#ultear deserved better

[anti-gruvia-blog]

"Friendly reminder that it was actually Ultear, not Juvia, who gave Gray the power to live. Ultear’s sacrifice and words of wisdom had a lasting impact on Gray’s life and journey, making her a more significant figure in his development than Juvia."

[lisannastraussisanangel]

Do you have any Meredy and Ultear headcanons ? Their mother daughter relationship is one of my favorite things about the anime but both characters and their relationship are criminally underrated !!

They deserved better! Ultear should've got her redemption arc and lived happily ever after with her daughter!

Meredy uses Ultear's last name on official documents. She never said anything to Ultear about it but she's pretty sure Ultear knows

Partners in crime (literally), those two are always scheming. Nowadays it's playful villainy tho

Meredy can get away with anything. She hits Ultear with those puppy dog eyes and its all over

Ultear still feels really guilty about what she did to Meredy and wants to make it up to her. Meredy tells her that helping people and becoming a better person is all Ultear needs to do to make it up to her

That is one of the main reasons Ultear turned good. She wants to be a good role model for Meredy and make up for all the hurt she's caused her

Ultear is bad cop. Meredy is good cop. Unless it is against Jellal then they are both bad cop

Meredy is a hugger and Ultear is very much not. It usually results in Meredy chasing her around desperately trying to love Ultear

Ultear is literally so proud of Meredy. She can't believe how genuinely happy and good Meredy has grown up to be

Meredy used to make Ultear mothers day gifts back when they were evil. Ultear had yelled at her to stop after the first time she was gifted one

Meredy still made them every year. She saved them instead of giving them to Ultear, hoping one day Ultear would change her mind and want to celebrate

When they started Crime Sorciere, Meredy gifted Ultear all the hidden gifts and Ultear sobbed. She cherishes every gift from Meredy now

Even after her death, Meredy still takes the time to leave Mother's day gifts on her grave

Ultear is absolutely terrible at domestic stuff. She can't cook and is awful at chores (she lit their laundry on fire once trying to dry it faster) so Meredy tries to take over but Ultear insists on doing it because she's supposed to take care of Meredy

Meredy has gotten in the habit of redoing all of Ultear's chores in secret. Imagine Ultear turning around while cooking and Meredy quickly seasoning the food before Ultear turns back

Ultear wants to take care of Meredy so bad but that girl is mega independent. Meredy always says it's Ultear's fault for raising her that way

[chidoroki]

Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest EP17

aka: tee-hee~ ship go brrrrr

At least that new star dress mix was able to damage one of the tree golems.. just one though, which is of course the downside of Lucy not being able to maintain said form for long.

I love seeing Juvia fight but the pokemon trainer in me can’t help but think "not very effective" with her water attacking literal trees. Bad type match up indeed.

Cliche or not, the reaching out of the hands and just missing saving the other is so nice.

“Don’t worry about Juvia!” “Can I even do that?” Eehehe.

“Human.. what is this girl to you? Is it strength? Is she your strength?” “That’s right. She’s my strength to live.” HELL YEAH BOY! He said the thing with his whole chest and proudly!

I can’t even blame our girl for overheating y’all, that was so sweet to hear after all this time.

“Juvia, let me borrow your body.” “Yes, do as you please!” Her mind is totally in the wrong place but go ahead and live your dreams girlie.

There’s something so unbelievably funny to me about getting bashed in by a giant ice hammer that’s sporting a goofy smile on it.

Let’s go unison raid let’s go~

Gray is blushing so damn hard trying to avoid Juvia’s cute attempts to make him say those words to her again.

Awww, the head pat, the “I’m glad you’re okay,” the way they’re so close with both of ‘em blushing.. my heart is incredibly happy.

“Nice work, Gray and Juvia!” “Must be the power of love.” As if we couldn’t make it even more obvious, HA.

I love how Brandish is just chilling, completely unbothered and eating her treats while the whole town gets destroyed.

Oh yeah, Gajeel is gonna have a blast going huge.

“But I sense Jellal’s magical energy. I must go.” “Your boyfriend can take care of himself.” “My.. what?! Wha.. no … we’re not like that.” Not yet anyways. I swear we better see some happy pairs at the end of all this.

Ultear sweetie, you deserved so much better but glad to see you again!

“Live for her. That should be your new way forward now. You’ll be okay.” She returned for a minute, didn’t say much but made every word count.

“You shall be judged by the seven stars! Grand Chariot!” Ah, a sight for sore eyes. Why you so amazing Jellal, huh?

[usagirln12003]

Jellal Fernandes: Hogwarts AU

Jellal Fernandes is a Pureblood wizard that was born on the 25th of June 1971 and started attending Hogwarts on the 1st of September 1982, being sorted into Ravenclaw House.

He has a Willow wand with a Phoenix Feather core.

His Patronus is Non-Corporeal.

His favorite subject is Ancient Runes and his least favorite subject is Defense Against the Dark Arts.

He was one of the Ravenclaw Prefects of his year.

When he was young, Jellal was a kind, compassionate boy, and cared deeply for his friends. He was always cheerful and optimistic, despite his disposition as a slave. After a failed escape attempt, he readily accepted punishment in Erza's stead, and never once lost his faith in the thought of being free.

Later, as he was manipulated by what he thought to be Zeref's ghost, he drastically changed: Jellal became obsessed with the idea of building a new ministry and treated the slaves much better — to the extent that they didn't even think they were still slaves. But through this method of treatment, they did more work, which was Jellal's ultimate reason for treating them as such in the first place. He sees his actions as a "game," even if said "game" results in the loss of lives, his very own included.

After he was revived by Wendy Marvell, he suffered from amnesia and seemed to be somewhat afraid of the world. Though not remembering his own identity, he remembered the names of Erza and Natsu Dragneel, respectively. As he learned of his sins, Jellal wished to die, as he believed it to be his only form of atonement, but Erza convinced that through living, he can find a way to make up for his past horrid deeds. Following these instances, even when arrested by Hit-Wizards from the Ministry and knowing he would be given the Dementor's Kiss, Jellal remained calm and even happy, just as he did when he was a child. Mavis Vermillion even commented that Jellal possesses the same "heart" as those in Hufflepuff, in spite of the fact that he wasn't actually sorted into that house.

Seven years later, after regaining his memories and having returned to his original personality, Jellal is now a calm, mature, intelligent, and kind individual. He has shown a cheerful side, as he often smiles when pleased, or when his friends are happy. While as "Mystogan", he makes sure he acts quiet and aloof, so as to not arouse suspicion to the fact that Fairy Tail Orphanage is housing an escaped convict. However, Jellal's regret towards his past deeds have caused him to feel the need to atone for his sins, which he did by creating Crime Sorcière: an independent organisation dedicated to the destruction of Dark Magic. Despite this, he still feels he deserves punishment, as he told Ultear and Meredy that "punishment" is the theme of their organisation. It is this guilt that keeps Jellal from expressing his love for Erza, which she reciprocates, as he believes he doesn't deserve her.

Jellal also seems to be quite protective of those he cares about, or in some cases, those he's wronged. Some examples are when he saved Kagura from Neinhart's attack despite her grudge against him for killing her brother, or when he desperately attempted to push Acnologia into the Veil of Death to protect Erza, although he himself openly admitted that he has no chance of victory against the dark wizard. Although no longer wishing to die, Jellal has shown himself to be willing to risk his life if it guarantees his comrades' safety.

Jellal views his other persona; Siegrain as the source of his guilt and carries his sins, as well as the failed ideal version he once wished to be.

Despite his rather serious nature, Jellal does have a comedic side, as in his duel with Jura Neekis, where (as a direct result of Ultear and Meredy sabotaging his fight with the Wizard Saint) he has fits of hysterical laughter, as well as reacting strongly to the sensation of peppers he had in his mouth. Later, when he walked back to his teammates, Jellal felt ashamed, and stated that he had no words to describe his feelings of shame and embarrassment.

Jellal is a very honest person, as stated by Erza, who points out that Jellal has had difficulty lying since childhood.

[evilkitten3]

hi gang! i know it's been,,,,, literally years since i started working on my fairy tail rewrite but i do want to assure anyone still interested that it is still something i'm working on. however, perhaps unsurprisingly, a lot has changed since i first started the project, so i wanted to give some updates on things people have expressed interest in in the past:

-i toyed with the idea of aro/ace erza for a while and while i do genuinely love the concept, i ultimately decided that it wouldn't really fit into what i want to do with her character. so tragically i can't fulfill this initial idea. i'm a little disappointed myself tbh but i actually really like what i came up with for her part of the story, so... hope this wasn't what anyone was looking forward to the most.

-when i first mentioned rewriting ft, i said there'd be no fanservice. however, having thought about it for some time, fairy tail is a series where somewhat dirty jokes have been since the start, and i don't think it's entirely fair to get rid of it altogether just bc the last couple of arcs forgot to do anything else. i will however promise that no one is going to be less important than their own boobs.

