Indian Summer Illusion: New residents, New villain, New anniversary [Video open/Action closed]

[fairysoul]

A [Video/Open to all]

[Mavis is sitting by the lake in Fayren.]

August is a great month of the year, isn't it?

[She sounds dreamy, and she might be blushing a little.]

I would have liked to be able to tell him that.

[She suddenly realizes the feed is open. She blinks and then simply smiles.] I've heard people celebrate anniversaries by offering something that corresponds to the number of years. Like... 50 years corresponds to gold, 60 years correspond to diamonds,... But I couldn't find a book about it.

Could one of you help me figure out what 3 years mean?


B [Text message - Private to Fayren's deputies + Moon Knight]
I believe you all saw this. Qubine, the villain in question is the guy who made the recent anonymous posts against heroes and guardians. I wanted to inform you that Aizawa - and probably some of his students - is going to be moving to Fairy Haven, for his protection. This means we need to be careful and keep an eye out for this villain.

According to the information I could gather, he's a human male, he has light blue hair and a disembodied hand covering his face. Though I suspect it's mostly a way to hide his true identity when actin as a villain, so he might not wear the hand all the time. Let me know if you notice any new arrival who'd match this description.


C [Action - Open to all Fairy Haven's residents/employees/regulars and to Aizawa, Bakugou and whoever they decide to bring with them]
[Mavis is waiting by the entrance of Fairy Haven. She's watching the horizon intently. Suddenly, she claps her hands happily and turns around.]
Mira! Erza! I think I see them! Want to come with me and show them their new 'classroom' and their beds in the dorms? Tatlyn and Zeref, you're welcome to come too.
[Though she's not sure Zeref will want to.]
[[Edit OOC note: feel free to threadjack any action thread you want.]]

Comments

C, Action

[fairysoul]

[She smiled reassuringly, without actually looking at him.] I won't.

There's few important decisions I ever came to regret in my life.

Thank you for being here to greet them. [Of course, she insisted but still.]

[deathsought]

I am not as kind as you, Mavis. If he proves to be a problem, I will not be so forgiving.

{ She knows whom he is talking about. }

Hot-headed children, I can deal with. I have one for a brother. Natsu has changed remarkably little since his childhood. What I won't abide are threats to you or everything we've built here.

Besides, I'm eager to see for myself if Aizawa's 'quirk' can dispel the Curse.

[fairysoul]

[She plants a soft kiss on his cheek.] Yes, but remember what we discussed when you moved in with me.

This is my guild. This is Fairy Tail.

It doesn't work by the same rules as Alvarez does and can't be ruled the same way.

If the situation was reversed I'd follow your lead. But here you have to trust me.

[She paused.]

It might. But it would only work temporarily anyway. And Aizawa should know about the risk before being exposed to it.

[deathsought]

Be thankful for his sake that this isn't Alvarez. Mages have been stripped of their magic and sent to the lacrima crystal mines for less.

{ Zeref frowned, his eyes still scanning the streets. }

I promise nothing if he attacks me or you. Only that he won't suffer.

[fairysoul]

[She nods.] I still think of that time when I thought I was the empress of Alvarez. Sometimes.

[She sighs.] Just promise to take it outside. [Just like she had the others promise too.

She's starting to think having the heroes at Fairy Haven is going to be even more complicated that she had predicted.]

[deathsought]

As do I.

{ A beat, before Zeref finally turns back to Mavis. }

So you don't value his life.

{ Good. She's learning. Zeref says nothing about the promise; if it ever got to that point, Bakugo wouldn't be worth the effort, anyway. This is why he hates managing anything beyond a war effort; he left the politics to Invel and Minister Yajeel, and dealing with the Twelve to August.

If she were Empress, maybe that would be different. But as it stood, his singular focus had been dying, and Neo-Eclipse, in that order. Anything else - especially herding cats in Alvarez - was secondary. }

Aizawa had better have as short of a leash on him as I think he does. I was rather enjoying the peace and quiet.

[fairysoul]

[She smiles.] I've been thinking of August, too. I would have liked him to know he had been named after my favorite months.

[She quirks an eyebrow.] What made you think otherwise? I wouldn't have invited them here if I did. [Curse of contradiction's logic.] I just did what I thought I had to do. As guild master and as guardian.

[Of course, she knows her lesson. Mavis is nothing if not a fast learner. And this lesson is kind of vital. Sometimes, she almost feels that Zeref still underestimates her. Like he did during the war.

She turns away.] That's why I offered you a position at the book store, remember?

[deathsought]

He looked just like you when he was younger. He had your eyes and your hair.

{ The only reason he didn't put it together himself was that he had believed it was literally impossible. She was dead. There was simply no way she could have been carrying his child. He didn't even consider the possibility when he inevitably learned that Mavis was alive... sort of... and could, in theory, be released from the crystal. }

The same reason you choose to live with your guild and invited me here, then? { That by knowing the risks and choosing to ignore them, thereby willingly putting the lives of Fairy Tail members in danger, she was paradoxically protecting them from her own Curse activating? }

I might just be tempted to put in some overtime.

[fairysoul]

Did he? I wish... I could have known him. For real. [Not just through the event. And on that regard, she's jealous of Zeref, more that he knows.] I wonder if people who are not native of Genessia can, too...

Sort of. Still for you, it's different. Because I'm the only one who could kill you. And if I did, I would die too. [She briefly squeezes his hand. It's both a very sweet and a terrible thing to say. At the same time.]

As long as you don't start asking to be paid extra.

[deathsought]

There is always the remote possibility that he could appear here, as well. { He'd certainly prefer him to almost anybody else in the Twelve. Only Invel was a close second. } I should just warn you that if he appears here, he would be even less tolerant of threats towards you or myself. There was nobody in Alvarez more loyal to me than him.

{ He may have been the most gentle, reasonable, and approachable member of the Twelve, but he was also the type to reduce an entire country's population to zero just because Zeref had ordered it, even if he took no pleasure in doing so. }

I know. I learned how to end the Curse in the worst possible way, that day. At that point, the only thing I had left to live for was the hope that E.N.--... Natsu could kill me, as well. { And if that didn't work... } I doubt it. But, I suppose I've been proven wrong about other things here, before.

I'm paid a weekly salary. I can't ask to be paid more. I get paid the same whether I work forty hours, or four.

[fairysoul]

I guess, but honestly it would be quite improbable he would appear here as a kid. [Which is what she misses, what she would have liked to live.]

You doubt it? You doubt people who are not born in Genessia can have kids too here? [She stops. Oh.] You were talking about the Curse weren't you?

[She sticks her tongue out.] It was a joke. And for your information, weekly salaries can be increased. If the shop owner decides so.

[deathsought]

{ ... Oh. That's what she meant... well, he feels embarrassed, now. }

I'm not aware of anyone who has tried. But in all my years here, I've not heard of a single case of that happening. { So, he kind of does doubt that, too. Surely it would have happened at least once, otherwise. }

Well, I have no need for more money. I've gotten quite good at saving it, over the centuries.

[fairysoul]

[She shrugs.] Yes, me neither. You're probably right.

[She just bites her lip for a bit, before smiling as if nothing happened.]

I'm sure you have.

[deathsought]

{ Zeref glances upwards, towards the sun, noting its position in the sky. }

They'll be here soon, right?

[fairysoul]

Mmm Mmm.