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snigora · 1 year ago

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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

I'm fricken obsessed with this book and I had to write something about it, but I’ve never done something like this before so hopefully this is coherent!

Spoilers for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

I want to talk about the differences in how Coriolanus (I’m just gonna call him Snow I cbb writing out his whole first name) perceives Lucy Gray and Sejanus, and how that leads him to his conclusion about human nature at the end of the novel. Because I think Lucy Gray and Sejanus are two sides of the same coin – to Snow, they both come from the districts, they are both pacifists, and they both have a desire for freedom from the reign of the Capitol. But Snow claims to love Lucy Gray and has a constant dislike, even hatred, of Sejanus. So, what’s the difference between them?

Snow starts out the book as a sort of blank slate, not having come down on either side of the humans are inherently good or humans are inherently evil debate (although it could be argued that his actions always tended towards the belief of inherent violence – but that’s not what this is about). His belief is only completely solidified at the very end, after seeing everything Sejanus and Lucy Gray have done. Given one of the major themes in the book is control versus chaos, I believe that both Lucy Gray and Sejanus represent chaos, with Dr Gaul representing control and Snow definitively falling on that end of the spectrum in the story’s finale. Snow’s close relationship with both the chaos characters is certainly what drives him to his conclusion about human nature, and his desire to control it.

Sejanus is looked down upon by pretty much everyone in the Capitol because of his district heritage. Snow is no exception to this – the only difference between his attitude towards Sejanus and the general attitude of others in the Capitol is his desire to be different from everyone else, falsely leading Sejanus to believe that Snow is his friend (Chapter 1, p17*). Snow has no interest in actually being Sejanus’s friend, but Sejanus latches on to him, much to Snow’s annoyance. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Sejanus’s loyalty lies with District 2, not with the Capitol, which is something that Snow cannot fathom. With his prejudice against the districts, Sejanus’s defence of them is something that fuels Snow’s dislike of him. Sejanus’s trajectory of rebelliousness starts small, with going out of his way to do District 2 funeral rites for tributes who die, and standing up to Dr Gaul, to actively putting himself in dangerous situations. None of his rebelliousness is violent in nature, but it all challenges Snow’s beliefs in a way that he doesn’t want to be challenged. Their ‘friendship’ causes Sejanus to often confide his plans in Snow, which Snow desperately tries to dissuade him from doing, primarily because it would reflect badly on himself. But no matter how hard he tries, Sejanus always ends up doing what he thinks is right in his eyes. Snow values control, he says so many times throughout the book, and Sejanus is someone he cannot control.

Lucy Gray, on the other hand, is someone he sees as beneath him, because she is not from the Capitol. However, Lucy Gray does not particularly strongly associate herself with the districts because of the Covey. She just sees herself as someone who unfortunately ended up in District 12, which allows Snow to justify his continued prejudice while simultaneously falling for her. But the main difference between Lucy Gray and Sejanus is that Lucy Gray’s unpredictability and ��chaos’ always reflects well on Snow because it draws attention to her as a tribute and as his tribute. She is also very much dependent on him for survival in the Capitol, making him feel in control of her. Lucy Gray says she believes everyone has an inherent goodness in them, and that is reflected in the ways she perceives Snow – everything he does, which we know is out of self-interest, she interprets as a selfless act. So really, she falls for a façade of Snow. She sees all the good in him and voices it often, making him feel validated. He finds her alluring because she is different, she reflects well on him as a tribute, and he sees her as a controllable sort of ‘chaos’. He starts to realise that she’s not as controllable as he’d like – that she has a life outside of him in District 12 and that’s when his affections for her start to slip, and that, along with other events, leads him to ultimately turn on her completely.

So, how do these two similar yet different people influence Snow’s view of human nature? The conclusion Snow draws at the end of the story (mildly influenced by his upbringing and Grandma’am, and majorly influenced by Dr Gaul) is that the Games must continue to constantly remind people about the inherent savagery of humanity, which he thinks people will inevitably revert to if the Capitol loses control. In Sejanus, he sees how his pacifist actions always end up with more violence – when he tries to trade tributes with Snow because he sympathises with his own district, and Marcus ends up dying horrifically; when he disappears into the arena and Snow has to retrieve him, the tributes band together to try and kill them; and when he colludes with the rebels in District 12, which causes the death of Mayfair, Billy Taupe, and Sejanus himself. In Lucy Gray, it’s how he sees her behave in the arena, seemingly killing people with ease; he believes that Billy Taupe’s death is her fault, and that he will end up like him if he stays with her; and when she leaves the snake to bite him in the woods.

Finally, the actions of Sejanus and Lucy Gray also cause Snow to realise the violence within himself. When he escapes the arena with Sejanus and is ambushed by the tributes, he kills a tribute (Bobbin?) out of self defence without a second thought. This shakes him up and causes him to start giving thought to Dr Gaul’s idea of human’s natural state being violent. When he catches Sejanus with the contraband, he ends up killing Mayfair, this time out of self-preservation. After this, he has an active role in the murder of both Sejanus and Lucy Gray, convincing him of his own need, and from there everyone’s need, to be under the control of the Capitol to keep the peace.

This turned into more of a ramble. But I haven’t had a chance to talk about these ideas with anyone yet (and I’ve only read the book once and I may have made errors), so I’m very open to discussion!

*I have the movie tie in edition of the book

#the ballad of songbirds and snakes #tbosas #lucy gray baird #coriolanus snow #sejanus plinth #dr gaul #human nature #the hunger games #chaos vs control #the ballad of songbirds and snakes spoilers #tbosas spoilers #me #hunger games analysis #the ballad of songbirds and snakes analysis #book analysis #tbosas analysis

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nalufever · 5 years ago

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do you have any more nalu fic recs?

Sorry, not sorry - you’ve unleashed more than you could’ve guessed. ^^ Always happy to Recommend a List of Fics ~ And thank you for asking! Admittedly there’s a few Recs that aren’t Nalu - I got excited to share my favs. ;)

A Girl Worth Fighting For: Natsu navigates unspeakable horrors to win Lucy’s love or Natsu goes shopping, looking for the perfect white day gift.

A Lesson: Natsu and Lucy can’t keep themselves from expressing their passions - and the results are bed breaking. Short but smutty - smexy in fact. ;P

A Solidly Constructed Kiss: Erza strong-arms Lucy and Natsu into working the Kissing Booth to raise funds for a school trip. Lucy’s never been kissed and Natsu acts like he’s never entertained even the idea of kissing another person. Things naturally come to a head when Lucy and Natsu are given the task to build the actual booth; will they fight over construction or build themselves some kind of relationship?

Fairy Tail Week: A collection of drabbles from tumblr prompts to celebrate Fairy Tail. Fairy, Ladies, Lads, Magic, Guild, Ultimate Team, Stronger, Mashima, Tail. Only rated teen to err on the side of caution, family friendly content featuring most of the Fairy Tail Guild!

Feathers and Scales: Angel/Demon AU. Devils are more than they seem and Angels no less. Pitted against each other in a never-ending battle for souls, a single Angel and Devil trade mercies and fall in love. Warning: major character death(s).

Full Moon Secret: Natsu had wanted to tell Lucy his secrets, to share his family history with the fey…it had just never been the right time. Tonight the truth was going to be revealed, one way or another.

Okay, I could just keep hyping all of my own fics individually - but I won’t - other than to just put in a link to ALL OF THEM. ;) Fair warning, I have a few other fandoms works in all the Fairy Tail stories - from Brooklyn 99 to The Flash, Snow White with the Red Hair, RWBY, Blue Exorcist, Teen Titans and some Hakuouki. Yes, I’m a shameless self-promoter. Speaking of that - one more I need to rec! Natsu’s Stars in Lucy’s Sky. I swear Imma finish this.

I also have more than a few favourite authors who write for Fairy Tail (and other fandoms) ~ some have not contributed lately to Fairy Tail or chosen to concentrate on other fandoms - but I like them and their excellent writing.

ObsessedwithNalu: One of my first fandom friends and pretty much any of her FT stories is gold. @obsessedwithnalu

Christmas Treats: Admittedly a gift to me and very cherished for that fact - and - it’s frigging awesome. Lucy does a little holiday baking at home before Fairy Tail’s Christmas party. Natsu, as always, is there. One thing leads to another…

Thanks, Krov: When Krov decided to relax at his favorite bar after work, he never imagined that he’d be seeing some of his old guild members, especially since he thought they had died long ago. Nalu fluff.

Edo-Nalu love fest: Submissions for the Nalu love fest week of 2014. But instead of regular Nalu, these ones feature Edo-Nalu. Smut-tastic and delightfully mature.

ImpracticalDemon: Another early fandom friend who’s still writing this, that and the other thing - and she’s just GREAT. Again, a link to all her works and a few that are special to me follow. XOXOX @impracticaldemon

May the Best Man Survive: “Gray would never have in a million years thought he’d host Natsu’s bachelor party (Nalu pairing). Why is it his job to herd the bunch of rowdy mages from bar to bar, ending up at the guild where the real surprise party is? Oh yeah, the idiot had asked him to be the best man at his wedding. Hijinks, chaos and hilarity ensue.” ^^ A prompt supplied by me and I’m smirking so wide because the fic Imp came up with delivered more awesomeness than I could have hoped for!

A Star At His Side: “Accidentally Fall Asleep Together” for Endragoneel on tumblr. Natsu and Lucy spend the day together at a festival in Magnolia. Natsu ends up watching more than just the stars when the festival is over…

Christmas Gifts: When Erza walks Wendy home from the Guild’s Christmas Party, Wendy realizes how alone her friend and mentor is feeling. She sets out to recruit Lucy, Natsu and the rest to break Jellal out of prison for just one night, as a Christmas gift for Erza. Meanwhile, Natsu has accidentally burned some of Lucy’s writing. Will she forgive him?

Dark Shining Light: One of the best and most welcoming writers I have ever interacted with! I’m still gobsmacked she’s a friend! She’s a legend and I don’t know what else I could add to any discourse about her writing - but the classics are classic for a reason, yeah? Here’s a few of my personal favourites of her works and just know there’s too many to list them all! AKA @ff-darkshininglight

Mischievous Cat: Let’s just say there have been a few incidents where Happy has come in at a bad time.

What Belongs to a Demon: Everyone knew she belonged to the great demon lord and she would prove that she deserved to stand by his side.

The Truth Revealing Cards: Lucy should have known if there was a card that would reveal her secrets, Natsu would want it.

Eliz1369: Got introduced to her for her Hakuoki fics but she’d dipped her toes into FT as well ~ and this is a great fic. ^^ @eliz1369

The Light of Fairy Tail: The members of Fairy Tail may be their own brand of crazy, but their hearts are always in the right place.

rougescribe: Shame on me for not reading more of this author’s works! @rougescribe

Fire Sprite No 5: For him, Heaven wasn’t a place or a single moment in time. It was a feeling built on memories upon memories, past and present and a hope for future ones all tied down together. All sharing one common denominator: Her. Nalu. Tumblr Valentine’s Event.

Fallen Ark Angel: Admittedly I only have interacted from afar with this writer. I mainly read Nalu fics but I love her take on Mira and Laxus and her next gen offspring characters. She’s got a lot to offer and it’s all superb. @fallen029

Loving Satan: Loving Satan is never easy. But when she loves you back, its twice as bad.

Madartiste: Another one-sided love affair with someone else’s writing. And her stories are all wonderful and prolly appear on hundreds of Fic Rec Lists - but here’s one of my Favs! @madartiste

Hoarding: Getting interrupted gets old fast.

UranoMetria: I added her to my stable of fav authors 05-03-2014. Wow. Eons ago and even if I’m not sure she’s still active in the fandom, I salute her. Kudos.

The Goddess Gate: With six years of partnership, Natsu and Lucy are torn apart by a mysterious visit from a secret magic council. Lucy is kidnapped and her memories suppressed. She fights her way back home to regain her life - with a startling secret revealed as she begins to remember. The lives of all Earthland hang in the balance. **Okay, this is a wicked old fic - but amazingly written and fuelled my own desires for writing. Last updated in 2018 but who knows? Some current attention may slay any demons on her back in regards to writing - and even if not - the hours of enjoyment reading this is worth giving a comment just to say, ‘thank you for writing.‘

Wild Rhov: Do I even need to say anything about this author? Famous, famous, famous. Excellent. Writes a lot of pairings and fleshes every relationship into something REAL. I Can’t Even. @wildrhov

Beastly Possession: Something is murdering people in Magnolia. When Lucy is attacked, Natsu goes on a rampage to find the culprit, and everyone in Fairy Tail wants revenge. But could this bloodthirsty attacker be someone they know? Warning: High octane nightmare fuel! Do not read while eating, and beware of red eyes in the dark!

Shell1331: Introduced via Imp. This writer is in a few fandoms and is worth reading. @shell-senji

Juicy: Impulsivity and poorly chosen words get Natsu into more trouble than he’d expected, which is saying something for him.