-the relationship between gajeel and team shadowgear will absolutely still be important, but i don't intend to put gajeel or levy in a relationship with anyone, including each other. this isn't really about whether i like the ships involved or not; it's just that i actually ended up putting a bit more of a spotlight on this little faction than i'd intended to (tbh i'd been pretty sure gajeel and levy would have somewhat more minor roles, but fortunately it looks like they'll stay major supporting characters)

-lucy and her family are going to be marginally more complicated than what we got in canon, and while i don't plan to give away too much too soon, there might be some hints towards what's really going on there significantly before i actually unveil my masterpiece (i am ngl so so SO happy with my version of the heartfilia family. i feel like it's both somewhat original and also fits within the world of fairy tail. idk if anyone else is going to be enjoying keeping up with the heartfilias as much as me but i sure hope so. whoa boy)

-natsu spends a lot more time looking for igneel. not like 100% absolutely dedicated nothing else matters or anything (bc that's just not natsu), but it is his main motivation throughout a good chunk of the story, so i'm hoping to bring that into play a bit more.

-i've been pretty clear on this part since the beginning, but ultear and siegrain are going to play a much bigger role in the early parts of the story. this is both bc i adore their dynamic and bc crime sorcière is unfortunately not going to happen. just getting that part out of the way now. as much as i adore them, it just doesn't work here. i don't intend for them to usurp the story or anything, but they definitely have a much bigger and more direct impact on the plot. also like reasons for doing things and better publicity than most of the rest of the council.

-i simply am not going to have the time to give natsu's parents the screentime they deserve, but i promise to give them as much as i possibly can. unfortunately, they really don't matter all that much in term's of natsu or zeref's parts in the story, but there are a couple of other characters with fairly strong ties to them, so it's not like i'm going to ignore them entirely

-cubellios is and will forever remain a snake. hiss hiss

-none of the other manga side stories (including 100 year quest) are going to be taken into account whatsoever. i simply do not care <3

-zeref and mavis's relationship is deeply, DEEPLY important to the plot, but it absolutely isn't romantic at all, so sorry if you were hoping it would be. also i tried my best to make mavis significantly more interesting (plus yuriy, warrod, and precht. especially precht)

-none of the big 4 ships will happen. this isn't due to me not liking them for the most part (i mean, i don't but tbh that really isn't relevant here; i have no problem with writing for ships i don't ship myself if it works with the story), it's either bc it doesn't fit into these versions of the characters or it just didn't end up happening. i know this is gonna put some people off, but i hope you'll give it a try anyway once it's done; i ended up trying out a few things i'd never thought about before and really enjoying them, so hopefully i won't be alone in that.

-the celestial spirits are currently one of my bigger roadblocks writing-wise bc while they're also very important to the story, they rarely get enough screentime to showcase anything other than their powers and One Quirky Trait. and there are so dang many of them; it's kinda hard to balance. however, i know what i want to do with them in the long run, so it's more a matter of getting them there and not having them effectively turn into lucy's somewhat talkative pokémon. also, the spirits aren't property– they've made a contract with their wielder, and this is very very relevant. they are also not human. you may want to keep those two things in mind.

-if a character dies and you see their body and their body is definitely 100% checked-their-pulse-and-tried-cpr dead, that character is dead. it's a fantasy story, so i'm not going to pretend there's no possible way to un-die, but i will say this: consider whether or not dying a likely-traumatic death and then coming back is a good thing.

-there will be ocs. this is basically unavoidable due to what few changes i've made, but i'm hoping they'll at least be enjoyable ocs. most of them shouldn't be relevant for a while anyway

-there are, and i cannot stress this enough, characters that may for some reason have something to gain from lying to the heroes. or to other villains. or to themselves. characters lie, or twist the truth, or are wrong, or a bajillion other things.

-whoever you're expecting the final badguy to be, you're wrong

-lastly, and this is easily the most important, i have completely changed irene's character design to one of mashima's concept art versions of her. if you've never seen it, here's the piece of that sketch collection i'm talking about:

^that's my irene. love me some unhinged old ladymom

[indecisive-ass]

I’m rewatching Fairy Tail and Ultear is really reminding me of Dabi rn.

!SPOILERS IN TAGS FOR BNHA MANGA AND FT TENROU ISLAND ARC!

[nxbuas]

Fairy Tail does not know when Gray acquired two siblings, but they took it in stride and proceeded to make Gray’s life hell by informing them of everything and by everything they mean from being hospitalized to his first date and etc 

Ultear loves getting updates about her youngest bro, usually from Erza. Lyon... not so much. He finds it supremely irritating that these Fairy Tail punks kept updating him about the loser’s life. And how the fuck did these assholes managed to get his phone lacrima’s number anyway??! (it’s Wendy.) Why the fuck would he want to know about that whiny brat’s first time with Juvia? Or care if that idiot broke his leg because of his own stupidity? Besides, he doesn’t need their helpful updates when he could easily find out himself. Magnolia might be outside of his territory but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know anything that goes on in that town...

Gray does not know when the fuck he acquired two siblings and most importantly does not know how both of them are far more terrifying than him to his own guild even though he’s the most powerful out of the three (or so he thinks). He does find it funny that Natsu is more nervous of Lyon than a fugitive who’s wanted in at least three different countries though

[angstisgoodiloveangst]

"goodbye my friends, but don't cry. i love you all."

[xhusu]

; Inhibition and the wonders of depression

He had decided to be indulgent this time. To have fun, to party, to laugh with his friends and just appreciate Crime Sorcière's pardon. Was it too much to ask?

In which alcohol forces Jellal to ponder over his life until Erza offers her support.

You can also read it on AO3 | Words : 5,751

 

It was a bad idea.

As Crime Sorcière got their pardon, Fairy Tail decided to throw them a party. A nice and kind gesture really. It was their first legal festivity and doing it with their friends was awesome. For the first time in so many years, the mages had the chance to enjoy themself and have fun without risking their life.

But it was a bad idea.

Because with party came alcohol. And while Erik was immune, Jellal was not. And while Meredy would get giggly, Jellal would not. Well, he did at first. Because alcohol made him a little more childish.

At first.

Alcohol quickly reminded him things and how nothing was okay in his life. It hit him like a train and he decided to go outside to calm down. Jellal never really had the chance to drink to the point where his head would spin. It wasn't his priority. But Cana sold it to him like a good thing, inhibition brings the fun apparently. Well, it seemed he was a sad drunk type. At least, he wasn't crying rivers and screaming like Juvia. But it didn't change the fact that his mood fell and with that, his throat got tight.

And now, it had been an hour and his eyes were watering up. Unpleasant thoughts and bad memories were invading his mind. He had decided to be indulgent this time. To have fun, to party, to laugh with his friends and just appreciate Crime Sorcière's pardon. Was it too much to ask? Was it really something he couldn't have? A nice party with Fairy Tail didn't sound horrible but maybe it was in the end. At least, it felt like it was.

And that's why it was idea. Because he was outside and didn't seem to be able to calm down. Because he was probably ruining Erik's fun by moping around. Because he wasn't partying with Erza and Meredy even if they told him to enjoy the party. Because he really was alone and felt alone and it had been years already and he couldn't understand why nothing was fair tonight.

He decided to take a walk, because the closer he was to the guild, the more Erik would hear him. And clearly, the man deserved better. He tried to think of good things. It was night and the stars were shining. It wasn't cold and there was no clouds in sight. The streets were empty but he could hear people laughing when he passed a bar.

They're laughing at you a little voice told him. But it really was just the alcohol talking. For his stomach pain though, he wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or just... just everything else.

He remembered the grounding technique Ultear gave him. She told him to find things he could see, touch, hear, smell, or even taste... everything that would remind him that he was where he was and not somewhere else. Tonight, he was in Magnolia. He looked around, counting, trying to breathe at a normal pace. He could see the cathedral from afar. Alcohol made him stumble and he hated it. He hated a lot of things to be fair. He always tried not to sink into hatred. It wasn't a pleasant feeling and it was a dangerous one. He understood how weak he was when he drowned in it. And Jellal hated to be weak. He hated it because he was. The cult, Ultear, Natsu, August proved him so. And he could learn as many magic as he wanted, it would never be enough.

Ultear always helped him when he was in this kind of state. Even if he was against it, she did. She said she knew him the best. She knew everything about him because she stayed in his mind for years. And as sickening as it is, she even knew him more than he did himself. His amnesia was due to his fusion with Ætherion and some memories came back by themself, mostly old ones, but the biggest part resurged when Ultear helped him extract the excess of Æthernano that was in his body. Yet, he knew his memory wouldn't return to his normal state. Some memories never came back, some others wouldn't have if Ultear didn't force him to remember and some were hard to capture even today. The damages were permanent.

He remembered how hard it was. To exist as a blank page. A page torned by torture, ripped by slavery and stained by sins. Ultear was there during the whole process. She'd accept his anger, sorrow, everything. As wicked as it was, his friendship with her was strong and precious. She took a lot from him but she gave him way more. He never hated her. She was his partner in crimes and confident. But Ultear was no more. He never thought her derparture would be so painful. He felt bad that he missed her more than... someone else. Pitiful. Missing someone who played a role in his death but not him–

Stop.

