[ Action in Fayren/Genessia/Nova City ]

[celestial_wizard]

[ Open Action for All in Fayren, Genessia or Nova City ]
[ It's rare that Lucy ventured out of Fayren, but it was also rare she felt that the guild was suitably protected while she and Natsu weren't there. That wasn't the case now, thankfully, and she was more than grateful for the help of her spirits. Now she wanted to re-familiarize herself with the cities she had visited before, since it had been a long time since she was able to do so. Of course she's rarely without her partner, but she might be this time! Who knows what the future brings, right? In any case, she seemed rather distracted, a notebook tucked under her arm as she wandered about. In fact, she was so distracted, she almost didn't notice until she bumped into someone (predictably you!) at the last minute! ]

Whoops - sorry about that! Are you okay?

[ Action for Virgo - Nova City ]
[ It wasn't the first time a friend disappeared on her, but it was stranger when that friend was her own spirit, Virgo. Of course, she couldn't begrudge the spirit wanting a little personal time, especially with as hard as she'd been working alongside Loke and the others at the guild, and with Lucy herself. Still, the last time she summoned the maid spirit she was behaving oddly, so Lucy had given Natsu a heads up about her plans on finding Virgo - since he would of course come along with her, she was sure - and set off into the other City to find Virgo. Now...where could she be? ]

Comments

Is there, in fact, room enough in this town for two blondes?

[youfool]

Sure is fun, walking around without a care in the world, whistling with his eyes closed and letting the wind caress his face and bring relief from the summer heat.

WHAM

So much for that! It's uncanny, how often he bumps into people. But he'd endeavor to take whoever fate provided. But who did it provide? Well, manners first. "Eh heh, of course. It'll take a lot more than that to floor me for long. How about yourself, Ms...?"

There are probably a lot more than two blondes in this one horse town!

[celestial_wizard]

"Ted?" Lucy blinked in surprise - funny how fate worked that way. Or so she'd say if she believed in fate any. This was just a random chance encounter except the chances of running into him were pretty high, she thought. In fact, she was so surprised by the encounter, that she didn't even think to answer the question. But she looked fine and sturdy on her own, so... that might well be answer enough.

[youfool]

"Ah, Ms. Ted. I'm...Ted, as well..." Well that's a funny name, both for also being his and for leaning towards the masculine. "How does the morning treat you? Aside from our collision, of course."

[celestial_wizard]

"Uh.. what? Oh...No. God No." She laughed, figuring it was his idea of a joke. "Funny, you know my name is Lucy. And it's treated me well enough - I've been keeping busy.... yourself?"

[youfool]

He laughed nervously. Yep, he was totally joking! Not being absent-minded or anything! Better roll with it.

"Ohhh, Lucy! I think this is the first time we've met in the flesh. And what a visceral meeting it was, heh." Now he remembers: this is Levy's friend; one of her first. Funny, he doesn't see them together all that often. It was sad to think they might have grown apart.

"I've rather been doing the opposite. I've been thinking so long about an upcoming exam that it's difficult to focus on much else, these days, so I've resolved to be as unbusy as I can. What sort of work do you have that's so absorbing?"

[celestial_wizard]

"Yeah, it is, actually. Brings a literal meaning to the words 'running into someone'." She chuckled slightly, though it was weak.

Probably better that Levy isn't mentioned. Levy used to stop by the guild, but she hadn't in a long time, and she'd definitely spent more time in her bookstore or in Genessia with her other friends. She didn't even tell Lucy she was hurt - or alive after Lucy found out she got killed.

So as hurt as Lucy was, she couldn't say she didn't see it coming. Levy had been pulling away to do her own thing ever since she got to Genessia, and Lucy felt she'd been fooling herself thinking things would stay the same, no matter how much she tried and wanted it to. Oh well.

"Well, some of my friends from the Spirit World have been helping with guarding Fairy Haven, to take some of the pressure off of Natsu and myself," the Hands of Decay went underground, but they weren't caught so she wasn't comfortable with leaving it completely unprotected, "So I thought I'd get some fresh air and a change of scenery. Do some shopping. Clear the writer's block in my head - and since it's been a long while since I've been out of Fayren, see if anything new has popped up here and in Nova City. Kind of getting my bearings again."

And certainly not thinking about any newspaper articles. "..what kind of an exam are you- or were you - focusing on?"

[youfool]

"Spirit World?" Ted asked with both wonder and alarm. That sounded like it could be very interesting or very dangerous. Levy did say she was a magician, but she never said what kind. Presumably good, as they're all in Fairy Tail, but you never know. Trafficking with spirits isn't exactly safe. He intuited this was about the anti-mage terrorists again, a sore spot that he's just tactful enough not to rub. Better skirt around to another topic.