AbsentAngel: Everyone should know this writer. Been stalking her since 2014 so that says something. Tho, it’s prolly just that I’m creepy. ;) My suggested fic here is being re-written/has been? into something original and worth being purchased when it becomes available and re-read over and over. No, I am not being paid to shill but I am open to having senpai notice me. @absent-angel

To the Flame: She stares, transfixed, as the blood runs down his fingers and begins to pool in his palm. He holds his hand up to her lips in offering, and she tears her eyes away from the blood to study his face. He is smiling softly. “Go on Luce, I didn’t cut them for nothing.” [Vamp AU]

HawkofNavarre: Loved for awesome and delightful Gruvia content. Looks like there’s a tumblr but I can’t manage to link it. :(

You Stole the Rain: He just wanted to be friends; fine, she just needed to change his mind. Gray x Juvia

Ricardian Scholar Clark-Weasley: Not sure I spelled that right even after checking three times! I usually short hand that to RS-CW in my head. And she’s prolific - has a tonne of fandoms and is a tower of talent. Is anyone reading all my fangirl gushing? 'Cause she follows one of my fics and comments (sorry I haven’t updated that fic in a while) and it’s a source of happiness that someone who writes so well happens to enjoy some of my content. Okay, bragging over - back to the Recs!

Tales of Fairies: A collection of oneshots exploring different friendships, ideas, sad themes, comical scenarios, and lots and lots of pairings…but mainly Nalu.

snogfairy: Another giant in the FT fandom. Impressive talent. @lineffability

naughty nalus: smutty nalu oneshots B) ***Mature content!***

Rivendell101: Another giant in FT and other fandoms. This author would be considered required reading if I ran a fandom course in a University setting. Just sayin’ @rivendell101

Crave: /krāv/ Verb. To feel a powerful desire for (something). They crave each other. And satiation doesn’t come easily. He growls against her again. “Beg for it,” he demands, lips ghosting against her.

Lakerae aka @hidetheremote : Did you think I’d forgotten you? Ha! Gotcha good! You’re an inspiration to me because you’re working so hard to publish your children’s books. Kudos to you li'l sis! You’re busy but still make it a point to talk to me and I love you for that and everything.

The Gift of the Magi: A Gajevy Twist: A retelling of the classic Christmas story “The Gift of the Magi,” with your favorite Fairy Tail couple Gajeel and Levy! It’s Christmas time and Gajeel and Levy exchange gifts. They both are surprised what they receive and learn a lesson of the true meaning of Christmas.

I could add more and more as I search my saved favs on FF.net ~ and I’m sorry to not include all of them - but this is crazy long as it is. If you read and like any of the recommended fics, please be sure to let the author know. To the authors of these and all fanfics, Thanks for everything.

#fic list #rec fic list #fan fics galore #mainly Nalu rec'd fics #sorry not sorry #asks #answered #more than poor anon bargained for

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tuxiedjabberwock · 6 years ago

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Some of my fav fics from back then + today

Fairy Tail

Life After Near Death - Wild Rhov (just want to take a moment to gush that I love her writing, characterization, her storylines, her everything)

Gray nearly dies in battle. Although Natsu saves his life, Gray is left severely handicapped and may never walk again. Now Gray despises Natsu, feeling weak and indebted, while the Dragon Slayer is confused with why he feels possessive over Gray. The team falls apart as both deal with intense feelings of regret, shame, desire, and both physical and emotional agony.

Fairy Tail - Rated: M - English - Tragedy/Romance - Chapters: 57 - Words: 237,370 - Reviews: 1220 - Favs: 566 - Follows: 617 - Updated: May 7 - Published: Dec 1, 2014 - [Natsu D., Gray F.] Lyon V., Juvia L.

Beastly Possession - Wild Rhov

Something is murdering people in Magnolia. When Lucy is attacked, Natsu goes on a rampage to find the culprit, and everyone in Fairy Tail wants revenge. But could this bloodthirsty attacker be someone they know? Warning: High octane nightmare fuel! Do not read while eating, and beware of red eyes in the dark!

Fairy Tail - Rated: M - English - Horror/Suspense - Chapters: 37 - Words: 160,165 - Reviews: 1588 - Favs: 1,741 - Follows: 1,279 - Updated: Aug 12, 2014 - Published: Feb 1, 2012 - [Lucy H., Natsu D.] - Complete

Lions Pride - Wild Rhov

When Lucy gets pregnant with Loke's child, Fairy Tail must protect her from the harsh laws of the Spirit World and enemies who want her half-spirit baby. The Lion fights for his lover, his child, his guild...his PRIDE!

Fairy Tail - Rated: M - English - Drama/Family - Chapters: 50 - Words: 196,375 - Reviews: 1305 - Favs: 1,437 - Follows: 732 - Updated: Sep 1, 2012 - Published: Aug 5, 2011 - [Lucy H., Loke/Leo] Gray F., Zeref - Complete

The Soul’s Inferno - MizzyPlatinum

The summer before her first year at university, Lucy Heartfilia never imagined she would find her soul mate and she certainly didn't imagine he would already be dead. Ghost AU. NaLu.

Rated: T - English - Romance/Supernatural - Chapters: 24 - Words: 79,722 - Reviews: 1813 - Favs: 819 - Follows: 1,012 - Updated: Jun 23 - Published: Jul 12, 2016 - [Natsu D., Lucy H.]

Demons of Redemption - Mnemosyne’s Elegy

When Zeref sends an emissary to Fiore to prepare for the coming war, things quickly go wrong. Gray's darkest secret is torn out of him, and the demons in his past are bigger than anyone ever realized. It's hard enough to fight against the most powerful mage in existence without having to fight against your own allies and yourself at the same time.

Fairy Tail - Rated: T - English - Angst/Drama - Chapters: 8 - Words: 79,972 - Reviews: 90 - Favs: 87 - Follows: 43 - Updated: Jul 13, 2017 - Published: Jun 2, 2017 - Gray F., Natsu D., Lyon V., Team Natsu - Complete

Detach - LoadedEel

Everything was gone. His mind was empty and brain fuzzy. His memories were erased and his magic stolen. He woke up to a blonde woman calling him Natsu and a guild full of people expecting him to act a certain way. They want to get to the bottom of this, but you know what they say...curiosity killed the cat. (Cannon divergent) Rated M for adult situations.

Fairy Tail - Rated: M - English - Adventure/Romance - Chapters: 9 - Words: 39,775 - Reviews: 71 - Favs: 129 - Follows: 196 - Updated: Feb 10 - Published: Dec 6, 2017 - [Lucy H., Natsu D.] Erza S., Gray F.

Kidnapping Erza - CrimsonStarbird

After inclement weather causes Erza and the others to cancel their trip to Akane Resort, thus ruining Jellal's plan to have her captured and brought to the Tower of Heaven, he is forced to take matters into his own hands. Needless to say, things don't quite go to plan. They never do when Fairy Tail is involved. COMPLETE.

Fairy Tail - Rated: T - English - Humor/Romance - Chapters: 27 - Words: 248,055 - Reviews: 205 - Favs: 118 - Follows: 93 - Updated: Jul 2, 2017 - Published: Jan 1, 2017 - [Erza S., Jellal F./Siegrain] Levy M., Natsu D. - Complete

Wild Card - xxIAmTheSkyxx

"At the end of the day, whether someone had a motive to kill or not, they're still labeled a murderer." Delving into the psyche of a serial killer isn't a pleasant endeavor, no less so than trying to understand it—and being sucked into a game of life and death with one is outright torment. Present for @kagero-assassin on Tumblr. **WARNING: THERE IS BLOOD, MURDER, AND SOCIOPATHY**

Fairy Tail - Rated: T - English - Angst/Suspense - Chapters: 1 - Words: 10,089 - Reviews: 13 - Favs: 31 - Follows: 23 - Published: Feb 29, 2016 - Lucy H., Natsu D. - Complete

Kiss Me, Kill Me - kiss.pink

So a confused zombie, his sexy vampire girlfriend, her bossy witch-bitch roommate, his annoying soul-shifting neighbor, a grumpy werewolf and a random human walk into a bar...yeah, there is no punchline. "Okay, rules. Lucy, no blood. Erza, no spells. Gray, no pranks. Gajeel, no howling. And Natsu—oh my god, Natsu! Don't eat the bartender's brain! We're in public!" Only chaos. [AU]

Fairy Tail - Rated: M - English - Romance/Supernatural - Chapters: 4 - Words: 20,143 - Reviews: 64 - Favs: 144 - Follows: 194 - Updated: Apr 24, 2016 - Published: May 9, 2015 - [Lucy H., Natsu D.] Gray F.

Parallels - Mslead-Ktrin

Lucy always knew books opened roads to new adventures, but never had she dreamed she would be falling into one herself. When she comes across a dusty old book, Lucy finds herself thrust into a journey filled with evil wizards and a tricky dragon who kept looking at her like she was lunch. She had to find a way to return home, but at the end of the day - would she want to? NALU

Fairy Tail - Rated: M - English - Fantasy/Romance - Chapters: 61 - Words: 265,197 - Reviews: 2959 - Favs: 1,892 - Follows: 1,293 - Updated: Feb 13, 2016 - Published: Aug 18, 2015 - Lucy H., Natsu D. - Complete

With Our Love Comes Patience - luclipse

(NALU) This story takes us through the progression of Natsu's and Lucy's relationship through a series of events, starting with a failed Valentine's Day. Rated T for suggested sexual content and slight swearing, though there is the possibility of a rating change in future chapters.

Fairy Tail - Rated: T - English - Friendship/Romance - Chapters: 5 - Words: 37,387 - Reviews: 159 - Favs: 254 - Follows: 349 - Updated: Mar 8, 2016 - Published: May 27, 2014 - Lucy H., Natsu D.

Avatar

Another Brother - AvocadoLove

It was a mission of revenge. There weren't supposed to be any survivors, but Chief Hakoda couldn't bring himself to kill the Fire Nation boy. Against his better judgment, he brought him home. A Zuko joins the Water Tribe story.

Rated: T - English - Adventure/Hurt/Comfort - Chapters: 28 - Words: 224,540 - Reviews: 3727 - Favs: 5,439 - Follows: 5,178 - Updated: Mar 20, 2017 - Published: Jul 22, 2008 - Aang, Sokka, Zuko, Katara

The Undying Fire - Boogum

"He has the eyes, Princess Ursa." They were half-forgotten words, a whisper of fears never explained. Zuko had dismissed it all as nothing to worry about—until he somehow healed the Avatar. Fire healers weren't meant to exist, except he did. He'd saved the kid's life. Naturally, he wanted answers. Too bad finding them wasn't so simple...

Rated: T - English - Adventure/Friendship - Chapters: 62 - Words: 427,058 - Reviews: 2036 - Favs: 2,459 - Follows: 2,761 - Updated: Jul 22 - Published: May 6, 2012 - [Zuko, Katara] Aang, Azula

Bringing Out the Blue - maguena1

AU. The arrow injured the Blue Spirit instead of knocking him out, and Aang never found out his identity. Zuko made a Plan to find out more about the Avatar. He didn't expect so many truths to come from the lies.

Rated: T - English - Adventure/Friendship - Chapters: 26 - Words: 249,291 - Reviews: 1188 - Favs: 2,550 - Follows: 2,507 - Updated: Jun 25, 2015 - Published: Apr 14, 2011 - Zuko

Zuko’s Tiny Dilemma - Boogum

It was the kind of thing that happened in folktales: a cursed prince, a transformation that could not be broken. Except those princes usually became monstrous-looking creatures who needed true love's kiss to return to normal. They did not get stuck as a six-year-old boy depending on a bald runt and two Water Tribe siblings.

Avatar: Last Airbender - Rated: T - English - Friendship/Humor - Chapters: 24 - Words: 140,976 - Reviews: 761 - Favs: 532 - Follows: 507 - Updated: Mar 31 - Published: Jan 4, 2017 - [Zuko, Katara] Aang, Sokka - Complete

In His Shoes - AvocadoLove

In order to fully understand a man, you must first walk a mile in his shoes. Sokka and Zuko are going to find that out the hard way.

Avatar: Last Airbender - Rated: K - English - Drama/Adventure - Chapters: 19 - Words: 101,987 - Reviews: 924 - Favs: 1,263 - Follows: 710 - Updated: May 31, 2012 - Published: Jun 5, 2008 - Sokka, Zuko - Complete

The Problem With Zuko - AvocadoLove

When Prince Lu Ten returns with the Avatar and his Water Tribe companions in chains, Zuko is put in charge of their imprisonment. But things are not what they seem, both with the child Avatar and his own family. And soon, he will have a decision to make.

Avatar: Last Airbender - Rated: K - English - Drama/Suspense - Chapters: 1 - Words: 26,298 - Reviews: 253 - Favs: 1,475 - Follows: 232 - Published: Sep 29, 2010 - Zuko - Complete

God of War

Silenced Tongue - 2space_lesbo1

Atreus has picked up the title of "Silver Tongue" throughout the Nine Realms, and he is quite proud of his ability to talk his way out of situations. Until he's not, anyway.