He stopped walking. Shuddering as a few tears started to fall. It was bad he knew. Because he was lying to himself. He missed him, of course he did. He was a dear friend of his. He was his best friend, he believed. Deep down knowing the resentment he had for him. Yet no one seemed to care, no one seemed to understand. How painful it was. How he missed his friend. The one he teached how to work fast without harm, how to use magic, the one he told his best jokes and with who he invented quiet games for the little ones. No one understood how he cared about Simon, as much as he did for the others. And the worst part of it was that it was too late. To apologize, to explained him what went wrong, to tell him about Ultear. Yes, he killed him, but he also knew that he probably wouldn't have without her. He remembered how his Historia smiled at them just before he defeated Neinhart. An illusion, nothing more. But the warmth he felt at this instant, appeasing– even if just a little– his rage, helped him focus on their ennemy. To protect his sister, to avenge Erza. It was the least he could do.

He shouldn't cry today. After years and years of battling his own demons and others', he finally was free. They gave him an ID, made him sign papers, he was a legal citizen now. He wasn't a criminal anymore. He had the second chance Ultear never got. And he was supposed to spend the night with his friends, with Fairy tail, with Erza. And what was he doing? He was running away, crying, and he wasn't... he wasn't enjoying the minimum he had. He felt like a child that couldn't enjoy the gift his poor parents gave him. Why. Why. Why?

He knew why. They met the Queen today. She gave them a pardon he didn't deserve. Then they went to the Council for paperwork. He saw guards. Frogs. He remembered this lonely year of his life. He remembered the hits, the shocks, the insults, the spit. He couldn't remember the food though. How funny was it, really. All of that resonated with so many things. Nothing he wanted to recall, not tonight. And Cana told him alcohol brought fun.

He chuckled tiredly. Exhaled. Wiped his tears.

The wind was tender tonight. Like arms embracing him. He wasn't cold. He was outside. He ate well because Mirajane was an incredible cook. Erza hugged him when he arrived. She told him that she was happy for him, proud. There was nothing that could compare to what he went through in prison. He had no reason to feel this way. He just needed to get a hold of himself.

He closed his eyes for a second, opened them to watch over the sky. It wasn't so bad, he thought. Alcohol wasn't his thing for sure but it was okay. It was okay to feel sometimes. So he didn't wipe the new tears and started walking again for maybe ten minutes. He probably shouldn't go too far but he wasn't planning on staying in the streets. Magnolia was surrounded by hills and that's all he needed. Closer to the sky, just like he prefered. Out of the city, he sat under a tree where he could see the guild and smiled. Let it out, regain his composure, go back to the others, so was his plan.

Jellal has always been like this. Even as a child. It was something that didn't change. He didn't like to show any weakness. Why should his loved ones see him cry? Or worse, his ennemies. He learned to keep his feelings for himself at such a young age but he had no other choice, it was required to survive. Because showing them too easily made him a perfect prey for his captors. He prefered glaring at them and smiling at his companions.

He was stubborn, that's what Ultear used to tell him. "There's nothing wrong about crying. If you don't want to do it in front of Meredy, do it in front of me at least," she said once. But he never felt comfortable enough to tell her about how the Tower ruined him, how prison destroyed any hope he still had. Because she felt guilty enough, because they both had the bad habit of diminishing their problems. So he tried to forget it, it was his fault after all. He wasn't the one who deserved comfort. He hurt people, killed one of his friend. He wasn't the victim.

Erik explained to him that abusers can be abused. That's even how it works most of the time. He had a hard time believing it but at the same time... most of the kids from the Tower ended up in the darkness. Few of them were like Erza, who never did anything wrong, who never hurt just to hurt, but they weren't a majority. Hell, Erik even pointed out how the adults from back then listened and agreed with a child who just got tortured for weeks. It did sound insane. Maybe he wasn't the only one who believed that there was no freedom, that Heaven was their only hope. He never had to use violence to make them work after all. But he lied, played with their feelings. Manipulated them. Their consent was a facade. The youngers were too scared to face Jellal. And the olders... were like him. In need of revenge. Filled with rage.

He remembered how Erik took him by the shoulders, shaking him. "I tortured people too! Innocents, just for fun, just to take revenge on people that they didn't even know! People already dead! The only people you tortured were our tormentors, Jellal!" he screamed, "Compare yourself to us! You think you're the worst piece of shit? What about Brain?!"

That day, he felt a little better. Erik smirked because he heard. He felt like he wasn't the only one in the wrong and it had been a while. Because he tended to see the world as black and white while it is grey. Just like August said few months ago after defeating them. He felt like Erik tried to help so he could find some peace, tired of hearing his inner laments. But he liked to believe that he was being friendly. That night, Erik reminded him how he could stop him from hearing his thoughts if he wanted, like Brain used to do. But never did. "And I appreciate that, Jellal. You want us to trust you. You don't want to hide anything from us. You're nothing like Brain."

He was calmer now. His cheeks were wet but he wasn't crying anymore. He still felt the alcohol as his head was pounding but it could be worse. So even if he still was drunk, even if he was still sad, it wasn't as bad as when he left the guildhall.

Maybe he should go back to the guild, it's been a while since his departure. He could try to have fun and it would probably help. Then it was settled. He looked up to the stars one last time before going.

"There you are," he heard. As he turned his head, he saw Erza with soft eyes and a faint smile. She joined him and she sat beside him. "You left all of sudden, I thought you just went to the bathroom but you weren't coming back..."

"I'm sorry," he whispered. His voice was still trembling but she didn't seem surprised.

"Don't apologize for not feeling well, it's okay." She looked at him and frowned a little. He felt ashamed when he understood that she could tell he cried. She gently took his hand and didn't add anything else.

They stayed like this without saying anything for a few minutes. It felt good. To have her at his side, to feel her thumb stroking his hand. It was relaxing.

"Say Jellal..."

He looked at her. His heart aching at the sight of the sad look on her face. He bit his lips. That's why he didn't like showing people when he was feeling bad. Especially Erza.

"Now... everything will be different. So... you don't have to hide anything anymore... Not from me at least." She squeezed his hand. "What I mean is that... I'm not omniscient. I thought you were going to the bathroom because of all the alcohol you drank. If I knew you weren't feeling well and crying... I would have stopped partying and joined you right away."

"I didn't want to ruin the party... You were having fun..."

"It's all for your guild. We're celebrating your pardon, it never was about me... and... It wasn't the same without you. I was having fun because you were here..."

He wanted to apologize again but he knew he shouldn't.

"I... didn't know."

"You couldn't. It was nice. You were a little more chatty, you laughed more easily. At some point, it felt like the old times."

He nodded. The old times. Life was hard when he was a slave but truth to be told he was rather nostalgic of this period. Everything was easier in a way. He was still a child, he was happier. He was surrounded by dear friends who no longer saw him as such.

"I'm sorry, Jellal."

He blinked. It came out of nowhere. "For what?"

She seemed hurt and lost in her thoughts. Did she had a hard time choosing the right words?

"I'm not very good... at expressing myself. But... I'm sorry because I turned a blind eye to you. When you tried to open up, I didn't really listen because... I'm scared, I think..."

"Scared?..."

"Of losing you, I guess. When you said it would be better if you died..." A pause. He remembered this day. It was the first time he saw her after seven years. She hadn't changed a bit while he was the exact opposite of who he was. He meant those words. Sometimes, he still did. But he needed to live. That's what everyone kept telling him. The only one who said she understood the feeling was Ultear. But she ended up sacrificing herself and when he saw how it broke Meredy, Gray or even himself... No. He refused do that to them.

"That day, Jellal, I... I panicked and got angry... but I shouldn't have."

"I probably needed it."

"I'm not so sure. Do you really think so? Or are you trying not to blame me?"

He didn't know to be fair. He didn't want to blame her for sure, because her reaction was understandable. But at the same time, it's true that it wasn't what he needed at this time. "I deserve it," was what he thought back then, "what a disappointment I must be to her."

"I don't know," he answered, "All I know is that I understand the way you reacted."

"Maybe it is understandable, but I stand by my point. I shouldn't have... When you said that... I remembered how you tried to cast this auto-destructive spell on yourself... or when we were younger... you'd always take the hits and whips for us and..." She looked at him, her lips trembling. "I never... I never asked myself... why you would do such a thing. I believed it was normal when it was not. When I tried to do something similiar, Natsu cried and told me how stupid I was... How we have to live for our friends..."

He turned his head to her with wide eyes. "You tried to...?"

"Fusing with Ætherion. That time."

"I see," he sighed, relieved. She frowned a little.

"But it's not about me... See how you got worried for a second? That's how I felt."

"I promised Meredy that I wouldn't leave her. Not like Ultear. So be reassured."

