genessia | (no subject)

(no subject)

WHO: Anyone who wanted to confront the old lady from plot + anyone else who might be curious by a shady old woman with a kid that isn't hers
WHEN: In the morning today
WHAT: Confrontation times!
Summary: Hey, Hey guys, remember that old lady who asked some ~~gullible~~ kind heroes for help? SHe's baaaaack~~! <3

Today in Genessia, some people may come across a familiar (or not familiar) old crone. To those familiar with her, it's the same suspicious old woman that requested they 'rescue some kidnapped children. Whether or not they were able to - well. That's no matter now, right?

In any case, she'd got a stick in one hand as she hobbles along back through the gate, holding something in her other hand as she goes. She doesn't stop for anything, but stealthily slips through the gate to Fayren and, if one were to follow her, will eventually pass through the forest into a heavily wooded and foggy section until the ground gives way to a hardened path of bones bleached white by the sun, leading up to a cottage. Mind where you step, it's rather hard to see here.

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"I torched their house after I grabbed her. But I couldn't fight them while protecting her at the same time." Besides she was tied up. Still seeing that reunion unfold just a short distance away was all the confirmation he needed to know that he made the right choice.

"Yeah. She made a few more of those earth people and even one that was more stone than earth. Bastard took one of my roars head on and kept talking. But the funny thing is he didn't sound like a bad guy really. Just really bored and not too happy about following the witch's orders."

That could have been really dangerous if there were a lot of the enemy - especially whent he witch could just make more of them. But then again, the others weren't at the guild, and leaving the kids alone - when their nanny had done the very same thing even if it was for a good reason - didn't sit well with her.

"You're kidding..!" Surviving one of those roars? Well, if the guy was mostly stone that might be why, but still.. ".. if that's the case, then we should hope he doesn't show up here too." But if he did, they'd deal with it then. "I'll let Erza know - for now I think we should make sure those three stay here where it's safest." Of course, Natsu already made that plan SO. She glanced over towards the trio + dog, smiling absently. "It's nice to see them looking so happy isn't it?"

"Yea. I burned his skin layer off and got him down to the stone under it but other than that he wasn't really damaged." Natsu said with a shake of his head.

"Of course. She's staying with us!" No it wasn't a debate and he would likely still go up against the others if they tried to say otherwise. Though part of the reason might have been the fact that he really didn't want to see the kids go away.

"She was worried about the kind of things people would think of her knowing she was the daughter of the witch that's been terrorizing the region. So what better place for her to stay than with us?"

Lucy stared at Natsu in surprise at his statement that the kids and their Nanny would stay. Well. She certainly didn't want to see Justyne or Neveren leave either, so she would definitely back him up on that decision. Gajeel probably wouldn't care, and Erza - well surely Erza would agree with it too, as long as they followed the principles of the guild as guests or members, and she doubted they would have problems with that.

She smiles at the decision made in any case, nodding agreement, "You're absolutely right, of course. To be honest, I'd have offered the same. Even if she stayed somewhere nearby, I've..kind of gotten used to Justyne, Herb and Neveren staying with us. It was like --" ... Yeah not gonna say what it was like. But she looks pretty happy that the kids won't be leaving anytime soon.

They needed a hand around the pub anyway so there was also that argument to use if they had to. Hopefully though Erza's decision would be in their favor before it came to reasoning.

"Yeah. I know what you mean. They're fun to be around." Of course that was no the full truth but he was in just as much of a hurry to say the obvious as Lucy. Which was not at all. "Now we just have to deal with that witch in a way that we can be sure she won't do this again. She had to have been at it for a while though. She had a path of bleached bones leading up to her hut and everything."

It only made sense, and this way if Erza was concerned about someone loafing, they would be able to pull their own weight around the guild. "They really are..!" Lucy grinned, inwardly relieved for the change in subject, grim as it is.