The Tales of an Angry Father and his Small Son - 2space_lesbo1

Since God of War(2018) came out, my writing creativity has returned fully and I've been writing and writing tons of one-shot stories of my fave characters. There will be violence and gore because it's a God of War game, but then there will also be fluff and more fluff because it's me writing it. Have fun

Carry My Fears as the Heavens Set Fire - furtivus

Kratos doesn't reach the Travel Room doors in time. Now his son is lost to him, swept away by Baldur and held captive in the grasp of the Æsir. Only the gods are a lot more hospitable than Atreus imagined - and certainly nowhere near as bad as his father ever made them out to be. This is really what it's like to be a god, isn't it? While Kratos is doing everything in his power to bring his son home, Atreus is relishing in everything that was denied to him for so long. And deep inside, a seed of resentment begins to bloom. Maybe being a god isn't so bad after all.

When No One’s Watching - Baknami

Kratos can only do certain things when no one else is watching.

Miraculous Ladybug

You Don’t Know Me - Ferisae

When Ladybug suffers a near-fatal accident and is presumed dead, it is up to Adrien/Chat Noir - who has discovered Ladybug's secret - to help her through her painstaking recovery and reacquaint her with herself. All this while trying to save Paris on his own without losing himself in the process. Adrinette/Marichat/Ladynoir

Rated: K+ - English - Hurt/Comfort/Angst - Chapters: 17 - Words: 143,440 - Reviews: 857 - Favs: 1,203 - Follows: 1,467 - Updated: Nov 24, 2017 - Published: Feb 20, 2016 - Marinette D-C./Ladybug, Adrien A./Cat Noir, Alya C./Lady Wifi/Rena Rouge, Hawk Moth

On the Prowl - ghostgirl19

"I'll be fine, Alya. It's only a couple blocks." "But it's ten at night, it's not safe. Especially with that Chat Noir prowling around." AU

Rated: T - English - Romance/Drama - Chapters: 23 - Words: 56,929 - Reviews: 1368 - Favs: 2,097 - Follows: 1,082 - Updated: Aug 2, 2016 - Published: Jun 24, 2016 - [Adrien A./Cat Noir, Marinette D-C./Ladybug] [Alya C./Lady Wifi/Rena Rouge, Nino L./Bubbler] - Complete

I Saw Mummy Kiss Chat Noir - RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley

Emma Agreste thought she had the perfect life...until she saw her mother kiss the superhero Chat Noir. With the help of her twin brother, Hugo, Emma is determined to stop Chat Noir from ruining their family and stealing away their mother. Meanwhile, Adrien is convinced his children hate him.

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir - Rated: T - English - Family/Drama - Chapters: 11 - Words: 32,103 - Reviews: 469 - Favs: 1,116 - Follows: 630 - Updated: Dec 21, 2017 - Published: Oct 31, 2016 - [Adrien A./Cat Noir, Marinette D-C./Ladybug] [Alya C./Lady Wifi/Rena Rouge, Nino L./Bubbler] - Complete

Lucky Fox Paradox - imthepunchlord

After the failure with Stoneheart, Marinette had successfully given up the earrings and thought that was that. That she was done with the hero business. Done with anything miraculous. She was wrong. And her actions sparked off a great change of events.

Rated: K - English - Drama/Friendship - Chapters: 24 - Words: 241,176 - Reviews: 470 - Favs: 562 - Follows: 654 - Updated: May 22 - Published: Jan 25, 2017 - [Marinette D-C./Ladybug, Adrien A./Cat Noir] Alya C./Lady Wifi/Rena Rouge, Chloé B./Antibug

Disenchanted - yonderful

She was in too much pain to realize that the impact caused her to detransform. The crowd stared in shock. Many gasped. Some screamed. Alya's phone clattered to the ground. Tikki cried. And Chat's expression had never looked more horrified. "...Marinette?"

Rated: T - English - Angst/Hurt/Comfort - Chapters: 11 - Words: 46,462 - Reviews: 434 - Favs: 724 - Follows: 977 - Updated: Jul 2 - Published: Jun 16, 2016 - Marinette D-C./Ladybug, Adrien A./Cat Noir

Fullmetal Alchemist

A Boy Named Ed - BelloftheSea

Ed knew he was different. It wasn't just that he was smarter than the other kids or even that he had automail. No, it had more to do with the way people would occasionally look at him, like they were expecting somebody else. It was the way his mechanic cried the day she met him. It was the way his dad would sometimes slip – and call him Fullmetal.

Rated: K+ - English - Family/Angst - Chapters: 41 - Words: 302,732 - Reviews: 1222 - Favs: 1,097 - Follows: 1,191 - Updated: Oct 7, 2016 - Published: Aug 24, 2014 - [Roy M., Riza H.] Edward E., Alphonse E.

Bury It Forward - KawasakiTriple

Mustang is forced to decide on the best way to cope with Edward's broken, tortured mind; his first task is to decipher why Ed will stop at nothing to escape his custody when the weather turns foul.

Rated: T - English - Drama/Angst - Chapters: 38 - Words: 460,881 - Reviews: 893 - Favs: 894 - Follows: 698 - Updated: Oct 23, 2014 - Published: Sep 13, 2008 - Edward E., Roy M., Alphonse E. - Complete

My Master Ed - Blue Teller

Slave number Twenty Three didn't know what to make of his new Master. The strange boy was nothing like other slave owners. Short on both height and temper, yet strangely kind to him, Master Ed seemed to know something about him that he didn't himself. Just what was it? Time-travel fic.

Rated: T - English - Friendship/Hurt/Comfort - Chapters: 8 - Words: 46,413 - Reviews: 212 - Favs: 544 - Follows: 618 - Updated: Sep 6, 2015 - Published: Apr 19, 2015 - Edward E., Hohenheim

Harry Potter & the Alchemist Brothers - Blue Teller

A few years passed since the Promised Day. Ed and Winry are happily married, Al proposed to May, everything is just like it's supposed to be... What can go wrong? But then, a foreigner with strange powers steals the last Philosopher's Stone from Central and of course Ed and Al have to go after him. But what will the Elric brothers do when they end up in an entirely different world?

Crossover - Harry Potter & Fullmetal Alchemist - Rated: T - English - Adventure/Hurt/Comfort - Chapters: 11 - Words: 131,139 - Reviews: 246 - Favs: 436 - Follows: 606 - Updated: Jul 11, 2017 - Published: Mar 22, 2015 - Harry P., Nicolas F., Alphonse E., Edward E.

Sonic the Hedgehog

(this first happy few is all by Taranea)

Burning Arrow, Wildfire Heart

After receiving an ancient book for his birthday, Sonic finds himself transported to a fantastic world of magic and heroes - which is threatened by an evil Djinn! Cursed by a flame arrow when he dares to rise against him, Sonic will need the help not only of the genie Shahra, but also of his oldest friends to survive this adventure...Full Secret Rings game adapt, with everyone in!

Rated: T - English - Adventure/Humor - Chapters: 42 - Words: 234,629 - Reviews: 1177 - Favs: 397 - Follows: 354 - Updated: Jun 23 - Published: Aug 29, 2007 - Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shahra

Life Could Have Been So Different

Someone has died and Sonic finds himself unable to pick up the pieces. But when Mobius has already given up on its hero, Shadow drops in from a storm, intent on finding out whether there isn't a bit of spirit left. To coax Sonic out of his shell, the black hedgehog starts to tell him about his past...and what REALLY happened aboard the ARK. Shadow's childhood, now COMPLETE.

Rated: T - English - Drama/Humor - Chapters: 56 - Words: 209,438 - Reviews: 1525 - Favs: 624 - Follows: 342 - Updated: Oct 21, 2014 - Published: Feb 23, 2007 - Shadow, Sonic, Maria R., Gerald R. - Complete

Advent of Equinox

Post-Unleashed. The Curse of the Werehog is over - or so Sonic had thought. But when the sun is eclipsed from the sky by a comet and Shadow undergoes a violent transformation of his own, the two heroes will now have to work together to save the world...

Rated: T - English - Adventure/Humor - Chapters: 11 - Words: 74,510 - Reviews: 421 - Favs: 372 - Follows: 340 - Updated: Aug 2, 2016 - Published: May 2, 2010 - Sonic, Shadow, Tails, Rouge

Shadow The Hedgehog First Class

He can outrun a missile. He can shoot a man at 100 paces. He just can't do calculus...In a world where Shadow, Maria and Gerald survived the ARK massacre, the Ultimate Lifeform now struggles to get used to ordinary life. Only people at his new school are clearly insane, the local hero 'Sonic' as well, and *someone* might still be after his family -welcome to the Robotnik household!

Rated: T - English - Friendship/Humor - Chapters: 11 - Words: 51,910 - Reviews: 398 - Favs: 245 - Follows: 276 - Updated: May 31 - Published: Oct 27, 2014 - Sonic, Shadow, Maria R., Gerald R.

Alternate Reality - thekyuubivixen

Shadow had never been so confused in his life. Tails painfully shy? Knuckles apathetic toward the Master Emerald? Sonic...less pleasurable to be around than normal? Shadow expected a lot of things waking up from his concussion induced sleep...this was not one of them. Rated T for language.

Rated: T - English - Adventure - Chapters: 44 - Words: 192,476 - Reviews: 335 - Favs: 212 - Follows: 161 - Updated: Jan 18, 2016 - Published: Jul 16, 2014 - Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow - Complete

Freak of Nature - thekyuubivixen

Werewolves. They were nothing but fantasy. They didn't exist separate from the intricate words written down on a page, or from the oral folklore that would leave children guessing at the world around them. There was no reason for Shadow to believe otherwise. Well...until he hit one with his car. Rated M for language and violence.

Sonic the Hedgehog - Rated: M - English - Supernatural - Chapters: 14 - Words: 71,025 - Reviews: 63 - Favs: 47 - Follows: 56 - Updated: Mar 17, 2017 - Published: Jul 6, 2016 - Sonic, Shadow, Silver

Premonition - thekyuubivixen

When fighting Eggman, Sonic is hit with a peculiar ray. The Blue Blur then discovers some kind of power that activates when he least expects it. But, is it a blessing…or a curse? Whatever it is, he shouldn't lose sleep over it, right?

Rated: T - English - Drama/Humor - Chapters: 28 - Words: 159,035 - Reviews: 184 - Favs: 141 - Follows: 111 - Updated: Sep 27, 2015 - Published: Jun 18, 2014 - Sonic - Complete

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an-upset-librarian · 7 years ago

Text

Stardust and Fire -- Chapter 8

I bring you a gift, the next chapter of my nalu au! Please enjoy, and feel free to reblog and let me know what you think! Thanks!

AO3 FFN

Chaos.

The members of Fairy Tail had only a moment to prepare before the dark shades attacked. Lucy, Natsu, Erza and Gray were unlucky enough to be caught outside the barrier surrounding the guild, which was flickering back to life as Mira and a few others poured their energy into it.

The actual guild building was in the isolated warehouse district of Magnolia, far away from the prying eyes of the city, with portal access doors spread throughout the city. Somehow, Jose had found the true location of Fairy Tail and was now ready to attack.

The canal leading to the harbor snaked around the city, circling down to the eastern side of the guild and out towards the horizon. Across from the canal, near the edge of the crumbling warehouses, was Phantom Lord’s castle, the enormous canon’s muzzle now pointed directly at the remainder of the crumbling guild.

“Natsu, Gray, Elfman! We need to disable that canon!” Erza shouted as she dashed through the air, destroying enemies with every sweep of her mighty sword. Natsu glanced over at Lucy, clearly not wanting to leave her when Phantom Lord was still planning on taking her by force. She pushed the fire Drakon towards the fighting and forced herself to smile.

“Go. The guild needs you. I’ll be fine,” She said, hoping he couldn’t sense her true intentions. While she hoped he would be victorious in destroying the canon, she knew there was a chance they would fail, and Jose would succeed in taking her captive. A small part of her insisted that she run right up underneath the castle and demand Jose stop his attack, but rationally she knew he would never let Fairy Tail survive no matter what she did.

Natsu hesitated, glancing between the castle, where Erza and the others were charging, and her. Lucy pursed her lips, then pulled the drakon towards her and embraced him. She wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled into the crook of his neck with a sad smile.

“Go. I’ll be fine,” she murmured against his skin. Natsu returned her embrace, nosing her hair for a moment before turning and running into the fray. Lucy��s hand caught on his pants pocket, and she blinked away, tears pooling in her eyes.

“I know you’ll keep them safe,” She muttered to herself, her fingers brushing against her beltloop, searching for the familiar warmth of her keys.

******

Natsu quickly caught up to Erza and the others along the river’s edge. A disembodied voice echoed through the air again and said, “Charging Jupiter canon, twelve minutes until activation.”

The dark energy swirling around the barrel of the canon intensified, and a horde of Phantom Lord creatures and mages poured from the legs of the fortress and came barreling towards Fairy Tail along with another wave of Jose’s malicious Shades.

“I’m all fired up!” Natsu howled, spinning and roaring a great wall of flames from his gaping maw, incinerating the Shades near him in a flash. As he was turning, he saw a glimpse of gold in his peripheral vision. Lucy. An intense desire to protect her rose from within him and he let out a great, rumbling roar from his throat, his whole body encased in flames.

Natsu had been bubbling with red hot energy ever since he failed to get to protect Lucy from being kidnapped by Phantom Lord’s goons. Seeing the horror and fear on her face after rescuing her from the dark tower only served to intensify his rage. Witnessing the fall of Gramps, the greatest and most powerful mage he’d ever met, served to fan the raging inferno within him. He could barely control his magic in the minutes before the attack on the guild. His dragon fire itched to wreak destruction and havoc on his enemies, the ones that made Lucy cry.