"It's not about doing it... It's about thinking about it in the first place. What I mean is that... we don't start thinking like this for nothing, Jellal... And I want to help you. With... everything."

They looked at each other for a moment. Until he looked away. She squeezed his hand one more time. He bit his lips again and she started stroking his hand with her thumb once more.

"I told you when I arrived... Now... everything will be different... Meredy told me how afraid she was despite the joy and excitment... I... I'm not sure but I suppose that you are too. And I want to be there for you while you face this new life."

"I... didn't really plan on changing anything... Sorano said that she'd probably join Sabertooth but... apart from her, we didn't talk about it yet."

"Well, you'll do in due time," she smiled. "But... things will change nonetheless."

"I'm not sure if I want to... I still have so much to do..."

"Like what?"

Her voice was so caring. He wasn't watching her but he could feel her gaze. She was beautiful, he knew. He didn't feel like he deserved such tenderness.

No. He had decided that he could indulge himself tonight. He needed to keep that in mind.

"Punish yourself?" she offered when he kept silent. He nodded guiltily. She didn't sigh, didn't frown. "But we defeated Zeref."

"My journey wasn't going to end after his death. Plus, I'm not the one who..." He exhaled.

"Then what else? When will you stop? Will you ever?"

"I... don't know, Erza... Nothing changed since the last time we talked about it... I know that what I do is useful but... I can't help but wonder why I do it anyway. Because I don't feel like it is. There's a difference between knowing and feeling..."

"Well..." She changed her position to feel a little more comfortable, to face him better. "Maybe it's because that's not what you need, Jellal. You need something else to feel better... All you do is punish yourself. But I think... I think you went through enough. Perhaps it's time for you to think about yourself for once."

He didn't answer. Tons of thoughts overflowing his mind. He didn't feel drunk anymore, just... discouraged.

"It doesn't have to change right now, you can take your time... You'll have to, anyway. It is not something that will improve suddenly. But like I said, I'll be there, always. Wherever you are, you won't be alone in this."

He thought about Ultear, about Erik... She wasn't wrong. He had people he could turn to if he needed. His guild, his friends. And he had her too. She was the best compagny he could ask for.

"Little by little..." she whispered. "We'll find a pace."

He nodded. He wasn't so sure how it could work out but she was right, if he still felt like he did, maybe that was because his way wasn't working. He could try hers. Step by step.

"Can I ask you one thing...?"

He looked at her. She was smiling, her eyes filled with a sad compassion. Was she doing the first step? He felt anxious but nodded nonetheless.

"Why... What made you feel this way tonight? Why did you cry in the first place?"

He was taken aback by such a simple question. He opened his mouth to close it right away. He breathed. Of course she'd ask this question. It was the reason they were outside and not partying with the others in the first place. Worst part of it was that he figured the reason why sooner but he felt so ashamed. He wasn't sure how to put it. Only Ultear and Meredy knew. And they knew because they saw it as they took him out of there. Erik probably knew because he must have heard it. But that was it. It wasn't something he wanted to talk about, not to mention it was clearly ridiculous to end up in such a state for something so trivial. It wasn't like it happened again, he just went back to the council and saw them.

Erza waited patiently as she watched him think. Erik told her to join him because he needed to talk. She knew something was up when Jellal didn't come back but his request alarmed her. He also told her to be mature for once and she'd be lying if she said she didn't take it personally. But he was right. And she knew he only could be, as he could hear Jellal. She wished she had his hearing right now.

He was bitting his lip and she wondered what was so hard to say. She imagined the most horrible scenarios. Even as a kid Jellal wouldn't go and cry. Well, she suspected that he probably did cry alone but he never left her to do so. Yet she didn't know if she should try to push him a little or just wait for his answer. She would know if he lied, so it wasn't the problem.

After a few minutes, she gently put her free hand on his arm. Maybe the question had been too sudden. But it was too late, she said it anyway. And Jellal wasn't a fragile doll either.

"It's... really. I don't know what to say, it seems stupid." He was avoiding her eyes and it worried her.

"Well, you cried. I don't think you'd cry for something stupid. No one does."

He inhaled. "You know... How we went to the Council today?"

"For some papers, I recall. Something happened?"

He shaked his head, exhaling. It was his time to squeeze her hand. She responded by repeating the gesture. She wanted to let him know that she would never judge him.

"That's it... We went there and that's it."

"That's it?" He nodded. "Just going there... made you feel this way?" He nodded again. She didn't understand. Yes, of course, it probably was stressful to go to the council after you caused its destruction and were a wanted criminal, but still. It felt like there was something more. Jellal wouldn't end up in such a state for... something so insignificant.

"And alcohol, well, multiplied it. I suppose. I wouldn't have been like that if I hadn't drank."

"Jellal."

This time she was firm. She knew him. If Erik told her to be mature, it was because something bad happened and she needed to act like an adult. He wasn't lying but he wasn't telling everything. And the fact that he tensed proved her right.

"You're not telling me everything." She tried not to sound too worried, or too harsh. "What happened?"

He let out a long sigh. Looking at the stars. Well, he had to tell her now. He didn't want to but he supposed she deserved to know. She would be even more worried if he kept it a secret.

"Nothing happened today." She opened her mouth to object but he went on. "It's about... something else..."

She stared at him and got a little closer when she saw how sorrow was filling his eyes.

"Really... I shouldn't react this way... It's not like I never went through something familiar... but... It brought some memories back..."

"Memories about...?"

"My time in... When I was imprisonned..."

It was her time to nod. She was starting to understand and she wished she was wrong but she knew she wasn't. There wasn't any other explication and it was rather logical. After what he and Ultear did... of course they'd make him pay.

She still wanted to hear him say it. Because maybe, just maybe, she was wrong. Because now all she could see was the familiarity between Jellal's behavior and hers after Tartaros. Because of course, after everything they went through, it was a reaction that was expected.

"A year, Erza," he finally whispered. His shoulders were trembling. His voice was quivering and it broke her heart. "For a year and 3 months. That's how long I stayed there– That's... that's how long they– And I couldn't even remember what I did wrong!... The," he inhaled, "The very first thing I remembered, Erza, was the punishment room–"

She felt like being stabbed multiple times. She wanted to puke. She couldn't bear it. At this moment, she hated how imaginative she was, all she saw was– Them. Them and Kyoka.

"Jellal, breathe," she pled, mostly for herself, hearing ragged breath. She closed her eyes tightly, squeezing his hands, she didn't want to let him go. She felt guilty, way too guilty. Because she sent him there. She was the one who told them to take him away. She never knew that they would do him such things. And she didn't even know to what extent these atrocities went. The punishment room, he said. Where he stayed for weeks during the revolt. Where she lost her eye. No, that was too much.

"I'm sorry. I'm–"

"Please, don't. Jellal, I beg you, don't."

They stayed like this, she was clutching on his hand like her life depended on it. She saw him trying not to cry when she opened her eyes. It wasn't fair. The situation looked like she was the one in need of comfort, as if he wasn't supposed to show too much emotions so she could let hers out. She took him in her arms, because that's what she wanted after Kyouka. To her surprise, he accepted it without a fight. He simply held her tight, burying his face in her shoulder. She kept him there. It was the first time she comforted him like this.

Some time passed, she could hear him catching his breath and feel him tremble. The last time she saw him so vulnerable was when he still had amnesia. Just before... just before she thought she'd never see him again. Just before he was arrested. She couldn't help but imagine him there... not able to remember anything yet being put through so much, too much. Was that how he felt all the time? She wasn't used to guilt and she felt miserable. In the end, she never saved him. She never got the chance to help him as much as he helped her. Tonight was another example, he had stopped crying when she arrived and now he was shivering in her arms.

"I'm sorry," he finally whispered against her skin, "For being like this and ruining the party."

She couldn't help but laugh a little and started to gently caress his back. "What are you apologizing for again... You didn't ruin anything... and you have nothing to be sorry for..."

She ran a hand through his hair. Erza wanted to comfort him. He didn't move. They remained in this position for a while. She had no idea how long but didn't care. She hoped he could feel her warmth, her care, realise that he had nothing to worry about. Not anymore.

"Erza..."

"Yes?"

He broke their embrace to look at her. He seemed tired but had a faint smile. She smiled back at him. They were both a mess.

"Thanks... for listening, even if it was just a little bit. It... I was worried that talking would... in the end..."

"But it went alright?" He nodded. "That's the most important. I'm glad..."

"You're always right. I already told you but it's true..." He sniffed a little, feeling like he just ran a marathon. He was exhausted. "Maybe I should... slow down."

"Slow down?"

"Find a way to feel better. Before doing something useful."

She smiled tenderly. All she ever wanted was for him to find peace. He could repent as much as he wanted, she knew he wouldn't progress without taking the time to heal. She herself learned the lesson after the Tower's destruction. It was never too late.

"I still want to... I still don't feel like I am the most deserving person but... I should try to work on that. I'm getting old. And tired of feeling this way... all the time."

