and his heart began to race, his palms wet.

Tired, silver eyes looked at him with a pale face. "Hello Lily," she murmured softly and his knees softened as he looked at her.

She was alive and well and was safe here.

 She was alive.

His Shagotte was alive.

His eyes filled with tears as he looked at the woman whom he loved more than his life and who was finally standing in front of him again, months later, no, years, and he was so close to her and God, he wanted nothing more than to just embrace her.

So he did that.

And when she finally lay in his arms, a relieved, joyful and tearful laugh ripped from his chest, before he breathed endless kisses on her head, her forehead, temples, cheeks and everything else because he Just could not get enough of her and he had missed her so much.

"I missed you so much," she whispered, tears glistening in her eyes. He took her face in his hands. "Me too," he breathed back, giving her a beaming smile for finally being completely happy, and that feeling was just fantastic.

[fairytailconfess]

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