The memory of Lucy walking out of the shattered guild doors and climbing over the debris to surrender herself to Phantom Lord still haunted him. She looked so small and vulnerable, walking all alone in utter defeat. While Natsu wasn’t the most emotionally mature in the guild- he never was good at understanding human emotions- he knew that Lucy believed Fairy Tail would abandon her and send her off to be tortured by that bastard Jose. Ever since she’d leapt from that tower, a darkness haunted her normally sparkling brown eyes, and Natsu never wanted to see her light snuffed out ever again.

Fueled by anger and the desire to keep his family safe, Natsu grappled with the Shades, easily destroying them with the heat of his draconic fire. He soon caught up to Erza and the others, who had paused by the river’s edge.

“Natsu, Gray, Elfman, I’m counting on you to go and destroy that canon. Look for a central power console, or destroy the power source,” The Valkyrie instructed. Gray, who had already stripped off his shirt, unbuttoned his pants and pounded his fists together, sending a spiraled volley of ice lances out at the surrounding Shades.

“What are you gonna do?” Gray asked, unzipping his pants and pulling one leg out.

“Gray, your clothes,” Erza deadpanned, sending the icicle scrambling to pull his pants back up and look around for his shirt, before saying, “I’m staying here on the front lines. I’ll take care of the first round of enemies and be here in case you don’t succeed and the canon fires.”

“Well sucks for you, Titania, you don’t get to be the martyr today. We’ll destroy that canon,” Natsu huffed. Elfman grunted his agreement before shouting about Erza’s manliness. The scarlet haired woman just smiled and shook her head before leaping into the air to attack the Shades flying above them.

“Hey, flame-brain, I bet I’ll be the one to destroy the power source,” Gray said, a challenge glinting in his dark, slanted, eyes.

“Oh yea? You’re on, ice-princess. I’ll burn you to ash,” Natsu said, summoning his flames to his fists and running off to the castle with a cackle.

Once he was in the thick of the horde, Natsu lost track of Elfman and Gray, save for the occasional beastly roar and surge of cold bursting from within the battle. Soon he lost track of how many Shades he’d destroyed. They just kept coming and coming. For each one he destroyed, three more seemed to take its place.

Eventually, he reached one of the legs of the walking castle, and he quickly shimmied up the metal and punched his way through the metal and stone to breach the fortress.

“Ha! Take that, Gray!” He cheered, twirling and sending a great roar of fire down the hall he’d entered. What few Phantom Lord mages attacked him were soon tossed out of the fortress or knocked out cold by his fists.

“Natsu, it’s Warren. I’m coordinating the communications. Have you found the power source yet?” Warren’s voice echoed inside his mind. Wincing, Natsu answered, saying he was in the castle and searching now. He hated telepathy. It always gave him a headache. He grabbed the closest smoldering body from the floor, shaking the mage and demanding to know where the Jupiter canon power source was.

“Tch, useless son of a bitch,” He cursed, tossing the unconscious form to the side like a ragdoll. He screamed his way through the labyrinthine halls of the fortress until he eventually found an important looking steel door near the corner of the building. He easily melted the metal and crawled into the room, smiling when he saw a control panel with blinking lights and switches and buttons. With a victorious whoop, he quickly destroyed the panel with a fiery kick, then burst through the window leading to a larger antechamber above the destroyed control panel. Within the large, white room was a gigantic, glowing lacrima crystal.

“Fuck,” He muttered. It would take a while to destroy such a large lacrima, but Natsu wasn’t one for giving up. He sucked in a deep breath of air, and reached for the burning fire within him and roared, “Fire Dragon’s Roar!”

A great spiral of magical flame burst from his mouth and encased the lacrima crystal and destroying the surrounding machinery. When his flames died down, Natsu’s smile turned to a frown. The crystal had only cracked, not shattered like he’d hoped. With another string of curses, the drakon started attacking the crystal, punching and kicking at the cracks until finally, after what seemed like forever, the crystal shattered. Panting, he wiped the sweat from his brow and sighed.

“Haha! Hey, Warren, I destroyed the lacrima! The canon should be good and dead now,” He said. His smile soon faded when he heard the distant voice announce, “Charging Jupiter canon, Five minutes until activation.”

“Natsu! There’s four lacrima crystals in each corner of the castle! Gray told me he defeated the Water Woman and turned her to our side. She helped him destroy one of them, and you destroyed the second so that’s good. I haven’t heard from Elfman yet, so there’s still two more crystals! Hurry up, I don’t know how much longer we can hold out here,” Warren said quickly. Scowling, Natsu climbed back out of the chamber and back into the hallway.

“Fuck, I can’t believe that stupid icicle beat me,” He muttered, taking his frustrations out at the nearest wall, creating another hole in the fortress. If Warren was right and there were four crystals in four corners of the castle, the simplest way to get to the next one was a straight line. That icy bastard probably found one of the lacrima’s right away and didn’t get lost like he did, the asshole.

“Wait! He cheated! He had help. Man, when I see that bastard again I’m gonna beat him up,” Natsu screamed. For some reason, what Warren said about a water woman really irked him, but he couldn’t remember why.

“Fuck this stupid castle, I wanna get Gramps magic back,” He growled. He cracked his knuckles, then turned to face the wall directly across from the room with the lacrima. With a roar of fury, he smashed his way through the wall, emerging into another hallway. He ran in a straight line, destroying every obstacle in his path. He was bound to find one of the lacrima’s eventually, right?

*****

The moment Natsu disappeared from her side, Lucy suddenly wished she’d kept her keys. While it was a necessary precaution, in case Jose managed to get his grubby hands on her, she missed the familiar weight on her hip. Now she was powerless against the army of Shades rushing towards her and the rest of the guild. She reached down to test the levels of her magic, and was surprised to see that they were already fully replenished. She felt a kernel of warmth bloom in her chest and spread through her body. Lucy had an idea of where that little smidge of magical energy had come from, and decided to have a stern conversation with a pink haired drakon after all this nonsense was dealt with.

Thinking of Natsu gave her an idea. Just because she couldn’t summon her spirits didn’t mean she didn’t have magic. Levy mentioned that demi-fae had heightened strength and some manipulation of their magic in the physical world, like how Levy could use her Solid-Script spells to create things. Lucy closed her eyes and clenched her fists, then cast her mind down into the well of power inside her. She pulled the magic energy from its ball inside of her and channeled it into her fist. She needed a weapon, so she asked her magic to make one for her. The image of Erza summoning a sword from seemingly nowhere flashed in her mind, and Lucy felt her arm tingle as her magic flowed down to her right hand.

Please, I can’t be defenseless. How am I supposed to protect anyone if I can’t even fight on my own? She asked herself. Her magic seemed to purr in response, and the tingling of her arm disappeared and something heavy and metallic formed in her hand. She opened her eyes and smiled at the object in her hand.

She held the hilt of a golden short sword composed of light itself. She could hear a faint hum emanating from the blade. The pommel was a clear stone in the shape of a seven-pointed star, and the grip was perfectly formed to her hand. The sword was the perfect weight, not to heavy or too light. The cross guard curved elegantly upwards. The blade itself was composed of brilliant golden starlight and shimmering sparks hovered around the blade. The dark Shades flying towards her stopped and let out a high-pitched screech when the light of her weapon struck them. Smiling, Lucy tightened her grip on the sword and experimentally swung it around.

She had no idea how to use a sword, but it seemed simple. Just stab and slash. What could go wrong?

Her plan worked for a few minutes, until the exhaustion of using her magic as a weapon in the physical world started to take its toll. Thankfully, whatever kind of magic the blade was composed of was extremely effective against the Shades. The moment her blade touched them, they screamed and dissolved away into nothingness.

“…five minutes until activation.” Echoed the voice. Scowling, Lucy retreated to the guild to fight alongside her fellow mages. A swarm of cards flew past her head and slammed into the Shades surrounding the blonde, exploding with a flash of brilliant light and incinerating the Shade’s they touched.

“Lucy!” Cana called, reaching out and grabbing her by the arm and dragging her back into the guild building.

“Woah, wicked sword,” She commented. Lucy smiled tiredly at the card user. The fortune teller’s gaze focused past her head and with a frown, she pushed Lucy down towards the ground and yelled, “Card Magic: Starlight!” and summoned another wave of cards crashing into the wall of Shades creeping up on the doorway.

“Lucy!” Mira’s voice called. Lucy turned and saw the barmaid standing with the other guild members, Bisca and Alzack firing their rifles at her side, destroying a Shade with each bullet.

“What were you thinking, running out to surrender like that?” Mira yelled, pulling the blonde in for a tight hug. As soon as she touched Lucy’s skin, Mira recoiled with a hiss of pain.

“Mira, what’s wrong?” Lucy asked. Mira only glanced down at the glowing blade and at the webbing of light spreading from her right hand and encasing the rest of her body.

“Your Celestial magic and my demonic magic don’t mix,” She explained with a light laugh. Lucy raised a brow and glanced down at the light encasing her.

“Is that what this is?” She asked quietly. It made sense. Since she summoned spirits from the Celestial realm, she must be using Celestial magic. She made a mental note to ask Levy for books on the types of Celestial magic when all of this was over. With a jolt, Lucy realized that she planned on getting through this fight alive and with Fairy Tail. Before, when Jose demanded her and threatened the guild with the Jupiter canon, she’d lost all hope of maintaining her freedom. She’d never had a family that was willing to risk their lives for hers, and when Erza and the others came forward to fight for her Lucy had felt a wave of indescribable emotion wash over her.

She was a mage of Fairy Tail. She had a family that would always fight by her side, and she vowed to always fight alongside theirs. Her magic hummed in response, and the sword glowed brighter with her emotions.

Lucy stumbled, feeling the drain as her energy was pulled into maintaining the physical manifestation of her magic power. She shook off the exhaustion and turned back to the horde of Shades swarming against the crumbling wards of the guild.

“Charging Jupiter canon, three minutes until activation.”

“Well, we’re fucked,” Cana said with a sigh. Lucy bit back a smile and tried not to laugh. They really were fucked. Soon, the laughter escaped and she was shaking from the force of it. Mira and Cana joined in, and eventually the entire guild was laughing at their situation.

“Let’s go out with a bang,” Cana said with a flirty wink. Lucy felt her face flush at the insinuation and she adjusted her grip on the hilt of her short sword. Kinana and Porlyusica worked together on placing a quick protective barrier around the infirmary to protect those inside from any attacks, but it wouldn’t survive for more than a couple of hours, let alone a shot from the Jupiter canon.

“Who knows, maybe they’ll destroy the canon at the last minute and we’ll all be saved,” Lucy said, drawing another laugh from the card mage.

“Those three? When have they ever gotten anything done on time,” Cana laughed. Lucy found herself agreeing, despite only knowing them for a few weeks. She glanced nervously at the cracking and crumbling wards and bit her lip. She took a deep breath then lifted her starlight sword- she really needed to think of a name for the weapon.

“Like Cana said, out with a bang,” She said, her voice echoing in the silent air. The calm before the storm was coming to an end, and soon those in the guild would have no choice but to charge forth into the fray. Bisca and Alzack shared a warm look and joined Lucy on the front line directly behind the barrier between them and the Shades.

“I never thought I’d have to use this form again,” Mira whispered. Bright light encased the barmaid and her body transformed. Great bat-like wings extended from her shoulders and a deadly tail protruded from her lower back. Her hands morphed into sharp talons and her hair stood up on end in a drastic up-do. Lucy clamped her mouth shut after a moment, too surprised to say anything. Who knew that the innocent looking Mirajane was an actual demon.

“Alright, everyone! I know the situation is dire, but we are mages of Fairy Tail! We do not ever give in, and we will prevail no matter the situation!” Mira shouted, drawing cheers from the crowd of previously disheartened mages. Her new demonic appearance seemed to fill their spirits.

“Mira is actually one of the most powerful creatures in the guild,” Cana whispered in Lucy’s ear as explanation. Lucy tried to keep the shock on her face, but knew she failed when Mira gave her a shy smile.

“Jupiter canon activation in 90 seconds.”

“Let’s go!” Cana shouted, sending forth a volley of glowing cards that soared through the barrier and destroyed the chunk of Shades hovering at the edge. The moment the cards exploded, taking the Shades with them, the wards flashed, then crumbled under the attacks from the enemy.

The moment the walls came down, both sides charged forward as volleys of magical attacks flew overhead. Lucy pushed her tired limbs to lift the short sword and charge alongside her comrades. Luckily for them, the few actual members of Phantom Lord that had come rushing to attack them soon fled at the sight of the near-complete symbol indicating how soon the canon would fire. They didn’t want to get caught in the blast and give their lives for their guild.

“Jupiter canon activation in 45 seconds.”

Lucy lost track of where she was or who she was with inside the swarm. She could vaguely hear Mira roaring as she destroyed the enemy, and the explosions of Cana’s starlight cards over the clash of her sword against the Shades. Soon she reached the river bed, where Erza hovered, destroying more Shades than Lucy could count with each sweep of her mighty sword.