"It won't change suddenly. It won't be easy but you won't be alone."

"I know," he smiled sheepishly, "I know now. I'm not alone anymore. Ultear probably understood that in the end... probably regretted it too... And I don't want to end like her... I have so many people who cares about me..."

It probably would sound cliché for some, but for her it was all she needed to hear. She wanted to cry. It took him long enough to understand that but she wasn't one to talk.

She took his hand and hesitated. Maybe she could...? No, she didn't want to rush things. So she decided to kiss his cheek instead. It was enough for now. The kiss surprised him and she blushed a little. He did too as he watched her for a second. He finally chuckled.

"I feel like it's the worst and best day of the last few months."

Erza laughed too, nudging his shoulder. "I hope my kiss isn't on the worst side."

"I wouldn't have said best without it."

She blushed again and put her head on his shoulder. He slid his arm around her, wiping his eyes with his free hand. The night was quiet but she still could hear sounds coming from the guild at the other side of the town. They were so loud. And that's how she loved them.

"As for me, I think it's the same. It's not as hard as it is for you but... mh, the same in a way," she hummed.

"The same?"

"Well... Of course, I'm shaken up... What you told me pains and enrages me... But... I got to see you, drink with you, laugh with you... You're a free man now and you talked to me... It was about something horrible that happened to you and I've never hated the council as much as today but... you're here... and you're ready to change, to accept this new life... To find a way to heal..."

"And... that's enough to make you feel like it's the worst day? I can understand best but..."

"In the last few months? Of course it is. I don't think you understand how precious you are to me." She closed her eyes. "Jellal... When you're hurt, so am I. I can't stand knowing you cried, I can't stand knowing what they did to you and I don't even know what they really did, I can only imagine..."

"Erza..."

She felt him tense a little. "You don't have to go into details. I think you did enough for tonight... You know, I understand how hard it can be to even talk about it... I went through it too."

"You're the first person I tell," he murmured, "The girls only knew because they saw... the consequences..."

"I see... Then, thank you for telling me. I'm touched."

He closed his eyes as well, remembering how Ultear would take care of his wounds, eyes filled with guilt. Or how Meredy always tried to encourage him to eat as much as he could, because his body couldn't receive too much food at once.

It was so long ago. So many things changed since then. Ultear was dead and Meredy officially told him she viewed him as family. Crime Sorcière grew and they got new friends along the way. They were always fighting but he wouldn't change anything. This way was perfect. Odd maybe, but perfect in its own way. And they weren't criminals anymore. Even after all they did, Queen Hisui trusted them and declared them free to go.

The world was a strange place. But that's where he was supposed to be. And he needed to be grateful.

Next to him, Erza watched him with a smile before redirecting her attention to the sky. She wondered if the others were worried or if Erik told them she was with him. Maybe he didn't even need to, maybe they knew. After all, it was only natural for her to spend time with Jellal when she got the chance to. And now that he was a legal citizen, she'd have plenty of time to do so. It made her feel content.

A part of her hoped that Jellal was an exception and that, right now, no other prisonners were suffering like he did. She didn't know what she could do if that was the case, but she was ready to fight for them. As utopist as it may sound.

After a while, she looked back at the man. Was he falling asleep?

"Jellal," she called. He responded by a mumbled yes she almost didn't catch. "Maybe we should go to my place."

This time he opened his eyes as a slight blush appeared on his cheeks. "What?"

"To sleep. I bet my bed is more comfortable than your hotel's one."

"And with what money should we rent rooms?" he smiled, "Master Makarov proposed us to sleep in the guild."

"Well. My bed is comfier than any surface the guild has. And... I suppose you don't want to go back for now? I bet everyone is either drunk or knocked out."

He seemed to think about it before nodding. "Mh, I think your place will be better."

"Alright, then let's go," she said as she stood. Offering him her hands. He took it without hesitation. "And Jellal?"

"Yes?"

"Congratulation again, for your pardon."

[girlbossminerva]

I have no idea why, but time users just have a special effect on me. Time users being Ultear (Fairy Tail) and Setsuna Meioh (Sailor Moon) after Ultear learned from her mistakes, she and Setsuna just give off the same aura, and out of all the characters, they just attract my attention, my faves they deserve the world, Setsuna is amazing, a genuinely kind spirit, right sense of justice, when she died I was bawling, but thank the gods that reincarnation exists in Sailor Moon.

Ultear could have done more if Mashima had let her do more, I'm thankful for what she's done but still, that possible character potential, he could've pulled that zeref and mavis reincarnation concept for her, after all she wanted to be anew, only way ones true sins could be gone is if they died and were reincarnated in a new body, or becoming aged up to the max just made her happy, Zeref and Mavis' reincarnation made no sense, they should've peacefully went into afterlife together, BEEN ALIVE FOR TO DAMN LONG

I haven't gotten around to watching sailor moon, but time magic/powers are certainly cool and the characters that have them tend to also have lots of potential.

Listen, i do understand from a narrative perspective that her death (or well, rapid aging and subsequent death) in a sort of "sacrifice" is a great way to complete her character arc BUT I'm petty and considering I'm not fond of the future rogue parts, i don't care it made sense AND ALSO why is she the only one in crime sorcière for whom sacrifice is the ultimate atonement?

Like Jellal's arc is, in a way, about how is better for him to live and have a purpose of destroying evil than dying because of his sins or as a sacrifice, why can't Ultear have something similar? She ends up dying and somehow ending up within time itself, why couldn't she skip the first step and end up trapped in time then been brought back somehow?

I just- her life is a fucking tragedy and I don't like that she dies at that specific moment of the story. She could've lived longer and if she must sacrifice herself, then it should be in a good battle.

[anti-gruvia-blog]

Alright, let’s dive deep into the convoluted mess that is Gray and Juvia’s relationship. Honestly, where do I even begin? First off, after the battle in the last Fairy Tail arc, Gray still didn’t give Juvia a clear answer and attempted to perform the ice shell spell, only to be interrupted by Natsu. This already sets a problematic tone because it shows Gray avoiding a straightforward conversation. During the battle, Juvia “sacrificed” herself for Gray, which Gruvians gleefully celebrate as an act of pure, selfless love. But let’s be real—her sacrifice feels more like a desperate ploy to make Gray fall for her. Her ability to turn her body into water and the potential for her blade to pierce through her makes it seem like she engineered this moment to manipulate Gray’s feelings. And then the creators have the audacity to say that the transfusion of Juvia’s blood is the reason Gray started developing feelings for her? Give me a break. That’s such a flimsy, lazy excuse for something that should have been developed organically. Juvia didn’t actually die; she was resurrected, yet Gray tells her he’ll give her an answer after embarking on a 100-year quest that he conveniently excludes her from. This reeks of poor writing and a blatant disregard for character consistency. Fast forward to the sequel, and Gray goes on this absurd 100-year quest, completely flipping his stance. Suddenly, he’s proclaiming himself as the best man for Juvia, and whenever romantic love is mentioned, he instantly thinks of her. Gruvians are over the moon, treating this as a monumental win. But let’s not forget the anti-Gruvians who point out that Gray is putting Juvia’s happiness above his own, ignoring his true feelings. This suggests that Gray doesn’t genuinely love her but feels indebted because she “sacrificed” herself—a manipulative dynamic that’s anything but healthy. To add more context, Gray has a history with other women who genuinely cared for him. Ur, his teacher and mentor, sacrificed herself to free him from darkness, and Ultear, Ur’s daughter, also gave her life for him. Both of these women truly cared for Gray without any ulterior motives. Meanwhile, Juvia’s actions—overstepping boundaries, forcing herself on him, making creepy dolls of his likeness, using his image in inappropriate ways, trying to get into his bed, and moving in without consent—are nothing short of toxic. These are not signs of healthy affection but rather clear indicators of obsession and disrespect for his personal space and feelings. Gray has been burdened with immense guilt from losing Ur and Ultear, leading to survivor’s guilt. When another woman like Juvia “sacrifices” herself and then is brought back to life, it feels like Gray is compelled to repay that sacrifice by giving in to her advances. Every time he talks about Juvia in those scenes, it doesn’t feel like he’s expressing genuine love but rather trying to repay a debt, further highlighting the unhealthy nature of their relationship. If, by some stretch, Gray is genuinely in love with Juvia after all this time of rejection, then it’s atrocious writing. The writers have completely altered Gray’s character to fit a romantic narrative that was never there to begin with, solely to appease the Gruvia shippers. This new Gray is inconsistent, shallow, and undermines the strong moral compass he was known for. It’s infuriating to see his character assassinated in such a way, especially when the relationship is built on so many red flags that were previously dismissed or ignored.

What’s even more disheartening is that more people aren’t discussing how bad this writing is and how it ruins Gray’s character. Instead, the focus remains on glorifying a toxic relationship that overlooks all the boundaries Juvia has blatantly ignored. Gray deserves better—a portrayal that respects his character’s integrity and acknowledges the unhealthy dynamics at play. It’s time to call out this poor storytelling for what it is and demand more thoughtful character development that doesn’t sacrifice integrity for fan service.