What's that? Levy should totally be mentioned? Well if she insists.

"Writer's block? Oh yes, I remember reading about some of your work in the paper. In that case, I formally invite you to the book-slash-writer's meeting Levy's setting up as we speak! With luck I'll wrangle some other characters with an interest in literature. Such a brainstorm ought to clear your head immediately." So helpful!

Ah, the exam. On second thought he probably shouldn't have mentioned it, but anything else would have made him sound like a shiftless bum. "Heh, something violent. A martial arts exhibit, of sorts." More specifically, a fight to the death against multiple killer robots, all to qualify for a nefarious supersuit which may or may not devour him. But he's pretty sure that should all be hush-hush, if only to keep things pleasant.

[im_gonna_heal_u]

Ooof!

[ Konoka hadn't been paying much attention either, having been wandering around Genessia a bit more herself when she wasn't at work. It was preferable than getting stuck in Everglade, though she had grown rather fond of her store, and she'd have an apprentice there pretty soon! But she had been thrown off, but fortunately a lamppost and a little support had kept her from actually crashing. Having already recovered though, Konoka actually grew more concerned about Lucy. ]

Wait, nevermind me, are you okay?

[celestial_wizard]

[ Fortunately Lucy is not a delicate flower to tumble to the ground simply by bumping into someone. Unless she had been going at a full run, which she wasn't. ]

Sorry, sorry~!

[ The concern is waved off with a smile. ]

I'm fine, yes - I wasn't looking where I was going, that's all.

[im_gonna_heal_u]

Ah, guess that was mutual. Sorry about that!

[ Well, Lucy was at least pretty fast in recovering too. Crisis averted! ]

I was taking a break from work and opted to drop by a library.

[celestial_wizard]

[ Lucy shook her head. ]

Don't worry about it, we were both woolgathering, I guess. [ Library hmm? ] The library - I haven't been in Genessia in several months but they haven't moved it have they? I remember there being one a few blocks fromt he Bay.

[im_gonna_heal_u]

Well I don't stop by Genessia a whole lot, so I couldn't tell you.

[ The brunette then had a thought. ]

Oh, what's your name? I'm Konoka Konoe.

[celestial_wizard]

Oh? My mistake, I thought you were a resident of Genessia. [ Oh right. ]

My name is Lucy. Nice to meet you, Konoka!

[im_gonna_heal_u]

[ Pleased that they were getting along so well, Konoka clasped her hands together. ]

So where do you usually hang out? You mentioned not being around Genessia a lot.

NOVA CITY

[meidomasochism]

[Virgo was being a bit uncharacteristically difficult on herself, but she's extremely determined to make things up on her end for 'lost time'. It was only by chance that she came upon a certain bi-weekly tournament that allowed her to gain more red bills for Lucy. Lucy just may happen to be walking by Minako's Arcade when she hears thumping and booming lyrics of .. Well.. A very special song .

COME! ON! BAY-BEEEEEE!!! KICK! THEM! DAY-ZEEEEEEEEEEEZ!!!

Actually the arcade appears to be pretty crowded today and they're cheering wildly at that! At the very entrance is an advertisement that reads 'CRAZY DANCING ON! tournament today! CAN YOU DEFEAT THE MAIDEN OF BOOGIE?'

Maiden of Boogie, eh? .. No. No, it couldn't be. There's no way! Right?

LOOKIT DEM GIRLS WIT THE DAISY DUKES ON!!!

NOVA CITY

[celestial_wizard]

.. it could. Especially when she could sense the bond to Virgo in that arcade. Question is - what the hell? ... and that music - or what passed for music - what the hell again. She didn't expect to find her friend in a place like that, but... well actually, maybe she could. She did see that advertisement after all.

"Virgo what on Earthland.." she murmured bemusedly, pushing open the door to make her way into the crowded room.

[meidomasochism]

Wow, kill the suspense why don't you? It's possible that it isn't Virgo! It could be.. Uh... Aries! Yeah! Once the door are opened, Lucy is graced by a blast of cool air as well as the floor vibrating from the thumping bass.

The contest is easy enough to pick out, as there are futuristic disco light balls (woah) spinning over the machine where two contestants are dancing off like nobody's business. One of them is Jane Shmoe, just your average girl, and the other a mysterious, and gorge- No, drop dead sexy maid wearing a black domino mask, moving in a manner so that their footsteps and arm swings match with the odd shapes that scroll up on the screen in front of them while the song plays.