“Erza! Any word from the others?” Lucy called, growling at a Shade that came up behind her. She spun on her heel and slashed the Shade into nothingness.

Erza looked at Lucy’s shining blade with a raised brow and a glint of envy in her eyes. Erza slowly joined Lucy and the others that had made it to the river; Mira, Cana, Alzack and Bisca, and Warren, to name a few.

“I haven’t heard back from them yet, but a few minutes ago they said they only had one lacrima left to destroy,” Warren said with a shaky voice.

“Jupiter canon activation in 15 seconds.”

Erza scowled, and reequipped into a new armor. She was now clad head to toe in thick plated silver armor, and held two halves of one massive, spiked shield on each arm. She moved directly in the path of where the canon would fire, and told everyone to get behind her.

“Erza, no! Not even you can stop it!” Mira shouted, her demonic form dissolving away until the normal, human looking woman was revealed.

“I don’t have a choice! Listen to me, and get behind me!” The Valkyrie bellowed. In that moment, Lucy understood why the Vikings revered the Valkyries on the battlefield. Erza’s voice left no room for argument or disobedience.

“Beginning countdown: Ten, nine,” The feminine voice echoed. The sigil around the end of the barrel of the muzzle disappeared, and a menacing purple glow emanated from within. Lucy felt hot tears well up in her eyes. She was worried about Natsu and the others. Who knew what kind of trouble they faced inside that cursed fortress. Erza stalked forwards into the river until she was knee deep and she slammed the shield into the ground and planted herself directly in front of the canon.

“You will not harm my comrades!” She yelled. A blinding light radiated from the canon, and a pulsing wind shook the trees and sent a few of the abandoned warehouses crumbling to dust. Lucy felt herself being pushed back from the force and she thrust her blade into the earth to stop her movement. The power of the canon still had her struggling to maintain her position, the blade of her sword dragging through the earth. She gripped the hilt with both hands and tried to scream for Erza to step out of the direct path of the canon.

“Six, five…”

Her tears fell freely as she stared at Erza’s silhouette in the distance. She felt her throat go hoarse from screams, but couldn’t hear the sound at the great roar of the canon.

“…one, now firing Jupiter canon.”

All at once, the pressure dropped, causing Lucy’s ears to pop, and the waves of energy pulsing from the canon disappeared, sending Lucy toppling onto the ground, her sword slipping from her grasp. There was a blinding light and a resounding boom that sent her ears ringing, and Lucy watched as a brilliant purple ray of energy shot out of the canon, colliding directly with Erza’s shield. She had to cover her eyes from the brilliant flash as the armor clashed with the magical bolt, a high-pitched ringing piercing the air. Lucy went flying back towards the crumbled remains of the guild, dirt and grass tangling in her hair. She reached out and dug her fingers into the cold earth, desperate to find a handhold.

The Valkyrie was pushed back, her feet digging into the soil, and the water from the river underneath the path of the canons fire vaporizing from the heat. Lucy knew she was screaming, but couldn’t hear her own voice over the sound of the canon blast colliding with Erza’s armor. The bolt of energy continued to press against the adamantine shield, and Lucy saw chunks of the magically charmed metal start to tear away. Lucy gazed on in horror as the shield cracked and crumbled, until it dissolved away entirely and Erza was struck by the Jupiter canon’s blast. The thick plated armor she wore shattered just like her shield, but took the brunt of the attack until there was nothing left to harm the guild.

Silence fell. Erza was lying prone on the hard ground with the shards of her strongest armor scattered around her, left only in a sports bra and exercise shorts, her body bruised and bloody. Her arms were twisted around unnaturally, obviously broken in multiple places. Lucy quickly stumbled to her feet, only to have her knees give out and crash against the ground again. She crawled over to Erza’s body on her hands and knees, ignoring her sword that was still sticking out of the ground.

“Erza, oh no, no,” She wailed, biting back her sobs. Lucy was too afraid to touch her fallen friend for fear of causing more damage. Hands shaking with rage, she glared up at the dark fortress in the distance. Snarling, she tried to get up and shake off the shock.

Walking unsteadily, she grabbed her sword, smiling when the metallic blade started to hum in response to her touch and sparks of silver and golden light sprouted along the blade. At this point, Lucy didn’t care about how her magic reserves were running dangerously low, or that she was about to storm towards Phantom Lord despite the certainty that she would be captured and probably tortured for resisting them. She was completely motivated by the rage of seeing her close friend, the strongest person she knew, completely defeated and only thought of getting revenge.

Luckily for her, Mira and the others were too busy dealing with the aftermath of the explosion to notice her stagger away. Most were stumbling over to Erza’s unconscious body, or back towards the guild to check on those still inside. Jose’s Shades had vanished when the canon fired, and all the Phantom Lord members had disappeared back into their fortress like cockroaches.

Lucy started to walk to the distant castle, determined to get to Jose and give him a taste of her Celestial weapon. Somehow, she made it over to a pile of fallen stone, where an old and crumbling building once stood. She leaned against one of the boulders, cursing herself for her weakness. She had to become stronger if she wanted to protect her friends.

“Come on, Lucy, you’ve got work to do. It’s time to give Jose a piece of your mind,” She muttered, pushing off the stone and tightening her grip on the hilt of her sword.

“Gihi, I think the Master just wants your magic, girly,” A dark voice growled. Twirling around, Lucy found herself face to face with a towering figure with long, messy black hair. His red eyes gleamed in the light, and his sneer showed off his sharp fangs. He had piercings all over his body and face. Lucy wildly swung her sword, only to have the man grab the blade with a scaled hand. The metal scratched against his skin, and Lucy scrunched her brow in confusion.

“Oh, this won’t work against me, it ain’t strong enough to get through my iron scales,” The man laughed, wrenching the short sword from her grip and tossing it to the side. “You really shouldn’t have wandered off alone.”

Panicked, she backed away and turned to run, only to feel a hard rod strike the back of her head. As she fell, she heard the man’s maniacal laughter. Her head struck a stone jutting out of the ground, and all was black.

#nalu #nalu fanfiction #fairy tail #ft fanfic #my writing #stardust and fire #my fanfic

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ravishankarsivasubramaniam · 6 years ago

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A Dispatch From the Fast-Paced, Makeshift World of High-End Catering

Matt Lee & Ted Lee | An excerpt adapted from Hotbox: Inside Catering, the Food World’s Riskiest Business | Henry Holt and Co. | April 2019 | 19 minutes (5,059 words)

I have one job — building the Pepper-Crusted Beef on Brioche with Celery Root Salad, an elegant little bite to be passed during cocktail hour at the Park Avenue Armory Gala, a black-tie dinner for 760 people. In theory, it’s an easy hors d’oeuvre, a thin coin of rosy beef on bread with a tuft of salad on top. It’s 4:50 now and the doors open at 6:30, so I’ve got some time to assemble this thing. The ingredients can be served at room temperature — any temperature, really — and they were prepared earlier today by a separate team of cooks at the caterer’s kitchen on the far West Side of town, then packaged on sheet pans and in plastic deli containers for a truck ride to the venue. All I have to do is locate the ingredients in the boxes and coolers, find some space to work — my “station” — and begin marshaling a small army of beef-on-toasts so I’ve got enough of a quorum, 240 pieces or so, that when serve-out begins I’ll be able to keep pace with replenishment demand through a forty-five-minute cocktail hour.

Jhovany León Salazar, the kitchen assistant leading the hors d’oeuvre (“H.D.”) kitchen, shows me the photo the executive chef supplied that reveals the precise architecture of this bite: a slice of seared beef tenderloin, rare in the center and the size of a Kennedy half-dollar, resting on a slightly larger round of toasted brioche.[1] On top of the beef is a tangle of rich celeriac slaw — superfine threads of shredded celery root slicked with mayo, with a sprinkling of fresh chives showered over the whole. This is New York–caliber catering intelligence at work: take a throwback classic — the beef tenderloin carving station — to a higher, more knowing plane in a single bite. Here, the colors are lively, the scale is humane, the meat perfectly rosy-rare and tender, its edge seared black with ground pepper and char, the celeriac bringing novelty, though its flavor is familiar enough. It’s a pro design that satisfies the meat-’n’-potatoes crowd without talking down to the epicures.

The kitchen tonight — like every night, no matter the venue — is as makeshift as a school bake sale, a series of folding tables covered with white tablecloths and fashioned into a fort-like U. Since there are two warm hors d’oeuvres on the menu, our crew has a hotbox standing by — the tall, aluminum cabinet on wheels that both serves as transport vehicle for food and, once it’s on-site and loaded with a few flaming cans of jellied fuel (the odor-free version of Sterno is favored), becomes the oven. Imagine the most flame-averse venues — the New York Public Library, City Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art — even there, the ghostly blue flames in the hotbox pass muster with the fire marshal. In fact, this one fudge, this unspoken exception to the no-open-flames rule, is the secret to restaurant-quality catering in New York City.

Our hors d’oeuvre kitchen is at the far end of a vast hallway, partitioned into a series of open rooms stretching the crosstown length of the fifty-five-thousand-square-foot Armory, a former soldiers’ drill hall, now a coveted New York venue for seated dinners where attendance runs into the high hundreds or low thousands. You could say we’re in one of the wings, in theater parlance, and it’s as dark and dank as a bomb shelter. We share this bunker with a sanitation team[2] (one of three scattered throughout the venue), which at this point in the evening is furiously ripping open a mountain of plastic-wrapped pink crates and unpacking, in clinks and clatters, the rented glasses, cutlery, plates, and linens and shuttling them to the waiters. The servers are directed by their captain, a fleshier George Clooney type in a gray suit, talking intermittently into a mic on his lapel, to ferry their matériel either to the bars (if highball glasses or flutes), to the tables in the dining room (if wineglasses, cutlery, or linens), or to the kitchens (if plates). Clad in black pants and black oxford shirts, the servers shuttle briskly back and forth, quiet, looking like well-dressed movers; when it’s time to drop the main course on this party, they’ll resemble stressed-out mimes.

This unspoken exception to the no-open-flames rule … is the secret to restaurant-quality catering in New York City…

I had arrived at the front entrance of the Armory for my 3:30 p.m. call time and found Bethany Morey, the executive chef’s assistant, standing in a band of sunshine breaking through the chilly afternoon. She was a six-foot oracle, guarding an enormous, coffered wood door.

She tapped a pen down her clipboard, scanning the page. “You’re in the H.D. kitchen, with Jhovany,” and she pulled open the massive door. “Into the drill hall, then a hard right and keep going, behind the black curtain.”

I was nervous, as always, and somewhat disoriented, but relieved to be assigned to the hors d’oeuvres kitchen. I’d learned over the last few years there’s something comforting in the tight focus on small bites at the start of the evening, when there’s freshness and motion, and noise and chaos building in the air — this thing is on! Make no mistake, an H.D. kitchen can go to shit readily: canapés are typically twelve pieces to a platter, and if you’re behind in assembly from the start, you’ll never catch up. A service captain and the head chef will berate you for the duration while you flail and sputter like Lucy and Ethel at the chocolate factory conveyor belt. But despite being much younger than I am, Jhovany is a seasoned pro — a guy who tells you exactly what he needs in very few words, and never fails to flash a smile or a thumbs-up and a bueno! when he sees that you’ve understood and can get the job done. I know enough after these two years in catering not to do the math, but I’ve done it since and I’ll tell you now: feeding one beef-on-toast to each of the 760 mouths at this party would require sixty-three platters’ worth of effort. Fortunately for me, a group that large will typically consume less than half that amount with several other hors d’oeuvres available.

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When I strode into Jhovany’s kitchen, everything was dialed in: white cloths on the prep tables pulled taut, dry packs and coolers laid in neat rows underneath. I was the last of his kitchen crew to arrive and all the other kitchen assistants were already on task. Wilmer ferried sheet pans of food — the brioche toasts; tiny, boat-shaped pastry shells; blistered cherry tomatoes; shrimp on skewers — from the hotbox to the open shelving unit called a “speed rack,” emptying the hotbox cabinet so he could fire it up with Sternos. Roxana minced long bunches of chives. Dutch pulled half-pint containers of flaky Maldon salt and coarsely ground black pepper from a red plastic tote called a “dry pack,” meaning there’s nothing perishable or wet in it. Gustavo unwrapped two chef’s knives from the layers of plastic they wore for safe shipping to the site — even a bundle of dish towels gets cocooned in plastic wrap in this way, to keep them together, compact and clean.[3] Manuel dressed each station with boxes of purple food-service gloves and rolls of paper towels. Saori unwrapped cutting boards and distributed them.

In that first hour, before Jhovany doled out the station assignments, he delegated tasks rapid fire. Soon as I’d finished one, he’d have another instantly. Heading to the venue on the subway, I’d read through the menu Bethany emailed me the day before, but with six hors d’oeuvres, each with four or five components to assemble, the big picture was still a total blur. I got paired with Saori to pick the smallest, brightest-green tarragon leaves from a half-dozen gnarly bunches, maybe 20 percent good stuff. We set up next to Roxana, who was now mincing flat-leaf parsley. At another table, Manuel and Wilmer sliced asparagus into thin coins. Once we’d finished picking tarragon, Jhovany told me to locate and unwrap the pans of brioche toasts, which had been packed with small envelopes of a silica gel desiccant to keep them crisp. The air in the kitchen seemed dry enough and I was thinking serve-out would be soon enough that the brioche wouldn’t go soggy, but I’d been wrong about details like this before.

