[ Action/Video ] (A bit backdated!)

[celestial_wizard]

[ Shortly after dropping Satsuki in a ditch somewhere (read: going their separate ways), Lucy and Natsu continued on to drop off their bounty to get their pay before heading home. Lucy deliberately picked a path that skirted away from where the building that the guild was supposed to be in, was. In fact, the apartment she'd picked out was even further away from the guild building than the inn was.

Speaking of apartments - she tucked the cloaks she received under an arm (or passed them over to Natsu if he wanted to hold them for a moment) and turned on her device, the video feed showing a slightly scuffed up but smiling blonde. ]

Those smugglers that were harassing the unicorns were taken care of - thankfully. Hopefully no one else gets it in their head to bother them- and hopefully the unicorns themselves have learned their lesson about going near people. I'm sure they did. Anyway, got some neat new magic cloaks out of the mission - that was a nice surprise!

Oh, Wendy, Levy, just thought I'd let you know, but I've moved out of the Inn. I'm staying in an apartment on the edge of town.

[ So if they go looking for her at the Inn and don't see her, that'd be why. That'd also be why a certain other Dragonslayer won't be there. That message passed, she closed the phone and tucked it into her pocket before glancing at her partner. ]

Before we head back, I want to stop and pick up some things. [ Bandages and such mainly. For obvious reasons. ]

Comments

[celestial_wizard]

I know that. [ She chuckled faintly. ]

Um... Nevermind. Rock, Paper, Scissors is fine...! [ Having a repeat of what happened with the pockey again would be a tttttttttteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrible idea, surely. He can't have her pocky! ]

[explodewiththerage]

Alright you're on!

[Natsu says and quickly takes a pose to get ready for the decisive round.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ So it would come down to something that relied purely on luck, rather than strength or intelligence. She held up her hand. ]

Ready... Rock, Paper, Scissors and.. ~!

[ She throws out Scissors! ]

[explodewiththerage]

[Lucky Lucy thought she had the advantage didn't she? Problem is Natsu knows how she thinks. And ends up picking the same thing anyway as he throws down scissors too.]

...

[celestial_wizard]

[ She did! And... she's caught off guard by her partner throwing down scissors. ]

...

Ah... ahahaha, that..

[ Gotta be a fluke. ]

Let's try that again. One, two, three and --

[ Come on Rock! Faithful steady rock! ]

[explodewiththerage]

Y-Yeah just a fluke.

[And yet after three times moving his hand he throws down....rock as well]

[celestial_wizard]

... ...

[ Okay this is definitely getting weird. She eyed him suspiciously. ]

... one...more time...

[ He'll NEVER expect her to throw down scissors again. Not in a million years! ]

[explodewiththerage]

[They say third time's the charm. Nope he throws down scissors too.]

...huh this never happened before.

[celestial_wizard]

That's.... that's really weird. [ HOW IS HE DOING THAT. ...he ...didn't know her THAT well did he? ]

I...uh...I guess we'll have to try something else... Unless you want to call it a draw...?

[explodewiththerage]

[He...probably did. Maybe even better than he was aware.]

Mmmm I'm okay with a draw.

That was easier to say than one would expect.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ Phew. ]

Okay, so am I. [ Actually, a draw seemed most appropriate in this situation. Still a little weirded out by him picking the same choice she did, three times in a row, she couldn't help but wonder how long that would have gone on. She sauntered over to the couch, thoughtful. ]

I think we can cross Rock, Paper, Scissors off our list of games. [ She grinned sheepishly. ]

[explodewiththerage]

[He quickly joins her, hopping cross legged on the couch next to LUcy.]

hahaha yeah unless we play it in teams. Then we can crush everyone else!

[celestial_wizard]

[ Lucy giggles, unconsciously leaning against his side when he joined her on the couch. ]

I'm not sure it'd work that way, if the other team throws out something that'd counter whatever we did. Maybe if we were betting on what sign we threw out but there's no guarantee we'd keep doing that.

[explodewiththerage]

Well you never know. You're the lucky one after all. It'd probably happen just cause it's you.

[Even though her luck clearly didn't help just now but hey no need to get specific.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ Lucy fell silent for several seconds, glancing over at him. Despite the crap of the past year, and the battles with Tartarus, not to mention everything else - the fact that she and Natsu found each other again, not just in their own world, but two other ones? Three, counting Edolas...? ]

... yeah, I really am.

[ ... ... okay Lucy you're kind of staring at him now. Quit it. She quickly glanced away. ]

Um... m-maybe ... [ Wait, try to think about something else. ]

Nevermind..!

[ Goooooooooooooooooooooooooood. That's not suspicious at aaaaaaaaaaaaaaall. ]

[explodewiththerage]

[He's going to make it up to her for that whole mess. Well he would as soon as they went home together. Until then he'd have to focus on little things to make amends.]

Hm? Maybe what?

[Really LUcy you should know how sharp his hearing is.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ He's already done a lot to make it up to her, as far as she was concerned. With so few people even going into the guild anymore, she couldn't help but feel like that building reflected what would have been the one back home. Especially when everyone was doing their own thing now. ]

Oh... nothing, nothing..!

[ She was just trying not to think about how comfortable it was leaning against him - and warm too! Among other things. ]

I was just thinking about random things, don't mind me...!

[explodewiththerage]

[He still doesn't believe it's enough though. After all the sadness and loneliness he put her through is something that would take much longer nad much more to heal.]

Random things huh?

[Surely she realizes how that only makes her more suspicious, right?]

[celestial_wizard]

Y-yeah. Random...!

[ Quit looking at her like that. He was much too close to be doing that. Al..though Lucy felt any distance to him was too close. But since he was sitting next to her it was especially so. ... she ought to move to the other side of the couch, but it was cozy next to him there! And warm. ]

Don't worry about it, really!

[explodewiththerage]

[Well she better not move away because he doesn't want her to move away. Even though he keeps eyeing her suspiciously.]

Fine if you say so.

[He was still keeping an eye on her though.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ She was saying put for now! But dangit, did he have to say it like that? Or watch her like that? She sighed softly, smiling. Turning to face him properly, she reached up to catch his face with both hands to get his full attention. Though full attention was ...a bad thing for her, she tried to focus enough to reassure him. ]

You worry too much, you know that?

[explodewiththerage]

[That was....unexpected. Which is why his eyes go wide with wonder as Lucy holds him in place like that. Full attention fully diverted indeed.]

W-Well that's...I can't help it...

[celestial_wizard]

[ There's a moment where Lucy is asking herself WHY she just..did that knowing how she got when he gave her his full attention. But that question went unanswered as she found herself looking into his eyes as he answered.

.. Oh right, he answered. She blinked, a slow blush rising in her cheeks as she glanced away. ]

Because... you still feel guilty about what happened, right? ...that ..wasn't your fault, I told you. And... and you've done so much since then...

[ Especially supporting her decision to avoid that building, given her discomfort and unease about it. ]

[explodewiththerage]

[Probably for the same reason he did all of those subconscious gestures. Because it felt natural as breathing.]

It's not just that though. I'd still worry even if that hadn't happened. Because you....it's you...

[celestial_wizard]

[ Because it's her. Why did that make her heart race? ... well, no, she kind of knew why. It was the same reason that being this close with him was a bad idea. A terrible temptation. Her fingers twitched slightly, suddenly dropping from his face to his shoulders, as if she could push him away. ]

D.. Don't say something like that... I... [ Nope. NOOOPE. She shakes her head quickly. ]