"Does she know? It is her mother we're going to have to fight." Lucy glanced over to Regina, where Neveren was animatedly describing the fight against the snake lady to the other woman, with Justyne filling in the blanks here and there. "Bleached bones... god..." And that woman had been really, really old too. "How could she have been at it for so long and no one ever noticed.." A shake of her head. "Nevermind. We'll have to turn her in to the authorities -" too bad they don't have anti magic handcuffs or something.

"yeah she knows." That was one of the first thing he told her after all.

"There's something off though. That old hag didn't sound so old after I blasted her place. In fact it sounded like she was getting younger with each order she was giving to the lazy guy." Natsu didn't know what that meant precisely but either way things were far from over.

"I don't think they'll be able to do anything against her. She'll bust out without problem and maybe find another place to prey on. If only Gramps or Laxus were here." An odd thing so say but actually a clever one too.

"Getting ... younger? Wait a second... you don't think that that's why she's kidnapping children...?" Not just to eat them because food, but... getting younger by feeding off of them? She went a little green at the thought. ..they could probably ask Regina, but... she didn't want to bring up such unpleasantness unless they absolutely had to. It was hard enough knowing your mother was responsible for things like that.

"Hnnn... you might be right." She wished Laxus and Makarov were here too - "What about that wizard Ruby told me about, when I first arrived. Harry something or other? He might know of a way to hold her." Or maybe even someone in Everglade did.

"Yeah. I definitely heard it. The voice was getting younger." Natsu nodded grimly. He wasn't going to ask Regina about that though. Old or young it didn't matter. They were still gonna beat her and her dolls into the ground.

"We can try giving him a call after we win." Not when. After. Because there was nothing in his mind that would stop him from defeating that faking hag.

Lucy nodded firmly. There was no question that they were going to win - no matter how many the old witch threw at them. "Alright. But I guess for now, we'll have to wait for Erza and Gajeel to get back." Glancing over towards the trio, who have by now calmed down, Lucy grinned. "Justyne, why don't you and Neveren show her around? Natsu says she's going to be staying here too."

Try not to go deaf from the joy, Natsu. Lucy giggles, because Neveren is the biggest (and loudest) culprit (...he may be picking that up from Natsu. Oh dear.) as far as cheering that they won't have to leave.

"Yeah sound like a plan. Could use some fire to stock up on magic in the meantime." Natsu nodded before following the glance. He had no idea of what Lucy had in mind but when Neveren let out that cry of sheer genuine joy, he couldn't help but laugh even if his ears rang a little bit afterwards.

"Now there's a sound I bet no one expected to hear from him when we found them in that dark cottage." Natsu murmured to himself with an almost proud smirk.

"There's some firewood and charcoal out back, if you want to start a fire out here." In the fireplace that is. Glancing at Natsu and spying that smirk, she chuckled, "I know I didn't. He cheered up a lot when we got them back here, and I think that was due to you. But even with that he still seemed really down. Justyne too. With their nanny here, they seem a lot happier. ..I'm glad you were able to get her out of that place." She shuddered a little, turning to pad over to the table and reclaim the yarn she had been using earlier.

That sounds perfect~" Natsu chuckled containing his hunger so it didn't show too much. The scene unfolding before them certainly helped.

"Honestly I'm glad I decided to scout out the place first. My first idea was to just drop a huge fireball down the chimney and blow them up before they knew what hit them." Which in retrospect wouldn't have changed anything if the lazy look out was anything to go by. Though for anyone else but him, hearing Natsu speak about actually getting a read on the situation before jumping head first must have been quite the surprise. Odd how for him it had felt natural. Maybe someone (no names given) was rubbing off on him.

Lucy smiled, nodding as she padded over to clear the fireplace of some of the already existing ash. "Natsu-! Are you serious?" She glanced back at him in surprise.. no of course, he was serious. But hooboy thank goodness he didn't do that.

Wait, Wait a minute. NOrmally he would charge in as recklessly as ever but this time... well she shouldn't really be THAT surprised should she? After all, their time in Exsilium changed the three of them quite a bit, and not to mention back home. Still...