“Jhovany,” I said, holding up one of the tiny silica packets. “Basura?”[4]

He checked the time on his phone. “Si, señor.”

Jhovany assigned each kitchen assistant a station, and things began to come into focus. He posted at the entry to the floor[5] an 11 × 17–inch sheet of paper listing in all-caps English all six hors d’oeuvres (more for the servers’ benefit than our own), but I was grateful for the executive chef’s salesmanship, his bon mots adding some gloss of culinary idealism to what was beginning to feel like a kitchenful of well-manipulated slop.

So, to the left of me, Saori corrals the elements for Poached Gulf Shrimp with Chili Dust and Squid Ink Aioli. To my right, Roxana snips the tip off a ricotta-filled plastic bag and sets it tip-side down in a quart container for her Heirloom Tomato Crostini with Lemon Ricotta and Fresh Basil. Dutch is on Tandoori Chicken Skewer with Red Curry, Orange, Achiote, and Crispy Phyllo, and Manuel lays out ranks of pastry boats on a sheet pan for his Smoked Salmon Crisp with Caviar, Lemon, and Chive. Behind me, Howard, Wilmer, and Gustavo collaborate on Sunny-side Quail Egg with Tomato and Asparagus on Brioche because it requires the most finesse, skill, and hands: Wilmer will run the hotbox, calibrating the flickering Sternos to ensure that the raw quail eggs on their sheet pan — each egg cracked into its own tiny individual foil cup sprayed with oil — bake just enough that the yolk is thickly runny and warm but not hard-cooked. Gustavo will invert each perfectly cooked egg onto the blistered cherry tomato that Howard’s gently flattened on the brioche and then top it with two slivers of asparagus.

Jhovany hovers around the kitchen, watching as I assemble my station. He pulls a piece of beef from my aluminum pan, tastes it, then pulls another. “Necesitas Maldon,” he says. I’ll need to shower the beef with flakes of crispy Maldon salt before the celery-root slaw goes down.

Now the blob of celery is not enough. So I dip again, drop again. Now it is too much. I look at my watch and I feel my pulse quickening.

I pull a pan of brioche toasts out of the speed rack and line an empty sheet pan with paper towels. I take handfuls of the toasts, stack them like poker chips halfway up my left forearm, then lay them down on the pan with my right hand in neat rows — boom, boom, boom — reaching for more when the stack is gone. I fill the sheet pan readily (and note that the piece count is 140) before moving on to the beef layer. Each tenderloin fits perfectly in my left palm and I peel off the thin slices and lay the beef on top of the brioche, dead center. When the sheet pan’s full, I remember the Maldon, sprinkle it gingerly over the top. I look to Jhovany. “Esta bien?”

“Poquito mas,” he says, and reaches into the container for a small handful. He showers a few more pinches, lightning quick. “Like that,” he says.

I pull the top off the container of celery-root slaw — still chilly and stiff — and pick up what I think is just the right amount of slaw on the end of the spoon, guiding it onto the beef with a fingertip. But it flops over the dark edge of the beef and slumps over the side of the toast. For the next, I try pinching a smaller amount with just thumb and index finger. The slaw sticks to my rubber-gloved fingertip, and when I try to shake it off it lands entirely out of range of the target. Next attempt, instead of using the bowl of the plastic spoon, I use the tip of the spoon handle. This is more promising, but now the blob of celery is not enough. So I dip again, drop again. Now it is too much. I look at my watch and I feel my pulse quickening, my face flushing with color.

Jhovany appears. “Mi amigo. Menos grande,” he says, and picks up the plastic spoon to demonstrate. “Like this,” he says, dipping the tip of the handle in the slaw and teasing with his index finger a fingernail-sized dollop into the center of the beef, so a ring of the beef’s pink center is just visible around the edge of the slaw. It’s perfect, exactly as in the photo. He picks up one of my pathetic examples and eats it, then hands the other sloppy one to me. “Flavor is good.”

It is good. But the flavor has nothing to do with anything I did to these ingredients, and I still have yet to assemble a single Pepper-Crusted Beef on Brioche with Celery Root Salad that looks the way it should. I have Jhovany’s live sample to go by, so I try again with the tip of the spoon handle, and … close! But then the next is a disaster — too much slaw again, slumping over the side of the beef. And the next one is too little, so I dip again, which means that getting one of these looking correct is taking me half a minute. At this rate, I’ll be lucky if I have one hundred pieces by show time, and I need at least two hundred. I look at my watch again. My mouth is parched.

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I step away for a quick second to get some water from a table near the sanitation area, where there are gallon jugs of water and plastic cups for staff. I have to pee already, but there’s no time for that; the venue’s so big that the restrooms in either direction are nearly a ten-minute round-trip. Through the entrance into the next bunker, I can see one of the three dinner kitchens dispersed among the wings of the Armory tonight. Each is staffed with ten kitchen assistants and a head chef, and each will serve 255 guests tonight, divide-and-conquer being the only sane strategy for serving 760 people warm and tasty food that should remind no one of the cold, overcooked, and damp meat-plates-under-domes, skins forming on the sauces, that once defined a catered event.

I see a few familiar faces in the far kitchen — Jorge Soto, Marilu, Geronimo — a hive of white coats and black beanies. I know from the menu that they’re plating up the first course, a tapas assortment, a preset.[6] At 7:15, once cocktail hour’s over, Jhovany will leave two of us behind to shut down the H.D. kitchen and distribute the rest of the team among the three dinner kitchens to help plate up the main course. But here, drinking this water in my state of stress, that moment seems impossibly far away.

Back at my station, I get to work. In ten minutes, I’ve got six examples of this beef — half a platter — worthy of being sent to the floor, and I’m sweating through the T-shirt under my chef’s coat. Saori’s experimenting with swooshes of squid-ink aioli on her plate. She sees me struggling with the spoon and offers up a fine pair of stainless culinary tongs — like an over-sized set of tweezers, from the pocket of her chef’s jacket. For a split second tears well in my eyes, I’m so grateful to her. The tweezers give me much more control over the amount of slaw I pick and, the more I make, I learn to fold the pinch of slaw onto itself as I drop it, to circumscribe the nest, make the threads less scattered, more mounded. I find I’m still double-dipping, but I’ve brought the execution time down to about twenty seconds, and I’ve brought down my failure rate, too, to nearly none. I’ve got eighteen now. Twenty-seven. I get a nod from Jhovany. Thirty-two.

I’m thinking about the miracle of repetitive gesture and cognition, the coordination of hand and eye, and how the mind remembers the weight of the pinch of slaw, the feel of the tongs’ resistance, when Jhovany’s voice cuts through the trance.

“Mira!” he says. “I need three guys on the floor, rapido!” He points to me, Gustavo, and Howard in turn. Something’s happened. “Go find Chef. Now!”

I look at Jhovany. “Plàstico?” I ask, thinking I should cover my station with plastic wrap if I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. He shakes his head firmly. So I just lay Saori’s tweezers down next to the incomplete sheet pan of peppered beef and I go.

Catering has more in common with a mobile army surgical hospital than a restaurant.

Two years in and I know this moment well — it’s the instant when whatever critical task you’re performing, on deadline, is superseded by a demand for labor so much more pressing that you have to drop everything and run to where you’re needed now. This culinary triage, re-prioritizing ever-escalating emergencies on the fly, is a state of being for successful caterers, for whom every night is a different venue and a custom menu tailored to a new client. And for all the attention, all the preparation brought to bear in the previous ten months on every detail of that night’s party — the minute-by-minute run of show, the mapped-out site plan, and the cook time of the potato-crusted halibut — none of that envisions the crazy contingencies that arise when the resources are summoned to prepare and serve a three-course dinner simultaneously to 760 people in a space that was empty at 2:00 p.m. and must be empty again and swept clean by midnight.

Catering has more in common with a mobile army surgical hospital than a restaurant. The tent campaign of loading and unloading the kitchen infrastructure and the delicate, squishy food involves so much travel, a factor that rarely disturbs the tight calculations of a restaurant chef, comfortable in her own familiar kitchen. In “off-premise” catering (as distinguished from banquet-hall catering or corporate cafeterias), there’s the expanse of actual miles the food must traverse: packed from the prep kitchen into rolling hotboxes, coolers, milk crates, and plastic bins, and onto the box truck for the journey to the venue; then unloaded from the truck onto elevators or carried up staircases to whatever hall or back room is designated the “kitchen.” Just as important, there is also the cognitive distance separating the minds of the kitchen prep crew that par-cooked and packed the food from those on the team receiving it in their makeshift party kitchen, unwrapping and setting up everything, finding every item — or not, forcing the dreaded (and inevitable) re-run.[7] And lastly, there are the servers, the cater waiters, those warm bodies from staffing agencies, typically freelancers who may work for a handful of competing firms from one night to the next, entrusted with moving and handling the food once it’s left the kitchen, to be presented to the guest. With rare exceptions, a catering chef hands his food to a total stranger.

All this discontinuity and travel geometrically multiplies the hazards standing in the way of a catering chef aiming to serve what was originally intended, that perfect plate, whose stunning flavors and stylish presentation clinched the deal at the client tasting many months prior. And in this context, time becomes a presence as tangible, fungible, and daunting as the weather — more so when the scale of the event is factored into the equation. While an epic fail at a restaurant table might cost the house a few customers, when there are eight hundred hungry guests on the event floor waiting for dinner to be served, havoc-wreaking scenarios — an electrical brownout blows power to the fryers and the stage lights; the host’s toast runs twenty minutes too long, condemning the lamb to overcooked toughness; a server faints and takes down with him a jack stand[8] of 120 plated desserts — may become apparent only at the moment they happen, and have greater consequences.

True, the stakes for the caterer are not nearly as high as for the army surgeon, but the vast majority of events that top New York firms cater to are pretty significant — charity galas, weddings, product launches, milestone birthdays, annual board meetings, political debuts, and movie premieres in one of the biggest, richest, most competitive cities in the world. As the minutes tick down to the serve-out of the first hors d’oeuvre, there’s more at risk than just the hundreds of thousands of dollars a client may have spent on the evening’s food, booze, and labor; there are the emotions of a bride and groom on their big day, the reputation of a top movie studio, or the longevity of an esteemed, hundred-year-old nonprofit. There are the memories of people celebrating some of the most momentous nights of their lives.

Considering all that these catering chefs are up against, and regularly conquer — their nerve-rattling tightrope sprints through A-list celebrity territory, the exquisite food torture, a season’s worth of MacGyver-y kitchen rescues that throw propriety, food safety, and convention out the door because “we have to make this work right now!” — the fact that they don’t get the attention or respect afforded restaurant chefs is astonishing. There’s no James Beard Award for them, yet the food that catering chefs create is often every bit as succulent and dazzling as what’s served at the gastronomic temples of the nation. And they’re cooking with handicaps a restaurant chef couldn’t fathom.

Called to the unknown emergency, I leave Jhovany’s kitchen and pass through a dark, curtained-off concourse of the Armory packed with enormous black crates of lighting and sound equipment, electric cables snaking along the floor. I jog under a thirty-foot-tall wooden archway and into the vaulted drill hall, washed in streams of majestic light from high above. Waiters and service captains scurry like a colony of ants between two rows of long tables — arranged parallel to each other and angled in a chevron pattern facing a stage, where a technician performs a mic check: “One TWO! One TWO! TWO!”

I spot Chef at the center of the commotion, standing next to a speed rack, and a dozen or so K.A.s like me streaming toward him in their white jackets and black beanies. The tables are glittering with all the cutlery and glasses, and the presets — square china plates of what look to be an assortment of small bites — are down. Fitting with the gilded theme, the curtains defining the perimeter of the room seem strafed with gold leaf. The nature of the crisis still isn’t evident.

“All right, listen up!” Chef shouts, pulling one of the white plates from a speed rack. “You see this beautiful tapas plate? Look carefully how it’s arranged.” The group closes in around him, murmuring. He talks us through the geography. The square plate is divided into three rows. Bottom row, left to right: a Smoked Whitefish Toast with Beet Relish, a Grilled Shrimp Toast with Lemon Aioli, then four bias-cut grilled crostini[9] in a compact pile. Second row, left to right: two thin rods of Manchego cheese, one resting on the other, forming an “X”; two pitted dates stuffed with herbed chèvre, one leaning against the other. The top row of the plate is empty, because the servers would soon be placing three shot glasses filled with more menu items across the top: Smoked Duck Rillettes with Pickled Cippolini; Black Olive Tapenade with Toasted Fennel, Chili, and Orange Oil; and Five-Spice Roasted Almonds with Cayenne and Sea Salt.

“But,” Chef says, “they can’t even begin setting the shot glasses down until we clean up the mess they made when they dropped these.” He picks up a plate on the nearest table, which appears to have been dropped from a height of a couple of inches. Cheese and dates have toppled off each other and rolled around the plate. One of the toasts is facedown atop the other and the crostinis have skidded everywhere.

“We’ve got seven hundred and sixty plates to make perfect in the next ten minutes. So divide up, swarm the room. Do what you need to do. Make every plate perfect!”