Eventually, as they get near the end, Jane doesn't have the energy to continue so literally collapses off the machine in a manner that leaves her leg up in the air and twitching- And the crowd goes absolutely ballistic.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!! HERE IS YOUR WINNER, THE MAIDEN OF BOOOOOGIEEEEE!" the contest runner declares into his megaphone.

As the group applause while chanting 'Mai-den', The mystery woman turns to face them with her usual neutral expression then takes a bow. "Thank you very much."

[celestial_wizard]

No... no it couldn't. For one thing, there's no way that Aries would be in a place like this! And the other - she would never be able to mistake that bond between spirit and mage. Sorry to disappoint :D

She pushed her way through the crowd, marveling briefly at the disco balls. She wants one! But she knows that tech is a little beyond Fayren. Neverminding all that, she continued making her way to the front of the crowd, stopping short just as some poor schmoette collapses in front of her. "WAH! A....are you okay?" ... are you ALIVE?

Well she's twitching so she'll probably be fine. And then the chanting. Oh the chanting. ...also the hell is with that mask, Virgo?

.. That icon, tho

[meidomasochism]

The Jane is fine physically, but mentally she has had her hopes and dreams smashed then spat on. She may never make a full recovery. "M- must... keep.. dancing..." she groans. "Gotta.. beat.. her." then goes limp.

With Lucy close, Virgo recognizes her rather quickly and can't help but be a bit surprised. She would have never suspected that Lucy would go to an arcade, especially one in Nova City! Her perfect plan.. It has been ruined!

Or perhaps not. Surely Lucy doesn't recognize her, Superman got away with less! "Miss Shorty will survive; she is a worthy opponent as always." she explains while she gestures to her fallen rival, and makes zero effort to hide her normal voice. "Would you like an autograph before I collect my prize?"

It fit the scene :D

[celestial_wizard]

Expecting Lucy to not recognize Virgo is like expecting her not to recognize the back of her own hand! That being said, she ..doesn't blow the cover quite yet. "N..no... what on Earthland are you doing..?"

Suddenly the host of the event steps forward (and over the body of Plain Jane as a pair of helpers drag the unconscious body away. ]

"We have a new challenger!!" He grabbed Lucy's hand and held it up!

Lucy blinked. Blinked again. "Wait, what? WH.. No! Let go!" She tugs on her hand, to no avail! GASP! The announcer does pause, and then look at her again as if really seeing her.

...his eyes may have lingered a little too long on a particular part of her body. "Look kid, if you're going to challenge

THE MAIDEN(tm)

You need to be dressed appropriately. Come with me." And he dragged her off before she could protest, a hand raising out towards her spirit! WAUGH, you're not going to let this happen are you Virgo? Are you?

Hm.. maybe you are.

More like 'Do want'. >:|

[meidomasochism]

".. I am participating in the 'Crazing Dancing ON!' tournament." Virgo replies, as simple as if one asked how she was doing. "If you do not wish to become an entrant then I would suggest-"

Oops. Too late.

Now on one hand, Virgo isn't exactly certain she appreciates someone taking her schtic. She's the designated Outfitter of Lucy, but on the other hand she mustn't let her identity be known. So she mentally apologizes to Lucy for most likely having to end up being dressed in an undoubtedly inferior outfit.

Now comes the difficult part. Does.. Does she allow Lucy to win, or not? She had better do her part and get some people on her opponents side, so she pretends to shiver.

"Is there a problem, Maiden?" the announcer asks.

"Indeed. I can tell that she will be a difficult opponent. Her curvaceous figure clearly could only be obtained by a bachelorette with unlimited dance potential."

genessia

[rainclouds]

Lu-Lucy-san. ( juvia was more surprised at who she had run into than the bump itself. though seeing the celestial mage gave her some strange ideas... just as it always did... )

Juvia... is fine. ( what were you doing here, rival. trying to get a glimpse of gray-sama, perhaps? even though he was likely back at the inn out of her scandalous peeping range?

... perhaps she knew some good places where to watch from.... )

Re: genessia

[celestial_wizard]

[ Oh! Well there's a sight for sore eyes - she hadn't seen Juvia in ...even longer than Levy, actually. She smiled at the water mage, offering a hand to help her up. ]

I should have been looking where I was going anyway, sorry.

[rainclouds]

( she looks at the hand for awhile... before finally taking it, but never moving her eyes off of lucy, even as she made a small effort to brush herself off. )

You weren't— looking out for other things were you, Lucy-san? ( like how to sink your claws into gray maybe, love rival!! )

[celestial_wizard]

Other things? Yeah, actually, I was looking for Virgo. Have you seen her?

[ Virgo is not code for Gray or anything else - her spirit had wandered off for shenanigans and while she COULD just summon her to her side, she had promised not to call her today. She was just worried about Virgo's behavior of late. ]