Yeah I'm totally serious. That old hag somehow felt me following her which was why she put out the lazy guy on watch in the front door. So I had to get closer using the trees and from there I saw Regina in the room all tied up and gagged." Totally going to let the surprise on Lucy's part fly over his head.

He was undoubtedly growing up more and more. IT was just in more subtle ways and he still loved to punch first and ask question later if the situation allowed it.

Just like he zones out her flailing when she's flustered? Fair enough. She was still pleasantly surprised to hear that though, staring curiously at her friend. ".. I have to say I'm pretty impressed. When you told me you saw that old woman I was worried you'd go charging in without a plan or anything." Blow it all up and then come prancing back all proud and adorabl- erm. She shook her head a little, "I think it worked better on all sides the way you did it though."

Exactly. It's only fair isn't it? Natsu walked over to the fireplace and grabbed some fire with one hand and held it like an apple he then took a bite of.

"Is that really how you see me?" He said with a slightly exasperated tone before shrugging and taking another bite from his apple/flame. He looked back over to the three who were now chatting a little more calmly probably with the kids telling them about everything they'd seen since coming to Fairy Tail.

"Yeah. It really did. Wish I coulda seen the hag's face though when I set fire to her house after grabbing her precious resource as she called her."

Fair enough one SUPPOSES. Watching Natsu bite the 'fire' (even though she's gotten used to him doing it it's still weird!) she couldn't help but grin impishly at the question. "Well you can't deny that you would have done that sort of thing before." She giggled, sitting at the table and stretching her legs out as she watched the trio. "Don't worry, I see you differently now." She added offhandedly.

Not so much the dense, reckless, weirdo. ...okay still a weirdo. Still dense. Still reckless... wait, damnit... "If we're lucky we'll get to see it if she's dumb enough to come here." She frowned. Referring to pepole as resources.. her own daughter even. "... how could anyone, any Mother, do something like that to their child I don't understand.."

"Even I can change." Natsu said with a shrug before she reassured him she saw him differently now. Only now though? Well he would have to work on that some more. But for now they still had some trials ahead of them.

"I don't think she sees herself as anyone's mother now. She's probably the only one still holding onto that bond."

Weelll.. maybe not only now. Maybe she started seeing him differently a while ago. Maybe. "I know you can. And have." Lucy paused, like she was about to say something more, and decided against it. Instead that latter comment brought a frown on, "... that's...really sad. But at least she has Neveren and Justyne. And vice versa."

Lots of maybes aren't encouraging. Luckily he couldn't read minds. Natsu finish his apple flame and reached over to pluck another.

"They all got us. We're all Fairy Tail now after all." Natsu wasn't going to discriminate between magic users and not. And who knew maybe those two could end up learning magic later. Romeo hadn't shown any magic skill until they came back seven years later. It was possible.

Oh boy. If he could read minds, all the maybes in the world wouldn't save her. He'd know exactly how she saw him.

"Right! And speaking of that," Lucy got to her feet and stretched, "I'm going to take advantage of this quick lul to get Regina's room set up. Call me if you see anything, okay?"

It would make things so much easier though.

"Aye sir. I'll hold the fort down here." Natsu chuckled and bit into his fire again while Lucy stretched. Totally didn't stare for a moment longer than normal just now.

It would! And it would probably increase Lucy's flustered levels to over 300%. It'd be hard to deny her heart if he'd be able to read her mind and call her on her self-lies! ..not saying that it was easy- actually it was harder and harder lately.

Of course Natsu didn't stare longer than necessary. That'd be silly! -cough-. But Lucy didn't notice anyway, tossing a quick smirk of amusement in his direction before she scooted on upstiars.

He watched her all the way out of his sight before he turned his attention back to the three. Yeah Regina definitely looked like she belonged with those two. But for a split second he still saw Lucy in her place. Nah his mind must have been playing tricks on him. Best to eat more of that fire. A storm was going to come knocking and he was not going to let it touch these three.

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