I try not to think about how far behind I am now on my peppered beef, how reamed I’ll get during hors d’oeuvres serve-out.

I set out for the tables closest to the stage, so I can sweep in one direction. Gustavo’s at the far end, closest to curtain, and I work toward him. Only about every third plate is wrecked as badly as the one Chef showed us, but every preset needs at least fifteen to twenty seconds of handwork. I avoid doing the multiplication or thinking too deeply about how much time and labor might’ve been saved with a short sermon to the service captains about the importance of a gentle drop. I try not to think about how far behind I am now on my peppered beef, how reamed I’ll get during hors d’oeuvres serve-out. Instead, since the primping required so little cognition or skill, I begin to revel in the vaguely disconcerting thrill of simply being on the main floor.

Unless a K.A. or chef is working an event with an action station — omelets, say — guests will never see a chef jacket on the floor. A head chef might allow kitchen assistants to steal a peek at the dining room if it’s really impressive, or if an uber-A-lister like Beyoncé or the Dalai Lama is there, but to spend a stretch of time like this out here happens only once in a blue moon — usually when someone’s fucked up, like now. The longer I’m on the floor, the more I can glean what’s happening beyond the kitchen. Who will be eating these serrano-wrapped logs of Manchego we’re setting in beautiful crosses, just so?

On the stage, a woman rehearses the beginning of a speech, introducing the charity the event will benefit. Public funding of the arts is imperiled, and her organization raises money to educate children about the visual arts, theater, music. She introduces a film about the charity. The light in the room dims and those gold-streaked curtains turn into video screens on which a short documentary begins. Teenagers from public schools all over the New York area testify that learning about the arts from this organization has inspired them to dream big.

The film ends, then starts at the beginning again. I have one table down and have started the next when a team of servers follows in behind us, working a speed rack stacked with sheet pans of shot glasses holding the rillettes, the tapenade, and the almonds to set down on the plates. The children are inspired all over again. Two tables done. The film stops and the house lights come up. A man in a suit steps forward and introduces a performance artist, who will be honored. Tall, dressed in many black floor-length layers, the artist steps to the microphone: “My mother and father were war heroes in Yugoslavia, in World War II …”

We finish fixing plates and the servers have set down all their shot glasses. The floor is emptying — of the production technicians, the kitchen assistants, the servers rolling speed racks back toward the kitchens. Only a few captains remain as I sprint through the archway, down the dark back hallway, to return to the kitchen.

“It was crazy!” I tell Jhovany. “The servers mangled the preset! I had to redo hundreds of plates!” He just shakes his head slowly, shrugs. Each of his hors d’oeuvre stations now has four platters ready to go, and the servers gather around, idling, chatting with their captain. At my station somebody has set up four platters with perfect examples of the beef-on-toast, and Jhovany shows me a near full sheet pan of backup on the speed rack — not enough to cover the duration of the cocktail hour, but I’ll be okay if I can keep up. A sigh of relief settles in my shoulders. The captain says, “Go!” The servers descend, and the first platters disappear, toward the early birds in their tuxedos, ambling into the hall.

I reach for a sheet pan, pick up the brioche toasts, and start laying them down. Boom, boom, boom. Saori sets up another platter of her shrimp. Jhovany hovers, tells her the stripe of char powder on her plate doesn’t look right. The team’s in crunch mode. We’re not the ones saving kids with the arts, nor are we war heroes. Earlier that day, I learned there’s been a flood in South Carolina, a town an hour or so from where Ted and I grew up. A childhood friend’s father has lost his home, but at least the family is all safe. Others have drowned, and I hunger to connect with friends there, to find out more. But in these unraveling minutes, the size of the celery-root slaw, the direction of the crostini on the plate, and the angle of the Manchego cross are my world. Because that’s why I’m here: to cater.

1. “Brioche” is the kindest word for this favored delivery platform — a thin toast-cracker.

2. The caterer’s on-site crew in charge of miscellaneous tasks including rentals distribution at the beginning of the night, setting up the coffee percolators, and handling all refuse removal at the end of the evening.

3. By the end of your first few parties, after ripping open a hundred triple-wrapped bundles, you get a precise feel for the tolerances and breaking points of industrial-strength plastic wrap

4. “Trash?”

5. The dining room, in cater-speak.

6. A plated dish that’s already waiting at each guest’s place when they sit down to dinner. This is a pro move, merciful to guest and staff alike, shaving at least a half hour off the event. But the food must be designed to survive an hour or more at room temperature with texture and flavor Intact.

7. Ordered by the executive chef, a return trip of the truck to the prep kitchen to pick up something that’s been either left behind or hopelessly lost at the site.

8. A tall but compact four-sided metal stand on casters, for holding and moving large numbers of completed plates.

9. Close cousin to “brioche toast.”

* * *

The Lee Bros. are the authors of several bestselling cookbooks: Charleston Kitchen, Southern Cookbook, and Simple Fresh Southern. They have written for The New York Times, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, The New York Times Magazine, Gourmet, Saveur, and other publications, and have appeared on many TV shows, including Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations and The Today Show. They have won six James Beard and IACP Awards.

Longreads Editor: Dana Snitzky

#Longreads #Food #Ravishankar Sivasubramaniam

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starmini · 8 years ago

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What Bloomed in the Heart of Winter

Summary: A chance encounter with the Maiden of Spring sets off a chain of events that threaten the order of the seasons and the fate of the world. The Lord of Winter is willing to plunge the world into chaos for the sake of his desire. Yet, the Lord of Summer and the Maiden of Autumn will fight to stop him.

“Winter either bites with its teeth or lashes with its tail” --Proverb

Chapter 5

"And you are?" Gray asked, staring at the male currently caged in his great hall, even though he knew full well who the person was. From the moment the male had entered his realm, accompanied by the Maiden of Autumn, his Winter had felt threatened. The male was the complete embodiment of everything Winter was not. There was a great, burning power inside of the person and his Winter wanted nothing more than to snuff it out. Feeling the presence draw closer, Gray's alarms only grew. However, now that he was face-to-face with the male, it seemed the realm of Winter was succeeding in slowly eliminating the threat. The power that Gray had felt at the male's arrival was significantly lower. At that revelation, the Lord of Winter's eyes narrowed and his grin widened.

"Lord of Winter," the commanding voice of the Maiden of Autumn rung out in the hall. Gray slid his eyes to her, meeting her hard gaze. They had met each other only once, but Gray would recognize that scarlet hair anywhere.

The one day Autumn and Winter shared the earth, during their first meeting, Erza had made it clear that Gray was not to interfere with her work. Every second she was on the earth she would claim and not yield a moment of daylight to his Winter. Gray only agreed to her demands because it didn't affect him or his upcoming season at all. Erza could spend every second of her season prepping the humans, the animals, and the land all she wanted. When the dawn of Winter shone, ready or not, the world would become his to rule over.

After their first meeting, the Lord of Winter had no interest in the Maiden of Autumn. He could feel her power was a kin to his own. It was cold and harsh and demanding. It had the same effect of ending as his did. The Maiden of Autumn held no mystery for him; so, he never sought her out again and neither she, him. For the duration of their shared day, Gray would avoid the Maiden of Autumn and seclude himself on a mountain top. There, he would cocoon himself in a blizzard not even Erza's cool winds could subdue. When he felt her presence leave the earth, he would unleash the blizzard throughout the land, covering everything in white.

"Maiden of Autumn," Gray greeted, inclining his head slightly. "Another unwelcome visitor in my realm."

"The Lord of Summer and myself have only ventured here to right the great wrong you have done," Erza replied.

The Lord of Winter smirked. He relaxed in his throne, propping his head up against his knuckles as he rested his elbow on the armrest. "What is this great wrong you speak of, Maiden of Autumn?"

"Gray-" Erza narrowed her eyes further, about to list all the wrongs the guardian had committed; however, Natsu exploded into a ball of flame, shattering his ice cage into splinters that shot across the room, cutting her off. Gray watched Natsu's anger manifest around him, erupting into flames that covered his entire body. The realm of Winter shuttered at the power burning inside of the guardian, eager to smother the flames.

"You bastard!" Natsu yelled. "You know what the hell you did! You stole Lucy and brought her to this wasteland. I'm here to take her back!" Natsu's words only made Gray's smirk widen.

"Well," Gray replied. "You can try."

Natsu shot forward, covering the distance between him and Gray in an instant. He aimed a fiery punch right at Gray's face. Gray waved his hand in front of him, a thick shield of ice formed, blocking Natsu's attack. Their gazes locked through the clear ice. Natsu's eyes were two burning pieces of coal fueled with rage; while Gray's eyes were cold and hard, like two fragments of black ice.

"Is this the great power of the Lord of Summer?" Gray asked. Even though Natsu's fist was coated with flames, the ice between them remained undamaged. "I expected more."

"Shut the hell up!" Natsu gritted his teeth together, as he threw punch after punch against Gray's shield.

With his power, Gray created deadly spears of ice in the air above Natsu's head. He flicked his fingers downward and the ice spears hurtled towards the unsuspecting lord. Before they could reach Natsu, Erza appeared, swinging her scythe to guard against the attack. The spears were flung into the distance by her wind, shattering where they landed. Then, Erza used her wind to separate herself and Natsu from Gray.

"Tch." The Lord of Winter stood, dissolving his shield. The Maiden of Autumn wasn't as readily affected by his realm like the Lord of Summer. The realm of Winter saw her as an ally of sorts. It would take longer for it to realize there was a bit of fire lingering in her essence. The Maiden of Autumn twirled her scythe and stamped it on the ground. A great gust of wind rippled out from her and her glare bore into Gray. Erza was going to be a problem.

"Lord of Winter," Erza called out to him. "Cease this madness and return the Maiden of Spring at once. Her absence upon the earth has ruined the balance of the seasons. Without her power, the world cannot bloom. An eternal winter will grip the land."

"The ice ensnares. The snow buries. The frost coats. The freeze silences," Gray claimed, beginning his descent from his throne. "None of the these things under my command brings forth life. My power is the end to everything. The earth trapped in an eternal winter? Why wouldn't that appeal to me?"

"You cannot be serious?" Erza said, disbelief coloring her tone. "Everything. All life…would perish."

"Let it perish then," Gray declared, stepping off the final step.

"Is that why you took Lucy as your prisoner?" Natsu asked. "So you could have your eternal winter?"

"Prisoner?" Irritation snagged the Lord of Winter when Natsu spoke. "Why would I imprison my lover?"

"L-lover?" Natsu choked on the word.

"What?" Erza gasped. "But the Maiden of Spring, I thought she…." Her voice trailed off and her gaze flicked to Natsu; who, Gray noted, looked like the breath had been knocked out of him. It wouldn't be long now until the realm of Winter finished suffocating his fire. Gray took solace in that thought.

"Maiden of Autumn, you claim that I've committed a great wrong, but I disagree," Gray argued. "All I've done is made it so I wouldn't have to be parted from the one I love."

"In your realm, she will die! Despite your supposed love, the Maiden of Spring cannot remain here. Your emotions do not give you bounds to disrupt the balance and break the rules that govern over us!" Erza shouted.

"What you say is true. The moment I brought Lucy here, my Winter wanted to consume her. However, the orb she is encased in prevents the effects of my realm from reaching her. Inside, she'll remain unaffected and safe," Gray explained. Erza looked towards the orb the Maiden was encased in. If what the Lord of Winter stated was true, then she was safe for the time being.

"I had grown bored living in this white world alone," Gray continued, snapping Erza's focus back to him. "At first, I relished in my power being the end to all things. However, the centuries passed in a slow stretch of white nothingness. I thought I had grown numb to it all, until the day I met her. Everything with life hated and feared my Winter, yet she looked at this cold world and called it beautiful." Gray's gaze looked fondly towards Lucy, as he spoke, a soft smile lighting his features. Erza was shocked. She had seen that look before. It was the same look Natsu got when he spoke about the Maiden of Spring. Gray really was in love with her.

"It was only one day," Gray said, turning back to Erza. "But she changed me. I thought I was numb, but with her...I began...to feel. I can't-I won't go back to how things were before. I don't care if everything else disappears as long as I have her!"

"You are serious," Erza gripped the staff of her scythe, fury rolling inside of her. "You are willing to sacrifice everything for your own selfish desire because of one day?"

"It wasn't enough!" Gray yelled in response. "Since you worship the absurd rules that bind each guardian, you understand that one day was all I would have with her. One day a year for all eternity...that one day Winter and Spring shared the earth…it's not enough!"

The Lord of Winter's words struck Natsu. He had said something similar. ' It's never enough ' were the words he told to Lucy when he had to let her go back to her realm. The feeling of wanting to stay by her side for more than just one day, Natsu understood that. He understood it so well his heart ached. That feeling had once driven him to do something reckless as well. Natsu had ignored the alarms of his instinct when he tried to bring Lucy to his season. The consequences of that action still haunted him. Looking at the Lord of Winter now, Natsu hated it, but he understood him.

"One day a year for all eternity is more time than any human could ever hope for," Natsu said, repeating Lucy's words. "But you still hope for so much more," Natsu mumbled, looking past Gray at his love trapped in an orb of ice. She seemed so pleasant and unaware of the state she was in. It only appeared as though she was merely sleeping.