[nanyallen13]

The hypocrisy of Gruvia haters

(Sorry for my bad english)

Disclaimer : I’m not talking about all the people who don’t like Gruvia. You can ship and not ship whatever you want. Sometimes, even myself don’t like popular ship or I don’t understand why people ship them and that’s okay. You can be unconfortable with a ship, that’s your right because it’s your feelings. As a Gruvia shipper, i respect that you don’t like Gruvia if you respect that I like it and don’t come in our tags to spit your hate.

But today, I’m talking specially of people who hate Gruvia because they ship Gray with another character.

I ship Gruvia for nearly 10 years and I’ve been on Tumblr since 2013. So believe me, I saw a lot of bullsh*t here. That’s how I witnessed a lot of hypocrisy from theses haters and I identified mainly 3 patterns :

These haters decide what’s romantic or not based on their preference.

Gray died for Juvia twice, she was litteraly the last person he thought of before nearly dying (and appeared like a beautiful angel in his mind), he comforts her, he explicitly says he wants to protect her no matters what the cost, he makes sure to always be with her (« I’m here Juvia »), she’s the only person who can make Gray smile when he’s feeling down, she’s the only person who saw him cry openly in her arms because he trust her enough,  Gray says that Juvia is his world, that Juvia is his power to live, he thinks of her as « romantic love », he wants to become a better man to be with her, he said several time that Juvia was « his », he explicitly said that he doesn’t hate Juvia and was grateful to having her at his side (I’m sure I forgot others moments, there are so many)

Theses haters : Gray hates Juvia ! Gruvia has no development ! Gray has no romantic feeling towards Juvia !

But when Gray and Lucy stood next to each other, these same people believe it’s a romantic moment ! Okay Gray said once that Lucy was a cute girl (because she is ❤), but he also friendzoned her at several occasions and act like a brother. 

In his mind, she’s like Wendy, a little sister, when Juvia is guess what ? The woman he loves !

(Also remember that’s Stone Age omake ? Every men was sexually attracted to Lucy, except Gray and Gajeel. And guess who was Gray attracted to ? Juvia !)

So remember, by these haters’ logic : if you stand next someone, it’s true love. If you found a person cute, it’s means you love them romantically (omg, I guess I love at least 10 person at the same time lmao). But if you die to protect someone who means the world to you, it means you hate this person !

These haters loves to say Gray is  OOC when he’s romantic with Juvia.

Just say you don’t want him to be romantic with Juvia and go lol. You don’t have to act like you know the characters better than the author (you know, the one who created them ?) just because you ship the guy with another girl.

Speaking about Gray being OOC, I love when these people act like this :

Gray developps feelings towards Juvia during the entire manga, Gruvia is the most developped ship on panel, Gray is more and more open about his feelings because it’s in the logic of his character arc (it’s called growth, a character whith no developpment isn’t a good character).

These haters : Gray is OOC !

The same haters : (make Gray acts the same way towards another girl who he had 0 romantic developpment during the entire manga) It’s true love !

Friendly reminders that Gray isn’t a Don Juan who will openly flirt with Lucy or another girl, no matters how much you convinced yourself.

It’s canon that Gray has no experience in dating and Juvia is the first girl he has a romantic dveloppment with.

So remember, by these haters logic : if a character doesn’t act the way you want or fall in love with the girl you want, it’s because the author doesn’t undestrand them. Everyone knows that you are the only person on Earth who understand this character you didn’t even create !

These haters say that Gruvia isn’t romantic, but stole Gruvia moments for their own ship

This one makes me laugh the most. It’s a common thing in fandom, because I saw it in others ship wars. The haters will say a ship isn’t romantic but will used romantic moments of said ship for their own.

With Gruvia, I saw a lot of other ship use Mashima drawing and replace Juvia’s face with another girl’s. So I don’t understand ? If Gruvia isn’t romantic, why are you stealing their moment for your own ship ? What logic is that ?

I remember a Gray and Ultear shipper who was a massive Gruvia hater. One day, this person hated on Juvia because « she killed Gray’s father so she was a horrible person who didn’t deserve him ».

So okay, let’s ignore the fact that :

Silver was already dead. He was just a living corpse under the influence of the necromancer.

Juvia had no other choice, because she had to kill that necromancer to save the world

Juvia was heartbroken because she knew it would kill Gray’s dad. But guess who ask her to do it anyway ? Gray’s dad ! Silver wanted to die !

Juvia was so heartbroken that she was ready to give up her love for Gray. And guess who stopped her ? Gray himself because he was glad he didn’t have to kill his father himself ! Gray didn’t want Juvia’s love to go away, he needed her !

Anyway… This hater had found a new pretext to hate on Juvia. When, several week later, this same person make a AU where Ultear is the one to kill Silver, stealing a Gruvia moment.

So by this person logic : Juvia is a bitch because she was forces to kill the father of the man she loves to save the wolrd. But when another girl do it, it’s tragic and romantic ?

Like, are you dumb ? Or are you one of Earth’s biggest hypocrite ?

So in conclusion : it’s okay if you don’t like Gruvia dynamic. But in that case don’t use this dynamic for shipping Gray with another character.

[cc-fairytail-s-class-men]

An Honest Talk [Jellal & (OC) Kaito, Drabble]

// with @ofstowaways​

“Thanks for your help before, Kaito, I’ll send payment to you shortly. My guild is technically hiring you as a client would after all,” Jellal spoke towards Fairy Tail’s Ice Dragon Slayer. Despite not officially joining Fairy Tail, he was considered to share the same heart, for him to pretend to be Mystogan during the Grand Magic Games too.

“I would have helped you out even without payment, we are friends, Jellal,” Kaito replied. Working for an independent guild like Jellal’s just meant fewer council formalities and paperwork, which was a nice change of pace at times. But this was also his chance to get more gossip about Jellal and Erza, everyone was eagerly waiting for them to become finally official.

“How is Erza?” Jellal asked him, since Kaito was pretty close with her. Kaito was very disappointed at that question, their relationship shouldn’t still be at such an early stage, did they get into a fight?

“Honestly I’ve been so busy with S Class jobs to check up on her lately, I should be asking you since you have late night talks with her, right?” Kaito replied with a frown. He had been lenient and empathetic towards Jellal’s complex circumstance, but it had been way too long, so he dropped his politeness to get to the point. “What are you doing, Jellal? You and Erza should not still be in limbo after so long.”

“I don’t know, I guess I am content with how things are,” Jellal replied shortly. He really didn’t want to talk about it, because he didn’t really have an answer for it. He enjoyed spending time with Erza, that had not changed, but he knew Ezra wanted more. Staying like this was safe, they could stay close but not expect anything more of each other, or so he thought.

“Alright, then let me ask you this. And be honest with me here, what are you so afraid of moving forward? The commitment?” Kaito asked him bluntly, not wanting to beat around the bush this time. By the time he finished talking with Jellal, he intended to have a clear answer for himself, and Erza too by extension.

Kaito’s bluntness really cut him on the inside, but Jellal knew he deserved it after stalling for so long. “Yeah, I’m worried I would not be a good boyfriend or husband to her. We both are masters of our own guilds and lead busy lives, we barely talk when we can, I don’t want to lose what we have if I take that risk with her forward…”

“Stop being a coward, making excuses to justify your inaction...” Kaito almost growled at Jellal, with a brief flash of Dragon Force showering in his eyes. Erza was a good friend to him, he had been patient enough waiting for Jellal to make his move, but not anymore. But instead of just being angry, the Ice Dragon Slayer opened up about himself, because they happened to be quite similar in their tragic pasts.

“Years ago during my S Class promotion trials, I almost killed Vivienne @crystaldragonslayer​ when I lost control of my Dragon Force, Erza was there too. And because of my guilt, we never got along and even hated each other, until I got the help I needed to redeem myself and atone, and finally forgive myself first. I left the guild to train, and kept my distance and stayed away on long jobs too, but I came back to give our friendship a fresh start,” he explained. “For better or worse, we confessed to each other and then started dating. And I’m glad we did, it would have been awkward for Lucy as a new member if we haven’t resolved our issues before then. To this day we still manage despite going on separate S Class jobs, because we make the effort to continue to love each even with the distance. My point is, you can have that too, if you give it a chance and put in the effort.”

Kaito could see the main problem here, Jellal was too scared to even try, and Erza deserved better than that. “Yes, you hurt her. But you were controlled by Ultear under the guise of Zeref, and Erza to this day does not blame you for it. Ultear even took responsibility for what she did, even though she was manipulated in her own way as well. We all make mistakes, but that was not one you made consciously.” He related it to Jellal’s own case, but he was not done yet.

