Supreme Power

That was a discomforting thought.

Yet, it was a thought that did not last long. He had to swallow a sigh of relief when she had started talking, as he attempted to play it off as if she had never once worried him. He snorted at her scowling, shaking his head in bemusement. “Yeah? It sounds like you’re getting dangerously close to compliment territory. Careful, you just might start feeding that ego of mine.”

In the meantime, Laxus chose to feed his sight, taking a few not-too subtle gazes at her own person. If he was a ‘very hot’ moron, then she wasn’t too bad looking herself.

 Or rather she mostly lacked an actual opinion, not often caring (or having the time) to get into heavy conversation with any of its members. With the exception of Hibiki whose company she surprisingly did not mind. 

Although she supposed that if on the topic of exceptions, Ren would be another, but for completely contrasting reasons. That, of course, was more a matter of personal opinion and general dislike of his surface character. Willing as she was to overlook a great deal, she held no patience or tolerance for deceptive behavior, and found herself with no interest in him on principal alone. 

 The rest of Blue Pegasus though? It was as much an oddity as the man she’d just found within its walls, Laxus himself, looking as though he’d sacrificed comfort when he was convinced (she assumes) to wear that suit. A bit snug for comfort if she had any say. Words she’d, of course, keep to herself. It was not her position to be prying, after all. 

“Errands, mostly. Dropping off a selection of papers and updates from the Kingdom, which I offered to do due to my planned route to an area nearby.” 

It was often in search of good grounds to train with Ophichus (as merely summoning him was a difficulty with such grand a size) that she found herself busying herself with minor tasks. Not to distract from a long travel as she was not burdened by the silence or distance (she favored it), but because it was in her nature to be productive even in absence. 

 Moving to tuck away the varied papers she held in her hand, she could not help but smile, eyes catching the list of assorted meals written in a delicate script. “I was given a list of meals to be expected for the events leading to the upcoming holiday festivities, which as you know will be arranged by Blue Pegasus,” she added calmly, evenly, no mocking in her tone despite her internal amusement. 

“Would you like to fill out suggestions for the scheduled meal days?” 

The second thing that made him uneasy in regards to Yukino was her thinking. Or, more accurately, the fact that he couldn’t figure out just what went on in that head of hers. Usually, there was some sort of tell that he could pick up on, something that he could associate with a feeling or a thought. But with her? It was like trying to read a text from one of those books imported from the East. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t figure it out, and that made him feel weak.

He hated that feeling, and yet, he was still compelled to engage with her. That was the worst part about all of this. It wasn’t simply a matter of her being attractive, either. While she was, in amounts that the blond considered unhealthy, there was a presence to her. A sort of unspoken charisma that compelled him to keep company with her. This was why he continued to linger here, as even though she rankled him, he couldn’t leave.

He wouldn’t leave.

A soft grunt was his first response to her words. Yukino keeping busy was of no surprise to him, and he suspected that she’d collapse into powder if she had a moment’s respite. Then the ruffling of paper attracted his attention, and in that moment, she spoke. It was those words that rankled his calm, bringing him annoyance that he hadn’t thought possible. He, Laxus Dreyar, a man who had put the fear of god in many a guild, and who might have been a Wizard Saint if not for his attitude, was now reduced to picking out meal days.

To say that this was a step down was to dramatically understate things. The humour of this moment was not lost on him, even if the calmness of her tone indicated that no offense was met. The blond dragged a hand across thelength of his suit, wondering if it would be in good taste to rip it to pieces before her. This was the source of her entertainment, and he’d have none of it.

“Save that for someone else in the guild. That’s not what I’m here for,” he replied, tersely as he ever did. “If there’s food on a day, then I’ll eat. That’s my opinion.”

To sate his deep-seated annoyance, he again recalled why he was here. This hadn’t been done for his benefit, but for the Raijinshuu’s. Taking himself away from that would be a disservice to him, and it was about damned time that he learned to be self-sacrificing. 

If only sacrifice didn’t hurt this goddamn much.

It had been a quick errand, but a mere passing not meant to give any form of pause to her day. More than the small portion of time it had occupied (the time that would be spent on the trip back not accounted for), it was simple. A few documents to be dropped off and hand delivered to the guild’s Master. She should have been out those doors soon thereafter.

Yet there she was, a pace that had previously been establish, steady, now inconceivable as she stood at the foot of the staircase. As grand as it was, the instalation was far from what had stayed her depature.

There were a few things Yukino prided herself in, her observation skills in the upper tier of that list. While she’d never claim to be an expert in the craft, she took comfort in having a solid base understanding of the people she’d come across.

Then there was Laxus, dressed in the familiar Blue Pegasus attire.

Chief among these surprises, of course, was the appearance of Laxus. When Fairy Tail had disbanded, many had expected him to take to a guild-less life, out of respect for his guild. Or, they had expected him to reform Fairy Tail himself, regardless of what his grandfather had decreed. To the latter, he had decided to bite back on his urges, and for once in his life, he had managed to respect the old geezer.

As for the former?

His gaze flickered away from Yukino for a moment (hard as that was), looking back towards the guild, thinking of only a few people within. If it had not been for the Raijinshuu, he would have lived life as he had before. The life of a wandering rogue had suited him well, for he had the pleasure of calling no man ‘master’. But, when he had looked to them, he knew he couldn’t abandon them. He was just a bit of a softie like that.

So, he had gone to Blue Pegasus, knowing both that he could sate a desire or two of his, and that his Raijinshuu would be accepted. More than that, they’d thrive in their own ways, and it was their development that counted. It was this that made his own set of circumstances bearable, even if his suit was a bit too tight for his tastes.

Tugging at his collar, his gaze was hers once again, shaking his head at their own odd quirks of fortune.