[ 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

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.

[celestial_wizard]

"Mmhm. But not like the kind of spirits that are in Everglade, or even in Genessia. Celestial spirits." She was quite glad he didn't bring up the Hands of Decay though - it was a sore point, yes. On both sides of the fence.

She's surprised he read some of her work though, smiling faintly, "Really? I haven't submitted anything in ages, but I apprecia-" And then he drops the bomb.

And she drops her notepad and pencil, looking thoroughly confused, like he just waved a party rattle in her face and then dumped water over her head. She was always expressive, visually, and the 'wtf' is pretty clear in her eyes for the short moment it took for her to process what he said.

"... I..I'm sorry," she managed with a much softer tone, "W...who did you say....was setting up the meeting?"

Ted, why. Not about the Levy thing since you didn't know, but the supersuit. WHY. XD

[youfool]

"Celestial spirits? You mean like angels?" Be still, his heart. Maybe magicians weren't all evil occultists.

Technically he'd just read about the work secondhand, not the book itself. He's not much for chicklit, but he's sure it's great for its intended audience. He quickly stooped to retrieve her things, ever the gentleman. "Ohp! Here, let me get that for you. 'Levy''s the name. Don't know why I brought it up, really. Surely you'd be the first to know. Still, maybe you missed the announcement, and so I'd hate to miss you by not being thorough enough. You know what they say about assuming." He's glad she's shell shocked enough to stop asking about his future engagements, which sounded like a totally good idea at the time, by the way.

Could she say no to a face like this?

[celestial_wizard]

"Not exactly, no." If he was reading chick lit it wouldn't be from Lucy- she doesn't write chicklit. She does snap back to her attention when he picked up her notepad, her hand lifting slowly and accepting it him with a nod of appreciation. More or less. Though she looked rather upset now. Nevermind the odd way he was behaving, and she didn't want to burden him with .. things.

"... I think I'll pass." she said instead. Considering she had been mourning her friend when she found out about the death...well, she was glad she was fine now. But it only drove home the point more that ...no, she didn't think she could bear to be around her, knowing Levy hadn't even bothered to talk to her after something as serious as that.

"Thanks anyway, Ted." Yah THANKS. It hurt far more than when she found out everyone was leaving, only this time it wasn't because Makarov disbanded the guild. It was Levy's own decision.

Also yes, she could say no to a face like that. And has!

[youfool]

"Heh, don't tease me, now; you've got me curious what these spirits are like, if not angelic. I'm sure they're interesting, if nothing else, being based on the heavens."

Ted had an uncanny ability to miss what should be obvious, though eventually things did catch up to him, like Lucy's melancholy. Attending something having to do with mutual interests and mutual friendship seemed like the most natural thing in the world, so why was she refusing? Were the Hands of Decay truly that pertinent? Surely she could take a break for an hour or three. She's doing that now, isn't she?

But if it's not that, then...something between them, perhaps? Ted knew the usual unsaid rules of decorum: don't interfere with personal business. Stay out of it. But...hang it all, someone's should say something. Friends were the most precious thing he knew; he'd been weeping more than most men would be willing to admit at the mere thought that he might lose one of them. And weren't they very close? He had to try. If he didn't have the nerve to interfere, who would? It's too tragic to let something like this die on the vine, if that's the danger.

"Lucy, is something the matter?"

[celestial_wizard]

"Well Celestial Spirits and angels are entirely different beings, for one. And Celestial Spirits aren't based on the heavens, they're based on the stars. The constellations." She supposed that was also like the heavens, in some people's opinion.

It was likely already dead, and had been for a while. Lucy just had been fooling herself. ".. Nothing you need to worry about Ted. You're going to that writing thing?"

[youfool]

Ted's face returned that smile with a frown. He obviously didn't care for it; it felt so much like lying. In a funny way, it bore a resemblance to Levy's own attitude. Be strong, don't ask for help, don't worry, they've got this, we're all independent spirits. God he hated it. It would be enough to make him laugh, sardonically, if she voiced any of her complaints out loud. Where did she think Levy learned these stoic affectations? It was even sexually ironic. Isn't it women who jostle men to open up more? So yes, of course he's worried about it. But even he knew pressing the issue wouldn't bear fruit. So he'll just do it indirectly; sideways suggestions and guilt trips. Got to do something.

He nodded. "Yes. I'm interested in what people have to say, especially purified by the silence and space of the page. Besides, she's my friend who's been in a bad way. It's only natural to support her healthy endeavors." Not a great pitch; he didn't want people to go for pity's sake. But he's not proud, and not above twisting someone's arm. He was optimistic that if they could just come into contact once, all would be well. So his next appeal would be more naked than the first.

"So, please come. I know it'd make Levy happy to see you."

[celestial_wizard]

If Levy had learned any of that behavior, it wasn't from Lucy. It was more likely she learned it from Erza, since Levy was in Fairy Tail for far longer than Lucy was. In any case, Lucy's response was simply because she didn't think it was Ted's business. They weren't exactly friends, and while some women did pester men to open up more, Lucy wasn't one of them. He might be worried on Levy's behalf, but. Well.

"I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself then. Levy was one of the brightest in Fairy Tail, I'm sure she'll have plenty of opinions." If anything she gets even more tighter lipped when he talks about the other girl. SHe's silent for a moment, and then smiles. "I'll think about it."

She won't think about it. She made her decision. It was, granted, a decision made because she was upset and hurt, but she was sticking to it.

[youfool]

Think about it? That practically means yes! At least to him. Ted brightens up considerably. He could've done without the phrase "enjoy yourself", irksome thing. Enjoy people, enjoy the thing itself. Not yourself. Egads. But hey, any wayward expression is more than a fair price for a reunion.

"Thank you; I hope to see you there. I'd like to see these spirits of yours sometime too, if indeed they're corporeal. Good afternoon Lucy."