“The fact that you would rather do security for my wedding than join it alongside Erza. You should have seen her face when we passed wedding dresses while we were returning from a job together, she longs to get married one day. Why do you think Shiro sent you two on a free wedding themed photo shoot? I do not condone his methods, but his heart is in the right place, we all just want you two to be happy.” Kaito was testing Jellal too during his wedding preparations back then, and that was another sign he could not ignore later. Yes his troublesome Exceed partner Shiro was making things difficult that day, but they would have managed even without Jellal being involved, his guild was there too.

“You need to have an honest talk about things with Erza like I have with you just now. Tell her how you feel, and what you are willing to commit to. And be prepared for the possibility, that she may not share the same feelings for you anymore because you kept her waiting too long. You either commit to her properly or set her free so someone better can.”

Kaito’s honestly really hit him hard, Jellal had no idea how similar they were with what they went through, especially dealing with their guilt and atoning for it. He really had no excuse for stalling for so long, he had plenty of time to make amends and to at least try something with Erza. But he let his fears get the better of him, he needed to hear that harsh truth, and to take responsibility especially if Erza did not feel the same way about him anymore.

“Yeah, I know, sorry. Thank you, Kaito. I believe that is just what I needed to hear to move forward, Erza deserves my honesty as well. So I will talk to her about things soon, I promise. And I will decide by then, if I am ready to commit to her as she deserves. For now, I have a lot to think about,” Jellal replied. There was no more procrastinating about this anymore, he really had to decide soon.

“I’ll leave it you it then, and do it soon. If you don’t, we’ll have to have another talk. And let me assure you, you will like it less than the one we just had,” Kaito gave one last warning to Jellal before leaving, hopefully Erza didn’t have to wait much longer to get her answer.

// yes, I used my OC to push forward my Jellal (muse), lmao

[pencilofawesomeness]

Fics I Absolutely Adore and Would Recommend to Anyone

I’ve been meaning to do this for a long, long time, because I love reading fanworks and they deserve a lot of love and I love sharing things that I love. 

Obviously this isn’t everything, and if it’s not on this list that doesn’t mean I don’t love it, it just means I forgot at this moment. I will be adding to the list and I remember things or come across it again. (Trying to sort through my bookmarks and subscriptions is like trying to catch a fish bare-handed.) I’m also gonna shy away from the one-shots, even though I adore fun one-shots, just for the sake of organization. The list would be super long otherwise, and those are best sorted by fandom. Here... Here are just some brilliant works I want to rant about. 

Disclaimer: I say “recommend” because I would recommend these works, any time any place, but do keep in mind the story’s rating and tags and stuff. Not everything is kid-friendly.

There is absolutely no hierarchy to the list below. They are added as I add.

Fairy Dance of Death

by Catsy ( @fairydanceofdeath​ )

Fandom: Sword Art Online Word Count: 660,282 Status: ongoing

「AU reboot of the entire SAO storyline, beginning from the premise that Kayaba Akihiko was obsessed with magic and Norse Mythology rather than swords and pure melee. As a result, he created the Death Game of Alfheim Online rather than the floating castle of Aincrad—a world in which player-killing is not a crime, and the nine player races are in competition with each other to reach the top of the World Tree. Multi-POV epic following the stories of multiple canon characters throughout the game.」

If Catsy wrote the SAO light novels and anime, SAO would be among the legendary series. Fairy Dance of Death has this amazingly simple premise of making Alfheim Online, the video game from the original series’ less-than-stellar second part, the game that the main cast becomes trapped in. However, it’s so much more. They took the characters and made them characters, and everyone gets ample spotlight—even background characters that normally wouldn’t receive a second thought. It’s masterful work, and to boot, there is a lovely frame of in-game mystery and player conflict. The organization is phenomenal and I aspire to world-build the way they did. Not to mention that stakes are so much higher and this series has ripped my heart to shreds more than once. 

It has also brought me great joy, and even when I was in the dumps and didn’t want to read anything, a FDOD update made me pick up my phone and read when I otherwise wouldn’t have. It has a really special place in my heart. It updates once in a blue moon, but that’s okay. 

Even if you have never seen a single piece of Sword Art Online, Fairy Dance of Death is still a great read. In fact, it’s the Better Version of SAO, if we’re all being honest, so I would especially recommend it if you hadn’t seen the original. Or if you have. The characters are given so much love and detail, to the point where Fairy Dance of Death’s characterizations are More Canon to me than Kawahara Reki’s work. It is just a beautiful piece of fiction, and it makes you question the depravity of man on levels that SAO shied away from. 

Poisoned Dreams

by StrangeDiamond

Fandom: Genshin Impact Word Count: 82,852 Status: Complete, with a complete sequel and more to come

「 Every night now, Diluc dreams of death. Usually Kaeya's. In between these nightmares his life is falling apart. It doesn't take Kaeya long to realize that this is something much more insidious than simple bad dreams. His brother's life and sanity are on the line and there is nothing Kaeya won't do to save him. Bonus chapter added.」

In a growing fandom from a new game, StrangeDiamond swooped in and characterized these bad boys so well I think it’s canon. It really breathes life into the video game lore, and it’s an A+ depiction of awkward sibling re-bonding post-Terrible-Happenings. Poisoned Dreams can be read alone with a basic understanding of Genshin storybuilding, but StrangeDiamond has an entire group of fics and oneshots set in the same headcanon, and they integrate them really well and subtly together. Not to mention that the narrative style is really clever with making you question what is real and what is dream (a big point in this story) and the inner voices of the point-of-view characters are very compelling. 

One Word to Change the World

by AgentMalkere 

Fandom: Fairy Tail Collective Word Count: 43,988 (30 parts) Status: probably never coming back

「 In just one universe, Ultear called out to her mother instead of turning away and the fate of Fairy Tail and the world was irrevocably altered. These are glimpses of a world where a single word made all the difference.

In other words, welcome to the Butterfly Effect - Fairy Tail style. 」

It’s a really cute canon-divergent, and while the series makes no attempt to re-write Fairy Tail, it addresses the major events and just snippets in between. It does a good job at giving the vast cast ample spotlight, but it’s also an easy read. It’s special to me because it was the series that made me really pay attention to Bickslow in particular, and I respect that.

Vigilantis Pretium Libertatis

by aradian_nights 

Fandom: Attack on Titan Word Count: 399,226 Status: Complete

「 Five years ago, an accident freed Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Arlelt from an experiment that forced the most extraordinary powers onto them. After five years of separation, of being raised apart to be heroes by a set of three very different adults, they meet again. As they uncover the truth behind their captivity they realize being free and being heroes are sadly nothing but an illusion. 」

This wrecked me.

I still remember when I read it. It was the beginning of 2018, and I had the flu and a lot of time on my hands, so I binge-read this. It was simultaneously the best and the worst thing I have ever done, because I resonated with it so deeply there were times I was just staring up at the ceiling wondering what was real. I empathized with the characters to a level I rarely achieve, and I empathize easily. I laughed. I cried. It was amazing.

I refer to this story in conversation to this day. It handled themes published authors have only dreamed of achieving. Heck, if Dani (the author) took out the names of the AoT cast and replaced it with new ones, it could be its own stand alone novel. It is worldbuilding from the ground up, and any fandom knowledge you take in with you is used against you like a knife leveraged against your throat. Yet, no one is out of character. It’s phenomenal. I would say more, but this is something I daren’t spoil for anybody, because you must be as wrecked as I was. Vigilantis Pretium Libertatis is a level of writing I achieve to gain as a writer myself. It is a masterpiece in every sense of the word.

Life in Glass Houses

by blueskyscribe ( @blueskyscribe​ )

Fandom: Transformers (Transformers Prime, Transformers: Shattered Glass) Word Count: 119,900 Status: Ongoing (maybe, I hope)

「 No one would have thought Bumblebee and Knock Out were capable of getting along, but when they're stuck in a strange new world and their only hope of survival is cooperation . . . Yeah, they're probably doomed. 」

I could be biased because Knock Out and Bumblebee are two of my favorite characters, but it really is brilliant. Two enemies, stuck together—but not in an overly cliché way. It’s the right amount of cliché, with heaps moral conflict and inner conflict and sometimes just beating each other with a broom when no one is looking. It’s also a fascinating look into what makes a character the way they are in relation to the morals they possess, and how stalwart those morals can be. I can’t help but think of this story whenever I see or write a “role reverse” or mirror-verse AU. It does an excellent job at making all of the characters engaging and their own character, despite being in a mirror-verse.

Yesterday Upon the Stair

by PitViperOfDoom ( @pitviperofdoom​ )

Fandom: My Hero Academia Word Count: 424,070 Status: Complete

「 Midoriya Izuku has always been written off as weird. As if it's not bad enough to be the quirkless weakling, he has to be the weird quirkless weakling on top of it.

But truthfully, the "weird" part is the only part that's accurate. He's determined not to be a weakling, and in spite of what it says on paper, he's not actually quirkless. Even before meeting All-Might and taking on the power of One For All, Izuku isn't quirkless.