"What did you say, Lord of Summer?" Gray narrowed his eyes at Natsu.

"You're right. It's not enough." Natsu spoke louder. "But it's all you have, so you make it enough!" He would give anything to be able to spend his eternity with Lucy, but not like this. Even though he could relate to the Lord of Winter's feelings, Natsu could not approve of his actions. "Trapping Lucy here, destroying the one thing she loves most...you're wrong if you believe any of that can be called love."

Gray started laughing. "I suppose someone like you, showered in love from the earth, from the humans, from anything with life, can say one day could be enough. However, the love Lucy provides is of a far higher caliber than the love you receive from dirt and beasts. You just want Lucy so that she can pave the path for your season of admirers. You want to be their little sun lord basking in all that adoration." Gray stopped laughing, glaring daggers at Natsu. "You know nothing ab-"

"I know because I love her!" Natsu shouted, cutting Gray off and meeting his glare.

"You love her?" Gray whispered, flicking his gaze to Lucy and then back to Natsu. The temperature in the room was already cold, but it dropped significantly further. His hands curled into fists, his nails digging into his palms as he stared at the Lord of Summer.

"The one day between Spring and Summer is something I cherish. It's not enough, and it never could be enough...but, it's all I have with her. That one day a year I can be with Lucy, is where I live my eternity."

"Enough," Gray stamped his foot down on the floor, a wave of ice shot away from him and towards Natsu."My love is the only love Lucy needs!" Erza jumped in front of the Lord of Summer, using her wind to deflect it. However, the force of the attack was too much for her to stop it all. The ice rained down, slicing into them. Natsu called forth his power and burned the rest of it away.

"Natsu!" Erza cried out, seeing him panting from the effort it took to use his flames.

"I'm fine," he said through gritted teeth.

"You are-" She didn't have time to finish, because the Lord of Winter continued his assaults.

"Shred them to pieces!" Gray shouted. From the shadows of the ceilings above, creatures made of ice and snow dropped down, surrounding Erza and Natsu. They were hideous looking creatures, with sharp claws and snapping teeth of ice. One creature rushed towards Erza, claws aimed to maim. She used her wind to defend herself, cutting the creature into two. The creature's body merely twitched once on the floor, before the snow it consisted of pulled its segmented pieces back together again. It shook off her attack and leapt at her again.

"Erza, look out!" Natsu yelled. Another one of Gray's ice creatures leapt at Erza from behind. Erza encased herself in her wind, using her power as a barrier. She extended the barrier to engulf Natsu behind her walls of wind as well.

"I cannot hold them off for long," Erza admitted, her teeth clenched with the effort to maintain the barrier as the creatures threw themselves against it. "If what the Lord of Winter claims is true, then the Maiden of Spring, should be fine. For now."

"True. I hate it, but," Natsu bit the inside of his cheek. "He loves her. I don't think he wants to harm her."

"Do you think then…" Erza looked uncomfortable, as if the next words she was about to say were difficult to speak. It was weird for Natsu to see her look like that, but Erza shook off whatever silent battle she was waging in her mind, her eyes hardening again. "We must consider the possibility that the Maiden of Spring might reciprocate the Lord of Winter's love and came here willingly. If that is the case, we will have more difficulties ahead."

Lucy might love him ? Natsu bit down harder on his cheek until he tasted blood. Even if…even if she no longer loved him, Natsu knew that she would always love the world. There was no way Lucy would abandon the earth like this.

"More than anything else," Natsu said, his voice soft but unwavering. "Lucy's great love is for the earth and all its inhabitants." Erza stared at him, assessing his words. Before she could question him further, Natsu continued. "Erza, I'll keep that bastard busy why you get Lucy out of that ice," Natsu declared. "Once she's free, take her back to earth. I'll hold him off as long as I can."

"Nonsense!" Erza protested. "You are in no state to fight him. We are in the depths of his realm. His power is too much for us. Especially for you. I can see the realm of Winter is close to consuming your power. You cannot use your strength any further. You might…you will—"

"I don't care what happens to me!" Natsu shouted. "The only thing that matters is saving Lucy. I don't mind sacrificing myself if it means she survives!"

Erza saw the unwavering resolve in Natsu's eyes. She gripped her scythe tighter, realizing the only path left to them and hating the choice she had to make. "If you die, the balance will be broken. Who knows what might happen. I cannot let you do this, Natsu."

"Erza, listen!" Natsu pleaded.

The Maiden of Autumn shook her head, pointing her scythe at Natsu. Wind swirled around him in an instant, enclosing him inside a sphere of cool air. Natsu pounded against the walls of wind around him, shouting at Erza to free him. She turned from him, ignoring his demands.

"I will force the Lord of Winter to yield from his madness. The Maiden of Spring will be released and you will not sacrifice yourself. The balance between the guardians and between the seasons that move the earth shall be restored. I will make sure of it," Erza declared.

Raising her scythe, in front of her, she began spinning it; with every revolution, it spun faster and faster, becoming a blur of movement in front of her. The Maiden of Autumn leaned back on her heel, determination marking her features. With a warrior's cry, she broke through her barrier, cutting through the ranks of Gray's ice creatures towards the Lord of Winter himself.

Gray had only enough time to create a spear of ice to parry Erza's attack, but it wasn't enough. The force of Erza's collision pushed Gray backward across the floor. Stabbing the tip of his spear into the ground, Gray jerked to a stop. The ice creatures turned and raced towards Erza, all of them converging on her to prevent her from reaching Gray. Her arms and legs were covered in multiple cuts, but she ignored the pain. Slashing at the creatures with her scythe and with her wind, Erza kept attacking.

A creature managed to break her guard, sinking its jaws into her right shoulder. Erza cried out from the pain lancing through her. Thick layers of ice coated her shoulder where the creature's teeth sunk into her flesh. Another one slashed at her left leg, ice bleeding out from her wound. Erza gritted her teeth as she propelled the creatures off of her with a great buffet from her wind. Panting, she clutched her right shoulder that was now nothing more than a chunk of ice. Looking down, she noticed her left leg was entirely encased in ice as well. The creatures circled her, their ice teeth and claws glinting in anticipation of shredding her to pieces.

"Why do you still persist, Erza?" Gray called out to her. "You know you cannot win. Your immortality is voided within my realm. You will die if you continue to oppose me."

"For the entirety of my existence, I have fought to ensure that life will survive the harshest of your Winters. I fought to keep the balance. Even now, despite the odds, I will still continue to fight." Slashing the blade of her scythe into the floor, giant twisters sprung from the ground. The twisters trapped Gray's ice creatures in their strong currents, swirling them around and around as they shot skyward. The creatures cried out, but then all was silent. When the twisters disappeared, bits of snow and ice fell softly to the ground.

The Lord of Winter stared at the Maiden of Autumn, standing before him, as the fierce protector ready to defend against him until the very end. Her scarlet hair flew like a cape behind her. She breathed heavily, leaning on her good leg and using her scythe for support. Haggard and wounded, her eyes were burning with the bit of fire that lived inside of her.

"Today, your fight comes to an end," Gray proclaimed. Lifting the head of his spear from the floor, Gray gripped his weapon tighter. It was time to choke out the bit of fire burning inside of the Maiden of Autumn. Erza had spent her Autumns preparing others for his season. Now, it was time to show her how unprepared she really was when faced with the full force of his winter.

Gray charged towards Erza, sending a volley of ice spears towards her. Erza deflected them with her wind, parrying the Lord of Winter's attacks with her scythe. She tried to take a step back, but her ice coated leg wouldn't budge. It had merged with the floor. The ice on her right shoulder was crawling up her arm, immobilizing her further. Gray only laughed as he continued his attacks. With a mighty swipe of his spear, he managed to knock Erza's scythe out of her hand. Her weapon arched in the air, landing feet away.

The Lord of Winter reached out, gripping the slim throat of the Maiden of Autumn. He used his power to speed the process of the ice coating her body. Erza tried to call her wind to protect her, but her power only offered the barest of breezes. Winter was finally draining her. Her legs, torso and arms were now covered by thick layers of ice. It crawled up her chest and neck while Gray looked coldly into her eyes.

"No matter your resolve, nothing can prepare you for the harshness of Winter. It devours all life and then buries the remains." Gray gripped Erza's neck tighter. "You have lost this fight, Erza. Embrace the truth of Winter."

"Don't count us out yet," Natsu roared, racing towards them. He jumped and landed a kick to Gray's face, sending the lord shooting across the room.

"Natsu!" Erza cried out, seeing the Lord of Summer standing in front of her. "But how? My shield."

"You're not as strong as you think," Natsu chuckled.

"Natsu," Erza smiled.

"Give me a moment," Natsu said, calling forth his power. "I'll get you out of there."

"No. You can't use your power further. The realm of Winter is even affecting me now. It's too dangerous."

"I'm fi—"

A spear of ice stabbed Natsu in his shoulder, the force of the impact knocking him to the ground. Natsu cried out, his hand clutching his wound. He looked across the room seeing Gray's hand outstretched, a wicked grin on his face. Natsu gripped the spear protruding from his shoulder, melting it away. His power was already at its limit, but he knew he had to fight. Wobbling to his feet, he looked at Erza, struggling to break free of the ice and pleading for him not to fight. He looked away and towards Lucy, still encased in the orb. His heart ached, wanting so desperately to free her. Finally, he turned back to the Lord of Winter himself, the one who was the cause of all this suffering. His decision was already made.

"I'm going to protect Erza. I'm going to save Lucy. I'm going to defeat you," Natsu swore to Gray.

Gray picked himself off the floor, a cold fury brewing inside of him. He could feel his realm screaming at him to extinguish the life still brimming inside of Natsu, to blow out the bit of fire flickering in Erza. Everything with fire, with life would perish before him. He would create an eternal winter with the only one he cared about at his side. The ice, the snow, and Lucy, Gray needed nothing else.

"Lucy will remain at my side. The land will be covered in ice and snow forever. It is the dawn of our season of love. There is no more need for Summer nor Autumn. It is time for you two to succumb to your fates. Like all things do in Winter…PERISH!" Gray yelled, calling forth from the depths of his power the coldest blizzard he could produce. Immediately, the great chamber hall was engulfed in a whirlwind of freezing air and blinding snow.

Gray's eyes glared at the burning figure in the heart of the blizzard, foolishly attempting to defy his end. More and more and more, he made the blizzard colder, harsher. The Lord of Winter watched as the fire flickered, growing dimmer. This was the end.

Natsu tried to burn away the blizzard swirling around them, but he just wasn't strong enough. His power was barely able to protect him and Erza. As the blizzard pressed down on them, the circle of fire he created to protect them kept shrinking.

"Damnit!" Natsu yelled at himself, as he fell to his knees. He couldn't fail now and let his fire go out. Erza needed his help; and he wouldn't let Lucy fall into the hands of Winter. Natsu burrowed down into the core of his power, forcing his flames to heed his commands. Pushing past his limits, Natsu stood and saw Gray standing at the edge of the ring of fire.

"Lord of Summer," Gray sneered.

"Lord of Winter," Natsu snarled.

The two lords spared no further words, as they darted towards one another. A great explosion of power rocked the room when the two clashed. Gray's fist of ice and Natsu's fist of fire met over and over again as the melee between Summer and Winter played out. However, the odds against the Lord of Summer were already stacked against him. Wounded, drained of much of his power, in the depths of Winter, far from his own realm, Natsu was overpowered by Gray quickly.

"Why?" Gray asked, clutching the ragged collar of Natsu's vest as he punched him. His fists continued to pummel Natsu, over and over. Natsu tried to call his power to defend against Gray's onslaught of punches, but he could only manage a flicker of fire. His flame was going out.

"Natsu!" Erza cried out his name, somewhere in the midst of the blizzard, but he couldn't see her. In fact, his vision was already darkening at the edges. All he could see was the Lord of Winter looming over him and the white of the blizzard spiraling around them.

"Why does the world long for Summer?" Gray raised his hand and created a spear of ice. He slammed it into Natsu's already wounded shoulder.

"Arghh!" Natsu cried out from the pain. Gray didn't stop there.

"Why do the humans praise you? Why are you so special?" He pierced Natsu's other shoulder and buried two more spears in each of his kneecaps. Gray created one more spear of ice and aimed it at Natsu's heart. Though, beneath him, the Lord of Summer's eyes still burned in defiance.

"Why?" Gray asked, his voice so cold and bitter, raising his spear higher. "Why was it your name she called out before the ice encased her?" With all his anger and bitterness, the Lord of Winter thrust down the spear towards the Lord of Summer's heart, finally ending the season of Summer forever.

A/N: Loves! There's one more (okay...maybe two) chapter(s) left of this fic. It's so weird coming to the end of a fic. One-shots are a different story, and even though this wasn't a very long fic, it still feels kind of weird completing it. The good kind of weird that is...Anywho! I hope you enjoy this latest chapter.

#wbhw #natsu dragneel #erza scarlet #gray fullbuster #lucy heartfilia #Nalu #graylu #seasons au #lord of winter #lord of summer #maiden of autumn #maiden of spring #ftfanfics #fairy tail #fairy tail au

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