Not that anyone would believe it if he told them. 」

As a person who normally doesn’t read these kind of minor canon divergences, especially at the time of reading, I frickin’ love this fic. In fact, I think YUTS gave me a deep appreciation for canon divergence fics. It’s MHA in all of its glory but it’s so much more, and even the parts that rehash canon give new light to the characters and their points of view. 

I had read Viper’s work before and saw Yesterday Upon the Stair filling my inbox, and then I finally watched My Hero Academia. It was one of the first MHA fics I read and it still has a very special place in my heart. I recommend this series to people who don’t even watch MHA; in fact, there are some who might prefer the darker tones and themes of heroism vs apathy to the main series. Not to mention the writing style is phenomenal, and I aspire to be that good. It made me laugh. It made me cry. Yes, tears streaming down my face crying. It is the best ghost story I have ever read.

the Vantage Point Universe

by Aggie2011 ( @aggie2011whoop​ )

Fandom: The Avengers (MCU) Collective Word Count: 1,032,651 (35 parts) Status: Ongoing (just slowed down)

「 Six months after the Loki incident, Clint isn't adjusting well. When an enemy from his days in the Army comes back to haunt him, he'll be forced to face a part of his past - and to move past Loki, if he has a hope of finding his place with the Avengers. (First of a universe created to center around Clint Barton) 」

// description taken from first installment

Have you enjoyed the MCU, especially the first-era Avengers phase, but like me, were disappointed in the fact that Hawkeye was barely there? The VP universe is for you. 

I honestly have a hard time remembering what was canon and what was VP. And if it’s not canon, it should be. The VP universe gave so much life to Clint and to Natasha and to all of SHIELD and even the rest of the Avengers. It’s just...so good. It’s completely immersive. It focuses a lot on Hawkeye and Black Widow from before the Avengers team-up, as well as after, and it all flows together so beautifully. Not to mention that I can be reading a mission that happened pre-series, so I know that they are going to live with all of their limbs, and I still sit there on the edge of my seat the whole time.

The OCs, minor as they are, that are created for this are also wonderfully done. I can’t believe Dan and Phil don’t exist in canon. Every character, canon or no, is engaging and dynamic, it is a pleasure to follow each point of view. The emotional turmoil is also handled very well, and the VP universe carries the MCU trend of humanizing its heroes and takes it so much further. 

Ghosts of the Future

by Evan Stanley ( @evanstanleyportfolio​ )

Fandom: Sonic the Hedgehog Word Count: comic (18 issues) Status: ongoing

「 About 200 years in the future, Silver the Hedgehog is an average kid living in San Francisco... except for his strange and terrible dreams of a dying Blue Hedgehog, a Black Hedgehog, and mysterious gems called "Chaos Emeralds". What will he do, when these "figments of his imagination" appear before him in his real life? 」

// description taken from first installment

Okay so this is the only one that isn’t an Ao3 story, but rather a comic on DeviantArt. However, it is still one of my favorite stories. Even though it takes the commonalities of Sonic canon and turns them on its head, GotF really treats the characters well. There are enough familiar world elements to create intrigue, but it is set in a completely different take of the future, so there is ample opportunity for world building and being able to engage with a completely new thing. I wish SEGA put as much love in the series (namely the games, because the comics are *chef’s kiss*) and all of its possibilities as creators like Evan Stanley do.

The friendship and family relationships in GotF are so diverse and all so fantastic to witness. It’s a keynote example of the new hero and the old veterans, and both parties are active and trying their best.

Do not be alarmed by the starting art style. Sure, it’s rough around the edges at first, but then it gets better, and then it gets gorgeous, and then you’re left there so stunned that it looks like just life canon art. And then you could be like me, blinking slowly as my small brain finally connected that this Evan Stanley is in fact the Evan Stanley. GotF is an amazing fanwork, but she also draws and writes for the Official Canon comics (the IDW ones now) and that work is also phenomenal and should be supported. 

Whirlwind

by Lynse ( @ladylynse​ )

Fandom: Danny Phantom, American Dragon: Jake Long, Miraculous Ladybug, Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja Word Count: 75,556 Status: Complete

「 Jake should be used to ominous predictions by now. Randy should know better than to blindly follow McFist. Adrien should think twice before sneaking away. And Danny really should've expected something like this when he got that phone call from Jake. (Secret Quartet fic) 」

I have to start by saying that I adore all of Lynse’s fics, and I chose this one simply because it is one of my favorites. But it’s all fantastic, one hundred percent. I also love Mirrored, the sort-of prequel to this fic, but Whirlwind just has the chaotic pure bean energy that each of the shows bring and it foils against each other so perfectly. This is the epitome of the Secret Quartet crossover, truly.

All fandoms and all characters get ample love, and the way the reader gets to see just how badly the characters’ assumptions are going is positively wonderful. It’s so easy to fall into the “I know what’s happening and so do the characters” trap, but Lynse leaps over it gracefully and lands in greatness. The fic had me smiling like a maniac one minute, and feeling sorry for my babies the next. Wonderful. Simply fantastic!

[ftconfessions1]

I really can't understand why characters as a villain is so powerful but when they become good person their powers be like "puff it's gone"

Juvia, Jellal/Gerard, Ultear, Meredy, Minerva...

They didn't get very powerful moments they deserved. We know they are OP but we can't see it in wars. They have a lot of potential.

For example Juvia. When she was in Phantom Lord she can use hot water. Creator introduced her as a strong wizard and Juvia of the Great Sea. She can even control blood if she practice because blood has a water in it. But when she went to good side. We can only see "water slicer" "water nebula" and unison raid. Don't get me wrong she is my favorite character but she deserved much better then this.

There are a lot of OP character who beaten up by Fairy Tail, became good side and became much weaker than their villain version.

My English is very bad. But I tried my best. ⭐

make sure to read the rules, question box is open until i get more confessions! :D

[6]

What do you think about this?? Agree or Disagree?

[takoyakitenchou]

hi i loved your nalu fic for the winter wonderland! can you write something for jellal x erza please? ty in advance!

thanks for the ask, anon!

in which jellal believes he doesn’t deserve to live but erza knows that’s just bullshit. essentially a revamp of episode 154, すれ違った時間の分だけ (only enough time to pass by one another). i’m ignoring the 100YQ arc in this one

Erza Scarlet watched the Fairy Tail members writhing on the ground as Ultear oversaw the process of surfacing their Second Origins and gave a sympathetic smile, thanking Mavis not for the first time that she already exerted full control over her concealed power.

When she looked up, her eyes met his dark green ones, some muted shade of emerald that wasn’t quite piercing but still managed to understand her soul like no one else could. Jellal was standing with his arms crossed, chin tucked halfway to his chest as he peered at her through ridiculously long eyelashes. He motioned with a subtle jerk of his head. “Will you walk with me?”

Erza nodded and fell into step beside him as they began making their way down the shore; her in her bare feet, him in his thick boots. They were walking close enough to the water that the tide lapped at their ankles, but neither seemed to mind. 

“I thought I’d never see you again,” she said once they could no longer hear Natsu bellowing at the top of his dragon lungs.

Jellal stopped, hands in his pockets, and turned to face her. “I didn’t think so either. I really thought I’d die without getting to give you a proper goodbye.” He shook his head like he was trying to clear the possibility from his mind. “Even now, after being free for long enough to found my own independent guild, I’m afraid we’ll lose each other somehow.”

“You know, even if we spend the rest of our lives together, it’s impossible to have a goodbye we’re actually satisfied with. We could have a thousand, no, a million years and even then we’d lament everything we didn’t get.” Erza gave him a sad smile. “That’s how it is for people like us.”

“Too much to do and not enough time,” he agreed. “But would you spend the rest of your life with me if I asked?”

“Would I?” 

Jellal shook his head again. “You wouldn’t. I can’t join Fairy Tail, or any legitimate guild for the matter, and I’d never ask you to give up the family you have there.”

With a half-hearted chuckle, Erza noted dryly, “Imagine us being long distance.”

“I’d love that,” he admitted. “Maybe in the future. When everything settles down.”

“Is that a promise? Don’t get my hopes up if it isn’t.”

“I’ll take you on a date if Fairy Tail wins the GMG,” Jellal suggested, a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.

Erza scoffed as a brave attempt to hide how her heart had immediately started beating quintuple time. “O-oh, please. There’s no way we’re going to lose. But hey, all the more reason to go full force.”

“Come on, Erza. If you’re going to pull out some obscenely high-grade armor just to impress me, you don’t need to; I’m already more than impressed with you. But don’t forget, I still need you to check up on the dark magic source. Stay focused. Our relationship comes after everything else.”

Which is why we can’t be together, Erza thought grimly. But maybe it’s better that way.

At least for now.

“What makes you think I’m not focusing? I have twelve brains.”

Jellal laughed at this, and the melodious quality of his genuine mirth seemed to soothe Erza as much as the gentle evening breeze. Her stress began to dissipate with the realization that as long as he was striving through this broken world like he’d never again see the light of day, she could—and would—do the same, if only to meet him at the end.

Because, in her own way, that was love, right?